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wellbafineline · 4 years

Text

Promise?

Harry is needy and you visit him on tour

hellooo this is my entry for ms olivias ( @bfharry ) boyfriendathon, im not entirely sure that anything happens in this but it is just reuniting w harry on tour fluff!!! i used the promt ‘harry’s number 1 groupie is his gf’ & this is my second full fic so pls be nice to me lol but enjoy!! also here is my other writing

also the title honestly has nothing to do with the piece i just picked it bc i though that line of dialogue was cute.

& heres livs boyfriendathon masterlist to read everyones entries!!

It didn't take much convincing for Harry to get you to join him on tour, actually all it’d taken was him to call you after one of his first shows on the North American leg telling you how much he missed you, and how lonely his hotel rooms felt and a couple of days later Jeff was forwarding you the plane tickets and info to meet them in Sacramento for a week of the tour.

It wasn't strange for you to visit harry on tour, but you both normally lasted a few more weeks before you caved and took the week off to go visit him, but a particularly needy harry and late night phone call with him listing all the ways he missed you, even after just a week and a half of being a part was all it took for you to take the 14 hour flight from London.

You were antsy to see him from the minute that you got in the car at the airport, but it was only increasing as you were walking with a security guard through the corridors of the arena. The security guard points you in the direction of Harry's dressing room as you turn the last corner. You could hear Harry's playlist playing quietly behind the door as you approached and knocked. ‘Jeffrey, said i just need ten minutes and i'd be there’ he shouted through the door ‘try again’ you laughed ‘not Jeffrey’

The door quickly flung open as soon as he heard your voice, immediately wrapping you in his arms, resting his chin on top of your head, and you both stayed like that for a minute before he started to squeeze you a bit too tightly. ‘Getting a bit hard to breathe here H’. ‘sorry love’ he loosened his arms a little around you, allowing him to look at you for a second before completely freeing you from his grasp, you looked tired from the long flight from London and your hair was a little wild because you hadn't had the chance to brush it in the rush from the airport to the venue he place a quick kiss on your forehead before letting you go to follow him into the dressing room to get settled.

There was probably an hour before the preparations for the show tonight really started, meaning Lambert would come with the rack of all of Harry's outfits and steal him away from you for him to get dressed and prep to perform but for now you were more than content with the position you were in. Harry had come back from soundcheck earlier and immediately lay on top of you wrapping his arms around your waist and his face pressed into your neck, while your hands were stroking through his brown curls while he sighed contentedly every so often.

You two stayed like that for the time being until people started to filter in the dressing room and asking for Harry’s attention to put the final details on the show and his outfit for tonight. You gave his hand a squeeze getting his attention to tell him you were going to find Mitch, Sarah and Adam and leave him to get ready for the show.

•··°　• ·*　　·　·　★　.　✦　　　*　*　　.　

The next time you saw Harry was as people were gathering to send him off onto the stage, you could hear the crowd cheering as the venue lights dimmed. ‘Come ‘ere quick’ he said as he pulled you by your hand into his chest ‘Need m’ good luck kiss’ he had the biggest cheesy grin on his face, you couldn't help but indulge him and match his smile. You bring your hand to cup his jaw, giving him a sweet kiss, but quickly pulling away, because you knew Harry and knew how he'd turn your good luck kisses into ‘make out in the venue hallway’ kisses, and you’d had enough teasing from Jeff about that over the years you’d been together.

•··°　• ·*　　·　·　★　.　✦　　　*　*　　.　

You’d made your way back to the dressing room ‘Ew! H you’re all sweaty’ you laughed as his arms tightened around your waist, clearly not listening to your complaints. ‘Missed this though didn’t y’.’ His voice is murmured in your hair with his arms still wrapped around your waist, but loosening so you could walk back for him to pack up and go back to your hotel, he’d said earlier that he wanted ‘his girl all to himself’ on your first night which you couldn't really argue with, being exhausted from the flight.

•··°　• ·*　　·　·　★　.　✦　　　*　*　　.

You were waiting on the plush hotel bed scrolling through your phone, checking social media while you’re waiting for Harry to get out of the shower, he was bound to be exhausted once his post show adrenaline wore off and he said he just wanted to take a quick shower to get clean, but now you were almost certain he’d fallen a sleep under the water.

The shower water turning off is what pulls your attention away from your phone, as you were in the middle of texting back your best friend who was checking that you got there safely. After a moment harry comes out of the bathroom, he was tying the belt of one of the hotel robes as he makes his way over and flops himself on the bed next to you, motioning for you to move over so you were both lying on his side of the bed, your head on his shoulder, and moving the few pieces of wet hair he missed in his hair clip off of his face.

‘M tired, glad we didn't go out now would have been asleep in the middle of some bar by now’ he murmured into your hair ‘Yeah, better off here’ you agreed, moving so that your leg was thrown over his hip and arm across his middle.

After a while of laying with each other he started to get restless, still some pent up adrenaline from the show, so you suggest doing the sheet masks you picked up in the airport earlier.

‘Y’sure your not tired? can do all of this tomorrow?.’ His arms tightened around your waist where you were sat on the bathroom counter putting the facemask on Harry's face. He scrunched up his face as you smoothed out the cold material on his face ‘M’fine just wanna spend some time with you.’

A little while after you had finished your facemasks Harry had decided he was hungry, finally crashing from his post show adrenaline and wanting to devour a bowl of fries from room service there was a knock on the door as you reached to put on the next episode of the show that you guys were watching.

‘it'll be food, I'll get it’ Harry mumbled as he pushed himself up off of the bed to get the door, grabbing his wallet on the way to tip the waiter. He returned a minute later with the tray of food you ordered, setting it down on the bed.

‘Missed you y’know’ harry starts as you put another chip in your mouth

‘Missed you two H, was only two and a half weeks though’ Harry scoffs ‘What not allowed to miss m’ own girlfriend now?’ You were already laughing as he finished, picking up a chip to throw at him across the bed. ‘Course not, like knowing you miss me’ you smile at him ‘always love.’

After finishing your food Harry’d moved you both back to lay in the bed with his head resting on your chest, his eyes fluttering shut every so often, he was clearly trying to stay awake. ‘S’alright H go to sleep, will still be here tomorrow, got me all week’ you told him, lips pressing a kiss to his hairline as you reached to turn off the TV so you both could get some needed sleep.

‘Y’promise?’

‘Promise.’

#harry blurb #harry fic #harry styles blurb #harry styles fic #harry styles x reader #harry styles imagine #harry styles x you #harry styles concept #harry concept #boyfriend!harry #boyfriendathon #my writing

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cheswirls · 5 years

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it’s your extension (let me extend) 1/6

[ small preface: this is one giant 30k oneshot. its meant to be read as a oneshot, especially with the formatting. ive divided it up for sa week bc i think it fits all the themes collectively, but on day 7, ill post it all together as a oneshot. probably definitely on another platform, ill link it here, though. each piece is around 5k words, and i cant promise each one will fit the day’s themes exactly. collectively, all the themes are in here somewhere. it’s not gonna align perfectly.

with that all out of the way, i hope you enjoy! ive been working on this for a little over a month, now. if you recognize the au it is, you won’t notice many changes, but i like how it came out anyway. if you don’t recognize it, get ready for a ride.

also thanks to @saboace-week for hosting ! ]

he reminds ace of his mother.

light, blond hair hanging just past his nape; piercing eyes that hold an array of emotions, none of them harsh; fair, fair skin, and if he squints he can envision a smattering of freckles dusted onto his cheeks, not unlike his own. he cards a hand through the hair; his eyes narrow.

he can see her.

the scar catches him off-guard. it’s not noticeable until he parts the hair a little, but then there it is, stark as day, red ragged lines breaking up the pale skin. it’s not until he takes off the old sweatshirt functioning as a pajama top that he realizes the extent of the damage.

the red ran all down his left side. cutting into his shoulder, up his neck; circling around his ribs, and he turns to see it nearly to his spine on his back; down to his thighs, to his knees, just barely on the border of red on his calves; his arm is littered with white scars and red burn marks, and he finds himself growing curious. whatever it was from, it was Big.

it was intentional.

ace blinks and the movement echoes in the mirror, blue eyes gazing back at him. and he blanches, finally waking, finally realizing no, this was not normal, this was actually happening he brings both pale hands up to his face, tries to hide his eyes. his breath stutters.

a shrill alarm sounds and he jumps, spinning around to find a discarded phone on the bed going off. he moves over to it and it reads koala on the id and he panics and taps ‘ignore’ and lets his heart calm down.

the alarm goes off again and he jumps again and picks up the phone, almost ready to turn it off, when he finds its an actual alarm going off. ‘you’re late at this point’, it reads. ‘good luck’, it reads.

ace turns it off and takes a seat on the bed, head falling into his hands. stringy blond locks fall around him.

what the fuck. this isn’t what he wished for. he wanted-

and he sits up, sudden, limbs jerking in protest. he climbs the rest of the way onto the bed, towards the small window in the corner, and pulls a blind open, peering out.

a view of goa greets him. traffic, towers, teems of people absolutely everywhere.

ace slowly closes the blind, turns around, and sinks back onto the bed. he takes a deep breath, in and out.

“THIS ISN’T WHAT I MEANT!” he shouts from the top of his lungs. when he said he wanted to live in the city, to be in the city-

when he wished he were reincarnated as-

“am i dead?” he breathes. only the quiet answers him back.

sabo rolls over in his sleep, prying his eyes open. he breathes out in a huff, squinting as he realizes he can see through the slats of the door. what, did he fall asleep at his desk again? and then fall out of the chair? that seemed a bit impossible, so then why . .

he tips his head, and his cheek brushes fabric, and he hums, realizing there was something under him under the floor.

before he can process that, the door slams open. sabo’s eyes widen as he’s met with little feet, and then he looks up, meeting the gaze of a scrawny kid.

“ace, get up already!” the kid snaps. “we already ate all of the food! if you’re not ready in ten minutes, i’m leaving you.”

he slams the door back into place, and sabo lies there, eyes blown and mind wide awake.

he’s so taken in by the kid’s words that for a second he finds himself scrambling up, counting down the seconds, remembering the time limit.

then he turns around and realizes he was asleep on a futon and he was in a wooden room and he trips on his way to look out the window before grasping the sill, raising his head above it, and his jaw drops as he’s met with a sprawling lake view, and of a whole community painted into the sides of a mountain. no, not a mountain, his mind helpfully supplies. the sides of a crater.

he blinks and his gaze zooms until he’s gazing at his own reflection, except it’s not him in the window. it’s a boy with tanned skin and long, black hair that fell just to his shoulders. they were broad, and he frowns, looking down as he runs a hand down the washboard chest, bare. damn. his eyes catch on a red band looped around his wrist, tied in a sloppy knot. he tugs and it comes loose, unraveling easily, and he hums as he spies a few other colors near the end.

“ace! let’s go!” a voice calls from somewhere deeper in the house, and sabo scrambles to his feet again, dropping the band on the ground. he swivels his head until he spots a uniform hanging from a closet door. it’s nondescript, so he hopes there’s only one school in this small town, else he go to the wrong one.

. . on second thought, with the kid leading him, maybe not.

he patters over to it, pausing once he grabs the hangers to look at his reflection in an actual mirror. oh. okay. so this was actually happening. he was in the body of someone named-

he stops. blinks. no. this had to be a dream, right?

he throws the white shirt over his head, tugging the collar down, and hums to himself in affirment as he works on the pants. right. this was a dream. had to be.

he’s slipping on the jacket when the kid barges in again, comes over, grabs him by the back of the jacket, and begins to shove him out of the room. “now! come on! we gotta go!”

“o-okay,” he voices, marveling at the change in pitch to what he was used to. deeper, slightly. he spies the red band again and lunges for it, tumbling out of the kid’s hold for a moment. “wait,” he breathes, grasping it, and then the kid’s on him again, pushing him towards the door.

“ace!” he whines. “come on!”

“luffy!” a voice calls from somewhere below. they exit the room and sabo spies a figure near the bottom of a staircase. “you’re going to be late!”

“coming!” luffy yells, still pushing him as sabo struggles to get his bearings, still grasping at the change in scenery. he clutches the red band tightly.

ace stumbles from the room, marveling at the change in height. the guy had a few on him, that was for sure. he moves down the hall, passing the simple furnishings until he’s in the frame of the kitchen entry, nose twitching at the smell of stale food.

a woman looks up from her phone at the small table for two, eyeing him for a moment before humming and looking back down. after another moment, she removes herself from the chair, shuffling around some dishes. “what was that shouting about earlier?” she asks, gesturing for ace to take her seat. he does, sliding down and picking up the extra pair of chopsticks.

“uh, nothin’,” ace mutters, mouth already full of leftover food.

“right.” the woman rolls her eyes, but she’s smiling a moment later. “well, i’m out. there should be another train leaving in half an hour. you have until then to get ready.”

“‘kay,” ace mumbles, nodding as she waves and exits the room. a moment later, a door shuts from the end of the hall. ace finishes the food soon after and sighs, setting the chopsticks down.

school, then.

he wanders back into the bedroom and approaches the uniform hanging from the back of a chair. the first issue was getting there, which . .

he glances at the phone. koala would know, right?

but, as soon as he thinks it, he lets the thought go.

he opts to take a picture of the crest stitched to the blazer instead, doing a reverse image search to determine which goa school it belonged to. a result pops up pretty handily, and he hums, putting it into a map. oh. so, it was pretty far. he glances to the window again.

after a moment, he searches the map for the nearest train station. not close either.

. . . his gaze moves back to the window.

ace sighs, slumping where he stood. there was no way he was catching that next train. he’d be lucky if he made it there by noon.

why was city life so hard?

after he’s gotten dressed and grabbed a bag, he stuffs whatever he can think of down into it. phone charger. notebook. wallet. pencil. sketchbook? he blinks, eyeing it for a moment, then shoves it in as well. no harm, right?

he moves back across the apartment and pauses at the mouth of the kitchen, gaze fixed on the small dishes still set out on the table. sighing, he slides the backpack off his shoulder and steps forward. right. there was no gramps to clean them up, so he’d have to do it himself then.

he pauses again after locking the front door, keys halfway shoved into his pocket. he didn’t even know this guy’s name. well, it probably wouldn’t be long until he did, but hopefully it wouldn’t cause any problems.

catching the train is a rush. ace sits in a seat very close to the door, sighing as everything begins to move. while he waits, he takes out the phone again and looks through it, trying to find anything to help him out. he ends up tapping on a social media app, and when the screen loads, hums.

“sabo, huh?” he mutters under his breath. okay. he could work with that.

sabo doesn’t have to worry about luffy guiding him, because they run into some people he apparently should know.

“ace!”

the word is a single, concise syllable, spoken loud and with momentum, and, more importantly, from right behind him. sabo jumps, just about crawls out of his skin, and spins around to see a girl just about his height looking at him funny, lips pursed, and a hand poised to chop his head. he steps back more, glancing over at luffy, who huffs out a sigh.

“i’ll meet you at home,” he says, motioning to a fork in the path ahead. one slopes down, curving a little around the cliffside, and the other continues upward, towards the crest. “whatever’s going on, i hope you’re over it by then.” with another odd glance, luffy tightens his hold on his backpack straps and takes off down the path. sabo is left alone, and turns to watch as a boy approaches the girl, and therefore him, as well, pushing a bike at his side.

“nothing’s going on?” he mutters, even though that’s an obvious lie. whatever he’s doing, he’s doing it wrong.

“are you sure?” the girl says, crossing her arms. “because it looks like you couldn’t even be bothered to brush your hair this morning.”

sabo blinks, reaching up to tug on one of the black strands. he thought it’d been naturally unruly. guess not.

“whatever. let’s go already.” she turns and nods to the other boy, then grabs sabo by the arm and pulls him into a walk alongside them. her eyes turn down and she makes a little noise in the back of her throat. “you brought your ribbon and you’re not even using it?”

sabo glances down as well, spying his impulse grab hanging from his hand. he lifts it. “ribbon?” it didn’t look like it.

the girl shrugs, waving a hand. “might as well be. look, if you didn’t have time to do your hair, you can just say so. but we’re not even there yet. i have a mirror if you need it.”

she fumbles for her bag, searching through it, and then frowns. “nevermind. hey, kidd, you got one?”

“always,” he boasts, passing over a small pocket mirror with ease. sabo takes it, frowning. he looks down and attempts to pat the hair down, and then glances again to the band in his other hand. so, if it functioned like a ribbon . .

well. that made sense.

he hands the mirror back and holds the band in his teeth, using his hands to situate the long black hair. then he grabs the red with one hand and strings it around, until it held the hair in a loose knot. he glances over at the other two after finishing, waiting for approval. the girl shrugs after a moment.

“good enough, i guess.”

sabo sighs out in relief, and then they’re in front of the school and kidd’s parking his bike and something chimes in the far distance. they grab for each of his arms and pull him through the front doors, moving quickly to a classroom. it’s not until they’re inside that he realizes another dilemma. people were still moving in, and there were open seats.

he reaches back to grab the girl’s arm, a small look of panic fixed on his face despite his best efforts. “where do i sit . . ?”

her eyes widen, and she stares at him. and stares. stares.

then, very calmly, she blinks and points to a desk near a window, almost in the corner of the room. sabo just nods, head down, and moves toward it.

ace moves down the hall slowly, still paging through a twitter feed on the phone. there were background shots of a classroom, and it had a high window, which meant the second floor. if only there was a glimpse of a number, then he’d really be set-

“sabo!” a shout echoes down the hall, making ace throw his head up. a redhead marches toward him, looking pissed, and he blanches, turning the phone off and trying to straighten out.

“uh, whatever i did, i can explain,” he says, because ace has always been about resolving conflict. then he mentally slaps himself, because that was the worst possible thing he could’ve said. he didn’t know the first thing about sabo, much less what he did to piss off the girl so much.

“you better!” she huffs, stabbing a finger into his chest. ace takes it with a wince. “ignoring my call like that! how dare you.”

so it was his fault, then. “i thought it was my alarm,” he says quickly. “it went off right after your call. sorry.” okay, so maybe not exactly true, but it would work. he eyes the girl in a new light. so this was koala.

she crosses her arms over her chest. “which one? had to be the ‘you’re late anyway, so hurry up’ one, right? how can you be here at noon?” she sighs. “it’s lunch, for god’s sake!”

“sorry,” ace says again.

her lips purse. “fine. i won’t press. c’mon, it’s stuffy in here, let’s eat outside.”

eat. his expression changes as he realizes. koala glances at him and rolls her eyes.

“you forgot lunch, didn’t you?”

he did, and he’s kinda hungry. he claps his hands together. “please share?”

“you’re lucky i like you,” koala mutters, jerking a door open.

koala insists he come to a cafe with her after school, and ace’s mouth waters at the thought. the closest they had out in fuusha was an old vending machine on top of the crest. inside, it’s crowded with people, but koala squeezes them into a two-seater and props up a menu, then begins rambling about the day. ace tunes her out, eyes widening as he glances at all the pictures. he wanted to try them all.

“that’s a lot of money,” koala comments, and he realizes he’d spoken aloud. ace looks up, then digs in his bag, looking into his wallet. he lets out a sigh.

“yeah, guess you’re right.” he hums, flipping the page and spotting a piece of cheesecake dripping with strawberry sauce. his mouth waters again. “then, i’ll just take this one.”

halfway through their meal, ace’s phone pings. he picks it up carelessly, smiling, too busy enjoying his cake. the text makes him reconsider.

koala pauses in her movements upon noticing his expression. “what’s wrong?”

“i’m late for work,” ace tells her. apparently.

“oh, you had a shift?” she waves him off. “go, then. i don’t mind.”

“yea, thanks.” he stands, pocketing his phone, and stuffs the last of the cake into his mouth in a big bite. koala doesn’t comment.

he walks off a few paces, spins around on his heel, and comes back to tap koala on the shoulder. “uh, where do i work again?”

her brows raise to her hairline.

sabo wakes slowly.

he’s balanced on the edge of the bed, curled up like he doesn’t know there’s supposed to be a drop. it’s jarring, and as soon as his phone begins to vibrate, his body jerks and he’s on the floor, crashed in a heap with the comforter curled around his legs.

with a moderate groan, he reaches up and silences his phone.

the door opens a moment later, as he’s rubbing his head. red hair is his only giveaway before shanks is fully in the room, peering down at him. “whoa there, kid. took a tumble, huh?”

“i’m good,” sabo mumbles, sitting up. he blinks, screwing his eyes to cast the sleep away. “had the strangest dream.”

“let’s talk about it over breakfast, kay?” he jerks a thumb over his head. “makino has it ready.”

makino is already gone, too, apparently, because it’s just him and shanks at the table. it only sits two anyway, so it’s not often all three of them eat together. still.

sabo squints, picking up his chopsticks and trying to recall. “i was some kid living out in a mountain village for a day. had an annoying little brother and everything.”

shanks hums, swallowing his bite of food. “sounds boring.”

sabo snorts. “great, thanks for your input.” he pauses again. “it just . . felt so real.”

later, sabo will go back to his room and pick apart his backpack, confusion on his face for every random item he pulls out. he pauses at one point, hand wrapped loosely around the spine of his sketchbook. definitely didn’t remember taking that out of his room. what did he even draw, he thinks, flipping through to the last filled page-

he stops. his hand trembles. the forgotten page flips over, and the front half of the book hangs limp in the air. he stares at the page.

‘who are you?’ is written there, in big, blocky letters, scratched over and over by a worn pen.

“are you gonna play with your hair again?” luffy asks, entirely unimpressed, as he pulls open the door to ace’s room, looking to his elder brother warily. ace blinks the remaining sleep from his eyes, sits up fully.

“what?”

luffy huffs. “nevermind.” he begins to slide the door shut. “at least you’re up today.”

ace frowns at the comment, then immediately turns to look out the window. the sun was barely peeking out over the edge of the crest, as usual when he woke. he sighs and stumbles to his feet, electing to ignore luffy’s comment.

breakfast with garp is a quiet affair. he eyes ace warily, but doesn’t say anything out of the ordinary, more of the usual. ace has to pull luffy away from the table, again, per usual. he sighs as he closes the front door, wrapping his scarf tighter around his neck. luffy grumbles at his side, wiping rice from the corner of his mouth.

he takes luffy halfway to school, then watches as he runs down the path with zoro and nami, sprinting in a race to see who can reach the grounds first. ace continues up the slope by himself, and doesn’t stop until he’s sliding his classroom door open, tugging his scarf a little looser in the heated environment.

he’s sitting his bag down on his desk when the door slams open, and he turns calmly while a few others jump, entirely expecting this kind of entrance. lami pinpoints him immediately and stalks up to him, kidd not far behind. ace stands at attention, turning to face her-

and makes a noise of protest as she grabs his cheeks, pulling his face closer to hers for easier inspection.

it’s a few tense moments of silence before he frowns, features distorted. “can i help you?” he says, words muffled by the pull of his lips. lami’s frown mirrors his own, and she releases him.

“are you back to normal?” she says, hands on her hips. ace only turns to look at kidd behind her, silently asking for help. the edhead steps up with a muffled snort.

“you were . . weird, yesterday,” he admits. “your hair was a mess, you were all spaced out, you couldn’t remember where you sat-”

“you got all of crocus’ questions right!” lami snaps. “his insanely hard, out-of-thin-air pop questions! you got them all right. answered like it wasn’t even a challenge. like you knew the ins and outs of the material already.” she crosses her arms. “you better not upstage us all again today.”

ace blanches. “what? you’re lying. that’s impossible.” and his hair . . ? he reaches up, fingering the braided cord that held the black locks in a high ponytail.

lami shakes her head. “no, i’m serious. you were weird yesterday.” she echoes kidd’s words and the redhead nods, confirming.

“well, whatever,” he grumbles, turning away, a bit put-out. “i’m fine now. okay? let’s just forget about it.”

the door opens, and in ambles crocus, old hips still in desperate need of replacement. he takes a stand behind the podium and pauses as he finds ace. “hm. portgas.”

ace lifts his chin, eyes narrowing. after a few tense moments, their teacher turns away, looking back down to his papers. everyone finds their seats after that.

‘who are you?’ echoes over and over in sabo’s mind, as much as he can allow it. school is vicious today, the teachers going hard and not leaving anyone a moment’s rest. it’s not until everything is done for the day that sabo can break away, and that’s when koala approaches him, a wary look marring her gaze.

“what’s up with being late yesterday?” her eyes narrow as she comes to a full stop right in front of him. “y’know, if you were gonna show up halfway through the day, why’d you even come at all?”

“late?” sabo blinks. as he could recall, he was here a half hour early, like today, like always.

“yeah.” she huffs. “you were late to work, too. listen, are you feeling better, at least?”

sabo’s hairs begin to stand. “yesterday,” he says, very slowly, “i didn’t have a shift.”

“what?” koala’s eyes begin to ignite. “then you just ditched me? what the hell, sabo!”

“what are you on?” sabo snaps back, trying to make sense of it all. “we were together all afternoon. we split crepes! remember?”

koala’s mouth opens, but she remains silent. her brows scrunch, and the fire dies out. “that was monday,” she recalls.

sabo shrugs, still off-put. “yeah?”

“sabo, it’s wednesday.”

he blinks. blinks again. “no-” he begins, but before he can finish, koala’s whipped her phone out and is showing him the date.

he stands very still. a shiver runs through his body.

“why . . can’t i remember?”

lami and kidd wrangle him away for the afternoon, walking while the bite of the cold wasn’t too bad. unluckily for him, the path they take leads into a head-on collision with one of dragons’ rallies. ace can hear his speech before he sees the crowd, and then he’s hissing to himself in panic, ducking down behind kidd’s lanky form. the redhead scoffs, but doesn’t move.

“i guess it is election time,” lami notes, gaze wandering over.

“wonder why he bothers,” kidd says. “he’s bound to get reelected anyway.”

ace frowns, eyes still facing the ground. he doesn’t want to hear dragon, or see him, but most importantly, he doesn’t want dragon to see him.

a pause in the speech reaches his ears. lami moves closer to the pair. “hey, heads up-” she begins to mutter.

“ace!” dragon calls, and he closes his eyes, jerking to a stop. slowly, his eyes move until he meets his father’s over the heads of the crowd. he doesn’t look very pleased. “straighten out already!” he calls.

ace forces out an exhale and moves out from behind kidd, standing taller. he turns his gaze back to the road and starts moving, quicker this time. he feels dragon’s eyes on him all the while, but what’s more, the eyes of the crowd as they turn to face him, as they turn to witness the town mayor mocking his eldest yet again-

“don’t let him bother you,” lami says, once they’re out of earshot. she turns to kidd, giving him a pointed look. “hey, let’s go to your mom’s shop?”

“diner,” kidd corrects. he frowns, knowing more than anything that it wasn’t a question. but, well, it was still too early for dad to be home. “sure,’ he sighs, giving in. immediately, ace perks up at the prospect of food.

“sacha!” lami calls, just as they burst through the doors. an older woman comes out from the back room, wiping her hands with a towel. her gaze brightens as it lands on the three.

“oh! come in, come in.” she puts her hands on her hips as they all pile into a table. “so, how was school?”

“horrible!” ace groans. “crocus kept asking me all these questions i couldn’t answer. and only me!”

from beside him, kidd snickers. lami pokes ace with her elbow. “it’s because you were a smartass yesterday.”

ace huffs, slumping to the tabletop. “sacha, they’re being mean to me!” he whines. “please, the only thing that can help is food! please feed me!”

sacha rolls her eyes at the act. “sure. whatever you say.” she winks to the other two, already turning towards the back. “i’ll bring some stuff right out.”

“thanks, mom!” kidd calls. lami echoes his words, and then they’re both turning to ace, who’s still slumped against the table.

“hey,” lami says suddenly. “fuck dragon. don’t think about it.”

ace hums, head still buried in his arms.

if only.

sabo has the dream again.

he sets upright, and everything is at a lower angle, and pieces of stiff, black hair fall in front of his eyes. he hums, thinks nothing of it. okay. so it was a do-over dream. maybe he could do better this time.

luffy opens his door with a short bang some time later, and pauses for a moment to eye him with trepidation. sabo cocks his head to face him, but otherwise continues bouncing his newly-acquired black locks. he couldn’t help it -he’d never had hair this long.

“breakfast!” luffy snaps. he closes the door with the same amount of force he’d opened it with, and it hits the frame harshly. sabo’s hand drops from his hair, finally.

breakfast is, unfortunately, not a quiet affair. sabo has to fight over rice, fish, soup -everything, really- until it’s all properly dished out. a little radio in the corner of the room blares out about town hall news, and sabo cocks his head to it as he nibbles on some meat, swiping his chopsticks out to keep Luffy from his rice.

“also, in regards to the upcoming mayoral election-”

garp has already stood up by this point, and pulls the plug on the old machine before the announcer could continue. he comes back to the table in the newly quiet atmosphere, and luffy sets down elbows up on the glass top, sighing.

“you really should make up with him already,” he grumbles. “both of you,” he adds, turning that glare to sabo. sabo only blinks, not knowing the context of the words, and chooses to resume eating in quiet rather than respond.

“it’s an adult problem, kid,” garp grunts, setting down his empty bowl. “go on, now. get ready for school.”

luffy lets out a long-lastings sigh as he throws himself to his feet. “right,” he says, letting the word drag out, and drags himself from the room. sabo sets down his rice bowl after his last bite, nodding to garp.

“thanks for the food,” he mumbles, standing as well. garp grunts, but grabs for sabo before he can pass by completely. sabo pauses, looking over his shoulder.

“don’t forget, the ceremony is in a few days.”

that’s all he says, then he releases sabo. he doesn’t know the context, again, so he just nods and hurries up the stairs back to ace’s room.

the red band isn’t around his wrist this time, and it takes a bit of digging around, but he does find it in a spare drawer. he takes a brush through the thick locks, then binds it into a low ponytail at the base of his neck. if a knot wasn’t right last time, maybe this was. he uses the band in place of an elastic, pulling it tight, and nods once he’s satisfied.

luffy is waiting for him downstairs. he bounces on his feet, using both hands and a loud voice to say bye to their grandpa. sabo just nods, and garp nods back, letting them go.

lami and kidd run into him before the pathway splits, and luffy looks on in indifference until lami has him on her shoulders, and then he’s squealing with delight or annoyance -sabo can’t tell. it only takes a moment for her to set him on the handlebars of kidd’s bike, and the redhead breaks out into a jog, balancing luffy, who does enjoy this one -evident by him throwing his arms over his head and shouting in joy. lami loops sabo’s arm through her own and they follow at their own pace. when the pathway splits, they help luffy down and he waves them off, continuing towards his own school.

sabo finds his seat by the window, but once class starts, he can’t focus. it’s all stuff he’s learned already, so he spends time instead jotting stuff down in a blank page of the notebook. ace’s family was two people. his brother, luffy, and his grandfather. there’s a third person him and ace share in conflict with. he has two close friends, lami and kidd. kidd is the son of a electrical contractor -the guy who controlled all power out here in the town. which, technically speaking, seemed to be out in the middle of nowhere. the high school sat over the ridge, and it was all sabo could see for miles around -that was, nothing but rolling hills.

“portgas,” a voice says gruffly, enough to grate sabo’s ears, and he looks up to find the entire class staring at him. his brows furrow, until he meet the teacher’s gaze, locked on him. sabo swallows, setting down his pen.

“yes?”

crocus lets out an overdue sigh. “nice of you to finally respond. define ‘twilight’ for me.”

sabo blinks, then stands in one clean motion, nodding. “it’s . . a time between night and day,” he finally settles on, unsure of what the man was looking for. he’d gotten all the questions right last time, but they only served to annoy him. and also bring on more questions. sabo wasn’t exactly sure how to respond here to get it right this time.

crocus grins, and sabo feels a little nervousness run about. “not quite what i was looking for.” he gestures with his hand, and sabo sits down, confusion growing.

“‘twilight’ is neither day nor night. it’s a time when the two become blurred. where all the funny stuff happens. afterlight, in other words. right before dusk.”

“what about half-light?” kidd pipes up, hand slightly raised. crocus allows the outburst, humming.

“that’s more local dialect, but, yes.”

sabo lets down his guard again, and goes back to doodling, scribbling notes in the columns.

he finds the diary after school.

it’s a small pocketbook, easily overlooked. call sabo curious, though, for upturning the room. ace is organized, and his small script is neat. reading through the entries doesn’t help, though. sabo sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. guess he had to do this on his own. well, for a do-over dream, he thinks he did rather well. if it happened again, maybe he’d get to finish learning what he only discovered this time around.

he’s settling down on the futon when a stray thought comes to mind. the words ‘who are you?’ scribbled in his sketchbook hit him out of nowhere, and sabo stands on the thin matress, gaze falling to the desk in the corner.

after a moment, he walks over, feet carrying him and hand reaching out for a small marker. he hesitates for a moment, then presses the ink to his skin, writing his name carefully.

sabo jerks awake, head fuzzy. shanks opens his door at the same time, and the blond has a conniption, about doing a front-somersault off the mattress. he lands on the ground in a heap, groaning.

“relax, kid,” shanks says. “it’s just me.”

sabo’s leg twitches. he lies there for a moment, only vaguely thinking about going back to sleep.

“ . . you okay?”

his phone starts ringing and sabo forces himself up to silence it. “fine,” he mutters, waving shanks off. with a shrug, the redhead leaves, closing the door behind him.

sabo’s gaze is fixed to his arm, now that he’s stopped waving it. his brow furrows, and he grasps his right with his left hand, bringing it closer. he squints.

there’s writing scribbled onto the skin. ‘sabo?’ it reads. ‘who are you? what are you?’

it was a dream.

right?

makino frowns at him as he enters the kitchen. “don’t cause trouble today,” she says quietly. sabo blinks, eyes widening and heart racing.

“what? what did i do?” he stammers. she only looks at him again, sighs quietly, and exits the room. down the hall, the front door closes.

“what did i do?” sabo asks koala, who frowns upon spotting him in the hall before class was due to start.

“you got home too late, is my guess,” she muses. “makino called me, y’know. wondering where you were.”

sabo blanches. “did i have a shift?”

“ i think so?” she squints. “you headed off in a hurry. saw something, i guess. are you okay?”

he waves her off. “fine, fine.”

she looks at him for another moment before shoving the door open. “right.”

sabo goes straight home before his shift at the restaurant. on impulse, he flips to the back spread of his sketchbook, where the last note was. his eyes widen.

“i can’t believe i got to stop a real-life goa robbery attempt last night,” he reads. “sorry, i may have gotten scuffed up?” sabo takes a step back, and the sketchbook falls from his hands. it’s loud when it hits the floor. “what the fuck?” he breathes.

he pads over to the mirror, but there’s no marks on his face. without any airs, he strips of his shirt, twisting this way and that. ah. there, on his left side, was a small patch of bruising. luckily for him, it was on his burns, where all the skin was nerve-dead. he couldn’t feel a thing.

suddenly feeling lightheaded, sabo falls to his knees. his right hand comes up to trace the bruising.

“oh, sabo!”

he turns on his heel, empty plates balanced in outstretched hands. robin walks over the last few steps. “yes?”

“thanks for the other night.” she nods. “and for making sure i got home safe. that was really nice of you.”

the pieces connect, rapid-fire, and he works hard to only nod back. “no problem,” he murmurs, then ducks quickly through the door to the back. so, robin was the one almost mugged. she must live pretty far, for him to take her and be back late enough to cause makino to worry. . . . that would also explain the weird looks he received from his other co-workers when he arrived.

sabo sighs, taking a moment to pull his arms on top of his head, open his airway. then he’s poked in the back with a ladle, and his eyes open back up. moment over. he turns to see thatch eyeing him, a lazy grin on his face.

“what’s got you worked up?” he asks. before sabo can even think about not replying to his cheshire grin, zeff is yelling for him from across the kitchen. he moves quickly, picking up dessert trays and swinging out of the room once more.

he gets a text from shanks that has him calling as soon as he’s clocked out, pressing his phone between his shoulder and chin. it takes one ring for the redhead to pick up. “yes?”

“sabo! come straight home today, okay?”

“yeah, got it.” he sighs. “sorry . . about yesterday.”

“nah, don’t worry about it.” shanks pauses, and sabo can picture him physically waving the words off. “i know you didn’t mean harm. still, makino’s a little worried, so do her this favor.”

“got it. see you soon.”

sabo pockets his phone and pulls out his metro card in place of it, stepping fully into the train station. his head is spinning.

it was a dream, right?

ace finds the diary, and it makes him sad before it gives him answers.

so i don’t forget again.

he’s found three, similar, pressed into the back of a crammed bookshelf. all of them have the same title. he finds his fingertips pressing into the burn scar around his eye. was it to do with this? was it all part of the same thing?

the last entries of the diary confirm his worries. sabo wasn’t aware of what was going on. he was slowly realizing it, but slowly was bad for ace, who knew from the first event what was happening.

i’m not dead. we’re switching bodies.

he was switching bodies with sabo triste, a boy his age living out in goa with his two guardians, makino and shanks. ace goes to sleep, and wakes up as sabo; he’d spent more time as the blond this week than he had himself.

‘stop writing in my sketchbook!!!’ is written right under his script on the same page, and ace traces the words carefully. he takes a pen and writes, right underneath, ‘surely one page is okay.’

he hesitates, then he writes, out to the side - ‘it’s not a dream.’

it can’t be a dream anymore.

#saboace #SaboAceWeek2019P2 #acesabo #one piece #writing #iye/lme #i had this out but it didnt show up in the tags and im not copying all my tags so #theyre gone #not that they were impt but theyre gone now

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saltywithsarcasm · 5 years

Note

When I was a freshman, I had a senior neckbeard who was creepy asf- always insisted on walking me home and being very touchy even though I was uncomfortable, followed me around, tried to catfish me while pretending to be my crush online even though I never told him about my crush. He acted like he was better than me bc he was a dude, def the know-it-all type and friends with some of my friends so I couldn’t really avoid him. I know how it can be,, so YEAH I GET UR POSITION. Love you Salty! 💕

I have a whole story about a neckbeard I ran into and now I don’t trust them.

It all started back in 2017 when me, my sister and a couple of our friends went to a convention together, we were all pretty excited and ready to put on our cosplays that we’ve been working all year on.

The first day of the con was great, we were all having a fun time, eating junk from food trucks, staying up late with other cosplayers at panels and we even got to meet an actor from the Anime, Black Butler. It was going pretty well.

The second day was when we met him.

I can’t really remember what cosplay I was wearing at the time but I know this guy was cosplaying a character from the same fandom and he came up to me wanting a photo which I agreed to since that’s what people did at conventions.

After the photo was taken, me and my friend went along our business. I remember going to the artists alley afterwards because I wanted to see if they had any prints that I could hang up on my wall back at home. I remember buying this cute cat-bat plush and a few posters drawn by some local artists, even followed them on their social media so I could be updated what to look forward to next year.

Later that day we all met up and hauled all our junk back to the room, pretty tired from all the activities they had that day and decided to change into comfortable clothes. I got change into my pjs pretty quickly and wanted to go down to the food court to get something to eat so I went ahead down by myself while the others were still changing out of their cosplays.

Since we were in the third floor, I had to take an elevator which took forever to wait on but eventually it came up to my floor and to my dismay, there was a guy by himself inside. Not to be mean, I’m just not a really people-person and was already socially exhausted from being at the con all day but I didn’t want to wait for the elevator again so I got in and hit the floor button.

Instantly after the doors close this guy is asking about the con, if I was having fun, if I dressed up, who was I cosplaying. All the sort of stuff, which was understandable because people have a great time at conventions so I answered him, turns out he was the guy who asked me for a photo earlier that day and we thought it was pretty cool that we bumped into each other again. We chatted for a bit until he arrived at the second floor.

After that I just went to the food court and got something to eat, sister and my friends came down shortly after that and we brought our food back to the room to watch Yuri on Ice for the night.

The guy didn’t cross my mind for the rest of the con, not until it was over and we went home, running into him at our local supermarket. Turns out he lived in our hometown as well, which we thought was pretty cool. Made a new friend who was into the same fandoms we liked, cosplayed and lives in town. Pretty cool, huh?

We started hanging out after, playing dnd and even did stuff like hanging out at the mall. Pretty much everything normal friends did.

It wasn’t until a few months later, he started to get on everyone’s nerves because turns out, he was whiny, wanted everyone to pity him but also wanted all of us to worship the ground he stood on like he was sort of protagonist from an anime.

Even started to telling us who we should cosplay and how we should cosplay for the next con, even told my sister she shouldn’t go as a character she liked because he already planned to.

It was really obnoxious and though we did still hung out, we didn’t as much as we used to.

After that, on one of our barely rare occasions we did hang out with him again, I remember him telling me about his new girlfriend and about her moving in with him soon, me telling him that it was pretty cool and even congratulated them. Then he asks me if I’m seeing anyone, I told him my sexual orientation and yes, I was single but wasn’t really looking for a relationship, even had to tell him before I only liked him as a friend when I noticed he started being overly friendly towards me early on; I was happy being single and didn’t really have any intentions of changing that anytime soon.

I don’t really like repeating myself but I know a few people tend to like to flip these sort of things onto the victims and sympathize with the guys by claiming “you should have just told him you weren’t interested or you were leading him on”.

Oh no, it was nothing like that. I already told him I wasn’t interested in him earlier on, he knew that I didn’t like him like that because I flat out told him.

Later that night I was scrolling through Facebook and came across a post the guy shared, a photo stating “share if you have no problem dating a person with this sexuality” or something like that. I thought this was really strange considering I told him only hours ago and not to mention, he told me that he was moving in with his new girlfriend.

It was a red flag and I remember texting my sister about it shortly after. She replies rather quickly, telling me she felt weird vibes from him too, even mention that he was a little too touchy-feely with her while we played dnd, like trying to put his arm around her or his hand on her thigh. She told me she told him to stop and would swat his hand away.

There was even one time he wanted to get drunk at our house while we played dnd and I kind of felt like it was just an excuse so he could stay a night at our place, we told him no; In which he replies we should get drunk at his place, we told him no again because I wasn’t born yesterday and could see his shady intentions from a mile away.

It only got worse from there, weeks later some of his coworkers started approaching me and my sister when they saw us in public and told us some of the things he was saying about us, things you wouldn’t say about your “friends” and the most creepy part was that they told us that he liked us both and want to date me and my sister as “a set”.

We were repulsed by this, so we didn’t hang out him anymore after that.

I really wish I could say that was the end of it but it wasn’t.

Though we quit hanging out with him, he would keep messaging us wanting to hang out more. I came up with more or less excuses like I was busy with some of my art projects or I’d just tell him I didn’t want to hang out with him.

I didn’t even see him until a few months afterwards when I was hanging with another guy friend, my best friend name, lets call him Keith for now.

Me and Keith had just finished a all horror movie marathon, which pretty much all we ever did when I hung out at his house but we were getting pretty hungry and decided to go get some food at the restaurant nearby.

It was a pretty big restaurant and was a little busy but thankfully there was nobody at the register so we both went up to take our order, me first because Keith was deciding what he wanted to eat.

It wasn’t until after we got our food that I noticed the creepy dude was even there because Keith told me some guy was staring at us awfully hard. It was eerie so we left and went back to his house to eat.

Hours later I get a message on Facebook from the guy, asking about who I was with and basically demanding to know what our relationship was.

I told him it was none of his business but he wouldn’t let it go so I told him Keith was my best friend and left it at that, I didn’t reply anymore because it wasn’t any of his concern who I was with and I just didn’t want to talk to him anymore.

None of us spoke to him much even when we saw him in public and he tried to speak with us; we were all just done with him and he just wouldn’t take the hint.

Few months later the conversation was coming up again, so I spent most of my time working on my cosplay and listening to music and unfortunately when we went to the con, he was there too.

We didn’t let this bother us though, we were all having a fun time like we normally did when we went to these things, people came up to us complimenting our outfits and chatted with us; we all almost forgot he was there.

That is until on night there, me and a friend were just sitting in the bar area in our pjs while everyone else went to either a panel or the rave. We were talking and showing each other what we had bought from artist alley until my friend was glancing behind me and I turn but I didn’t see what she was looking at until I noticed the fucking creep staring down at us from a balcony; we got up and moved out of his line of vision, pretending not to notice him.

At some point, one of our other friends met up with us and we told her about it. It was creepy but still, we didn’t let it ruin our night and we all just decided to go to rave to hang out with the others.

When the music got too loud, me and the friend who was spending time with me at the bar before decided to go back to our room for the night but on our way there, we ran into him. He was wanting to hang out but we told him we were heading in for the night and he tries to follow along, wanting to find out where our room was and wanting to come inside.

We rushed back, ignoring him.

After the con, his girlfriend starts messaging me, telling me she broke up with him and told me some of the most fucked up, creepiest shit he’s said about wanting to do to me, her and my sister.

I was beyond furious, never wanted to hurt someone so badly in my life and it only got worse when she told me about the photos.

Apparently while we were all still friends, he would sneak photos of me while I was leaning down to play with the cat, pictures I hadn’t even known about until she told me. She even showed me them, they weren’t made up, I saw them.

I blew up, messaging him over Facebook messager, screaming at him and calling him out on every creepy bullshit he’s pulled on us for the past year and of course, he has the nerve to deny it all and blame the photos on his ex, claiming she did it for blackmail because they had a bad break up.

I’m not fucking stupid, we hadn’t hung out with him for months and the only time they could have been taken was before this bad break up.

Not going to lie, she was over a few times but the ex was an air head; no way she could have been smart enough to want to plan blackmail ahead before anything went south between them; so I knew the whole “she did it to make me look bad” was bullshit but to play it safe, I cut them both out of my life.

Put them both in a group chat and told them that I was done and couldn’t trust either of them, I blocked them both. Someone did take a picture of me without my knowledge or consent; I felt violated and I’m pretty fucking sure I know which one of them it was.

I don’t talk to either of them anymore but to my inconvenience, I still do see pathetic excuse of a human being time to time.

Hopefully he’s smart enough to keep his distance from me but then again; he wasn’t smart enough to tell the difference between flirting and rejection.

Don’t ever force yourself to spend time with people who make you uncomfortable and to all those who go to cons, please be careful because even if you meet new people and they seem pretty cool, you don’t really know them and they can turn out to be a predator.

This person gave me severe trust issues.

#there’s a lot more that he’s done but I don’t want to talk about it #salty replies #personal life stuff #long post #saltywithsarcasm #tw neckbeard

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vitanes · 5 years

Text

say it’s okay when it’s not

chapter 12: the beginning of the search

Lucas confronts his feelings about what Daphne has done, finds new resolve and reaches interesting gay conclusions.

(a/n: does anyone remember this fic. i only have 4 exams left. the next chapter will be up in 2 weeks and after that we go back to the regular updates!)

“What?”

Lucas feels his knees giving out under him and he takes a step away from Daphne. She uselessly reaches a hand towards him but refrains from touching him when Lucas flinches away.

It feels like his whole world is crumbling down. Lucas is running out of breath, his skin feels itchy and hot, too hot.

“It was you? All those months?” he asks, his voice breaking. His eyes meet Daphne’s and there’s so much guilt in her gaze Lucas could drown. He gasps.

“No,” she claims, her whole face scrunched up. “I only took the pictures. I forgot about them until they were leaked. I swear I wasn’t blackmailing you,” she says, her voice thick with emotions. She stomps for emphasis.

“Someone made you do this? Why would you–“

Daphne cuts in.

“I was drunk and I saw you. I wasn’t thinking, I just snapped the pictures. I have no idea how they got out. Please, believe me. I wouldn’t do something like that to you,” she pleads, desperation clear in her voice. “Someone must have taken hold of my phone. I was so wasted that night.”

Lucas swallows the lump that has formed in his throat. “Why should I believe you?” he asks coldly. He knows that Daphne couldn’t have possibly stopped everything that has happened by telling him, but she had no right in taking those pictures. Essentially, if she hadn’t, this whole mess wouldn’t have happened.

“I may not be the best person but I wouldn’t blackmail someone,” she replies.

“But you took the pictures, no?” That shuts her up quickly. She has no answer to that, can only look at Lucas, hoping that he will forgive her. Tough luck because his ribs are still aching and he can’t stop waking up from nightmares. He isn’t in the best mood to forgive. Not for something like that. “You just want me to pat you on the back, say it’s not your fault, but the person’s who stole the pictures. But it is your fault. And you didn’t even tell me shit. I don’t hate you, Daphne, but I don’t like you very much either,” he spits out, his hands trembling. He can’t keep looking at her, he simply can’t or he will explode even more than he already has.

Lucas doesn’t let her say anything else, too tired of her shit and shakily walks out of the room. He has no idea what to do now. Should he tell someone? Keep it to himself? It’s too much, too fucking much to handle now. He wishes that she had at least said something useful instead of only making it worse. For example, that she had known who exactly stole the pictures.

Fuck.

He kicks a nearby wall and curses under his breath.

***

After his confrontation with Daphne, he’s got a couple of texts from her, all of them consisting of varying I’m sorry’s and what can I do’s. Lucas has left them unanswered, too pissed off to think of something better than a fuck off. He’s also got some worried messages from his other friends, asking about where the hell he’s disappeared – after all he skipped on the last two lessons. Lucas reassured them that everything is okay, but hasn’t provided any further explanation. He doesn’t want to say it. Not yet. As much as he’s angry at Daphne, he isn’t sure he wants to be the cause of their group splitting. Just because she’s done him dirty, doesn’t mean he’s an asshole, too.

At the same time, though, it’s hard to keep it in. That’s why he asks Eliott to hang out on Saturday. Eliott knows Daphne for the shortest time and for some reason it just feels right to confide in him. Lucas knows his go-to should be Yann and he is, but there’s something that tells Lucas things would blow up after that. Or maybe he simply wants to go to Eliott. No reason needed. Sometimes he isn’t quite sure there’s any logic behind his actions.

The moment he sees Eliott, he feels lighter. Eliott sends his way a wide grin while he’s approaching the bench Lucas is sitting on and then he plops down next to him.

“So what’s up?” Eliott asks, giving Lucas a look. Lucas huffs.

“Does something need to be up for me to ask you to hang out?” Lucas replies and hopes that the answer is no, that Eliott doesn’t think he’s convenient only when he’s needed. That’s not true at all.

“No, but you know, considering you disappeared on us it’s safe to assume that something happened,” Eliott says, knocking his elbow into Lucas’, as if sensing his insecurities.

Lucas sighs and licks his bottom lip before speaking, “Daphne took pictures of me and that guy.”

He can feel Eliott tense next to him and he glances at him. First, he looks confused as hell, his eyebrows furrowed but then another emotion takes over his face. Lucas perfectly knows this one. It’s anger.

Eliott lets out a bitter laugh. “Quite a bomb you just dropped on me. I wouldn’t expect her to do something like that.”

Lucas snorts. Well, Daphne being drunk and not respecting people’s privacy isn’t that uncommon. She’s tactless. “For some fucking reason, she wanted to have photos of me kissing a boy. And never said a thing. She wasn’t the one to blackmail me, but it’s still fucked up, isn’t it?” Lucas asks, trying to hide his uncertainty. What if Eliott says he’s blowing things out of proportion? He needs a confirmation that he was rightfully mad at Daphne.

“Yeah. Like, even if you were out and proud she wouldn’t have the right to do that unless you gave her permission. Let alone in this situation,” Eliott says and there are still traces of disbelief in his voice.

“And she’s never even told me a thing. It took someone beating me up for her to come clean,” Lucas mumbles, carding his fingers through his hair. Other than anger, he feels utter disappointment. No matter how unbearable Daphne tends to be, he still considered her a friend. “And so I didn’t want to face anyone yesterday. No guys and God forbid, any of the girls. How can I go and tell them our dear friend fucked me over? I still don’t want to,” he admits quietly, his fingers toying with the hem of his jacket.

“Why did you decide to tell me?” Eliott asks and Lucas looks up at him. The apples of Eliott’s cheeks are tinted pink. It’s a little chilly today, that must be the reason. Lucas’ fingers flex when a stray strand of hair falls into Eliott’s eyes.

“You’re different,” Lucas says, his voice raspy.

Eliott turns towards him and their eyes meet. There’s something bashful in his gaze. “How so?”

Lucas gulps, feeling like they stepped off the track, into another territory. Far away from the topic of the earlier conversation.

Lucas tries to feign nonchalance and shrugs. He can’t really name it. “I don’t know,” he simply says.

Eliott’s thigh pressing against his feels warm.

***

The thing is, Lucas has wanted to find out who the blackmailer was ever since he got the first text. He’s spent hours upon hours wondering who can have a personal vendetta against him. Who would go this far just to destroy him? But the shit kept piling up on his plate, there were no hints indicating who it could be and he’d have developed paranoia than found the culprit. So he stopped. But what Daphne has told him, awoke in him the need for search once again.

He knows it’s not someone who actively took the pictures, but stumbled across them on Daphne’s phone. Someone who had access to her phone, even if for a moment. Which isn’t a lot but still more than Lucas has ever had on this person.

There’s also one more thing that has been bothering Lucas. If it’s not personal, did this person contact the guy he kissed, too? If so, does he know something more?

Lucas knows these leads are too vague and shitty, but he isn’t a professional investigator, but a sixteen-year-old desperately wanting to know the truth.

Considering Lucas met the guy at two different parties, he connects the dots and reaches the conclusion that there is no way none of his friends wouldn’t have him somewhere on their social media.

He spends around two hours tracing the guy and jumps through at least two different social media platforms, but eventually, he manages it. God, if only he had had the same resolve after their make-out session. He could have a boyfriend now.

Lucas scrolls through a couple of the boy’s pictures, just to make sure it’s him. Thank God he met him twice. He wouldn’t be able to recognise him from the memory of his lips only. Lucas was drunk and there wasn’t a lot of light. The second time definitely got engraved in his mind, though. Also, the boy is cute. Lucas can see why he wanted to kiss him. But he isn’t sure it was worth all the mess that followed.

He feels weird, typing out the message. He doesn’t know the dude and their last encounter was less than pleasant. He can only hope the guy doesn’t hold grudges.

Then, right before sending the text, Lucas realises that this boy may not even remember him and is filled with a sudden wave of embarrassment. Maybe he shouldn’t bother?

Lucas shakes his head. This may be a lead to the blackmailer.

Hey, I don’t know if you remember but we made out at a party once. Ik its weird reaching out to you dw no hidden motives but I was blackmailed and outed bc someone took pics of us kissing. I just wanted to ask if they tried to get to you too

Lucas hits send and lets out a heavy sigh, his heart hammering in his chest. He thinks he managed to sound okay. He made it clear that he didn’t stalk the guy he once kissed but had important business. Now, the hope lays in the possibility that this boy isn’t a complete jerk.

He keeps staring at the nearly empty chat for a few minutes, hoping to get the reply soon. Anticipating it strongly. But by the time around five minutes have passed, his nerves have calmed down and there’s still no answer, he deflates. Maybe the guy isn’t online. Lucas should occupy himself with something else. He can’t just keep glaring at his phone.

Lucas does the unexpected and busies himself with homework, groaning loudly when he realises just how far behind he is. After trying – and failing – he moves onto other tasks. He gathers his laundry, cleans up his room and goes to the living room where Lisa is napping and Mika is watching something on the TV. Lucas is glad Manon isn’t there because he still hasn’t figured out how to act around the girls with the Daphne issue.

Lucas tries to get into whatever is on the TV to no avail. He’s too distracted. Mika keeps sending him annoyed looks when he notices just how jittery Lucas is.

“Just what exactly has got into you?” he asks after Lucas can’t keep still for one minute.

“I’m waiting,” he says vaguely, sending Mika an apologetic smile. Mika raises one of his eyebrows and his eyes fall on Lucas’ hands that he entwined to stop them from moving.

“Something good?”

“We’ll see,” Lucas replies and stands up. He deliberately left his phone back in his bedroom as not to check it every few seconds and now he regrets it. Mika doesn’t say anything to him, only watches him with curiosity.

Lucas is glad, it’d be hard to explain what is going on.

Much to his disappointment, there isn’t any notification from the guy and the message still hasn’t been read. Lucas pouts and goes to the kitchen to eat something.

After that, he still manages to do a few things that keep him occupied. By the time it’s evening, he’s already lost all the hope and is watching videos on YouTube when his phone vibrates with the new notification.

He jumps in place and clicks on the communicate so hard it’s a miracle he hasn’t left a dent in the screen.

hey hey yeah I remember I remember everyone who rejected me jksfjds but no no one has texted me man that sucks. are you okay?

Lucas purses his lips into a thin, tight line. It’s hard to hide his disappointment. Why was only he targeted by the blackmailer? Maybe because his face was the most visible in the pictures, but still. Could it be that the blackmailer knows him, but not the boy he kissed? So maybe it was personal. After all, they had Lucas’ number. Unless they stole that from Daphne, too.

He clicks his tongue, rereading the reply. He blushes, yes, he did reject him. It was out of fear, but the fact stands – a boy wanted to kiss him again and Lucas said no. They are basically strangers but Lucas still wants to apologise for that. Considering the boy’s question, should he be honest? Or brush it off and say it’s fine?

Sorry for rejecting you I wasn’t in the best place then Ugh so I guess I’m out of leads again altho I’m glad I was the only one targeted I’m getting better but had some troubles

Lucas figures out that reply is okay. He isn’t pouring his heart out, but isn’t exactly pretending nothing has happened. They talk for a little while and Lucas thinks, it’s nice. The guy tells him that if Lucas ever needs something he can hit him up and despite the fact that Lucas hasn’t got much that would help him with the blackmailer, he doesn’t feel that defeated. Quite the contrary, there is a lot of resolve in him.

He will find out who ruined his life, one way or another.

***

“Hi, mom. How is it going?” Lucas asks, toeing his shoes off. He nods at Mika as he’s crossing the distance to his room and is met with a grin.

“Everything’s fine, but my neighbour. Oh, God. She’s so obnoxious and keeps singing opera. I can’t stand her,” his mom complains, heaving out a loud sigh. Lucas snorts as he enters his bedroom and goes straight for his bed.

“Have you tried asking her to tone it down?” he suggests, staring at his ceiling.

The school was hard today. He had a test he was pretty much unprepared for and the problem with Daphne has been gnawing at him all the time. He still isn’t sure whether he should let the others know. Isn’t that an issue between the two of them? Besides, if he makes this fact known, people will start picking sides. He isn’t that worried about the boys, but the girls? They will be divided. And hanging out together will become troublesome. God, at this point Lucas regrets she’s even told him.

“Are you there?”

Lucas snaps out of his thoughts. “Yeah, yeah, I’m listening,” he blurts out.

“Then what was I saying just now?”

Lucas opens his mouth to reply, searching his brain for an answer but comes up blank. “Okay, I lost it.” His mom huffs.

“I said that yes, I did ask her but she said it helps in her therapy.”

“That’s… unfortunate,” Lucas says dumbly.

“Okay, I can hear you thinking all the way from there. What’s on your mind?”

Lucas sits up abruptly. “Let’s say you get caught kissing a boy by someone and they blackmail you for months and then out you. You’re in a big, supportive friend group. Then, one of the girls comes to you and tells you she snapped the pictures that were later used to give you hell. Do you tell the rest?” Lucas says all in one breath.

His mom hums thoughtfully. “Oddly specific,” she states sarcastically and makes Lucas chuckle. “Does no one else know?”

“I told Eliott because I couldn’t deal with it alone,” Lucas says. He still isn’t sure why exactly he chose Eliott and not Yann. He kind of feels like he betrayed his best friend. Maybe he should at least tell him?

“You two have sure grown close. Didn’t you start off as enemies?” she asks, not really answering Lucas’ question. He falls back on his pillow and puts his forearm over his eyes.

“It was me being a jealous prick and him trying to become my friend. I’ve matured,” Lucas declares. He can’t really tell his mom they smoke weed together and that’s how Lucas’ animosity died down. “So what would you do?”

“It’s a tough situation. In the ideal scenario, she would come clean by herself. Own up to her mistakes. But I suppose it’s not happening?”

“I doubt it.”

“If not telling bothers you this much, you should let the closest people know. It’ll take some weight off your shoulders.”

“I thought you’d tell me something about how I should forgive her because Jesus said so,” Lucas jokes. He knows he shouldn’t mix his mom’s religious beliefs up with this but he can’t help it. It’s what he’s used to.

“Well, forgiveness should happen only if you really forgive someone and I don’t think you feel like doing it. She caused you so much pain, even if indirectly. Sometimes, you should be allowed not to forgive,” his mom says quietly and Lucas wonders if she’s ever forgiven his father. If she struggles with it because she is supposed to forgive, but everything bad that’s ever happened overshadows it. “I love God and Jesus, but sometimes I disagree. I’m only human and can’t forgive every single person. Neither should you,” she adds after a minute or two.

Yeah, Lucas doesn’t think he could do it even if he wanted to. That wound runs too deep.

“Thank you, mom,” he says, clutching the phone in his palm.

“I hope it helped a bit.”

“It did.” He smiles under his nose and drags a hand down his face. “Ah,” he perks up, “I’ve decided to go to the police. About the beating up. But I’ll need an adult. Will you go with me?” he asks. Lucas hopes his mom will agree, otherwise he’d have to ask his father and it’s the last thing he wants to do. It took him a lot to even make this decision.

Arthur was delighted when Lucas told him about it and promised to go with him. Lucas still isn’t sure about it, but he thinks that if he doesn’t stand up now, he never will. He’s also going to ask whether the blackmail thing could be reported as well – after all, he’s got the whole proof of the crime, just not the criminal.

“Of course, Lucas. Just let me know when.”

“Friday? I’ll send you more details later.”

“Okay.”

***

Lucas is scribbling down an answer when a certain thought comes to his mind. He steals a glance at Imane. She seems very engrossed in the task, as should he. Too bad he’s going to interrupt her.

He taps her with his pencil and her eyes shoot up to his face, her expression exasperated.

“Yes?”

Lucas scratches the sides of his neck with the end of his pencil, trying to find the correct words. “I know it’s hard to remember but have you ever been at a party and Daphne was really fucking wasted?” he asks, realising halfway through just how dumb he sounds. He doesn’t want to tell Imane the truth per se, but he has the subtlety of an elephant and he isn’t sure whether he’s able to pull it off without letting anything slip out.

“Literally every single party since I’ve known her,” Imane deadpans.

“The party right before you all started working on the common room and we became partners?” He hopes that will ring the bell. Lucas doesn’t even know if Imane was at that party, but it’s safe to assume that since Daphne was, Imane could have been as well.

She frowns and tilts her head to the side. “What about it?”

“Do you remember anything?” he asks, hoping his tone masks his emotions well.

“Not really? Not anything specific. Why?”

“It was the party the pictures were taken at. I guess the blackmailer was present,” Lucas explains, resigned and goes back to his exercise. If he doesn’t want to go into any more details, he should stop there. Imane has a way of figuring things out.

“And it’s connected to Daphne? How?” Yup, there it is.

Lucas sighs. “Drop it,” he mutters. He thought that if something remarkable had happened then, involving someone else, then he’d have a lead. He needs to narrow down the suspects, otherwise he can as well accuse the entirety of Paris.

Lucas is aware his search is long postponed, that he should have done it when everything was much fresher, but the thing is, sometimes he lacks rational thinking. Back then he was also really fucking terrified and was on the verge of becoming paranoid. As of now, he’s able to reflect on things with a clear mind.

“Lucas,” Imane starts warningly and Lucas looks towards her once again. There’s concern in her eyes and that’s the last thing he wanted to cause. She has already spent enough time worrying about him, there is no need in adding up more of it.

“Doesn’t matter. Really,” he assures her, putting on a smile.

“You can’t just start something and then not tell me. What did Daphne do?” Imane asks, scowling at him.

“Quiet. You’re supposed to be doing your exercises, not chatting up your partner. There are breaks for that,” the teacher butts in and Lucas nods vigorously, going back to his notebook. He was saved this time. Small mercies, even if the expression on Imane’s face he can see out of the corner of his eye is telling him they’re not finished.

Imane’s next words only confirm it. “When this class is over, we’re talking.”

Unfortunate because as soon as the bell rings, Lucas is out of the classroom so quickly it’s a miracle he doesn’t trip over his own feet.

***

Eliott has hands. That’s an observation Lucas makes watching Eliott play with a rubber band during lunch on Thursday. Eliott is doing it subconsciously, while he is talking with the rest. His movements are swift. He’s already finished his meal and Lucas has no clue where the rubber band came from, but he’s fascinated by the fingers stretching it out or twirling it around.

Lucas isn’t eating anymore, just idly dragging his fork around the remnants on his plate. He’s got his head propped up on his palm and every once in a while he lets out a sigh.

Eliott has hands and Lucas would know since he touched them on countless occasions. More than once he held them in his own. How come has he never paid much attention, though? The fingers are slender and Eliott’s nails seem pristine. From only looking, one could assume they are rough and calloused, but Lucas remembers clearly that’s not the case. They are soft and gentle.

Big, too.

Lucas sighs again and reaches out for his soda. He takes a sip and from the corner of his eye notices Arthur watching him. Lucas glances at him and arches an eyebrow but Arthur only shakes his head and waves him away. Lucas shrugs and places his drink back on the table. His eyes jump back to Eliott. He’s stopped fiddling with the rubber band. It’s around his left wrist now. His fingers are tapping on the table.

Tap, tap.

Lucas’ eyes slide up and pause at Eliott’s throat. Its muscles are moving as Eliott keeps talking and laughing. Lucas gulps and lets his eyes wander higher, right to Eliott’s lips.

Eliott’s got pretty lips. This makes Lucas remember a certain embarrassing dream he pushed very deep into the back of his mind and he takes his eyes off Eliott’s lips just as quickly as they settled there. It seems like entering into dangerous territory. Better not feed Lucas’ imagination with any imageries.

He ends up on Eliott’s eyes and finds them looking right back at him.

Lucas sits up straighter, feeling his whole body flush with warmth.

Eliott smiles at him and Lucas, trying to play it cool, grins back. He’s just been caught red-handed staring at Eliott. Lucas wants to die.

He keeps his grin for the few seconds that Eliott’s gaze stays on him and right after Eliott moves his attention to Basile, Lucas’ expression drops and it takes all of his willpower not to hide his face in his hands.

What the fuck. He must be so red. He knows he is, he can feel his cheeks burning. His heart beating rapidly in his chest isn’t helping either. God.

“So we need to take care of that mural,” Basile says and Lucas thanks heavens there is something to ground him so he won’t lose his shit. He can’t freak out if he has to take part in a civil conversation, right?

“Do we?” Eliott asks and every single one of them looks at him with confusion. His shoulders draw up.

“Weren’t you the one who was the most excited about it?” Arthur raises an eyebrow at Eliott.

“People change,” Eliott says matter-of-factly. “Why even bother?”

“You know, it’s the common room. Unity, friendship, respect. Daphne really cares about it,” Yann replies, shrugging.

Eliott clicks his tongue. “Oh, yeah, because Daphne is all about friendship and respect,” he lets out bitterly.

Eliott is still pissed off on Lucas’ behalf. For some reason it makes Lucas’ heart flutter.

“Um, did something happen?” Yann asks, frowning.

Eliott briefly glances up at Lucas before moving his gaze to some neutral area. “I just don’t really care much about what’s important to Daphne, that’s all.”

Lucas could kiss him right now.

(Platonically, of course.)

“Dude, what happened? Didn’t you have so many ideas for it?” Basile chimes in.

“I still like this whole concept. Just not Daphne,” Eliott replies calmly. It’s apparent that the guys have no idea what to think about Eliott’s behaviour. He doesn’t show animosity towards anyone, he was the nicest guy even when Lucas acted like a dick towards him. No wonder the boys are this shocked, especially since Eliott got really involved in this thing.

“But did she do something? I know Daphne can be a lot but why be this harsh?” Arthur asks and Yann nods while Basile lets out a ‘yeah’.

Eliott seems uncomfortable and he fidgets in his seat. He doesn’t look like he wants to take his words back, but his pose screams anxious. He isn’t even making any eye-contact with them. Lucas curls his hand into a fist.

“Daphne took the pictures that the blackmailer used against me,” Lucas says and sees how the tension seeps off Eliott in an instant. He was fighting for Lucas’ sake and probably didn’t expect Lucas to say anything, but Lucas couldn’t leave him alone.

“No way,” Basile says after a few beats of awkward silence.

“You’re shitting us, right?” Arthur adds, his tone baffled.

Lucas shakes his head. “I wish. She told me last Friday,” Lucas mutters and looks towards Yann. The realisation flashes across his face and he nods. He must remember the exact moment Daphne asked Lucas to stay. “She didn’t blackmail me, but still. If not for her, I wouldn’t be in this shit. I only told Eliott, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to make things worse for her by telling anyone else so,” he explains weakly and looks over their faces.

“No wonder Eliott was this angry,” Basile comments and Lucas bites down on his bottom lip.

Eliott is the only one he initially told about it and then Eliott showed his solidarity without letting anything on to the boys. Lucas wonders how it all looks to them. He hopes they don’t feel like he doesn’t trust them.

Arthur groans and threads his fingers through his hair. “That situation is fucked up. And we still promised to paint that damn mural to the girls. Fuck.”

“At this point, I don’t want to have anything to do with Daphne either,” Yann says, displeasure painted all over his face.

Yeah, they’ll have to work around it somehow.

***

Lucas is dreading the last bell on Friday, but when it does ring and he gets out of the classroom to see Arthur waiting for him, his nerves calm down, if only a little. He decided it was his and Arthur’s thing to do, kind of symbolic to their bond, and so the other guys simply told them to let them know how it goes.

The case is known to the police but Lucas will still have to talk about everything that happened, revisit painful memories and he’s so scared. He feels like he’s seven again and the fact his mom will be there is the only thing that makes him step forward.

Arthur keeps brushing Lucas’ arm every now and then and Lucas figures out it’s his way of showing support without words. Lucas is glad since he isn’t sure anything verbal would help him at the moment anyway.

“Hey, I have a question. You don’t have to say anything, though it’ll be an answer in itself,” Arthur says suddenly and Lucas frowns at him.

“Yeah?” Lucas’ palms get even clammier than they’ve been before.

“Do you have a crush on Eliott? Or like, are you guys together?” Arthur asks, his cheeks getting pink.

Lucas misses a step but recovers quickly and continues walking. “No? Why are you asking?” For him, that question doesn’t make sense. Eliott is the one crushing.

Arthur chuckles and shrugs one of his shoulders. “It would explain a lot. Like, I don’t know, I was just thinking that you hating him back then might have been some sort of pulling at his ponytails thing. Like middle schoolers do. And you are so close now. You even tell him things before us. Besides, I saw you staring at him a lot. So it got me thinking. I guess I was wrong, yeah?” he asks, stealing a glance at Lucas. He looks embarrassed now. To the point, he probably can’t see the bewilderment on Lucas’ face.

God, Arthur noticed Lucas staring at Eliott. Way to go, Lucas, way to go.

Lucas lets out a nervous chuckle and shakes his head. “We just get along, that’s all,” he says, gazing at the pavement.

“I see. Sorry for jumping to conclusions. I suppose my disillusioned ass just sees things it wants to see,” Arthur jokes.

“Why would you want to see me and Eliott together?” Lucas asks and realises too late that it’s a bad question. Something deep inside Lucas tells him that he shouldn’t want to know the answer.

“It’s not about you two, but like, I’m gay so I want to see some gay love, you get me? And I think you two could be cute together. Sorry if it sounds weird. I just thought I saw something that wasn’t there,” he says, sending Lucas an apologetic smile. “Anyways, we’ve arrived,” he adds, abandoning the topic and nods straight ahead.

Indeed, Lucas can see the police station and the silhouette of his mom standing by the entrance.

Lucas clenches his jaw. He can do it.

#elu #elu fic #elu fanfic #skam france #skam france fic #skam france fanfic #lucas x eliott #eliott demaury #lucas lallemant

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heywritersblock · 5 years

Text

generation why: g.d

a high school/best friend grayson au (bc who doesn’t want best friend!gray)

~2500 words

get in your car and laugh til we both turn blue

the day has been long and exhausting; between lesson after lesson with no free period and spending your break times in the library studying, your brain feels just about ready to combust.

you squint your eyes and bring your hand that’s not carrying your folders up to shield them against the bright sun as you finally step out of the school doors. you’d stopped a little later to get the last bit of homework done so the parking lot was much emptier than earlier.

you begin to make your way to the bus stop as your phone starts to ring in your bag. hurriedly slamming your folders onto the hip height wall next to the path and rummaging through your school backpack, you grab your phone and shove it in between your ear and shoulder, not bothering to check who’s calling.

“excuse me, ma’am. i’m gonna need you to stop right there and drop those folders. i’m afraid it’s a crime for a young hooligan like yourself to be carrying something that could easily be used as a weapon,” the voice in your ear says.

“grayson? what the hell? i’m kind of in a rush so whatever it is that you-” you start and then are soon interrupted.

“no ma’am, i don’t know who this grayson is that you speak of but he sounds like a handsome young man. in fact, this is a senior police detective trying to protect our community. that denim dress you’re wearing with the white sneakers is giving me the vibes of a delinquent who’s on her way to cause some havoc. as a law abiding citizen, i order you to stop and face the black truck in the parking lot.”

realization dawns on you as you turn to you right and see your best friend leaning against his black truck, one hand holding his phone to his ear and the other waving at you. rolling your eyes fondly, you quickly hang up your phone and keep it in your hand as you make your way over to where he’s waving you over. he’s grinning at you as you approach.

“hey shortstuff, haven’t seen you all day. you left me all alone. i was like a little orphaned lion cub just not knowing what to do with myse-“

“gray, you were literally with ethan all day. i wouldn’t call yourself an abandoned baby lion just yet,” you interrupt, a small smile on your lips.

“ok, point taken. where’ve you been though? i texted you a couple of times but you didn’t reply. are you good?” he asks genuinely.

you nod, smile growing at his concern. “yeah, just had a busy day. y’know, just homework and stuff kicking my ass. spent most of my day in the library if i wasn’t in class,” you explain, still clutching your heavy folders and moving them to your other arm being careful not to drop your phone. “ahh i see. that explains why your shoulders are so tense they’re almost up to your ears,” he says as he grabs the folders off you, ignoring your protests that you could carry them yourself.

he continues, not letting you get a word in edgeways, “god i can smell the boring on you. that’s what happens when you spend all day in the library. yeah, i can smell boring and books and…” he dramatically sniffs around you, “ahh yes. ms. garfield’s cheese and onion sandwich. gross! ok, get in. we’ll go get coffee and you can forget about what sounds like my idea of the shittiest day to ever exist.”

he slides your backpack off your shoulders and shoos your hands away as you try to grab it back. “in!” he sing songs at you as he makes his way around to the driver’s side, throwing your backpack and folders into the backseat with a little less care than you would like.

the mere presence of your best friend means that your crappy mood starts to lift and by the time you’re hitting the highway en route to grayson’s favourite coffee shop, you’re relaxing back into your seat listening to his ranting about his science teacher’s shitty attitude towards him and ethan.

“yeah, ok gray. now tell me about what you and E did to cause the shitty attitude,” you laugh.

“what? i’m offended! we’re well behaved, role model stu-- ok. well, so, it all started when…”

by the time gray’s exited the highway and you’re pulling into the coffee shop parking lot, your stomach is aching and your cheeks are screaming with laughter at the tale your best friend is telling about his and ethan’s escapades in their science experiment. gray physically can’t look at you until he puts the car into park because when he sees you crying with laughter, he laughs so hard he starts to wheeze.

as your laughter finally begins to die down, you’re leaning forward and wiping at your eyes with your edge of your denim dress when you hear him ask, “how’re you feeling?”

he flashes his kilowatt grin at you after you reply, “much better already.”

“s’my secret talent. I know just how to cheer you up,” he says smugly.

“y’know gray. i think you might be right,” you smile before hopping out of the truck.

this town don't got much to do you and i haven't got much to lose do you wanna rock in your room like we always do?

“y/n! grayson’s here! again! it’s almost like he doesn’t have a home of his own to go to,” your dad yells up the stairs to you, adding on the last part for comedic effect. “nah, sir - of course i do. unfortunately though, mine has a demon who looks just like me that’s out for revenge. your house is more of a safe haven. thanks for protecting such a young and helpless child!” you hear grayson reply as he’s climbing the stairs. your dad laughs and adds on a quick, “yeah, yeah. door stays open!” out of habit. “yes sir!” gray replies as he steps into your room and shuts your door until just before it clicks. you huff out a laugh from your desk chair as you watch him and he turns to shrug at you, “he never says how open it should stay, right?” you guffaw out a laugh as gray throws himself onto your bed and rests on his back. “hey, so. question for you,” he asks as he rolls his head to face you. “shoot,” you reply, rolling closer on your desk chair so you can rest your feet on the bed like a foot stool. “why is our town so fuckin’ boring?” “ahhh, the age old question. well, young grasshopper, it’s simply because we are far too much fun for this town. every town would probably pale in comparison to us. we would make even the funnest of towns appear boring. it’s just one of the prices to pay for being a bundle of fun, which, together, we are,” you explain sarcastically. gray’s bark of a laugh escapes his mouth and he slaps a hand over it, seemingly shocked at just how loud it was. you prod him with your toe as you giggle and watch him try to regain his composure. he grabs a hold of your foot gently and shakes it from side to side for a moment as he contemplates what you’ve said, before replying, “well fuck. we’re screwed then. our lives will be filled with boredom. gee, i’m so glad i came to see you,” he jokes. “we’ll only be bored if we’re together remember. together, we’re a bundle of fun. separately? we ain’t shit, gray,” you giggle, wiggling your toes that are still in his grip. “well, we’d better find something to keep us entertained then ‘cause i’m not planning on leaving you any time soon,” he says as he grabs further up your leg to pull you closer on your wheely chair and then pull you onto the bed at the side of him. your heart swells at how much love your best friend gives you and then you giggle when his koala arms and legs restrict you movement completely. “see what’s new on netflix?” you ask quietly and then elbow him fondly in the ribs to get him off you when he nods. he sits up and starts plumping your pillows behind him to get comfortable, explaining just why ethan’s out for revenge and then trying to convince you to go downstairs and grab some popcorn. ten minutes later, he’s heading back up the stairs having made the microwave popcorn and sliding under the blanket you’ve stretched over the bed with a mouthful of the snack. “screw our shitty town. i love it here,” he mumbles just as he rests his head on your shoulder and you press play.

parents think, we're fast asleep but as soon as we're home, we're sneaking out the window

your phone lights up as you scroll aimlessly through social media on your laptop. the night is dark and there’s a slight breeze that’s interrupted the spell of uncomfortably hot weather in your town. gray 23:48 here x you glance quickly out of your bedroom window and grab your backpack, hesitating about whether you should grab the hoodie lying at the end of your bed or not. deciding against it, you carefully but not at all gracefully climb out of your window onto the roof of the garage under the window. you slide the window silently shut, careful to make sure you’ll be able to get back in when you get home later. you walk to the edge of the garage roof and throw your backpack down first before lowering yourself onto the trash cans that are positioned perfectly for this. jumping down, dusting off your denim shorts and grabbing your backpack, you run as fast as you can across the lawn and dive into the black truck idling in front of your house. “’sup james bond. that was some serious spy shit i just witnessed,” gray greets you, taking your backpack off you and throwing it into the back seat, just as tradition dictates. “please. he’s got nothing on me. you ok?” you ask, noticing your best friend’s red eyes and dark rings under them. “yeah, yeah, i’m good,” he says, purposely not looking at you. he goes to move the car into drive but you place your hand on his forearm, tugging until he looks at you. “ok, now i’m actually concerned. when have you ever lied to me? what’s going on?” you ask. “just family shit, you know. family battles. can we go somewhere to talk? i feel like your dad is going to come out here at any point and lynch me and i really don’t wanna be crying when he does that,” he tries to joke. you smile softly to humour him and reply, “of course. let’s go to that diner on the edge of town. it’ll be nice and quiet,” you suggest. he nods, not meeting your eyes again. just before he finally puts the car into drive, he glances at you and mumbles a quiet, “thanks, y/n.” as the car begins to move, you whisper over to him, “hey. whatever it is, it’ll pass. families are the worst sometimes. love you, gray.” “love you, too.”

talk about how fast we grew and all the big dreams that we won't pursue

the summer is in full force now and school’s been out for weeks. you’ve just got back from your family vacation and after a quick nap at home to try and fend off the jet lag, you were straight on over to the dolan house.

you knocked rapidly on the front door and rolled your eyes as Grayson opened the door within seconds, sarcastically asking, “yes? can i help you? i’m just waiting for my best friend to return from the war. i’m not sure i’ll remember what she looks like. oh – wait! y/n? is that you?”

“well you can fuck off if you’re think you’re getting your gift from vacation now!” you laugh.

“y/n! it is you! the sass brought your memory straight back to me! get in here,” he yells, drowning you in his tight hug.

hours later after catching up with the rest of the dolan family and hanging out with the twins for a while, you’re lying on your back in grayson’s backyard, staring up at the star filled sky and listening to the crickets chirping from the forest nearby. grayson’s head is touching yours from where he lays behind you and you can feel the wave of calm you get from being around your best friend. he interrupts your thoughts when he asks you quietly, “hey, do you think in five years time we’ll still be here? like after college and stuff, do you think we’ll still find our way back here?” you hum to let him know you’ve heard him and then you contemplate what he’s just asked. after a couple of minutes, you feel him tilt his head back and try to knock it gently against yours to prompt you for your answer. “honestly, i don’t know,” you say, laughing quietly to yourself at grayson’s dramatic intake of breath. “wow, that hurts y/n. here i am planning our future together and you just crush my dreams in four words. ouch,” he jokes. “for real though, why aren’t you sure?” you sigh in thought and try to explain your thoughts eloquently enough for him to understand. “gray, you’re destined for great things. no, don’t laugh, you are. you’re going to be in LA with E, causing chaos and doing what you love. you’re going to do great things. i mean, so am i but not the same great things as you, y’know. i just feel like we’ll end up in different places. so no, i don’t think we’ll still be here in five years time. but we’ll be somewhere on a summer’s night where we’re laying out and looking at the same sky. hopefully we’ll be in the yard of my million dollar mansion but it’s ok if that’s not in five years. maybe six?” he guffaws in laughter behind you and you feel him start to shuffle around when he’s quietened. you’re still staring up at the sky, feeling content and warm when his body moves beside yours. he knocks gently at your head with his elbow to signal you to lift your head up. he slides his arm underneath your head and pulls you close into his side. time passes silently with the two of you laying on the dewy grass, holding each other close when he pipes up suddenly, “so what exactly do you think i’ll be doing in LA? ‘cause here’s what i’m thinkin’. so, imagine this…”

inspired by generation why by conan gray :)

#grayson dolan #grayson dolan imagine #grayson dolan fic #grayson dolan blurb #ethan dolan #dolan twins #dolan twins imagine #dolan twins blurb #fic #imagine #blurb #best friend #high school #au #grayson dolan au #dolan twins au #heywritersblock

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famedroleplayarchive · 3 years

Photo

YOO RIOH is the MAKNAE, LEAD VOCAL, AND LEAD DANCER of VIVE under GOLD STAR MEDIA. He was born on FEBRUARY 25, 2002. He looks a little like YANG JEONGIN (I.N) OF STRAY KIDS.

CHARACTER INFORMATION

faceclaim: Yang Jeongin (I.N), member of Stray Kids

legal name: Yoo Rioh

stage name: ///

pronouns: He / him / his

birth date: Feb 26, 2002

hometown: Seoul, KR

position: Maknae, lead vocal, lead dancer of Vive

claims: ///

BIOGRAPHY

triggers: ///

( YOO RIOH’s LIFE IN VIGNETTES // FROM 2002 → PRESENT )

SCENE I. SEOUL, KR — 2009, Q2. ON-SET, PHOTOSHOOT.

“Yes! You’re doing so good, baby!” His mother encourages from off-set, the harsh, warm light beaming over at him so strong that he’s not able to open his eyes properly. The photographer pauses, readjusts, and continues shooting—the pint-sized “model” for the day doing his best to smile wide and act “cute,” just like he’s practiced in the mirror at home. Honestly, he’s not really sure why he’s here, nor does he know what he’s getting involved in, but it’s easy enough that his family frames it as a fun extracurricular activity… even if he finds himself getting distracted from time-to-time. After all, he’s only here because he was “discovered” in a shopping mall, and when the subject of payment was mentioned, mom and dad became increasingly interested.

Living off of lower salaries made them desperate for more cash, even if it meant utilizing their son’s adorable appearance to their benefit. Luckily though, they love him all the same; their greed has never swallowed them up whole—thank goodness!

Teeny-tiny hands are grasping at the bottom of his shirt; playing with the hemline to self-soothe himself from the constant flashing lights and loud voices all around him. When it’s time for a break, he’s taken aside in order to indulge himself in some sweet treats and beverages—which, to be honest, has been his favorite part of this whole experience.

“Mama, will I get to have cookies and cake every time I get my pictures taken?!” He asked, his mouth and cheeks covered in strawberries and chocolate. His mother laughs, wiping his face. “If you do a good job, of course! Just try not to eat so sloppily, love. You don’t wanna be dirty for the camera, do you?” With that, he shook his head; perfectly willing to obey his mom. Rioh’s always been an easygoing child like that.

When he finished his snack, he was immediately put back to work; changing his outfit and hairstyle for the next few frames, then repeating the process until all was said and done.

Little did he know then that this would slowly, but surely, envelope his entire life for awhile. That, and well, he’ll now forever begin to expect getting rewards for accomplishing small tasks.

SCENE II. SEOUL, KR — 2012, Q1. THE YOO RESIDENCE.

“Hello, Mrs. Yeo? Hi, yes, I’m glad you answered! This is Kang Hyojung. I was who spoke to you a few days ago about representing a company that’s interested in training your son.” She recalls it, but also remembers being suspicious of the offer at the time. This supposed “casting agent” wasn’t exactly eager to share what company they were working for, so all in all, it felt like a total scam. Though, after a somewhat long conversation on the phone, she agreed to meet up with them and the whole casting committee at an address she didn’t at all recognize. Fortunately, it was in Gangnam, so felt a little more promising. When the call ended, she immediately went over to Rioh’s bedroom and knocked on the door; allowing herself in after a few seconds.

“Do you remember that lady who talked to us at the restaurant?” She asked, slightly shocked as to how her child kept getting this recognition. It isn’t like she and her husband were putting him on display by taking him to auditions or casting calls. Sure, he’s taken part in a few small-scale commercials and photo-spreads—mostly in catalogues—but after awhile, he stopped focusing on shoots in exchange for going to school and making friends. He doesn’t truly realize that he’s been “marketable” since birth, and while he’s lucky to possess such a rare quality, it’s one he’s not very comfortable with—even at just ten years-old.

At the question, he nods his head; unsure of what’s about to be said next.

“Well, she called us like she said she would and she wants to meet with you on Saturday. Is that something that you’d want to do? I told her we’d go, but if you don’t want to, I can call back and tell her never-mind.”

What’s sad is, even at such a young age, he knows the situation that his family’s in. Mom’s a waitress, dad’s a butler at a wealthier person’s estate, and most of the time, he doesn’t see him often. Neither of them pull in enough cash to support their lifestyle, especially since Rioh’s the youngest child out of five children. Putting enough food on the table has never been an easy feat for the Yoo household. So, even though he’s not exactly invested in continuing his ever-blossoming career as a child model, he knows it could help his parents out.

Even though he’s the youngest, he still feels the need to contribute.

“Yeah, I’ll go! Hopefully it’s somewhere cool and not something weird,” he added simply; his tone drenched in optimism despite his mind not being on the same page.

SCENE III. SEOUL, KR — 2014, Q3. BC ENTERTAINMENT HQ.

He watches with wide eyes as some of the older trainees practice; the fierce gaze in their eyes containing a fire that he’s never felt before. The way they move is so striking and strong, and it isn’t only impressive that they’ve been able to work hard to hone their skills, but he can’t help but find himself as feeling almost… “attracted” to them without realizing it. Not only is he drawn to the art of their dancing and singing, but also, to how all of them look, as well.

It’s a confusing feeling to him… especially since he’s always been told he’d feel this way about girls as he gets older.

However, when the others slowly begin to leave the rehearsal space, he enters; awaiting for his acting instructor and the few other kids in his division to show up. It’s then when he finds the strength to bravely approach the last of the idol hopefuls still in the room; his shyness slowly creeping over him despite the complete want to speak to him. After a few seconds, though, he’s able to piece together a sentence that’s coherent enough to make sense. He hopes so, at least.

“Hey! Uh, you look really cool when you dance.” He starts, very obviously a little nervous. “How do you do that one move in the middle of the song? The one where you’re kinda jumpin’ but like spinnin’ at the same time?” It’s then when he attempts it and near about falls, but luckily, he’s able to just barely save himself from tumbling over. His face burns red with a blush, but his senior seems to find it endearing rather than annoying.

“Want me to show you?”

Without hesitation, Rioh nods his head; excited enough that his whole body starts to bounce beyond his control. Even though he was approaching adolescence, there was still a glimmer of youthful innocence in his eyes—one that he’d—amazingly—be able to clutch onto even as he ages. It’s that vibe alone that’s carried him this far, even if he doesn’t understand it fully yet.

Carefully, he watches how the dramatically taller male performs the motions, listening intently to his instructions all the while. After a few terrible attempts of his own, he finally does it… mostly. It’s a feeling of accomplishment that he’s not felt while studying acting for dramas and modeling for cameras, and when this mini dance lesson passes him by, he can’t help but feel a bit sad.

The disappointment only continues when his instructor arrives and hands him a script. A deep sigh follows suit, but he does what he’s told… just like he always does.

SCENE IV. SEOUL, KR — 2019, Q4. MOM’s CAR, BCE HQ.

A few notes from the last few years.

Rioh was too young for CHARM when they debuted in 2015.

He eventually transferred to idol training at the age of thirteen.

There, he discovered a true passion for singing and dancing.

He worked so fucking hard; he almost had no social life.

Hard work and passion wouldn’t pay off like he thought they would.

“It’s not an easy decision, but we’ve decided to put our focus into a new girl group, and instead of keeping you in our company, we would rather you try out for other agencies who are actively looking to create a boy group.” Their voice was warm, but that didn’t mean the letdown was any easier to process. He couldn’t help but feel a rush of chills race through him; his eyes swelling with tears as his heart pounded a mile a millisecond. It was clear that he was emotional, but he stood up to bow instead; nodding his head as he suppressed his emotions. That said, they all rained down on him the instant he got back into his mother’s car.

“What’s wrong? What happened?!” She was shocked, but when the situation was explained, she understood a little better; undoing her seatbelt so she could lean over to hold him easier.

“Sometimes you win some, and sometimes you lose some, but what’s important is that you don’t stop fighting for it—especially if it’s something that you really, really want.”

“B-But, what about you and dad? What’re you gonna do now that you can’t work anymore? I want to help, but now it feels like I can’t do anything…”

His words took her aback. She hadn’t realized that her children knew so much about the stress she’s been under lately. Due to an injury, she had to stop waiting tables, and sadly, she’s found it hard to find another job. Laughing softly, she shook her head back and forth; squeezing onto his shoulders a little firmer. “Yes, I’ve been stressed… and yes, I’ve been worried about finding something new to do, but listen to me: you don’t have to worry about me, okay? I promise that I have things together, and I promise that I’ll be fine.” Her words were matter-of-fact, and though he heard them loud and clear, they didn’t quite sink in. Though, they were enough to calm him down momentarily. At the end of the day, he was still disappointed—even if it was mostly in himself.

“I love you, mom… I promise I’ll try harder.”

SCENE V. SEOUL, KR — 2020, Q4. UNDISCLOSED STUDIO.

“Is it just me or is Yoo Rioh really fucking obnoxious?” “Ugh, he always pushes his way to the front and center…” “In my opinion, Rioh doesn’t even compete with many of us.” “I feel like people only like him because he’s handsome.”

He couldn’t hear them all of the time, but he somehow had a hunch that many of the other trainees didn’t like him. Did he sometimes read as desperate for attention? Yes. Did he have little tantrums off-screen if he wasn’t getting enough camera time? One hundred percent. The viewers and some of the producers never saw it, but his fellow competitors witnessed it full force. All of them were in the same boat, and the tension was high, so it was only natural that there would be stupid disagreements, petty anger, and unnecessary drama. How unfortunate.

There’s no excuse for his immature behavior, but he’d argue that his passion is just… stronger than the others. He’s been training for a whopping eight years and he’s only eighteen years old. That’s nearly half of his life. To him, there’s almost no comparison between he and the others. Many of them were older than him, but he’d still consider himself their sunbae. So, he had no idea why he wasn’t being respected for his hard work and talent. His childish ways didn’t make things any better, though, so he wasn’t totally blameless. That, and well, a lot of the chatter that was being thrown around about him was fairly accurate. Again, how fucking unfortunate.

The upside to all of this? The general public that tuned in seemed to fall head over heels in love with him. Whenever he was brave (and lucky) enough to read online comments during filming, he found that many of them were positive. Lots of viewers said he gave off mischievous “little brother” vibes and many claimed that he’d be the perfect maknae if he was in the top five.

At this point, he decided to put more of his focus on appeasing his future fans, so no matter how competitive and annoying he was on the show, he was focused so much on winning that he stopped caring entirely how the others treated him. He made a few friends—some of them he’d later debut with—and he wasn’t particularly hated by all forty-nine other guys, but his thirst for notoriety was truly off-putting to a lot of people. So, when he ended the competition with a metaphoric silver medal in second place, there were plenty of eye-rolls and scoffs to go around.

He tried his best not to let everyone else rain on his parade, though.

SCENE VI. SEOUL, KR — 2021, Q1. GOLD STAR MEDIA HQ.

He reads over his contracts with a lawyer that his father’s employer recommended, making sure that he wasn’t signing onto anything that would negatively compromise him in anyway. As far as he was aware, things looked good enough for him to sign his name on the dotted line, so when the time came, he did just that—overjoyed that his time spent training was finally rewarded with a little recognition.

Took long enough.

“Guys… we’re finally getting everything we ever wanted!” He speaks aloud to his members, the smile on his face genuine. “Like, can you believe that we’re actually gonna be the next big thing?!” His giddiness was infectious, but also a lot to handle. He can’t help it—he’s pumped.

Rioh just hopes his assumptions don’t bite him in the ass, though. The last thing he needs is to jinx the golden opportunity that’s been bestowed upon him by making hasty predictions.

In the end though, his marketability is largely what he got him where he is today. While he can keep up with his seniors as far as singing and dancing are concerned, he still has a long way to go if he plans on being as successful as some of his company’s other artists. He’s young, he’s dumb, but he’s learning—that’s gotta count for something, right?

His career is just beginning, though, so let’s hope he’s able to make it work.

#fmdfollow #goldstarmedia #vive

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olusegundare · 6 years

Text

Sister Debbie and Brother Samson’s Story Continues

Sista Debbie says, "He asked me to read the letter".(June 22, 2013)

The key dat opens broda Samson's post office box has been on me 4 quite a while. The office duties have been overpowering in d past few days due 2 d adhoc assigned duty 4m headquarter... Post office Box (P.O. Box) and priv8 male bag (PMB) usage hav been on d downward trend since d advent of internet and increase telehone services. The introduction of social media has worsened d case lately, because fewer people, companies and or organisations maintained d ones dey are using, while d newly established firms, new graduates, new buz hardly open new P.O.Boxes/PMBs, bc internet n telephone have taken over greater percentage if not d whole means of sending and receiving messages.

It shal be interesting 4 our noting dat "mai" lord got his P.O.Box b4 he was retrenched...he howeva finds it difficult maintaining d box during d hard days, but, she has since paid all outstanding debts and d box is fully operational now. In d times past according 2 my love, d regional exam council do send results to students tru their post office boxes...those who r seeking admission often got their admission letas tru postal agencies...those who bought shares/share holders of varying company also get notices of their dividends, annual General Meeting (AGM) 2ru postal agencies, shares can be purchased there amongst oda things dat dey do then.

But now, teknologikal advancements have reduced dat 2 d bearest minimum. Several innovations are being moved by d management of d Island's Postal agencies, but yet, d estab is yet 2 be back on her feet as in d time past according 2 my love n ofcourse wat I can see 2 some degrees. A question keeps coming 2 my heart on d establishment lately n dat is how is d management coping with d payment of her staffs salaries? My love still maintained d post office bc he still receives letas 4m other Island's Radio Agencies, as he talks abt d Gospel thru prints, pp do respond 2 some of his messages in d prints tru letas asking questions etc.

The last sales boy he employed was picked 4 interview out of d four persons who vied 4 d post by sending in their application thru post office box few weeks ago.this is bc according 2 him, d students handwriting these days are horribly illegible...and worst more, laptops ect are not helping them in dis regards. Before I finished my weekend house chores, I hav soaked in water beans...by d time I finished d house chores, d beans is already soaked, soft n d coats can be easily removed...The coats can be removed by rubbing d soft soaked beans within d palms of d individual, or by d use of pestle n mortar and or by d use of ancient grinding stone.... I decided 2 use d 1st option 4 d removal of d beans' coats...

In no distant time I was thru with that n I grinded d beans on d ancient grinding stone... According 2 "mai" mum, d beans grinded using ancient grinding stone's increament in volume is usualy more dan those grinded using d grinding machine when d grinded beans is being doughed 2geda in a bowl using pestle... Having added oda things in2 d doughed bean paste, makin it a pot-pourrri, I took out d wrapping leaves, "ewé iran", and started to pour d pot-pourri beans paste into d leaves made into a funnel-like shape with d use of a small plastic cup... When I was tru dey were arranged in d pot containing boiling water placed on d kerosine stove... On d stove I prepared pap 4 him, bc he loves pap as early morning meal, "when d europeans drink tea, I will take pap", he usually say, a quote 4m d elders of d Island.

He also likes pap post-fastingly...So d 2 is combined 2geda in dis stance, because we r in d morning and again bc he has just finished a protracted fasting... The ended week has been a fasting week/period 4 him as he said he has been asking God 4 something 4 quite a while but d thing asked for is yet 2 manifest or materialize despite d arrays of spiritual promises he had received on d issue...and he feels, well, devil may afterwards be cheating him in hindering d physical manifestation of d answers 2 d requests as he did unto prophet Daniel... I also tried 2 support him in prayers and little fasting I can do, dis is bc my fasting ends @ 12:00 hours daily... When I was through with these, off to his shop was I...I got there around 10:30 hours the Island's time,...he has intimated me on facebook dat he shall prepare his intestine 4 d tantalizing food by eating some fruits ahead...

Cooking is one of my hobbies dat should suggest 2 u dat I prepared leafy bean cake 4 d sales boys n girls too...when I gave dem their, and took ours into d office, we settled down 2 d food,,,He added sugar and liquid milk in2 d warm pap as we dine 2geda, eating 4m d same bowl... Howeva, he barely touch d bean cake, as he said dat may negatively affect his intestine due 2 d protracted fasting...He howeva said dat in d afternoon he shal do justice 2 it... When we r thru wit d food, I told him dat I shal like 2 go 2 d post office 2 check if there are letters 4 us...He bid me farewell, dat I shouldnt take long... As I was opening d post office box, my phone rang, "who could dat be?" I thought...On romoving d fone 4m my bag, I discovered dat it is "mai" lord who is calling, I pressed d answering button, "Darling!" I said. "Are u there?" he asked

"Yes, I am. Just about 2 open d box", I replied. "Do we have any letter in d box?" He asked. "Yes we do sire", I replied. "That is good...I am presently out of d office", he said. "Where are you?" I asked. "At d bookshop which is about 5 poles away 4m my shop", he said. "Do u want me 2 come n meet u there when I am through here?" I asked. "Yes, that is why I called you", he said. "Alright "mai" lord and love, I will be with u soon", I said. "O.k. I shal be expecting", he said. The phone conversation ended...He was on sit when I got there...when I got to him, he stood up, pulling my left along and started talking. "I havent enter dis shop 4 once since it is opened for operations few months ago...I never knew there are christian materials here...I want u 2 see something", he enthused. When we get 2 d Christian section, there are different bibles there of varying sizes, types, color, languages, different christian literature books and other christian materials...

"When I see this pocket sized bible, i like it, do u like it?" He asked as he took d bible 4m d shelf. I took d bible 4m his hand n said, "Yes, d bible is beautiful, and portable, I like it". He took two copies, one for himself n the other for me,...bought some christian literature books ...paid @ d counter, as we strolled down to his shop...the weather is cool as d firmament has hidden the sun 4m d inhabitants of d Island dat day...dis cool weather may not be d experience @ other islands...dat is d work of God n it is marvelous in our eyes... As we were approaching my love's buz centre, one of d sales boyz saw us and ran 2 welcome us, he collected d nylon bag containing d bibles and literature books 4m my hand as well as my bag... "Welcome sire and ma", sales boy said as he bend his torso slightly forwards. "O sé jare", my love said..."Did anyone asks of me?" He queried. "To d best of my thinking faculties sire, nobody requested for your presence sire" sales boy replied.

"What do you said u have in literature in English in your O/Level result?" my love asked. "Very Good sire...perhaps few marks off the excellent grade sire", sales boy replied. "Yes. I remember. That is why u are answering me as a literature student but not as a science or commercial student will do", bro Samson said. "The compliment. The observation. In the record sire", sales boy again said. Broda Samson did not reply him again, but he pointed me 2 a bike rider who is doing some acrobatic displays on d highway... "Look @ that man sweetest one", he pat me using his right hand and used the index finger of his left hand to point me to d action...As I turned my head 2 look @ d direction, I cannot help myself 4m exclaiming, I moved near him, sunk my face on his right chest for fear, because I do not want 2 see what will become of the bike rider as he manouvered himself thru two trailers..."Ye!" I shouted. As i shouted other passersby, some drivers and bike riders also shouted...

"That is how they get themselves killed "tú-ẹ́" like a fowl. They endangered their lifes thru reckless showmanship while riding a bike", my love enthused. "Has he gone? Did he made it?" I asked my eyes still closed and face resting on his chest. "Yes he has. He is lucky now, but he may not be that lucky some other times", he said. "Thank God 4 dat", I said...and d strolling returned 2 normalcy...we entered d shop...straight into his office...I took d letters out of my bag and said "There are five letters in d box, one is from sista Òdájú to you; d 2nd one is from your friend, Mr and mrs Paul; the 3rd is d monthly Gospel letter; d 4th is from one of d Radio Voices 4m other Island and d last is for a sales boy". I concluded. "Please open the one from sista Òdájú and read it, because it is quite a while that I heard 4m her last", my love said. When I rescind my decision, and decide 2 start going out with broda Samson, not minding d consequencies, I remember dat he mentioned one

Sista Òdájú to me while he was talking about his pasts. He asked me for my past, and i told him I have no past, except some childhood and teenager experiences...He said those werent what he was asking for... He said dat sista Òdájú may have been d one occupying my position in his heart now, but he said it was as if d sista did not knew what she wanted in life...and he had 2 severe d relationship b4 d seed germinated...He also told me some other points, but do I really commit those words 2 heart? I tored off d sealing lid, removed d letter 4m d envelope, handing it 2 him, but he did not collect it 4m me, in the stead he said, "please read the contents out". It was not as if he is busy or doing something, I think he wants 2 make anoda scene out of dis too, so, I cleared my throat and said, "O.K. "mai" lorship sire...I start". "All ears am I "mai" love", he said. "No address on d letter, but she wrote a date, and d letter was written on d day dat the President of d land asked his party's chairman to resign"

"Alright. That is mostly recently", he said. "Dear Evangelist Samson, (this is because many people called my love evangelist and some pastor because of some of the exploits and positions he had occupied in the time past in some churches)..."the body of the letter is as thus "mai" lord, "I am quite happy for you that you found a beautifully loving lass after a very long wait. I tried 2 re-enter your 18 yard box after u have cleared my ball out of the danger zone years ago, but I find it verily difficult 2 re-enter your danger zone. "I thought it would be easy 4 me 2 do since u have once said you loved me,...but I discovered dat it was not easy @ all and I have 2 leave u...obviously thinking dat something shall bring us 2geda soon, but alas I erred, because it was few days afterwards dat I heard dat sista Debbie and u have started going out...I at 1st thought she wont measure up to your spiritual stance bc she was naive in love matters and other issues of life and particularly true was d fact dat she was my junior in the secondary school, and by age she isnt as old as I am needless to add that she is spiritually junior to me.

"But lo and behold my thought of u not gettin on 2geda with her was proved wrong by her gluing 2 u in all things...she indeed has make u her father...yea more than a father, I think a person like her is whom you need considering all u have passed thru in life. "Although, I was unable 2 know many of the harrowing experiences u passed thru in life but your letter 2 me when I first asked you 2 be my lover clearly showed dat your eyes have seen many things. "Well b4 I asked u 2 be my lover, when your buz was yet to pick up in the Island had I been madly in love with u, but d cultural teachings prevented me 4m coming out 2 u. When I started growing frail chiefly bc of the thought of your becoming my sweetheart, I decided 2 write u a love letter, asking you of your hand in love. "Despite d fact dat I loved u, hoped and prayed u will answer in d affirmative, I yet doubted it...but 2 my chagrin your reply was a blessing 2 my humble heart, when u said we shd get d ball rolling dat we shd start dating....Your reply brought me relief, my heart returned 2 normal rhythm as well as my frailing health returning 2 normalcy.

"However, when I discussed d issue with some friends and elederly ones, they counselled me against going out with u, saying "I have sold myself cheaply to you". When I heard dis, dat was when I started playing hanky-panky with u, trying 2 tell u and show u dat my earlier letter 2 u was an error in d 1st instance...my calculations according to their counsels were that assuming u were in love with me u shal start disturbing me...while I keep going into the secret...but d table was turned against me...for it was me who later kept searching 4 u...I sought deeply and endlessly for u until it became obvious to me that I have lost you when sista Debbie came into your life.

"Whenever I remembered d mistake I made in divulging what happened 2 my friends I continue 2 blame myself..bc assuming we have been going out, who shall know whether it is I who 1st made d intention of love known to u or it is you who 1st do? Nobody asks of that...and even if they know what does it matter when we have gotten a stable home and family? Are they going to live under the same roof with us? "My gullibility in male-female relationship showed when I interracted with elder and deaconess Mordechai, the deaconess told me dat when they were in College of Education dat she was d one who actually proposed 2 Elder Mordechai. She said Elder Mordechai was extremely brilliant while she was an average student... "Being an average student she said she did not want 2 lose him and also dat she planned furthering her education after d NCE and thence she called off the cultural and other beliefs by approaching the young man then. "She said d man agreed and they started d dating from NCE II, fashioning out how their life and future shall be.

"According to her, they got married during their midsemester break in 400Level in the University of d Island, having courted for five years plus...and today, who could decipher who 1st made d move among them in the presence of true love? Who amongst our people even have such a remarkable love in display as they are? "After I heard their story, my heart was moved 2 d past, but, well u have gotten a love-bird. "Do not forget to pray 4 me as an evangelist so dat I see somebody soon, because I am yet single and not engaged. "Do pray that sister Debbie gives you twins, triplets and quardruplets when you tie the know...I know u are a man of prayer but I yet pray 4 you that all eyes monitoring your love life, your relationship for evil go blind in Jesus name. Amen. I also pray dat your buz and ministry grow in Jesus name. Amen. "My warmest regards to sister Debbie and others. "Have a tantalizing day. "Yours sincerely, "Miss Òdájú." "The letter ends sire", I said.

"Yes, I know, I heard you". My love said. "But why didnt you invite her to a talk when she was playing "hanky-panky"?" I asked. "Did I press u any further when you said "nope"?" He said. "No you did not. But i think hers is different 4m dis presentation since she was the one who bell the cat. I think u shd have asked 2 know why she suddenly put up a volte-faced actions", I said. "Well, I guess I have discussed dis issue with u...", my love said. "It is obvious that I have forgotten "mai" lord sire", I said. "Then I have forgotten d past issues also. I neither wish nor want 2 remember such experiences again", he said. "But do you think you can?" I asked. "Well with you, I can, I know i have, for when last did u hear me talking about those issues?" He asked. "I know u do not talk of those harrowing pasts, but I want 2 know dis one now", I said. "Those pasts, I want dem in d past, so dat I move forward so dat I have free and freer mind to interract with people", he said. "O.K", I replied. It is obvious that he doesnt want 2 talk about the issue, let me leave it...he interupted my thought when he said, "But, I actually called her, phoned her, texted her repeatedly then, but she kept on giving me excuses, filmsy ones for the inability 2 see me, then one day I speak 2 myself dat dis lady is playing on my intelligence, she thought I am growing young...that was when I called it quit and decided on d way forward for my life marritally" he enthused. "Well, I thank God dat I am where I am today, beside "mai" love and lord", I said. "Please which other letter is there that needs urgent attention", he asked. "None "mai" lord", I replied....

SOME HARD WORDS’ MEANINGS

*Sista Debbie says, "He asked me to read the letter".(June 22, 2013)

2 d (translation to the)

priv8 (translation private)

"ewé iran", (translation leaf of big breadth in our land)

"tú-ẹ́" (translation suddenly as if they are not humans, as if they do not possess spirit)

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