#i got so many dj… i’m so excited to go through them | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

writersblog20 · 1 year

Text

Captain crunch and the future

Pedro Pascal x reader

Summary: After a big and very exciting opportunity, you tried to unwind and relax a bit and how else would you do that other than hanging out with Pedro Pascal, a joint, some music and a box of captain crunch

Warnings: so much fluff, reader gets picked up by Pedro, weed, joints, edibles, mention of anxiety, age-gap (not mentioned tho but reader is in mid-twenties), friends to lovers

Words: 4,8K

A/N: I just wanted to make clear that I’m not sexualizing the word: Baby girl. It just makes my heart warm up and feel fuzzy inside. I just want to be Pedro’s baby girl

Captain crunch and the future

You were currently located in LA since your uncle was a famous DJ who you worked for as a videographer, photographer and graphic designer. You did also a lot of pr work for him as a part of your studies. Kind of like an internship but you knew that this was going to be a big part of your job which you were fine with. You loved your uncle and the work. You kind of had a brother and sister relationship. Besides, you both came from nothing and had to build up this career. You’ve been through a lot of shit together and he openly admitted that you kept him grounded. Reminded him of who he really was and where he came from.

But maybe the most part that you enjoyed a lot was that one of his good friends who is Pedro Pascal. You had a crush on him and loved when he would come over. But because you were both so busy, you hadn’t really had a lot of time to get to know each other. Yes you’ve drank some beers together but that was always with a group of people. He was always kind to you though, which always made your heart skip a beat. The soft glances that you both gave each other and would smile sweetly. You’ve caught him looking at you multiple times before and every time that you caught him, it brought butterflies to your stomach.

Tonight your uncle was giving a party but you had the opportunity to attend a festival, known as Coachella and photograph the artists on stage so for obvious reasons, you took the job. It was a big part of your dream and it made you extremely excited.

Pedro stayed at your uncles house for a while as well. He had a acting job close to your uncles house so your uncle invited him in and you couldn’t be more excited about that because that meant that you would see each other more often and interact with him. For some reason Pedro gave you so much comfort just by being near. You felt very attached to him, he made you feel safe and brought you for some unknown reason, peace. So that’s one of the many reasons that you liked him near you.

Today was the day that you would have that festival and you were almost jumping through the roof. This was such a huge opportunity that you couldn’t even believe it and you did it all yourself. Without any help from people who could easily get you in. No, you wanted them to want you for your talent and for your hard work. That felt the most fair for you. You didn’t want to be that person who got in because someone powerful. That just felt wrong to you. You wanted people to see you for your work and hire you for that reason.

You happily walked into the kitchen with a bright smile. “Good morning!” you cheered and Pedro and your uncle were laughing at your excitement. They were happy and excited for you too, matching your energy. And like I said, your uncle knew where you came from and look at you now.

Pedro was making pancakes while your uncle was working on something. “There you go princesa. You need some good breakfast before you go to work.” You felt flustered by the nickname. It was the first time he used a pet name for you and you felt all fuzzy from it. You smiled shyly, which he returned, and thanked him. You dug in the pancakes and they were some of the best pancakes you’ve ever had and before you knew it, your plate was empty. “That was really good! Thank you Pedge!” This was the first time you gave him a nickname as well and you could see Pedro blush and get flustered. His smile was as bright as the sun while he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “You’re welcome sweetie.” He was anxiously standing around and this time your uncle looked up in suspicion from the interaction between the two of you.

You brought your plate and mug to the counter and grabbed your stuff and let out a deep shaky breath. “okay, I’m gonna go. Whish me good luck!” you told them and kissed your uncle on his cheek as they whished you all the best and gave you some encouraging words before you left.

~time skip~

It was 1 AM and you finally made your way home. This was the best experience you’ve ever had and you knew that it was going to be tough to get some sleep from all the adrenaline running through your body but you were still too tired to go to your uncles party right now. The thought of changing into something nice for the party while your whole body felt like it’s been hit by a truck (Ten times), you felt dirty from all the sweating and the idea of getting into some serious conversations was something that you’d rather skip for now.

You walked through a side door so you wouldn’t encounter any people on your way in. But Pedro saw you the moment you came into vision and all of a sudden, the party didn’t matter for him anymore. He wanted to hang and chill with you. Hear your stories about how it was. That was his favorite thing actually, hear you speak about things that you felt passionate about. The internet would call him a ray of sunshine but they would think different if they met you. Because you were the true sunshine in his mind. The way you shined was contagious and even though you never chilled just the two of you, you had that effect on everyone around you.

“Hey! Are you even listening to me right now?” Oscar joked as he swatted Pedro’s arm. He couldn’t look away from the spot where you were just seconds ago. Pedro snapped out of it “Ehh, sorry what?” he awkward chuckled. Oscar had met you too and loved you for obvious reasons but he could see that his best friend was falling head over heels for you. “You like her don’t you?” Oscar asked with a smile. Pedro started to blush and chuckle awkwardly. “I eh…. Yeah, I like to hang with her.” Of course Oscar immediately knew that he was skipping over the question. “Come on now Pedro.” Pedro shushed him a little while looking around, hoping that nobody heard them. Oscar chuckled “Then go to her. I bet she wants someone to talk to right now. She had a very eventful day I bet.” Oscar encouraged him. “Yeah, but I’m here with you.” Oscar waved him off. “I’m going to go home to my wife anyway so come on hot shot, go and talk to her.” Pedro hugged Oscar and made his way inside.

Pedro walked into the kitchen (Your uncle had such a big house that it had 2 kitchens. You could say it was two houses in one. So on the other side was the party and this side it was your space.) You weren’t there so he walked around a bit until he heard the shower. He found himself relax a little, knowing where you were right now. Pedro went to his own room and quickly changed into something more comfortable before walking downstairs again.

You got out of the shower and put on your oversized pajamas. You got your edibles, joint and your plushy with a heating pad inside and made your way downstairs. You were met with Pedro who was leaning on the counter, scrolling through, what you figured was Tiktok and eating some captain crunch straight from the box. His hair was a bit ruffled and he was wearing some funny, yet cute pajamas. He looked so comfy that you just wanted to cuddle with him. The familiar butterflies came back and you smiled softly.

“Don’t want to attend the party either?” you asked him with a soft smile playing upon your lips. He quickly looked up and the cutest smile appeared on his face when he looked at you. You felt your heart swell up and you quickly looked down. “I was there for a couple of hours but then I saw that you came home and I wanted to know how it went. If you want to talk about it of course!” He quickly added. You smiled and was so happy that you could tell someone. You nodded and walked over to him. You placed your plushy in the microwave and put on the tea kettle before sitting on the kitchen counter next to Pedro who was standing besides you and was following your moves.

You started telling him all about it and how you managed to connect with bigger artists. It was like your dream was about to come true. Pedro couldn’t wipe away the smile that was plastered permanently on his face from how passionate you talked about it.

You made yourself a cup of tea and one for Pedro. You popped an edible in your mouth and Pedro raised his eyebrow up in amusement. “What was that?” he asked you, knowing fully well what it was. You felt your cheeks heat up a little. “Eh… Edibles…. I just want to sleep and I know with the adrenaline I have right now, I won’t.” Pedro chuckled “So…. You have another one?” he asked you carefully. You looked up at him surprised. “Yeah, you want one?” you offered and got one out of your pocket, handing it to him. He smiled again. “Thank you very much.” He giggled a little, releasing sparks in your stomach. He ate the edible and you showed the joint to him. “So…. You want to get high right?” you asked him, holding the joint up. Pedro smirked “God I love you.” you giggled at his reaction.

You got the tea and you both settled down in the lounge room where you could smoke. The room was softly lit with some neon lights and some salt lamps. You sat in the comfy couch, holding the heating plushy against your abdomen. Pedro put some music on and plopped next to you. You noticed that Pedro took the captain crunch with him and you chuckled when he got a hand full out of the box and offered you a couple, which you gladly took.

“Never expected to share a box of cereal with you while getting high.” You chuckled and Pedro as well when he thought about it. You lit the joint and leaned back more while Pedro looked at you, without you knowing it. He watched the way you inhaled the smoke, how your shoulders started to relax, how you leaned your head against the cushions while staring at the ceiling, how your lips got attached to the joint as you inhaled more smoke and slowly puffing it out before handing the joint to Pedro.

It was quiet but more like a comfortable silence with the music playing in the background. You were finally starting to relax as the adrenaline wore off and Pedro noticed since your head slowly started to lean against his shoulder. He had a soft and adoring smile as he took a puff from the joint. His head started to lean more against yours, both slumped into the couch. “Thank you Pedge.” You told him, taking him by surprise but yet the nickname you gave him started to flutter his heart. “For what baby girl?” the new nickname he gave you made you feel all the fuzzy feelings

“Just being here. With me.” Pedro readjusted his position and sat a little up. “It’s my pleasure. I like hanging out with you.” you couldn’t hide the smile that creeped up your face. “I like hanging out with you too. Even though, we never really hang out together. You know, just the two of us.” You told him and Pedro started to sing “Just the two of ussss.” He giggled as so did you and softly hit his arm while he laughed. Yeah, typical Pedro, but you wouldn’t have him any other way.

Pedro got the captain crunch box and placed it between the two of you, eating some as he slumped back into the couch. Your eyelids started to feel heavy from how fuzzy you felt inside. The warmth radiating of off Pedro, your heating plushy, how the weed kicked in and just how comfortable and safe you felt around Pedro made you sleepy and finally relaxed. “Can we do this more often?” you mumbled tiredly. Pedro chuckled softly. “Of course we can sweetheart. I’d love to.” You leaned more against him but this time you didn’t do it subconsciously which took him by surprise. He got his arm from behind you and placed it over your shoulder, pulling you closer and placed a kiss on the top of your head.

You both listened to the music and you felt how your body started to ache when you finally relaxed a bit. You closed your eyes and didn’t knew when it happened but you fell asleep on Pedro’s shoulder.

Pedro was deep in thought about you. This all felt so natural and well, it felt like home. You felt like home. He was at peace when you were around and when you weren’t, it was like a big piece was missing. He was debating to tell you that he liked you but he was petrified to loose you. “I really like you baby girl…” he whispered, holding his breath from anxiety but when you didn’t respond to him, he looked over at you, fast asleep, drooling a tiny bit on his sweater. He smiled adoringly at you, sort of happy that you didn’t hear it and things were still the same but that also meant that the nagging feeling was still there.

Pedro let out a soft sigh from relief and figured he should bring you upstairs. He stood up carefully and placed his arm underneath your legs and your back, picking you up. He slightly groaned because of his back. He knew that his back was going to kill him but he didn’t have the heart to wake you up. You wrapped your arms around his shoulders and neck, still asleep and snuggled your face against his chest as you mumbled something in your sleep. His heart felt like it was going to burst from all the love he felt radiating for you.

You were stirring a bit but was still fast asleep until Pedro gently placed you on your bed. You immediately laid down on your side and Pedro carefully tucked you in and placed a kiss on your forehead, ready to exit your room until you quickly grabbed his hand. Pedro got startled for a minute, not expecting you to wake up or anything. “Please stay…” it almost sounded beggingly. Pedro looked into your heavy eyes, his heart and stomach going loose with butterflies. He nodded and without saying anything, crawled next to you in bed. You turned around, waiting for him to be comfortable.

“Come here baby girl.” He said with a raspy voice, hinting that he was comfortable. You immediately let your head rest on his chest with your arms wrapped around him. His hand was in your hair, comforting you while the other drew circles on your back and it didn’t take you long before you fell into a peaceful sleep again.

Pedro stared lovingly at you. It almost became unbearable to not tell you about how he truly felt. He wanted to shout it out on every roof that he was completely and utterly in love with you and how proud he would be if he could call you his girl. God the thought of it was bittersweet but he couldn’t stop thinking about it. Finally he convinced himself to tell you the next day. At the beach if you fell up for it and with that thought, he finally fell asleep himself.

You woke up, a little confused as to what happened. Your mind still foggy when you tried to gather every bit of information from the day before. The festival…. God the festival already felt like a dream as if it never happened. You felt a pair of arms tightening around your waist and got pulled towards a chest. You looked up and saw Pedro. You smiled and already felt calmer. Everything just felt safe when Pedro was around you. it scared you because no one ever felt safe but with Pedro… he was your home. You’ve never really had a feeling of a true home but you would bet money on it that it would feel like when you’re with Pedro.

The sun was shining through your curtains and a ray of sunshine fell on Pedro’s face, waking him up with a grumble. It was almost ironical. A sunshine on (a bit of a grumpy) sunshine. You chuckled when Pedro slowly woke up from the sun in his eyes. He turned towards you so he would be away from the sun and slowly opened his eyes, to find you already with a soft smile looking back at him. Pedro couldn’t help but smile back, you just had that effect on him. “Good morning.” You greeted him with a soft smile. “Good morning sweetheart.” He told you and pulled you closer to him and kissed the top of your head.

You were more than happy to oblige for the hug. Your head resting on his chest again with a permanent smile on your face. “I don’t mind waking up like this.” It slipped out before you realized. Pedro just chuckled and you hoped that he wouldn’t think too much about it and find out about your crush on him. But of course he did. Pedro was already far away in his mind, trying to figure out if you meant something with that or not. Your phone went off and you saw that Pedro had put your phone in the charger before he crawled next to you last night.

You got out, not expecting a phone call from anyone so it got you curious. Especially since it was a day after the festival and it might had something to do with that. You didn’t recognize the number and frowned but answered it. You looked at Pedro who sat up, leaning on his elbows. “Hello, good morning, Y/N/ Y/L/N speaking” you greeted the other person.

Pedro looked at how your aura was visible in the sun and how magical you looked at this moment. You always looked magical but now… with the sun shining down on you, it was like a fairytale, like magic. You were magic. He got abruptly out of his thoughts when you became extremely excited and silently started jumping around, while playing it cool on the telephone. “Yeah, that is amazing! I’d love to! Yeah….yeah I’ll see your email soon. Thank you. You too, bye!” You hang up and Pedro quickly got out of the bed, knowing that something amazing just happened.

“They asked me to do more festivals and I’ve been asked to be the photographer for multiple concert avenues and even artists want to work with me! Not only for photography but also with graphic designs!" Pedro was flabbergast just as you but so extremely happy for you. “Oh my god!” he told you and held out his arms open for you to jump in and you did. He twirled you around while you laughed, still from disbelieve. “I need to tell my uncle!” you told him abrupt and got out of the hug, way too excited as you ran down the stairs, alarming everyone who might have still been asleep. Your uncle quickly came to your side, thinking that something bad had happened. He looked up where you came from and saw Pedro. He was already frowning but the moment he saw your wide smile, he knew that you were okay and that you were just excited.

You told him the same thing and he picked you up from happiness and twirled you around as well. “I’m so proud of you! Look at us now!!” you both whipped away some happy tears and gave each other another hug. “Hey! You still going to work for me right???” you knew that he was scared that you would leave. “Of course I will! I might need some help so maybe I need to start a business and stuff” Your head already going three thousand per mile. “But yeah, yeah no I won’t leave! Unless you want me to but otherwise, no.” your uncle grabbed you in a hug again. “Good.” Was all he said, stopping you from rambeling.

~Time skip~

The morning was chaotic and you were completely running on adrenaline right now and when Pedro asked you to join him on a, more remote spot on the beach and get high you couldn’t say no. You would never say no to Pedro. The driver of your uncle dropped the both of you off. You and Pedro chatted while walking to his secret spot. When you arrived, it took your breath away. It was gorgeous. You just stood there for a minute, taking in the view when Pedro walked up to you and stood beside you.

“I understand why you come here so often. It’s gorgeous here.” You told him without looking away from the view. Pedro nodded, not saying anything. He wanted to tell you that you were a better view. That you are gorgeous and that he didn’t needed to go to this place when you are around because you are so much more breath taking than this view but he couldn’t. So he decided to just nod and say: “Yeah it’s pretty amazing.” He chuckled a bit nervously.

You both started unpacking and put some music on before diving into the water. You giggled when the cold water hit your skin. It was refreshing more than anything else. Pedro came walking up to you and stood next to you. You looked at him but he was already looking at you with a loving smile that made you feel all fuzzy inside and shy. You couldn’t help but giggle from nervousness that he also gave you. He chuckled as well and softly splashed some water on you.

You did it back and before you knew it you both had a whole water fight. You got more into the deeper part and Pedro started to swim. You looked a little around, feeling a bit nervous. You loved swimming but you were slightly afraid of what laid underneath the water. Just the thought of it made you wince. “Come on!” Pedro yelled excitedly. You took a step closer but that was the part where you needed to swim. Pedro immediately noticed your discomfort and swam towards you. “You can hold on to me and rest on my back.” he told you with a soft smile. He didn’t made you feel like you were overexaggerating or belittling you for being scared. No nothing like that, he would never. Instead he tried to help you out and well, it also gave you just another excuse to be closer to him. “Are you sure?” you asked because of his back pains. “We’re in the water baby girl. It’s okay.” He chuckled a bit and you agreed.

Your arms loosely hanging around his shoulder and your head resting on your arm and against the side of his head. You felt so fuzzy inside, from the man below you and the sun hitting your skin, it felt like you were walking on the 9th cloud.

After a while of swimming, you both laid down on the towels with the joint between your fingers and after a couple of hits, you passed it down to Pedro. You laid on your stomach with your face towards Pedro. “Thank you, Pedge. For this and last night ya know.” Pedro smiled shyly “Trust me it’s my pleasure darling.” You smiled and took the joint back when Pedro passed it down back to you. “We should really hang out more.” you told him and you saw sparks in his eyes, making you smile brightly. “I’d like that idea.” You nodded “Yeah I mean we’ve hung out before but never together. Well since last night that is.” Pedro smiled and thought back to the moment.

“Last night… you said something when I was half asleep… what did you say?” you asked him. You heard him but you weren’t sure if that was something that happened in your dream or if he really said it. Pedro looked shocked and that was almost all you need to know. Pedro became flustered, started blushing and stuttering a little, panic visible in his eyes. “So you do like me. I thought it was just a dream.” You told him softly. Pedro was too scared to say anything since you haven’t confirmed it or denied him. “I’m glad it wasn’t though.” You whispered softly as you played with your nails.

Relief, happiness, excitement washed over him and he immediately relaxed more. Pedro laid down on his stomach as well and softly grabbed your hand where you were playing with your nails. His digits softly going over them before placing a kiss on the back of your hand. You smiled and felt yourself grow a bit shy. “I’m glad you heard me in that case.” He chuckled softly, making you chuckle as well, both connecting your eyes.

The laughter slowly died down and all there was visible was adoration in each other’s eyes for one another. “I’m glad you told me.” your voice barely a whisper. Pedro looked down for a bit, blush visible on his cheeks again when he looked up, soft smile lingering on his face. He moved closer to you and cupped your face, his thumb softly rubbing your cheek. He looked down at your lips and licked his own before connecting his to you. It was soft and sensual, releasing all the butterflies in your stomach. Pedro took his time with kissing you, wanting to put all his love in the kiss and oh boy did he do that.

When he pulled away you both started chuckling again. “Let’s not tell my uncle this yet.” You told him with a nervous chuckle which Pedro duplicated. “That sounds like a good idea right now. I’d like to spend some more time with you before he's going to kill me." he chuckled and gave you another sweet kiss. Yeah, you’re uncle is going to kill him. (not really but he won’t make it easy on Pedro either even though he is one of the best guys on this planet. He was dating you and boy was he overprotective.) “So… did he tell you about his new shows he’s going to?” you asked him amused and Pedro’s face fell a bit. “Oh no he didn’t. But that means you need to go too right?” he asked you, trying his best to hide the disappointment but you saw right through him.

“No silly. That’s why I asked. He’s gone for 5 days, working with other guys and gave me some time off.” you chuckled and sat up. Pedro’s eyes lighting up. “Really? That’s great! I can take you out on a proper date, we can go to the movies together, go to a museum, maybe even a concert….” You stopped Pedro from talking with a kiss and a chuckle from his rambling. “I’d love too. But I’d like to hang out with you at home as well. Just some quality time.” You told him with a soft smile and the adoration in his eyes had never reached this high. “God, how I like you baby girl.” You chuckled and pulled him in for a longer kiss, laying back on your back as he hang slightly above you.

You couldn’t help but pull him in for a hug. Your heat just ached for it and he chuckled, kissing your cheek and forehead. “I’ll always keep you safe, baby girl.” He told you and looked you in the eye. You smiled softly. “I know.” Pedro kissed your lips again and pulled back with a smile. “Good.” You smiled back and you couldn’t be more excited for the future. With everything coming up and to be able to share that with Pedro… that was what made it even better.

#pedro pascal #pedro pascal x reader #pedro pascal imagine #pedro pascal fanfiction #pedro pascal fanfic #pedro pascal fic #pedro pascal x female reader #pedro pascal x you #pedro pascal x ofc #pedro pascal x y/n #pedro pascal x fluff #pedro pascal fluff #pedro pascal x female original character #pedro pascal imagines #pedro pascal oneshot #pedro pascal one shot

637 notes · View notes

charlessainzz · 2 months

Note

I love your page sm!! I would love maybe a little love plot with max lando or Charles doesn’t matter who where during break Carlos invited them to Spain for his 29th bday and his little cousin who is very out there comes to the party and starts karaoke singing their favorite song while making a big show out of it.

Pass the Mic

loveeee this idea, thank you!!

You grabbed your YSL candy glaze and swiped it across your lips one last time. Perfect. It shined just as bright as your silver mini skirt. Time to make your appearance.

It was your cousin Carlos Sainz’s 30th birthday. He was throwing a huge bash with just about everyone who was anyone attending. Meaning… your secret boyfriend would be in attendance. Your secret boyfriend, Lando, who was too scared to tell Carlos that you two were dating. In Lando’s defense Carlos did forbid him from going near you. But you were adults, who was he to give you rules!

Walking in like you owned the place, you and your friends raced to the bar. Ordering up different versions of vodka, gin, and tequila cocktails. Taking your first sip of your gin and tonic you felt the alcohol course through your veins igniting a spirit inside you.

“Y/n come on let’s go dance!”, shouted your friend. You wanted to but you needed to see the birthday boy first. Scanning through the crowd you search for his big head of hair. Spotting him deep into the crowd you start strutting over when you see that curly haired wimp next to him. You hadn’t talked to Lando in a few days when he said no to arriving to the party together. Feeling the alcohol a little more, you decided to make a scene.

“Carlos!”, you shrieked as you gave your cousin a big hug. Almost knocking him over, he busts out laughing as he says hello back. You give everyone around a kiss on the cheek and a hug. Making eye contact with Lando you intentionally swerve his embrace as you go back to Carlos.

“How many shots have you had y/n?” Carlos jokes attempting to take your drink from you. He was always protective of you as you’re the youngest in the Sainz family.

“It’s my first one! Sorry you’re not as fun as I am!” you tease holding the drink out of his reach.

“You never could hold your liquor well”, Lando remarks, trying to join the group conversation.

You narrow your eyes at him in clear annoyance. “And how would you know Norris?” sneering back at him. Carlos clearly seeing the tension attempts to break the ice.

“Okay my friends! I feel like maybe we do need more shots!” he declares as he leads you all back to the bar. Once reaching the bartender you all decide to do a shot of tequila. You were about to be in trouble.

After almost an hour of ignoring Lando, more shots, and dancing, you needed to change the pace. Luckily for you karaoke had started. It was quite literally one of your favorite things to do. But what song would you perform… you needed to make a statement. That’s when the perfect song went off like a lightbulb in your head.

“Girls! It’s karaoke time!” you squeal. All your friends shout in excitement ushering you to the mic. Lando hearing the commotion makes his way towards you.

Your uncle, Carlos Sr., just so happened to be wrapping up his rendition of ‘Don’t Stop Believin’. You gave him a hip bump saying, “Tio pass the mic! It’s my turn”. You whisper to the DJ what song you’d like and prepare for your moment. One of the girls hands you a shot, and you hear Lando groan loudly from the back.

The music starts: ‘Four, tres, two, uno… Listen up y’all cause this is it, the beat that I’m bangin’ is delicious’

You begin singing with the girls as your backups.

“Fergalicious, definition make them boys go loco. They want my treasure, so they get their pleasures from my photo. You could see me, you can't squeeze me. I ain't easy, I ain't sleazy. I got reasons why I tease 'em. Boys just come and go like seasons. Fergalicious – so delicious.”

You smile as the crowd begins cheering. You felt your confidence reach new levels. So you step onto the coffee table in the middle of the room to really give them a performance.

“But I ain't promiscuous. And if you was suspicious. All that shit is fictitious. I blow kisses – mwah. That puts them boys on rock, rock. And they be lining down the block. Just to watch what I got. So delicious”.

Lando had seen enough. He knew you were going to be so embarrassed in the morning. He stomps up to the ‘stage’ and pulls you down.

“What are you doing?” he hissed as you tried to get back up. He secures you in his arms as he pulls you away from the crowd.

“I’m giving the fans what they want,” you slur. He can’t help but laugh at the situation. He had to admit you were singing pretty well and giving a good show.

You notice that he’s smiling and it makes your heart swell. “Are you jealous I’m not giving you my full attention?”, you say while batting your eyelashes at him.

“Shut up y/n…”, he smirks. You lean up to give him a kiss when all of a sudden Carlos appears.

“What the hell is this?”, he booms. Lando instantly unwraps his arms from you which had been supporting you and consequently leading you to drop to the floor.

“Oh shit babe!” Lando freaks as he picks you back up looking to see if you’re hurt.

“Babe? Again I ask, what the hell is this?” Carlos questions again. There was no getting out of this one. You begin trying to explain away the situation but Lando beats you to the punch.

“Mate… I love her. Like really truly love her”, Lando confesses. Your head snaps up to look at him shocked at what you’re hearing. “I know you threatened me if I ever got near her but.. I couldn’t help it. I obviously fell for her for her amazing karaoke skills”, he says with a straight face. This causes the three of you to burst into laughter.

Catching your breath, you grab Lando’s hand and say, “Seriously Carlos, we’re adults. I’m not your baby cousin anymore”. You look Carlos in the eyes hoping that he’ll understand.

“I don’t like it but I guess… if it had to be anyone. I’m fine with it being you Lando”, Carlos admits. Lando grins from ear to ear happily as he puts his arms around you. He’s still got his best friend and also his now, non-secretive girlfriend. All it took was a humiliating karaoke song.

#lando norris x reader #lando norris #f1 imagine #f1 x reader #f1 fanfic #writtenbycharlessainzz #anon request #lando norris x you #lando norris x y/n #carlos sainz jr x reader #carlos sainz jr #f1 fic #f1 x y/n #lando norris fluff

111 notes · View notes

universe-friday · 3 months

Text

EXCERPT #19:

Hello. I hope somebody is listening.

[…]

Old sport! Ah! I have such a story to tell you!

You must remember that Thalia is a DJ, right? Which is so cool! …Even if I don’t often visit clubs personally.

Well, we were hanging out again recently and she tells me she managed to book a gig as a supporting act!

I was so, so excited. I told her I was going to buy flowers, toss them on the stage as she gives her final bow, cheer the loudest, and be the biggest supporter in that crowd.

But when she told me when it was…Oh, old sport, I felt so bad when I had to tell her I was busy.

I apologised over and over. I reassured her over and over, that I will still be that biggest supporter… I’ll just have to give her the flowers after the show…

Being Thalia, she laughs and tells me not to stress so hard. Which, as she should know by now, is something I have no idea how to do.

I told her she was right. Because there would always be a next show, and maybe someday, even her headliner. It was only until I said that when she told me off…

[…]

When the day of the show came, I made sure to wish Thalia the best of luck when I could, before I set off on my own plans that day… To a concert!

This band that I have been obsessed with from day one, the first ever time they played at this carnival. Since that day, they have grown to be so much popular, so, of course, it gets harder day by day to talk to them.

Let me tell you, old sport, I would just talk their ears off… about how much their music has inspired me, how much it just lifts me up every time I listen to it. Never mind whenever the opportunity to hear them live strikes, I swear, I could ascend to heaven every time.

I’m lucky to get a good spot in the crowd, second or third row, though I remember when it used to be so easy to get barrier… I start to wonder if they ever remembered my face.

The lines dimmed and everyone starts screaming. It’s funny, old sport, how people scream at any small movements at concerts, knowing full well the main act doesn’t come on for another hour.

I’ve always enjoyed the openers for this band, as they choose artists they really enjoy personally, and they have an undoubtedly good taste in music.

Which is why I shouldn’t have been surprised when I saw a very familiar pink head of hair enter the stage…

I scream Thalia’s name in amongst the varied cheers from the crowd, and she looks up right at me. Her face reads of total confusion, as well as mine, yet we were equally as overjoyed as one another.

[…]

After Thalia’s set, I get a message from her. A rare occasion, as we both agree against trusting these forms of communication, since the City monitors it 24/7.

She tells me to meet her at the bar. Despite my good space in the crowd, I decided to head back to talk to her. Really, old sport, I wanted to tell her how good her set was. She really knew how to hype up a crowd.

Instead of talking, however, Thalia nods her head towards a door. Before I get to say anything, she’s already walked through.

As we walk down this hallway, I am asking Thalia so many questions.

‘How did you do this?’ and, ‘You know this is my favourite band, right?’ and, ‘How!?’

Yet, Thalia just stayed silent. The whole time we’re walking, I’m asking and asking, and only do I stop in my tracks when we make our way to the door at the end of the hallway.

The door lies halfway open, and within seconds, I saw them all.

The band I have adored for years, all sitting right in front of me. Even the drummer, my favourite in the group, was laying on the couch with his boyfriend; who himself is an infamous professional rugby player.

Thalia introduces me, but I have no clue what to say. I had so many questions, so many thoughts. Yet, all of them at once leave my head in that very moment.

As I muster up the courage, I eventually got to talk to them. Questions came back to me, and these were truly lovely people; who did recognise me!

I thanked Thalia for hours and hours after the gig. And yes, she did get her flowers.

[…]

If only I could find the right people to meet you again, February. I’d queue for hours to see you again. Wait at the stage door even just to see you in passing, to get a glimpse of you again…

Yet, I also have so many questions for you too, February. But when will we ever have the time to talk? I’m running out of time, even now…

♪ There’s nothing left for us anymore Why aren’t you listening? Why aren’t you listening to me? There’s nothing left. ♪

NOTE: as inspired by the week #4 prompts of february friday events as organised by @februaryfridayevents! this week's themes were minor characters / rarepairs / crossovers! so i decided to feature a certain band in this excerpt.... wonder who...!

thank you for joining and supporting the blog throughout the february friday festivities! and thank you to @februaryfridayevents for hosting! as always, i will be back again next week <3

#aled last #alice oseman #osemanverse #frances janvier #radio silence #universe city #carys last #universe city podcast #february friday #original work #universe friday excerpts #universe city excerpt #letters to february #universe friday #daniel jun #hstv #aled and frances #original fiction #original story

45 notes · View notes

pop-punklouis · 2 years

Text

Lunch with Louis experience + LONGER SONG DETAILS:

Hiiiii. Okay, I’m sitting at the airport at 5 AM. Just dropped my friend off, so i’m ready to write up the experience and have it queued to post later while i’m sleeping for eternity ✨

My friend and I got there early, and we met up with a few of the fans that i was in a group chat with for the lunch. it ended up being such a wonderful experience, because a few of us just rallied around each other and made it feel like such a safe and encouraging space— especially for fans who were more anxious. One of them won and came from south america and she was the sweetest, but she was incredibly nervous so we tried to support her as best we could to take her nerves away. but the love that radiated from our group was some of the best energy i’ve been around in a fan setting in a long time, and it definitely made the experience even more meaningful and fun.

anyways! when we got in, so much of the staff were louies. the hostess, the photographer, and a few of the waitresses were fans, and one of them had on a really cool louis-inspired cardigan. her and i gushed over each other’s jackets before our group made it upstairs. we all got to sit at tables and order whatever food and drink we wanted, and our group was able to all sit together. i ordered a vodka cran, because i was sweating it friends. i needed the liquid courage because it was setting in that all of this was actually happening. so, we were all sipping on our drinks and holding hands and playing off each other’s energy. i had the privilege to sit in the perfect sight of the back door (a sliver of view in between the banner they put up to cover the lounge that louis and his team were inevitably going to occupy), so i was able to keep a look out and see when he actually arrived. we also had passed this napkin around the entire room with people speculating what he was going to wear, and it was funny because the radio interviewer mentioned it once the show started, and louis thought it was funny and called the room out on it.

so, when it finally started, and he came out from behind the banner… it was surreal because he was just. right there ya know? and he looked great in his tommy hilfiger long-sleeve. he looked so soft and sleepy 🤧 but knowing he was THERE? was a lot to take in. i was surprised with how well Gino (the radio DJ) did with interviewing louis. he asked some great questions that louis was super engaged with, and they recorded it so i’m hoping they post that and the fan Q&A soon. after the interview is when he hopped back to the lounge and we went straight into the listening party which was. pure insanity. from the very moment written all over your face came through the speakers, i got up and took a couple of my friends with me and started dancing. then the rest of our group from the right two tables quickly followed and our group was just dancing and grooving. our reactions together were so fun and warm. i wish the whole room got up, but it was just us unfortunately. being able to experience new louis music with fans who adore louis and are that excited for his upcoming album was incredible. it was an experience and a memory i’ll take with me for a long time (it also helped loosen up all of our nerves which was nice). both krystle and oli were looking over at us from the lounge and had the biggest smiles on their faces ✨ and the station took so many snapshots of us dancing so i’m also hoping they post those soon.

*longer details about the songs*

Written all over your face: a mixture between grunge-rock and pop-punk. the guitars were absolutely insane. such a fast heat, and it hits you immediately from the moment it starts. it has such a sass punk edge to its chorus, and that’s what made me headbang so hard that both of my earrings came out lol. you guys are not ready for this song in particular. she's the main character of this era 1000% pop punk princess! it has a rowdy-rough energy offering a pop-rocks-like sizzle. it’s difficult not to imagine the absolute charge this song will have in a live setting. an anthemic track that rattles about with such an air of confidence both in sound and in vocal tone. for anyone who listens to the maine, this song 1000% feels like it could fit perfectly into their American Candy album era. that’s the best description i can give.

face the music: the heat only grows as we slip into this song. as i said yesterday, this one was heavily influenced by the early pop-punk, alt-rock scenes. it’s a much more condensed and slicker version of written all over your face. while WAOYF is rough and jagged, this song is tighter in production. the bridge is such a shining moment in this song. it has infectious chants that settle into bands such as reliant k, jimmy eat world, all-american rejects, the nothing personal era of all time low, and even english bands such as blur. the “WHOA WHOA WHOAs” that build right before the last chorus had us all absolutely barking and racing around each other to build up energy.

saturdays: from the moment this one came on, we just did a little group huddle and swayed together throughout its runtime. it’s definitely a sadder track. as i mentioned yesterday, it’s one of the best if not the best ballad he’s ever written. it has a very laidback feel. his vocals and harmonies with himself shine bright throughout this song. the bridge of the saturdays has such a soaring quality to it, and i wish i could understand or pay attention to more lyrics throughout the whole listening portion but we were having so much fun just living in the moment of it all. the only one i remember vividly from this one is: “saturdays used to take the pain away” which ends the chorus. it’s melancholic and nostalgic. i think this song transcends its surface meaning once you really get into the meat of it, and it could be about so many things both externally and internally. excited to hear how everyone interprets the song.

all this time: another laidback tune, but it has such a resistive melodic undertaking. fuzzy synths, mellow charm, wavier feel. it has the influence of 2015 tame impala, and it just feels right to listen to it on a night drive, wind whipping through your air, friends in the passenger seats singing along. it has a very ambient, chill wave foundation. definitely one of the tracks louis talked about implemented more dance-like elements to. and it fits perfectly in that indie-electronica arena.

when it comes to the departure from walls, FITF so far feels more deconstructed. it isn’t slick. it isn’t perfectly packaged. the colors are meant to bleed, the scissor lines purposefully jagged, and the lyrics raw. it doesn’t stand out for its polished appeal like walls does. it stands out for being everything opposite— everything red hot and haphazard and gritty. it’s louis musical mind and influences all packed into the four songs we got to listen to, and if this is just a taste of the record…. i cannot imagine what it feels like to listen to in whole.

(gonna try and make the rest of this quick) so! afterwards, we all sat back down and louis came back out and the fan questions began. the DJ had us write down our questions and then give them to him so he could shuffle through and pick some of the best to ask. i wrote mine the night before so i just gave him my sheet of ten questions djfjfkfk but the very moment they sat down to do the Q&A, the DJ goes “okay so the very first question comes from Hope.” and he looked for me, so i stood up and pointed at myself, and they both looked over. then he continues, “and she has to be like an investigative journalist or something because she wrote down a whole list of questions” and i said “i’m a music journalist gino!!!!” which made both of them laugh.

but the moment louis saw me he immediately was like “i LOVE your jacket” and i got so excited i twirled around real fast to show the back and he giggled and said “oh you’re doing a twirl for me.” but the thing about the jacket is that i wasn’t right at the very front of the tables, so there was no way he could see it to even know it was inspired by him/his album. i’m assuming someone from his team had to have walked by while we were dancing or listening to the first interview and saw it (because both matt and oli walked around a little bit during that time), and then told him about it (or maybe he peered out from where the lounge was and saw) because there truly was no way??? which is just 🤧 anyways, when he heard i was a music journalist, he turned his chair and attention straight towards me and raised his eyebrows. he was all like “oh really?? that’s awesome wow hi there” and then gino asked one of my questions (which was “what was the first song you wrote for the new album” and he said it was a great Q and he went into the details but ultimately stated it was probably chicago) but after he answered, he looked intently again at me and said “all the luck with music journalism really hoping for the best for you on that path” (or something like that) with such a wide smile and i wanted to just die on the spot because???? 🥹 i cant remember his exact thoughts with everyone’s questions but they were all really good, so i hope they recorded that part and it gets posted soon.

then for the m&g portion ✨👐🏼 we went up in pairs, so both my friend alex and i went up together (she was my +1), and they were like “okay everyone needs to hurry to keep this rolling” and we both just. ignored them LMFAO and had our individual moments with louis. i went straight in for the hug the moment we locked orbs, and he hugged so tightly. he smelled like cashmere and vanilla, and i think the only reason i smelled a bit of stale cigarette smoke is because my head was in the crook of his neck when we hugged since my arms wrapped around his neck. and for everyone who stated how much of a calming presence he was :( it’s definitely true. i felt so calm even coming up to him. but! i immediately was like “i’m going to try and make this quick, but i have something i need to tell you” and so that’s where in my photos you see him start intensely engaging with me as i’m speaking. basically what i said was: “back in 2020 when walls came out, i was feeling super uninspired and burnt out as a writer. but when i was able to listen and review your album, it helped me fall back in love with writing about music again so i wanted to thank you for creating an album that brought back that purpose for me” and he looked so thoughtful and appreciative. he said: “Oh really? Whoa, that’s— that means so much to me to hear my album helped you find your love for music writing again.” and then i went on to say: “when the review was posted, it got such an overwhelming response for my independent publication that it helped us pay our staff consistently for the first time ever which is still part of the reason we can pay our staff the way we do 3 years later. so wanted to thank you in person for creating music that helped me as a writer and helped one of the last truly independent music sites stay kicking” and he was just. like he truly was 🧿🧿 but with 🥺 and that’s where in my last photo you see him touch his chest and state how much that meant to him, how it moved him, and he was so happy to be told that. then he and alex had a great interaction because she brought him an atlanta football jersey which he went bananas over and he loved it and her. so we just had such a great time ❤️‍🩹 so then i asked if i could hug him while we took our photo and he said “sure love go for it” which 🫶🏼🥲

but then it was over, and we all left and sat on the ground and had a little crying moment together as a community over meeting louis and hugging louis lmao like after-experience processing was a wild time. our group then went to go eat and gush about it all together, and it was just such a loving and unforgettable experience. from him to the fans i became closer with…. i couldn’t have asked for a better day like yesterday was genuinely one of the best if not the best days of my life, and i’m going to try and ride this high for the rest of the year. because so much shit has happened this year that has made things unbearable, but yesterday felt like the universe was giving me a warm but tight hug and i cannot ever thank her enough for the opportunity ✨💕

498 notes · View notes

daydream-cement · 1 year

Text

Violet and Rose Ch. 23

Larissa Weems x OC (Fern Rogers)

Authors Note: Fun little chapter. Raises more questions though.

“Dr. Rogers!” Enid was the first through your classroom door on the first day of class. It was a Monday and you were deliriously happy to spend a couple hours each Monday, Wednesday, Friday morning with your advanced botany students. This group was your most fun and always came up with the most interesting project ideas.

“Ms. Sinclair!“ You respond with equal enthusiasm to each of the students that entered your classroom. This semester you had Bianca, Enid, Wednesday, Yoko, Eugene, and two siren students you hadn’t had a previous experience with. Previously you had Xavier in your class, but after learning he seemed to have more interest in astronomy than botany, you convinced Rowan to add him to her class roster.

Once all the students had taken their seats, you could tell that they were jittery with excitement to be back with their peers. Move-in day was simply not enough for them to catch up with all of their friends, “As we do to begin each semester… today we are doing nothing. I simply am looking to catch up with you guys and, of course, get to know some of my newer students.”

Enid does a little dance in her chair as you move up out of your desk chair. The students seem to be eyeing you, side conversations subsiding. You furrow your brow and glance around from student to student, eyes falling on Enid whispering to Wednesday, who is brave enough to speak for the class, “Are you pregnant?”

“Keen eye, Ms. Addams. Yes, I am.” You were going to leave it at that, but when the students erupted into speculative whispers, you decided to offer them only a little more information, “Principal Weems and I will be having twins early next year.”

Wednesday Addams eyes flash in delight, almost making you concerned for your safety. She was never happy. Enid was already off on a tangent, begging you to let her babysit, “Dr. Rogers, you totally have to let me babysit. I have a whole pack of brothers. I’m great with children.”

“How far along are you?” Wednesday asks another question, not giving you time to respond to Enid.

“About 13 weeks.”

“Her babies have begun developing fingers and toes. Their organs are visible through the skin.” Wednesday relayed her fetal development knowledge to the class and you quickly realized that until you had these babies, this class would be half plant science and half child growth and development. Rather than dwell on Addams’s typically strange behavior, you approach your new students, wanting to get to know them a bit and effectively ending the discussion about your pregnancy.

Mid conversation with Divina and Kent, Bianca interrupts you, shouting your name from near your desk, “Hey, Dr. Rogers, can I DJ?”

You only offer a wave of your hand, giving her the go ahead so you can continue your conversation. Mainly you were interested in gaining some insight on their interests and how you could provide some insight on how to connect them with your advanced botany class. As you continue your conversation, Bianca takes a seat at your desk, beginning to play music from her phone. She typically was the student in charge of ‘Funky Fridays’ in your classroom. This was an entire class period dedicated to project work and students would take turns playing their favorite songs. Of course this led to many a class period where you got off track, but it wasn’t all for not, you did learn the dance to About Damn Time by Lizzo.

After a while, you move on from your conversations with Divina and Kent to sit and chat with Eugene for a bit. He was excited to share his results from your joint wildflower project in the east gardens. You were talking animatedly with one another, gradually conversations moved from his academic projects into his activities from over the summer and the few rare species of insect he had finally come into contact with. With his enthusiasm for insects, you decided to share with him an idea for his project this semester, “Perhaps you can help me with a biological control experiment in the greenhouse? We seem to have a couple different pests on my trees in the South West corner of the greenhouse. Could you take a look for me?”

“Absolutely, Dr. Rogers! I’ve heard about a species of parasitic wasp that may be able to help depending on your pest. I’ll go look now!” He popped up and left you sitting alone at his desk

You continued moving your way through your students, stopping to sit with Yoko next. Typically, she was a more laid back and quiet student, so you found it hard to get a read on her at first. That was until you found that her vampirism led her to have an interest in flowers that only bloomed at night. Over summer break, you were finally able to lay your hands on some Queen of the Night cuttings for her, “Yoko, I’ve been thinking about you project from-“

“What in heaven's name is going on here?” Larissa had heard the noise coming from your classroom and when she poked her head in, she immediately saw Bianca in your desk chair, her feet propped up on the surface of the desk. Bianca immediately brought her feet to the floor when the principal came tearing into the room. The siren’s eyes were wide and back was ramrod straight as Larissa loomed over her, “Where is Dr. Rogers?”

When Bianca realized she was looking for you, she lifted a hand to point at you sitting at a desk next to Yoko before turning back to her phone to set up a wonderful queue of music. Larissa turned to you, her anger hadn’t left, but it was morphed into that ‘kill them with kindness’ thing she did, “Dr. Rogers, can I have a word?”

You hold up anhand to Principal Weems and finish your thought to Yoko before leaving her, “Sorry, Yoko. If you go into the greenhouse, there is a bag of Queen of the Night cuttings on the greenhouse table. They are labeled and everything. I want you to do a little research and then we will plant them together. I hope you are ready for some late nights. If we can get them to flower, I want you to attempt to pollinate them and we can try to harvest seeds. It will be a challenge, but I think you will be up for it.”

Yoko gave you a smirk and a nod before pushing herself up from the chair, heading to the greenhouse after Eugene. She was always more of a stoic type in your classroom. Larissa approached you as Yoko walked away. She pressed her hands on the desktop, leaning across the table top. By the look on her face, you certainly were in trouble. Her voice was a hushed whisper, “What do you think you are doing?”

“Teaching.” You smile at her, knowing that she never understood your teaching style.

“Your room is chaos. Music blaring. Students slacking off. Bianca is sitting at your desk!” Her voice was a hiss as she tried to maintain her composure in front of the students. You certainly maintained an unusual classroom environment.

“Of course you can sit in on our class today, Principal Weems. How kind of you to ask?” You raise your voice, speaking the words loud enough for the 5 students left in the classroom to overhear. Pushing yourself up from the desk, you move past Larissa with a phony smile, headed back towards Divina and Kent, “Bianca, come on over here, hon.”

Bianca jumped up from her desk chair, leaving behind her phone so it could keep playing music. You sat behind the two sirens, making them turn around to face you. When Bianca took a seat at your side, you began to delve into your conversation with them, “I went out to the lake and looked into the elodea problem. There is certainly a hefty invasion of the weed beginning in the lake. Have you noticed a problem with any of the native species of the lake?”

“There are patches of the lake that we can’t swim through anymore because it is too thick.” Kent was the first to speak up, familiar with the invasive species you mentioned. His statement earned a hum of agreement from the other two sirens.

“It blocks out the sunlight for the native plant species that grow deeper in the water.” Bianca added, giving you a plant centered issue that she knew you would love.

“How would you three feel about earning a grade in trying to get rid of it? You will get to swim for most of the class period and we may be able to add some type of community service to your resumes and college applications.” You add the last part with a wink, earning a smile from all three of the sirens. They accepted the assignment with interest, setting out to visit the lake so they could get together a plan of attack on the weed that was destroying their lake.

“What are you up to?” Larissa eyed you as you moved across the room to your last two students: Enid and Wednesday.

Before you could get a word in edgewise, Wednesday speaks, “I’m already aware of what you are doing. My final project will be on poisonous plants.”

She then gets up from her desk and crosses the room, taking a seat on the floor by the bookshelf. You allowed her to keep her own selection of books on deadly plants on the bottom shelf, many of them belonging to Marilyn Thornhill.

You were then left with Enid who was looking back and forth, realizing she was the last student left in a desk, “Okay, Ms. Sinclair. What do you want to do for a final?”

She shrugged, “Not sure. You know I’m impartial.”

“How about jazzing up my hedge of hydrangeas? There is a row of them in the front of the school. They are plain white right now. If we mess around with the pH, we can make them bright blue, pink, or purple.” You began outlining a project for her that you had been preparing her for all last year.

“Or all three?”

“Or all three.”

“Totally! Where do I start?” Her eyes went wide, ready to start brightening up the school immediately.

“I’d consult the bookshelf with Ms. Addams. There should be a book on shrub care that can get you the information you need.” You give a nod to the bookshelf behind your desk and watch the young werewolf bob her way over to her roommate. Turning on your heels, you turn around to Larissa, holding your hands out in victory, “And that’s how you get things done.”

Larissa’s eyes were narrowed at you, hating when you proved her wrong, “So your classroom management is no management?”

“Did you even just see what I did? That is seven motivated students, all working on projects that are suited towards who they are as people.” You came to stand in front of her, pressing your hands to the desk in front of her. Your presence wasn’t as looming as hers, however, “That’s a win. Now I just have to keep the sirens on task and keep Addams from killing someone.”

“We run classrooms in two very different ways.” Larissa folded her arms in front of her chest, not wanting to admit that your classroom style worked. You came around the desk to sit next to her, looking up into her face with a fondness in your eyes.

“And they both work in their own ways,” You dip your head to rest on her shoulder, only for a moment, not wanting to show much PDA in front of the students. Any further discussion between you and Larissa was interrupted by Yoko carrying a tray of planted Queen of the Night cuttings.

“Yo, Rogers. Can you help me root these?” She set the cuttings in front of you, not knowing that the last time you attempted to use your powers you had failed miserably.

“Of course, Yoko.” You decided to try again, not wanting to embarrass yourself in front of the young vampire or Larissa. You place your hands above the pots, spreading your fingers wide to get to as many cuttings as possible. You focus in on the cuttings, trying to will the energy from your fingertips, but nothing comes from you. While Yoko may not have noticed your failure, Larissa did. She covertly placed a hand on your leg as you tried once more, and this time it worked.

Only the energy doesn’t flow from your chest as normal. No. It starts from her hand on your leg and moves all the way up to your fingertips.

Link to Chapter 24

#larissa weems #gwendoline christie #wednesday netflix #fanfic #violet and rose #stately sequoia #the cedars have eyes #larissa weems x oc #principal larissa weems #principal weems #fern rogers #ferissa

117 notes · View notes

bebe-thewriter · 2 years

Text

Heyyy y’all I am back with the “bare wit me” series and if I’m being totally honest I have no idea what direction I’m going on with😐 butttt the lovely @xxmaddienicolexx Asked me ever so politely to continue so it it my duty to comply without complaints, soooo enjoy chapter 4 or bare wit me- BeBe🧘🏾‍♀️

The rest of the day went by quickly, but the casting came slow. Yamir, and Mikasa continued to tell me I did well, as a way to comfort me.

“This shit is driving me nuts bro.” I said, with a slight tremor in my throat. I’m freaking out. I’ve been to many auditions, and a plethora of castings but this was different, this was what I wanted since i heard their first ever song in high school.

“(Y/N) calm down bae, you did amazing, we know it, you know it, he’ll even the band basically said your in! You just gotta trust it.” Mikasa said while softly messaging my back.

“She’s right, and along with that, we all peeped Connie eye fucking you soooooo.” Ymir says with a big smirk.

“Ymir stop! He was not….. was he.” I said. “Yes bitch, he was.” Now that calmed me down.

“Ughhh girl you have no idea what he dose to me. He’s so damn attractive, and not to mention fucking talented! Not only is he the producer of S.C.O.U.T.S but the drummer, andddddd the lead rapper! Ugh he is just so-“ but before I could finish I was cut off by ymir.

“Sexy, and dreamy,” “don’t forget he has the sex appeal of a god!!!!” She adds Imitating things I may have and may not have said. “Sthu y’all ain’t funny” I say giggling, they know me so well.

Before we can continue our conversation we see a group hurriedly jog past us. “THE CASTING IS OUT.” I hear someone yell excitedly.

“Oh I guess the casting is out.” I say in a nonchalant way, but then it hits me……….. “THE FUCKING CASTING IS OUT!!!” I repeat this time though with more emotion.

We hurriedly sprint to that tiny piece of paper strung up by tape and surrounded but a sea of bodies. As we walk through them I notice multiple reactions happening, sadness being the more popular one. Though envy was a recurring one as well, “who the hell are even half of these people a bunch of nobodies bro,” and, “well I’m clearly one of the best singers at this school so they just lost a valuable player!” And so on.

Finally we reach the paper and with a beating heart I read it……damn I’m at the top nvm.

(Y/N), Historia, Bobby, Natalie, Petra, Floch, Dj, Mavis, Missy, and Geneva. “We hope to see you all at rehearsals starting on Monday morning. Btdubs your excused from all classes cause like were more important byeeeee” after reading the poster on thing is for certain… Saha wrote this shit and two I’m at THE FUCKING TOP OF THE LIST.

Mikasa, Ymir, and I all start getting giddy with excitement but out of respect we remain silent. “Come on guys let us depart.” Mikasa says in a accent. “Ofc lady Mikasa, come sir Ymir we must go, it appears i must participate in the act of tinkleing” I say mimicking Mikasa. As soon as we get to the coed bathroom we celebrate. “See girl we knew you could do it you were top of that list.” Mikasa says. “Yeah she’s right, your even double lucky because now you get to hang with Mr. “damn mama you so fine” headass.” Ymir says.

“Guys stop! Connie would never say that and now that I’m IN THE COMPETITION our relationship will be professional.” I rant. “But damn I almost got distracted during my audition, he really is just sooo amazing.” I repeat for the thousands of times.

“Nah mama that’s all you.” Wait what. My head slowly turns to the low voice and my entire body stiffens. “Hey Connie.” I say nervously, “hey (Y/N)” he says smirk growing ever so wide.

I FUCKING FORGOT WE WERE IN COED BATHROOMS

last minute post sorry if it’s rushed and shit it’s because it is I’m not used to writing a story after a few weeks usually it takes years Lmaoooooo but yea hope y’all enjoyed ps my bad didn’t mean for it to be so short but it’s Ight

-BeBe out💃🏾

#connie x black reader #connie aot #aot x you #aot x black reader #eren x mikasa #ymir fritz #black reader

63 notes · View notes

rainydawgradioblog · 3 months

Text

Teen Age Riot

A Playlist for My Teen Years

As of about a week ago, I am no longer a teenager. It felt like the end of the world at the time, so I thought I should write about some of the music that’ll serve as a little bookmark for that decade.

*Note: This playlist is much too long to write about every song, so these are just a few of the many (full playlist linked below).

"My War" - Black Flag

Black Flag, Descendents, and Dead Kennedys got me through my senior year of high school. To me, this one is driving to a random parking lot while skipping class.

"Pickin Me Up" - Mac Demarco

I couldn’t not include Mac Demarco. From 8th grade to my sophomore year of high school he was my go to. I felt cool listening to this one because it was off one of his demo albums (soooo underground).

"Catalina" - Descendents

“I’m a mess, I don’t care, tired of sitting at my desk

You can’t bother me

Yeah I’m far away from you

Got to get away!!! You can't ruin my DAY!

Can’t tell me what to do

Can’t make me

Think I love You!!”

I fused myself with Milo Auckerman a while ago, now I can’t tell who is who…

"The Black Angel’s Death Song" - The Velvet Underground

In middle school, everything felt like the end of the world, everyone had their song they would turn on when that hormone-induced apprehension kicked in (I was usually staring out the window on the school bus).

"Big Lizard" (In My Backyard) - The Dead Milkmen

This whole album marked the start of my shitty band in high school. The Dead Milkmen are just fun, with lyrics of a careless, drunk 17 year old who can’t decide what toppings to get on a take out pizza. P.S, something I think about whenever I listen to these guys: my dad saw them live when he was in his 20s I think and they were so drunk they could barely play their instruments, let alone stand up straight. So he always gets so pissed off whenever I mention The Dead Milkmen. I think that kind of sums up their music, and probably also my last years in high school.

"All Access" - The Garden

Played in my head every time something exciting was about to happen. The Garden in general was probably the #1 band for me junior year of high school.

"Born Slippy" - Underworld

My middle name is slippy.

"Teen Age Riot" - Sonic Youth

Duh!

DJ EMI (Newly old hag)

#spotify

2 notes · View notes

sw124 · 2 years

Text

FNAF Security Breach: Mini AU

[This AU name comes from the Six Mini Musicmen designed by the talented @erigold13261 an their other page @chaoticrobotics an the story that inspired from their design. I couldn’t resist, so I hope you like it!]

Title: New Member

Sun checked the clock, it was close to closing. He made another once around the daycare making sure everything was spick and span, once that was done he talked to Moon about the nights plans.

“Are you sure its the right time to introduce her? She’s still getting use to the place and we haven’t really showed her around the Pizzaplex.”

“Sunny, she’s been in the daycare for over a month an we’ve told her enough times about the others. Its about time they meet her and vise versa, besides we’ll be with her along the way an if she gets overwhelmed we can always take her back to the daycare to decompress.”

Sun fiddled with his fingers a bit before turning to a small little door near the ball-pit, giving a sigh he reached for the light switch.

Pausing only to ask. “Your going to be right by her side through all this right?”

“Yes Sun, I’m not gonna let anything happen to her. Why are you so worried?”

“I just don’t want her to get scared….it took her a while to get use to me an I don’t want everyone to get the wrong idea of her..ya know?”

There was a slight pause before Moon responded. “Thats fair, but you don’t need to worry. If any of them does something I’ll be right there, I’m taking her to meet DJ first. That way she can meet each of his siblings one by one, that’ll break the ice.”

There was another pause but Sun smiled genuinely before turning off the lights, Moon took over with ease as his sibling fell into his sleep cycle. It was rare that happened but…Moon took it as a good sign and headed for the little door.

——————————————————

[West Arcade: Ten minutes later]

He knew every inch of the arcade like the back of his own hand, despite this he was getting annoyed with the Security Bots stopping him every five seconds to examine his little companion. After a few minutes they managed to make it to the dance floor, however DJ was no where to be seen.

“Odd, he’s usually here getting things set. You wait here while I check the tunnels ok?” Moon turned to his companion who gave a nervous nod, he placed her near the stage before going into the largest tunnel behind the stage. Moon didn’t have to search long, finding DJ coming back around with Cetia, Pius and Argi in hand.

“Hey, Moon!” Called DJ, leaning down to greet his friend.

“Hey DJ, good to see you. Hey Pius, Argi, Cetia glad to see you guys too. Before we get to chatting I got a surprise for you guys.”

“A surprise?” Asked Argi, interest peaking.

“Yep, you guys know Sun an I have been really occupied in the Daycare. Well now your gonna meet the reason-“

It was then….they heard the scream.

——————————————————

Moon’s companion sat and waited…mostly playing with their fingers, unaware many pairs of eyes watching them. One of them went scurrying down the vent towards the stage, a bit overly excited to see this stranger. After getting close enough….they pounced.

“Gotcha!” An snapped down on..cloth and something solid, then came the scream.

It was a high pitched scream, suddenly they were getting waved around. From what they could feel it was metal, so not a human. The figure kept screaming and waving its arm before trying to pry themselves free.

“Pur!” Moon raced out and pulled at smaller animatronic. “Get off my sister right now or so help me I’m gonna tear one of your legs off!”

Then came a course of voices.

“Sister?!”

The smaller figure fell back when Moon pulled Pur off their sleeve, there was no damage but it was enough to scare the little one. They curled up and started crying.

“Great, now look what you’ve done!” Moon dropped Pur and raced over to the crying animatronic, scooping her up into his arms. “It’s ok Clover he didn’t mean to scare you, he can just be a jerk at times.”

“I resent that!” Pur whined. “In my defense I thought she was an intruder!”

Moon glared at Pur before turning to DJ, his glare was enough to make Pur slink back. He did try to make a run for the vent but DJ was faster and snatched up his more mischievous sibling. Moon managed to soothe his sister enough to regain herself.

DJ gathered the rest of his smaller siblings around his hand to have a look at the new animatronic, Moon gently sat them down on their own feet before turning back to everyone.

“Everyone, I wanna introduce to you Clover; the newest addition to the daycare.”

The figure turned to them, they were clad in green from head to toe. While Moon sported a nightcap the sister sported a two pronged jesters hat with two soft ringing bells at the ends. She wore an oversized long shirt with very long, oversized sleeves, her pants were flowing with green and cream white vertical stripes with matching verdant ballet shoes. On her cheeks and shirt they sported the card suit of clubs but painted green to look like a three leaf clover. Her eyes were a bright lime shade with three black petal eyelashes, she could blink too. An lastly was a tiny button nose, her mouth seemed more articulated and didn’t sport Moon or Sun’s trademark grin. Instead it was slightly smaller but from a trained animatronic eye could tell it could extend when the need arose.

DJ’s eyes widened seeing her, she was just the cutest little thing he had ever seen! All the siblings started gawking at her, though the scare from earlier did dampen the mood a bit. Only made worse when Clover gave a little sniff an rubbed one of her eyes. With tentative steps, Argi stepped forward. Going towards DJ’s middle finger.

“Awe don’t cry darlin, hey wanna hear a joke about a duck?”

She gave a nod…but Moon whispered something…

“Yes….. please…..” her voice was as soft as a silk pillow.

Argi almost cooed at the sound.

“Alrighty, so a duck walks into a bar an goes up to the bartender. He asks ‘You have any duck food?’ an the bartender says ‘No, an we don’t serve ducks here so get out!’ an the duck walks out. Duck comes back the next day an asks ‘You have any duck food?’ an the bartender says ‘No I told you that yesterday an we don’t serve ducks now get out!’ duck walks out. Duck comes back the third day an asks ‘You have any duck food?’ and the bartender says ‘For the third time no an if you come back I’m gonna nail your little web feet to the bar now get out!’ duck walks out. Duck comes back the next day an asks ‘You have any nails?’ an the bartender says ‘No!’ so the duck smile and asks ‘You have any duck food?’ Heh”

There was a pause before he heard Clover start tittering with laughter and then go into a giggle fit, yep a good joke always fixed everything.

“That was funny!” Said Clover after she recovered from her little giggle fit.

Moon gave a sigh of relief “Ok now that’s done, Clover this is Argi, Oonops, Pius, Purpur, Rupes, Cetia an lastly DJ Music Man.” Each mini moved a little when their names were called, just so the new additions could see who was who.

“Its nice to meet you Clover, you can just call me DJ.” The large animatronic gave a little nod with his head.

“Nice to meet you cutie!” Said Oonops with a little hop.

“Hello.” Replied Pius.

“Welcome to the fam kiddo.” Said Rupes.

Cetia simply bowed her head as a hello, Clover stared at her for a moment before giving her a shy but sweet smile back. Moon spotted it before any of the siblings, he could tell Cetia was gonna love Clover.

“So now that introductions are made I want everyone to know she’s off limits for attacks.” Said Moon glaring at Pur, he was shrinking back to hide behind Rupes a bit.

DJ spoke up. “So Clover, do you have special talents for the daycare?”

Clover blinked and held up a hand, everyone stared for a minute before the tip of her index finger flipped back exposing three types of needles, her middle finger tip flipping back showing a spray nozzle, her pinkie flipping back showing a small roller, flipping her hand back showed a roll of gauze in her wrist ready to use. Opening her mouth she produced a number of bandages of various designs and sizes, reaching into her sleeve to pull out breathing masks with different Glamorock designs on them. She was about to continue when Moon gently motioned her to stop.

“Sorry guys, she’s more show then tell. Clover here is designed for children with physical and mental disabilities, she’s got built in needles in her index finger to administer insulin, epinephrine and to check blood sugar levels. The masks you saw are designed to give both oxygen and vapor medication for children with breathing issues. Her hands can heat up or cool down for children suffering from chills or fevers, her eyes can scan any patron of the Pizzaplex an tell if they have an allergy or not.”

DJ leaned in, fascinated by all the little gadgets built into such a tiny bot. The rest of his siblings did the same as Moon continued.

Pointing to her eyes next. “She’s also got built in facial recognition to not only remember people but can read emotional and social cues to see if a child is being overwhelmed. She’s also programmed to handle and help children who have mental and emotional disabilities with grace and respect. An lastly she was built for children who rather have a ‘quiet’ friend during playtime, no offense to Sun but more energetic kids prefer him an since nap-time is strictly for naps she can give kids that friend who would rather talk an play quiet games. That an she prefers quiet rather then loud.”

“An she cooks too!” Oonops shouted, he got some stares from his siblings before Clover responded with a innocent tone.

“I actually can, I was programmed to also make foods for children who have specific dietary needs. My room has a small built in kitchen for that very purpose.”

Everyone stared at her then at Moon who smiled while Clover played with his hands, he was about to say something more when a voice called out.

“Hey DJ, we heard screaming, did Pur bite Vanessa again?”

Everyone turned, coming towards the dance floor was the whole Glamrock gang. Moon had to keep a tight grip on Clover so she didn’t run off, instead opting to pick her up. Though he didn’t blame Cetia for retreating to her usual hiding spot when they showed up. Roxy was the first to walk up, giving the air a quick sniff.

“New perfume Moon?” Chuckled Roxy, pausing seeing the figure in his arms. “Did a kid stay past closing?”

“Its Sun and Moons new sister!” Oonops shouted while he hopped.

There came a very long silence before Chica, Roxy and Monty recovered and unison shouted.

“What?!”

Freddy blinked an looked at the green clad animatronic. “Oh is this why you an Sun have been preoccupied this month?”

“Yes…” Said Moon with a deadpan expression.

He was hoping to introduce Clover to the glams one by one, this wasn’t going as he planned but…he improvised.

“Ok listen up, all four of you need to back up cause she’s not use to crowds. I’m gonna introduce her to you one at a time, I expect you all to be on your best behavior.” The last bit was more geared towards Roxy and Monty.

Moon knew Chica an Freddy would follow but when it came to certain sensitive things Monty and Roxy weren’t exactly…gentle but despite that they were family. Again he sat Clover down and turned her around, introducing her to the main four animatronics.

“Clover this is Freddy, Chica, Roxanne and Montgomery. Everyone this is Clover, the newest member of the daycare and Fazbear entertainment; I expect you all to treat her with respect and welcome her to the family.” He loved the glams but it didn’t stop him from giving some of them a stern look.

Freddy was the first to step forward, kneeling down to her level with his usual welcoming smile.

“Hello Clover it’s wonderful to meet you, welcome to the family.” Said Freddy offering his hand to her.

It was no surprise that Clover returned his handshake, even if it was just with her hand still wrapped in the sleeve. Freddy was the most approachable of the animatronics, Chica was next though Freddy did have to hold her back just a bit from trying to scoop the little one into a hug. Monty gave her a wave instead while Roxy knelt down to get a better look at her…

She gave a sly smirk. “So your the newest member huh?”

Clover gave a nod.

“That makes you the baby here then.” Roxy snickered.

Rupes jumped at that opportunity. “Hey yeah! She’s the baby here now, Moon you got promoted to big brother!”

Moon shot Rupes a look, now was not the time for nicknames….or perhaps it was, Argi was the next to speak up.

“She sounds more like a ‘Lucky’ to me.”

“I like ‘Baby’ better cause she also kinda looks like one.” Said Pur.

Clover shot him a look. “At least I’m not a walking, talking, moldy grape!”

There was a pause before Moon snorted and started laughing, Rupes started chuckling before nudging his sibling.

“She got you good there!”

“Oh shut up!” Pur snapped.

It wasn’t exactly what Moon planned but at least everyone got to meet Clover, he hoped in time she’s get use to everyone.

End pt1.

[There will be more so please stay tuned]

Here are the mini’s in question

https://chaoticrobotics.tumblr.com/post/683927554635235328/hello-i-actually-came-to-ask-if-i-could-use-rupes

#fnaf security breach #fnaf sb #fanfic #fnaf oc #moondrop #security breach

10 notes · View notes

thespacedisco · 11 months

Text

Space Disco (6/13/23)

So we continue the Disco Discord today after a Tuesday of working at the real estate office. The time does go by at the real estate office and it has taught me how to not complain during not so great stuff otherwise known as having that good mindset.

More importantly, pertaining to Space Disco, today after work I got on a phone call with Owen who was raving about his recent purchases on Facebook marketplace. Pretty much he flipped his speakers for profit and got a couple of generators, when I say a couple I mean enough to power his house, to flip as well. He can theoretically make one thousand dollars off of this purchase. He was very giddy about it. All of this money would go back into Space Disco through equipment and such. He was so excited and I am so excited. Subsequently because it means we can now throw experiences anywhere we want. We could bring these generators and equipments to the most outdoorsy place and absolutely throw down. With this in mind I called my DJ friend Charley and talked to him how we have to throw a beach party on the Thursday of Fourth of July week. It would be epic, he was hyped. It seems like all the energy is going towards this positively, and I’m excited about it. We’re even talking about developing an LLC and a trademark. It will happen. This will be magical.

My job is to conceptualize and orchestrate the vibes, Owen’s job is to be the production of these experiences. Time to do our jobs. Patriots style. Also, my friend Chris hit me up saying he has a podcasting set up which opens up opportunities for that. The podcasting could so easily fit into the side of things that are self care related. Maybe every Monday we host a new person on the topic of Cafe Disco. Daytime Disco. It is amazing because there are so many ideas and so much ambition to do them. I’m excited and ready to do them.

See you soon beautiful people.

0 notes

trapangeles · 1 year

Text

Tap'N with R&B Artist - Nisha J

Can you tell us about your background and how you first got into music?

I grew up around my father and his friends doing music. I remember wanting to be like my dad and do it too. Crazy part is I started off rapping because that’s what he did. Then I transition to singing because in church I would sing in the choir. Singing just felt more like home for me and you can sing about anything and make is sound so remarkable.

Your latest music video for "West Side" has received a lot of attention for its provocative themes. Can you talk about the inspiration behind the video and what you hope viewers take away from it?

Westside video I was actually suppose to use a guy but so many backed out. So I was like I’m gone use a girl. Girls are easier to work with and more fun. Theme actually came from a movie .. well parts of it. I wanted to figure out how can I keep people eyes on the screen and keep them interested. Then all my ideas came together and turned out to be dope af. With voice2hard with the edits he really brung it all together. I want the viewers to take away how dope R&B is still and that I’m here to make a statement and I’m coming with nothing but greatness.

You collaborated with DJ Cheeseburger and Joe Moses on the track "Real Love." What was it like working with them, and how did that collaboration come about?

Working with DJ Cheeseburger is fun because I can be myself around him and he makes everything easy and he don’t try and change what I’m doing. We always meet in the middle with whatever we do. Working with Joe Moses has been enlightening. It’s very educational because he know so much about the game. He always giving me gems and he really rock with me and it’s always a good feeling when you get recognized for your talents. The collaboration came about through Cheeseburger. I had sent him the song and I was like I hear someone else on the song and he was like I got the perfect person and book I get to the studio Joe was there and he was like play the song and he was on it and came out fire.

Your music is often described as a blend of R&B and pop. How would you describe your sound, and who are some of your biggest musical influences?

My sound is a unique sound. It’s a mixture of a lot combined into one. One of my biggest influences has been Mary J Blige I grew up listening to her and I was like I’m going to be just like her. What captivated me to her was her style, her songs, what she would sing about. Of course other influenced me but she’s number 1.

You've released several singles over the past year. Do you have any plans to release a full-length album or EP in the near future?

Yes, I do actually I’m dropping *STILL GOING* APRIL 7th it’s 7 tracks. So excited for it and for people to listen.

Your lyrics often touch on themes of love, relationships, and empowerment. Can you talk about the message you hope to convey through your music?

The message I would love for others to receive is that it’s okay to hurt, love, struggle and be happy. We all going through the same thing and I’m definitely one and if I can sing about and helps anyone get through hardship or celebrate moving forward. I’m thrilled.

You're based in Los Angeles, a city with a rich music scene. How has living and working in LA influenced your music and career?

I have found it challenging doing music in LA because for me it doesn’t feel like it’s a big outlet for R&B and for a female singer. Being from LA I’ve experienced a lot so I always have a lot to talk about in my music.

What's next for Nisha J? Any upcoming projects or collaborations that you're excited about?

What’s next for Nisha J is just to level up. I’m dropping new music, new visuals and projects this year. I’m hoping to collaborate with more artists in the future. Other than that this is a personal journey and I’m just trying make it doing what I love.

#Nisha J #Still Going #R&B

0 notes

rediscoveringrenewingreviving · 1 year

Text

Mom

Thank you all for being here today. Mom was loved by many and did her best whenever she could. One of the things I love most about my mom is that there was no middle, or halfway. Anything she did she committed to wholeheartedly and wanted to make better to the extent that she could. Throughout my life, many of you have referred to me as little Linda. Understanding the incredible compliment that is, I will do my best to live up to that today.

While my mom was many things to me and our relationship took many forms over the years, what I want to talk to you today about are some of the lasting legacies she instilled in me as an advocate, a speaker, a woman of God, and a wife and mother.

My mom was my first speaking coach and that was a role she took very seriously. As a distinguished toastmaster, it was not uncommon even as children for her to correct our grammar mid sentence, count my “umm” in a story or display how irritated she was by my use of the word like. She also made known, over and over again that I talked too fast. So today, I’ll make sure to slow down mom. Because i want people to hear just how amazing you are.

When I was in the sixth grade, I tried out to read the morning announcements over the PA system at school, and I was really excited about it. However, after auditioning, my teacher said that I did not have the personality for reading the morning announcements. I came home and told my mom, assuming the fight was over. My mom scheduled a meeting with the assistant principal and teacher the next morning to ask what about my personality wasn’t conducive for reading the announcements. After going around and around for a few minutes the administration decided it was a hearing error on my part and that of course I would be allowed to read the announcements. As we left the meeting and I went to school my mom said, “I believe you. I know they said that to you. But it’s not time to argue that, what is most important is now you get to do what you wanted to do.” But what’s most important is my mom never forgot them saying that me, even after I did. She sent them clips of whatever I did after that: whether it was plays in middle school, being a radio DJ in high school, mock trial in college. When I launched my podcast two years ago, she mentioned she would have sent them that too but couldn’t find their emails anymore. I said mom let those people rest, I’m grown now its fine. She said no, imagine if you had listened to them and let that keep you down. They need to know how wrong they were. Thank you mom for never letting up and believing in me when people said otherwise.

Growing up in the Green house, our faith was essential and included in everything we did and everyone knew it. A major element of that was my parent’s now 35 year long marriage with Christ as the center. My mother had a long history of being quite vocal that she believed divorce to be the worst thing in the world. Which is why 2 years ago, as I stared divorce in the face, in addition to all of the grief that came with that, being filled with the fear of shame it would bring my family. When I called her to tell her, I was expecting a lecture about the importance of marriage, what I found was a love and grace that I could have never imagined. She could have elevated herself and her marriage over me, or reminded me about the house I grew up in and what was required in marriage. Instead She listened to me and asked questions that centered my health and well being far beyond any image and perspective I had of her in the past. And she continued doing that for the next two years. She never got ahead of me or told me what to do. She walked with me through that process and supported me every step of the way. In a time I thought she might cast me out, she drew me nearer and loved me harder which I can only attribute to the Christ within her. Thank you mom for loving me through one of my lowest points and showing the true grace of a woman of God when given an opportunity.

Proverbs 31 tells us that a godly woman watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness and we all know idle is not something my mother would be. Whether it was working in ministries at the church, keeping up with her friends, cooking or taking care of family, she always made sure her affairs were in order— and if she had time left she would help you with yours too.

My mom and I spoke every day and talked about news and work and my siblings and friends and the overall mundane elements of each others lives. We’d talk about themes and menus for parties we were planning and chime in about ways to add to it. We talked about things we were looking forward to, like Blaire’s birthday or what her and dad would do to celebrate 40 years. Of course we are always mother and daughter, but in these last few years we settled into an ease of friendship that I will truly miss. In addition to being seen and loved as her child, I also felt understood more wholly as a woman. And in addition to being my mom, I developed an exceptional admiration and respect for Linda Gail Anderson Green, an incredible woman who loves fiercely the people around her and no matter the fight is definitely the person you want on your team. I love you Ma, and I am honored and grateful to be your daughter. Say hi to Gamby, Gdaddy, and Ms. Angela for me. We will see you later.

0 notes

factual-fantasy · 2 years

Text

I gots 25 asks here🎶

Not too great if I’m being honest. I’ve been getting a lot more art stolen lately which has totally killed my drive to draw anything. Which sucks because I had this comic I was really excited to post but now I’m really struggling to finish it.

My personal life has been stressful too, but that’s whatever. I’ve got some really good people around me to help me through it. 👍

I’ve been asked this question a lot. And what it really boils down to is it makes me feel like my work was stolen. When I see fanart of my ideas/AUs/characters, I don’t go “Oh this person really likes what I made and made something really nice for me!” I go, “Oh wow.. so this person just kind’a.. took my ideas and drew them without my permission.. greaaat...”

I know fanart isn’t “stealing”, I know that this view is pretty unreasonable, I know that fanart supposed to be a gift/compliment and that I should be flattered, I know that I’m basically the only artist on planet Earth who doesn't like fanart, I know that I’m too protective of my work, believe me, I know. I’m trying to work on it and be more lenient about fanart and stuff. But for now I just don’t like it and would prefer if no one drew fanart of my works..

(Comic series in question)

I have intentions to expand on Foxy’s investigation into the past, I plan to expand on Gregory and his past plus his relationship with the other animatronics.. I wanna expand on the Glamrocks healing process and how Bonnie and Foxy support them through it.. and soon I want to bring the Daycare Attendant and DJ Music Man into the mix.

Especially the DJ, I’ve got big plans for him..

SPAJSOKJSKDF GET IT? BIG PLANS? AAAAAAAAAAAA

(In reference to this post)

Yes! Yes I did.

I drew TF2 for a very short time, and it was mostly just some odd OCs I made so there’s not many posts about them. But in case you wanna see em here’s the main post that connects to all the other TF2 stuff. :}

I used to be into Transformers: Prime as well! But again, it was mostly just OCs I made, :/ ..

And Octonauts? Yeah! I was into that for a little while actually. No OCs there! If you search the Octonauts tag in my search bar you’ll be sure to find some artwork of mine! :}

Tank you :}} I wish the same for you!

Maybe? Wasn’t his Moon form supposed to be a night patroller of sorts? If so, I think he might have some defense protocols that allow him to protect Fazbear Entertainments property in the case of an intruder.

..Their property being the animatronics.

(Comic in question)

AUHFOWUIDNOIN THANK YOUUU❤❤❤

XD Oh yeah, Foxy and Bonnie too. Especially them actually, the idea is that they’ve never really seen much of Endos. Which is why seeing Bonnies robotic innards was kind’a disturbing for Foxy. 😅

Hmm.. maybe, haven’t really thought that part though yet.. This AU still needs a lot of work. Like all my AUs do honestly :/

Well Bonnie wouldn’t do that thankfully. The night that they fixed him up, Gregory explained everything about his experience at the Pizzaplex and how the others went berserk.

Him and Foxy also thoroughly explained why its very important that no one knows about Gregory. Not Chica, not Monty, not Roxy, not security, no one can know. So Bonnie would be very aware and know better then to mention Gregory in front of the others.

Although if he did? Pff, Foxy would probably smack him upside the head before everything went down XD

After the Afton virus was wiped from her system, the idea is that her faulty voice box was cleared and she will be able to sing again once the employees realize its functioning normally again. :}

They.. cant really do that for a lot of reasons.

The two main reasons though is 1; chances are they’d get caught by cameras/emplyees/security/etc. And 2; Foxy and Bonnie are outdated by years.

There’s barely any spare parts left for them. And the big repair machine is fitted to Glamrocks and their special endoskeletons. If anything that big machine might just end up damaging them instead of helping them.

So all Bonnie, Gregory and Foxy can really do is scour the basement and hope they find the parts to get Bonnie back up on his feet..

(Foxy’s existential crisis)

That’s hilarious but also very flattering, thank you! XD

Yeah, after Bonnie and Foxy really talk it out with the others.. they come to their senses and realize how foolish their tensions were.

In the end, they were all feeling the same pain, and they shut each other out to protect themselves. Now they’re on the road to tearing down their walls and supporting each other. Like they should have from the start.

(Post in question)

Well, realistically they shouldn't be able to. And normally I would pride myself in trying to make the characters realistic...

But uh... I mean.. tears bro... they’re. They’re so EXPRESSIVE, and fun to DRAW. Like, I cant draw characters bein upset and NOT have those bubbly tears leaking down their faces!

So I mean, the animatronics really shouldn’t be able to cry. I cant really see a reason why they’d be built with the ability to cry.. But I just LOVE drawing tears. For me, they’re really expressive and really convey the characters emotions a lot more clearly.

Lets just pretend they can and there’s no logical explanation as to why.. <XD

Considering how backwards and crazy the lore for FNAF is right now, I actually believe that Gregory being a robot is 100% possible and likely to be the case.

FNAF is nuts, you never know what they’ll do next now’a days XD

As for the other animatronics.. for one I don’t know how they’d find out. And two, they might think that he’s a part of some new attraction that hasn’t been announced yet. There would be no other logical explanation in their eyes.

Yeah, I felt that it was more kid friendly then what she was wearing before. Same with Chica, They’ve both got skirts now.

Well, Bonnie and Foxy weren’t considered little back in the old days. All the animatronics used to be about the same size back then. Its when the others got converted into Glamrocks that they became about 2 feet taller or something.

But also, Bonnie has something making him look even shorter than he’s supposed to look. The fact that he’s missing a foot. With Bonnie’s missing foot, he has to stand on his flats. Making him basically a foot shorter. (Pff, a foot shorter, haha)

The designs in this picture are outdated, but it’ll show what I mean 👇

See how his right foot is flat on the ground in the sketch VS in the other picture? Imagine how short he is now compared to the Glamrocks when he’s standing flat and bending his knees..

Now the reason why FOXY look’s so short is because although he was a bit shorter than the others to begin with.. he was ALSO standing on his flats to help Bonnie walk in the group shot.

Even after all this is said though, Bonnie and Foxy were designed to walk on their tip toes. And even if the were, they’d still be miles shorter than everyone else XD

Well Freddy isn’t shutting her out because of that night per se.. he knows they weren’t themselves.. He’s more of shutting the others out because he’s got a lot on his mind right now and he’s having a hard time processing it.

How is he going to protect Gregory? How is he going to feed Gregory? Bonnie and Foxy are alive. Bonnie is injured though, is he going to stay alive? Is there anything he can do to repair Bonnie? Will Vanessa find out about Bonnie and Foxy and have them scrapped? What happens if one of the other’s find Gregory? Will they call security? What if Gregory gets sick? What if Gregory gets hurt? What if people come to the Pizzaplex looking for Gregory??

There’s so much stress.. but I can see where you’re coming from with the Frozen reference XD

Chica: “Freddy? Do you wanna make a pizza~? :D“

Freddy, having a panic attack: “N-Not right now chica! I’m a bit tired today.. 😅”

Chica: “Okay byeee..(?) <:/ ”

XD He probably would. If the others were scooping him up like a baby going “aaWWWWAawawee you’re so SMOLLL” He’d be like “No” and then scramble and kick like a mad man to get out of their grasp XD

But you know, if like.. Monty came up to him and just kind’a picked him up without saying anything? Foxy might assume he’s upset and then wouldn’t struggle.

(Comic in question)

I’m glad you liked it! :D Also I do plan to make more for this AU. I have a lot of ideas brewing that I’m really excited to get around to.. I’m just uh.. taking a break for now I guess. These recent art thefts have kind’a killed my spirit for a bit. :/

(My recent FNAF comic)

Aww thank you! I’m so glad you like my Refinedtale AU! :}}

(Post in question)

#my response #fnaf security breach #fnaf security breach spoilers #(?)

157 notes · View notes

cobrakaisb · 3 years

Text

5 times robby fell in love with you + 1 time he actually said it

requested: no

a/n: hey besties it’s been a hot minute! i promise that part two of modern day romeo and juliet is in the works but here is a little robby imagine because i have been in my robby feels lately. :)

summary: read the title besties :) you and robby are already dating in this imagine.

word count: 1832

one: wheel training

“i don’t know about this mr. larusso,” you mumble as you take your sweatshirt off to climb into the pond. robby was already in there, shivering from the coolness of the water. “you’ll be fine y/n,” mr. larusso says encouragingly. you nod, slowly entering the shallow pond with robby’s help. together the two of you approach the wheel in the middle, each of you on your respective sides. “okay now climb on,” mr. larusso instructs, and you look nervously at robby, who just nods. together the two of you climb onto the wheel.

after countless tries and many failed attempts the two of you were able to perform the technique semi-decently. “we did it!” you shout as you come up from the water. robby and mr. larusso laugh at your excitement. you splash some water up in the air, laughing as the droplets hit your skin on the way down. robby looks at you adoringly, a smile on his face. “alright you two, that’s enough for today. i’ll see you tomorrow,” mr. larusso says, smiling at the two of you as he walks towards the house.

once he’s inside the house, robby wades through the water to you. “we did it robby!” you cheer, throwing your arms around his shoulders, a proud smile on your face. “yes we did baby,” he answers, resting his forehead against yours. “just imagine us doing that in a fight! we’d be unstoppable!” you exclaim and robby just nods his head. he wasn’t really paying attention to what you were saying, instead he was thinking about how happy you made him and how contagious your smile was.

two: during the mall fight

“get behind me,” you instruct demetri, pushing the tall boy behind you, while sam took care of the others. “back off,” sam tells hawk, and you nod your head, getting into your fighting stance. hawk scoffs at the three of you. “i don’t want to have to hit a girl,” he says, looking between you and sam. now it was your turn to scoff. “funny how you think you’d even stand a chance against us,” you say confidently. now robby was beside you, the three of you covering demetri.

“five against four. more like three and a half,” hawk remarks, nodding towards his friends, signaling the start of the fight. you were fighting off two boys in the back while robby was fighting off two of them in the front. sam was taking care of some boy towards the middle of the group, while demetri just stood in the center, not fighting anyone. slowly, one by one, you and your friends had taken down the cobra kais, well all of them except for hawk.

you look over your shoulder to see hawk charging towards you robby, who was cornered up against a table. you knew that robby could handle himself, but a wave of protectiveness washed over you. the next thing you know, hawk was lying on the floor of the food court while you stood in front of robby. everyone ohed at the sight of hawk lying on the ground, but you didn’t pay them any mind. you turn to face robby, grabbing his face in your hands. “are you alright?” you ask, looking over him worriedly. robby chuckled at you, pulling you into a tight hug. “i’m fine baby, thank you,” he answers with nothing but admiration in his voice as he kisses your forehead.

three: he catches you singing

robby jogs up the stairs to your room. today the two of you were taking a break from karate and planning on watching a movie together. robby knocks on the door, but there was no answer. he cracks the door open and sees you jumping around your room. you were wearing one of his shirts and a pair of shorts, your hair brush in your hand, as you belted out the lyrics to teenage dirtbag. “oh yeah! dirtbag!” you sing along with zayn malik. robby smiles as he watches you sing and dance around the room.

now you were standing in front of your mirror, pointing to yourself as you sang, completely engrossed in the song. at one point you tilt your head back, really getting into it. robby continues to watch you sing the song, a loving smile on his face the entire time. he only makes himself known when he claps his hands once the song ends. you freeze, turning towards the door where your boyfriend is clapping. a blush immediately coats your cheeks, as you throw your hairbrush on your bed.

“i didn’t take you as a singer y/n,” robby points out, stepping into your room. your blush turns an even deeper shade of red as you look away from his hazel eyes. robby closes the distance between the two of you, placing a loving kiss on your lips. “i thought it was cute,” robby confesses once you seperate. “especially since you’re wearing my shirt,” he continues, a giggle escaping your mouth. “stop being cheesy,” you say, pushing him away from you. “but you love it,” he remarks, sitting down on your bed. you roll your eyes, “i guess.”

four: your date at the roller rink

it was 80s night at the roller rink, and you and robby were long overdue for a date night. you and robby decided to go as people from the outsiders. robby as a soc and you as a greaser. “an enemies to lovers typa beat,” you explain, fixing his jacket. robby just nods along, too busy admiring you in your ripped jeans and leather jacket.

“i’ll go get the skates. wait here,” robby says, kissing your cheek as he walks towards the rental counter. shortly after, robby comes back with two pairs of skates. “thanks robby,” you say, placing a chaste kiss on his lips as he sits down on the bench next to you. “okay ready?” robby asks, and you nod, grabbing his hand as the two of you head over to the roller rink.

together you skate leisurely around the rink. laughing and singing along to the 80s songs that the dj is playing. while the two of you are skating hand in hand when the song i would die 4 u by prince comes on. “oh my gosh! i love this song!” you cheer, excitement all over your face. robby chuckled at your words, “i know. i may have put in a request with the dj.” you smile so big when robby said that. “you’re the best robby,” you say, and robby could tell that your words were genuine. robby just smiled at you, listening to you sing along with prince.

five: midnight baking session

you couldn’t sleep. it was 12:00 at night, and you could not fall asleep. robby on the other hand, was fast asleep. well you thought he was fast asleep when you left your room to go to the kitchen. it turns out that robby wasn’t asleep because he was now standing in the kitchen, watching as you grabbed different ingredients. “what are you doing y/n? it’s twelve am,” robby asks, a tired yawn escaping him. “i couldn’t sleep so i decided to make some brownies. want to help?” you ask him, and you're practically begging him with your eyes to say yes. “why not,” robby mumbles, joining you.

“yes! okay so can you go get the medium saucepan? it’s in that cabinet over there,” you instruct, pointing towards the cabinet. robby nods tiredly and gets you the pan, wrapping his arms around your waist once he brings it to you. “tired?” you ask him, measuring out the flour. “just a bit,” robby replies, resting his head on your shoulder, kissing your neck. you giggle, moving your head away from him. “stop that tickles,” you say, looking at the snoop dogg cookbook.

about forty minutes later, you and robby are sitting on the couch watching friends and eating brownie sundaes. “these brownies are so good,” robby says, basically moaning at the taste. “yeah babe? do you like them?” you ask, cuddled up to his side. robby nods vigorously. “they are so good. you better make these more often,” he says, looking at you. “i will,” you promise and robby nods gratefully. the two of you continue to watch the show and eat your ice cream.

“hey i’m done. do you want me to put your bowl in the sink?” robby asks, sitting up from his spot on the couch. “yes please,” you respond, handing him the empty bowl. robby takes it from you, but not before placing a kiss on your cheek. “what was that for?” you ask, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “you had some chocolate there, and maybe i just wanted to kiss you,” robby replies and a huge smile encompasses your face.

it was now three am and george lopez was playing. you were asleep on robby’s chest, while he was watching the show. “i love you robby,” you mumble tiredly, cuddling into his chest more. robby tenses at your words, but he smiles and places a kiss on your forehead, quietly repeating the phrase back to you.

one: when you visit him in jail

you sat down at the table, waiting for robby to come out. you were fidgeting with the tupperware of brownies you brought for him. even though you had come to visit robby multiple times, you always got nervous waiting for him. the door opened and teenage boys were walking into the room. your eyes immediately searching for robby. he saw you right away, and walked over to your table.

“hi robby,” you say quietly once he sits down. robby gives you a small smile, “hi baby.” it was quiet for a minute, but you quickly broke the silence by shoving the tupperware container towards him. “i made you brownies. the snoop dogg ones because they’re your favorite,” you explain and robby smiles widely at you, grabbing your hand that was resting on the table.

“thanks. i’ll eat them as soon as i can,” he says truthfully. “are you okay? they haven’t been bugging you have they?” you ask him quietly, looking over his face for any bruises or cuts. robby chuckles at how worried you are. “i’m fine y/n, i promise. you don’t need to worry about me,” robby says and you roll your eyes at him. “i worry because i care and because i love you,” you answer, casually slipping that three word phrase in there. robby sits there in shock for a minute before an even bigger smile takes over his face. “i love you too y/n,” he says, squeezing your hand. a smile as big as robby’s takes over your face too.

“so what’s been going on?” robby asks and you immediately jump into a ramble about the newest book that you’ve been reading. meanwhile, robby just smiles, proud of himself for finally telling you how he feels.

taglist: @iwantahockeyhimbo @estupidteen @funprincess101 @mrfeenyisswag

#cobra kai imagine #cobra kai x reader #cobra kai #robby keene #robby keene x reader #robby keene cobra kai #robby keene imagine #cobrakaisb writing

1K notes · View notes

luvdsc · 3 years

Text

august.

Bad habits are hard to break, and you’ve made a terrible one of loving him.

pairing :: liu yangyang x reader genre :: fluff, angst ⋮ best friend + college au word count :: 10,500 words warnings :: none. playlist :: time lapse (taeyeon) ⋆ 2 kids (taemin) ⋆ daydreams (exes) ⋆ sharing you (lany) ⋆ august (taylor swift) ⋆ too close to love (will hyde) ⋆ sad stripped (lany) ⋆ strangers (taemin) ⋆ the 1 (taylor swift) author’s note :: can you believe that i literally wrote this entire 10k fic in one day aka today ??? whew this gave me the same rush that i got when i wrote my research paper in the class it was due for the day of, printed it out during break, and handed it in at the end of class :’) ↳ part of the almost collaboration series.

Liu Yangyang is jumping fences to escape late night parties, shared laughter over childhood favorite cartoons on February mornings, midnight dancing in the refrigerator light, and November kisses stolen in between the shelves of the nearby 7-Eleven. He is obscure doodles in the margins of your physics notes, good intentions laced in December’s mistakes, strawberry lemonade and broken truths wrapped in summer bliss, and September endings with honest lies.

He is your August, he is your everything, but he isn’t yours.

AUGUST 2018.

August has barely begun to fade away.

You’re eighteen years old, and you’re drunk off of your first taste of freedom, one toe already dipping into the shiny pleasures of adulthood. Your new roommate, Karina, has excitedly told you about the famous beach night themed frat party that kick starts every school year at your university. Everybody who’s anybody would be there, and your heart already races at the thought of going to your very first college party.

“Coral or blue?” Karina holds up a solid colored neon blue bikini and a striped, bright pink one for you to choose between.

“Blue.” You nod towards the first option, and she discards the other one back into the open drawer. You pull out a marigold yellow one and a black one lined with white strings, wordlessly gesturing towards them, and she immediately points to the latter.

“That one is gonna look so cute on you. Well, both would, but I love that one.”

You grin at her, silently thanking whoever decided to pair the two of you together for the random dorming. “Perfect, thanks. Do you know any of the guys hosting the party?”

“Yeah, Dejun? He’s really sweet and a year above us. I met him in the music elective I’m taking.” She turns to take off her shirt and tosses it to the side, pulling on her bikini and wriggling into a pair of ripped jean shorts. “You?”

“Kind of? Jaemin is in my project group in Intro to Engineering. He’s rushing for that frat.” You quickly change out of your outfit and into your chosen swim top and daisy dukes. You make sure to grab a pair of black flip flops from your closet. The bundle of nerves in your stomach grows as you step out of your dorm with your new friend, a bit anxious but also excited to attend your very first party.

Thank goodness for summer weather. It’s still a nice, warm 75 degrees Fahrenheit according to your weather app when you and Karina finally make your way to the frat house. The sun barely begins to set, but the party slash dayger had started earlier and is in full swing. There’s a DJ set up out front, blasting some sort of EDM music, and the lawn is absolutely covered in foam. You see the source of it shakily set up on the roof of the patio along with a couple of boys sitting up there, Hawaiian shirts barely covering their figures. You catch the eye of Jaemin, who happily waves at you from his vantage point, and you wave back at him.

“Oh my god, I love college,” Karina says, grabbing your arm excitedly as the two of you step into the foam. You reach down to pick up some of it before flicking it towards your roommate, who squeals before scooping some up and throwing it in your direction as well.

“Ready for our first shitty college drink?” You pull her through the mass of other students and towards the horribly decorated tiki bar stationed in the corner of the patio.

“Hell yeah, let’s do it.”

The two of you stumble over, still throwing handfuls of foam at each other amidst giggles before making a full stop in front of the bar. The older boy behind the makeshift counter lazily grins at you both, a shell necklace hanging loosely around his neck, and his unbuttoned orange Hawaiian shirt gives you a nice flash of his toned abs.

“Hey, I’m Johnny. What can I get for you two?”

“Two vodka shots, please.”

“Alright, ID?”

You freeze, and Karina’s grip on your arm tightens, and then Johnny laughs, eyes crinkling in the corners. “Relax, I’m just messing with you, freshie. Two vodka shots coming right up.”

He pulls out two small plastic cups and pours out the drinks for you. “How many do you want?”

“This is good for now, thanks.” You and Karina pick up the drinks, smiling a little nervously at him. He flashes another amused smile at you. “Alright, come back anytime if you want another.”

You move away from the patio, and Karina follows close behind. The two of you throw back the drinks and dispose of the empty cups quickly. The burning sensation in your throat disappears after a few seconds, and you turn to your roommate. “Should we find our friends?”

“I think I see Dejun back there! Let’s go say hi, I can introduce you to him.” Karina drags you through the rising foam, the bubbles clinging to your skin, and when you go past the DJ stand, you feel the pounding bass reverberating in your chest harder than ever. You trek past the gate and into the backyard where the foam has risen to your waist, thanks to the enclosed fences. She taps on the shoulder of a boy with the prettiest almond eyes you have ever seen, and you shyly smile at him when he greets you.

“Hey, I’m Dejun.”

Oh my god, even his voice sounds pretty. Older college boys are definitely better and hotter than high school boys. Heck, they’re better than freshman boys. Nobody wants to date a freshman dude, not even the freshman girls.

“Hi, I’m Y/N.” You extend your hand, but then realize how stupid that must be. You hastily start to retract your hand, but he laughs and warmly grasps your hand. Smiling at you, he shakes it firmly, squeezing your hand gently before letting go.

“It’s nice to meet you, Y/N.”

The butterflies in your stomach grow in volume as the conversation goes on, and you’re positively enamored by the end of the night. Karina had given you a look earlier before walking off with Dejun’s friend and joining the dancing crowd. With the addition of his phone number in your pocket and a promise to show you a new song he’s working on with his guitar next Friday, you’re walking on cloud nine.

“Do you want something to drink? I need a refill, and I can go grab you one,” he asks, and you’re about to offer to go with him, but then you remember the teasing upperclassman and simply agree, asking for another shot of vodka.

After he disappears, you look around, eyeing the crowd and wondering if you can spot your roommate anywhere. You bump into someone lightly and turn around to apologize. Your eyes meet a pair of curiously bright ones.

“Sorry about that, I’m looking for my roomie.”

The boy gives you a Cheshire Cat grin. He’s wearing one of those dumb Hawaiian shirts, too, and it’s unbuttoned, but he has a white T-shirt layered underneath it. “No biggie, it’s a massive party and it’s crowded. Who are you looking for?”

“Ah, I don’t know if you know her, but Karina? She went off with this dude, Kunhang, I think?”

His eyes light up at that name. “Oh, I know him! I saw him earlier by the keg stands inside. Your friend might be there, too. I can—”

“THE COPS ARE COMING!” A loud voice bellows, and you freeze up. Suddenly, the music is shut off as everyone starts running away. You start to panic, the terror rising in your chest, and the boy in front of you grabs your hand and pulls you with him. “What are you doing?! Don’t just stand there! We gotta go!”

“Wait, but Kar—” You start to object, but cut yourself off when you bump into his back as he abruptly stops. He scans the backyard, quickly assessing the situation before turning to you.

“There’s way too many people trapped in here, we’re not gonna make it to the gate. We need to climb over the fence. I’ll hoist you up, and you can help me up from there.”

“I don’t even know you,” you protest, and he throws you a look.

“Hi, I’m Yangyang, nice to meet you, I don’t want to get my ass hauled out by the police and continue the icebreakers in jail, so let’s move now. We good?”

“Yeah, okay, we’re good,” you say faintly, mind still whirling around as you try to grasp the situation. “I’m Y/N.”

“Great, now up you go.”

He immediately picks you up without any warning, and you almost fall backwards, arms flailing before you grasp the top of the fence and pull yourself up. Balancing precariously on top of it, you grab his arm, tugging him up until he’s sitting right next to you, too. The both of you swing your legs over the fence and jump down to the other side. You let out a sigh of relief, squatting down as you clutch your heart.

“Oh my god, we made it. I didn’t get arrested at my first party.”

“What an amazing accomplishment.” Yangyang brushes off the back of his shorts. “We aren’t going to jail. Freshman year is gonna be a breeze if your bar is set this low.”

“Hey!” You frown at him, standing up and crossing your arms over your chest. “How do you know I’m a freshman?”

“It’s written all over your face.” You give him a look, and he relents. “Only a freshman would be this scared of getting caught.”

“So are you an upperclassman?”

“Nah, this is my first party, too. I’m rushing for Nu Chi. Hold on, wait here.” He sneaks around the edge of the fence, peering around for a few seconds before jogging back towards you. “Okay, the police are over there. I’m gonna have to wait a while before going back in.”

“You have to go back?”

“Part of tonight’s rush process,” he sighs before turning to you. “Do you live on campus?”

“Yeah, I’m gonna walk back now,” you answer, shifting your weight from one foot to the other. “It’s late, and I’m not in a partying mood anymore.”

“I can walk you back,” he offers, and you shoot him a grateful smile.

“That’d be great, thanks.”

The two of you start the trek back, an awkward lull in the conversation making itself known. You wrap your arms around yourself, shivering slightly when a soft breeze picks up. There’s a light rustling noise, and you pay no mind to it until a soft cloth is draped over your shoulders. Eyes widening, you notice the colorful, palm tree-printed button down shirt wrapped around you and the boy next to you, looking straight ahead with his hands shoved into his pockets. Smiling to yourself, you slip on the shirt, loosely buttoning the front of it.

“So, Yangyang,” you casually begin, testing his name on your tongue for the first time. You decide you like it. It’s cute. He turns to you, raising an eyebrow, and you continue, “Since our lives are no longer in jeopardy, we can continue the icebreakers, right?”

His lips curve into a smile. “Alright, shoot. What’s your first question?”

“Captain America or Iron Man?”

“Oh, Iron Man, hands down. He’s so…”

You meet him in August.

FEBRUARY 2019.

“Hey, where’s your cereal? The Reese’s one?”

February marks six months of your relationship with Dejun. It also marks six months of your friendship with Yangyang. It is time for your weekly Sunday rituals of watching old cartoons and eating breakfast, and you could’ve sworn that box was still half full last week. You rummage through the top drawer Yangyang had designated for snacks and other foods in his dorm as he takes out the milk from his mini fridge and carries it over to his desk.

“I ran out a few days ago. There’s Cinnamon Toast Crunch somewhere in there though.”

With a victorious cry, you manage to pull out the slightly crushed box of the aforementioned cereal from underneath the packages of flamin’ hot Cheetos and spicy nacho Doritos and triumphantly bring it over to your best friend. He already pulls out two bowls (which were stolen from the dining hall) and hands over the plastic spoons in his grasp (which was also taken from the dining hall).

“Thanks.” After dropping a spoon into each bowl, you shake out the sugary cereal squares before pouring the milk because you’re not an absolute heathen who puts milk in first, like Sicheng. Yangyang clambers up to his top bunk bed, and you carefully pass over the two bowls of cereal, milk sloshing precariously near the edges. You climb up afterwards, and he gives you your bowl once you settle down.

“So, Scooby Doo or Pokémon?”

“Mm, we watched Pokémon last Sunday already, so let’s do Scooby Doo this time.” He nods in agreement, pulling up the cartoon from the queue in Netflix, and the two of you lean back against the ginormous mound of pillows and stuffed animals of his that occupy nearly half of his bed.

You’re shoveling a spoonful of cereal into your mouth when he casually asks, “So how’re you and Dejun doing?”

Choking slightly, you quickly swallow. “We’re doing good. I think he booked a table at the Italian restaurant down the street for Valentine’s Day. Are you doing anything for Valentine’s?”

“I’m forcing Renjun to come watch that “‘Happy Death Day’ movie with me.” The faint sounds of the Scooby Doo theme song plays in the background as you hum in acknowledgement, mouth twisting into a mischievous smirk.

“That’s so sweet. So who confessed to who? Not gonna lie, I thought you had a crush on Hyuck, not Jun.”

“... I would shove you right now, but I just did my laundry, and rewashing my comforter is expensive and I’m out of quarters.”

You stick your tongue out at him, and he rolls his eyes before lifting his bowl up to sip the best part of having Cinnamon Toast Crunch: the milk infused with all the cinnamony, sugary goodness. You let your spoon fall back into your bowl with a soft clink, a sudden worrying thought popping into your head.

“I bought him some customized guitar picks and a pretty composition book. Do you think he’ll like it?”

“That’s a pretty basic gift, isn’t it? It feels like something Kun would get him,” he teases, but his heart falls when he notices you chewing on your bottom lip, spoon held limply in your hand.

“Hey, I’m just joking, of course he would like it. He’s completely whipped. He’ll love anything from you.” Yangyang’s voice grows softer, and he fiddles with a stray thread on his comforter, avoiding eye contact with you. “I know I would.”

He looks up slightly and sees you smiling gratefully at him, eyes shining bright. He quickly ducks his head, turning away slightly to hide the hues of pink blooming on his cheeks. He feels you leaning over to rest your head on his shoulder with a quiet sigh, and his breath hitches in his throat.

“Thanks, Yang.”

Replaying the sight of your smile in his mind makes his stomach flip flop, and he resists the overwhelming urge to tell you you’re pretty, pushing it back into the farthest crevice of his mind. Your head on his shoulder makes him feel like he’s carrying the entire world, and he doesn’t know what to do. He paints on a tight smile of his own, silently hoping you can’t hear the way his heart nearly pounds out of his chest.

Yangyang knows that having feelings for his best friend, specifically one of his good friends’ girlfriends, is something he absolutely should not be doing, but he can’t help it. His stupid heart refuses to listen to his brain. For now, all he can do is desperately hope that this dumb crush of his goes away soon because while 99% of his friends are oblivious (including you), Ten and Donghyuck are not. They’ll be able to spot his feelings from a mile away, like how Kun always knows when there’s a good sale going on at the Asian supermarket downtown (This week, it was the 50% off bean sprouts and chili paste).

Letting out an inaudible sigh, Yangyang carefully rests his head on top of yours. Clutching the empty bowl with one hand, he shoves his other one under his thigh to stop himself from reaching over and tangling his fingers with yours. He stares at the screen, watching until the bright colors blur together.

“Anytime.”

He likes you in February.

AUGUST 2019.

The earth spins around the sun for another time, and August makes its presence known once again. It’s Thursday night, and you’re sitting on the countertop in Nu Chi Theta’s kitchen, swinging your legs back and forth as Yangyang struggles to make some scrambled eggs because the half filled carton of eggs the two of you managed to find is the only thing that isn’t expired (besides Jeno’s protein shakes, but neither of you are gonna touch that cardboard tasting monstrosity).

“Maybe I should make it.” You peer over at the frying pan, wincing when you see the full damage of your future meal. “Did you use oil?”

“Of course I did!” he exclaims indignantly before pitifully pushing around the nearly charred mess of yolk and whites around with his spatula. “I’m not Mark.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” you mutter, waving your hand around to dissipate the acrid burning smell, and Yangyang throws you a dirty look. He grabs a fork and stabs a small chunk of the eggs. Picking it up, he brings it closer to his mouth before hesitating. His eyes dart to you, and you raise your eyebrows at him, a silent challenge in your gaze. The sad piece of egg hovers in the air for a few more seconds before he defeatedly drops it back into the pan.

“Okay, what if we just Uber Eats some McDonald’s?” Turning off the stove, he then tosses the remnants of his cooking into the trash and drops the pan into the sink.

“Stellar plan. Best idea you’ve had all night.” You hop off the counter to stand next to him, propping your chin on his shoulder to see him pull up the app. He immediately puts in your usual order along with his before holding it up for you to see it better.

“Looks good?”

“Looks perfect.”

He clicks the confirmation button, and the delivery is set to come in 30 minutes. You’re suddenly hyper aware of how close you are with your chest pressed against his back and hastily move away, warmth spreading across your cheeks.

Glancing over at your best friend, you don't miss the way Yangyang smiles down at something on his phone before his fingers fly across the screen. When he looks up, you immediately turn away, focusing your eyes on anything but him.

“Hey, you’re going to the Alpha Sig formal, right?” Yangyang calls out, and you throw on a teasing grin.

“You mean Alpha Sigma Psi, also known as the sorority I’m in?”

“Ah, right, yeah.” He flushes, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “But you’re going, right?”

You nod, the sudden realization creeping up on you. “Oh yeah, I am, thanks for reminding me. I completely forgot to ask, but do you want t—”

“Ningning just asked me to go with her,” Yangyang blurts out, and you freeze, failing to hide your shock for a split second before you regain your composure.

“Oh wow, that’s great, Yang! I’ll see you there then.” You try to give him a convincing smile. He wrings his hands, biting his bottom lip. Something is on his mind. You can tell. He’s not someone to hold back with his words, but this time, he is.

“I… I don’t know if I’m gonna go,” he says at last. Your heart picks up a little at that. Does that mean he doesn’t want to go to the dance at all? Or does he not want to go with Ningning? If you asked him now, would it make a difference?

“I’ve never slow danced,” he confesses, leaning against the opposite counter, and your heart drops. So that was it. Of course, he wouldn’t reject Ningning. She’s an absolute goddess, heck, you wouldn’t say no if she asked you either. You stamp out that last flicker of hope.

“What if I suck at it?” he continues, absentmindedly carding his fingers through his hair. “Oh god, I bet Yukhei and Kunhang are never gonna let me live it down. I can do choreographed dances, but I’m gonna mess up over a stupid slow dance. But where am I supposed to put my hands?! Like on her shoulders? Her waist? Do I hold her hand?”

Your eyes follow the way his hair ruffles slightly, and you wonder if it’s as soft as it looks. You swallow hard before saying quietly, “I can teach you?”

His hand pauses mid-movement, and your eyes fly down to meet his. His eyes widen, and he contemplates your offer for a split second before nodding excitedly. “Yeah, that’d be great! Can you teach me right now? While we wait for our food to come!”

“S-sure,” you stammer, flustered at the sudden acceptance and his eagerness. “Um, here? In the kitchen?”

“Yeah, why not?” He shrugs before straightening up. “The lights should be dimmed, right? We can kind of mimic that here to set the mood or whatever.”

He goes over and fiddles with the light switch, flicking it on and off, and you laugh, walking over and placing your hand over his. “What are you doing? Some kind of Kevin Nguyen mating call to look for a rave bae?”

“First off, I’m offended that you think I’d be one of them,” Yangyang narrows his eyes at you. “Secondly, I’m trying to make this feel more formal dance-y. Oh, wait!”

He turns off the lights for the last time and reaches over to pull open the refrigerator doors, the artificial fluorescent light pouring out and mixing with the faint beams coming in through the window from the street lamps outside. He grins at you, satisfied. “Romantic, huh?”

You roll your eyes, but the amused smile on your face gives away your true feelings. “Wow, Romeo, you swept me off my feet. The food is gonna go bad, and Kun is gonna kill you for the high electricity bill.”

“What food? Jeno’s protein shakes probably never expire.” He snorts before standing closer to you, his hands resting on either side of you on the counter. You can see the pretty gold flecks in his irises, and your breath gets caught in your throat. “And I guess this means you gotta teach me fast before we waste more electricity, right?”

You place your hands on his chest and lightly push him away, and he laughs, stepping back. You let out a shaky breath, remembering that your lungs need oxygen in order to, you know, continue living.

“Okay,” you clear your throat before pulling out your phone and putting on a slow song. “Ready?”

“You chose Ed Sheeran? Thinking Out Loud? Really?”

You raise your hands up defensively. “Hey, he’s the king of sappy slow songs that all girls want to be played at their weddings for their first dance.”

When your legs don't work like they used to before,

And I can't sweep you off of your feet,

Will your mouth still remember the taste of my love?

Will your eyes still smile from your cheeks?

“Is this the song you want played at your wedding?” He raises an eyebrow at you, and your face grows warm. You ignore the question, and this time, you’re the one taking a bold step forward, a few centimeters now separating you and your best friend. You see his Adam’s apple bob as he gulps lightly before meeting your eyes.

And darling, I will be loving you 'til we're seventy,

And baby, my heart could still fall as hard at twenty-three,

And I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways.

“So, your hands go here.” You take his hands and place them on either side of your waist. His arms freeze up. “Relax, Yang. Precious cargo here.”

He lets out a chuckle, loosening his grip as he starts to relax. You reach up and slide your arms around his neck, interlocking your fingers. You gaze back at him, saying softly, “Now pull me closer.”

He does so.

Maybe just the touch of a hand,

Oh me I fall in love with you every single day,

And I just wanna tell you I am.

“And now follow my lead. We’re going to take one step. And then another. We’re just slowly turning in a circle.”

After a few spins and steps, you stop leading and let yourself be led. Yangyang continues to hold onto you carefully, and you can hear him muttering a 1, 2, 3, 4 count under his breath until he finally gets the hang of it. He grows a little braver, pulling you even closer.

So honey now,

Take me into your loving arms,

Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars.

“Are you going with Dejun?” he asks quietly, and you stiffen at the mention at him before shaking your head.

“No, we broke up in July.”

Yangyang falters in his step before recovering. “Oh. You never told me.”

“Yeah.” You struggle to keep your voice level. “I just… he’s your friend, and I didn’t want to make it weird.”

“You’re my best friend though,” he says firmly, looking you directly in the eyes. His grip on your waist tightens. “It’s his loss. That dumbass just lost the best person who’ll ever come into his life.”

You give him a tired half smile, one that doesn’t quite meet your eyes. He hugs you closer to him, wrapping his arms around your waist and securing you against his chest. You rest your head in the crook of his neck and hope that he doesn’t feel how quickly your heart beats in your chest.

Place your head on my beating heart,

I'm thinking out loud,

Maybe we found love right where we are.

“Thanks, Yang,” you whisper, your breath tickling his skin. He envelops you tightly, and the two of you continue to spin in slow circles, quietly dancing in the refrigerator light as the remaining verses of the song warble in the background.

You think you finally understand what Dejun meant when he said he’s breaking up with you because your heart was already occupied by someone else.

You fall in love with him in August.

NOVEMBER 2019.

[ 12:54 a.m. ] yang 🐏🤪: hey you up?

[ 12:54 a.m. ] yang 🐏🤪: 7/11 in ten mins?

Tiredly rubbing your eyes, you stumble out of your dorm building, one of Jeno’s sweaters draped over your figure. November nights are cold, but this one seems chillier than usual. Yangyang stands near the front steps, and he stiffens up when he notices whose hoodie you’re wearing. He makes no mention of it though when you join him.

“Sorry, did I wake you?” He glances over to you as the two of you walk side by side to the small convenience store just on the edge of campus. You shake your head, shoving your hands into the front pocket of your sweater.

“I was up cramming for midterms. I could use a break anyway,” you shrug. A wisp of your hair falls in your face, and Yangyang starts to reach out to fix it, but forces himself to keep his hand by his side. You reach out to carelessly brush it away, tucking it behind your ear.

“What about you?” You look over at him, noting the bags under his eyes. “Rough night?”

He smiles tiredly at you, shoving his hands into his pockets as he kicks a stray pebble along the sidewalk. “More like rough week. Two more midterms left, and they’re for electromagnetic theory and linear systems.”

“Oh god, good luck. I took linear systems today, and it was absolutely brutal.” You wince, brightening up when you see the familiar neon orange, red, and green lights up ahead.

“Maybe I should just withdraw and take it again next quarter,” your best friend grumbles, kicking the stone as far as he possibly can.

“You really want another quarter with Hwang?”

“You’re right,” he sighs, “I just need to get a C+ to maintain my GPA. C if I’m pushing it.”

The two of you hurry over to the 7-Eleven, quickening your pace, until you reach the store doors, and you pull them open. Entering quickly, you push the door open slightly wider, and Yangyang slips in behind you. The cashier doesn’t even look up, texting away on his phone. You make a beeline towards the chips aisle, grabbing a bag of flamin’ hot Cheetos and a pack of sour gummy worms.

“What are you getting, Yang?” You call out over your shoulder, eyes zeroing in on the Red Bull stand at the end of the aisle. When you hear no response, you halt in your steps, turning around. Yangyang stands in the middle of the aisle, looking dazed under the fluorescent lights.

Putting your items back on the shelf, you approach him, reaching out and touching his arm gently. “Yangyang, what’s wrong?”

He jerks back before silently holding up his phone for you to see. There’s a slew of text messages from Ningning a few hours ago, and a quick scan tells you all you need to know. Your heart weighs heavily in your chest when you look back at him, a forlorn expression on his face.

“She dumped me,” he says quietly, shoving the phone back into his pocket. “She said our relationship was like a friendship. She didn’t feel anything. She said we could still be friends if I wanted to be though.”

He jabs a large bag of Lays potato chips angrily as his voice raises slightly higher. “But I don’t get it. Do friends take each other on dates? Do friends spend the night? Do friends hug each other and hold hands walking to class? Do friends spend three hundred dollars to do a surprise weekend trip for their birthday?”

He whirls around to face you, and he’s so close that you can see those pretty golden sparkles in his eyes again. Suddenly, his hands are cupping your face, and the next thing you know, he’s kissing you. Your eyes widen for a fraction of a second before they flutter shut, and you press your lips against his. The 90s pop station music playing overhead seems to fade away, and all you can focus on is that your best friend tastes like spearmint gum and grape soju. He pulls away abruptly, the realization of what he’s done finally hitting him as his chest heaves up and down.

“Do friends kiss like this?”

His voice is barely a whisper, but it cuts through the silence. You feel like you’re spinning out of control, a split second from careening and crashing.

“No, we—they don’t,” you mumble, and Yangyang sees the starstruck look in your eyes, and he wants to apologize: to say sorry for kissing you. But he doesn’t. Because for some reason, he doesn’t feel sorry. He closes his eyes, curling his hands into fists before exhaling slowly. He sees you looking back at him this time, and he wonders if you feel as equally lost as he does.

Because you’re right. Friends don’t kiss each other like that. Friends don’t feel like this about each other.

He kisses you in November.

AUGUST 2020.

The sun still shines bright late into the day, and August greets you like an old friend. You’re absentmindedly doodling in the margins of your notebook designated for Quantum Mechanics. Yangyang sits next to you in the lecture hall, making a bunch of origami cranes before tossing them at Renjun’s head right in front of him. When the bird reaches its target for the sixth time in a row, the annoyed boy whirls around in his seat, glaring at your best friend.

“Stop that,” he hisses, and Yangyang innocently raises his hands in the air. Renjun angrily frowns at him before turning back around in his seat. After a few minutes, Yangyang flicks another crane towards his friend. If this was a cartoon, you would see steam blowing out of your friend’s ears. You silently watch as he wordlessly picks up his phone, seething as he presses on a particular number.

Suddenly, Travis Scott’s SICKO MODE starts blasting, amplified by the large auditorium-like room. The professor goes silent, and everyone turns to see Yangyang scrambling to pick up his phone. He fumbles around for a few seconds with it before finally shutting it off and putting it on vibrate mode. Cheeks burning red, he meekly puts his phone back in his bag and squeaks out a “sorry” before sinking down in his chair (You can see the culprit grinning like the cat ate the canary right in front of him. Karma’s a bitch who also goes by the name of Renjun).

You pat his arm consolingly as he sulks next to you for a few minutes, mouth jutting out into a pout. You decide to take pity on him and lean closer to him, whispering quietly, “Would it make you feel better if I bought you boba after class?”

Immediately, he brightens up. “One oolong milk tea, half sugar with white pearls and coconut jelly?”

“Yes, I’ll pay for your overpriced drink,” you huff, thinking about how his one seven dollar drink could buy you a whole rotisserie chicken that’ll last you a week. At least the fluffy dog at Cloudy with a Chance of Boba is cute and fun to play with. “I’ll even get the honey waffle fries.”

“Heck yeah!” he whisper-yells, fist pumping quietly before he suddenly deflates. “Wait, I can’t. I promised Lia I’d get lunch with her.”

Ah, right, there’s Lia now. Yangyang’s new girlfriend: the only other student who went to Düsseldorf, Germany to study abroad over the summer, and inevitably, the two of them became close. All you really know about her is that she’s pretty, she’s in Iota Theta Zeta, and she followed you on Instagram a few weeks ago (of course, you followed her back because of the unspoken best friend and girlfriend policy).

Her page looks carefully curated, and there’s a common pink tinted theme going on throughout her feed. She has over a thousand followers, and it seems like Yangyang fits perfectly in her magazine curated life, judging by how he occupies nearly every picture taken in the summer with her or how he’s tagged as the photographer. You can’t deny that they look good together, pointedly shoving the green eyed monster back under the bed.

You take a peek at your messy Instagram page where you only post pictures when you’re half drunk, so there’s no semblance of uniformity anywhere. You shrug at him, pocketing your phone.

“No biggie. I’ll see if Karina is up for some boba. She’s been holed up in the dance studio already, and it’s only week two of classes, can you believe it?”

“I remember Ten was the same way,” Yangyang hums, eyes fixated on his phone and fingers tapping away. He laughs quietly, lips curling into a pretty smile, and you glance over curiously.

“What’s so funny?”

“Hmm?” Yangyang finally tears his eyes away from his screen for a split second to look at you before another buzz takes his attention away. He’s distracted, lovestruck, and you wistfully smile before turning back to your notes.

“Sorry, what’d you say earlier?” he loudly whispers a few minutes later, and you barely glance up from the large bulbasaur doodle you’re in the progress of completing right next to the chart marking the wave functions for a bouncing ball that you had copied down from the blackboard.

“Oh, I just asked what was so funny,” you murmur, coloring in the flowers you drew around the Pokémon with your blue ballpoint pen.

He looks confused for a moment before lighting up. “Oh! It was just a German joke. It’s not really funny if I translate it though.”

“Got it, no worries.” You notice the professor starting a new example problem, and you abandon your drawing, focusing on the formulas rapidly filling up the chalkboards in front of you. A quiet chuckle echoes in your ears, and you pause in your note taking to look over and see your best friend still typing on his phone. You make a mental reminder to create a copy of your notes for him later on when you pass the library on the way to the dining hall.

“Hey, Y/N.” Yangyang nudges you gently. “Rain check on the boba?”

You offer him a soft smile. “Of course. Anytime.”

He gives you a quick grin in return before his attention returns to the device in his hand—or rather, the pretty girl behind those texts. Your best friend is sitting right next to you, but you’ve never felt so far away. You know distance makes the heart grow fonder, but you don’t think it’s possible to be even fonder of him than you are now. Bad habits are hard to break, and you’ve made a terrible one of loving him. No wonder it’s beginning to hurt so much.

You lose him in August.

DECEMBER 2020.

December is the coldest month of the year, yet it is also simultaneously the warmest with all the holiday festivities it brings. If Yangyang were to choose a month to describe you, it’d be this one. You are a walking paradox, a conundrum he might never solve, an oxymoron come to life. He doesn’t understand how you can be his best friend, yet feel like a stranger; a friend who he wants as a lover; someone who has created such an impact in his life, but disappears seamlessly here and there.

He wonders when you’ve gotten so distant. He wonders why he never noticed the way you seemed to slip away through the cracks until it’s now nearing the end of the year, and the last time he’s seen you in person was before the November autumn break.

But you’re here.

You’re standing right next to the punch bowl filled with spiked eggnog, wearing a garish knitted button down jumper with brightly colored Christmas lights decorating it. It’s perfectly in theme with the Ugly Christmas Sweater party Nu Chi is holding, and Yangyang is beyond ecstatic to know that you’re attending. He had texted you an invite two weeks ago, and you merely reacted with a thumbs up.

Yangyang swears he was going to follow up with you on that, but he got so caught up with midterms, then meeting Lia’s family for Thanksgiving, then studying for finals, and then finally, preparing for this party. Buying enough beer for twenty-three keg stands is a lot more difficult than it seems (Donghyuck’s car broke down halfway during one trip, and they all had to carry back the packs of beers to the house in 40 degree weather in their Sperry boat shoes and Patagonia long sleeves that definitely weren’t cut out for this kind of weather).

His girlfriend is somewhere in the room, wearing the other half of the reindeer sweater she forced him to put on, but all he can focus on is you. He hurriedly makes his way over, skidding to a stop in front of you, and you’re startled before a smile spreads across your face.

“Hey, you, I haven’t seen you in a while.” You grin at him, reaching out to poke the reindeer tail sticking out from the front of his itchy sweater (Lia got to wear the head half of the reindeer, while he was stuck with the behind).

“Yeah, how have you been?” He reaches around you to pick up a cup and pour himself some eggnog. He offers you one, but you decline with a small shake of your head.

“I’ve been doing good, a bit tired with finals coming up, but what’s new?” You joke, grabbing one of the sugar cookies from the table. You’re secretly surprised that they actually have real food (No, Hyuck, Jell-O shots do not count as real food). You suspect Jaemin has something to do with it. He always contributes to the annual Greek row bake sale.

“Are you here with someone? Did Karina come?” he asks, curiosity coating every word. He looks around for your roommate, but she’s nowhere to be found.

You shake your head. “No, I actually came with—”

“Me!”

Yukhei bounds over, slipping an arm over your shoulder. He hands you a new cup of apple cider, which you accept gratefully. He grins happily at Yangyang, who freezes up at the sight of his tall friend. “I asked her to be my date for the party, and she agreed. She also made our sweaters! Aren’t they so cool? There’s even lights that spell my name and play Christmas songs. She did a bunch of cool programming tricks to make them work.”

Yangyang realizes with a start that the two of you are indeed wearing matching sweaters, and that leaves a rather sour taste in his mouth (and it definitely wasn’t because of expired eggnog). The corners of his lips tilt downward as he presses his lips together tightly.

“So… you two are together?” He gestures between you and Yukhei with a forced laugh. Jealousy never did look good on anybody, and unfortunately, he’s not an exception.

“We’re just seeing each other and seeing how it goes for now,” you answer quietly, noting the way your best friend reacts. You have always been good at reading him, and you tread carefully now, not wanting to make a scene. Drunk Yangyang never holds anything back, and he’s had quite a few pre-game shots already (It definitely doesn’t help that he’s a lightweight, too).

“I see. How did you guys meet? Or I guess, start talking?” He attempts to look intimidating, staring down at Yukhei, but it’s a difficult feat to accomplish, especially when he’s trying to stare down a six foot guy who’s more like an overgrown puppy and his friend.

“Oh, she came by for one of your boba runs, but you were still out with Lia. So I asked if I could go with her.” Yukhei flashes his pearly whites at you, and you chuckle, leaning your head against his shoulder.

“I said yes, and we hit it off, I guess.”

“You guess? And you took him on our boba runs?”

“You were out with Lia,” you say defensively, and he blanches when he hears his girlfriend’s name come out of your mouth.

“You could’ve waited,” he mutters, but you still hear it, and you give him a scathing look, finally too tired of this push and pull game that’s been going on behind the scenes for nearly three years now.

“I did. I waited over an hour here for you, but you didn’t show up or even text me that you were gonna be late. Yukhei was nice enough to offer to go with me.”

He stays silent, and you gnaw on your bottom lip, unsure of what to say next. Yukhei looks at you in concern, but you reach up and squeeze his hand reassuringly, which your best friend doesn’t fail to notice, his lips pressing into an even thinner line.

“I don’t understand what the deal is,” you finally burst out, startling both boys. “What’s the big deal about me and Yukhei going out?”

Something inside of him finally snaps. “The big deal is that you’re basically sleeping through my list of friends and then breaking up with them! First Dejun, then Jeno, now Yukhei? Who’s next? Should I give Renjun a heads up? Pencil you into his planner? Or Sicheng? Sungchan? You have a class with him, so you’re bound to flirt with him, too, right? When are you gonna stop fucking around with my frien—”

He gasps, stopping mid-outburst as he stares at you in disbelief. Apple cider slides down from his hair, dripping onto his face and soaking into his sweater, the sticky juice clinging to his skin uncomfortably. You’re absolutely seething, the empty cup crackling in your clenched fist. Shocked, Yukhei carefully tugs the plastic away from you and places it on the table before replacing it with his own hand, his thumb caressing circles on the back of your hand soothingly. Yangyang doesn’t dare to meet his furious gaze, lifting his chin to look at you instead. The entire room has hushed down by now, all eyes staring directly at the three of you in a mixture of surprise and slight terror.

“Screw you, Yangyang,” you say lowly, voice shaking with anger. Tears form on the edge of your waterline, but you blink them away before hastily brushing a stray droplet from your cheek. “They asked me out. I said yes. We went out. It didn’t work out. We move on. Just like how you’ve gone out with my friends. And they didn’t work out, so you moved on. So what’s so wrong about that? What’s so wrong about trying again to find love?”

He can’t answer you, curling his hands into fists until his fingernails indent miniature crescents in his palms—until the pain overtakes the feelings that are threatening to spill from his heart. Yangyang may not be yours, but he doesn’t like the fact that he can’t call you his either.

Love. That’s what you want, that’s what you crave, but not if it’s from him. So what is he supposed to do with love that’s unwanted? It’s bursting at the seams, and he has nowhere to hide it anymore.

He loves you in December.

AUGUST 2021.

August sneaks up on you this time around, and you find yourself in Kunhang’s apartment. All of your close friends are here, starting the last year of youth with one final first day party. You think back to that day three years ago: when your eyes met a pair of equally bright ones for the first time.

Curled up next to Yukhei on the couch, you look across the room and meet those very same eyes, although they seem hazier this time around. Lia is wrapped around his arm, and you think it’s quite ironic how both your and his relationships remain the same after all this time. Perhaps you both were bad luck for each other, leading to the other’s demise with short lived relationships. He looks away from you.

The rules of truth or dare are simple. You cannot ask the same person again until three other people have been asked first, and no one can be asked more than three times in each round. And, for reasons you can’t understand, everyone seems to take the code of truth seriously.

“I’ll start,” Kunhang announces, leaning back in one of the several beanbags he has in his place. “Goeun, truth or dare?”

Goeun sighs, leaning back on the palms of her hands. “Dare.”

“You and Mark, seven minutes in heaven.” Hendery points towards the coat closet, and the immediate reaction of hoots and wolf whistles has the girl rolling her eyes. With an exasperated huff, she stands up and pulls a red faced Mark along with her.

“Wait, you gotta pick the next person!” Donghyuck calls out, and she stops in her tracks, throwing open the closet door and shrugging. “You can choose for me.”

With that, she and Mark disappear behind the door, and Donghyuck turns toward the rest of the group, eyes glimmering mischievously. You pay no attention to him, absentmindedly playing with Yukhei’s fingers. You tug one of his rings off his finger, and he smiles, plucking it from your grasp carefully before holding your hand. He carefully slides it onto your right ring finger, but it falls off. Grinning, he pretends to try it on every single one of your fingers until finally settling on your thumb. The ring fits snugly there, and you admire it, wriggling your thumb around.

“Well, look at that. It fits you. I think that means we’re meant to be,” Yukhei says, smiling broadly, and you laugh, interlocking your fingers with his again before glancing down at the silver engraved band resting on your finger. The weight of the metal feels heavy resting against your knuckle.

“Yangyang, truth or dare.”

Donghyuck’s voice cuts through your thoughts, and you instinctively perk up in your seat at the sound of his name before freezing up in your spot. Yukhei squeezes your hand softly, and you tighten your grip around his fingers.

“Truth.”

“You’re no fun,” Donghyuck sighs, slouching back against the armrest. Yukhei leans over and whispers something in his ear before settling back next to you, shifting slightly to wrap his arm around you. Donghyuck lifts an eyebrow at your boyfriend before shrugging. “Okay, here’s an easy one. Are you in love…”

“Yes.” is his immediate response, and you notice how Lia absolutely preens next to him.

“… with Y/N?”

Your breath hitches in your throat, and you immediately turn your head to look at Yukhei, your eyes growing wide in horror. He looks apologetic, shoulders drooping. “I’m sorry, but just the way he looks at you, it’s so obvious, and I had to know.”

You whip around to face the boy in question. With bated breath, you look at him, but Yangyang stares at the center of the floor, struggling internally. Everyone is quiet, and it reminds you of the calm before a storm. At last, he looks up, gazing right at you, and you can almost swear that you see those pretty little gold flecks in his irises from here.

“Yes,” Yangyang confesses quietly.

There’s almost a collective gasp rippling through the room, and Yukhei lets out an inaudible swear under his breath. Your grip on his hand grows slack as you fumble to get a grasp on the entire situation.

He loves you. He loves you. He loves you.

The words echo in your mind like a mantra until it grows so loud that you can’t hear any of your own thoughts anymore. Lia is in absolute hysterics, demanding an explanation from him, but he merely shrugs her off. Standing up, he quickly moves to leave the room, glancing at you one more time before disappearing out the front door.

It’s like your body is on auto-pilot after this. You drop Yukhei’s hand, immediately standing up and rushing after your best friend, paying no mind to the hushed whispers that only seem to increase in volume once you leave. You step out onto the porch, and there he is, sitting on the steps.

You quietly stand behind him, contemplating what to say and carefully choosing your next words. But there’s only one question on your mind.

“Why did you say that?”

He stays silent for a moment, staring out at the moon shining brightly ahead. “Because I meant it.”

Your heart wrenches in your chest. “You shouldn’t.”

He finally turns to look at you, an indescribable look in his eyes. It reminds you of heartbreak. “But I do. And I tried not to for the past three fucking years, but I can’t anymore.”

“Since freshman year?” You feel the tears well up in your eyes, and this time, you let them go. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Yangyang grips onto the edge of the stairs tightly, frustration ringing with every word that falls from his mouth. “Because I was scared. And I thought you never felt the same way. You’re my best friend, and I didn’t want to lose you.”

“Yang…” You whisper, hand reaching out as you let it hover over his shoulder for a few seconds. Then, you pull back, curling your fingers into fists, pressing crescent indentations into the palms of your hands.

He stands up, whirling around to look at you, desperate. “Tell me I’m not too late. Please, Y/N.”

Something inside of you breaks. You open your mouth and start to say something when the door opens behind you. Turning around, you see Yukhei. His eyes widen when he sees the two of you standing there.

You know this is it. This is the moment. This is where you have to decide.

“I, I was just looking for you. I wanted to make sure you’re okay.” Yukhei awkwardly rubs the back of his neck, taking a step back. “I’m sorry, I’m gonna go back in and—”

“No, wait, it’s okay,” you gently interrupt him. You reach out and slip your hand into his, and he relaxes, giving you a relieved smile. You smile softly back at your boyfriend before turning to face him, eyes apologetic.

“I’m sorry, Yangyang.”

He and you are asymptotes: two lines curving towards each other, but never touching; two hands reaching towards each other, but never interlocking; two people tangling their red strings of fate, but never tying.

You give him one last glance before going back inside with Yukhei.

You break his heart in August.

SEPTEMBER 2021.

September is supposed to be a new beginning: the transition from summer to autumn. Yangyang doesn’t think he can let go of you as easily as the trees shed their green for gold and red. Wherever he goes, wherever he looks, little reminders of you bloom in every crevice. You’re absolutely everywhere and nowhere, and it drives him crazy.

He thinks he’s gone completely insane when he hears your laugh while he’s walking to the laundromat one day. He shoves his airpods in and continues on his way until he sees you. Walking across the street, there you are. You’re on the phone with someone, and he contemplates going over to say hello. But suddenly, you’re hanging up the phone and waving eagerly at someone. When he turns his head to look, his heart drops and gets buried six feet under. He hurriedly ducks into a nearby bookstore and watches as you run up to Yukhei, slipping your hand into his like it’s second nature to you now. The two of you walk off together, and Yangyang is left standing at the window of the store until the shop owner politely asks if there’s anything he needs.

He doubts a time machine is something they have in stock, so he silently shakes his head and steps out onto the street once again. It is now silent and empty.

He loses you in September.

AUGUST 2022.

A lot can change in eleven months.

You’re twenty two years old, but you feel like you’re eighteen again. You know you’re going to see him for the first time since September at Kun’s housewarming. You had repeatedly assured Yukhei that you’d be fine. After all, life goes on; the world doesn’t stop just because you had a falling out with your best friend, even if it may have been a little more than that. Nevertheless, a year has nearly passed. Time is known to be the best healer, and perhaps your heart has shed its old skin and habits.

Your hand is safely enveloped in Yukhei’s, and the two of you walk towards your older friend’s new apartment. He playfully swings your interlocked hands back and forth, and you giggle, tightening your grip around his fingers. You stop in front of the door, the muffled sounds of a party slipping through the cracks. You suck in a breath, shoulders tensed. He’s in there.

“Are you okay?”

Yukhei squeezes your hand gently, voice laced with concern. You remember to breathe, exhaling slowly and relaxing before nodding. You smile up at him. “I’m okay.”

“If you want, we can go back home now, have another NCIS marathon, and drink this by ourselves.” Yukhei waves around the nice bottle of wine the two of you had brought for Kun. “We can even stop by the convenience store and get some ramen.”

You laugh quietly, the corners of your lips upturning with mirth. “It’s okay, I’m fine, Yukhei, I promise. Plus, I have you, right?”

He brightens up at that, practically beaming at you, and your heart skips a beat. “Right!”

You reach out and knock on the door. Kun greets the two of you, and you enter his apartment. Yukhei still doesn’t let go of your hand, and you follow behind him as you weave your way through the living room, greeting some of your friends. You hear Kunhang calling out to your boyfriend from the kitchen and feel him hesitate next to you. You squeeze his hand gently before letting go and nudging him in the direction of his friend. Yukhei gives you one last look, but you wave him off, smiling goodnaturedly and silently assuring that you’re okay. He swoops down and leaves behind a soft kiss for you before going.

You walk over to the alcohol table, pouring yourself something to drink. Leaning against the wall, you take a sip of your drink, your eyes flitting over the rim of your cup and slowly scanning the room. It feels like forever, like everything is moving in slow motion, like the world is submerged underwater, but it couldn’t have been more than a few seconds.

You find him easily. After all, it’s hard to forget someone whose features you’ve memorized over the past four years. Your eyes map the delicate outline of his face once more, and for a moment, you wonder if red is still his favorite color, or who he shares a carton of Ben and Jerry’s with nowadays. You wonder if he thinks of you sometimes, too.

But then, you wonder where Yukhei is. You search around until you see your boyfriend still standing in the kitchen, laughing at something your mutual friend said. Your eyes soften when you see him grab your favorite snack. You turn back around, your heart swelling in your chest tenfold, and your lips curl upwards, an endeared expression on your face.

That’s when you notice that he’s looking at you.

You brace yourself, waiting for the tidal wave of emotions to wash over you and the quickening of your heart rate to greet you like an old friend. Because that’s what always happens when you’re around him. After all, he is the biggest what-if in your life. He is someone you almost loved forever, someone you almost stayed for.

And yet, nothing happens. You wait a little longer. The world still goes round, and you’re still breathing. There’s no shortness of breath, no erratic heart palpitations, no sweaty palms, absolutely nothing. Liu Yangyang is a stranger in a familiar body, and your heart remains still.

You give Yangyang a faint smile, nodding towards him, and it feels like a sudden jolt in his heart. Time stops, and all he can see is you. You look beautiful. You have always been beautiful. This is his chance. Whatever higher entity out there has taken pity on him and given him a second try to make it right. He finally takes a step towards you, and the tender, encouraging expression in your eyes gives him the strength to take another one. After all, the eyes are the windows to the soul. Clutching his drink in hand, he pushes his way through the crowd. He’s only eight, seven, six, five steps away from you now. A smile grows on his face as relief curls around his heart like a bandage. You’re standing there, waiting for him, smiling at him.

And suddenly, you’re no longer looking at him.

You stopped looking at him.

Yukhei makes his presence known next to you, excitedly chattering about something and gesturing towards the kitchen as he hands you something to eat. It’s a snickerdoodle cookie. Your favorite. Your eyes are fixated on the tall boy, positively sparkling as you beam at him.

Yangyang feels like he can’t breathe. The bandage is ripped off, and all he can feel is excruciating pain like a thousand pinpricks into his heart before the numbness hits. He freezes, rooting himself in that spot on the scratched hardwood floor as his colleagues and friends continue to jostle around him. As his world crumbles around him, he can’t tear his eyes away from you. They stay on you, the barest traces of nostalgia lingering in the dimmed golden flecks of his irises that you had still admired all those months ago. It’s like he’s trapped in a silent film, stuck in a fish bowl and swimming in circles, and he watches in horror as you outstretch your hand and intertwine your fingers around Yukhei’s, leaning up to press your lips against his tenderly. Your boyfriend looks at you like you hung the stars in the night sky yourself (He would believe it if you said you did).

You don’t look at him like that anymore.

Yangyang remembers when you used to. When you used to love him. When you were almost his. He feels something inside of him break for a second time.

The world continues to spin, and yet, he’s still not moving. He’s stuck in quicksand, sinking deeper and deeper as everyone around him moves on—as you move on. He desperately tries to keep you in his view, and his feet finally pick up as he lurches forward. He’s not fast enough. You’re slipping away, walking away from him, hand in hand with Yukhei, disappearing around the corner of the hallway, and he can’t do anything about it. It’s too late. He’s too late. The sticky remnants of cheap beer run down his wrist, and it finally registers in his mind that he had crushed the flimsy plastic cup in his hand sometime in between now and then. In a crowded room full of people, he’s left standing there, alone and lonely.

Almost is the worst way to love someone, Yangyang bitterly realizes. It hurts to lose someone you almost love. No, it was never an ‘almost’. He most certainly loved—loves—you. And it should be impossible to lose someone who was never his to begin with, yet he has. All this time, he thought he had you, but it had always been the other way around.

He was your August, he was your everything, and he is yours.

But you will never be his.

You let go of him in August.

1K notes · View notes