#;now off to bed for me since it's nearly 4 in the morning where I am

[bittersw33t-lotus]

Great Timing

Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley x Fem! Reader

Cw: minor violence, profanity, bodily harm, attempted assault, blood, whump, creepy dude

Summary: Reader gets off work late and encounters a man who follows her home with malicious intent until your neighbor comes home early from deployment.

A/N: THIS IS MY FIRST GHOST FIC DONT JUDGE ME 🔫🔫🔫

You sighed in exhaustion as you walk out the doors of your work, instering the key into the lock securing the place, you head straight to your car. It was another nightly overtime stay at work, this has been going on for four days now but luckily your boss gave you a few days off as a token of appreciation which made you just as eager to get home and into the comfort of your bed.

Reaching your apartment complex you mind began to grow fuzzy and blurred with sleep slowly taking place. You got out of the car and began heading to the door entrance of the complex, completely unaware of the lingering figure hiding in the distance eyeing you like prey. You unlocked the complex entrance, using the key card the owner provided you with, you walk in entering the lobby, completely oblivious the figure that slipped through the door before it could close and lock, while you make your way to the elevator.

Pressing the button to the elevator, the doors soon opened as you stepped in, your eyelids so droopy that you almost missed the number ‘4’ button to your floor number. You take your your phone out and examine the screen as it turns on as the doors began to close, ‘3:26,’ you read on your Lock Screen before unlocking the device. You got out earlier than you usually did, these past few nights you wouldn’t leave work till nearly five in the morning.

A dull thud spooked you out of your thoughts, shedding the drowsiness you had felt earlier, your head snapped up at the elevator doors to see a hand between the metal opening forcing the doors to open back up revealing a man in his late 40’s. You didn’t want to assume but the man seemed to be homeless with how dirty and ragged his clothing were, he also had the stench of alcohol lingering off him. You knew some thing was wrong the minute you laid eyes on him, making eye contact you was the way he eyed you, like some piece of meat. Your stomach churned in discomfort and a need to run.

He loomed over you which made you feel even more uncomfortable. You wondered where he even came from since the lobby seemed completely empty, especially since it was 3 in the morning, until a thought occurred. Could he have snuck when you opened the door, you questioned in your mind causing you to tense up, the thought alone seemed to trigger your fight or flight response a little as the need to sleep was shoved into the back of your mind. That was the least of your worries.

You didn’t want to show your panic so you gave him a quick weary smile chucking awkwardly. “Oh, sorry I didn’t see you coming…” you muttered as you curled in on yourself, the man said nothing for the next couple of seconds and just stood there eyeing your figure up and down making you inwardly wince in disgust.

After what felt like minuets he finally moved into the elevator, you shimmied to the very back corner as he stepped in and leaned up against the back wall a little too close for your liking. You scooted over the the side wall of the elevator nearing the controls and doors, as they finally closed. You tried to ignore his staring as you turned to look at the elevators controls. “Uhh… which floor are you going to?” You look at his trying to seem calm to the best of your ability but you already knew you were failing.

He gave a quick glance at the controls before looking back at you causing you to look at his feet. “Four.” He said in a raspy voice, you hummed as you looked back to stare at the floor. The voice in the back of your head was beginning to scream louder to make a run for it but you had no idea what you could do. You’re sure everyone was asleep and definitely wouldn’t answer the door at this hour of the night, but you also couldn’t risk him finding out where exactly you lived. If you tried to make a run back to your car and he followed you’d not only make it obvious but it’d also be dangerous.

A plan came to mind, it was your best chance, “oh looks like I already pressed your floor on accident,” you laugh nervously pressing the third floor button as a way to get closer to the lobby.

He seemed displeased as he responded with a small, “oh.” The digits on the small screen above the doors showed each floor going up. You needed to take the stair cases since the elevator was no good, hopefully he isn’t ballsy enough to follow you as you get off.

The ding of the elevator chimed as you reached the third floor, you’re quick to walk off hearing the doors begin to close, sigh in relief but your breath stills as you hear another set of feet softly pad behind you. You glance over your shoulder and all senses in your body go on high alert. He’s trailing behind and smiling in a way that send a chill up your spine. The voice in your head screams so loud you can no longer ignore it, “RUN!” You wasted no time and began to dash for the stairs. The man chuckles following in pursuit.

He grasps your shirt and yanks you back giving you whiplash as you make harsh contact with the floor. You grunt as you try to get up but your arms are soon pinned and a weight is forced upon you. The man is on top of you as he laughs. “Relax honey I just wanna have fun.” He chuckles, you’re legs thrash around not being pinned causing your knee to make hard contact with his groin causing to shout in pain, his grip looses and you take the chance to kick him off you, he goes back and is flown to the wall, a loud thud coming for it. You quickly rise to your feet and run for the stairs, you contemplate for running up stairs to your floor or to the lobby but decided for the lobby. You defend down one flight before you hear the door slam open, you knew it was the man so your begin to skip a couple of steps to decedent down the stairs faster. “Come back you bitch!” He shouts out.

Relief comes once you reach the end of the stairs and see the lobby door. You swing it open not bothering to close it as you ran across to the entrance, the man quick and hot on your tail you fear you might not even make it to your car. You snag your car keys from your pocket and walk right out the door and make a b-line to your car, parked a few feet away.

The man soon come out the door and looks around to before his eyes land on you, your car not to far from you. Both of your were too focused on one thing, you both failed to notice certain tall bulking figure dress in all black with a black balaclava.

Simon had just barely arrived home, his deployment was expected to take longer but due to the his great performance along with the 141 they were able to go home a week early. He had just gotten out of his truck and heading to the back to grab his duffel bag when he was suddenly alerted by the sudden occurrence, the complexes front door swinging open by you as you ran out, you seemed to run with urgency and by the look on your face it was something bad and it seemed to have terrified you, but from what? His question was answered when the door was slammed open again and out came a man in his late 30’s or 40’s, he clearly was a homeless guy and possibly a drug addict, he stopped look around, he completely overlooked Simon, probably due to his dark clothing the the parking lot poorly lit, the guy scanned the area searching for something until his sight was set on you and wasted no time in following you in pursuit.

This set alarms off for Simon, the man was obvious chasing you with malicious intent, he quickly began to run after you two, he reached down to his upper thigh toward his handgun that was strapped to his thigh, he gripped the weapon and pulled it out of its holster. Simons mind screaming at him to get the guy and protect you before he could lay a finger on you.

You were only a couple of feet away until the man lunged and tackled you to the solid rough ground. Pain eachted though you as some areas of your bare skin scrapped against to ground, your pants ripping and exposing your skin and scaling it as well. Blood beginning to seep out from the wounds. “Get off!” You screamed out, you body pinned down, your legs pinned by his, you wrists helps down with one hand and hair violently pulled with his other hand causing you to cry out.

Before the man could speak he was suddenly jerked off you. In a flash he was on the ground, Simon pinning him to the floor. The man tried to shout until a cold metal was shoved into his mouth, which he soon found out was Simons gun. “You fucking bastard.” Was all Simon shouted before he pulled the gun away and angled the butt of the gun to the man and swung it down to his face over and over.

You had turned on back to see a hooded man in all black on top of the homeless guy and beating the shit out of him with something I his hand but you couldn’t tell with how fast he kept swinging his arm. You watched in shock hearing the homeless guy cry out begging for mercy and even apologizing which unknowingly made you smile and feel a little better. After a few good hits the hooded man stopped, which gave you the chance to look at what was in his hand, it was gun. Was this your neighbor, you wondered, you’ve seen him around once in awhile and only really greeted each other, you converse aged rarely but one time he told you his name was Ghost, which you found odd but didn’t really mind, you knew he worked in the military with him gear and uniform especially with his cargo pants that had his gun strapped to his thigh, seeming the strap you just thought of confined that this guy definitely was your neighbor.

The homeless man lied on the ground limply, groaning and slight cries of pain coming from his now bloodied face, you had a feeling his had a few facial fractures, you swore you heard a few bones cracking from him every time Ghost made contact with his face. You wiped away some tears you didn’t know you had as Ghost loomed over the guy, breathing heavily, your sniffing was what broke him from his trance as he glanced over his shoulder to look at you. He was able to get a good look at you to realize you were his neighbor too, he let out a few breathes of relief too see only a few scratches on you.

“You alright yn?” He asked, his voice deep and out of breath.

You let out a shaken breath you didn’t know you were holding as you nodded. “Thank god you were here.” You whispered staring at the homeless guy who knocked out a few second ago. Ghost really did a number on him, you thought examining his bloodied face, his nose looked broken and bent.

Simon sighed agreeing with you. “You’re lucky I just barely arrived, had I arrived later or earlier…” he pauses, the possibilities that the man could’ve done to you spooked him more than he’d like to admit.

Simon didn’t finish his sentence and opted to staying silent a long with you, you sat on the ground catching your breathes until Simon moved to place his gun back in his holster with the butt still bloodied along with his hand. He rises to his feet walking over to you and held out his gloved one. You grasp it, it felt warm even through the material of the glove, he grasps your hand softy but secured enough to help you up as he lifts you up to your feet like nothing.

He called the cops so you two waited with Simon standing by the man watching him like a hawk ready to ounce at the slightest movement. He tried his best to distract you with some conversations, when the police finally arrived, they had an ambulance to come and take the man, they got your information and asked for details of what happened, they soon wrapped everything up and took off.

“Cmon, let’s get you cleaned up.” He says leading you back inside the apartment. You completely forgot about your injuries till Ghost mentioned them. You almost told him that you could take care of yourself but ultimately decided to just let it happen. It was silence on the way up, the elevator was a little awkward but once you two finally arrived on your floor Simon finally broke the silence. “I have a first aid kit in my place if your ok with that?” You nodded the adrenaline finally subsiding and the aches and stings start coming through.

Simon noticed a slight limp in your walk, some blood soaking around your injures, and some blood still seeping on the injuries from your bottom lip and forehead. As if you could read his mind you spoke before he could voice his concern. “I’m fine I just feel a little sore is all, maybe I pulled my leg but it’s fine.” You mumbled seeing your door and Simons door in view turning into the hall.

Stopping at his door he pulls out his keys, unlocking the door to his flay you follow him in as he stands to the side allowing you to walk in before closing the door behind you. “Make your self comfortable on the couch I’ll be back with the kit. With some aspirin and water. ” He says turning on the light to reveal the living space as he walks down the hall.

You plop yourself on the couch with a sigh until a wave of pain crashed through you, a groan left your lips, you leg burned as you look down at it. You soon realized the blood beginning to seep through the fabric of your clothes leaving a tiny blotch of a deep crimson. Carefully lifting up the fabric of your pants the wound fully came into view. It was ugly, your leg was dripping a lot of blood for such a minor injury which worried you fearing you could possibly need stitches.

“You didn’t tell me you were bleeding.” Simon spoke, the sudden noise of his deep voice spooked you not even hearing his footsteps and seeing him walk over to the side of the couch.

“Jesus Simon, you’re like a damn ninja creeping around so quiet.” you mutter, rolling up the material. Simon kneeled in front of you placing the kit on the coffee table. Opening the box, he fished out a gauze pad, alcohol pads, and bandages. He took his gloves off revealing his bare hands, you watched his movements but even the feeling of his warm skin against your leg startled you.

Simon ignored your comment as he remained silent, you worried you might've soured his mood especially since he practically saved your life and brought you inside his house to take the time to attend to your wounds but you’re thoughts were cut short when he handed you the bottle of aspirin and water.

“Thanks.” You muttered taking the bottles, taking out two pills you drop them into your mouth before opening the water bottle. You take a swig before swapping the liquid and pills. Ghost prepped the stuff as you did so waiting for you to finish.

"Brace yourself," he spoken breaking the silence and your thoughts. Before you could process what was happening, Simon brought the alcohol-soaked gauze pad to your wound. you hissed in pain, the hot searing pain outnumbered out the cold wetness of the pad. your leg was kept still by Simon's hand gripping your calf to be still, you were were too busy with the pain to think much about how impressively strong his grip on your leg was.

As Simon was close to finishing up, you kept your eyes on him, you didn’t want to stare and seem rude or make Simon uncomfortable but this was the first time you really got to look at what the mask didn’t hide. You took in the little scar of his right cheek that disappeared down into the mask, the hairs on his blond eyelashes that were beautiful and long and what most entranced you were his eyes. They were a beautiful hazel, the color vary based on the different lighting. With the light shining on half of his face one eye shined like a diamond reveal a beautiful honey brown color while his other eye was dark like an abyss.

Unfortunately his eyes were to enticing that you failed to process the movement of his head turning up to you, his eyes boring right back into yours and the movement of his covered mouth, “You gonna keep gawking at me or are you gonna answer my question?” His gruff voice broke you out of your trace as realization hit your mind, you face began to burn as your mind screamed at you in embarrassment.

“Uhhh- I- I… What…. What was the question?” You muttered nervously, avoiding looking at Simon feeling shame from being caught.

“Are you okay to walk or do you need help?” He repeated still kneeling down beside you causing him to look up at you.

You didn’t wanna admit it but your legs couldn’t keep you up anymore. As nice as it would sound to have Simon help you and be up against his body, you saved him the trouble. “I’ll be fine. Thanks again Si.” You thank him before you ‘try’ to pull yourself up to your feet only to pathetically look like an elderly person due to the couch being close to the ground. Your face burned in embarrassment as you plopped back down on the couch and looked at the floor in defeat as Simon still stood there in silence just watching you. “I need help…” you muttered.

You heard Simon snort as he steps to you and sets your arm over his shoulder and slipping his hands beneath your back and knees and lifting you up bridal style. You gasped and wrapped your arms around Simon tightly. “Simon?!” You called out but he didn’t bother and began to walk towards his door.

“Welcome.” Was all he said taking his hand beneath your back to his door knob, twisting the knob and opening the door, not worried about you falling with the death grip you had on him. The trip only took a few steps until Simon reached your front door. Slowly he lowered you down as you eased your grip and stood on your feet. You could feel the cold begin to replaces Simons warmth which made you shiver. “Got your Keys?” He asked, you nod before fishing out your house keys from your pocket.

As you finally unlock the door, you began to limp your way into your home until Simon gently grasped your left arm and swing it over his shoulder lifting most of your weight off your injured leg. You were going to protest but decided against it and savor the help and warmth he provided you.

“Where to?” He asked, silence for a second until you bobbed your head towards the hallway.

“My bedroom, last door at the end of the hall.” You say, making your way towards your door you turn the knob and make your way in. Simon helps you settle onto your bed, sitting at the edge of your mattress. As soon as you got settled Simon began to make his exit muttering an awkward ‘goodnight’ until you spoke. “Simon,” you call out making him stop at your doorway. He turned around and eyes you, “Thank you, really, you saved me. I don’t know what the hell I would’ve done if you hadn’t arrived at the right time. I don’t even know what would’ve happen to me had you not been there…”

That thought seemed to haunt not only you but Simon as well. The mere thought of seeing you in a gruesome way triggered memories he wish he could burn out of his mind. He sighed and walked back up to you, setting a hand on your shoulder, he could see the thought was troubling you the most. “Me too, ‘m glad your not too beat up. And there’s no need to thank me.”

“We’ll I mean you took me to your place and took the time to help deal with this mess so, and in a way I should be thanking you.” You mumbled shifting your legs to examine the bandages.

“‘S fine, jus’ wanted to make sure you’re alright. You should get some rest though, ya look like shite.” He chuckled.

You laughed out an “ass,” before nodding. “Can’t deny that though, I’ll clean up and head to bed then. You get some rest I’m sure you need the extra sleep coming back from deployment and then having to deal with all the fiasco.”

“You sure you should do that?” He asks.

“Yeah, I’m sure, the aspirin should be kicking in here in a few, I’m sure I’ll be fine. Stop worrying and get to sleep.” You joke.

Simon nods gives you a small pat on your back before making his way out of your room. “Alright, I’ll see you around,” he says,

“Good night Simon.” You smile.

Simon grabs your doorknob and began to close the door before looking at you once more you could see his eyes slightly wrinkle, he was smiling. “Good night (y/n).”

~~~~~~~~~

Just as you suspected the aspirin finally kicked in a few minutes after Simon left. You did what you needed to do, shower and avoid getting your bandages wet. After dressing in your sleep wear, you walked to the kitchen for a drink when you noticed a paper on your table. Picking it up you examined the numbers written on there with a note below it.

‘Here’s my number If you contact me, also lock the top lock on your door. -Simon’

You smiled at the note before taking your drink, setting the cup down with the note still in hand you make your way to your front door seeing the bottom lock already locked, you lock the top one before heading back to your room.

You sit on your bed and grab your phone before putting in Simons number into your contacts.

You: Got your note. top is locked, thanks 👍🏼

It didn’t take long till you got a text back.

Simon💀: No problem, stay safe and be more aware of your surroundings love, I won’t always be around to save your arse.

You laughed trying to ignore the nickname as you finally settle into your covers.

You: Yes Sir 👍🏼

Simon💀: Good girl.

[helluvapoison]

4. Trying to hide your injury from them, but failing miserably once you faint right in front of them, "5. Where does it hurt the most?" with Lucifer and reader

Injured Prompt

Lucifer Morningstar x Reader

Did you know when you roll your ankle you’re not supposed to walk on it? You might’ve known that if the Pride Ring’s hospital ever answered the fucking phone!

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

If your boyfriend Lucifer wasn’t out and about today, making up for some odd months of meetings, he could’ve teleported you there in no time. Then again, if he was here he might summon Belphegor themself. Not wanting to bother anyone, you told yourself it would be fine. Besides with Hell’s “no checking out early” healing abilities, it would right itself on its own by tomorrow! That continued to be your mantra but as the day got away from you it became harder to ignore that stabbing pain in your foot.

It certainly didn’t help that you’d overexerted yourself by helping Charlie move things up and down the hall because Nifty had clogged the pipes (again) which resulted in minor flooding damage. The whole time it felt like Vaggie’s suspicious stare saw right through your poorly worn mask. Charlie asked no less than 22 times if you were ok to which you waved off her concerns. It took a few hours but the furniture was moved out of the room, leaving only a mushy carpet to deal with. Neither Kiki nor Alastor could be found and since Lucifer wasn’t there to snap the problem away, the princess attempted herself. However her powers were still a bit… undisciplined. The best she could do to try and evaporate the water had actually set the carpet on fire.

Vaggie rested her hand on Charlie’s shoulder with a soft smile, “It might be time for a break, babe. Don’t want you to overdo it.” She pointedly shot that part at you.

With a sigh the blonde conceded and allowed Vaggie to usher her out.

Simultaneously grateful but cursing the downtime, you waited a minute before leaving yourself. Now that you've slowed to a stop your ankle throbbed with vengeance. Peeling your sock back to take a peek, you gasped. Your foot was definitely not purple this morning! Shit shit shit, it was definitely time for a break!

You limped to the elevator, using the wall for support when Lucifer rounded the corner. Like the wall had tried to bite you, you yanked your hand from it and forced both feet flat on the ground. You grimaced, poorly trying to conceal it with a smile.

“Duckie!” You greeted through a wheeze. Has breathing been this hard all day?

With much more enthusiasm in his voice, he sang your name and rushed over. Lucifer lifted you off the ground to spin with you in his arms, unknowingly providing momentary relief. His laugh and smile were infectious. Just a second with him had swept you into the world you shared and washed away your troubles. Unfortunately they returned once he set you down and despite how gently he did, you hissed when you touched the floor again.

“What was that?” He asked with a tilted head, holding onto your waist.

“Oh, uh, I’m practicing my Sir Pentious impression!”

You’re unsure why you lied. Maybe a part of you wanted to pretend for a little longer. You think back to the time you got a paper cut and he forced you into bed rest for three days. Once he found out about your ankle nearly snapping in half, you would, inadvertently, send him spiraling into his mother duck state of mind! And the poor man never seemed to catch a break! You didn’t want to stress him out over something that would heal.

He seemed to believe your fib.

At least someone did because it was getting harder to convince yourself.

“It’s good, it’s good!” Lucifer nodded thoughtfully, narrowing his eyes. You instantly knew he was trying to recall just who the serpent fellow was. “Anywho, I ran into Charlie just now. Heard this place almost fell apart without me, huh?”

He nudged your arm with his elbow, prompting you to laugh instead of focusing on the pain. You forced the sound out a bit too much to try and make leaning against the wall look natural. It didn’t. You almost collapsed against the surface, sliding down as your leg began to give. Lucifer slipped his hands under your arms, doing the majority work of holding you up. Your head began nodding off and you realized you were face to face with him. Not a good sign considering your height difference. He was wearing his nervous grin that you knew all too well he only put on before he started panicking internally.

“Darling, is this part of the Sir Pina Colada impression? Starting to, uh, worry over here.”

“Nothing, nothing. I think… I just… nee..”

The last thing you see is Lucifer’s smile dropping entirely, pupils shrinking to worry-filled slits.

Then black.

~

There’s a moment while waking up where it’s pure bliss. You’re not you; you’re not anyone. You barely exist— and then you do. The worries, memories, pain; it all comes rushing up on you like a train and hits you just as hard. You scrunch your nose and pull your eyebrows together as you attempt to sit up. Silk under your palms have you acutely aware that you’re not in your bed, but Lucifer’s. And you know what they say about speaking of the devil.

“Oh no! Nonononono, I don’t think so,” He sings, gently pushing your shoulders back until you’re flat against the plushy pillows, “You’ve got some explaining to do. ”

“Fuck, ‘m sorry,” You groan, “I thought I had it under control! I didn’t want you to worry.”

“Au contraire, darling, I want to worry about you! Just maybe not that much next time, alright? I think I had a heart attack! If that’s what those feel like… Ech.” Lucifer was wracked by a shiver, shaking off the final wave with his head.

You let out a breathy laugh.

The man smiled at the sound and honed his full attention on you, forcing a serious, but soft, tone, “Now! Doctor Morningstar is here to help, so tell me, where does it hurt most? ”

“My ankle.”

You recoiled when he attempted to peel away your sock. He muttered an apology, studying your foot rather unfazed. As interesting as it was to watch him get truly somber about something, you couldn’t appreciate it right now. The fire spreading from your ankle stole all your senses and he wasn’t even touching it anymore.

“It wasn’t all purple-y yesterday right? We might have to amputate.”

“Lucifer.” You growled through grit teeth.

He chuckled. “Sorry. That one killed when Charlie was younger. Ok, ok! Pain management first, jokes later.”

There was a heavy knock on the door that made both of you turn your heads. Your eyes narrowed while a bright grin spread across his porcelain face.

“Are you expecting someone?” You asked suspiciously.

“Belphegor, of course!”

Of course.

[beybaldes]

And somehow I know that you and I would've found each other

roy kent x gn!reader

word count : 8.7k

masterlist

summary : you and roy always end up finding your way back to each-other

content warning : taylor popped the fuck off with the speak now vault tracks especially timeless (another timeless fic coming out soon!!!!), slow burn that takes place over 36 years - dermatologists hate me! Roy’s sister is dubbed Molly yet again, I steal britanny brett for plot because I’m obsessed with @onceuponaoneshotfanfic and superstar (check it out now if you still haven’t, and if you have already, then reread it!!!!!!)

It's 1991 and youre not old enough to understand why your neighbour, and best friends older brother Roy, has to move away. You're only 4 years old, and so is Molly, and Roy's only 9 - so you're not sure why he's going away, where he's going, or if he's ever going to come back.

All you do know is that you and Molly's little arms are wrapped tightly around each other and you feel like it's never going to be enough to fill the hole of Roy's absence.

It's a cool September morning and Roy knows that December 19th - the day he gets to come back home for Christmas - is exactly 107 days away, but not even the last dregs of summers warmth can make this moment something he's going to look back fondly on.

He's got blankie folded perfectly at the bottom of his backpack and your favourite teddy bear wrapped up in it. Even though he wouldn't discover it until he'd arrived at Sunderland, you knew it was there and that Roy would look after it, and it made everything feel just a little bit better.

When Roy's Grandad announces that it's time to go, he gives you and Molly one last hug, pressing a kiss to both of your heads and promising to write and call whenever he can. You and Molly chase the car until the end of the street, where it turns a corner and Molly's mum calls you back to the house; you linger long enough to watch Roy turn from one of your best friends into a blurry figure in the back of a car.

Ms Kent gives you and Molly ice lolly's from the freezer and puts on 'Cinderella' while you eat them. She then sits through 'Sleeping Beauty,’ ‘The Little Mermaid', and 'Beauty and the Beast' with the two of you until your tears have long since stopped and you've fallen asleep in each others arms.

The following morning, Ms Kent nearly has a heart attack when she doesn't find you in Molly's bed, but her worry is soon ended when she realises the door to Roy's room is half opened and you're quietly curled up in tear stained sheets. Slowly, she wakes you up, and when fresh tears spring to your eyes she's quick to pull you into her arms. As she rocks you gently in her hold, she promises you that the prince always returns to the princess; even if it takes breaking a curse or waiting for 100 years.

They always find each-other in the end and live happily ever after.

And 107 days is nothing when you're 4 years old, it's the blink of an eye and sticky melted ice lolly on your hands, it's your first ever school uniform and glitter from Christmas crafts that you cant get off you no matter how many showers you take, and it goes by even quicker when Roy comes home 10 days sooner then expected.

You don't see him for the first 5 days. Roy locked himself away in his room and refused to come out or speak to anyone. But when the sixth day, and the weekend, finally rolls around, you decide to do something about it.

For a 9 year old, Roy sure had a lot to think about. He never got to say goodbye to his grandad, and he wasn't going to teach him how to ride a bike, or see him score his first professional goal, or get married, and he didn't know how to explain that when he went back to Sunderland come new year, he wasn't going away in the same capacity granddad had.

No 9 year old should've been thinking of all that.

Roy hadn't been expecting any visitors, not that he wanted any, but when you barged your way into his bedroom, he couldn't bring himself to send you away.

"Go away." Roy had growled, hidden beneath blankie and curled tightly into himself. "I want to be alone." Roy hadn't meant a lick of it and you hadn't believed any of it either.

"No, you don't." Though you had to wriggle your little self into his arms, you did it, and beamed proudly against his pyjama clad chest when he let you cuddle up to him. Roy had hugged you tightly, pulling you closer to him and wrapping blankie tightly around you both. "I missed you, Royo."

"You packed Dave in my bag." Roy stated, not asking why, or whether you wanted the teddy bear back, or telling you that he'd actually left it in Sunderland for when he went back in a few weeks time.

"You need him more then I do." Roy just nodded his head at your words, willing himself not to cry at the guilt he felt over leaving you and Molly behind and thinking about something other then his grandad. "And, if you have Dave, and Dave is mine, then you have to come and give him back to me. You have to come back from sundayland."

"Sunderland."

"What's that?" You tilted your head up to look at Roy, and found him already looking at you, half a smile on his lips.

"It's nothing."

Both you and Roy fell asleep in his room, under the safety of blankie, talking about 'sundayland' and everything good about his time there. It wasn't until tea time that his mum found the two of you and dragged you down stairs for dinner, teasing Roy once you'd gone home that you definitely had a little crush on him.

~*~

Roy's transfer to Chelsea once the season is over is announced just before your 16th birthday and you swear it's the best birthday present you've ever gotten. He's newly 21 and he's got this shaggy mullet thing going on that really shouldn't be working for him, but it is. You can't keep your eyes off of him, and Roy pretends not to notice for what he tells himself is your sake. He knows it isn't.

When his car pulls up in the drive for the first time since the weekend he came down for Mollys birthday, you and Molly run out of the house hand in hand to greet him, crying his name. He lets the two of you crash into him and wrap your arms tightly around him, almost squeezing him to death when he finds himself sandwiched between the two of you.

Roy's barely been on home soil for 10 seconds when Molly pulls away from the hug to look up at her big brother with the best puppy dog eyes she can muster up at 16. "Will you buy us drinks to take to leavers?”

"Fuck off, buy your own." You don't unwrap your arms from around Roy while they bicker, quite enjoying the familiarity of the scene before you. It was almost too long ago to fathom the last time Roy had been home long enough to start a fight with Molly, and though you never thought you'd say it, it was really nice to see.

"Incase you lost some brain cells this season, you have to be 18 to buy alcohol, fuckhead." Roy just stared blankly at Molly, and ran his fingers up and down the length of your arm as you stayed curled in his side, thinking about how similar Roy and Molly really are when it comes down to it. "So, I need you to buy it for us."

"Ask mum to buy it for you."

Molly immediately scoffs, throwing her hands in the air and muttering under her breath that she was genuinely concerned that Roy had lost some brain cells from all the headers he'd done this season. "Don't you think I tried that, dumbass? Mum said no to both of us."

Roy's gaze turned to meet yours, surprised to find you already looking at him. "Please Royo, everyone else will be drinking at leavers." Roy could never say no to you, and he was convinced both you and Molly knew that and had concocted this scheme to get him to buy it for you. He didn't mind saying yes, at least not this time, at least not when it was you asking.

Molly ran back into the house with an excited cry, promising to return with all the money she'd owe Roy for the drinks plus some as a charitable donation for his kindness.

For the first time in almost a year, you and Roy where completely alone together. He spared a moment to look at you, really look at you; notice how your hair had gotten longer and that your sense of style had completely changed, that the early summer sun was already tanning your skin and that you still had your arms around him. Roy only tightened his grip on you, dragging you into and around the house with him until you made it to the living room.

His mum had repainted since he'd last been down to visit from Sunderland and there were new photos on the wall behind the settee; mainly of you and Molly on your last day of school and one of Roy at his last match playing for Sunderland.

"You look like a proper footballer now, Royo." Despite every other seat in the living room being free, you took purchase on the arm of the chair right beside Roy and pray no one thinks it's a sign of the bubbling feelings you have for him. You may only be 16 but you're sure you've been in love with Roy for the better part of your life. It's one thing for everyone to tease you about you and Roy having little crushes on each other as kids, it's a whole other thing for people to tease you for having a crush on him when you actually did.

Roy scoffed, taking a long swig from the beer he'd grabbed from the kitchen when he first got to the house, swallowing down his smile. "But not enough for you to stop calling me 'Royo,' apparently."

"You could be the most famous footballer on the planet and I'd still call you Royo." You reached up for his hair and ruffled it, laughing at the way he pulled away from your touch and went to flatten his hair back out almost immediately. "But I mean it, you look like the kind of footballer kids have posters of up on their walls, that they want to be when they grow up."

And you're entirely right. Somewhere up in Manchester, a 6 year old Jamie Tartt is pinning a poster of your Roy up on his wall and promising himself, and his dad, that all of his time and money spent on football practice will one day pay off  - that he's going to be one of the greats, just like Roy Kent.

"You'll always be my Royo, Roy. Even when you're super famous and don't remember me anymore." Your hand had somehow found it's way back into Roy's hair and he couldn't bring himself to move away from your touch. Since his sudden rise to fame, in which it seemed like he'd become an overnight sensation, he couldn't remember when he was last touched so gently. Touching only to touch, not because they wanted something from him or his name.

Roy couldn't keep in the smile that pulled at his lips. It faltered slightly at the fact he couldn't remember the last time he'd smiled, let alone genuinely, but it quickly returned and warmed his face when he meet your eyes. "And how could I ever forget the likes of you, yeah?"

Somewhere between shared words and glances, his hand had found yours and the two of you couldn't tear your eyes away from the other. "Dinners ready, guys." Molly was well known for her perfect timing, and despite some initial upset at the moment being taken from you, you knew it was for the better. Roy was Molly's brother, your best friends brother, who had 5 years on you yet.  Though you knew it was unlikely anything would ever happen between the two of you, moments like this made you think there was a small possibility something one day would. The thought wasn't one worth seriously entertaining. "Did I... interrupt something?"

"What? No way." You and Molly ran from the room hand in hand, giggles bubbling past your lips and exchanged, in hushed whispers, the conversation that Molly had just walked in on.

It was like Roy had never left as he followed the two of you into the dining room. He took his seat across the table from you like he always did and knocked his foot against yours every time he wanted your attention. Dinner was good and before he knew it you were half on top of him on the sofa, sneaking bites from his plate of dessert as everyone else partook in the worlds most heated game of Pictionary.

He gave a sharp nudge to your ribs when you stole the last bite but quickly soothed it over with the gentle drumming of his fingers against your skin. The pair of you talked in hushed tones for the rest of the evening about his transfer to Chelsea and everything he was looking forward to now that he was back in London, as well as all your plans for your super long summer before you started college in September.

It was only when Roy's mum turned to ask if you were going home or staying over that anyone had noticed the two of you cuddled up in the armchair in the corner of the room, both fast asleep. She didn't dare wake you, thankful to see her son at peace for the first time in what felt like years, instead placing a blanket over the two of you and ushering Molly up to bed despite her insistence that you come with her.

One day, she thought, the two of you would finally see yourselves in other people, realise that if love looks like that then the two of you must be in it, and with any luck she'd still be alive to see it. She knew Roy was stubborn enough to keep that from happening. Maybe he would't be this time; at least, not when it came to you.

~*~

When the rumours of Roy's relationship with Britanny Brett are confirmed by a quote she gives in an interview, he finds himself typing out an apology to you. He stares at his phone for 3 hours and the most he can type out is 'I didn't want you to find out like this, I'm sorry,' but he still doesn't send it. Roy's not entirely sure what he's apologising for.

It's the night before his 27th birthday and he's debating whether or not he should show up to the birthday dinner his mum has planned for him tomorrow. You'll be there. He knows it. But only because he knows that Molly dragged you back from uni with her just for the occasion. And for some reason that he can't quite place, or just doesn't want to yet, he feels bad about having to see your face and hear you talk about his girlfriend.

Although Brittany Brett is smoking hot, and they have really great sex, he's not sure he wants to take her home to meet his family. To meet you. Sure, she's a great footballers girlfriend, but he's a little worried about what the people who know him as just Roy will think of her.

When she appears on the other side of his door the morning of his 27th birthday, the first thing he says to her is 'you can't come to my birthday party' and he feels like he's 8 years old again and making mortal enemies in the playground at school. She doesn't acknowledge his comment, instead inviting herself in and making herself at home in Roy's living room, and he's never been more thankful for her 'too good for everyone' demeanour.

He drops her off at her house on the way over to his mums house later that evening. Roy decides he hates the way her perfume lingers in his car and has buried itself under his skin. He wants nothing more then for it to get away from him but there's still 20 minutes left of the drive and he knows the second you hear the car pull up you'll come running out the door and he won't have anytime to get the smell off of him.

When he pulls up on the doorstep of his childhood home 20 minutes later, only Molly comes running from the house to greet him. For a minute he thinks you haven't shown up to celebrate his birthday with him and he feels his heart break in two. He tells himself he doesn't know why. However, when he walks into the house and heads straight to the kitchen in search of a beer to calm his nerves, and help him forget about you, he finds you there, helping his mum with making his favourite dinner and a wide smile on your face.

You notice him lingering, shocked, in the doorway and pull him into your arms. There's less strength to your hold then he's used to but he feels grateful that you even want him in your arms after everything he's done. Now Roy really isn't sure why he's talking like that; like you've been hard done by from his relationship with Brittany Brett. To a degree he feels like he's cheated on you, but he can't have done because the two of you were never together. However, he doesn't let the thought linger, instead pulling you tighter against him and pressing a kiss to the crown of your head. Of course you'd be here, of course you would, but he finds himself holding onto you for a little longer then he probably should just to make sure you're really here and really staying.

Dinner is nice. It's a piece of simplicity he's missed every night since he was 9 years old and heading away to Sunderland for the first time. It's not often nowadays that he gets to eat dinner at a dining table surrounded by people he loves and who love him, so he relishes in every moment of it. He lets his hand brush against yours when he asks for the salt and he nudges your foot with his every-time he wants your attention. Being in this room, in this seat, with you, is like being 8 years old again and everything bad is yet to happen to him. Roy realises he likes the feeling of it more then he ever remembers.

No one brings up Brittany Brett, the way Roy smelt like her when you hugged him, the apology he never sent, or the way you cried in Molly and Ms Kent's arms when you found out he had a girlfriend. Dinner is peaceful and you and Roy share a slice of birthday cake on his Grandad's armchair, then fall asleep together there like he doesn't have a girlfriend and you don't have a broken heart.

His mum feels like she's got two children in her house and she wishes it would stay like this forever, as long as that meant Roy couldn't hurt your heart more then he already had. But Roy is stubborn, and she knows that. When she comes downstairs in the morning it's just you on the armchair with Roy's jacket over your shoulders like a blanket. You're hugging the material tightly against you as if it could ever replace Roy's presence, and even though you're still asleep, both of you know it won't.

When Roy sneaks out at 4am, the first thing he does is drive to Brittany Brett's house and breaks up with her. After all, there's no point being with someone when you know for a fact that you're in love with someone else.

~*~

Molly's dating this guy who doesn't let her speak to you, or Roy, or her own mum and you're scared for her life. In the two times you've managed to get a hold of her, you begged and pleaded with her to leave him. She's only 25 and so are you, you could run away together and start it all over and no one would know any different. Both times she said she wanted to be with him, that she loved him. All you want is your best friend back and for her to be safe, and rather selfishly, because you need her more then you've ever needed anyone.

Despite trying all day, you can't reach her, or her boyfriend, and you don't know who else to call. Ms Kent was the only real parental figure you'd had growing up, but it was pushing midnight and you didn't want to wake her up for the sake of your own comfort. Roy's number is below hers on your favourite contacts and you don't hesitate to ring it. You know he's got a match this weekend and practice tomorrow but you need someone and you have no one else to keep you from your own mind.

Roy's in some club in north London when his phone rings and his screen illuminates with your name and a picture of the two of you from last Christmas. It's one of the newcomers 21st birthday and he remembers being 21 and moving to Chelsea, moving back home, like it was yesterday. He's got 10 years on the kid who's just starting his career while he's going on aging out of it. It's almost enough to make him feel old.

He's quick to answer the phone, practically running out of the club to make sure he can hear you and he's already walking back to his car when he hears the suppressed sniffle to your voice. Roy can't see 100% past 9pm anymore so he doesn't drink when he goes out with the team, he knows it'll only make it worse, and for the first time ever, it's actually come in use.

It takes him 37 minutes exactly to drive from the club to your childhood home that's pressed brick by brick against his, and that's only because he made a pit stop to his own house on the way over. Every time he comes back here lately, it feels like some cruel trick of fate, that he can't have you but can have his entire life shaped by you.

He's banging his fist loudly against the door before he can take into consideration that your neighbours, one of which is his own mother, are likely asleep and wouldn't take too kindly to being woken up at this hour. When you open the door to a friendly face, you all but collapse into Roy's arms, already sobbing and heaving and trying to get the words out but not being able to do so. He scoops you up into his arms, years of intense football training allowing him to do it without second though, and carries you to your bedroom.

He placed you against the pillows and then kicks off his shoes, he definitely scuffed them up in the process but Roy couldn't seem to find the time to mind. Before you've managed to get a single word out Roy's stripped off the bulk of his suit, leaving him in just a shirt, boxers and socks. The image is kind of funny and if you weren't so devastated, you were sure you'd be laughing.

"What's wrong?" When Roy's hands gently wrap around your wrists to try and pull them away from your face and get a glance at you, you just start crying harder. "C'mon sweetheart, talk to me."

When he's met with more silence he pulls out his surprise weapon, a raggedy, old teddy bear, with matted fur that smells surprisingly like Roy. "Would it be easier to talk to Dave?" Finally your hands move away from your face to get a look at the teddy bear, not believing it's right in front of you when you know you haven't seen it since you were five yours old. It took a couple of minutes, lots of sniffling, and really willing yourself to say it, but eventually you did. Roy's arms around your and the soft touch of Dave's fur against your skin settling your nerves.

"My dad died this morning." Roy didn't hesitate to pull you into his lap, settling himself against your pillows as he brought you closer to him. "And I have no one to tell. Molly's boyfriend won't let her speak to me anymore, and I didn't want to burden your mum with it, and I just... I didn't know who to call or talk to and I know you were probably busy-"

"Hey, hey, don't. You did the right thing calling me. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else, yeah?" Both of Roy's hands are cradling your face, forcing you to look at him and really listen to what he wants to say. "I'm here, okay? I'm here. And I'm not going anywhere."

You shuffle in his lap, turning enough that you can bury your head in the crook of his neck and wrap your arms around his shoulders. Roy's warm and surprisingly comfy, but you reckon that's more so because the skin of his thighs are pressing into the skin of yours and you're sure it's the closest you've ever been to him. You try not to think about how you wouldn't mind being this close to him more often.

The rest of the night is spent with you in Roy's arms, his hand running up and down your back, his other hand cradling your face and wiping away each tear that spills over. He lets you ramble and ramble about everything on your mind with no regard for the fact he's got practice at 8am tomorrow. Even when you fall asleep in his arms, tears staining his brand new shirt, practice is the furthest thing from his mind, so much so that he doesn't even remember sending  Di Matteo the text saying he wasn't well and wouldn't be able to make practice in the morning.

Roy wakes up a long time before you, and he finds he has to practically drag himself away from you and the bed. When his eyes blink open he sees the sight he's spent the better part of his life waiting to see: you're in his arms, fast asleep, looking entirely peaceful and for a minute he can pretend that this is his life. While the haze of sleep has yet to fade, he can act like he wakes up to you every morning, that you love him like he loves you, and that, if he wanted to, he could press kisses all over your face until you woke up and flashed him that bright beautiful smile of yours.

If he wanted to, he could press kisses all over your face until you woke up and you would greet him with a soft smile, pressing a kiss to his face in return and not caring if it landed against his lips, cheek, or jaw, because you know you'll be able to kiss the other places whenever you like.

Roy pulls himself out of bed and drags his feet all the way to your kitchen where he cooks the two of you breakfast. Nothing about it is rushed - he knows that he has nowhere to be but here, with you. He knows you've woken up when he can hear the gentle padding of your feet against your bedroom floor. Roy hears you walk down the hall, down the stairs, and into the kitchen, where you then cross the room to him, and wrap your arms around his waist. Dave is clutched in on of your hands and your head is pressed against the dimples of his shoulder blades, your other hand fiddling with the hem of the front of his T-shirt, so casually that any passer by would think this was routine. And even though it isn't, Roy takes the risk of placing his hand atop your own and lacing his fingers through yours. When he can feel you smile into his back, he thinks maybe he should've kissed you in the bedroom, that maybe you'd have liked it just as much as he would've.

~*~

It's another year after your dad died before Molly finds out. She doesn't show up to Christmas, or Easter, but she comes by one late spring afternoon when Ms Kent had invited you and Roy over for picky bits in the garden, with a bin bag full of her belongings and a black eye. If your hand wasn't holding Roy's so tightly you were sure he would've been right out of the door, driving off to find the prick and give him an even worse beating then he'd given his sister.

You pull Roy with you when you cross the garden to engulf Molly in a hug, both of you breaking down at the contact and apologies tumbling from both of your lips. Molly apologises for not being there when your dad died, and not attending the funeral, you force her to take back her apology while also shoving your own down her throat, apologising for not finding her, for not being there. The two of you only cry harder when Roy pulls the two of you, still hugging, into his embrace. It's warm and his hands are big and it makes you feel like you're a child again, and you suppose that in some ways you still are.

It takes almost half an hour for the two of you to calm down enough for any coherent words to get out, and the first ones that do is that Molly's pregnant and she needs somewhere to stay. Immediately you ask her to move in with you. It's perfect really, you're next door to her mum and you've got a room for her and for the baby (when it comes) now that your dads passed. Roy likes the idea even more; something about his three, soon to be four, favourite people being in one place taking his fancy.

The eight months between Molly showing back up and beautiful baby Phoebe being born seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. The soft, warm, yellow paint of phoebes nursery smears your memories of those months; everything about it is caked in the glow of the summer you have when you're 5 years old and have no care in the world.

You and Molly are best friends again and it's like you never missed two years of each others lives; everything just falls right back into place. The two of you do everything together and you wouldn't have it any other way, even when everything includes being in the room with her and Ms Kent when she's giving birth.

Roy, unluckily, is the only one not invited into the room, and he spends almost 6 hours pacing back and forth and back and forth and back and forth in the waiting room, waiting for some kind of an update on his sister and his niece. It's you that comes to give it to him. You're in blue scrubs that you pull off further with every step you take into the waiting room, running right into Roy's arms with the widest smile he's ever seen cross your face.

"She's beautiful, Roy. She's so beautiful." He just nods his head and allows you to take his hand and pull him in the direction of the room Molly and his mum are in. "I love her so much already and she's only been here for 5 minutes."

Roy understood what you meant as soon as he walked into the room. Molly was absolutely glowing, and cradling this tiny, tiny baby in her arms like she was terrified any movement at all might hurt her - she didn't even look like she was breathing less it hurt the baby.

"Do you want to hold her?" You whispered, nudging his foot with yours to gain his attention. "You won't break her, promise." You didn't give Roy the opportunity to answer, instead eagerly taking the baby off of Molly and walking over to Roy. His mum all but pushed him into one of the chairs they had in the room and lectured him on how to hold the baby correctly. Slowly, you lowered her into his arms, making sure he had a comfortable and safe grip on her before you removed your arms from the little Phoebe completely. "Isn't she amazing?"

Roy can already picture it and it's breaking his heart. You, and him, and a little baby wrapped in a blanket with eyes that don't yet know how to open. But, in the daydream he doesn't tell anyone about, you're holding the baby and his arms are around you, whispering how much he loves you into your ear and promising to do everything for that baby. Your baby. He doesn't yet know if a day like that is ever going to come; he'd have to get over himself first, and he doesn't see that happening anytime soon. For you, however, he just might try.

"Yeah, yeah she is."

Molly and little baby Phoebe have to stay in the hospital overnight, but can be discharged in the morning, and Molly doesn't let any of you stay with her. In fact, she demands the three of you head home and come back tomorrow, well rested to drive her and newborn Phoebe home.

The three of you pick up some chinese takeout on your way home and eat it around Ms Kent's dinner table. Molly's absence is so heavily felt that part of you feels thrust back in time to a year ago, when you didn't have any contact with her and didn't know if she was even alive, let alone okay. It shakes you to your core and you leave your dinner half eaten as you excuse yourself to the bathroom just to breathe. When you return to the table, you find that dinner has been cleared away, but Ms Kent is holding out a spoon for you, pointing you in the direction of the living room.

Roy's sat in his grandads armchair with the biggest bowl of ice cream you've ever seen and he opens up his arms to you when he feels you staring at him from the doorway. You didn't hesitate to sit with him, squished up in the seat that fit the both of you slightly better when you were kids, with Roy's arm around your shoulders. When you didn't take a large helping of ice cream for yourself, he nudged the bowl in your direction.

"When Molly came home, I'd get in bed with her each night." You whispered, only loud enough that Roy would be able to hear you. It felt embarrassing, to try and explain why you felt Molly's absence for one night so vastly, but you knew that if anyone would get it, it would be Roy. "For the first month or so, she'd ask me to stay with her, so she knew she wasn't alone and she was safe. So I did. And then one night she was like 'I don't need you in bed with me anymore, I think I'm okay now,' and I didn't know what to do." You stuck your spoon inside the ice-cream, stirring it around the bowl but never bringing the build up of vanilla on the spoon to your lips. "I got in bed that night and I couldn't sleep at all, so I went and knocked on her door and she was still awake. Told me she couldn't sleep either, and I got right back into bed with her." Tears pricked at your eyes and your spoon fell against the bowl. "I don't know what to do without Molly, Royo, I don't want to have to do without her again."

Roy quickly moved the half eaten bowl of ice cream to the coffee table, pulling you into him and cradling your head against his shoulder. "Molly's not going anywhere, babe, she'll be home in the morning. Everything's going to be okay."

Neither of you brought up how he called you babe, and his mum didn't bring up how you fell asleep cuddled up in the armchair like you did when you were kids. But when Roy brought Phoebe and Molly home the following morning, and Molly and Ms Kent had taken Phoebe upstairs to get her settled into her new home, he pulled you in for a hug.

"Told you so." He whispered in your ear, pressing a featherlight kiss to your temple. Then Roy grabbed your hand, interlocking your fingers with his and pulling you up the stairs to join Phoebe in her new room. Dave was in his other hand and he continued to stand by you as you placed it in the crib with her, knowing that she needed Dave more then you or Roy did now.

All of you couldn't wait to watch this little girl grow up surrounded by people who loved her so, so much.

~*~

Roy gets transferred to Richmond just before Phoebe's 4th birthday and you tease him that he has a penchant for getting the best kinds of birthday present. He asks why you remember so clearly that his transfer to Chelsea 15 years ago was just before your 16th birthday, and you answer honestly that it was the only thing you'd wanted for your birthday that year - for Roy to be closer to home. You immediately get to tease him again as a blush coats his cheeks.

On his first day at Richmond, he gets you, Molly and Phoebe seats in the family box, says that they'll always be there if you ever want to come and watch him play, and you reply that you always watch him play.

"I've been playing professionally for half my life. Sunderland, Chelsea, and now Richmond. I've never seen you even glimpse at a football match."

You scoff immediately and Roy's slightly taken aback, you almost look angry at what he's saying and he doesn't know why because he's right. Not that it matters to him, but you just don't like football that much; he doesn't blame you or anything, each to their own, but he wishes you'd like it for him. "I've seen every game you've ever played."

"Yeah, right."

"Yeah, right." You turned to Roy, putting down the bag filled with Phoebe's first ever school uniform inside now that you'd made it back home. "I'm serious. I've watched every match you've ever played in. All of your games with Sunderland and Chelsea, and I'll watch all your games now that you're at Richmond." You turn to Roy with a tense crease in your brow and he's wishing he never brought it up. "You're important to me Roy, of course I'd watch every time you play."

"What's sundayland, babe?" Phoebe had ran into the living room when she'd heard the door go, excited that you and Roy returned home. Molly and you had called each other babe since you were teenagers, and Phoebe had taken to calling you babe over your actual name. It didn't help that Roy had let it slip a few time too, only reassuring her that she was calling you by the correct thing.

"It's nothing, pheeb's." You scooped the little blonde into your arms, resting her against your jutted out hip and beginning to wander through the house. "Where your mum? You need to try on your uniform."

"Can I give you a fashion show?" She asked, leaning her head against your shoulder in a way that had Roy thinking about the two of you with a kid again. He'd have to ask you out first, and with each year that passed, the possibility of him actually doing that seemed to get slimmer and slimmer.

"Of course you can, Pheeb's. Go get dressed. Me and your uncle Roy will wait in the living room."

You stuck to your word, watching every single match that Roy played in. Sometimes at Nelson road, sometimes with Molly and Phoebe, sometimes in Ms Kent's living room - but you always watched him play.

The first time Molly let you take Phoebe to Nelson road was as your birthday present the same year Phoebe turned 6. You'd been pleading all year for Molly to let you bring Phoebe along to a home game, and she finally caved - on the condition you kept her ear defenders on all night and left if it got too much for her. Phoebe loved every minute of the match, screamed her little heart out just for the sake of joining in, even if she didn't know what people were saying; You were certain her cry of 'uncle Roy' every time she saw him with the ball was the loudest in the stadium.

When the match was over, a man with glasses found you in the stands, introduced himself as 'Higgins,' handed you two family lanyards with Kent plastered all over them, and asked you to follow him. You're barely in the changing rooms when Phoebe lets go of your hand, crying Roy's name and interrupting a speak from that new, American coach that Roy had complained about.

"Phoebe!" The blonde didn't wait up for you, running right at Roy and knowing he'd catch her when she flung herself the remaining foot into his arms. "What did I tell you?"

"I didn't know grandad fancied himself a cradle robber." You'd heard enough complaints to know the dig at Roy was from Jamie Tartt, the season loan from Manchester City. "Surely, someone like you isn't married to someone like Roy."

The twinge of disgust that slipped from the mans mouth when he said Roy's name had your blood boiling. "Why? Would you rather me with the likes of you instead?"

Jamie stood in dumbfounded silence as you turned back to Roy, your face entirely brightening, and his presence being totally ignored for the rest of your stay in the lock room. He wasn't used to that. He was trying to compliment you, say you were way out of Roy's league - maybe even ask for your number - but you didn't even spare him a second glance. In fact, now that your eyes were back on him, he wasn't entirely sure you were ever going to look away from Roy again. It made sense when he thought about it in bed later that night, even though he teased the fuck out of Roy and sometimes plainly treated him like shit, Roy Kent was one of the greats. Even Jamie Tartt knew that, and had known it since he was 6 years old - of course he'd managed to score someone like you.

Murmurs of Roy Kent having a secret spouse and daughter had filled Nelson Road before you'd even left the building.

It wasn't that Roy didn't want to talk about you. If he had the opportunity, he'd scream about you from rooftops, but being a footballer was a very public affair and he loved his privacy. Almost as much as he loved you.

The dog track didn't think they'd ever see your face again, not when Roy had growled at them after he'd guided you and Phoebe out of the changing room. Unfortunately for them, they would, under the worst possible circumstances.

You'd been on the edge of your seat the whole match. Roy's been benched for the first time in what you're sure is his entire career and doesn't come on until the 60th minute and when he does, you swear he's on fire. He's playing better then he'd ever played before, running faster then he's ever ran in the past few years, and he's slide tackling Jamie Tartt and getting the ball away from the goal. People are screaming his name and so are you.

And then he's not getting up.

And then he's still not getting up.

And then he's still not getting up, the cheers have died down, and everyone's waiting with baited breath while it's determined if they've just seen the end of Roy Kent's 30 year long career with their own eyes.

And then Roy gets up, and for a fleeting moment you think that maybe everything's okay, that Roy's okay, and he's going to carry on playing.

And then he's walking from the pitch, limping, and your sprinting from your seat in the family box and running up to the owners box. You don't have to say a word because Rebecca calls a member of security over to you, and asks with a kind smile for him to guide you down to the changing rooms.

You linger outside the door for about 5 seconds before you push it open. If you were anyone else, you'd were certain he would've yelled at you to get out, even though he didn't mean it, just for the sake of his image. But you weren't anyone else, you were you.

"I'm fine." You hadn't even made it fully into the room and Roy was already trying to make his pain seem less bad then it was. "I'm fine. Go watch the rest of the match. You might have to drive us back to yours though."

"Roy." He doesn't say anything as you cross the room and sit beside him on the bench. You slowly wrap your arm around his shoulders and tangle your fingers into his hair, pulling his head down to rest against your shoulder. "Don't. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else, yeah? You're important to me, let me be here for you."

Roy kisses you and you instantly realise you'd have waited 33 more years for it, if that meant it would happen.

His lips are chapped, and his beard is slightly scratchy, and he's already breathless before he even leans into it but you don't mind. You find that his lips slant against yours perfectly and he slides you closer against him on the bench, using the hand he'd placed on your hip to give it a squeeze, eliciting an gasp from you. He takes the opportunity to slide his tongue into your mouth but he pulls away before it can escalate.

You hope to anything listening that he wants to kiss you again, because you're sure he's ruined the touch of everyone else's lips against your skin for you.

"I've been in love with you since I was 5 years old." Roy pressed his lips back to yours in a quick succession of kisses and you're sure that thats a good sign.

"Since you were 5 years old?" He asks, nudging his nose against yours, pressing his lips firmly to yours when they brush slightly as he speaks. "Fuck, did we waste a lot of time."

~*~

Roy's been the manager of Richmond for the last 4 months and you're thankful that there's no football on over Christmas. You get Roy practically all to yourself for three weeks and it's the best feeling ever.

Phoebes still in school until the 22nd, and you live together at Roy's house, so there's no chance Molly will walk in on the two of you or his mum will hear you through the walls - meaning 90% of his first week off work is spent having sex on every surface in the house, in every position imaginable.

The second week off is the main bulk of Christmas. You pick Phoebe up from school on the 22nd and she has a sleep over at your house. The 23rd is spent curled up on your couch, with Phoebe sandwiched between the two of you, watching Christmas movies all day and stuffing your faces with popcorn and hot chocolate. Phoebe spends the night again, and then the three of you drive down to Ms Kent's house at lunchtime on the 24th. Molly comes home from work around 6pm and the 5 of spend the rest of the evening in the living room, watching 'love actually' and 'the polar express,' until it's time for bed. Even though you and Roy have been together for nearly 3 years now, you sleep in Molly's bed with her and Phoebe, reminiscing on the christmas's of your childhood and giggling over them until you fall asleep.

When christmas morning finally comes, you and Molly are the last awake, Phoebe jumping all over the two of you and demanding you get downstairs as soon as possible to see what Father Christmas has left for her. You let Phoebe drag you down stairs even though you're barely awake and you crawl into Roy's lap, in his grandads armchair, at the first opportunity. He's already got a coffee made for you, just the way you like it, and a warm hand that he slips up the back of your tshirt to scratch gently against your skin as you watch Phoebe begin to open her mountain of presents.

"How many of these are from you?" You whisper, feeling Roy smile against your temple as you sip on your coffee, slowly waking up in his arms.

"Enough. They're not all for Pheeb's anyway." Roy picks you up enough to adjust your position in his lap, making it more comfortable for the both of you to sit and talk and watch presents getting opened. "Some for my mum, some for Molly, some for you."

"You're too kind to me, baby." You lean up enough to press a kiss to Roy's lips, ignoring the loud screech Phoebe lets out at the display of affection. "I got some stuff for you under there too, handsome."

"I don't see you under that tree, Father Christmas clearly mustn't have got my list." Even though you're not looking directly at Roy you can feel the smirk that is pulling at his lips.

Before you could comment on what that could possibly mean Phoebe was calling your name, sticking her hand out with a tiny, paper-wrapped box in her palm. "This one's for you, it says it's from uncle Roy!"

"For me, huh? Lets have a look then, shall we Pheeb's?" Phoebe abandoned her half opened pile of gifts to stand beside you, leaning over the arm of the arm chair and over your shoulder to get a prime look at the gift as you opened it. "Thank you, baby."

Roy pinched your hip teasingly, pressing a kiss to your cheek as he intently watched you carefully unfold the wrapping paper. "Open it first, you might not like it. I kept the receipt so... just say the word and we'll get it changed."

"It's from you, Royo, I'm sure I'll love it." You punctuated your words with a kiss to his lips, not realising just how much your words would ring true until you'd fully unwrapped the box; finding a navy blue, velvet ring box and tears in Ms Kent's eyes. "Roy..."

"I spent 36 years of my life not knowing you felt the same way about me as I felt about you." Roy took the box gently from your hold and opened it, taking the dainty and elegant ring from it and holding it between the two of you. "And I don't plan to waste another moment of my life without you by my side."

"Yes."

"Oi, you're supposed to let me fucking ask you first." A laugh bubbled past your lips despite the tears building in your eyes. "Will you make me the happiest man alive, and marry me?"

"Yes." Your hands found Roy's face before his could place the ring on your finger, pulling him into a hot and forceful kiss, tilting his head back with how much you leaned into it, into him. "Yes. Yes. Yes, please."

"You owe me £1, Uncle Roy."

Tears are shed and the rest of the gifts are opened. Christmas dinner goes by without a hitch, and before you know it the days nearly over and you find yourself in Roy's lap, in his grandads armchair, with one bowl of dessert between the two of you, like so many times before. Ms Kent is sat across from the two of you with her own bowl of dessert and she looks like she wants to say something about it. She doesn't, but only because she knows, and she knows that you and Roy know. This day was a long time coming and she's over the moon that it's come in her lifetime.

Roy's love for you was stronger then any will he had to remain stubborn, and after a life time of waiting, he'd finally found his way to you, and she was sure he would find his way to you in every lifetime; even if it took 100 years or breaking a curse. Like she'd told you on that cool September morning, the prince always comes back, and they always live happily ever after. And she was sure the two of you were going to as well.

an : if you made this this far I love you!!! I hope you enjoyed another super long Roy fic, feel free to leave some feedback or what your favourite part of the story was, or even a request from my summer sleepover prompts!! Mwah <333

[mountttmase]

Winter Sun - Chapter 4

Note - chapter four already 🤭 we’re over halfway now and I really hope you’re enjoying it so far. Thank you so much for all you lovely people who send me feedback, I appreciate you than I could tell you 😘 this chapter is extra cheeky so buckle up and I’d love to hear what you think 🩷

Pairing - Mason Mount × Reader

Word count - 7.8k

Warnings - series will contain fluff, smut & angst

Masterlist

Your tummy had been churning since you woke up. Partly from the nerves of today but also from thinking about what you and Mason had gotten up to last night. The way he'd handled you with such roughness but praised you at the same time had made you head spin and you could feel your knees buckle as you thought about his wet body pressed tightly to yours.

An incoming call made you snap out of your thoughts, Carly’s face filling the screen and you picked it up with a smile.

‘Good morning, sunshine’ you sang down the phone. Popping the last few bits you needed into your bag and her light chuckle made you smile.

‘Good morning to you too. Are you nearly ready?’

‘Yeah just getting the last of my stuff together’

‘Okay well Mason overslept so him and the boys are gonna follow on once he’s ready. I thought we could go for a little early girly breakfast with the others’

‘Ooo yeah okay I’ll be up in a sec’ you told her before popping your shoes on and meeting the others upstairs.

It was only a ten minute walk to the harbour and you managed to find a cute little cafe along the waters edge so you could order some coffee and pastries and wait for the boys. You’d been sat talking for around half an hour when Kayla said she spotted the boys coming, the four of them laughing and joking until they got closer and saw what they’d missed out on.

‘You made us miss breakfast’ Dec groaned, flopping down next to Lauren but thankfully she’d saved him something.

‘Don’t you start’ Mason groaned, trying to fit himself onto the sofa next to you before picking up your glass of orange juice so he could take a big gulp.

‘What happened Mase?’ Lauren asked as the boys surrounded the table but he just huffed as he placed his arm around the back of you.

‘I was exhausted when I got to bed last night and I must have forgotten to set an alarm for today’ he explained, reaching for the half eaten croissant on your plate and taking a bite out of the end.

‘Was turning the alarm off last night really that stressful?’ Woody laughed and you had to bite back your smile. Looking up at him carefully but the small wink he sent you made your heart flutter.

‘What do you think?’ You asked him quietly, head nodding to the pastry in his hands be he just shrugged and threw it back onto the plate.

‘S’alright. Never as good as yours though’

‘You flatter me’ you laughed, rolling your eyes before turning back to the group. ‘Woody? How are you feeling this morning?’

‘Alright I think. I think the sun got to me yesterday and then all that drink, I just couldn’t handle it’

‘You wait till I get you on that boat’ Dec teased, a mischievous look plastered across his features. ‘I’m gonna rock it until you throw up’

You let the boys bicker amongst themselves. Watching Ben pay for everyone’s breakfast sneakily and when he’d seen you’d caught him he looked at you with a guilty expression.

‘You didn’t have to do that Ben, we could of got it’

‘Its fine I-‘

‘Where do I pay’ you suddenly heard behind you, Carly rummaging through her bag to try and find her purse but you managed to stop her before she emptied her whole bag out.

‘Your delight of a boyfriend has already paid for everyone’ you told her, watching her face soften as she reached over to hold him by his cheeks.

‘Oh Benji, that’s so sweet you didn't need to do that’ she told him sweetly, bringing her lips up to his so she could kiss him deeply so you thought you’d let them have their moment. Going back to join the others so you could make your way over to the boat with Dec and Lauren as Mason trailed behind talking to Woody but as soon as you were about to climb on board he snuck in front of you so he could help you climb on. Blushing as he held his hand out for you.

There was space at the back for all your stuff. Everyone stripping down to their swimwear and excitedly walking around but you waited until everyone had mostly gone before you got changed.

‘I’m sorry, what the hell are you wearing?’ Mason asked quietly after everyone had moved to the front of the boat and it was finally just the two of you. His face was unreadable and you weren’t exactly sure what to say.

Your heart sank at his words, looking down at the bright orange set you’d picked especially for him because you thought he’d love it but his tone seemed angry almost and you gulped as you crossed your arms over yourself.

‘What do you mean?’ You asked quietly, not wanting to look up at him as you thought you’d done something wrong but the feeling of his hands on your wrists so he could uncross your arms made you look up at him shyly.

‘You don’t make this easy for me Muffin, you know that right? How am I meant to act like I don’t wanna fuck your brains out every time I look at you when you’re gonna be walking around like this all day’ he told you with a smile and you realised it wasn’t the fact he didnt like what you were wearing, he actually liked it a little too much. ‘I mean what even is this?’ He laughed, fingers gripping the material that hung on your hips.

‘It’s a sarong’ you whispered, shivering as his hand dipped past the split in the skirt so he could grip your thigh. ‘I didn’t wanna walk around in just a bikini all day so it's just a bit of a cover up, that’s all’

‘Well it's making me lose my mind’ he told you quietly, pulling you closer to his body so he could hide is face in your neck. ‘You’re so sexy and you don't even try’

‘You can talk’ you laughed, trying to brush his compliments away as you could feel the effects they were having on you become stronger by the minute. But you also wanted to give him a taste of his own medicine. ‘You think its easy for me watching you walk around with just those little shorts on?’ You laughed, feeling him laugh into your neck as he shook his head slightly. ‘Let’s just try and keep it in our pants, yeah?’

‘I’ll try’ he huffed, pulling back to look at you and the blush across his cheeks made your heart thump. ‘Will you help me with my sun cream?’

‘Of course’ you whispered. ‘Go save us a spot and I’ll be over in a second’ you told him, letting him join the others as you calmed yourself down a little. Once you found the cream you went and sat by him and began to help him apply it, noticing Declan eyeing you curiously from the other side of the boat but you ignored him for now until he made his way over.

‘I think were gonna take turns jumping off the side, you both joining?’

‘Oh um…’ you stuttered, not wanting to be a party pooper but Mason was handing you his phone with a wink.

‘Yeah I’m coming. Y/n promised to get some shots of us’ Mason explained, helping you up so you could join them on the side but he found you somewhere safe to sit so you wouldn’t fall in if the boat swayed about too much.

‘Hey Mase, why have you got a third nipple?’ Woody suddenly questioned. Everyone’s eyes flashing down to Masons chest and the small purple bruise you’d left there last night but you could tell Mason was floundering straight away.

‘Oh that? It’s nothing I just uh- I dropped my shower gel last night and it hit me in the chest’ he lied but you could tell none of the other boys believed him.

‘I wondered what that crash was last night, I could hear it from across the hall’ you chimed in, hoping a bit of support from you would make his silly lie a bit more believable and thankfully it worked. The rest of them making jokes at how clumsy he was before he sent you a quick wink in thanks.

He was trying to impress you, each jump higher and more dangerous than the last and each time he hit the water you felt your heart thump in fear but his little smile as he surfaced always made you feel better.

You left the boys to themselves for a bit, joining the girls for a gossip so you could top up your tan whilst you laughed at the boys trying out silly flips and hearing Masons excited little scream made you giggle.

‘You make sure you don’t hurt yourselves' Carly called over to them before Ben made his way back to her, leaving sloppy wet kisses over her face as his wet hair dangled over her skin causing her to shriek from the sensation. ‘What the hell, Ben you’re all wet’

‘I swear to god Woody, you come near me like that and I'll scream’ Kayla laughed, sitting up as Woody made a move for her, but in the end he grabbed a towel so he could dry off before sitting by her. Dec seemed to have the same idea and knew not to get Lauren wet but you knew Mason was about to do something silly.

You watched him carefully, his towel thrown over his head like a tent as he smiled down at you cheekily but you were slightly distracted watching the stray drops of water travel down his perfect body until they got lost in the waistband of his shorts. You knew he was looking at your mesmerised face and before you knew it everyone began to laugh as he came and laid directly on top of you.

‘You alright there, Mase?’

‘I’m okay’ he laughed, snuggling down into your neck and the cold water made you shiver. ‘You okay?’

‘I’m fine. I mean there’s a heavy weight on me right now but apart from that I’m great’

‘Hey I’m not that heavy’ he moaned, slyly kissing your neck out of the view of everyone else before placing his lips by your ear. ‘Do you ever get sea sick?’

‘Not really, why?’

‘Do you think you could pretend?’ He asked, sliding off you a little so he could rest on his arm and look down at you.

‘Why? You asked with a laugh but his cheeky smirk let you know already.

‘Cause if I don’t do something about the hard on you give me every time I look at you I don’t know what i'll do next’ he explained. ‘Just pretend so I can take you inside and we can be alone for a bit’

‘Just give me some time to get into character. I’ve been sat here chatting like I’m fine I can’t just suddenly be sick’ you explained, watching him excitedly nod at you with a laugh before he got up. Joining the boys again to leave you to it and as the minutes passed, you got quieter and quieter. Resting one hand on your head as the other sat on your tummy and it only took about 15 minutes for everyone to realise something was wrong.

‘Are you okay, y/n? Lauren asked. ‘You’ve gone awfully quiet’

‘I think it's just a little bit of sea sickness, I’m sure it’ll pass’ you smiled but Mason's head was popping up instantly. Ready to get in on the action and make out like you were worse than you were so he grabbed a water bottle and came and sat next to you again.

‘Have you had enough to drink?

‘I’m not sure’

‘You look pale as anything’ he told you, placing a hand on your forehead and making a concerned face. ‘Maybe I should take you inside for a bit, grab you some water and we can stay out of the sun until you start feeling better’

‘Yeah okay, I think that’s for the best’

You let him help you up, holding onto his arm for support as he wrapped an arm around your waist and slowly walked you away from everyone and you thought you’d be away without any issues until someone spoke up.

‘You two gonna be alright? Dec asked, an unreadable tone to his voice but Mason was quick to jump in and reassure him.

‘Yeah, she’ll be fine. I could do with getting out the sun for a bit anyway’ he told him, walking further out of sight. ‘You guys carry on and we’ll be back when she’s better’

As soon as you were out of sight around the side of the boat you couldn’t help but let the giggles take over. ‘I can’t believe they fell for that’ you laughed quietly, opening the door that led to the inside and as soon as you took the first step down you felt him slap your bum gently.

‘Come on Kate Winslet, i’ll sort your Oscar out later’ he teased but as soon as you made it downstairs you realised there would be an issue.

‘We can’t just do it out here’ you told him, looking around at the wide open space. ‘What if someone comes down to check on us? They’ll see everything’

He knew you were right, looking around the room with his lip trapped between his teeth until his eyes fell on the bathroom door and you watched them light up.

‘You can’t be serious’ you laughed, not wanting to to do anything with him in there but he’d already made his mind up and was walking over.

‘This is our only option, come on it’s fine’ he laughed, opening the door and ushering you in. The bathroom was pretty nice and you watched him sit the lid of the toilet down before taking a seat and tapping his thighs. ‘I know it’s not the height of luxury but I’m desperate’

‘I suppose it’s something I can tick off my bucket list’ you huffed, hands reaching to take off your bottoms but one look from him let you know he wanted the sarong left on.

Once you were ready, he shifted his shorts down to free himself before tapping his thighs again so you’d come and sit on him but there was something in the back of your mind that you wanted to do and now seemed like the perfect opportunity.

‘Come on muffin, you know what to do’ he teased, the cheeky smirk on his face driving you wild but you just stood looking at him with your lip trapped between your teeth.

You did know what to do. You knew exactly what he wanted but there was a little voice in the back of your head that was telling you to ignore him and do what you wanted to do. Something you’d been thinking about for days so when you dropped down on your knees in front of him he gave you a confused look.

‘Can I have a taste first please Masey?’ You asked sweetly, taking him in your hand as you looked up at him through your lashes and a sense of pride filled you at the way he was looking at you. His mouth slightly agape as if he wasn’t sure you were being serious but as you began to press kisses to his thighs he nodded his head. Looking on in awe as you licked a long stripe up his length before taking him into your mouth.

‘Jesus Christ, y/n’ he huffed, his hand holding the back of your neck as you worked on him and you felt your legs clench together as the noises falling from his lips.

Mason always liked to keep it very pg in front of the cameras and you knew he swore around his friends but you never knew he had such a filthy mouth until right now. Grunts and groans pouring from him as he repeatedly told you what a good girl you were. That were his good girl and he couldn’t wait to have you so you figured you’d put him out of his misery and came off of him with a pop.

‘Come up here’ he whispered, pulling you up by your arms so you could straddle him and without wasting a second you lined him up and sank down onto him. Giving your hips one roll forward but that was as far as you got before you heard a loud voice and footsteps coming down the stairs inside.

‘Where are you two?’ Dec called, his voice far away but closer than you wanted it to be and the pair of you looked at each other in shock. Almost frozen in fear as if you didn’t know what to do but thankfully Mason took over to try and bail the two of you out.

‘In the bathroom mate. She’s really not well-‘

He was cut off by the feeling of you rolling your hips on top of him. Not caring the Dec was outside the door and this could possibly end very badly but you wanted to teach him a lesson for dragging you down here so he could get his own away.

‘Let me in’ he laughed, trying the handle but luckily enough for you Mason had remembered to lock it.

‘No no no! she’s not well’ Mason shouted. Panicking that you’d be caught in a precarious position but thankfully the door didn’t budge. ‘She’s throwing up she doesn’t want an audience’ he managed to get out, your hips still moving as you tried not to moan and from the way he was gripping your waist you knew he was finding it difficult too.

In the midst of the slight panic you did all you could think of to help and began making fake sick noises. Feeling mason pull you closer, hiding in your neck to silence his laughs as they sounded so terrible before quickly kissing you to make you stop.

‘Do you need me to get anything’

‘No, just go back up and let her sort herself out’ he told him, voice wavering from the way you were making him feel and unfortunately Dec heard.

‘Are you alright mate, you don’t sound too good yourself’

‘I’m fine, just not good with sick. We’ll be back up soon just keep out the way for now’ Mason pleaded. Hoping that would be enough for him to go and before long you both heard him walk back up the steps and shut the door causing you to look at each other again with stupid smiles as you let out a moan in unison.

‘I don’t think you deserve that Oscar now after that performance’ he teased. Pulling down your bikini on one side so he could attach his lips to your chest and the new sensation made you squeeze around him. ‘Just couldn’t wait to fuck me huh?’

‘Nuh uh, and I was under pressure’ you laughed, your head falling forwards until you were touching again and after a quick kiss Mason's lips were by your ear.

‘I need you to keep moving those hips for me, Muffin. Show me how grateful you are for me saving you’ he teased. Hands trailing up and down your back gently as you let out a little chuckle but he was right. You owed him one this time so you did as he asked. Bouncing up and down on him like your life depended on it but as soon as his thumb connected to your clit you knew you were done for.

Thankfully for you, Mason wasn’t far behind you. Your high inducing his own and once you’d calmed down he pulled you into a hug and you both sat there for a few minutes in each other’s embrace as you got your breath back. His fingers trailing across your skin lightly before he nuzzled into your neck so you could hold each other tighter. Both content in the other’s embrace and not caring if it was allowed or not.

‘Come on, we should head back up’ you sighed, getting yourself off of him with a hiss and you quickly dressed yourselves before making sure you looked presentable.

‘Remember you're sick when you’re up there. Don't blow our cover’

‘Well you’ve tired me out so I’ll probably just take a nap’ you laughed. Letting him kiss your check before you both made an appearance again. Carly calling you over to her side and you spent the rest of the time on the boat next to her as she looked after you and kept you hydrated.

‘You’re looking a bit better than before’ she smiled after a little while so you nodded up to her as you sat up properly.

‘Maybe i ate something I shouldn’t have, I feel a lot better now. Thank you for looking after me’

‘What are best friends for’ she laughed, wrapping an arm around your shoulders so she could pull you in and even though you felt bad for lying to her, you were so thankful to have a friend like her to look after you.

You all decided to head back in around 4pm, wanting to get back to the villa for a shower and you all decided you didn’t want a late one tonight after your night before and your packed day today so you found a restaurant in the main town that could fit you all in. Just like clockwork, Mason was next to you with his arm resting on the back of your chair and you felt like a schoolgirl as you looked at him in his tight vest that was under his open shirt and baggy trousers that showed off his bum perfectly.

You couldn’t deny you loved it though, feeling like he was claiming you in front of everyone. Like you belonged to someone and when your eyes met his repeatedly throughout the night you felt the excitement rush through you knowing what you’d done earlier and what you could still do when you got back.

‘Are you ordering dessert?’ You asked him, unsure if you were able to handle one but the cheeky bite of his lip as he looked you up and down let you know he wasn’t about to give a sensible answer.

‘I mean there’s definitely something sweet I’ve been thinking about eating all day but I think I’ll have to wait till we’re back at the villa to enjoy it’

‘Mason’ you scolded quietly, looking around in fear on the off chance that someone heard but they all seem to be wrapped up in their own conversations thankfully.

‘What? There’s a slice of cheesecake in the fridge I got when we went shopping. I’ve been saving it’ he told you before dragging your chair a little closer to his. ‘I’m sorry, Muffin. You wanna split one?’

‘I’m not so sure now’ you laughed, knowing your cheeks were blood red and you didn’t want anyone to be suspicious so you held your menu up to your face in hopes no one would be able to see you.

‘Oh don’t be like that’ he laughed, hand creeping over your thigh as he moved his head next to yours. Dropping a kiss on your cheek as no one could see you both now but it only made you blush even harder. ‘Come on, you pick what you want and I’ll just eat whatever you leave’

‘Bit like my breakfast this morning huh?’

‘Well I was hungry and it was your bloody fault I was late anyway’

‘How was it-‘

‘Excuse me’ you suddenly heard, dropping the menu down so both of your faces were revealed. The whole table looking at you with curious eyes before Dec carried on speaking. ‘What the hell are you two doing?’

‘Looking at the puds. Its dark in here I couldn’t see’ Mason defended before his eyes shot back to the menu. Trying to make it look like he was carrying on what he was doing before but you knew he was acting and it took all of your power not to laugh at him.

You ordered the chocolate cake in the end, taking it in turns to have a mouthful as you spoke between yourselves but it wasn’t long before Dec was piping up again.

‘Is there something you two wanna tell us?’ Dec laughed, waving his fork in between you and you felt your face flush as everyone turned to look at you both.

‘Mate, stop it’ Mason started but Dec was in a teasing mood unfortunately and you felt yourself sink back into the chair.

‘You don’t leave each other alone’

‘We’re the only two single people here, yeah? What do you want us to do? Third wheel you guys all the time? We’re just talking Dec, can you not? You making y/n uncomfortable now stop it’ Mason told him, trying to defend the pair of you as you had been acting innocently for the most part over dinner and now you felt like you weren’t allowed to even look at Mason without someone saying something.

Thankfully Lauren stepped in, telling Dec off for being immature and upsetting you and Mason but even after he apologised you still felt weird. Letting Mason know he could finish it so you wouldn’t get caught being too close and the sad look in his eyes made your tummy churn.

‘Please just ignore him, he thinks he’s funny and he’s not’ Mason told you quietly and even though you tried to send him a reassuring smile, you didn’t feel like you could talk to him how you were before. Choosing to walk home with Carly and Ben so no one thought anything else was going on but you knew Mason had pulled Dec aside to have a go at him as soon as you got back.

You were treating yourself to a drink in the kitchen when you felt someone walk in, looking up to see Declan looking at you with a face full of sorrow so you smiled at him sympathetically.

‘I’m sorry y/n, I didn’t mean to be rude at dinner. And all the other times’

‘It’s fine-‘

‘No it’s not. Mase told me you’re finding it difficult being here with all the couple’s and you’d made a pact to stick together so I’m sorry for making you feel weird about it’ he explained, taking a seat at the island and you could sense he wanted to talk further about it so you took up the seat opposite him. ‘Truth is, I’d love for him to be with someone like you. He’s been single for a while but he picks all the wrong people, it’s exhausting’ he laughed, eyes lighting up in humour as you laughed along with him. ‘I just think you could be what he needs, but I’m sorry for pushing it, I bet I sound insane’

‘You sound like a concerned father’ you joked, making him laugh before he stood up to pull you into a hug. ‘But you know I want the same for him, that’s just not what this is. We’re friends and that’s it’

‘Well I’ll stop acting like a pushy parent now and leave it. But please don’t be awkward around him or anything cause I know he likes hanging out with you and I don’t wanna mess it up’

‘It’s fine, I’ll pretend none of this even happened’ you nodded, pulling back so you could grab your drink but you made sure to get Mason another bottle from the fridge before you made your way outside.

It was still early by everyone else’s standards, all choosing to come back and have a few drinks and a chat round the fire out where you could actually hear yourselves think but when Dec took his seat you realised there were only two left. One next to Kayla and one next to Mason and even though the events of tonight were still fresh and you’d wonder what everyone thought, you pushed through it and took up the seat next to Mason. The biggest smile on his face now that you were back with him as you popped his fresh bottle on the table in front of him. Your heart giving a thump as he wrapped his arm around the back of you and pressed a barely there kiss to your temple.

‘Thanks, Muffin’

‘Just doing my job’ you laughed but he shook his head playfully in response.

Mason kept his arm around the back of you the whole time and eventually you forgot Dec’s words from earlier. But for Mason it had only made him want to tease you even more it seemed, dropping his arm from the chair so it was draped around your back as he secretly stroked his fingers up and down your waist.

You looked up at him with wide eyes, wondering why he was being so touchy after everything that had been said tonight but he just smiled down at you before placing his lips by your ear.

‘You look really nice l tonight, by the way’ he whispered. Your face heating up immediately as you weren’t used to compliments like this from him. He’d never said anything of the sort the whole time you’d known him and you did all you could think of and tried to deflect and be silly with him.

‘You don’t look too bad yourself’

‘What high praise’ he laughed, resting his head on top of yours as he squeezed you a little tighter. ‘You know I’ve been thinking about that cheesecake in the fridge ever since dinner’ he told you and you rolled your eyes at how hungry he always seemed to be but you could tell from the tone of his voice that just like in the restaurant, he wasn’t talking about cheesecake.

‘You can eat for England sometimes I swear’

‘What, it tastes nice’

‘What sort of cheesecake is it anyway?’

‘It’s this new one, I tried it at the beginning of the week actually’ he told you with a cheeky smirk and you wondered what game he was playing. ‘I’ve been looking at it and wanting to try it for a while but I finally got a taste the other day and now I just want it all the time’

‘Oh yeah?’ You questioned, knowing for definite his words had a double meaning as the dark look in his eyes was making you think he wanted you right now.

‘Mhmmm’ he drawled, squeezing your hip teasingly and you knew exactly what he was talking about ‘I think i might have a serious problem’

‘Well don’t leave it in the fridge for too long, someone else might eat it’ you teased and you watched his face fall just a touch before he smiled at you again.

‘No way, it’s my cheesecake this week’ he teased and even though the pair of you were laughing together you felt weird at him specifying it was this week only.

Mason seemed to be on a mission to tease you for the rest of the night. Touching you and stroking your skin in places that he knew would get him in trouble. Kissing your head and whispering directly into your ear and you knew he was doing it so that when you were finally alone you’d be wound up enough to let him have you but little did he know you were out for a little bit of revenge.

‘I think I’ll head to bed now’ Mason announced to the group and you knew exactly what that meant. He was expecting you to follow him but after the way he’d been teasing you all night you were ready to give it back to him. You let everyone say good night, Ben and Dec announcing they’d be following him in a second and as soon the others were out of ear shot a you turned to him.

‘So soon?’ You asked, batting your eyelashes innocently which caused him to eye you curiously. You were pushing your luck, like you had been all evening, and you knew it but you weren’t about to give up now.

‘Yeah, it’s been a long day. Are you not tired?’

‘Not even a little bit’ you replied, winking as you took another sip of you drink. ‘Me and the girls have got plans to play a few drinking games’

‘Oh… okay then’

‘Sweet dreams, Mase. See you in the morning?’ you smiled, kissing his cheek but not waiting for his reply as you made your way back over to where the girls were sat. There were no plans for any drinking games but he didn’t need to know that. You were just waiting to see how long it would be before before he text you to join him or if that didn’t happen then you’d surprise him but the more worked up he was getting the better.

It only took 15 minutes for your phone to buzz, Masons name popping up and making you bite your lip to hold back a smile before you let the girls know you were off to bed too before you all made your way back inside. Them taking the stairs up to their rooms as you went down to yours and Masons floor.

You didn’t reply to him, the anticipation too much for you already so you gently knocked and after his faint come in you stepped inside and locked the door behind you.

Mason was sat in the chair behind the desk to the side of his bed, his back to you but as soon as you stepped in the room he slowly turned in the seat to face you. Arms crossed over his chest to show you he was annoyed but his thighs were wide and legs on show in those shorts you loved so much. His face was set, eyes burning into you as he gave you the once over before they settled on your face and you knew you were in for it.

‘You summoned me’

‘I want you to strip for me’ he told you seriously, ignoring the little laugh that came from you at his suggestion but it only to a moment to realise he was being serious.

‘Mase, I-‘

‘I’m waiting’

It was clear to see he wasn’t playing around, a tingle making its way up your spine as you looked back at him. Heat rising to your cheeks as thought over what you were about to do, something you’d never done for anyone, but even though Mason seemingly had turned into an absolute devil it had been your mission to wind him up and you now had the possibility to get under his skin even further.

It was a risk but you trusted Mason so you got to work.

You didn’t take your eyes from his, fingers heading straight to the top button of your dress so you could slowly undo them one by one and you watched as he started to shift in his seat as your hands got lower and lower. You couldn’t tell if you wanted you to slow down or hurry up as his eyes raked over your body. His hands moving to sit in his lap so he could fiddle with his fingers as he took in a nervous gulp and the way he was reacting to you gave you a little boost.

Once all the buttons were undone, you trailed your hands back up your body, slowly prying the fabric apart to give him a glimpse of the white laced underwear set you’d put on in hopes he’d see at some point tonight but you didn’t think he’d be seeing it like this.

As soon as your dress his the floor you watched the way his Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat, dark eyes seemingly lost as he couldn’t keep up with where he wanted to look and the shuddery breath that left his lips send a tingle down to your core. You were in the drivers seat now it seemed as he looked at you with flushed cheeks and his lip between his teeth but that was all over when you bent down to untie the strap on your heel.

‘Nuh uh. Keep the shoes on’

‘Seriously?’

‘My game, my rules’ he told you, his confident persona now back it seemed as he lent forward with his elbows on his thighs so he could get a better look at you. ‘Carry on’

The mood had shifted again, Mason with the upper hand so you turned away from him, giving him a view of your bum in the lacey thong you had on before reaching up to unhook your bra. As soon it was off you moved your hair to the side so your back was bare for him and you could hear him shuffling around behind you, not content that he couldn’t see what he wanted to and you tried to hold back a smile at the state you were getting him in.

‘Turn around’

‘Patience is a virtue, Mason’ you teased, sticking your thumbs under the waistband of your underwear so you could tug them down, your hips swaying from side to side a little as you pulled them lower before you bent over for him so you could drop them to the floor and step out of them.

Only then did you slowly turn for him, watching his eyes automatically fly to your chest before making their way down your body so he could drink up every last inch of you. You loved the way he always looked at you, like it was the first time and he couldn’t believe what you were hiding under your clothes but once again he switched. Back to his cocky self and you watched as he nodded his head towards the bed next to him with a serious face. ‘Lay down for me’

You did exactly what he said, not messing around as you were quite liking the way he was being with you so you crawled on top and got settled as he stood up. Standing at the end of the bed fully dressed whilst he looked over you naked body before he nudged your legs apart with his knee so he could rest himself in between your thighs.

‘You were really gonna make we wait huh? I’m glad you came to your senses’ he murmured, lips trailing across your chest before licking a stripe up between your boobs until he got to the base of your throat where he left a light kiss. ‘I was gonna make you suffer for that but since you were such a good girl and did what I asked I think I might go lightly on you’

The butterflies in your stomach were swarming, unsure if you wanted him to take it lightly on your or you wanted him to drag everything out but you knew either way he was in the mood to make you feel good. He was unpredictable though and you weren’t sure what he had in store for you so when he got himself settled to the side of you with your leg trapped between his and the mattress you looked up at him curiously.

He paid no attention to you though, picking up your opposite arm and popping a finger in his mouth so he could wet it before positioning it in between your thighs.

‘Get yourself started and I’ll help you in a minute okay?’ He told you lowly. ‘I wanna watch you first’

You didn’t bother arguing, you knew he’d get his own way eventually so you did what he asked, slowly circling over yourself the way you loved. You just pretended he wasn’t there and got into it like you did when you were alone and he mostly left you to it but once you felt his lips around your nipple you couldn’t help but let out a breathy moan.

‘You gonna let me take over now?’ He spoke against your chest and you finally made eye contact with him, his dark orbs on yours and you managed a feeble nod as his hand met yours to pull it away from you before he laid down in between your legs with your thighs pushed up so you were completely on show for him.

He was clearly still feeling devious as he pressed open mouthed kisses all over the backs of your thighs it made sure to stay away from where you needed him most until you started to squirm and he playfully bit your thigh.

‘Stay still’

‘Come on, Mase. I can’t take it anymore’

‘Poor baby. You think this is bad you wait till you see what I’ve got planned for you’

‘But you said you would go lightly on me’ you mumbled, words barely making it out of your mouth as they inched closer to where you needed him.

‘I tell you what, if you promise to keep your hands to yourself I’ll give you what you want right now’ he told you, chuckling as he watched you place your hands under your head so you weren’t tempted to touch him. ‘See, I’ve got you well trained already’

‘I swear to god Mason if you don’t-‘

Your words were cut off by the feeling of his tongue finally connecting with your clit. Short sharp flicks that made your whole body tingle and the most obscene noises to pour from your throat which caused the grip he had on your thighs to tighten a little bit.

‘I wanted to make you suffer for a bit longer but you taste too good’ he moaned, diving back in to play with you as only he knew how and the fact that you couldn’t touch him was making you insane.

That didn’t mean you couldn’t watch him though and you melted at the way he was looking back up at you, a cheeky smile on his lips as he knew how good he was making you feel from the way you were grinding your hips down onto his mouth.

As soon as his right hand started to venture down you knew what was happening and you clenched around nothing in anticipation of his fingers, crying out as he finally began pumping them in and out of you and it was almost as if he’d hit fast forward on your high. His name tumbling out of your mouth in anticipation but just as it was about to hit he stopped all of his movements and your high fizzled away into thin air.

‘What the fuck?’

‘I think you need teaching a lesson young lady’ he laughed, licking his fingers before kissing your thigh again.

‘Are you seriously gonna edge me?’

‘A few times yes. Then you’ll know how I felt having to come here in my own and wait for you’

‘I think I know enough already, please Mase I wanna cum’

‘And you will, I promise’ he told you and you felt like screaming.

But that’s what he did, got you close to your high another two times before stoping just short and you couldn’t be more frustrated if you tried. Every time he took you closer than the last until you were at the point of tears and your frustrations got the better of you.

‘Mase, please. I can’t do it anymore’ you sobbed thrashing your arms when he stopped again and his cocky smile did nothing to settle you.

‘I know, Muffin. I promise I’ll let you next time yeah? I want you cum around me though’ he whispered into your neck, rising up to rid himself of his shirt and you watched through hooded eyes as he undressed the rest of himself. Even the sight of him doing that had you teetering on the edge again. He was perfect and you had to stop the moan that almost came out when he sprung up against his tummy. He was as ready for you as you were for him and when he got settled between your legs again you didn’t have the energy to move.

The feeling of him inside of you was like nothing else, sure his fingers were heaven but there was something different about this. Like he was made for your pleasure and you sighed contently as he filled you to the hilt.

‘I’ll never get over the feeling of you’ he whispered in your ear hoarsely, the sound making you shiver as he began to move his hips. ‘You’re absolutely unreal’

‘Mase-‘ you started but his lips on yours cut you off. He hadn’t kissed you once since you’d got back tonight and the feeling made your heart thud as he poured himself into you. The feeling of him being so gentle with you a stark contrast to how he’d been playing with you this evening and as he pulled away you could tell how close he was.

‘You’ve been so good for me. Keep looking at me yeah? Let me see those pretty eyes so I know how good I’m making you feel’ he mumbled and you cried out as you felt your high coming for the countless time tonight. ‘Go on, you can cum I won’t stop you’

You were seeing stars as you tumbled over the finish line, the most intense high you’d ever experienced thrashing through you as he carried on pounding into you so you could ride your highs out together and you felt like your whole body was singing. Yes you’d been the most frustrated you’d ever been tonight but you’d take it ten times over to have the feeling you had right now. Nothing compared to this and as your foggy eyes looked up to Mason you knew you had a good thing going.

Even if it was just for a week.

y/n

liked by masonmount, laurenfryer_, declanrice and others

y/n Taking the sea-nic route ⛵���

view comments

declanrice you’re spending so much time with Mason you’re even coming up with with shit puns like he does

masonmount excuse me

y/n who do you think wrote it for me 😌

carlywlms_ glad you’re feeling better missy 🩷

y/n thank you for taking care of me 😘

masonmount 😶

y/n you too 😉

okaylaaa imagine that was the last picture of woody and I ever taken. Plunging to our deaths

woody_ bloody hell love

y/n food for thought. Glad you’re still alive though 😭

masonmount how many did you take of me with my shirt off?

y/n that’s for me to know and for you never to find out 😌

rasmus.hoejlund I hope Mason has been getting some training in too

masonmount don’t worry mate, I’ve been getting my blood pumping at least once a day. Sometimes twice 😉

y/n 🤨

laurenfryer_ today was just the best 🩷

y/n it really was 🥺

benchilwell no pictures of me in my in my shorts?

y/n @carlywlms_ has them under lock and key so I can’t show you off

carlywlms_ too right, that’s MY man

masonprivate and the award goes to 🏆

y/n 👏🏻🤭

Tagged: @footiehoemcfc @prideofpd @yoursselo @chelseachilly @willow-writer-ivy @mm-vii @katharinanadiaa @mmountseb @carlottawllms @saltyheartnightmare @masonmtxo @harvestmount @chillymountsjess @treblebluesblog @pulisicsgirl @bluesswift @feelinglikeineedlotsofnaps

[writingsfromhome]

Dos and Don’ts II

A/N: the story kinda got away from me so it’s getting a part 3. Would love to know what you think of the characters/choices!

Part 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

—————————————————

It’s a beautiful morning; the late summer heat is right around the hour but for now the morning clouds keeps the city cool. I’m sat at Harry’s dinner table with stacks of paper around me, sorting out paperwork whilst on hold with a private venue he was playing in the fall to sort out some details his manager asked me for.

I had become good at my job, multitasking like a pro and not having to leave the room to make a call. After all, it had been nearly half a year of this.

And yet, my relationship with Harry Styles had stayed the same. Sometimes it felt like it got worse.

My other relationships, in the rest of my life, had definitely gotten worse.

“Riley just called said he’s sent over some prints I bought for the bedroom,” Harry pops into the room. “Can you call someone to put them up?”

“Yeah, where do you want them?” I get up so he can show me.

“Somewhere that looks good in there,” he waves his hand. “It’s pictures of me.”

“Of course they are,” I know how big-headed he could be. “Above the bed?”

“Hm,” he heads off to the bedroom so I follow. He examines each wall of his bedroom which was pretty neutral and relaxing to be in. “Why not? Yeah. Above the bed’s good.”

“Great.” With that I head back to my makeshift office.

I wondered why Riley didn’t message me directly about the prints considering we avoided getting Harry involved in these minor decisions.

Maybe I’d ask him tonight. We were having drinks—we tried a bunch of times to get together seeing we were “coworkers” but our timing rarely worked out. Since Gray was out of town the next two nights I’d reached out to Riley.

Evening comes quicker while I’m still buried behind paper. I start tidying up after 7.

“Going home?” Harry asks. He’d been out most of the day at voice lessons.

“Yes, your dinner’s in the oven and Roy said he left cocktails in the fridge.”

“Lovely Roy,” Harry rubs his hands together. “He makes the best drinks.”

I smile and go back to work.

��There’s enough for two,” he calls with his head in the fridge. “You want to join?”

Of course the one night Harry asks me to join him personally—a time I could use to get on his good side, I’m going out.

“I’m actually heading out for drinks myself.” He’s already placed the jug on the marble countertop.

“Oh.” He freezes awkwardly. “With your fiancé?”

“No,” for some reason I feel flustered at his mention of Gray. “With Riley actually. We’ve been meaning to get together for drinks since…I started. Wow. That’s been a long time.”

“Riley,” Harry purses his lips. “Does your fiancé know?”

“It’s a friendly drink,” I feel my temper flare. “I don’t need to report to my fiance.”

“If my fiancé was going out to drinks with a man with loose hands, I’d worry.”

“Well it’s a good thing we’re not engaged,” I mouth off before I can stop myself. He raises a brow and the single movement has me backpedaling. I was such a coward. “So you don’t have to worry.”

“Y/n you get away with a lot but I’d remember who’s working for who.”

I clench my teeth. Just seconds ago he was inviting me for a drink and now I’ve dug myself a grave. I couldn’t be stopped.

I grab my bag and head to the elevator.

“Don’t turn your back on him once he’s got a few drinks in.” Harry calls out.

Asshole, I think.

***

God, Riley talked a lot. He’s got 3 drinks to my 1.5 and really got the gift of the gab.

That is until he starts asking me about Harry.

“Do you find him hot? He’s kind of a lady’s man yeah?”

“Oh yeah,” I laugh. “Got ‘em all lined up.”

“And you?” He asks casually. “Has he got you yet?”

“Riley! I’m engaged,” I flash my ring.

“Didn’t stop the last girl,” he mutters.

“What? What’s that mean?”

“Nothing.”

“Tell me,” I poke him, knowing he wanted to talk about it anyway.

“Just that the last PA he had for…less than a year? She had a boyfriend and everything but one time I pop in early to set up for this masseuse right—I’m there and I hear someone in the bedroom with him. No big deal whatever. Then Harry comes out and he’s fuming just seeing me. Tells me to get out and leave the rest, that I should have called him. All this shite. And then I see her jacket, she wore a very specific jacket, and her shoes off the way. He was angry cuz I caught them.”

“Woah,” I think about the way Harry treats me. “Well I don’t have to worry about that. He can be a right dick with me.”

“He can come off that way. Until you get to know him. Well. He used to be nicer. It’s changed a bit since I started.”

“How long?” I ask, curious.

“Uhh I was his PA for a year and now this for one and a half?”

“Wow. That’s a long time.”

“I know. Too long. Well, big things are coming for me I can feel it. How about you? Are you staying long? I hear the way he talks to you, I don’t know how you put up with it.”

I thought he talked to all his PAs that way. Maybe he was different when Riley was his. Of maybe it was that Riley was a guy. Maybe the fame got to his head. “Uhm. I want to stick around for at least a year. What do you mean the way he talks to me?”

“He’s rude.” Riley runs his hand through his hair. “Don’t you find him rude? You’re surprisingly…graceful, but he’s always bossing you around and then ignoring you.”

I feel a pit in my stomach. So I wasn’t imagining it. “I thought that’s just the way he is.”

“No, you should have met him a couple years ago. A really cool guy. He taught me a lot.” Riley suddenly sobers as he looks off into the distance. “I grew a lot with him. I’m thankful for that y’know?”

“Right,” I nod. “Yeah. I dunno. I’m hoping to learn a lot here.”

“Well if you want to stay connected, keep my number. When you wanna jump ship just let me know.”

I’m surprised Riley is talking so openly about helping me leave. I would have thought he was a Harry die-hard.

“Yeah. Hey are you the one that’s created all those notes on the phone? They’ve been a life saver.”

“Notes? Oh the lists. I made them when I was his PA. I don’t know if the last girl updated any…”

I think of the snarky additions. She definitely did.

“Well I owe you my first-born because without them I’m pretty sure I would have been fired.”

“No you wouldn’t have,” he smirks.

“Uh yeah, I forgot to bring his bloody tablet to the studio the first day. He was so mad.”

“He wouldn’t fire you y/n,” he cocks his head to the side. “Not with the way I see it.”

“Huh?” I ask but Riley’s turned to the bar to ask for another drink.

I excuse myself and freshen up, checking my phone for messages. Gray’s sent me a picture of his hotel view and I send him a quick text back. I wish he was here. Maybe it was time I got home, I was starting to feel tired.

“I’m thinking of heading home,” I tell Riley when I get back.

“Now?” He looks at his watch. “Night’s still young y/l/n.”

“I’ve been up since 6 I’m dead.”

“Fine, I’ll walk you outside.” Riley knocks back half his drink and stands, swaying slightly. I put my hand out to steady him and he smiles down at me.

The pub is crowded as we walk past people, shoulders brushing against strangers. It takes me a second to feel the hand on my back sliding down to my ass.

I whip around to chew out whichever stranger thought he could get a grope but the only person behind me is Riley with a cocky smile.

“You alright? Let’s keep going.”

I can hear the blood pumping in my ears and I stumble back, Harry’s words echoing in my ear.

“I’m alright.” I try to put distance between us. “I’ll walk myself out you should look after your drink.”

“Nah c’mon,” he reaches for me again and I inch back.

“I said I’m okay,” I know my voice comes out harsh due to the fear coursing through my body. But I don’t care.

“Bloody hell alright then,” Riley shrugs. “Night y/n.”

I wait for him to turn and leave before I get out of there. The night air cools down the flush in my cheeks but I can’t get my heart to stop racing. Harry was right and for some reason it makes me angry at him. I’m furious.

All these men just made me feel small and confused all the time. Is that what I had to accept working in this industry? Was I just naïve for thinking things could be decent? That people could be decent?

I wish more than ever that Grayson was here. I imagine him on his own in another city. Then I imagine him alone, at home, while I’m working all the time. It felt like we were on a piece of ice drifting through the ocean and the middle was cracking leaving us to drift alone. My heart feels like it’s cracking with it.

I call Gray on the ride home just to see his face. I listen to him talk about his day and slowly my grip on the anger loosens. Slowly with his voice in my ear, I come back down to earth.

***

It’s a couple weeks after the Riley incident. I’d come into work the next day and managed to ignore Harry for most of it just like he did me.

Today I’m back at the dining table waiting for Harry’s publicist to call me to take me through what was left for this upcoming weekend for a small awards show Harry had been nominated in that was happening Sunday. Riley would be on the call too, the first time I’d seen him since that night. I just hoped my pokerface was good enough to move on past any awkwardness.

“Let me get your thoughts on this,” Harry sits down across from me with a yoghurt. He’d just come from the gym and seeing him shirtless now was just another Thursday afternoon.

He’d taken to using me as a soundboard lately which started out interesting and got old quickly. He loved to hear himself talk, I’ve concluded. And I was forced to listen. And he always lied. He never wanted my thoughts on anything, just an ego stroke.

And just like usual he launches into a song he’s working on and something about string progression and inversion. I nod along until my phone rings and I pick it up instantly.

Graham and I speak about the details of event and I reassure him everything would run smoothly. When I’m done Harry’s nearly done the smoothie he grabbed while I was on the phone.

“Austria tomorrow, everything’s prepped?”

“Yep, for you.”

“Not for you?”

“I have the rest of the week off?” I remind him just like I’d been doing for the last two weeks. So this wouldn’t happen.

“You do? I thought that was next week. What am I gonna do without you there it’s 4 days.”

“I reckon you’ll survive,” I say with a light tone but I’ve learned the art of backhanded jokes. It felt like the only way to get some of my aggression out. “Plus Riley’s joining you Saturday afternoon.”

“So I’ll be alone on Friday?”

I look up from my laptop, “Are you ever really alone?”

“I guess I’ll just have to invite one of my girls to keep me company,” he continues watching me. “Keep my bed warm.”

“If you’d like,” I hated when he tried to make me uncomfortable. “Let me know which one and I can cut her a ticket.”

He clenches his jaw and levels me with an irritated look. “I’m sure Vienna has many beautiful people to choose from.”

Ignore ignore ignore. I go back to my screen and leave him on heard.

***

“It’s been too long,” Gray clinks his glass with mine. It’s Friday night and we’re having an early anniversary celebration.

This whole weekend I promised Gray I would be his from Friday though Sunday even though our actual anniversary was on Monday.

Our relationship that was once so strong, supportive, and loving had started treading rocky grounds. I felt jostled and very close to being kicked right off the ride altogether.

I look at my fiancé’s face, his dark features and serious looks made him look intimidating but a flicker of his smile and you felt like you were on the ins with him about something. I had missed him.

The last time we did anything together was at the beginning of summer. I had a long weekend off and he’d driven us to lake district, soaking in the sun and hiking along the peaks. We’d had a serious conversation about our relationship but a lot of it had felt like me apologizing and him accusing.

“You look radiant,” Gray reaches for my hand. “How are you?”

I didn’t think he wanted the real answer. I hold back a sigh and replace it with a smile, “Alright. Better now to be with you.”

He kisses the back of my hand and my stomach flutters. “Me too. I’m excited for this weekend.”

“Let’s see we’re seeing friends tomorrow for brunch, then doing old school movies and dinner in the evening.”

“That was one of our first dates don’t make fun.”

“I’m not! It’s a classic I’m excited. It’s been so long since I saw a movie with you.”

With Harry, I’d seen a few. I was always told to tag along on premieres Riley passed on.

“And Sunday we’re just being lazy bed bugs.”

“Mmm that sounds amazing.” I could use a day in bed. A week in bed would be even better.

The night is perfect and romantic and it soothes the heartache I’d been carrying, the guilt that I was killing my relationship. Gray is attentive and we laugh like we always did.

I don’t mention work. It makes me anxious knowing I had to put the biggest part of my life on mute in order to keep the good vibes going with Gray.

Saturday brunch brings me back to life. I’d missed our friends and catching up on their lives, all the chatter and the laughter. Gray keeps reaching for me at the table and I feel like I belong.

“So how’s the tyrant?” My friends had started calling Harry that since he always kept me from most of our social outings.

“The usual,” I try to keep it short for Gray’s sake.

“Grayson was complaining that you spend more time with him than your actual fiancé!”

“Is that so?” I turn to Gray with a teasing expression but he’s serious.

“I wouldn’t have helped her with the job if I knew,” Gray jokes when I nudge him. The table laughs but I fake it, knowing the kernel of truth in it.

“He can’t be all that bad?” Another friend asks.

“Nope. Pretty consistently bad,” I tell them. “I’m just telling myself it’s vital experience. It’s the only thing that helps me sleep.”

“When she sleeps at all,” Gray slips in another passive joke and I try to distance myself from it.

“Just wait, in a couple years I’ll be living my best life.” I raise my glass.

“To y/n’s best life,” the table cheers.

On the walk home from brunch Gray and I swing hands in between us. I want to bring up his passive comments but it feels stuck in my throat. His hand feels like lead in mine.

“Gray-“

“I’m sorry. I got a bit salty at brunch,” Gray admits. I nearly deflate completely with the sigh that comes out of me.

“That’s okay,” I kiss his cheek. His hand feels like an extension of mine again. “I know there’s a lot of things we don’t talk about, I know my job doesn’t make you happy. But I appreciate that you still support me and keep the peace even when I can be a bit of a dick sometimes.”

“Hey,” Gray stops and tugs me to him. “I love you. Nothing changes that.”

“I love you too,” he kisses me with the same passion he did last night, our first intimate night after a couple months. With the urgency in his kiss I can tell it wouldn’t be another couple until the next.

***

We get back in around 8 and I happily kick off the dress and boots I wore to dinner to snuggle in my pjs. I watch Gray remove his contacts as I comb through my hair.

“I still can’t believe that ending,” Gray says to me in the mirror.

“Same, I feel like everyone’s kept it so hush I didn’t even know there was going to be a plot twist!”

“I kind of saw it coming-“

“You did not!” I flick Gray. “Why do guys love to brag about seeing a movie ending coming.”

“It’s our roman empire,” he grins.

“You’re using that in the wrong context,” I roll my eyes. “Josie would be so disappointed. Oh I didn’t even turn my phone back on after the movie, Josie had texted me something.”

“Just leave it,” Gray calls out as I go back into the room to get my purse. “Let’s keep our phones off, stay unplugged tonight.”

“Too late,” I grin as my phone powers on already.

I know Gray stayed nervous about any call I got during our down time because he always thought it was Harry. To be honest I was surprised he hadn’t bothered me more than asking for a password yesterday.

As my services connect my phone vibrates with a dozen oncoming messages.

“Y/n,” I hear Grayson say in warning but my eyes stay glued to the screen that flicker with notifications.

I look up once they settle, my eyes are as wide as saucers and Gray’s watch me through the mirror, heavy and resigned.

“Please, ignore it,” Gray pleads just once.

“I just…I need to know what it’s about.” I plead back.

“It’s going to spiral,” he warns. “You can’t just look y/n you’re gonna get involved.”

“What if it’s an emergency? He wouldn’t message like this unless it’s an emergency!”

“Like the documents on Josie’s birthday? Or the hospital appointment that one bank holiday? Or his empty fridge on-“

“I get it. But Gray I have 14 notifications. And it’s from his manager too it’s gotta be an-“

“You have a life y/n!” Gray turns around quick like a pistol whip, I stumble back into the doorframe. “He has other people in his life other than you they can figure it out! Why do you keep putting your job, this man, before me? Before us?!”

“I’m not trying to! I’m not!” I stutter.

“What’s the worst case scenario huh? He tries you, and you don’t answer because you’re off. And he’ll find someone else to help—those type always have someone else.”

“You don’t get it-“

“I get it.” Gray lowers his volume. He looks around for his glasses and slides them on. “I get it clearly. You’re just scared you’re replaceable to Harry Styles.”

His words stun me a little. All I can do is watch as he puts on jeans and grabs his phone.

“Do you ever wonder who else in your life’s replaceable?” Gray says before he slams our door shut.

I sink back and my mind races with everything Grayson just said. I was awful, he must feel even more awful and I-

My phone vibrates. Jeff.

“H-hi?” I answer.

“What the fuck y/n! I’ve been trying to reach you for the last 2 hours-“

“My phone was off-“

“Have you even gotten any of the messages we’ve left you-“

“I’m not working today-“

“Obviously,” He cuts me off for the hundredth time. “Harry’s in Vienna alone with god knows who!”

I don’t point out the contradiction in his sentence.

“Isn’t Riley supposed to be with him?”

“Riley quit.”

“What?! When?”

“Today. Apparently the sneak’s been cozying up with one of Harry’s supposed friends. He’s left us high and dry!”

“Is that why you’re calling me?” My confusion grows.

“Jesus no. Just look at your bloody messages.”

I put him on speaker and check the link to the photos he sent me. I gasp.

Harry looks a mess, one in a bar and another right outside it. With a questionable choice of friends.

“He’s not answering his phone,” Jeff continues. “Nobody can reach him and Riley decided to courier the stupid phone back to the penthouse so we don’t have access to his gps. But you do. That’s why I’m trying to reach you y/n. You’ve gotta go there and get him home.”

“Get him home? He’s in another country!”

“Yes, for that niche fucking awards show. You gotta get him back to his hotel and sober him up. We paid some fucker way too much money not to leak these photos and I don’t want to find out some other fucker took more.”

“Isn’t this something his publicist should be doing? Or you?” I’m starting to get angry. Why was Harry like a big fucking toddler that I had to go get when he was misbehaving. “I took the weekend off-“

“Listen. Y/n. We will pay you 5 times your rate if you just get on a plane and sort him out. I’m in Iceland right now. On holiday! Nobody is paying me 5 times the amount to deal with this and I don’t get back to the UK until tomorrow.”

“His publicis-“

“And Graham is the one that caught all this but he doesn’t fly out until tomorrow. So that leaves you. Mr. Styles’ personal assistant.”

I think about Gray, should I call him? Let him know? Fuck. Fuck Harry and his ability to ruin my whole life.

“I don’t have a choice here do I?” I ask wearily.

“Sure you do, one gets you a nice pay check. The other doesn’t.”

“Fuck,” I swear just loud enough for him to hear. “Do you know when the next flight is.”

“There’s a private jet that can leave within the hour I’ll text you the address can you make it?”

I map it. 30 or so minutes away. I look around my room—I had my emergency duffle with my passport the Harry Survival Guide told me to keep so I didn’t need to pack much.

“Yeah. I’ll be there.”

***

“Out of all the fucking nights,” I swear as I take the elevator down. The flight had been under 2 hours and I’d kept my eyes glued to Harry’s phone locator. He’d moved one location so far. The hotel wasn’t too far from this location so I drop my bags off on the en-suite and head out into the beautiful city.

It’s buzzing despite the hour and I wish it was a calmer trip so I could take pictures and soak in the beauty of Vienna.

Instead I trudge on to the little dot on my phone and avoid thinking about Gray and how much he would love this city. And how badly I betrayed him tonight.

What to do when he won’t answer the phone: track his gps, get good at lock-picking and don’t be shy to call whoever he’s out with to get ahold of him. Harry not answering his phone unexpectedly usually means bad decisions.

I find Harry in a kitschy club but it’s not easy. In the flashes of blue and purple lights I sort through all the men about the same height as him. None of them are him.

I knew he was here. I scan the room a second time, he had to be in one of the private sections.

I walk the perimeter until I see a flash of a familiar laugh.

“Harry!” I shout but a man in a suit steps in front of me.

“Private area,” he says in a rough accent.

“I’m his assistant I need to see him!” I point to Harry but he just steps in my way again. I shout Harry’s name and on the second try he looks up.

“Heyy!” He lights up and picks his way over the people sitting around him. He loops his arm around the brick wall in front of me. “That’s y/n! Y/n you came let her in!”

“Thank you,” I shoot the man a dirty look even though I knew he was just doing his job. He was the difference between a PR disaster and no disaster. “Harry we-“

“Have a drink!” He slurs. My heart quickens when I get a glimpse of the table with an assortment of drugs all over it. “Relax. C’mon c’mon!”

Harry pours me champagne and leads me by the hand to where he was just sitting. A couple shift away to make room for me but I stay standing as Harry sinks into the cushion.

“Mr. Styles we-“

“Ms. Y/L/N,” Harry says seriously before bursting into laughter. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this uninhibited before. One part of me is nervous and another part finds it intriguing.

He tugs me down and I tip into the couch, the champagne sloshing over the rim. What the-

“Relax,” he whispers into my ear. It goes straight to my stomach. “Have some champagne and enjoy the night!”

“I want to-“

“Your fiancé won’t let you drink with me? Is that the issue here?”

“No,” I bite. “I am taking you back-“

“I,” Harry sits up and hovers over me. “I am not speaking to you until you drink! Good god woman, lean back! Relax! What do Americans say take a chill pill?”

“I don’t need a chill pill.”

Harry mimes zipping his lips closed.

I roll my eyes and bring the champagne to my lips to take a mock sip but he must anticipate this. Using his finger he tips the glass even further. Half of it drips down my chin.

“Agh!” I jerk the glass away but Harry just laughs. “This is so not funny.”

He leans in smiling. I expect him to stop but he continues moving into me until his lips are on my jaw. His mouth coasts over my skin before he buries his head in my neck where the champagne had dripped down leaving a pool of heat-

“Harry!” I jerk away and push my hands into his chest to prop him up. His eyes are half-closed but as intense as ever as he looks into mine.

What the fuck. What the fuck just happened.

My hands are shaking, steady only because of the force of Harry pressing into them. I feel the tears springing to my eyes, why the fuck did he just…

“Sorry,” he smiles, his finger brushing my cheek. “Y’had some champagne there.”

It was nothing, I tell myself. He’s drunk and taken god knows what. He’s out of his mind. And he was going for the champagne, not me.

I loosen my arms but he comes back towards me again.

“Fuck this,” I mutter. I push him back into the sofa and get up. “We are going back to the hotel. Now.”

“Just stay a little longer here. It’s life. I’m bloody famous!” His hands come around my waist to pull me towards him but I dig my heel in.

I grab him by the shirt and haul his lanky body up, it’s like lifting a slab of marble. We nearly fall into the table but I catch us on my back leg in time.

I get us outside and call a taxi. Harry sways into me and I help keep him up.

“S’cold,” he complains.

“It’s really not.” I look back to him but he doesn’t look good. I lean him against the wall gently. “Harry look at me.”

He eyes stay closed but his head bobbles and he starts to tip forward again.

“Harry!” I nearly slap him. Instead I push him against the wall and use my body to keep him propped upright. I grab his face in my hands. “Harry look at me you’re scaring me.”

“You’re scaring me,” he slurs.

I shake his face a bit and try to pry open an eye which makes him laugh.

“I was alone,” he mumbles.

“I am not carrying you into or out of that car so you better stay conscious.” I tap his cheek.

“You’re no fun.” He says and I ignore him. “I was alone but you came.”

“Not out of any choice,” I mumble.

Our taxi arrives and I’m shaking him every few minutes to keep him conscious. At the hotel I get some help to his room when they recognize his face.

I drop him in bed with a sigh of relief. He looked pathetic like that. And I wanted to cry out of frustration.

I take his shoes off and then his shirt, deciding to keep his trousers on. I leave a bottle of water on his bedside with painkillers and head to the bathroom. For the second time tonight I get ready for bed.

I scrub the sticky champagne out of my neck and block out the feeling of his lips on me. Block out the confusing feelings that arose.

I grab my phone and pray for a text from Gray but there’s nothing. I update Jeff and he sends me a thumbs up. All that and just a fucking thumbs up.

***

Still no text from Gray the next morning.

Harry’s still in bed when I get up. I crack on and order both of us breakfast, ordering the most expensive things just to get something out of being here.

Harry wakes to the smell of coffee, groaning as soon as he sits up. I don’t know what he took last night but it serves him right.

“Y/n?” He sounds just as confused as last night.

“In the flesh,” I nearly growl.

“I thought Riley’s s’pose to be here?”

“So you do remember I’m supposed to be off all weekend.” I can’t hold back on the sass. I’m too mad at everyone.

“Yeah…what?”

“Riley quit.”

“Riley…quit? That’s why you’re here?”

“No.” I want to throw my cup of coffee in his face. “I’m here because you weren’t answering your phone last night and the only updates we were getting were compromising pictures of you absolutely pissed.”

“You sound like my publicist.”

“Your publicist had to pay the photographer off.”

“It couldn’t be that bad,” Harry swings his legs over the side of the bed and winces. He notices the painkillers and pops them. “Did you undress me?”

I pull the photos up on my phone and show them to him. He throws the phone down on the bed after a glance.

“Okay so he sent you to get me back to the hotel?”

“Jeff called me.”

“Jeff’s on holiday.”

“So was I.” My anger brews over. “I had 2 fucking days off Harry and I couldn’t even get that! You had to go to Vienna and get pappd doing the stupidest shit and of course I have to come in and save your ass because I can’t get any time these days to just be!”

He groans as he gets up and shuffles towards me. My heart picks up speed but he simply reaches for the coffee and takes a big gulp. The silence stretches out after my outburst and I wait with an anxious anger for what comes out of his mouth.

“You didn’t have to come. I could have lived with the consequences of being an idiot last night-“

“Jeff didn’t give me a choic-“

“There’s always a choice,” he holds up his finger to my face, hovering an inch from my lips. “Jeff can’t do shite. If he fired you he needs my final say. So again, I didn’t ask you to come here.”

Fuck him, I think. Does he really think I could have said no and gone on with my night? Since it didn’t come out of his mouth, he vanishes any accountability? He’d totally at fault here.

“Secondly,” he wasn’t finished I guess and his eyes are like laser beams into my soul. “It’s Mr. Styles.”

Anything I was about to mouth off on disappears. Like a sinkhole it all collapses below the surface and I’m left feeling as I always did—humiliated.

“Now,” Harry puts his cup down. “That’s not to say thank you for coming to my rescue yesterday. I don’t remember a lot of it so I’m not sure what happened but I’m sure it wasn’t pretty.”

I don’t answer. I bite my tongue until it falls right off and I can swallow it. I wish I could also swallow the memory of his lips that spring to mind.

“It is a Sunday, if you’d like to take it off feel free. The stylist team is coming around 4 to get me ready for tonight.”

“Well, you’ll need me to coordinate this evening since that was the point of Riley being here,” my voice comes out smoother than I felt.

“Ok,” he dismisses me. “I need a shower.”

He leaves and I clench my fists to keep from throwing everything within range at him. How could he flip the script like this? Turn my life upside down and then act like he did nothing wrong?

I go to my phone and hover over Grayson to call him but i have a notification from him. He’s sent me a message, it’s a link.

I click it. It’s a small article in a tabloid about Harry Styles and his mystery woman. You can’t tell it’s me but our pose looks intimate from last night—him leaning against the wall with my knee in between his legs and my body propping him up while my hands hold his face.

But Grayson knows its me.

I get my other phone and message it in the group with Harry’s publicist.

He responds casually: It’ll blow over don’t worry. Can’t see your face plus romantic is better than looking fucked up like the other pics.

It would blow over for Harry but not for me.

I try to call Grayson but he doesn’t pick up.

I close the room door and bury myself in bed, aching so hard it was hard to believe I was still breathing. It felt like an end, I know I could talk it through with Grayson and explain once he saw the other photos. But something feels like it died tonight.

***

“Y/n?” A voice sings outside my door. “Helloo?”

I feel hungover as I open my crusty eyes. I’m in an unfamiliar room and-

“Hello hello?”

I sit up. I was in a hotel suite and I had to help get Harry to his show. Shit.

I look at the time, it’s nearly 5.

“Sorry!” I shout at whoever was behind the door. “Sorry one sec!”

One look in the mirror and I know I had to throw my hair up. I swish some mouthwash around and exit to the lounge.

“Hi,” a woman I’ve never met smiles kindly at me.

“Sorry. Did you need something from me?”

“Yes,” she takes my arm and leads me towards where Harry was getting his hair done. He looks amused as he watches me. “I need you here. We need to get you ready.”

“Oh no,” I say but sit where I’m told by this commanding woman. “Oh I’m just helping coordinate so you just focus on Mr.-“

“Y/n,” Harry’s deep voice cuts me off. “Riley comes with me to these things when Jeff isn’t around. Since neither are here you’re joining me and Graham.”

I look for his publicist but I’m told he was running late. Great.

“I didn’t sign up for this,” I say as the woman takes a wet wipe to my face. “I thought I had Sunday off.”

“You reminded me you’re replacing Riley,” Harry says. “And I got the team to get you a few things but I don’t know your size. I’m sure one of them will fit. Kit can tailor it if you need.”

“Wha…” my face is positioned to the side and cream is dotted all over. I shut my mouth and glance at Harry which becomes a glare when I realize he’s enjoying this.

“Lighten up Y/N, it’s not the end of the world.”

He didn’t know. It was the end of my world.

***

The red carpet or whatever this imitation of it was is a sensory nightmare. Graham had explained on the car over I was to stick to the shadows with him and his security detail. I don’t know why they stuck me in this beautifully tailored pantsuit just to be in the shadows. But apparently I could keep it so I was happy about that.

While Harry gets his name shouted and photos taken I watch from the side, hiding behind Graham’s shoulder so I don’t get caught in any pictures. The flashes still make my head hurt.

Again, we stand off to the side as Harry gets interviewed by labels I recognized and others that must be local. One woman has the nerve to ask,

“So Harry the whole internet is dying to know who your mystery woman is. Would you like to give our viewers a hint?”

I stiffen and Graham glances my way with a warning look. He’d already prepped Harry in the car but I couldn’t believe someone would be so bold as to ask. But that was show business.

“Ah you know what the media’s like, all out of context. I love the theories especially the one about this being my secret fiancé but I would like the viewers to know I’m not engaged, very much single, and not to believe everything you see online.”

I hold my breath as Harry answers but he’s a natural, I had to admit. He went off script a little—he wasn’t supposed to acknowledge the content of the photo, but he did so with grace and humour. Wow. I could learn a few things.

Graham relaxes beside me once the reporter laughs and asks if he sees himself not being single any time soon. When we finally move on Graham wraps his arm around Harry’s shoulder and gives it a shake.

“You did good kid,” he kisses his cheek with all the leftover adrenaline from the carpet. “I’ll see you in there. I see some friends I want to catch up with first.”

Then it’s just Harry and I, and his shadow of a security detail who Harry dismisses while he’s inside the room.

“So I guess now’s the part you go to your seat?” I ask. There was no What to do at an Awards Show so I was clueless and I decided I would create one myself to keep the legacy of all these dos and don’ts.

“It is,” Harry looks…nervous? His eyes flicker around the room and his jaw twitches. I do a sweep of my own, there’s a lot of people I don’t recognize and those I do I’m just about dying trying to stay casual.

“I thought that reporter was going to propose after you cleared up how single you were.”

“Hm?” Harry looks at me—in heels I was finally near eye-level to him. His gaze clears as he takes in what I said and I consider it a win getting him back down to earth. “Oh. Her, yeah she was cheeky with those questions wasn’t she?”

His smile makes me stomach dip. “Yeah she slipped them in so expertly. I thought ‘I have to take some tips from her’. And you, you were good dodging the question.”

“I didn’t lie,” Harry’s now fully engaged in our conversation. I give myself a pat on the back. “It was just you and I am still single.”

Just you. I fake a laugh, “Yeah. That photo is proof that I’m stronger than I look because you were deadweight and I managed to get you to bed y’know that.”

His green eyes flicker up and down my face for a beat. “I know that. I…hope that picture didn’t get you into any trouble.”

I look away, unsure how to answer. He brings a hand to my arm. “I can talk to someone if it helps?”

“Oh no,” my cheeks flush. “No I don’t think that would make anything better but thank you. I…appreciate the-“

“Harry? Oh my god it’s you!”

I retreat in a quarter of a second, invisible once again for Harry to shine with his colleagues. It’s a singer I recognize but I only remember her stage name, Dragon something. I watch them embrace and I try to wind up the spool of thread I’d released when Harry showed some kindness.

I think I had some issues, I became unrecognizable every time Harry was nice for a moment. I had to remember that it was temporary and there were boundaries I couldn’t cross.

Yesterday flashes into my mind. God, was it just yesterday?

Harry starts walking with the other musician arm in arm. It comes to me as I follow why I knew her. There were rumours shortly before I interviewed with Harry about seeing him on the town with this woman. So they had history. Of course.

By the time Graham joins me in our seats I’ve become part of the wallpaper and I feel like I’m being torn away when he acknowledges me to ask if everything had gone ok. I stay invisible for the rest of the evening and I try to remember that’s how it would be.

***

We’re sat on the tarmac for the ride home and I try to refresh my messages over and over but Gray hasn’t responded after I’d told him we had to talk. He was stupidly good at the cold shoulder and I felt like a needy bitch whenever he got like this.

“Could I get a water y/n?” Harry asks from across the aisle. He has his head tipped back and he looks awful—consequences of an after party where he drank himself silly again and relied on me to get him home. I did make friends with some other PAs who were roped to the party so that was the only highlight.

“Sure.” I go to the front of the jet where Graham is typing away on his laptop, oblivious to the rest of us. I grab Harry a coffee too. “It’ll help with the hangover.”

Harry accepts it graciously and I go back to refreshing my phone.

I thought he’d fallen asleep an hour into the flight until he unbuckles his seat and slips in beside me.

“Can I get your phone?” He holds his hand out.

“Why?” I ask suspiciously.

“You’re driving me crazy refreshing that thing it’s like you’re getting paid per refresh.”

I was lost in a trance doing it. I put the phone facedown on my lap but he takes it from me.

“Hey-“

“I’m keeping this until we land. I promise you if you haven’t gotten any messages by now you won’t get any at all.”

His patronizing tone wriggles something loose and I have to look away, out the window, so he doesn’t see the tears.

“My offer still stands,” he says quietly after my silence. I shake my head.

“Thanks,” my voice wavers. “It won’t help. He just gets…quiet. Any time there’s an issue he just goes quiet and it drives me f…crazy. I feel crazy.”

“You kind of look it.” I’m ready to throw him a dirty look but Harry’s smiling when I look at him. I was rarely on the receiving end of such a handsome look that I forget I was going to be mad. “What? You do, hunched over your phone pressing down over and over. My neck hurts just looking at you.”

I sigh and leans back into the seat, trying to straighten myself out.

“Sorry,” I sniffle. “I just need some sort of proof of life from him. He knows it drives me crazy when he ignores me but he does it anyway. He could be dead for all I know. Anyway, I’ll stop now you can give me my phone back.”

“Mmm no,” Harry pats the pocket he put it in. “You listen to me. It stays here.”

I don’t fight him. It was for my own good.

He sits with me for the rest of the flight. It should be uncomfortable but having another person’s presence beside me—knowing there was a shoulder pressing against mine, makes me feel a little less lonely today.

He probably didn’t intend that, I rethink the thought. Harry wasn’t thoughtful like that, he was probably just too lazy to move back.

We take the car home when we land but Harry tells me to take the rest of the Monday off even though it was already 2.

“And y/n,” Harry stops me before I exit the car where it stalls outside my complex.

��Yes?” I wait for the other shoe to drop—I had the day off but…

“If he knows it drives you crazy, and he truly loves you, he should respect you and give you a chance to talk. You deserve that.”

My breath catches at the unexpected words. I feel my defences go up.

“You’ll work it out,” he rushes on when I don’t respond.

I’m left feeling slightly reassured and mostly confused.

“Thank you,” I look at him a beat too long and it feels awkward so I scramble out and head up. To someone I hope was willing to listen like Harry said.

***

Like a baby calf out of the womb, my relationship stays on shaky grounds. It feels like building a foundation all over again after thinking that was already done with, but Hurricane Harry had caused a lot of damage.

Now 9 months into my new job I wasn’t always so on edge. But I was busy.

With no Riley, the team had decided to hold off on hiring anyone new and my work load had tripled. I’d brought it up casually and just as casually Harry had let me know I would be compensated.

I thought about Vienna a lot. Things were done and said there that should change our dynamic but didn’t. Not much. Harry was still an ass, he still demanded most of my time, and I still suffered from major anxiety about my life falling apart.

So maybe I was still on edge, just about different things.

“G’morning,” Gray whispers to me. I wanted to sleep in and cuddle with my fiancé but I’d already snoozed my alarm and I knew I had to get to work. I had errands to run all over town.

“Morning,” I burrow my head into his warm body. “I don’t wanna work.”

He kisses the top of my head. “How about I join you on some of those errands you mentioned? We can get coffee?”

I’m suddenly excited about going to work.

Gray laughs when I climb over him and kiss him like a lunatic, and we’ve been together too long to be embarrassed about morning breath or pillow face. I can’t believe I almost lost him.

The day is perfect as Gray and I move around town doing odd bits. We get to grab lunch together and I’m so glad what a good sport Gray had been about it all since I’d forced him to carry any heavy items.

“I’ll see you for dinner,” Gray drops me off at Harry’s. We linger in the lobby for a few minutes. “I’m cooking.”

“Mmm can’t wait,” I kiss him before taking the load from him. “Thank you for coming with me today.”

“I had fun, I hate to admit it.” He grins as I walk backwards to the elevator. He takes my breath away.

Grayson’s eyes widen and he opens his mouth to say something but I collide into a body behind me before he can warn me.

“Oh shit sorry I-“ I turn and Harry stands behind me with Jeff walking off the elevator. He was probably headed to the studio and I was late. Dammnit!

“Y/N,” Harry says.

“I’m so. Sorry,” I look between Gray, Jeff, and Harry. Do I introduce everyone? Do I apologize and rush to drop these things off so I could join them like I’m supposed to?

Jeff makes it easy, walking away on his phone. Then it’s Harry and Gray.

“I’m sorry I meant to be upstairs five minutes ago.” I tell Harry who’s expression is hard to read. “Uhm…this is Grayson my fiance I don’t think y’all have met he was just dropping me off since I had my hands full. Um. Gray this is…well you know who this is I-“

My blabbering is cut short as Harry steps forward to shake hands and I nearly die at the steely look Gray gives him. Also, why the fuck did I say y’all?! I wasn’t even southern.

“Grayson Duran yeah? Nice to meet you,” Harry says. I’m surprised he knows his full name. He must have asked his friends.

“Yeah,” Gray drops his hand. “The infamous Harry Styles—I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Likewise,” Harry says, glancing at me. Why would he say that. “As much as I’d love to chat, y/n you’re late and we’re heading to the studio. Can you give all that to the concierge?”

“Yes,” I nod. “Have you got-“

“I grabbed my things yes. I’ll see you in the car.”

Harry nods to Gray and leaves an air of cologne and annoyance behind. Gray and I lock eyes and I burn with embarrassment.

“What a dick,” Gray mumbles.

I’m offended, wait, why am I offended? It’s not like Harry wasn’t a dick.

“Yeah, I gotta go sorry babe.” I rush to the concierge and explain the delivery.

“Y’all?” Gray asks when I rush back to him.

“I know I know,” I cringe. “It just came out. I gotta go but thank you so much for today. Loveyoubye!”

I give him a quick peck and rush out, nearly collapsing into Harry’s car.

“Sorry about that, being late. That won’t happen again I meant to be there before you left-“

“As long as it doesn’t happen again,” Harry says stiffly, staring out the window. He was a dick, Gray was right. But why was I so offended at him saying that right after meeting him?

Things felt so confusing these days and I just wanted time to catch my breath and figure things out. A few more weeks and I’d get some time off for the holidays at least, I was looking forward to that.

***

Even though I planned the intimate holiday party and spent countless hours on the phone making sure every detail would be perfect I can’t help but criticize it as I join.

“Maybe I should have gone with a live band,” I mutter as someone takes mine and Grayson’s coats. Tonight I was supposed to shut my brain off as Harry said, and enjoy the party as a guest. But that part was hard to shut off after nearly 10 months of re-wiring it.

Grayson was tough to convince but finally he’d agreed to come to the party. Things were mostly back to normal with us. I tried to be home by 7 most nights and didn’t talk about work too much.

But sometimes it felt like a volcano lived inside me with how much I had to compartmentalize and keep in and when times got really tough, I wanted to spew everywhere.

“Josie told me your mom’s doing bohemian Christmas?” I ask Gray as we hover by the foyer. I’d just had a catchup with her yesterday now that she was finished exams. “Do you know what that means.”

“Mum’s crazy,” Gray sighs. His relationship with her was always followed by a sigh, an eye roll, a heavy resignation for who she was. I never quite understood it.

Josie, on the other hand, loved their loud and free-spirited mother. As for me, I thought she was the most interesting woman I ever met and we’d gotten along instantly.

“She’s always got some new idea up her sleeve,” I try to make things more positive. “What do you want a bet it’s going to be vegan?”

“I don’t bet when I know that’s what she’s serving. That’s why we do dad’s for lunch and hers for dinner. We’re too stuffed once we get there to care what she’s serving.”

“Remember when I tried to get you to go vegan and-“

“Y/N! Hi,” I’m interrupted by a friendly face in the crowd and end up chatting with people I’d worked with the last few months. We introduce our partners and they chat but I keep an eye on Grayson, in case anything changes.

I watch Harry’s friends trickle in and Gray lights up when he sees Liam and a few other people he trained.

I flit around the room with ease after that, knowing Gray had friends to keep him company. I make sure drinks are filled and catering is setting up. Until a hand stops me.

“You’re not supposed to be working tonight,” Harry reminds me.

“Yes. Right. Well…”

“Y/N,” he warns.

“Okay!” I throw my hands up. “Not working, here look I’m enjoying myself!”

I pick up a random drink and take a big sip. Champagne. Suddenly I remember the last time I drank champagne in front of Harry and I nearly cough it back up.

“Ugh,” Harry hands me a napkin and I try not to bristle. “What happened? Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” I clear my throat. “Yeah sorry just…just not a fan of champagne.”

We lock eyes and I’m gripped with the sudden and very real possibility that Harry may actually remember parts of that night.

When his eyes flicker down to my neck, it’s confirmed. Oh god.

“Well! I’m off to find a better drink!” I turn too quickly, nearly taking out the caterer who was setting up hors d’œuvres on the table. “Sorry!”

Oh my god. Harry remembered.

Did he remember this whole time? Was he pretending to forget that night? Did he ever remember the moment randomly in my presence like I did?

I had to stop freaking out. It had been months!

Where was Grayson.

I locate my fiancé in a random group but his eyes are already on me. I raise a hand and he smiles, raising a finger to tell me he’d be there in a moment.

My mind races in the meantime, wondering if I should mention the incident to Harry and tell him I was fine. Or maybe that proved the opposite. No. I should just keep it unspoken like we had this whole time. Oh my god!

“Quite a turnout,” Grayson comes back to me. Two drinks in his hand. “I saw you talking to Harry why did you look so scared? Did he say something?”

“Oh!” Of course Gray saw. “No. I just…almost choked on my champagne the fizz y’know? And then I didn’t want to make a scene so I left.”

“Hm,” Gray wraps his hand around my waist. “Hey I see a mistletoe I’m going to nudge you in that direction.”

“You don’t need a mistletoe to kiss me babe.”

“It’s supposed to be romantic.”

I let him lead me to it and he kisses me with a knee-bending passion.

“Woah,” I feel dazed when we finally part. “That was fucking romantic.”

“Yeah?” He grins.

“Excuse me!” Harry’s voice rings over the crowd and the room hushes slowly. “Uh hiya! Thank you all for coming tonight and making me feel like I have friends during the holidays.”

A quiet laugh rumbles over the crowd. Harry looks magnetic on his makeshift podium, he’s in a cozy red sweater that I know cost more than my month’s salary and a collar peeks out from under it. He’s got on navy slacks and tinsel thrown over his shoulder. I’d bought that sweater, I remember. But he managed to pull the rest of the outfit together well.

“…a few people.” He continues. I’d zoned out. “My manager Jeff of course—this year has been a roller coaster and you’ve managed it all. Charlie, Claire, Niji, Elin, Sarah, and Mitch. We had a ball playing our hidden shows this fall but we have so much planned for the year ahead. I’m beyond grateful that you all came into my life and we get to make music together!”

A few whoops in the crowd and the people he mention raise their hands and shout out their own praises to Harry.

Harry thanks a few more people and says some more kind words. I don’t expect him to zero in on me.

“Last, but not least folks, I want to thank somebody who joined my team this year. She’s seen a lot—she’s been in the trenches my friends, she has. But she’s stuck with me. She’s planned everything tonight so really you’re all here because of her. Y/N, please make yourself known and everyone should give her a thank you if you talk to her tonight for tonight.”

Oh god. I am as bright as Harry’s sweater and with every single eye turning on me I’m sure I also turn every shade of the rainbow. I paste on a grin that feels like I’m the Joker and hope it looks normal.

I wave awkwardly and make eyes with Harry across the room who looks like he’s having a ball putting me in the centre of everyone’s attention. I was really going to wring his neck but he winks at me and finally turns the attention back to him with a few closing words, then starting the music and food.

“Am I alive?” I ask Gray beside me whose hand had dropped from my waist during the last few minutes. “I think I died of embarrassment and turned into the ghost of Christmas’ present.”

I turn to Gray and he looks around me. “Hello? Is someone talking to me?”

“Gray!” I push his shoulder and he laughs. “I hated every second of that.”

“I know,” Gray laughs again. “You hate attention.”

“I do! I swear Harry was up there gloating didn’t you notice? Ugh I hate him.”

Gray’s expression shutters for a second. “Yeah, he definitely knew what he was doing.”

“Y/N, quite a shoutout.” A voice says from my right. It’s Liam who I hadn’t seen myself in ages. I go in for a hug and hope my embarrassment clears away as we catch up.

As the night goes on I ease up a little, enjoy the mingling and the drinks. Especially the drinks. The evening’s embarrassment and everyone coming up to me knowing my name was hell so I drink to keep up the liquid courage.

Coming out of the toilets for the tenth time that night with all the drinks I was downing, I notice a light on in the room.

I go to it, in case it was a guest in a place they shouldn’t be.

I don’t spot him at first, flicking off the lights only to see a shadow move. Harry.

“Oh! It’s you. Is everything alright?” I lean in the doorway. It’s the first time I’ve seen him in this office actually. He always hovered outside it like I was now.

“Yeah yeah, just came for some air.” He walks up to me and I step out of the way so he can leave. But he stays just inside so I move back to my spot.

“Air? In the smallest room here?”

“Yeah,” he smiles like he’s been caught. “I was looking for you. We ran out of ice I just don’t remember where you stored the rest.”

“Well I’m not working remember? So I don’t know.”

“Touché. I guess the guests will just have a shite time with their lukewarm drinks.”

Ugh. He knew me too well.

“Fine. I’ll get the bag. By the way, that wasn’t funny. What you did earlier.” I put my hands on my hips, ready to give him a piece of my mind for embarrassing me.

“What!? It wasn’t meant to be funny. I’m expressing my gratitude y/n.”

“In front of a whole room of random people who are all looking at me? You know I would have hated it!”

“Let’s just say I’m trying to get you out of your shell,” Harry teases. He smells of his usual cologne, the fresh soap he used, and scotch. I spot the empty glass on my desk.

“I’m plenty out of my shell thank you. You know, you could have just said it to me privately. That would have meant more.”

His mouth opens but nothing comes out. He inhales sharply and turns around.

“What?” I ask his back.

“Nothing.” He turns back around. “You do good work y/n, people should know.”

Now it’s my turn to go quiet. I only seemed to do this when Harry was nice. Because otherwise I knew how mean he could be. Why couldn’t there just be a balance.

“Why are you so randomly nice to me?”

Oops. All those drinks made for some loose lips.

“What?” He’s taken aback.

“Yeah,” I feel fired up now that it’s out. “You ignore me half the time—not that I expect to be bffs but at least a hello now and then would be nice. Then when you do talk it’s grunts and clipped answers. You’re pretty mean to me! And suddenly out of nowhere it’s like-like this 180 and you’re really nice. And praising me in front of a crowd. What’s up with that?”

His expression retreats the more I talk and I know I’ve dug myself into a hole. Forget the whole speech just now I’m pretty sure I’ve just written my own termination notice.

“I have to be,” he says simply after an awkward pause.

“Have to?” I demand. “You have to be mean to me?”

The long deleted Dos and Dont list when I first joined flashes through my mind. Did that have something to do with it?

“Because when I spoke to Riley that one time for drinks, he told me you weren’t always this mean. So is it me? You just said to a whole crowd how helpful I am so I just don’t get why you’re so mean sometimes!”

“What else did Riley say?” Harry hangs on to that.

“I…a lot I dunno! Riley faffs a lot. He’s also a creep but that’s neither here nor there I-“

“What do you mean he’s a creep?” The room feels even smaller as he zeroes in.

“I-“ I try to stutter something to change the subject but he stays on, asking me again. “It’s nothing. He was drunk and he made a pass at me-“

“He did?! Why didn’t you tell me?” There’s zero space between the two of us now.

“Why would I? It was something that happened outside work hours, plus you warned me and I didn’t listen-“

“Y/n you should have told me,” he swears. “I let that little shite get away with way too much.”

“Yeah well he’s not the only person working here who’s made a drunken pass at me so let’s not make it a big deal okay?”

I guess I wasn’t holding back.

Harry closes his eyes and breathes through his nose. One mississippi two mississippi three-

“You’re right.”

My heart pounds in my chest. I want to get out of this room, find Gray, and stay in the light. Because this small, dimly lit space was becoming too intimate. And yet, I can’t seem to will myself to move.

“I am?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry. It doesn’t cut it—what I did was incredibly wrong. Being drunk shouldn’t be an excuse and I promise I don’t go around doing that to everyone-“

“I know,” I say before thinking. It was weird of Harry to do but I never felt unsafe with him. I understood what he was trying to say.

“You can make it a big deal if you want. It shouldn’t have happened. It won’t happen again.”

I feel weird having the roles reversed—Harry apologizing to me. Promising not to do something again. I recognize what he’s doing is right but I don’t know what to do with myself. My breathing’s shallow with Harry so close to me, practically hovering over me. I should’ve worn higher heels to really equal the field.

“Thanks,” I finally manage. It’s low and raspy and I barely get in enough air to speak it. He doesn’t respond.

We stay in the tableau, our breathing irregular, in between a single decision that both of us knew wouldn’t end well. Yet neither of us are strong enough to end the frozen display.

“You clean up nice,” he says, eyes never leaving mine as he compliments my getup. I’d worn a simple cowl-necked slip dress and strappy shoes with my hair in an up-do. I was definitely underdressed after seeing the other guests but I believe Harry means it.

“Don’t look as haggard as I usually do, you mean?” I find my voice again. I barely have to whisper for him to hear.

“You never look haggard,” Harry says as he brings his hand up and traces the curve of my dress strap. My heartbeat was loud and surely showing through my dress.

“You should go,” Harry adds in a whisper.

My head feels like it’s filled with carbonation as I nod in agreement. This was bad. With a capital B. I had to go.

“I…should go.” I repeat. Slowly I inch sideways on the wall and Harry leans away. We stare at each other for another long moment before I scurry away, my heart in my throat and my guilt where my heart should be.

“Don’t forget the ice,” I hear Harry call out from the room. Miraculously this is exactly when Grayson turns the corner.

“Y/n? Where were you?”

“Oh I-“ I imagined I looked fucked up. Because I felt high and out of my mind. The white lie comes out, attached to a thread that unstitches something within. “I drank too much, so I was in the toilet.”

“Oh,” Gray looks relieved and I’m sinking with guilt. Technically I did nothing wrong. I didn’t even have feelings for Harry. But whatever physical magnetism he seemed to have nearly made me do something I’d seriously regret. “Did I hear someone say something about ice?”

“Yeah!” I laugh and it comes out like I had never learned how. “I just bumped into Harry, we ran out of ice. So much for not working huh?”

“At least everyone knows how hard you work,” he jokes.

I stick to Gray’s side for the rest of the night, not touching a single drop of alcohol. I had to forget everything in that room ever happened if I wanted to keep my job and my sanity. I had to be a better person, the devil was handsome and I had to stop playing into his tricks.

I call it quits a few hours later when I notice Gray low on energy.

“I’ll get our coats,” I tell him. The relief on his face is palpable.

I go through where the spare closet was but hear voices in Harry’s darkened room. The door’s open so I go to investigate. I regret it instantly.

Harry’s inside with a woman, I don’t see much of her as she’s on the bed but I know it’s Harry with the tone of his voice as they exchange words.

My stomach drops and it’s like an accident on the side of the road, I’m mortified but I can’t look away.

I watch him kiss her and I feel like I’m sinking through the floorboards.

“Oh!” The woman notices me when she turns her head and pulls the sheet up. She whispers, “you didn’t close the-“

“Oh it’s fine,” Harry laughs. He sits back on his legs and looks at me, his expression void of anything he was tonight. Like the moment in the room didn’t even happen. “It’s just y/n.”

Of course it didn’t matter to him, I scold myself. I was the one with fucked up issues that couldn’t make up my stupid mind about how I wanted to feel about this man who literally paid me to be around. Who treated me like shit most of the time. Who was nice to me sometimes and I misconstrued it to mean a whole lot more.

What was I thinking? Did I think suddenly this man who’s known to be a player had a single one-sided intense moment with me and that would change him?

I was an absolute idiot.

“Could you get the door?” Harry asks so casually, so nonchalantly, that it punches me in the chest. It was closer to some combination of humiliation and self-inflicted hurt but for now it feels like my chest aches.

“O-of course.” I shut the door and stand there, taking in deep breaths as I try not to think about everything that just happened. Tried not to think of all the million ways I was the worst girlfriend in the world. Tried not to think about the fact that I had to quit sooner than later because things were getting tangled up and it was not okay.

xxxxxxxxxx

TAGLIST: @boomitsallie1 @indierockgirrl @ndunad @jerseygirlinca @sunshinemoonsposts @ninasw0rld

I’m trying to make part 3 the last—it includes your final decisions and returning to the present to find out what happens (from the beginning of the story). Thank you, as always, for reading <3 xx

[linos-luna]

His baby (My Baby) pt 6 🥀🔪

Yandere!Bang Chan x Fem!Reader x Lee Know

♡ (Pt. 1) (Pt. 2) (Pt 3) (Pt 4) (Pt 5) (Pt 6) (Pt 7) (Pt. 8) (pt. 9) (pt 10)

Warnings: trauma, Yandere, obsessive behavior

—————————— 🎀 ——————————

It’s been a year since you left your ex boyfriend. A whole year of freedom. You moved in with Minho, your new loving boyfriend. He makes you feel safe, loved, and secure.

Since moving in, you’ve been able to get some help to work through trauma. It wasn’t easy but you were slowly getting better and more independent.

Minho made sure to help you with that. You always felt better when near him but he’d encourage you to go out on your own for periods of time. To see your friend Jeongyeon and enjoy yourself.

Sometimes he would leave you at the house when he runs small errands. At first it was hard and you’d end up calling him in a panic but it’s better now.

Although being alone can still sometimes make you nervous, but Minho was always a phone call or text away.

~~~~~~~~ 🔪

For the past few nights you’ve been waking up with nightmares. You couldn’t even remember them. It wasn’t abnormal for you to get them every once in a while but not consistently like this.

“No… no… no…” you were muttering in your sleep, shaking your head lightly. This only made Minho stir lightly but not fully wake up.

It wasn’t until you started getting louder and moving more that’s when Minho woke up.

“Baby?”

“No! Stop!” You cried, eyes still shut as you shook your head as you kicked your legs.

“Hey, it’s just me.” Minho said calmly while grabbing your hand. “It’s okay…”

You opened your eyes to see your worried boyfriend looking down at you.

“I’m sorry oppa…”

“Don’t apologize.” He sighed while letting you sit up. “I’m just a little worried… you’ve been doing this more often… Is something wrong?”

“I don’t know…” you replied while looking down at your hands. “I’ve just… being having a bad feeling lately…”

“What do you mean?”

“Something just feels… off?”

Minho wondered what exactly you meant but let you get back to sleep. Perhaps you’d discuss it more in the morning.

You were right to have that feeling because something was definitely wrong.

Your ex boyfriend, Chan, is now out of prison. The justice system is broken and there was some overcrowding. Plus, paying off a judge definitely helped out as well.

So now he was back to his mission: finding you, his baby. But he needed to be smart about this. The year locked up gave him plenty of time to think on how to get you back.

He needs to be cunning and perhaps a bit manipulative. Anything to get you back in his arms.

Unfortunately, he already had an idea of where you were…

~~~~~~

“Y/n, are you sure you’re okay being alone for a bit today?”

“I’ll be fine. Go get what you need.” You nodded. “I just want to take a nap while you’re gone.”

“Okay.” Minho said, still a bit uneasy about it. “I’ll only be gone an hour at the most.”

“Okay.”

“Alright, I’ll see you in a little bit.” Your boyfriend said while grabbing his keys and giving you a quick kiss on the lips.

You giggled and blushed at that like a little school girl before heading to the bedroom.

~~~~

You had fallen asleep on your side while petting one of Minho’s cats, who also fell asleep. You slept in the middle of the bed, no sheets or covers on you. Only a pillow to lay your head.

Something made the cat wake up. She seemed to hiss at something before leaving the room. You moved a bit at the loss of the cat’s warmth yet continued sleeping.

But again you had that sudden feeling. The feeling that something wasn’t right.

Just as you started to wake yourself up, you heard a familiar voice that made your heart skip a beat.

“Hi, babygirl…”

In a state of panic, you nearly screamed and backed into the pillows and headboard. It was him. Your ex boyfriend. How was he here??

You were frozen in place as he moved closer, standing next to you where the nightstand was.

“Don’t be scared…”

“W-what are you doing here?!” You managed to say, shaking when he got closer.

“I just came to see you.” He said with a smile. His voice was eerily calm as he reached to hold your hand. “I miss you, baby.

You instantly pull your hand away and try scooting away from him.

“Don’t you miss me…?”

“N-no… no! I-I…” you didn’t know how to get words out and he sighed.

“Baby… I never meant to hurt you…”

“Chan, how d-did you—?”

“But I’ve changed.” He said, completely ignoring you and taking your other hand.

You tensed up and couldn’t pull away as he firmly held it.

“I’ll never hurt you again.” He said with a sigh. “I just want to protect you… because I still love you.”

A tear rolled down your cheek as he let go. Was this real or a hallucination?? How did he get in?? Why is he so calm??

Chan reached to wipe your tear away but you flinched and backed away, making him pause.

“It’s okay.” Chan said and put his hand down. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

It took everything in him not to throw you over his shoulder and run out, taking you home. But he must resist.

You then hear a noise from the main room. It was the front door. Minho must be back!

“I’ll see you later, okay babygirl?” Chan said as he started to go towards the door.

“Don’t tell anyone I was here.” He said while looking back and putting his finger to his lips. “It’s our little secret.”

He blew a kiss to you and left, leaving you confused.

Minho came into the room soon after to put his wallet and keys away.

“I bought some of your favorite snacks!” He said happily while kissing your cheek.

“Thank you, oppa.”

“Hey are you okay?” Minho asked curiously. “Looks like you seen a ghost. Did something happen when I was gone?”

“… no.” You lied while looking away. “Nothing happened…”

———————————————————————

Sorry it took forever yall. I was stuck for a while and a lot of life stuff happened. 😅

Thank you for waiting tho! I love and appreciate you all 🥰

[masonmtxo]

Heres some messy dad Mase rambling for your Wednesday evening 🫶🏻 enjoy!

Ps. This hasnt been proofread so please ignore any mistakes

•••

Due back to Carrington about 3am, don’t wait up. Love you xx

You smiled down at the message that had just popped up from your husband, quickly typing back.

Have a safe flight, see you soon 🩷

Putting your phone down, you sighed to yourself, snuggling further into the blanket you’d cocooned yourself in on the sofa. You’d just sat down after chasing your two kids around for nearly an hour, finally getting them settled in their beds after many promises that daddy would be there when they woke up in the morning, the pair of them were always a nightmare to settle at bedtime when Mason was away. Marley, at 4 years old was getting easier as time went on, getting to an age where she understood that even if daddy had to go away sometimes, he would always come home as soon as he possibly could. But Theo still often struggled, coming into your room on nights his daddy was away to ask if he could sleep in your bed, the smell of Mason on his pillow lulling his baby boy back to sleep. You always joked you had a child each, Marley was Mason’s little angel from the minute she was born, Mason fitting into his role as a girl dad like he was made for it. And you were relieved when Theo arrived and turned out to be a complete mummy’s boy, often seeking you out over anyone else when he needed comfort. But it was the times when Mason was away that you realised how much your son relied on his dad’s presence to settle him at nighttime, as if he didn’t feel completely safe unless daddy was home.

After watching a few episodes of Gossip Girl and then the evening news, you glanced down to see the time, groaning when it was still only 10 o’clock. Despite Mason telling you to not wait up, you couldn’t seem to convince yourself to go to bed, excitement tickling in your belly. You had always looked forward to him coming home, even more so now you had two kids, both of which worshipped the ground their dad walked on and were always easier to wrangle when he was home.

Figuring time would pass faster if you went to sleep, you slowing made your way upstairs and into your ensuite, getting ready for bed and slipping into one of Mason’s T-shirts, something you always did when he was away since the early days of your relationship. You turned the lights off and slipped into your side of the bed, the only light coming drop your dimmed lamp. You picked up your book from your bedside table, flicking it open and beginning to read in an attempt to make yourself tired. You were only a few pages in when you heard a creak, the bedroom door slowly opening to reveal Marley and Theo, both looking dishevelled and unbelievably adorable as they clung onto each others hand, both with their teddies they had had since birth tucked under their arms. Marley’s hair was wild, the little top knot you had tied a few hours earlier skewiff whilst Theo’s tired eyes could barely stay open, his big brown orbs sleepily finding you in the dark room.

“Is daddy home yet?” Marley spoke in a drowsy whisper, gentlem tugging her brothers hand and wandering further into the room. You sat up, throwing the duvet off your bare legs, swinging them over the side of the bed as you reached out for your babies, heart literally melting at the sight of them.

The stumbled into your open arms as you crouched beside your bed, both taking a side to snuggle into.

“Not yet, he’s still on a plane,” you mumbled, pressing a kiss to their foreheads, trying not to coo at how precious they were.

Marley pouted into your neck “Theo woke me up because he said daddy would be home when he woke up and we wanted cuddles.” The little lisp as she said her brothers name wasn’t helping the way they were making your heart expand.

“I’m sorry baby,” you whispered, “he will be home as soon as he can.”

“Can we sleep in your bed mumma?” Theo spoke for the first time, voice muffled as he burrowed into you.

You could never say no to them, secretly needing cuddles from your children as much as they needed them from you, “course you can, just for tonight though, back in your own beds tomorrow once daddy is home.”

They both nodded excitedly, Marley just about tall enough to scramble into the bed before reaching to help her little brother up behind her. You smiled to yourself at how sweet she was with him, taking on the big sister role better than you ever could have hoped. The pair of them curled up on Mason’s side sharing is pillow and instantly closing their eyes as the scent of their dad filled their little noses, a content hum sounding from Marley’s mouth as she near enough instantly fell into a slumber. Theo didn’t go so easy, seemingly fighting sleep as he fidgeted beside you as you resumed flicking through the pages of your book.

“You okay little man?” You whispered as he shuffled over to you, nestling against your chest, his elephant teddy pressed between you as he sought out your comfort.

He hummed in response, breathing slowing finally as he joined his sister in sleep. You couldn’t help but admire the sight, the 3 of you snuggled in bed eagerly awaiting Mason’s arrival. Putting your book down you figured you may as well try to join them, falling asleep surprisingly quickly, lulled by the sound of your babies soft breaths.

•••

You were awoken to the sound of your bedroom door closing, eyes finding Masons figure in the barely lit room, your bedside lamp still on beside you having not turned it off before welcoming sleep a few hours previously. Noticing the lack of weight against you, you glanced to your side to see Theo has rolled himself off you in his sleep and was once again snuggled against his sister, head buried in Mason’s pillow.

“Hi love,” your heard your husband murmur, quietly stepping over to you as he noticed you were awake. He pressed his lips to your forehead before carefully tilting you chin and pressing a loving kiss to your lips, “having a sleepover?” He chuckled, head gesturing toward the two extra occupants in your bed, his eyes mirroring yours as he admired his babies cuddled up on his side of the bed.

“They woke up and came in looking for you, Theo’s slept on your side every night this time, hasn’t managed to settle in his bed,” you quietly spoke, pressing another kiss to his pretty lips as he leant over you.

He sighed, heart clenching at the thought of his boy missing him, before standing upright. “Let me run to the bathroom quick and then ill join you.”

He disappeared into your bathroom, quickly brushing his teeth and going for a wee before stripping down to his boxers, kicking his team tracksuit onto the floor causing you to roll your eyes in amusement, only home for 5 minutes and he was already making a mess.

“Budge up baby,” he grinned as he slid under the duvet beside you, deciding against going round the bed to kiss Marley and Theo, not wanting to disturb their slumbers. He pulled your body flush against him so he could spoon you tightly, your bodies fitting together like puzzle pieces. You felt as he nuzzled into your hair, breathing you in and making you giggle at how your husband and kids were so alike, unconsciously comforted by smells.

“What?” He mumbled into your head, pressing absentminded kisses to wherever he could reach from his position.

“Nothing,” your turned to face him, tangling your legs together, “we’ve missed you so much.”

Mason couldn’t help but pull you into him for a proper kiss at your words, lips pressing together repeatedly until you pulled away for a breath.

“I missed you all too, so much,” you laid facing each other, heads resting on your pillow as you took in the sight you had missed for the past few nights.

“I can’t wait to cuddle them in the morning,” he mused, eyes looking past you to fix on his little creations that were still snoozing away, “I miss them so much it literally aches sometimes, even if its just for a night.”

“Trust me, they miss you just as much,” you couldn’t help the soft expression that took over your face, hand reaching to cup his face as your thumb slowly stroked over his cheek.

He smiled at you, eyes breaking away to focus back on yours, “I love you so much,” he whispered.

“I love you too. C’mon, the sooner you sleep the sooner it will be morning and you’ll get to make up for all the missed cuddles.”

Sorry if this is messy and rubbish, I literally bashed it out in an hour! Feedback is very much appreciated 🩷

[janeyseymour]

La Cosa Nostra- pt 13

(co-written with @schemmentis): Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. Part 5. Part 6. Part 7. Part 8. Part 9. Part 10. Part 11. Part 12.

Summary: You and your wife spend some much needed time together, only for it to go up in flames.

WC: ~2.5k

When Melissa comes in, she finds you with both arms wrapped around your girls, them curled into your sides. She sees the tracks of the tears that had been pouring down your face earlier in the night, the pout of your bottom lip, the way that even in sleep and holding your girls you seem to be in distress. 

Melissa quietly gets ready for bed before slipping in between the sheets. Rosie gladly curls up to her when she gently shifts her to her chest so she can shuffle closer to you. The hand not resting on a small back reaches, the backs of her fingers lightly caressing your cheek, imagining she can wipe the now dried tears away from you. “Ti amo, vita mia.” She whispers in the dark of the bedroom.

You blink awake in the dark a few hours later. Your girls are still softly sleeping. You roll over and nearly start crying again when you see your wife asleep and holding Rosie. You knew she would be home, eventually. Still, seeing her is a relief. You curl in closer to her as you close your eyes again. Maybe you can get an hour or two of actual good sleep now that Melissa is here. Before your girls try to pry your eyes open again.

You somehow manage to wake before either of your girls, or your wife. You convince half awake twins to settle for kissing Melissa's cheek and whispering good morning before you get up and get them breakfast. You don't even have to remind them to be quiet when they go back to do the same to say goodbye before taking them to school. You know they miss her, even after only one late night. You do too. But you'd hate to take any more rest from her.

You hug the girls goodbye at school and are walking across the lot back to your car when your phone rings. Your brow furrows. Your phone hasn't rung since you were taken off the salon. You tug it from your pocket, your confusion growing at Tony's name on the screen.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Y/N. Could you come down to the salon? It's kind of important.”

“Isn't all that your job now, Tony?” You all but sneer. 

“Look, we gotta talk about some of the financials. So I need you to help me sort it out, alright?”

You roll your eyes. “I'll be there in a minute.” You reluctantly agree, hanging up before Tony can say anything else.

Despite you not being a part of the operation anymore, you still step through the back entrance of the salon. Tony wants to call you in? Then you're going to come in at the business end of it. 

You stop halfway down the hall at the door of the back office being open. When it was you; you never left it open and unlocked. Too many important things were kept there. You glance inside, raising an eyebrow at the near emptiness of the office. The file cabinets are gone, and so is everything from on top of the desk. The room is empty aside from that desk in the middle of it.

“There you are.” Tony says as he turns down the hall. “C’mon.” He tugs you lightly by the arm into the office, shutting the door behind him. 

“Quite the rearrangement, Tony.” You comment, putting your hands in your pockets as you pace around the desk. “What's goin’ on, huh? What'd you suddenly need me for?”

“The ledger.” Tony says, cutting to the chase. “We need the ledger for the other business.”

You look at Tony, head turning to the side. We? You think to yourself as you study him. Suddenly it's we. And you're not a part of that we. “No.” You finally say.

“What?? What d’you mean no? Look, Y/N, my ass is on the line now, and we need that ledger that you have to have.”

“Oh, I have it.” You say. For all intents and purposes, you do. Only you and your wife know where it is. “I just ain't giving it to you. Tell whoever you're answerin’ to that if they want it; they better talk to me directly. ‘Cause I ain't trustin’ it with you, Tony. I wouldn't have trusted you to balance the cash register drawer.”

He goes to argue, but your phone ringing interrupts him. You roll your eyes at him as you leave, answering it.

“Hello?”

“Babe, where are you? Why didn’t you wake me?” your wife nearly shouts into the phone. “I just woke up!”

“Honey, you needed the sleep,” you tell her softly.

“What I needed was to see my girls off to school and to check on my wife before heading into work- on time!”

Her shouting at you makes you tear up all over again as you slam the door to your car. “I’m sorry. I’ll come pick you-”

“Don’t even bother,” Melissa huffs. “I’ll walk the few blocks.” And then she hangs up on you. 

Your heart nearly shatters in your chest, and your eyes instantly well up with more tears that threaten to spill over. “Mel,” you whisper out softly.

You do still drive the way to her work, and when you get there, she’s just storming in. It’s clear she’s on a warpath as she slams the back door and throws her bag on the chair in the office. You step in a few seconds later, sending a sympathetic look at Valentina; she looks horrified.

“Mel,” you whisper as you wrap your arms around her waist, trying to stop her anger. She just shrugs you off. “Mel, please.” Your voice breaks as your heart actually does shatter this time. 

She turns around at the hiccup in your voice, and there’s a fire in her eyes that dies out as soon as she sees the redness in your eyes and the tears that are there.

“Mi amore,” she whispers as she pulls you in.

“Mel, I- I’m sorry,” you whisper. “I’m so sorry I didn’t wake you this-”

“Hey,” she hushes you gently. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sorry I got so frustrated and yelled. I just… this all has me stressed to the max, and I took it out on you. I’m sorry.”

You cry into her shoulder, and your wife is quick to kick the door shut with her heeled foot. You cry just as harshly and abrasively as you did last night, although this time you don’t have to stifle the sobs that come bubbling out of your body.

“Honey,” she whispers as she rubs your back soothingly. “Baby.”

“I- I don’t even know,” you continue to shake with the sobs that rack through your body. 

It takes you much longer to calm down than she hopes. But eventually she does, and after checking her progress on the ledger, she ushers you out of the building. She shouts to Valentina that she’s in charge, at least for this morning, and if someone comes in with an envelope full of money to just leave it on her desk.

“Melissa, you can stay,” you whisper as you wipe at your nose with your sleeve. “I’ll be- I’ll be fine.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Melissa answers, leading you to the passenger side of your car. “If anything big goes on; Val will call me. Right now, you’re more important, amore.” She squeezes the hand she’s been leading you out by lightly, her head nodding for you to get in.

It’s only once you do that she closes the door for you before rounding the car and sliding into the driver’s seat. She reclaims your hand once you’ve buckled your seatbelt, kissing your knuckles as she pulls out of the parking lot.

“You really could have stayed.” You say quietly.

She squeezes your hand again, glancing away from the road just long enough to raise an eyebrow at you before looking back. “I’m not gonna leave ya when you’re clearly not okay. And don’t go saying you’re fine. I know when you’re lyin’, remember?”

You sigh, leaning back in your seat for the short drive back to your home. “I’m just…over emotional with all the changes. It’ll pass. I’ll be fine.”

“You’ll be fine, that much is true.” Mel agrees though she keeps a hold of your hand held in her lap. “But I’m not going to just expect this to pass. It’s been a lot lately, yeah. But it ain’t like you to just…” She sighs, without finishing. “You’re gonna tell me ya weren’t this way last night, too? Before I got home?” She asks softly instead, her thumb gently passing repeatedly over your knuckles.

“It doesn’t matter.”

Melissa nods, with a half grin on her face. “Which just means yes.” She says. “This is more than just everythin’ goin’ on- even if it has been a lot lately. For right now, stop tryin’ to fight me on stayin’ home, and consider talkin’ to me and lettin’ me help instead, huh?”

You don’t say anything else on the rest of the short drive. Instead, you consider everything over in your mind. As if you haven’t already a hundred times. By the time you’re following Melissa into the house, you could have another anxiety breakdown without much push.

You gladly slip into her side on your couch, her arms that had been held out in invitation instantly wrap around you. You sigh, though you don’t begin crying again. You return your wife’s embrace equally, clinging to her as much as you’re curling up to her side.

“Talk to me, tesoro.” Melissa repeats quietly, kissing your temple as she holds you close.

“Did Sammy tell you I almost turned myself in the other week? When they had you in the station?” You can guess her answer before she gives it based on how you feel her briefly freeze against you.

“No.” Melissa finally answers, one of her hands gently rubbing across your shoulders. “He didn’t. Probably ‘cause he already knew I was seconds away from tearin’ somebody to shreds that day. You really almost did?”

You nod, sniffling slightly. “I just…didn’t know what else to do. All this pressure on us and then gettin’ you so involved….them tearing apart Twelve Tables… God, that was as bad as watching somebody beat you, Mel. It’s like the same thing. You worked so hard for it and they ruined it because of me and—”

“Shh,” Melissa murmurs, tugging you into her lap to hug you even tighter. “None of it’s because of you, amore. We talked about all this plenty before we got serious, didn’t we? Then all over again before we got married? Don’t go actin’ like I’m some innocent little housewife over here, huh? You treat me better than that. You treat me like your partner, your equal, in everything. Includin’ all this. I knew what we were gettin’ into when we started, baby. We both did.”

“I know,” you mumble into her side. “But now... it’s so much more than just us and the business. We have your restaurant now. We have the girls now. The only thing that stopped me from turning myself in was the girls. I- I couldn't turn myself in and miss everything for the next ten to twenty years... the teen years, graduating and sending them off to college, high school boy or girl drama... potential grandbabies.”

“If either of them has a baby before they’re twenty, we are going to have problems,” Melissa chuckles lightly.

“Well... if I wasn’t there, you know that data shows kids with one absent parent statistically are more likely to fall into...”

“Not our girls,” your wife states firmly. “If anything happens to one of us, I have full faith that those girls will stay on the right track because of whoever is left with them.”

You just sigh into her, inhaling the scent of the perfume that she has on. You take a few shaky breaths, tears threatening to spill over again. They don’t though. You have your anchor right now.

“What do you need right now?” your wife asks you gently, once your breathing becomes more regulated. “Comfort, a solution, or to just... sit in the shit together?”

You shrug against her, and she only kisses your head as a response. You end up falling asleep, and when you wake up, Melissa is no longer next to you. In fact, the only reason you wake up is because your two tiny terrors are jumping on the couch next to you despite your wife’s quiet protests.

“Girls, let Mam sleep,” you can hear the redhead sigh as she drops their backpacks at the door.

“We are!” Rosie protests. “We just want to cuddle her and make her feel better after last night!”

Your response is to pull them both close to your chest with a soft sigh as you keep your eyes closed. “Mam needs some Cat and Rosie snuggles.”

“‘See?” Cat tells your wife pointedly. “Mam needs us!”

You hear Melissa’s low chuckle before she exhales quietly. “Is Mam going to be okay if I head to the restaurant?”

“Can we come with you?!” Rosie asks. “I miss Auntie Val.”

“Stay with Mam,” you tell them gently as you pull them further into your lap. “Cuddles, some pizza, and-”

“I only like the Pizza that Vince makes at the restaurant,” Cat tells you.

“We can order takeout from Mommy’s restaurant then,” you try to placate.

“Why can’t we just go there?” Rosie whines out as she tries to break free from your hold. For such a small little thing, she sure is strong. She ends up getting out of your restraint, and she’s quick to put her shoes on and grab her backpack before taking hold of Melissa’s hand.

“Girls, why don��t you... go grab some coloring sheets and crayons from the basement?” your wife suggests. They run off.

“They are not going to the restaurant now that it’s the front,” you tell her.

When you expect your wife to agree, she merely shrugs. “There are usually other kids with their parents, and the guys drop off in the back.”

“Melissa!” you say sternly. “My girls are not going to a front!”

“They are our girls,” she tells you firmly. “And I think... I think that if they’re at the restaurant, and the Feds show up, having the girls there will help fool them into thinking we aren’t up to anything.”

“Melissa.”

She just shrugs. “You want them off our backs? I think this is the best way to get them off our backs.”

You go to protest her idea again, but the girls come running back with new boxes of crayons and a multitude of coloring sheets in their hands.

“Come on, sweet things,” she says softly. “We can all go to Twelve Tables.” The redhead takes both of their hands, grabs their backpacks, and leads them out the door. You fume as you follow behind her. You can’t believe she would go against your wishes and make such a big decision on her own.

Tags: @thesapphictimelady @marvel210 @itisdoctortoyousir @morgana-larkin @thesamesweetie @doesthatsuggestanythingtoyou @marvels--slut @gwennybriggs @megamultifandomtrashposts @lemz378 @http-sam @melissaschemmentisbranzino @imaginesmultifandoms @sexysapphicshopowner @lilfartbox1 @maybe-a-humanbean @imlike-so-gaydude @sapphicxrat @a-queen-and-her-throne @sunsol-22 @notinmyvocab @melanielaufeyson @dvrkhcld

[sports-on-sundays]

Hello! Could I request something with Marc Guiu where he is smitten by reader who is two years older than him. She also live abroad. And she doesn't stop saying no to Marc to get into a relationship but Marc is adamant and wants to prove her that they can work a relationship together.

Like reader is studying in uni, having her own problems and doesn't want to add a long-distance relationship on top of those things.

Thank you! And I want to say that I really appreciate reading whatever you write.

Giving you a lot of hugs and hoping that you get your inspiration back 🥰

ready when you are / Marc Guiu

Summary: Marc x female!reader - Marc can't get you off his mind. You wish you could get him out of your face.

Warnings: suggestion of depriving oneself of proper self care

Requested?: Yes!

Author's Note: You're literally a lifesaver; thanks so much! Also, I made this a little bit more romantic and emotional than your request suggested, but do you really expect any different from tumblr user sports-on-sundays?!

Sometimes you think that giving Marc Guiu your number was the biggest mistake of your life.

You know it sounds mean, and it's not that you don't like Marc. He's funny; you enjoy chatting with him.

The only thing you did not realise, though, when you gave him your number, was that the boy is smitten by you.

He's stuck on you.

You just thought it'd be kind of cool. You know, you have the opportunity to stay in touch with Marc Guiu. Not world class or anything, but you're a Barcelona girl. It was just a cool idea.

Now, just as you're slipping under your quilt to shut your eyes for some sleep, nearly halfway across from Marc Guiu, in the United States of America (it was a treat to spend a lot of time here), you suddenly, to your dismay, hear your phone vibrating on the end table.

You roll over to snatch it up in annoyance, and sigh even louder when you see it's Marc trying to face time you.

You blow air out through your lips before sitting up and answering, immediately saying, "Is it not, like, 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning there?"

"It's 6:00 A.M.!" the guy beams, his brown eyes sparkling. "You said you didn't want me calling at 9:00 A.M. anymore, since that's like 3:00 A.M. for you, and I'm waking you up in the middle of the night. So I woke up early so I could call you now!"

"Marc," you groan. "It's 12:00 A.M. here! I was just about to go to sleep! Let me make this clear- calling me in the morning for you is off-limits."

His smile very swiftly turns upside, and he almost looks hurt, which immediately fills you with a considerable amount of guilt. "Sorry," he murmurs. "I just wanted to talk to you."

You sigh. Yeah, because you're mad in love with me, you can't help thinking to yourself. You decide not to say it, and inside respond, "I know. It's fine. Don't worry about it."

"Why were you going to bed at 12:00 A.M. anyway? You should be getting more sleep than that... did you not say once you have to wake up at 5:00 A.M....?"

"Oh, Marc," you click your tongue. "With all I've got going on, the last thing I'm worried about is getting enough sleep. I'm holding up two jobs, and having to study, and everyday I give myself at least some time for exploring and travel."

"How do you do all it?" he suddenly asks.

You shrug. "I like living like this. But health isn't my concern like it is yours. We have different priorities. And yours shouldn't be ridding yourself of sleep by waking up early to talk to me, hm?"

"Yeah, yeah. Sure..."

"Now, was there something you want to tell me?"

Through the screen, across the world, you can still see the tenderness in his eyes for you. His soft spot for you that's getting just a tad bit dangerous. "No, not really... Just wanted to... hear your voice, I guess."

"Oh... Oh."

"Yeah," he clears his throat. "I guess I just miss you..."

Despite everything, and the fact that you were determined to keep this to yourself, seeing Marc so open now about this still pushes the words out of your mouth as you say, "Well, Marc... My contract ends soon, which means I'll probably be coming home back to Barcelona for my next semester... After that, though, I've got plans for France... But at least that's closer, right? And you've got me for one semester."

You don't like how 'you've got me' sounds. And you know you shouldn't have said it.

Can't give this boy any more false hope than what he already has.

"Oh!" his eyes brighten, and his mouth tilts up once again. "Seriously! I'm so excited to see you again, then!"

You chuckle. "Y- Yeah, me too. Now, can I go to bed and get a few hours of sleep in?"

"Haha! Whoa, Marc, hold your horses, mate!" you laugh as he practically jumps into your arms for a hug, causing you to drop all your bags on the airport floor. "Just because I'm older than you doesn't mean you're not bigger and stronger!"

He grins, pulling away, and immediately scoops up all your bags for you. "I've already got a cab. Come on. I'll bring you to your flat and help you unpack!"

There's not much you can do to deter the Spanish boy, and once you're in your flat, all unpacked, you two plop on the couch. You sigh in relief as you say, "Feels good to be home!"

"Feels good to have you home, Y/n," Marc pipes in.

Even though you really don't want him to think you're interested, some of the little things he says never fail to make you smile, and feel warm inside.

Whether you want it or not, being loved feels good.

But then he slips his hand in yours. "So, the United States. That was the longest you've been away. Did you miss me as much as I missed you?"

"Probably not as much," you tease truthfully, "and we did face time pretty much every single moment you could. But, yeah, I missed seeing you in 3D."

He grins, and reaches up to tuck a piece of hair behind your hair, asking softer, "So... are you ready to date me yet?"

You lick your lips. You knew this would come, sooner rather than later. You sigh. "Marc, you know my answer." You begin to slip your hand away.

He grabs it back, and brings it to his chest. Now he's looking at you earnestly. "Please, Y/n..." His happy demeanor has quite suddenly turned almost desperate. "I know we can make this work..."

"Marc, I'm not going to be in a long-distance relationship like that."

He frowns, squeezing your hand tighter, looking you right in your eyes. "We already have a long-distance friendship. Why not a little more than that?"

"That requires more emotional involvement. My heart just can't take that. I can't be getting into relationships like that at this point in my life. Maybe someday, I can settle down and find someone. But you know I'm born to run, Marc..."

He looks down. Wraps your hand in both of his and rests it in his lap. "But we'll both be better off. I can make this work. Just give me a chance. Let me prove it."

"You're eighteen. You should be focused on your own things, like football, and your career, just like I'm focused on my own things, like travelling and studying for college. You shouldn't let yourself care so much about me, Marc," you speak gently, almost soothingly. "Please, please don't find your happiness in me. I'll fail you. You mustn't find perfection in imperfect people."

"But you're perfectly imperfect, just like me. Broken, like me, and I love you for these things..." he looks up again.

"Oh, Marc," you barely whisper, staring into those eyes. "Please don't ever say you love me. It's not good for either of us."

"But I do-"

"Marc," you say, sterner. "With everything else I have on my plate, and with everything else I'm chasing after, I can't give myself to you like that. Not right now. We're both so young, you even younger than me. I'd rather see you as a younger brother than anything else-"

"But Y/n-"

"Let's just be friends, okay?"

He sighs deeply. He doesn't nod, because he doesn't want it. But instead he leans in, resting his head against your shoulder, and wraps his arms around your body.

You sigh as his warmth is spread to you.

"Well, I'll enjoy you while you're here, and call often you when you're off to France. And you could run away and go wherever in the world you want, but please. Please always come back to Barcelona. Please always come back to me. Because I'll always be waiting here for you. And I'll be ready whenever you are. Ready for you whenever you're ready for me."

[hearts4golbach]

The Night Shift.

Johnnie Guilbert x Fem!Reader.

Chapter 23.

"Is that taco bell breakfast i smell?" jake said, sounding as if he was about to start floating to locate the smell. he turned the corner into the kitchen, where i was sitting with tara.

it was 7 in the morning, and the 4 of us were about to go finally pack up my old apartment. they insisted on helping despite me saying i could get it all done myself since i didn't own much anyway.

"Yes, jake." she rolled her eyes, tossing him his usual order. he squeeled like a little girl before tearing into the wrap.

"im gonna go get johnnie up." i walked down the hall towards our room and walked in silently.

johnnie laid on the bed with a peaceful look on his face. his arms were tucked awkwardly under his head as his legs were tangled in the blankets.

i gently shook his shoulder, placing a kiss on his forehead. "Good morning, sleepy head. we have breakfast."

he rubbed his eye, black eyeshadow transferring to his finger. "mornin'." he pulled me in, kissing me softly before sitting up. "When you were asleep, i organized the closet. you can fit your clothes in half of it now."

"Oh my god, really?" i furrowed my eyebrows, a small smile growing on my face.

"i mean, yeah. where else are you going to put your clothes?" he slipped on his socks and stood up.

his fingers tangled with mine as he led me back into the kitchen and sat down next to me. he rested his hand right above my knee as Jake immediately started a conversation with them. i passed johnnie his breakfast, and he dug in, clearly starving.

jake looked down at his phone, "what time do you think we'll be done?"

"Well, im not too sure. i mean, theres 5 of us packing up my tiny apartment, so it's probably around noon." i thought outloud, earning a 'hm' from jake.

everyone had finished their food. jake and tara went to get their shoes on and start the car while johnnie went to take off his makeup. i sat in the kitchen on my phone, waiting for johnnie to be done.

"Ready to go?" he asked, his clean face making me smile. it wasn't often i got to see him without makeup.

"mhm." i stood up and stretched. i put my hair into a messy bun to get it out of the way before walking out the door, johnnie not far behind me. "Thank you again for helping with all of this."

"Don't thank me." he hesitated as if he was going to add onto the sentence. he gently rubbed my lower back.

i hummed, "Okay, then."

Johnnie and i sat in the back of jakes car while him and Tara were up front. I zoned out. thinking about my old apartment made me nervous. although i wasn't going alone, something still felt off. after the incident and how easily i got imhured, i didn't want the same to happen to them. Or maybe it was the fact that my creepy old neighbor lent me a piece to a vaccum, and i still need to give it back, but i seriously doubted that was the reason. i decided to shove my paranoia down as i didn't want to let it ruin my day.

it was if i had blinked and we were already there. i picked my head up, rubbing the cheek that was leaning on my arm.

"i was room number 206," i commented, pulling the keys out of my pocket.

"i can't believe theres not a fucking elevator. This bitch has 5 stories." Jake complained as we tromped up the stairs.

"Just be glad she's not on the 5th one," tara wiped smudged lip gloss off the corner of her mouth.

"Exactly," johnnie nods, slightly out of breath.

i unlocked my front door and pushed it open, revealing my still messy apartment. "Oh, i never came back to clean up." i admitted, even though it was plain to see.

"dont worry about it, missy." jake teased in his southern accent.

tara and jake covered the kitchen while johnnie and i started in the living room. we all added songs to the spotify queue and got to work. i was smart enough to keep boxes stored in my closet. There was always a just in case thing. The living room was nearly empty, the only furniture consisting of a rug and a small sofa that i planned on putting by the trash for someone else to take. i didn't have much decoration, either. All that i had was a painting, my mother had made me and a thrifted portrait of marilyn monroe. The only other things on the wall were some empty colorful vases on a small shelf.

we quickly wrapped those up while tara and jake stacked all of my plates and bowls in between wash cloths. I announced we were moving to a different room before heading into the hall to focus on the closet.

The closet didn't take much work. We shoved blankets and towels into one big box before moving on to my bedroom.

my room was a much bigger task, considering this was the room i spent most of my time in. i sat at my vanity and began packing it up while Johnnie took over the closet.

"i want to stream later, and i was wondering if you wanted to be on it." Johnnie mentioned, bagging up clothes that were hung up.

"Sure, that sounds fun. im still kind of nervous though, what if your fans don't like me?" i glanced over.

"They'll love you, i promise." he smiled at me. "i was thinking i could do your makeup for the stream."

"fuck yeah." i agreed, standing up and making my way to my side table. "Didn't we make those plans a while ago?"

"Yeah, but then a bunch of shit happened. and i figured since we're together now, everyone should get to know you a little better." A light blush spread across his face.

"Good idea. im down," i agreed.

The rest of the house was packed up within the next 3 hours. Jake and i moved all of the furniture down to the garbage bins, with little help from tara and johnnie. i took one last look at my empty apartment before locking it up and turning in my keys.

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

Am I the asshole for siding with my Dad and actively shit talking/giving points about things his wife is wrong for?

Using 🎸🎶 as my emojis so I don't get lost.

For context, I (17F) and my sisters (14F and 12F) have lived with divorced parents for the past almost 13 years, nearly our entire lives. Our Dad (38M) and our Mom (38F) got divorced long ago, and since both have been remarried and divorced. My dad is currently married to his third wife (37F) and things have gone to shit. They grew up together and reconnected through Facebook a while back and began to talk. Since early July, they reconnected around late June, we have; drove 40 hours to Ohio to see and meet Wife and her 3 daughters (15, 7 and 5 F), moved them down over 80 hours of back and forth with both pets and kids, lived in a small trailer house until we closed our half million dollar one, and now we live in an old 1940s house where Wife never has to work unless she wants to. My Dad provides for her and her three kids easily on his own due to owning a fraction of the company he works for, but money has been a little tight due to a lack of houses to work on and her excessive spending.

This morning was when it bubbled over. She woke him up 30 mins before he needed to have his trailer, and hour away to pick it up, and be in another city still 30 mins from there, to pick up a free dresser we do not have room for. While getting ready he was informed her two youngest did the dishes to ask for something, a habit they all have. And to be clear, they ONLY do chores to go places and do things, so the house is often trashed. My Dad boiled over after both things adding onto all the stress of caring for 8 people and only seeing his 3 kids 4 days a month, and it started a scream fight that she encouraged. She loves to rile him up and then play victim, and this time was no different. Despite being angry, he asks if she still wants to go get the dresser, and she says she won't ride with him even to talk it out or get the fifth dresser for their room. So me and my middle sister (14F, we'll call her D.) Go with. We get the trailer, get into town, and he calls to confirm the address. Rather than tell him, she plays hard to get to piss him off, and we leave instead, not getting the dresser and taking the trailer back. The entire way Dad, D and I air our grievances about the behavior of Wife and her kids, discussing habits we don't like and clarifying we aren't doing it to be mean. It turns out, she was also bitching about the laundry and how she does everything when I've only ever seen her do theirs and no other chores. My Dad offers to solve it by having his own basket for his own laundry and even cooking his own meals if that's what's bothering her. Instead, she takes off her wedding ring rather than accepting the solutions. We talks, discussing how yes, they've been through a lot, but so have we, and that doesn't excuse her behavior.

We get home and the fighting starts again rather quickly, we don't catch much before it dies out but he tries to reason with her. I paint and everyone is calm for a bit. Well, I'm sitting on my bed and the fighting starts again. D and I share a room right over the garage, where the fight was, and D drops to the floor to listen. Our Dad uses many of the points we brought up in the car, and it hits hard and rings true really. At some point Wife complains that we never talk to her, and Dad points out that she picks fights when we're here and we know what divorce sounds like and refuse to get attached. She calls him our for being married and divorced twice, and Dad gets petty and tells her he didn't have kids outside marriage. And finally she complains that we don't do anything, and my Dad points out that we're self sufficient and do everything when we're here. The fight continues, he keeps making points we all discussed on the way to and from the trailer and failed dresser retrieval, and he keeps bringing up the ring since he doesn't want to divorce again.

Anyways, its causing a rift and I haven't told anyone but my Mom that I helped supply points, but I just feel bad because I feel like I somehow made the fighting worse by mentioning all the shit she does and talks about him and us.

TLDR; Dad and new wife were fighting all day and my sister and I gave points and talked shit about what's been bothering us in the car and our Dad brought up those points in the fight.

So Tumblr, am I the asshole?

What are these acronyms?

[grantgustluv]

lucky number four - lando norris (part 2 to his champion)

pairings: lando norris x fem!footballer!reader

warnings: slight mention of summit and plenty of fluff

author’s note: FINALLY FINISHED, sorry it took so long guys. gonna try and create a master list so they’re easier to find. leave any requests in the comments and BIG thanks to @blueanfield for the shoey idea <3

part 1 - https://www.tumblr.com/grantgustluv/724584150120693760/his-champion-lando-norris

y/n had been there for Lando throughout his full career, and knew how much it meant to him whenever he did well in a race. The next race was the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. It was one of Lando’s favourite races and he had always dreamed of standing at the top of the podium after winning P1 in his home country.

Lando wished that y/n could be here with him for this race, but he knew that the World Cup was coming up and she couldn’t miss the training in preparation for this. Ever since he entered the sport, he always did better with her support, but he knew he had to make do with FaceTime calls and good luck messages.

~

“Are you sure I can definitely take this time off?” y/n asked Sarina, Wiegman her manager. Sarina sighed, “of course you can, I’ve told you a million times now that I’m completely fine with it,” she jokingly rolled her eyes at her “in fact if you ask me one more time I’ll change my mind, so get yourself out of here and go and support him!” y/n looked at her with a wide smile and rushed out the room, mumbling a quick “see you next week” as she left.

When she had got home, y/n quickly checked through her luggage, making sure she had everything she needed for the weekend, put everything in the car and started her journey to where Lando was staying before the race.

~

It was the night before the race and Lando was pacing around his hotel room with mixed emotions flying around his head. He had done extremely well in qualifying and had managed to score P2 ready for tomorrow’s race, this meant that for Lando there was added pressure to do well, especially because he was starting front row. He was also thinking about y/n, he hadn’t seen her in nearly 3 weeks, apart from their morning and before bed facetimes everyday. Lando and y/n had a lot coming up, Lando was in the middle of the season, y/n was heading off to Australia for the World Cup and their wedding was 4 months away.

Lando’s thoughts were interrupted by a light knocking at the door, and as he opened it he nearly dropped to his knees and started sobbing at the sight. At the door was his y/n, she was really here, he couldn’t believe it. Without a second thought, he threw her bags inside the room, grabbed her, kicked the door closed with his foot and held her tight to his chest, breathing a sigh of relief at finally having her back in his arms.

“What are you doing here?” he mumbled, nuzzling himself further into the crook of her neck. Grabbing a handful of his hair, she gently lifted his face out of her neck and held it in her hands, caressing his cheeks softly. “Thought I’d come and support Lewis”, she said, jumping slightly when he squeezed her sides in response to her playful comment. “You better not be” he replied with a playful glare. “Of course not Lan, I’ve come to support my handsome fiancé” she said with a grin and gave his lips a quick peck. Lando could only look down at her with pure adoration in his eyes, “I can’t wait to be your husband baby, I’m so lucky to have you,” a faint pink dusted her cheeks as she responded “and I can’t wait to be your wife sweetheart, just you and me forever.”

~

It was finally race day and to say Lando was nervous was an understatement. He never usually got nervous before races but with this being his home race and him doing so well in qualifying, it meant that expectations of him were high. He was snapped out of his slight panic by a set of familiar arms wrapping themselves around his waist. He leaned back into her embrace and let out a breath. “Everything okay darling?” she asked calmly, knowing that he could sometimes get himself worked up before races. He turned himself around in her arms and held her to his chest tightly. “Just nervous” he replied, immediately relaxing, finding comfort in her arms. “I know you are, but you’ll smash it, I’ve got so much faith in you” she said as she removed her face from his chest and looked up at him, only to be met by his love struck gaze staring right back at her. Suddenly, a playful glint shone in Lando’s eyes, “what do I get if I win?” he asked with a smirk on his face. y/n rolled her eyes jokingly “I don’t know what do you want?” she asked hesitantly, knowing that he could take this anywhere. “One thing quickly, do you promise that whatever I say, you definitely have to do?” He asked. She narrowed her eyes at him and then sighed when he gave her his puppy look “I promise.” “Pinky promise?” He asked. “Pinky promise,” she responded with a small smile on her lips, interlinking their pinkies, holding their thumbs together and then kissing their touching thumbs one at a time. He was quiet for a moment, wondering to himself what he could possibly ask for as a reward if he won the race.

y/n saw the lightbulb moment appear and a cheeky look come over his face, and with a sigh asked “oh god, what is it?” Lando just chuckled at her expression and before he could open his mouth, an arm found its way around his shoulders. “What ya talking about love birds?” Daniel asked with a teasing smile. “He was just about to tell me what he wants if he wins the race today” she responded to the Australian man. Daniel’s head spun round to face Lando, “what makes you think you’ll win today?” he questioned jokingly. y/n then watched as Lando whispered something in Daniel’s ear, she panicked as she then witnessed Daniel’s whole face light up at whatever Lando just said to him. “Oh god, please tell me what it is?” she begged. Both Lando and Daniel turned to her with large smirks on their face. Lando took a step forward, “I want you to do a shoey if I win.”

The shoey had been a joke within the relationship since Daniel had joined McLaren. He had tried to convince Lando to do it on multiple occasions and had even tried to get y/n to do one but she refused. Lando was adamant at first that he would never do it, but then obviously, as y/n believes, Lando must’ve been bribed by Daniel because he eventually did it.

“No no no no no way” she said with a look of disgust on her face. “Ah ah ah, you pinky promised” Lando quickly responded matter of factly. y/n was lost for words “I-I’m not,” she stuttered. She looked over at Daniel for help, but he just held his hands up and said “don’t look at me, I wanna see you do it, plus you can’t break a pinky promise” She looked at her feet and then looked back up at Lando, “are you sure there isn’t anything else you want me to do?” She questioned sweetly. “That look isn’t going to work on me now baby, you’re doing this, you promised,” he said as he grinned down at her. The interaction was interrupted by Daniel saying that he had to go and get ready for the race. Lando bid farewell to the Aussie driver before turning back to face y/n who was looking up at him with a pout on her face. He brought her into his chest and held her tightly, breathing a sigh of relief as her arms wrapped tightly around him. “Good luck sweetheart,” she mumbled into his chest. Lando released her and gently held her face in his hands, “I love you baby” he said before connecting his lips to hers. After a few seconds they pulled away and looked into each others eyes before y/n leaned up to kiss the end of Lando’s nose and said, “I love you too Lan, go smash it my boy.”

~

He’d done it, he’d won his home race. Cheers echoed around the McLaren garage and in the crowd. After parking in the number one spot, Lando jumped out of his car and ran straight over to her, leaning over the barrier and pulling her into him, crashing their lips together in a passionate kiss. “My champion,” she mumbled against his lips, causing him to pull away and grin down at her with a faint blush covering his cheeks. “It’s because my lucky charm was here,” he stated proudly holding her face and kissing the tip of her nose gently.

“And your winner of the British Grand Prix, number 4, Lando Norris” boomed out the speakers whilst she looked up at Lando proudly as he made his way onto the top of the podium. He grinned down at her before kissing the number “4” he had tattooed on his wrist and holding up a love heart towards her. y/n gazed up at him lovingly, before copying his movements, kissing her matching tattoo then holding up a love heart.

~

Time skip a month to the women’s World Cup final 2023

She’d done it, England had done it. They had won the Women’s World Cup 2023. She looked up in the stands at her biggest supporter staring right back down at her. Lando was wearing the biggest smile and had tears streaming down his face. He knew how much this meant to her and he was so incredibly proud.

Before they knew it, the celebrations had started and champagne was being sprayed over all the players by the staff. The players’ families and friends had started to make their way down to the pitch to congratulate the players and like the euros, Lando was accompanied by some of his fellow drivers who wanted to come and support her in the final. Before any of her family and friends got the chance, Lando had already ran up to her and they had crashed into each others’ open arms. Holding onto each other tighter than ever and whispering words of love into one another’s necks. Lando pulled away and gave her a sweet kiss before holding her face in his hands, “I’m so proud of you baby, you’re my champion again” he said with tears still streaming down his face, causing her to giggle. “It must just be our number 4, it’s lucky” she teased with tears and love in her eyes as she gazed up at her soulmate.

Suddenly, Lando perked up, “do you remember that promise we made before the British Grand Prix?” he asked. Confusion flashed through her eyes, “what promi- oh no, not that promise!” she said with slight panic in her voice. “You pinky promised baby and now is the perfect chance to do it,” he told her as he giggled at her pained expression at the reminder of the ridiculous promise she had made to him.

y/n turned around to grab a bottle of champagne and Lando stood shocked for a while as he saw her starting to take of one of her boots, quickly snapping back into reality when he was asked to hold it for her. She poured the liquid into her boot before shouting over to Daniel, “Hey Danny, this is the one time this is happening, so you better not miss it!” Daniel stood there with a similar expression to Lando’s shocked one before quickly grinning and cheering her on. She raised the heel of the boot to her mouth before swallowing the liquid falling from her shoe. As she removed the boot from her mouth, she was met with Daniel’s phone in her face probably filming the whole thing and a look of pure disgust from Charles who had made it clear to her many times that as much as Lando asked him to, he would never participate in doing a shoey.

She turned to Lando, who sported a proud smirk on his face. Pulling her into his chest, he mumbled into her ear “that was really hot,” causing her to blush but look at him with questioning look. “Whatever floats your boat baby, might do it more often if this is how you and little Lando react” she teased, smirking up at him. “How dare you call it little, you know full well that it-“ Lando started before she slapped her hand over his mouth, stopping him from finishing that sentence and ultimately exposing their sex lives to her family and their friends.

~

It was the day after the final and Lando and y/n were sat watching the sunset peacefully. Lando interlinked their fingers before gazing at the engagement ring glistening in the early morning sun on her hand. “What about if we do it next week?” he asked nervously. “Do what? The wedding?” she responded. Lando sighed, brushing his other hand through his hair before pulling her to straddle his lap so they were face to face, “Yeah, I mean, neither of us want a big wedding, it can just be small with family and friends, we can still have a party after and I was speaking to Daniel earlier and he said that he would take pictures so we wouldn’t have to worry about that and-“ Lando was interrupted by a pair of soft lips meeting his. “Lan, that sounds perfect” she whispered to him before continuing, “as long as I’m with you, that’s all that ever matters”

[jarofstyles]

Flame 3- Ignite

Hello… here she is. 🫡 finally. Bffrry has arrived! Part 4 is on Patreon now.

It’s basically pure smut so 😁 enjoy! Sorry for the wait

Check out our Patreon!

—————-

She should have taken Harry seriously when he said it would be an addiction.

It fucking was.

It seemed like the man could barely go a few minutes without a kiss in her presence, and she couldn’t be bothered to lie and say she didn’t absolutely fucking love it.

His lips found her neck as she sipped her coffee, rubbing tiredly at her eyes. Last night was an outing with their friends for Adam’s birthday. They’d celebrated sober, though no one else was. No one batted an eye at Harry’s hand on her thigh or when he had dragged her to dance- but more so make out heavily on the dance floor with a memory that would stick far clearer than any of their others. The taste of lime and tequila on his tongue and his hand gripping her hips while she moved them was an aphrodisiac, her lips still tingling from the nip he had given it when her hand slipped under his shirt.

A weak, sleepy whine left her throat as his teeth grazed the curve of her neck, biting down lightly on the sensitive flesh. His newest thing had been hickies. Attempting them, at least, trying to see how he could mark her. The possessiveness he actually showed towards her had reared its head the night before in ways that had made her panties ruined. Of course, they’d been tipsy and as soon as they got home they passed out in his bed for a change and regretfully didn’t get too much else.

“Don’t like wakin’ up alone.”

The timber and rasp of his sleepy voice could have made her moan out loud. Y/N hadn’t liked leaving his grip this morning, needing to use the restroom desperately- and caffeine to soothe her grumpy nature in the morning. Leaving him behind has been painful considering she had been in heaven in that bed, her nighttime shivers gone from the furnace of a man that wrapped around her like a koala- but she really had to piss, damn it.

“Sorry.” Her voice was gritty from sleepy, but added into it the spark of arousal in her body from his morning voice and the lips making their rounds on her throat. “Had to pee. And you’ve got the nespresso machine.” She giggled, squirming lightly as he rubbed his nose back and forth on her shoulder. The strong arm around her squeezed her back into him, a quiet grunt leaving his throat as she could feel him against her ass.

Oh. Fuck.

Harry could hear the breath hitch in her throat as his length pressed up against her ass, letting her feel exactly what it did to him. “N’then you want to tease me in my own kitchen? do you know what it does t’me, seeing you in my kitchen, drinking from my mug, in my fuckin’ shirt?” Fingers fell down to where his shirt hit her legs, sliding underneath it. Large palms glided up the soft flesh of her belly, settling on her ribs. “Cruel, cruel woman. But I suppose I could expect that from you.” A deep inhale was taken as another shower of kisses was slowly pressed from shoulder all the way to her jaw, biting down on the curved line with a groan. He was slowly rubbing himself against her, not trying to push it too far without more communication but thoroughly enjoying himself.

It didn’t help that Y/N let out a sweet little sigh, pressing her ass back into him as silent permission. “Shouldn’t it soothe the territorial pup in you? Nearly thought you’d pissed on my leg last night to mark your territory.” She teased back with a laugh, setting the coffee mug down and joining his hands under her shirt. “Danced with me just like this… rubbing against me. So hard then, too. Kind of wanted to make you cum on that dance floor.”

God damn, she had a hold on him.

Since their arrangement had gone around, they hadn’t done too much- but one thing they had done was rub off on each other. Y/N had gotten off on his thigh, and much like this, Harry had humped her during a movie they had been watching. It seemed like since those times, they had a hard time prying their bodies off of each other.

“You could have.” The admission was a hum, rocking against her slowly. “Looked so fucking sexy, in that little dress and letting me kiss on you. Could have burst right inside my pants.” He had no shame, as he usually didn’t. Harry was a little shit and it only got worse with age, but somehow Y/N found it more endearing than anything.

“Mmm. Not sure if I want to venture into exhibitionship quite yet. But…” she rolled her head back against his shoulder, angling her head to the side. “I’m more than happy to make you cum like this. I robbed you from the bed.” The bleary eyed smile up at him nearly broke him. Hands right under her breasts and her sweet body pressed up against his, his cock throbbing with need for her, and she was an angel on earth. His lips smothered hers, mixing the taste of coffee and mint with a tender passion.

The cool marble of the counter bled through the thin shirt as Harry pressed her closer to it. Y/N wasn’t nervous when he touched her. She was exhilarated. It made her want to take things further than they had been before. The heat of her own cunt was taking over, the glide of his wet tongue over hers making her fuzzy, she wanted him to touch more. Taking his large hands and placing them on her bare breasts for the first time, she hummed against his mouth, squeezing her hands over his when she felt him throb against her ass.

Soft. So soft and warm in his palms, the perfect size for his personal taste. At the feeling of them, he exhaled sharply into the kiss and pressed her further against the marble. This was too good to be true, this was a hidden fantasy he had buried so deep coming to the surface and making his head swim with pleasure. The slow rocking relief of pressure against her ass through his sweatpants and the taste of her mouth, it was everything the man never knew he needed.

“Harry…” the whimpery, airy whine of his name made the man’s eyes roll back, kissing her a bit harder before pulling back. Y/N knew how to make him crazy and they had only just really begun to fool around. It was interesting to see how they could be the same old friends, with him irritating Y/N and playfully fighting to this. This needy, messy pair who couldn’t stop touching.

“Yeah, baby?” He cooed, pinching both of her nipples between his fingers. “Do you like having me touch you like this?” The lips slick with the remnants of their kisses smeared across her cheek as he pulled lightly. The action made her moan, pressing back further into him. It was overwhelming how well Harry's hands seemed to know how to touch her. Like they were meant to do so.

“So much.” Her tone was even foreign to her. Y/N had never felt so airy and bubbly before, so hot. She was in need of him, the pressure building between her thighs starting to be too much. “I love your hands. Love how you touch me. I just want more n’more. How are you so good at this?” The words floated out without her permission, making her flush a little bit at how needy she sounded.

“You can have more and more.” He smirked. “Whatever you want. It’s your pace, Y/N. You’ve been driving me crazy.” That was an understatement, to say the least. It dawned on him that this was dangerously leaning into couple territory. That this wasn’t just what friends did- but he was selfish in this and wanted to do whatever she allowed. He could pretend they were dating. In his head, that’s what he wanted. So having her melt like this for him, it was a dream come true.

Her normally prickly self melted down to a soft mush as soon as he got his hands on her. Being able to touch her like this soothed an ache he had been having for a long time. The warm flesh against his hands and rubbing himself against her ass, the hunger he felt for more of her, to own this feeling grew In his chest. “Y’can have me however you’d like. As much as I want to tug up this shirt and sink into you here… I think I want some breakfast.” He nuzzled against her neck again, the sloppy, wet kisses on her hot skin meeting the cool air. Her body shuddered under his touch.

“Yeah?” She leaned her head back and on his shoulder, placing her hands on top of his while they kneaded her breasts. “I suppose I can let you. Don’t want you starving or anything like that, now do we?” She angled her head to the side, catching his jaw with her lips. “Though you may deserve it. Think you tugged my hair a bit too much last night, brat.”

Harry let out a breathless chuckle, buzzing from head to toe as she spoke against his skin. This scene was something from his dreams, and Y/N had no problem teasing him in either. “You’re sayin’ it like it’s a bad thing.” His sigh was soft as she nipped lightly at his jaw, enjoying the slight sharp feeling of her teeth. “Messy look, but you moaned. So… don’t give me that.” He released her, turning her back in his arms so she faced him.

Y/N didn’t have a moment to reply before her lips were caught with his, melting right back into the groove they were going for. Of course, she loved giving him a hard time. Harry was a little shit and loved to make her want to pull her hair out, pun intended, but he really did make her feel the best she ever has. No hook up, no cuddle had ever felt more right. His lips covered hers and had a natural air of dominance over hers that she was surprised she liked so much. Usually, she was the one in control- but for now, in these intimate moments, Harry took charge.

“Shut up.” She mumbled against his lips, squeaking as she felt his hands collar her hips and promptly lift her up on to the counter. Y/N wouldn’t let him know how much she fucking loved feeling him manhandle her a bit. “Watch it! You could have smacked my head against the counter.”

“But I didn’t, did I?” He snarked back, pushing the shirt up her thighs. “Just bein’ a gentleman is all, got to get you settled before I dig in. Been thinking about tasting your cunt for ages.” The admission was soft in the air, his nose brushing hers. “And I’ve been a very good boy n’let you do as you please, even leaving me cold and alone in the bed. But I think I’m gonna go absolutely mad if I don’t have the taste of you on my tongue in the next 3 minutes.”

The words caused her head to spin slightly. Of course she had known there had been sexual tension sometimes, but to hear him say that he had been thinking about how she tasted for a while now? It had her flushing, heat tk the cheeks as the large hands massaged her thigh, kissing down her jaw to reach her neck. How was this real?

“So for once in your life, you’re gonna be a good girl for me and let me taste what I want. You want it, yeah?” He waited for her to peep out her agreement before continuing. “Good. Stop interrupting me then, don’t be a little brat, hm? All I want to do is taste and make you fall apart on my tongue.”

………

It wasn’t hard.

Y/N had imagined his tongue before. Wondering how he would be with it. Still, he was somehow exceeding expectations. Her hands carded through the damp, silky waves, chest heaving as her head leaned back against the cabinet. Warm hands held her thighs open, keeping her from squirming too much as his tongue coaxed her closer to her second orgasm.

Second.

Y/N had been more sensitive than expected, and simply put, Harry hadn’t had his fill yet. So he continued. Y/N wasn’t going to complain. The man had a smooth talking mouth, but by god, his tongue was a godsend. Sinful and sweet, her new favorite. Soft strokes of the hot tongue melting her before his lips found her clit, no shame involved as he sucked it into his mouth slightly.

“Oh my god, oh my god- oh my…” she choked on her words as his eyes kept his dark, hazy gaze on her own. The smugness was visible, but he was so serious in his craft that he didn’t dare pull away to smirk. Instead, he slowly began to thrust his finger inside of her. Feeling her clench wildly around it, pairing the rhythm with the soft suckling on her clit.

It was wet, messy, dirty, but so fucking hot it was ridiculous. Harry couldn’t get enough of her. As if nuzzling his face into her cunt wasn’t enough, his reactions to her had been good enough to feed her confidence for ages. His growl, his proclamation of how good she smelled, how she tasted better than he had expected? Y/N knew. She knew this was going to ruin her.

“You’re gonna make me cum again.” She moaned, the awed look on her face making him hum against her. That was the point. All he wanted to do. If he had it his way, he would spend the entire day down here. Between beautifully cushioned thighs, wrapping them around his ears and muffling out anything that wasn’t Y/N and her sweet moans and cries.

Harry merely smirked against her body, angling his digits to stroke against the spot that had her thighs trembling against his touch. There was no denying that this was enough to get him off. He was so hard it physically hurt, sensitive enough that he knew it would only take a few strokes to come to his end, but he was selfish in a different way. He wanted to take her orgasm again, feel it gush a bit against his tongue. Hear his name from her mouth as she melted into a puddle of pleasure.

Y/N wasn’t even aware of the problem she had started. The need he was going to feel. He wanted her, he aches for her before they’d even touched. Just being her friend was enough to make him happy. To get close like this? He was going to be selfish, to absorb every inch of way she gave to him. He wanted her, her heart was the end goal but he would take her body as long as it was offered. Harry was selfish this way, but he hoped she was the same.

The moment he felt her begin to come over the peak, he continued the efforts with a groan. Tasting her, feeling her body arch and watching as her mouth fell into that pleasured ‘o’, he was close himself. Her weakened whine of his name and the eyes on his as he laughed deliriously into her cunt, licking her up as she orgasm flowed before pulling up, wet face and all, to kiss her.

It was the messiest kiss she had ever felt, her head still spinning as she moaned at the taste of herself on his tongue. Stroking over hers, she clutched his face, palms damp with her own arousal as she was needy with it, feeling a bit drunk with her own orgasms to care.

“Can I cum on you- please?” He asked gruffly, reaching into his shorts and hissing at the throbbing he felt. “Please baby, where can I?” The desperation in his voice was new, something she found her sensitive cunt reacting to. He was never weak like this around her, never begged seriously, and fuck- it was hot. Seeing his slick face and dark eyes, flushed cheeks. This was raw.

“On my cunt. Do it.” She dared him, licking her bottom lip. “Go ahead, baby. You made me feel good.” There’s an intimacy to it. She couldn’t deny it. But feeling the tip of him brush her, her legs wrapping around his waist and encouraging him forward felt unbelievable. “Let go for me.”

With his face dipped in her hands, his mouth open and the beautiful furrow between his brows, Harry choked out a broken groan as he stroked off, letting go. It didn’t take long at all. In fact, just feeling the wet heat against his cock had made him crumble so fast it would be embarrassing if it was with anyone else. But it wasn’t.

It was Y/N. His cum decorated her cunt, the creamy strands making a mess of her as his legs got a bit weak, falling into her a bit as he got the last long stroke in before he got too sensitive.

“Fuck.” The silent petting of his hair had made it all the much better, dipping his face into her neck while he pecked tiny kisses to her sweaty skin, shirt falling off her shoulder. It was the quiet comfort. No awkwardness as he pressed a longer, chaste kiss to her mouth and used some tissue to clean her up, whispering apologies when she jumped.

The soft moment was over, however, when a loud grumble of Harry’s stomach lit up the kitchen and she had to giggle. “Thought you’d just had breakfast. Aren’t you full?” The kick of her heels against the cabinet and her messy hair taunted him, the swollen mouth begging for more kisses as he grunted, stepping back between her legs with a banana in hand.

“When you’re the meal?” He scoffed, hands grabbing her bare thighs with a squeeze. “I highly doubt it’ll ever be satisfied with just a taste.”

[guppygiggles]

Like Real People Do, Part 2! ♡ (Casper x Avery)

☁️ Summary: Casper waits for Avery to make good on his promise to visit, and gets more than they bargained for!

☁️ Warnings: Suggestive language, mild tickling (please do not interact with this if you're a minor!)

This is a series now!

Part 1

Part 2 *you are here

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

If you just got here and want to know more about my characters, you can read my comic starting right here!

Everything that hurt, always hurt more the second day.

I sat up in bed, pain wrapping around my middle like a boa constrictor, squeezing agony into my bones. It was four a.m. again, but now it was Monday; a workday.

I grabbed my phone and opened my company's intranet page, hastily navigating to the HR section of the site and putting in for a sick day, followed by an email to my boss and coworkers.

Good morning,

I am not feeling well and will not be in today. All incidents assigned to me are up-to-date with notes. In case of emergency, please text me.

Thank you,

[deadname]

I stared at my reflection in the dirty bathroom mirror. My teal hair looked like the aftermath of a fork stuck into an electrical outlet, and there were pale violet circles under my eyes. While they were genetic, they had become even more visible since my insomnia started. Lifting my shirt, I looked at my stomach, where a bruise like an arm of the Milky Way bloomed in shades of blue and purple, fading to yellowish green at the frayed border. I clattered three Excedrin into my palm and swallowed them dry.

My apartment didn't have a dining area, so I sat on my green-corduroy couch as I peeled an orange. Aside from the hum of the air conditioning unit, it was quiet.

What the hell happened yesterday?

Given the shape and location of the bruise, I felt pretty certain that I had, indeed, crashed my skateboard into the pier's guardrail.

"Oh, shit! My skateboard!" I remembered dismally. It was probably at the bottom of the ocean by now, waterlogged and unsalvageable. Unlike most other skaters I knew, who often had a quiver of five or six boards, I only had one; a drop-through longboard that wasn't too long, which meant it was perfect for my short stance. It was the first board I'd learned to ride, and I'd saved up for months to afford it. My heart sank as I remembered how much research I had done to find the perfect beginner skateboard, and the graphic I had so carefully selected -- a stylized depiction of a person surfing beneath a cloudy, pastel sunrise.

Sunrise. Clouds.

The rest of my memories from the previous day surged back.

"Avery!"

I nearly choked on an orange slice as I glimpsed the microwave's digital clock. It was five a.m. now.

"Sunset time Port Oleander," I googled frantically, the search engine responding with cruel indifference, "seven-thirty p.m."

My fingers counted the hours: fourteen and a half. I collapsed back into the couch as impatience like a cartoon anvil fell on me. How could I possibly wait that long?

Memories of the lighthouse assailed me as I slumped, stunlocked, on the couch; wet brick, old paper, bergamot, sea spray. An embarrassment of books. Sunlight glinting off bits of ice in Avery's swirling, translucent head. His huge, sincere, almost goofy smile. His laugh.

My stomach twisted with a swell of emotion so strong it was almost painful as I recalled the sensation of Avery's warm, boisterous laugh vibrating my ribcage. I wanted - no, I needed - to hear it again and again and again. My fingernails dug into the couch cushion as I fought to gather myself.

"This is just infatuation... right?"

I wasn't exactly a stranger to romance. I'd had partners here and there, but admittedly, the termination of my previous relationship over two years ago had left me unsure that falling in love was, well. For me.

The initial "spark" that seemed a crucial part of attraction for other people, for me, was apparently defunct; attraction did not happen often, and when it did, it was more a slow and methodical building of a home, less a match igniting an all-consuming fire. Love, intimacy and trust were all building bricks, predicated upon a wrought-iron foundation of knowing a person well, forming a bond as friends over time.

Physical intimacy, itself, was a whole 'nother ballgame. As a solitary person, most physical touch -- even mundane -- carried a weight of closeness that was not always comfortable or welcome, but was embarrassingly out of my control. I recalled my recent visit to the doctor, cringing a bit. Though I was loath to admit it, even brushing hands with the grocery store clerk as they handed me my change left a lingering sensation that I had to fight to ignore. I wasn't the type to hug a stranger; I wasn't the type to even hug my friends unless we'd spent significant time together. I certainly didn't think about ti...

My ears suddenly grew hot.

Was I already thinking about... that? With Avery?

Avery's hand holding mine over his kitchen table, his palm cool and soft, the mysterious and silent storm rushing beneath his skin. His gentle gaze that, despite his obvious years, held an innocent curiosity. His playful-yet-shy bravado as he introduced himself with a flourish of his hand, the way he so effortlessly scooped me off the ground. I wondered if his skin felt the same everywhere else... on his body, and on mine.

"Oh, no. We just met, we are NOT doing this," I argued, trying to appeal to my own sense of reason,"you're just gonna have to tough this out, Casper. Don't rush into things and scare him off, this is probably just a crush you're going to get over once you get to know him."

"But I've never even had a crush before, I don't know what to do!"

"Dude, just be regular! Just hang out with him like normal and see what he's like! I don't know, take him to the fair or something!"

"Is that a good way to get to know someone you're attracted to?!"

"I don't know, I'm you!"

I lowered my reeling head into my hands, suddenly regretting eating that orange as my stomach churned. Things were happening so fast. I looked at the clock again -- agonizingly, only an hour had passed.

A horrible thought occured to me, then:

What if Avery didn't feel the same?

"Don't go down that road," my internal monologue chided, "you have no idea how he feels. Don't spiral out of control."

"Why would he even be interested in me? I'm weird! I spend all my time by myself, I'm chubby, I barely have any talent, I don't even have any friends since I moved here! Not to mention how much trauma and baggage I have-"

"See, this is exactly what I'm talking about! Stop it! Everyone has baggage, even Avery probably does. You don't have to earn other people's love! You're good enough just for being who you are, and if he would only love you for what you can do for him, he wouldn't be loving you for the right reasons, anyway. Now get up and channel this nervous energy into something productive for god's sake, before you burn a hole in the couch."

I stood.

I cleaned up the coffee table.

I vacuumed my carpet. I washed every thread of clothing I owned, and my bedding. I did the dishes, cleaned every window and mirror and dusted every surface. Raiding the fridge and freezer, I threw out everything that was expired, then I alphabetized my spice cabinet. I mopped, scrubbed, wiped, and folded until my apartment looked like it was straight out of an IKEA catalogue.

Then I left, and ran every errand I had been putting off. I finally emptied my mailbox, bursting with junkmail (I was sure that our postal worker just loved me). I got my car inspected and put air in my tires. I went to the grocery store and restocked my fridge.

All the while, my mind reeled like a YouTube video set to loop:

Avery, Avery, Avery.

+++

By the time I was done, it was six forty-five p.m. I sat on the couch in my favorite pair of jeans and my coolest short-sleeve button-down: a navy blue number with tiny koi fish print. My hair was perfectly quaffed, and I radiated a shower-fresh clean. My apartment was silent, my palms sweating as my hands rested on my thighs. Despite all my arguing and resistance, I was the very definition of down bad.

My incessant thoughts piped up.

"You're trying too hard. You realize that Avery saw you yesterday, unconscious, in a ratty t-shirt and cargo shorts, nasty and sweaty from skateboarding, right? You probably looked like shit, and he probably thinks that's how you normally look. You probably smelled bad, too. He's gonna know."

"He's not gonna know. How would he know?"

A soft knock on my door interrupted my internal warfare and made me jump out of my skin.

I put my hand on the cold doorknob. My heart beat so furiously I could feel the fuzzy edge of my consciousness, and I silently bargained with my hypotension that if it just left me alone for now, just for tonight, I would pass out all it wanted tomorrow. I turned the knob and opened the door.

"Hi!"

It was my neighbor. I experienced an emotion that could only be described as crushing relief.

"I found this outside my door, I think it's yours, isn't it?"

She was holding my skateboard. It was wet, but it didn't look to be soaked through. I gasped, taking it from her.

"Yes! You said it was outside your door?"

"Yeah, I don't know how long it was there, though. Probably since this morning. This is the first time I've gotten out today, so..." she trailed off. We'd spoken in passing, but we didn't really know each other.

"Well, thank you, I lost it yesterday. I think my friend found it and probably just forgot which apartment was mine."

"Hey, no problem. Have a good one," she said, smiling politely as she left.

When she was out of sight, I hastily looked around. The sun was just beginning to sink below the horizon, and as I looked up, I could see hard chips of stars starting to appear. Over my shoulder, I checked the microwave clock again. It was seven o'clock on the dot. How much longer? What would I say when he arrived? What would I even do when he did? My hands grew cold as I realized that, in all of my stress-cleaning, I hadn't planned anything for Avery and I to do together. Maybe I still had time?

"Good evening," a familiar, airy voice spoke from mere inches in front of me.

I jumped again, head snapping forward as my suddenly weak hands dropped my skateboard, which rolled lazily across my small patio.

Avery stood before me in the dying light. He wasn't completely transparent yet, and the fading sunlight behind him illuminated the delicate curves of his head, giving new meaning to the phrase "silver lining." He was grinning like a child who'd just had ice cream for the first time.

My words caught in my throat.

"I'm glad you found your skateboard! I fished it out of the water after I took you home, but I couldn't remember which apartment you lived in -- sorry about that. I hope it isn't ruined."

Across the courtyard, a man opened his door and stepped out, snapping me out of my besotted daze. My fight-or-flight engaged.

"Get in here!" I whispered urgently, grabbing his shirt sleeve, eliciting a surprised yelp as I pulled him into my apartment. He was lighter than I expected, and as the door swung closed, I tumbled backwards onto the floor.

"My goodness, Casper, are you okay?" He offered a hand to help me up. I scarcely had time to brace myself before taking it, and had no choice but to endure the overwhelming thrill of sensation as his cool palm pressed against mine, pulling me to my feet. He was light, but his strength was undeniable; he practically pulled me off my feet by my hand.

"Oh, yeah, fine... ah... I saw someone... out there, across the yard, and I was afraid they would see you," I hastily explained, avoiding his eyes as I tried to calm my palpitations.

"Well, that was kind of you! Believe it or not, though, humans do see me sometimes. Usually you just assume I am something else, like fog, or simply a trick of the light. Come to think of it, though... I suppose, technically, I am both of those things..." He put his fingers to his lips contemplatively. It was only then that I noticed a few things about him that were different from last time -- he was wearing square-framed glasses, and he seemed... shorter? The first time I saw him, he practically towered over me; now, though, he was only about a head taller.

"Did you get shorter?" I asked rudely, wincing before the words had even left my mouth. Mercifully, he didn't seem to mind.

"Oh, yes! It's a scorcher today, isn't it? I evaporate when I get too hot, or if I go too long without water, similar to how you run out of energy when you don't eat."

I realized that I hadn't offered him a seat or anything to drink since I abruptly yanked him into my apartment. I sensed my father rolling in his grave.

"I'm so sorry, can I get you something to drink? I have plain water, but I also have flavored sparkling water, you know, like La Croix? They aren't sweet, but, they're kinda fruit flavored. The kind I have is strawberry. I also have hot tea? I don't have any soda or anything, I don't really drink soda or alcohol, I also have m-"

Avery put his large hand on my shoulder, offering a reassuring smile. I flushed immediately, becoming aware that I had spoken in such a rush that I'd forgotten to breathe. I inhaled greedily, unable to meet Avery's eyes as I gestured to my small couch for him to sit.

"Sparkling water sounds lovely. I've never had that before, but I love strawberries!" he said, taking a seat.

I cracked open a can for each of us, then took a seat on a cushion across the coffee table from Avery. My couch was so small -- really more of a loveseat -- and I was afraid it was too soon to sit so close to him.

As Avery took a sip of the fizzy drink, his eyes lit up, like they did when he laughed. The liquid entered his mouth, and I watched the bubbles swirl like a hurricane just below the surface of his clear skin, before disappearing into the cloudy translucency of his body. Almost imperceptibly, such that I might not have noticed if I wasn't watching, he grew a bit taller.

"Hehe, that kinda tickles," he said, giggling, "it's not much of a flavor, is it? More like an idea of strawberries. Nonetheless, I like it! It reminds me of the flavor of tea."

"Oh, god. Oh, no."

My mind spun like a top flying off a ripcord. I felt my blush rise cartoonishly from my neck all the way to my hairline, like mercury in a glass thermometer being thrown through time, straight from winter into summer. Had I been a cartoon, I was sure that steam would be whistling out of my burning ears.

"The way that word sounds on his lips... oh, god, this is more than I can bear," I thought, watching him read the back of the La Croix can, his head tilted upward as he peered through his bifocals. There was no denying anything anymore; no bargaining, no holds barred. I was helplessly, hopelessly, powerlessly smitten. I had no choice but to admit it, now: all I could do was double-down.

"Hey Avery?"

"Yes?" He smiled again, and I realized with dizzying elation that he always smiled when he looked at me.

"Have you ever been to the fair?"

[catharsis-in-darkness]

Family Affairs: Chapter One

Authors Note: This definitely took longer than expected, so i’m sorry for the wait!

Pairing: Vinny Mauro x Reader

CW: Fluff, Mentions of children, Implied smut

Word count: 1,053

Tags: @tearfallpixie @jilliemiw86 @vinyardmauro

Let me know if you’d like to be tagged!

It was a lazy Sunday afternoon for me and Vin. He was streaming and playing WoW, while I was sitting on the couch next to him reading a book. He would occasionally look over at me, making sure I was okay as he had been streaming for nearly 4 hours. I would always give him a nod back before continuing on with my book. Eventually I drifted off to sleep, waking up to Vin picking me up off the couch.

“C’mon Princess, let’s get you to bed.” He carried me bridal style into our bedroom and set me softly on our bed. I reached my arms out towards him, attempting to get him to join me. I grumbled when my hands were met with air.

“Let me change first, love.” I threw my head back with a groan, finally prying my eyes open to look at him. We made eye contact as he was pulling his shirt off. I wiggled my eyebrows at him. He laughed softly at my antics before laying down next to me. Lifting his arm so I could lay on his chest.

“I love you Y/N.” He murmured into my hair. I softly kissed his chest. “I love you more Vincenzo.” I whispered into his skin.

Vinny and I met at a gaming convention 3 years ago. It was the best thing to ever happen to me.

*flashback*

“Oh my god! Y/N we have to go over to the WoW tent!!” My best friend Logan, grabbed my hand pulling me along. I wasn’t paying attention to where we were going. Logan loved video games, I on the other sucked at them. I only played for fun, on occasion.

“Oh shit!” Was all I heard before my body crashed into another, causing my coffee to spill all over me. I let out a gasp looking down at my now soaked clothes.

“I am so so sorry! Let me help you.” A rushed voice met my ears as I looked up to see a head of messy curls scrambling to grab napkins from a nearby table. He grabbed as many as he could from the dispenser making his way back to me. The unknown man started wiping at my jeans hurriedly.

“Don’t even worry about it, they’re old jeans anyways. It’s probably time I get rid of them.” I tried to lighten the mood, but the panic was set on his face. I softly grabbed his hands, attempting to grab a napkin from him. “Fuck dude, I’m so sorry. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.” He apologized yet again.

“I promise it’s okay.” I smiled at him. He finally looked me in the eye. The realization of how attractive this man was hit me. He had a curly bob, with red money pieces. He looked flustered, a light blush covering his cheeks.

“Let me make it up to you, please.” My brow raised at that. He obviously feels bad and it was an accident.

“No, it’s okay I promise you uh…” I dragged on.

“Vinny, my name is Vinny.” He finished for me.

He ended up buying me a new coffee, and ever since then we’ve been inseparable.

*present*

“You know I always think of what would’ve happened if you never ran into me that day.” I gasped, lightly smacking his chest. “You ran into me!” The accusation leaving my mouth hurriedly. He grabbed my hand that smacked him and intertwined our fingers.

“I know mama, I’m just messing with you.” He chuckled, his thumbs soothing running over my knuckles.

“Go to bed, idiot.”

“As long as I’m YOUR idiot.”

I woke up before Vin and got up to make us breakfast. I giggled at his groans of protest before slipping on the shirt he discarded of his body last night. Today the boys were leaving for a 3 month long tour. To say I was sad, was an understatement.

Getting used to Vinny being gone for long periods of time has been a struggle. Even after 3 years, my heart still pangs at the thought of him leaving. I was pulled from my thoughts as warm arms wrapped around my waist.

“Good morning, Princess.” Vin murmured into my skin, as he placed kisses along my shoulder. “Good morning, Love. Did you sleep okay?” I basked in the warmth of his body as I whisked some eggs in a bowl.

“I slept like a baby, I always do when you’re next to me.” I rolled my eyes at the corny comment before I turned to face him. Nervousness started bubbling in my stomach as I looked into his eyes.

“So uh- When are we gonna make some?” I questioned shyly.

“When are we gonna make what?” He asked, moving around me to start cooking the scrambled eggs. He grabbed a pack of sausage out of the fridge and threw them in a pan, all while I watched him silently. He noticed my silence quickly turning to look at me.

“Babies. When are we gonna make some mini Vincenzo’s and Y/N’s?” His head tilted at my question, almost looking like a confused puppy. His brows furrowed and a look of surprise washed over his facial features.

“You- You want to have kids??” His tone was uneven. Fuck this was a mistake wasn’t it? I should’ve known better with touring that he wouldn’t want to settle down and have kids. We’re not even married yet, for fucks sake.

“You’re right, it was a dumb question.” I awkwardly turned around hiding the embarrassment on my face.

“Look at me, Princess. Whenever you’re ready, I’m ready. It wasn’t a dumb question. I’d love to have children with you. I don’t call you Mama, just for fun.” He grabbed me softly, forcing me to look into his eyes. I heard the slight sarcasm towards the end of his sentence.

“You actually wanna have kids, Vin?” My eyes started watering. Of course, he does. We had that conversation very early on in our relationship. Why was I doubting him before? God my brain is so stupid sometimes.

“Of course, my love. In fact, we can start right now.” His brows wiggled in anticipation. After the stove was turned off, our breakfast was long forgotten about as we raced into the bedroom.

Part 2

[danceswithsporks]

Awake- Part 6

Crosshair X f!Innkeeper

*Not Canon to Season 3*

Parts 1 2 3 4 5

Chapter Summary: Things change.

Authors Notes: Here’s another loooong chapter for you guys!

As usual the Spotify playlist will be updated with the new music and the outfit inspo will go up in about a day or so. Might even add inspo for her room!

Awake, your whole body was awake right now. Fingers clenched the sheets of your bed while knees shook and toes curled. A groan filled the early morning air of your room from lips that weren’t yours as you keened softly. How did it come to this? How had you ended up in bed with Crosshair's face between your legs licking you like a man starved? 

You closed your eyes and tried to think back on the last month and a half. Trying to pinpoint the exact moment things changed between you two. It was hard to think of one. 

-*-

1.5 months prior.

“Leaving? Chai, are you sure?” You stared at your dearest friend in utter shock. Never did you think that she’d leave Pabu. 

Chai nodded solemnly while looking across your garden and out to the ocean. “I need a fresh start. I can’t…” she sighed softly as tears welled in her eyes. “I can’t be here anymore. Everything reminds me of him.” 

You reached across the table and took her hand in yours, the tart she’d brought forgotten about. “I understand.” She’d been through so much already. Losing Tech seemed to finally be the tipping point for the woman. “When do you leave? Where will you go?” 

“Phee knows a few places. We’re going to explore and see what we find.” She squeezed your hand gently. “We leave tomorrow morning.” 

You froze at her words. “W-what? Tomorrow? But…” 

“Phee leaves tomorrow for a far-off planet to find an ancient relic. This will be my only chance to leave for months.” She looked back to the vast ocean. “I don’t know if I can stand to be here that much longer.” 

“So that’s that? You’ll leave and never come back?” You felt like your heart was breaking. When would you see her again? Tears burned your eyes. You’d miss her so much. 

Chai squeezed your hand tightly. “I’ll come back someday when the pain isn’t as strong.” 

That’s all you could hope for, wasn’t it? “Make sure to stay in contact. Let me know how you’re doing?” 

“I will.” 

-*-

1 week later 

Crosshair had avoided you like the plague after the incident on the patio. Never had he sleepwalked before and of course the one time he did he ended up kissing you. Well, you kissed him to wake him up but that was splitting hairs. At the end of the day, the two of you had kissed. 

And he hadn’t hated it. 

It was all he could think about. The way your lips slid against his, the taste of your caf on them, and the unimaginable smoothness of them. 

It had been the first time he’d been kissed in…well in a longer time than he cared to admit. 

Crosshair sighed loudly as he fell onto his bed. Theo was a mess. How much longer could he avoid you? It had been nearly a week since he’d said a word to you. He’d gone back to waiting for you to leave food outside his door and when he was sure you were asleep, he’d sneak downstairs and sit on the patio thinking about that moment. His hand hovering over his lips and his mind replaying that moment over and over. 

He looked out the window and stared into the darkness of the moonless sky. Was it odd for him to say he missed you? He missed that smile that always seemed to be on your lips and the way you fawned over him to eat. Sleeping once again eluded him. Every time he closed his eyes he saw you and the way your eyes sparkled after that kiss. The little moan you’d let out rang in his ears and the feel of you in his arms? Maker, you fit so perfectly in his arms. Once again he felt his pajama pants begin to tighten. He couldn’t do this again, not another night of stroking himself to the memory of that moment and the scent of your bed. 

With an annoyed groan, he stood from his bed and left his room. Quietly, he crept down the stairs and towards the patio door. He needed fresh air. 

A sound stopped him near the patio door. Was someone crying? He crept close to the door and looked out to see who it could be. He didn’t know his brothers to be the sensitive types but perhaps he was wrong. 

A soft glow radiated from a lantern on the table illuminating your hunched-over form. Your shoulders shook as soft sobs escaped your lips. Why were you crying? He moved to step away from the door but the floorboard creaked beneath his feet. 

You stiffened and looked over your shoulder at the sound. “Hello?” 

Crosshair swallowed and contemplated running back up the stairs to his room. 

“Is someone there?” You sniffled softly, reaching for your handkerchief to wipe your tears. 

Those soft sniffles from you were too much. He stepped into the doorway and cleared his throat. “Sorry to interrupt.”  

“No, I’m sorry.” You wiped your face a few more times while standing. 

“Don’t be.” He spoke quickly. “I’ll just… go back upstairs.” 

You swallowed and before you could think the words were pouring out from your lips. “Please stay.”

“Okay.” He couldn’t bring himself to leave you there crying. He walked across the patio and stared down at you. Your eyes shimmered softly with wetness from your tears. “Why are you crying?” 

These were his first words to you since the incident in this very spot. You missed the sound of his voice. “I miss Chai.” Better to be honest than to lie. 

Ah, the tea shop girl. He hadn’t been able to make himself watch her leave. Not with the knowledge that all of this was his fault. That Tech was gone because of him. She had been kind to him when he’d met her down at the sea wall. But that’s because she didn’t know what happened. The day she found out she’d hate him. Just like you would. 

He reached up and brushed a rogue tear from your cheek. “I’m sorry your friend left.” 

His rough thumb on your cheek felt nice. “I never thought she’d leave Pabu. I didn’t think she was hurting that much.” 

“The ones who look the most normal are usually the ones hurting the most.” Crosshair froze, surprised by the wisdom that had spilled from his mouth. It was something Rex would have said or one of the Jedi. 

Whatever you had expected him to say, it wasn’t that. From what you’d seen with him, and heard from his brothers, how he’d been acting was far from normal for him. If he believed it to be his normal then how badly was he hurting? How close had he been to his brother to be in this much pain? You realized at that moment that you didn’t know much about the man standing before you. You’d learned a little about Hunter, Echo, Wrecker, and Omega from each of them and Stitches. Hell, you knew more about Tech, thanks to Chai and his brothers, than you knew about Crosshair. “Are you hurting?” Well, that wasn’t what you had wanted to say. “I’m sorry.” You took a step back. “I shouldn’t pry.” 

He took a step forward. “I am.” 

“Do you want to talk about it?” You whispered. 

-*-

You sat on your bed staring at Crosshair carefully. One wrong step and he’d close up completely. Which is why you hadn’t said anything since you entered your room, twenty minutes ago. You’d easily taken a seat on one side of the bed while Crosshair stood by the door leading to your balcony. It took you patting your bed twice for him to finally, and tentatively, join you on the bed.

The two of you sat cross-legged on each side of the bed, staring at each other. He opened his mouth to speak but found the words impossible to leave his lips. How would your perception of him change once you heard the truth? He swallowed the massive lump in his throat. 

This wasn’t working. He’d never open up to you at this rate. “Come here.” You reached out your hand and when he nervously took it, you pulled him down onto the bed fully. You propped up your head with your hand and stared at him. “Stitches and I met Chai years ago when her family settled here. They were refugees fleeing the war. She said she was saved by a clone. She never got his name, just his unit's color. She was different then, scared and timid. Then her mom passed and she shut down again. Took her a while to recover from that.”  Beside you, Crosshair lay on his side staring at you, listening intently to everything you said. “She wasn’t completely back to normal. But she was doing better. Then she met Tech and she lit up. It was like she was a new person. Her smile was bigger and her laugh brighter. I’ve never seen her so happy. Which made seeing her so sad over Tech's death so heartbreaking.” You blinked a few times as tears threatened to escape again. “Now she’s gone and I don’t know if I’ll ever see her again. My best friend is gone.” You sniffled as a tear ran down your cheek. Instead of it falling onto the bed, a thumb wiped it away. 

“Tech was my twin.” Crosshair allowed his thumb to linger over your cheek. “You could say we are all twins. Clones all look alike after all.” 

“Except for you and your brothers.” You whispered. 

He chuckled and nodded. “Yeah. Except for us. We weren’t twins based on looks. But twins in heart. It wasn’t uncommon to occur. Echo had his brother Fives and in the 212th there was Waxer and Boil.” He knew the names meant nothing to you but it helped to remind him of his twin. “We were two sides of the same coin. While he was talkative, I was quiet. He had book smarts, I had street smarts.” He rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. “We rarely argued. When we did it was more like a debate.” 

You watched as a smile pulled at his lips. “Sounds like you guys were very close.” Reaching up, you carefully wrapped your fingers around his hand. 

“The closest.” A memory flitted its way to the front of his mind. “I remember this one time when we were cadets. We were in a battle simulation. Got cornered by some droids and needed to figure out how we’d hit the final target across the arena. Tech and I locked eyes and without a word between us, he turned and knelt. It was the first time I ever hit something so far away. If it wasn’t for him offering his shoulder as balance, I never would have hit it and we wouldn’t have passed our assessment.” 

“He let you place a blaster on his shoulder?” You gasped in surprise. 

Crosshair nodded as he continued. “Always did. Trusted me not to take off his ear. They all did but Tech was on a different level.” He squeezed your hand gently. “A sibling bond that could never be broken.” Which made it all the harder when they hadn’t stayed with him on Kamino and instead chose to save the girl. Or hurt even more when he made that dumb decision to go back to the Empire instead of going with them. ‘It is his nature.’ Tech had said. That hurt the most. Turning his head, he looked at you. “Do you have siblings?” He realized he knew very little about you and yet this was the second time he found himself lying in your bed. That soft scent of you danced its way into his nose every time he inhaled. 

“Nah.” You lowered your arm and rested your head on one of your decorative pillows. “My parents said they hit perfection when I was born. They didn’t see the point in having another child.” He made a humming sound while looking back at the ceiling. “Always wanted a sibling though.” You continued. “A lot of my friends had siblings growing up. There was just a different type of bond between them than there was between friends. An unspoken language that I’d never be able to understand.” 

“Do you resent your parents for never giving you a sibling?” His eyes glanced to the side to watch as you flipped onto your back and stared at the ceiling. 

“Not at all. They gave me the perfect life. A happy and healthy home. A loving atmosphere and anything I ever could desire. They, my parents and my grandparents, taught me how to cook and bake. How to run the inn and trade with the merchants who come to the island. My parents did everything they could to keep me happy.” You turned your head and looked at him. “Besides, Stitches was like a sister to me growing up and still is. We fight a lot but we always have each other's backs. I know it’s not the same as you and your brothers and sister. But I like to think it’s pretty close.” Looking back at the ceiling, you raised your hand towards the light over your bed. “Sometimes family isn’t defined by the blood that runs through your veins, but by the ones who do anything to make you smile and love you no matter what.” You allowed your hand to fall back onto the bed. It slid to your side and rubbed against the back of his hand that was between the both of you. Your cheeks flared at the feelings rushing through your veins. It was so comfortable here with him. 

Sighing softly, you reached to the bedside table and tapped a button on it. The lights dimmed as you hummed. “Come on, let’s get some sleep.” 

Crosshair had been thinking about what you’d said when the lights dimmed. “Sleep?” You wanted him to sleep here next to you?

You laughed softly. “Yeah. It’s that thing you’re supposed to do at night to refresh your body. Instead of pacing back and forth and getting massive bags under your eyes” you nudged him playfully. 

“Here? With you?” Crosshair couldn’t think straight. 

He was adorable when he was flustered. “Don’t get any ideas, Mister. I’m just offering my bed for you to sleep in. I can tell you haven’t been sleeping. If it takes laying in my super comfortable bed to get you to sleep then so be it. I don’t mind sharing.” You sat up and grabbed the decorative blanket at the end of your bed and pulled it over the two of you. It was slightly stiff since it was more for decoration but you liked to sleep with something covering your body and you’d decided you’d feel bad for asking him to move to pull the normal comforter down. Plus you worried he’d use the opportunity to run.

“O-okay.” He adjusted under the blanket making sure to put distance between both of you. The last thing he wanted to do was make you uncomfortable. 

-*-

Which surprised him when he woke up the next morning with you curled into his chest. Crosshair swallowed at the sight of you laying there, a soft smile on your lips and your hair splayed across your face. He carefully reached up and brushed your hair from your face, inhaling at the way you hummed and moved closer to him. Was this…was this peace? Was this what Wrecker was experiencing? He woke up next to a gorgeous woman and felt a lightness in his heart. 

She doesn’t know the real you. A voice rang in his head. Once she learns the truth she’ll kick you out. The voice egged him on. How could anyone care for someone like you? 

The voice shook him to his core. It was right. The moment you learned about the mistakes he’d made in his life would be the moment the sweet and caring attitude you gave him would go away. You’d look at him in disgust and kick him out of your life. No longer would you take care of him and no longer would you smile at him. 

He deserved it. Moving to pull away from you, he found your grip on his waist tight. You didn’t wake but you stirred in your sleep. 

He may not deserve you, but for now, he’d accept this small piece of peace. Returning to his position, Crosshair stared out the wall as the morning light streamed through the curtains of your patio door. Birds sang and horns blared from the fishing ships leaving the piers. You slept through it all. It would be another thirty minutes before you woke up. Thirty wonderful minutes of your warmth in his arms. 

-*-

That was the first time you’d shared the bed with him. It would happen again a further six times over the month. He’d taken to knocking on your apartment door softly when he couldn’t sleep. You’d let him in and the two of you would fall asleep talking about your childhoods. 

You learned a lot about clones and how they were raised. How even though they knew they were being raised to be fodder they still put their all into being the best they could be. They cared fiercely for one another. Especially the Batch. 

Crosshair learned a lot about you. How you lost your parents close to each other and so your Grandparents had taken over raising you. Then your grandparents passed away as well leaving you the Inn. 

“Why do they call you Doll?” He’d asked one night while lying in your bed. You laid with your head on his chest listening to the steady beat of his heart. 

You held up the hand you were holding and pointed it towards the trophies. “Like I told you before, I was my parents' only child. Perfection in every way. They used to dress me like a little doll. Frilly dresses and cute hairdos. Lace gloves and socks with frills on them and pristine little shoes. As I grew older I was entered into the pageants here on Pabu and Coruscant. I won every time.” 

“So you’re a pageant queen?” Crosshair smirked while watching your hands. They looked good entwined like this. 

You chuckled softly “Yeah. The way I dressed and winning so many pageants earned me my nickname. Now everyone calls me by it.” 

“Doll” Crosshair said the nickname, letting it roll over his tongue. He liked it. Though there were other names he’d rather call you. 

“Hmm?” You tilted your head to the side to look at him while you played with his hand. It was rough and calloused, showing the years of hard work that he’d performed. 

“Nothing.” He reached over with his other hand and stroked your hair carefully. His nightmares had finally become less frequent thanks to the time he spent with you. He still had them on the nights when he’d sleep in his bed. But when he’d wake up he’d think about you. Think about that smile on your lips and how you said his name. How your bed smelled and the scent of your shampoo. The way you felt in his arms when he’d wake up in the morning before you. All of it helped to push the nightmares away.

But it only ever lasted for a few days. You were like a drug that he needed to keep him sane. After a few days, the nightmares would be back in full force and no matter what he did they wouldn’t go away. Those were the nights when he’d quietly creep down to your room, softly knock on the door, and listen for you to gently tell him to come in. You were usually curled up on the small loveseat in your living room reading from your tablet. He didn’t know what you were always reading, you always turned it off before he could catch a glimpse. You’d smile at him and make a quip about him missing your bed. Then you’d stand and lead him to your room where the covers were already pulled down and ready for him. He wasn’t sure if you did it every night in anticipation of him coming or if you could hear him coming and so you’d rush to get the bed ready for him. 

What Crosshair didn’t know was it was a mix of both. You purposely stayed up late in hopes that he’d come down. While you changed into your pajamas you’d pull the blankets down and ready his unofficial spot. Then you’d sit on your couch, tablet in hand, and wait. If he didn’t show up around his normal time then you’d go make your bed for just you. Only on two occasions did you hear him moving around upstairs after you’d remade the bed. You ran and made up his spot before quickly diving back onto the couch making it just in time for him to knock on the door. By the time he entered, you were nice and cozy on your couch with no sign that you’d been running around. 

 

As far as Crosshair was concerned, you always had the bed ready and waiting for him. You liked sleeping next to him. It had been too long since you’d shared your bed with someone who wasn’t trying to fuck you. You tended to wake up before him. Laying with his arms wrapped around you made you feel safe and warm and the peaceful look on his face was wonderful to see. You’d drift back to sleep and the next time you woke up he’d be gone. He was always gone when you woke up. The two of you never discussed those moments just like you never discussed the kiss or the sleepwalking. In all honesty, the two of you barely talked outside these quiet moments in your room. You probably should talk but things were so delicate with him that you didn’t want to risk scaring him.  

So the two of you carried on with your almost bi-weekly meetup. Things never change. Something the two of you seemed fine with. 

-*-

Then one night things changed. Crosshair couldn’t sleep, a horrible nightmare involving Mayday and the Ice Vultures kept waking him up. No matter how hard he tried he couldn’t fall back to sleep. It was hopeless for him, it had been days since he’d slept in your room, your arms wrapped around his waist and your head tucked under his chin. He’d kissed the top of your head that morning before sneaking out. He wasn’t sure what had compelled him to do it but something inside him had urged him on. Crosshair knew the two of you should talk about… everything that had happened so far. But he knew it would bring on other conversations and he wasn’t ready to have them. Or to end the peaceful times the two of you were sharing. 

He left his room like he usually did, and quietly walked by Hunter's room, down the stairs, and over to your door. Knocking three times, he waited to hear you call him in but you didn’t. Instead, there was silence. It was odd, usually you were still awake at this time. Crosshair chewed his lip as he tried to think of what to do. He needed you, needed to see and hear you. To smell your perfume and lay with you in bed. He didn’t care what the two of you talked about, he never did. All he knew was his mind needed the fix only you could give him. 

Crosshair knocked on the door one more time before entering your apartment. “Doll?” He looked towards the couch but found you not there. Were you asleep already? He carefully crept to your bedroom and stuck his head in through the door. The bed was empty. Still perfectly made. He walked into the room and looked around for signs of where you may have gone. He spotted the open doors to your patio and wondered if you’d decided to read out there. “Doll?” He called once more. 

The sound of crying drifted to his ears and he once again felt that tug at his heart. Walking towards the sound, he found you sitting on the ground with three datapads in front of you. “Doll, what happened?” 

The mail had come in earlier in the day and you’d been unable to look at it. Once everyone had gone to bed for the night you’d brought the mail to your patio with a cup of tea and began to look through them. The moment you looked at the first datapad your heart sank. It was from the banking guild. You were once again behind on the bills for the inn. If things didn’t change soon they’d take it away. Ever since the Empire had taken over, travel had died down as things became more strict. To stay under the radar, Pabu and its sister islands had stopped broadcasting the planter as a tropical getaway planet. As it stood, they were not part of the Empire's control and they wanted to stay that way. But that came at a cost. Business was down for everyone. All across the planet people were struggling to make ends meet. 

The other two datapads were more bills from merchants and an offer to buy the inn from an acquaintance on Coruscant. They didn’t say why they wanted to buy the inn, but the offer was very good. But the place had been in your family for generations. How could you just sell it? Crosshair's voice pulled you from your haze and you shook your head quickly. “N-nothing.” You quickly tried to stack the datapads and hide them from him, but one fell out of your hands and slid across the patio to him. 

Crosshair knelt and picked up the datapad that was still on. His eyes glanced over the screen. ‘Purchase offer’ was scrawled across the screen in official writing. A large sum of credits just below it. “You’re selling the inn?” He looked at you in shock. From what you’d told him, you loved the inn. Why would you sell it? 

“No.” You stood quickly and took the datapad from him. “I don’t know… maybe.” You pushed passed him and over to your desk. Placing the datapads down, you took a deep breath. “Bills are stacking up. If I can’t find a way to make payments I’ll lose the inn the the guild. Someone I met on Coruscant is offering to buy it. I’d get to stay on as the innkeeper but it wouldn’t be mine anymore.” Tears began to well in your eyes once more. “I can’t lose this place, Crosshair.” 

“It’s us, isn’t it?” Crosshair hated seeing you this way. He took a few steps towards you to comfort you but found he didn’t know what exactly to do at this moment. 

You shook your head. “No, the island pays me more than enough for you three to stay here. After everything your brothers have done for us, it’s the least we could do.” You wiped your face a few times before continuing. “Before the Empire took over we were a popular travel destination for vacationers and merchants alike. Now people have stopped traveling as much and the planet wants to remain under the radar. We can’t rush the Empire taking notice of us and forcing us to join them.” 

“So you may have no choice.” He stopped near you. Should he hug you? Hold you? 

“If I sell, you’ll have to leave.” It was something you didn’t want to happen. You’d grown used to all three of them being there. The way Hunter and Echo added life to the place, especially when Wrecker and Omega would stop by. Then there was Crosshair. The two of you had grown so close and yet if he had to leave now you’d never be able to finish helping him. He was still plagued by nightmares and sleepless nights. There was something he was keeping secret. If he continued to do so it would eat him alive. Something you didn’t want to see happen. 

“Oh.” He didn’t want to leave. This was the first place he’d felt safe in a long time. Plus he’d have to leave you behind. What would he do then? How would he survive without you? Crosshair watched as tears began to stream down your face. “No no no no, don’t cry.” He wrapped his arms around you quickly and pulled you close. 

You buried your face into his chest and sobbed quietly. This was all too much. Trying to keep the inn afloat while trying to help him and deal with Chai being gone. It was all finally catching up. Strong hands wrapped around your shoulders and held you close as he shushed you gently. “What am I going to do? I can’t keep this up much longer.”

“You’ll figure something out. A brilliant and beautiful woman such as yourself? I’m sure you’ll come up with a plan.” It took him a moment to realize what he’d said. Now that it was out in the air there was no taking it back. 

“You think I’m brilliant?” Let alone beautiful? You’d hoped he’d thought that way about you but never did you expect him to say it. 

Crosshair looked down at you and nodded. “I do. You run an inn on your own and you take care of those around you. You’ve kept this place running this long by yourself. I’m positive you can figure something out.” He thought to himself for a moment before continuing. “I’ll help any way I can.” 

“Crosshair, you don’t have to.” You placed your hand on his chest and stared into those deep brown eyes of his. 

He reached up and brushed your cheek with the back of his finger. “I want to. You’ve helped us so much. Helped me.” 

“I was just trying to be helpful.” His finger against your cheek felt so amazing. 

Your eyes were sucking him in. If he continued to stare at them then he’d be lost forever. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad thing. “You’ve been more than helpful. You’ve been amazing. I want to find a way to repay you.”  His hand lowered to your chin where he held it carefully. 

You swallowed as the two of you became lost in each other's eyes. “I… I could think of a few ways.” 

Crosshair smirked at the implications of your words. “Maybe we should start at the top of the list and work our way through it. What’s first?” 

Wetting your lips, you glanced away from his eyes to his lips then back to his eyes. “You kiss me like you did that night weeks ago.” 

“I can do that.” He closed the distance between you and pressed his lips against yours. It was like fireworks were exploding within him. His hand slid from your shoulders and down to your waist, holding you tightly. 

Your head was swimming. It felt amazing to have him kiss you once more. His tongue slid across your bottom lip and yours eagerly found it. The two danced with one another until you gave him the dominance he desired. You hummed happily as your arms wrapped around his neck. “Crosshair” you gasped softly, pulling your lips from his. “Are you sure about this?” There was still time to pull away and pretend this didn’t happen.

“I am.” He kissed you once more while leading you towards your bed. “Let me show you how grateful I am for you taking care of me, Kitten.” 

Kitten? The nickname sent a thrill through your body. “Please.” You keened softly. You felt his hands slide down to your ass where he squeezed you. Falling onto the bed with a humph, you stared up at him in surprise. 

You looked so damn cute with your mouth hanging open the way it was. Your gorgeous eyes staring up at him and your cheeks flushed, your kiss swollen lips beckoning him to come back. “Lay back on the pillows, Kitten. I’ll do the rest.” 

What did he have in mind? You did as you were told as you wondered what his plan was. You watched him carefully slide your slippers off as he lowered himself onto the bed. He nudged your knees apart while sliding his hands up the sides of your thighs, raising the hem of your nightgown. A soft pink lace gown with thin straps that made your breasts look amazing. It was one of your favorite nightgowns. The clone now settled between your legs and wrapped his fingers around your panties. You felt a soft tug as he began to work them off of you. “C-Crosshair.” 

He placed a kiss against your inner thigh before glancing up at you. “Tell me to stop. Tell me you don’t want this and I will.” 

“Why would I lie?” You whined softly as his rough lips peppered the sensitive skin near your core. His hot breath brushed against your heat making your head tilt back. “Mmmm,” you hummed softly. “Cro-“ you stopped and let out a little squeal as his tongue licked a strip across your cunt. 

“Did you say something, Kitten?” He stopped and looked at you, waiting for you to say something. When you shook your head quickly and rolled your hips towards him, he smiled and returned to his place between your legs. “Just relax, pet. Let’s take your mind off everything.” He growled softly, though it sounded muffled due to his current location. 

Just like that, you found yourself on the receiving end of a tongue-lashing from Crosshair. Just not in the way you expected to receive it. Your fingers curled into the blanket beneath you as his nose ran against your clit. Toes clenched as his hands that were now wrapped around your thighs tightened. If you looked down you’d see that his hips were grinning against the edge of your bed, seeking friction of any kind. But you wouldn’t be able to focus on it for too long because his tongue would soon be dipping into your cunt, lapping at you like a man heading to death row. 

Just as soon as you’d feel that tug inside of you he’d slow down and languidly suck and lick you. You’d relax a little and simply shout the lovely feeling of him between your legs and then he’d speed up once more. This continued for nearly an hour before you couldn’t take it anymore. The sun was beginning to crest over the horizon and his brothers would be up soon. “Crosshair, please.” 

“Say my name again.” It sounded so lovely on your lips. He wanted to ingrain the sound into his soul so he could hear it forever. He wanted to taste everything you were so that even the sweetest wines wouldn’t compare. 

“Crosshair.” You gasped as his tongue dipped into you. “Crosshair.” The stubble on his face rubbed against your inner thighs giving you the loveliest of feelings. “Crosshair.” His tongue slid up and rolled your clit like he was playing with a marble. You felt that tightening feeling within you once more and you worried he’d edge you once more. So close, relief was so damn close. But this time he didn’t stop. Instead, he adjusted his hold on your thighs, pulled you towards him, and sat up on his knees. Your hips were raised into the air and he hungrily devoured you. His eyes locked with you as your toes curled and thighs squeezed his head. “Crosshair, please, let me cum.” 

“As you wish, Kitten.” He growled against your folds. 

The feeling of his words against you was amazing. So close. He rolled and rubbed his face against your cunt marking your scent all over him. Then he was sucking even harder and you were seeing stars! Glorious rainbow stars that lit up every nerve ending in your body. You gloriously came against his face to the satisfied hum of Crosshair. 

“That’s my good girl.” He lapped and licked your release, savoring every drop you could give him. Only once he was sure that you were nice and clean did he lower you back onto the bed. 

Oh, him calling you a ‘good girl’ did something to you. But you were far too tired to do anything about it right now. The mix of a sleepless night and such an amazing release had sleep tugging at you almost immediately. “That…was amazing.” 

Crosshair leaned over you from his place between your legs and went in to kiss you. Remembering that your release was all over his face, he paused. “Let me go clean up.” He moved to pull away and found your arms wrapping around his neck. 

“Stay.” You pulled him down and kissed him deeply. Your taste on him was delicious. 

“Just for a little bit.” He whispered. He needed to get back to his room before the others woke up. The last thing he needed was them prying. 

You sighed softly and nodded, you knew that he’d be gone when you woke up. It wasn’t the end of the world for you. One day he’d stay. 

Crosshair crawled from between your legs and to your side. He grabbed the decorative blanket from the end of your bed and pulled it over the two of you. His cock was still painfully hard but he’d handle it later. He wasn’t ready to cross that boundary with you just yet. He wanted it to last longer than a few minutes. “Come in Kitten, let’s get some sleep.” 

“I like that nickname.” You whispered while curling into him to sleep. His hand wrapped around you and held you close as he kissed the top of your head.

“Good.” He’d call you it in private, not wanting to draw more attention to what was happening between the two of you. Or that he was struggling. 

Sleep found its way to the both of you easily. Its grip on both of you was tight and deep. By the time you both woke up, it would be midday. 

Opening your eyes, you expected to find the bed empty as usual. But instead, you found him still there. Peacefully asleep. You laid your head on his shoulder and watched the steady rising and lowering of his chest. You’d talk when he woke up about what had happened. It was time to finally discuss things. 

But for now? For now, you’d let him sleep. Stitches could deliver the meals on her own and the others were smart enough to take one each. Yeah. They could easily handle it on their own. You smiled softly and reached across him for your tablet. His arm wrapped around your waist and pulled you close, his face burying in your breasts. He inhaled deeply and growled your name. You adored the sound of it on his lips. 

Grabbing your tablet, you carefully moved back to the space next to him and laid your head on his chest while pulling up the novel you were reading. It felt nice laying like this together. 

Yeah, you could get used to this. 

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