#ESPECIALLY AGAINST BOSTON
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HOW MUCH— HOW GODDAMN MUCH DO I HAVE TO PAY TO SEE BUNTS MIC’D UP
#ESPECIALLY AGAINST BOSTON#I WAS ROBBED.#WE WERE ROBBED.#I WILL NEVER FORGIVE#michael bunting#leafs lb
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a taste
#only friends#only friends the series#ofts#mark pakin#papang phromphiriya#i am obsessed with how good papang is#trust me to read too much into it but to me he clearly has an idea who 30 sth year old Dan is#seemingly out of the dating scene since at least his graduation so doesn't know the current lingo#feeling a bit too old but also unsure how he likes being called old but hot#very charmed by this junior but not used anymore to getting butterflies in a club#lowkey knows that the boss thing might be a bit hmm...#(listen: i love that again the show doesn't give us a clear line of 'dan is a creep' because there is a lot of room for him to essentially#be a good option for nick as well as the possibility of accidentally acting unethical) especially within the community it is worth to#observe whether the power imbalance on its own speaks against the person#he's also a bit shy wondering whether this cute guy would actually be interested in him because he is sweet and obviously aquainted with#going to bars so surely he must have options#and mark is also so wonderful ;A; even before he spots boston you can see that there is still some heartbreak lingering#but also that he liked the kiss but it was a very different feel to boston#also: somehow papang in mlc and papang here kisses absolutely differently and it makes so much sense to me that he at this point in his#life would kiss like this?? idk how to explain it better#this show continues to bring out the best acting out of everyone#(to derail: maybe why i want the writing for top to be that he's still in the grey so badly because i think that is the kind of difficult#acting force is actually mastering in this series)
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I'll be honest, as long as there's EarthMix on my screen I won't be hard to please but just in case there are any gods listening, here's my (mostly increadibly far fetched and unlikely to come true) wishlist for Only Friends: Dream On:
general:
everyone being a toxic mess in some way (no green flags in season 1, none for 2 either please)
Dean & Raffy hate fuck
Dean sleeping with Rome (either now or in the past) purely to spite Jack
Jack & Dean settling into (un-)ethical nonmonogamy or
ending up in a sort of 'can't live with you can't live without you' state that is definitley not healthy for anyone around them (but might be the only thing that works for them)
Dean being an absolute mean bitch any chance he can get
Verseness (esp from EarthMix but everyone else is welcome to join)
Tua doing something completely unhinged
everyone kissing and/or sleeping with everyone (I will make an exception for the brothers)
at least one at least threesome
random cameos that appear just to fuck people or shit up and disappear again
at least a JossEarth kiss to finally follow through on what we could have had in Mama Gogo
someone (Dean and Raffy) having a full on cat fight over a guy (Jack)
someone (Dean and/or Raffy) sleeping with backstage crew to get them to sabotage someone else
someone sleeping with a professor
Jack having a history of sleeping with people Rome's interested in or dating
Jack, Dean, Arnold and Tua at least need to be master students or something equivalent (please Gmmtv don't try to sell us Earth as 22, I've had enough of Earth character age discourse)
cameo/side character matchups I would like to see: (names in no intentional order) (not including any of the season 1 mains except Boston and Nick because having them break their barely functional relationships would pull too much focus away from the new guys)
Boston(Neo) x everyone
Nick(Mark) x anyone or
Nick(Mark) x Boston(Neo) as a little treat for me
Arnold(Joss) x Luke
Boeing(Mond) x anyone
Nanon x Raffy(Leng) or really anyone except Rome(Ohm) just for the lolz
Dean(Mix) x Luke for the Safe House watchers
Jack(Earth) x New because it would be hilarious
Jack(Earth) x Tay
Dean(Mix) x New
Arm x anyone
Pluem x anyone because what would be more hilarious than him suddenly appearing out of nowhere to kiss a boy and then disappear again
Thor x Arnold(Joss) or Jack(Earth) or
Thor x Dean(Mix) as a callback to Ossan's Love (either the original or the adaptation depending on how close they stick to it)
actually just make it Thor x Jack(Earth) x Dean(Mix)
Jack(Earth) x Podd for the one person who made the PoddEarth compilations on YT
Singto x everyone to welcome him back
all of the triangle completer kisses (only based on already existing kisses with the exception of JossGawin who haven't kissed in a show yet but are guaranteed to before the release of OFDO, again no TopMew or SandRay, only current Gmmtv actors, otherwise I'd go insane)(not necessarily a wishlist, just listing what's possible, but also would be here for all of them, the ones I really want are above):
Jack(Earth) x Tay, Krist (via New)
Jack(Earth) x Nick(Mark), Guy (via Papang)
Dean(Mix) x Dan(Papang), New (via Earth)
Dean(Mix) x Boeing(Mond), Rome(Ohm), Nick(Mark), Tua(Gawin) (via First)
Tua(Gawin) x Singto, New (via Krist)
Tua(Gawin) x Tay (via Joss)
Tua(Gawin) x Boeing(Mond), Rome(Ohm), Nick(Mark), Dean(Mix) (via First)
Arnold(Joss) x New (via Tay)
Raffy(Leng) x Nanon, Singto (via Ohm)
Rome(Ohm) x Krist (via Singto)
(if I forgot someone, feel free to tell me, at this point I have lost the plot a bit)
I reserve the right to add to this continuously until the last part of the last episode has aired.
#only friends dream on#give me maximum mess please i have no morals#i need all of them but especially mix to come for first's spot as number one boy kisser#jojo said mix will be the new boston and i'm so happy for him#this is what he deserves#after spending years perfecting the art of seductiveness against emotionally repressed characters with self worth issues#did i go through the gmmtv artists page for inspo? who knows (yes)#come on basically all em couples were implied to be vers at some point. time to follow through#thanks to ranchthoughts for the kissing multiverse overview
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How come Rochester Institute of Technology (over on the north/northwest edge of New York State) advertising all the way over in
BOSTON MA????
#it’s a good 8 hours away by car#over 300 miles#only reasoning is that the adverts are on the Orange Line#and orange is the school’s main color#so they looked at major cities in a 500 mile radius#saw which ones had orange-coded transit services#and purchased advert space on those lines specifically#especially since Boston is such a college town#so they are up against steep competition
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honestly if i'd read dreamer trilogy first and you then told me that the trc character i'd relate to most would be adam........ i would straight-up hit u with a truck.
#men who are somehow me but do literally nothing i would ever do ever#if i'd read dreamer trilogy alone i'd be like wow. when can we push him off the roof#when do i get a gun and shoot him. when do i drop kick him into the boston harbor#he's enchantingly unlikable. there's not a single thing about him that i would like or get attached to#and because i read trc first it's very fun. yass go off king be a miserable useless shell of yourself. Slay#negative character development it up my good bitch!!#is this a risky post. it shouldnt be. you all read the same books right. you saw what hes like right#trc#cdth#greywaren spoilers#????#maybe. but this feeling wouldve started in cdth and just continued#i'm biased against ivy league bitches i'm ESPECIALLY biased against ivy league bitches who think theyre too good to be rural hicks#my rural uneducated dropout ass that could demolish you in a debate about libertarianism like. Literally Die.#Just Literally Die Dude.#this isnt hate. as i said. it's enchanting.
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apparently a bunch of ppl on social media are trying to call for a boycott of rick riordan because of this statement in a blog post:
Becky and I are just back from a busy weekend with events at the Boston Book Festival and New York Comic-Con.
Before I get into that, however, some words to acknowledge the ongoing horrors in Israel and Gaza. As many of you may know, I am no longer on social media. My accounts post only updates on my books and related projects. I do not read posts, reply to posts, or share my thoughts about world events on those forums. That doesn’t mean I don’t have strong feelings and reactions. It means I am offline as completely as possible, except for the occasional blog post like this one.
I will say this: Over the last eighteen years, I have received many fan letters from young readers, both Israeli and Palestinian, who often told me that my books helped them escape the fear, grief and anxiety they were dealing with at the time. Some had lost family members to violence. Some were writing while in the distance they could hear explosions, gunfire, and the launching of rockets. They used my books as a way to escape into another world, where the monsters were fictional, and where demigods usually saved the day. While I am always glad that my books can help young readers find joy during difficult times, my heart breaks every time I hear about the things they have to deal with. I am grief-stricken by the horrific events now unfolding, especially because I know that they are part of a long historic pattern that has been robbing too many children of their childhood and perpetuating hatred for far too long.
I am also quite aware that when anyone, myself included, tries to speak about this issue, the reader is waiting to pounce, thinking, “Yes, but whose side are you on?” That is exactly the wrong question. If there are two sides to this issue, those sides are not Palestinian/Israeli or Muslim/Jewish. The two sides are humanitarian and dehumanizing. Dehumanizing has a long evil history. It is appealing and easy to buy into, because humans are tribal animals. We are hardwired to think in terms of ‘us’ versus ‘them.’ We are the real humans, the good guys, the ones with God on our side. Those other people are evil monsters who don’t deserve empathy. Hate mongers have thrived on dehumanizing for as long as there have been humans. It provides them with a purpose, a way to rally support, power, and scapegoats. It is easy to point to atrocities committed by our enemies, while justifying or minimizing the atrocities committed by ourselves or our allies.
Humanitarianism is a much harder sell. It requires us to empathize, to see other groups of people as equally deserving of dignity and quality of life. It requires not always putting ourselves and our needs first. But in the long run, humanitarianism is our only hope. If violence could end violence, if we could put an end to “those other people” once and for all, human history would read very differently than it does.
So yes, I am appalled by the Hamas attacks on Israeli civilians. I am appalled by the suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. Both things can be true. Both things must be true. My thoughts are with all the people who have died, who have lost loved ones, who have had their worlds and their lives shattered, especially the children. More death and violence will not break this cycle, which has been going on for generations. There is no military solution. Even since I first wrote the post, only twenty-four hours ago, the Israeli government’s brutal retaliation against the entire population of Gaza has reached genocidal proportions. This is not only an atrocity. It is folly. Answering misery with misery only creates more fertile ground for extremism, dehumanizing the “other side,” letting hate mongers thrive, stay in power, and reduce us all to our most monstrous impulses. The only real solution is treating each other like equally worthy human beings, and negotiating a peace that allows all parties a chance to live in security and dignity, with hopes for a future that does not include bombs and rockets and gunfire. This means security and support for Israel, yes. It also means a secure Palestine which is allowed to get the international aid and recognition it needs to build a viable state.
Do I think that will happen? Unfortunately, no. Humans are simply too selfish, too ready to blame “the other” for all their problems, too ready to dehumanize, though I also believe, perhaps paradoxically, that most people just want to live their lives in peace and have a chance for their children to have a brighter future. The problem is when we don’t allow other people to have those same hopes and dreams — when it becomes a false choice of us versus them.
What can I do? I will continue to write books that I hope will give young readers some joy. I will resist the urge to demonize entire groups of people. I will call for less violence, not more violence. And when asked whose side I am on, I will tell you I am on the side of humanitarianism.
So with that said, I return to the world of books . . .
honestly, if you have a problem with this statement, it’s probably because he’s talking about you. this is exactly what legitimate activists (as in not just random westerners who share social media posts but on-the-ground activists who are doing real work) have been saying for decades. and i think all this really speaks to just how disconnected a lot of westerners who claim to be pro palestinian are from those activists.
if you can’t read a statement that says “i am on the side of humanitarianism and less violence” without immediately jumping to cancel them, you are the problem being discussed in the above statement.
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the other dilemma plaguing me currently: i made a vague decision a while ago not to go to anime boston this year, because i’m gonna go to otakon with my sister in july, but it felt weird to just... not go entirely, so i decided to compromise and get a saturday badge
this seemed like the perfect choice until i figured out (a few weeks ago) that we’re still getting new rwby episodes
so now i have to decide: do i go to anime boston early (ish) and spend all day there, watching the new rwby episode when i get home; do i go to anime boston early (ish) and watch the new episode while i’m there; do i wait and watch the new episode at home and then go to anime boston (which would basically mean getting there around noon)
#there's actually nothing in the schedule i'm really driven to go to that early#but if i watch the new episode here i dunno if i'll be able to get myself to leave (since i enjoy the post-episode processing here#and on discord)#but also having a good reason to go out and do something would probably not be a bad thing#there's also the secret fourth option of 'accept that i wasted money on a ticket and don't go to anime boston at all'#but a lot of me rebels against that choice#mostly the part that doesn't like wasting money#i dunno man it's a difficult choice and i've been contemplating it for weeks now#it's especially hard cuz it's gotta be an episode about ruby's inner thoughts right?#and that's my /jam/#aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
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"psst, y/n...y/n, wake up!"
your eyes fluttered as you stir, before gaining composure and slowly opening your eyes; your best friend is crouched down beside you, a big grin on his face as he stares down at you. "chris, what time is it?"
"it's already past midnight," he whispers to you, nodding his head towards you, "c'mon, we have to go before we wake everyone else up!"
"chris, i-"
"come on, y/n!"
a small groan leaves your lips as you get up as quiet as possible from your blanket spread on the floor next to nate. nick and matt had successfully been able to sleep on the actual bed, and you're pretty sure nate had rolled off and fell next to you. chris volunteered to sleep next to you on the floor, claiming you'd get "lonely" by yourself down there; all of your friends knew chris just wanted an excuse to be near you at all costs.
you rub the sleep from your eyes, smoothing out your pajamas that you had worn to sleep. you and chris wore your matching set of snoopy pants, whilst you opted for a white tank top.
a shiver ran down your spine at the exposure of the chilly wind that seeped inside from the window. you turned to see the window slightly cracked open, small dribbles of snow pattering softly against the glass. chris tossed you a hoodie of his, which you gratefully accepted as you threw it on your shoulders.
"what are we even doing up this early?" you giggled to him, as he grins while taking your hand.
you both tip-toed to the kitchen, careful not to wake everyone in the house up. two steaming mugs sit on the countertop, filled to the brim with hot chocolate; marshmallows decorate the top, the heat making fun swirls as it circles around the coffee mugs.
"i wanted to make snowmen," chris shrugs, causing your eyes to widen and then narrow at him.
"boy, are you kidding me?" you seethe, hurrying to your own mug as you let the heat encompass you. "i was trying to sleep!"
"but you love the snow!" chris pouts, causing you to roll your eyes, "an' i didn't wanna make them alone."
after a few sips of hot chocolate, putting your hands on your hips and giving chris an exasperated look. "fine, i'll make them with you. but you owe me."
"deal, m'lady," chris agrees, wriggling his eyebrows, "let's go!"
he takes your hand in his, the both of you walking towards the front door of the cozy home. once outside, you're immediately greeted with the beautiful scenery of snow falling from the sky. a small gasp leaves your lips at the sight, watching as it falls slowly to the covered streets of boston. the streetlights illuminated an icicle that covered nick's bedroom window from upstairs, and you couldn't help the grin that spread across your face.
"hey kid, y'done gawking at the icicles?" chris suddenly whispers in your ear, to which you elbow him slightly.
"i bet i can make mine before you!"
"you're on!"
whilst the rest of the city was fast asleep, you and chris littered your street with giggles and laughs as you built snowmen with each other. you loved christmas with the sturniolo's. when your house didn't feel Iike home, they always welcomed you with open arms, treating you as their own. especially your best friend, chris; most of all, he felt the most like home.
the beautiful white crystalline snow continued to fall upon you guys, laughter filling the quiet and making you feel like a kid again. that was the effect he seemed to have on you; he healed and bought out your inner child again.
your heart was filled with nothing but a pure joy as you wagged your arms up and down whilst in the snow, creating a snow angel. you looked up at the sky, smiling as you reveled in the comfort of the people that felt like home.
all the while, chris's gaze never leaves you; he watches you with nothing but pure admiration lining his features, drinking in the sight of your happiness. and he had yet to know he was one of the many reasons that caused it.
you turned to look at him just then, your heart hammering in your chest as his lips slowly upturn into a smile. "merry christmas, m'lady."
"merry christmas, chris."
#kiwi's love letter 💌#chris sturniolo#chris sturniolo imagine#chris sturniolo x you#chris sturniolo x reader#chris sturniolo blurb#chris sturniolo fluff#christopher sturniolo x reader#christopher owen sturniolo#christopher sturniolo blurb#christopher sturniolo au#christopher sturniolo#sturniolo triplets#sturniolo#sturniolo fluff#sturniolo fandom
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pretty voice ! ᥫ᭡
pairing: matt sturniolo x popstar! reader
word count: 1.7k
summary: you’re a singer and your tour has made its way to boston where your boyfriend and his brothers attend your show. matt is sure to let you know how well you did after the show
warnings: smut duhhhh, unprotected sex (don’t be silly wrap his willy!!), p in v, throat fucking, dumbification, dacryphilia, stomach bulge, swearing, creampie, use of “y/n”, probably more that i can’t think of! :)
authors note: fair warning, this is my first time publishing smut, so don’t have insanely high expectations! i’ve written it before but never shared so keep that in mind. however, i can assure you this isn’t completely horrible and i did my best to make it seem realistic but hot at the same time :) hope ya like it!
you had been counting down the days until your sold out world tour made its way to boston, massachusetts. your boyfriend, matt, and his brothers were set to attend the show which made you feel slightly uneasy.
the triplets have never seen you perform live, which is what makes this show so special. you wanted matt to know you were good at what you do. so, you paced around your dressing room doing vocal warmups and eating tablespoons of honey to help your throat.
a stage worker knocked on your door twice before coming in and attaching your mic pack to the back of your dress. tonight, you wore a black strapless mini dress from versace that had hearts of many colors scattered across. you paired this with knee high black boots, which your friends referred to as your “stripper shoes”. you fixed your hair, spraying some dry shampoo on your roots and mentally said a prayer before walking out of the dressing room.
you received your cue to enter the stage, walking up 4 steps before you were greeted with hundreds of screaming teenage girls. you forgot about needing to impress matt.
that was, until, you locked eyes with him. he was standing on the second floor of the venue, the balcony, resting against the railing. watching you so intently, mouthing the lyrics to your songs. nick was singing along to all the songs he knew, while chris just knew the popular songs. but matt knew almost all of your songs. he was your biggest fan. and you were his. most times, you would be spotted attending the triplet’s shows when your schedules aligned. you’d stand backstage, just barely out of the crowds sight. all decked out in blue attire to support your boy, and even the things the rest of the world couldn’t see were blue, too. but matt got to see them after the show. your blue bra and matching blue panties; it drove matt crazy how he got to see you like that after the show, especially if he was the one winning that night.
the show came to an end and you said your goodbyes to the boston crowd, exiting the stage. you walked into a lounge area where the triplets were, along with members of your team. you were swarmed with the usual compliments: “you sounded so good” or “you look great” and you were grateful for them, but tonight they didn’t matter. the only person who’s input you cared about was matt.
he approached you, draping his arms around your neck and you wrapped yours around his waist. he whispered in your ear, “you did so good. ‘m so proud of you.”
you blushed at this, pulling away from the hug. “thanks,” you gushed.
since your next show wasn’t until saturday, you had two days to kill here in boston. you were going to stay with the triplets until you had to get back on your tour bus and depart from matt, so you had to make it count.
matt drove you all home, you took chris’ place in the passenger seat, still in your performance outfit. the drive home was filled with conversation about the concert; what their favorite part was, what songs they liked, etc. and while you were a decently known singer, you never felt famous. until now. matt made you feel famous, like you are on top of the world. you have everything you’ve ever wanted; friends that support you, a successful singing career, and a hot boyfriend. what more could a girl ask for?
you walked through the door barefoot, matt holding your unusually heavy boots. he sets them on the floor by the door as you make a run for the couch, laying down and sighing. while it may be just a simple couch, it feels pretty damn good after wearing “stripper shoes” and prancing around on a stage for an hour and a half.
nick and chris go to their own rooms, knowing you and matt need alone time after not seeing each other for a couple weeks. matt joins you on the couch, he lifts your head up and places it on his lap. his legs were your pillow and the only thing missing was a blanket, still in your tiny dress.
“you cold?” he asks, almost as if he can your mind.
you smile, “how’d you know?”
he reaches to his side and grabs a big blue blanket and tosses it over you, it’s big enough that it covers your whole body.
matt lightly strokes your hair as you lay there in the comfortable silence.
the way your head rests is so close to his dick and he can’t help it if it slowly is getting harder, which it is. you tease him, nuzzling your head deeper into his lap, a.k.a. his dick, which causes him to speak up.
“the fuck are you doing?” he laughs.
you play it off, “just getting comfy!”
“yeah, comfy my ass.” he rolls his eyes playfully.
you press a small kiss to his clothed bulge, he’s wearing baggy jeans and his dick still stands out. he sighs, not complaining.
“you gonna do this right here? in the living room?” he questions.
“mhm..” you hummed. he helped you unbutton his jeans, his black calvin kleins peaking out through the zipper of his jeans. he pulled his boxers down, revealing his dick. he was packing a very pleasant 8 inches that wasn’t too shabby in girth either.
you licked the tip first, then you licked from shaft to tip. matt closed his eyes and rested his head against the back of the couch. he placed his hands on the back of your head, pulling your hair into a makeshift ponytail.
“voice sounded so good tonight, y/n,” he breathed. “bet it would still sound good if i fucked your throat.”
he pushes your head down all the way to his pelvis, feeling you gag against his cock. he thrusts into your mouth, the wet sounds like music to his ears.
as he fucked your throat, you felt tears forming in your eyes. you hollowed out your cheeks and looked up at him with doe eyes, laying on your stomach on the couch. you admired the way his eyes fluttered shut everytime he hit the back of your throat, how he’d let out small breathy moans.
“fuck,” he whispers, pulling away. he pulls his boxers down farther so his thighs are exposed. you climb on top of hip and he rolls your tight dress up to your waist, pulling your panties to the side.
“easy access, huh?” he remarks.
you whine, “put it in already…”
his dick enters you and he wastes no time slamming you down on it, his hands firmly gripping your hips. “want it so bad, yeah? you want it so bad?” he taunts, lifting you up and slamming you back down fast.
you are shocked with the speed he did that, not able to form a full sentence. “i- uhm- mhm,” you mumble.
“use that pretty voice of yours, y/n. such a pretty voice… let me hear it,” he rasped.
you bounced on his dick, the couch shaking. “mmmmm, i love your dick so much,” you moaned.
matt smirked, “there’s that pretty voice. so, so pretty.” he continued helping you bounce on his dick, his tip repeatedly hitting your g-spot.
he pulled the top of your dress down, revealing your bra-less tits. now your dress was basically like a belt, just covering your waist. your boobs bounced perfectly in front of his face, he was mesmerized.
you brought your hands up to his hair, running your fingers through it and pulling it when he’d hit your g-spot.
you let out a moan that was almost melodic, matt moaning after. “love hearing you moan on my dick.” he spoke. he gripped your hips tighter, slamming you down harder onto his dick every time.
“i’m gonna- oh god!” you whined.
“do it.” matt instructed. “cum for me.”
you nodded, babbling incoherently as you came undone on top of him. his right hand left your hip and found it’s way to your clit, rubbing you through the orgasm.
“fucked ya dumb, huh? damn,” he said.
you hummed in response, and once your orgasm passed you started bouncing again, desperate for more.
matt turned you around and pushed you onto the couch, in missionary now. now he can pound into you way easier, which is what you’re trying to ask for but you’re unable to speak.
“i— oh—“ you try.
matt smirks, “words, baby.”
this fucker, you thought. there are no thoughts inside your head other than how good his dick feels inside you, there’s no way you can speak.
“oh god… so, umph,” you sobbed as he thrusted into you with an insane amount of force. “so good,”
his thumb found its way to your clit again, rubbing it fast. your eyes rolled back as another orgasm approaches you.
“uhhh- uh—“ you babble. your brain is mush at this point, you don’t notice the bulge in your stomach. but matt does, as his hand leaves your clit and presses on the bulge his dick makes in your tummy with every thrust.
“look at that,” he says proudly. you squirm beneath him, cumming yet for the second time.
his thrusts don’t slow down, and neither do the tears running down your pink cheeks.
“can i cum inside you?” he asks as if you can even answer him. you let out a bunch of moans in response.
you let out a bunch of moans, “i’m gonna take that as a yes.” matt groans before thrusting into you once more. you lay on the couch with your dress still pulled over your pussy and your breasts pulled out.
matt stands up and pulls his boxers and pants up. he plants a kiss on your forehead before he picks you up and carries you to his room. he lays you down in his bed, his silk bedsheets feeling good on your overheated skin.
you’re exhausted, you feel like you melt into his bed. you’re on the verge of sleep but you’re startled when you hear either chris or nick’s bedroom door open.
you lift your head up, and matt opens the door to see what is going on. matt laughs and closes the door.
“what’s he doing?” you ask sleepily.
“nicks wiping the couch down,” matt giggles.
you hear nick through the walls, “i’m gonna fucking cry. never do that shit again.” he whines.
#sturniolo fanfic#sturniolo triplets#sturniolo smut#chris sturniolo#matt sturniolo#nick sturniolo#matthew sturniolo#christopher sturniolo#nicolas sturniolo#sturniolo x reader#sturniolo triplets smut#smut#matthew sturniolo smut#matt sturniolo smut#matt sturniolo x reader#matthew sturniolo x reader#how tf do i even tag this
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a man like him.
synopsis: joel overhears young survivors question his ability to satisfy y/n, so he gives them many reasons to never question his abilities again.
pairing: joel miller x female reader
warnings: established relationship, possessive!joel, age gap (reader is in her early 20’s), oral sex (reader receiving), unprotected sex, rough sex, exhibitionism, swearing, choking, multiple orgasms.
joel never used to be the possessive type until you landed in his grasp. although he knew nobody could ever steal you from him, it was a quiet fear of his. that you’d wake up one day and wonder what the hell you’re doing with such an old man. but no matter how many times you’d reassure him, there was always something that threw him back into the crippling mindset.
like today. he overheard a conversation from two boys around your age that made his blood boil.
“look at her, how the hell did that old prick manage to pull her?” the young man says to his friend, shaking his head in what appeared to be disbelief as he watched you speak to one of the many friends you’d made at the boston QZ.
“i know, i bet he doesn’t even fuck her right. what old guy even knows how to fuck? especially when it comes to someone young like her,” before the two could say anything else, you spotted joel standing behind the two and a delicate smile graced your face. the boys then turned around, finally noticing joel standing there. they went pale in the face as you approached. knowing that he’d definitely heard every word they said based off the angry look joel was giving them. he could truly be terrifying when he wanted to be. you’d seen that side of him many times, but never aimed at you of course. he had killed many people. you don’t know how many, he tells you not to ask.
you stood on your tiptoes as you pressed your lips to his cheek, not realizing his displeased expression until you’d moved your head back.
he was still staring at them.
“joel, is everything ok?” you asked, tone worried as you followed his gaze and set your eyes on the two men you hadn’t even noticed before. he didn’t respond, his large hand wrapped around your arm as he led you away from the area. not questioning a single thing as it was crystal clear something there was bothering him a significant amount.
once the two of you had made it back to the apartment, you turned to look at him once he’d closed the door.
“are you mad because they were looking at me? because you know i’d never even think to-” you attempted to explain.
“i know you wouldn’t.” joel interrupted, and your gaze softened.
“so what’s wrong?” you ask once again, approaching him slowly while looking into his eyes. he eventually met your eyes after a moment.
“nothing that you need to worry about, doll.” he reassured, resting his forehead against yours.
“alright,” you say, the same soft smile reappearing on your face. “i’m just gonna freshen up a little, ok?” you add, pressing a swift kiss to his lips before approaching the bathroom. joel sat down on his couch, hands rubbing his face as he tried to forget about what he’d heard. which was almost impossible considering he heard those exact voices outside his front door.
the anger began to rise once again as he got up from the couch and paced towards the door, opening it quickly and immediately spotting the same smug faces he was mentally murdering moments ago.
they both gulped, eyes wide as they stood in front of the front door a couple of meters from his. they quickly entered the apartment to avoid confrontation. joel stood there for a moment, wondering what the fuck they were doing in the apartment right next to his. before he could do anything else, your voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
“was someone at the door?” you ask, he turned his head to face you. looking at you adorned in one of his shirts. quietly admiring the way your body drowned in it.
“two boys just went into the apartment next door. was just wonderin what all the noise was.”
“the ones that you were giving the death stare to earlier?” you ask, a cheeky smile on your face. “i overheard them saying somethin about looking for a new place to stay not that long ago. i guess they found one.” you say, shrugging your shoulders as you stared at your boyfriend. he shook his head, trying to hide his displeasure to the information he’d just heard. “are ya gonna tell me why that bothers you or?”
“it doesn’t bother me,” he lies, their words repeating in his head again as he approaches and places his big hands on your waist. kissing your lips delicately. “just a little stressed i think,” he says as he places his mouth to your neck, the feeling of his rough stubble stabbing your skin in the most delicious way. you whined softly.
and that’s when he got the idea. the idea that would prove to those stupid boys just how good he fucks you. how stupid they were to underestimate his abilities and care when it came to your pleasure. he smirked against you, lips abusing your skin and his hot tongue trailing over your sensitive spots. his hands found your ass, squeezing your cheeks sadistically which caused a sudden gasp to escape your throat. normally, joel would place his hand over your mouth to keep you quiet in case people were around, the walls were paper thin, but this time he didn’t. you didn’t question it. you never questioned him.
“that’s it, let me hear your pretty sounds,” he says as he lifts you, your legs wrapping around his waist as he carries you to the bed.
he dropped you onto the mattress and hovered his frame over yours. his lips found yours once again, and you whined as his tongue slipped between yours. he knows how vocal you can be. even with his hand over your mouth or your head forcefully buried into the pillow, he can hear you crystal clear. he knew anyone nearby would be able to hear if he didn’t hush you, and that’s exactly what he wanted. for those stupid little pricks to hear how good he makes you feel. over and over.
his hand wrapped around your throat, squeezing the soft skin. you whined louder this time. you were so goddamn submissive under his touch, it drove him crazy.
he raised his stolen t-shirt up your body, exposing your torso as he lowered his head. trailing kisses all over your soft skin. you were addicted to the feeling of his stubble against you, he’d barely done anything and you were already a whimpering mess. his head trailed lower and lower. licking the skin above your panty line as he hooks his fingers into the edges of the fabric, effortlessly peeling them down your legs and throwing them off to the side.
he began peppering kisses to your inner thighs, the feeling his hot breath against your dripping cunt driving you wild.
“joel…” you whimpered loudly, legs trembling in suspense of the act that he was about to commit. you were expecting him to respond. something like “be patient” or “good girls know how to wait” but he didn’t, he latched his lips onto your clit, causing your back to arch off the bed. your hand flew to your mouth, biting down on the side to muffle your moans. but joel stopped.
“no, baby girl. let me hear you,” you nodded your head, staring down at him between your legs. noticing the glistening shine of your wetness on his chin under the dull lighting.
“good girl,” he said before diving back in. aggressively eating you out as he’s done many times before. tongue exploring every inch of your sex. your moans were quick to fill the room. your hands flew down to grasp at his salt and pepper colored hair, spreading your legs wider to give him as much access to you as possible.
“j-joel, i’m about to… i can feel it-” you whine breathlessly as your orgasm washed your words away. the sensation hitting you fast and hard as you convulse on the bed beneath him. loud whiny moans filling the room as you rode out your high.
he didn’t halt until your legs began twitching, licking up all of the cum you provided for him in exchange for the orgasm. he climbed back up your body slowly, leaving sloppy kisses up your stomach along the way.
he was proud of himself, knowing how good he could make you feel with little to no effort. enamored by the way your body reacted to his touches. he knew the boys would’ve heard everything he’d just done, but of course, he wasn’t satisfied just yet.
his hand wrapped it’s way back around your throat once his face aligned with yours, his stumble damp with your cum.
“all wet,” you said, smiling as your hand raised to his face. tracing along the wet area of his face. “wanna make somethin else wet too,” you added, moving the same hand between your bodies and palming his hardened cock over his jeans.
“where did you ever learn to be such a dirty girl?” he grunted, a slight smile on his face as he moved your hand and pinned it beside your head.
“we both know the answer to that,” you bit your lip as his grip tightened around your wrist, looking up at him through squinted eyes. he moved back to remove his shirt, licking your lips as he did so. you followed his steps and removed your own. clothes thrown carelessly to the floor.
he unbuckled his belt and pulled his jeans and underwear down, not bothering to completely remove the articles of clothing. he was getting impatient. he hovered over you once again, his large hands separating your thighs as far as they could go and lined himself up with your dripping entrance. he wasted no time, thrusting forward and impaling you with his cock with no warning. you screamed, hands flying to grasp his shoulders as he quickly set a brutal pace. your back arched off the mattress, pressing firmly against joels as he pounded into you.
“oh, f-fuck. joel!” you moaned, the wood of the bed frame clunking against the wall with each of his intense thrusts. he grunts into your ear sadistically, fingers leaving crescent shapes on your thigh as they dig into your skin.
“wanna feel you cumming around me, baby. think you can do that for me?” he asks, you nodded your head. tears dripping down your cheeks as the pleasure became too much for your body to cope with.
it didn’t take long for another orgasm to pulse through your body, legs trembling around joels torso as you chant his name. before you could process anything else, he’d flipped you onto your stomach. shoving his cock deep inside you once more as he held your hips to him. despite being extremely sensitive from your previous orgasms, you still craved more of him. your loud moans echoing off the walls as he took you from behind. you intentionally clenched your walls around him to coax an orgasm out of him. craving the feeling of his cum flooding into you.
you felt another orgasm approach as his thrusts became sloppy, indicating that he was also moments away from finishing.
“joel!” you moan, clutching the bedsheets below as the two of you came together. joel eventually stopped once your highs had subsided. he tiredly flipped you onto your back, tracing his rough fingers along your damp cheek.
“y’think anyone heard us?” you ask, voice breathy as your tired body rests comfortably beneath him.
“hard for ‘em not to,” he replies, tracing his finger along your bottom lip before placing a soft kiss there.
and it was safe to say they’d definitely heard based on the looks they were giving the two of you the following morning. joel smiled proudly, hand resting on your waist as the two of you walked past them, knowing he’d never have them questioning his abilities to pleasure his girl again.
#joel miller x reader#joel miller smut#joel miller fanfic#joel miller x female reader#joel miller fanfiction#pedro pascal#pedro pascal fanfic#the last of us#the last of us smut#the last of us fanfic#tlou fanfic#joel miller fic
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A DARK SUMMON ― a Boston QZ!Joel oneshot
main masterlist | ao3 pairing: Boston QZ!Joel x f!reader. summary: Joel is a man with dark urges, ones that only you can satisfy. a/n: eeeeeek! 👀 Secret Santa 2024 is here!!! thank you so much to @pedrostories for organising #pedrostoriesgift24, i had a blast and i can’t wait to see what other people have come up with! this is my gift to @huntingingoodwill! AHHHH, HI THERE! Carmen i hope you like it sweetheart!!! 🥹 tried mixing the dark/ddde element with a stroke of brat taming, hope i've done it justice! merry Christmas to those celebrating!!! love y’all <3 warnings: 18+, mdni. noncon/CNC. ending with a twist. mind the age gap. brat taming!joel. pet names (sugar, sweetheart, kiddo, kitten). mouth fucking/oral (m! receiving). cum eating. fingering. dacryphilia. orgasm denial. boot humping. a bit of anal play. pussy pronouns. pussy spanking. one account of a face slap. mention of voyeurism. slut shaming. tight squeeze sex position. unprotected piv. reader is a blank slate with no backstory, has hair up in a ponytail. dual pov. no use of y/n. w/c: ~4.1k. divider by @cafekitsune
“On the count of three, I’ll let you go. If you escape, then you’re free,” Joel groaned behind you, his teeth sinking in the bare skin of your left shoulder. “But if I catch you… I’ll fuck you.”
His voice was a low threat that left goosebumps on the nape of your neck, your survival instinct flaring alive like flames rekindled by a gust of wind. All the muscles in your body contracted, anticipating the chase you would have to endure to flee.
Your heart was pounding so hard, you almost missed his next words.
“And believe me, I ain’t holding back if I get my hands on you,” such dark promise dripped from his lips, your heart twisting inside your ribcage.
Joel slowly untied your wrists, uncomfortably resting on your back, taking his time. He yanked at the rope and your hands slammed against his swollen bulge, an animalistic growl tearing his throat.
You swallowed, eyeing the open door in front of you and planning your escape route. Joel kept on tugging at the thick cord to free you from his grasp, your hands unwillingly brushing the tent on his worn jeans.
Then the hemp string completely loosened up, the tingling sensation in your fingers slowly fading away.
The tethers keeping you bound were quickly replaced by Joel’s hands, his meaty fingers wrapping around your wrists to keep you in place. The bastard pulled at your right hand, forcing your palm open to rub his covered erection.
Making a decided effort to ignore him, how he used you to get off, your eyes fixed on the door, your face expression a blank canvas. You knew better than showing him fear.
“One,” he whispered in your ear, his warm breath sending shivers down your spine. “Two,” Joel continued to count out loud.
Your whole being automatically entered fight-or-flight mode, your breathing quicker and shallower as your heartbeat burst in your eardrums painfully. Your chest raised and then sunk in quick succession, the oxygen barely reaching your brain.
If you got to the door and ran for your life, you were almost sure you could lose him in the tangled maze of the abandoned mall. As he dragged you across the shopping center earlier, your mind recorded every single detail that could get you out of here. A few turns, down a corridor, some stairs, then straight ahead before another turn ― that was the closest fire exit.
You were so focused on running away, there was little room for any other feeling. If you let panic paralyse you, then he would win. And you were a bitter loser, especially if your integrity was at stake.
“Three.”
As soon as Joel took a step back, you lurched for a second, like a baby deer dazed by headlights. It only took your legs a moment to ground you ― then you lunged forward, almost falling face first, and ran towards the door. Grabbing the frame, you did a hard turn and sprinted as fast as your legs could take you.
Lungs burning and brimming with tears now, you sped up looking for that exit you saw on your way here. But keeping a cool mind while reality settled in was a hard task ― so much so you had lost track of how many turns you had taken.
“Shit, no,” you mumbled with a trembling little voice. “No, no, no,” you chanted, your throat clamping down.
Stopping, you scanned your surroundings, not recognising any of the untidy window displays. You paced around, trying to decide where to go, how the fuck to get out.
“Ready or not, here I come, kiddo,” Joel yelled, his voice not as far away as you would have liked.
You froze in place, weighing your options. Your hands were now shaking, the thrill of the chase giving you a burst of adrenaline but also clouding your mind.
Knees almost giving way, you saw the store to your right and decided your best option was waiting him out. He would tire, assume you had been able to run away. Didn’t matter if you had to stay put for hours, Joel would eventually stop looking. So, you ran inside, only to realise that it was a homeware shop.
It was pretty much run down, all decorations spilt everywhere in disarray. There were fake ghosts and corpses hanging from the ceiling, and you were sure the spiderwebs were not part of the décor. There were also some Santa toys laying around, candy canes and a decrepit nativity scene. Some orange lights flickered at the bottom of the store, giving the whole space a very eerie appearance. It was obvious that when the world went to shit, this shop was in the middle of selling all the Halloween décor, and transitioning into Christmas time.
You hesitated, but there was no time to choose another hideout. Booted steps approached, the heaviness of his footfall echoing in the distance. If the way your skin bristled was any indication, you knew Joel was close. Too close.
Almost tumbling, you circled the counter and ducked. There was a big, spacious cabinet underneath with the doors almost off the hinges. It was stuffed with macabre toys and plushies, but those didn’t deter you. Pushing them aside to make room, you wiggled inside, hoping Joel would never find you here.
As you shut the doors, darkness surrounded you. It was pitch-black inside, almost suffocating ― the blackness combined with the claustrophobia hastened the rush of blood through your veins.
No, too dark ― too damn dark. You poked at the door slightly, leaving it ajar so a sliver of light filtered in.
You drew in a big breath in an attempt to soothe your racing heart. Swallowed the knot in your throat too and curled your hands into fists to control the tremor.
Closing your eyes, you leaned back, your head resting against the back of the cabinet.
Then you heard him.
“Come out and play, you little brat,” Joel mocked you as he sauntered towards the counter. “You’re just postponing the inevitable, sweetheart.”
He had seen you go into this shop, so now only needed to find out your hiding place. Joel had already looked through the obvious spots and had come up empty. He was starting to consider he might have seen wrong, but your rugged breathing gave you away as soon as he walked around the cash register.
A grin curled the corners of his mouth, noticing the slightly ajar door underneath the worktop ― your little, sharp breaths filtering through the crack.
Like any other predator, he knew his prey very well ― you. Joel was completely sure that, right about now, your heart would be wildly beating in your chest, hearing him so close. You could probably see the tip of his boots too, your pulse quickening.
The thought of you all panicky and sweaty stirred something dark within him ― something lustful. So much so, his erection only got harder even though he had already worked himself up with the groping of your hand on his bulge. It felt uncomfortable really, how his shaft rubbed against the zipper, his pubic hairs catching in the chain.
With a low growl, he slipped one hand in his jeans to rearrange his cock, to ease the pain. Squeezing his throbbing dick between his fingers, Joel hissed at how sensitive the wet head was.
It was just a brief, feeble attempt to satiate his vice for you. Only fucking you would relieve him.
“Where are ya?” he mumbled, lightly poking at the cabinet’s door with the tip of his boot, dragging out the moment.
Joel heard you whimper, a hummed bleat that ignited the fire in his groin.
Not being able to resist the call of your cries any longer, he crouched down and swung the doors open.
Your teary, widened eyes greeted him, just as if he had arrived at the gates of his own personal heaven. You were tucked away, your back pressing onto the melamine sheet, as you cowered into the corner.
“Hi there, sugar,” he grinned, head tilted.
As soon as his strong, broad hand wrapped around one of your ankles, you started kicking and screaming, his cock twitching in response. Careful not to be in the receiving end of your strikes, he pulled you out while you put up an admirable fight. You clawed at whatever you could find, all the grisly plushies and toys spilling out of the cabinet.
“No! Let me go! STOP!” you yelled, a messy tangle of limbs kicking everywhere to free yourself from his grasp.
With your belly flat on the tiled floor, Joel yanked at your ponytail until your back arched uncomfortably, his lips trailing your jugular as he straddled the back of your waist.
“Yeah, fight back, kitten,” he grumbled in your ear, releasing his purchase on your hair.
Your head collapsed on the floor, your little sobs unleashing the beast within him. Grabbing your arms so you would cease in your futile escaping attempt, he shoved your limbs under his knees, pinning you down completely.
You wiggled under him, a begging mess as you tried to kick him off you.
“Please, Joel, don’t do this,” you pleaded, the swaying of your hips under him only enlivening his cock even more.
“That’s not what you were telling the other guy last night, were you?” he scolded you, unbuckling his belt and tugging at it in one clean sweep that took it off the loops on his jeans. “Hm? When you were making out with him in that alley, with your tiny hand buried in his pants and jerking him off. If he could have his share, so can I.”
He moved his knees just enough to liberate your arms, pressing your wrists onto the small of your back as he forcefully tied them up again, this time with his belt.
“Joel, I wasn’t―”
“Oh, yeah, you fucking were, sugar. You saw me standing there, watching, and you didn’t stop. Did you?” he groaned, ensuring the belt was as tight as possible around your wrists. “It actually made you wetter, I just know. Just like you probably are now.”
You wailed, words incoherent as you kept on mumbling and fighting back. Your resistance was an irresistible call for him, one that could not be ignored. Your sobs were a dark summon, the twisted side of him revelling in what was to come.
Joel slithered down your body, sitting on your calves with his knees on either side of you and then pulled your jeans and panties down unceremoniously, yanking at them eagerly. You choked on your tears, your tied hands trying to cover your exposed ass and the sweet dripping nook between your thighs.
Joel slapped your hands away, growling at you for denying him such a view. He held on to your wrists with the span of one hand, pressing them on the small of your back.
“Let’s see what we’ve got here,” he grumbled with an obscure need.
His right hand glided down the swell of your butt cheeks until his ring and middle fingers pried your pussy lips open. Dragging the pads along your damp, velvety seam drove him fucking mad.
“You’re such a slut, sugar,” he rejoiced, forcing his fingers in your dripping hole down to the knuckles. The sucking sound coming from your entrance made his mind spiral out of control. “So fucking wet, you’re enjoying this, aren’t ya?”
He pulled his fingers out, then back in harshly. You whimpered, the running tears ruining your eyeliner.
“I AM NOT! Stop, you motherfucker!” You screamed, writhing under Joel in an attempt to get him off you. “I fucking hate your guts!”
Your pitiful, pathetic sobs grew louder as Joel fingered you like a man possessed, your cunt leaking everywhere. Your inner walls clutched around his fingers involuntarily, the warmth inside your pussy skyrocketing.
Joel was mad with lust, his throbbing cock strained in his jeans. He released your hands to release his dick from the prison of his clothing and started to fist himself at the same pace his fingers sank into you.
“Your mouth says no, but your sweet little pussy is begging for me, you little fuck toy,” he growled, his nuts feeling heavy with every pump he imposed on you and himself. “My fuck toy.”
Feeling your climax building up, your reddened cunt sheathing his digits greedily and palpitating now, Joel slid the fingers out of your seeping opening. You began crying audibly now, your orgasm being denied and fading into oblivion. But Joel knew you wouldn’t beg him to let you finish, you proud little thing. At least not yet.
He smiled, jerking himself off with your slick, buttering his pearly glans with your arousal.
“Keep cryin’, sugar, no one’s coming to help ya,” he mumbled, eyelids heavy as he traced the fold of your ass with the tip of his thudding cock.
It hitched in your unprepared tight ring, and he didn’t hesitate to push in slightly.
You snarled like a wild animal, kicking again and screaming in pain as his mushroom head found refuge in your rimmed hole. It was so fucking tight inside, suffocating even, Joel felt his glans pulsating.
“Being the whore that you are, I know that your pussy has been worked open several times, but what about your ass, hm?” he teased you, tip buried in your―hopefully��virgin ass.
“You piece of shit!” you shrieked.
Joel cackled, head snapping back at your retort. Then tutted at you, pulling out of your apparently forbidden hole. He almost felt sorry for you, but one glance at your pussy was all he needed to have his attention redirected.
“Alright, alright, sugar. In your pussy then,” he conceded, feeling benevolent. “I know she’s greedy for some cock, isn’t she?”
Joel swiped his glans clean with your panties, then grabbed a few of the plush toys and teddy bears that had spilt from the cabinet. He shoved them under your waist to prop your perky ass up, giving him better access to your slit.
“There she is, look at her go. Your hole is clenching, sugar, I can see her. She’s mouthing for something to keep her quiet,” he mumbled, almost sweetly, before his thumb found your unattended, glistening clit. Joel pressed circles onto your bundle of nerves lazily, your little cries transforming into wanton hiccups. “She’s so needy, leaking everywhere. I’mma give her what she needs, I’m that altruistic.”
His thumb broke contact with your melting clit, then Joel aligned his cock with the opening in your cunt and buried himself in one harsh thrust, down to the hilt. You cried again, your hands holding onto the hem of his tee shirt. Joel leaned down on you, placing his elbows to either side of your head, but most of his weight rested on you ― suffocating, omnipresent above you.
He couldn’t wait any longer, his hard cock pulsing inside you, so Joel began railing you as if the world was ending. Jackhammering into you, he glued you to the floor, his balls slapping your clit with every pump.
Joel kissed your neck as you stilled under him with no fight left within you.
“Has my sweet little fuck toy finally broken?” he taunted you with a smirk.
You said nothing in reply, not wanting to inflate his ego any more.
A teddy bunny with crosses for eyes stared at you as Joel drilled into you, your body rocking back and forth beneath him with the force of every potent thrust. He was growing harder and warmer inside you, if that was even possible, because you already felt full to the fucking brim. The noises coming from where you were joint like mating dogs sounded obscene, squelching and wet. Sinful.
Your body betrayed you, your pussy squeezing his beating dick tight, as if she didn’t want to let him go. Joel’s nuts would bounce against your clit, adding another layer to it all, breaking your resolution. But you managed to keep your lips sealed shut, your bottom one trembling with effort.
He began pulsing, his girth stretching your burning walls further apart as if they were putty. The way you would mould around him, hugging him tight ― it felt damn wrong. Deliciously wrong. How his flushed cockhead dragged along the soft spot along your anterior wall drove you fucking insane, but still you did not whimper aloud ― would never give him that satisfaction.
And then, suddenly, he pulled out, leaving you empty and on the tipping edge of another orgasm.
“Joel, p-pl-please…” you sobbed quietly, ashamedly.
“Please what, sugar?”
You hated him for making you beg, but your cunt was drenched and throbbing ― your climax had been snatched away from you twice now, leaving you hanging on a precipice that was making you feel lightheaded.
You fought with your mind, not wanting to come but needing to.
Instead of answering, you sobbed through pursed lips, forehead resting on the tiled floor underneath you. Then Joel spanked your swollen pussy lips once and you wailed, the sudden sting flourishing into something else.
“Count out loud,” he ordered.
When his palm landed on your cunt again, your hips bucked up with equal parts of pain and pleasure.
“Two,” you whispered breathless.
His palm fell hard on your puffy skin, and you whimpered, tears welling up.
“Three,” another spank, another wail. “F-f-f-f-f-four…” you stuttered, tears falling off the cliffs of your cheeks.
The last slap was stronger than the others, foully resonating between the walls of the Halloween shop. It stung real bad, but then…
“FIVE!” you screamed at the top of your lungs.
Your whole body started shaking uncontrollably, your pussy gushing as she had never before, and the biggest wave of your life washed over you like a tsunami. The burning sensation flowed up your spine, waking up all your nerve endings, and down your legs curling your toes. Your eyes had rolled to the back of your head, and you were drooling all over the floor, breathing heavily, still trembling under Joel’s watchful gaze.
You would never admit to him that it had been the best orgasm of your life.
Joel rubbed his palm against your sensitive cunt, soothing the harshness of his spanks. Then crouched down to press a few delicate kisses on your bulgy pussy lips, his broad hands coaxing your ass cheeks apart for better access.
His tongue flicked and buried in your wet slit, the tip sweeping from your tender clit to your fucked-out hole, collecting the cream of your arousal in his mouth. His warm breath felt like a balm, your entrance squeezing with unwanted pleasure when he suckled on your clit again. Being eaten out from behind short-circuited your brain, slick heat pooling in your clit again.
Unwillingly, you grinded your cunt on his mouth, chasing another high, silently whimpering. Joel laughed, mouth still on your pussy with hot puffs of air fanning your damp fold.
“What a good little slut you are. But we need to work on your manners, you should be thanking me,” he hummed. “My turn to come.”
Joel came off you, turning you around on the floor so you were facing up. Another denied orgasm and you were close to losing your shit, but you kept the façade from tumbling down.
Then he grabbed your elbow, forcing you to sit up, and pushed your back against the cabinet you had previously hid in. He grounded each foot to either side of you, his cock at your eye level.
“Say ahhh for me, sugar,” he asked darkly, his hand holding your chin.
Looking up at him, your eyes glassy, you shook your head no, pursing your lips together to keep your mouth shut.
“Playing hard to get now, hmm, kiddo?” Joel chuckled, rubbing his slick glans on your lips. “I know you love to suck cock, you little bitch. Don’t deny it.”
The tip of his dick breached your lips and swiped along your clenched teeth, but you didn’t budge. That was until he slapped you, which made you open your mouth automatically. With no free will left in you, you let him slot his throbbing cock between your lips and down your throat.
“If you use your teeth, I’ll break your jaw. Understood?”
Doe-eyed, you glanced up at him innocently and nodded with his dick buried in your mouth.
“Good girl, I’m sure you can take it like a champ,” he chortled.
He held onto the edge of the counter and began rocking his hips back and forth, first gently. You hollowed your cheeks and let him use your mouth as he pleased, the pulsing glans caressing your palate and then your uvula. Lips sealed shut around his girth, you made sure your teeth wouldn’t graze his skin ― your crimsoned cheek still burnt.
Towering above you, Joel moaned, head tilted back and knuckles white. The rhythm of his hips started picking up a relentless pace, his mushroom head breaching your uvula and making you gag while saliva and precum pooled in your mouth, dripping off the corners and landing on your breasts.
It didn’t matter how much you retched, it didn’t stop him whatsoever ― the gurgling sounds just spurred him on even more. Joel fucked your mouth harshly, burying himself as further down as possible, his balls slapping your chin with every thrust. The back of your head banged the cabinet door repeatedly as you fought for air to reach your lungs.
With your hands tied to your back, there wasn't much you could do about the growing ache in the pebbled nub between your thighs. Unconsciously, you rubbed your knees together, aiming for the orgasm you had been denied.
Joel noticed your efforts and felt pity for you. His poor little thing throbbing, pussy used and crying for some more. Feeling generous, he moved one foot between your legs, the tip of his boot notching your bundle of nerves just right ― and that was your cue to tilt your hips absentmindedly, humping his boot while you moaned around his veiny shaft.
“Look at you, so fucking desperate, sugar,” he pressed his boot further into your seam, and you wailed in response. “Should be ashamed of yourself, you fucking brat. Like being used like this, don't ya?”
His degradation, along with your incessant rubbing, was your undoing. Your hole clenched around nothing and a massive bubble of thick slick came down your narrow cavity, wetting the tip of his boot with your white cream, as you climaxed ― cunt pulsing and squeezing uncontrollably.
At the sight of you orgasming, Joel finally came in your mouth with a guttural groan, pinning you against the cabinet, dick pulsing maddingly on your tongue as the white ropes of his hot cum filled up your wet cavity, almost choking you.
Joel looked down at you with a satisfied grin and swept some tears away with his thumb, his cock still plugging your lips.
“You’ve done well for me, kiddo. You haven’t thrown up,” his praise made your eyes perk up, fixed on his brown ones. “As messy as you look right now, you look beautiful with my dick in your mouth.”
He pulled back, freeing your mouth. Before you could spit out his spent, Joel pinched your nose and sealed your mouth with the palm of his hand, forcing you to swallow. So you did.
Tucking away his cock, he then helped you up, veered you around in his arms, and untied your hands, restoring your circulation. As Joel put the belt back on, your pulled up your panties and jeans, then stirred around to face him.
A smile crept up on your face, curling the corners of your mouth.
Joel reciprocated, his sideways smirk making your heart jolt. He bowed down to kiss you, tasting himself in your mouth.
“I love it when you unleash this side of you, when you get rough like this,” you whispered cheekily against his lips. “We should do this more often.”
Joel chuckled, shaking his head with fake disapproval, and pressed a gentle kiss on your forehead.
“You’re such a good actress. There was a point where I almost believed you, sweetheart,” he admitted, and it was your turn to laugh.
“Was that when I used the safe words?” you taunted, and he nodded.
“Yeah, sorry I got carried away. But you know how much I would love to be the first one to fuck your ass, baby,” he pleaded with you, his hands gently resting on the small of your back.
“Maybe next time and with a bit more prep. But only if you behave,” you promised him, kissing him again.
“I always behave, sugar.”
#pedrostoriesgift24#pedrostories#fic: a dark summon#joel miller#joel miller smut#joel miller x reader#joel miller x you#joel miller x female reader#joel miller fanfiction#the last of us#tlou#the last of us fanfiction#tlou fanfiction#joel miler fic#pedro pascal#pedro pascal character#pedro pascal characters#pedro pascal fandom#pedro pascal fanfiction#pedro pascal cinematic universe#ppcu#pedro pascal x reader#pedro pascal x you#pedro pascal smut
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I wanted to thank you for running RFM for so long.
And as we wind down to the end of the year (and the era), I want to ask if there's anything the Tumblr community could do to thank you for the effort you've put into this over the years.
Is there a charity or cause that you support that we could contribute to or other action we could take?
Aw, thank you for asking!
If you want a specific place to give, there are a couple of nonprofits I support. The Anti-Cruelty Society where I got the cryptids is local to Chicago and BAGLY is a queer youth nonprofit local to Boston; you can also give to United Way either locally or nationally, to Planned Parenthood, or to the American Library Association, currently fighting the good fight against censorship. I know people working for all of these orgs and your support means a lot to them. You can also give to my Ko-Fi marked "for donation" and I will give in a lump sum to the org I work for, which funds research into terminal lung disease and outreach to patients suffering from it.
But honestly, I hope the most long-lasting legacy of RFM is that people think consciously about caring for one another and about being kind and compassionate even if you feel judgement for the person asking. Over the years I found myself judging people sometimes when they asked for help, and I had to make a policy that I would not only share their link but publicly defend their right to ask, if necessary, because I am not infallible and nobody else is either. It is not for us to determine who can ask, only who we answer.
I've been on a campaign for about a decade to persuade people that while some nonprofits are indeed not great places to give your money, you should approach giving in the spirit of trust. When we buy something -- say, a box of pasta -- we trust that what the box says is inside actually is inside. When we buy a wool sweater we trust it truly is wool unless we have reason to believe otherwise. We look at the box or the label, we do our due diligence, but we don't automatically assume we are being lied to. If you give to a nonprofit, by all means, read the website, maybe do a quick google about them, but trust that most people who work in this field, which is underpaid and full of burnout, are doing their best to help the world. Find a nonprofit you really like the look of and treat it like starting a new friendship -- get to know them, read about what they do, if they have events, especially free events, maybe go to one and have a look around.
But yeah -- that's what I hope lasts, the idea that giving is an act of community and that the spirit in which you give matters, not whether or not you did the most good in the most moral way.
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BIRTHDAY BOY
also based off of this
𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: sub!nate x stripper!reader
𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: for his 21st, nate goes to the strip club with his two best friends.
𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: SMUTTY SMUT, swearing, drinking, semi-public, oral (male receiving), overstimulation, gagging, p in v, handsome/good boy kink, unprotected sex, cream pie
𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 1,370
𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞: day THREE of nate week!
let’s pretend that today is yesterday🤫
shoutout to @stellarsturns for the idea <3
boston’s local strip club was the last place nate wanted to go to for his 21st, but chris and matt insisted on bringing him. for understandable reasons, nick decided to stay home and wait for them to get back to have some birthday cake.
this isn’t his scene at all, and to be honest, he’s freaked out. not because of the half-naked girls dancing on poles, but because this isn’t… him.
he wanted to stay at the triplet’s house to celebrate, but according to chris and matt; that was boring.
poor nate got left all alone, watching with wide eyes as the dancer did their thing on the stage in front of him. the other two left and said ‘we’re coming back with a surprise!’ whatever that means.
“nate, dude!” chris slurs loudly over the music, his two friends stumbling back to the table they’re sitting at. “look who we got for you.”
“this is— uh…” matt trails off.
you wave. “cherry.”
“damn straight.” matt says, sipping on his beer. “happy birthday, man. we paid her ahead of time.”
holding your hand out, nate’s silent as he grabs on with his shaky and sweaty one. you can feel that he’s squeezing tight, but he doesn’t notice. you don’t mind, though, and instead start walking to one of the many private rooms. “don’t have too much fun!” chris laughs, cheering until his voice fades.
nate didn’t realize how much his head was pounding until he got into the room, the vibration hurting like crazy. the music is muffled, voices from others outside the door. “sit.” you demand softly, and he does.
he takes a good look at your very revealing two-piece, cash that he assumes is the money chris and matt gave you sits under the strap of your bra. avoiding eye contact, he glances around the room. he’s so intimidated by you, especially when he was standing. you’re much taller than him in those tall heels.
“you’re intimidated.” you point out as if you’re reading his mind.
ain’t that the truth.
taking your acrylic thumb, you graze it over his bottom lip. without thinking, he opens his mouth the tiniest bit. he’s looking at you now, mesmerized by your beauty. “your friends told me it’s your birthday.” you say innocently. “how old are you turning, handsome?”
he clears his throat, stammering syllables before he gets the words out. “t-twenty-one.”
nodding, you hum before straddling his lap, your clothed pussy rubbing on the bulge in his pants. he wants to touch you, but he doesn’t know if he can. your hands run from the sides of his head down to his chest, grinding slowly.
he grunts, rutting his hips subconsciously. “s-sorry.” he stutters, but then does it again. his cheeks are red like a tomato. “i-i’m sorry.”
sighing, you start to leave open-mouthed soft kisses down his neck. he groans, the aching boner rubbing your clit the right way. rutting his hips once more, he whines. “i’m so—”
“it’s highly against the rules to fuck customers.” you say between kisses. “but because you’re the birthday boy… i’ll make you an exception.”
you hover on the ground, licking and biting your lips as you stare into his pleading eyes while you unbuckle his pants.
there’s already a wet spot forming through his calvin klein’s. he’s just about cumming in his underwear already. “aw, pretty boy. you’re already making a mess in your boxers.” you tease innocently.
when you start to kiss his hard-on, he jolts from the sensitivity. his hands rush to the hem, pulling down the remains of his bottoms in a whine.
so needy.
his dick is red, the hardness of it looking painful the more you stare at it. you lick the pre-cum from his slit, pumping your hand and swallowing the amount you can fit in your mouth.
lolling his head back, his mouth hangs open from the warmth. god blessed you with no gag reflex, so this is going to be a piece of cake. his eyes roll back each time you bob down.
your throat morphs into the shape of him, gulping as your saliva moistens his base. you notice his nails claw at his thigh. he wants to grip your hair, but he also doesn’t want to hurt you.
to tease him, you moan to send some vibration throughout his body. he thrusts up into your mouth from the suddenness, but you keep going.
the softness of his hips moving upward has him moaning like a mess. “oh, fuck. oh, fuck.”
his dick twitches, pelvis shuttering before shooting his load down your throat. that doesn’t stop you, though. “w-wait.” he whines, trying to push your head away. you don’t budge.
in fact, you move back to his tip, kitty-licking the rest of his cum off of it before spitting. his breath hitches, legs quivering from the feeling. your plump lips move to the side of his dick, sloppily licking the remains of his orgasm that dripped down.
angling yourself differently, you take him to the point where all of him now fits in your mouth.
“wait!” he cries again, eyes becoming watery. “it’s t-too sensitive.”
even though he’s complaining, he takes each side of your head and guides you nice and deep on his cock; nose touching his pubic bone. “it hurts.” he whimpers, forcing your head to go faster.
nate feels so pathetic because of how fast his second orgasm approaches. he’s squirming and twitching like crazy.
“i’m going to cum again.” he pants, hooded eyes looking into your doe-like ones.
a few gulps later, you stay put on his dick while his spurts of cum land on your tastebuds. it’s still coming out of his slit when you take your mouth off with a pop noise.
you get up from the floor, his eyes staring at what your hands are doing as he catches his breath. you reach for the front clip on your bra, take it off, and let it fall to the floor.
then, you remove your panties, bunching them into a ball. his mouth dangles open in complete awe with your body.
you take your time to walk over and lean over him, smirking when all he seems to look at is your breasts. “you’ve been too noisy.” you state. “i think somebody needs to be gagged.”
before he can answer, you shove your panties into his mouth. you start to sit on his dick, nate’s panting getting more intense the further down you go.
you moan lowly, lifting yourself to the tip and plopping back down. he sniffles, you continuing those actions. you run your hands through his hair, looking at his face of pleasure each time you bounce.
the sound of your ass slapping against his thighs is covering up his muffled whimpers and moans. tears stream down his cheeks, a choked sob flowing through the panties blocking his lips.
“you’re so handsome.” you coo, the eye contact turning you on even more as you wipe the tears. his blue orbs are dark, the lids fluttering closed at how your bare pussy feels.
you can’t help but moan as well from the squelching noise that portrays. the tips of your fingers run through his hair, peppering kisses on his jawline. “you want to be a good boy for me?” you ask.
he nods frantically. “uh huh.”
“be a good boy and cum for me, yeah?” you say, moving faster, causing you to squeal when your g-spot gets hit. your dominance is starting to slip. “you-you have too much of a handsome face.”
his eyes widen when he figures out what you mean by that, but he doesn’t care. he grabs your hips and starts to thrust into you, the both of you whining as you reach your highs. “that’s right, handsome. c-cum in me.”
“mhm.” he moans, following your instructions.
you keep going until you collapse on top of him, removing your underwear from his mouth. grabbing the money his friends gave you, you hold it up and get off of his lap. he’s trying to catch his breath when you put your foot next to his leg to hunch over.
“free of charge.” you smile. “happy birthday.”
𝐭𝐚𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭!
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#nate doe#chris sturniolo#matt sturniolo#nick sturniolo#nathan doe#christopher sturniolo#nicolas sturniolo#matthew sturniolo#sturniolo x reader#sturniolo imagine#sturniolo smut#sturniolo fanfic#chris sturniolo fanfic#chris sturniolo smut#matt sturniolo fanfic#matt sturniolo smut#nate doe fanfic#nate doe smut
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I'D RATHER PRETEND
CHAPTER ONE
tags: @angryflowerwitch @avvwritesstufff | lmk if you want to be added! wc: 7.1k notes: see masterlist for content warnings. buckle up, here we go 🙂↕️
'South Carolina Basketball Star Tess Kennedy Hits Rock Bottom'
On March 31, the South Carolina Gamecocks went head to head with the Iowa Hawkeyes in the heavily anticipated Final Four match-up. For South Carolina, this was their two-peat season, coming off of an electric championship win back in April 2022 against the formidable Connecticut Huskies. For Iowa, this was their underdog season. Their last Final Four appearance was back in 1993. With powerhouses such as Kamilla Cardoso, Aliyah Boston, and Tess Kennedy, South Carolina was a fan favorite to win, but Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes would prove to be a wrench in the plans.
Late in the third quarter, Tess Kennedy fell to the ground clutching her knee as Clark drove past her. To those on court, the injury was obvious. She was carried off in a stretcher. We would later receive the news that Kennedy had officially tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her left knee and would undergo surgery within the week. Kennedy would have the entire offseason and most of the regular season to rehab and hopefully return for the 2023-2024 season, but onlookers quickly found that would not be the case.
April 9 marked the beginning of what was taunted as the "Tess Kennedy Destruction Tour." It had simple beginnings - a Twitter reply here, a heated Instagram argument there.
[IMAGE TRANSCRIPTION: USER GAMECOCKS4LIFE33: "TESS KENNEDY YOU SUCK, THANKS FOR THROWING OUR BACK TO BACK SEASON, I HOPE YOUR ACL NEVER HEALS!!!" | USER TESSKENNEDY25: "I'M PRAYING THAT YOUR WIFE HAS AN ABORTION. I'D STRANGLE MYSELF WITH MY OWN UMBILICAL CORD IF I CAME OUT OF THE WOMB AND YOUR FACE WAS THE FIRST THING I SAW." END TRANSCRIPTION.]
As recovery progressed, Kennedy soon frequented a local bar nearby the University of South Carolina campus. Kennedy would spend nights there, often inebriated and starting arguments outside. Her nights out would only end when other members of the South Carolina women's basketball team came to rescue her. They have all declined to comment at this time.
Kennedy's supporters have gone online with desperate cries for anyone at all to get Tess Kennedy the help and recovery she needs. South Carolina has been unnaturally quiet regarding their star player's self-destruction. Kennedy has expressed that she wishes to enter the WNBA draft after her senior year, and considering that an ACL tear often makes or breaks an athlete's career, it does not surprise us in the least that Kennedy is having a difficult time with her injury. The only question remaining is if someone will pick her up, or if Tess Kennedy will be left to her own devices and continue to sink.
-Penelope Lancaster, Bleacher Report
MAY 3, 2023
“You can’t be fucking serious.”
The silence in the conference room is palpable. Tess is currently battling a migraine, though she’s not sure if it’s from her hangover or the absolute bullshit her manager just subjected her ears to. She’s surrounded by Amaya, the aforementioned manager, Diana, her publicist, Coach Staley, a counselor from the university’s counseling and wellness center (though she’s already forgotten her name), Paige Bueckers, for whatever fucking reason, and two other unfamiliar people.
When Amaya called her to schedule a meeting, Tess didn’t know what it was for. Amaya didn’t say and Tess was too shitfaced to argue, especially when Amaya was yelling at her bright and early at 7 am. The regret pools low in her belly and she tells herself for the millionth time that she should have skipped this meeting.
“Tess, we’ve brought you in today because everyone is worried for you,” Amaya states. “Frankly, we should have done it earlier. That has been a critical error on our end. Your teammates have told us that you either lock yourself in your room for hours on end or go out and get plastered. I’m sure you’re familiar with what the media is calling the ‘Tess Kennedy Destruction Tour?’”
Paige, quiet from the other end of the table, raises a brow while Tess scoffs. “I feel like that’s a little excessive,” Tess says.
Diana frowns. “Since your ACL injury, you’ve been in several arguments online. You frequent bars and are at risk of a severe alcohol addiction. We know you’re not rehabbing nor are you taking your medication.”
And, at the heart of it, Amaya and Diana aren’t wrong. Maybe when Tess is a few drinks in and she opens Twitter and sees what all the trolls are saying, constant repeats and barrages of Tess Kennedy sold South Carolina’s game – she deserves so much worse than an ACL tear and South Carolina made a mistake in recruiting her, maybe she responds to them, because why wouldn’t she? She’s a college athlete, she understands trash talk and competitiveness, but everything that is said about her is downright cruel. She loses all of her inhibitions when the tequila flows through her veins – making the trolls feel just as bad as she does is one of the simplest remedies she could offer. The alcohol makes her forget about her injury, about the guilt of costing her team the game and the championship. It’s simple. So what if she drinks a little more lately? She’s not addicted. She’s just trying to forget.
Her avoiding rehab and her medication were just unfortunate casualties of war. Her injury was too fresh on her mind for her to fully commit to attending, even though Kamilla tried her best to get her to the physio’s office. Her medication was a different story – she had to be weaned off of her lexapro for a couple days before her surgery so she could safely be anesthetized for it. Then she wasn’t allowed to take her medication for a few days post-surgery given the nature of her painkillers. It all spiraled from there. She was off of her rhythm in multiple ways, and the last thing on her mind was her anxiety medication.
“We know you won’t listen, so we are not giving you options,” Amaya says firmly, forcing Tess back into the moment. She resists an eyeroll. “You’re at risk of killing yourself, Tess. You’re at risk of losing your basketball scholarship because your grades have slipped after finals – you’re lucky enough that your GPA was high enough from the past two years to cushion straight C’s this semester. Your brand deals are inches away from dropping you entirely. So, we are going to fix that. Three times weekly, you will meet with a trainer for mandatory physical therapy. Once a week, you will meet with a psychologist for your mental health and alcohol dependence. And during this off-season, we’ve made the decision that you and Paige Bueckers will be in a fake relationship so you can repair your images.”
Which brings us to where we are now.
“You can’t be fucking serious.”
Tess’s eyes nearly fall out of her head. Paige seems equally as shocked from across the table, jaw slack, though her expression hardens with indignance as Tess demands, “Why her? What is fake dating going to do about any of this?”
“Your brand deals are at risk of pulling away from you because you are destroying your image,” Amaya says again. “You’re too volatile. Paige’s brand deals are at risk of pulling away from her because…” Amaya struggles to find the words.
“I’m not ‘family friendly’ enough,” Paige supplies, fingers raised in air quotes.
At that, Tess snickers. “And by that, she means she sleeps around too much, people are noticing, and her conquests are bitter.”
“Why the attitude? Jealous I ain’t sleepin’ with you?”
“Oh, sure, because I’ve always wanted an STD.”
“At the rate you’re destroying yourself, you might be closer than you think.”
“Enough,” Amaya snaps. Tess and Paige close their mouths. Paige at least has the decency to look a little ashamed while Tess glares. “But yes. Paige’s brand deals feel as though she’s too… all over the place. Having a fake girlfriend will placate her brands and consumers who are upset with them for not taking action. The two of you together will show that Paige is not a womanizer and that Tess is not a flight risk.”
“I don’t agree with this,” Tess states.
Amaya hums. “I’ll take your grievances into consideration.” She pauses for a moment, tapping her chin dramatically as if thinking hard, before smiling. “Okay, I’ve considered. You and Paige will fake date. You’re going to go to all of your appointments and you are going to try to get better. Your doctors said you would be able to play again depending on your recovery. Why are you trying to destroy yourself? Why are you making this harder on yourself than it needs to be?”
Tess doesn’t have an answer for that. At least, not one she’s going to admit in front of her Coach or Paige Bueckers. Paige got lucky – she tore her ACL and she’s almost fully healed now. The chance that Tess might not be able to, no matter how slim, fills her with indescribable envy. Taking her destruction into her own hands gives her some semblance of control that she otherwise doesn’t have. She wasn’t in control when her ligament tore. She wasn’t in control when she was in surgery for hours and the doctors were meticulously replacing it.
When she doesn’t respond, Amaya sighs. “Paige flies back to Connecticut on Saturday. I want you two to take this week to get to know each other and soft launch – how you do that, I don’t care. We just want the public to know you’re seeing each other currently.”
After some more fine-tuning between Amaya, Diana, and Paige’s manager and publicist, the meeting concludes. Tess doesn’t waste any time before she’s hauling herself to her feet. She grunts as the pain shoots through her leg, gripping the table to stabilize herself. “Tess, hold on,” Coach Staley calls. “I need a word with you.”
Tess resists a sigh. No matter how fucked up she might be, she’s not going to be the one to test Coach Staley. The conference room filters out, though Tess doesn’t notice Paige’s lingering gaze as she leaves. “I know you probably feel a little trapped right now,” Coach says. “That we’re forcing you into this. Which we are – I mean, I won’t sugarcoat it. I know basketball is your dream and you feel like it’s all slipping away because of your injury. Let me be the first to say that the Tess Kennedy I know wouldn’t let this stop her. I don’t know what’s going on with you. I don’t know why you’re spiraling, but I do know that our team is a family and we are always here to support you if you’d just let us in. You are an amazing player, an asset on and off the court. Please give this your all, if not for me, if not for your teammates, but for yourself.”
Tess can feel the tightness in her throat and the slight sting in her eyes. Part of her knows that Coach is right – she always is. The other part of her is so overwhelmed by her grief that it’s hard to fully absorb it. “I’ll try, Coach,” she says softly, feeling more sober than she has in weeks. Coach Staley squeezes her shoulder, walking out of the room. After wiping the tears pooling in her eyes and taking deep breaths, she walks out, too.
“Hey –”
Tess nearly jumps out of her skin, a hand over her chest. “Jesus fucking Christ, Paige.” The blonde guard can’t help but snicker, crossing her arms over her chest. “Not funny, dude. You’re an asshole. I can’t believe people line up to sleep with you.”
“They do that?” she asks, smiling smugly. “Didn’t know.”
Tess rolls her eyes in annoyance. “Do you have a reason to be talking to me or are you just trying to make me start drinking at 9 am?”
Paige shoves her hands in her pockets. “Amaya told me your first PT appointment is in an hour. She wants me to go with you, help you out and shit.” Paige must recognize the look on Tess’s face because she huffs. “Look, I wanna be doing this as much as you do. But work with me a little. I wasn’t this insufferable when I tore my ACL.”
At that, Tess’s gaze turns into a hard glare. “Fuck off. You don’t know shit about my injury.”
She scoffs. “I know more than you think I do, and I think that’s why you’re all pissed,” she says, voice low. “Yeah, you’re in pain 24/7, but it’s the mentality that fucks you up. You’re scared you’re never going to play ball again and you’re taking it out on other people. You’re taking it out on yourself, Tess; you’re literally killing yourself over an injury you can bounce back from. It’s hard and it’s scary and it’s fucked up. And as shitty as it sounds, tearing your ACL is something that only happens to other people, right? It wasn’t supposed to happen to you.” Tess’s mouth morphs into a guilty frown, watching as Paige shifts her weight to her healthy leg unconsciously. “So, face it. You tore your ACL. You trashed your reputation to cope with it and now we gotta dig each other out of the mud. But your recovery is up to you. Commit to it, follow the PT, do what you gotta do – or you’re never playing on that court again.”
Despite her harsh words, Paige’s eyes are soft with understanding, not pity. Tess was used to seeing the commiseration on her teammates' faces. They didn’t understand; understanding an ACL tear came with the fact of having one, and as mad as she was at the world right now, Tess would never wish something like that upon her teammates. Do what you gotta do – or you’re never playing on that court again. Paige’s words run around her head on repeat. Tess isn’t surprised that it makes her angry. She is surprised to find that the anger isn’t directed at the blonde herself, who she’s about to be stuck with for months on end. Tess is pissed at herself. Her actions may have just cost her weeks, if not months of extra recovery time. She was so lost in what-ifs that she didn’t focus on the things that were actually around her.
Tess would work on it. That is as much as she could promise herself.
Unable to fully process the genuine culture shock of Paige’s rant, Tess swallows thickly and looks anywhere but the blonde’s blue eyes. “Do you, um, wanna grab coffee before PT?” she asks forlornly.
Paige’s jaw ticks, but she seems to recognize the invitation for what it is – an olive branch. “Yeah. Sure. You should swing by your apartment and grab your crutches, though.”
Tess almost rolls her eyes at the mother-hen tone of Paige’s voice. “I don’t need them anymore,” she retorts. “Doctor said 2 to 3 weeks post-surgery. I’m very much 2 to 3 weeks post-surgery.”
“Pretty sure 2 to 3 weeks depended on good behavior,” Paige states. “You did literally the opposite of that. Plus, I saw you wince when you stood up. Go get your crutches, Tessa.”
“Okay, first of all, Tess isn’t a nickname,” she gripes, but she leads Paige towards the athlete apartments. “Tessa is not on my birth certificate. Second of all, don’t boss me around.”
Paige hums. “Okay,” she concedes, which shocks Tess enough that she turns around. Paige has a solemn look on her face, but the look in her eye tells Tess all she needs to know. “According to Amaya, we’re girlfriends now. That means I gotta look out for you. So lighten up, ma. Get your crutches and let me buy you a coffee so you don’t get cranky in PT.”
Tess wrinkles her nose. “Do not call me that either.”
“Okay, Tessa.”
“You’re actually so fucking annoying, it’s unreal.” Tess turns around again, leaning on her right foot to take the pressure off her left knee. She clasps her hands together, trying to distract herself from the way Paige smiles smugly at her, eyes bright. Tess suddenly feels stupid for not realizing any sooner that Paige was just fucking with her. The worst part about this whole situation was how Paige’s banter did manage to chip away some of the guilt and anguish that slowly frosted over her heart. She’d never admit that much to the blonde, though – her ego is already the size of Jupiter. “Don’t call me ma. Don’t call me Tessa.”
“So what’s actually on your birth certificate?” Paige asks when Tess starts walking again.
“Tess Kennedy.”
“Middle name?”
“Why do you care?”
Paige scrunches up her face. “We’re girlfriends –”
“We are not girlfriends,” Tess interrupts.
“Okay, what the fuck ever,” Paige gripes. “Middle name. We need to know stuff about each other. Mine’s Madison. You might as well just tell me anyways ‘cause I’m pretty sure it’s on your Wikipedia.”
Tess heaves a sigh. Paige has to get off on being an annoying fuck – there’s no other reason why she’d be harassing her right now. “It’s Alessandra. Tess Alessandra Kennedy. I was named after my mom.”
“Tess Alessandra,” Paige repeats. Her name sounds far too good rolling off her tongue and Tess gets mad all over again. Paige is a woman of many talents it seems, although it’s unfortunate that shutting up is not one of them. “Cute. Is that Italian?”
Tess softens at the genuine interest in her tone, realizing she's being an asshole. “Yeah. We moved here from Italy when I was seven. I grew up in New York, came down here for ball…the rest is history, I guess.”
“Can you say the thing?” Paige asks with too much glee.
Tess glances at her warily. “What thing?”
“You know, the ‘Ay, I’m walkin’ here!’”
“Jesus Christ,” Tess mutters. She and Paige exit the athletic facility, and the South Carolinian guard leads her on the short path back to the athlete apartments. “You’re the most annoying person I’ve ever met. It’s impressive.”
“I like setting the standard.” Tess glances at her. Paige looks comfortable – too comfortable – sporting an easy-going smile, as if being perpetually on Tess’s nerves is enjoyable for her. Tess isn’t sure what to make of her. “So, what was coming to the States like?”
The shorter of the two shrugs. “It was an adjustment. My English was decent, but I struggled to make friends. Basketball made me feel like I belonged here, although it reminded me of home, too.”
“You still consider Italy home?” Paige asks softly.
Tess mulls it over, humming. “Home is a feeling,” she states. “I never had to second guess myself in Italy – whether or not I was using the right words or doing things the ‘American way.’ I feel at home when I play ball. I never doubted myself there, either; it’s what my brain is wired for.”
“And now that you can’t play, it feels like leaving everything you’ve ever known?”
Tess’s lips curl into a half-smile. “Something like that.”
Paige makes a noise in the back of her throat that sounds vaguely like understanding. “No wonder you went on a destruction tour.”
Tess rolls her eyes. “And the moment’s over.”
“Nah, I was being for real!” Paige defends. “I’m just sayin’ – I get it. Basketball means something different to everyone, right?”
Tess softens. “Yeah. Guess so.” She opens the door to the athlete apartments, leading Paige to the elevators. She pushes the number three and the elevator closes. She sighs, leaning against the wall, and lifting her leg slightly. “So what about you?”
Paige glances at her. “What about me?”
“Your ACL. What was different for you?”
Paige wiggles her leg. “Well, I’m still recovering. Want to be 110% before I’m on the court again.” She stares at her reflection in the elevator mirror before her eyes look anywhere else. “It was tough. It is tough. I felt useless for a long time but my teammates and family pulled me out of my slump before I let myself sink. It just took me a while to let them in.” At that, Tess feels hot all over, looking down at her feet and not at the blonde next to her. “I just wanna play,” Paige admits. “But it just feels like every time I get into a groove, there’s something that benches me. I don’t like letting my teammates down.”
“You’re not,” Tess states, surprising herself.
Paige looks up, meeting Tess’s eyes, lips curling into a solemn smile. “Aren’t I?”
The ding of the elevator saves Tess from having to answer. She frowns, but heads in the direction of her apartment. She hopes that Kamilla and Bree are out. Walking in with Paige Bueckers attached to her hip would be an uncomfortable conversation. Tess sticks her key in the door, opens it, and nearly drops her lanyard in surprise at the sight in front of her.
“Tess, what the fuck? I woke up this morning and you weren’t here. I thought –” Kamilla’s rant slows to a stop as Tess walks in, Paige in tow, who suddenly looks like she wants to be anywhere but Tess’s apartment.
“Good morning, Kamilla,” Tess says guiltily. “Say hi, Paige.”
The blonde waves. “What’s up, Kamilla?” Kamilla blinks at the two of them. “Uh, I can just wait outside.”
“Stay,” Tess says, her words coming out like a demand. Paige nods, shoving her hands in her pockets. “Um, I had a meeting with Amaya. I’ll tell you about it later, Kam, I promise, but I have PT in like, 45 minutes, so I really need to go.”
Kamilla doesn’t say anything as Tess hobbles to her room and exits with her crutches in tow. The two roommates stare at each other for a beat before Tess inches forward and wraps her arms around Kamilla, who freezes in shock before returning the hug. “I’m sorry I’ve been such a jerk,” she whispers. “I’ve been an asshole to you and Bree. You guys didn’t deserve that. Thank you for trying to take care of me when I didn’t want to take care of myself.”
“Hey, we’ll talk later,” Kamilla says softly. “We love you, okay?”
Tess’s eyes burn with unshed tears. “I love you, too.”
Kamilla releases her with one last lingering look, smiling softly before glancing at Paige. “Best behavior, Bueckers,” she says coyly, much to Paige’s amusement, who raises her hands in mock surrender. “See y’all later.”
Paige, as if sensing Tess’s inner turmoil, allows her to lead them to the on-campus Starbucks in silence. It’s not too far away from the athlete dorms. Tess and many of her teammates would frequent it over the years, seeking caffeine for study sessions, though she’s aware of how different the situation is now. When they walk in, Tess is thankful to find it relatively empty. The two baristas on duty hardly offer them a second glance. Paige settles a tentative hand over the small of her back. “What d’you want, ma? You can sit and I’ll get your coffee.”
Tess is less bothered by the nickname the second time around. “Vanilla sweet cream cold brew. Please?”
Paige nods. “Got you.” She walks up to the counter while Tess grabs a spot at a booth out of sight. Tess pulls out her phone as she waits, having it on Do Not Disturb for the better part of the morning. She feels guilt all over as her notifications are full of missed calls from Kamilla and Bree and countless text messages. She clears them out and sends another “i’m sorry” to their group chat, to which both Kamilla and Bree quickly respond with heart emojis. Tess texts her parents back, who’d been blowing her up with reasonable concern after her media escapades. She tells them she’s doing better but doesn’t wait around to see their response. Tess has countless other messages she needs to get around to, but settles for silencing her phone again, promising to get back to them later.
Paige returns to their booth with their coffees in hand. The blonde passes her a straw and Tess quietly thanks her. “How much was it? Let me pay you back.”
Paige scoffs. “Bro, get outta here with that. I told you I was buyin’ so you don’t get cranky.”
“I’m already cranky, Paige–”
“That’s just your personality.”
Tess cracks a smile, the first genuine one all morning. “I’m serious. Let me pay you back.”
“You can pay me back by workin’ with me on this,” Paige says. She takes a long sip from her coffee, humming at the flavor.
“I’m good now,” Tess grumbles. “Trust.”
Paige snorts. “Trust?”
Tess nods solemnly. “I was kind of a jerk earlier. I’m sorry for calling you a whore.”
Paige blinks. “We don’t gotta talk about that, Tess, really –”
“No, just hear me out, okay?” Tess says. “I’m sorry. That was wrong of me. Your business is your business. I shouldn’t have used that against you.”
“I shouldn’t have used your ACL against you, either,” Paige concedes, “when I said I wasn’t insufferable when I tore mine.”
Tess smiles weakly at her. “I kinda deserved that one, to be honest.”
“Well…” Paige trails off, grinning menacingly, and Tess rolls her eyes. “Hey, we’re cool now. We’d be even more cool if you’d answer my DM, but it’s whatever.”
“I ghosted a lot of people, you’re not special,” Tess gripes.
“I am,” Paige insists. “We’re ACL buddies now. ACL girlfriends if you wanna be real. Two knees, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona–”
Tess buries her head in her hands, unwilling to let Paige see the smile on her face. “We are not girlfriends. And what was that? Did you just compare our knees to Romeo and Juliet?”
“We’re star-crossed lovers, ma; you more than me since Caitlin crossed you up and snatched your ankles,” Paige jabs. At that, Tess can’t help the laugh that rips from her mouth.
“I actually hate you,” she says, but the words lack bite. She takes a sip from her coffee, too. “Okay. How do we want to do this?”
“Amaya wants it, like, obvious that it’s us, right?” Paige says. “You could post a picture of our coffees on your story. Don’t gotta show my face but you could keep my chain in the photo.”
Tess glances at Paige’s collarbones, where her necklaces rest delicately. There’s a chain with a silver cross on it and her signature #5 chain right next to it, albeit it’s a smaller, less loud version of the one she wears for hype videos. Tess knows the online fans are freaks with how they notice things – they’d instantly clock it. “You could post me at PT,” Tess offers. “Like holding my crutches or something.”
“Or something,” Paige agrees, eyes lighting up with mischief. “You trust me?”
Tess eyes her warily. “Not particularly, no,” she admits. “But it’s your story and your soft launch. It’s your call.”
“Bro,” Paige sighs. “We’ll work on it.” She adjusts their coffees then fiddles with the chains around her neck. “Look good?”
Tess tries not to focus too much on the way Paige’s collarbones protrude slightly, the fairness of her skin. “Mhm,” she says noncommittally, readying her phone. Paige reaches for her own phone, angling it just slightly so the edge of her purple case is in view. Satisfied, she takes the photo, flipping the screen to show Paige, who nods. She sits for a moment, pondering the caption, before typing out, ‘and a new day will bring about the dawn.’ She shows Paige again. “You like?”
“Frank?” she asks, smiling when Tess nods in confirmation. “It’s a little cheesy maybe. But it shows, like, you’re optimistic and shit. That you’re getting better.” Tess makes a noise of agreement, centering the text to her liking. Paige lays a hand on her wrist before she has the chance to post. “We should set some rules before we do this.”
Tess sighs. “Really, Paige?”
“Yes, really,” Paige retorts. “We’re lying to millions of people right now. Gotta make sure we got our shit straight or we’re fucked. When did we start talking?”
“You DMed me after my injury,” Tess offers hesitantly. “Offered support.”
“Lotta help I was with you spiraling for a month straight,” Paige grumbles.
Tess smirks wryly. “A little bit of truth in the lie goes a long way, right? You messaged me, I didn’t want to accept help, but you still tried – maybe you flew out to surprise me? You’re here now.”
Paige pauses, swirling the straw in her drink. “That works. We bonded over our ACLs, realized we had other shit in common. I pulled you out of the deep end–”
“And I got you to settle down.”
Paige raises a brow. “Oh, so that’s where we are now? You won’t even friendzone me but I’m settling?”
Tess rolls her eyes. “You’re literally on my last nerve.”
The blonde smiles smugly. “Alright. How open are we being with the media?”
Tess shrugs, chewing on her straw. “Maybe just be all coy and shit? We’re in different states so our options are limited. Repost couple-y stuff on TikTok, get active in each other’s comments, that kind of stuff. Maybe in month or so I can fly up to see you and we can hard-launch?”
Paige nods. “Works for me. Let me know when you’re thinking and I can pick you up from the airport or something.” They fall silent for a moment. “I feel like we’re media-trained enough that we don't need to overthink it. Just don’t invent an anniversary.”
“Agreed.” Tess stretches out her leg, rubbing her knee with a sigh. “You wanted rules?”
“Mhm,” Paige hums as she opens the notes app on her phone. At #1, she writes COMMUNICATE in uppercase, bold letters. Tess can’t disagree. “We have to make sure we do this right. If either of us gets uncomfortable, we need to talk about it and fix it or end it. I’m sure there’s community service or some shit to show we’re redeemed people. For public appearances, we gotta, you know…kiss and stuff to sell it.” Paige’s cheeks flush red as she says this. “Uh, we can talk about it later. If you want.”
“Yeah,” Tess agrees awkwardly. The thought of having to kiss Paige leaves a stirring feeling in her chest that she can’t quite place. At #2, Paige writes No seeing other people on the DL. “That’s pretty self-explanatory. You sure you can handle it?” she teases.
Paige rolls her eyes but she has the decency to look guilty. “Contrary to popular belief, I am not a womanizer, Tess Alessandra,” she sasses.
“I believe you, Paige Madison,” Tess retorts.
At #3, Paige writes Nobody can know. “My teammates have big mouths,” Paige states. “But also I feel like it adds to the story.”
Tess frowns. “Well, I kind of already promised to tell Kam and Bree. I owe it to them after being a shitty person for a month straight.” Paige stares at her for a beat before adding, Nobody can know, except Kamilla and Bree. Tess nods, satisfied. At #4, she writes, NO CATCHING FEELINGS. She blushes as she writes it and Tess raises a brow. “Is that a concern of yours?”
“No!” Paige says a little too quickly for Tess’s liking. “I can do casual,” she adds, voice lower. “Ion know about you. But you can’t fall in love with me. That would ruin all of this. We can’t let this get out of hand, you know?”
“Sure,” Tess agrees. “But you can’t fall in love with me, either.”
Paige’s jaw ticks. “You don’t have to worry about that.”
“Good.”
They fall into a brief silence. “You wanna add anything else?” Paige asks.
Tess shakes her head. “Shake on it?” Their hands meet in a crisp dap and Tess finally hits post on her story. She closes the app immediately, knowing that her notifications will explode. Paige finishes off the rest of her coffee, eyeing Tess curiously. The blonde has an unreadable look on her face – Tess isn’t quite sure what she’s thinking, and it rattles her. She glances at her phone, noting the time. “You ready?”
Paige nods, collecting their empty cups and tossing them in the trash. “Lead the way, ma.”
Tess settles into her crutches, feeling uncomfortable as they dig into her arms, but relieved as they take the pressure off her knee. Tess leads Paige back to the athletic facility, listening to the blonde’s rant about something Azzi said to her. She wonders how much of Paige’s brain is basketball stuff and how much is the random shit that apparently floats through there. Tess has only spent maybe an hour and a half one-on-one with Paige Bueckers, but she’s convinced the inside of her brain is a Where’s Waldo picture. Sure, they’ve chatted after games – okay, it’s probably more accurate to say they trash-talked after games, especially after South Carolina kicked their ass in the championship last year, though it was all in good fun – but getting to know her on a personal, less basketball-focused level is different.
They reach the physio’s office just in time for the start of Tess’s PT session. Craig, the trainer, greets her warmly, saying, “I’m glad to see your days of skipping PT are over, Tess.”
The South Carolinian guard rolls her eyes good-naturedly. “Don’t worry,” she says. “I have an enforcer now.”
“Present!” Paige chirps.
Craig begins with a preliminary check-up, asking a few questions that Tess is tempted to sugarcoat if not for Paige’s convincing glare. Admitting that she hasn’t done much outside of skipping her PT to Craig’s face makes her feel embarrassed all over. The overall lack of proper rest and elevation coupled with overuse is expected to tack on another two months at most to her recovery, Craig estimates, but the idea that she still has a chance does enough to quell some of her worries.
With the questioning out of the way, Craig leads her through a couple of stretches and exercises. Paige joins in, working on her knee, and it makes Tess feel less silly about herself. It’s a strange thing to say. People always advise you to do it scared when you’re worried about trying new things, but Tess has come to find that the issue isn’t being scared – it’s doing it alone that makes it so difficult. She’s slightly ashamed to admit how much easier this whole process has become with Paige sitting next to her, extending her knee and breathing through the pain.
When Craig steps out to grab something from the storage area, there’s sweat beading at Tess’s hairline from the exertion of working her knee productively. She lays an ice pack over it, breathing through the slight pain and regretting everything that’s led her to this moment right now. “I’m never guarding Caitlin Clark again,” she mutters, half-serious.
Paige breaks out into infectious laughter. Tess has to fight back a smile at the sound. “You gotta get your lick back,” she says.
“Trust, I’m working on it,” Tess says. “I’m gonna get better out of spite and break her ankles next season. Though she’ll probably drop a three on my head right after. That’s ball, baby.”
Paige reaches out, dapping her up and agreeing, “That’s ball.” Then, she pulls out her phone. “Soft launch time?”
Tess groans. “I know I said it was your call but please don’t do anything weird. I can’t handle it after this PT session.”
Paige rolls her eyes. “You gotta trust me, ma,” she chides. She readies the camera and reaches out for the ice pack, swatting away Tess’s hand. Her right knee bumps into Tess’s left thigh as she scoots ever so slightly closer, pressing the ice pack onto her knee. “Get your bracelet in there.” Tess does as Paige instructs, inching her hand closer in frame. Her bracelet is silver with a few notable charms, though the one that stands out the most is her jersey number, 25. “This okay?”
They look like a couple, Tess has to admit. Their proximity is one thing – you could say that’s just being friendly, but the fact that Paige is icing her knee feels weirdly intimate. “Yup,” she manages to get out. “All good.”
Paige takes the photo wordlessly, handing the ice pack over to Tess once she’s 100% satisfied with the way the photo has come out. She ponders the caption for a moment until she settles on the female doctor emoji and an ice cube. Tess snorts as she hits post and immediately silences her notifications. “You’re so creative.”
Paige rolls her eyes, but a smirk tugs at her lips regardless. “My bad. Next time I’ll use a cheesy ass Frank lyric.”
“You said it worked!” Tess exclaims, much to Paige’s amusement. She doesn’t get the chance to say more as Craig walks back in with the supplies he’d gone out to find. He wraps Tess’s knee and secures a huge ass brace around it. Given that she fucked up so much of her early recovery, he advises her to wrap her knee every morning and ice her knee on and off each day for about a week. Craig tells her to keep strenuous movement to a minimum and to use her crutches at all times – basically, everything her doctor told her to do in the first place. She nods along, promising to follow Craig’s instructions, but after a long day of PT and general emotional realizations, all she can think about is getting back to her room and taking a long nap.
Craig finally releases her from her session, reminding her to show up at the same time on Friday. Tess doesn’t fight him on it. He gives her one last gentle smile before she and Paige take their leave, walking back to Tess’s apartment in a comfortable silence. Paige scrolls on her phone before chuckling at something, nudging Tess, and showing her the screen. Her messages are full of questions from her teammates, with Nika Mühl’s sticking out like a sore thumb, reading, ‘I KNOW you didn’t seriously cancel on me and Lili this week to play doctor in SC!!!’ Tess can’t help but laugh out loud at that one. “The articles are crazy, bro, look,” Paige says, closing out of her iMessage and opening Instagram, where Overtime has shared pictures of both of their stories with the wide-eyed emoji. “‘Fans are speculating that Paige Bueckers flew out to meet up with South Carolinian shooting guard Tess Kennedy amidst controversy and Kennedy’s recent ACL injury,’” Paige reads.
“‘Amidst controversy’ is crazy work,” Tess huffs. “It wasn’t even that bad.”
Paige snorts, scrolling down. “We got detectives and shit,” she comments, showing Tess her screen. An Instagram account called ‘wcbbupdates’ has shared both of their stories again, having marked Paige’s chains and phone case and Tess’s bracelet in bright red circles. Paige narrows her eyes at a comment as she reads it aloud to Tess. “‘They are not slick, this is the hardest soft launch I’ve ever seen. I always knew Paige and Tess had sexual tension. Do you guys remember the regular season game in Paige’s freshman year where she was all up on Tess?’ Bro, what the fuck?”
Tess glances at Paige knowingly. “Something you want to share with the class?”
Paige scoffs. “I was not all over you,” she says. “We call that playing good D around here.”
Tess rolls her eyes. “You’re such a fucking liar,” she grumbles. “Just wait until I’m healthy again. I’m gonna cross you up so bad you have to retire from college ball or you have to take a super senior season just to fix your busted stats.”
The blonde smirks at her. “Oh, yeah?”
Tess doesn’t like the goading in her tone, nor the insinuation in her response. “You’re so –”
“Annoying?”
“So fucking annoying,” Tess confirms, much to Paige’s delight.
“I love when you say nice things to me,” Paige croons.
Tess rolls her eyes, not responding, which draws a quiet laugh from Paige as they continue walking. Once they make it back up to Tess’s apartment, Paige lingers behind Tess, as if she’s unsure what to say for once in her life. The South Carolinian guard turns on her heel, leaning against her crutches and watching Paige carefully.
“You’re here until Saturday?” Tess asks noncommittally, although she knows the answer. Paige nods. “You, uh, wanna come to PT on Friday, too?”
Paige shoves her hands in her pockets, giving Tess some sort of half smile. “Yeah. I can do that. Could get coffee or something.”
Tess studies her, lips quirking, but not giving anything away. “Or something,” she agrees. “Just text me. We can figure it out later.”
The blonde unlocks her phone and hands it over to Tess. She punches her number in and saves her contact. “Don’t ghost me this time?” Paige asks coyly, taking her phone back.
Tess snorts. “I’ll see what I can do,” she says gently. “See you later, Paige.”
Paige gives her one last fleeting smile. “Later, Tess. Be good for Kamilla.”
At that, Tess rolls her eyes, waving goodbye to Paige and finally inching inside her apartment. The door shuts with a click behind her. Tess sighs, leaning her head back against the wall, feeling the pressure of a migraine building behind her eyes. She doesn’t think Amaya is fully aware of what she’s asked both of them to do. Tess is struck with the realization that she’s in way over her head with Paige, with their silly little fake relationship, with her busted knee, and all of the mending she has to do over the next few weeks.
Tess takes a seat on the couch, propping her leg up on the coffee table in front of her. She turns the TV on and flips through various shows until she settles on her weekly rewatch of 2 Broke Girls. She makes it through the first episode before a knock at her apartment door forces her to get up. There’s nobody on the other side, but when she looks down, there’s a Chipotle bag and a drink on the ground. Confused, she picks it up. Her name is on it, but the cherry on top is the note attached to the receipt.
Realized I took you to PT on an empty stomach. Hopefully I got your order right. You seem like a chicken and veg kinda girl. Sour cream and guac’s on the side. Lemme know if you don’t like any of this and I’ll order something else so you don’t bite Kamilla’s head off. See you Friday!
Tess barely registers half of the note. All she knows is that she’s well and truly fucked.
#paige bueckers#paige bueckers x reader#paige bueckers x oc#paige bueckers fic#paige x reader#ncaa wbb#wbb x reader#uconn wbb#uconn
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── ୨୧ ! 𝗛𝗢𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗬 𝗗𝗥𝗔𝗠𝗔
𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒐 x reader
SUMMARY: Where Y/N is a hockey player of the Boston High-school hockey team, and during one of her games, her temper is tested by her opponent while her boyfriend, Matt, is watching.
WARNING: Physical fighting, blood, bruises.
REQUESTED?: Yes, by anon
AUTHOR'S NOTE: That is my work, I DON'T authorize any plagiarism, copy, or "inspiration"! | English isn't my first language, so I'm sorry if there's any grammar error.
༻✦༺ ༻✧༺ ༻✦༺
Y/N adjusted the straps of her helmet and took one last look around the locker room. The muffled noise of the crowd, which already filled the gym, pulsed through the walls. The tension in the air was palpable. This game wasn't just another game of the season; it was the decisive game that would define the regional champion. And for Y/N, there was an extra motivation: Matt. Her boyfriend was in the audience, and she wanted more than ever to impress him with her performance.
While sliding across the ice during warm-ups, Y/N observed the opposing team, known for its physical and aggressive play, looked more determined than ever. Among them, one player in particular stood out: Lilian. Tall, robust, and with a look that exuded competitiveness, Lilian had a reputation for being ruthless. Y/N knew she would have to pay attention to her throughout the game.
The opening whistle sounded, and the game began with frenetic intensity. Y/N moved with agility, looking for gaps in the opponent's defense. Every pass, every deflection, was meticulously calculated.
And it didn't take long for her to find an opportunity.
With a quick sprint, Y/N escaped to the right, receiving a precise pass from her teammate and, with an elegant movement of her stick, sent the puck directly into the corner of the net.
The electric sound of the puck hitting the net was followed by a roar from the crowd. Matt, who was sitting in the center bleachers, jumped to his feet, cheering and shouting her name, a huge smile taking over his face as his hands grabbed the front of his brothers' hoodies, shaking their upper bodies with euphoria.
Y/N's confidence was high, but the game was far from won. The opposing team increased the pressure, and Lilian, especially, seemed to have fixed Y/N as her main target.
In one of the most critical moves, Lilian came forward with force, bumping into Y/N with an intensity that bordered on brutality. Y/N managed to stay upright but felt the impact reverberate through her bones.
She returned Lilian's gaze with firm determination. She would not allow herself to be intimidated.
The minutes passed, and the game became increasingly fierce. Y/N was determined to score another goal. Her ears seemed to constantly search for the loud and firm comments of encouragement that escaped her boyfriend's lips, drawing strength from there. With a combination of speed and precision, she advanced towards the opponent's goal again.
But Lilian was there, and this time, she wasn't willing to allow Y/N to pass. In a split second, Lilian collided violently against Y/N, knocking her onto the ice. The impact was so strong that Y/N felt the air leave her lungs, her hands quickly letting go of the stick and gluing to her chest covered by heavy clothes, trying desperately to take a long breath.
The referee blew the whistle, signaling a penalty, but the damage was already done.
With anger boiling inside her, Y/N stood up with difficulty, breathing harshly. She felt humiliated and enraged. Without thinking twice, the girl skated towards the locker room, ignoring the screams of her teammates and her coach, who called for her, cutting through the silence that had settled in the gym after the incident.
The door closed behind her back, muffling the sound of the crowd and the frenzy of the game, echoing like a dull thud throughout the space. In the silence of the locker room, Y/N took a deep breath, trying to control the storm of emotions that was stirring inside her.
She sat down on the main bench, removing her helmet and running her hands through her sweat-damp hair. Anger burned through her veins, not just because of Lilian's aggression, but because of the frustration of feeling like she was letting down her team and, especially, Matt. He had come to watch her play, and all she wanted was to put on a spectacular show for him.
Tears began to form, but Y/N took another deep breath, refusing to let them fall. She wouldn't give in.
The girl closed her eyes tightly, trying to center herself, but as she did so, a stab of pain appeared above her eye. A wince scaped her lips as she touched the painful area, noticing something warm and wet on her fingers. Raising them to her eye level, she saw blood.
The anger, which was already intense, intensified even more. The girl felt her blood boiling as her hands shook with hatred. The sight of blood dripping from her eyebrow was the trigger that was needed for her uncontrolled fury.
Without thinking twice, Y/N put the helmet back on harshly, ignoring the pain. She wouldn't let Lilian get away with that. Y/N got out of the locker room with firm slides, determined to show that no one would take her down without consequences.
Back on the ice, Y/N felt a new surge of energy, this time fueled by anger and the need for revenge. Her eyes were fixed on Lilian, who didn't seem to expect her to return so soon. With impressive speed, Y/N skated directly towards her opponent, leaving her coach's questions behind.
When the distance between them closed, Y/N kept going, hitting her shoulder against the other girl with all the strength she had. The impact threw Lilian to the ground, who fell onto her back, surprised and in pain, a loud cry scream echoing afterward.
The referee blew his whistle frantically, but Y/N ignored his and Lilian's screams. Her focus was absolute.
She took the puck from one of the opposing players with surprising dexterity and began advancing towards the goal. Every movement was fierce, precise. She was in a state of flux, where nothing else mattered other than the next goal.
With impressive skill, Y/N scored one after another. The crowd was in a frenzy, and the energy in the gym was electric. Matt, in the bleachers, watched everything with wide eyes, his screams standing out among the crowd. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Y/N was playing like never before, in a way he himself had never witnessed.
With each goal, Y/N felt increasing satisfaction. She was showing everyone – her team, her opponents, the watchers, and especially Lilian – that she was really good. Blood was still running from her eyebrow, dripping onto her lips held by the mouth guard, the metallic taste flooding her tongue.
When the final whistle sounded, declaring her team's victory, Y/N felt a wave of relief flood her body. She dropped the stick on the ice floor and ripped off her helmet, taking her mouth guard off of her lips, finally breathing properly, her eyes darting around the gym as euphoria took over her body, adrenaline rushing through her veins like lightning.
It was at that moment that she saw Matt jump over the railing that separated the bleachers from the ice. The brunette ran towards her, slipping slightly on the ice, a consequence of his inappropriate sneakers, leaving behind the screams of his brothers who tried to dissuade him.
She felt her heart speed up even more, wetting her lips in anticipation.
When Matt finally reached Y/N, he quickly threw himself in front of her, raising his arms and cupping his girl's face with both hands firmly, his gaze filled with concern and love. His blue eyes scanned the cut on her eyebrow, trying to wipe away the blood on her skin with trembling fingers.
"Y/N, baby, are you okay? You're bleeding so much. Let me see this..."
Y/N, still breathing heavily, felt a wave of emotions wash over her. Before Matt could continue, she cut him off with a passionate kiss, wrapping her hands around his thick hoodie-covered waist and pulling him closer, the significant height that her skateboards provided her aiding her in her action.
It was a kiss full of intensity, relief, and love.
Matt sighed deeply, the hot air hitting the girl's cold face, causing the blush in the area to intensify, feeling enveloped by the passion and strength that emanated from her.
When they finally separated, Matt hugged her tightly, his body shaking slightly with the adrenaline that took his body along with his heart racing at a thousand miles per hour. His large hands hugged her head against his own right shoulder, his fingers stroking her tied hair gently.
"I'm so proud of you, Y/N. You were amazing. I've never seen anyone play like you played today. You were so strong, so brave..." Y/N smiled against his covered skin, feeling his hushed words warm her heart.
"It was all for you, babe. Every goal-"
"Y/N!" The coach shouted, approaching with quick, steady steps, his ice-appropriate sneakers keeping him upright. "What in God's name was that? This is a hockey game. What, are you trying out for the gymnastics team? If you do that again, you'll be out!"
Matt watched him with wide eyes, his lips pressed into a thin line in an attempt to hold back his laughter.
"Sorry, coach. I just did what I had to do." Y/N rolled her eyes, letting out a breathless laugh.
The coach shook his head, opening an almost imperceptible smile.
"You played with your heart today, kid. Just try to keep a little more control next time, okay? We don't want you to miss big opportunities."
"You got it, coach." Y/N nodded quickly, Matt's arms still holding her tightly, one arm grasping firmly around her waist, keeping her close.
"Now take her to the infirmary, boy." The coach approached, casting a glance toward Matt while patting her right shoulder.
"Yes, sir, I'll take care of her."
"You better."
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CHAPTER THREE ━━ Mia, The Menace
❀ ━ pairing: paige bueckers x oc (jo jacobson)
❀ ━ word count: 4.6K
❀ ━ warnings: none i think
❀ ━ links: my masterlist, nobody gets me masterlist
❀ ━ author’s note: sigh another filler i’m sorry guys next chapter is when things actually start happening ….. also will u guys pls lmk if y’all like this series so far bc i feel like i’ve been writing it so shitty i’m sorry 🫠
THE AIR in Jo’s family home feels warmer than she remembers, thick with the lazy ease of summer afternoons in Boston. She’s sprawled out on the couch in the living room, half in Asher’s lap, her back pressed against his chest. The TV hums in the background, some half-forgotten show playing on low volume, but neither of them is paying much attention to it. Instead, their focus is on Mia, Jo’s eight-year-old little sister, who’s commanding the room as she rehearses her dance routine.
The house feels bigger than it ever does when Jo’s parents are home, their absence leaving behind a peculiar stillness that’s only occasionally interrupted by Mia’s bursts of energy. Her parents are celebrating their anniversary weekend in Maine, indulging in some much-deserved quiet while leaving Jo in charge of their youngest child. Jo doesn’t mind; after all, it’s July—her off-month—and she’s back in Boston for a brief stint of home-cooked meals and family chaos before heading back to Storrs in August. Babysitting Mia, however, is proving to be a full-time job in itself—which Jo probably should’ve expected.
Mia’s energy is endless. Right now, she’s twirling and leaping across the living room, her movements surprisingly precise for a kid her age. She’s dressed in a sparkly leotard and pink tights, her hair tied in an elaborate bun she’d made Jo do before this—because, well, if Jo is good for anything, it’s doing hair. During summer sessions, half the team made her do their braids before practice—Paige especially, the blonde hopeless at doing her own—and Jo knows it’ll only get worse when the season starts up.
Jo tries to keep a watchful eye on her sister, but she can’t help but be distracted by her boyfriend. He’s absentmindedly tracing small circles across the middle of her thigh, and she can feel his heart beating against her back. When she glances up at him, she can’t help but grin at the softness of his smile as he claps along with Mia’s haphazard twirls, the way he leans into the couch—into Jo—like he belongs here. Which, he does. He always has.
“Joey!” Mia calls, her voice sharp and commanding for an eight-year-old. She pauses mid-spin to put her hands on her hips, her small frame vibrating with indignation. “You’re not watching!”
Jo blinks, pulling herself out of her thoughts. “I am watching,” she defends, though it’s not quite true. She sits up a little straighter against Asher, nudging him as if to say help me out here. “You’re doing great, Mia. Keep going.”
Mia narrows her eyes, clearly unconvinced. “Ugh,” she groans, glaring at her older sister. “Payton always gives me better advice. You just say, ‘good job.’ That’s not going to help if I want to be the best dancer in the entire world, Jo!”
Jo exchanges a look with Asher, who’s barely holding back a laugh. Payton, Jo and Mia’s older sister, is a professional dancer living in New York City—a career Mia idolizes. Unlike Jo, who’s spent her life on the basketball court, Payton is everything Mis wants to be: graceful, disciplined, and impossibly good at pirouettes. It’s a path Jo has no interest in, which is probably why Mia constantly reminds her she’s the least qualified coach in the family.
“Well, yeah,” Jo says with a shrug. “Payton’s a pro. She’s, like, me in basketball but with dance. I’m just here to cheer you on, don’t really know what to tell you’s right or wrong, Mimi.”
Mia just groans again, even more dramatic this time, launching into another leap across the floor. Asher leans closer to Jo, his lips brushing against her ear as he drops his voice to a whisper. “Tough crowd.”
Jo snorts softly. “You have no idea,” she murmurs back.
Mia finishes her routine with a fluoride, throwing one arm in the air as if she’s just landed a gold medal-winning move at the Olympics. Asher claps loudly, a grin inching across his face. “Amazing, Mee!” he says enthusiastically, though he’d say that even if her performance was outright awful. “You’re getting even better than Payton, I think.”
For once, Mia doesn’t respond with her usual sass. Typically, when it comes to Asher, Mia’s either teasingly threatening him or biting at him or calling him funny names—she’s a menace child if Jo’s ever met one. But instead, Mia actually smiles at the boy, her cheeks flushed pink from exertion. “Thanks,” she says cheerfully, and Jo stares at her in disbelief.
“Wow,” the point guard says, raising an eyebrow, impressed. “You smiled at him. And thanked him. I think that’s a first.”
“Progress,” Asher claims, smiling broadly down at Jo.
Mia, on the other hand, sticks her tongue out at her older sister before collapsing onto the rug, sighing dramatically. “I’m exhausted. Someone get me a glass of water.”
“Get one yourself,” Jo tells her, already pulling out her phone. She scrolls through her notifications lazily, her thumb pausing when Paige’s name lights up her screen.
PB 😱😱
Got a nike event in Boston tmrw morning
Soooo we’re hanging out after
No negotiations
Jo’s lips twitch into a smile.
Ma freshie 💘
obviously
what time?
Paige replies almost instantly.
PB 😱😱
Like noon?
Don’t bail jojo
Jo shakes her head, rolling her eyes to herself. Paige never fails to amuse.
Asher, whose chin is now pressed against Jo’s hair, his gaze on her text. He asks, “So, you and her are really tight now, huh?”
Jo shrugs, because, well, kinda, duh. “I mean, we do live together,” she says, as if that explains everything.
“Yeah, but she’s Bueckers,” he replies, saying her name like it means something. Which, even though Paige would say it doesn’t, it totally does. “That’s a huge deal. She’s, like, insane on the court. Seen all the highlights.”
Jo doesn’t respond immediately. Instead, she lets her mind wander to the past month and a half—the morning runs, the late-night shooting, the quiet moments in their shared apartment, the not-so-quiet playful bickering. Paige isn’t just her teammate or her roommate. She’s… something else entirely. Someone Jo can’t quite put into words—an enigma, maybe. “She’s just Paige,” Jo murmurs finally, her voice softer now.
Asher grins. “I’ve gotta meet her sometime. Best introduce me soon, Jo.”
“You’ll like her,” she replies, confidence threading her voice. She can already picture how Paige would probably charm the hell out of him without even trying—she does it to everyone, after all. “She’s… yeah, she’s cool.”
From the rug, Mia sits up suddenly, as if she’s finally hearing the conversation, her curiosity clearly piqued. “Who’s Paige?”
Jo blinks at her. “My roommate,” she responds simply. “You knew that.”
“And teammate,” Asher adds.
“She knew that, too.”
Mia crosses her arms, her tone all business now, ignoring Jo’s last comment. “Is she nice?”
“Yeah,” Jo answers easily. “She’s great. Super chill, really funny.”
“Is she good at basketball?” Mia fired back.
Jo grins. “One of the best.”
“Bet she’s better than you.”
Jo throws one of the throw pillows on the couch at her sister’s head. “Shut up, Mia.”
Mia just giggles, dodging the pillow with ease. Asher laughs, shaking his head as he watches the two sisters bicker, more than familiar with it.
For all her teasing, Jo can’t shake the warm, almost buzzing feeling in her chest. She’s excited to see Paige tomorrow. For reasons she can’t explain, she’s missed her a lot these past couple weeks they’ve been away from campus. It’s probably just because going from basically spending every waking minute with one another to none at all is a little odd.
Probably.
THE JULY sun beats down on Boston, and Paige feels it’s warmth seeping into her skin as she walks along the tree-lined streets near the Commons. The Nike event she attended this morning went off without a hitch, just a casual appearance with some photos and a couple clips filmed that they’ll probably put into an add. But now, she’s got the rest of the day free. The thought makes her grin as she thumbs out a quick text to Jo.
PB 😱😱
All done 😊😊
Where u at?
It takes Jo less than a minute for Jo to reply, sending a pin for a location that’s about a half mile away. Paige starts walking, but a follow-up text rings before she’s even crossed the street.
Ma freshie 💘
mia and i are by the ice cream shop
hurry pls, she’s losing her mind
The next message is a picture of Mia making a ridiculous face, her lips twisted and one eye squinting in mock disgust. Paige snorts out a laugh right there on the sidewalk, the noise starts ling a couple walking by. She doesn’t care, though. The kid already seems like a riot, and Paige is oddly excited to meet her.
The stories Jo’s told her about Mia over the past month and a half come rushing back: the eight-year-old’s uncanny ability to get under people’s skin, her endless energy, and her knack for saying the wildest things at the worst times. Paige has been looking forward to meeting her, though she’s still not sure if it’s because she’s genuinely curious about the so-called “demon child” or if she just wants to see Jo in full big-sister mode.
When Paige rounds the final corner, she spots them immediately. Jo is standing near a brightly colored ice cream shop, her arms crossed, her face pinched in annoyance as she talks to a smaller figure—Mia, presumably. Mia, on the other hand, looks completely unbothered, her tiny hands on her hips as she talks back with the kind of confidence that only a sassy little girl could muster.
Paige slows her steps, taking in the scene with a grin tugging at her lips. Jo’s wearing a simple outfit—ripped jean shorts that show off her long legs, a tightly-fitted white tube top, and a Red Sox cap pulled low over her face. It’s casual, but there’s something about the way she looks so effortlessly good in it that makes Paige pause for half a second longer than she should.
Her stomach dips unexpectedly, and Paige frowns to herself. Relax.
Still, as Paige approaches, she can’t help but notice the way Jo’s tan skin seems to glow under the sun, how smooth her legs look. Paige shakes her head, forcing her thoughts back on track. Because, seriously, the fuck is she even thinking about?
Clearing her throat, Paige makes her presence known. Jo turns, her annoyed expression instantly replaced by something brighter—her eyes lighting up, a wide grin spreading across her face.
“Hey, JoJo,” Paige greets teasingly, the nickname rolling off her tongue before she can stop it.
Jo’s grin falters for half a second, and she seats Paige’s arm lightly. “Quit calling me that.”
Paige smirks. “Nah.”
Before Jo can retort, Mia steps forward, her curious gaze fixed on Paige. The little girl is smaller than Paige expected, with a mop of dark curls and big brown eyes that seem to take in everything. Paige crouches down to her level, offering a hand.
“And you must be Mia,” she says warmly. “I’m Paige.”
Mia doesn’t take her hand right away. Instead, she gives Paige a long, exaggerated once-over, her gaze hard as she studies her. The blonde tries not to fidget, but it’s hard under the little girl’s piercing eyes. Jo wasn’t kidding; Mia’s got this quiet intensity that’s a little intimidating, even if she’s only eight-year-old and Paige is twenty.
Finally, Mia breaks into a grin and giggles as she takes Paige’s hand. “Hi,” she says, her voice lilting.
Paige relaxes, smiling back easily. “It’s nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard lots about you.”
Mia tilts her head. “From Jo?”
“Yeah,” Paige remixes with a grin. “She talks about you all the time.”
Mia beams at this, clearly pleased, while Jo mutters something under her breath that Paige doesn’t catch.
Paige chuckles a little as she stands. “Sooo, ice cream, right?” she asks.
Mia’s eyes light up and she grabs Paige’s hand like she’s known her her whole life rather than a minute or two. “Yes! Best ice cream in Boston!”
Jo snorts, falling into step beside them, shoulder brushing against Paige’s lightly. “She says that about every ice cream place we go to,” she mumbles, though there’s an undeniable softness in her tone.
“It is the best,” Mia insist, her voice full of conviction.
Paige grins. “Guess I’ll have to see for myself.”
The moment they step inside the ice cream shop, Paige is hit with a wave of sugary air and the sound of chatter. It’s buzzing in here, bigger and more crowded than she expected, almost every table occupied, with kids laughing, parents corralling them. The line snakes almost to the door, and Paige glances down at Mia, who’s still clutching her hand tightly.
“Looks like this place is the best,” Paige observes, smiling down at the little girl. Mia beams back up at her, her cheeks flushed with excitement.
“Told you!” she chirps, voice triumphant.
Paige can’t help but laugh softly. She glances over at Jo, who’s scanning the menu above the counter. The sunlight streaming through the shop window catches on the stray wisps of Jo’s hair that escape from under her Red Sox cap. Paige tries not to let her eyes linger too long on the curve of Jo’s jawline or the way her tube top leaves the expanse of her collarbones and neck exposed.
Jesus Christ, she doesn’t know what’s wrong with herself today.
The line moves slowly, but Paige doesn’t mind. Mia fills the time with a steady stream of chatter, never letting go of the blonde. She tells her about her favorite ice cream flavor (superman), her least favorite vegetables (brussel sprouts), and their family dogs (a dachshund named Dory and a golden retriever named Murph).
Paige listens attentively, nodding and laughing at all the right moments. She’s used to this—her own siblings are just as chatty, and she’s always been good at humoring them. There’s something comforting about Mia’s unfiltered enthusiasm; it reminds Paige of home in a way that makes her chest ache just a little.
As they inch closer to the counter, the line passes by a display of candy shelves, and that’s when it happens. Mia freezes mid-sentence, her eyes locking into something with the kind of laser focus that only a kid ready for a sugar high can muster.
“Oh my gosh,” Mia breaths, pointing to a massive rainbow-swirled lollipop almost as big as her head. She finally removes her hand from Paige’s to start tugging at Jo, begging, “Joey, please, please, can I get it? Please?”
Paige blinks a little at the nickname. Joey. She’s never heard anyone call Jo that before—she thought the only one she had was the one she hates that the whole team’s started using for her (JoJo). But Paige thinks Joey’s cute. In fact, she files it away in the back of her mind.
“No. Definitely not,” Jo says immediately, shaking her head down at Mia.
Mia’s face scrunches up in exaggerated disbelief. “What? Why?”
Paige glances between them, finally seeing what Jo meant about Mia being a demon child. The girl’s dramatic flair is something else entirely.
Jo sighs heavily. “Because the last time we were here, Mom bought you one, and you threw it up on the way home. It was gross, Mia.”
“It wasn’t that bad,” Mia whines, still eyeing the lollipop like it’s the holy grail.
“It was that bad,” Jo counters.
“But it tasted sooo good,” Mia insists, dragging out the words as she tugs at Jo’s arm again.
Jo raises an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. “Did it taste good when it came back up?”
Mia stops short, her small face scrunching up in thought. The gears are clearly turning in her head as she considers this. And just as suddenly as the argument started, Mia lets out a resigned sigh and steps away from the candy display.
“Fine,” she mumbles, sounding defeated.
Jo smiles to herself, clearly pleased, and Paige has to bite back a laugh at the entire sibling interaction.
“Nice save,” she says under her breath, leaning slightly toward Jo as they start moving forward in line again.
Jo glances at her, their faces closer than usual, though she doesn’t seem to notice. Her smile just widens as she responds, “You learn a few tricks when you’ve been stuck around her for eight years.”
Paige chuckles softly, watching Mia bound up to the counter like she’s on a mission, finally their turn to order. The little girl presses her hands against the glass case, scanning the vibrant tubs of ice cream with a dramatic level of intensity.
“I want Superman!” Mia declares, her voice brimming with excitement as she points at the swirled red, yellow, and blue ice cream.
“Please,” Jo adds, giving the employee a small, apologetic smile as she nudges Mia’s arm, giving her that older sister look that Paige can tell means—use your manners. The worker scoops a generous amount of the ice cream into a cup and hands it over the counter. Mia accepts it like it’s a trophy, her eyes and grin wide as ever.
“Can I just have a scoop of cotton candy, please?” Jo asks, her turn now, her voice casual like she’s not about to commit a culinary crime.
Paige can’t help but scrunch up her nose at the brunette’s order. Nasty. She doesn’t say anything—yet—but she stores the information away for later mockery. The worker hands Jo her cone, a garishly bright pink and blue swirl that makes Paige wince just looking at it.
When it’s Paige’s turn, she doesn’t even hesitate, ordering mint chip—her absolute favorite.
They pay quickly, before stepping outside into the warm air, each armed with their chosen flavor. Mia’s already half-covered in Superman ice cream and Jo has her head tilted slightly to avoid dripping the cotton candy monstrosity in her hand.
Paige glances at Jo’s cone and makes a face. “Cotton candy is crazy work,” she tells her, incredulous.
Jo raises an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. “What’s wrong with cotton candy?”
“Everything,” Paige answers, gesturing at the cone like it’s personally offended her. “It’s basically sugar-flavored-sugar. It doesn’t even taste like real cotton candy. It’s just—” She shudders dramatically.
Jo narrows her eyes at Paige’s cone in retaliation. “Says the person eating frozen toothpaste.”
Paige gasps, her hand flying to her chest in mock indignation. “Excuse me, mint chip is a classic. It’s refreshing. It’s balanced. It’s—”
“Minty,” Jo interrupts, wrinkling her nose. “Which is gross.”
“It’s not gross! You’re gross,” Paige fires back, grinning despite herself.
Mia, who’s been watching the exchange with wide eyes, suddenly pipes up. “Okay, I’ll decide!” she declares. She scoops up some of her Superman ice cream for good measure before pointing her tiny spoon at Jo’s cone. “Joey, let me try yours first.”
Jo bends down slightly to hold out her cone, and Mia takes a small bite. She lets it melt in her mouth, her face scrunching up like she’s debating a complex equation. Finally, she nods. “It’s okay,” she says, though she doesn’t look thrilled.
Jo looks affronted. “Just okay?”
Mia shrugs nonchalantly before turning to Paige. “Now yours!”
Paige kneels slightly to hold out her cone. Mia eyes it suspiciously. “Why is it green?” she asks, sounding almost fearful.
“Don’t worry ‘bout the color,” Paige tells her, waving off the question. “It’s good. Trust.”
Mia hesitates for a second longer before scooping up a tiny bite. She puts it in her mouth, and her face goes still. For a moment, Paige wonders if she’s about to spit it out, but then Mia’s eyes light up.
“This. Is. So. Good!” the eight-year-old squeals, practically bouncing in place.
Paige grins, holding out her hand for a high five. “Told you. Welcome to the winning team.”
Mia smacks her hand enthusiastically, ice cream forgotten for a moment. Jo, however, is standing off to the side, arms crossed and pouting like a kid who just lost her favorite game. Paige glances at her and immediately starts laughing.
“Oh, don’t be mad,” she teases, nudging Jo’s arm.
“She’s supposed to be on my side!” Jo grumbles, glaring halfheartedly at Mia. “I’m your sister!”
Mia sticks her tongue out at her, clearly unbothered. “You’re just mad because you have bad taste.”
Paige nearly chokes on her ice cream, laughing so hard she has to steady herself against a bench they’re stood next to. “Dang, Mia!”
Jo shakes her head, though the corner of her mouth twitches upward in a reluctant smile. “You’re lucky you’re cute, you little menace,” she mumbles, ruffling Mia’s hair.
Mia slaps her hand away from her head, beginning to bicker with Jo. Paige watches, quiet now as she bites into her cone. She finds herself unable to look away, a strange warmth blooming in her chest.
See, whatever that is, has to go. She doesn’t like it, doesn’t know what it is, doesn’t understand it in the slightest.
It just—has to go.
THE LIVING ROOM feels cozy in a way that Paige hasn’t experienced in a long time. It’s not her home, not her couch, not her family, but something about it wraps around her, soft and warm. The overhead light is off, leaving the room bathed in the dim glow of the TV. Colors flicker against the walls, shapes shifting across the furniture. Paige doesn’t know what movie is playing—something animated, she thinks—but it’s barely background noise at this point.
Jo sits a few feet away, her back against the armrest of the couch, one leg stretched out, the other bent slightly. Mia’s curled up fast asleep in her lap, her little head tucked under Jo’s arm, one of Jo’s hands running lazily through the little girl’s hair. The motion is slow and deliberate, like second nature, and it’s strangely captivating. Paige finds herself staring, watching the way Jo’s fingers disappear into soft brown curls, touch gentle.
Paige hadn’t planned to stay this long. After Mia had declared mint chip her new favorite ice cream and told Paige she could officially call her Mimi—a nickname that only her absolute favorite people can use—they’d hung out all day, walking around the Commons, then shopping, then getting dinner. After that, they were meant to depart, Jo and Mia going home, and Paige going back to her hotel. But then Mia had looked up at her with those big, pleading eyes, practically begging Paige to come back and watch a movie with them. And Paige is terrible at saying no to kids.
So, she came home with them, to their house which sits right on the outline of the city. The house isn’t massive, but it’s nice—nice enough for Paige to have faintly wondered how much money Jo’s parents make. But it’s still welcoming and cozy, and Paige feels comfortable here. She also likes that she’s got to see all the photos around—the ones of Jo when she was little, some more recent ones that Paige can guess are apart of her senior photos, and a couple of her with her sisters.
The only one that she didn’t enjoy seeing was that one. A nicely framed picture of Jo and her boyfriend sitting on the shelf directly to Paige’s right. They look happy in it. Too happy, in Paige’s opinion, though she doesn’t know why it bothers her so much. Maybe she’s got some sort of jealousy deep down in the part of her heart where her commitment issues aren’t veined around, an envy toward a stable relationship like that. But either way, there’s no reason for her to care. And yet, she doesn’t like it.
Paige shakes the thought away, focusing instead on the conversation. She and Jo have been talking quietly since Mia fell asleep, their voices hushed but easy. It reminds Paige of late nights back at their shared apartment on campus, how they’ll end up in the kitchen at the same time and somehow talk for hours without meaning to. Paige likes those moments more than she’ll ever admit, and this feels no different.
Their conversation drifts, flowing naturally, until Jo starts talking about her sisters. “I admire them, you know,” she says softly, her hand still moving through Mia’s hair. “Payton, especially. She’s… well, she’s incredible. Mia thinks she walks on water, and honestly, sometimes I do, too.”
Paige tilts her head, curious. Jo’s voice has a different quality now—still soft, but there’s something else underneath it. Not sadness exactly, but something close. “What about you?” Paige asks. “You’re incredible, too. And Mia clearly adores you.”
Jo smiles, but—for once—it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “Yeah, but it’s different. Payton’s a dancer—like, a real dancer. She’s in New York City, with the ballet there. And that’s what Mia loves. That’s what they both love. And, y’know, they connect over it. It’s dance; it’s their thing.”
Paige frowns, the words sinking in. Jo rarely talks like this. She’s always so happy, so upbeat, so wrapped in sunshine that Paige sometimes forgets there might be anything else underneath. “You don’t feel connected to them?” she asks, her voice a little quieter now.
Jo hesitates, her hand pausing in Mia’s hair for just a second before continuing. “Not really,” she admits. ���I mean, I love them, obviously. But… it’s hard sometimes. I’ve always been the odd one out, you know? The one who plays basketball while they dance. Sometimes it just feels like we’re on completely different planets.”
Paige doesn’t know what to say at first. She’s surprised—stupidly so, maybe, because she’s never considered Jo might feel this way. But, if she thinks about it, it makes sense.
“I get that,” the blonde finally says, soft but steady. “I mean, I’m so much older than my siblings that it’s hard to connect with them sometimes, too. But… for what it’s worth, I think you’re amazing. And I know Mia does too—whether she says it or not.”
Jo looks over at her then, and for a moment, Paige thinks she might forget how to breathe. There’s something in Jo’s eyes, something raw and unguarded, and it makes Paige’s chest feel tight. “Thanks,” Jo says quietly, barely a whisper.
The moment feels too heavy, too close, and Paige decides to lighten the mood. “So,” she says, changing the subject, her small smile curling into more of a smirk. “Mia calls you Joey?”
Jo’s smile returns, softer this time but more genuine. “Yeah. My whole family does. It’s a much better nickname than that JoJo Siwa shit y’all have come up with.”
Paige laughs, shaking her head. “Don’t shit on the JoJo nickname. It’s iconic.”
Jo raises an eyebrow, her smile turning teasing. “Iconically bad,” she corrects.
“Okay, fine,” Paige says, pretending to think. “But I like Joey more, too. It’s cute. Maybe I’ll start calling you that instead.”
Jo shrugs, but her smile widens just a little. “Anything’s better than JoJo.”
Paige grins, leaning back into the couch, though—for whatever reason—her heart starts thumping a little faster. She doesn’t know why she feels the way she does around Jo sometimes—why moments like this stick with her longer than they probably should. But for now, she doesn’t let herself think about it too much. Instead, she lets herself enjoy the quiet, the warmth of the room, and the easy rhythm of their conversation.
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