#Evelyn I'm not coming home tonight

[wrightingdungeon]

Dear Diary

Evelyn and George, I love them so much.

ANGST! GET YOUR ANGST HERE!

POV Evelyn’s Diary - shes 19/20 RN - WILL HAVE TIME SKIPS - None of this is cannon beside pop pop blowing up - BTW George still blows himself up oop - Imagine getting snips of her Diary not the whole book - Im not sorry for how I end this - fight me

I did make a kinda sequel right here featuring Alex a lot more angst over here "The Past Reborn"

"Happy ends"

Today is Spring, 8, 1965.

While working in the clinic today, a miner came in, but he wasn't like the other miners. He almost dropped his cap taking it off while trying to introduce himself. His name is George, and he came in for an injury on his hand. The rope he was holding had slipped from his grip, causing a severe rope burn across his palm.

He apologized for tracking coal dust into the clinic, which no miner has ever apologized for before. I don't think their mothers explained how hard it is to get coal dust out of the bed sheets, but it's my job, so I shouldn't complain much. I just hope George will be okay. I told him he should inform his foreman that it's doctor's orders he not work until his hand heals completely.

Today is Spring, 12, 1965

The doctor was out of town today, having a call outside of town. The clinic ran as usual, although I had to tell some people to return tomorrow to see the doctor. Despite a few cases, today was a good day. Mr. George came back, and his hand has healed phenomenally. It still has a bit more healing to do, but it doesn't look like it will leave a bad scar.

I must admit, when I was holding his hand and inspecting his burn, I couldn't help but feel light-headed. George is not a bad-looking man, and his smile is so kind, His miner's cap always tosses his brown hair, and his eyes always have a twinkle in them. I’m afraid I’m a horrid nurse, feeling these things for someone in my care.

Today is Spring, 20, 1965.

George came by the clinic today. His hand looked better, but that wasn't the reason he came. He brought me a bundle of tulips, thanking me for all the care I had given him. I'm looking at them in my window right now, and I can't help but smile. He is such a kind man. I can't quite figure out how he knew what flowers I fancy, but does that matter? They are so beautiful.

I am sad, though, because George's hand has healed fully, and now he has no reason to come to the clinic. I should be happy—he's healed, and I did my job—but my heart aches knowing I won't see his smile or his twinkling eyes again. Like I said, I must be a horrid nurse.

Today is Summer, 4, 1965

I saw George again today. I was at the market shopping for dinner when I reached for a leek, and my hand touched his. His laughter is much more boisterous than his voice, which was a pleasant surprise. It's nice discovering things about him—he is like a book I don't want to put down.

He offered to cook me dinner as a proper thank you for helping him. I should have said no, but I said yes. Now, I'm sitting here, terrified to go to his home. I've never had anyone other than my mother cook for me. My heart is fluttering.

Today is Summer, 13, 1965

I have heard the number thirteen is unlucky, but I believe it to be lucky. This evening, I heard a knock at my door. It was George, dressed nicely with his hair neatly fixed. He handed me flowers and asked me out to a gridball game.

What do I wear? I want to impress George. I haven't been on a date before.

The date went so well! George's team won, and he was so happy. We got sorbet afterward to celebrate, and George took my hand in his as we walked. I really do believe the number thirteen is lucky.

Today is Summer, 28, 1965

It has been two weeks of me and George going steady, and it feels like a dream. When George finishes his shift in the mines, he comes to the clinic and walks me home. He is such a gentleman, nothing like the other miners I have met. Tonight was just magical. As George walked me to the door, I could tell something was off. His hands sweat when he is nervous, and I swear they were dripping.

He looked at me, his face as red as a beet, and asked if he could kiss me. His lips are soft and warm. It's embarrassing to admit, but his mouth does taste like cigarettes. Oh, I think I am in love, and I don't know what to do.

Today is Winter, 20, 1965

I can't believe it… George asked me out again today. He took me to the cliff to watch the sunset. He was sweating again and refused to look at me. When I asked him what was wrong, he just caged up further. I thought he was breaking up with me, but then he grabbed me as I got up to leave. His words fumbled over each other, and he almost fell over as he rushed to his knee.

George proposed to me. He told me I was the most beautiful woman he had ever met and that he couldn't stop thinking about me since he burned his hand with that rope. I'm so excited—I'm going to be George's wife soon. I just wish Mother was still with me so she could see this.

Today is Fall, 14, 1970

I can't sleep. George had an accident today at the mines. It was terrible; they had to rush him to the city. The doctor sent me home, saying I was a wreck. I can't stop crying, picturing him covered in blood and bruises on the operating table. Someone said he dropped dynamite.

Please, Yoba, don't take my George. After losing my parents, he's all I have. I can't bear to be alone again. He's my everything—the love of my life. The house feels empty without him. Every corner holds memories of him, and I can't imagine life without him.

Yoba, you've always answered my prayers. Please, I was so alone after Mother and Father passed, please don't take him from me as well.

Today is Spring, 2, 1971

They finally allowed George to come home from the hospital, albeit in a wheelchair. But that doesn't matter to me. What matters is that he's home and on the mend. It's a new chapter for both of us, one filled with challenges and uncertainties. Sometimes, George can be a bit rude, but I can see the fear in his eyes.

I made a promise to stand by him no matter what: for better or worse, in sickness and in health, till death do us part. And I intend to keep that promise. I'll be there for George, caring for him and cherishing our time together, no matter what lies ahead.

Today is Winter, 2, 1976

This is a happy day! Me and George weren't sure I could become pregnant, but I am! We are so excited to see our child. George has been working in the nursery non-stop, making sure he can care for our baby, not allowing that wheelchair to stop him.

I have decided on two names: Clara for a daughter and Coy for a son. I don't care what we have; I know they will be perfect.

Today is Summer, 10, 1977

Clara is perfect. With George's rich brown hair and my green eyes, she's a sight to behold. Despite her small stature, her eyes hold the same glimmer of curiosity as her father's. I know she will cause all kinds of trouble as she grows up just like her father.

As I watch George cradle her with such gentleness, his protective gaze never leaving her, and the tears of love that well up in his eyes as he whispers soothing words to her, I'm reminded once again of how blessed I am to have him by my side. In moments like these, it's crystal clear that I've married the most wonderful man.

Today is Summer, 13, 2000

I knew the number thirteen was lucky. Today, our grandson Alex was born. As I held him in my arms, I couldn't help but notice how much he resembled his mother, right down to the tiny button nose that mirrored hers when she was born. George was worried about Clara, complaining that everyone was here to see just Alex and not his baby girl. He has always been such a good father; he will be the best grandfather as well.

Looking at my family as it has grown, I’ve gone from an empty home after my parents passed, to a husband, a daughter, and now a son-in-law and a beautiful grandson. I love my family dearly and can't wait for the years ahead of us.

Fall, 16, 2004 This page is heavily tear stained

We took Alex for the day taking him to the fair as Clara wanted him to experience it. I can't believe we got lucky enough to have Alex… George's scream echoes in my mind… Did he scream with that pain when he was blown up?

We thought the phone call was Clara telling us that they would be late picking up Alex. The phone call shattered our hopes—it was the Zuzu Highway Patrol delivering the tragic news. Clara and her husband are gone… Victims of a drunk driver on the wrong side of the road. They didn't survive.

But we have Alex…. We have to tell our four-year-old grandson he can't go home anymore… He can't see his Mother or Father ever again

Yoba, why didn't you shield them?

[maeleelee]

Chapter four

Twilight Memories

Hey my pretties. Hope you like this next chapter. We're adding the vampires. They will have their own series coming soon.

TW: flirting, the baseball scene from twilight, dad's highly drunk in this, dad is a big asshole, name calling (whore), "running" away, vampires, werewolves, glaring, growling. Protectiveness by both Chan and Chip. If I have missed any, please please let me know.

Hongjoong smirked as he looked up at the sky and then back at the batters box. "Here we go." He hummed, listening to the thunder start up. Yunho nodded at the batters box and pointed the bat at Hongjoong before putting it put to his shoulder.

Hongjoong threw up his leg and threw the ball at Yunho. Yunho swung, hitting the ball out towards the forest and smirked as he started running, the thunder roaring to life when the ball connected to the bat.

San smirked, jumping and running at the ball, getting to the forest in seconds, but Yunho didn't stop. Just kept running. San threw it to Wooyoung, who threw it into Yeosang. Yunho slid at the plate, as Yeosang touched the boys leg. "OUT!" Chip shout, smiling as she did, hearing a cheer from the field.

"That's my girl." Wooyoung shouted from in-field, making her rolling her eyes.

"I call paid caller." Mingi shouted from the side of the field, making Chip flip him off. Yunho laughed and shook his head at the two. "Hey. Be nice to my boyfriend."

Chip smiled and looked at him. "And yet I still get kisses." She winked, watching Wooyoung make a face in the field.

"PDA." Wooyoung called out, making Seonghwa laugh at the boy.

"No kisses for you tonight." Chip called out to Wooyoung.

"I'll take them!" Kalina giggled, skipping to the base, looking at Hongjoong. "Let's go Sir." She told him, getting the bat ready.

Hongjoong took a deep breath at the name and went back into pitchers mode. He threw the ball, Kalina hitting it hard, right as the thunder went off, making it echo. She ran off, moving fast. San was running after it, as was Wooyoung. They hit each other, making the ball off behind them. Kalina laughed as she hit the home plate.

Chip picked up Kalina and spun her around, making the girl giggle and squeal. "Oppa! Oppa! I did it!" She giggled as Chip put her down and she skipped over to Seonghwa who smiled brightly.

Seonghwa kissed her cheek. "You did it!" He chuckled, holding her as she wrapped her legs around him. "Now, lets head out before the rain starts." He told everyone as he headed to the car, Hongjoong was putting things away in.

Wooyoung walked over to Chip and picked her up, running them to their car, San following close behind them.

Once they all made it back to their place, they all went to the living room. "So Wooyoung and I will be gone for a few days. I'm going to go see my sister. I haven't talked to her in a minute. She kinda disappeared so I'm starting to get worried."

"You do what you need to do baby." Seonghwa smiled as he sat on the couch with Kalina in his lap. Hongjoong next to him. San was pacing the room in very slow manner. Yunho was at the dinner table in the wide open floor plan, Mingi next to him. Yeosang and Jongho were laying on the floor, staring up at the ceiling.

"I'll make sure to keep you all updated." Chip smiled. "Thank you. I'd like that." Seonghwa said.

Chip pulled into the house she once, a long time ago, called home. She went to the door and knocked. When she saw her dad, Marcus, she stuck up her nose from the smell. "Fucking hell dude, you buy the liquor store down the road." She said as she push her way into the house. "Where's Evelyn?" She asked her father, who stumbled into the living room and onto the couch. "Hello?" She questioned again.

"Don't know. Don't really care." Marcus stated, making Chip growl. "Listen, Charlie, I don't know where the whore ran off too, but she was with the omega from the huge pack." He waved his hand at her. "Now leave. I don't want you here. Martha will be home soon."

Chip growled and pulled Wooyoung out the door with her and back into the car. She drove over to the pack house and pulled into the front of it.

The wolf standing at the gate growled. "I'm looking for Evelyn." She glared.

The wolf raised an eyebrow and smirked. "And you are?"

"Her older sister." Chip growled at him. "Is she here or not?" She grumbled to the wolf. "Yeah. She's here." He smiled. "However, are you a human drinking or animal?" he questioned Wooyoung.

Wooyoung tilted his head. "Human's mostly, Chip here and there." He smirked, winking at her.

"Good. This way." He nodded towards the camp site where a bunch of boys sat around it. She followed, her eyes landing on Evelyn, who was with another omega, giggling.

"Evelyn." Chip called out. Evelyn looked up at the name and her eyes grew wide and she stood up, running over to her, tripping over her own feet before getting to her sister.

"Oh Chip." Evelyn cried as she wrapped her arms around Chip's neck. "I missed you." She mumbled into the older girls neck.

One of the other wolves stepped up making Wooyoung hiss. "No." Chip growled at Wooyoung. "We're on their land." She told him, setting Evelyn down, only for her to wrap her arms around Chip's waist. Wooyoung backed down, stepping closer to his girlfriend.

"Evelyn, what's going on?" Chan asked, taking a small step closer.

Chip took a step back, growling some. "Linnie. Tell me who they are."

Evelyn looked up at her sister and smiled. "They saved me from dad." She told her. "Jisung saw me at school and we became instant friends. He brought me by the car shop and I met Alpha Chan and Alpha Minho." She pointed the each Alpha. Chip sniffed Evelyn sneakily and hummed when she didn't smell Chan on her yet.

"So what happened with dad?" Chip questioned as turned the younger girls face and growled. "Oh, I'm going to kill him." She mumbled.

"I am happy here. I got a new phone and Sungie got me a bunch of stuff for my room and Lixie helped me set up my room." Evelyn smiled. "Chan's my mate." She whispered. "But he won't say anything." She pouted up at her.

Chip chuckled and nodded towards Wooyoung, "That's my mate." She smiled. "That's Wooyoung. He's a vampire." She winked. "Wooyoung, this is my little sister, Evelyn."

Evelyn smiled and hugged him. "Welcome to the family."

Chan growled softly, watching Evelyn move away after a second. "Are you staying?" Evelyn asked her sister.

"Maybe for the night." Chip smiled.

"Yes! Stay and then hang out with me tomorrow. We haven't seen each other in forever." Evelyn stated, Chip knowing she was right.

"Alright, alright. We'll stay." Chip laughed and watched Evelyn jump.

"You can stay in my room!" Evelyn smiled, looking at Jisung and Felix. who nodded.

Everyone got settled for the night and they were all around the campfire, the snow slowly falling, hot chocolate in the hands of a few of them. Evelyn sat by Jisung, Chip on the other side of her, who had Wooyoung's arm around her waist, a blanket around them.

Minho and Chan stood together, talking. Jisung was talking to Felix and Seungmin across the fire, making the two girls giggle. Two other people joined, Evelyn smiling and waving at them. "That's Alpha Changbin and Beta Hyunjin but he trains." She told her sister. "And that," she pointed to Jeongin, "is Innie." She smiled.

Chan looked at Minho and tilted his head. "Why do you think she never said anything?"

Minho shrugged. "I mean, she was beaten and I'm sure she wasn't allowed to say much." He told the older boy. "But she's opening up and that's good."

Evelyn smiled and looked at them. "Chip, how did you two meet?"

Chip smiled and looked at Wooyoung. "Well we met at a coffee shop, running into each other. We talked for a little bit. He got my number. Texted me to go to the fair with him. We got funnel cake and he won me a stuffed animal and we kissed and yeah." She blushed.

Wooyoung smiled. "I still thank Yeosang everyday for demanding coffee that day." He hummed.

"Did he know about you being a wolf?" Jeongin asked.

"We both knew we just didn't say anything until later into everything. Just kinda didn't care in a way." Wooyoung stated with a smile.

Evelyn smiled brightly, happy that her sister was happy.

"Is your name really chip?" Seungmin asked her.

"Don't-"

"It's okay." Chip whispered to Wooyoung. "We don't like my real name." She told them.

Evelyn yawned and smiled. "Bed time." Minho smiled, watching Jisung and Felix both starting to fall asleep. Minho grabbed Jisung and Changbin grabbed Felix. "I got her." Chan whispered to Chip.

masterlist

taglist: @estella-novella @mxnsxngie @imagine-a-life-like-this @cadenonlinelive @acrylishly @hobasimp89 @babyboyquokka @juskz @kitkat1sstuff @boo-ven9eance

[gaiahypothesims]

392

Jake- So what do you think? I was thinking that maybe the second bedroom I could make into a space for Verity, if you ever wanted to stay over.

Evelyn- I wouldn't do that, I don't want to take up all your space. She takes up enough space as it is at home. You have no idea how much room baby stuff takes up, and now the toys... so many toys. Its like the toys are breeding.

Jake- It wouldn't be a problem.

Evelyn- <smiles> What about all your gym equipment?

Jake- <shrugs> I was going to make space for that in the car port. I want you guys to be comfortable here.

Evelyn- I like the house, if it makes you happy then you should get it.

Jake- Does it make you happy?

Evelyn- Of course it does. I know you've wanted this for a long time, and like you said the market isn't exactly overflowing with options.

Jake- I just want to make sure that you like it. So that I you both can come over here, instead of me always having to stay at your place. I know the condo isn't great for kids.

Evelyn- For sure, its really nice. But don't let my opinion sway you! I want you to be somewhere that YOU like. Not worry about what I think.

Jake- Right..

Evelyn- Speaking of places, do you want to come over tonight? Ashley is apparently going out and about, I don't think its a date or anything but... he shouldn't be home for the night from what I could understand from his long rambling tale of 'connections' and 'networking'.

Jake- Yeah, sure, do you want me to bring something to eat?

Evelyn- That would be great, but nothing crazy. I have to pick Verity up right after I'm done in the office. So food would be good... I still don't get the fireplace. What was he thinking?

Jake- ..I uh.. I don't know.

[celandeline]

Summer of Like // Farleigh Start x OC (17)

I am so incredibly glad that Elspeth put my seat next to Venetia, otherwise I would be completely lost at this dinner. The people I know are vastly outnumbered by the people I don’t, and I feel for Felix, who looks so bored stranded between two men (who I can assume are both named Henry). 

“And what’s your name?” The man to my right is already red in the face, and we’re only on the second course of the meal. 

“Evelyn.” I say, shifting slightly in my seat to face him. 

“Henry.” He says, extending his hand to shake. His palms are sweaty, and I try not to cringe at the way he leaves a film on my hand. 

“I figured.” I say, wiping my palm on the skirt of my dress. 

He laughs, even though I didn’t really mean it to be all that funny - but drunk people make the best crowd. “I’ve not seen you about before.” He says. “Or maybe I have -” He chuckles. “Parties here do tend to get rather crowded.”

“This is my first time.” I say. “Venetia brought me home for the summer.”

His eyebrows quirk up. “How are you liking it?”

“It’s great.” I say, turning to my plate to spoon a bite of dinner into my mouth. “The house is beautiful.”

“Oh, yes.” He says. “I remember the first time I saw this house - of course, I was very young, then - but I still remember that grandeur feeling. And the people - James’s mother and father were such lovely people.”

“I’m sure.” I say, trading my spoon for my wine glass. It’s white wine tonight, and it goes down easier than the red. 

He stops himself to drain his own wineglass. “Really such lovely people, the Cattons.”

“Mm.” My eyes drift along the table until they reach the end, where Elspeth and Farleigh are sat around a corner. Even though Elspeth is talking to him, Farleigh’s eyes are on me as he takes a long draught from his glass. He tilts his head as he sets his cup down, and smirks. 

“Truly, it’s a sort of fantasy, being here…”

Mostly prattling to himself at this point, I turn away from Henry and back towards Venetia. Her back is to me though, talking to Oliver. 

“No thanks.” Venetia says, sighing. “It’s just so disappointing. You're just another one of his toys.”

“You're upset.” Oliver doesn’t sound sympathetic at all.

“No! Don't worry! I'm used to it, honestly.” She says it so flippantly my heart breaks a little.  “He never liked sharing his toys. Even the ones he doesn’t want to play with anymore.” She turns away from him, to face me with a sad sort of smile. 

“Venetia…” Oliver hisses. “Venetia…”

She pays him no mind. “Hi Evie.”

I smile. “Hi baby.”

She drops her voice, and picks up her wineglass. “He’s such a bore, my god.” She flicks her hair over her shoulder towards Oliver. “As soon as Felix says no, that’s it. Done.” She glances across the table. “Felix hasn’t spoken to me since yesterday morning.”

“He’ll come around.” I say. “You’re his sister.”

“I know.” She sighs. “Still - there goes my summer entertainment.”

I roll my eyes. I don’t believe for a second that she’s going to stop batting her eyelashes at him. She’ll take a break, sure, but she couldn’t even come up with a word to describe the way he gave her head - she’s going to at least try again. 

“What about you?” She says. “What about last night?”

“What about last night?” I say. 

“Farleigh was on your bed.”

“To gossip.” I say. 

“To gossip,” She mocks, rolling her eyes. “Without me? Alone, in your room, when you’d just gotten out of the shower? Gossip.” 

“Yes, gossip.” I say. “You know about his weird hate-boner for Oliver.”

“I know about his boner-boner for you.” Venetia says. Her eyes skip away from mine, past me, to where Farleigh is sitting. 

“We almost kissed.” I say, hushed. “I think. I don’t know.”

She bites her lip as she grins. “Go on.” Sure, Oliver might be too scared to keep their summer romance going, but that doesn’t mean she can’t doubly invest herself in mine to keep herself entertained. 

“We almost kissed that night on the roof, too, I think.” I say. “I don’t know, he’s not… most guys would just do it, you know? He keeps just waiting.” 

“And you haven’t kissed him because?” She asks.

“I’m kind of enjoying the tension.” I admit, a little sheepishly. 

“Me too.” She says, grinning. “It’s like my own soap opera happening in my house, starring people that I already know and love. I’m so glad that I brought you home, Evie, really.”

“So glad that I could make your summer more interesting.” I say, truthfully. 

“You’ll have to tell me if he’s a good kisser, when you do end up snogging.” She says. “I’ve always wanted to know who’s the best kisser out of the three of us - everyone says Felix is quite bad, and I think I’m alright, but I don’t know anyone that’s kissed Farleigh to check.”

“If we end up snogging.” I say, mocking her accent. 

“Oh, shove off, New Yawk.” She grins. “And if you don’t at least kiss him, I’ll be furious.”

“Well, if you’ll be furious.” I say, taking another draught of my wine. 

“Please,” She snorts. “I know you want to.”

“But-”

“And I already know what you’re going to say, ‘what if we kiss and then it’s boring’ - it’s Farleigh. You can say many things about Farleigh, but you can’t say he’s boring.” She gives me a pointed look. 

I grin. “You know me so well.”

She smiles back at me. “I do, don’t I?”

I glance back to the end of the table where Farleigh sits. He’s leaned over towards Elspeth, saying something that I can’t make out, but like he can sense my gaze shifting, his eyes meet mine, and he smiles. I return his grin, and take another sip of wine, licking the excess off my lips. 

&lt; previous part | next part >

[pbforeva]

part 6!!

just a warning, this speed will not last forever unfortunately 😔

—

Evelyn's pov:

It's about 5 p.m. and I need to start getting ready to go over to Paige's dorm, there's only one problem. I need to grab my things from Blake and I's apartment. I say a quick prayer before I open the door, hoping he won't be home, but of course, he is home. I see his head lift from his spot on the couch when I step in the door.

"Evelyn? Is that you?" He mumbles while his eyes focus on me. It's funny, those are almost the exact words he said to me yesterday.

"Yes," I say to keep it short, but he runs up to me and I can tell he is a little mad.

However, when he speaks his voice is soft, "Ev, I'm so sorry, I was just so mad, and I don't know what I was thinking." he pauses before he starts again, "Do you think you could forgive me? I mean I only did it because you made me so angry."

I guess he is right, I bet he wouldn't have done that if I hadn't made him mad. "Yeah, of course I can forgive you Blake," I say as I watch him smile a bit, "But I think I need a little bit of space for a day or two if that's ok." I add, hoping not to make him too angry.

I watch his eyes flare up in anger before he calmly says, "Yes, that could be good for both of us, just don't be gone for too long." I was not expecting that response, but at least he agrees, I guess.

"Ok, I'll probably just stay with Aurora for a night or two, but i'm gonna go grab a few things." I reply, and he nods then turns back to the couch.

I go into our room and grab a few makeup products and a few outfits for the coming days, but I don't know what to wear out tonight. I don't have many 'going out' clothes because Blake and I never go out. I bet Aurora will give me an outfit to wear even if I bring something.

I finish packing up before walking back out to the living room, where I stop in front of Blake. "Well, I'll see you in a few days Blake, I love you." I say to him.

"I love you too, please be safe Ev," He says before pulling me into a hug. His hugs have always been really tight, sometimes I feel like he does it because he knows it will hurt, but he would never do something like that, right?

I shake the feeling and hug him back, ignoring the striking pain in my ribs. We pull apart and I leave, a part of me wishing I hadn't left.

I arrive at Auroras dorm after an agonizing walk thinking about Blake. She ushers me in and asks what I brought to wear tonight.

"Sooo, what did you bring to wear tonight?" She asks in a curious tone.

"Well, I don't think you would've approved of anything from my closet, so I thought I could wear one of your outfits." I say as I set my stuff down.

"You're probably right," she shrugs and heads to her closet.

"Oh, also could I stay here for a few day, I mean of course it's ok if not, but Blake and I just-" I ramble before she interrupts me by saying. "Of course you can Ev, stay as long as you need."

I let out a sigh of release before Aurora goes back to her closet to look for outfits. I head to the bathroom, where I straighten my hair and apply a light coat of concealer. I finish my mascara and put on lip gloss before heading back out to see outfit Aurora picked out for me.

I look at the bed, where the outfit is laid out. I see a pair of black jeans with a cream long sleeved crop top. Well, I can't wear the top. I walk over to her closet, as she's in the bathroom now, and I take out a white, short sleeved, t-shirt. The shirt is short enough to be considered a 'going out top', but not short enough to show the bruises that line my stomach.

I quickly change and check to see if Aurora is ready to go over to their dorm, because it's 7:50 now. She comes out of the bathroom and notices the change in my top, but thankfully she doesn't say anything about it, and we grab our bag to head over to Paige's dorm.

Paiges pov:

Okay, I'm actually freaking out a bit now. It's 7:30 and I just finished getting ready, I have my hair in its natural curls, and I'm wearing a pink crop top, green cargos, and an opened white button up. We're suppose to be going to a party tonight, but honestly I don't even know where it's at.

"AZZI," I shout, I wanna know where we're going, but it's too much work to yell all of that.

She walks in the room and says "What?" while looking around.

"Where is the party tonight?" I ask.

"Oh my gosh, you could've asked me that without making me come in here." She says while rolling her eyes, but she continues, "Umm, I think it's at Alpha Chi, though."

"That's not too far then." I say while deciding to put on a coat of mascara.

I can't stand waiting here. It's 7:50 and Azzi left me a while ago, and everyone else is still getting ready. I groan for like the fourth time until Aubrey comes in my room.

"PAIGE, GUESS WHAT!" She screams at me.

"WHAT," I say back, matching her enthusiasm.

"You can stop groaning now because your 'friend' is here," she replies while giggling a bit.

"Hey! she is my friend!" I retort before I realize what she meant by 'friend'.

"HEY!" I yell while looking for Aubrey, but I just hear her giggling outside of my room.

Whatever, at least I won't be bored anymore. I stop to look in the mirror on my way out of my room, making sure my makeup wasn't messed up. I walk into the living room and I see Evelyn, she looks perfect.

"Hey," I hear Evelyn say to me.

"Hey, are you guys ready," I say, trying to tear my gaze from Evelyn.

"Yeah, but I don't think KK is yet," I hear Aurora say from beside Evelyn.

I clear my throat before saying "Well you guys can come sit on the couch, cause you never know how long we'll be waiting for KK," I say while laughing, managing to look away from Evelyn.

Evelyn sits beside me on the couch and we all talk about random things, except Evelyn. She is just sitting there, listening to everyone else's conversations. I can't help but try to sneak glances at her as often as I can, and eventually, KK comes out, saying she's ready.

—

party next chapter 😜 and i have it like planned a bit

[lostfirefly]

I will dry your eyes, I will fight your fight, I will hold you tight and I won't let go

This story came to my mind on the anniversary of the death of my loved one. English is not my native language, errors may occur. As always, feel free to share your thoughts :)

Masterlist is here

Description: Catherine has a dream where she introduces Buggy to her parents (who are long dead)

Warnings: Sadness.

Words: 6.837

Buggy x OC from my “You’ve Got the Same Dream as Me” series.

The title is taken from "I won't let go" by Rascal Flatts.

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"I’m so happy you will meet him!" Catherine clenched her hands and squealed.

"I haven't seen you smile so much in a long time. Buggy must be a great guy." 

"He's the best, mom!" Catherine kissed the short, dark-haired woman on the cheek. 

"You talk so much about him." Evelyn stroked Catherine’s hair. "But you didn't show any photos." 

"He is not a big fan of having his photo taken. What…?" Catherine sniffed. "What are you baking? It smells so good!" She leaned over and tried to peer through the oven door. 

"Pecan pie. We're having a special guest tonight." Evelyn leaned down next to her daughter and smiled. "Help me cut the sandwiches, Cathie. Dad will be home from work soon." 

"Yeah, sure!" Catherine kissed her mom again and started cutting peanut butter sandwiches. "I'm so glad you invited him. It means a lot to me."

"I want to get to know my daughter's boyfriend, who made her so happy." Evelyn smiled. 

"Plus, I've been staying at his place more often. I want you to get to know him and not worry about me." Catherine stuck her fingers into the peanut butter jar. "Jules won't come. She has a work shift. But we agreed to meet her tomorrow after work." 

"Where did you meet with Buggy, remind me?" Evelyn was putting the plates on the table.

"Me and Buggy? We met at a bar when I was out with friends. Larnie and I were waiting for our company. Buggy was sitting near the bar counter, sipping a beer. I smiled at him first and said hi. He was so surprised." Catherine giggled. "We started talking. Then I went over for drinks a couple more times. We started talking again. Then when all my friends left, I stayed sitting at the bar. Buggy came up to me. We started talking again and laughed a lot. And then he asked me out on a date. He was so shy. And then he asked me out on another date. And on another date. And then..." 

"And then you realized you were in love?" Evelyn walked over to the table and patted Catherine on the head. 

"Not just in love, mom." Catherine smiled. "He blew my mind. Buggy's amazing. He makes me smile. He makes me laugh. He's kind. Caring. You know, this morning he made me a cup of coffee, and sandwiches, and then escorted me to work."

"Did you have a good time yesterday?" 

"Yeah. We watched stupid shows, ate pizza and laughed a lot. And then went to bed and talked a lot. I just wanted to support Buggy before dinner tonight. He's actually a little shy about today." 

"Who's a little shy?" asked a short, overweight man walking into the kitchen. 

"Daddy!!!" Catherine smiled widely and ran up to her father. "Hi!! I'm so glad you came on time." She kissed him on the cheek. 

"How could I be late on a day like this? My daughter is bringing me to meet her crush." ​​He hugged her tightly. 

"Yes, Dylan. You see, someone stole your daughter's heart from you." Evelyn laughed. 

"Oh my god, did someone knock me off my pedestal?" Dylan theatrically clutched his heart ruffled Catherine's hair. "It was bound to happen sometime, I guess. Oh, by the way. This is for you, Cathie." He handed her a pyramid figurine. "I was passing by a souvenir shop and saw this. We'll definitely go to Egypt together, see the pyramids and read old inscriptions. We'll feel like real archaeologists!"

"Wow! Thanks, dad!" Catherine twirled the figurine in her hands. "It's amazing!" 

"And," Dylan walked up to Evelyn and handed her a bouquet of lilacs. "This's for you, my lovely wife."

"Oh, my love! Thank you!" Evelyn kissed Dylan on his cheek. "So beautiful." She sniffed her flowers.

"And I bought beer for your boyfriend, Cathie." Dylan pointed at the table.

"Oh!" Catherine looked at the large package. "His favorite!" 

"You mentioned this brand once, I saw it and bought it." Dylan shrugged. "By the way, Evelyn! Should we call the police? There's a weird guy walking around outside our house. He's got a red nose, and he's holding flowers." 

"It's not a weird guy, dad! It's Buggy! I'm going to go meet him!" Catherine gave her parents another peck on the cheek and ran out of the kitchen squealing.

"Buggy. This is the most frequently spoken name in our house over the past few months." Dylan laughed, sitting down at the table. 

"By the way, Dylan, promise me you won't pester Catherine's boyfriend with questions."  Evelyn said a little sternly. 

"Okay. I won’t. But can I do this?" He crossed his arms and made a stern face.

"What's this?" Evelyn imitated husband’s facial expression and pose. 

"This's my "an angry dad" face. I just give Buggy a silent warning that if he breaks Cathie’s heart like Flynnie, I'll dig him out of the ground and teach him a lesson. My heart aches every time I think about what that bastard did to her. I thought we had lost our giggling daughter forever." 

"Oh, my love." Evelyn smiled, setting a cup of coffee down on the table. "Don’t worry. Our daughter is a smart girl. She wouldn't get involved with some jerk. Flynnie was a mistake. Every girl should have her own mistake. Besides, we talked about Buggy in the evenings with her. I think he's a normal guy." 

"Yes, Cathie told me a lot about her boyfriend too." Dylan sipped his coffee. "We went to lunch with her recently and she kept talking and talking about him. And yesterday she came to me at work with sandwiches and chatted incessantly about today. And then she kissed me on the cheek and ran off on a date with her boyfriend." He exhaled.

"Oh, come on!" Evelyn kissed husband’s head. "I talked a lot about you with my parents, too."

Catherine ran out onto the porch and saw Buggy pacing around the path. "My little bear!!" She ran to greet him, throwing her arms above her head. "Hi!" Smack. "Hi!" Smack. "Hi! Hi! Hi!" Smack. Smack. Smack. "Wow! You look so handsome today!" She looked Buggy up and down. 

He was standing in front of her in a black jeans, a black t-shirt, and a black jacket. His hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail, and he was holding a huge bouquet of purple roses. 

"These flowers are so beautiful!" Catherine examined the flowers.

"For you." Buggy handed her a bouquet. "Shit! No!" He jerked his hand back. "For your mom. Shit, I forgot to buy you flowers. I should buy you flowers, right? I can run and buy flowers right now." Buggy was getting redder by the second. 

"You're so cute when you’re nervous." Catherine smiled. 

"I’m not nervous. I’m not. No, no, no. Flowers." 

"Yes, you’re." She hugged Buggy. "You've already said the words "buy" and "flowers" several times." Catherine giggled, stroking his back. "Don't worry, please! Better take me out to eat my favorite cake later!" Catherine took Buggy's hand. "Are you ready?" 

"Na-ah!" Buggy shook his head. 

"Don't be nervous. I promise I'll always be here for you!"

Catherine dragged Buggy into the house, and as soon as they entered the living room, the first thing that caught Buggy's eye was the large number of photographs on the shelves and walls. Each frame told a story, a frozen moment in time capturing smiles, laughter, and love shared with family and friends. Buggy couldn't help but feel the warmth emanating from those images, a testament to the life lived within these walls. Soft pillows adorned the sofa and chairs, inviting anyone who entered to sink into their embrace. The overall atmosphere of the room wrapped around Buggy like a favorite blanket, promising comfort and relaxation after a long day.

From the kitchen came the mouthwatering smell of pecan pie, the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee, and the savory scents of sandwiches and fried potatoes wafting through the air. It was a delightful symphony of aromas that danced together, awakening every sense and drawing Buggy deeper into the heart of the home. The inviting sounds of sizzling and clattering from the kitchen blended with soft laughter and conversation, creating a harmonious backdrop that made Buggy feel instantly at ease. This place was not just a house; it was a sanctuary filled with warmth, love, and the promise of shared moments over delicious meals.

"Mom! Dad!" Catherine said loudly. "We're here." She took Buggy's hand and held him to the kitchen. 

"Hi!" Catherine smiled widely. "Mom, dad! This's my Buggy!"

Evelyn and Dylan were silent for a second when they saw a tall man with a big red nose and clown’s makeup on his face.

"Oh, hi, Buggy! Welcome to our home!" Evelyn said, punching her husband in the shoulder. "Say something! " She said quietly.

"Oh, yeah! Welcome." Dylan extended his hand to Buggy. "My name is Dylan. And that wonderful woman is Evelyn." 

"Dylan, I think the man your daughter has been dating for months knows our names." Evelyn smiled, taking a pie out of the oven.

Buggy took Dylan’s hand and shook it.

"Say your name ." Catherine whispered.

"What? " Buggy asked in response. 

"That’s manners. Say you name. " 

"Right! Buggy." He said as confidently as he could while continuing to shake Catherine's father's hand. 

"Why are you standing there? Come in and sit down." Evelyn invited them with her hand. 

Catherine tugged on Buggy's hand and sat down next to him at the table. 

"Flowers, Buggy. " She whispered. 

"What? " 

"Give mom the bouquet. " 

"Oh, yes, Miss.. Mrs. Evelyn. These flowers are for you." Buggy held out the bouquet with a shaking hand. 

"Thank you, Buggy!" Evelyn took the bouquet and sniffed it. "So beautiful." She put them in the vase. "So, mister the Clown, Catherine told us that you are a street performer."

"Not just a performer, mom!" Catherine said with excitement in her voice. "Buggy has a small troupe. It's like a little street circus. But I’m sure one day this little circus will be the biggest and the most successful circus in the world!" 

"I hope so. A couple of days ago, a new person joined the troupe." Buggy tried to sound confident. 

"Sounds amazing." Evelyn said, cutting off a piece of pie. "Where do you usually perform?" 

"In different places of the city, Miss.. Mrs. Evelyn. But since recently, often in the central square." Buggy said uncertainly. 

"Yes, there was a wonderful show yesterday. Fire, acrobats, jugglers." Catherine put potatoes on her plate and Buggy's.

"And we were in the center square yesterday."  Evelyn said, placing a plate of pie in front of Buggy "The show must have ended by then. We'll be glad to see it."

"Oh, there's another show in two days. Let's go to see it together! I’ll show you everything." Catherine said happily. 

"I would love to!" Dylan ate a piece of cake. "Yummy!" 

"You know," Catherine ate potatoes, "Yummy! My favorite part of the show is when I'm standing in the front row of the crowd, listening to everyone clapping and talking about the whole troupe and the captain of course, and then I run and hug this blue-haired guy, while girls from the crowd dream about him." Catherine kissed Buggy on his cheek. 

"And who are your parents, Buggy?" Dylan asked, eating a potato, and watching as Buggy blushed with every second after Catherine's kiss.

"Well." Buggy scratched his head. "Dad has his own little wood shop. You know.. Souvenirs, cutting boards and stuff like that. And mom's a housewife. Sometimes she helps my father in the shop."

"Wow! Little wood shop?" Dylan pulled two bottles of beer out of the box and pushed one towards himself and one towards Buggy. "It's kinda cool." 

"Shit! I forgot to wash my hands. Where can I wash my hands? " Buggy asked Catherine quietly.

"What? "

"You always nag at me for not washing my hands when I come home. Your parents are here after all. " Buggy nodded gently towards Catherine's parents. "Where's the bathroom?"

"I'll show you! Come on! " Catherine took his hand and dragged him out of the room. "We’ll be back!" 

"Well, he seems nice. Just not very talkative." Dylan took a sip of beer.

"Oh, come on! He's just nervous." Evelyn poured wine into her glass.

"He's got an interesting face." Dylan clinked the bottle against Evelyn's glass. "Nose, blue hair, make up. What do you think?" 

"If our daughter isn't embarrassed," Evelyn stroked husband’s shoulder, "Why should it embarrass us?" 

"That's right!" Dylan pulled a notebook out of his pocket. 

"Oh, no!" Evelyn rolled her eyes. "Not your notebook with the ducks! Put it away!" 

"But why? I want to write something down about Buggy and check it later." 

"You're not gonna check anything about our daughter's boyfriend! Give me the notebook!" Evelyn took the small book from her husband's hands and put it in the drawer. "We know everything we should know. He’s 26. He's a street performer, his parents run a store. He's a normal guy! Catherine told us all this, why are you asking him these questions again? If our daughter wants, she will tell us more. Cathie trusts us, you know that perfectly." 

"Are you okay?" Catherine asked, handing over a towel to Buggy.

"I don't know. I think yes." He answered, sitting on the edge of the bath. "I think your parents were a little shocked."

"Don't say that." Catherine wrapped her arms around his neck. "My parents aren't the type to judge people by their appearance. Dad may seem strict, but he's not. He's just worried about me after that incident with Flynnie." 

"But I would never do that to you." Buggy hugged her. 

"I know, my blue-haired love." Catherine kissed him on the cheek. "You're doing great, and I'm so proud of you. If you're ready, let's go back to the kitchen. And then I want to show you my room. Who knows.. Maybe I’ll let you kiss me there."

"Oh! You're such a naughty girl, Catherine Mitchell!" Buggy said mockingly. "You will let me kiss you in your room? Let's not wait, we can do this terrible thing here!" He tried to kiss her.

"What are you doing?! No!" She gently pushed his head away. "We are in the house where my parents are now. I will not kiss you here." 

"But five minutes ago, you suggested doing this in your bedroom!" 

"You're such a fool." Catherine pecked him on his nose. "Okay, let's go!" She took Buggy's hand.

"Wait!" He squeezed her hand.

"What?" Catherine said quietly.

"Will you.. Will you stay with me today? I mean, in my place." 

"Sure, if you really want to." Catherine kissed Buggy on his nose. "But if you don't mind, I'll spend the evening with my parents tomorrow, okay? I want to spend time with my mom and dad, I don't want them to think that I forgot about them."

"Deal." 

"Love you so, so much, my Buggy Bear. Okay, let's go back to my parents." 

Catherine pulled Buggy down the stairs and held his hand tightly as she walked into the kitchen with a big smile.

"We're back!"

"Great! We missed you. We got wine and beer, potatoes, steaks, salads, sandwiches." Evelyn watched out of the corner of her eye as Catherine began to stroke Buggy's hand with her finger and smiled. "Don't stand there. Cathie said you like hot dogs, Buggy. So I made you some." She set a big plate of delicious hot dogs on the table. "I hope you like them."

"Thank you!" Buggy looked shocked.

"Tell us more about yourself." Evelyn said, sipping her wine. "Have you studied somewhere? I mean circus art."

"Well," Buggy scratched his head. "I went to circus school for a couple of semesters, but I got bored and the idea of ​​starting my own street troupe just came to me. I teamed up with a couple of friends from my year, and we started putting on shows. And then more people joined us."

"I always told Buggy that his charisma attracts people." Catherine smiled. "You can't walk past him and not be charmed by his charm. One day you'll get a dancing lion, and you'll reach a whole new level." Catherine stroked Buggy’s palm. "Oh! Pour me some white wine, please."

Catherine put a couple of hot dogs on Buggy’s plate. " Please don't be shy. I'm right here. " She whispered in his ear.

Buggy poured her a glass of wine and took a bite of the hot dog. "Fuck! This is delicious, Mr. Evelyn!"

"Thank you! Call me Evelyn, without Miss or Mrs, please." She smiled. "It would be very interesting to watch your performance. And maybe later you will invite us to the opening show at the circus."

"It may be stupid, but yes. Opening my own circus is my dream, Mrs.. Sorry.. Evelyn." Buggy said and took a sip of his beer.

"Actually," Dylan said, eating a hot dog. "It's great to have a dream. And it's great that you go for it. Dreams are illusory until the dreamers take the helm. I promised Cathie that we would go to Egypt one day."

"Yes, she told me a lot about your conversations and this trip. It sounds cool, actually." 

Catherine felt a warm glow of happiness in her heart as she watched Buggy interact with her parents. Despite his shy demeanor, he was a good boy at heart, and his genuine kindness shone through every time he awkwardly responded to their enthusiastic questions. As they sat around the dinner table, the atmosphere was filled with laughter and lighthearted chatter. Catherine’s parents, excited to get to know Buggy, asked him about everything from his favorite movies to his hobbies. His bashful smiles and hesitant replies only made their curiosity grow, and soon enough, the room was alive with joyous exchanges.

The highlight of the evening came when Catherine’s father began to recount some of his classic, silly stories about her childhood. Each tale was laced with laughter, and Catherine couldn’t help but feel a mixture of amusement and embarrassment as she listened. The stories made her laugh heartily, but they also caused her cheeks to flush with warmth. Seeing Buggy chuckle at her dad’s antics made her heart swell with affection for both him and her parents. In that moment, surrounded by love and laughter, Catherine felt a strong connection forming, not just between herself and Buggy, but among the entire family, solidifying a bond that she hoped would grow stronger with each passing day.

"Oh! I want to show Buggy our albums. We'll go to the living room, you come too." Catherine took the glasses from the table. "Buggy! Take the wine, please."

Buggy nodded, took the bottle and Catherine dragged him into the living room.

"Buggy seems like a nice guy." Evelyn said, taking beer out of the fridge.

"Yeah. He’s a bit modest. Cathie described him as quite different." Dylan crossed his arms. 

"I think he is just a little bit nervous. You bombarded him with questions and looked at him very sternly." 

"I didn't look at him sternly. I just wanted to tell him that I won't let my daughter be hurt."

"You're such a protective dad." Evelyn hugged Dylan from behind. "Do you remember that night when Cathie came running to us and told us that Buggy had confessed his love to her?" 

"Yes. It was after his performance, right?" Dylan took Evelyn’s hand. 

"Yes, she said that when they packed their things, she hugged him, and he told her that he loved her."

"Cathie was so happy that night. She was squealing and clenching her fists. Yeah." Dylan exhaled. "We see her less and less every month."

"Oh, come on." Evelyn kissed her husband on his cheek. "She spends time with us. Just a little less."

"And she sometimes disappears."

"She stays with him." Evelyn stroked husband’s back. "You know that he has his own small apartment." 

"You see. God knows what they do there." 

"She's 24, Dylan. You know exactly what they do there. Let me show you something." Evelyn dragged Dylan to the doorway. "Look." She pointed at Catherine and Buggy. "See how Buggy is looking at Cathie right now? And did you notice how he kept a close eye on her every time she got up to bring something to the table? He reminded me of you when you came to meet my parents. Just as young and just as nervous. And look at your daughter, Dylan. Have you heard her laugh so loudly and cheerfully in a long time?"

"No." Dylan said quietly. "She’s happy." 

"I know you have a special bond with her." Evelyn started stroking husband’s back. "But even if Cathie moves in with Buggy, she'll still come visit us. Loguetown isn't a big town, and Cathie isn't one to forget about her family. Give them some time. It's normal. They are young, in love. Their relationship is still very new. They want to spend more time together."

"You're right. It's just... I didn't think about it. I mean, if things continue like this, Buggy really will invite Cathie to move in with him. They will live together. What if something happens to them, what will they do?"

"We also started living together when we were young." Evelyn place her chin on Dylan’s shoulder. "There were difficulties, but we managed. And they will have difficulties. They will quarrel and make up. Maybe sometimes they will not have enough money for something until his circus starts to bring in income. But if they really love each other, they will cope with it. Are you worried about something?"

"Yes. No. I don't know. It's just hard to think about my little Cathie leaving this house." Dylan stared at Catherine, who was smiling widely, showing Buggy pictures and occasionally stroking his head.

"You're just jealous that your second daughter is being taken away from you." Evelyn said giggling. "But you've gotten over Jules having someone. Catherine and Buggy will be fine. I'm sure that in 10 years, when our daughter is 34 and even more beautiful, she and Buggy will come visit us. For Thanksgiving or Christmas. And the house will be filled with her laughter again. I see us baking gingerbread cookies with her, and you and Buggy sitting in the living room, sipping beer and watching the sports channel. You, by the way, will have more gray hair and wrinkles. And then we'll come over with treats and mulled wine, and Cathie will tell us about the most successful circus in the world. And maybe she will have a beautiful ring on her ring finger."

"And what if we're gone in 10 years?"

"We'll still keep an eye on her. She'll be fine, I promise. I'm sure Buggy will take care of her."

"Mom, dad!! Come to us!" Catherine waved her hand. "I'm showing our photos to Buggy!" 

"Okay, let's go to them." Evyn took Dylan’s hand. "We still have some pie and some good beer. And I will never believe that you will miss the opportunity to tell some embarrassing stories about your daughter."

"Oh, I have at least five stories." Dylan laughed. "We’re coming, Cathie! Well, Buggy, I’m gonna tell you a story about your girlfriend!" 

"Mom. Dad." Catherine opened her eyes. "Fuck!" She looked at the sleeping Buggy and wiped her eyes. "Good. Sleeping." Catherine picked up her phone and opened one of the last photos they'd taken together. "I miss you. Especially now." Tears rolled down her cheeks and she barely managed to hold back a sniffle.

"Hey!" Buggy's raspy voice came from behind her. "Cotton candy.."

"What, my love?" Catherine quickly wiped her eyes and took three deep breaths.

"Nothing. I heard weird noises and woke up." Buggy’s voice was laced with a hint of confusion, the remnants of sleep still clinging to him like the warm blanket he had just escaped. 

"You snore like a chainsaw, I'm surprised you heard anything." Catherine giggled. 

"Are you ok?" Buggy reached out and gently placed his hand on Catherine's shoulder. His touch was comforting, a silent promise that he was there for her. 

"Yeah." Catherine inhaled deeply, her breath shaky as she sat down on the edge of the bed. "I'll go get some water. Do you want something?"

"No." Buggy replied, watching as she stood up with a sense of urgency.

"Okay. I’ll be back soon." Catherine hurriedly left the bedroom, leaving Buggy feeling an odd unease settle in his chest. 

He had grown accustomed to her playful jabs and sleepy nudges in the middle of the night, she always kissed his nose; her quiet demeanor felt foreign and alarming. Struggling against the cocoon of warmth, Buggy rolled out from under the blanket and followed her. He quietly walked to the kitchen door and looked in. Catherine was standing by the window, drinking water and wiping her eyes.

"I love you very much." She whispered. "But plea—"

"Hey!" Buggy entered the kitchen and turned on the light.

"Oh, my God! You scared me. I could have a heart attack like that."

"What's wrong with you?"

"Everything's fine."

"Yeah, tell me." Buggy crossed his arms. "You're standing in the kitchen in the middle of the night, wiping your eyes. Did I do something wrong?"

"What's with your habit of always blaming yourself for everything? You're not the cause of all the problems in the world, Buggy!!" Catherine slammed her glass down on the table and went into the bedroom. "You’re pissing me off with your incessant whining!"

"Oh, well, I'm sorry, miss "I'm crying in the middle of the night and I won't tell you why"!" Buggy shouted back.

"Please shut up, fucking clown, or I'll cut you into pieces."  Catherine snapped back, her anger cutting through the air sharper than any knife. "You won't be able to put yourself back together again until the morning, because there are plenty of drawers at home!" 

Buggy couldn’t help but chuckle at the idea of himself being meticulously stored away in a drawer, a carnival of loose parts waiting for morning to piece him together again. "Good luck with that!" 

"Fuck you, honestly!" Catherine barked and went to the bedroom. 

Buggy stood in the kitchen, confused.

"Fuck you. Bla-bla. You won't be able to put yourself back together again. Bla-bla. You're pissing me off with your incessant whining. Bla-bla. Who else is pissing who off? Fuck!" Buggy rolled his eyes and groaned. "Life was easier when I was alone. Why the hell did I ever get into a relationship? Damn, it's so hard to be in this shit." He muttered to himself and trudged into the bedroom. 

Catherine was lying under the covers, hugging a stuffed octopus. Buggy flopped under the covers, he decoupled himself from the argument, vowing to escape the reality of their conflict through sleep — only to find the sound of Catherine's muffled sobs seeping through the fabric of their shared life.

"What the hell, Catherine!" Buggy exclaimed, flicking the light back on like a referee waving a flag, demanding clarity amid this chaotic emotional relay. He perched at the edge of the bed, emotions tipping precariously between irritation and concern. "I did something. And you don't want to upset me. I'm a grown man, tell me what I did!"

"You didn't do anything!" Catherine snapped back.

"Of course I did! You're crying in the middle of the night!"

"Damn you!! I dreamed about my parents!! Happy now?" She said angrily. 

"What?"

"I dreamed about my parents!!" Catherine repeated quietly. "They met you in a dream." She turned to Buggy. "I don't know what's wrong with me, Buggy." Catherine burst into tears. "I've been over their deaths for a long time, but I miss them especially now. It all started after the second adventure. And then all this sadness started to roll over me like a snowball." She cannot stop crying. 

"After the second adventure? Why didn't you tell me this?" 

"I don't know!" Catherine burst into tears even more. "I’m sorry. I should have told you. I don't know why I’m sad. Maybe because I want to sit with my mom in the kitchen and tell her that I finally met the love of my life? Even if it's in a completely strange way. They saw Jules' boyfriend, they saw that she was happy. But they don't know that I'm happy. And I know that it will never meet you, and it kills me."

"*Fuck!*" Buggy was confused for a few seconds because it was the first time he saw Catherine in such a state. "*What should I do? Hug her! Definitely hug her!!*" Buggy quickly wrapped his arms around her waist and carefully pulled her closer to him. 

"I’m sorry, please." Catherine snuggled closer to Buggy. "I should have told you. I didn't mean to worry you."

"Hey! Don't be sorry. Everything is ok." Buggy hugged Catherine tightly, covering her with a blanket. "Thanks for sharing." 

"Damn! The Earth will definitely start spinning on its axis. Buggy the Clown sometimes says the words "thank you" and "I love you." Catherine laughed through the tears.

"You're such an ass, woman!" 

"Forgive me for what I said in the kitchen. I didn't mean to say that." She kissed Buggy on the nose with her tear-stained face. "I don't want to chop you into pieces. Sometimes, of course, I want to, but not today."

"I don't know what you are talking about. I didn't hear anything, baby." Buggy wiped her eyes and hugged her tightly. 

"Liar. You know," Catherine pressed her head to his chest, "I dreamed that we met 10 years ago. You were a street performer."

"A street performer?"

"Yeah! You had your own little troupe, and you dreamed of a famous circus. And I took you to meet my parents. We ate pecan pie and sandwiches that you liked - with peanut butter and banana."

"My favorite!" 

"I know it’s stupid to be sad." 

"No, it’s not, cotton candy. It’s ok to be sad about your past life." Buggy kissed her head. "Besides, you were close with your parents. Better tell me what else did you dream about?"

"What else?..." Catherine started running her fingers over Buggy's chest. 

"You said I was a street performer." Buggy started stroking her back. "Was I cool? Were there any pretty girls in my troupe?"

"Yeah! The coolest street performer! Pretty girls? Yeah. But they had no chance to be with you because I was your girlfriend. Oh, oh!" Catherine gently slapped his hand. "And you always came out to bow to me first. As you do now at your performances. You were so young and handsome."

"Was? What about now? I’m still young!" Buggy placed his chin on her head. 

"No! Now you're old and grumpy." Catherine giggled.

"Ass!"

"And you also had parents. They had their own small shop. They sold wooden products. See? You weren't alone." 

"God," Buggy chuckled, "You paint such a sad picture of my past. No matter what happened there. Say something nice to her! The main thing is that I'm not alone now either. I have you. What could a fool like me want?"

"I remember how one fool wanted to leave me in the desert." Catherine smiled.

"Fuck! I didn't leave you!!" 

"Are you really happy that you met me?"

"Don't make me say the obvious things, little shit." Buggy exhaled. "Fine. Do you want me to confess something?"

"Confess? In what?"

"When I.. When I saw you for the first time, I thought.. I thought.. I thought you were very pretty."

"Really??" Catherine looked at Buggy.

"Yeah." Buggy kissed her in the forehead. "Even though you were grumbling at me. Of course, I didn't expect anything."

"I remember that morning and how I saw you for the first time. You were naughty and grumpy. And then you started making your dirty flying dragon jokes and I thought you were disgusting. It's so funny that even in a dream, we met in a bar. Oh! Let's go there tomorrow. I wanna spend the evening at our place." Catherine exhaled. 

"I will never refuse a drink. She’s sad. I hate to see her sad face. I wanna see my Cathie’s smile. What to do? What to do? Oh, I know! Hey, Cathie-pie!"

"What?"

Buggy split into pieces and jumped out of bed.

"What are you doing?" Catherine wiped her eyes and smiled. "Come back to me!" 

"Shush, woman!" Buggy gathered himself back, stood in front of the closet and examined it. "On! Great. It should work! Look!" With enthusiasm bubbling over, he began to craft whimsical shapes with his fingers, transforming the air around them into a canvas of imagination.

"What is this?" Catherine laughed, her curiosity piqued as she pointed at something that resembled nothing of the sort. She leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with laughter, captivated by Buggy's antics.

"Miss Mitchell. Welcome to your personal "I wanna see a smile on your pretty face" theater! And this is a cat." Buggy declared with exaggerated flair, attempting to mold a feline's face with the awkward angles of his fingers.

"This's not a cat, Buggy. It looks like," Catherine tilted her head, "Like a cloud." Her laughter filled the room, brightening the dim corners with a warmth only she could conjure.

"No! This's a cat. Use your imagination!" Buggy struck a pose, fingers contorted in a way that he believed captured the essence of his creations. "And this's a dog."

"This's not a dog. You are a lousy magician, Buggy the Clown." Catherine retorted, a playful smirk dancing on her lips. Flopping onto her stomach on the bed, Catherine began to kick her legs in glee.

"Well, fine. Since you don't like shadow beasts, I'll do-o-o..." Buggy looked around. "Oh, there they are!" He picked up three tangerines from his table. "There will be few of these, and I apologize in advance." 

As Buggy began to juggle, the sight quickly morphed from a playful performance to an inadvertent display of chaos. The tangerines danced in the air momentarily before plummeting to the ground, their bright skins contrasting starkly with the wooden floor. Each fumbled attempt elicited peals of laughter from Catherine, who continued watching with a mixture of amusement and affection. 

"You can't even juggle." Catherine giggled. "God, who did I fall in love with?"

After wiping away her earlier tears, Buggy couldn’t help but feel his spirit lift just a little. Her laughter was a soothing balm to his bumbling efforts, making him forget the embarrassment of his amateur juggling act. Catherine’s vibrant energy was contagious, and as she sank to her knees, her clapping seemed to summon the magic of the moment. 

"How did you even start a circus?" She urged, her enthusiasm bubbling over. 

Buggy stared at her incredulously for a moment, a grin spreading across his face. Despite his juggling woes, he felt a surge of motivation wash over him. Perhaps he wasn’t a master juggler, but right then, he could be whatever she wanted him to be — an aspiring clown, an artist in the making, or maybe just the person who could make Catherine smile in that sad moment surrounded by the scent of tangerines and the promise of laughter.

"Okay! If you don't like me juggling…Here." Buggy threw tangerines into her hands. "I’ll try to do this." He opened a drawer and pulled out a couple of balloons. "Who's on your pants today?"

"These are platypuses, my love." Catherine said happily, eating a fruit. 

"I have no idea how to make platypuses. I'll make what I can." Buggy fiddled with the balloon for a long time, trying to make a balloon dog. "Here. For you."

"Who is this?" Catherine laughed loudly, twirling something crooked in her hands. 

"This's a dog."

"Do you even know what a dog looks like?"

Buggy chuckled, scratching his head as he examined the twisted creation in Catherine's hands. "Well, in my defense, it's a balloon dog from a very abstract art perspective," he replied, puffing out his chest with mock pride. Buggy squatted down beside Catherine. "I’m pretty sure platypuses are even harder to make, so it’s probably for the best," he added, his eyes twinkling.

Catherine, still laughing, held the balloon dog up for inspection. "This looks more like a squashed potato than a puppy," she teased, her voice light and airy. 

Buggy feigned indignation, crossing his arms dramatically while glancing at the other balloons, vibrant and full of promise, all waiting to come to life. "Alright, how about I give it another shot? But you’ll have to guide me on the proper way to make a dog."

"Deal!" Catherine exclaimed, her enthusiasm infectious.

"Alright!" Buggy took another balloon. His hands fumbled with the latex while Catherine provided a running commentary on dog features. 

"You need larger ears, and don’t forget the tail!" She advised, giggling at the frustration bubbling up in Buggy as he tried to form something recognizable.

"Done! Here!" He again held out something incomprehensible into Catherine's hands, peering closely at her face.

"This is the most beautiful unknown balloon animal. I'll put it in the living room. And it will stand there until it dies." Catherine noticed Buggy's lingering on her, curiosity and admiration dancing in his eyes. "Why are you looking at me like that? Stop embarrassing me, clown." She covered his eyes, unable to suppress the blush creeping up her cheeks.

"No! Let me look at you! You're smiling and wrinkling your nose. I love when you do this. Where's my red-haired pie?" His playful insistence made her heart flutter with warmth, and she couldn’t help but reveal herself momentarily.

Catherine peeked through her fingers. "Hi! Here I’m!" She chimed, and Buggy’s face broke into a wide grin.

"Hi! Here you are!" He echoed with delight, his laughter filling the room, an infectious sound that made her feel light and carefree. Buggy carefully took Catherine’s hand and kissed it several times. 

"Come here." Catherine beckoned gently, intertwining her fingers with his and pulling Buggy closer until he climbed onto the bed beside her. 

Catherine took his face in her hands, her touch gentle yet firm, as if she wanted to anchor Buggy to that moment, to the warmth of their connection. 

"You're shirtless." She said with a teasing smile, her gaze admiring the warmth of his skin.

"And?" Buggy replied cheekily, raising an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the attention.

"You're too hot without a t-shirt." Catherine shot back playfully.

"I'm even hotter without pants." Buggy smirked, a glimmer of mischief lighting up his eyes.

Catherine laughed, shaking her head in mock disbelief. "I hate you. You're a real killer of moments, Buggy the Clown!" Her lips found his forehead in a sweet kiss, and as she settled into his embrace, she held him tightly, whispering, "You’re the best. You're the most handsome, funny and wonderful guy I've ever met. Remember that, please," she said, her eyes searching for his reassurance. 

Buggy looked into Catherine's eyes, the warmth of her gaze melting away his insecurities.

He poked her in her nose with his finger, a gesture filled with warmth and affection. "Thank you, princess!" he whispered, his voice barely above a breath, yet it carried the weight of profound gratitude. 

"Still a princess? When will I become a queen, Buggy?"

"I don't know." With a soft chuckle, Buggy settled back under the covers, pulling Catherine closer as if he could shield her from the uncertainties of the world. "How are you? Feel better now?" he inquired, resting his chin atop her head.

"Yeah." Catherine replied, feeling an undeniable sense of security enveloping her. "You made me laugh, and I’m in the safest place in the world right now. Thank you, my blue-haired love."

"Do you want something? Tea? Cookies? I can bring you anything."

"No, don't go, please. Let's lie like this for a little while longer." Catherine leaned in closer, her voice almost pleading. 

"Fine. Are you sure you're ok?" 

"Yeah. I’ll be fine. Because I have you. I’m so happy I have you. I'm sure that if my parents look at me now, they're probably smiling. I have someone to protect me, someone who cares about me. We'll get to know them, but only later. In ma-a-any, ma-a-any years."

"Does it mean that I have at least 60 years to prepare and make a good impression on them?" Buggy teased, eliciting a giggle from Catherine.

"Kind of." She giggled back, her laughter brightening the room.

"Love you, my cotton candy." 

"Love you too, I love you so, so much, my Buggy Bear. My love?" Catherine said quietly, her voice broke the comfortable silence once more.

"Hm?" Buggy replied slightly. 

"Can you make me your mac with sausages?"

[c4rvey0urnameint0mybedpost]

‼️ WARNING: Some spoilers for the Novel ‘The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo’ and spoilers of quotes that spoil parts of the book‼️

I found myself wondering who Taylor was talking about in ‘…Ready for it?’ With the lyrics

“And he can be my jailer, Burton to this Taylor,”

The lyrics are about Elizabeth Taylor and one of her husbands Richard Burton. Now, I got very excited when I saw it was a reference to Elizabeth Taylor ‘cause, she is one of the inspirations of my favourite book ‘The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo’, wich, if you don’t know, is a queer book about an old Hollywood (around the 1950’s) actress names Evelyn Hugo (Not her real name she had to change it for a couple of reasons) who ends up writing a Tell-All book at the age of 79, and ends up telling the story of her youth as a famous actress in the 50’s through to the 80’s and her “Seven husbands”.

But, it turns out that almost all of her husbands were beards. She ended up falling in love with one of her co-stars, her name was Celia St.James. It’s such a beautiful book and so deeply upsetting, you should read it!

Anyways, Evelyn was a Bisexual woman and Celia was a Lesbian. The book touches on topics like, Homophobia, Biphobia, Racism, Sexism and a lot of other things as you can imagine.

So, the fact that Taylor referenced Elizabeth Taylor has made me so happy! Though, this isn’t to say that it was a reference to Evelyn Hugo, it certainly is fun to think so!

Some of my favourite quotes from the book are:

“Please never forget that the sun rises and sets with your smile. At least to me it does. You’re the only thing on this planet worth worshipping.”

“I spent half my time loving her and the other half hiding how much I loved her.”

“But if you have to go, then go. Go if it hurts. Go if it's time. Just go knowing you were loved, that I will never forget you, that you will live in everything Connor and I do. Go knowing I love you purely, Harry, that you were an amazing father. Go knowing I told you all my secrets. Because you were my best friend.”

“You wonder what it must be like to be a man, to be so confident that the final say is yours.”

“I'm bisexual. Don't ignore half of me so you can fit me into a box.”

“Say to them, “Evelyn Hugo just wants to go home. It’s time for her to go to her daughter, and her, and her best friend, and her mother.” Tell them Evelyn Hugo says good-bye.”

“And just as she was about to leave the mircophone, she said 'And to anyone tempted to kiss the TV tonight, please don't chip your tooth.”

“It’s not wrong,” Celia said. “It shouldn’t be wrong, to love you. How can it be wrong?”

“It’s not wrong, sweetheart. It’s not,” I said. “They’re wrong.”

“The love of my life is gone, and I can't just call her and say I'm sorry and have her come back. She's gone forever. So yes, Monique, that is something I do regret. I regret every second I didn't spend with her. I regret every stupid thing I did that caused her an ounce of pain. I should have chased her down the street the day she left me. I should have begged her to stay. I should have apologized and sent roses and stood on top of the Hollywood sign and shouted, 'I'm in love with Celia St. James!' and let them crucify me for it. That's what I should have done. And now that I don't have her, and I have more money than I could ever use in this lifetime, and my name is cemented in Hollywood history, and I know how hollow it is, I am kicking myself for every single second I chose it over loving her proudly.”

And the most famous one from this book that you may recognise from TikTok;

“No … because they are just husbands. I am Evelyn Hugo. And anyways, I think once people know the truth, they will be much more interested in my wife.”

If you have read all of this, thank you very much for listening to me. I have a lot of feelings about this book. It’s so good, I love it so much.

[moonyasnow]

Has anyone else ever thought of the song 'Evelyn Evelyn' as relating to Kalim & Jamil? While I was listening to it the other day the thought suddenly hit me

"...Why do we bother to stay? Why are you running away? Don't you feel like severing? Everything's just come together at last It's broken, I don't want to play

We grew up closer than most Closer than anything, closer than anything Shared our bed and wore the same clothes Talked about everything, spoke about so many things

What shall we wear tonight? What shall we eat today? Can we go ice skating? But we just did that yesterday...

...

We grew up so very close A parasite needs a host I'm only trying to do what is best for us

Well, I never asked for this, I never wanted this All that I want is some time to myself Looking in your eyes, I'm coming home

Just get away from me, please just stop touching me You're always trying to be somebody else Now I realize, I'm not alone

Well, you're only scared of me But you never cared for me Why don't you let me free? 'Cause you'd never dare to be

'Cause you never listen, you're always insisting (I'm just/just stop) reminiscing

I feel something missing I just want (you here with me/my privacy) God (can't we just get along/won't you leave me alone)?"

[peachymilkandcream]

Her Biggest Fan|Levi x Evelyn AU

Request: Hello, could you do a chapter of Evelyn being an idol and having Levi as her obsessive fan?

(A/N: AO3 request, very interesting and I'm so excited for this one, enjoy!)

WARNINGS: noncon/dubcon, graphic descriptions of violence, domestic violence, manipulation, mind breaking, yandere behaviour/themes, forced marriage, forced pregnancy, wishing rape upon someone, misogyny, mentions of child abuse, blackmail, revenge porn, murder, second chance, stalking, etc.

================================================

Levi waited his turn in line patiently, this wasn't the first time that he had seen her in person, but each time was just as exciting as the last. Evelyn had been a previously struggling icon when Levi had come across her music. He was always finding new content to help him go through the day, and her more hardcore style was something he looked for.

At first, she had very minimal followers. And that's how Levi liked it. He enjoyed being one of the only people to get a kick out of her music. It was something intimate that only they shared, he felt like he was the only one that cared for her and was interested in helping her music.

When she started gaining popularity the more he didn't like it. Levi was one of her only dedicated fans, and now she had many men and women fawning over her, her pick of men right there for the taking.

It drove him crazy.

He scoured her social media for any hint of a significant other. All shadows and any special items in a room that would mean that there was another man in her life. Thankfully nothing of the sort had been seen so far, but that didn't mean it would be that way forever. One of his reasons for purchasing yet another VIP pass to her most recent show.

Now that it was his turn he approached the love of his life once more. As usual Evelyn smiled and gave him a hug. each time a thing that he utterly reveled in. The feel of her against him, her scent, her skin. It was addictive. What he wouldn't give to make sure that he was the only one that go to do this with her for the rest of her life.

"Do you remember me?" Was his first question.

"Of course, Levi. You've come to all of my concerts, always a VIP pass, and buying merch. I appreciate all of your support."

"Mm. I always want to help smaller creators, but now that you've grown I suppose you don't need it anymore."

"Aw, of course not. I love all my fans."

The word love, despite being used generally set his heart ablaze. Such a sweet word being used to describe him was such a euphoric feeling that he couldn't get over. He had to do something about this, he couldn't live with this feeling forever, he had to do something about it before she went crazy.

As Levi was gestured to go so that the next paying attendee could have their time with her. He complied, not wanting to start a scene, but as he started to walk away he noticed her bag sitting near the door. Without effort he dropped a small tracking device in it, knowing that after tonight this would be the last show she preformed for anyone but him.

================================================

That night, Levi checked the tracker app on his phone. Following it after the show had ended.

It led him to a hotel where she was staying. Thankfully her being in a strange city would make it harder for her to find her surroundings, so when he finished his plan she would be utterly helpless.

Without much hassle Levi found her room number and obtained a master key. He'd been practicing this now for weeks. Going to each of her shows and spying on her while she slept. Now that she was in his home town, he could finally complete his mission.

Levi opened the door and let himself in. She was asleep, in her bed. He snuck over to her, picking up a heavy lamp and holding it high above her head so that as she woke up to the sound of him, like she did now, the lamp landing on her forehead knocked her out.

As Evelyn went limp Levi smirked in satisfaction, now he could finally get everything he wanted.

With skill, he took everything out of her suit case and stuffed her in. He'd have to hurry or she'd suffocate, but he had no plan on letting her die like this.

She was his.

================================================

When Evelyn woke up she was bound to a bed in a small apartment. Posters and merch of herself covering every surface. No matter how she struggled, she couldn't be free.

"No need to struggle, I won't hurt you."

[bratshaws]

through the hourglass 273. brb x oc

a/n: smut coming SOON (comments and reblogs are super welcome and encouraged!)

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: none uwu

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

1/

/253/254/255/256/257/258/259/260/261/262/263/264/265/266

/267/268/269/270/271/272

(pls let me know if you want to be added to the taglist! )

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@peachiicherries @mak-32 @lizziespidiepridie @roosterswifey @ollyoxenfrees @piceous21 @sqrlgrl22 @hofficoffi @lexhalstead3 @lorilane33 @legendarydreamersharkparty @luckyladycreator2

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-

“I’m home!” he just grunts in relief while shrugging off his things and leaning his head back, throat exposed and he almost wished Beatrice showed up to kiss it, but his wife only said ‘kitchen!’ instead. He purses his lips, then pets the dogs after closing the door, toeing out his boots to walk socks only towards her voice.

He comes up to the doorframe and a little body hugs his legs. Rooster gasps in surprise, “Oh my god, it’s a wild spider monkey!” Nicole giggles,sitting on his foot while hugging his calf like…well…a monkey would, “Oh my god,Bea, when did we get a wild animal in the house?”

Beatrice's laughter filled the air as she continued to work in the kitchen. "I know, right? I just found her swinging from the chandeliers a moment ago!"

Rooster looked down at Nicole, who was clinging to his leg like a curious little koala. He lowered his voice dramatically, feigning surprise. "Or maybe she's a chameleon in disguise, blending in perfectly with my leg. I never knew our little monkey was so good at camouflage."

Nicole giggled even more at her dad's playfulness, her small hands squeezing his calf. "Dada, bunny!"

Rooster chuckled, his heart swelling with love for his daughter to the point it almost hurt. He reached down to scoop her up in his arms, hugging her tightly. "And you, my little monkey, you're the funniest and cutest of them all!"

With Nicole safely in his arms, he entered the kitchen, where Beatrice was standing at the stove, stirring a pot of something that smelled heavenly. Rooster couldn't help but grin at the sight of her, "Hey, gorgeous," he greeted, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek while holding Nicole close to his chest. "What's cooking in here?"

Beatrice turned to face him, a bright smile lighting up her face. She gave him a few couple pecks on the lips before going back to the task at hand "Hi Roos I decided since tonight is my night off, I could make us a little dinner.” she nods to the fridge, “I also got us some lava cake from Mr.Scoops.”

Rooster sighed contentedly, "You're spoiling me, Bea."

Beatrice chuckled,before she handed him a wooden spoon with a taste of the sauce she was cooking. "Taste and tell me if it needs anything else."

Rooster accepted the spoon with a nod and took a bite, savoring the creamy, savory goodness of the sauce, Nicole reaching over to grab it but he was quick to hand it back to Bea. After a moment of thoughtful chewing, he gave her a nod of approval. "It's perfect, as always. You're a culinary genius,gorgeous."

Beatrice blushed at his praise and gave him a playful swat on the arm. "Oh, stop it. You're just hungry."

Rooster grinned, kissing her cheek soundly. "I'm always hungry, “ the innuendo was clear in his voice but he didn’t elaborate, he just walked around Beatrice to lean against the counter with Nicole playing with the buttons on his uniform, “How was your day with Evelyn and JJ?”

While her cheeks were hot because of his innuendo, she playfully rolled her eyes. "My day was good, Roos. Evelyn just needed some time away, you know, family stuff…JJ spent most of the time sleeping."

“Well, he is a few months old.”

“Yeah…” she licks her lips, “We also,well, we talked about a couple things, you know…things that have been going on and such…I kinda needed her opinion, you know that Evelyn is…probably the smartest of all of us and she dealt with Military wives more than I did.”

Rooster hums, playing with Nicole’s tiny hand before he sighs, “Did she give you any idea how to deal with Miranda?”

“...yeah.”

-

“I didn’t want to bring this up now.” Beatrice begins, sitting next to Nicole on the grass while Evelyn preferred to keep herself on the bench for now, moving the stroller back and forth so JJ could sleep, “Especially since we are out with the kids and–”

Evelyn makes a displeased sound in her throat, ‘Relax,Bea. You know I won’t judge you. Besides, navy wives like her are unfortunately very common.”

“Yeah?”

“Oh yeah,” her friend snorts, “You have no idea, it’s worse when your relative or spouse is of higher ranks.” Evelyn holds her head up with a hand, brown eyes moving to the side as she reminisced, “Believe me, being my dad’s daughter made me deal with so many unpleasant people.”

"I can only imagine how it must be for you, especially with your dad's high rank…what…what do they do,exactly?” She glanced at Evelyn, shrugging a bit with a small frown on her face, “I mean,are they all so…mean and condescending?”

“No.”

“Oh.”

“Some are worse.”

“Oh.”

“I just am happy to say they are a small amount.” Evelyn mutters, “But the ones I’m talking about stuck out like a sore thumb. I don’t know, I think they…just imagine that if you are a military spouse you are now someone that holds power? Something like that.”

Those words again, and she frowned when she heard it. Beatrice leaned back on her hands, the soft grass beneath her. "Miranda's attitude has been getting to me lately. She's been so condescending, and I can't figure out why she's chosen to show up at the Hard Deck."

Evelyn glanced over at Beatrice, her expression empathetic. "People like her sometimes see the military world as a place for power and social standing. They may try to assert themselves to feel important." 

Beatrice sighed, her brows furrowed in thought. "But Rooster and I don't care about that. We just want a normal life, to raise our family, and to support each other through his deployments. We've never sought power or recognition in the military community." she shrugs while shaking her head, “I mean…we…I???I’m just so confused.”

Evelyn nodded,turning her head to check on JJ. "And that's perfectly fine, Bea. It's not about what others think or expect. Miranda and Mark seem to…feel very threatened by the two of you.”

“But why?”

“I have no clue.” Evelyn’s mouth downturns a bit, “Maybe they are jealous of what you two have.”

She contemplated Evelyn's words as she watched Nicole play with the blades of grass, giggling to herself. It was a beautiful day at the park, the sun shining brightly and her daughter’s laughter filling the air. Yet, the conversation about Miranda and Mark still lingered in her mind, casting a shadow on her thoughts.

Evelyn adjusted the stroller, making sure JJ was comfortable, then turned back to Beatrice. "You know, it's not uncommon for some people to feel envious when they see a strong, loving couple like you and Rooster. You've been through a lot together, and you're still so connected and supportive of each other. It's something to be proud of."

Beatrice smiled at Evelyn's supportive words but couldn't shake the unease she felt about Miranda's weird behavior. "I suppose that makes sense, but it still doesn't justify her rudeness. I mean, I've always tried to be friendly and welcoming to everyone, even if I don't know them well."

Evelyn reached over and gave Beatrice's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "That’s because you're a genuinely kind and warm person, Bea. But not everyone will appreciate that. Some people might interpret your kindness as a threat or a weakness."

The brunette’s eyes narrowed and she looked away, “I’m not weak. Being kind doesn’t make anyone weak.”

“It doesn’t.”

Beatrice sighed, her gaze wandering back to Nicole, who was now following a ladybug fly above her head. "What do you…suggest then? What if she does something when Rooster is deployed?”

After a moment of thought, Evelyn scooted in a little closer and spoke in a low voice. "Well, Bea, one thing you can do is continue to be yourself, the kind and warm person you are. You don't have to change who you are just because of someone like Miranda."

"I understand that,  and i don’t want to change myself.” Bea mutters, holding Nicole close to her chest when the little girl stands up to see the whole park better, “But my question is…what if-”

“You think she’ll try to do something to you?” Evelyn snorts, “Doubtful. No, she’d never put her status on the line…what I do think she’ll do, it make you look bad.”

“Me?”

Evelyn just shrugs, holding her hands up, “Think about it, she tried to do it while you all went to the Oda, she tried doing it on the Hard Deck. She feels immensely threatened by you because you are…well,you.”

The brunette just looked at Evelyn,blinking her eyes in confusion as she took the words in. She wasn’t the first one to say that and Beatrice didn’t know why she didn’t see it. “...I guess…well…I mean…I don’t get it.”

“I just told you why.”

“No,I know, but my problem is…like…” she nuzzles Nicole’s hair when the little girl tilts her head back towards her, “It does feel like she thinks I should fit a mold, or not fit one at all…I guess that could be it.”

“I’ll say what I think it’s happening.” Evelyn says, “Mark and Miranda moved here from Virginia. They had a whole life there, a whole crew, a whole gang…and here, well, they don’t. I don’t know where they’ve been but military families aren’t, you know…condescending that often. And they met you two,first and foremost.”

“So…jealousy.”

“Yep.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to just…be nicer to people? They could make friends here.”

Evelyn shrugs before checking JJ, who was still fast asleep, “Some people just don’t care about friendships and being nice,Bea. We all dealt with people like that,hm?”

Beatrice nodded, her hands still holding Nicole up. "You're right, Evelyn. I won't let her behavior affect me. I should focus on Rooster’s birthday coming up.”

“Good idea.” she says, “And, in any case, you can get the Californian Doberman we both know.”

Bea’s smile grows a bit, “...Shells?”

Evelyn smirks back, “Shells.”

-

“And…that was it.” Bea shrugs, “That was the conversation we had.” she sighs, then crosses her arms a bit before turning to him, “You know,I’m just…I think we are giving these two too much thought, aren’t we?”

Rooster frowns, licking his lips as he plays with Nicole’s hand, smiling when she grabs his thumb, “They made you upset,I made that personal.”

‘Roos.”

“But if you think, if you think, she’s not going to bother you, then I’m fine.” he looked back at Bea with his eyes softening, “I know I did everything I could, from calling your brothers, to Mav and the girls. You’ll be alright and,hopefully Miranda won’t show up.”

Beatrice turned to Rooster, her expression softening as she reached out to caress his cheek. "Roos, you've done more than enough to make sure I'm safe , and I appreciate it. I feel safer knowing you care so much about me." She leaned in to place a gentle kiss on his lips before continuing. "I just don't want her presence to affect our happiness or make us stressed. We have so much to look forward to – Nicole's birthday, your birthday, the twins and our time together before your deployment. Let's focus on that, alright?"

Rooster nodded, he knew Beatrice was right, and he needed to let go of his concerns for now. "You're absolutely right, Bea." he holds up his pinky finger, “Let’s not talk about them from now on, deal?”

She laughs softly, hooking her pinky to his, “Deal,handsome. How was work by the way? Anything new at the base? News about the upcoming deployment?”

Rooster shrugged as he responded to Beatrice's questions. "Work's been…work. Nothing too exciting on the base lately. Same routine, preparations for the deployment – you know how it goes." He glanced down at Nicole, who was intently studying her tiny fingers. "And as for the deployment, no major updates yet. I'll keep you informed as soon as I know more."

Beatrice nodded, her expression thoughtful as she considered Rooster's words. "Alright…have you seen Mav?”

“Yep.”

“He’s not going with you guys,right?”

“Nope.”

The sudden drop on his voice was obvious and Beatrice stopped what she was doing to look at him, “What?’

Rooster pursed his lips even more, then shook his head, “...I think he’s serious about retiring soon.” and man it hurt him to say that outloud, “He…mentioned it again to me.”

"Roos," she began, her voice gentle as she approached him, "How do you feel about Mav retiring? How do you really feel?."

Rooster laughs humorlessly, his fingers absently tracing patterns on the countertop. "It's tough, Bea.It’s also hilarious,I hated this man for years and now I’m…terrified about not seeing him at the base again. Feels wrong, thinking about it." 

Beatrice reached out and placed her hand on Rooster's, offering him a gentle squeeze. "Is he doing that now,or?”

“He didn’t say, he said he’s thinking about it.” he replies, “But he’s not getting any younger, for the first time in years I’m seeing the white on his temples.”

Beatrice held Rooster's hand and listened to him, she couldn't help but empathize with the complex mix of emotions he was experiencing, it must be eating at him so much. "I can only imagine how hard this must be for you, Roos." she said softly, her thumb caressing his knuckles. 

Rooster nodded, his gaze distant as he continued to reflect on the situation. "You know, despite all the disagreements over the years, Mav has always been there… even when he wasn’t. He's like the constant in my career – always watching out for me, pushing me to be better. The thought of not having him around...it's unnerving."

Beatrice leaned in and pressed a comforting kiss on his cheek. "I understand, Roos. But remember, it's not the end of your connection with Mav. You'll still have each other outside of the military, I mean…he is around all the time."

“Yeah.”

“Do you want to invite him to have dinner with us?’ she asks while propping her chin on his shoulder, smiling sweetly, “I wouldn’t mind if he showed up, I think it’d be fun, don’t you?”

Rooster couldn't help but smile at Beatrice's suggestion, his eyes softening and his chest expanding as he inhaled. He looked down at Nikki who was busy once again trying to pluck on his uniform, then tilting her head at him when she felt his eyes on her, “...you know what.” he says, running his fingers on Nicole’s hair, “I like that idea.”

“I thought you might.” she says,kissing his cheek, “It’ll be good for the two of you.”

[countrymusiclover]

6 - Amy Farrah Fowler

Part 7

The Texas Tire Family

Tags just ask - @supernaturalgirl30 @bvbwestfall @bubble-blu @patriciaplictisita

2 Weeks Later

Pushing some clothes down in my suitcase tonight we would be leaving Texas and traveling to California for Sheldon’s wedding. Georgie was leaving his assistant in charge of the store for a few weeks and we finally had enough money to fly on an airline. Shutting my suitcase the bedroom door opened when I glanced over my shoulder. “I just called Meemaw and told her that we were picking her up then heading to the airport.”

“Great. Are the girls packed yet?” I asked to tie the laces of my brown combat boots. Georgie shook his head no leaving me to go check on them. My hair is pinned up in a bun with some few strands falling out at the sides.

Knocking on their bedroom door they still shared a room. Aurora and Eve turned their heads, smiling at me until I covered my mouth, bending over and throwing up in the trash can in their room. “Mom!” They both shouted rushing forward with Eve holding my hair back.

“Rora shut…the door…now!” I waved to my other daughter not wanting their father to hear what I said next to them.

She shut the door locking it with a confused look all across her face at me puking for no reason. “Mom, what on earth is going. You literally just puked for no reason. Wait, was it the pizza we had last night?”

“Ugh no…it’s not the pizza.” Wiping my hand across my mouth I sighed fixing my shirt seeing the two eyeballing me waiting for an answer. "I need you two to promise me that you won't say a word when I tell you this. I'm pregnant, so you might be getting a brother or a sister."

Aurora gasped, jumping up and down. "OMG!"

"So that's what you and dad were doing besides napping…ewww." Evelyn pretended to gag but she had a huge smile on her face.

Raising my hands up in front of me I shushed them needing them to be quiet. "Sssh. Keep your voices down. I don't want your father to know anything yet."

"Why?" Rora tilted her head to the side.

Slumping my shoulders I sighed tucking hair behind my ear. "I want it to be a surprise. That is why. Because I am hoping this time it's a boy."

"That's great mom." Eve runs forward gently hugging me where I wrapped my arms around her waist squeezing her gently. She wrapped her arms around me following Aurora doing the same.

Breaking the hug I intertwined their hands with mine staring down at my stomach then back up to them. “Now that is settled. I need you two to promise me that you won’t say anything to your daddy.”

“I won’t say anything, momma.” Aurora vowed, sending me a head nod yes.

Evelyn gave me a soldier salute smiling. “Yes ma’am.”

“Alright now, finish getting packed for the trip.” I told them to leave their room helping Georgie get everything in the back trunk. We stopped by Connie’s house. Missy and Mary were flying in later than us so we didn’t have time to stop and chat with them. Getting into the airport was fine until the girls insisted on both trying to get a window seat.

Eve and Rora were shoving the other until Connie came and sat down on the aisle seat. “Sit down you two. Eve gets it now and on the way home Rora will get her turn you hear.”

“Thank you, Connie.” I whispered sitting across the row beside Georgie.

She reached across the row grabbing my hand in hers smiling. “You’re welcome dear.”

I actually slept for most of the ride with me basically laying my head in my husband’s lap. He didn’t care or was bothered by it because when he would come home late from work I would do this exact thing. Putting everything up in the hotel Sheldon had sent us the address to his apartment so the four of us left. Connie said she was going to meet up with Mary and Missy when they landed. Georgie held the door open before the girls ran around our legs wanting to check everything out. “Girls slow down and don’t break any of their stuff.” I called out.

“They should be fine as long as they don’t go into Sheldon's bedroom. Oh and don’t sit in that spot on the couch because…” Leonard started explaining.

Georgie and I both knew where this was going so we finished his sentence for him. “Because it’s his spot.”

Leonard smiles when a blonde haired girl comes over to greet us hugging the both of us immediately. “Hi I’m Penny, Leonard’s wife. So you must be Sheldon’s brother and you’re his wife right?”

“I’m Y/n. And those are our daughters Aurora and Evelyn.” I pointed my index finger at the girls aweing at the view from up this high. This was the full on city compared to our little town that they were used to.

Penny looked over her shoulder seeing that the girls were a lot older than she would have expected them to be. "I hope this isn't rude but at what age did you have them?"

"Oh it's fine. Aurora was when we were seventeen and Eve was about two years after that when we both were around twenty." I shrugged my shoulders with a half smile twirling my wedding ring on my finger eyeing my husband.

Georgie moved to one of the chairs and I sat on the armrest of it feeling him wrap his arm around my waist so I didn’t fall off the chair. Leonard and Penny pulled up some chairs sitting beside us before the apartment door opened and I recognized Sheldon walking in with a girl with dark brown hair who saw us. “Georgie, Y/n. I would like you to meet Amy.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Amy.” Getting to my feet I hugged the girl before our two little girls bumped into my leg. “Oh and I’d like you to meet little Aurora or Rora for short and Evelyn or Eve.”

Penny rose to her feet grabbing her keys from the kitchen island heading for the door of the apartment. She waved bye to us, shutting the door behind herself. “I’ll be back. Amy, I'm going to pick up your parents from the airport.”

“So, you're Sheldon's big brother.” Amy sat down beside Sheldon while I sat back down on the armrest.

Georgie chuckled, glancing up at me with a smirk causing me to lightly blush at his words when he tugged me closer where I was almost sitting in his lap. “Uh, yeah. He got the brains. I got the bod. And the face and the hair….which landed me my high school sweetheart.” He nuzzled his nose in my hair where I struggled to hold back a giggle.

“Georgie! Stop, we're visiting with family.” I giggled with his arms wrapping around my waist with me basically sitting in his lap.

He kissed me softly where I couldn’t help but smile wrapping my arms around his neck kissing him back when he mumbled back. “I can’t help it, darlin’. I love you.”

“I like your accent. Sheldon, did you used to sound like that? Can you still?” Amy shifted on the couch looking at the young Cooper brother smiling in our direction.

Sheldon paused, turning his head back in our direction sending his brother a glare that basically said why did you have to say anything. “I can. I will not…Amy, you said something about my bow tie that I can't stop thinking about.”

“Don't you mean...Ya’ll said something ‘bout my bow tie?” Amy attempted to mimic Georgie’s accent, making me burst into a quiet laugh by the look Sheldon gave her. Aurora and Evenpaused their game of hide and seek bursting into laughter at the woman who would become their aunt.

Comments really appreciated ❤️

[ladylooch]

OMFG jealous em ensues. maybe at a bar or a club, emma is absolutely staring her down after she comes up to emma and t.

her hand lingers on timos arm for too long, emma doesn’t like that. now, emma’s ass is grinding against timo, she’s letting his hands roam all over her on the dance floor.

emma doesn’t even care that she’s going to get teased

I'm usually unaffected by moments like this. My husband is hot. I'm aware and he attracts attention. Fine. At times, I might even be honest and tell you I like the way people crave what is mine.

But not when it's this girl.

This girl is a known pass around with the younger boys on the Devils. She's around, but none of the wives get involved with her; a few of the girlfriends considered her a friend. Mostly though, she's an outlier with the Devils women. Before tonight, I never had a thought about her one way or the other.

But then she put her hand on my husband like that was okay and now I have many thoughts, none of them good.

The boys are all out on the dance floor, being obnoxious drunks at the end of another season. The Devils had an amazing year, but fell short of their Stanley Cup dream. This one stings, especially after winning it the year before. So, they're processing the best way they know with shots of tequila and taking their shirts off.

"Uhhh?" Lexi questions next to me, watching as Evelyn skims Timo's arm again. "You better go get her away from your man." I watch my husband step back again. He is sloppy drunk but still fends off her advance. He begins to dance around Nico, leaving Evelyn by him. "She better not touch Nico. I'll be over there slapping a bitch."

I don't respond. Instead, I'm watching as Evelyn‘s eyes follow to Timo's new position. She takes another sip of her drink, then begins to move towards him. I scoff. Exactly what I thought, she's really trying to make a move on my husband. That won't do.

"Now I have to go out on this sweaty dance floor and take care of this." I slam down the rest of my drink, then hike my skin tight jeans back up to my hips. "Your time with the Devils is done." I mutter to myself as I make my way out to the group.

"Emma!!!!!!!!!!" Nico greets me by drunkenly tossing an arm over my shoulder. "I love you. I'm so glad our kids are growing up together here." I chuckle at how unsteady he is, and shoulder his weight for a moment.

"Yeah, baby brother?" I tease, kissing his cheek affectionately. "You should go see Lexi. She said she missed you."

"Oh!" He exclaims, whipping his head to his wife. He grins dopely when he seen her. There is no doubt who he loves most in this world. Nico stumbles off as I sigh, happy to know my brother is safe from the vulture. My gaze moves beyond the rest of the Devils to my husband. Timo's eyes are locked and wide on me, begging for help. I purse my lips against a laugh, then begin to shimmy my way over to him. I bop my shoulders as I approach. He steps beyond Evelyn and captures my hips.

"Baby, help me."

"I got you, T." I pull his mouth down to mine, gripping the back of his neck tightly. Our tongues crash together, tasting each other and the various liquors we've consumed tonight. Electricity and heat shoots through my body. He pulls me tighter, grinding my front into his as he builds between us.

The song changes to My Type by Saweetie and I tilt my head back to laugh.

"Rich, eight figure, yeah, that's my type." I yell to Timo, turning in his grasp to put my butt against his bulge. He moans hotly into my ear.

"You feel so good." He presses me deeper into him. He’s firmed completely against my ass. His fingers move from my hips, working up my body to my breasts. He squeezes them obviously rotating his hips into me as I grip his head close to mine.

“Mom and Dad, get a room!” Luke Hughes shouts in disgust.

“Let’s go home.” Timo suggests.

“All the Devils’ babies are there with the babysitters.” I remind him. “Fuck me in the bathroom like old times.”

“You gonna be quiet?”

“No.”

Timo grins, putting his hand in my back pocket as we work our way out of the crowd. I glance over my shoulder at Evelyn who frowns at our departure. I give her a smug look then forget about her completely. Instead, I follow my husband, debating about what position I want him to take me in.

[bastardsofravenkroft-blog]

ok so for pints of guinness i wrote this:

i really like the beginning. "evelyn i'm not coming home tonight" immediately makes me think of emily dickinson. love the vocals. the rawness and drawn out words "toniiiiiiiiight" is excellent.

i love that i can hear the strumming pattern of the acoustic guitar (i think that's acoustic. it might be unplugged electric idk tho)

there's a song that this reminds me of. it's by Crywank, it's called Welcome To Castle Irwell. i recommend you give it a listen! anyway back to pints of guiness make you strong.

the "i just wouldve let myself die" part made me tear up augh. i really like the SLIGHTLY out of sync backing vocals it makes it feel real. i dont know how else to explain it haha!

i liked the little short strum at the end i pictured fingers trying to strum one last time but just falling down and off of the strings from lack of strength or will to strum anymore. yeah 👍

9/10 i very much enjoyed it and i'll be listening to this again!! sorry that was so long 😮‍💨

DO NOT APOLOGIZE FOR LENGTH. LENGTH GOOD.

anywhos

it was written abt her grandmother!, i just think thats so sweet

pretty sure its all acoustic on that album and it was recorded in like one day? maybe two, but very fast and yes GOD the RAWNESS of everything just cuts so deep (when you can fucking understand what shes hollering lmao)

since you like it i very much recommend the whole of reinventing axl rose, the self titled ep, the crime ep, and also stay alive which is laura’s solo album. its different way more similar in vibe to the mountain goats but h o l y s h i t

[gaiahypothesims]

324

Jake- <chugging> Ugh... I'm seriously not twenty anymore.

Evelyn- <laughing> You're doing great! You're a big boy, you can handle it!

Jake- How are you good at this? You been practicing??

Evelyn- <laughs> Why do you think I have this ping pong table if not for beer pong? I used to be fun!

Jake- <grins> You're still fun. You ready to get back into it tomorrow?

Evelyn- Oh come on! Don't ruin my night with thoughts of work and parenthood! Though I do miss my baby. Drink up! We're on to round three! I want you good and sloppy for what I'm about to do to you tonight. Why do you think I brought you back home?

[allthingsfangirl101]

AFS Chapter 20: Real As Can Be

Masterlist

A Year Later

Joe watched, unable to wipe the smile off his face, as Evelyn went through her interview. She was a natural. The second she walked out, the entire room brightened.

Then again, Joe Keery was hopelessly, blindingly, stupidly in love with Evelyn Jones.

After the interview, Joe waited in the hallway outside the dressing rooms for Evelyn. He couldn't help but nervously play with his hands. Tonight was a big night for the two of them and he needed it to go well. He looked over his shoulder, his heart jumping into his throat when he saw Evelyn walking out. He laughed when he noticed her focus was solely on her phone.

"That's offly dangerous," he teased her. She jumped, making her fall into him. He smirked as he caught her. "Like I said, dangerous."

Evelyn rolled her eyes but Joe leaned in and kissed her. It amazed him how every kiss felt like their first. He broke the kiss with a small moan and leaned his forehead against hers.

"You were great tonight," he whispered.

"Thanks, baby," she giggled. She leaned back and slid her hands up his chest, intertwining them behind his neck. Joe laughed when she playfully stuck out her bottom lip.

"What's with the lip, pouty girl?" He teased her.

"I'm hungry."

"Then let's get you some food."

With their hands intertwined, Joe and Evelyn walked out to his car. About three months after they started officially dating, they finally convinced Evelyn's driver, Henry, to let Joe drive her places. Whenever Joe wasn't working, he drove Evelyn everywhere.

And he loved it.

Joe made sure he spent as much time with her as possible. He picked up coffee on his way to her place before he drove her to work. He'd meet her for lunch. After picking her back up, they'd stop on their way home for dinner.

Not that Evelyn minded. Joe was the first guy she dated who wasn't with her for her career. He was with her simply because of her. She wasn't used to having someone in her life who took care of her almost without thinking about it and would run to her aide with a simple text.

The second they got into Joe's car, he grabbed her hand. They listened to music, not needing to talk. They enjoyed the silence filled with the Spotify playlist he made specifically for when they drove together. Joe found himself struggling to focus on driving. He kept glancing at Evelyn, building up the courage to talk to her about it. He smiled when she started swaying in her seat to the music.

"Do you have plans this Sunday?" Joe asked, forcing himself to start the conversation.

"No," she said, slightly studying him. "Why?"

"I thought. . . Maybe. . . If you're free. . ."

"Joe?" Evelyn softly said his name, trying to ignore the nerves.

"Yeah?"

"Can you spit it out?" She asked. "You make me nervous when you struggle to get something out. It makes me feel like you're hesitating to tell me bad news."

"Sorry," Joe chuckled. "What I was trying to say is, let's go to dinner Sunday night."

"Okay," Evelyn shrugged before laying her head back against the headrest and subconsciously playing with his fingers. Joe let out a sigh of relief, laughing when he realized he had nothing to fear.

It was the actual dinner that he had to worry about.

* * * * *

Joe held his breath as he rang the doorbell. He could hear Evelyn inside, running to get her things.

"Coming!" She called. Joe smiled as he shoved his hands into his pockets. His breath got stuck in his throat when the door opened.

"Wow," he said under his breath. "You look. . . Amazing."

"Thanks," she said, hiding her blush. "I just threw this on."

"Sure," Joe teased. "Just picked it out and randomly threw it on."

He grabbed her hands and pulled her into his chest. He leaned down and delicately pressed his lips to hers. He broke the kiss, staying inches from her.

"Let's go," he whispered. "I'm hungry."

"Me too," Evelyn giggled. Joe kept one of her hands in his and led her out to his car.

They talked about their days as Joe drove to the restaurant. Evelyn is working on this big movie and Joe is filming the last season of Stranger Things. They were both pretty busy but Joe made sure he found time to visit and be with Evelyn.

When they got to the restaurant, Joe pulled up to the valet. He quickly got out and went to open Evelyn's door before the other man at the valet stand could do it. He reached his hand out, smiling when she took it. He helped her out of the car and wrapped his arm around her waist instantly.

They walked in, were escorted to a table, and sat down. They silently grabbed their menus and started scanning through entreé's. Joe found himself constantly glancing up at her. Evelyn caught on but didn't bring it up until halfway through dinner when it looked like he hadn't eaten in the last five minutes.

"Can I ask you something?" She hesitated.

"Of course, gorgeous," Joe smiled. He reached across the table and grabbed her hand. "What is it?"

"Why are we doing this?" She asked. "I just mean. . . This seems like a lot for a Sunday night date. Is everything okay? Is there something you should tell me?"

"Everything's great," Joe said, trying to sound light-heartedly. "I just wanted to celebrate our anniversary."

"This isn't our anniversary," Evelyn said with a playful giggle. "Joe, honey, we've only been dating six months."

"It's the first anniversary of when we started fake-dating," he explained. "A year ago today, Jackass Joe sat across the table from Exquisite Evelyn and asked her to fake date him."

"I thought our first meeting was a year ago last week," Evelyn said slowly, her heart beating hard against her chest.

"True," he said, scooting as close to her as the table would let him. "But a week later was our first fake date. We sat down to dinner and you agreed to give me a chance."

"Why are we celebrating that?" She asked, not wanting to sound ungrateful or judgy.

"Because," he said, lowering his voice, "that is the day that changed my life."

"What do you. . ."

"You changed my life, Evelyn," he gently cut her off. "The day you agreed to help me is the day I got a second chance. If it weren't for you, I would be a drunk druggy with no friends and no fans. You saved me, Evelyn Jones. And I can never repay that."

"Joe," she said under her breath. He waited for her to continue but she didn't.

"Evelyn," he whispered, "there's something else that you did for me. Something I need to say to you."

"Okay," she said under her breath.

Joe took a shaky breath, struggling to gather his courage. He knew how he felt about her, but he wasn't entirely sure how she felt about him. Saying this could ruin everything they've built.

"Joe," Evelyn said after he hadn't spoken for several minutes. "Is something wrong? You're making me nervous."

"I'm sorry," he chuckled, trying to lighten the sudden tension he caused. "It's just. . . I'm not entirely sure how to. . . I don't mean to scare you but. . ."

"Joe," she said, her voice softening. "Please just say it."

"I love you," he rushed out. He held his breath as he waited for her response. His stomach sank when she got out of her side of the booth.

It lifted when she scooted in next to him. Without speaking, Evelyn grabbed Joe's face and pressed her lips to his. He relaxed as he pulled her closer and moved his lips against hers. The couple forced themselves to break apart.

Evelyn leaned her forehead against Joe's, both of them struggling to catch their breaths. She rubbed her nose against his before slowly leaning back. Her voice was soft, barely audible as she said the four words that Joe's been dying to hear.

"I love you too."

The End