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My Future

Scenario Prompt: Evan Buckley writes an anonymous love letter to you because he wants to confess his love. Requested by: Anonymous/Jay

Pairing: Evan Buckley x GN!Reader

Warnings: There are a couple kisses towards the end, but that's it!

Word Count: 2.2k

General Taglist: @criminaly-supernatural, @caswinchester2000, @imaginesfire Buck/911 Taglist: @bellarkeselection, @shiftingwh0r3, @rqmanoff, @spuffyfan394, @webreathfandoms

-

Walking back to your car, you watched the couple across the street. Hands clasped as they pressed closely together, grins on their face. They were both dressed nicely, surely going out to dinner for Valentines Day.

You felt a soft pang in your chest. You weren't one to feel jealous of people, couples especially, but things changed since you met Buck. There was something lingering between you, but you feared nothing would come of it.

For a moment, today, when Buck came to talk to you, you thought, for just a moment, that he was going to ask you out. He asked what time your shift was up, so you couldn't help but hope. But when it lead to nothing, you couldn't push down the disappointment.

Finally getting back to your apartment, you let out a sigh as you stepped inside. Hearing a soft crinkle underneath your feet, you quickly staggered, looking down at what you stepped on. You frowned when you saw an envelope.

Various thoughts ran through your head. Were you being kicked out? Was it a maintenance warning? A passive aggressive letter from a neighbor?

Picking up the envelope, you pulled out the letter inside. It was typed out instead of handwritten. Glancing at the envelope and bottom of the letter, you saw no name. Anonymous?

You sat at your kitchen counter as you read the letter. Your heart beginning to hammer in your chest the further you got.

- - - - - -

Dear Y/n,

I hate that I feel more confident writing this out that saying it to your face. I thought I would be able to do it, but it turns out I'm a coward when it comes to you. I guess I'm afraid you wont feel the same if I tell you how I feel. And I've never done well with rejection.

You make me more nervous than anyone, sometimes its hard to think, let alone speak when you look at me. I've never been the type to get butterflies in my stomach, but I do when I look at you. When you smile or laugh, especially when you laugh. I think it's my favorite sound, I always find myself trying to make you laugh just so I can hear it.

I feel like a love drunk teenager when I think about you. I wonder where you are, what you're doing, if you're happy. It drives me crazy that I wish I was with you all the time. We spend half of our days together but sometimes it still feels like it's not enough.

We're close, we get along so well, and I always feel like there is something else between us, something pulling us together. I think, or at least, I hope, that you feel it too, but I can't help but fear it's all in my head. I know I'm rambling on about this, but there is so much I want to tell you, so much I'm afraid I might fail to say in person.

Today, I wanted to ask you out, for Valentines Day. To be my Valentine, but the words died on my lips when you looked up at me. And I don't know if I imagined it or not, but I thought you almost seemed disappointed. Finally, I was able to get the confidence to do something, to do this.

I know I haven't said who I am, but I'm pretty sure it's obvious. I don't want you to feel pressured to do anything, so please don't think you have to. If you feel the same, or want to hear the words from my own mouth, meet me on the rooftop at 7pm. If you show up, I'll tell you everything I wanted to say but have been too scared too. If you don't show up, I'll know I misunderstood, and I'll never say anything else, and it will stop here.

I hope to see you there, I hope I was right in thinking there is something here. So, until then.

- - - - - - -

Your chest was clenching tightly as anxiety rocketed through you. There was an address written on the bottom of the letter. A building not far from Buck's apartment. You knew it was Buck who wrote the letter, it was obvious.

His words answered every question you had since you met him. Did he have feelings for you? Were you imagining it? Did he know you had feelings for him? Why did he never say anything?

There were so many thoughts rampaging through your mind. Grabbing your bag you headed towards the door, before halting. You looked down at your outfit, realizing it was what you had been wearing all day. Would he mind? Would he expect you to dress up? Was this turn into a date?

Quickly heading into your bedroom, you changed as fast as you could. You chose nice clothes, that weren't too proper before grabbing your bag and heading out the door. Quickly glancing at the clock, it read 6:35. Buck's apartment was nearly 30 minutes away, the building ever further. Would you make it on time?

Of course, it being Valentines Day, everyone was out on the road. You tapped your steering wheel in frustration as the cars in front of you crept slowly on.

6:46; you weren't close enough yet. How long would he wait for you? Five minutes? An hour?

6:55; as you drove past Buck's apartment, you looked for his car. You frowned when you couldn't see further into the parking lot.

Your eyes scanned over passing cars, making sure he wouldn't pass you.

7:07; You pulled into the parking lot of the building. Climbing out of the car, you looked up towards the roof. It was a small family owned business. Why was Buck here? Did he know the people who owned it? Was he trespassing?

7:13; you clambered up the fire escape towards the roof. Your nerves were intense as you labored your breathing. You fought fires and ran through collapsing buildings for a living. And yet, you never felt more nervous than you did right now.

As you stepped onto the roof, your eyes scanned the area. Landing on the corner of the building. A large blanket was laid out, small battery operated lanterns lighting the area up. A basket was placed on the edge of the blanket.

Your eyes moved to the edge of the roof. Buck was sitting on the edge of the building, legs hanging off as he stared out at the city.

Walking closer, you paused for a moment, not wanting to startle Buck so much he fell off the roof. You paused, flexing your hands as they sweated.

"Buck?" You spoke softly.

Buck still jumped a little as he turned to look back. You could see the mix of surprise and relief on his face as he saw you. He spun around and stood up. You smiled awkwardly at him as you walked a bit closer.

He shoved his hands in his pockets as he smiled at you. A nervous tick you picked up not long after you met.

"Hey! Uh, I wasn't sure you were gonna come." He said softly, chuckling nervously.

"There was a lot of traffic, I'm sorry." You apologized, wondering how nervous he had been when you didn't show up.

"Don't apologize, I get it, that-that's why I was waiting."

You stood in silence for a moment before he chuckled again, "I'm sorry, I'm nervous. You- You make me nervous. In a good way!" He added on a bit louder.

You smiled, "It's alright, I know how it feels." You said softly.

He studied you for a moment, understanding your words. "So I was right? I mean, you- you feel...the same?"

Smiling you nodded your head, "Yeah, Buck. I do."

A wide smile spread across his face, as relief washed over him. He took a few steps closer to you. "I'm sorry I was such a coward, no one has ever effected me like this. It's - it's different."

You smiled shyly at him and nodded lightly. "Yeah I know. I didn't say anything either, so it wasn't just you."

He looked down at his feet, ad then back at you. Then remembering what was behind him he spun around and motioned towards the picnic. "So, what do you think?"

You walked towards the picnic. "It looks great." You smiled, "Ive never had a night-time picnic, especially not one on a rooftop." You turne and looked at him. "Who owns this place anyways?"

He chuckled a little bit, "Uh, yeah, it's that couple that we helped out on a call a week back. They were really nice, and I came to their shop to see how things were going. They wanted to do something for me, and I did refuse at first, but when I had this idea, an no where to do it, I though, maybe they'd be down. And they were, they even helped me set it up."

You smiled as you remembered the couple he must be talking about. You looked back at the set up, he had brought your favorite drink, but you wondered what was in the basket.

"Before we, uh, before we sit-" you turned to Buck, who seemed suddenly nervous. "I wanna, I need to say something, otherwise I might chicken out again."

You nodded at him, encouraging him to continue, as your own heart pumped harshly.

He took a deep breath before meeting your eyes, your breath caught in your throat. His eyes bored into yours as they held a storm of emotion. Anxiety, fear, determination.

"I didn't just want to ask you on a date. I need you to know, to understand, that I want to be with you. I want to be your boyfriend. I want to go on multiple dates with you, to spend a part of every day with you outside of work. I want to hold you hand, to hold you. I want to comfort you after a hard day. I want all of it, because every time I think about my future, about the things I want, you are always there. I don't just want you to be a part of my future, I want you to be my future."

The more Buck talked, the more passionate his voice became, and the more animated his movement. He finally found his voice and had so much to say that it seemed he couldn't stop.

"I can't imagine not seeing you every day, I can't imagine you not being in my life. I want you to be a bigger part of it, I want- I"

As he began to fumble, desperate for more words to come, the emotion that had been building up in your chest seemed to explode forward. Stepping toward him and leaning up, you grabbed the side of his face and pressed a kiss to his lips.

His hands stilled in the air, as he froze. Realizing what was happening, his hands dropped and found their way to you waist. He leaned into the kiss just as you pulled away. He looked at you with mild surprise, and you smiled at him.

"I want you to be my future too Buck." You spoke softly, your voice just above a whisper.

Buck's lips curled up in a soft smile as he stared into your eyes. You felt his hand grip your waist a little tighter.

"I was talking too much wasn't I?" He said softly, an air of amusement lingering.

A grin spread across your face as a soft giggle erupted. "Maybe a little. But I liked what you were saying."

He chuckled as he pulled you towards him, your chest pressing against his as he stared into your eyes. You placed your hand on his chest and smiled at him.

"I really like you." He said softly as his eyes scanned your face, as if he was trying to memorize this moment.

"I really like you too." You responded.

Leaning down slowly, his eyes locked with yours for a brief moment before he leaned the rest of the way in. His lips connected with yours and the tightness in your chest got worse before suddenly releasing, as your whole body seemed to fill with a tingling sensation. Buck brought his hand up to the back of your head as he deepened the kiss. You wrapped your arms around his neck as he pulled your body flush against his.

After a few moments, you broke the kiss, as you smiled breathlessly at each other. Buck motioned his head a bit towards the picnic area. "Hungry?"

You giggled softly, having forgotten about the picnic he set up. "I could eat."

"Good, because I probably brought way too much." Pulling away from you, he took your hand in his as he led you over to the picnic.

Sitting down, you sat right beside him, your shoulders pressed together. Looking out at the city lights in the near distance, you smiled, your heart pounding joyously in your chest.

You hadn't expected your day to end this well, but you were more than grateful it did. You were excited for what your future would hold, especially knowing it looked a lot like the man sitting next to you.

xx End xx

Not sure how I feel about the ending, but I hope you enjoyed it!

If you did, please consider reblogging!

OMG JAIME IS SO

𝖯𝗋𝖾𝗍𝗍𝗒 𝖡𝗈𝗒 ~ 𝖩𝖺𝗂𝗆𝖾 𝖱𝖾𝗒𝖾𝗌

Part 2 | Part 3

Warnings: Jealousy & Allusions to Sex/Sexual Thoughts

Pairings: (FWB) Jaime Reyes x (FWB) Black!Fem!Reader, Best Friend!Milagro x Best Friend!Reader

Summary: Being friends with benefits with Jamie is hard to keep undercover, in hopes of Milagro never finding out. The number #1 rule is to be strictly sexual and not explore romantic feelings for the other. What happens when that rule is broken?

Word Count: 2.5k+

Tag List: @drqcrys @mageneire @websterss @pxachy-tea @moralesszz @odiesdayoff @allthingsvicf @tinkerbelle05 @alienstardust @lemonyboy97 @alastorhazbin @writing-fanics @veronicarose20 @conicoroahre @gay-dorito-dust @presidentbarbieirl @kayla2233454-blog

Author’s Note: Watched the Blue Beetle movie recently and I was hooked on Jaime Reyes. This is my first time writing for Jaime Reyes, so he might be a little out of character but hopefully you like it!

Spanish Translations

“Por qué me estás mintiendo, Jaime?” — “Why are you lying to me, Jaime?”

Sneaking around can be full of excitement alongside the adrenaline of the whole ordeal. You and Jaime were secretly fooling around, being extremely cautious around his sister who was also your best friend. You didn’t even know how you ended up in this complicated relationship with Jaime Reyes. It started with two people under the influence of alcohol, both with the straightforward intention of getting laid and it ended with a confused hangover and a hurried conversation of forgetting about the whole affair.

At first, you two had avoided each other like the plague, sometimes accidentally crossing paths whenever you visited the Reyes residence or from basic errands that needed to be fulfilled.

Then the longer you two distanced yourselves from each other, the more agonizing it felt for the both of you. One day, Jaime snapped which led up to you two heading to bed for a passionate night. The morning after having sex, you two discussed your unofficial relationship and coming to terms with being friends with benefits and nothing more than that.

It was a simple and easy rule to follow, right? Wrong! How very wrong that you were! Too bad that you were breaking the rule. How could you not fall in love with him? With those beautiful doe dark brown eyes, his long curly hair, and his alluring personality, not to mention being completely star-struck when riding his di—

Oh, his voice…him speaking Spanish to you while in the most intimate positions has you craving for more.

You always missed the comfort of his arms at night as you watched him get dressed and leave, heading back home to avoid suspicion from his family. If Jaime’s family ever caught wind that he was not technically single, they would go ballistic, eager to meet the person and neither of you wanted that unnecessary attention.

It was finally official, you certainly loathed mornings, especially when Jaime spent the nights before. There were rare moments when he’d be able to stay the night with you. Luckily for you, today was one of those rare days.

Normally, he would claim that he’s the big spoon, but his sleepy smile widens when you’re the big spoon instead. His favorite sleeping position is lying on top of the softness of your breasts. Sometimes he would wake up face first right in the plushness of your breasts, that was always a good way to start the morning, wasn’t it? Your hands would subconsciously tangle themselves through his thick curly hair, softly massaging his scalp, sending him into a peaceful sleep.

You stirred yourself awake, no longer feeling the presence of Jaime lying on top of you. You tiredly stretched out your limbs, wincing at the soreness from your breasts down to your mid-thighs. Jaime certainly wore you out last night.

Very faintly, you heard the quiet shuffling and muttering of words. Regretfully, you slowly open your eyes, your eyelids still heavy as you rub the sleep out of them.

“Hmm…morning Jaime.” You yawn, scratching your braids through the satin red bonnet.

“Did I wake you?” He mutters walking over, giving you a quick kiss on the forehead, and continuing the search for his belongings. You assumed that he just came out of the shower. He wore a towel around his waist, dripping wet, glistening over his abs and that sight made you think unholy things. There was no way that you were still thirsty for him. Come on, you’re still recovering from last night and you were greedy for more the following morning?! Have some self-control, for once!

You shook your head, disposing of the lustful thoughts. “Wanna stay for breakfast?” You suggest, nervously gnawing on your lower lip.

“I would love to, but I have to quickly run an errand for my mami and then head over to work with Jenny.” He dried himself off, putting on a pair of boxers and an undershirt.

He opened your closet, digging out his ironed suit that you prepared a few days ago.

“When are you off this week?”

“Today and Sunday are my only days off this week.” You inform him, watching him get dressed, “I could run the errand with Mrs. Reyes, so you’ll get a balanced breakfast before heading to work.”

“Oh, really thanks (Y/N).”

“Anytime, pretty boy.” You reply, taking your bonnet off. Jaime blushes at the nickname, feeling giddy whenever you use that phrase. “What time do I need to leave?”

“About a quarter past eight..” He murmurs observing his watch.

“Speak English, please.”

“It’s 8:15 and my mami needs to leave around 9:30.” He advises, looking at your vanity. “Where’s my necklace?” He turns to you.

“You have to come get it..” You tease, wiggling the piece of jewelry in your hand. He chuckles at your playful yet seductive tone.

Crawling to you across the bed, he gives you a soft kiss making you caress his face. The slow sensual kiss lasted a few seconds, and even though you wanted to stay in the loving moment, air had become difficult to maintain, both of you pulling away from the kiss. You flutter your eyes open, catching him staring into your eyes with a hidden glint that makes you flush, which makes those butterflies run wild in your stomach.

“Come here, I’ll help you put on your tie.” You offer, shuffling towards the edge of the bed.

He sighs, allowing you to fix the tie underneath his collar. Your faces were so close that you could have fainted right then and there, completely embarrassing yourself on the spot. You started to worry, wondering if he felt you staring at him. Turns out, he was admiring you and he wasn’t ashamed of it. Once you finished his tie, you cleared your throat and smoothed over his suit, straightening out invisible wrinkles.

The Mexican boy faces you again. “What time do you get off on Saturday?”

“Probably by 10 or 11 pm.”

“Perfect! I’ll see you Saturday night.” He promises, giving you a reassuring nod.

“Yeah,” You agree with a lovesick smile on your face, “I’ll see you Saturday.”

You handed him the necklace but he stopped you, “Keep it, it looks better on you anyway.”

You tilt your head to the side, feeling yourself tingle with goosebumps as he appears from behind you and he gently brushes your braids away. You gathered your braids together, bunching them up into a messy makeshift ponytail, giving Jaime area to put the necklace on. Once he clasps the jewelry on your neck, you release your braids as you grin at him.

Smiling sweetly in response, he steals one last kiss from you and hurriedly leaves, shutting the front door. Even though you two were friends with benefits, he still was the kind and sweet man that you knew all those years ago.

You sigh, lingering your fingers on the necklace, fawning over the mere kiss that he shared with you. It was an empty kiss so it should be treated as meaningless, but it hurts your heart for you to wish otherwise.

Later that evening, Milagro helped you pick out an outfit for your blind date. Jaime tagged along with Milagro, under the impression of wanting privacy from his family.

You and Milagro picked out a nice evening dress, concluding that it was the perfect dress.

“You look so sexy in this.” Milagro squeals, momentarily catching Jaime’s attention. His eyes shift from his sister to yours, scanning the outfit that you are wearing, shamelessly checking you out. You did a little twirl to display the entirety of the dress, your eyes solely locked on Jaime to figure out his reaction. She was right, you looked so sexy in the dress. Maybe too sexy for another guy.

He noticed the mischievousness in your body language and decided that two could play that game.

“So…” Jaime ponders, lightly gritting his teeth, using his phone as a distraction, “What do you know about this guy?” His question was directed to you, attempting to conceal his jealousy. Slow and steady wins the race.

You turned to Milagro who spoke for you, “Duh, dummy, we don’t know who it is, that's why it’s called a blind date.”

“Wait! You’ve never even met this person before?” His eyes widened in surprise, processing the newfound information.

“Jaime, are you slow or something?” His sister asks. She rolled her eyes and continuously tapped her forehead, “Think, dear brother. Just think.”

He fakes grins at his sister and looks back at you. “It could be dangerous for you.”

“Okay, and I have a taser in my purse if anything goes wrong. I can take care of myself.”

“Why are you so interested in my best friend’s love life all of a sudden?”

“Just looking out for her.” He mumbles.

“Hmmm…” She sounds skeptical, surprisingly trusting her brother’s word.

All of a sudden, Milagro’s phone rings, indicating that her pizza order is ready. “I’m gonna pick up the pizza. Be back in 30 minutes.” She grabs your car keys and her wallet, leaving the apartment.

As soon as the door slammed shut, Jaime spoke his concerns for you.

“So…you’re going out with someone else.”

“Yeah, I am.”

“Then you should also know that I’m going with someone else.” He boasts proudly with a tight-lipped smile.

“Oh, really?” You bite the inside of your cheek as jealousy boils through your veins at the thought of Jaime seeing someone else. Surprisingly, you managed to keep your jealousy at bay, refusing to let Jaime have the upper hand here.

You realized what he was doing, and he wasn’t going to win. It was so obvious that he was lying to you. So he decided to stretch the lie, just to witness your breaking point, “Her name is Maria Gonzalez, her family just moved to the neighborhood and we hit it off great. I also have her number.”

You remained nonchalant, continuing your mascara on your left eye, “Okay…good for you then?”

“That’s all you have to say?” He scoffs, folding his arms.

“Well, what do you want me to say? You want me to act jealous and forbid you from seeing this other girl?” You click your tongue, “Now that you mention it, no new family is moving into your neighborhood otherwise Mrs. Reyes would have told me, and I would have offered to decorate welcoming baskets with her and Milagro.”

Shit! You caught him in his lie. His eyes widened in surprise at your quick response to his lie.

As a matter of fact, he was more proud than scared of your realization of his lie. Your intelligence and ability to understand between the lines were one of the many traits that he loved about you. Intelligence is the glue that holds it all together, not that there aren’t many more characteristics from you that he adored. He would never put any other characteristic above the other, harboring his mutual love for all of them. After all, you attended Harvard, majoring in nursing, and left with multiple degrees.

“Por qué me estás mintiendo, Jaime?” You looked at him through the mirror with a pointed look.

Switching back and forth between English and Spanish daily was a neat trick that you mastered with ease. To be honest, Spanish was a beautiful language, and you just wanted to experience the full meaning of it.

You learned Spanish for your best friend and her family, wanting to connect with them on a personal level. At this point, you became fluent in Spanish and could hold decent conversations with the Reyes family in their native language. The Reyes family even made jokes that you would someday marry a Latino.

“I don’t know..” he shrugs his shoulders, “Maybe…I’m just confused right now.”

“May I remind you that you wanted us to be a casual fuck from time to time, and besides we also agreed on seeing other people.”

“Yeah, but—“

“Yeah, but what? You want to change your mind now?”

“Actually, I do.”

You paused from doing your mascara, making eye contact in the mirror with him. Of course, you weren’t expecting that answer. His statement rendered you speechless, allowing the silence to overtake the room. You gulped silently, intently watching him stalk toward you, almost in a patronizing manner to tease you even further. You were frozen, unaware of what he might do to you and it somewhat turned you on. The small thud of the mascara tube dropping on the vanity brought you back to your senses.

“…We shouldn’t do this, Jaime.” You lightly warn the boy. Jaime remains silent, making you consistently aware that he is gorgeously checking you out from behind. He made you so flustered to the point that you were stupidly smitten with him that was almost ridiculous. It was a miracle that you couldn’t see a black girl’s blush.

“Milagro‘s gonna be back soon.” Your tone was soft.

The air was still tense as he nodded, his eyes still intently focused on your physique. Nervously, you began to play with your braids as your body squirmed under his gaze. The things that Jamie made you feel were out of this world. You held your breath, dilated dark brown eyes studying his every move that he made. It was the familiar gust of his infamous cologne that gave his sudden presence away, noticing his breathing was lingering on you. You shudder, minor goosebumps forming on your arms.

“Then, we just have to be quick, don’t we?” You swear that you could’ve felt his hard dick straining against his pants.

“Listen here Jaime—“ You were cut off by his hands roughly wrapping around your throat, raising your head, catching an upside down angle of the 22-year-old. A warm pair of lips was planted onto yours, reclaiming full jealousy as he slipped his tongue in your mouth. In a matter of seconds, the inviting kiss escalated into sexual tension, heating the aura of the bedroom.

likes, comments and reblogs are highly appreciated!

© asvterias, 2023. please do not plagiarize any of my works.

thank you so much @traveleroffarawayplaces for this incredibly beautiful and amazing fanfic!!! words cannot express how much I love it!!!!

(based on my fanfic titled I love you (I'm sorry))

love ya bestie <3

"Such a cute boy like his father. What is his name?" Marsha asked, clearly talking about Roman's dog. @dimxndsareforever

“His name’s Rocco. Despite it’s meaning, he’s always doing his duty like a good boy. Non è giusto, bravo cane?” Roman said, turning his attention to the aforementioned animal. The Rottweiler, a particularly large and stocky male looked up as he spoke, patient but clearly listening at all times. Rocco’s mouth opened upon hearing his master’s praise, the dog looking for all the world like he was smiling upon being acknowledge before he lay down on the floor, the stump of his tail wagging as he looked towards their guest. “The breed’s got a fierce reputation but damn if he’s not the smartest dog I’ve ever seen. He’s not one to show off though but I think he’s taken a liking to you too, Marsha.”

Merventurine Masterpost

a compilation of all my merman aventurine series in chronological order

Part 0: Prequel

Part 1: The merman and lighthouse keeper

Part 2: Doctor's new patient

Part 3: Bath enthusiast

Part 4: Chalk eater

Part 5: Numby the trespasser

Part 6: Outdoor experience

Part 7: Little gay merman with little gay dreams

Part 8: Gift of aventurines

Part 9: Professor Ratio

Part 10: Tail hug

Part 11: Bad dreams

Part 12: Back to the sea

Part 13: Doctor's studies

Part 14: Siren song

Part 15: Smitten idiots

Part 16: Sea witch Jade

Part 17: Stoneheart mers

Part 18: Jelena

Part 19: The ten stonehearts

Part 20: Human affection

Part 21: Greedy fool

man this series sure is chunky

Invitation to Blitz (Guest of Dishonor)

Hey Blitz, It’s that time of year again! You’re cordially (or should we say “reluctantly”) invited to be the guest of honor at the Annual Anti-Blitz Party on Earth. Yes, you read that right.

The event will be held on 31 October, and it’s going to be an absolute roast fest—literally. Your exes have RSVPed, and they’re ready to, um, "celebrate" all things Blitz. Expect lots of sarcasm, brutal jokes, and a few sharp-tongued jabs.

Body armor is strongly recommended, and maybe even a helmet this year. We don’t want you running away after the first burn!

Time: Whenever you stop avoiding us Location: Earth (The spot where your ego will be publicly fried)

So, bring your thickest skin, your snarky comebacks, and get ready to face the fire. Who knows? You might just survive the night!

Sincerely, Everyone who’s ever been annoyed by you

P.S. There will be cake—but it’s probably poisoned.

And just like that, the entire year of trying to heal since seeing Stolas at Verosika's last party evaporated. The months that had felt like fucking ages, the work he'd been so proud of himself for doing, it all went up in smoke as that same feeling returned--the dark, ugly reminder of what he really was to people, of all he was ever going to be to them.

Blitz was growling by the time he made it to the end of the invitation; anger felt safer than letting this keep on breaking him down. Before he could bite the paper though, a gentle hand touched his. Startled, Blitz blinked and looked up--Demetri had come out of the bedroom. A year ago, he'd been wearing that Better than Blitzo tee, and now here the two of them were, shacked up in a fucking hotel room like it hadn't happened... but only because it had. All of it had. Wordlessly, he handed Demetri the invitation, then went over to get a pot of coffee going.

The incubus wrapped a sheet around himself--loosely, prettily--and settled down onto the couch to read the card. When he tossed it aside and looked at Blitz again, he snuggled down into the corner of the couch, his eyes soft.

"How do you feel about being invited?"

"I don't--fuck, I don't know. Worse?" There were no filters. Of course there weren't any filters. Sulking, really not in the mood to chew his coffee, Blitz went to join him on the couch. He had only planned on sitting next to him, but when Demetri held the sheet open, Blitz sighed and crawled into it with him, letting himself be held. "Guessing you got yours."

"Yeah. There's a whole Fangbook group for it, and it's been a trending tag on HellTok for a few weeks now."

Blitz sighed and closed his eyes. I miss Stolas. Fuck, I miss him so bad. But that ship had sailed, and rightly so. Stolas deserved so much better--and for all Blitz knew, because he sure as fuck hadn't asked, Stolas had had better, probably with this guy right here.

"What the fuck do they want me to do? They're fucking stalkers. Yeah, great, they care, but that's the fucking thing--they think I owe them my caring back. They think I owe them my, what, my whole life? All of my fucking happiness? That they're all entitled to my fucking suffering or some shit, because they want me and I don't want them? Just because you can fucking stalk someone doesn't mean that person owes you shit. And yeah, maybe some of 'em... some of you," he amended, and could feel Demetri wince a bit at the word, but he didn't contradict it, "had a legit fucking grievance. But just wanting someone isn't... it's not reason enough to do all of this. Dennis is one of the bros because he's sulking he didn't get to fuck me when I couldn't have consented even if I wanted to. Half the people there, I never even shared a drink with or flirted with, I just... I'm fucking..." Anger abruptly dissipating, Blitz could hear the tears threatening in his own voice. A year of trying to heal, and what had he accomplished? Closing his eyes, he turned to press his face against Demetri's neck.

"I know, man. I've always known." Demetri sighed and rubbed his chin against Blitz's little head-spines, in between his horns, then closed his eyes and just settled in to hold him. "Can I give you some advice?"

Blitz didn't respond, but the little thwap of his spade splatting against Demetri's leg was answer enough.

Smiling sweetly, since Blitz couldn't see his face right now, he went on. "Don't go. Don't let them break you. They are stalkers. And they are obsessed. It's predatory. People like to feel justified--and there's no cheaper thrill than feeling justified in harassing someone they deem undesirable. It's a human impulse, one that unfortunately is pretty pervasive among our kind. I went... and until Stolas sang, I was hating being there. What you and I shared before--it was worth it," he said softly. "Or at least, I thought it was. I didn't realize how serious the party was going to be, or how many people were buying into the mob-mentality and the hate, or refusing to work on their own healing 'cause they thought, whatever, it's all his fault, and there's nothing I can do. And that's bullshit.

"I like Verosika. She's a lot of fun. But she's also an alcoholic. She's not over you and she never will be at this rate. She hasn't hit her rock bottom yet, and doesn't want to change. She stalks you. She whips this furor up every year... and yeah, some of her points? Are legit. You did fuck you. You've fucked up with a lot of people. But that doesn't mean you need to turn yourself over to them. if you go, these people aren't going to use that as healing. It's not going to help them. Even if you go and laugh and dance on the tables and it feels like everyone is having a good time--babe, I really don't think it's going to help anyone. And I know it's not going to help you, exposing yourself to all of that imagery and violence. If they wanted to heal, they'd be trying by now. They'll just get worked up all over again, and someone's going to get hurt. Physically hurt. Probably not you," he admitted, smiling fondly again, although a little sadly. "But you'll have every right to defend yourself.

"Don't go, Blitz. And don't talk to anyone who does--not unless they come to you, wanting to work on healing whatever rift is between you." Which was something he'd seen Blitz doing with people over recent months, and what had ultimately convinced Demetri that Blitz was safe to be with again. This idiotic imp was trying, he was hearing people, and being genuine with them, and Demetri felt good waking up next to him now, on the rare occasion he got to. "Yeah, it sucks. But you're allowed to live your life. Like you said. You don't owe them your suffering or entitlement. If people want to talk to you, they can reach out, right? I mean--I did," he added, laughing softly, but with a trace of pain in the sound. The last few months had been rocky for them--a lot of conversations that ached, not even because of their history, but just because of who they both were, where they were in their lives... Demetri sighed and nuzzled one of Blitz's horns, silently asking permission. When he felt a little nudge from it, he knew that was a yes, so he raised a hand and wrapped it around one of the horns, stroking in slow, soothing motions.

"Besides. If you go to that party, how are you going to go to the BDSM Club Crawl?"

That made Blitz laugh and sigh, his breath warm against Demetri's chest. After a moment, Blitz came out from the cuddle, moving both of them so he could sit on Demetri's lap and straddle him.

"You really don't think I should go? Let them get their fucking hits in? Cause, listen, just because they're assholes for the stalking and shit, doesn't mean they deserve to be like, completely written off."

"No. But the party is not the right way to engage with them, baby. I think that some people are... a little too impulsive these days," Demetri said, trying to soften his tone, feeling a little guilty for speaking badly of people, but believing it all the same. "Anger feels good. Being part of a club feels good, even if they have to hold on to their anger to stay in it. They like to believe that anyone imperfect is inherently evil and deserves to be harassed and shamed. It's their issue, man. It's not yours. You've been trying to do better with people, I know that. Just because someone decided to stalk you? Doesn't mean any of these people own you. Stalking does not magically give someone the right to own you."

Blitz cupped Demetri's face in both hands, studying his eyes. "You still in love with Stolas?"

Demetri laughed. "Yeah. A little. Or a lot. He's... pretty great. You?"

"Completely."

"You gonna tell him?" Demetri slid a hand up one of Blitz's thighs. It hurt a little whenever the two of them talked about Stolas, but it hurt in a good way, a way that felt right. Demetri considered Stolas his friend, he had ever since meeting him, and he wanted so badly for the idiots to get back together once they were both ready. His own love for Stolas was genuine, but it was something Demetri didn't necessarily need to follow through on--no matter what his heart claimed to want--because he knew he himself wasn't ready for anything serious yet. Besides, seeing two people who were maybe meant to be together? It felt kind of beautiful, kind of precious. He shipped the idiots.

"Yeah," Blitz promised. "Whenever he's ready to talk." Words that had felt easier to say last year--but a year of silence, a year of nothing? Holding onto hope was starting to fucking ache. And deep down, Blitz wasn't sure Stolas would ever... no. Fuck that. Those were thoughts for later. Right now, he had a beautiful guy in his arms, and Demetri needed love just as much as anyone else did.

He took Demetri's hand and looked at it, looked at his wrist. "You guys really never scar, do you?"

"Not on the outside," Demetri whispered, sudden anxiety making his stomach drop. "Blitz, that wasn't your--" but his words went quiet as the imp pressed a tender kiss to the place he'd used to need to keep bandaged. Sudden tears blurred his vision. "I know I can't keep you," he whispered, "but I'm happy to have you right now, Blitz... I'm..."

Blitz hugged him tightly, and when Demetri abruptly clung to him and burst into very quiet tears--quiet because the incubus had learned it was better never to sob aloud, because that was one of his traumas, something he hadn't yet overcome--he just held him, stroked his back, and let him cry it out.

"Come to the club crawl with me," Blitz suggested, when the crying ended.

"You sure? I don't--I'm not trying to get in the middle of--"

Blitz kissed him on the forehead, soft as could be, then kissed his lips, even if they tasted like tears. "I'm sure," he promised. "And you're not. Come with me... and I can show you pictures from my cult."

"Your what?"

"Yeah! I didn't tell you? Some sweet goat started a cult because I put the Mark of the Beast on him and chose him as my companion. I'm actually gonna stop by and check in on them all later today, if you want to--"

This time, it was Blitz who couldn't finish his statement. The incubus was laughing in delight as he practically flung Blitz down, kissing and kissing and kissing him, saying yes in between those kisses, laughing so freely that it left Blitz aching with delight.

Stolas might always be there with the two of them, in different ways and for different reasons, but it felt good, it felt so good, to have rebuilt their friendship, to have this.

Fuck Verosika indeed, and fuck her party. Blitz didn't want to live in their past. He wanted to live in his life--and right now, that life had wonderful company in it, wonderful friends, and family he adored more than anything.

It was a life worth living.