#HEARTACHE IS A LONELY ROAD …!

[acebytaemin]

diary entry im tearing up to this song for some reason.

[bradshawsbaby]

Love in the Air

Pairing: Rooster x Female Reader

Summary: You weren't expecting anything interesting or exciting to happen on your flight from Virginia to San Diego. But what happens when you decide to shoot your shot with the handsome stranger sitting in front of you on the plane?

Word Count: 12.5k

Author’s Note: Thank you so much to my dear friend, @ryebecca for giving me the idea for this one! I've been mulling it over in my brain for a while now, and the super adorable Netflix movie Love at First Sight gave me some much-needed inspiration to finally see it through to completion. This story exists outside of the Mr. & Mrs. Bradshaw Universe, which is sort of a first for me, so I hope you all enjoy!

Warnings: Travel anxiety, some very mild angst, discussions of parental death, brief language, lots of fluff.

If you had to rank your preferred modes of transportation, flying would probably be at the bottom of the list, beat only perhaps by public bus or bicycle. It seemed that no matter how hard you tried to make it as smooth and easy a journey as possible, your experiences at the airport always turned into one catastrophe after another.

Your flight this morning was supposed to take off at 9:30am, which meant that you had scheduled the start of your day to ensure that you would be at the airport no later than 7:15, accounting for traffic and long lines at check-in and security. That, of course, meant that you had to leave your best friend, Katie’s house in Fredericksburg at 5:45 on the dot in order to make the sixty-one mile trip to Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport, and that was being generous. If the two of you stopped for coffee—which Katie insisted was a must—that alone had the potential to derail your plans, which had you nervously fiddling with the bracelet you never took off, the one your dad had given you as a gift for your high school graduation.

“Relax,” Katie laughed, taking her eyes off the road for only a moment to reach out and squeeze your hands reassuringly, halting your anxious movements. “You’re going to get there with plenty of time to spare. There’s literally no one on earth who’s a more responsible flier than you. Have you ever even come close to missing a flight?”

“No,” you admitted sheepishly, taking a small sip of your hazelnut iced coffee. It did little to calm your nerves, but it was one of the best iced coffees you’d ever tasted.

“Of course you haven’t,” Katie smiled, her eyes back in front of her as she signaled to merge into another lane. “So just take a deep breath and enjoy all this gorgeous fall foliage. I’m going to get you there without incident, I promise.”

Katie knew better than pretty much anyone how much flying tended to stress you out. The two of you had been attached at the hip since the first day of kindergarten. Your friendship had survived all the ups and down of adolescence, boy drama, the separation of going to colleges hundreds of miles apart, heartache, loss, and so much more. She was truly the sister you never had, and you couldn’t be more grateful to have her in your life. Even now that you were living in San Diego, and Katie and her husband had moved to Fredericksburg, Virginia for Josh’s job, nothing could keep the two of you apart.

Using a little bit of the vacation time you’d accumulated at work, you’d taken a long weekend to fly out and surprise Katie for her and Josh’s housewarming party. It had been months since you had seen your best friend in person, and the two of you had spent the past few days acting like a couple of high schoolers, staying up all night eating junk food and keeping poor Josh awake with your loud and hysterical fits of laughter.

You hadn’t realized just how lonely you’d been, all by yourself in San Diego, until you’d witnessed up close how cozy and happy Katie’s life in Virginia was.

It wasn’t that you were jealous of Katie, not by any means. She and Josh had met in college, and you were thrilled that your best friend in the whole world had found her person, the one who was going to be there to hold her hand through life and love her through every up and every down. You had even shed a few happy tears when Katie had confided in you this past weekend that she and Josh were finally trying for a baby.

You weren’t jealous, but you desperately longed for what she had. While Katie and Josh had been happily in love since sophomore year, your love life had been decidedly marked by one failed relationship after another. The most painful of which had been your last boyfriend, Andrew. That breakup had been what had propelled you to accept the job offer that had taken you to San Diego almost a year ago.

“Screw Andrew!” Katie had told you as she’d helped you pack up your entire life into a few suitcases and boxes. “You’re headed to the Hottie Capital of America!”

“I must have missed that moniker on the travel brochures,” you responded dryly, although it was the first time you’d felt the urge to laugh in weeks.

“Um, hello, missy. It’s literally called ‘Fightertown USA,’” Katie said, stopping what she was doing to turn and face you, hands on her hips. “You’re going to end up with some sexy fighter pilot, and I am literally going to wither away with envy,” she giggled, winking at you.

“Yeah, right,” you smiled despite yourself, nudging her playfully.

“It’s true,” Katie sighed, feigning dramatics as she draped a hand across her forehead and swooned onto your bed. “I can see it now. You’re going to make the cutest little Marine or Navy wife.”

And yet, for all of Katie’s confidence, there you were, a whole year later, just as single as you had been when you’d first arrived in Fightertown.

It wasn’t to say you were completely on your own. You’d made some really good friends at work, and you got along with all of your neighbors. You’d even gone on a few dates with some guys from North Island. But none that ever went anywhere.

Spending the weekend with Katie and Josh, being reminded of just how in love the two of them were, made you wonder if it was ever going to be your turn.

“You okay?” Katie asked, breaking your silent reverie as she took the exit leading towards the airport in Charlottesville. It wasn’t necessarily the closest airport, but it was the only one for today that offered the flight you needed to get back home. “You seem so quiet.”

“Hm? Oh, yeah,” you nodded distractedly, smiling as you took another sip of your iced coffee. “Just a little tired, I guess.”

How could you possibly tell your best friend that seeing her happiness caused an ache inside your chest that hurt like nothing else you’d ever known? You couldn’t. It made you feel guilty enough just to admit it to yourself.

“Feeling a little nervous about your flight?” she pressed, reaching for her own iced coffee as the car came to a halt at a red light. “I know it’s long, and you hate connecting flights, but I stuck some Benadryl packets in your bag, if that helps at all. It sucks that you have such a hard time sleeping on planes.”

Smiling, you leaned over and pressed an affectionate kiss to her cheek. What had you ever done to deserve such a good friend? And there you were, lamenting about all the things she had that you didn’t.

“You’re the best,” you told her sincerely, giving her shoulder a small squeeze. “I’m so glad I was able to get down here this weekend.”

Katie beamed brightly, reaching up to squeeze your hand before placing hers back on the steering wheel. “You’re telling me. It was the best surprise ever. I’m just sad I can’t keep you here longer.”

“I’ll be back soon,” you promised, trying to mentally calculate when you might be able to get time off from work again.

“Maybe you can come down for Christmas this year?” Katie suggested hopefully, glancing over at you with her big green eyes.

“Maybe,” you nodded, twisting your bracelet once more as you saw the signs for the airport approaching. “Or maybe I can fly you and Josh out to San Diego.”

“Oh, yes! Christmas on the beach? Sounds perfect,” Katie grinned, looking out for the sign for departing flights.

All too soon, Katie was pulling up in front of the Delta terminal where your flight would be taking off in just a few hours.

“See? Only 7:11! I got you here ahead of your insane schedule, even with the stop for coffee,” your best friend teased, a twinkle in her eye as she indicated the time on the dashboard.

“Yeah, yeah,” you waved her off, laughing out loud as she swatted your hand jokingly.

The two of you climbed out of the car to grab your luggage from the trunk. You’d done your best to pack lightly, which was never an easy task for you, even just for a weekend trip. But somehow, you’d managed to squeeze everything you needed into a carry-on bag. Well, that and a giant duffel that you were claiming was a purse.

“Ugh, goodbyes make me crazy,” Katie shook her head, clearly trying to hide the tears that were brimming in her eyes, which caused tears to spring to your eyes as the two of you reached for each other.

“I love you so much,” you told her, squeezing her tightly as she rocked you back and forth in her arms. “I’ll call you when I land.”

“Text me when you get to your gate,” she said, pulling back and taking your hands in hers. “And let me know if there are any cuties on your flight,” she added with a grin, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.

“I doubt I’m going to bag any cuties looking like this,” you countered sarcastically, indicating the yoga pants and oversized sweatshirt you’d donned that morning, as well as the messy bun you’d thrown your hair into.

“Shut up, you’re gorgeous no matter what,” Katie scolded you, swatting you on the butt. “Now get going. We wouldn’t want you being late or anything like that,” she joked.

You laughed as well, though your heart ached a bit as you grabbed the handle of your suitcase and began turning towards the doors of the terminal.

“Love you! Talk to you soon!” Katie called out, waving and blowing kisses.

You threw one more wave your best friend’s way, then disappeared inside the terminal, which was already fairly crowded despite the early hour.

As expected, despite the fact that you’d taken pains to get there early and make sure you were on top of everything, the unlucky cloud that seemed to follow you whenever you flew made its appearance once again.

You of course ended up on the slowest moving line at security, only to be heavily questioned by the TSA agent who seemed to be under the impression that you looked nothing like the photo on your driver’s license. Then, when you finally got to the security scanners, you set off the metal detector and had to be publicly groped by another sour-faced TSA agent. As if that wasn’t bad enough, your suitcase was “randomly selected” for extra testing and security checks.

Katie may have loved to tease you about it, but this was precisely the reason why you always left as early as you did to get to the airport.

By the time you were finally rolling your suitcase towards your gate, you were feeling more frazzled than ever. Naturally, the gate had changed since your boarding pass had been printed, and now you had to trek halfway across the airport to find the new one.

You wondered what it felt like to be one of those lucky travelers whose gate was right at the center of the terminal, right near all the restaurants and shops. It had never been you. Without fail, no matter where or when you were flying, your gate always ended up being at the farthest corner of the terminal.

When you finally arrived, triple checking that the gate number matched your flight information, you let out a heavy sigh as you grabbed an open seat at the end of the row. To your surprise, you found that you were seated right next to an open outlet. You never got that lucky.

Turns out, you really did never get that lucky. When you plugged your phone in, you found that it wasn’t charging. Evidently, the outlet was open because it didn’t actually work.

Muttering under your breath, you unplugged your charger and threw it back into your duffel bag. At least your phone was still on 74%. You’d much prefer to have it fully charged, but this would do until you could charge it on the plane.

Glancing down, you realized that you had missed a text from Katie.

At the gate yet???

Rolling your shoulders back and getting more comfortable in your seat, you opened up the message so that you could send a quick response.

Just got here. You’d think I was on the No Fly List with how long it took me to get here.

Katie must have made good time getting home, because it wasn’t long before your phone was buzzing with another text.

😂😂😂 Get yourself a drink!

Katie, it’s not even 9am…

So? A mimosa then!

You laughed, shaking your head. A mimosa didn’t actually sound like such a bad idea right now. Neither did a large iced coffee. But now that you’d finally made it to your gate, you didn’t feel like dragging all your stuff with you across the terminal once again. And you didn’t feel comfortable leaving your things behind, unattended or even in the care of a stranger. Maybe you’d just order one on the plane.

When your phone buzzed again in your lap, you looked down and saw that it was another text from Katie.

Any cuties to share that mimosa with???

You were about to text her back that right now, the only cuties you could see were an adorable four-year-old and an elderly couple who must have been in their eighties when suddenly, the most gorgeous man you had ever seen in your life appeared, as if out of thin air. You were suddenly glad you didn’t have a mimosa or an iced coffee in hand, for you were certain that you would have spit it out in shock upon seeing this guy.

Jaw hanging open and eyes widening, your brain was too fuzzy from lack of sleep to remind you that it was wholly inappropriate and rude to stare.

He truly had to be the hottest man you had ever seen up close in real life. Tall, with broad, thick shoulders and a muscular build. His hair was a golden brown that looked like it was touched frequently by the sun—as did his skin, which was an amusing combination of both tan and pink, as though he should have applied just a pinch more sunscreen than he had. Most surprising of all was the mustache that made your stomach do a strange little flip. You usually weren’t all that attracted to facial hair of any sort, and most guys couldn’t pull off the mustaches they tried to sport, but this particular mustache was the sexiest thing you had ever seen. And somehow, despite not knowing this man from a hole in the wall, you couldn’t imagine him without it. It was like it was a part of his DNA.

Thankfully, he was still staring down at his boarding pass, so he hadn’t noticed your intense scrutiny. Coming to your senses, you closed your mouth and quickly averted your gaze, your cheeks growing hot with embarrassment. How mortifying. Imagine if he had looked over and caught you staring at him, gaping like a fish out of water?

Still, despite your self-consciousness at the thought of getting caught, you couldn’t help but steal another glance in his direction, this time out of the corner of your eye. He looked even taller this time around. It probably had something to do with the way he carried himself, an easy confidence pouring off him. This man knew he was hot stuff, of that you were sure. But there was also something unassuming about him, something quiet and almost humble. He was dressed in a pair of dark sweatpants and an old UVA T-shirt, nothing fancy or flashy. Somehow, however, he managed to pull it off even better than a three-piece suit.

You were startled out of your observations when your phone buzzed again. It was Katie, emphasizing her last message impatiently.

Do you have some kind of magic powers that I was unaware of to make hotties appear out of nowhere? Right when you texted me, the hottest guy I’ve ever seen walked up to my gate.

‼️‼️ GO TALK TO HIM!!! ‼️‼️

At the mere suggestion of going to talk to that guy, your stomach erupted into butterflies. Looking up once again, you saw that he had evidently confirmed he was at the right gate, and had settled down in a seat a couple rows over, facing away from you. God, even the back of his head was handsome.

Are you crazy? This guy is seriously the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen. I look like a homeless lady that wandered in off the street. I am NOT talking to him!

Your phone buzzed angrily a moment later.

Will you shut up before I drive back there to hit you upside the head?! YOU are gorgeous!!! Who cares if you have no make-up on and your hair’s in a messy bun? It’s called airplane chic! You’re still completely stunning. He would be LUCKY to have a girl as hot as you want to talk to him!

Chewing your bottom lip, you looked up again, trying not to be obvious as your eyes slowly wandered over the people at your gate, until they landed on him once more. He was on the phone this time, having an animated conversation with whoever was on the other end of the line. Occasionally, he would turn slightly in your direction and you could catch a glimpse of his side profile.

Damn, this man was seriously perfect from every angle.

“Alright, Mav, I’ll see you when I land,” you heard him say—not that you were trying to eavesdrop—before he hung up the phone and dropped it back onto his lap.

It was then that you noticed his phone was plugged into the outlet next to his seat.

Maybe this could be your opportunity? You could casually walk over and see if there were any other open outlets near his. Perhaps you could even make a joke about how it was just your luck that the outlet near your seat wasn’t working. Maybe he’d laugh and tell you some horror story from his travel experiences and the two of you would end up talking until you exchanged numbers. Maybe there was some tiny, infinitesimal chance that this stunning man would actually be charmed by you and possibly even the teensiest bit interested.

Or maybe you would just remain rooted to your seat, terrified to move as you stared at the back of his head.

You were already anticipating the text from Katie when your phone buzzed once again.

The reason you’re not answering me better be because you’re in the middle of a conversation with Mr. Hottie from your gate!!!

Biting down on your lip, you turned your phone over, not knowing how to tell your best friend that you were too much of a chicken to get out of your seat and approach this guy.

At that moment, however, you were suddenly saved, at least somewhat, when a member of the flight crew announced that they were about to begin boarding. Forgetting about Katie’s texts and the hot guy sitting several feet away from you for a moment, you began gathering together all your belongings, making sure you hadn’t forgotten anything.

When your boarding group was called, you did one final sweep around your seat, securing the strap of your duffel bag up on your shoulder and wrapping one hand around the handle of your carry-on before making your way to the line extending from the counter.

As you stepped up behind the elderly couple you’d noticed earlier, your boarding pass slipped out of your hand, floating through the air despite your best attempt to reach for it, and landing somewhere behind you.

Turning to find it, you nearly collided with the tall wall of man behind you, who was bending at the same time to grab it off the floor.

“Oh!” you gasped, startled to find that Mr. Hottie, as Katie had dubbed him, was not only standing behind you in line, but was also holding your boarding pass in his hand, glancing down at it.

“San Diego with a layover in Atlanta, huh?” he grinned, glancing from the boarding pass up to your face. Unsurprisingly, he had a beautiful set of whiskey-colored eyes that made your stomach do the same strange little flip that his mustache had induced. Oh, and up close, the mustache was even sexier.

“Oh, um, yeah,” you nodded dumbly, your tongue suddenly feeling like it weighed a thousand pounds as your brain short-circuited and couldn’t come up with a single worthwhile thing to say.

“Glad to know I’m not the only one,” Mr. Hottie went on, holding your boarding pass out to you. “Looks like we’ve got a long day of flying ahead of us.”

Mouth hanging open, you slowly reached out and took the boarding pass from him, trying frantically to think of something—anything—to say. He was flying to San Diego, too? You were on the same exact flight? Including the same layover?

“I—I—”

“Hey, the line's moving!” someone from the back called out, sounding annoyed.

Turning back over your shoulder, you were mortified to see that the elderly couple in front of you had disappeared and you were, in fact, holding up the line.

“Oh, um, I’m sorry,” you mumbled, ducking your head as you clutched your boarding pass and reached out for your carry-on. “Thanks again for grabbing this for me,” you told Mr. Hottie, waving your boarding pass slightly before turning and practically running towards the counter.

With his long stride, he caught up to you in no time, his smile friendly and warm as the two of you joined the line of people waiting to board the airplane.

“You weren’t holding anyone up,” he whispered down to you, as if it was some special secret the two of you were sharing. “I don’t know what that guy was in such a rush for. To move from that line to this one? We’re all getting out of here at the same time.”

You smiled at his words, feeling comforted by his reassurance. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Some people are just always in a hurry.”

The two of you were quiet after that, and you wondered if that would be the end of the conversation. You were casting around for anything else you could talk about when he suddenly asked you, “So are you leaving home or heading home?”

Your heart fluttered at his question. If he didn’t want to keep talking, he wouldn’t have asked that, right?

“Heading home,” you told him, fiddling shyly with your bracelet. You laughed softly. “It’s still kind of weird saying that. I’ve only been in San Diego for about eleven months.”

He raised his eyebrow, one corner of his mouth turning up in a smile. “Yeah? Well, I know I’m a little late, but welcome to Fightertown. I hope it’s been treating you well.”

“Oh, it has been,” you nodded, making sure to pay attention to when the people in front of you began moving forward. “I take it you’re heading home then, too?”

“I am,” he grinned, shouldering the backpack he was carrying with him. “Well, actually, I’m kind of leaving home and heading home,” he amended. At your curious look, he explained, “I’m from Virginia originally, but I live in San Diego now. I guess you could say I’m a transplant, just like you,” he added with a chuckle. “Are you from Virginia, too?”

“New York, actually,” you told him, as the two of you followed the flow of people towards the plane. “But my best friend and her husband moved to Fredericksburg recently, so I was spending the weekend with them.”

“Ah, that’s a nice area,” he nodded, rubbing the back of his neck as he glanced down at you with a smile. At your unspoken question, he said, “I was actually down for a reunion weekend at my school. I went to UVA.”

“I gathered,” you replied teasingly, indicating his T-shirt.

Glancing downward, he shook his head and laughed. “Almost forgot I threw this on when I woke up. Trying to get to the airport on time is a real pain, isn’t it?”

“Absolutely,” you agreed with a laugh, adjusting your hold on your duffel bag. “Flying is definitely one of my least favorite modes of transportation.”

“Hmm, I don’t know if I’d say that,” he said in reply, an amused look on his face.

Before you could ask him what was so funny, however, you were being welcomed aboard the plane by the stewardesses, who were all smiling and indicating that they expected you to keep moving down the aisle.

Your heart dropped slightly at the abrupt end to your conversation. Now the two of you were going to go to your separate seats, and he’d probably forget all about you. It was one thing to make idle conversation with a stranger while on line, but you doubted he had any real interest in continuing the conversation beyond that.

Sighing softly, you rolled your suitcase down the aisle, pausing every now and then as the people in front of you put their bags in the overhead bins and got themselves sorted. When you finally reached Row 22, you stopped and looked back at Mr. Hottie with an apologetic smile.

“Sorry, this is me. I’ll just be a minute,” you told him, pushing down the handle of your carry-on.

“No worries, this is me,” he grinned, indicating Row 21. “I even snagged the window seat,” he added with a wink.

Your mouth went dry. He had the window seat of Row 21. You had the window seat of Row 22. He was sitting directly in front of you.

“Here, let me help you with that,” he said, reaching for your carry-on bag and easily hefting it above his head, sliding it into the overhead bin for you. “Do you need me to put this one up there, too?” he asked, pointing towards your duffel bag.

“Oh, no, it’s okay,” you shook your head, holding onto the strap of your bag. “I’m going to keep this one with me. Thanks a lot,” you smiled, not even noticing the line of disgruntled people that was beginning to form behind the two of you.

“No problem,” he smiled, starting to slide into his row with his backpack still on his back. “Have a great flight.”

“You, too,” you replied, a little sadly, as you crawled into your row, doing your best to ignore the annoyed looks some people were throwing your way.

Needless to say, it was just your luck that the impatient man from the boarding line ended up sitting right beside you. You tried to smile at him, but he just grunted and put his headphones on, completely ignoring you.

Fine by you. Pulling your phone out, you found that you had a whole new series of texts from Katie, demanding to know exactly what was happening.

On the plane now. We should be taking off soon. I talked a little bit to Mr. Hottie. Are you happy?

It didn’t take long at all for her to respond. You could imagine that she had been sitting by her phone, waiting eagerly for your message.

Eeeee, yes, very! What did you guys talk about? Are you sitting near each other on the plane? Did you exchange numbers??? Send me a picture!!!

You laughed softly to yourself as you tried your best to answer all the questions your excited friend had asked you.

Just small talk. He’s actually flying home to San Diego, too. He went to UVA and was there for a reunion weekend. We did not exchange numbers and I’m not going to be a creepy stalker and take a picture of him, but he actually is sitting in the seat right in front of me.

OMG, IT’S FATE!!! So he has the same layover and everything??? And he’s FROM San Diego?! Babe, this is the guy for you!!! You’ve got to keep talking to him!

How would you suggest I do that? Just tap him on the shoulder and whisper into his ear the whole time?

It’s only a couple hours to Atlanta, and then you’ll have the layover, and then another four and half hours to San Diego. You could practically be engaged by the time you land! Just slip him a little note or something. Give him your number!

Your stomach was doing somersaults at the mere thought. Between the two of you, Katie had always been the more outgoing one. She would have no problem slipping a note with her phone number on it to a complete stranger, putting herself out there for the possibility of rejection and utter humiliation. You, on the other hand, preferred to play it safe. It was much more comfortable that way. And sure, maybe you’d never met your Josh the way Katie had, but at least you’d never been hurt too badly, right?

Unbidden, you thought of Andrew and felt bile rise in your throat.

Luckily, you were saved from having to answer Katie right away when the cabin crew made the announcement that it was time to shut down all electronics. Switching your phone onto airplane mode, you slipped it into the front pocket of your duffel bag and took a deep breath, buckling your seatbelt and closing your eyes.

Takeoff was your least favorite part of any flight. When you were a little girl, your parents used to make funny faces and sing silly songs to distract you from your terror. Even now as an adult who was flying all on her own, you still tried to remember the sound of their voices as the plane began its ascent.

It didn’t take too long before you were finally cruising at 18,000 feet and the captain turned off the seatbelt sign. Since you were a Delta SkyMiles member, you got free Wi-Fi on all your flights, so you immediately reached to turn your phone back on to let Katie know you had taken off safely.

As soon as your phone connected with the Wi-Fi, it was instantly flooded with a slew of text messages. A couple were from some of your friends back in San Diego, wishing you a safe and easy flight, but most were from your crazy best friend.

Don’t think you can use being on a plane as an excuse not to answer my texts!

I know you’re a SkyMiles member and you can see these messages!

You better answer me!!!

Shaking your head, you quickly tapped out a quick message in response.

Took off safely. Thinking of watching a movie before we land in Atlanta. You’re crazy and I am not slipping him a note.

Your phone was blessedly quiet for the next several minutes, and part of you hoped that Katie had given up this ridiculous notion. Knowing her as long as you had, however, you should have figured that wouldn’t be the case.

What’s the worst that could happen? He doesn’t answer you? The two of you never talk again? You’ve never seen this guy before in your life, and the chances are good that you’ll never see him again after this. So if you put yourself out there and it doesn’t work out, who cares? At least you tried. And sure, it might be a little embarrassing at first, but like I said, you’ll never have to see him again. But what if you thought about it the other way around? What if it DOES work out? What if this could be the start of something great? Would you really just want to walk away, wondering what could have been and regretting that you didn’t take a chance? You deserve to be loved so, so, SO much! And I know that you have so much love to give! This guy would be lucky if you chose him. Just give it a try, will you? For me? Please! You can’t see it, but I’m giving my best puppy dog face right now. And sending you all the best vibes! You can do this! I love you! ♥️

You groaned at your best friend’s heartfelt message. How could you possibly say no to that? You knew Katie just wanted the best for you, and she wanted you to be happy. You wanted to be happy, too. What if she was right? What if this was your chance? Would you be a fool to just walk away from it without even trying? Like Katie said, at least if you tried, you could say you’d done all you could. And if it didn’t work, then Mr. Hottie just wasn’t the one for you. No harm, no foul.

You were starting to feel like you might need to make use of the vomit bag tucked securely in the seat pocket in front of you when the stewardess stopped at your row to offer you all snacks and beverages. You gratefully accepted a can of ginger ale and a packet of pretzels, nibbling on them slowly in an attempt to settle your roiling stomach.

You were being an idiot. There was no reason to be so dramatic about all this. You could write a quick note and pass it up to him, then pretend it had never happened. Seriously, what was the worst that was going to happen? He was going to get up and make an announcement over the loudspeaker that the girl sitting in 22A was a pathetic, lonely loser? You doubted that very much.

Before you could lose your nerve, you reached into the front pocket of your duffel bag and pulled out the pen you always kept there. Turns out, it really did come in handy. Mercifully, the grumpy man beside you was already snoring, so you could write your note in peace without being worried about him seeing what you were doing.

Hand shaking slightly, you penned a quick letter to the handsome, charming man in 21A.

Hi there. I realized in all our talking that I never caught your name. But it might be good to know, seeing how we’re layover buddies and all. Hope you’re enjoying the flight so far.

You signed your name at the bottom, and then took a deep breath, reading over what you had written on the back of your Delta napkin. It sounded impossibly stupid, but you’d come this far and you weren’t going to turn back now. What was it that people on the internet were always saying? Something about shooting your shot?

Breathing through your nose to avoid getting sick, you reached out a trembling finger and lightly tapped the broad shoulder that you saw peeking out from the seat in front of you. You suddenly realized that he may have been asleep and panicked at the thought of waking him up, but he shifted immediately at your touch and you could tell that he was turning towards you.

Not wanting to meet his eye, you immediately thrust your napkin into the small open space between your seats and the windows, silently praying that he would take it from you instead of laughing in your face.

A second later, you felt his large fingers brush against yours as he took your little note, shifting in his seat once more so that he was facing front again.

What had you just done? Oh, God, there was still another hour left to go on this flight, then a layover, and another four and half hours to San Diego. True, you would never have to see him again after you landed in California, but that was still a lot of time left to have to be in proximity to him if all of this blew up in your face.

You were just about ready to launch yourself out of one of the emergency exits when you suddenly looked up and realized that there was a small white napkin hovering above your head.

Mr. Hottie in 21A was reaching back with your note in hand. Your stomach plummeted and your face and neck grew warm with shame at the thought of him returning the letter you’d written him, until you noticed the red ink on the back of it. 

You’d written your note in black ink.

Slowly reaching out, you took the napkin from his hand, your fingers brushing against each other once more. His were large and warm and calloused and made goosebumps rise on your arm.

Pulse beating rapidly, you turned over the napkin to see the response he had written on the back. His handwriting was a bit messy, more of a scrawl than anything, but it made you smile to look at it.

What was I thinking, not properly introducing myself to my layover buddy? Hope you can forgive me. My name is Bradley. I don’t suppose there’s any chance you’ve got some Wi-Fi on this flight, do you? If you do, feel free to text me. We seem to be dangerously low on napkins.

At the bottom, he’d written his cell phone number.

Pressing a hand over your mouth, it took everything in you to swallow back the squeal of delight that rose up your throat. It worked! Katie’s silly plan had actually worked! Oh, she was going to gloat about this forever when you told her.

Beaming brightly, you pulled out your cell phone. As much as you loved her, Katie could wait right now. You had an extremely gorgeous layover buddy to get in touch with.

Typing his number into your cell phone, you opened up a new message and contemplated what to say for a moment.

Layover buddies who both just so happen to have some inflight Wi-Fi? Clearly it’s meant to be.

You hoped the message came across as cute and flirty instead of desperate and weird as you hit send, anxiously waiting to see if he would reply.

It took only a moment before your phone buzzed, Bradley’s name lighting up your screen.

Layover buddies who both just so happen have some inflight Wi-Fi AND spring for the window seats? Obviously it’s meant to be!

You smiled and were about to think up a reply when another message suddenly came though.

Oh, and to answer your note—I’m enjoying the flight a lot more now.

The butterflies went crazy in your stomach as you wrote back to him.

Me, too. And that’s saying a lot, considering the four-year-old behind me hasn’t stopped kicking my seat since we boarded.

Bradley only took seconds to reply.

Oof, that’s rough. If I could switch seats with you, I would. But I have to admit that I’m very happy that you’re not kicking my seat.

Wouldn’t be too sure about that, you sent back teasingly before lightly nudging his seat with your foot.

Hey! I thought we were friends!

We’ll see 😉

You and Bradley went back and forth like that for the entire remainder of your flight to Atlanta, the banter light and easy as you teased and joked with each other. You even ended up playing a game of 20 Questions, in which you learned, among other things, that Bradley’s favorite color was red, he once broke his arm when he was seven years old, and he absolutely despised peas.

As the captain announced that you would soon begin preparing for your final descent, you shot off a quick message to Katie, who you had woefully neglected during your conversation with Bradley.

I owe you one. The pep talk and the plan actually worked—I’m texting Mr. Hottie as we speak! Update you soon. We’re about to land in Atlanta.

Just as you sent the message off to your friend, another text from Bradley arrived.

Looks like we’re going to have to turn off our phones, layover buddy. I’ll see you when we land. Food? I’m starving.

Grinning, you had to pinch yourself to check that this wasn’t some sort of elaborate dream.

Same. I’ll race you for some french fries.

You’re on.

When the plane finally landed and the captain turned off the seatbelt sign, everyone practically jumped out of their seats in a mad dash to see who could be the first to get their belongings out of the overhead bins. Since you and Bradley were in the window seats, you took your time, knowing you weren’t getting off the plane anytime soon.

You were surprised, however, when he suddenly popped his head over the back of his seat, grinning down at you. “Good thing our next flight doesn’t leave for a couple hours yet,” he said, indicating the crowd with a good-natured grin that made your heart melt.

You had almost been starting to think you’d exaggerated just how good-looking he was, but nope. He really was that hot.

“Plenty of time to grab those fries,” you laughed, smiling up at him.

When you and Bradley were finally able to step out into the aisle, he opened the bin above your head and reached for your suitcase.

“Let me take care of this for you,” he said, lowering it to the ground and lifting the handle so that he could wheel it up the aisle.

“Oh, you don’t have to,” you insisted, not wanting him to think that you expected him to carry your things for you.

“Hey, what are layover buddies for?” he winked, leading the way off the plane.

Once the two of you were standing face to face in the middle of the airport terminal, you began to feel a little shy and self-conscious again. It had been easy to talk to Bradley via text, but now that you were gazing up at his handsome face again, you suddenly found yourself getting just as tongue-tied as before.

Bradley seemed to sense your nerves because he smiled warmly at you, his demeanor just as open and friendly as it had been the entire time you’d known him.

“How about we hunt down those fries?” he suggested, waiting until you smiled and nodded before turning and guiding you towards the main concourse.

The two of you ended up finding a quick and easy little fast food counter, where you ordered a couple burgers, a large order of fries, and some vanilla milkshakes with whipped cream and cherries. As soon as it became clear that Bradley was going to pay for both your meals, you tried to argue and insist on paying your share, but he wouldn’t hear it.

“My mom raised a gentleman, and she would kill me if she thought I was even thinking of letting my layover buddy pay for her lunch,” he told you, winking playfully as he handed his credit card to the employee behind the counter.

You took your suitcase from Bradley as he balanced the tray with your food in his hands, leading you to an empty table towards the end of the concourse.

“Your mom must be very proud of you, I’m sure,” you grinned, reaching eagerly for a fry and popping it into your mouth. “Did you get to see her while you were in Virginia?”

Bradley smiled, though his eyes suddenly looked a little sad. “Yeah. Yeah, you could say that.”

Deciding not to press the matter, you instead turned the attention to his college reunion. That led to the two of you happily swapping stories about your time in college, which landed you on the subject of what you do now.

“A naval aviator? Really? And a TOPGUN graduate? That’s very impressive,” you gushed, mentally picturing him in a flight suit. You’d gone on a couple dates with some naval aviators from North Island, but none as handsome or as charming as Bradley. You suddenly groaned and covered your face with your hand when you remembered what you’d said to him right before boarding the plane. “So that’s what you meant when I was saying that flying isn’t my favorite mode of transportation,” you murmured, feeling a little embarrassed.

Bradley threw his head back and laughed at that, looking genuinely amused. “Hey, I get it. Flying isn’t for everybody. Trust me, some days I wish I had just opted for a desk job,” he grinned, his muscles flexing as he stretched in his seat. “But there’s nothing quite like it, when you’re the one doing the flying. Maybe one day I can take you up in the air and change your mind.”

He looked across the table at you and held your gaze, and you felt sure in that moment that you would have promised him anything he asked.

“So what’s your call sign then?” you asked with a smile, resting your cheek in your hand as you looked into his eyes.

“Oh, you know about that, huh?” he chuckled, the tips of his ears turning pink. “Well, uh, they call me Rooster.”

You had a feeling he expected you to laugh—maybe other girls in the past had—but you just grinned brightly in response. “I like it,” you said simply. “It suits you.”

He let out a small breath and smiled in return. “Thank you. My dad’s call sign was Goose. So I guess it runs in the family.”

“Your dad is in the Navy, too?” you asked curiously, lifting your milkshake and taking a sip.

Bradley cleared his throat slightly, looking down at his lap. “He was. He died in a training accident at TOPGUN when I was two.”

You sucked in a breath at your own carelessness and looked across at Bradley with empathy glowing in your eyes. “Oh, Bradley,” you murmured softly, reaching out and resting a hand over his. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay,” he replied gently, a small smile on his face as he placed his other hand over yours. “But thank you.” He was quiet for a moment before he went on. “It was just me and my mom for a while, back home in Virginia. But she got sick when I was in high school, and she passed away my senior year.”

“Bradley,” you breathed out sadly, your heart breaking for him. You winced when you thought of what he’d said before, about seeing his mom while he was in Virginia.

“She and my dad are buried in my hometown, where I grew up. I go to see them at the cemetery whenever I’m back in town,” he explained, as if reading your thoughts.

“I’m sure that means a lot to them, and that they’re smiling down on you always,” you told him sincerely, squeezing his hand lightly.

He smiled up at you, the sadness in his expression lifting slightly. “I like to think so. I think they’d like you a lot,” he added, then looked away. He suddenly seemed embarrassed.

The two of you sat back, disentangling your hands as you sat in mildly awkward silence for a moment or two.

“What about your parents?” Bradley asked, clearly looking for a way to change the subject. “Do they still live in New York?”

It was your turn to look sad now. “Well, we actually have a lot in common, Bradley. Only I guess my story is sort of in reverse. My mom passed away when I was six years old. She got in a car accident on her way home from work. And my dad passed when I was a freshman in college. Lung cancer.”

“Shit,” Bradley muttered, shaking his head and running a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have—”

“It’s okay,” you cut him off, placing a reassuring hand on his arm. “You couldn’t have known. And it feels kind of nice talking about it with someone who I know understands. You know what I mean?”

“Yeah,” Bradley nodded, his expression serious as his dark eyes rested on your face. “Yeah, I do.”

You and Bradley sat in companionable silence as you finished your meals, then checked to see how much time you had before your connecting flight.

“I guess we should start making our way over to the gate,” you suggested, glancing at the time on your phone. You had about ten text messages from Katie, but you were too embarrassed to open them anywhere near Bradley.

Bradley nodded in agreement, wordlessly taking the handle of your suitcase and leading you back across the concourse.

“Hey, we got so distracted talking about my job that I never even asked what you do,” he suddenly realized once the two of you were seated at your gate, both your phones charging in a nearby outlet.

“Oh, yeah,” you smiled, brushing a loose strand of hair that had escaped your bun behind your ear. “Funny enough, I actually work for the Midway Museum,” you told him, glancing up at him, only to find that he was already gazing down at you.

“No way! Guess we’re both stuck aboard aircraft carriers for work then,” he chuckled. “What do you do?”

“Well, my official title is digital content specialist,” you said, biting down on your lower lip. You felt like it always sounded a bit pretentious. “Basically, I help run the museum’s digital accounts—social media, their website, email blasts, things like that. My degree is in marketing and communications, so that’s basically what I do.”

“That’s amazing,” Bradley said, and you could tell that he genuinely meant it. Some guys just pretended to be interested in your job as a pretense for trying to get into your pants, but you could tell that Bradley actually cared about what you had to say. He was actually listening. “Is that what brought you out to San Diego?”

“It is, actually. I had been applying to a few different places, and when I got word from the Midway that they were interested in hiring me, I thought that maybe it was the fresh start I needed,” you confessed.

“Has it been?” Bradley asked quietly.

“I think so,” you nodded slowly, absent-mindedly twisting your bracelet around your wrist. “It’s hard sometimes, being so far away from my best friend, Katie—the one I was visiting. She’s pretty much the only family I’ve got left. But I like the life that I’m building in San Diego.”

“That’s good. I’m glad to hear it,” Bradley smiled, his hand lightly brushing against yours as he shifted in his seat. He looked like he was about to say more when the flight crew called your boarding group.

“Looks like we’re going to be sitting near each other again, 21A,” you teased, glancing down at his boarding pass as the two of you rose and grabbed your phones.

“Glad to hear it, 22A,” he joked in return, holding up his phone and waving it back and forth. “And now my phone is fully charged for our trip back to San Diego, so let the texting commence.”

Giggling, you nodded as the two of you walked down the rampway side by side and made your way onto the plane and to your seats without incident. When you got there, however, you saw that there had been some confusion with a young family that looked to have four children under the age of eight. It seemed as though their tickets had gotten split up so that they weren’t all sitting next to each other, and the mother was frantic.

“Excuse me, ma’am?” Bradley asked, quickly taking stock of the situation. When the woman looked up at him, clearly stressed out and worried he was going to yell at her, he smiled comfortingly. “I was just going to say that, if you’d like, you can have my seat. I’d be happy to take yours since it looks like it’s next to my friend here anyway. That way, we can all be comfortable and sit with the people we want to sit with.”

“Oh, thank you!” the young mother exclaimed, looking ready to hug Bradley. “Thank you!”

She and her husband quickly got their children settled, thanking Bradley a few more times for good measure, while he took your carry-on and set it in the overhead bin.

Once you had settled in your window seat, Bradley took the seat beside you, grinning impishly.

“Look at that. Now we don’t even need to waste the Wi-Fi,” he murmured, nudging you playfully.

“Things just have a way of working out for us today, don’t they?” you laughed, settling your duffel bag at your feet. “I’m just going to send a quick message to Katie, to let her know I made it onto my connecting flight,” you told him, reaching for your phone and quickly opening Katie’s messages so that Bradley wouldn’t see them.

“Good idea, I should text Mav,” Bradley said, grabbing his phone out of his pocket. At your confused look, he explained, “My godfather. He’s also in the Navy, and he also just so happens to be stationed out in San Diego. He’s going to pick me up at the airport.”

Nodding, you sent a brief text to your best friend, promising you would call her as soon as you got home, then settled in for the flight and tried to get as comfortable as possible.

As soon as you felt the plane jolt to life and begin taxing towards the runway, your chest grew tight and your grip on yours and Bradley’s shared armrest started to turn your knuckles white.

“Hey,” Bradley said softly, genuine concern in his voice as he glanced over and noticed how on edge you suddenly appeared. “You alright?”

“I’m fine,” you lied, keeping your gaze fixed straight ahead on the screen in front of you, which was currently playing some Delta commercial that your brain could scarcely register.

“I think your death grip on our armrest would suggest otherwise,” he pressed gently, his tone remaining light and good-humored. “You trying to take that thing with you?”

Startled, your nervous trance was broken and you glanced down to see what Bradley was talking about. Sure enough, your nails were digging into the armrest so intensely that you wouldn’t have been surprised if they left little crescent-shaped marks in their wake.

Letting out a shaky laugh, you looked up at the man beside you ruefully. “Okay, truth be told, I get a little anxious during takeoff,” you confessed, biting your lip in embarrassment. He would probably think that was silly. He was a fighter pilot, after all. His day job involved flying multi-million dollar aircrafts for the military. And here you were, acting like a scaredy cat over a commercial Delta flight.

Bradley’s eyes crinkled in a way that you found devastatingly charming as he smiled over at you. The look on his face was kind, without a single trace of mocking humor.

“Want to know a secret?” he whispered, leaning in closer to you so that his nose was nearly pressed against your cheek and you could feel his breath on your skin. “So do I.”

“You’re kidding,” you scoffed, shooting him a skeptical look. He was probably just trying to be nice. “But you’re a naval aviator!”

“Yeah, but I’m not the one flying this plane, am I?” he retorted with a lopsided grin. “It’s hard to put the reins in someone else’s hands. So I understand being nervous. Hell, I still get a little nervous sometimes when I’m flying an F-18. Just don’t tell anyone I said that,” he added, lowering his voice conspiratorially.

“Oh, of course not,” you giggled, smiling over at him. Glancing out the window, you realized that his conversation had distracted you so much, you hadn’t even noticed that the plane had finished its approach towards the runway and was officially waiting for takeoff.

Some of your nerves returned, and you gripped the armrest once more, but this time, you felt Bradley’s large, yet gentle fingers close over yours. Surprised, you turned your head sharply and instantly met his gaze. It was direct and disconcertingly open as he looked deeply into your eyes.

“It’s okay,” he assured you in a low voice, squeezing your fingers comfortingly. “We’re going to be okay.”

“My parents used to sing to me during takeoff,” you found yourself blurting out suddenly, your cheeks growing warm at the admission. “I can remember my mom doing it when I was a little girl, and my dad used to do it for me even when I was in high school,” you explained shyly, lowering your eyes to your lap.

At that moment, your stomach dropped as the plane suddenly began hurtling forward, seeking enough momentum to become airborne.

You squeezed your eyes shut, trying to recall the sound of your parents’ voices in order to calm your racing heart. But a new voice suddenly entered the mix as you felt your newfound flying buddy lean across the armrest, his warm body pressing against your side as he sang quietly in your ear.

“You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain…”

Wait a second. You knew that song. Where did you know that song from?

“Too much love drives a man insane. You broke my will, but what a thrill…”

Yes, you definitely knew that song. It was on one of the records your parents used to play when you were a little girl. Was it Jerry Lee Lewis?

Gasping in recognition, you whisper-sang the next lyric in harmony with Bradley—“Goodness gracious, great balls of fire!”

He laughed in delight when you began singing along, squeezing your hand with an affectionate grin. “And would you look at that,” he said, nodding towards the window. “We’re airborne. Wasn’t so bad, was it?”

Shocked, you followed his line of vision and were taken aback to see that you were already ascending into the clouds, leaving the city of Atlanta far behind. That had been one of the smoothest takeoff experiences you’d had in—well, you couldn’t even remember how long.

“I barely even noticed!” you exclaimed, focusing your attention back on Bradley. You smiled gratefully, your heart melting at the adorable puppy dog look on his face. “Thank you, Bradley.”

You noticed at that moment that he still hadn’t let go of your hand, and your pulse began to quicken, but this time for entirely different reasons.

“You’re welcome,” he murmured in response, his voice low and suddenly husky. It did something to you, that deep, raspy voice of his. “Happy to do it.” He squeezed your hand gently once more, then slowly—almost hesitantly—let it go.

“I haven’t heard that song in the longest time,” you told him, resting back against your seat. “My parents used to listen to it.”

Bradley smiled slightly. “It’s the one song I can actually remember my dad singing. He loved to sing and play the piano. My mom had tons of home videos of him doing it. But that song—that song I can actually remember hearing him sing, you know? I was so young when he—well—I can remember that one. And that’s why it’s my favorite to sing and play.”

“You play the piano, too?” you asked, impressed. “Wow, a man of many talents.” You nudged him playfully, a big smile on your face.

“I’ll have to show you what I can do,” Bradley replied, winking.

Your stomach fluttered at the implication that he might actually want to see you again after today.

“I’d like that,” you admitted, ducking your head shyly. You suddenly felt much more aware of everything around you, particularly every inch of your muscular seatmate. Goodness, he really was huge, wasn’t he? Chewing nervously on your bottom lip, you began fidgeting with your bracelet, tugging at it absent-mindedly.

“That’s a pretty bracelet,” Bradley commented, pointing at it as he watched you twist it back and forth around your wrist. “A gift?” he asked lightly, his tone almost a little too casual.

“Mhm,” you nodded, smiling fondly as you gazed down at it. You could still remember the day you opened it. “My dad bought it for me as a present when I graduated high school. I never take it off.”

“Ah,” Bradley nodded, appearing surprisingly relieved. He was quiet for a moment or two, looking like he was mulling over something. Then he turned towards you and asked, “So, um, is there anybody waiting for you in San Diego? Anyone, uh, special, I mean?” he asked, his cheeks and his ears turning red as he rubbed the back of his neck.

You felt your own skin grow warm in response. Was Bradley asking if you had a boyfriend? And was he embarrassed about it? Just when you thought this man couldn’t possibly charm you any more than he already had.

“Not unless you count my neighbor, Mrs. Flores. She really appreciates it when I walk her dog on the weekends,” you told him, your lips twitching as you tried to maintain a straight face.

Caught off guard by your response, Bradley let out a loud laugh, covering his mouth with one hand as he glanced down at you, eyes twinkling.

“I’m sure Mrs. Flores will be very happy to see you back again,” he nodded, tapping his fingers on his tray table.

The two of you sat in silence for a couple minutes until you finally glanced up and said, “I had actually just gotten out of a long-term relationship right before I moved to San Diego. It was kind of the catalyst for why I decided to take the job at the Midway Museum.”

“Oh, really?” Bradley asked, eyebrows shooting up. Then he cleared his throat, shaking his head. “I mean, I’m sorry to hear that. If it’s too personal, we don’t have to talk about it.”

“No, it’s okay,” you sighed, twirling your bracelet a few times as you thought back on your last failed relationship. Surprisingly, it didn’t hurt as much as it normally did. Maybe time really did heal all wounds. You took a deep breath before you elaborated. “Andrew and I were together for four years. For a long time, I really thought he was the one. Katie was convinced that he was going to propose on our trip to Greece. It was a dream vacation for me. I had the whole thing planned out for months and months. And I really started to let myself believe that it was going to happen.”

Bradley sat quietly, watching you carefully as he attentively took in every word you uttered.

“We were in Athens, and I had the whole day planned—all these tours and museums. But Andrew insisted that he was too tired since we had just traveled from Rhodes, and he begged me to let him stay behind at the hotel. Being the idiot that I am, I thought that maybe he wanted to put the finishing touches on his big proposal. So I went on the tours by myself. But the last tour ended early, so I came back to our hotel room a little sooner than expected.”

Your throat began to tighten as the story continued, the pain of what had happened next eclipsed only by your embarrassment that Bradley would soon know how pitifully your last relationship had ended. Why had you brought all this up?

“I’ll spare you all the details, but suffice it to say, I found Andrew in bed with one of the cocktail waitresses from the hotel bar. And to no one’s surprise, there was no ring and he never had any intention of proposing. So I flew home from Greece minus a boyfriend and with very little remaining of my dignity. Leaving everything behind and starting fresh in San Diego seemed like a really good idea, so when the Midway contacted me, I jumped at the offer. And here I am,” you finished with a self-conscious laugh, shrugging your shoulders awkwardly.

Bradley didn’t say anything at first, just continued to stare at you in a way that had you feeling distinctly exposed. Your fingers immediately went to your bracelet once again, nervously fidgeting and waiting for him to say something.

Reaching out, he placed his hand over yours and stilled your movements gently. “First of all,” he began slowly, looking directly into your eyes. It seemed as though he was peering directly into your soul. “Andrew is a complete and total loser. If he didn’t know what he had in you, then he never deserved you to begin with. It’s his loss, and trust me, he’ll be regretting it for the rest of his life if he has even an ounce of sense.” His thumb brushed lightly against your knuckles, making your legs suddenly feel like Jell-O. “Second of all, I’m so sorry. You didn’t deserve that, and I hope you know that the way that idiot treated you in no way says anything about you. I’ve only known you for a few hours, but I can see that that guy never deserved you to begin with.”

Feeling bashful, you lowered your head, trying to escape the intensity of Bradley’s dark eyes. It didn’t matter though—you could still feel his gaze.

“You don’t have to say that,” you murmured, not wanting him to think you had just unloaded all of this on him for sympathy points.

“I’m not just saying it,” he insisted, his voice serious. “You’re a special girl, and you deserve to be with someone who treats you that way.”

Someone like you?

The thought sprang unbidden to your mind, causing you to grow flustered. “Th–thank you,” you stammered, worried for half a second that Bradley could actually read your mind.

You were saved from having to make any further comment in that moment when the stewardess suddenly appeared with the food cart, asking you if you wanted any snacks or beverages.

You opted for a Diet Coke and popcorn, while Bradley took a Sprite and a bag of potato chips.

“What do you say? A little toast to my new flight buddy?” Bradley suggested teasingly, holding his can of soda out towards you.

You couldn’t help but smile, lightly tapping your can against his. “Cheers to us,” you laughed, taking a small sip.

“To us,” Bradley grinned. “You know,” he went on, after taking a gulp of his Sprite, “if you ever want to think about getting your pilot’s license, I’d be happy to have you as my wingman—er, woman.”

You laughed aloud at the notion, shaking your head. “Um, did you already forget about how well I handled takeoff? I’m not so sure anyone would trust me behind the controls of a plane.”

“I could teach you,” he shot back, waggling his eyebrows until you laughed again. “Or at the very least, take you up for a little joyride. I’d make sure to keep you safe.”

Your heart warmed at his words, and you found yourself wondering what it would be like to walk through life with this man, to have him be the one you came home to every day.

To have him be the one to make you feel like the most special girl in the world.

“I would like that,” you confessed, pushing your self-consciousness to the side as you looked into his eyes. “I would like that a lot.”

“So would I,” Bradley replied, his expression earnest.

For the next hour or two, you and Bradley shared some of the snacks you’d packed in your duffel bag and talked about everything and nothing at the same time. You had never felt so instantly at ease with someone who had been a complete and total stranger just a few hours earlier. The fact that he had been in San Diego all this time, right under your nose, and that it had taken a flight home all the way from Virginia for you two to actually meet felt like more than just a coincidence. It felt like this was exactly where you were supposed to be.

At some point, you must have finally succumbed to your exhaustion and fallen asleep because when the captain announced that you were making your final descent into San Diego International Airport, you were lifting your head off Bradley’s shoulder and blinking in confusion.

“Hello there, sleepyhead,” Bradley grinned, wiping a hand down his face and rubbing the sleep out of his own eyes.

“How long was I asleep?” you asked, stretching your arms over your head. “I never sleep on planes.”

“Well you definitely slept on this one. I’d say you were probably out for at least an hour and a half,” he told you, running a hand through his hair, which made his sunkissed curls stand on end. “I nodded out, too. Guess we both needed it, huh?”

“Yeah, guess so,” you nodded, smiling at him.

By the time you finally deplaned—after Bradley, of course, had insisted on taking down your carry-on suitcase from the overhead bin and rolling it through the airport for you—you were growing both eager and anxious with anticipation of what the end of your journey would look like.

You and Bradley technically already had each other’s phone numbers, so should you say something about getting together? Would that seem too brazen? Should you just text him tomorrow and hope that whatever spark had been ignited during your travels today wouldn’t be extinguished by the time you both got home?

All of those thoughts and more were running through your head as you and Bradley took the escalator down to baggage claim and the terminal exit.

“Do you, um, do you have somebody picking you up?” Bradley asked as the two of you stepped off the escalator. He stepped to the side to avoid the flow of the crowd, and you stepped with him. “Mrs. Flores perhaps?” he added with a teasing spark in his eye.

“No,” you giggled, shaking your head. “I was just planning to call an Uber.”

“No need,” he said, his chest puffing out ever so slightly. “Mav and I will give you a ride home. He should actually be here already,” he mumbled, almost to himself, as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and scrolled through his messages.

“Oh, you guys don’t have to do that. I wouldn’t want you going out of your way,” you hurried to tell him, noticing that Bradley still had his hand on the handle of your suitcase.

“Who says it would be going out of our way?” Bradley retorted with that impossibly charming smile of his. “Unless, of course, you’re more comfortable taking an Uber. I don’t want to make you feel like—”

“No, no, you’re not,” you interrupted, wanting to make it clear to him that you appreciated the offer.

Seemingly at an impasse, the two of you just looked at each other and started laughing.

“I would love a ride, thank you. If it’s not too much trouble,” you told him.

“Never,” Bradley insisted. “Besides, you put up with me all day. I owe you.”

“I could say the same thing,” you grinned, reaching into the front pocket of your duffel bag and pulling out your cell phone. “In the meantime, I should text Katie and let her know I landed safely and that you haven’t abducted me or anything,” you teased jokingly.

Too late, you realized your mistake.

“Ah, so you told Katie about me, huh?” Bradley smirked, looking just a tad too pleased with himself. “What did you say?”

“Oh, um, nothing, just that I made a friend while traveling,” you stammered in humiliation, your cheeks feeling like they were on fire. “I’m just, um, I’m going to step over there while you get your bag.”

“Sure, sure,” he laughed, winking at you as he hurried over to the baggage carousel to search for his suitcase.

“Oh my God, how stupid are you?” you muttered to yourself, mentally kicking yourself for your careless words as you sent off a quick message to your best friend to let her know you were alive.

A moment later, she texted you back.

YOU BETTER CALL ME THE MINUTE YOU GET HOME!!! I WANT EVERY. SINGLE. DETAIL!!!

Smiling, you dropped your phone back into your bag and looked up to see Bradley walking towards you, his suitcase in hand.

“Ready to head out?” he asked with a smile, watching as you grabbed the handle of your carry-on and did one quick scan to make sure you hadn’t dropped anything.

“Ready,” you nodded, following him outside to where a slew of Ubers and other cars were waiting to pick up their passengers.

“There’s Mav,” Bradley told you, pointing with his free hand towards the end of the pick-up line, where a handsome older man with dark hair and an easy smile was waving at you.

“Your godfather drives a Porsche?” you asked, your eyes nearly bugging out of your head at the sight of the vintage car. It was in pristine condition and you were certain it must have cost a small fortune.

“Technically, it’s his fiancée, Penny’s car, but she lets him drive it when he’s been good,” Bradley joked, resting a gentle hand on your back as he guided you through the crowd.

Bradley was quick to embrace his godfather when the two of you finally reached the Porsche, slapping him on the back before stepping back and holding out a hand to you. “Mav, I’d like you to meet my new travel buddy,” he grinned, introducing you by name.

Mav, as Bradley kept calling him, offered you one of those easy smiles as he held out his hand, which you took with a smile of your own.

“Ah, so this is the girl from the plane I’ve been hearing so much about,” Mav smirked, shooting a pointed look in his godson’s direction.

“Mav!” Bradley hissed through gritted teeth, his complexion instantly turning pink, even in the shade.

“Ah,” you smirked, feeling vindicated from your earlier blunder. “So you told Mav about me, huh?” you asked, nudging his side. “What did you say?” you teased, tossing back his question from before.

“Oh, he said plenty,” Mav jumped in, clearly enjoying watching Bradley squirm as he opened the passenger side door for you.

“Don’t listen to him. He’s crazy. All those Gs he’s always pulling have finally gone to his head,” Bradley protested, although he was smiling as he said it.

“Oh, I think I’m going to enjoy this car ride very much,” you giggled, winking at Bradley as you slid into your seat.

“Promise you’ll still like me by the time we get home?” Bradley whispered, leaning in close as he climbed in beside you.

You grinned up at him, thinking about how, for the first time in a long time, you didn’t feel so alone. San Diego suddenly felt much more like home than it ever had.

“Promise.”

[beansnsoup]

Jaelyn's fic recs!

Fluff- 🧡

Smut - 💛

Part One! -> Part Two!

Alastor-

☆ Deer Dolly - Series by @ohproserpine 🧡

☆ for valentines day, i thought i'd buy a gun. By @ohproserpine

synopsis: you make your husband mad on purpose. 🧡💛?

☆ Alastor x Wife!Reader by @altruisticalastor

Summary: Lucifer gets a little too brazen with Alastor's darling wife. Guess the Ruler of Hell would just have to learn a lesson about who you belong to 💛

☆ my wife, my wife, my wife, my wife by @iicarused

synopsis:reader is vox’s ex and he’s not too keen of the separation — you were supposed to come back to him! not run around with his rival and get rid of his only access of looking after you (removing any/all electronics from your life) 🧡?

☆ come back to me by @iicarused

synopsis: you’re getting tired of the radio demon (part ii) 🧡?

☆ alastor + cunnilingus by @vmpyria 💛

☆ heaven knows your name by @iicarused

synopsis: heartaches after yearning for each other after decades of being apart 🧡

☆ alastor x married!reader by @bigfatbimbo 🧡

☆ DANCE WITH THE DEVIL by @popamolly

summary. Amidst the vibrant 1920s in New Orleans, a forbidden love unfolds in the lively jazz-filled atmosphere, evolving from an intoxicating romance to a twisted tale of heartbreak and murder, serving as a reminder to never dance with the devil. (SERIES) 🧡💛

Johnnie Guilbert-

☆ New Set by @corrodedcoffins-blog

summary: Giving boyfriend!Johnnie head scratches after getting new acrylics 🧡

☆ Collab by @teapartyprincess4two

summary: You and Johnnie pretend to date, faking it for so long that it became real. 🧡

☆ Run Your Mouth by @samandcolby-ownme

Prompt: Johnnie and reader get into an argument which leads to make up sex. 💛

☆ vampire!Johnnie x reader by @caeunot

summary- you find out your bf is a vampire 🧡💛?

☆ johnnie guilbert x reader by @caeunot

summary- johnnie writing zombie about you 🧡

☆ You by @sturnsreader 💛

☆ you know i’ll keep you in my locket by @stardustloserdoll 🧡

JSchlatt-

☆ "sit on my face." by @ghostkidabs 💛

☆ Jack & Coke part one by @d444zed 🧡💛?

☆ Jack & Coke part two by @d444zed 💛

☆ Mutual breakup headcanon/oneshot by @ohbabydollie 🧡

☆ Mutual breakup oneshot by @ohbabydollie 💛

Ellie Williams-

☆ no room for the holy spirit by @moncherellie 💛

☆ Roommate Trouble by @justkindalivin

summary: Your roommate Jesse and his girlfriend Dina fuck..a lot. loudly. When you finally get fed up after being woken up by their nightly “activities”, you go to Dina’s dorm for some peace and quiet only to run into her roommate, Ellie. 🧡💛

☆ hands to herself by @elliesbarbie

summary: ellie thinks you look a little too good in that bikini you chose to wear for the annual best friend vacay and can’t keep her hands off you 💛

☆ Getting caught with ellie by @me-and-your-husband 💛

☆ Body Ink by @me-and-your-husband

summary: you tattoo ellie's thigh. it's a bit of a compromising position, and it leads you down an unexpected road. female reader. 🧡💛

Alex Turner-

☆ Pillow Talk by @ohladymoon-blog

summary: what the title says, just pillow talk and soft cuddles after sex. ends in cockwarming. 🧡💛

☆ strawberry lace by @lilmisssweetdreams 🧡💛

☆ Test Drive by @savorypink 💛

Spiderman-

☆ Wingman (Hobie Brown) by @love-bitesx 🧡

☆ Crybaby (Hobie Brown) by @merowkittie 🧡

☆ "Thank You, Mrs. Parker." (Spider Noir) by @sabcandoit

Summary: After your wedding, you and Peter go home and have sex for the first time. 🧡💛

☆ Miss Your Face (TASM! Peter Parker) by @dontsaypetertingle

Summary: When you have to go out of town for work Peter gets lonely and a bit needy. An innocent call home to check on him becomes a lot more intense than originally planned. (Has a pt 2) 💛

☆ Break It In (Tom! Peter Parker) by @simplyparker

Summary: Peter gets his first car, and you want to have some fun 💛

☆ Please, Don't Stop Now by @echos-newlegs

Summary: you are in an established relationship with Peter, and he very much wants baby. 🧡💛

Fred Weasley-

☆ Facetime by @albertdabuttler

summary: !!MODERN AU!! Fred calls you in the middle of the night because he can’t sleep, but you look so pretty and he starts getting a little heated up. (Has 3 parts) 🧡💛

☆ Sweet Sugar Candyman by @keykeep 💛

☆ Sleeping In by @screamingoverfiction 💛

☆ Slipping Through My Fingers by @midnightmoonytales

Summary: Watching his little girl grow up had to one of his favorite things to see, but also one of the saddest. Every pivotal moment of her life flashing through his mind, even to this one now. (Wolfstar!daughter reader) 🧡

☆ Electric Pull by @apparentlytheproblem 🧡

Steve Harrington-

☆ I'll Be The Judge (Ft. Robin x Reader) by @luvfae

summary: steve and robin get into an argument about which one of them can give a girl a better orgasm, you come up with an idea to settle the argument once and for all. 💛

☆ Cowboy Hat Rule by @taintedcigs

summary: helping out mr. harrington in his ranch was supposed to be fun, but steve harrington was an asshole. an absolute pain in your ass that teased you, and you gave him the same energy back, always. so when you unknowingly wear his cowboy hat, he decides to teach you what exactly the cowboy hat rule is. 💛

☆ Marriage Pact by @fantasylandloser

summary: besties that plan to get married 🧡💛

Eddie Roundtree-

☆ Blind Date by @luvfae

Summary: The reader and Eddie get setup on a blind date 🧡💛

☆ Lead Singers Are Overrated by @luvfae

summary: working at the whiskey has it perks and that includes getting railed backstage by a certain bassist in a band. 💛

Extras-

☆ Not In On The Joke (Brian Quinn) by @joe--bro

Summary: The Jokers have to do certain tasks to win in the park, and a certain task given by the rest of the Jokers leads Q to talk to you. 🧡

☆ Flavored Kisses (Xavier Thorpe) by @cosmicpearlz

summary: in which you wear a different flavored chapstick everyday and your boyfriend xavier loves it. 🧡

☆ Babysitting (Judd Birch) by @just-another-author-i-guess

Summary: you and Judd are the designated babysitters for the night. 🧡💛

☆ Don't Fake It (Peter Quill) by @professorrw

Request/Summary: peter starts getting frisky with the reader but shes tired and isn’t really in the mood. He would never pressure her or anything but she wants to make him happy and feels bad saying no, so she does it and fakes her orgasm just to get it over with. Later, he somehow finds out (or knew all along, you decide) that she faked it and of course his ego is bruised and he’s kinda annoyed, but also feels guilty she didn’t tell him how she felt. So the next night, she starts coming onto him and he makes damn sure she never fakes it again. 💛

☆ So Beautiful (Loki Laufeyson) by @lokiisdaddyblog

Summary: Reader is feeling insecure and Loki proves to her that she's perfect. 🧡💛

[thealexchen]

Life is Strange: Forget-Me-Not alternative cover and synopsis

Alex Chen returns in this graphic novel sequel to the award-winning videogame Life is Strange: True Colors, written by rising star Zoe Thorogood. It’s been a year since Alex and Steph Gingrich left Haven Springs, Colorado, at the end of Life is Strange: True Colors. Though Alex might have found control over her psychic powers, she struggles with knowing when to use her powers and when to let those around her battle their own demons, if they’ll be strong enough to do so. Touring across the states in their band Manic Pixie Nightmare Girls, and preparing to meet with an interested record label, Alex and Steph find another lost soul on the side of the road – Lily. A mysterious girl in the middle of nowhere, Alex and Steph take the teenager under their wing to uncover the truth of what she’s running from. But there’s more to Lily than meets the eye – who silently struggles under the weight of heartache and memories from lives she hasn’t lived, to protect those around her from the truth of pain. An all too familiar story to Alex, but is there time to save the Lily from a similar, lonely, fate? A graphic novel about found family, confronting demons, generational trauma, and living, loving, & losing the best you can. Life is Strange: Forget-Me-Not collects issues 1-4 of the comic series of the same name, written by Zoe Thorogood (It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth, The Impending Blindness of Billie Scott) and drawn by fan-favorite Life is Strange artists, Claudia Leonardi and Andrea Izzo. Featuring bonus behind-the-scenes content about the development of the series.

Link to pre-order on Amazon

[mixtpecas]

dean (through cas' eyes) - the hurtin' kind

heartache is a lonely road a ramblin' man, just a broke-down romeo know a place for the losers at the end of the line...

[hlficlibrary]

HL FIC LIBRARY ✤ AUTHOR REC

AO3: crinkle-eyed-boo

Tumblr: @crinkle-eyed-boo

STATS:

✤ Number of fics: 11

✤ Posting Since: 2018

TOP 5 FICS:

1️⃣ Mine Would Be You {E, 114k}

Louis blinks his eyes open, his eyelids fluttering as the room swims around him. He takes several gulps of beer once he confirms that he’s definitely not hallucinating, that the very first portrait Harry Styles ever painted of him is hanging on that wall.

Louis stares at the wall, his heart jackrabbiting in his chest as he realizes that there’s not just one painting of him, there’s five, the portraits lined up like they’re some sort of storyboard depicting the rise and fall of his deepest love. His greatest heartache. A pain that cut him so deep that he left the fucking country, severing all ties with his life in New York, now suddenly surrounding him as if he’d never left.

Fucking shit motherfucker fuck.

Louis returns to New York City five years after he left it – and the love of his life – behind. He didn't intend to see Harry again, but fate has a funny way of pulling them together, whether they like it or not. After making a begrudging truce, they both start to wonder: Would it be so bad if history repeated itself?

2️⃣ Own the Scars {E, 144k}

“But I don’t belong here,” Louis insists. “Why do you say that?” James asks. “These people are all drug addicts and alcoholics,” Louis shrugs. Something sparks in James’ eyes. “And you’re not?”

Louis has never felt like he was good enough: for his stepdad, for his life-long best friend, for the life he's supposed to want. After an accident that nearly costs him his life, Louis' parents send him to rehab where he’s forced to face his demons. On the long and difficult road to recovery, Louis must confront the truths he’s been avoiding about his future, his relationships, and his sense of self-worth. Because before he can love anyone else, he’s got to learn how to love himself first.

3️⃣ No Bunny But You {E, 13k}

“So you saw the bunnies then?” Harry clarifies, a smirk tugging at his lips. “Yeah, those were a bit of a surprise,” Liam huffs. “I mean, they definitely weren’t part of what we commissioned from him, but they’re kind of cute, right?” Harry sputters a laugh. “What?” Liam asks, the furrow in his brow deepening. “They are cute little bunnies!” “Cute little bunnies that are fucking,” Harry snickers. “What?” Liam gasps. “Liam,” Harry says, trying to school his face into a serious expression. “Those bunnies are fucking.”

A slow Monday night behind the bar turns into something else entirely thanks to a new mural and a new customer.

4️⃣ Let Our Hearts Collide {M, 76k}

“Liam is in a coma.” “Yeah, we can see that,” the father says, throwing his hands in the air. “God, this is the most depressing Christmas ever,” the blonde sister mutters. “His vital signs are strong,” Dr. Higgins assures them. “Brain waves are good–” “Brain waves?” the mother wails, taking Liam’s hand in hers. “Oh my God!” “How did this happen?” the father demands. “Um, he was pushed from the platform at the subway station,” Harry pipes up. The entire family turns to look at him, confused. Harry shrinks back, wishing he could have just kept his big mouth shut. “Who’s this?” the father asks, pointing at him. “Um, I’m Harry–” he starts. “He’s Liam’s fiancé!” Jade adds helpfully from where she stands by the door. Every jaw in the room drops, including Harry’s. Oh, shit. Shit shit shit. What?

When Harry, a lonely transit worker, saves the life of the handsome commuter he's been secretly pining for, an innocent mistake results in Liam Payne's family believing that Harry is engaged to their son. In the Paynes, Harry finds the big family he's always longed for...and a love he never saw coming.

A While You Were Sleeping AU

5️⃣ There's Such a Lot of World to See {E, 125k}

“Why do you keep looking at me like that?” Harry asks, thumbing at Louis’ hip. “Like what?” Louis asks breathlessly. “Like you’ve seen a ghost or summat,” Harry muses. “You did it all the time the other day and you did it just now.” Louis swallows hard, studying him intently. “You remind me of someone,” Louis says softly, tucking a curl behind Harry’s ear. “Someone I lost.”

Louis has seen a great many things throughout his travels in time and space, but only one he can’t explain: He keeps meeting the same boy, who says the same thing to him each time. The boy should be impossible.

Maybe he is.

A love story that defies the boundaries of space and time. Doctor Who AU.

HIDDEN GEM:

💎 I'll Still Feel the Same Around You {E, 2k}

He finds himself wishing that the bedsheet would slip down a few more inches so he could get a good look at Harry’s perfectly pert–

Louis’ breath hitches as his cock stirs, suddenly very interested in this train of thought.

Oh.

Oh.

The answer to all of Louis’ troubles is so fucking obvious he can’t believe he didn’t think of it until now.

Nothing puts him to sleep like a good orgasm.

Louis finds the cure for his insomnia in the form of his husband.

[maiochiruhanabiraaa]

Echoes of Barcelona (Pedri Gonzàlez.)

Summary: In the quiet streets of Barcelona, amidst memories of a fading love with Pedri, one reflects on shared adventures and unspoken farewells. Nostalgia mingles with the realization that love sometimes isn't enough. Sitting on a park bench at sunset, they find closure in accepting the need to let go, embracing the uncertain path ahead with hope for new beginnings.

The city of Barcelona seemed unusually quiet as you walked through its familiar streets. The melancholic melody mirrored the ache in your heart as you thought about Pedri, your once inseparable companion who now seemed so distant.

Not long ago, Pedri had been your everything. From spontaneous adventures in the bustling markets to quiet evenings sharing dreams under the starlit sky, your bond had felt unbreakable. But as life's uncertainties unfolded, cracks began to appear in the foundation you had built together.

One evening, after a tense conversation that lingered in the air like an unspoken goodbye, Pedri had walked away with a heavy heart. The weight of unspoken words and unaddressed doubts had pushed you both to the edge, leaving you standing alone in the wake of what once was.

Now, as you passed by places that held memories of laughter and whispered promises, each verse of your love felt like a reflection of the emotions you couldn't articulate, the longing for a love that seemed to slip through your fingers.

Lost in your thoughts, you found yourself at a familiar park bench overlooking the city skyline. It was here that you and Pedri had often sought solace in each other's presence, a sanctuary where words were unnecessary amidst the comforting silence.

As you sat alone, watching the sunset paint the sky in hues of orange and gold, a sense of closure washed over you. The bitter realization that sometimes, love wasn't enough to bridge the gaps that life imposed settled heavily on your shoulders. You closed your eyes, letting the tears fall silently as you replayed memories that now felt like distant dreams.

In the midst of heartache, you realized that letting go was the only path forward. With a deep breath, you whispered a silent farewell to the love you had cherished so deeply. Though the road ahead seemed uncertain and lonely, you knew that healing would come in time, and with it, the promise of a new beginning.

In the following days, Barcelona continued its quiet embrace around me. Each morning brought a tentative step towards healing, a gradual acceptance that life was reshaping itself without Pedri by my side. I immersed myself in routines that once belonged to our shared world but now felt like solitary rituals.

The bustling markets we had navigated together became places of both solace and sorrow. Amidst the vibrant colors and lively chatter, I traced the echo of our footsteps, memories interwoven with the fabric of this city we had loved as one.

Nights stretched endlessly, filled with contemplation under the same starlit sky that had witnessed our dreams. I found myself revisiting conversations, searching for clues in the spaces between words where our bond had begun to fray. Each revelation brought a bittersweet clarity, a mosaic of moments that shaped our journey and led us apart.

One quiet evening, drawn by an unexplainable pull, I returned to our park bench overlooking the city. The skyline, now a silent witness to my solitude, seemed to echo my inner turmoil. Yet, as I sat there in the fading light, a sense of peace settled over me like a gentle caress.

I realized then that healing wasn't about forgetting or replacing what once was, but about honoring the love that had shaped me. It was about finding strength in vulnerability, courage in letting go, and hope in the promise of new beginnings.

With each passing day, Barcelona whispered its secrets of resilience and renewal. I began to see beauty in the fragments of our past, understanding that our love had left an indelible mark on my soul. In its absence, I discovered the vastness of my own heart, capable of embracing both the joy and sorrow that love entails.

As seasons changed and Barcelona bloomed anew, I ventured forth with a lighter spirit. The ache in my heart had softened into a tender nostalgia, a gentle reminder of what once was and what could still be. I walked through those familiar streets with a renewed sense of purpose, knowing that while our paths had diverged, the imprint of our love would forever guide me towards the horizon of possibilities.

And so, amidst the quietude of Barcelona, I found not just closure but a profound gratitude for the journey that had led me to this moment. With each sunrise and every whispered farewell, I embraced the promise of my own resilience, ready to write new chapters under the expansive sky of a city that had witnessed both our love and our letting go.

[theapangea]

Two First Dates - Part 3

Chapter Title: Steve

Pairing/Characters: Steve Harrington x Reader, Eddie Munson x Reader

Word Count: 2.6k

Summary: A little heart to heart with Steve. 

Warning: None.

*Also posted on AO3: theapangea*

Part 1

Masterlist <3

The light breeze dances across your skin, sending goosebumps down your body. Sinking deeper into yourself as the eerie darkness completely encapsulates the lone standing building of the gas station, the neon lights shining brightly within the blackness. The clerk periodically checks as you sit on the stoop, waiting for your rescuer.

You didn’t know who else to call. Parents were out of town, Robin doesn’t have a car. At this point you are all out of options. Silently cursing at yourself that your only savior was the person you don’t want to see the most. The person who practically caused this night to happen.

The low grumble of the all too well-known dark colored sedan comes whipping around the corner. The brakes screech as the car comes to a halt, the tall figure exiting quickly as you stand to greet him.

“Y/N, are you ok?” The man’s panic tone sends shockwaves through the air. His sleepy eyes, the messy bedhead and the pjs he so tirelessly pulled on in a hurry makes him look so effortlessly handsome. This wasn’t the first time that Steve, so heroically you might add, came to your rescue for some boy who broke your heart only hours earlier. 

He doesn’t look angry that you woke him up or that you were balling your eyes out when you called him for a ride. He looks worried, worried that you were out in the middle of nowhere by yourself. Worried about what happened to you or what could have happened to you. 

The heartfelt look in his eyes, the way his pupils expand when your gaze meets his, taking your breath away almost instantly.

“I’m fine.” You lie. 

Truth is, you are hurt and tired and worn. 

His thumb traces your tear-stained cheeks as the shadows engulf both of your features. Your heart sinks into your stomach as he licks his chapped lips. You can swear that the air around you is getting warmer, that he is inching, every so slowly, towards you.

And as much as you want to kiss him. As much as you would give everything in your life to make this work between you and Steve, you know it couldn’t. You are happy that he is here, in the middle of the night, saving you from this nightmare of a date. 

But you are also angry.

Angry at him for ruining it. Angry at his ignorance for asking you out earlier, completely destroying whatever future you had with Eddie. Angry that no matter how many times he had the chance to ask you to be his girlfriend, he never did.

The mixed feelings on the situation are driving you crazy. Your head pounding from the swirling emotions and the excessive amount of crying. Deep down inside your heart or brain or whatever lies a screaming voice that stops you from moving closer to him. That stops you from wanting to be with him. That stops you from giving him a chance.

Your eyes meet for a second time, before you push past his large figure. Pulling into yourself, building a wall to stop the heartache that follows Steve Harrington. 

The car ride was painful to say the least.

This definitely isn’t your typical driving-home-from-work type of ride that Steve has given you dozens of times or anything like the anxious car ride that he gave you earlier. This is the type of ride where none of the passengers know what to say. The neverending glances towards the other passenger drift away like the passing of the road beneath the car. The tunnels of wind fill your ears as Steve steps on the gas, propelling towards the town of Hawkins. Towards the place that causes you so much pain, heartbreak, and loneliness. 

You wonder if he is mad. Mad that you decided to go on this stupid date or mad that he had to come pick up the pieces yet again. You pick at your nails as you anxiously think what could be racing through his mind. Being angry with him was not making you feel better but at this point it was the only emotion that you can properly pinpoint. 

Steve concentrates hard on the road in front of him as he wipes sleep from his eyes with the back of his hand. He isn’t mad at you, he really doesn’t know what type of emotions to feel at this moment. Sure he has picked you up from dead-end dates and seen you cry more times than he can count. The tug of a smile forming at the corner of his mouth as he remembers how emotional you can be over the small things. 

He wishes he was honest with you. Honest about how he knew that he liked you the first time you stepped into the video store asking for an application, kicking himself for not realizing what an amazing person you were in high school. Wasting all those years trying to be popular, wasting all those years without you.

He was so curious about what you were thinking. If only the two people in the car could realize that the other was practically shouting to be heard. Shouting to be loved. Shouting to be with the other. 

The town of Hawkins grows closer and the thousands of twinkling lights begin to illuminate the dark streets. You realized a few miles back that Steve wasn’t driving you home, instead taking you towards his part of town.

You are in no mood to protest this arrangement and know that you both would have to talk at some time or another. Maybe it was best to get all the pain out now, this way both of you can realize if the other is worth fighting for. 

His house comes into view as he pulls down the street, past all the other large houses in the area and the dozens of trees that line them. His house was more of a modest feel, still grand in size but homier than most of the others on his block. 

Your heart beats faster as the seconds grow to your inevitable talk.

He parks the car at the top of the driveway, pausing for a moment before exiting and signaling for you to join him. Instinctively following close behind him like you did countless times before. The house was dark and clean as if no one lived there at all. You knew that Steve’s parents are away often but imagining him being all alone in this empty house at night sends a shiver down your spine. 

Walking past the formal dining room and living room to the back of the house where the kitchen overlooks the backyard. The white cabinets and countertops make it feel cold and unusable, like any spill will leave a forever imprint. 

He grabs you a cup of water, taking a sip of it before setting it in front of you. Your fingers glide along the side of the glass as the temperature goes from warm to ice cold. Picking up the beverage and feeling the crisp water coat your mouth and throat. Not knowing that you desperately needed this until now. 

You watch as Steve tenses up, his demeanor drastically changing. An internal battle of what words can come out. He is no longer the confident man that stands in front of you but some form of a lost child looking for his way home. 

Placing the glass back down, deciding to keep quiet. The anger is quickly vanishing. You want to speak, you want Steve to know what happened tonight between you and Eddie. You want to talk to him like this was any other night but you know that tonight is different. You know that after tonight, your relationship with Steve will be changed forever.

The air was different. The growing tension in the room practically screams for you both to say something - say anything . 

“Can I confess something?” Steve finally breaks the silence. Stuttering as he forces the words out of his mouth. He picks at his cuticles, a nervous habit you happened to notice after a horrible fight with his parents. 

You nod in agreement, letting him take his time to articulate his running thoughts. 

“I’ve liked you since your first day at the store.” He blurts out, knowing that if he doesn’t say it now then he never will. He nervously glances over to you, his hair blocking his view.

You study him before answering. You aren’t sure if he is telling the truth or not. At this point you don’t know what is real and what is fake, Eddie’s voice echoing in your head over Steve’s presumed intentions. “I always thought you barely noticed me.” Your words rolling off your tongue, dripping with vulnerability.

His soft laugh echoes through the empty room, the tension dissipating quickly. The fake grin appears for a second before vanishing completely, “That’s not true at all. I was just nervous.” He finally admits.

“Nervous?” Taken back by his answer. Steve Harrington nervous around you? How could The Steve Harrington ever be nervous around someone like you? 

He casually rolls his shoulders back, the confidence slowly burning in his chest again. “Yeah, you were so pretty.” 

“You have dated a lot of pretty girls, Steve.” You emphasize every word.

“But none like you. None that compared anywhere close to you.” The comment takes you off guard. Was he telling the truth? Did he actually mean it? 

The overwhelming feelings that are overrunning your body and mind is becoming too hard to handle. You want to scream, you want to cry. 

“Why are you telling me this now?” You almost plead, your voice cracking as tears begin to build, “Like as soon as someone else is interested in me you suddenly decide to tell me how you feel. Steve, I have liked you for basically my whole life.” Taking a much needed pause before you add, “I have been waiting for this confession - dreaming of this moment and the time you tell me is when I’m already planning on going out with Eddie.” You’re out of breath after your frantic monologue. 

“You’ve liked me for your whole life.” You could feel the cockiness in his voice. 

Rolling your eyes as you casually hit his shoulder. “That’s all you heard?” 

He pretends to be hurt, rubbing his hit arm to dull the fake pain. Collecting himself once again before turning to face you, this time he felt larger than life, straight out of a Hollywood film where he would sweep the starring actress away into the Sun. “Truth is, I was jealous that Eddie got to take you out on a date before me.”

And as much as you like to hear that he was jealous of Eddie taking you on a date. The pain was still there. The uncertainty still rings in your ears, “But don’t you understand the situation you put me in?” You reconfirm. 

He nodded his head, of course he understands. He understands how stupid it all was but he didn’t care that he wanted to have you no matter the cost. He would rather try to get you and fail than to have never tried at all. He hesitates, “I know and I’m sorry I really am. I didn’t want it to happen this way. I didn’t - I don’t want you to think of me as a horrible person. I really wish I could have built up the courage to ask you out on a proper date, to show you the real Steve.” 

His fingertips gently graze yours. The electricity that radiates off of you both is enough to light the town of Hawkins. There was spark, something he felt and definitely something you felt. 

“And who is the real Steve?” You wonder, your head tilts to the side awaiting his answer. 

“Sometimes I don’t even know,” huffing before he continues, “But I do know that I am not some shallow guy who wanted to ruin tonight for you. I am not the same guy that everyone knew in high school. Not Steve “The Hair” Harrington or King Steve, I’m just some basic dude living in some dumpy little town.” 

And you see that. This isn’t the same Steve that you knew throughout school. This isn’t even the same Steve that you see at work almost everyday. This Steve was someone that you wanted to get to know. Someone who would do absolutely everything in the world for someone he loves.

“But nothing was happening between us and I felt like I could no longer wait.” You have to state as the conversation comes to a halt. A pause. No talking and your grazes immediately divert from one another. 

Steve’s confession does give you some hope. Gives you some peace of mind that Eddie wasn’t correct. Eddie couldn’t be correct, could he? The question of the night that so exhaustively hung onto the front of your mind.

“So what happened between you and Eddie?” Steve’s voice breaks you from your thoughts. 

Your fingers tap the outside of the glass. “I told Eddie you asked me out.”

“You did? Why?” His ears perk up at your explanation. 

“Because it wasn’t fair.”

“And?”

“He got really mad.” You recall your interaction only hours earlier, the hurt look on Eddie’s face will forever be ingrained into your memory, recalling his words, “He said he couldn’t believe I went on a date with him. That you most likely don’t like me.” 

His body scooting closer to you, “Don’t believe a word that some dick says to you. He doesn’t know me or how I feel about you.” The heat of his body and his words fills you with hope.

Letting out a deep breath before you note, “I just feel like maybe we could never work. That maybe we just aren’t right for each other.” 

He is now so close that you could smell him, the scent of evergreen bath soap filling your mind. “If I didn’t like you then I wouldn't have gotten my ass out of bed in the middle of the night to go pick up some chick. I wouldn’t have done that for someone I didn’t care about.” And he is right, he wouldn’t have done that for just any girl. His feelings for you are unlike he has ever felt before. His first love scared his fragile heart but his feelings for you were enough to slowly patch him back up again.

“Steve, I just feel so hopeless.”

“Y/N.” Your name hanging on his lips like honey, the music of his voice playing your name was making your head dizzy. “You are the only girl for me. The only one that I want and I don’t ever want you to doubt my feelings for you. I want this. I need this”

His hand tilting your chin upwards, pulling you closer into his embrace. His lips grazed against yours, finally deepening the kiss.

He is rough. He is needy.

Your body pressing together, his arms wrapping around you, wanting to completely dissolve into each other. You can taste the subtle hint of toothpaste that still lingered after all this time. His mouth moves so perfectly with yours. Your head is filled with empty thoughts of nothing besides Steve. 

The passionate kiss is everything you dreamed about. It screams needing you every second of the day, every minute of every hour, from dusk till dawn, he wants you, needing you to live. The feeling of his soft lips linger for moments after. A whimper escaping as you become undown. 

“I need this.” He repeats and this time you believe it.

~~~

I really hoped you like these series!! Maybe going to write a second part with some smut!! ;)

[sweet-as-peach]

HEARTACHE IS A LONELY ROAD

A RAMBLIN MAN JUST A BROKE-DOWN ROMEO

KNOW A PLACE FOR THE LOSERS AT THE END OF THE LINE

I AINT THE HURTING KIND

[nhularin]

DRIVERS LICENCE

PAIRING jake x reader GENRE best friends to lovers to exes, angst no comfort, highschool/college AU WARNINGS insecurities,infidelity surpriseeee WC 1.1k series masterlist

March 3rd, 2003

leaning in close, with a melted popsicle in his hand, jakes eyes sparkled with excitement as he spoke of your future adventures. "Imagine this," jake said, a mischievous grin playing at the corners of his lips. "you get your driver's license, and we hit the open road. we drive across the country, all the way to Malibu."

your heart fluttered at the thought, a blend of anticipation and affection swelling within you. you leaned back, your eyes shining with a reflection of the dream jake had introduced. "malibu," you repeated, your voice filled with a sense of wonder and disbelief. "so you want me to waste perfect gas and go to malibu?? out of all places? sure, once we arrive, we'll find the perfect spot on the beach, lay out a blanket, and enjoy strawberry ice cream as we watch the rich rotting away with their money." you exclaimed sarcastically in which he only laughed. eyes formed into little crescents, complimenting the stars you held for him in your own.

"come on, we need to get out of this hell of a town! get a little bit adventurous! i swear, if i see Mrs O'Conners face any longer after we graduate, i'm going to go mental" he sighed dramatically, putting his whole body weight on your chest.

days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. the promise of the open road and the taste of strawberry ice cream lingered in your mind as you tried to navigate the final year of high school. but as graduation approached, a subtle shift began to weave its way into the fabric of your dreams.

the reality of adulthood loomed, casting a shadow on your plans. responsibilities and obligations tugged at your hearts, threatening to unravel the adventures you both had envisioned. doubt crept in, trying to extinguish the flames of growing up

one evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, jake and you found yourselves back on the park bench where your dreams had first taken flight. the weight of uncertainty hung heavy in the air, a silent question lingering between you two.

he turned to you, his eyes filled with a mixture of hope and longing. "do you still believe in our dreams?" he asked, voice tinged with strange vulnerability.

you paused, your gaze meeting his with a smile plastered on your face and on that night, he thanked the lord for making you his. "of course i do," you replied, your voice filled with enthusiasm. "life may throw challenges our way, but as long as we believe in each other and the dreams we share, nothing can stand in our way. and hey, we're only a state away from each other. i believe in us"

as long as you were together, you understood that the road you had traveled had shaped you, him being accepted into his dream college in DC and you going to yours in virginia. and as you walked hand in hand, ready to face whatever laid ahead, you both knew that your dreams would continue to evolve, intertwining with the flow of life itself.

December 13, 2003

or that's what you thought.

in the quiet corners of the your room, a worn leather bound diary laid nestled among a sea of memories. its pages held a tale of roller coasters ,love and heartache, of a connection that was once unbreakable. you knew that the story of jake and you, two idiotic teenagers with little care of the future had ended not more than a month ago.

your journey began in the innocence of childhood, his scrawny self introducing himself to you in 3rd grade, which turned into an interesting friendship, where laughter echoed through the streets as you played and tormented your neighbors together. as time passed, your bond deepened, evolving into a love that topped friendship. jake became your moon, your sirius that guided you out of your lonely thoughts and into a world filled with hope

within the diary's fragile pages, your heart poured forth in ink, capturing every stolen glance, every touch that sent electric currents through your veins. you wrote of the way jakes presence made you feel alive, how his laughter echoed in your soul, and how his touch ignited a symphony of butterflies that danced within you.

but as with any fairytale, darkness eventually crept into their idyllic world. it showed up in the form of a lab class, where a new face captured your boyfriend's attention. your heart shattered when your friend informed you about his infidelity and something in you had died that night as you watched your lover gravitate towards this stranger, like a moth drawn to a flickering flame.

the diary became your safe space, your refuge in the storm called jake, trying to find shelter in the hot acidic rain of heartbreak. you poured your heartache onto its pages, expressing your confusion, your pain, and the overwhelming sense of betrayal that consumed you. every word etched into the paper was a bandaid slowly repairing the damage that he left behind in your heart

with shaky hands, you flipped to an empty page, thoughts of doubts plaguing your mind. "dear diary", the words came out messier than you have expected, in which you only cursed at yourself

"and dear jake,

i got my driver's license last week"

and as you poured your heart out once again, you felt a stone lifting from your chest. you should get over him at this point, you knew he moved on long ago, but you couldnt. you couldn't understand how a once so loving individual could break you into a million pieces. so, as you closed the notebook, a sense of peace settled within you. the memories would always be a part of you, but you had sworn to yourself that they will no longer held power over your heart. you were ready to embrace the unwritten chapters of your life, you were still young after all, to find love as great as you had with jake sim.

′Cause how could I ever love someone else?

PERM TAGLIST @misokei @avocarua @sngvhs @essmarye @haechansbbg

SERIES' MASTERLIST @flwerfield @hyhees @mrchweeee @j1nniee @mikaluvsyouu @delulu4-life @mora134340 @beomsbeanie @leep0ems @cIphantom-hive @yla-aira @filmofhybe @nishik1 @iea-tsand

[bluewinnerangel]

Faith In The Future: Parallels.

We Love Parallels. <3

So we keep seeing parallels between lines of FITF songs (I'm not gonna bring in any other songs for this, yes I know there are some very clear ones) right, as obvious as the same line reused in another song, but also songs sharing themes to the point some lines are saying the same thing, shared keywords or imagery, etc, and I wanted to attempt to list a bunch. This list is probably going to end up being longer than your attention span (and mine like this took some sittings so I recommend taking your time to digest them all I think it's worth it all this time) but I love it, I love the FITFverse. Obviously I couldn't tell you which of these he put in there on purpose and which of those are also meant to mean anything beyond that they all together create this wonderful body of work that is FITF but I just love looking at it like this, I love how one song can extend and amplify the meaning of another, I love seeing how you can take one thing and flip it on its back and show the another side to it, and how it all morphs and works together, and if somehow magically none of these are on purpose which I doubt then still, it's still showing what he focuses on in songwriting and in life and what he chooses to share with us so however you view this I think it's really fucking awesome.

I'm probably gonna miss a bunch, some might appeal to you, some meh, it's all subjective, that's the beauty of it, blablabla:

Do you see what I see? (SHE'S BEAUTY WE ARE WORLD CLASS) 🤝 Do you see what I see (COMMON PEOPLE)

I hear you through the silence (HEADLINE) 🤝 I can still hear a silence (HOLDING ON TO HEARTACHE)

It’s the way we see ourselves through walls of trees (ALL THIS TIME) 🤝 Finding faces in the trees (SHE'S BEAUTY WE ARE WORLD CLASS)

Sit down with a master plan (SILVER TONGUES) 🤝 Sit down sit down in the space and time (SHE'S BEAUTY WE ARE WORLD CLASS)

But I’m king on a 50 metre road (SILVER TONGUES) 🤝 we're still the kings of the Friday nights (CHANGE)

Silver streets and the neon signs (CHANGE) 🤝 feeling dirty cheap on silver street (SATURDAYS) (🤝Silver tongues)

It’s you and me until the end (THE GREATEST) 🤝 You and me until the end (SILVER TONGUES)

If every star is an eye the sky you’ll see angels fly (ANGELS FLY) 🤝 You should be staring at the sky, the birds just passing by love (HOLDING ON TO HEARTACHE)

Silver tongues (SILVER TONGUES) 🤝 Conversation is currency (SHE'S BEAUTY WE ARE WORLD CLASS)

Said I had a plan for us (THE GREATEST) 🤝 Sit down with a master plan (SILVER TONGUES)

We had to disappear cos nothing gets through here (THE GREATEST) 🤝 cos we faded into darkness (HOLDING ON TO HEARTACHE)

faded into darkness (HOLDING ON TO HEARTACHE) 🤝 Fade into light (SHE'S BEAUTY WE ARE WORLD CLASS)

So come on call me liar yeah you're so quick to judge (THE GREATEST) 🤝 So fast judge in error, you thought you knew me better, so quick to kill forever (HEADLINE)

You let your pride hide all your beauty and your kindness (HEADLINE) 🤝 She is beauty (SHE'S BEAUTY WE ARE WORLD CLASS)

If you need you can call on me, I'll be the friend you need (CHANGE) 🤝 We haven’t seen you yeah we’ve given you your space, pick up the phone cos now it’s time you learnt to say (THAT'S THE WAY LOVE GOES) 🤝 Cos if you’re lonely in Chicago you can call me baby (CHICAGO) 🤝 I’ll knock on your door it’ll save me from calling (ANGELS FLY) (🤝 ->)

I didn’t have to search cos I still know your number (CHICAGO) 🤝 I called you twice but then regretted it and changed my number (HOLDING ON TO HEARTACHE)

Time of our lives, it's easy to see, we were just getting by but we were complete (CHANGE) 🤝 Lately, lately it’s been so easy to see my life completed instead of half way full (PARADISE)

Time of our lives, it's easy to see, we were just getting by but we were complete (CHANGE) 🤝 That was enough for me, you know you had to see it to believe, all the late nights, good times / No deep pockets but big hearts, do you see what I see (COMMON PEOPLE)

You won't be the first or be the last to bleed, every broken heart as far as your eye can see (COPY OF A COPY) 🤝 Not for the first time, not for the last time, we always used to say "Saturdays take the pain away" (SATURDAYS)

They always say is so bad for me, everything I tried makes me feel alive (HIGH IN CALIFORNIA) 🤝 takin' all of my demons, Putting them where I won't see them, cos I just wanna feel alive (OUT OF MY SYSTEM) 🤝 Good and bad and right and wrong are stories made up when we we’re young to scare us, love and hate are in between, depends on your reality to see them, I just wanna stay in the moment the rest of my life (FACE THE MUSIC)

See all these waves and waves of green / smoke some weed outside in the summertime, they always say it's so bad for me (HIGH IN CALIFORNIA) 🤝 Getting high on the amber wave / You said grass was a dirty drug (SILVER TONGUES)

Everything that matters is forgotten (FACE THE MUSIC) 🤝 Nothing really matters, nothing really hurts (ANGELS FLY)

I/you still doubt that what I/you do can get me/you home when it gets cold (ALL THIS TIME) 🤝 Together we’re the greatest, we’ll never be that cold again (THE GREATEST)

Nights like these we’ll remember those songs we wrote only we know (SILVER TONGUES) 🤝 You’ll hear strangers singing you name if you act like you’re one of us (COMMON PEOPLE)

Let’s buy some time (FACE THE MUSIC) 🤝 I’m on my way with some time to borrow (ANGELS FLY)

Look at the horizon, does it make you feel small, put the pain behind you now, you don’t need it anymore (ANGELS FLY) 🤝 So I’m not gonna spend another night of dreaming of what could’ve been, keep your eyes on the horizon, paradise is in your own mind anyway (PARADISE)

someone’s else fantasy is nothing like reality (SAVED BY A STRANGER) 🤝 stories made up when we we’re young to scare us, love and hate are in between, depends on your reality to see them (FACE THE MUSIC) 🤝 Fabricated fairytales bring a new world to life (SHE'S BEAUTY WE ARE WORLD CLASS) 🤝 If you believe that guy is superman (LUCKY AGAIN)

You know the party’s over when you’re standing in an empty space alone (HOLDING ON TO HEARTACHE) 🤝 Back dancing in the dark, back to the very start, finding pieces that can fit, making up for what we missed, I said you know me, alone we’re only just as good as the rest (THE GREATEST)

Together we're the greatest (THE GREATEST) 🤝 It's bigger than me (BIGGER THAN ME)

It's an old curse, dreamers divin' head first, broken beaks and dead birds / every broken heart as far as the eye can see (COPY OF A COPY) 🤝 And time can always heal ya if you let it make its way into your bones / You should be staring at the sky the birds just passing by love / you said I'm holding on to heartache (HOLDING ON TO HEARTACHE)

Blue like the lights surrounding me (HIGH IN CALIFORNIA) 🤝 Surrounded by light (SHE'S BEAUTY WE ARE WORLD CLASS)

It’s written all over your face, say it (WRITTEN ALL OVER YOUR FACE) 🤝 Your face reminded me of a love you cannot hide but don’t need to tell me why (THE GREATEST)

Escaping the inevitable, fade into light (SHE'S BEAUTY WE ARE WORLD CLASS) 🤝 I don't wanna face the music but I still wanna dance with you (FACE THE MUSIC) 🤝 Back dancing in the dark (THE GREATEST)

We’re the greatest, it’s you and me until the end, life for us is never over 🤝 forever we'll let the feeling last (SHE'S BEAUTY WE ARE WORLD CLASS)

It’s hard enough to get you sober, I’ve got no chance if I’m hungover (WRITTEN ALL OVER YOUR FACE) 🤝 You said grass was a dirty drug, you like to preach with vodka in your mug (SILVER TONGUES)

I've woken up from my sleep, it's bigger than me (BIGGER THAN ME) 🤝 I ain’t even woken up yet, not nearly vertical (WRITTEN ALL OVER YOUR FACE) (nasty edition)

Demons, I'm takin' all of my demons, putting them where I won't see them (OUT OF MY SYSTEM) 🤝 You'll see angels fly (ANGELS FLY)

Somebody's got your trainers on (SATURDAYS) 🤝 I bet sometimes you still like to wear my jumper (CHICAGO)

Gotta get it out of my system, gotta get it off of my chest (OUT OF MY SYSTEM) 🤝 We stand up tall and beat our chest, shout some things that we’ll regret (SILVER TONGUES)

Hidden across my face in the crowd I'm counting up the days in a haze (SATURDAYS) 🤝 Let’s buy some time for what we shouldn’t do I don’t wanna face the music but I still wanna dance with you (FACE THE MUSIC)

Hidden across my face in the crowd I'm counting up the days in a haze (SATURDAYS) 🤝 The way you know something, your face reminded me of a love you cannot hide (THE GREATEST)

Are we one or are we two? Are we me or are we you? (SHE'S BEAUTY WE ARE WORLD CLASS) 🤝 Our eyes meet and I can tell that you’re the same as me (ALL THIS TIME).

I am only half of what I think I can be (OUT OF MY SYSTEM) 🤝 Are we one or are we two? (SHE'S BEAUTY WE ARE WORLD CLASS)

But the truth is I still doubt that what I do can get me home when it gets cold (ALL THIS TIME) 🤝 when I get lost I go back to where I started (COMMON PEOPLE)

45. nothing stays the same (CHANGE) 🤝 Until nothing is the same (HIGH IN CALIFORNIA) 🤝 But nobody stays the same (SATURDAYS) (🤝->) 46. Time it came and changed it all (THE GREATEST) 🤝 The wind held us up but we knew that all would change (HOLDING ON TO HEARTACHE)🤝 Some things change (SATURDAYS) (🤝->) 47. somebody told me I would change I was afraid and don't know why (BIGGER THAN ME)🤝I don't know why everything's changed / Everything's changed outside but I feel the same inside (CHANGE) 🤝 Spent my whole life just thinking I had to change (HIGH IN CALIFORNIA) (🤝->) 48. Common people, nothing’s changed (COMMON PEOPLE) 🤝And all the people have changed (CHANGE)🤝Cos yeah I might have changed but everybody does (BIGGER THAN ME)🤝 and I wished that I could tell her that she changed me for the better (SAVED BY A STRANGER)

my inbox is open if you got more asdfsd

[setmeatopthepyre]

Hammer down on the highway Giddy up and goin' my way, you The thunder and the lightning in your eyes say You're running out of ways, little runaway blue

Johnny at the door, he knows my name Jukebox in the corner playing "Wicked Game" with you Got a table for two in the low light Just me and you, it's a slow night, blue

Heartache is a lonely road A ramblin' man, just a broke-down Romeo Know a place for the losers at the end of the line A one-night, lonesome cabaret Meet me down where the broken-hearted stay Lie together, tell me lies, baby, I don't mind I ain't the hurtin' kind

[argisthebulwark]

As long as we're talking about skyrim characters who fall in love with tld on sight if not soon after that, then you gotta include Erik. Sweet farmers boy who just wants to be an adventurer who probably gets a crush on every adventurer who stops by and then tld comes by and like he always does that little crush hits him. But then she actually helps him live his dream?? And on top of that gets to come with her??? Oh that boys "little" crush explodes into true love in minutes.

YESSS FINALLY SOMEONE GETS ME!!!! anon you understand me. you and me are literally sharing the braincell because this is IT this is exactly what i think about with erik.

Erik always feels some degree of heartache when another adventurer breezes through Rorikstead. Some of them are kind enough to indulge him in a bit of conversation before moving along. He hears tales of bandit camps and long treks in search of lost artifacts, sleeping under the stars and being free from the monotony of everyday life.

There is always a deep sense of longing when they leave again. Even if they are kind Erik finds that he resents his little town a bit more each time his father insists that he remains at home to help the family or reminds him that they just don't have extra coin for a set of armor. The rolling hills he was once content with leave him itching to see what lies beyond, open skies beckoning him to find something more.

it's sfw, just long and fluffy.

Murmurs of the Dragonborn rock their small community and that spark is lit once again, that need to see the world. Erik clings to each rumor he hears of them - their brave escape from Helgen, slaying dragons and bending Jarls to their will. He wonders if they look like all of the armored, muscle-bound Nords he read about as a child.

One late night Erik is absolutely drained. He's using the shovel as a crutch and wiping sweat from his brow when he gazes out at yet another sunset. The moons are hanging low in the sky, stars barely beginning to twinkle when someone interrupts his view. Anticipation sends his pulse into a frenzy and Erik hurries closer to the newcomer praying that it's an adventurer with exciting tales.

Her helm tucked under one arm and a smear of dirt marks her face but Erik suddenly forgets how to speak. The adventurer smiles easily at him and he feels his heart blossoming at the sight. She's lovelier than anyone he's ever seen.

"Hello." She greets him and Erik wants to hear every single story she has. "Do you know if there's an inn here?"

"Yes." He knows he's speaking too quickly but can't be bothered. Her nose wrinkles when she smiles at him and Erik feels himself swooning. "Frostfruit Inn. I'll take you there."

"Thank you." She agrees, falling in step with him. There's blades strapped to her back and the armor has its fair share of gashes.

"You look like you've seen your share of adventure." He comments, covertly wiping the sweat from his palms. I envy you that."

"It's quite lonely." She tilts her head back and Erik wonders which god she's scowling at.

"I've always wanted to be an adventurer but my father says I can't."

"Why?" He's glad that the cobbled road is empty or his neighbors would surely tease him for the deep shade of red in his cheeks.

"He says that he needs me to stay here and work the farm." Erik feels a pat on his shoulder when he holds the inn's door for her and his heart leaps into his throat. "Even if he did let me be an adventurer, we couldn't afford to buy armor. That's him behind the bar." He points out his father, catching his attention just long enough to earn the new adventurer a wave. "He's the innkeeper if you need a room."

"I'll only be here for the night." She smiles at him again and Erik's heart is already breaking at the thought of this adventurer leaving him.

He spends all evening glued to her side listening to her talk and laugh through dozens of stories. When their dinner's long forgotten and the tavern's fire has burnt down to mere embers the adventurer tiptoes out of the inn. She flashes Erik a mischievous smile and he nearly trips over his own feet to follow her.

"The stars are pretty here." She comments, arms folded behind her head. Erik crosses his feet and stares up at the same sky he's seen every night of his life. Somehow it feels different looking at it with her. "They don't look the same as back home."

"I hope to see your home one day." Erik admits, comforted by the cover of night. "I can't stand the thought of being trapped in this village for the rest of my days."

There's a pause before she speaks again and Erik worries that he's insulted her or overstepped a boundary. A quick glance over at her reveals that she's still got the easy expression on her face, body relaxed on the cool ground.

"You won't be." Her boot knocks into his and Erik's heart flutters again. "I'm sure of it."

When sunlight teases the horizon Erik swallows his dread. His arm lost feeling long ago but he doesn't dare to move lest he wake the adventurer dozing on his shoulder. Her snores are just soft enough to feel like a lullaby and he drifts into the nicest sleep he's found in ages. He knows that when the Sun fully rises she will leave him again but for the just a few more hours he doesn't want to let go.

There is no sadness in her eyes when she finally wakes, joking about wasting coin on a room just to sleep outdoors. Erik's heart aches when she pulls him into a tight hug and promises that they will see each other again. No words can escape the tightness in his chest when he has to release her, tracing her silhouette until he can no longer see her.

"Good eye, kid." Mralki's hand slaps his shoulder and Erik sways under the touch, still trying to find her on the horizon. "That Dragonborn is quite the gal."

"She's what?"

"Come on, Erik. You spent all night talking to the girl."

"She never mentioned it."

The day passes in a blur, his duties complete without noticing because Erik cannot stop thinking about her. He'd spent all night listening to her tales but hadn't once realized that she was the Dragonborn. He hadn't gotten her full name or even the address of her house. He simply had to wait and hope she hadn't lied when promising to see him again.

The sunset is unimpressive. Erik stares up when the stars appear and recalls each story she told, committing it to his memory. The Dragonborn had slept on his shoulder, shared her stories with him and laughed at his jokes. She'd lifted his spirits more than any adventurer in the past.

He hears everyone gathering in his father's inn for the evening, music and conversation floating out each time the door opens. The heaviness of his heart is too great to join them.

"There you are, we've been looking for you." Erik starts when the Dragonborn rounds the corner, that same smile on her face. He's standing before her in an instant, unsure what to say but his heart feels ready to explode. He can see her dimples and nearly faints when she grasps his hand.

"We?"

"Well, I've been looking for you." Erik allows the Dragonborn to pull him into the tavern and immediately feels every eye in the building turn to them. "Your father isn't much help."

"My father?"

"My son!" Erik's never heard his father sound so cheery. He's clasping the Dragonborn on the shoulder, shoving a drink into her hand. "The Dragonborn truly is our savior. She's given us enough coin to get you a fine set of armor."

For just a moment Erik's world stops. The Dragonborn's awaiting his reaction while his father prattles on about being able to let him go once they get through the winter but all he can see is her. He can't fathom the amount of septims she must've dumped in his father's lap in order for him to agree.

"The winter?" He asks numbly, already counting down the days.

"That wasn't the deal." The Dragonborn's lips purse and Erik prays to never be on the receiving end of the glare leveled at his father. "You said nothing about waiting until after winter."

"You can't expect me to tend to the farm and the inn alone." His father doesn't back down and Erik's tempted to shield the Dragonborn. "I can't afford to hire a farmhand on such short notice."

"I'll buy Erik armor on my own." The Dragonborn's brows furrow and Erik's fairly sure he's dreaming when he hears her next words. "Keep the coin and hire help. I won't allow him to spend another night in this village."

Erik trails after the Dragonborn when she briskly exits the inn. His heart is pounding but he can feel it - the horizon is no longer taunting him, it welcomes him. After so many years the world is finally opening up to him. The Dragonborn smiles sheepishly up at him and Erik's sure that he's in love with her.

"Sorry about that." She murmurs, fingers dancing nervously over his hand. "If you don't want to come with me that's alright. I just couldn't stop thinking about what you said."

"I'll go anywhere with you." He blurts, grasping the Dragonborn's hand. "I want to see the whole world with you."

When she squeezes his hand Erik feels the weight he's carried his entire life lift from his shoulders. In the morning he will awake to a new life with the woman he's easily falling in love with. He just needs to come up with a title, something to mark his legacy.

"I'm sorry for leaving so quickly." The Dragonborn leans into Erik's side and he's thrilled by the simple touch. "Even I don't carry that much coin on me."

"Thank you for coming back."

[alterchaos]

IF TIME STOOD STILL

The soul of the girl cries out into the lonely night...

PREVIOUS CHAPTER: THE OPEN WINDOW

NEXT CHAPTER: WORLDS APART

Tiny feet tapping along the pavement,

Barefoot, stepping painfully atop the pebbles lining the road,

Her anger now spent,

Her heartache showed.

Her spirit wept,

Lonely, crying into the cool spring night,

Her bangs, the wind gently swept,

Alleviating her soul of fright.

For it wasn’t the night she feared.

Not at all.

Instead the end that neared,

The love to soon fall,

In her hands she tried desperately to grasp,

Whatever fragment of hope remained.

In exertion she gasped,

Still she ran, though her side now pained,

Racing through the forest along the hill,

Branches scratching and scraping her cheeks,

If only this moment in time could stand still,

She cries for that which she seeks,

Respite against the hands of time,

Nothing she could do would cease its flow.

What had she done to deserve this pain, what crime?

Why did she have to see her friends go?

A reflection of Silver,

Soft and glistening,

Upon the moonlit water,

The midnight air gently whistling,

But all she can do is fall upon scraped knees and cry,

For it was now time to say ‘goodbye’.

TO BE CONTINUED…

[nomadjones]

━━  🔥┊THE HURTIN' KIND – ORVILLE PECK.

johnny at the door, he knows my namе / jukebox in the corner playing "wickеd game" with you / got a table for two in the low light / just me and you, it's a slow night blue / heartache is a lonely road / a ramblin' man, just a broke-down romeo / know a place for the losers at the end of the line / a one-night, lonesome cabaret / meet me down where the broken-hearted stay / lie together, tell me lies, baby, i don't mind / i ain't the hurtin' kind.

[kimmykoosh]

Finished all DLC's for New Vegas. Here's what my review of them so far, according to the order I played. Very biased and contained opinions.

Old World Blues (Science fantasy gone wrong).

My first entry to the new world. After failing to make it out from Think Tank for a 987- a couple of tries, I manage to keep myself alive for most of the expedition here. Best DLC in my opinion. New world, so much to discover, new guns, everything is out there to kill you, great. Story wise, I admit, I had to provide extra attention to differentiate the doctors here without confusing things. Most of the science fiction things they often described and the references they gave are all over my head and often made me sleeepy. But I LOVE LOVE LOVE the personified helpers. Sinks, doc, the sexy jukebox and the plant seed thing that helped me too many times in making things. The scientists came to grew on me. I like the suit talking to me because it's lonely being by yourself in an empty world :')))

TLDR; All the science fiction things are snoozefest, but I am still alive after got shot in the head, getting labotomized AND played around with my organs. NPC's are fun and have many personalities. Lots of new weapons, upgrades and big place to make my stimpaks. 10/10 would give Muggy more coffee mugs for his sanity.

Honest Hearts (A much more vertically challenging desert with a view. )

Entered this with half of my things, and a heartache coz I actually reseted 4 times just to save my Caravan crew. And accidentally shot Follows-Chalk because I thought he was a baddie before I realize I'd done goofed up. Story wise, the whole thing was okay. Nothing much I'd care since Salt-Upon-Wounds will kill me regardless if I'm doing pacifist or not. I did enjoy getting high to fight a ghost bear. The map was big enough for me to find everything, but didn't make me care for it much. Joshua Graham is okay, but he didn't like me raiding his stuffs to make bullets that fucker has a bajillions of pistols wtf rude.

TLDR; Forgetable DLC, NPC is one-sided. But the view though. Plentiful mountains, greeneries and high skies. Also lots of fresh water. Sometimes rain. That's new. Weapons are, meh. Useful if you use unarmed or melee. 4/10, would kill more Yao Guai.

Dead Money (Ghost Town Heist With the Gang. )

Started this with a bump on the head (poor Courier holy shit) The only DLC that made me feel challenged because of the constant ducks and sneaking. The Ghost People are creepy and also hard to hit. I cant remember how many times I had to look down and check at my feet or I'll be blown up and get detected. The place is very barren of any places to make stuffs and bullets so you'll learn to adapt with alternate weapons and use any ammo you do have or get, while the Sierra Madre vending machine becoming your next best friend. The NPC's though. The beeping on my neck will haunt me for the rest of my days and I get that casino Obsessed freak to thank for. I'm sad I didnt get too much time with Christine, because she seemed to be a great character towards the end. Dean Domino is a charismatic asshat that gives out very convenient stashes everywhere, but we didn't get to be friends. I did like him though, brilliant mind, just doesn't trust in people. Didn't get to know much about God, coz Dog is too fun and made me feel safe from the people. Story wise, it's very well paced. Though after I opened up the casino, and darted through ALL the ghost people in town by myself, I cant help but noticed I missed something else, but the collar keeps on killing me and I had to go to the next place without checking. Just wished I can check it myself without dying.

TLDR; DLC's challenging, but not that you can't do it. You can do this without killing as much of the Ghost People if you can. Story is rich in juicy details. Betrayal, conflict, and also, plain love. Always love Laura Bailey inside as Vera Keyes. 8/10 for exploding collars.

Lonesome Road (The Sad Tale of the 2 Couriers. )

The only DLC that has a history of the player in past tense, other than being dead, and a mailman. This also introduces our antagonist of the DLC, Ulysses. A very angry ghost who talk through EdE.

Okay, Ulysses is interesting. We got to know about him more throughout the DLC. His history and how he came to here. Interestingly he knew about the factions in New Vegas and everything that is happening there. He is honestly my saving grace in this DLC, but god, his prosses and the way he talks is so BORING. Often I had to relax and do something else for me to understand much about what he is saying. Does that outed me for being an idiot? Maybe? I guess coming from the Legion, he has a style of talking that is unique.

As for the rest of the playthrough, the DLC provides a different thing in going through the whole map. We get to use the laser blaster to blast through and open up certain sections of the blocked roads. Other than some extra weapons, the map and gameplay was decent. I certainly didnt expect to see the Deathclaws coming in here.

TLDR; A very good connection towards Ulysses, a fellow courier that saw our work, and then blamed us for nuking the entire map. Among all of the DLC's I enjoyed this one for the courier per courier connection. I dont really enjoy the Deathclaws and the long and frivolous way to get to Ulysses' hideout. 4/10 for more couriers sending bombs towards the Mojave wastelands, to combat Ulysses' boring speech.