#(if anything I'm impressed by how she managed to pull off what feels to me like a magic trick)

[jq37]

Please let us know if you solve this mystery!

OK! It’s the end of the year so let me compile everything I was able to come up with (with the help of everyone I dragged into this–you know who you are and thank you and I’m sorry). 

To anyone who’s just seeing this and doesn’t have context, in November, right before the movie Wish came out, I made a longish post questioning who Allison Moore was (which, incidentally, is the first post that comes up when you Google “Allison Moore Disney”).

The reason I was curious about who this random writer is is because she’s credited as one of the co-writers of Wish, Disney’s 100th Anniversary Feature Film BUT she has no obvious experience writing for animation, children, or fantasy when everyone else on the main team has credits on stuff like Frozen and Encanto. I thought it was bizarre that there would be someone so green on a project so big so I went digging. 

Here’s what I learned:

(1) Moore wasn’t originally announced as being attached to the project. Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee, and Fawn Veersunthorn were all mentioned when the project was officially announced in Sept 2022 (for example). Moore was not. And you’d think they’d mention the *co-writer*, right? You don’t start to see her name until a year later in Sept 2023 when the trailer dropped (for example). So it seems like she was brought onto the project later. Of course, this could just be a normal quirk of the industry or something I’m misinterpreting, but I think it’s worth mentioning. 

(2) Moore seems to have a lot more credits in stage writing than she does in screenwriting. I wasn’t able to 100% confirm it until recently (I’ll get to that in a second) but she’s written a bunch of plays and it seems like this is where she has most of her bona fides. 

“Allison is the recipient of two Jerome Fellowships, two McKnight Advancement Grants and the Bush Artist Fellowship.”

That sounds fancy. But it still doesn’t say “Top Choice for Disney Anniversary Movie” to me. That’s not a statement on writing quality. I haven’t read/seen any of her plays. It’s about the subject matter. Look at some of these synopses:

None of that really screams Disney. Which isn’t to say people can’t have range. George Miller wrote all the Mad Maxes but also Babe and both Happy Feet. But if I was hiring someone for a really big project, I wouldn’t want that project to be their first attempt at expanding into that genre. 

(3) This isn’t actually inherently important but she was on an episode of Nailed it. That’s where this picture comes from:

She won the first round and the game ended in a three way tie for the first time in the show’s history. 

The only reason this is noteworthy in the larger scale of things is that, until very recently, this was one of only two places online you could see Allison Moore talking. The other is this very short interview on the red carpet during the premiere. 

There’s nothing in that interview that explains anything. It’s mainly her talking about how it was fun working on the movie and how good the movie is. 

Honestly, good for her for not being Extremely Online, but it really felt like I could get a bit of a handle on everyone else who’d worked on this project in a high profile way but not her. Which is part of why I started down this rabbit hole to begin with. There was nothing to show where she might have had a connection or an interest or anything that would connect the dots. 

For reference, Fawn (who was one of the Directors and story writers) has the kind of resume that I was expecting Moore to have when I initially Googled her:

Smaller jobs on other kids/animated movies (Hop, The Lorax, Despicable Me 2), some storyboard or art work on other Disney stuff (Frozen, Moana, Zootopia, Ralph), and then a big break (Raya and Wish). Based on my understanding of the industry (and I know a fair bit because it’s one I’m interested in professionally) that’s a very typical track to get to the writing side of animation.  

A couple of people speculated that Moore got onto the project in a mentorship capacity. Now, I’m a Black woman who writes fiction professionally when I’m not on this hellsite (affectionate) with the rest of y’all. That means I have firsthand experience with what mentorship looks like in writing–both official Diversity and Inclusion type mentorship and more organic “Let me take you under my wing” type mentorship. I have *never* seen anyone get a job this high profile at the jump just due to mentorship alone. Going from zero to Disney’s 100th anniversary is kinda insane. This wasn’t some B project or something. It was a Big Deal Project. And this is Disney so they could have hired basically anyone they wanted. So you have to assume this was an active decision someone made and not just a thing that happened for lack of options. But in all my searching, Moore wasn’t mentioned except to just say she wrote the screenplay with Jennifer Lee. It was just the baking show and the Youtube clip.

Until today.

(4) I’m going to preface this by saying this doesn’t actually answer the question in a big AHA! way, but it is the only interview I’ve seen about Wish from Moore besides the red carpet clip.

On December 15th, Moore gave this interview with the San Antonio Current.

I stumbled across it while searching for a different piece of information and eagerly clicked to see what she had to say after three weeks of silence after the movie dropped on November 22.

Here are some highlights:

-In high school she was a theater kid and thought she wanted to pursue acting. 

-I college she did playwriting and eventually she got her MFA from Iowa (which has a weirdly great MFA program btw, and also, this interview is how I confirmed she was the playwright Allison).

-When she started on the theater track at her college, she told them she was a playwright so she could study that too even though she’d never written a play before. So it sounds like Wish isn’t the first time she’s just jumped into a new thing without experience. You have to respect the hustle.

But this is the most important line in the interview because it’s like, an answer and a non-answer all in one. She’s asked, “How did you go from writing plays to writing for TV and film?”

And her answer is, “I had a whole career writing for theater, and then when my son was born, I realized I needed to make more money, so I started pitching for TV. I worked in television for about a decade. In the midst of working in TV, I continued playwriting. That's how I got on the radar at Disney.”

Which kind of sidesteps the most intriguing part of the question? Like, first of all, it’s not 100% clear if she means her playwriting or her TV writing caught Disney’s attention. I’m guessing playwriting, but I could be wrong. Secondly, who is “Disney” in this situation? A Disney recruiter? A Disney director? Did Jennifer Lee see a production of Slasher: A Horrifying comedy while passing through Texas and think, “Her. I want her to be my co-writer on this children’s film.” And what did she do to impress them so much that they right away put her on the the *Anniversary Project*? Like, I know I keep harping on this but I can’t stress enough how big of a deal this is. It’s hard enough to write for just your average sitcom or little movie. To just jump on something this big is baffling. I obviously don’t expect Disney to be justifying their every hiring decision publicly but, usually, when someone is doing something like this, it’s very obvious why they were chosen and, even with this sliver of explanation, it’s still frustratingly opaque. And with the strange post hoc timing of the interview (seriously, doesn’t promotion usually happen PRE movie release?) It almost reads like an interview that exists because someone realized the lack of any online presence was weird. 

(5) When she was a kid, Allison Moore had a crush on Fox Robin Hood. That’s not at all important to the mystery, that’s just information she volunteered during the interview and that I’m now sharing with you. So when you search her name now, the top results are me wondering who she is, her IMDB, and her talking about how she liked Fox Robin Hood's little hat. Which isn't a LOT of information, but it’s more than we had before and that’s something.  

[woso-dreamzzz]

If You Were My Little Girl II

Alexia Putellas x Teen!Reader

Summary: Things are looking up

Alexia watches from the stands.

They're mostly empty, like almost all Barcelona B matches.

Women's football has only really started picking up steam recently but only at the top flight. The lower level leagues are still having a bit of a popularity issue.

But Alexia, for once, finds that she doesn't mind.

Because it means she can sit practically alone in the stands as she watches the home match.

A notepad sits on her lap, a pen tapping against the pages thoughtfully as she watches.

Barcelona B are good and Alexia has never expected anything different. She's seen the system at work many times as La Masia churns out players like Aitana and Pina and Jana, and more recently Vicky and Martina.

There's a reason so many clubs wants La Masia products.

They're all good players but even now, Alexia can tell a great player when she sees one.

You rise up among the crowd in the box and slam the ball into the goal, the net rippling with the force of the shot.

The best part, Alexia thinks, is that you didn't even need a moment to control the ball, hitting it in on the volley and grinning as your teammates practically dogpile you.

A hattrick in ten minutes is impressive in any league and Alexia makes another note in her notebook, humming softly to herself.

She rises out of her seat at the end of the match, disappearing into the building and out the doors.

It takes another half an hour for you to appear again, hair damp and an old crew neck sweater that Alexia's pretty sure is Alba's being tugged over your head.

You slip into the passenger seat, throwing your bag into the backseat and Alexia pulls your head down to press a kiss against the side of it.

You smile shyly at her as she offers up the fries she'd bought for a job well done.

"You did good, kid," She says," Very impressive."

"Yeah?"

"Yes. But I think we're going to work on evading slide tackles next," Alexia says as she drives off," We're trying to keep those ankles of yours intact, alright? I'm going to need them this season."

You roll your eyes and Alexia clicks her tongue.

"Don't roll your eyes at me," She says," I've got a good feeling about that meeting later in the week. A great feeling, actually. You should have one too."

"I'm managing expectations."

Alexia looks at you fondly. "Well, we'll see which one of us is right in a few days."

She lets you choose the music in the car, like she always does when you've scored a goal and you pull up to the apartment a lot quicker than you want to seeing as you're in the middle of singing along to your favourite song but, still, you drag yourself out of the car and up the stairs.

"How was the match?" Olga asks as she greets Alexia with a kiss on the lips.

"She did very well," Alexia brags," A hattrick within the first ten minutes and another goal in injury time."

"Exciting," Olga says indulgently as Alexia grins, already giving her running commentary of everything that happened during the match.

You escape though, hurrying to raid the cupboards before Alexia finally comes to her senses and tries to stop you 'spoiling' your dinner.

You don't know if there's any way to thank Alexia for what she's done for you.

Just three months ago, you were convinced that you were going to quit. You had no passion for the game, no hope of what your future was going to be but now all of that had changed.

You had direction. You had a manager. You had new boots and a place to live that wasn't a group home and support and love and everything seemed to be coming together for you.

A toe pokes you in the leg.

"Move."

"Alexia says that if you're trying to nap on her sofa again then I don't have to move," You tell Alba, who huffs and pokes you with her toe again," She also says that you have your own apartment and should stop mooching of us."

"But Olga's a better cook than me," Alba complains and you roll your eyes.

"Aren't you an adult? Even I can cook."

"Yeah but it's not like you could mooch off your sist-"

Alba falls silent quickly and you pretend to not notice what she was going to say for both hers and your own sakes.

The topic of your sister is kind of off limits when you're in the room. It's not completely banned because Alexia's still Jenni's national teammate but she's not really spoken about if you're in the room.

Alba's face flashes with terror for a moment so you pretend you don't notice her slip up ever though it sends a bolt of lightning into your stomach, a deep pit forming there.

It works for the most part, everyone in the house pretending Jenni isn't who she is to you, pretending that she's just Alexia's teammate and not her friend and ex, pretending that Alexia fostering you isn't her walking on a tight rope because Jenni doesn't know.

All Jenni knows is that you didn't quit when she told you to.

Jenni doesn't know that you live with Alexia. Jenni doesn't know anything. You doubt she even thinks about you when she's got a life far away in Mexico.

She lives there, far away from you and your life here in Barcelona.

She lives there and her presence is hardly ever mentioned around you.

Life is good at Alexia and Olga's house. Life is even good at training, though you could do without the smug little smirk Alexia has on her face when she picks you up.

"You already knew!" You accuse her, waving a finger in her face.

"Knew?" She asks, lips curl up in what can only be described as pure smugness," Knew what?"

"Right, who told you? Go on. Who was it?"

Alexia grins. "You do realise I am the captain? Any time they're looking to bring someone in, they ask me my opinion."

You roll your eyes. "Yeah and I'm sure you gave it."

"You're a good player. A great player," Alexia says," All I did was tell them what they already know."

You look down at your lap, fidgeting with your fingers. You want to be mad at her, to yell at her for keeping this from you. Maybe even yell at her for promising to the staff something you're not but you know she hasn't done that.

If she thought you weren't ready, she would have told them that.

But Alexia didn't. She didn't tell them to let you have a bit more time with the B team. She didn't tell them that you don't quite have what it takes.

"Thanks."

Alexia smiles at you as she drives home, a comfortable silence enveloping you both until your hand is on the door handle.

You stop.

"When I open this door, there's going to be a party, isn't there?"

"I may have told Olga...who told Mami...who told Alba...who told the rest of the family..."

"Is that a yes?"

"Possibly..."

"And there's no getting out of this?"

Alexia ruffles your hair, a soft kiss being pressed to the side of your head. "They're here to celebrate you."

You suck in a breath, just ready to turn the handle when the sound of the lift doors opening chimes down the corridor.

Both you and Alexia turn your heads towards.

It's just a fleeting second.

Just a moment.

But your good mood plummets as the door opens.

Alexia's hand tightens on your shoulder, pushing you slightly behind her and putting herself between you and the elevator.

Between you and Jenni.

[luveline]

what about a grumpy!reader / Eddie + roan. Reader is trying so hard not to let work things get to her but she ends up being a bit grumpy at home, that's when Eddie and our favorite girl Roan intervene.

Maybe. Just a thought. I just love them (and you) so much ❤️

thank you!! i love you <3 eddie and roan —your small family tries to cheer you up after a bad day. fem!reader, 1.4k

"It's a new one called the macarena," Eddie says, his hands around Roan's wrists guiding her arms into the right positions. "Macarena by maca-Roanie."

She's dancing on his thighs. You have no idea how he can cope with it. While Roan isn't a heavy girl, whenever she does it to you it makes you squirm. 

Eddie hums the song and poses Roan's arms, across her abdomen and then hands on her hips. "Hey, maca-Roanie," he sings, making her shake her hips in time with the song, bodily turning her to the left.  

She giggles at the suddenness of it, and her eyes light up with happiness when she sees you're back from the bathroom. 

"Dance with us!" she pleads, laughing more as Eddie messes up the move and quickly corrects her arms. 

"Maybe in a minute," you say, as gently as you can manage despite your foul mood. Neither of them deserve to feel shitty just because you do. 

"Now," she whines, her foot slipping off of Eddie's thigh. She runs with the momentum to the end of the couch, her hands grabbing for you. "Please! Dad will sing the song again." 

"Sorry, Ro," you say, giving her shoulder a quick rub. 

You walk over to the TV to turn down the volume a touch before collapsing with a puff into the fat armchair. Relief courses through you as you shield your eyes from the light. 

"Is she okay?" Roan whispers. 

Eddie must pull her or yank her toward him, if her little yelp and subsequent laughter is anything to go off of. "She's okay, mini me. Today's been really long, that's all."

"It feels as long as yesterday." 

"That's the problem. Come on, let's go make a cup of hot cocoa, okay? I'll show you how to do the dance again."

You're glad that they leave, though that soon melds to a bone deep guilt, kind to make you wanna get up and put on a smile and learn Eddie's new dance. You try to force yourself up. 

You sink deeper into the armchair. 

"Can I give her a hug?" Roan asks in the kitchen. She must think you can't hear her far away. 

"I'm sure she'd love that, but let's give her ten minutes, okay?" 

"Is she mad with me?" 

"No," Eddie says fondly. "She's definitely not mad at you. Just tired, babe."

"Will you toast my marshmalloweds with the flamethrower?" 

"Blowtorch," he corrects. You hear a drawer opening, a click, and Roan's impressed Woah.

I'm such a fucking dick, you think, curling into a ball. My poor loves. 

You sizzle in your bad mood, folding in on yourself as tightly as you can. They don't deserve to feel the cloud hanging over your head. Hopefully it'll blow over soon, and luckily they don't seem to mind. Eddie knows better than to think how you feel has something to do with him, or Ro, or that you'd ever take it out on them. 

You don't want work to make them feel shitty too. 

The kettle whines on the stove. You used to make cocoa in the microwave until Eddie found out about superheated water and said it was too dangerous. You can see him in your head pouring the hot water into their matching mugs, Garfield and Odie, Roan's very favourites donated from the Great Munson Mug Collection when she was a baby. Your heart hurts thinking about it 'cos usually you're standing there at the counter listening to her tell you how much she loves Odie the puppy. Eddie used to cut the Garfield strips out of every newspaper and save them in a plastic binder for her until she slowly lost interest, but the love is still there. The plastic binder is proof, tucked up on your bookshelf next to your photo albums and Eddie's records. 

"Sure you got it?" 

"Yes, daddy, I have it. Thank you for asking me." 

"Are you kidding? You're so welcome. Please don't burn your fingers." 

"I have the handle. You're doing that thing Y/N says you do with over drotectivity." 

"Over drotectivity, huh." 

"You're worrying about things more than normal dads worry and it's gonna give you chives." 

"Sweetheart." Eddie snorts, their footsteps approaching the living room. "It's called over protectiveness, and she thinks it gives me hives, not chives. Which it doesn't! I got hives one time and it was from that discount laundry detergent." 

"When Y/N put ointment on your back and said you felt like a rattlesnake!" 

You peek up from the depressed leather of the armchair your face is smushed in. Roan crosses the room with your favourite mug in her small hand, the weight of it straining her wrist. Cocoa sloshes over the side and a marshmallow rides the wave down onto the hardwood. 

"Don't slip," you say softly. 

"Won't slip," she says, grinning. Her smile is all Eddie like a master copy. "I made you cocoa in the best cup with just pink marshmalloweds 'cos the pink ones are for love." 

"What are the white ones for?" you ask.

You take the mug from her before she can burn herself. Eddie presses down on her shoulder as he sits on the floor in front of your armchair, wielding two mugs in one hand precariously. He swoops Roan into his lap and smiles at you from over her neatly coiled curls. "White ones are for making you taller." 

Roan points at her mug emphatically. "I got lots of white. I wanna sit in the front seat of the car." 

"That's a good reason," you say, slouched but not entirely collapsed in your chair, wondering why they've sat themselves at your feet and already knowing the answer. "Thank you for cocoa, Roro. I'm sorry I didn't dance with you earlier." 

Roan shrugs and leans back into Eddie's chest. He narrowly avoids scalding her, slurping a sip from the rim of his mug rather than have it pour down the side to splash her pyjama-clad shoulder. 

"That's OK. I didn't want to play Wombats with you last night and you still hugged me after teeth." 

She can be such a peculiar kid. Her vocabulary keeps growing in an explosion of mispronounciation and wrong definitions, as well as these unexpected shorthands; teeth means brushing her teeth. She'd brushed her teeth and dragged you to her room, imploring you to climb into bed with her for a half hour which you happily spent stroking her hair from her forehead and exchanging sleepy conversation. 

"Honestly, I didn't even think about Wombats. I just wanted to spend time with you," you say. 

Roan's little chin dips up and down as she nods, her hair bouncing against her cheeks. "Exactly! We don't have to dance. We can just sit down all night." 

"I like sitting down," Eddie adds. 

You lick your lips. They're too good for you, sometimes.

"Thank you, guys," you say, taking a sip of cocoa. 

Roan preens. Eddie puts his cocoa on the floor and his hand on your arm, the gap between you feeling smaller and smaller by the second, your bad mood at a low simmer rather than the roaring boil it had been. The ring on his pinky finger is distinct as his loving hand keeps you company, smothering the heat. 

They chat to one another and don't mind when you have nothing to say. All the sugar and love-flavoured marshmallows cheer you up some, enough to put down your empty mug and want a hug. 

"Come here?" you ask, laying back to make room. 

Roan makes a sound that can only be described as a rabid giggle and leaps onto the cushions. Eddie isn't far behind her, mugs forgotten and nearly kneed over as he encapsulates the two of you in his arms. 

"I'll be less grumpy tomorrow," you promise bashfully. 

"You're kinda cute when you're grumpy," Eddie says, indifferent. His smile curls against your shoulder. "Don't force it." 

"I like happy you and sad you," Roan says. 

You smile softly, tucking a silken curl of hair behind her ear. "I'm not sad," you promise, looking her in the eye and meaning every word, "I can't be sad for long with you and dad around." 

[callofdudes]

I have a cute and funny prompt idea for you about a Reader asking the boys to help to confess to someone they like a lot, they clarify it was okay if they didn’t feel the same, but wanted to let them know that that’s how they felt. The boys soon realize it was themselves the reader was talking about when they asked “What do you like about him?” . When they caught the reader in their act, the reader smiled and said “You got me~…but what I said was all true…that’s how I feel” and as promised, they were okay with whatever was decided.

Thank you for stopping by! Apologies for if taking a while.

Confessing to 141 + Vaqueros.

Alejandro:

The love guru himself. You sighed heavily from where you sat at your table in the mess hall. Several of the female recruits had mozied their way into the lunch line to catch the colonel off guard for some chitchat. And what could you blame them?

He was good looking and charismatic. Hot headed and caring. Passionate in all the right fashion.

You had been friends with Alejandro and Rodolfo for a while. And you'd liked Alejandro for a while. It was blatantly obvious and Rodolfo had pointed out before how you'd practically bend with one word from the man's mouth.

And yet Alejandro never seemed to notice you. Wanted by everyone, flirtatious with everyone, and yet he seemed to avoid you. He'd buy you the occasional item on Valentine's day or curl up next to you on the cold mission mornings. But that was nothing but friendly teasing. Rodolfo said it was because Alejandro was scared. You didn't believe him for a second. But seeing those women shamelessly throwing themselves at him made your insides burn.

"You've been staring at him an awful while." Rodolfo commented from your side where he sat down with a tray of food.

"Wouldn't you know, Parra."

The sergeant major shrugged. "I would actually. I watch from the back lines, remember?"

"Yeah yeah." You muttered.

"Go talk to him." Rodolfo said as he shoved his food in his mouth. "He's got enough on his hands." You muttered venomously when he gave that classic smile to the younger officer. She patted his sleeve and that was it.

Rodolfo chuckled as you stood from your chair and approached the four of them. Alejandro noticed you immediately as you walked over. "Colonel, we need to talk." You grabbed his bicep and dragged him out of the mess hall and into a side building.

"Y/N? Are you alright?" He turned his head and managed to ground his steps. He turned and looked at you with a worried expression. "Did something happen?"

You opened your mouth to speak and you looked into his eyes. You felt your mouth run dry when he looked at you like that. Everything inside you screamed to run and never talk to him again.

"I'm- I'm sorry. I don't know why I did that-"

Alejandro gently took your wrist and pulled you back. "No. No. You're hurting. How can I help?"

You looked down at your shoes and gulped. "I just- it's stupid."

"Nothing is stupid with you. You and Rodolfo both, you have my utmost attention beyond anything else. What do you need?"

You breathed out shakily. "I mean. They're all over you. How do you do it?" You looked back up at him and suddenly he seemed to understand. "Someone you're looking to impress?" He chuckled. "It's not Rodolfo is it-"

"What! No, no! He's like my brother! No. This guy..." You breathed out heavily. "He's more than that. I've known him for a long time and I always have tried my best to get his attention. But it's like nothing I do impresses him."

"I try making his coffee in the morning and training with him- what do I have to do to make him look at him. Really look at me."

Alejandro hummed. "Everyone is different, but being yourself should be enough."

You scoffed. "He's always so busy. He makes my heart catch on fire and every time he smiles that damn smile I feel like the world is coming down on me. Every time he gets cocky and blasts on the enemy it makes me go insane! I just want to grab him by the throat and strangle him until I can kiss his stupid fucking face-"

Your fit died down when you saw how Alejandro was now smirking. His lip was quirked up and he eyed you with a new certainty. "What? Why are you looking at me like that!?" Your cheeks burned but just the way you looked at him with utter love sick desperation made his heart clench.

"What else do you like about him?"

You opened your mouth to speak, and then you paused. He side eyes you and quirked his eyebrow up. "You want to know what I think about him? I think he's kind. He's passionate. He is so gentle and loving with his friends that you feel special every time your in his presence. He adds a level of comfort and safety that no one has ever done before. He makes you want to follow him to the end of the earth with no fucking hesitation! He's my best friend and he makes me so fucking angry that he could never be more!" You looked away and scoffed. Tears swam in your eyes and you'd cheeks burned.

Alejandro gently took your wrist and guided you back to him. "And now I've told on myself." You whispered shakily.

Alejandro pulled you into a hug and kissed the top of your head. "We can be more. I want to be more amor. I can talk to anyone and flirt with anyone. I can throw around pick up lines like second nature. But whenever I see you I freeze. And for the first time in a long time I don't know what to say. I'm scared to force a pick up line or drop flowers at your desk. I'm scared to comment during training or stare longer than I should." He rubbed his thumb over your cheek and pressed his lips against yours. And for the first time that day you felt every emotion vanish. You pulled on his collar before he could pull away and slammed him against the wall of the building. He groaned and pulled you closer to him.

"Damn you pretty boy." He chuckled. "Was that so hard?"

"Says you pendejo."

Price:

You sat at your desk with a mountain of paperwork in front of you. You were bored and your body was tired. You pulled up another report and sighed when you saw the same shitty document with a different set of handwriting and applicant numbers. You read over if briefly and signed your name at the bottom of the approval slip.

There was a knock on your door before it clicked open and someone came in. "How are we doing in here?"

You sighed and turned in your chair to see Price walk over with a cup of tea in his hand. "You've been in here all day, you are allowed to take a break you know." He rubbed your shoulder and placed it on your desk. "You've done a lot. Allow me to do the rest."

"Oh, no it's ok. I can finish up. It's just a little repetitive Is all."

Price nodded and urged you out of your chair. "Go get some rest, I'll finish up for you." He smiled as you got up. You felt your stomach drop.

"Are you alright? You're not looking well."

You pushed away and shrugged. "It's fine. I'm fine, I'll let you finish up if you want too." Price grabbed your arm and brought you back to his side. "Y/N , you aren't ok. Are you sick?"

"No, there is just some stuff I've been dealing with."

Price smiled. "Care to talk about it? Get it off you're chest."

You sighed. "Well. There is this guy I like, but it's been worrying me because it's not exactly appropriate and is problem violating some code if I ever told him. And it's getting so hard to be around him without bursting at the seams."

He hummed. "Is it confessing that is bothering you?"

You nodded.

"Well, why don't you practice on me?"

Your head shot up and your eyes widened. "I- no! It'd awkward. And I can't just-" he placed his hand on your shoulder and motioned with his hand for you to speak. You gulped. Your heart leaped in your chest. You felt your joints tighten and your stomach twist.

You took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes. "I know this may not be what you want to hear, especially in such trying times. And it's probably scandalous in some written code, but for the sake of my heart I just need to say it." You felt every bit of you want to crumble under the loving, affirming and reassuring gaze Price gave you.

"Every time I see you my heart aches. You make me do some stupid shit all for the sake of being noticed. You carry so much weight and I feel like a burden when I realize just what I've done. But I'm so lovesick that I'd charge into battle as your meat shield just to keep you alive. Captain I don't care what happens but I can't let you go!" Tears prickled your eyes and your heart sped up.

"I just want to recieve as much praise as they do. I want to see your smile as much as they do. I want to prove that I'm capable of fighting... And loving. Even if you don't even see me like that I just-" You felt tears run down your cheeks and your hands came up to cling to his sweater. "I just need you to understand how much I love you!" You collapsed against his chest and sobbed into his gear.

Your heart was about to beat out of your chest, and then you felt his strong arms wrap around you. One hand cupped your lower back while the other massaged over your spine. You trembled but if felt so good in the moment to just tell him. To just get everything off your chest.

"Oh Y/N." His voice was softer than before. "He sounds dense."

"For shit he is. He's wonderful. Loving and kind. He offers all his resources to his team and places his teammates before himself. It's hard to make him angry, but I think he should do it more often. Anger looks good on him."

He chuckled. "Oh? Anything else?"

"He doesn't like to show it, but he's such a dork."

"Hey! Be nice."

"Got me. Seriously though, that's how I feel and I'm getting sick of hiding it." You smiled lazily against him. He squeezed your waist and tilted your chin to look at him. "Yes, it breaks code." He leaned in against your lips. You caught your breath with anticipation when your lips met briefly. "But they won't know." You hummed into the kiss and trailed yout fingers over his beard.

When you pulled away you were smiling. "Fluffy..." You whispered, practically kneading your fingers through his beard. He blushed, and leaned back in the kiss you again.

Ghost:

"Where is that- Gaz!" Ghost stopped the sergeant along the hallway. "Lieutenant, anything you need?"

"Where is Y/N? The training room was supposed to be clean and hour ago."

Gaz hummed. "Break room I think? Soap called, I assume that's why cleaning hasn't been done yet."

Ghost scoffed. "Fuckin' hell." He nodded the sergeant goodbye and started making his way for the break room. This was the third day in a row Soap had called you. He got it, you two were buddies, but you both could handle a week apart from each other while Soap was across seas. It wasn't the end of the world. Well. For him it wasn't. You started panicking if Soap didn't call you by at least 7PM.

He approached the break room with a heavy presence. He was intent on scolding the crap out of you for neglecting your duties for the fourth time until he heard you speaking.

"-monster of a man. I can't believe some so incredibly dense could be so incredibly hot." You winced and then sighed as if there was a pressure crushing your chest.

He pressed the break room door open and saw you laying on one of the couches. You and Soap were deep into a call and you were faced away from him. You lolled your head against the armrest of the couch while you spoke. He chose to remain silent as you continued to speak.

"I mean- come on. I don't know what I'm going to do Soap. I can't walk around acting all normal like this. He's fucking everywhere. It's like he's on my back all day, it's an incredible experience but sometimes I just want to grab him by the shoulder and kiss his stupid fucking mouth."

Ghost shifted. Oh, now this would be some good blackmail.

Soap started to speak but his voice was faint enough Ghost couldn't hear it.

"Soap. He was creepy at first but the way he makes you feel so utterly safe. I know! I can't tell you how much I want to hug him and let him wrap his arms around me."

"Soap!" You scolded something he said with a laugh.

"Remember that time he came back and just full on ripped his fucking shirt off. He was sweating and-"

"Sergeant."

You jumped like a cartoon character. He could see your soul leave your body before you hit the couch and scrambled desperately to shut your trap and stand up.

You threw your phone across the room and stood at attention. "L-lieutenant!"

Ghost scoffed. "And why are you in here instead of doing your duties?"

"I-I was talking to Soap, sir."

Ghost stood tall as he walked over to you. His eyes trained like a hunting dog onto your shaking form and relished in the way you bowed like a tree in the wind. "Odd conversation don't you think?"

"Yes sir."

Ghost got very close and nodded. "Mind telling me what you were wasting time on?"

"Well..."

"Correction. You will tell me what you were talking about. Now, start talking sergeant."

You cheeks burned so brightly Ghost almost felt sad for you. "I- we- Soap and I-" Your throat went dry and tears formed in your eyes when Ghost drew in close to you. "Spit. It. Out. Sergeant." He snarled.

"Iwasjusttalkingabouthowcuteoneofthelieutenantswas-" You gasped and bowed your head to keep from looking him in the eyes. Ghost scoffed. "Really sergeant?"

"Yes sir."

"The military is no place for love, sergeant."

"I know sir."

"So why don't you get it off your chest so you can go back to work?"

You looked up at him, wide-eyed. "Correction. You will tell me."

You shook violently at this point. You took a deep breath and without a clue what you were doing you blurted it out. "Ok! Ok! I was talking about you!" Ghost smirked.

"I can't hide it anymore! Please! I get it! I really do! But I've had this stupid crush on you for like four years and I've just been having a hard time because I can't process anything I do around you and I want to impress you! The only reason I train with König is so I can show off the moves I've learned!" You sobbed. "And I secretly relish when you come to save me from licking my own selfish wounds and bandage me up! You make my heart pound so fast I feel like I'm going to die. I only do interrogations with you because I think it's super hot and-"

Ghost pressed his finger to your lips. You choked in a breath and shuddered your shoulders.

"Breathe sergeant. Anything else?"

"You look really hot covered in blood."

Ghost chuckled softly. He rolled his eyes and leaned in against your ear. "I'll make a deal with you. I'll kiss those pretty lips of yours, if you DO YOUR DAMN CHORES!!"

You perked up, blush spread across your face.

"Can you do that?"

"Y-yes sir!"

He pressed the fabric of his mask to your cheek and slowly pulled away. "I want to see that gym cleaned by dinner."

He watched you rush away on shaky legs and crossed his arms. The things he did for you.

Soap:

You'd lost track of how many years you'd loved Johnny. You'd met him in recruitment and from day one you'd found him the most attractive man alive. Which was saying something. The two of you had laughed when you looked back at your cadet photos. You both had taken on trends and looks you thought were cool. Johnny had a long spiked mohawk that he was ordered to shave once you both made it into the military.

And boy did he cling to those braces he needed at one point after a fellow cadet had knocked him in the training room so hard his face was swollen for three days.

All of these memories were tossed back and forth between you and Soap. But over the years of getting to work with him and sticking close by you had nothing but utter adoration for the man. He made you the happiest you'd ever been it was ridiculous.

Johnny chuckled and pulled you from your thoughts. You realized you'd been staring into his eyes as he'd talked.

You were in utter bliss around him even as he finished his story.

"And that's why I'm scared of clowns."

You blinked slowly as you comprehended what Johnny had just told you while trying to fill in the gaps of what you'd missed. "Wow... I'm never going on the ferris wheel again."

"Yeah. I was stuck up there for an hour with that guy. You can only imagine what it was like meeting Ghost for the first time." You both laughed. "Oh boy."

Your grin widened. You grabbed another handful of chips and leaned back while Soap laid down and supported himself on his arm.

The two of you had been up all night talking. You'd slipped under Price's nose and gotten away with setting up the corner of Soap's room with blankets and a small light.

"Alright, alright." Johnny smiled up at you. "I've told you one of my secrets. Now you tell me yours."

You blushed. "I-I don't know..."

"Any little adventures you've been on?? Drama? What are you most scared of? I bet it's close too! You just won't tell me. Ok- let's try something else. Tell me something everyone knows that I don't!"

"Soap." You chuckled.

Johnny grinned. "Oh come on~ give something juicy!"

You chuckled softly. "Enough John."

He paused when he heard his name. "Oh, this is serious." He took a moment and gasped. "Don't tell me! Do you like someone~"

You blushed. "Maybe! But I'll tell you about something else-"

"Is it Gaz?"

"No, it's not Gaz."

"Hmm. Ghost? I'm not saying he's a bad pick-"

"No Soap. No."

"I don't like anyone."

You laid down and Johnny frowned at you. "I feel like you're lying? You almost sound upset- did your crush reject you???"

You scoffed. "He doesn't even know I love him."

"Is he with someone else?"

"No. Not that I can think of. Although he kind of flirts with everybody so..."

Johnny frowned. "I'm sorry. Maybe you should tell me who he is so I can set him straight~"

"Soap!" You grabbed a pillow and slammed if down against him. He cackled and grabbed you by the wrist. "Come on! I just want to know!" He strangled you against the ground but left enough room you could leave easily if you wanted.

He pulled away and gave you some breathing room again. "Is he sweet?"

You sighed. He wasn't going to leave it alone.

"He's so much better than that! He makes me so unbelievably happy. He can put a smile on every face he passes. His joy is just udderly contagious. But I feel like he could do so much better than me."

Soap hummed. His expression had turned almost sad as you talked. "He sounds pretty awesome." He muttered. "And don't say that about yourself. Anyone would be lucky to have you. Even as a friend-" he paused. "If he doesn't like you then he's at a loss. Because you're awesome."

"Thanks." You whispered.

"I can help you tell him? We can work together. I can get Gaz to set up a nice candle light dinner~"

You scoffed when he shrugged his eyebrows like an idiot.

"I just don't know how to tell him. It's been seven years and my heart aches whenever I look at him-"

"Seven years!?"

"Yes! I'm scared alright!?"

"Fairm continue."

"My smile always grow impossibly large and I feel my cheeks hurting whenever he makes me laugh. His jokes are so stupid and he's so talented. He's an artist you know."

Johnny perked up.

"He doesn't like me calling him that, even if his doodles are occasional." You sighed. "I've utterly fallen in love with him..."

It was quiet.

It felt awkward with Johnny just stared at you. Like the gears in his head were turning but he wasn't near close to reaching a conclusion.

"And it's alright if he doesn't love me back. I just need to tell him that I care for him so much." Throughout the exchange you couldn't look at him. You kept your eyes on the ceiling of your fort, unable to gauge Soap's expression.

"Anything else?" He asked after a while of silence.

"I want to kiss him so bad." You scoffed, a smile pulling at your lips.

Before you knew it Johnny rolled up and was now looking down on you. "All you had to do was ask." Before you could speak he drew closer and placed his lips against yours. His hand cupped your cheek, your free hand coming to his bicep to stabilize yourself.

It was sweet, and soft. When Johnny pulled away you were both stunned and a bit breathless.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that." He whispered, gazing longingly into your eyes. "I could guess."

"Seven years... I dinnae ken ye liked me like that."

"Oh course I like you. Are you kidding? I'm surprised I haven't spilled anything considering how much I drink with you."

"I thought you were just drunk." He smirked and kissed you again. You pulled him back down and you laid there for the rest of the night with not a care in the world.

Gaz:

Price walked into the kitchen tiredly. It was still pretty early in the morning and the only two idiots who would be up at this time was himself and Ghost. But he was rather surprised when he flicked on the lights and saw you sitting at the table. A half warm cup of tea in hand and your head busied with something.

"Y/N? You alright?"

Price put on his coffee and walked over to the table where you were sitting. You had your headphones in and we're scribbling away pretty fast on some loose paper.

"Y/N?" He touched your shoulder and startled you into awareness. You quickly took out your headphones and smiled. "Morning Captain."

"Well good morning. I didn't take you for an early riser, what are you doing up?"

"Oh. Nothing..." You looked back down at your paper and Price did as well. "Letter for your parents? It is mail day today."

"No. See. I was talking with Soap yesterday about... things. And i'd mentioned how I have a crush on someone on our team. Soap said he'd shown signs of liking me too, so I'll give it a try."

"And you're writing a letter?"

"Yeah. It'd silly but I can't find the words or even gain the confidence to talk to him to his face. So I'll write it, and leave it for him to find later."

"Hmm, smart. Just remember we have briefing today so you need to eat as well."

"Yes Captain."

It was later that morning that Gaz woke up. Dizzy and tired. Even with Captain Price always on his back he felt it was never easy to get up earlier than 6:50.

He slumped into the kitchen in his sweatpants and scratched his chest lazily while he fumbled for the coffee. Price was sitting at the table looking through something when he saw Gaz. "Ah, son, just in time."

Gaz hummed and walked over as the kettle started. When he sat down, he barely noticed the sealed letter on the table with his name written on it. He blinked and picked it up. "What is this, Captain?"

"Not sure, you should probably open it."

Gaz raised an eyebrow but opened it regardless. Inside the note was very familiar writing. He recognized it instantly as your own.

Dear Gaz, I'm sorry I can't say this to your face, but I need to put it out there for you even if you don't feel the same. I've had a crush on you for a long time, and after talking with Soap it's time to confess. I love you a lot. Every mission we go on and every night we spend watching movies until curfew. I love the little moments as much as big ones and I couldn't think of a better person to spend my time around. So thank you for being by my side throughout our journey.

There was no name at the bottom, but Gaz had been stuck doing paperwork with you enough to know what your writing looked like.

He looked up at Price and smiled. "Excuse me Captain." He slid out from the table and rushed to your room. "Y/N! Y/N!" He knocked frantically on the door until he could hear you approaching. "Ok, ok."

Once you'd opened the door Kyle barged inside and warm lips met your own. You were shocked. His hands cupped your face and he put all his might into that kiss.

You were dizzy when he pulled away and looking into your eyes softly.

"I- wow." You whispered. "I guess you caught me."

"You're stupid Y/N, I'd recognize your writing anywhere. But I'm glad it was you." You kissed him again and embraced his touch.

"Anything else you like about this wonderful Gaz person?" He smirked and you pulled him into your room. "Oh you know, he's only the sweetest, kindest, most thoughtful person ever. Who else makes me coffee in the morning? Or makes sure to check on me after a mission. Who takes it upon himself to spend hours making sure that each of my wounds are tended to on the dot every day. Even if you weren't there you accompany me to debriefing when you can."

Gaz smiled. "Yeah. I do do all those things, don't I?"

"But I never imagined you'd like me back. I do all those because you're my friend. Someone I care enough for to take the blame for the stupid things you do. I love you."

Price was smirking when the two of you finally made it back to the kitchen. You seemed prouder, while Gaz was all smiles.

"I trust you kids have everything sorted out?"

"Yes Captain." You sat down at the table and looked over at him. You mouthed a thank you. And Kyle came back and placed a steaming cup of coffee on the table for you. Just like he always does.

Rodolfo:

Rodolfo always knew to weigh the consequences of drinking with you. On one hand you could be entertaining you'd even go just to be the designated driver so the others could get absolutely shit-faced. Tonight you were not interested in being responsible however.

You slumped against Alejandro as you lazily drank another shot. Your head swam and your filter was pretty much gone. You were entertaining when drunk because you would say whatever came to mind like it was totally normal. The other day when you went out you mistook Simon for a giant bar and you were addiment to somehow hang the poor soldier from the ceiling.

But now you just looked tired and lazy. You rolled your eyes as Alejandro, just as drunk slapped your hand away from taking his cup from him.

"Sssshare?"

"No, fuck off."

"Mean..."

You leaned off Alejandro and turned to Rodolfo. He was volunteering as driver after Alejandro had a hard week. Drinking away their worries wasn't the wisest way to go about things but sometimes they just needed it. So he was tried to get some water in your systems every couple of drinks.

You looked lazily into his eyes and your hand landed on his chest, fingers closing tightly around his collar. You hummed happily and leaned your face against his chest.

"Are you feeling alright Y/N? rare you ready to head home?"

You groaned loudly and moved your hand around, looking blindly for his. When he took your hand you brought it sloppily to your mouth and kissed his knuckles. "Pretty..." You mumbled.

"Oh- Y/N, what are you doing?" Rodolfo patted your shoulder as blush spread across his cheeks. What were you attempting to do.

"Rodolfo is so pretty. He's so smart and handsome-"

"That is Rodolfo you dickhead-" Alejandro interrupted.

"No! Go away!" You shoved Alejandro away from you and grinned at Rodolfo. "Don't tell him ok? It's jussst our secret. I reeeeally like Rodolfo."

Rudy blushed. He wasn't sure what to say.

"He's so soft and cute. And you think he's so weak until he shoots you in the head! Pow!" You chuckled. "Yeah, we're in the military. It'sss cool."

"He sounds wonderful..." Rudy managed.

"He's a sweetheart. You should meet him, you look a lot like him. He'd like you."

"I bet he would, he sounds very uh- open??" Rudy grasped your hands but you only took that as an invitation to get up and stand closer to him between his legs.

"Oh he's wonderful. He's so thoughtful and kind. He made up a whole rescue mission for us once because Graves was bein'.... a dick."

Rodolfo laughed softly. "Yeah? Anything else you'd like to tell this handsome Rodolfo person?"

"I just want him to know I love him" Tears suddenly formed in your eyes. "But I can't tell him. We've been friends and I don't want to wreck us. I want him to love me too- because he makes me so... So happy!!" You sobbed and collapsed into his arms.

Rudy held you and patted your back gently. "It'll be alright. I'm sure everything will go smoothly. Just tell him, it might be worth it."

You groaned and soon after you passed out.

He dragged you back to the safehouse and made sure to tuck you in tightly. He rubbed your forehead and placed a glass of water on the nightstand.

When he returned to the living room Alejandro was attempting to stand. "Come on colonel, to bed alright?" Alejandro looked up and groaned as Rudy stood him up and dragged him towards his bedroom. "I feel sick..."

Rudy chuckled. "Get some sleep, let your stomach settle down. The both of you."

He sighed when everyone was in bed and flopped down in his own quarters for some rest.

The next morning after you and Alejandro had woken up, the table was quiet. Rodolfo was busy cooking when you came in to refill your water. "Rudy?" You asked groggily.

"Yes Y/N?"

"About... Last night..."

"It's alright," Rudy left the food and gave you a comforting smile. "You don't have to be afraid. I understand." He came over and leaned in. He pressed his lips to your cheek and felt your body relax against him.

"You're not mad?"

"Why would I be mad? I'm not even upset."

"What does that make us..?"

"Well, how about you sit down and eat breakfast. We can talk once you've cleared your head, alright?"

"Alright." You started walking toward the table and felt his heart flutter.

He kissed you...

I'm going to be honest, Gaz and Rodolfo are only shorter because I ran out of brain power 😅 hope you enjoy!

[jillsandwhichs]

Our Future Days

Joel Miller x Reader series, Chapter 9, Melody

Masterlist

Pairing: F!Reader x Joel Miller

Summary: Tommy takes you up to Jackson where you and Joel are finally able to reunite

WC: 3.6k

Type: SFW

A/n: Hi! Hope you all enjoy. Please check out my masterlist, there's a lot of stuff there. You can get to know me, you can see the rules of my blog and then you can see all of my fanfictions. You'll be able to find the previous chapters to this fic and upcoming ones. You'll also be able to find my Wattpad & AO3. Comments, reblogs & likes are appreciated. Thank you

Tommy's horse began to slow down which caused you to look up. That entire ride, your head was resting against his backpack. You couldn't help but just stay like that with your eyes closed. Admittedly, you were thinking about Joel and how it'll be to see him again after two decades. You wonder if he'll even recognize him. You hope so.

Not much has changed with you. Same face just a bit aged, same body type but only slimmer if anything, same hair color and what not. You'd say all that's changed is you have longer hair and a skinner body type than before due to the lack of food and nutrition. You presume he appear very aged just based on those investigation photos you seen awhile back. He definitely aged due to stress—there's no way a man looks that rough in their fourties.

Nonetheless, you still find him attractive and you know that if you saw him out in the wild, you'd know it's him.

Looking before you, you saw a large long gate. It was a deep blue color and there appeared to be two people on top of it in little boxes. They're probably the ones in charge of keeping a lookout—smart. "Open the gates!" Tommy shouted to the two men. They gave him a nod and shortly after, both doors opened at a slow and agonizing rate. Your heart beat began to increase in speed and you could feel your palms getting hotter. You are nervous.

Tommy's horse picked up in speed again as he rode in through the gates. You analyzed the area. Wow. It's like a literal township. You are impressed to say the least. They really made Jackson their own. Tommy chuckled, "Enthralled?" "Definitely." You huffed out. You are proud of Tommy and the life he's managed to build alongside these people. They must have a strong bonded group. You doubt any of the people you were once with could've pulled this off. Maybe John but that's it.

You started to dart your eyes around. You hoped to catch a glimpse of Joel or just someone you may have known from a past group. Nothing. "Where do you think he is?" You asked Tommy. "My guess? Either at his house or at the bar." You nodded at his words. Makes sense. Tommy rode his horse into the stable and hopped off. He reached his hand out and helped you off as well. A blonde haired woman walked up with haste and looked you up and down before glaring at Tommy.

"Tommy I-" "Maria, don't start just yet, let me explain." Maria scoffed and crossed her arms. You felt judged. You also felt a bit scared. This woman seems intimidating. Tommy introduced you and began to continue his statement. "Me and Joel have known this woman for damn near twenty years. She was Joel's neighbor. I'm not sayin' she has to stay permanently, she's only here to talk to Joel." Tommy established with Maria. The woman looked at you and spoke.

"Listen I don't mean to come off as bitchy it's just that I don't trust very easily." Maria said softly with her hand cautiously in front of her. "No apology necessary, I understand. Like Tommy said I'm just here for Joel." You spoke kindly to her. Maria gave you a soft smile. "Okay." She nodded. "He's probably with Ellie at the tipsy bison, come on, I'll walk you there." Maria stated. You glanced back at Tommy and said thank you. He gave you a nod.

You and Maria began to walk side by side of one another as she led you through the town. The grass was green and the dirt on the ground was beige. It looked... Lively. Like a real town. You were surprised by all of this. People around the area were in nice clothing. It is later in the year, most likely November if you had to guess. You're sure this place will be covered in snow soon. You have to admit, this place is epic.

There were even children. You haven't seen a child in years. They were smiling and laughing. The sight was precious. There are also a lot of buildings that are clearly being put to good use. You saw a school, an aid and even a deli. "I have to say, this is impressive." You gawked out. Maria snorted and nodded. "Thank you. Me and Tommy built this together alongside our community. We've worked seriously hard so I appreciate that." Maria smiled at you.

Maybe this woman isn't so intimidating after all. She seems sweet. "Is Tommy your boyfriend?" "Husband." "That's nice. Did you two meet during all of this? I just don't recall him having a lady back in the day." "During all of this, yes. So I've heard, Joel talks about how much of a wild cat Tommy was." Maria giggled. You laughed along with her. "I don't remember much about Tommy, he was quiet and was only ever over if Joel had work." "Right." Maria nodded. She does seem cool.

"Just to warn you, Joel isn't the talkative type. A lot has happened to him and he's definitely closed up." Maria said softly. She seemed sad. You sighed softly. "I understand. I'll be understanding." "Good. He's definitely gotten better ever since he met Ellie but overall, he's still that brudy man." Maria giggled. Ellie? Who the hell is Ellie? You went quiet. Did he find some kind of lover in the midst of all of this?

Standing before the two of you was a place called the 'Tipsy Bison'. "Is this it?" "Yes. Come on in." Maria said kindly, opening the door and holding it for you. You walked in and Maria did too. Wow. This place is full of life. It has a warm feeling to it. It's definitely the lighting and the joyous laughter and conversing. The lighting is a deep orange dim color and the people just seem... Normal...

You looked around and whistled. "This reminds me of a bar near my hometown. This is great." "Thanks. I designed most of it myself because it was completely torn down. I've definitely flipped it for the better." "For sure." You're still wondering who Ellie is. If Joel has some sort of a girlfriend now, you get it, but it'll be a bit upsetting. You don't know why or how but you've somehow managed to maintain feelings for him. It's not healthy you imagine but it's just how it is.

Maria waved to someone and ambled up to her. The person was a young girl. She's definitely a young teenager. She's super pretty and seems quiet. All she is doing is eating a sandwich at the table. "Ellie, hey, where's Joel?" What a fucking relief. Ellie is a little kid. Thank God. You sighed softly and crossed your arms. "He just left, said he was going back to his place to get some rest." Maria sighed and nodded. "Thanks honey. Continue eating."

She glanced back at you. "Off to Joel's it is then." Maria then had the two of you walk out through the back. "Another thing we've managed to pull off was having houses all around. We have almost fourty different homes now. For others, we have cabins or they shelter someplace else. But Joel and Ellie have their own place together." "Who is Ellie to Joel? Sarah is his kid." Maria paused in her tracks and looked back at you. "It's going to be a long story and it's a story for you and Joel." How ominous.

You nodded and continued to stroll beside her.

After walking for a bit, you two reached a road and Maria nudged you. "This is it. His house is just up there." She pointed to a house just a few yards ahead. It was a white house. It looked like your average home, it was pretty but ran down. There was a white picket fence surronding it too and a cemented staircase leading up to it. The two of you gradually got closer and your heart rate once again increased. You've never been this nervous before, not even when in a fight or when doing something you shouldn't be doing.

Although, you froze. You froze as the front door opened and you saw him. He was wearing a brown jacket with a black shirt and jeans. Definitely still has his old style. He was wearing torn up boots too. His brown hair was lightly now and more messy. He had a bit of a beard but it appears he recently shaved it. You couldn't move. Maria nudged you but quickly realized you were in complete shock.

"Hey Maria." Joel said as he stepped off of his porch and began to tread closer to you both. "Hi!" Maria said in a friendly voice. It seems he has yet to notice it's you. Maybe he doesn't recognize you. As Joel got closer, his eyes widened and he dropped the bag he was holding. Maria slowly stepped back. "I'll just let you two... Rekindle..." Maria definitely felt the tension between the two of you.

The two of you locked eyes. This moment, you thought it'd never come but here you are, living it. You couldn't speak. Literally, you are speechless. Joel huffed out a breathless laugh. "Are you fuckin' kiddin' me?" He still has that southern accent you love. You didn't say anything. "After all these fuckin' years, you're alive?" Joel said in disbelief. You could feel your heart slow down. He seems happy? Right?

"Joel, I." You couldn't finish your sentence because you were suddenly picked up into his embrace. He had his burly arms around your torso as he held you close. Your arms encased around his neck and you giggled. This is a feeling you'll never forget because it's the feeling you had when you first saw him—love. Joel spun you around and held onto you tightly. You didn't want to let go, not ever.

The hug was special. This was the kind of hug you experience very few times in your life. It was full of love and remorse, kindness and happiness. "Jesus Christ." Joel whispered as he slowed down and placed you back down. You chuckled and gazed up at him as your feet hit the ground. His hands stayed on your waist and yours on his shoulders. He's gotten taller, or maybe you've shrinked. Or you're just misremembering because it's been twenty fucking years.

"Let me look at ya." Joel whispered. He looked you up and down and smiled. "Holy shit." He hummed. You didn't know what to say. You are just... Happy. The happiest you've been throughout this entire shit show. "Hi." Was all you managed to get out. "Hi? That's all you gotta say?" Joel laughed, he was just teasing you. His hands went to your face and he sighed. "You're so cold, come on." He took your hand and jogged you up to his house, completely forgetting about the bag he left on the ground.

Closing the door behind you, Joel entered his living room and patted a spot beside him. You sat down and sighed deeply. Joel looked at you again. Both of you are in shock. "Jesus girl, I figured you was dead." Joel admitted. You laughed out. "I myself am surprised I survived this long." You actually managed to speak. Joel's soft eyes gazed at you. "You look... The same... You sound softer, somehow." Joel chuckled. You giggled.

At least he thinks you still look the same. You constantly worry about looking too old.

"Tell me, how have you survived this long? Just tell me how these two decades have been for you." Joel was ready to listen intently to all of it. You snorted and nodded. "This is going to be a long one." "And I'll listen to every bit." Joel said with assurance. You smiled. "Well, when, Sarah and Tommy left, I took Becker into my car and we drove away. We drove for miles and miles until we got to Oregon." You stated.

"The car eventually gave out so we went on foot but we got to my parents house. They were both dead. Like I literally walked into the house and saw my mother and father decomposing. I never saw my sister, I still have no clue where she's at. Same goes for her dog she had at the time." You said. Joel spoke quickly, "I'm sorry for your loss." "It's okay. I'm long since over it." You spoke softly.

"Me and Becker eventually found a different car full of gas and we drove off for miles then. I was completely stocked up, I had a full arsenal and a shit ton of food. We stayed in Oregon for a while until eventually we moved back to Texas and that was pretty crazy as you can imagine." You said softly. Joel was still listening. "I think most of my time has been in Texas. I was even a QZ there for a while, that's how I knew you were still alive."

A confused look painted Joel's face. "What do you mean that's how you knew I was alive?" "I saw photos of you and some other woman. Those photos have been surfacing for a while." "Right. That was Tess. We were smugglers." You gave him a nod. It makes sense. It's a rough way to live, definitely not an honest one, but it gets the job done. "I moved away from Texas again and ended up staying in Michigan for a while. I had a great group there. But they eventually all died, me and Becker had to go."

"After Michigan, I stayed in Maine for a long time and that's when I lost Becker. He passed away. That was about four years ago. I stayed in Maine for another year after  that but then I eventually found my way here, in Wyoming." You adjusted your seating position. You didn't know what else to say. "That's basically how it's been for me. It's been rough and I've been alone for most of it, but I've managed to survive and I think that's all that matters."

Now that you think about it, you can't shut up. It's hard not to. You and him have so much to catch up on. Joel nodded. "I'm sorry Becker died. He was a great dog. I knew you and him would stick together." "We definitely did. Through thick and thin." Joel chuckled at your words. He found that adorable. "Tell me, how has it been for you?" You are sure his life has been a lot more eventful.

Joel sighed deeply. He seemed upset, sad. You made a confused look. "If you don't want to, that's okay." "No, I do. It's just the beginning that's hard to get through. I'm just going to say it, Sarah died. She got shot on the same night all of this shit went down." That made you go quiet. She was shot? She was just a kid. This made you feel so sorry for Joel. He lost his babygirl. That must've been was Maria meant. This is terrible.

You let out a soft sigh and set your hand on his upper shoulder. You rubbed it gently and nodded. "I'm so sorry. Sarah was so sweet. She didn't deserve that." "No, she didn't. She was shot by some military guy. I tried takin' the bullet for her but it seems I didn't have my timin' correct." You shook your head. "It isn't your fault. It's the corrupt military. It was crazy that night." You reassured him. Joel licked his lips in concentration. He was trying to continue on.

"After she died, I ended up in a hospital where I was mended alongside Tommy. I could hardly live without her. My only will was Tommy. Me and him ended up in Boston where we became smugglers. I was a smuggler before I met Tess." Joel stated. "Then Tommy left me for some time. I was alone. He got sick of me, joined the fireflies and I hadn't seen him for a while. Actually, not even until recently." You were surprised. They always seemed close. At least they have each other again.

"When me and Tess met, I had a reason to live again. Me and her were smugglers together, we work together for a long fuckin' time until she died on me too." "Were you and Tess like...?" You paused. You are treading lightly. You don't want to upset him. Joel just gave you a nod. "We definitely hooked up a few times but she wasn't into romance or dating." Joel snickered.

That made you laugh. At least he had some action during the apocalypse. You did too. With John. "I knew someone like that as well. His name was John. I met him when I was in Maine." "Where is he now?" "No clue. He's still alive but when I left Maine he didn't want to come with me, I left alone." "I see." Joel stated. "Look at you now. Still alive. You didn't need anyone. I'm not saying this to sound like a dick but I'm surprised, a girl of your size and caliber would have died in usual situations."

You giggled and nodded. He isn't wrong. You are surprised yourself. Everyone told you that you would die sooner or later yet you're still living and breathing. Not even most men could survive on their own. You have always been impressed with yourself and your survival skills.

"No offense taken. I am surprised myself. I think it's mainly because I've stayed out of the action. I've really managed to stay stealthy and not in a lot of sticky situations, you know?" "Opposite of me. I was always getting caught up in some kind of bullshit." Joel laughed, crossing his arms. You nodded. "Sounds like you." You are just happy he's okay. You can't believe this. This is a once in a lifetime experience.

"I guess I never clarified how I found out about this place and about you." You stated. Joel nodded, "Yeah, I hadn't really thought 'bout it. I'm still starstruck if I'm being honest." "I was out on raid, looking for a random stuff when I saw your brother. The man nearly fucking killed me but we managed to realize who one another was. I asked him to take me here so I could see you." "I'm surprised he took you, he's always nervous about lettin' people in."

"He seemed a little off but I'm pretty sure he trusts me, and he should, I mean no harm. I only wanted to see you and I planned to go on my way." Joel raised his eyebrow. You didn't know why. "Go on your way?" "Yeah. I guess I just planned on saying hi to you, catching up with you, then leaving." Joel chuckled and shook his head. "I'll talk to Tommy about getting you a place here."

That surprised you. That's such a sweet thing to do. It would be nice to have a place to call home. You haven't had anywhere in so long. Being able to live in the same vicinity as Joel would be amazing. "You don't have to do that." "I want to." Joel spoke in a low tone. You didn't try fighting back. You know how that will go. "It seems we've had a pretty fucked up lives ever since everything went down, huh?" You huffed out. "For sure." Joel laughed. Both of you seem to laugh this stuff off, despite it killing the both of you on the inside.

"I always hoped we meet again." Joel admitted. It's true. He thought about you a lot. He's told everyone about you, at least those close to him. "I did as well. When I heard about you in the QZ I was in, I had faith." "I'm glad ya did." Joel muttered. "Can I ask you something?" "Yeah. Shoot." "Who is Ellie? Maria brought her up and I saw her for a brief moment at the bar in town." Joel's face went soft entirely when you brought her up.

"I'll tell you more later but just know, and I don't mean to sound like an idiot, but she saved my life." You smiled. You found that sweet. It's kind of predictable. He sees Sarah in Ellie and has clearly been able to heal because of that. You are glad he's been able to find someone. "You don't sound like an idiot. Is she under your guardianship?" "She is. A lot of people think she's my biological daughter." Joel cackled. "Do you treat her as if she's your daughter?" "I'm definitely paternal towards her but she is her own person." You nodded, you get what he means.

Ellie saved him. You can tell. The way he talks about her. You'd like to know more about the two of them. Maybe I'll get to meet her officially.

You sighed deeply and stood up. Joel's eyes followed your figure. "You alright?" "Yes. I'm just a little winded by all of this, that's all." "You hungry?" "Definitely." You snickered. Joel also stood up and nudged his head towards his front door. "Let's go get lunch. We can catch up more then." "Food sounds amazing right now. We can." Joel gazed at you and smiled. "Let's head out then. Just follow me." The two of you then exited his home, and had a great lunch together where the two of you continued to catch up.

[wososcripts]

I've Been Getting Lost in Translation (Part Two)

(these kits are god awful but you didn't hear that from me)

stina blackstenius x reader; part one can be found here

Summary: You finally get to meet your girlfriend’s parents, but you aren’t sure they’re aware the two of you are more than just friends.

A/N: Here's part two finally! I hope it's worth the wait for you all lol, make sure you read the first part as well as that author's note for clarity! As usual, nothing I write is intended to speculate or infringe upon player's personal lives, it's all 100% fiction and done in good fun.

Word Count: 4.5k

Warnings⚠️: very very slight mentions of anxiety and self-harm behaviors, but it really isn't featured here more than a passing mention

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You could feel Stina's eyes on you as you came down the stairs and joined the group in getting ready to go, you felt them on you in the car, and once you got to the skating rink. She never seemed to not be looking at you, sending worried little glances your way that you just couldn't interact with right now if you wanted to keep it together. 

"Here are Linnéa's extra skates." Stina's mom held out a pair of ice skates for you to grab. "I'm not sure they'll fit, but Stina said you were around the same size as her sister… otherwise you can rent a pair here." 

She gave you a warm smile and left you to try them on, already lacing up her own and taking off on the ice. 

It was a beautiful day, sunny and cold with a thick layer of snow on the ground from a couple of days ago. And the rink was amazing. It was well maintained, but still had the feeling of a pond you'd have skated on as a child. 

Stina's sister came to sit down next to you, explaining some of the quirks with the skates. You had to pull the laces hard to get them to fit in the clasps at the top before you could tie them, she showed you, yanking on your ankle a little roughly for your liking.

"Linnéa, be careful with her foot!" You heard Stina call from the ice. 

Linnéa waved her off, turning to you.

"Does it hurt?" 

You shook your head.

"That ankle is just a bit sensitive. I broke it in June." 

"Well the laces being tight will make sure that doesn't happen again," she laughed, then glanced to make sure Stina wasn't looking at you two and said something lowly to you. "How is she doing in London? I mean she says everything is going well, but it's hard to know when we're not there to see her."

You smiled, genuinely for the first time in hours.

"She's doing great. Everyone loves her, she's been playing fantastic this season, she gets along well with the coach and the players. I really don't think there's anything for you to worry about." 

"It's good that she has you and Amanda there. She seems reserved but without a few good people around her I know she gets lonely."

"What are you two slow pokes waiting for?" Stina's father skated by, gesturing for you to come on. 

Linnéa followed him, starting a conversation with him in Swedish you could hardly grasp onto. How this family managed to speak so quickly, you were lost on.

You joined the rest of them on the ice, trying to ignore your poor mood from earlier. Moping around was no way to make a first impression. So you tried to suck it up and let the joy of the moment overtake you. You hadn't skated in years, having played in Italy for a bit before moving to London. There never seemed to be enough time, or good rinks close by. And when you were back in Germany you mostly wanted to see your family and Laura. 

You ended up skating with Stina’s nephew, a boy around seven. He was already impressively steady on his skates, something you would not have been able to say at his age. But still, he held your hand and talked your ear off in Swedish you only partially understood. 

"Did you come with aunt Stina?" He asked, to which you nodded. 

"We play for the same football team in England." You explained in your slow Swedish.

"Did you come here on a plane?" You nodded again, smiling. 

"We flew here yesterday, from London."

The boy considered you for a moment.

"You speak funny," he proclaimed, letting go of your hand, "watch what I can do!" 

And with that he skated in front of you, circling around you playfully as you stood still. You grinned at him, giving a round of applause when he was done.  

“Hey,” you heard Stina come up behind you, placing a hand on your shoulder as to not startle you. 

You gave her a smile which she softly returned. 

“What are you two up to?” 

“He’s showing me his incredible skating skills,” You replied.

Stina’s nephew nodded and twirled around again, clearly looking for more praise. 

Stina cheered him on, catching one of his hands and spinning him once more. 

“Very impressive,” she praised, “Unfortunately we’ve got to go eat some lunch. It’s getting dark out.” 

You looked up at the sky, having not realized that she was right, the sun was setting already. You checked your phone and saw it was barely one pm. 

Stina’s nephew nodded and shot forward ahead of you two, rushing back to where his parents were. 

“How are you doing?” Stina asked. 

You could tell she was still unsettled by what had happened earlier in the bathroom by how careful she was with you, how she treated each interaction tentatively. You felt badly for making her worry, for turning this visit with her family into yet another stressful situation rather than the relaxing break you both needed.

“I’m doing all right.” You gave the hand on your shoulder a squeeze and started to skate in the direction of the exit, a little further away from her than you would normally. 

You felt the distance seemingly in every stride you took, agonizing over your choice to move further from her. You were upset by the lack of any physical affection, and yet here you were removing even the chance that she might initiate it. It was self sabotage, you knew. Yet it was still difficult not to indulge in it. Whether she felt the distance as much as you did, you couldn’t know. 

“Why does Aunt Stina’s friend speak so funny?” You heard Stina’s nephew ask his mother, to which you couldn’t help but chuckle as she scolded him lightly. 

“She’s still learning Swedish, baby, she’s from Germany.”

“You’re from Germany?” The boy asked you once you were in front of him, skates in hand. He said it as if it were some far away land, not in the same continent. 

You nodded and ruffled his hair a bit, giving him a smile. You sat down on the bench, unlacing your skates and indulging the boy as he asked you several questions about Germany and what it was like there. You noticed Stina had a firm watch on you as you started to take your left skate off—the one that Linnéa had tugged on. It was aching a bit, that was true. But you simply massaged it for a moment and stood up like you couldn't feel a thing.

“Thanks again for lending me the skates,” You said to Stina’s mother, giving them back carefully. 

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The eight of you decided to eat at a small restaurant not far from the rink. Sunset was already in full force, vibrant orange and pink staining the sky around you.

Stina had borrowed her sister's car that morning, preferring not to be squished in the back seat all day. The drive over gave you a bit of privacy, which you spent in relative quiet, Stina's playlist playing softly through the car speakers. Her hand was on your thigh innocently, and every once in a while she glanced over. Maybe she expected you to say something. But you knew if you started now, you wouldn't be able to stop.

You were thankful for your sturdy sneakers as you stepped out of the car, a twinge in your ankle rippling up your leg. It was more sore than you would've expected, but nothing you were overly worried about. The doctor had warned you that some days might give you more trouble than others, and that was normal. You would just have to take care to ice it this evening before you went to bed. 

And by the looks of it, Stina would be making sure you did anyway. 

She was robbed of her chance to ask if it was bothering you by her nephew, who seemed to have taken a real liking to you. He came barreling at you, arms open for you to lift him up. You weren't all that tall, and he certainly had inherited his family's height, so lifting him was a bit complicated. Eventually the two of you decided on a piggy back after some awkward maneuvering. 

"He likes you," Stina's brother commented, tickling his son lightly. "He's normally quite reserved around new adults."

You smiled at him, feeling your heart soar. This, this was what you wanted from the trip. You wanted Stina's family to love you, for her not to have to worry about you fitting in or being accepted. 

"She's going to sit next to me!" The boy announced once the waiter had shown you to your booth.

"Do I need to be worried?" Stina joked, to which her nephew stuck out his tongue. 

She returned the favor playfully.

"No need to fight, there's plenty of me to go around."

The booth wasn't all that big, which was how you explained Stina's closeness. Most of your right side was pressed right up against hers, something you initially tried to rectify, only to receive a strange look from her. You cursed yourself for how unsure you were being. You'd spent months like this before the two of you had started dating and it nearly drove you (and your teammates) crazy. 

You let Stina order for you since she had been here before and she knew what you liked. The tiredness was beginning to hit you. It was dark outside now, and between skating for a few hours, entertaining a seven year old, and worrying over your relationship, you'd had quite the day. Thankfully you had ibuprofen in your bag in case of one of your headaches. 

Whatever Stina had ordered you looked delicious when it came out. You dug in, realizing then how hungry you were. Usually you had a snack in between breakfast and lunch particularly on training days.  

You were surprised to feel a hand on your knee a little while later. You were listening to a story her nephew was intently explaining to you as he colored in one of the books his mother brought for him, and suddenly it was there. It was something so completely normal you couldn't believe how much it shocked you. If anything, that was proof of how much you had gotten in your own head. Back home it would be impossible to imagine sitting next to Stina without her hand resting lightly on you somewhere. It helped ground her, she said. 

But now, your thoughts were racing with every move she made. Stina's fingers drummed absentmindedly on your thigh, the rhythm of them distracting you slightly from her nephew. She didn't usually tap unless she was feeling fidgety, which meant she was anxious. Was Stina feeling something similar to what you were? Was it out of anxiety that she was keeping things secret? The idea of your relationship inspiring such emotions in your girlfriend made the lump in your throat that much bigger. Maybe she was picking up on your mood. Stina had always been very perceptive (because she spent so much time quietly watching, you often teased) and seemed to pick up on your moods without issue. But you’d been trying to hide this. 

You caught her eye and sent her a quick smile. A piece of hair had fallen into her eyes and you wanted desperately to push it behind her ear as you normally would. But the gesture seemed too intimate now. It was as if you were in a glass cage, every move observed with the chance of exposing your feelings. But what was the problem in that, you asked yourself. You loved Stina, openly. Why were you letting this affect you so much? 

Stina's sister declared that she wanted to do a bit of shopping after lunch, which the rest of the group was perfectly amicable to. It wasn’t all that late, and you’d get a chance to see the Christmas market all lit up. Stina's nephew certainly hadn't taken much convincing once Linnéa mentioned stopping at the toy store to look at something.

"Am I your favorite now?" Linnéa asked him, looking at you with a sly grin on her face.

"Yes!" The boy cried, smiling wide.

"You can't buy true connection, Linnéa," you teased, still helping to color.

"Can't buy connection." The boy repeated wisely. "I still like Stina's friend too."

You smiled and ruffled the boy's hair, suggesting quietly in his ear that you move to another page and make a drawing for Stina. 

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Linnéa joined you and Stina in the car on the way back to their parent’s house, adding to the tension that had been building since the eight of you had gone shopping. Stina had stuck close to your side, and you’d done your best to act normally while keeping some distance. You needed to sort your head out, and being close to her wasn’t helping. Thankfully her nephew provided a good excuse to be tugged in all sorts of directions—he had decided you were his favorite once more, leaving Linnéa to hang behind with her siblings. 

Once you had reached the Christmas market, after a short detour in the toy store where you had agreed to get matching dragon plushies for you and the young boy, each of you wandered off on your own. You, Stina’s brother, and her nephew headed first for the big tree that had been decorated in the square while the rest went to get something hot to drink. You had managed to sneak off under the guise of having to find the toilet, Stina’s brother covering for you if you needed. You wanted to get a small gift for Stina, something in addition to what you’d already purchased. Most of it was back in London since bringing it all on the plane was a hassle. 

You’d found a perfect gift at a small stall tucked away near the edge of the market where an older woman was selling vintage jewelry. You picked through it slowly at first, not sure you would find anything. Most of it was too gaudy for Stina, and too impractical. But then you found a simple pendant with two stones in the middle—an amethyst and an opal, each of your birth stones, set in a complex circular pattern that reminded you a bit of some of the celtic designs Katie had shown you. You had purchased it immediately, no matter that it was overpriced. 

Now you were sat listening to Linnéa’s music quietly as the three of you drove, trying not to nod off. You were unsuccessful, because the next thing you remembered was being jolted awake by Linnéa’s door falling shut. You heard Stina chuckle next to you and put a hand on your shoulder, likely amused by how suddenly you had shot up. You chuckled along with her and patted her hand, putting your coat back on to brave the cold once more. 

“Is your ankle bothering you?” Stina asked you quietly as you all began to walk back to the house for dinner preparations. 

You thought that you had been hiding the slight limp in your walk well, certainly nobody else had noticed, but nothing escaped your girlfriend apparently. 

“Only a bit. I’ll ice it later and it’ll be fine tomorrow.”

“You should’ve said something if it was hurting, I told Linnea to be careful—” she was beginning to ramble, but you cut her off. 

“Stina, it’s fine. I said I’m fine. I know what I can and cannot handle.” 

It was a lie, and the both of you knew it. You were a stubborn bastard. Stina had been with you through your recovery, through every incident where you pushed yourself too hard only to have to face the consequences. She’d found you on the kitchen floor, comforted you after a physio session, seen you train with the team for the first time again. It was insulting to allege she didn’t know when too much was too much.

“Sorry,” You mumbled, already feeling bad for snapping at her. It wasn’t fair, she didn’t even know what was wrong and you were what? Punishing her? 

“I just don’t want to see you hurt again. Do you know how horrible that was? To see you in that much pain?” Stina’s eyes were glossy with just the memory. 

You weren’t sure what to say to that. You and Stina didn’t talk much about your injury and recovery. It was still too fresh, barely more than a couple months old. The crack of your ankle, the blood, her tears, her gentle shaking hands, it was all still at the front of your mind. 

You were saved from having to formulate a response by Stina’s mother calling her to the kitchen. She left you, only looking back once to give you a slight smile, showing that the two of you were okay. But you knew the time to confront what was going on needed to come quickly. 

You sat with Stina’s brother on the sofa and watched some Swedish Christmas program mindlessly. Mostly you were thinking about how to go about talking to Stina later. “Directness is key”, Laura's voice reminded you. You just had to say it, without blaming anyone. Just focus on yourself, your feelings.

It wasn't clear how long you sat there quietly before dozing off again, but Stina’s nephew was the one to wake you for dinner, doing so by climbing into your lap. 

"It's dinner time." He said, poking at your shoulder. 

You forced your eyes open, giving him a drowsy smile. 

“Okay, Prinzi” you replied, picking him up off your lap so you could stand. He managed to hang on to your side though, and you ended up lifting him onto your hip anyway. 

Fuck, you cursed silently as you noticed your ankle was even more tender than when you had fallen asleep. You’d have to check for bruising later and keep off it for the rest of the night. But still, you carried Stina’s nephew to the table with ease, setting him in his seat next to his mother who shot you a sheepish smile. 

“Tired, aren’t you?” You heard a voice behind you, and then a gentle hand at your back. 

It was Stina, who smelled of something sweet in the kitchen. You wanted to lean back into her and not move for the rest of the night. Instead you just nodded. 

“Sorry, I don’t know what’s gotten into me.”

“You’ve been playing babysitter all day, that might be part of it.” She smiled. 

You nodded in agreement, a smile on your face as well.

"You're so good with him," she whispered into your ear, "it's adorable."

You had caught her taking pictures of you with her nephew a couple times throughout the day, and now, as you briefly as her phone light up with notification, it seemed she had set one of them as her lockscreen.

"I try my best. He's a good kid."

"Well, he's in good hands."

Dinner was delicious, but relatively uneventful. After an entire day together everyone was happy to sit quietly and enjoy the food. Stina’s nephew joked with you a couple times, still wanting all of your attention, but even he seemed to be winding down for the night.

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After the table was cleared and the dishes had been washed (a task delegated to Stina’s brother this time), the group splintered off. Linnéa was going out to meet with a few friends, Stina’s brother and his family had to go home before it got too late, and Stina’s parents had settled in the living room. The two of you were welcome to join, they offered, for a nightcap. But it was clear that maybe you and Stina needed some alone time. 

So you bid everyone good night, thanking them for a wonderful day, and giving Stina’s nephew a big hug goodbye (even though you would be seeing him the next day). You tried to prepare for what you knew was a difficult discussion coming your way. In and out, you tried to remind yourself.

“Go ahead, I’ll be in in a minute,” Stina told you when you reached the bedroom door.

You nodded, thankful for the extra minute to think. The room was quiet around you. You felt the quilt beneath your hands, taking another deep breath. You didn’t need to overthink this. It was simple. And Stina loved you, you reminded yourself. 

There was a knock at the door, after which Stina slowly opened it and slipped inside. She had a bag of ice in her hands, presumably for your ankle. Already you felt tears spring to your eyes.

“Here, for your foot.” 

She lifted your leg, grabbing a chair for you to prop it up on, and pressed the ice to it.  

“So,” Stina paused, still standing before you, “What’s wrong?” You opened your mouth, but were cut off before you could say anything. “And don’t say it’s nothing, I can tell it isn’t. And I want to know, I want you to tell me, whatever it is.” 

You chuckled internally at the similarity to Laura’s demand earlier. Stina knew you too well for you to hide from her either. That made your heart ache a little bit. 

Your lack of response seemed to signal to Stina that you needed more convincing because she knelt down in front of you, taking your hands in hers. 

“What were you doing in the bathroom earlier? Why did you look so upset? All day, I can see you trying to hide it, but I know you’re hiding something. It hurts me too, to see you like that. It’s like a thorn in my ribs.” 

Your lip trembled, and you bit down hard on your cheek until you could feel blood in your mouth. It rushed onto your tongue, the metallic taste distracting you from the urge to cry. Stina had caught your gaze, and you couldn’t bring yourself to look away.

“Do your parents know we’re together?” Your voice held steady as you asked. 

Whatever she had been expecting, it certainly wasn’t that. Stina let out an airy chuckle, looking relieved. You brought your gaze to the floor, eyes wetting rapidly, which Stina quickly noticed.

“Hey, hey, hey,” She brought a hand up to your face, brushing the hair away from it. She sat next to you, moving up from where she was kneeling, and pulled you into her. “Look at me.” She put a finger under your chin, drawing your gaze to hers. The sight of your eyes nearly broke her heart. She hadn’t seen your face crumple in on itself like this since you were injured. The idea that something she had done could have caused you pain like that made her feel indescribably awful. 

“Of course they know, of course they do.”

You let out a sigh of relief, putting your head in your hands. You felt a hand on the back of your neck, rubbing the skin there tenderly.

“Then why have you been so…distant all day? And yesterday? This morning at breakfast, I couldn’t even hold your hand. It seemed like you didn’t want your family to see us together. I thought maybe you… I don’t know, that you were unsure of us, or afraid, or—” 

“That’s not it, I promise,” she said, wiping a tear away that had fallen from your eye. Fuck, you hated crying this much. “It’s just odd for me to be affectionate in front of my parents. They never were very touchy with each other in front of us, so it just feels like some unspoken rule. And then when my brother married his wife, they were the same way. But I promise, tomorrow I’ll try—”

You shook your head. You could tell Stina was upset too now, and you didn't want that. That wasn't the point of this. Tears continued to stream from your eyes, and you continued to swipe harshly at them.

“No, no. It’s all right. I don’t need you to be affectionate in front of them, I understand. It just seemed strange when I didn’t know the reason. I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable.”

Stina seemed at a loss for a moment, truly shocked. She pulled you into a kiss, pressing her lips firmly against yours once, twice, three times before pulling back.

“You’re in this house too. And we’re a team: you don’t just have to do things the way we do. I’m supposed to meet you in the middle, okay? We’re in a relationship—if something hurts you, or is important to you, I want to know.” 

You nodded, squeezing her hand as a small thanks. The taste of blood trickled through your mouth, reminding you of the wound. You did your best to swallow it down. 

“Come on, let’s get you into something more comfortable,” Stina said, helping you up. 

She opened the dresser, looking for some of the pants you had brought. When she turned around, in her hands were a pair of grey sweats and one of her long sleeve Swedish national team shirts. 

“Sit,” she requested, pointing at the bed. 

You followed, sitting and allowing her to help you undress. It was totally non-sexual, Stina was wholly concerned in caring for you. Once you were dressed in the casual clothes she had picked out, Stina returned to your side, your ankle in her lap as she massaged the skin gently. 

“Was that what made you think I hadn’t told them?”

“It seems silly… but I also overheard them talking to your aunt in the kitchen last night.” You took a breath, trying to banish the tears for good. “I know my Swedish isn’t that good, but I was doing my best to keep up, and they kept referring to me as your friend, your friend, Stina’s friend.” 

Stina looked at you, confused. 

“They did? What did they say?” 

You did your best to repeat the word, cringing at your own pronunciation. 

“Väninna?” She repeated, and you nodded. “Who told you that means friend?”

“Amanda.” you replied, “She said it was like a female friend.” 

Stina shook her head, laughing. 

“What?” You asked, a bit indignant. 

“It does mean that. But it also means girlfriend. I don’t think Amanda thought you’d ever run into the word. It’s a bit old fashioned.” Stina explained. 

“Oh��” you said, feeling very stupid, and very relieved. 

“Come here,” Stina said, leaning back against the headrest and gesturing for you to settle against her. She grabbed the bag of ice on your foot and shifted it to lie comfortably again. “I’m sorry you had to go through the day thinking I’d invited you here under friendly pretenses.” 

You could tell she was making fun of you, just a little, but that there was sincerity in her voice too. One of her hands crept under your shirt, resting comfortingly on your stomach. 

“I hope you don’t treat all your friends like you did yesterday morning.” You replied, snuggling closer to her. For the first time in days your head wasn’t full of doubts, and you could relax wholly. You just wanted to enjoy her warmth around you. You had faith that tomorrow would be great, that you could finally enjoy your time here the way you were meant to.

She chuckled, hugging you closer to her and pressing a kiss to your upward-turned lips. 

“No, definitely not. I usually have better decision making skills around most people.” 

“I guess I’m just special then, huh?”

[lemoncrushh]

Fratboy Harry - Part 7

Summary: Harry Styles was a boy with a reputation, one that you couldn’t care less about. Yet one night at a frat party changed everything.

Warnings: Smut, drinking, angst, a very cocky Harry. 18+ ONLY!!

Part 7 Word Count: 2323

STORY PAGE

I'm sorry.

I swear, she's not my girlfriend.

If you'd answer my calls I could try to explain.

Will you please talk to me?

These texts and more filled your phone all evening, but you left them unacknowledged. He'd tried calling you several times as well, but you never answered. Finally, as you laid in bed, your mind wandering though you were trying your best to read your English chapter, Harry sent one more text.

Fine. I know you're mad. Maybe you just need some time to cool off. I'll leave you alone. Call me when you wanna talk.

The next morning you managed to make it to class despite a restless night. You'd probably gotten a total of three hours' sleep, and you prayed to God you wouldn't be quizzed on that English chapter because you had no idea what you'd read.

You didn't know why you'd let this boy get to you, but somehow he had. Hell, you didn't even like him at first. Now not only was he invading your mind, but you'd allowed him yourself you get angry and hurt over something that had nothing to do with you. Something that shouldn't have surprised you and you should have seen coming. Dammit.

Coming out of the English building after stopping to talk to your professor, you were zipping up your backpack so you didn't see him at first. Lifting your head, you spotted him on the sidewalk, a small group of people gathered around him. Pulling your backpack over your shoulder, you walked briskly, trying to get past him before he saw you.

"Y/N!" he called.

Shit.

You walked faster, your eyes focused on the sidewalk ahead of you. Hearing puffs of breath as he jogged to catch up you, you rolled your eyes. He called your name again, pleading you to wait. You stopped in your tracks, turning to face him.

"Hey," he said. "Didn't you hear me?"

"I did," you narrowed your eyes.

His shoulders dropped in disappointment. "Why won't you talk to me?"

"I don't feel like talking," you remarked.

"Will you at least hear me out?"

You crossed your arms over your chest. "Fine. I'm listening. But you have about two minutes because I have to get to my next class."

Harry stepped closer to you, lifting his hands like he was about to touch you but changed his mind.

"She's not my girlfriend, okay?"

"You've said that."

"She has a thing for me," he added as though that just cleared everything up.

"Apparently," you raised your brows.

His eyes shifted away from you as he tried to think of the next thing to say. Biting his lip, he looked back at you.

"We slept together once," he muttered. "It meant more to her than it did to me."

You glared at him in disgust. Was this guy for real? If it wasn't for the curiosity taking over, making you want to hear the whole story, you would have stomped off.

"I know that's an awful thing to say," he admitted. "And I don't mean it like it sounds. I wasn't a jerk to her afterwards, I know that's what you're thinking."

"Don't tell me what I'm thinking," you scoffed. "You have no fucking clue what I'm thinking."

"Fine, fine!" he held up his hands. "I'm just trying to explain."

You pursed your lips. "Go on."

Harry sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets. "She kept calling me and texting me. She was a sweet girl, so I didn't wanna hurt her. But I could tell she wanted more than I did. She started showing up to all the parties, following me around. Anything I was doing, she'd ask if she could come along. She found out where I lived and somehow got the impression that we were a couple."

You stared at him incredulously as he ran a hand through his hair.

"I still don't really know how it happened. She got it into her head that she's in love with me and that we belong together. I felt bad at first and tried my best to let her down easy. I told her we could be friends."

"Oh yeah, that's what every girl wants to hear," you rolled your eyes.

"I didn't wanna be an asshole!" he exclaimed. "I know you think I'm one, but I'm not."

You opened your mouth to retort but he held up his hand. "I know, don't tell you what you're thinking."

You sighed and uncrossed your arms, gripping your backpack.

"So what, she's stalking you now?" you inquired.

"Sort of, I guess. She won't stop calling or texting me, even after I've had to be harsh with her. She shows up at my door unexpected. After you left yesterday? She came by again. She actually said she forgives me and that we can work it out."

"Eesh," you sounded. You weren't sure who you felt more sorry for, him or her.

"You asked why I don't just block her number. I tried that. That was when she starting coming over. I'm trying to keep tabs just in case I do have to call the police. I'm being a jerk to her now so hopefully she'll listen and finally give up."

You sucked in your lips, allowing his words to sink in. You wanted to believe him. But what if he was just making it up? You stared down at your watch and cleared your throat.

"Your two minutes are up," you muttered.

Harry swallowed. "Listen, you probably don't believe me, but I just wanted to explain."

"Fair enough," you nodded. You gestured toward the sidewalk. "I gotta go."

Turning away, you heard him say your name again. You sighed, looking back at him. He stepped closer to your again, reaching for your hand. You surprised yourself by allowing him to do so, staring down at it as he threaded his fingers through yours.

"You might not believe this either," he murmured. "But I wasn't lying when I said I liked you. And you definitely do something to me."

You blinked, raising your head to look him in the eye. You felt him lean forward and you almost thought he was going to kiss you.

"Really do have to go," you whispered, pulling away from his grip.

You didn't look back as you hurried toward your next class, for which you were certainly already late. Your heart pumped in your chest with anxiety. You heard someone else call his name followed by a hearty group laughter.

You wanted to believe him. You wanted to so badly. But you couldn't get the poor girl's face and sound of her cries out of your head. And as you sat down at your desk, that's when it dawned on you.

That could have easily been you.

Three days later you and Mandy sat at the kitchen table, you with your nose in your Algebra book, Mandy on her laptop. You'd clued her in on everything that had gone down with Harry, though she still wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"You know, there are some crazy stalker girls out there," she commented.

You lifted your head, dropping your pencil. "Are we still talking about this?"

"I'm just saying," she peeked over her computer. "I mean, he is a popular guy. He probably has girls chasing him left and right. She might have gotten caught up in his charm and turned all psycho on him."

"Or maybe he was just giving me a load of crap so I wouldn't think he's a cocky asshole," you stated.

You heard Mandy click her tongue. "I don't think so..." she sang.

You rolled your eyes, resolving to ignore her so you could finish your math homework. The truth was...you didn't know what the truth was. You had so many conflicting thoughts and emotions it was driving you mad. And the fact that Harry hadn't bothered to get in touch with you since you'd run into him on Monday, just added fuel to the fire. Granted, you hadn't called or texted him either. But something told you it wouldn't make any difference. You'd still be just as confused.

When Friday came and went and you still hadn't heard a peep out of Harry, you'd decided you'd given up. You were just some other girl to him, another lay. Whatever, so be it.

You told Mandy you'd go to the party with her Saturday night, but that you weren't going to stay long. If she wanted, she could get a ride home with someone else, or she could call you later when she was ready to leave and you'd come get her.

"But it might be super late," she whined. "You'll be asleep."

"No I won't," you declared. "I haven't slept in days."

As soon as you walked into the house, you knew he was there. You couldn't see him, but you knew. Mandy made a beeline for the kitchen, saying she was ready to get drunk. You followed her until you reached the doorway. You heard someone say his name followed by a cheer. Frozen in your spot, you listened for his accent, but when it didn't come, you changed direction and headed for the nearby beer keg.

A pleasant looking guy in a University t-shirt was standing beside it, pumping for a handful of people. He smiled at you before handing you a red Solo cup.

"Thanks," you grinned before bringing it to your lips. You gazed at him over the rim of the cup as he gave you the once over and then winked.

Mandy nearly scared you when she came around the corner and grabbed your arm.

"He's here," she whispered loudly.

"I know," you remarked.

"He's just with some buddies though," she added. "I don't think that Jamie girl is here."

You shrugged. "So what if she is."

"Have to say..." she paused, bringing her cup to her mouth. "I think it's kinda shitty that he shows up here without calling you first."

"Mandy," you turned to face her, "what did you expect?"

She gave you a look of disappointment and sympathy, her mouth scrunched up to the side of her face.

You stayed for a little over an hour, the one beer the only drink you consumed. You were bored. And trying to avoid running into Harry was not your idea of fun. You found Mandy chatting with the cute keg guy, announcing that you were leaving. She pouted but told you she'd most likely get a ride home.

Just as you were heading for the door, you caught sight of a blonde girl, her eyes wide like she was scanning the room for someone.

Jamie.

Curious, you stood still as you watched her make her way to the kitchen. You followed her, only stopping in the doorway. You saw Harry leaning against the counter, a cup to his mouth. You didn't miss the fact that he raised his eyebrows the second Jamie walked in. But you weren't exactly sure if it was because he was happy to see her, or just an acknowledgement. When she walked up to him, however, you noticed he didn't say a word to her. Instead, he turned to his friend next to him and began chatting.

Okay, so maybe he was ignoring her. But it was also very strange to you that he didn't make any move to tell her to leave him alone. Jamie reached for a cup then, filling it with ice to make her own drink. Then she returned to Harry's side, brushing her fingers up his hand that rested on the counter. He didn't even flinch. Deciding you'd seen enough, you turned on your heels and exited.

That evening you'd just finished brushing your teeth and were getting ready for bed when a new text popped up.

So are you gonna continue to avoid me?

You sighed as you began to text him back. He must have known you were at the party.

What are you talking about?

I'm talking about this silent treatment. You can't tell me you're enjoying it.

There you go again, assuming you know what I think.

Then tell me.

Tell you what?

What you think.

You paused for a moment, gathering the words in your head before typing them out.

I think you're an asshole. But not because of the reasons you think I do. I think you're a phony. You want people to like you, but you also want them to fear you. You want them to think you're a cocky asshole but you're really not. I think you slept with some girl who really liked you knowing you didn't really like her, just because it fit your persona. I'm not sure if she's stalking you or what, but I think you get off on it because it makes you look like a big shot.

You saw the three dots indicating Harry was typing, but you were surprised when all he replied was one word.

Wow.

You decided to continue typing, feeling liberated that you were finally getting your feelings out.

To be honest, Harry, I don't know exactly where I fit in to all of this. You say you like me, but I don't know what to believe. Maybe you do, or maybe it's again just something you feel like you have to do because it's who you want people to think you are. Like I'm some conquest or a notch in your belt. You have a reputation to uphold. But I do know one thing. I hardly even know you. And I'm not going to waste my time worrying and wondering about some fratboy who may or may not have some other girl in the wings.

I told you I'm not in a fraternity.

You laughed out loud, but not out of humor. He was unbelievable.

Goodbye, Harry.

If you enjoyed, please like, comment, reblog or send me a msg!

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[lcvehee]

lost and found (smau)

#20. the wrong impression?

꩜ .ᐟ wc: 0.9k

꩜ .ᐟ warnings: a little bit of angst?

“so, do you guys have plans after this?” yeri mused outloud, as she sipped on her mimosa.

“i'm going to eunseok's place,” giselle answered, a smile tugging at her lips. yeri's eyes twinkled in enthusiasm. “ah, young love.”

anton snorted. “you're still young, what do you mean?” 

yeri shrugged. “i'm still the oldest, and i'm literally dating y/n's brother. i feel like a big sister watching her siblings grow up.”

giselle let out an ‘aww’, squeezing her friend's hand. anton wrinkled his nose, yet a small grin appeared on his face. “you're getting sappy,” he muttered, snickering.

she rolled her eyes, dismissing his comment. “anton? y/n? what are your plans?”

anton quickly replies with a shrug. "i'll catch up on sleep."

you all nod in understanding, then yeri's eyes turn to you expectantly. before you could respond, giselle interjected, "it involves sohee, right?"

she’s absolutely right.

you facepalmed yourself in your head. pretending to be best friends with him isn’t convincing anyone. what am i even doing? you glanced down at your empty plate, trying to look composed. the fact that i’m seeing him today isn’t helping. we really need to rethink our strategy…

“y/n?” yeri’s voice pulled you out of your thoughts, her brow arched in curiosity.

you blinked, realizing you've taken too long to respond. “uh, yeah,” you said quickly, “we're just gonna hang out at his place. nothing major.”

anton narrowed his eyes slightly, tilting his head. “sohee, huh?” his tone is casual, but there’s an edge of curiosity in his eyes that made your stomach tighten. “you’ve been studying with him an awful lot lately.”

giselle smirked, clearly enjoying the tension. “yeah, y/n, what could you two be up to, now that it's summer break…” she trailed off.

you forced a laugh, hoping it sounds natural. “come on, it’s not like that. i don't like him that.”

yeri leaned her chin on her hand, her gaze inquisitive. “then what is it like?”

your heart skipped a beat. you could feel their eyes on you, waiting, watching. 

“it’s nothing,” you said a bit too quickly, brushing them off with a wave of my hand. “we’ve gotten close. right, but that's all it is.”

anton raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “close enough that you see him more than you see me?”

your face reddened at the accusation. “it’s not like that,” you insisted, but your voice seemed a little too defensive.

they’re not buying it. 

giselle grinned knowingly. “whatever you say, y/n.”

yeri smiled but didn't push further, and the conversation moved on—at least for now.

— a few hours later.

sohee was already waiting when you arrived, sitting casually on the bench near the park entrance in front of his apartment. he spotted you and waved, his usual smile plastered across his face. you managed to return a small smile, but the weight of your thoughts pulled at your chest.

“so,” you said, as you looked around, gesturing at the park, "i thought we were gonna hang out in your apartment?"

"the weather's nice, so why not?" he said as he patted the space beside him. "sit down, you must be tired from walking in the heat."

as you lowered yourself onto the bench, he handed you a beer from a plastic bag. "for old time's sake?" he grinned.

"we're never beating the alcoholics allegations, you know?" you snorted, grabbing the cold can. "but sure."

he rolled his eyes as he gulped down the beverage.

“so… how was your last exam?” you asked, after taking a sip.

he smiled, nodding to himself. "it went well, i was worried for nothing."

you nudged him with your elbow. "i knew you could do it!"

he laughed, rubbing the nape of his neck. 

as you two talked about everything and anything, time seemed to be frozen. and yet, your mind couldn't help but wander. you stared at your lap, deep in thought. 

"what's wrong? something happened?" his tone was breezy, light as always. "looks like you've got something on your mind."

you hesitated, gaze flitting to his concerned features, then nodded. “yeah, actually."

his smile faltered slightly. “oh. okay, what’s up?”

you glanced down at your hands, fiddling with the hem of your t-shirt. “i just think… maybe we should stop hanging out so much..." you trailed off. "our plan backfired!" you exclaimed, gesturing animatedly. "it’s giving the wrong impression.”

there was a pause—a long, heavy silence that makes your heart pound. when you finally glanced back at him, his expression was unreadable, but you noticed the way his shoulders tensed.

“the wrong impression?” he said softly, as if he was testing the words out.

you nodded quickly, rushing to explain. "yeah, like… people are starting to think there’s something going on between us, and it’s weird—”

“it’s what?” he asked, his voice quieter than usual.

you paused, unsure how to answer. he looked down, his fingers lightly tapping against the edge of the bench. “you're right. that makes sense, i guess,” he said after a moment, his tone carefully neutral.

“sohee? you sure about—”

“no, it’s fine,” he interrupted, his voice still calm but a little unsteady. he chuckled dryly; his smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

“i mean, i get it. if it’s making things weird for you, then… yeah, maybe it wasn't a good idea after all.”

you felt a pang in your chest at how distant he suddenly seemed. “wait—”

“just what were we thinking, y/n?,” he laughed bitterly, standing up and fixing his cap. he avoided looking at you, his gaze fixed somewhere in the horizon. “i don’t want to make things harder for you.”

the tone of his voice made your throat tighten. “sohee, wait—”

“i need to go,” he said quickly, cutting you off before you could finish, "i have my shift, so i gotta get ready."

then he turned and walked away, his steps slow and hesitant.

you watched him disappear down the path, your chest heavy with words left unsaid. in the stillness that ensues, you wonder if the wrong impression wasn’t so wrong after all.

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© lcvehee | taglist is open: @secretiny @totheseok @renjuneoo @molensworld @wccycc @onlyhyunjin @mystarsohee @llearlert @nujeskz @yoursyuno @minkkumaz @rikisluv @xcosmi @zularen @vixensss @sftsohee

[goldengroovy]

can you do seperate headcanons first qiu and tam with a masc reader who gets injured quite easily? (step 1 or 2 doesnt matter :)) kind of like the talk qiu has with mc in the prologue if they have bandages on?

thank you and have a wonderful day / night

Tamarack and Qiu with an easily injured masc reader ! Set during step 1 !

A/N at the bottom <3

QIU

-> Qiu is, to say the least, always worried.

-> Even with his ‘cool and laidback’ demeanor, his worry manages to slip through.

-> There are times where he pulls you aside and asks if you're really okay.

-> Every time, you reassure him that you are. Takes a while for him to believe, but as always, his trust for you triumphs over his worry.

-> He always gets this relieved look whenever you reassure him. He's just glad that you're okay.

-> When all of you are on wheels, you always get a scratch or two.

-> He is immediately protective, always volunteering to be the one to patch you up.

-> Obviously, Qiu isn't happy that you're hurt, but he is happy that he managed to convince you to ride with him on his bike.

-> Mostly because your safe, but also because the feeling of you against his back is.. nice.

-> If you break your arm, he will not let you carry anything.

-> “Qiu, it's fine. I only broke my right arm, I can still carry my bag with my left.” “Too late. You were too slow to grab it.”

-> He backs off if it makes you feel belittled, but he's immediately there if you ask for his help.

-> Same thing if you break your leg! He's a considerate kid, after all.

-> “Guys, make some space for MC, he's injured!”

-> He's struggling a little with trying to please everyone and trying to make sure to pay extra attention to you, but he cares. He cares a lot.

“And then after that, I dec-” Qiu was quickly cut off by the sound of your head hitting the ceiling of his hideout.

You winced. Ow.

Immediately, Qiu is at your side. His hands hovered around you, wanting to help but not knowing how.

It was a little funny to see the guy who always knew what to do being a little dumbfounded.

But you didn't like seeing him worried.

“I'm fine, Qiu. I swear.” You said, touching your head. “Well. I might be bleeding a little, but I'm used to it!”

Qiu looked at you, worried. “I think that's worse. You see how that's worse, right?”

You pointedly ignored that.

“C'mon, lets go down.” Qiu said. “My mom will check if you're injured.”

TAMARACK

-> The band-aids that Qiu patches you up with? They came from Tamarack’s bag.

-> She makes sure to pay attention if you like the Hello Kitty bandaids more than the Spiderman bandaids, or vice versa.

-> After you're all patched up, she always kisses it better, no matter what.

-> It helps, surprisingly!

-> You get injured a lot trying to impress Tamarack and Qiu. While this makes Qiu worried, this makes Tamarack inspired.

-> She thinks you're the bravest boy on earth!

-> “You're so cool, MC! That was so awesome to see!” She says, a few minutes after you fell on your face while attempting to do a trick on Qiu’s bike.

-> This girl looks at you like you hung the stars, alright?

-> But she does worry. Sometimes you get injured infront of her, and if she thinks it's her fault, then she's immediately begging on her knees for your forgiveness.

-> “I'm so sorry! I didn't realize you were there!”

-> You better hug this girl with all your might.

-> She always steals some candy from her house so she could give it to you when you're hurt.

-> Sometimes you feel like you're being given a lollipop from a doctor. Dr. Tamarack wouldn't be such a bad idea.

Tamarack leaned in, giving a small kiss to the cartoony bandaid just placed on your right knee.

“There! It should feel better by now.” She said, a smile on her face. Somehow, you were smiling too.

“It does feel better.” You said, fondly. “I don't know how you do it, Tama.”

“I don't know how either!” She giggled, as if she revealed her deepest secret. “My omi does that to me sometimes, so I thought it would work!”

“Oh. Does your omi also give you these bandages?” You picked at the corner of the bandaid. Tamarack gently guided your hands away, a determined look on her face.

“Oh, no! I just figured, since you get injured a lot, I went ahead and bought some bandages at the pharmacy!”

“All by yourself?”

“Yeah.” she leaned in to whisper. “I can't have omi and opa going out to buy stuff for me. I can do it myself perfectly fine!”

Before you can say anything about that, she cut you off.

“Oh,” she searched through her bag, and after seconds of what seemed to be aimless ruffling, she held out her palm.

A small piece of wrapped candy was placed on it.

“Here, you deserve it for being a very brave boy!”

A/N: SORRRY FOR TAKING SO LONG ANON!!! was originally going to play the game againvut add bandages to my mc so i could see what would happen but unfortunately time itself hates me

so, i just based this off of my perception of their characters! qiu cares for everyone, but he especially cares for you, so he worries a lot. tama is an independent girl, who probably knows how to patch up small wounds. she doesnt worry as much, but she does tend to ur wounds!!

as always, this is author rivs, bye bye gay people in my phone!!!

[gales-wizard-wife]

Gale Confession One Shot

This takes place after Ketheric for a more slow burn confession.

I sat at the fire, a chalice of red wine in hand, sipping as I was lost in thought. The others had long fallen asleep and knowing even my trance would be unobtainable I offered to keep watch. Our battle with Ketheric had been weeks ago but even so everyone remained on edge. Numerous Githyanki squads had come for us in the name of Vlaakith and it felt as though we were still far from the end of our plight. That wasn’t what was on my mind, though, and as I took another sip, I wished desperately for the company of someone; Gale. I hadn’t been in love with him for long, although I'd found him charming from the first moment I’d pulled him from that rune all that time ago. 

But when Elminster had appeared with his orders from Mystra, I suddenly found myself cursing a goddess I had so long admired and followed. Now, I would fight her given the chance. To hear that she would send him on a suicide mission had made my blood run cold and I immediately shot down the notion that he could even allow himself to do such a thing for a goddess who had all but forsaken him. He hadn’t agreed, of course. In fact, he’d originally decided to go along with her plan. When the moment came, I begged him to reconsider. Whether it was my words, or perhaps a sudden appreciation for his life, he had decided not to sacrifice himself, to not blow up the orb within his chest to take down the Absolute. I felt at that moment as though I could breathe again. How much longer could I go without telling him the truth now that I knew the true extent of my feelings?

The sudden clearing of someone's throat took me out of my thoughts, causing me to jump. I clearly was not doing a good job of being look out. I looked up, shocked to find Gale standing before me. 

“Keena.” He smiled, causing my heart to flutter. 

“Gale.” I breathed, feeling nervous.

“Mind if I join you?”

"Not at all.” I moved over a bit, giving him extra space. He sat, his own chalice of wine in hand.

“I hope I didn’t wake you” I sighed, and he chuckled as he sat.

“Wake me? You were silent. Although, I hope I didn’t disturb your thoughts, you looked deep in them.” 

I blushed, turning my head and taking another sip.

We sat in silence, only the sounds of the crackling fire and nature to be heard.

“Are you alright?” He asked and as I turned my head our eyes met, leaving me without a voice for a moment.

“I am.” We stayed like that for a time, gazing at each other, before he spoke again.

“I was hoping for a moment like this with you, while the others are asleep. Could you spare me a moment of your time?” He looked nervous now which caused a deep pit of anxiety to form in my chest. 

         “Of course.” I said and he smiled at that and I blushed even further, and realized I was definitely embarrassing myself.

          “I often think of what would become of everyone, of the world, had I decided to blow myself up to destroy the Absolute. Would all of this be over?” My heart sank at that, something I had thought of more times than I cared to admit. I stayed silent, giving him the chance to speak.

          “But you stopped me, which if I'm being honest, surprised me.” My heart was suddenly in my throat.

          “I couldn't let you kill yourself. I…” I trailed off, unsure of how to finish my sentence.

          “Do you remember the first time we met?” He asked and I suddenly found myself grinning but didn't say anything, curious as to where this was going. “You managed to calm the rune with your own, quite impressive, magic and you pulled me out. A complete stranger, no less, and you saved me.” Where is this going?

           “I felt lucky to be saved. But to be saved by you…” I felt like I couldn't breath suddenly and forced myself to take another drink, I was on the verge of becoming drunk. I'd have to scold Astarion for giving me such a strong wine.

            “You were breathtaking.” I froze, my eyes moving back to him. The look he was giving me was wistful, his eyes alight in the glow of the warm fire.

            “I fell in love with you then.” he said and we were both silent, the fire feeling a little too warm now.

             “I've wanted to tell you for so long, Keena. But I couldn't find the words. Couldn't fight the fear of the possibility that you didn't feel the same.” I couldn't find the words to respond, he didn't seem to mind though as he continued, “I saw how you panicked when I nearly approached the Nether Brain myself, ready to sacrifice myself for the world, for you. And for a moment,” he paused, “for a moment I allowed myself to hope that you felt the same. That you loved me too. And I decided to live on the possibility that I could live for you. That hope was enough to keep me living a life that had lost meaning.” 

           “Gale.” I breathed and we locked eyes once more. With my free hand, I grabbed his, relishing the feeling of his skin against mine, something I had longed for. He looked at our hands and back at me, his eyes asking for more. I leaned in then, no longer able to control myself, and pressed my lips to his. He tasted of wine and the smoke of the fire and him. Suddenly, his arm was around my waist and he pulled me closer, deepening our kiss. It felt as though we were the only two people in faerun. After a moment, I pulled away, our foreheads pressed against each other and our breathing hard.

          “I love you too.” I whispered, not wanting to break our little bubble.

          He smiled, relief clear on his features.

          “Then all you have to do is say the words and I am yours, mind, body and soul.”

          “I'm yours.” I whispered once more and he kissed me again, deep and hungry, pouring all of his love into me.

[emmg]

Im not sure if your requests for fics are open and if not I'm sorry, but i can't stop thinking about it.

How bad in bed Raphael is .. Always too fast, using too much force and selfish

how Tav ends up unsatisfacted almost all the time.

and

i can't stop thinking about her risking in play a very dangerous game with him just to get her satisfaction.

Her using a rope on his arms in their bed. She knows he can destroy bedframe with one single move and even kill her for humiliation, but shes still willing to try it and ride him into oblivion on her own way just to get what she wants/needs. aaaand somehow he allows it even if for pure curiosity

My requests are always open for shameless Raphael smut 😌

I'm here to sin hehe, to tie this devil to a bed, and to really drive home that he sucks in bed lmfao

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

"It's all," she murmurs, tugging at the rope with each word, "about"—another tug—"negotiations." 

She leans back on her heels for a moment, surveying her handiwork with a mixture of pride and amusement. Raphael is sprawled out beneath her, his wrists securely tied to the headboard. His expression, however, is far from impressed, which only makes her giggle—a stupid, high-pitched sound she can't quite suppress. 

The rope she's used isn't rough. If anything, it's smooth, thinned out, soft enough to resemble silk, delicate enough that it won’t even leave a trace on his skin. Gods forbid anything should mar him. 

Her bag—somewhere nearby—holds a scroll of Hold Monster. The thought of using it on him crosses her mind, just for the satisfaction of seeing him restrained by something more substantial. But she hesitates. She knows too well what that would bring. His anger, explosive and consuming, would be something to behold. He'd break her jaw, force her to collect her scattered teeth from the floor, and make her push them back into her gums. Then, he’d demand she smile for him, say thank you, and promise never again. 

No, she thinks, maybe not today. Another time, perhaps. 

Just getting him here had been an exercise in patience she didn’t know she possessed. 

"You taught me that," she says, sliding lower until she’s straddling him. Her hands balance on his chest, fingers splayed wide, while her knees part, thighs spreading wide as she settles herself right on his hips. There’s a weight to it, the feeling of her body pressed against his, and for a brief second, she savors the control. 

Raphael pulls lightly at the restraints, and she winces, seeing how easily the bindings stretch under his casual strength. He could tear through them like paper if he wanted to. 

"And what could you possibly give me, little mouse?" he asks, his voice dripping with irritation, the wrinkle on his nose deepening—an unmistakable sign that she’s displeased him. It’s a small gesture, but she’s seen it enough times to know what it means. She opens her mouth to respond, but before she can get a word out, he’s already talking again, adding, "...that I cannot simply take, if I so wish." 

How about a fucking orgasm, she thinks bitterly, biting back the retort that wants to rush out. That’s one thing he can’t take from her, not if he tries—not that he ever does. Raphael is a devil who expects to be serviced, pampered, catered to while he lies back and spews poetic nonsense. Or worse, when he works. She refuses to think about the absurd, borderline humiliating number of times she’s warmed his cock while he sat there in his armchair or at his desk, arms around her not for affection but so he could continue scribbling on parchment. 

His so-called “thrusts” are barely worth acknowledging. They’re half-hearted at best, just these lazy, mechanical movements—like he’s checking off a box. They barely even register—there’s no passion, no urgency, just... motion. And when he finally comes? She’d bet real money that it has absolutely nothing to do with her. Nope, it’s not her body that gets him off. More likely, it’s because he managed to jot down some impressive bit of legalese, or came up with a loophole so mind-numbingly complex that he’s practically orgasming over his own brilliance. 

It’s like he’s having a cerebral climax, and she just happens to be there, a glorified seat warmer while his genius does the heavy lifting. 

She’s fucking tired of it. Tired of him coming right as she finally starts to feel some heat between her legs, tired of him waltzing into the room in the middle of the day, gloating about some deal he’s made in his grandiose, self-important way, before casually ordering her to kneel and open her mouth like a good little girl—his trousers already halfway down, his tail swishing behind him.  

He comes quickly, sighing heavily as if the whole thing was a chore, wiping his face like it took some great effort on his part, then settle into one of his plush chairs. He bids her to climb into his lap, pulling her close, his lips already seeking hers. And despite her frustration, she does enjoy this part—because his tongue is wonderful. It’s long, flexible, and sinful. It twists and flicks inside her mouth, slithering in a way that makes her body ache. It dips just far enough down her throat to make her want it somewhere else—between her legs, deep inside her—but she never has time to ask for it. By then, he’s already hard again, guiding her hand to his cock. 

Her fingers always wrap around him without protest, her palm slick with spit, precum, and the sweat clinging to them both. She strokes him slowly at first, feeling the veins throb beneath her grip, feeling the way his cock pulses and leaks as her pace quickens. Her thumb brushes over the head, smearing the wetness that beads there, teasing him, feeling the twitch that tells her he’s close again. 

And when he is, sometimes he lets it spill into her hand, the hot mess coating her fingers. Other times, when he’s in one of his moods, he shoves her down again, muttering something about waste not, want not, forcing her mouth back on him to swallow every last bit of his release. He watches, intent, as she chokes down every spurt, making sure she doesn’t waste a single drop.

Once he’s finished, it’s always back to his lap, his tongue plunging into her mouth again, tasting the remnants of himself on her lips, dragging that slick, sinful muscle across her tongue until he’s satisfied. She takes the opportunity to spread her legs, rocking her clothed cunt against his thigh, grinding into him, the fabric soaking up her arousal as she desperately seeks some kind of friction. Without fail, he always just sits there, reclining back slightly for a better view, eyes feverish but never too wide. 

"Undress," he usually commands, and she does, peeling away her clothes until there’s nothing between them. Only then does she move back onto him, straddling his lap, slipping a hand between her legs, desperate to touch herself, to find release. But before she can do much more than graze her fingers across her swollen clit, he slaps her hand away, replacing it with his own. His fingers are rough, sliding straight into her soaked cunt with ease, and he watches her with that intense, smug gaze as she starts grinding against his hand, chasing her own satisfaction. 

Raphael’s ego is a delicate thing. He won’t let her come unless it’s by his hand or his cock. She’s learned to play along, wrapping her fingers around his wrist like she’s clinging to him, pretending she just can’t get enough. In reality, she’s guiding him, subtly readjusting his grip, pulling his hand back and forth until his fingers curl just right, stroking the spot deep inside her that makes her legs tremble. She maneuvers him so that his thumb brushes against her clit, the pressure building as she rides his hand, grinding down harder and harder, her wetness coating his fingers. 

It never takes long as by that time she's usually on the brink. Her thighs tense, her breath coming in short, sharp gasps, and when she finally comes, it’s with a soft, breathy sigh that she tries to swallow back. Her cunt clenches hard around his fingers, and she soaks his palm, her release dripping down his hand. That’s when he leans in, lips grazing hers, drinking in her moan as if it were a gift, his smile so smug, so fucking self-satisfied, like he believes her pleasure is something he gave her, something she owes him. 

Then he’s gone, moving on as if nothing happened, likely to scribble in his books or ruin someone’s day, while she’s left there, wet and aching, never quite getting what she needs. 

She's tired of waking up in the middle of the night because Raphael doesn’t need sleep—at least not the way mortals do—and when he stirs, it’s never gentle. He’ll paw at her, peeling her nightgown up without a word, turning her over to rut into her from behind like an animal, or climbing on top of her, moaning so obnoxiously loud it makes her cringe. He’ll thrust blindly, stabbing at her with his cock, fumbling to find his way inside, and when he finally manages to hit his mark, it’s over in a pathetic three or four sloppy thrusts. Sometimes he doesn’t even make it that far—pulling out too soon and spilling himself across her stomach like she’s nothing more than an afterthought, lying there satisfied and smug while she burns beneath him, frustrated and humiliated, while his wings cut off her air. 

One of these days, she swears she’s going to take those fucking wings of his—those insufferable, leathery things he likes to flaunt—and hack them off. Toss them into the nearest trash heap or, better yet, send them to Cania, gift-wrapped, where Daddy Dearest can get a nice little surprise. Raphael wouldn’t step foot there unless forced—not with his father sitting on his icy throne, likely waiting to spit on him. Those wings, with their unbearable heat, suffocate her whenever he lets his true form slip, draping them around her like they’re some grand gesture of intimacy. All they do is smother her, like being wrapped in searing embers, burning her alive under his weight. 

Now that he’s finally beneath her, bound and relatively helpless, she’s going to take every last bit of control she can. 

She leans down, her lips brushing against his in a teasing, barely-there kiss. "Well," she whispers, "how about something nice?" 

Raphael's brow arches, suspicion creeping into his eyes as he mutters, "Something nice?" 

She slithers down his body, her fingers dragging over his chest, tap-tap-tap across his abdomen, grazing his cock so lightly that it’s almost a whisper of a touch. But it’s enough. She feels him respond instantly, his cock beginning to harden under her teasing. Her hand wraps around him, and she strokes him slowly—once, twice, until he’s fully hard, throbbing, his body taut beneath her. 

"Anything nice you can think of," she offers, making sure he watches as she leans down, her tongue flicking out to drag along the full length of his cock, from root to tip. She pauses at the head, taking it into her mouth and sucking, just enough to make him groan, before letting it slip from her lips with a wet, obscene pop. Her grips tightens, jerking him with more intensity, her hand gliding easily along the slickened shaft.

His hips buck helplessly into her touch, and she tightens her grip at the base of his cock, squeezing hard, watching as the veins swell and the blood surges through him. 

"I can think of a great many things that would be... nice," he breathes out, the word spat through clenched teeth like it tastes bitter. "I am not entirely sure they would be so for you, however."

"Oh?" she says absentmindedly, continuing her slow, teasing strokes, but her mind is elsewhere—focused on her own pleasure. She doesn’t care what he finds nice right now. This is about her. 

Positioning herself over him, she presses her soaked cunt against his thigh, grinding herself into him with each stroke she gives his cock. The rough texture of his skin drags against her wet, swollen lips, sending jolts of pleasure through her as she rubs herself harder against him. She’s getting wetter by the second, her arousal slicking his thigh as she grinds down, rocking her hips harder. Her lips part, a soft moan escaping her as she rides him, the heat building inside her. 

She lets go of his cock entirely, focusing on grinding her soaked cunt against his leg, fucking herself on him without any shame. It’s filthy, the wet sound of her arousal mixing with his ragged breathing, the way she’s using him like a toy, rubbing her aching clit against the rough skin of his thigh. She’s lost in it, in the way he can’t stop her, the way his body trembles under her as she takes what she needs. 

But then she hears it—his voice, raw and strained, cutting through the haze of her pleasure. Her eyes snap up, and she sees the restraints, stretched to their limit, barely holding him back. 

"Mouse," Raphael rasps, his voice rough with warning. "On. Now." 

She grins, wide and wicked, as she pauses just long enough to admire the wet trail she’s left on his thigh, the way his fingers are twitching above him, desperate for freedom. She straddles him again, taking his cock in hand, but instead of lowering herself onto him right away, she teases him. Rubbing the blunt head of his cock between her slick folds, dragging it over her swollen clit again and again, her hips rocking in slow, torturous circles. She feels the tension building inside her, her thighs trembling as she grinds harder, letting him feel just how close she is. 

When she’s finally at her limit, teetering on the edge, she shifts, lining him up, and sinks down, impaling herself on his cock with a breathy moan. The stretch of him inside her is perfect, filthy and raw, and as she takes him deep, her body shudders with the satisfaction she’s been chasing. She doesn’t move right away—just stays there, fully seated on him, feeling every twitch and pulse of his cock inside her. The heat of him is overwhelming, her cunt gripping him so tight, and she waits, letting the sensitivity settle for a moment. 

Slowly, she leans down, pressing her body flush against his, her breasts dragging across his chest, sensitive nipples brushing against the hard muscle beneath her. Her mouth finds his, lips parting as she captures him in a deep, lazy kiss, letting her tongue slide against his, tasting him. The position is perfect for her, the way her body fits against his. Maybe not for him—he can’t really thrust up into her like this, not with her keeping him pinned down—but for her? It’s everything. 

She rocks her hips slowly, just enough to grind her clit against his pubic bone. Each roll sends a delicious shiver down her spine, the pressure against her swollen clit building with every movement. Her nipples drag along his chest with every shift, the friction making her body hum with need. It’s all perfectly aligned—his cock buried deep inside her, her clit rubbing against him, her body grinding against his in slow, languid movements. 

She can feel his frustration beneath her, the way his muscles tense as he tries to move, but she doesn’t let him. This is for her. 

But soon, it’s not enough. The slow grind, the teasing build—it’s no longer satisfying the growing hunger inside her. She needs more, something faster, rougher, something that will break through the haze of pleasure fogging her mind. She pushes herself up, hair now slick with sweat, sticking to her face. As she rises, she catches a glimpse of herself reflected in his eyes: lips swollen and red, cheeks flushed with heat, a wild, lopsided smile stretching across, and too-bright eyes. The sight sends another wave of arousal through her, making her moan involuntarily. Maybe, she thinks with a flash of wicked amusement, there’s more than just narcissism behind him fucking Haarlep while making the latter wear his semblance.If she came across a copy that looked like her in this very instant, she'd fuck herself too.

She slams down onto him, harder than she means to—partly out of sheer desperation, partly because her legs feel weak, trembling with the effort. But the sudden force, the way he fills her so deeply, sets off sparks of pleasure, her cunt fluttering wildly around him. She does it again, unable to stop herself, riding him faster, her body shuddering with each thrust, her breath coming in ragged gasps. One hand rises to cup her breast, squeezing it roughly as she bounces on him, her mind fogged with nothing but need. 

But then she notices—he’s tugging at the restraints again. His muscles strain, the rope creaking as it stretches, nearly giving way. He’s close to breaking free, and the thought of losing control drives her into a frenzy. She can’t let the moment end, not yet. Leaning over him, she rides him harder, faster, her hips slamming down onto his cock with reckless abandon, one hand slipping between her legs, rubbing furiously at her clit. She’s so close, teetering on the edge, her body trembling as she chases her release. 

"Raphael," she whispers breathlessly against his lips, her voice soft and urgent, "Raphael, Raphael..." She knows exactly how to keep him in check, how to stroke his ego, to make him feel like this is all for him. "You feel so good," she purrs, her words dripping with just enough sweetness to keep him complacent, to make him think he’s doing her a favor, "so very good..." 

Her body quakes, thighs trembling as she grinds harder against him, her clit throbbing under her own touch, her cunt tightening around him as she pushes herself over the edge, moaning his name into his mouth like a prayer. 

It’s electric, a fire that leaves her trembling, every muscle slack and buzzing with the aftershock. It’s fantastic, mind-numbing, her body spent and melting into his. She rests against him, utterly content, feeling as though she’s detached from her own skin, floating. She doesn’t even realize she’s peppering kisses along his throat, whispering soft praises against his lips. His mouth parts, greedy for hers, but she doesn’t give it to him—just grazes her lips to his, letting him feel her breath without the satisfaction of a kiss. 

He thrusts upwards, but her body is too loose, too relaxed, too tired to respond properly. She feels good, so good, and so tired. Her hands drift up to push his sweat-slick hair back as she licks the salt from his chin, tracing her tongue up his jaw. She nuzzles the spot behind his ear, knowing it makes him shiver. Right now, in this moment, he’s beautiful, raw, and completely hers. 

But it doesn’t last long. The quiet rip of the restraints breaking snaps her back to reality. Raphael moves fast, flipping her over before she can react, making her yelp as he presses her into the mattress. Her body is pliant, and he wastes no time, pulling her hips up and plunging into her with a force that steals her breath. She moans, laughter bubbling up unexpectedly, the sound mixing with the sheets muffling her face. 

His hand presses into the small of her back, forcing her into an arch that feels almost too sharp, too deep, but she doesn’t care. The sensation is overwhelming, her body spent but still reacting to the raw need he’s pouring into her. 

"Such a greedy little thing," he growls, hips snapping into her with an erratic, almost violent rhythm. The force of him would be painful if she weren’t so wet, so utterly spent. Her cunt is slick and open, and each brutal thrust sends her sliding up the bed. Sometimes, he slams into her cervix, and she winces, hissing through her teeth, but he only takes that as encouragement. He hits it again—harder, rougher—like he’s proving something, trying to wreck her with each forceful snap of his hips. 

She feels him getting close, the way his body presses harder against her, pinning her to the bed as his rhythm starts to falter. The violent pace slows, replaced by deep, dragging thrusts that make her gasp as his breath whistles out. His head dips to her shoulder, and she feels his teeth sink into her flesh, drawing blood. He laps at it, tongue warm against the wound, kissing it softly afterward as if to soothe the sting. 

His lips press against her ear, the sound of his ragged breath so close, so loud it drowns out everything else. He’s wheezing into her ear with each of the last three thrusts before he finally groans, his release spilling into her, the tension snapping as he comes. 

He collapses against her, his weight pressing her deeper into the mattress, and she feels his cum leaking from her even before he pulls out. He’s murmuring something against her skin, but she’s too warm, too sated, too blissfully wrecked to make sense of it. Her body is buzzing, and she feels his hand lazily petting her side, fingers tracing over her ribs like he’s counting them, as if considering pushing his nails through her skin to snap the bone. 

His fingers pinch at her ass suddenly, making her yelp in surprise. 

"What?" she breathes, still dazed. 

"I said," Raphael repeats, his wet lips grazing her ear. He licks the shell of it, teeth closing around it before he continues. "I ought to teach you a lesson." 

Her eyes flutter shut, but not before rolling and almost getting stuck in her skull, a soft sigh wafting past her lips. "Yes," she whispers. "Yes, yes, yes..." 

[callsign-mongoose]

Old Fashioned Phone Numbers

Pairing: Jake Sersin x Reader (No Description or use of Y/N)

Warning: +18 MDNI, Mostly fluff, Lying? If you can call it that, Enuendos, Cowboy Jake, Let me know if I missed anything!

Word count: ~1.8k

a/n: This is my first official posted fanfic! Yayyyy! I'm so excited! I hope to be posting more in the future. Feel free to message me on my profile about ideas or characters you'd love to see. I love to write and am trying my best to branch out.

Prompt:

"Your Pretty I'll give you that." "How Gracious."

This was based on a writing prompt I found, by @creativepromptsforwriting

Summary: Bradley got fed up with Jakes cockiness and made a bet, that he couldn't get your phone number. Your just Natashas friend, but in order to help out a friend's friend with the bet, you play hard to get.

Maybe it was your track record recently of crashing and burning with dates, or just because she had asked, but Natasha had managed to get you to come with her to the bar. It wasn’t your scene but she made it sound like something interesting was going to go down with her friend group so you decided to go anyway.  

Standing by the doorway you scanned around until your eyes landed on Natasha standing by the piano. Walking over you placed a hand on her shoulder, “Hey, sorry I’m late, traffic.”

“No worries, glad you decided to come.” She tossed a glance at the man who sat at the piano who gave her an immediate nod before nodding his head away from the group. His fingers started to tickle the keys and Nat took the opportunity to drag you to the other side of the bar, hiding near the hallway to the bathroom. “We need you for something, a mission, kinda. So Rooster, my friend at the piano over there, made a bet with one of the guys in our squadron.”

You already didn’t like the sound of this. “Natasha, why do I have the gut feeling that you are going to set me up for failure?”

“No no no, it’s not you that we are setting up for failure, it’s him. Basically, Bagman was telling Coyote about the girl he bagged a couple nights ago, his ego is getting the best of him and he is under the impression he can get any girls number.” She paused and peaked around the corner scanning the crowd for a long moment to assure herself that jake wasn’t there yet. “That’s where you come in, Rooster made a bet with him that he couldn’t pick up any girl, and Hangman became so confident that he even said rooster could pick the girl. Do you get where I’m going with this?”

It dawned on you, you were bait for this cocky fly boy to fail on. “That’s why you were so intent on me joining you guys tonight? Nat I’m not sure…”

“Come on, rooster said he’d give you the $50 bucks that Hangman bet on it. He just wants to see him be put in his place. Plus you said it yourself, you need flirting practice.”

She wasn’t wrong about that. You had no experience flirting what so ever, your past experience included literally handing a guy a note and then leaving the building entirely. This would give you a controlled environment to experiment, crash and burn safely without being rejected, because this guy really was trying to get your number. “Fine. I’ll do it, only if you promise to tell him after the money is exchanged. I don’t want to look like a total asshole. I like this bar and if I keep coming back I don’t want everyone to think I’m rude.”  

Natasha nodded eagerly before rummaging through her pocket, pulling out a tube of lipstick she pulled the lid off “Perfect, now sit still.” The ruby red lipstick sat on your lips as she stepped back. “Perfect. Alright come with me.” 

Grabbing your arm Natasha dragged you back towards the bar, positioning you on the far end waving over the bartender who spoke up as she neared, “Who’s this Nat? What can I get you two?”

“Hey Penny, just one of my friends from town, we will take two beers please, just add them to my tab.”

Two cold bottles clacking on the wooden surface you bring one of them to your lips. “Thanks Nat… Let’s get this party started.”  

Nat made eye contact with Bradley across the bar and gave him a nod which seemed to put the plan in motion. Walking over to Jake who was half bent over the pool table, “Bagman”

“Yo” He stood up handing his stick to Javy as he walked towards Bradley.

“You prepared for the bet?”

“You know it, who’s the mark?”

Bradleys eyes scanned the bar until his eyes landed on you and Natasha, “Her, the one next to Natasha”.

Jake seemingly nodded and without another word started to cross the floor, his demeanor changed, no more cocky aviator on the prowl, he put on a sweet smile and cleared his throat. Jake had a tendency to rely on his Texan roots when it came to women. After all… who didn’t love a good old American cowboy.

Nat glanced at Bradley and patted your shoulder “Kaki uniform, he’s coming this way. I’ll be over with Bradley, don’t give in, and break a leg.”  

You directed your eyes down to the condensation now starting to gather on the outside of the beer bottle, wiping it idly with your thumb. The tall figure slid up next to you and leaned against the bar signaling another beer from penny.

“Well howdy t-“

“No.”

Adamantly you jumped on the opportunity to turn him down rather fast, didn’t even let him get the first sentence out. He was handsome, it wasn’t exactly a secret either. Strong jawline, confident smile, broad shoulders, and his damn uniform hugged his biceps making them look like tree trunks even if he was just flexing.

Jake took a half second to regroup tilting his head to the side looking to you with a smirk. “What’s the matter, sugar? All your exes come from Texas?”

You couldn’t help but laugh. “How long has that one been waiting to come out.”

Jake grinned seeing a final opening that he could grab a hold of. “It’s been at the top of my list, much like you are tonight.. I promise, I’m real old fashioned, love to take my time with things.”

He was quick on his feet, something you could appreciate. After a moment you rolled your eyes, “You should probably find a better list then. For the record, in my experience, Texas is just full of Cows and Shit.”  

A game. Hangman loved a good game, his goal now was just to figure out what game you were playing.

“Come on now Darlin’. Your gonna hurt my feelings.”

His lips curled into a smirk on either side, his eyes dancing around your face. Perhaps it was the game of chase, or maybe just your responses, but he was finding himself wanting more than just your number.

“Aww poor cowboy, how are you ever gonna recover from this.” You reached up and tussled his hair which he swatted your hand away from

“Hey hey the hair is off limits… unless you wanna come back to my place and I can make sure you pull it all night screaming.” He gave you a playful wink, half trying to read your reaction to see if there was any interest. 

“Mmmm well go put your cowboy hat on someone else, your buckle ain’t that shiny.”

He was drooling practically, leaning more against the bar now than his own feet. He didn’t trust them to hold him up. Penny walked over placing down the beer infront of Jake. She took a look at Jake then turned to you.

“Is this guy bothering you sweetheart?” She asked looking at you before reaching for the bell rope, it was a tease but Jake took the hint putting his hands up in defeat. He much rather give Rooster 50 bucks than buy rounds for everyone in the bar.

“I’m goin’ Penny, im goin’.”

Taking one more half playful half longing glance at you he smiled and that’s when you spoke up,

“You are pretty, I’ll give you that.”

Honestly, you were hoping to draw his interest enough to talk to you another time. Instead of another bite at the bare he gave you a tip of his imaginary hat.

“How gracious.” 

Bradley handed the $50 to you about 20 minuets later.

“The look on his face was priceless, I swear he looked like a lost puppy.” He was laughing with a couple of the others, Jake had since been over in the corner with Coyote, playing darts and licking his wounds.

You pressed your lips together in a thin line, “I think I’m gonna close out my tab and head home Nat, it was fun, thanks for inviting me.”

“No problem, thanks for the assistance.” 

As you made your way towards the door you made eye contact with a pair of dull green eyes, not as vibrant as when they had met with yours just 30 minuets earlier. Giving him a small smile you nodded towards the door, a last ditch effort to see if you could right the wrongs Rooster had made.

Walking out into the parking lot, you found a seat on the front steps. After about 5 minuets you wondered if he even wanted to talk to you again, pushing yourself up, you pulled out your keys.

“I was wondern’ if you meant me or some other guy in there.” Jake made his way down the stairs of the bar for a moment lingering on the last step. “Do you make it a habit of contuinally turning people down then trying to lure them outside?” he asked watching your facial expressions, attempting to read you like a book.

Producing the $50 from your pocket you held it out to him.

“This is yours.”

“What?”

“Rooster told me about the bet. Said if he won I could have the $50 bucks.”  

Jakes face fell, caught in the act, played by his own game.

“Oh… um, you can keep it. I don’t deserve it anyway, I still lost.”

Well here goes nothing, you took a quick breath, “No take it, you can buy me dinner with it on Friday.”

Your breathing stilled for a long moment, hopefully he got your drift. Maybe you messed it up too much to recover from. Glancing out towards the parking lot you tried to gage how far your car was, wondering if you could make it there before he noticed.

“I- dinner, Friday, this Friday.” He repeated slowly taking the $50. “That sounds like a good deal, how about the itialian restaurant down on 8th ave. They’ve got real good food and I heard their dessert is incredible… though I can think of another thing I’d arguably like more for dessert.” His wicked grin had reappeared on his face.

“Slow down cowboy, it’s just dinner.” You sighed moving forward you placed a kiss to his cheek before turning to walk to your car.  

“Wait!” Jake followed behind you grabbing your hand to turn you back towards him. “I don’t have your number. How am I supposed to contact you?”

A grin appeared on your lips. “I told the others I wouldn’t give you my number… I guess you’ll just gonna have to get creative, you said you were old fashioned right? Start there.” You winked turning on the ball of your foot to walk towards your car.

This time jake didn’t stop you, just stood there dumbfounded holding the 50 dollar bill in his hand. No way he would be spending that bill on dinner, that was gonna be saved… shit he had to go find a phone book or something.

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

a/n: Thank you so much to everyone who read it all the way through! Feel free to comment and like and repost! I love writing but as much as I know I do it for myself, I am (to quote a friend) "a parking ticket and need validation."

Additionally thank @sarahsmi13s and @callsignthirsty for helping me with cowboy Jake!!

[starwarsmum]

Day 21 (4 days til Christmas and the first night of Hanukkah!) is Drunk Text a follow up from Cat Crimes

@maribat-calendar-events

Damian was being forced to spend time with his brothers. Bruce was still off-world and they had convinced Diana and Clark not to spill the beans about Damian's girlfriend. The only reason Dick, Jason and Tim weren't ratting him out was because he had promised to do one thing for each of them.

Jason had wanted Damian to patrol with him for a whole night, no breaks, no arguments, and he had used the time to drive Damian insane with insults and allusions to things he was pretty sure had never happened but couldn't swear hadn't.

Tim was making him buy coffee every day for the next month. It was more an inconvenience than anything else, having to leave the manor every day even if he didn't have plans. They were three weeks into the full month and Damian couldn't wait for it to end.

Which just left Dick's request. He had insisted they have a group night, as many of the Batfamily as they could get a hold of playing games and watching movies for the night. Jason had worked it out with Steph and Cass, Tim had dragged Duke into it and Dick forced Babs to join in.

Damian had tried to get Marinette to join the ‘fun’ if only so he wouldn't be facing them all alone. Unfortunately, she had plans with some of her friends that night and she wasn't planning to break them for ‘a horrifying trial by fire’. 

She had, in an attempt to soften the blow, given her number to the boys to add to a group chat. The only person not included in the chat was Bruce so, without a responsible adult to moderate, it had mostly turned into a ‘let’s tease Damian and Marinette' chat.

“Is there any reason we are starting the torture- I mean evening at four pm?” Damian asked, glaring at his eldest brother. 

“Like you have other big plans?” Jason sneered, eyebrow raised. Damian scowled at him but settled into a seat without further complaint. “That's what I thought. Besides, it's your own fault you're stuck here instead of doing something else.”

“Awww, does the little rebel want to be off with his totally real girlfriend?” Steph asked, pinching Damian's cheek and darting away before he could hit her. “But seriously, I'm not sure I believe that demon over there managed to snag a girlfriend. Props for committing to the bit and getting a French burner phone so you could pretend to be her though, that was impressive.”

“Naw, she's real,” Jason said casually. “Fucking hot, too, I can not believe the kid's game is that good.”

“Refrain from talking about Marinette in such a manner, Todd,” Damian hissed, gripping the hilt of a dagger he always had on him. It was a gift from Marinette one Christmas and he never went anywhere without it. “It does not concern me if you believe she exists, Brown, I would rather everyone continued to be ignorant of her.”

“She seems really nice, from what I can tell in the group chat,” Barbara commented. Damian merely grunted, refusing to be pulled into a conversation about her. 

“Yeah, which is the big giveaway that she's not a real person! She literally talks about fashion, baking and her friends. What does she even have in common with Damian? And how could they have met since she's from France?”

“Oh my god, how have we never asked for the story of how you met?” Dick said, scrambling to sit up and stare pleadingly at Damian. “Baby bird, please, pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease, tell us how you met?”

“The internet, how else would we have met, you cretin,” Damian huffed, though he could feel his neck starting to burn. “I thought we were to be playing games and watching some odious film, may we begin so that it can be over with?”

And no matter how hard they tried he refused to elaborate. He knew they would end up messaging Marinette on the group chat but he hoped that she would remember that he had kept them separate for quite so long for a reason.

It was an hour or so later when everyone's phones lit up with an incoming message. Bracing himself for the potential embarrassment of his family knowing how utterly mesmerised he was by her when they first spoke on video chat, he opened her message.

Instead, it was only a picture of her night. It was a shot of her taking a selfie with two others, one with dark hair and blue tips, and one with hair similar to Marinette's but in a severe bob cut. There was a reddish tinge to all of their cheeks and they were holding up wine glasses. The accompanying message was simple and told them that the Parisians were having fun on the Couffaine houseboat with a couple of drinking games.

“Oh my god, she's so pretty!” Steph cooed, glancing at Damian with suspicion. “She is the one at the front, I presume?”

“Tt, yes,” Damian clipped back, though he was fighting back a smile at how relaxed she looked. They received a follow up text a moment later.

Marinette:

I miss you, mon coeur ❤️ Gami and Luka are fun but I'm definitely coming to visit again soon xox

He could feel everyone's amused looks as they all realized that she thought she was messaging Damian directly. Before any of them could respond, they could see that she was typing again. And just as quickly Jason was tackling him and knocking his phone out of the way so he couldn't stop her.

“Unhand me, Todd!”

“Not a chance, your girlfriend is sending us messages and you will not be ruining the entertainment,” Jason laughed. Damian hissed at him but the man was so much bigger than him that all he had to do was sit on Damian and the fight was effectively a lost cause. Without using lethal force, that was.

Marinette:

When I come next time, can we bake together again? 

My parents bakery is nice but Alfie's kitchen is on a whole other level

And you look absolutely adorable with frosting on you

“You used Alfred's kitchen?” Tim said in a stunned voice. “How are you both still alive?”

“Don't be dramatic, Drake,” Damian said with an eye roll. The effect of his ire was lessened by the blush that was most definitely stealing over his cheeks. “Pennyworth was informed prior to the event and we cleaned up after ourselves. And Marinette is an exemplary baker, she has been baking since she could walk.” 

“Wait, are you telling me Alfred knows about Marinette?” Dick looked offended and Damian wished there was any way he could undo her messages. Or that he had thought to lie and pretend they had snuck around to use the kitchen. Not because he didn't want to offend Dick, but so he could avoid this painful conversation.

“When has Pennyworth ever been unaware of information?” Was all he said though. “Can we please get back to our night of ‘fun’?”

“Fine, we'll get on with the games, but we are so questioning Alfred on this later,” Jason warned as he handed Damian's phone back to him. Knowing there was nothing he could do to stop them, Damian merely grunted assent.

He sent a follow up text in a separate chat so that if Marinette was just replying to her most recently opened chat she wouldn't respond in the group one anymore. But he allowed himself a small grin as he saved the picture of her with her friends, as he always did.

[alessiathepirate]

Assassin's Creed: Mirage

MORNING SWIM: Basim Ibn Ishaq x fem!reader

Summary: Spending some time together in the morning as they swim in the lake is something they really like to do...

Notes: English isn't my first language. I apologize for any mistake I may have made while I wrote this short story.

Warnings: none

•••

The lake in Alamut was warm enough for a morning swim and they happily took advantage of it - every single day.

The first jump into the water wasn't the most enjoyable thing in the world, but after the first few moments it felt just right. Especially when Basim was there to keep her company. Right after she swam to the surface he was in front of her to splash her with water, not even giving her enough time to get ready for a fight.

Not like it mattered. She always won - he let her win everytime.

"Got you!" she laughed as she grabbed Basim from behind, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and her legs around his waist - they almost sank, but Basim reacted just in time to kick his feet so they managed to stay on the surface.

"You always catch me, jamila." he chuckled at her happiness.

"Because you always let me." she kissed his neck and then his shoulder. "You can put up a fight, you know."

"I like to watch you win. You are really happy when you do."

She really was.

Her lips curled upwards into a wide smile and even through the drops of water running down her face he could still see the faint blush on her cheeks. She was beautiful like that - breathtaking as always, not caring about anything at all and not wanting to impress anybody. Basim loved that about her.

She giggled and hid her face in the crook of his neck.

"I think you read too much poetry, love." she mumured and pressed one last kiss to his cheek, then let go of him and swam towards the shore. "But that's what I love about you the most."

"Really?" Basim asked with a smile and swam towards her, catching her ankle mid-kick - he pulled her towards himself and chuckled when she let out a quiet scream. "What else?"

She wrapped her legs around his waist again and her arms, this time, around his neck. She smiled as she looked him in the eyes, taking in his beauty, his wet hair and his happy eyes.

"Everything." she whispered and one of her hands found his hair and she started to play with a lock of it. "Your eyes, your smile, your jokes. How easy it is for you to get in trouble." they both laughed. "How happy you are here, because you are free."

Basim leaned in and kissed her on the lips and she let out a surprised whimper. But soon enough she relaxed and let him kiss her, her mouth moving with his.

Basim was a great kisser - an amazing one. No matter what he did, how angry she was at him, a kiss was all he had to do to make her forget about it. Or make her forget her own name.

"I love you, jiya." he whispered after they pulled apart.

"I love you too." she smiled, but then it turned into something else - something more serious. "Thank you for bringing me here - with you."

She still remembered what he said to Roshan, no matter how scared he was. 'I won't go without her' so she had no chance, but to let him bring her along. She had a feeling that Roshan didn't regret it at all - she liked to train her and she liked to talk to her. She also told her to look after Basim when they walked further away from Alamut.

'I won't go without her' - her heartbeat still sped up at the memory.

"You have nothing to say thank you for. I wouldn't have come without you."

"I know. I know." she put her forehead against his as comfort. "I'm happy we're here. Together."

They were happy. They really were.

They trained together and laughed at the other when something wasn't done right. They kept eachother tamed.

And most importantly they were free.

"But as much as I like to swim here with you, we should get going or we'll be late."

"Let's lie down first, no? So we'll dry off before going."

She chuckled at his words.

"All right, ten more minutes."

Basim smiled and she touched his cheek with her hands. The stubble he started to grow stang her fingertips. She should help him shave someday - or maybe not, she found his stubble attractive.

"Ten more minutes..."

And suddenly she was pushed under the water - and all she heard was Basim's laugh.

[willalove75]

New Girl on the Pitch Pt. 5

Pairing: Rebecca Welton x f!reader

Summary: Your friend Keeley brings you in as the team's social media manager, Rebecca is impressed, in more ways than one.

Words:

Warnings: 18+ minors DNI

Tags: flirty, fluff, slow burn, smut

Notes: Part 5!

The next few weeks fly by, you and Rebecca do a pretty decent job at hiding your newly blooming relationship, minus the increasing suspicion from Keeley. Jamie was transferred back to Man City, you were surprised when you were disappointed when you heard the news. You had asked Rebecca about what happened but she just said it was contract stuff and didn't go into it and you didn't pry any further.

It puzzles you, but also in a way fascinated you how different Rebecca is at the office than when she's alone with you, she's almost like two different people. At work she seems more cold, she has more walls up, she's more closed off; when she's alone with you, the coldness melts away and her walls fall down and she lets you in. It's obvious that she only lets a very select few people see that side of her and you're grateful to be one of them, because that Rebecca is amazing.

The office is buzzing with its usual Monday morning energy as you make your way to your desk. You sit down and start making preparations for the day, making your to-do list, checking your emails and seeing what came in over the weekend, reading clients feedback, the usual.

A message pops up as you're working and you see it's from Rebecca.

Meet me in my office, I need to speak with you.

The formality of the message sends your stomach into a twist, although you know she's doing that because you're at work and she's trying to keep it professional. In a second you're up and out of your seat, you grab your notebook to save face in case anyone stops and talks to you and you make your way to Rebecca's office.

In Rebecca's office Keeley walks in, Rebecca is happy to see her and quickly realizes that she's pissed. Keeley shows Rebecca her phone with the pictures of her and Ted from the paparazzi's camera and tells Rebecca she knows that she's the one who set it up. Taken by surprise, Rebecca doesn't know how to respond and Keeley gives her an ultimatum: tell Ted, or she will.

Right before you reach the stairs to her office you see Keeley walking down them.

"Hey Keels!" You say.

"Hey." She says, as she walks past you, her tone is short and unhappy.

"Well that was weird." You think to yourself.

In her office Rebecca is seated at her desk, staring off into the distance, a concerned look painted across her face.

"Hey," You say as you walk in.

She snaps out of her trance and looks up, her face lights up a little when she sees you.

"Hey, come on in, close the door."

Rebecca stands up and walks towards you as you close the door, she meets you halfway across her office and wraps her arms around you and pulls you close to her.

"Are you okay?" You ask, looking up at her. "You look worried."

"No I'm okay," She looks down into your eyes.

You put your hand on her cheek and pull her lips into yours. Rebecca's body relaxes against yours as you kiss her, her tongue slipping into your mouth. A small moan erupts from the back of your throat and you feel Rebecca smile as she kisses you. Your lips part and you stare into her gorgeous green eyes.

"What's wrong? Something is bothering you, I can tell."

"It's nothing," she shakes her head "nothing important."

"Are you and Keeley in a fight? I saw her storming away when I was heading here, she barely said hi to me."

"Um, yeah, kind of, but it's okay."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

She shakes her head, you think you see guilt in her eyes. "No, thank you though love. It's something- something I just have to take care of myself."

"Okay, well if you need my help, I'm here for you baby."

"I adore you, so much." She says, looking deeply into your eyes and pulling you in for another kiss.

The kiss is interrupted by a knock at the door and you both quickly part, you quickly open up your notebook in your hand to a random page and pretend to show Rebecca something.

She exhales in relief. "Come in." She says, looking down at your notebook.

Ted walks into her office with his usual big smile.

"Mornin' boss! Y/n!"

"Good morning Ted." Rebecca says.

"Morning!" You say.

"Whatcha two workin' on this early in the morning?"

"Oh nothing, just a few campaign ideas for the final match of the season." You quickly reply, closing your notebook. Rebecca body tenses and you look up at her, her eyes glued to Ted. Something is going on with her and you have no idea what it is.

Ted gives Rebecca her morning biscuits, you three chat for a bit and he heads down towards his office. Rebecca relaxes as he leaves and goes to sit at her desk, you follow and sit in the chair across from her.

"You're being really weird. What's going on?"

"It's a long story, I'm fine, I promise."

Her eyes meet yours and you know she's hiding something, you want to help her, but you don't want to push too much so you let it go for now.

Rebecca is flooded with guilt as she looks into your eyes. How can she tell you everything she's done without you thinking she's a monster? She's anxious to talk to Ted about setting up the paparazzi and everything else, but the more she thinks about it, the more she realized how terrified she is to tell you. Her heart swells when she looks at you and she can't bare to make you look at her differently, or worse, hurt you.

There's such a big part of you that wants to pry whatever is bothering Rebecca out of her, but you don't want to push the issue too much. Rebecca goes into a meeting and you get back to work.

Back in your office you continue working as usual, the day goes by rather quickly and before you know it, it's time to head home. You head up to Rebecca's office and you find her at her desk resting her chin on her hand, staring off into the distance again.

"Hey." You say softly.

"Oh, hey, sorry I didn't realize you were there."

You walk into her office and sit across from her, you take her hand into yours.

"I don't know what's bothering you, or if something happened, but I want you to know, whatever it is, I'm here for you, okay?" You say, looking into her eyes. "You don't have to tell me what's going on if you don't want to, but I hope you know you can always talk to me, about anything. Whatever is bothering you, you don't have to deal with it alone."

Rebecca's eyes begin to gloss over, she stares into your eyes for a moment, wondering how she got so lucky to have found someone who cares so deeply about her. She goes to speak and suddenly looks over to the door and pulls her hand back. You turn around and see Higgins climbing the final step towards her office.

"Rebecca, y/n," He says.

"Leslie."

"Hey Higgins!" You say with a smile.

"I am about to head home for the day, is there anything else you need?"

"Actually yes," Rebecca says and you see his face drop. "I need you to review these statistics." She hands him a large stack of paper.

Unhappy, but trying his best to hide it, he nods and walks out with the papers.

"That can't wait until tomorrow?" You quietly ask.

"Nope." She says matter-of-factly, even though you're pretty sure she's lying.

"Why do you have it out for him so badly? What the hell did he do?"

Rebecca's eyes shift to you, an intensity in her stare grows as she looks at you.

"Alright, you don't have to tell me, I was just asking."

"Come to dinner with me tonight."

"Like on a date?"

"Exactly like a date."

"I would love to." You say with a smile.

Rebecca has her driver bring you straight to the restaurant from the office. The waiter seats you both and hands you menus. You both order and talk and laugh all night. Whatever was bothering her in the office seems to have faded because she's finally relaxed, smiling and laughing.

After dinner her driver picks you both up and she pulls you into her and gently kisses you in the back of the car.

"Stay with me tonight."

"I would love to, but I don't have anything with me."

"We'll stop at your flat, I'll help you pack a bag and then we'll go back to my house."

You gently brush your lips against hers. "Perfect." The world disappears when you kiss her again, everything about her makes you feel so relaxed, you can sit here with her forever.

The driver reaches your flat, you and Rebecca go inside and you throw a few things into a bag and before you know it, you're at her house.

Excited for the potential of a romantic evening, you go into the bathroom to freshen up and to pee. You realize you got your period and you groan, guess the romantic evening is going to be postponed for a bit. You get yourself situated and pull on the sweatshirt and sweatpants you brought with you and curl up next to her in bed.

"I got my fucking period." You say, disappointed.

"Oh no! Are you okay? Do you need anything?" She asks, concerned.

"No I'm fine, just disappointed."

Rebecca wraps her arms around you and kisses you on the head.

"That's okay, there's always next time." She lifts your chin and looks into your eyes for a moment before kissing you.

The rest of the night is filled with ice cream, cuddles, kisses and lots of laughter.

The two of you get ready to go to sleep and you crawl under the duvet on her king sized bed. You snuggle into her and she gently kisses you, stroking your hair with her fingers. The weight of your eyelids grows heavy and you look into her eyes once more.

"You're amazing Rebecca, I'm so lucky to have you." You nuzzle into her neck and she holds you tight.

"I'm the lucky one, love. Goodnight baby."

"Goodnight love."

The both of you drift off into a peaceful sleep in each others arms.

Your alarm wakes you up in the morning and you find yourself still tucked into Rebecca, her arms still wrapped around you, exactly how you both fell asleep. She shifts above you and you feel a kiss on the top of your head, you respond with a soft kiss on her neck. She hums as your lips make contact with her skin and she guides your face up towards hers. The sleep hasn't totally left her eyes as she lazily looks at you, she kisses you and your hand rests on her cheek.

"Good morning." She says.

"Good morning."

She holds you tightly before you both reluctantly get out of bed. Once you get dressed you meet Rebecca in the kitchen, the house smells delicious. You find her in front of the stove making breakfast.

"What is this?" You ask playfully.

"What? It would be rude of me to invite you to stay the night and not make you breakfast the next morning. Plus, I can't have my beautiful girlfriend go to work hungry now can I?"

"Your girlfriend?" You say happily surprised. Rebecca smiles at you and you walk over to her and kiss her. "I love the way that sounds."

Much to your surprise, Rebecca is a wonderful cook and you both enjoy the breakfast she cooked. Once you're both ready her driver brings you to Richmond.

"Wait, let me out the block before." You say as the car gets closer to the office.

"Why on earth would I do that?"

"Don't you think people are going to find it odd that we left together, and then showed up the next morning also together?"

You see the realization cross her face.

"Oh shit."

You compromise and you get out of the car before they pull into the carpark. You see Rebecca a little bit ahead of you down the hallway making her way to her office. Before she heads up the stairs you make eye contact with her and she shoots you a little wink and goes up the stairs.

For once you don't have any meetings so you're at your desk all day, finally able to dedicate more than just a couple of hours to your current project. You think back to yesterday and how worried Rebecca was, but by this morning her worries seem to have faded. It was peculiar, but you don't want to pry too much, it's too early in the relationship for you to be as nosey as you would like to be.

You text Rebecca to see if she wants to get lunch. A few minutes back you get a reply

Sorry love, can't today.

Unable to deny your disappointment you frown at her text, but you get over it quickly and get on with your day. Lunch comes and goes and you're back at your desk chugging along. The quiet of your office is a little unsettling so you pop in your headphones and bop your head to the music as you work.

The music drowns out the silence, and the rowdiness of the boys when they walk down the hallway. You see something shift out of the corner of your eye and you look up and see Rebecca with her knuckle on the door, as if she tried to knock to get your attention.

"Oh shit sorry," you say pulling out your headphones. "I didn't hear you knock." Tossing your headphones into your desk drawer, you look up and dried tears on Rebecca's cheeks. "Oh my god what happened? Are you okay?" You stand up and walk towards Rebecca who closes the door behind her. "Baby," you say concerned, holding her face in your hands. "What happened?"

Rebecca breaks eye contact and looks away and closes her eyes. When she opens them they meet yours and she begins to tear up.

"I have to tell you something." She says quietly.

Your stomach plummets straight down and you remove your hands from her face. What does she have to tell me? Is she already over me? Did I do something wrong? Your anxiety skyrockets as your brain is flooded with all of the possibilities of what she's about to say.

Tears fall from Rebecca's eyes and she quickly tries to wipe them away.

"You deserve so much better than me." She says, unable to look in your eyes.

The feeling of your heart beginning to break makes you feel like the air was stolen from your lungs, leaving you unable to speak. This is it. She's ending it with you.

She looks back into your glossy eyes, every second of silence is killing you.

"Y/n, I'm so sorry, I'm a horrible person."

"What are you talking about?"

More tears fall down her cheeks and yours dance on the edge of your waterlines, threatening to fall.

"I lied. You to, to Ted, to everyone. The paparazzi picture of Ted and Keeley? I set that up. Jamie getting transferred was my doing, I hired Ted because I wanted him to fail, because I wanted this club to fail."

Her confession hits you like a train, did she hire you because she wanted you to fail too? The tears dance over the edge and begin to fall down your cheeks.

"What, Rebecca, why, why would you do that?"

"Because this club was the only thing Rupert ever cared about and I wanted to destroy it, I wanted to hurt him, the same way he hurt me and I didn't care who I hurt along the way. Keeley and Roy found out I organized the photo and she told me I had to tell Ted and I knew I had to tell you too. Even though I'm so scared you're going to tell me to go fuck myself and never speak to me again. I needed to tell you the truth."

"Baby," you softly say. She looks up into your eyes and all you see is pain and fear, it breaks your heart to see her so wounded.

Rebecca begins to break down again and puts her face in her hands, you hold onto her arms and comfort her.

"I'm not going to do that, I care way too much about you to let you go. Did you hire me because you wanted me to fail?"

She pulls her hands down and looks at you.

"I did it as a favor for Keeley, but my plan was to sabotage the campaigns, but I could never bring myself to do it. There was something about you, I don't know what it was, but I just couldn't do that to you." She shakes her head and cries more, you get the feeling there's something else.

"Well, thank you for telling me love. I know this probably wasn't easy to do." Rebecca's tears don't slow, making you wonder if there was something else eating at her. "Rebecca, baby, talk to me. What's wrong?"

"He came into my office today, and he told me that he and Bex, they're, they're having a fucking baby." The pain you feel from seeing her so hurt is almost unbearable, you wrap your arms around her and pull her into you and she cries into you shoulder. "He always said he never, and now he's, and now it's too late for me." She breaks down in your arms.

Tears flow down your cheeks as you hold her, you cradle the back of her head in your hand and tighten your grip around her. She's mourning the loss of a family she always wanted but never got, you have absolutely no idea what to do or how to help. The only thing you can do is cradle her in your arms and try and make her feel as safe as possible with you.

Her breaths begin to slow and she begins to pull herself together. She picks her head up off of your shoulder and you look into her eyes, mascara smudged under her eyes, you bring your hand to her cheek and wipe some of it away with your thumb.

"I am so sorry." You say, caressing her cheek. "He's a horrible fucking person, I am so happy you're not with him anymore baby, you deserve so much better, so much more than him. You deserve someone who loves you, who cares about you more than anything else in the world." The next words you speak fall out of your mouth faster than you are able to process what you're saying. "Listen, I know this is still new, you and I, but I really, really care about you. If we keep going, if I fall for you as hard as I think I'm going to, I would give anything to start a family with you." As your mind catches up with your mouth you freeze, terrified that you just massively overstepped and just shoved your foot down your throat.

Your heart leaps into your throat as you look into her eyes, the anticipation of her response lingering in the air.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"You would?" She asks with desperation in her eyes.

"Yes, absolutely. I know this is going to sound insane, but I'm starting to fall in love with you. You have my whole heart Rebecca, more than anyone else has in my life."

Stray tears fall down her cheeks and she pulls you in and kisses you. Wrapping your arms around her neck you kiss her back, never wanting to let go. When your lips finally part Rebecca looks into your eyes.

"It's not insane, because I'm falling in love with you too y/n."

Her words take your breath away, you never expected her to fall for you so fast, you gaze into her eyes and passionately kiss her.

The final match of the season is finally here, Richmond vs. Man City. With the social media posts promoting the game queued up, you head to the game with Rebecca and the team.

Sitting with Rebecca and Keeley, Keeley admits that she's never really cared about football, but tonight, she says she cares very much, as she's eyeing Roy. Rebecca mentions that she forgot how stressful the game is when you actually give a shit and she looks over at you and smiles. Keeley gives the two of you a look and the both of you look straight ahead, avoiding her gaze. Higgins and his whole family shows up and you get to meet his wife and five sons.

The game begins and you feel Rebecca gently squeeze your hand for comfort, you can tell she's nervous, if Richmond loses, they get relegated.

Halftime rolls around and the score is 0-0. A penalty is called against Richmond, Manchester City takes the penalty and scores. The crowd groans and Ted puts in Roy Kent, a surprise to the crowd, and to both you and Rebecca. Jamie gets the ball and sprints towards Richmond's goal and Roy is able to catch up and slide tackle him. The crowd goes wild but quickly quiets when Roy doesn't get up. As you watch to see if he can get up the crowd begins to serenade him. "He's here, he's there, he's every-fucking-where, Roy Kent! Roy Kent!" A smile crosses your face as the crowd sings until he gets up and walks off the pitch and into the building. Keeley gets up and heads inside, you presume to go find him. Rebecca looks up at you and warmly smiles, you rest you head on her shoulder and she rests her head on yours.

The game continues and you hear thousands of phones going off at once, Palace won their game 6-0, all Richmond needs it a tie to stay in the premiere league. A foul is called on Manchester and Richmond gets the ball, the boys line up like an American football team does before a field goal kick and it confuses the shit out of everyone, including Manchester City. Zoreaux kicks the ball to Sam who kicks it across to Danny, Danny launches the ball into the net and scores, tying the game 1-1.

The crowd goes wild, you and Rebecca jump up and she wraps her arms around you and picks you up and spins you around. You laugh and gaze into her eyes, both of you getting lost for a moment.

You're brought back to the game when you hear the uneasiness of the crowd. Jamie has the ball and is weaving through the Richmond players, sprinting towards the goal. He looks like he's about to score but he passes the ball to his teammate who sinks it into the net with just seconds left in the game.

Disappointment fills the crowd, Richmond is officially out of the premiere league. You turn towards Rebecca, her hands over her face, peeking through her fingers; you see the tears welling up in her eyes. She looks down at you and you wrap your arms around her neck and hold her tight, she wraps her arms around you and you stand there and hold her, trying to comfort her.

As the stadium empties you and Rebecca leave hand-in-hand. She leads you to the car and you both head back to her house. Once you both get inside and change into pajamas you lay in her bed and cuddle. The disappointment is radiating off of her, you know she feels guilty, like this is her fault.

"Hey," you say as you look up at her. "It's okay, we'll get back into the premiere league, it'll be okay."

She looks into your eyes and you see the sadness.

"I feel like this is all my fault. If I wasn't so angry, if I wasn't so stupid-"

"Don't do that to yourself. What happened happened, we can't change what happened in the past. But we can learn from it and do better, and that's exactly what we're gonna do. You and I are going to relax and enjoy the off season and when August comes, we're gonna hit the ground running and kick some ass. Okay baby?"

Rebecca looks into your eyes and studies them for a moment.

"I love you y/n."

"I love you Rebecca."

She leans down and kisses you, your hand rests on her cheek and you pull her close. You're excited for the off-season, you and Rebecca will finally have time to relax and be together; you know by the time next season starts everyone is going to be putting in 110%. It's your goal to make the next few months as relaxing as possible for Rebecca, help her de-stress from the relegation and get her ready to come back and kick some ass.

[nowoyas]

koi no yokan 25: preliminary (nishinoya yuu/reader)

First - Prev - Next - M.list - Ao3

A/N: sliiiightly early because I have a busyish day tomorrow at a writer's conference! I may return to this chapter to rework some things bc I just couldn't make myself happy with it, but I hope you enjoy it all the same!

Summary: The first round of preliminaries for the Spring Tournament begin and end.

Warnings and tags: none!

Words: 3600+

The first school that your boys are going up against looks like it's comprised entirely of delinquents. You don't necessarily like to judge people based on their looks, but now that you're on the court for warm ups, you get to listen to them taunt Tanaka and confirm your initial impression beyond a doubt. Of course, it's getting to Tanaka, and more importantly, it's getting to you.

"Is it just me," Yachi says, hugging her arms to herself, "or do volleyball players just all naturally look pretty scary?"

You nod. "I bet they're all talk, though, I mean, look at them."

"I am looking at them!" she replies in a hushed whisper. "They're big! And scary! They are literally picking a fight with Tanaka-senpai right now!"

You shrug. "Yeah, I bet they feel really good picking a fight from the other side of the net. But like, you see that hair? Dude obviously cares more about how he looks than things like actually being cool or actually being good in a fight. I could probably kick his ass myself." Just for fun and because your head is starting to hurt, you make it a point to raise your voice a little bit. "Guys like that always chicken out the second they actually have to do anything real."

Yachi goes deathly pale and grabs at your arm harshly. "[name]-chan! They're gonna hear you! I think one of them did!"

You feel a little bad, but not for that—being heard was the point, thank you. It's more to do with the way she's more worried about your safety than she is assured by your absolute confidence. "Deep breaths, Yacchan."

Though you would love to keep talking trash, it probably isn't the best sportsmanship to start fights with the other team, even as a manager. That, and Yachi might actually pass out if you keep threatening to fight them. Instead, you begrudgingly keep your mouth shut for the rest of warmups.

When the time comes to head up to the stands with Yachi—only one manager allowed on the court for the match, after all—Noya pulls you to the side with an expectant look. You roll your eyes, but the Ohgi Minami guys are watching and looking for shit to talk, so what else is there to do but play it up?

"Yes, Senpai?" you ask sweetly, making it a point to tilt your head ever so sweetly.

He blinks in surprise. "…what are you doing?"

A saccharine smile. "Your opponents are pissing me off. Yachi looked like she was going to pass out when I told her I could take 'em in a fight, so I'm being forced to resort to the next best thing: being a girl who acts all cute and sweet with you guys and rubbing it in their faces."

He laughs and ruffles your hair. "That's good. You're still not allowed to get into any fights, but we'll make sure to beat 'em for you. You gotta promise me something, though."

"Mm?" You tilt your head cutely.

"Stop being so damn cute, I'm trying to propose right now. You gotta marry me if we win, okay?"

You smile and laugh right back. "I'll marry you if you hit the quota and win for me. We have a deal?"

"You didn't even have to ask." He pulls you into a quick side hug, and you flash a smile and wave on your way out to the hallway. The grin only widens when you catch sight of a few fuming guys on the other team who obviously witnessed the exchange. Too easy.

There aren't many people in the stands today. Part of it, you think, is the fact that surely, high school volleyball can't be that popular. Then again this is only the preliminary part of the Spring Tournament, and apparently, all the really big, fun matches are yet to come. Most of them won't be until the end of October.

Still, there are a few people who come to watch. Some fisherman type who, based on the exchange between him and someone else who's just joined the cheering section, is from the neighborhood and comes to support Karasuno. The other guy comes in with two kids who must be in early middle school at the absolute oldest. The kids⁴⁰ take an immediate interest in you and Yachi.

"Nee-san, why aren't the two of you also on the court?" one of them asks.

Yachi takes immediate offense. You pretend not to. "D-didn't you know that only one manager is allowed on the bench?"

The other kid peeks out at the court and spots Shimizu. "Ooh. Karasuno must be really cool to have three whole managers!"

Yachi flinches, her eyes darting to you. For a second, you think she's about to say something on your behalf. You would rather that she didn't, so you speak up. "More like, they create so much trouble that they need three whole people running around after them." You roll your eyes playfully. "But really, the redundancy is good. We make up for what the other can't do."

"[n-name]-chan…"

You grin, rest your arms on the railing and your chin on your arms. "Like, Yacchan here's better at talking to people, and creative stuff. I can do heavier lifting and throw troublemakers across the room as needed."

"A-and you're back on that again…" she sighs. She turns to talking with the kids—good for her. You don't know the first thing about all that, so you're happy to leave the job to her while waiting for the match to kick up.

And kick up it does—it seems to fly by. Asahi starts off by absolutely nailing the new serve, and you can't help the little swell of pride as the guys on Ohgi Minami's team seem completely shell-shocked by that alone. Wait until they get to actually play.

From what you've been able to gather, the boys aren't exactly unknown. You'd listened in with pride when, during set-up time, some guys from another school were gossiping about them. All, Kitagawa Daichi's Kageyama and Chidoriyama's Nishinoya, best libero when he was in middle school and they had Seijoh on the ropes at the Inter-high. (They'd immediately killed the intimidating vibes, courtesy of the usual culprits messing around, but it had been a nice moment to overhear.)

The intimidation is well-earned, it seems. That first point hadn't been a fluke—the boys are completely on-point today. Even without the new quick in action just yet, they pull through the first set—16 to 25, hardly even a contest. Not only that, but you're even more confident that these guys aren't fighters now—the way the captain just watched a ball go that he might've saved. This is more serious volleyball than the training camp, and your boys are taking it seriously, but…

You sigh. As fun as it is to watch them kick ass, they're a bit more fun when they have to push themselves.

For a moment, you think things will be different for the second set—someone on the other side yelling at the Ohgi Minami guys from the stands, and even their declaration of battle, imply that maybe they might get there. And maybe in that second set they do try harder, but so do your boys, and in the end, you get one really interesting rally to watch at the very end and, more importantly—

You're not sure if Yachi hugs you, or you hug her, but there you are, cheering as it sinks in that the boys have won the first official match. You feel a little bad about the other team, but not nearly bad enough to not smile with Yachi and then immediately tone it down before a certain someone sees you getting all excited.

You meet up with the boys in the hall, get your Noya-mandated hugs in, pass out drinks and light snacks to keep them fueled as they watch the match of whoever they're going to be playing next. It's one Kakugawa High School versus Nishida High School, and Kakugawa has a very tall guy, so obviously they're kicking ass. Apparently.

"Being that tall isn't even fair…" Tanaka breathes as he peeks in through the gym door. Behind you, Hinata's talking something about fusing with some random shark species? You don't know what he's on about.

"Is being that tall that big of a deal?" you wonder to Noya. "I mean, I know it's an advantage or whatever, but…"

"Aw, are you worried?" Noya teases. "It won't be easy, but watching him play… let's just say, I've got some ideas."

You tilt your head. "Like…?"

"Just watch, and keep giving me your luck." He flashes that usual smile.

You have no fucking clue what he's talking about, but sure.

Your headache builds over the course of the next match. The first set goes to Karasuno, much more balanced than before. Your cheering grows quieter—not because you're less excited, but because the longer you watch, the more your head hurts and the less you can keep up with anything. You're aware enough to know that you should have bothered Sensei for painkillers between matches, that you really should go outside and get some air. Aware enough to remember the moment of genuine worry at the beginning of the first set, and the cheer when the disaster duo broke out the new quick. That, and the horrific spike in pain at the crowd's reaction.

And they win. Of course they win—you of all people know how hard those boys worked. They've earned it.

Then comes packing up, a full spinning hug from Noya that leaves you dizzy in a bad way, and, when Noya and Tanaka offer to Shimizu to help carry the bags, your out to calm down and catch your breath somewhere quiet.

"I'm going to check and make sure no one's left anything behind," Shimizu says to you and Yachi.

You step up with your best smile. "Can I handle it? I need to run to the bathroom, anyway."

She arches a perfect brow. "Are you sure? I don't mind."

"Please? No one let me help carry anything. I wanna do one useful thing today." You smile sweetly, bat your lashes. And, of course, get your way.

"Alright. Meet us outside?"

You grin, nod enthusiastically. Rush off to where everyone had been camping out between matches today.

("Is she okay, do you think?" Shimizu asks when the coast is clear.

Yachi shakes her head. "She was getting really quiet towards the start of the last set. I think her head's acting up again."

Noya crosses his arms and watches you disappear.)

It takes all of two seconds to find a familiar bento box, even though you're purposely lingering now that you're out of the team's sight—Hinata's, wrapped up in some cutesy cloth you'd considered teasing him about earlier today—and confirm that nothing else is remaining. Then, you find a quiet place to sigh and try to regain your bearings.

You just gotta make it through the bus ride home, and then the walk home. You can tell Noya your dad's home, so then you can get alone and go right to bed to sleep off the headache…

Yeah, it's doable.

A deep breath. You press the heels of your palms into your eyes in hopes that the pressure will do something, anything to soothe the growing ache.

You'd never blame Hinata, but right now, you really wish you could be mad at someone for this. You're so fucking tired of the headaches, of not being able to make it through the day. When you get back to school, you—

A presence interrupts your spiral, and you drag your hand down your face to find that you're being cornered by two strangers—troublemaker types by the looks of it. The one who catches your eye and smiles, walks right up with all the confidence in the world, has an undercut and, when he speaks, you catch the flash of a silver tongue piercing in his mouth.

If your head wasn't starting to spin, he might be slightly attractive.

"Hey there," he says with a smooth tone. "You doing alright? Anything I can do to help out a pretty girl like you?"

"Leave me alone, for one thing," you reply. "I'm gonna be running late real soon, and—"

"Aw, come on, don't be like that. It doesn't have to take long, if I could just get your number we can talk after you catch up with whoever it is."

You sigh. "With my boyfriend?"

Somehow, he's not that fazed. "When you break up with him, then?"

"Excuse me?" You raise an eyebrow. God, if you were two percent less dizzy, you'd—

"Um!" comes the interruption of a very familiar shout, and then Hinata's sliding in between the two of you. "S-sorry, but [surname]-san's our manager and we really need to go, so!"

He grabs you, tugs you along. You struggle to keep up, stumble after him, but then he's literally throwing Hinata to the side, and oh hell no—

Your hand balls into a fist. You're about two seconds from actually decking this guy when Hinata full on leaps in the way (holy shit he could probably jump over you if he wanted) and completely distracts the guy, who goes on some complete other tangent that you don't have the energy to follow beyond thank fuck he stopped trying to get my number.

He leaves. You sigh.

"Thanks, Hinata. Sorry about that. You didn't get hurt when he pushed you, did you?"

He shakes his head. "I'm okay. You?"

"Just… head hurts. Probably good. Probably would have gotten arrested if my head didn't get in the way."

"A-arrested!? [surname]-san—"

You laugh, wave it off. "I get a little heated sometimes. He was pissing me off. I was a moment away from punching him, that's all."

"Well… okay…" He frowns.

"Seriously, though. Thank you for helping out. But, um, could you do me a favor and not mention what happened to any of the guys?"

"About your head?"

"No, about that guy hitting on me. You know what Noya-senpai's like. It'd be a whole thing and I just—can't handle things until the head clears up."

There's a beat where he registers the request, and then he nods. "No problem! I'll keep my mouth shut!"

"Great. Thanks. By the way—this's yours, right?" You wave the bento at him. "Cute cloth."

He flushes. "It's—uh—I borrowed it from my little sister!"

If you'd had more energy, you'd tease him properly. As it stands, you can barely muster the energy to drag yourself along beside him on the way back to the bus. There, you're greeted with twin I'm so glad you're safe!s from Noya and surprise guest Tanaka, loud enough to make you cringe and to make them sheepishly apologize.

Painkillers from Sensei, earplugs brought along, and resting your head on Noya—though you'd insisted he sit with one of the guys, since you didn't plan on being an interesting seatmate—delivers you most of the way home. Unlike the Tokyo trips, this drive is only about half an hour, so you don't even really get to fall asleep so much as space out for a little while. When you give up on trying to sleep, you take out one earplug and listen in on whatever conversation has your pillow moving disobediently beneath your head.

"You remember that I said I wouldn't help you with the summer homework⁴¹, right?" Ennoshita is saying.

Noya sighs in defeat. "Right…"

Hinata lets out a pained noise. "How long do we have to finish that, again…?"

"Like a week. You should be fine if you actually sit down and do it."

You whine. "Do you think they'll waive it for me? I haven't even looked at it."

"N-not even you, [surname]-san?"

"My head exploded. I have an excuse."

Yachi turns around from the seat in front of you. "I'm mostly done. Do you want to work on it together?"

You pick up your head, teary-eyed. "Y-Yacchan…"

"Yachi-san! [surname]-san! Do you guys wanna work on it together, too? Kageyama and I need help…" Hinata pipes up.

"We could host something," Noya offers. "You guys all wanna come over tomorrow?"

Suddenly, the conversation is off the rails—they're discussing logistics, hosting, whatever while you completely fail to keep up. One thing you manage, though—shooting off a text or two.

[name] to Rina-san at 16:53

[name]: hi rina-san! Sorry to bother you—Senpai's talking about maybe having like five people (including me) over for a couple hours tomorrow for a summer homework session and I think he forgot to run it by you lol. Is that alright? I was already planning on handling the snacks

Rina-san: that's perfectly fine with me. Thank you for asking! I'll text the girls and make sure they know

You slip Noya's phone out of his pocket just as it buzzes with a new text or two.

Okaa-san to Nishinoyas at 16:57

Okaa-san: girls, yuu's gonna have some friends over tomorrow if there's no objections

Okaa-san: no one has any plans right??

Satsuki: why is yuu not telling us directly hmm

Okaa-san: [name]-chan was the one to let me know

Satsuki: say no more. Bring on the idiot friends + [name]-chan

Yuu: aw, be nice. They're all smart, they just don't worry about academics until it gets in the way of volleyball

Satsuki: DIFFERENT TYPING STYLE SPOTTED

Satsuki: IS THAT THE BONUS SISTER I SEE?

Yuu: I stole his phone again 💝 he's discussing plans with the others but my head hurts too much to keep up so I figured I'd worry about the other logistics. Like making sure he could actually invite a bunch of people over

Mei: hi [name]-chan! How were the matches?

Yuu: volleyboys did great. We're almost back at the school

Yuu: they'll be moving on to the next stage of the qualifiers at the end of october! 🎉

Kaede: CONGRATS YUU (whenever you give him his phone back)

Mei: 🎉

Satsuki: dammit now I have to wait at least a week before calling him a loser. Worst possible news 

Yuu: which means we now have to worry about summer homework. Which I haven't started bc in my defense, the concussion,

Yuu: we're hoping to study session our way to actually getting stuff done. Which means probably me and our other first-year manager corralling four boys who can only focus when volleyball is involved

Satsuki: oo the mythical third manager is coming? Is she cute?

Yuu: she's adorable. Full-on cute aggression is involved

Satsuki: 👀 gay?

Yuu: unclear. She hasn't really shown interest in anyone of any gender.

Yuu: but if noya-senpai wanted to protect ME from you then she definitely couldn't handle you, nee-san. She's too sweet, sorry 💔

Satsuki: 💔

"Oi, is that my phone?" Noya's voice cuts in suddenly.

You glance up with a grin. "If you couldn't feel me literally reach into your pocket to grab it, I think that's on you. Rina-san says it's okay to have people over tomorrow, though."

"Oh! Great! I totally forgot to ask."

A laugh. "I figured as much. Don't worry, Senpai, I got you. The girls hold no objections, either, but I'm getting the weird sense that Satsuki-nee's gonna pop in at some point, as a heads up. She's curious about the mythical bonus girl. Yacchan, you're coming, right?"

"Yeah! It sounds fun!"

"Cool cool, I've warned Satsuki."

"Um—warned?"

You laugh. "Don't worry about it. Nee-san's just a little forward."

"Oh, um, okay—wait, forward?"

"Again, don't worry about it!"

This does not seem to placate her as the bus turns into the school. Eventually, you have to give Noya his phone back, and on the walk home, you bicker over snack logistics in preparation for tomorrow. You just hope that your headache will calm enough to get something done tomorrow.

40. I did some SCOURING about these kids and found out, essentially, that we don't know shit about them other than they're Old Coach Ukai's students. On one hand, this means I get to do whatever I want. On the other hand [anguished wailing] I HAVE TO NAME THEM??? I may end up not doing so, since I don't plan for them to be extremely plot-important and also I don't want to.

41. You would not believe how insistent the internet is on just NOT FUCKING TELLING ME shit about high school summer homework. I basically know that it exists, but all the information in English is about, like, "I have an elementary schooler and we want to travel during summer break how do summer homework" or the kinds of things elementary and maybe middle school students do for summer homework. The main thing I was able to find related to specifically high school students beyond summer homework existing was actually a paper⁴² analyzing the disparity between how important teachers thought specific summer homework tasks were and how important the students performing them thought they were, and this study was solely limited to English courses and related homework. In the end I decided to just handwave it as "they've got a bunch of worksheets and practice problem packets and maybe some stuff to read".

42. Tsunehisa Isaji, "Relationships Between Teachers' Instructions on Homework to Japanese High School Students and Their Homework Activities" Japan Society of English Language Education 20 (2009): 211-220. https://doi.org/10.20581/arele.20.0_211

Tags: @deeplightgarden @idonthaveanameideayet @dusstory @kazunish