#( x. Faye Photos )

[countlessofvoids]

[thisisrealy2kok]

Faye Wong for Motorola (1998)

[kissandships]

Fay/Henry and their GIGANTIC 1980s Glasses

[livlaughloveluke]

omgomg can you do a charlie bushnell x reader smau where they do a soft launch?

ᡣ𐭩 𝗶 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗶’𝗺 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗻𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝗵𝗮

feminine reader x charlie bushnell smau

IN WHICH.. two famous pjo stars decide to make their relationship public

[a/n]- reader just plays an imaginary character in the first season, also request more smau’s i love them!

🎧- i know i’m funny haha by faye webster

liked by walkerscobell, jenna ortega, and 143k others

therealyn- beach trippp!

view comments…

diorgoodjohn- ok wow i don’t remember receiving invitation ?

↳ therealyn- i’m so sorry bae ilysm 💔

walkerscobell- you are NOT the son of poseidon lil bro 💀🔥

↳ therealyn- don’t make me get sally up in here

↳ walkerscobell- I WAS JOKING

user2- gorg

user6- holy shit she’s stunning

iamcharliebushnell- surprised you didn’t almost drown

↳ therealyn- THAT WAS ONE TIME.

↳ walkerscobell- hey why don’t I remember this so called “drowning”

↳ diorgoodjohn- i don’t remember this either 🤨

↳ therealyn- 🤫🧏‍♀️

user8- why is no one addressing the last pic

↳ user5- fr who is that

↳ user4- it’s probably charlie omg

↳ user3- can we let people be friends without automatically assuming they’re dating??

aryansimhadri- you’re my favorite castmate ❤️

↳ therealyn- awe you’re my fav too 💕

↳ walkerscobell- excuse me??

↳ diorgoodjohn- i thought you loved me yn 😔

↳ iamcharliebushnell- wait what

liked by diorgoodjohn, iamcharliebushnell, and 124k others

therealyn- the big 🍎

view comments…

diorgoodjohn- i’m 😭 so 😭 happy 😭 for 😭 you 😭

walkerscobell- hey so you can’t just post this with no explanation

↳ therealyn- hey so actually i can

oliviarodrigo- i’m in love with you omg

↳ therealyn- omgomg i love you too

iamcharliebushnell- pretty cool post

↳ therealyn- pretty cool indeed

↳ walkerscobell- this feels oddly intimate

aryansimhadri- what’s goin on here 🤨

↳ therealyn- i’m in new york duh

leahsavajeffries- maybe reply to my texts instead of posting your (not so) mystery man 💕😄

↳ therealyn- i’m going to ignore that last part ☺️

user4- HA tagged user3

↳ user3- they haven’t confirmed anything 😒

iamcharliebushnell uploaded a new story!

seen by therealyn, walkerscobell, diorgoodjohn… (view more)

liked by rickriordan, aryansimhadri, and 217k others

iamcharliebushnell- guess what

view comments…

walkerscobell- I KNEW IT

walkerscobell- GUYS I KNEW IT

walkerscobell- also that last photo is yucky 😀

↳ iamcharliebushnell- can’t you just be supportive

leahsavajeffries- so this is cool and all but i’d appreciate photo credits for the first one

↳ iamcharliebushnell- my dearest apologies i am greatly sorry

↳ leahsavajeffries- yeah you better be 💯💯

rickriordan- ❤️

↳ therealyn- 💕

↳ iamcharliebushnell- ❤️

diorgoodjohn- hey girly i know you don’t know me but…

↳ iamcharliebushnell- square up 🤺🤺

aryansimhadri- wowo so cutsies

↳ therealyn- so so cutsies

therealyn- who’s that gorgeous and funny and smart and sexy babe on the first slide 😍

↳ walkerscobell- someone’s humble

↳ therealyn- i was talking about charlie but okay

user4- I TOLD YOU tagged user3

↳ user3- i know i should be upset that i lost this argument and all but they are so cute

andrewalvarez- wow this is SO unexpected and I definitely did not know at all!

↳ walkerscobell- WHY DID HE KNOW BEFORE US

↳ iamcharliebushnell- he walked in on us 😔

ᡣ𐭩

MASTERLISTS 𓏲𝄢 REQUEST / TALK TO ME 𓏲𝄢 RULES

reblogging + showing support is highly appreciated :)

[binniesbooks]

halloo, I come with a request 🧎‍♀️‍➡️🧎‍♀️‍➡️ ofc feel free to ignore it if you don't feel like writing about it or js don't like the request, that's totally OK!!

but I have been thinking about idol!soobin x fan!reader (feeding my delusions HAHAH) maybe the reader started out as a fan but at a meet and greet or something, she caught soobin's eye and then yada yada they get together !!

then, one day, y/n is on her phone and comes across an edit of soobin. ofc edits of him weren't anything new to her considering she was a fan before she got w soobin but this one caught her eye bcs it wasn't about soobin specifically but about his hands 👀👀 she saw it in a whole different light but ofc was too shy to tell soobin herself so she keeps it a secret

but then another day, in their shared apartment, reader is watching yet another edit of soobin's hands but what she doesn't know is that soobin came back earlier than usual and was right behind her, seeing the edit. that's when it clicked, why y/n was more nervous than usual these past few days, staring at his hands. and then well smut😌😌😌 (kinda mean dom soobin plsss)

feel free to alter it as u like or not do it at all HAHAHA just needed to get my thoughts out!! love yaa

-🤍

• CHOKING HAZARD

SB 000 .F23 2024

wc 4.1k

pairings meandomidolbf!Soobin x subfem!reader

warnings size kink, choking, fingering, slight oral (fem receiving) unsafe sex, pet names, cum eating, creampie, slight degradation (plus if I missed anything)

faye's note TOTALLY DOWN BAD FOR SOOBIN'S HANDS THAT I WOULD GLADLY SIGN A PETITION TO START A FANDOM FOR HIS PRETTY HANDS??? GAAHHH! Anyway, although I felt like it took me decades to finish this fic, I enjoyed writing this one. Hmhmhm. 🙂‍↕️

"Girl, I swear! He was staring at you the whole time!" Your friend exclaimed on your way home after attending a fan meet event with your favorite K-pop boy band, TXT.

"Stop with your delusions, Rain," you chuckled. "Why would my bias stare at me? That's impossible," you said, scoffing at the idea your friend had been conducting on your way home.

"Oh my god, you're such a dumb Soobrangdan, I swear! You're losing your chance!" Your friend was about to burst out, lucky for you, there are only a few locals riding the bus, and they're not paying attention to your friend making a fuss.

You glanced at the photo card dangling on your bag, your bias really looks handsome. You like the other four guys, but you’re committed to Soobin. The tall guy gave the cute yet sexy and hot aura. His bunny smile and pretty face made you fall for him over and over again. --- You we’re a total simp for Soobin.

"Here! Look! MOAs are uploading pictures and videos here and there. Take a look and tell me if I'm wrong!" Rain frowns. You took her phone and scrolled through the platform.

'She's so lucky! Soobin has been staring at her the whole time!'

'She's a Soobrangdan, right? How lucky!'

'Oh, to be stared at by your bias!'

'Prayer reveal, sis!'

It was true. Soobin was looking at you the whole damn time. He looks at the crowd for a second, quickly returning his gaze at you. Oh my god! What in the world have you done to be looked at like this by your bias?!

"Oh fuck, I hope Taehyun would look at me like how Soobin stared at you last time!" It's been a couple of months since the last fan meeting you attended. And this time, you are attending another fan signing event again.

You weren't expecting anything at all, or so you thought. Maybe, deep inside, you're expecting Soobin to recognize you from the crowd. For him to look at you the same way he did last time.

"You're the one who gave me the crocheted KARA lightstick last time, how could I forget you?" Soobin's bunny smile flashed right in front of your face. His big hand is almost covering your tiny ones.

You were giggling the whole time. His hand envelopes yours. He even held your wrist in an almost teasing manner as he compared your size difference. Soobin couldn't stop smiling either. He adores how your hand fits perfectly on his. How the size of your ring finger is the same size as his pinky finger.

And just before you move on to the next member, he sneakily wrote something on the album he was signing.

"I really recognize you, y/n. I hope we can see each other more often," he whispered. "And... don't let anybody touch this album aside from you, yeah?" He smirks as he slides the signed album towards you.

You went home in a dazed state. Your friend couldn't even talk to you properly, frustrated she just shut up. You weren't saying anything aside from the constant "huh?" and "mhm!", while you were clutching the album against your chest tightly.

After doing your nightly routine, you jumped on your bed. The white and orange-colored album caught your eye as you quickly got up and grabbed it.

Sniffing the album, you slowly turned every page. Admiring every beautiful face on each page. Until you saw his picture near the middle part—it was Soobin's picture.

'Hi pretty, call me if you're free.' was written on the edge of the page along with a phone number. Your jaw dropped to the floor, confused and baffled.

You were expecting something more like a sweet message or such, not a 'call me' note.

Yet you found yourself dialing the number written on the page of the album.

"H-hello?" You muttered when you heard a deep breath on the other end. "I-is this Soobin? Choi Soobin?" You were practically biting your nails while muttering the words carefully. What if it's just a bluff?

"Y/n?" the voice answered. Alas! It was Soobin!

"H-hi! I... I'm... I just--"

"Calm down, sweetie," Soobin chuckled.

You took a deep breath and whispered a soft hi. Soobin hums as an answer. The call was short, because Soobin was busy with his schedule. Well, that one-time call already meant a lot to you, who are you to complain?

A couple of months later, TXT organized another fan signing event for their comeback stage. This time, it was a lot bigger than the other. This time, thousands of people are expected to participate. And once again, you and your friends were lucky to acquire the VIP ticket.

It was a crisp autumn evening, and the anticipation in the air was electric. Fans from all corners of the city had gathered for the long-awaited fan meeting of TXT, their favorite boy band. Among the thousands in attendance, you found yourself at the front of the stage, heart racing as the boys took their places.

As the event kicked off, Soobin scanned the crowd, his gaze dancing over faces filled with excitement until it landed on you. You felt your cheeks flush, unsure if it was the light or the warmth of his gaze that sent butterflies fluttering in your stomach. For a moment, time seemed to stand still as his eyes locked onto yours, a playful smirk breaking across his face. You quickly looked down, too shy to hold his gaze any longer, but not before you noticed the playful glint in his eyes.

“Who’s ready to have some fun?” Soobin called out, his voice laced with enthusiasm. The crowd erupted in cheers, but all you could think about was that moment of connection. As the various activities unfolded—games, Q&As, and performances—you couldn’t shake the feeling that Soobin’s eyes kept drifting back toward you.

During a particularly lively segment, he started to walk toward the edge of the stage, playfully teasing the fans. You held your breath, half-expecting him to call someone else into the spotlight. Then, without warning, he pointed directly at you. “You! Come here!”

Your heart stopped. “Me?” You stammered, disbelief evident on your face as you made your way to the front. The crowd parted with laughter and cheers, urging you on. With each step, the adrenaline surged, and by the time you stood before him, your heart was pounding furiously.

“Hi! What’s your name?” Though his eyes were actually screaming, he knew your name, leaning closer, his warm smile making it hard to concentrate.

“Uhm, it's y/n," you managed, your voice barely audible above the loud cheers around you.

“Well, aren’t you brave?” He said with a playful wink. “I have a feeling you’re going to be my favorite fan tonight.

”You couldn’t believe it—he was flirting with you right there in front of everyone! The other members laughed and encouraged him, but he didn’t take his eyes off you. As the event progressed, he kept making lighthearted jokes, steering the attention back to you each time.

When the event ended, he stepped down from the stage and walked toward you. “You know,” he said, his voice low enough for only you to hear, “I think we should hang out sometime. I’d like to get to know you better."

Your breath caught in your throat as the other members around you gasped. Was he really asking you out? “Are you serious?” You asked, trying to mask the disbelief with a teasing smile.

"Absolutely,” he smiled back, mischief dancing in his eyes. “What do you say? Just us, away from the cameras and crowds?”

After exchanging contact information with a heart full of hope, your night wrapped up, but that was only the beginning. Over the next few weeks, Soobin kept his promise. Text messages turned into phone calls, and soon enough, the two of you were meeting in secret cafés, parks, and even sharing ice cream on chilly evenings. Each moment together deepened the bond you were forming.

Dating someone like Soobin wasn’t without its challenges; the scrutiny of being in the public eye weighed heavily on both of you. But amidst the noise, you found solace in the quiet moments—the way he would listen intently as you spoke, the laughter you shared over inside jokes, and the warmth of his hand finding yours.

One night, while walking beneath a canopy of stars, Soobin gently squeezed your hand and said, “I never expected to find someone so genuine in this crazy world. I’m really glad you caught my eye that day.”

With your heart racing, you looked up at him, his face lit with anticipation. “I'd never imagined myself dating you, Soob, I even thought you're joking. But... You’ve changed my life in ways I never could have imagined. You made me love life even more,” you sighed.

In that moment, the world faded away, leaving just the two of you standing under the sparkling sky, two hearts dancing to a rhythm that felt undeniably right.

"Were you watching edits of me again?" You were startled from where you were sitting when Soobin spoke.

"Oh my god, Bin! At least announce that you're home, else I’ll end up dying young," you joked, your hand still on your chest.

Soobin chuckled, planting a kiss on your forehead, "I did, sweetie. Maybe you're just too focused on what you were watching that you didn't even hear me. What if it's not me? What if it's a killer or a thief?" Soobin pouts as he melts into your arms.

"What the hell are you saying? Do they have the house key?" Your eyebrows raised into a frown and Soobin pouted.

It's been only 3 months since you started officially dating him, yet you knew almost everything about him. You're too familiar with when he's stressed out, or when he's angry, or when he just wants to be clingy.

One typical Saturday afternoon, while the sun was casting a warm golden hue across the room, you sat on your bed, scrolling through social media.

You found yourself watching a short video clip that featured your boyfriend in a relaxed interview setting. He was gesturing with his hands, those long, slender fingers of his gliding through the air as he spoke animatedly about his passion for music. You couldn’t help but feel a flutter in your chest as you admired his natural charisma. You had always found him attractive, but something about his fingers today set your imagination racing.

The way he drummed his fingers on the table, or how he would push his hair back while speaking, was captivating. You leaned in closer, your face flush with warmth, almost forgetting the world around you. The clip had sparked a whirlwind of fantasies in your mind, and you lost yourself in thoughts of how his fingers might feel on your skin, exploring and teasing.

Just as you were about to replay the video for the third time, you heard a soft click at your door. Your heart raced as you quickly looked away from your phone, feeling like a deer caught in headlights.

To your surprise, it was Soobin himself, looking casual yet undeniably cute in his oversized hoodie. “Hey, i'm home,” he said, a playful smile spreading across his face. You froze, phone still in hand, the video still playing in the background as your cheeks flushed a deep shade of red.

“What were you watching?” he asked. You felt your throat go dry, words barely finding their way out. “Um, just a… a video,” you stammered, avoiding his gaze.

He stepped closer, his curiosity piqued. “Oh really? Is it something interesting?”

For a second, you thought of showing it to him, telling him about it, yet you shut it off and brushed it all aside.

"W-what do you want for dinner?" You muttered, shoving your phone in your pocket.

"Don't cook tonight, I booked a restaurant." Soobin smiled, shrugging off the matter that was the video on your phone.

You took a quick shower, picked some nice casual clothes, and took his hand in yours, walking hand in hand once again.

Soobin makes a joke about you might be cheating on him and that you're hiding something from him. But of course, you showed proof you didn't do anything of the sort.

Dinner went well. Aside from some pair of eyes probably boring holes in your skull, Soobin made you comfortable nonetheless. You had a good time with him again, after a while of being busy with his hectic schedule.

The next day, Soobin went out earlier than usual. They were called in for a sudden meeting for their upcoming shoot.

You were enjoying your time alone. Baking some goods for him to taste when he gets home. Cleaning and rearranging the house stuff for a cleaner and cozy space. You even changed the curtains, the sheets, the pillowcases, and the blankets.

After a whole day of cleaning, you sat down on your usual spot on the sofa, turning on your phone to consume some entertainment. You found yourself searching for the clip you had watched yesterday.

And once again, it made your head spin. His long and slender fingers look so pretty. His huge hand made you think about something unholy. Your fingers slowly digging into the soft pillow, your thighs rubbing against each other.

His eyebrows shot up in genuine surprise, a soft laugh escaping his lips. “My fingers? What about them?”

You jolt up from where you were sitting, quickly shutting off your phone and shoving it face down on the couch.

"H-hey! Y-you're phone--- I mean home!" you exclaimed, quickly hitting your head and cursing yourself for messing your words up.

You felt your face grow even warmer, heart racing. The heat of embarrassment surged through you, but there was something unmistakably thrilling about his interest. Soobin tilts his head to the side, curious of what that was all about.

"They’re just… really nice,” you finally admitted, barely above a whisper, a mix of shyness and audacity washing over you.

Soobin’s smile widened, and a glimmer of something playful sparked in his deep-set eyes. “Nice, huh? I guess there are worse things to be complimented on.” He took a step closer, invading your personal space, making you acutely aware of how your body responded to his proximity.

You could feel the coldness of the concrete wall seeping through your thin shirt and kissing your warm back.

Suddenly, the air was thick with tension, a magnetic pull drawing you toward him. He leaned down slightly, tilting his head, his gaze locked onto yours. “You know, I can show you just how nice they are…” His voice dropped to a whisper, the teasing lilt sending shivers down your spine.

Without thinking, you leaned forward, and the space between you collapsed. The spark ignited, and Soobin captured your lips in a soft, tentative kiss. It was electrifying, leaving you breathless and wanting more.

As he pulled back, you gasped at the intensity of the moment, still dazed.

"Are you okay?” he asked, a mix of concern and mischief playing on his features. You nodded, your heart racing. “I think so… I just never imagined…”

“Neither did I,” he interrupted, his fingers brushing against your cheek, a subtle caress that felt intimate and exhilarating. “But sometimes, the unexpected can lead to something amazing.”

Before you could process it, Soobin pulled you closer, his lips finding yours again, this time more passionately. Your hands instinctively found their way to his hair, fingers tangling in the soft strands as you melted into him. You could feel his warmth radiating off him, igniting an undeniable fire within you.

As the kiss deepened, his fingers moved down your arms, tracing patterns that sent jolts of electricity through your body. You pulled back for a moment, eyes searching his. “Are you sure about this?”

His playful grin returned, and he nodded. “If you're down, I'm down. Who am I to decline? Besides, I think you need me," he chuckled as he gripped your waist.

With a rush of adrenaline, you surrendered to the moment, letting go of your shyness and embracing the connection between you. It was as if nothing else mattered; the world outside faded away, leaving just the two of you in this shared sanctuary of desire.

The afternoon melted into an evening of exploration and passion, every soft touch and lingering kiss drawing you closer. Soobin’s fingers, the very ones that had ignited this whole encounter, explored your skin like an artist painting a masterpiece, each stroke igniting flames of longing in their wake.

"S-soobin," you choked out.

"Yes love? I'm here. I'm still here," he muttered, kissing your neck. He then pulled away and grabbed your arm, sniffing your wrist. "You smell sweet and amazing, did you take a bath already?" he asked. You simply nodded, pulling your hand away and wrapping them around his waist.

"Bedroom? I think I really need you right now," you bit your lower lip as you look up at him.

"You do?" Soobin taunts, lifting one of his hands, gently rubbing your lip. He pulled your lower lip down with his thumb. "I don't know what I could do to you. Your tiny body looks so frail and fragile compared to me."

"Please, need you..." Your eyes pleading to the tall man, rubbing your thighs together, wanting to finally feel him.

Soobin carefully wrapped his hand around your neck, slowly tightening his grip. You heard him curse under his breath when you gasped for air, clutching on his shirt. His grip easily made you lightheaded and your mind hazy. You're totally making him develop his size kink in a sexual way.

"B-bin... S-soobin..." You managed to squeak out as fat tears fell from your waterline. He pulled his hand away, and he watched you catch your breath, whimpering on his chest as you hugged him tight. Not wanting to let him know how turned on you are.

"Did I hurt you? I'm sorry, you just look... You looked so pretty when you're all drooling and crying with just my hand wrapped around your neck," he said as he hugged you back, his voice tinged with apology.

"F-felt good... Want more..." You admitted, burying your face in his chest. Soobin carried you all the way to your shared bedroom. Laying you down on the bed, carefully stripping you out of your thin clothes, and hovering above you.

"Y/n, if we don't stop now, I can't guarantee you I would be able to stop later on," he sighed, fingers gently brushing your plush thighs.

"Need you. Need you so much, please..." You begged, grabbing his toned arm. Soobin dipped his head down, kissing the tip of your nose.

"I love you, don't think that I only want your body. I love you because you are you, y/n." You weren't expecting him to spew assurance in the midst of this, especially since he was suddenly talking about your body, but it made you feel at ease for some reason.

He then grabs your hands, restraining them both with just a single hand above your head. "My hands and fingers are pretty, you say? Watch them for me, yeah?" he said as he slowly rubbed your clit.

"Mmphh!" You squirmed under him, a faint blush creeping onto your cheeks.

His digits slowly disappeared in your hole as he fucked you with his fingers. Grinning widely while watching your small frame thrash beneath him.

"Say it again," he commands, "That my fingers are pretty."

"B-bin mmphh! Your fingers are--- ahh! Are p-pretty!"

"How pretty are they?" he edged, curling his long fingers inside.

"Ohh! S-so pretty w-wanna c-cum--fuck ahh! W-wanna cum on them!" You managed.

"Mhm, go ahead, do it."

With a few more pumps, you came undone on his fingers, body twitching from sensitivity. His face lit up, looking proud that he managed to make you come on his fingers. When he pulled out his fingers, they were glistening with your arousal. Sticky. Wet. Creamy.

Yet your eyes were fixed on his essence-covered fingers. It didn't escape his sight, smirking as one nasty idea came to his mind.

He shoved his fingers in your mouth, letting you taste yourself. Allowing you to suck on his pretty fingers covered with your slick. Making you play with his fingers with your warm and hot tongue.

"Damn, you look so sexy like this. If only I knew about this, we should've done this earlier," he chuckled as he swirled his fingers on your tongue.

"Do you taste good? I bet you do." He smiled before pulling his hand away from you and dipping his head on the lower region of your body. Gripping your thighs to keep them open, licking a long stripe on your dripping pussy.

Your body arched as a guttural moan escaped from your mouth. "Damn, you do taste good, should've done this to you before."

If he has long fingers, no doubt that he has a long tongue too. That he could even tongue-fuck you and would possibly make you cum again if only he stayed longer.

Soobin pulled out a pack of condoms that had been sitting in his wallet for a long time now. "What if we hit it raw instead?" His voice was joking, yet you agreed.

Soobin was packing. Girthy --- Veiny. Thick. Long.

"B-bin too b-big!" You whined. He made you straddle him, claiming he'd reach deeper inside you in this position. Not to mention the pack of condoms discarded and long forgotten on the floor.

"Baby, you can take me. I know you can. You’re doing so good. Doing so fucking good, my pretty girl." His fingers traced the prominent bulge on your tummy. "See? I'm deep inside you. In here. Look. You're such a good girl," he coos, poking and pushing at the bulge.

His lips captured yours once again. Kissing you fervently yet carefully. "You're so tiny," he giggled as he leaned back, pulling your lower lip again with his thumb. He wasn't expecting you suck his finger into your mouth.

"Dirty," he remarks, and he felt you clench around his cock.

"Fuck, you want that? You want to be called dirty? To be called a slut?” He felt you clench around his cock again.

"Angel, didn't know you're this kinky?" he chuckled. "Aside from being choked, you quite love getting degraded, hm?"

"B-bin, 's too m-much?" You whined, wanting to hide on his neck, but he insists on watching your face contort as he rearranges your guts.

"Poor baby," he coos, red cock ramming your overstimulated cunt even harder. Your wanton moans got louder and high pitched. His thrusts got sloppy and erratic.

"Fuck, won't last long, mmphh!" His head thrown back as he grips your waist, pushing your body down on his cock, slamming through your cervix.

"M-me neither, please, n-need more," you whimpered.

One of his hands flew up to your neck, restraining your lungs to acquire enough oxygen, making your mind a little hazy and your pulse throb for a bit while he shoots his cum inside you.

"Shit!" he hisses, convulsing, as he leans his forehead on your shoulder, loosening his grip on your neck. The corner of his lips curled up when he heard you panting, gasping for air, your body twitching above him as you came undone for the second time. Your boyfriend developed many kinks, after all.

He slowly pulled away, a glob of cum flowing out from your spent hole. "Let's get you cleaned up," he whispers, along with the soft kisses being planted on your temple. You shook your head and pulled the blanket over your bodies instead, hugging him tight, neglecting the sticky feeling.

Soobin then decided to rest and clean up later. He doesn't want you to be sulky and mad anyway, so he just hugged you closer to him, gently massaging your sore body.

Smiling to himself with his eyes closed after realizing something. That when he chokes you, he now knows you love it. When he shoves his fingers on your mouth, he now knows you're reeling at the feeling. When he restrains both of your wrists with just a single hand, given how huge his hand is. He might be your big, clingy baby at times, but he's a total daddy in bed. He likes to show power and dominance towards you—his pretty little angel.

@binniesbooks 2024

[luvhughes43]

is it too much to ask | quinn hughes x reader

luvhughes43 masterlist🌙

summary: missing q when he's on the road! based off the song, "is it too much to ask" by faye webster.

word count: 1.2k

I’ve been waiting for so long

Waiting for you

Maybe you’ll give up and come home

I just want you

you felt a little childish counting down the days till your boyfriend would be back from his roadie. but really, who could blame you? It seemed that recently, with the canucks winning streak and Quinn's captaincy, you’ve seen less and less of your loving boyfriend. 

“Quinn!” you smiled at your grinning boyfriend once the facetime call connected. “What are you doing?”

“Just getting ready to get down to the rink” he replied, throwing his tie over one of his shoulders and using his other hand to pull it around his neck.

Quinn adjusted his tie, and you watch on in silence as he gets himself dressed. his belt comes next, and you stare as he stepped back and adjusted the long piece of leather to his body.

“you’re being quiet,” Quinn mumbled, still too caught up with what he was doing to glance back at his phone. 

you hummed softly. “just admiring you”

Quinn laughed, that carefree ringing sound that reminds you of those endless summer days on the lake. “you’re cute”

when Quinn finally looked up at you, you felt as if you’ve been caught doing something inappropriate. heat nips at your cheeks, and you look away to the stove to distract yourself from his gaze. 

“you look really pretty today,” Quinn continued, missing the redness of your cheeks.

you looked back towards your phone and you can’t help but smile at your boyfriend. “you look really hot! I can't wait to see the HD photos,” you joked. after the walk in photos were posted to the canucks twitter, you would send them to Quinn and comment on how attractive he looked. Quinn liked that a lot. 

Quinn chuckled before leaning forward and clicking on his phone to check the time. he deflated upon seeing the little numbers on his screen, letting you know that your short call would have to end soon. 

“i’ve gotta get down to the bus,” he sighed, leaning back in his chair as his eyes scanned his messy hotel room.

“okay, well good luck! I’ll see you later?” 

Quinn hummed as he stood up from his hotel chair. he held the phone in a low angle and blew a kiss to you through the screen. “Yup, i'll text or call after the game” Quinn said, moving around his room and throwing various things around in an attempt to find something. 

“Your airpods are right there,” you hear Elias mumble in the background. 

Quinn moves again, and without a second thought turns to you before uttering a quick, “love you!” 

“I love you too!” you respond, and then the call abruptly fades into black. 

after the call ended, you trudge over to your and Quinns couch and switch the tv on so you were prepared for when his game started. 

you sit around and wait for the game to start, wishing for nothing more than to spend some time with your boyfriend. you knew captaincy was going to include a lot more responsibilities, but the distance combined with the extra hours at the rink… you just wanted your boyfriend back at home. whenever those thoughts of wanting Quinn to quit and come home to you flooded your mind, guilt would wash over you. hockey was his dream, and in a dream world you would be able to spend a little bit more time together.

All these letters that you wrote

They remind me

You’re not far when you leave home

That’s the best part

as usual, after the game Quinn sent you messages and little voice notes telling you all sorts of things. 

Quinn (voicenote) okay, so basically I was handling the puck, I don't know if you watched this part? But like anyway i’m lining up the shot-

a lot of the time it was Quinns narrations of the game he just played. you would lay in bed and listen to his warm voice explain all the intricacies of his and his teammates plays despite having witnessed it all go down on your screen.

when the voice notes end and you find yourself staring at your dark ceiling, you’d move onto reading the messages he’d send you throughout the day. 

Quinn: The sunset reminds me of you

Quinn sent one image

Quinn: I love you! Sleep well❤️

Quinn: i’ll call you in the morning

Then you’d scroll through old text messages. Brief declarations of love, lots of missing yous, and tens of pictures taken of mundane things that litter both of your everyday lives. 

Is it too much to ask you to never let me go?

Is it too much to ask you to hold me even close?

Is it too much to ask you to never let me go?

Is it too much to ask?

“you're back!” you squeal the next morning, lifting yourself up off the couch and into Quinn's awaiting arms. you snuggle in close, choosing to rest your head in the crook of his neck. you can feel Quinn's wide grin against the side of your neck and you giggle when you feel his lips tickling open mouth kisses all along your skin. 

“we got in earlier than expected,” Quinn replied, lips still hovered over your skin. 

you hummed, “well send my compliments to the pilots”

Quinn kissed your shoulder again, before pulling you into a tight hug. “I missed you,” he sighed. 

“I missed you more,” you replied easily, thinking back to all your late nights spent watching the latest of Quinns interviews. in all honestly, you were practically a twitter stan when it came to your boyfriend. 

“Bath?” 

You nod, “i’ll start running the water” 

five minutes later you sit on the edge of the tub, hand dipped into the scorching water as you listen to the sweet sounds of Quinn trudging and stomping through the apartment. he had never quite learnt how to walk quietly, but you couldn’t say you minded how loud his presence was. 

It’s the road that takes you away

That's the worst part

‘Cause once it takes you, makes you stay

There's no way out

you knew that this was just one of many days off, and that in two week’s time he would be gone again. you’d lay alone in bed, replaying voice memos and rereading texts as you usually do. 

“what are you thinking so hard about?” Quinns soft voice makes you smile. you shift from your place in bed, looping one of your legs over Quinns and pulling yourself closer to him. 

“just you,” 

Quinn nodded. “atta girl” he teases, lacing his fingers through yours. 

you detach your hand from Quinns and rest your palm against his cheek. you brush at his hair, and you let your hand wander down his face as you start tracing circles onto his jawline. 

“i love you,” quinn sighed. his eyes are closed now, fully enjoying your light massages and all of your attention. 

“i love you,” you whispered back, placing a soft kiss on his lips. 

Is it too much to ask you to never let me go?

Is it too much to ask you to hold me even close?

Is it too much to ask you?

Is it too much to ask you?

Is it too much to ask you to never let me go?

Is it too much to ask?

that night, laying in bed wrapped up with Quinn made you realize once again that it was all worth it. even though you desperately wanted to spend all your time with your person, reunions like this were always worth it. 

for the next few weeks you’d bask in the light of his company, and then you’d repeat the process a hundred times over. because in the end, he was worth it every time.

[whydoyoucare866]

005 - 10 things i hate about you

ex!suna rintarō x singer! reader

mt. list

previous | next

please ignore that i didnt crop the photos so u can see the actual time in whoch they were taken

theyre both accepting their feelings but it wont be that easy, i want this to be looooong

idk what to say for this chapter

the song that y/n “wrote” is i know you by faye webster

i started journaling and i use my pink pen to write stuff lmao

so i wrote the lyrics w my pink pen

only suna, tsukishima and her brothers know abt y/n only using her pink pen for songs or her diary, oikawa only assumed she was writing bc well she posts abt writing and then a cryptic message?

i added the little detail of y/n doing her a’s like the font instead of “𝙖” bc thats how i write my a’s LMAO

taglist (OPEN)

@lvc-lv @renardiererin @3lectraheart @nyxlai @beckxisxinxlovexwithxjin @wooasecret @sonicsolos @dazqa @mfcherry @iluvhelokity @eclipticnikki @unhinged-atrocities @platimoonie @sp1ng @just-coreee @piopioo

[thefallennightmare]

Unveiled Hearts-Matt Dierkes One Shot

*all pictures for cover found on pinterest. gif created by me. feel free to use, simply give credit*

Pairings: Matt Dierkes x OFC

Warnings: swearing, fluff, angst, smut

Summary: Matt and Faye still can’t confess their feelings for each other. Crossing the line from friends to lovers could change the dynamics of the tour of the Concrete Jungle. An accidental kiss reveals the truth hidden behind small smiles and laughter. They both know that the smart thing would be to forget it ever happened. But some kisses are so spectacular that they change everything.

Authors Notes: When I tell you guys, this has been MONTHS in the making. I'm so glad I can finally say it's finished! Buckle up, it's a long one! Hopefully, all of your questions will be answered.

Tags: @loeytuan98 @thatchickwiththecamera @dsireland86 @iknownothingpeople @bngurngheart @malice-ov-mercy @concreteemo @cookiesupplier @heyyoplayer @myownthoughts12 @vinyardmaurao @missduffsblog @hayleylatour @sleepyomens @artificialbreezy @marvelousmal @lma1986 @wild-child-7747 @calleyx13 @illmakeyousaywow @jaded-and-hollow-souls @itsafullmoon @shilohrosechicken @klutzy-kay24 @shadowseve @blueskylinesx @exitwoundsx @thisbicc @pathion @cookiesupplier @sammyjoeee @whenthesummerdies @flowery-mess @xxkittenkissesxx @its-inourblood @madomens @collidewiththesavannah @xserena-13 @cncohshit

If I missed anyone on the tag list, I apologize!

FAYE

I sat in my car, drumming my fingers against my steering wheel and trying to keep my breathing even. Every few seconds, my eyes would dart to the clock on the dashboard, painley waiting for it to read 6:00 so I could get this meeting over with. 

“Five minutes,” I muttered to myself followed by a pep talk. 

This is a job interview, one I’ve been to countless times before. I knew what I was doing and also was confident enough in my abilities that they’d love my work. Lana even reassured me. 

“They’re a great batch of guys to work with, Faye! It’s like we’re a big family, we take care of each other,” her words echoed in my mind. 

I watched as these guys worked in a frenzied state packing the two vans with various equipment but somehow made it seem like they flowed together naturally. The effort conversations and laughter that carried between them showed how tight knit they were so I couldn’t help but feel like I was a stranger that was about to disrupt their lives. 

You are. They don’t know you. 

Grumbling at the voice in my mind, I reached for my portfolio and camera, slinging it over my neck; I never went anywhere without it. 

The laughter from the large group carried over to the other end of the parking lot where I was slowly walking up. I had to meet two of these guys at this large warehouse while they spent the afternoon packing up their things. My hands shook as I clutched my photo portfolio to my chest and as I approached them, unable to hide behind the invisible vortex I hope shielded me, I came to a stop a few feet away. 

My hazel eyes tracked each person's movement as they went from the large garage opening of the warehouse over to the two trucks and large tour bus parked on the opposite side of the lot. My mouth ran dry as I tried to find my voice to call over to them, announce my arrival, but it was difficult due to the racing of my heart. 

Suddenly a soft buzz in my back pocket was my saving grace and I pulled it out, smiling at the name on the screen. 

Tay: Okay, we need a girls night out tonight. I broke up with loser face so I need to forget about it. Find someone new. Preferably one that has a head full of curls. You know those are my weaknesses.

I giggled while quickly typing out my response. 

Me: Well, you know what they say. The best way to get over someone is to get under someone else. 

Tay: Fuck yes. I’ll pick you up at eight!

“Are you Faye?” 

My eyes snapped up from my phone to the tall figure in front of me, the sunlight catching the intricate and somewhat colorful tattoos on both of his arms. A lone finger scratched at his cheek, showcasing a small heart tattoo. I knew who he was, Lana already giving me the full run down on everyone in the band. 

While he was gorgeous, I also knew he wasn’t available. But not like it mattered, I wasn’t here for a relationship. I was here to work. 

“Uh,” my hands shook again as I pocketed my phone, clutching the portfolio to my chest. “Yeah. Sorry.” 

The man raised a brow with a soft smile. “There’s no need to apologize. Were you standing there long?” 

I shook my head. “No, no. I just walked up a minute ago but didn’t want to bother you guys. You seem a little busy.”

“You’re fine,” he stuck out his hand. “I’m Noah.” 

I desperately wished I could have wiped the sweat off of my palm as I grasped his; it engulfing mine. 

“Faye. But I guess you already know that,” I chuckled lightly. 

“Yeah, Lana mentioned you’d be stopping by to talk with us,” Noah turned to look over his shoulder, running a hand through his dark waves. “Uh, Matt!” 

I watched silently as another man stepped down the ramp of one of the trucks, head snapped over towards Noah and I. He removed the hat from his head to shake out the long strands of his hair and my breath caught in my throat. The tattoos that covered his left arm were hard to read from this distance but the bright color of the one on his leg immediately stood out. 

Dragon Ball Z. 

I’d never been a fan of it but my younger brother watched it all the time growing up. 

Suddenly realizing what Noah called him, I remembered Lana’s warning from earlier. 

“Everyone is chill. Well, except Matt. As long as you stay on his good side you should be fine.”

My palms began to sweat even more now and I rubbed one of them on the side of my thigh, hoping to dry it before needing to shake Matt’s hand. As he walked closer to where Noah and I were standing, a soft breeze blew through the strands of his golden hair and I marveled at the confidence that radiated off of him. Those dark eyes tracked over me; from my scuffed converse up over my long legs and I knew he was assessing my tattoos like I did his. When his lips twitched with a sly smile, I knew Matt had taken in the sight of my teal hair. 

“Hi,” I said once he came to a stop next to Noah. 

The height difference between them was immediately recognizable. 

“This is Faye; Lana’s cousin,” Noah said towards Matt. 

He nodded. “The fill in.” 

The way Matt said those words didn’t quite sit well with me but not wanting to ruin this potential job, I gave a forced smile instead. 

“She mentioned you guys wanted to see my portfolio,” I said while handing it over to Noah, who took it with a smile.

“How long have you been in this business?” Noah asked, slowly flipping through my portfolio. 

I adjusted the strap of my camera on my shoulder. “I started taking pictures when I was ten. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I made it my profession. I’ve photographed a handful of local bands.” 

Matt raised a brow. “So Bad Omens would be the first big name band you’ve photographed?” 

There was still that underlying tone in his voice, one I couldn’t quite decipher. 

“As a job, yes. I’ve taken a few pictures when I went to shows. But I can assure you, I know what I’m doing,” I said with slightly narrowed eyes. 

Noah froze on one photograph, a loving smile pulling at his lips. His eyes lingered on it for a long moment before showing it to Matt, who let out a small chuckle. 

“What are the odds,” he muttered under his breath. 

“So you’re used to working in fast paced environments?” Noah asked while handing back my portfolio.

I nodded, clutching it to my chest yet again. “Yeah. It’s nothing new for me.”

“This will be your first time touring though, right?” 

“Yeah,” I nodded again at Noah. “Might take some getting used to but I can assure you, I’ll be fine.” 

“Cool,” he smiled. “I know it’s kind of last minute but we leave tomorrow.” 

“I’ll be ready,” I gave a curt nod.

Underneath the rim of his hat, Matt’s eyes narrowed but he remained silent. Assessing me with the darkness of them but never once parting his lips to say what was on his mind. Which irritated me, the feeling burning low in my gut because I absolutely hated when people didn’t say what was on their mind. If they couldn’t tell me how they truly felt about a situation, how could I trust them later on? 

“Is that fine with you, Matthew?” I asked with a raised brow. 

His jaw ticked when I uttered his full name and briefly, I saw a tiny smile play at his lips. 

“Be here at six a.m,” was all he said before turning on his heels and walking back towards the large trucks. 

I pursed my lips, doing my best to keep my comment to myself; something Noah noticed. 

“Don’t let Matt get under your skin. He’s not too fond of change. But he’ll get over it. Lana couldn’t stop raving about you. Bryan is actually excited to work with you,” Noah said. 

Their other photographer. 

“I’m actually a huge fan of Bryan. I have a few of his prints hung up in my apartment,” I said while looking up at Noah. 

He chuckled while running a hand through his hair. “Did you want to stay? We’re almost done packing up the trucks and have plans for a little BBQ at my girlfriend's place. She’d love it if you joined.”

I thought about it for a long moment. It would probably be a good thing to do in a way to get to know everyone before being stuck on the road with them for the next few weeks. But then I remembered my plans with Tay and knew if I backed out on her much needed girls night, she’d be upset. 

“Thank you for the invite but I already have plans with my friend tonight. I’m sorry,” I said. 

Noah waved me off. “No need to apologize, Faye. We’re about to be stuck together for the next couple of weeks so take all the alone time you need.”

Just then, someone ran up to Noah with a breathless smile and I couldn’t stop staring at the mounds of curls on top of his head. 

“Hey, man. Sorry I’m late.” 

Noah gave the man a somber smile. “How’d it go?” 

“She stood me up.”

My eyes darted between the two and when Noah took in my confused state, he motioned to the man with curls. 

“Faye, meet Jesse. Jesse, meet the new photographer, Faye.” 

Jesse gave me a bright smile, the one that eased away all of your worries, and he adjusted the round glasses perched on his nose before extending a hand to me. 

“Oh, Lana’s cousin! She mentioned you’d be filling in for her while she was gone,” Jesse said. 

“Yep,” I shook his hand. “Seems like she talked about me to everyone.” 

Suddenly another man came up on the side of Jesse, slapping his back. “How’d the date go?” 

This man I instantly recognized. 

Bryan Kirks. 

Jesse snorted. “She stood me up. I waited at the restaurant for thirty minutes. Tried calling and texting her; got left on read.” 

“No fucking way,” Bryan shook his head. “I never had a good feeling about her. Who spells their name with two X’s like that?”

“That’s bullshit,” Noah grumbled under his breath. 

Although I wasn’t sure what happened, it was clear this relationship that Jesse was talking about ended in a way that made Bryan and Noah upset for their friend. Seeing the slight confusion on my face, Jesse gave me a weak smile. 

“My girlfriend stood me up tonight.” 

“Shit, I’m sorry,” I frowned while shifting on my feet. 

He shrugged while stuffing his hands into his pockets. “It’s alright. I’ll get over it.” 

“Well you know what they say. The best way to get over someone is to get under someone else,” Bryan smirked. 

“I just told my best friend the same thing,” I laughed while tucking a piece of teal hair behind my ears. 

The ease that fell over me as I stood with the three men, talking as if I’d known them for years, made the fear of what the next few weeks held almost non-existent. 

“Is that the D5000?” Bryan asked while pointing to the Nikon hanging off my shoulder. 

I beamed while holding it up. “Yeah. My dad gifted it to me when I decided to make this a career. I have a few other models but I take this one everywhere with me for work.”

Bryan motioned towards Noah and Jesse, who all stood together, which prompted me to snap a few pictures of them; all three of them having goofy smiles then a few serious ones. 

I clicked through the pictures while all three of them glanced over my shoulder and felt Jesse snicker towards Noah. 

“Your girl is going to love that pouty look.”

“Shut up,” Noah grumbled but you could hear the smile in his voice. 

“HEY! Assholes! Are we still taking a break or actually here to work?!” 

All of our eyes snapped up to Matt, who was pushing a large crate towards one of the trucks. Even from this distance, I could see the slits of his eyes staring directly at me. Something about him irritated me all while causing my stomach to flip as those narrowed eyes grazed up my long legs. 

“This will be a fun few weeks,” Bryan said. 

Jesse bid us all a goodbye with a nod. “Have fun with that. I’ve got plans at a certain cafe.”

As he rambled off which cafe he was going to visit tonight, I couldn’t help but smile. 

“The one downtown? Next to the therapist's office?” 

Jesse smiled. “Yeah. It’s Jolly’s favorite, for obvious reasons. We all go there at least once a week. We should all go once you guys get back.” 

“Sure,” I smiled. 

Noah gave me one final smile. “Believe it or not, we’re all stoked you’re joining us.” 

“Lana has said all good things about you guys. I’m excited. And thank you for giving me this opportunity, given my lack of experience.” 

Something twinkled in his almond eyes as he took a few steps towards the rest of the group of people. 

“It was one of the pictures I saw in your portfolio that sold me.” 

With a small wave, I turned and was ready to head back to my car when a loud voice halted me momentarily. 

“6 A.M! DON’T BE LATE!” 

Matt. 

Throwing a hand over my shoulder, I made my way over towards my car and quickly typed up a message to Tay.

Me: How does coffee and a nice book in a cafe sound?

She replied while I was buckling my seat belt. 

Tay: You know I’m always down for that. 

MATT

Carefully, I watched as Faye smiled at Noah before she retreated back to her car. My eyes never left her form even when Noah stepped in front of me, blocking my view. It wasn’t until he cleared his throat that I looked over to him.

“What?” 

He shook his head with a playful smile. “I’ve seen that look before. I’ve actually had that look in my own eyes a few times. It’s a familiar feeling.” 

Rolling my eyes, I went back to loading up the trucks. It was already well past six and with plans for the BBQ in less than an hour, we needed to haul ass to finish packing everything. Something I made known to Noah, who continued watching me with a smile. 

“Keep staring, lover boy,” I joked while pushing the crate up the ramp into one of the trucks. 

Noah stood at the bottom of his, hands buried deep in the pockets of his Bad Omens joggers. 

“I invited her tonight.” 

My head snapped over at him. “Why did you do that?” 

“Because we’re going to be with each other for the next three weeks. I thought it would be a good ice breaker before having her jump right into everything tomorrow morning.” 

There was no reason for me to have a guard up when it came to Faye but we’d been burned so many times before with new people joining the Bad Omens crew. Anytime we thought about having someone join our team, I was always the one that voiced my concerns. 

Since Faye was cousins with Lana, I couldn’t do that. Lana gave us her word that we could trust Faye. Although, I knew deep down that wasn’t the sole reason why I’d been closed off. 

I couldn’t allow myself to get close to anyone else, afraid of getting hurt again. I’d seen all of my friends around me find love while I stood on the outside, wondering if I’d ever find that. I told myself that work was the only thing I needed right now. But the moment I took in the sight of Faye and felt my heart stutter in my chest, I knew that it would be hard for me to abide by my own rules. 

I’d become transfixed the moment my eyes landed on her, standing in the middle of the parking lot looking almost like a little sheep that found their way into the den of wolves. How bright her eyes were as they locked with mine. The way her lips moved as she talked to Noah. How they twitched when she spoke my name. 

Matthew. 

My body shivered when I remembered how sweet it sounded falling from her pink lips. 

“Is she coming?” I asked while loading up the last of the crates. 

Noah still wore that annoying smirk and crossed his arms over his chest. “No, she already had plans with a friend.” 

All I did was hum as I shut the door of the truck, doing my best to ignore the way my heart sunk in my stomach. 

“Well, let’s hope she’ll be here on time tomorrow because I’m not waiting for her even if she’s two minutes late,” I adjusted my hat. 

Noah squeezed my shoulder. “Have some faith, Matthew.” 

He quickly scurried away before I could do anything in retaliation for using my full name. A familiar car pulled up which made Noah sprint towards it and wrap his arms around the figure that stepped out from behind the steering wheel. My heart ached while watching the love they shared, like it always did. I wasn’t jealous of either of them. I was jealous of what they had. 

“Matt!” Her voice called over from where Noah had her in his arms. “Are you riding with us?” 

Putting on my best fake smile, I gave her a thumbs up. “Just promise no dessert nicknames the entire drive, please?”

FAYE

Stifling a yawn behind my hand, I let my shoes scuff along the pavement as I walked up the familiar drive, the rising sun casting me in an everglow of orange and golden hues. The birds sang their morning songs and the grass was still wet with the morning dew as I came to a stop in the somewhat empty parking lot. I’d expected everyone to be here, ready to load up, but then again I was ten minutes early. Not wanting to leave my car here for three weeks, I had Tay drop me off. My plan for running into a certain someone failed when we got too caught up watching a crime documentary on her television. 

“You’re early.” 

Whirling around at the voice, I saw Matt leaning against the door of the tour bus drowning in a hoodie and joggers. He gave off a comfortable vibe that nearly matched my own. Knowing we had a long drive to the first city, I opted to wear biker shorts and an oversized shirt; one that caught Matt’s eyes immediately but never saying anything about it.

Adjusting my backpack, I gripped the handle of my suitcase a little tighter. 

“I’m an early bird,” I shrugged. “Figured it was better to be early rather than late.”

Matt hummed, the noise vibrating in his chest, and I felt his burning gaze all over me. We were standing close to each other and I could feel his body heat radiate off of him, encasing me. The sunrise caught the darkness of his eyes causing them to sparkle and I drank in the sight of the faint stubble that peppered his chin. The sharpness of his cheekbones and the way they could cut my finger if I dragged it across it had me halting doing so. The way my skin ignited as his gaze lingered on my face made my heart skip a beat. It was as if he was taking his own mental pictures but never once making a sound or moving. Simply leaning against the bus while I squirmed on my feet. Teal strands of hair fell into my eyes and I gently brushed them away. I could have sworn I had the softest intake of breath from Matt but it was so quiet, I wasn’t sure. 

He nodded towards my suitcase. “Can I?” 

With a nod, I let him take it to put it in the undercarriage part of the bus, the calloused skin of his fingers brushing along my knuckles and instantaneously, I felt something spark inside of me. If Matt felt it, he made no indication and set my suitcase alongside all of the others.  Then with a swift nod towards the door, he motioned for me to follow him up the stairs. 

“Everyone is awake so no need to be quiet,” Matt said. 

When we stepped into the main area of the bus, I felt myself freeze when a few different sets of eyes landed on me. Bryan gave me a wave and a smile while I looked at the four other men that were scattered throughout. I recognized them from not only knowing who Bad Omens were but also Lana’s rundown texts. 

“You must be Faye,” Jolly wiped a hand on a towel as he was stocking the fridge. 

“Nice to meet you,” I shook his hand.

Then after meeting Nicholas, I noticed Nick sitting in the far corner booth of the small kitchen area, a somber smile on his face. 

“You’ll have to excuse him,” Nicholas sighed. “Relationship trouble.”

“Fuck,” I muttered under my breath. “What’s in the California water? That’s the third relationship trouble I’ve heard of in the last twenty four hours.” 

When Nicholas raised a brow, I explained not only were Nick and Jesse going through something but so was my friend, Tay. 

“Jolly, you better watch out. You could be next,” Steven teased after we exchanged greetings. 

Jolly was silent, muttering something to himself in Sweden before retreating to the back of the bus. From what Lana told me, Jolly was in a relationship but it had been hard for him and his girlfriend. Almost everyone in this friend group had a significant other. Besides Matt and Bryan. 

At the thought of Matt, I quickly peeked through the strands of hair that fell into my face yet again to see that he had sat on one of the couches and kept his attention on his phone. 

“Or Noah’s relationship could be next,” Bryan chuckled. “Him and-.”

“We are perfectly fine, thank you. No need to worry,” Noah’s voice echoed throughout the bus as he stepped into the main area. 

They all gave him a quick wave in greeting and when he saw me standing there, clutching my things, he raised a brow. 

“Did anyone show you to your bunk?” 

I shook my head. “No. I mean, I could find it myself but I didn’t want to make it seem like I’m imposing where I shouldn’t be.” 

My hands shook with nerves and I could practically feel my heart pounding in my throat and ears. It felt like everyone was staring at me, even though I knew it wasn't the case. Noah glanced over to Matt, who still couldn’t be bothered to look away from his phone, and then let out a long sigh. 

“Come on. If my girlfriend found out that I didn’t give you the proper welcoming tour, she’d kick my ass,” Noah smiled before leading me towards the back area of the bus that housed the bunks. 

“Not that you would complain,” Bryan chuckled from behind us. 

“Some of us snore; me included. So I hope you brought some headphones,” Noah joked. 

All I could do was give a small smile and set my backpack down on the empty bunk he pointed too. It was the last one available on the top left, closer to the back lounge. 

It was still early morning and the lack of sleep from last night was beginning to creep deep in my bones. Noah let out a small laugh when he saw me try to hide a yawn behind my hand. 

“You should get some sleep. We’ve got a long drive to the next city,” he suggested.

I waved him off. “I’ll be alright. I feel like maybe I should sit and chat with you guys. Get to know you.” 

“After you,” Noah extended a tattooed arm back to the front of the bus. 

There was only one spot left to sit; right next to Matt. Noah opted to help Jolly set up a little breakfast while I slowly sat down on the couch, purposely leaving a few feet between Matt and I. 

“So, Faye. Lana is your cousin?” Nicholas wondered while sitting across from me. 

I pulled my knees up to my chest, trying to find a comfortable position that would help ease my nerves. “Yeah. Our mom’s are sisters.” 

“Photography runs in the family, huh?” Bryan now asked as he was messing around with his camera. 

“Yeah,” I smiled. “My dad did it as a hobby while I was growing up but I was always interested. When I was old enough and wanted to start myself, he gave me one of his older ones. I don’t use that one as much, only for really special occasions.”

“Lana said you two are pretty close,” Jolly said. 

I nodded before tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. “I grew up with four brothers; three older and one younger. So I spent as much time as I could at Lana’s house.”

We all continued to chat for a while, long after the bus finally began moving and the sun rose to its full heightened glory. It surprised me how easy it was to talk to all of them. Well, almost all of them. 

Matt didn’t say one word the entire time, simply kept to himself while typing away on his phone. Never once did I bother to glance over at him with the looming curiosity as to what he was doing on his phone for the last two hours. While everyone made me feel welcome and comfortable, I couldn’t ignore the weird vibe I was getting from Matt. It was as if I was a pest infiltrating a home that was designed to keep me away. But I somehow managed to sneak in through the smallest of cracks. 

Yet I also couldn't ignore the way my heart raced as I sat next to him. Or the way my blood pulsated inside of my veins when he shifted in his spot and our knees bumped against each other. I definitely couldn’t ignore the way Matt’s fingers twitched when I rested my hand between us on the couch. Ever so softly, I felt the calloused pad of this thumb brush along my wrist; so quick I nearly missed it. 

Bryan and I were having a deep conversation on different ways we could work together on this tour that I didn’t realize Matt had retreated to the back of the bus. It wasn’t until I dismissed myself from the group with the muttering of wanting to take a nap that I found Matt standing in the narrow hallway between the bunks. 

I knew I would need to squeeze past him to reach my bunk but it was then I realized he was also climbing down from his bunk; across from mine. 

“Scuse me,” I mumbled while brushing past him, his chest nearly touching mine. 

Silence must have been Matt’s strong suit because yet again, he said nothing. Standing toe to toe with him, I saw those dark eyes stare down at me underneath his hat. His pupils dilated causing his eyes to darken even more when his gaze rested on my lips as I spoke. 

“I need to get up in my bunk,” I breathed, afraid to raise my voice above a whisper. 

Agitation began to weigh heavy within me when Matt still said nothing, simply continued to stare at me. I knew I should keep it in check, not snap at him since he was technically my boss, but if this is how he was going to act the entire three weeks, there would be no possible way I’d be able to keep myself calm. 

“Do you have a problem, Matthew?” I asked while crossing my arms over my chest. 

His lips twitched. “It’s Matt.” 

“That seems like something I’d call you if we were friends. You’ve been giving me the silent treatment since I met you yesterday. So it’s Matthew,” I shrugged. 

Due to the tight space between us, I could feel his warm breath as it brushed over my lips when he cocked his head to the side. Every single fiber of my being felt like it had been set ablaze with that look alone and even though my hands were tucked away, I could still feel them shaking. My heart was beating hard against the cage in my chest and I knew Matt was able to hear it.

His tongue darted out to wet his lips and I smelled the briefest scent of mint. The feeling of skin on skin had my eyes casting down to my leg where Matt’s fingers gently grazed over exposed skin of my thigh. I shivered underneath the touch, letting him know how much of an effect he had on me. It shouldn’t be like this, I didn’t know more than a few things Lana told me about him. But somehow he managed to sink his way inside of my mind. 

Last night while I was trying to sleep, I’d been plagued with images of Matt. It didn’t help that our meeting earlier in the evening was short so once I was home and settled, I looked him up on social media. Not much gave him away on Twitter besides the occasional snarky remark that had me shaking my head and videos of racoons that had me smiling. On Instagram, I spent a few minutes scrolling through and mentally liking his pictures. 

Until I actually liked one of his pictures. 

From six months ago. 

It was of him holding a kiwi guava flavored Celisus while standing in front of a cardboard cut out of one. I hadn’t noticed I accidentally liked it until I was scrolling back up a few minutes later and nearly fell out of my bed when I saw the red heart underneath the picture. I knew un liking the picture would do no good. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind Matt had seen the notification. 

Maybe he didn’t since he made no mention of it. Or maybe he had seen it. It would explain the sly smirk playing on his lips at the moment. 

“Consider yourself lucky. I don’t let anyone call me Matthew,” he hummed before slipping past me, back to the front of the bus. 

I stood there for a moment, eyes unblinking, as the scent of him lingered in the air. It filled my senses and brought an oddly calm feeling over me. But that’s not what gave me pause. It was his words.

With a groan, I ran a hand down my face and climbed up into my bunk with the hope that a nap would cool down my heated skin. It wasn’t until I was comfortable in the bunk, wrapped underneath the blanket with my phone, I saw the notification from Instagram that came in over an hour ago; while I was sitting next to him and talking with Bryan. 

Mattxdierkes followed you. 

Mattxdierkes liked your photo. 

“Shit,” I muttered while clicking on the notification. 

It was a picture of me standing in front of the ocean during a gloomy morning, wearing a white cable knit sweater. You could barely see my face due to my teal hair covering it. The caption was a simple wave emoji. It was also posted last year meaning Matt had also done his own stalking. Although, a little voice in the back of my mind told me that this was not an accidental like. Matt meant it, which meant he knew about my own stalking.

Grumbling a slew of curses to myself, I buried my phone underneath the pillow and let the thought of sleep take me away. 

MATT

Running a hand through my long and unruly hair, I did my best to comb out the knots before sliding a hat over it. I twisted and turned my neck to each side, breathing out a soft groan when the necessary bones cracked and popped. Years of touring with my old band and Bad Omens did a number on my back and neck but I tried not to complain too much. I love what I do and the people I do it with. But that didn’t mean I had to love the bunks I slept in. 

The first three days of the tour flew by and with today’s off day, every single one of us was desperate for a relaxing day filled with brunch and touring the city. 

With a quick flick of my eyes over to the bunk across from mine, I noticed that Faye’s was empty with the blanket and pillow fixed neatly. My heart began to race at the thought of her teal hair spread out against the silk pillowcase while she slept. Unlike all of us, she kept the curtain of her bunk open because of this irrational fear that she would suffocate. 

“I hate feeling like I’m enclosed in a tight space,” she shrugged while Bryan jokingly teased her for it. 

Faye almost immediately fit in with all of us, like she’d been working on the crew for years. Night one, her and Bryan found the perfect rhythm together; never once stepping on each other's toes. She understood Bryan was the main photographer so she opted in getting pictures of things he didn’t. Some that involved the sound deck. 

More importantly, me. 

I had every intention of keeping my guard up around her but the more her bright eyes shined at me and the way her melodic laugh reached my ears, I felt those walls slowly starting to chip away. Faye was there from set up to tear down helping all of us, never once complaining. Even after some long days, she always went to bed with a smile on her face; one that I couldn’t stop thinking about. 

When Lana first told us that her cousin would be filling in for her, I immediately did my own research. I found her photography Instagram along with her personal one; it wasn’t until recently that I decided to follow both of them. But from the first moment I saw her most recent picture, Faye took my breath away. 

It wasn’t anything extravagant, a simple selfie in front of a large mirror. She was wearing a golden sundress, showcasing off her long legs and the tattoo on her left arm of six fairies, surrounded by different flowers. Her teal hair cascaded down her back in waves, giving her an even more ethereal aura and it made my heart stutter in my chest. 

I told myself not to get in over my head with these feelings. It was a simple crush that would lead to nothing. She was only joining us for a few weeks and once we returned back to Los Angeles, we would all part ways. No use in getting my heart broken; again. 

But when I received the notification from Instagram about her liking an older picture of mine, I couldn’t stop the smile that came to my face. It was evident I had been on her mind as well. Again, I told myself not to think too much of it because it could have been an honest mistake. 

Was it an honest mistake when she brushed her hand against yours? Or when she stood a little too close to you in the sound deck last night?

Groaning at the voice in my mind, I remembered the scent of Faye as she took a few minute breather during Miracle last night. She’d taken some videos from my spot in the sound deck and decided to hang back for a long moment, watching the set with a look of awe in those bright eyes. I did my best to focus on my work but the scent of her peach shampoo grazed my nose causing me to sigh in content. All of the blood rushed through my body with heat and I felt my cock twitch underneath my sweats when her shoulder brushed against my arm.

“Everything alright?” She asked. 

I nodded, hitting the necessary buttons to cue up the next song. “Yep. Totally fine.”

Everything was not fine. 

I couldn’t stop thinking about the small smile that played on her lips while she watched the guys perform their set. I couldn’t forget the way she smelled or the way my body ignited with just her simple touch. 

What started off as a closed off relationship slowly began to blossom into a growing friendship. I was no longer giving her the cold shoulder, actually conversing with her when we were in the same room. Faye began to warm up to me as well, learning quickly that this “hater mode” people thought I had was only ever directed to people outside of my family. 

She still called me Matthew though and I wasn’t about to admit to anyone how much I liked it when it fell from her pink lips; the ones that were always shiny from the gloss. 

With a groan, I dragged a hand over my face before pulling out my phone to send a text to Noah. 

Me: I’ll be there soon. Woke up late. 

Almost immediately he texted back. 

Noah Seb: Cool. We just got here. Faye should be waiting for you.

“What?” I muttered as I came into view of the front area of the bus, my eyes immediately connecting with those bright hazel ones that began plaguing my every thought. 

Fay was sitting crossed legged on one of the couches with a book in her lap, teal waves falling over her face. I noticed how content she was reading, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. There were a few flowers placed behind her head, intertwined within her hair, and when she finally glanced up from her book due to me walking into view, she gave me a small smile. 

“I was wondering when you were going to wake up,” she pulled out one of the flowers from her hair to use it as a bookmark and then she closed the book, setting it on the seat next to her. 

The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien. 

It felt as if my soul had been intertwined with hers, connecting on such a level that I could feel something inside of me pulsating; bringing me closer to Faye. 

This is that bullshit Noah was always jabbering about.

Shaking the thought from my mind, I rubbed a hand over the tattoo on my left arm; the one dedicated to The Lord of The Rings. Anytime I was around her, I always wore long sleeves so she never saw it but now that I wore shorter sleeves thanks to the warmer weather, Faye’s eyes quickly tracked my movement and I heard her suck in a breath. 

“Elvish?” She rose to her feet and motioned towards the script writing along my wrist. 

“Y-yeah. It’s one of my favorite movies,” I rubbed at the back of my neck, suddenly nervous under her gaze. 

Those hazel eyes sparkled as they tracked over every line of ink on my arm and eventually she sighed. “I never thought I’d be jealous of you, Matthew.”

I snorted. “I’ll take that as a win.”

We stood there for a long beat, both just staring at each other, and that magnetic pull I felt earlier was stronger now. It vibrated against my body, almost like it was forcing its way out so it could connect with Faye. 

“We should have a marathon one day. Watch all six movies; The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings,” she spoke while still looking at the tattoo on my arm. 

My mouth ran dry, trying to figure out what the best way to respond without sounding desperate because that’s all I wanted to do. Maybe we could skip out on brunch and hang back on the bus, just the two of us, and watch them.

Instead, no words came out of my mouth. They were tangled on my tongue and I looked like an idiot standing in front of her with moving lips that said nothing. 

I could feel her starting to pull away from me and desperate to feel some kind of contact again, I let my fingers reach for her hand to link our fingers together until she cleared her throat and motioned towards the outside. 

“We should probably go. I don’t want to keep them waiting.” 

“Sure,” I nodded. 

The walk to the restaurant was quiet as she walked a few paces ahead of me, holding the camera close to her chest. She wore a flowy white sundress, highlighting her skin even more and the soles of her sandals smacked against the concrete making it look like she was floating in the air as she skipped. Taking my phone out of my pocket, I typed out a message to Noah. 

Me: Dude, she was reading The Hobbit. She’s a fan of LOTR.

Noah Seb: Have you guys left yet? I’m starving. 

Rolling my eyes, I replied. 

Me: Did you not see what I said? She was reading The Hobbit! What are the odds she’d be reading that book?

Me: Also, yes we're on our way. 

I glanced up from my phone in time to catch Faye taking a picture of me. 

“Whoever you were texting, must have been serious because of the look on your face,” she informed me in regards to my raised brow. 

“Yeah, you could say that,” I muttered under my breath before texting Noah again, who had yet to respond. 

Me: She saw my LOTR tattoo and made a comment of maybe watching the movies together. I was an idiot and didn’t know what to say so I said nothing. She probably thinks I don’t want to. But I do.

Me: She probably doesn't feel the same. There’s no use getting my hopes up for something that won’t happen. I need to focus on work. 

Noah Seb: Is this how I was? In the beginning?

I snorted. 

Me: No, you two were worse.

Pocketing my phone, I followed step in step with Faye as we turned the corner, the restaurant coming into view. Her aura radiated like wings fluttering, making my heart do the same when she glanced up at me. 

She gave me a smile of thanks as I opened the door for her, her scent was all consuming when she walked past me. The restaurant was busy for a late Saturday morning which made the front waiting area packed causing me to slide up behind Faye. People were brushing past us to find their way out and nearly stumbling into her, I grasped both hands on her hips to keep myself steady. 

“Sorry,” I breathed against the shell of her ear. “Some asshole nearly knocked me over.” 

She giggled, the sound making my stomach flutter. I wasn’t sure what shifted between us from our first meeting, maybe it was the fact that I was starting to open up to her more that I was seeing a different side of Faye; a softer side. 

“It’s alright, Matthew,” she glanced over her shoulder to me. 

She still called me Matthew but I wasn’t about to correct her or tell her how much I loved it.

“Oh, look!” Faye pointed towards the large table in the far corner of the restaurant where everyone had been waiting for us. 

The immense cold I felt when she slipped through my grasp made me shudder and reluctantly, I followed behind her; my eyes never leaving her back. 

Something Nicholas caught but said nothing as I sat next to him. The only other open spot was next to me which is where Faye was, already talking with Jolly. Eyes grazed over the menu, trying to figure out what to get when soft fingers grazed over my arm, causing me to shiver under her touch. 

“What are you going to get?” Faye wondered. 

“Not sure. What about you?” 

She pursed those plump lips and my eyes locked in on them, desperately wanting to know what they tasted like. 

“I can’t decide. The eggs benedict sounds good but the french toast is calling my name,” she sighed dreamily at the pictures of the food. 

For the next while as the waitress came to take our orders, I busied myself on my phone to make sure everything was set up for the show tomorrow. Everyones conversations were hushed around me doing my best to focus on my phone and not the person beside me. The way her voice sounded so magical or the way she looked intently at Noah across the table as he divulged about his relationship. 

Now that he was finally where he wanted to be with her, Noah wouldn’t stop talking about her any chance he could. 

“She was actually the one who suggested I add the woo in The Death of Peace of Mind,” Noah chuckled while taking a long drink of his water. 

“I was wondering where that came from,” Faye said. 

Finally finished with the work on my phone, I set it down just as our food came and the waitress placed the eggs benedict in front of me. Immediately I took half of it and set it on an extra plate, sliding it over to Faye. 

“Matthew,” she smiled. “You don’t need to share your food with me.” 

I shrugged while licking off the sauce from my finger. “This way you get what you wanted.” 

Her eyes were fixated on my thumb gliding over my bottom lip before she seemed to snap out of it and cut her french toast in half to set it on my plate. 

“Wow, sharing food? Matt doesn’t share food with anyone,” Bryan said. “I actually don’t think any of these guys share their food with their girlfriends.” 

Noah snorted. “Excuse me? I’ll remind you I always share with-.” 

Once again their conversations fell away as I ate quietly, every so often glancing over to Faye who was already watching me. There was the smallest bit of powdered sugar on the corner of her lips, almost teasing me to lick it clean. But before I could give in to the urge, she wiped it away with a finger after she caught me staring. 

With the plates cleared from the table and the bill in front of me, I started to grab my wallet the same time Faye began to reach for her purse. 

“Don’t worry about it,” Nick waved her off. “Matthew pays.” 

My eyes sliced into him. “It’s Matt.” 

“Matt pays. Or should I say, the business always pays,” Nick corrected himself. 

“Oh,” Faye’s eyes sparked over at me and she bumped her shoulder with mine. “I knew there was a reason why I liked you.”

On the walk back to the bus, I hung back with Noah and Jolly while Faye and Bryan talked about all the different shots and videos they could get tomorrow night. She’d been wanting to try out the video aspect of her camera and Bryan mentioned that he’d be more than happy to show her how. 

“You’re staring,” Jolly’s voice broke through my trance on Faye’s side profile. 

Pushing his shoulder, I shook my head and focused my attention straight ahead. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

Noah ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know why you’re trying to hide how you feel about it. It’s clear there’s some kind of feeling there.” 

“The last thing I need right now is a relationship. Especially with someone who works for me. It’s bound to get messy,” I said. 

“You don’t know that, Matt,” Jolly adjusted his sunglasses. “You deserve to be happy too.” 

I shrugged. “She’s twenty five. I’m almost thirty.” 

Noah pulled me to a stop and removed his sunglasses momentarily. “Is that what's stopping you?” 

Sighing, I scuffed my shoe against a rock. “It wouldn’t work out. I’m trying to save us both from heartbreak when it comes eventually.” 

Not wanting to explain my reasoning any further, I gave them a weak smile before walking the last little distance to the bus. But my footsteps faltered when I noticed a small stand set up right next to where our bus was parked. 

Fresh Flowers. 

I lingered on one set of flowers, the vivid color reminding me of someone sweet. While the rest of the guys ascended the bus, I held back to wait in line. Five minutes later, I stepped into the main area of the bus where Faye was sitting back in her previous spot from earlier, The Hobbit perched in her lap again. Those hazel eyes glimmered when she glanced up at me and I swore all of the breath was stolen from my lungs. 

“What’s this?” She motioned to the single flower in my grasp. 

“Uh, Tulips. It reminded me of you,” my voice shook with nerves as I hastily handed the teal flower to her. 

She twirled it in her fingers while bringing it to her nose to smell it. 

“Thank you, Matthew. This was very sweet of you.” 

The smile that played on her lips was one of the most genuine ones I’d ever seen and it made that invisible string inside me vibrate with such a force, I nearly stumbled on my feet. 

“You’re welcome,” I gave her a small smile before making my way to the bunk area of the bus. 

Jolly had been leaning against the kitchen counter with a sly smile on his lips causing me to roll my eyes at him and grumble a few curses under my breath. I could continue to lie to myself and say that I didn’t think of Faye like that. But it was all a lie, everyone knew it. In the short amount of time she’d been a part of our crew, she managed to also become a part of me in a way that had me wondering how the hell that happened.

I thought Noah was crazy for spewing all that shit about soulmates but every time I watched Faye, I couldn’t help but think that maybe he was right. Because the feeling that stirred inside of me every time Faye and I were close to each other was unexplainable. 

Faye was her own mythological being in the sense that she captivated my interests the moment my eyes caught sight of her. The desperation to find out everything I could about her was heavy on my heart. I tried to tell myself that I would never work between us yet every passing moment in her presence told me otherwise. Her spirit was unlike any other. It held so much light, wonder, and magic.

Her name gave way to who she was as a person. 

Faye. 

My little fairy.

FAYE

“Faye, where are you?” 

Cursing at the voice that crackled through the radio, I adjusted the box of merch on my hip so I could answer Steven. 

“I’m grabbing the last box of shirts. Is the back door still propped open?” 

“Yep. But heads up, fans are starting to be let in so it’s already crowded at the merch table.”

“Great,” I grumbled under my breath before carrying the box from the truck back into the venue. 

It had been a very long day and the show hadn’t even started yet. I woke up late after not being able to sleep due to a rough drive from city to city. There had been some confusion on when we’d be allowed into the venue which caused Matt to go full thot blaster mode but even so, we weren’t allowed in until three this afternoon. The guys had to rush through a soundcheck while Steven had trouble setting up the merch table so I spent the last two hours helping him. We were rushing to get things set up in time before doors opened but it proved to be futile when I saw the crowds rushing inside. 

My mind had been held up by one recurring moment that happened earlier today; one that continued to make me blush. 

“Does this sound funky to you?” Folio asked while messing with his drum kit. 

Kooter shrugged. “I think it sounds fine, man. You might just be overthinking it.”

I was walking past the stage when Folio stopped me. “Faye, do the kick pedals sound off?”

With my urging, he messed around with the kick pedals of his drum set which in turn made me shrug. 

“I’m no professional like Kooter but it does sound fine to me.” 

A warm presence was felt behind me before a can dripping with condensation was held in front of my face. 

I peered a glance over my shoulder towards Matt, who shook the Celsius can in front of my face. 

“I figured you’d need this today,” he said. 

A large smile broke out on my face as I took the can, immediately popping it open. “Arctic Vibe? I’ve never had this flavor.” 

Matt rubbed the back of his neck. “It reminded me of your hair.”

We stood like that, him behind me with me turning half of my body towards him. We were so close, I could feel the warmth radiate off of him in droves and when he reached a hand up towards my hair his actions were halted by Folio calling for him. 

“Matt! I need your opinion!”

He left my side with a soft brush of fingers against my hand.

I’d been hurriedly trying to get back inside with my mind full of Matt, I didn’t see the large curb causing me to stumble and drop the box of shirts all over the parking lot. I hissed when the stinging pain burned in my knee and noticed I ripped a large hole in my leggings. Blood oozed from the wound on and I pressed a hand to it trying to stop it. 

“Fuck,” I blew out a shaky breath, doing my best to keep the tears from falling. 

“Faye?” 

Through the tears, I watched as Matt walked out of the venue, worry evident on his face. 

“What happened?” 

“I’m a fucking klutz and tripped,” I mumbled. 

He was quick to kneel in front of me, gently removing my hand to check out the damage to my knee and winced. 

“Come on,” his voice was gentle as his arms lifted me from the ground, carrying me bridal style over towards the tour bus on the other end of the lot. 

“The shirts!” I peered over his shoulder to the scattered pile of Bad Omens merch. 

Matt sighed before motioning to the radio strung over my chest so I pressed down the button. 

“Faye took a nasty fall in the parking lot while carrying the box of shirts. Can anyone scoop them up before someone finds them to sell them on Ebay?” 

I snickered at the distaste in Matt’s voice. 

“I’ve got it,” Noah’s voice came through the radio. “Does anyone need to scoop Faye up?” 

“Already handled,” I replied. 

A round of teasing ‘ooooo’s’ prompted Matt to shut off the radio as we reached the tour bus. All of the blood that wasn’t rushing to the hole in my knee was found warming my cheeks when I noticed how close our faces were to one another. I observed the lines next to his eyes, showing how exhausted he was. It was only one week into the tour and we still had two more to go. There were freckles lining the bridge of his nose that were really prominent when the sunlight casted over his face. He wore his hat backwards, allowing me to gaze into those dark eyes that seemed to go deeper than the ocean with their depths. 

“What?” He questioned, carrying me up the stairs of the bus. 

“No-nothing,” I breathed. 

For the last week I’d been telling myself not to fall for him. I wasn’t here for a relationship. I was here for work. I didn’t need to get distracted with the first pair of eyes that looked at me. 

Even if those eyes seemed to emit light whenever I caught them watching me; which was pretty often. 

Given the small space in the back area of the bus, Matt had to maneuver us so he was able to carry me into the bathroom. 

“I can walk,” I reminded him as he kicked open the bathroom door. 

Matt made a noise that sounded like I offended him while setting me down on the edge of the bathroom counter. The bathroom was the smallest part of the bus and with me sitting on the counter, Matt had to stand between my legs. Due to the slight height difference, I was the one staring down at him for once, only by an inch or two. 

My eyes tracked as his throat bobbed when he took a deep breath, spreading his hands on either side of me to rest on the edge of the counter. Our shared body heat wrapped around us in a makeshift cocoon, locking us in. 

“Does it hurt?” Matt’s voice was barely above a whisper. 

“A bit, yeah,” I admitted with an even quieter voice than his. 

His eyes flicked down to my lips before slowly he kneeled in front of my injured knee to get a better look at it. 

“Well, I don’t think you need stitches but I should clean it to get a better look at it,” his gaze swept up to me. 

When I nodded, he rummaged underneath the sink between my legs to pull out the first aid kit. 

“How connected to these leggings are you?” 

My brows furrowed at his question. “Huh?” 

The round of fabric ripped echoed in the small confines of the bathroom and I gaped at Matt who managed to rip the leggings away from me, knee down. The entire action made something burn inside of me. The way the muscles in his arms flexed as he pulled the last bit of the material away from my leg. 

Fuck, why was that so hot? 

Maybe because you want him to do that to the rest of your clothes. 

“Please don’t kick me,” Matt said. 

“What-Fuck!” I bellowed when the sting of hydrogen peroxide seeped into my open wound. 

Out of a normal reaction, I jerked my leg only for Matt to wrap his strong arm around it, keeping locked against him. 

“I said please,” he exasperated while keeping his eyes on mine. 

“It fucking hurt!” I yelled. 

His jaw ticked. “I didn’t realize how much of a baby you were.” 

I scoffed in disbelief. “Has anyone told you how much of an ass you are sometimes?” 

The arm that wasn't holding onto my leg shrugged. “Yes, but not to the ones I care about.” 

I sat on his words for a moment, trying to understand if I heard him right. 

“Does that mean you care about me?” I finally voiced my curiosity. 

Matt tenderly brushed a cotton ball across the cut on my knee before his warm breath fanned across it causing me to shiver. 

“I’m squished in this small ass bathroom to take care of your knee, what do you think?” 

He gave his infamous Matt Dierkes smirk and I rolled my eyes playfully before watching him clean the wound on my knee then placing a small bandage over it. 

“Am I going to live, doctor?” I teased. 

Matt hummed deep, the sound vibrating in his chest as his fingers grazed up and down my exposed leg, the sensation sending shockwaves through my veins. He slowly rose to full height again, face now meters from mine, and I sucked in a breath when I felt his warm breath fan over my lips. 

“I think,” his hand ghosted over my hip. “I think you might need another check up later. Just to make sure.”

My cheeks burned and I cast my eyes down to my hands that were in my lap, unable to meet his intense gaze. 

“Fairy.”

Calloused fingers lifted my chin, forcing me to lock eyes with him, and I scrunched up my nose when I realized what he had called me. 

“What did you say?” My voice croaked out. 

Matt’s cheeks were warm to the touch as my finger grazed over those defined cheekbones. His eyes fluttered shut with every tender stroke against his smooth skin and he let out a content sigh. 

“Fairy,” he repeated and it made my stomach flip three times over. 

He traced over the fairy tattoos on my arm, following the intricate designs of the flowers, and I leaned in closer to his touch. It managed to awake something inside of me that I never knew lay dormant. It was as if a flame slowly ignited with each passing touch or stolen glance and now that Matt’s lips were so close to mine, an outburst of something I wasn’t quite ready to understand was moments away from happening. 

“No one’s ever called me that before,” I admitted with a shaky breath. 

“Do you like it?”

I swallowed thickly while tracing my nail over the slight pout of his bottom lip. “I do.”

The noise that erupted from Matt’s throat was almost sinful and I felt something twinge inside of me. 

“Good, because it stays. Fairy.”

Dark eyes weighed heavy on my awaiting lips as hands held onto my thighs, spreading my legs further apart for Matt to step into. I hesitantly reached for his shirt, the material clinging to my fingertips. The magnetic pull that was always felt between us was stronger now. My soul was practically reaching for his, desperate for a connection it had been looking for ever since I was born. 

I never was one to believe in soulmates growing up but my father was certain that mine was out there because he had found his in my mother. Yet with the way my soul felt alive inside of me, I couldn’t help but think that maybe my father was right. 

“Matthew,” I gasped when his lips ever so gently brushed along mine. 

“Fairy, I-.” 

“HOLY SHIT!” 

Both of us pushed away from each other at the shrill voice that seemed to bounce off the walls of the bathroom and when my eyes landed on an unfamiliar figure standing in the doorway of the bathroom with a shocked look on her face. 

“Who the fuck are you?” Matt snapped while standing in front of me in a way to block me. 

The young female blinked a few times as her mouth mimicked a fish out of water. “I thought I’d catch Noah.” 

I could see the muscles in Matt’s back constricted as the rage began to build inside of him. Some fan had managed to get onto the bus with hopes of catching Noah doing something. 

Fucking unbelievable.

“Ash, we’ve got an issue on the tour bus. We could use you over here,” I spoke into my radio after turning it back on. 

“Everything alright?” Ash’s voice came through. 

Matt ripped the radio from my hand. “We have a strangler on the bus.” 

“What the fuck? How did that happen?” 

Noah’s voice was filled with his own anger and agitation because he felt as if all of our personal space was tainted by some fan that couldn’t respect our boundaries. 

A look of guilt crossed Matt’s features which gave me pause on why he felt that way. We weren't doing anything wrong. It wasn’t our fault a fan snuck up on the bus. 

Soon, thunderous steps echoed in the bus and I quickly hopped off the counter and shield myself behind Matt even more. The fan’s head whipped wildly from us to now Ash who arrived with another security guard and Noah in tow. 

“I just wanted a picture with Noah!” She bellowed while throwing her hands up. “I didn’t expect to see these two kissing!” 

All the blood drained from my face when I realized that she must have been standing there for longer than we thought. 

“We weren’t kissing, I was bandaging up her knee,” Matt said while clenching his fists at his side. 

My eyes snapped up from the dirty floor of the bathroom and quietly scoffed at his words. Technically we didn’t kiss but for him to act like it almost didn’t happen made my stomach drop. 

While Ash and the other guard escorted the girl off of the bus and most likely off the grounds in general, Noah’s eyes narrowed at us. 

“How long was she in here for?” He asked with his hands on his hips. 

Matt ran a hand over his face. “Man, I don’t know. I was in here helping Faye when that chick popped up out of nowhere.” 

“Faye?” Noah’s voice softened when he took one glance at the way my lips turned down in a low scowl. “Everything alright?” 

“Fine,” I blew out a shaky breath and brushed past Matt out of the bathroom. 

“Fairy.”

Stopping momentarily in the tight space of the hallway, I glanced back at Matt and gave him my best forced smile “I’m good. I’m going to change my pants and then I’ll meet you guys inside.” 

NOAH

I followed Matt closely as we stepped off the bus to give Faye some privacy and when we were out of earshot, I pulled him to a stop. 

“You kissed her?” I asked. 

He sighed while taking off his hat to shake out his hair. “No, well almost. I probably would have if that fan hadn’t snuck up on the bus. Which, I don’t even know how they did. If I wasn’t so distracted with Faye maybe-.” 

I cut him off by grabbing his shoulders. “Matt, that wasn’t your fault. Unfortunately, this shit happens.” 

“This could have been much worse,” he said, anger still heavy in his voice. “I should go help Ash deal with that. Be a manager and not some dude distracted by some crush.”

“Why do you keep trying to tell yourself that this is only some crush? It’s clear both of you have feelings for each other. Just admit it to each other.” I said. 

Matt hesitated for a long moment, trying to gather his thoughts. “I can’t admit something knowing that in the end, it won’t work out. I’m her boss. That’s all I can be.” 

I furrowed my brows. “You don’t know that things won’t work out.” 

Before Matt could respond, Faye stepped out of the bus with her camera clutched around her neck and paid no mind to either of us as she scurried inside the venue; his eyes never leaving her. 

“Is this because of your own fears that you’re keeping yourself from something that could potentially make you happy?” I wondered. 

He snorted before placing his hat back on. “You see a shrink once a week and now you think you’re some great philosopher.” 

Playfully pushing him, we began to walk back towards the venue step in step. “She knows a thing or two about relationships. Why do you think mine is flourishing right now?” 

Once inside, we took the back hallway towards the greenroom where everyone had been hanging out. Matt’s eyes immediately found Faye who was sitting on the couch setting up her camera for tonight. The way he watched her so intently brought a small smile to my face because it was something I would do. He could tell himself a thousand times over that this relationship wouldn't work because he’s her boss but with that gillmer of light that shined in his eyes whenever he watched Faye, we all knew those words meant nothing. 

“Don’t rid yourself of happiness, Matt,” I squeezed my best friend's shoulder. “You deserve it.” 

All he did was hum, still keeping his eyes trained on Faye. 

FAYE

The crowd was electric tonight, feeding off the energy Bad Omens radiated from the stage. It put a big pep in my step as I found myself bobbing my head along to the music while snapping countless pictures of them. It helped keep my mind off of the almost kiss in the tour bus bathroom but now that I had decided to let Byran work the main stage and saunter over towards the sound deck, all I could think about was Matt. 

How close he was to me in the small space. 

How warm his body felt against mine and the way he grasped onto me like I would slip through his fingers. 

I wanted to know how he tasted, how his lips felt as they moved against mine. 

At first, I was upset when he brushed off the almost kiss but the more I thought about it, I realized that maybe it was better he did. We both got lost in the haze that we nearly cost Bad Omens a lot with that fan sneaking up on the bus. So I told myself that I needed to focus on my job which is what I originally was here for. 

The second I stepped into the sound desk, Matt’s eyes quickly found mine from underneath the rim of his hat. It was the intermission part of the show so Matt had been typing away on his phone but when he saw me, quickly he pocketed it. 

“Hi,” he said over the music and noise from the crowd. 

I swallowed thickly. “Hi.”

He shifted in his spot. “How’s your knee?” 

“Hurts like a bitch but I’ll live,” I shrugged while holding onto my camera.

Silence for a long beat before Matt motioned to the stage. 

“How’s it going up there?” 

“Good,” I nodded while taking a step towards him. “Everything sounds great. But I wanted to get a look at the visuals from here if that’s alright?

He extended a hand next to him. “You don’t have to ask, Faye.”

Slinking up next to him, I sucked in a breath when the familiar feeling of Matt encased around me. It pulled me further and further down the abyss that was him and no matter how hard I tried to crawl my way out, I knew it was futile. My heart desperately wanted to be here. 

Neither of us said anything, Matt clicking away on his laptop and me quickly checking my emails. I’d been waiting on an important one the last few days and the anxiety of not knowing if I got the job or not was making it hard to focus on other things. 

Besides Matt. 

I knew this job with Bad Omens was temporary but being on the road with them made me realize that I thrived in this life and I wanted more of it. 

“Everything alright?” Matt asked when he saw my shoulders fall. 

Shoving my pocket into the back pocket of my jeans, I gave a half shrug. “I applied to be a full time photographer for a band but haven’t heard anything yet.” 

“What band?” 

“Hollow Souls. I saw them for the first time on tour with nothing,nowhere and knew I wanted to work with them. Y/N’s energy on stage is insane. I got great shots of her I wish she could have seen,” I said with a sigh. 

The smile that spread out on Matt’s face made my heart flutter but he said nothing, simply moved around me to click a few things on the sound board when he realized it was the end of the intermission.

“What are you doing?” I asked. 

“Do you want to start the intro for Bad Decisions?” He smirked. 

My eyes doubled. “What? I don’t know how.” 

Matt pointed to something on his laptop then I felt his warm breath against my ear when he moved closer to me. 

“Click it in three,” his fingers trailed down my spine

My own fingers shook as it hovered over the buttons. 

“Two,” he now slipped behind me. 

His broad chest pressed right up against my back and I could feel his cock against the swell of my ass. I bit my lip when one of his hands slipped underneath my sweater, grazing over my heated skin. 

“One,” his hands now rested on both sides of me, gripping the ends of his sound desk to lock me in.

With a gleeful smile, I clicked on Bad Decisions, the intro starting along with the visuals on the screens. 

“Good job,” he mused in the crook of my neck. “If photography doesn't work out, you could always be my assistant.” 

Ignoring the way my stomach flipped at his praise, I slowly turned in his embrace and smiled up at him while taking his hat, and putting it on. “In your dreams.” 

With a fit of giggles, I slipped out from underneath his arms and only for him to wrap an arm around my midsection, pulling me back into his chest. 

“I need my hat, fairy,” he breathed against my neck. 

Turning my head towards him, I let my words linger over his lips before sneaking away from the sound desk, still wearing his hat. 

“You’ll have to catch me, first.”

Y/N(Angel)

Taking a sip from my coffee, I clicked away at my laptop while the hustle and bustle of the cafe behind me fell acted as a white noise while I worked. I’d been busy searching through a list of potential candidates for Hollow Souls new photographer. After Lana did our new promo shots, I still felt guilty for taking her away from her main job with the guys, so Malcolm, Chase, and I decided that we would need our own full time photographer. 

“How’s it going?” Astrid asked while setting a plate of chocolate mochis in front of me. 

I groaned. “Not that great. I thought they’d be at least one but so far, a whole lot of nothing.” 

Giving me a somber smile, she went back to working the register as my phone buzzed on the counter next to me. 

Matt: I need to ask you something. 

Raising a brow, I put my work on hold for a moment to respond to him. 

Me: I am at your service. 

Me: Also, isn’t BO on stage right now? Shouldn’t you be working?

Matt: Intermission.

Matt: How did you know Noah was the one you wanted?

“That’s a loaded question,” I muttered to myself before replying. 

Me: It wasn't really a moment. More so a feeling. It’s when my heart felt empty when he was gone but when he was around, it felt full. Cliche, I know. But that’s the only way to describe it. 

Me: Does this have something to do with a certain blue haired photographer?

Matt: Noah told you? 🙄

I giggled at his choice of emoji.

Me: Mochi tells me everything.

Me: Don’t tell him I said his nickname to you. He still likes to pretend no one knows. 

Matt: I’m going to get back at him, I swear. He thinks he’s some sort of philosopher now talking about how I shouldn’t rid myself of happiness because of my own fears.

“That does sound like him,” I smiled while taking a sip of my now cold coffee. 

Me: He’s right, you know. You do deserve happiness, Matt. I haven’t seen you two together but from what I hear, it seems like both of you are smitten for each other. 

Matt: She was reading The Hobbit, Y/N! Out of all the books she could be reading, why that one? 

Matt: And her smile? Fuck, it pierces my heart every time. 

Matt: Don’t even get me started on her laugh. The way the skin next to her eyes crinkle when she laughs. I want to be the one that gets to hear that every day.

I smiled at how he was talking about her, knowing the exact feeling he was going through. I’d felt it with Noah many times before. 

Me: Tell her that. Don’t let Boss Matt get in the way of the happiness you deserve. 

Matt: That’s the thing, I am her boss. I don’t think it’s a good idea if I get involved with her. We still have two weeks left on tour. What if something goes sour and it doesn’t work out? I can’t risk that.  

Matt: Fuck, she’s here. I have to

I waited for another text to come through after the unfinished one but after a moment, I realized he must have got caught up with something so switching from his texting thread to Noah’s, I typed out a message I knew he would see later when he was off stage. Yet I paused at the unread text from Noah that I must have missed earlier. 

Mochi 🍡: 10 more days and you’re finally going to be sleeping next to me. I miss you so much angel. I’m never going to let you go. 

With heat creeping to my cheeks, I broke out in a huge smile knowing that soon I’d be joining them for the rest of their tour. 

Me: Matt is sooooo smitten with Faye.

Me: Also, facetime me later when you’re back on the bus. I want to see your mochi face. 🍡🍡

About twenty minutes later, after Malcolm and Chase joined me at Fika, we were about to give up on our search for a photographer when Matt’s new text changed our minds. 

Matt: Answer Faye’s email. She sent in her application and resume. 

I raised a brow before telling Chase to search up Faye’s name in my inbox. 

“It went to spam,” he said while showing me the email that had a pretty lengthy resume attached. 

Malcolm read it over my shoulder. “Is this the girl filling in for Lana right now?” 

“Yeah. She seems to have Matt pretty smitten,” I said while working out a reply email. 

“Matt Dierkes? Smitten?” Chase chuckled while leaning farther back into his chair. “I find that hard to believe.”

After hitting send on the email, I quickly sent a text to Matt. 

Me: I hope you know that your input had nothing to do with this.

Matt: She deserves this more than anyone.

FAYE

I sat on the edge of the stage, legs swinging in the air, as I clicked through all of the photos I took tonight. I paused on one that made my heart beat unevenly in my chest. 

Matt in the sound deck after I’d taken his hat. His hair was unruly but his eyes were transfixed on his equipment as he worked. There was a sense of peace on the soft features of his face as he did something that he loved. 

Ruckus voices carried from the open side door of the venue where everyone had been loading up the trucks but I paid them no mind, still clicking through my pictures. 

“I like it when I tickle the cervix,” Jolly chuckled. 

My eyes snapped up from underneath the hat and glanced over to the group of guys intime to see Noah eat a tomato whole causing me to grimace. 

Matt snickered. “I’d like to nut in her hard.” 

I titled my head at the guys as they continued to laugh at their obvious talks about sex. But when those dark eyes landed on me, Matt’s shoulders stiffened. 

“Shit,” Nicholas cursed. “Sorry Faye. We sometimes forget that it’s not just a big group of guys working.”

I waved them off, knowing that their sex talk didn’t bother me. Although, Matt’s statement made my face grow a deep crimson. 

“I’m more so stuck on the fact that Noah just raw dogged a tomato like that,” I admitted with a shiver. 

He shrugged. “I fucking love tomatoes.” 

While the rest of them finished taking out the last bit of equipment, Matt came to sit next to me at the end of the stage. Both of our legs swayed together, every so often our feet would knock into each other. 

“Have you checked your email recently?” He asked. 

“No,” I sighed while setting my camera off to the side. “I’m starting to think that they might have passed on me.” 

Matt bumped his shoulder with mine before throwing his hair into a low bun. “Maybe you should check it again.” 

“Why? So my heart can break even more?” I semi-joked while pulling out my phone but froze when I read the new email. 

Dear Faye, 

First off I’d like to apologize for how long it took us to respond. For some reason your application went to our spam folder. Chase, Malcolm, and I would love it for you to officially join our team! If you accept, we’ll send over the necessary documents for you to sign and we can get you started as soon as you return from your contract with Bad Omens. 

Talk soon! 

Hollow Souls

“Oh shit!” I exclaimed while nearly dropping my phone. “I got the job!” 

Before I could register exactly what happened, I found myself jumping onto Matt who fell back against the old wood of the stage. His hands rested on my hips keeping me in place while I gazed down at him, my legs locking him in on both sides. His chest rose and fell with each deep breath as those eyes drank in the sight of me straddling him. 

“Fairy,” he lifted his chin up towards me. 

Thoughts of our almost kiss in the tour bus bathroom crept into the forefront of my mind and all I wanted was to finally feel those lips on mine. Days of constant flirting and stolen glances led up to this moment yet I hesitated with fear of making the first move. His eyes flicked down to my awaiting lips; a silent question. 

“Please,” I whimpered. 

Strong hands gripped the back of my head, knocking off his hat that I still wore, and forced me to those lips I’d been craving and when we finally collided it was as if the stars exploded in the sky. Goosebumps rose to my skin and when Matt’s tongue glided over my bottom lip, wanting entrance into my mouth, I accepted with a moan. Our lips molded together perfectly, almost as if we were made for one another. Our souls connected in a tangle of webs, our desire growing stronger and stronger as our tongues fought for dominance. I linked my hands with Matt’s, locking them above his head and I rutted my hips deeper into his, brushing my clit against the hardness of his cock. He groaned into my mouth while trying to free his hands from my grip. I nipped at his bottom lip before devouring them again, reveling in the lingering taste of his drink from earlier. 

“Matthew,” I keened against his lips.

Finally he was able to break free from my grasp on his wrists and he slid up a hand underneath my shirt. Fingers grazing at the bottom of my bralette, playing with the lacey material. 

A clearing of a throat caused me to scramble off of his lap, fixing my shirt in the process. Matt swiftly sat up while not so discreetly fixing himself and when our eyes locked in on the promoter of the venue, I heard Matt mutter something under his breath before rising to his feet, placing the hat back on his head. 

“Am I interrupting something?” Jason, the prompter, asked with a clear look of annoyance on his face. 

“No. I apologize for that,” Matt didn’t bother to look in my direction.

Jason made a noise in the back of his throat. “Well, if you’re finished with that. I’m ready to close out the final bill.” 

“I'll meet you in your office,” Matt said with a thick voice, hands resting in his pockets. 

Jason flicked his eyes over towards me as I sat on the edge of the stage yet again, hiding my burning embarrassment behind my hair. His footsteps echoed in the vast emptiness of the venue and when he was gone, Matt let out a long groan while running a hand over his face. 

“Faye,” his voice was stern. “That was completely unprofessional.” 

My head snapped over towards him, rage consuming me. “You’re equally to blame, Matthew. You didn’t stop it. All day you’ve been teasing me so don’t act like this was my fault.” 

Even though his eyes softened, the tone in his voice didn’t. “I know I’m also to blame. But that can’t happen again. I’m your boss.” 

Doing my best to keep the burning tears at bay, I snatched my camera and jumped off the stage. “Whatever you say, boss.”

The rage was still all consuming as I stepped outside, the chilly night air brushing against my heated skin, and when Noah took in sight of my agitated state, he gently stopped me from stomping into the bus. 

“What’s wrong?” He asked. 

I let out a staggered breath, feeling those damn tears prick the corner of my eyes. “Nothing, I’m fine.”

Noah’s brows furrowed from underneath the hood of his Hereditary sweater. “Are you sure? You came barreling out of that door like you were on a mission to chew someone's head off.”

For a moment, I stood silent as I tried to gather my thoughts on everything that happened the last ten minutes. Me checking my email on Matt’s request, to find out I got the job with Hollow Souls, and then our kiss that was abruptly interrupted by the promoter. But something stood out among the rest, causing me to purse my lips. 

“How did Hollow Souls know I’m on tour with you? I never made it public knowledge,” I asked Noah. 

He blinked, almost taken aback by my words. “What about Hollow Souls?” 

I then divulged on how I applied to be their full time photographer and how I ended up getting the job. 

“Oh,” Noah scratched the back of his neck. “Y/N’s my girlfriend.”

My jaw went slack at the sudden revelation, all of the pieces slowly clicking into place. 

“Did you make her give me the job?” I asked. 

“I promise you, Faye, I haven’t talked to her about it. I didn’t even know you were applying to be their photographer,” Noah assured me with a gentle squeeze of my shoulder. 

“Who else would have told them,” I muttered to myself. 

Suddenly the back door of the venue opened and Matt walked out with furry eyes. 

“That stunt nearly lost us the contract here for future gigs,” he sneered. 

I blinked at him, taken aback by his sudden change of demeanor. He was even angrier than before. 

“That stunt?” I scoffed. “You mean our kiss?” 

Noah’s head whipped between us and Jolly, who had been loading up the production truck, froze at my words. 

“What we did was completely unprofessional, Faye. I had to talk down the prompter not to black list us from here,” Matt threw a hand back towards the venue. 

“Did you tell Hollow Souls to give me the job?” I crossed my arms over my chest. 

He blinked as his lips parted to speak, only to be met with silence; the silence that gave me my answer. Every high I felt from not only getting my dream job but the kiss we shared evaporated to the concrete beneath my feet. But I refused to let anyone see how defeated I was so I held my head up high with slits for eyes as I zoned in on Matt. 

“I sincerely apologize for my unprofessional actions that involved you. I can assure you that it won’t happen again.” 

Not bothering to hear another word from him, I brushed past Matt onto the bus.

MATT

A slew of grumbled curses fell from my lips as I clicked away at my laptop with an aggressive finger. Exhaustion had been weighing heavy on my shoulders causing dark circles under my eyes which made my friends worry. I assured them with a grunt that I was fine but everyone knew that was bullshit. Today, however, no one dared speak to me because they knew I was minutes away from saying something I knew I shouldn’t. 

It had been a day of constant fuck ups. First, we were stuck in bumper to bumper traffic in the middle of nowhere Wisconsin, nearly missing our call time at the venue. Then while setting up our equipment, one of the techs nearly dropped Jolly’s guitar to the ground, almost breaking it. I’d never seen Jolly that shade of crimson as he did it best not to snap at the poor tech. More recently, I’d spent the last ten minutes trying to find the mix for Nowhere To Go on my system but it was as if it was wiped clean from my hard drive. 

Yet the worst part of this shitty day? Faye hadn’t spoken one word to me in over forty eight hours. Guilt ate away at me for how I acted in regards to the kiss. It was one of the best ones I had and I couldn’t stop thinking about how her body felt on top of mine, those lips nipping and pulling at mine. She tasted sweet like honey and I found myself becoming addicted to Faye, desperate for another hit. 

But it was unprofessional where we did it. It should have been in the private confines of a secluded room or our bus. We nearly lost a big contract with the previous promoter and with a lot of sweet talking for next time we played there, I was able to smooth things over. 

Which is why I meant what I told Faye. I was her boss and we needed to remain professional. We couldn’t allow our growing desires for each other cloud what was right. 

So you’re saying your feelings for her aren't right? 

Muttering away the thoughts, I leaned farther back into my chair in the green room with my laptop still perched on my lap desperately trying to find where the fuck that track went. The room was filled with crew members who were taking their breaks from setting up. We should have been sound checking but because of the missing track, we were hours behind schedule. The constant chatter from everyone in the room however sounded like nails on a chalkboard so with a snap of my laptop, I tucked it under my arm and stormed out of the green room. I needed to find somewhere quiet to work. 

Stepping out into the bright sun, I tucked my hat farther over my eyes but halted when a strained laugh caught my attention. I set down my laptop on one of the tables in the outdoor catering area just in time to see Faye talking with the guitar players of the opening band that had been supporting Bad Omens. 

Tyler.

“So tomorrow is an off day,” Tyler mentioned while taking a small step towards Faye. “Do you have any plans?” 

I watched as Faye shifted on her feet, playing with the ends of her teal hair. She had it down this afternoon, it blowing with the tender breeze that brought a chill to my bones even though I was dressed in a hoodie and joggers. 

That or the fact that Tyler was standing too close to her. 

Those bright eyes I found myself drowning in began to roam around her surroundings, as if she was looking for something. Or someone. When they landed on me, I would have missed the way she took a small intake of breath if I hadn’t already been watching her. 

“Yeah, I do,” she said, never taking her eyes off of me. “I still have to work.”

Tyler took a step towards Faye, reaching for the hand that was gripping her hair. 

“Cancel them. I’ve got this great thing planned for both of us.” 

Suddenly forgetting the issues with the set, I stalked towards them head-on. My eyes narrowed at Tyler, anger festering low in my gut when I noticed he still hadn’t removed his fingers from her wrist. 

“I’m not going to cancel my plans. That would be rude of me,” Faye’s soft voice eased away the anger slightly within me. 

When she tried to step away from Tyler, his grip around her wrist tightened causing her to squirm in his grasp. 

“Just make up an excuse. You’re sick. I’m sure whoever you have plans with would understand.”  

Faye’s eyes dropped to the grip around her just as I reached them, hands balled up to fists at my side. 

“Tyler, you’re nice-,” she started. 

Tyler rolled his eyes with a scoff. “Come on, Faye. Just one night. We can fuck then go our separate ways.” 

The shocked and disgusted expression that covered her beautiful features when Tyler pressed a kiss to her cheek was the tipping point. It was a list of things the last few days since we kissed. Faye ignoring me, not being able to find the missing track, not having my daily Celsius drink, and now seeing this asshole pressuring Faye; I was ready to combust. 

“Faye,” my voice was tight, along with the grip around the wire of my radio as it hung around me. “Are you alright?” 

Tyler’s gaze bounced between the both of us as I stood next to her. “We were talking, Matt.” 

I threw my shoulders back, puffing my chest. “Really? Because it sounded like you were forcing her into something she didn’t want.” 

Faye finally removed herself from Tyler’s grasp and slipped behind me. “We’re done here.” 

Tyler’s eyes bounced between Faye and me, assessing the situation until a smug smile curled his lips. 

“Oh so that’s it, you two are fucking?” 

My heart damn near jumped in my throat when I heard Faye’s soft intake of breath.

FAYE

“Oh so that’s it, you two are fucking?” 

Tyler pointed between Matt and I, causing my breath to get caught in my throat as my head snapped over towards Matt, who continued to stand toe to toe with Tyler. I nearly stumbled when my heart dropped to my stomach while I awaited Matt’s answer. 

There had been a crowd gathering and when I took sight of Noah’s face as he stepped down from the bus, I knew that whatever was about to happen wasn’t going to be good.

Shit.

“Faye is a coworker of mine. I saw she was uncomfortable because of you so I stepped in. That’s all,” Matt shrugged. 

I swallowed the burn of tears as I cast my head down at the camera in my hands. There were plans tonight to live stream Bad Omens concert and since it was a special occasion, I brought out my special camera for this; my fathers old one.

Tyler’s next words made the air shift around us as I glanced up in time to see Matt’s jaw tick. 

“Damn, her pussy is that bad, huh?”

Everything happened all too quickly, almost like a blur of shouted curses and flying fists. Noah and Bryan stepped forward as Matt shoved Tyler causing me to stumble over my feet, dropping my camera to the concrete with me. I landed on my ass, scrapping my palms as I threw my hands down to support my fall. 

Matt’s fist landed on Tyler’s jaw right before Jolly yanked him away but that didn’t stop him from yelling at Tyler. 

“I didn’t start this but I damn sure finished it, fucker!” He bellowed. 

Jolly gave Matt his own shove before running a hand through his hair. “Fucking stop! Look what you did!” 

Following Jolly’s finger, Matt gasped when he saw me lying on the ground, holding a broken camera in my bloody and shaking hands. Bryan was kneeling next to me, slowly helping me to my feet as the tears I fought so hard to keep back began flowing down my cheeks. My fathers old camera sat in crumbled pieces within my hands, irreplaceable and unfixable. 

“Fairy,” Matt’s voice was soft as he reached for me.

“Don’t fucking touch me,” I seethed while yanking my arm away from him. “Don’t talk to me. Don’t look at me. Don’t even think of me.”

“Faye,” his voice was louder now as he called after me, watching me scurry into the bus to hide from all those pitiful gazes that lingered. 

BRYAN

With a frown, I watched as Faye nearly stumbled up into the bus due to the tears clouding her eyes and I swiftly turned on my feet towards Matt, who was being held back from Tyler by Noah and Jolly. Both of the Nicks were trying to deescalate the situation with the promoter of the venue that was threatening to cancel the show tonight due to the unnecessary violence. Everything had become so fucked in a matter of seconds with Tyler’s words and now, the anger Matt felt for the situation was directed back onto him. 

“Dude, stop!” I snapped while stepping between Matt and Tyler but keeping my eyes directly on the former. “Did you not realize what you just did?” 

Matt’s jaw was rigid with his anger but he eventually looked my way. 

“You two caused Faye to fall down to the fucking ground. Her hands are cut up pretty good but that doesn't matter because something that’s irreplaceable broke. All because of you two fucking idiots.” 

I wasn’t the one to curse this much but the second I saw the camera fall to the ground, immediately I felt the pain that stabbed Faye in the chest. 

Matt opened his mouth to protest but I held up a hand to stop him. “You claim you need to be the manager, well fucking act like it. You created a scene, fix it!”

Not bothering to stick around for a rebuttal, I ran over to the bus and bounded up the steps just in time to see Faye dotting her blotchy cheeks with a tissue. 

“Faye?” I said quietly. “Do you need anything?” 

She choked on a sob while forcing a shaking hand towards the mess of broken camera pieces on the table. 

“I need my fathers camera back! Do you know how old it is? What I had to do to make sure it was usable? Everything, all the pictures and memories gone because of-of,” she choked on another sob so I pulled her into my embrace.

“I know,” I hushed her with a soothing circle against her back. “Matt never meant for it to go that far. He feels like shit, although he might not show it right now. But he cares.” 

“Right,” she scoffed while pulling from my embrace. “He has a funny way of showing it.” 

I gave her a small smile. “Matt is closed off with a lot of people which makes them get the wrong impression of him. But with the people he cares about, he’d protect them. Which is what he was trying to do with Tyler but I think his feelings for you blinded him on what was the correct way to approach that.”

Faye stayed silent for a moment, letting my words digest, before she gave a small nod. I knew it wouldn’t change the issues plaguing them. That was something they needed to work out themselves but even if my words helped a bit, that’s all I could do. 

“Come on,” I motioned towards the broken camera. “Let’s see what we can do.”

MATT

My soul was calling out into the void, searching for the connection it once had and desperate to have it again. It felt like everything had been drained from me the last couple of days no matter how hard I tried to fix things. I spent countless hours looking for that specific camera to replace it for Faye. I knew it wouldn’t replace the sentimental value and all the memories it held but maybe it could ease the pain that swam in her heart. 

The fight with Tyler happened days ago and after we both apologized to Faye, she seemed to slip into herself. That usual brightness of her soul dimmed as she went about working, never once interacting with any of us. We had four days left of tour and she mentioned to Bryan in passing that she couldn’t wait for the last day because that meant new opportunities. 

With Hollow Souls. 

Y/N had reached out to assure Faye that they hired her because of her resume not because we all knew each other. That seemed to ease away some of her worries and I could tell she was excited to start working for them. 

But my heart and soul weren’t ready to let her go quite yet. 

After closing down the sound deck, another successful show in the books, I racked my brain with ideas on how to make things up to Faye when an airy giggle reached my ears. 

“We should definitely meet up once the tour ends,” Faye smiled warmly at Greg, the drum tech for Before We Fall. “It will be good for us.”

Greg agreed with a side hug, wrapping his arms around Faye. “I’ll text you once things slow down and we can meet up.” 

“Can’t wait!” She beamed that smile I found myself falling deeper and deeper for. 

When Greg and Faye went their separate ways, the familiar jealousy rage I felt when I saw her talking with Tyler festered inside of me, spreading through my veins, yet this time I took a different approach than violence. I followed on Faye’s heels as she exited the venue and ascended up the dark bus. Everyone else was still inside helping with the tear down. 

“Faye,” I breathed her name, causing her to turn swiftly on her heels. 

In the lowlight of the lamp posts outside that casted into the bus, she looked mythological. Her white sundress shimmered and the waves of her teal hair cascaded down her back. The last few days I’ve spent any alone time I could find locked in the bathroom with my hand wrapped around my cock, the image of her on top of me playing like a loop in my brain. 

My little fairy.

“Did you need something, Mathew?” She asked with a business-like edge to her voice. 

The vision of her in that light with her hands perched on her hips while she cocked one out, full of attitude, made my cock twitch and not bother to think of the repercussions, I pressed her up against the door of the bathroom. 

“What are you-?” 

I captured her lips in a kiss that was fueled by so much fervor, it made my head spin. It was only our second kiss but just like the first, our souls danced together in perfect harmony when the magnetic pull between us vibrated. Faye’s body went stiff in my embrace but soon with a rush of air, her hands sneaked up underneath my shirt to scratch at the skin of my back undoubtedly leaving half crescent shaped moons as she dug into me. 

Her lips were soft, almost silken, and pillowy against my own. I could feel the velvet tickle of her breath beneath my nose when my fingers threaded through those vibrant strands of hair. 

An unfamiliar feeling blossomed in my chest, taking over every part of me, as my tongue left kitten kisses along her bottom lip. She began to pull away from me slightly only for me to yank her back in by my teeth. I wanted to plummet in everything that was Faye, letting her consume all of me every day. I could feel the thunderous beats of our hearts together as I pressed her harder against the door, my cock brushing ever so softly against her clit. She hooked her fingers in the waistband of my shorts, doing whatever she could to pull me closer. It was a mess of a kiss, both of us dry humping against each other to grasp that euphoric high we were craving. 

Her palm pressed lightly over my cock causing me to yank on her hair, exposing more of her neck to me. My teeth grazed over the sensitive skin behind her ear and she shivered in my grip when my calloused hands lifted up the bottom of her dress, letting the material bunch up against her stomach. 

“My fairy,” I proclaimed into the crook of her neck, a single finger slipping underneath underneath the cotton fabric of her panties.  

Almost like magic, there was a wide space between us as she pushed me away, those perky breasts rising and falling as she caught her breath. Her lips were swollen, bruised from the force of our kiss, and I groaned at the sight of a faint red mark on her neck. One that I left. 

“This can’t happen!” Faye yelled while adjusting the bottom of her dress. “You’ve made it clear that you’re my boss and this-.”

She pointed between us. “Is unprofessional.”

“Fuck that,” I spat. “I don’t care about that anymore.” 

Faye wiped away the spit from her lips and sneered her distaste. “Why? Because you saw me talking with Greg and wanted to stake your claim on something that’s not yours?”

The words spewed from my mouth like vomit.

“Well, it seemed clear to me that you like it when anyone shows you attention. Does it give you a sick thrill? Turn you on?”

Faye blinked slowly while her lips parted. “Excuse me?”

“You were going to go out with that guy!” I threw a hand over my shoulder back towards the venue. “I bet you do get some sort of sick thrill from it. You string me along, fucking with my feelings, and now that I turned you down, you’re doing the same thing to other guys? You’re just like the rest of them, I don’t know why I thought you were different.”

Something glistened in her eyes and the breath she let out sounded so broken. But I was enraged with everything that’s happened the last week, all I saw was red. 

“That’s not fair. You don’t know anything,” she shook her head. 

“I don’t need to, Faye. I’ve seen enough and I’m glad I got out from under you when I did,” I roughly brushed past her, nearly turning back when I heard a broken sob fall from her lips.

Keep going. Don’t falter. That’s what she wants. 

Thunderous footsteps echoed behind me, slapping against the pavement as we stepped outside. Faye’s bright eyes filled with her own rage stared up at me as she stepped in front of me. 

“You think you’re so fucking smart? Greg is dating a friend of mine from back home. We were talking about meeting up all together,” she poked a finger in my chest. 

Yet I couldn’t apologize because she shoved another finger in my chest. “You’re an asshole! You think you’re mature because you’re older than me? You’re a manchild who can’t accept someone who cares for you. You’re one of the most self deprecated people I’ve ever met and this act you’ve got going isn’t working.”

Another poke to my chest and this one caused me to stumble slightly.

“You don’t get to push me away, call me unprofessional for something we both did, but then try to crawl your way back to me after what you did! Your jealousy broke something that I cannot replace. I’ll never forgive you for that.” 

I grasped her wrist when she went to poke my chest again and held it flush against me. “I’m sorry.”

Her face flinched, not expecting my apology, yet she continued on with her wrath. 

“Sorry doesn’t fix things! We have four days left of this tour, let's just ignore each other like we have been and we can finally forget everything that happened the second we part ways,” Faye ripped her hand from mine and stomped back towards the bus. 

I stood there in the middle of the alley behind the venue, trying to gather my bearings from our argument. Like everything with Faye, our shared moments together were a whirlwind and I never knew what to focus on first. 

The way her body molded into mine when we kissed. 

How pretty her moans sounded when I pressed my cock against her. 

How wet she was when I brushed my finger along her folds. 

How kissed fucked she looked after breaking us apart.

Or the way her fury vibrated off of her when she poked those pretty nails into my chest. 

Once again, I let the negativity of what could possibly be something so good for me ruin it before it had the chance to begin. Faye was all encompassing, she was what my soul had been missing since creation. It scoured the earth for hers and now that it was in my grasp, I refused to let her go.

NOAH

I’d been leaning against the old brick of the venue, getting ready to facetime Y/N when heated voices made me pocket my phone in time to see Faye storm after Matt, poking her finger in his chest. When Matt dragged his feet back to the bus in clear defeat, I knew that I needed to do something to fix whatever was broken between them.

“Mochi!” Y/N’s bright smile greeted me when she answered my facetime call. “I miss you.” 

“I miss you too, angel,” I slowly paced the alley. 

“What’s going on? Why are you outside?” She asked while cuddling her couch pillow closer to her chest. 

I could see the luminescence of the television casting a glow of colors against the wall behind her. She’d been watching a movie when I called, the words echoing through my phone. 

"People once believed that when someone dies, a crow carries their soul to the land of the dead."

“Are you watching The Crow again?” I teased with a playful smile. 

Y/N rolled her eyes before telling Jesse to pause the movie which made my brows pull together. “Wait, are you at my house?” 

“Yeah. Jesse texted me earlier asking if I could come hang out. I guess Maxxine stood him up. Again,” she sighed. 

“I never liked her,” I grumbled with agitation. 

“She was my friend! How do you think I feel?” But then Y/N shifted on the couch. “Do you care that I’m here without you?” 

“Not at all, angel. You know you’re always welcome there even if I’m not. I’m glad you’re there for Jesse.” 

Just then a head full of curls appeared on the screen. “She’s making me watch this movie. I had no choice in the matter.”

“It’s a great fucking movie,” she ruffled his curls before playfully pushing him away. “Why the sour face, Mochi?” 

Sighing I sat on the bench in front of the venue now, gazing up at the stars. It was nearing midnight and thankfully all the fans from tonight's show had left, leaving me out here alone with my thoughts. 

“It’s Matt and Faye. They’re still fighting and all I want to do is help them,” I ran a hand over my tired face. 

Something Y/N noticed. 

“Noah,” her voice was as soft as her skin. “I know you love your friends and want to help them but sometimes, they need to be the ones to do it.”

I shrugged while playing with the string of my joggers with my free hand. “Maybe I can do something that pushes them in the right direction. Force them in a locked closet at the next venue to talk it out.”

Y/N snorted her laughter. “That never works. But I know what will work.”

With a pulled brow, I listened intently to her plan as she told me what I needed to do. 

“You’re sure this will work?” I asked while slowly walking towards the bus, exhaustion digging its claws into me. 

“Everyone loves a good “there was only one bed” trope. It’ll work,” she assured me with that smile I missed so much. 

“I can’t believe I’ll see you in two days, angel,” I said with a bit more excitement in my voice than before. 

Y/N cuddled the pillow closer to her chest. “I’m counting down the hours, mochi.”

FAYE

After leaving Noah in the hotel lobby while he waited for Y/N to arrive, I spun the keycard to my room between my fingers, ready for a full night's sleep in an actual bed. We arrived at the final stop on the tour and with tomorrow night being the last show, we were staying in a hotel for the next couple of nights. 

72 hours. 

That’s how long it had been since Matt and I spoken to each other. Since our blow up argument a few nights ago, I had chosen to sleep on the couch in the back room of the bus, not wanting to be anywhere near him. Even though my heart was hurting with the space between us. Ultimately I knew I needed this space from him because in two nights, I’d be flying back home alone and forgetting everything that happened. 

Well, trying to anyway.

With an yawn, I slipped the keycard into the slot of the door, the light flashing green. I took all of two steps inside before coming to a sudden halt at the sight before me. Two suitcases opened and scattered throughout and a long body stretched out wide on the bed in the room. 

The only bed in the room. 

Matt removed the pillow from his face to see me standing in the doorway, clutching the handle of my suitcase with white knuckles and he rolled his eyes. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he grumbled while sitting up in bed. 

“What are you doing in my room?” I demanded. 

Matt scoffed. “Your room? I’ve been here for the last hour. You’re the one in my room.”

Neither of us broke eye contact, not wanting to lose, and I motioned to the keycard on the table next to him. 

“Who gave you your card?” 

“Noah,” he answered. 

Son of a bitch. 

“He set this up,” I muttered before turning on my heels, ready to march back down to the lobby to ask for another room when Matt’s voice made me freeze. 

“The hotel is booked. There’s no other rooms available.”

I threw my head back with an audible groan before slamming the door shut and forcing my suitcase into the closet of the room. I would have been fine with this rooming situation if there had been a couch but besides the bed, the only other place to sleep was an old, worn out chair in the corner of the room. 

It was almost nine in the evening and after the long day of travel, the only thing I wanted to do was shower and go to sleep. Noah mentioned plans about possibly going out for some food but the moment I saw Matt lounging on my bed, I wanted to take the pillow and suffocate him; mingling with others be damned. 

I didn’t even make it more than a single step towards the bathroom before my head snapped over to Matt when he spoke again. 

“I took all the hot water. Might want to wait a bit.”

It was then that I noticed he was shirtless in bed, wet strands of hair clinging to his chest; clearly fresh out of the shower. His shorts hung low on his hips and I couldn’t tear my gaze away from the light colored happy trail underneath his belly button. This was the first time I’d seen him shirtless and I felt all the heat rush to between my legs. 

Focus!

“I’m sure you can bunk with Bryan or Nicholas. Although, they talk a lot and I know how much that irritates you,” Matt winked while propping an arm behind his head. 

“I fucking hate you,” I seethed before stomping over to the bed and ripping the part of the covers he wasn’t laying on back so I could slide into bed. 

Matt continued to wear that smug smile which made me glare at him. “What the fuck are you so smug about? Happy that I’m miserable and stuck in this room with you?”

“You’re so upset that you didn’t even realize you got into bed still wearing your shoes and jeans.” 

Grumbling every name under the sun at him, I scrambled out of bed to kick off my shoes and nearly ripped the skinny jeans away from my legs, leaving it a pile on the floor. I now stood in front of Matt in nothing but an oversized band tee that I hadn’t been wearing a bra under. It’s what I usually go to sleep in anyway. It reached about mid thigh now that my jeans were off. 

“Is this better, Matthew?” 

Those dark eyes trailed up my long legs, lingering on the swell of my ass before he nodded. 

“I’d be fine if you came to bed with nothing,” he shrugged. 

I squealed before wrenching a pillow off the bed and smacking him in the head with it. 

Not one. 

Not two times. 

But four times. 

Matt finally realized he’d been under attack so his arms reached out to wrap around my hips, dragging me to the bed with him. It was a fight for who would end up on top as I tried to continue with my onslaught of pillow attacks but his strength won in the end. Throwing the pillow across the room, he managed to pin me to the bed with his hips and used one large hand to pin both of mine above my head. 

His hair was a mess covering his face as those dark eyes stared daggers into me but I raised my chin up at him in defiance. 

“Are you finished with your tantrum?” His chest rumbled. 

“Fuck off!” I shot back while wiggling underneath him. 

My shirt had ridden up in our fight, resting just below my breasts and my bright yellow thong was on full display for Matt to drink in. But his eyes continued to rest on my face. 

More so, my lips. 

My pussy kept pressing against his clear erection causing him to bite back a moan and tighten his grip on my hands. 

“Stop it,” he bit out through gritted teeth. 

I didn’t. 

In fact, I pressed myself up closer to him, rubbing my clit against his cock. “Stop what? This? I thought you wanted this?” 

The teasing tone of my voice was thick which only angered Matt even more. 

“You look pathetic, trying so hard not to-.” 

My words were cut off by his mouth devouring mine in such a heated kiss, it nearly rendered me useless. I lay under him, motionless for a moment, as his mouth moved against mine. The feeling of his tongue against mine made me moan into his mouth, trying to get more of him; desperate for it. 

“YOU’RE INSUFFERABLE!” I kneed him in the gut once I realized what was going on and he fell to the other side of the bed, clutching his side. 

“REALLY? LAST TIME I CHECKED, YOU LOVED IT WHEN MY LIPS WERE ON YOURS!” He shot back before reaching for me again, crashing our lips together. 

This had been weeks worth of build up, the sexual tension between us a tight rubber band ready to snap with any added extra weight. My brain kept screaming at me to push him off and smack him for what he did to me, breaking my fathers camera. 

Yet my soul was thriving. It never felt more alive knowing that Matt was once again staking his claim with his lips, nipping and sucking at the sensitive parts of my body; down my neck and over my collar bone after he yanked down the collar of my shirt. 

Calloused fingers brushed along the thin elastic of my panties, teasing me with his silent question. 

“Take them off,” I demand against his lips, raising my hips off the bed. 

Our clothes gathered together in a heap on the floor and while I lay bare for Matt’s hungry eyes, he remained kneeling on the bed. His cock was red with agitation, desperate for not only some sort of contact but release as well. 

“You’re beautiful, Fairy,” Matt mused while kissing from my navel, up between the valley of my breasts, and left small indentations with his teeth against my neck. 

I left angry red marks down the length of his spine while spreading my legs for him. His fingers gathered my wetness between my folds, pressing small circles against my clit and I sucked in a breath. 

“Already so wet for me? I haven’t even touched you yet,” he chuckled darkly before nipping at my bottom lip. 

I was not about to give Matt the satisfaction in knowing our little play fighting and making out turned me on beyond measure. My body was already on the brink of collapse from our weeks of constant teasing and bickering. I reveled in the way Matt came off rude and brooding, sometimes to me, but also found myself loving how caring and thoughtful he’d been in the beginning.

A finger slipped inside of me and I arched myself off the bed, my breasts brushing against Matt’s chest. 

“You like that?” He cocked his head to the side. “Use your words, fairy. I need to hear what you want.” 

I sunk my nails into his arm, trying to bring him closer. “You, Matthew. Please. I just want you.”

Begging? Really? There goes your dignity.

I didn’t have time to chastise the voice in my mind because Matt let out a growl before rolling me to my stomach and hiking my ass up in the air. The sound of skin on skin echoed in the small hotel room and a breathy moan fell from my lips. 

Matt cursed before leaning over the bed to reach for his suitcase. 

“What are you doing?” I almost whined. 

“Condom,” he muttered while rifling through his bag. “Shit! Of course the one time I don’t pack fucking condoms.”

I saw his eyes flick up to the wall in front of me, most likely to the room next door, and knew he was contemplating asking whoever was rooming next to us for a condom. 

“I have an implant,” I finally said while looking over my shoulder. “And I’m clean.” 

Those eyes shimmered as they rested on my face. “So am I.”

With his cock gripped tight in his hand, Matt lined up at my entrance before slowly pushing himself inside. My head went to fall to the pillows but his hand gathered the teal strands in his palm, yanking my head up. 

“Oh, god,” I moaned when he was fully inside. 

I’d never felt so full before. 

My walls clenched around him, a silent beg for him to move, but Matt remained still. His chest constricted with the breath he’d been holding so I slowly started fucking myself on his cock. 

“Matthew,” I panted. “Please, I need you to move.” 

With one tight grip on my hair and the other on my hip, he let out a strangled breath finally. 

“I won’t last long, fairy. I don’t-.” 

You assured him with a gentle smile. “I won't either. I’m already so close.” 

Knowing that I wouldn’t last long either, Matt let go of the grip on my hair to slide over to my clit, pressing fast circles against the swollen bundle of nerves. His pace was ruthless, fucking in and out of me with such force, the headboard began slamming against the wall. 

I was dizzy with my arousal, it clouding my judgment because I knew that this was only going to be a quick fuck and then we’d go back to bickering. Not accepting what both of us wanted. We could try to ignore how we felt about one another but there was no way I could ignore how perfect he felt inside of me. It was as if we clicked together like a perfect puzzle piece. 

Cliche. But it was true. 

Matt’s broad chest pressed against my back so he could drag his teeth against my spine. “You feel so fucking good. Fuck.” 

All I could do was nod, too blissed out on the way his fingers danced against my clit. My orgasm was so close, teetering on the edge of the cliff, and my body stilled for a moment as I tried to grasp that release. 

“No!” 

I whined when Matt pulled all the way out of me only for him to throw me onto my back and wrap a leg around his back, slipping back inside of me. 

“I want to see your pretty face when you cum,” he grunted while thrusting inside of me. 

I dared a peak down to where I bodies connected as he pulled himself almost all the way out and choked on a moan when I saw his cock glisten in the low light of the room because of our shared arousal. 

“Look at me, Faye.”

My eyes snapped up to his, blown wide with his euphoria and with one final snap of his hips, I cried out my orgasm; eyes never leaving his. 

I writhed underneath him but his fingers never stopped their onslaught on my clit, working me through the violent aftershocks. Matt threw his head back in a silent scream as his cock throbbed inside of me seconds before spilling his release.

His body fell to the bed next to me in a gruff of exhaustion and I lay there for a long moment, staring up at the ceiling; tracing the patterns of the cracks instead of the realization that I should get up to clean myself so I can find someone else to bunk with. 

As I began to slip out from underneath Matt, he threw his tattooed leg over my hips, blocking me from leaving the bed. 

“Where are you going?” He asked, pulling my back to his chest. 

Our skin was sticky with sweat and I felt our cum between my legs but with his grip on me, it was clear Matt didn’t want me to leave. 

“I just thought-,” I pointed to the door. 

He buried his face in my neck, leaving a tender kiss. “I’m not letting you go, Faye. This was never a quick fuck for me. I think this was weeks worth of pent up sexual frustration that turned into something we both wanted; even if we weren’t ready to admit it.” 

I traced over the tattoos on his arm as it lay lazily over my stomach. 

“Sounds like you’ve got a great therapist,” I hummed. 

Matt snorted. “More like a philosopher of a friend.”

We lay together in a mess of tangled limbs for a long moment, basking in the silence. Matt’s breathing became slow and steady, indicating he was seconds away from falling into a deep slumber, one I was desperate to chase. But I couldn’t stop the nagging thought in my mind. 

“So what does this mean for us?” I forced myself to ask. 

“This is a really shitty way of asking you out considering I broke your camera. But what do you say we go out on an official date once we're back home and settled?”

I linked my fingers with Matt’s, bringing his hand to my lips to leave a tender kiss across his knuckles. “I’d love that.”

The tight grip that had been crushing my heart and soul since we started fighting suddenly evaporated into nothing. All I could feel was growing adoration for the man behind me. 

Deep sleep was seconds away from clutching both of us to drag us into the dark depths but before I could succumb, my tired voice called out into the vastness of the room. 

“You owe me a camera, by the way.” 

Matt chuckled while laying a kiss to the side of my head. “Already taken care of, fairy.”

FAYE

“So, how’re things going with Jesse and Tay?” I called over to Matt, who stood in the kitchen in front of his stove. 

“Good!” He called back. “Although, I’m sure you already knew that since she’s your friend.” 

I shrugged, knowing he was right, but then gave him a smile of thanks when he returned into the living room with my cup of tea. 

“We were talking about getting together for a double date this weekend,” I said. 

Matt pressed a chaste kiss to my lips before settling back into the couch next to me. “Whatever you want, fairy.”

We’d been home for a few weeks now from tour and found ourselves settling in pretty quickly to this new relationship. Our first official date was the aquarium with everyone else but I didn’t mind it. I got to know Hollow Souls more and working for them had been an absolute dream. 

I was able to photograph Chase and Malcolms wedding. With the exact make and model of camera that mirrored the one my dad gave me. While it wasn't the exact one, I knew Matt had scoured the internet for days trying to find one so I was extremely grateful for it. 

We’d spent the entire day on Matt’s couch cuddled together under a pile of blankets, more specifically his Greys Anatomy blanket, with all three of his dogs either laying on top of us or next to us. The television had been on a constant rerun of Grey's Anatomy, him finally talking me into watching it with him. My fingers played with the ends of his hair, him opting out on wearing a hat today. I’d been wearing nothing but one of his shirts and a pair of boyshort panites. It had been a pretty hot day in California so Matt decided on wearing just a pair of joggers. We would have been three episodes ahead in our marathon if we hadn’t continuously paused it for our extra activities.

“Oh, shit. I almost forgot. How is Y/N’s and Noah’s redo date going?” I set my empty cup down on the table in front of me. 

Matt snickered while reaching for his phone. “I haven’t heard anything yet. I’m starting to wonder if he backed out on asking-.” 

His voice trailed off as his eyes never left the bright screen of his phone. The words on the current text thread he had open drained all the color from his face. 

“Matthew,” I said tentatively, sitting up on the couch and running a hand over his back. “What is it?” 

He swallowed thickly before running a hand over his face and those broken eyes found mine. “Y/N’s dad died. Her and Noah are flying to Japan tomorrow night.”

[liyatime]

💭 . . . " THE ' OLDEN DAYS " . . 📦 .

📦 pairing ; non idol au ! yang jeongin x male reader

📦 genre ; angst

📦 cw ; death , cursing , jeongin was born in 1990 , jeongin is 33 (in 2023)

📦 music ; “in a good way” - faye webster “good looking” - suki waterhouse

the pattering of bare feet could be heard across the hard wooden floors of jeongin's house as he was sitting on the couch of his living room watching tv and sipping coffee from his white mug in his pajamas.

“dad ! dad !” two loud voices called. jeongin perked up , turning his attention to his 2 twin daughters , chae-yeon and chae-young , they had his black (?) hair and brown eyes. they ran into the living room with an old photo album , sitting in front of their father. “not so loud.. you'll wake your mother.” he scolded. “alright,” chae-yeon started , “but dad , we found your old photo book!” she said , holding up a page full of old memories. jeongin put down his coffee mug and took the book as the girls sat beside him on the couch with huge smiles. “wah.. this was so long ago..” jeongin said , running his hand over the plastic protecting the images and polaroids.

he flipped through the pages , reliving every memory he had. “this is when me and your mom were in college—” “this was our first date—” “this was during our school festival—” jeongin went on and on about his younger days , eventually flipping on a page that was full of polaroids and camera printed images of him and his old friends.

“this was in college too.” said , "isn't that uncle minho?" chae-young said , pointing to a picture of her father and minho , “yes.. this was when i was in my early twenties! me , uncle minho , and uncle jisung used to hang out by the han river in hangang park nearly everyday after school.” jeongin said , a big smile on his face.

“dad ,” chae-yeon said , “who's this?” she said , pointing at a picture of jeongin and a man with (h/c) hair and (e/c) eyes. “that's.. an old friend.” he said in a lower voice , his smile got smaller each second he looked at the picture. “why don't we see him?” chae-young asked , an unknowing smile on her face as she looked at multiple pictures of the man and her father , "yeah , you guys have a lot of pictures together!" chae-yeon added. “he moved away.” jeongin said with a nervous smile. “aww.. he's so handsome too!” chae-yeon said , her sister swatting her in the back of her head. “ah! what!?” she whined , rubbing the back of her head , “he's dad's age now! that's disgusting!” chae-young said, chae-yeon pouted and stayed quiet.

“anyways dad , how'd you meet him?” chae-young asked. “we went to the same highschool , but i met him at uncle changbin's father's ramyeon shop.” jeongin answered , putting the photo album on the table and sitting back on the couch. “what year was it? 2007? yeah , in 2007 i met him at the ramyeon shop , we were both 17.” “what's his name?” chae-yeon asked , “(m/n).” jeongin said “uncle (m/n)~” chae-young sang , flipping through more of their pictures , “more like oppa (m/n)~” chae-yeon said , chae-young held her fist up and sucked her teeth. “ah , why!” chae-yeon said , pouting again and holding her legs up to her chest. the girls settled down and jeongin laughed before continuing his story.

“when we were in mr. seo's ramyeon shop , we ordered the same thing at the same time , how cliche is that?” jeongin said , “like a k-drama!” chae-yeon exclaimed , “yes, like a drama.. after that we sat down together and talked for a while , not about much , just introduced ourselves and exchanged numbers.” jeongin added , reminiscing.

—

jeongin was outside of mr. seo's ramyeon shop , awkwardly standing there in his SOPA uniform , one hand was on the strap of his backpack and the other holding onto his iphone 1. he was constantly checking the time , his friend minho was supposed to show up 6 minutes ago but he never came. jeongin was a shy person , an introvert , so minho was always with him , he was his voice when he couldn't speak for himself.

after 2 more minutes of waiting for minho , jeongin decided to just go in the shop , order his own food , and wait for minho to get there. when he walked up to the front counter a boy walked on the side of him , jeongin didn't think much of it , so he just told the cashier his order ,

“can i get one bowl of ramyeon?—”

“can i get one bowl of ramyeon?”

the two boys stood there looking at each other awkwardly , and the cashier got confused and put the orders in the same order , thinking they were together (not like that). “ please take a seat at table #4, we'll bring your food to you.” the cashier said , pointing at the table. “ah— wait..” jeongin said in a low voice , the cashier had walked away for a moment to handle some business and the two boys were left there dumbfounded.

the boy was the first to move to table #4 , and jeongin followed soon after. they sat at the table in silence until jeongin spoke up , “im yang jeongin..” he said , playing with his hands under the table nervously. “i'm (l/n) (m/n) , how old are you?” jeongin was taken aback by the question but answered nevertheless , “17—” “i'm older than you!” (m/n) exclaimed with a huge smile on his face , “ah.. sorry for speaking informally..” jeongin said , bowing. (m/n) stretched over the table and put his hand on jeongin's shoulder , “it's fine! let's speak casually.” he said.

the boys went on to talk for a whole hour until jeongin's phone buzzed , he took it out his pocket and looked at it while slurping his noodles.

( "minho" "I'm sorry, Jeongin. I can't go to the ramen shop today.. OTL" )

jeongin sighed , putting his phone back in his pocket and standing up from his seat and leaving money on the table for the bill , “hm? where are you going?” (m/n) asked , also standing up. “oh , i have to go.. i was supposed to be here with a friend but he bailed , i might as well go home now.” jeongin said , giving a sad smile. he picked up his backpack from the seat next to him , putting it on his back , “bye (m/n)—” “wait!” (m/n) interrupted , “my number.. put it in your phone later , and call me when you get lonely.” he insisted, holding out a piece of paper with his phone number on it , smiling . “sure.. seeya (m/n).” jeongin said , taking the slip of paper and walking out the restaurant, waving towards (m/n).

(m/n) sat back in his chair , breathing in and out while clutching his shirt. “shit.. he was cute.” he said , getting back up and leaving the shop , but not before bowing towards the staff.

from then on , jeongin and (m/n) met up from time to time , and from time to time turned into every day after school. they hung out at night usually , grabbing snacks from a convenience store and sitting on a park bench to eat it to making out in (m/n)'s car in the middle of the woods.

(m/n) really brought jeongin out of his shell , he became more sociable and could speak up for himself more than before. no matter how many friends jeongin had , (m/n) was always his special someone. but of course— jeongin couldn't tell his kids this , they promised to tell nobody , it was their little secret.

—

“so— he was your best friend?” chae-young asked , “yeah , essentially.” jeongin said. his eyes glanced at the clock above the tv and he got off the couch , “girls , it's past bedtime , put the photobook up and head to bed , alright?” he said , walking into him and his wife's room. “yes!” the girls shouted , running off.

jeongin's wife was already fast asleep , so he just crawled into bed , pulling the covers up and laying on his side , staring into the white wall in front of him. it was quiet and jeongin didn't like it , so he closed his eyes and stayed as still as possible , letting his consciousness send him to sleep.

—

(m/n) and jeongin were sitting in his bed at his housde , holding each other's hands as they made out , tongues gliding against each other. jeongin started to take off his shirt and (m/n) took notice , helping him take it off. this continued for a while , the intimacy was overwhelming.

“boys! would you like som— MY GOD!” (m/n)'s mother opened the door , she was holding a tray of juice and a plate of cookies but it crashed to the ground. the boys turned their head to the door , and everyone was frozen in place. jeongin with his shirt off , (m/n) helping him , and (m/n)'s mother at the door frame , holding her hands to her mouth in shock.

she slammed the door shut and (m/n) threw himself off the bed and out the door , chasing after his mother. jeongin sat still on the bed , quietly collected his shirt and backpack , put them on and made his way out of the room. (m/n) and his mother were arguing , she was screaming at him and he was stuttering trying to explain himself. jeongin walked up to them and bowed at (m/n)'s mother before exiting the house , making his way to his home , embarrassed at the situation. he had no intentions of going back to (m/n)'s house after that embarrassment. (m/n) called his name from his house but jeongin was already halfway down the street at that point , he didn't turn to call back or walk back.

(m/n) and jeongin stopped seeing each other for a couple days until jeongin texted him , asking him to meet up at hangang park. when (m/n) made it there , jeongin was sitting on a bench , drinking a can of coffee that he got from a vending machine. (m/n) sat beside him and sat there quietly , looking at the atmosphere , the dogs , children playing and families in picnic's. “sorry.” he said , jeongin turning to him. “it's alright , i just left 'cause i was embarrassed.” (m/n) nodded. it was awkward. “i dont think i'll be going to your house again.. but your welcome to come to mine.” jeongin said , taking a swig from his coffee. “thanks.” (m/n) replied.

the couple shared happiness and more through their adolescent years , kisses , hugs , and bowls of ramyeon from mr. seo's shop. they even shared an apartment together. during their first years of college they bought an apartment together with their shared assets. their college days were busy , so busy infact that they stopped seeing each other for days on end to get work done. it caused a split in their relationship and there was no thread left to sow it back together.

it was no surprise that jeongin brought up the idea of breaking up with (m/n) , to which he objected.

(m/n) and jeongin were sitting on a beach , it was dark out and the sea smell filled their lungs. they were sitting side by side , (m/n)'s hand on jeongin's thigh, traveling upwards. "what are you doing.." jeongin asked , scooting. "feeling you up. what's wrong with that? i usually do it—" "not today (m/n)." jeongin interrupted , (m/n) looked at him like he was weird but said nothing. "i think we should take some time off." jeongin blurted. "time off of what?—' "this relationship" he said , (m/n) scrambled to his feet , the sand getting in-between his toes. "for what? were doing just fine!" he exclaimed. "were really not , (m/n)". jeongin said , getting onto his feet and crossing his arms. "we barely see each other , and it's getting uncomfortable living with you. i feel like were strangers." he admitted.

"then we can start seeing each other more!—" "NO!" jeongin hollered. "it's not that simple! that's hard for me (m/n)!" "how is it hard for you!?" they continued to argue , walking all across the beach and even near the sidewalk , (m/n) walked a little too far onto the road , and jeongin started hollering for him to move out of the way. but (m/n) walked with his ears covered and eyes closed like some idiot. "(M/N)! MOVE!" jeongin shouted. (m/n) couldn't hear him and stepped onto the road—

BAM !

—

"(M/N!)" jeongin shouted as he shot up from the bed , panting heavily. his wife awoke and began to ask him what's wrong , comforting him. jeongin pushed her arm away and went to the kitchen for some water. he grabbed a glass and turned on the faucet , letting the water flow into the cup , taking a sip.

jeongin put down his water and leaned against the counter , cupping his face. "fuck.." he said , ruffling his hair and emptying the cup into the drain , putting it into the sink.

he returned back to his bedroom to see his wife already asleep with a worried look on her face , he paid her no mind and just closed the door and got into bed. he laid there staring at the ceiling , listening to the clock from the living room tick.

tick. tick. tick. tick.

jeongin closed his eyes. trying not to let his memories relapse , he just wanted to sleep. to forget about (m/n).. but how could he? it was his fault he was dead. the truck hit (m/n) and it was his fault.

—

it was the day of (m/n)'s funeral , (m/n)'s mother was standing by his portrait , he had many guests coming to visit him. and of course , jeongin was there in his black tuxedo. he paid his respect and left the room quietly , going outside to sit on the steps. after a while of sitting there quietly , (m/n)'s mother came to sit right beside him , jeongin bowed towards her and they began to talk.

"he was a good man.. wasn't he? he was a little pushy but he was a good man.. that damned truck driver.." she said , tears flowing from her (e/c) eyes. jeongin patted her on the back ,

"yeah.. he was a good man."

a/n ; spent 3+ days in this bcuz writing is difficult ! i hope you guys enjoy it !

[dongminz]

ᯓ★ this wasn't supposed to be about you, but i made it about you.

✦ pairings: taesan x reader, genre: angst | wc: 249 ✦ @onedoornet

very much inspired by jonny (and jonny reprise) by faye webster please ignore any errors! thank you :)

My Type.

They always ask, “What’s your type?” or “What do you look for in a relationship?”. 

Questions I’m scared of answering, because, what should I say when you’re the first thing I think about? I don’t mean to, but it keeps returning to you. I know we’re done, I know that there’s nothing between us anymore, so why? Why did you treat me so well? Why were you everything that I wanted? I was ready to be your everything. So why, why weren’t you ready? Taesan tell me, did you ever love me? You never told me so I wouldn’t know. I can’t even be in my own room without thinking about you. All because you told me to paint these stupid walls white. You told me, 

"A white wall may seem empty. But it's ready to be filled. And, in its readiness, needs nothing. It stands complete"

God, why the hell did I listen to you? Why the hell did I ever love you? Why are you still everything that I want? Why are you happy and going on with your life while I’m still here? Stuck in a room with white walls. The same room where we’d watch movies on my bed, paint empty canvases on my floor, hang up our photos on top of my bed, figure out outfits together, sleep together, and discuss our future together.

I still love you Taesan. Those questions were never about you, but I guess it is now.

authors note: helloo! i'm back >< released this as a little sawry for not releasing in a while :c hope you like it! i love jonny by faye webster so i decided to write a little something inspired by it.

© dongminz 2024 ; all rights reserved

[bts-roses]

excerpt: A Dream With an Idol

summary - You've been having dreams, oddly inexplicably realistic dreams with the man you, and the rest of the world, admires. But your heart grows tired of it when you start to fall in love with him, someone you don't actually know.

pairing - Idol!Yoongi x reader

a/n: This is a little excerpt of one of the writings T'm currently working on based on the song A Dream With a Baseball Player by Faye Webster. (More to come soon!)

❀❀❀

2 years ago

You don't notice the surreal atmosphere engulfing you as you sit on your couch. Your apartment looks the same as it always does, yet it feels inexplicably foggier, as if you could touch your surroundings and everything would fizzle and dissipate fleetingly into thin air.

Before you're able to clock onto the hazy feeling that seems to flow through your entire bloodstream, a breaking news segment on your TV steals your attention: apparently the scientifically proven cure for a broken heart is a kitten's ballad.

Normally, you would question this, grab your phone and debunk it through the internet for the sake of your sanity and your need to always be right. Instead, your consciousness accepts it and you grab the glass of water next to you, failing to register the way it feels like and weighs nothing in your seemingly numb hand.

As you're about to take a drink, a knock on your front door unexpectedly stalls you.

You practically float towards the door, not feeling the normally cold floor on your feet. As the door swings open, you're surprised (but not sceptical) to find a very familiar face on the other side.

"Hi."

The man stares at you as if it was you who showed up to his door unannounced. His face is painted with just as much confusion as you feel.

"Hello," you breathe out, "Would you like to come in?"

"Yes?", the man unsurely says, following you to sit down on the couch.

You both say nothing, sitting in the silence you both subjected yourselves to. You stare at him in awe of how he looks close-up, the familiar features you would regularly admire in pictures is burnt in your heart with a brand new filter of details those photos would normally miss. He stares at you in a similar way, but he slowly explores the small details of your face in a way that signals to you that this is the first time he has ever seen you.

"I'm a big fan of yours." You break the silence, breaking out into a bashful smile.

He blinks.

He offers a brief smile back.

"Thank you." he replies, continuing to intensely stare at you.

You give an acknowledging nod, thanking him for his thanks. You purse your lips out in the undeniably awkward atmosphere.

"I'm y/n", you introduce yourself in attempt to hack at the silence, "I already know who you are."

This time he gives the acknowledging nod, a bit taken aback by your sudden bluntness. Yet a genuine smile sneaks out on his face and his brain doesn't catch up to the words that spill out of his mouth.

"Can I give you a hug?" He unexpectedly says, his face showing as much surprise as you feel.

In that moment, you realise he was speaking in Korean and you, despite never actually learning the language, fully understood it like you know the sun can be seen in the sky. The realisation, however, is momentary, finally processing his question. You don't even verbalise your response, instead moving forward to show him your answer.

Then all of a sudden, everything transcends into something that is inexplicable to describe in any other way except real.

He feels real.

You feel the comforting pressure from his arms around your body. You feel every soft shape, edge, and surface on his both muscly and soft body. You feel the soothing scent from him uplifting the senses in your nose. You feel the overwhelming warmth radiating from his body. The feeling is visceral, your heart drums throughout your body when you feel his heartbeat on your skin.

He is real.

As if shocked by electricity, you both move away from each other, staring at each other in pure shock. It's in that moment you take in the surreal atmosphere, the foggy surroundings, the ridiculous news on the TV.

You realise you're dreaming and yet the man in front of you is inexplicably real.

What haunts you is that his face mirrors yours. As if he feels the exact same thing you do, as if he finally registers everything around him is surreal, as if he too realises he's dreaming. He realises.

You're real too.

He moves forward towards you again and opens his mouth, about to ask you if you just felt what he did. You feel every fibre in your body about to do the same, to confirm that you viscerally feel everything, you can feel him.

But before you either of you can utter a single word, everything and anything selfishly and unforgivingly rips through the existence, so brutally that it forces your eyes wide open.

You wake up.

❀❀❀

a/n: thank you for reading! any feedback is greatly appreciated :) have the loveliest day <3

[kvnai]

—🌙🦋 MUTUAL CATCH UP

Tagged by @rorronoa gracias :3

LAST SONG: "Home" by Jorja Smith

CURRENTLY WATCHING: Hunter x Hunter (I'm obsessed)

THREE SHIPS: Nico Robin x Zoro, Mugen x Fuu, Spike x Faye

FAVORITE COLOR: pastel purple

CURRENTLY CONSUMING: green apples ;)

FIRST SHIP: my first crush? idk

PLACE OF BIRTH: Spain (Europe)

CURRENT LOCATION: In the sofa

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Single but with special friends ;)

LAST MOVIE: The King (I watched it with my no bf)

CURRENTLY WORKING ON: becoming my best version and studying for a better job

Tagging: @ionno @waifuneral @kokoromonai @kawaiidesu @lordsky4ever

The photos are from when I travelled to The Canary Islands, the sky was beautiful (I don't like text posts haha, aesthetics...)

[mbakuetshurisprincess]

Love for Duties Sake Part 3

AN: Hello loves and happy valentines day! Wow when I say I went literally feral writing this I mean I started writing it last night inspired by my bae @pinkwright and the words just flew out idk. Consider this a valentine's treat from me to you. I hope you all enjoy and MWAH theres a very big kiss for all of you. 

Summary: As the only daughter of Genelia, there were things you just had to do, and marrying the Queen of Wakanda was one of those things.

Pairing: Shuri x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Cussing, guns, mentions of death and grieving, that’s it I think.

Word count: 3,744

Part 1.  Part 2.  Masterlist.  Taglist.

Suggested listening: Kingston - Faye Webster

“Every single word you say makes me feel some type of way It's the thought of you that slightly scares me But it takes my breath away, forget what I was gonna say The day that I met you, I started dreaming Now I write 'em down if I remember in the morning time”

The ride to the restaurant was quick, you didn’t even pay too much attention to your surroundings as you rode in the back of the SUV next to Shuri. Your mind was too preoccupied with what prompted her to ask you to dinner all of a sudden and why the prospect of spending quality time with her made you feel warm on the inside. That was why you didn’t recognize the path you’d traveled countless times until the car was parked right outside and Shuri was helping you out of the car. 

Taking your hand gently in hers as you stepped out, pulling your skirt down to maintain modesty in case any news outlets were there. And of course, they were, but they kept a decent distance away, while they snapped photos of the interaction between you and Shuri; fearful of Okoye, Aneka, and Ayo who flanked you two. Your mind finally made the connection as your eyes read over the name of the restaurant Mamie Bidoche. The same French-inspired quaint restaurant you practically lived in when you spent time in DC. 

“Shuri!” You squealed, overcome with excitement to be back at your favorite restaurant. Joy ran through your body and you couldn’t help but jump a little while you still held her hand. “How did you know about this place? Who told you about it?” 

Shuri wished she could take a photo of you right then and there with her kimoyo beads just so she could savor the genuine smile on your face. This was the smile she didn’t get to see often, the one you seemed to only reserve when talking to everyone except her. At that moment the Queen swore to do whatever she could to make sure that smile never left your face. “You mentioned it once in an interview when we were first courting, our second with Asha I believe.” 

Blush now added to the smile on your face as you recalled the interview. Asha asked where your favorite place to eat in the States was and you replied without hesitation Mamie Bidoche, saying that you’d sell your soul to have a plate of their food again. That was so long ago, how could she remember that? 

And that meant she was paying attention to you at the time too. For a long while you’d assumed Shuri had been zoning out during your interviews, not caring what you had to say until it was time for her to play the part of the doting wife. It was part of the reason you built up a dislike for her early in the relationship. But this disproved all of that, she had been listening. 

“And that one time I asked you for a hair tie, you told me I should light my hair on fire and offered me a matchbox from here,” Shuri added with a laugh for more emphasis on her point. You had forgotten about that time, not your brightest moment but still funny considering everything. 

“You remembered all that?” You asked, your smile had faded into a softer one but Shuri still found it beautiful. Your hand now only connected to hers through your fingertips, both refusing to let go of the other. 

“Of course sthandwa, why wouldn’t I? You’re my wife.” The response Shuri gave you made you almost feel silly for asking the question. 

Words didn’t feel like they could quantify your feelings so you simply wrapped your arms around Shuri’s neck and pulled her in close to you. Your reaction surprised Shuri but instinctively she wrapped her arms around your waist pressing your body against hers. The cameras snapped, capturing the pure moment between you two. Ayo, Aneka, and Okoye all shared a knowing glance, taking this moment as confirmation of Aneka’s previous theory. “Thank you,” You whispered as you pulled away, the soft smile never leaving your face. 

“Nothing to thank me for my love,” Shuri replied, matching your smile. The sound of cameras shuttering reminded Shuri that even though this was a private moment between the two of you, it was subject to be blasted all over the internet at any moment. Plus the sound of one camera that seemed to be clicking more rapidly than others was starting to make her uncomfortable. “Do you maybe want to go inside now?” 

You could sense the nervousness in Shuri’s voice, you couldn’t figure out what brought it on but you wanted to do your best to make it go away. Grabbing her hand you replied with a smile “Yes,” before dragging her into the restaurant with Ayo, Aneka, and Okoye tailing behind. 

The interior looked just as you remembered it, small and homey with a clear view of the kitchen so you could watch your food be prepared and cooked. Typically lunchtime in DC meant this place was packed but strangely no one else was there aside from the chefs and the waiter who guided you to your table. Shuri held out your chair and pushed you in, sitting in the same corner you sat in when you would come all those years ago. 

“Did you have this place shut down?” You ask seriously once Shuri takes her seat across from you at the table. 

Unfolding the napkin into her lap she chuckled. “And what if I did?”

You groan and shoot her a look she’s familiar with, level one annoyance. “Shuri,” You state firmly. “You can’t just buy out a restaurant for the two of us, they’re going to lose money!”

“My love,” Shuri scoffed. “It is not just the two of us. Aneka, Okoye, Ayo.” She called the names of the three Dora’s and they all came to your table in an instant. Quite frankly you sometimes found their haste and devotion a little scary, they were always popping up places in the blink of an eye. 

“Yes, my Queen?” Ayo spoke first. 

You and Shuri maintained eye contact while she spoke to Ayo. You were curious about what she would say and she was determined to prove a point. 

“The three of you grab a table together. Take advantage of this fine cuisine my wife raves so much about.”

Okoye tried to refuse. “Our job is to be focused on you, having a meal would only distract us.” 

This time you spoke up. “Take a break please, all three of you. You work so tirelessly to protect us all the least you could do is eat lunch. On Shuri’s dime of course.” You added the last part in and caught the smile that Aneka tried to fight.

The three women all looked at each other deciding if they were going to comply or not. One swift head nod from Okoye confirmed that you had won them over. All three walked away and sat at a table far enough away to not disturb you but still close enough that they could keep an eye out in case anything went awry.

“Five people are not the same amount of money as a DC lunch rush.” You remarked. Level two annoyance detected.  

“Did you wear that skirt for me?” Shuri asked seemingly ignoring your comment in favor of talking about something she wanted to discuss. 

“What? No, I wore it 'cause I like skirts.” Eying Shuri up and down you continued. “We’re hurting their profit margins, Shuri.”

“I don’t like it when you say my name like that. Shuri.” She repeated the way you said her name. “So much contempt, I used to think you might actually hate me.” 

Your wife's comments made you pause and you took a sip of water while you digested your thoughts. “Shuri,” It came more softly from your mouth this time. “Have you listened to anything I’ve said? We can’t just shut a place down for five people. 

The Queen sighed, as much as she loved her wife's strong will it was times like this that she wished you would just drop things. “Of course, I have listened to what you said, I didn’t just shut the place down. I’m paying double what they normally make per hour for however long we’re here, plus a tip for taking on Ayo, Aneka, and Okoye.” 

“Oh,” You said quietly. 

“Mhm,” Shuri replied, taking a sip of her own water. “Now are you ready to drop this so we can have a nice lunch?” 

“Yes.” 

The conversation flowed well between you and Shuri. She was able to delve into some details about current council debates that were stressing her and you offered your insight on how to best achieve what she was looking for. You made everything seem so simple and Shuri appreciated it in contrast to how she overthought everything. The conversation died down as you two finished the last bites of the meal, savoring every drop of sauce left on your plate. 

Shuri nibbled the inside of her lip and pushed the remaining food around her plate as she watched you. Something was on her mind and you knew it. 

“Out with it already.” You commanded dabbing the napkin at the edge of your mouth. Shuri’s confused face only made you laugh. “This marriage thing means we’ve spent a lot of time together, willingly or unwillingly. I can tell when something is on your mind so spill, let it out.

The young royal shifted in her seat, unaware of how obvious her actions had been. She was so used to being able to pick up on everyone else’s patterns of behavior due to her enhanced abilities but never had someone picked up on hers. Thinking for a moment, she shook her head no. “It’s too personal, I don’t wanna make you uncomfortable. Especially after the beautiful lunch we had.” 

“Shuri, we’re married, if I really don’t want to, I just won’t answer.” Your response was simple and Shuri appreciated that. 

“You um never talk about Genelia?” It came out like a question more than a statement like it was intended. “I noticed that today, when the President’s idiot self brought it up you, seemed almost a little upset. Is there a reason you don’t want to talk about it?” 

You tensed up once Shuri finished her sentence, in all honesty, Genelia was not on your list of topics you wanted to discuss today, or any day for that matter. But the way Shuri spoke, her question seemed genuine like she wanted to really know what happened. 

Clearing your throat you started. “Genelia and I have a complicated relationship, a majority in part due to my parents. I’m sure you know from interviews and just the public perception of me pre us, I hadn’t been home in years. I lived between France and the United States comfortably I might add for the end of my teen years. What you don’t know however is what made me leave for so long.” You paused here allowing yourself to breathe, these aren't memories you revisited often. 

“I know I say a lot that I’m the only daughter of Genelia but that’s technically not true, I’m the only living daughter of Genelia.” 

A look of confusion danced across Shuri’s face, she knew you had plenty of siblings but never had you mentioned a sister. You constantly cracked jokes in interviews about how growing up surrounded by all boys made you tough, so to hear about this mystery sister didn’t quite add up. 

“Her name was Yara and she was only a year older than me. We did everything together, she was my best friend and we didn’t spend a day apart. I mean I think my mother had to get us separate rooms because I would crawl into bed with her at night.” That smile Shuri had seen earlier crept back up on your face as you reminisced on the good times with your older sister. Imagining what she would say if she saw you now all grown up and married. 

“But Yara you know, she was too good for this world I think, that’s the only justification I can come up with. Her little body just wasn’t built to hold all the light she had, she was too much for it. Over the years she became weaker and weaker. And when I was sixteen she uh passed.” The memory of the day she finally passed still stuck out in your mind, how your parents kept you from her until the last minute. How you sat and held all of your tears because you knew Yara didn’t like to see you cry. Her death had been a long drawn-out process and it had been painful to watch your sibling slowly deteriorate.  

“My parents didn't really know how to let me grieve like I should’ve been able to. We fought almost every day, just over the stupidest shit. Eventually, they pulled me aside and said I was becoming a bad influence on my younger siblings, that I used Yara’s death as an excuse to act up.” Your voice got quieter as you continued speaking. “My parents told me they had other children to raise, other children to help grieve and I was getting in the way of that. They sent me to France the very next morning.” 

Shuri looked at you with the first expression of hers that you couldn’t track. There was a sadness in her eyes but the corners of her lips were tight as if she was mad. “I am sorry to have made you dredge up something so personal, sthandwa.” Reaching across the table she took your hand in hers rubbing it soothingly. “Yara sounds like she was a beautiful girl and an amazing older sister. I am sorry that your parents didn’t allow you to grieve her properly, I know how important that process is.”  

At that moment, looking Shuri in her eyes while she held your hand in hers, you never felt closer to her. Not when you two shared your first kiss in front of millions on your wedding day, not during the countless interviews you too had done, not even during the rare times you did share a laugh when you were both home. No, none of those times compared to the connectedness you experienced with your wife at that moment. It scared you how being this connected made you want to be vulnerable to Shuri, you couldn’t let that happen, to tell all of your secrets to her after just one dinner. 

You broke eye contact and Shuri took that as a sign to pull her hand away from yours. “It’s okay, I’m not as upset as I used to be about it. Honestly, I’ve been thinking I might want to go back someday.” You said the statement so casually but Shuri’s eyes shot up from the table. 

“What?” 

“I think I might wanna go back someday, to Genelia.” You repeated. 

“No, my love, I heard you, I just can’t understand why you would want to go back to a country that treated you so poorly.” Shuri’s comments made sense and you nodded.

“I’m not saying tomorrow Shuri,” You were careful how you said her name remembering her earlier comments. “I just mean before I die you know? I’ve still got siblings over there that I need to repair things with.” 

The morbidity of your comments got Shuri’s eyes rolling but she understood your sentiment nonetheless. The end of your comment piqued her interest but she decided against asking as she had already made you delve into your personal life. The queen allowed a few beats to pass, just admiring your beauty before she spoke, “I have to say entle I enjoyed this dinner with you.” 

Shuri’s comments made you smile from ear to ear. “Thank you lovely, I did too.” 

Lovely? That was the first honorific you had ever used for her when a camera wasn’t present. Shuri couldn’t help the blush that crept onto her cheeks, you thought she was lovely? 

“A shame it has to come to an end though, maybe we could do this more when we’re back home?” Shuri asked the question hesitantly as she rose from her chair holding her hand out to you. 

Now it was your turn to blush. The idea of getting to spend quality time with Shuri, uninterrupted like you just did, was a dream you honestly thought was never going to be possible. You took her hand as you stood. “I would love that, but who says that we have to end it here?” 

“What do you mean?” Shuri asked, still holding onto your hand. 

“Yes, what do you mean my Queen?” Okoye was very quickly approaching you and Shuri with Aneka and Ayo flanking either side of her. Shit, trying to convince Shuri of your plan would be easy, but getting it passed those three would be a difficult process. 

“I just mean there's a walk-up ice cream shop, not even a block from here. Like literally right up the street. You batted your eyelashes at Shuri. “We could all get ice cream before we go, my treat!” 

Shuri laughed at you and you couldn’t tell if it was because the idea of you paying for something was comical or if it was because you thought Okoye was going to go for it. 

“No,” Okoye answered simply, blinking at you unfazed by the puppy dog eyes you were trying to give her. “The area hasn’t been swept; there is no way for us to ensure your safety.” 

“And we’ve been in one unsecure location for too long, our whereabouts could be known by anyone at this point,” Ayo added to strengthen Okoye’s point. 

“It was secure enough for all of us to have a meal.” You argued back, the taste of the insane flavor combinations the shop was known to mix up already on your tongue. “It’s a Mom and Pop ice cream shop, just one scoop and we’re done!” 

Shuri shifted in her heels, rocking back and forth trying to decide if this was worth it. On the one hand, Okoye and Ayo were right, her last-minute decision to take you out here had caused a lot of disruptions to their normal security protocol. And the pictures that had been taken of you two had surely already made their round through the internet meaning your location was public. It was a risky idea. But on the other hand there you were, blinking up at her with your beautiful brown eyes, the ghost of that smile appearing on your lips as you anticipated her response. How could she say no to that? 

“One scoop can’t hurt can it?” She turned to Okoye who stared back at Shuri dumbfounded. 

“My queen, I cannot advise that this is the safest decision.” Okoye was always honest with Shuri. “But if you two insist, we can do ONE scoop in a cup for you to take back on the jet. Deal?” 

You squealed in excitement for the second time in the day. “Thank you thank you thank you!” You repeated the statement over and over to Shuri and Okoye who watched you with boredness and amusement respectively. 

The three women escorted you and Shuri out of the restaurant after Shuri had paid, you watched her leave a healthy tip on both of the tables before leaving. Just as you promised right up the block there was an ice cream shop with just two windows, one to order and the other one to pick up your cone. You stood reading over the menu, mulling over what you were going to get when Okoye’s voice cut in. 

“You two hurrying up would be ideal. I do not like how exposed we are right now.” Okoye stood directly next to Shuri, while Aneka and Ayo had disappeared, presumably protecting you and Shuri from other areas of attack. 

Hearing Okoye’s words, Shuri wrapped her hand around your waist and gently pushed you in front of her so that her back was to the street and you were shielded. The gesture made you blush, she was always so protective of you. 

“I’ll have one scoop of your double chocolate coffee crunch in a cup please.” You said to the white man behind the counter who gave you a curt nod. His being there felt a little funny to you, you could have sworn this was a black-owned business who specialize in hiring specifically previously incarcerated black people. Although to be fair it had been years since you’d been there, their policies could have changed due to demand or the job market. 

“And I’ll have just a scoop of your chocolate please, in a cup as well,” Shuri added in behind you before placing her card to pay before you could bring yours out. She quelled your protests with a quick kiss on your forehead. 

You two stood off to the side while you waited for your ice cream. Shuri’s arms had now moved to rest around your neck, pulling you against her once again with her chin resting on top of your head. Take full advantage of the height difference between you two even though it wasn’t that big. You felt safe like this, wrapped up in her. 

The bell dung signified your order was ready and before Shuri could move to get it, you were already slipping out of her arms making your way over to pick it up. All of your attention was on Shuri as you turned away from the counter and stuck your tongue out at her. Earning a laugh from your wife, one of your favorite sounds.

You turned back to take the cups from the man but were instead met by the barrel of a gun aimed directly at you. Fear overtook you and the most you could get out was “Shuri!” before two shots rang out hitting you in the abdomen. 

Everything seemed to move in slow motion after that, your body fell back against the concrete with a harsh thud. You blinked and Shuri was at your side, hands pressing kimoyo beads into your stomach. Another blink and you saw Okoye jumping through the window at the counter in an attempt to apprehend the man who had so carelessly tried to take your life. Your wife was speaking to you in jumbled sentences, mixtures between Xhosa and English. The recurring sentence you could make out was her plea to you,

 “Stay with me.” 

Taglist: @shuriszn @sokkasbae25 @verachii @cuddl3s4shur1 @takeyaki @jinnie10101 @letitias-fav @sweetalittleselfish-honey @beautybyfire @6-noir @mocha-aya @yvxmpire @mysticalmarss @ziayamikaelson @youralphawolf72 @n7cje @inmyheadimobsessed @shurisjournal @shurisbigtoe @saintwrld @pinkwright @chatitajens @playhousedistee @motheroffae @injeolmiee @tchhairbandhere 

[sp00kymulderr]

WIP Wednesday but it's Thursday

thanks for the tags @chronically-ghosted @perotovar @wannab-urs!

Step one: post snippets of the fics you're working on (can be a summary if there's no snippet)

Step two: put them in a poll and let people vote on which one you should work on

Step three: every vote is one minute you put on a timer to work on that fic (ex. 15 votes = 15 minutes of writing)

feel free to send me asks about any of these!

Picture You (QZ!Joel x sex worker f!reader)

The system was easy; a ration card dropped in to the disused mailbox, the next day they would come back to collect the polaroids you chose for them. A note with them, in your best handwriting, with a wishlist - things they could leave, what they'd get in return. Food for a photo of you in your prettiest lace set, cigarettes and booze would get them a topless shot, pills promised them a full nude. Rarer finds meant they'd get to see more of you. You always knew when the offering was from him. At first he'd just leave the payment, but as he returned again and again he'd give you notes - scribbled handwriting complimenting you on the colour of the lingerie you wore, on how perfect you looked in it. Eventually, he'd leave more and ask for something else - a pair of your panties, worn. Then he asked for more.

lost, found pt 2 (Dieter x reader x Ezra x non-binary oc)

Dieter had met Faye first, years ago. They had worked on a production of The Cherry Orchard with him. They had bonded over vodka martinis and their shared hatred of Chekov. Nights on stage, days in bed. They'd been a constant in his life for so long Dieter didn't know what he'd do without Faye now. You had come along next. Someone new, intriguing to him. You'd sat at your table at a fundraiser looking bored out of your mind, but when Dieter came to speak to you the smile you had given him had practically knocked him off his feet. He'd taken you home that night, and you'd never really left after that. Ezra. Now Ezra was never expected. You knew him, had had your dalliances with him in the past. Dieter was aware of him, Ezra was a prolific stage actor who never ventured in to film. When you'd first introduced the two they had butted heads. It had taken a while for them to realise just how much they liked each other.

you play the part, i'll be the art (no outbreak, moms ex!Joel x f!reader)

"Thought I told you to stay out of trouble?" Joel grunts, pulling you away from the group and around the corner towards the bathrooms, out of sight from both them and his date. "Thought I told you to stop watching me?" You retort, riled up and full of adrenaline. You're a little tipsy, a little horny, and massively fired up - they way he holds on to you doesn't help, practically pinning you against the wall. "Or is your date just not exciting enough for you, Joel?"

Cherry chapter 2 (Dieter x ofc x f!reader)

You're three cocktails in and giggling with Eva. Just like old times. Her smile lights up her face, lights up the whole room. The whole world. She's just as perfect as she always was. Dieter's there too.

np tagging @covetyou @5oh5 @alwaysmicado @morallyinept @morning-star-joy @whatsnewalycat @sweetercalypso @schnarfer @ozarkthedog if you haven't done it yet

[binniesbooks]

• STILL WITH YOU UNTIL THE NEXT TOMORROW

TXT 019 .F05 2024

wc 0.6k

pairings TXT x reader

warnings none, just a light-hearted analysis for the boys :))

faye's note I'm bored soooo let's just make some analysis about TXT! 😋 This is not proofread :)) Also, I've been trying to write fayebies, i swear ⊙⁠ω⁠⊙ but i just can't finish anything :(( especially I'm a little bit sick. I have a fever for like 4 days now. Please wait a little longer ㅠㅠ

Before anything, I would also love to hear your thoughts about this! ;)

Soobin - HE IS A HUSBAND MATERIAL. I'm not even joking! I'm taking my Soobrangdan heart aside (to not be super biased), and for me, he is really husband material. Especially with that shoot where he played with kids-- damn his smile when he's  playing with the little girl :( please wife this man up. He's so genuinely happy about it, we can't deny. I just know he would love to be a girl dad. No one can change my mind. And that photo of his nephew, oh my god, don't get me started. His pure heart wants to be an amazing dad, I'm sure. I just know he doesn't want to play when it comes to relationships. If he would have a girlfriend, pretty much his goal is to be married with that person and build a happy little family.

Yeonjun - I've said it before and I'll say it again, he's more of a boyfriend material. Why boyfriend material? Let's not lie and cover things up, he always gives the vibe of "I know what I feel but I don't know how to say it" or some sort. :( He's just a confused baby. Don't get me wrong, he is an amazing person but he's more of a boyfriend material because he just have the difficulty to navigate his feelings, if you get what I mean. People (including me,) would also say that he is the "collector" type because of his vibe-- no he isn't! He is just really confused about how to navigate his true feelings, which would often cause people to misjudge him. He's oblivious about people whom he doesn't love, romantically, of course, and their feelings and would only think he's just doing the bare minimum when, in fact, people have already fallen in love with him—the reason why he is always mistakenly thought of as a womanizer.

Beomgyu - This guy here is boyfriend material too! A silly boyfriend at that! Although he can be a little bit scary and serious at times, he's more on the funnier side. He has a goofy personality that everyone knows. And that makes him a fun and simple guy. Again, don't get me wrong. Because he is the type to be funny and all, yet he is the sweetest when it comes to relationships. Would give flowers on a daily basis. Would do something so cringe-worthy and cheesy just to see you smile. When I say he's the sweetest, I mean he is really the sweetest. But he tends to cry the most. Pure soul only wants true love and can't help but be a little jealous of people who are too clingy with you.

Taehyun - Another husband material. He is a smart husband. Responsible. Reliable. Disciplined. He knows how to stand alone. I mean like, he knows what he is doing most of the time. The most rational of them all. He knows the consequences and doesn't want to do anything risky. He always thinks ahead of time—always two steps ahead compared to others. And he is also firm on what he believes or whatever he says. He knows how to trust himself, and he knows how to be accountable about everything. He's the type that would hurt you with his words rather than fool you with lies. The type to defend you in public and correct you in private. A manly man indeed.

Kai - Of course, he is boyfriend material too. His shy persona tells me so. :) I know, I know, he is big and all. But his shy personality really shows his boyfriend side. The type to go with you every time you need someone. Your one call away partner. A comfortable person you could lean on anytime. He's such a soft guy, and he knows how to show a lot of effort—similar to Yeonjun when it comes to efforts. However, he doesn't really want to stand out—he doesn't want the spotlight for himself—and would rather be hidden away than being watched. This guy is so clingy. Yup. Loves to be around you all the time. He loves to have your hand in his. Shows his extroverted side when he's with you and his friends. 

@binniesbooks 2024

[e-dubbc11]

Ericca, you sweet, amazing and lovely lady! Congratulations on your milestone! That is so fantastic and you really deserve it ❤️

You've always been so kind to me and such a good friend. I'm thankful I found you, the Beth to my Rip 😆❤️

You know I'm a fluffball, so of course I'd send an ask. I'm also indecisive, so... two prompts for our Billy boy? 😅🙈

“don’t listen to that voice inside your head, listen to mine.”

"Nothing makes me more happy than making you smile."

Your Billy will forever be my favorite ❤️

My sweet Sofie, thank you and thank you for sending these in, I’m sorry it’s taken me a little while to finally get to this one but I really hope you like it! I love you to pieces and I’ll always be the Beth to your Rip ❤️

What Makes You Beautiful

Photos are not mine. They are courtesy of Pinterest/Google

Pairing: Billy Russo x F! Reader

Warnings: couple of swear words, self doubt, reader feeling insecure about her body, fluff

Word Count: a little over 2K

Summary: Billy and reader are married and have a new baby. Reader is feeling insecure about her post baby body, he reassures her she is the only one for him.

A/N: This ask kinda got away from me, what was supposed to be around 1K words, turned into a little over 2K words so I figured I’d just make it a whole thing complete with moodboard. And thank you Sofie for helping me with the title, I was having a hell of a time. ❤️

Nothing was more picture perfect than the sight in front of you. The sight of your handsome husband asleep on the couch holding your precious baby daughter on his chest, also asleep, was something you were still getting used to.

Billy Russo was a marine, a CEO, a combat veteran, and now, a father. You never thought you would ever see the day where Billy would be content holding a baby. He was nervous at first when you told him he was going to be a father.

He had so many questions, one of them being “Do you think I’ll be a good dad, y/n?” The worried look on his face broke your heart, you could see he was scared, but did your best to put his worries to rest. “Well we’re going to find out, aren’t we. I’ll be right here with you, Billy. I’m scared too, but we can learn together.”

Billy never knew what real love was, he had never been shown, but he eventually learned sometimes the hard way but he did learn. He learned it so well in fact that when he asked you to marry him, it was a complete surprise.

You had never talked about it and weren’t sure if he would ever be ready to get married. Shock and awe are the only two words you could use to describe what you felt that day, tears were shed by both of you but there wasn’t any hesitation in your answer. Of course you would marry him.

That was three years ago, it hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows but he was the love of your life and you would work hard at keeping what you fought so hard to attain—true love. And he would try his hardest to do the same.

And now the two of you were parents, to the sweet little angel asleep on her father’s chest. With each rise and fall of Billy’s chest, you watched her entire body move up and down, her tiny fist balled up next to her face, and her ink like hair that matched her father’s sticking straight up off of her little head. She was so beautiful, your little Ruby—Ruby Faye Russo.

Being new parents, it was difficult to find time to be with just one another but it was important that you and Billy still did things together just the two of you. It was getting easier to leave Ruby while you went out.

Your parents were always very eager to look after their granddaughter and the Castle family could not come over fast enough if Billy asked them if they could babysit for a few hours while the two of you went out to dinner.

It had been six months since Ruby was born, things were going as well as could be expected with two brand new parents. Ups and downs, good days, not so good days but you had settled into a routine and had managed to make time for you and Billy to go out on dates with each other twice a month.

But there was one thing that had been bothering you, especially for the past couple of months. You still couldn’t fit into your pre-baby clothes and even though Ruby was six months old now, your emotions continued to move in roller coaster fashion about it.

You were constantly questioning yourself. “Does he still find me attractive? What if I can’t lose the weight? Will he leave me for someone else?” Stupid hormones and they finally got the best of you while you were getting ready for a dinner date with Billy one night.

He said he was taking you somewhere nice, made arrangements for Maria, Frank, and the kids to come over to take care of Ruby, and Billy also took care of the baby so you could get ready for the evening.

Wanting to look your best, you went all out. You curled your hair, added a pretty red flower to the side, exaggerated your winged eyeliner, and put on red lipstick. But when it came time to put the dress on that you had picked out, that’s when it all fell apart. It still didn’t fit.

Billy walked into the bedroom after you put your dressing robe back on. “Look who finally fell asleep.” You smiled looking at Ruby asleep on her father’s shoulder. Billy placed a soft kiss on the top of the baby’s head and said “I’m gonna go put her down so I can get ready, I’ll be right back, beautiful.”

Beautiful. The way that term of endearment rolled off of his tongue, he loved you so much. But it was hard to get out of your own head sometimes, and before you knew what was happening, tears had welled up in your eyes about to spill over when he came back into the bedroom.

“Do you think I should wear the gray or the black su—? Hey, hey baby, what’s wrong?” Billy asked. Immediately pulling a tissue from the box on your vanity, he started to catch the fresh tears that fell from your eyes.

“It doesn’t fit.” You said with a hitch in your voice.

Billy’s dark eyes, like two pieces of onyx, gazed at you full of love and concern.

“What doesn’t fit, sweet girl?” He asked and glanced quickly at the dress on the bed. “The dress?”

You nodded. “I still don’t have a lot that fits me right now, Billy. And I keep thinking what if I can’t get back into those clothes?”

He caught a couple stray tears that ran down your cheek.

“Why are you sayin’ things like that? I need to you tell me what you’re feelin’, y/n.” He said.

Billy Russo was a lot of things and great communicator was not one of them but today you were the one that was having trouble getting your words out.

“I—I don’t feel very pretty right now, Billy. And I’m afraid if I can’t lose the baby weight that—that you won’t find me pretty anymore either.” You voice was strained, trying as hard as you could to keep from completely breaking down.

A slight smile crept across Billy’s face. “That’s what’s botherin’ you? Come with me, beautiful.” He took your hand and led you out of the bedroom into Ruby’s room.

When you found out you were having a baby girl, pink was not an option, that’s not what you envisioned. Black and white with accents of red decorated her room with her name painted in red above her crib.

You took a minimalist approach to decorating her nursery, but there was an obvious theme of red hearts and bows. You remembered how you cried after you finished painting her name above her crib because you just could not wait to meet her.

Billy ushered you over to Ruby’s crib, she was fast asleep on her back with her hands above her head, and the two of you staring down at the little angel you brought into the world.

“Look at her, y/n.” He whispered.

Shifting your eyes from his, you gazed down at Ruby sleeping so peacefully. Moments like this were so…perfect.

“Look at what you’ve given me. You gave me something I never thought I would ever have or even want. We’re a family and I love you endlessly. You are the most beautiful woman in the world to me because you make me laugh, you taught me how to love, you accept me for who I am and because you gave me my little girl down there. Not because you can fit into some stupid dress.”

You stood there in silence as he poured his heart out to you, still catching your tears in the tissue and trying to not smudge your makeup.

“I love you too, Billy. So much.” You said.

He cupped your face in both of his hands and smiled warmly at you. “Don’t listen to that voice inside your head, listen to mine. It’s always going to tell you that you’re beautiful, my love. Always.”

Billy leaned in to kiss you, his kisses peppered your forehead, to your cheeks and finally to your lips. He didn’t care that he had red lipstick on his lips now and you didn’t mind that he had smudged it, it could be fixed. His long arms wrapped tightly around you and he hugged you with such force that all of the air had escaped your lungs.

Little Ruby stirred in her crib but quickly fell back to sleep while you and Billy quietly slipped out of her room and back to your bedroom.

“So can I still take my wife out to dinner tonight? I’ll take you to get a new dress on the way if you want, just say the word, baby.” He said with that perfect smile splashed across his face.

Finally after the tears, you let out a little laugh. “Yes Billy, I’d love to go out to dinner with you. But you don’t have to buy me a new dress, I’m pretty sure I have something else I can wear.”

Of course he was finished getting ready before you, all he had to do was throw on his suit and he was ready so he went to wait for you in the living room while you finished. After fixing your makeup, you found the perfect outfit. A red pencil skirt and a slim fit black top, they both fit and more importantly, the outfit made you feel beautiful.

You were confident as you walked out to greet your husband.

“Hey there, handsome.” You said batting your eyelashes at him, playfully.

Billy looked up from scrolling on his phone. “Holy shit…baby, you look—you look perfect.”

The desire in his eyes as he jumped up to meet you as you walked towards him was all you needed to see to know how he felt about you.

He brushed your cheek with his knuckles as he looked down at you, wanting to kiss you but you stopped him. “Don’t mess up my lipstick again, Mr. Russo or we’re never going to get out of here.” You said.

His eyes roamed all over you from head to toe and then stopped right at your chest. “Actually Mrs. Russo, I was thinking about how great your tits look in this, my god.”

You weren’t expecting his comment so a burst of laughter came from deep down in your stomach but quickly stopped when you remembered Ruby was asleep in her room.

Playfully slapping him on the shoulder, you whisper yelled “Billy, you can’t make me laugh like that when the baby is sleeping!” You slapped his shoulder one more time.

He pulled you into an embrace and just held you for a brief moment. “Nothing makes me happier, than making you smile, sweet girl.” He kissed the top of your head. “I hope our little girl has your laugh, she already has your sass.”

You pulled away and narrowed your eyes at him. “She does not!”

Billy raised his eyebrows at you. “Oh did you forget that she pulled the nurses hair right after she was born?”

You shied away from him a little bit but also you bit back a smile because you did remember, how could you forget? As soon as she was born, the nurse took her from you and little Ruby grabbed hold of that nurse’s hair and would not let go. “She’s got my hair! She’s got my hair!” She yelled. It was a memory you and Billy would always remember and it would always put a smile on your face.

All of a sudden, there was a knock on your door and Frank’s voice boomed from the other side. “Open up Russo’s, we wanna hold that baby!!”

“Well, I think Uncle Frank is here.” You said sarcastically.

Billy looked in the direction of the door and back to you. “Sure sounds that way, you ready for dinner, my love?”

“I am ready, baby. I love you.” You said with a smile. “You better let Frank in before he breaks the door down.”

He smiled and winked back at you. “I love you too, beautiful.” Frank continued to knock, never letting up. “I’m gonna kill him.”

With a furrowed brow and lips pressed firmly together because of the incessant knocking, Billy turned and headed for the door.

“I’m coming, Frankie! Hold ON!”

Tag List: @mindidjarin @saintmurd0ck @wheresthesunshinesblog @rafaelakelley @idaoftheburningmind @snowkestrel @xdervyxccgh @mattmurdocksscars @fakehappy27 @music-indie-tv @fictional-hooman @kayhi808 @munsonownsmyass @gijos @celestialams

If you’d like to be added to (or removed from) my tag list for the ever so handsome Billy Russo, just let me know and thank you again for reading! 💕💕💕