#'I'm tired but I want to read one chapter before I go to sleep' yeah that was a Mistake

[nb2000]

Four chapters in and, yeah, okay, now I'm panicking about where this is going.

Hoid's doom and gloom is effective but also becomes a whole other thing when I remember that I KNOW he's appeared in books chronologically after this one. You'll be fine asshole (affectionate), it's everyone else I'm scared for.

Starting a new post for my thoughts as I read Wind and Truth. Hopefully I can get through this book without stumbling onto any more spoilers.

Here's what I've picked up so far, mostly to get my own thoughts in order:

Chapters get released before the book but the only one I read was (a draft of?) the Prologue when that was released like two years ago. (and I mostly just remember that Gavilar Kholin SUCKS).

Accidentally saw that something bad happens to one of my favourite side characters while browsing the Coppermind wiki and OH NO (leave. him. alone!)

Flipped through the book briefly to look at the illustrations and accidentally spotted something Very Bad Indeed (but also kind of cool ngl).

Tumblr decided to start throwing Cosmere posts into my recommendeds and I saw that a certain popular theory might have been confirmed. I personally don't like the theory but I can see where it was built up and maybe the book will win me over.

[cheriecoke]

nightly rituals

ft. dazai, chuuya, sigma, ranpo, fyodor

summary — little things you do together before going to sleep

contents — very sweet, domestic moments !! sfw.

notes — another subpar short piece from me while i finish up some wips. i wrote this kind of quickly so pls forgive any errors !! :(

₊˚⊹♡ DAZAI + reading

“osamu.” you glanced up at him from under his book, drawing his name out as you rested your head on his lap.

until that point, you’d been scrolling through your phone, hoping he'd be annoyed by the lack of your attention. instead, dazai picked up the book you'd been reading together, and started from where you left off.

your ridiculous ploy for his affection had turned on you, and now, you were the one that was desperate to hear his voice.

dazai looked down at you, his eyes playful as he smiled. “what?”

you stared back at him, disgruntled by the fact that he’d so quickly figured out your silly little game and made it his own. "nothing."

dazai twisted a piece of your hair on his finger, patient, and shrugged, returning to the novel, looking far too interested in the pages.

you groaned, poking him in the stomach. “you’re just going to read ahead without me?”

“you didn’t seem to mind when you were on your phone instead.” he frowned, though most of his disappointment was feigned, and amusement lingered at the edges of his expression.

“you were in the shower!" you scoffed.

dazai laughed, and shifted the book to his other hand, and leaned over to kiss you softly. “i'm not anymore.”

though you usually indulged him in his antics, you were tired, and just wanted to close out the night with another chapter of the story you'd been so invested in. it was much better when it came straight from his lips.

“i can see that.” you rolled your eyes, frowning. “are you going to read to me now, osamu?”

dazai brightened, proud of himself for finally getting you to admit what you wanted. "well, you could've asked a little nicer, but since i love you..."

he flipped to the previous page, the one you'd both been at the night before, and you realized he hadn't even been reading at all.

you huffed out a laugh, burying your head further into his thighs, but dazai didn't start reading. he remained staring at you with a pointed expression.

"what's the matter now?"

"you didn't say it back." dazai's lips drew down theatrically.

you sighed, and pulled at the collar of his shirt, stretching your waist to kiss him, lazily, missing his lips by a mile. "you already know i love you too, osamu. that's the only reason you get away with annoying me all the time."

dazai, finally satisfied, let you fall back against him, and began reading the next chapter to you.

though you'd wanted to stay awake for a while longer, the minute he began, you were already dozing off, so warm in his arms.

“your voice is so nice,” you said sleepily, closing your eyes as he read. “like a lullaby.”

dazai laughed quietly, but he softened, smiling as he read. he held the book in one hand, and massaged your scalp with the other, delicate fingers threading through your hair until you fell asleep.

₊˚⊹♡ CHUUYA + skincare

“let me do it this time, chuuya," you said, staring him down with the sweet eyes of yours that you knew he could never resist.

chuuya could have easily stolen the tub of moisturizer away from you, but he let you hold it far out of his reach, his smile soft. “but i like doing it.”

“yeah, well, you do it every night. i want a turn.”

chuuya said nothing for a moment, his gaze sharp. then, he relented and sighed. “fine.” he leaned against the counter, resting his weight on it. “think you can ask me for whatever you want, and i'll just give it you, huh?”

you laughed, smiling as you unscrewed the lid. “i think we both know the answer to that.”

though you were only teasing him, chuuya softened, kissing your forehead. he placed his hands on your hips, drawing you closer and closer.

“you’re right,” he said, his eyelashes fluttering over his cheeks as you slathered the moisturizer over his smooth skin. “i can’t say no to you, baby.”

you shook your head, amused, and massaged his cheeks lightly. chuuya relaxed into your touch, the tightness in his jaw alleviating.

"don't fall asleep," you teased, running your thumb over his full bottom lip.

"'m not," he said, letting out a small breath. but his eyes were glazed when he opened them again, far too tender for such a powerful man. "your hands just feel so soft."

"i can't carry you to bed," you warned. "you'll have to sleep on the cold counter."

"you wouldn't let me stay here all night long." he slid his hands over your hips, down your back, grinning. "you hate sleeping in that bed without me."

₊˚⊹♡ SIGMA + making tea

“do you want honey in it, love?”

you hummed a yes, squeezing your arms around his waist, hugging him tighter from behind. his hair was soft against your cheek as you rested your head on his back.

sigma poured the water, letting the tea steep.

you leaned your weight on him, yawning. “how was your day?”

he craned his neck to see you, but didn’t move otherwise, letting you get comfortable as you waited for the tea to finish. “it was alright.” he laced his free hand with yours, shifting. “a little stressful. better, now that i get to see you.”

you smiled, kissing a notch in his spine, too lazy to move any further. “why'd you leave before i could say goodbye this morning?”

though you didn't really mind, sigma seemed genuinely apologetic, and squeezed your hand. “sorry. i had to be in early today. did you see my note?”

you smiled, and nodded, listening to the rhythmic beat of his blood pumping, the very sign that he was just as human as the rest of you.

"i did. it was sweet." with a sigh, you straightened your back to look at him completely. for the first time since you’d gotten home, you realized how tired he was, how drained he’d been this entire week. you ran your fingers through his hair gently, your voice like a purr. “you need to get some rest. i've barely seen you this week.”

“i have work to do.” he frowned. “they need me there.”

“i know." you watched as sigma took out the tea bags, throwing them into the trash. “i need you too, though.”

sigma paused, momentarily, as he stirred the honey in, before shaking his thoughts and blinking back at you. “i didn’t realize—”

you stopped him before he could spiral into another apology, the tension in his brow obvious. "i'm not upset." when the small tangles had been brushed out, you began braiding a small section of his hair, the strands silky in your palm. “just promise me you’ll take care of yourself too.”

sigma stared from over his shoulder for a moment more before acquiescing. he handed a steaming mug to you, turning around to surprise you with a gentle kiss. "okay," he said against your lips, the touch so tender. "i promise."

₊˚⊹♡ RANPO + video games

“you’re so bad at this.” ranpo threw another handful of candy into his mouth, watching your avatar on the screen as you continued to fail.

frowning, you pressed another button vigorously, not quite sure if it was the right one to achieve your goal.

of course, nothing seemed to happen, and instead, you’re barraged by the enemy, your health going down to a level that seemed almost irrecoverable.

you leaned back into ranpo’s chest, pinching your eyebrows together. “i don’t play this as much as you do.” you said from where sat between his thighs, still trying to figure out how to win his favorite game. “cut me some slack.”

ranpo laughed, his breath tickling the lobe of your ear as he leaned forward. he slid your thumb to a different button, brushing your skin lightly. “try that, sweets.”

it seemed to be the obvious solution, and you made a face at him, momentarily distracted. "your genius never fails to amaze me."

though, when you glanced back at the screen, you’ were back to where you started, all your progress lost. “ranpo,” you said, his name coming out on the edge of a whine. “what happened?”

he took the controller from you, not even giving you a moment to try again. quickly, he moved towards the next checkpoint, knowing exactly where to go, a seasoned professional. “you got killed. too busy staring at me.”

you sighed, reaching for the controller, but he held it out of your reach, grinning at you mockingly.

“let me try again, ranpo!”

“i’ll get you to the next part. you’ve tried this three times already.”

it wasn’t as fun watching as it was playing, but you sighed, and let him take over. as he went through the remaining quests, you rested your head back onto his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

ranpo made it through the rest of that level in mere minutes.

“here, it should be easier now.” though when he went to hand the game over to you, you’d fallen asleep in his lap, your breathing even and light.

₊˚⊹♡ FYODOR + playing the cello

“you play so beautifully.”

fyodor opened his eyes, watching you from under dark lashes. though his hands didn’t stop moving, the beginnings of a smile formed on his lips.

“i wish i could play an instrument,” you continued mindlessly, stretched over the couch. your head rested on the throw pillows, side aching from how long you'd been laying there, listening to the cello.

fyodor was across the room, relaxed completely in the chair he always played in. beside him, he was surrounded by evidence of his hobby. sheet music, scribbled and messy, rested on the table, stained with coffee rings. candle light flickered through the room.

he hesitated, the bow softly coming to a stop across the strings. “i can teach you.” fyodor's pause was brief, and he began playing once more, slower this time, like a serenade. a piece of hair fell over his face, between his eyebrows, distracting you.

you shivered, mind filled with thoughts of him standing behind you, directing your hands towards the right movements, whispering instructions in your ears.

but you shook your head, wrapping the blanket tighter around you. “maybe,” you said, your smile wistful. “but i won’t be as good as you. i’d rather listen.”

“alright.” he let out a short laugh, blinking his eyes shut again to return his attention to the piece. he came to the last few measures, approaching the conclusion. “is there any piece you’d like to hear?” fyodor said, his voice softer than usual, almost like he didn’t want to disturb his own playing.

you thought back on everything you’d heard him play before. he’d told you the names, but it was hard to remember. so many of them sounded the same, titled by numbers and words you didn't understand.

it didn't matter, though. you thought everything he played sounded beautiful. often, he was even better than any recordings you’d ever heard.

“something that makes you think of me,” you said in a hushed whisper, placing your chin on your arms to see him better. "if that's alright."

fyodor, then, smiled more fully, his eyes full of an affection that eclipsed his otherwise gloomy features. “there are many things that make me think of you,” he said, slowing once more to transition into a richer, smoother melody. one that would, inevitably, put you into a deep, peaceful sleep. “but, perhaps this one fits the moment best.”

i haven't written for fyodor, sigma or ranpo before, so i hope this is okay !! im trying to get over my fear of making sure every single action & dialogue is perfectly in character :,)

[ghost-in-the-hall]

Fall For Me (Poly! Sleep Token x Fem! Reader) - Part V

Thank you as always to @spookyghostjelly for beta reading for me, you're the best bb!! ❤️❤️

Hello everyone!! This chapter is going to be a little more plot/lore heavy. But, we still get some sweet and flirty boys. IV brings Reader dinner and II is becoming more comfortable in his flirting. Thank you so much for reading, if you would like to be added to the tag list let me know!

WARNINGS: None

Part IV - Part VI

My Masterlist! ~ AO3 Link!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today was one of those times where your store was absolutely slammed. "I'll be right with you Jay, just give me one second." You clap the older man on the shoulder as you round the counter.

"No worries darlin', I got all day." He smiles cheerfully at you." You hurriedly set a fresh batch of coffee to brew, quickly cleaning up the station.

"Next batch will be done in about ten minutes guys." You smile as you pass by a tow of your usuals, a group of old timers that would set up shop at the shelf along one of the windows and spend their day drinking cups of coffee and playing scratch tickets.

"Now Miss (Y/N), don't you go running off, I got a vibe to pick with you young lady." You skidded to a halt, turning in your heels to face the myriad of curious stares.

"You better make this quick Randy, I got a line out the door." You huff with a sarcastic smile.

"I just want to know what you're doing hanging around with those cultists." Your eye involuntarily twitched as he spit out the word. "I'd just hate to see you get mixed up in that crowd."

"They're nice boys Randy." You hurry up to the counter as you continue to call over your shoulder. "It might do you some good to actually get to know them before you try to crucify them over nothing.

"Why don't you try inviting them to the Fall Festival?" Jay asks gently.

"Unfortunately I don't think they'd go. I know it's hard to believe but they're just as nervous about you as you are about them." You explain with a huff.

"I think it's worth a shot at least." He leans in a bit to whisper to you. "Now I can't speak for everyone obviously, but I think if the townsfolk actually got to meet them and see that they're not some big ol' scary monster in the woods… well, they might just come around." He offers his advice with a patient smile. "If you're saying they're a good group of guys I trust your judgment. Your word means a lot more to me than some blood thirsty reporter after a story."

"Thanks Jay, I'll ask them. Who knows, maybe they'll show up." He bids you farewell before leaving you to tend to the rest of your sea of customers. After what felt like an eternity your store was finally empty. You groaned, slumping over the counter. The cool linoleum felt nice against your sticky skin. You jolted up at the sound of the bell ringing above the door, eyes flashing over to reveal II and IV looking at you curiously. "Hey guys." You give them a tired smile.

"Everything alright, love? You look exhausted." II approaches the counter, his eyes full of concern.

"Yeah, just a long day." You explain. You sit down in your chair, resting your elbows on the counter. II copies your motions, his eyes searching yours, his nose just barely out of reach from bumping into you.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" You shake your head in response.

"You boys are already too good to me as it is." You giggle as II playfully rolls his eyes. "I'll be alright, just gotta do some quick cleaning before I go upstairs. Then it's a cup of ramen cause I'm too lazy to cook and shitty movie re-runs until I pass out on my couch."

"A cup of ramen isn't a meal, doll." He tuts.

"I know that, doctor." He chuckles at your sarcastic tone. "I'll be alright, one night without a proper dinner isn't going to kill me."

"I wish we could come help more around here, I hate seeing you so tired." IV chimes in, dropping an armful of snacks on the counter.

"I appreciate all your help, but I promise you, I'll be just fine." You respond with a reassuring smile. Neither of them seemed satisfied with your answer but they could tell you weren't in the mood to argue.

II sighs, "just promise me after you finish up here you'll go get some rest."

"You have my word." You chuckle. The two of them finish their shopping, idly chatting with you as you do some cleaning up. "Goodnight guys, get home safely." You wave as they head out.

"I better not come back here and see you exhausted tomorrow." II warns playfully.

"I'll try my best." He winks at you before pushing out the door. IV wishes you goodnight before joining his companion.

You collapsed on your couch with a groan once you finally made it upstairs. Despite how much you were trying to convince yourself you weren't hungry your growling stomach said otherwise. You lay there, staring blankly at the ceiling, when suddenly the familiar rumble of a pick up truck pulls into the lot. You stood, walking over to the window and pushing the curtain aside. You saw IV fumbling with something in his passenger seat before kicking the door open. You met him at the back door, he froze when he saw you standing at the top of the landing with a smirk spread across your features. "I, uh, I brought some food." He offers bashfully.

"Come on up IV." You chuckle before heading back inside. IV steps into your apartment, eyeing you curiously.

"I'm sorry I showed up without an invitation." He apologizes. You smile, taking a couple steps closer to him.

"You're welcome here anytime." He breathes out a laugh as his eyes dart to the floor. You offer to take the food for him, setting up a spot for the both of you on your couch. "I am curious, how did you manage to get fast food without raising any suspicion?" You ask as you pop a fry in your mouth. IV chuckles in response, adjusting to sit more comfortably.

"It's a funny story actually, I pulled up at the drive through and the kid working there told me he liked my costume." You laugh.

"Really?" He nods. The thought of the Fall Festival popped into your mind; how you would love to bring the four of them because you know they would have a great time, how it would give them a chance to see the town for what it really was, and of course your little crush on the charming masked men didn't help either. "IV, do you think Vessel plans on ever going into town? You know, aside from you guys making supply runs under the cover of darkness." You joke.

"If I'm being completely honest, I don't know." He pulls his mask away from his face to take a sip of his drink. "I'm the newest of our little group so I can't give you the whole story, but from what I understand up until we reached here things weren't too great. There's a lot of people out there who want to get rid of us before they even have a chance to get to know us. We've been run out of town after town, sometimes through more… humane means… other times not so much. But, we have something good here, with the camp in the woods, with you." He pauses for a moment to smile at you. "That's something I want to try and hold onto for as long as I can."

You study him for a moment, "what if I tried to help?" You offer. "I could be the middleman for you. People in town know me, I grew up here, that has to mean something. I just… I don't want you to have to constantly be worried about someone being out to get you. I know that if they met you, if they got to know the people I know you are, they wouldn't be afraid anymore."

"I'm sure Vessel would be interested in hearing you out. Who knows, maybe you'll actually convince him." He chuckles. "Between you and me, if you bat those pretty little eyes at him, I'm sure you could convince him to do just about anything." He jokes as he shoots you a wink.

"I bet that line works on all the girls, huh?" You giggle, trying to shake off the heat that had settled in your cheeks.

"As long as it works on you I'm set." You playfully smack his arm. He nestles back into the couch cushions, letting out a soft groan as he stretches an arm over the back, the back of your neck buzzing as you feel his warmth seep into your skin.

"You're all a bunch of flirts." You smile at him.

"A bunch of flirts?" You roll your eyes at his mock annoyance. "It's not my fault that you're so captivatingly beautiful." You noticed that growing familiarity in your chest. The steady thrum of your heartbeat as you tried to hide your flustered state. IV leans in closer to you, his side pressed flush against your body. "Once I met you I understood what they were all fussing over." He chuckles before muttering, "the perfect being brought to us by Sleep." You turn to look at him, his hazy blue eyes coaxing you in deeper with every passing second.

"Who's… who's Sleep?" You whisper. IV tilts his head, a curious expression matching yours. The pieces must have clicked together because he returned to his usual smiling self a moment later.

"You'll find out soon, Vessel's probably waiting for the right time to explain." You accepted his explanation without a fuss. You trusted that if it was something you needed to know they would tell you. He glanced up at the clock, "I'm sorry to cut things short, love, but I should head back." You nod, standing and walking him over to the door.

"Thank you for bringing some food." You smile.

"Anytime." He responds with a wink. "Get some rest, alright? II will throw a fit." You both shared a laugh before IV reached out and pulled you into his arms. You froze at first, not fully comprehending that he had wrapped you in a hug. But, the moment realization set in your arms slipped around his torso. Neither of you were in a rush to let go, the two of you standing in a comfortable silence as IV held you close, gently swaying you from side to side.

"Goodnight, doll." His hand lingers in your hip, taking your hand and giving it a gentle squeeze before slipping out the door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tag List: @spookyghostjelly @herripinkle @thepoisonedchalice @themultiverseofmars @saturnhas82moons @wingsofeternitysstuff @creamwhxre @itsyagirl-snowflake @bookishpenguino @m0cha-bunny @coreofpleasure @madsthenightowl @dangerkitten1705 @rainy-darling @shad0wcast @amara-among-the-stars @venuswinnyix @dontpercieve-me-pls @ripleyswife @thepityscene @lipstick-and-lycanthropes @vmpirekiss @savaneafricaine @mustluvecho @the-hole-in-terzos-shoe (I think that's everyone, if I missed you or you would like to be added please let me know!!)

[scoonsalicious]

6.1 Bucky

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Fem!Reader

Summary: Lily McIntyre, trainer for new SHIELD recruits at the Avengers Tower, has been in love with her best friend, Bucky Barnes, from the moment she met him. She's been content with her role of the #1 girl in Bucky's life, even if it means she has to sabotage a romantic relationship or two. It'll be worth it when he realizes that they're meant for each other, right? There's just one small problem: Lily McIntire never expected Bucky Barnes to fall for You.

Warnings: (For this part only; see Story Masterlist for general Warnings) Language, mentions of sex, nudity, Bucky's lies come back to bite his ass.

Please note: I'll be taking a break from posting starting on Thursday, May 16th to focus on writing, and will resume posting on Thursday, May 23rd.

Word Count: 1.1k

Previously On...: Porn. The last chapter was porn.

A/N:��Sorry, besties; not sure what happened. I set this up to post at 445 per usual, and when I came back on, I saw it still hadn't gone up, so I'm doing it manually. I apologize for this screw up!

NOTE! The tag list is a fickle bitch, so I'm not really going to be dealing with it anymore. If you want to be notified when new story parts drop, please follow @scoonsaliciousupdates

Thank you to all those who have been reading; if you like what you've read, likes, comments, and reblogs give me life, and I truly appreciate them, and you!

Bucky woke the next morning in a tangle of sheets and Major. He had to pee, but he didn’t want to get up. God, he never wanted to get up. If he could stay wrapped up with her like this, for the rest of his life, he thought, he would die happy. The very idea struck him like a brick– he’d given a lot of thought to his own death over the years, but never, not once, did he ever consider the possibility that he might actually die happy until this very moment. 

If she was in his life when he went, he realized, he very well could.

Major shifted in her sleep and snuggled further into Bucky’s chest with a contented sigh, and he felt his heart swell. If he wasn’t careful, at the rate his feelings were going, he was at risk of proposing to her before lunch. 

After about fifteen more minutes of blissfully watching Major sleep in his arms, Bucky couldn’t hold off his bladder any longer. Gently extricating himself from Major’s embrace so as not to disturb her, he pressed a quick kiss to her forehead before heading to the bathroom. 

After he’d finished and washed his hands, he made his way back toward Major’s bed. As he passed by the string of clothes he’d discarded the night before, he heard a buzzing coming from his pants. He reached down and pulled his phone from his pocket, checking the caller ID.

Lily. Again.

Bucky sighed and took himself back to the bathroom, quietly closing the door behind him as he accepted the call.

“Hey, Lil, what’s up?” he asked, sitting down on the edge of Major’s whirlpool tub.

“Hey, Jamie,” she said, and Bucky could immediately tell something was wrong. She sounded… off, distressed. “Listen,” she continued, “I know you and Sam probably had a late night last night, and I hate bothering you…”

“What’s wrong, Lil?” Bucky asked, growing concerned now. 

“Well, I drove out to Langston Park to run the trails,” Lily began, “and I don’t know if I ran over a nail or had a slow leak, or what, but when I got back to the car, my tire was flat. I was kind of hoping you could meet me up here and help me change it?”

Bucky ran a hand over his stubble. “Shit,” he said. “You know I would in a heartbeat, Lil, but–”

“No, yeah,” Lily interrupted him. “It’s fine, don’t worry. I’m sure someone will drive by and I can flag them down for help–”

“Lily Anne McIntyre, you are not going to wave down a stranger and just hope that they’re not a murderer or a rapist,” Bucky said into the phone, a little louder than he intended. “Listen, I’m on my way, but I’m in the city, so it’s going to take me a little while, okay? Just… just stay in your car with the doors locked until I get there.”

“Oh my gosh, thank you so much, Jamie!” Lily’s voice was full of relief. “You’re my hero! I owe you, big time!”

Bucky cracked a smile. “Yeah, yeah,” he said. “Give me about forty-five minutes to get to you, okay? And remember, lock. your. doors.” 

“I promise,” Lily agreed before ending the call. 

Bucky stood up from the edge of the tub and went back into the bedroom and quietly put his clothes back on. Sitting down at the edge of Major’s side of the bed, he leaned down and began pressing kisses to her shoulder and collarbone until she stirred and started to stretch. 

With a lazy moan that sent the blood straight to Bucky’s dick, Major sleepily blinked her eyes open. “Why are you wearing so many clothes?” she asked him, her voice seductively husky with sleep. “Come back to bed.”

Bucky wanted to. Oh god, he really, really wanted to. “I’m so sorry, sugar,” he told her, leaning down to give her a proper kiss. 

“Bucky,” she laughed, pulling back from him, “I just woke up; I’m sure I have horrible morning breath.”

“Like I would ever care.” He cupped her face in his hands and brought his lips to hers, gently running his tongue along her lips so she opened her mouth to him. 

After a long moment, they broke apart, and Bucky rested his forehead against hers. “I don’t want to leave you,” he said softly. “But I’ve got to go.”

Major nuzzled her cheek against his. “So, don’t,” she murmured. “Stay.”

Bucky sighed. “I can’t. Lily’s got a flat tire; she’s waiting on me to come help her change it.” 

Major let out a puff of air through her lips. “Well, give me five minutes to get dressed and I can come with you,” she offered hopefully. 

“I’d love that, doll,” Bucky said, frowning, “but Lily’s still pissed off about the bar and…” he ran a hand behind his neck, suddenly realizing how stupid this was going to sound, “I haven’t told her I’ve been seeing you.”

The change that came over Major was nearly imperceptible, but Bucky clocked it, all the same. Her eyes narrowed, her shoulders tensed and she pulled back from him by a hair.

“So,” Major began slowly, “where did she think you were last night when she called you, then? You said you’d already told her what you were up to. If she didn’t know you were with me, what did she think you were doing?”

“I told her I was having a guys’ night out in the city with Sam,” Bucky admitted, hating himself now for even deeming the lie necessary in the first place.

“I see.” The words were clipped, Major’s voice void of any emotion, and Bucky knew he’d fucked up. Immensely. “Well, you better get going, then, if Lily’s waiting on you.”

“Major.” Bucky put a hand on her arm, but she got up out of the bed, dragging the topsheet with her to wrap around herself and keep her body covered from him, as if now, suddenly, after everything they’d already done together, she no longer wanted him to see her naked. “Can we just–”

“You should go, Bucky,” she said again, not meeting his eye, and Bucky felt like absolute shit. 

“Can I call you later?” he asked, and he heard the note of desperation in his own voice, but Major just shrugged a shoulder. He tried to lean in to her to give her a kiss goodbye, but she stood there, still as a statue, so he simply pressed his lips to her forehead and sighed before showing himself to the door.

He’d fucked up. He’d fucked up, and he’d blown it. She’d probably never want to see him again, and honestly, could he blame her? He’d lied about being with her, like she was some kind of dirty secret. Sam had been right, though Bucky would never admit it to him. Why was he letting Lily’s opinion dictate how he lived his life?

<- Previous Part / Next Part ->

[scribblesofagoonerr]

— You can kiss my ass, cowboy!

pairings: leah williamson x reader!monkey

summary: monkey's continuing her adventures in nashville with leah and her family, and of course she's her usual chaotic self throughout.

pt. 8 of chaos fc. �� read the rest here: chaos fc masterlist

thank you to @alotofpockets for help with this chapter with the aesthetic photos & shizzle.

ps. brace yourself folks, this is quite a long one.

"Shut that alarm up!" You grumble, your peaceful slumber being interrupted by the annoying sound of the blondes' alarm clock blaring right through from the other side of the wall in the adjoined room - You wish that you were trusted to have your own room, far away from Malfoy and that stupid alarm of hers.

But apparently that isn't the case...

"Leeeah!" You shout aloud in annoyance, before attempting to block out the noise by shoving a pillow over your face.

Did it work? Nope.

"Oh and good mornin' to you too, Monkey," Leah teases, peering her head into your hotel room to find you curled up on the bed with the pillow shoved over your head.

"Just shut it off already!" You exclaim in protest.

The blonde chuckles and fiddles with her phone, finally turning off the blaring sound, "That better?" She jokes, moving to sit on the edge of your bed, "You're never a morning person are we, eh?"

You remove the pillow and scowl at her, "What'd you think?"

"Come on cranky," Leah pats at your leg which is covered up with the duvet, "The alarm  was set for a reason anyways, it's time to get up." She adds in a cheerful tone of voice.

"Too early for your cheeriness," You grumble, trying to keep hold of the duvet before the blonde has a chance to rip it away from you.

"You're so dramatic sometimes," Leah remarks as she attempts to rip the duvet covers away from you like the meanie that she is.

Whining in defiance, you scowl at the blonde again, "I'm not dramatic! You're the insane one for waking me up this early!" You exclaim, wanting nothing more than to go back to sleep.

Sure when you're awake you're a menace, but you actually love your sleep a lot and its' precious.

"For somebody who had a fair amount of sleep last night, you're still exceptionally grumpy, eh?" The blonde continues to tease you.

"I can't help bein' tired, I'm a teenager. It's what we do-- Wait, how'd I get back?" It finally dawns on you that your in the hotel room, however, you don't remember much of how you get here at all.

"Took you long enough to realise that one," Leah quips in, shaking her head in amusement, "You crashed out at the festival, so I ended up carrying you back here." She explains.

Your eyes widen in disbelief, "What? No you didn't!" You refuse to believe that you fell asleep on the floor of a crowded place.

"I did, you were completely out of it after the sugar crash from eating all of the churros that I told you not to eat," Leah remarks, pursing her lips, "So I had no choice but let you sleep on me until we came back here." She adds.

"They were too good to not eat them, Le!" You insist, holding your head in your hands to hide your initial embarrassment when you remember its' not just you and Leah, but also her family too.

"Yeah, well that's what you get when you eat so many of them at once,"  The blonde still continues to tease you for her own joy, "I have photos for proof if you want to see them?" She offers.

"Oh my God, no!" You're quick to deny seeing evidence of your state of sleep the previous night, "You didn't post them on Instagram, did you?" You can't help but ask, already dreading the answer.

"What do you think?" The blonde has a shit eating grin plastered on her face, "That's going straight in my Instagram photo dump."

"You wouldn't dare!" You narrow your eyes at her, although you know pretty well, she most definitely would.

Leah continues to smirk proud of herself as she shrugs her shoulders, "You know you actually looked like well, not such a menace like usual with your face buried in my neck while you snored-- Whoa, hey!" She shrieks, dodging the pillow that you just so happen to have thrown in her direction.

"Your so annoyin' sometimes," You grumble in annoyance, slowly moving to get out of bed with very little effort that you have, "So mean, Malfoy." You add quietly, barely loud enough to hear.

Leah snorts in amusement, "Really? Speak for yourself, Monkey. Speak for yourself," She states as she takes a minute to realise what you said, "Oi. What have I told you about calling me that!" She states, firmly.

"I know, I'm a menace to society, yada, yada, yada! Kim spent the whole ride back from that open training session in Melbourne lecturing me about it," You murmur, rolling your eyes, "The bus ride was so long back to the hotel!" Walking off to grab your clothes out of your suitcase, you leave the blonde standing there in disbelief at your usual antics.

"Can we eat yet? I'm starvin' marvin!" You complain, being sat at one the tables in the diner that you're currently waiting on Leahs' family to join the pair of you.

You're not very patient most of the time, but you can't help that.

"Just be patient and wait a bit longer," Leah gives you one of her usual pointed looks that your more than familiar with.

You can't help but huff impatiently, "It's bad enough to drag me out of bed at the crack of dawn and now you're making me wait to eat-- Neglect. Complete neglect!" You shout loudly, catching the attention of a few people, who look at you in concern.

Leah's eyes widen in horror as she laughs slightly, "Shes' fine, shes' fine, honestly, shes' just being dramatic," She reassures them the best she can before she turns back you and swats the back of your head, "Oi, don't shout that out loud in here. What is wrong with you?" She scolds, trying to hide her overall embarrassment.

"I'm hungry," You whine, ducking down in your seat.

"We're waiting for my grandma and cousin. Can you be patient enough to wait ten minutes before making a scene?" The blonde questions, completely mortified how you'd just acted.

You groan dramatically, "You're killin' me here, Le! I'm completely wasting away!"

"So dramatic," Leah murmurs, rolling her eyes, "Honestly, even Buddy doesn't make this much of a fuss sometimes." She remarks, referring back to her 3 year old and your favourite little buddy.

You wish that she could have joined you on the trip, it would have been fun. However, shes' spent the week on holiday in Greece with Jordan.

You decide to make the most of your time by attempting to stack the salt and pepper shakers on top of each other to try and make a make-shift tower, finding other little bits to add to it.

Leah could've said something but she was just grateful enough you weren't shouting the house down and causing a scene in the cafe.

"Sorry, we're late," Leahs' cousin, Jordan, calls over to you both as two older women enter the cafe.

"Finally!" You exclaim being miss dramatic over here.

Leahs' face blushes red slightly, "Yeah, sorry about her. Someones' impatient to wait long enough to eat." She remarks, poking fun at you.

"I'm hank marvin' I can't help it!" You whine in protest, while in the process you end up knocking over your newly built tower, "Awh, shucks!" You mumble, scrunching your face up slightly.

"Ah, I see," Leahs' grandma, Berny, chuckles and moves to take a seat at the table, "Did you sleep well, love?" She wonders, turning her attention to you.

"You definitely were conked out on the floor last night," Jordan chips in.

This time it's you who faintly blushes, "Ehm, yeah. I er, I didn't realise I passed out the way that I did." You admit, awkwardly scratching the back of your neck.

"Shall we order?" Leah chimes in, sensing your shyness with her family.

It might come as a surprise to some people, but you were, at times, incredibly shy.

Especially when it comes to blondie's family.

You didn't know why, but you tried to always be respectful and not be a complete menace around them.

Of course you have known them all for a while, having moved in with Leah when you first joined the team at 16 and you'd found a way to slot yourself into her home and family, but it still didn't mean you weren't shy around them.

It's only this holiday that you've really started to come out of your shell around them, both of them having seen what happened the previous night.

"I want pancakes!" You perk up at the mention of food, "A whole stack of 'em with bacon and tons of syrup!"

"That's not healthy, Monkey," Leah grimaces at your choice of breakfast.

"So? I'm on my holiday, innit!" You flash the blonde an innocent smile, "What Thanos doesn't know, won't hurt him." You remark, shrugging your shoulders.

The blonde tuts at your choice of breakfast, "You're not having that much sugar, regardless of being on holiday or not," She quotes, using her fingers as air quotes to mock you, "You can have a few pancakes or none."

You can't help but feel annoyed about Leah putting her foot down on this one and of course you protest about it, "It's not even that much sugar. What's the big deal?" You question, huffing slightly.

"The big deal is that its' enough sugar for you to be bouncing off the walls and we don't need a repeat of last night, do we?" Leah remarks knowingly.

Awh, shucks...

"Mean Malfoy," You murmur in disagreement, slumping back into your seat and pouting at the blonde.

"I heard that," Leah states, still not much a fan of her newfound nickname.

"Good you were meant too," Sticking your tongue out at her because you can't help but be a complete menace sometimes.

Leah tuts and shakes her head, "Sometimes I forgot who the toddler is."

"I think Buddy's more well behaved, isn't she?" Leah's grandma chimes in.

"Probably right there," Jordan chuckles in agreement.

You continue to pout in your seat at the older women's comments, "That's rude."

"But true," Leah states, blunt as ever.

"I don't like being ganged up on like this, this isn't fair!" You huff in protest about it all 3 older women saying what did, "I think for this I deserve to get all the pancakes that I want!" You insist.

Leah snorts slightly and shakes her head, "Ha, nice try but the answers still no, so pick again."

"Damn it. I really thought I had it then!" You grumble, slumping your shoulders in protest, thinking that you will be able to get away with that one.

"I'm free as a bird!" You exclaim, walking out of the cafe with a newfound love for american style pancakes and chocolate flavoured milkshakes that you had luck with getting Leah to cave in eventually.

"What?" Jordan asks, puzzled with your carefree spirit to run wild.

This is definitely a side in you that nobody in Leah's family ever usually sees, unless sugar is involved.

Also one of the reasons why you don't have it too much.

Leah exhales a sigh and shakes her head, "This is normal, don't worry-- Monkey, careful near the road!" She shouts aloud, yanking a hold of your arm when she catches you wandering way too close to it with the cars zooming past at the speed they did.

"Awh, I just wanted to see if I can balance on the curb like I do back home!" You insist, being caught out as you try an improvised balancing act to keep your brain distracted for a bit.

It seems to have done the trick, until blondie yanked you away from it.

"You're about to get yourself run over by that distraction," Leah clicks her tongue disapprovingly, "Come on, we're heading this way." She gestured in the direction of where the road led to a strip of shops.

You're not at all keen to follow that direction until you set your eyes on your version of heaven.

"Oh my God," Your eyes widen in amazement, her mouth dropping in shock and excitement, "I'm in heaven!" You exclaim.

A lego shop, your perfect version of heaven!

"You're what now?" Leahs' cousin questions, confused and more so concerned for your sanity.

Leahs' family look bewildered while Leah is more used to this type of conversation with you.

"Oh boy, she's seen it," Leah remarks jokingly, shaking her head.

"I'm in lego heaven!"  You repeat the sentence, "OH MY GOD, LOOK AT THAT! WOW, ITS' SO COOL! A GIGANTIC FREAKIN' LEGO COWBOY!" You shout aloud to nobody in particular, too much excitement to care about any concerned looks whatsoever.

You don't waste any time yanking your arm out of the blondes' grasp and run directly towards it, wanting to see it better up closer.

"Oh great we got a runner," Jordan jokes, watching as you run off.

Berny chuckles in amusement, "Shouldn't you go and chase after her, love?" She questions.

"Nah, she'll be fine, wait actually, yeah... I'll be back," Leah speaks aloud in realisation, quickly chasing after you before you end up causing more trouble, "Monkey, come 'ere, now!"

"Oh she's definitely got her hands full with that kid alone," Jordan remarks, laughing as her cousin runs after you.

"I agree," Berny replies.

"Monkey? C'mere!" Leah catches up to you, looking slightly annoyed but you couldn't care less when you are in lego heaven, "You need to stop wandering off so much!"

"Look, Le, look! There's a lego cowboy!" You squeal in excitement, jumping up and down on the spot, "I want one, I want one! Can I pleeeease get one?" You all but plead, wanting your own lego cowboy.

Sure you're technically an adult but you don't handle money well at all, so you had your bank card held captive by Malfoy, something about your lego habits being out of control... but who can blame you when they're so cool to build?

Leah can't help but chuckle in amusement, "I don't think you really need one of them, do you?" She wonders.

You gasp at the blonde in fake horror, "Are you serious? I need one. We haveeeee to get this, it would be so sick," You insist excitedly, "Buddy would love this as well!" Knowing that your favourite little buddy would indeed love this as much as you do, you hope Leah caves at that.

Hearing the mention of the 3 year old, Leahs' more lenient to listen to your pleading, "Fine, alright. We'll get it." She agrees.

"For real?That's awesome!" You're incredibly excited now as you all but drag the blonde inside the lego store, your eyes widening in complete awe, "Can we get this one as well?" You ask, motioning to another lego set.

"I think just one is fine for now," Leah shakes her head in disagreement.

You can't help but pout then, "But you know Buddy would love it as well, not just me!"

"Really? Using my kid as a way to get things," Leah quirks her eyebrow and continues to shake her head while you continue to give her your best puppy dog eyes, "Oh you know that doesn't work on me now... Alright fine, we'll get that one as well, but that's it!"

"Yay!" You jump for joy and pick up the second lego set, the excitement was unbearable to be able to build it.

"Oh my God, this is the best day ever!" Walking along the road near to the venue of the festival, you come across a fluffy cow in the field, "Oh my God, Derek. Is that you!?"

"Off she goes again," Leahs' grandma remarks, shaking her head, "That kid sure is a whirlwind." She adds.

Leah pinches the bridge of her nose and shakes her head, "Monkey, where are you goin' now?"

"Look! I found Derek-- How'd he get here from Scotland? That's so far!" Your eyes widen in confusion, "Look, Le! It's Derek, the fluffy cow!" You point over to the field where there's a cow that is the exact replica of the one that you saw in Scotland.

"Oh... She's not serious, is she?" Jordan looks at her cousin for clarification.

"I fear she might be," Leah admits, biting her bottom lip.

Jordan can't help but laugh, "Are you sure you don't think its' wise to get her tested, for you know, obvious reasons?"

"I'm not crazy, I'm just quirky!" You shout aloud before dashing to the field to where the fluffy cow is, "Hi, Derek. Quick this is the perfect photo opportunity-- Ay Malfoy, can you take mine and Dereks' photo?"

"Malfoy," Jordan snickers in amusement.

"My names not-- Fine," Leah begrudgingly snaps the photo of you with your new favourite animal, somehow accepting her new nickname.

"It's nice to meet you bud, thanks for the photo!" You grin and pat the cows' fur gently, "Le, wouldn't it be so cool if we could get a fluffy cow as a pet?"

"NO!" Leahs' quick to disagree, "We don't have a house big enough for a fluffy cow, don't get any ideas!"

"But we could though!" You insist, trying to find a reasonable solution to have your own fluffy cow.

"No! Come on, lets' go before you get any more crazy ideas!" Leah is grabbing hold of your upper bicep and all but dragging you in the direction of where you were previously heading to the venue.

"My ideas aren't crazy, I'm just havin' a good time," You huff in protest and reluctantly follow after them to walk to the venue for the second day of the festival.

"Come on menace," Leah remarks.

You grin excitedly still in awe of seeing the cow, "I still can't believe that Derek's here! I am shook!" You exclaim.

"You know he's not... Ah, never mind," Leah shakes her head, giving up on the explanation, not sure if you'd understand it right now, "Think you can stay awake this time round?" She jokes.

"Shut up," You blush red at the mention of your antics the previous night, continuing to follow them until you saw something else that looks pretty cool in your opinion, "Wow, that looks awesome! I wanna go on it! I wanna go on it!"

The 3 older women look in the direction of what's caught your attention and all laugh in amusement.

"Think you stay on long enough without falling off it?" Jordan challenges.

You scoff in agreement, "Please, I'd be a pro!" You're more than up for the challenge, already heading in the direction of the mechanical bull.

"Don't sound too confident about that one," Leah stifles her laughter before she reaches into her pocket to take the money out and pay for the ride, "Try not to fall off, menace." She jokes.

"Yeehaw' lets' go!" You exclaim, rushing towards it and hopping on,  the bull starts up in a slow motion as it starts to fasten the pace, "Woohoo! This is great, I love this-- YO NASHVILLE!! YEEHAW MUTHA FUCKER!"

Leah's way too busy filming this to even be bothered to scold you about your use of colourful language, this is pure entertainment at its finest.

"She's' really enjoying herself on that thing isn't she," Leah's grandma comments as she beams a wide smile, happy that your able to be carefree as you want, however she is certainly surprised about the words that come out of your mouth.

Leah's cousin is cracking up in laughter, "I'm surprised she hasn't fallen off it yet. You know she's definitely going to try and get you to buy one of these things now, eh?" She jokes with the blonde.

Snorting in amusement, Leah shakes her head as she saves the video for later and pockets her phone in her pocket, "She can try all she likes, where on earth would I have room to fit one of those in the house?" She wonders.

"I'm sure she'd try and fit it in her bedroom if you let her," Jordan remarks, shrugging her shoulders as she continues to watch you have an absolute blast on the mechanical bull.

"That was... That was awesome!" You exclaim, stuttering your words as you try to get your breath back after being thrown around, "We have to get one of them!"

"Told you," Jordan states, looking at Leah knowingly.

Leah chuckles and slings her arm around your shoulder, "We are definitely not getting one of them," She states, letting you have a few minutes to catch your breath again before you continue to yap about something else.

"I don't think it would be safe or practical in a house," Leah's grandma chuckles.

"But it would be so cool, wouldn't it? You know Buddy would love that!" You insist, knowing its' the blonde weak spot to mention the little 'un.

"Oh no, you're not doing that again. There's no chance I am letting Buddy near one of these things at all any time soon," The blonde states, firmly much to your own disappointment.

"It would be so fun though, wouldn't it?" You try and give a convincing speech to get your own way, but judging from the look from the older blonde, you're having a hard time with that, "Guess I'll just have to get one when I get my own place."

Leah snickers and shakes her head, "You're definitely way off that happening any time soon at all, Monkey." She tells you.

"Really? I think it would work out pretty well," You insist, shrugging your shoulders, "It's okay to admit that you'd miss me though, I get it." You joke, knowing secretly that the blonde will definitely miss you too much when you move out, even if she doesn't openly say it.

"I wouldn't miss you," Leah remarks as you all walk into the venue of the festival, "Besides, I'm not letting you out of my sight when you think that takeout meals, sweets and energy drinks are an acceptable diet-- Oh you think I didn't know about them ones, huh?"

"I thought you were banned from energy drinks?" Jordan asks, knowing that you don't react well with them.

"She is supposed to be, but someone sneaks them when they think we don't know about it," The blonde remarks, looking at you.

"He, I'm a menace," You smirk at the both of them, "I can't survive without sugar sometimes!" You declare, you love sugary drinks and you can't get enough of them.

However, some people, i.e. responsible adults, think differently about them, so sometimes you have to get creative to get a hold of them.

Leah clicks her tongue disapprovingly, "We seriously need to talk about your caffeine addiction before it gets out of hand, Monkey."

"I think you might be past that point love," Berny chimes in, amused at the conversation.

Leah exhales a sigh and nods her head slowly in agreement, "I fear you might be right there, grandma. Our Monkey's habit of caffeine certainly is concerning." She states.

"Yo, this music is my passion!" You exclaim loudly over the volume of the noise, enjoying yourself being in your element once again, "Nashville's a total vibe!" You shout, even louder if that's even possible.

"If this is her without so much sugar then I hate to see what she's like with it," Jordan remarks, leaning in close to Leah so she could hear her over the music.

"Carnage, complete and utter carnage," Leah states, wincing at the flashback of the last time you had a ridiculous amount of sugar.

This is tame for you.

"I fuckin' love being in Nashville!" You scream at the top of your lungs, standing on a chair and swinging your cowboy hat around in the air.

"Hey! Language!" The responsible adult, ie, captain of the fun police chides you, because it's' just so typical of her, "Get down before you end up breaking your leg!" She adds.

"Geesh, calm down there, Captain America!" You roll your eyes, but begrudgingly get down off the chair to save the defender having a cardiac arrest right there and then.

The blonde clicks her tongue, "You're such a menace sometimes, Monkey!" Completely caught off guard when she watches you pull a pair of glow in the dark glasses out of your back pocket, "Wha-- Where on earth did you get a pair of them from?" She questions, bewildered.

You smirk and slide the pair of glasses on, "What, you mean you don't carry a pair of these at the ready?" You gasp in shock horror.

"You really are something else sometimes, Monkey," Leah remarks, shaking her head.

"I'm impressed," Jordan chips in.

"They suit you love," Berny pipes in.

"Thank you," You grin at the older women before you turn to look at Leah, "See? I'm totally rockin' them! Wanna pair, they come with two!" You offer the spare pair to the blonde.

"Oh no, I think only you can pull off a look with a pair of them glow in the dark glasses and cowboy hat," Leah states, amused with your usual antics and doesn't miss the opportunity to snap a picture for the memories.

"I gotta take a video of this and send it to Kyra," You state, sliding your phone out of your pocket to pull up the camera app, "You know, I wish she could be here to experience this!"

"I'm glad, I don't think I could handle the pair of you together," The blonde tells you honestly.

You can't help but smirk confidently, "Only because she calls you Lord Farquaad far too much for you to handle!"

"Lord Farquaad?" Berny questions, confused.

"That's certainly creative," Jordan chimes in as she tries and fails to stifle her laughter.

Leah groans and shakes her head, "I don't know what it is with you pair and coming up with these nicknames." She mutters in disbelief.

"Oh, we made code names for everyone!" You exclaim, remembering all of the time it took you and Kyra to come up with them all, "We called Katie leprechaun cos' she's Irish, innit?"

"I'm sure she loved that," Leah deadpans, trying to figure out what went on inside your head sometimes.

"Smile, Le," Taking the perfect opportunity of Leah pulling her usual frowning face, you snap a picture and upload it to your Instagram right there and then, "I got the perfect shot, Instagram approved."

"Don't you even dare post that, Monkey!" The blonde states, firmly.

"Eh, its' too late for that," You flash her an innocent smile and pocket your phone again and start to dance to the beat of song that you recognise.

"Hey sweetheart, you're lookin' like a fine thing," A man attempts to horribly flirt with you and gets a bit closer to you, "Wanna have a dance and maybe even a kiss?" He offers.

You scrunch your face up in disgust, "Ha, no. I tell you what you can kiss though," You state as you near his face, "You can kiss my ass, cowboy!"

"Well if the offers there," The man smirks in agreement.

"Ew," You murmur, not understanding why he wasn't going away.

"Whoa, hey, no, no," Leah shakes her head in disagreement and moves to stand up, trying to square up to the man, "Back off, mate. Shes' too young for you!" She states, not having none of it.

The man holds his hands up in mock surrender, "Geez, alright, no need to be so protective," He jokes as he backs off in the other direction.

"You can't say these sorts of things, that man literally took it like that!" Leah shakes her head in disbelief, "You should know that men don't always think with their heads!"

You huff in disagreement, "I had it handled though, you didn't need to intervene. I was totally gonna wind him up about it!"

"Menace," Leah mutters to herself.

"I'm thirsty, I'm gonna go and get a drink," You declare, going to move in the direction of a bar.

"Hold on, I'm comin' with you. I don't trust you alone with what just happened," The blonde's quick to say, following after you before you can wander off once again.

"Are you sure I can't have a beer?" You try your luck with this once again, maybe hoping the blonde has changed her mind.

"That depends if you want to sit in jail for the night," Leah remarks as the two of you wait to be served by the bartender, "Hi, can I get 2 vodka cokes, 1 gin and tonic and a coke as well, please?" She asks.

"Comin' up," The bartender nods and gets to work pouring the drinks one by one.

"Oh, no ice or oranges!" You interject, holding your finger up in the bartenders direction.

Leah snickers, "Do you mean lemon or lime, instead?"

"Whatever," You murmur and shrug your shoulders.

With the drinks passed over to you both, you start walking back to Leah's family as something on the ground catches your attention all of a sudden.

"Er, what's that?" You move closer to inspect it, reaching out to try and poke it out of curiosity.

Leah's eyes widen in horror as she's quick to swat your hand away from it before you can reach it, "Ew, no. Don't touch that!" She states, firmly.

"Why?" You cock your head in confusion as you inspect it closer and the realisation suddenly hits, "Oh-- Ew, ew, that's gross! Oh my God, I almost touched that! Why... Why's it on the floor-- Why did you nearly let me touch it?" You screech in disgust, having a complete meltdown over it, earning a few odd looks.

"That's why I swatted your hand away before you did, Monkey," Leah exhales a sigh and shakes her head, "You should know better than to touch things on the floor, anyways." She adds, expecting you to have some sort of common sense.

You pout at her words, "I was curious. I didn't realise it was a condom!" You whine in disgust, trying to move away from it now, "I'm innocent, I don't know about them things!"

Leah laugh in amusement, "Well, at least you know for next time," She remarks, pulling you in the direction of where her family members are, "Here you go." She hands the drinks to them and sits back down in her seat.

"I just almost touched a freakin' condom," You murmur in horror still, feeling traumatized about the experience.

"What?" Jordan blinks in confusion.

"It was right there on the floor, like ew, why would anyone leave such a thing like that on the floor?" Your close to having a complete breakdown over this, "That is totally disgusting! Absolute filth! Wha... Why would somebody-- I just don't understand it!" You exclaim.

Berny and Jordan can't help but laugh, while Leahs' holding her head in her hands feeling somewhat embarrassed for you making a scene like you did in typical you style.

"Oh dear," Leah's grandma states, amusedly.

"Calm down, Monkey," The blonde tries to calm you down, but your not having none of it as you continue to wave your arms about in the air and still have a complete meltdown over it.

"No, no! It's not right, its' horribleeee! What if... What if I actually touched it? I could have... I could have picked up anything at all!" You screech in horror, displeased about the whole thing.

"Monkey, relax. It's fine, you didn't touch it," Leah states, trying to stifle her laughter as she has to admit watching you freak out in this way is funny, and it proves that you really are innocent with some things after all.

You huff and slump down in your chair, not liking being mocked fun off as the beat for a familiar song kicks in, "Hey this song's great-- Yo, Le, have you sung this to Lia at all?" You joke, you can't help but want to mess with the blonde.

The speculation from fans is always wild about Leah being with Lia, of course you know they're just the best of friends, but you're a little shit and you can't help but want to stir trouble even more.

"Monkey!" The blondes' glare is enough to make you crack up laughing even more, "Enough of that!" She states, annoyed.

"You know I just can't help it sometimes," You reply trying to feign your innocence, "Are you sure there's nothing more serious going on there? I'll give the fans the inside scoop-- Agh! No, get off meeee!" You can't help but screech loudly as the blonde is quick to pull you into a headlock and press her hand over your mouth to shut you up before you continue to talk.

Yep, definitely worth being a menace sometimes.

monkeymenace_ just posted.

liked by leahwilliamsonn and 18,023 others.

monkeymenace_ adventures in nashville with malfoy and co, my dreams came true in more ways than one!

from getting to pet derek the fluffy cow, finding the best lego store and riding a bull, and that's without even talking about the music. it's been a blast!

nashville, you have my heart! 🤠❤️

leahwilliamsonn: glad you have had the best time, monkey! 🐒❤️

bethmead_: ha, that denim jacket is perfect for you! ↪ leahwilliamsonn: i thought the same when i brought it her

kyracooneyx: missin' you, eagle 1 😢🦅 ↪ monkeymenace_: missin' you too, eagle 2 😭💔🦅🦅

© scribblesofagoonerr

[enchantedchocolatebars]

Witte Solstice - Chapter 31

Cover art by @leespinoodle.

Fic written by me (enchantedchocolatebars) and @leespinoodle.

Summary: It's winter in the Boiling Isles, and Caleb prepares to celebrate the solstice with his wife, his friends… and hopefully, with Beardo Philip! Philip swears he'll never partake in the satanic holidays of those demonic witches. But when Caleb invites him over for the solstice… maybe he'll find himself making an exception.

Ao3 version

(AAA, LAST CHAPTER!! I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS STORY IS GOING TO BE OVER AFTER THIS!!! 😭 😭 😭 Thank you to everyone who took the time to read it, and a special thanks to @leespinoodle for being my companion throughout this writing journey! I highly recommend checking out their works since they're a really talented writer. This story, in particular, will always mean a lot to me since it's my first ever completed collaborative fic with a friend. I'll always go back and reread it whenever I can. But anyway, yeah! Hope everyone has a Happy New Year + a flourishing 2025! I'm defo going to be taking a small break after this (TIRED), but expect to see more fics, fic requests, headcanons, written works, etc. from me in the future. I'LL ALSO BE GETTING TO THE ASKS IN MY INBOX!)

Enjoy!

Soft golden light arose in the sky the next morning as Beardo Philip gently stirred in his sleep.

When he awoke, he let out a longish yawn, sitting up in bed to stretch his arms.

His blue eyes soon began to survey the spare room he was in, recalling a few of the events from yesterday.

Philip remembers having spoken to Caleb, as well as being led into this room after their talk.

Fables such as "The Ant and the Grasshopper" and "The Lion and the Mouse" were also fresh in his mind... for some odd reason.

Slipping out of the quilt that covered him, Philip headed to the door.

...

Caleb sat at the kitchen table, nursing a hot whiskey tonic. He looked up as Philip stepped out of the spare room. "Good morning," he said softly. "How are you feeling? I'd imagine you have quite the headache."

The second Caleb said that, Philip felt the pain in his head return.

"Ugh, don't remind me...," he calmly groaned, taking a seat at the table. "I'm fine, by the way. Slept fairly well. You?"

"I barely slept a wink," Caleb admitted. "The last of the guests left shortly after dawn, so I just laid down for a bit before getting up to make myself a tonic. Would you like one?"

Philip gave a slow, restful nod. "A tonic sounds fine. Is it feasible for you to make tea as well?" he requested.

"Of course." Caleb stood to set a kettle on the stove. "Anything to eat? We have bread and pottage from yesterday's supper."

"I'll have bread," Philip calmly spoke to Caleb as he tried piecing together the sober apology he was planning on making to the elder.

In his mind, it was long overdue.

Once the tea and tonic were done, Caleb brought them over to the table, along with a loaf of bread and a knife. "Here you are. Something on your mind?"

"Thank you." With breakfast now in his possession, Philip took hold of the wooden teacup, curling his fingers around the handle as he brought it to his lips, blowing the steam that arose from the liquid.

After a long sip, he released a breath.

The tea was black and plain, just how he liked it.

He set the cup down.

Philip was unprepared for Caleb's question.

It was evident to the elder that there was something on his mind.

"Hm?!" Philip went, quickly shifting his gaze to his teacup as he saw his reflection ripple through the liquid like little waves until it stilled.

He soon sighed, looking up at Caleb with regretful eyes.

"It's just..." Philip sighed once more. "I'm… I'm sorry, Caleb. For yesterday. I... very much regret not making a genuine arrival to your party. And..." Philip drew a long, deep breath and let it out.

"... I apologize for not visiting you often. I know that Yule is over, but I had a gift that I wanted to give you. I'm not sure if it'll mean much now."

"A gift? You didn't have to bring me a gift. You know that spending time together would have been enough of a gift for me," Caleb said, sitting back down.

Philip nodded. "I understand. However, I still wish to give you what I made. It's something I know you'll find fetching. View it as a humble apology gift from me to you. Would you mind opening your hands up?"

Caleb tilted his head questioningly but held out his hands.

Reaching a hand into his pocket, Philip pulled out his gift and placed it into Caleb's hands.

Caleb held a cute, delicately painted carving of a small yellow duckling with an orange bill and black eyes that had white pupils within his palms.

The bill was meticulously crafted to make the duck look cheerful.

As a small gag, the duck's lively aura is complimented by a single squeaky noise that acts as a quack.

Caleb gently cradled the wooden duckling in his hands, marveling at the craftsmanship. He smiled softly. "Thank you, Philip. It's lovely."

With closed eyes, Philip returned Caleb's expression as he felt the heavy burden of shame and regret that he once felt lifted from his back by his brother's smile. "You're quite welcome." He soon opened his eyes.

"Also, Caleb, if it's not too much trouble, could you let your cardinal know that I offer my deepest apologies to him? Admittingly, I wasn't the kindest to young Pancake the other day."

"That's not his... Alright, I'll let him know," Caleb said.

…

After breakfast had concluded, Beardo Philip was ready to return to his cave.

He smiled a small, somewhat gloomy smile.

"I... guess this is goodbye then...," Philip spoke as he sighed, his tone soft and tender as he turned to face Caleb while standing near the front door, now dressed in his blue coat.

The brunette did his best to avoid sounding too down about his departure.

Caleb reached out to pull Philip into a hug. "Remember, you're always welcome here. Don't be a stranger, now."

Philip's smile went soft as he hugged his brother back, happy to be in his caring and kind embrace. "I'll make sure to remember that, Caleb Clawthorne."

[gavisuntiedboot]

Friends with benefits! Pedri 🥰🥰

I just love avoiding sleep don't I? Here we go.

~~~

"I told you not to call me when I was busy."

"You wouldn't pick up at 1:30 in the morning if you didn't want to speak to me, angel."

You tried your best to suppress your smirk, opting to roll your eyes instead so that the Canarian could see your feigned annoyance.

"I'm curious - sue me. Now what do you want to I can hang up in your face and get back to studying? These kinematics aren't going to enter my brain just by staring at them."

"You know what I want."

This little "arrangement" with Pedri had been going on for the better part of a year now. It started off as a summer fling: you were heartbroken by a long-time boyfriend, and he was tired of Instagram models spreading his messages to every gossip site that would pay a Euro. So when he met you at the coffee shop where you worked, soft spoken and hands trembling as you punched in his order, he knew that you were going to be the most fun project yet. And boy was it a project. Between school and work, you barely had a second to breathe, and all the things he did to seduce other girls (dinner, clubbing, tickets to a match) seemed to have no place in your schedule. But Pedri is a patient boy, and after receiving variations of the "I'm so stressed and tired and home alone" text, he knew the only way he was going to get what he wanted was to go to you.

And come he did. Well, both of you did. The buildup and flirtation had led to some of the most mind blowing sex he had ever had. He never even thought about wanting to corrupt a sweet, innocent little thing until you. The tears on your lashes as you looked up at him, his soul sucked out of his body with you asking "did I do good?" was a combination he would like to inject directly into his veins. So that was the arrangement from thereon out. He had told you he didn't have the time or capacity for a committed relationship because of his job, but if you were down to keep doing this, then so was he. And honestly? The thought was appealing. You were swamped with responsibilities, with no time to breathe let alone try and go on dates and be a girlfriend. Why not just have mind-blowing sex semi-regularly?

Turns out, this fucker got a lot hornier a lot more often when injured. Since there were no games or early morning training sessions, Pedri had been calling you almost nightly during his injury, often coming over just for the company. It would be a lie if you said it was unwelcome, but you still had a life and tasks to complete.

"Pedri, I have-"

"The day off tomorrow. You told me that last week, so don't lie."

"Right. I have a reading day at school and I took off from work to study. I need to get like a 98 on this exam to get an A in the course."

"Maybe I wanted to call you and help you study."

His face lit up as he heard your laughter come through the line. He knew he had been clingier than usual lately, and a wiser person would have questioned why he wanted to spend all of his free recovery time with his sex buddy. Put Pedri wasn't wise. He was 21 years old with a cute girl who was DTF and he had her address saved into his phone.

"So I'll be there in...?" He let his voice trail off, and your sigh came through clearly.

"I need an hour at least to finish this chapter."

"Perfect. I'll shower and head to you."

~

You had not even closed your laptop yet when the doorbell rang, causing you to jump slightly at the loud sound at such a late hour. In your PJ shorts and tank top, you scurried to the door, ushering in your boy toy before the others in your building could see. Mrs. Rodriguez 3 doors down loved a good scandal, and you weren't going to be the one to cause it.

"Took you long enough." You said, pushing him towards the bed as soon as he kicked off his shoes.

"Eager now aren't we, angel? I haven't even said hello yet."

"There are better things for you to be doing with your mouth."

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

"I don't know, Pedri. This whole get together was your idea. You have to take charge."

What famous last words. Not even 15 minutes later, he had you digging into the wood of your headboard, hips moving with reckless abandon as you rode his face. Your pants and moans came as if it wasn't three in the morning, and he wrapped himself around your thighs to bring you closer, closer, closer whenever you dared to hover or lift your weight slightly. One you had finish, you dismounted and laid next to him, aftershocks wrecking through you. He smirked, propped up on one arm as he watched you struggle.

"Do you want to go back to studying?"

"Fuck you."

He rolled on top of you, smiling wide and leaning back so the dim light could reflect off the wetness on his hard cock.

"Oh no, baby. You'll never get a good grade like that. The grammatically correct way is, "I want to fuck you." And you can add a 'Please' at the end if you're feeling polite."

~

Pedri was concerned to get a call from you three days after your little session. You had blocked his number so that you could focus on your last exam, and he expected you to be gone for longer.

"Hello?"

"I got my exam grade back."

Your voice was mellow, and he mentally stilled himself, preparing to be yelled at first thing in the morning. He didn't want you to fail, of course. It's just something there were things personally more important to him than your grades.

"And?"

"I needed a 98% for an A." Your voice was still flat and gave nothing away.

"Right. And you got...?"

"I got a 98.5%." Pedri shot up from his mattress.

"So that means that we'll be fucking intensely during your next round of exams, right?"

~~~~~~~~~

Okay here you go! fun fact this is based on me irl when i slept over at a guy's place and then the next day got a 99 on my exam. Enjoy!!!!!!

[number1jeonginstan]

[1:23 am]

Chan x afab!reader (established relationship)

A/N: Feeling the need to write and I'm like 700 words into the second chapter of Coffee (I write really fast). Also, this is my first time ever writing smut, so I thought I should make it a short story. Please give me constructive criticism so I can improve for you guys! I want to write things that you guys truly enjoy and want to read! Please ask if you want me to write anything in particular.

WC: 1k (I literally meant to make this 300 words...)

CW: Consensual Somnophilia, piv, unprotected (please don't), daddy kink, use of baby girl, cockwarming (kinda)? (idk what else to write here tbh)

"Channie, can you please just come back to bed, you've been working so hard for so long" you whined laying in your shared bed. Purple LED lights surround each corner of the room. "I'll be there in a second babe, I just have to finish this up first"

You loved Chan from the bottom of your heart, but you were so tired of him constantly working himself to the bone. He didn't know what the definition of a break was and it frustrated you. You were too tired to stay awake, so you decided to just go to sleep.

Chan finally finished his work, excited to watch the movie you had been talking about for days. He thought he was only working for an extra 5 minutes, but the clock read 3:12 a.m. He looked at his bed to see you fast asleep, like a kitten, curled up in a ball wearing only his shirt and your panties.

He loved seeing you like this, so at peace he didn't want to do anything to bother it. He curled up in the bed next to you, ready to fall asleep, but what he heard stopped him in his tracks. You were on his bed, moaning his name in a soft whisper. He was going to lose it, he didn't think he neglected you that much. He's just been so busy with work.

He thought about the last time you guys had sex. It was almost a week ago due to both of your busy schedules. He wanted to make you feel good, and he could already feel his erection growing in his shorts.

You guys have thoroughly talked about having sex while one of you was sleeping in case you really needed to get off and the other was there, so he took advantage of this.

He pulled down your panties whilst kissing your neck. He needed to make you feel good, but also stretch you out well since it had been a while.

You were already wet from the dream you were having, and he was grateful for it, slowly rubbing your clit while rubbing your nipples over his t-shirt. You started whimpering into his ear, and he felt like he could come on the spot. Something about the sounds that you make for him always makes him feel some type of way.

"Fuck y/n, your fucking soaked," he said out loud to no one but himself, "you are thinking about daddy fucking you even while you are sleeping aren't you?"

"Yeah, I bet you are thinking about squeezing your sweet fucking pussy all over my cock. God, let me stretch you out before I put my cock inside you babygirl."

He started using his fingers to stretch you out, starting off with one because you were just so fucking tight. Your eyes started to flutter in and out of consciousness when he started to put the second finger in. He could feel your cunt starting to clench around him, he knew you were going to cum soon, he started playing with your clit again trying to get you to cum on his fingers.

"Fuck baby, just like that, ride daddy's fingers like I know you can." Your moans got a bit louder, but you were still in a deep slumber.

Chan couldn't take it anymore, he needed to bury his cock inside of you before he came from just touching you. He slowly started to push his thick cock inside of you, he could feel your walls clenching and he had only put the tip in.

"God baby, this pussy sucks me in so well. What could I do without my baby, always ready for my dick."

When he finally sheathed inside you, he was in a state of euphoria, he couldn't help but groan out loud. No matter how much he loved to make you cum, he needed to chase his own high now. He needed to cum inside you, fill you up with his cum til he saw it leaking out.

He started thrusting rapidly, not caring if the members woke up with the sound of the headboard smashing against the wall.

As his thrusts started getting sharper, you began to stir awake, "Channie" you asked as you groggily woke up to something feeling so good inside of you.

"Shhhh baby" he tried to silence you, "just take my cock like the good girl you are."

That's exactly what you did, as he continued to rut into you, he shifted a little bit, hitting that spongey spot inside of you.

"Oh fuck" you moaned, "Harder daddy, I'm almost there, please come inside I need your cum so bad, please daddy come inside, need it, need it in me."

You were clenching down so hard on his cock, he wanted you to come together, he needed to creampie you on his cock.

He reached over and started playing with your clit once again to help you get over the edge. "Come on baby, come with me, such a good baby, letting me cum inside of you like the good little baby you are, love taking daddy's cock don't you can't get enough. Have to take it even while you are sleeping that's how much you want it?"

"Yes daddy" you replied, "need your cum, need it in me so bad" that's what sent you both over the edge, him cumming inside you and staying there, not daring to move.

"Was that good sweetheart, don't want daddy to take his cock out of you? Want me to plug you full of my cum til we both fall asleep" he asked groggily.

He waited for a reply, only to see you fall back asleep. He chuckled at this but ended up falling asleep still in you.

[ashblooddragons]

My Heart, My Ruin (Chapter 2/?)

(sorry if this chapter is on the shorter side, I got back on a med I hadn't had in a while because my doctors weren't refilling it, and one of the side effects of this med is making me tired and fatigued. I honestly didn't even know if I would get chapter 8 of The Red Queen so I'm really sorry if this is short, or not written well or anywhere near as well as I try usually, I'm just trying to stay awake to get this out. sorry for the rant I'm gonna let you read now lol)

28 ac

Rhaellas Pov

I try not to fidget as Papa makes a speech, it's my sixth nameday which means I'm officially a big girl. 

“I warn you all, our little girl is a curious one. She will ask about the gift you have given her and want all the details. There is a reason we call her our curious dragon.” Papa says making all the lords laugh and making me blush and hide my face in my hands.

“So let us feast on this great day as we celebrate my sweet little girl, my firstborn, for her sixth nameday!” Papa finishes making everyone cheer as they take sips of their wine.

He bends down and kisses my forehead and whispers. “Happy nameday my curious dragon.” 

“Thank you, Papa.” I say making him smile before he and Mama walk down the steps of the high table to talk to some of the lords.

“When will you get to open your presents?” Rhaena asks picking at the food on her plate.

“Yeah, we're bored!” Aegon my little brother exclaims. He's only two but he's very smart, Mama calls him her little genius.

“I'm sure Papa or Grandsire will announce when I can open them.” I say grabbing Aegon's arm before he runs off. Have I mentioned he also never stops running! How he can run into a tree head first and laugh before running again is beyond me. I hope the baby in Mama's belly is a girl, I can't handle another brother.

“I want to see the dragons!” Aegon demands stomping his feet.

He always throws tantrums if he doesn't get his way so I try and find Mama or Papa in the crowd of lords and ladies.

“Don't speak to your sister that way boy.” I hear the deep and cold voice of Kepus. 

Aegon stops and turns to look up at him just when I do too. I know Kepus must be mad from the scowl on his face.

“I just wanted to say hi to Quicksilver.” Aegon says sheepishly already turning to hide in the shirts of my dress.

Kepus only hums before taking a sip of wine from his chalice. Thankfully for Aegon and Rhaena Papa and Mama seem to have had their nursemaids come to get them as it's time for them to go to sleep.

Once my siblings are taken away Kepus sits in the chair next to me that was previously taken by Rhaena.

“Happy nameday, ñuha prūmia. I got you something.” He says as he reaches into his jerkin pocket. He holds something in his fist holding it out to me. “Hold your hands out, ñuha prūmia.”

I do as he told me, holding my hands out under his. When he opens it I'm ready to catch something but nothing falls into my hands, but when I look at his hand I see he's dangling a beautiful necklace from his pointer finger. It has purple stones that appear almost like tear drops, and the metal looks like a darker silver. 

“Happy nameday, ñuha prūmia.”

“It's wonderful, where did you get it?” I ask, reaching out to feel the cool metal against the skin of my palms.

“It was in our family archives, supposedly it was Daenys the Dreamers. It's made of Valyrian steel and is encrusted with amethysts. Daenys was always said to love amethysts.” He says with a soft smile.

“Daenys? she wore this?” I ask excitedly, he knows how much I adore Daenys the Dreamer. I've probably made him read me the story of her more than a hundred times by now.

“That's what the Maester said, now turn around let me help put it on you.” He says in that tone that I know means he's not asking, he's telling. 

So I do as he says turning in my seat so my back is to him and grab my curly hair hoping I got it all. I feel the chill of the metal against my throat as I feel Kepus clip it. 

“There, now let me see.” I hear him say as he gently takes my hair out of my hands so it can fall down my back once more

I turn and look up at him watching as he smiles fondly. “Lovely, it matches your dress wonderfully, but it matches those eyes much better.” 

I smile touching the pink velvet dress Mama gave me for my Nameday. It has gold dragon embroidered along the skirt and at the neckline. But for some reason his words about my eyes is what makes me blush. But my joy is soon cut off my none other than Ceryse Hightower.

“I see you've given her the present you chose.” She says resting her hand on Kepus's shoulder. 

I watch as he tense something dark, something cruel flashes in his eyes before they become the stoney ones he lets the world see. 

I like the ones he has with me much better. I think before turning to his wife.

“Yes, it's a wonderful gift.” I say trying to stay kind even though I don't like her.

I never knew why I didn't like her, she's kind, gentle, sweet, but she's so boring. Her idea of fun is sitting and sewing, my idea of fun is running in the fields or flying with Papa or Grandsire. 

“That's wonderful, I'm glad you like it. Maegor worked very hard to find it. Had to be the perfect one, he said.” She says smiling at Kepus but he only seems to be getting more and more upset.

Cersye seems to catch the tense atmosphere and hands me a black leather journal with red ribbon to tie it. It seems to be imprinted with the Targaryen symbol on the front and back.

“As you are six namedays you'll start your studies with a Septa. I found having a journal helped me to remember my lessons and to take notes. I hope it helps you as much as having one helped me.” 

I can't deny that it's a thoughtful gift, and one she seems to have commissioned just for me. She obviously didn't just pick this up at some random book store in a rush. I think, feeling the soft leather against my palms.

“Thank you, it's a lovely gift. I'm sure it will get much use.” I say setting it back on the table. 

I'm about to ask if Kepus will dance with me when I hear the music start but his wife beats me to it.

“Dance with me, darling? You know this is my favorite.” She asks, already pulling him out of his chair.

I watch as he walks away with her to dance, I don't know why it hurts my heart seeing him with her, but it does. I hear a dragon roar from outside, it gives a pull at my soul like always.

“Come to me! I'm waiting!” it's starting to sound desperate, if only I could find out where it is. No, where she is.

This is the necklace Maegor gies Rhaella, or at least what I see lol

Series Masterlist

Special thanks to @sugutoad for making the header for this fic! I swear I'd be lost without you girly!

TAGLIST @sugutoad @ilikefelines @sachaa-ff @classicsimpforaaronwarner @mmogurl

[heyjudeb]

Lake Secrets - Jude Bellingham

Chapter 4: We're Lost

Summary: Grace Alexander Arnold, an architecture student, looks forward to a quiet summer at her brother Trent's lake villa. Her plans change when Trent's best friend, Jude Bellingham, arrives with his family. As Grace and Jude spend more time together, a secret romance begins to grow. Amidst the peaceful lake and family gatherings, will their hidden feelings last, or will they fade away with the summer? Word Count: 3.5k

Warnings: fluff, crying, angst

I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep. I could hear the faint sound of footsteps fading away. I knew it was Grace. My heart ached to open the door, to see her standing there, but I couldn't. It wouldn't be right to Trent, my best friend. I had to keep my feelings in check, no matter how much I wanted to be with her. I don't know why I wanted to give her hope with that poem. It's just stupid. Maybe she didn't read too much into it, considered it as a coincidence.

When morning came, I woke up feeling more tired than ever. I rubbed my eyes and decided to head downstairs for breakfast, hoping a cup of coffee would wake me up.

As I reached the kitchen, I found Trent and our parents already seated at the table, chatting and eating breakfast. I scanned the room, but Grace was nowhere to be found.

"Morning," I greeted everyone, trying to sound casual as I poured myself a cup of coffee.

"Morning, Jude," Trent replied with a grin. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah, not bad," I lied, taking a sip of my coffee. "Where's Grace? I don't see her around."

Trent shrugged, not seeming too concerned. "She hasn't come down yet. She might've stayed up all night reading, knowing her."

I nodded, trying to hide my worry. "Yeah, probably. She does love her books."

Our parents continued their conversation, not paying much attention to us. I tried to join in, but my mind kept drifting back to Grace. What if she was upset? What if she needed someone to talk to?

I decided to check on her, hoping she was just lost in one of her books. I didn't really care if this brought suspicion in anyone. "I'm going to see if she's awake," I said, standing up from the table.

Trent glanced at me, a hint of suspicion in his eyes, but he didn't say anything. I made my way upstairs, my heart pounding in my chest. I knocked on Grace's door softly, not wanting to wake her if she was still asleep.

"Grace? You awake?" I called out, waiting for a response. She didn't answer. I tried knocking softly one more time, "Grace? I just want to know if you're okay."

The door opened slowly, and there she was, still in her pajamas. I couldn't tell if it was just her beautiful swollen morning face, or if she had been crying. "Why wouldn't I be?" She gave me an exaggerated smile.

"Um... Just checking," I said, trying to read her expression.

She nodded and walked right past me, clearly trying to avoid me. I knew I shouldn't have sent her any signal, but I couldn't understand why she was upset. She didn't go in my room either.

I gently grabbed her arm, spinning her around before she stepped on the stairs. She turned to me with an angry yet sad expression. I keep doing things without thinking them through. I don't know why I stopped her when I had nothing to say.

"I just... Why are you avoiding my gaze?" "I am not, I'm just really hungry." she said almost like a question, not really looking sincere to me right now. "I want to rush down for breakfast." "Grace," I grabbed both her arms, and got closer to her. "You were behind the door too. And you also chose to walk away, why are you mad at me then?" She seemed shocked by the fact that i mention last night's situation. She shifted in arms but didn't get out of my grip. She gave me those green eyes again, looking straight into my soul. "For the same reason you did, I guess." She took a deep breath. "Jude, if... if..." she trailed off, struggling to find the right words.

"You can talk to me, Grace."

She hesitated for a moment, then mumbled a quiet "fuck it" under her breath and began speaking rapidly. "Maybe you don't think about me the same way I think about you. Maybe all these little interactions, the lake, your looks, everything was just my crazy imagination. So, it's better for me to just keep things cool between us." No, it wasn't just your imagination. You clearly have me at your fingertips with your beautiful eyes and your smile. If it was up to me, I would have kissed you the first day I saw you here.

Is what I wanted to say. Is what I failed to say.

Trent was the only thing on my mind. She's his sister. His baby sister he loves dearly. If a single thing goes wrong between us, I could lose him too, lose his respect for me. "Grace, I..." I let go of her arms slowly. "I'm sorry. I should've been more clear about my intentions with you."

"Yeah, no worries," she replied, giving me a death glare. As she was about to head down the stairs, she turned around once more. "Also, this little confession that happened right here shouldn't scare you. We're good, lad." She turned away again, each step down the stairs echoing loudly with her frustration.

I wanted to kick everything in my sight, scream loudly. She just slipped away from me. She wasn't even mine anyway, but I could've kept my thoughts to myself and not affect her. But this is for the best. ..... Grace has been avoiding me ever since that morning. Our conversations have become limited to the bare essentials, mostly when she's calling me for meals or asking about something she can't avoid.

I've been trying to get that spark of happiness back in her eyes. She made it clear that morning that she wanted to keep things "cool" between us. My fear of giving her false hope has kept me from seeking out moments alone with her. But no matter how much I try to respect her wishes, my mind and body still long for her presence, her touch.

Trent, ever the outdoorsman, proposed a hike along a trail about ten minutes away from the villa. His enthusiasm was infectious, winning over even the few of us who were hesitant.

"I'm telling you, bro. It's the best view ever," Trent said, patting my shoulder with a confident grin. "Trust me on this." Grace came down the stairs with a heavy backpack, almost causing her to tip backward.

"Hey, sis, are you moving out to the woods?" Trent chuckled at the sight of her.

"I'm just bringing all the essentials for our primitive life in the wilderness," she said, dead serious. "And we're a group, so I had to pack extra."

Everyone burst into laughter. "Grace, honey, we won't need any of that stuff," her mom said, shaking her head. "It's just a short hike, not a survival mission."

Grace rolled her eyes. "Well, you never know. What if we get lost? Or what if a bear shows up? I’m just prepared."

"Yeah, for an episode of 'Survivor,' maybe," Jobe teased, earning another round of laughs. "Let's see if you're still laughing when you're in need of my emergency snacks," Grace retorted, a sassy grin crossing her face. Jobe chuckled nervously. "I'll keep that in mind, Grace. I might owe you an apology then."

The playful exchange added a humorous touch to the preparations for their hike.

We set out early in the morning, the sun barely peeking over the horizon. The trail was beautiful, winding through dense forest and opening up to stunning vistas. Grace walked ahead with Trent and Jobe, while I stayed back, trying to keep my distance. The whole family seemed to enjoy the hike, taking in the fresh air and the breathtaking scenery.

We stopped at a lookout point halfway up the trail. Trent was right; the view was incredible. We could see the entire valley, the villa nestled among the trees far below. Everyone took pictures, chatted, and enjoyed the moment. I found myself stealing glances at Grace, who seemed more relaxed than she had in days. She was smiling, her laughter echoing through the trees. I couldn't help but smile too, even though a part of me ached to be closer to her. "Do you want me to carry the backpack?" I asked Grace softly as we fell a few steps behind the others.

"No, I'm good, thank you!" She gave me a quick smile before turning back to face the trail. Her breathing was heavy from the weight of the bag.

"Grace, come on. You're breathless," I said, reaching out for the backpack. "Take a quick break to catch your breath, yeah?"

She seemed convinced after feeling the relief when I lifted the bag from her shoulders. "Yeah, okay. Fair enough! You're right!"

Her breathless state made me chuckle. I turned to the others to let them know we were stopping for a bit. "Hey guys, you keep going. We're going to take a break here!"

Everyone nodded and continued on the path. I sat next to Grace on the ground, taking a water bottle from the backpack and handing it to her.

"You can keep going, Jude," she said after gulping the water. "I can rest here by myself."

"I don't want to leave you alone."

"To be honest, I'm not really sure if you know what you want."

"Grace—" "Let's go, I don't want to be so far behind from them." She stood up, reached out her hand for me to grab, without facing me. After our rest, we resumed our hike, the trail stretching ahead of us. The forest was alive with the sounds of chirping birds and rustling leaves, and the morning sun filtered through the canopy, casting dappled shadows on the ground. Grace seemed more relaxed after the break, but the weight of our earlier conversation still lingered between us.

As we continued, we came across an intersection where the trail split into two. "Um, what do we do?" "I'm sure it's the one on the left. I remember it." she said softly, not sounding too convincing. She chose the path on the left, and I followed her, trusting her instincts.

We walked deeper into the forest, the trail becoming narrower and more overgrown. The trees grew taller and closer together, their branches forming a thick canopy that blocked out much of the sunlight. The air was cooler here, and the sounds of the forest grew louder, almost echoing around us.

"Grace, are you sure this is the right way?" I asked, noticing the unfamiliar surroundings.

"Yeah, I think so," she replied, though there was a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

We continued walking, but the path seemed to disappear, leaving us surrounded by dense underbrush and towering trees. My concern grew with each step.

"Grace, I think we might have taken the wrong trail," I said gently, trying not to alarm her. She stopped and looked around, realizing the same thing. "Yeah, you're right. ", her face showing a mix of frustration and worry. " You win." "I win?! This is not a competition, come on." I said looking at her trying not to smile.

I took out my phone to check for any signal, but we were too deep in the forest. "No signal. We should probably head back the way we came." I started walking back the way we came, Grace wasn't following me behind. I turned around to see her with a worried face expression. She looked around. "Hey, it's okay. We'll figure it out together," I reassured her, giving her a comforting smile, reaching out to grab her hand.

She took my hand but kept glancing over her shoulder. "There's something there," she whispered, her voice tinged with fear. "What if it's a bear?"

I squeezed her hand gently. "It's probably just the wind or a small animal. Let's stay calm and head back."

Grace nodded, though her eyes still darted nervously. We began retracing our steps, the forest feeling more imposing with each step. I don't think Grace realized I was holding her hand until after some steps, because she immediately pulled it away. As we walked, the silence between us was heavy. I couldn't ignore it any longer.

"Grace," I began, trying to keep my voice calm, "why are you acting this way towards me?"

She shot me a sideways glance, her eyes flashing with irritation. "Oh, you want to talk about behavior now?" she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Yes, I do," I said, frustration creeping into my voice. "One moment, it feels like we have something special, and the next, you’re avoiding me like the plague. What’s going on?"

Grace stopped and turned to face me, her hands on her hips. "Maybe it’s because you send me mixed signals, Jude! One minute you act like you have feelings for me, and the next, you’re all 'let’s keep it cool.'"

I opened my mouth to respond, but she had already turned around and started marching ahead, clearly fuming. "Grace, wait!" I called out, but she didn't stop.

"Grace! I don't know what to say!" I sounded frustrated, my words failing me. I didn't know what to say to make this right.

"You don't have to say anything, Jude," she snapped, turning quickly to face me. "It was a misunderstanding on my part. I apologize."

"No, it wasn't. I mean—" I trailed off, seeing a tear run down her cheek. "No, Grace, please. Don't cry."

I walked toward her, cupping her face in my hands and kissing her forehead. She didn't fight me; she just stood there with her eyes shut, tears flowing freely.

"Grace, it's true. What you felt is true. You're the prettiest thing I've ever seen in my entire life. I'm drawn to you. It's like my body is constantly craving you."

She opened her beautiful green eyes, looking up at me, our foreheads still touching. More tears started running down her cheeks after I confessed to her.

"But it's—" I inhaled deeply. "It's Trent. You're his baby sister, the one he loves to death. If things didn't work out between us, he would hate me."

"I know," she whispered, her voice so low I could barely hear it. "But, what if things work between us?"

"That would be the best thing that could ever happen to me," I said softly, lifting my forehead from hers and looking into her eyes. I gently wiped away her tears, my fingers lingering on her cheeks.

For a moment, we just stood there, lost in each other's gaze, the forest around us fading away. The air was thick with unspoken words and emotions. I leaned in slowly, giving her time to pull away if she wanted to, but she didn't.

Her breath hitched as our lips met, a tentative, gentle touch at first. I felt a shiver run down my spine, my heart pounding in my chest. Her lips were soft and warm, tasting faintly of salt from her tears.

Grace responded, her hands sliding up to my shoulders, pulling me closer. The kiss deepened, becoming more urgent and hungry. It was as if all the tension and longing we had been holding back finally burst forth.

We broke apart for a moment, both of us breathing heavily. Her eyes were closed, her lips slightly parted, and a soft sigh escaped her.

"It's decided then," I whispered, a smile tugging at my lips. I leaned in and kissed her forehead, lingering there for a moment, savoring the closeness.

She opened her eyes, looking up at me with a mixture of happiness and uncertainty. "What do we do now?" she asked softly.

"We take it slow," I said, my hand still resting on her cheek. "We figure it out, together. One step at a time."

She nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. "Together," she echoed, her voice filled with hope. .....

We finally made our way back to the villa, the familiar sight of the backyard coming into view. I could see Trent standing there, looking relieved but also a bit worried as he spotted us.

"What happened?" he called out as we approached. "You two okay?"

I forced a casual smile, trying to keep my nerves in check. "Yeah, we just took a wrong turn and got a bit lost," I said, glancing at Grace.

"Lost?" Trent raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "You had us worried."

Grace nodded, avoiding Trent's gaze. "Sorry about that. I’m going to take a quick shower," she said quickly, excusing herself and heading upstairs before Trent could ask any more questions.

Trent watched her go, then turned back to me. "You sure everything's okay, Jude?"

I nodded, trying to keep my tone light. "Yeah, just a bit of an adventure. Nothing to worry about."

He studied me for a moment, then sighed. "Alright. Glad you're both safe, bro."

"Will do," I promised, feeling a wave of relief as he seemed to accept the explanation.

Trent relaxed a bit, a hint of a smile on his face. "Anyway, we were about to start lunch. You hungry?"

"Starving," I said, hoping the change in topic would keep him from probing further. ......

After her shower, Grace joined us downstairs, looking more relaxed and composed. The air had cooled, and the late afternoon sun filtered through the windows, casting a warm glow across the room. I craved her soft lips, especially after I've tasted them. Trent suggested we play a game of cards to unwind, and everyone agreed.

"Alright, everyone ready for some good old-fashioned card games?" Trent announced, shuffling the deck with a flourish. "Let's play some rummy."

Jobe grinned, rubbing his hands together. "Prepare to lose, everyone. I’m feeling lucky today."

Grace rolled her eyes, sitting down beside me. "You say that every time, Jobe. And every time, you end up losing."

Jobe feigned offense. "That's because you all cheat."

Trent chuckled, dealing the cards. "No one’s cheating, mate. You just have terrible luck."

We settled into the game, the atmosphere light and filled with laughter. At one point, Jobe dramatically threw his cards down, groaning. "This game is rigged! I’m calling it now."

Grace smirked, glancing at his cards. "Jobe, you’re holding three queens. How is that bad luck?"

"Because I need kings!" he shot back, causing everyone to laugh.

From the backyard, Grace's mom called out, "The pizzas should be ready by now! Can someone go get them?"

Grace stood up. "I’ll get them." She glanced at me.

"I'll help you" I said, rising from my seat.

We walked to the kitchen together, the warmth from the oven hitting us as we stepped inside. Grace grabbed an oven mitt and carefully took the first pizza out, setting it on the counter. I couldn't resist wrapping my arms around her waist from behind, unable to hold myself back any longer. She looked amazing in her shorts and oversized sweatshirt.

She let out a surprised laugh, her body tensing slightly before relaxing against me. "Jude," she giggled, her voice a mix of amusement and slight panic. "What are you doing?"

I leaned in, pressing my lips gently against her neck. "I can't help it, Grace," I whispered, feeling her shiver at my touch.

"You're crazy," she muttered, but I could hear the smile in her voice.

"I know," I replied, kissing her neck again, more slowly this time, savoring the softness of her skin. Grace's breath hitched, and she leaned back into me, her head resting against my shoulder.

I could feel her heartbeat quicken, her body melting into my embrace. "Jude, we... we should get the pizzas to everyone," she said, her voice breathless and lightheaded.

"Just one more moment," I murmured, giving her one last gentle kiss before letting go. She turned around, her face flushed, her eyes sparkling with a mix of excitement and nerves.

"Alright," she said, a little breathless, "let's get these pizzas out before someone comes looking for us." ..... As the night settled in and everyone retired to their rooms, I lay down, replaying the day's events in my mind. The kiss, the confession, the shared laughter. It all felt surreal, like a dream I didn't want to end. I pictured her beautiful, angelic face looking at me. I had to physically stop myself from going to her room and holding her in my arms while we sleep. As I closed my eyes, a noise caught my attention.

It was coming from Grace's room. I could hear muffled voices, one of them clearly Grace's, but it was the other voice that made me sit up. It was her dad.

I strained to listen, curiosity and concern mingling in my chest. Grace's voice sounded strained, like she was holding back tears. I couldn't make out the conversation, but the tone was unmistakably serious.

Then I heard her dad say something, his voice calm but firm, just as he closed the door of her room. "You can't just follow your heart without considering the consequences, Grace." ..... Hello :) Let me know how you like the series so far and if you want to be tagged. Enjoy! @fbdt2002

Coming up next: Chapter 5

[loveisanimaginarydagger3000]

The Babysitter (4)

Parks And Puppies

Wanda Maximoff X Reader

Summary: In need of money and a way to escape the problems at home, you get a job babysitting two lovely boys named Billy and Tommy Maximoff. What happens when you start to feel things you shouldn't for their mother? Will it bloom into love or leave you heartbroken?

A/N- I would just like to say that there will be some sensitive issues in this story such as alcoholism, homophobia, anxiety as well as more mature content such as smut so, if you continue to read this, please consider this warning.

The Babysitter Master list | General Master List

Chapter 4- W/c 2.3k

Parks And Puppies

A loud ringing noise startles you awake, your hand shooting out of the comfort of your duvet to reach the device, eyes squinting as you see Natasha's name flash on the screen.

"Hey," your voice raspy from just waking up, your hand moving to cover your yawn as you flop back onto the bed, leaving your phone on speaker as you talk to your best friend.

"Hey Y/n, my best, best friend," her tone is too sweet, her words too complimentary making you groan.

"What do you want, Nat?" you grumble, only just looking at the time and realising she's woken you up at nine on a Saturday.

"Who says I want anything?" she answers back, you push your face against your pillow, wishing you could be swallowed up by sleep again and be left to bask in the warmth of your bed.

"It's nine in the morning Nat, tell me what you want now otherwise I'm going back to bed," you can hear her chuckle at your moody and tired tone.

"Well, Yelena is currently out for some school trip that's lasting the weekend and I'm in charge of looking after Fanny," you laugh at the dog's name as always, Natasha groaning at your childishness. "Really Y/n? Every time," you hear her mutter something else in Russian before continuing, "Any chance you would walk her with me? I don't want to go alone and, well, you practically love that dog more than me."

"Are you jealous, Romanov?" you tease, reluctantly sitting up in bed, back cracking in a satisfying way when you stretch a little. "I'll come on one condition; you pick me up to go to the park."

"Deal," she says, "What time do you want me to pick you up?"

"Ten?" you hear her agree to that and a bark in the background, "Tell my favourite resident of the Romanov household I love her, and I'll see her soon."

"Cyka," she mutters before saying goodbye, leaving you to get ready before meeting her.

Around an hour later, you've showered and gotten dressed into a simple outfit, pulling a hoodie on to keep you warm from the slight chill of outside. You check the living room to see your mum still on the sofa, not even bothering to wake her up and tell her you're going out. You do, however, grab a quick snack from the kitchen, only a breakfast bar as you're hoping to persuade Natasha to go with you to get food somewhere else, and start to head outside the apartment block, looking for your best friend and her car.

"Are you ready?" she calls out when you approach her car, confusing her as you walk towards the backseats with a grin on your face.

"Yeah," you answer, not wanting to ignore her and climb into the back where Fanny sits, Natasha rolling her eyes in the rear mirror as you hug the American Akita, ruffling her fur before making contact with Nat's green eyes in the mirror.

"Why don't I get a greeting like this?" she grumbles playfully, unable to hide her smile as you decide to move to sit next to her in the front.

"I can always do that to you," your hand jokingly goes to her hair, face pulling up into disgust and a grimace as you try to ruffle her red locks. "Oh, aren't you a good girl," you put on the voice people do when they talk to their pets, voice slightly higher than normal.

"Go away," she huffs out, fixing her appearance while you sit back into the passenger seat, a giggle escaping you, especially when Fanny decides to try and lick your face from the back of the car.

"You're the one who invited me," you retorted, her shaking her head at your antics before putting the car in reverse and starting the journey towards the park.

***

"Just so you know, as much as I love her, I'm not picking her shit up this time," you make clear, looking over towards your best friend as you see Fanny starting to sniff around a certain patch of grass.

"Fair enough," she mumbles, watching closely as the dog decides to walk away from that area and come back to you two, your hand instinctively scratching her side while her tongue sticks out, hot pants of breath showing in the cold air.

The three of you casually stroll around the park, Fanny wandering off occasionally to play with other dogs and coming back when called, you and Natasha talking about everything and anything. You can't stop the laugh that escapes you when you see a child fall over, Natasha hitting you softly on the back of your head as the child's parents look at you with annoyed looks.

"How on earth are you a babysitter?" she says in disbelief, walking away with you to evade the angry parents for your reaction.

"Oh, come on, that was funny," another chuckle leaves your lips as you replay the small child falling over, the way their face slowly changed from happiness to a confused and sad expression. "And, for your information, I'm great with kids, that's how I'm a babysitter."

"Doesn't seem like it," she mocks, bumping your shoulder to hers in fake annoyance as you continue to walk around.

"Y/n!" you hear voices scream your name, turning around only to feel two bodies crash into your legs, Natasha's arm stopping you from falling over.

"Mini Maximoffs!" your tone playful as you hug the two boys, looking up to see Wanda strolling up towards you with a smile on her face. Your breath hitches slightly, the sight of her making you speechless as she wears a long beige coat with a white shirt underneath, black high waist jeans accentuating her curves and long legs. Her hair frames her face perfectly as you peer up at her, now standing in front of you.

"Hello Y/n, sweetheart," she greets, your cheeks tinting pink that you're definitely blaming on the cold weather, not the older woman.

"Wanda," you manage out, giving her a shy smile while the twins notice the dog running up to you.

"Oh my god!" Tommy exclaims while Fanny sits by Natasha's side, looking up expectantly as she wants a treat. "A puppy!" Both twins move closer to the dog, looking back at their mother for permission who nods her head.

"Can we stroke it?" Billy asks Natasha who hands Fanny a treat.

"Of course, you can," she replies, crouching down and petting the dog herself. "She likes it like this," she shows the boys how to scratch the dog in her favourite way, her fur on her head being messed up slightly by the twins' small fingers.

"What's her name?" Wanda asks you as the twins busy themselves with the dog, you look back at the older woman and ignore the smirk your friend gives you.

"She's called Fanny," you say embarrassedly, Wanda's eyes widening and brows raising at the name. Her laughter makes you smile, the sound something you could listen to forever, her hand raising to cover her smile while you let out your own laugh. "I did not name her by the way, Yelena did," you clarify.

"Is that Yelena?" she asks, motioning to the redhead currently talking to her children, an indecipherable look in her eyes.

"Oh no, that's Natasha, Yelena's sister," you say before calling her name again. "Natasha," she stands up and makes her way over to you two, giving you an insinuating look before moving her gaze to the other woman, "This is Wanda, Wanda this is Natasha." They share a smile before Natasha starts to smirk, making you tempted to clamp your hand over her mouth to prevent whatever was about to come out.

"It's nice to finally meet you," she starts off, "I've heard so much about you." You want the ground to swallow you up, your blush darkening as Wanda looks to you with a teasing smile.

"Oh really?" Natasha hums in response, "I hope it's all been good things."

"Oh, it's all been good Miss Maximoff," she smiles at you while you scowl at your friend, quickly switching to a smile when Wanda looks over you.

"Why don't you show the boys the trick Fanny can do with the tennis ball?" you say to Natasha in a fake sweet voice, noticing how she's enjoying making you suffer. She raises her brow at you in a challenging way, the only reason she gives in is because of the way the boys practically buzz with excitement.

"Sorry about her," you say when the boys run off, Natasha throwing the tennis ball so Fanny can catch it in her mouth, cheers coming from the twins as they chase her playfully.

"There's no need to apologise dear," she chuckles out, walking with you to a nearby bench and sitting down, motioning for you to take the other seat by moving her head. "Billy has a present for you the next time you come over by the way," she says while a smile tugs at her lips at the way your face brightens.

"Really?" your voice shocked, teeth showing as you smile while looking at the boy currently trying to throw the tennis ball further than his brother could.

"Yeah, he's been drawing a lot lately and he said it's thanks to you," her voice is grateful, thankful that you've helped her son find something he enjoys doing.

"Not really," you try to dismiss, "I just told him whatever Vision said to him earlier was wrong." Wanda's face turns to confusion, tearing her gaze away from the twins to look at you, eyes scanning your features briefly before speaking up.

"What did Vision say to him?" there's a little coldness in her tone, you turning to look to your side, her green eyes swirling with curiosity.

"Billy didn't tell you?" She shakes her head, clearly unaware of the false information her husband had been saying, "Vision told him he should like science stuff or sports instead of art, calling it a waste of time." Her jaw clenches and you curse yourself internally for finding the action attractive.

"He really said that?" you nod your head, feeling sympathetic when you see the defeated look take over her. Fingers push her hair back, her auburn locks falling backwards as she lets out a sigh. "He didn't even tell me," her voice is barely a whisper, but you still hear it, "Billy didn't even tell me, his mother."

"Hey," you say softly but she just bites her bottom lip, a worried expression on her face as she ignores your words.

"Am I a bad mother?" you blink in response to her question, eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"What? No," your quick to answer her, "The twins absolutely adore you Wanda, honestly, all they do when they talk about you is say how amazing you are." You watch her reaction closely, doubt still in her eyes, "It's 'my mom is so good at this' or 'Y/n did you know my mom is so cool when she does this?' all the time." A small smile tugs at her lips as you continue to tell her about how much her children love her. When you finish there's a small period of silence, Wanda letting the information sink in for a minute.

"Thank you," she murmurs, finger playing with her wedding ring, "It's just Vis would say..." Before she can finish her sentence, the boys come sprinting over, Fanny following behind and sitting at your feet.

"Mom, please can we get a dog?" Tommy asks, Natahsa following with a sheepish look.

"Please," Billy adds, both of them hugging the dog while giving their mother puppy eyes.

"I'm sorry Dorogies," she says, your eyes widening at her use of another language, "But your father is allergic to dogs." They both pout and decide to shower Fanny in affection, while Natasha looks at Wanda curiously.

"Are you Russian?" she asks, knowing that dorogies was the masculine version of darlings, you also interested in knowing the answer.

"Sovokian," she answers, you then accidentally speaking without thinking.

"You don't have an accent though?" luckily for you, the question doesn't seem to bother her.

"When I moved to America, I learnt to hide my accent, now I'm just used to it, sometimes it slips out though," she explains, and you wish you could hear her normal voice. You were about to ask another question but Natasha's phone rings, telling you it's Melina and moving away to talk to her mother.

"You don't have to hide your accent with me," you say a little shyly, not wanting to sound weird. Wanda simply smiles softly at you before moving forwards, wrapping you in an embrace that has you melting against her body. Her lips press against your forehead before she pulls back to whisper.

"Thank you Detka," your cheeks flush at the sound of her voice, her accent causing a slight rasp to her words before she pulls away, Natasha returning with a shit eating grin on her face.

"I'm sorry to break this up," you glare at her, "But Melina is inviting you over for lunch Y/n, if we're going, we need to start heading back now."

"Yeah, I can do lunch," you say, trying to think straight and calm your body down from the way Wanda's arms felt wrapped around your waist.

"It was lovely seeing you two," Wanda's words break you from your thoughts, the boys saying goodbye to Fanny.

"Bye Fluffy!" They both hug her one last time, you raise your eyebrow at Natasha while she swiftly hooks the lead on the dog and starts to walk away with you after you say goodbye to Wanda and the twins.

"Fluffy?" your voice teasing while Natasha rolls her eyes at you, groaning at your mocking tone.

"I wasn't going to have them screaming Fanny in a park and I also didn't want them to ask me what a fanny was either," laughter spills from your lips at her answer, her pushing your shoulder to move you away.

"I would have paid to see you try and deal with that," you chuckle out, wrapping your arm around her shoulders and walking back to the car with her, unaware of the set of green eyes watching you laugh and joke with Natasha, a disheartened look in them.

---

I used Google translate for the translations so if anything is wrong, please correct me (:

I hope you enjoyed :)

Please leave any thoughts/comments/votes <3 I really appreciate them!

Ao3- LoveIsAnImaginaryDagger

[spuffybaby]

Time to Heal (5)

chapter links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (6) (7)

Though the thought had not crossed her mind then, back in Sunnydale, Buffy figured she'd been few nights away from figuring out a way to be exactly in this position, Spike next to her in her bedroom instead of the basement, one hand behind his head to hold himself up on the pillow, the other holding a poetry collection from Dawn's room. His voice was lowered, Dawn was sleeping already, but Buffy heard it all perfectly clear, close enough as she kept her eyes closed, her head on the pillow, facing him. She felt relaxed, not just because Spike was there and because she no longer had to mourn him and the time they'd been robbed of, but because there was something soothing to his voice, beyond it just being him, the melodic tone in which he read so smoothly, the depth of his voice a contrast she didn't think she could grow tired of.

“Buffy?” He was quiet, had just concluded another poem, suspecting she'd fallen asleep.

Her eyes opened, half-lidded and fatigued, but her gaze met his as she looked up at him. “Spike?”

No matter how many times he heard it, he would never ever get enough of hearing her say his name, and the way she said it now, with her guard down and a softness he'd rarely ever had the pleasure of being on the receiving end of, he didn't deserve it. "Thought you were sleeping, pet,” he said.

“No,” she said, propping herself up onto her elbow, her face closer to his. “Don't wanna sleep yet.”

“Y'know you can,” he said. “I'll be here. Make sure you and your little bodyguard are alright.”

Buffy rolled her eyes. “She missed you too, you know,” she said. “She always liked you.”

Spike chuckled. “I wouldn't say that. She once threatened to set me on fire.”

“She-” Buffy laughed. “I mean, I'm not surprised. She's protective. Like you.”

He raised his eyebrows. “'course I am,” he said.

“I never knew how much.”

The words were quiet, a mumble under her breath, but he'd heard her. “What d'you mean, love?” He tilted his head to the side, watching her closely.

“Dawn told me how you...” She took a deep breath. “When Faith took over before the battle... Dawn told me what you said when you found out that I was gone. That you stood up for me.”

“Oh, that,” he said. “Took me all I had not to go mental on them. Still can't believe all I did was fight Faith. I was ready to take 'em all on.”

Buffy watched the temporary anger in his features, then his face relax when he noticed the look in her eye.

“I knew you wouldn't have wanted me to, no matter what they'd done. Didn't matter. Had to give 'em a piece of my mind though.”

“Thank you,” she said.

“What did you expect?” he asked. “Told you how I felt every chance I got.”

She laughed quietly. “I know. Guess you're not the only one who finds these things hard to believe.” She shrugged. “Think I always thought you did good for me. To see. To show me.”

“In the beginning, yeah.” He shook his head. “But I told you then, I don't just want you. I want you to have what you want. I want to make sure you're safe, that you're happy.”

She blinked back at him. “You want me?” she asked before she could stop herself. “Still?”

Spike's brows furrowed. “Buffy.”

“Spike.” She waited.

He huffed out a laugh. “C'mon. You know the answer.”

“I don't,” she said.

He shuffled to sit up, placing the book at the end of her bed. “What would make you think I ever stopped?”

She felt her cheeks grow warmer. “Well, you used to tell me you were alright and not to worry. When I went on dates. You know, I... I just thought-”

“Buffy.” He shook his head. “Listen. My love for you might have changed when I got my soul, but I never stopped wanting you. Hell, the opposite if anything. Getting my soul showed me how much it meant for you to choose me, to trust me enough. It let me see so much more of you.” His jaw tensed. “Never think I don't want you.” His eyes were wide, the intensity in them keeping her hanging on to his every word. “I just learned to let you take the lead, make your choices.”

Buffy moved up so she was sat up on her knees, without hesitation she reached to cup the back of his neck and brought his face to hers, before he knew it her lips were pressed to his and it took everything he had to maintain his self-control, to not lose himself. 'Boy, would it hurt,' he thought. 'if she changes her mind.' It wasn't like he thought it wasn't worth it, it was what she wanted and that was enough, but he wanted it so badly, even if it meant just this one moment, he'd rather have that than nothing at all. Never would he have forgot the taste of her, but licking her lip, feeling her tongue, it was everything he hadn't thought he'd ever get to have again.

His hands were flat on the bed behind him and he moved closer to her, shifting to cup the back of her head, before he knew he held a fistful of her hair, moaned forcing her lips apart and when he heard a similar sound from her, he was gone, lost in her, there was nothing but the sweet smell of her skin and her hair, nothing but the taste of sugar and the sound of her wanting him.

He stopped himself, ever-scared of the moment where he couldn't. Though he was certain he wouldn't have had to because of her initiation, it was a risk he wasn't willing to take. They'd come so far and he wouldn't put it on the line. He knew he was a different man, but what he'd done to her before he'd got his soul back, it haunted him more than most demonic acts. Nothing in him thought he could do that to her again.

Her eyes opened, wide, surprised. “Are you sure?”

He'd have been out of breath if he could have been. “Don't let this be the only way I can prove it to you,” he pleaded. “I promise you it's not that I don't want you, I just-”

“You need time,” she nodded. She leaned back, sat on her feet.

He moved his hand to cup the side of her face, his thumb smoothing over her cheek. “Don't you?” He pursed his lips. “With this second, well, third chance we've got...” He gave her a small smile. “I want to do this right. You've got to understand... I can't risk any other way. That's how badly I want you.” The way she leaned into the touch of his palm almost broke him. “And you deserve things to be right.”

“Stay with me?” she asked. “Up here.”

His lips parted and he stared at her for a brief moment. Instead of speaking, he went to lie back again, extending his arm across the pillow. Seconds later, she was curled up to his side, his arm around her, her arm over him, her front pressed to his side, her head on his shoulder. It was the unique scent of him and the way he held her in a way that made her feel so well taken care of that she doubted anyone could ever compare. With his coat hung over the chair in the corner and his boots at the bottom of her bed, she hoped he'd fall asleep right beside her. But she wasn't ready yet.

“Thank you for reading to me.”

She could hear his smile in his voice. “My pleasure, pet.”

“You really like poetry.”

He chuckled. “Used to write it, didn't I?”

She opened his eyes, but his were closed, remaining so. “When you were human.”

He hummed. “After too. But I haven't since I... came back.”

“Would you read it to me?” She closed her eyes again.

To her surprise, he stayed quiet for a moment. “I don't know. Never got great feedback,” he said after a while.

He'd confessed his love for her in so many ways so openly, had been devoted to her for so long and yet, she felt if she continued to ask him about his past, about him, it would make him as hesitant as asking him to read to her in the first place had.

“If we do this the right way,” she said quietly. “You have to tell me about you. I mean, I want to know. Who you were. Who you are.”

“Buffy, love...” He opened his eyes, saw her face against his chest, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “You know. Just a man who would do anything for you, striving to be what you deserve. And...” It took him a moment to continue, it was different to say these things that she could really hear, that she really took in now. “I'm an open book to you. I'll tell you whatever you want.”

She shuffled slightly, just enough to be able to reach the skin of his throat with her lips, pressing a kiss to his adam's apple. “Tell me you know you deserve me. And better.”

He opened his mouth, but she cut him off.

“And mean it,” she added.

He sighed, his arm tightening around her as he settled on the pillow. “Oh, Buffy.”

[staytinyville]

OUTLAW (21)

ATEEZ poly!ot8 x Reader

Cowboy AU / Wild West

Series Masterlist

Warning: none, mentions of the previous chapters

A/N BETA READ (@mariana-mmtz). Just know I am reading every single one of your comments and reblogs. I love them so much!

You kept an eye on Jongho, who stayed quiet the entire trip back to the boys. You were glancing at him every so often, sighing when he just stared ahead. He didn’t bother to look at you, which left you a mess. 

It was way past the middle of the night by then, but the boys assured you it was not a problem. The one lantern they were using was enough to light the way. As you all pulled up to the camp, it was quiet until someone opened up their tent to take a look at what the noise was. 

“What are y'all doing back?” Hongjoong asked, walking closer to the four of you. 

“Plans changed.” Yunho sighed, pulling you off of his horse. As you walked into the camp, the others had moved to put their horses where the others were. 

San had gotten out of his tent, looking around and finding you waiting. He took notice of your tired expression, walking closer to you.

“You alright, Darling?” He asked, placing his hands on your arms. 

You tried to give him a smile, but you were too emotionally tired. “Yeah. I'm fine, San.” You told him.

“We're here if you need anything.” He continued, rubbing his hand along your sleeve.

“I know you are.” You whispered with a smile. “I appreciate it.”

“You wanna go to sleep?” San perked up, pulling you along. “You can sleep in my tent. Let's get you into some other clothes.”

You had a tired smile the whole time the man spoke to you. You allowed him to drag you into his tent, quickly moving about to find a clean shirt to give you. When he found what he needed, he handed it to you before moving back out the tent without a word. 

You were grateful for how gentlemanly they all were. They could tease you all they wanted, but they for sure knew how to respect others. It was something you found yourself admiring. They were not at all what one would dare consider criminals. At least not when you got to know them. It left a bubbly feeling in your chest to think about them at all.

When you had finished dressing, San walked back in, giving a closed eyed smile when he took you in. A blush was starting to settle on his cheeks as he enjoyed the sight of you in his clothing. 

“Thanks for the shirt.” You spoke up, moving to sit down on his bedroll. 

San watched as your shoulders dropped and you began to fidget with your fingers. He knew the tale-tell signs that you were stuck in your own head and it was making you emotional. 

“Hey, please talk to me.” San spoke up, kneeling down in front of you. “I know something's bothering you.”

Your bottom lip trembled as you tried not to cry in front of San. The man looked intimidating–seemed like he frightened just about anyone with how wide he looked. However, he was the sweetest man you had ever met. You knew he was someone who would listen to you. 

“I had a fight with my parents.” You softly told him.

“Those sometimes happen.” San scooted closer, moving to your side. 

Tears started to pool in your eyes once more, lips wobbling as you tried to speak. “Yeah, but not because they think you're a–a who-”

“You are not!” San stopped you from finishing. He looked at you with furrowed eyebrows, almost offended you dared to say that. “Don't ever think for one moment you are.” He shook his head. 

Your mind wandered back to earlier in the day, trying your hardest to justify what you had done. You knew that there was something wrong with what you were thinking. You were even honest with Mingi after he had kissed you. Not only that, you didn’t know which one of them you liked in a romantic sense and it left you in a dilemma. 

There was nothing wrong with liking multiple men, however in the end there was only one a woman could choose. But did you really want to pick just one of them? You were the kind of person who wanted to get to know someone before even thinking about them romantically. And you had spent enough time with some of the boys to know that you were starting to like them. 

And because of that, it made you think that your parents were right about you. Who in their right minds liked multiple boys? Who would dare to even tell them that?

“But-I kisses Mingi-” You choked out.

“What does kissing Mingi have anything to do with what you are saying?” San frowned. 

“Because I don't know what to do with my feelings for everything.” Everyone was what you wanted to tell him. However, that involved telling him that you liked them all. 

“Do you like Mingi?” San asked, looking at you as he waited for your answer. 

As you looked at him, everything seemed to flood in as you didn’t really know what to tell him. How were you supposed to answer him when he looked at you with kind eyes? He was a patient man who valued your words. You were a dead woman with how they all treated you. 

“Yes? Maybe. I don't know.” You groaned. “It's complicated.” Your shoulders dropped as you thought about what to tell him. “After he saved me, I feel like things changed.”

“Good or bad?” He tilted his head.

There was a fine line between knowing what was good and what was bad. You had your very obvious ones that made you look stupid if you didn’t think about it before. However, when it came to the feelings a human has, there were a lot of troublesome details that fell into it. 

Your feelings were your own, just as theirs were. In your head you knew it didn’t matter what others thought of it because it was what you wanted. They weren’t going to be the ones who supported you when things got tough. Perhaps your family was always going to be there, but if it was what made you happy, why would you give it up just to please them?

But they were still your family. They had taken care of you your entire life, up until that point, and will probably be the only people who knew better than anyone else. You cared deeply for their opinions, which left you with an aching heart over choosing your happiness or the safe route of staying at home.

“I can't answer that if I don't know.” You explained. “And the only reason I think that, is because I don't know if it's normal to think the way I do.”

“I'm sure you'll figure it out.” San patted your knee, humming.

You’ll figure it out? Figure out exactly what? That you were being pulled in different directions and didn’t know which one to take? You didn’t ever think that liking a man would be so troublesome. But then again, the first time you would ever like one, it just had to be multiple men. 

You had no idea what it was like to court someone, nor to have someone court you. You never really got past a first date with someone and didn’t get to experience the full thing of having someone listen to you, make you laugh, make you cry, save you. There was something about having someone do those kinds of things with you that made you regret not knowing about it sooner. 

However, thinking about it, if you had someone already there, would you have ever met the boys? They left you breathless because of how they looked at you. They didn’t make you feel like you were insufferable. It made you feel like you were on top of the world.

The problem in everything, though, lies in the fact that while you weren’t going to fall in a hole, the others were going to. What happens if in the end you could only choose one and the others are left to their devices? Were you really going to come in between them like that? You were being selfish.

“What happens when I do, though?” You sighed to yourself. “Someone is gonna get hurt either way.”

“Why would they get hurt?” 

“Because it's not normal-”

“Nobody will be normal, so long as one other person will think of you weird.” San frowned. “I still haven't found normal and honestly I wouldn't want to.” A soft smile crossed his features. 

“That would mean finding what everyone else thinks I should and should not be doing. I love what I do. And the others make it all the more better.” San turned to you. “Darling, no matter what you want in the end, we'll respect it. We'll respect you. Nobody is rushing you to find out what you want.”

You could remember Mingi had said just about the same thing. It made you wonder if they truly knew what it was you were talking about. You weren’t being completely honest and talked around the real problem. But it seemed like they knew you more than you thought. 

“Thank you, San.” You smiled, taking in his features.

“You're welcome.” His eyes closed as his lips pulled into a smile.

“Sweetheart, you're staying here?!” You and San turn to the entrance of the tent, watching Wooyoung pronounce into the space. “You look so adorable!” He cooed, eyes drifting over your body in San’s clothing. 

“The others have gotten you for far too long and I want to stay with you.” He made himself comfortable on the bedroll, pulling you down to lay next to him. “Sannie, come lay down with us.” He spoke up, calling for his friend.

You started to giggle as Wooyoung’s hands tickled you lightly, squirming away from his touch. San chuckled, scooting himself closer to both of you. “Coming, Woo.”

San and Wooyoung whispered to each other as you laid between them. They both seemed to be bickering, which caused laughs to quietly fall from your lips. They were like a married couple. Wooyoung would say something and San would try to agree no matter how stupid the boy sounded. It left a smile on your face as you drifted off to dreamland in their arms. 

You were baffled, though. There was so much you were missing in the picture–so much you didn’t know about them–that it made you worried about how much you cared about them. It was important to know the person you wanted to be with, even if in this time it wasn’t common. You knew that at one point you would need to separate yourself from them for fear of tearing them apart. 

But you wanted to be selfish just a bit more.

Series Masterlist

@thefrog3223 , @iarayara , @0rangemilk , @explorewithd , @detectivedoodle , @bangtanxberm , @a1i33a , @loveforred , @drunken-deitence , @0325tiny , @the-ghostest-with-the-mostest , @atinyreads , @atinytinaa , @lexiigom , @smilingtokki, @mismatchfluffysocks , @brain-empty-only-draken , @sousydive , @alex-tinyy , @h3arteyes4mingi , @onedumbho3 , @popcatx0 , @blue1amory , @mommahwa1117 , @stvrfir3 , @sunnyhokyu , @cloudieclair , @araknoid , @starjoongi1117 , @chel-awingcherry ,

[olsenmyolsen]

Chapter Fifteen: Long Distance Calls

The Farmer's Daughter - (A WandaNat Story)

Masterlist . Tag list: @xenaizogie

Summary: Natasha talks to her best friend, Clint Barton, about life and Wanda.

Word Count: 2.1K

Content: Feelings, WLW, Panic Attacks, PTSD, Crying, Talks, Soft Wanda

Natasha woke up in the middle of the night disoriented and thirsty. Like she needed cold, refreshing water or she'd die type of thirst.

So, as Natasha rose and stumbled around in the dark with only the moonlight as her guide toward her mini fridge, she realized a few things.

One. She was still naked.

Two. Wanda was gone, along with her dirty clothes and towel.

Three. Freezing cold water had never tasted so good. But it still came in second to what Natasha had earlier. (Wanda)

Natasha took a deep breath after chugging her water and walked back to her bed. Collapsing onto it as her body was exhausted from the previous day's events. Yet, Natasha still reached over and grabbed her phone.

1:13 am.

She squinted as her phone's brightness blinded her before her eyes adjusted and turned it down. Natasha went to an app on her phone and turned on her smart bulb so she didn't have to get up.

While Natasha's body was tired, her mind was now alive, and she knew she wouldn't be getting sleep soon. So she decided to check what notifications she had missed.

Several were from Wanda.

Wanda😊

im texting you as you're passed out next to me in bed and omg Natasha you look so cute.

im ngl i took so many pictures of you

[picture] [picture] [picture]

i would set an alarm for you for later but idk your password. omg if you read this later just so you know I'm not asking for it i was just saying. Promise!!! 🫶

okay i was kinda hoping you'd wake up by now but you seemed exhausted so im just going to let you sleep. i have to get going dinner is soon and knowing my mother she'll want to do a whole thing because mr. quicksilver being back. so if you're not awake when i come back to grab your laundry i just want you to know that these last couple of hours we spent together were fucking enchanting Natasha... i love how you made me feel... we can talk more later 😘

that was me kissing your forehead in case that wasn't clear

Pietro asked me where I went I said with you to the creek! just so you know

Natasha stared at the words on her screen and read them again and again. It wasn't a dream. She and Wanda had spent the later afternoon tangled in one another.

Natasha covered her mouth and shifted in her bed with a giddy smile. She hadn't felt this way in so long... but as her mind replayed Wanda's touches, hips, thighs, and whispered sighs. She came back to her PTSD attack, and her smile slowly disappeared.

It had been four months since Natasha's last one, which forced her to let out a tired sigh. She opened her notes app and went to a specific tab. Natasha wrote yesterday's date in between the lined rows.

The above dates traced back to five years ago.

Natasha exited the app, and before she could doom scroll anymore or get trapped inside her mind, her phone started to buzz.

It was Clint Barton calling her.

Natasha answered the phone at a rapid pace. It had been weeks since she last spoke to him. Days since she last tried contacting him. She missed her friend. "Clint!" She exclaimed as the call finally connected.

"Natasha?" He answered, sounding confused in turn, making Natasha confused. "Clint?" She said as her eyebrows furrowed. "Natasha!" Clint responded.

To the outside world, this must've been the dumbest way to start a conversation.

But this was just Natasha and Clint.

"Yeah! Hey!" Natasha answered. "Where the hell are you!?" She could loudly hear a helicopter behind Clint as he did his best to move away from the noise. "Hey! Sorry, I didn't get back to you sooner!" Clint yelled back before he was far enough away. "Couldn't talk while en route to base. Plus, my phone got destroyed."

Natasha lightly laughed. "Of course." If memory serves her, this would be his sixth phone since she'd known him. Clint smiled on the other side of the call. He, too, missed Natasha's voice. In actuality, he missed having his best friend on base, but long-distance calls would have to do. "So, am I allowed to know where you're at?" Natasha asked.

"Afraid not. It's a hot zone. Shouldn't even be making calls, honestly." Clint looked around even though he wouldn't get into significant trouble.

Just a normal amount.

Natasha hummed. She had been in his shoes before. "Speaking of... what are you doing up Natasha?" Clint intrigued. "You called me!" Natasha answered as she raised a hand in a "is he joking" manner.

Clint laughed. "Natasha, I was calling to leave you a voicemail. To let you know I'm alive, but I also know you and your voice when you've just been woken up." Natasha rolled her eyes. "So what's up!?" Clint asked.

"Honestly..." Natasha shifted in her bed. "Before you called, I just woke up from a nap." The call went quiet. "A nap?" Clint questioned. "You, Natasha Romanoff, took a nap?" Natasha sighed loudly. "Yes! I took a nap!" Clint started laughing, hard. "I've really heard it all." He started chuckling again. "How in the world did you manage to be that relaxed? Or exhausted?"

"A mix of it all." She replied, and Clint could sense there was more to it. "Did something happen?" A sigh slipped through her lips before swallowing. "Earlier today, I had a PTSD attack."

"Did anyone get hurt?" Clint asked before letting an air of relief escape once Natasha said no. "Are you okay?" He then asked. Natasha nodded. "I'm okay."

Clint smiled slightly on the other end. "That's good. If you want to talk about it, we can."

Of course, Natasha knew this but didn't want to rehash anything right now. "Maybe some other time." Clint was sure that was going to be the response. He and Natasha were similar in that way. "Did you make a note of it?" Clint asked. Natasha lifted her eyes and found her military bag. Inside was a journal she used to write all her thoughts, experiences, and trauma in regard to her time in the military and post it—a method suggestion to her by Dr. Helen Cho.

Natasha sighed. She hadn't opened the journal in a long time. But Clint knew that. He just thought that bringing it up would be a friendly reminder for Natasha. "I didn't," Natasha said with her voice low. Clint hummed. "Give it a shot, Nat," Clint replied, making the redhead nod down the phone.

Clint cleared his throat. "Well, I guess I have to ask you about the rest of your life." He laughed. "What's been going on?"

Natasha bit her bottom lip and smiled. "Clint, a lot has happened since we last spoke."

_

"Wait, so let me get this straight you let your ass get kicked?" Natasha was done with this man. "No, I didn't. I let her win, and besides-"

"Natasha, I've seen you take down men twice your size."

"Barton!" Natasha wanted to move on to the vital part of this ongoing call! "I could've won, okay. Yes, I didn't! Can you please talk to me about anything else?"

Clint hummed before slowly nodding his head.

"Be honest with me, Nat." He said, treading slowly. Natasha nodded back into the phone. "Okay."

"You're head over heels for Wanda, aren't you." Natasha smiled, and Clint could hear it. "She's got you, Nat, doesn't she?"

Natasha laughed through her nose. "You have no idea. It's embarrassing, actually." Natasha, now dressed in an old shirt of Wanda's, said as she laid out on her bed gossiping. Clint laughed at that before clearing his throat. "I'm happy for you, Romanoff. You deserve it."

A watery smile grew on Natasha's bruised face. "Thanks, Clint."

"Hey, maybe you and she could visit Laura and the kids soon. She'll be needing help around the house." Natasha thought about it a little. It would be nice."I could talk to her about it sometime,"Natasha said vaguely, not to set a date into stone.

Clint understood. "Think about it. We're always here." Natasha rolled over on the bed before her phone vibrated in her hand, making her pull it away from her ear.

It was a text from Wanda: hey, your light is on. Are you okay??

"Natasha?" The redhead heard Clint's voice over the phone before she lifted it back to her ear."Yes! Sorry, Wanda texted me." She slapped her head. Natasha didn't need to overshare, but of course, she was doing it.

"Oh, okay, well, then I'll let you go," Clint said with some humor, making Natasha groan."You know it's not like that."She said. "I know," Clint said back. "I should be going anyway. Call Laura and the kids. I'll talk to you soon, Nat."

"I will. Be safe, Clint." Natasha said as she smiled down the phone before it went quiet—the words from Wanda reappearing in front of her. Natasha decided to get up from her bed and look out her window.

She saw Wanda's light on, but no Wanda.

"Yeah, I woke up a little bit ago, and then Clint called me, so I was just talking to him." Natasha wrote to Wanda.

She looked back up towards the window and saw a figure walk past the lacy curtains. Natasha couldn't help but let a smile grow.

Her phone buzzed: "Clint??" Natasha laughed hard at that, realizing she had not spoken to Wanda about who Clint was.

"My best friend from the military. Nothing to stress about. He's married and has kids."

Natasha waited for Wanda to read her message as she stood by her window, looking at the shadow walking back and forth in her room.

"so I'm not your best friend?? 🥺"

Natasha shook her head with laughter at Wanda's words. "We do more than what friends do." Natasha typed back and saw the figure move her lacy curtains open with a smirk.

Wanda waved, and Natasha waved back.

They were cute and stunned at the beauty of the other person. Wanda blinked and looked down at her phone. Natasha waited.

"...truee so then what does that make us?"

Natasha looked back towards Wanda only to see the brunette missing. Natasha lightly cursed as she wasn't sure what to say. She was fairly certain she knew what she and Wanda wanted, but what if she was wrong?

Natasha didn't want to make the sole decision.

"What do you want it to be?" Natasha typed and waited for her message to change from delivered to read, but it didn't.

Instead, a knock came to her door, scaring the shit out of her.

She flung it open and was glad it was who she thought. "Wanda!" Natasha grabbed the girl's arm and pulled her inside. Leaving the night sky outside as the door closed.

"I want it to be what you want!" Wanda cut off whatever Natasha was going to say as she found herself rocking back and forth on her feet. Natasha looked towards Wanda and placed her hands on Wanda's covered hips. "And if I say I want us to take it slow?"

Wanda ripped her eyes from Natasha's lips to the greens off her eyes. "Then it'll be slow." Natasha kept her reaction to a minimum. "Exclusive but no labels yet...?" Natasha asked gently of Wanda.

Wanda nodded and spoke confidently. "I don't want you seeing anyone else." She laughed through her nose. Natasha smiled and couldn't help it when she pressed her body and lips against Wanda.

"Me too," Natasha said as she breathed. "Besides..." Wanda began to tease. "Kinda got to take me on a few dates before labels can be thrown around." Natasha raised an eyebrow. "Is that right?" She tilted her head and slowly backed Wanda to the bed as the younger woman smiled with glee and nodded.

"Let's do something Wednesday night? I'll plan it." Natasha declared to Wanda as she pushed her onto the bed.

Wanda loved it, but why did she have to wait days for the date?

"Why then?" She asked just as Natasha hovered over her body. Natasha smiled. She was smooth and knew it. "Because if I'm going to show you off, my face needs to be more healed than it is now, Detka." Wanda mulled at the pet name and lifted her head up to kiss Natasha deeply. 

Natasha melted before Wanda pulled herself away. "It's a date."

"It's a date," Natasha repeated. Before she knew it, Wanda played coy and slid out from under her. "I'll see you in the morning, Natasha." Natasha didn't want her to go, but it's not like Wanda could stay without everyone knowing. But as she opened the door to leave, Wanda glanced towards the window facing her room.

"Keep the curtains open. I'll do the same."

Natasha looked from her window to Wanda and back. "Okay." She nodded along. Wanda grew warm in her cheeks. "Night, Natasha."

Natasha's soft eyes found Wanda again.

"Good night, Wanda."

dividers by @/benkeibear

[cinnamonbear22]

oblivious love (c.s x reader)

chapter 3

go read the first two parts :)

tw

fem!reader, substance use, underaged, suggestive, fluff, slight harassment

"what if you did these pants with this shirt?" i held up one of the several pairs of pants scattered across matt's bed, as well as a button down i took from his closet. "i think that's the best option"

"yeah, it looks good" he approved finally after showing him at least twenty different outfit combinations he could do.

"finally" i set down the clothes he wanted to wear away from all the other clothing on the bed, and started to put away the other options.

"thank you" he got up from his bed and started to help me put away the array of clothing.

"you're welcome" i smiled up at him while hanging his button up shirts. "if i took a nap would you make sure im up?"

"for sure" he nodded as we finally got the last bit of clothing neatly set away. "you're tired? didn't you just go out to eat?"

"that's why i'm so tired" i rubbed my exposed belly gently, which caused him to laugh a little.

"(y/n)!" nicks voice boomed from downstairs. "where are you?"

i turned back and looked at matt, who looked slightly annoyed. "does he have to be so loud all the time?"

"of course" i smiled and started to head towards the door. "i'm going to watch t.v. if you wanna join me?"

"i will in a bit" he ran his fingers through his hair. "i better shower"

"ill see you down there" i closed matt's door behind me and walked down the steps, looking for nick. he was in the living room on his laptop, the t.v. had a basketball game on while he was typing away. "you're watching the game?" i asked him as i sat down closely to him on the couch.

"no, it was left on from someone earlier" he looked over at me while he had a blanket draped across his back.

"what are you doing?" i reached over and grabbed another blanket, quickly cuddling up in it and leaned against nick.

"editing this stupid video" his eyes focused on the screen which displayed the three of them in matt's car. "you can change the channel, i'm not watching this" he handed me the remote as i watched him cut down clips. once i changed the station and got more comfortable on the couch, i tried my hardest to stay awake.

nick ended up putting his laptop to the side saying he needed a break, and together we both watched a silly reality t.v. show. we'd make comments here and there and laugh, but my eyes were fighting terribly. eventually i gave in, resting my eyes peacefully and letting myself sleep.

~

"both of you need to get up!" matt's voice frightened my peaceful slumber, as well as a shake on the arm. "i've been trying for like.." he paused as i brought my hands up to my eyes and rubbed them slightly. "ten minutes"

"alright, alright" nicks voice next to me grumbled irritatedly. now that i was fully awake, i realized that me and nick both fell asleep on the couch. my head was still leaned against his side as his feet were propped on the autumn in front of him.

"what time is it?" i sat up and stretched my arms, my senses waking up slowly.

"four thirty-ish" he looked at his phone and sighed. "we're leaving at seven"

"shit..." i threw the blanket off me and quickly stood up in a frenzy.

"you have two and a half hours to get ready" nick got up as well, sort of mocking me that i needed so much time.

"i need all two and a half" i giggled and quickly turned around the couch, heading into my room.

"i'll be in your room in a bit" nick raised his voice as he headed up the steps into his room.

i went to the bathroom and quickly did my skincare before applying the makeup. suddenly i felt like i was in rush, the two and a half hours did not seem like enough time whatsoever.

but i didn't rush my makeup, i took my time with a slightly smokey black eye with a little eyeliner. nick ended up coming to my room halfway through my routine dressed in a white dress shirt with a navy tie that matched perfectly with his pants. he sat on the bathroom sink as we talked back and forth while getting ready.

i decided to leave my hair natural for the event, brushing my fingers through the few knots i had and my face and hair were done after an hour. "what do you think?" i looked over at nick, who was still sitting on the bathroom counter.

"i think you're stunning as always" he looked up from his phone with a little smile, making me smile as well.

"i'm so nervous for some reason" i walked out of the bathroom and went over to the dress that was still draped on the office chair. "i'm not going to know anyone and just be weird and follow you guys everywhere"

"i think you'll recognize some people" nick sat down on the edge of the bed. "you know, you just have to be yourself and everyone you'd talk to is going to love you"

"thank you" i covered my heart and gave him a little hug as he sat limp on the bed. "you're the best"

"i know" he was snarky as he patted my arm in a comforting way. as i changed he covered his eyes like a child, constantly reassuring me that he wasn't peaking, and there's no way he would ever want to. it made me laugh, but once i was changed into the silky black material he helped me tie the back. "god you look amazing!" he screamed and waved his hands with excitement, making me giggle and stare at myself in the mirror.

he stood next to me in the mirror and we both admired ourselves and each other. "we look great" i fixed my hair before slightly posing. nick pulled out his phone with the camera up, so i posed next to him with arm resting on his shoulder and my head tilted. he posted it to his story with the caption, 'my best friend is hotter than urs'

"are you guys almost ready?" chris yelled from what seemed to be the living room.

"yes one second!" nick yelled back as he picked up the black stilettos and handed them to me.

"thank you" i smiled and slid them on my feet, adjusting the straps around my ankles so they'd fit perfect.

i grabbed my phone and lipgloss before following nick out into the main living area where both matt and chris were standing with their backs faced to us on their phones. "everyone hold the applause please, no flash photography" nick announced jokingly while we entered the room, almost as if we were being presented at an award ceremony.

once they turned around, both of their faces had the same exact expression like they were mirrored. both their jaws dropped with joy filled in their eyes and they quickly started throwing compliments at me. "stop my face is going to turn beet red" i held my hands over my cheeks with a big smile. matt was in the outfit i had helped picked out, a black dress shirt with slim khaki-colored dress pants with a popped collar, and black shoes. chris on the other hand clearly got his way, all dressed in black. black dress shirt, black pants, black shoes, and even a black tie.

as we waiting for our uber to arrive, chris and nick wanted us to make a few tik toks all dressed up and of course we did, all of them not really serious at all and us just messing around and showing off our outfits.

matt got a notification that our uber was here, and quickly we headed out towards the door. chris lingered behind me as i trailed behind matt and nick. "i just wanted to seriously let you know you look absolutely gorgeous" he bent down and talked quietly near my ear as we walked into the driveway.

"thank you" i turned my head up and smiled at him, taking notice of his gold jewelry. "you don't wear gold" my finger lightly touched his earring, then his necklace.

"we're really matching now" he smiled and fixed his gold chain, but he quickly held his hand out as we approached the steps.

"you're adorable" i held his hand gently while walking down the cement stairs. matt was already holding the back door for me of the uber. truly, it was princess treatment all around.

i slid into the suv and was a little smooshed in between nick and matt, chris sat in the front and politely was making conversation with the driver. the venue was about twenty to twenty-five minutes away according to the gps, which that gave me plenty of time for my nerves to start shaking up with the amount of overthinking that could be done.

which, unfortunately, that whole car ride was just filled with me thinking about how terrible this night could possibly go. i'm basically just going to be an annoying leech to them because i won't be comfortable with anyone else there. everyone else there, they're all strangers to me. they're probably going to have a ton of people and friends to catch up with, and i'll just be awkwardly there, burdening them.

"what is your issue?" nick tapped my hands that were subconsciously twisting the rings around each of my fingers. "your face is so pale now, you look sick... you're not sick are you?"

"no, no" i quickly felt all the boys eyes on me when nick said that, concern washed over each of their similar faces. "no i'm okay" i waved my hands slightly to try to get all of their attention off of me.

"you're not going to be bothering us at all (y/n)" matt placed his hand on my knee in a consoling way, all of them verbally agreeing with him.

"we literally invited you to come with us, we want you to be with us" chris joined in with the reassurance, and suddenly my nerves were feeling calmer. im not sure how they could always read my mind, but they were always keen to seeing right through me like a translucent sheet. "you've never been a bother to us before, why is now any different?"

"well, i don't know" i shrugged and looked over at nick considering chris's eyes were giving me too much butterflies for right now.

"see, you're overthinking, relax" nick squeezed his hand over both of mine, making me smile a little

"sorry" i sighed and started to nervously fix my hair, trying to get my mind so heavily off the subject.

"don't be, we're going to have so much fun" nicks overall vibes completely lifted me up, his presence to me was completely calming now and i felt so much more relaxed, and now actually excited to go.

after another ten minutes, we slowed down in front of a large club venue where many people were walking in, and loud music was already blasting to where i could hear it inside the car. we all thanked the driver before matt slid out first, holding the door open for me and nick.

my heart started to race a little with seeing the flowing crowd of recognizable people walk in, all seeming to be popular on social media and content creators. there were hardly any windows that could peer into the inside, but it was easy to see the bright flashing multicolored lights spilling out of the doorway as people entered.

i didn't even notice matt and nick walking ahead of me since i was too busy staring at the venue. "you ready?" chris's voice slightly startled my trance, i didn't even realize he was waiting for me.

"yeah" i looked up at him and nodded, the setting sun made him look like he was glowing, and his eyes were accented with the rays. "i still can't believe you got gold jewelry" my fingers reached up and i touched the gold stud earring, my heart racing more from him instead of the crowd.

"what? i had to match" he started to walk now, and i quickly followed next to him. we lost nick and matt within the large sea of people that we were approaching, but we weren't too worried considering we were all going to the same place.

"i feel like there's legit going to be a million people here" i looked around at all the people dressed nicely, thinking of how easy it would be for me to get separated within the crowd.

"it's okay," chris reached down and grabbed my hand before maneuvering through some people to try to get in. "i'm not going to let you out of my sight" he read my mind once again, and i was quick to tighten my grip around his big hand as we were close to the door.

we had to check in with a bouncer since this was a 'private event' even though the whole world seemed to be here. the club was loud, music blasting, people talking, dancing, drinking, everything that would be happening at a club scene was going down before my eyes.

i pulled my hand out of chris's, immediately thinking about the girl he was telling me about. "we probably shouldn't be holding hands" i talked loudly over the music but only so he could hear.

"why not?" he bent down to my level so we could hear each other more clearly.

"that girl you like is here, i don't wanna mess that up" he snaked his arm around my waist and leaned his ear down to me as i spoke, people slightly bumped into us as the scene became more packed by the second.

"you-" chris was cut off by nick and matt, nick quickly linked his arm with mine and yelled down to me.

"lets go get a shot! let's go dance! come on" he dragged me away and i looked behind me at chris who looked a little bit shocked at how quickly i was taken away from him.

"you don't think they'll id?" i held onto nicks arm tightly as we walked through a group, people greeted him from left and right. 

"no, it's an open bar" he shouted back down at me. once we approached the bar nick ordered us both shots, well, he ordered us each two shot's. i wasn't complaining, i did love to party, but the whole process of getting ready, arriving, and warming up the event was always nerve racking to me. we downed both the shots quickly, the strong taste making my face cringe slightly and my sense all the more aware.

as we made our way to the dance floor, nick decided to take me around and introduce me to some of his friends. most of them even recognized me from being in older videos and i was flushed by compliments from everyone he introduced me too. everyone was polite and sweet, and i tried the best i could to be just as respectful. i didn't want my small reputation to get ruined.

"should we take more shots?" nick looked down at me with a devious look in his eyes, and i couldn't say no.

after an hour i completely settled into the party, my confidence was peaking from all the compliments i received from nicks friends, and the alcohol was doing its work, turning me into a complete social butterfly.

i wasn't afraid to talk to anyone, dance, walk around by myself (even though nick was always following), and i didn't even feel insecure when someone would take our photo. i felt like i was on top of the world. although, i hadn't seen matt or chris in awhile and i had felt the urge now to go and hunt them down. i looked around for nick but i seen he was in a small group talking. i didn't want to disturb him.

i started to walk away from the dance floor that i had been living on, feeling a little woozy from all the drinks. not to add the flashing lights making it harder to see. "excuse me!?" i began to tap on random people's shoulders, hoping i would find them sooner. "have you seen a group of triplets?" a tall, messy blonde haired boy turned to face me with a drink in his hand.

"i'm sorry?" he cocked a brow, giving me a small up-down look with his eyes.

"i'm sorry" i threw my hands up in defense. "i'm looking for my friends" i looked over my shoulder and then back at him. "they're like," my words felt all mumbled in my mouth, and i began to heat up and sweat more than i already was. "they all look the exact same!" i stumbled over my words a little as the tall boy just laughed down at me.

"the sturniolo's?" he smirked, his brow still cocked a little with confusion.

"yes!" i nodded quickly, my fingers subconsciously playing with the rings that decorated my fingers. "do you know where they are? i seriously can't find them. chris, matt, where are they?"

"you're their friend that pops up in a few videos yeah? (y/n)?" he ignored my question, but i was a little more surprised at the moment that he had known who i was.

"y-yes" i slurred, nodding my head excitedly. "i can't believe you knew my name, that's really sweet of you"

"would you like to get a drink with me?" he reached down and grabbed my fidgeting hand. as his hand held mine, i had instantly felt negative energy coming off of him.

"no, no, i think i had a little too much" i pulled my hand quickly away from him but he only stepped a little closer. "i really need to find my friends"

"come with me ill help you look" he slightly cocked his head to the side towards the door, reaching down once again and taking ahold of my now clammy hands.

"no, i think i can find them, im sorry to bother you" i quickly turned around but was stopped by him grabbing my wrist and pulling me back towards him.

"c'mon" his eyes were hard as he looked down at me. fear overtook my body as i instantly froze, afraid to move or deny him. he was much, much taller than me, definitely stronger than me. i could get hurt if i didn’t listen to him, but i didn’t want to. i felt stuck.

"i-i-" i tried to sputter out, but my words seemed to be taken right out of my mouth when i had felt someone else's hand gently on my waist.

"is there a problem?" chris's voice and touch had quickly sent a whole wave of relief through my body, the guy instantly dropped my hand once he had seen chris's holding the small of my back.

"no man, she's drunk and really wouldn't get off me" the guy quickly defended himself with a lie, my eyes darted up to chris's. the soft, glowing blue eyes that i had seen earlier had disappeared into an cold, piercing stare at the guy in front of me. "you have to control your girl"

"will do" chris guided my waist away from the guy, and we both quickly started to leave the crowded area.

"chris i wasn't on him" i swallowed hard as a few booths came into my vision, but that was quickly blurred by my watering eyes.

"i know you weren't" he chuckled softly and let me slide into the booth first before he sat down right next to me. "are you okay?" his eyes softened now once we made eye contact, his fingers gently brushed hair away from my face.

"yes, i was just trying to look for you guys and asking people where you were and i just really had an urge to see you" i covered my face with my hands, my emotions spilling out all at once. i felt as if i had a motormouth.

"how much did you drink?" he pulled my hands away from my face so we could look at each other, his eyes were still extremely gentle and calming through the vivid flashing lights.

"i-i don't even know!" i cried softly, but he started to laugh a little. "don't laugh at me" i crossed my arms and side eyed him, now truly feeling embarrassed.

"i'm sorry, i'm not laughing at you i swear" he threw his arm around my shoulder and pulled me into him, letting my intoxicated self cry on his shoulder. "don't cry please," he brought his hand up to my face and wiped off the tears with his thumb.

i pulled my head off his shoulder and was about to say something, but i was immediately caught in his eyes. everything seemed to replay in my head, from us being children, teenagers, and us now as young adults. he was always dragging me around, letting me cry on his shoulder, taking care of me. the soft purple light on him made it a little hard for me to see, but i knew exactly what i was looking at. his hand on my cheek wiping away my tears, the safe and comforting feelings i got from him… i was looking at my person.

but i had interrupted my own daydream by pushing his hand away from my face, and i wiped off my own tears. "i don't want that girl to get the wrong impression incase she see's" i swallowed the brick in my throat, taking a deep breath and straightening my posture that was slightly leaning towards him.

"she won't" chris seemed slightly offended when i had pulled away, the same facial expression he had given me earlier today when i dropped his hand. "c'mon, want to meet her?" he started to get up without my answer, so i was inclined to go but the major knots piling up in my stomach did not want me to. i had to act like i was unbothered as we weaved through people, his hand reaching back and grabbing ahold of my wrist so i didn't get lost. we were now near the back of the club, where the bathrooms and mirrors were placed along the walls where only a few people lingered in and out. "okay are you ready?" he asked, turning around to face me and i felt my stomach churn. i was definitely going to vomit now if i didn’t before.

"yep" i nodded, and he looked over his shoulder into the crowd.

"close your eyes i want it to be a surprise" he smiled gently but i couldn't even reciprocate the smile back. i closed my eyes anxiously as my throat began to dry up. in this moment, i wanted to do nothing but run away before i seen her. she was going to be stunning, i already knew it. there was no way i would ever compare to her, and i didn't even know who she was. "okay no peeking" he placed his hands over my already closed eyes, and began to softly push me into a different direction. "okay she's near.." he guided me with him to wherever we were walking, but quickly stopped. "okay, okay... she's right here so be my wingman okay?"

"yes okay just uncover my eyes" the snarky tone accidentally slipped, but i didn't even want to uncover my eyes. my heart raced as i felt his hand come off of my eyes but my eyes were still glued shut. i took a small breath to stabilize myself physically and mentally, and slowly peeled open my eyes.

as my vision came into focus, i was standing right in front of myself. "she's so beautiful yeah?" we stared at each other through the reflection of the mirror, my stomach instantly went empty. but not in a bad way.

"stop messing around" i turned to him and hit his chest, my eyes quickly started to look around the empty area for another girl. "if you're messing around you know it's not funny" i looked at him with angry furrowed brows, shaking my head. "chris you know it's not funny to mess with an intoxicated person"

"(n/n) stop" he was still smiling with a blush spread across his face. "i'm serious" he pursed his lips together as he stared sternly down at me. "you are the girl at the party that i am so crazy about but i am so scared of what you are going to say" his face stayed affectionate and serious but his body language was extremely timid. my heart was pounding, pounding louder than my head and the music blaring around us.

it was hard for me to speak. every ounce of knowledge i had was completely gone and my mind only was consuming the words that had just been said to me. my face was quick to change from the angry, confused, tensed muscles and completely softened. my senses were somewhat coming back to me. "you're not lying?" my tone of voice changed as my eyes peered directly into his. i felt like i couldn't even move or breathe.

"no" he swallowed hard, stepping back a little. "you're not giving me a positive response" he scratched the back of his head and looked down at the floor. i've never seen him so shy... "i know that me admitting this could ruin everything between us, everything between my brothers, but i just couldn't hold it back anymore" his eyes looked at me through his lashes but quickly back down at the floor.

confidence and boldness strung along heavy through my veins now, my whole entire heart feeling like it's been lifting up to the sky. "chris" i reached for his hand and pulled him near me so he could hear me better over the loud music. "did i not make it completely obvious?" i began to laugh at myself a little, his face quickly lifting up with a smile. "chris you have no idea" my hands then reached up and cupped his face which was now smiling widely. "oh my god…" i sighed with relief, quickly pulling him down to me and hugging his neck tightly. "you have no idea how much i adore you and how completed i feel when you're with me" he pulled away from me and i rested my hands on his chest gently. "and how much i think of you and want you and need you and how special and handsome and-" i cut myself off from rambling, the words spewing right out of my mouth as he looked down at me with the most pure eyes. "i've always felt so connected with you in a way that i've never felt with anyone else, and i don't think i will ever feel this with another soul"

"i'm sorry i told you in a blaring club. it's not as romantic" he bent down to my ear, slightly snaking his arm around my waist and pulling me in closer to him.

"you could've told me this in a landfill and i would still be just as thrilled" i couldn't help but wrap my arms around him again, hugging him closely to me. "thank you for telling me" i quickly kissed his cheek before resting my head back on his shoulder, enjoying his embrace.

"thank you for not turning me down" he rubbed small circles on my back, but i quickly pulled away knowing i would get too comfortable and just want to be cuddled up with him.

"everyone is going to get suspicious" i smiled up at him, which his face was still pink with now a lipstick kiss stained on his cheek. "oh im sorry," i covered my mouth as i began to laugh a little.

"what? what?" he started to frantically fix his hair, wipe his face, and adjust his chain.

"no, no you look fine it's just i accidentally left a lipstick stain on your cheek" i reached my hand up to wipe it but he pulled his head away.

"no, keep it" he stood proudly now, making me extremely worked up. "let them be suspicious" he said boldly, making my cheeks heat up. he placed his hand on my waist before guiding us out into the more open areas with still the mass floods of people swarmed everywhere.

the next few hours were spent on the dance floor with chris, drinking a lot, and just letting ourselves loose almost as if we were celebrating. it felt like no one else was in the room with us as we danced together, laughing, being slightly intimate, and it was great not having to rethink about my actions since i had gotten the confirmation. his hands would rest upon my hips as i swayed to the music, alcohol was extremely pungent in our breaths whenever we'd speak to each other, but it just enhanced the moment even more.

we took many photos together, from people with professional cameras to spending about fifteen minutes in the photo booth giggling and posing, everything just felt perfect.

third person

"we should probably go find them" nick looked over at matt who was sitting near him on a stool. "our uber is going to be here soon right?"

"yeah, it's going to be hell though looking for them through this" matt narrowed his eyes towards nick, nicks stomach dropping at the look in his eyes. "you didn't let her drink did you?" matt asked with heavy concern, nicks face almost going pale.

"i didn't let her she did on her own" nick lied, slightly afraid of his brother.

"great" matt stood up from the stool and rubbed his mouth, quickly scanning his eyes through the room for any sight of chris and (y/n). "she's with chris though right?" matt asked for slight reassurance, which nick nodded feverishly. "the ubers close let's get them" and they both started to venture through the club.

it wasn't hard to find them, because they were back on the dance floor together and it was as if they were the center of attention. "oh my god" nick mumbled and covered his mouth out of embarrassment. chris and (y/n) were both dancing in a non-embarrassing way, but the way they were slightly touchy with each other almost sent nick through the roof. "did he tell her?" nick gasped next to matt as they both watched.

"yeah he said he was going to tonight" matt couldn't help but to smile at the two. both nick and matt knew that they deserved each other, and finally, it was out.

"well, he shouldn't be doing that here! that's going to get on the media so quick with all these people!" nick slightly panicked and rushed onto the floor, matt following closely behind him. "hey, guys we gotta go" nick spoke quickly, grabbing both (y/n) and chris by their arms and trying to drag them out.

"oh come on, we just got here nick" (y/n) was very drunk, and it had been known once nick got a whiff of her breath and she could barley even stand when he dragged them.

"our uber is going to be here soon, we have to go" nick got stern with the two of them, but each of them refused to go with him and planted their feet as if they were rooted to the ground.

"c'mon just a little longer" chris pleaded, his neck tie hung loose around his neck with his collar open now, looking a bit disheveled from when he first arrived.

"don't tell me you're drunk too" nick rubbed his eyes in a stressful manner, looking over at matt for backup.

"i don't want to go yet" (y/n) crossed her arms like a child and began to step back into the dance floor, but quickly nick grabbed her hand and yanked her back.

"alright," nick tried to drag his friend along once again, but she didn't move. "fine" he let go of her hand and in a few swift movements, she was being thrown over his shoulder and carried out.

"hey!" she giggled loudly and slapped his back as his arm securely held her waist, his other arm dragging chris along. "nicolas!" she cried out, laughing with every single step he took.

"can you take him please" nick handed his brother to matt, and they were quick to move towards the exit. a few photos were being taken of the group causing nick got extreme second hand embarrassment for his intoxicated best friend, hoping she wouldn't remember because he knew how embarrassed she would be.

"nick!" she was consumed with laughter as he irritatedly pushed open the door, the fresh, brisk air nipped at her bare skin as the wind gently blew her hair.

"you are acting crazy!" nick grabbed her waist with both of his hands and set her down gently on the concrete sidewalk. "sober up or you're gonna get in trouble!" nick scolded her quietly through his teeth, almost as if he were parenting her.

"shut up" she crossed her arms with an overly dramatic eye roll, leaving nick in absolute shock.

"you did not just talk back to me" he now jokingly shot back at her, biting his knuckles with raised brows. "please get back over here" he snagged her hand as she started to slightly wonder off away from them.

"where is chris?" (y/n)'s eyes grew extremely sad, her whole entire face now dropping as her lips turned into a frown. "where is he?" she was so unaware of her surroundings, she couldn't even comprehend he was right behind her, standing closer to matt.

"right here, dumbass" nick grabbed her shoulders and spun her around to face the other brothers who was standing behind them.

"don't call me that" (y/n) frowned up towards nick, but was quick to start staring at chris. they locked eyes with each other, trying their best not to smile and giggle with just a gaze. she slowly began to walk towards him and he opened his arms, welcoming her without hesitation.

"you cannot be serious" nick blankly stared at the two, shaking his head with annoyance. "god stop p.d.a. is fucking killing me" he raised his voice with sass, making chris and matt chuckle a little. but (y/n) was just so unaware of her surroundings when she was held in chris's arms, the only thing thing that filled her ear was his heart and muffled voice, as well as the rhythmic pattern of his breathing.

"will we be home soon?" she asked into his chest with worry laced through her voice, which immediately perked all of their senses.

"what's wrong?" matt bent down to face her as she was nuzzled right up against chris's chest.

"i just really need to lay down" she was completely out of it, not even conscious of what she was saying at this point.

"we'll be back soon" matt laughed a little at how drunk she was, and chris was almost about to fall asleep standing up. "i swear they're both nodding off right now" matt placed his hand on chris's back to stabilize him, looking at nick with a bit of concern.

"how great will this be loading them into the car" nick nodded his head at the uber that pulled near to them, matt and nick both engaging with a stressed side eye.

"alright guys here we go" matt pushed chris, who also dragged (y/n) along into the van.

"i'm going to lose my fucking mind" nick rubbed his face while watching his two intoxicated friends slide into the vehicle.

matt sat in between chris and (y/n) in the very back seat, nick stayed in the middle row while both chris and (y/n) were obnoxiously loud. nick kept apologizing to the driver, who said he was quite used to this.

matt reached his arm around (y/n)'s shoulders, seeing that she kept slouching and leaning over to where she couldn't even sit up straight for a second. "get your hands off my girl" chris's words were extremely slurred, almost to the point that matt and nick could barley even make out what he said.

"what?" nick started to laugh back at them, matt now was growing irritated.

"you guys are fucking stupid" matt grumbled, pushing (y/n)'s head back lightly so it wasn't tilting down.

"no we aren't matty b" (y/n) pouted, the car ride quickly making her feel more dizzy than she was before.

"please keep your head up" he held her forehead with his two fingers, both matt and nick exchanging concerning looks.

"don't worry she'll be fine" nick tried waving off matt's worried expression. "it's not her first time around" nick rolled his eyes and looked back at the road. "we are not taking care of them when we get back"

"but nick-" matt's concerned voice was cut off instantly.

"they did this to themselves" nick was clearly agitated, but he didn't actually mean that. he would die for the both of them if he had to.

chapter 4?? ;)

[ebongawk]

rules: post the first lines of up to 10 of your last fics/chapters posted on ao3 or your wips and try to draw some conclusions.

tysm for the tag @pipergirl17 (like a week ago whoops) this seems so fun!

every star in the sky (is taking aim)

I love you, man. It was a strange feeling, lungs filling with blood.  His lungs filling with his blood.  Painful, yeah, but also weird.   Unnatural.  Like his blood knew it wasn’t supposed to be there, but it didn’t have a choice.  And the sensation of drowning in the liquid of his own body, the wet he produced that was supposed to keep him alive literally killing him? Fucking unreal.

the beating of our hearts (is the only sound)

Chrissy was exhausted. Three hours before, when she’d initially walked into Jason’s home, she’d already been tired.  But then fifty of their classmates popped out of poor hiding spaces, shouting surprise! so loudly she thought they’d ruptured her eardrum, and her internal dial went from ‘worn out’ to ‘enverated’ almost immediately.  Like the room was full of vampires that thrived on energy, and every ounce she had was leeched as soon as she stepped foot past the threshold. Whatever she wore on her face, Jason mistook it for excitement.

overheated heart (head over heels)

Eddie needed this goddamn movie to end. He was dying.  Like, actually suffocating, his lungs inhaling and exhaling oxygen without absorbing any of it into his blood.  He kept taking slow, deep breaths, but every passing second was agony.   Because with every stupid, necessary puff of air, Eddie kept getting little nudges of flowery perfume, and it was gonna be the death of him.

let's climb too high (for the stars to reach us)

Plopping down on a stool, Chrissy gave a weary sigh, letting her head droop against her crossed arms on the bartop.  She felt, all at once, like she’d been awake for a thousand years, and all she wanted to do was go to sleep.   Curl up in her bed after a long, relaxing bath and read one of her romance novels until she passed out with the pages spread over her chest. Joke’s on her, considering her bed was now tainted.

give me your hand (give me your sound)

It was a weird fucking day. Walking into the hellscape that was school, the aura was weird.   Anticipation hung heavily in the air; the promise of an impending week off made tension thick as people prepared for their spring break with wandering minds and jittery dispositions.  Ignoring lessons outright in favor of planning road trips and parties, discussing how to obtain alcohol despite the prying eyes of ‘authority figures’ standing over their shoulders. Eddie reveled in it.

heart begins to beat

The memories came in increments. Lying awake, staring up at the ceiling of a hotel room that felt more like home than Chrissy’s own childhood bedroom ever had, the pieces of a past her tormented mind had begged her to forget slowly stacked together.  Like a game of Jenga towering higher and higher, waiting to fall and crush her completely.  Each new brick connected the dots of a nightmarescape she couldn’t have fantasized in the most insane of dreams.

the conclusion I'm drawing is that I'm a big fan of single-line tag lines to sort of set the tone for a story 😂 which tbh I already knew. I also tend to steer my Chrissy POV intros more toward emotion while my Eddie intros seem a bit more physical? but idk if that's true for every fic or just these six.

(also idk if it meant the first few lines of the story or of the most recent chapter posted but I went with the former lmao)

I'm gonna tag @cyraclove @billysblueeyes @astorytotellyourfriends and anyone else that might want to play!!