#[ work tomorrow as well but HOPEFULLY i'll be around again ]

[sofiawritesstuff]

PLATONIC

part 9

summary: When Lando's "playboy" image is setting a bad reputation for him. He's turns to the person he trust most in this world for help.

pairing: landonorris x bestfriend!reader

warnings: suggestive

part 8

IT'S HERE!!! I apologise for the lack of uploads, I was in Spain and visited family in Italy, my car broke down and the plane was delayed. I was then in work for 5 day straight and I'm in for a further two nights too. No more excuses I will be back more consistently.

-------------

You with your arm wrapped around Lando's waited at baggage claim at the airport. While he called his brother updating him on how long the two of you would be, you decided to go onto the F1 gossip page.

f1gossippage

f1gossippage Lando already enjoying his week off with girlfriend Y/N L/N. They were spotted this morning at the airport and appeared to be heading back home to the UK. Y/N also posted a picture with her holding a man's hand with the caption "home for the week".

-

"Well we've made it to the gossip pages again, a fan must have took a photo of us at the airport" you show Lando your phone, he looks down and your phone, humming kissing the top of your head.

As the two of you waited for your luggage to appear on the carousel, Lando tried to wake himself up by looking as the gossip pages "Cute picture of us though"

"At least Zak will be happy" you shrug "This is our week, let's not think about him. We will spend the night at Max's apartment, you will go to your meeting, I will pick you up and we will head to my parents. Just us, no Zak"

The noise of the carousel drew your attention to the suitcases arriving, luckily for both of you, your suitcases were the first ones out. You watched as Lando effortlessly lifted both cases off and nod towards the exit.

"Don't worry, I'll take it" he tells you as you go to take your case from him "Thank you, is Oliver outside?" you asked "Mhm, he has the car parked right outside"

The two of you walked out of the airport you saw Oliver stood outside the car "Ollie!" you smile running towards him "Hi sis, how are you" he smiles, hugging you tightly "I'm good how are you, how are my girls?"

"We're all good, the girls are desperate to see you and their Uncle Lala" he teases Lando ruffling his hair "Get off" Lando laughs hugging his brother

"You two have a lot to answer for by the way, Mum has seen the photos and I think her heart could have exploded with how excited she was that you two were finally together" Olivier says putting thr cases in the car

You felt your heart drop, Lando's mother had been like a mother to you for as long as you could remember, someone who had been longing for you and Lando to get together.

You and Lando looked at each other, frowns on both your faces "What?" Olivier questions looking between the you "Uhm" Lando starts "Listen, we're planning to go to Mum's and Dad's tomorrow night. We need to talk to everyone about what's been going on. Can you bring Savannah?"

"Okay, I have just felt my heart fall to my stomach. What's been going on?" he asks getting into the car "We will explain everything tomorrow, I promise you will know everything"

The drive to Max's apartment was nice, empty roads and hearing all about the children's lives, Lando's racing and your work place. You had the music blasting until Lando fell asleep on your shoulder.

"Still a big baby, I see" Olivier smiles, looking in the mirror "Yeah" you run a hand through his hair "He's exhausted, he has only just started to get a goodnight's sleep. Hopefully being back home he will sleep as good as the girls"

"Are you going to Canada?"

"Yeah, that's what my meeting is about tomorrow at work. My boss wants to see me just go see how I'm doing and about working from different places, trying to get a few clients. Get a few more posts on social media"

"Do you still like the job?”

“I like how flexible it is, my boss is literally so amazing but sometimes I wish i didn’t have to work during the weekends, I like just being able to put all of my focus into Lando”

“He appreciates everything you do for him you know, that one time when he was feeling down about the race and he came home to his favourite dinner and snacks. He messaged me telling me how grateful he was for you”

You blush, kissing Lando’s head making him snuggle into you more “He’d do the same for me”

“So are you going to tell me what’s been going on, or do I have to wait until tomorrow?”

“It’s best we tell everyone together” you admit as he brings the car to a slow stop “I understand, if there’s anything you need. Just give me a call”

“I will. Now do you want to do the honours of waking him up or will I?” you ask with a smirk “Give me the keys and I will take your cases inside. He will be less cranky waking up to you rather than me” he jokes, getting out of the car

You watch as he drags the suitcases to the door, you gently shake Lando awake "Baby come on, we're home"

He groans mumbling, wrapping his arm around you "Lan, we can sleep again in about ten minutes"

"That was a quick drive" he says waking up "Yeah for you, you slept the whole hour. Are you ready to go inside. Get some sleep in a bed"

He nods, leaning over giving you a quick kiss just as his brother gets back in the car "You're awake" Olivier says loudly making you two of you pull away "Yeah, thanks for the ride. I'll see you tomorrow" Lando says quickly getting out the car

"Thanks Ollie" you rush out following him. He takes you hand rushing you inside. Closing the door behind him.

You enter the apartment, following Lando straight to the bedroom "It feels good being home doesn't it?" you tell Lando watching him take his shirt and trousers off getting into bed

"Yeah. I love Monaco but it feels good being here. Now come on get into bed"

--

The next morning, you woke up in just your underwear and the shirt Lando was wearing the day previously. You weren't used to the 7am wake up calls, you hadn't been for the past two years.

"What time is it?" Lando asks waking up "Sh, sh, sh. Go back to sleep. I'm going to work. Pick me up at 1pm okay?" you hold his face, kissing him quickly leaving the bed.

You head towards the hall, getting clothes from your suitcase, and got ready for the day. Just as you were about to leave Lando comes into the kitchen fully clothed and putting his shoes on.

"You ready to go?" he asks grabbing his keys "What are you doing up?"

"Taking you to work, there's no way I am letting you get a cab at this time in the morning, plus i'm going to drop our cases off at my parents"

"Thank you but I need to come back here after work to get changed anyway"

“All sorted, I’ve left clothes out for you” he says proudly. You walked into the bedroom to see a pair of jeans and shirt left out neatly on the bed for you.

“Thank you” you smile coming back through to thee kitchen. You grab your bag and follow him out the apartment, getting into the car

"How are you feeling about the meeting?" he asks reversing out of the drive "I'm not nervous about the meeting but I am nervous to go back into the office, so many of the girls hate me"

"They don't hate you"

"No they do, they hate me because you're in my life and not theirs. They only want you for your money and to fuck you" you scoff, he laughs putting his hand on your legs

"They will never get the chance baby, the only person that will ever get to fuck me in that office is you" he squeezes your leg sending you a wink

You look out of the window, hiding your smile. Watching as the weekday morning traffic slowly building up.

“Well I’ve definitely not missed this” you mumble turning your hand to Lando “Neither have I, how long is your meeting today?”

“Mark said I would be done by 12. Meeting starts at 10. I don’t think it will even last that long”

“Well I will be waiting for you at 11:45 where I drop you off. Do you want anything brought in for lunch? I can stop at the cafe just around the corner”

“No, no. I’ll be okay and get something at work. Get yourself something though” you smile rubbing his shoulder

“Will you though?” he asks turning the corner into the car park of your work “Yes. Thank you” you say taking your seatbelt off

Lando looks at you, staring out the window. Takes your hand in his in attempt to calm your nerves “You’ll be okay, I know you will. Go in and ignore anyone that has a problem with you. You know everything you need to do”

“Thank you” you smile “I love you, have a good day and I will be waiting here for you when you’re done”

“I love you too”

He leans in, giving you a kiss to the lips before kissing your head “Have fun” he says as you leave the car, you close the car door, waving at him through the window.

Entering the office, people come up to you greeting you, including your best friend Robert

“I’ve missed you so much, this place is hell without you” he hugs you tightly “It can’t have been that bad” you laugh sitting down at his desk

“Oh it is, I have so much to tell you but first tell me how you’ve been?”

“I’ve been great to be honest, I’ve absolutely loved travelling with Lando. Getting to experience his first win, we’ve tried so many different foods and countries. It’s been so good. We’re staying with his parents this week before heading to Canada”

“Yeah i’ve noticed how much you’ve enjoyed your time with Lando. I’ve seen the photo of you two kissing. He’s finally your boyfriend?” Robbie squeals

“Yeah, he is” you lie staring at the man across from you “So how did it all happen? I need all the details”

Before you can say anything Mark appears at the meeting room doors, signalling you both over. You thanked him in your head. Glad you don’t need to make up another lie.

“Tell me later” Robbie smiles, leading the way to the office “Okay” you nod

Everyone sits around the table, the few girls that you didn’t like sat across from you “Good morning everyone, thank you for those who aren’t here everyday for coming in. Also a big welcome back to Y/N who has been doing an incredible job getting clients in every country she’s been too. How have you been doing Y/N”

“Yes great thanks, so far I have gathered 12 clients and I'm off to Canada next weekend so I'm hoping to meet a target of fifteen then"

"And how are you going to do that attached to your boyfriends hip?" Emma asks with a smirk on her face "Well funnily enough I do have a life outside of my boyfriend, I'm not with him 100% of the weekend, I also use Thursdays to gather clients and have meetings with them throughout the weekend"

"Well we all appreciate your efforts Y/N, we only require you to work eight hours a day Monday to Friday so we are grateful for the overtime that you do and the calls that we have had since you've been away are great"

The hours fly by and before you knew it, it was 11:50. You gathered your belongings, putting them all in your bag. "So how are you getting home? Do you need a ride?" Robbie asks handing you your charger

"No, Lando is outside for me, we're heading back to his apartment so I can shower and then going to his parents for the week"

"That sounds nice" he says opening the door for you, you talk about the week ahead while heading down in the elevator "Well there's Lando and it looks like he brought you lunch too" he nods over to Lando leaning on the car

"Hey Lando!" Robbie waves "Hi Rob" he waves back "How was it?" he asks leaning down giving you a kiss "Better than I thought"

"I'm glad to hear, you had a slice of toast this morning and I know the most you'd have in there was a coffee so I got you a sandwich and a drink"

"Thank you" you lean up kissing him, he walks around opening the door for you "What a gentleman" you smile getting into the car.

part 10

TAGS

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[gogobootz1]

An American in London

Benedict Bridgerton x Reader

Summary: One of Benedict's old schoolmates enlists his help with wooing his American penpal, but when Benedict (literally) runs into her travel companion, things take a turn

Word Count: 5k

Warnings: blood (nosebleed)

"Why, exactly, have you dragged me here?" Benedict bemoaned, looking around the nearly empty hotel bar. There were plenty of better places to drink in the city.

"Because tomorrow morning we are meeting my hopefully lovely pen pal here," came the arrogant voice of one of Benedict's old school friends. Charles had made no effort to continue their friendship into adulthood until earlier that day.

"We?" Benedict asked, skeptically as they sat.

"Yes, we," Charles nodded, motioning for drinks to be brought over. "You are to help me impress the girl and play chaperone."

Benedict squinted at him, "Why would I do that?"

"Do you have anything better to do?" Charles shrugged. Benedict blinked at him for a minute. The truth was, after dropping out of the academy, he did not. He had actually been rather bored as of late.

"Fine," he swallowed bitterly.

"Excellent!" Charles sprang up from his seat, "I'll be by Bridgerton house at ten tomorrow to pick you up."

"Where are you going?" Benedict asked as the man began walking off.

"I have an appointment," Charles called back, and Benedict rolled his eyes. He polished off his drink before putting some money on the table. Of course, Charles had left that to him. He made quickly for the side exit and frustratedly shoved the door open.

A pained cry drew his attention as he stepped out, and he found a young woman with her hand clapped over her nose. All previous annoyance seeped from him instantly. Guilt and shame flooded into its place as he rushed to check on you.

“Are you quite alright miss?”

“Not quite,” the muffled American accent caught him off guard.

“I’m terribly sorry,” he rushed out, eyes full of earnest regret. He grabbed the handkerchief from the pocket over his chest and reached toward your face with it. You reared back, hand still firmly covering your nose, though he swore he could see deep crimson starting to leak out.

“Will you let me have a look?”

“Oh, no,” you firmly shook her head, laughing without any humor, “I have had enough embarrassment for one night. I will not end my evening by bleeding on some random English gentleman.”

You began walking in the opposite direction, but he was quick to follow.

“Please, allow me to make amends, I feel at fault for-“

“You are at fault!” You stopped in your tracks to fix him with a glare.

He blinked back at you, “Well, yes, but I-“

“Unless you’d like to ram a door into your own nose, I’ve seen more than enough of you tonight, thank you,” you snapped, turning to leave. Before you could, you felt a drip of blood fall from your hand onto your dress. You let out a frustrated groan and turned back toward the stranger, snatching his still-outstretched handkerchief. 

Working fast, you wiped your bloody palm, then your face. All the while, the concerned gentleman looked on in worry. Once you’d wiped the excess, you held the cloth up to your nose to catch any more.

“Perhaps I should introduce myself,” He nervously straightened his jacket.

“Perhaps not,” you shook your head, “if you introduce yourself we might just meet again, and you should pray for that not to happen.”

You might’ve laughed at his expression if your nose didn’t ache like hell. “Goodnight!” You said with faux cheer, as you left him standing in confusion.

“Goodnight?” You hardly registered his weak reply.

----------------------------

Benedict woke up on the floor after being violently tugged off the small sofa in his room. He'd been so absorbed with his sketch he hadn't even made it to bed last night.

"Come on then, Bridgerton," Charles' voice taunted from above him, "up and at 'em."

Benedict rolled his eyes as he pushed himself off of the floor, catching sight of the prior night's labors as he stood. A pair of intense eyes stared back at him, and since you'd kept the rest of your face closely covered, a swath of ruby replaced everything below the bridge of your nose. He tried to casually cover the piece before Charles could butt in and ask about it.

"I thought we agreed upon ten," Benedict told the man, stifling a yawn.

"It is ten," Charles snapped, and Benedict winced.

"A moment, then," he requested.

Charles rolled his eyes, "Make it fast, Bridgerton." Benedict rushed to dress in fresh clothing and fix his hair as quickly as possible. Being late would be an early point against him in making both England and Charles seem appealing. Not that those were easy tasks to begin with.

Luckily, he managed a quick turnaround, and a carriage waited outside for them. The grey sky, however, promised rain, yet another factor working against him.

Thanks to a hefty tip to the driver, the men were no more than five minutes late.

"Remind me of her name again," Benedict asked as the two exited the carriage.

Charles glared at him, "I swear to God if you-"

"Just tell me her name," they breezed through the door to the cafe within the hotel.

"Sarah," Charles said, scanning the room, "Sarah!"

A young woman had raced over, and likely would have embraced Charles had she not been held back by the elbow. The woman who prevented the social faux pas was instantly familiar to Benedict when he met the same pair of fierce eyes he'd stayed up too late sketching. Then took the time to examine the rest of your pretty face, though it was marred by a bruised nose. He had to hold back a wince at his own accidental handiwork.

When Charles elbowed him in the ribs, he tuned back into the conversation. Charles not-so-subtly nodded towards Sarah.

"Very fine to meet you, Sarah," he said, hoping he'd assessed the situation correctly. Pleased laughter from the lady told him he had.

"And you," she nodded, "I'd like you both to meet my dearest friend." Sarah introduced you, nudging you forward a bit.

You smiled reluctantly, "Nice to meet you, gentlemen." When you locked eyes again, your smile grew wider yet more mocking. Charles dipped his hat, but Benedict bowed to kiss your hand. Doing everything possible to enter your good graces couldn't hurt.

"Might I ask how you injured your nose?" Charles ventured. Benedict tensed and he saw your jaw clench.

Sarah, however, laughed good-naturedly, "Oh, you'll laugh at this Charles," she turned to you, "go on."

"Silly me, I walked right into a door," you said, tone bordering on teasing. To anyone else, it might’ve come off as humorously self-deprecating. Anyone else might’ve thought you clumsy or perhaps a little ditsy, but Benedict knew better. Benedict could see the threat behind your eyes.

"Well, that's not funny," Charles admonished Sarah, "I'm sorry you're hurt." Sarah seemed surprised but mildly impressed. You, too, seemed content with his answer. One point for Charles.

"Are you in much pain?" Benedict asked, hoping the answer would be no.

You blinked at him, mischief sparkling in your eyes. "Only when I breath," you nodded, deadly serious, but he saw the way your mouth fought a grin.

"That's awful," Charles said, sympathetically. "You couldn't find some medicine or some powder to cover the bruise?" He asked that to Sarah, and Benedict saw your expression shift. One point against Charles.

"I wear my wounds with pride," you challenged. Benedict was once again reminded that your wound was his fault while Charles seemed to struggle for a reply.

"Shall we sit?" Your well-mannered question seemed to Benedict to be the first victory of inevitably multiple challenges to Charles. He wondered if that was your purpose in accompanying Sarah from the States- to determine if Charles was up to snuff.

The four of you were nearly finished enjoying tea and scones when you pulled out the handkerchief you'd taken last night. It was pink, presumably from you trying to wash out the blood. Benedict choked on his sip of tea as you wiped the crumbs from your lips with it.

"When did you buy that?" Sarah asked.

"Oh, I'm only borrowing it until I get the favor I'm owed," Benedict gulped at that. You weren't kidding last night when you said he should hope to never run into you again. Though he did have trouble agreeing at the moment, and somehow, even still.

Sarah easily dismissed your comment and reengaged Charles in conversation. Benedict's attention remained on you, however, and you cheekily tilted your head at him.

Your eyes remained locked with his before you started speaking, "Perhaps you two would like to take a stroll of the hotel gardens before we leave for whatever plans you've made for the day."

Charles nodded at this, "An excellent idea." He walked around the table to offer Sarah a hand. When the two were out of hearing range, Benedict turned back to you.

"Will this favor earn me your forgiveness?" He asked, "Because I really do feel terribly about-"

"Stop," you said, "It's fine. Sarah had no problem believing I still have sea legs and tripped into a door."

Benedict's shoulders drooped as he breathed in relief. "But are you in pain? I couldn't tell if you were serious earlier."

Your expression became softer, "Only a little." He was relieved by that answer. "But I wasn't kidding about the favor," you reminded, sternly.

He froze, "And what favor do you require?"

"I'd like a full report of Charles' background, personality, what he does in his free time," you listed off, "anything of the like."

The questioning glance he gave you encouraged you to elaborate.

"Look," you said with a huff. "Sarah's mom is over the moon about this. Marrying her daughter off to an English lord will boost her social status by leaps and bounds. Her father, however, is not so convinced. Mr. Du Pont has always been kind to me, so when he asked me to assess this potential marriage, I gave him my word."

Benedict nodded, "And you'd like me to inform you on Charles, so you can inform Mr. Du Pont on Charles."

"Exactly," you said simply.

"That's rather funny, you know, Charles asked me to help woo Sarah and convince her he's worth a permanent trip across the Atlantic," he said, and you raised a brow.

"Are you trying to repent for hitting Charles in the face with a door?"

Benedict blinked, "What would you do if I said yes?"

"Help me," you snarled.

He raised his hands defensively, "All right! How am I meant to do that?"

"Have pertinent information sent to my hotel suite," you shrugged.

"Fine," Benedict assented after a minute.

"What's fine?" Sarah asked, having just returned with Charles. Her tinkling voice took him by surprise, and he laughed nervously.

"These biscuits," he said, standing, "they're very fine, I may even take some to go." Benedict stuffed two of the shortbread biscuits into his pocket and regretted it soon after. He regretted it even more after catching Charles' nasty glare at him.

Taking a sharp breath, he turned to offer you his arm, "Shall we?"

You politely took his arm, repressing your laughter. As Sarah and Charles walked on ahead, you leaned in, "Save one for me." Benedict lightly snorted before catching himself, but you seemed pleased at his laughter.

----------------------------

As weeks began to pass, notes from Benedict began to pile up. They were originally only about Charles, but as you started sending replies, the notes grew more conversational.

Sarah certainly only grew more besotted with time, and you were beginning to worry she'd rubbed off on you. The more time you spent with Benedict by way of monitoring Sarah and Charles, the more you found him positively charming.

His good looks were apparent from the beginning and made the door incident all the worse for you, but you'd recently grown fond of his personality.

Last week's art gallery found you admiring him while he spoke passionately of the use of light in one of the paintings you'd come across. You'd only snapped out of it was he asked your thoughts on the piece. The most you could muster up was that you absolutely agreed.

As the two of you chaperoned countless walks and lunches, you conversed about any and everything. Benedict told you of his artwork and promised to eventually show you some of it after you asked a few times. You told him of your own passions, and how they were often trampled by society's expectations. He confessed that since both his older and one of his younger brothers had been recently married, his mother had been nagging him about finding someone.

"I think it's important to be comfortable alone," you'd told him on one particularly breezy walk. "You shouldn't make do with someone else's life when you can't be content with your own."

"Come again?"

"I only mean it's unfair to put certain expectations on a spouse," you shrugged, "No one is who anyone else wants them to be, and trying to force people to be what they are not leads to unhappy marriages."

"In that case, I'm glad no one expects a thing from me," Benedict said.

You laughed a little, "I don't think people expect much of me either. At least we won't let anyone down."

"Setting the bar low," he nodded, smiling, "I like it." Your laughter drew a smile to his face.

----------------------------

A few months had gone by, and Benedict was overjoyed when Charles proposed to Sarah. He was happy for the two of them, sure, but mostly, he was glad your stay had been extended. You'd become such a fixture in his life that he struggled to imagine a time after your visit.

Your return tickets were canceled. Instead, Sarah's parents had booked their spots on a ship sailing over to England. They wanted to plan their daughter's wedding and see her well-adjusted in her new homeland.

"What will your first report to Mr. Du Pont entail, then?" Benedict asked you. The two of you had been tasked with greeting Sarah's parents upon their arrival, and you sat opposite each other in a carriage.

"What makes you think this will be my first report?" You raised a brow at him.

"You've been exchanging letters across the Atlantic about Charles? He's nowhere near interesting enough for that," Benedict told you, inspiring a grin.

"They're mostly about mine and Sarah's time here. She's not great at staying in touch- yet another reason they sent me along," you said. "But you're right, I have yet to form a full opinion on Charles. I go back and forth, but I trust your judgment."

Benedict's eyes widened at the admission as you pulled up to your destination. He exited the carriage first to helpfully offer you his hand. To his displeasure, you pulled away all too soon when you saw the Du Ponts.

Mrs. Du Pont cheerfully called your name as you rushed excitedly towards them. Benedict smiled as he watched you greet the older couple. They were clearly quite fond of you.

It took a minute before they registered his presence.

"Where is Sarah? And who is this gentleman?" Mrs. Du Pont asked you, trying to lower her voice for the latter question.

You perked up, "This is Mr. Benedict Bridgerton." You grabbed his forearm and pulled him closer to the conversation. "He's a friend of Charles. They've both been showing us the best of England!"

"So this is Benedict!" Mr. Du Pont said happily, "I've read a lot about you."

Benedict shot you a questioning look as he shook the older man's hand, "You have?"

"Oh yes," the man nodded despite you shaking your head at him. When Benedict turned to you again, you stopped and let an angelic smile grace your face. His smirk told you you'd been caught. Oh well, if he asked, you'd simply tell the truth. He was by far the most interesting part of Great Britain.

----------------------------

Wedding preparations had been running smoothly, and soon enough Benedict was out with a group of high society men to celebrate the impending nuptials.

The men were a few drinks deep when Charles made a toast, "Soon, lads, I will no longer be a free man, so you best believe I will enjoy it while it lasts."

Benedict was not sure he appreciated that sentiment, but let it pass as his other companions gave cries of, "Here, here!"

Drinking eventually turned to debauchery, and Benedict soon felt crowded at the table slowly attracting more women of the night. He excused himself to find another drink. Upon his return, however, he found Charles happily skipping off with one of them.

"Charles?!"

The man's attention turned to him, "Don't wait up, Bridgerton!" Charles laughed, and Benedict felt his face drop.

"Don't tell me..."

"Oh lighten up mate," Charles shrugged, "it's not like it counts."

Benedict blinked as his old school friend sauntered off with the woman. Every time he drank with men of the ton, it became more apparent that Violet Bridgerton's parenting methods were not widespread.

----------------------------

When he woke up in the hotel suite the next morning, Benedict spent a few blissful moments without the memory of the prior night. When he did remember, he tried to brush it off as a drunken illusion. Only, logic won out in the end. He hadn't drunk that much, and he had very clearly seen the scene with his own eyes.

Why did Charles have to go and make a mess of things? Everything had been going swimmingly. Now, just because the man couldn't keep it in his pants, countless hours of wedding planning would go down the drain. Sarah would be inconsolable, her parents would be furious, and they'd all be going back home. You'd be going back home. Shit.

He agonized over the situation, pacing the floor for an hour before Charles waltzed in.

"Are you only now getting back?" Benedict asked him, taking in the disheveled clothing Charles had been wearing the night prior.

"What can I say? I certainly enjoyed myself," Charles said smugly. He walked off, presumably to freshen up, but Benedict called after him.

"Charles?" The man turned, "You wouldn't... engage in that sort of behavior as a married man?"

Charles chuckled a bit, "Bridgerton, prostitutes don't count," that was concerning, "That sort of revelry was a one-time thing." That was... a bit better? Benedict let out a miserable groan.

----------------------------

Your bright eyes at the wedding rehearsal made him briefly forget his troubles. Once you were both in the proper position, Benedict didn't bother to pay attention. In fact, he pretty much just stared at you from across the altar. You looked good up there. He liked seeing you at the altar. He liked being across from you at the altar.

He was in trouble.

You whispered to him as he escorted you back down the aisle when the faux-service was over. Being best-man did afford him some benefits. "Guess what?"

"What?" He smiled down at you.

"The Du Ponts are thinking of staying indefinitely," you said, secretively, "they bought a house here. They've invited me to stay with them."

"Oh," he said, sense suddenly knocked back into him.

"It's looking like I might be in your hair a while longer."

Benedict quite nearly told you to stay in his hair as long as you cared to but felt it might be too forward. He also felt you'd make a lice joke at his expense. Your sharp sense of humor was one of the many things he found charming about you and one of the many reasons he did not want to let you go.

But if Charles and Sarah were getting married, you were staying. The Du Ponts were staying.

Just how bad was some debauchery at a stag party, really? In the grand scheme of things?

"Oh, how was the gentlemen's party?" You asked, excitedly, "I hope none of you behaved too poorly."

A nervous laugh bubbled from his mouth, "No. No, just the usual level of poor behavior." Fuck.

"Glad to hear it," you nodded. "Was Charles drunk out of his mind?" You laughed a bit.

"Quite possibly," Benedict said, smiling uncomfortably. The man was definitely out of his mind. Whether it could be attributed to the drink Benedict wasn't sure.

"Well, thanks for keeping an eye on him," you said, giving his arm a squeeze.

He was in big trouble.

----------------------------

On the morning of the wedding, Benedict was jittery. In a hallway of the church, he kept nervously adjusting his collar. A steady pair of hands pulled his away, and he looked up to find you fixing his collar.

"Stop touching it," you told him as you worked, "it looks good."

"Right," he breathed stiffly.

"And try not to look like you're attending a funeral," you reminded him, smirking. "Oh! I have something for you," you pulled the handkerchief he'd given you when you first met out of a small bag. Pressing it into his hand, you smiled up at him, "favor complete. Consider us even."

He could only nod at you as you began to retreat.

"I'm off to help Sarah. See you soon!"

Benedict gazed after you, guilt creeping in.

"I'm relieved she's kept such a close eye on Sarah," Mr. Du Pont suddenly appeared beside him, "but I should've expected it. The two have been like sisters ever since..."

"Since?' Benedict asked him curiously while straightening his bow tie.

"Well, we took her in some years back when her family passed," the older man explained.

As much as Benedict thought he'd gotten to know you, it seemed you'd yet to feel comfortable enough to tell him that, "I hadn't known."

"No," Du Pont shook his head, "she doesn't like to talk about it. Hates having to bear people's pity."

That, Benedict could understand. He had found that to be one of the worst parts of the aftermath of his father's death.

"But it's been a pleasure to have her in our family. I'm only happy it's expanding! Hopefully, she'll have nieces and nephews soon," Sarah's father looked around before leaning in a bit, "I'm hoping for lots of grandchildren. I'll be perfectly happy when both my girls have good, loyal husbands at their side. It seems we're almost there!" With a pat on Benedict's shoulder, Mr. Du Pont walked off, "I'll see you in there."

Benedict nodded absently. Oh. He had mucked things up. He had really, really mucked things up.

Benedict paled a little. In his bid to keep you by his side as long as possible he'd neglected all other considerations. Including the life and happiness of your sister in all but blood. This wedding was very real and very imminent. And despite the time he dreamt it was the two of you getting married, his feelings were not nearly the most important of those involved.

Sarah was about to marry a man who had cheated on her only two nights prior.

But Charles had said it was a one-time thing. A last hooray before settling down. He'd said that prostitutes do not count anyway and- oh.

Benedict sharply inhaled when he realized his own foolishness. How had he not seen this? The bars they'd visited in the past months were all down the street from the one they'd entered two nights ago- the one next to the brothel. Each time he would excuse himself to retire to his home, Charles had stayed.

A fool, indeed. He'd been so enamored and distracted with you that his spy work on your behalf was entirely lackluster. Worse yet, when he did find pertinent information out, he had lied.

He had to make it right.

Benedict raised his fist to knock on the door of the room Sarah had taken over. Before he could, it swung open. You smiled at him, a little confused.

"You know you're only supposed to escort me down the aisle," you joked, "You don't have to start this far back."

He shook his head grimly, and your face fell. "I need to talk to you," he looked up to find Sarah behind you, "both of you."

You stepped aside and let Benedict in, nervous at his shift in attitude.

"You cannot marry him," Benedict had summoned all of his nerve to say the words and looked Sarah square in the eye when he did so. She deserved that much. She deserved the truth.

"What?" Sarah asked skeptically. She was already in her wedding gown. She had no idea what was happening.

"Benedict, what are you talking about?" Your question was quieter, but you were deadly serious. As soon as he said it you knew something was wrong, and he was right in bringing it to Sarah.

He swallowed when he looked into your eyes, "I lied to you." You felt like he'd just slammed a door in your face again. "Charles did behave poorly the other night. In fact, I think he's been behaving poorly for months and I've been too blind to see it."

"What? He was drinking?" Sarah asked, "I knew that would happen."

"No," Benedict shook his head, "He was with- with other women."

And with that, Sarah was out the door. You, however, could not bring yourself to follow. You were frozen to the floor, looking at the man you'd trusted with glassy eyes.

"You lied to me," you whispered.

"I'm sorry."

You shook your head, laughing a little. The sound was sad, "I guess I broke my own rule." His eyes pleaded with you, but it was far from enough, "I expected too much from you. You couldn't help but let me down." His heart sank.

Finally, you turned to race after Sarah. Benedict was hot on your trail, "Please-"

"Oh, this is not over," you called over your shoulder, "but we have more pressing matters to deal with."

You stopped dead in your tracks after rounding a corner. It was so abrupt that Benedict could not slow his own pace enough not to bump into you. You both stumbled a bit but recovered in time to see Sarah slap Charles in the face. She then marched out of the church with her head held high.

Mrs. Du Pont followed her straight away. And Charles rushed after them both. Mr. Du Pont stopped only to briefly speak to you, "Would you both be so kind as to handle-"

"Consider it done," Benedict said. You sent him a sidelong glance before begrudgingly nodding at the man who had taken you in. Mr. Du Pont left to chase after his wife and daughter, leaving you and Benedict to dismiss guests and try to cancel vendors.

----------------------------

A long and tiresome day of working to undo weeks of wedding planning and avoiding the sad blue eyes that followed your every move ended in your hotel's garden. More specifically, eating the wedding cake that could not be returned in the hotel garden. You had very generously given most of it to the hotel staff. But you saved the top tier for yourself.

Draped across a bench, you stabbed into it with a fork. As you did, the charming figurine of Sarah and Charles fell from its place. You did not hesitate to grab the miniature and toss it into some shrubs.

"Rather harsh, don't you think?" A familiar voice drew your attention. You huffed when you saw who it was.

Benedict Bridgerton slowly made his way over to your bench. He gestured towards your legs, silently asking you to make room for him on the bench. When you didn't move, he simply sat himself parallel to you on the gravel floor.

"I am sorry," he said after some silence, looking straight ahead.

"I know," you nodded, not yet looking at him, "I suppose I am too."

"Whatever for?" Benedict's surprise broke the quietness of the moment, and he gazed at you questioningly.

You shrugged, still not looking at him, "I should have known better than to think you'd prioritize me over him. Charles is your friend."

"Maybe," he spat defensively, "but you're-" He cut himself off.

"What am I? To you?" You asked, now looking intently into his eyes, trying to discern his thoughts.

Benedict inhaled a large breath before telling you the God's honest truth, "When I realized what Charles was doing, I also realized that you would leave England with Sarah almost as soon as you found out. And I wanted you to stay." He paused, " I want you to stay."

Your lips parted as if to say something in return, but he barreled on, "I behaved selfishly, and I am a beast for it, but you were always my priority. Do not dream of thinking otherwise."

You swung your legs off of the bench and leaned forward towards him. Stabbing a bite of cake with your fork, you stuck it out to him in a gesture of peace. He cautiously ate the cake from your fork, waiting for you to say something. You took another bite before you did.

"A ship sets sail tomorrow," you said lightly, "back across the Atlantic." And with it, his hopes would sink. "I secured three tickets on it this morning."

Benedict blinked. That didn't add up right. "Is Mr. Du Pont stay-"

You quickly shook your head, and things started to click in place for him.

"Mrs. Du Pont?"

Your smirk started to grow.

"Sarah?"

"Now you're being deliberately obtuse," you mocked.

He grinned up at you, "Then...?"

"The Du Ponts need someone to mind their new manor in the English countryside. Who better than their favorite non-daughter?" You shrugged happily.

"Will you not get lonely in such a large estate out in the country?" Benedict asked teasingly.

You smiled playfully at him, "Then I should hope someone will be kind enough to call on me." Benedict looked rather self-satisfied at that. "I should only hope they clean up before they do."

His confusion was answered when you took a handful of cake and smeared it down the left side of his face. He stuck his tongue in his cheek to try not to laugh. It was well-played and deserved.

"Now we're even," you whispered close to his face before standing and walking away.

"Jokes on you," he shouted after you, "it tastes better like this!" Your laughter filled the night air, and he was happy to have made such sweet amends.

--------------------------------------------------------

I love Benedict sooo much!!! I wrote this super quick after watching the new season, so sorry if anything didn't make sense

Thanks for reading <3

(also sorry for any historical inaccuracies or whatever but this is Bridgerton we're talking about )

[carmenized-onions]

Doing Too Much. | House Call

logline; Appliances can reach their breaking point, when you push them too far. Same goes for people.

[!!!] series history, this is the sixth; First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth

[New Thing!!] Spotify Playlist, if you like to listen while you read. I listen to it when I write :) Constantly gettin' added to.

portion; 4.8k

possible allergies; eatin' meat, besides that, we're pretty good actually. did somebody say calm before the storm....?

pairing; Carmen ‘Carmy’ Berzatto & Fem Reader (no pronouns, but girl is said a couple times, i believe.)

After this chapter, I'm entering my era of couch hopping as I move to a new city n start a new job. I'm really excited for the chapter after this one, so hopefully I actually get time to write it-- But that's just my lil warning if you're left rereading for like two weeks </3 But I'll def be stalking my activity/inbox so please do yap to me

Monday morning. The next morning after everything. Well, closer to noon than morning, at this point. You’re supposed to have, what, a work ethic this week? After the most insane weekend of your life? No. You’re lazing around and doing fuck all. No matter who calls. Well… Not completely no matter, but like, most people.

When you check your phone, you’ve gotten a text at 6:43 A.M. Unknown number. Ah. Carmen. You put him in as Carmy, and put his nickname as ‘Mister New York’. Listen, old nicknames Mikey ingrained in your brain die hard.

It’s a simple text, deeply un-romantic.

‘Connections Puzzle #342’

Then, four lines of four perfect categories. Flawless. Purple first, even. The hardest category. And then,

‘Morning’

Stupid. Incredibly stupid, to be enamoured, by this. You reply,

‘Good morning!’

‘Connections Puzzle #342’

And then a failed jumble of coloured squares, you get one out of four categories. What the fuck is 'dogleg' and since when has it meant taking a sharp turn? You follow that up with,

‘Fuck you.’

Aside from Carmen, you’ve actually gotten texts from a couple people. Your boss at Eden’s asking if you’re alright. What the fuck did Cicero say? Oh well. You tell him you’ve ‘been better, been worse. Will be okay by next week.’ Perfectly vague, and you still get wired your cheque and tip out. Alright, maybe Uncle J does deserve your free labour.

Speaking of, the next text on your itinerary is from Uncle J, just info for the winter nuptials of Vinnie and Mira. Oh yeah. Three-hundred guests, you remember that part. You also remember him saying it’d be an ‘easy gig’… He did not mention you’d be the only bartender. This is going to be a nightmare. Oh well. You text back that despite it being an open bar you get to put out a tip jar. He just reacts to it, ‘haha’. That sounds like a yes to you.

And then, adorably, a selfie from Syd, wearing the collar and pins you’ve gifted her, under a green sweater. Cutie. You hype her up accordingly.

Besides some texting though, Monday is relatively unbusy. No calls. No emergencies. No businesses knocking down your door for your services. You’re thankful for a break, letting the inertia set in, finally being able to relax after fix after fix after—

Tuesday comes, you get sent another perfect round of New York Time’s Connections around half past six in the morning, along with a good morning text. And again, you fuck it up. You send him your Wordle results this time, as an act of rebellion. You then ask,

‘How’s reworking the menu going?’

‘Hard to say’

‘Ask me tomorrow’

God he’s an awful texter. Horrifically dry. You know you’re down bad beyond a belief when you find that endearing. You spend Tuesday drowning and pruning your plants after depriving them for so long.

Plus working on your art piece for Carmy. You’re pulling out old film photos, a canvas, and a load of bleach—It’s like high school art class all over again— Surprise surprise, the handyman who loves to up-cycle is a mixed media artist. Who could’ve guessed?

While trimming a photo, an exterior of The Beef, a picture frame on your wall falls down behind you, you tut, turning your head to it, chastising the air. “Mikey! It’s a copy, relax! I’ve still got the original print…”

There’s every chance you’re insane— No, you’re definitely insane. But you’re allowed to be, your best friend died, you’re allowed to talk to the air as if he’s still around. Sometimes the timing of doors swinging open for you and things falling down are just too uncanny to not be a ghost.

Wednesday arrives, and again, just after 6:40, Connections results. And the Wordle, this time; plus a ‘Good Morning’. It looks like this is simply just your thing, now. Every morning, the second both of you get up, you send each other puzzles and wish a good morning. You don’t mind that. It’s nice to have a ‘thing’, with someone. With Carmen.

Part way through the day, around two o’clock, you get another text. Two, actually. From Carmen, in quick succession.

‘Are you busy?’

‘Don’t worry if you’re busy. Can call Fak’

You’re quick to reply, frankly deeply offended.

‘Are you fucking firing me????’

‘I’m gonna get ready. Text me details’

While getting dressed, you watch three dots bubble, bubble, bubble… He’s taking forever, just don’t look at it, you’ll get anxious for no reason. No jumpsuit today, you’ve got to switch it up every now and again. Navy cargo pants with the perfect number of pockets and zippers, and an orange Chicago’s Kindest shirt, tucked in. Hm. Looking in the mirror, hickey is still there. Lighter, but there. Foundation? No. You’ll sweat it off and that’ll just bring up more questions. If Syd asks you’ll just tell her you fell down the stairs… On your neck. She's not the type to confront anything remotely sexual anyways.

Speaking of Syd, before Carmen can text you back, she calls you, which is fair— Don’t leave a Carmen to communicate. You stick your phone in the crux of your neck and answer while you pack your utility belt. This feels nearly nostalgic. “What’s fucked?”

Carmen is in the background; you can hear the tail end of a sentence, grumbling. “—Don’t call—”

“My life.” She responds without missing a beat. “And also, Carmy’s stove and oven.”

“Oh.” You squint. “What the fuck happened?”

“Overuse? I actually don’t fucking know, it just stopped working. We plugged it in and out— He even reset his apartment’s breakers. I dunno what’s wrong with it. It’s probably got something to do with him putting his fuckin’ jeans in there.”

“…He what?”

You can hear him in the background, again, clearer this time, grimacing, “What are you doing to me?”

Syd does not mind him at all, continuing, “I know! He’s fucking weird!”

“He’s extremely weird.” You like him a lot. “I’ll be over soon, were you guys like, mid-cooking?”

“Yessir.”

“Christ, alright… I think I have a dual burner hot plate laying around somewhere, you want me to bring it—”

They both speak clearly this time, together, “Please.”

You’ve got a pile of things to give to them anyways, and maybe you miss Carmy’s face. Just a little.

Instead of just buzzing you in, Carmy comes down for you. When he sees you through the door window, carrying a cardboard box, he almost breaks into a full run. He’s somehow opening the door, grabbing the box from your hands, and chastising you all at the same time. “You should’ve left it in the car, I would’ve—”

You step in through the entryway and kiss his cheek, cutting him short. You can’t help yourself, it’s the first time you’ve seen him since and you feel like a giddy teen. The teenage girl in your head is no longer just in your head, she’s fully manning the station. “You’re very sweet. But it’s also not heavy.”

When he continues to be frozen, the regret starts to mount, “Is—Sorry, is that okay to do—?”

“It’s very okay to do.” He manages to reply, with haste. Nodding to himself. “It’s good.” He nods again, then marches off, expecting you to follow to the elevator. You do.

“What floor?”

“Eighth.” He sniffs; you press the button. He stands next to you, looking you up and down. He astutely observes. “Orange.”

“Yeah.” You smirk, looking back at him, “Turns out, businesses can have two colours in their designs.”

What’s a little roasting of fellow small businesses between two not just friends?

“Oh yeah?” Coy, smirking. Oh no. You’ve gotta get the teen off the controls. He tilts his vision to stare at your jacket. Ah. You opted to wear your Carhartt instead of his jean jacket.

“Didn’t wanna give Syd more questions.” She already guessed you’re a sugar baby, you don’t want to wrap Carmen in on that too. Especially since ideally in a month or two he’ll be your boss. Hm. The Bear is going to need an HR.

He hums, nodding. “We’re not telling Syd?”

“What’s there to tell?” You grin, crossing your arms. “You suddenly have free time, Bear?”

He takes a beat, thinking, then just takes a deep frustrated yet amused exhale. “I’m gonna fuckin’…” He can’t think of a threat. “…Get you.”

You snort, “You’re gonna get me?”

“Fuck you—!” “You’re gonna fuckin’ get me, Bear?”

“I—” He tries to hold a straight face, it doesn’t work. “Yeah, I am.”

“Can’t wait.” You nod, grinning, turning back to the doors. “You told me to ask how menu’s going tomorrow.”

“I did.”

“It’s tomorrow.” The door dings, opening on the eighth floor; you step out together. He switches his grip to hold the box in one arm. Alright Biceps, we don’t need to brag here...

“It’s… We’re getting there.” He grimaces. “Syd’s recipes are always… Almost perfect.”

“Ah.” You nod, you know your friend well enough to know where this is going. “And she fucks up one thing hard?”

“Mhm.”

“And when you tell her it’s okay and give her a hand she just feels worse?”

He nods. A touch surprised you’re right on the dot so quickly. “Everything ends up perfect, but I think she’s finding the edits…”

“Demoralizing.” You walk down the hall together, he nods. “I know what she needs, I’ll find an in.”

“You always do.” He hums, you walk just a touch ahead of him, unknowingly walking past his door. He pulls you back by the back of your jacket, making you stumble back into him. This seems to be this villain’s intention; as when you turn around, he’s quick to grab your chin and kiss you.

“It’s very good.” He emphasizes, again, before opening his door and acting like everything’s totally normal and fine. Since when did he turn the tables and make you the desperate one? Son of a bitch.

Ah. Actually, subtract any attraction you had in this moment— He lives like this? Books on the floor, by the window. Jeans on the dinner table, because they were in the oven. The kitchen actually looks alright— You’re almost certain that’s purely for utilitarian purposes while they’re working on the menu. This motherfucker better have a bed frame or him asking you to sleep over would be downright offensive. God, he’s wonderful. God, you’re an idiot.

You find Syd at the table, moping, head in hands. Carmen sets the box down, sitting beside her. You pat the top of her head. She silently moves one of her hands to go over yours. You nod. The silent exchange of girls who know.

“Yeah?”

She nods, grumbling. “Yeah.”

Carmen has no fucking idea what’s happening and he’s never been more intrigued by a near wordless social interaction in his entire life. What? You’re not even making eye-contact. What the fuck is happening?

You fish through the box with your free hand, grabbing a pot. You place it in front of Syd. “Look.”

She peeks through her fingers. A tiny but flourishing nursery pot of basil sits before her. You speak. “You’re gonna hyper-fixate on this basil I’m gifting you, and then you’re gonna crack back into it with the dual burner until I’m done fixing the oven.”

She nods, putting her hands in her lap, “Yes, Chef.”

You pull out a second nursery pot, setting it down for Carmen. “For you.”

“What for?”

“Basil grows like a motherfucker and it’s getting unhinged. I need to start pawning off to people that’ll make good use of it. A-K-A, chefs.” You look at Syd, pointedly, “Talented chefs.”

You hand off the heating pad— Wrapped in brown paper with a card tied to it, to Carmen. “For Nat.” You add, when he looks confused, “Can’t imagine I’ll see her sooner than you will.”

He looks even more confused, when you hand him a spray bottle full of reddish water. It’s one of the good spray bottles, too. Continuous. Carmen wouldn’t know the difference, but you do. “Rosemary. —Water, that is.”

He squints; you clarify, gesturing to your own hair. “You mentioned, losing hair, so— Thought I’d make some, with the trimmings of rosemary I had. Got ginger and cloves in it, too.”

Why have you trapped him in hell? You’ve remembered such a specific off hand from days ago and acted on it? And he can’t express the grandiose level of affection he feels right now? Are you serious? You’re the devil. You’re absolutely the devil. He just coughs out a ‘thanks’.  

“And, the pièce de résistance,” You pull out the old ass, boxed up double burner countertop stove. “A stovetop that ideally fuckin’ works. It was my single claim to fame in my college dormitory.”

Carmen’s already opening the box. Sydney smirks, curiosity peaked. “Was that legal?”

“You a fuckin’ RA?” You grin, poking her forehead. “It was not. And that’s exactly why everyone loved me— Didn’t serve them fuckin’ hot pockets.”

The configurations of Carmen’s apartment would be great for literally any occasion besides the current one. The kitchen is narrow, and so, when you pull out the stove to check the back, there’s an estimated no fucking room left for Carm and Syd, so they sit at the dinner table with your stove top. You’d think they’d look like they’re doing a cute hot pot. No. They look like two conflicted and confused twelve-year-olds working on a science project.

So do you, honestly. Wiring is definitely more your speed than plumbing, but if you’re being honest, this is the first oven you’ve worked on without your dad, and you’re having a hard time remembering everything. There’s a lot of embarrassed Googling on your phone, when you're sure they’re not looking. They can’t know you’re even slightly incompetent!

You’re pretty sure it’s just a couple damaged wires, fried from overwork— Easy fix, if you had wire. You don’t. Slightly harder fix. But soldering is your bitch really, you’re in your bag. You look stupid, wearing chunky goggles and a respirator, but you’re in your bag, baby! What’s that one saying? Skills make you hot? That’s not a saying.

But it is true. When Carmen’s able to peer into the kitchen, quickly looking over his shoulder when Syd takes a moment to write a measurement or direction down, you look stunning.  Respirator and all. You just look correct there, in the kitchen. His kitchen. So stunning he feels guilty. Do you find it annoying? Constantly fixing errors behind him? Probably. You say it’s not a lot of work, but that can’t be true.

“How’s The Bear, ‘sides menu rework?” You ask, raising your voice in the kitchen.

“S’good.” Carmen. “I’m in hell.” Syd. Not hard to tell which statue is lying, here.

Syd stutters on, “Nat’s takin’ care of baby Michaela— Which is very good and—and cool, actually.”

“But?”

“But we’re back to handling the business side entirely ourselves, for like— The next month. Maybe two? Fuck, are we doing the wedding without her?” Sydney almost burns her sauce, Carmen’s quick to move it off the burner.

He mutters, “Don’t even start to think about it. It’s gonna be fine. We’re gonna figure it out.”

“Oh yeah, wedding— Have you gotten your menu yet?” You call from the kitchen, muffled by your respirator.

“Oh my god!” Sydney exclaims, and Carmen is wincing. She can’t tell you things are going wrong; doesn’t she know that? You’ll fix it, if things are wrong. You always fix it. Fix him. You’re gonna put him in your phone as Carmy Bad News. If you haven’t already. Start a support group with Tif.

Syd continues, “They’re so fucking particular and somehow also vague—Like, ‘we want salmon and chicken’ for main course— What kind of preparation? ‘Surprise us!’ Okay, how about roasted chicken—? ‘Mmmm, no, not that’. I’ve been told ‘non quello’ at least ten times in the last four days.”

No, you’re witty. Bad News Bear. Fuck, that’s definitely his name in your phone, isn’t it?

“Fuckin’ nightmare. Y’know, I’m the only fucking bartender? For like three hundred guests? Thank God they’re not asking for a custom cocktail or anything, I’d lose my shit.”

Sydney laughs, and she steps back into her flow easily, reducing the sauce without burning it, now. She looks more serene than she has in days. What? How are you doing that? What are you doing? Are you casting a spell?

“Can you even fucking imagine what their couples’ cocktail would be?”

You groan from the kitchen, laughing in return, “Not you too, Syd! Must you make me work!?”

“C’mon maestro, make a cocktail!”

“Bleh. Uh… They give long island iced tea energy, but it’s a wedding so— Like a boozier negroni?”

“That sounds fucking disgusting.”

“I didn’t say it’d be good, I said it’d be their couples’ cocktail.” You’re both giggling, like school girls. It’s like you said— You become teens, together.

Despite the fact that Syd is making an incredibly complex dish, and you’re fixing an oven—His oven— Ridiculing the other impossible tasks set out for the both of you… Despite all of that, you’re laughing.

Carmen is, what, nearly thirty? A restaurant owner, with a full crew, who attends Al-Anon, and is only now truly registering the power of an unsolvable burden being shared. Not fixed, shared. Talking. Laughing. God, this all comes so easy to you, doesn’t it?

You finish soldering, test each burner, and the oven— All working, thank God. You quietly cheer in the kitchen, removing your respirator and goggles. “We’re good here! Fixed!”

“C’mere!” Syd calls out to you, and so you do. Eagerly. She hands you a fork. Unprompted, she does the thing. You’d missed the OG, really.

“Beef Oxtail, pressed in a Foie Gras casing, seared. Basted in a King Oyster mushroom sauce. Pureed greens on the side.”

“I never know what the fuck you’re saying.”

She pushes the side of your face with the palm of her hand. “Put it in your mouth and chew.”

You want to make some sort of kink joke, but you respect the already struggling man in the room and take a bite. Hm. Hm. You put a finger over your mouth, swallowing. “...Now it might just be my unrefined palate.”

“That’s why we have you try it.” Carmen pipes in. Syd nods, following. “It’s important to know the baseline.”

“…It’s got like,” You hand the fork to Syd so she can try it, while you think. “A bit of a bitter aftertaste? Which might be the… goal?”

Syd spits it out the second it touches her mouth, she shouts your name, your actual name— A rarity. She’s so terrified that she forgets the Walk-In bit she’s been in on all week. “I just fuckin’ poisoned you— Oh my god?! Are you good? That was— Fuck! You swallowed that?!”

She grabs your face like a concerned mother, also maybe to check if you have superpowers, you’re not sure. All you know is there’s a golden opportunity to make another sex joke and you have to hold back. Life is so unfair.

Carmen takes a quick taste, also spitting it out. “I’ve got it, Chef, don’t sweat.” Immediately looking to the drafted recipe card to see where they went wrong.

Syd almost squeezes your cheeks like a stress ball but thinks better of it, letting go, groaning, beyond frustrated at this point. “You shouldn’t have to fix it— I should fuckin’ have it, at this point.”

Carmen's trying to ignore how much he relates to the sentiment. He's not the focus, right now.

“We make mistakes, Chef—” “Syd.” You snap your fingers, pointing to her, interrupting Carmen. “Can you help me grab something, from my car? It’s kinda big.”

Carmen’s quick to chime in, already going to untie his apron, “I can—”

“No!” You look at him pointedly, trying to communicate through look alone. He kind of gets it? “It’s… Girl stuff.”

Syd squints. “You need me to help you carry a big girl thing?”

“…Are you fuckin’ helping or are you gonna poke holes?”

“What are you actually dragging me out for?”

“Technically I do actually need your help grabbing something, it’s just not a girl thing. And it's also not from my car.”

“Oh?”

You walk out of Carmen’s building with his keys, and gesture out to every apartment buildings treasure trove— The spot everyone throws their furniture when they move out and don’t know what else to do with it.

“Bookshelf!” There is actually one pristine looking bookshelf, a cheap one, definitely just something from IKEA. But it’s better than the fucking floor. “I spotted it on my way in, we’re gonna bring it up for Carm.”

She groans, hating the concept of manual labour, but still walks with you and grabs one end anyways. “Why didn’t you make Carmen carry his own bookshelf?”

“Because you need a fuckin’ pep-talk.” You pick the other end of the bookshelf up. It’s thankfully not that heavy. You walk backwards so you can keep facing Syd.

“…I don’t—” “Yes the fuck you do.”

She kisses her teeth, you frown. “What’s up, Adamu?”

“It’s just fucking annoying— I keep, I keep fucking it up. I keep—Keep—”

“Doing too much.”

She gives you a look, ‘are you serious?’, type look. You continue. “You’re doing too much. You’re not cooking like you.”

“I can cook like Michelin—”

“I never said you couldn’t. Watch your step.” You interrupt, walking over a bump in the sidewalk. “You can do star level shit, Syd. But that’s a grade, not a type.”

She kind of reels, at that. You continue, “You cook great complex dishes, you always have, I’ve tried them. But now, you’re all caught up trying to prove some shit, to Carmen, to—to— Who gives stars? The tires guy?”

She laughs, almost dropping the bookshelf. “Yeah, I’m trying to impress the tires guy.”

“Fuck you.” You snort, stepping up the stairs. “What I’m trying to say is, you should make what you want to eat, not what you think you should eat.”

She nods, you stop on top of the stairs, both taking a second to breathe. “…Thanks.”

You nod back, hands on your knees for a second before standing back up, opening the lobby door. “I’ll always be your cheerleader, Syd.”

“More like coach.”

“Can you let me have one hot girl career, please?”

When you get back up to Carmen’s, he’s already grimacing. You and Syd are split apart by the bookshelf standing between you in the hall. “Fuck is this?”

“It was free and I’ll clean it!” You press your hands together pleading. “C’mon, you can even put your jeans in it!”

“Jeans on a bookshelf?”

You turn to Syd. “Better than the oven.”

“I think he’s doing that to dry them.”

“I think it’s ‘cause he doesn’t own a dresser.”

“It’s both.” Carmen clicks his tongue, single-handedly picking up the bookshelf and carrying inside. Alright, does he need to show off this much? Whatever. It’s definitely not making you feel any type of way at all.

You squint, watching him walk further in his apartment, and then to Syd. You speak at the same time. “He stays doing too much.”

As promised, you wipe down the bookshelf, making sure it’s free of grime and roadside pests. Syd and Carmy work together in the kitchen, with a now functioning oven. You load the shelf up with the books on the floor— Thankfully they’re piled into categories already, so you don’t have to bother him about that.

You’re tempted to clean his living room, but that would probably be rude, right? Don’t want him to take it as you saying he’s a slob. But they are taking a while… Alright, you’ll just throw out trash. You won’t fold blankets or pick up dishes or anything. Just trash! No big! He can’t be mad at you for that.

You pile together the garbage, then sneakily throw it out in the kitchen trash can as fast as you can, before he looks. He’ll think he’s just sleep cleaning, or something. “How’s it goin’ in here?’

Carmen pipes up, eyes focused on the dish as Syd plates it. “Good.” Syd holds the plate in one hand, and silently corrals you with the other to sit at the table. You do. She sets it down the plate before you, handing you a fork and knife.

You look up at her expectantly. She shakes her head. “Eat first, this time.”

She looks serious, so you nod, cutting into the dish. It’s different from the last one. Instead of oxtail, it’s pastry. Or at least, a puff pastry exterior. You’re pretty sure it’s Pillsbury, you remember Carmen buying that, the other day, on your excursion.

Inside it, you believe is the beef oxtail, there’s other things, too. Some sort of sauce, some greens— Oh well, no time to bask in the cross section because Syd looks like she’s about to explode. You take a bite. You nod, chewing.

Syd starts, “Searing the duck caused the bitter taste— So instead of- Of searing the outside, I coated it in the mushroom sauce, the greens— Not pureed, this time, for texture. Your basil, too. There’s a crumble of feta, for a subtle tang. And then wrapped it all together in puff pastry, and baked. It’s sort of like, a varied take on a beef welling—”

“You made a fucking gourmet hot pocket?” You swallow, wheezing. The second you say this, Sydney’s focused face beams, laughing, like she’s just pulled off the most perfect prank of all time.

Carmen was so intrigued and focused on Sydney’s explanation, that you watering it down to hot pocket and being right makes his entire system reboot. He cannot stop smiling, aghast. He's been helping Syd make a hot pocket for the past hour?

“I told you to make what you want and—” wheeze “—you make a fucking hot pocket?!” You double down, laughing with her, she’s trying to defend herself but she can’t stop wheezing in tandem.

“I— I can’t fuckin’ stand you!” You snort, covering your face with your arm. “I hate your ass, oh my God, Syd.”

“Did—” snort “What did you think?” She recovers, slowly but surely.

You shake your head, handing her the fork. “It’s sick, Syd, obviously, it’s fucking perfect… Chef.” You tack on at the end, almost forgetting. “I’m not gonna be able to have an actual hot pocket, ever again. You’ve ruined my life.”

She takes a bite for herself, nodding. She does a small cheer, pumping her fist. “Let’s fucking go.” She points her fork at you— Purely on muscle memory, and you both instantly remember the days of her testing out recipes and you pairing them on first taste. She’d point her fork to you like a microphone. It was a fun game between two nerds.

It’s a reflex response for you, even now. “Barolo. Savory, dry, red. A young one, though. Light body. Could also do an Amarone, if you’re not buried in money.”

She hands the fork off to Carmy to try it, then writes the pairings down, mumbling, amusement still in her voice. “How the fuck do you do that?”

“I honestly don’t know. I think I have some wires crossed.”

“Fire, Chef.” Carmen swallows his bite. “We cannot call it a hot pocket on the menu.”

“Then what’s the point!?”

Leaving Carmen’s place is objectively the most awkward experience— But also the funniest. You offer to wait for Syd and drive her home— You’ll need a second to pack anyways while they make their business plans.

When you do offer, of course, Carmen stutters short, almost asking you again to sleep over or at the very least stay late, but saves it, realizing himself.

Syd accepts the ride offer. You pack up and wait for her to be done. When she is, Carmen offers to carry your things down with you both, in which Syd accuses him of thinking you’re both weaklings— He does not have a defense case for this, he has to let you go. You can tell he wants to kiss you at the door, and you do too. Sadly, you’re equally down bad, but he can’t know that…

You say your goodbyes, Syd helps you load your tools and hotplate in the trunk of your car. Your phone vibrates. Text from Mister New York.

‘Look up I’m on the balcony. 8 floors.’

You look up, sure as shit, he’s out there, cigarette in mouth. Unlit. He waves, you wave back. He texts again, in rapid succession.

‘Thank you’

‘For helping Syd’

‘And the oven and the hot plate and the bookshelf (not necessary)’

‘nbd + I think it’s v necessary’ Does Carmen understand acronyms? You’re risking it, here.

‘and cleaning my trash’ Sonofabitch.

‘ah fuck. I don’t think you’re messy!!! I just wanted to help!!!’

‘I know. You’re you. Be safe.’

Oh goddammit, stupid dry texter, saying something so gah. You jump as Syd taps the roof of your car behind you, getting your attention. Watching from a far distance, Carmen laughs, though you don’t notice it.

“Are we going?”

“Yes! Sorry!” You hurriedly pocket your phone, waving one last time as you get in your car. Syd sits beside you in shotgun, her pot of basil sat safely in her lap. You drive off.

You’re half way down the road, when Syd pipes up again. “So y’all are fucking, correct?”

You almost brake check the guy behind you.

 “How do you fuckin’ do that!?”

the opening is dedicated to my dear friend and i who have sent our wordle results to each other everyday for the past like year and a half.

Things of note, one - people usually skip the shit up top-- I made a spotify playlist! Listen if you like, I'm not your dad.

Two, I know this is a self insert right, i know what I set myself up for-- Do you know the hell i am in as a syd x carmy girl writing scenes with both of them and it NOT being them? What have I done, to myself? The only coping mechanism I have is imagining in this universe Syd is a lesbian. And that is helping.

The hot pocket recipe-- Who fucking knows, if that would taste good? I think it would? In theory? I fucked with a dish from Daniel NYC, to make it into a bit. Would it work? ....Beef wellingtons do, I can't see why this can't???? Idk man.

Rosemary water w cloves and ginger does fucking work btw. I am part of the so stressed out i lost my hair brigade. Also basil does grow like a motherfucker.

We're seein' a little bit of that tenseness that comes with being in an 'almost relationship' both of them feel like they've got something they can fuck up now. Poor birds. They'll be okay. Probably.

I'm really excited for the next chapter, I don't wanna give shit away, but it's gonna be,,,,,, different. I haven't seen anyone try this kinda formatting on tumblr before, and I'm excited to see what you think. Between my moving and how complex the choreography of it is gonna be, it's gonna be a much longer minute between this chapter and the next, I fear. But listen, you already knew your ass was gettin' spoiled with a chapter every two days. Hehe.

As always, please come yap to me in the replies/inbox/dms/reblogs. I love to hear thoughts!! It sustains me, baby!!

Next Part

[mcuamerica]

Stranded | Part Four

Featuring : Azriel x Fem!Reader, Eris x Reader (platonic), Rhys x Sister!Reader

Summary: A certain male visits you in Autumn to do some grovelling. Requested by @sidthedollface2 here.

Warnings: 18+ only, kind of short, not proofread (i'll do it later), let me know if anything was forgotten...

Disclaimer: I do not own SJM’s characters, only the ones I create for the purpose of this story. This is a work of fiction. I do not give permission to repost my work on any other platform or medium. Please be respectful.

Dividers from @saradika

Part One | Part Two | Part Three

Azriel was standing on the other side of the door. He shifted on it feet, something you'd never seen him do before. "Thank god you're still here." He said, looking at your with wide, tear filled eyes. "I have been absolutely horrible to you." He said.

You stood there, arms crossed. "You have." You said simply, looking at him. You weren't going to give him an inch.

"I'm sorry for paying attention to Elain all this time. I figured she needed help. But- I need to be here for you." He said.

"You weren't here for me for 50 years."

"For Cauldron's sake, (Y/N). It was a mistake! I've apologized, I've done everything I could have thought of to fix it. How was I supposed to know you were going to be locked out?"

"You left me!" You yelled, tears welling in your eyes. "How can I be sure you won't do it again?" You asked, your voice getting quieter.

"Because I will never leave you again. I will do everything in my power to stay with you. To prove to you that I will be by your side when you need me. Or when you don't. I will always be with you." He said, reaching out his hands for you.

You took one of them in yours, searching his eyes. Tears fell down his cheeks just as they did yours. You looked down and traced the scars on his hands. How could you be mad at him when what he did wasn't on purpose? How could you be mad when your mate had been doing everything he could to win you back. To earn your trust. Even when he was helping Elain, it was really to help Feyre. Elain felt comfortable around Azriel, probably because he was so quiet. And Feyre was your High Lady. Of course he would do anything to help her.

"(Y/N)... Please give me a chance. Give us a chance." He said. You searched his eyes again, finding only sincerity and a hint of blooming love.

"Okay." You said, taking a deep breath. "I will give us a chance.. Only if you promise to never leave me again. Not without telling me." You said.

"I will make a bargain with you, if that is what it takes." He said truthfully.

You shook your head, not needing a bargain to trust Azriel. You had known him for centuries. You grew up learning how to fight from him, when your father and your brother didn't want to teach you. He was the first person you cried to after Tamlin's brothers kidnapped you and killed your mother right in front of you. He made one mistake. And you could forgive him for it. Would it take time to trust him fully again? Of course. But that didn't mean you had to reject the bond. Not without trying first.

Azriel, the male that helped you through so much through your life. The male that meant everything to you, even when you were mad at him. Maybe it was the bond, or maybe it was something deeper. Maybe it was love.

Only time would tell, but for the first time in your life, you were sure of something. You could make this relationship with Azriel work. And you could have a very happy life with him, one day. Maybe soon. Maybe in a hundred years.

Whatever happened, you knew you would have Azriel by your side. The male staring down at you, grasping your hands so tight you felt as if they were going to fall off.

"Azriel..." You reached up and cupped his cheek. "Let's go home."

A/N: Okay so I know a lot of y'all wanted her to end up with Eris, but I originally planned it to be Az she ended up with... THAT BEING SAID... I'm writing an alt ending to (hopefully) be posted tomorrow night.. I just can't do my love-lorn Az dirty like that....

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[writinginatree]

Candlelight, Roses and a Locked Door

Relationship(s): Bodhi Durran/female!Tavis!reader, Bodhi Durran & Xaden Riorson & Garrick Tavis, background Xaden Riorson/Violet Sorrengail

Summary: Garrick and Xaden are sick and tired of having to witness your and Bodhi's endless pining, so they hatch a plan to finally get the two of you together.

Warnings: Swearing, set during Iron Flame, Xaden's POV

Xaden has had enough. If he has to keep watching Bodhi and you dance around each other like lovesick puppies without actually acting on your feelings any longer, he'll lose what little patience he has left and smush both of your faces together like a kid playing with dolls. Maybe he should. Clearly this isn't getting anywhere without outside help, despite how glaringly obvious your and Bodhi's mutual attraction is to everyone else.

"That seems a little extreme," Violet notes, catching the thought through their mental connection. "Though I have to agree that they could use a little push in the right direction."

"Well, they're about to get a little push, all right," Xaden decides, giving her a conspirative little smile across the breakfast table as the beginnings of a plan take form in his head.

He'll have to get Garrick to help, too, and find an empty room to use. They'll do it today, he decides — it's the weekend, so you and Bodhi should have time, and it's not often that that's the case while him and Garrick are home and can say the same. No time to waste.

"What are you up to, exactly?" Violet wants to know.

"We're going to set them up on a date. Candlelight, rose petals, and a locked door."

"It's winter, Xaden. Where are we supposed to get roses from?"

Shit. He didn't consider that. Okay, strike the rose petals then. He'll think of something else.

"Maybe there's some flowers up in the valley we could use instead? There's no snow up there."

"Maybe," Violet agrees, "but, uh, what's with the 'locked door' part? You just want to lock them in a room together and hope that'll make them finally confess their feelings?"

"Well... basically, yes."

Xaden can sense that Violet is sceptical, and he has to admit that phrased like that, his plan doesn't sound all that good. It's the surrounding circumstances that will make it work — hopefully.

"Could you try and find some candles? I'll get Garrick, then we can go over the details of the plan together."

"Alright. I'll meet you in our room?"

"Yeah."

After breakfast, he pulls Garrick aside, giving no explanation as to what exactly it is he needs his best friend's help with. He doesn't want to explain his plan twice, or even mention what the goal is with others in earshot. Having you or Bodhi overhear it would ruin the whole thing, and it's not like anyone else needs to know that he's sticking his nose into things that technically aren't any of his business.

It's true that there's a whole pile of other things he could — and should — be doing. Tomorrow he and Garrick will leave for the front again — maybe not the worst thing, considering there's no telling how Bodhi and you will react if you do become aware of their meddling.

"We've got to do something about Bodhi and Y/N," he tells Garrick once they're safe behind the soundshield protecting his room. "It's getting ridiculous with them."

There's no need to elaborate — your brother is well aware of the situation, and certainly just as tired of watching it as Xaden is. When the four of you were kids, they used to joke about you and Bodhi being in love — the idea had seemed funny and vaguely embarrassing then, but it long since became obvious there was truth in those jokes. Now the constant pining is just annoying for everyone forced to witness it. As your closest friends, Xaden and Garrick are the main victims of this, but they're far from the only ones. Xaden is fairly sure that by now, every rider in Aretia has at least once wondered what the fuck the both of you are waiting for. Well, everyone, with the exception of those who believe you already are dating, of course. An outsider might easily make that assumption, but unfortunately, Xaden and Garrick know better.

The part that annoys Xaden the most is that he can't for the life of him figure out why neither of you is acknowledging your feelings for each other. He can't think of a single reason for it that would make sense, which, he supposes, means you and Bodhi simply are idiots forever waiting for the other to make the first move. But not much longer. Not on his watch.

"And what are we supposed to do about that?" Garricks asks.

"We're setting them up on a date," Xaden declares, just as Violet enters the room. She actually managed to find a couple of candles, triumphantly holding them up.

Garrick isn't convinced yet, though Xaden is sure he'll approve of his scheme once he's heard the details. "You think that'll help?"

"If that doesn't do the trick, they're a hopeless case for sure. I have a plan, okay? Just hear me out."

He starts laying out his plan, and by the end of his explanation, Garrick and Violet are both nodding.

"That might just work," his best friend agrees. "As long as they don't immediately see through it."

Xaden nods. "That's the tricky part. But unless you have any better ideas, we'll just have to go with this and hope for the best."

Neither of them does, so they decide to go through with Xaden's plan.

For maximum effect, the actual date will have to take place in the evening, but there's plenty of preparations to be made to kill the time. As the location, they decide to use an empty storage room in the basement — not the most romantic setting, admittedly, but private and inconspicuous, and, most importantly, with a good old sturdy lock on the door. After removing layers of dust and cobwebs, and setting up a small table with two chairs (they even found a tablecloth with cute lace edges that only faintly smells of smoke!) and decorating everything with the candles and what few flower petals they managed to find, Xaden would almost dare call the result cozy.

When everything is ready and the time for dinner is drawing near, they set out to put the plan into motion. Violet returns to the library and her work on Warrick's journal, but not before making Xaden promise to keep her updated on how it goes. He heads to Bodhi's room, while Garrick goes to get you.

"Xaden?"

"Come with me."

Used to Xaden's being in charge, Bodhi easily obliges. "What's going on?"

It's a good thing Bodhi is walking behind him, because Xaden can't help the grin spreading over his face. "You're going on a date with Y/N."

"Wait, what?" Bodhi sputters, steps faltering.

Xaden reaches back without looking and pulls him onward. "You heard me. Come on, you don't want to keep her waiting, do you?"

"I guess not? But— what do you mean, a date? Like— like a date date?"

"Obviously."

"Really? She wants a date with me? Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. Trust me."

It's not even a lie. Even if this date will be just as much a surprise for you as it is for Bodhi, Xaden is one hundred percent certain that you secretly dream of something like it — just as surely as Bodhi does, too.

Garrick is lingering in the basement hall when they get there, giving them a thumbs-up and a wink. Bodhi is still trying to get more information about his date, but Xaden ignores his questions, opens the door of the room you're already waiting in, and unceremoniously shoves his cousin inside.

Shutting the door, Xaden locks it twice. It's showtime.

"Did he just lock the door?" your voice reaches the hallway.

Wonderful — Xaden won't even need his signet to eavesdrop. Garrick is already standing by his side, ear pressed to the wood of the door so he won't miss a thing. They grin at each other. This should be fun.

"Sounded like it," Bodhi replies to you.

"What do we do if they try to get out now?" Garrick whispers.

"Why would they?"

"Maybe they don't want to be locked up in your basement?"

"They're on a date, Garrick, that's the only thing they care about right now. Besides, they have to know we'll let them back out eventually."

"Eventually, huh?"

"Yeah. Eventually."

"And if this doesn't go as planned? Are we just going to let them rot in there?"

Xaden shrugs, refusing to consider defeat. "In that case we'll just have to think of something else."

Even though they can hear everything being said inside just fine, Xaden uses his shadow signet to keep tabs on what's happening, too. Would be a shame if they missed any important developments like handholding or even a kiss just because they can't see what's happening.

"What are they doing?" Garrick whispers.

"Nothing interesting," Xaden whispers back. "They sat down and are starting to eat now."

It's silent for a moment, then you ask, "So, uh, you planned all this?"

Uh-oh. Not good.

"What? I thought you did?"

"Uh, no? Garrick said—"

You trail off, locking eyes with Bodhi as understanding dawns on both of your faces.

"They tricked us," you groan.

Well, shit. Xaden had known you'd figure it out eventually, but he'd hoped it wouldn't happen until after the date. Good thing they're prepared for all eventualities. This is where the locked door part of his plan comes in. Neither of you is getting out of that room until you've admitted your feelings for each other.

"But why?" Bodhi wonders aloud. "Just to mess with us? That doesn't really seem like them."

"Maybe they thought we need to relax? Which would be ironic, considering they're the ones constantly overworking themselves... But I can't think of any other reason."

"Yeah, me neither."

"You've got to be shitting me," Xaden mutters under his breath. How two normally smart and competent people can be so ridiculously oblivious when it comes to each other is beyond him. Will he have to walk in there and smush your faces together after all?

"No one can be that fucking stupid," Garrick whispers next to him, ear still pressed to the door. "No one. Maybe they've long gotten together and are just pretending they didn't to drive us insane."

"I wish, man. I wish."

Inside the room, Bodhi shrugs. "Well, since we're here already, we might as well just enjoy it, right?"

"Right."

"We don't have to call it a date, of course."

"Of course. I don't mind though."

Garrick elbows him in the side, grinning. Xaden grins back. It's not much, but it is a tiny step in the right direction at least.

The brief wave of optimism quickly fades again. Eavesdropping on his little cousin's first ever date is more boring than Xaden could have ever imagined. The both of you talk about mundane bullshit, throw longing looks across the table, and continue to not. make. a. fucking. move. Xaden could strangle the both of you for being so godsdamned reluctant. Maybe his plan wasn't straightforward enough. Maybe he should raise the shadows from under the table and use them to smush your faces together. But with how dense you guys are being, he's starting to think not even that would get the point across.

Well, the date isn't over yet, and until it is, Xaden refuses to think of his plan as a failure. He still has one more trick prepared, though he'd hoped they wouldn't have to rely on it.

A few more minutes pass as you finish eating; when you're done, Xaden's shadows bring out two fortune cookies he'd hidden on a shelf, and place them in the middle of the table. You both jump, clearly not having expected his interference and probably now wondering if he's been spying on the whole date. Oh well.

"Uhm. Okay," Bodhi laughs. "Thanks, Xay."

"Are they reading them?" Garrick whispers.

Xaden nods, impatiently waiting for any reaction. For a few very long seconds, there is none.

Then Bodhi finally breaks the silence. "What does yours say?"

"It— uhm—"

Apparently too flustered to read it out loud, you put the little strip of paper into the middle of the table for Bodhi to read. He places his own beside it, hand brushing yours in the process.

The text on both is identical. Xaden knows, because he came up with it himself. With a little help from Violet's friends, they'd manipulated the cookies to say: Open your eyes and you will find that the love you feel is returned (Please just kiss already!!).

Bodhi and you are staring at each other across the table, but are you seeing the love?

"Come on," Garrick mutters. "This has to work."

As if on cue, you finally find your voice, softly saying, "It says we should kiss."

Bodhi nods. "Then I guess we'd better do that, huh? We wouldn't want to provoke fortune."

"Yeah. Yeah, we'd better listen."

Thank fucking gods. It really took long enough, but finally Bodhi leans over the table, lips meeting yours. Xaden bumps Garrick's shoulder and nods toward the stairs. Their job here is done, and he doesn't want to be witness to whatever happens next.

"Mission complete," he thinks in Violet's direction. "Now how about we have some alone time of our own before I have to leave?"

[writeandsurvive]

Author's note: just a little Gibbs idea I've had in mind. Maybe I'll get back to writing for him more... :) maybe it's because I'm binging NCIS from the beginning again. I tried to keep it as gender neutral as possible, hope I did well. Also, it's not proofread and I'm not a native English speaker.

Summary: you're babysitting your brother's twins by yourself and ends up calling for help.

Warnings: age gap, I guess?, talk of near death experience, taking care of babies, reader not wanting kids, siblings banter

Babysitting ~ Leroy Jethro Gibbs

"Are you sure you're up for this?"

"Seriously? It's the fourth time you're asking. We're gonna be just fine!" You reassured your brother, as you're sitting on the play mat your ten months old nephew and niece. If you were completely honest, you were a bit anxious about babysitting the twins all by yourself as it was the first time. But you couldn't let your brother know that, as he was already struggling to leave.

"All you have to do is feed them, change their diapers at some point and put them to bed." He got down to pick up his daughter, finally saying goodbye.

"I promise they will be alive and in one piece when you come back. Hopefully, tomorrow morning." You grinned at him before grabbing your nephew and gentle holding him on his feet. "Now go daddy, have fun." You said with a baby voice, like it was your little dude saying it. After one more kiss to his girl, he put her down and did the same with his son.

"It's just a work thing." He told you for the umpteenth time.

"Yeah, but the beautiful single mom from your office will be there."

"She left just a month ago. I'm so not ready to jump into anything." He couldn't bring himself to say the name of his wife and mother of his children. One day, she just decided that being a mom and a wife wasn't for her and she took off. Which is why you were babysitting that night.

"Don't jump into anything, just jump on her."

"On those elegant words, I'm out. Bye babies, I love you!" He sent them kisses as he was walking towards the door. "What are you doing?" He asked when he noticed you were following.

"Going to a party of course!"

"Don't leave them out of your sight! Even for one second!" He scolded.

"They are on their mat, playing!"

"And your niece is starting to crawl!"

"Just leave and bang someone."

"And you wonder why you're still single..."

He finally left but not without holding his shoulder after you punched him.

"Okay babies! We can do this, right?"

Turned out, you couldn't. Or at least, it wasn't going as smoothly as you thought it would. Shortly after your brother left, your niece started to cry her heart out, wondering why daddy wasn't there, for sure. Then, your nephew decided that he wasn't going to eat. The food didn't seem yucky to you but it was to him, and he thought throwing around and at you was funny. So did your niece. By this time, your brother had already texted you twice and you obviously lied. The little boy being covered in soft food, you decided to give them both a bath, hoping it'd tired them a bit. But they both were very much against the baby shower gel, and your niece pooped in the tub. Which made everyone almost throw up.

After a (very) long struggle, they were finally in their PJs, clean and ready for bed. You thought a break was coming, but your niece had a meltdown. Which caused your nephew to have one too. You didn't know what was wrong, you tried everything you could to calm them both but nothing was working. You contemplated calling your brother several times, but it was his first night out since she left and you didn't want to ruin it for him. After over an hour of struggle, you did call someone.

"Gibbs," he answered.

"How much do you love me?" You immediately asked over the crying. You barely heard him chuckle.

"I'm on my way."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! I owe you one!"

You didn't know how long it took your team leader to show up at your brother's house. But somehow, as you were trying to soothe the twins on your brother's bed, you felt a presence behind you. "How did you get in? You know what, I don't care. Help me, please, I don't know what to do."

Whether or not the twins noticed that there was someone else in the room, they weren't stopping. Gibbs got closer to you, look down at the twins. "First, you're gonna take a deep breath."

"They are crying bloody murder!" You exclaimed.

"The more frustrated and anxious you get, the more they'll cry." You felt his hand on your shoulder and his gentle squeeze. You closed your eyes, tried to block the noises and took a deep breath.

"Now, are they fed? Changed?"

You wanted to give him a snarky comment as you always do, but didn't have the patience for it. So you just said yes.

He grabbed your niece into his arms, "Grab this little guy and do what I'm doing." You followed his instructions. Holding and bouncing your little man a certain way. After the eventful evening, you almost missed how incredible Gibbs looked with a baby in his arms, how gentle and soft he was. Such a natural. You nearly stopped everything when you heard him starting to sing a lullaby. It was quiet and you could barely hear him above the crying. That's when you realized that only your nephew was still crying. "You stopped." He warned you. "Don't get frustrated, hon. Sing to him."

You took another deep breath and did as told. Slowly, your nephew was calming down. It was magic.

"Lead the way to their bedroom." He whispered.

He put down in the little girl in her crib, and helped you putting down the baby boy, as he noticed you were too scared of waking him up. You stayed there for a moment, silently looking down at them, Gibbs right next to you.

"It's official, I do not want kids."

Gibbs chuckled and slid his hand in the back of your neck, bringing you to him so he could kiss your hair. You took the opportunity to go for a hug and he gently returned it. It suddenly became much easier to breathe.

"Is the baby monitor on?"

You checked, and grabbed the part you were supposed to keep with you.

"I need to change." You said after leaving the bedroom.

"You can take a shower."

"Do I look that bad?"

"You look like you need to relax."

"True. Will you be there when I get out?"

"Yes, give me the monitor." You did and felt shivers all over your body as his long fingers brushed against yours.

"Grab anything you want from the fridge. I'll be quick."

"No rush."

It was one of the most amazing shower you've ever had.

You knew you didn't want to have children most of your adult life, but it just got confirmed. You didn't want this to be your daily life. You loved kids, and you loved the twins more than anything in the world, but you didn't need one of your own.

When you reached the kitchen, it was sparkling clean. The big mess from dinner was gone. The toys were put away. Gibbs had his back turned to you as he was doing the dishes. "I don't know if I want to scold you or kiss you." You regretted the last words as soon as they got out.

Gibbs looked at you over his shoulder with a smile. "You're welcome."

"Seriously, you didn't have to!"

"No problem! You accepted to babysit twins after the crappy days we've had at work."

"Yeah," you sighed, remembering the awful case the team dealt with and only closed a few hours ago.

"How you feeling?" He asked, turning off the water and drying off his hands.

"How you feeling?" You retorted, earning a shy smirk from Gibbs.

"I'm fine." He reassured you, or at least, tried.

You got closer to him, grabbing the hand towel for him to put it away, and locked eyes with this man you've been in love with for a very long time. "You almost got killed, Gibbs." You said barely above a whisper.

"It comes with the job." He just said.

"Doesn't make it okay when it's such a close call." You could see the scene again. The bullet rushing so close to his head. A few centimeters to the left and Gibbs wouldn't be anymore. That thought hurt. It scared you more than anything else. And you couldn't control the tears forming in your eyes.

"I'm okay." He said one more time, knowing that you needed to hear it. So did he.

You felt his arms slowly wrapping around you, and before you knew it, your face was buried in his neck, as you inhaled his unique scent deeply. You held onto him tightly. "I can't lose you. Not you. Ever."

But you would, one day. Him being older than you, you knew that and Gibbs definitely knew it too. Which is why he never acted on his attraction and feelings for you. He knew you were feeling the same, he knew you were in love with him - even though he couldn't understand why or how. He could easily have given in, and enjoy whatever moments with you. But he refused. He couldn't do that to you, nor to himself. Everyday in this job, he could lose you too. That bullet could've been for you and not miss. Losing Shannon - and Kelly - was the hardest thing he's ever had to go through, and he couldn't bare the idea of losing another partner, especially you.

Which was why he tried to get you to leave NCIS several in the past few years. At first, it was pointing out how this job sucks - he loves it but he's a bit of masochist -, how you'd be better off doing something safe. Then it was introducing you to someone who had move on from this job and never felt better. And lately, it was asking Vance to find you a desk job you would actually enjoy. But nothing worked. You were still there, by his side, in harm's way.

Would it hurt to give in just this once? He wondered as he felt you clutching onto him. You fitted so perfectly in his arms, you smelled so good. You were showing your vulnerability, which you rarely do, with anyone and Gibbs found it very appealing.

He was looking down at you, you were looking up. He could lean in a few inches and his lips would reach yours. He started to, very slowly. But before it happened, your phone went off. You rushed to it, not to answer but mostly to shut it down, after it would wake up the twins, despite them being upstairs.

"Seriously!" You said after picking up.

"Just wanted to check in. Are they safely in bed?" You rolled your eyes.

"Of course not, I told you we were having a party. Can't you hear the music? Do they prefer scotch or bourbon?" You saw Gibbs smiling.

"You suck."

"So do you. Go back, and enjoy your night out, idiot."

"Hey, wait. Are you--sure it's not too soon for me?"

"She left, bro. Screw her. Whether it's a one time thing or more, as long as you're happy with it, just go for it. You deserve some fun."

"Says you, who can't move on from her boss, even though nothing ever happened. I mean, I tried to introduce you to some nice pe--" you hung up before he could finish. You knew Gibbs hear the entire thing.

"I'm, uh, gonna check on the twins."

But he held you back. "They are fine." He whispered.

"You already knew, didn't you?" You could look into his magnificent blue eyes. "That's why you've been trying to get rid of me?"

He sighed and brought you closer. His nose in your hair, his lips against your forehead. "I can't lose you either." He whispered, returning the vulnerability you showed earlier.

Hearing those words, you didn't think twice. You lifted your head up and crashed your lips on his. Gibbs didn't have the strength nor will to fight it. He intensified the kiss quickly, backing you up against the wall, where it happened for the very first time.

First of many.

[aangelinakii]

TAKE CARE, POLAR BEAR.

— see you soon, unicorn.

summary : remus walks you home in the snow, but who's going to walk home remus ??

note : i started rereading the books in november and i'vz literaly been obsessed with them again soooo here i am writing for remuusususus

january comes with dinner parties and pub drinks, as well as an abundance of snow that seems to have missed the christmas memo.

this sunday, lily and james have invited everyone round for a roast, the warmth of cinnamon and mulled wine lingering throughout their new place in godric's hollow, and fairy lights illuminate the granny curtains, which they haven't yet replaced — but they make the house feel lived-in, so you don't mind them at all.

everyone's lounging in the living room, stomachs happily bloated, a distant jack jones vinyl crackling in the background when you remember exactly what day it is.

with a jolt, you spring up from the armchair, causing everybody else to stir with wide eyes. you look at your wristwatch, and a curse tumbles past your lips, which earns a crooked glare from lily even though harry is fast asleep between her and sirius on the couch.

"so sorry, all, i've just realised i actually have work tomorrow," you gasp, out of breath despite only having stood up, "and it's getting late, and—"

your hand stills on the curtain as you absently pull it to the side; your eyes have landed on something outside.

with january, by seven pm, the sky is no lighter than in december — but, in the golden streetlamps, you can see, clearer than anything, that the entirety of godric's hollow is blanketed in shining white snow. and you're going to have to walk in it.

as you exhale, another curse spills out, but lily doesn't glare this time, only sits up straighter to look out the window.

"no worries," you breathe, walking past everybody into the hall to grab your coat from the cloak hanger by the door. "if i leave now, i won't get home in an ice cube."

back in the front room, you hear remus's voice, as well as a shuffle of feet along the carpet. "actually (name)'s right, i have an interview tomorrow, which i should probably be busying myself with, as opposed to doing what we are right now."

"an interview?" hums lily hopefully. "remus, that's great!"

you wander back into the lounge, buttoning up your jacket and slinging your scarf around your neck. "really? what's it for?"

remus, the back of his hair shaggy from where he'd been laying on the rug, meets your eyes mid-step. his mouth opens, silent for the shortest of beats before he responds. "well, we'll see, won't we?" and he looks round at the rest of the room: lily and sirius are sandwiching a snoozing harry on the couch, making sure he doesn't roll off, and james is downing the dregs of his cinnamon tea from the other armchair. "i'll keep you all updated."

"please," lily smiles, standing to her feet to show you both out, sending a glance back at harry as the sofa shifts as her weight's removed.

lily follows remus to the door, where you've toed your shoes back on with much difficulty, and remus reaches over you for his own coat, long, frayed at the sleeves.

he tugs it on with an air of unsual casualty and speaks again, although he's not looking at you. "i can walk you, it's on my way."

you glance up, meeting lily's eye for a moment — she's leaning against the door jamb, arms crossed over her chest, biting back a smile so hard it looks painful — and then look at remus. "yeah? you sure?"

it's now that you realise you've never actually been round remus's; if he lived so near yours, you would've held dinners more often.

he looks at you now, smoothing down the collar of his coat, and nods politely. "of course," he smiles, a pale scar by his lip stretching. "what friend would i be if i let you walk in the cold on your own?"

you smile back, digging your hands into your pockets for the chance you may have forgotten gloves in there from another outing, but they're empty.

"well, thank you guys so much for having us," you turn to lily, whose eyes half into crescents in harmony with her lips pulling up. "your house is absolutely gorgeous, and i wouldn't mind a few more dinners round here." your tone's a bit jokey, but everyone knows you're very much serious.

"anyways..." you turn to the door and pull it open, accidentally welcoming in a horrid chill and a flurry of snowflakes.

from the lounge, sirius calls, "see you both, don't freeze!" and your smile widens.

after a few hugs and kisses goodbye, you and remus have been pushed out into the cold; it's not damp or windy, just horrifically cold.

from beside you, remus breathes hot air into his hands and rubs them together. "britain... who would've thought?" he sighs, sending a cloud past his lips into the lamp-lit night. "and in january, no less."

"i know," your teeth chitter in return, your shoulders shrugging up to your ears. "at this rate, there may be no point in me getting up for work in the morning if this all doesn't thaw."

remus hums next to you, possibly a quiet laugh, when you speak again, lifting your head to peer at him.

"anyways, that interview? how are you feeling about it?"

"interview?" remus repeats, though it doesn't sound like he's asking a question, or even responding to you, but he corrects himself, posture straightening for a moment. "yes, interview! yes, well, you know..."

you did know.

suffering from lycanthropy made getting and keeping jobs quite a trick, and it wasn't often remus had an opportunity to do either — so this was big.

with a smile, although frost pricked your cheeks as you did so, you speak again. "and i had no idea you lived near me."

"define near," he chuckles softly, corners of his eyes crinkling in the warm lamplight as he smiles. "i think i'm a good ten-and-a-bit minutes past you."

"still!" you naturally step a bit closer, shoulders bumping — you've always struggled to walk completely straight. "we could hang out more, or next time james and lily do something we could go together."

remus doesn't reply straight away, but when you glance up at him, he's still smiling, though it's softened considerably now.

when he notices you looking, his eyes flit your way, messing yours for a beat. each time you pass a streetlight, his brown eyes pool with honey, and the little pricks of snowflakes that have caught in his lashes illuminate.

"that would be lovely," he hums in response, cheeks pulling up again as his smile widens.

after a few more minutes, though it feels like hours at the speed you're going, you turn onto your street, and you instinctively find your place in the dark, coming to a stop before the bottom step.

"here's me," you smile, looking back at remus, who stands a couple steps away, adorning a crown of snowflakes upon his head. he shares the expression, and you rifle through your pockets for your keys.

as you hop up the steps with your key ready, you call back to him. "you'll be okay in this on your own, won't you? i wouldn't want you to come all the way to walk with me but then not be able to make it back to yours."

the man at the bottom of your steps lets out one of his more real laughs of the evening, soft and silky like the honey in his eyes. "don't worry about me," he returns, sounding so sure. "i'll be right as rain on my own."

your door springs open as you turn the key. although you don't want to lose your place's warmth, you stand in the doorway, looking out to remus, who steps a few paces closer to the base of your stairs.

"take care, then, polar bear," you smile down at him.

"see you soon, unicorn," he smiles back.

this would've been where you wave and awkwardly close the door, but, instead, you laugh and stay glued to the spot. "that's not how you do it, you've got to rhyme it."

"oh, terribly sorry," remus replies, but his smile is cheeky and tone condescending. "i'll spend the rest of my week repenting."

your smile grows, but now you're really beginning to worry about how cold your house is going to be when you finally shut the door, so you wave and disappear into the comfort of your home.

remus waits patiently for you to get inside, for the door to click as you turn the key again on the other side, and for a light to flicker on through one of the windows before he continues home. but even then, he doesn't make haste, for remus doesn't have a job interview tomorrow — as guilty as he feels for fibbing — he just wanted to walk you home.

[little-miss-dilf-lover]

Hi! I’m not sure if this has been requested before but I’ve been working nonstop lately. I’m completely worn out and desperate for a day off. So, I was wondering how you think tangerine would react to this sort of situation with his gf/wife/partner- being very overworked, exhausted, tense, stressed, anxious? In need of some comfort, fluff, love and reassurance. -🤍

Thank you so much, I love you!!

hii!! im pretty sure it has, but that’s no problem. make sure to take care of yourself angel, really sorry you’re so tired, hopefully this can be of some comfort. thank you for requesting, hope you like it💌 I love you and hope you’re doing as well as you can be xx

ignore kimura’s hand 😭 the pic is just really hot

TAKE A BREAK.

tangerine x fem!reader — fluff & comfort

word count. 637

Tangerine had noticed a change within you recently. Though it wasn't hard, anyone could.

He could see it in your eyes, the exuberant shine almost fading with every one of your early starts and late finishes. And those tired, half-smiles you'd give him when he questions it only prove his point more.

He knew you were under a lot of stress lately, everything in your life catching up with you, and all he wanted was to help you. Even if it was carrying your weight on his shoulders for a few minutes - anything just to give you a moment of ease.  

It had gone past midnight, but you were nowhere close to finishing the massive assigned workload. The dining table filled with stacks of your papers, the surface repurposed as an office desk once again. By now, the words on the page were far from legible, the lines blurring and swirling together as you pushed through the last section.

"I don't get it," you mutter to yourself, dropping your head into your hands. 

"What don't you get?" Tangerine asks, appearing in the doorway as if he were a genie.

"I don't know," you mumble, rubbing your face in your palms. "All of it... it doesn't make sense— none of it does. And I've been reading it over and over and," you cut yourself off with a sigh, looking over the array of papers in front of you. 

"Come on, now," he hushes, moving across the room to stand in front of you. "You're knackered. You need good sleep," he adds, placing his hands on either side of your head, making you face him. 

"I can't. I have so much to do," you faintly exhale - the sound weary and worn down. 

His thumbs glide under your eyes, the pads running over the dark circles and tired skin - the act as if he were trying to soothe you. "I'll help you out in the morning, alright? But not now. You need'a sleep."

"I can't," you softly shake your head, his hands moving with the faint movement. "I can't sleep knowing how much work I have."

He sighs, his head cocking to the side to maintain the eye contact you were so desperate to get out of. "When you hurt, I hurt. And you're hurting a lot right now, aren't'ya?"

The lack of response from you, silently answers his question. 

"That's what I thought," he says, leaning over to press a kiss into your hairline. "I'll lock up. You go get ready for bed, yeah?" he laces his hands into yours, helping you from the seat. "I'll follow up in a minute."

You do as asked and get ready for bed, continuing the rest of your routine from a couple hours before - brushing your teeth and peeing, changing back into pyjamas. You get into your side of the bed, the comfort almost immediately soothing the aches in your body.

As promised, Tangerine follows closely behind, entering the bedroom with a glass of water in one hand and a pack of paracetamol in the other. He makes his way around the bed to your side, setting the glass and painkillers on your nightstand.

He gets in bed from his side, slipping under the covers, his arms instinctively reaching for you under them. He pulls you towards him, holding you tight. 

"Can you give me food poisoning tomorrow?" you attempt a joke, burying your face into his chest. 

"I'd rather throw myself down the stairs and break my legs and then sit in A&E all night so you could get the day off," he whispers, stroking over the back of your head.

"Might try that myself."

He presses a kiss into your cheek, tucking your face back into the comfort of his chest. "Enough now, get some sleep."

[wileys-russo]

as you would assume all alessia x reader 😭

getting into a fight with alessia, would she be stubborn or very apologetic

alessia not being able to sleep without physical touch, but you can't sleep because you're too hot

being up late studying but alessia is tired from training and just wants to cuddle up but you really can't yet

taking care of her after a rough day

you don't need to post this one, just a couple ideas :]

couldn't fit all of these into one blurb but did a lil clingy gf less moment bc we love a touch starved blondie

touch starved II a.russo

"i can clean up later baby you look shattered, please go to bed." you tucked a loose strand of blonde hair behind your girlfriends ear, no denying you were positively infatuated with the striker.

"only if you come with me." alessia demanded with a pout, balling your top in her fists and tugging your body closer, your arms wrapping around her and playing with the baby hairs on the back of her neck, the italian a good half a foot taller than you.

"i'll be in later i have to finish this paper, its due by midnight." you bit your lip guiltily, admittedly having procrastinated your uni assignment just a little too long. "are you gonna be in the living room?" the blonde asked hopefully, assuming she could then at least lay down beside you as you worked.

"office, i need the scanner and printer." you shook your head, stomach lurching with guilt as the girls face visibly dropped at the answer she had hoped against hearing. "tomorrows my rest day i'll just stay up and wait for you, watch some more of my show." alessia decided, unwrapping herself from you and heading for the lounge.

"less you've been up since like four in the morning, just go to bed." you smiled at the stubborn nature of the older girl who shook her head, curling up into a ball on the lounge and flicking on the tv.

"i can't sleep without you there." alessia frowned and your heart melted at her words. "yes you can, you manage it on away games and camps." you smiled, cupping her face and tracing the frown lines on her forehead, smoothing them out with your thumbs.

"that's different!" alessia protested, though she visibly struggled in trying to explain how.

"fine but don't fall asleep in here, you'll hurt your neck again!" you cut in to save her further struggle and warned seriously as the striker rolled her eyes. you bent down to peck her lips before padding off to your office, which was really just the third bedroom of your shared flat. alessia often needing a quiet neutral space to do her media duties you'd both deemed it a more appropriate use of the space since you already had a guest bedroom set up.

around an hour and a half later you were tracking along well, you had another two hours until your paper was due and you were already halfway done.

craving something sweet to help your motivation levels you made your way toward the kitchen, though glancing over at the lounge you sighed noting the now dead asleep mop of blonde hair still curled up in a ball.

switching routes you made a beeline for your girlfriend, squatting down beside her and gently poking at the blonde who groaned and turned around to her other side as you turned off the tv.

"babe please go to bed!" you requested while shaking her as her bright blue eyes sleepily fluttered open and she stretched, the slight wince on her face as she moved her neck not going unnoticed by you.

"told you your neck would hurt you idiot." you remanded with a shake of your head, standing and offering her a hand up, a mistake on your behalf as the girl interlocked your fingers but instead pulled you to fall on top of her, long limbs wrapping tightly around you.

"alessia!" you laughed trying to squirm out of her grip but with the taller girls build much more muscular than your own, there really wasn't a point. "don't leave me i miss you, i haven't seen you all day." she mumbled into your shoulder as you rolled your eyes playfully.

"you were only at training for a few hours, we just had dinner together and i'm right here!" you rewarded her neediness with a kiss, alessia's large hands making their way under your top and caressing your bare back. her perfectly manicured nails gently scratched against your skin and your eyes fluttered closed in relief, a sense of calm settling over you, you could happily melt into the girl and never get up again.

but unfortunately you knew this was an option not available for the taking.

"do you not love me?" you asked rhetorically, snapping the half asleep girl to attention as she scoffed. "of course i do what sort of a question is that?" she accused only hugging you tighter as she pushed her legs to slot inbetween your own, your body now well and truly trapped in her iron clad grip.

"loving partners let their girlfriends do their assignments and further their education, do you not want to be able to brag that your girlfriends a fully qualified physiotherapist?" you challenged, admittedly now becoming quite uncomfortable in her grip, it was peak summer and without the luxury of air conditioning you were beginning to get quite hot tucked in so close together.

"actually no because then everyone's going to want your hands on them. don't pretend like you haven't already promised half the girls free massages and adjustments once you graduate!" alessia quipped, though the pride and adoration in her eyes betrayed the playful sarcasm of her statement.

"yeah these magic healers will sadly no longer only belong to you!" you grinned wiggling your hands in her face as she rolled her eyes and playfully bit the tip of your index finger, you flicking at her nose in retaliation.

"but seriously i need to finish my paper and though you are the hottest girl on the planet right now you are actually the hottest girl on the planet, i'm melting!" you whined, alessia allowing you to pull her hands off and untangling her legs from yours.

"go to bed my love, i'll be there in like an hour once i finish." you assured, alessia nodding with a defeated sigh as the two of you stood, exchanging a lingering hug and a goodnight kiss before you parted ways.

alessia headed off to the bathroom to get ready for bed and you back to the office, though not before a quick detour to the kitchen for something sweet.

"if you're not beside me in an hour i'm coming to get you!" alessia yelled from the bedroom before you heard a loud squeak and a thud which would have been the blonde belly flopping onto the mattress as she did every night, normally on top of you.

smiling at her words you zoned back into your paper, eyes flicking between your computer screen and your pile of messily scribbled notes which were spread everywhere all over the desk around you.

true to her word and being unable to fully fall asleep without you beside her in bed, alessia leant against the doorway exactly an hour later, clearing her throat as you spun around in your chair to face her.

giving her a brief look of both guilt and nerves you didn't have to say much more for alessia to catch on you still weren't finished. "i'll be back again in twenty minutes, and if you're still not done then i'll be back every ten minutes after that for a kiss." the blonde pouted as you couldn't help but smile at her clingy nature, this nothing new as the harder the striker was pushed in training the more she sought out your affections when she returned home, nodding in agreement.

"i'm trying." you assured seriously and your girlfriends face softened. "i know, and i want you to get it done so we can spend the day together tomorrow stress free. i've got plans!" alessia tilted up your chin, pecking your lips as you gave her a curious look.

"plans?" "for me to know, for you to eventually find out." "that's not a terrifying thought." "are you accusing me of being a bad planner?" "well...you did forget our-" "for the one hundreth time i didn't forget our anniversary, i just simply got the dates mixed up."

"do your paper, i love you." alessia stole another kiss, running a hand fondly through your hair before padding back off to the bedroom.

what felt like only minutes later, though you knew had been much longer due to your girlfriend popping in repeatedly to steal a kiss and try to hurry you into bed with her, you bit down on your bottom lip as your eyes glanced down at the time, seeing you suddenly had only five more minutes to finish your references index.

muttering to yourself your fingers flew curiously across the keyboard, and with what was surely seconds to spare you clicked submit, exhaling deeply and leaning back in your chair, burying your face tiredly in your hands.

closing your computer you darted quickly around the flat, locking up and flicking off lights and lamps, eventually stepping into your bedroom with a small sigh of relief, checking the window was cracked open to try and diffuse the heat of the sticky summer night.

alessia sent you a toothy smile as she scrolled through her phone, eyes occasionally flicking up to stare at you as you changed into an oversized shirt, tossing your shorts and bra into a corner to be dealt with tomorrow.

"hiii." alessia grinned and opened her arms as you finally made your way toward the bed, the girl laying on top of the covers due to the heat. "hello." you smiled tiredly and collapsed into her, reaching over to flick off the bedside lamp, engulfing the room into darkness as alessia placed her phone on charge.

sincere words of endearment whispered inbetween tender kisses and soft giggles, the two of you slowly began to doze off, though no sooner had alessias body relaxed did yours tense up, the combined body heat of the two of you making your brow line bead with sweat.

checking the italian was soundly sleeping you carefully shuffled away, placing a bit of distance between the two of you as your eyes shut, finally starting to drift off.

"c'mere." alessia mumbled tiredly, reaching blindly back out for you eventually grasping at your top, pulling you back toward her.

"baby i'm sweating its so hot, can we just have a little bit of space? we can still hold hands?" you tried to bargain softly, gently removing her hands from where they clenched tightly to your top and interlinking your fingers, alessia mumbling something incoherent but not making any move to argue as you let out a quiet sigh of relief.

though it couldn't have even been a few seconds later before there was rustling beside you and alessias body flopped on top of yours, the taller blonde burying her face in your neck and grabbing your arms, tiredly wrapping them around herself as she tangled her legs with yours and muttered something you again couldn't quite understand.

sighing in defeat you slid a hand up her top and began to absentmindedly trace patterns on her back, moving your other hand to tangle in her golden locks and scratching your nails against her scalp like you knew she loved, pressing a kiss to her warm forehead and accepting you simply weren't going to sleep well tonight.

but for the seemingly touch starved blonde sleeping soundly on top of you, it would always be worth it.

[matthewswifeee]

Snowstorm

In which you and Matt are waiting at the airport all day long in order to make it homme before Christmas. . . .

"Tell me what you want to eat and I will go get it (Y/n)" Matt says after asking me countless times what I wanted for breakfast as we're waiting for our flight. "I don't know" I say snapping at him and turning a few heads around us. "Don't start with the attitude" he says quietly but stern. "I don't have an attitude" I say turning away from him in my chair. "Baby" Matt says trying to turn my attention back toward him, but I just ignore his efforts.

"Flight 543B to Boston Massachusetts scheduled for 5:30am will be experiencing a delay until 9:00am" We hear them announce earning a groan from both Matt and I.

Matt and I are flying back home to Boston two days before Christmas, which means it won't be easy with all of this snow. Sure we anticipated this but it still was annoying. "I should've just cancelled my stupid meeting and we'd already be home" I say irritated at the fact that this was all my fault. We were supposed to fly back home a week ago, but I had last minute meeting to wrap up before I could go and Matt decided to stay with me instead of flying back when Nick and Chris did so that I wouldn't be alone.

"It's ok we'll get there" Matt says wrapping his arm around my waist. Matt texted his family as I did the same to let them know about our delay. "Do you want me to go get you something" Matt asks and I shake my head. We've been at the airport since 3am and I am beyond tired.

"Flight 543B to Boston Massachusetts scheduled for 9:00am will be experiencing another delay until 11:40am" They announce again that our flight is be delayed. "Fuck" I say furious as I roll my eyes and put my head in my lap.

I hear Matt's phone ringing and then immediately hear Chris on the other side. "We got delayed again" Matt tells his brother. "Till what time" Chris asks. "Almost noon" Matt says rubbing his eyes, tired. "Well the snow isn't supposed to let up until sometime tomorrow morning so you'll probably be waiting awhile" Chris informs us making me lose it. Tears start streaming down my face like someone opened the flood gates and I just can't stop.

"Chris I'll call you back" Matt says before hanging up the phone and turning his attention toward me. "Baby it's ok" Matt says rubbing my back. "No it's not... we're literally never going to make it home in time and it's all my fault" I say sobbing. "Look at me" he says tilting my chin up to look him in the eyes "It's not your fault, you can't control the weather... we'll make it home before Christmas" he says pulling me into a hug and I just cry.

"Attention, all flights scheduled for departure to the state of New York, the state of New Hampshire, the state of Maine, the state of Connecticut, the state of Vermont, and the state of Massachusetts are all canceled due to weather" the women announces over the speaker making me want to just completely break down.

"You're fucking kidding" I say loudly, we're now stuck in Washington unless we can find a flight home in the next three day. "We can go check right now to see if they have anything for the next available flights" Matt says putting his backpack on and standing. We make our way to service desk and they tell us that there is no availability until tomorrow night at 11pm. We buy the tickets and then go find another seat in the airport. "We need somewhere to sleep because we cant stay here" Matt says looking exhausted, so I pull out my phone and look for somewhere for us to sleep tonight.

We ended up ubering to a nearby hotel finally finding a little relief from this crazy day. "This has been the worst fucking day ever" I say laying next to Matt in the bed. "I know baby I know... hopefully everything will work out tomorrow" Matt says pulling me close to him.

The next morning we wake up and I see a text from Nick saying that the snow has finally stopped, thank god. We are both laying in bed when I get a notification from Delta airline, I press on it praying that it wasn't going to say that our flight was delayed or cancelled once again. "We gotta go now" I say jumping out of bed. "What" Matt says obviously confused being that we don't have to be at the airport until 9pm. "They have two spots on the next flight our, we have to be at the airport in 40 minutes" I say frantically making Matt jump up as we rush ourselves back to the airport.

"Now boarding flight 234A to Boston Massachusetts" the lady announces putting a smile on both mine and Matt's faces. "We're gonna make it" I say sitting in the airplane seat next to Matt with a smile. "I told you" he says.

We get off the plane and Matt's mom picks us up from the airport. "Hey kids" she excitedly says hugging us both. "So glad you two finally made it" she says hugging Matt again before we get into the car. "Nothing like Christmas back home" Matt says smiling as he looks out the window at all the snow.

[ateez-himari]

[240830] SLEEPY LIVE

● 민기 is live on TokToq now (1:27 AM)

● 76,019 active viewers

'She's (Himari) right next to me in bed right now, we went to visit my mom together because she wanted to see the two of us. They get along really well so I'm relieved, they met before but it was when Hima wasn't doing so well'

'They actually went to the hot springs together when I was out with one of my close friends, my mom really enjoys being around her, she told me that. She asked when our wedding was so I told her that it would hopefully be soon haha'

'No, I don't ever get tired of being with her...we actually see each other a lot less than you think. Members in the same dorms already don't run into each other that often because of different lifestyles so imagine how it is with us living apart, and with her schedule often being packed'

'We've been seeing each other every day lately because of the tour but it's different since everyone else is there too. Sometimes it feels nice to have just us two...more domestic you know ? Being idols is obviously something we love, but getting to live as normal adults feels great too'

'Honestly...no I didn't picture myself with her at first, to me it was just some silly crush because she was a girl I was regularly around. Then we fought before my hiatus...a really bad fight, and I think that was when I realized that maybe it was more'

'I won't elaborate too much on it but a lot of 'Tunnel' is kind of based on what happened back then'

'It might seem silly to some people but just seeing her smile makes the world stop for me, and the first time she was genuinely happy after being stuck in a dark place I never wanted it to start again. Atiny probably know this already but she's fragile...so you have to be careful with her okay ? Love her like we do'

'Haha you can hear her breath ? It's because she's very close to my phone since it's on my chest...I'm too tired to lift it in my hands, I'm scared it'll fall on my face'

'The position is a little uncomfortable but I'm worried she'll wake up if I move. It's the first time she's slept well in some time, because of the situation with her brother...she worries about people a lot'

'About an hour ago she was fussing over my throat because it's very sore right now, instead of doing her rehabilitation exercises'

'Rehabilitation yeah, she went through rib surgery after Coachella...so now there's titanium plates on the broken bones. The doctors said she would be okay without a hiatus so no one knew about it, well only the ones that heard it on her live'

'Atiny are really observant, you're right it's why I always hold her waist instead of her ribcage area like I used to. The size difference is very cute but I have to be careful because of it sometimes'

'We're actually leaving tomorrow afternoon, we booked an airbnb for the rest of our break, it's in a really nice location too, it's romantic'

'Yeah the dorms are empty for the most part but we wanted to be alone in a house, just live like a normal couple for a bit. Our manager helped set it up actually since we were working non stop'

'Ahh you guys want to see her ? I wish, she looks adorable like this...but I'm not wearing a shirt and I think the flash is gonna wake her up'

'Speaking of I think it's time for me to sleep too, I just wanted to say hello quickly. Sleep well Tiny, I'll come back soon'

Translation by 9024subs

[lesbianpepsi]

sweet as cherries | part II

pairing: jenna ortega x blind!fem!reader

summary: you finally go on the date Jenna promised you

series masterlist

link to request

words: 4.203k

warnings: light swearing, r makes more blind jokes?, bad writing

authors note: thank you all so much for 800 followers, that's actually mental. love y'all <33

Jenna hadn't left your thoughts for longer than a minute since you met her a few days back at the cafe.

It was bad.

You couldn't stop yourself from thinking about her every single moment. 

Drinking cinnamon latte? Jenna. Your phone is ringing? You hoped it was Jenna calling. Heading towards the cafe? You hoped Jenna was there.

It was just Jenna, Jenna, Jenna. 

When she did call, hearing her voice again through technology wasn't anything like it was when you were a teenager watching one of her movies.

It was a thousand times better.

Hearing her voice actually speak to you, laugh at your terrible jokes and even compliment you made you feel as if you were in heaven. 

Her laugh was certainly one of your favourite things. 

As the days passed it reached Thursday, an exact week since you met Jenna at the cafe.

You were interrupted in the middle of listening to an audiobook by a phone call from Jenna. You giddily answered the phone with a smile already plastered on your face. 

"Hey Jenna." 

"Hey Y/n, how've you been today?" She asked you, hearing her saying your name never failed to make butterflies appear in your stomach. 

You shrugged your shoulders as you relaxed even further into the couch. "I've been alright thanks for asking, I've been stuck in the house all day 'cause of the rain. You?"

"It's raining heavily today, hasn't it?" You hummed in agreement. "I've been alright thanks for asking, tired but alright. Hopefully I'm gonna make yours better."

You chuckled as you raised your eyebrows as if she was with you. "Oh?"

Jenna giggled nervously through the phone, her angelic laugh making your smile soften. 

"I'm not working tomorrow so I was wondering if you'd like to go on that date I promised you?" She inquired with a tone to her voice that you never had heard before.

Without thinking you began nodding your head eagerly, soon after coughing awkwardly as you internally thanked the fact Jenna did not see your reaction.

"I'd love to go on a date with you." You answered her speedily making Jenna laugh at your jumbled words. "Yeah?" She asked again, you could practically hear her smirk through the phone.

"Yeah, I've been waiting all week for you to ask me out." You immediately regret your words as Jenna hums through the phone. "All week?" She teases, now you know she has a shit eating smirk on her face.

"You know what, I think I'll be busy tomorrow." This only made Jenna let out a laugh. "What a shame, guess I'll just have to go on a date with someone else."

"Oh look at that, my schedule just freed, turns out I am free tomorrow. No need to get a replacement for me." You admitted swiftly, laughing lightly yourself.

"Good, I don't think I could've found someone as good as you to go on a date with me." She answered with a cheeky smile on her face. 

Your heart skipped a beat at her words. She definitely knew how to charm someone, that you're sure about. 

"Well isn't that lucky for the both of us then." You concluded with a smile toying on your lips. "What're we gonna do?" 

"I've already planned everything out." Jenna says as she shuffled around in her seat.

"Really? What're we gonna be doing then?" You asked her curiously switching your phone to your other hand.

Jenna chuckled. "You'll have to wait till tomorrow to see." 

You groaned loudly, throwing your head backwards as you leaned against the head against the couch. 

"Really? You're gonna make me wait?"

"Yep!" Jenna exclaimed.

"I hate you." You grumbled through the phone, rolling your eyes as you did so. Jenna laughed, "You sure about that?" 

"No." You grumbled with a soft smile. "You're annoying, Jen." 

"What a way to woo a girl." Jenna replied, a small blush on her cheeks at the nickname. "I'll pick you up tomorrow around six?" 

"Well I certainly won't be drinking to pick you up." You said, sarcasm dripping off of your voice.

"Ha-ha. I bet you're trying not to laugh right now." A small giggle erupted from your chest at her nods, smiling a crooked smile.

"Maybe."

Jenna laughed freely as she shook her head, smiling like a fool. "So six?"

"I'll be waiting." 

—————

To say you're nervous is an understatement. You're fucking petrified. 

It hadn't hit you till after you and Jenna ended the call -which lasted another hour- that you're going on a date with America's It Girl. 

At Jenna's decision to not tell you where you'll be going it took you an entire hour to get changed.

After many, many outfit changes you decided on white long sleeve dress shirt, basic black pants along with a pair of even more basic black boots. 

Classy but something most people would wear on a daily basis. 

"Hey Alexa, what time is it?" You yelled out as you held your cane with a strong grip, your knee bouncing nervously up and down. 

"It's currently 5:59, one minute till your date with Jenna Ortega, a famous actress who was born on September twenty seventh-"

"Okay, okay, thank you Alexa."  You interrupted, not wanting to hear the machine ramble on about your date.

The clicking of the clock filled the silent apartment making you feel more nervous as the time ticked down. 

Would you make a fool of yourself? Will Jenna find out that she's actually not interested in you? What if it's awkward? What if-

"It's six in the evening, you are scheduled to go on a date with Jenna Ortega." Alexa spoke again, interrupting your internal self doubting. 

The exact moment the bot stopped talking gentle knocks were heard from your front door. You swallowed nervously as you stood up, leaning on your cane momentarily before you headed over to the door.

Taking a deep breath you twist the door-handle and pull it open, a nervous smile on your face.

"Y/n," Jenna says breathlessly with her own nervous smile on her face. "You look beautiful. Gorgeous even."

You blushed heavily at her words, looking down as if that would hide your blush. 

"Thank you, I don't doubt that you look even more beautiful." You reply with a grin, lifting your head to look in her direction.

Jenna laughed playfully as she gazed at you, her eyes flickering over your body as she admired how good you looked.

"Thank you. Are you ready to go?" 

You nod your head happily, stretching your hand out to where you know the coat rack was at, you feel around the different fabrics before you feel the texture for your black trench coat. 

Grabbing it, you quickly put it on as you take a step outside, closing the door behind you. 

"You gonna tell me where we're heading to?" You ask her as you instinctively go to grab Jenna's elbow with your free hand, letting her lead you towards your car, her being a step ahead of you.

Jenna didn't protest at the contact and even smiled at it. "You're just gonna have to wait." She replies with a grin as she directs you towards her car.

"Seriously?" You complain as you arrive at Jenna's car. Jenna opens the car door for you, making sure you don't bump your head on top of the car as you enter. Passing her your cane she closed the door as she carefully put it in the backseat, joining you in the front behind the wheel soon after.

"As serious as pie." Jenna says as she begins to drive, the car engine revving lowly as she drives off. 

You turn to look at her with furrowed eyebrows, laughing confusedly. "As serious as pie? I have never heard that before. What's so serious about pies?" 

Jenna smiled as she focused her eyes on the road, resisting the urge to let out a small laugh. "Pies sound like spies."

"Then why don't you say you are as serious as spies?" You ask even more confused, laughing amused as you push your thick black sunglasses back up your nose.

"When I was younger I constantly got the two mixed up so If I wanted an actual pie I'd ask: 'Can I have a spy?' I don't know how I mixed them up, but somehow I did." Jenna answered you with her own laugh, smiling from ear to ear as she heard you laugh even harder.

"It gets worse too. I remember I wanted to watch a Spy movie so my confused self asked 'Can I watch pie?'. So at the young age of four years old someone - I still don't remember who- did what I asked for and put on American Pie for me." 

You couldn't help but laugh as you shook your head, amused by Jenna's story. "Oh poor sweet innocent baby Jenna." You said in between laughs.

"I think it was so traumatising that I've completely blanked it out, I only know the story since my Mom likes to bring it up during family holidays." Jenna laughs as she flicks the indicators on, the low ticking noise being heard between your and Jenna's laughs. "The time she walked into the living room to her four year old daughter watching American Pie."

"I can't even imagine your moms face walking into that." You exclaim as your laughter finally dies down, your crooked grin never leaving your face.

After Jenna's story the car is filled with low music from the radio. Eventually you feel Jenna stop and park the car, leaving the car before arriving outside your door moments later, opening it up for you as she hands you your cane.

"Thanks," You whispered as you gripped at the cane with your dominant hand, your other hand reaching out for Jenna's elbow. 

At first you waved it across the air but Jenna quickly came back to your side and guided your non-dominant hand to her elbow.

"I feel like it isn't fair that I literally can't see where we are, so you finally gonna tell me?" You asked as you walked with Jenna, letting her guide you as your cane glided against the floor. 

"It isn't much but I booked us reservations at a restaurant, I made sure to pick the best one in town." You smiled as you unconsciously licked your lips at the mention of food.

"The best one, huh? Is it also the fanciest?" You teased with an appreciative smile, showing Jenna that you were truly thankful about her planning the date.

Jenna blushed as she chuckled, glancing over at your side profile briefly before back at the restaurant in front of you two.

As you neared the entrance a man in a tight suit opened the glass door for the two of you, his smile as wide as it was fake as he rehearsed his line for the probably hundredth time.

"Welcome to The Crown, I hope you enjoy your meals." Jenna smiled politely at him as she entered the restaurant with you by her side.

Immediately low chatter and sounds of cutlery was heard throughout the entire restaurant, filling up your sensitive ears with the sounds.

Jenna guided you towards the check in where another man stood in with a fake smile plastered on his face, a formal suit on his figure. She smiled up at  him as she came to a halt, you stopping beside her, never letting go of her elbow. 

"Hi, reservations under the name Ortega." She said with a ravishing smile. 

The smell of the food was intoxicating as it flooded your nose, you definitely are going to enjoy your dinner tonight, that's for sure.

"I'm sorry but I see no reservations under the name Ortega." The man apologised in an overly fake apologetic tone that you couldn't help but notice.

Jenna's eyes widened dramatically as she shook her head, taking a step close to where the man stood behind the small podium with an iPad attached to it.

"Are you sure? I made reservations three days ago." Jenna insisted with a polite voice as she laughed nervously. "What about Jenna?" She tried again.

The man hissed as he shook his head at Jenna. "I'm sorry but there are no reservations under the name Ortega or Jenna. We've recently hired new staff and it gets hectic over the summer so one of them have probably mixed up the reservations. Sorry." He answers, dragging out the letter 'y' much longer than necessary.

Jenna sighed as she turned to face you, a frown on her face. "I'm so sorry, Y/n." You turned your head to the direction of her voice, a crooked smile still on your lips. "There's nothing to be sorry about, it isn't your fault the reservations got messed up." 

She sighed as she looked down at the ground, embarrassed that she had ruined your and hers first date. "Still, this night was supposed to be perfect but now we have nowhere to eat." The brunette apologised again in a thick voice.

You shake your head at her as you squeezed at her elbow reassuringly. "We can still have a great night, Jen, c'mon let's go for a walk and we can figure it out then." 

Jenna reluctantly nodded her head after a few seconds, raising her hand to lay it over yours for a second before she slowly turned around, making sure you were turning with her slowly. 

"Let's go," She affirmed, walking out of the restaurant with a small frown still on her face.

Jenna and you stayed silent for a few minutes as you walked down the lively street. The actress felt a gnawing sense of guilt in her stomach every time she glanced at you.

You on the other hand still had a smile toying on your lips, more than happy to just be around Jenna. You sense Jenna was feeling guilty about the 'supposed' ruined date, but to you the date wasn't ruined at all, a minor hiccup.

"Can I ask you a question?" You abruptly ask her as you turn your head to look at her face.

"You just asked me one." She retorted, glancing back at you with a grin. You rolled your eyes under your black glasses. "Of course you're that type of person. Bet if you were a teacher and I asked if I can go to the bathroom you'd say: 'I don't know, can you?'" 

Jenna laughed as she shook her head, the corners of her eyes crinkling up in delight as she did so. "Wow, you really do think that low of me." She teased back with her own playfulness. 

"Of course I do, I loathe you so much I'm going on a date with you." You disclosed with noticeable sarcasm in your voice as you chuckled. "Seriously though, can I ask you a question?"

"I don't know, can you?" Jenna replied without any hesitation.

"You're hilarious, can't you see I'm laughing my ass off right now?" You replied dryly, acting annoyed, but the twitch of the corner of your lips telling a completely different story. 

"What did you wanna ask me?" Jenna finally asked you, putting you out of your misery as you two walked down the lit up street.

"Is it weird seeing your face plastered absolutely everywhere?" You questioned her with genuine curiosity. "Not like I've ever even seen your face before, but is it weird or have you gotten used to it?"

Jenna stifled a little laugh at your joke as she shrugged her shoulders weakly. "It was a massive shock in the beginning, if I'm being honest. Out of all my projects I never expected Wednesday to be my biggest break. It took some time for me to start getting used to it, it can still be very stressful at times but I've gotten much better at managing it compared to how I was in November."

Your thumb caressed against Jenna's shirt as you two walked, a small encouraging smile on your face as you listened to Jenna talk.

Unknown to you Jenna smiled softly at the feeling of your caressing her lightly.

"I know for a fact I'll never get used to the paparazzis, they're the fucking worst with their blinding flashing cameras." She complains. No star will ever get used to the invasion of privacy at every given moment of their life.

You snorted a laugh. "Guess if they ever see us together in public I'll be okay then."

Jenna stayed silent for a moment, confused by your words until she finally got your joke. The latina bit her lower lip to hide the laugh wanting to escape from her, a smirk on her lips. 

Before Jenna could say anything she felt you grip her tighter as you stopped walking, she immediately turned to you full of worry but by the wide smile on your face she quickly calmed herself down.

"I know what we're gonna have for dinner." You exclaimed with a delighted smile. "If there's one thing I can smell better than cinnamon latte it's wood-fired pizza trucks." 

Her eyes glanced around at your words and to her surprise a wood-fired pizza truck was at the corner of the street, only a small line of people queuing.

"You're a genius, Y/n. Let's go." Jenna eagerly said, walking towards it at a pace quicker than usual. You followed along with her just as eagerly, both of you having wide smiles on your faces.

As the two of you arrived at the food truck there were only three other people in front of you, an incredibly small line for a Friday night. 

Standing beside Jenna you turned your head in her direction, your smile nervous as you nodded towards the truck.

"Can you read the menu to me, please?" You gingery asked her with a taut voice, Jenna nodded her head without hesitation, turning to read the menu as she listed off the different types of pizzas and what's on them.

After Jenna read the entire menu to you, you decided on a barbecue chicken pizza and Jenna going for a pizza called clucking spicy.

Jenna stepped forward, you followed her as you reached the front of the truck, the strong smells of different flavours and fire sneaking into your nose.

"What can I get for you two lovely ladies?" The owner said in a cheery voice as he leaned against the counter, gawking down at the two of you.

Jenna looked up at him with her own polite smile. "Hi can I get one twelve inch clucking spicy pizza, one twelve inch barbecue chicken pizza and can I have one can of cherryade as well please."

"Of course, the drink is on the house, darling." He replied still with a cheery voice as he wrote down the orders on a notepad. 

You grinned at the sound of a free drink while Jenna shook her head, smiling nervously. "Are you sure? I can pay if you want." She insisted.

The man shook his head. "And I insist it's for free, my youngest daughter loves you in that show -oh what's the name. Oh! Stuck in the Middle, she watches it every morning before school."

Your heart practically melted at the man's words, your smile turning soft as you listened intently to their small conversation.

Jenna blushed lightly from embarrassment as she smiled up at the man.

"Oh, thank you so much, sir. How much is it for the pizzas?" She asked as she pulled out a wallet from her pocket.

You shook your head as you squeezed her elbow again, stealing her attention away from her own wallet. "I'll pay for it." You tell her with a smile.

Jenna shakes her own head as she gazes at your face. "No, it's fine, I'll pay."

"Jen, seriously I can pay, you already managed to make it cheaper so you've done your part." You laughed, loosening your hold on her as you shoved your hand into the pocket of your trench coat, searching for your wallet.

"Paying is the least I can do." Jenna argued back as she turned to look at the man who had an amused look on his face, his eyes flickering between you two.

"How much?" She asked again.

"Sixteen." He said with a small chuckle. 

You swiftly pulled out your wallet pulling out a twenty as you placed it on the counter before Jenna or the man could say anything. 

"Y/n!" Jenna complained as she turned to glare at you. You smiled in the man's direction as you ignored the feeling of Jenna's eyes staring into your side profile. 

He bellowed out a laugh as he shook his head, taking the twenty as he fiddled around with the cashier. "Young love." He muttered to himself with a smile.

The man gave you the change along with a small slip of paper with your order number on it. "The food will be ready soon." He says before turning around to help with the orders.

You passed Jenna the slip of paper as the two of you made your way to a bench. Once you two are sitting down you hear her snort a laugh next to you.

"What?" You asked with a nervous smile, your fingers tapping against your cane. Jenna had a smirk on her face as she fiddled with the paper. "We're order number sixty nine." She explained in a dirty voice as she resisted the urge to laugh. 

You couldn't help but laugh lightly. "Seriously? What are you, a teenage boy?" You teased her, shuffling closer to her subtly.

"Hey! You're laughing too so you find it just as funny as I do." She jabbed back with a playful expression as she gazed at you, a look of pure admiration on her face.

Conversations flowed easily between you and Jenna for the rest of the night, almost as if it was the easiest thing ever. As easy as walking, listening even breathing.

The two of you ate your beyond amazing pizzas after giggling like children after hearing the man's voice booming voice yell, "Sixty nine!" across the street. 

Jenna drank all of the cherryade to herself but you honestly didn't mind, you stole a few sips and that was more than enough for you. The drink itself was sweet and okay at best.

Hours passed as you and Jenna sat on the bench, chatting and laughing away like there was no tomorrow. Eventually the two of you had to part ways as it somehow reached midnight before you even knew it.

Jenna, the gentlewoman she is, took you home and even walked you to your door.

You could hear your own heartbeat in your ears as you lingered in the doorway to your house, your body facing Jenna's.

 "I had a really good time, Jenna, thank you." You say, Jenna smiles at you as she takes a small step closer to you. "It definitely wasn't how I expected the night heading but I really enjoyed myself too."

Swallowing your anxiety you smiled at her taking your own limpid step closer to her.  "Does that mean there will be another date?" You ask her in a hopeful voice, your anxiety crawling back up your throat with each word you uttered.

Jenna laughed her heavenly laugh as she bit her bottom lip. "I'd love nothing more than a second date." 

"Love huh? I must've really made a good impression on you then." You teased her in a weak attempt to try to calm down the erratic beating of your heart. Convinced if Jenna and you stayed silent she would've been able to hear it pounding against your chest.

"Wanna know what I would love even more?" Jenna asks in a soft voice, taking her another step closer to you. You shake your head 'no' at her question, a sensation of butterflies gnawing at your stomach.

Jenna moved even closer placing a gentle hand on your waist, a blush burned at the tip of your ears at the feeling. She slowly leaned closer to you until her mouth hovered over your ear, you could feel her breath against your ear. Goosebumps swiftly erupted all over your body at the feeling.

"For a goodnight kiss." She whispered with a smirk, enjoying the way your cheeks burned as furiously as your ears at her words.

Carefully you raised your hand as you placed your palm on her cheek, sighing contently at the feeling of her soft smooth skin. 

Jenna pulled away from your ear as she gazed at your lips; you could feel her low quick breaths against your own lips.

"And I'd love nothing more than to make you happy." You declared in a small voice before pulling Jenna in for a kiss.

The sensation of Jenna's lips on yours immediately caused a larger swarm of butterflies in your stomach as well as making your knees feel much weaker. Your other hand quickly grabbed at her waist, sighing quietly as you kissed Jenna.

She tasted like cherries; a sweet taste you could feel yourself becoming addicted to. 

Jenna's own arm was wrapped around your neck as she pulled you even closer to her.

If you thought your favourite thing about Jenna was her honey like voice, then it definitely had some competition as you could only describe kissing Jenna as one word.

Heavenly.

—————

taglist: @xxxtwilightaxelxxx @canvascoloredin

if you want to be added to the taglist just comment and i'll add you:)

[sissylittlefeather]

I finally finished it...

It Feels So Right (how can it be wrong?): Part 4

A/N: Here is the long-awaited final chapter of the Austin/Ghost!Elvis x reader mini series! This one was very hard to figure out how to end it, but this was the only way I could make it work the way I wanted it to. Hopefully you enjoy it and it doesn't disappoint too much!

A HUGE shout out and thank you to @ccab and @atleastpleasetelephone. I could not have managed this one without both of you!! 🩷🩷

Need to catch up? Masterlist HERE.

Warnings: 18+ minors DNI AT ALL, cussing, kissing, fingering, oral sex (both receiving), penetrative sex, unprotected sex, creampie(s), MMF threesome, Elvis calls himself "daddy" again, oh and death

Word count: ~3.4k

"I love you." Your mouth pops open and you're not sure what to say. Well, you know exactly what to say, but it doesn't seem like there's any point to it. Surely, when you leave here, you won't be able to see him anymore and then what? You can't pick him. You know it and he knows it. Still, you hear yourself whisper to him.

"I love you too."

******

You lay there with Elvis for a good long while, just enjoying the feeling of being together. He's so warm wrapped around you as you run your fingers over his chest hair. You talk about everything and nothing and he kisses your forehead periodically. Laughter comes easily and the idea of leaving him feels impossible.

Still, you know the Graceland people will come looking for you soon. The sun is beginning to set and you've already pushed the boundaries by coming in without them. They'll have to do the photo shoot with Austin tomorrow.

"Elvis... I have to go."

"Please, doll. Just five more minutes." He squeezes you and presses his lips to your fingers. You lay there for a few more minutes, but you're nervous to be found like this. Eventually, you pull his mouth to yours and then stand up, gathering your clothes. Elvis sits up and watches you, sighing deeply. Once you're dressed, he pulls you into his lap and kisses you one last time. He presses his forehead to yours and whispers.

"I'll never forget this, honey. And I'll always love you. If you decide you want him, I'll understand. But just know, I'll still be here loving you." You nod, unable to make words with the lump in your throat. Finally, you pull yourself away and stand up. You make your way up the staircase and Elvis doesn't follow you. He sits with his head in his hands wondering why he ever thought it was a good idea to leave Graceland in the first place.

When you get back upstairs to where Austin is waiting, he's asleep on the couch in the living room. He's almost angelic in his sleep, and you hate to wake him up, but you know you both need to leave, and soon.

"Austin? Come on, babe, wake up." You shake his shoulder gently and he stirs, blinking up at you.

"Oh... hi. Everything... go okay?" He doesn't really want to know, but he asks anyway.

"Yeah. We need to go, though. It's getting dark." He nods and sits up, running his hand through his hair.

"Where is he?"

"He stayed downstairs." You try not to think of your last image of him, his sad eyes round and blue and glassy with tears.

"Oh..." You walk to the front door and open it, your heart breaking when you cross the threshold. It's highly probable you will never see Elvis again.

People around you talk to Austin, but it feels like you're underwater. You go through the motions of existing until you finally get in the car to head to your hotel.

******

In the car, Austin takes your hand and watches you, concerned.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. It's just hard to leave him, y'know?" Austin nods.

"Was that what it was? You leaving him?" He tries to keep the hopefulness out of his voice, but he doesn't really succeed.

"I mean, it has to be, doesn't it? We can't continue like this, not now."

"I guess not. I suppose you're stuck with me by default." You look up at him and he keeps his eyes on the road, trying not to let you see how much it bothers him. You squeeze his hand and press a kiss to his knuckles.

"No, Austin. It's not like that. I'm very happy with you." He turns to you with a sad smile.

"Really? Because I promise I'll take care of you. I know I'm not him, but I'll love you the best way I know how." Your heart softens and you start to think you'll be okay without Elvis.

"Oh, babe. You're amazing. And I love you too." You mean it, for the most part. You'll always love Elvis, but Austin is alive. There's really not much of a choice to be made. He smiles and kisses the back of your hand.

This could work.

******

Back at the hotel, you crawl into bed with Austin, both of you too emotionally exhausted to do anything more than cuddle and sleep. The next day, he goes back to the mansion to do the photo shoot and you stay in the room. Even if you could see Elvis again, what would you say?

No. It's better for you to just stay in the room and cry. Maybe you'll be able to get out all your sadness by the time Austin comes back.

Elvis is surprised to see Austin by himself. He tries to leave him alone during the photo shoot- he knows what it means to be working. But as soon as it's done, he has to ask.

"Where is she?"

"She wanted to stay in the room."

"She didn't want to see me?" Austin looks around to see if anyone is watching and then looks directly at Elvis.

"Elvis, man, what did you think was gonna happen? I'm sorry. I really am. I think she really loves you, but it has to be this way. I'm sorry." Elvis nods.

"No, I understand. Just... take good care of her. Please." Austin nods.

"I will. She's in good hands; I promise."

"You think you can handle the rest of the movie yourself? I think I'm gonna stay here."

"Yeah, man, it's almost over. I got this." Elvis tries to smile and someone calls for Austin. They share an understanding nod that seems to mean 'goodbye' and then Austin heads out.

Elvis watches him walk away and then decides to go to the hotel. He didn't realize the goodbye yesterday was goodbye forever. He needs to see you one last time, even if you can't see him.

******

You're laying in bed in nothing but your bathrobe with a nearly-empty bottle of wine watching some stupid movie on tv when Elvis appears. You just got out of the shower, so your hair is wet and he's dying to touch you. He watches you for a bit before walking over to the bed. His intention is to look at you, say goodbye, and be gone, but that's not what happens.

"Elvis!?!" You look up at him shocked and sit up in the bed.

"You can see me?!"

"Yes!" He laughs and throws himself on the bed next to you. You crawl over to him and into his lap, giggling like a fool. He holds you and you're lost in a cascade of kisses when Austin opens the door.

"Oh, shit. I'm sorry..." He stands there and the two of you freeze and look at him. "Wait. She can still see you?!"

"Yeah. I can." You answer him tentatively, your arms still around Elvis. The two of you unwrap yourselves and stand up next to the bed. Austin looks at you, completely at a loss.

"So does this mean... you pick him?" You look at Elvis. Just because you can see him doesn't mean this relationship is any more plausible than before. He's still dead. You look back at Austin. He's alive and he loves you. The wine makes your head foggy and you're not sure what to say.

"No? Yes? I don't know."

"Those are your three options, yes." Austin adds sarcastically. He's not exactly pleased to see Elvis with you again. Elvis's eyes narrow. He feels like he has a real shot now and he's not going to let Austin take it away from him. You sense the tension in the room and search your tipsy brain for how you can possibly decide. Austin is sweet and funny... and alive. Elvis is... Elvis. How on earth will you choose? You giggle a little at the thought of having them both forever. Too bad you can't have them at the same time. That would be fun. And then it dawns on you: maybe you can. Is it ridiculous? Probably. But you're just drunk enough to think it's not the worst idea.

"Wait a minute guys." They both look at you, eager to hear what you have to say next. "Do you know what I do when I can't pick a pair of shoes?"

They look at each other incredulously. What on earth are you talking about? Austin answers your question.

"No? What do you do?" A sly smile spreads across your face.

"I try them both on. At the same time." Elvis speaks this time.

"Honey? What are you... oh." It dawns on him what you're saying and he looks at Austin nervously.

"I don't understand." Austin stands with his hands on his hips, not sure what to make of the situation.

"She wants to try us on... at the same time..." Realization flashes on Austin's face and he looks at you shocked.

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?!"

"If you think I'm saying that I want you both together, then you're right." Austin shakes his head and Elvis looks at you with his eyes wide.

"Why, doll?"

"It's a gut check. I'll figure out what to do in the process."

"What if you don't?" Austin asks.

"I will. Don't worry about that." There's an awkward silence as the two men contemplate your proposal. "Listen, I'll direct traffic so you don't have to worry about getting too close to each other. I just need to see which one of you is right."

All of a sudden, Elvis looks at Austin with a determined stare. He's not going to give you up so easily.

"I say we do it." He mutters. But Austin is not one to back down from a challenge.

"I'm down." You look between them and roll your eyes.

"Boys. I'm over here. Stop glaring at each other and look at me." They both turn and look at you, their faces softening. "Come here."

You sit on the side of the bed and pat the mattress on either side of you. Elvis sits on your left and Austin on your right. You lean in and kiss Elvis first and then turn to Austin and do the same. At first, they each bristle with envy, but the fact that you're sleeping with both of them is not breaking news.

Elvis relaxes significantly when your hand finds his cock while you kiss Austin. You turn back to Elvis and your other hand palms Austin over his pants. While Elvis has his tongue in your mouth, Austin lifts his shirt and pulls it off over his head. He unzips his pants and pulls his dick out to give you easier access to pump him. Not one to be outdone, Elvis has his jacket and shirt off in no time. He hesitates to whip his cock out, though. You sense his apprehension and stand up, sinking to your knees between his thighs. Austin watches as you pull Elvis's dick out and drag his pants down his legs and off with his shoes.

"Just a minute, baby." You look up at Austin as he stands up off the bed and then sits on the floor behind you. He lays down and scoots up under you. "Help me out, man."

Elvis understands what he's trying to do and removes your robe, leaving you naked. Austin grabs your thighs and pulls your pussy down to his mouth.

"Oh fuck." You moan, your head on Elvis's thigh. Then, you remember what you're doing and pull Elvis's cock into your mouth. He groans and leans his head backwards as you start to suck him off, bouncing your mouth on him while Austin licks and sucks your clit. You'd moan again, but your mouth is full of Elvis's dick. Still, the vibrations hit his shaft as you open your throat and take him as deep as he'll go. At the same time, Austin is eating your pussy like his life depends on it. He pushes the tip of his tongue into your slit and then moves back to your swollen bud, licking hard over it.

You've never cum with a dick in your mouth, but it seems like you're about to as your orgasm gathers in your hips while you continue to move your tongue on Elvis's cock. Elvis holds your hair and lifts his hips, thrusting into your mouth as your climax approaches. Austin can tell you're about to cum, so he slides two of his long fingers up inside you. He uses his other hand to stroke himself, your arousal almost pushing him to the edge. Finally, your release pounds you from every direction and the waves of pleasure run up and down your spine, crackling out to your fingertips and back again. You hold Elvis still as you ride out your high with your mouth stuffed with him. He strokes your hair affectionately and watches you as you cum. It's a beautiful sight, you in ecstasy with your mouth wrapped around him. When you finally come down, you pull off of him to breathe for a bit, using your hand to pump him, sliding his foreskin back and forth.

"God, Austin..." You pant, trying to steady yourself.

Austin scoots out from under you and wipes his face with his hand. Your legs shake, but you stand up and face away from Elvis towards Austin. Elvis grabs your hips and pulls you down into his lap, sliding his dick into you slowly. A soft moan falls from your lips as the sensation of being filled washes over you. You put your hands on his knees and grind backwards against him, desperate to push him even deeper. He groans loudly as you move on him. Austin takes a step forward and you slip your mouth around his cock, pulling him deep into your throat. Elvis's hands grasp your hips as he bounces you on his dick and Austin's hands are in your hair as you suck him. Both men finally let go of any apprehension or nerves and begin to moan and whimper as you work them with the different parts of your body. Elvis stands up without pulling out and reaches around with one hand to massage your clit as he pounds you from behind.

"Come on, honey. Cum for daddy." Elvis says, his voice barely above a harsh whisper. You try to continue sucking Austin's cock, but what Elvis is doing is very distracting. You have to pull off of Austin for just a bit as another orgasm snaps in your hips, running through your veins like a freight train. Elvis grunts as you cum on his dick, the feeling of you pulsing and shuddering around him almost pushing him over the edge. "Yeah baby. That's it, doll."

"Trade?" Austin looks at Elvis pleadingly, almost begging for his turn to fuck you. Elvis nods and pulls out of you, tapping on your ass to indicate that you should move. You turn and Elvis sits back down on the bed while you take him in your mouth again. He's so close to cumming that he's afraid he might explode then and there. Austin takes hold of your hips and pushes into you, groaning deeply. It takes you a second to adjust to Austin's bigger dick and he knows that. Then, he begins to fuck into you and his orgasm gathers at the base of his dick quickly.

"I'm gonna cum, doll." Elvis whispers breathlessly. He's trying desperately to hold back, but the feeling of your warm little mouth on his cock is almost too much.

"Me too." Austin moans loudly with the satisfaction of finally feeling you around him. You're so tight that it takes everything in him not to cum as soon as he's inside you. Both men are painfully close to an orgasm and you're not doing anything to stop them. Austin loses control first, groaning and slamming his hips into your ass one last time, filling you with his warmth as his dick throbs inside you. As soon as he's finished, he pulls out of you and you climb onto Elvis and straddle him, sinking onto his cock. It doesn't take but maybe two thrusts for him to cum too, emptying himself inside you as he grunts loudly.

You're not exactly sure how it happens, but you find yourself laying on the bed on your back between them, all of you breathing heavily and trying to recover from what just happened. Your pussy aches in the best way possible and you can't help wishing this could happen again. It was everything you ever dreamed it would be and more.

"So?" Austin turns and looks at you on the bed, his hair wet with sweat. You look at him, blue eyes eager to know your answer. Then you turn and look at Elvis. His eyes are softer, more understanding. He knows the answer and so do you. But you're not quite ready to say it yet.

"I need to drive." You stand up, quickly pulling on clothes, and Austin follows you.

"What?"

"I need... I just need a minute. Where are the rental keys?" He tosses them to you from where they were sitting on the table. "I'll be right back."

Not a single one of you registers how much you've had to drink.

******

You blink your eyes a few times and then pull yourself out of the car. The last thing you remember is trying to figure out how you were going to tell Austin that you want Elvis. But it's not just that you want him. You need him. He's the one you love with everything inside you and you know it's going to kill Austin. But why is that the last thing you remember?

You look back at the twisted metal that used to be the car and the ambulances and fire trucks and police cars. It's on its top and crushed beyond recognition and you're not sure how you got out alive. You walk up to one of the police officers.

"I can't believe I made it out of there." But he doesn't respond. In fact, it's like he doesn't even hear you. You snap in front of his face a couple of times. Nothing.

That's when you see it: your body on a stretcher. You run over to where the EMTs are trying desperately to revive you. But you know it won't work. You're already here, like this. You look around frantically trying to assess if you're the only one in this state, but there's not another car. Whatever you did, you did it all by yourself.

You've always been one to roll with the punches, but this catches you off guard. You're dead.

And then it hits you.

You're dead.

And so is Elvis.

******

Your funeral is a surreal experience. You're there with Elvis and the only one who can see you is Austin. It breaks your heart to watch everyone mourn, especially your mom and sister, but you're weirdly content. Elvis has his arm around your waist and he kisses your hair gently.

"I know it's hard, doll. But you'll get used to it." You turn to face him and he presses his lips to yours gently.

"It's not as hard as it should be. I have you and that's all I really wanted anyway. I do feel bad for Austin, though." You look back at the funeral proceedings.

Austin hasn't been able to see anything beyond your casket. But after that's in the ground, he walks over to where you and Elvis stand under a tree.

"So you guys are just happily ever after now, aren't you?"

"Kinda, yeah. I'm really sorry."

"No, it's not like you did it on purpose. But I have to know. Were you gonna pick him anyway?" You hesitate for a second and then decide the truth is best.

"Yeah. I was." Austin nods his head, defeated. He looks back at the funeral.

"I guess this is for the best then. I just wish..." He stops mid sentence and you follow his eye line. He's staring at your sister.

"Y/n. Why didn't you tell me you have a twin?"

"You never asked." He turns and looks at you.

"What's she like?!" She's not too much like you, so you're not sure he should get his hopes up.

"She's an actress. Not really anything like me. Much more serious and focused and oh..." His eyes light up and you smile.

"Can I...?"

"Yes! Go!" He tries to remember he's supposed to be sad, but it's hard when he can still see you. Still, he's an amazing actor, so he rearranges his face and walks back down to the crowd. You watch as he introduces himself to your sister.

Elvis chuckles softly and wraps himself around you from behind. He kisses your ear and whispers.

"You ready to go home, doll?" You nod.

"Yeah. Let's go home."

And you spend the rest of your time together at Graceland, both of you satisfied to have found in death what you never had in life: each other.

******

The End

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Taglist:

@atleastpleasetelephone @returntopresley @msamarican @ccab @elvisfatass @elvisalltheway101 @aliypop @18lkpeters @dkayfixates @tacozebra051 @your-nanas-house @deniseinmn @joshuntildawn13 @lookingforrainbows @60svintage @littlehoneyposts @epthedream69 @louisejoy86 @rjmartin11 @from-memphis-with-love @deltafalax @cinnamoroll-things @burnthheparaphilia @jhoneybees @cattcb @everythingelvispresley

[lanawinterscigarettes]

OOPS my ask did go through omg 😭😭😭 it was the same thing so you don't have to answer it 😩 thank you!!!! I enjoyed the hcs so much...

a fun one i thought was a drabble/fic of rachel being extremely possessive and jealous so she doesn't just mark you with kisses but also writes that someone 🙂 is the property of miss rachel green

hehe thank u for indulging me - ✨️

you're very welcome! it makes me so happy to know you enjoyed it 🥰 I love all the requests you send in, so I really hope you like this one too 💕

Property of Rachel Green (Rachel Green x gn reader)

Warnings: jealous/possessive Rachel, not explicit smut but there's definitely suggestive elements involved, hickeys/marking kink

Rachel scowled as she watched you chat with one of your coworkers by the counter in Central Perk. She crossed her arms and slumped down further in her spot on the couch, trying to ignore the tight feeling of jealousy that was currently constricting her chest.

She made mocking mumbles under her breath at your coworker's responses whenever she heard them speak until Monica finally interjected. "If you're so upset by what's going on, why don't you go over there and do something about it?"

The blonde perked up at the idea immediately. "You know what, Mon, that's a great idea. I'm gonna go do just that." She got up from the couch, carefully smoothing out the fabric of her outfit and adjusting her hair until she heard Monica speak again. "Oh, for God's sake, Rachel, you look fine. Now, just go over there already."

Nodding at her words, she quickly made her way over to where you were still speaking with your coworker, someone who was absolutely gorgeous if Rachel did say so herself. Not quite as gorgeous as she was, naturally, but still, with you talking to them for so long she obviously had reason to be upset.

Much to her delight, you wrapped an arm around her waist immediately, tugging her in closer before turning to give her a kiss on the cheek. "Hi, honey," she cooed in delight at the show of affection, shooting your coworker a subtle nasty look.

"Hey, sweetheart. How's it going?" You seemed oblivious to what was going on, and it seemed to her as if you were completely unaware of the envy lurking just beneath her sickeningly sweet surface.

"Well, it's certainly going even better now that you're here." Her voice was a low purr when she spoke, and she punctuated her statement by leaning in to give you a kiss, which you accepted gladly. "I saved you a seat," she added while gesturing back to the couch behind her, a not-so-subtle way of stating that she didn't want you ignoring her any longer for some other random person, whether you worked with them or not.

You picked up what she was trying to get across immediately. "It was nice talking to you. I'll see you tomorrow," you politely excused yourself from the conversation before allowing your girlfriend to tug you back in the direction of the friend group's usual spot.

Despite knowing you were referring to when you'd see them at work the next day, Rachel still rolled her eyes at your words. See you tomorrow. Yeah, and when they did they were going to know even further you were already taken for, that much was sure.

She spent that entire night having round after round of sex with you. You weren't quite sure what had gotten into her that had her begging for more even after you'd already finished a round, but you weren't exactly complaining about it.

The next day, you struggled to find a shirt that had a collar high up enough that would help to hide all the hickeys she'd left behind on your neck. "Here, sweetie. Why don't you wear this one?" She suggested with a sweet smile.

Of course you took her advice, giving her an appreciative kiss as you went to go put it on. She smirked as she watched you, having spritzed the shirt with some of her perfume so you'd smell like her and be reminded of her all throughout the day (hopefully it would remind your coworkers of her, too, especially the one you bumped into at the coffee shop).

Stil unaware of her plan, you continued with getting ready for the day while she sat scheming. There had to be something else she could do to let them know that you were hers. And then it hit her.

The passionate kiss she pulled you in for right as you were about to leave was thankfully distracting enough for her to be able to tape a sign to your back without you knowing- not one that said "Kick Me", but one that had "Property of Rachel Green" written on it instead. She could only imagine the reactions your coworkers would have when they saw it.

And if you happened to return from work a teensy bit frustrated with her for putting it there in the first place, let's just say she already had a few plans on how to calm you back down again.

End notes: do I already have an idea for a part two for this? maybe 🤭

Likes < reblogs | comments are greatly appreciated | requests are currently open

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[fallenneziah]

Starting to get creative juices back. I gotta do this, starting with a little thing @the-californicationist is doing a nameless fic challenge. I'll do this while working on other challenges. Hopefully I did him justice without naming him.

"Savin' a smoke for me?" You leaned against the doorframe of the old shack, the place was warm, even if it was falling apart. The man at the bottom of the steps grunted something under his breath as he sparked his lighter and pressed it to the end of his cigarette.

"not good for you, love."

You smiled a little and crossed your arms loosely over your chest. "So do I have to pay?"

He shrugged as he took a drag, exhaling the smoke out into the evening glow. Light was dying down, you'd need rest, then you could continue on.

You watched him quietly as he smoked, mulling over things in his head like he usually did. "Come inside."

"With a smoke?" He turned and pulled the end from his lips, exhaling again. You shrugged and nodded your head. "Come on, I don't want you to be cold."

He eyed you suspiciously before shaking his head in dismay. He flicked the cigarette onto the ground and stomped it out with his boot before wandering over with heavy feet.

You wrapped your arms around his neck as he made it through the door and smiled. "Come here you,"

He grunted, his gaze softened and he kicked the cabin door closed with his foot. He reached down for your thighs and hoisted you up into his arms. Your hand ran gently over his hair, gripping the back of his neck as he brought you to the couch and gently leaned his weight into you.

"Babe-"

"Made me waste my smoke." He smiled, his pearly white teeth and soft lips a look you could never deny, falling under the spell of his pretty boy smile.

"Oopsie. I guess you'll have to have another tomorrow." He mumbled something in retaliation before leaning in to deeply kiss you. His tongue prodded your lips, his hands roaming up under your shirt across your sides when he got access to your mouth.

His slow, deep kisses stole the breath from your lungs as he shifted you, pushing your shirt up over your head and throwing it onto the carpet.

"Gentle..." You whispered, reaching for his shirt and tugging it off. "Always am, love." He nuzzles you and continues to kiss you. His hands roam across your chest, squeezing and caressing every little contour, mapping you excessively.

His kisses trailed down from your lips to your neck, taking a little nip out of your flesh. "So pretty..." He mumbled as he littered kisses down across your chest and your belly. His eyes flicked back up toward you when he reached your sweatpants. That pearly smile appeared again, those eyes filled with a mischievous little glow.

"Oh, ok pretty boy." You chuckled softly. "Repayment for that smoke."

"Oh you're repaying me are you?" He slid his thumbs under your sweats and slowly slipped them down over your hips, eyeing the soft mesh underwear you wore. "Well, don't I just feel honored." His tone was slightly mocking, but you knew he meant well. He looked over your body with a warmth in his eyes no one could replace. He loved you, and his gaze said it all when he couldn't find his words.

He placed a soft kiss above the line of your underwear and slowly shifted your thighs. You inhaled sharply in anticipation, and he sat up again.

"No, you come here-"

"I need to get candles." He said slyly.

"No, get your arse back over here." You reached off the couch to grab his wrist, but he quickly avoided you, causing you to trip on your sweats still around your ankles.

"But ambiance, my love."

"Fuck your ambiance."

He chuckled and pushed you back onto the couch, his finger pressing softly to your lips, leaning down to tease you with his close proximity. "Easy, you can be patient for me, can't you love?"

You whined, but then again, you could never say no. Not to him, never to him.

[sunnys-out]

I've loved you for so long (1) | Lucy Bronze

A/N: Hello! I haven't written in so long but here is something that I have been working on since the WC (she's a short one I know). I didn't post it earlier because I was moving and starting a new job but everything has calmed down and I had time to edit it. Please let me know what y'all think and hopefully, I can post the 2nd part soon! If you like my writing maybe through in a suggestion and I'll try my best! :D

Content: Angst, Fluff if you squint

{Word Count: 2004}

______________________________________________________________

I've loved you for so long

Oh, I'd forgotten how it feels

Feelings come back strong

'I've Loved You For So Long - The Aces'

Lucy and I had met, informally, in 2015 in Canada, we never played against each other in that World Cup but that didn’t stop us from bumping into each other at Tim Hortons. The couple of times that we ran into each other at the World Cup caused small conversations and laughs that left me wanting more. God, even just her smile left me wanting. 

I didn’t message her throughout our respective seasons right after the World Cup but sometimes I’d click on her Instagram profile and just scroll and see her thrive in Manchester City. Well I did drum up the courage to message once.

‘It’d probably be weird if I messaged her out of the blue right?... I mean it has been weeks  since Canada?’ I told myself as I lay on my small apartment couch in Portland.  

My thumb hovered over the send button with a slight tremble.

“Fuck it” My thumb harshly hit the screen and the quick ‘Wanted to say that you had an amazing tournament. Shame we never played against each other ♥️That goal against Canada was a banger meant to send that in Canada lol!”  message was delivered.

 I swear I threw my phone onto the other side of my couch and took a shower not expecting to see two notifications sent five minutes after me.

‘Lucy Bronze liked your message’

‘Lucy Bronze: ‘means a lot. Hope to see you again soon, miss world champion ⭐️⭐️⭐️’

I didn’t notice the smile growing as I looked at the notifications on the screen. I probably read it 20 times, setting the phone down on my coffee table and pacing the room debating whether I should respond or what I even should respond with. 

“Lucy is funny, maybe I can joke about how it’s been long or maybe just a ‘feeling is mutual’” I said aloud to myself.

‘Why am I getting worked up about this?” My hair is now messy by how many times I redid my ponytail pacing the room for 13 minutes. I kept procrastinating and just settled with getting ready for bed.

‘I’ll just respond tomorrow,’ I said, confidently,  plugging in my phone and placing it on my nightstand. That sentiment lasted about 2 minutes before I walked quickly back into my room picking up my phone, opening the message, and liking Lucy’s before responding. 

Y/N: I would love to see you again! I hope it's somewhere other than Tim Hortons even though I loved that place lol 🙂

My phone immediately locked as I got into bed and turned away from my phone. I closed my eyes tightly trying to go to sleep quickly so that in the rare probability that Lucy would continue the conversation, I could deal with it tomorrow morning, maybe ask Klingenburg for advice. Though she might scold me for fraternizing with the enemy, jokingly of course. Defenders knew other defenders right? Kling would find it funny that a right winger is flirting with a right back.

My thoughts were interrupted by one vibration and then two more in succession. My body slowly turned over to see my phone lit up still and then slowly dimming. My hand, subconsciously, went over, picked up my phone, and opened the messages seeing Lucy liking my message.

Lucy: Let me buy you a cup whenever you’re in Manchester; there are some cafes you’d like here.

Lucy: I would love to show you around 🙂 

I smiled at the messages and immediately replied without a second thought

Y/N: I will let you know because I do need a vacation 🥲

Y/N: And I would love to give you a tour of Portland, the coffee capital of the world. Worth it.

I stared at the messages until I saw a little heart appear on my last message. The little dots of a message incoming made me nervously tap the side of my phone. 

Lucy Bronze: I’ll take that as a promise 😉

Y/N: And I expect that cup of coffee in Manchester is a promise too ☺️

Lucy would only like the message and I would promptly go to sleep after waiting 15 minutes for a message that never came. I tried my best to not think about it but the feeling that came from reading her messages and the smile that would creep onto my face…I wouldn’t forget. 

Hayley Raso came into my life slowly after that. Glances turned to long stares. The lingering touches throughout practice became more than a pat on the back for a job well done. The smiles and laughs echoed off the walls of Providence Park as we walked to our cars until it was just to my car.

The weekly movie nights at my place turned into watching a show and cuddling together after practice for days on end. Another toothbrush appeared in the bathroom and suddenly my queen-sized bed wasn’t as empty. 

Mornings were met with a quick kiss, a hug from behind, and sweet nothings whispered in each other's ear.

Going to practice wasn’t done alone anymore and it was nice to have someone waiting on you if you had to stay behind to see the physio.

It was easy since we were both playing for Portland at the time and the team weren’t surprised when we told them.

 Little by little the Australian would appear in my Instagram photos and I in hers. 

The one that “broke the internet” was Hayley’s post of her kissing me on the cheek at the end of a game when the USWNT and Australia had a friendly. The one that sealed the deal for everyone was my Christmas post of photos of the party I had at my apartment. One, a particular one at the end, Hayley was in my lap while I kissed her. 

Something, however, nagged at me every time I saw a certain person's name pop up “Lucy Bronze liked your post” but I ignored it. I now know it was the feeling of the “what if” and “what could have been”. 

‘Did Lucy not want this with me? Maybe that’s why she never followed up. I probably said something to scare her away. Hayley didn’t run away’ I remember thinking to myself and as if on cue two arms snake their way around my waist. 

“Everything alright babe?” Hayley said into my back, I, immediately, felt my shoulders relax at the sound of Hayley’s voice.

I whispered, “I'm alright, just read some rude comments. You know how some people get”. I lied to Hayley; I was happy in our relationship and shouldn’t be wondering about the “what could have been” with someone that wasn’t her.  

Hayley would then go on to say that she’s told me to never look at the comments because when have the mean ones ever done something for us? She’d led me back to the bedroom to get ready for bed as we had an early practice but not after she promised to take my mind off the “negative comments”...it worked. 

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She Believes Cup March 6th, 2016, 

Lucy Bronze’s POV

We hadn’t played the United States in Canada which is a shame to not be able to play the future World Champions. Once, we had heard that we would be playing them in the She Believes Cup. I was excited for multiple reasons.

The US call up was released and I would be playing against (y/n). Since the World Cup, (Y/N) was making a name for herself as a strong right winger and playmaker for Portland and the National team.

On the pitch, she seemed cold and intimidating, but I met her as the complete opposite. 

I was able to just watch her tap her lip with her finger with her US cap on backward as she decided which pastry she wanted with her coffee at that Tim Hortons. She whistled quietly as she waited her turn and then adorably, fumbled through her order. Then humming to herself happily as she waited on the side with her warm croissant covered by a napkin.  

I was in awe of her. I had seen her play before and was always impressed by what I’d seen but never played against her. 

As I went up to order my own coffee and pastry I noticed her scrolling through her phone, laughing to herself. (y/n’s) eyes crinkle when she laughs or smiles really big. She hadn’t noticed me when I stood next to her, also waiting for my drink, there I took notice that she was at least three inches above me and that she sticks out her tongue when she is reading something. 

I breathed in and said loud enough for her to hear as she read, “I won’t tell your trainer if you don’t tell mine” I shook my little bag containing the coffee cake I had just ordered. I chuckled at the little jump she gave when she noticed me.

“Shit, sorry you scared me” a nervous laugh leaving her mouth

I extended my hand, “Sorry bout that. I’m Lucy, Lucy Bronze with England”  

She completed the handshake, “(y/n) (l/n) with the US…obviously” She pointed to her hat that had USA stitched on the back.

The conversation had good enough banter that we both remained at a table for about 2 hours talking about life and football. I could tell you that I fell for the way she looked at me with her gentle (y/e/c) eyes as she described the antics of her new golden retriever puppy named Chili she had adopted when she went to Portland.

I never really was intimidated or made nervous by any American player, especially on the pitch but watching her warm up with an icy cold expression during the She Believes Cup match made me question if the person I met at Tim Horton’s was the same person. 

I don’t think I was nervous but I lost count of how many times I would try to get a glimpse of her as she warmed up. Every time I did I’d feel the blush on my cheeks as I remembered the short text conversation that we had shortly after the World Cup. 

I regretted so much for not following up immediately; I got scared. If (y/n) asked me today why I didn’t respond, I wouldn’t have known what to say to be honest. Lack of courage was what Jill had told me as Jordan patted my back while reading the messages.  

The moment that I finally gained the courage to message (y/n) on Instagram to invite her to Manchester for a visit, was the day when I saw the picture of Hayley Raso kissing her cheek at a friendly. It was the first thing I saw when I opened the app to message her.

I remember my stomach dropping like the feeling when you don’t feel the bottom of a pool. 

I had it all planned in my head that she’d accept and I had a mini itinerary in my head of things she would’ve enjoyed and sightseeing spots. But the photo of her with her face buried in Hayley’s neck as she hugged her made the feeling worse.

Raso had beat me to (y/n) and she didn’t even know it. I kicked myself for not being brave. I would’ve had her in my arms sooner. I tell her all the time that I fell for her immediately and from meeting her I wanted more of her every passing day. 

Just seeing her across the field filled me with the tucked away feelings I had for her. I remember thinking…What I would have given to be there again talking about the most mundane things over coffee. Hearing her try her hardest to tell a joke but failing as she laughs remembering the punch line or even unconsciously speaking with an English accent when we spoke… God, I really loved her for so long.