men come and go but x reader fic is forever

put down that c.ai thing and read y/n fics like god intended.

*sweating profusely*

Just a girl streamer // Adapt part two

(hard launch, national gf day, streamer awards)

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LADYGIRL ⊹ ࣪ ˖ ⸝⸝ faze adapt

“wait, we look so hot” you exclaim as you take a look at the picture tara had posted on her story.

“i know, im sorry that we had to leave early” she says next to you.

you and tara had gone to one of your mutual friends' parties where tara had made a special appearance as the dj. after one too many vodka crans, the two of you decided it was enough and dipped early.

“oh no, it’s okay. we’ll see what’s up with the boys at the house” you say.

you were currently ubering to the faze house. tara had texted alex, mostly known as adapt, that you two were pulling up for a little chat before tara left for her set in vegas.

you’d hardly ever met anyone in faze besides rug and jason. you were mostly known for your youtube videos, definitely not streaming.

“okay, we are almost there” tara announced. “i’m so excited for you to meet them, especially alex”

“yea, me too” you say, trying to keep your voice entirely casual, though your pulse did a funny little flutter.

tara had streamed with alex before and she had a ‘stuck in my car’ youtube video with him too, so you could say they were definitely well acquainted. the first time you heard about him was from tara’s vid. you thought he was good looking, but after watching it, you did a little deep dive that led you to discover all of faze clan.

“also, do you know qt cinderella?” tara asked, pulling you out of your thoughts.

“duh” you say.

tara giggles. “well, she’s also there, which is super exciting.”

over at the faze house, alex was streaming and letting his chat know that you two were about to pull up.

“let’s see what’s up, tara is pulling up, y’all know tara and also,” he said as he pulled up his phone, “y/n is coming too. she’s friends with tara and they were around the area”

“so let’s go, flock” he said, heading downstairs to get the two of you.

when you stepped out of the car and walked toward the entrance, you already saw alex heading your way.

“hi, alex. it’s nice seeing you” tara says, going in for a hug.

“same here, same here” he says, returning the hug easily.

“this is y/n, of course” she said. you greeted him, waving before going in for a close side hug.

he returned it instantly, his hand lingering just a second longer on the small of your back. “what’s up, im alex”

as the three of you walked up, you spotted someone holding a camera. tara had mentioned they were streaming, which immediately brought a wave of nerves since you had only ever been on stream twice and both times with close friends.

you waved at the camera and introduced yourself to the cameraman, who introduced himself as gilly.

“wanna say hi to chat?” he asked.

you stepped in front of the lens and gave a small wave. “hi guys, what’s up?”

“isn’t it weird?” tara asked you, eyeing the live view count.

“a little” you giggle.

“yea, we’re definitely not used to this” tara told alex.

“what, have you never been on stream before?” he asked you, his eyes shifting down to meet yours with genuine curiosity.

“like once or twice, but it was a very quick hi and bye” you explain.

“oh well, there’s a first for everything” he says, flashing a lopsided smile as he casually bumps his shoulder against yours. a pleasant warmth spread right through your arm where you touched.

walking into the house, you spotted a cluster of people in the kitchen with cameras rolling.

“hi guys!” tara greeted everyone.

you introduced yourself to the room, chatting for a bit with blaire, who was super sweet. joking around with the rest of the boys instantly melted away some of your nerves.

after the greetings, you headed upstairs to alex’s room. he pulled up two extra chairs to park next to the one he was already using.

once tara explained to the chat where you two had come from, the rest of the boys trickled into alex’s room to hang out. they started messing around, teasing tara about the internet shipping her and alex.

“they honestly ship everyone if you stand within a five foot radius of each other” tara laughed, and alex nodded in agreement.

“they are probably going to ship you and him soon enough” tara remarked, looking between you and alex, who were sitting right next to each other.

the boys in the back immediately started exchanging knowing looks and smirking.

“really?” you ask, raising an eyebrow playfully.

alex laughed low in his throat, his gaze locking onto yours. “yea, actually. probably”

“i wouldn’t mind” you muttered, almost absentmindedly, just speaking your thoughts out loud.

you didn't think anyone would catch it over the room's noise, but you were so wrong.

tara gave you an amused look, while the boys in the back surged forward, grabbing alex by the shoulders and losing their minds. the chat was moving crazy.

alex’s neck and ears turned bright red and that’s when it hit you how loud your comment had actually been. you completely forgot that eyes that were listening in stream too.

“no, like i meant i wouldn’t pay attention to it, you know?” you tried to scramble to save your dignity, but it was already too late. everyone chose their preferred narrative.

“oh gosh. first and last time on stream” tara said, giggling uncontrollably.

as the night went on, the air in the room shifted. conversation flowed easily but every time you and alex traded a glance, there was an electric vibe.

tara and alex pulled up a video of tara trying to scare him while he was dead asleep. you guys laughed at the failed attempt.

“maybe next time i’ll bring you so we can actually scare him” tara teased.

“wouldn’t mind seeing you at night in my bed,” alex blurted out, his eyes instantly widening. your cheeks went completely, burning hot. “you know, trying to scare me with tara” he rushed to clear his throat a beat later, looking entirely flustered.

the conversation smoothly drifted back to the party earlier that night.

“oh yea, it was a vampire vs rockstar party” you chime in.

“so there’s people walking around with fake fangs in there?” he asked, amused.

you nodded. right on cue, jason walked into the room, having just woken up from a nap. you greeted him, and he and tara peeled off to talk on the other side of the room.

left in your own little orbit, you and alex leaned in closer.

“so, are you going to be around for more halloween parties?” he asked softly, lowering his voice just enough so it felt like it was meant only for you.

“yes, im super excited,” you say, a grin spreading across your face. “i already have some of my costumes planned out”

“oh for real? what are you planning?” he asked, turning his chair to face you.

you could hear tara and jason laughing in the background, but they felt miles away beneath the intensity of alex’s eye contact.

you offer a slow, teasing shrug. “you’re just going to have to wait and see”

a slow, crooked smile formed on his lips. “alright, alright. i’ll be waitin’” he murmured.

“what about you?” you ask, resting your chin in your palm, your elbow braced against the arm of the chair.

“what about me?” he said with a low smirk, a toothpick casually dangling from his lips, which was majorly distracting in the best way possible.

“are you planning on dressing up at all?”

“uh... only if you help me come up with something good” he replies, his eyes dropping briefly to your lips before tracking back up to meet your gaze.

before you can answer, some of the other boys wander back into the room dragging jason and tara into a loud talk with the rest. eventually, blaire pops her head in wanting tara to come downstairs to try some cookies they just baked and the rest of the group goes downstairs.

“so, what would you like to be?” you ask, returning to the topic before you get distracted again.

“my chat keeps telling me i should dress up as tyler durden from fight club” he says, pulling up his phone to search it up.

“ohh yea, that’s a classic” you say, leaning in to glance at his screen.

“who’s skinny pete?” you ask, giggling at the random name flashing in the chat.

“ahh, they say i look like him” he laughs, typing it into google. “he’s a character from breaking bad”

you burst out laughing as the image results load. “okay wait, the fit is actually so accurate”

“and they think my hair is too” he says, standing up to grab a beanie off his desk that matches the character's look.

“but chat thinks i should buzz my hair off again” he adds, pulling the beanie off and running a hand through his messy locks to fluff them back up.

acting on pure instinct, you reach out and pluck the beanie right out of his hands, placing it on your own head instead. “no, don’t cut your hair” you say, your voice dropping a little softer as your hand instinctively reaches out, your fingers brushing gently through the soft strands at the nape of his neck.

he freezes for a fraction of a second, his eyes darkening. “you don’t think? i had it buzzed a while back and then bleached it”

“what? lemme see” you prompt, moving the chair closer.

he unlocks his phone to pull up pictures and without even realizing it, you’ve both completely invaded each other's personal space. him holding up the phone screen and you leaning in close, your shoulder pressed against his as you go through his camera roll together.

you look up slightly to read the chat.

“what does ISO mean?” you ask.

“don’t pay attention to that” alex murmurs, his voice dropping a low tone. he doesn't pull away, even though you’re close enough that you can feel the warmth emitting from his body. “though i feel like the chat is just currently pointing out what you’re doing to me”

you let out a breathy laugh, your eyes flicking down to his lips for a second before darting right back up to his eyes. “me? i’m not doing anything, i’m innocent”

“innocent?” he scoffs, a grin spreading across his face as he leans in a fraction of an inch closer. “right and i’m a saint. you’re over here playing with my hair, stealing my beanie and looking at me like that. you’re trying to ruin me on stream, aren't you?”

“maybe” you whisper back, feeling a thrill run straight down your spine.

before alex can lean in any further, the heavy door bursts wide open, completely shattering the bubble.

“okay, lovebirds, break it up!” tara sings out, walking back into the room with half a chocolate chip cookie in her hand and a smug grin across her face.

blaire pops in right behind her, laughing. “we brought reinforcements because you two looked too cozy over here”

“we weren't doing anything” alex says smoothly, though his voice is slightly tense and his hand quickly moves to rub the back of his neck as he leans back in his chair.

“mhm, sure” jason chimes in, grabbing a water bottle from the desk. “your uber is literally two minutes away. you gotta roll if you want to make your flight, tara”

tara groans, dramatically throwing her head back. “y/n, pack your bags, you’re coming to vegas to dj with me”

“as tempting as it sounds,” you laugh, “i actually want some sleep”

“ugh, fine, your loss” tara sighs, grabbing her small bag. she turns to alex, giving him a cheeky wave. “take good care of her while i’m gone, alex. don’t scare her off with your weird chat”

“always do” alex replies, standing up from his chair. his eyes find yours instantly, completely ignoring the rest of the room. “i’ll walk you guys out, say bye chat”

as you all head down the stairs toward the front door. the guys are still loudly joking and teasing. you lag a step behind, pulling on your jacket when alex suddenly slows his pace to match yours.

“so,” he says quietly, sliding his hands into the pockets of his hoodie as he looks down at you, his expression softening into something entirely genuine. “you’re just going to leave me here alone to deal with chat after all of that?”

“absolutely” you tease, flashing a smile. “consider it your punishment for this being my first stream experience”

he lets out a low chuckle, stepping just close. “mean, but i guess it gives me an excuse to text you later to make sure you made it home safe”

“is that right?” you tilt your head, a flutter going in to your chest.

“mhm” he says, his gaze dropping to your lips one last time before the front door swings wide open to reveal your waiting uber. he holds the door open for you, his voice dropping to a smooth murmur as you step past him into the night. “text me when you're home, y/n. we’ve still got costumes to plan”

august 2026 / merakiletters

i will forever love being a teen girl scrolling on tumblr

Chapter 1

In slow motions and cliche meetings

𐙚Pairing: Laiys (Dylan) x Reader

𐙚Warnings: “☆” means your name, Slooow Burn, Some potential bad grammar&spellings.

𐙚Word count: 5.6k words

𐙚Series Masterlist

You would think being Silky’s cousin or sister as he insists, means that you would be familiar with his group of streamer friends considering that you are too a streamer but you’re wrong.

Always traveling to different locations to film content and even most of those places have little to no signal. You weren’t really updated that much from his life. Another point to this is that you and your cousin’s content doesn’t really go into the same genre.

Although you do call each other from time to time to catch up, anything deep into streamer things was never really discussed. You do know that he along with some of his friends left their last group and created a new one named Core.

Having started streaming a few years after him, the two of you agreed to keep your connection private. It wasn't exactly a secret, you'd both admit you were cousins if anyone ever asked but neither of you went out of your way to mention it over the years.

The decision had mostly been his. He never wanted any of the attention or the occasional drama that was tied with him to spill over onto you. By keeping your family connection lowkey, he hoped you'd be able to build your own community without being caught in the crossfire of his.

Time flew past after that. Cause the next time you two called each other again was after 5 months of no contact. it happens when you’re currently stuck in the middle of nowhere in Antartica i guess.

Silky mentioned that applications for Streamer University was currently happening. You had watch some clips of it when it happened last year and it looked like so much fun. You just hadn’t been able to join cause you’d been deep in the amazon forest filming a youtube video.

“You’re going to apply to Streamer University this year right?”. Jerry's voice snapped you out of your thoughts, reminding you that you were still on the call with him. Glancing back at the screen of your phone you rolled your eyes.

“of course im going to apply” you replied as you further cozied under the blanket. Closing your eyes you continued “I’m not missing out on it again”

Jerry let out an obnoxiously loud laugh at this making you crack one eye open to squint at him through the screen. "Well, that's what happens when you're filming in the fucking Amazon rainforest."

A snort escaped you.

He suddenly sat up, pointing a finger toward the camera as if he was making a serious argument. “Now you’re in the middle of fucking nowhere in Antartica”.

You closed your eyes starting to welcome that feeling of sleepiness cause you know he was going to start a rant about what content you do again.

It tends to happen when you have an overprotective cousin or brother as he insists you call him.

Your point was proven as he remained silent for a few seconds and then started to spew the same lines you’ve heard over and over from him before. “Seriously,” he continued “Do you ever film anywhere normal?”.

You heard shuffling on his end.

“I mean “☆”, i don’t even know if you’re a youtuber or an explorer at this point on god.” He exclaims.

You mumbled a quiet “i am a YouTuber…who explores” to which he ignored you completely.

“Sometimes i swear you only became a youtuber because it gave you an excuse to go wherever the hell you wanted. Is this because you weren’t allowed to go anywhere as a child? Talm bout some explorer shi.”

He was really on fire today cause he was not stopping.

You weren’t really listening though, half of your consciousness was tipping towards dreamland.

“Is this some kind of unresolved trauma “☆”?”. He paused dramatically before continuing. “Bruh, therapy exists for this, you know."

His long rant was suddenly cut off when a high pitched girly voice screamed his name.

“Ohh Jerryyyy! Can we smoke Jerry?”

Feeling too sleepy you didn’t bother looking at who it was and just laughed lowly.

“Damn unc still got it” you murmured sleepily and a faint laugh from the background on his end was heard.

Jerry spluttered in offense “that’s not! Nevermind..” he said sighing in defeat. “Good luck in your application “☆” hope to see you soon”

You just hummed and whispered a goodbye letting him end the call.

──★ ˙🍓 ̟ !!

It was a month and a half after you uploaded your application in tiktok for Streamer University. It was finally the day where kai announces those who got in.

You were still in the middle of nowhere when you were setting up your stream, like setting up your stream outside the cottage you’re staying at and facing a side where the background is completely white while there’s an active blizzard happening.

Why? For the love of game of course. It was also kind of funny for the clips.

‘Lea’ your camera woman slash tech support slash personal assistant slash best friend and etc. was sitting beside the set up and was fixing the camera then shot you a thumbs up as a signal to start the stream.

You plastered your ‘Starting Stream in 1:00’ on the screen and played the background music for it.

You waited for the viewers to come in and read some of their comments.

Yoo a stream after a few months???

EEE

“L champ emote spam”

She’s in the middle of a deserted place again i bet

LLLLLLL

After the timer went off, you wasted no time in shouting a loud greeting. “Hello friends!! WE are at the middle of nowhere in Antartica” and laughing hysterically.

wthhh

Who’s we?😭

TOLD YALL SHE SOMEWHERE DESERTED AGAIN

L

Damn she even in the middle of a blizzard too

Bro’s side quests are immaculate

You’ve finally stopped laughing as they still continue to spam in the chat “Welcome back to the stream guysss”.

After wiping the small tears that gathered at the corner of your eyes you started clicking. “We’re going to see if we got in on streamer university for today’s stream”.

Finally able to click Kai’s stream you were quick to share screen it to the chat. Thankfully you were right on time as he started revealing the school staff.

It was after 30 minutes of getting to know the professors and janitors, some you were familiar with. Before kai finally got to revealing the students, you sat up straightly as the nerves was slowly starting to creep in.

You glanced towards the moving chat murmuring a soft “I really hope i get in guys”.

Bro’s nervous

WE are getting in trust😍😍

LMAOOO

“Random chat emote spam”

EEEE

After a few more minutes of revealing, it finally reached the half of the second set of students. The reactions of the streamers was too funny when their name is revealed. Some had their own background songs too.

Kai was then clicking something on his computer then his stream started to play a pop smoke song then it clicked.

“Oh! It’s silky!!” You say excitedly. After a few seconds of teasing kai then ripped the piece of paper revealing Silky’s name.

When that happened you started to scream in excitement and clap for him.

She knows Silky?!???!!

Gang😭✌️✌️

Bro knows ball ig..

Kai then showed Silky’s stream. He was wearing these all black suit with a suitcase and started pushing everyone around and off of him. It was funny honestly you couldn’t help but laugh at the scene kai was showing.

The next forty minutes felt agonizing. One by one, the remaining students were revealed. You celebrated every student who got revealed, those you know and didn’t know.

You celebrated with them. You really did but with each name that wasn't yours, the knot in your stomach only tightened.

As the list grew shorter, so did your confidence. You could feel the exhaustion creeping in.

Eventually, only two covered names remained.

You could almost hear your heartbeat with how loud it was beating. You have your palms held together in front of you now with the anticipation.

You stared at the screen barely blinking, while Kai leaned toward his computer and was typing something with an unreadable expression.

Then without a word, music began to play.

Not just any song though, it was ‘Always been a dreamer’ by Staffan Carlen.

Not to own the song or anything but that’s like YOUR song. It was your starting streams background music as it was also the intro and outro of you youtube videos.

Glancing at the chat on the side you can see how they’re also starting to freak out.

ONG

FIEHSIAKWSNWHQKQKQBQHQIWNW

YOU JNOW I fEEL JUDT A LITTLE BITTT

told you WE will get in😍😍

W

Not wanting to celebrate too early as kai was still teasing on revealing the name, you sat up straighter in anticipation and when he ripped off the paper covering.

You felt all the nerves suddenly bleed put of your body because the plaque had showed your name.

Immediately stood up and started celebrating, Lea tackled you and both of you started to jump around while screaming and laughing.

You glanced back at your laptop and saw that kai had pulled up your stream. He was watching your stream with furrowed eyebrows in confusion.

Very perplexed, he asked his audience. “Chat why the fuck is she streaming outside in the middle of the blizzard”

The statement made you laugh hysterically and shout “WERE IN ANTARTICA!!” like it was just nothing. Kai only placed one of his palm over his eyes and laughed. Then moved on to the last streamer.

After Kai wrapped up the remaining announcements, you closed the shared screen of his stream and switched back to your own.

You stuck around for a little while longer, celebrating with your chat as the excitement slowly settled.

Messages of congratulations continued to flood in, and you made sure to thank everyone for their support before finally saying your goodbyes.

With one last wave, you ended the stream.

──★ ˙🍓 ̟ !!

A week or two had passed after the announcement.

It was 3 days before you started your flight on going back to America. You and your camera woman had to get like 4 flights because this year’s streamer university was at Arkansas in USA, and Antartica was so far to there.

The journey had been exhausting. Multiple flights, endless hours in airports, and your ears constantly popping had made the trip anything but enjoyable.

You were glad you made sure to leave Antartica a day earlier because it was exactly the third day now from when you left Antartica when it was supposed to only be 2 days.

It was a good thing you called someone on your team who was at your penthouse in New York to drive your car in picking you and Lea up at the airport.

Unfortunately, the delay in your flights meant you had missed the opening ceremony. a bit of a bummer, considering you'd been looking forward to it.

It was almost half an hour when you’ve finally reached the school. A crowd of fans had gathered outside the gates, their excited cheers echoing through the area.

After showing one of the staff members your invitation along with your ID, you and Lea were escorted inside the campus grounds.

Kai apparently begun speaking to everyone one by one, giving them their dorm keys and telling them they were allowed to stream.

You left Lea in what looked like a common lounge while another staff member guided you farther into the building.

"You're with the last five," they explained as you walked down the hallway.

Unfortunately there was not anyone you were familiar with. All of them were so sweet though and introduced themselves. As time goes by, one by one were called by kai. You being the last one, no surprise in that being late and all.

After being guided again by a staff to a room with these large wooden doors. You slowly opened it and peeked inside, Kai then started to cheer and shout. You were laughing while coming towards him.

“EYYY LOOK WHOS HEREE” he said standing up and stretching his hand out for a handshake to which you did.

“Hi kai!!!” you said and looked around at the multiple cameras and deciding to face the one at the side, waving a hand. “Hi friends!!”

Kai just laughed and then sat down again. “Now here is your things and dorm keys yeah” he said as he gathered things and handed them to you. Picking them up as you cheered, he clapped and continued “You can now stream”.

“Yay! Thanks kai! See you around” You said waving your free hand and turning around to leave the room.

──★ ˙🍓 ̟ !!

When you met up with Lea again, the two of you started to set up the stream before leaving the building.

A short starting-soon countdown filled the screen as viewers slowly began trickling into the chat. After about a minute, you switched to the live feed and shouted a greeting.

“WE are at Streamer University!!!” You laughed as the chat started to speed up.

YOOO

EEEEEEEEEEEE

STREAMWR UNIVRSITY!!!!

WWWWWW

yes WE are🥰🥰

You started to walk around trying to find the exit. “Let’s go explore this campus people”. You say as you let your camerawoman walk in front of you to angle the camera better.

It was a few minutes before you finally found the exit. There was a lot of streamers running around when you finally went outside the building.

Determined to find someone you know, you started to look around and that’s when you finally saw your cousin. He was with a group of people and they were like in this small gossip circle.

Not being able to contain your excitement you suddenly ran up to him and screamed his real name. He didn’t even had the chance to fully face you before you almost tackled him to the ground.

He was shocked for a second before finally screaming your name too and jumping up and down while holding onto your shoulders and shaking you.

Okay you regret tackling him now cause you’re pretty sure you got some brain damage from the way he was shaking you.

He stopped after a minute finally realizing that the shaking was too intense. “Sorry, my bad g” he replied laughing, not sorry at all.

“When did you get here?” He asked while still having a big grin at his face. You paused for a second before finally feeling better, You couldn't help but mirror his expression.

"Literally just landed not too long ago!" you replied enthusiastically.

Before he can say anything else, both of your bubbles were popped when there was a very loud cough that was heard on your guys’ side.

Looking at the source, you forgot that he was with some people in the first place. Every one of them was looking at you guys as well as their cameras.

You also noticed your own camera woman had finally catch up to you and was at your side panting slightly lol.

A person who was on a wheelchair spoke up first.

“So silky who is this you’re with?” He asked wheeling? a bit forward to you guys. One of the guys shouted a loud yeah.

Jerry had let out a looooooud laugh before slinging an arm around your shoulders, pulling you in closer beside him. "Guys!" he yelled at the top of his lungs.

“Meet my baby sister!". You blinked in surprise, You weren’t aware there would be a reveal but oh well.

Playing along, you raised both hands and gave an enthusiastic wave. "Hello, friends!" you shouted just as loudly.

For a beat only silence was heard. The everything became loud.

“what..”

“No fucking way!”

“THAT’S YOUR SISTER??”

People were talking over one another, some were shoving each other in disbelief while others stood there completely frozen, trying to process what they'd just heard.

Even some of the cameraman’s was crashing out.

the entire scene was chaotic.

The reaction was so over the top that you couldn't hold back your laughter. Beside you, Silky had doubled over laughing just as hard.

WHATTT

SISTERHRKFHEJSND???????

Uhm since when?😭

Bro what the hell is this crossover..

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

You mean OUR baby sister😍✌️

It took a moment for everyone to calm down.

An asian guy was emoting then suddenly yelled. “Nah how the hell are you guys related??!”. His expression was genuinely in disbelief.

Jerry called him the n word. “Tf you mean by that. Is it because im black you think we aint related” He said starting to crowd the guy with intimidation as a joke.

The dude just help up his hand and shouted at his camera that no he wast not racist.

Jerry then turned to look bacj at you who was just standing in front of them still smiling.

“☆” he said “This my group, you remember Core. The one i told you about right?”.

To which you nodded enthusiastically at “of course i remember!”

He then started to introduce you to them one by one. “This crippled guy is Lacy” He said pointing to the said guy. You sputtered in surprise with how he introduced Lacy.

The man in the wheelchair just laughed at your reaction. “hi nice to meet you” he said reaching out for a handshake.

You returned the gesture. “Hi im “☆” nice to meet you” you replied with a grin after recovering.

Jerry then pointed to the guy standing beside Lacy.

"This one's Marlon." Marlon, one tall of a man offered you a warm smile before extending his hand. You shook it with a smile of your own and said the same greeting you uttered to Lacy.

“Then this one is Jason and Ron” Your cousin continued as he pointed towards Jason and Ron who was holding onto each other? Hugging?.

They waved at you and said hi.

You just smiled and waved at them since they don’t look like they’re going to let go of each other and just said the same introduction again.

You glance behind them and saw Ron’s? Camera man maybe.

He was stood just behind the two a small smile tugging at his lips as he quietly laughed to himself while panning the camera between Jason and Ron.

Then absentmindedly he looked up. His eyes met yours.

Oh

For a moment, neither of you looked away.

The conversations and laughter around you blurred into meaningless background noise.

People around the two of you were moving in a very slow pace and you can feel the wind blowing onto your cheeks gently. It was like everything was in a haze.

All you could focus on were his eyes. Your heartbeat skipped a beat. Then it started to beat rapidly.

People always talked about moments where time seemed to move in slow motion. You never really believed them.

Your life had always moved at an impossible pace.

There was always another flight to catch, another country to explore, another video to film. Everything was rushed. Everything was moving.

Until now. For the first time in your life, it felt as though the world had stopped and took a deep breath.

You weren't sure how long the two of you stayed like that. A second or maybe longer. It didn't matter.

Because the moment Jerry called your name, the spell shattered.

The noise of your surroundings suddenly came rushing back all at once. You blinked, finally tearing your gaze away.

“And this one is Adapt” Jerry introduced next.

Quickly turning your attention back to them you shook Adapt’s hand as he outstretched them and introduced yourself for the last time.

Unable to help yourself, you stole a quick glance back at the guy you had been staring at earlier.

Big mistake. He was still looking at you.

The moment your eyes met again, you quickly looked away heat creeping up your cheeks before you could stop it.

Needing an escape from whatever was happening, you gently tugged on Silky's shirt to get his attention.

"I think I'm gonna go find my dorm first," you said a little too quickly.

looking up at him with a smile you hoped appeared normal, praying he doesn’t notice anything weird.

You apparently weren’t really good at acting cause he raises an eyebrow in slight worry. He just hummed and pulled you into a quick side hug.

"Come find me later, okay?" he said. "We still gotta catch up."

You nodded, returning the hug before he let go.

You didn’t say anything and just shot him a thumbs up and a smile.

Quickly waving goodbye at the others you went on your way. Making an effort not to glance at the guy. You just turned and headed toward a building.

You were quiet for a few minutes aimlessly walking ahead, you could feel Lea’s confused gaze on you.

You were always the type to talk someone’s ears off so it was weird for her seeing you quiet and dazed like this.

You then suddenly stopped walking, startling Lea.

You briefly glance down at the chat

Bros disassociating

Same bruh

Hohoho i saw that👀

Me when school

You looked up and stared directly at the camera.

Staring quietly at them for a few seconds, you uttered words they would’ve never expected to hear coming from you.

“Friends i think i have a crush” you said exhaling lowly still in a bit of a daze.

Even Lea got startled and looked at you with wide eyes before quickly fixing the camera angle again.

HELLO?

AAAA IT REALLY IS LIKE COLLEGE

Woah there

I BET IT WAS ADAPT

LMAO

she just met core right?

WE have a crush😍

LOL

ik smthing u guys dont😂

The chat was rapidly moving but you just continued to walk ahead not saying anything further.

Finally seeing some people you knew you went up to talk to them.

You pushed that situation at the very back of your mind and just socialized with a lot of people.

──★ ˙🍓 ̟ !!

Of course in the span of a few hours people made that clip more famous than finding out you were Silky’s sister or something.

You don’t really have a problem with it, the hard part was just avoiding people’s questions and redirecting the conversation.

Now you were just wandering around the campus, after running away from another conversation that was questioning you about your crush.

You never really went through with your excuse of finding your dorm room though. To be honest socializing and talking to people made you forget about it.

You and your camerawoman slowed down in your tracks when you saw someone ahead.

It was Lacy having a hard time going over those mini speed bumps on the cemented path. He was all by himself with his camera man nowhere in sight.

Immediately you went over. “Hi lacy! Let me help you” You said grabbing onto the handle and started to push the wheelchair.

He was startled at the sudden voice but grinned when he saw that it was you. “Oh thank you so much!”

You shouted a “Tada!” after successfully pushing him over the bump. He as well cheered.

Stepping beside him both of you was just going forward on a path.

“Because of that good deed, you are now under my protection!”. He said while letting out this evil laugh of some sorts.

You chuckled “Protection for what?”. You asked as he was still doing that evil laugh.

He stopped in his tracks and folded his hands together like a villain. “Well ill have you know “☆” that i am this school’s biggest bully. Yknow shoving people into lockers and giving them wedgies” he said cackling.

Lea angled the camera down showing his wheelchair.

LMAOOO

Lea😭😭😭

SHADY CAMERA NO

Camera did him dirty😅

He continued his speech with the same dramatic tone. "But because you've helped me" he declared, placing a hand over his chest. “I shall personally make sure no one messes with you in this campus”.

You were practically gasping for air from laughing too hard as he ended his speech. Finally managing to compose yourself, you straightened up and played along.

"Why, thank you so much!" you said dramatically. Then exclaimed with such enthusiasm. "Now no one will steal my lunch money!”

The both of you were just staring in complete silence before bursting into laughter. After calming down you then continued down the concrete path, towards this building.

Your attention then drifted down to chat.

Hmmmm

Ohohohoho is this THE crush??

L

doesnt look like it to me chat

LACY??

Erm

BABE HE HAS A GIRL AT HOME

You froze mid step.

“Friends” Your eyes narrowed at the messages flooding the screen.

You looked directly into the camera, your expression suddenly serious. “Stop that”.

Beside you Lacy turned to look at you, thoroughly confused by your sudden change in demeanor.

You continued “Lacy is not the crush”.

Lacy blinked for a second then broke out in a startled laughter, doubling over as he finally realized what happened.

The three of you then continued walking when he stopped laughing hysterically while you stand beside him with furrowed brows.

Some viewers were speculating that it was a member of core since they were the once you met before admitting you have a crush.

Not wanting to have these shippings continue if ever you meet some other members again, you decided to clarify something once and for all.

“My crush isn’t a streamer”. You said out of nowhere while walking in silence.

That only made chat explode more.

Not a streamer????

L crush

IS IT A FUCKING CAMERA MAN

oooo cameraman

ohohhohogogohohohohog siebe?????

damn

i know who it is👀👀👀

The man in the wheelchair beside you gasps dramatically. “is it a cameraman?” Lacy shouts in disbelief as his wheelchair stopped moving forward, making you stop also.

Before you could even react he held onto your forearm, giving it a loght few shakes like an overly excited middle school girl.

“Oh my tell me who!” He whined. “Tell meeeeee”.

What is it with my cousin and his friends constantly shaking people. Choosing to preserve your dignity, you simply kept your lips sealed.

your brain trying to figure out an escape plan.

Thankfully, the universe seemed to take pity on you.

Your saving grace arrived in the form of Yonna Joy. Who came skipping toward the two of you, unknowingly interrupting Lacy's relentless interrogation.

“Hey guys!” She says as she stops in front of you both.

Lacy let go of your forearm and rested his hands back on the armrests of his wheelchair.

"And what do you want now, Yonna?" he asked with exaggerated sass.

Yonna raised a brow at him. "Well, I'll have you know, La-cy," she said, crossing her arms and deliberately emphasizing every syllable of his name. "that I'm here to collect my roomie." she continues and pulls you by slotting her arms with yours.

Lacy then immediately dropped the act. "Ooo Wait, you guys are roommates?"

“Yeah!" Yonna answered, breaking character just as quickly.

You blinked and turned to look at her. "We're roommates?" You asked in confusion.

She laughed. “Yeah girl” she exclaimed.“Saw your name on the other desk earlier. Chat said you haven’t found your dorm yet so im here to collect you”

Before you could even say a response. She suddenly took off, dragging you along with her.

A surprised laugh escaped your lips as you stumbled after her.

Behind you, you could hear Lacy yelling something in protest though his voice quickly faded into the distance.

Neither of you paid him much mind lol.

The two of you were too busy laughing as you raced through the corridors, eventually slowing to a stop in front of another building.

Slightly out of breath. Yonna pointed where the elevator was as you two and your camera mans made your guys’s way at. She pressed the button for the second floor, then chatted with you as the elevator slowly climbed.

Once the doors opened. She happily showed you around the hallway, pointing out a few rooms and common areas before finally stopping in front of one of the dorms.

“This one is ours” She exclaimed as she opens it.

The room was simple but cozy, with two neatly made beds separated on opposite side. You had your own desk set ups too.

Yonna then informed you that the Cameraman’s have their own dorm rooms and told you where it was.

After chatting with you for a bit, she then said she’d leave you to let you fix your things and get rest while she explore more.

Nothing much really happened from noon to evening in Day 1 at Streamer University.You spent your remaining time of the day arranging your things and set up.

You bid goodbye to chat and ended your stream early to catch up some sleep.

After days of non stop flights and running on pure excitement for the whole day, it was no wonder you crashed the minute you ended stream.

──★ ˙🍓 ̟ !!

Waking up a few hours later, a wave of disorientation hit you as you sat up. You just remained sat on the bed for a few minutes before the sleep fog cleared up.

Finally realizing you were at Streamer University you glanced at the other side of the room. Yonna was already tucked in and sleeping.

Quietly you got out of bed and grabbed your phone on the desktop. The blinding light of your lock screen greeted you as you fumbled to lower the brightness. After successfully doing so you were able to properly able to check the time.

It was one o’clock in the morning now. Grabbing the dorm keys you made your way to the door.

As quiet as possible, you opened the door and went outside then quietly closed it back after making sure you didn’t wake up yonna and locked the door.

You didn’t really have any much planned when you got out of the dorm room. Just want to walk around for a bit.The hallway wasn’t really that quiet, you can hear some screaming and loud laughter from far down the hallway.

As you were about to round the corner, you collided into something solid.

A startled yelp escaped your lips as your feet lost their footing, instinctively you squeezed your eyes shut. Bracing for the painful impact with the floor.

But it never came.

Instead there was a firm arm wrapped securely around your waist while another caught your wrist before you could fall.

Snapping your eyes open. You were startled as the guy in front of you was standing much closer than expected.

He has his eyebrows lifted in surprise and his eyes shining in concern.

But it wasn’t just any guy.

It was that cameraman from earlier this morning. The one you had that whole slow motion shazam with.

It was your crush.

Neither of you spoke for a few seconds, still looking into each other’s eyes. The noisy hallway earlier seemed to fade into the background.

He blinked first. “Are you okay?” His voice was quiet and almost hesitant.

That shook you out of your daze and you fixed your footing as he slowly lets go of you.

“Yeah! Im sorry i wasn’t really looking where i was going”. You answered as you feel your stomach do somersaults.

He then crouched down to pick up your keys that you’ve dropped. Standing up, he muttered a quiet “Here” and passing it to you.

As you reached for them, your finger brushed against his for the briefest moment. A strange warmth surge through your fingertips, you could’ve sworn your fingers shook a bit too.

Shaking off your nervousness, you beamed up at him. Offering your free hand for a handshake.

“Hi! My name’s “☆”, Nice to meet you” you exclaimed.

His eyes widened for a second before shaking your hands. A slow grin made its way to his lips.

“My name is Dylan but everyone kinda calls me Laiys” He replied.

“Oh! Your ron’s cameraman right?” You questioned.

His eyes glanced down at your hands as the both of you slowly let go of the handshake. He then quickly looked up and smile at you.

“Yeah i am” he said, the corner of his eyes wrinkling at the gesture.

“Jerry’s sister right?” He retorted now grinning widely.

You let out a laugh. “Yeah i am” you said copying his answer.

It was quiet for a moment as both of you were just looking at each other with both wide smiles. Breaking the silence, you let out a small chuckle.

“Well” you started. “I should probably let you get some rest. You’ve probably had a long day”

He gave a soft laugh and nodded. “Yeah. I guess i should”

“And i should get going too” you continued.

Another brief silence settled between you, neither of you seeming in much of a hurry to end the conversation.

“Uhm” you started feeling that bit of shyness creeping up again.

“It was very nice meeting you Laiys” you said smiling up at him.

His smile that never once dropped only seemed to brighten up. “You too” Laiys replies.

You gave him a small wave. “Good night Laiys”

He returned the gesture. “Goodnight, “☆”

You sidestepped around him, making your way down the hallway in the direction he'd come from.

A few steps later, you glanced back. He was already walking away, his back facing you as he disappeared farther down the hallway.

Later when you return to your dorm room and lay at bed, you couldn’t help but replay the interaction again and again while having your eyes closed.

The next thing you knew you were already falling asleep with a small smile on your face.

Ron mood board

POV: your camera roll if you where dating Ron

TANGLED IN BED (laiys)

paring: laiys (dylan) x streamer!fem!reader

summary: after a successful stream with ron, one filled with many jabs at your attraction for his cameraman, you and dylan end up alone.

warnings: (2.1k wdc), suggestive makeout scene (no smut), some made up texts, laiys is very awkward, based on this & this request, there are msgs from chat!

CHAPTER FIVE: ℴctober 𝒻irst.

🥽/🍁 SUMMARY ✶ It’s your favorite month so the core boys decide to go out and do Halloween activities.

🥽/🍁 DISCLAIMERS & WARNINGS ✶ slow-ish burn, fluff, jason already down bad, reader totally clueless half the time.

🥽/🍁 TAGLIST ✶ @httpjoints @i8wruby @whimsical-bubble33 @hollymurdock @sofloveswbb @leahbeahhh @moonzsh

🥽/🍁 NOTE FROM VAL ✶ lmk how you feel about the story so far!! The Halloween party is coming soon and soo much drama so stay tuned 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️

The first morning of October.

You wake up to rain tapping against the bedroom window in the guest room.

Someone downstairs is already making breakfast. Someone else is yelling because another roommate stole their hoodie. Normal.

You walk downstairs wearing an oversized Core House hoodie and find everyone crowded around the kitchen island.

Jason looks up first. “Mornin’.”

“Morning.”

Ron immediately points at the hoodie. “…You gave her one already?”

Jason doesn’t even look up from pouring coffee. “She was cold.”

“Uh-huh.”

You hide a smile behind your mug.

The plan for the day is spontaneous. Lacy suggests a pumpkin patch. Adapt wants apple cider. Marlon insists on getting lost in a corn maze.

Within twenty minutes, seven people are piling into two cars. The drive is chaotic. Music too loud. People arguing over who gets aux.

Jason somehow ends up driving, you take the passenger seat. Not because anyone tells you to. It just… happens.

The conversation is easy. You point out mountains you’ve never seen before. He laughs because you’re amazed by things Californians barely notice. You tell him New York has better autumn.

He insists California wins because “our pumpkins have personality.”

“You can’t tell a pumpkin has personality.”

“You absolutely can.”

“That’s the dumbest thing you’ve said all week.”

“So far.”

The pumpkin patch feels like stepping into a movie. Hay bales. Apple cider. Children running through rows of pumpkins. The smell of cinnamon donuts floating through the air.

You disappear almost immediately. Not because you’re wandering off. Because you’re taking pictures of everything.

Jason quietly notices.

You stop to photograph tiny pumpkins. The leaves. A scarecrow that isn’t even particularly interesting.

“You really do love fall.”

You lower your camera. “A little.”

“A little?”

You gesture toward the entire farm. “…Okay, maybe more than a little.”

Everyone splits up. Some head toward the corn maze. Others start picking pumpkins.

Without really planning it…You and Jason end up walking together. The conversation drifts from favorite holidays to childhood memories. Halloween costumes. Family traditions. You discover he used to hate scary movies. He discovers you still carve pumpkins every October.

“You still do?”

“Every year.”

“You know we’re definitely doing that here.”

“We are now.”

Across the field, Marlon notices the two of you laughing together. He smiles to himself. Maybe he waited too long. Maybe not. He doesn’t say anything. Just keeps walking with the rest of the group.

Later, everyone gathers around picnic tables with hot cider. Someone pulls out a deck of cards. Another roommate starts recording behind-the-scenes clips.

Jason sits beside you without thinking. Halfway through the conversation, he quietly hands you the sleeve of his hoodie. You’d been absentmindedly rubbing your hands together because the air had turned colder. “You cold?”

“A little.”

“Take it.”

“I’m already wearing one of yours.”

“So?”

“You’ll freeze.”

“I’ll survive.”

You hesitate. Then slip your hands into the sleeves. “…Thanks.”

He just shrugs. No big speech. No dramatic moment. Just something he noticed before anyone else did.

That evening, everyone returns home exhausted. Pumpkins line the kitchen counter.

Someone immediately starts planning the Halloween party. Ideas are thrown around: “A haunted escape room.”

“No.”

“Murder mystery.”

“Too much work.”

“Costume contest.”

“Absolutely.”

You sit cross-legged on the living room floor, sketching pumpkin carving ideas while everyone argues.

Jason glances over. “You’ve already got a design?”

You nod. “I told you I take Halloween seriously.”

He laughs. “I owe you an apology.”

“For what?”

“I thought you were exaggerating.”

“I never exaggerate about fall.”

“I know.” He smiles. “I’ve figured that out.”

The night ends late that night. Most of the house has gone to bed.

You walk onto the back patio carrying two mugs of hot apple cider. Jason is already outside, sitting on the porch swing. Without asking, you hand him one.

He takes it. “Thanks.”

You sit beside him. Neither of you says much. The swing creaks gently beneath you. The air smells like rain and cinnamon.

Inside the house, everyone is still arguing over Halloween decorations. Outside, it’s quiet. Comfortable.

After a long silence, Jason glances over. “I think you’re ruining New York for me.”

You laugh softly. “How?”

“Now I want to see autumn there.”

“You should.”

Another pause. “And…” He looks out toward the backyard instead of at you. “I’m starting to understand why people call you the Girl Next Door.”

You smile into your mug. Neither of you says anything else. You don’t have to. Sometimes the best conversations are the ones that don’t need words.

The two of you watching the porch lights flicker on as the first October evening settles over the Core House.

CHAPTER FOUR: 𝒸ooking ℴn 𝓈tream.

🥽/🍁 SUMMARY ✶ You and Jason finally collab on stream.

🥽/🍁 DISCLAIMERS & WARNINGS ✶ slow-ish burn, fluff, jason already down bad, reader totally clueless half the time.

🥽/🍁 TAGLIST ✶ @httpjoints @i8wruby @whimsical-bubble33 @hollymurdock @sofloveswbb @leahbeahhh

🥽/🍁 NOTE FROM VAL ✶ im in the makes of a jobe bellingham series ill probably upload tomorrow. or i may post an adapt series lowkey.. also i apologize in advance for this chapter, its kinda choppy and lazy 😪😪

By Saturday afternoon, the Core House was louder than usual.

Adapt had music blasting from a speaker in the backyard. Lacy and Ron were arguing over whose turn it was to take the trash out like it was a life-or-death situation. A basketball thudded upstairs before Silky yelled, “If you break the TV again, you’re paying for it!”

You sat on one of the kitchen stools, coffee in hand, watching everything unfold like controlled chaos you were slowly being absorbed into.

It had only been two days. And yet somehow, it already felt… dangerously familiar. Not home. Not yet.

But close enough that you’d stopped asking before opening cabinets—and started judging what was inside them.

Jason walked into the kitchen carrying a camera in one hand and a grocery bag in the other. “There she is.”

You looked up over your mug, “Took you long enough.”

“I had to improvise.”

“You texted me saying you had a plan.”

“I did.”

“And?”

“I abandoned it in aisle three.”

You laughed, sliding off the stool to help him unpack. “You realize this is exactly why I offered to make the list.”

“I know.”

“And you ignored me.”

“I wanted to see what you’d do when I didn’t listen.”

You raised a brow. “So you wanted chaos.”

“I wanted content.”

“That’s the same thing in your world.”

“Exactly.” He said it like it was a compliment.

An hour later, two cameras were set up around the kitchen. One facing the stove. One capturing the island—and, unfortunately for Jason, his entire existence.

You adjusted your mic while he leaned in beside you, way too close for someone who claimed to be “just filming.”

The stream went live. The viewer count shot up almost instantly, you both couldn’t even read chat properly.

“Oh—” You glanced at the screen. “…That’s a lot of people.”

Jason leaned over your shoulder, his voice low. “I was hoping you wouldn’t notice that part.”

“You expected this?”

“I expected… less judgment in the first ten seconds.”

“You have no poker face.”

“I don’t play poker.”

“You’d lose immediately.”

He pointed at the counter. “Okay, chef. What are we making?”

“Vodka pasta.”

He blinked. “…Where’s the vodka?”

You stared at him, “Please tell me you’re joking.”

“What?”

“You don’t actually drink it.”

“You literally cook it.”

“You cook it out.”

“Oh.”

A pause. “…That makes so much more sense.”

The chat exploded.

he’s so lost 😭

she’s already done with him LMAO

this is flirting right??

You glanced at the screen and smirked. “I now understand why your roommates banned you from the kitchen.”

“I’ve cooked before.”

“When?”

“…There was grilled cheese.”

“That’s not cooking.”

“It involved heat.”

“And smoke alarms.”

“Details.”

You handed him an onion, “Dice this.”

“Easy.” He took the knife confidently. Too confidently.

“…Jason.”

“What?”

“You’re holding it like you’re about to fight someone.”

“I am fighting the onion.”

“That’s not how this works.”

He leaned closer, lowering his voice like it was a secret. “You’re just intimidated by my technique.”

“I’m terrified, actually.”

The chat immediately caught it.

the tension is insane rn

why are they flirting over onions

I ship it already

Five minutes later, the onion looked like it had survived three different disasters. You stared at the cutting board, then at him. “…It’s kind of impressive how inconsistent these are.”

“Thank you.”

“That wasn’t a compliment.”

“I’m taking it as one.”

Things only escalated from there.

He almost poured cream on the counter instead of the pan. Reached for paprika like it was a life decision. Nearly grabbed powdered sugar. “You keep sugar next to spices?”

“Don’t judge my system.”

“There is no system.”

“There is emotional organization.”

“That’s not a thing.”

“It is in my world.”

You bumped his shoulder lightly as you reached past him. “You’re distracting.”

“I’m distracting?”

“You’re standing too close.”

He didn’t move. “Am I?”

You looked up at him, “…Yes.”

A beat.

“…Do you want me to move?”

“No.” The word came out faster than you meant it to. The chat went feral.

OH???

DID SHE JUST SAY NO???

THIS IS NOT A COOKING STREAM ANYMORE

Jason’s mouth twitched like he was trying not to smile. “Noted.”

Halfway through, one of Adapt walked in, stopped. Looked at the chaos. Looked at both of you. “…Should I come back when you’re not… whatever this is?”

Jason didn’t even look away from you. “Probably.”

“Yeah,” you added, still focused on the pan.

Adapt slowly backed out. “Cool. Love this for you both.”

The door shut. The chat lost it.

Eventually, somehow, the sauce came together perfectly.

Jason leaned over the pot. “…Wait, it actually smells insane.”

You nudged him with your elbow. “I told you.”

“I thought you were bluffing.”

“I don’t bluff about food.”

“That’s kind of hot.”

You froze for half a second. “…Excuse me?”

He looked at you like he hadn’t realized he said it out loud. “…I meant—”

“Don’t fix it.”

The air shifted, just slightly. The kind of shift that made everything feel closer than it should.

Jason reached for a spoon and you caught his wrist immediately. “Hot.”

“I know.”

“You were absolutely about to burn your mouth.”

“I live dangerously.”

“You live stupidly.”

“Same thing.”

He didn’t pull away. Neither did you. The chat slowed, then exploded.

HELLO???

WHY ARE THEY HOLDING HANDS???

I’M INVESTED

He finally tasted it, his eyes widened. “…Okay.”

“What?”

“That’s actually unfairly good.”

“Unfairly?”

“I take back every doubt I had.”

“Good.”

He looked at you longer than necessary. “…You’re kind of annoying.”

“You’re kind of incompetent.”

“That’s fair.”

A pause. Neither of you moved. Too close, too aware.

Jason’s voice dropped, “…You’re also kind of—”

The kitchen door opened. “Yo, is there—”

Both of you stepped apart instantly. Ron walked in, grabbed a bowl, and left without another word. “…Never mind.”

the door closed, silence. Then laughter—soft, breathless, from both of you.

By the time the stream ended, the house smelled like comfort and chaos had finally agreed to coexist. People came and went. Compliments were thrown. Food disappeared faster than it should have.

And somehow, through all of it, you and Jason kept finding yourselves standing too close.

Later that night, the house finally quieted. A movie playing downstairs, soft music somewhere in the hallway.

You knocked lightly on Jason’s open door. “Can I come in?”

He looked up from his desk, “Of course.”

You stepped in, sitting on the edge of his bed like it was becoming a habit. The conversation started like it always did, easy.

Then—“Oh,” he said suddenly. “I forgot to tell you.”

“What?”

“The Halloween party.”

You perked up, “Right. That thing.”

“It’s kind of a big deal here.”

“Define big deal.”

“Costumes. Drama. Someone always shows up as something unhinged.”

“That sounds amazing.”

“It gets worse.”

“How?”

“People take it seriously.”

You laughed.

“That’s not a warning, that’s a promise.” He leaned back on his hands, watching you. “You’d be good at it.”

“At Halloween?”

“At winning it.”

You tilted your head. “Oh?”

“You’d definitely overthink your costume.”

“I don’t overthink things.”

“That’s a lie.”

“It’s not.”

“You’re overthinking this conversation right now.”

You opened your mouth, then closed it. “…Okay, maybe a little.”

He smiled. There it was again. That look. Like he already knew you better than he should. “You should do something bold,” he said.

“You first.”

“I am bold.”

“You are loud.”

“Same thing.”

You laughed softly. The room felt smaller than it had ten minutes ago.

Jason shifted slightly closer, “Hey.”

“Yeah?”

His voice dropped. “I—”

The door downstairs slammed. Footsteps. A voice calling for someone.

The moment shattered instantly. You both pulled back like nothing had happened. Like nothing almost had.

“…I should go,” you said quickly.

“Yeah,” he replied, a little too calm.

You stood, paused. You looked at him.

Neither of you spoke for a second too long. Then you turned and left.

CHAPTER THREE: 𝒸oast to 𝒸oast.

🥽/🍁 SUMMARY ✶ the day has finally come!! you meet jason + the core boys.

🥽/🍁 DISCLAIMERS & WARNINGS ✶ slow-ish burn, fluff, jason already down bad, reader totally clueless half the time.

🥽/🍁 TAGLIST ✶ @httpjoints @i8wruby @whimsical-bubble33 @hollymurdock

🥽/🍁 NOTE FROM VAL ✶ i made a taglist !! please comment on it if you would like to be tagged. Pretend this isn’t bad, it’s lowkey a filler chapter..chapter 4 will be longer :)

September 19th

Your apartment is unusually quiet as you zip up your suitcase, double-check your camera batteries, and stare at your passport even though you’re flying domestic.

You’re not nervous about the collaboration. You’re nervous about meeting the person behind the screen.

The plane ride is long enough for you to overthink everything.

What if it’s awkward? What if you’re quieter in person than he expects? What if the internet has built this up so much that there’s no way reality can live up to it?

Los Angeles is warmer than New York. Palm trees replace maple trees. The air smells different.

You collect your suitcase and walk toward baggage claim, your airpods playing softly.

People move in every direction.

You spotted him before he spotted you. Black hoodie despite the California heat. Baseball cap pulled low. Phone in one hand, iced coffee in the other.

He looked up, recognition crossed his face almost instantly. A smile spread across it. “There she is.” You smiled back as you walked over. “You made it.”

“Barely. That flight was brutal.”

“I figured.”

He reached for your suitcase before you could protest. “I got it.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I know.” He shrugged, “But you’re my guest.”

You let go of the handle. “Thanks.”

There wasn’t an awkward pause. No standing there wondering whether to hug.

He simply nodded toward the parking garage. “C’mon. I’ve got a coffee place you need to try before everyone at the house starts yelling.”

“Is that a daily occurrence?”

“You’ll see.”

It’s the first time in weeks either of you has talked without thinking about clips or viewers.

He discovers you put cinnamon in almost every coffee. You discover he never finishes a drink before buying another one. He teases you for having three different bags.

You tease him for somehow losing his car keys while they’re still in his hand.

Conversation comes naturally. The kind where silence isn’t uncomfortable.

On the drive back, he points out random landmarks like a terrible tour guide. “That’s… a building.”

“Very informative.”

“I know my city.”

You snort, “I don’t think so.”

“You’ll see I’m right eventually.”

You spend more time laughing than talking.

Then after one long coffee run and uncontrollable traffic, you arrive at The Core House. The front door swings open before Jason even has a chance to unlock it.

“She’s here?”

Three people appear almost immediately. One introduces himself before another interrupts. Someone grabs your suitcase. Someone else asks if you’re hungry.

The house somehow manages to be louder than it looked online.

Then another roommate walks into the kitchen. Marlon. He’s quieter than everyone else. More laid-back.

He smiles. “So you’re the famous Girl Next Door.”

You laugh, “I don’t know about famous.”

“I’ve seen enough edits this week to think otherwise.”

That gets your first genuine laugh since arriving.

Jason notices. He doesn’t think much of it. At first.

Throughout the afternoon, Marlon keeps ending up wherever you are. Not in an obvious way. Just…If you’re making food, he happens to walk into the kitchen. If you’re looking at everyone’s streaming setups, he’s the one explaining where everything is.

He’s easy to talk to. Funny without trying. Comfortable. You don’t think anything of it, he’s just welcoming.

Jason notices it before anyone else does. Not because Marlon is flirting, Because Marlon keeps finding reasons to talk to you.

He catches himself watching another conversation from across the room.

You laugh at something Marlon says. Jason looks away almost immediately. It shouldn’t bother him. You’ve been in Los Angeles for less than two hours.

Marlon’s his friend. You’re not dating. You’re not even close. Still…The feeling sits there.

One roommate who you remember by the name of Ron nudges him. “You good?”

“Hm?”

“You’ve been staring at the wall for like a minute.”

“I wasn’t.”

“You literally were.”

Jason grabs his water bottle. “I’m getting something to drink.”

Ron watches him leave, “…Right.”

That evening, everyone decides to order takeout instead of filming. You all sit around the kitchen island eating tacos and telling embarrassing stories.

Jason spends half the night making everyone laugh. Ron and Lacy are arguing about a story Ron told that Lacy swore was his story. Silky is on the floor laughing, while Adapt looks like he wants to go back to bed. Marlon’s eyes somehow always drift toward your direction. You notice something, though.

Whenever conversation drifts toward you…Jason listens more than he talks. Like he’s genuinely interested. Not because there’s a camera, not because it’ll make good content, just because he wants to know you.

Later, after everyone heads upstairs, you step onto the back patio alone. The California air is warm. The city lights stretch for miles.

The door opens behind you. Jason walks out carrying two cans of sparkling water.

He hands you one. “You survived your first day.”

“Barely.”

He laughs, “You’ll fit in here.”

You glance toward the noise coming from inside the house. “I think…” A smile crosses your face. “I already kind of do.”

They sit on the back steps in comfortable silence, talking long after everyone else has gone to bed.

Just two strangers realizing that conversation has never felt this easy before.