#but they should be on the ocean. The ocean is better. a simple hotel room was easier to draw than a boat interior i guess | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

besthimbomachine · 1 year

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my love when it counted. 02

summary: Kenny accepts he has to try and make amends, and with Matt's help he finally manages to talk to you. But feelings are complex, words often not doing them justice, and things are usually far more complicated in reality than they are on paper. pairing: kenny omega x reader word count: 6765 warning: angst holy mother of god this one got out of hand fast. if you've been around the blog this past couple of days you know I started writing this and the next chapter as one thing before I realized it had become MASSIVE. so now I had to split them in two, this has been a wild situation. so here you have it, Kenny's angst jail. but rest assured, next chapter, the fun part, comes out until saturday. for now I'll be taking some time off by doing some Hangman fluff

02.

“You should talk to her,” Matt’s voice filled the hotel room, the only other sound being Kenny’s chopsticks hitting against the plastic take out bowl, “worst case scenario -”

“Worst case scenario, we got at each other’s throat,” Kenny interrupted Matt, voice a low and tired grunt as he stared down at his noodles.

Sighing, Matt rolled his eyes as he tried to regain his patience. “Worst case, you keep how things are now, which is already bad,” he said slowly, trying not to sound too much like a threat as he stared daggers into Kenny. “Best case, you can maybe try to be friends again,” Matt shrugged as his friend looked at him with questioning eyes, it didn’t hurt to try and keep a positive outlook.

Matt took a bite of his food, letting them both sit in silence for a second before he spoke again. “And you can start watching her matches from somewhere other than a dark corner backstage, like a fucking creep.”

Blue eyes shot back up, meeting Matt’s gaze with a mix of annoyance and disbelief as Kenny spoke in between bites, “You make it sound like it’d be easy,” his disheartened muttering just high enough to be heard.

“Well, I think you at least should try,” Matt’s voice rose slightly, exasperation at the situation finally settling in. “Come on, Kenny, you can’t keep like this forever. Anything has to be better than whatever the fuck you are doing right now,” he was gesticulating wildly now, chopsticks pointing at where his friend sat on the bed.

Kenny looked down again, shoulders slumped as he curved into himself. It was a sad sight, and the silence only made it worse. Matt could see these usually vivid ocean eyes looking lost and lifeless, something painful and wrong and just plain cruel to witness. Groaning, he slumped back into the couch, breathing in deep before he spoke again.

“Listen,” Matt’s voice came much calmer this time, genuine sympathy spilling through his gentle tones, “we both know this isn’t going well. Hell, anyone who stands in the same room as you two for more than thirty seconds can tell something isn’t right, it’s terrifying to just watch.” He paused, meeting Kenny’s gaze as the man finally looked back up, trying his best to see if he could get through this time. “And if it keeps like this, it’s not gonna be long before Tony comes questioning why things aren’t quite as fine as you promised him they’d be.”

Kenny grunted loudly, rubbing his hand over his eyes as he felt a weight sinking him to the ground. He knew Matt was right, but things weren’t quite as simple. And truth be told, Kenny was afraid. Deadly scared of a confrontation he never thought he’d have. One where he knew he was wrong, and he wasn’t sure he’d know how to deal with it. Besides, his own cowardice only made things worse.

“Come on, Kenny,” Matt’s voice came in a near whisper as Kenny looked back at him, “I know this is hurting you too.”

For a second, Kenny sat in silence, gazing into nothing as he stared down at the empty plastic bowl in his hands. He took a deep breath, blue eyes looking all around the room for a way out of this conversation that he knew didn’t exist. Gathering courage, he looked back into Matt’s brown eyes, tired gaze peering into his friend’s gentle one. He was right, Matt was right, that was the worst part.

“Shit,” Kenny paused, words failing him for a few seconds as he tried to put together his thoughts, voice cracking along the way. “Yeah, yeah, you are right. I know that, Matt. But it's just… It’s hard, ok. I don’t know, I wished I could be as hopeful as you, but I can’t.”

Kenny set his bowl aside, laying down on the bed and staring up at the ceiling, legs still dangling from the edge of the mattress. “And it’s not that simple. Well, actually, it’s pretty damn simple. I fucked up, and she despises me, hates my guts. Which, I’ll be the first to tell you, she has all the right to,” he stopped, feeling the tightness in his chest straining his voice.

Matt looked at him from the couch, brows furrowed together, as he heard Kenny’s voice grow quieter. “You know you fucked up, but you changed, that’s reason enough why you should try to apologize.”

“I don’t know if I can do it, Matt,” Kenny sat back up in a flash, misty blue eyes staring back at his friend. “Yeah, I feel like shit now. I know I fucked up, and I feel like crap for it. But I don’t know - I don’t know if I could face her like that again.”

“Why not?” Matt asked, a pause between them before he urged Kenny to respond. “What are you so scared of?”

“Fucking hell, man,” Kenny grunted, staring at the ground in silence for a long moment before he looked up once more, brows coming together, a snarl painted on his face, “have you thought that maybe this could do more harm than good? That’s what I’m scared of, Matt,” his voice hit a crescendo, shaky blue eyes staring deep into his friend’s gaze. “I hurt her, and now she is pissed off - as she should - and I’m fucking terrified there is nothing else I can do to fix this mess. I wish things could be better too, but I don’t know if there is a solution here.”

The fear in Kenny’s eyes was clear as day, Matt could see it reflected in these usually calm pools. He watched his friend try to regain his breath, giving him the time to calm his nerves as he stared almost pleadingly into Matt’s eyes. God, he wished he had an easy answer to give the man, that he could give him the certainty things would be fine, but he couldn’t. All he had was hope that this situation could be fixed, that it wasn’t completely beyond help. He held onto any semblance of light he could find, and he knew selling that to Kenny wouldn’t be easy, but he had to try.

“Kenny,” Matt hesitated, words getting caught in his throat as Kenny looked back at him with forlorn eyes and trembling breath, “I know this sounds stupid, but you at least have to try.” He watched as Kenny made to reply, waiting for a second as his friend struggled with finding words.

“Look, bottom line is if this goes south, things will still be crap. And you’ll finally be sure there is no fixing this. You can move on, it’ll be no use thinking about that. But if there is a chance,” Matt paused again, leaning in, feeling his own voice straining ever so slightly as he extended a hand towards Kenny. “If there is a chance, you won’t know until you try. And I think it’s worth giving it a go, you both deserve that closure. Please.”

Kenny wanted to argue. He wanted to complain, to scream, to cry. They’d already had this conversation before, and part of him desperately wanted to tell Matt to just drop it. But he felt too tired to do any of these things. Exhaustion seeped into his muscles, settling into his bones, heavy like lead and painful like poison. He knew Matt would keep on trying - because he cared about Kenny, and about you too. And maybe the man was right, there was a point to his argument, but Kenny felt so damn afraid.

“Please,” Matt pleaded again, sensing the doubt in Kenny, trying to slip through any crack, any breach, anything as long as he could get through to him. “I’ll even help you if you want me to, I’ll do what I can, but please give it a try.”

Trembling blue eyes fitted Matt in disbelief once more. Kenny sighed deep and loud, eyelids shutting tight before he opened them again. “Shit,” the hesitation in his voice was clear, part of him still too afraid to say the words, “alright, I’m gonna - I’m gonna give it a try.”

Matt shot up from his spot on the couch, eyes wide in excitement and shock. There was no way he could be sure Kenny would really try anything, though just hearing it from him was already a success. They could think about the logistics later, but the first step was done. For now, he was just happy to commemorate the smallest of victories.

Coming closer to Kenny, Matt took a hand to his shoulder, squeezing it in reassurance. “You are doing the right thing, man. I’m really proud of you.”

Kenny looked back at him, eyes sunken and brows furrowed. He wanted to feel as sure as Matt, but he couldn’t, all he could do was stick to the belief that his friend was right. He had to be, for everyone’s sake. Kenny reached his hand to touch Matt’s where it sat on his shoulder, muttering a quiet thanks, shooting him the best smile he could muster. Now all he had to do was find his damn courage. And hope this would be for the best.

“What?”

Matt felt a shiver run down his spine at the tone of your question. It was dry and skeptical and if he let himself go so far he could say it felt almost like a threat. Like you were daring him to repeat the words he’d said previously. To step into forbidden territory and make himself a target. Your eyes fitted him with silent rage, and only now he realized how intense they were, an apex predator waiting to pounce. He could feel ice cold daggers prickle his skin, Kenny had a reason to fear, but he also had fences to mend and Matt had agreed to help.

“Come on,” Matt called your name softly, tentatively crossing the line you had drawn, “you heard me. I think you should talk to him, Kenny wants to apologize.”

You stifle a dry laugh, the sound dying in your throat but echoing through your lips and nostrils, its ghost burning Matt’s skin. He looked around, thanking the heavens for the emptiness of the food court as you two sat across from each other in a lone round table. Looking back, Matt saw you lean further into your chair, one arm crossing over your chest as the other held a beer can to your lips. There was tension forming in the air, thick as blood, and Matt fought to quell the restless tapping of his foot as he gave you a second to respond.

“Sure,” this time you laughed, but even that felt wrong, your eyes rolling before they landed on an empty spot on the floor, “Kenny wants to apologize.”

He could taste the mockery in your voice. Could feel you closing yourself off, silently increasing the distance between you two. It wasn’t a surprise, though, Matt had been warned by his brother that you’d probably not be very open to talking about this issue. That had been right after he convinced Kenny to try and apologize, a couple of weeks ago. When the man finally signaled he was ready to have this conversation, Matt quickly realized someone would need to convince you of that.

At first, he’d approached Nick to do the job, he was closer to you than Matt, so it only made sense. Though, Nick bailed the moment he started presenting the idea, wanting nothing to do with that. Maybe, that was a bad omen. But he had made a promise to help, so he was left with no choice but to do it himself.

Irritation poisoned Matt’s mind as he looked at your distant eyes. Resting his head in his hands, he willed himself to calm down, his words echoed through the desolate space. “Tell me, why would I lie to you? What would I get out of this?”

You looked at Matt from the corner of your eyes, swallowing your beer slowly, the bitter taste staying in your tongue. Sighing, you didn’t even bother turning to him as you spoke. “Listen, Matt, I don’t think -”

“I’m just asking you to hear him,” Matt punctuated his words by tapping his finger on the table, both feet planted firmly on the floor as he leaned forward, “just to let him apologize.” Matt sighed, leaning back again as his brows furrowed, mouth curling into a light frown. “It’s not like I’m asking you to become best friends or anything.”

“Look,” you turned to him fully again, deep eyes reflecting exhaustion but remaining unwavering. “I just don’t think this is going to work, Matt,” there was a tense pause as you ran your free hand through your hair, looking away before quickly your eyes met his again, now burning with an old and darkened flame. “Hell, I doubt Kenny even fucking knows what he should be apologizing about. The person I remember barely even knew what an apology meant. You’ll excuse me, but I’m not really sure he’d feel bad about any fucking thing.”

You were gesticulating intensely, hands open at your side, and Matt tried to suppress the part of his that flagged that as something dangerous. Focus on the thought that if you were reacting, it meant you were at least listening. That he was managing to crack through your walls and get closer to you.

Matt called your name again, a trembling edge marking his voice, gentle brown eyes locked in your intense ones, “I get that you don’t trust him. You are angry and I know-”

“Do you, now?” Your eyes widened, head falling to the side slightly, like a hunting hound closing in on its prey. Wrong words, Matthew, wrong words. “Do you, Matt?”

“Listen,” Matt swallowed hard, trying to push his self preservation instincts to the back of his mind. You weren’t quite as terrifying back in New Japan, and he didn’t know if he wanted to discover what made you like this. Breathing in deep, he shook the tension from his shoulders, trying his best to show he wasn’t here as a threat. “I’m not gonna pretend I can ever know exactly how you felt, and I’m not here making excuses for Kenny. He was an asshole, a bastard, a selfish jerk, but he isn’t that same person from New Japan anymore.”

You made to respond, mouth opening and hands raising, but Matt was quicker this time. He could see your grip on the can tightening, fingers starting to dent the aluminum slightly. “I know my words are suspicious because I’m his friend, but I don’t even want you to believe in me. I don’t even want you to give this new Kenny a chance,” Matt gave himself a pause, relaxing his furrowed brows and regaining his labored breath for a moment, ”I just want you to have one conversation.”

“You are right,” your voice was hard and cold as ice as your eyes dug trenches into his own, white hot rage now spilling through your tone, like the small crack that dooms a dam. You leaned forward, slowly, with every word, finger pointing straight at him, “you have no idea how I felt. You weren’t the one to stand there being accused of only caring about yourself because he got angry when you got a better chance at your career.” You paused, retreating back to your chair, shoulders slumping as your eyes and voice lost some of their edge, “and it’s not like I don’t believe your words because I don’t trust you, Matt. It’s because I think you trust Kenny too much.”

Matt could see a sliver of pain show through your defenses as your expression softened, body relaxing slowly as you looked away from him. Kenny’s reaction to your WWE invitation had been uncalled for, to say the least, he knew. On top of that, you’d had years to let that hurt sit and age, simmering in the rage you felt. It was an ugly situation and Matt felt bad for it. Bad for how Kenny acted, bad for how things turned out, and bad for bringing it up again now.

“Maybe,” he agreed, shrugging his shoulders in a tired motion, eyes closing as he breathed in through the exhaustion and the tension in the air. “But I’m not asking you to trust him. I’m asking you to listen. To have one conversation once, so you can both close this shit.” Pausing for half a moment to access your reaction, Matt sighed loudly as he saw you turn your head away from him again.

He leaned towards you, voice lowering, tone turning sharp as he frowned. “So you can both stop this goddamn cold war you’ve got going before a certain someone notices it. I don’t think you’d like Tony picking up on this mess. So if you aren’t willing to try doing this for both of you,” Matt marked his words by pointing at you, elbow resting on the table as he leaned back again, “then try for your job. And our general workplace tranquility.”

There was a long moment of silence between the both of you as you looked at him from the corner of your eye again, beer can frozen in mid movement as it hovered over your lips. You could cut the tension like flesh, Matt refusing to relent and say anything else as you fitted him with a cold expression. A knot forming on his throat as your gaze bore into his soul.

“Fuck you,” you closed your eyes, voice subdued, the fight almost completely missing from it as you looked away again, sinking deeper into your chair this time. That was when Matt knew he had won.

“Yeah, yeah,” Matt replied with a low laugh, muscles finally relaxing as relief washed over his body.

“Ugh,” you downed what was left of your beer, hitting the can on the table as you turned back to him, “what the fuck do you want me to do?”

“Nothing,” he said simply, trying to reassure you that things would be fine, “just find a time in your schedule.”

You sighed and looked around, nodding your head as you rested both arms on the table. “Kenny is here with you today, right? I’m staying in the arena all afternoon to prepare, should be leaving at six, that’d probably be the best time to find me. Just rip the bandaid already.”

It was Matt’s turn to nod as you shrugged and got up to leave, his brown eyes shining bright as he looked deep into your own. It was common for Kenny to be at the arena the day before the match, so of course you knew he’d be there. Matt wouldn’t have chosen today to do this, but in this situation he couldn’t be picky, and neither could Kenny. All he could do was hope it would work out, and pray for whoever was your opponent tomorrow in case it didn’t.

“Ok, I’m gonna talk to him, send you a message later,” he smiled, mouthing a thank you as he waved at you.

Matt watched you comically snarl at him for a moment before waving back and turning around, making your way to the door. He stretched in his chair, feeling a weight lifted from his body. His part was done, now it was all up to Kenny.

Sweat pooled on Kenny’s palms, humid and bothersome as he knocked on the door of the locker room you were at. Leave it to you to find a spot in the most lonesome corner of the entire place. He remembered that back in New Japan you’d do that for very different reasons. Not that he could complain, it would be useful in this situation too. Or maybe that’s how you’d get away with murder. His murder.

He shook his head, trying to get rid of those thoughts, his mind was reeling at a hundred miles per hour, and you still hadn’t even opened the door. And why the hell were you taking so long? To Kenny, it felt like he was waiting for a lifetime, thumb tapping against his belt as he waited, his lip already feeling the damage his teeth were doing to it. The moment was stretching into infinity, he could almost hear the empty hallway echoing his thoughts back to him. Deep inside, Kenny knew he was probably not waiting that long, but his stomach had turned inside out and his nerves were taking the best of him as he lifted his fist to knock again.

His knuckles didn’t even have a chance to reach for the door before it opened. Shock taking over Kenny as he stood before you, the closest you had been in years. So far, he had only been able to watch you from far away, like a wild animal, beautiful but only from a distance. Now he had you so close he could smell your perfume. You’d changed out of your training clothes already, the wet hair and towel on your hand giving away that you’d just come out of the shower. You were gorgeous, and it took Kenny all his willpower to unfreeze himself.

Blinking twice, Kenny looked into your eyes for the first time in so long, voice sticking to his throat as he tried to say something, anything. “Hi.”

Shit, beggars can’t be choosers, he guessed.

“Hi,” it took you a moment to respond as you looked him up and down before your fierce eyes returned to his own, and you stepped away from the door.

The last time you’d seen Kenny this close, you ended up leaving Japan forever. This time you were hoping you’d be able to stay in the country, and preferentially stay in AEW to the end of your contract. But you couldn’t deny that being around him shook something in you. Something raw and violent and just all too real. Sure, time had done its thing. He didn’t quite look the exact same, he didn’t smell the same, but he felt the same. A strong, intense presence that had every one of your senses on alert. You didn’t want to be too hopeful , but a voice in the back of your mind wished that by the end of the day, this would be different.

Stepping aside, you let Kenny in before closing the door behind him. God only knew how noisy people could be, and you’d rather this talk remained private. For better or for worse, this was a conversation that should stay between you two. Taking a deep breath, you prepared yourself, calming your nerves before you turned around, coming face to face with Kenny’s sky blue eyes.

“So,” you were the first to speak, deciding to just burst the bubble and get done with it, voice as calm as you could get it to be, “Matt said you wanted to apologize.”

��Yeah,” Kenny almost stuttered the word out, unable to come up with anything better to say as his mouth dried, and you stayed in silence for a long moment, his heart trying to break free from his chest.

You looked hard and long at him, the man before you seeming sheepish, almost like he was trying to hide. A second passed as you gave him the time to speak, but he didn’t. You could feel something burning within your veins, even now would you have to be the one to do the work? You took a deep breath, exhaling hard as you calmed your nerves.

“Why didn’t you come to me yourself?” You tried to keep the poison from your voice, to sound as serene as you could. It wasn’t an accusation, or at least you didn’t intend it to be. “Why send Matt as a messenger boy?”

Kenny sighed, fidgeting in place as he lowered his gaze to the ground for a moment. Not a great start, but all he could do was tell you the truth. Looking back into your eyes, he shrugged, speaking in a quiet and tired voice.

“Would you have let me talk if I did that?” He paused for a second, searching your eyes for any clue, but you were good at keeping what you felt locked in their infinite depth. “Would you have opened the door if I just showed up?”

“Kenny,” you almost whispered, the name heavy on your tongue as you tried, and failed, to find the right words to say.

Kenny took one step towards you, a bit of the tension in his body leaving his muscles when you didn’t step back. He hesitated for a second, mulling the words in his head as the air hung heavy and thick around you both. There was no easy way to do this, no certain way to do this, all he could do was try.

“Listen,” he stopped, he could almost feel his lip trembling and hand shaking as he swallowed hard before continuing, “I’m sorry, ok? I’m really sorry for all I did to you, honestly, and if there is anything I can do to make up for it, I…”

Kenny broke eye contact as his words trailed off, unsure of what he could say to convince you of his honesty. His chest tightened, and his heart continued to try and rage against his ribs like they were jail bars. It was awful but only got worse as he heard a noise coming out of you, something between a bark and a laugh. It was dry and small and incomprehensible to him

Feeling his muscles tense once more, Kenny’s nervous eyes turned back to you. “What?”

“Well,” you paused, gazing deep into him for what seemed like an eternity, feeling your throat tighten and hoping your eyes didn’t betray the pain you carried inside, “it just seems so simple. Am I just,” you held your breath, scared of saying what you thought, a question that plagued you intensely, “supposed to believe in you and move on?”

Your voice was so terribly quiet, but it rang loud in Kenny’s ears. It wasn’t your words that pierced him, but the truth they held. He didn’t have an answer, he wished he did, that was the hard part. Knowing he fucked up was easy, but what came now, he didn’t know. You both stayed in silence for a second again, Kenny running his hand through his hair as he tried to find his words.

Kenny called your name, voice as quiet as your own, stuttering through his words as he felt his body screaming for him to run. “Listen, I know I hurt you, I know I fucked up. I know you deserved better and that I shouldn’t have said -”

You heard him say the words, you watched the hesitation in his voice, but just felt wrong. It felt lacking. Like there was something just not clicking. You didn’t know if you could ever believe him to truly understand you, to truly get all that you felt. All that he did. The loneliness this fear caused had the large locker room seeming small, almost claustrophobic, as you stood in there together.

“Do you really know?” You cut him off, words spilling from your mouth like a torrent beyond your control. They felt like blood, like the iron taste on your mouth, the sharp pain of a cut tongue. “Do you even understand what you are apologizing for? Cause it ain't just what you said on that last day.”

Kenny sights, looking into your eyes in silence for a small moment of shock as he could see the pain spilling through the cracks of your walls. “I know it wasn’t just that, I know that I fucked up multiple times through our relationship.” He pauses again, feeling the weight of his mistakes, eyes almost pleading as he looked into your own, “but I don’t know what you want me to say.”

You looked away from him for a second, stifling something in your throat that you weren’t even sure if it was a laugh or a sob. You were tired, beyond tired, your body aching from both the work day and this whole situation. With a long exhale you looked back at Kenny, you could get lost in those vast blue eyes, they looked so lost that it almost put out the burning in your veins.

“I want to hear you say it, I want to know that you can see how you fucked up,” you swallowed hard again, words burning your throat as you forced yourself to speak them out loud, ignoring the pain they brought, “how you hurt me. How you wronged me while I tried so very hard to do right by you.”

“Shit, I know, I was selfish, arrogant and controlling in so many different ways and I know it,” his voice was almost a cry, Kenny standing frozen, pain bubbling to the surface of his mind, clouding the words he had planned in his head. He wanted to make you understand that he cared, that he regretted everything. He wanted to scream for help, but there was only himself there, and he had to do this alone.

“I thought the world revolved around me, for me, I know,” his voice got caught in his throat, the heavy truth sticking to his lips like tar, the pain shooting through his body making it hard to think. “I had all those years to look back and see it, all those years to look at myself and face the type of asshole I was. If only I could show you that I can see it, that I can see how I hurt you and how that haunts me and destroys me inside-”

You felt his words fill you with disgust, the rage and pain you’d buried shaking your insides like a storm. A shudder shook your entire body as you turned around, not able to look at him as he fumbled through his sentences. When you turned back, gaze meeting his, you cut his words short. A dry laugh that sounded almost like a bark spilling through your teeth and into the thick air in the room.

“Oh yeah, it haunts you, right? Poor little Kenny, so hurt by all the pain he caused to someone else,” you spat the words like venom, letting your self control break for a minute as you felt your eyes burn. No, not right now. Not as he fucking dared to make this about himself. “Suffering by all the shit he did to someone who loved him,” you paused, the word bringing a knot to your throat as it hung heavy over your heads before you broke the tense silence. “Look at you, even when you apologize, you have to make it all about yourself.”

Kenny got stuck in place, breath caught in his lungs as his consciousness came crashing down over him. Shit, he didn’t mean it like that. Rubbing his hands over his eyes, he tried to find a way to fix it, to make you understand. He should have thought this through, but through his life he was always terrible at thinking before he acted. Now it was no different.

“I’m,” he stuttered, words clinging to his tongue and stuck between his teeth, “I’m sorry I -”

You threw the towel you were clutching in your hands on top of your bag. Rage boiled in your stomach, your veins, your throat. It burnt you from the inside out, all the hurt and all the resentment, all the things you’d buried deep within getting brought back to the surface. You could feel your skin searing, your body bursting at the seams, water trying to rush to your face as you violently pushed it down.

“I’m sorry doesn’t cut it,” you didn’t scream, lungs lacking the air for it, voice like a strangled cry, one you hoped he wouldn’t notice even though you knew he would. “You were a selfish prick for years and even now when you come to apologize you still can’t shake it off. You came to say you are sorry, and you still have to talk about how bad it makes you feel?”

Kenny watched in pain as the words spilled from your mouth like the breaking of a dam. Your voice breaking mid sentence, eyes burning deep into his mind as you spoke. You were left breathless at the end of it all, looking broken and exhausted, and he felt lost. He wanted to hug you, to hold you, to make it stop, but he knew he couldn’t. He knew the touch he wanted to share would only hurt you more.

“Shit, I,” he started, voice trembling and eyes clouded by mist as they found yours. He could feel the tightening in his throat and the burning in his face, the pain and the fear making it hard for him to think. “Listen, I didn’t mean it like that. I mean that I had the time to look at myself and see how I wronged you and I regret it. I feel bad about the things I did, and I wish I hadn’t done them, but that’s not how this works. And now all I can do is apologize.”

“Why didn’t you do it sooner?” Kenny could hear the shiver in your voice, even as you quieted your hardened breathing. It felt beaten, exhausted, but it still retained a biting edge, like a rusty nail, worn out but still sharp. “You had years, like you said, so why not?”

This was a question he didn’t want to answer. And you could see it in the way he moved in place, shifting his weight as he pondered what to say. He looked like a confined beast, a lion in a cage far too small. He averted his eyes from you for a few seconds, a large hand running through his hair and down the back of his neck before he turned back, face red and hair disheveled.

“I was a coward,” he stopped, letting the words sink in as he took another step forward. There were no two ways about it, that was the truth, one he hated to admit. Shame gripped at him, clawing under his skin, making him fidget even more before he spoke again, voice low and almost melancholy. “I was afraid. Afraid of facing you, of facing my mistakes, so I ran. I ran.”

There was a long moment before you answered, voice quiet in disbelief, almost like you were muttering to yourself. “At least you admit your cowardice,” you watched Kenny swallowing hard, the truth weighing on him. Deep inside you wanted to trust that he could change, it would make things easier, but facing the truth of his actions, you didn’t know if you should. “You ran, you were afraid of facing what you did. Why should I believe this is any different now?”

Kenny averted his eyes from you, letting a small sad laugh escape his lips, he hoped he didn’t sound as beaten as he felt, but he knew he did. That was a good question, you were right to ask it. But he knew that good questions rarely had easy answers, this one didn’t either.

“Ah, I don’t have a good answer for that,” he admitted quietly, finally looking back at you. “I can only ask you to trust me.”

“And after everything you did,” your voice was close to a whisper, but it burnt with a quiet white rage, one so painful that it silenced your need to scream, “why should I?”

Kenny grunted, pulling at the roots of his hair, feeling his heart racing and his body hurting in every single place. He could feel a fire burning within, raging inside his mind, setting his bones aflame. Every fiber in his being wanting to run, to leave, to escape this place, this situation, everything. Restlessness settled in his nerves, from the bottom of his feet to the top of his head.

“Fuck, all I can say is I know I fucked up, ok? I know even now I still am doing it and I barely even know how to begin to apologize, how to even try to make it up to you,” his broken voice rose without him noticing, exhaustion blinding his mind from his senses, isolating him in a terrible place within his own head. “You were right to leave me back then, I was a piece of shit. And the things I said to you - I fucked up, ok. Big time, I’m aware, but what do you want me to do? Grovel at your feet? “

You shook your head, part of you didn’t want to believe the situation, but another screamed that it was obvious from the start. “Fuck you Kenny,” you swallowed your pain, tired voice going back to its icy touch as you took one step away from him, “I just want you to own up to your mistakes, to be honest.”

“I am! I’m being as honest as I can be right here,” you winced at his booming voice, but Kenny was too caught in his head to notice, his conflicting feelings blinding his eyes. “I realize how bad I fucked up, and it hurts me every single day, and I don’t know what to do with these feelings. What to do with this situation and -”

“Maybe start by not getting angry just because I pointed out how hard it is to even trust your words, let alone your behaviors,” you raised your voice, interrupting him as you took a small step back, legs hitting the bench behind you.

When your voice reached his ears, Kenny was brought back to reality with force. His eyes widened as he watched you backing away from him, realization hitting him hard. He extended a hand towards you on instinct before pulling it back to his side, noticing your balled fists and furrowed brows. Pain coursed through his lungs, burning his throat like lava. He couldn’t reach you. He failed in reaching you.

“Fuck. I’m sorry, I’m just,” he swallowed the knot in his tongue, quiet shaky voice laying heavy on his dry mouth. He could feel his eyes brimming as he called out your name, one last try to put this matter to rest. “I came to apologize to you and whether I can make you believe it or not, that’s what I’m trying to do. I am really sorry. And I know you have the right to be angry at me, I’m not stupid. But now I just wanna see if we can let this whole mess lie, or at least pretend to and act normal around each other. Just like fucking distant colleagues, nothing more, if anything for the sake of our jobs. Okay?”

You watched Kenny stutter through his words, trembling along his sentences as he looked deep into your eyes. His baby blues looked tired, broken and misted over. You had to steady yourself and not let them shake you. Tears couldn't fix what was broken. When Kenny extended his hand to you, you regarded it with apprehension for a long silent second before taking his offer. Your skin touched his for the first time in years in a firm handshake before you broke away.

“Alright,” you said softly, exhaustion corroding even the edge in your voice. You evened your breathing, inhaling deep as you got a hold of your own mind. “It’s true, you are right. We gotta put this to rest. Act like adults. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m sure I’ve left my ride to the hotel waiting long enough. Have a good day, Kenny, see you in the show tomorrow.”

You turned around, picking your bag and towel before going through the door, leaving him alone in the empty locker room. You had someone waiting for you outside, the thought shouldn’t have bothered him, but it did. Kenny had seen you and Hangman fraternizing together through the day, watched the man helping you prepare and even training with you. He could imagine the cowboy was your ride - as he’d wanted to be since long ago. Kenny didn’t want to think about that right now, shaking his head as he looked around the deserted room. Shit, now he had to go tell Matt things didn’t go quite as planned.

tag list: @xladyxfatex @wanderbreadsworld @madds-97 @morgan-bucks

#kenny omega x reader #kenny omega #kenny omega imagine #kenny omega fanfiction #aew imagine

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jaetaimjadore · 2 years

Text

It's You | k.mg (Drabble)

Pairing: Mingyu x reader

Genre: fluff, proposal au, contemplative

Warnings: none that I can think of :P

Word count: 0.77k

[23:58] New Year’s Eve

There you are; above an ocean of whispering waves and below a sky of twinkling stars. Your elbow reclines atop the stone balustrade outside the hotel room, the silver moon slowly seeping into your hair as a saline breeze sifts and gently tampers through each lock.

Mingyu gazes at you from his place on the bed inside. He watches with tender smile as the curtains billow around your figure through the balcony doors, how you shiver in delight with every flutter of the white silk against your legs.

He can’t see your face now, but it doesn’t matter; he’d memorised every feature, admired every angle of you enough times to picture your the dazed eyes looking out into the dark night now, the calm of your smile while you anticipate the new year.

Minutes ago, Mingyu’s mind had raced with a chiliad of unspoken thoughts, the small velvet box seeming like more of an unsettling than exciting presence in his pocket. But a simple glance your way had been enough to render him transfixed – to vanquish his every worry, every hesitancy, and every doubt. He never seemed to understand the radiant power you possessed over him – he doesn’t think he ever will. But he supposes that love doesn’t always have to make sense, it simply just has to be true.

“It’s you,” he whispers, though more to himself than anything else. He embraces the rush of goosebumps that kiss along his skin, thinking it a beautiful feeling as his fingertips ghost over his pocket once more.

Two minutes, now. Two minutes, and this year would be recast into another memory of the past – into another yesterday, another ‘remember when?’. Two minutes until you’d vibrantly declare a dozen resolutions Mingyu knows would never be fulfilled. Two minutes until he’d drop to one knee and ask you to stay by his side forever.

Perhaps it was rather cliché to be doing this at the cusp of the new year, but Mingyu knows you, and he knows you’ll love it even if you never will let him live it down.

Because he knows that it has always been you.

It’s the way you wait for him in this moment with the doors purposely left open; a quiet sign for him to join you in his own time. It’s the way you’d chosen to welcome the new year just with him than with a crowd like you’d originally wanted to. It’s the way you had once found each other by chance, but held on like soulmates. How you made his everyday feel so real and beautiful despite the plethora of blunders and stumbles you’d both had to overcome. It’s the way Mingyu wants nothing more than to marry you; the way he’d cross all corners of the Earth just to give you his last name.

It will always be you, he thinks once more, taking note of the time – 23:59 – before brushing through those curtains and stepping out onto the balcony, by your side. He admires you again as you breathe in the air, turning to him with eyes of wonder, of beauty, of love, and he knows – he just knows – he’ll never tire of such a stunning view.

He’d once asked his mother whether he should do it, whether proposing was the right choice, and she’d smiled at his hopeful expression and told him never to let you go. His father thought you a keeper for his son. His sister said you were far better than each of his exes combined. And his friends – all 12 of them – said they’d never seen him happier than when he was with you.

So, with one final, shaky breath, Mingyu’s fingers find your own, his thumb soft over your knuckles. He doesn't have many words to say in this moment, hadn't prepared a grand speech declaring all the ways you make him complete, and every reason he needs you by his side. His eyes, rather, sparkle with a thousand silent confessions – a language he knows you pick up like no other – and a single phrase rests on the tip of his tongue.

“It’s you,” he finally breathes, head angling upward with the knee that slowly drops down in front of your bare feet. His chest pounds, leaps, dances to the beat of his heart. He watches the way your eyes furrow and then soften, an overwhelming bout of love tugging his lips into a small smile as he slowly slips the little box from his pocket, repeating with all the surety in the world:

“It's you, Y/n Y/l/n. Marry me.”

#mingyu fanfic #mingyu fanfiction #svt fanfiction #caratwritersclub #mingyu imagines #mingyu fluff #mingyu angst #mingyu x reader #svt timestamps #svt fluff #svt fanfic #svt imagines #kflixnet #klibrary #mingyu scenarios #holy-he aint even my bias but i just did something 😃

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androgynousblackbox · 4 days

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How I Met Your Father. 8 [Radioapple, Appleradio]

How You Met My Friend

A03 link

When they reached the hotel, the lights were still off. The minions had finished with the wall so from the outside it looked like nothing had happened.

"Do you think Charlie is at her room?" asked Lucifer when the limo stopped, not really waiting for an answer as he opened up the door.

He went out to the driver seat to pick up the keys from the little imp, giving him mindlessly some tip in the form of a thick portion of money just had on his pocket.

"Tha-thank you, sir!" The imp could not believe his good luck.

The same luck that evaporated the moment the shark went running back to the hotel. He didn't realized how much until a black tentacle closed around his ankle. The strong grip left no defense as he was dragged over the floor, leaving him hanging in front of the radio demon. Of course he knew who he was and knew the fear at the pit of his stomach when that infamous smile turned to him.

"I hope you know I am not killing you simply because a small insect like you is not worth it" stated Alastor, as pleasantly as commenting about the weather. The tiny speck of sinner's blood on his cheek was all that he could see. "But if I find out that you told anyone about what you saw today, I will hunt you down and everyone you have ever cared about. In fact, I will kill all of them in front of you before I finish you off and then, I will take my time with you. I like my privacy after all and I do no like peeping toms. Are we clear, my good man?"

The response was immediate, like a reflex when a nerve was struck.

"I haven't seen anything! Ha ha ha, I don't even know who you are, sir! I have no idea what you are talking about! I can't say anything if nothing happened!"

"Wonderful" said Alastor, letting him fall to the ground. Alastor used another tentacles to grab at the bunch of money, without imp noticing it's abscense as he ran away.

He put it on his own pocket. He didn't need it, nor wanted it, but the little imp did and that is what he deserved for taking his eyes off the road for one second when carrying such valuable passangers.

"Al! You have the key!" called Lucifer, getting back from failing to open the doors.

In the vehicle he had cleaned up the blood with a simple gesture, but had forgotten to change his form back. Alastor debated with himself about telling him directly or count how long it took his oblivious husband to realize on his own. One time it had taken him two full days to notice, right until he had a meeting with the Queen of Gluttony and she laughed for two minutes before asking what he was doing disguised like that. He always wondered how long it could take without any inteference.

"Coming, my dear" Alastor walked with long strides, taking it out from his pocket.

He decided he was going to keep quiet, see what happened. As soon he opened up, Lucifer went inside, already looking for Charlie.

The other residents must not have come back or were already sleeping. Dazzle and Razzle had even moved all the luggage of Charlie back where it belonged, and the wall was finished, so nothing at all was moving on the lobby.

"She is in the kitchen" explained Alastor, already going there.

Since Charlie did had a good amount of his own magic on her, he was always able to detect her location as long they were on certain vecinity. Lucifer himself wasn't able to do that without a specific spell. His magic was far too much to keep track of every trace of it, it was the equivalent of an ocean being aware of each drop. Alastor had learned to at least appreciate that connection with his fawn.

"Should I have brought something for her?" asked Lucifer in a whisper, as if Charlie could be listening. "Ice cream or something? Didn't she mention she liked frozen yogurt? Would a machine for that help her feel better?"

Alastor sighed. The return of his tiny anxious king.

"How about we first talk with our daughter before deciding anything?"

"I feel bad going empty handed… I know I warned her this could happen, but I don't like that it happened. Maybe I should have prepared her better? Would that helped? Great, why I didn't think of that before? Fantastic move, me."

"It's not your fault that heaven is dissapointing, love" He stopped right before their reached the kitchen. Lucifer turned around and looked surprised when Alastor put both hands on his shoulders. When he spoke, the radio filter fizzed out to the its end. "This is not about you. It's about Charlie. Let Charlie talk whatever she wants and we will nod and be understandable because that is what supportive parents do. You can get her everything she wants later."

Lucifer pouted for just a second before he sighed. A small nod of agreement shook his head and Alastor hummed, kissing his forehead.

"Oh, wait, you still have blood on you" Lucifer quickly conjured up a napkin on his hand to clean it up. He hold the chin of Alastor gently as he worked. "Charlie is going to get worried if she sees it."

Alastor had actually forgotten about it. He wasn't used to getting any stains from his quick for fun killings, even if he did loved his husband covered in them. He let Lucifer take care of him. In the dark of the hallway the king wouldn't notice how different his own hand was than usual, but the stain had attached itself to his memory.

"Thank you" said, clearing his throat. He let a second pass before he added. "You should probably change form too."

His experiment would have to be realized at another time.

"Huh?" Lucifer lifted his hand to his face, feeling the shark nose where nothing should be. "Oh, fuck!" He snapped both his fingers at the same time, returning to his real figure. "Is it better now?"

Alastor looked at him and then turned his gaze to the side.

"Perfect."

He saw the shine of Lucifer's smile before he straighten up his shoulders, taking a deep breath.

"Hello?" called Vaggie, coming out the frame to the kitchen. When she noticed the couple, more Lucifer than Alastor, she visibly relaxed. "Oh, it's actually you. Sorry, I heard something and I got concerned."

"It's fine" said Lucifer, hurrying to her to hug her. Not the same bone crushing hug of usual, but not less heartfelt. "Are you okay, sweetie? It must have been hard for you too."

Vaggie's shoulder fell, patting the back of the man as she blushed, like she never expected someone to ask her that.

"Oh, me? I am okay, actually. Thank you, sir" she commented. "I didn't even missed it as much as I thought I would. Adam tried to be an asshole because he didn't know that Charlie knew about me, but it didn't worked so he was just an asshole in general. The whole meeting was… well, not how we expected it to go. You should probably go talk with Charlie, sir. She needs you more than I do."

Lucifer let out a small, sad, chuckle.

"Someday you are going to stop calling me sir" promised, patting her head. "Thanks for taking care of my baby, sweetie."

The blush of Vaggie got more intense as she quickly nodded her head, looking down.

"O-of course, sir. Always."

Lucifer's eyes soften up, as if he had not a single doubt about it. He gave her another quick squish, Vaggie responding to it with more confidence, before going to the kitchen.

Vaggie and Alastor got behind. She looked at him down and up, uncomfortable.

"Uhm…"

"No need, dear" Alastor went past her.

His family needed him after all. Vaggie seemed to be relieved as she followed him.

Charlie was sat down at the table, a fresh bowl of ice cream with chocolate chips for extra comfort in front of her. She had calmed down somewhat since coming back, but when Lucifer hugged her strong her sobs returned.

"Dad, it was so awful…"

"I know, sweetie, I know. I am so sorry."

Over the shoulder of Lucifer she saw Alastor coming and extended one of her hands with grabby fingers to him. Alastor remembered a similar scene when Charlie was in highschool and failed at a exam she had worked hard on, purely because of her own nerves. Back then it had taken Lucifer donating an obscene amount of money to the school for them to allow Charlie to retake it. This wasn't going to be solved quite as easily. Alastor joined on the hug, rubbing the back of his daughter, which somehow broke her calm even more.

"They-they were so meaaan! I told them everything about how people are improving here and they didn't care! Angel had done everything on the stupid list of Adam to get into heaven and they just kept talking about his job as if that changed anything! Then Adam said he was going to come to the hotel first! The rest of heaven didn't even know about the extermination! And now they want to come here!" Was what they could understand from her crying filled quick rant as she crushed them back, sniffling into the stripped vest of Lucifer. "I am so sorry, I am so sorry, I don't know why I keep making things worse for everyone…"

At least that was clear enough for them to respond to.

"Hey, hey, don't say that" said Lucifer, brushing her hair back and rocking her head gently, like when she was a lot smaller. "It's not your fault, sweetie. None of it is. Heaven is like that. They don't like anything that goes outside of their idea of how things should be. It has always been that way."

"That is not reason to come kill people!" That was the last coherent portion of Charlie's speech before she devolved on weeping again where they could only caught words like "doom" and "everyone", which was still plenty explanatory by themselves.

Lucifer kissed her head over and over, his own eyes getting wet but still containing his own tears by some miracle. Alastor reached to scratch her softly in the space between her antlers. By experience he knew that was a especially effective massage.

"Whatever happens, I will be here" promised Alastor.

Charlie elevated her head towards his hand like a kitten, sniffing.

"And if any of them put a single finger on you, I will come too" added Lucifer.

"Are those really the only options?" Charlie whiped her eyes quickly as more new tears come in. "Just let them come here and do whatever they want while you try to keep me alive? What about the rest of the hotel or everyone else? What safety can I offer them?"

"I can han…" started Alastor and Charlie growled, actually growled, her own antlers growing in size for a moment.

"STOP SAYING THAT!" She squeezed his hand against her eyes, both turned to black, for a moment. "Dad, I am sorry, I love you, but that is not enough right now." With a quivering sigh, she looked them again with her mismatched normal ones. The antlers also came back to regular size. "They are not going to stop until they kill us all and I can't only depend on you to take care of everything. That is not fair to you or anyone else here on the hotel… if they even decide to stay. I wouldn't blame them if this is the last drop for them."

"I will stay" said Vaggie, standing at the other side of Charlie to reach her shoulder and give it a squeeze. "No matter what, I will stay right here with you. We can do this, honey."

Charlie smiled a little bit, the unspoken thank you more than clear as she took her hand and squeezed back. Lucifer sighed, looking up to Alastor, who gave a small nod, before he turned again to their daughter.

"There is…" He groaned. This was literally the last thing he wanted to talk about. Up until now every extermination have been a stay away from it and you will be fine business. This was a declaration for a war now. "There is a way to defend yourself. Angels can be killed too. They are not invulnerable, especially not here."

"What?" asked both Charlie and Vaggie at the same time.

"H-how? I never knew about that" Vaggie protested.

"Yeah, figures" Lucifer scratched his head. "You… The exorcists, I mean, they are only send to exterminate, not to fight. They never had to defend themselves before because they assume there is no threat. But there is a way that they do have" Lucifer sighed, pointing at his own left eye while looking at Vaggie. "You already know. What did they used with you?"

"A spear…" Vaggie answered before looking at her own weapon resting against the table. "I-I thought that they could hurt, not that it could just… actually kill. Is that really all?"

"That is all" said Lucifer. "Angelic steel. You can even treat them like zombies if you want. One quick beheading and you will never have to worry about them again. Just" he made the gesture of cutting his own neck, "and they will go down. You can't cure that."

"Then that means we do have a fighting chance" said Vaggie, smiling to Charlie but the princess remained silent, staring at her father like it was the first time she saw him.

"You knew that" said Charlie, her brows furrowed. "You knew that angels could be killed all this time and never thought to tell me?"

If he wasn't so pale already, the face of Lucifer would have gone paper like at the tone of her daughter, one he never heard before. The accusation on her voice left him speechless for a second, but only a second at least.

"For you to go fight against heaven?" The king grabbed his chest, as if trying to control his own beating heart. "Honey, even if you did had the right weapons, that doesn't mean that I would want us to go to war. I never wanted that to happen or much less for you to get involved with it."

"Oh, so you were protecting me?" Charlie stand up, her antlers getting bigger as her eyes blackened without pupils. She chuckled without any trace of humor. "Funny that. Sera was saying the same thing when she explained why she hide the extermination from the rest of heaven. I guess you two are not that different after all."

"Charlie…" Lucifer stared at her, not knowing what to say.

Charlie ignored him and lifted her gaze to Alastor.

"Did you know about it? Were you also protecting me by making me believe we were powerless to do anything?" She added with a sneer: "Was it fun to watch at least?"

"Young lady, you are going too far now" warned Alastor, static noises filling up the air, just before Lucifer intervened.

"No!" said the king quickly, acting as a barrier between his husband and daughter. "Alastor had no idea! I never thought to tell him. Nobody else in hell knows besides us and… Carmilla Carmine. She deals with angelic steel and killed one of them in the last extermination. If anyone can help with weapons and fighting against them, it has to be her."

Charlie blinked, taken aback.

"What? How long were you planning to sit on that information? Were you ever planning to tell me?" Charlie sighed, squeezing a fist at her side. "No, you know what, I don't want to hear it. I will take care of this. I don't need your help. Thanks, papa."

"Charlie" Lucifer tried to reach with one hand, but Charlie had already moved out of the way to get out of the kitchen with Vaggie following just behind.

She did looked back for a second, as if wanting to say something, but in the end was unable to find any word. Lucifer let himself fall to the now empty chair, rubbing his face. The kitchen was silent for a few moments.

"Why did you lie, dear?" asked Alastor finally, unbearably gentle. "I am just as guilty as you are in this situation."

Lucifer pulled his cheek down as he looked up, showing the tender pink flesh under his desperate eyes.

"She doesn't need to be angry at the both of us right now" said, letting out a heavy amount of air that seemed to do nothing to calm him down. He pushed the bowl of ice crean to a side in order to make his arm cacoons, squeezing his forehead against the wood. "Please, tell me that you know a way to make this less shitty. Some way to help her. Anything."

"I might" Alastor admitted. "But she will need to come herself to convince them."

"Cannibal town?" asked Lucifer's muffled voice. That was the only kind of group he could imagine Alastor would need to convince to do anything, rather than just threaten them.

"Indeed" he moved one of the chair next to his husband and sat down. "They are a strong group, but more important than that, they are a big number. With that and convincing Carmilla to provide for us the weapons, there is a good chance this could result in our favor. Of course, I would be here even if she was angry at me."

"She won't listen if she is angry" Lucifer lifted his head only to rub at this temples. "For my name, that totally took it from you."

Alastor shrugged. There was no point arguing the obvious. Lucifer sighed again and he extended a hand to rub the arm of the king. Lucifer grabbed his hand, but didn't moved it, turning his head to look at him with dry but heavy eyes.

"I never wanted this to happen."

"I know, love."

"All this time, the last thing I ever wanted is for her to be their target. I already have enough thinking that you could be next."

Alastor hummed, moving his chair closer to hug the tiny king. He didn't bother to remind him that no extermination was ever get to him, mainly because he wasn't a fucking idiot that was just going to walk around the streets when it was time, because he understood that Lucifer just needed to unload before saying what he really wanted to get at.

"I know" agreed, kissing his crown and feeling no small satisfaction when the body of Lucifer melted a bit against him.

"Sera saw them kick me out of heaven" Despite the tears that were already staining his cheeks, his voice remained firm as he spoke. "She didn't say a word not to anger them further or be punished too. I would never do that to Charlie. I would go to hell all over again if it was for her."

Alastor hummed, helping up to lift the king with his tentacles to accomodate him on his lap. Only then Lucifer seemed able to let go, looking utterly defeated as he buried his face on the face of Alastor. He breathed in, as if letting the smell of his husband to be its own form of comfort.

"I would never treat my own kid like that" continued Lucifer, his arms wrapping around Alastor's middle. "Ever. I don't care who it pisses off."

"I am sure she knows, my dear" said Alastor, wrapping him too as he nuzzled the top of the blonde hair. "She won't be angry forever. Not even I can manage that and you give me so many reasons for it. If I can forgive you, she will too. Just give her some time."

Lucifer suddenly snorted, reaching up to rest his chin on the space between Alastor's shoulder and his neck.

"You love me" sang Lucifer lazily, kissing the neck that was exposed on his new suit. His lips moved slowly with no rush. "You look so dumb trying to deny it."

"I never denied it" said Alastor with a grin, moving his neck to leave the king to nibble at his skin. A pleasant warm installed on the pit of his vast stomach. It wasn't a sexy kind of warm as much as the warm of a soft blanket, enjoying the intimacy of being so close someone who he knew would never bite without permission. A safe and comfortable feeling Lucifer could soak on too. "You can love someone and still be upset at them. We both know that. Charlie will come around."

"You promise?"

"Sure" Alastor looked down when Lucifer separated his lips from him. He caressed the red cheek, still a bit moist from his tears. Charlie had gotten upset at them before, it was inevitable, but she hasn't in a long time and even more since she directed it to Lucifer, so of course it would hit him the hardest. "I will talk with her."

"Don't" said Lucifer, shaking his head slightly. "That can wait. The priority now is getting Carmine and the Cannibal Town on her side. I will feel better when that is secured."

"Consider it done" assured Alastor, lifting up from the chair. He accomodated Lucifer on his arms to carry him bridal style. It always amazed how despite all his strenght, all the weight of his husband didn't mean a great effort for him. "I have a feeling that they will actually take a liking to her rather quickly, despite her dietary choices."

"How come?"

Alastor smiled widened.

"Oh, let's just say that they will find other similar interests."

On the next morning, Charlie called for a meeting with the residents to announce them about the news. Alastor sat on his usual seat. His daughter gave him a tight smile as greeting, the eyebags of a sleepless night more evident than ever, before she turned her attention back to everyone else.

"So, how bad was it?" asked Angel first, as soon he sat down. Husk had already started drinking up from his flask, not bothering with a mug, and Sir Pentious likewise looked like his night wasn't any better. "You wouldn't look so much like shit if it was good news."

"How about you let her speak first?" said Vaggie crossing her arms.

"In this life if possible" Angel lifted a hand to Charlie. "We are listening, princess."

Charlie joined her hands together, her thumb rubbing each other as she gathered her thoughts.

"Well… Angel is not really wrong. Heaven doesn't really have any interest in redemption."

"I am shocked" Angel rolled his eyes. "Shocked I tell you."

"Angel" warned Vaggie, rubbing the shoulder of Charlie. "Come on, honey."

Charlie sighed.

"That is not all. Adam got… especially pissy during the meeting, so now he decided that on the next extermination this is going to be their first stop. Me and Vaggie were talking last night, so he think we may have a way to get some stuff we need to defend ourselves. We can't really garantee to keep any of you safe any longer. You should really be looking for a better refuge until this is over" Her eyes lifted up to the ceiling for a moment, but somehow remained her composure while avoiding looking to anyone's face. "We are staying because this is our home now, but you have no obligation to do the same. I will understand no matter what happens. I… I just want you to know that I really enjoyed having you all here. I am sorry. I am really sorry."

After those words, Charlie covered her mouth and moved to the door. Vaggie went after her.

"Fucking knew that we were fucked. Should have bet on that" sighed Husk, taking a long swift.

"Do you mind sparing a zip?" asked Angel and wasn't surprised when his only answer was a middle finger.

"I can fix you something quick" said Husk, standing up for the bar.

"I will have ssomething too" Sir Pentious stand out as well.

When the three moved away, Alastor did as well, letting his shadows to take him right in front of Charlie. She was already at the entrance of the hotel, holding onto herself and speaking to Vaggie in whispers that suddenly got interrupted when she saw the black spot coming to them.

"My dear!" said Alastor, putting an arm around her shoulders. "Excelent speech you gave out there. Truly makes your old man proud."

"What do you want, dad?" Charlie wasn't trying to be hostile, but was clearly too tired for pleasantries.

"Straight to the point! Excelent!" He stomped his cane on the ground. "I will be brief then. Come with me to visit an old friend. I think she could be of a lot of help for our cause. Your companion right there can handle Carmilla on her own, don't you, dear?"

"I mean" Vaggie looked from Charlie to the radio demon. Charlie wasn't more sure than her so she just shrugged, curious at least "if you really think that is necesary, sir…"

"Indeed it is. Thank you, dear, we are counting on you!" Before Vaggie could add anything else, he was already putting his arm around Charlie's shoulder and taking her away on a shadow.

When they materialized once again, Charlie stumbled over her feet, making her to rely on Alastor to not crash against the floor. It had been the longest travel she had that way before. Alastor was glad enough when Charlie didn't immediately throw up.

"Easy there" Alastor hold her shoulders, giving her a moment to stabilize herself again.

"Where… where are we?" asked Charlie, holding her head and realizing she didn't recognized the streets.

"I told you, we are visiting an old friend that I think could help" Alastor streighten up, offering his arm for his daughter to take on.

Charlie looked around, doubting, but if Alastor himself was the one offering the contact then it should be fine. She was more used to have one or both of his parents in disguise before getting close to them in public. But for the rest of hell, they would already know about Alastor's job at the hotel and that she was the owner. Seeing them walk togehter in a public space shouldn't be that big of a deal.

"Do you really think that is going to work?" asked Charlie.

"It doesn't hurt to try" Alastor looked in front, like this was any normal outing. He patted her hand. "The only issue is that she doesn't know, so if she asks…"

"You are just the hotelier that works with me" recited Charlie, understanding the protocol. "Papa is my only parent and my antlers have nothing to do with yours."

"Very well."

Charlie looked down, taking a deep breath. She was way past the point of questioning why Alastor didn't had any trust not even in the people he called friends. That was just the kind of thing she had to learn to accept growing up.

"Is papa going to be busy today?"

"I don't know, dear. I am not the secretary of his Majesty."

Charlie glared at him.

"Seriously? You can't tell me that?"

"My, if I barely know the king at all!" Alastor smiled at her with a spark of humor. "But if I did… I can only imagine that he sends his best regards and wishes his daughter for the best."

"Gee, thanks" Charlie rolled her eyes, pouting. "I can't believe he just… hide that from me. I am not a child anymore."

"Mmm."

"I am not saying that is not scary! It is! It really is! And I kinda get it, with how heaven treated him, but shouldn't that be all the more reason to prepared me for the worst?"

Alastor made another non commital noise, which was all Charlie needed to keep going.

"It's like he doesn't understand that I need this thing to work! It's not just like, some hobby to do on the side while waiting for something better! This is really important for me. I don't know how else to tell him for him to understand that. You do, Alastor, don't you?"

"Of course."

Alastor moved her to a side, making her avoid a cyclist cannibal that she didn't even notice as she continued her ranting. She was truly her father's daughter after all.

"Thank you! I just don't get it. Does he think I am weak? That I can't defend myself? Is that it? Well, sure, if I don't know that is even an option I won't! But I can learn if needed! Would it really be so much to ask just a little bit of trust? Just a little bit, just a tiny bit of "sure, Charlie, I recognize you as someone capable so here, have everything you need in order to save the people who you care about." I don't think that is asking much! We wouldn't even be in this mess in the first place if he haven't allowed the extermination!"

Alastor's feet stopped moving, a subtle crack of static coming off from somewhere around him. He looked at Charlie, who was just confused by his sudden change in demeanor.

"Sometimes" said, choosing his word carefully, "things are a little more complicated than what they seem, my dear. You shouldn't judge so quickly" Then, as if he was done with the subject, he perked up again, pointing with his staff a sign. "Anyway, here we are! Charlie Morningstar, I present to you Cannibal Town!"

"Oh" Charlie looked around, only then taking in the quant portion of the city that looked remarkably better than care of than others she had seen. She had heard a lot about that place, mostly as where Alastor got the "especial meat" for especial ocassions, but she had never see it herself. Some cannibal kids were playing with a ball as couples walked hand in hand. "This is surprisingly nice."

"And soon you are going to know the reason why!" Alastor took her arm again, directing her to a pale pink building. The sign on top read Franklin and Rosie emporium, but the name Franklin had been crossed out. Before they came inside, Alastor fixed up the bowtie of Charlie and brushed her hair behind her ear. "I want you to know the overlord in charge of this place. She conducts her territory with an iron fist. We could count with the assistance of her people if you just convince her."

"Are… are you sure about that?" asked Charlie. Truth be told, besides Alastor, she hadn't interacted a lot with cannibals besides seeing them feasting on the fallen demons after each extermination. Something that didn't really inspired a lot of trust for her.

"Beggars can't be chosers, my dear" Alastor opened up the door for her, letting her enter first. "Besides, you need as much allies as you can gather."

She couldn't argue with that. The whole emporium seemed to be a truly popular place for the town. It was almost entirely filled with cannibals looking at the product with the constant murmuring of their conversation. A single voice stand out over everyone else as soon they were inside.

"Is that Alastor? Darling, where were you?" Between a barrier of people, a tall woman with a big hat made her way to them and hugged Alastor. Charlie blinked, not used to seeing her father being affectionate with anyone outside of their family. "I was wondering when you were going to come around! I got some more meat of bull demon that you really liked the last time and I saved some torso just for you, dearie!" She winked an eye and giggled happily, up until she noticed Charlie behind her and then gasped loudly. "Did you really bring this pretty thing with you? Alastor, aren't you just shameless! She is far too young for you."

She laughed at her own joke. Alastor's eyes went wide as he froze in place.

"Oh no" they said both at the same time, Charlie taking a long step back.

"No, no, no. Not that. At all. Not even close. Nope. No, no, no" She lifted both her arm to cross in front of her, looking almost green. "Please, don't say that again."

"Well, alright" Rosie frowned slightly, without losing her own smile. She turned to Alastor, leaving a dainty hand over his chest. "I was just saying because I keep hearing all these rumours about you dating around with these cuties. You made quite a scene the other night that sounded like a fun time. Not that I judge you, darling, not at all! I am glad that you are enjoying your bachelor years!"

"That is nice to know, dear" Alastor cleared his throat, putting his arm around her shoulder. "This young lady you see here is Charlie Morningstar, the princess of hell. Charlie, I present to you the Cannibal Overlord, Rosie. The most deadly, ruthless and loveliest woman you are ever going to meet in this side of hell."

Rosie gave her a little courtsy.

"It's an honor to receive you on my humble shop, princess. What can I do for you? I have every part of any anatomy that you could ever want!"

Charlie smiled more sincerely. She did seemed to be nice with Alastor and she was happy to see that.

"N-no, thank you. We didn't came for food."

"Speak for yourself, dear" Alastor's eyes squinted on a bigger smile to Rosie. "I will be taking that bull demon meat for later."

"Of course, I wouldn't expect nothing else!" Rosie giggled, clapping her hands together. "Well, princess, if you don't want to sink those pretty teeth on something, what else could I do for you?"

Charlie looked over at Alastor, unconsciously looking for some reaffirmation. When the radio demon nodded slightly, she perked up.

"I-I was actually thinking about asking you for a favor. If that is okay with you."

"Oh?" Rosie tilted her head, touching her jaw with a finger. "Then come with me, dearie, so we can talk more calmly." She put an hand on the shoulder of Charlie to guide her to a more private space, where she offered her to take a seat as she took another. Alastor stand out at the side of Charlie. Rosie smiled to one of her employees leaving two cups of tea on the small table between them, along with a plate with severed pinkies. "What kind of favor are we talking about?"

"Well… I don't know if you heard about the Hazbin Hotel I am working on."

"That silly redemption project? Everyone in hell heard about it! I am telling you already, dear. Nobody in my town will want to change their ways to enter heaven. I still do not understand why Alastor is there, but who is going to torture that out of him!" She chuckled, winking an eye to Alastor in a joking manner. "You will waste your time if you try to reclute them for that."

"No, nothing of that" Charlie grabbed a portion of her long hair and started brushing it. "Actually, we have a different kind of problem already. The extermination is going to start on the hotel and I was… wondering" She looked again to Alastor, waiting for his smile to keep going, "if you could maybe send of your people to come help us fight back."

"So you want us as fighters?" Rosie laughed gently, almost covering her mouth. "That is a huge favor indeed! We do love a good blooshed just like anyone else, but why would we do that? You have to give me a better pitch than just asking nicely, sweetie."

"Well, um…" Alastor put a hand on Charlie's shoulder and squeezed once before leaving her, joining his hands at his back as he looked casual. Charlie gulped, finding her words. "We don't just want to fight. We plan to take them down. You can do whatever you want with the bodies later. Have you ever had angel meat?"

"Can't say I have!" Rosie perked up. "Do you really think it will come to that, dear? Do you have the means for it?"

"We are getting them. Right as we speak. We only need people who will use them. I promise that if you come with us, we will have a real chance."

"Mmm" Rosie smiled, taking a sip from her own cup. "You are awfully quiet for such a talkative man, Alastor. I thought that hotel was also important for you? You know that Mimzy fummed for days after you kicked her out, poor girl."

"I am nothing but just a humble employee" said Alastor, patting the head of Charlie. He really couldn't help but to feel proud of his fawn taking control of the situation, offering bloody feasts completely on her own. "Of course I would let the manager to do the speaking. I am mostly here for support and vouch for her word."

"Well, you haven't been doing a lot of vouching now" Rosie put her cup down and crossed her legs, an amused smirk on her face. "Do you really think this is a good idea? Can you assure me that promise will be fulfilled?"

"Absolutely, my dear old friend" Alastor extended a hand to take hers, giving her knuckles the softest of brushes against his lips. Charlie stared at the exchange with a slight frown, but didn't say anything. "Lend us your people and I promise you will be sick of all the new meat you will have. Rivers of angelic blood and viscera all for you, nothing less than what a lady like you deserves. The sky will rain gold the day of the battle and those angels will regret the day they ever came close to us. We will teach heaven a real reason to fear us."

Rosie laughed good naturedly, taking out her hand only to gently slap him on the shoulder.

"Oh, honey, you do know your words to charm a lady" she commented. Charlie made a line out of her lips, looking at a side. "Well, I am sold!"

"Wait, really?" said Charlie, blinking.

"Yes, of course! I love it when a young lady is taking charge and Alastor has been a good friend thus far, so if he is giving his word then I believe it. But you will still need to convince the rest, dear. There is only so much only I can do if you want them all to cooperate" She put her chin on her hand. "Just add a little of pizzazz and you will have them eating out from your hand. Figurely speaking."

"She knows her way around that, she's a natural" added Alastor with a sincere smile. "It will be easy as pie."

It wasn't as easy as pie. In fact, it was a disaster. Between Charlie stumbling over her words at the mic and Susan's expected hackling, Rosie announced a little break through her megaphone to take a black eyed Charlie to a side.

"No, no. Stay" Rosie stopped Alastor when he tried to follow them. "We are having a girl's talk, no boys allowed. Keep them entertained until we are back."

The ears of Alastor's flattened, but nodded. Charlie could feel the stare of her father as Rosie guided her back to her emporium, entering to a space behind some curtains that looked to be the office of the owner. Charlie sighed as she sat on the couch.

"I am sorry" said, rubbing her face.

Rosie sat at her side, holding both her hands on her lap.

"Dear, I am sorry, I am sure you have a lot on your mind right now, but I really have to ask this" Charlie lifted her sight to her. The overlord smiled for a moment. "Please, don't take this the wrong way but… what relationship do you actually have with Alastor? I have been way too curious this whole time."

"Whaaaat… what do you mean?" Charlie started twisting a lock of hair, her smile shaky and uncomfortable. "You heard him, he is just like, a friend, who works with me. That is all. Nothing more or nothing less!"

"You are a terrible bullshiter, darling" pointed out Rosie gently, patting her knee. "Come on, it can't be that bad. It's not like you are going to tell me you are his secret daughter or something."

Rosie chuckled at her own suggestion and Charlie joined in, laughing way too loud for anyone's comfort.

"That is a joke! Good joke! Extremely good joke! That is so funny, I can't believe you would even think of something so…" She stared at the other lady, realizing the shock on her face far too late. Her shoulder slumped, as if caught in the act with her hand on the cookie jar. "What gave it away?"

"Besides the red tips of your fingers, horns, the stitches and your eye, you mean?" Rosie sighed, her smile coming back as she was getting over her own surprise. "I don't know, called it some good old intuition and knowing Alastor for a good while. The way he acts with you is definitely out of the norm for him. I have never seen him so…"

"Supportive?" tried to help Charlie.

"Protective. Oh, I am sure that most people wouldn't notice anything, sweetie, you don't have to look so guilty."

"Sorry" Charlie looked down at her fingers. It was only the very tip rather than the two falanges Alastor had. Was it really that obvious? Nobody had clocked her before… although it wasn't common either for her and an Alastor without disguise to be seen at the same public space together. "Nobody was supposed to know."

Rosie nodded.

"Yeah, I imagined that. That man for sure loves to think only he holds all the cards" She then smirked, getting closer as she lowered her voice, as if sharing a mutual secret. "I guess if anything I feel some sense of vindication now. Years ago I had this crazy thought that Alastor had the glow with him. You know, that glow that new parents get when all they think about is their baby and all they want to do is get back home to them. I saw him staring at the baby stores and the families walking around more than usual. I thought oh, maybe he is thinking of eating a whole family! That is neat! But at the back of my head I was, why is he looking at the baby toys too then? He said he was just bored and wasn't paying attention, but I knew something was up. I didn't insist much either because he seemed happy, and who I am to question someone's happiness? I guess now I know what that was all about. You were the baby all along" She smiled more warmly now, brushing her hair back, not knowing she was imitating the same thing Alastor did before meeting her. "Such a pitty he never trusted me enough to tell me. I would have spoiled you rotten myself if I could. Oh, I am sure you were the cutest little thing growing up."

Charlie blushed a little, but did felt comforted by her words. She wasn't angry or dissapointed in Alastor. She understood, or at least didn't felt inclined to criticize what Alastor had done by keeping her on the dark.

"I also wish I had known you before" commented Charlie, honestly. Even if she would end up not eating the same things, Rosie did seemed a genuinely sweet person. "But dad was really paranoid about someone using that information against him."

"They would have. That was a wise decision. A little extreme, yes, but understandable. It's a cut throat world out there, dear, especially for notorious overlords. That is why you don’t hear about many of us in relationships or with families. Teams of overlords working together are extremely rare for the same reason. Everything we care about can be used as leverage, as a new weapon."

"That is what he said for why I couldn't mention to anyone he is married to papa either."

Rosie blinked a few times.

"He is what, honey?" asked and something on her tone gave Charlie pause.

"He… he is married to my papa. I was raised by both of them. I thought that was implied?"

"No, it wasn't, dear" Rosie streighten up. "I thought he was a father in the sense of a donor that decided to get involved on the child's life. I can't imagine why the king would choose a sinner as a donor for his heir, but that is besides the point. I didn't know that they actually had that kind of relationship" Rosie looked at her curtains for a moment, in direction to the center of town where Alastor should be keeping the other cannibals still in place. Her eyebrows came together as a thought came to her. "And he has been dating around? Oh, no. Sweetie, I am so terribly sorry. I never expected something like that from him. That must be so hard for you."

Before Charlie could add anything, Rosie brought her to a iron hold hug and petted her hair.

"What?" said, confused for a second until the meaning of those words reached her brain and she blushed violently. Rosie thought that Alastor was cheating on her father. "Oh, no! No, no, no, it's not like that at all! That was all my papa! All those dates are just papa shapeshifting!"

Rosie free her enough to look at her face.

"Really? All of them?"

Charlie nodded.

"To… to keep the secret better" explained, deciding to guard the part of papa's social anxiety for herself. No matter how upset she was with him, they still deserved some privacy. Despite the misunderstanding she felt a bit good for talking with someone else about her family, having a chance to defend them for once. "It's all just them. Dad would never do that."

Rosie turned her head slightly to the side.

"Well, if someone is going to know better than me I guess it's going to be you" She smiled indulgently. "It's still hard to imagine, you know? I am the matchmaker of this place so you would think I would notice if one of my friends got married. On top of that, to a king! With a kid! It's kinda romantic in a weird unorthodox way I suppose" Rosie sighed. Somehow her black eyes seemed to soften as she caressed her cheek. "Your papa must be a special devil if Alastor took so much time and effort to protect what you guys have.”

"He is" admitted Charlie, looking down.

"Oh? Was that the issue all along?" asked Rosie, picking up on her tone. Charlie blushed a little, but nodded. There was no point lying at this stage of their conversation. "Well, I am not an expert on daddy issues, but I am told I am a good listener! Come on, dearie, tell me all about it!"

So Charlie did. All about how she did always resented papa for allowing the extermination to happen, everything about how frustrating it was knowing that neither him or dad truly believed on her dream and how she was fine with all of that. Really, she was! Or at least it was easier to put it aside. But the ommition of the angel killing felt like the final slap to the face. A reminder like no other that he still only saw her as a little kid that needed to be protected and couldn't do much of anything outside of him. Rosie brought a new cup of black liquid that Charlie took without thinking and drank as she continued. It was bitter, but just a a few half dozen of sugar cubes made it all good for her.

"What is this, by the way?"

"Rose tea, my dear" said Rosie, wisely keeping to herself that all her roses were fertilized with fresh bodies exclusively to make them stronger. Charlie hummed approvingly, taking more. "So, now you feel that because your dear old father hide that from you he doesn't really trust you to lead and that makes you doubt yourself more?"

"Oh" Charlie's eyebrow came together. "I guess that is a way to summarize it."

Rosie chuckled.

"Sweetheart, I say this fully understanding your feelings and also a bit from where your papa comes from" The overlord crossed her legs and smiled deviously at her, flicking her wrist. "Fuck it. Since when what our parents think should determine the rest of our lives? My own father wanted me to settle down and have 8 children like his mother. Suffice to say, the only children I ever care about are those on my town and they all have their own parents to take care of them. I like more the role of the fun aunt that sneaks treats when they aren't watching" She smiled, patting her knee. "I think you have some potential within you. I think Alastor sees that too or else he wouldn't have brought you here. You could always just show it to the face of the big boss of hell himself and make him realize how wrong he was, rather than already thinking he was right. If this silly hotel idea is really that important to you, then he will come around anyway."

"I don't know about that" Charlie rubbed her face with a hand. "Every time I try to advocate for it somehow I only make it worse."

"With a song and dance, right? I heard the rumors about the TV thing" Rosie suddenly perked. "Oh, now I understand why Alastor was talking about "lack of professionalism" so much when we talked about it."

Charlie cringed at the memory.

"Yeah, that."

Rosie smile widened as she reached to take the hand of Charlie.

"You just need the right audience for once."

Turned out that Rosie was right. Once she got into the rythm of things, not even Susan was enough to stop Charlie's ambition. The cannibals agreed to participate on the battle and she decidedly ignored Alastor promising them all the angel bodies that they could eat. In the end, she was exhausted so she waited outside the emporium as Rosie was packing the bull demon meat for Alastor to take out.

"Do you plan to share it with someone, darling? I feel like this is a lot even for you in one meal." asked Rosie, having to put the meat in two boxes for easier carrying.

"I have a few candidates in mind" Alastor chuckled nonchalantly.

"Another one of your conquest?" Rosie made a little gasp. "Oh! I completely forgot. I have these new finger tips made with a new recipe I am trying. Would you mind taking a bite and tell me what you think, dear?"

Alastor looked at the box offered up in front of him. He wasn't planning to take any snacks, but only one wouldn't hurt, so he took on one.

"Is it good?"

"Juicy" commented Alastor. "The blood being kept inside is a nice touch."

"Oh, that is not the only thing inside" Rosie chuckled sweetly as she took the hand of Alastor, pressing her finger over each of his fingers until stopping on the anular one. "Ah. Is this where the wedding ring is hiding? I would ask you to show me, but I guess we already established you don't want to do that."

"What are you talking about, dear?" Alastor's eye darted to the entrance for a second and Rosie brought his attention back to her, softly redirecting his chin.

"Oh, no. Don't try to blame that sweet girl for a thing. It's not her fault that you can't hide at all how much you care for her, especially for someone who pays enough attention" Rosie's smile went wider as she traced a finger over his cheek. "Alastor, my dear friend. Flaunting your charm all over the place is one thing, but doing that to the father of your child? You know what I feel about cheaters, don't you?"

Alastor's eye immediately went to the box of finger tips and back to Rosie. He remained still, his smile didn't falter, but his ears went back on his head. Rosie let the moment last a little longer before she completely lost it, snorting.

"I am sorry, I am sorry, I couldn't resist" said Rosie, picking one of the finger tips and bringing it to her mouth so he could see they were not, in fact, poisoned with anything. Just some new spices she wanted to test. "It's not every day that I get to play a little joke on the radio demon, I had to take my chance. I know all about the shapeshifting thing, love."

Alastor's shoulder relaxed.

"Hilarious, my dear" said with all the amusement of a dead fish.

"Indeed it was" Rosie chuckled again, her gaze staying on his glove a moment longer for Alastor to have it grip his staff. "I really wished you had told me."

Alastor looked around them, but the emporioum was empty, except for a few employees cleaning up the tables that were already talking between each other. Most cannibals were back at their homes having dinners with their families or significant others.

"Nobody was meant to know" said as his only attempt at apologizing. After a while, he continued as he rubbed his finger: "The last time someone got close to finding out it didn't end well. Now more than ever before I can't risk it."

"I am sorry for that, sweetie" Rosie said sincerely, extending her hand over his and giving it a gentle squeez. "Everything gets more complicated when kids are involved, I understand. I hope you know already I am not saying a word to anyone and nobody else find out. Just me, for as long you want me to keep quiet."

Alastor nodded. He didn't really put that into doubt. If anyone in hell would know to keep their mouth shut, that was going to be her.

"I appreciate it."

"Of course, dear" Rosie smiled as she inclined further over the counter. "Just tell me a little something and I will let you go with that darling girl of yours already, okay? At least for now because I can't promise I won't ask more later."

Alastor sighed.

"If you must. One question."

"One question." Rosie looked over at her employers, just to double check, and practically whispered next to Alastor's face. "Does he make you happy, dear?"

A sound of static broke the calm silence installed between them and Alastor pulled back, not meeting her gaze. Somehow that seemed to be even a better answer than what Rosie expected and she clasped her hands together, delighted.

"I see!" Rosie laughed candidly behind her hand, before giving him a soft peck on the check. "I am glad for you, my friend. Say hi to your darling from my part as you both enjoy this. Don't worry, this one goes on the house too. Consider it a late wedding gift."

Alastor looked at her for a moment, his ears flickering. It was weird, but not entirely repulsive to see other people refer to his husband like that. To have others recognize them as they were. They never even had wedding gifts.

"I will" promised, doubting for only a second before he reached out to squeeze her hand back. "Thanks."

Rosie waved at him and then Charlie when he opened up the door, reuniting with his daughter. Charlie looked at him as if nervously waiting for his reaction.

"I am not mad that she knows" clarified Alastor, which did calmed down Charlie. He pet her hair, letting his finger to brush it a moment longer. "Apparently it was more my fault than yours anyway."

Charlie took hold of his arm, hugging to it.

"Let's go home, dad."

Home meant finding out a long line of Carmine's branded boxes being delivered to the hotel, with a brand new winged Vaggie waiting for them. Inside of the hotel, even though she was happy everyone had decided to stay, she was taken aback by the imps workings on reinforce the hotel, the stairs, the windows, everything that could need it. Charlie recognized their white uniforms as the ones from the servants at the palace.

"Yep, I want all that glass covered!" was directing Lucifer, flying over the lobby as he was checking something off a piece of paper on his hand. "Everything that is fragil or could be used as a weapon I want it down and turned into an actual weapon. It won't finish the job, but as long it hurts them for a bit it will be enough!"

"Dear" called Alastor, seeing that Charlie seemed incapable of forming any word.

Lucifer turned around in the air, smiling wide.

"Hey, welcome back!" said, landing in front of them. "How was it? Do we have the cannibals coming or…?" Before he could finish his sentence, Charlie had already launched herself to his arms and making him drop his clipboard. Lucifer hugged her back, too taken aback to know what else to do. "Sweetie…?"

"I will prove you wrong, papa!" declared Charlie, holding up his face by squeezing his red dots until he was doing a duck face. "I will prove you I can do this! That this can work! I know it can!"

Lucifer's eyes darted for a second to Alastor, who shrugged, and then back to his daughter.

"Okay" said, still lost when Charlie hugged him again, squeezing as tight as she could. Lucifer frowned a bit, but returned the gesture the best he could, rubbing her back. "I…I am sorry I didn't tell you before, sweetie. Really. I love you."

"I love you too" Charlie made a sound between a sniffle and a sigh, not quite a sob yet, and kissed his cheek. But when she put her hands on his shoulders, she had a determined look on her face that not even her teared up eyes could diminish. "We have Cannibal Town."

"Hell yeah we do! I knew you could do it! I told you guys that she could do it!" bragged Lucifer to the hotel residents.

"Yes, we heard you literally all afternoon" sighed Angel, rubbing his face. "We appreciated the extra help and the many, many, many pep talks, your Majesty."

"The moment you and Alasstor went off, the king just came and took charge" commented Sir Pentious.

"He screamed a couple of times too" added Niffty, giggling. "His horns came out and spit fire. It was great."

Lucifer blushed.

"They were handling Alastor's piano wrong!" justified Lucifer in front of Charlie. "Everything valuable is going to be put on the palace for safe keeping and I couldn't let them ruin it. That was the opposite of the whole point!"

Charlie smiled and gave him a quick hug as she admired around. Even the bar of Husk, that offended Lucifer’s taste so much, had been protected with bags of sand and all the bottles were behind a thick plastic.

"While you are done fortifying, how about I make dinner?" offered Alastor. "No, dear, I won't use the meat I just got" added to Charlie, who was about to ask. "This one is just for me and Lucifer. I will make something else for everyone else."

Alastor lifted the chin of Lucifer and gave him a small kiss on his lips. Lucifer put his hands around the waist of the demon for a second, letting them linger for a moment until Alastor moved again. Charlie followed his trajectory with her eyes until a sudden thought made her gasp. She made her way to the stairs, avoiding the imps carrying valuables through an open portal.

"I forgot something important!" announced before she dissapeared through a door.

Lucifer looked at Vaggie, hoping some kind of clarification. Vaggie seemed just as confused as he was for a second, only for a smile to spread on her face.

“We brought some things back from our trip” explained. “We uh… planned to show you yesterday but…”

“Souvenirs?!” Lucifer got excited regardless, saving her from dwelling on it. “I love souvenirs! Aww, you shouldn't have!”

“Where should we put all these boxes, ma'am?” asked a Carmine's employee. Sir Pentious was admiring all that cargo with big shiny eyes, as if in love, but not daring to touch it.

“Sir Pentious” called Vaggie. The man blinked away from the spell to look at her. “How about you take care of placing our weapons? I only ever had my spear so I imagine you must have some more experience handling multiples ones.”

“REALLY?” Sir Pentious positively shaked in place.

“Sure. He is the one to listen” Vaggie said to the Camine's people.

Sir Pentious immediately asked what kind of weapons they were bringing. Angel asked for some bullets while Husk eyed at some jars full with angelic steel shavings, that could be added to his cards.

Lucifer extended his wings to keep directing the imps to protect the place. For the first time since Charlie started her little project, he felt optimistic about it. That morning when the sinners said they weren't just going to up and leave now, he was starting to see by himself the influence of Charlie on them. Heaven wasn't the goal, but fighting for something, with someone, was still valuable enough to make a stand. Seeing them all cooperate with each other made him believe that maybe, just maybe, even his curse of only seeing the worst of humanity could change.

The dinner itself ended up moving to the lobby when Charlie had the idea of inviting all the servants too. Lucifer set up a large table and multiplied a bunch of chairs until everyone was seat. Likewise, he multiplied the dishes that Alastor made to be distributed between everyone. They imps weren't going to be with them for the final battle, but they had worked the entire day and Charlie wanted to compensate them for it. Alastor let his own wine sway on his glass as Lucifer gave everyone a full plate, happily announcing that they could always get seconds if they wanted to. When the praises over his good started to come in, as he expected them too, he rised his glass before taking the first sip.

"So how was it?" asked Lucifer, finally sitting at his side after attending everyone. Charlie herself was laughing and talking with the residents, so he didn't want to bother her. "Tell me everything."

"Oh, we had a minor setback at the start" commented Alastor, "but after a pep talk from Rosie, she pulled it off flawlessly. They will only ask for the bodies of our enemies."

"They can have them" affirmed Lucifer with a sneer. "Actually, you know what? If any of those fuckers touches Charlie, save a piece for me. I will shit them out happily."

Alastor swallowed up, disimulating the shiver of delight that ran through him at the complete disregard of his husband over his own species. His charming and casual cruelty was one of those things that didn't happen often, but when it did it remind him how lucky he was.

"There was also something unexpected" commented, reaching out to take the hand of Lucifer to brush at the king's ring. "Rosie now knows. Apparently I acted too fatherly to escape her eyes and then Charlie told her the rest. I trust her so she won't say a word regardless" he added, brushing his lips against the knuckles of the king.

He rather chose to omit the little prank of Rosie. Falling into the bad side of the Cannibal Overlord was never a comforting thought to have.

"You did?" Lucifer cooed. He wasn't the one so concerned about their secret being find out, that was always more Alastor's priority. "Aw, that is so sweet. I wish I have been there" He snickered lightly, locking fingers with the radio demon as he got closer as he lowered his voice. "I bet you were so hot on dad mode."

Alastor cleared his throat, looking away.

"You were busy here too" commented.

"Well, of course I was!" preened Lucifer, looking satisfied with himself. "My daughter and husband are going out for an actual army, Vaggie was out getting weapons and I was supposed to stay on my ass the entire day waiting? I had to do something too…" The face of Lucifer fell a little", since I won't be able to do anything that day. Unless they hurt her, that is…"

"Which won't happen" added Alastor, kissing his forehead as a charm to dispells darker thoughts.

Lucifer smiled softly.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. You won't let it happen. Big bad sexy radio demon and all."

"Exactly" Alastor nodded and looked around the table. They were all a strange group, no doubt about it, but a unified front nonetheless. Husk even smiled more than usual as he showed to the imps some magic tricks. He didn't even need to pull out the contract to keep him there. Seeing them all together like that, maybe a little bit of optimism wasn't that misplaced. "Now let us eat, love."

Eat they did.

Once all the plates were cleared, Lucifer opened up a portal to let the imps return to the palace to take a well deserved rest before resuming their duties the next day. The sinners likewise announced they were going to bed, all the while Niffty cleaned up the table as a little red thunder going from side to side.

Vaggie yawned into her hand and nuzzled against Charlie as they exchanged some words. Lucifer, right at their other side, pretended to not be interested at all when Vaggie stand up from her chair.

"I will be heading to bed now. Good night, your highness" Vaggie bowed her head slightly before going to the stairs.

"Good night, sweetheart! Have a good rest, you deserve it for what you did today! We are so lucky to count with you!" responded Lucifer loudly and he nodded to himself when he could hear Vaggie almost tripping with her own feet. He turned to Charlie with a smirk. "I am totally nailing this father in law thing! Don't worry, sweetie, she will feel part of this family one way or another."

Charlie snorted.

"Alright, papa, thank you" She said before she inclined to a side, pulling up a bag that they had seen before.

The bag had a design of cartoon wings all over and a logo advertising heaven just in case they wondered from where it came.

"Well, as you both know, we did managed to talk with grandma and have a coffee with her. She had never forgotten about either of you, so when I told her who I was she literally was "oh thank goodness, I thought I was going insane for a second there and seeing aparitions already." She was so happy to hear about how I came to be and how you were the best parents I could ever ask for! And you know what she said?" Charlie didn't wait for an answer before she followed up, making an actually decent imitation of the accent of her grandma. "I always knew Alastor was going to be a good father. And if I known I was a grandma, I would have always had all the candy he didn't want you to have in hand just for you." She showed me this quant little candy shop and told me to grab anything I could want, because they don't handle money up in Heaven anyway so it's all for the taken! How amazing is that"

Charlie pulled out a large box of bombons, giving it to Lucifer. Most of the bombons were already gone.

"These were her personal favorites. They are so filling, though, so we couldn't finish between the three of us. Then she insisted on getting me a hat because I gave her one and this is what I got!" She put her head inside of the bag, coming out with a fake halo around a white and blue hat. "Isn't it cute? She made me pose for a bunch of pictures for her to show all her friends! That is not the best part, though!"

Charlie then opened up the bag further and put her hand in, far deeper than what the bag should be allowing to for what it looked from the outside. When she finally touched what she was looking for, she quickly put it on her back.

"She said that she one of her hobbies is knitting and crochet. In fact, she took after it after the reunion with dad because she wanted to make something to commemorate it. It took her months to get the hang of it, but she finally made something to represent the two of you and she wanted for you to have it. See!" She then showed the content of her hand to them.

They were a pair of circular dolls made out of yarn, almost blobs, with little limbs and details. One of them was all red with eyes pointing in different directions and a small plastic monocle glued to the side, large cat looking ears standing up from the head. The other doll was smaller, basically the same body, but with yellow eyes with large red pupils and a charm of an apple hanging from it's neck with a red ribbon.

"Aren't these the most precious things you have ever seen in your life?" cooed Charlie, rubbing the two dolls against her face. "She said that if she knew I was coming she would have made new and better ones with what she has learned since then, but I told her these were perfect already. It's you as kitten!"

"Aww!" Lucifer cooed, accepting the white one. It looked so goofy, but honestly that only made it all the more endearing. "So that is what they are! I thought they were little devils. I can see that now. She made these with her own hands?"

"Yes! She is so talented, papa! She had made a bunch of blankets and scarves and things! She wanted to gift me some of it too, but I had to tell her that hell was too hot so I wasn't going to get a chance to wear any of it. Here, dad" Charlie passed the red one to Alastor, who contemplated it on the same manner as recieving the first duckie from his husband.

No doubt it was going to go to the same safe with it. While Charlie excitedly showed the little bear plushie that her grandma gave her, he sniffed the little toy. A trace of lavander perfume that made him think on his mother reclining over her work, doing and undoing in order to get it right, placing the details and sewing ever so carefully. She didn't had the same artistic skill with a pencil like Lucifer, but somehow she had managed to create her own memory.

"Grandma said it was her first ever project that she finished and was happy with" commented Charlie, pulling up a couple of butterfly made of yarn as well. "These I think are supposed to go on clothing, but I will keep them just like that. Oh, and you wouldn't know what else she told me!"

Charlie ontinued on talking about the new updates with her grandma's life that Alastor didn't get to hear since the first time. The book club she organized with her friends, the baking competition they won, the pottery class that she was terrible at but it was still so relaxing to do. A full vibrant life in which she still thought about her son and the tiny eccentric man she met everyday. Now, she was adding a princess with her same eyebrows and Vaggie into her prayers.

"She was so interested on the hotel too" sighed Charlie, accepting the cup of tea that Lucifer conjured up for her. He made another one for himself and a cup of boiling hot coffee for Alastor. "I barely had to say anything to convince her about the rehabilitation plan. As soon she heard about it, she was sure it could be done. It was… a nice change of pace, honestly" She looked down for a second, a faint smile still on her face. "I really liked her. Do you think I could ever see her again?"

"Well…" started Lucifer, not sure of how to respond, when Alastor went instead.

"Why not?" said with a light chuckle. "We shouldn't have met her at all and yet we did. If we already defied our chances once, who says we can't do it again?"

"Can't argue with that logic" admitted Lucifer, scratching his neck. He didn't want to give his daughter any false hope, but Alastor was right, weirder things had happened already. "Maybe someday, sweetie."

"I will take that" Charlie drank the rest of her tea as if it was whisky, lighting up her eyes again.

#radioapple #appleradio #lucifer x alastor #duckiedeer #arranged marriage au #hazbin hotel au

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derireo-galge · 6 months

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Drunk and Slow | 3k | jimsu✍️🏼

A joint corporate party in a hotel brings bonuses to the employees of both partnership companies, because both alpha Jimin and vampire Yoongi attend it in hopes of seeing each other again.

They kind of were news of the year in a small business world. Of course, for two companies of not that big of a size to partner on several projects was already a big deal in this competitive ocean. Fortunately the bosses never hesitated to spend money on celebratory corporate parties that kept the employees happy and grateful which was just a great way of stimulating the working class. And the working conditions and benefits were improving and getting bigger, as they should.

[ fed and knotted series ]

Of course those gatherings weren't perfect but for many it was a good way to meet all the employees of their own company. The workers mingled with various folks and exchanged juicy rumors and surely for some of the employees it was a chance to meet the people from the other company, share the experience and get acquainted with further mutual benefit for themselves.

For Yoongi and Jimin it was a perfect opportunity to see each other again. They met up casually, mostly during those corporate parties. They would socialize or not, depending on which of them to talk about and after a while when their colleagues would start getting slightly tipsy, they would disappear somewhere secluded and convenient to spend time just between them two.

Yoongi noted that the hotel was much nicer than the previous time they had the same event. The food was definitely not better but that was the disease of all corporate parties so he wasn't bothered that much, never mind that he could easily nourish himself by coming home to a stored bunch of bloodbags and feast all night long if he so wanted.

Yoongi smelt the alpha the moment he entered the room and spotted him with his own eyes a bit later. His figure attracted attention even from the distance, even from the other side of the room. The proud set of his shoulders and head held high was so obviously screaming young alpha that the vampire chuckled in his glass of juice. It was fun watching the wolf almost circling him judging by the trajectories he was choosing to walk by. Ah, so Yoongi was the prey tonight? He might play into it, if it gets them two together in a confined space again.

He was sure Jimin smelt him even before he did but they patiently waited until at least an hour was up since beginning of the party, abiding by the unspoken rule they had between each other. Yoongi needed no labels, at least not yet, preferring to take their meetings as gifts given him by chance. It's been rather long since he indulged in anything with another person before meeting the alpha and he preferred not to think about where this might lead. Emotional investment always came with a price and was quite a hard work for him so for now he enjoyed meeting the young man exactly like this. The fact they had to be discreet was too a good bonus. It was thrilling.

The vampire wasn't happy with himself, to be exact with the way he looked today. His clothes were simple and he was pretty content with that, having brand new black jeans with fashionable rips and fishnet tights underneath. They were topped off with an oversized sweater that was swallowing him whole, giving him innocent look, sort of. The rest he didn't choose that precisely.

His washing machine decided to act up and Yoongi couldn't prepare one of his best lingerie sets on time, swarmed with work and his current project on the side. He didn't like hot having enough time and opportunities to get ready. He put together the first clean set of underwear that he managed to grab of the drying rack. It was a simple bra, grey with a white elastic band and matching panties, kind of what he used for sports sometime. His chest still looked really nice in it but somehow he felt like he wasn't one hundred percent prepared to get naked in front of his casual lover.

Not that these efforts were for himself exclusively: the idea of getting dolled up for someone else was nice too. The well thought through outfits gave him all the confidence he needed to feel better, to be more initiative. Probably today he could simply let go and forget about such non meaningful things.

Also, picking his best lingerie pieces in hopes to be extra praised by his casual lover screamed something eery similar to commitment and it was a hard topic for him. Way back when he was just a fledgling still he dreamt of finding a mate, one and only, someone he could bond with for life. But as years passed he has seen way too many tragic stories that put him off of those dreams and made him hesitate to even simply date, like humans do.

Yoongi already stopped himself a couple of times to bite on his nails from being so unsettled. He preferred to have everything planned and even his endeavors with the young alpha were considered sort of negotiated. He breathed in deeply through his nose and exhaled through the mouth. He needed to calm down because Jimin, being the alpha he was, could smell his state and start fretting like he sometimes did, most likely instinctively. Just when he thought about the younger again, Yoongi sensed him coming closer and closer from behind. It wasn't his steps but rather his heavenly scent that became more intense in the air.

"There's my beautiful vampling hyung".

Jimin's low whisper sounded from the side, very close to Yoongi's ear, fanning his sensitive skin with his warm breath. Yoongi shivered and slightly turned his head to the side.

"And here's my handsome alpha", he drawled just as quietly.

Yoongi felt the breath on his nape and wished more than anything to feel those plush lips on his skin. But in any case they stayed in an appropriate line of behavior as they quietly conversed. It was a game they played, the one they enjoyed a little too much. It made him forget about difficult topics looming over his head, the stereotypical and artificially cultivated need to have everything figured out in his life.

"Enjoying the party?" the wolf asked.

"Not really", Yoongi answered, "I already did almost everything I was planning for this evening".

"And what else is it that you need to do?"

"Oh, do you want to know? An alpha, maybe?" he said playfully, low enough for no one to be able to decipher his exact words.

There weren't many people around where they were talking anyway because Yoongi never stayed next to the tables where he picked his drinks from in order to avoid conversations about nothing. The only one he was interested in truly was standing right there, next to him.

"If so then you can freely do it in the comfort of one of the rooms?"

Yoongi turned around at that.

'Have you checked in?" he asked and Jimin discreetly showed him a key card that he was holding in his hand. "Oh, the alpha wants to be fed on so bad?"

The vampire saw the way Jimin's nostrils flared. He was sure the scent he started to emit was strongly affected by his arousal. Yoongi loved taunting him, loved the teasing, knowing how much ahe alpha loved when he behaved like that.

"You're a tempter".

"That I am", Yoongj agreed somewhat with pride, touching Jimin's wrist subtly, searching for the gland there and rubbinb over it.

They walked out of the hall one by one and Yoongi joined the younger who was waiting for him next to the elevators. On the way up Jimin tentatively touched his hand and Yoongi squeezed it tighter with his. The room was spacious and the bed was big and comfortable. The first thing the vampire did was drawing the curtains close and switching on the bedside lights. Immediately the atmosphere changed.

Yoongi didn't get to turn around because strong arms weaved around his waist and Jimin's nose pressed to his neck and he inhaled. The elder tilted his head, giving the alpha more room for scenting. He didn't have to ask, he knew how much Yoongi liked to be scented, to smell his lover on himself for hours after they parted ways.

"Hungry?" Jimin asked softly.

"A bit", Yoongi admitted.

There, in the hall, among both their teams they felt audacious, ready to tease and seduce. But when they eventually were left one on one in a closed space today, everything became slower, more sensual. Jimin left a trail of gentle kisses on Yoongi's neck, travelled lower to the wide neck of the oversized sweater and even lower after pulling it slightly down. He flicked the tip of his tongue over the sharp collarbone and Yoongi decided he couldn't go exactly that slow.

He turned around in a half circle that Jimin's arm on his waist formed and found the younger's lips with his. There was something akin to lightness that spread through him along with the familiar smell and pulsing of the warm wolf blood. It was relief. Yoongi didn't want to admit just how much he missed this feeling when they were kissing, touching each other without restrictions of the public eye.

Yoongi weaved his arms around Jimin's neck and the younger effortlessly lifted him up in his arms, marveling at how strong yet dainty the vampire was. He stepped back towards the bed and controlling his body perfectly, lowered them both on the mattress. Yoongi straddled his hips and kept on kissing his lover, exploring his hot mouth with his tongue. It was getting hotter under the layer of clothes, the heat of the alpha's body easily spread through Yoongi's, urging him to take the unnecessary items off.

"Will you undress me?" Yoongi whispered and Jimin nodded, readily rolling the figure on top of him, placing the vampire on the fresh sheets.

"Let's see what you're hiding this time", Jimin chuckled and Yoongi squirmed, remembering his earlier thoughts.

Jimin took the clothes off the elder with an expression of awe on his face. He immediately started touching the revealed skin, cupped the full round breasts through the grey cotton fabric, stuck his fingers into the white elastic hem of the panties, moving back and forth, teasing the skin of Yoongi's soft belly.

"Beautiful", he whispered and Yoongi's cheeks turned from pink to ruddy.

"Your turn", he said quietly, tugging at the fabric of Jimin's clothes.

The alpha stood up and took his clothes off without any particular rush. His eyes were focused on Yoongi's body, to his attractive face and all his lovely curves. When he was rid of every single item he kneeled on the mattress and crawled on top of the vampire's body, placing kisses on his broad shoulders and sliding his lips over his cleavage. He pulled the bra up and freed Yoongi's breasts, covering one of the nipples with his mouth immediately. Yoongi reached down with his hand and wrapped it around the alpha's stiffened cock, lazily tugging at it while Jimin was having a feast on his tits.

Yoongi noticed how Jimin's unoccupied hand moved to his belly and started to lightly knead it. It was like he didn't even realise he was doing it. His kisses turned more passionate, he suckled on Yoongi's nipples, alternating between the two and the vampire couldn't help but moan quietly at every light nip of the alpha's teeth.

"Hyung, will you present for me?"

Yoongi took in a sharp breath. He knew how much Jimin liked his vamp traits, how curiously he traced his fangs with his teeth, how readily he gave him his blood. Yet, if it was the alpha's fantasy to take Yoongi in a well-known traditional omegan position, he was ready to grant him that.

"Feed me first".

They rolled over again. Yoongi too was a predator so he preferred if his prey submitted to him. Jimin knew that too so he tilted his head without question, only briefly kissing Yoongi's slightly swollen lips. The vampire quickly found the perfect place for a bite. He didn't need to feed, that was more of his caprice, a desire to get a little high on the alpha's blood that influenced him not less strong than a good portion or two of fine whiskey.

He licked the chosen spot and swiftly pierced the skin with his fangs. They elongated slightly, going deeper, and the alpha tensed under him, fighting the instinct to fight, to conquer the being that was feeding off him. Yoongi didn't take much. He drank slowly and neatly, savoring the salty metallic taste of delicious blood. He suckled rather than gulped and stopped when he started feeling a little dizzy. It was the first sign before getting slightly tipsy.

Yoongi thoroughly licked the remnants of the blood that was oozing out of two small wounds. They started to visibly heal very quick under the effect of the vampire's saliva and the wolf's regeneration ability. The elder sloppily kissed Jimin on the mouth and went pliant under the explorations of his tongue.

The alpha rolled them over again and Yoongi felt dizzy once more. He decided to take the position while the effect of the blood was still not as strong. He tried to get rid of the top and the younger quickly helped him with that task. The vampire turned around and went on all fours but then reconsidered, putting his head on his crossed forearms and laying his chest on the mattress. Jimin helped him get rid of the underwear and made him spread his knees even wider.

"Like this?" Yoongi decided to make sure, having never been with an omega wolf in such position.

"Yes, like that is just perfect".

His kisses laid along the elder's spine, slowly descending towards his lower back. Jimin caressed the round globes of his butt and spread them with his thumbs, licking a tentative stripe over his rim. Yoongi only sighed, relaxing and arching his body more prominently, showing his eagerness despite his drowsy state. It was almost impossible to predict how the blood will affect a vampire or if there would be much of an effect at all. Yoongi felt like his body was lighter than before and a pleasant white noise filled his ears.

Jimin was licking at sucking on his entrance with a dedication of a hungry wolf that finally got to what he was deprived of. The room filled with wet smacking noises and low rumbles from the alpha. Yoongi grasped at the sheets, doing his best to stay up on his knees. He could feel the vibrations coming from Jimin's mouth spreading to his lower belly. Maybe it was his vivid imagination but he all but dissolved in his lover, went putty and let the alpha lead, following the quiet instructions to bend more or spread his legs wider.

Yoongi relaxed so much he almost missed the moment when Jimin started preparing him. He had no will to move much and stayed still as he took two and then three of the lubed up fingers. Jimin couldn't stop touching him, his hand played with his balls and squeezed his thighs, slid over his back and rubbed his tummy in circles.

"Hurry, alpha", Yoongi mumbled, still kind of drunk on blood.

Jimin chuckled and manhandled Yoongi to lay on his back. He was like plasticine, going wherever Jimin directed him to.

"Wanna see your face", the alpha said quietly and wrapped Yoongi's smooth legs around his waist.

The vampire gripped his sheets as the younger was slowly sliding inside him. It felt hot, the contrast in the temperature of two bodies was not as sharp anymore but was still significant. Yoongi felt him deep inside him, spreading warmth all over his lower belly, reaching right where he wanted. Jimin stilled, letting his lover adjust and then began moving. He wasn't as fast as they were before, he seemed to be savouring every thrust yet it didn't make it any less pleasurable. It was like they already took the edge of the novice of their time together and now they had a different purpose: to pace, to enjoy, to match to each other's bodies.

Yoongi was fisting the sheets above his head, keeping his hands away from his own cock. He was aching and hard from the jabs to his prostate but he wanted to come untouched, to prolong this beautiful torture, to stay somewhere in the edge before the inevitable peak. He had to be honest with himself, he didn't quite expect the young wolf to go as slow all the time from beginning to finish and was happily surprised with this discovery. Because he loved it a lot, especially after the feeding.

Jimin leaned in to scent him again. His face happened to be right above his breasts and he rubbed at his chest, alternating it with small licks. Maybe that too was his new thing. He kept thrusting at the perfect angle and Yoongi only got to groan once before spilling between their heated bodies all over his belly. The alpha plunged in faster and soon released inside the vampire, with his knot expanding and locking them together. It didn't feel as big as it did for the first time Yoongi was knotted by him, maybe because he was so immensely relaxed.

He felt sleepy, coming to the crash that was impossible to avoid after drinking when he was not overly hungry. He searched for Jimin's lips almost blindly and licked all over them, making Jimin giggle.

"Shh", he calmed down the overly eager vampire, heavily scenting him and running fingers through his hair.

"You smell heavenly", Yoongi slurred with his eyes closed, unable to think about anything else.

He felt full and content, warmed up and safe. The last was definitely due to the pheromones the alpha coated him with and the elder loved it. It felt like belonging.

~end

#ai-ee au #ai-ee au jimsu #yoonmin #bts au fic #bts fanfction #yoonmin au #jimsu smut #jimsu au

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icarusthelunarguard · 4 months

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This Week’s Horrible-Scopes

It’s time for this week’s Horrible-Scopes! So for those of you that know your Astrological Signs, cool! If not, just pick one, roll a D12, or just make it up as you go along. It really doesn’t matter. Better yet! Check out “Heart of the Game, Fredonia” and see if they can sell you those D12’s with the symbols on them. Tell them “Shujin Tribble” sentcha. And “Hail, Hail, Fredonia!” Home of the Blue Devil!

Even though it’s still only just barely into the New Year, you need a vacation. And since we’re nothing if not cheap, we’ll just tell you where you should go even if you can’t afford it. And, no! We’re not going to tell you to Go To Hell. Chances are you’ve already been told that enough times this week.

Aries

We’re dropping you off just north of the Dominican Republic at Turks & Caicos! This collection of roughly 100 islands is popular with honeymooners and for good reason: sparkling white sand, crystal-clear water, and nearly 350 miles of colourful coral reef! Be sure to spend a day or two lounging on Grace Bay Beach with plenty of opportunities to snorkel, scuba dive, and ride horses along the coast. So This Week… Be sure to check your horse’s belly strap before you go riding. Not because you’re liable to fall but because you want to know if you’re on a stallion or a mare. Trust us, there is a difference in temperament.

Taurus

If you bend an ear you’ll enjoy all the art and flowers and canal-lined streets and "coffee shops" and high-end boutiques… Welcome to Amsterdam! Yes, you could enjoy the art or the food or the bicycling… and you can have a stop to enjoy the street food scene by eating herring or Dutch fries, or satisfy your sweet tooth with stroopwafels. So This Week… Buy some stroopwafels at your local grocery store and TRY to imagine they aren’t Cock-Waffles. We DARE you.

Gemini

WELP! If picturesque beaches and warm weather are what you're after, look no further than the British Virgin Islands! You’ll have easy access to Smuggler's Cove and Brewers Bay. And if you book your hotel room on Tortola, the area's largest island, you can hop between the smaller islands on boat tours. So This Week… Re-learn all your maritime terminology before you try to steal a 20-sail pirate clipper. Oh, and buy some sea sickness pills.

Cancer Moon-Child

This might be a little weird, but you’re getting sent to the “U-A-E”! the United Arab Emirates, specifically to Dubai. You COULD do something simple, like visit the Dubai Mall. Or how about indoor Ski Dubai? And how about freaking out after getting to the top of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building on the planet, at over 800 Meters tall. So This Week… We know you wanted to know, so - it would take just shy of 13 seconds for you to go “SPLAT!” after jumping off that thing, with an impact of over Seven-Hundred-Thousand joules. So don’t do that! It might not hurt YOU, but it’ll hurt someone else.

Leo

We’re sending you to the largest island in French Polynesia - Tahiti! And just to get you over your fear of the ocean we’ve booked you into a lavish overwater bungalow. And once you’ve stopped having a panic attack, there’s prime snorkeling and surfing conditions all around you. If you're staying on dry land you COULD look for more cultural activities, like the island's temples, or shop for Tahitian pearls. So This Week… Don't ask what a pearl necklace is worth here. Just trust us.

Virgo

Your vacation is just a chance for you to get away from everything and be calm, peaceful, and serene. We’re sending you to the lush Indonesian paradise of Bali. Right now it’s the dry season, so beachtime will be perfect. Follow that up with tours through some temples, and finish up with dinner in the village of Kintamani, home to a towering (and active) volcano. So This Week… If you take a Balinese cooking class and the instructor suggests heating your pan in the magma, IT’S A TRICK! DON’T DO IT!

Libra

Talk about an historic location, your destination brings you to one of the original Seven Natural Wonders of the World! A place with, literally, one-of-a-kind scenery. You’ll be looking through some of the over 600 islands and 1,500-plus species of fish, but you better be careful with them all. You’ll be Underwater up the coast of Queensland, Australia and snorkeling in Australia's Great Barrier Reef! It will be a bit dangerous, being that it’s ’stralia, but we trust you not to do anything life threatening. So This Week… learn what Ozzie plants you are NOT ALLOWED TO TOUCH - specifically the “Gympie-Gympie”. Do NOT touch it! Seriously! This is No Joke! You WILL want to die!

Scorpio

The best part about your destination is you pretty well already know the local language and cuisine. Take your choices from historical landmarks and modern-day attractions, London, England is a world unto itself. Do things the easy way: join a tour that takes you to the Tate Modern art institution, Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, Borough Market, and the British Museum. And once you’re done there, have a sit down classic afternoon tea. But plan on a weekend trip to share a Sunday roast at a local pub. So This Week… get used to the taste of Malt Vinegar because you WILL be shot on sight for trying to put ketchup on your Fish-n-Chips!

Sagittarius

Not only are you headed to a beautiful city overlooking the Balearic Sea, but you’ll get an amazing theme song out of it. You’re headed out to Barcelona, Spain! Walk through Medieval architecture, take in the intricate Basílica de la Sagrada Família, and enjoy Antoni Gaudí's whimsical creations in Park Güell. Spend some time in the water at Barceloneta beach before checking out the restaurants and bars along Las Ramblas at all hours of the night… which will be perfect for your jet lagged brain. So This Week… find your old Spanish notes from High School and try to remember if you were taught Castilian Spanish or not. It WILL make a difference in how you’re treated.

Capricorn

Regardless if you say it cah-RIB-bee-ahn, or cah-rah-BEE-anne, you’re headed to the mountainside resorts of St. Lucia. Planning on swimming and relaxing in the ocean? Head to Reduit Beach or Anse Chastanet. Want a little more adventure? Try zip lining through the Chassin region’s rainforest. It’s the dry season now, so it’ll be a little more expensive, but considering what the weather and food will be like, it’ll be worth it. So This Week… stop being stingy and just buy a new bottle of sunscreen. That last one expired in the twenty-teens.

Aquarius

You want to claim you’re an “oenophile”, do you? Well we’re shipping you off to Santorini, Greece! It’s a top honeymoon destination with breathtaking sunsets, whitewashed villages and colorful beaches. History buffs could check out Ancient Thira, then get your wine-tasting in while visiting central Santorini's wine tours. The best part of this whole vacation is… alfresco dinner at Amoudi Bay. So This Week… make sure you have lots of memory storage for your camera and a proper power adapter so you don’t blow it up this time.

Pisces

Have we got something special for you! Someone, and we’re not naming names, actually PAID for a Certain Somepony to get, and I QUOTE… “a naughty scope”. So Roxy? You’re getting sent to Negril, Jamaica to spend a week at Hedonism II! You’re booked in Mid-March for “Hedo Swing Breakers” with your choices of fun like: a Boozy Easter Egg Hunt, Truth or Dare Jenga, a Rave Igloo, Dinner on the Beach, or a Car Wash. That’s right! It’s a Clothing Optional all-adult resort hosting a huge lifestyle party for couples and throuples ages 19-45… OH, wait… You’ve already aged out of that bracket. Well, shoot. Uhm… You could just stay home and be nude all you want instead. It’s a lot cheaper too. Sorry. (That good enough, Kali? Oh, OOPS! Sorry!)

And THOSE are your Horrible-Scopes for this week! Remember if you liked what you got, we’re obviously not working hard enough at these. BUT! If you want a better or nastier one for your own sign or someone else’s, all you need to do to bribe me is just Let Me Know - or check out the Ko-Fi page ( https://ko-fi.com/icarusthelunarguard )! These will be posted online at the end of each week via Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook, Discord, and BLUESKY.

#parody #horrorscope #funny #horoscope #humor #comedy

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blairyg · 7 months

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The California Sheen

Good Evening!

Tonight, I've been thinking about The Last Shadow Puppets' second record 'Everything You've Come To Expect'. The Turner-Miles collaboration project that has sorely been missed for the past 7 years is such a fascinating group to me, their first LP 'The Age Of The Understatement' being a 60s Pop throwback, wearing Scott Walker not just on its sleeves, but almost looking like him too. However, the 8 year gap between records clearly shows both Turner and Kane developing in all the right ways. 'Everything You've Come To Expect' holds a special place for me, with almost every song on the album being highlights in anybodies record collection. With a song like 'Aviation' kicking the album off, the contortion of strings at the start instantly conjuring Scott Walker's 'It's Raining Today' followed by the main riff of the song show that, while still having the same influence of the first album, the influences are more internal than external this time round.

'Aviation' has those classic harmonies that seem to be missing from your life until you hear them again, the string arrangement being more subdued compared to the first album, but still being a present force within the album (after all, what are The Shadow Puppets if not for James' Fords arrangements'). The second song off the album 'Miracle Aligner' while one of my favourite puppets songs, shows this 'California Sheen' I want to discus. The entire album feels like its wrapped in this strange 60s Californian wrapping that I cant seem to find anywhere else, while perhaps this is the simple fact of being recorded at Shangri-La studios, I'd just prefer to chalk it down to the magic of music. Circling back, 'Miracle Aligner' lyrically hold such fun lines there's to many to include, the strings in the verses really emplacing the idea that The Puppets are back, but they've definitely grown up a bit. Something else to note is the title track of the album 'Everything You've Come To Expect' with it sounding like if 'Being For The Benefit of Mr Kite' was written by the seaside, the song is the most experimental you'll find on this album. A waltyz-y feeling pervades this song, with the string arrangement feeling like waves by the ocean, and those Turner-Kane exchanges on the chorus being such an addition to the song. To again focus on lyrics, this song holds such fantastic lines. 'Hotel Room, Holy Bible, Hotel Room, Free Love Revival' a personal favourite in the song that holds so much for the listener to unpack (though I can say that about nearly every word).

Arguably, the crowning jewel of the album is the track 'Sweet Dreams, TN' (Although if you want to argue its any other song I couldn't possibly argue). The song is only sung by Alex Turner, with his vocals showing off this power and emotion that nobody really knew was there. The strings almost march along in this track, with the lack of guitar being noticeable even by TLSP standards. I remember reading that Alex Turner was done with love songs after this and its not something that I can refute (even if he then continued to write love songs, see 'The Ultracheese' and 'There'd Better Be A Mirrorball') the song holds such proclamations of love that only Turner can write, this time quite lustfully I might add. 'The Idea That You Existed All Along's Ridiculous' for me, is such a poignant description for something I've never been able to describe, 'You're The First Day Of Spring With A Septum Piercing' also holding a special place in my heart. The album closes off with 'The Dream Synopsis' (Although the far superior EP version should have been chosen to close the album). This song is something I can only describe as being snowy, but somehow being a goodbye kiss at the end of the album. The song has such a mellow, dare i say melancholy to it, with the words 'Awful' 'Boring' and 'Torture' all cropping up. Now clearly the song holds some humour with it, the song being all about dreams yet saying it 'Must Be Boring' to hear about them in a tongue-in-cheek way that Alex and Miles have become known for whenever they're in the vicinity. Now personally, the album really ends at 'The Bourne Identity' with it feeling like a final hug and wave goodbye as you gear up to leave The Shadow Puppets once again. The song holding that warm, daylight feeling but the words possessing such a story of low self-esteem and opening up. The first words 'Now I Know Jealousy, I Caught You Talking To The Real Me' something so personally relatable if feels like It was written just for me, about me. Something I particularly love is that the song starts with 'Now I Know Jealousy' which to me, sounds like its as if the album has helped the listener learn jealousy, seemingly covered on the title track with the line 'I Just Can't Get The Though Of You And Him Out Of My Head'. The album wrapping up nicely here, with its California sheen still intact, holds such a special place for me. Lyrically, Musically and the general ambiance of the album. The only thing now is for TLSP to return, and finally finish their trilogy.

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mi-news · 1 year

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A-Z: Travel

Accommodation : The key to insure yourself a good stay abides in finding a suitable accommodation. Depending on your budget, you can either book a hotel room, a fully equipped apartment on Airbnb or a single bedroom in an under-priced hostel.

Buzzing : A lot of cities you may visit sprawl around a nuclear buzzing centre you should take a quick tour around ! They are usually full of good restaurants and crowded bars to spend a relaxing evening at.

Culture: The basis of humanity. Civilizations have been built on this rock which unifies humans together around common features.

Discovering: Discovering a new country is an amazing experience.

Events : Allow you to discover many aspects of a culture

Food : Vital to discover a culture

Gallivanter: A person who goes off or travels around in search of amusement, someone who is obsessed with traveling fun, or adventure.

Hospitality : Travelling is for us a way to discover new people and the fact is that most are very welcoming and nice.

Itinerant : Travelling as an itinerant can allow you to discover more places and places that are less touristic and more authentic.

Joy : it’s as simple as that : travel is one of the better ways to feel joyful.

Karaoke : When going to the Phillipines, you can’t miss the fact that there are karaoke bars everywhere and sometimes it is just in the streets. But this culture of karaoke can be found in many countries.

Luggage: If you are planning to visit several cities in a row, make sure you travel lightly packed, so you don’t need to struggle with carrying heavy bags in public transportations!

Museums : Even if museums can seem boring at first sight, you can always find oddball museum to spend an hour or two. For instance, in Brussels you can take a tour in the chocolate museum and leave with a small ballot.

Nature : Even the most urbanized cities conceal spacious parks and green areas to take a relaxing deep breath and disconnect with the city’s abuzz.

Oceans : Sailing around the oceans is also a way to travel that really makes your mind peaceful.

Passport : If you want to travel, you will need a passport, in which you will have nice stamps!

Quad : In some countries, quads are used as transport means.

Road trip : Is a good way to travel in a country and to live things differently.

Souvenir: Make sure you don’t leave your traveling country without a souvenir, to deeply carve your whole trip in your memory and recall the best moments you’ve spent just by looking at an item.

Train : The best means of transport that insures both a quick journey and low carbon emissions.

Unification : One the vital concepts of a society.

Vacation : Few days to let off steam, to disconnect your brain from the routine and discover new ways of living by meeting foreign people.

Wanderlust : To get from a place to another is the best way to lose yourself in the local environment and take multiple detours to stumble upon terrific hidden places

Xenization : It is the act of spending time in a foreign culture and the fact of integrating foreign words in another language.

Youth hostels : Convenient for solo travelers with a low budget, you can always meet fellow travelers during the breakfast buffet and easily make friends for the rest of your stay.

Zephyr : Zephyr is a kind of wind that you can find in poetry and invites you to travel

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seoboosterr · 2 years

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Explore the Top benefits of Booking a Holiday Package for Your Europe Trip

Planning a trip to Europe is easy but implementing that plan is not easy. During a city break, one must keep in mind a lot of things and put in a lot of effort to ensure a lovely holiday. Money is undoubtedly the most significant factor. When you are taking your family during a city break, you can’t hold them back all the time when they want to eat something, buy something, and go to spots. But you can’t permit them to make nonsense spending as well. You can’t force them to compromise with convenience and comfort while staying in hotels, but you can’t afford to book five-star hotels at every venue. So what’s the way of guaranteeing a memorable holiday without putting too much stress on the pocket? Well, the answer is holiday packages. There are several advantages to choosing a tour package rather than arranging everything alone.

Cost Saving

The most significant advantage is cost saving. If you try to book everything, from bilete avion to hotel rooms, on your own, you will spend unnecessarily. If you add the personal costs, the amount will be pretty high, but if you choose a holiday package, the total amount, including the cost of everything, would be far lower. The simple reason is that the company offering you the holiday package is more aware of the best airfares, hotel, and rates of every other thing.

Zero Headache

Zero headaches are the second reason a holiday package is better. By choosing a holiday package, you get rid of all activities, starting from booking flight tickets to checking out accommodation availability at hotels and booking rooms. The tour operator will do everything on your behalf, and you will simply be paying the charge.

Best Services

The next reason you should always opt for a holiday package is the availability of the most convenient services. By opting for an all-inclusive package, you can enjoy the best of all services available at a hotel, starting from housing to facilities like a swimming pool and sauna. Booking a spa session or dining at a restaurant will cost much more.

Safe Traveling

The last factor in favor of vacation packages is safe traveling. Companies that offer tour packages are aware of situations in a particular place, the risks, and the safe zones; hence, you can enjoy safe vacanta. By planning a holiday on your own, you may fall into trouble at an unknown place.

Myriad Of Options

From 5-star hotels, ocean cruises & romantic budgets, and family-oriented alternatives, you will have myriad options when booking packages through tour operators. You can also have customized holidays as per your preferences and budgets.

Complete Tour

Another advantage of having a tour package is getting a complete tour. It might be difficult for any individual traveler to cover all the tourist spots of an unknown city or unknown. You might manage to make a complete list, but some sites may remain unvisited. The purpose of holiday packages is to cover all major tourist attractions in a place so that the customer gets the best value and services for their money.

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bromckinney1 · 2 years

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The islands of your Caribbean generally lead to a well known vacation spot. With so many island destinations, and each and every giving its unique individuality, it may be hard to decide which anyone to check out. This article will offer you some tips for choosing which Caribbean island is the best bet for your holiday.

Before you travel internationally, learn in which your country's embassies and consulates are in your spot land. They are not practical information on the informal tourist. With a little luck you are going to never require them. If you locate your self in legitimate issues, though, consulates and embassies can offer essential support in navigating not familiar and unfriendly authorized oceans. When flying, usually have a jar water convenient. Ingesting lots of body fluids will ensure that your physique stays hydrated through the flight. The air inside of the cabin is quite dried out, enjoying destruction with your physique. Don't substitute liquor or caffeine intake for drinking water, simply because this could make lack of fluids more serious. Use vacuum hand bags to bring along far more in your hold-on travel luggage. Trying to suit every little thing you'll requirement for your journey right into a bring-on-size handbag can be challenging. To maximize the space, use traveling vacuum luggage for your outfits. You put your garments, zip the case, and roll it to eliminate the air. Be sure that you unpack the instant you get to your destination which means that your clothes have enough time to return to their regular condition. Should you be vacationing with an organization, be sure you reserve beforehand. Booking beforehand is likely to make it more inclined your class will be sitting jointly. When you are going with young children, you certainly tend not to would like to abandon seats plans to possibility. Publication earlier and ensure your chairs agreement. Package deal trips are ways to get the most out of a limited journey spending budget. Check out the options offered by a specific spot. It may be possible to do much more, see far more and also have more fulfilling, by purchasing a package deal offer that includes extra providers and facilities. These bundles commonly supply savings which are out of the question to reproduce by means of buying person solutions. When traveling, don't neglect you could travel by tour bus to many regions in North and South America. It can be much less costly than traveling and is normally reduced-pressure to the travelers. Traveling by coach has shed much of its preconception lately, with many different businesses purchasing new vehicles and even employing security officers to drive along. Avoid finding a cold, or more serious, on the aeroplane with hand sanitizer. An airline is definitely an enclosed place exactly where a huge number of people are limited on an extensive time period. To help make is important even worse, air inside the cabin is circulates, spreading germs from passenger to person. To prevent capturing some thing, attempt to avoid touching the eyes, nostrils, and oral cavity. If you have to mark that itching, rinse both your hands, then implement hand sanitizer. If you're planning in which to stay the identical metropolis for awhile, you need to explore renting an apartment or home as an alternative to staying at a resort. You will find some devoted to simple-phrase rentals. By hiring, you are going to reduce costs, improve hotels, and also have a a lot more authentic community expertise. If you're likely to be taking a highway journey, be sure you pack a wheel restoration set! Who knows in which you could be once you get a flat tire and it's much better safe than sorry. In the event you don't have one and possess to call of tow vehicle you may be considering high-priced charges and a destroyed journey. To pack light-weight while traveling, make time to plan in advance. Lay posts of apparel out prior to deciding to load up, and make sure that each leading may go with over one particular bottom part. Bring clothes which are secure and straightforward to wash, just in case you should do laundry on the highway. Think very carefully about the footwear you provide. bhrigu lake trek is best to dress in your bulkiest products about the air travel, to make a lot more room within your baggage. When visiting America's Nationwide Park systems, don't just generate around the park. Escape and discover by ft .. It is a wonderful experience to go to the park your car, and discover all of that it must supply. The only way to achieve that is to locate a backpacking path and explore the region. Do not consider your drugs from their branded containers. You might find oneself struggling at stability should you not possess the right treatment inside the correctly branded bottles. There are rigid laws concerning drug trafficking and pills out of your right bottles might elevate unwelcome suspicion. In the event you set these pointers into position, you are able to steer clear of lots of the frustrations, anxieties, and sleep deprived nights that come with planning for a trip. Rest assured that you will be ready and prepared can come leaving day. There is no should spend so much time being concerned.

#bhrigu lake trek

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babymetaldoll · 3 years

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Can’t help falling in love (Spencer Reid x Reader)

Word count: 4,1K

Summary: After being hospitalized due to anthrax, Rossi sends Spencer and (Y/N) to Hawaii, 'cos some sea breeze might be good for his lungs. Just one detail: Spencer loves (Y/N) and (Y/N) loves Spencer, but NEITHER OF THEM IS ACTING ON THEIR FEELINGS. A one-shot from my series "Do I wanna know." (you can totally read it if you haven't read the series yet)

Warnings: Mention of boners, masturbation, cursing, frustration and that's it.

A/N: Hello!!! I hope you are having a great day!! Look at me, updating again! I'm so excited to be writing again!! Thank you for reading!!

Masterlist

Do I wanna know Masterlist

───※ ·❆· ※───

Spencer’s point of view

I’ve never been a bad flyer. I don’t have any kind of trouble spending most of my time on a plane. But today, I am terrified of this trip. I keep fidging on my seat as I open and close a book I can’t even read, ‘cos there’s no way I can concentrate.

Sitting by my side, (Y/N) looks over the window and smiles sweetly as soon as she notices we are about to arrive at our destination: Hawaii.

- “Look, honey!! We are almost there!”- her eyes shine as she turns to me and invites me to lean in, closer to her, to take a better look at the island.

- “Cool”- I whisper and don’t even pay attention to the view. All I can notice is her smell and the warmth that her body irradiates.

These are going to be the longest vacations of my life. And also, pretty much the first.

After I caught anthrax during a case, Rossi got us tickets to Hawaii. He and Hotch both agreed some sea breeze might be good for me, but they didn’t want me to go alone. (Y/N) was more than happy to come along. It was basically a paid vacation to babysit me in Hawaii. I hate the beach; I don’t like the sand, sun, or the drug-resistant bacteria spread by seagull feces. But she was so excited about the idea I couldn’t say no. She wanted to help me get better, and I guess some fresh air and a few days away from work wouldn’t hurt. I could always stay reading in my room.

- “We are gonna have so much fun, Batsy!”- (Y/N) whispers and turns to me, smiling brightly. I just stare into her eyes, feeling my heart rising inside my chest. I am crazy in love with my best friend, but I don’t have a chance. She is way out of my league, and I know she only sees me as her best friend.

- “Yes, we will, Chipmunk,”- I reply, trying my best to smile too. But honestly, I’m freaking out.

(Y/N)’s point of view

I can’t stop smiling! I’ve always wanted to come to Hawaii, and this trip is a dream come true. We’ve had nothing but first-class treatment ever since we got to the airport. A van picked us up and took us to the resort, put a drink in my hand, and ice tea in Spencer’s, and led us to do our check-in.

- “Dr. Reid, Miss. (Y/L/N), here’s the key to your suit. You will find everything you need to know about our resort in these flyers. And if there’s anything you need, don’t doubt to call me.”- the host says and stares right into Spencer’s eyes as she speaks. She is flirting with him, right here in front of me.

Ok, so I am not his girlfriend. We are not together. But… I hate it when people don’t assume we are not a couple. Just don’t tell anyone. I’m tired of all the teasing I get from the team and my friends. I’m just not ready to face anything in front of them. Not even in front of myself. But a part of me wishes this trip might be the chance to… I don’t even know. Do I wanna flirt? Do I want him to want me? Do I want him?

I need to turn off my brain. Maybe Hawaii is the perfect chance to do it.

- “Ok… there has to be some sort of mistake,”- Spencer whispers as he slowly walks around our room. I just stand there, trying to take it all in. When you let David Rossi get you a “little suite in a simple hotel,” you should know he is going big. But I never imagined how big.

We had the deluxe suite with an ocean view and the honeymoon package.

- “Clearly, the bureau ain’t paying for this”- I chuckle, shocked- “I mean, they would never approve this budget.”

- “Rossi really didn’t hold himself back,”- Spencer whispers and turns to me. We look at each other in silence, both of us realizing one detail.

There is only one bed, and it’s covered in roses petals.

- “I’ll take the couch, d… d… don’t worry,”- Spencer quickly says and even stutters as I raise an eyebrow, looking at him.

- “Come on. We are here ‘cos you need to get better. There is no way you are taking the couch. Besides, we’ve slept together for so many years, this shouldn’t even be a problem at this point.”- I assure my friend and walk to the bathroom to freshen up after the trip.

There is a hot tub and a gigantic glass shower. I swear the only thing missing in this room is the sex swing. It has everything for a romantic getaway. By the bed, I saw chocolates, and at the bar, a bottle of champagne and two glasses.

- “How the fuck did we get here, (Y/N)?”- I ask myself, staring at my reflection in the mirror after I wash my face.

I could act just fine, but I was freaking out, just like Spencer.

- “So, what do you wanna do?”- I ask as I walk out of the room and find Spencer standing in the middle of the balcony, arms crossed on his chest, staring at the ocean. Honestly, how was I supposed to be with him 24/7 and not fall in love with him?

- “I’m… I… dinner?”- Reid turns around and hesitates. I smile and wrap my arms around him in a silly attempt to relax him and let him know everything is ok. I feel him wrapping his arms around me too, and I can’t help but sigh.

- “Are you tired?”- he whispers, and I nod - “We can ask for room service, watch a movie.”

- “Spencer, we are in Hawaii; staying in this room would be a crime. Just let me take a quick shower, and I’ll be ready to go.”

Spencer’s point of view

It’s night one, and I know I’m going to be screwed for nine more nights. (Y/N) looks gorgeous as she walks out of the bathroom, ready to go out for dinner. I did my best to look presentable for her, but I tried not to stare at her, most of all.

That’s my whole motto during these vacations: do not stare. The way the wind plays with her hair as we walk by the shore at sunset. The way the sun makes her look like an angel. That dress…

- “Spencer? are you listening?- I look at her as she frowns at me- “Where are you?”

- “Sorry, I just…”

- “Let me guess, you are still thinking about the case we are not working on ‘cos we were forced to take this vacation”- (Y/N) couldn’t be more wrong even if she tried, but for the sake of our friendship, I sigh and nod.

- “Yeah… I’m worried the team is gonna need us. I just feel selfish being here, doing nothing.”

- “Well… we could do some things,”- (Y/N) whispers, biting her lower lip as she continues walking and holds my hand in the process, making me follow me. Not that I am complaining.

- “L…li... like, like what?”- I have to stop stuttering. I had already managed to talk to her like a normal human being. Why being in Hawaii is making me act like a teenager again?

- “Well, we can oversleep and then have a late breakfast. Read by the pool, maybe take a hike or a bike tour around the island. We could swim or take surf lessons. We can enjoy our vacations so that when we are back at work, we are fully rested, and you are fully recovered.”

(Y/N) turns to me as she speaks and cuts me a big smile. I know I won’t oversleep at all, not if I had to share the bed with her. But I can definitely make my best effort to have fun and enjoy my vacations with her.

- “Wanna send a picture to the team? I know Penelope is dying to know how the trip is going”- I just nod and stand closer to her as she takes the photo. She wraps an arm around me, and I do the same as we both smile.

- “Congratulations!”- some random person says and waves at us as he walks by our side, holding a kid’s hand. I turn to (Y/N), and she just shrugs.

- “Why was he congratulating us? for taking a picture?”- I ask her.

- “No idea, honey bunny.”

(Y/N) point of view

People congratulating us is apparently, a running gag here in Hawaii. Today it’s day two, we already had breakfast, and right now, we are getting ready to hang out at the pool. I put on my bikini, which may or may not be a little revealing. I’m just saying, a girl can dream.

- “Ready, chipmunk? I don’t wanna be close to the sun at the worst hour.”- I hear him ask as I walk out of the bathroom wearing nothing but my bikini and cut him a short smile.

- “I am ready, honey bunny.”

Spencer stares at me for a second and then turns around, grabbing a book from his bedside table and quickly shoving it into his satchel.

- “You know, I don’t think I brought enough books. This one is too interesting.”

So let me get this straight: I walk around barely naked, and all he cares about is his books? Wow. I had never felt so rejected in my entire life. Not that I was waiting for him to do anything, but… damn! he didn’t even look at me.

- “Well… maybe you can find some more books at a local store,”- I say and walk to the door. I shouldn’t be mad. Ok, I am not angry. I am hurt. Why doesn’t Spencer like me? Am I ugly? This morning when I woke up, he was already in the shower. Maybe he really didn’t want to share the bed with me. Shit. I should stop thinking about him this way. He is my best friend, that’s it.

I settle all my things and sit on a recliner next to the pool. Spencer looks at me in silence for a second and then sits at the chair next to mine.

- “Everything ok, honey?”- I ask when I notice he wants to tell me something.

- “You should put on some sunscreen,”- he whispers and takes an SPF 50 lotion from his bag.

- “Want me to do your back, and you can do mine?”- I ask, doing my best to look as innocent as possible. However, my thoughts are far from honorable, as I imagine Spencer taking off his shirt.

- “I’m not taking my shirt off yet”- he kills my fantasies and makes me feel like a perv with just one sentence. Great.

- “Can you put some sunscreen on my back?”- my question is totally innocent, really. I take off my cover-up and sit straight on the recliner. Spencer walks over and sits right behind me. He first holds my hair and puts it on a side, so I start braiding it to keep it out of the way. Suddenly, I feel his hands rubbing against the skin on my shoulders, slowly making his way down my shoulder blades and then to my waist. I shiver, though the day is already hot, and he takes his hands off my skin right away. I almost whimper at the lack of contact. I wish I could feel those hands all over my body.

- “Sorry, chipmunk. Are my hands too cold?”

- “No, Batsy. Don’t worry. I’m just ticklish, that’s all”- I lie and turn to smile at him. He nods, blushing, and continues with his mission.

Who knew Spencer’s hands were so skilled? he is making me feel in heaven, and he is just applying sunscreen. Fuck. I have to stop thinking about him this way, or these vacations are gonna be too awkward.

- “Thank you, honey bunny. Now put some on your face, legs, and arms. I don’t want you to get burn”- Spencer nods and does as told as I continue t apply sunscreen on my body.

- “I forgot something in the room. Be right back. Do you want me to get you a juice on my way back?”- he jumps from the chair and grabs his bag all of a sudden.

- “Sure, just make it a piña colada instead of a juice”- I wink and watch him walk away. Shit. Why did I fall in love with my best friend?

Spencer’s point of view

Today I woke up with (Y/N) in my arms, her silky pajamas covering less than they should have, and her warm body against mine. I almost died. I had the biggest morning wood of my life. The only thing I managed to do was slowly and carefully move from that bed and get a cold shower.

I thought that was going to be it until I saw her walk out of the bathroom in that bikini. I’m doomed. I’m gonna be fighting my boner for the rest of the trip. Applying her sunscreen was torture. Watching her putting it on herself was even worst. What am I supposed to do now?

No, I’m not gonna jerk off... again. I have to concentrate, my mind has to be stronger! Reading, Reid, focus on your reading.

I walk back to the pool and notice (Y/N) ain’t alone. Some random guy is talking to her, and she is clearly not comfortable with him. Her body language is obvious. She crossed her arms and put on her cover-up again.

I stand next to her look at the guy as (Y/N) smiles at me sweetly.

- “Thank you, honey bunny.”

- “You are welcome, ma chère.”- my fingers play with her hair as I keep my eyes on the dude, who is still staring at her.

- “Like I told you, I’m with my husband”- (Y/N) looked at him and moved closer to me.

- “Is there a problem, chipmunk?”- I don’t know how to look threatening in front of dudes, but I do know how to threaten an unsub, so let’s pretend this guy is one. I look at his right in the eyes and raise an eyebrow as he stands up and nods at us.

- “Sorry to bother you. Enjoy your honeymoon.”

- “You better we sure we will,”- (Y/N) said and smiled at the guy as he walked away. As soon as he was far enough, my best friend turned to me and sighed- “I’m so glad you got here. That asshole wouldn’t get “no” for an answer, so I told him I was here with my husband.”

- “Are you ok?”- I knelt next to her and caressed her hand as she nodded.

- “Yeah. I just didn’t want to break his face. It’s only day two of vacation. I don’t wanna get in trouble”- I chuckle and move back to my chair. She sips her piña colada and sighs. I grab one of my books and start reading.

I know I said I hated vacations, the beach, and the sun. But I could get used to this.

I’ve been fighting with my physical reactions and arousal the whole day. It’s really uncomfortable, especially ‘cos I’m wearing a bathing suit. But watching (Y/N) walking out of the pool in that tiny bikini forced me to jump into the cold water. I feel like a perv. And the fact she jumped back into the water with me and started playing with me made it all worst.

Sometimes I wonder if she knows the effect she has on me. Does she do all these things on purpose?

We just got back to our room after having dinner and taking a long walk at the beach. We had a great time, talked the whole time. We shared a bottle of wine over dinner because the waitress thought we were on our honeymoon and gave us a complimentary treat. That has been happening a lot. After dinner, we visited the hotel’s casino for a while, but (Y/N) decided being indoors was a crime, considering we were in Hawaii. So we headed to the beach and took a long walk, hand in hand, under the full moon. There is no way to deny it was a very romantic scenario. We continued talking and laughing until around midnight we got cold and decided to come back to the room, cuddle and watch a movie.

- “Ready, honey bunny?”- (Y/N) asks as she walks out of the bathroom, wearing that damn pajama again. I love it, don’t get me wrong, but it makes it so hard for me not to… react to it.

- “Yes, I’m ready”- I glue my eyes to the screen as she grabs the remote control and sits next to me on the bed.

- “Did you pick a movie?”

- “No. I picked it last time. It’s your turn.”

I get comfortable under the covers and sigh. Whatever happens, Spencer, don’t look at her.

(Y/N)’s point of view

It’s kind of sad, but I feel no matter what I do, Spencer won’t notice me. I thought this vacation was going to be the moment he might make a move on me, or whatever. When I saw the room and the bed and how romantic everything was around us, a part of me wished that Spencer would try to kiss me.

But no. If anything, he has been actually ignoring me a little. Why? Did I do something wrong? maybe he hates the beach and blames me for being here. I should talk to him, but I don’t wanna ruin our vacations.

- “There you are!”- Spencer says as he walks towards me- “I’ve been looking all over for you!”

- “I told you I was gonna be here. I’ve been here since after breakfast,”- I say and keep my eyes on my book. I’m on a recliner in front of the ocean, trying to ease my mind and enjoy the moment.

- “I brought you this,”- he says, giving me a piña colada.

- “Thank you”

I watch him move a recliner closer to me under an umbrella and open his book. We read in silence for a few minutes, but I can’t focus. So I turn to Spencer and look at him for a moment. He is wearing his pink bathing suit, a hat he got at the hotel’s souvenir shop, and his long hair is a wavy mess. He looks gorgeous.

- “Is something wrong?”- he whispers and takes me from my thoughts.

- “Why are you mad at me?”- I had to ask, so I just did.

- "What? Why would? Of course not"- he frowns, nearly shocked by my words and looks at me worried- "What makes you say such a thing?"

- "I don't know, I just feel you've been avoiding me."

- "That's crazy! We are here together!"

- "And you are not mad we are at the beach?"- I can’t stop the questions leaving my lips right now.

- "It's not my favorite place to be at, but I don't mind. We've been having fun. There's lots of reading, and you are already tanned."

- "I'm surprised you noticed"- why did I just say that? Why couldn't I keep my mouth shut? Spencer moves closer to me and raises an eyebrow. Sometimes I feel I could get lost in those eyes.

- "Why wouldn't I notice you are tanner?

- "'Cos you haven't made much eye contact with me lately. That's why I thought you were mad. You haven’t even looked at me today since we woke up. Actually, you weren’t even in the bed when I woke up, again."

I don’t move my eyes from his, trying to read him. It’s hard to profile a profiler. I know we promised never to do it, but that hasn’t stopped me from trying from time to time.

- “Chipmunk, of course, I am not mad at you. I am… just… trying to be respectful.”

- “I don’t follow.”

Spencer clears his throat as his cheeks turn pink. He is embarrassed and uncomfortable. Why?

- “I’m sorry. I know we are at the beach, I know it’s hot, and I understand it’s completely normal. But I am not used to seeing you dressed like this. Or undress like this. And I don’t wanna make you feel weird or awkward. That’s why I’ve made my best not to stare.”

And as he speaks, Spencer actually tries his best to keep his eyes in mines or in the sand. There is no in-between.

- “That’s it?”- I whisper and he nods, his eyes glued to the sand.

- “I’m sorry I’m being so weird about it. I just felt you were mad at me ‘cos I dragged you to the beach, and you hate the beach.”

- “I don’t hate being here with you.”- Spencer whispered and finally looked at me again, making sure to glue his eyes on mine.

- “And if you want, I can cover myself more. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable around me.”

- “No, chipmunk. Please don’t! It’s hot! Not that you are half-naked, I mean. The weather is hot. Not that you are not gorgeous, of course, ‘cos you are. I mean, how many guys have hit on you today?”

- “None”- I whisper and chuckle as he rambles, and his cheeks turn even redder and redder. I don’t know if it’s because of the sun or the embarrassment.

- “None? that’s impossible!”- he chuckles and looks around- “I’m sure someone around here is looking at you thinking you are the most beautiful woman they have ever seen.”

I wish he could think that about me, at least once in our lives. I know he won’t, and that’s heartbreaking, but I refuse to think about that right now. It’s vacation, we are in Hawaii, we have to have fun. This is not the moment to think of all the pain being in love with my best friend is causing me.

Spencer’s point of view

I don’t like the beach: the sandy food, pink skin, the limited and engaging topography, the drug-resistant bacteria spread by seagull feces. But most of all, the struggle not to stare at my best friend’s body.

I love her. I am in love with her. I have been for a few years now. But this is the first time it’s so hard for me to hide it. And the fact she thought I was mad at her ‘cos I’ve been making my best not to get aroused around her, it’s just sad.

Besides, it hurts to know there are, in fact, guys looking at the whole time while I do my best to keep my eyes from her body. I wanna fight them all and shout. Tell them to go fuck themselves, though I know you can't actually do that with the male anatomy.

I roll in bed. (Y/N) is asleep, soft snores coming from her, making me smile. I wanna kiss him and hold her close. But tonight, all I can do is to stare. This is the only moment I can really look at her. I love these silky pajamas. Her skin looks so soft, perfectly tanned. Her hair is a mess I wish I could run my fingers through, and her lips look sweet, like a strawberry.

I know I will never be able to tell her how I feel, ‘cos she will never reciprocate my feelings. But that’s ok. I can live with it if I have moments like this.

She is the most important person in my life, after my mother. She is the one person I can’t live without. I know it. There is no way I can ever lose her.

- “Honey?”- she whispers and moves closer to me- “I’m cold”- I don’t hesitate and wrap my arms around her, keeping her closer to me. She hides her head in the crook of my neck and kisses my skin a few times, sending shivers all over my body. She really has no idea the effect she has on me.

- “Sleep tight, ma chère��- I whisper and kiss the top of her head. She doesn’t say a word, though. She is fast asleep already. I just stay here, wide away, caressing her hair slowly.

- “I love you, so much”- I murmur, kissing the top of her head again. She doesn’t reply, she is snoring again. I just smile and lock my arms around her. I honestly hate the beach, but I love being with her anywhere. As long as she is by my side, I know everything is gonna be ok.

Taglist

Spencer taglist

@calm-and-doctor

General Taglist

@spenxerslut @ash19871962 @babebenhardy @meowiemari @archer561 @all-tings-diego @mrsobrien888

DIWK Taglist:

@big-galaxy-chaos @muffin-cup @shilohpug @eternalharry @tvandfanfic @fandomtrash2405 @eyakoroleva @nani-2305

#Spencer Reid #Criminal minds #DIWK #Matthew Gray Gubler #Spencer reid x reader #spencer reid x (y/n)#spencer reid fluff #fanfiction #criminal minds fanfiction

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uomo-accattivante · 3 years

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Great article about Paul Schrader’s The Card Counter - a poker movie that’s not really a poker movie...

Some filmmakers write a hit movie and spend the ensuing years trying to escape its shadow. Paul Schrader never flinched. Forty-five years after his “Taxi Driver” script put him on the map, the writer-director has developed a body of work loaded with alienated anti-heroes compelled to violent and reckless extremes for the sake of a higher calling.

That includes “The Card Counter,” in which Oscar Isaac plays guilt-stricken Abu Ghraib vet William Tell, a man with a gambling addiction compelled to help the revenge-seeking son (Tye Sheridan) of a former colleague. Taking justice into his own hands, Isaac’s William Tell slithers through the Vegas strip in search of questionable salvation, not unlike a certain Vietnam vet named Travis Bickle did from the driver’s seat. As if to cement the comparisons, “The Card Counter” features Martin Scorsese as an executive producer, marking the first time the two men share a credit since 1999’s “Bringing Out the Dead.”

For Schrader, “Taxi Driver” comparisons are inevitable in all his work. “My tendency is to look for interesting occupational metaphors,” Schrader said in a recent interview. “‘Taxi Driver’ hit the bull’s eye of the zeitgeist and it doesn’t die. There’s no way I could’ve planned for that, but it does inform the stories I tell.”

At 75, Schrader continues to churn out movies much like his compatriot Scorsese, albeit on a much smaller scale. “The Card Counter” is the latest illustration of the secularized Christian dogma percolating through his work. “Our society doesn’t like to take responsibility for anything,” he said. “But I come from a culture where you’re responsible for everything. You come into the world soaked with guilt and you just get guiltier.” In his own prickly fashion, Schrader makes movies steeped in empathy for lost souls in search of redemption despite the daunting odds. “We’re all certainly capable of forgiveness,” he said, and chuckled. “Anyone who says otherwise is wrong.”

The “Taxi Driver” dilemma looms large in nearly all of Schrader’s work, from the dazzling high-stakes activism of “Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters” all the way through Ethan Hawke’s eco-conscious priest in “First Reformed.” While the latter, Oscar-nominated effort brought Schrader new fans, “The Card Counter” is an even more precise distillation of his aesthetic — a moody, philosophical drama about the vanity of the personal crusade.

Schrader, who has labeled his homegrown character studies as “man in the room” dramas, embraces the parallels as usual. “There is this kind of myth that the taxi driver was this friendly, joking kind of guy who was a character actor in movies,” he said. “But the reality is that it’s a very lonely job, and you’re trapped in a box for 60 hours a week.” He saw the same logic with gambling, a wayward profession generally depicted in the movies in the context of escapist romps, rather than the somber rituals that afflict most players. “I thought about the essence of playing cards every day, or sitting in front of a slot machine. It’s kind of zombie-like,” Schrader said. “You see commercials of people in casinos laughing. But it’s a pretty glum place. Today with slots you don’t even have to pull the lever. You just sit there and let the numbers roll.”

The gambling figure led Schrader to the bigger picture of his character’s conundrum. “I was wondering why someone would choose to live in that sort of purgatory,” he said. “He doesn’t want to be alive, but he can’t really be dead, either. What could cause that? It can’t be a simple crime, murder, or a family dispute. It has to be something unforgivable. And that was Abu Ghraib.”

After the fallout of that debacle, William did time in a military prison, and reenters society before the movie begins. That was a world the filmmaker wanted to understand in clearer terms. Though Schrader has received blowback for his controversial Facebook posts in the past, in this case, the platform was an asset: He used it to track down soldiers who had done time in the United States Penitentiary in Leavenworth, the only military prison in the U.S., to better understand the initial claustrophobic world that Tell endures, as well as the conflict between the justice he’s received and what he deserves. “This man has been punished by his government, set free, and paid his due, but he doesn’t feel that,” Schrader said. “What does he do then? How does he fill his time? That’s how it all began.”

Schrader himself toyed with gambling when he lived in Los Angeles early in his career, but soon gave it up. “I very quickly realized I was only interested in gambling if it was really dangerous and I didn’t want to expose myself to that kind of danger,” he said. Years later, though, the experience helped inform his story. “There is this whole fantasy of gambling movies from ‘The Cincinnati Kid’ to ‘California Split,’” Schrader said. “But poker is all about waiting. People will play 10 to 12 hours a day and two to three times a day, a hand will happen where two players both have chips. Now you’ve got a face-off. But that doesn’t happen very often. Most guys who are there are running the numbers, the probability.”

He envisioned “The Card Counter” as a repudiation of the traditional poker movie, which builds to the giddy release of a final tournament. When that moment arrives in the movie, Schrader takes the movie in a bleak, shocking new direction. “It’s not really a poker movie — that’s a red herring,” he said.

William is immersed in his casino journey when he encounters Cirk (Sheridan), the crazy-eyed son of another Abu Ghraib soldier who committed suicide. Cirk blames the soldiers’ former commander (Willem Dafoe), and hopes to loop William into the plan. Instead, the older man decides to take Cirk under his wing to talk him out of the act, which doesn’t prove so easy. In the process, the gambler forms a curious bond with La Linda (Tiffany Haddish), a gambling agent and pimp whose icy, relentless drive to make the most out of the poker circuit brings William some measure of companionship on his wayward journey.

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It should come as no surprise that the “Girls Trip” breakout is nearly unrecognizable in the role of the calculated La Linda, which is also a distinctly Schraderish touch: From his work with Richard Pryor in 1978’s “Blue Collar” all the way through Cedric the Entertainer’s supporting turn in “First Reformed,” Schrader has made a habit of seeking out comedic actors willing to play against type. That’s partly opportunistic on his part. “They’re eager to do it because they want to expand their palette, so you can get them for a price,” Schrader said, chuckling again. “That’s necessary, given the kind of films I make.” But that’s not all: “They will always find a way to be interesting, even when they’re not getting a laugh.”

Which is not to say that the process comes easily to them. Haddish recently told the New York Times that Schrader had to coach her out of speaking in a comedic sing-song. The filmmaker put it in blunter terms. “On the first reading of the script we had, frankly, she wasn’t very good,” he said. “I told her to go back and read every single line without emotion. Then I said, ‘You’re not going to do that in front of the camera, but you can’t hit every line either. So let’s pick five or six lines you can hit where you get a smile or reaction.’ Quickly she got that it was a different rhythm.”

As for Isaac, whose disquieting turn suggests a maniac lingering just beneath the surface, Schrader once again turned to metaphor. “I told him to imagine himself on a rocky coast in the ocean,” Schrader said. “Waves are going to come up and get you all day every day. They’re going to try to batter you. Let them. The waves will go away. You’ll still be there. Don’t compete. In the end, the rocks will win. You have to learn to trust that the way these things are put together has more power than the individual movement.”

William’s routine includes an odd ritual in which he covers all the furniture in his various Vegas hotel rooms with white paper. While the motivation is never explained, Schrader said it stemmed from an experience with production designer Ferdinando Scarfiotti on the set of 1982’s “Cat People,” when Schrader realized the man was doing the same thing. “He said, quite simply, ‘I have to live here surrounded by these ugly hotel furnishings,’” Schrader recalled. The concept inspired the new movie’s most compelling visual motif. “Casinos are very ugly places. There are no exceptions,” Schrader said. “Often you aspire to finding pockets of beauty and there weren’t really any here except the only place he could control, which was his hotel rooms, where he could privatize his visions. I came up with this ritual for him to control those visuals.”

At a certain point, Schrader himself couldn’t control the visuals of “The Card Counter” for more prosaic reasons: After an extra tested positive for COVID-19, the production shut down last March, with five days of shooting left, and couldn’t resume until July. Though Schrader initially took to Facebook to fume at his producers, the pause eventually opened up an opportunity to tweak his vision. “I edited the film and put in placeholders for the five or six scenes of consequence that I hadn’t shot,” he said. “I didn’t have a fully finished film but I could screen it for people. Normally you only get that privilege if you have a big-budget film and you’re allowed reshoots.” The early audience included Scorsese, who provided a crucial note. “I asked Marty, ‘What am I missing?’ He said to me that the relationship with Tiffany and Oscar was too thin. So I rewrote those scenes.”

Schrader asked Scorsese to take on the executive producer credit as a favor. “I said, ‘Marty, wouldn’t it be nice to share a card again? I thought it would help sell the film but it would also be a cool thing to do after all these years,’” Schrader said. “Then a couple of weeks later his agent called wanting to work out a deal. What deal? I asked Marty and he said yes. That’s the deal!” Now, the pair are trying to collaborate on a new long-form TV series based on the Bible, though the timing has been delayed by production on Scorsese’s upcoming “Killers of the Flower Moon.”

In the meantime, Schrader has been mulling over the way “Taxi Driver” not only continues to inform his storytelling but the world at large. “Hardly a week goes by that I don’t notice or hear some reference to it,” he said. “But I don’t know how you’d tell such a story today. A number of writers have tried and I don’t think they’ve succeeded because it has to come out of a certain place and time. We have plenty of these incels around, but they’re not as original or revealing as they were 45 years ago when that character came on the scene. I wouldn’t know how to write about it.”

Instead, his next project is a love triangle called “Master Gardener,” which he hopes to shoot in Louisiana before the end of the year. He has several other potential scripts ready to go after that. And while he has expressed trepidation about the future of cinema in the past, he’s not convinced that audiences have given up on it yet. He recalled a conversation he had with Cedric the Entertainer when “First Reformed” made the rounds. “He said off-handedly to me, ‘You know, I didn’t realize there were so many people who liked serious movies,’” Schrader said, and chuckled once more. “Well, yeah, there are.”

“The Card Counter” premieres next week at the Venice Film Festival. Focus Features releases on September 10, 2021.

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#oscar isaac #the card counter #paul schrader #martin scorsese #tiffany haddish #tye sheridan #willem dafoe #taxi driver #master gardener #indiewire

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faithinthefuture28 · 4 years

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Larry songs timeline & what it tells us about the evolution of their relationship

**These are all just my interpretations but the more I listen to the music they wrote, the more it all fits together. ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THROUGHOUT THE YEARS THEY’VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT WRITING “AUTOBIOGRAPHICALLY” AND “FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE”

I deffo missed some songs but these stood out to me:

2013

L-Strong: Love isn’t easy (waves trying to break it) but what we have means something and it’s worth fighting for. read: love is only for the brave (Think of how much love that’s been wasted...there’s nothing i’m running from...i don’t care, I’m not scared of love) And we bring out the best in each other so lets not throw this away (i’d do anything to save it...when i’m not with you i’m weaker).

H-Happily: I want to fight for us too bc we’re on fire and our love is powerful af. ik we have to do stunts and stuff (and if (s)he feels my traces in your hair, sorry love but I don’t really care) but what we have is insane and fuck everyone else bc you’re MINE and i’m YOURS at the end of the day (i wanna be the one who holds you when you sleep). Together, we’re magic so just be with me so happily

H-Something Great: ****this song is very straightforward so i won’t explain it much***** (i want you here with me like how i pictured it so i dont have to keep imagining... We’re better off together here tonight). Written as a longing for what could be if they dont have to suppress the relationship. (script was written...want to rip it all to shreds) Louis’ response (you’re all I want so much it’s hurting) basically says “it’s not too much to ask babe, i want it too.” This has the kind of longing that ‘wouldn’t it be nice- beach boys’ which Harry has admitted is kind of a theme song.

L-Through the Dark: I know all this bs we’re going through is taking a toll on you and hurts you and i hate seeing you upset (you tell me that your sad...you tell me that you’re hurt and youre in pain and i can see your head is held in shame...i just wanna see you smile again) but I will do everything physically possible to protect you from any pain bb (i’d never let you fall and break your heart, if u wanna cry or fall apart, i’ll be there to hold ya). We’re going through this together and I will take on any responsibility needed to keep you happy. I’M WILLING TO GO THROUGH HELL TO FIGHT FOR US HARRY LOVE (entire chorus basically).

L-Better than Words: holy fuck our love is amazing can’t even describe it can i just sing to you foreva love u babycakes

L-Why don’t we go there: what if...we just forgot about the world and escaped and enjoyed each others love and rode the high??? Also sex

2014

L-Ready to Run: *******Followup to Why Don’t We Go There*********** But this time let’s escape for real bc (there’s me inside a sinking boat running out of time). Like i’m ready to get out of here and it could just be us living happily ever after (this time i’m ready to run). Honestly nothing else makes sense (without you i’ll never make it out alive...wherever you are is the place i belong). I know what i want out of life and IT’S YOU HARREH (i want to be free and i wanna be yours, i will never look back).

L-Steal My Girl: all u thirsty hoes find someone else bc Harry is MY pretty princess. Srsly ask his family. But you can still admire how he looks in those jeans. We all do. You know the ones

L-No Control: boy u fine, let’s do what lovers do IN THE MORNING. bc we can. also you own me and i am urs

L-Clouds: WE KNEW THIS WAS GONNA BE HARD SO WHY ARE YOU BEING A LITTLE BITCH (you dont like it complicated...but love is never ever simple...you are tired of all the changes, but love is always always changing). We could be great yo, just keep fighting (if we’re never coming back down, we’ll looking down on the clouds...we go and we go and we dont stop)

H-Where do Broken Hearts Go: IM SORRY LOU BABY YOURE EVERYTHING (rest of my crimes dont come close the look on your face when i let you go... the taste of your lips...is at the top of the list of things i want). H&L’s call and response at the end is basically forgiveness and acknowledgment (come on baby come and get me out, come on baby cuz i need you now)

H-Two Ghosts: *****was written around this time according to Harry******. This is fucking hard yo. We’re drained and exhausted and idk how much more we can fight for this... (it’s not you and it’s not me...sounds like something that i used to feel). That infatuation and electricity and hope that fueled our younger selves isn’t really there anymore and i’m just tired man (we’re just two ghosts swimming in a glass half empty, trying to remember how it feels to have a heartbeat, we’re not who we used to be...this was all we used to need). We’re empty vessels going through the motions (same eyes blue, couple more tattoos). AND WE AREN’T FUCKING COMMUNICATING (we dont say what we really mean).

2015

H&L-Perfect: so what if... we get rid of the pressure of forever? What if we just have fun doing the stupid shit we love and makes us feel alive (trouble up in hotel rooms, secret little rendezvous, things you know that we shouldn’t do). Like we won’t be out of each others’ lives, I’m still around and we can find comfort in each other and even mess around here and there (I can be the one you love from time to time). Remember how we used to be young and EXCITED (when i first saw you from across the room, i could tell that you were curious) let’s get that energy back without the responsiblity of an adult relationship. And we can keep making art lmao (if youre looking for someone to write your breakup songs about).

L-Long Way Down *****this song fkn hurts man. It’s overlooked a lot but shows so much insight**** We were...everything. And maybe that’s the problem? We’ve been through so fucking much, more than anyone our age should have to endure. (We've been in fire, Went down in the flames. We sailed the ocean And drowned in the waves. Built a cathedral But we never prayed) We didn’t know what we had. We were damn kids man. We weren’t prepared for all this. We didn’t know how powerful this would be. We didn’t know what it required of us. (We had a mountain But took it for granted. We had it all yeah. Who could’ve planned it). We didn’t know what to do with it, how to deal with it, so here we are. (We had a spaceship But we couldn't land it) We’re each other’s everything, but we can’t keep going on like this babe. (We found an island But we got stranded). I don’t want to leave you but being together is breaking us down. (Point of no return and now It's just too late to turn around) We thought we were untouchable. That love conquers all. Maybe, we were wrong. This is gonna hurt like a bitch (We built it up so high and now I'm fallin', it’s a long way down)

H-Olivia: I LIVE FOR YOU, I LONG FOR YOU, I LOVE YA. And i think i’ll always love ya. And I’m scared...of life without you (i get the feeling you’re walking out, time is irrelevant when i’ve not been seeing you, the consequences are falling now, there’s something i’m having nightmares about...dont let me go). But maybe just maybe thats okay, because you’re AIMH (you live in my imagination...i love you, it’s all i do).

L-Love you Goodbye: I fucking love you and I’ll always fucking love you but i think this is the right thing to do even though it feels so wrong (i know there’s nothing i can do to change it, but is there something that can be negotiated?) We made some goddamn fireworks together though (unforgettable together held the whole world in our hands) and do ya maybe think...we can make them just once more? (if tomorrow you wont be mine, let me give it to you one last time, baby let me love you goodbye...one more taste of your lips just to bring me back to the places we’ve been and the nights we’ve had because if this is it, then at least we could end it riiiiight). ********in the interview with our FAVE Gwen Garcia, she asked if it’s better to say goodbye and end a relationship that’s not feeling right or keep trying even if your heart’s not in it. Harry responds with “I think it’s better to say goodbye...but sometimes if youre trying to protect..” Then Louis cuts him off and says “you’re going deep aren’t you”, brushing the question off as a joke but imho i think there was pain in that answer. Then Harry continues “if you’re not 100% in it, I think it’s better for both parties if you say goodbye”. And Louis adds a “yeah” at the end.********

H-Walking in the Wind: I know this is scary but i think we can do it, (you said to me do you believe i’ll be too far? if youre lost just look for me you’ll find me) I think because youre AIMH and i’m always in yours, it’ll be good for us. And look at us being mature, we’re killing it babe. We can live our separate lives and grow on our own. We dont need to make it messy and hurtful. We’re on the same page. (the fact that we can sit right here and say goodbye means we’ve already won. A necessity for apologies between you and me, baby there is none). At this point, we’re kinda part of each other right? So it’s healthy for us to be apart for a bit. (it’s not the end, i’ll see your face again... i know we’ll be alright...just close your eyes and see i’ll be by your side any time you need me). And you’ve helped me grow into the person I am, and I you, so that’s cool as hell, right? (you will find me in places that we’ve never been). We had a TON of fun (we had some good times didnt we) so i feel okay that we’re doing this (goodbyes are bittersweet) and starting the next adventure in our lives.

H-If I could fly: I. am. yours. Louis. William. Tomlinson. (for your eyes only, i’ll show you my heart). Maybe this growth thing isn’t worth it, let me prove to you how much you mean to me (i think i might give up everything just ask me to). This is gonna be hard as shit because i’m so dependent on you (i’m missing half of me when we’re apart). I’m being honest and I’m being scared and I’m being vulnerable because I can’t lie to you and pretend I’m strong (i let my guard down, right now i’m completely defenseless). But we’re part of each other, right? (i could feel your heart inside of mine). I’ll always be here for you Lou (for when you’re lonely and forget who you are) even if for now we can’t physically be together.

L-Home: I’ve tried, Harry. I’ve tried to play pretend (told myself i kind of like her but there was something missin in her eyes). But i was lost (i was stumblin, lookin in the dark with an empty heart) because none of it was enough, none of it was YOU (it was there i sawr it in your eyes). And then i met you and you felt the same and we’re both lost souls playing pretend who found magic in each other (but you say you feel the same, could we ever be enough?) Is our love enough to overcome everything? Maybe we can be enough. Maybe I can make this enough, let me try to make it enough for you. And if we go our separate ways, know that I’m here for you no matter what. I won’t let you be lost again. (When you’re lost I’ll find a way and I’ll be your light, you will never feel like you’re alone, I’ll make this feel like home). So go. wander. find yourself. Then when you’re ready, come home.

2016-2017

H- Sweet Creature: ***Harry admit that this was the first song he wrote for the album**** We aren’t in the best place rn. We’ve been fighting (had another talk about where it’s going wrong...it’s hard when we argue, we’re both stubborn). But it’s you Louis. It can’t be anyone else. (don’t know where we’re going but we know where we belong... wherever I go, you bring me home). That’s not even a question. I’m still trying to figure out who I am, but the one thing I know is that a large part of who I am is you (we started 2 hearts in one home). And aint no way I’m losing that part of myself (when i run out of road, you bring me home). It was always you.

H-MMITH: Whenever you’re ready, I’m ready (just let me know i’ll be at the door, hoping you’ll come around). I know I need to work on myself a little more (i gotta get better, and maybe we’ll work it out) but honestly i’m getting impatient and i want things to go back to how they were and i want to be yours again (once you go without it, nothing else would do). But I can’t communicate this to you clearly so let me just put this in a song and hope you get it (we dont talk about it, it’s something we dont do) ****Harry mentioned in an interview that he expresses himself through songwriting when he can’t say the words directly to a person because it’s easier to just write it in a song than have difficult conversations*****

H-ESNY: ****honestly no idea what this song is about but it’s something to do with them fighting and not communicating and being in a weird place before their relationship is rekindled******* edit: this could be about his stepdad

H-FTDT: I MISS YOU AND I’M TOO FULL OF PRIDE TO TELL YOU DIRECTLY JUST COME BACK INTO LIFE LOU I’M LONELY AND SAD AND EMPTY AND IM NOT FUCKING FINDING MYSELF LIKE YOU SAID I WOULD (woke up alone, played with myself where were you...we havent spoke since you went away, why wont you ever say what you wanna say) So until then I sit and wait for your sorry ass to make the first move (maybe one day you’ll call me and tell me that you’re sorry too...but you never do). Also like i have to hear from other people how you are?? (i saw your friend that you know from work, he said that you feel just fine) ANd you’re sharing OUR clothes with people?? wtf just swallow your pride and call me

L-Miss You: OKAY BUT I CANT JUST CALL YOU BECAUSE I HAVE PRIDE TOO also my mates are trying to make me get over you (now i’m asking my friends how to say I’m sorry, they say lad give it ttime there’s no need to worry, and we can’t even be on the phone now). So i’m just numbing your absence with partying and drinks but CLEARLY ITS NOT WORKING (should be laughing but there’s something wrong...shit maybe i miss you...when i feel it coming up i just throw it all away, get another few shots cuz it doesn’t matter anyway...such a good time, i’ll believe it this time). This is weird bc like you were my everything but im trying to get used to this and it fucking sux (oh how shit changes, we were in love, now we’re strangers). And tbh, its scary af bc what if this is it (i’m asking myself, is it over?). BUT ALSO LIKE WTF U COULD REACH OUT FIRST YA KNOW (i’ve been checking my phone all evening).

H-Anna: wtf Louis how do you not see how much this is killing me. I miss you so much and seeing you on tv or in pics drives me wild bc you’re not mine. (I don’t want your sympathy but you don’t know what you do to me...everytime I see your face there’s only so much I can take...I guess it would be nice if I can touch your body). And idk if you’re replacing me (don’t know where you’re laying, just know it’s not with me) and we’re in SUCH a weird place rn how do I tell u you’re the loml (don’t know what I’d say if I passed you on the street...don’t know what I’d tell you if you asked me for the truth) so I refuse to put this song on the album and let you know this and give you satisfaction from knowing how gone I still am for you bc I have 0 idea how you feel (hope you never see this and know that it’s for you)

L-Always You: SO THIS IS ME SWALLOWING MY PRIDE STANDING IN FRONT OF YOU SAYING IM SORRY FOR THAT NIGHT... ok but fr i miss u i miss u i miss u i miss u and nothing else compares like i can travel the whole world and all i think about is how much more fun it was with you and the memories we shared and i wish i could just say thx fr th mmrs and move on but actually no thx actually fuck you for making me not able to enjoy my life without you. So like...come home? and wrap your legs around me? also lmao i took El to a gay bar in amsterdam for her bday lmao i miss u come cuddle me and i’ll tell you all about it

L-We Made It: looks like we made it, look how far we’ve come my baby. They saidd I bett they’ll never make it, but just look at us holding onn, we’re still togetherr, still going stronggg. Also to the fans, miss our single bed and the nights we talked about our dreams :-* also Andrew my man luv u

2018-2019

L-KMM: our love was youthful and exhilarating and fucking electric and i think it still can be. dont know what i’d do without you now H

L-DLIBYH: We’re strong babe and we’ve grown and we aren’t gonna let life drag us down. I’m doing better, you’re doing better, this is what we wanted. And now any shit we go through, we’ll go through TOGETHER

L-Too Young: Okay but looking back, that was a lot of shit we went through and we were just babies and i’m sorry for not fighting harder (i cant believe i gave in to the pressure when they said a love like this would never last so i cut you off cuz i didnt know no better) baby i tried, i tried to protect you but like it was just so much and i hate that you got hurt and i wont ever let that happen again. ALso go us for being mature and COMMUNICATING (face to face at the kitchen table, we can finally have a conversation that I wish we could’ve had before). ANd i know you’re an arrogant son of a bitch who can’t admit when he’s sorry so here let ME say i’m sorry that i hurt you darling. Like we were too young to know we had everything BUT now we’re old(er) and can realize that when we’re together, we DO have everything now and omg is this our happily ever after and we can have a daughter and name her Darcy

L-Habit: do i need to spell it out for you iiiiii aaaaaaaaammmmmmm sssssssoooooorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyy. But tbh i let you go because it felt right because mentally you were already out the door and i needed to give you room to grow babe. And i needed the space too (you gave me the time and the space i was out of control and i’m sorry i let you down). but like also i’ve learned i can’t escape you Styles. You’re always in my fucking heart and my fucking mind and in every essence of my being and somehow I knew that 9 years ago and it took me this long to realize how powerful this really is (guess that that i know what i already knew, i was better with you and i miss you now). Ooooh also my favorite line i wrote (took some time cuz i ran out of energy of playing someone I heard I’m supposed to be and honestly i dont have to choose anymore) like who am i kidding, im done pretending i just wanna be yoursss now

L-Defenseless: I can’t help it okay theres something about you that doesn’t let me stay away. I need you and I know that rekindling this relationship isn’t going to be easy even though it feels so so right. It’s going to be hard work (sleeping on our problems but we’ll solved them in our dreams, wake up early morning and it’s still under the sheets) and we need to communicate and solve our problems but here I am, raw and unfiltered and emotionally naked in front of you ready to lay it all on the table (not sure how to say this right, got so much to lose. NEver been so defenseless). So like this branch I’m reach out to you and you be honest with me too babe (you dont have to keep on being strong for me and you. Acting like you feel no pain, you know i know you do...I can’t get inside, when you’re lost in your pride but you don’t have a thing to prove). Be open with me. Lets talk. Let’s solve problems. Lets have an adult relationship. I’m asking for a little vulnerabiltiy babe. It’s just me. Theres nothing to be scared of

L-Walls: And here you have me in my purest form. No lies, no secrets, no insecurities to hide behind. Losing you was fucking painful but i got through it. I’ve been through hell and back and I’ve fought. And without you, I grew into the person I am. And any further growing i’m doing is gonna be with you. bc it was all for you babe. and honestly i can take anything life throws at me now. I’m strong baby. I’m fucking strong and fucking brave and fucking resilient and...fucking yours. ***** wtf is the I just hope i see you one day and you’ll say to me oh oh********

H-Golden: You are the literal sun and I’m not ready. YOU’RE SUCH A GOOD PERSON (you were way too bright for me, i’m hopeless, broken, so you wait for me in the sky). I’m scared to go through this alone, I need your comfort and your guidance (i can feel you take control of who i am and all i’ve ever known). But you’re scared to go through this with me bc you dont wanna get hurt and i’m too open so where tf does that leave us. ******this could be about coming out especially with the London AND NY secret shows where Harry added the lyric I’m hoping someday you’ll open*******

H-Adore You: You dont have to say you love me, you dont have to say nothing, you dont have to say you’re mine. I’d walk through fire for you. Just let me adore Lou. Like its the only thing I’ll ever do. read: Louis is a great person to just admire what he’s like. ALso I dont need anything back. I just dont want to hide my love for you anymore. I don’t need answers or promises. Just let me adore you. ********the music video is also basically a Louis appreciation post. He was the boy with the smile that the world took away from him. He found Harry lost and loved him and nurtured him and made him confident and allowed him to be who he wanted to be. But in doing so, Harry became big and unsatisfied and wanted to explore the world and was clearly interested in Hollywood and Rockstardom especially evident in his behavior 2014-2015. And Louis wasn’t about that life and didn’t want to hold him back. So he let him free. But they realized that they don’t work apart. Wherever they’re going, they’re going together, as the boy sails into the unknown following the fish. I see it as Harry’s version of “this one is a thank you for what you did for me” ************* I see it, I appreciate it, and I love you for it

H-Lights Up: ****fight with Louis. (What do you mean I’m sorry by the way) About coming out? About fame? (Step into the light, so bright sometimes) Either way, L is the guy driving the motorcycle in the video who makes H feel comfortable and safe until they get pulled over because SOMEONE wont let them love*******

H-Falling: What if i’m out, what if i’m someone you won’t talk about? Okay maybe I lied I do want you to claim me. Would me coming out of the closet make that hard for you? I CAN’T GO THROUGH AN IDENTITY CRISIS WITHOUT YOU LOU. I picked someone supportive and now I’m spoiled and I dont know how to be with myself. You want back in my life but what if I dont deserve it? (you said you cared and you missed me too...what i’m someone i dont want around). What if you’re better off without me? (i get the feeling that you’ll never need me again). I know youve been through so much shit because of me, things you’ve never even told me about and im afraid...that I wasn’t worth it. Am I being selfish? because either way, i want YOU (what if you’re someone i just want around). Does that make me a bad person?

H-TBSL: ****Probably when they starting talking again but it was v casual and they didn’t really discuss their relationship yet*****. I MISS U BUT I WONT TELL U THAT and its nice to talk to u again i missed your voice but if u call me baby i will kill u bc that word has weight OKAY. Like i know you just call everyone babe and darling and sweetheart but baby is FOR ME and only for me when you wake up with me and cuddle me and if you think you have any right calling me baby without giving the luxury of being in a relationship with you then piss off because that shit hurts dude. (i know that you’re trying to be friends, know that you mean it...it’s hard for me to go home to be so lonely). ALso it’s not my fault i’m like this, you literally captured my heart when i was 16 like wtf do u expect (dont blame me for falling, i was just a little boy)

H-Sunflower Vol. 6: we were babies and i was so enamored by you and you’re so bright and beautiful and i want to watch you all day and make you smile and i want you to touch my hair and call me curly and i hope im not making you uncomfortable with my heart eyes but like how are you so perfect. I hope you think i’m cool, i’m really trying but like you’re SO FUNNY and charming and everyone loves you i hope im not embarassing myself. And now it’s like 8 years later and i think i can have you again and i want you so bad but i dont wanna seem too eager and im trying to have dignity and not text you first but like also i want nothing more than to talk to you. Do you think i’m cool now? did you like my new hairstyle? Do you think i’m funny on tour? I want everything i want to be domestic again and kiss in the kitchen and i want to cook for you and as;ldfa;sdhaf i want to buy you flowers everyday and shower ur cute face with kiss. boopx28

H-Canyon Moon: Hell yea i got ma man back and i have a girlfriend named Jennifer ;) and we are domestic and even though I HATE being away from him for work (so hard to leave it) we have the 2 week rule yall then i can wrap my legs around him and after so so so long I’ll be h.o.m.e. Also did i tell you his eyes are so so blue like sky who i dont know her

H-TPWK: So we’re really doing this. We don’t need to have it all figured out. We can just be us. and happy. and dance. The world loves us babe. (Giving second chances, I don’t need all the answers and if we’re here long enough we’ll see it’s all for us and we’ll belong)

H-Fine Line: You’ve got my devotion but man I can hate you sometimes....We’ll be a fine line. Between what? love and hate? public and private? out and in the closet? each others’ and ourselves? Idk. But i’m going to swallow my pride (my hands at risk I fold) because no matter what, the worst possible outcome is not having you. And I never wanna go through that again. I know we have work to do on our relationship (spreading you open is the only way I know you). And there’s lot of unknown here (there’s things that we’ll never know) but what i do know is that i cant resist you (you sunshine you temptress) and i cant be without you ever again. I think it’ll be hard as hell. But when have we known love as anything but hard? And when have we known our love as anything but worth it? We’ll be a fine line baby. But i know, i knowww with every part of me that we’ll be alright. Because these past 10 years, we’ve been through A LOT. ANd it could have ruined us and made us cynical and cold and closed off. And I think at one point it did. But you know what we did? We fought it. We fought it together. Then we fought it individually. And we became BRAVE. And a brilliant man once said, “love is only for the brave”.

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