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hawkinsmethlab · 11 months

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Part Two

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The first time they kiss, Eddie is technically dead. Or, does CPR even count? Steve’s tempted to say no, because that’s not how kissing works. (He would know the best out of any of them, right?) The cracking of ribs under his hands and the taste of blood in his mouth, how desperately he’s blowing air into too-heavy lungs and listening to one of his best friends cry so hard he’s dry heaving.

But he doesn’t stop, not until there’s a pulse, however weak.

Eddie dies twice on the way to the hospital. They tell Steve later that he died again when he was on the operating table and nearly didn’t get him back.

Steve runs himself ragged over the next month, between volunteering at the community center, donating blood and making sandwiches, helping to clear the streets of debris, patrolling for Upside Down shenanigans and playing chauffeur for his gang of kids who aren’t acting so much like kids these days. He visits Max and Eddie as often as he can. Max still hasn’t woken up and nobody’s sure when that might be, but he gets to have his first conversation with Eddie about a month later.

He’s only been awake for a week, and still can’t do much of anything but talk, and even that’s hit or miss most days. Even when he can kind of hold a conversation, he gets tired too fast for it to mean much, but everyone Steve talks to is upbeat about his recovery.

He hadn’t been planning on actually sitting with him, there’s still so much to do, but Wayne had asked him to hang out while he ran to grab himself some lunch. Who is he to deny that man anything, especially something so easy as watching a half-comatose idiot?

Eddie wakes up after about a minute of Steve being there. When he notices him, Eddie’s eyes go glazed and he’s got a dopey smile.

“They’ve got you on the good stuff, huh?” Steve says.

Eddie nods, but his muscles are loose so it’s more of a roll. “Oh, yeah. I’d make a fortune off the stuff if I could get my hands on it. But, shh, don’t tell. I’ll get in trouble.”

“Okay, man, whatever you say. My lips are sealed or whatever.”

“Mmm.” Eddie squints at him then, frowns until he’s pouting. “Sorry you had to do that.”

“Do what?”

“Lay one on me,” he says, eyes closed now. “Bet you hated it. Bet it tasted awful.”

Steve rolls his eyes, fights back the smile his lips are trying to pull up into. “Appreciate the concern. Lucky for you, it wasn’t anything I hadn’t tasted before. And I didn’t. Hate it.”

Eddie’s eyes open so fast Steve worries they’re gonna fly out of his skull. “You what?”

“I was saving your life, dude,” Steve says. Duh. “Hard to hate something like that. I mean, maybe if it hadn’t worked then it might be a different story but--”

“Oh. Right.” Eddie relaxes back into his pillow. He’s trying to keep his eyes open, on Steve, but it’s a fight he isn’t going to win. He’s like a kid trying to stay up past his bedtime, and this time Steve can’t force down the smile in time.

“Just go to sleep,” he tells him. “Your uncle will be back soon.”

“Been sleepin’ forever, I’m sick of it. Keep havin’ weird dreams.”

“...Yeah, I’ve been there.”

Silence settles between them, broken by beeps of machinery, distant footsteps and announcements from the hallway. Eddie’s eyes are closed again, his brow still creased. Steve thinks he might have actually fallen back asleep until he sees his lips move.

Steve scoots a little closer. “Are you trying to say something?”

Eddie sniffs, make the face like he’s pouting again. “I said, I’mma make it up to you.”

“Make what up to me?”

“Bad first kiss.” Eddie shakes his head. “I can do better. Wanna do-over.”

Steve freezes like a deer in headlights. Like he has a gun to his head. Like he just heard the front door open and he knows it’s his parents coming home. He knows it’s the drugs talking and that Eddie doesn’t know what he’s saying, not really. At the end of the day he probably isn’t going to remember this conversation.

Eddie is in a hospital bed, hooked up to about a dozen different machines looking like he’s been hit by a train, his skin so pale that Steve can make out every vein, every bruise and cut and stitch. Long fingernails and peeling scabs that crawl up his neck like a fungus. He’s drooling a bit from the side of his mouth and his eyes are still crusty with sleep and he’s got a smattering of acne that’s cropped up on his forehead and nose, along the edge of his chin. His bangs are pinned back because they’re so greasy.

Steve’s heart races anyway.

There’s a correct answer here, the one he’s been raised with, the one beaten into him. The instinctual urge to brush it off as a joke (ha, good one, man) to take it as an insult (remember who you’re talking to, Munson) to ignore it altogether (just go back to sleep).

Then there’s the incorrect answer.

“Alright, Munson,” he says, softly, terrified. “Once you’re all better, you can show me what I missed out on.”

Through the exhaustion and the pain meds, Eddie grins. “Watch out, Harrington. I’m about to rock your world.”

Steve smiles. He doesn’t fight it this time. “Can’t wait.”

#stranger things #eddie munson #steve harrington #steddie #my writing

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gloomysoup · 6 months

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when the world stops turning (my heart stops beating)

hello hello i bring you some actual writing for once how exciting !! this is based off this post by @acowardinmordor once i saw it my brain just wouldn't stop until i fleshed it out into something relatively coherent so here it is !! if this does well i'll probably put it up on ao3 later

ao3 pt. 2 pt. 3 pt. 4

cw: drugs, illusions to drug abuse and overdose, minor character death, illusions to major character death (probably temporary), panic attack, medical crisis

When Eddie was eight years old, he found his mother on the bathroom floor, a half-empty bottle of pills in her hand. She wouldn't wake up. Eddie hadn't known what to do, so he wandered across the way to his favorite neighbor’s house. Mrs. Westbrooke was an older widow who'd lived in the same house for decades. Once Eddie had told her his mom wasn't waking up, she called for an ambulance. The paramedics came and took his mom to the hospital. Eddie stayed with Mrs. Westbrooke until Wayne came to pick him up.

That was the first time he spent more than a night or two at Wayne’s. It was about a week and a half before he was taken back home. The same thing happened a year and a half later. His mom passed out on the kitchen floor that time, and it was a baggie of colorful pills instead. Something she'd gotten from a friend of his dad. Something his dad had gotten her hooked on several months prior, when the doctor stopped writing her prescriptions. He was with Wayne for three days before his dad came to get him. Two weeks later, he was on Wayne’s doorstep with a single bag of everything he owned, his dad behind bars. He'd been with Wayne ever since.

His uncle had made a promise to him that first night, when Eddie finally realized this was it. He was with Wayne for good. There was no going back. He'd promised Eddie none of that would ever happen again. He didn't have to worry about Wayne disappearing in the flashing red and blue lights. He wouldn't find him half-dead on the floor of their trailer. He was safe. Eddie believed him. For years, Eddie believed Wayne was right. He'd never once let Eddie down before. He was always there. He took him in when he had nowhere else to go.

Too bad Wayne couldn't have predicted this.

New York City. June 1994. A sold out show at Madison Square Garden. Eddie on stage with his best friends. His boyfriend watching from the wings. How it was always supposed to go.

The air was fizzing with energy. The crowd was screaming so loud. Eddie’s heart was pounding, blood rushing with adrenaline. He kissed Steve hard in the green room, a promise between them of more to come. Steve wished him luck, and it was time to take the stage. They'd finally made it. All their hard work was paying off.

About halfway through the set, Steve disappeared. Eddie wasn't worried. He didn't know he should've been. When they came off stage, the crowd was still screaming, and the band was riding the high of a great show. It felt amazing. It was more than they ever dreamed, growing up the way they did in a town like Hawkins. Eddie was grinning so wide his cheeks hurt.

“Anyone seen Steve?” he asked, handing off his guitar and starting to pull off his mic pack.

“Not for a while,” one of the techs responded. “Said something about the bathroom, I think, but he never came back.”

Eddie frowned, a little confused. It wasn't like Steve not to be there when he came off stage.

“He's probably just waiting in the green room, Ed,” Gareth said, knocking his shoulder against Eddie’s as he passed. “I'm sure there's nothing to worry about.”

Eddie didn't hang around with the others. He headed straight for the green room, hoping Gareth was right. There was a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. The same feeling he got all those years ago, right before he opened the front door to find his mom on the kitchen floor. It ate away at his insides, churning deep and uncomfortably. His heart was racing, and it was no longer due to the high energy of the show. Panic was coursing through his veins.

His hand hesitated on the door to the green room. He felt eight years old again, knocking on Mrs. Westbrooke’s door when he couldn't wake his mom up to make dinner. His hands trembled as he grabbed the knob and twisted, easing it open. The room was empty. Eddie’s heart plummeted. Steve wasn't there. Steve was missing, and Eddie had this horrible feeling spreading through his entire body. He still wasn't sure why the feeling was there; he had never once had a reason to believe Steve was doing anything harder than weed. It was still there, though, and Eddie was panicking. He needed to find Steve. He had to make sure Steve was okay.

He headed for the bathroom next. The techs had said he went to the bathroom. Maybe something happened. Maybe he hit his head and couldn't remember where he was. The feeling said otherwise, but Eddie refused to believe it. He was overreacting. Steve was fine.

He was lying to himself.

The bathroom door was unlocked. He pushed it open, knocking. “Steve? Are you in here?” he called. He could barely hear through the rush of blood in his ears. He stepped inside, and he was sure his heart stopped beating altogether.

Just like that, he was ten years old. His mother was dead on the kitchen floor. Mrs. Westbrooke held him on her front porch as his mother was taken away in a blur of red and blue. He was ten years old, watching Wayne’s old pickup coming up the drive. Through the pounding in his ears, he could faintly hear the gravel crunching under the tires of the red truck. An odd comfort. A reminder of safety. What he wouldn't give to have that again right now.

“She wouldn't wake up, Uncle Wayne,” Eddie said softly, his voice trembling as a few tears rolled down his cheeks.

Wayne bent down, his old knees creaking, and pulled Eddie into a tight hug. “I'm sorry, Ed.” He squeezed tighter, letting Eddie bury his face in his worn flannel. “You're gonna come stay with me for a couple days, ‘til everythin' gets settled.”

“I don't got any clothes, Wayne.”

“Don't you worry ‘bout that right now. We’ll figure somethin’ out. I promise it’ll be alright.”

Steve was lying on the bathroom floor. Eddie couldn't breathe. There was a bag of colorful pills, so similar to the ones his mom had taken, sitting on the sink counter. Next to it was a line of white powder. Eddie’s vision blurred with tears as he dropped next to Steve, shaking his shoulder.

“Steve? Steve, baby, wake up. Please wake up.” Eddie was gasping for breath through his sobs as he tried to shake Steve awake. It wasn't working. He wasn't waking up.

“Mama? Mama, come on. You gotta get up.” Eddie crouched down next to her, shaking her shoulder. “Mama, please. You can't sleep on the floor.”

“Please, baby,” Eddie begged, pulling Steve into his arms on the bathroom floor. “Please. I can't lose you too, Steve. You gotta wake up. Please wake up.”

“Eddie? Are you okay?” The bathroom door opened. Jeff walked in, stopping dead in the doorway. It only took a few seconds for him to gain his bearings and jump into action. He crossed quickly, bending down next to them. “Shit. What happened?”

“I- he- he won't wake up, Jeff,” Eddie sobbed, still holding Steve tightly.

“Okay. Okay, let's not panic yet.”

The cracks in Jeff’s voice were not comforting. Eddie was already panicking. He'd been panicking since the feeling started to solidify, since he didn't find Steve in the green room. Eddie was well past not panicking. Eddie was teetering on the edge of a full-blown panic attack.

Jeff glanced around, took notice of the drugs on the counter, the way Steve’s chest wasn't rising or falling. He wasn't breathing at all. Jeff stood up quickly. “I'll go get help. I’ll be right back, Eddie. It's gonna be okay.”

Jeff ran from the bathroom. Eddie could barely hear the slap on his shoes on the linoleum in the hall over the sound of his own sobbing, the blood still rushing in his ears despite it feeling like his heart had stopped beating. He held Steve against his chest, burying his face in his hair. He silently begged the universe not to take Steve away from him. He wouldn't be able to handle losing anyone else. He needed Steve.

Eddie wasn't sure how much time passed before Jeff came back, paramedics in tow. All he knew was that Steve wasn't waking up. No matter how hard he tried, no matter how much he begged and cried, Steve wasn't waking up. His skin was pale and starting to grow cold. There's remnants of white powder on his nose. The paramedics try to move him from Eddie’s arms, but Eddie can't let go. He can't lose Steve.

“Eddie, you have to let go,” Jeff said gently, trying to tug Eddie’s arms off Steve.

Eddie shook his head. “I- I can't- can't, Jeff,” he forced out between sobs.

“The paramedics are gonna help him, Ed, but they can't do that unless you let go.”

“The paramedics are gonna try to help your mama, honey,” Mrs. Westbrooke promised eight-year-old Eddie as they watched from her porch. “Everything'll be alright, don't you worry.”

He missed Mrs. Westbrooke. He wished she were here to hold him, tell him he would be okay. He wanted to sit on her porch in the creaky rocking chairs, eating fresh baked chocolate chip cookies. He wanted safety and familiarity. It'd been a hard day for Eddie when the old woman died. He'd give anything to be back there with her, instead of here in this living nightmare.

Eddie reluctantly released Steve. The paramedics moved him to lie flat on the floor. Jeff’s arms wrapped around Eddie as he continued to sob. Eddie’s hands grasped at Jeff’s shirt. It was clean and dry. He must've changed after the show. Before he found them. The paramedics took Steve away, but Eddie couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. His whole body shook. He couldn't stop sobbing. Over and over, all he could think was that he felt like a little kid again, back when everything was falling apart. Steve was going to die, just like his mom did.

It was all Eddie’s fault.

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jarenka · 1 year

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I finally translated a first part of my post-potj au into English. Well, machine translated it and @a1essie and @erlenwein helped me to edit it. I hope it’s readable.

I drew a quick pic for it. Don’t worry Anakin will get his vitamin D later. They are on their first mission after Anakin left the hospital.

"The training room is vacant," Anakin said. “You promised me sparring”.

Obi-Wan turned around. Anakin interrupted his conversation with Lieutenant Labal. They were in a break room, cluttered with furniture. Orange evening sunlight flooded it through the large transplasteel windows.

“Wait a bit, I am almost finished.”

Anakin sat on the empty chair in the corner and watched Obi-Wan and his companion from under half-closed eyelids. He couldn't make out the exact words, but the tone of the voices was soft and friendly, and at the end of the conversation Obi-Wan patted Lieutenant Labal on the shoulder. After that, he turned around and sauntered over to Anakin.

“Are you interrupting my conversations with pretty women again? I thought you gave up that habit when you were sixteen.”

“Sorry, I didn't think you were flirting with a woman who is young enough to be your granddaughter.”

Obi-Wan sighed.

“Get up, let's go.”

Anakin stood up. He still subconsciously expected pain from every sudden movement, even though it had been many months since he felt it.

Obi-Wan had already left the conference room.

The training room was located at the end of a long, gut-like corridor. At first, Obi-Wan walked ahead, but Anakin quickly caught up with him, and they walked side by side, automatically adjusting to each other's pace like in the old days.

For Anakin, training was one of the few amusements here, on Carati, where they had been stuck for several months, helping rebels from the neighboring planet Surra. Obi-Wan and Anakin's group was providing supplies: they brought equipment, weapons and medicines, took away the wounded and refugees. This mission, part military, part humanitarian, tested Anakin's patience. He wanted a fight with imperial forces, to destroy patrol ships but they had to lay low if they wanted to continue their mission.

Between trips to Surra once a week they barely have anything to do. Obi-Wan, the head of the mission, allowed his men to visit cities of Carati on their official leaves but all other free time they were spending on the military base. Anakin didn’t go outside even during his leaves and hardly talked to anyone. He was either training, or fixing something in the hangar, or sitting in his spacious bedroom watching holodrams from local holonet. He didn't like to appear in common areas: the dining room, the recreation room, the meeting room. People looked at him strangely.

Obi-Wan was also stared at, but in a completely different way. Just like before, when Anakin was a boy, they would go into the cantina together, and the women — and some men — would start to smile at Obi-Wan seductively and become too polite to him. Anakin didn't complain then: he often got a free dessert because the owner of the cantina or the waitress tried to impress the "uncle" with a young "nephew". He wanted to complain now. It was annoying.

It was hot in the training room, despite the air conditioning. Evening sunlight streamed through the tall windows. Obi-Wan pulled off his shirt, remaining in his pants and undershirt, Anakin took off the hooded cape he usually wore over his shirt, and mechanically smoothed his hair. He needed to do something with it. Here, in the humid tropical climate of Carati, his hair curled more than usual and was constantly sweaty under the hood.

Several people came into the training room and settled on a bench in the corner. Anakin could have kicked them out, but he didn't. He did not want to quarrel with the locals over mundane things, he forced himself to behave. Just like he forced himself to take medications on schedule and go to a physiotherapist before. He didn’t want Luke and Ahsoka to regret their trust in him. He didn’t want them to listen to all these "we told you that this asshole is not capable of behaving normally! If you stop controlling him, he will strangle coworkers simply because he can." Luke had already suffered enough because of Anakin.

Obi-Wan and Anakin activated their swords and moved away from each other. Anakin looked around the room. The four rebels on the bench sat down as if they had come to the theater.

“I wonder what attracted them here: the battle or Obi-Wan in an undershirt?”

“Attack," Anakin said.

Obi-Wan didn't answer, he didn't even nod. Anakin barely had time to raise his sword and parry the first blow.

Obi-Wan's attacks followed one after another, giving Anakin no break. He had to grab the hilt with both hands to ward off another blow — so strong that it made Anakin's hands ache in the place where the living tissue connected to the prostheses. Obi-Wan flipped in the air and landed on the floor behind Anakin. It was hard to repel another attack.

Each of their sparring caused huge amounts of annoyance to Anakin. Obi-Wan returned from the dead healthy, able to fight at his full strength, Anakin had to adjust his style to the new limitations of his body for the second time in a row. Now he moved faster and more freely than in Darth Vader's armor, but he could no longer hit with the same strength, exhausting the opponent. He had to be more careful and attentive, more defensive than attacking.

He was used to looking for a gap in the enemy's defense with sharp blows from all sides. Obi-Wan barely had any gaps in his defense. When Anakin managed to attack, Obi-Wan stopped his sword, as if he knew in advance what move Anakin would choose.

Deceptive techniques wouldn’t help, because Obi-Wan was the one who taught Anakin them.

"You couldn't beat him up even when you were young and healthy, what do you want now?"

He wanted to win, of course. Obi-Wan, unlike Ahsoka, never succumbed to him. Anakin, still weak after treatment and too stubborn to admit it, almost instantly found himself on the floor, without his lightsaber. Ahsoka even reproached Obi-Wan for mocking Anakin.

"Does Anakin want me to succumb to him?"

"Of course, I don’t," Anakin replied.

Ahsoka looked at them and rolled her eyes.

And yet, despite the endless losses — it would take many months of intense training before he could fight on a par with Obi-Wan — he liked sparring. He could just fight. For fun. Without excruciating pain in his body. Without the constant expectation for the Master—the other one—to punish him for his weakness.

Anakin focused on the fight again.

No distractions. Obi-Wan would definitely take advantage of his mistake, which he would make inevitably. Anakin felt that the fight was coming to an end. He was already tired, he couldn't keep up the same pace. He needed a break.

And finally, Anakin didn't have time to react. He barely had time to notice the blue blade of the lightsaber rushing towards his hand. At the last moment, Obi-Wan turned off the sword, and only the silver hilt crashed into Anakin's wrist.

This blow shouldn't have worked, artificial hands don't hurt, but Anakin's new prosthetic was much more sensitive than the old one, and he, stunned by a wave of sensations — not quite pain—unclenched his fingers. The sword fell off.

Anakin was breathing heavily. His lungs recovered, but they were still not enough for a serious lightsaber fight. It will pass eventually.

"You're too focused on not losing, and you should pay attention to technique," Obi-Wan said sternly.

“Are you going to lecture me again?” Anakin snapped.

He ran his palm over his forehead, wiping the beads of sweat.

"Should I just sprawl you on the floor without any commentary next time?”

Anakin grunted vaguely. He didn't like being lectured by Obi-Wan and he wouldn't have liked it even more if Obi-Wan said nothing.

“You've never been good at losing a battle, Anakin," Obi-Wan continued. — “You should have learned it already at your age”.

“It's easy for you to say,” Anakin wanted to answer. "There's nothing wrong with you."

He didn't say it out loud, knowing that any of his excuses would sound ridiculous now. He needed training and asked Obi-Wan to spar himself.

“Shall we repeat it?” he asked instead.

“Let's rest first," Obi-Wan said much more gently. Anakin knew that Obi-Wan didn't need to rest, and this respite was just for him. He sat down on another bench against the wall, where no one else was sitting, and closed his eyes. Obi-Wan soon joined him with two glasses of water from the vending machine. He handed one of them to Anakin.

“Thank you," he replied with a weak smile.

#star wars #Anakin Skywalker #obi wan kenobi #obikin #post-ROTJ AU #my art

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sir-arlieosaurus-lung-struggler · 4 months

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the holidays are always really fucking weird, i dont like many of them but specifically December is just- ew

Anyway ill just thro my mini pitty party real quick:

These song explains how I feel about christmas time *perfectly*

Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas by mother mother (christmas playlist)

From heres basically a trauma dump about being in the hospital, but i typically talk about this in a tone more like "oh yea! i nearly died lmao"

When i was like, just turning 6 I had 💫pneumonia💫 & needed to go to the 💫hospital💫. So I spent like, 12/11-31/15 in the hospital. along the way i had these treats happen (not really in order, 💜=story from family member, ❤=i actually remember this)

💜being diagnosed by my sisters 16 yo boyfriend by looking at my gums, whereas medical staff took 4 days

❤Some mcdonalds, cool auntys banana bread, jello & making popin cookin sets w/ my older sister

💜a 5 day medically induced coma

lung surgery therefor cool fuckin scars on my back (WHICH I CANT FUCKING SHOW ANYONE CAUSE I WAS CURSED W/ TITS AND 2/3 ARE UNDER MY BRA)

💜waking up from said coma periodically only to say "im scared" w/ my mom trying to comfort me but i had ear shit going on

💜Finnaly actually woke up, yelled "IM DEAD", which is reportadly the scariest shit my dad has ever heard, my mom asks if i hurt, i say yes, she like "ur not dead honey" again i was 6 & in & out of a coma 😂 (idk why but I've always found that story funny)

💜my parents being thretened w/ truancy by my dumbass school

❤Christmas, I had *2* mini christmas trees in my hospital room 💅 1 was cool but my cool uncle & aunty got me a pink 1 which I still have to this day as a lamp

💜only trusting 1 of my doctors cause he looked like my grandfather who'd been deceased for 2years at that point

❤💜going on walks around the kids floor in a wheelchair & stealing a little gingerbread beanie baby ornament but they didnt care so they just let me keep it & i still have it somehwere.

💜my mom met a lady who had a son who was a few months old & they didnt expect to live past a couple weeks but he *did* (more on that later)

💜had food in the cafeteria and i proceeded to rub the pizza i got *into my hair*. My response? "Its just cheese" my family and I quote that to this day lmao.

💜being reverted to a toddler for a good minute (someone asked my age i said i was 3, i was not) & needing to relearn walking, talking, the little bit of reading i knew & getting into a shower w/out being scared of being pulled down the drain

❤said dude who asked my age worked at the hospital cafeteria & we visited him after most of my appointments. miss u uncle (that was what he went by), wish u well. Dont know where he since covid cause the part of the building cafeteria was in was torn down.

❤and after all that later and i got releaced on new years eve :>

results:

From there forward i had a 20-30minute nebulizer to do every 4 hours (which my parents had to wake up at like 2am for a half hour for), 2 twice daily inhailers, 2 nasil sprays, "the tire" (tastes like shit and makes me feel anxious) (that isnt even all of it my mom counted 8 meds at one point) and i slowly dropped them year by year till they had me down to just rescue inhailer as needed & if my lungs r really shit for a min i go on the tire. (Tire=prednisolone but what 6 year old is remembering that name lol)

specialist appointments every week, then 2 weeks, then every month, 3 months, 6 months, now im at checkup every year and check in as needed

"Look whos inside again" by bo burnham is my life in a nutshell

To this day the smell of a consentrated area of hand sanatizer just has me stop in my tracks lol.

seeing a picture of tiny me on my parents facebook feed yearly of me unconscious in a hospital bed w/ tubes in mah face

couple of close friend i met post hospital (keep in mind i was like 7) didn't believe me so i ran around the playground cursing them the fuck out (never did get in trouble for that 😂) ((I still talk to 1 of them shes cool))

Idk where to put this but about that kid I was talking about before, I found out last year around this time he had just died- of 💫pneumonia💫. yea that fucked me up for a good minute, he was around 6 too which didn't help, I never even met the kid and I still had a weird form of survivors guilt.

Anyway have a merry fucking christmas i really dont get this holiday lol, treat yourself kindly, feel free to be the grinch you are and explain in detail why u hate the holidays u arent alone lol

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depressedhouseplant · 1 month

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🔞 In Darkness I Found You 🔞

Chapter 9

Tags: Mentions of miscarriage

A/N: This one goes out to the Taekookers

Yoongi was taking a nap in Hobi’s lap when his phone dinged. It was Tae.

Need your input. Do we have space for another Breeder in the house?

Hobi read the text several times before replying.

What do you mean?

Tae: Got a Breeder in at the hospital this morning. Bad shape. Wouldn’t let anyone near him except me b/c I smelled like Yoongi. Haven’t been able to do anything other than clean him up.

Hobi: Guest room is free again. I can get Yoongi to sit in there for a bit to make it smell like Omega. Is he pregnant, too?

Tae: No idea. Like I said, he won’t let anyone examine him.

Hobi: Bring him & we’ll take care of him.

Tae: Thx x 1000

Hobi: We’re suckers.

Tae: LOL definitely.

Hobi: See you when you get home.

“What was that?” Yoongi rolled over and looked up at Hobi.

“We’re getting a new addition,” Hobi said.

“What do you mean?” Yoongi yawned.

“A Breeder ended up at Tae’s hospital this morning. He didn’t let anyone near him except Tae because he smells like you,” Hobi replied.

“Did he know his name? I might know him,” Yoongi said.

“I don’t think they’ve even gotten that much out of him. It sounds like he was pretty spooked,” Hobi said.

“So was I,” Yoongi smiled when he sat up.

“I’m gonna need you to sit in the guest room for a little while without me. We’re going to put him in there and I want it to smell as little of Alpha as possible,” Hobi said.

“I can do that. Though pup’s favorite spot is my bladder right now,” Yoongi replied. He’d hit the 6 and a half month mark and was looking very pregnant. Hobi put his mouth next to Yoongi’s belly.

“You need to let Omega daddy sit still for a little while. We need to help Uncle Tae. Okay?” Hobi said and kissed the bump. Yoongi laughed. “What?”

“You’re gonna be a great dad,” he said.

“Thank you. Now let’s try and make the newest member of our family welcome,” Hobi smiled back.

Tae got home a few hours later & texted Yoongi this time.

Can you come outside?

“Looks like it's time,” Yoongi said. Hobi was across the hall in their bedroom.

“I’m here if you need me,” Hobi said. Yoongi got up and waddled his pregnant self out to the driveway where Tae was waiting. There was a young Omega in the front seat looking at the floor. Yoongi recognized him, but couldn’t place him. He was just as thin and ragged as Yoongi had been.

“He kept saying ‘they left me to die’. Do you know what that means?” Tae asked.

“Unfortunately I do,” Yoongi replied. “I’ll explain later. Let’s get him inside first.”

Tae opened the door and the Omega flinched. Then he stopped when he smelled Yoongi.

“I know you. You’re the one who escaped,” he said.

“I am. My name’s Yoongi. What’s yours?” Yoongi asked.

“Jungkook,” he said quietly.

“Let Tae help you in the house. I’m not in the best shape right now,” Yoongi gestured to his belly. “He won’t hurt you. He’s been taking care of me and the pup for almost 4 months.”

“Okay,” he said. Tae picked him up and carried him into the house. Even though they went straight to the guest room, Jungkook started to whine when he smelled Hobi.

“It’s okay. That’s my mate, Hobi. He won’t hurt you either. They’re good Alphas,” Yoongi assured him. Tae put Jungkook on the bed. “What does he need?”

“A full checkup including a pregnancy exam,” Tae replied.

“I’m not pregnant,” Jungkook said.

“We need to be sure,” Tae told him.

“I miscarried about a week ago. I think I was 4 months,” he replied.

“So they put you out,” Yoongi said. Jungkook nodded and wrapped his arms around his stomach.

“What does that mean?” Tae asked.

“If a Breeder can’t get pregnant or stay pregnant after a certain amount of time, they’ll get rid of you. They strip you naked and dump you in the middle of nowhere to die of exposure or starvation. They were never short on creativity,” Yoongi explained. “How’d you survive?”

“I found a trail that led to a road. Then someone dropped me off at the hospital,” Jungkook said. “It was my third miscarriage.”

“How long were you there?” Tae asked.

“Two years. I think,” he said.

“It’s August 17, 2019,” Tae said.

“About 2 years then,” Jungkook nodded.

“How old are you?” Yoongi asked.

“Twenty. I’ll be 21 on September 1,” he replied.

“I know you just miscarried, but let him check anyway. I had a stowaway,” Yoongi patted his belly.

“Okay. You’ll stay, right?” Jungkook asked.

“The whole time,” Yoongi assured him.

Yoongi sat up against the wall and Jungkook nestled under his arm.

“Let’s do the worst part first,” Tae said.

“You can do it,” Yoongi said. Jungkook warily pulled down the scrub pants he was wearing and opened his legs only wide enough for Tae to get his hand in.

“Well no wonder you keep miscarrying. You’ve got a cyst the size of a walnut in there,” Tae said.

“A what?” Jungkook asked.

“It’s basically a benign tumor,” Tae clarified.

“Can you get it out?” Jungkook questioned.

“Not with my bare hands,” Tae said. “You’ll need surgery to get it out.” Jungkook squeaked.

“No one’s making you do it right now,” Yoongi said.

“It will have to come out eventually, but it’s not an emergency,” Tae explained.

“Okay,” Jungkook relaxed slightly.

“Let’s get these back on,” Tae helped him pull the pants back up.

“Is it a boy or a girl?” Jungkook asked as Tae continued with the exam.

“Dunno. Decided to be surprised,” Yoongi replied.

“Everybody talked about you after you escaped. No one could figure out how you did it until they changed the pen,” Jungkook said.

“What did they do?” Yoongi wasn’t sure he wanted to hear the answer.

“They made it concrete and smooth. There’s barbed wire at the top now,” Jungkook told him.

“Did you go in there?” Yoongi asked.

“Only twice. I didn’t fight. I just gave up,” Jungkook said.

“I guess in your own way you escaped,” Yoongi said. “They think you’re dead.”

“I think they stopped looking for you or maybe just stopped talking about it where we could hear them,” he replied.

“You stumbled your way into the right hospital, Jungkook. Tae is the best there is,” Yoongi told him.

“Just doing my job,” Tae said, but Yoongi didn’t miss the hint of a smile. It was the first time Yoongi had complimented him. “Speaking of, we need to get some food and water in you. What do you like to eat?”

Jungkook stayed glued to Yoongi’s side the rest of the evening. They briefly ventured to the kitchen for dinner. After Tae got Jungkook to eat, Yoongi took him back to the guest room.

“You want to meet my mate?” Yoongi asked.

“Okay,” Jungkook said tentatively.

“Hobi, you can come out now,” Yoongi said. Hobi opened the bedroom door and came out into the hall. Jungkook shrunk more into Yoongi’s side. “It’s okay. Jungkook, this is Hobi. He’s my mate. He’s the one who saved me and this pup. I was going to die and Hobi took us in. He didn’t even blink.”

“I couldn’t exactly leave you half dead in my yard, now could I?” Hobi grinned. Yoongi took his hand.

“Nope, you couldn’t,” he smiled. “They’re good Alphas, Jungkook. Not like the ones we’re used to.”

“Hi Hobi,” he said quietly.

“Hi Jungkook,” Hobi replied.

“It hurt so bad,” he said.

“What did?” Yoongi asked.

“Losing the pups. I didn’t get a break because I didn’t give birth to a full term pup. It still hurt. I still hurt. They were so rough…” he started to cry.

“You’re safe here. I promise. They can’t hurt you anymore,” Yoongi hugged the shaking younger Omega. Hobi looked at him sadly. Less than 6 months ago that had been Yoongi, but there hadn’t had another Omega to comfort him.

“I can sleep by myself tonight. I’ll live,” Hobi told them. Yoongi nodded as Jungkook cried into his shoulder. Omegas who miscarried regularly had it the worst. Especially good looking ones like Jungkook. He may have looked like he’d been on a Breeder farm for 2 years right then, but once he filled out he’d be very handsome. Yoongi understood why he’d been so horribly mistreated. He was probably one of the most desirable, but he was physically incapable of carrying to term. Yoongi knew the surgery to fix it would be minor. Tae mentioned them periodically. The unspoken caveat was Jungkook would need to have it removed if he ever wanted to stay pregnant. There was plenty of time for that. Right now he needed to feel safe.

“Come on. Let’s get you into something not hospital issue,” Yoongi said.

“They smell like Alpha, but they should fit,” Tae came down the hall with some of his old clothes. He was slightly bigger than Hobi and so was Jungkook.

“Thank you,” Jungkook said as he took them.

“My room is upstairs, but I’ll stay down here tonight in case you need anything,” Tae said. “The couch is very comfortable when the dogs aren’t hogging it.”

“Thanks Tae,” Yoongi said. “Go get changed.” He pointed Jungkook toward the bathroom.

“What’s your expert opinion?” Tae asked.

“He had it rough, but in a different way. I’m sure they bred him like crazy and then blamed him when he lost the pups,” Yoongi replied.

“That cyst will have to come out eventually whether he wants to get pregnant or not,” Tae said. “I’m surprised it isn’t causing him any pain.”

“It might be and he doesn’t know it. We suffered a lot and it’s hard to tell what hurts and why after a while,” Yoongi sighed. “As the rest of him heals, it might start to hurt.”

“Then we’ll talk about it,” Tae said.

“Exactly,” Yoongi replied.

They heard shuffling behind them and Jungkook had come out of the bathroom holding the scrubs.

“Thank you,” he held them out to directly to Tae rather than passing them through Yoongi. Yoongi remembered that feeling - a paralyzing fear of Alphas, body in so much pain you can barely move, but the smell. The smell that cut through all of it. Tae smelled similar to Hobi, but that wasn’t unusual for siblings. He had the same warm, spicy undertone. Jungkook had gotten a whiff of it and there was no going back.

“You should sleep,” Tae said.

“I’ll stay with you,” Yoongi said.

“Tae can stay,” Jungkook looked at Yoongi.

“Are you sure?” Of course he was sure, he was drunk on Tae’s scent.

“Yeah,” Jungkook looked at Tae. “What Yoongi said is true, right? You’re a good Alpha?”

“I’ll sleep on the floor if you want me to,” Tae said.

“I’ll let you two sort this out. Pup’s on the bladder again,” Yoongi said.

“Good night,” they said.

“I thought you were bunking with Jungkook tonight,” Hobi said when Yoongi came in the bedroom.

“Jungkook has fallen victim to the intoxicating fragrance of your younger sibling,” Yoongi replied.

“Oh really?” Hobi said.

“Not all that different than my first night here,” Yoongi got into bed.

“What do we smell like?” Hobi asked.

“Warm, comforting, safe,” Yoongi replied.

“And you say I stink like an Alpha,” Hobi got behind him and wrapped his arms around Yoongi’s belly.

“A good smelling Alpha,” Yoongi said.

“I’ll be interested to see how this turns out,” Hobi said.

“Me too,” Yoongi agreed.

When they got up the next morning, the door to the guest bedroom was still closed. Hobi motioned for Yoongi to open it. After flailing back and forth at each other, Yoongi finally cracked open the door. Jungkook was nestled into Tae’s chest with Tae’s arms wrapped around him. Hobi peeked in over Yoongi’s head.

“I think pup has another uncle,” Hobi whispered.

“I think you’re right,” Yoongi said quietly as he closed the door back. Yoongi didn’t mind at all.

#minors dni #bts sope #bts fanfic #omegaverse

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searchingwardrobes · 1 year

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The morning a comment made me cry . . .

I have been wrestling with posting this for ages. On the one hand, I want to let people who follow my fanfic to know that I haven’t left. On the other, I am an INFJ, an introvert, and a highly sensitive person who never wants to feel like I’m bothering people or whining about my life. Everyone has problems, everyone is busy, am I right? But then last week, I woke up to a comment on Ao3 for a fic that I wrote years ago, and I ended up sitting at my kitchen table and crying.

It wasn’t just the comment. It was that I had just spent the last night in the house we have lived in for the last 17 years. The house each of my children came home from the hospital to. A house I honestly didn’t want to sell or leave. And it wasn’t like we were moving because we found our dream house or because a new job opportunity came up or anything like that. We sold our house because the church my husband just took a new job at has a parsonage, and that means we can live there rent free. You can’t pass that up from a financial standpoint.

Even if the parsonage is way smaller. And darker. And filthy. And smells bad. And looks like the Byers house in Stranger Things AFTER monsters started coming out of the walls. (ie 80s but gross)

And what makes it harder is that people berate me every time I try to share how hard this is. “You can’t beat free.” I know, I know, but can’t anyone try to imagine how I’m feeling? If you were in my shoes, would it be easy?

Anyways, so back to the comment. I’ve been doing this fanfic thing long enough that in some ways, the comment just made me roll my eyes. But it was kind of like the proverbial straw, you know? I had been trying to hold it together for days, and this mean comment pushed me over the edge. So there I was, crying at my kitchen table surrounded by moving boxes.

To compound it all, I haven’t written much at all since November. Scratch that, more like October. This is frustrating because it’s something I love, and it also causes guilt over all my WIPs. But we decided to put the house on the market in early November, and our realtor said we needed to get it listed before Thanksgiving, so there was the frantic race of “decluttering” ie half-packing the house and a million and one little home repair projects and deep cleaning. Then the house was shown only four times, and we got an offer. Great, right? Only they wanted to move in TWO DAYS before Christmas. That was a hard no for me. So they comprised and said two days AFTER Christmas. Their offer was over the asking price, so we had to take it.

But did I mention the parsonage isn’t livable yet? So yep, we have no home right now. (I won’t say homeless because that word means something very different and much more serious than what we’re going through.) I’ve slept in so many different places over the last week, that this morning I woke up and couldn’t remember where I was.

Did I mention I also have three kids?

If you’ve stuck with me so far, don’t worry, I won’t go into all the details. Just understand that our family of five (plus a dog) will soon be living in my aunt and uncle’s basement for possibly two months. While I homeschool.

And now I feel like I’m whining again. I’m really not a whiner, I promise. I’m just trying to a) explain why I have disappeared for so long and b) why that negative Ao3 comment came at the absolute worst possible time.

That comment was the least of my worries on that particular day, and a week later, I just don’t think it’s worth discussing. Maybe, though, this tale will help people remember to pause before they type something on the internet. Because the person you are addressing has a real life, and there is no way for you to know what they might be going through. I was actually a little happy when I saw the email because a nice comment would have been a bright spot in an otherwise tough day. Instead, it was a kick while I was already down. Comments have a lot of power for a creator. I wish they didn’t. I wish we all “just wrote for ourselves” or could brush it off easily. But writers are sensitive creatures as a rule, especially fanfic writers who are only doing it as a hobby, not for a career. So, you know, just stop and think for a sec. That’s all. And this comment served no purpose whatsoever. I wrote the fic so long ago, there’s no way I’m revising it. Ironically, the person ended the comment by saying, “Enjoying it so far, though.” Which rang totally false after their long list of what was wrong with the story.

Side note: the comment has made me contemplate a post on writer’s tips for writing children well. I’m not just a homeschooling mom, I’m also a former teacher. People seem to seriously not realize this, but teachers have to take college courses on child and adolescent development. We are around children a lot, too, so (shock!) we actually are experts in the field. I don’t know - is that something anyone would be interested in as writers? Because you don’t have to be a parent to write kids well - @whimsicallyenchantedrose and @distant-rose are awesome at it, and they don’t have kids. So if you want tips on that, I’d love to share. It’s something I can kind of get on a soapbox about, lol.

And as for my readers, I’ll tag you all so you know where the hell I’ve been. So here comes the tag list, and I’ll now shut up:

@snowbellewells @teamhook @kmomof4 @jrob64 @xhookswenchx @thisonesatellite @welllpthisishappening @spartanguard @ohmakemeahercules @tiganasummertree @sparlecorn93 @sals86 @pirateprincessofpizza @xarandomdreamx @zaharadessert @huntressandlioness1 @jamif @undercaffinatednightmare @onceratheart18 @sparlecorn93 @sals86 @pirateprincessofpizza @xarandomdreamx @zaharadessert @huntressandlioness1 @winterbaby89 @hollyethecurious @svenjaliv

#melanie rants #or cries?#haha #my real life #writers woes #the joys and struggles of fic writing #where i have been

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beardedmrbean · 2 years

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A Pennsylvania 911 operator faces a rare charge of involuntary manslaughter for failing to send an ambulance to the rural home of a woman who died of internal bleeding a day later, despite a plea from the woman’s daughter that without medical help “she’s going to die.”

A Greene County detective last week filed charges against Leon “Lee” Price, 50, of Waynesburg, in the July 2020 death of Diania Kronk, 54, based on Price’s reluctance to dispatch help without getting more assurance that Kronk would actually go to the hospital.

“I believe she would be alive today if they would have sent an ambulance,” said Kronk’s daughter Kelly Titchenell, 38.

Price, who also was charged with reckless endangerment, official oppression and obstruction, questioned Titchenell repeatedly during the four-minute call about whether Kronk would agree to be taken for treatment.

Price was arraigned June 29 and released on bail. He did not reply to messages left at a home number listed in his name, and officials said a defense lawyer has not contacted district court.

“It has to be very clear throughout the entire state, that when you call it’s not going to be conditioned on somebody on the other end of the phone saying there’s going to be a service provided or not,” said Lawrence E. Bolind Jr., who represents Titchenell in a federal lawsuit filed last month. “What we’re trying to do here is make this never happen to somebody else.”

In the 911 recording, an operator identified by police as Price replied to Titchenell’s description of her mother as needing hospital treatment by asking if she was “willing to go” to the hospital about a half-hour away from where she was living in Sycamore.

“She will be, ’cause I’m on my way there, so she’s going, or she’s going to die,” Titchenell told Price as she drove from her home in Mather.

Price said he would send an ambulance but then added that “we really need to make sure she’s willing to go.”

“She’s going to go, she’s going to go,” Titchenell said. “Cause if not, she’s going to die, there’s nothing else.” She said that Kronk was not thinking clearly and that she was her mother’s closest relation. When Price again asked if Kronk would in fact go, Titchenell replied: “OK, well, can we just try?”

After Titchenell told Price she was about 10 minutes from her mother’s home, Price asked if Titchenell would call 911 back once she made sure Kronk was willing to go in an ambulance.

“I’m sorry,” Titchenell said, and Price replied: “No, don’t be sorry, ma’am. Just call me when you get out there, OK?”

When Titchenell and her three children arrived at the house, she said, Kronk was nude on the front porch and talking incoherently. She got her mother to put on a robe.

“She just kept saying she was OK, she’s fine,” Titchenell said. “She’s the mom, you know — she doesn’t listen to her children.”

Titchenell said she could not call from the home because her mother’s landline could not be located and there was not cell service. She also did not call on her way home, believing that her uncle would soon check on her and that another contact with 911 would be pointless.

“This is unheard of, to me. I mean, they’ll send an ambulance for anything,” Titchenell said. “And here I am telling this guy that my mom’s going to die. It’s, like, her death, and she doesn’t get an ambulance.”

Her brother found the next day that their mother had died.

The prosecutor, Greene County District Attorney Dave Russo, said he is also investigating whether there was any policy or training under which the county’s 911 dispatchers were allowed to refuse services to callers.

“We all deserve equal protections, and we all deserve access to medical services,” Russo said in an interview. “I have a major concern as to the safety of the community in regards to this.”

John Kelly, a Naperville, Illinois, lawyer who is general counsel to the National Emergency Number Association, said criminal charges against dispatchers for failing to send help are very rare but have happened.

In a case Kelly teaches in dispatcher training, a 911 operator in Detroit received a year of probation in 2008 and lost her job after, authorities said, she did not take seriously a boy’s calls to report his mother had collapsed. The 5-year-old boy testified that the dispatcher accused him of playing games and hung up on him, while the dispatcher testified that she could not hear the child.Titchenell, on behalf of her mother’s estate, sued Price and Greene County in Pittsburgh federal court last month, along with two 911 supervisors. The lawsuit accuses Price of “callous refusal of public emergency medical services.”

Marie Milie Jones, a lawyer for the county and 911 supervisors in the federal case, said her clients plan to vigorously defend the lawsuit and do not believe they are liable for Kronk’s death. She said there are “personnel matters that are ongoing” regarding Price but declined to elaborate.

“It’s unfortunate that this woman had died. Certainly, from a personal standpoint, that’s very difficult,” Jones said. “I’m not going to comment on the details of her circumstances.”

Titchenell told Price that her mother had been drinking heavily for some weeks before she died, and that Titchenell had noticed she was losing weight and was “turning yellow.” She said the autopsy concluded Kronk, who worked in home health care, died of internal bleeding.

She said she thinks about her late mother every day — how the former longtime sub shop manager loved to cook, to help people and to spoil her five grandchildren, how she would pile a mountain of presents under the tree every Christmas.

“She had the biggest heart,” Titchenell said. “If someone didn’t have a place to live, she was going to take them in, give them a bed. That was Mom.”

#nunyas news #you're a 911 operator someone asks for an ambulance you send one

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blueheartedmayor · 2 years

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Dante Headcanon: How A Near-Death Experience Saved His Unlife.

The verse tag “A Frightful Appointment” might have caught some attention while looking through my blog, but I don’t think there was a proper explanation of it given, considering how important it is to the blog. In brief, it is how Damien in the WKM era can interact with characters from N.ightmare Before C.hristmas and other characters that would fit in that setting, but it’s waaaay more than that.

In fact, it’s the reason Dante exists as he does today. (Go give love and thanks to Oogie for saving him!!)

Under a read-more. Topics of violence, death, disassociation and ghosts are addressed.

Not long after Damien became Mayor, he was assaulted in his home by members of a gang. Damien came from a family of lawyers, but the honest mayor was the son of a crooked man. There was a chance Damien could use his position to implement better laws and restrictions. This attack was so brutal, it landed him in hospital.

He should have died that night.

Instead, he was placed into an induced coma while the spirit was whisked away to a town of monsters by the Hinterlands. A fair and observant soul would be very important in helping to keep a busy Holiday running smoothly, after all. This was how Damien befriended Oogie and his family. They, especially Icelyn (the youngest daughter who viewed him as an uncle) welcome the lost human with open arms.

What was only a week or so in the human world spanned for many months in H.allowe’en Town. There was an awareness that Damien might disappear whenever the original Mayor returned, but the most would be made of his time there. It gave him a much needed break from the world where he was under constant pressure, and allowed him a chance to allow his clairvoyancy to blossom. The homesickness would hit him hard sometimes, but he always worked around it since he had a promise he wanted to keep.

So, remember that I said that Damien was supposed to die that night? Well, on the second human world night, his body reached a critical low where the heart stopped for two seconds. In Hallowe’en Town, Damien froze in the middle of whatever job he was doing, expression empty and vacant for several minutes. When he was snapped out of this initial haze, it took nearly an hour for his memories to come back. When they did, he was shaky and withdrawn for several days in the fear that it would happen again. Just in case, he began writing things down in a diary to help jog his memory.

Eventually, enough treatment was made to warrant Damien’s body to be ‘stable’, and the spirit had to be returned to the body. Oogie made it his mission to visit and make sure Damien knew the time in H.allowe’en Town wasn’t a dream.

---

You might ask: how is this important to the blog? It happening in the first place is why Dante is so different from other Darks.

Once Dante regained his humanity after decades of being lost to his ‘role’, he needed a place to recover from his grief and the blistering pain of the crack-like scar that spread across half his face. The Hinterlands, knowing that not only was the human dead, but he was also safe to pass through the veil, welcomed him back and led him to the home away from home.

In H.allowe’en Town, Dante was protected from the influences of Actor in this place of solace. He could start a healing process outside of the story in a way others did not experience. He didn’t have to worry about old faces coming back to haunt him - and if they did appear in nightmares, Oogie was always apologetic about it. He could relearn the skills needed to be human and how to be a friend. He could try and come to terms with his grief by spending time with a friend who went through something rather similar. The trauma from the events in the woods, and the party beforehand, could be finally acknowledged without the fear of them being turned into a weapon to use against him. A simple, low-maintenance job was provided that didn’t require him to be there every day if nightmares, trauma, or pains got the better of him (and later, when he would return to the human world for spells). He could start trying to reclaim a new sense of identity. He would be able to understand that while he might never be Damien, he could still be someone important as Dante.

In turn, H.allowe’en Town’s influence gradually crept in. Residents of the town become more monstrous as they stay there. For Dante, it began to manifest in the form of the ‘aura’ that surrounded him. Instead of the glitching that accompanies others that share his role, Dante’s energy manifests in the form of a pale purple smoke. It’s a manifestation of the ghost locked in a corpse that didn’t belong to him. When he loses control of his emotions, duplicates appear like haunted spirits that are blown away by a breath. Not only that, when he slips back into character, it is as though he has been possessed with how he behaves.

But not only that, it allowed the dissonant red and blue to settle into purple.

#danteheadcanon #(can you believe I've never gone into detail about this???)#(it's been a staple the entire time!!)#(I use 'headcanon' but this is literally blog lore. It's literally WHY Dante is who he is today)

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ebdanon · 26 days

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(part 2) My dad caught COVID on the plane back. Which meant he couldn't attend the wedding-related "meetings" we planned with the parents. Which made him unbearable. Both sides were trying to make the whole thing as cheap as possible (the parents pay for weddings here)- the cheapest menu, venue, music, everything. I don't remember a lot of things from the planning. But at one point they got so overbearing and trying to undermine everything we just gave up. In our country, the bride's parents buy the wedding ring for her husband, and vice versa. We were so sick of their behavior, that we decided to get ridiculously expensive wedding bands since both sides wanted to show off how much money they had. Because they rushed everything, we ended up married 6 weeks after the proposal. There were about 30 people, all of them mandatory for weddings (there would have been more people if no one was in a rush but not everyone can get a last-minute plane ticket). I managed to get all of one friend to attend, my husband had no friends. Because the parents planned the guest list and we said only the core mandatory people, his parents didn't even ask if he would be inviting any friends. My parents paid for my dresses for the few different official events with the in-laws that tradition demands. My husband's parents (who again, knew about this for a year and a half already, were complaining they were running out of money) got him nothing. Official events include family dinner at my place, and family dinner at his place - only parents and siblings and their partners. Then we did the church ceremony with the 30 people, with a lunch at a restaurant afterward. The actual marriage certificate we got two weeks later on our actual anniversary, and we had lunch after with the 10 people in attendance. The restaurants were shitty both times. Since we lived out of town and were busy with work, our parents had to check which places we could book for the set date. They made a list of the cheapest places in town, and they're all cheap for good reason. Terrible interior, bad service, cheap food, and barely any space. They also made a list for the music, and did the same thing again - listed the cheapest bands which had like three people in them. Thankfully we handled the photographer so the photos were amazing. I worked with a florist for the decoration which made the place a bit nicer, but still pretty shit.

I never wanted a traditional wedding. I just wanted to skip the dumb and outdated traditions, get a marriage certificate, and have a small gathering at a nice venue. Well, we skipped most of the traditions. The traditions I hate include the young unmarried men in the family hiding the bride in her house and only giving her up in exchange for money from the groom and best man. There's shit like dancing on tables, a couple of other "money in exchange for the bride" things, and copious photos of the bride giving gifts to her future in-laws family members. After the wedding, everyone goes back to the groom's house where the bride is supposed to dip her finger in honey. oil? (I forget) and draw crosses on the door to her new home, and then the party continues. My MIL insisted I do that one, my FIL filmed it and sent it to my parents. Because no one went to the groom's house because we weren't doing that part.

I remember one conversation I had with my narcissistic grandma the day before, who insisted we still do all that "giving away the bride for money" in the restaurant itself. This is the same woman who pretended to have a psychotic break a week before the wedding and spent a few days in the hospital. We know she pretended because the doctors told us as much, but they still kept her for "observation" to calm her down. She pretended she didn't recognize anyone or anything, but was magically fine when my uncle called her up.

And then I was married and we spent the rest of the month living with my in-laws (as per tradition) to get all the documents sorted and get the marriage certificate. My parents gave us a huge chunk of money as a wedding gift, and his parents promised us half of the house they own (I have a recent story on this I'll share another time) as the other half would go to their daughter.

Living with them was when I learned how big my MIL's drinking problem was. She would go on these screaming rants about how my parents were master manipulators and planned everything how they wanted it to be, screaming at my husband for being weak-willed and getting fucked over according to her. My husband and I would go over to my parents, and the next day my MIL would be screaming about how we went over to get instructions on how to fuck up everything. It was even worse when she was drunk. We got everything with the documents sorted and got the hell out of dodge as soon as we could to our apartment. And we didn't speak to each other for a month and a half after that. Just trying to decompress and destress from the shitstorm we went through. When we finally started talking to each other again and started to relax, we spent a couple of weeks going over the shit that went down, which was stressful again. Finally, we went back to normal, the stress went away, and we both got incredibly sick. It was like the high adrenaline from the stress was keeping us going until we took a breather and we both crashed. While mine was a chronic flare-up, my husband's was a brand new thing and we spent the next four months going to over 40 doctors to figure out what it was. That's a whole 9 shitty shitty months that were supposed to be incredibly happy. We had tons of plans that we had to put off or completely cancel due to the drama from our families. And when the dust settled, and they tried to reminisce about the "wedding", all I told them was that I was just grateful to be invited. Because none of it was for me. The only things we got to organize were the photographer and the florist. It was like the random small tasks you would give to someone because they have free time and those things aren't too big of a deal so they can't fuck them up too badly. I only have a vague idea of why they were rushing everything - our original plan was to get the certificate and buy people lunch, we'd do the church ceremony and everything else at a later time when venues would be available, which was likely months later. We were planning on moving abroad, so everyone was likely panicking that we would never get married in a church if we didn't do it then and there. But these are just assumptions from throwaway things I've heard since then. Our travel agent actually had the dream little wedding that I had wanted a week after we did. The location, music, decor, menu, hell, even everyone's outfits and the weather, everything was perfect, just how I wanted it to be. I just wanna say I'm happy for her, even if I couldn't, I'm happy someone else got to do that whole idea. And I'm sure it took months of planning which we didn't have for some mysterious reason.

Oh, and as soon as the photos of us were shared online, I started getting phone calls from people asking if I was pregnant because it happened so fast. I started joking that I would start sending people my used tampons to just avoid coming up with an explanation of why the rush happened.

Speaking of pregnancy I just remembered, that as soon as we walked out of the church, my and his parents wished us a happy life and a baby as soon as possible. I laughed and told them that would require some sort of higher power because it was medically impossible at the time, and my dad said "Accidents happen".... Both sets of parents knew I had issues with my hormones that basically make me infertile until they're fixed. And I'm keeping some of them in check with birth control. So even if I stop taking it, I'm still infertile, I just don't get periods without birth control. But sure, accidents happen lmao

That's as much as I could summarize and remember, this happened almost two years ago. I'll be sharing more MIL-specific lore as soon as I can.

can i fist fight your entire family? ill pay for my flight too because holy FUCK??????????

#this was a CRAZY ride to read oh my god.#im so sorry all of that happened this sounds like an absolute nightmare #please tell me you and your husband have access to mental health resources because wow #this would turn me into the joker im so serious. like i would become a cartoon villain to these people #idk if its an american thing or just my family but my family is so hands off about this stuff???#like theyre just like ok tell is when and where to show up thanks.#i would have a migraine for the next eternity im so sorru #asks #lore anon

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comic-bastards · 2 years

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Review: Uncle from Another World episode 1, only I’m the uncle

By Dustin Cabeal

Anime is enjoyable for numerous reasons. From the constant chase of love to the fantastic abilities of magic, mech suits and the best fighter in the universe. They have relatable character moments; seldom do they have relatable plot lines. At its core, Uncle from Another World is about a man that’s been in a comma for 17 years. He’s woken up after the internet ruined everything cool and fun but now middle aged, he wants to connect to the familiar things that he knew from his more youthful days. Yes, there is magic and fantasy, but that core element of being middle aged and wanting youthful connections is the most relatable anime plot line I’ve ever seen. I’m speaking on a personal level because not everyone is middle aged and has fond memories of pre-internet days in which video game information came from magazines and actually needed to be fact checked and approved before printing.

The plus and minus here is that Netflix is adapting to more of a traditional release schedule with its anime and much like Komi Can’t Communicate, Uncle from Another World is being released weekly. I didn’t have this knowledge prior to going in and so I sat down expecting a binge session like with Bastard and was meet with disappointment (Note this review was written before the second episode released). I would also encourage you to listen to this week’s episode of Let’s Anime as I talk about the episode there which has a laugh track provided by me… laughing about the show as I talk about it.

The episode begins with a man going to the hospital to pick up his uncle who is awoken from a coma after 17 years. He’s greeted by the uncle in a strange language. The uncle laughs it off and goes oh sorry right Japanese. Before the nephew can give him paperwork to file to live out on his own with assisted living, a nurse comes in and plays along with the foreign language that he is speaking and then tells him that she’ll be back later. Uncle then asks why no one else in the family is there, and the nephew must tell him that the family has been broken apart by his coma. The uncle writes down some notes in his notepad and then says something else in his foreign language and moves on with the conversation. Eventually he tells the nephew that he wants to prove that he was in another world this entire time by displaying his magic and once again begins saying things in his foreign language after about the 21st try he switches to Japanese, and it works. Don’t get to attached to this rule as he seemingly breaks it in the very next scene. The nephew agrees to take the uncle home with him, and we continue our story from there. There is an amazing gag about the console wars which were all the rage in the 90s and uncle clearly siding with Sega. Oh the heartbreak he feels when he learns that Sega is no more, that was a gag too painful, to relatable and too perfect.

Another strong element of the show is that it asked the question and then answers the question of what happens when you return after being isekai’d. The isekai genre has become one of the most dominate genres in manga and anime in the past decade with no signs of slowing down, but this is my first encounter with a return from a journey on another world. The Uncle’s confusion and overall disappointment with the way the world is comes across genuine and relatable. We are also able to see parts of his journey in the other world which have a much more relatable average take on what would happen rather than just a beautiful young man going and conquering the land or a beautiful young woman becoming a powerful sorcerers instantly. Instead, he’s viewed as a half-orc and all of his good deeds are seen as half evils instead of him genuinely trying to help people.

The animation has more grounded realism to it instead of smooth faces and disappearing noses. Uncle is quite average, he’s not ugly, he’s not beautiful and handsome, he’s just an average looking person. The nephew is very average as well just younger less defined lines on his face. They both have a very fluid realistic movement to them even while doing these fantastic magical elements. I gravitate to animation like this because it tends to push the medium in different ways. What does an average man look like when he’s shooting a fire ball or flying? The simple and yet complex animation of a spinning flip phone looks amazing and yet everything feels thoroughly grounded.

I would love to spoil all the gags for you here, but you can listen to Let’s Anime to hear me do that. I will say that if you’re in your 30’s or 40’s you won’t find a more relatable anime. It’s funny and kind of sad at times, but it has already established itself as one of the strongest anime of the cour and possibly of the year.

Score 5/5

Streaming on Netflix

#Uncle From Another World #Anime #Netflix #Dustin Cabeal #Summer Anime 2022

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yellowbentley · 2 years

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its 4:30am which means its time to spill my guts on tumblr.com

i dont even know where to start with this.

yall know i cant stand my sister. all she ever does is make my life harder. throw her fucking dog into the mix - all she does is cause problems.

she was in the hospital for a few weeks because, sorry, shes crazy. im terrified of her dog (who in his own right, only fucking causes problems wherever he goes and i wish he'd get run over. sorry) and because this fucking mutt is more important then i am, he gets free reign of the house and i have to stay locked up. and then i get to come out for a little bit. and then the dog cries. and 20 minutes later i have to go away again because he wont fucking shut up and gives my parents a headache. when my sister was away we gave him to my gramma because she already has dogs shes equipped to handle him. and i was so happy.

i was supposed to go on a camping trip this week. someone ive never been. and i was so excited. hardly anything makes me happy but i fucking love camping and i was so ready to explore and forget all my problems for a few days and FUCKING THEN

my sister and her dog do nothing but cause issues wherever they go. my camping trip was supposed to be me, my mother, and my grandmother. but my grandmother has the freak and cant leave him anywhere. so she cant come. and if she cant come we cant go at all. i could go on my own with my uncle if i wanted, but my uncle thinks im spoiled and he would only pay attention to his girlfriend and her kids who i dont know at all.

instead of going, my ma is going out to bring the fucking freak back. im going to be trapped here. again.

no one is listening to anything i say. i feel like i havent had anything go my way in years. i was fine until my sister arrived and now all she does is get in our way. i dont want to kill people anymore 90% of my anger would go away if i could put a bullet inbetween that dogs eyes. i hate him. and then i could see everything drain from my sisters eyes and i know she wouldnt like me anymore - thank fucking god - and then i'd put a shot through my own head because sister asides im so overwhelmed from the other half of my life

managment makes my job miserable and all my friends are leaving*** and im doing the thing i promised to speak about in 3 years which is all kinds of fucked up AND ive had everyone getting on my dick about school. i dont want to go to school. college. i dont want to go to school. i dont want a career. i thought i'd be dead by now and i wouldnt have to worry about this. i just want to be dead. i just. want. to be. dead. i just want to be dead. it would hurt so much less.

***all my friends are leaving and before too long i am going to be alone again. i hate being alone. its easy but it hurts so bad. it hurts more then anything in the world. im not ready. for the first time in my life i feel like i have real friends even if my grasp is on them is flimsy at best. i try so hard to be liked. i see some of them messing around and it threatens to tear my chest in half. i want what they have. i want to be liked. i want to be liked so bad i think i ruined someones pseudo marriage

the camping trip i was supposed to go on? my boss never even approved my time off

i was so excited for this trip.....ive been waiting since march........

i dont care about my sister i dont love her and i wish everyone would stop trying to force me to get involved in her problems. if she wants to ruin her life its not my fuckin issue. im not visiting her. im not changing her contact name (parasite). im not even going to THINK about offering her my shoulder. i dont care if shes family shes not i pretended she didnt exist for 3 years i'll do it again. hey thats a good idea actually. "you have to care shes family" SAYS FUCKING WHO. NONE OF YOU CARE ABOUT ME.

im overwhelmed. im so, so angry. ive been angry for years. i dont know what else is left of me. its been growing since i was, 16 for sure. possibly earlier. im almost 19. it just changes shape, red hot and creeping under my skin. im so, so angry. i dont think i'll ever be free. i feel grief so sharply and that i have to grieve at all only makes me rage more.

i want to go on my fucking camping trip.

i wish i was dead. i wish i was dead. i wish i was dead.

it would hurt so much less if i was dead.

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lightningflashepiphany · 2 years

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The book of John

Me too man. This is a long message, I have a lot to say about everything that happened that I’ve just been holding onto bro. You deserve an explanation. Today I had a patient that I had to send a text for because he’s old and forgot his glasses at his facility. When I typed in his priest’s number your dad’s name popped up with a picture of him and miss Amy in the options. His wife was apparently one of miss Amy’s close friends and they taught together and she died less than a month after miss Amy. I asked him how he was doing and he basically called me a dumbass because he was in the hospital and couldnt get his shit together, go figure. I think about all of you all of the time and how close we were before life just kind of started happening, and how everything kind of got away from everyone. I miss those times bro. I’m sober now and in therapy and about to get married, shit has changed man. Turn up brothers don’t even turn up the same anymore. Now I’m going to pour my heart out a little bit to you, there is no obligation for you to read this I just want you to know what happened. I feel the guilt of not being there for you through everything you went through, and not being there at miss Amy’s funeral. If you’re mad about that it’s justified. I’d have probably cut the tie if I was you. I’m not saying this for you to say it’s all okay and to just sweep it under the rug either, I’m saying this so that you know what happened. We were losing contact before everything went down, that wasn’t on you bro. You blamed yourself a little bit when we talked during that time but bro, we both had phones. After my breakup with that Adrienne girl a half a fucking decade ago I was fucked in the head, I legit thought you hooked up with her after we broke up. I know you didn’t, you don’t have to defend yourself against that. She was a shit girlfriend and I didn’t put trying something like that past her and she was pretty sexy no lie and you caught the same shit I caught a week later so I just got super paranoid about everything and started putting some distance because I can be a shit friend and I don’t trust people. I also apparently have OCD and intrusive thoughts can make it really hard to navigate situations I can’t tell up from down in. Not an excuse, just something that helps me understand why I did what I did. You got pretty deep into coke after your breakup with Tori which I think may have caused some distance when it happened, and then after the night you busted that guy up bouncing at the club and the shit with your uncle and the dogs I really started distancing myself. I wasn’t supportive during your break up with Tori, I didn’t know what else to do but tell you the truth bro but I didn’t want to hurt you so I held back. I thought that was partly because your relationship with her was toxic near the end and I saw what was going down on your end and I didn’t know how to tell you as your friend so I backed out because I was scared. I was worried bro. I cared so much about how you were doing man, but I didn’t see how I could actually do anything that would help you without hurting our relationship. So I chose self preservation because I was selfish. Then when everything started going down with Mater, and then your mom, I didn’t want to hurt you by being there and then disappearing from your life again when we never even talked about everything because I didn’t know how to. Moral of the story is you needed me during that time that we lost touch and I wasn’t there for you.

That guy could’ve been a patient in any other bed, with any other case manager, nurse, tech, or doctor that he could’ve asked to send the text message but he got me. I’ve never sent a text for a patient or client before today. It’s fate bro. Red thread.

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marvel1012 · 2 years

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So just to recap:

I had abdominal surgery 10 days ago. Gallbladder removal.

5 days later, I wound up back in the ER due to low grade fever and severe back and side pain around the area where my gallbladder used to be. After that slight hiccup, recovery seemed to be going well and then

My 78 yo grandmother went into cardiac arrest on her kitchen floor and had to be transported to a major hospital an hour and a half away from me, where she remains on life support.

My grandfather is 82 yo, not very mobile, not as sharp mentally, hard of hearing and literally can’t take care of himself, let alone his now very sick wife.

I am their only living next of kin. My deceased father was their only child, and I’m their only grandchild. My mother, their ex daughter in law, lives 5 hours away and isn’t very reliable. They have no siblings living; I have no aunts, uncles, or cousins on that side, nobody to help. It’s just me and my grandfather. So really, it’s just me.

I have been spending 18+ hour days at the hospital, my grandfather hasn’t left the beside for 3 days straight. I’m once again experiencing intense pain in my back and side and also in my incisions because the hospital is insanely huge and getting anywhere requires a crazy amount of walking.

It’s very difficult to feed myself because if I try to eat anything besides fruit or soup, anything with more than 2 grams of fat in it, my nonexistent gallbladder goes bonkers and starts shanking me in the side with an invisible knife. I get ravenously hungry but can’t eat anything really satiating for fear of aggravating my digestive system further. I’m getting very little sleep, can’t nourish myself properly, and watching my beloved grandparents suffering is mentally and emotionally draining. Needless to say, my surgery recovery is shot to hell.

I woke up this morning with a sore throat, tight chest, dry cough, no fever. Rapid COVID test at home showed negative, but I don’t know if I trust that result. It’s very possible I contracted something during my 6 hour stay in the ER following my surgery. I have no clue what’s going to happen to my grandparents if I test positive for COVID.

Oh, did I mention their cat is extremely sick and should probably just be put down, but we’re all still trying to feed him and keep him alive for some reason? I guess I just don’t want to have to tell my grandmother that we killed her cat while she was laying in a hospital bed, unresponsive. Assuming I ever get to tell my grandmother anything, ever again, of course.

I’ve spent hundreds of dollars on a hotel room near the hospital in hopes that I could get my grandfather to rest there periodically, but he refuses to leave my grandmother, even to go to a hotel that’s less than 5 min away. The hotel reservation ends tomorrow and I think I’m just going to start sleeping in my car in the hospital parking lot, because we’re barely using the room and it’s $160/night.

I was supposed to return to work on Monday, now I have no idea what to tell my boss or employees (I’m lower middle management and yes, it’s miserable). Thankfully I have lots of leave built up so I can take off and continue to get paid but on the other hand, I’ve already been gone for a week and a half and I can’t fathom how behind I’m going to be when I finally return. Lower middle management = all the work of a supervisor with none of the flexibility.

This is a nightmare scenario beyond anything I could have imagined. I can’t think more than an hour ahead at a time because everything about this situation is touch and go. My grandmother is making no progress, my grandfather is practically in a stupor, I’m physically unwell. I just keep thinking “I don’t know what to do” over and over again and I just don’t.

#personal #don’t know what else to tag this #everything is terrible #needed to say this somewhere

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libraryofloveletters · 3 years

Note

buck x fem reader work together / secretly dating but they act like they hate each other and the team doesn’t know. reader is also bobby’s daughter (or niece up to you) and scared of his reaction (prompts 17, 37, 42, 81)

Unconventional

Evan Buckley x Reader

Prompts: #17: “We shouldn’t be doing this”, #37: “Uh why is your shirt inside out?”, #42: “I love you”, #81: “I can explain”

Warnings: fem!reader, worrying, vulgar/suggestive comments (kinda but not really ?), suggested sexual content, a few swear words, kissing, mentions of hospitals, surgery and injuries.

Category: fluff with a lil angst

Word Count: 4.4k

Author's Note: I wrote it as bobby’s niece, it just made more sense :) hope you liked it!!

----

Evan Buckley was a pain in your ass.

He had been since the day you met him. His annoyingly attractive face, his stupid pretty blue eyes and his smile, not to mention how sweet he was. You couldn't help but hate him. Not in the typical “I hate your guts and hope you fall down a flight of stairs” way but in the “god you’re gorgeous and I want to marry you” way.

Did you plan on liking the ridiculously attractive firefighter ? Most definitely not.

Were you also planning on dating him in secret ? Also a no.

Hence why you were sitting in his jeep on a Saturday at 3 in the morning. The two of you had gone on a date to this little restaurant outside of the city but everything that could go wrong kind of did go wrong.

Buck’s shift was supposed to end at 6 but they got a call last minute so he didn’t get home until 7:30. You called to push the reservation back and when he did pick you up, you got stuck in traffic. By the time the two of you got to the restaurant, it was 8:30 and the woman said she called to see if the two of you still needed the reservation but there was no answer (she didn’t call but neither of you were in the mood to argue) - Now it's 9 pm and the two of you still haven't had dinner. Venturing down the block, there was nowhere that seemed appealing. The night really began at some random mom and pop dinner you spotted by the beach. Deciding to have your own little dinner date on the beach, it was now 9:30. Buck had a blanket in the trunk (you didn’t ask why nor did you really wanna know) and you sat on the beach and had dinner. Time flew by, it was around 1 when the two of you began wondering what time it was.

The date was now prolonged by Buck’s craving for something sweet so once again, the two of you were on a hunt but for somewhere to go. He googled the closest ice cream parlour but most places were closed, he searched until he finally found a place that was 20 minutes away. It was totally worth the drive considering it was some of the best ice cream you've had in your life. Which now brought you to 2:20 in the morning, the two of you were still sitting on the hood on his jeep, a container of half eaten ice cream between you.

Buck looked over at you, a smile on his face. “Did you have fun ? despite, you know, all the shit that went wrong ?” you chuckled, “I did.” Buck had a shift at 11 so it was time for the night to come to an end. One of his hands held yours and the other on the wheel, you were staring out the window as the breeze blew by.

“Something on your mind babe?” Buck asked you, glancing over at you as you turned towards him.

“We shouldn’t be doing this” you mumbled, you didn’t want to end things with him but that didn’t mean that you didn’t have doubts about where this relationship was going. “What do you mean ?” he asks, his eyes on the road. “I mean how long are we going to hide this from everyone ?” your eyes back out the window, Buck sighed and the conversation dropped. There were a few minutes of silence and the tension filled the car, Buck finally spoke up “you were the one that didn’t want to say anything.” his voice came off a bit harsher than you expected, letting go of his hand, your body shifted towards the door and way from him. He noticed your change in emotion and seating.

“Babe, I'm sorry. It's just that you didn’t want to say anything and it’s entirely your choice. I get it but we can figure it out. One step at a time, okay ?” Buck looks over at you when he pulls into the parking lot. “Yeah, I know. It’s fine.” leaning over the console to press a kiss to his cheek. “Good night Buck, thank you for tonight” you give him a smile and get out of the jeep. Buck follows you, “let me walk you up,” he grabs your wrist, the two of you stopped in the middle of the parking lot. “That’s fine, I'll text you so you know I’m okay. You need to get home anyways, you have a shift and you need your sleep” shaking your head, you pull your hand away from him and head inside before he can ask again.

He was right, it was your choice not to say anything but you weren't sure how your uncle would react. This relationship wouldn't just affect your relationship with him but also his relationship with Buck. You didn’t- couldn't let Buck jeopardize his work life for his love life.

Shutting the door once you get into your apartment, you send a text to your boyfriend.

To Lover Boy Buck: I’m home, text me when you get home. Sleep well <3

From Lover Boy Buck: Just pulled in, goodnight babe

----

Athena’s birthday was on Saturday and Bobby had planned a surprise party for her. With a little help from May, things were in place.

Bobby had taken Athena out for lunch at some fancy cafe that was impossible to get into and then to see a play. While they were out, you headed over to their place to help May set up. Upon arriving, you saw that Hen was already there as was Buck.

“Good afternoon my loves!” you shout as you walk over to the kitchen. “I come with coffee” you hand a cup to May and the other to Hen, the two are thankful for the coffee as you had a shit ton of decorating to do and only a few hours to get it done. Buck leant against the wall by the kitchen entryway, “where's mine?” he asked which made you roll your eyes. “Didn’t know that you were gonna be here, no one invited you anyways.” you reply, sorting through the packages of balloons on the table, you toss one and it hits him square in the face.

“Ow!” he shouts, rubbing his cheek.

“Oh did I hurt you ?” you ask, pouting at him mockingly.

Considering the weird note that the two of you left on during your last date, plus not being able to see each other that week left things in a bit of a mess.

May and Hen exchange glances, “Buck, how about you help put up the banner in the backyard ?” she practically dragged Buck by the arm and into the yard. May was in the kitchen icing some cupcakes that she and Harry had made the night before when she called for you.

“Why don't you get along with Buck ? I don't know him all the well but he seems like a good guy” May pleads his case unintentionally.

He is a good guy

“Ever meet someone and you just don’t like them ?” you ask, she hums. “That’s me with Buck” is what came out instead.

“I get it.” she nodded, she began telling you about a guy in her chemistry class that just got on her nerves all the time. You excused yourself when the doorbell rang. Chim and Maddie had arrived right as Karen pulled into the driveway with Denny and Nia. You let everyone in and they began helping too. About an hour later, Eddie arrives with Chris and the cake. You take the cake from him so he can help Chris with his jacket.

“Buck!” you shout

“Yeah ba- yeah ?” he corrects himself last second. Your eyes widen at the word that almost slipped out of his mouth. No one seem to catch it except for Chim who gave you a weird look but you just brush it off.

“Take this, I need to change.” you hand the cake off to him and head to the bathroom to change into your dress. A few moments later, there was a knock on the bathroom door and then it opened.

“Hey! I'm chang- oh it’s just you” you mumble as he shuts the door. Buck’s back pressed up against the door. “Are you just gonna watch me or are you going to help me?” you turn, your back towards him now. Pulling your hair over your shoulder, you feel one of Buck’s hands on your waist and then the tug of the zipper.

“Must you always fight with me, y/n ?” he presses a kiss to your shoulder, his arms wrapping around your waist. “Must you always get on my nerves, Evan ?” you were looking back at him in the mirror, he flashed you a smile and nodded, a rather amused look on his face. “Yeah, it's kind of my job to irritate you” his arms loosen as you turn around to face him now, leaning back against the counter. “Well I guess then I have to fight with you” running your hand through his hair, he leans into you, his forehead against yours.

“You know, they say make love, not war” he whispers, his lips almost touching yours. A little chuckle slips past your lips, “is this your way of saying that we should stop fighting ?” you mumble as you press a kiss to his lips. Buck pulls you closer to him - which you didn’t even think was possible, “no, it’s my way of saying we should make love” he smiles against your lips as he lifts you up onto the counter and you let out an obnoxiously loud laugh. “Oops” a hand comes up to cover your mouth. Buck can't help but smile, you were adorable and all he wanted was to go out there and tell everyone that he’s in love with you, something he hadn't even told you yet, but at last, he could not.

“You’re cheesy, you know that right ?” looking up at him whilst you fiddled with the hem of his shirt. “If you want to fuck me, just say so” he tells you to which you reply “you're so vulgar Evan” while rolling your eyes.

“Oh I'll show you vulgar” he chuckles and pulls off his shirt, his hand reaching behind you to unzip your dress.

Buck left the bathroom first, the house had filled up within the 20 minutes the two of you were in the bathroom. He ran his hand through his hair in hopes to fix it from the tugging that just happened. As he stepped out into the backyard, his sister’s voice called out to him.

“Buck!” she walked over, “you’ve been so busy I haven't gotten a chance to say hi yet” she pulls her brother into a hug. Maddie’s face screws into a confused look. “Did you try a new body wash or something ?” she looks up at Buck, his brows furrow but he shakes his head. “Why?” he asks, “you smell like mint” she informs him.

You step out into the backyard, a tube of mint chapstick between your fingers, being applied to your lips. Buck’s eyes were on you, watching as the tube rubbed across your lips, his mind back to those lips were moments ago. Chimney’s voice caused him to pull his eyes away from you and onto him.

“Uh why is your shirt inside out?” Chim asks him, brows raised. Buck looks down and his shirt is on inside out, “uh, I- uh I had to change.” he says, hoping they’d believe him.

“You had that shirt on when we got here.” Chim had a puzzled look on his face.

“Oh Christopher is calling for me, excuse me” Buck walks off before they could say anything. He did indeed make his way over to Eddie and Chris, you were on the other side of the backyard when your phone chimed.

From Lover Boy Buck: Couldn't you have told me my shirt was on inside out?

To Lover Boy Buck: And how was I supposed to know that ? I didn’t have time to look at you

From Lover Boy Buck: Oh really ? You had plenty of time a few minutes ago

To Lover Boy Buck: Behave.

From Lover Boy Buck: Make me.

You roll your eyes at his comment, May coming out and shouting that they just pulled in. Everyone stood by the backdoors, waiting for Athena and Bobby to come in.

Athena had a blindfold on as Bobby led her down the stairs to the backyard. “I swear if you did somethin-” he undoes the blindfold mid sentence.

“Surprise!!” everyone shouts, Athena had a huge smile on her face. She turns to Bobby, “you did all this ?” he smiles but shakes his head, “I had some help” nodding towards May, Athena walked over to her daughter to give her a hug. Bobby and Athena went around to say hello to everyone, Bobby coming over to you and Eddie, Buck and Chris were sitting beside each other. “Hey” Bobby smiled at the two of you, “hey” you smiled back before you gave him a hug.

“What do I own you for today ?” he asks you

“Nothing at all, I'm glad I could help.”

“Are you sure kid ?”

“Yeah, I'm good. I’ll let you know if I need something uncle Bobby”

He smiles and goes off to talk to Chim and Maddie. Eddie switches places with Buck, Christopher showing his father the trick that Buck just showed him. “You’re good with kids” you tell him, “yeah, I know” he replies. “You're also an arrogant asshole but perspective I suppose.” Buck chuckled at your comment, watching as you walked away.

It was a while before you sat down for dinner, you were in the house with Bobby, helping him bring stuff out while everyone got seated. When you returned, there were two seats left. One at the head of the table, which was where your uncle was currently headed, leaving you no choice but to sit beside Buck. “Pass me the green bowl ?” he asks you, “no thanks” you reply nonchalantly. Bobby gives you a look, “y/n, pass him the bowl” you sighed and handed the bowl to Buck who was snickering. It took all of you not to smack this man in front of everyone.

A hand on your upper thigh startled you, you coughed and Eddie looked at you from across the table, his brows furrowed. Your hand comes down to rest on top of Buck’s. Chris followed his father’s look over to you, “are you okay y/n?” he asked you sweetly, you smiled at him. “I’m okay buddy, thank you for asking” Buck bit the inside of his cheek, holding back a smile. Oh how he wanted to kiss you right now, but again, he couldn't really do that, could he? He settled for holding your hand under the table like teenagers for now.

----

8 o'clock and you were supposed to be there 20 minutes ago. Bobby was probably there wondering where you were. You were supposed to be having dinner with your uncle tonight to tell him about you and Buck. Buck offered to tell him but you felt like it was only right for you to tell him.

You dialled the number but it rang out. You assumed he was still driving or maybe he was ruining late too. The phone rang while you searched for something to wear. It was Bobby.

“Hey!” you answer, “I'm gonna be a little late”

“Y/n, we’re gonna have to take a rain check on dinner.” Something was wrong, you could tell from the way he answered.

“Everything okay ? Are you still at work ?”

“I’m at the hospital.”

“What? Why? Are you okay ? Is it Athena ?”

“Athena and I are fine. It’s Buck, he’s in surgery right now. I don't think I'll be leaving anything soon. I’m sorry about dinner.”

Your heart dropped when he said it was Buck.

“Did anyone tell Maddie ? Do you want me to pick her up ?”

“It's alright, Chim went and got her. You don't have to come, we’re ok-”

“I’ll be there in 10 minutes”

Grabbing the keys, you’ve never run down the stairs so fast in your life. The whole drive over, it felt like the world was moving in slow motion. He’d still be in surgery when you arrived but you needed to know what happened.

I love you Evan Buckley.

The 5 words replaying in your head over and over again. The 5 words you hadn’t gotten the chance to say to him. The team plus Maddie and Athena were in the waiting room. Bobby came over and gave you a hug, “is he okay ? Did you guys hear anything ?” you ask as you sit beside Maddie. “Not yet” Bobby returns to his seat.

“Mads, I'm sorry” you gave her a hug, she gave you a small smile. “It’s okay. Buck’ll pull through. He always does.”

3 hours later and still nothing, he had been in surgery 2 hours prior to you arriving, bringing it to a total of 5 hours. Athena and Bobby left for a few minutes to see if they could get an update on him. You looked around the room, Eddie was leant against the wall, his legs on the chairs in front of him, Hen stood by the window on the phone with who you assumed was Karen. Chim’s arm was wrapped around Maddie, her head resting on his shoulder.

Bobby and Athena returned telling everyone that there was no update other than he was still in surgery. Your leg bounced as you waited, Bobby rested a hand on your knee when he sat back down.

“You okay kid ?”

“Mhm hm why ?”

“You only bounce your leg when you’re nervous. You’re sure you’re okay ?”

“Yeah, I'm gonna go get some coffee” you announce as you get up. If you spent another minute in that room, you were going to combust, you couldn't take it. “Does anyone want anything ?” there were a few mumbles of no but Eddie gets up and says he’ll come with you. The two of you walk down the hallway to the other end. Slipping a bill into the machine, it buzzes and then nothing. Eddie watches as you push the button a few times. Frustrated and tired, your hand smacks against the machine. A few nurses glare in your direction.

“Hey, go get some air okay ? I’ll get the coffee and meet you outside” Eddie’s hand on your back, leading you to the doors.

“Eddie, I'm fine”

“Y/n, go. You’ve been in here for a while and honestly, I could use the air too.”

Not in the mood to protest, you step outside. It was a little past 11 now, it was dark and cold out. Your back pressed up against the brick wall, the coldness seeping through your shirt. A hand running over your face in an attempt to wake you up, you sigh as the door opens.

“Here” Eddie handed you a mug that didn’t look like it came from a machine. The mug read “#1 nurse” on it and his says “world’s best mom” your brows furrow, looking at the man standing beside you. “I sweet talked one of the nurses, it's fine. I promised to return the mugs when we're done.” he says casually, making you smile. You had always enjoyed Eddie’s company, he didn’t ask questions or poke around in your life, he just lived in the moment.

“Cute shirt” he chuckles, looking down at the blue t-shirt you had on. You hadn't realized that you left wearing it. “Oh thanks” you mumble, taking a sip of coffee. “It’s Buck’s, isn't it?” he asks, you almost choked on the coffee.

“Wha- why would you ask me that ?”

“It reeks of his cologne,” Eddie chucked. “I’ve known for months, y/n. The two of you aren't as slick as you think.”

“Who else knows ?”

“No one that I know of, Chim has an idea but he hasn't said anything”

You hummed, looking out at the parking lot in front of you. “Does Bobby know ?” Eddie’s eyes practically burn into your side.

“I was going to tell him tonight.”

Eddie’s phone buzzed before he could say anything else. “Let’s go in, the doctors are out.” Eddie followed you into the building and back into the waiting room. The doctor has just stepped in, she glanced back at you and Eddie, “Are you here for Buckley as well ?”

“Yeah, how is he?” Eddie asks, the two of you step further into the room. “He’s stable as of now, we managed to stop the bleeding. He’s asleep but he’s got a long road ahead of him.” the doctor inform everyone, you watch as Maddie lets out a sigh, her hand squeezing Chim’s. “I can take someone in, if they’d like to go in” Chim let go of Maddie’s hand as she went to follow the doctor down the hall. Eddie could sense the change in body language, you were relaxed until Maddie stepped out with the doctor. His hand rests on your back again, “let’s sit down. You can go in after” he whispered to you. To anyone else in the room, it would look like something was happening between you and Eddie but he was just comforting you. There was nothing happening.

The person you were in love with was laying in a hospital bed at the other end of the hallway.

One by one, everyone went in to see him. Chim went in first, meeting Maddie in his room. When they return, they let everyone know he’s awake. Bobby and Athena are next, they go in for a few minutes. Hen was after them, you could hear them laughing from the other end of the hallway.

It was so good to hear him laugh.

You and Eddie went in last. Eddie sat beside his bed on the chair, he and Buck having a conversation. Eddie looked over at you, you were standing by the door. “I think I'll go call Chris and let him know you’re alright” Eddie pats Buck’s shoulder before stepping out the room.

Buck’s attention was now on you. “hey you” he mumbles, trying to shift into a sitting position. “Don’t move, you’ll rip your stitches.” you take a seat where Eddie was a few moments ago. Buck’s hand reaches for yours, although he was awake, his hand felt cold. Your hand rubbed against his, his eyes on you. Neither of you say anything to the other.

“I thought I lost you for a minute there.”

“You’ll never lose me, y/n” Buck’s hand squeezes yours.

“But I almost did and I hated every minute of it.” the tears welling up by your eyes, you blink a few times to get rid of them but instead a few slip down. Buck reaches up to wipe your tears, his hand cupping your cheek.

“All of this for me ?” he teases, “there was no need to worry, you know that, right?”

“You scared me you ass, don't do that” you sniffle, your hand wrapping around his wrist.

“Y/n, I need to tell you something” his eyes were on yours, now you were worried again. “Okay, what is-”

“I love you” he blurts out.

“Oh Buck” you breathe, the soft expression on his face changes to a worried one. “Oh god, I'm sor-” your hand comes up and covers his mouth.

“I love you too” you smile at him, you can feel him smile against your hand. Moving your hand to his cheek, “you do ?” he asks, you nod. “How can I not ?” Leaning out of the chair, your lips meet his. Your hand is still cupping his face and his hand lifting off the bed to meet your waist. Shifting from the chair to the bed, you sat beside Buck, your lips still on his.

“Excuse me?” someone clears their throat, Buck pulls away to look at who's by the door. Bobby stood in the doorway, his arms folded in front of him and a rather amused Athena beside him. Buck’s eyes widen, you look over your shoulder to see your uncle standing there.

“I can explain. Bobby I-” Buck starts, but Bobby cuts him off. “It’s okay Buck, I know.” he steps into the room.

“You do?” the two of you say at the same time, both of you looking at him. Bobby nods, “I might be old - well older than you two but I’m not dumb” he chuckles, “if anything, you two are the dumb ones for thinking I wouldn't know.” he says

“I was going to tell you at dinner”

“I figured as much, I also figured you’d want to be here when Buck woke up”

“Thank you for calling” you smile at him, he gives you a nod. “Everyone is heading home, are you going to stay with him ?”

You hum, your attention back on Buck. You could hear Athena and Bobby whispering in the back and then the door shuts. Buck shifts slightly on the bed, making space for you. Laying on your side, beside him, your finger traces over the words tattooed on his forearm. The world had come to a pause finally, the things around you didn’t matter right now. Everything you cared about was beside you, the hospital wasn't the ideal place but all you cared about that he was okay.

“Tell me again” you whisper, your head on his shoulder. Buck turns his head to look at you.

“I love you y/n l/n”

“I love you Evan Buckley”

Turns out you did get to say those 5 words after all.

---

Taglist: @reiidsbby @ssa-volturi @advicefromnixxxx @dralexreid @keenmarvellover @venusrosepetal @mikaelson-emma @beth-winchester21 @averyhotchner

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johnsamericano · 3 years

Text

𝔖𝔲𝔤𝔞𝔯 ℜ𝔲𝔰𝔥 𝔧.𝔧.𝔥

Hi everyone! As promised, here’s one of the two most voted fic continuations. There will be more chapters to this story though I'm not sure how many yet. Thank you for reading!

warnings: sugar daddy jae, mentions of injuries and hospitals, language.

taglist: @thoreeo @trustmahluv

Sugar rush m.list.

The machine monitoring your father’s heartbeat was the only sound filling the quiet hospital room, where your once healthy father laid unconscious, his perfect, chiseled cheeks adorned with cuts and bruises. Would they leave a mark?

The machine monitoring your father’s heartbeat was the only sound filling the hospital room, where your once healthy father laid unconscious, his perfect, chiseled cheeks adorned with cuts and bruises. Would they leave a mark?

Where did everything go wrong?

Your string of thoughts was cut off by a call from your aunt.

“Hello?” Your voice was raspy from not using it. There was no one to talk to in the quiet, hospital room but the nurses, who weren't especially keen on chatting.

“How’s your dad, sweetie?”

“They let him out of ICU, but he doesn't look good to me.” Your fingers traced the cuts in his chiseled cheeks that would soon turn into scars, ruining his perfect skin. Your eyes then diverted to his head, thoroughly covered in bandages to protect his damaged skull.

“Honey, I've got bad news...”

“They rejected the case, didn't they?”

“Not precisely.” She deeply inhaled before continuing. “It’s a tough case, almost impossible to win, nonetheless, they're willing to take it. But their fee is a little...”

“Expensive.”

“Yes.”

As expected from the best firm in town, they wouldn't take less than $8,000. Your bank account didn't have enough money to even cover half of it, and with your job at the convenience store, you'd only earn so much to cover your expenses.

“We can take the lawyer that the government provides us with, it would be free.”

“But then I'm sure we’d lose.” You groaned in frustration, using your free hand to rub your forehead. “Don’t worry, I'll find a way to get the money.”

“Why don't we just accept the compensation they're offering? It could pay for the hospital bills and you'd still have some left to pay for your tuition.”

“That would be like putting a price on my father's life. I don't want their money, I want them to make themselves responsible for what they've caused.” The sound of wheels approached the door of your father's room, signaling the nurse was outside with his meds. “It’s okay, Auntie, I'll take care of everything. You can go back home, I know my uncle isn't doing so well.”

“Are you sure, darling?” It was undeniable that she wanted to head back to her little ranch fat away from the hectic city life to take care of her sick husband, but still, her brother was laying down on a hospital bed, fighting for his life.

“Yes, I'm an adult, I'll find a way.”

“Take care of yourself, and don't hesitate to call me if you're having any difficulties. I'll be there in the blink of an eye.” She said before sending a kiss into the speaker, proceeding to hang up.

You sighed. It was never usual for you to ask for help, as you were an extremely prideful and independent person, and you doubted this time would be different.

“Don’t worry, dad. Everything will be alright.”

Three failed job interviews and one more to go. Your feet were killing you, the high heels covering them already worn out from walking to avoid taking the bus. Every penny counted, and as long as your legs worked, you weren't spending any more money than what was necessary.

You sat down in the waiting room of the company, massaging your neck to relieve some tension. College was becoming a burden. Maybe you'd take a semester off to focus on working, that is if someone wanted to hire an inexperienced student.

“Y/n, Y/l/n?”

“Here.” You darted up, gathering your belongings to enter the room on which your life almost literally depended.

You gave all the right answers, earning a polite ‘we’ll contact you’ in return. But you could see that they weren't convinced with your lack of experience, no company in their right mind would be.

As soon as you arrived at your apartment, you slid out of the uncomfortable pencil skirt, tucking yourself under the covers with your phone screen almost hitting your nose.

To take your mind off things, you decided to watch some videos. Halfway in, an ad popped up, interrupting the interior deco video you were watching.

A picture of a girl about your age hugging an older man was right in the middle of your screen. Written with fancy letters, the words ‘make your life simpler’ could be read, followed by what you guessed was the title of the app. Sugar rush.

Out of pure curiosity, your finger tapped at the small icon that led to the app store, absentmindedly clicking the download button. A few seconds later, an icon with the letters ‘SR’ was added to your home screen.

“Log in?” You murmured out loud, squinting your eyes to adjust your eyes to the bright, white homepage.

Just as you were about to click out, the phrase from the ad reappeared, stopping your finger from moving any further.

You could always delete your account if something went wrong, right? Nonetheless, you decided to use a false name, and that's how Melanie Kim’s profile was created. You left the circle of your profile picture empty for now, only filling the spaces that asked about your likes, dislikes, age, and all that stuff that people care about so much.

You knew what the app was for, but that didn't stop you from being surprised when a list of men and women of different ages greeted you. Right then, a small rectangle obstructed your sight, two buttons offering opposite things.

‘Pick the role you'd like to develop.’

Sugar daddy/mommy / Sugar baby.

Clearly, you didn’t have nor the money or the years to be the first, so you clicked the opposite button without giving it more thought.

‘Welcome. You've been registered as a sugar baby at Sugar rush. Meet thousands of men and women willing to finance you for free!’

You hummed.

‘As we're always looking to make our users’ experience better, we've developed Sugar Rush premium, a membership to meet the richest and hottest people in your surroundings. Get the premium version for only $5.95 a month. Click here to get Sugar Rush premium.’

Your finger pad was dangerously close to the blue button, almost grazing the screen of the phone. It was then when you were pulled out of your trance, blinking as if just then you'd realized what you were doing.

“I must be crazy.” You turned off your phone, not bothering to turn on an alarm for the next day. You had no interviews left. You had nowhere to go.

Waking up was getting harder with every passing day. Not being able to call your dad to go out for breakfast or even sending a simple good morning message hurt you deeply. You missed him. But seeing him laying down on a hospital bed, unable to do anything by himself, was even worse.

Ding

A notification filled the silence in your room.

‘Come back, you haven't finished setting up your account yet!’

You scoffed at your past self. What were you even thinking when you downloaded the app?

You simply turned off the phone before standing up to take a relaxing shower. As the water soaked up your tense body, your mind started wandering off back to the app. A million what-ifs filled your head, nonetheless, there was one that remained the most persistent.

‘What if this can pay for a lawyer?’

Your part-time job surely couldn't, and you had no one to assist you financially speaking. The whole idea of paying that ridiculous membership seemed more tempting as your fingers started getting wrinkly under the showerhead.

You decided to take some time to consider it, after all, you still had a week to give the lawyers an answer.

Hot soup seemed like a good option to comfort you, and thankfully, there was a store right in front of your place that claimed to sell the best soups in town.

It wasn't bad, but not nearly as good as the one your dad cooked when you were a kid. You sighed, wondering if you'd ever be able to eat it again. Just then, a woman about your age came into the shop, carrying a couple of bags where names of popular brands could be read. A pinch of jealousy made your heart stir as you glanced at yourself through the reflection in the glass at your side. You looked devastated, your skin pale and your cheekbones slightly sunken, a sign of the lack of rest and food you'd been getting.

Out of pure impulse, you pulled out your phone, clicked on the app you'd recently downloaded, and finally accepted the charges for a premium membership.

‘Welcome, new member of our wide community, click ok to get started!’

Well, no turning back now.

Right after pressing the blue letters with your thumb, you were presented with a list of potential prospects, some of them including pictures, some of them only including name and a brief description of what they were looking for. The minority included their ages, but most left the space blank.

A bunch of old men looking for a youthful, pretty woman to be by their sides, some of them even went as far as writing the weight and height their ideal partner should have. Of course, there were also some women in the look for young meat, but the number of men overpassed them.

About to exit the app in defeat, a profile caught your eye. His pale pink hair was parted, allowing his thick eyebrows to stand out. His high cheekbones made him look like a statue, the details in his face almost too perfect for a mere human. He must be the incarnation of a Greek God, you thought.

‘Jung Yoonoh. 41 years old. Owner of N & C.’

“Should I...?” You asked yourself in a voice lower than a whisper.

He has probably gotten hundreds of messages, so what would be the point of sending one yourself? Your eyes scanned the picture over and over again as the remains of your soup started getting cold.

He was probably the only acceptable man in the whole app, so why not give it a try?

You already spent five whole dollars on it, might as well make it worth the money.

‘Hi.’ Sent.

“Holy crap.” You breathed out, regretting every single action that led you to take such a stupid decision. “Ah!” You squeaked as three small dots appeared beside his profile picture, signaling he was writing a reply.

What if he rejected you right from the beginning? God, that would be so humiliating. His message stopped your train of thought.

‘Hi!’

Followed by:

‘How are you?’

Sweating like a pig, thank you for asking.

‘Fine. You?’ Read.

‘Thrilled. No one had messaged me since I created my account two weeks ago.’

‘How is that possible?’ You imprinted your thoughts on a message.

‘It’s hard to trust people nowadays. I guess people might think either my picture is photoshopped or I'm lying about my job.’

‘Their loss, ig.’ Read.

He was taking some time to answer. Had you said something inappropriate?

‘Hahaha.’

The conversation stopped there, as you didn't know how exactly to answer his message. But a few minutes later, another text from him popped up at your chat.

‘If you're okay with it, we can start talking about a possible arrangement.’

Already? You've known each other for like five minutes. But then again, arrangements were the whole purpose of the app.

‘Sure.’

‘May I ask your reasons for joining the app?’

‘I need urgent money, but my job doesn't pay nearly enough.’ You omitted the part of your agonizing father, he didn't need to know that. ‘And you?’

‘I need someone to be my partner at public spaces.’

‘Alright.’ Read.

‘Do you happen to have some free time tomorrow at lunchtime? I think it’d be better to meet first before making any decisions.’

‘Yeah, I'm free.’

‘Great, I’ll send you the address.’

You thought a day would be enough to prepare yourself, but time passed by quicker than usual, and soon enough, it was time to get ready for your meeting with Mr. Jung. He was only a few years younger than your father, and calling him by his first name wouldn't feel right.

Unsure if you should wear something formal, you threw on a beige (the color you'd agreed on wearing so it’d be easier to recognize each other) summer dress, pairing it with the gold hoops you'd inherited from your grandma to make it look more elegant.

The hardest part of your routine was makeup. Your sunken cheeks couldn't be covered, and only after a few layers of blush and highlighter, you could bring your skin back to life.

On your way to the cafe, you went through the things you'd say when you met him. It was your chance to get your father what he needed.

You stood at the entrance with wide, scared eyes, shyly scanning through the place to look for your date.

“Melanie?” A hand on your shoulder had you jolting. “I’m Jung Yoonoh, nice to meet you.”

What you saw after turning around was breathtaking. A handsome, healthy man, with the most beautiful pair of dimples.

“Nice to meet you.” You managed to blurt out without stuttering, extending your hand to make the greeting more formal. The fake name didn’t seem necessary anymore. “It’s actually y/n, I didn't want to use my real name.”

“I understand. Let’s take a seat.” He offered with a kind smile.

He left you seating at the terrace while he made your order, a latte, and a chocolate cookie. Your fingers played with your hoops anxiously, trying to regulate your breath.

“They’ll bring our food in just a sec.” He offered a warm smile. “Your dress is pretty.” Yoonoh said out of nowhere.

“Thank you.”

“I see you're not a chatty person.” You were about to object, but he started speaking again. “It's not a bad thing! I usually talk a lot, so it’s a nice way to balance things.”

You nodded, seemingly uncomfortable with the man sitting in front of you.

“So, uhm, this is my first time doing this, so I'm not really sure where to begin.” He pulled out a folded paper from the front pocket of his dressing pants. “It’s a bit creased, but I can always print another one. I brought it so you could take a look and let me know if you wanted to change anything. I don't mean to pressure you, but you said it was urgent, so...”

You read the paper under his attentive gaze, making sure not to miss a single word. Everything seemed correct, except...

“Six months?”

“Is that too much?” A small wrinkle formed between his eyebrows, a sign of deep concentration. “Okay, so let's do this instead.”

He took back the contract, pulling out a pen from the pocket in his dressing shirt to correct the original stipulations.

“Four months, and if by the end of them you don't absolutely hate me, we can extend the time. Deal?”

“Just one more thing.”

You cleared your throat, conscious that your following words might jeopardize the whole arrangement.

“Are you sure you want to make it official already?” You had to stop for a moment as the waiter left your orders on top of the wooden table. “I mean, it's not that I have a problem with it, but it's your money and maybe you'd like to give it a better thought.” You resumed.

“The fact that you're concerned about me proves I'm making the right choice. Now, tell me, how much would you like to receive as a weekly allowance?”

Would it be too reckless to ask him straight up for the $8,000?

“H-how much are you willing to give me?” You felt dirty, accepting a stranger’s money like that.

“Whatever you need.” His hand suddenly reached forward to yours, causing every ounce of blood in your body to rush to your face. “There’s no need to be embarrassed, I'm here to help you.” His voice tone dropped, acquiring an almost soothing feeling.

“I need eight thousand by Thursday, next week.” His eyes were wide open, mouth having difficulties remaining closed. “I-I know it's too much, but...”

“I can find a way to give you that money, but I'd like to know the reason why you need it. Just to make sure it's nothing illegal.”

You puffed your cheeks, trying to find an excuse good enough to justify the amount of money you were asking for.

“It isn’t illegal, is it?”

“No!” You retrieved your hand from below his, now embarrassed at the possibility of him having a bad image of you. “I need it for my father.”

“I suppose you don't want to talk about it.” He started at his palm, lips pressed in a thin life. “But when it comes to arrangements like this, we need to trust each other, alright?” You barely knew each other, yet, he demanded to know a very personal detail of your life. Not that he didn't have a good reason for wanting to know, it wasn't a particularly small amount of money.

“He had an accident at work...” You started, fearful of looking up to find pity in his eyes. “I need a lawyer to make his company legally responsible. They intend to throw it under the rug and pay a somewhat decent amount of money to make it go away. The firm I intend to hire is supposedly the best in town, probably my only chance of getting justice.”

“And why don't you just accept it? There's no guarantee that your lawyer will win the case.” You fisted the delicate fabric of your dress, eyes watering as you tried to hold back your anger.

“My father’s life is priceless, and if you think what I'm doing is a waste of money, then fine, we can both look for someone else to help us.” It sounded more aggressive than you'd first intended, but you meant every word that came out of your mouth.

Before you could even stand up, his slim fingers had already wrapped themselves around your wrist.

“I never said that.” He whispered with an almost sad tone. “Come on, sit down.”

He tugged at your arm the slightest, showing off his charming dimples once again.

“I’ll give you the money on one condition...” He raised one of his thick eyebrows. “I’ll go with you to see the lawyer.”

“Why...?”

“That’s my condition, take it or leave it.”

“Okay.”

The days before your meeting with your potential lawyer were nerve-wracking. You'd seen Yoonoh another time to sign the contract, which finally made your arrangement official.

You’d visit your father every day, always hoping he'd be sitting with his arms wide open, ready to hug you. But nothing had changed ever since he first came into that room.

“I’m here to see Mr. Kim.” The secretary's gaze lingered on Jaehyun a few seconds before he finally snapped out of it. “Y/n Y/l/n.”

“Just a second.” He opened his agenda and quickly found your appointment. With a warm smile, he guided you through the corridors of the building, all the way to the elevator. “It’s the only office on the last floor, I'll be at my desk if you need anything.”

Once again, he shot Jae an uneasy glance before the metal doors slid close.

“What was all that?” To be honest, you couldn't care less. But a small chat might calm your nerves and prevent you from throwing up all over the place.

“What do you mean?” He grinned, pressing the button to the top floor.

“You know what I mean.” You scoffed, annoyed at his evasive behavior.

“We just happen to know each other, nothing special.” Before the conversation could continue, a loud ding resonated through the metal cubicle. “Let’s go.” His hand found its place at the small of your back, pushing you towards the glass door. Through it, you could see a black-haired man reading a pile of documents, occasionally raising a photo to examine it with his gold-rimmed glasses supported at the bridge of his elegant nose.

Jaehyun extended his arm over your shoulder to knock on the door, earning an almost annoyed ‘come in’ from the man inside.

“Let’s go.” Once again invading your personal space, he reached for the doorknob with you trapped between his arms.

As soon as the door opened, the man raised his eyes from the documents he was checking.

“What are you doing here, Jung?”

“I knew something was off...” You murmured, loud enough for the man at your side to chuckle.

“I brought you a client, you should be happy.”

“Miss y/n, I suppose. Have a seat.” His demeanor completely changed while speaking directly to you. “I spoke with your aunt last week, she explained the details of the lawsuit, but I must say, it isn't an easy case.”

“I know that, but I've been told you're the best firm in town, I know I'll have more possibilities of winning if you're my lawyer.”

“Best firm in town my ass.”

“Be silent or I’ll kick you out of the building.”

That was enough for Yoonoh to zip his mouth. For a while at least.

“I suppose she also told you about our fee.” He pushed his glasses up using his thumb. “We’d also keep 25% of the lawsuit money assuming we win the case, is that okay with you?”

“Yes-”

“Okay, stop.”

“I’ll call security, Jung.”

“Look at me, y/n.” He squeezed your arms. “This clown is trying to scam you...” He pointed his finger at the lawyer without breaking eye contact. “You’d be spending loads of money for someone who isn't even confident in his abilities. It isn't worth it.”

“And I suppose you'd do better than me, then.” The black-haired man scoffed. “If that's the case, then you can both leave. I'm quite busy at the moment.” With a turn of his wrist, he signaled you to leave the room.

You were fuming, stomping out of the building with Jaehyun right behind you.

“I found a great restaurant nearby, we can go there and-”

“What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“Calm down-”

“Don’t tell me to calm down when you just fucked up my only chance to give those bastards what they deserve.” The sun was starting to set, yellow light casting shadows over his tender cheeks.

“Can you listen to me for a second?”

“Are you laughing right now?” You bit your lip, hard, trying to hold back the tsunami of tears threatening to come out of your eyes. “Asshole.”

“Ouch.” He furrowed his eyebrows mockingly. Oh, how close you were to punch that pretty face of his. “Can I explain now?”

You remained silent, staring at the ground with the smallest frown between your eyebrows.

“How do you think I know Kim Doyoung?” Before even giving you a chance to answer, he continued. “That son of a bitch has been stealing my clients for ages.”

“Your clients...?”

“He isn't even that good of a lawyer compared to me.” He scoffed with fake arrogance.

“You're a lawyer?!” You slammed your palms into your face, whining at the newly acquired information. “Why didn't you tell me from the beginning?”

“Just wanted to swing by and annoy him a bit. Don't worry, I wasn't gonna let you accept his deal.” He winked playfully.

The sun was now hidden, the sky darkening as the moon rose to take its shift.

“Though I gotta say, I'm kinda offended I wasn't even an option. I'm a pretty great lawyer, you know?”

“Sorry.”

“I’ll forgive you if you join me for dinner. What do you say?”

As you walked into the darkness of the streets, his shoulder occasionally bumping yours, you wondered if meeting him was a casualty. Maybe the world was finally smiling at you.

#nct smut #nct angst #nct fluff #nct au #nct imagines #nct ot21 #nct x reader #nct #nct 127 #nct scenarios #nct jaehyun

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