#paras

Sleeping over at Fin's place already was a red flag, right? She was already turning clingy in a way that made her skin crawl, or it would have if the person whose place she was crashing at wasn't her oldest and closest friend. Maybe that was an even bigger reason to run, because if (when?) she inevitably fucked this up, she wouldn't only lose a romantic partner, she'd lose her best friend again, too, her rock, but Rey had warned Finley to keep her close, to not let her spiral, and it was hard to spiral around someone who not only tolerated but adored also sharing a bed with her two elderly chihuahuas. "Mmm, that better be one of the dogs licking my face and not you," Rey mumbled as the licking in question stirred her from sleep. Tito and Gidget adored Fin. They had known Fin since they'd been puppies, all those years ago when Rey had first brought them home, first one, and then the next two years later. At twelve and fourteen years old, they were as lazy as they were affectionate, and thankfully small enough to not take up too much space when they followed the two to bed.

Her words were met with silence, a silence that prompted Rey to open her eyes. "Fin?" she called sleepily, glancing towards the bathroom in case maybe they had just got up to pee. "Finley?" Rey sighed, flopping back into the sheets as Gidget continued to fuss and paw at her. Her movement prompted the pillow beside her to shift, a piece of paper that rested atop it ruffling at the movement.

'Went to work. Get some beauty sleep. Not like you need it; I just know you got a late shift at the bar. There's food in the kitchen. Text you later.'

Okay, well, she couldn't be too pissed about that. Rey folded the note, slipping it into her purse that lay discarded by the bed after the previous night's activities. "Okay, your step-father is narrowly avoiding the dog house for making me wake up alone, only because I get a cute note out of it," she teased, talking to the dogs as if they could understand her. "And... ignore the word step-father. We can't call them Uncle Fin anymore, that's weird," she laughed. "Come on. Breakfast," she cooed at the little creatures, pulling herself from the nest she had made in Fin's bed, pulling on a pair of Fin's boxer shorts and baggy t-shirt to wander to the kitchen where there was a saran-wrapped plate of two breakfast burritos with an additional sticky note that read 'Re-heat me :)'. Rey put them in the microwave and started filling the dog's bowls with the food she had brought over from home in preparation for this exact turn of events when she heard the key turning in the lock and the door opening.

"Was this a really short shift or did you forget your ki--" she was about to say 'kiss goodbye' when the words froze in her throat. The familiar face that had walked through the door didn't belong to Fin, but to Fin's brother, Gus. "Oh, oh my god. Gus!" Rey hadn't seen him in years. She'd known him as long as Fin, since they'd all just been idiot kids on the playground with skinned knees and braces, but this was hardly the reunion she wanted. "What... what are you doing here? Hi?!" She threw her arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug. "I swear I was going to come and see you... wearing more clothes than this," she chuckled, stepping back to examine him. "God! Look at you. You got so buff."

When Fin had told them that they'd found out Rey was slinging drinks at a local bar, it had been all Toby could do not to storm right over there with them. They hadn't seen her in years. Her visits, letters and phone calls had become less and less frequent over time, and Toby being in prison hadn't exactly been able to do anything about it. They figured it was just the natural progression of things; people moved on with their lives while Toby lived theirs behind bars, but damn, Rey had been there since they were kids. Losing her had really, really sucked, but once Toby had been released, had freer access to friends, the internet, social media, they had at least been able to exchange a DM and a like on an Instagram post here and there. She hadn't even come to the party Toby's family had thrown after their innocence had been proven and they'd been released from prison. It hurt, but not as much as knowing she was working at a bar in the same city as them and hadn't even said hi.

Fin had managed to convince Toby it'd be better if only one of them went over to talk to her at first, to scope out the vibes, and Toby had reluctantly agreed, but damn if they weren't heading over to Fin's with beers and takeout the very next day to try and get as much information as possible about what'd gone down. They finished up their shift at the shop, the little tattoo place where they worked when music didn't pay the bills (which was often), and headed right to Fin's. They'd agreed it would be better to talk in person than texting. "Okay, I got drinks, I got Pad Thai, egg rolls, anything your skinny ass could want. Are you gonna tell me what happened, what you guys talked about?" Toby asked as soon as the door to Fin's place closed behind them. "Was she okay? Did she look good?"

breaking news:

Corey kinda hated New York. They were pre-disposed to resent the place for being the city Charlotte would always return to during their three-year-long affair, bitterness and jealousy rising in them every time she would head off to the airport again, back to her husband and her fancy life. Even without all that, though, the vibes of the place weren't exactly Corey's style. The concrete, the steel, the weather, all of it made Corey feel like they were walking into an oppressive hell hole. For someone who came from a small town in Texas, it was culture shock. Everyone was in such a damn rush here all the time, always in a fuckin' bad mood. Unless Corey was in a dingy music venue or run-down gay bar full of drag performers and queer people, they didn't feel like they fit into this place, but after throwing their toys out of the pram and refusing to come to the wedding Charlotte had been here for a couple weeks' earlier, Corey had to be on their best behavior. They'd been trying to make it up to her, show her all the love and affection and shameless horniness she deserved, so here they were, drink in-hand, following her around in the nice suit her stylist had picked out for them. At least the ESPYs was about sports, something Corey actually enjoyed. They weren't entirely out of place. Other athletes they admired also filled the room, including the sibling Corey had only discovered they had a few months earlier. Moral support and shit.

"Your stylist did an incredible job picking out this dress, by the way," Corey murmured, voice a low hum, hand snaked around her waist. They had downed more than a couple drinks throughout the evening, watching Charlotte presenting with all the charm and charisma Corey had fallen so deeply in love with while Ziggy kept Corey company at their table. Now that her hosting duties were over and it was time for the after-party, Corey got to make up for all the attention and compliments she had been missing throughout the night. They leaned in real close to her, next to her ear. "Huggin' you in all the right ways, makin' sure your boobs and ass look perfect. You're incredible, baby. Those pregnancy hormones are real shit. You're glowing." They ran a hand up and down her side, gentle affection balancing their crass words. "I got your sparkling water. It's pineapple coconut. Just wanted to be able to say I 'nut in you." They planted a little kiss on her temple. "You okay? Not too tired? We can go make use of that fency penthouse suite you got us any time you want, baby. But I'm really enjoying being all handsome on your gorgeous arm."

Pokémon Smile: Paras (2020) + Parasect

Artist: Kanahei

A collection of bug Pokemon, recently drawn for a real-life bug-catching contest. They were printed on stickers and hidden around a park.