amaretigris

[amaretigris]

“Petaka and her infinite gaze.” Torres del Paine, Patagonia, Chile Photographed by Rodrigo Moragaz

[amaretigris]

What I love about ducks is that they really do quack. It’s not just hype.

[amaretigris]

Getaway

Taglist: @luna2034 @hopeisrising @notagreekgal28 @mylittlemermaid221 @justagirlthatlovedtoread @freyagallileaevans @daydreamerwithnohobbies @jonahmermaid23 @jonahhauer-kingg

𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ

Ch. 5 | 2.6k words | Fluff & smut suggestion

𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ

Eric had led you into the fancier part of the coastal town. The market stalls on this side of the city held more expensive merchandise. Your eyes soaked in all of the beautiful colors of exquisite robes and sashes, and your nose greedily inhaled the extravagant fragrances. You'd never known this kind of luxury in your life. It must be nice.

When you happened upon the window of the storefront of a gown shop, you gasped at what was perhaps the prettiest dress you'd laid eyes on in your life. The fabric itself was a soft purple hue with pink, blue, and golden accents. You practically pressed your face to the glass in admiration. Eric was trailing behind you when he caught sight of you in your daze. He smiled softly to himself, coming up beside you. He hesitantly looped his arm around your waist, ducking his head beside yours.

"What's caught your undivided attention?" He wondered aloud.

He followed your line of sight, and that's when Eric saw it. It was a beautiful gown, and you were completely awestruck. His heart swelled looking between the dress and you.

"Do you want to go in and try it on?" Eric urged.

You turned to him flabbergasted.

"No way. I could never afford something that elegant," you let out a resigned sigh. "Oh well," you shrugged, turning to continue down the path. You could at least look forward to dreaming of the dress for the foreseeable future.

Eric caught your hand, essentially holding you back. You cast a glance down, and then back to his face curiously.

"Please, go try it on. For me," he added.

You blushed. You didn't know why he wanted you to try it on so badly if you had no chance of being able to purchase it, but you pushed down the nerves in your stomach. Playing dress up with Eric wouldn't be the worst way to spend an afternoon.

After you agreed, Eric excitedly pulled you into the store. He left you to browse by the entrance while he went and asked the shop attendant to let you try on the dress you loved. You heard whispering and glanced over, but you couldn't actually make out what was said. All you saw was Eric pointing, and the attendant nodding with a smile. Eric was also all smiles as he came to retrieve you.

"Come," he gently grabbed your arm. "He's bringing the dress back for you."

You weren't sure what exactly was happening, but you didn't particularly mind it. You walked with Eric to the back of the shop that held partitions for changing. You gulped. They covered mostly everything, but didn't go all the way to the floor or ceiling. You'd be somewhat self conscious knowing that Eric could partially see you moving around while undressed.

"Oh, there she is," the old man from behind the counter greeted warmly. He was holding the lilac gown in his arms.

"Here you go, miss. Please let me know if you need anything else at all."

With that, he handed you the dress, and took his leave. You gave Eric a bewildered look with it in your arms.

"He just left me with something this expensive?" You asked in disbelief.

Eric held a smug smile, but shrugged.

"I guess he trusts you," was his only acknowledgement. "I can't wait to see you in it."

Your cheeks warmed at his words. You nodded and ducked your head, turning to go behind the partition. Eric folded his hands behind his back, letting his eyes wander around the rest of the store while he waited. He was eyeing a nice suit when he heard the fabric of the dress you were wearing today land on the floor. His eyebrows shot up, and he turned away at the sight of the lower half of your bare legs.

Eric was still struggling with the intensity of his dreams. He had to keep better control of his reactions to you. Although he was putting up a valiant effort, he couldn't help but feel that he naturally gravitated towards your touch. He scrubbed his hand across the back of his neck as he pondered what exactly it would entail to stop these filthy thoughts of you. He suddenly felt a touch on his shoulder.

"Eric," you breathed as he turned to take you in.

All of the breath suddenly vacated his lungs as if he'd been punched in the chest. You looked divine with the sparkling floral embellishments, and the light purple hue complimented your skin tone superbly. A light flush tinted your cheeks as Eric's eyes raked up and down your form. You waited with baited breath for his reaction.

"(Y/N)," he finally spoke. "You look bewitching in that gown."

Your smile stretched your facial muscles. You clasped your hands in front of you giddily.

"You really think so?"

Eric slowly nodded.

"Here, let me lead you to a mirror. You need to see how stunning you look."

Eric ushered you over to the corner with a mirror with his hands delicately placed on your shoulders. The short skin-to-skin contact left you craving more. When he got you in the spot he wanted, he leaned in. For a moment, your breath hitched in your throat. Eric wasn't about to kiss you, was he? You felt a pinch of disappointment when his hand simply brushed your hair off your neck.

"Beautiful," he voiced. "Ready to see?"

You nodded in reply, staring up into his mesmerizing blue eyes. Eric's hands softly guided you to turn, and you gasped at your reflection that came into view. Grabbing the skirt and stepping closer, you turned and examined the dress in the mirror from every angle. Never in your life had something looked this good on you. You had always thought of yourself as relatively plain, but this one article of clothing made you feel ethereal. After a few minutes of you reveling in shock and awe, Eric's handsome face appeared beside yours again.

"(Y/N)," he cooed. "I must admit that I've never encountered a woman as celestial as you in all my travels."

His fingers came up to lightly trace your arms. The sensation left you with goosebumps as you stood transfixed before the mirror in the quaint little shop. You gulped.

"Th...That can't be true," your voice trembled in your own ears.

Eric frowned.

"Of course it can. Do you see yourself? You are the most enchanting woman I've ever met," he whispered in your ear.

You turned your face toward him, craving his warmth and his touch. Eric didn't move back from you, but rather stayed in place. Your faces were millimeters away from each other and steadily closing in when the abrupt ring of the bell above the entrance startled you. Both of your heads whipped toward the sound, and spotted an elderly woman coming in to speak with the shop attendant behind the counter.

Listening to their friendly greetings, Eric stepped back from you. You immediately felt his absence, and turned away flustered.

"I'll go change out of this," you muttered weakly.

Eric felt guilt punch his gut at your interrupted moment, but he would be making it up to you once you found out what he'd done. A couple minutes later, you reemerged from the partition with the beautiful gown carefully laid out in your arms. Your eyes avoided Eric's, and you turned toward the desk to return it to the employee.

Your face was growing increasingly red as you approached the counter. How many times were you going to make yourself look foolish in front of this man? He was obviously avoiding any intimacy with you. You cleared your throat as you delicately set the dress on the countertop. You were about to turn away when the man behind it addressed you again.

"Was everything alright with the gown, miss?"

You were about to answer when Eric interjected from behind you.

"Yes, it's splendid. Could you wrap it up for us please, Mort?"

The man with the mustache nodded his head.

"Of course, sir."

He carefully folded the fabric up, wrapping it in brown paper and string. You turned to Eric with confusion evident on your face once again. You had only opened your mouth when Eric answered your question.

"The dress is yours. I knew you'd look wonderful in it."

You opened and closed your mouth several times.

"What? Eric, that's too much," you shook your head.

Eric gently grabbed your arms, leveling you with his gaze.

"No, it's not. It's perfect for the occasion tomorrow, in fact."

"Wh- What occasion?" You stuttered.

"We're going to a ball," Eric supplied.

You registered his words with slight panic. Your face had to be reminiscent of a tomato by the time Mort handed Eric the parcel. The two of you walked back out onto the sidewalk. Eric's hand came up to clasp yours. This was becoming a habit. You turned to him, but didn't meet his eyes.

"Are you alright? You seem worried," he observed.

You inhaled a deep breath.

"I am worried. I feel like I've been terribly imposing thus far on this trip. And I've hardly been able to be around you without making myself look foolish, even in normal settings. I can't imagine what will happen at a ball," you started.

Eric's finger hooked under your chin at that. Your gaze reluctantly lifted to his.

"You have been no imposition at all. You mustn't think like that anymore. If I didn't have the means, I wouldn't be so giving. As for the second part, you've only reaffirmed my decision to invite you on this journey. Please don't think of yourself as foolish."

Eric's thumb brushed along the edge of your lower lip. Your breath caught in your throat.

"I've found it hard to mind my manners around you, myself," he breathlessly admitted.

Your eyes shifted from his down to his lips.

"Why must you mind your manners?"

Eric hesitated.

"It's what a proper...gentleman would do."

You creased your brow curiously at his pause, and the fact that you weren't quite sure you wanted him to be a gentleman. Get ahold of yourself. Recentering your thoughts, you took the easy way out, and changed the subject.

"What kind of ball is it?"

Eric released a small breath of a laugh, and his thumb that had been outlining your lip dropped from your chin.

"It's a masquerade ball," he smiled softly.

Your face conveyed your excitement.

"How did you manage that?!"

𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ

The sight of you in a lilac corset perched on the bed as he approached it made Eric's throat go dry. Your back was facing him, and his eyes traveled up the laces of your garment. You were absentmindedly brushing your hair, watching your reflection in a nearby mirror. Your (h/c) locks flowed over your shoulders, and Eric caught the heady scent as he grew closer. Gently sliding his hands up the smooth skin of your spine and neck, he came to stand before you. You dropped the brush, keeping your eyes pinned on him.

You simply waited, not moving a muscle until he did. Eric's hand came up to brush your hair away from your collarbone like he'd done in the shop. You shivered, but showed no other reaction. The look in your eyes was playful, almost goading. Before he lost his nerve, Eric leaned forward, experimentally bringing his lips to your neck.

The sound he was rewarded with was enough encouragement for him to continue. His lips grew bolder in their quest, licking and suckling their way down. Your arm folded around his head, and pulled him closer. The breathy moans you released stirred a fire in him that had never been awoken before. Soon, Eric was settling his knee on the mattress, guiding you to lay down. His kisses worked their way up your jaw until he finally brought them to your delicate lip-

"Eric!" Loud knocking on his door startled him awake. He shot up in bed, taking in his surroundings. Right. He had gotten rooms at the local inn situated in town so that (Y/N) could sleep somewhere a little more luxurious than the ship. Of course he hadn't made any assumptions that they could share a room. That would be ludicro-

"Eric!" More pounding snapped his attention from his thoughts. Eric trudged out of bed, yanking his door open. A smiling Grimsby appeared on the other side. He took in Eric's disheveled hair and crinkled cotton shirt and pants. He then cast his eyes behind him at the empty bed. Ah, he had slept alone.

"What on earth is so important, Grims? It's only-"

"Nine o'clock in the morning, sir," Grimsby interrupted.

Eric rubbed his eyes. That couldn't be right. He hadn't slept this late in years. One glance to Grimsby's presented pocket watch confirmed it. Eric groaned.

"Is (Y/N) up yet?"

"I haven't a clue," Grimsby looked quite amused. "I only came to your room to deliver the formal invitations from the Governor of Marseille for the ball tonight."

The man extended the invitations to Eric. They came in scented envelopes with calligraphic writing. Eric took them from his hand and examined them.

"Wonderful. Thanks, Grims."

When the man stayed standing at his doorway, Eric looked up inquisitively.

"Have you found a suit to wear for the ball, sir?" Grimsby voiced.

Eric grimaced, scrubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"Ah, not yet."

"Shall I run into town and fetch one? I know your measurements by now," the man smiled.

Eric nodded. "Okay. Thank you."

"Of course, sir. I'll pick a dashing one as well." Grimsby nodded, taking his leave.

He'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy seeing this side of Eric- young and in love. He'd watched him grow from a small boy to a young man in his time as Ambassador to the Queen, and watching Eric's life flourish was rewarding for him in many ways.

"Oh, and Grims?" Eric shouted after him.

The man turned to listen to his request.

"Please pick up masks as well."

Grimsby nodded again, heading into town with a mission in mind.

Eric stared after him, running a hand through his hair. He needs to check on (Y/N) and see if she's awake. She probably is by now. The imagery of your smooth and supple skin flashed through Eric's mind before he shook his head and practically slammed his door. He couldn't believe the intensity of the dreams he'd been having. At this rate, it was only a matter of time until he slipped up.

Eric cleaned himself up and brushed his hair before heading to your room. It was just around the corner from his. He hadn't wanted to force you to share a room with him, but he wouldn't have been comfortable if yours was too far from his. Straightening his shirt and passing a hand through his hair again, Eric lightly knocked on the door. He heard some scuffling in the room, and you came into view as the door opened. The mere sight of you left him breathless for a moment. Eric realized himself.

"Ah, good morning. I see that you're already dressed," Eric motioned to you with his hand.

No, stop that. Hands to yourself. He clutched his hands behind his back so he wouldn't do that again.

"I came to see if you'd accept an invitation to breakfast."

A bright smile emerged on your face. You were easy to please.

"Yes, of course! I can't wait to have a French breakfast." You beamed.

[amaretigris]

“I would take anything she chose to give me—the tiniest fraction or her entire world.”

— Ali Hazelwood, from Bride

[amaretigris]

crazy how you can be hanging on by a thread for like four months. Or your entire life

[amaretigris]

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(through gritted teeth) sometimes what's good for your mental health isn't another do nothing day or a little treat sometimes what's good for you is putting in some of the work. Not all of it at once but sometimes you have to finish that essay or at least take the next step or you have to clean your room or at least dust the shelves or you gotta do the laundry or at least put it all in the hamper and it's not fun and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks but you have to because i read a post on the internet that told me that's what being nice to yourself is sometimes

[amaretigris]

actually very very grateful for the online slash long distance friendships and connections ive made on this hellsite and i don’t think i say that enough but!!!!!!!! i love you all so so much besties in my phone

[amaretigris]

Reason to Live #11586

   The feeling of getting into bed after a long day.  – Guest Submission

(Please don't add negative comments to these posts.)

[amaretigris]

Me reaching what looks suspiciously to be the end of my rope: oobh i got plany off rope

[amaretigris]

The Possibility of You

Taglist: @luna2034 @hopeisrising @notagreekgal28 @mylittlemermaid221 @justagirlthatlovedtoread @freyagallileaevans @daydreamerwithnohobbies @jonahmermaid23 @jonahhauer-kingg

A/n: This chapter is meh. I had a hard week. Wanted some comfort fluff 🥴

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Ch. 11 | 2.4k words | Angst & fluff

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Jonah had clung to you like you would evaporate through his fingers. After you broke and leaned into his touch, you wrapped your arms around him. He slowly rose from the pavement, purposely keeping his touch and his gaze locked on you. The two of you had taken your time walking back to the natatorium hand in hand. Max had smoothed things over with the coach well enough for Jonah to go back to the locker rooms and change peacefully. He asked you to sit on the bleachers and wait for him.

You stretched your legs out in front of you, and brought your hands to your lap. You felt many eyes on you, no doubt from the dramatic display you'd put on moments ago. You were embarrassed that Jonah's whole swim team had seen it. Still, no one said anything to you as you waited. That is until a slender, fit form appeared in your peripheral. A man wearing a wife beater and red swim trunks that said Lifeguard came to sit beside you. You looked to your right to see Max.

"Hey," he spoke softly.

You gave him a small smile. "Hi."

You felt a little awkward. Had he come to tell you how ridiculous you made yourself look?

"Is everything okay? I've never seen Jonah make a woman cry like that. He is my best friend, but I could rough him up a little if need be," Max theatrically cracked his knuckles.

A small chuckle escaped you.

"Thanks, but that's not necessary," you shook your head.

A thought suddenly occurred to you. Max was the one who made the initial bet with Jonah. You could ask him about it.

"I was wondering if-"

"(Y/N)," you were cut off by Jonah approaching the bleachers.

He extended his hand to you to help you from your seat. You cast another small smile to Max before you took it. When the two of you started walking away from the pool, Jonah cautiously slid his arm around your waist. He turned back to look at Max who gave him a slight nod of encouragement. Facing forward again, Jonah steeled his breath, and focused on his touch searing against yours. Would this be the last time you let him touch you? God, he hoped not.

The two of you paused outside on the sidewalk.

"Where do you want to go?"

Jonah looked down at you. Your eyes met his in a fleeting glance. He needed to get you to a safe place to talk.

"Um, maybe the library? I feel like that's neutral ground," you shrugged.

"Okay," Jonah nodded.

He wanted to touch you so much more than he already was. He wanted to thread his fingers through your hair and lend you comfort. He had to resist, no matter how hard it was for him. Something had upset you, and Jonah needed to make things right.

"Okay," he repeated, refocusing his wandering thoughts. "Library."

The two of you made your way there quietly. Jonah dropped his arm from your waist, but caught your hand instead like he still needed to have a hold on you. He didn't look at you when he did it. He was a little terrified that you'd tear away from him. You hadn't so far. That was a good sign, right?

Jonah led you up the staircase to the second floor of the library. He walked to the most concealed table on this level. You let go of his hand to sit. Jonah momentarily hesitated, but eventually took his seat across from you. His hands picked yours up off the table instantaneously. He rubbed his thumb over your knuckles, and fixed his full attention on you.

"Please tell me why you've been crying, love."

"I..." You trailed off, but you had to say it. "I got a message yesterday morning. Right after I left your house."

Jonah's brow creased.

"What did it say?"

You hated to do it, but you pulled your hands out of his grasp. Jonah gaze dropped with a frown, but he watched you grab your phone out of your back pocket. You pulled up your Facebook Messenger and clicked on the conversation. You then set your phone down on the table, and turned it to him with trembling fingers. Jonah picked it up and read through the conversation. His eyes blew wide before they shot back to you.

"(Y/N), honey, no."

He set your phone back down, grabbing your hands again.

"Please don't listen to this."

Your breath hitched.

"So, it's not true? You didn't forget to tell me that part of the bet?"

Jonah shook his head, and brought one of his hands to his forehead.

"No, I swear. I told you everything about the bet. It was just to find an emotionally unavailable woman and try to convince her to go out with me so that Max would stop hassling me about my love life. I have never pitied you. I was struck by your allure as soon as we connected eyes for the first time."

Your skin prickled at his compliment. You tried to ignore it and keep pushing.

"I'm not constantly surrounded by friends like you are. I was alone the day we met," you started. "That didn't make you pity me?"

Jonah brought his other hand up to scrub them down his face. He was trying to hold back tears. It hurt him to know you'd been feeling this way.

"Of course not, sweetheart. I could never pity you for that. My so-called popularity on campus is not my choice. You're beautiful, wicked smart, and incredibly funny. She's just trying to play on your insecurities. This person," he pointed down at your phone on the tabletop, "is only jealous."

You swallowed the lump in your throat.

"Do you have a history with her?"

You hated to ask. You had no interest in hearing about Jonah's past flings, but apparently Joanna was one of them. Jonah's eyes flicked down at your question. He seemed like he was ashamed.

"Yes, unfortunately. She's one of the women I did that favor for when I first arrived here."

Jonah sighed.

"I'm sorry that you have to hear that. I know it doesn't feel great, even if it's in the past. The truth is that I believed the nice girl act that she showed me. She swore she wouldn't tell anyone, but as soon as she left my house, she told all of her friends. Word spread fast."

Jonah ran a hand through his hair.

"I told her when it happened that that's all it was. I made it clear that we wouldn't do anything else, and we were in no way committed to each other. Despite that, she kept reaching out. I dodged her texts and calls for as long as I could stand. She wanted to see me again, but I finally told her no. She obviously didn't keep her word. She got a little pushy, and I told her it was never going to happen. I guess she's still upset about it."

You nodded thoughtfully. "Okay."

Jonah's eyes crashed into yours again.

"Okay? You believe me?" He held a hopeful expression.

"I believe you. You've never given me reason not to," you confirmed.

"Who you were with before me isn't any of my business," you continued. "And yes, it's easy to play on my insecurities. I would be lying if I said I didn't think you could find someone better suited for you. But I'm loyal to a fault. I'm devoted to you as long as you're devoted to me."

Jonah's hands swooped yours up again, bringing them to his lips.

"The fact that you said that shows how well suited you are for me, (Y/N). I will always be devoted to you. I'm so sorry that you had to deal with this, love. It's extremely upsetting. I only wish I had known when it happened so that I could've prevented some tears."

Jonah's lips kissed your fingers individually.

"I know," you sighed. "I have this terrible habit of distancing myself when I'm hurt."

Jonah's eyes shifted from your hands back to your eyes.

"I'm so sorry," he repeated. "It hurts me to see you hurt. I understand why you pull back, but next time," he paused, stroking his thumb over your knuckles again, "please take me with you."

You huffed a laugh. His statement was cheesy, but the sentiment meant more to you than he knew.

"Okay. I promise I'll try," you squeezed his hands back.

Jonah smiled. "A try is all I need."

With that, he let your hands go, and rose from his seat. You quirked your brow in question, but Jonah came to your side of the table. He settled beside you, and opened his arms. You immediately threw yourself into his embrace. You felt more tears well up, but for an entirely different reason. You basked in his warmth and scent; it's like it shielded you from the rest of the world.

Jonah settled his chin on your head, rubbing your back as you got some final sniffles out. He sat there for as long as you needed. He would give you all of his time. To be honest, there was very little that he wouldn't do for you. It should possibly be concerning with how new the relationship was, but Jonah felt it was one of the best decisions of his life. This was meant to be, he thought. We were meant to find each other.

It had all happened because of Max. Jonah hated to give the man credit when his ego was already so inflated, but if it weren't for him, Jonah probably would have never found you. He would've continued cycling through women every once in a while with no real reward aside from a quick release - like he'd done with Joanna. Speaking of her, he would find a creative way to make her pay for this. Slandering his name was one thing, but she'd caused you pain. He wasn't about to just let that slide.

You lifted your head from his chest, snapping Jonah out of his thoughts. Your (e/c) eyes shone from the tears and excessive use. Jonah's face softened, and he brought a hand to your cheek. He slowly touched his forehead to yours. The slight bump wrang out a gasp from you.

"I can't promise you that I'll never make a mistake, but I can promise that I'll never let you feel like this again," he whispered, casting his gaze down to your lips.

They were swollen and slightly chapped, but Jonah thought that they were the most inviting thing he'd ever seen at this moment. You licked your lips out of habit, and Jonah connected eyes with you again.

"Can I kiss you, baby?"

He wanted to make sure that you were okay with it first. He could understand if you needed some time after the rollercoaster of emotions that he was sure you'd experienced in the last twenty four hours. He still hoped you said yes though. To his delight, you nodded, and quickly lifted your lips to his. It gave him comfort that you seemed unable to resist it, too.

The kiss gradually turned more passionate. You'd been on the verge of possibly losing Jonah, and you were so thankful that you hadn't. You didn't know what you'd do without him anymore. He was your biggest source of comfort. He was also your biggest supporter. If he said he'd never let you feel uncertain again, you believed him. Your fingers were in his curls when you finally pulled away for air.

"I'm sorry," you breathed. "I know I must look a mess. I didn't sleep well last night."

"Don't ever apologize for being human," Jonah fixed you with a pointed look. "And I'm sure you didn't. I didn't sleep well either."

He perked up with an idea.

"Come to my house," Jonah rubbed your arms. "We'll go to sleep. I just want to hold you and not let go for a while."

You nodded with a smile.

"That sounds amazing. What about your mom? Is she at work?"

Jonah glanced up in thought.

"I think so, but it doesn't matter. I'm sure she'd let you stay anyway."

You had your doubts, but you decided not to question it.

"Okay," you agreed.

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The drive to Jonah's house was a fairly quick one. Jonah kept his hand planted on your inner thigh for the duration of the ride. Heat radiated from his palm, and the effect almost had you falling asleep in your seat. Jonah shifted the car into drive and unbuckled his seatbelt, and your head popped up. He chuckled.

"We're here, dear," he kissed your nose. "Come inside. I know you're tired."

You let Jonah lead you inside to his bed. You stood beside it, slipping off your shoes. Jonah helped you work your jacket off. He pulled back his comforter for you, and kissed the top of your head.

"In you go," he jerked his chin.

You didn't have to be told twice. Snuggling into the sheets saturated in his smell completely relaxed you. You released a contented sigh as Jonah slid into the space behind you. He spooned you, curving his body to yours. He intertwined your fingers, and the last thing you registered before sleep overtook you was him placing feather light kisses along your cheekbone.

Jonah huffed a laugh to himself at your deepening breath. You'd been so exhausted. He could see it on your face. He squeezed your hand, similar to the tightness he felt in his chest when he imagined you up crying all night. Tucking his nose into your neck, Jonah soon felt himself drifting off to sleep.

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Jonah felt his legs jerk, starling him awake. He blinked his eyes in the dark, assaulted with your scent. He realized that he still had his nose buried in your hair. Pulling you as close to his chest as possible, he relished in this moment - having you safe and comfortable here with him.

His thoughts drifted to the person responsible for your emotional turmoil, and anger flared in his chest again. Nothing gave her the right to try to come between you like that. Jonah vaguely remembered the basic programming bugs he'd learned while trying to study under his father. He hadn't used them in a while since he never thought he'd need them.

Jonah vowed that when he could manage to pull himself from you, he'd work on one for Joanna. It wouldn't be anything too serious. It would likely just infect her phone or laptop and cause her to replace it. It wasn't much, but Jonah felt she deserved some type of karma. Smirking to himself, he matched your breathing.

[amaretigris]

The Little Mermaid (2023) Directed by Rob Marshall

[amaretigris]

Going back to sleep is so powerful im a huge fan of going back to sleep

[amaretigris]

Getaway

Taglist: @luna2034 @hopeisrising @notagreekgal28 @mylittlemermaid221 @justagirlthatlovedtoread @freyagallileaevans @daydreamerwithnohobbies @jonahmermaid23 @jonahhauer-kingg

𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ

Ch. 4 | 2.5k words | Fluff & smut suggestion

𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ

It has been two whole days since The Cassiopeia left the port of Sicily for France. Eric concisely spoke to you every morning and night to make sure that you have everything you need, but other than that, he seemed like he avoided you throughout the day. You were quite perplexed as to why that was. He had invited you on this getaway, and saved you from an abusive relationship. He was your knight in shining armor. So why was he avoiding you now?

Maybe he'd found that you weren't actually all that interesting. Maybe he'd realized that he'd made a mistake, and he was just trying to be polite. These thoughts bothered you more than you cared to admit. Eric may have invited you on a trip to one of the most romantic places in the world, but you shouldn't have automatically assumed that this meant anything. He was just being nice, you decided; showing pity to a poor bar maid doing nothing very meaningful with her life.

So you kept to yourself on the ship. You would help in the kitchen for the crew - doing dishes and preparing dinner. Apparently, up until now, the crew had to take turns pulling kitchen duty, and they welcomed the break. You had to at least earn your stay here. You weren't a freeloader. When you weren't in the kitchen, you sat out on the deck drawing. You had brought a sketchbook and your pencil set among your things. You weren't an artist by any means, but you practiced in the hopes of being that good one day.

Eric would rotate around the ship throughout the day, helping his men in different areas. Each time he started a task, he would inevitably end up distracted by your beauty. You would hardly look at him. It gave Eric plenty of opportunity to ogle you without getting caught. By you, anyway. His crewmen would often nudge him to get his attention back on the task at hand.

There was something about your hair, tied with a ribbon in the back, flowing with the wind and sea spray that was so enchanting to him. He'd, admittedly, been somewhat avoiding you, aside from checking in. He found it harder and harder to look you in the eye with a straight face. Especially when his lewd dreams of you had only gotten more detailed and specific the last two nights. He'd woken in a sweat in the first mate's quarters with Grimsby sleeping in the bed across from his cot both nights. It was embarrassing to say the least, but if Grimsby was bothered or woken by it, he hadn't said a word.

Eric didn't know what was happening to him. It was inappropriate to think of a lady such as yourself in that manner. Hadn't he just pulled you from the arms of a broken, vile man? Eric shouldn't be dreaming of you this way. He shouldn't be fantasizing, no matter how much he wanted to give in. He needed to be a proper gentleman to you. You deserve that, especially after all you've been through. So he thought it best to stay away for the time being. Maybe, if he did that, the dreams would stop.

But the ship would be docking in France within the next day. The winds and tide had not exactly been in her favor, but The Cassiopeia powered through as she always does. Eric had to get his act together before then. He didn't want to waste this trip with you. He had planned some noticeably romantic outings for the length of your stay. He wanted to make your first adventure away from home memorable.

Home. The ship had sailed right past Sardinia on its journey. Eric had made sure to keep to the path right outside of the coast guard's view. He didn't want them to alert his mother about spotting his ship. As much as he longed to go home, he couldn't quite yet. He needed time to make you see him for who he truly is; to understand why he'd concealed his true identity. Once he came clean, he would take you to his home if you wanted to go. If you didn't jump ship and decide to stay on another island, that is. Eric wouldn't blame you either way, but he was decidedly hoping for one outcome over the other.

He hoped that you weren't bothered by his lack of overt attention to you. Maybe you hadn't even noticed. You had kept yourself busy by helping out in the kitchen, and with other little things around the ship. You had told Eric at the start of this that you'd find a way to pay him back. You had already more than earned your keep in his eyes. He loves that you help without hesitation. It really shows what kind of person you are.

Each time he'd seen you perched on the deck sketching, he felt like he was intruding. He didn't want to interrupt your time to yourself. One day, hopefully soon, he would ask to see your sketch book. He'd love to know what you draw. He'll consider them fine art if the sketches are half as beautiful as the view he gets when the currents whistle through your hair.

On the evening of the second day at sea, Eric searched the deck for you. You were nowhere to be found. Checking the kitchen, Eric found it empty. Clicking his tongue, he wondered where you could be. There was only one other place. Eric cleared his throat before knocking on the doors of the captain's quarters. Why was he nervous? These are his quarters after all.

After a few seconds of no response, Eric raised his knuckles to try again. Worried by the silence, Eric tried the doorknob. It was unlocked. He slowly pushed it open.

"(Y/N)?" He tried.

The room was quiet. Easing himself in the door, Eric closed it softly behind him. The hairs on the back of his neck were practically standing. He rounded the corner, almost raised up on his tip toes. He suddenly stood stock still taking in the view afforded to him.

You were laid on your back, splayed out on his bed. Your hair was slightly disheveled, and your cheeks were red. You wore a delicate, soft white cotton dress. Eric knew this because he could see most of your physique beneath it. Your perked nipples seem to have caught the gust of cool air from his entrance. Eric felt a bead of sweat roll down his forehead.

He couldn't very well stand here like a creep while you slept. Seeing your body like this was not good for his well-being after the intimate dreams he's been having. After a gulp, Eric turned on the heel of his boot to leave. A sudden bang on the deck outside caused you to stir, and Eric squeezed his eyes shut with a grimace.

"Eric?" Your groggy voice cut through the still air of the cabin.

Eric took a sharp inhale before turning to face you. You were now sat up on the bed, rubbing your eyes with a yawn and a stretch. Eric tried to look away as you poked your chest out, but he'd be lying if he said he didn't peek. He cast his eyes back down as you straightened.

"Oh, erm, hi. I'm terribly sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your sleep. I wanted to check that you were okay. I knocked on the door a couple times, but got no answer, so-"

"It's okay," you smiled at him, having thrown your legs over the side of the bed.

You sat at the edge of the mattress with your hands clutching the sheets.

"I'm glad you're here," you continued.

Eric's gaze rose to yours. It seemed that you shocked yourself with your own admission. Eric licked his lips, and stepped towards you.

"May I sit?"

He pointed to the spot beside you on the bed. You nodded. Eric hesitantly settled onto the mattress. He smelled what he could only guess to be body lotion that you applied daily. The intoxicating scent had become quite familiar to him. Eric cleared his throat, and was about to ask you a question when you cut in.

"I wanted to ask you something," you looked over at him.

Your eyes took in all of his handsome features. He graced you with a comforting smile.

"Of course," he simply replied.

You licked your lips in anticipation. You were too busy looking at Eric's lips to see him staring at yours.

"Have you been avoiding me around the ship? I couldn't help but notice that you steer clear of me during the day."

Eric's eyes shot back to yours. Your face was pinched in worry. You had noticed, and now he felt like the biggest jerk alive. Eric registered the fact that you brought your hands up on your lap to fidget. He lifted his hand to cover them.

"(Y/N), I'm sorry. I haven't been fair to you thus far on our journey," he started.

He paused, considering his words.

"I've been...having these strange dreams. And, in truth, I don't entirely know what to make of them, or what to do with myself when I have them," he admitted.

Eric drew in another breath. Your hands came to enclose his in your lap.

"Is it like the dream you had the morning we departed?"

Eric nodded.

"Yes," he confirmed. "They've only gotten," his eyes flicked between yours, "worse."

You sighed. It was reminiscent of the breathy sounds he dreamt you'd make. Eric pushed that thought out of his head. Now is not the time.

"I'm sorry that these dreams are bothering you," you spoke in a morose tone. "But I'm always here if you want to talk. You know that, right? You've given me a new chance at life. It's the least I could do," you nodded with determination, squeezing his hand.

"We have each other now," you continued. "We should be able to be open with one another."

Eric felt his chest clench with guilt. He wanted to be open with you, about everything, but he couldn't bring himself to do it just yet.

"You're right," he smiled. "I promise I'll be better. Besides, we won't be stuck on this ship for much longer. We'll be docking at the Port of Marseille soon."

Eric brought your hand up to his lips to kiss it. Your grin almost split your cheeks.

𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ

Stepping off the ship, you felt a whole new world open up in front of you. You were practically bouncing with nervous but excited energy. Before you could run off, Eric gently took hold of your wrist. You turned to face him.

"Eric! Look!" You pointed in the direction of town with an open-mouthed smile.

There was laughter and music already floating through the air despite it only being midday. Eric couldn't help but smile at your elation.

"Would you like to go into town? They have a wonderful market and lots of food," he encouraged.

You nodded as fast as you could. Eric let out a laugh. Sliding his fingers into yours now, he watched your eyes flit down to the intimate contact. Your smile only shone with wonder. You squeezed his hand in yours before meeting his eyes again.

"Let's go!"

Just like that, Eric was being pulled behind you. The stalls of the market quickly came into view as the two of you left the pier. The pep in your step increased the closer you got. Eric's current situation of being led along to the market made him chuckle. He'd gladly take you anywhere you pleased if this was your reaction every time.

Smells of freshly baked bread wafted through the air and filled your nostrils. You licked your lips, suddenly realizing that your stomach felt pretty empty. You halted your steps, quickly turning to Eric. You came face to face with him as he skidded to a stop. You only blinked at the near collision, glancing down to his lips. Eric instinctually looked to yours, gulping.

"I'm sorry," you eventually spoke before bringing your eyes back to his. "I was just going to ask if you're hungry." A slight flush tinted your cheeks.

Eric nodded. "I'll show you the best food here." Seconds ticked by, but neither of you moved, despite streams of people on either side of you. Eric brought his fingers up to brush a hair out of your eyes, and tuck it behind your ear. His gaze followed his hand as it combed through your pretty hair. "Maybe one day I can braid it," he offered.

You scrunched your brow in confusion. "What?"

"Your hair," Eric clarified. "It's beautiful. I'd like to braid it someday."

Your breath caught in your throat at his words. You looked down bashfully, blinking out of your dreamlike state. Eric smiled at your blushing expression. He tightened his hold on your hand, and led you through the market this time to his favorite booth. He flashed a friendly smile at the woman behind the counter.

"Two please," he held up his fingers.

She nodded, smiling down at your joined hands.

"Are you two lovebirds just passing through?"

Surprise and uncertainty flashed across your face, and you looked to Eric. "Uh..."

"Yes," Eric answered warmly.

The woman gave a nod of approval. She handed Eric two plates, and he handed one to you.

"I can always tell."

She seemed very sure of her answer. Eric gave her a polite smile and dug in his pocket for some coins to hand over. The two of you walked to an area by the water to sit down and enjoy your food. You opened the plate to find sliced steak on top of fries.

"Eric," you gasped. "This is too fancy. I didn't know what you were buying. The price of this-"

"Is one I can afford," Eric interrupted. "I wanted you to try it, (Y/N). It's the best steak frites you'll find in all of France."

You sighed.

"Okay. Thank you," you conceded.

The first bite of steak exploded with flavor on your tongue, and you whipped your head to Eric with wide eyes.

"It's delicious!"

Eric beamed with pride at that, popping a fry into his mouth.

"See? I told you. Well worth it."

The two of you ate in comfortable silence for a few minutes. Your hands nervously gripped the edges of your plate then.

"Out of simple curiosity, why did you tell her yes?"

You had to admit that the question had been in the back of your mind since the interaction with the woman from the market. Eric's jaw paused, but he finished chewing to swallow his bite.

"Oh, um, I apologize. I suppose that was rather rude of me," he blushed. "I don't intend to make any assumptions. I only worried that if I didn't say yes, she would continue to push the issue and make you uncomfortable."

You nodded thoughtfully. After a second, you shrugged.

"That subject doesn't make me uncomfortable."

[amaretigris]

in my '?' era

[amaretigris]

The Possibility of You

Taglist: @luna2034 @hopeisrising @notagreekgal28 @mylittlemermaid221 @justagirlthatlovedtoread @jonahmermaid23 @jonahhauer-kingg @freyagallileaevans @daydreamerwithnohobbies

A/n: idk if I like this chapter 🫠 we'll see if I edit it.

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Ch. 10 | 2.3k words | Angst

⋅.˳˳.⋅ॱ˙˙ॱ⋅.˳˳.⋅ॱ˙˙ॱᐧ.˳˳.⋅⋅.˳˳.⋅ॱ˙˙ॱ⋅.˳˳.⋅ॱ˙˙ॱᐧ.˳˳.⋅⋅.˳˳.⋅ॱ˙˙ॱ⋅.˳˳.⋅ॱ˙˙ॱᐧ.˳˳.⋅⋅.˳˳.⋅ॱ˙˙ॱ⋅.˳˳.⋅ॱ˙˙ॱᐧ.˳˳.⋅

You stared and stared at the message request. Biting your thumbnail, you locked your phone, and threw it down on your bed. It couldn't be, could it? By 'the whole deal', did she mean Max's bet with Jonah? You didn't know what other deal she'd be referring to.

The right thing to do would be to show it to Jonah and ask him. But what if he flipped out, or he lied? He wouldn't do that. You didn't think he would do that, but how well do you really know him? Realistically, it's only been a few weeks. The voice of reason spoke over the voice of emotion in your brain at the moment.

Shoving your face into your pillow, you let out a good scream. Why does everything good in your life have to end in disaster? For once, you'd like a happy ending. Eventually your sobs tired you out. You let your breathing slow and your nerves calm, and you drifted back to sleep.

Jonah did eventually swim his laps after you left, but it was at a much more casual pace today. He was happy with you, and things felt like they'd clicked into place for him. He didn't know what he'd done to deserve you, but you'd fallen into his lap at the perfect moment: when he wasn't even looking. And to think that you hated him in the beginning. Okay, maybe not hated, but strongly disliked. Jonah smiled at the memories of your first encounters.

He almost regretted not finding you sooner, but he knew that was trivial. Things never would have played out the same if he'd met you earlier. Perhaps you would have grown to hate him until you graduated. Jonah shook his head at the thought as he pushed himself up the ledge of the pool. Your breathy moans from last night and this morning flooded his mind again, reminding him that you did not, in fact, hate him. Jonah wondered where he'd be without you- probably still stuck in the motions with nothing but monotony day in and day out. He thanked whatever power he could think of for not allowing him to live like that anymore.

Jonah checked his phone when he dried off. Hmm. Still no text from you saying you made it home. That was weird, but maybe you just forgot. Jonah tried not to let it get to him, but it sat at the back of his mind. He'd give you a couple hours. Maybe you'd fallen back asleep. Jonah got dressed for the day hoping to hear from you soon.

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Jonah tried to be patient, but when lunch rolled around he sent a text to see how you were. When that got no response, he sent another. Jonah tried to ignore the irking feeling crawling up his spine. By six that evening, he still hadn't heard from you, despite seeing that you'd been active on Facebook Messenger in the last two hours. He could understand if you needed your space, but he felt like something was wrong.

You left his house in a state of bliss this morning. What could have happened between then and when you got home? Jonah racked his brain to try to recall anything he'd said or done that might have upset you. He was drawing a blank. Scrubbing his hand down his face, he was moping in his room when his mom texted him that dinner was ready. Groaning and walking to the kitchen, Jonah gave his mom a forced smile.

"Is everything okay, dear?"

His mom immediately picked up on his sour demeanor. Jonah exhaled with his hand combing through his hair.

"I don't know right now."

Picking up a plate by the stove, Jonah spooned some of the casserole onto his dish. Kay observed him with a frown.

"Well, if it's about (Y/N), I hope you can work things out soon."

Jonah shrugged.

"I haven't heard from her all day, but she's been active on her socials. I honestly don't know what I could have done to upset her," he spoke as he sat at the table.

He put his head in his hand, and poked his fork at his food. His mom came to sit beside him. She hated that the two of you had gotten into a squabble, but she was sure it could be resolved. Kay reached her arm over to rub Jonah's back.

"I'm sure it'll all work out, darling."

They sat for their meal in relative silence after that. Jonah ate slowly, seemingly lost in thought. At the ping of his phone on the table, he scrambled to pick it up. Kay watched as he scrunched his brow, confusion stamped on his face. She didn't want to pry, but Jonah didn't seem to be taking it well, whatever it was.

"What did she say?" She asked softly.

Jonah hesitated before answering her.

"She said we need to talk tomorrow."

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You felt extremely nauseous. You've been anxious over this damn message all day. What the hell is your problem? Why couldn't you bring yourself to ask Jonah, or just let it go? He'd texted you multiple times throughout the day. He was worried that he hadn't heard from you since this morning. Guilt twisted in your gut, but there was also fear.

Fear that maybe this woman you don't even know is right. Fear that there was another catch to Jonah's bet with Max. What if this was all a ruse? Even though you hadn't known him for very long, you'd given Jonah every part of yourself. Are you a fucking idiot? Why are you so trusting?

You shook your head, blinking back tears. You have to find out what's going on. You have to message Joanna back. You'd delayed it until now, unsure if you wanted to engage. It was only a message request, and you could ignore and delete it if you wanted. But the skeptical part of you had to know.

What does that mean?

Even though you'd taken hours to respond to the ominous text, the chat bubbles almost immediately appeared after you sent your reply. You took a shuddering breath. Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe you should have just shown Jonah.

It means that he didn't tell you everything about his bet with Max.

Your heart dropped at the new message that popped up. You sucked in a sharp breath, looking up to the ceiling to try to keep the tears in. After a couple fell anyway, you typed out your reply with shaky fingers.

What didn't he tell me?

Your brain was going haywire trying to figure out how you would react to different scenarios. What if he's still been messing around with other women behind your back? You found that unlikely, but anything's possible. What if he still has a girlfriend back in London? No, a fiancée? What would you do then? After a couple minutes of torture, the new message finally popped up on the screen.

The bet was that he picked a date out of pity. Hate to break it to you, but he's only been with you because he feels sorry for you

You bit your lip as you read it. A new sob racked through your body. There's no way. Jonah's feelings for you seem so genuine, but what if he only took you out originally because he felt sorry for you? The nerdy loner. The woman who never has a crowd of friends around her. You keep your circle small because you admittedly can't stand most people.

You don't see that as a weakness or a downfall, but to a guy like Jonah, maybe it is. Maybe he thought that you needed a pick-me-up, or that you would need him to be happy. Both of those ideas infuriated you and broke your heart at the same time. Jonah had come clean about the bet to you, but what if he conveniently left that part out?

You let the tears flow while you debated on your next step. You had to show this to Jonah, and ask him about it yourself. It wouldn't be a pleasant conversation, but it was a necessary one. After about ten minutes of crying and trying to self-soothe, you pulled up Jonah's contact on your phone.

Jonah ❤️

11:03 a.m.

Hey baby, I hope you made it home safe. Did you have to catch up on sleep? 😉❤️

12:25 p.m.

I'm starting to get worried 😔 Please wake up sleepyhead

5:13 p.m.

Did you need a day to yourself, love? You should've just told me

6:27 p.m.

Sorry. I need to talk to you tomorrow.

You'd been ignoring him all day, but Jonah texted you back within two minutes. You guessed that he was probably wildly confused.

6:29 p.m.

Okay, we can talk sweetheart. When do you want to meet?

More tears sprang to your eyes at his affectionate words. This has to be real, right?

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You walked briskly to the campus natatorium. It was 10:30 in the morning, and though you'd skipped your first lecture to try to sleep in, your efforts had been in vain. You knew for a fact that you looked tired, but you didn't care. You'd been agonizing over the situation all night, and questioning whether you're really enough for someone like Jonah. Whatever the answer, he needs to tell you to your face.

Jonah asked you to come after the swim team's practice for your talk. He wants it to happen as soon as possible. He's felt completely helpless and blind in the situation. He has to know what's going on. Jonah had just finished another round of timed laps when he threw his shoulder over the edge of the pool. He shouted for Max to tell him the time. Glancing over to the coach, Max answered him, albeit reluctantly.

"Uh, it's 10:32."

"Shit," Jonah hoisted himself out of the pool. He trotted to the bench to grab his towel and dry off, removing his goggles and swim cap.

"Oi, boy. Who told you you could leave?" Jonah's coach, a short man named Ty, fussed at him.

Jonah turned around with a huff.

"I've raced Eric four times already. I have to go," he moved to shoulder past the man.

Ty simply put a hand to his chest, effectively halting Jonah.

"You may have won the races, but your lap time is a lot slower today. You're distracted."

Jonah resisted rolling his eyes, but he did inhale another impatient breath.

"Yes, I know. I'm sorry. I swear I'll make it up next time, but I have to meet my girl and-"

"What?" Ty snapped.

You pushed through the double doors of the building, and the pool came into view. You rounded the corner just as Jonah was caught in the conversation with his coach. You stopped in your tracks when you spotted the men standing toe to toe.

Jonah's frustration boiled over. He ran a hand through his hair. He was on the verge of panic after yesterday. He desperately needed to talk to you.

"Yes, I know I'm distracted," he raised his voice at Ty now. Jonah threw his arms up in the air. "There, you happy?"

"Well then get your head out of your ass, boy!" Ty shouted back. The man may be shorter than Jonah, but he can get loud.

"I'm trying!" Jonah responded at equal volume. "It's not like I actually planned for any of this to happen!"

That was it. That was all you needed to hear after the uncertainty and insecurities brought up by the last twenty four hours. You turned and bolted out of the room, not even realizing that your sneakers squeaked on the wet floors. At the sound, Jonah jerked his head back. He caught a glimpse of your hair as you fled the building.

"Fuck!"

Max rushed down to Jonah's side from his lifeguard chair. His eyes were wide.

"Was that (Y/N)?"

Jonah hesitated for a second, deciding if he wanted to continue to stand here and argue with Ty, or run after you. He chose the second option. Jonah split. Ty made a move to grab him, but Max stepped in front of the man with his hands up.

"Please, his girlfriend (Y/N) is going through a family emergency right now, and he really just needs to talk to her-" Jonah heard Max start. He didn't give a shit.

Jonah wrapped his towel around his waist so he wasn't running across campus in nothing but a speedo. He secured it as best he could before he burst out the double doors. His eyes were desperate for any flicker of you. He spotted you running down the sidewalk towards the parking lot. You're really not one for dramatics, but all of your doubts brought tears to your eyes. You only meant to be briskly walking away, but your pace quickened the more your eyes watered.

Jonah sprinted down the stairs, jumping down the last few. His bare feet on the concrete didn't feel amazing, but he had to try to catch up with you. He gained on you, but you were still pretty far ahead. Jonah gasped as you ran around the last building between you and the parking lot. He lost sight of you momentarily.

"(Y/N)!" He yelled. His desperation clawed at his insides. "(Y/N)!"

When he rounded the corner, he saw that you'd stopped just before stepping into the parking lot. Your back was still facing him, but Jonah wasted no time in running up to you. His hands came up to skirt around your shoulders as he moved to face you.

"(Y/N), please. Please tell me what's wrong, baby. Talk to me," Jonah ducked to try to meet your gaze, but it was cast down. He lowered himself on his knees. Your beautiful (e/c) eyes were splotchy and filled with tears as they connected with his. Immediately feeling a deep frown settle on his features, Jonah's hands found your hips.

"I'm here, sweetheart. I'm here." He hugged your waist, and pressed his cheek to your stomach.