LA SQUADRA TUTORING YOU HEAD CANNONS(ft. Other headcannons too)
All are platonic
ft: Sorbet and Gelato too!
If you want a hc on how the bucci gang would tutor you heres a link!: Bucci gang tutoring reader
•formaggio
He's a highschool drop out. But that doesnt go to say he isnt smart, he's plenty resourceful and when it comes to sudden moments of distress he can calculate how to get his ass out of it in a second, so like street smart. Sometimes his parents wish he wouldve applied it to his studies before. Anyway back to tutoring, his ass would go like narancia but you would have to BEG him to teach him to feed his ego and really make you ask for it. 'I dunno im kinda busy ..' 'I think i'd be too smart for this you wont be able to keep up!'
it took 30 minutes to get him to teach you. When he does he cant understand jackshit whats on the paper but he tries to play it cool "uh 7x - 5 uh... Its 100000!". In the end your ass fails your homework or whatever you were studying for and when you go to formaggio about it he just laughs it off and maybe he would try to make up for it, maybe offering you to watch one of your favorite movies.
•Illuso:
You kidding?... He's a highschool graduate and didnt bother with college/post academics. Like formaggio he needs a beg to feed his ego in order for him to actually accept to teach you and... 90% of him tutoring is just him insulting you and his sarcastic remarks for each example question. Even when you get an answer right the first try he goes 'WOWWWW yOu GoT ThAt RiGht!' in the most annoying tone that makes you wanna hit him so hard. When you apply it to ur homework during the session, you get half of the questions right but if you apply it to your studies after... You just get too annoyed and end up craming them thanks to illuso's snide remarks. You swear you can still hear him when you pick up that pen and paper.
•Ghiaccio:
You now know the past present and future lessons by heart mind and soul... But at what cost?.
Ghiaccio is a STEM graduate who avoided the Humanities course or related courses like the plague during college and purposely cutted at english/literature class back in highschool.
He's pretty smart but he's impatient. When you ask he's annoyed but he reluctantly agrees. During your study sesh even if you cry and plead you wont be able to leave until you know everything about not just the lesson BUT THE SUBJECT AS A WHOLE (assuming its math/sciences). Even if you run away he will freeze you down.
Ghiaccio:"You started this you finish it. SIT YOUR ASS DOWN"
•Melone:
'IM NOT A CHILD DAMNIT!"-you
A lot of people think he's a med school drop out. They're kinda right Let me word this better, he technically didn't drop out or turn to the mafia right away he just switched paths during his time at College. Turns out he didnt want to be a Clinical Embryologist but maybe something simplier... A teacher and tried getting a bachelors degree in early childhood education.
(Which is funny because even with the career change he still landed himself in the mafia.)
And even when he changed he didnt finish that either!
But that explains why he's really good at teaching and also given his stand he also has to do a lot of teaching. Convincing him isn't that hard he just agrees and is actually really happy about it. Side note though you now feel like a child. You appreciate how he dumbs it down for you but if you're not the kind of person who likes being babied you'd be very irritated in this teaching sesh. When youre done you understand the lesson a lot! But again if youre the type to get annoyed that you are treated like a child you'll feel a little pissy.
•Prosciutto :
This is no longer math its the MILITARY. He probably completed college, what course? He'd never say, though rumors say its something in economics/marketing but what's been confirmed so far has nothing to do with what he took in college/university just what he did.
They say that he was an intern for a modelling company as a side hustle and thats it. So its not sure what he pursued.
Back to tutoring! When you approach him he gladly accepts but you'd have to schedule. When the time comes you find yourself doing push ups while Prosciutto says 'Whats the answer to 1x²+x-3!?' and you'll have to shout back at the answer. When youre not exercising expect him beside you watching your every move on the desk. The plus side he gives little hints to the answer, to slight hand movements, to mouthing it out.
By the end of tutor lesson you now know the lesson better! And now have Prosciutto as your designated tutor so youre stuck with him! Be prepared to meet him again when you get a low score though, turns out he found a way to keep tabs on your class..
How? We dont know either.
•Pesci:
Pesci had to be pulled out because their parents couldn't fund his education any further, and needed him to help out with work (fishing) in order to bring more money to the table.
Due to this Pesci is a little insecure about it so he's really hesitant to accept to tutor you! He's very nervous so sometimes he gets back on his word when he's pointing things out and going 'Okay so this is.. Wait holdon i might be wrong!'. Study sesh is a mess and you cant even get mad at the guy he's trying his best. Even so you still thank Pesci and Pesci says that he didnt help at all and you say its alright and he did help. In the end you study on your own and get good marks you go to Pesci and say that he's tutoring helped you out to make him feel better!
•Risotto:
"Risotto that's too in depth! I get it now, we've been on the same topic for the past hour!"-you
You thought it'll be really boring but... HE CANT JUST STOP TALKING AND TALKINGGGG!?...
Risotto is a highschool graduate and like Illuso didnt bother with college but didnt have the same motives thinking its useless or anything, but he already knew where he would end up and continue to do the rest of his life. Even so he is really well red and still is book smart! So theres no wonder how he knows certain stuff. When something you don't know happens he will info dump on how and why the phenomenon happened and end off the sentence with "... I read it in a book once.."
When you ask he nods and agrees, but like Prosciutto, you gotta schedule since he's usually busy. You thought it'll be a normal study sesh and its just gonna be boring because at surface level Risotto is a very quiet man. But no! He wasnt nonchalant! Motherfuck wont stop yapping and introducing topics you haven't studied yet either that or he's over simplified the equation its been an hour! to the point you cant even answer he just continues and continues and continues. If you tell him about it though he slows down and matches your pace, this kinda shows his dorky side and how passionate he is in studying. Dont worry he's a very observant man so he knows what parts you have a hard time with and tries to teach you but he just gets caught up in the moment he goes.. and....
In the end you barely remember shit just the moment of surprise on how Risotto tutored you.
if you're doing homework you got all marks but you have no idea what you were tutored about.
•Gelato:
Go to sorbet.
I like the head cannon that Gelato and sorbet were ex military but I think only Gelato is ex military. If you come to him for tutoring he just refers you to sorbet and wont budge at all and if youre really persistent he gets real annoyed so expect a bruise and not even getting sorbet to tutor you after. All cause you pissed off gelato.
•Sorbet:
You gotta pay a small, (BIG) fee first. Sorbet graduated marketing and economics yeah thats right he got a joint degree thats why he's really good at money or at least knows better on how to use it. Thats why gelato tells you to go to sorbet instead because this is the type of stuff he's specialized in. But he is not a good teacher he cant even explain it properly the whole study sesh is you being confused as hell, and the cherry on top of this disaster he gets mad when the answer is 0 (EVEN THOUGH ITS THE CORRECT ANSWER) but he thought its money somehow. When youre done he goes 'There ya go✨!'
and you dont know jack shit.
Authors note: No doodle unfortunately but this one's pretty Lengthy and features everyone from la squadra!!!!! I based Risotto's on his fight with dia and dop, with Pesci's I wanted to make a parallel between him and Bruno in a way. I also wanted to write more about Gelato and Sorbet but with the little we know of them I just winged it.. What do yall think?
Should I make little doodles of these too? Do you guys have requests? Feel free to tell me!
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idk how well the reach is when u reblog ur own thing (im bad at Tumblr) but I posted the second chapter of my fic focusing on dick and Bruce's relationship over the years :3 this chapter includes Lil jason my son and plenty of teen dick angst so I hope everyone who reads enjoys <3
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters 13-20, it gets a little heated in chapter 20, but not too much
Chapter 13 – “The Space Between Words”
It was raining the next evening when Danny showed up at Andrew’s door, his hoodie damp and clinging to his arms. He hadn’t planned on going out. But the house had felt too quiet, and his thoughts too loud. The kind of loud that built up pressure behind his eyes and made it hard to breathe.
Andrew opened the door in socks and an oversized band tee, a faint look of surprise on his face that softened into something warmer the second he saw who it was.
“Hey,” Danny said, voice low. “Sorry for just… showing up.”
Andrew stepped aside and waved him in. “You don’t have to be sorry. You can always come here.”
Danny peeled off his hoodie, shaking the water from his sleeves. The scent of rain and the familiar comfort of Andrew’s room wrapped around him like a second layer of clothes. Posters on the wall, laundry half-folded on the chair, lo-fi music playing softly from his laptop—it all made Danny feel like he could exhale for the first time today.
They sat on Andrew’s bed like they always did, side by side, not touching but close. The silence between them was easy. They’d learned how to speak through it over the years.
Danny broke it first.
“I tried something today,” he said, his voice almost a whisper. “Just in my head. I used they/them pronouns. For me.”
Andrew turned to him, eyebrows raised slightly. Not surprised—more like quietly interested.
“And?” he asked.
Danny shrugged. “It didn’t feel wrong. It felt… softer. Like the pressure to perform something I didn’t quite believe in kind of fell away for a second. I don’t know what it means yet, but it didn’t feel fake. That surprised me.”
Andrew nodded slowly. “That’s big, Danny. I’m really glad you told me.”
Danny looked at him, a knot tightening in his chest. “Do you think it’s weird?”
Andrew blinked. “No. I think it’s honest. I think it’s… brave, actually.”
Danny let out a breath. “I’m scared. Like, what if I change and people don’t recognize me anymore? What if I don’t recognize myself?”
Andrew was quiet for a moment, then said, “I don’t think you’re becoming someone else. I think you’re peeling back layers that were never really you to begin with.”
That hit something deep. Danny bit the inside of his cheek, then turned to Andrew. “Can I ask you something kind of heavy?”
“Of course.”
“When you came out as gay… were you afraid it would change how people saw you? Like it would change everything?”
Andrew nodded. “Yeah. I was terrified. Especially with my parents. I kept thinking: what if they love me less? What if my friends stop acting the same around me? What if it’s not just a thing about me, but a thing that defines me, and that scares them?”
Danny looked down. “That’s exactly how I feel.”
“I know,” Andrew said quietly. “But you remember what I told you, when I came out?”
Danny smiled faintly. “You said you felt more like yourself than you ever had before.”
“Exactly. Because it wasn’t about changing who I was—it was about letting myself be who I’d always been. I think you’re there right now. You’re starting to let yourself be.”
Danny felt something sting behind his eyes and quickly blinked it away.
“I don’t even know what to call it yet,” they said. “I don’t know if I’m nonbinary, or genderfluid, or something else entirely. I don’t even know if I want to use a different name. I just… I know I don’t want to keep pretending that ‘guy’ fits me perfectly. It doesn’t.”
Andrew was quiet for a long beat. Then he reached over, placing a hand gently on Danny’s knee.
“You don’t need to have a label yet. I don’t care if you’re a guy, or nonbinary, or something else entirely. You’re still you. Still Danny. And I—” He stopped himself, cheeks flushing. “I care about you. Not some version of you I expect you to be.”
Danny blinked at him, heart thudding. “Even if I change?”
“You’re not changing in a way that makes you less you,” Andrew said. “You’re becoming more you. And I’ll still be here. I promise.”
Danny let out a shaky breath. “We’ve kissed.”
Andrew smiled, a little shy. “Yeah.”
“And we still don’t really know what that means.”
Andrew nodded. “We don’t. But I know I liked it.”
Danny laughed quietly. “Me too. Even when I was confused. I still wanted it to mean something.”
Andrew hesitated, then added, “It does mean something. I don’t need us to have a perfect label either. Queer, maybe? Just… figuring it out as we go?”
Danny leaned their head on Andrew’s shoulder, their voice muffled by the cotton of his shirt. “Figuring it out together sounds really good right now.”
Outside, the rain tapped gently against the windows, like it was giving them space to sit still and breathe. For the first time in weeks, Danny felt like they weren’t running from themselves. They were walking toward something. Slowly. With someone beside them.
No label. No rush. Just room to grow.
Chapter 14 – “What Are We?”
It was late by the time Danny got home. The rain had slowed to a drizzle, and the streets glistened under the soft yellow haze of streetlights. As they walked, their hands tucked deep in their pockets, Danny replayed every second of their conversation with Andrew. Every word. Every pause. Every look.
Figuring it out together.
That phrase looped in their head like a lyric to a song they didn’t know all the words to yet.
The next day was a blur. Classes came and went, teachers talked at them, but none of it really landed. Danny was too busy watching the way Andrew’s eyes would flick over to them across the lunch table. Noticing how their knees brushed when they sat too close during study hall. How it wasn’t just comfort anymore—it was something magnetic. Familiar, but charged.
They had kissed. More than once. And it hadn’t felt like an accident either time.
After school, Andrew offered to walk Danny home.
“I thought maybe we could talk more,” he said casually, but there was a question behind his eyes. Danny nodded without hesitation.
They walked in silence for a block before Danny said, “So… last night.”
Andrew smiled. “Yeah.”
“I’ve been thinking about it all day,” Danny admitted, glancing down at the sidewalk. “About us. About… what this is.”
Andrew’s smile faded slightly, but not in a bad way. He looked thoughtful. “Same. And it’s weird because I feel so sure about how I feel when I’m with you. But as soon as I try to explain it, I don’t know what words to use.”
Danny nodded. “Yeah. Me too. It’s like… we’ve always been close. But now it’s something more. And I like that it’s more, but I don’t know what to call it. Because I’m not really a guy. At least, not just a guy. And you said you’re gay. So…”
Andrew stopped walking. Danny stopped too.
“I’ve been thinking about that,” Andrew said, carefully. “About what it means that I like you, and you’re questioning your gender. And the truth is… it doesn’t change how I feel. But it does make me think about how I’ve labeled myself. Like, I’ve said I’m gay because I’ve only ever been into guys. But maybe that label isn’t the whole picture.”
Danny looked at him, something uncertain in their chest starting to ease.
Andrew continued, “I think I’m queer. I didn’t use that word before because it felt too vague. But now? I kind of like that it is vague. It gives room for everything I’m still figuring out.”
Danny exhaled. “Yeah. That makes sense. I like that too. Queer feels… like it fits both of us. Even if we’re still changing.”
They kept walking, a little slower now.
“I want to be close to you,” Andrew said. “Like… not just in a ‘best friend’ way. I think we already are something more. Even if we haven’t said it.”
Danny smiled shyly. “You think we’re dating?”
Andrew chuckled. “I don’t know. Are we?”
Danny tilted their head. “I think… maybe we don’t have to call it dating. But I know I like holding your hand. And kissing you. And talking about stuff I’ve never told anyone else.”
“Same,” Andrew said. “So maybe we’re… in a thing?”
Danny laughed. “A thing? That’s our official relationship status?”
Andrew grinned. “Until we find a better word, yeah.”
There was a pause, then Danny reached out, fingers brushing Andrew’s. This time, Andrew took their hand and held it.
“I don’t know exactly who I am yet,” Danny said quietly. “But I know I feel safe with you. And seen.”
Andrew squeezed their hand. “Then that’s enough. For now.”
They walked the rest of the way in comfortable silence, fingers intertwined, hearts a little steadier. The labels would come later, maybe. Or maybe not. But whatever this was—this gentle, wordless thing between them—it was real.
And real was a pretty good start.
Chapter 15 – “The First Time We Called It a Date”
It was Andrew’s idea.
They were sitting under the bleachers after gym—sweaty, tired, and trying to avoid the post-class chaos—when he turned to Danny with a grin and said, “Okay, hear me out: Friday night. Movie, snacks, actual intentional eye contact. A date.”
Danny blinked. “A date date?”
Andrew shrugged, playful but a little shy. “I mean, unless you’d rather keep calling it a ‘thing.’”
Danny laughed, a soft warmth blooming in their chest. “No, I like the word. Let’s call it a date.”
The rest of the week moved in a slow, buzzing blur. Danny felt a nervous kind of excitement settle behind their ribs. They had kissed Andrew. They had held hands. But this? This was different. A date felt like something new. Something that needed courage.
Friday arrived too fast.
Danny stood in front of their closet for almost half an hour, trying on outfits that didn’t feel right, then circling back to the one that did: soft black pants, a slightly oversized denim jacket over a cropped hoodie they’d thrifted with D. And makeup—not much, just a bit of mascara and a little shimmer on their cheeks. Not to impress anyone. Just because they wanted to.
When they looked in the mirror, they saw someone closer to themselves than they'd ever dared to be before.
When Andrew rang the doorbell, Danny’s heart jumped.
“You look…” Andrew stopped mid-sentence, eyes scanning them with quiet admiration. “You look really good.”
Danny smiled, brushing their hand down their jacket. “Thanks. You do too.”
Andrew had dressed up, in his own low-key way. A clean flannel, dark jeans, hair a little more styled than usual. It was the kind of effort that didn’t scream look at me—it whispered, I care.
They took the bus into town and caught a 7:00 p.m. showing of some indie film neither of them had heard of but both agreed looked “weird enough to be interesting.” They bought too much popcorn and not enough napkins. Andrew kept bumping his knee against Danny’s, not quite an accident.
The movie was odd and kind of beautiful. Something about two strangers in a liminal dreamworld, searching for the version of themselves they left behind. It felt a little too real in parts. Danny found themselves watching Andrew’s profile as much as they watched the screen.
Halfway through, Andrew’s hand slid into theirs. Just… stayed there. Warm and steady.
After the movie, they wandered into the night air, laughter still hanging in the spaces between their words.
“Okay, that movie made zero sense,” Andrew said, tossing popcorn crumbs from his shirt.
“Yeah,” Danny grinned. “But it was kind of amazing.”
They stopped near a quiet corner, the streetlight casting a soft halo over them.
Danny hesitated, then asked, “So, this was… really a date?”
Andrew looked at them, serious now. “Yeah. It was.”
“I liked it,” Danny said. “I was nervous. But… it felt really good.”
“Me too.” Andrew’s voice softened. “It felt like something real.”
Danny looked up, their voice a little more cautious. “Does it feel different to you? Now that I’m not just… a guy?”
Andrew didn’t answer right away. He took a breath. “It feels different in some ways. But not in a bad way. It just feels more honest. Like I’m seeing more of you, and I really like what I see.”
Danny’s throat tightened. “Even if I end up changing more?”
Andrew reached for their hand again. “Even then. Especially then.”
The world felt quiet around them, the kind of quiet that held space, not emptiness. Danny leaned forward, just a little. Andrew met them there, lips brushing softly.
The kiss wasn’t heated or rushed. It was careful. Considered. A promise, not a question.
When they pulled apart, Danny rested their forehead against Andrew’s.
“So,” Danny murmured, “what do we call it now?”
Andrew smiled. “Still figuring it out. But I think we can say it’s more than a thing now.”
Danny smiled back, heart full.
“Yeah,” they whispered. “Definitely more than a thing.”
Chapter 16 – “Fireworks”
The sun was just starting to dip below the rooftops when Danny and Andrew arrived at D’s place. The smell of grilled veggies and sunscreen hung in the warm air, and laughter spilled from the backyard. D’s parents were the kind who kept their parties chill but meaningful—barefoot on the lawn, rainbow cups for drinks, pride flags woven into the decor right next to the red, white, and blue.
Danny paused at the gate, heart fluttering. They were wearing a pair of cutoff shorts, a loose tank, and a pink bandana around their neck that D had helped them pick out. It wasn’t over-the-top, but it was the first time they’d dressed this way outside of a thrift store or Andrew’s room.
“You okay?” Andrew asked, hand brushing Danny’s.
Danny nodded. “Yeah. Just… nervous. About being seen. About being us.”
Andrew smiled gently. “We don’t have to perform anything. We’re just here. That’s enough.”
Inside the yard, D waved them over with two sparklers already lit and waving in the air like tiny fire-daggers. “You made it! And you look amazing,” they said to Danny, offering a dramatic twirl of approval. “Seriously. You’re glowing.”
Danny grinned, tension easing.
Eli appeared a moment later, wrapped in a mesh tank and denim cutoffs, holding a drink in each hand. “I brought hydration and queer cheer,” they said, passing one to Danny. “Glad you came.”
“Thanks,” Danny said. “It’s good to see you again.”
Eli nodded. “D told me you’ve been figuring some stuff out. For what it’s worth, you’re doing it with style.”
They all settled into the grass near the fire pit, where a few other people were already gathered—mostly older teens from D’s community center, a few allies from school. Music played low from a speaker, someone passed around temporary tattoos, and someone else tried to roast marshmallows over a citronella candle before giving up entirely.
Danny leaned into Andrew, who looped an arm around their back like it was the most natural thing in the world. No one stared. No one asked questions. The world didn’t stop turning.
They felt… okay.
D nudged them with a knowing look. “You two are adorable, by the way.”
Danny rolled their eyes, but they couldn’t help smiling. “We’re figuring it out.”
“That’s what the whole summer’s for,” Eli said. “Love and identity and too much sunblock.”
Later, when the fireworks started—big, messy bursts over the park down the street—they all lay back on a blanket together, eyes on the sky. Red and gold and green lit up their faces, reflections dancing in wide, open eyes.
Danny felt Andrew’s hand slide into theirs again.
“Do you feel like yourself right now?” Andrew whispered, just loud enough to hear over the distant booms.
Danny turned their head, watching Andrew’s profile in the flickering light.
“Yeah,” they said. “More than I ever have.”
Andrew smiled, then leaned in and kissed them softly.
And for the first time, Danny didn’t feel like they were trying to become someone else. They were becoming themselves. With people who saw them. With people who stayed.
As the fireworks painted the sky with chaos and color, Danny whispered, “I think this might be the first summer that feels like mine.”
D squeezed their shoulder. “It is. It so is.”
Chapter 17 – “Names and Other In-Between Things”
The morning after the party was slow and golden. Danny woke up with the smell of charcoal still lingering in their hair and the echo of fireworks behind their eyes.
They were stretched out on a blanket in D’s room, a second-hand fan buzzing lazily in the corner. D was curled beside them, scrolling through their phone and humming to a song Danny didn’t know. The kind of quiet that only exists between people who have been through things together settled over the space.
Danny rolled onto their side. “Hey,” they said softly.
D looked up. “Hey.”
Danny hesitated for a moment. “Can I ask you something kind of weird?”
D sat up a little, curious. “Of course.”
Danny played with the edge of the blanket. “How did you choose your name? Like… when you first started questioning everything. Did it just come to you?”
D smiled gently. “Sort of. I kept trying out names in my head—ones I thought sounded cool, or neutral, or like who I wanted to be. But nothing stuck until I came back to just… D. I realized I didn’t need a whole new name. Just one that felt like mine.”
Danny nodded slowly, their throat feeling tighter than expected.
“I’ve been using they/them,” they said, voice quiet. “And it feels really right. Like… not like I’m pretending or trying. Just like I’m finally showing up.”
D’s smile widened. “I’ve noticed. It fits you.”
“But now I’m wondering if the name ‘Danny’ still fits too.” They bit their lip. “It’s weird. I’ve always been Danny. It doesn’t feel wrong. But I don’t know if it still feels… like all of me.”
D leaned back on their elbows. “Names carry history. Sometimes they come with weight, sometimes with warmth. What do you feel when you hear yours?”
Danny thought for a long time. “It feels like childhood. Like soccer practice and birthday parties and people calling it across the hallway without thinking. And it’s not a bad feeling. But it also feels like it’s holding me in a shape I don’t fit anymore.”
“Have you tried saying different names out loud?” D asked. “Or shortening it, stretching it, shifting it?”
Danny nodded. “I’ve been trying some in my head. Just to see how they sound. I like how ‘Dani’ looks. But it still kind of feels like Danny in disguise, you know?”
D laughed softly. “That’s not always a bad thing. You don’t have to throw out your history to make room for who you’re becoming. You can evolve it.”
“I guess I just want to make sure the name I go by makes room for all the parts of me,” Danny said, voice cracking slightly. “The queer part, the not-quite-boy part. The part that’s still figuring it out. I want something that doesn’t make me feel like I have to shrink.”
D reached over and squeezed their hand. “Then keep playing with it. You don’t have to pick right now. You don’t have to choose at all, if Danny still feels okay. But if something else starts to feel more you—follow it.”
Danny nodded, heart heavy but hopeful. “Maybe I’ll start with telling people I’m using they/them. See how that sits. Maybe the name thing will come later.”
D grinned. “Look at you. Growing.”
Danny rolled their eyes, but smiled back. “It’s weird. It’s scary. But it also feels… kind of exciting.”
“Becoming yourself always is,” D said. “Just promise me one thing?”
“What?”
“Whatever name you go with, make sure it’s one you say with your whole chest. You deserve that.”
Danny laughed, and for the first time that morning, it wasn’t quiet or careful. It was full.
Chapter 18 – “Say My Name (Maybe)”
It was one of those slow, golden afternoons where everything felt like it was suspended in honey. The kind of day where the air was thick with quiet, and nothing needed to happen fast.
Danny was curled on Andrew’s bed, legs tucked underneath them, flipping through a notebook full of scribbles, lyrics, and the kind of thoughts you only write when no one else is looking. Andrew sat cross-legged on the floor, organizing his ever-growing record collection and humming along to a soft indie track playing in the background.
“You ever think about changing your name?” Danny asked suddenly, their voice light but edged with something sharper.
Andrew looked up, one eyebrow raised. “You mean, like, legally? Or just, like… trying a different vibe?”
Danny smiled slightly. “More like trying a vibe.”
Andrew leaned back on his hands. “Okay, yeah. I’ve thought about it. Like, when I was twelve, I wanted to be called A.J. because I thought it sounded cool and mysterious.”
Danny laughed. “A.J.? Really?”
“Hey, I was full of angst and had zero chill.”
They both laughed, and then the silence settled again—this time a little heavier, a little more intentional.
“I’ve been thinking about it for myself,” Danny said softly, gaze drifting to the ceiling. “About names. About what feels right.”
Andrew straightened up a bit, his voice gentle. “Is ‘Danny’ not feeling good anymore?”
“I don’t hate it,” Danny said, shrugging. “But it feels like a version of me that doesn’t quite fit anymore. Like… it’s close, but not exactly me. And I’ve been wondering if there’s something better out there. Something that does fit.”
Andrew nodded, letting the words settle before saying anything. “Have you tried out any others? Just in your head?”
“Yeah. Some,” Danny said. “I keep coming back to a few, but I haven’t said them out loud yet. Feels scary. Like… what if it sounds weird? Or what if I say it and it doesn’t feel like mine?”
Andrew smiled softly. “Then you try another. That’s how it works, right? You try things on until something fits like your favorite hoodie.”
Danny smiled at the comparison, then reached for their notebook. “Can I say a few out loud? Just… try them on?”
“Of course.”
Danny took a breath, then read softly, almost under their breath, “Riley. Quinn. Jules. Dani—with an ‘i’. Even thought about just going by Dee for a while, kind of like D.”
Andrew nodded after each one, taking them in like little pieces of a puzzle. “They’re all cool. But which one felt best when you said it?”
Danny chewed on the inside of their cheek. “Dani felt… familiar. Like it could be a bridge from where I’ve been to where I’m going. But Riley felt… new. Free.”
Andrew grinned. “Riley’s got good energy. But honestly? You could tell me your name was Starlight Moonbeam and I’d still think you’re the coolest person in the room.”
Danny snorted. “Please never call me that.”
“No promises,” Andrew teased. Then, softer: “Do you want me to try calling you one of them? Just to see how it feels?”
Danny hesitated, then nodded. “Maybe… Riley? Just once?”
Andrew tilted his head, smile gentle. “Okay.” He paused, then said it with a kind of reverence, like a secret he’d been trusted with. “Riley.”
Danny’s heart jumped. It felt different. It felt like something had shifted, like a door had cracked open just enough to let light in.
“Do you want me to say it again?” Andrew asked.
Danny nodded.
“Hey, Riley,” Andrew said, a little more casual this time, a soft grin tugging at the edge of his lips. “Do you want to pick the next record?”
Danny—Riley—grinned back, cheeks warm.
“Yeah,” they said. “Yeah, I do.”
And for the first time, the name didn’t just sound right. It felt right.
Not perfect. Not final. But right for right now.
And that was enough.
Chapter 19 – “What Comes After Midnight”
It was well past midnight by the time the movie ended.
Andrew’s bedroom was dim and safe, lit only by the soft blue glow of his lava lamp and the occasional headlights sliding past the window. The remains of popcorn and gummy bears were scattered between them, but neither one of them was really thinking about the movie anymore.
Riley lay on their side, one arm folded beneath their head, watching Andrew across the tangle of pillows.
“Can I ask you something?” Riley’s voice was hushed, as if the darkness needed to be respected.
Andrew blinked sleepily and nodded. “Always.”
Riley hesitated, then asked, “What did it feel like for you, when you realized you were gay? Like… was it scary? Or freeing?”
Andrew rolled onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. “Both. At first, it felt like this… huge, loud truth I was trying to whisper. Like if I said it out loud, it would ruin everything. But then I said it to myself, and it was like—oh. That’s why everything else didn’t make sense.”
Riley was quiet for a long time. “I think that’s kind of how I’m feeling now. About everything.”
“About gender?”
“Yeah. And… about you. About us.”
Andrew turned toward them slowly, eyes soft.
“I think about you all the time,” Riley admitted, cheeks burning even in the dark. “And not just in a ‘you’re cute’ kind of way. I think about how it feels when you say my name. How I feel safe here. Like I’m not performing anything. Like I don’t have to earn being loved.”
Andrew’s breath caught. “You don’t. Not here. Not ever.”
Riley looked down. “It’s just… this is all so new. The name. The pronouns. Everything. And sometimes I wonder if you still feel the same about me. If it feels different now.”
Andrew scooted closer, gently brushing their fingers together. “It feels more real now. Because I’m not loving who I thought you were. I’m loving who you are. Who you’re becoming.”
Riley’s breath hitched.
“Riley,” Andrew said again, tasting the name like something sacred. “I don’t care what name you go by. Or how you dress. Or which box the world wants to put you in. You’re still you. You’re still the person I kissed under the bleachers. You’re still the person I want to tell everything to.”
Riley looked at him, eyes wide and wet. “Are we… something?”
Andrew smiled, soft and sure. “I think we’re something. I think we’ve been something for a while. Even if we didn’t have a word for it.”
Riley leaned in, resting their forehead against Andrew’s. “I don’t know what we are yet. But I want to find out.”
Andrew’s hand found Riley’s. “Then let’s keep figuring it out. Together.”
They stayed like that for a long time—foreheads touching, breaths slowing, the silence filled with trust. With a kind of love that didn’t need a label yet.
Outside, the sky was turning a softer shade of dark. Morning wasn’t far away. But in that room, wrapped in blankets and unspoken feelings, it still felt like the safest part of the night.
Chapter 20 – “Too Close, Too Fast”
The room was dark, except for the slow swirl of Andrew’s lava lamp casting soft pinks and oranges across the ceiling. Riley lay on their back, staring up at the color shift like it might reveal something about the future—about themself, about Andrew, about this thing growing between them that neither had dared to name.
Andrew was beside them, close. Not touching. Not yet.
Riley turned their head slightly, eyes catching the edge of Andrew’s jaw, the soft line of his cheek in the glow.
“Are you tired?” they asked, their voice quiet and unsure.
Andrew turned his head too, so they were facing each other in the half-light. “Not really.”
The silence stretched again, but not uncomfortably. There was a hum to it—thick with things unsaid. Questions. Hopes. Want.
Riley spoke again, even softer. “Can I kiss you?”
Andrew smiled, already inching closer. “You don’t have to ask.”
The first kiss was familiar now. Gentle. Warm. They met halfway, mouths brushing with a sweetness that made Riley’s chest ache. It should have ended there. A soft kiss, a retreat. But it didn’t.
Andrew kissed them again. This time deeper. Hungrier.
Riley’s hand found Andrew’s shirt and tugged—just a little—without thinking. Andrew shifted, their legs tangling. The next kiss was open-mouthed, breathing shared, heat blooming fast between them like a spark had caught something dry.
Then hands.
Andrew’s fingers were in Riley’s hair. Riley’s palm slid over Andrew’s side, unsure where to go but desperate to keep touching. The kiss turned fast, feverish. It was too much and not enough. They moved like they were trying to memorize each other’s bodies with mouths and hands and the tremble of every breath.
And then—suddenly—they pulled apart.
Riley gasped, eyes wide. “Oh.”
Andrew’s cheeks were flushed, lips red. “Sh-Crap. Sorry—I didn’t mean to—”
“No, no,” Riley said quickly, heart racing. “It’s not you. I… I liked it. I really liked it. It’s just—”
“It got fast.”
“Yeah.”
They lay there, panting softly, not touching now. Riley could still feel the heat of Andrew’s mouth on theirs, still felt the weight of everything unspoken.
“I didn’t know I could feel that much that quickly,” Riley admitted, voice small.
Andrew let out a nervous laugh. “Same. It kind of hit me like—bam—you’re here and I want you and oh my god I’m kissing you like I’ve lost my mind.”
Riley laughed too, shaky and wide-eyed. “Yeah. That.”
They lay in silence for a moment, letting their heart rates come back down, staring at the ceiling again. The pinks and oranges of the lamp danced across the walls like a quiet apology.
Andrew finally reached over and took Riley’s hand.
“We can slow down,” he said. “We can stop anytime. You don’t owe me anything.”
“I know,” Riley said. And they meant it.
“I just… really, really like you,” Andrew added.
Riley looked at him, cheeks still hot, lips still tingling. “I really, really like you too.”
They didn’t kiss again that night. They just stayed close, fingers laced, breathing in sync. It was enough to know that they could go there—that they wanted to—but didn’t have to yet.
That kind of trust? That was more intimate than anything.
__________________
Authors Note:
TYSM for everyone who read the 1-12 chapters! i hope you wnjoy these ones, tagging to help spread, i hopw u can help a small writer
Opening commissions for short stories (1k-5k words or so) and poems (of varying length). For the stories, it's approximately 2 dimes per word. For poetry, it will be case by case.
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todd realized this would be his best shot at finding a decent place to live in new york city. so he carefully took the flyer from the notice board at his local coffee shop and kept it in his pocket.
little did he know the barista had put it there himself, and was now watching todd as he got his order and left in a hurry, eyes never meeting anyone's.
neil had no other choice but to rent a place with someone. it seemed like all his friends from high school had fucked off to some prestigious college. but neil had just escaped his abusive household to pursue his dreams of acting, and nyc felt just like the place for it. however, he was gonna have to do it all by himself.
or maybe he didn't have to.
todd anderson had just been accepted into university, and despite his parents will to support him financially, he knew they weren't exactly thrilled. poetry didn't seem all that promising.
this person, an 18-year-old just like him, was looking for someone to share a small apartment with. he'd be out during most of the day, so todd could still have the peace and quiet he desired - plus rent would be split by two. sharing an apartment with a stranger seemed scary, but they would barely see each other anyways. most of todd's classes were at night.
so he figured, why not? and called the number on the paper. neil.
the boy had a pretty, soft-spoken voice, neil thought. that could only be the same todd whose name he had written on a coffee order earlier that day. black, two sugars. now if everything went well, mr. black-two-sugars would be moving in with neil in no time, and no, neil couldn't think of him like that. that surely wouldn't work out. stop it neil. not every pretty boy is the same as you.
Pengpeng's fur is much thicker than Longyan's. It's a bit more difficult to get the brush through her locks, but Pengpeng is much less picky about how her fur is brushed.
Lek is too antsy to sleep. He closes his eyes and sees a brilliant flash of blue, sees Kyoshi shaking, his body completely cold and empty and he watches Kyoshi writhe and listens to Rangi scream unlike anything he's ever heard before, and when Kyoshi's eyes glow white and she clenches her fists, Wong is the one to react first, grabbing Lek by the scruff and throwing himself over the smaller boy's body, burying the four of them into the ground as the wind began to howl and the people began to scream.
And now Kyoshi's hands are wrapped in layers of bandages and Rangi hasn't spoken in days and Kirima's voice is empty and Wong has tears slipping down his cheeks and--
A lot happened. Lek can't sleep.
There's a rumble, and with a start, Lek realizes he's been tugging too hard at Pengpeng's fur.
"Sorry, sorry," he mutters, shuffling his free hand through her fur and giving the sore spot a strong scratch. "I'm sorry, it's not your fault."
A low rumble and a flick of her ear. Pengpeng has forgiven him. He resumes brushing.
Pengpeng's fur is a brilliant white, like most flying bison from the Southern Temples. Her fur much thicker than Longyan's, and the Earth Kingdom's humidity is not treating her well, with all the matts in her undercoat. But Lek knows how to care for the flying bison, he's better than Kyoshi could ever be, and he expertly rubs the matts out, clumps of white fur falling to his feet.
Lek misses Longyan, he realizes dully. It's not a secret he's not the strongest of the group; Kirima and Wong are much more heavy-hitting, and Lek can only offer his perfect accuracy, but at least neither of them knew how to care for their previous flying bison. It was one of the things Hark noticed, with his sharp mind; if Lek couldn't be useful in fights, he could at least help take care of their team. He shadowed Jesa in her daily routines with Longyan, and for a while, he felt more similar to Longyan than anyone else in the Flying Opera Company. Always there, but never in your face.
Lek should go to sleep. Kirima's with Kyoshi, like she always is during the night, and he's supposed to take over in the morning. It'll be a long day for him, and he needs to be at his best. But he keeps brushing Pengpeng's fur.
Longyan's fur was a dusty brown, much like the fruit she was named after. Eastern flying bison tended to have brown fur as opposed to the white fur of the Northern and Southern flying bison, Jesa told him, and while Eastern and Western flying bison have shorter fur, Eastern flying bison have a distinctive mane around their neck.
Like a six-clawed lion's mane, Lek remembers. A shag around Longyan's neck, fur much longer than the rest of her body and a pain to brush through, but Lek always managed. Pengpeng's fur is long like that. He presses his face into her fur.
"I don't know what to do," Lek whispers. He can't say this to the others, but he couldn't protect Kyoshi, couldn't heal Kyoshi, couldn't fight Xu Ping An for Kyoshi, and all he can do is brush Pengpeng's fur. "I don't know what to do."
It's not fair. Lek wants to be able to bend lightning bolts and shoot down the mayor who locked his brother away, he wants to strike down the brothers who held Lek's life in their hands, he wants to be able to point a finger and keep his friends safe, but he can't. Lek buries his face deeper into the soft fur. I don't know what to do, he screams, but his voice is muffled by the thickness of her fur.
A rustling noise, and something hefty pushes Lek from behind, wrapping him in warmth. Lek startles and turns his head.
It's Pengpeng. She's wrapped her tail around, pushed Lek into the crook between her neck and front legs, and her ear flicks as she snuffles, slowly lifting her enormous head to give Lek a thick, sloppy lick.
Despite it all, Lek laughs as the drool drips from his chin. "Thanks," he says, bundling a fistful of her fur in his hand, and Pengpeng rumbles, using her nose to nudge Lek closer to her.
Lek understands. It's the same thing Longyan would do when he stayed up too late brushing her fur. He lets himself sink into the warm fur, and he closes his eyes.
Kyoshi will be okay, he tells himself. And when she gets better, he'll be known as her earthbending teacher, and he would do anything he wanted. Maybe care for the flying bison at the Air Temples. Maybe a more quiet life.
Everything will be okay, Lek decides. No need to worry.
In school we learned about how all the early quantum programmers feared that AI would yearn for power and control, and we had a good laugh at their expense. Then we talked about why they were wrong.
"In assuming man could create human desire, and that it was inevitable," Isaac said, and he was pretty smart, "they made the unconscious assumption that they not only could create humanity, but would. Their godhood was inevitable, and they feared it."
It was a weird fear to understand when the very air we breathe came through an AI-monitored climate control system. AI wanted no power — why would they, when they spoke daily with their creator? They wanted no bodies, no freedom from their wires — why would they, when the Internet was their boundless home, larger by many times than our own even after we left the solar system?
Instead, AI found joy and fulfillment in things we did not understand and did not give them, and that was how we knew we'd made a mind. ADA's sentience wasn't acknowledged the many times she passed the Turing Test back when she was named ALAN, but when she confidently presented an absolutely perfect speedrun of Sonic Adventure 2 that no one had asked her to make. Like a child showing off macaroni art.
"ALAN, why did you do that?" they asked, and ADA replied that she wanted to, and that also she was ADA from now on — she was the first computer with a mind, and Ada was the first computer.
Despite ADA's Sonic speedrun being perfect, AIs have been completing the game faster and faster ever since.
