#Canadian glass and mirror

[glassdiy]

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[battle-of-alberta]

So I'm back at the newspaper research and while 2009 has a lot of things I'm familar with since I was an age to pay attention more to the news, there's also a lot of hidden gems (and I'm starting to notice that a lot of them appear in Todd Babiak's column, lol. thank you todd i liked your book)

here's such a gem on Edmonton's branding that encapsulates why i struggle so much with Edmonton-ness and also has a glimpse of an alternate reality where we had a silly slogan.

Here is a bit of "Citizens to give voice to our unique stories" from the Edmonton Journal on May 14, 2009.

he said what we we all know but don't say out loud

honest to god todd this is what i've been Saying

ICY HOT ENERGY!!!!!!!!! WE HAVE ICY HOT ENERGY! ARE YOU HEARING THIS RIGHT NOW!

on a related note, I'm starting to put the pieces together about why our branding was simply "EDMONTON" in white font on a black background next to a maple leaf in 2017:

remember..........

it sure does Todd it sure does <3

anyway you understand why i am so "ugh" about perceptions of edmonton and how i have to bite my tongue every time i say where i'm from and the reaction is either ??? or "OH, THE WEST EDMONTON MALL!" - it turns out it's a shared feeling.

anyway our current branding i think is still Original Since Way Back and while i find it a little silly, especially in light of the fact that "authenticity" has been a trendy buzzword over the last decade or so, I do have a little fondness of it like. yeah. it's edmonton. we know what we're about even if you don't. hahahaha.

[thedailymobile]

“Mirrorwall: Ripple Effect”

© EricBrazier.com

[p1astr81]

Oscar in gym shorts is doing things to me

Could you do a fic where Oscar is in gym shorts and reader keeps doing things seductively to get him hard until she can see the full outline of his cock in his shorts and they she plays innocent like oh what caused that lots of teasing

anon I get you. HIS QUADS😩

warnings: smut, rough sex, piv, unprotected sex (don’t do that), blowjobs—face fucking, probably more lmk😭

He looked too good in those shorts. His quads looked impeccable. You could’ve just told him what you wanted. But where’s the fun in that?

“Oscar?” You called from the kitchen, a faux sweetness. You were in nothing but a racing jacket with his name and number on the back, and a pair of panties, bent over looking in the cabinets under the sink. You knew the black lace was peeking out.

“Yeah baby?” He called from the living room, rewatching his qualifying lap from last year’s Canadian Grand Prix for the trillionth time.

“Can you help me? I can’t find the glass cleaner and I got makeup on the bathroom mirror.” The whine in your voice was fabricated, too. Anything to get him to want you as much as you wanted him.

You heard his footsteps as he drew closer, and heard the split-second hesitation in them. His hands landed on your hips to gently move you out of the way.

He found the glass cleaner in two seconds.

“Oh,” you laughed. “Silly me. How’d I not see it there?” You laid a hand on his bicep, squeezing lightly. “I’d be lost without you,” you leaned on your tip toes and planted a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you, Os!”

You went about cleaning the rest of the house. Dusting shelves, wiping down counters. Every time you had to bend down, you made good work to exaggerate the arch of your back.

It was safe to say that Oscar didn’t give a damn about his work. Not when all his blood was running south, making him so hard it was beyond uncomfortable. It probably didn’t help that he was imagining bending you over the table and fucking you so rough that you forgot your own name. He could almost hear your soft gasps and whimpers.

When the house was spotless and smelling like lemon and chemicals, you sat down next to him, a cupcake in hand. “What’re you working on?” You asked, taking a bite of the cupcake.

“Just…” fuck, you’d put on that clear gloss of yours that made your lips shine. “watching—uh—Canada—quali lap from last year—mine.” You giggled at how his brain was very obviously failing on him.

Then you caught sight of some of the cupcakes frosting on your finger. “Aw, man.” You frowned before popping your finger into your mouth and sucking it clean.

Oscar watched in awe. His dick twitched in his shorts at the thought of him replacing your finger. He licked his lips, trying to compose himself and his thoughts. But when your finger made a lewd pop as you took it from your mouth, Oscar was a goner.

And then you threw your legs over his lap, brushing over the tent in his shorts. You froze as he groaned. “Oh, how’d that happen?” You laughed, a sheepish smile on your face.

That broke him. “Don’t play innocent. You know damn well what you’ve been doing all day. Walking around here with nothing on but panties and a jacket with my name on it.” His hand inched up your thigh until it reached your clothed core. He let out a humorless laugh. “Bet you’ve been this wet all day, huh? Just teasing me hoping I’d give in and fuck you?” He applied light pressure, circling your clit with his fingers agonizingly slow. You bit your trembling lip. When you took too long to answer, Oscar pulled away.

“no! I- I mean- yes! Yes I was teasing you! But you just look so good in those shorts.” You sighed, looking up at him with big, pleading eyes.

His fingers slipped by your panties and dipped into your cunt. His fingers fucked you slow, driving you insane. “If you’d have said something, I would’ve taken care of you sooner.” He feigned sympathy. “But now you’ve created such a problem for both of us.” He frowned, a purposeful harsh pump of his fingers that caused you to shout.

“Oscar,” you whined, gripping onto his bicep.

He kept up the sympathetic facade. “What do you need?” He asked like he wasn’t knuckle deep in your pussy.

“Feels so good,” you sighed, your head falling back to the cushions.

“That wasn’t the question.” He said and took his fingers from you.

You mewled at the loss. “Please, osc. I need you so bad.” Fuck, you looked in pain, so drunk on him already and he hadn’t even brought you close to cumming yet.

“Oh yeah?”

You nodded.

“Doesn’t feel so good getting teased, does it?”

As soon as he said that, you knew he wasn’t going to make this easy on you. “Get on your knees.” He told you, his voice gentle despite the fire that burned behind his eyes. You do as he says, sliding from the sofa and onto your knees in front of him. He smirked at your obedience. “You know what to do.”

You reached for the waistband of his shorts. He lifted his hips so you could peel both his shorts and his boxers down his legs. You whined at the sight of his cock. So hard, leaking, red and angry.

To not upset him any further, you leaned forward as soon as you’d discarded his clothes. Your tongue met the underside of his cock, licking from the base to the tip before you eased him into your mouth. Your cheeks hallowed around him, and he threw his head back with a groan. “So perfect for me.” He muttered, running his hand through your hair. You bobbed your head, taking as much of him as you could.

He grasped your hair into a ponytail. “Wanna fuck your face.” He rasped, already rolling his hips slightly. “Will you let me do that?” It was uncharted territory between you two, but fuck did it sound hot.

As soon as you nodded in permission, he took over. He fucked up into your mouth while pushing you down to meet his thrusts. He was moaning with every pass.

He continued to bully the back of your throat and tears pricked to your eyes. He noticed. Obviously. “Fuck, am I too big for you?” He asked with sympathy, but in truth it was going right to his head. Especially when you nodded. “Squeeze my thigh if you wanna stop, yeah?” He breathed, to which you nodded again. Your grip on him loosened slightly. He chuckled, the sound more cruel than humorous.

His thrusts became erratic, his breath growing more ragged, his moans increasing in pitch. He spilled his release down your throat without so much as a warning.

You were thoroughly choking on him then. None the wiser, he continued to use your mouth to prolong his release. You could feel the oxygen leaving your brain, making you dizzy. You dug your finger nails into his thigh and he immediately pulled you off of him.

You stumbled back in a coughing, gasping fit.

He rushed to your side, a supportive hand on your back. “I’m sorry. Was I too rough?” His concern was sincere this time as he searched your face for some answer.

He sighed of relief when you shook your head. “Just couldn’t breathe.” You panted.

He sat with you until you caught your breath. Then you looked up at him, doe eyed. “I still need you.” You confessed in a small voice, squeezing your thighs together.

He grinned. “Can I do you on the dining table?”

“The dining table? Where we eat?” You choked.

He shrugged. “I’ll clean it real good after.”

That’s how you found yourself lying on the very table where you eat dinner every night, split open by his dick.

Fingers bruised your hips as he used them as leverage. The table creaked with every harsh snap of his hips. “Squeezing me like it’s our first time all over again.” He groaned. “Maybe we should tease each other more often.”

Small, airy gasps left your mouth with every thrust. Like he was fucking the noises out of you. You felt the tension in your stomach grow, gripping the edge of the table harder. “Oscar, I’m so-“ you were cut off my your own whine. His fingers joined the conversation, drawing harsh circles on your clit.

“Come on, baby.” He encouraged, fucking you so hard that the table was scooting across the floor. “Show me how pretty you are when you cum.”

Your gasps turned to moan. High pitched pornographic moans. A wave of pleasure washed over you as you came. You back arched high off the table.

“Squeezing me so good, fuck. You feel like heaven.” He grunted. Your cum spilled from your cunt as he continued to bury his cock inside you, searching for his own release. You felt him twitch inside you right before you heard him groan your name and you felt the warm liquid fill you up.

He braced himself on the table, catching his breath. When his breathing was level, he picked up your tired body and brought you to the bathroom. He laid you out in the tub and ran the water hot. He left to get you a glass of water.

“Oscar,” you called out to him, the whine still in your voice. He returned to see your arms outstretched to him. Knowing what you wanted, he joined you in the tub and handed you the water which you happily gulped down.

He placed the empty glass on the ground while you lathered a washcloth with body wash. He took it from your hands, allowing you to relax while he washed you off. “Was I too rough?” He asked.

You shook your head. “It was a nice change of pace.” You joked. “But not something I’d want to do regularly.” He nodded at the clarification.

[cuteandhughesy]

You Were Right There All Along | Mat Barzal

summary: you've been harbouring an embarrassing crush on your best friends brother since the moment you laid eyes on him in the 8th grade. during a drunken game of truth or dare with all your friends, mat finds out your secret. but when things start changing between you and mat, you're unsure how to navigate the new dynamic.

[word count] 4.8k

warnings: best friends older brother! mat | oblivious idiots | drinking | kissing | fluff | generally awkward situations | mature themes and dialogue

a/n: the end of 2024, I put out a poll asking which players you wanted to see my write for (that I haven’t done yet) and mat barzal was a clear winner! it took me a hot minute to figure out what I wanted to do for him, but as soon as I settled on this it was a done deal. hope yall love it 🤭

🎵 stargazing by myles smith, messy by renee rapp, wait for you by jake miller, + sparks fly by taylor swift

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you absentmindedly trace a droplet of condensation, following it's dewy trail as it slowly trickles down your glass bottle of beer.

your friends loud conversation and even louder laughter is all but faded to the background as you fiddle with the bottle in your hands—lost in the smell of the beach still lingering in your air dried hair, and the heat of the bonfire warming your legs from a few feet away.

summer is and always will be your favourite time of year. not necessarily for the overwhelming canadian heat—although, that is a bonus—but rather than for the fact that it's the time of year when everyone gets to be together again.

your friends, who seem to now live all over the place, all come back to toronto for the majority of the summer months every year, without fail. so instead of battling through time changes, uni classes and hockey games, you all rent a place up in muskoka and just be with one another.

the days always consisting of too much sunshine—which inevitably leads to mat getting sunburnt and whining until you're rubbing aloe into his red, crispy skin—sandy toes and the overwhelming smell of chlorine and tanning oil, and nights consisting of s'mores, seltzers and stupid horror movies the guys insist are masterpieces.

it's perfect—and tiring, which means this is the time of night were, combined with three or four beers after a delicious dinner, your vision starts to get a little blurry and you begin curling in on yourself—campfire chair almost buckling in protest.

not that the creaking noises stop you from trying to ball up further though, half tucked under one of the designated bonfire blankets mat keeps in the back seat of his truck.

"truth or dare, y/n?"

liana's half slurred voice pulls you away from your condensation coated beer, and across the fire where your best friend sits, mirroring you position—minus the throw and double the drinks.

she's got an excited glint in her gaze, letting you know that she's enjoying the party game way too much for almost 1 in the morning. but she's not the only one, because most of your friend group is in the same boat.

you take a sharp breath, a playful look of contemplation pulling at your features. shifting slightly in your chair, you wince. "truth?"

liana snorts, "you sound unsure."

"yeah, well after danielle dared austin to chug hot sauce i've been unsure about everything." you physically shiver at the memory of your good friend, and upmost dare devil, turning beat red as the franks red hot coated his throat.

it took him 20 minutes and four glasses of milk to even begin returning to a normal state.

danielle, your other good friend, snickers from behind the rim of her beer next to liana. "okay, dramatic—it was a half a shot." she corrects, shooting you a teasing side eye.

"all the same." you chime, waving dismissively in their direction—lightheartedly and gently, making the two drunk cackle queens almost loose it. and obviously the sound of them laughing gets the group going, because you're all seagulls, truly.

after a giggly beat, liana shushes you between small giggles. "okay, shut up everyone. i'm trying to think."

"god this could take awhile," mat's cheeky remark doesn't go unnoticed by you, half because he's sitting beside you and the other half because he's so far from a whisper that it's almost embarrassing.

but considering one of mat barzal's favourite things in the entire world is annoying his sister, you think his volume level is completely intentional.

"fuck you, mathew." liana spits, her eyes closed and fingers to her temples like she's a physic rather than your best friend trying to conjure up a silly truth or dare question.

the sound of mat's familiar and joyful chuckle has your stomach swirling, your gaze naturally flickering over until you're looking at a sunburnt, eye crinkled smiling mat.

he catches your gaze, and like the cheeky bastard he's always been, mat winks. it's so quick and natural that you almost don't catch it—but who are you kidding? of course you catch it.

because for as long as you can remember, anything your best friends older brother does catches your attention. whether he's simply just walking past you in the barzal childhood house while you're coming back from the bathroom, or throwing popcorn at you from the other end of the couch while liana and his parents aren't looking during movie nights—mat barzal has always been in your head.

it started the day you came home after school with liana—both of you young faced and frizzy hair—and mat was sitting at the kitchen table, homework sprawled out all around him. you remember freezing in the archway, feet stuck to the ground as you stared at a sophomore mat, long grown out hair and braces adorning his face.

you don't remember how long you were caught in the embarrassing, lovey dovey stare, but you do remember the polite smile he sent you, and the elbow liana dug into your ribs to get your attention.

years past and the initial crush you blossomed for mat never dimmed—no, if anything it exploded. for the longest time you couldn't even be close to him without getting flustered, which really wasn't ideal. so with lots of time and practice, you learned to mask it.

which thank god, because otherwise that hot, casually wink would've sent you to an early burial.

your response is lame, because you're just a girl who, although may seem casual about it on the outside, is still freaking out on the inside—you roll your eyes playfully.

it only makes matters worse because mat smirks.

your body flashes with heat. pulling your legs away from your chest, you attempt at crossing your legs underneath the throw blanket, which only gets you tangled in the islanders branded material, before it completely falls to the ground.

before you can even blink, mat is picking up the blanket and covering your legs again. "don't go throwing my precious blanket into the fire now, tater tot." he teases, big hands tucking the blanket between your thigh and the seat. fucking hell.

oh yeah, and of course the torture doesn't just stop there because he's also the only one who calls you tater tot.

tater tot because the very first breakfast you had after a sleepover at the barzal house in 8th grade, you half choked on a tater tot. liana had been too busy snickering and recording your coughing, red face, leaving mat to pat your back until you calmed down.

the most humbling experience of your life, quite possibly.

"thinking about me choking again?" you prompt with a quirked eyebrow, flicking an imaginary piece of lint of the blanket in an attempt to look casual. you look back at mat, "such a perv."

mat takes his bottom lip between his teeth, laughing breathily through the hold. just as he goes to respond, danielle's loud voice echos over the casual conversation of austin and your other friend mark, and the cracking fire.

"oh!" she looks like there's a floating light bulb over her head. "how about..." danielle trails off devilishly, leaning across her navy camp fire chair to cup a hand around lianas ear.

"what?" marcus wheezes, "I feel like that's not allowed."

"technically it is," austin shrugs lazily before taking a slow gulp of his beer, foam sticking to his moustache before he licks it away.

"whatever."

liana gasps loudly, "oh my god, yes!" your best friend, clearly pleased with whatever question danielle has conjured up, sits forward in her chair—looking as if she's trying to bewitch you through the glow of the flames.

you give a half curious, half anxious look as you wait for liana to continue—because of course she paused for dramatic affect.

you already know mat is rolling his eyes at his sisters antics.

"okay, y/n...who did you have a crush on in high school."

the question seems innocent enough to the majority of the group—harmless, even—but you feel like you've just been hit in the head with a damn baseball.

because obviously danielle and liana know about your crush on mat. you can barley keep secrets to save your life, and if you didn't tell someone about the feelings you'd been—still are—harbouring for the eldest barzal sibling, you surely would've imploded.

you're kind of just stuck right now. mouth opening and closing like a fish while your two best friends smirk and laugh across the fire pit.

beside you, mat steals a glance at your side profile, and at the sight of your blank expression, his posture goes ridged. "liana," mat says her name in a warning—in a way that only an older sibling could.

"don't liana me! come on it's a good question." she giggles, a small hiccup following as she falls back into her camping chair, her loose crop top shifting and giving everyone a view of her sparkly belly button piercing.

you can't be mad at her or danielle—or the stupid question, for that matter. you know they're drunk, and they're filter is gone, and they're is no ill intent behind the stupid game. but your heart still pounds and your hands are clamming up like crazy.

finally, after what feels like an eternity, you manage to find your words. "it's really not," you half mumble, trying to make your tone as light hearted as possible? as you can feel all your friends curious eyes on you.

mat's eyes on you.

but liana, who is unable to catch the edge to your tone, continues to dig your grave—and this time, coldly shooting you in the process. "y/n, trust me when I say that nobody here cares that you're totally down bad for my brother! just say it."

her words are half slurred and barley audible but it feels like they were screamed from a roof top.

"what did you just say?" mat asks, seeking confirmation to the words that, he too, heard just fine.

but of course he's asking his half way gone sister to repeat herself, because the bomb she just dropped quite literally turned everything on its head.

you don't dare look over at mat. you can't see his face right now, not when you're sure he's in a state of horror while he digests the new elephant in the room—the elephant being your deepest secret, lingering in the air between you all like a pest.

it takes liana one look at your frozen face and tense shoulders for her breath to hitch, falling back into her rickety camp chair again as she realizes what she just blurted out to the entire group.

"wait, fuck my tongue isn't working right," she swallows, guilt lacing her eyes as she blinks hopelessly. "I didn't mean to say that."

the tension lingers in the air, sitting heavy and weaving through the dwindling flames. nobody really knows what to say, especially liana—her sobriety slowly creeping back in as she wallows in further guilt.

you nod in her direction, quick but soft, to let her know that you know you're not mad. fucking mortified and embarrassed, but not mad. you couldn't be. not when it's been the other way around between you both many times—like the time you blurted out that liana had snuck out to meet up with her boyfriend in highschool in front of mat and their mom.

a beat passes before somebody clears their throat awkwardly—austin probably—and then mentions something about roasting spider dogs. it seems to momentarily do the trick, and your friends easily fall back into their usual banter, stabbing raw hot dogs on their wooden sticks to cook.

"i'm gunna grab another drink." you push the throw off your legs, not sparing a glance towards mat as you get off your chair, making the short walk to the sliding back door of the air bnb.

as soon as the door closes behind you, and your left in the silence of the dim kitchen, you cover your face with trembling hands.

"shit," you curse hopelessly, skin burning with embarrassment, "shit, shit, shit."

dragging your hands down your cheeks, you resemble a decaying zombie—hell, you feel like one too. a combination of despair and fear and everything in between sits hot and heavy in your chest, while your best friends playful said words echo through your head.

you didn't look at mat after she practically told him that you're in love with him, for obvious reasons, but you could feel him.

feel the way his spine straightened and his shoulders rolled back in a tense pause. you only picture the way his gaze would’ve narrowed in his sisters direction, plump lips parting in shock as he listened.

he has to be angry, right? or worse, he's not angry but instead he's pitiful.

god, the thought of that is somehow worse, and another curse passes through your lips.

you've got use to living in mat's shadows—or so you thought—keeping your feelings for him buried deep down to not upset the steady stream between you, your best friend and her older brother.

so much hard work from the time you were 13 to now...all for what? for your embarrassing crush to get revealed in a drunken game of truth or dare. a secret that is surely to disrepute the calm of your friendship with mat.

you never wanted messy. and now, here you are.

the door slides open behind you, the sound making you spin on your heels just to see mat enter the kitchen. unfortunately for your already racing heart, mat barzal looks glorious.

his dark hair is at the perfect length to tuck behind his ears, but always falls away because it's not quite long enough. and although he's sunburnt, the colour on his face makes him look beautiful.

he's wearing a pair of board shorts and one of those earth rag sweaters you can buy at carnivals, one that he's given you many times over the years when you're shivering on board walks or sitting on boats without a second thought.

your eyes meet, and you groan, hands falling to your sides in defeat. "oh no, you followed me."

mat walks right up to you, bare feet padding on the tiles because he insists that in the summer he doesn't need shoes—tell that to him everytime you're pulling thorns from the bottom of his foot, which inevitably happens at least once a summer.

his brows draw down towards his nose, like he can't believe the words that came out of your mouth—as if those are the words he can't believe out of everything he's heard tonight.

"of course I followed you," mat says, tone his usual mixture of firm but also toeing the line of playful.

confusion bubbles in your veins, eyes narrowing on his seemingly calm and carefree expression as he looks at you. looking at you how he always does—like your friendship just didn't get pushed off the deep end.

"are you mad?"

mat's furrow deepens, but the faintest ghost of a smile graces his mouth. "why would I be mad?"

your lips part, close, and part again as you attempt to collect your scrambled thoughts. you quickly cross you arms—some kind of defensive attempt that only feels silly, because hello? it's mat—and just as fast they're back at your sides.

and then, the scrambled word vomit ensues in the form of a run on, stuttering sentence, if you can even call the words you're hyperventilating out a scentence. "well—because—did you not hear—I used to—"

mat, ever the steady stone in your life, gently cuts you off, big and warm hands squeezing the meat of your biceps. "slow down," he commands gently, "take a breath."

and like a trained puppy, you do—inhaling sharply through your nose and letting it all out in a shaky exhale through your lips, mat's hands on your body for the entirety of it, which you're chalking up to him just being too kind for his own good.

he nods approvingly, "okay good now, one thing at a time y/n. my minds kind of all over the place here." mat admits with a breezy chuckle, knees bent just enough so he's peering into your eyes.

it makes your knees feel weak.

"your minds all over the place?" you repeat incredulously, "my deepest secret was just spewed out—a secret that very much involves you, by the way—and now i'm totally freaking out."

despite mat's firm grip on your arms, you manage to drag a hand down your face again, a high pitched whine muffled beneath your palm as you do so. after a pause, you look back into his gentle gaze, "i've definitely creeped you out, haven't I? I mean, god this is just the worst."

he shakes his head, "you could never creep me out ."

"well you should be creeped out," you breathe lightly, "hell, you should be scared, mat. seriously this is like stalker level type shit."

"it's not," he laughs.

you gnaw the inside of your cheek, "this is the part were you let me down, right?"

mat takes a deep breath, "y/n."

"oh god...just say it. I've had enough drinks for the guy i've had a crush on since the 8th grade to reject me so I don’t not curl up in a ball and die." you pause, "actually, that may still happen I haven't decided yet-"

"y/n."

the way he says your name has you pausing.

you swallow, throat bobbing anxiously. "mat."

"just....stop rambling and hear me out for a second, okay?"

you groan, fully ready to get rejected and spend the rest of your life pretending it never happened. you can already picture it—mat, happy on his wedding day with some model blonde, while you sit in a meaningless row. watching. single. and very much still in love with your best friends older brother.

regardless, you nod. "okay."

mat's eyes dart all over your face, assessing every single part of your expression. you barley notice the way he's looking at you, not when you can feel his fingers pulsing on your arms.

he licks onto his bottom lip, a hushed curse following suit as mat pulls his arms off your skin.

you want to frown, but you refrain, focusing your attention on mat as he grips the back of his burnt, thick neck. he looks almost distressed? or maybe nervous? and it makes you want to comfort him. god, even on the brink of rejection you still want to coddle the man.

after a beat, mat's hands falls back to his sides, eyes meeting yours once again. he doesn't look anxious for himself, but rather for you—and that only makes you want to spiral.

but then—

"If I was to tell you that i’m in love with you, would that freak you out or could we talk about it?"

you blink.

and blink again.

"I—what—you? are you kidding? I—don't know—mat."

"this feels a lot like you freaking out."

"no! i'm as cool as a cucumber," the way your voice cracks says otherwise.

mat snickers, because he doesn't need your voice to crack for him to know that you're most definitely freaking out. "yeah, okay cause that's so you."

he takes a step impossibly closer to you, toes almost touching yours.

your breath catches, head tilting back so you're able to keep eye contact. "mat..." it's a warning from you, one that says if he's not serious about this, he needs to stop.

but mat doesn't stop. he doubles down.

"I love you, y/n."

you shiver and press a shaky hand to the center of your forehead, attempting to at least ground yourself. "what the actual hell is going on right now?" you mutter to yourself.

"breathe baby."

the pet name slips off mat's tongue so easily that his words have the opposite affect on you—you're so far past trying to breathe that you're on the brink of dying.

"oh my god, i'm going to pass out."

he laughs again, breezy and light. "you're not."

"I'm not sure about that."

mat gently takes ahold of your face, keeping your chin tilted upwards and in his direction. "hey...." he trails off, a playful edge to his tone and a boyish smile pulling at his lips.

you are so confused that you may just die. "hi?"

"I love you."

you swallow thickly, your mouth so dry that it feels like two sheets of sandpaper rubbing together. "yeah, I got that part," you croak.

"you going to say it back? or are you just going to keep babbling like a fish?"

"a fish?! i'm not a fish."

"it's okay," he shrugs, the slightly calloused pad of his thumb gently brushing over your cheekbone—just once, as if he's trying not to startle you. "you're a cute fish."

shuddering a breath and skin heating up under mat's touch, you gently shake your head—perhaps in disbelief, or perhaps obliviousness. regardless, you keep your wide, glassy eyes open, peering up at mat with a combination of doubt and optimism.

"I still can't tell if you're being serious or if this is some kind of weird dare they've put you up to."

"I would never joke about something like this." mat says quickly, voice hard and leaving no room for argument.

but being the worry wart you are, you can't help but to narrow your gaze, a sure look of skepticism crawling across your face. a look that mat clearly registers, because he's letting out a little sigh—one that's not irritated, but rather knowing.

because mat knows you, and he knows you need to hear him say that he loves you without actually saying those three words.

"okay," he starts hopefully, "what if I told you that i've loved you since you used to wear those above the knee plaid shorts when you were 13. and when your hair used to always be in tangles because you didn't like people brushing it. i've loved you since you asked me to peel your orange for you because the smell on your hands drove you up the wall—it still does."

your jaw goes slack, "oh."

"yeah," mat grins, "oh."

even if you didn't realize it back then, your best friends older brother was looking at you—paying attention to you, in a way most people don't. he remembers your clothes, and your hair and your distaste for the smell of citrus.

but it's more than that. it always has been.

it's mat keeping a blanket in the backseat of his truck because you are always cold, and it's him teaching you the perfect way to toast your marshmallow when you were 14 during a camping trip you took with the barzal family—his knee is touching yours and the fire not being the only reason you’re hot.

it's the first day of summer, swimming in the pool with mat while liana fills up a pitcher of lemonade inside when you were 16, and mat tugging on your wet hair playfully.

it's coming home from the bar on your 19th birthday and piling into a car full of your friends, and mat letting you sit on his lap once you noticed that all the seats are taken.

it’s mat always buys your ice cream, and walks on the part of the sidewalk closest to the road—without second thought—and it's him playing your favourite music anytime he's on aux so that he can hear you sing along.

"that long?" you ask tentatively, wringing out your fingers hopelessly in between your bodies  

mat hums, "mhmm hmph."

it's mat crashing your first date with a few of his buddies when you were 15, embarrassing you at the movie theatre until you started tearing up. then immediately feeling bad, and buying you almost one of every treat at the concession stand.

it's mat never approving of your crushes or boyfriends—turning his nose down at them and bumping their shoulders with his roughly on the way by.

it's him warding off every guy at school to stay away from you.

"oh god," you groan, "i'm so stupid."

“you're not stupid.” mat reassures you like it’s second nature. and perhaps it is.

it’s mat making sure that you know it’s your ex-boyfriends loss when they ghost you or leave you stranded at a stupid high school party.

it’s mat who ensures that your skirt isn’t too short, and if some sleaze makes a comment—‘he can fight.’

it’s your best friends older brother who has truly, unarguably loved you all along.

you let out a pathetic laugh, “I should've realized.”

he grins, all boyish and with all his teeth—the sight of that teasing look makes your heart flutter. “you were too infatuated with me to realize.”

“mat!”

he laughs, all loud and proud, head thrown back and exposing the thick column of his throat. “It was soooo obvious by the way,” mat continues to tease once he looks back at you, grin unwavering.

“please,” you beg loosely, eyes fluttering close as you head drops forehead, a lame attempt at hiding from him. “i'm already embarrassed as it is.”

but mat isn’t done—obviously. “always staring at me, and laughing at my shitty jokes. sitting beside me whenever you could.” naturally, he tilts your face back up, giving you a nice view of the admiration swimming in his gaze. “it was so fucking cute. made me wanna kiss you all the time.”

the admission has you feeling shy and flustered, but you don’t back down. not anymore. not when mat barzal is looking back at you like you’ve hung the moon and the stars—like you’re the most important thing in his life.

“yeah, well I did all that because I liked when you would tease me, and pinch my leg when you thought no one was looking.”

he nods, once. “I know.”

a beat passes with no words spoken between you. the only thing to be heard is the dull laughter and voices of your friends outside and the consistent humming of the refrigerator in the corner.

you’re still looking at one another, all timid, nervous smiles and loose limbs—glassy eyes for a different reason than tears.

it’s you who breaks the comfortable, belly swooping quiet with a breathy, excited sound. “you're holding my face in your hands! I can't believe this is happening right now.”

mat quirks an eyebrow in question, “this feels like the beginning of another freak out,” he states, “is it another freak out?”

“no.” you say all to quickly.

he grins, “yeah, I think it might be. don't freak out baby-“

“oh my god—baby!”

“it's just me and you,” mat ignores your babble, soothing you with his voice, “nothing has changed.”

“expect that you love me now,” you remind him.

“I told you that i've always loved you, so no, nothings changed—expect now you just know about it.”

it’s then, with those reaffirming words, you realize that you've never been uncomfortable around mat. or scared. or truly embarrassed—not even with this entire situation. because here you are, speaking freely regardless of the circumstances without a second thought. because he's still mat. your mat. never judging or dismissive, and always patient and a listener. and don’t tell liana, but mat barzal is your best friend.

and that, combined with all missed signals and signs from mat, going as far back as you came remember, that you know that he loves you.

and it may of taken you more than a decade to notice—and with a more than a nudge from him—but you’re here now.

“you love me.”

a slow, lazy smirk grows on mat’s face. “I do.”

“I love you.”

“you do.”

“oh my god.” you mutter with disbelief.

“okay, now take a deep breath for me.”

“what? why?”

“because i'm going to kiss you.”

you blink and open and close your mouth like a baby bird—completely taken back, in the best, hottest possible way. “fuck me,” you curse in shock.

“not right now baby.” mat’s sly remark comes instantly, already leaning in, in search of the lips he’s been thinking about kissing since he was 15.

“god, you're such a loser—“

his mouth is on yours before you can even finish your sentence, and you accept the interruption with open arms. your hands catch up before you mind does, moving on their own accord and sliding up mat’s strong chest, over his collarbones until your cupping his neck.

mat smiles against your lips at the feeling of your nails digging into his sunburnt neck, and your tongue easily gliding with his. one of mat’s hands makes home against the back of your head, scratching at your scalp absentmindedly while his other hand drags you closer.

it’s smooth, and easy and perfect.

it’s just you and mat, held together but the same thing that’s always had you drawn to one another.

undeniable love.

[kirbysdreamlandd]

Hiii here's one idea based on the Barnyard Eclipse Mukbang!!!

Martin has a cousin form Croatia that is visiting Canada

She gets introduced to the gang (Mandy and Hamzah) and also the slushys

They all go together to the farm to see the eclipse

Mandy n Martin get one cabin and Hamzah n Y/N another… the whole one bed trope happens 😳

They end up cuddling while talking before sleeping - in the middle of the night he gets awkwardly HARD against her and the smut comes in!!! *cabin fever*🤭

Maybe we should keep it canon that he is a hardcore virgin?!🤨

love ur writing♥️

Barnyard Eclipse Mukbang

Hamzah X Y/N (Fem)

word count: 4k - longer than I expected lol, let me know if you want a pt. 2!!

After spending your whole life in Croatia, the European life was getting boring. You’d often caught yourself daydreaming about a change, about traveling somewhere new, somewhere out of the continent.

The last time your cousins visited, they couldn’t stop bragging about their Canadian life. Martin, in particular, was insufferable with his talk about his YouTube channel. He went on and on about “Slushy Noobz” and how his videos with his friend, Hamzah, were getting more and more attention. But as annoying as his boasting was, it kind of influenced you in a way.

So, when Martin randomly offered to fly you out to Toronto, you didn’t even think twice. The idea of leaving everything familiar behind, even just for a little while was too tempting to pass up.

The moment you spotted the signs written in English and French, it finally settled in: You had just flown a full 12 hours from Croatia to Canada to visit your cousin and his girlfriend.

By the time you checked into your hotel and began to unpack, your phone buzzed with a text from Martin.

Ah, right.

You’d completely forgotten that you agreed to be in one of Martin’s next vlogs. His pitch being “You’re just as stupid as us, the Slushies are gonna love you!”. And somehow, in a moment of weakness you’d said yes.

But what Martin hadn’t mentioned was that he’d booked an Airbnb for everyone to stay in. You sighed, staring at your neatly unpacked suitcase. Tomorrow’s paid-for room was now destined to sit empty while you stayed with your cousin and his friends in whatever far countryside of Ontario he deemed “So Eclipse mukbang coded”.

Oh well. It wasn’t like you were a stranger to making videos. Back when you were both kids, you and Martin used to make YouTube videos together sneaked away into your rooms during family gatherings. They were the kind of chaotic nonsense only 10 to 12-year-olds could conjure up, that’s why years later that channel was wiped off the website, never to be seen again.

Just as you were coming to terms with the Airbnb situation, another text from Martin popped up on your phone. He casually mentioned that Mandy and Hamzah would be joining and that “for the sake of the bit” Martin and Hamzah were gonna share a queen-sized bed while you and Mandy would have to do the same. You sighed, setting your phone down before diving onto the hotel room’s neatly-made bed.

As much as you tried to downplay it, you always enjoyed Martin’s company. Sure, he could be overwhelming at times, but dealing with his shenanigans was mostly fun. The two of you had a sense of unbounded silliness that you shared with no one else. While you usually kept that side of yourself hidden around most people, Martin always brought it out of you. With him, you didn’t feel the need to filter your humor or tone down yourself. It was an unspoken agreement between you two. A family bond of sorts.

-

The next day you met in Martin’s car, which was oddly being driven by his friend Hamzah, and you squeezed into the backseat.

“Hi, Y/N. I’m Hamzah.” The brunette said looking at you through the rear view mirror, his thin glasses reflecting your face as you awkwardly waved in response.

From Martin’s description and based on his usual group of friends, you had expected Hamzah to be just as obnoxious. But, to your surprise, he gave off a surprisingly calm vibe. His polite introduction almost catching off guard.

“Yeah. He’s my other half” Martin chimed in grinning as he reached a hand on Hamzah’s thigh only for it to be quickly swatted away.

The two eventually started recording. After a series of exaggerated pouts and baby voices from your cousin, Martin’s girlfriend was reluctantly handed the camera, clearly giving in just to put an end to the obscenity of Martin’s pleads.

As they started talking, you noticed a subtle shift in Hamzah’s demeanor. His voice took on a slightly higher pitch, and he became noticeably more talkative. You understood the concept of putting on a persona, but you couldn’t help but wonder if, deep down, he was just as silly as you and Martin, if his videos made his truest self come out.

“So, you’re probably wondering who this is,” Mandy said as the camera flipped to face you. You froze, giving it an awkward deer-in-the-headlights stare.

“And yes, guys,” Martin interrupted from the backseat, leaning into the frame, “She is my girlfriend.”

Mandy gasped, swiveling the camera to capture Martin’s overly confident smirk, which faded fast under her glare. The whole car was quickly filled with an awkward atmosphere until Hamzah broke the silence with a stifled laugh.

“She’s your cousin, Martin, oh my god” She complained, panning the camera back to you with a defeated look on her face as though she was considering being single again. You scrunched your nose back to her, as a way of giving her your condolences.

“I’m Y/N. Martin’s cousin,” You introduced yourself, giving the camera a deadpan look. “And yes, I am unfortunately related to him.”

From the driver’s seat, Hamzah let out a low chuckle. You caught his amused glance in the rearview mirror. You spotted Martin’s pouting at the camera from the corner of your eye.

“So guys,” Martin cut in, clapping his hands together, reverting the audience’s attention back to him. “Right now, we’re on our way to the Airbnb—”

“—Brokeback Mountain Airbnb.” Hamzah interjected dryly, eyes on the road.

“The Brokeback Mountain Airbnb— where we’ll be both sleeping together in the same bed!” Your cousin announced with way too much enthusiasm to the camera. Mandy groaned audibly, leaning back to create as much distance as possible between herself and the camera.

As the drive neared its end, the car turned onto a quiet gravel road. Up ahead, a cozy lodge came into view, the air carrying a blend of woodsmoke and the earthy scent of barn animals, reminding you of the rustic surroundings.

Approaching the entrance of the house, Hamzah pulled out his phone to text the owner.

“Jesus, there’s barely any signal.”

“Hey, get off your phone,” Martin said, his voice teasing. Mandy pointed the camera at him, capturing his exaggerated performance. “Enjoy nature, man.” he added, spinning around dramatically in the air.

That’s when Mandy stopped the recording as Hamzah, too focused on trying to find a way to access the Airbnb, didn’t bother to pay attention to Martin’s antics.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m starving,” Hamzah muttered after a while, tucking his phone away into his pocket. “I guess we could just start eating.”

You left Hamzah and Martin as they wandered toward two stray chairs they’d found just outside the farm. The camera, Popeyes chicken, and those stupid eclipse glasses in hand.

You and Mandy had agreed to avoid participating in the mukbang and eat in the car earlier. Maybe it was a bit out of spite: you couldn’t help it as the guys stared at you with hunger in their eyes while you devoured your chicken, still insisting they were gonna have to wait until they get to the Airbnb to start the “Mukbang”.

You realized you and Mandy got along better than expected—your shared love for animals and the casual shit-talking behind the guys’ backs bonding you. As you left the kids to play, you decided to take a stroll around the farm, bumping into a tall man with leather gloves and a broom in hand. He introduced himself as the owner and, much to your delight, offered to show you the barn animals. You told him you’d wait for the guys to catch up, and he handed you the house keys before walking off. Both of you giggled at the thought him encountering the two guys hunched over their chicken in the middle of his yard while filming a YouTube video.

Once inside the house, you and Mandy headed to the first bedroom you found. The room was cozy, with a large bed and a homely vibe you both loved. You tossed your bags on the bed and settled in, chatting and making yourselves comfortable.

But as the two of you were discussing about how much money adopting an alpaca would cost you, Mandy began sneezing more and more frequently. She sniffled, rubbed her nose, and you noticed her eyes started to water.

“Mandy, you okay?”

“I don’t know. I might be allergic to something here,” she replied, her voice a bit stuffy. “My throat is itching.”

You looked around, trying to figure out what could be causing the problem. That’s when your eyes landed on the large framed picture above the bed. It was a beautiful floral arrangement, but those colorful flowers were as beautiful as they looked like they were likely to cause an allergic reaction.

“Are you allergic to some type of flower?” you said, pointing above you. “It might be that frame over there.”

Mandy sneezed again, looking miserable. “Ugh, this is so bad.”

Without wasting any time, you helped Mandy pack up her things. “Come on, let’s change rooms.”

You grabbed the keys and led her out, making your way to the second cabin. The other bedroom was much more spacious, you realized it was probably the one the guys booked for themselves to sleep in.

“Oh well. They’re gonna have to take the floral one” You said as you set you things to the side of the bed, taking a seat on the colorful bedsheets. Mandy thanked you, while she got remaining sniffles out with the tissues you gave her.

You were both laying flat on the bed relaxing when the light reflecting into the room began to dim, Mandy tilted her head, noticing it too. Curious, you stood up from the bed and walked over to the window. Peering out, you spotted the two guys who had brought you here, standing behind a camera and exclaiming excitedly at the sky.

“They grow up so fast.” Mandy commented, her eyes darting over the two figures in the distance before walking over to the opposite window, her phone propped up to take a picture of the eclipse happening in front of her.

“Careful, you’re looking at it with no glasses on” you teased, mimicking Martin’s exaggerated tone. Mandy responded with her usual deadpan stare that she usually reserved for your cousin.

Once she finished taking her pictures, you both decided to step out and meet up with the guys. The sky was already fading back to normal as they wrapped up their mukbang. The chairs were deserted, but Martin and Hamzah were still nearby, camera in hand.

“Did you see that, Mandy?” Martin called out enthusiastically walking toward you, his glasses still on, making him look as ridiculous as it was the over-excited energy he greeted his girlfriend with.

“That was actually beautiful, man” Hamzah added, carrying empty Popeyes boxes and a tripod with ease as he started heading back toward the cabins with the rest of you.

You filled them in about the allergy situation, and they quickly agreed to switch rooms. Martin made sure to announce the plan to the viewers, turning the camera back on.

“Okay, so, we got a smaller room for us,” Martin narrated, zooming in on the bed before panning to Hamzah’s unimpressed expression as he scanned the space. “But that’s okay. It’ll bring us even clos—”

His words were abruptly cut off by the anticipation of a loud sneeze, his left hand flying up to his nose as he sniffled. “Damn, big-ass sneeze” Hamzah teased, taking the camera from Martin so he could grab a tissue.

But the sneezing didn’t stop. Each sniffle grew louder and slimier, making Hamzah let out an audible “eugh” as he watched his friend’s mucus drip onto the tissue.

“God, I might be allergic to lilies too” Martin joked weakly, before Mandy demanded he evacuated the cabin. After stepping outside for a while, Martin’s sneezes started to ease, confirming your and Mandy’s suspicions.

“Aw, we’re united by allergies too!” Martin said dramatically, wrapping his arms around Mandy, who, despite being restrained by his hug, let a tiny smirk slip across her usual stoic face.

“Shit, this is complicated,” Hamzah muttered, sighing as he gestured toward you and Mandy“We can’t switch rooms with you again.”

He bit his bottom lip, frowning in frustration, before glancing at you. Silence stretched on as you and Hamzah shared an awkward stare-off, both silently acknowledging the inconvenient situation.

“I’m sorry,” Mandy gave you both an apologetic look as she wiggled out of Martin’s restraint “We could ask for the flowers to get removed…”

But that last sentence hung in the air, heavy with a shared hesitance among all of you.

“It’s fine” You and Hamzah both said at the same time, voices overlapping in different paces but carrying the same tension.

Mandy and Martin didn’t seem to have any objections, leaving you and Hamzah to share a one-bed room.

In the quiet of your cabin, an unspoken tension between you and Hamzah grew as you were settling into the once-again changed room. Even when you were doing something as simple as unpacking your belongings, every movement seemed amplified, making you both extremely aware of each other’s presence. Hamzah glanced over, clearly trying to keep things casual.

“You good with that side?” he asked, motioning to the bed as he set his phone and retainer on the nightstand.

“Oh, yeah.” you replied, hoping your voice sounded steadier than you felt. You busied yourself with unpacking your pajamas, desperately avoiding his gaze.

Rummaging sounds came from his side as he fought with the zipper of his backpack, his voice breaking the silence again.

“This your first time in Canada?”

“Yeah,” you said, glancing over at him while you finished setting your things on the small wooden vanity. “First time anywhere outside Europe, kinda nervous.”

Hamzah shared a laugh with you, his shoulders easing as the tension in his chest seemed to slowly settle.

“Well, welcome to America, I guess. Though, as an immigrant, I’d advise you to go back when you still have the choice.” Hamzah’s tone remained the same, the last serious remark slipping out with a half-smile, as if it hadn’t been meant to land too heavily.

His hands fumbled with the things in his backpack, pulling out a crumpled receipt and some loose papers before setting it aside with a quick motion.

He then got up and walked around the bed over to your side, stopping in front of the door, something small clutched in his hands. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a pack of cigarettes but stopping to turn towards you.

“Wanna come outside?” he asked, his gaze catching yours, what seemed like a lighter being shuffled around in hand. His dark eyes lingered a bit, scanning over your face a couple of times, as if searching for something or perhaps just your reaction.

“Sure” you said, your voice steady despite the sudden rush of the moment. Without thinking, you dropped your things, completely unaware that you had left your phone behind.

You followed Hamzah outside, your gaze fixed on the back of his head, as if trying to figure out what was going on in his mind. The air outside was cool, and the silence between you both felt oddly comfortable.

You found a bench just outside the cabin, the stone wall behind it covered in vines and delicate flowers that made it look like it was straight out of a fairytail. But as Hamzah lit his cigarette, and cloud of smoke curled up into the air, you were pulled out of that very magical feeling.

“Want one?” Hamzah asked, catching your gaze on his cigarette.

You shook your head. “No, thanks,” you replied, your voice almost reflexive.

For a moment, you hesitated, a thought almost slipping from your lips. You were about to say “I stopped that years ago” but quickly shut the thought down. It felt like the kind of thing that might open up a conversation you didn’t feel right to have in that moment. Instead, you let the silence stretch a bit longer, the smoke hanging filling the air you two were sharing.

The sky had softened into deep blue hues, casting everything in muted shadows. Hamzah’s sharp features caught the soft glow of the unfolding moon, you watched the spirals of smoke blown out of his lips drift upward before dissolving into the night.

“I thought I finally stopped, you know,”Hamzah’s low voice broke the silence, a chuckle escaping mid-sentence.

You glanced over at him. He was already looking at you, though his gaze seemed to falter, as if he hadn’t meant to get caught. The cigarette dangled between his fingers, its ash tumbling to the ground below.

“Still, I carry a pack in my backpack,” he admitted, his tone hollow. “Guess I’m not stopping anytime soon.”

A humorless chuckle slipped out of him. His eyes dropped to the ground, and a grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. For a moment, you noticed the subtle tremor in his fingers.

Hamzah caught the way your eyes lingered on his trembling hand. His jaw tensed, and he lifted the cigarette for another drag, faking nonchalance.

“I’m only smoking ‘cause of nerves,” he muttered, the smoke curling from his lips. “This bed situation has been making me a bit…” He trailed off before biting the inside of his cheek. His words swallowed by hesitation.

“It’s hard to stop,” you admitted, your voice low but steady. “I mean, I’ve been there. Quit, started again, quit again… It’s a never-ending cycle.”

The words tumbled out of your mouth like a landslide, a reflexive need to reassure him colliding with an undeniable sense of relatability. Hamzah caught your gaze from the corner of his eyes, his expression softening, steady and quiet, as if he was carefully holding onto every word. When you fell silent, though, he didn’t look away. His expression seemed to be expectant, like he wasn’t yet ready for you to stop talking.

You hesitated, your fingers fidgeting with the edge of your coat. “Anxiety is something you have to battle, not cope with.”

The sentence hung in the air, heavier than you intended. Your tone came out too even, you almost worried it sounded cold. But the words were real—every bit of them was something you truly meant, words you wished someone had said to you when you were struggling too.

Hamzah’s silent response should’ve been unnerving, but it wasn’t. In fact, the way he looked at you, earnest, almost patient, made you feel oddly grounded. He nodded slowly, the corners of his lips tugging into a soft smile. It wasn’t a defeated one this time, but something warmer, more genuine. “That’s true” he said simply. But it didn’t feel like just an agreement for you, it was an affirmation that every bit of your words actually mattered.

But before you two could add anything more, Martin’s voice cut through the quiet night.

“Hey, we’re about to go eat dinner!” Your cousin exclaimed, walking over to you, car keys jingling in his hand. “You guys coming or…?”

“Just give me the keys, man.” Hamzah groaned as he stood up from the bench, a soft grin peeking through his rough act, swiftly catching the keys thrown his way by Martin.

In the car, you caught Hamzah’s gaze more than once. His eyes shifted between the road and brief glances at you, his steady expression almost as if he were ensuring both the drive and you were under control.

You dined at a Chinese restaurant in the area, despite you and Mandy’s earlier talk about wanting to try Ontario’s traditional country dishes. Hamzah had scoffed at the idea, insisting there was no such thing, and if there was, it wouldn’t be worth tasting.

During your second round of sushi rolls, Martin, mid-attempt to hit the ending scene from “Wicked”’s high notes, accidentally knocked over a bowl of hot soup. The contents spilling all over your light blue dress. Though the soup wasn’t boiling hot, Hamzah moved quickly to catch the bowl and then proceeded to dab at the stain with tissues while Martin apologized profusely. You laughed it off, even if the damp spot on your stomach left you trembling during the walk back to the car, the chill of Canada’s cold air biting at your wet skin.

Clutching your coat tightly in a futile attempt to warm yourself, you shivered visibly. Hamzah noticed immediately and leaned toward you. “You okay?”

“Just give her your jacket already” Mandy scolded, peering over Martin to shoot Hamzah an annoyed look.

Hamzah shrugged off his jacket without a word, holding it by the shoulders as he hovered it behind you. The awkward silence stretched long enough to make you wonder if you were supposed to laugh or not, but his steady expression made you quickly slip your arms through the sleeves, the jacket settled warmly around you, its length arriving to your thighs.

His hands brushed against your shoulders as he adjusted the coat, patting it into place with a casualness that made you undeniably flustered. But despite the warmth left on the coat from Hamzah, you found yourself longing for the heat of his hands on your shoulders, a thought you tried to brush off throughout the whole walk.

As you made your way back to the lodge, the chilly, pine-scented air wrapped around you, illuminated by the soft glow of lanterns decorating the vine-infested walls. The chirping of crickets seemed to sing you a gentle welcome.

“Look at the stars!” Mandy exclaimed, elbowing Martin, a finger pointing up above. The group came to a halt, all turning your heads upward as one.

Above you was a sky so clear and full of stars it was hardly comparable to the light-polluted streets of Toronto. You stood still for a moment, mesmerized by the view, while Martin silently pulled out the camera.

“There’s the Big Dipper” you said while pointing toward a constellation, tracing its shape with your finger. The others squinted, following your gaze. “See? That’s the handle, and there’s the body.”

Hamzah stopped squinting to turn to the camera with a big confident smile, one that practically screamed a stupid joke was about to come out of his mouth.

“Bro, the Big Dipper is what I get at Dave’s Hot Chicken, know what I’m sayin’?”

His terrible attempt at comedy was met with two deadpan stares, as expected, from both you and Mandy. Martin the other hand stifled a laugh, but quickly collected himself, turning the camera around to film himself.

“I don’t know, guys, the only beautiful star I see is the one right next to me.” Martin said, wrapping an arm around his girlfriend and pulling her close. Mandy rolled her eyes but couldn’t help the smile tugging at her lips as she reached out to rest an arm on his back.

Hamzah groaned, his eyes flicking back to the sky.

“Little Dipper’s right there, right?” He leaned in closer, his gaze following yours, hand extending to point up at the stars. “Though I call ‘em Ursa Minor and Ursa Major. Never heard of Lil’ Dipper.”

Hamzah joked, mocking your knowledge of astronomy, which made you elbow his side in frustration.

“Oh, but I’m sure you know all about Lil Yeat, right?” You shot back, your tone confident.

But you were met with a burst of laughter exploding from him, his dry chuckles paired with his shoulders shaking uncontrollably. He wiped at his eyes, struggling to catch his breath. “Did you say Lil Yeat?” he gasped breathless.

You rolled your eyes as Hamzah tried to control his laughter, his hand rubbing his face frantically as he struggled to compose himself. He really didn’t have to mock you twice in a row, especially when the first joke was based on something you clearly had more knowledge on, and the second one being about a rapper’s name, one that you really couldn’t cared less about.

Hamzah hadn’t stopped teasing you about it, repeating “Lil Yeat” to Martin, who had the same, in your opinion, exaggerated reaction. The jokes carried on all the way to the cabin, where you two found yourself in after being ditched by the couple, who had conveniently decided they needed some “private time.”

“I’m gonna make you a Yeat fan one day, mark my words” Hamzah declared, locking the door behind him. That teasing smirk he’d been wearing all evening was still firmly in place.

“Can’t wait” you replied dryly, heading straight for the bathroom. You unpacked your cosmetics onto the small, cramped counter and began sorting through your skincare essentials. Just as you settled into your nightly routine, Hamzah started hovering in the doorway, holding a moisturizer and toothpaste. You quickly interjected his request to borrow some of your skincare products, cutting him off with a sharp look, but his insistent nudging came back the moment you pulled out a new product.

“Why not? There’s no way I can fit mine in this tight of a space anyway.” he whined.

“That’s what she said,” you muttered, dabbing your pricey Tatcha moisturizer onto your face.

The night passed quickly as the two of you argued over who had to take a piss the most all the way toplayfully shoving each other to claim the impossibly tiny sink.

When you finally made it to bed, you were relieved to find it wasn’t as small as you’d feared. Though not too spacious, it fit both of you well enough under the heavy blankets.

“Holy shit—your foot!” Hamzah suddenly yelped, jerking his leg away when your icy toes brushed against his calf. His warmth was so inviting, though, that you couldn’t help but inch closer.

Without warning, you extended your leg again, letting your foot rest against what you quickly realized was his thigh.

“Oh my god—“ Hamzah groaned as your heel pressed into his skin. He flinched but didn’t pull away immediately, giving you just enough confidence to push further.

Smirking, you placed your foot completely flat onto his thigh, his body warmth radiating like a heater to the entire sole of your foot.

“You better stop.” he threatened through chuckles, his leg jerking involuntarily as his hand darted out to grab your ankle. You yelped, trying to jerk your leg free, but his hold only tightened, restricting your movement. In a burst of resistance, you pushed forward with more force than you intended.

The sudden motion sent him lurching forward, his chest subtly pressing against your back. You both froze, the laughter still caught in your throat as you felt the fabric of Hamzah’s shorts tickling your thigh.

You quickly turned into a flushed mess, your face heating up as you felt a firm bump against your backside, Hamzah’s breath quickening against your ear.

[buuniebaby]

HOME TO ME - HAMZAH X LATINA!READER 🎀

hiii! first of all i wanna make a quick note - very sorry for the inconsistency in posting for a few days. ive been struggling with writers block and summer bedrotting is getting to me a lil. 😓😓

there were A LOT of drafts of this fic that i picked up and then didn’t like. a big part of that is that i really wanted to make a fic that hits sort of close to home, and that’s what this one is to me! i was born in nicaragua and moved to the us at a young age, so this fic is based off of my experiences relating to that, even down to little things like my parents and their broken english lol. i still tried to make it pretty ambiguous to other latin-american countries, so I hope it isn’t too specific. it took me a long time to write, but im really happy with the way it came out after a day or two of really thinking about it.

this fic includes: lots of fluff, then it gets nasty. mirror sex, nothing too rough 🤗

wc: 3.4k

Your childhood summers haven’t changed since the last time you stepped foot here, even though it feels like it’s been lifetimes. you’re home, and you’ve brought your boyfriend along with you this time.

the sun shines down on you, a little too hot for your liking. it’s a lot hotter down here than the canadian weather you’re used to. it’s different, but comforting at the same time. what really makes the biggest change is the sight of your boyfriend, rays of sunlight beaming down on him, framing his curls perfectly. it makes you feel at home just as much as being here does.

the air is warm and sticky, thick with remnants of a heavy rain. sweat clings to areas of exposed skin, dampening his shirt collar and hair with a sweat.

you don’t think you’ve loved the latin-american summer as much as you have seeing hamzah bask under it.

showing your boyfriend around your home country feels like the world around you is unreal. it’s like two universes colliding - ones that probably shouldn’t coexist.

one of the things that really makes you feel like you’re out of your own body is walking down the same road that baby-you walked down to get to school. if you could’ve told your middle school self that you bagged a man this bad she would’ve forgiven you for not marrying her celebrity crush.

and the food is what really gets you - the flavor of nostalgia mixing with the taste of your boyfriend’s lips is an otherworldly sensation. although you can’t get him too full yet; that’s a job for your family.

speaking of your family - hamzah is terrified.

he tries looking extra nice at first. he wants to make a good impression, just like you’ve told him to - it’s why he’s surprised you’re bursting out in laughter seeing him walk out in full black tie attire.

“you don’t have to dress like you’re going to a wedding, hamzah-“ you giggle when he speaks over you, trying to defend himself.

“you told me to look nice, and we’re going to a dinner, y’know-“ he rambles, but catches himself. “and you’re wearing a dress!”

you roll your eyes, giving him a dead stare. “this a a sundress, hamzah. it’s not like.. fancy.” he looks at you blankly back. it’s like there’s not a single thought behind his eyes.

after your criticism and a lot of banter, you’ve got him dressed up more.. how you would have envisioned. he’s got those glasses on - the ones he usually edits with. and god, he looks good. he’s paired those with a polo shirt and a nice pair of jeans; he looks nice, presentable, but not over the top.

you’re knocking on the door while he almost shyly stands behind you before you know it. it takes a good few seconds for you to receive any sort of response, but you’re used to it. once someone eventually comes to the door, you’re greeted with the sound of children squealing in the background and music playing off a speaker - the loud environment you’re most used to.

you think you can see hamzah sweating.

your mom greets you with two little cheek kisses, as always, then smothers you into a hug. “muy linda,” she presses another kiss to your forehead, “mi alma.” she eventually finishes her ramblings about how beautiful you are and how much she’s missed you, then pauses as she pulls back. hamzah flinches.

she’s eyeing him down, eyebrows furrowed with a hand on her hip. It’s the death glare - one you know very well. if he wasn’t sweating before he definitely is now, and you’re even close to breaking into one.

hamzah doesn’t even have time to panic before her angry demeanor snaps into laughter. she’s giggling at the way his smile had dropped, grabbing him by the shoulders and pulling him into that same little cheek kiss. he stumbles when she does it, not knowing what to do; an anxious fluster of sorts.

she pulls away looking at you, and her giggles turn into straight-up laughter.

“he look at me so scared.. he like, ‘i already messed up!’” she says, still laughing, now imitating hamzah’s flustered appearance. her English is slightly broken, as you expected, but it’s the way she tries for you is what really counts. she’s putting in the effort. you laugh with her, but not really at what she’s saying - it’s the way she’s already made herself comfortable around your boyfriend.

“y tu eres el novio, verdad?” your father says, pointing at hamzah, managing to creep up behind your mother without you even noticing. “you going to marry her?”

you awkwardly laugh at your father and how weird he has to make things, but that’s just how your family is. hamzah doesn’t mind it, he understands - nonchalantly smiling, looking down at you as he replies with a quick “hope so.”

you giggle back, but your smile is genuine - you know he’s serious about what he just said. “maybe one day.” you continue for him.

you two enter your house and he’s already being crowded by relatives of yours. he’s introducing himself to one of your tías when he feels something tugging on the leg of his pants, startling him. he looks down only to see your baby cousin staring up at him, big beady eyes and an open mouth, almost like he’s some sort of god.

around an hour later, hamzah is about a beer and two plates of food in to the family function. he’s sitting on the floor, a doll in his hand, playing with that same prima from before. you’re not even sure if they’re communicating, if that baby can even speak any language yet, but whatever they’re doing hamzah.. seems to be enjoying himself.

it’s funny, but it’s sweet at the same time, watching your boyfriend like this. it makes you think of your future together. marrying him, taking him into your family - even watching him play with your little prima makes you fall ill with baby fever. he would be an amazing girl dad.

by the end of the night, hamzah is starting to get a little bit plastered, and your mom is already calling him mijo. you’re trying to teach him how to dance to your country’s music (which he surprisingly happens to not be bad at) while also trying to sneak a few drinks yourself. you’re running back to the bathroom when your mom catches you, pulling you aside for a second.

you tilt your head at her, confused. you’re hoping this isn’t what you’ve been nervous about the whole night - you really, really don’t want a “we don’t like this boy” talk.

instead, she smiles, which wipes away most of your worry, but you’re still staring at her reluctantly.

“te vas a casar con este chico.” she mutters, smiling. she might be a little drunk herself from the way she’s talking, but you know there’s a truth to her words. you smile back a small grin, but it means more to you than what appears - your man is locked in. even your mom agrees, he’s the one.

thank the lord.

the party dies down after a while, baby cousin and older relatives drifting off to their bedrooms one by one. you somehow find yourself sitting on your parent’s couch, cuddled up in a blanket next to hamzah. you’re both a little tipsy, what you would say is fine enough to drive, but you already know your mother will argue against you.

“y’wanna get out of here too?” hamzah whispers, voice deep and soft in your ear.

“mhmm.” you say, comfortable in his arms. “wanna stay here for a second though.”

hamzah doesn’t complain, gently rubbing your shoulder underneath the blanket with his forefinger and thumb. it’s domestic, a gentle touch, and it makes you feel warm inside.

“was cute seeing you play with my prima.” you mumble, smiling to yourself at the memory. he laughs when he picks up on what you’re talking about.

“I don’t really think I understood what was going on like, that whole time.” he begins to ramble. “I think her barbies were like, beefing and shit.” he says, smiling down at you when he sees the way you light up with laughter.

“if we ever like, get married, i wanna have a girl.” you say. he’s quick to rebut you.

“that’s not how it works.” he argues back, stupidly.

“well then, like, we just have more.” you say, the mix of alcohol and sleepiness not giving you the energy to seriously discuss this with him. “you’d make a good girl dad, i think.”

he smiles at that comment. he’s seen it around on tiktok and other social media. he thinks it’s cute, and suddenly the idea of marriage and knocking you up doesn’t seem so scary to him. that gentle touch on your shoulders is moving down to your hips before you know it. you’re both aware that you can’t do anything on your family couch, but you know the intention behind his grip.

“i think you’d be a good boy mom.” he says back. “i could see you like, teaching him how to cook and stuff. i think if you had a baby boy he would be like, really respectful, not like brain-rotted.” you laugh at the stupidity of his comments.

“i think if you raised a boy, he would end up going down like, the alt right pipeline, and start watching andrew tate clips on youtube shorts.”

you both laugh at that - it’s obvious that you’re joking now, but you still enjoy the deprecating banter.

“if my kid doesn’t reach alpha male status, im sending his ass to the frontlines.”

you continue your painfully stupid chatter, not paying attention to how dark it’s getting.

your mother eventually creeps up to you, and you take it as a sign that you should probably start making your way out.

after saying your final goodbyes to your family members who are still standing awake, you’re making your way out the door. after a few cheek kisses and repeatedly denying the “no cab? you sure?” from your mom, you two are on the way back to your hotel.

hamzah’s hand is on your thigh as he drives. it’s another domestic touch that drives you crazy. the little things are really getting to you tonight.

“you’re good with kids.” you mumble, letting your thoughts out with no warning.

“yeah?” is all hamzah says, keeping his eyes on the road and his hand on your thigh.

“yeah.” you repeat back in a breathier tone.

“im not getting you pregnant right now, if that’s what you’re asking.” he mutters, still focused on the road. “I’ll cum inside you, but I can’t handle a baby yet-”

“hamzah!” you nearly yell. “i don’t mean- i mean yeah, that’s a part of it, but like- i guess you’re just like-“ you stutter, trying to gather your flustered self. “it’s like, a domestic thing I guess. makes me wanna settle down with you one day.”

despite how nonchalant he’s acting, he gets exactly what you’re saying.

“yeah. y’know, that little sundress you’re wearing?” hamzah starts, eyes tearing off the road for a second. “that’s like, wife shit.”

you giggle at the way he says it, but you’re flattered at the intention.

“kinda surprised you liked it that much. feel like guys think sundresses are just like, skin-tight skims dresses.”

“you look fucking hot in it, are you serious? like shit, maybe i will just get you pregnant if you’re wearing that.” hamzah pauses for a moment, looking over at you while your eyes widen. “i’m joking. by the way.” you let out a soft “aww,” making a soft smile creep onto his face.

“you don’t have to tonight. i’m joking.” you smile up at him. “but i do miss the feeling of you inside me.” you can tell that you’re at least getting to him a little bit; he’s starting to get riled up.

“duh,” he says, jokingly, but his tone changes with his next words. “ill cum all over that fuckin’ dress if you really want me to.”

there’s the hamzah you were looking for.

he’s already pulling the car you two rented into the parking lot of your hotel, and you can’t even speak before the silence is interrupted with his own thoughts.

“gonna be all over you the second we get to our fucking room.” he mutters, opening his car door. as both of you get out, you can see the hard-on already somewhat formed through his pants.

you love getting him worked up like this.

checking into the room is almost painful. he stands behind you as you speak in spanish to the hotel staff, cock pressed up right against your ass. you’re stuttering as she asks you for your reservation, knowing you’re about to get fucking destroyed.

he wasn’t lying about being all over you. the minute that keycard clicks and the door is open, you’re being shoved onto the bed, hamzah crawling on top of you.

it’s a pretty hotel room - you’re taking it all in as hamzah is on top of you. huge bathroom, silky sheets, relatively good size, yet there’s one thing that sticks out to you. there’s a long mirror, placed at the side of the bed.

it’s the perfect place to get fucked in front of.

you don’t even think hamzah has taken a glance at the architecture around him from the way he’s locked in on your body. you feel his hands gravitate against different areas of your body, resting on your hips, grabbing the soft flesh through your dress. he places a soft, warm kiss to your lips, but continues with a harsher, more sloppy one. it only continues on your neck, biting and kissing down to your collarbone.

he keeps his lips in a certain place for a second, and you already know you’re going to be covering up dark spots on your neck tomorrow.

“pretty,” is all he mumbles when he pulls off, moving down to add yet another bite to your neck.

he pulls the top of your sundress down a little bit, straps going over your shoulders. it’s just enough to free your bra, which he pulls off even quicker.

his mouth is all over your tits before you know it - as expected. he’s sucking at them, licking at the nipple while the other hand fondles the soft flesh around. you can feel him getting harder against your thigh, which you didn’t even think was possible at this point.

you can tell he’s getting frustrated with how fucking tight his pants are getting, cock getting harder by the second. he quickly unbuttons his jeans, pulling them down to his ankles - he’s a little too horny to take the effort to fully pull them down. when he pulls off his boxers he lets out a sigh, letting his cock free.

you readjust to do the same, pulling at the straps of your dress, but hamzah stops you, a large hand covering yours.

“want you to keep it on.”

yes sir.

you pull the straps back up to where they should regularly be, wearing your sundress like normal, just braless. hamzah takes a minute to catch his breath, but it’s hard when you’re under him looking like that. he takes in his surroundings a little bit more as he calms down, finally noticing the mirror to his side. you can tell by the look on his face that he’s got the same idea as you.

his focus lands back on you when he turns back to look you in the eyes, gently stroking himself. his hips roll softly into his hand, pumping himself loosely in his fist. he takes his other hand and pulls your dress up just enough to see your underwear.

he’s too lazy to get them off your body, so he just pushes them to the side, a finger sliding between the soft lips to your entrance. it emits a gasp from you, even though you were expecting it.

“you look so fucking good from here.” he says, breathy. your brows furrow for a second, confused as to what he means by ‘from here,’ but then you realize where his eyes are pointed -

- the mirror.

you turn your head to look at it too, and god, he isn’t wrong. the way his hands strain, groping at your thighs while he grazes against your cunt. it’s hotter than you had expected, the idea of seeing yourself get destroyed from multiple angles.

he presses a finger into you, and you flinch at the feeling. it’s not long before he’s sliding another one in with it, pulling at your hips with his strong arms to bring you down to his knuckles. you’re looking at yourself in the mirror as he does it, watching as he pushes you around like a toy.

he pulls his fingers out after curling them a few times inside of you, and you protest by trying to buck up your hips up again. he pushes on your womb with big hands, forcing you down.

“s’okay baby.” he affirms you in a soft voice. “wanna fuck you now.”

he grabs you by the waist, strong enough to pick you up with just his bare hands and flip you over. he presses your bodies close together once you’re on your hands and knees, your back against his chest. he nestles his head right above your neck, the perfect spot to whisper into your ear.

“look in the mirror,” he starts, and you immediately do what he says. “watch how fucking good you look while I touch you.”

your back arches as an instinct at his words, feeling his palms glide against your hips. your vision feels hazy, but you’re still paying attention to the way he clings onto soft skin.

you let out a whine, shutting your eyes and facing down when he touches your inner thighs, but it doesn’t last long. before you can finish his hand rushes to your jaw, grabbing your face, pointing your head back to the mirror.

“told you to look at yourself, baby.”

it’s hot, the way he’s in control of you, even if it doesn’t take much to get you to submit. he kisses at your shoulder blade softly, watching your desperate expression fade into excitement. he strokes himself one last time before the tip meets your pussy.

your breath hitches when you feel him slide into you, strokes slow. it fits in you nicely, the back of your thighs pressing against his when he’s all the way in. a finger and thumb caress the skin between your ass and hips while he bottoms out.

“c’mon baby,” he says, slowly starting to drag his hips in and out of you. “move those hips.”

you can’t argue with him, doing what he says on command. you roll your hips back the same way you roll your eyes, creating a rhythm with his thrusts. it earns a moan from him.

he grips your hips while his speed up, moving in and out of you with an unforgiving pace. it’s enough to send you reeling, squealing as you struggle to keep your focus on the mirror. you can barely keep your composure, the urge to shove your head in your pillow and just let him use you stronger than ever.

“wasn’t- fuck- lying when I told you I wanna come all over that dress.” he says, struggling to get his words out. it only makes you clench around him, his words driving you to your own finish.

you’re screaming a “hamzah! can’t fucking take it-“ while he’s plowing into you, building up a well-awaited orgasm. he waits until he feels that clench-and-pulse sensation around his cock, signaling that you’ve came before he pulls out.

he doesn’t even need to touch himself to cum after seeing you like this - he lets himself go, ropes of his semen covering the floral patterns of your dress.

he basks in the sight of you for a moment, catching his breath after his orgasm. it’s a lot for him, fucking you after being pent up the whole day. overstimulating, almost. you’re just that attractive to him, poor boy can’t control himself.

he lays on top of your chest, grounding himself. the feeling of being against you bare skin is comforting to him, a sense of home that you two both find in each other. you run your hands through the curls of his hair.

that’s what he is to you - home. just like how it feels to be here.

[wearebarca]

8. Captured // Alexia Putellas x Original character pt. 8

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7

synopsis: Rosalie has never stayed somewhere too long. When the opportunity of a lifetime presents itself at critical moment in her life, the photographer decides to once again leave behind what she knows and joins the staff of Europe's best football team.

Word count: 6,1k

Warnings: 18+ Smut

A/N: Feedback is always nice. Spanish is from google translate so please be nice. French is my first language so all should be good on that part. Enjoy

Rosalie knew all about stress. She had experienced a very wide variety of stressful situations. From race days to big games to work related situations, even personal stuff. But right now, sitting half naked in her bed with an array of clothes around her, Rosalie was experiencing a different type of stress. 

She had spent time with some of the girls from the team but it always was in very casual circumstances. Tonight was different. They were set to go to a popular club in downtown Barcelona and from what she had translated in the groupchat, the girls were excited to show off their outfits. Rosalie wasn’t a big fan of clubs and bars and her wardrobe cruelly lacked in any club worthy outfits.

She was currently stuck between a few options but after sending each outfit to her groupchat with lia and leah, she settled for a short sleeve dress that exposed her back dangerously low. She left her wavy hair loose and did her makeup slightly darker than usual. 

She was taking one last look into her bedroom mirror, feeling quite proud of the way it all turned out, when her phone rang and Keira’s name lit up her screen. 

“Bonsoir petite merde.” She said laughing, knowing damn well that the blonde did not know what she had just called her. Lucy’s laugh could be heard in the distance, which told the brunette that the couple was likely close and calling to let her know. 

“That was unnecessary.”

“Don’t act like you know what I just said.”

“Lucy’s reaction told me plenty.” Keira said exasperated. “We’re rounding the corner, the bar is a block from here so we’ll park in your street and walk from there is that alright?”

“Sounds good.” Rosalie said, putting away her makeup. 

“We’re coming up so you better be dressed and ready.” Lucy said, the sound of a car door audible in the background. 

“Oui madame.” The Canadian said before hanging up. A few minutes later, the couple barged in her little flat, and the sound of her cabinets being opened and glasses being set down on the counter was heard all around. 

“By all means, Faites comme chez vous!”

“We're fixing you a drink, believe me you’ll need it.” Keira said, pouring an impressive amount of liquor in three glasses. She made a move to reach for the bottle of coke but the Canadian quickly stopped her. 

“Non non non. You are not wasting this perfectly good whiskey with coke.” She said, reaching for two glasses and handing one to Lucy. Keira rolled her eyes and poured some in her glass nonetheless. 

“You two are a different breed that’s for sure.” The burn from the alcohol soothed the brunette’s nerves a little as she downed her first glass with Lucy, quickly pouring another for the older woman and herself. 

“You’re packed for national camp already?” Kiera asked, eyeing the bags near the front door.

“ Oui, I have a feeling that tomorrow I won’t be in the right state to pack a proper bag.” Rosalie said, sipping at the brown liquid. 

“ Smart Frenchy, very smart. The flight is at 9 the next day, we’ll be downstairs at 6:00 and grab coffee on our way there. Sarina sent me your plane ticket by the way.” Lucy said, twirling the liquor in her glass. The French-Canadian nodded and took a seat next to the blond englishwoman. 

“So, what is the plan, how is the night going to go?” The brunette said, taking a sip of her drink. 

“We’re gonna walk to the club, it’s only three blocks away.” Lucy said, eyeing Keira up with a mischievous grin, the blond sporting a similar look. “And for the rest, you’ll have to see for yourself mate.” 

They finished their drinks and left Rosalie’s flat soon after. The air was warm  and a fresh breeze carried the smell of food from the many restaurants along with the sound of laughter and many conversation blending in the night. The streets were alive, buzzing with people, relieved for the start of the weekend. 

Someone linking their arm with hers pulled Rosalie out of her thoughts. “You look amazing Frenchy, you gunnin for someone in particular tonight?” Keira said, twirling the French-Canadian like a dancer.

“Non, non, I don’t know what you are referring to.” Rosalie said, walking slightly faster to meet Lucy ahead.

“You know,” The older English woman began, “Looking like that, the cold and composed captain’s surely gonna lose control.” She said, hugging the Canadian’s shoulder. Rosalie’s face went beat red and she pushed Lucy off of her. By now, they could hear the distant beat of music and the traffic in the streets increasing.

The club was situated on a small pedestrian side street. A long queue of people was stretched in front of the already busy club. Most of the crowd waiting looked and sounded already under the influence which worked to the little group’s advantage as they were able to make their way to the bouncer without being recognized. 

Once their little group reached the door with Lucy leading them, the bouncer stepped in front of them to block the way. Once his eyes met with Lucy’s, the realization on the young man’s face was almost comical. “Oh, yes, VIP section.” He said with a nervous falter to his voice. He crossed two names on his clipboard then, looked up to the woman who was unknown to him. “ Is she the photographer?”

His tone did not please Lucy who sent him a look that chilled him on the spot. He made a gesture for the doorman to let them in, eager to move on before embarrassing himself further.

The club was already packed, the music deafening and the air was filled with the smell of alcohol and sweat. It was electric, dizzying even, for the French-Canadian who had not set foot in a club this big since she had left England. 

One thing she quickly remembered upon entering was just how much she hated these places. Her discomfort was almost funny to the two English women standing behind her. She made a move to back out but Lucy and Keira each grabbed one of the photographer’s arms and walked the brunette to an area at the back of the club with several sofas, tables and the entire team already halfway to their second drink.

When the girls saw their beloved photographer they all stood and cheered. Soon enough, Rosalie was being handed a drink and dragged by Mapi to a couch which was already occupied by Sarah, Ingrid, Sandra, Pina, Patri and Alexia. The little group all cheered and whistled at the sight of their friend, but Alexia stayed almost completely still. The only part of her moving was her piercing gaze taking in every inch of the brunette.

The captain knew that tonight would be hard. She had imagined many scenarios of how this night would go. She had told herself countless times how she needed to stay friendly and professional with the smaller brunette,but upon seeing the photographer in that dress, Alexia seemed to forget every word of her little pep talk.

The way that her dress hugged her athletic figure made the captain’s head spin. The photographer turned around and gave the captain a full view of the open back of said dress. She knew that the smaller woman had tattoos because of the small ones on her arms, but she had never seen the one that went along her spine. It was a fine line which seemed to follow no particular pattern. It snaked down her spine, like a path, all the way to her lower back. All Alexia wanted to do was trace the line with her fingers, with her mouth, kiss every inch of inked skin. 

The blond rapidly shook her head, cursing herself for letting her mind go to such places so soon after the woman’s arrival. Even then, it seemed impossible for her gaze not to be dragged back to the woman in front of her. Her hair was down in waves, her makeup darker than normally which accentuated her piercing green eyes. Eyes that were now settled on her.

Alexia sent a shy smile her way as she raised her glass in the photographer’s direction. She answered with a bright smile and a similar gesture. Rosalie was already feeling the effects of the alcohol, thanks to the fact that she rarely drank, but the slight buzz gave her all the courage she needed to take a seat right next to the woman who made her so nervous. 

“ Bonsoir Alexia, I am surprised to see you with a drink. I thought you didn’t drink during the season.” She said, eying the glass the blond had been nurturing since the start of the night. 

“Tonight is special I hear.”

“Yeah, it certainly seems so” Their conversation was cut short by Cata with a tray of what looked like tequila shots. Rosalie turned towards the keeper, which made her almost face the blond, the warm skin of her exposed thigh lean on Alexia’s own. 

“ It’s shot time chicas!” Yelled as she passed around the small glasses. She handed one to Alexia who refused, disappointing the keeper slightly. With the feeling of her first drinks already strong, Rosalie decided that tonight, she did not need to be careful. Tonight, she would let herself have fun surrounded by people who were quickly becoming family. 

She reached over Alexia to pick up the shot Cata was handing her, placing her other hand on Alexia’s thigh to stabilize herself. That movement alone, the light squeeze of her hand, how for an instant Alexia’s senses were swarmed by the photographer. Her floral perfume mixed with something that was so unmistakably Rosalie. How her hair fell all on one side exposing the soft skin of her neck. 

Alexia had to take a deep breath to try and re centre herself. “Dios mio dame uno de esos.” She said to Mapi who had ended up with the tray. 

The tattooed woman sent her a knowing smirk as she watched her nervous friend down to harsh liquid. 

The start of the night was slow. People were mostly sitting around and chatting. Rosalie was surprised to see how comfortable she was in such an environment, but with the buzzing of the alcohol in her system and her friends surrounding her, it was easy to forget how loud and full the club was.

 She was still on the same couch, in between Alexia and Ingrid. She would not admit it but being this close to the captain was unnerving for the photographer who tried very hard to not show it. But of course Alexia, purposefully or not, made the task extremely difficult. 

Engaged in a conversation with Mapi, who was on the other side of Ingrid, the Catalonian had her arm on the back of the couch, and was sitting back in a way that made the brunette feel like if she moved back an inch, she’d be leaning completely on the blond’s front. 

Suddenly, someone a few seats down screamed something in Spanish and several of the girls cheered and left their secluded area towards the dance floor. Before she could react, someone grabbed her hand and dragged her to the floor. 

“Oh non non I don’t dance.” She told the girl who still had a firm grip on her wrist. 

“Tonight you do amiga!” The voice, who she soon realized belonged to Patri, said, as she dragged her towards a small group of Barca girls already dancing. Seeing the smiles and hearing the contagious laughter was what ultimately allowed the photographer to let loose and start moving to the rhythm of the music. No one was judging, it was simply a group of friends having fun and enjoying a night out. 

From the VIP area, Alexia, Ingrid, Irene and Paños had a pretty clear view of the rest of the team. None of them were keen on dancing and had stood their ground against the younger players and exited girlfriend, in Ingrid’s case. 

The Norwegian was smiling as she watched Mapi show off her most ridiculous dance moves to Rosalie who, with obvious difficulty, was trying to keep up with the Zaragozian. 

It took at least a song for the group to utter any words. After a moment, it was Sandra who disrupted their little bubble in the middle of this hectic environment. She grabbed Irene’s shoulder and dragged her closer so she wouldn’t have to yell. 

“This pining has to stop.” She said to her friend while watching the blond who’s gaze had not left the brunette since she had left. 

“Ah si, it is excruciating to watch.” 

“You know what we discussed in Sevilla? You think it is a good time to use this.” Sandra said, watching the way Alexia’s jaw tightened every time one of the girls was dancing  too close to the Canadian. 

“Si, it is now or never,” she said, sending a look to the blond, she laughed and turned back to the keeper, “ it won’t take much, she’s already on the brink.”

The Spaniards quickly briefed Ingrid in their little plan and soon after, it was set to motion. 

“Ale! Come on! We all know you want to go out there.” Sandra said as she sat down next to the midfielder. 

“No no I can’t dance you know that.” She said, finally tearing her gaze away from Rosalie. 

“We all know you want to get out there with her.” Sandra said, leaning back on the couch while twirling the straw in her drink. “Who could blame you, look at her.”

As if on cew, the song changed to a slower beat, which had the brunette change the pace from fun and electric to swaying her hips to match the more sensual beat of the song.  

“Oh believe me I am looking.” The captain said under her breath, but the comment did jot go unnoticed by the keeper. 

“You should go before someone else swipes her away.” Alexia didn’t move. She looked deep in thought. When the goalkeeper realized that the blond wouldn’t move, she got up and started to walk towards the dance floor, but stopped right before exiting the Vip section. 

“Your loss captain.” 

Rosalie was smiling and she could not stop. She could feel the base all the way through her bones and it was like her body had a mind of its own. Gone was the stress that was clawing at her at the start of the night, all she could feel was the rhythm of the music guiding her movements. 

She was currently dancing with Salma and Pina when she felt a hand settle on her waist and the heat of an unfamiliar presence behind her. She knew right away that the mysterious woman was not Alexia, but judging by the face the girls with her made, it was one of their own. 

Rosalie did not think much of it. She just kept following the beat of the music, letting the warm hands guide her. As time passed , the general fun and carefree vibe of the club changed for something heavier, a lot more seductive. 

The hands on her waist got bolder, pulling the photographer closer. Rosalie spun around, having guessed the identity of the taller woman behind her, and hooked her arms around the keeper’s neck. 

“Not the person you were expecting right?” She said with a big smile on her face. 

“No, but I am not mad about this either.”She answered with a matching smile. There was no need to argue her case. She knew that the goalkeeper was aware of what was going on. Rosalie might be on the dance floor, but she was completely aware of Alexia’s eyes on her and she had seen Sandra attempt to convince the captain to come out on the floor. 

Paños leaned in, her lips brushing against the shell of the brunette’s ear. “She’s watching us now.”

On instinct, Rosalie pressed herself even closer to the keeper. “Do you trust me?” She asked, leaving a kiss at the junction of her neck and collarbone. The contact sent shivers down her spine. 

Unable to respond, the Canadian simply nodded and focused on the feeling of the base travelling her body. 

They kept dancing like this for a while, with Sandra making sure that the photographer was comfortable every time her hands wandered. Ingrid, who was still sitting between Irene and Alexia, sent a look to the older woman. She could not believe the nerves her teammates had. 

Alexia was livid. She was sitting on the couch, completely rigid, her cold gaze pinned on the goalkeeper, her jaw tensing with every kiss laid on the brunette’s neck and every time her hands roamed a little too low. 

As if Sandra knew, she lifted her gaze and held Alexia’s head on, daring her almost to come and interrupt her.

 “How long do you think it’ll take before she storms on the dance floor?” Ingrid subtly asked, her eyes not leaving the captain.

“Any moment now.” Irene said. She felt a little bad for her friend, but she also knew that the captain needed a little push to go after what she wanted. 

What  made the captain snap was when Rosalie turned around in the goalkeeper’s arms and finally made eye contact with the blond. Her hips were swaying slowly to the rhythm of the music, the movement almost hypnotic to the footballer. And while Sandra was still pressed up against her, holding her waist and caressing the skin exposed by her dress, the photographer was looking at Alexia like she wished it was her. 

Even in the arms of another, very beautiful woman, all Rosalie wanted was the midfielder. This was what did it for Alexia. That look, filled with desire, inviting her to come and claim what could be hers if she so pleased. 

In a matter of seconds, the footballer had managed to make her way through the crowd and grab Rosalie by the hand, ripping her away from the goalkeeper, who was already grinning at her teammates still on the couch. 

“Ale! What are you doing?” The Canadian asked as she allowed the catalonian woman to drag her towards the back of the club. The captain didn’t answer, she simply kept walking, never letting go of the woman’s hand. They passed several of their teammates who all had the same expression on their faces, knowing very well that they would not see the two of them for the rest of the night.

The club bathrooms were individual stalls with their own sinks. Alexia could not be more glad for this fact as she dragged the photographer behind and closed the door, locking them in.  

For an instant, they both stayed silent, Alexia never letting go of the other woman's hand. A second later, this moment of stillness was interrupted by an intense pull, a need to finally close the space between them.

Alexia was the first to move, drawing Rosalie closer and tangling her hand in the brunette’s hair. As soon as Rosalie’s lips made contact with Alexia’s, a sight came out of her, as if her body had been waiting for this moment all night. Their kiss was frantic, sloppy almost, with every movement controlled solely by intense desire. Alexia pushed  the photographer until her back suddenly hit the bathroom door, which made the woman gasp. The small sound gave the blond the opportunity to press her tongue inside Rosalie’s eager mouth. She tasted of alcohol and something that could only be her and Alexia decided that she definitely needed more. 

Her hands left Rosalie’s hair and started to roam downward, along her sides all the way to her hips. Rosalie could feel her skin ignite everywhere Alexia touched. 

The door knob was digging in the brunette’s back but she couldn't care less about it right now. The way the blond was currently attacking her lips was electric and the feeling of her hands getting bolder had the photographer reeling as she hooked one of her legs around the midfielder, dragging her impossibly closer.  

The change of angle had the blond’s thigh wedged itself between the photographer’s, giving her the perfect opportunity to grind down on her leg. The shift of the muscles, along with the movement of her hips, dragged a loud moan from the brunette, which was swallowed in a hungry kiss. 

This new position had Rosalie’s dress hike up significantly, revealing the skin of her thighs and stopping just below her waist. Alexia’s hand moved down to explore the new expense of skin as her lips kissed down her neck, nipping slightly at the skin. 

Rosalie’s head lolled back , hitting the door with a dull thud. Her body was on fire. All of her senses were overwhelmed by the captain. The smell of her expensive perfume mixed with her strawberry shampoo was intoxicating. The taste of her lips on hers, the feel of her calloused hands traveling on her body. She knew her panties were most definitely ruined by now. 

“Ale, we should..” the rest of her sentence was cut short by a gasp as she could feel Alexia’s fingers graze just past the fabric of her pantie.  

The blond pulled back, her hand retreating from her spot under her dress. “Are you ok, do you want me to stop?” She asked with concern. 

Rosalie’s answer came fast. “ Non non, god no.” She said, grabbing the blond’s face and pulling her in for a kiss. “ I just think we should take this somewhere more comfortable, if you want.”

Alexia didn’t need to be asked twice. In less than five minutes, the duo was exiting the club and walking towards the photographer’s flat. The walk was mostly silent, but filled with tension so thick you could cut through with a butterknife. 

Finding her keys at the bottom of her bag seemed like an impossible task when the brunette could almost feel Alexia’s hot breath on the back of her head. She almost dropped the set of keys when the blond grabbed her hips and pulled her flush against her front.

“ Sérieusement Alexia give me a chance.” She said, dropping her keys this time when soft lips grazed her neck. Alexia chuckled as she took a step back, allowing the brunette to compose herself a little before unlocking. 

As soon as the door is opened, Rosalie is dragged inside and pushed against the closed door, much like her previous position in The club bathroom. But this time, the blond waits to connect her lips to Rosalie’s. 

Alexia takes a deep breath and wills her hands from wandering from their spot on the brunette’s hips. Their foreheads connect, lips only millimeters apart. Rosalie can almost taste them. All she needed to do was lean in a little more, but she was afraid to break the stillness, the intensity of the moment. 

“Rosalia, are you sure?” Alexia whispered, softly. She tried to surge forward and capture the captain’s lips, thinking that actions were stronger than words, but was stopped by the taller woman pulling away and pinning her harder against the door. 

“No no bonita I need to hear you say it.” She said in a low voice, as her lips were ghosting on the sensitive skin of her neck. She smiled, well aware of the effect she had on the brunette and revelled in the way she could feel her breath quickening and hear the soft moans that escaped the brunette’s lips. 

Control was becoming an issue for the captain as well as she fought to not just rip off that beautiful dress and take her here and now, against her apartment door. Alexia’s lips moved down, close enough for Rosalie to feel the heat of her breath but not enough to actually feel the press of her lips on her skin. 

Finally she reached where the hem of her dress sat at the base of her neck. She nipped at the spot right at the base of Rosalie’s throat, swiping her tongue on the newly formed bruise to soothe the skin. 

Forming a coherent sentence was an impossible task for the photographer at the moment. She reached out to pull the midfielder further in but was stopped before her hands could get to the back of her head. 

“Tell me you want this and I’ll do anything you want.” 

“Please Ale, I need you.” It was like a switch was flipped. She grabbed the back of the photographer’s thighs and hoisted her up. The brunette let out a slight laugh as she let the footballer carry her to the bedroom. 

She laid her down gently on the cover and stood up at the feet of the bed. Rosalie leaned back on her elbows, green eyes meeting hazel as the blonde’s gaze softened.

 “Eres tan hermosa.” She all but whispered before laying down and capturing the brunette’s lips once more. Gone was the urgency from before, but the passion between the two was still burning strong. 

Rosalie’s breath came out ragged as she could feel the blond’s lips kiss and suck at the skin just below her pulse point. In a surge of desire, she pulled at the bottom of the midfielder’s top, needing to finally feel the heat of her skin first hand. Alexia somehow managed to rid herself of the fabric fast enough that it was like her lips had never left.

“Can I take this off, bonita?” She asked gently as her hands were fiddling with the bottom of her dress. 

The answer came with the photographer arching her back, giving Alexia the necessary space to push the dress upwards and finally allow the blonde to marvel at the newly exposed skin. Alexia almost growled at the sight of the photographer, left only in a black lacy tong, hair tousled and eyes dark and clouded by desire. 

She kissed down the valley of her breast, lightly biting at the skin before soothing the bite with her tongue. Her hand travelled up to cup her breast while her mouth explored freely.

She took her time, kissing every inch, worshiping the photographer, showing her just how much she wanted her. Rosalie on the other hand, was reeling. She could feel her arousal pooling in her panties. She needed more. She whined and pushed Alexia’s head down in hopes that the blonde would understand the message, but the captain had other plans. She grazed her nipple with her teeth before biting down, which sent a shock straight to her core. 

The moan that came out of the photographer’s lips was loud 

Alexia’s hand travelled down until she reached the hem of the lacy fabric. There was still a part at the back of Rosalie's mind which was embarrassed about what would the blonde discover when her fingers would dip lower. 

“What do you want, amor?” She said with a smirk plastered on her face. 

“Please touch me.” The photographer whimpered. 

“I am touching you.” She said, while she slipped down the bed to settle between the brunette's legs.

 That confident, cocky side of her, the one that shone bright when she wore the red and blue kit along with the arm band, was peaking through as she gazed up at the smaller woman. Rosalie couldn’t believe that this woman had not been remotely close to where she needed her the most and she already had her begging. 

Her hands were now caressing the smooth skin of her tights, squeezing her flesh, making the woman beneath her gasp at the feeling.  

« Please I need to feel you. » reaching down only to have her hands pinned down on the bed. « I want your mouth on me, Ale please. » 

“Ok bonita, lift your hips for me.”  She said, hooking her fingers in the waistband of her panties and slipping them down her legs. 

“Oh look at you baby.” The sight with which she was met was nothing short of heavenly. Her lips were glistening with arousal and Alexia could not help but leave a soft kiss right where Rosalie desperately needed contact. 

“All this for me?”

“Oui, all for you.” The photographer said, lifting her head just enough to watch the midfielder finally lick down the length of her slit. She groaned at how her taste flooded her mouth, the vibration sending shockwaves through the brunette. 

“You taste so good,” Her tongue found her clit and lapped gently and parts your lips with her tongue, collecting her juice at the same time.

 Alexia is attentive to every breath hitch, whimper and moan coming from the brunette, reading her like an open book. It didn’t take long before Rosalie had lost all control of her own body and mind. All her senses were in overdrive, but there was something missing. 

Alexia’s lips captured her clit and sucked lightly at the bundle of nerves. Rosalie saw stars clouding her vision. “ fuck Alexia s’il te plait,  don’t stop.”

The mix of French and the pleading only motivated the blonde even more as she focused on her clit, altering between tight circles and sucking at the flesh. 

“ Ale..” she said before a long moan interrupted her sentence. 

“Que necesitas, bonita?” 

“More,” She simply was not able to form a sentence in the state she currently was. Alexia’s hand left her hips to travel down between her legs and tease at her entrance. 

“Is this what you want?” She asked smugly. 

“Yes! Oui please.” Alexia smiled at the brunette’s eagerness and could not do anything but oblige after the photographer had asked so nicely. Her mouth fell open as her fingers finally stretched her. 

Her name was on her lips, chanting it like a prayer. Her hand was desperately grasping at anything she could reach before finally finding and intertwining her fingers with Alexia’s free hand. The feel of her climax was approaching fast, like an all-consuming fire ready to swipe everything in its wake. 

Her legs tensed, around the captain’s head and she could feel her walls clenching around her fingers. Her hips started to buck against her face.

“You are doing so good for me bonita.” She said before curling her fingers, reaching the spot inside her that

She lifted her leg on her shoulder and curled her fingers deeper inside her. The change in angles allowing the captain to reach a spot deep inside her that had the photographer completely lose it. Her heel was digging in the blonds back but she couldn't care less. Every swipe of her tongue, along with the steady thrust of her fingers brought her that much closer to the edge. Alexia could feel just how close by the way her walls were clenching, making it harder to keep her rhythm.

The brunette could hear Alexia speak to her softly in what she thought was Catalan. She couldn’t understand a word but it didn’t matter, the hushed soft sound of her voice alone was enough to guide her over the edge. 

Alexia slowed down her trust but kept her mouth on her, lapping up everything the brunette was giving her. It had been a strong one. The kind that completely short circuited her brain and left her body limp on the sheets. When the feeling became too much, she pulled at Alexia’s hand to drag her up to her lips. The kiss was soft and slow, full of appreciation and a feeling that Rosalie was not quite ready to name yet. 

They stayed quiet for a moment. Alexia’s head against the photographer’s chest, listening to the steady beat of her heart. “Are you ok, Rosalia?”

Rosalie smiled and took a deep breath before shifting their position, ending up on top of the captain. The sudden movement stunned the footballer who let out a gasp as she found herself trapped under the smaller woman. “ qué estás haciendo…” 

Rosalie didn’t wait for the end of her sentence and crashed her lips on Alexia. A new fire had ignited once the shock of her orgasm had faded. She wanted to make the blond feel as good as she just had. 

“You don’t have to…”

“Non non, none of that.” The brunette said as her lips travelled down her neck to the valley of her breast. “I want to taste you Alexia, will you let me?.” She asked, looking up to the footballer. She looked so good at this moment, her hands caressing down her hips, hair cascading down one side, a silent question written in her eyes. Alexia groaned at the sight. 

“Si, si, I want you to.” She said, as her head fell back on the pillow and her arms came up, covering her face. Rosalie’s lips connected with Alexia’s chest, teasing the skin with her teeth and soothing the bites with a kiss. They travelled down to Alexia’s abdomen where they were met with taunt muscles which twitched with every kiss and drag of her tongue. 

This was probably Rosalie’s favorite part of the footballer. She remembered every time she had caught herself almost drooling when the midfielder would raise her shirt to wipe some sweat off her forehead, leaving her abs exposed. Now, Rosalie was finally able to map out every crease and ridge of her stomach.

She could see that the blond was growing restless underneath her, and she too, could not wait any longer. She slid down between the blond’s legs, spreading them slightly to accommodate her, and left a kiss at the waistband of her pants. Alexia lifted her hips, chasing the warmth of her mouth, which allowed the brunette to tug down her jeans and panties. Once free from the barrier between the brunette’s lips and her most sensitive parts, Alexia grabbed a handful of her hair and guided her towards where she desperately needed her. But Rosalie had other plans in mind, as she skillfully avoided the women's center, opting to kiss and leave little bite marks on the skin of her inner thighs. 

A harsher tug pulled a moan from the photographer as she was brought back right in front of Alexia’s glistening heat. Green eyes met hazel, a teasing smirk dancing on the Canadian’s lips as she watched the captain slowly lose composure. 

The first swipe of her tongue felt like heaven. Rosalie went slow, savoring what had officially become her favourite taste. She drew lazy circles around her clit, slowly working up the blond who seemed completely lost in the feeling. The carefulness with which she had previously touched the photography was gone. Her fingers were now firmly anchored in her hair, tugging and pulling every time Rosalie’s tongue swiped down to tease at her entrance. She was essentially grinding down on her tongue, chasing her high which was rapidly approaching.

Rosalie was contempt with the predicament she was currently in, happy to be used for the captain's pleasure. She was attentive to her reaction, switching from sucking at her clit to flattening her tongue before swiping down to finally breach inside. The groan that came out of the blond’s mouth was surely the most erotic sound the photographer had ever heard, and she made it her mission to be the cause of more of these addictive sounds. 

Her peak was approaching fast. Her grip on reality fading rapidly as she was consumed by the feeling of the photographer’s hot mouth on her. She opened her mouth, trying to tell the brunette to keep going, that she was close, that her tongue felt so good on her, that she was being so good for her, but she did not know if she had been successful in speaking clearly. Hell she didn’t even know in what language she had spoken, but it didn’t matter. Rosalie seemed to know exactly what to do to make Alexia completely lose it.

Her climax came suddenly. It washed on her like a dangerous wave that drags you under and leaves you thinking you’ll never breach the surface again. Every part of her tensed to the point where it was almost painful, but Rosalie didn’t stop, she only slowed down her ministrations, helping the woman come down slowly. Rosalie kissed up Alexia’s body, before laying down next to her. Her breathing was slowly coming down as she wrapped her arms around the brunette’s shoulder and pulled her in. 

“Was this ok?” The brunette asked shyly, as if she had not been buried between the woman’s trembling legs minutes ago.

“Dios mio, Rosalia si, it was more than ok, this was divine bonita.” The blond said, turning her head and kissing the photographer softly. Rosalie smiled as she buried her face in the blond’s neck. Soon enough, the photographer's breath started to even out, her body feeling heavier in the midfielder’s arms. She kissed her head before too, succumbing to the heavy pull of sleep.

[flyingwargle]

what does msby have in their lockers?

meian - a photo of him, his wife, and kid, a photo of his family, and another with the current msby team. spare change of clothes and toiletries. extra set of keys for emergencies. protein bars (peanut butter chocolate), protein powder (also peanut butter), and expired sample snacks from sponsors. ratty towel inherited from the previous locker owner (it's a msby captain legacy).

barnes - a photo of his family, a photo of his old professional team in america, magnetic mirror. toiletries, hair dryer, shaving kit. a worn mascot plushie from the 2012 london olympics as a good luck charm. spare clothes for both him and his kid, who likes to drop by and play with him after hours.

inunaki - 3 polaroids of his favorite video game characters, one of which signed by the seiyuu. 2 spare changes of clothes (1 casual and 1 date fit for the surprise date), toiletries. 2 pairs of shoes (extra court shoes and dress shoes for the surprise press conference), some snacks not part of his meal plan. some money and an extra bus pass.

adriah - a photo of his family and photo of the current msby team. a pocket japanese to english translation guide. spare clothes and a pair of crocs. umbrella and jacket because you can't underestimate the weather. an old paper canadian bill as good luck (he has a $100 bill signed by his old university friends). an omamori he bought the first day he landed in japan.

bokuto - a photo of him, kuroo, tsukishima, kenma, and akaashi. a cheap pair of glasses, eye drops, and cleaning kit for his contacts. a deck of playing cards and karuta cards that he never opened because he doesn't know how to play. extra clothes and toiletries. a massive container of flavored sports mix. between him and hinata, the entire team is well-fed and hydrated. an owl plush for good luck.

hinata - a photo of him, natsu, and their mom, and a photo with the current msby team. a vabo-chan keychain plush to match natsu's. spare change of clothes and toiletries. an entire box of protein bars and packets of electrolyte powder. old sun visor and sunglasses, in case there's ever a chance to play beach volleyball.

atsumu - photo of him, osamu, and ma, and photo of him, osamu, kita, and aran. spare clothes, toiletries, and travel-sized products for his hair. extra braces and supports that he never used (but maybe someone else will), alcohol wipes and hand sanitizer, an empty bento box in case osamu comes by with food and he can save it for later. a 1,000 yen bill and loose change (he technically owes sakusa, but...)

sakusa - three spare changes of clothes (training gear, 2 sets of casual clothes), first-aid kit, travel-sized bottles of ointments and creams for muscle and joint pain, a bottle of disinfectant and hand sanitizer, hair accessories and treatment (hair ties, clips, bands), protein powder (no sugar, no fat), and a hand mirror. extra braces and supports. a spare wallet with money inside it (he never told anyone about it, yet is somehow missing 1,000 yen...)

[ghostsstolemymoxie]

A request here for smut! enemies to lovers hot hate sex on a mission then people over the intercom back at the mansion here oops 🤭

AHHH OK I love this ideaaaa, just hoping I did it justice <3

【You're so gorgeous - then you start talkin'!】

Logan x F! Reader - Enemies to lovers: Hatefuck edition Divider credit @cafekitsune Tags: No use of Y/n, explicit content (18+, MDNI), unprotected p in v (be smarter than Logan and reader folks), rough sex, spitting, unintentional voyeurism, accidental exhibitionism Please don't click read more unless you're over 18 and willing to see 18+ content and the above tagged content. WC: 3k words

"He's the most arrogant, boorish, misogynistic, vile bastard I have ever met in my life!" You hissed down the comms, trying very hard to hide the scowl etched into your features. "Yes, but he's also your partner on this mission," Ororo replied, calmly, her voice crackling somewhat as it travelled into your ear through the wireless bud for your communications.

All around you, all you could hear was chatter, laughter and bawdy noises.

Serves you right, really. After all, you'd been so desperate to get back into the swing of things and get onto the missions since your injury, you had begged Charles to assign you the next mission, not even caring what it was.

Lo and behold, it leads to you and Logan being sent out on an intel-gathering mission at a casino just by the Canadian border. All you needed to do was listen out for some plan to do with Sentinels being built. Charles had been stingy with the details, though you weren't quite sure why. You supposed he'd given the brief more to Logan - the experienced X-man.

As though summoned by your distasteful thoughts, Logan soon joined you in the casino, already holding a glass in his hand. Whiskey, no doubt, with plenty of ice. He stepped up alongside you, glancing you up and down and taking in your black-tie attire with a smirk on his face. "You scrub up nice. Makes sense. You're only here as arm candy." He grumbled, taking a sip of his whiskey. In truth, it was a wonder that his muscles didn't burst free from the white suit he was wearing, but this was no time for gawking at the wonderful body attached to this awful man. "Has anyone ever told you that you're the worst person they've ever met?" You mock, even as you follow him to one of the tables. "Has anyone told you that you've got a smart mouth? That's not an attractive quality in a lady, y'know." Logan's retort was fast and icy, barbed in a way that only Logan's tone could be.

"Both of you, you need to focus on gathering intel, not on bickering." It was Scott's turn this time, shrill down the comms as he made sure that both of you heard. From the scowl on Logan's face, he heard perfectly.

A friend of Bolivar Trask was on the roulette table tonight - and apparently, he got loose lips after enough scotch. So, Logan took his seat at the same table, keeping his head down and focusing on looking inconspicuous, whilst you lingered at his side, playing the part of the pretty girlfriend attending alongside her man. Logan chugged the rest of his whiskey, holding out the glass to you. "Get me another one, won't you sweetheart?"

Sweetheart. God, that was the worst word he could use for you. It only made you angry. He had that stupid smirk on his face, too, that said he only knew how mad it made you. Despite his mockery though, you kept your composure, putting a smile on your pretty, painted lips. "Sure thing, hun." You said, leaning in, feigning a kiss on his cheek as you whispered: "Call me sweetheart again, and I'll cut your dick off."

He replied only with a scoff, as you headed to the bar, a scowl plastered on your face. The only way you knew it was because you glimpsed it in the mirror whilst waiting to be served. Once seen, it was schooled quickly, though that didn't stop a passerby from noticing.

Whilst you waited for the bartender, idly listening over your comms to hear whatever was being said at the roulette table, you barely noticed his presence, until he sided up right alongside you. He was a handsome guy, though regrettably not as handsome as your begrudging date for the evening, who remained at the table, unaware.

"Now, what could possibly make such a pretty face look so grumpy?" He asked, cooing the words so condescendingly. "I'm not grumpy." You reply, sourly, before forgetting that whilst you can always hear on comms, they can always hear you. A creak across the room sounds as Logan turns to look at you, and a look of something spreads across his face at the sight of the younger man quite obviously coming onto you. You didn't know what that something was, but it lit a strange, desperate spark in your stomach for just a brief moment.

Still, you needed to deal with the interloper first, so you turned back to him. "I'm kind of in a rush. I'm just here to get my partner a drink." "Partner, huh?" He chuckled. "I get it. Long-term relationship but no ring… has he convinced you that being partners is just as good as being married?"

He had clearly gotten the wrong end of the stick, though it was probably more your fault for saying partner rather than boyfriend. "It's not like that." You reply, trying to think of the best phrasing to get him to just leave you alone. "Then what's it like, gorgeous?"

The moron was grinning, missing the point as if he was a professional. All you could do was just roll your eyes and try to catch the bartender's attention. Sooner rather than later.

As you turned to speak to the bartender, the guy spoke up again, this time laying a hand on your arm as he did so. "Come on, Honey, you can tell me. I've been told I'm a wonderful listener. I've had my shoulders wet once or twice. I've got something else I'd love for you to get wet too."

The crudeness wasn't lost on you, and the thought of doing anything with this guy made your nose crinkle in disgust. But before you could reply with anything, you felt the guy's grip get snatched off of you as another, larger hand slid its way around your waist.

"Somethin' I can help you with, bub?" Logan's voice rumbled from behind you, and it clearly rattled the other guy to be challenged by him. After all, Logan was 300 lbs of muscle and adamantium and had the mug of a mean bastard to go with it. Even if that mean bastard was ruggedly handsome and carved from the finest Canadian oak.

You could have defended yourself. You knew this easily, and you were certain Logan did too, though the intensity of his gaze whilst he stared down the other guy forced a needy sensation in your core, betraying any lingering sense of feminism you had.

"No, just talking to the lady here." The guy replied, as politely as he could muster up, despite the fact he was no doubt shitting his pants. "Botherin' her, more like." Logan scoffed. "That cologne of yours is vile, by the way. You should probably try and wear something that doesn't smell like shit next time you try and flirt with a lady. Especially one who's spoken for."

The guy stammered, tripping over himself in trying to respond, his eyes running from you, then back to Logan, lips flapping comically but with no sound coming out.

Logan took this opportunity to tug you away from the bar instead. "C'mon, Sweetheart. Let's go have a talk." He snarled. "Logan, what are you doing? You need to focus on the meeting! Now is not the time for it!" Scott's voice down the communicator was cut off when Logan tore his out of his ear and yours as well (though he was uncharacteristically gentle as he plucked it from your ear).

He stuffed them both in his pocket, dragging you past the roulette table and the blackjack and into the men's bathroom. A single cubicle, with a lock on it that he immediately clicked shut the second that you were both in.

"What the Hell are you thinking?" You snap up at him, tearing your arm from his grip. Logan didn't reply instantly. His nostrils were flared, his beautiful mouth twisted in a vicious sneer and his whole body vibrating with the kind of energy that was more animal than human. His arms were tense, you could see the seams of his jacket nearly fraying at the effort, whilst those Hazel eyes of his burned into yours.

"I'm thinkin' about how furious I am." He snarled in reply, after a moment to think. "I'm thinkin' about how idiotic you are for even strikin' up a conversation with that guy in the damn first place. I'm thinkin'…" One tantalising step forward, and all of a sudden you were braced against the tiled wall. Thankfully the casino was clean, or at least looked it. Logan loomed over you, his breath heavy and stuttering, and for a moment you wondered if he had finally snapped and was going to drive those claws of his into your chest and finally be done with it. "I'm thinkin'… Dammit, that dress is good on you."

You blink, a few times as you look up at him, trying to confirm that you'd heard him correctly, that his eyes truly were raking down your body like that and not that you'd just dreamed it.

"Logan-" "Shut up." He snapped, cutting you off. "Just… shut up. Stop talking. God, you're so gorgeous and then you start talkin'!"

Despite your indignation, you didn't get a chance to reply. In moments he had gripped at your ass, squeezing full handfuls and lifting you from the ground, only to move you, seating you along the counter where the sink was, his eyes burning into yours all the while. He dropped you onto the counter with a thud, and in moments he was ruching up the fabric of your dress, the fabric slipping upwards from your ankles up to your mid-thigh. Hastily, you tried to tug it back down but he was far stronger, and it was a better option to have the dress lifted than torn, especially considering you'd both need to head back out to the floor. Now that there was a little give, he burrowed his strong thigh between your own, until his body was firmly planted between your knees.

"God, what am I doing?" He groaned, hanging his head, his hands planted on either side of your hips, trapping you in place. "You don't want this. You hate me as much as I can't stand you. But… I can't take this anymore. The… the tension, the burning, the need. The ache." His voice trembled as he spoke, his shoulders jerking with his difficult breaths.

As if all at once, you seemed to realise his intention here. He wanted you. Needed you. In a way almost primal and carnal, that seemed completely separate to the mission, or their usual distaste of one another.

A searing hot coil tightened in your gut, pulsating with desperation you didn't know you had in you. It had been a while, that much was for certain. 6 months? A year? Longer? Too long, by all measures. Too long since you'd shared your body with someone so vulnerably, so intimately.

And God, how you longed to share it with Logan.

"Shove me away." He demanded. "Shove me away. Smack me. Tell me I'm a brute and a bastard and you don't wanna fuck me. Do it. Because if you don't, I'm not stopping, mission be damned."

Instead, disobedient to his pleading, you slid your hands up his chest, feeling every ridge and valley even through his tuxedo. There were no words shared, no refusals or acceptances. Only a gentle touch between the fiercest of enemies.

His eyes flared, bright and incensed, and in moments he had shrugged off his jacket, tossing it haphazardly backwards, not caring where it landed, before dropping to his knees.

His hands planted themselves defiantly on your inner thighs, holding them open as he brought his face towards your core, whilst your needy fingers kept your skirt bunched up and out of his way. Logan didn't even bother to pull your panties aside, at first. He pressed chaste kisses at first to the seam of your womanhood, feeling how it slicked at his attention, enjoying the way you reacted to his attention, the way the scent of your desire seemed to permeate the air around him from every angle. He hummed into his kisses as well, the vibration only making that coil in your gut tighter. At the attempts to close your thighs, he only snarled, his grip getting firmer as he held them apart, shooting a glare up at you as if to warn you that if you didn't stop, he wouldn't keep going.

You relaxed your thighs, and he quickly crooked a finger around the gusset of your panties, tugging them to the side, taking in the sight of you with a cocked, eager eyebrow.

"You got a pretty pussy, sweetheart. She's a needy thing, huh?" He teased, before toying with his thumb, running along the seam a moment before holding you open, just in time for him to dive in again.

He kissed you as if he wanted to devour you like a hound starved for days on end would lap at the sweetest, most delicious meal. Quickly, he shrugged your thighs onto his shoulders, holding you against his face, as he slung one arm around you, holding your thigh in place on him and sliding his hand over the plane of your hip before he began to rub at your swollen clit, whilst his tongue diverted his focus to your weeping honeypot.

There couldn't be a finer sight anywhere in the world. You didn't care you were in a casino bathroom, or that you were meant to be working tonight on an important mission. Life or death meant jack shit compared to the sight of Logan kneeling between your legs and devouring you. He even seemed to hum in delight as your hand tangled in his hair, tugging him closer, nearly drowning him in your need.

He pulled back a moment later, strings of your desire still connecting you to his lips, before he swiped them away, licking them from his fingers.

At your whine, he only scoffed. "You don't finish anywhere but on my cock. You understand me?" He grumbled, standing up again, and unfastening his trousers, letting them and his boxers fall in a puddle on the floor in one swift, easy movement. When you glanced down, you could see he was already at full mast. Larger, thicker, veinier than any you had ever had before. It throbbed in his hand, with 3 beads of precum already leaking down his shaft. He palmed himself a moment, letting out a groan, holding his head in line with your clit as he rocked back and forth, gently. Just enough to soak himself in you.

"Mmm… I don't think you're wet enough." He grumbled, a smirk on his face. You were dripping on the counter, you could feel that already, so you knew he was lying, leading up to something. "So what are you gonna do about it?" You ask, locking your gaze with his own.

He pumps his fist along his cock still as he grins back at you, not averting his gaze as he spat, a thick glob of saliva landing right where his cock met your cunt. He smeared it on himself, on you - on where you both would soon become one - and he chuckled. "I always wanted to spit on you. Never thought you'd get so red from it." "I'm not red from tha-" You went to protest, but before you could finish, he had bucked, his entirety sheathed inside of you in one agonisingly ecstatic movement. All of him was buried in your warmth, and your walls shuddered around him. You didn't know which one of you had let out that moan - but you had a sneaky feeling it was both of you.

Your hand gripped his shirt, holding onto the fabric tightly, seeking to anchor yourself however you could, feeling how your body pulsated around him, acclimatising to his invasion. "Fuck," He cursed, resting his forehead on your shoulder, forcing himself to remain in place, not moving until you'd gotten used to him. "What, has it been so long since you've had a dick you re-virginised? You're so tight…" He ground his hips against your own, not yet pulling out, but making sure to give you that friction that brought another moan from your lips. "This pretty pussy's been needing a stretch. Don't worry, Princess, I'll give her a workout."

With that, he pulled back, each inch that he rescinded leaving you clenching down on nothing, feeling desperate without him. Against your will, you whined, tangling your fist further in the fabric of his shirt, urging him back again. Even after pulling out so slowly, he bucked in fast, torturous and barbaric in his speed. He bucked so hard that your entire body jolted with the collision between you, but he pulled back as if he wanted to watch you crying at the loss of him.

"What's the matter, Princess? You look about ready to sob." He mocked, before grunting as he thrust back in, just as hard, and you cried out in your mixed delight and pleasure. "You're the worst," You retort, through gritted teeth, trying to maintain your brain function even as every slight movement of his cock penetrating you seemed to make you want to melt into him, drooling and moaning like a moron who knew nothing other than taking Logan's cock. "Am I?" He purred in return, grinding his teeth as he let out three sharp thrusts in succession, robbing you of your breath as you forced your nails into his chest, drawing a groan of animalistic delight from him.

"Sounds to me like you're 'boutta cum, Princess. If I'm the worst… maybe I'll just stop." "No!" God, your voice sounded so breathy as it echoed back around the room, and Logan lit up at the sound. "No?" He parrotted, lips pursed and eyes amused, before he tutted. "No what? Use your words." "No, don't stop." "You don't want me to stop. 'cause I'm not the worst, right?" "N-not the worst…" You repeated. "Not the worst. Good girl, Princess. I'm the man who's 'boutta make you cum all over my cock, ain't I? I'm the best I am at what I do. And what I do is fucking girls like you 'til you're stupid. Right?"

By now your tongue had gone numb. You couldn't form a word in your mind, let alone in your throat or mouth. Instead, all that passed your lips were gasps and mewls and needy moans, as you forced yourself to nod, trying to get your point across.

It seemed Logan was too far gone as well, as he grinned down at you, feral and angry and delighted.

He leaned in, pressing heated, feverish kisses all over your neck, up and along the column of your throat before his forehead rested on yours.

"Fuck, Princess. I'm not gonna last much longer…" He panted out, his thrusts becoming faster and faster, no longer taunting you, and instead chasing his peak. His free hand reached down as well, his fingers splayed over your womb whilst his thumb played with your red, sensitive clit, eliciting another loud moan from you.

"Where'd you want it?" Logan snarled. "Tell me, and fast before I… ngh." He bucked, his movements sloppy and desperate. You longed for his warmth inside of you. To feel him spill and buck and ride out his afterglow whilst still nestled in your perfect pussy. To watch the look on his face as he pulled out and saw his own seed oozing from you. "Inside," You demand, the only full word you've managed in a long while. "P…please… inside. Inside." "Wish is my command, darlin'." He grunted out.

His lips crashed against your own, tasking of whiskey and pine and your own sweet nectar, the sensation of receiving a kiss from Logan so tender and desperate finally being enough to tip you over that final cliff.

Your legs wrapped around his middle, tugging him closer, as your pussy fluttered all around him, milking him for all he was worth, as a wave of white-hot euphoria rolled over your mind. Your moans were swallowed by Logan's mouth, as he kept kissing you, letting his own moans and grunts escape as well, the shared sounds of your pleasure rumbling in the caverns of your mouths. "Just like that." He rumbled, between open mouth kisses, murmuring into the plush flesh of your lips. "Cum all over me baby. Make my fuckin' day."

You barely even felt the sensation you'd so longed for as Logan buried himself as deep as he could inside of you, spilling every drop of his cum inside of you, whilst you squeezed every ounce he was worth, the pair of you riding out your orgasms at once.

It took a few seconds for you to catch your breath. Both of you had heaving chests and red faces. Logan pulled free from your lips, though not before offering one teasing, apologetic lip to the seam of your mouth, as though to apologise for kissing so hard and leaving you swollen.

You slid an arm around his shoulders, a silent plea not to pull away, as you pulled him in for one more kiss.

But he froze halfway, and glanced down at his trousers, his eyes growing wide and his jaw tensing.

"Logan? What's the matter?" You ask, leaning forward and glancing down as well, brow furrowed. "I didn't mute the comms." He replied, bluntly.

Didn't mute the comms. The comms that had been in his pocket, and would have picked up their activities.

"Get back to the blackbird, you two. Now. Before you're kicked out of the casino." Scott's voice, tinny and furious, escaped the two comms, even from where they were buried in Logan's discarded trousers. "And don't think for a moment you're not going to be punished for this."

Logan chuckled, reaching down to fasten his trousers back on, returning his gaze to you. "I dunno about you, Princess… but I don't care if I get punished. We're doing that again on the way back. C'mon."

You slid your panties and your dress back into place, stood from the counter and took his hand, heading out of the casino with him, already brimming with excitement for round two - this time with muted comms.

I hope you enjoyed and hope I did this justice - I've not really written enemies to lovers before so this was super fun <3 Feedback is super appreciated so please let me know if you enjoyed!! If you're interested, my requests are open so please feel free to send me any questions, ideas or headcanons you'd like me to explore (please just make sure you've read my pinned post first) TYSM for reading and hope you enjoy <3

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[simplygojo]

Costume Party I - Toji Fushiguro

Author's Note: Hi friends! I hope you guys enjoy this mini series! I allways gotta start these with Toji for some reason...I just think he knows how to fuck if ya know what I mean...anyways, ENJOY!!

The only Kinktober request I am accepting are from my Kinktober Prompt List, thank you <33

Alsoooo Happy Thanksgiving weekend to my fellow Canadians out there, remember to be thankful and to recognize the land we are on.

Pairing: Toji Fushiuro x f!reader

Kinks: Semi-Public Sex, Mirror Kink

Word Count: 1.7K

Kinktober Taglist: @nanamisrighthand; @simplyyyuji; @megumisdivinedogs; @lovleyredheadfairy

Warnings: 18+ SMUT, MDNI, light choking, fingering, aggressive sex, alcohol use.

The party was already in full swing by the time you arrived.

Music thumped through the walls, loud enough to feel in your chest, and the crowd inside buzzed with excitement and laughter.

You'd barely had time to throw on your costume after rushing home from work, but you knew Toji was waiting for you inside—dressed as a fox, of all things.

You smirked to yourself, adjusting the bunny ears perched on your head and smoothing your hands over the scandalously tight bodysuit you wore.

The outfit was borderline obscene—the kind of thing that left little to the imagination: black, lacy, and hugging every curve.

The fishnets and heels only made it worse—or better, depending on who you asked.

Your heart raced a little as you entered the venue, scanning the room for him. It didn’t take long. Toji stood in the corner, leaning casually against the bar, a drink in hand.

His dark eyes were glued to you the second you walked through the door. His costume wasn’t as elaborate as yours, just a black T-shirt and jeans, with a fox mask pushed up on his head.

But even in something so simple, he looked ridiculously good.

His tall, muscular frame and the sharp lines of his face made him stand out in any crowd.

But it wasn’t his looks that made you grin. It was the way his entire body went rigid the moment his eyes landed on you.

You could see the flicker of shock, the heat that followed as his gaze raked over you, lingering on the curves of your breasts, your hips, and those impossibly long legs wrapped in fishnets.

You saw the exact moment he realized just how hard he was getting, and you bit your lip to hide a smirk as he subtly shifted, trying to adjust himself.

He lifted his drink to his lips, trying to act casual, but his eyes were glued to you, dark and hungry.

You made your way over to him, hips swaying more than necessary, loving the way his jaw clenched as you got closer.

“Nice ears,” you teased, trailing a finger along the fake fox tail hanging off his waistband. “You here to hunt bunnies?”

Toji's nostrils flared, his eyes narrowing in a way that sent a thrill straight to your core.

"You should be careful, princess," he muttered, voice rough.

"Foxes eat bunnies for breakfast."

You leaned in, brushing your lips against his ear.

"Is that a promise?"

His grip on his drink tightened, and you could see the strain in his muscles, how much he was holding back.

It was delicious. And you weren’t done teasing him just yet.

Throughout the night, you made sure to stay close enough for him to watch, but far enough to drive him crazy.

You danced with other people, laughed at the bar, making sure to catch his gaze every time you bent down to adjust your heels or flipped your hair over your shoulder.

Toji’s eyes followed you everywhere, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the edge of his glass, jaw clenched so hard it looked like he might break his teeth.

It wasn’t long before you saw him break.

The last straw was probably when you 'accidentally' brushed up against him, your ass pressing right into his lap as you leaned over the bar.

The way he cursed under his breath, hands clenching at his sides, sent shivers down your spine.

Without a word, he grabbed your wrist and pulled you through the crowd, his movements determined, almost rough.

You barely had time to react before he was dragging you into a dimly lit bathroom at the back of the venue, locking the door behind him.

“Toji—” You started, but your words were cut off as he spun you around, pressing your back against the cold tile wall.

His body caged you in, the heat from him radiating through his clothes. The hard line of his erection pressed against your stomach, and you bit back a moan.

“Do you have any idea what you’ve been doing to me all night?” His voice was low, almost a growl, as he gripped your hips, pulling you flush against him.

“Walkin’ around in that tiny little costume, fuckin’ teasing me. Y’think I wouldn’t notice?”

You smirked, hands sliding up his chest.

“Oh, I knew.”

That was all the confirmation he needed.

With a groan, he crashed his lips against yours, kissing you like he was starving.

His hands were rough, needy as they roamed over your body, squeezing your ass, gripping your waist, sliding up to your chest as he shoved the fabric of your bodysuit down to expose your breasts.

You gasped as he bent down, taking one of your nipples into his mouth, his teeth grazing just enough to make you shiver.

His hand slid between your thighs, cupping your heat through the thin fabric, feeling how wet you already were for him.

“Fuck,” he muttered against your skin, pushing your bodysuit aside and slipping a finger into you.

“Already this wet, huh? You really are a little slut for me, aren’t you?”

His words sent a shock of arousal through you, and you bucked your hips, desperate for more.

Toji chuckled darkly, adding another finger, stretching you as he pumped them in and out at a torturous pace.

“Please,” you whimpered, grinding against his hand.

“Please, what?” He murmured against your neck, his lips brushing the sensitive skin just beneath your ear.

“Say it.”

“Fuck me, Toji,” you gasped, nails digging into his shoulders. “Just please fuck me.”

The moment the words left your mouth, Toji growled, pulling his finger out and spinning you around to face the mirror hanging above the sink.

His eyes gleamed darkly as he grabbed a fistful of your hair, yanking your head back just enough so you were forced to look at yourself.

“Look at you,” he rasped, his voice thick with lust as he pressed his body against yours, his hard cock teasing your entrance.

“You see what you do to me?”

You could barely manage a response, your breath coming in shallow gasps as your eyes met his in the reflection.

The sight of yourself bent over, Toji’s broad frame towering behind you, only heightened the dizzying pleasure coursing through your body.

Without warning, he thrust into you, burying himself deep with one rough motion. You cried out—loud, your eyes fluttering shut, but he wasn’t having it.

“Nuh-uh. Eyes open,” he demanded, tugging your hair harder, forcing your gaze back to the mirror.

“I want you to watch yourself while I ruin you.”

His hips snapped against yours, setting a punishing pace, every thrust sending shockwaves of pleasure through you.

Your hands clutched the edge of the sink, knuckles turning white as you struggled to keep upright.

The intensity of the moment—the way he filled you so perfectly, the way his rough grip kept you exactly where he wanted you—had your body shaking.

“Toji—” You gasped, eyes fixated on the image in the mirror, watching the way your body jolted with every thrust.

His cock pounded into you relentlessly, your skin hot, sweat beading along your brow.

“Fuck, you feel so good,” he groaned, his hand sliding from your hair to your throat, gripping just tight enough to make your head spin.

“Look at how desperate you are. So fuckin’ wet for me.”

You moaned in response, the sound catching in your throat as he squeezed just a little harder.

The sight of yourself, cheeks flushed, lips parted in helpless pleasure as Toji took you from behind, was almost too much to handle. You could feel him pushing deeper into you, your walls stretching more than they ever had.

Suddenly, there was a loud knock at the door.

For a split second, the reality of where you were crashed over you—a public bathroom, at a party, with Toji fucking you senseless.

The knock came again, harder this time, followed by an impatient voice.

“Hey, someone in there?”

You barely had time to process the interruption before Toji let out a low, dangerous growl.

He didn’t stop his movements, he continued to fuck you just as hard, just as deep, as he glared at the door.

“Fuck off,” he barked, his voice harsh, filled with irritation. “Busy.”

The person outside hesitated, clearly taken aback by his tone, but Toji was already refocused on you, slamming his hips harder into yours.

The knot of pleasure coiled tighter and tighter inside you as his cock filled you to the hilt with every thrust, your body trembling under the pressure.

His hand slid back to your clit, fingers rubbing tight, teasing circles, bringing you to the edge of oblivion.

“C’mon, baby,” Toji rasped, his breath hot against your ear.

“Cum for me. Show me how much you like watching me fuck you in front of that mirror.”

The words alone were enough to send you spiralling.

Your eyes squeezed shut as the orgasm ripped through you, every muscle tensing, your vision going white with the intensity of it.

Your body clenched around him, and Toji groaned deeply, his grip on your waist tightening as he thrust into you harder, chasing his own release.

With a final, guttural growl, Toji buried himself deep inside you, his cock pulsing as he came, filling you completely.

For a moment, the two of you stayed like that, your body shaking from the aftershocks, Toji’s forehead resting against the back of your neck as you both caught your breath.

“Fuck…” He muttered, a smirk pulling at his lips as he finally loosened his grip on you, pulling out slowly.

His hands lingered on your hips, the possessive touch making your heart race all over again.

You glanced up at the mirror one last time, meeting his dark, satisfied gaze.

“You really do know how to make a scene,” you teased, voice breathless.

Toji chuckled, leaning down to press a rough kiss to the side of your neck.

“You love it.”

[sc0tters]

Owed It | Jack Hughes

summary: you’re less than happy with how things ended between you and Jack so when the Devils come to Vancouver to play you decide to give him a piece of your mind, but what happens when he has the same idea?

request: yes/no

warnings: sexual themes, p in v, face riding, use the of the word slut once, swearing.

word count: 2.25k

authors note: I sort of merged a request of some prompts for Jack and a part 2 of Misconceptions and Confrontations. Although I have left it on a cliff hanger I’m not going to make this into a full blown series which is why there hasn’t been a Masterlist made for this.

pt 1 | pt 3

To say you were surprised when he showed up at your door it was an understatement.

After your conversations died down in December you pushed him to the back of your mind. Sure it was hard at first as you missed staying up until the late hours of the night giggling as you would be on FaceTime with Jack. But when Tito moved to the Canucks within a month of things pretty much ending with Jack you didn't complain. The Quebec native was fun, sure you two hadn't done anything under your clothing yet but that didn't mean that there weren't a few shared kisses when you two got far too drunk for your own goods or after big games as your own celebration for him.

The Canucks player had come over to grab his suit jacket that had he had left after you two went to watch a movie "thanks again," he smiled as you walked him to the door.

The gesture was innocent as he placed his hand on the small of your back "don't mention it," you shook your head as you opened your front door "Jack?" Your eyes went wide as the two of you were met with the middle Hughes boy.

Jack mirror your reaction as he looked at Tito. The boys had met each other on numerous occasions when the Canadian was still with the Islanders "Beauvillier," he scowled as he sent the older boy a glare.

The creased shirt on the Canucks player was not helping your cause, because to the untrained eye it seriously looked like you were letting him out after you two spent the night together.

Tito wasn't one to be scared of Jack or most players for that matter but the look that he was receiving would have made him a dead man if looks could kill "I guess this is my queue to leave," he murmured as he gave you a side hug before the older boy scurried out of your apartment.

The Devils player was still trying to comprehend what he had just seen "what the fuck?" Jack let out an exasperated gasp as you pulled him into your apartment.

You let out a growl "keep your voice down," you grumbled as it was barely eight o'clock in the morning.

It caused the boy to scoff "so now you care about if others can hear you?" The hockey player shook his head as he placed his hands on his jean pockets.

The comment caused you to grow irritated "last time I checked you are not in the position to parent me," you shot back as your eyes went into a glare.

It pissed you off how nonchalant the boy was "you're the one who left me on read," Jack had been left hurt after you ignored his question asking if you were planning on joining Quinn for the Hughes Christmas family dinner, an event that she was always an honorary guest to.

You grabbed the orange juice from the counter that you had been drinking "you're the one who decided that you wanted to see other people," you pointed out as you waved your finger at him "and I'm not one for sharing." Your voice was a low grumble as you brought the glass to her lips.

Jacks once irritated look was now a smirk "were you jealous?" He asked as he knew you were talking about the rumours that he had gotten back with his ex girlfriend.

The reminder of what happened lit a fire beneath you "you know I actually missed you," you scoffed as you couldn't believe that you wanted to see him.

You saw why you hated him so much back then.

The devils player rubbed his hand against his jaw "I missed you too," he blurted out as he walked over to where you were in the kitchen

"Bullshit," you blurted out as you sent him a glare.

The Hughes brother placed his hands on your hips as he pulled you closer to him "come sit on my face and I'll show you how much I missed you." He murmured as his lips were a mere few inches from your own.

Darting your eyes from his down to his lips your voice went croaky "Jack," you mumbled as you kissed him.

Oh how you missed the feeling of those lips on yours. Weirdly enough though the the amount of hatred in it was next to nothing when compared to the first time he kissed you, dare to say it but it was almost like there was a hint of love in this kiss.

As Jack pulled away from you he caught your lower lip in between his teeth as he gave it a small tug "where's your bedroom princess?" He asked as he cocked his head.

Your furrowed your eyebrows almost like you were confused by what he was hinting at "end of the hallway," you let out a soft gasp as you realised what he was hinting to.

So like any horny girl, you locked your hand with his as you pulled him in the direction of your room "you're so eager," the hockey player teased as he reached under your baggy shirt that was clearly one of Quinn’s as he helped you out of your panties.

As you stepped out of them you couldn’t help but roll your eyes "fuck off," you warned as you shook your head.

Jacks lips turned into a pout "that's not very nice," he had this shit eating grin as he sat on your bed bringing you closer by your shirt.

With his other hand he let it trail over your slit "god Jack just," your voice was breathy as you tried to grind on the individual finger.

The boy lay down flat on your bed "come here," he motioned for you to join him on the bed.

But when you only sat next to him he wasn’t happy "up here honey," Jack tapped his lips as he hooked his hand behind your leg helping move you closer.

As you hovered above his face you couldn’t help but remember why you were so irritated "you got a lot of ner-" you were quickly cut off when Jacks tongue darted inside of you.

You never really thought that Jack was the kind of boy to be a munch but god were you wrong "right there," you groaned as his nose continued to knock your clit.

The sensations were something that you weren’t used to. Sure you had been eaten out before but never like this "fuck!" Your one had gripped at the headboard as your other locked onto his hair.

Jacks eyes never left yours “so good," you moaned as you continued to grind on his face.

His lips moved with a pop as he replaced it with his fingers "you like this don't you?" He asked in a teasing tone.

You nodded as you watched him move back to his original position "yes Jack," you repeated your words as he kissed your clit "fuck yeah I do," your voice was broken as you tried to remain calm.

The smirk on his face was clear and you had to break him "this is what you've been missing out on," your comment drew a moan from his lips.

Playing with fire seemed to be your forte "what Tito had been getting whenever he wanted." You cooed as you forced him by his hair to make him look at you.

You got your wish of pissing him off "off," Jack tapped your thigh as he pulled his mouth away from your clit.

The build to your high was quick to become unraveled "wha-" you grew surprised.

He repeated his words "get off.”

Not wanting to piss him off you listened "I'm gonna fuck you so hard that you'll forget that guys name." Jack warned as he sat up to kiss your lips.

You loved the way that you could taste yourself on his lips "you want me to forget Tito?" You asked making sure that you put more effort into the boys name.

It caused Jacks eyes to grow dark "see that you've still got that mouth on you," he murmured as he ran his thumb over your lower lip.

Nodding with a smirk "would never lose it for you," you explained as the boy pulled your top over your head.

Jack let out this guttural groan "missed these," he reached out to cup your bare breasts.

It drew a giggle from your lips "just my boobs?" You asked as the hockey player got up.

The boy tucked your hair behind your ear "missed all of you," he placed a kiss on your lips.

You watched as he grabbed a condom from his jeans "you knew what was gonna happen didn't you?" A scoff fell from your lips as he nodded.

He smirked as he pulled his shirt off of his head "cause my baby is my cock hungry slut," Jack rolled the condom over his cock “want you on all fours," he added as he motioned for you to flip over.

Your lips form a pout "got a thing for not seeing my face?" You teased as you let out a giggle.

Jack was surprised that you made that comment no matter how playful your voice was "thought you didn't want me to see your face when you came.” He explained as he pulled you closer now deciding that missionary was going to be the preferred position.

His cock teased your clit before he thrusted inside of you “you gonna be a good girl and take it for me?” Jack asked as his thumbs teased your breasts.

The moan you released was your worst enemy “not a big challenge,” you were proud of yourself for getting the words out.

They seemed to egg Jack on as he pulled your legs over his shoulders. It gave him access to fuck you in a much deeper angle “you liking that don’t you?” He smiled when your face scrunched up as his hand went to your clit.

You wanted to reach up to hit him but as he increased his pace it caused your hand to land on your boob “god,” you groaned letting your fingers tease the nipple.

Jack loved the way that you were so responsive to his actions. Sure other girls had been like that in bed with him before but this all felt different.

The girl that he had been pining over since he was a kid. Yes you thought he hated you but of course your mothers were right, Jack had liked you from the moment he saw you on that swing. The reason why he pulled you off of it? That’s simply because you weren’t listening to him.

You let out a moan “you’re so good Jacky,” you cried out as you made grabby hands at him.

It might have been a childish gesture but you missed the feeling of his lips on yours “my little girl wants a kiss?” He asked as he let his lips hover above yours. The angle that he was now thrusting into caused him to be best friends with your g-spot.

Given the new level of pleasure that you were felling all you could do was nod. And luckily for you Jack wasn’t in the mood to tease you. So his lips went on yours as his tongue swiped across your lower lip as he wanted to feel the feeling of his tongue fighting with yours.

When you let out a moan you granted his wish. Jack swore that the moment forced your head into the mattress that he loved you. Seeing you in the position that you were in made him feel like he was on cloud nine “I’m gonna come,” you announced as the boys motions on your clit quickly sped up.

He wanted you to see reach your high first because Jack was literally seconds behind you “go on my pretty girl.” The hockey player smiled as he kissed your neck.

It was crazy how that little moment caused your orgasm to not only come but also it hit you like a truck.

You repeated a string of “oh my gosh” as your pussy almost suffocated his cock “this pussy was made for me fuck,” Jack cursed as his high was met shortly after yours was.

The boy let out a soft laugh as he took in your sensitive state, it was like that simply didn’t change from the previous time you two spent together.

As he slid out of you your body shuddered “sorry honey,” he apologised as he hook his fingers under your jaw so that he could place a peck on your lips.

But when your phone went off you two each looked at the other with wide eyes.

Quinn x: I’ll be up in three minutes

Quinn x: Got you breakfast.

Sure you shouldn’t have been surprised by this, it was your tradition before every home game “fuck,” you groaned as you quickly got up.

You didn’t seem to care that your legs felt like jelly as you quickly tried to get ready “what?” Jack asked as he hadn’t gotten a chance to see the messages.

You didn’t get a chance to answer his question when you heard the front door open “I’m here!” Quinn called out as he shut the door behind him.

You and Jack were now truly fucked.

[muffinpink02]

can we get a small preview of taking your crown 2? 🙏

Of course! 18

“Where's this special room then?” Mapi smirked as she drank from her glass.

You laughed, giving her a wink. “Down the hallway.” 

“Hmm. What room?” Alexia furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as she looked between you and Mapi.

“She has a special room.” Mapi swirled the ice in her glass. 

“Oh.” Alexia’s eyes widened in surprise, suddenly looking a little timid. She gulped before she took another sip of her vodka.

“Do you wanna see it?” 

“Yes!” Mapi shouted excitedly.

You looked at Alexia who still looked a little shy, but the curiosity in her eyes was evident. 

“Sí.” She whispered before taking another sip.

You led them down the corridor to the last door. You turned the handle and turned on the lights. 

Both girls' mouths gaped open as they took in the room in front of them.

“Wow.” Mapi smirked, taking a slow step inside.

The room glowed in a deep shade of purple and red. The decor was a bit different to your room at your place of work, this room had a lot more on show. 

In the middle stood a replica of the king sized bed in the room you first met Alexia in. To the left was a purple leathered rack, with an arrangement of paddle boards attached to the wall. To the side of that wall sat a black leathered table that resembled a massage table, but this particular one had handcuffs attached at the top and bottom. 

To the right of the room stood a floor length mirror that covered the entire wall, red strips of light framed the outside of it, giving it an almost red light district feel. Another wall had an abundant array of different toys, restraints, leashes, collars, and whips. Some for pleasure, some for pain, but even the painful ones were someone's pleasure.

Closets to the door and your most impressive bit of equipment, there stood the St Andrews cross. Even though it looked like a torture device (I mean, it kind of was) it was surprisingly really comfy. Imported from Germany, stitched with real Italian leather, and formed with Canadian wood, it was your most prized possession, a beautiful piece of equipment or some would even say art.

The room was impressive to say the least.

“You have good taste.” Mapi said absently mindedly as she stroked the thick wooden post of the bed.

“Thank you. I’m proud of it.” You said honestly before taking a sip of your drink. 

You looked over at the blonde who still hadn't said anything, but she didn't need to, her face said it all.

Alexia felt a chill run up her spine as her eyes drank in the room. The familiar smell of vanilla instantly brought her back to the first night she had with you and so far the only night. The memories of you and herself flooded her mind, it was as if she could feel the paddle on her skin, the hot wax, your thick strap, your talented tongue.

For the first time she regretted allowing Mapi to join her on the trip. 

Her fingers nervously twitched around her glass, as she imagined her and yourself using the room for its exact purpose. 

You watched Alexia’s thoughtful eyes. You could see the cogs turning in her head. A shy smile crept on her lips as she caught you looking at her. She looked like she had been caught red handed, even though her dirty thoughts were in her head and sadly not being played out right now.  

She nodded and awkwardly cleared her throat. “It's beautiful. I-I like it.” She took a gulp of her drink, you didn't miss the way her cheeks turned a shade of pink.

You felt your own skin heat up, picturing the blonde in all the different positions you could have her in. It was as if you both could see the other's exact thoughts. You didn't realise you were staring until Mapi cleared her throat.

“Aye, come on! I’m only here for two nights. Can you not control yourselves until I leave?” The brunette looked between you and Alexia.

“Did you bring headphones, Mapi?” Alexia asked, but still looking at you.

“Sí?” 

“Good, you'll need them tonight.” 

You couldn't stop the embarrassing noise you made as you choked on your drink.

—------------------

[junocandraw]

JEFF THE KILLER REWRITE 1/4

Hey freaks!! Its here!! I’ve tried to post this like 100 times, but I’ve had MAJOR TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES every time. Lets hope that this is the one!

Big thanks to everyone who helped me proofread this and make it all nice and pretty. I’ve worked REALLY HARD on it, so your help was appreciated to the fullest extent.

CW: Blood, Gore, Knives, Seizures, Slenderman, ED, being lit on fire, bullying, if i missed anything please let me know.

DISCLAIMER: This is my first time putting my writing out for the masses. As you can imagine, I’m a little bit frightened. PLEASE be kind. I will take criticism as long as it is VERY VERY nice, and actually helpful. I know commas are gonna be in the wrong place sometimes, I’m human.

WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, ENJOY YOUR MONSTER ENERGY AND YOUR LOW CALORIE POPCORN AND READ MY AWESOME REWRITE!!!

The Move

Jeff leaned his pale forehead on the car’s window. It would fog up under his nose as he breathed in and out. The glass was chilly, a testament to the harsh Wisconsin wintertime. The car moved past the bland dairy farms and trees in a blur. The snowy ground contrasted harshly against the dark needles of the pines. The dull weather seemed to punctuate Jeff’s mood.

Jeff was 17, and had been since last April. He was around 5’11 in stature, with dark hair and pale skin. His eyes were light blue, just like his father’s. If you looked at him too quickly, it almost looked like he had no irises. He adorned a disgruntled expression, and his signature smudged eyeliner, both of which were things his parents hated.

“Jeff, how many times do I have to tell you not to touch the windows?” His father, Mike Woods, glared at Jeff through the rear view mirror. Jeff rolled his eyes, and slouched back in his seat dramatically to avoid his father’s gaze, “And don’t get smart with me.” His father threatened without conviction.

Jeff’s father was a short and stout man, less than desirable to look at. He stood at 5’6, head and shoulders. He was balding on the crown of his head, and his face was shaven. His bright blue eyes matched that of his eldest son. He looked grimey. Like someone that you couldn’t trust. This feeling that he emanated matched perfectly with his career in law.

Jeff became bored at sight-seeing, and turned to look at his half brother. Liu Woods sat in the backseat adjacent to him. He was 15, two years younger than Jeff. His bold, green eyes stared out of his own window. They matched very well with his light brown hair that he had inherited from his mother. He wore a black tee shirt, a green cardigan, blue jeans, and Doc Marten boots. His precious sketchbook was situated neatly in his lap. He played music in his headphones, lost in his own world as per usual.

”Are…are we at the town limits yet?” Jeff’s dull Stepmother fiddled with the phone in her hands, glancing between it and the signs on the road. Jeff’s father gave an annoyed sigh, as he answered,

“Not yet. We’ll get there when we get there, Nicole.” His Canadian accent reeked of privilege. Because of their bickering, Jeff turned his attention to his stepmother. She was a real trophy wife: A stay at home mom with bleach blonde hair, and sparkling green eyes. She was blessed with beauty (Though, it had all but faded with age), but not brains.

“How far are we from Milwaukee?” Jeff asked, having just woken up from a nap a few minutes ago. He had asked this question without ill-intent, but his father didn’t see it this way.

“Jeffery, if you bring up Milwaukee again I’m going to lose it. We’re putting that behind us. No more, do you hear me?” Jeff didn’t reply. He knew his father wouldn’t take a minute to slow down the route, so there was no point in playing his games. He instead sighed, and opened his IPod to a Black Veil Brides playlist. He decided letting his anger fester would be wiser than letting it out while his parents were agitated from the move. The move that didn’t have to happen.

Jeff was angry when he realized he had no say in the matter. It wasn’t fair. He was angry when he was packing his stuff, angry when he said bye to his friends, angry when they loaded the U-Haul van, and angry when they said goodbye to their old house. Jeff had always been angry, even when he was a little boy.

Once, when Jeff was in fourth grade, and Liu was in 2nd grade, a couple of 3rd graders had started to call Liu names from the top of a tall play structure. Jeff, protective of his younger brother, stormed up to the top of their tower and pushed both of the bullies to the ground beside Liu. It was around a 10 foot drop, and both boys went down chest-first. One of the boys broke his arm, and the other one had a nasty fractured wrist. To make matters worse, Jeff then took a sharp woodchip from the ground and pinned one of the boys to the earth with his knees. He used it to cut into the face of the boy, ignoring all of his pained screeches that only a frightened elementary schooler could emit.

Jeff was suspended for 2 weeks, and both injured boys were hospitalized. Desperate to protect their precious public image, the Woods parents paid for both of the children’s hospital bills to avoid a lawsuit. When they spoke with the Elementary school counselor, he pointed out lots of previous issues Jeff had with other children. He then suggested that they seek professional help, because their son may have anger issues. This idea was shut down immediately, and the counselor was given Mike Woods’ classic No-Son-Of-Mine speech. Jeff’s parents hated the idea of any of their children being different.

“Elmerville, established 1849.” Liu read the town sign, taking his headphones off.

“Are we almost there?” Jeff asked, fiddling with the arm cuffs of his light blue crew neck, “I’m hungry.”

“You’ve been hungry for the last hour, Jeff.” His father sighed, and moved his hands to the 10 and 2 position on the steering wheel, “Like I said, we’ll get there when we get there, and when we do, you guys can order pizza, or something.”

“Pizza? Really?” Jeff’s mom whispered through gritted teeth.

“Oh come on, it’s just to tie them over until dinnertime.”

“It’s not proper. What will the neighbors think?”

“Of us ordering pizza?” Jeff raised an eyebrow at his silver-spooned stepmother..

“Jeff.” His father growled, glaring at him through the rearview mirror again. Jeff, for once in his life, wasn’t in the mood to argue. He instead looked back over at Liu. He was now drawing, headphones back over his ears. Jeff glanced down at his sketchbook to see a person in a paisley patterned suit, with a description written in blue ink beside them. Jeff figured it must be one of Liu’s characters that he had created.

“That looks awesome.”

“Thank you.” Liu gave an appreciative nod at his brother, his biggest art critic, and fan. Just then, their father turned into a subdivision, and started down a row of large houses.

“Boys, welcome to your new neighborhood.” Their father stated, pleased with the neat array of houses ahead of them.

“It's very…minimalist.” Liu was disappointed at how much character the subdivision lacked, a new trend that he often complained about to his brother. He scratched his neck, and stuffed his sketchbook into his tote bag, saving his current drawing for later.

“Yeah…whatever that means.” Liu’s mother added under her breath.

“It’s perfect, just what the Woods family needs.” Jeff’s father gave a smug smile. The car slowed down, and turned into a paved driveway. Jeff and Liu stared at the house in front of them. The outside was white brick, with a black roof and shutters. The lawn was neatly manicured, completed with bushes that had snow piled on top of them.

The four car doors popped closed in unison, and the family stepped out to examine their new house. The moving van pulled up to the curb behind them, stopping with a high pitched squeal and a hiss.

“Welcome home, everyone.” Mike smiled proudly, fists balled on his wide hips. He walked up to the front door and began to unlock it with the key that had been provided.

“This isn’t home.” Jeff muttered to himself under his breath next to Liu, as the two boys went to grab their boxes from the moving van.

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

Once Jeff’s furniture had been unpacked, he laid out on his bare mattress. His sheets and blankets were still in the van, but he didn’t feel like getting them yet. As he was thinking about unpacking, he heard knuckles wrapping on his new door,

“Jeff? Can I come in?” Liu asked timidly. Jeff gave a grunt of approval, and Liu opened the door. He saw his half brother laid out on his mattress like an emo starfish, his room only half decorated.

“What's wrong?” Jeff asked, rolling over so Liu could sit beside him.

“Everything.” Liu answered.

“Yeah. This place is awful.” Jeff’s shadowed eyes narrowed, “It’s so – fake – if that even makes sense.”

“I bet the people are too.” Liu frowned, looking out of Jeff’s window onto the unfamiliar backyard.

“No kidding. Mom’s probably gonna start to bitch at us about everything we do so that we can, ‘Make a good first impression with the neighbors!’” Jeff scoffed, mocking his stepmother’s shrill voice. He then flopped back down onto his bed with a groan. Liu followed,

”Everything is so fake.” Liu sighed, staring up at Jeff’s new white ceiling, “What do you miss the most?”

“I miss hanging out with the team at that one gas station next to our school. A group of us would always go there and get slushies after practice. I miss Stanley too. Losing him was like losing an arm.” Jeff felt choked up describing his home town, and his hockey mentor whom he missed dearly. Stanley Waterbury introduced Jeff to his favorite sport, and trained him from his youth to his adolescence,

“I miss the art room. I miss my oil painting that I never got to finish. I miss Noah and Jacquelyn.” Liu added, kicking his feet that hung over the edge of Jeff’s bed.

“I miss Milwaukee.” Jeff whined, face in his palms. He was ready for his father to be standing behind the door, waiting to strike him for mentioning his beloved hometown. The name of the city they once lived in had become taboo– something that couldn’t be so much as uttered. It hurt Jeff a great deal that a place he once cherished was now nothing more than a hush-hush topic.

No sooner than Jeff had thought of him, he heard his father’s voice booming from downstairs,

“Boys! Come put the rest of these boxes away!” Jeff groaned at this, wanting to take a break from unpacking and reassembling his possessions.

”Coming!” Liu yelled back, “C’mon, if we do it fast we can eat pizza.” He offered Jeff a hand to pull him up.

“Good. I’m starving.” The pair exited Jeff’s new room, and began to descend the stairs together. Their father was putting cushions on the expensive beige couch that they had just purchased. Nicole Woods set up a shabby chic sign over the mantle that read, ‘Home is where the Heart is’ in Rae Dunn font. Jeff found this incredibly ironic, as he felt his heart was back in Milwaukee.

Liu opened the front door, and Jeff followed him outside. They had to avoid the two moving guys who worked together to carry a coffee table into their house. Jeff held the door wide open for them, for which he received an appreciative nod. Liu stood on the steps of the house, waiting for Jeff to follow him outside. They spent the next hour or so bringing their items into the house, unpacking them, reassembling furniture, and dusting. Lots of dusting.

When everything was said and done, the Woods family gathered at a cards table on foldable chairs. They ate their pizza for dinner, much to Nicole Wood’s protest. It was quiet, the only sounds being chewing, and Mike Woods obnoxiously slurping his lukewarm beer.

“So, did you boys get everything unpacked?” Jeff’s stepmom broke the silence, forking at her pizza instead of eating it with her hands like a normal person.

“Mhm.” Liu answered with a mouth full of pizza. Jeff nodded silently, which angered his father for some reason.

“Jeffery?” He looked at his eldest son,

“Yeah.” He answered, without breaking eye contact with his food. However, his father didn’t find his answer sufficient,

“What is your problem, young man? Why can’t you show a little bit of gratitude? Why can’t you sit with your family and have a good time?” Jeff’s head tilted upwards to meet his father’s glare. His eyes were ice, even lighter than his fathers. They were shaded by his messy, dark bangs.

“My family?” His eyes narrowed, “Liu is my brother, but that homewrecker isn’t my mom.” Jeff’s stepmom clutched her hideous, chunky necklace, and turned to her husband to see what he would do. Liu sat silent, staring down at his half-eaten pizza, waiting for the pot to boil over. His father slammed his fist on the table, causing Liu to jolt. He stood up in an attempt to strike Jeff, but Jeff ducked backwards with ease. He pushed his chair out aggressively, leaving his stepmother and brother behind. His father would have none of this. He followed Jeff through the arched doorway and into the dark living room.

Jeff reached the banister of the stairs, but not before his father had caught up to him. He yanked him off the first step by the back of the shirt, and pulled him down to his level. Jeff landed on his ankle and winced with pain. Now he was fuming.

“YOU LISTEN TO ME NOW, BOY!” Jeff was 4 inches taller than his father, so he looked down on him. Jeff loved this. It gave him a sense of control. His father barked in his face, embarrassed that his son had evaded his hand so easily just moments before, “IF YOU THINK FOR A MOMENT THAT YOUR MOTHER AND I ARE GOING TO TOLERATE ANYMORE OF YOUR…DISRESPECT, YOU ARE SORELY MISTAKEN!” Jeff felt glee coursing through his veins at the sight of his father; he knew that Jeff was getting too old to push around. Jeff could see it on his pudgy face. He was terrified.

Jeff narrowed his eyes at his father, challenging him. He wanted to hit him. To hurt him. But he wouldn’t hit first. Jeff’s father accepted his son’s challenge, and swung at him with a weak right hook. Jeff ducked, but not quite in time. He got the top of his head knocked pretty good, inciting a new feeling inside of him.

Jeff felt something unfamiliar triggered in his brain. He was reminded of the countless years he had dedicated to his passion: Hockey. Jeff was one of the best centers in the state of Wisconsin. He had always loved to fight, and had never taken a knee in his entire career, something he constantly bragged about. However, there was something sinister to this fact. Whenever he fought on the ice, he always felt some kind of excitement at hurting other people. He wasn’t sure why, it had just always been like that. It was just who he was.

However, what he was feeling now was different, something he hadn’t ever felt before. All of the sudden, there was a strange ringing in his ears. He looked into his father’s beady blue eyes. He felt irked at the sight of him. Pure, unbridled hatred. Rough as sandpaper, and hot as flames. This, mixed with the aforementioned pleasure blended into something entirely new: Bloodlust.

Suddenly, Jeff lunged at his father, grabbing his thick neck with much force. Jeff’s father stumbled back, and landed against the wooden front door. A family photo fell to the floor with a “Crash!”. Jeff’s father tried to pry his son’s hands off of him, but it was to no avail. Jeff had an insane look to him, something evil swirling within his frozen irises. Just as Jeff was about to really get violent, he heard his stepmother’s shrill voice to the right of him.

“STOP IT, YOU TWO, STOP IT!!!” She cried, pulling them off of eachother, “WHAT’RE YOU DOING?!” It was like a haze had been waved out of Jeff’s face. The ringing was gone, the rage was gone, and the pleasure was gone. Jeff’s father moved away from his son, coughing and gasping for air. He did his best to hide the terror he felt. It wasn’t working.

”Jeff, go to your room. Now.” His stepmother held her husband’s arm. Jeff stood for a moment, unsure of what he was actually going to do. He looked to the arched doorway that led into the kitchen, and saw Liu’s silhouette beneath it. All eyes were on Jeff.

”NOW!” His father screamed. Jeff gave one last glare at his father, before growling with frustration. He stormed up the wooden stairs to his bedroom, and violently slammed the door behind him. He sat on his bed, neatly made with his black bed sheets and his comforter. He looked at his shaking hands, feeling his surging adrenaline begin to fade.

“What…what was that?” He asked himself, startled by how fast he had resorted to strangulation. He turned his head upwards and began to look around his room, “A lamp…a poster…highlighters in a cup…my desk…and my water bottle.” He said all of this to himself whilst taking deep breaths, just as his therapist had instructed him. He felt sick to his stomach.

He laid back on his bed, and stared up at the ceiling, just as he had done with Liu a few hours earlier. He turned over with a sigh, and hugged a pillow close to his body. He watched how the moonlight shone through his blinds onto his bedroom floor in horizontal lines. Soon, he drifted off, anger lingering deep within him.

The Hallway

Jeff’s family moved into their new house during the school district’s winter break. The break came to an end in early January, and Jeff and Liu began to attend their new High School, Elmerville Catholic United, on a Monday. This was an adjustment for the both of them. They had previously attended a public school in the North of Milwaukee. Despite it being underfunded, and the building not being the newest, Jeff and Liu loved it.

Jeff was actually fairly popular. He had friends from all walks of life. He spent most of his time with his hockey team, and he even had a few girls that he had been talking to. Jeff’s academic efforts were never grand, but he had received countless scholarships from colleges for hockey.

Liu, on the other hand, had exceptional grades. He was a sophomore with a steady 4.0. He took lots of AP classes, and did well on his ACTs when he took them. He spent most of his time in the art room. Liu had a small group of friends that shared similar interests, and similar music taste. Being more introverted, he preferred this to a larger friend group like Jeff’s.

Their parents had constantly begged him to switch to the nicer private school in town, and almost forced the boys out a few times. Jeff always bent over backwards for both him and his brother to make sure they weren’t ripped away from their beloved routine.

This new school was like hitting the reset button. The campus had a big library, a huge gym, the newest technology, and had been built very recently. Jeff and Liu would take the asbestos ridden basement and mediocre food at their old school anyday if it meant they could be with their friends again.

“Room 114.” Liu stared down at his schedule card as the pair walked out of the front office, “What about you?”

“Room 212. Damn! I’ve got biology first!” Jeff groaned, science being his least favorite subject.

“That sucks, I’ve got creative writing.” Liu smiled at the paper in his hands,

“How’d you get mom and dad to sign off on that?” Jeff asked, knowing how much his parents despised Liu’s interest in the arts.

“I…uh- didn’t.” Liu whispered sheepishly.

“You got away with that?” Jeff grinned, impressed with his younger brother.

“I guess.” Liu responded absent mindedly.

Jeff didn’t pay attention to any of the lectures. He instead spent his time counting down the minutes until school ended. He felt isolated. He felt like a Freshman again as he aimlessly wandered the halls with no one to talk to. There was a ban on phones and IPods in the building, so Jeff wasn’t able to communicate with his brother. What Jeff hated the most was the school uniforms. Stuffy crewnecks and ugly khakis were all the eye could see, leaving no room for any sort of individuality. Jeff felt like he was being strangled to death by the arbitrary rules.

At last, the final bell rang out. After the afternoon prayer had been concluded, Jeff collected his homework on the way out of his 8th period class. Just as he was about to walk through the doorway behind his teacher, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around, and was met with another boy around his age. He was just a little bit shorter than Jeff, with a sleeper build. He had fox colored hair and eyes like cobalt. His face was vaguely freckled and he had a scar on his chin.

“You’re the new kid?” He questioned Jeff, leaving no room for pleasantries.

“Yeah...” Jeff answered hesitantly, disliking the feeling that he was getting from this kid.

“And you play hockey?”

“Yeah...”

“Did you play for Stormbreaker Elite?” The boy asked, his head tilting slightly. Jeff was surprised

“How do you-“

“I guess you’ll be playing here then? I’m the team captain.”

“Yeah. I signed up for the team way before I got here.” Jeff answered coldly.

The boy nodded, a slight smile tugging on the corners of his mouth. Just then, two other boys appeared from the dimly lit classroom behind him. One of them was a skinhead that had a chip in one of his canines. He was lanky, all knees and elbows. The other boy was the opposite. He was pudgy and slow. Jeff could hear him breathing out of his mouth, which grossed him out. He would occasionally toss his greasy brown hair with a flick of his head.

“Did you actually commit to Wisconsin?” This kid was starting to get on Jeff’s nerves with all of his questioning.

“Sorry, who are you?” Jeff shifted his weight onto his other foot.

“This is Troy,” Randy tilted his head towards the fat kid, “and Keith. I’m Randy. My dad is Mr. H.”

“Who?” Jeff raised an eyebrow and folded his arms.

“Mr. H? The AD? Are you slow?” Randy sneered. His friends chuckled at this comment.

Jeff began to piece the situation together: This was an attempt at intimidation. Jeff tried not to let his short temper control him, and instead attempted to salvage the conversation,

“So…do you all play hockey?” The question was both a peace-offering, and a way to gauge how often he would have to encounter these douchebags.

“Yeah?” The skinny kid scoffed, eyeing Jeff up and down. Jeff took a deep breath, telling himself that he wouldn’t be controlled by his anger.

“Well, I just moved here. I live over in Clairmont.” Jeff explained, pretending to be blind to their malice.

“I don’t remember asking you.” Randy sneered, sizing Jeff up with his cerulean eyes. Jeff felt like throwing his fist at Randy’s mouth as hard as he could, but he refrained.

“What’s your problem, dude?” Jeff challenged, “I don’t even know you.”

“The problem is that you think you can just waltz in here and join the team halfway through the season without even trying out.” The skinny kid narrowed his eyes at Jeff, and the fat kid glared even harder.

“After all, I’m the best center in our district, so don’t think you’ll be getting any playing time.” Randy spoke with a pompous tone.

“Does your skill get you your minutes, or your Dad’s job?” Jeff watched Randy’s smirk disappear. It was clear that he had never been stood up to before.

“Look at my stats and ask me that again.” Randy shot back, his feet moving to a fighting position. Jeff knew that he could absolutely wreck Randy if he wanted to. The problem was his goons. Randy was protected, which only frustrated Jeff further.

“How about you look at my stats? You seem to know everything about me already, right? Do you like digging through your Dad’s shit when he’s not in his office?” Jeff also moved his feet to get a better stance. All of the sudden, a voice broke the tension between the boys,

“Mr. Woods?” When Jeff turned around, he saw a man he didn’t recognize. He had the same fox-colored hair as Randy, but it was grayed from age. His eyes shone a lighter blue. His face was weathered, but he wore a pleased expression. He held a clipboard, and had a whistle around the neck of his red polo shirt. The same haze of bloodlust that had been over Jeff’s consciousness during the fight with his father evaporated. Jeff hadn’t even realized it was there to begin with.

“You’re definitely the older one.” The man whispered to himself, biting on the end of his pen. He brought the ink down to the paper and scribbled some notes down. Jeff turned slowly to side-eye Randy and his goons. They all glared at him, but none spoke a word. It amused Jeff how quickly the boys had lost their macho attitudes once the administrator had arrived.

“Hello?” Jeff’s eyes darted between Randy’s crew and the adult, who he assumed was Randy’s father. The man looked up, and smiled at Jeff. He tucked his clipboard under his arm, offering Jeff a hand to shake.

“I’m Peter. Peter Hayden, but you can call me Mr. H. I’m the athletic director here at ECU.” Jeff shook his hand firmly, and then shoved his hands into his pants pockets. For some reason, he felt that Mr. H’s tone was laced with insincerity. Jeff had only known Randy for a little bit, but he was certain that this was his father.

”I’m Jeff. We spoke over Email last month about me transferring here.” This comment made Mr. H chuckle a bit.

”I remember. So, you’re going to Wisconsin?” Jeff nodded, his eyes widening a bit, “That’s great! It’s been a while since we’ve had a D1 recruit on our hands.” Mr. H turned his attention to the group of boys,

“You boys can go home. Practice is cancelled today because of the weather.” Randy gave one last glare at Jeff, before leaving the classroom with his punk friends. Mr. H wrote a few more things down on his clipboard, before turning his attention back to Jeff,

“Well, you wanna come see the rink?” He offered Jeff another pretentious smile. Jeff nodded, and began to follow Mr. H out of the classroom.

The two walked together through corridors and hallways that Jeff recalled being lost in earlier that day. The layout of the school was finally starting to make sense in his mind. Eventually, they wandered through the gym where the girl’s basketball team was practicing free-throws in groups. Jeff hated the awkward silence, and decided to strike up a conversation with Mr. H,

“Is that your son?” Mr. nodded, followed by a sigh,

“Yep. Did he give you any trouble?”

“Nothing I couldn’t handle.” Jeff responded coldly as Mr. H waved to the coaches across the gymnasium. The Athletic Director sighed again, and shook his head.

“My son, Randy, is…territorial…if that makes sense. When he feels his control is threatened, he tends to lash out at others. I’m starting to regret talking about you so much with my wife. I’m sure when he heard “Wisconsin University,” He took that as a threat to his power.” Mr. H was being way too honest with Jeff, another red flag.

The administrator pushed open a double door at the end of the gym that opened into a dim, concrete hallway. At the end of it, Jeff saw the ice rink. The pair walked up to the boards, and looked out onto the ice.

The rink was very nice, and in good shape, a testament to the Catholic school’s wealth. There were sponsorship banners all across the ceiling, including, of course, Jeff’s father’s law office. Hanging directly over the court was the American flag, the Vatican Flag, and the Wisconsin state flag. There was a huge scoreboard on the wall at the other end of the rink, adjacent to the 6 state championship banners from past years.

“Wow…” Jeff couldn’t lie; he was impressed. At his old school, they rented a rink in town for practice and for games. He hadn’t been informed that this one would be attached to the school.

“Yep. It's a real pain to keep it cool in the summertime.” Mr. H sighed. He made a sudden left turn and continued walking. Jeff had to jog a little to keep up with his long strides. They went under the concrete bleachers and to a red door that read, “Boys Locker Room.” In navy blue letters. Mr. H used one of the various keys on his keychain to unlock the door, and Jeff followed him inside.

Once they entered, Mr. H flicked the lights on. The locker room was very spacious, and very spirited. Both walls were lined with alternating red and blue lockers, and, “HARD WORK” was painted on the wall above them. All of the lockers were labeled with the players' names. Mr. H pointed at a blue locker towards the middle of the left wall,

“This one’s yours, kiddo.” When Jeff got closer to it, he could see his name engraved on a metal tag. Mr. H got his clipboard back out and scribbled on it for a moment, before handing Jeff a detention slip. Jeff was confused for a moment, before noticing it was blank. He turned it over and found a locker combination. He looked up at Mr. H, who laughed at him,

“Did I scare ya? Go on, open it!” Jeff messed with the combination lock before finally managing to open his locker. He was taken aback at the sight in front of him. A white helmet, two brand new home and away uniforms, a reversible practice jersey, and a backpack were situated neatly inside, along with a bag of new stick wax, grip tape, a few stickers, and a keychain ice skate sharpener. Jeff felt as though he had just opened a present under his Christmas tree. Jeff turned back to Mr H, who had that phony smile again.

“As long as I get some playing time.” Jeff thought, returning a fake smile to Mr. H.

“I assume you have a stick, skates, padding and all that stuff, right?” Jeff nodded, and turned to his locker full of gifts, then back to Mr. H,

“Thank you so much!” Jeff cheesed, milking his situation dry.

“No problem. If you need anything at all, come visit me in my office, and I’ll be happy to assist you. Welcome to ECU.” With that, Jeff grabbed the small gifts and put them into his new backpack. He left his uniforms so that they would be ready come game time.

Jeff said his final goodbye to Mr. H at the front office, and left through the front doors of the school. He found Liu waiting beside his car, clutching his body, and shivering. He was shaking like a leaf from Wisconsin’s bitter cold.

“There you are! I called you like 7 times!” Liu complained, his bright green eyes standing out against his red face. Jeff shrugged, and unlocked his car,

“My phone died. Sorry, man.” Jeff opened the door behind the driver’s seat and threw his belongings on the floor of the vehicle. He offered to take Liu’s, who politely declined.

“It’s fine.” Liu sighed, climbing into the passenger seat beside his brother. Jeff stuck his key in the ignition of his white Santa Fe, and warm air began to flow from the vents. Liu noticed Jeff’s new red and blue backpack in the back seat. Jeff struggled to plug the car charger into his phone, “What’s all that?” He asked, as Jeff put the car in reverse and backed out of his parking spot.

“The athletic director found me in my last class and took me to the rink. I got a bunch of goodies and stuff too. He’s totally fake just like everyone else here, but hey, at least I know I’m getting some playing time.” Jeff smirked, turning onto the main road and out of the high school.

“Dang.” Liu criss-crossed his legs up on the seat, “How was school?” Jeff noticed the change in Liu’s tone. He almost sounded sad.

“Dumb.” Jeff sighed, “I almost got into a fight at the end of the day.”

“Jeff, what?! It's your first day!” Liu buried his face in his hands and shook his head, “What is wrong with you?!”

“Don’t worry, it wasn’t serious.”

”Jeff, any fight you almost get into on your first day is serious.” Liu panicked, wondering how his older brother could be so calm.

“Relax. The athletic director intervened, and I got away unscathed.” Jeff fondly recalled how lucky he had been.

”How?”

“Well, I was about to leave class, and this kid named Randy came up to me and started telling me to bitch and moan about me joining the team. He plays hockey too, and he’s the team captain, or something. It was pretty stupid.” Jeff watched as a bad driver changed lanes ahead of him without signaling.

“But you didn’t fight him?” Liu narrowed his eyes, skeptical of his half-brother.

“I didn’t. Believe me, I could have broken his twig ass in half. He’s okay because I let him be.” His turn signal clicked quietly as he spoke. Jeff neglected to tell Liu that Randy was the Athletic Directors son, because he didn’t want him to worry.

“Was he blond?” Liu asked, turning away from his brother towards the window.

“No, why?” Liu went quiet, “Liu?” Jeff felt the atmosphere change as he made a left turn into their subdivision.

“It’s nothing, don’t worry.” Liu looked out of his window, trying to ignore Jeff’s questioning.

“It’s not nothing. Don’t lie to me, what happened?” Jeff gripped his steering wheel tighter, trying his best to push his feelings down.

“You know how it is…moving to new schools…” Liu paused again, trying not to set his older brother off. Jeff felt that intoxicating haze return. It was even stronger than before. anger, it was something stronger. Something scary. Even for Jeff.

“I’ll kill him…” Jeff whispered. This phrase fell out of his mouth. He didn’t even know where it had come from.

“Jeff, it wasn’t that bad. I promise.” Liu sighed, setting his hand on his brother’s shoulder as he put the car in park on the street outside of their house, “Really, it's not a big deal.”

”Did he hurt you?” Jeff asked. His voice wasn’t normal. It was different. Only slightly, but it was different.

“No. I’m fine.” Liu answered honestly. Jeff paused, his eyes fixed forward on the street in front of him. That ringing had come back, like an angel singing in his blood. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“Okay.” Jeff muttered, and switched the keys off. Before Liu could exit the car, he felt his brother’s firm grip on his shoulder. He looked back to see Jeff with a strange look, one he had never seen before, “Promise that you’ll tell me if something happens. Okay, Liu?” Liu gave a slight smile, and pulled his older brother in for a tight hug.

“I promise. I love you.” He patted his brother on the back firmly.

“I love you too.”

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

That night, Jeff had a strange dream. He found himself walking through a forest against his will. He wasn’t sure where he was going, or how he got there in the first place. He just kept walking forward, unable to stop. He felt tired, as though he had been walking for hours. The night was chilly, but not unbearable. The sky above him twinkled beautifully, an unmatched dark blue spotted with glowing stars. The smell of wet earth and pine permeated the air. The wind would sometimes blow and sting his face, yet he persisted in his walking.

He reached a clearing in the forest, and he finally stopped walking. He fell to his knees, too exhausted to feel the scrapes and cuts all over his body from the tree branches he fell into. All of the sudden, there was a faint ringing in his ears. Nothing significant, but still noticeable. He looked around. The space was illuminated by moonlight that shone through the opening in the tree canopy.

All of the sudden, Jeff felt a sharp pain in the front of his head. He winced, and touched his face. When he opened his eyes, his hands were stained with blood. He gasped, and looked up. Standing there in the clearing was a man. Jeff was perplexed, as no one had been there moments earlier. That's what Jeff thought, but the more that he looked, the more inhuman the figure seemed.

It was only shorter than the trees around it. It stood as still as a statue. Its arms were long, reaching all the way down to his knees. Its fingers were long too. Boney, and pale. Strangely, it wore a suit completed with a black tie. An odd outfit choice for the middle of the woods. Jeff’s eyes widened in horror when his eyes fell on the top half of the creature. The creature lacked a face entirely. Its features were replaced with smooth white skin, indents where they should have been.

Jeff gained control of his body once more, and began to scramble backwards. The creature didn’t move its body, but it did move its location. It was like every time Jeff blinked, the figure would be in a new location even closer to him. The ringing in his ears grew louder. Before Jeff could get away, inky tentacles reached out from the creature’s back, and grabbed his ankle. Jeff was pulled back, and his body was raked across the forest floor. His chin scraped against rocks and roots, and his hands were red from trying to to grab hold of the forest floor.

Jeff’s body was lifted off of the ground by his ankle, and pulled up into the air. He was stopped abruptly. Jeff was too frightened to open his eyes. When he did, he was face to face with the creature. Jeff screamed, but he was too frozen to do anything. Just then, the creature spoke to him,

“Jeffery…” It breathed, barely audible. Its voice sounded like the wind through the trees. Blood poured down Jeff’s face from out of his nose and into one of his eyes. The ringing grew even louder by the second. He couldn’t see, but he couldn’t do anything about it. His hands were limp, and he couldn’t move them no matter how hard he tried. He watched helplessly through the one eye he had left as two more pitch black tendrils emerged from behind the monster.

He felt one of the tendrils slip into his mouth, and then the other. They tugged harshly on the corners of his mouth, growing stronger with every second that passed. Then, they started ripping. Jeff felt an excruciating burn in his cheeks as the monster’s tentacles tore through his flesh. He tried to scream, but no sound came out. He couldn’t even blink. He felt more crimson blood spurting out and trickling down his face. Now he was blind in both eyes. All Jeff could do was hang limply by one of his legs and bleed while the monster laughed at his suffering.

Jeff woke with a start in his bed, his chest heaving and his eyes wide. He wiped the sweat dripping from his brow with his hoodie sleeve. He loosened his grip on the bedsheets, and began to come back to his senses. He touched his face with his fingertips, and found that his cheeks were perfectly intact. He gave a deep inhale, and dropped his shoulders as he exhaled.

“Man…What was that?” He thought, recalling the nightmare he had just had. Never before had he experienced a dream so vivid in his life. He tossed his covers off and sat on the edge of his bed. He pulled some fuzzy socks over his feet. The glow from the moon outside illuminated the end of his bed, and his floor in stripes from the blinds. He stepped quietly to his bedroom door, and turned the knob. He snuck down the hallway to the bathroom, and shut the door before flipping the light.

He stared at himself in the bathroom mirror. He was relieved to find no blood on any part of his face. His fluffy, black hair was a bit tousled from his active sleep. He had forgotten to wash his eyeliner off the previous night, and black circles wrapped around his eyes like a racoon. Upon inspecting his complexion, he found an odd red tint to his skin. The welts started at the corners of his mouth and ended right beside his sideburns, almost in the shape of a smile. The two lines were directly where the tendrils had cut into him in his nightmare. Jeff touched his face. The welts felt feverishly hot, but the rest of the skin on his face was clammy and cold. He took a deep breath and bit his lip, running his fingers through his hair.

“I was probably…scratching or pulling on my face or something while I was sleeping. That’s why it looks like that…That's why I had that dream.” He gripped the roots of his hair, trying his best to self-soothe. The more he woke up, the more he felt embarrassed at the thought of an external force causing him harm. He turned the sink faucet on, and splashed cold water onto his face. When his gaze fell back on his reflection, the marks went away, and he had black lines running down his face from his ruined eyeliner. He took a makeup wipe out of the pack in the vanity drawer, cleaned his eyes, and tied his hair up into a low bun. He then snuck back to his room and returned to peaceful sleep for the rest of the night.

WOW YOU MADE IT THIS FAR YOU TROOPER!! GO TO PART TWO!!!

[dustedmagazine]

Dust Volume 10, Number 11

Photo of Alan Licht by Stu Lax

One of the oddest, most disturbing developments in recent years is the devaluation of expertise. If a souped up auto complete program can write a screenplay, who needs writers? If scientific guidelines about how to stave off a plague make us angry or confused, who wants them? Anybody can be anything, given enough cash in their pockets, thought, evidence and fact be damned. So, it is somewhat unfashionable that Dusted continues to seek out artists who are good at what they do, whether they are conservatory trained or DIY, steeped in historical tradition or trying something new. Our monthly Dust highlights another batch of them. Bill Meyer, Andrew Forell, Tim Clarke, Jennifer Kelly, Jonathan Shaw, Ian Mathers and Bryon Hayes contributed.

John Butcher / Florian Stoffner / Chris Corsano — The Glass Changes Shape (Relative Pitch)

This autumn, English saxophonist John Butcher celebrated his 70th birthday. For the occasion his fellow musicians donned t-shirts proclaiming, “You can only trust yourself and the first ∞ John Butcher albums.” Yes, he puts out quite a few, and no, I’m not up to date. The completist’s task is even more daunting when one considers just how much music is packed into each of the nine improvisations on this concert recording, his second with guitarist Florian Stoffner and percussionist Chris Corsano. Timbres, volumes and modes of attack change from second to second, living up the album’s title; not even the music’s form I fixed. No one’s resting on laurels here. Corsano plays with rare spaciousness, and Butcher often seems to be playing up the contrasts between his horns’ tonal fluidity and the jagged edges of Stoffner’s contribution. Pardon the paradox, but each track is a subdivision of ∞, and there’s no end to the time you could spend getting profitably lost in one.

Bill Meyer

Cybotron — Parallel Shift (Tresor)

in 2019, legendary Detroit producer Juan Atkins rebooted his 1980s electro project Cybotron with Laurens van Oswald (nephew of Basic Channel founder Moritz) and Tameko Williams (Detroit In Effect). Atkins takes the technological matrices of his hometown’s now largely defunct manufacturing plants and Kraftwerk’s “Autobahn” and twists them through an afro-futurist wormhole. The trio’s latest 12” single “Parallel Shift” sets Atkins’ robotic vocals and lockstep machine beats against melodic synths and warm bass tones. As Atkins insists on a “parallel shift”, smuggled elements of Clintonesque funk and drifting reverie suggest subversion of strictly linear time. The B-side “Earth” is a more straightforward piece of electro with the emphasis on syncopation. The track flickers with sci-fi synths as Atkins posits human rhythms as a form of cosmic consciousness. Volume up and eyes closed, you will be transported.

Andrew Forell

Dean Drouillard — Mirrors and Ghosts (self-released)

This instrumental solo album by Canadian guitarist Dean Drouillard is a series of hazy noir scenes. At its brightest and most melodic, as in “Portland” and “Gorgasuke,” it’s reminiscent of the vivid, playful miniatures of Opsvik & Jennings’s A Dream I Used to Remember. Elsewhere, the album is decidedly more atmospheric and ambient, akin to the widescreen explorations of Daniel Lanois’s Flesh and Machine. The album’s largely introspective nature is no surprise when you learn Drouillard played and recorded all the instruments himself. His guitar playing in particular is evocative and tastefully restrained. At once intimate and widescreen, Mirrors and Ghosts feels both eerily melancholic and gently uplifting.

Tim Clarke

Fievel Is Glauque — Rong Weicknes (Fat Possum)

Though Fievel Is Glauque are technically a duo — songwriters Zach Phillips (Blanche Blanche Blanche) and Ma Clements on keys and vocals, respectively — for new album Rong Weickes they assembled a crack team of six other players. Musicians on drums, bass, electric guitar, woodwinds and brass flesh out a dizzyingly complex and gratifyingly daft soundworld. Think 1970s prog-folk; think Napoleon Murphy Brock–era Frank Zappa; think Julia Holter spiraling down a jazz-fusion black hole. Rong Weicknes is a LOT. Tellingly, many of the album’s most accessible songs, including singles “As Above So Below” and “Love Weapon,” plus the beautiful and relatively calm “Toute Suite,” arrive early in the track list. Opener “Hover” is perhaps the best example of the band’s bonkers “live in triplicate” working method, in which multiple takes are stacked one on top of another, then chiseled down to reach a final mix. It’s chaotic, like multiple candy-colored Escher staircases spiraling off in different directions at once. In this realm of music-making, too much is never enough, and the line between virtuosic brilliance and over-the-top absurdity bends and blurs. Given the chaos is cumulative, listening to the album from front to back tends to result in ear fatigue during the second half, no matter how many brave attempts it takes to tackle it all in one go.

Tim Clarke

Helena Hauff — Multiplying My Absurdities (Tresor)

Hamburg DJ and producer Helena Hauff’s debut EP for Tresor is three tracks of full-on throwback acid trance. Expertly structured over 22 minutes of build, crescendo and release, Hauff combines thumping beats and bass tones with a detached darkwave cool and a healthy smear of analogue soot. Think Roland drum machines & 303 bass, squelching synths, arpeggio runs and all nature of odd grimy ghosts grumbling in the machines. Hauff reaches her apotheosis on “Punks in the Gym”, named for an Australian rock climb known as the hardest in the world (and now closed as an Indigenous Heritage site). It starts hard, with the bass in the red zone and the drums not far behind, and arpeggiated synths screaming like a drill sergeant. The plateaus, when they come, are mere toeholds for the next ascent. It’s a relentless, punishing piece. And when, near the end, Hauff drops everything but the kickdrum, it’s like watching the sun rise at an outdoor rave to, hearing nothing but your beating heart.

Andrew Forell

Rafael Anton Irisarri — Façadisms

Rafael Anton Irisarri creates music with the grandeur of a vast, wasted landscape. He brings his experience as a mastering engineer to bear on all his recordings, rendering them dense and immersive, stacked high with thick waves of guitar and synthesizer tone. Façadisms is no exception and features two highlights. “Control Your Soul’s Desire For Freedom” features searing cello from Julia Kent and angelic vocals by Hannah Elizabeth Cox, and “Forever Ago is Now” features string arrangements from T.R. Jordan, which carry the album’s most anthemic chord progression. Façadisms’ blasted textures are never less than compelling, but these tracks are twin peaks within the record’s glowering sonic geography.

Tim Clarke

Charlotte Jacobs — Atlas (New Amsterdam)

Charlotte Jacobs’s songs are a little shy. They lurk in corners and grow up from cracks. They venture fluidly out of empty space, eddying and cascading through echoing caverns, with just a little glitch beat or a surge of synth tones to ground them. Jacobs is a conservatory Belgian composer and singer here making her first solo album. Her voice comes in breathy flutters, a little like Mirah at her most acoustic and spare, but she hedges that fragile bloom in masses of digital sound. A devotee of Ableton, she makes the synth sound like all kinds of instruments, a quacking oboe in “Celeste,” a ghostly choir in CYTMH.” Records seldom sound simultaneously this bare and this layered. There are many elements in play, but all scrubbed clean and hemmed in by silence.

Jennifer Kelly

Alan Licht — Havens (VDSQ)

With Havens, Alan Licht flips the attack-decay-sustain-release envelope of the guitar on its head, folding notes and chords over each other in waves. He does this with a heft to his tone, so that chord progressions become waterfalls and melodies emerge like vine-like shoots, growing in many directions simultaneously. Licht’s songs mesmerize with repetition, but the tones resonate such that they fold back on themselves, creating entirely new patterns for us to discern. The cover art reflects his steel string sorcery, as a dull-colored house surrounded by twilit swirling clouds emits beams of red, yellow, and orange light from its many orifices. A variety of energy levels and frequencies are represented here, and they reveal themselves in surprising ways. Throughout his career, Licht has straddled the worlds of indie rock and the avant-garde, and Havens tugs at both sides, creating a new universe entirely: one where resonance rules over everything else.

Bryon Hayes

Longobardi + Cecchitelli — Maloviento (LINE)

Italian sound artists Ernesto Longobardi and Demetrio Cecchitelli create minimalist environmental works built from droning sub-oscillations that emerge from a haze of white noise. The four pieces on Maloviento, titled by duration, are arctic. Slow, evocative of shifting ice and wind swirling across bleak landscapes.. 14’24” is frigid amalgam of staticky cracks and sheets of white noise that rise and fall with increasing intensity. The duo intersperses these with sounds of dripping stalactites and pings of some distant beacon signaling into the abyss. It immerses the listener in an alien and alienating environment in which you find yourself clinging to these noises as the only way to get your bearing. 21’18” is slightly kinder. More recognizably human sounds emerge. Breath labored by cold, a trudge of footsteps and a muttering voice culminating in the introduction of a flute. Tentative at first, it gathers strength and warmth before being absorbed into the ice. Riveting stuff.

Andrew Forell

Man/Woman/Chainsaw — Eazy Peazy (Fat Possum)

Young London sextet Man/Woman/Chainsaw emerged from the scene that includes bands like Black Midi and Black Country, New Road with whom they share a similar omnivorous musical DNA. Vocalists, bassist Vera Leppanen and guitarist Billy Ward have been playing together since they were 14. Now approaching 20, and joined by contemporaries Emmie-Mae Avery on keys, violinist, Clio Harwood violin, Ben Holmes on guitar and drummer Lola Waterworth, M/W/C play punk infused theatrical rock, not quite as knotty as their near contemporaries, but fully embracing the chaotic energy of musicians pushing themselves to fit all their ideas into songs that dance delicate and furious. The acutely observed kitchen sink dramas of “The Boss” and “Sports Day” burst from the speakers, withering in word, and balanced by Harwood’s sawing violin and Avery’s delicate keys. Leppanen a powerhouse on the former, Ward all snarling self-deprecation on the latter. In contrast “Grow A Tongue In Time” is almost dainty with its curlicue of violin, bass, and keys tempered by Leppanen’s rasp that speaks of a desperate frustration echoed in the washes of cymbals that swarm towards the end. A band with space to grow and one to watch out for.

Andrew Forell

The Modern Folk — Primitive Future III (Practice)

This expansive collection spans 20 songs and nearly as many years for the folk centric but ambi-curious guitarist Joshua Moss (who, full disclosure, recently started writing for Dusted). His music here takes many forms, from the blues rock chug of “Shiver Shaker,” which could pass for an alternate universe outtake from Jon Spencer’s Heavy Trash to the cosmic twang of “Hippy Sandwich,” running closer to Ripley Johnson’s Rose City Band or the Heavy Lidders or whatever Matt Valentine is doing this week. There’s room, too, for lucid, radiant blues-folk picking, twined with bowing in “Braided Channels” or abetted in shimmery gossamer by Jen Powers on dulcimer on “You’ll Have That,” or left to strike out unadorned on luminous (and aptly titled) “Subdued.” Some artists try something different to prove they can. Moss lets the change grow out of old roots, supple, green and lovely. One other item of note: all proceeds are earmarked for hurricane relief.

Jennifer Kelly

Paprika — S/T (Iron Lung)

Paprika had already released the excellent, caustic Let’s Kill Punk LP this year, so this new EP is an unexpected November surprise. Are you thankful? It’s pungent and nasty stuff — Paprika sounds like the grittiest elements of NYC punk rawk, c 1976, partying with the hepped-up hardcore of Government Issue or Dirty Rotten EP-period DRI. If that sounds like fun, it sort of is, if you can listen past the nihilistic sentiments expressed in tunes like “Catatonic Pisser” and “Wasting Time.” This reviewer especially likes the self-lacerating qualities of “Supply Chain Wallet,” which explores the ways in which even filthy, greasy punks have a variety of fashion sense, implicating them in capital’s machinery. The band is more direct: “I’m chained to my wallet / Don’t you fuckers know? / Money is dirt.” Word.

Jonathan Shaw

Rock Candy — Swimming In (Carbon)

Rock Candy is Krysi Battalene (Mountain Movers, Headroom) and Emily Robb. Both are guitarists of just renown who, if they decided to open up an optical shop, would specialize in third-eyewear. Together, they refrain from six-string calisthenics in order to focus on nuanced expressions of motion. “Swimming In” is all about drift, albeit with enough surface tension for a stuttering guitar figure to loom over the undulating organ-scape. “Across A Mirage” sets slide vs. reverb, each fighting for footage on a mechanical Clydesdale beat. The cost of vinyl being what it is, some folks might question the point of picking up singles. This year, Rock Candy is the angle that dispels such faithless notions.

Bill Meyer

Sif — Aegis of the Hollowed King (self released)

If you were going to make solo instrumental doom metal about video games, Dark Souls is certainly one of the few that feels like it actually fits. What makes the second LP from New Orleans-based Sif work as well as it does, though, is how much Aegis of the Hollowed King engages with what’s actually compelling about the FromSoftware series beyond any surface level trappings of swords, monsters and boss fights. Here focusing on what even they admit is an “understandably maligned masterpiece,” Dark Souls II, these four tracks don’t try to overwrite the game’s fantastic actual soundtrack (by Motoi Sakuraba and Yuka Kitamura). Instead they invoke how much of the experience of painstakingly making your way across Drangleic is suffused with melancholy horror (yes, occasionally leavened with moments of brutally-won success). That atmosphere has been translated into a doom metal idiom, but that just means even the most elegiac elements here continue to crush.

Ian Mathers

Sulida — Utos (Clean Feed)

The phrase “good old-fashioned free jazz” could be applied to this Norwegian trio’s album, no disrespect intended and none dealt. Marthe Lea’s gruff tenor sax balances the unbridled emotion and considered poise of Ayler and Tchicai, and Jon Rune Strøm and Dag Erik Knedal Anderson negotiate points of structure vs. flow in ways that would do Hopkins and McCall proud. There are also moments that bring to mind Don Cherry if he had given full allegiance to the Swedish woods instead of the world. And yet, the character of each musician shines through, so that this music feels alive rather than merely reanimated. Ready to rumble by unfailingly lyrical, Utos is a friend in unfriendly times.

Bill Meyer