#Ashton losing his closest friend in the world

[eadwulfs]

SO stuck on waiting TWO WEEKS for the POTENTIAL DORYM REUNION I’m vibrating

[scoundrels-in-love]

Hello, I'd like you to break some asses down. No obvious characters for you, gimme: Kafka, Ginko, Ashton and Re-l. Thank.

Hi sibby bibby! Definitely not going easy on me with these, but let's see!

Kafka of Kaiju no. 8

He's so everything one can want in a main lead of a story. He's the beaten up dreamer version of a typical hero that grew up, accepted defeat, but remained kind and supportive. He throws himself whole into a second chance, never looks down on or hates younger people who have their successes come much easier. He's goofy, sweet, relentless, powerful in kindness. 10/10 would kiss on cheek.

Mina and Hoshina, preferable in world's most ride or die battle powerthrouple.

Reno and Kikoru, the kids he randomly found on a street and said 'is anyone gonna love and take care of these?' and then ran off with them without waiting for an answer.

Not involved in fandom enough to know what's popular fanon, but I think he's a needy switch and quite inexperienced because he was pining away for Mina. He takes to learning with gusto as with anything else, though.

That he wholly accepted it is him as person that made all of his efforts worth it, saved lives, not his monster-self. And also Kafkohismina downtime or battlethrouple scenes.

Ginko of Mushishi

He is so. *clenches fist* He says I don't care while he cares, so deeply. There is air of forever haunting melancholy and longing about him. A forever wandering half-myth that yearns to belong, that bears so many stories. He's so everything.

Adashino and Tanyuu. The letter writing ot3 AU we've created has changed me as a person, for the better.

Honestly? Same two. Their relationship is based on friendship, respect, unique bonds that are never on-screen romantic, so you can see them as you wish. Also I think he and Tama Minai have interesting dynamic that would be great to expand further. And of course Nui. Oh Nui.

Hits him with demisexual beam, just like every other character I love.

More on-screen maintaining of friendships with Adashino and Tanyuu via letters and the like. Also I know the point is that he can't settle down, that he is forever wanderer, but my heart can yearn for him to have a place called home.

Ashton Greymoore of Critical Role, Bell's Hells.

I admit I've fallen off the bandwagon and I wrestle with feeling like I misunderstood some things of his character since I can't quite understand some of their latest choices, but, in my heart of hearts, Ashton will always be LOML. I imprinted on them from getgo, instantly saw the undercurrents of care and golden, cracked heart they try to conceal. I just want to take care of them, so so badly, and to let them know they deserve it, no matter what. That they don't have to earn it or buy it. That they just have to be. Embarassingly, closest I've come to making OC to ship with someone, at height of my BH time.

Frankly? No one.

FCG, absolutely. I also think them and Orym make for an interesting 'our safety last, as long as our friends aren't hurt' kind of tank duo.

I don't like him and Fe*rne as a ship. Might be because her character as a whole doesn't appeal much to me, maybe because I don't see them embracing their growth and heart of hearts with her, whatever it is, it just doesn't tickle my fancy, but I fully respect character choices made by players. As long as Taliesin is having fun! He knows Ashton the best. Also I wish they'd been liked and appreciated by fandom for more than just being part of a ship. Before those took off, you could hardly find Ashton content. Even still, the focus on them is often quite shippy.

I am forever haunted by the time their worst fears were shown to be them losing control of themselves and the alternate lives shown as them being a king, a leader. I really wish they could embrace that more, be heard and seen, instead of sometimes their ideas even being attributed to other members of the party. There was a time when I'd have killed for a fic where they become part of Keyleth's entourage/just hang out with Ashari and get a chance to be comfortable.

Re-L from Ergo Proxy.

13 year old me thought she was the PEAK cool. One of aesthetic-bi awakenings. Did I want to be her or just stare at her? Yes. During rewatches as an adult, I have come to appreciate the complexity of her character and most of all, her growth from sheltered, straining-against-it young woman to a driven person with spiky shell, but that shell will also shelter others, if you earn her trust and her care. Considering how much was hidden from her, how much lies and betrayal she uncovered, it's hard to blame her for not being open with it immediately.

Vincent and particularly, Ergo Proxy. She and Mina would be gun-toting, monsterfucking besties for sure.

Pino and Re-l are such an underrated dynamic. There is something to be said about Iggy as well, especially since it's hard to tell if his pre-demise behavior was "truth" or not.

Too arrogant, uptight and demisexual to have had proper previous relationships. Also probably had some truly loser phases of makeup that Iggy has photos of.

I wish she had more time to unpack everything about Daedalus, her grandfather, who she is. The last act of anime didn't give many of these things any breathing room. I am fascinated to explore how she changed and grew in wake of it all.

Give me a character?<3

[your-enby-antihero]

It's Okay to feel Betrayed Sometime (Even as a Punk Rock)

Look, look, look I might have hoped for FCG to be more concerned about Ashton when they were separated. I love Love Letters, it is simply adorable but I'm an Ashton Greymoore kinnie and I have abandonment issues so :p. Anyway, I also think Deanna and Ashton should get to be drinking buddies. 

Also on ao3

Ashton is a little bitter about how they reunited with FCG, and Deanna tries to comfort. They mostly yell.

——————————————————————————

Ashton was bitter, okay maybe bitter was the wrong word. Angry was more like it, maybe a little defeated, maybe a little scorned, possibly a bit sad. It isn’t like they haven’t been left behind before, fucking hell he has the hole in their head to prove it. Ashton just expected a little more excitement when he reunited with Fresh Cut Grass. When you spend multiple months being teammates and protecting someone and making sure that they don’t go fucking murderous rage bot on the populace of Jrusar you’d think they’d be more worried about you when you get separated at a fucking world-ending event. But unlike the fucking romance novel that was Imogen and Laudna running to each other with the shimmery shojo manga filter overlaying it. Ashton and FCG didn’t even speak a word to each other until FCG started talking about the Changebringer. Maybe Ashton was jealous, not of Imogen and Laudna that was a whole different bag, maybe closer to how Fearne and Orym had reunited. The way that Ashton saw Orym’s eyes light up when he saw the small animal that had scurried back to the table filled with the Hells. Orym who hadn’t really been sleeping, Orym who really hadn’t sighed a sad smile in the past few days, Orym who Ashton had been keeping on “going off the deep end” watch. Even Chetney had been more excited to see Ashton. Ashton had been glancing over to the yellow and cyan aeormaton, but their glowing eyes seemed more focused on the new rose gold and emerald frame in the room. It was fine, they weren’t jealous, Ashton didn’t feel like they had lost a close friend. It wasn’t like Ashton hadn’t noticed that FCG had continuously drifted farther and farther from Ashton and that they’d once again be left behind. Ashton wasn’t deflecting by pretending to be offended by Prism calling Orym her “new best friend” no that was truly his actual literal offence for sure (he was lying).

Just as the groups had gotten ready to part ways Ashton felt a tug on the back of their jacket. Turning around, at a frankly very frightening speed, with fist ready to deck a motherfucker (look it's been very stressful and there had been a lot of bad shit recently can anyone fault Ashton for being fucking paranoid?) Ashton saw the small armoured gnomish woman who had introduced herself as Deanna.

“Hey buddy you doing okay,” she questioned.

Ashton was not one to be comforted, he was always the comfort, a literal rock in the lives of his people. He simply couldn’t just crack and let this total stranger worm her way into his very carefully guarded heart. They had always used anger as a defense, keeping even the closest people like an arm away.

“Fuck off,” they spat, throwing Deanna a bit backward as he was trying to move back down to the bar area.

Who was the Dawnfather chucklefuck to try and interrogate him about how he was feeling? But as he walked he felt a hard grip on their arm.

“Now listen here, I know what you might think of me but I can see you feel like Fresh Cut Grass is leaving you for FRIDA.”

“Fuck off I’m not talking to a priest of the fucking Dawnfather about my fucking business.”

“Listen to me for one fucking second. Look I know how that feels, how do you think it feels for me?! FRIDA is my best friend.”

“Great, glad for you! Fuck off.”

“Hey don’t- listen finally I get someone who genuinely cares about me after being fucking dead and suddenly they’re more concerned about a fucking stranger! Do you know how it feels to just lose everything?”

“No shit,” they huffed, hitting the glassy crystal on his head.

“Then get the stick out of your ass and stop bottling it up. It looks like you and your friends have been through a lot, didn’t the spooky ladies kill a man? You can’t be strong for everyone if you aren’t taking care of yourself!”

“Have you seen Orym? Or Laudna? Imogen? Fucking hell even Chetney. Fearne? Do you know who is after her? Hell, even Letters. They all have so much shit going on, I can deal with my shit on my own. Now. Fuck. Off.”

Deanna sighed sitting down at an empty table off in the corner and deconded Ashton over.

“Least I can do is offer you some company, even if you don’t talk about it right now.”

Ashton begrudgingly sat, arms crossed on the opposite side of the table.

“You drink,” Deanna asked, producing a large bottle of a certainly fucked up type of alcohol.

Ashton let out an exhausted laugh and took the offered bottle. They pulled out the most jank ass Taste of Tal'Dorei shot glass and poured some of the murky liquid into the glass and quickly shot it back.

They sat in amicable silence for a few minutes before finally, Ashton said, “So what the fuck is up with you and Chetney?”

[nanierose]

I enjoyed Percy and Ashton's conversation, because it showed the differences between an anger that has been processed and tempered, and one that is still burning brightly.

To Ashton, all he sees is another rich prick who has the power to help him but won't because of an old grudge. All his anger about his past and the fact that he's lost a friend comes pouring out. Especially knowing that Percy is being a bit of a hypocrite here. He has the luxury of only having to focus on his own group and not the wider repercussions.

Percy meanwhile understands Ashton completely. He lost everyone he loved as a teenager, and carried that anger and pain with him everywhere. But he's had the chance to heal, and he also knows that sometimes all the power in the world doesn't make life fair. You'll still lose the people you love and the needs of others has to outweigh your own personal wants.

Of course trauma is also playing a role in Percy's decision here. There's no way he wants to bring back the woman who destroyed his family, caused havoc across Exandria and aided in the death of one of his closest friends and brother-in-law. That old anger resurfaces here because of course it would. He's right that bringing Delilah back is too much of a risk. But he recognises the pain and desperation in Bell's Hells, and because he's learnt anger can cloud his judgement he won't play a part in it but doesn't stop Pike and Vex helping.

One day Ashton may reach a similar place to Percy, and understand his decisions. But his anger is still strong and right now he can't let it go because it's one of the only things that keeps him going.

[littledrummeraussie]

morning glory.

Word count: 5200+ Warnings: masturbation, a beast (literal or figurative, you decide) ready to fuck, a switch between soft dom!Ash and dom!Ash, definitely D/s dynamics, slightest bit of somnophilia, too many nicknames, fingering, some spanking, begging, orgasm control, overstimulation, creampie and cum play, with a big load of fluff in the end. Author’s note: I’ve been in a morning sex mood this week and I’ve ruined myself (and my friend) in the process. I’m sorry.

Stay safe, stay healthy. You are loved. You matter. I love you. 🖤

masterlist.

There was a moment when Ashton was still floating somewhere between dream and reality, not entirely sure if he will fall back to sleep or slowly wake up. It was a luxury that didn’t occur too often with work and touring happening all around the year, but they just started their week off, and it meant that he could squeeze in a few more minutes of sleepy lounging in his bed – no need to rush and start the day. He let the sun peeking through the windows warm his skin as he pushed his face back against his pillow, letting out a small contented sigh as he nuzzled against the fabric that smelled like home.

He moved under his blankets, finding a position he liked to snuggle back for another quick nap, not wanting to get up just yet. Mornings usually meant quick showers and dressing up for the road, getting breakfast at coffee shops or waiting until brunch happened, and being with his mates with very little privacy for his needs. Needs that always made themselves present in the early hours of the morning, pressing against his shorts, waiting to be taken care of.

Ashton tried to ignore the ache deep in his lower belly, the beast wanting to be satisfied more and more as days passed by. Sometimes he let himself have a few minutes as he palmed himself through his boxers, trying to appease his body’s demands for pleasure and release. But now he had all the time in the world as he shifted onto his back, face still pushed against the soft pillow under his head, hand resting on his stomach before he slowly slid it lower. A hum left his lips as he closed his fingers around his cock, giving it a light squeeze through his boxers, feeling himself twitching and hardening. He liked taking his time, building up his orgasm and edging himself until he couldn’t hold it back anymore, spilling cum over his hand and stomach as pleasure coursed through his body. He only wished he wasn’t alone to enjoy his day off, setting the beast free to take what it needed to be satisfied.

His senses slowly picked up a quiet shuffling, the lightest of snores paired with the occasional hum coming from his left, a sweet scent tickling his nose as he turned his head, opening his eyes to see the sleeping form of his girlfriend next to him. It’s been too long since he’d shared his bed with someone, gotten used to sleeping on a tour bus in a single bunk – he almost forgot that he was finally home, back to sweet laughter and blanket hogging, back to kisses shared over coffee and a soft body curled into his embrace that he missed so much; back to his lover who waited up for him as he kicked the front door shut last night, ready to fall asleep on the closest surface he could find. She made sure he was tucked into bed before he could lose his footing, his lips mumbling words of love as she kissed his forehead, promising him a proper welcome in the morning before he passed out.

He remembered how she undressed him between silent giggles and light teasing, petting his hair as he leaned forward to hug her close to him, prepared to use her body as his pillow during the night. She was all warm skin and gentle touches, guiding him under the covers to catch up on his much needed sleep, her hand laced together with his as he fell asleep. Now she was sleeping next to him, her back to Ashton as she curled around her pillow, wrapped in one of his shirts, hiding the soft body he’s been craving for so long.

Ashton followed the lines of her body with his eyes, noting how the shirt twisted around her chest and rode up on her hips, how the soft grey panties hugged her ass cheeks, how her legs wrapped around the blankets, leaving most of her body uncovered. He felt his cock harden more and more just by looking at her, straining against his boxers as he imagined all the things they could do now that they were back home together. He stroked his hard length through the fabric as he recalled all those times when he needed to go to bed alone, missing and craving the beautiful woman who was now only a breath away.

The girl shifted in her sleep, turning more onto her stomach as she slumbered, and Ashton felt his lust spreading through his veins, starting from his groin, making his toes curl and his fingers twitch as he caught sight of soft lips peeking out from her panties. It was like her body unconsciously offered itself up for sex while she was sleeping, and he couldn’t help the moan that escaped him, the need to take the girl again stronger than anything else in that moment.

He moved closer, snuggling his body against her back as he brushed the hair away from her face, pressing his lips against her cheek, inhaling the sweet scent that made him dizzy. Ashton wanted to eat her up, to consume her in a way that in the end they became one. It’s been too long and he’s been suppressing his needs for weeks now, making the beast starved and impatient for the feast laid out in front of him. His hand rested on her waist, fingers lightly running under her shirt to feel her warm skin, teasing along the top of her panties as he pressed another kiss behind her ear. He wanted her now. He wanted to wait it out, to build it up. The beast was clawing inside him, wanting more touch, more taste, more pleasure – it was insatiable.

Ashton swallowed around a moan as he pressed his hips against her ass, lightly grinding against the soft flesh. The friction on his cock made him shiver – he missed the feeling of his lover’s body, how it gave him so much pleasure with only the smallest of touches. It was much better than his own hands wrapped around himself or pushing against bunched up sheets, wishing it was someone real. This was real. She was real. And he planned on making up for all those times when he missed her from his bed.

With his face buried in her neck he let his hand wander lower, sliding over her ass and between her thighs, pressing his palm against her panties. His fingers lightly teased her pussy, rubbing against the soft lips still peeking out from under the fabric. She was warm against his skin, and as he continued with the touches, he soon felt her hips slightly move against his hand. Then he felt it, a small wet patch soaking the grey panties against his fingers, and he hummed with satisfaction, applying more pressure on it, searching for the sensitive nub as he played with her. She let out a small sound as he stroked along her clit, rubbing slow circles on it while she pressed back against him. He missed this, he missed making the girl come undone with only the smallest of touches, missed how her body reacted when he loved her.

He lightly sucked on her earlobe as he pushed his fingers under the soaked fabric, stroking through her wet folds. She felt soft and silky, her skin heated from his touch; so easy to play with, so easy to pleasure. Ashton loved how her juices dripped down his fingers when he had them deep inside her, rubbing against her sweet spot as she begged for release. Sometimes he let her come after the first tentative plea; sometimes he made her work for it; and sometimes he pulled out at the last second, leaving her on the edge of her orgasm, frustrated and beautiful in her agony.

The wetness on his fingers made his cock twitch against her ass, wanting to be buried inside the pussy that’s been teasing him since he woke up. He lightly circled her entrance with his fingertip, pressing against the tight hole, probing and playing. Ashton bit his lip as the girl moved against his finger in her sleep, trying to make him push it inside her pussy. He knew she was getting needy for his touch, for his fingers to slip in and stroke along her walls, for his palm to rub against her sensitive clit, for his cock to stretch her and fill her up. She was desperate for his lover to take her again, to make her feel the pleasure only he could give her.

The beast growled inside him, ready to be set free and take what it craved for so long. It was not satisfied with soft touches and kisses – it was ravenous. The need to feel the girl tremble and shake against his body, to feel her squeeze around his cock and moan his name as she came was taking over all of his senses. The beast and he was finally becoming one. It wanted to fuck. And Ashton was happy to give the beast what it wanted.

 *

 Your senses picked up lips or maybe fingers, brushing through your hair, stroking along your ear, hot puffs of air tickling your skin as you burrowed against the warm body behind you. You were still fast asleep, but somewhere deep inside you knew it was Ashton pushing against your back and wrapping his arms around you. He was back home after long weeks spent on the road, and he seemed awake, ready for the proper welcome you have promised him. Or maybe he only snuggled closer to take another nap, still tired from traveling across the States. Either way, you weren’t complaining – it just meant that finally you had some real quality time that you could spend together. If it meant taking naps in each other’s arms, then so be it.

His fingers were dancing on your waist, drawing patterns on the skin of your stomach as he pushed closer, pressing against your ass with a certain need that he couldn’t deny, not even if he tried to. You felt yourself get lost in his touch, his fingertips stroking along your thigh, tickling and teasing. It’s been too long since you’ve felt this kind of pleasure, the type that came from being with someone else. Nothing was as satisfying as having your lover take you the way you needed it – sometimes soft and slow, other times fast and rough.

Maybe you only dreamed it, the light pressure between your thighs, a soft moan in your ear as your hips pushed back against his body. Surely you were making this all up, your mind and body craving a proper fuck after weeks of keeping your hands to yourself. You were still sleeping, and your desires were playing tricks on you, bringing up old memories of Ashton playing with you, his long fingers teasing along your wet lips, lightly stroking your clit, making you rub against his hard cock that rested on your ass. A fingertip brushed against your entrance, and more than anything you wanted to slip it inside your pussy, the need to feel something making you shiver, making you moan as it pressed a little more against you.

There was a light chuckle against your ear, low and purring, lips closing around your earlobe to give it a small nip and a lick. You felt yourself grabbing onto the sheets as another moan left your mouth when the first knuckle slipped inside you, gently probing your hole.

”Good morning, gorgeous,” Ashton’s voice was a raw whisper, his hot breath and full lips on your neck sending another shiver down your spine. ”God, I fucking missed you.”

”Ash…” still lost in your sleepy haze and the pleasure slowly building in your sex you turned your head back, brushing your lips against his. ”Hmm, missed you.”

”Yeah, I can feel that baby,” he sucked on your bottom lip, giving it a quick bite that made you gasp. ”You’ve already soaked through your panties, you naughty girl.”

He pushed another knuckle inside, lightly stroking it in an out of you as he angled your head towards his with his free hand, pushing his tongue in your mouth while he kissed you. He grabbed your chin and pushed his forehead against yours, eyes dark with lust as you panted, blinking rapidly until you felt another finger slip inside.

”Wanna see you take them,” Ashton purred, long fingers stroking along your walls as you clenched around them, eyes rolling back. ”Wanna see your beautiful face as I finger and stretch your tight little pussy. I’ve been craving her for weeks. Want to fuck her nice and deep.”

”Fuck, Ash, please,” you chocked on your next words as he rubbed against your g-spot, and you were sure you just soaked his fingers even more. ”Please baby.”

”You feel so good around my fingers, angel,” Ashton said while he thumbed your clit, his words a mix between sweet and filthy. ”So snug and warm. You’ve been teasing me with this little pussy since I woke up and I just want to be buried inside of you. You’ve looked so soft and sleepy, and yet so slutty, panties barely covering your little hole. You wanted to be fucked, didn’t you?”

”Ugh, yes. Want your cock so much,” you swallowed around another moan as a third finger teased against your entrance, ready to join the other two inside you, and you pushed down on it, ready for him stretching you more. ”Fuck me?”

”Impatient, aren’t we?” he chuckled again, fingers sliding out slowly just to push back deep inside, his lips kissing your ear to whisper his hot words against your skin. ”You made me so goddamn hard. Can’t wait to feel that wet pussy around my cock. You want that too, baby? Wanna get filled up?”

”Please Ash, just fuck me!” your pleas rolled off your tongue with a slight begging in your voice, and he captured your lips in another passionate kiss, finishing with a small peck on your nose.

”On your stomach, gorgeous,” he didn’t wait for you, but caught you around the waist and pushed you down on the bed, kneeling behind you.

You buried your face against the pillow, still half-convinced that this was only a really nice wet dream, but then you felt Ashton’s lips leaving small kisses on your waist just above your ass, fingers curling into the sides of your panties and tugging them off, the cool air of the room against your wet pussy making you shiver. Ash groaned as you slightly wigged your hips, both giving him a little show as you spread your legs and needing something to lessen the ache in your core, your hole clenching as you waited to feel him inside of you again.

Ash pressed his clothed erection against your ass, his hard length pushed between your cheeks as he pulled your hips up, letting you rub your pussy against his cock through his boxers. There was a wet patch where the precum soaked the fabric of his shorts, and you wished you could put your mouth around it, missing his taste on your tongue. A quick slap on your ass made you whine, the sting slightly soothed as Ashton rubbed his palm over the heated skin.

”Thinking dirty thoughts?” he asked with amusement, giving a smack to the other cheek. ”You’re practically fucking yourself on my cock, and I’m still in my boxers. Desperate to be fucked, huh? Needy girl.”

He finished with another spank against your tender flesh, pressing a kiss on it as he stood up, kicking off his boxers to free his hard cock, giving it a few pumps as he kneeled back behind you. He pushed it between your thighs, rubbing it against your wet lips to coat it in your juices, and you couldn’t help moving your hips in sync, wanting to finally feel him inside. Ashton groaned as he pulled your hips back, rubbing the head of his cock up and down, giving a few light taps to your clit that made you quietly beg for more. A satisfied little laugh left his lips as he pushed forward, turning into a low growl as your lips spread around the tip, your pussy stretching around his thick length.

”Fuck, Ash, yes. Please more,” you clawed against the sheets as he pushed in the first few inches, only to pull them out, leaving only the tip inside. ”More… I want it all…”

”Hmm, fuck babe,” he hummed, hands grabbing onto your hips, pushing a little more inside. ”Such a good girl for me. Nice and tight, not touching herself while I’m away. You kept those naughty hands to yourself, right baby?”

”Yes,” you whined, rubbing your face against the pillow as Ashton let you adjust around his size, slowly pushing in another inch, adding to the stretch. ”I promised you.”

Ash groaned, fingers pushing into your flesh as he stilled his hips, cock twitching inside you. The words were like the sweetest caress to the beast roaring inside him, and you were more than happy for it to come out and play, claiming you again as his own. He rubbed his palms against your ass, thumbs lightly stroking along your pussy lips stretched around his cock, slightly spreading them to push in the last few inches. He bottomed out with another groan, enjoying your walls squeezing around him as you whined between breathy sighs, every inch of his cock filling you up perfectly. Ashton slowly pulled out again, leaving you clenching around nothing for a moment, then pushed back in, lazily pumping his cock in and out, giving you shallow thrusts that made your toes curl, but only fuelled your needs for him to fuck you properly.

”Ash… Ash, fuck! More!”

”More of what, baby?” he pushed his hard cock deep inside you, resting his hips against your ass. ”You have to ask for it, sweetness.”

”Please…” you wiggled your ass to make him move, but his only answer was another slap against your ass cheek, and you clenched around him in response.

”Use your words, gorgeous. Be my good girl and tell me what you need. Please what?”

”Please fuck my pussy,” you felt your cheeks burning as you buried your face against the pillow, voice only a high whine. ”Please, Ash.”

”You always beg so prettily,” he pulled out again, slamming back quickly as he started moving in and out, balls slapping against you with every thrust. ”I have so much cum for you, baby.”

He set a pace that quickly made you see stars, the tip of his cock nudging against your sweet spot with every stroke. You were holding onto your pillow for dear life, ready to fall over the edge at any second with his deep thrusts, the way he filled you up with his thick length enough to make you tremble and shake. Ashton leaned over you, his chest pushing against your back as he kissed the shell of your ear, giving it a light nip as he fucked you from behind, fingers sliding between your legs, lightly circling your sensitive clit. He chuckled while still kissing your ear, feeling your pussy grip around his cock at his soft touches.

”Do you want to cum, baby?”

”Hmm, please, can I cum?” his hot breath tickled your skin, lips pulling into a smile.

”You can cum on three. Ready?” you nodded with a quiet yes, and Ashton started whispering against your ear. ”One… two… th…”

Before you knew it Ashton pulled out of you, quickly flipping you on your back, hands grabbing onto your knees to keep your legs spread. You felt yourself clenching around thin air, body shaking, stomach and breasts heaving as you were trying to catch your breath, dizzy from your boyfriend’s actions. You felt a sob leave your lips as you buried your face in your hands, tugging on your own hair as every inch of your body begged for the orgasm that was taken away from you.

Ashton clicked his tongue, rubbing his thumb over your hole as it quivered, giving it a slight friction, a reminder of what could have been yours. He leaned over you again, grabbing your wrists to bring them above your head. Ash laced your fingers together, kissing the corner of your eye before pushing your lips together. He tasted salty after kissing away your tears, nuzzling his nose against yours to make you look at him. You bit your lip as you saw dark pupils swimming with lust, and you knew you were lost.

”Such a pretty mess,” he whispered, brushing his lips on yours before he leaned closer to your ear, voice rough and low. ”I’m gonna ruin you.”

With that he pulled back, kneeling between your thighs as he teased his cock between your folds, nudging the tip against your clit, just like he would do with his thumb. Your pussy clenched, silently begging him to finally take pity on her whenever he pushed against your entrance, only to go back to rubbing his cock between your lips. You pulled your pillow over your face as Ashton grabbed your thighs and dragged them around his waist, finally done with his game and ready to go back to fucking you. You only had a moment to hide your whines against the soft fabric because suddenly Ash snatched the pillow from your hands, throwing it across the room with a thump.

”No more hiding, babygirl,” he brushed his fingers through your hair, thumb pressing against your bottom lip. ”Wanna see your pleasure.”

He pushed his thumb in your mouth to suck on it, and with that he thrusted his cock back into your pussy, no more teasing, but quickly working up the pace he liked when he fucked you. He trailed his thumb down your chin, grabbing the front of his shirt on you, twisting it around in his fist as he pulled you back on his cock, hitting deep inside. You threw your head back with a series of moans, one hand cupping your breast over the fabric of his shirt, pinching your nipple, the other pushing against the headboard to fuck yourself back on his cock. Ashton groaned as you worked your hips against him, his heavy balls slapping against your ass with every thrust.

”Show me your tits, angel,” he pushed his shirt up on your chest, giving a hard pinch to your nipples that made you squeeze around his length. ”Wanna see them bounce while I fuck you. Wanna see all of you when you finally cum on my cock. All that beauty in front of me.”

He was making a mess out of you, just like he’d promised – you were tugging on your hair and hiding behind your hands as he fucked his cock against your g-spot, thighs tightening around his waist as you played with your nipples, building up the pleasure he took away from you earlier. Ashton grabbed one of your hands, wrapping his lips around your fingers as he sucked on them, eyes never leaving you as he licked around your knuckles. It was a heady feeling, knowing what he was going to say, but it still sent a shiver down your spine when he pulled your fingers out of his mouth with a pop.

”Come on baby, play with that little pussy,” he circled your wrist and pushed it between your legs. ”Show me how you cum on my cock.”

With a whimper you started brushing against your clit, fingertips lightly pushing against it until you needed more, and you switched to quick circles around the hard nub, chasing your orgasm as Ash fucked you. He groaned, eyes glued to your hand between your legs, watching as you lost yourself in your own lust. He shifted his hips, knowing the slight switch in his angle will drag along your sweet spot with every push and pull of his cock. The pleasure was building in your belly, your hips bucking against Ashton’s as he gave another hard thrust.

”Please, can I– fuck, please let me cum, Ash! Fuck, I’m begging you,” you were breathless as you clawed at the sheets, tears ready to slide down your face if he denied you again. ”I wanna cum on your cock!”

”Hmm, fuck, do it pretty girl,” he growled, one of his hands reaching for yours to tangle your fingers together. ”Cum, sweetheart, cum.”

That was all it took for you to fall over the edge – your body tensed for a moment as pleasure coursed through you, limbs shaking and muscles trembling, voice hoarse from all the begging. Ashton’s thumb stroked against your skin as he fucked you through your orgasm, your pussy clenching and squeezing around his cock, pulling him deeper, not ready to let him go.

”Ashton– Ash, fuck!” you moaned as he slowed down to lazy thrusts, his name on your lips like a prayer. ”Fuck.”

”Hmm, promised I will ruin you, pretty girl,” he chuckled, pressing a kiss against your knee before pushing his hand between your bodies, thumb rubbing against your clit. ”Sensitive, baby?”

”Stooop,” you whined as you clenched around his cock, pussy soaking him as he played with you.

”But you’re so beautiful like this,” he stroked your clit lightly. ”That agony on your face as you fight your pleasure. I could easily make you cum again.”

You mumbled something as you pulled his shirt over your face, and Ashton chuckled again, grabbing the fabric and tugging it over your head to throw it next to the pillow. His eyes were still dark with his desire, lips pulling into an almost wolfish smile ��� the beast was ready to get its own pleasure now, long weeks of waiting finally building up to this moment. He was ready to claim you again.

”You wanna get filled up with cum, angel?” he started moving his hips again, voice rough as you felt his cock twitch, his abs tensing as he fucked into you. ”Want me to fill that pretty pussy with my cum?”

”Please,” you whimpered, still sensitive from your orgasm and his thumb on your clit.

”What? Couldn’t hear you,” Ash groaned, leaning over to kiss you, teeth pulling on your lips as he pushed his forehead against yours. ”Ask me. Again.”

”Please fill me up with your cum,” you pushed your fingers into his hair, tugging him closer for another kiss.

Ashton moaned into your mouth as his hips slapped against you, body slightly trembling as he grabbed your ass, pulling you back on his length. He buried his face in your neck with a groan as he finally reached his orgasm, his cock twitching and pulsing as he pushed deeper, pumping his cum deep inside you. The beast was finally satisfied as Ashton rested his weight on your body, panting against your neck, the hot puffs of air tickling your sweaty skin. You let your fingers slide down his neck, lightly teasing the short hairs and the tattoo inked into his skin, rubbing against the top of his shoulders as he pushed himself up, kissing you sweetly as he kneeled back up, slowly pulling out his cock.

”Fuck, look at you. All that cum dripping out of your pussy,” Ash growled as he looked you up and down, his fingers spreading your lips as his cum slowly slid out of you. ”So fucking full baby.”

You could see a flash in his eyes as he pressed his cock against your pussy lips, gathering his cum and pushing it back inside with the tip, sinking his length into you.

”You think you could come again?” he leaned over you, resting on his elbows, lazily thrusting in and out as you shook your head.

”Nooo,” you whined with a small laugh, burying your face against the tattooed arm resting next to you.

”You sure about that?” he chuckled, lips pressing against the top of your head, leaving small kisses here and there.

Ashton sighed against your hair as his hips slowed down, resting his cheek there as he pulled out for the last time. His massive frame lingered above you for a few seconds, not sure if he wanted to collapse on you or find a comfortable place against your side. He hummed as he finally lay down beside you, arms already reaching and wrapping around your body, pulling you tightly to his chest. His skin was warm and he smelled like sex, and you hid your face against his neck, feeling how his throat worked around the words spilling out of him.

”I love you so much. And I missed you. Do you have any idea how much I’ve missed you?” he kissed your temple, fingers cradling through your hair as he mumbled against your skin.

”I have a pretty good idea, you beast,” you pressed a kiss against his collarbone, hand caressing his chest and stomach, rubbing up and down his side. ”I’ve missed you too, love. It’s good to finally have you back home.”

Ash shifted his body so he could be face-to-face with you. You wrapped your arms around his neck, lightly pecking his lips as he nuzzled closer with a smile, his fingers drawing soft patterns on your back and waist as he embraced you. The beast was curling up like a kitten, settling down inside him, purring as it was coddled and cuddled. It was soothed with touches and kisses, loving whispers and sweet words.

A light blush coloured Ashton’s cheeks as you rested your foreheads together, staring into each other’s eyes. He was a soft, sleepy boy with messy hair and kiss-swollen lips, his eyelashes tickling your face as you got lost in your little world, lazily making out. He hummed happily, smiling into your kiss before pulling back for air.

”I love you, Ash,” you whispered, running your thumb over his eyebrow, fingers caressing his cheek. ”Welcome home.”

”Thank you, love,” he nudged his nose against yours, eyes almost golden in the sun shining through the windows. ”Can we kiss some more before I decide if I want to have another nap, a shower, or breakfast?”

”Shower, breakfast and then a nap,” you chuckled, caressing his stomach as it growled at the mention of food. ”Come on, you can get your kisses in the shower.”

”I missed mornings with you, beautiful,” he smiled at you lovingly, fingers tangled in your hair. ”Home really is where the heart is.”

”Stop being sappy,” you laughed, pressing your lips against his cheek, and he wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you back to his chest.

”Never,” he kissed into your neck, teeth working against your skin, ready to leave a mark there. ”I love calling you mine. My heart. My home. Mine.”

”Yours,” you sighed happily into his ear, ready for a week full of loving each other from the early hours of the morning to late at night. And maybe some more.

[calpalirwin]

B.U.B

Summary: Everyone got more than they bargained for when Ashton started dating Sam.

A/N: Ugh, this is such a bittersweet moment. The official end of my brain child with @creator-appreciator​ and our new trope: back up boyfriend (BUB). But what an appropriate note to end on: a wedding! If you haven’t read it, or need a refresher, be sure to catch all 5 previous parts of BUB under the miscellaneous portion of my masterlist!

Disclaimer: Not a poly!sos series!

Content: General bub tom-foolery wedding edition!

Word Count: 2k on the nose!

And away, and away we go!

__

Part 6

“Lazy day?” Ashton asked from his spot on the couch next to Calum when Sam came downstairs in leggings and a tank top.

“Nope!” she grinned at him. “Going dress shopping with the bubs and the girls.”

“Is it really a bub outing if I’m not there?” Calum asked.

“Wait, you’re not going?” Ashton asked, looking over at his friend. “What are you doing here, then?”

“Misery loves company?”

“Oh, you are not miserable!” Sam scoffed. “You’re just pouting because I told you you can’t come.”

“I don’t pout. I just find it unfair that you banished me from a bub activity.”

“It’s not a bub activity. It’s a wedding party activity. Of which, you are not technically a part of.”

“Princess, you’re forgetting a crucial piece of intel. And it’s that I am the party.”

“You’re still not coming, bub.”

Calum narrowed his eyes at her. “Have fun talking Luke out of glitter.”

“Have fun not knowing what the dress looks like,” she taunted back. Sam swiftly pressed a kiss to Calum’s cheek before kissing Ashton. “Have a good day, boys.”

“Bye, baby. Have fun,” Ashton told her while Calum sunk lower in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest.

~~~

“So, these are the colors,” Sam explained, pictures spread across the kitchen table, everybody listening intently. “The girls got their dresses and they are stunning! But all four of you still need to go get your tuxes. And when you do, take this color! This is the color!” She held up the photo in question, looking around at who she trusted most to hold on to it.

“I got it,” Calum said, snatching the picture out of her fingers. “Is there a different color you want Ash’s? Or mine for that matter?”

“No. Same color’s fine for you and Fletch too.”

“You don’t want him to match your dress?”

“Oh, her dress is beautiful!” Luke teased, seeing his opportunity and taking it. “Makes her look like a princess, Cal.”

“A queen, dumbass…” Michael sighed.

“Whatever. Point is, it’s a beautiful dress, and she looks amazing in it!”

“If you’re not this excited when we get married, I’m leaving you at the altar,” Sierra teased.

“You should leave him now,” everyone joked.

“Hey!”

“Oh! And Fletch! The flowers. Can you give this to Bryce down at the shop?”

“Yeah, I’ll give it to him next time I see him.”

“Good, good. And when is your family getting here?”

“Not til like the week of the wedding, wh- oh shit, Harry’s suit. Uh, I’ll tell him to go to a tailor to get his measurements and I’ll bring that with me when we all go get fitted.”

“Which you’re doing when?”

“When would you like us to do that, baby?”

Sam grinned, “You're so smart sometimes, Fletch. Can you guys go soon? Like next week?”

“You got it,” the boys saluted her. “Anything else?”

~~~

“Fletch!” Sam hollered from the backyard.

“What?!” Ashton asked, running to her, only to find her sitting beside the garden he’d been planting. “What are you doing?” he giggled.

“Trying to teach myself how to garden,” she stated.

“Mhm… why?”

“Because, Fletch!”

“Do you need help?”

“Yes! None of this makes sense!”

“What do you mean it doesn’t make sense?” he giggled again, coming to sit beside her.

“This!” She flashed the packet of flower seeds in her hand. “Plant in the warm season. What does that even mean? It’s California! It’s always warm season!”

“Why is this something you want to do?”

“Because it’s something you like doing, and I thought I would surprise you by doing it with you.”

“Aww! You don’t have to.”

“But I want to! It can be our thing!”

“So, if I take you to Home Depot right now, we can put some gardening stuff I’ve wanted on our wedding registry?” Ashton asked hopefully.

“Who needs fancy china anyway?”

“God, you’re the best! Okay, let’s go.”

“Wait!”

“What?”

“Call the guys. We might need help.”

A half hour later Sam was talking the ear off of a Home Depot employee. “So he wants to plant like real stuff. Like tomatoes, you know? But I think other stuff would look really good too. Like regular flowers and such. So, my question to you, is what would be the best things to plant if we were going to plant them, say, later this afternoon? What would we need?”

“Uh… I can show you what’s popular?” the clerk offered, either feeling completely out of their element or intimidated by the woman with all her questions and posse of 4 giant Aussie men.

“Lead the way!” Sam chirped.

“Oh, um, you wouldn’t happen to have those scanners for wedding registries, would you?” Ashton put in as they all started walking across the store to the garden section.

“You want to register for your wedding at Home Depot, sir?”

“Yes, please.”

“You don’t want to register at IKEA, or like a Target?”

“Nope! You guys got some great stuff here.”

“Okay…”

The wedding registry aspect of it proved to be useless as anything Ashton scanned, Calum, Luke, or Michael immediately grabbed with a “What? I want one too…”

“So, this is probably a crazy question, but c-can I be invited to your wedding? Like… nobody's going to believe me that this happened. That a couple registered here. I just… I gotta see what type of wedding would be thrown by people who register at Home frickin’ Depot,” the clerk asked as they rang everything up.

Sam hummed as she dug around in her purse, pulling out a small card and handing it over. “Yeah! Of course! I didn’t end up liking this design, but it’s got all the important information on it, so I hope this’ll do.”

“Holy crap, thank you!”

“Of course! Thanks for dealing with us.”

“You just carry invitations around in your purse?” Ashton asked Sam.

“You don’t?”

“I don’t have a purse… I have pockets.”

Sam rolled her eyes. “Just help the bubs.”

~~~

“Okay, my bachelor party and your bachelorette party,” Ashton started. “How do you want to do this? Cuz I know I have groomswomen, but I want my boys there too. And I imagine you probably want the same thing of wanting your bubs and your girls. So… separate weekends or joint party?”

“Joint party would just be a regular hang out.”

“Yeah but like… in a cabin in the mountains. Away from everything. Or separate weekends. You get everyone to do your thing with. Then I get everyone to do my thing.”

“But then we don’t get each other. And with a joint party we do.”

“I think the point of bachelor and bachelorette parties is so that way we’re not around each other, baby.”

“Then why’d you suggest a joint party, Fletch?”

“I didn’t. I was just laying out all the options.”

“Mhm… sure. A likely story.”

“Okay, I might be hoping that you pick a joint party because I think that’d be fun. A nice getaway with my closest friends and future wife. What could be better than that?”

“You do make a pretty good case.”

“So, joint party?”

“Joint party!”

The end of the month found the eight friends and Harry standing around in a cabin. “First order of business!” Sam declared. “Room assignments. Ashton and I get the master room. The rest are up for grabs. Second order of business! Once you find your room, come back with all the blankets and pillows so we can make our fort.”

“A fort?” Harry snickered. “What are you, twelve?”

“Aw, c’mon,” Ashton nudged his kid brother. “You’ve seen the pictures of our forts, haven’t you?”

“Oh, that’s like a for real thing? Thought it was a joke.”

“Fort Luke Sucks Balls is most certainly real. And for this weekend, you are an honorary member,” Sam told him with a bright smile.

“Uh… thanks? I think?”

~~~

“Mike… you were right,” Luke breathed as Sam turned around in her dress. “You do look like a queen, sweetheart.”

Sam blushed. “Thanks, partner.”

“You saw her try it on in the store last week,” Michael told Luke. “Idiot…”

“Well, yeah! But not with her hair all done up, and make up.”

“You’re right. Still an idiot, but you’re right. Wanna make a bet for when Ash starts crying?”

“Hmm…” Luke thought. “Tears up when she walks down the aisle, full on sobbing through his vows.”

“Oh, definitely with you on him tearing up when she comes down the aisle. But I’m betting he just does that thing where he clears his throat a lot rather than the blubbering during the vows.”

“Alright. So if I win, we have to change Fort Luke Sucks Balls.”

“And when you lose, a name change can never be proposed again by you.”

“Deal.”

The blondes shook hands to cement the agreement, each one certain they’d win while Sam rolled her eyes. A bet the was rendered null and void when Ashton A.) teared up when Sam came down the aisle, and B.) cleared his throat a grand total of 107 times (Michael counted) before quietly breaking down during Sam’s vows.

“I now pronounce you Hubasaurus Fletch, and Wifeysaurus Babe,” Calum announced. “Now kiss your bride before you start crying again.”

Ashton gave a half sobbed laugh, before cupping Sam’s face in his hands and ducking his head down to give her the world’s most heartfelt kiss.

~~~

“Alright,” Calum said into a microphone, getting the toasts started. “Hi, everyone, I’m Calum Hood. The wedding officiant, and only guest speaker for this evening.”

“The sensation!” Michael called out loudly, his hands cupped around his mouth.

“The bodacious!” Luke joined in.

“Ccccccaaaaaalllllllluuuuummmmmmm Hhhhhooooooooooooodddddd!” the group of friends all whooped, drumming their hands on the table.

“Okay, thank you!” Calum said with a squishy cheeked grin. “So, as you can imagine we all love Ashton and Sam so much. And when deciding this part of the night, we all wanted a chance to say something. But, we ultimately decided that a lot of our stories would overlap and that it would be too long, so I’m doing it on behalf of all of us. So, it goes without saying Ash, that you’re like a big brother to us guys. I don’t think it’s a stretch of the imagination to say that we wouldn’t be the people we are without you in our lives. And we’ll never be able to thank you enough for accepting a random Facebook message from a kid you didn’t know and helping us become what we are. And then there’s Princess Sam. Sorry, Queen Sam. I have never been happier to be proved wrong in my entire life. I’ve never been happier to have been wrong about thinking you were just some girl that wouldn’t matter in a couple of months. And I deeply apologize for everything I did in those first few months. In these last 5 years I’ve gotten to know you, it’s very easy to see the woman that stole my best friend’s heart. Because you stole all of ours too. And if I say anything else, I’m gonna end up like Ash here, so I’ll just end this by saying that I’ll forever be grateful that you two found each other, because it’s been nothing short of incredible. Here’s to the best years.”

Calum raised his glass, everyone else following suit, while Luke and Michael hopped up on stage next to Calum. Michael grabbed the microphone out of Calum’s hands while Luke got situated with a guitar. “Perfect toast for a perfect couple, Cal. And perfect segway into the newly announced Mr. and Mrs. Ashton Irwin’s first dance! Hit it, Luke!”

While Luke started strumming the opening chords to Best Years, Ashton led Sam out to the dance floor, spinning her in a slow circle before pulling her close. “I love you so much, baby,” he whispered for only her to hear.

“I love you too, Fletch. So fuckin’ much.”

__

Tag List

@frontmanash​​ @goeatsomelife​​ @flameraine​​ @creator-appreciator​​ @cxddlyash​​ @1-irwin-94​​ @sparkling-calm​​ @tea4sykes​​ @youngblood199456​​ @5-seconds-of-obsession​​ @gosh-im-short​​ @aquarius-hood1996​​ @talkfastromance4​​ @itjustkindahappenedreally​​ @philthepegacorn​​ @ashtonlftv​ @miirandaaa​​ @karajaynetoday​ @myfavfanficsever​ @stormrider505​ @cashtonisruiningmylife​ @another-lonely-heart​

[francoiserenaldt]

the emancipation of dizzy

desirée ashton is tired of being tired and the pills don’t hit like they used to. happy @it-lives-week. 

word count: around 3k warnings: some ableist language, cruelty, destructive coping mechanisms, lots of parentheses in here, negative thoughts, references to depression, strong language, there are sweet moments but a lot happens before then

“No.”

The word leaves her in a shout, crippling her as the nicks and scratches that litter her aching body give way to immeasurable pain.

But it’s not the wounds that hurt her most.

“No, no, no, no, no…”

She vaguely hears it behind her as she holds her brother in her arms for the last time.

Or so she thinks.

None of this makes any sense, she thinks.

Nothing she sees is real. None of this is real.

(Not when she puts Devon’s arm around her neck and drags him out of the cave to a stretcher, not when Noah tells them how unbelievably sorry he is for everything, and especially not when his body is found covered in blood 3 hours later.)

That night was a mistake; a terrible, terrible dream. Devon will be in his room when she inevitably has to go wake him up and Andy’s leg is fine and N–

No.

She refuses to think of him.

He fucked off and gave himself to the Power that night, effectively ending his life. She knows she should be thankful; after all, she knows herself enough to know that he wouldn’t stand a chance if he stayed in town after what he’d done. But the thought that he’d never truly get what had been coming to him, the thought that he’d gotten away with it, infuriated her.

Maybe he wouldn’t get what was coming to him, but it’s not too late to get the revenge she’d been itching for.

Jocelyn had been reduced to a sad sack of bones after she lost vision in her right eye and function in both legs and Cody–

There was no need to rehash that; he wouldn’t be a problem.

Unfortunately, Britney is still around; even more so now that Lily gave her another chance. She’s been making her idea of an effort, forcing a Joker-esque smile on her face any time Lily drags her over to the group and gritting out a compliment when she sees Ava’s new piercing or Stacy’s new shoes for the past two weeks.

It’s not enough.

“You know, it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if you just went back to ignoring or insulting us like you usually do,” Desirée smirks, shutting her locker. “It’s obvious you don’t want to be here.”

And we don’t want you here goes unsaid for Lily’s sake.

“Yeah, Britney,” Stacy chimes in. “Don’t hold back on our accounts.”

“Guys, please,” Lily pleads, glancing between the girls. “Can’t we just be civil for once?”

“Sure, I’ll go first.” Ava huffs, pursing her lips. “When’s the last time you put someone in a garbage bin?”

“I’ve never done that, you–” Britney pauses, taking a breath. “Ava.”

“Oh shit, you’re right. You had Jocelyn and Cody do it for you. How is Jocelyn, by the way?”

“You can’t even be nice for two minutes, can you?” Lily scoffs. “Unbelievable.”

Once Lily stomps out of sight, Britney rolls her eyes and whirls on the remaining girls. “The only reason I’m even letting myself be seen with you losers is for Lily’s sake, alright? So you need to get over whatever little beef you have with me.”

“Little beef?” Desirée spits, glaring venomously. “You’ve tormented Lily, Devon, and Ava for years.”

“And you blackmailed Stacy, which is a felony, by the way,” Ava adds, crossing her arms. “You’re lucky the Green’s haven’t sued your bitch ass.”

“You have no idea how extremely lucky you are that I care about Lily–”

“No, you’re lucky we care about Lily. It’s the only thing that’s keeping you from getting jumped.” Stacy snaps.

“Since you care about her so much, you should probably try showing a little restraint.”

“The fact that I’m not wearing you like a shoe right now is me showing restraint.” Desirée retorts before smiling innocently. “But if you really want me to drop the act, that can be arranged.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re excused.” Desirée quips, crossing her arms. “No, seriously. Leave.”

With yet another eye roll, she finally struts away.

“While I don’t disagree with you—like in any shape or form—saying what you said, you kinda threatened her. In public.” 

“Yeah, it would be a really bad look if you hit her, Dizzy.”

“Well, I didn’t, okay?” Desirée snaps, grabbing the last of her things. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

She stomps off without another word, just missing the concerned looks Ava and Stacy send her way as she goes.

“Desirée, wait up!”

Devon jogs up to her. Or tries to, anyway. She never stopped walking.

“Hey, do you mind chilling the fuck out?” Devon admonishes, stepping in front of her. “Lily is really upset.”

“I do, actually.” She sneers. “She’s always around, making these snide fucking remarks, and I wanted her out of my face.”

“And you think being a dick to her is the answer? ‘Cause it’s not.”

“Then what is the answer, Devon? Aren’t you tired of letting yourself get pummeled day in and day out by Britney’s goon squad for all for Lily to go running back to her in the end?” She growls. “Aren’t you tired of being everyone’s little bitch?”

His eyes harden just as hers soften. “Fuck you.”

“I didn’t mean that–”

“Yes, you did. You’re just the only one who’s enough of an asshole to say it to my face.” Devon turns to walk away. “You’re acting just like her, you know.”

“Don’t pull that shit on me, Devon. I’m not doing anything that she doesn’t deserve.”

He bites back a reply before sighing. “Getting revenge isn’t going to make you happy.”

“Our lives are permanently fucked, Devon. Nothing is going to make me happy.” She forces a smile onto her lips. “At least this way I get something out of this nightmare.”

“How long do you think that’s going to last?”

“Until she’s gone.”

Doing away with Britney is the easy part; the bitch is entirely too sloppy with her misdeeds and Stacy knows her pass code like the back of her hand. A mass text from an unknown number full of screenshots does her in and the family moves to the next town over within the month.

(She could always count on Stacy to have her back, especially when it came to Britney.)

Seeing the tears in Lily’s eyes and the disappointment in Lucas and Devon’s faces as Desirée watches Britney walk out of Westchester High for the last time makes it infinitely harder to keep the smirk on her face.

Hard, but not impossible.

(The high inevitably wears off and her friends won’t stop looking at her like she’s some kind of monster, but Britney is gone and that’s all that matters.)

(Until it isn’t.)

Two weeks pass before Lily speaks to her again.

“Do you regret it?” She whispers.

“I regret hurting you,” Desirée whispers back. It’s the closest thing to an apology she can muster.

It’s not enough.

“I wish you were sorry.” Lily loses the whisper then and there, glaring.

“I wish you understood where I was coming from.”

“Why aren’t you sorry?”

“Because I hate her, Lily.” Desirée snaps. She’s had to say this too many times. “And she treats you and Devon like complete and utter shit and I’m tired of you sitting back and letting her do it.”

“So you made her leave.”

“So I made her leave.”

Lily scoffs and turns away.

“I did it for you, Lily,” Desirée whispers. “Everything that I’ve done has been for you.”

“You have no idea how much I want to believe that.”

Devon returns and the conversation is over as quickly as it began.

No.

She feels the word creep up her spine and lodge itself into her throat before she hears it fall into a loop in her head, spiraling quickly out of control.

(She’s lost control again. What a surprise.)

She shakes the empty pill bottle until it flies from her shaking hand to her bed.

Her phone is in her hand within seconds and her fingers fly across the screen. Her vision blurs with unshed frustrated tears but she taps away relentlessly—desperately—until the solution she needs pops up and she can finally stop acting like her life is falling apart.

“Hello?”

Shit.

“Hey,” she replies, trying desperately not to sound like she’s on the verge of tears and failing miserably.

(All she seems to do is fail these days.)

“What happened, Desirée? Are you okay?”

The concern in his voice breaks her resolve and she lets a few tears fall, sniffling.

“Okay. Stupid question.” He shuffles around, then curses. Even in her chaos, she finds it in her to wince. “What can I do to help?”

“I don’t know if you can. Help me. I don’t know why I called you.” She murmurs, running a hand over her face. “I don’t know about much of anything anymore.”

“There has to be something I can do,” Andy mutters quietly, probably to himself. “Hey, what if I stayed on the phone with you? Just until you can sleep.”

The painful—and frankly embarrassing—reminder that it is two in the morning is more than enough to calm her hysterics. “Oh, um…that would be great. And extremely nice of you, which I’m not sure I deserve considering–”

“Nope. None of that.”

“Okay,” she sighs, effectively ridding herself of her wobbly voice. “I gratefully and humbly accept your help, your Majesty.”

His laugh is probably—no, definitely—the best sound in the world and for the half hour it takes for her to find peace, she gets to hear it over and over again. The magic of him dissipates the anxiety that had lodged itself into her chest and for a moment—and not a second longer—she seems to float.

Then she wakes up.

Her phone is dead, naturally, so she goes up to the corner store. Common sense tells her that Devon won’t let her walk to the store without insisting on getting Lucas to drive them.

You know he means well. Why aren’t you letting him help you?

“No.” She smiles at the cashier manning the register. “Thank you, though.”

She learns that faking a smile becomes easy once you spend enough time doing it. Enough time has passed that no one questions it and those who can see through it don’t have the heart to draw attention to you.

The silence is almost peaceful.

You’re not letting him help you because you know you don’t deserve it.

(Until it isn’t.)

Her earlier turbulent and destructive thoughts were good for one thing; they distracted from the whispers and stares that followed her every move. She doesn’t bother listening to what they’re saying at this point—it can’t be anything the mayor or her parents or Cid haven’t told her—but they come from everyone; even the teachers mutter when she lingers too long on a test question or takes a little longer to answer a question.

(“It’s not like her to take so long.”)

The comments should make her angry. They should make her want to cover up her abnormal habits or threaten to have their jobs if they don’t mind their own fucking business.

But there’s nothing. Nothing they say matters. Nothing anyone says or does matters.

She eventually stops speaking to people. Anything urgent will be said to her directly and repeatedly, like a newborn puppy that’s just learning commands.

(“Please call Mom and Dad, Dizzy. They’re worried about you.”)

(“Please talk to me, Rée. I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong.”)

(“Desirée, please pick up the phone.”)

For people who’ve known her all their lives, they’re terrible at taking hints.

Her own brother has given up on getting her to have dinner with him consistently; he just goes to Lucas’s house when he wants company.

Lucas, of all people, has become more approachable than her.

Why would Devon want to spend time with you? Why would anyone after the way you acted?

Her mind—for its many, many faults—is the only thing that hasn’t left her. It buzzes about incessantly, asking questions it has no answers to. This time, she doesn’t wait to answer them.

You told him that he was the world’s punching bag, that he was weak. At least he didn’t turn out anything like you. You have enough weaknesses to fill an encyclopedia.

Devon may be a little bitch, but he’s a little bitch with a boyfriend who hasn’t given up on him. Can you say the same?

No, the voice prattles on gleefully. Of course not. Andy’s already got pain in his legs; he doesn’t need a pain in the ass on top of that.

What’s the point?

Why bother picking up the phone? It’s not like anyone is calling her, or anyone would pick up the phone.

Why bother going downstairs for dinner? She’s just going to be eating it alone.

Why even bother leaving her room? No one wants to see her and, for once in her life, she doesn’t want to be seen.

So she’s content to stay right where she is. She can’t hurt anyone but herself here.

The universe, naturally, has other plans.

One day, Devon throws open her bedroom door. “Get dressed.”

“What the hell are you doing in my room? Get out!”

“Yeah, not happening. If you’re not done in 20 minutes, I’m dragging your ass out of bed myself.”

“As if you could pick me in the first place. Please fuck off.”

“Maybe not by myself. I’m sure Lucas and Dan would be happy to help, though.” He smirks as he turns away. As he goes, he sings, “20 minutes.”

Ughhhhhhh.

In her annoyance, she had failed to realize that all of her friends had been invited to the house.

He said that Lucas and Dan were here earlier, idiot.

“Hey, stranger,” Ava drawled when Desirée appeared at the banister. She was sprawled across a sofa by the coffee table, which she was promptly shoved off of once the words passed her lips.

“Seriously, Ava?” Stacy hisses before turning to face Desirée. “It’s good to see you again.”

It’s at this moment that she realizes that she dropped off the face of the Earth and stopped talking to her friends without an explanation.

You’re actually the worst friend ever. Why do they even bother with you?

“Hey, guys,” she says, looking at everyone. They all seem to be happy—relieved, probably—to see her, but something about the situation feels…off. “What’re you all doing here?”

“I thought we could have a game night,” Devon smiles (carefully? hesitantly?) at her as he gestures to the setup. He’s got just about every board game they’ve ever had on the table, from Candyland to Cards Against Humanity. “It’s been a long time since we’ve all done something together.”

All because you decided to be antisocial and moody.

“Right.” She swallows. “So what’s first?”

The afternoon passes easily. She’s far too wrapped up in the ecstasy of being around her best friends to think about anything other than kicking their asses in board games, let alone–

No. We’re having fun.

At least they were until Lily walked over to her after a particularly successful round of Cards Against Humanity.

(She doesn’t need to ask if they can talk in the kitchen, which just so happens to be tucked away from the living room where everyone sits.)

(Desirée doesn’t need to ask her if they’re speaking again now or if Lily plans on this being the last time they speak.)

Lily taps Desirée on the shoulder and they find the corner of the kitchen furthest from the living room.

“I forgive you,” Lily says once they’re alone.

“I’m not sorry,” Desirée warns. Lily can’t hate her any more than she already does; there’s no use being backward about how she feels.

“I don’t care.” Lily steps forward and before Desirée knows it, they’re hugging. “I’m not losing you over a girl.”

“Wait, wait…you’re not mad anymore?”

“I was being unfair,” Lily says, letting a hand come up to rub her bicep. “On a lot of fronts.”

In the spirit of not ruining her good mood by unpacking her behavior, Desirée opts for humor: “I was being a total bitch myself, so I’ll forgive you. Just this once.”

“Do I get another pass if you get first dibs on the unicorn plushie?”

“Maybe,” she smiles genuinely for once and tugs Lily back into a hug. “Now come back. I missed you.”

“Not as much as I missed you.” Lily replies, hugging her even tighter. “Now let’s go before someone tells Andy that he’s out a girlfriend.”

It’s easy to forget how good of a friend Lily is when she’s not simping over Britney.

Desirée slings an arm around Lily’s shoulders as they leave the kitchen. “You’re ridiculous, Lil.”

Devon raises an eyebrow when they walk back to the group. “Are we all good?”

“Yeah, we’re good,” Lily grins.

Yeah, we are good. Until you fuck it up again.

Eventually they leave (everyone leaves) and Devon sits next to her once they finish cleaning up the games.

“This is the first time you’ve come out of your room in–”

“Three weeks, Devon. I know.” She sighs and walks over to the staircase. “I’m going to bed.”

“No, wait,” Devon rushes, grabbing her hand. “Just be still and shut up for a second. I need to say this.”

“Fine.” She walks back over to him, albeit a bit petulantly.

“Remember how I was when Noah,” he pauses carefully and continues when he doesn’t see her flinch, “first came back to school and he said all that stuff about how Jane was gone because I didn’t blow the whistle? And how I completely shut down? You told me that you’d never thought you’d see the day where I’d stop talking to you completely and I couldn’t make sense of it. I guess this is what it must’ve felt like.”

“You’ve been angry, you’ve been really fucking jumpy, and now you’ve completely shut me out for three weeks, Desiree. I haven’t been away from you for that long since, like, the womb. So I guess what I’m saying is,” he pauses again and sighs. “You’ve never given up on me, even when I was being a self-pitying asshole who would have deserved it. So you take all the time you need because I’m never, ever giving up on you.”

“Does this mean that you’re gonna drag me out of bed every day?”

“No, it means that I’m gonna to let you stay in this slump you’re in. That being said, I’m probably going to drag you to the dinner table. Eating alone sucks.”

“Eating alone has been rough,” she agrees.

“So you understand?”

“Yeah…yeah, I understand. I’ll try to be better.”

“That’s all I can ask from you.”

He steps closer and she puts a hand up. “Oh my God, do not hug me, you dork. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Promise?”

“Promise. And Devon,” Desiree frowns. “You wouldn’t have deserved to be given up on. No one does.”

He nods once and they head up the stairs together.

She finds herself back in her therapist’s office a month later, fielding the usual questions.

“Have you spent an entire day in your room this week?”

“No. I haven’t been back there in about a month now.”

Okay, it’s really been more like three and a half weeks, but semantics. It’s not like she’s the only one who lies to her therapist.

Dr. Chamberlain smiles gently. “That’s good.”

“It was hard, but I’ve learned not to hate him.” She clears her throat. “Noah, that is.”

“Could you forgive him one day?”

“Every day I look at the people I care about and I see how they’re still affected by the things he’s done. I don’t–” She pauses. “I don’t know if I could ever forgive him.”

“Every step in the right direction is a good step, Desirée.”

It’s far from the first time that her therapist has said those words and she knows it most certainly won’t be the last.

“Desirée?”

“Oh, sorry.” Desirée sits up. “What were you saying?”

“I was saying that it’s been a crazy few months for you, but you’ve come such a long way.”

“What if it’s not enough? I did a lot of things I can’t come back from, Dr.”

“I don’t think that’s true.” Dr. Chamberlain glances at her watch and sighs. “We’re just about out of time.”

“Thank you so much. I’ll see you next week.”

“One more thing, Desirée?”

“Yes?”

“Give your friends more credit.”

Desirée nods as she closes the door.

Her phone rings.

“Desirée, thank God! Can you please tell this man that studying is a portmanteau of “student dying” for a reason?”

“I’m probably the worst person you could’ve called for this.”

Devon groans. “Ugh, I forgot how much of a nerd you were.”

She hears a throat clear itself on the other end.

“Right. Lucas wanted to know if you were down to form a study group for finals. I completely understand if you’d rather swallow nails one by one or whatever weirdly specific torture you’re into–”

“If I say yes, does that mean you’ll stop talking?”

“…for now.”

“Deal. I’ll be there in 20.”

She ends the call and sends him a text.

desirée: you don’t have to tell me that I’m the best, or that you’ll actually buy me food the next time you go out. I just know you’ll do it bc you love me so much.

devon: …i really don’t like you, you know that?

desirée: sure, and I know you’re lying your ass off <3 see you at home.

[xuxibelle]

Beauty & the Beast

Pairing: Caulm Hood x Reader

Word count: 4,060

Warnings: tiny bit of angst if you squint, fluff, mild cursing

Requested: No. This was for @bringmethehorizonandpizza’s writing challenge where I had the prompt “Today has been absolutely terrible.”/“will my hug make it alright?” & @sincerelymlg’s writing challenge where I had the Beauty & the Beast AU. I didn’t do the “typical” fairytale with this AU. I took the thing where Calum doesn’t believe in love anymore and spun that in a modern twist on the AU. I hope it fits for you. 

A/N: In this AU 5SOS are not famous. They do still play music though. Also, this is my first Calum fic, so bare with me lol

Summary: Y/N always has a book in her hand wherever she goes. One day she meets this guy and she can’t get him out of her head. She keeps running into him… They become very quick friends and she learns about his past and the fact that he doesn’t believe in love anymore.

You loved the time you spent at your favorite coffee shop, especially on your days off when you could bring the current book you were reading and spend even more time there. You had your favorite soft chair in a back corner where you could curl your legs underneath you and relax while you read and still be able to watch out the window if you wanted to take a break from reading for a bit. This day was no different, you were curled up in your chair with your book in your lap and a cup of warm hot chocolate beside you while you watched it pouring rain out the window. Once your cup was empty, you went to get a refill.

“Can you make this one to go please?” you asked the barista sweetly as you placed your order. You went to grab your book and jacket while they made your order. After you grab your cup, you begin to make your way towards the door. You grab your umbrella from the stand near the door and turn to make your way out the door. Your foot slips as you turn and you begin to fall, but you never hit the floor as you feel a strong arm wrapping around you causing you to look up.

“Whoa, you okay?” a deep voice asks as he helps you stand up and get your balance back.

“Y-yea, thanks,” you say as you look up to see a pair of chocolate brown eyes looking down at you. You brush your hands against the hem of your shirt, smoothing it out while steadying your nerves. “Sorry to bump into you, slipped on the wet floor. I’m a little accident prone,” you laugh as you feel your face flush slightly.

“‘S alright. As long as you’re okay,” he tells you with a smile. Biting your lip as you watch the dimples appear on his face, you nod your head and thank him again before you walk out the door. Over the next couple of days, you couldn’t stop thinking about those eyes… Monday it rained again so on Tuesday, you decided to take your lunch to the park across the road from your work. You spread your blanket out and sat out in the sun as you eat your lunch and read your book. You were so entranced in your book you didn’t notice the dog running towards you until he jumped in your lap.

“Well, hey there buddy…” you laughed as you pet the little guy curling up on your lap. He smiled up at you when you began scratching behind his ears. “Where’d you come from, huh? I’m sure someone is looking for you,” you tell him as you look around.

“Duke!” you hear a familiar voice yelling as you look around to find the source of the sound. You see the guy you literally ran into at the coffee shop run around the trees to your left and stop in front of you when he saw Duke sitting on your lap.

“I’m guessing he’s yours?” you ask. He nods as he tries to catch his breath quickly.

“I’m sorry he bothered you,” he tells you as he walks over and tries to get Duke from your lap. Duke first growls and then barks at him, moving closer to you. A shocked expression on both your faces, you look up to meet those eyes you haven’t been able to forget. “He’s never done that….”

“Well… he looks like he’s pretty comfortable,” you laugh as you bite your lip. “You can join me for a bit, if you like… if you’re not busy,” you offer.

“Thank you,” he laughs as he sits beside you on your blanket. “I really am sorry… He doesn’t usually run off like that,” he explains.

“It’s okay, really… I love dogs,” you tell him with a smile as you continue to pet the content pup on your lap. “So… I know his name is Duke… and this is the second time I’ve run into you, so I think it’s only fair I know your name,” you tell him. He raises his eyebrows at you.

“Is that so?” he jokes with you. You nod confidently with a smile. “I don’t know your name either, you know,” he says as he leans back on his hands.

“Y/N,” you tell him quietly.

“Well, Y/N, I’m Calum. It’s nice to officially meet you,” he tells you as he holds out his hand to you.

“You too,” you half laugh as you shake his hand. You and Calum sit and talk for the next little while before you realize it’s time for you to go back to work. “Well, it’s been nice talking to you and Duke, but my lunch hour is up. I gotta get back to work,” you tell Calum as you hand Duke over to him. “By buddy,” you say as you scratch Duke’s head.

“Oh, you work near here?” he asks.

“Yea, just over there,” you say as you point at your building.

“Maybe we’ll see you again. This is Duke’s favorite park,” he smiles at you.

“Maybe you will,” you say as you both stand up. You grab your blanket and begin walking back to your building as Calum and Duke began to walk in the other direction. Wednesday, you didn’t have enough time to leave the building for lunch, so you had it delivered to you and worked while you ate. Thursday, you went back to the park for lunch and sat in the same spot, but to your dismay you didn’t see Calum or Duke. Friday was your half-day, so after lunch when you left work you decided to stop by your favorite bookstore and get a new book since you finished your current one the day before. You had two books in your hand when you heard the bell over the door ring, announcing someone else had entered the store. You peeked around the end of the aisle you were on to see Calum walk in and look around. “Really?” you ask as you walk up behind him. “You… in here?” you ask making him laugh as he hangs his head, biting his lip as he turns to face you.

“Yes, I read… but if you must know… I’m shopping for a gift. It’s a friend’s birthday soon,” he explains.

“Mmhmm… sure,” you say as you cross your arms.

“You don’t believe me?” he asks.

“I’m not sure if I should,” you tell him, making him laugh again as he shakes his head. You joke with him a little more as he continues to look for the gift he wants and goes to purchase it. You decide to get both books in your hand so that you have one for later as well.

“So, since we seem to keep running into each other… what do you say to hanging out sometime? Duke misses you,” he tells you, this time making you laugh.

“And I absolutely miss him,” you tell him with a smile. You and Calum exchange numbers with a promise to text later and meet up the next day at the park. You go to the park about an hour before you’re supposed to meet Calum so you can have time to read for a bit before he and Duke get there. You’re lost in your story once again when Duke bounces up and jumps in your lap. “Duke! I missed you buddy,” you say excitedly as you pick up the happy dog, kissing his head and scratching behind his ears.

“Damn… I just don’t exist when he’s here, do I?” you hear Calum say as he sits beside you two.

“Nope… not really,” you laugh.

“Geez… thanks,” he laughs.

“You’re quite welcome,” you say with a wide smile. You sit and play with Duke for a while as you and Calum talk.

“Why do you always have a book with you?” Calum asks you after a while. You sigh as you look from your book to Calum with a smile.

“It’s… like an escape… my own personal escape from this world… especially when things get too rough,” you explain as he nods his head.

“Interesting… Sounds like me and my music,” he tells you. After that day, you and Calum begin hanging out more and more. Eventually he introduces you to his closest friends and they immediately love you. The more time you spend with them, the more you think you might actually like Calum… and that worries you. He’s quickly become your best friend… and you don’t want to jeopardize that in any way, especially if he doesn’t feel the same. Since he told you about his past and that he doesn’t believe in love anymore, you push your feelings to the back of your mind and keep them hidden. Or so you thought… You were at the guys’ place one day, just hanging out. They had decided to cook out on the grill that day and lounge around the pool and invited you over.

“Hey, Y/N… Mind helping me inside for a minute?” Ashton asks you. You nod as you walk inside behind him.

“What’s up?” you ask as you walk into the kitchen.

“Can you help me wash and cut up these veggies?” he asks you with a smile.

“Sure,” you smile back before you pick up some of the veggies and wash them before you hand them to Ash to cut. You continue washing more as he continues talking.

“Why don’t you talk to Cal?” he asks you. You turn your head as you give him a confused look.

“I do,” you laugh. “We talk every day.”

“No,” he laughs back. “I mean about how you feel.” Your eyes go wide as you look at him.

“I thought I was hiding it well… Is it that obvious?” you ask worried. He shakes his head no with a small laugh.

“No, I’m just really good at reading people,” he tells you with a wink. “You should tell him.” You shake your head no.

“Not a good idea, Ash,” you tell him.

“Why not,” he asks you.

“Because!” you say excitedly. “You know Cal... “ you say as you turn to look out the patio door to make sure no one was coming inside to hear any of your conversation. “You know how he feels about love and all that… I can’t risk losing my best friend,” you tell him as you feel a tear come to your eye. You raise your hand and wipe it away before it has the chance to fall.

“How long have you known each other now?” he asks you. You stop your chopping as you think for a second and look at Ashton briefly.

“Almost a year,” you say quietly.

“Y/N…” Ashton starts as you hold your hand up.

“No, Ash… It’s not happening,” you tell him. “I just ...can’t.”

“Okay,” he sighs as he holds his hands up in defeat. “If you ever want to talk about it, just know you can come to me and I won’t say anything to him unless you ask me to.” You slightly nod your head as you continue chopping the veggies in front of you. The rest of the day goes smoothly to your surprise, with Ashton keeping his word and not mentioning anything to anyone. Over the next couple weeks, you go about things as normal and keep your feelings hidden. One Friday when you get home after your half day at work, Calum texts you and asks if he can come over.

Y/N: Of course. You know you can always come over whenever. I just got home. I’ll be here all night. No plans to go anywhere. You want take out? I’m ordering.

Calum: That would be amazing... Thank you.

Y/N: Sure thing

Calum: It might be a couple hours before I get there. We’re still working on a couple things. I’ll text you when I’m leaving.

Y/N: Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.

Calum: You’re the best

You set your phone on the coffee table as you head to the kitchen to grab a snack to hold you over until Calum texts you back so you can order some real food. You didn’t want to eat without him, but you didn’t want his food to get cold either. Relaxing on the couch with the snacks you grabbed from the kitchen, you turned Netflix on and pulled up one of your favorite shows since you weren’t sure how long he would be. After about 2 ½ episodes, your phone chimes with a text notification .You pick it up from the table to see it’s Calum.

Calum: Leaving now. Be there in 20.

Y/N: Don’t rush. Drive safe. Door’s open.

You pick up the take out menu from the table and immediately call the chinese restaurant down the block to place your order. You were brought out of your concentration on your show by your door opening and Calum walking in.

“That was a little faster than I expected,” you tell him.

“I couldn’t take it anymore,” he tells you with a sigh.

“What’s wrong?” you ask.

“Today has been absolutely terrible…” he tells you shaking his head as he walks towards the living room.

“Will my hug make it alright?” you ask him.

“Not completely, but it will definitely help,” he says with a small smile. You stand up from your cozy spot on the couch and pulled him into a tight hug, wrapping your arms around his neck as his wind around your waist. As you stood there with your arms around Calum and rubbing gently up and down his back, you felt Calum take a deep breath and let it out slowly. What you couldn’t see was the confused look on his face. He had a feeling in his stomach that he’d been fighting for a while now every time he was around you. He was having a hard time dealing with it and he wasn’t absolutely sure if it was what he was thinking it was, he didn’t want to say anything until he was sure… He squeezed you a little tighter and pulled back from the hug to press a soft kiss to your forehead like he always did when he was telling you goodbye.

“Thank you,” he says quietly just before the knock on the door. “Sit, I’ll get it.”

“No, Cal… You don’t,” you begin.

“Hush,” he interrupts you as he begins to walk to your door, opening it to reveal the delivery guy with the food you ordered. Pulling out his wallet, he paid the man before closing the door and walking back to the couch to join you.  

“This is amazing… Thank you again,” he says quietly as you both begin to eat.

“Don’t thank me. I should be thanking you. You’re the one that paid for it,” you laugh making him smile.

“Yea but it was your idea and you ordered everything,” he explains. You shrugged your shoulders. You back out of your show on Netflix and hand Calum the remote as he looks at you funnily.

“What?” you ask with a laugh.

“Nothing,” he says as he takes the remote and goes back into your show and continues the episode you were on, making you smile to yourself. You spend the next couple hours watching Netflix and talking with Calum before he decides he needs to get home and check on Duke. You wake up the next morning to a text from Calum received at 3:47AM. You roll your eyes as you giggle before you open it.

Calum: I know you’re not awake, but when you read this, text me

You roll your eyes again as you shake your head before you reply.

Y/N: God… do you ever sleep?

Calum: haha… funny

Y/N: So what’s up that you felt like you needed to text me at half past 3 in the morning?

Calum: We should talk

Your heart dropped when you read his last message. Had Ashton said something on accident? On purpose? Did you do something to make him realize you had feelings for him?

Y/N: Sure, you wanna come over or you want me to come there, or what?

Calum: Actually, I thought maybe we could meet? At the pier? Say...12?

Y/N: I’ll be there :)

You tossed your phone the bed and groaned. Feelings of paranoia and anxiety were flowing through your mind. Picking your phone back up you decided to text Ashton.

Y/N: Hey, you didn’t say anything, did you?

Ash: Nope. Why, what’s up?

Y/N: He just said “We should talk” and asked me to meet him later… Do you know what’s going on?

Y/N: Ash…?

Y/N: You know something, don’t you?

Ash: I do… but I’ve been sworn to secrecy just as I was with you, so you know I’m not gonna tell you. I promise, it’s not bad… Just go… Meet him. You’ll thank me later, love ;)

You groaned again as you threw your phone back on the bed. Glancing at the clock, you realized you had a few hours to spare and you knew it was going to be torture. When it was finally time to meet him, you drove to the pier and parked your car before you walked out to where you saw him sitting near the end.

“Hey,” you say quietly as you walk up behind him. He turns around slowly and smiled at you.

“Hey,” she smiles back before standing to hug you. “Come sit.” You listen and sit beside him, looking out over the ocean with a sigh.

“So, what’s up?” you ask as you glance at him from the side of your eye. He turns slightly towards you, resting his arm behind you on the back of the bench as you turn your head towards him.

“How long have we been friends?” Calum asks you.

“Just about a year,” you tell him.

“It’ll be a year next week,” he smiles at you.

“You remember that?” you say quietly, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear as you look down at your lap.

“I do… You almost fell in that coffee shop. It was raining. You had just grabbed your umbrella and were about to leave,” he laughs, making you smile.

“You caught me,” you say quietly as he nods.

“I’d never seen anyone like you,” Calum tells you. You furrow your brows in confusion as you look up at him.

“Wh-what?” you ask. “What do you mean?”

“Well…” he says as he takes a breath. “Y/N…” he takes your hand in his as you look down at your hands together and back up at him. “You’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen…” You feel the air rush out of your lungs. Was he really telling you this? What you’ve been wanting to hear for so long? Calum? Your best friend? Couldn’t be happening… could it? You blink a few times before you say something.

“You sure you have the right person?” you say making him laugh.

“I absolutely have the right person,” he says confidently as he tucks a strand of hair behind your ear and you feel your heart speed up. “I… didn’t realize. In the beginning… I didn’t realize that what I was feeling was this… That day that I came over after I had that bad day and you got the take out… When you hugged me, that was when I realized, like for absolute sure, something was going on with me… That night, I went to Ash’s and talked to him,” he said as he looked at you and you bite your lip.

“Did he say something to you about me?” you ask.

“He said a lot about you, actually,” he laughed. “You’ll have to be more specific.

“About anything I’ve said to him,” you explain.

“No, we only talked about how I felt. He never said you had talked to him about anything,” Calum reassured you as you let out a relieved breath of air. “Can I ask why?” You nod your head.

“The day we grilled out, Ash asked me to help him in the kitchen. He confronted me... and said I-i should just talk... to you. I told h-him I couldn’t risk telling y-you anything… I didn’t w-want to lose m-my best friend,” you say as you feel the tears begin to line your eyes.

“Hey… it’s ok. You know you can talk to me. I’m not going anywhere,” Calum tells you quietly as he reaches up to wipe the tears away before they have a chance to fall. You take a breath before you continue.

“I asked him if it was that obvious because I had always tried so, so hard to keep my feeling hidden,” you say as you look up at him.

“Your feelings?” he asks with a smile as you nod your head.

“Ash told me it wasn’t obvious, he said he was just good at reading people. He tried again to get me to tell you but I wouldn’t give in… I was too scared of losing you,” you confess.

“Why would you have lost me?” he asks you.

“Because… I figured with you not believing in love anymore… If I had told you, I figured you would get upset and maybe tell me I was stupid or ridiculous or something… Tell me you never wanted to see me again… Or you couldn’t deal with it,” you explain as he nods his head in understanding.

“I would never call you stupid, for one,” he laughs making you giggle. “How long?”

“Couple months after we met,” you say quietly as you look at your lap. You feel his finger rest under your chin as he turns your head so you meet his eyes with yours.

“We’ve been friends nearly a year… You’ve had feelings for me for that long and kept quiet about it because of that?” he asked you quietly. You shyly nod your head. “I’m having trouble understanding,” he half laughs as he leans his forehead against yours and you sigh quietly.

“With everything you had been through… I thought… there was no way… How was I gonna be the one to change it? I’m… nobody… just me…” you explain as a tear escapes your eye. He quickly reaches up to wipe it away as he leans back.

“You’re not nobody… You’re my best friend… You’re the most amazing, beautiful girl I’ve ever met! I don’t know how you did it… but you’ve changed something in me… and… I don’t want that to stop,” he says as he takes your face in his hands. Leaning forward slowly, he presses his lips to yours in a sweet, soft kiss before he pulls back and looks at you. “I don’t deserve you.”

“You do,” you tell him quickly. “You deserve so much more,” you say quietly, pressing your lips to his as you wrap your arms around his neck. He smiles against your lips as he wraps his arms around your waist and begins to move his lips against yours. You match his movements as you slip one hand up into his dark curls, trying to pull him closer. Pulling back slightly from the kiss, he leans his forehead against yours to catch his breath.

“Say you’ll be mine,” he whispers against your lips with a smile. You slightly nod your head.

“Always,” you say returning his smile.

“Fucking finally…” he breathes in relief. “My phone has been vibrating the entire time we’ve been here and I know it’s Ashton…”

“Let’s take a picture to send to him so he’ll leave us alone,” you laugh. Calum wraps his arm around your shoulder as you cuddle up close to his side and lean your head on his shoulder and look up at him as he looks down at you, foreheads touching. He snaps a quick picture and sends it to Ashton with the caption ‘Leave us alone!” You wait for a response but you never get one. Half an hour later, you’re inside a restaurant near the pier when you tell Calum to check his phone again.

“Nothing,” he tells you.

“Well, now I guess we know how to get him to shut up,” you laugh.

Wasn’t sure who to tag, so if you don’t want to be, just let me know lol I won’t be offended

@nerdraging4point0  @summernykole  @sunshine112  @empressdreams  @justasmisunderstoodasloki @bisexual-sk8r @devildisguiseasangel @fanficparker @hollandsosterfield @marvelownsmyentireass @aspiringwildfire @fucking5sos @harrystylescuredmydepression @twilightparker @steviesbell @bearsbeetsbarnes @hollandroos @starksparker @tomhollanders2013 @h-osterfield @justkeepdreaminganddreaming @sweetlysilent @avenirectioner @writing-reigns @writinglionqueen @wheres-mccall @uglypastels @wazzupmrstark @eurynome827 @cchellacat @lisinfleur @honestsycrets @fortheloveofjbbarnes @ivaraddict @dangerousvikings @tephi101 @yanii-the-hippie @thejemersoninferno

[morningfears]

Strip It Down

Rating: M (This is smut. No one under 18!)

Summary: Stripper!Calum. Need I say more?

Word Count: 5.8k

The club is uncharacteristically quiet, empty and well-lit. For the first time since your shift began nearly eight hours ago, there are no screaming customers. The bass has stoped thumping (although you swear you can still hear it ringing in your ears) and the neon lights have stopped flashing. The smoke from the smoke machine has disappeared, the confetti used as a prop during one of the performances has been swept away, and you’re left in near silence as you wipe down the bar.

It’s refreshing to be able to hear your own thoughts without the drunken giggles of this woman or that man. It’s a relief to not have to listen to them gush about the performers, to not hear them argue over who has the better body or the sexiest performance, and it makes you smile to see nothing but empty barstools and tables. There are no more assholes asking to buy you a drink or if you’re going to get up and dance for them. Instead, there’s only quiet and the low hum of classic rock coming from the boss’ office upstairs.

However, you’ve come to learn that in your world, quiet rarely lasts more than a moment.

“Okay, so, the dishes are finished, the boxes are broken down, and the bottles are ready to be pulled tomorrow night,” Emma informs you with a smile as she tosses her rag into the bucket. She hesitates for a moment, chewing on her lip in thought, before she says, “I hate to do this to you, but could I leave a little early? Max got off early and he’s home already. We haven’t had a lot of time together since we both started working nights.”

There are still a million things left to do before you can turn off the lights and lock up for the night. The tables need to be wiped down, the floor needs to be swept and mopped, the bar needs to be cleaned and stocked; you know that even with two people, it’ll take at least another hour and a half. But between the look on her face and the tone of her voice, you don’t have it in you to say no.

So, even though you won’t be leaving the club until at least five, you tell her, “I’ve got it covered. Go home, see your guy.”

She smiles at you, a blinding smile that you’ve never seen her wear before, and rushes around the bar to give you a hug. “Thank you,” she exclaims, her smile never faltering, “you’re so amazing. I appreciate it. I’ll see you on Friday. Thank you again!”

You watch as she grabs her bag and coat from the hook near the bar before she practically runs out the door, sending a wave and another ‘thank you’ over her shoulder. You stand there for a moment, staring at the door she disappeared out of, before you turn your head to survey the bar. The whole place is filthy, it needs a deep clean like never before, and you know it’s going to take hours to get the sticky floors even halfway presentable. With a sigh, you toss your rag into the bucket and step around the bar begin heading toward the cleaning closet.

“Emma bail again?” you hear as you leave the dustpan at the t edge of the main floor. You turn your head and bite back a smile as you catch sight of Calum leaning against the bar, his hands deep in the pockets of his gray sweatpants.

“She and Max have both been working nights. He got off early tonight,” you inform him with a sigh. “I can’t blame her. It must suck living with someone but never seeing them.”

Calum smiles at this, it’s a barely there quirk of his lips but enough for you to see, before he turns his attention to the mess that you have yet to mop up. “Is it always this bad after shows?” he asks, genuinely curious. He’s never seen the main floor in such bad shape.

“Practically every night,” you nod as you reach for the broom. “You guys start dancing, everyone loses their shit, including the ability to properly hold a drink.”

This makes Calum laugh and hearing that sound makes you feel accomplished in a way you know it shouldn’t. You watch him for another moment before you turn your full attention to the broom. As you begin sweeping up the straws and whatever else litters the floor, Calum moves a little closer. He’s still a significant distance from you but this is the closest he’s ever been and it’s a little unnerving.

“Tell me what to do and I’ll do it,” he informs you, his hands still shoved deep in his pockets. “It’ll take forever for you to get this done on your own.”

“It’s okay, Calum,” you assure him with a soft smile. “I’ve done it before, it’s really not a big deal. You should go home and get some sleep. I appreciate the offer, though.” Calum, however, doesn’t relent. He fixes you with an unimpressed look and raises an eyebrow before you sigh and hold your hands up in defeat. “Fine,” you laugh, “I could really use the help. If you want to grab a rag and start wiping down the bar, that would be great."

Calum nods and grabs a rag from the bucket. You miss the smile on his face as you return your attention to the pile you’ve amassed on the floor.

As you continue to work through your nightly routine, you can’t help feeling that working with, or even being around, Calum is a departure from normal. The two of you aren’t exactly friends. You’re not strangers, there are no hostile feelings for one another; you’re just not close. You’d expected something more than a casual ‘hello’ after your first meeting with Calum but nothing had ever materialized. It’s always the same ‘hello’ or polite smile whenever he passes by you but nothing more than that. And after your first meeting, neither of you has taken the initiative to get to know the other.

“Sorry, sweetheart,” you hear a voice call, breaking you from your thoughts, “we’re closed.”

As you turn away from the bar and glance at the brunette you’d seen dance earlier, you can’t help but stare. His hair is wet, a few curls falling in his eyes, and he’s no longer in the black combat gear you’d seen him sporting earlier. He’s wearing a pair of grey sweatpants and a white t-shirt, his hands are shoved in his pockets, and he’s watching you carefully as you shift in your seat.

His bright eyes glow with amusement as you shake your head to rid yourself of any distracting thoughts. “You alright there, sweetheart?” he questions, his mouth quirking in a smirk.

You’re definitely not alright, you think to yourself as you watch him shift into a more comfortable position against the bar but you know that you can’t let yourself dwell on these thoughts. He’s about to be your co-worker, you can’t really get involved with him. But before you can tell him as much, that you’re going to be working with him, a voice interrupts.

“Careful, Hood,” Hannah calls as she returns from the back room. “She’s our new bartender.”

“She is?” you hear a new voice call before a higher voice shouts, “Thank God! 

An older man you recognize as Tony, Hannah’s boss, enters the room followed by a shorter woman who you assume is Emma, the current (awful) bartender Hannah had been telling you about. Tony’s eyes narrow at you for a moment before he turns them to Emma. “Sorry, Mr. Blake,” Emma smiles before Tony can question her, “but this is too much for me. I’m terrible at mixing drinks.” She turns to you before he continues, “But I can help with whatever you need! I’m stronger than I look. I can lift stuff, boxes and inventory. I can help with the cleanup at the end of the night and wash dishes. I just don’t want to be at the bar anymore.”

Tony sighs at Emma’s rant before he turns to you. “Do you have any bartending experience?”

“Of course she does,” Hannah cuts in, “she’s the best. It’ll be great.”

“Fine,” Tony nods, “but don’t destroy my bar. Also, we don’t water shit down.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” you assure him with a grin.

He takes a moment to really look at you before he raises an eyebrow. “You’re cool with being behind the bar? You don’t want to be on stage?”

“Not particularly. The bar’s where I’m more comfortable,” you answer honestly with a shrug.

“Fair enough,” Tony nods. “Anything to keep this kid from fucking up my bar anymore than she already has. Alright,” he claps, “Emma, you can clean up tonight. Hannah, I need to speak with you. See you tomorrow.” 

You throw your hand up in a quick wave as Tony and Hannah leave the main floor and let yourself relax against the bar as Emma scurries off to the backroom to grab cleaning supplies. You almost forget about the man you only know by his last name before he clears his throat.

“I’m Calum,” he introduces, a small smile on his lips, “and I guess I’ll be seeing you around.”

After that interaction, you hadn’t really spoken much with Calum. There had been a few pleasant, polite exchanges but nothing significant. And you’re not sure why you’ve never really interacted, you’d love to get to know the man behind the mask, but you’ve never really pushed it.

As you wipe down the bar stools, you chalk it up to Calum’s personality type. Apparently he’s the type of person that’ll come to you if he’s so inclined, as Hannah once informed you. “He’s had a rough past,” she mentioned when you questioned her, “he’s not the same as he was before but he’s working on it.”

So, armed with that information, you hadn’t pushed for his friendship. Ashton, his closest friend, told you that Calum would come around the longer you stayed but you hadn’t really believed it until this moment. Now, as Calum works alongside you in companionable silence, you think that maybe Ashton had been telling the truth.

As the song fades from Black Sabbath’s Iron Man to Warrant’s Cherry Pie, Calum turns his eyes to you. “Does Tony’s music ever bother you when you’re closing up?” he questions as he pauses his movement and turns to fully face you. 

“Not really,” you shrug as you lift your head to glance at him. “We have similar tastes in music.”

“You’re into classic rock?” he questions, a small smile on his face.

“Mhm,” you nod, “most rock, honestly. I like the classics like Sabbath and Zepplin but I’m also into glam rock and metal. The heavier the better.”

“Explains why you always perk up when Michael performs,” he hums as he watches you place the barstool on top of the bar.

“You sure it’s the music?” you tease with a small smile. “Maybe I just like Michael.”

Calum rolls his eyes as he follows your lead and helps you lift the stools. “He’s not your type,” he shrugs. When you glance at him curiously, Calum tucks his hands into his pockets once more and shrugs. “I have fully functioning eyes, I’m not oblivious.”

“Okay, Hood,” you challenge as you turn to face him fully, “you think you’re my type?” Calum doesn’t answer your question, instead he smirks and turns his attention back to the task at hand. “What type are you, then?” you question with a hum.

Calum grins at your question and shrugs once more. “Not Michael,” he laughs, “that much I know for sure. Glad I’m not, though. You almost broke a bottle on his head a few weeks ago.”

“That was a total accident!” you defend, your chin raising slightly. “I didn’t mean to almost decapitate him.”

“Good thing you have terrible aim,” Calum laughs as he grabs his discarded rag and moves to a table across the room. 

You feel yourself smiling at the playful banter as you both settle back into a companionable silence. Laughing with Calum is more fun than ignoring him and you hope that this means his guard is lowering enough to befriend you. You’d wanted more in the beginning, so much more, and you’d still happily take it if Calum were to offer but you don’t want to do anything that he’s uncomfortable with. It surprises you, but you just want him to be happy.

With a slight frown, you watch Calum weave through the tables, wiping them down and placing the chairs on top. You try not to but you can’t help letting your eyes linger on the tattoos covering his skin. No one has mentioned anything about the names that you see and you figure there has to be a good reason for it. But you can’t help the curiosity that keeps your eyes glued to the words inked into his skin.

“You can ask,” Calum hums, eyes not lifting from the table in front of him as your eyes tear away from the ink on his arm and lift them to his face.

You hesitate for a moment before you lean back against the bar and ask, “Ex-girlfriend?” Calum laughs, lifting his head to look at you. He’s sort of smiling and you take that as an okay to move a little closer. You’re not judging him, just curious. And Calum can see that when you tilt your head and look him in the eye. 

Calum lets out a small laugh before he drops the rag in his hand and crosses the room to lean against the column across from you. His hands are shoved deep in his pockets once more as he meets your gaze. “Sister,” Calum informs you. “I got them after I left home. The initials are my parents.”

You pause for a moment at his answer before you nod at the new information. A beat of silence passes before you glance at him and ask hesitantly, “Can I ask why you left?”

Calum shrugs as he lifts his head to glance at you. His eyes are unreadable and his face no longer holds the same easy smile as it held earlier. He’s not upset, he’s just not as relaxed as he had been. But regardless of the butterflies he’s feeling, he crosses the gap between the two of you and reaches for a barstool you hadn’t yet moved. “Only if you make me a drink,” he hums as he takes a seat.

You can feel Calum’s eyes burning into you as you round the bar and reach for the necessary bottle to make his preferred drink. His eyes are on your hips, the way you move is so fluid that he can’t help the question that spills past his lips. “Why are you behind the bar, not on stage? I know you told Blake you were comfortable but you’d make a great dancer.”

“Stage fright,” you answer honestly as you slide his drink across the bar to him. “Tried it once in college. Puked on a guy in a cheap suit and was asked to leave,” you explain with a small smile. Calum laughs at your answer before he takes a sip of his drink and glances back at you expectantly. “So, what happened?”

Calum downs the rest of his drink before he runs his hand through his hair and glances down at the ink on his hands. “I got in a lot of trouble as a teenager. Fights, skipping school, hanging out with the wrong crowd. I started partying a lot, doing drugs and just getting into stupid shit. I started shit that I had no business starting and I went out one night and woke up a few days later in the hospital.” Calum pauses and, as he continues to glance at the ink on his hand, you refill his glass. He lifts his head to send you a look of gratitude before he takes a sip and continues.

“I was in love with this girl. She was everything to me at the time, you know? I thought she was it but she’d been cheating on me the entire time. I was pissed, saw her out with the guy she’d been sleeping with, and I let my temper get the better of me. I went after him and he was a better fighter than me. When I woke up, my parents asked me to either check into rehab or to leave. I didn’t want to admit I had a problem so I left. That’s when Ash stepped in. He’d been planning on moving to LA and I thought it’d be perfect out here but for the first few months, I was miserable. I missed home, I missed my family. I was doing more drugs than ever and I wasn’t myself. He convinced my parents to come out and see me. They staged an intervention and I ended up breaking down and getting clean. When I got out, I got the tattoos to remind me what I was fighting for.”

Calum glances up from his glass to see the frown on your face and your eyes on his tattoos. “I’m fine,” he assures you, “I still drink a little but, honestly, this is the most I’ve had in weeks. I’m managing my temper, getting better at keeping myself together. I talk to my family. I’m okay.”

You nod at his words and move your eyes back to his face. “So, how’d you end up here?” you question as you lean against the cabinets behind the bar. “Ashton?”

“Ashton,” Calum nods, confirming your suspicion. “There’s not a lot out there for a guy just getting out of rehab with a nasty temper. Blake knew me, knew what happened. He offered me a job after Ashton started working here and I took it.”

“Ashton doesn’t seem the stripper type,” you laugh, hoping to add a little humor to the situation. 

Thankfully, Calum grins at your words and shakes his head. “He’s not, not really. But shit happens. It’s not so bad, though. We’ve made a decent living here. The customers aren’t all that bad, work’s not that bad, co-workers aren’t that bad; it could always be worse.” He pauses for a moment before he tilts his head and glances back at you. “Why are you here?” 

“Hannah convinced me to come aboard. Said you guys needed a new bartender pretty desperately. I have a day job, I work for a poverty fighting non-profit. We focus mostly on children and older adults and it’s a great job. I love what I do. It’s really personally fulfilling. But non-profits aren’t the most financially fulfilling,” you shrug. “I was a bartender in college. It’s fun, pay’s okay, co-workers aren’t so bad,” you repeat his earlier words with a small smile.

Calum smiles at this and shakes his head. You’re both quiet for a moment before Calum asks, “How’d you meet Hannah, anyway?”

“Through Bella,” you inform him as you step back around the bar to grab your rag. “She volunteered with me a few years ago, remembered what it was like as a kid and wanted to help out. We hit it off and she introduced me to Hannah. The rest is history.”

“Did you know what they did?” he questions as he glances at you curiously. “For a living, I mean.”

“Not initially,” you shrug, “but it didn’t matter when I found out. Stripping’s not a big deal. If you’re here of your own free will, I have no issue with it. It’s a job. Sex work is still work.”

Calum nods at your words and finishes off his drink before he stands and grabs his rag once more. “I wish more people thought like you.”

After your night working with Calum, things change between the two of you. He’s more open, more affectionate, and much more of a flirt now that you’ve opened up to one another. He hangs out at the bar when he’s not on stage, cracking jokes and keeping you company, and after the club closes, he’s usually the one helping you clean. The new friendship the two of you have going is nice, it’s comfortable, but you can’t help the feeling in the pit of your stomach.

At first, it was just a physical attraction to Calum. His eyes, his face, his hair, his body; everything about him is beautiful. But the more you get to know him, the deeper your attraction becomes. Everything about Calum Hood is beautiful and that includes what makes him Calum.

He’s the sweetest, most loyal, most loving person you’ve ever had the pleasure to meet. He calls Ashton his brother and you know that he’d do anything for him. He gives Luke and Michael more shit than he probably should but you know that he’d kick someone’s ass for even looking at them wrong. He and Shawn argue more than they actually speak but you know that, at the end of the day, he’d be the first person to come running if Shawn needed him.

No one is perfect, not even Calum. However, as cheesy as it sounds, if anyone is close, it’s him.

You want nothing more than to spend time getting to know him, getting to see him as more than just your friend, but you don’t want to make him uncomfortable. You know that he’s more comfortable with you than before but you know that some things are still hard for him. You don’t want to overstep your boundaries so you’re willing to live with what he’s given you and have that be enough.

As your resolve strengthens, Calum, however, feels his resolve slowly starting to crumble.

He thought you were gorgeous the first night he laid eyes on you but didn’t make a move. When he found out you’d be working together, he didn’t want things to be weird. He wanted you to be comfortable here, enjoy the job and the co-workers as much as you could. After talking with you, however, Calum was more sure than ever that he wanted you.

He wanted to be more than your friend. He wanted to wipe away the frown that curled your lips when you were deep in thought, he wanted to wrap his arms around you and tell those drunken idiots to fuck off when they got too aggressive, he wanted to be there for you and be a part of your life; but he wasn’t sure if you wanted any of that.

The only thing that he was sure of was that any time he danced, you couldn’t take your eyes off of him. And that’s not the place he’d normally try to start a strong relationship but everything about you has taken him down the road less travelled. So, he does the only thing he knows will get your attention.

“Can you come here for a second?” he asks as soon as you finish closing out the tabs, “I need your help.”

“Sure, Cal,” you hum as you stash the receipts in an envelope for Tony, “what can I do for you?”

“I’m working on a new routine,” he hums as he shoves his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants and glances at you from beneath his lashes. “It’s got some audience participation in it and I was wondering if you’d be my audience.” 

You raise an eyebrow at his question and hope that the heat in your cheeks isn’t noticeable as you ask, “Are you going to manhandle me like Ashton did that poor girl last night?”

“Poor girl?” Calum laughs, “She got exactly what she wanted.” He closes the space between the column he leant against and the bar and fully looks at you. “Yes,” he answers your question, “there’s manhandling involved. But I heard you liked it rough.”

“Hannah’s been sharing my secrets, huh?” you question as you toss your rag onto the counter and step out from behind the bar. “Fine,” you sigh as you allow him to lead you to a chair in front of the stage. “But no funny business,” you tease as you settle into the chair Calum selects for you.

“Scout’s honor,” Calum promises with a wink although you can see the crossed fingers of his left hand. He laughs at your eye roll as he climbs onto the stage. “It was actually Bella,” he informs you as he scrolls through the playlist on his phone to find the song, “She’s the one spilling your secrets, doll.”

“She has no secrets when it comes to sex. She and Hannah are two of the most open people on the planet. I can’t blackmail them for shit,” you pout as you cross your arms over your chest.

“It’s just sex, doll,” Calum shrugs with a grin, “nothing to be ashamed about. Plenty of people like it rough.”

You try to stop the words but they come tumbling out of your mouth anyway. “Yeah,” you hum with a smirk, “do you?”

Calum doesn’t answer your question. Instead, he winks at you and shoves his phone back into his pocket as the sound of Nine Inch Nail’s Closer echoes through the room. His smirk widens at the look on your face and you feel your cheeks heat once again as you watch Calum begin his routine. 

His eyes are on your face as his hips roll. You watch as he moves his body, his head tilted back and his hands roaming his chest before his hands tug the material of his t-shirt up and over his head. You can’t tear your eyes away from him as he drops to his knees, thighs spread and a smirk on his face before he beckons you forward with a crook of his finger. You stand on jelly-like legs and move to the edge of the stage where Calum smirks down at you. His fingers intertwine with yours for a moment and he gives you a quick squeeze before he leans forward and reaches for your hips. It’s effortless, the way that he lifts you onto the stage and drops to his knees before you.

He waits a beat for your permission and when you nod, his hands are on your hips. You watch as he rolls his body, unable to look away, before he moves to grip your hands and tug you down to his level. He shifts so that he’s sitting and pulls you forward so that your knees are on either side of his thighs and you’re straddling his lap. You can feel his erection pressing against your panty-covered core and you’re thanking every higher power that you decided to wear a dress to work tonight.

Calum glances at your face, searching for any hesitation, and when he finds none, he waits another beat for a nod of permission. When you give it, he continues. 

The way that his hips move against yours is maddening. His thrusts are almost animalistic as he grips your hips hard enough to bruise. You’re ready to break, ask him to do something or let you up, when he growls and stands, dragging you up with him. His hand squeezes yours as he drags you across the main floor to the cleaning closet.

Once the door is shut and your back is shoved against a set of shelves, Calum’s eyes search yours wildly. “I lied earlier,” he breathes as he takes in your lust-blown pupils and the quickening of your breath, “that’s not a new routine. It’s for you. Only you. If you want me.”

“God,” you breathe as you wrap your arms tighter around his neck, “yes, yes please. I want whatever you’ll give me.”

Calum hesitates for a moment, wanting to be sure that this is something you really want, but begins to move as soon as your lips press against his jaw.

As you work kisses along his jawline and down his neck, Calum’s fingers dip beneath the skirt of your dress and shove your panties to the side. “You’re so wet for me,” he breathes against your skin as you shift your head and allow him to press his lips to your shoulder. “Is this every time you watch me dance? Do you imagine you’re beneath me, fingers pulling my hair as I pound into you?” At your whimpered ‘yes’, Calum slips a finger into your heat and groans as you clench around him. “I’ve thought about this so many times,” he admits, his lips ghosting over your skin as your fingers tangle in his hair, “thought about you beneath me, on top of me, beside me; I’ve thought about taking you in any way I could and then taking more. Wanna watch you fall apart for me, again and again and again. Want you to sit on my face, let me taste you.”

As Calum continues to ramble confessions, your fingers tangle in his hair and your head flies back to press against the wall. “Calum, please,” you breathe as he slips a second finger into your heat and rubs quick circles on your clit with his thumb. “Please, fuck me.” 

“Yeah,” he breathes, “yeah. Later, I wanna watch you fall apart. Now, I just need to be inside you.” 

You shiver at the promise of later as Calum grabs a condom from his wallet. You whine at the emptiness you feel but get over it as Calum shoves his sweatpants down enough to free himself. As soon as he’s sheathed in latex, Calum aligns himself and returns his eyes to yours. “You’re sure about this?” he questions, one last time.

“Calum” you breathe, your fingers tangling in his hair and your eyes locking with his, “I’m so sure. Please.” 

With your approval, Calum enters you. Once he bottoms out, he stills against you, his face buried in the crook of your neck and his fingers digging into your skin as he allows you a moment to adjust. “You feel so good, fuck,” he breathes against your skin, “so, so good. Better than I imagined.” 

You can think of no response other than to dig your heels into his back and shift your hips to signal to Calum that you’re ready for him to move. As he sets a brutal pace, you know that this won’t last long. You can only hope that his promise of later will ring true and that you’ll get a chance to explore one another as long as you’d like. 

For the moment, however, all you can focus on is Calum. His fingers, one set digging into your hip and the other rubbing bruising circles at your clit; his eyes, focused on your face and careful to note any less than positive reaction; his hair, tangled in your fingers and clinging to his neck as the sweat continues to accumulate; his breath fanning across your neck; it’s all overwhelming and you feel yourself falling over the edge as a particularly hard thrust sends him brushing against your g-spot. 

Calum’s hips stutter as you clench around him and he breathes out a strained, “Fuck, doll, so tight.” He knows that his own end is near and, as he continues to fuck you through the aftershocks, his hips stutter once more and he joins you in the afterglow of your romp.

The two of you are still for a moment before Calum pulls out and lowers you onto weak legs. He keeps an eye on you to make sure you’re steady as he quickly pulls the condom off and ties it. Once he’s tucked himself back into his sweatpants, he rights your panties and straightens your skirt.

The two of you are silent as you look at one another, both unsure of what the other wants, before Calum breaks the silence.

“I meant it,” he hums, “all of it. The dance was just for you. All of those things I said, I want to do them with you. But that’s not all I want. I’m not just in it for the sex. I want to give a relationship with you a shot. If that’s something you want.”

Calum looks so nervous and you feel like your heart is going to beat out of your chest as you throw your arms around his waist and nod against his chest. “I want that, too,” you assure him, “all of it. I didn’t want to overwhelm you or make you uncomfortable.”

Calum can’t help the soft smile that forms on his face at your thoughtfulness. “Thank you,” he whispers against your hair, “thank you for waiting for me.”

He allows you to twist in his arms so that your fingers are splayed across his jaw. “Any time,” you promise him in a whisper, your smile reflecting his as you lean in closer. When your lips meet his, you can feel Calum’s smile and you know that this is going to be something special. 

Calum is something special.

  BONUS:

 “I swear to God, if the two of you aren't fully clothed, I’m kicking your asses. Come on, out,” Tony grumbles as he throws open the storage room door to find you and Calum wrapped in each other’s arms. He narrows his eyes at the amount of clothing the two of you are wearing but wrinkles his nose at the stench of sex. “Fucking kids,” he grumbles as he shoos the two of you out of the closet, “going at it like rabbits in my club. I don’t need any mini-you running around here.”

“Tony,” you giggle as you grab your bag and coat, “maybe you should get laid. It does wonders for your stress levels.”

He narrows his eyes at you and Calum as Calum’s arms wrap around your waist. “Yeah,” Calum agrees with a grin, “might do you some good, Blake.”

“If the two of you don’t leave now, I’m going to throw you out myself,” Tony grumbles as he shakes his head. “Now I have to disinfect the entire storage room. Half the stock is ruined,” he grumbles to himself as he begins to walk away, “at least Emma never fucked one of the dancers in the storage room.”

“I can make better drinks than Emma,” you remind Tony as he continues his grumbling. 

You and Calum giggle as Tony disappears from sight with a middle finger salute. “I know this isn't the right order,” Calum begins as soon as Tony is out of earshot, “but would you want to grab something to eat?”

“Is anything we do normal?” you question him with a grin. “I’m dying for some waffles.”

Calum grins and wraps an arm around your shoulder as the two of you exit the club. It’s not normal and it’s not perfect but it’s damn near close enough.

Author’s Note: This is a rewrite of an old Bucky fic of mine so if it has anything that makes you think of Marvel, that’s why. Also, I finally had an idea for the Calum/Shawn threesome so if I do anymore writing, I’ll work on that.

[insanityclause]

In the 1960s, British playwright Harold Pinter (1930-2008), who went on to earn a Nobel Prize, was married to actress Vivien Merchant but having a seven-year fling with BBC-TV personality Joan Bakewell. This personal experience was one of several important influences on his 1978 drama about marital infidelity, Betrayal, now receiving its fourth (and, possibly, best) Broadway production since 1980. I recall being unimpressed by that mostly lauded 1980 staging, largely because I considered its three usually outstanding American stars, Roy Scheider as Robert, Blythe Danner as Emma, and Raul Julia as Jerry, to be unconvincing as highly-educated Brits. I missed the 2000 revival, starring Liev Schreiber, Juliette Binoche, and John Slattery, as Robert, Emma, and Jerry. None was English, but, in 2013, when the potentially awesome all-British cast of Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz, and Rafe Spall played the the same roles, my response (unlike that of most viewers) was only ho-hum. For the current, limited-run, revival at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, which originated earlier this year during London’s Pinter at the Pinter season, the biggest name among the English leads is Tom Hiddleston (Loki in the Avengers movies), who plays Robert. This is not to say his bright costars, Zawe Ashton (Velvet Buzzsaw) as Emma and Charlie Cox (Philip, Duke of Crowborough on “Downton Abbey”) is Jerry, are in any way diminished by his charismatic presence. They play their roles with the diamond-cutting precision of master jewelers.

But that is still not enough to convince me that Betrayal is more substance than style. In fact, the brilliance of the acting here in Jamie Lloyd’s unconventionally minimalist, finely tuned staging only serves to emphasize the play’s technical glitter over its emotional heartbeat. In the interest of brevity, allow me to adapt the capsule summary of the plot from my review of the 2013 production. It tells the story of how, in 1968, Jerry, a literary agent (Pinter’s avatar), a married man and father, falls for and begins his affair with Emma. She is the gallery-owning wife of Robert, a publisher who is Jerry’s closest friend (his best man, in fact). The affair lasts seven years and ends in 1975. For much of the time, the lovers conduct their clandestine romance in a rented flat. Meanwhile, Robert begins his own affair, as does Jerry’s wife, Judith. A coda, set in 1977, two years after the affair ends, brings the former lovers together at a pub, and Emma reveals that she is now involved with another writer, one of Jerry’s clients whose publisher is Robert.

What makes this otherwise straightforward tale of adulterous love, male bonding and deception, and scratched memories (à la Proust) intriguing is its backward chronology, with the 1977 post-affair coda actually being the first scene, and with the play then proceeding to eight scenes set, respectively, in 1975, 1974, 1973, 1971, and 1968 (1977 has two scenes and 1973 has 3).

And what makes this production intriguing is its abandonment of realistic scenery in favor of an essentially bare stage, designed by Soutra Gilmour, using only a couple of chairs, and very few other props. Instead of recognizable locales, we see a low, beige, color-textured wall running straight across the upstage area beneath a black ceiling in which multiple, embedded lighting strips run parallel to the wings. Jon Clark’s exceptional lighting paints the background with a mood-enhancing palette, casting the actors’ razor-sharp silhouettes on the wall, as well as varying the spatial feeling with shuttering effects.

In line with this spare, visual restraint are both Pinter’s remarkably polite, reticent, outburst-free script and the actors themselves, each model-slender, wearing the same clothing throughout, their every movement calibrated for effect. Lloyd creates an almost Becketian world in which each gesture, twist of the leg, or crook of the neck--even the way Robert eats a meal--seems choreographed for imagistic impact, almost as if you could take a picture of any moment and get a Vogue-worthy shot. Ashton’s Emma seems especially prone to standing in ways that seem more poses than positions. Souter’s perfectly-tailored costumes further enhance the physical attractiveness, Robert’s black garb balanced by Jerry’s grayish jacket, with the principal source of color being Emma, the triangle’s pulse, perpetually barefooted in an elegant, high-shouldered, blue, silk blouse and slightly bell-bottomed jeans. Duologues are performed, often with those involved sitting in spindle-backed wooden chairs as the third member of the trio remains upstage, near the wall, present but not present, a constant reminder of his or her significance to the others in the layered strata of betrayal. And while the set may be ultrasimple-looking, it’s actually mechanically complex, using slow-moving concentric turntables that allow the chairs and actors to circle in opposite directions to fascinating effect. The tall, high-cheekboned Hiddleston, a classically-trained actor who has starred as Hamlet and Coriolanus, is in his element, as are his colleagues, in digging into Pinter’s pregnant pauses, elliptical sentences, and subtextual currents. Lloyd’s direction exploits the playwright’s mannerisms for all they’re worth, and the stage is often electric with unspoken thoughts and repressed feelings. But, over the course of 90 minutes, the plot’s revelations gradually lose power because, after all, the backward trajectory has begun by telling us the result of what has already happened and whose origins the play is seeking to uncover. There are few surprises in store in such a pattern, everything that transpires seeming only to put us on a path of diminishing returns. Betrayal is getting a first-class revival here, interestingly directed and designed, and played with just the kind of knowing reserve, cutting psychological insight, and brittle wit great British acting can provide. Every ounce of meaning would seem to have been squeezed from the dramatic tube. Yet,  in this coolly sophisticated, bitingly cerebral environment, the result is more head than heart, or, as I suggested before, more style than substance. All things considered, however, it’s definitely the best of my three Betrayals.

[ikke-secret]

Australian Boys

This is inspired by ‘English Girls’ by The Maine, though I changed it a little bit. I hope you like it. 

Pairing Calum and Y/N

Warnings: Swearing and smut

Word count: About 3450 words

I wrap my jacket tightly around my body, trying to keep the cold wind out. Maybe wearing a mid-thigh length dress hadn’t been the greatest idea for a spring evening in Sydney, or maybe I’m just a chicken when it comes to the weather. Although, I could either wear this dress or a big purple fur dress, which my closest friend, Joanna, had been so “kind” to offer me – I still have trouble understanding why she bought it in the first place.

Since I’d been so lucky to lose my suitcase in the airport after our flight to Sydney, I’ve had to live with whatever Jo was willing to offer me. She thinks it is the funniest thing in the world, and most of the clothes she’s offering me, is either something obnoxious that only she could wear, or it would be sleep wear – if it even fit me in the first place.

I’d bought this red dress in some store we passed yesterday, along with a few other essentials so I would at least have some casual stuff to wear during the day. 

Jo is walking about ten meters in front of me completely set on going to some bar that is ‘the best Sydney has to offer’ according to some guy she knew here. We’ve been walking from the past bar for what feels like forever, and she has been complaining about her feet hurting about ten times for the past ten minutes, as if I was the one wanting to leave the other place.

“It’s supposed to be right here.” she wines when she turns yet another corner without any luck. I roll my eyes dramatically and pull out my phone. “We can always just go back to the house and then with a groundbreaking invention called Wi-Fi, we could find the address online.” I say sarcastically. She grumbles and kicks a stone onto the filled street, “You’ll pay for the cab.”. I narrow my eyes at her, “You’re the reason we’re lost in Sydney, I’m not going to pay.” 

“Maybe we can just ask someone?” she suggests, before turning to a couple in their mid-thirties, “Excuse me, but do you know where The Rehab is?” The lady eyes Jo with a confused look on her face, and she turns to the man who too has the same expression, “Tror du hun er okay? (Do you think she’s okay)” the lady laughs in some foreign language, which I don’t recognize.

Jo’s face constricts into an odd grimace as she looks at me with a ‘help me’ look in her eyes. The lady looks back at Jo with a now small smile on her face, and I figure she said something funny to the man, “No, I’m not from around here.” she states with an accent I can’t place. 

Jo let’s out a loud cry like a child, making me pull her away from the couple and apologizing to them. “Hun burde måske lægge alkoholen på hylden (Maybe she should cut down on alcohol).” I hear the lady say as they walk away, followed by her and the man’s laughs. 

I halfway expect Jo to fall to the ground and begin to cry like a child, who didn’t get an ice cream at the mall. “Maybe it’s around the next corner.” She says, trying to forge being optimistic, even though she and I both know it’s in vain. I let out a breath, not wanting to argue with her. 

I maneuver in between the many people on the street, trying not to lose sight of Jo, since she’s barely taller than 5’2” and is for some reason able to snake in and out between people like it’s a competition. At least twenty apologies are rushed out of my mouth every time I bump into someone.

I try to ignore the fact that I look like a complete lunatic, and that I’m probably attracting the attention of a lot of people. A man curses at me, when I almost stumble over him. “I’m sorry.” I call after the man, who has already been swallowed up by the crowd. 

I come to a complete halt, before I crash into Jo, who’s just standing and looking at me with a strange look. “I should put you on a leash.” I comment and breathe out deeply. “Whatever.” She waves me off and drift her eyes to the other side of the street. “I told you I could find it.” She snickers, clearly pleased with herself. 

My eyes follow hers and land on the big red neon sign saying: ‘The Rehab’. She smiles to herself and grabs my hand, dragging me across the street, not even bothering to check the road first. 

She dials a number on her phone, and presses it to her ear, “Hey.” She greets the person on the other line. “Yeah, we’re outside, please come let us in.”. “Okay, bye.” She hangs up the phone and crosses her arms.

“Where do you know this guy from again?” I ask her, while studying the tall bouncer blocking the door to the bar, keeping the line outside. I wouldn’t dare to get on his bad side. “We met when I was here to visit my dad last year.” She answers, as if she had already told everyone at least a couple thousand times. 

“Hey Joanna!” A male’s voice bursts at the same moment the door to the bar opens. A guy with blond hair and a piercing in his bottom lip strides over to us and wraps Jo in his arms. I momentarily see her face light up in a wide smile, as if she has completely forgotten her past hour of misery.

When the guy, who’s name Jo has probably told me before, but I’ve forgotten, turns towards me and shakes my hand, “I’m Luke.” He introduces, and his name does ring a bell, “I’m Y/N.” I smile at him, while in my mind I’m silently begging him to take us inside. 

The bouncer nods at Luke when we pass, and I try not to meet his eyes, since I’m sure I wouldn’t dare to even walk inside if he sends me one of those ‘I could kill you with my bare hands’ looks.   

The bar is crowded with people around our age, but Luke walks right past all of them and leads us closer to the back where the lights are dimmed. He stops at one of the many tables, and my eyes drift over the three guys sitting there, each with a beer in hand. Luke begins introducing them, “Michael,” he begins and points at a guy with crazy red hair, “Ashton,” his hand moves on over to a guy with curly brown hair, and the guy, Ashton, smiles brightly at us, “And Calum.” He finishes and points at the last guy with black hair and dark brown almost black eyes. “This is Y/N” Luke introduces for me. 

I scoot into the booth next to Calum, while Jo sits opposite me next to Luke. I watch her for a second, seeing how she is completely lost in Luke, and how she’s curling her body against his. It’s rare to ever see her so close to someone.

“So, you’re from Sydney?” A voice questions, I jump at the unexpected sound and whip my head to the right to find Calum looking at me with a raised eyebrow. I forget his question momentarily as I study his face, taking in everything from his strong jaw to his dark brows. I shake my head, “Um, no, I’m just visiting with Joanna.” I tell him and motion towards Jo. He just nods, “How long are you staying?” he asks, and I shrug. Joanna and I actually hadn’t booked a round trip ticket, we just figured we could stay at her dad’s place until he comes back from wherever he is. “Hard to say.” I reply, “Could be tomorrow or could be next year, we’ll see.” 

He grins widely at me before settling back against the back rest not taking his eyes off me. I notice the dimples that appear on his face, which makes me smile back, there is just something about dimples. 

I try my best to keep myself in the conversation with the boys and Jo, but with every shot I take, it gets a little harder to follow their conversation. Ashton returns with another batch of drinks and hands a beer to me, which I take with a grand smile, before chugging it down. Maybe going here wasn’t the worst idea Jo had ever had – though I’d never admit that to her face. 

“You really like beer, don’t you?” Calum comments, followed by his deep chuckle. I join in on his laughing and set the glass down, “It’s better than all that other crap Jo drinks.” I laugh and catch Jo’s attention for a second, making her brows draw together. I shake my head at her, and rake my hands through my hair. 

An idea sparks in my head as I speak again, “Hey Jo?” I say and catch her attention once more. She glances at me again and actually keeps eye contact for more than a second this time, instead of glancing back at Luke immediately. “Want to dance with me?” I offer. 

I see her eye Luke before whispering something in his ear, which makes him grin before letting Jo pull him out of the booth. “You can dance with Calum.” She tells me and winks. I roll my eyes, and gather up all the drunken courage I can muster before turning to Calum, who’s clearly already awaiting my question, “Do you want to dance with me?” his grin is quick to give me the answer that I want.

The crowd swallows us in like quicksand, and I’m sure trying to escape the crowd will be a lot harder than getting past the people outside. I find a spot somewhere in the crowd, without having any idea where we really are. 

I pull Calum close to my body as I begin moving my hips to the music. His hands land on my waist and I let mine freely wander over his skin and through his damp hair. I close my eyes and let my body move carelessly through the unknown song. Calum has one leg in between mine and his fingers dig into my skin when I brush him every other second. 

The song changes and the crowd goes crazy when yet another unknown song begins playing. My eyes open wide when I hear Calum sing along into my ear. I throw my head back and laugh, “You’re a great singer.” I comment. He sends me a mischievous grin, flashing his straight white teeth. “Don’t you know the song?” he asks when it changes from the chorus to the verse, which he doesn’t seem to know by heart. “No, never heard it before, but it seems as if everyone else here knows it.” He nods, like it’s supposed to be obvious, “It’s famous.” 

I roll my eyes, “I’ll join in on the next song, or whenever they play something that I know too.” He smiles, clearly approving of my idea.

The song quickly comes to an end, and the next song makes me smile widely. Teenage dirtbag by Wheatus streams out of the speakers, which makes me giggle, “What kind of bar plays this song?” I question, but I can’t help the smile on my face. “You know this one then.” He asks, returning my smile. “Of course, it’s my favorite song.” I laugh at myself for admitting it, but it has always been a song I could listen to.

“Her boyfriends a dick.” I sing along with the rest of the crowd, as loud as I can, not caring if anyone is listening. “‘Cause I’m just a teenage dirtbag, baby.” Calum joins in. I sway my lips a little more and pull him flushed against my body. I rest my head against his forehead as he continues singing, while I try to keep my giggles inside. 

“Oh yeah! Dirtbag! She doesn’t know what she’s missing.” I bawl as the song comes to its end. A chuckle rips through me, as I’m suddenly pressed against a wall, which I have no idea where came from.   

I make no move to get away from him as he leans down towards my face, making me giggle, despite my efforts. “You’re beautiful.” He tells me. I ball my fists into his hair and pull him closer, so his lips are hovering over mine. “I think I need to go home.” I say, knowing that if I stay here for another five minutes I won’t leave alone.

His breath tickles my lips as he speaks, “What do you have to lose?”. I meet his dark eyes which are challenging me, “Some girls just like sex, you know? We don’t need all that sappy stuff.” I can barely fathom that I even spoke the words out lout, but judging from his expression, my words seem to please him beyond belief. His arms cage me in, “Then I’ve got some news for you because Australian boys do too.”  

Before I get to take another breath, his lips are sealed tightly over mine. I respond to his kiss immediately and curve my body into his. I deepen the kiss almost straight away and slip my tongue into his warm mouth. He groans against me, and digs his hand into my waist, which I know will leave a bruise tomorrow, but I can’t seem to care right now. 

If it wasn’t for someone bumping into us every other second, I would’ve forgotten everything about the fact that we’re on the dance floor in a bar. Although, it’s probably for the better that I don’t forget the crowd because if I had, I might’ve just stripped down in here with an entire audience to see.

“Let’s get out of here.” I mutter against his lips, when we break apart to get some air. He nods quickly and grabs my hand, pulling me through the mass of people and outside to the still crowded streets. “I’ll get a cab.” He announces, and not even two minutes later we’re sitting in the back of a cab with Calum’s arm wrapped around my waist. His hand is drawing circles on my thigh, making my dress slip farther up my leg. I notice that while he’s doing so, he keeps an eye on the taxi driver, as if he’d glance back at us at any moment. 

His fingers make goosebumps break out across my skin as he shortly takes his eyes off the driver to press a soft kiss to my neck. I fiddle with my hands in my lap all the way to Calum’s place, too nervous to touch him with a driver right in front of us – despite my will to strip naked in a bar less than ten minutes ago. 

Calum gives the driver the money from the ride, before pulling me towards the house. The moment the door closes behind us, he pins me against it and attacks my lips with his. I hum in appreciation, as we pick up where we ended in the bar. I wrap my legs tightly around his body, letting him even closer to my body. 

“Bedroom.” I muster to say, as he sucks on a sweet spot at the nape of my neck. He’s quickly heading down the dark halls of the house, keeping his lips sealed on mine, making me whimper when he presses his crotch against me. 

I hear him open and close a door, before we crash down on a soft bed. His hands move my dress up my body, as he begins exploring the lower half of my stomach with his rough fingers. I repeat his actions on his body, though I’m a little less patient than he is, as I’d rather want his clothes on the floor than on his body. 

“Off.” I mutter against his lips, making him reach behind his back to pull his shirt over his head.  

He drops his head to reconnect our lips, but my movements are quicker. I push him off me and onto his back, before I quickly follow him, straddling his lap. 

I relish in the feeling of his erection under me, as I pull off my dress and throw it away, leaving me in my white lace underwear – I mentally thank Jo for pressuring me into buying it and actually wear it tonight. I grin widely when I hear Calum take in a sharp breath at the sight of me. 

He sits up swiftly and licks a path down between my breasts, while using his hands to open my bra and slide it down my body. His lips instantly close around my left nipple, while he uses his hand on the other one, flicking his thumb over it. I moan and press myself down on him when he sucks particularly hard. 

He rolls us over once more, and pulls his skinny jeans off his body, before reconnecting our bodies. He thrusts his hips into mine a few times, making me eagerly wrap my hand around the base of his erection. His movements still as I do so, and I grin widely at the sudden control I have over his body.

“I need you to fuck me.” I command, and I can tell by his eyes, that he isn’t used to being ordered around in the bedroom. I stroke my hand down the length of him, as his hand cups me through my panties.

“May I?” he asks and pulls away from my hand and instead begins toying with my underwear. “Yes please.” I reply breathlessly, as he removes my underwear from my body. His gaze roams over my entire body, before removing his own underwear, making him just as naked as me. I look at him with hungry eyes. 

He connects his lips with mine, as his hand cups me again, this time skin to skin. I moan into his mouth as he circles my entrance with his fingers, taking all of the control from me. My legs fall open to him as he repeats the torturous movement. 

When he pushes one finger inside me, I push my hips up against his. He slowly moves his finger in and out, before adding another finger, but keeps the pace agonizingly slow. 

His hand falls away from me as he reaches over to grab a condom and slides it on. He crawls on top of me again, and leans his mouth down to my ear, “Let me hear you.” He whispers, before thrusting in to me. I whimper loudly as my nails dig into his back, probably drawing blood, but Cal doesn’t seem to mind. 

He repeats the same torturous movements as with his fingers, slowly driving me insane. My legs wrap around him, and I push my heels down the same moment as I push my hips up. My movements make him hit a spot inside me that no guy has ever reached before, and it makes my teeth water. “I need you to go faster.” I order him and kiss his mouth sloppily. 

His thrusts become faster, just as I wanted, and he keeps hitting the sweet spot inside my body that makes me cry out in pleasure. “Fuck, you feel so fucking good.” He mutters into my neck, as he grinds against me. “Calum, don’t stop.” I moan as I continue meeting his every thrust. “Wasn’t counting on it.” He replies, and moves impossibly faster.

I drag my nails down his back, when his fingers begin circling my clit, and I cry out his name, almost at my breaking point. “Fuck Cal.” I breathe, as I feel my orgasm hit me like a wall, tearing me apart at the seams. I throw my head back, exposing my neck to him, which he takes full advantage off and kisses me with soft feather like kisses.

His continues pounding into me, as his movements becoming sloppy, before his orgasm crashes down on him too, my name a muffled sound against my shoulder. He rides out his high, as I keep panting under him.

His movements still completely when he has passed his orgasm, before he pulls out of me. 

He falls down on the bed next to me, and meets my gaze, “That was fucking…” he trails off, seeming at a loss for words. “Thank god for Australian boys.” I say and laugh, kissing him once more.  

Send requests here

I’d also really like to hear what you think, so please write to me or whatever :))

I just felt like I wanted to write something tonight, so I wrote this instead of doing my homework 

Masterlist

- Calla

[babylon-bitch]

Just Friends ~ Even If It's A Lie (part 54)

A/N I really love this chapter

Harper White is best friends with Luke Hemmings, they always have been. Not only is she  friends with the rockstar, but with the rest of 5 Seconds Of Summer, as well as a really nice girl named Erika.

Harper has a few secrets, she can play all the instruments the boys play and many more. It’s a talent she has kept hidden, only very few people know.

What will happen to the six teens, wondering around the world together?

Warnings: nothing just sadness

***

It’s like I don’t know her anymore.

She’s become this person that’s almost terrifying and daunting. There’s this hollow and tired look in her eyes, and she looks like she could break at any second.  

We haven’t seen Harper too much, she’s been busy with physical therapy, and talking with special people, as well as sleeping a lot, but we can see her, she just doesn’t interact with us.

I think she just feels so ashamed. Harper hates showing feelings, so to have this huge cloud of suffocating feelings in the room, makes her feel even worse. I’m conflicted between being here to support her or leaving her alone so I don’t overwhelm her, but by leaving her alone, I’m worried that she might feel like I don’t care about her anymore, which is the complete opposite because she’s one of the only things I care about.

I would give anything to just hug her and make it all better, but we don’t live in a fairytail. It’s so frustrating, because now she’s woken up it’s just like she’s in a coma again, only she can move and talk.  

There’s like an invisable barrier between us, where as this time last year, I could run towards her without hitting anything, the only thing I’d hit is love, coming from both of us.

Ever since we talked the night she woke up, I can’t get her words out of my head, all of them. The fact that she doesn’t want to live anymore, that she said it all comes back to one person and she doesn’t want to experience all these achievements because it won’t be with the right person, and when she said we both made stupid choices.

She’s right we did make stupid choices.

These weren’t mistakes they were choices.

I made the decision the sleep with another woman.

She made the decision to not move.

They were both fucking stupid.

It’s the silence between us that hurts the most. I’m right next to her or at least in the same room, yet we couldn’t feel further away. I just wish she’d talk to me, not just casually, but about what’s going on in that head of hers. I don’t know how she feels, is she confused, angry, upset, anxious, or even emotionless? I just don’t know.

It’s not just me she’s not talking to, Harper isn’t talking to the others either, she talks to them but they’re half assed simple words, but it’s something, right?

They don’t know how to deal with it or what to do.

Sometimes it’s so awkward between us, which makes me so sad, because we all used to be the closest little group. That was one of Harper’s worries when we first started dating, what if we don’t work out, what happenes to our friendship group?

You don’t just get one of us, you get all of us, and we come as a package, but now that’s not so much the case. Which is so sad to see, years of friendship getting torn apart because of two people, well, basically one person.

Harper and I’s breakup has put a strain on quite a few things.

Firstly the band, I’m not always in the right mindset and feel as if I’m not actually there, so being the frontman of the band and that being said, those things don’t collide well.

Secondly, my friendship with the band, because I don’t feel like I’m actually there, I fuck up sometimes, with lyrics, guitar playing, and sometimes just missing my cue. All that frustrates the boys and makes us look bad, when they are doing perfectly well.

Thirdly my concentration, I just can’t concentrate, my mind drifts into a daydream. Which sometimes is a good thing, because I take some of the things that happen and put it into a song, but it happens far too often, and a lot of the time, it’s a really personal and private thought, which I could never sing to millions of people. Although, I have written some songs which are just for me, which contain some of my darkest secrets. It’s almost like a diary but a little more to it, because whilst I’m writing I can focus on just that thought, whilst my mind ignores all the others.

It’s also put a strain on my mental stability, relationship with a lot of people because I don’t like people seeing me vulnerable, which causes me to distance myself.

My life is on pause whilst I attempt to deal with this all, but it doesn’t entirely pause because time still goes by and I still have to live life but do a bodge job of it.

This damn girl is causing me hell when she’s not even in my life anymore.

“Hey.” Me and Calum say in unison as we walk into Harper’s room.

“Hi.” Sarah smiles and looks up from her book.

“Hello.” Michael waves, without taking his eyes off his phone.

Harper looks up from painting her nails and meets my eyes, I send her a subtle nod and she gives me a tiny smile before going back to her nails.

Well that’s new.

“Can you paint my nails.” Calum asks as he sits next to Harper.

“Uh, why?” Harper furrows her eyebrows.

“Excuse me, this is the 21st century, boys can have their nails painted too.” Calum gasps.

“I didn’t say boy’s can’t.”

“Please?” He begs.

“What colour do you want?” She sighs.

“Yay! Well I don’t think dark red will suit me.” Calum motions to Harper’s nails, which are currently half done. “Do you have black?”

Harper puts the brush back in the pot, before carefully picking out some black nail polish from a little jar.

“Let me finish painting my nails first.” She says and goes back to painting her nails.

Michael and Calum begin to talk about some random show, whilst I lean against the wall watching Harper.

The way she purses her lips and raises an eyeborw when she’s concentrating, the way she tilts her head to the left slightly and analyses her work before moving on to the next nail.

“Cal.” Harper says.

“Yes?” He asks.

“Hand.”

“Oh right.” He nods and places his hand on the little table.

Harper shakes the bottle of black nail polish and screws the lid of, wiping the excess off on the sides, before bringing it to Calum’s nail.

“Remind me why I’m doing this again?” She asks.

“Because you love me!” He smugly smiles.

“Deabtable.” She shrugs.

“Rude.” Calum gasps.

Well she’s definitely changed.

She barely spoke to us, now she’s actually holding a conversation with someone. “Do you want yours done too?” Harper teases me once she’s done with Calum.

“I think I’ll hold on to my masculinity for another day.” I chuckle and give her a pointed look.

“Uh, screw gender rules.” She tells me. “And what masculinity?” She laughs.

“Excuse you!” I hold my hand to my heart. “When we were dating who got rid of all the spiders?” I question.

“Uh, no, you’d just put them under a glass and then run away, then leave me to either feel like it’s watching me or sleep in Angus’ room until it suffocated.” She claims.

“I was tired, it was like 12:30, I didn’t want to deal with it.” I laugh. “And I thought you said screw gender roles.”

“You don’t have to be a dude to get rid of spiders. Plus, you could’ve stayed with me to protect me, because you’re oh so manly.”

“Why couldn’t you do it then?” I question and cross my arms, waiting for an answer.

“Because I was fucking terrified, there’s not a gender that’s less scared of spiders.” She claims.

“I dealt with it, you should be proud of me.” I say.

“Do you want me to give you a sticker?” She laughs.

“You never support me with anything I do.” I exclaim.

“What is going on?” Michael questions.

“Luke’s lack of masculinity.” Harper explains.

“Are you ever gonna let this go?” I ask.

“What do you want me to say, my manly man?” She mocks.

“I don’t like this game.” I pout.

“Whatever.” She shakes her head.

Feels nice to be able to actually joke around with Harper, it’s always been so tense ever since we broke up.

Does this mean we are getting on the right track again? I hope so, because if I can’t love her anymore, then I’d at least like to be her friend. I’m still hung up on her, it’s gonna take me years to get over her, because what we had was so real. Also it’s the only thing I have had left of her for a while now, so if I let go of that, I’d only have useless memories.

I can’t completely lose her, I’m not myself without her.

If being friends is the best we can be, I’ll take it and run with it.

“Can I touch things now?” Calum asks.

“Uh yeah, but be careful because if you come back in a couple hours with it being chipped, I’ll be mad at you.” Harper glares at him.

“I’ll try my best, if I do manage to chip it, I’ll just get Erika or Maddie to fill it in.” Calum smugly shrugs.

“Did you ever read Holes?”

“I’m here bitches, your day just got better.” Erika bursts through the door.

“We’ve talked about this before.” Harper sighs.

“Yeah b-”

“No, you just become another person I have to make an effort to talk to.”

Looks like Harper is becoming herself again, which makes me so happy.

Maddie and Erika still haven’t made up, at least that I know of, they haven’t came here together since. We haven’t really talked about it, for a couple reasons, firstly because it’s not really any of our business but theirs. Secondly because we’ve spent most of our time with Harper and we don’t want things to become awkward between Erika and Harper, we’ve never really talked about that day.

“So, how are you?” I ask not missing the pained look in her eyes when I spoke.

“Fine.” She nods and purses her lips, sticking her tongue out slightly.

Maddie has still visited, just at different times, usually in the morning, and occasionally late at night.

“Where’s Maddie?” Harper questions, clearly oblivious to situation in front of us.

“She uh, couldn’t make it.” Erika responds.

“Oh, okay. Also, where’s Ashton?” Harper asks.

“He’s doing something with his family, I’m not quite sure.” Michael answers.

“Hello.” Someone says and I turn around and see the doctor.

“Hi.” Sarah waves.

“I’ve got some great news.” He smiles. “Harper has been doing really well this past week, and everything is going well, physically and mentally. So you will be discharged in tomorrow.” He announces.

“Oh my God, really?” Harper asks.

I know how much she hates it here. Harper is a free spirit so being confined to one room let alone to a bed, has been tough on her. Don’t even get me started on the food, it tastes so bland, it’s something an old lady who can’t drive, possibly only has one eye, and just boils everything to death.

“Yeah, you’re gonna be sent off with some medication and hopefully you should be completely fine in the next few weeks. I also recommend seeing a therapist, it’s optional, you don’t have to go see one, but I’d advise it.”

“I probably will go see one when I’m back in England.” Harper replies.

“I’ll leave you guys alone for now, I’m never far away.” He waves and heads out the door.

“Thank fuck for that.” Harper says in relief and we all chuckle.

“How long are you gonna stay for once you’re discharged?” Sarah asks.

“I’m not really sure, I can’t stay long because I’ve already missed tons of school. Probably around a week, I’m not too sure.” She shrugs.

***

“I honestly don’t know what to do, she won’t even talk to me.” Erika runs a hand through her hair.

“When was the last time you guys talked?” Ashton asks.

“The day after Harper woke up, that’s been like 10 days, we’ve spoken very small words since then.” She shrugs.

“When was the last time you saw each other?” Michael asks.

“Uh, a few days ago, we ran into each other at the hospital.”

“So like, explain to me what this is all about again?” Calum enquires.

“Maddie didn’t know that I had feelings for Harper before we started dating, and she thinks that I was still in love with her when we first started dating. Which there were some feelings left, but I was so infatuated by her herself, and Harper was just a distant memory at that point. I’m not really sure why she’s making such a big deal about it.”  Erika sighs.

“Maybe because she thinks that the first part of your relationship was just a lie, and you were thinking of Harper the whole time.” Michael says.

“But that’s not the case!” Erika exclaims.

“How is she supposed to know that?” I ask.

“I don’t know.” Erika huffs and sits down in an armchair. “How did you feel when you and Harper were going out, and saw us?”

This past tense shit really hurts.

“That wasn’t really on my mind at that moment, I was more focused on Harper and her well being.” I confess.

“It’s not really a big deal is it?” Erika questions.

“It may of been wise to of told her at the beginning of your relationship, but I’m not really sure what it would’ve done.” Ashton tells her.

“I really hope we aren’t like this on our anniversary.” Erika sighs.

“It’s your year anniversary soon?” Calum asks.

��Yeah in 5 days.” Erika confirms.

I really wish Harper and I could’ve celebrated our year anniversary, although it would’ve been based on lies, I just wish we could’ve made a big milestone in our relationship. I know it’s not about numbers, as long as you’ve got love, the amount of time you are together doesn’t really matter. When Harper and I first started dating, we were already madly in love with each other, and there isn’t a set time where you know you love them. Love comes randomly, love sometimes goes randomly, love hurts, sometimes there’s multiple ways of love hurting.

The heartbreak, when you were head over heels in love with someone and all of sudden they’re ripped away from you, whether it was because of you or your time with eachother is is up. The heartbreak hurts so much, and the break up is always hard and painful to look back on. Usually heartbreak is such a long process to get over.

Time is up love, the type of love that you’ll always look back at and smile. It might of been a mutual agreement to breakup, but it was about the experiences that person gave you, the lessons you learnt from that person. It probably will hurt a little, because letting go of love will never be easy, but you’ll always be greatful for everything that happened during that time.

The worst type of love is when you keep going back and forth with one person, you’re in a continuous cycle of pain. From the outside it looks toxic, but from the inside, it’s almost normal to you. Deep down you might know that this relationship isn’t alright, but you come to a point where you’re addicted to pain and it’s so hard to let go. You kiss, then fight, then kiss again, and this cycle lasts for such a long time, and it’s so hard to get out of.

There’s deep and light love, all types off love is easy to get addicted to and hard to get over.

“Why don’t you do something romantic or something.” Michael says.

“What’s romantic in your books?” Erika laughs.

“Netflix and chill?”

“You’re a fucking loser.” I sigh.

“Name one romantic thing you’ve ever done.” Michael declares.

“When I told Harper about my feelings it was fucking movie material.” I laugh. “Plus I’ve written songs about girls before, that’s pretty romantic.”

“Well in that case, so have I.” Michael smirks.

***

“You looking forward to going home?” I ask Harper.

“Yeah.” She nods.

Harper is finally able to leave the hospital today and go home, we’re all excited for her, and I’m so glad I don’t have to spend any more time in this place. In a weird way I’m also dreading it because I won’t see harper anytime soon, even if we talk after this is all over, I won’t be able to see her in the flesh.

“Don’t forget your watch.” Sarah reminds Harper.

She nods and goes to the table next to the bed and picks up the leather strapped watch.

“You ready?” Andrew questions.

“Yes.” Harper sighs.

“Speak to you soon?” Ashton questions.

“Yeah.” She confirms and they both hug.

“I’m always a call away, feel free to talk anytime.” Erika smiles and Harper pulls her into a hug.

“Bye, lil’ sis.” Michael teases.

“Bye, big bro.” She chuckles.

“Don’t have too much fun without me, okay?” Calum says.

“Of course, anyway, a party isn’t a party without Calum Hood.” She smirks and pulls Calum into a hug.

Harper moves away from Calum and across the room, all the way to me which shocked me because although we’ve been talking recently, we’re not all good again.

“Hey.” She bites her lip looking down at her shoes.

“You’re saying goodbye, but here you’re saying hey to me.” I chuckle.

“I guess you’ve always been special.” She trails off.

“I’m gonna miss you.” I look down at her.

“I’m going to miss you too.” She admits.

“I’ll see you around?” I question.

“Maybe.”

“You take care okay? Promise me you won’t do something stupid.” I say.

“I will, and I promise you I won’t do anything.”

“I’ll wish you good luck in uni, and hope you keep my promise.” I smile.

“Thank you, I’ll wish you good luck on tour, and I’m sorry I put a pause on that.” She sheepishly says.

“Don’t feel bad because of it, babe. I had to be here, I couldn’t of just left you, I could never live with myself if I did that.” I explain.

“Goodbye hug?” Harper questions.

“Always.” I smile and wrap my arms around her waist and she wraps hers around mine.

Feels so good to hug her properly, I havent done it in months, and that’s too long.

Once we pull back, I look down at her and she looks up at me. I press my lips against her forehead and whisper, “please take care of yourself.”

***

I need to clear my head.

It’s so fucked up, I just need Harper, I’m not sure in what way, I just know I need her with me right now.

She should still be here in Australia, it’s been 5 days since she’s been discharged, but I’m not entirely sure.

We leave for tour again in a day, that’s probably the only thing I’ve got going for me right now.

It’s around 3 AM, I’ve kinda lost contact with time, I just do whatever whenever. It’s not particularly too healthy but that’s probably the smallest thing on my mind right now.

Grabbing a hoodie and quietly going down the stairs and out the door. Putting my hood up and then stuffing my hands in my pockets. Winter is approaching and that makes things really fucking cold and all though I might get frostbite, I’m willing to take that risk.

I begin to approach the old abandoned building and keep my eyes trained on the ground, where little clouds of dirt rise when I take a step.

Sitting down and dangling my feet over the edge, and lean against the railing which provides some security.

I begin to he a footsteps from behind me, and it could either be a murderer or the girl I love. Turning around I see Harper coming out of the actual building, which confuses me because that building is terrifying.

Harper freezes when she spots me and begins to walk towards me.

She sits down next to me with a huff and copies my position but rests her chin on her arms.

“What were you doing in there?” I ask.

“Uh, I was bored so I decided to explore it, there’s literally nothing in there, just broken glass, spiders, and lots of cobwebs.” She shrugs.

“How are you feeling right now?” I question.

“Alright I-”

“No, about us?” I cut her off.

“Luke…” She drags out.

“Seriously.” I say.

“Luke, there is no us anymore.” She bluntly tells me.

“Could we start a new us?” I question.

“No, we could never get back together, as much as I enjoyed being with you at the time, we’ve changed, times have changed. There’s too much going on, and just because maybe our break up has caused a lot of this, it doesn’t mean getting back together is gonna fix everything again.” She painfully states.

“So there’s actually no hope of us getting back together?” I ask for confirmation.

“What did you think was going happen, Luke? That we were gonna get back together and everything is okay, just because we’ve actually held a conversation?”

“I’m not really sure what I expected.”

“We can’t get back together Luke, too much has happened. I don’t mean to hurt you, that’s the last thing I want to do.” She sadly stares at Sydney.

“You can say to yourself that you don’t love me, but could you please just tell me you love me one no time?” I ask.

“I couldn’t do that to you Luke.” She claims.

“Just one more time.” I desperately request as I cup her jaw. “Even if it’s a lie.” I say and a tear rolls down my cheek, but a tear also escapes Harper’s eye, and they are almost in sync.

“If I do tell you that, what’s that gonna do Luke?” She questions.

“I don’t know, but I need to hear you say it one more time.”

“Will you repeat it?” She questions.

“Always.” I nod.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

All of a sudden we both burst into tears and hold onto each other.

Here I am crying into the arms of my ex girlfriend, infront of Sydney, at 3 AM, overdosing on false hope.

“I’m so sorry.”

[queenjessalove]

⇋ Name: Jessamine Persephone Love-Witts.

⇋ Nicknames: Jess, Jessy, Jessa, Princess, Sweetheart, Baby, Kitten.

⇋ Age: 19. [ Real Age: 48. ]

⇋ Birthday: March 4, 1971.

⇋ Astral Sign: Pisces.

⇋ Sexuality: Bisexual.

⇋ Hair Color: Dark brown, appearing to be almost black except in certain lights.

⇋ Eye Color: Light brown, often appearing golden in the light.

⇋ Height: 5’4.

⇋ Identifying Marks: C-Section scar, black irises when angry or using large masses of powers.

⇋ Unique Features: Vintage wardrobe, collection of crowns, tiaras and diadems.

⇋ Species: Part god and part demon, often dubbed a demi-demon.

⇋ Occupation: Reigning Queen of the Underworld.

⇋ Parents: Hades of the Underworld, Diana Adams.

⇋ Known Siblings: Christian Conway (half-sibling), Clara Adams (half-sibling), Lyric Adams (half-sibling), Bradley Adams (half-sibling, deceased), Jake Adams (half-sibling), Amanda Patterson (half-sibling), Pierce Ellis (half-sibling), Esmeralda Adams (step-sister, cousin).

⇋ Children: Ridley Stark (daughter via James), Alexandria Lancaster (daughter via James), James Lancaster II (son via James), Grace Witts (daughter via Vincent), Noelle Witts (daughter via Vincent), Ashton Witts (son via Vincent), Contessa Witts (daughter via Vincent), Hope Witts (daughter via Vincent), Odette Witts (daughter via Vincent), Charles Witts (son via Vincent), Adeline Witts (daughter via Vincent), Adam Witts (son via Vincent).

⇋ Other Relatives: Lucifer Adams of Hell (uncle, deceased), Rowan Adams of Hell (uncle),), Esmeralda Adams (cousin, step-sister), Leah Witts (sister-in-law), Zeus (uncle), Poseidon (uncle).

⇋ Marital Status: Married to Vincent Witts.

⇋ Romantic Partners: Zach Maxwell (ex-lover), Felix Nichols (ex-lover), Claude Burton (ex-betrothed), Jenna Floyd (ex-lover), James Lancaster (ex-husband), Vincent Witts (husband.)

⇋ Inhabitance: Underworld (currently), Henderson Asylum (formerly), Hell (formerly).

⇋ Faceclaim: Adelaide Kane.

Personality: Jessamine isn’t always the easiest to get close to. While she’s more kind and generous than most, she extends her compassion at a distance from people, rarely getting close enough to them to truly bond, as she has a great deal of trust issues. After being left by her father in Hell, being betrayed by those she believed to be the closest to her and losing friends and family over and over, she found herself struggling to trust anyone to truly let them in. Therefore, even though she has moments where she is compassionate, mostly with the souls she relates most with, or feels maternal towards, she is often distant to a degree. However, to those she does know, she’s incredibly close to them. She’s compassionate, loving and caring. She’s often the caretaker of her friends and family. While some of them are older, she is usually the one trying to keep everyone in line and is viewed as more motherly. She’s stubborn and stuck in many of her ideals. She isn’t one to give up quickly and is incredibly determined in just about everything. She dedicates herself to being a good mother, good wife and good Queen, and even though she doesn’t admit it publicly, her friends and family will come first, though she loves her people. One of her biggest handicaps is her family, and most people have gone after them because they know losing them will cripple her. Despite her good traits, Jessamine can be incredibly manipulative, cunning and ruthless. She may have a softer heart, but that’s not to be confused as someone who will not destroy their enemies with an iron fist. While she’s calculating and intelligent, and doesn’t always strike, she isn’t scared to. She’s a talented liar, and often uses her innocent looking face and crowns and dresses to trick people into believing she is innocent. And when she cannot rely on that, she relies on her skills and cunning. She is perceptive and knows exactly where to hit and how to hurt. Jessamine doesn’t deal well with emotions or vulnerability. When she’s forced to face this, she’s got a bad habit of forcing it down as she knows if she faces all the pain and suffering she’s gone through, she’ll break and won’t come back from it. She’s learning to let people in more recently, to the deepest depths of her sadness, but still isn’t good at expressing her darker emotions. Biography: Jessamine was the eldest surviving child of Hades, King of the Underworld. She was an odd combination of a demon and goddess, known mostly as a demi-demon, although her mother wasn’t known to her until she was much older. Almost all of Hades children were killed off through attacks meant to destabilize his rule, but not Jessamine. She was a fighter from the day she was born. The first four years of her life were spent with her father, admiring him and learning everything she could about being a ruler by his example. Her life was perfect, even though she didn’t have a mom, she didn’t feel like she needed one. When Jessamine was four, a trusted source informed her father that there were people willing to slaughter Jessamine like the rest of his children. Dejected, and certain he couldn’t let that happen, Hades made a plan to abandon his throne and make his brother, Lucifer the regent until his daughter was old enough to take the throne herself. Her time with her father had come to an end, and so had her time in the place she’d learned to think of as home. She was forced to pack up her life and move to Hell with her Uncle, Aunt and her cousin Clara. Life in Hell was different, and Jessamine was not the same girl she was when she left Hell as she’d been when she’d entered it. She’d changed in the years in Hell. While some things would preserve her innocence, like her elder cousin’s protective nature over her, there was no avoiding her giving into her demon side under the pressure of being surrounded by darkness. She didn’t care about much, that ability became lost on her as she hardened through the years. Between all the evil she was surrounded by and constantly being rolled over when it came to things regarding her throne, it was the only way she could survive. For a while it worked. She was able to live a life as a selfish, cold hearted woman, not caring about anyone or anything other than her few family members. There was one person able to break through her façade, and that was James, a servant in Hell. He was one of the many souls that didn’t seem to belong in Hell, one the many souls that Lucifer had trafficked in through his abuse of his power in the Underworld. He was able to wake something inside of her, something that drove her to care about more than herself, something that drove her to strive to be a good Queen one day. She started to make new allies, ones who’d help her get out of Hell one day in the case that Lucifer’s cold attitude towards her would turn into him making a bid for the throne. She started to make moves to care about more than just herself. Not long after her sister Clara had given birth, she learned she was carrying James child. His form had been made similarly to that of an undead to allow him to interact in Hell, allowing him to impregnate her. When she went to a witch to confirm suspicions, she was taken captive and held until she had her baby by Lucifer, who knew that an heir would give her the power to take her throne. He wiped her memory clean of any memories of it after she’d given birth, sending her back to her life with James. To prevent anymore incidents as such, he soon decided he would take James too. To protect him, Jessamine made her first undead, sending him to earth to live on as she’d have rather he’d be safe and alive then in danger and with her. Life after that was focused around one purpose, working to find a way to get her throne back from Lucifer, and trying to remain alive. It worked for a while, at least until her cousins started being captured by the asylum in the human world. When her sister Clara was taken, she decided that it was time to leave. Her plan didn’t pan out well, as she was cornered by Lucifer, who was enraged. She wasn’t sure why at first, but eventually the crashing revelation came down when her ‘Aunt’ Diana came to beg for her life. It was explained that Diana had been on a diplomatic mission in the Underworld when Hades had seduced her. She’d ended up pregnant with Jessamine and managed to convince Lucifer to let her stay in the Underworld long enough to give birth under the pretense that there was more work to be done. It was all kept a secret, from Lucifer, from Jessamine and from her cousins. Lucifer had plans to kill Jessamine, but instead, he was convinced to banish her to the asylum. At the Asylum: Jessamine was not happy to be trapped within the asylum, and she didn’t have an easy time blending into the customs of Earth either. However, it did allow her to make connections with other races that were trapped with the asylum, and even gave her the opportunity to earn her throne back. She ended up manipulating Lucifer’s son and heir, Bradley into signing the throne over to her once again by using the girl he loved against him. It caused irreparable damage to their relationship, but as soon as Lucifer surrendered Hell’s throne to Bradley, she got hers as well. During that time, she was reunited with James, and while she was in the middle of the fight for her throne, over the course of a few months they came together once again, and she ended up conceiving a child. It only drove her to fight harder. When getting Bradley to promise not to retaliate, he only promised her that for the Underworld and for herself, not for James or her child. So the only way to protect them was to make them part of the Underworld. She married James both for his protection and because she loved him. Not long after, the barrier keeping in the supernatural dropped, and she was able to return home for the first time.On the day of her coronation she suffered what she thought miscarriage as a result of being poisoned by Lucifer, and for days after found herself in anguish over her loss. A short while later, she was forced to give birth naturally, expecting a dead baby. However, she was overjoyed to find that her daughter was well and alive and for the next few months dedicated herself to being the best mother possible. Five months after the asylum set them free, it drew James, her daughter and Jessamine back into its walls. She was able to work from there with the help of her advisers sending her work and documents. Learning to work from the asylum wasn’t the hard part it turned out, because she soon started to realize she’d fallen in love with her best friend Vincent Witts. After several obstacles, she made her choice and chose Vincent. They had more obstacles to move past as she was carrying another child with James, and the pregnancy was slowly killing her. She managed to fight through in the end and a short while after her and Vincent got engaged. Months into their engagement, the asylum took him captive and after weeks of searching, she’d given up. She turned her focus on her daughter, who’d sporadically aged up after healing someone. She managed to break the barrier partially and escape to find answers in the Underworld. Around the same time, Lucifer had sent demons to capture her ex-husband James who was in Hell. She ended up getting assaulted. She believed the demons had left her pregnant with twins, and was forced to try to deal with life after what had happened. Later, for revenge Jessamine and Clara killed Lucifer. Vincent returned eventually, and she learned what had happened to him. They were finally wed a while after his return. At his coronation, Vincent was murdered and before she could bring him back, Lucifer used his own spirit to hold Vincent’s and she had to destroy Lucifer to finally bring her husband back. The same night he was brought back, she learned the twins she carried was his. She gave birth not long after and for a while they were happy. Their happiness extended until the summer, and in that time they had another son. When summer came, Vincent was attacked, and was turned into a hybrid by his sister in order to save him. Jessamine was distraught when she found out she might lose him. When he awoke she proposed they renew their vows. Only a short while later her brother declared war on her, telling her she could either give up her friend Ainsley to be his citizen after she turned her to save her life, or go to war. She went to war. She ended up killing her brother in the end after he struck to try and kill her child. Not long after, Jessamine teamed up with Persephone – a close friend in order to bring down the supernatural border that held in the creatures of the asylum, for good. Since then she has moved back to the Underworld. She’s been working on modernizing the Underworld with her husband. They’ve since had four more children.

[calpalirwin]

Hair or Lungs

A/N: I’m all for giving credit where credit is due, so big thanks to @carebearofriddles​ for the idea. Hope you guys like it!

And away, and away we go!

~~~

Calum made sure you and Roy were out before he finally came home from his holiday abroad. He, never being an early riser, often caught you and Roy chatting in the kitchen whenever you were over. In eavesdropping on those conversations, he had learned a lot about you. Like how your parents had a rule that you were allowed to do whatever you wanted to your body basically, provided it was temporary, and that you had shamelessly tested those boundaries by coming home with wild streaks of colors in your hair or a new piercing because “it’s temporary!”

You had since grown out of that rebellious phase, only keeping the piercings in your ears and dying your hair less frequently and more normal colors when you did. But you had loved your parents for allowing you that freedom to be you in the most you way, and it was something you planned to do for your own kids when you got to that point in your life. Because “hey, as long as it’s not addictive or harming anyone, what’s the problem?”

Well, Calum had changed up his hair. When you last saw him he was still rocking his blackish fluff of a hairstyle. The length was still the same, but the color was now a silvery blonde. And he couldn’t wait to film your reaction. So, he set up the camera, hit record, and waited. 

~~~

“Roy! He’s here!” Calum heard your voice call out happily as your keys unlocked the front door. “Cal?! Cal!” you screamed before running into his arms. “I missed you!”

“I missed you, too!” he said, dragging you into the kitchen where he had his camera still waiting. 

He reached down to scoop up Duke who was barking happily at him. He mumbled some cute nonsense at the dog before setting him down. Then, he ran a hand through his hair, drawing your attention to it.

“Oh, my God!” you said, clapping a hand to your mouth. “Cal! Your hair!”

“Looks good, yeah?”

“It looks great!” you said, running your hands through it. Damn, your man looked good. “Upstairs?”

“Now.”

~~~

“So, if he quits smoking before the end of the year, you 2 can’t have sex for 2 weeks,” Roy grinned over at you. Your roommate was tired of your late night sexcapades with Calum keeping him up. 

You weighed the options. It was only February. Was this a bet worth taking? Yes, you decided. Calum was about to have a busy year ahead of him which meant your boyfriend would be smoking up a hell of a storm. “You’re on!” you grinned, shaking Roy’s hand. 

You and Calum had been dating for close to two years, a relationship only your closest friends knew about. You both had agreed in the beginning of the relationship to keep each other off of your social media accounts and to only be intimate with each other when you were out of the public eye. It was hard, not being able to so much as hold his hand in public, but you respected Calum’s right to keep his relationship with you between just you and him. And, if you were being completely honest, you were scared for the world to know about your relationship. You had seen the type of nasty comments Crystal and Sierra received. No, it was much better to let the world think you and Calum were just friends. Because you were. He was your best friend, and you were his- “girl best friend, Ash, you’re still his guy best friend, calm down”- you just also happened to be dating him.

Calum kept himself hidden as he listened in on the conversation, smirking to himself. He had never had a reason to quit smoking. Until you. And now with this bet hanging between you and Roy, he was more determined than ever to make quitting stick this time.

~~~

The next drastic change Calum did to his hair was he cropped it super short, dying it silver in the process.

Again, he set up the camera to film your reaction.

“Jesus!” you said running your hands through it. “What are you gonna do next? Shave your head?”

Now that there was an idea! He just grinned. “Look, now you can mess it up and I don’t have to fix it before shows,” he told you, running his own hands furiously through his hair. “See? Nothing!”

You pouted. “I liked messing up your hair…”

“And I like not having to fix it,” he said, tapping a finger to your nose.

“We want the curls, Cal.”

“We?”

“We. Me. The fans. The curls. Give them back,” you said, giving a playful tug of his short hair.

“So, you can tug more of my hair? No thanks.”

“You love it, don’t lie,” you smirked, giving his hair another tug.

His eyes closed and he held back a moan. “Upstairs. Now.”

~~~

When he did eventually shave his head, he was in Korea, and you were home with Duke. Recording your reaction was going to take a little more work.

“Oh, God damn it!” you giggled when he Facetimed you. “Your beautiful hair… it’s gone…”

“It’s not all gone,” he insisted, giving his hair a rub. “Ah, that feels weird.”

“Yeah, cuz you shaved your damn head!” you laughed at him. “Oh, Cal…”

He pouted. “You don’t like it, huh?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“So?”

You sighed. “You look great, Cal. You always do. Now, hurry up, and come home so I can not mess up your hair.”

“Just got Australia left, and then I’m coming home to you.”

“You better.”

“I’ll be home before you know it, baby.”

~~~

“Cal!” you shrieked, coming home to find him home.

“Baby!” he smiled, taking you in his arms.

“Damn it! You’re gonna kill me with these hair changes!” you laughed, running your hands through his hair. The shaved head had grown out into a super short buzz cut, and your boyfriend’s hair was silver again.

“Are you saying you don’t like it?”

“I’m saying you’re gonna give me a heart attack with all these looks you keep serving. Just when I think I can breathe easy again, you drag me back to square one with a new look.”

“So, you do like it!”

“Upstairs. Now.”

He smoked his last cigarette after that.

~~~

“So, you actually quit?” Ashton asked as both men sat in salon chairs. Calum was getting his hair dyed blue, while Ashton was reverting back to his natural brown.

“Yep. Haven’t had a smoke in a week.”

“Damn, you really like her, huh?” Ashton teased.

“Fuck you, mate,” Calum laughed.

“In all seriousness though, I’m proud of you for finally quitting.”

“Me too.”

“So, are you finally going to go public with your relationship with her, too? I mean, you’ve been together like what? 2 years? You live together. You quit smoking for her. You just gonna marry her and still keep her a secret or what?”

Calum let out his breath in a huff. “I dunno, Ash. I mean, I asked her to move in after a year of dating 1.) because I love her and shit and 2.) because I felt guilty she’s stayed by my side while I act like we’re just friends in public. Like she deserved for me to show that I’m serious about her, and that was the best I was able to give her.”

“But that was then. This is now. Are you able to give her more now?”

“I quit smoking…”

“Cal…”

“Look, I’ve been making these videos of her, right? Every time I change my hair, I record her reaction. Ryan’s helping me make it into a video to give to her for our anniversary. When I give it to her, I’m also gonna tell her that I quit smoking for good. She makes me want to be a better man, mate.”

“That’s sweet Cal. I’m happy for you, really I am. Y/N’s a sweetheart. But, aren’t you ready to stop hiding behind the anti-love act and own up that you’ve actually been in love with someone this whole time? I know you guys were both scared at first. But, it doesn’t look like she’s going anywhere anytime soon.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“I know,” Ashton smirked. Then, “She’s gonna be pissed you made her lose her bet with Roy. No sex for 2 weeks? Damn…”

“Yeah, that’s gonna suck.”

“Is that why you’re changing your hair so much? To make not smoking easier?”

“Shit, maybe… Hair or lungs I guess.”

“I’m glad you’re going with hair.”

~~~

“Calum… Thomas… HOOD!” you screamed, running to put your hands through his bright blue hair. “What the fuck are you doing?!”

“Keeping you on your toes?”

“More like slowly killing me.”

“I take it you like it?”

“Always, bubs, always.”

“Upstairs?”

“Now.”

~~~

“Oh, Cal…” you breathed, dabbing at your eyes as he showed you the video.

“Happy anniversary, baby.”

“Happy anniversary, bubs.”

“So, you like it?”

“I love it. Thank you.”

“Good, I thought you’d be mad I was filming you in secret.”

You laughed. “Is that why you were changing your hair so much? To make a video?”

“Well that and because it’s stopped me from smoking.”

“What?”

“Yeah, I quit two weeks ago.”

“Oh, Cal! That’s great!”

“I can’t take all the credit. You helped.”

“You quit for me?”

“Yeah. It was do crazy temporary things to my hair or keep damaging my lungs. And I need my lungs healthy because I plan on loving you for a long time.”

“Good, because I plan on loving you right back for just as long.”

“Now, sit, I want to show you something.”

“Show me what? Cal? What did you do now?”

He showed you how he posted the video to his social media accounts with the caption: “So, I’ve been keeping a secret. I’m in love with the amazing, beautiful, and incredibly smart @faby/n and today is our anniversary. She inspires me to be a better man, a better man who changes his hair instead of smoking. Happy 2 years, baby, and may we never stop counting the years together.”

“Oh, Cal…” you said, wiping at your eyes again. “I love you so much, bubs.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t ask first. But, I’m tired of hiding. I want the whole world to know how much I love you.”

“This is perfect.”

“And as much as I hate to break up this lovefest, you lose Y/N,” Roy said, snapping you and Calum out of your love daze.

“Damn it!” you groaned.

“Lose what?” Calum asked.

“Roy bet me that if you quit smoking this year then we couldn’t have sex for two weeks.”

“Oh, right.”

“What?”

“Yeah, I knew. I heard you guys make it.”

“You made me lose on purpose?! Calum!”

“You bet I wouldn’t quit!”

“Because I know how hard you’ve tried in the past!”

“I get to SLEEP!” Roy cheered.

You pulled a five dollar bill out of your pocket and tossed it at your roommate. “Buy some ear plugs, Roy.”

“What?! No sex! Two weeks! That was the bet!”

“Roy, lemme tell you how this is gonna go down. We all know it’s Cal keeping you up, not me. And you said no sex. There’s still plenty of other things I can do to Cal,” you told your roommate.

Calum cleared his throat as he knew exactly what you were talking about and tugged at his pants as they tightened at your words.

“That’s cheating!”

“It’s called a loophole, Roy. Now, I suggest you run, cuz I’m about to show the world how much I love me some Calum Hood.”

“Wait…? The world? Did you and Cal stop hiding?!”

“Yeah, mate,” Calum grinned at him, showing him the post that was blowing up with love for you both.

“I should’ve known Cal was whipped. Treat my brother right, Y/N. Have fun, you two,” Roy said, clapping a hand on Calum’s shoulder and leaving the house, a duffle bag slung over his shoulder.

“I’m not whipped…” Calum said, watching Roy leave you to enjoy each other in privacy.

“Cal?”

“Yeah, baby?”

“Upstairs.”

“Yes, baby.”

[fivesaucekisses]

one | two | three | four | five | six | seven | eight | nine | ten | eleven | twelve | thirteen | fourteen |fifteen |sixteen | seventeen | eighteen | nineteen | twenty | twenty-one | twenty-two | twenty-three |twenty-four |twenty-five | twenty-six | twenty-seven | twenty-eight | twenty-nine | thirty | thirty-one |thirty-two |thirty-three | thirty-four | thirty-five | thirty-six | thirty-seven | thirty-eight | thirty-nine | forty | forty-one | forty-two | forty-three | forty-four | forty-five | forty-six | forty-seven

Chapter Forty-Eight:

Ashton’s POV

Lo: Hey

Lo: We’re still on for coffee right?

The screen of my phone lit up as the texts from Lauren I had been expecting came in. I was an hour late for our meeting time and I wasn’t planning on going either. I hit the lock button, making the screen go black and sliding the object into my pocket in my attempt to ignore her digital presence.

“You can’t ignore her forever, Ashton, you’re acting like a child,” Luke sighed, clearly upset with my current behavior.

“Lucas, you better shut your mouth before I shut it for you—“

“Hey now, no hostility during bro day! Now, take this blunt and get with it dudes!” Michael pleaded as he tried to pass the burning blunt our way.

“I’m not getting with it until Ashton stops acting like an ass!

“And I’m not until Luke learns to mind his goddamn business!”

“Both of you shut up right now!” Calum blurted, aggravated with the both of us, “You’re both acting like children! Ashton, it’s bro day and you’re bringing everyone down—“

“You try being in a good mood when the girl you love is one the front of every newspaper with some other guy!” I yelled, the room went silent as I lifted myself from my seat, adrenaline pumping through my veins, “You try keeping your cool when the girl you think is finally starting to like you again decides to ditch you for her ex! An ex that is a total dick, by the way!”

“Who’s ex is a total dick?” We all turned our heads in surprise, there, standing in the doorway of Michael’s apartment, was none other than Ben.

“Your best friend’s,” I grumbled, walking to the counter, grabbing said newspaper, and shoving it into his chest, “see for yourself.”

Taking the stack of papers, Ben examined the picture on the front cover. Lauren, looking beautiful as ever, stood there smiling as Tristan Davenport kissed her temple, his arm around her waist.

“It’s honestly not that bad, Ash,” Ben tried to reason, only making me shake my head, “it’s all about appearances in that world. I can assure you, that kiss means nothing,”

“Maybe not to us, but it clearly means something to them!” Running my fingers through my hair, I tried to regain my composure.

“Ash—“

“And if appearances are so important why couldn’t it have been with me,” I sighed, my mood shifting toward a more somber one.

“Dude, you’re looking too far into this,” Calum jumped back in, “Cassie told me last night that this whole dinner thing was just sprung on Lauren, she had no time to talk to her mother let alone ask you to come with her,”

Opening my mouth to reply, I could feel a familiar buzz come from my pocket. Pulling out my phone, Lauren’s face popped up indicating a call. My thumb hesitated over the answer button as I contemplated answering the call. My choice was made for me when the artificially blonde boy hosting us all ripped the phone out of my hand.

“No. You’re not answering that. We’re not talking about Lauren,” Michael growled looking at me, “or Cassie,” he pointed to Calum before turning to Luke, “OR Annabelle! It’s bro day, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let a bunch of chicks ruin it!” Walking out of the room and down the hall, the four of us waited patiently for him to return, unsure how to respond to his sudden outburst.

“You’re phone is hidden and we’re gonna be done with all of this negativity,” Michael sighed, entering the room and turning towards Ashton, “Ashton, what do you want to do? No questions, no limits, I’ll fund the whole thing, just say the word, and I’ll make it happen.”

“What?” I laughed, looking at the other boys before turning back to Michael, “No, here is fine. A day in with you guys if fine, honestly—“

“No, it’s not fine. You’ve been in a rut for far too long and I’m not gonna stand around and let you be miserable anymore. Now, what do you want to do?”

“Ash, you might as well pick something, he’s not going to give up and you know it,” Calum sighed, shaking his head as I stood there thinking about what I could possibly want to do without any limitations.

“Well… I’ve always wanted to have a large scale Nerf gun battle—“ “Done,” Michael blurted, his phone pressed to his ear within seconds as he walked out of the room to discuss details with whoever he was on the phone with, beginning to plan our upcoming battle.

“What kind of connections does he even have to make this happen?” I questioned, turning to the other three boys trying to figure out that just happened to our chill bro day.

“I mean, he is from one of the richest families in the city, I wouldn’t put it past him to have a few tricks up his sleeve,” Ben commented, shrugging his shoulders as he fell onto the couch, letting out a sigh as he reached out for the almost forgotten blunt, “You mind if I just?” Shaking our heads, Ben lit the blackened end and took a long drag before exhaling and passing to Luke on his left.

It was a good 15 minutes before Michael joined us back in the room, a triumphant look on his face as he approached the four of us, “Alright, asshats, here’s the deal,” Sliding his hands into his pockets, the amusement gone from his expression, “Two teams; Ashton, Calum and Ben versus Luke and I. Everyone will be given a bag with plenty of ammo to get you through the day—“

“Wait a minute! Why do you get to choose teams?! That’s an unfair advantage,” Ben whined, crossing his arms as he waited for an answer.

“Do you honestly think having Luke on my team is an advantage?” Michael laughed, turning to Luke and giving him a look as if to say ‘so offence’, “Besides, no matter who’s on what team, I’m gonna win, so, that’s that. Now, no one is allowed to leave Greenwich Village, if you do your team is disqualified, thus you lose.”

“Well, how do we win?” Calum chimed in, starting to get excited about the day ahead of us.

“The team with the most points by the time the sun goes down wins. Points are earned by hitting members of the opposite team, body parts being worth different amounts,” from there Michael continued to explain the rules of the game, getting us all in the mood for a little friendly competition.

The next thing we knew, our separate teams were in arranged cars, taking us to separate locations within the village. Michael, graciously, supplied us all with headpieces as well to stay in communication.

“Alright boys,” Michael’s voice buzzed into our ears as we stepped out of the car, “Three hours until sundown. Everyone knows the rules, and I expect them to be followed. May the best shooters win.” And just like that, the audio was cut off leaving Ben, Calum and I to our own devices.

“Well, what’s our plan of action?” I questioned, turning to Calum, who shrugged and turned to Ben who turned to me with an equally confused look on his face, “Ok… why don’t we just, get some coffee and then figure out a plan?” Everyone nodded as we made our way to the closest coffee shop.

“So Ash, how are you?” Ben asked, concern clear in his voice, “That was quite the episode you had back there,” I shook my head, embarrassed about what had happened earlier.

“You know, I thought I was doing fine, but waking up to that… That just shook everything up,”

“But, you know she wouldn’t actually go back to Tristan, right? Like, the hate she has for that boy far outweighs anything else she could ever feel for him. But you,” Ben trailed off, his eyes catching something in the distance, “Speak of the devil.”

Calum and I turned our attention from Ben to the person in question, Tristan Davenport. My blood began to boil just seeing him there, chatting up some random girl on the side of the street as if he weren’t kissing another girl the night before.

“Guys, I just had a great idea,” Turning around and walking in the opposite direction, I pressed on the call button of my headpiece trying to get Michael’s attention, “Hey, Mikey,”

“Yes, future loser?”

“Since you asked me what I wanted to do, can I change it? Cause I have a much better idea that I think you will like as well,”

There was a short pause before Michael’s voice came back through, “I’m listening,”

“We’ve spotted Davenport. I’m suggesting a full on attack. That’s what I want.”

“And that’s what you’ll get. Now, turn to your left and walk into the building beside you. We’re on the top floor.”

“What do you mean,” Looking up from where I was standing, three stories above us Michael and Luke were leaning out of one of the windows from the office building in front of us, “You cheating asshole,” I laughed shaking my head as I led Ben and Calum into the building with me.

“I told you I was going to win, that doesn’t mean I was planning on winning the right way!” By the time the three of us had made it up to where Michael and Luke were, the two of them were busy assembling multiple Nerf weapons for what I’m sure would be the best surprise attack of all our lives.

“Alright, everyone grab a weapon and, please, have at it,” Michael motioned to the pile of plastic, a wide grin on his face, “But, Ashton has first dibs and shot at the scumbag. Groin shots are 20 points.” Bending down, I grabbed the biggest gun I could find, making my way over to the window, leaning out to line up my first shot straight to his temple.

The second the dart hit his head; Tristan was almost knocked off his feet due to the shock. Ducking out of the window, I did my best to hide my position from him as he looked for the source of the attack. Lifting my head back up, it looked as though he had given up on his search, making this an opportune time to attack once again.

The second shot was just as effective as the first, and twice as annoying to it’s victim, “WHO THE FUCK KEEPS SHOOTING ME?!” The boys laughed at the sound of Tristan’s frustration, knowing it was only going to get worse for him.

“Alright, on the count of three, I say we all just go for it!” I suggested, ready to make the boy on the street as frustrated as possible, as the rest of the group lined up along the row of windows, ready to pop up and attack at any second.

“Three… Two… ONE!” In an instant, the boys and I were up and shooting whatever we had at our common enemy, laughing and reveling in his frustration.

Once we were all out of bullets, we ducked down before Tristan could see us, trying our best to keep our laughter in and out location unknown. We made sure to check the window every now and then to make sure the coast was clear for us to make an easy and unnoticed escape, heading back to Michael’s house to finish bro day in peace, us all finally forgetting about our personal problems for a minute and enjoying each others company for the first time in forever.

_ _ _ _ _

This is such a filler chapter, but, its a chapter none the less! I'm sorry for the wait, but let me tell you, after this chapter, everything is gonna be CRAY. Stay tuned, friends.

-Simone

[trendingnewsb]

5 YouTube Personalities Who Escaped From Scandal Unscathed

I’ve come to the conclusion that a big YouTube personality could hunt people on a private island, make a video about it called “Human Death Prank,” and that it would A) get several million views and B) would have no lasting consequences for the YouTuber.

We’ve fallen into a pattern wherein there’s a new scandal featuring one of these people every month, and it always ends the same way. The performer will lay low for a few weeks. YouTube might slap them on the wrist, maybe an advertiser drops. Then they’ll just start churning out the exact same content, having learned nothing and making just as much (in some cases more) money than before. Here, let’s revisit some recently scandalized social media celebs and see where they are now …

5

Logan Paul

You probably know Logan Paul as one of the many YouTube celebrities who looks like all of his hair is trying to escape from his head.

Logan Paul/YouTubeHis father is a Bloomin’ Onion and his mother a can of Red Bull.

You might also have heard of his most recent scandal, in which he posted a video of a suicide victim’s corpse in Japan’s Aokigahara forest. After a public uproar, he spoke to Michael Strahan on Good Morning America, saying, “I am a good guy who made a bad decision” — a claim that is 100 percent true if you remove the word “good” from it.

For you see, good guy Logan Paul has a storied past of doing things that are objectively dumb and also terrible. Like the time he pretend to be shot in the back of the head in front a crowd of screaming 10-12-year-old children. As soon as he returned to YouTube after the suicide forest video controversy, he immediately showed his respect for the sanctity of life by pulling a fish out of a pond and pretending to give it CPR and tasing some dead rats.

YouTube cited Paul’s “recent pattern of behavior” (corporate speak for “We’re secretly worried this person might be a budding serial killer”) when they decided to suspend ad revenue on his account, which has 16 million subscribers, many or most of whom are children. The suspension lasted for two whole weeks. It’s been reported that he actually gained around 80,000 subscribers after his recent controversies. And why not? He made international headlines. You can’t buy that kind of publicity!

And the next time he thinks his channel needs a boost, well, now he knows exactly how to do it.

4

Carter Reynolds

If you Google “Carter Reynolds,” the first result is a Business Insider article titled “The Rise And Fall Of Cater Reynolds.” Directly below that is the link for Reynolds’ Twitter account. He has 3.08 million followers. That … seems like a pretty cushy fall, but we’ll come back to that.

Reynolds got his start on Vine (remember that?), where at some point he is reported to have had four million followers — enough that he was able to get sponsorships from brands like Coca-Cola and travel the U.S. with “The Carter Tour.” He’s the kind of social media star who’s not particularly famous for anything more than being affable and good-looking in a non-threatening way that’s especially appealing to young girls. A few weeks ago, he tweeted “frozen yogurt sounds so good right now” …

Carters Reynolds/Twitter

… and it was retweeted 451 times. That’s pretty representative of his creative output.

Read Next

4 Mistakes We Shouldn't Let Movies And Shows Get Away With

In June of 2015, a video was leaked of Reynolds (19 at the time) and his ex-girlfriend, fellow social media star Maggie Lindemann (16 at the time). In it, Reynolds tries to pressure the visibly intoxicated Lindemann into giving him oral sex while he records it. Lindemann continuously repeats “I can’t” and “This makes me so uncomfortable” until he turns off the camera. Reynolds at first apologized in a single-line tweet, but then did a quick 360, saying on a YouNow stream that Lindemann owed him an apology for “things you guys don’t know about.” He added, “I didn’t rape her. She knows that herself … The fact that she’s trying to be all innocent now or something … it didn’t affect her that much. I know it didn’t.”

When Lindemann tweeted that she was in the hospital shortly after the video was released, Reynolds responded by tweeting, “Maggie is saying I’m the reason why she’s in the hospital … lol nah you’re just crazy and psychotic. Fuck you.” After receiving backlash, he then threatened to commit suicide on Twitter, apologized for it, and took a social media sabbatical.

The result? Well, in addition to his 3.08 million Twitter followers, today he has 3.2 million Instagram followers and 817,000 YouTube subscribers. While he’s no longer sponsored by Coca-Cola, he still does sponsored Instagram posts, including a recent one for Core water. He also sells merchandise and is getting ready to launch a clothing line with his new girlfriend, who is an Instagram model. Don’t follow his example, kids, or else that wretched fate may befall you too.

3

Sam Pepper

Sam Pepper is a former Big Brother UK contestant who managed to translate his brief reality TV fame into YouTube fame. He’s known for “pranking” people, which to be fair, isn’t some outrageous new trend. When I was in high school, guys were trying to punch each other in the dick and film it like Jackass, or screaming, “You just got Punk’d!” after knocking a friend’s book out of his hands.

The difference between Pepper and Ashton Kutcher is that Pepper’s audience is younger, and there’s no “Don’t try this at home kids” warning running in front of his content. His first controversy came in 2014, when he uploaded a video he called “fake hand ass pinch video,” which was just him pinching unsuspecting women’s asses with his real hand. After the backlash over the video, several women came forward with detailed accounts of sexual harassment and rape by Pepper. At least one rape accusation was investigated by the LAPD, but Pepper was never charged because the victim was not willing to testify after her father told her it would hurt her career.

Pepper continued his successful YouTube channel until 2015, when he staged another hilarious prank in which he convinced a young Vine star that his best friend was brutally murdered in front of him. After months of criticism about this incident, Pepper publicly confessed that his pranks were all faked, because if you did the things he pretended to do in public, you would be arrested. He then made his YouTube account private and deleted all of his tweets, going dark online for three whole months.

Today he still has 2.3 million YouTube subscribers despite infrequent posting (his latest video is called “HOW TO BUY ALCOHOL UNDERAGE * IT WORKED *”), plus he can boast another 1.3 million fans between Twitter and Instagram, plus some unknowable number of Snapchat followers. Oh, and he’s out there on the front line defending Logan Paul’s suicide forest video. Everyone is so triggered, you guys!

2

PewDiePie

PewDiePie is the Titan of YouTube. There’s really no comparable star in the old media world right now. You would have to make a human centipede out of George Clooney, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, and Ryan Gosling to approximate the star power that PewDiePie has on YouTube. He currently has 61 million subscribers, ahead of his closest competitor by 23 million. Like a medically resistant staph infection, there just doesn’t seem to be anything that can stop him from growing.

In February of 2017, he paid two men on Fiverr (a “Pay strangers to do things for $5” site) to hold up a sign that said “Death to all Jews,” under the guise of this being the weirdest thing he could think to have somebody do for that amount of money.

PewDiePie/YouTube“Don’t forget to ‘Like’ and ‘Genocide’!”

Thanks to an article in The Wall Street Journal, the outrage went mainstream and a whole generation of old people had to figure out how to say “PewDiePie.”

The incident caused Disney’s Maker Studios to cut ties with him, as well as YouTube to drop him from their Google Preferred ad program. PewDiePie responded with a video saying his actions were a joke, which kind of isn’t the point. (Meanwhile, neo-Nazi website The Daily Stormer featured a blog post congratulating him for “making the masses comfortable with our ideas.”)

But hey, anybody can screw up once. Seven months after this apology, however, PewDiePie loudly and clearly yelled the N-word while streaming an online game, noting later that he’d forgotten he was streaming to the public (you know, it’s the kind of thing he normally only says among friends). This time he said, “I’m not going to make any excuses for why I did it, because there are no excuses for it.” He went on to say he was disappointed in himself.

By now, you know how the story ends. The kind of thing that would have permanently sank the career of, say, a Seinfeld co-star is but a scratch on the hull of PewDiePie’s Star Destroyer. According to Forbes, he made 20 percent less than his 2016 earnings … which means he netted $12 million. Meanwhile, he gained about two million subscribers after the controversies, seemingly without losing any.

1

JonTron

Since this is 2018 and we find ourselves involuntarily grading racism on a curve, it’s easy to argue that PewDiePie isn’t as bad as the swarm of unapologetic racists that fill YouTube. He repeatedly says he doesn’t believe those things, that it’s all just shock value humor, that he’s learned his lesson, etc. That is not the case for JonTron, who was extremely eager to tell the world that those are in fact his views.

JonTron has 3.9 million subscribers on his YouTube channel, and turns up on a couple of others. He’s actually pretty funny — his whole persona is the cuddly nerd next door. Which is why it was so shocking to his fans when he took to Twitter to defend Republican Senator Steve King’s comment that “We can’t restore our civilization with somebody else’s babies.”

JonTron/Twitter

When people called him out for it, he decided to clarify his views on the subject by discussing them with Steve Bonnell, a Twitch streamer knows as Destiny. Over the course of an excruciating two hours, JonTron clarified in great detail that he thinks racial purity is extremely important to the future of America, and that he fears the day whites become a minority (which he estimated would happen in 2042).

In response to angry fans, he said, “The fact that people think it’s troubling is what’s troubling.” In the course of the debate, he also claimed that wealthy black Americans commit more crimes than poor white Americans, that Mexicans are somehow attempting to recapture American land, and that “We don’t need immigrants from incompatible places.” Gee, I wonder which places he considers incompatible?

He then issued an apology for his clarification, saying, “I do completely understand that historically the African American community has had a raw deal in this country. Discrimination certainly exists but I do believe it goes all ways.” And later, “Any of the things in the stream that could be considered weird sounding or off-putting, I probably agree with you that they were. So, I hope you don’t read too much into it.”

OK? He seemed to swing wildly between “I’m a comedian, I don’t want to talk about politics” and “But here are my terrible politics, and if you don’t like them, you’re policing my thoughts” before finally landing on “Don’t listen to the things that I say.” At this point, do we even need to point out not only that JonTron still has his millions of subscribers, but also that his videos are still sponsored? The only lasting effect seems to be the entry about the controversy on his Wikipedia page.

The promise of the internet was always that there’d be no gatekeepers. You can publish directly to the world, bypassing editors, publishers, censors, TV networks, etc. Well, here it is. There is nothing between these guys and their audience, and what we’ve found is that their audience is not scared away by sexism, racism, or anything else.

The rest of us will have our weeks of outrage, and we’ll see vague headlines about boycotts and suspensions. While we’re patting ourselves on the back, these guys know they just need to hunker down for a bit and weather it. They know the audience isn’t going anywhere, and as long as the eyeballs are there, the money will follow. No matter what.

Ever notice how normal photographers are never embroiled in scandals? Stick to still-life with a Nikon DSLR camera.

Support Cracked’s journalism with a visit to our Contribution Page. Please and thank you.

For more, check out 5 Crappy Sides Of YouTube Stardom No One Talks About and The Fate Of 4 Internet ‘Celebrities’ After Viral Fame.

Also, follow us on Facebook, if you like jokes and stuff.

Read more: http://www.cracked.com/blog/5-youtube-personalities-who-escaped-from-scandal-unscathed/

from Viral News HQ https://ift.tt/2HA3hS6 via Viral News HQ