#Had a lot of fun trying to figure out how her dress would work actually

[caffichai]

Happy Lunar New Year! May the year of the Dragon be as cool as it's namesake!

And thanks to everyone who participated in the poll!

[byeolbeloved]

This one is mine

pairing ➛ stalker!sheriff!yunho × reader

genre & warnings ➛ enemies to lovers, yunho is a stalker, smut smut smut, dom!Yunho, MINORS DO NOT INTERACT

summary ➛ Moving away from your hometown to escape your collage stalker, you start a new life, exploring the new feeling of being a free woman in the city. However, after a messy situation at the club you are back to where you were years ago, unable to escape him.

"No law will be able to take me away from you"

-

“This is good for me jen” you yell out from the other room so your friend can still hear you through facetime as you bring two pairs of earrings to your face to see which pair would match better with your fit. 

“Yeah yeah I know and I’m glad you’re trying out new experiences but try not to jump into things so quickly yeah? City life is very different from here Y/N, especially when it comes to partying.”

City life was a drastic change from your hometown. You went from knowing everyone from your street and practically growing up with your neighbours and their kids to now rushing down the bustling loud streets of everyone minding their own business. You admit it was an overwhelming change, especially since you’ve never been much of a people-person. Large crowds of people were never you thing. However, after graduating from college, you wanted a change. To experience something new other than being a people-pleasing goody two shoes and to finally start doing things for yourself and connecting with your needs. 

Or at least that was what you told people when they’d ask you why you decided to switch to city life. The dark truth was you needed to escape him. Him and his tall figure that shadowed behind you. His chocolaty soft hair that complimented his milky skin. Those eyes that looked so pure but you knew so well they weren't.

Jeong Yunho.

The man who was so obsessed with breaking you. 

“I’m going to be in safe hands jen. David and alexa are really nice” you said with a smile posing for her in front of the camera “how do I look?”  

“Drop dead gorgeous babe let me know how many guys drool over you” you giggled at her response. You were wearing a black spaghetti strap silk dress that hugged your body frame perfectly. Your hair was curled and your makeup wasn’t too heavy but complemented your facial features. You didn’t have much experience with clubbing but David and Alexa took you to a few bars with a similar atmosphere to a club, it was their way of slowly introducing you to club life. You met Alexa at the coffee shop she works at that happens to be by your house. You went there regularly for breakfast and that's how you two started talking. Shortly after she introduced you to David, they’ve been friends since middle school.  

For your first time clubbing, you were actually having a lot of fun. You thought you’d feel overwhelmed as the flashing lights and loud music first made you feel slightly anxious when you first stepped in the club. However, just as David told you, after a few shots, you let loose- enough to get you on the dance floor. 

You 3 years ago would have found dancing at the club cringe. You never understood the fun of jumping around sweaty crowds with loud music. You would have rather listened to your music through your headphones on the bus home- maybe even imagining a little scenario in your head matching the type of song you were listening to. But the adrenaline you felt as the loud music vibrated through you, making you feel it shaking your heart, the crowd yelling an “o” as the beat was about to drop and most importantly, Davids really bad dancing- it was the most fun you have had in a while. 

However the night didn’t last too long. It was only 11pm, which to you would have been way past your curfew, however you were made sure that 1am is “demon time” as Alexa told you many times before coming to this club how she wouldn’t allow you to leave any earlier than 3am. People were advising one another to leave the club as apparently police came in and found illegal substances that someone sneaked in.

“Y/N follow me I know a back door we can go out from” Alexa said raising her voice a little since the music was still loud. 

“What about David?” by the time whispers were set out David had left in a rush. “He’s going to get some other people, don’t worry about him, he'll text us when he’s out” she said, now leading the way to the back door.

But as you were trying to keep up with her, people kept getting in your way, causing you to lose her in the blink of an eye. You tried to keep pushing forward in hopes of reaching a wall and finding a door, or any door to get into so you can quietly pull out your phone to text Alexa as you were scared you’d end up losing your phone in the crowd too. However, you felt a hand grasp your wrist and when you turned around your heart sank.

Jeong Yunho.

What was he doing here? Your thought was cut off as you glance down from his face only to see him in police uniform but not just any police uniform. You look at his chest to see a sheriff badge. He was the sheriff? And out of all places… here? You knew instantly this was no coincidence. Stalker Yunho never stopped stalking you. Even after running away. 

“You wanna bring her in Jeong?” a voice sets you out of your thoughts, looking over to see it belonging to a cherry red haired man, shorter than Yunho. He was also wearing a police uniform, must be his partner.

Glancing at his partner then back at you, this time clicking his tongue to the side of his cheek with a slight smirk on his lips, he eyed you up and down, eyes resting on your chest for a few seconds he said “Yeah, this one is mine.” 

They shared a few other words but you didn’t pay attention. Your eyes were glued on Yunho, you were sure you looked dumb right now with your mouth open and probably lost colour from your face but what the hell. You couldn’t believe he still managed to follow you after your big move that felt so right.

You were mad. You wanted to rip that smug look on his face off. But as always, you also felt small. Especially with his hand still grasping your wrist. Your body didn’t react to move it away. You felt a slight heat sensation running down your core. This is the effect Jeong Yunho had on you. 

“Have a good one sheriff!” his partner says. Anxiety flushes through your chest as you realise this is his time he’s going to finally have you to himself. Again. Like always. 

Pushing you through the crowd, you realise his hand never left yours. His grip on you was actually soft and gentle. Gentle enough for you to easily break free from his grasp. But he knew you wouldn’t. Which is why he confidently held you with that grip. As he’s pushing through the crowd, his back is facing you and you take in his figure. He has definitely grown, not only in height but also in his physique. His shoulders seem bigger and broader. You can deny he looks damn good in his uniform too. 

You’re now in his car. Words have not been exchanged yet. Until he breaks the silence with a chuckle. You nervously look at him, confused as to what could be so funny right now while you’re sitting over here about to piss your pants in fear.

“You’ve seemed to adjust well here Y/N” god hearing him say your name sends shivers down your spine every time. The way your name falls out of his mouth almost feels as if he’s cursing you with a spell.

“Good choice with those earrings, the others seemed too tacky” he leans into your ear and whispers. You freeze. 

What.

“You know where I live?” your voice sounded weaker than how you wanted it to come out, cursing in your head knowing he’s probably getting excited from that.

He lets out a laugh. “Oh Y/N, you’ve known me for all those years yet you’re surprised. I will say though, I was a bit hurt since you didn’t tell me about our move.”

“You mean my move”

“Our baby, you’re still mine” suddenly he speeds up his car causing you to jolt back in your seat. “And I don’t plan on letting you go any time soon” he snakes his hand on your thigh.

“You’re sick. You need help Yunho, you’re a psychopath” you have no power in this situation.

“And yet you’re in the sick psychopaths car” he looks at you and you move your head away. You move your head away because you’re embarrassed. Embarrassed that he’s right. It has always been like this. Yunho has never been rough with you, forced you to do anything. At the end of the day it’s you who accepts him. Who melts in his hands.

You’re now pressed up onto the wall of his apartment. His hands are on each side of your head and he’s staring straight down at you. As if you were his prey. Eyes filled with hunger.

“Let go of me” you try pushing him off

“Let go of you? You’re the one who’s touching me baby” he chuckles out slowly leaning in closer. Your eyes avoid his and you feel the heat rushing through your cheeks. He’s right again.

“Why do you do this? For god sake you’re a cop- a sheriff even. You should know this is wrong” you’re now aware about the fact that you indeed were the one touching him, keeping your hands to your sides, he surely noticed that because he's now dangerously leaned down close to your face, nose grazing yours.

“No law will be able to take me away from you. I’ve made it very clear that you are mine” his lips are now brushing against yours.

Your lips naturally part and you’re now eager for a touch. A kiss. Anything. 

“You really want this to end? Even though you’ve came on my hands and face? You’ve yelled out my name with such lust, should we tell that to the judge once you take me to court? Are you gonna visit me in jail and have me fuck you through my cell?”

His fingers are now trailing over your body. Starting from your hands, going all the way up to your arms, he caresses a line across your collarbone and circles down to your boobs, one hand stopping to pinch a nipple and the other hand sliding straight under your dress instantly feeling your wetness. 

“Does it excite you? Fucking you through my cell?” he breathes onto your lips.

“Yunho…” you breathe out, a hand sliding on the back of his neck while the other tangles in his hair slightly pulling him more down “please kiss me”

Without another word his lips crash onto yours. Hungry, needy, rough as if he’s been waiting to do it for ages.

You whine at the loss of touch as he moves away from you for a second before swiftly lifts you up and takes you to his room.

Clothes were off in a matter of seconds. Or should you say ripped off. “Yunho!” you shriek when you hear your panties and dress rip and glance at them on the floor.

“I’ll buy you other ones” he lays you down on the bed connecting your lips once more “although you won’t be needing them around me” he chuckles out before sucking a harsh hickey on your neck, causing you to moan. You feel his smile on your neck as you start unbuttoning his shirt. You let out a frustrated huff struggling at removing his gun belt and pants so he helped you remove them.

“Look at you so eager to rip off my clothes. You were demanding me to let go of you minutes ago” he teases as he wiggled out of his briefs, now exposing his hard on, gulping at the idea of it fitting. You’ve done this many times but it’s been so long you almost forgot the sting of pain you’d feel at the beginning.

Sitting up he grabs his cock in his hands. You think he’s about to slide in but instead you feel him sliding his tip between your folds, causing you to grip on the bedsheets and let out a loud whimper. He slides his tip up and down your folds before ribbing circles around your clit with it, both of you shuddering at the sensation. 

“You wanna run away from me Y/N? Hm?” he now leans close to you supporting his weight with both hands by the sides of your head. “Let’s see how fast you run from me.” he says before you feel him slowly entering you.

“One…”

“Two…” he pushes deeper

“Three..” deeper

“Four…” even deeper

“Five” what is he counting

“Six….” oh my god hes counting how many inches hes putting inside you

“Yunho please” you whimper out grabbing his ass and pushing him into you deeper earning a loud grunt from him. He slams into you and starts thrusting.

“Y'know I was gonna play nice guy with you today… even though you left me like that… wanted to make you come back to me.. ah… but that fucking dress didn’t help fuck” he now grabs your hips keeping you in place as you were squirming around.

“Ah Yunho please d-don’t st-ah op” he’s practically drilling into you now and you roll your eyes back. 

“I won’t stop… I never will ah when will you accept me Y/N accept that you’re mine, even your pussy knows this by the way you’re sucking my cock right now god so tight” 

“Mine all fucking mine” he’s whispering in your ear over the sounds of your skin slapping and squelching echoing in the room.

Although his thrusts are rough and hard, there’s a hint of passion in them, your bodies are so close together, skin rubbing against each other, almost as if he’s trying to merge your bodies together.

“Yunho I’m gonna-” you don’t finish your sentence before you feel the familiar feeling on heat rush out of you and soon later you feel his trusts get sloppy before he fills you up still chanting “mine” in your ear. 

You spend a minute there, catching your breaths before you reach your hand out to his cheek and pull him in for a kiss. Your body wants him. Seeing him on top of you right now, his eyes sparkling at you. You are reminded of why although you ran away from him, you always accept him.     

“You’re not going anywhere” kiss

“You can’t run away from me” kiss

"I’ll make you fall in love with me” kiss

“and its gonna happen tonight” thrust.

[callsign-dexter]

Forever Yours 18+

Request: How are we feeling about Tim Bradford meeting his high school girlfriend again as he's on patrol with Lucy and gets all flustered again cause you're the one for him (like you separated ways as he went to the police and you did something else but are back now) and you just feel the same old feelings. Later Lucy won't stop making fun of him cause he's always badass and now you seem to be his weak spot. Next day you visit him at the department with his favorite food and he asks you out on a date which you gladly accept. Just some fluffy cute Tim, with maaaaaybe smut at the end of their date and he won't let her leave him ever again? 😊 

Next week is my bday, so I thought some Tim would be adorable !

Pairings: Tim Bradford x Teacher!Reader

Warnings: fluff, smut, swearing, pregnancy

Masterlist

A/N: Happy birthday or belated birthday to the anon that sent this in!

A/N 2: @talesofreading and @imagine-all-the-fandoms some steamy Tim smut for you!

Los Angeles. You never thought you would come back here but after being away for so long you were itching to come back. Most importantly you were missing your high school crush and boyfriend, Tim Bradford. You two only split when he decided to go into the military and you wanted to become a teacher. It was a mutual break up but man did it still hurt. You two had lost contact and both of you had been too busy to try and reconnect with each other but now you were back having gotten your teaching degree and took the position as a first-grade teacher. You loved kids and they seemed to be drawn to you. It was really your true calling.

Last you heard of Tim was that he had gotten out of the military and had gone to the police academy, was married but then got divorced and he was working as a TO for LAPD. You heard all of this through his sister that you were best friends with. You had wanted to get in contact with him but school and kids kept you busy so you just let it go.

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The new school year was just about to start and you were excited. A few weeks before you had gone in and set up the classroom how you wanted and then started to figure out teaching material. A week before school actually starts you would be meeting the students and their parents for the first time. Overall, you were excited and couldn’t wait.

There was one week before school and you had gotten there early to start meeting the students and parents. The time had started and the students and parents started to slowly trickle in. Everyone you met were friendly and some of the dads even tried to flirt with you but you just smiled and continued on. You had your mind on one person and that was Tim Bradford. 

It was finally the end of the day and you were exhausted but you had a lot of fun and loved seeing the kids. You made sure everything was in order and everything was cleaned then you were walking you out of the classroom and locking the door behind you. You left the school with a smile on your face. You couldn’t wait for Friday next week. 

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Your alarm on Friday went off early and you were getting up with a smile on your face. You turned it off and got in the shower and brushed your teeth. You walked out into your room in just a towel and started to get dressed. As you were doing so your cat, Biscuit, walked in and jumped on the bed and meowed at you, you turned and gave him some love and then you were back to getting ready. When you were done in there you walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen where your German Shepherd, Steel, greeted you. You gave Steel his food and then fed Biscuit and now you were getting yourself coffee as it was brewing you let Steel out and then when he was done, he was at the door wanting back in. You finished getting ready to leave the house. The coffee chimed when it was done and you grabbed the travel mug and headed out to your blue Toyota Tacoma.

It was a quick drive to the school and you got there with no trouble. As you were driving you looked like Tim but you were too busy paying attention to the road. You pulled into the parking lot and into the parking lot for the teachers. You parked and turned the engine off and then you were getting out and grabbing your bag. As you were walking into the building you greeted some of the other staff who were all so friendly and that made you smile. 

You walked to your room and unlocked it and started to get everything ready for the day. About 7:50 AM students started to trickle in and you were at the door greeting everyone. Once everyone was in you closed the door and walked to the front of the classroom smiling and made sure everyone was sitting down. “Good morning, kiddos. My name is Ms. Y/L/N and I’m gonna be your teacher for this year. I’m excited to learn about each and every one of you and I can’t wait for the fun things I have planned for you all. It’s going to be a fun year. Now does anyone have questions for me or about me?” You asked and a few raised their hands. You looked over at them and smiled “Benson, what is your question?” You asked.

“Do you have any animals?” He asked with sweet innocent eyes and you smiled.

“I do, I have a dog named Steel and a cat named Biscuit.” You said

“Do you have pictures?” He asked and you smiled and pulled up a picture of your animals. 

The rest of the morning went without a hitch. When they were at lunch you smiled and sat in your room thinking about what the plan was for the second half of the day. You were scrolling through your email and noticed there was going to be a fire drill and that they were going to bring the fire trucks, ambulances, and police in. 

All the kids were back and you let them know what was going to be happening and you assured them that there was nothing to be afraid of and it was all a drill. Some still seemed scared so you said that they could come to you if they got too scared and that seemed like that helped ease them up a little bit. For now, the day went like normal and it would be happening close to the end of the day.

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“Did you hear that we have to go to the elementary school for a fire drill?” Lucy said as she and Tim were driving around making calls and making sure everything was good to go.

“Yes, I did.” Tim said, making his response short.

“How do you feel about that?” She asked

“I’m fine with it. It lets kids see the importance of what we do.” He said and she nodded seeing that he wasn’t up for any more discussing it. While they were waiting to be called to the school Tim was thinking about you and where you were. You were his high school love and he never stopped loving you even when he was married, he wanted to get back into contact with you but never seemed able to find the time but boy was he in or a surprise today. The time came and they were heading to the school along with the ambulance, firefighters, and two other shops. The point of this was to first have a fire drill and then show the importance of the first responders. Tim parked next to Talia and Nolan’s car and they headed over to the kids. Everyone was answering questions and then something, more like someone, caught Tim’s eye. He looked closer and it was you. You were bent down talking to a kid who was crying and you were trying to console them but it wasn’t working and so you picked the kid up and let them cry into your neck. He needed to see you and talk to you. “I’ll be right back.” He told Lucy and then was gone before she could say anything. 

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“Hey, shhhhhh. You’re ok.” You said consoling the little boy. You were bouncing them around trying to soothe him. You didn’t even know Tim was walking up to you. “It’s nothing to be scared about. It just means that it helps on the way and they save people.” You said and he came out from your neck and sniffled.

“Really?” He asked and you smiled and were about to answer but a familiar male voice answered before for you.

“Absolutely. It means that we are on our way to save you.” Tim said and you looked up and saw him and the little boy looked at him.

“Really?” He asked and Tim smiled.

“Yup, my fellow officer John Nolan will be happy to show you and talk to you about it.” He said and then pointed over to him “He is right over there.” Tim said and the boy sniffled and nodded and you sat him down and watched him scamper off to John. Making sure he was safe before turning to Tim smiling. “You've always been so good with kids.” He said and you chuckled.

“You have too. One of the many reasons I fell in love with you.” You said and he smiled and looked down. 

“It's been a while.” He said looking up at you and you nodded agreeing.

“Too long and that is my fault.” You said and his smile turned into a frown and he shook his head.

“No. That is not true. I'm the one that took off and didn't even try to contact.” He said and you shook your head.

“I'm to blame too.” You said and once again he was denying it. 

“We can discuss this over dinner.” He said and you looked at him.

“Like a date?” You asked 

“Exactly like that. My number is the same if you wanted to text me anytime.” He said and you smiled and nodded.

“Mine is too.” You said 

“Ms. Y/L/N! She hit me!” Your student, Amber, said pointing to another student, Emma, as they ran up to you. You looked at Tim and he smiled and nodded. You bent down to the two girls. You walked back over to Lucy and the others watching you handle the situation with a smile. All he could think about was how you would deal with your and his kids and that put a smile on his face.

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Tim walked back over to the group smiling. “Is The Tim Bradford actually smiling?” Lucy asked and everyone turned to see and he actually started to blush.

“He's blushing!” Angela said with a smile. 

“I am not.” He said and tried to stop but he just saw the love of his life again. 

“You so are! Is it because of that teacher you were flirting with?” Lucy asked and he didn't say anything and then the radio saved him and then he was quick to answer it. 

“Come on Boot. We have work to do.” Tim said and walked over to his shop and she quickly followed behind him. When they got back to the shop his phone dinged and he was quick to pull it out and smiled when he saw it was you. Lucy took notice of this and she smirked.

“Is that her?” Lucy asked and Tim was quick to drop the smile and look at her.

“It’s none of your business.” He said and she rolled her eyes but smirked when she looked away, he was smiling and was quick to send a reply back and it was back to work for the both of you.

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You and Tim had been talking all week and the same old feelings were coming back. Saturday rolled around and you found out he was working and you decided to bring him and his coworkers. You loved baking and Tim knew this. You parked in a parking spot and then walked into the police station smiling. You greeted the front desk person and they smiled. “What can I do for you?” She asked.

“I’m here to see Tim Bradford.” You said and she smiled and then she paged him and he was coming down in time.

“Y/N, what are you doing here?” He asked and you smiled and turned to him.

“Well, you mentioned you were working today and thought you and your coworkers could use some baked goods.” You said and he smiled.

“Come on.” He said and you walked with him into where everyone was. It looked like they were just in for lunch. “Guys, this is Y/N. Y/N this is Angela, Talia, Lucy, Jackson, and Nolan.” He said and everyone waved as they were introduced.

“Nice to meet you all.” You said “I figured you all could use some goodies.” You said you waved your basket.

“Her cookies are to die for. They are my favorite” Tim said as you set the basket down in the break room. Tim wasn’t looking at anyone but you, everyone was smiling and looking at how lovesick he was and they were happy for him. Everyone got a cookie and they absolutely fell in love with them and they voiced this and that made you smile. “Hey, would you follow me?” He asked you and you nodded and he took your hand and led you to the briefing room.

“What’s up?” You asked as you sat on the edge of one of the tables.

“Will you go on a date with me?” He asked and you smiled and nodded.

“I would love to go on a date with you.” You said and that made him smile.

“Great! I’ll pick you up at 7 tonight?” He asked and you once again smiled.

“That sounds perfect.” You said and then you both continued to talk until he had to leave and that was cue now you had to go home and get ready for your date.

7 PM rolled around quickly and before you knew it you were opening the door to a smiling and well-dressed Timothy Bradford. “Wow.” He said and you blushed but Steel was quick to rush the door.

“Steel, off.” You said and he backed up and moved away from the door and that made Tim fall in love with you even more. You made sure to grab your keys, locking the door behind you, and the both of you headed to his truck where he helped you in and then closed the door and walked to the other side and got in and headed to the restaurant that he had picked out that he knew you would love. “So where are we going?” You asked and he smiled.

“It's a surprise but you’re going to love it. They have sushi.” He said when he looked over and saw you were about to say something and then your smile came back. “I’ve missed you. I’m sorry that I didn’t stay in contact.” He said and you shook your head.

“Nonsense. It was my fault too.” You said

“I guess it is both of our faults.” He said and you chuckled but agreed. You both were quick to get to the restaurant and he was quick to park and then was getting out and helping you out. You both walked into the restaurant and he walked up to the receptionist and he was quick to get you seated. You two talked and caught up and just had a delightful time, it was just like old times. You both ordered and now the wait for food has started. 

“I missed you.” You said and he smiled and nodded.

“I missed you too. It was hard to go on not knowing how you were but I was too selfish to actually text you.” He said and you nodded looking at him.

“It was hard finding out through your sister about what you were doing but it helped.” You said and he nodded and just then the food came and you both started eating and finished the date and now you were back at your house inviting him. Steel greeted you and so did Biscuit and they immediately fell in love with him and you fell back in love with him, though you never truly fell out of love with him. 

You sat on the couch with a glass of wine, both of your animals had left the room so it was just the both of you, and you both leaned in and now you were kissing him and he was kissing back and neither of you were stopping each other. “Tell me to stop if you want me to stop.” He said when he pulled away and you looked him in the eye.

“I don’t want you to stop.” You said and he smiled.

“I was hoping you were going to say that.” He said and crashed his lips back into yours and he laid you down on the couch. He started to kiss your neck and then got to your sweet spot and gently bit it and that made you moan.

“Tim.” You moaned and he smirked and did it again. You clenched around nothing. You both worked on getting each other clothes off and everything was off in no time in a pile on the floor beside the couch. “I love you.” You said and he trailed down your body peppering it.

“I love you too.” He said in between kisses. He ghosted over nipples giving them equal attention but he knew where you needed him the most. This was not the first time you had sex with this man, he was your first in high school, sure you had sex with other men but nothing compared to him. He still knew how you liked it and knew all the right places to please you. He trailed down to your heated core and was quick to dive in and you moaned out throwing your head back and hands going to his head. He let up for just a second. “We can take this to the bedroom if you want.” He said and you shook your head.

“No, it's perfect here.” You said and he nodded and he was diving back into your pussy licking and sucking on your clit knowing exactly where to use his tongue to please you. “Tim.” You moaned out and bucked your hips towards him and he was quick to hold you down. Your hands left his head and they came up to clutch the couch cushions and your legs spread wider. He started swirling his tongue around your entrance and was tongue fucking you and you felt that rubber band feeling starting to tighten. “‘M close.” You moaned out but he stopped just as soon as you were about to cum. “Tim.” You moaned out in frustration but he was moving up to be face to face with you.

“What?” He asked his breath fanning you and you could smell the wine on this breath.

“I was about to cum.” You said and he smirked.

“You’ll get what you want soon.” He said and kissed you as he rubbed his cock up and down your wet folds and then let up on the kiss as he pushed into you and you both moaned. “See? I told you.” He said and all you did was moan. He stretched you in all the right places and it was like you were back in high school with him all over again. 

“Tim.” You moaned and he smirked, loving the way he made you moan and the way you were gripping him. He started to move and you both moaned out.

“You’re still as tight as ever.” He said and attacked your neck with more kisses and love bites. 

“You ruined all the other guys for me.” You moaned out and he gave a sharp thrust that hit your g-spot perfectly.

“Good.” He said 

“You’re the only one for me.” You said and he gave another sharp thrust and then he started to go faster and you didn’t even have to ask for it. You both wanted this and you both needed it. Everything was perfect. Ever since he started to go faster it was making that rubber band feeling coming back. Each thrust was like heaven and you never wanted it to end. “I’m about to cum.” You moaned out.

“Me too.” He moaned out and picked up his pace and trailed one hand, leaving the other to keep his weight off of you, down to your body to your clit and he started to rub it, flick it, and pinch it all it was doing was making you come closer to the edge. Your orgasm was just right there and so was his. 

“Tim!” You yelled out not caring who heard you. 

“Cum for me.” He said and sent a flick to your clit and leaned down to bite your nipple and then you were seeing stars. Not a few seconds later his thrusts were getting sloppy “I’m gonna cum.” He said and then his hips stilled and he painted your walls right. It was a good thing you were on birth control, you thought as you and Tim came down from your highs. Tim slowly slipped out of you and then got behind you and threw an arm around you. He grabbed the blanket from off the back of the couch and threw it over you both. “I’m never gonna let you leave again.” He said and you smiled and nodded and turned to look at him.

“I’m never going to leave. Ever.” You said and he smiled and leaned down to kiss you. 

“I love you.” He said 

“I love you too.” You replied

You wanted this. You wanted forever with him and he wanted that with you too. You both wanted to marry each other and start a family with each other. Neither of you could wait to finally be with each other forever. You both wanted this since high school and nothing is going to get in the way of you both being together forever, not again. 

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ 

2 years later………

You and Tim had been married for 2 years now and had a 2-year-old son, Dakota. Your son was conceived on the last day of your honeymoon. Now you are 6 months pregnant with your second child, this one being a girl. Your jobs were going great and Tim had just been promoted to Sergeant which meant a bigger paycheck. Now you and Dakota were walking into the precinct to meet with your husband. You had just parked the car and got out and got Dakota out. “Kota, hold my hand when crossing the street.” You said and he nodded.

“Otay momma.” He said and you smiled and ran a hand through his hair, he was the exact copy of his father. You grabbed his hand and the both of you walked across the street and into the precinct.

“Good morning, Mrs. Bradford and Dakota.” The receptionist said and you smiled. 

“Good morning, Veronica.” You said “Tim in?” You asked and she nodded.

“Yup, you know where to find him.” She said and you nodded and then you were heading to him with a hand on your sons and one on your stomach.

“Y/N! Dakota!” Lucy said and you smiled.

“Hello, Lucy.” You said and your son waved at her.

“Tim is in his office.” She said and you smiled and walked to his office. You looked into the room and saw him focusing on his work and you looked down at Dakota.

“Knock, Baby.” You said and he smiled and did so.

“Come in.” He said and you opened the door and you both stepped in.

“Daddy!” Dakota said and he looked up and smiled and walked around his desk and scooped his son up.

“Hello there, handsome. Have you been good for mommy?” He asked and he nodded.

“We went to the store, I helped!” Dakota rambled on and Tim smiled.

“You helped mommy?” He asked and looked at you and you nodded.

“Uh huh. I helped carry!” He said and he smiled.

“That’s my boy.” He said and kissed his cheek and then walked over and kissed you. “How is our little girl doing?” He asked.

“Currently being still for once but using my bladder as a soccer ball a lot.” You said and he chuckled. He put Dakota down and he walked over to the table with toys and coloring books that Tim kept for him. Tim put his hand on your stomach and immediately the baby kicked. “She must know that she has her daddy here.” You said and he chuckled and leaned down to kiss you. 

“Mommy! Daddy! Come help!” Dakota all but shouted and you two broke apart. 

“Ok, we’re coming.” Tim said and you followed him over there and he sat down on the ground and you sat in a chair which he helped you sit in. Tim got into helping Dakota so that you were able to lean back and watch with a smile on your face. This was the dream you always wanted with him and you got it finally after so long. You were married to the man of your dreams, had a son together, and have a daughter on the way. You rubbed your stomach as she kicked and that made you smile.

You were finally happy and couldn’t wait to spend the rest of your years with the man of your dreams since high school. They were your world and you wouldn’t trade anything for it. You loved your growing family and you knew Tim did and that made you happy. Tim looked over at you and smiled. “I love you.” You mouthed and he smiled.

“I love you too.” He mouthed and then Dakota was grabbing his attention again and you chuckled, yup you loved little growing family.

Tag list:

@kmc1989

@els-marvelvsp

@atarmychick007

@nyx2021

@grandstrangerphantom

@angenu01-blog

@talesofreading

[sugrhigh]

BOY NEXT DOOR 2 - ( c.s )

part one

summary- you and your roommates live beside a bunch of senior hockey players, one of them being the infamous team captain chris sturniolo. he’s effortlessly flirty and undeniably attractive, but he’s also a pain in your ass. you find that you have to fight between lust and hatred as you finally get to know the boy next door, whether you want to or not.

warnings- swearing, kissing, that’s it i think

neighbor/hockey!chris x fem!reader

a/n: PART TWOOOOO!!!! i hope u guys like this series i’m having a lot of fun with it (and s/o to my girl @cutenote for letting me use her name). self-indulged this chapter and made the reader a flyers fan so SRY but anyways, enjoy! next thing im putting out is a matt request and then i’ll be working on this series and the tattooartist!reader x matt series. if you have other reqs, questions, confessions, etc, my inbox is open 🫶🏻

@cutenote @mattsmunch @mattybsbitch @breeloveschris @st7rnioioss

your stomach flips as you stare in the mirror, twisting and turning every which way to make sure you look alright. you’re in one of chris’s jerseys, repping the scarlet and white colors of boston university, complete with the little ‘C’ emblem for captain.

he left it in your mailbox earlier on his way to the arena, demanding that you wear it instead of the BU sweatshirt you had planned on going in. so you listened to him, even though you’re not really sure why.

your hair and makeup are all done, contrary to the last time chris saw you, when you were in his house threatening to call the cops. it feels performative, getting all dressed up for something you don’t even want to go to.

but what the hell, you hadn’t seen the team play at all this year, and if you look your best you’ll feel your best. at least, that’s what you convinced yourself would happen.

“are you done up there? we need to leave, games gonna start soon!” one of your roommates calls from the living room.

you sigh and turn away from your own reflection so you can head for the stairs. cassidy and ramona are both waiting for you on the couch as you round the corner, also decked out in BU merch.

you’re just lucky you had been able to convince them both to come with you, so you don’t have to stand by yourself.

“took you long enough.” cassidy mumbles under her breath as she stretches her legs and stands up.

mona mimicks her movements, but not without shooting her a glare. “be nice, she’s obviously nervous.”

“no i’m not!” you protest, and now they both give you an eye roll as they pass you to get their coats from the closet.

“your voice just went up ten octaves.” cass snarks.

you are anxious, but it’s just because of the unknown. you still haven’t figured out what chris is angling at, besides maybe sleeping with you, which isn’t gonna happen. well, probably not at least.

no, not ever. oh my god.

“i’m not nervous. i just wish i could back out.” you double down, turning to see them both pulling on their big winter jackets.

“you used to love hockey, you just don’t like chris. one game won’t kill you.” ramona replies.

“and you also didn’t have to agree.”

this accusation makes your face flush, in embarrassment and in denial. “he wouldn’t have stopped that party if i didn’t. and you know i could never actually call the cops.”

ramona stays silent as cass laces up her shoes. “whatever you say babe. you look cute in his jersey either way.”

“cassidy!” you whine in exasperation.

“i’m honestly not sorry.”

the entire walk to the get to the game is spent harassing you, which is a solid twenty minutes because you live off campus. ramona does try to keep it to a minimum, though you can’t really blame them for the questions. you have them too.

it’s always been weird with you and chris. you hate his attitude, how people fall to his feet like he’s some sort of god. you can’t stand the way he talks to you like he can read your mind, or how you always catch him staring at your lips just so he can pretend like he wasn’t.

he does it to every girl, and you don’t know why he’s taking all of these extra steps to try and get you into bed.

maybe because you see through it, and you don’t want any part of him. he said it himself, he doesn’t want a relationship, and you’re not looking to get an STD, so you don’t know why he’s bothering.

you finally arrive at the facility, and your stomach flips. tons of people are out tonight, of course. the sun is long gone with it being winter and all, so the lights are extra overwhelming as you step inside.

you head through security and scan your passes, ones that are specifically right beside the student section in the very front. chris gifted them to you for free since you didn’t get season tickets, right by the glass so he knows where you are.

even when you were a pain in the ass and insisted you needed two more for your roommates, he made it work. it was a little impressive.

you find your seats, and the boys are already on the ice warming up. you spot chris from the jersey number, 3, and you can see his long hair poking out from underneath his helmet.

he’s focused on taking a practice shot, but as he skates by the glass afterwards you see him looking, like he isn’t sure if you showed up. but then he finds you, and you can actually see his stupid smile.

he waves, just a tiny one, before he goes right back to drills. you’re thankful he didn’t make it dramatic, because you know there’s plenty of girls in the stands who want him, and have probably already been with him.

you each take your coats off and hang them on your chairs. you know the fact that you having his last name plastered across your back doesn’t help the attention, but people can think what they want.

you don’t give a fuck. cassidy was right, it’s cuter on you anyways.

they head into the locker room quickly after your arrival, and even more people fill in to watch the show. the student section is loud as the facility finally goes dark, and the team skates back onto the ice moments later.

spotlights flood the stadium, highlighting different players as both teams line up along the neutral zone. you cheer extra loud when they announce the starting lineup and call chris’s name, even despite your vendetta against him.

no use being a shitty fan if you’re already here.

they get ready for the face off after the national anthem, and BU gets the puck. it’s back and forth for a while, and you find yourself groaning and cheering with the rest of the crowd during every play.

the first goal of the game is scored within fifteen minutes, by one of his other roommates ben, of all people. you and your friends are jumping around like maniacs, and you can see him laughing at you guys after they’re all done celebrating on the ice.

it makes you wonder if chris told them you’d be here, but you force yourself to eat the popcorn cass bought and stop thinking about it.

the second period begins and BU keeps possession for most of it, pretty much dominating their opponent. in the final thirty seconds, chris drives down the rink to score another goal.

you throw your hands up without thinking, and you let the excitement take over. “fuck yeah!”

cassidy and ramona are screaming too, shaking you by the shoulders wildly.

he comes skating over, pointing right at you as he does a lap near the student section. heads turn, and you can literally feel people staring at you now, even despite the noise and the chaos.

but you’re alive, and you can’t get enough of this environment, so you keep cheering for him regardless of the burning feeling of eyes on you.

“that was cute.” ramona nudges you with a genuine smile, and you’re fighting your own grin as you shake your head.

“whatever.”

the rest of the game is swift. your goalie makes a couple great saves, and a guy named dylan, who you’ve met before at parties, scores the final point of the night.

it just twists the knife further, because it’s a total shutout. the fans go wild as the final buzzer sounds, and you’re right there with them. you relish in the lights, the feeling.

you really did miss watching hockey in person. and you can’t even say you necessarily hate watching chris anymore. there’s just something about the way he skates, so locked in on the game.

he’s a threat, to be completely honest, and you kind of love it.

“that was fucking crazy.” cassidy is beaming happily as you guys gather your things ten minutes post-game, and ramona nods along.

“we’re gonna have to do this more often.” she glances at you with hope.

“hey, don’t look at me. i’m in it for the free tickets, and i’m not sure how long that’ll last.” you’re lying through your teeth, because you enjoyed it just as much.

but again. who knows what he’s really trying to do here.

“you could give him the benefit of the doubt.” mona suggests dryly.

“does he really deserve it? he’s going to think he’s the shit either way.” you point out, and she goes quiet.

“maybe that’s true, but i’ve never heard of him doing whatever that celebration was with other girls.” cassidy takes over, and she’s honestly check-mated you.

it is strange, because when you watched games last season, before you had chris as your neighbor, before you even really knew of him, you hadn’t ever seen that. and from current knowledge, you’re pretty sure he had a short term girlfriend during one of those months.

“touché, i guess.” you grumble, and as if right on que your phone vibrates in your pocket.

chris

wait for me, 15 mins max

ramona and cassidy take the bus home, leaving you on your lonesome as the crowd clears out slowly but surely.

you can hear girls whispering about you as they walk by, but it’s not even worth it. you’re not scared of what they have to say. maybe when you were younger, you would have reacted, but it’s just displaced jealousy anyways.

they don’t even know the truth.

finally, after what feels like a painful amount of time, you get a text from chris with directions toward the locker rooms.

it’s far more quiet now as you make your way to the ground level of the arena, headed to the section of the rink you know is closed off to pretty much everyone else. there’s a guy standing there, dressed in his black shirt with the facility logo on it.

he goes to stop you, but chris comes strutting through the hall, out of uniform now. his brown hair is all messy, and he’s dressed down in a matching black sweat set.

“she’s cool, i have a pass for her.”

he walks right up to you, looping a red lanyard over your head. his fingertips brush the skin of your neck as he collects your hair with his hands, flipping it out from underneath the string for you.

it’s a small thing. his touch is barely there, and yet it still burns.

the security guy smiles at you as you follow chris down the hall. you’ve never been back here before, and you have to admit it’s kind of cool.

you can see where the arena workers go on and off the ice, and the large garage type doors that let the zambonis in and out.

“so.” he breaks the silence, and you almost jump at the sound of his voice.

you were in your own world, and you kind of forgot what was actually going on here.

“so.” you parrot, waiting for him to continue as he leads you around a corner.

“looked like you actually had fun for once.” chris jokes, and you shove his shoulder half-heartedly.

“shut up, i’ve always liked hockey. you though? i’m not so sure.” you give him a look and he opens his mouth like he’s shocked.

“come on, i pointed you out after my goal and everything. you’re telling me you didn’t like it even a little?”

you liked it more than you care to admit, so you don’t. “it’s gonna take more than that to impress me, christopher, but i will say it was a good game.”

“you might just be our lucky charm.” chris glances at you out of the corner of the corner of his eye as he slows to a stop in front of the locker room.

you cross your arms over your chest. “now you're just patronizing me.”

“always assuming the worst.”

“well, you make it easy.” you tease.

he pauses to look down at your defensive stance, at his jersey all scrunched up around your body, and you can tell by his smirk that he’s loving it a little too much.

you clear your throat to try and alleviate some of the tension and chris snaps out of it, turning to head through the little entryway.

“i’m gonna grab my bag, don’t go anywhere.”

“you’re my ride, dumbass.” you remind him, and you hear his chuckle reverberate against the walls as he disappears.

a few players head out as you wait, ones you don’t recognize, and they nod at you politely as they chat amongst themselves. it actually takes you by surprise, but you try not to show it.

chris comes back into the hall a minute later, bag slung around his shoulder. he’s got a black bruins beanie on now, and you raise an eyebrow instinctively.

“why are you looking at me like that?” he asks, waving his hand so you follow him further down the wide corridor.

“your hat.” you point, and he looks offended.

“what’s your problem with it?”

“not everyone who goes to school here is actually from boston, genius. i’m a flyers fan.” you smile at him sweetly, and he literally groans.

“how did i not know this?” he asks as you guys reach the door that leads to the team parking lot.

“because you don’t know me.” you reply swiftly.

chris pushes the door open and holds it for you, another move you don’t expect. “i know more than you think.”

you shiver slightly as you step past him into the cold, wrapping your coat around yourself a bit tighter.

“if it helps you sleep at night.” you chirp over your shoulder.

you know his car, a black jeep grand cherokee that you’ve always been a little jealous of, and it’s sitting in the middle of the lot. not many others are still here, and you can hear both of your feet kicking up gravel as you walk.

chris picks up his pace so he can beat you there, swinging the passenger door open before you can do it yourself.

“wow, chivalry’s not dead.” you say blankly, sliding into the seat so he can close you in.

“what can i say, i’m a real gentleman.”

the interior smells like a pine air freshener, which actually isn’t a bad touch. chris walks around so he can toss his bag in the back and get behind the wheel, starting the engine and peeling out of the spot.

it’s quiet for a moment, aside from the music, and you can’t help but peek over at him sitting across from you. the shadows accentuate his striking features as he mumbles lyrics under his breath, nodding his head along ever so slightly.

he looks pretty, and you don’t like it one bit.

“i can feel you staring at me, you know.” chris turns to glance at you for a brief moment before he puts his eyes back on the road.

it makes your palms sweat, because he caught you in the act and now there’s no shying away.

deny, deny, deny.

“just wondering why your face looks like that.”

“what, devilishly handsome?” he smirks.

“i was thinking gremlin-esque, but sure.” you deadpan, and he just shakes his head and laughs lowly.

“so scared of your own feelings. it’s cute.”

it’s a major call-out, and it normally doesn’t phase you. but tonight it’s different. he’s being so fucking strange, and it’s clearly been messing with your head.

“i’m not scared of shit, because the only thing i feel is sorry for all the girls who have actually fallen for this.” you retort, and the frustration is clear in your voice.

“other girls don’t get the princess treatment like you do.” his self-satisfied demeanor doesn’t falter for a second, even despite your low blow.

“yeah, right. i’m sure i’m really special.”

chris grips the wheel tighter as he turns onto your street, and you have to rip your eyes away from his long fingers.

“well you’re the only one who’s ever worn my jersey, so that’s something.” he admits, scratching his neck absentmindedly.

you’re not sure whether you believe it, but this time he actually does sound genuinely nervous. well, nervous for chris.

“and i wear it best too.” you brush some imaginary dust off of your shoulder as he pulls up into his driveway and puts the car in park.

“won’t argue on that one.” he shrugs, shooting you an easy grin.

“that’s surprising.”

you step back out into the crisp night air, slamming the door shut behind you. you meet chris at the front of the car and try to move around him, headed for your own place.

he takes a step to block you, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “where are you going?”

you put some distance between your bodies, because he’s once again too close for comfort, and it’s hard to focus on your words when he’s inches from your face.

“home, obviously.”

“why? i thought we were going to hang out.” he frowns.

“nothing good ever happens in your house past nine p.m.”

this makes him smirk. “very good things happen in that house past nine p.m.”

“your charm is irresistible, truly.” you bite back sarcastically, maneuvering around him as you try to ignore the fire burning in your stomach.

you’ve only taken two steps before chris grabs your arm, pulling you back into his chest quickly. his other hand goes to hold the side of your face, tangling in your hair as he leans in close.

his lips ghost over yours, just barely. you can smell the cologne he must have put on after the game, can feel his slight stubble scratching your face, and it’s all too much.

you haven’t been kissed in so long, and right now it doesn’t matter that it’s chris, and that it goes against everything you stand for. your eyes flutter closed and you fill the gap, pressing your mouth against his hard.

it shocks him, so much so that he almost forgets how to do this properly. chris can taste your berry chapstick, and your lips are so much fucking softer than he even imagined.

his tongue slides against yours skillfully, deepening the kiss as he presses his body flush against yours. you can feel his thumb brushing your cheek as your mouths clash together continuously. its passionate and angry and intense, and you can’t believe it’s happening.

why is this happening?

the thought snaps you out of it, and you put your hand on his chest to force him away roughly. chris is surprised, and you’re both slack-jawed and breathing heavily as your body tries to catch up with your brain.

“i…i’m gonna go.” you mumble quietly, because you have no idea what else to say.

“or you could stay.”

“i don’t want to.”

“you’re a terrible liar.” he counters, and you can see how raw and red his lips are even in the moonlight.

you shake your head and turn toward your own front porch. it’s too hard to continue meeting his fiery gaze, because he’s looking at you like he actually needs you.

“goodnight, chris.”

“this isn’t over, you know. one day you’ll finally admit it.” he calls after you, and you don’t gratify him with a response.

there’s nothing that’ll change his mind, especially after you had actually caved in during that moment of weakness. it was so unwarranted, and you’re angry that kissing him didn’t feel as wrong as it should have.

you take the steps two at a time and hurry through the door, closing it behind you and pressing your back to the wood.

your fingers dance across your lips, and you swear you can still feel his mouth on yours.

[holymusicalmothman]

Happy Birthday, Pretty Girl

Spencer Agnew x Hecox!Reader

Word Count: 2.6 (good lord, that’s a lot for me)

TWs: Five year age gap, female reader, I gave reader my own bday cause why not it’s my bday today, reader is under 5’5”, coworker relationship (idk man like I said in my lil sneak peek, I was stoned for most of writing this),

Smosh Masterlist

*******

Friday Night -INT: Buca di Beppo

Birthdays are important. It’s a day to gather with loved ones and celebrate. Or just be glad you made it another year.

You loved any chance to spend with your friends. Granted, you worked with most, if not all, of your friends. And your job was fun. But still! It was always made you happy to get together outside of work.

And what a get together it was. Your brother, Ian, had helped you with getting as many of your coworkers as possible to meet up at Buca after work on the Friday before your actual birthday.

You were sandwiched into a seat between Angela and Chanse at the moment, taking a selfie with your birthday buddy. Your birthday and Chanse’s were only a few days apart and you had no problem sharing the spotlight.

Angela smacked you in the arm suddenly. “He’s here.”

You and Chanse looked at her. Her stare only grew more insistent. As if she was implying something that should have been obvious.

“He’s here.” She repeated.

“Girl, who’s here?” Chanse questioned.

Angela threw a quick glance over her shoulder before leaning closer and lowering her voice. “Spencer.”

You glanced from your friend to the aforementioned man as he approached the table. Only to whip your head back around to Chanse as you heard a gasp leave him.

“You told Angela but you didn’t tell me?” Faux offence was written all over his face.

“No. I told Tommy, who accidentally told Ang.” You jerked your head towards Tommy, who had sat across from the three of you with a glass of wine while you had been distracted by Spencer.

“And you didn’t even mean to tell me.” Tommy admitted. “It just slipped out behind the scenes during Smosh Under the Influence.

The moment flashed quickly through your head as you felt Angela stand suddenly. You gave her another curious look as she moved to the other side of Chanse.

She leaned across him to quietly whisper at you, “This way he sits by you.”

“Oh my god.” Chanse muttered.

Your felt your cheeks and ears grow warm as the recently vacated chair next to you was soon occupied by none other than Spencer Agnew.

You and Spencer had known each other for years. You were 20 to his 25 when you met, you having not officially joined your brother’s Youtube Channel until then. You had bonded with him over a shared love of video games, Morrowind being a shared favorite.

You were friends. Close friends. But you, just like you had said in your drunken confession to Tommy, had fallen hard.

It wasn’t weird for you to hang out with Spencer. You’d carpooled with him to various off site filming locations (granted there was other people in the car but still! It counted!), you also often escaped to the editors hub to hide when you were tired or you’d have Sunday afternoons spent over discord with a shared cozy game of Minecraft.

But oh how you wanted more.

Heck, you had seen the fan edits of you and him online. There were several Reddit threads that were trying to figure out if you both were pulling a Shayne and Courtney. The fans’ reaction to the idea was about 80% positive. There will always be someone who doesn’t approve. But the overall reaction had you hoping that maybe one day there would be something.

“Hey there, birthday girl.” Spencer gave you that smile of his and you felt yourself smiling back before you even thought about it.

“Hi, Spence. Glad you could come.”

“I wasn’t gonna miss your Birthday Dinner,” he said, deep blue eyes looking directly into yours. “In fact, I was wondering…”

He trailed off sounding nervous and you felt Tommy gently press the outside of his foot to the outside of your own as well as a Chanse grab your (shirt/dress) from your right as they both pretended to listen to something Amanda was saying. Both unseen gestures, but you knew they were listening to your conversation and you were grateful for their support and excitement.

Unfortunately. Ian happened. Your wonderful, kind, not at all going to be strangled later brother.

“Hey, do you wanna do gifts while we’re waiting for our meals or after?” He had walked over and leaned right between the two of you, forcing you to break eye contact.

Tommy sighed and threw back the rest of his wine and Chanse groaned. The moment was gone. Whatever feeling had been lingering in the air had evaporated.

“After, Ian.” Was all you said. As he retreated, he glanced between you and Spencer and you could almost see the lightbulb go off as he figured it out.

Conversation continued. You spent the rest of the night with your friends, making sure to talk with everyone, but always drifting back to Spencer’s side. You had caught a thumbs up from Anthony at one point and you rolled your eyes. Of course Ian had told him.

It was almost 11 pm and most of the Smosh family was filtering out into the parking lot. You were still inside, making sure nothing was left behind and were just about to turn to leave when someone caught you by the hand.

It felt like a movie scene in your mind as you turned back to Spencer.

“Hi.” Your voice sounded soft in your ears and there was a twinkle in his eyes.

He didn’t release your hand as you turned to face him fully, taking a step closer.

He looked down at your conjoined limbs. “I was wondering…”

“Yes?” You took another step, choosing to make a bold move and lace your fingers through with his.

A moment passed.

“Your birthday. Not today, the actual day. Can I take you out to dinner?” He said quietly, a nervous energy running through him as he continued to stare at your hands.

He finally looked back up at you. “As a date.”

The air left your lungs and your smile turned into a full blown grin.

“Yes! Yes, absolutely!”

The nervous undertone vanished and a grin took its place. “I’ll pick you up at seven?”

“Yes, I’d love that.” Your heart was through the roof with excitement.

“Cool.” He said trying to sound cool, but the excited grin gave him away. “Can I walk you to your car?”

A light giggle left your lips. “I came with Ian, but yes.”

As you walked out of the restaurant, you kept Spencer’s hand in yours, the warmth in your cheeks cooling as the outside air greeted you.

You spotted Ian leaning up against his car talking to Anthony and you headed over. Spencer released your hand as you reached the car.

Ian turned from Anthony, both of them saying bye to each other, not having noticed the two of you until then. Anthony gave you and Spencer a wave before leaving.

“Ready?” Ian asked. You nodded and he hopped in the car.

“I’ll see you soon, Spence.” In a bold move, you leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek before getting into the car, too.

When you peeked at his receding figure in the rear view, him cheeks were red and he had a giddy grin. He shook his head, looking at the car driving away before he headed to his own.

***

Friday Night INT: Hecox Sibling Home

As soon as you were home you took off for your room. Ian had barely taken the keys from the ignition and you were gone.

You were usually pretty grateful for the fact you shared the house with your brother. Added a sense of safety, saved money, and it definitely helped that you both worked at Smosh.

But in that moment as you shut your bedroom door and whipped out your phone all you wanted to do was scream.

There was a new group chat that was formed. Chanse, Tommy, and Angela were in it and Tommy had simply said, “Well?” Angela and Chanse had each sent a “👀”.

A laugh escaped you as you went through your nightly routine and got in bed. Chanse had added “Storytime miss maam.”

You: He asked me out.

Angela: TEV BUCKS TOMMY.

Angela: *ten

Tommy: 😳😳🫡🫡

Chanse: Andddd?!??

You laughed to yourself again as you quickly relayed the details to your friends.

You heard a knock and Ian stuck his head in. “Got a sec?”

“Yeah, what’s up?” You said, sitting up as he took a seat in your desk chair.

“You okay? You vanished as soon as we got home, I just wanted to make sure you’re ok.” He confessed.

You smiled. You had such a great older brother. Granted, he was definitely still a brother. But he looked out for you and you appreciated it.

“It was honestly the best night, Ian. Thank you for helping me round up everyone.”

“Of course. I know you just had a whole dinner, but do you want to do something on your actual birthday? Just the coolest Smosh siblings?”

“We’re the only Smosh siblings,” you laughed. “And I’m ok. I actually have a date that night.” The last part was admitted a little more softly than the rest.

Ian’s eyebrows shot up. “Who is it? Is it Spencer?”

While you were sorta surprised that he got it on the first guess, it made telling Ian that you have a date with a coworker less nauseating. You nodded at his question.

Leaning back in the chair, Ian continued, “You’ve liked him for a while, huh?”

You nodded again, a slight smile on your face.

Ian looked as if he were in deep thought for a moment before nodding. “That’ll be good. He’s a good guy.” He stood and stretched, ready to head off to bed. “Night, dude. I’m proud of you.”

“Night, Ian.”

Monday, Almost 7 pm -INT Hecox Sibling Home

“Ian! He’s gonna be here any minute!” You said as your brother had you cornered in the kitchen.

“Exactly! You’re gonna stay in here and I’ll get the door.”

You rolled your eyes. Were all older brothers like Ian? Both oblivious and caring and annoying all in the same go.

After a few more moments, there was a knock at the door and Ian was dust in the wind. All you could do was shake your head and follow after him.

Ian had a giant smirk on his face as he leaned against the wall by the door.

“You can answer it yourself, I know you want to. Have a good night. Shoot me a text if you’ll be home after 11, that way I don’t think you’re a robber.” And with that, he left you alone at the front door.

You took a deep breath before pulling it open.

Spencer had spiffied up just for you, you could tell. The jeans were dark and paired with a well-fitted button down that brought out the blue in his eyes.

A single red rose was held in his hand, which he offered to you.

“You look incredible.” He said softly.

Your face warmed. “You too.” You reached out for the rose, your fingers brushing against his as you accepted the flower. “Thank you.”

The tips of his ears turned red as he glanced away smiling. He offered you his arm. “May I?”

You laughed. “You may.”

The playful energy carried into Spencer’s car, the conversation casual and light.

“Am I allowed to know where we’re going?” You asked him.

He smiled. “I hope you won’t mind me taking you to two different stops? I have something planned.”

“I trust you.”

If possible, his smile seemed to get bigger and as he drove, he offered his upturned palm to you in a silent invitation.

You couldn’t even imagine refusing.

Spencer parked in front of a small pizza joint and looked at you. “Stop Number One.”

It was a simple, serve-by-the-slice kind of place. But it smelled better than any chain pizza shop you’d ever been in.

“I take it you’re about to tell me that this is the best pizza you’ve ever had?” You asked him as the two of you got in line to order.

“Yup.” Spencer drew the word out so that the ‘p’ made a pop sound. “And this is gonna sound basic, but their pepperoni pizza is my favorite.”

“I think I’ll take your reccommendation then.”

You both stepped to the counter and Spencer ordered. As you reached for your purse, intending for paying half at the very least, he gently stopped your arm by snagging your hand and quickly paying.

“Nice try, pretty girl. You’re not paying for a thing.”

Your face heated for what felt like the millionth time that night. You wondered briefly how someone could sound so casual and confident but their hands felt so clammy. But you knew that you were in the same boat.

As the two of you found a seat with your food, you told him the joke you had found online the other day.

“Hey, did you hear the weather forecast in Tamriel this week?”

“No, what is it?” There was that smile again.

“Today, rain. Tomorrow, wind.” You finished off your lame joke and anxiously took a bite of your pizza (it was really good).

“What do you call a khajiit that has lycanthropy?” Spencer fired back, taking a bite of his own pizza.

“I dunno, what?”

“An Elsweyrwolf,”

You both laughed. It was easy to be around Spencer. Yes, you were nervous as all get out, but it was a first date and he was probably feeling the same. But as the two of you sat and chatted over your pizza slices, you realized just how easy it really was.

Eventually it was time for Stop Number Two.

A Retro Arcade.

Spencer bought the two of you passes to play and you both roamed the 80s and 90s arcade games.

“Play Galaga with me?” You asked.

“Game on, birthday girl.”

***

Friday, almost 11 pm EXT Hecox Sibling House

Spencer pulled up to the curb and parked.

“Can I walk you to your door?” The tender tone was back.

You nodded and the both of you walked in comfortable silence to the front door.

“I had a great time tonight, Spence. Best birthday ever. Thank you.” You said to him.

“I also had a fantastic time tonight and wouldn’t be opposed to having many more of them, if you’d like?” His dark blue twinkled with hope.

“Are you saying you want to keep going on dates with me?” Your voice grew soft, almost a whisper but not quite.

“Amongst other things,” He stepped closer.

“What kind of things?” Your eyes flickered down to his lips and then back up.

“Well, I want to call you my girlfriend, but I don’t want you to think we’re moving too fast.” He paused, your noses brushing gently as you slowly gravitated towards each other.

“You can call me that.” Now you were whispering.

He grinned and let out a quick huff of air, almost a happy laugh. “I also really wanna kiss you.”

“Okay.”

His hands reached instantly to cup your face and pull you that final inch to him. It was tender and sweet and you had faint memories of dreaming of storybook kisses as a child. This was one of those fairytale sort of kisses. The first kiss that everyone wants. When you parted, you didn’t go far, choosing instead to press your face into his shoulder and laugh breathlessly as he wrapped his arms around you.

You both stood in that cozy, comfortable silence for a moment.

“I was serious.” Spencer said. “I want to call you my girlfriend.”

“And I was serious too. I want you to call me that. I’d like to call you my boyfriend. It doesn’t feel too fast, Spence. If anything it sort of feels like it should have happened forever ago. It feels right.”

His arms tightened and he pressed a kiss to the top of your head.

“I’m gonna let you head inside, I’ll see you first thing in the morning, yeah?”

“Bright and early.” You smiled at him, making your way inside. “Night, Spence.”

“Happy Birthday, pretty girl.”

[jamdoughnutmagician]

Tiny Match-maker:Prince Charming

Bucky Barnes x Single mom!Reader Fluff

Here it is! It may have taken 6 months to finish, but it's finally here! A part 2 to Tiny-Match maker

Hopefully next time I write something with them, it won't take as long!

Word Count:2,285

Masterlist // Bucky Barnes Masterlist

“Hey Tin-man, can you focus a little more over here?” Sam grumbled quietly from beside him. They were meant to be staking out this run-down warehouse where there had been whisperings of underground groups dealing in un-tested batches of super soldier serum, but Bucky’s attention had entirely been diverted down to the mobile phone in his hands.

Bucky:Hey, sorry things have been a little busy for me lately, but I’d love to take you out for coffee sometime, say maybe this Sunday?”

 “What are you even doing anyway?” Sam questions, trying to lean over Bucky’s shoulder to look at the phone screen.

You:Sunday sounds perfect, I can ask Amanda to watch Lottie for me, so whatever time works best for you.

Amanda was the mom who lived in the apartment opposite yours, and very kindly offered to look after Lottie for you when you needed to do stuff alone. It also helped that Lottie was very good friends with her son, Mason, so you had no worries about leaving your daughter in Amanda’s safety. 

Bucky:How about the little coffee shop on Fifth Avenue? Maybe at 2.00?

You:Honestly, you had me at coffee shop.

“Dude, put your phone away! You’re supposed to be keeping watch!” Sam grumbled quietly, shaking his head at him.

You make your way across the hall to knock on Amanda’s door, and sure enough she greets you with that warming smile.

“Hey, I was wondering if you might be able to look after Lottie for me this weekend, like this Sunday?” you asked hopefully.

“Sure! We’d love to have Lottie come round, wouldn’t we Mase?” she smiles down at her son who was peeking his head out from behind her legs to see what all the fuss was about.

Mason frantically nods his head at hearing that his best friend was coming over for a visit.

“I’m gonna show her my transformers!” he giggles excitedly before running off.

“So, what is it? You’ve got a hot date with some hunky guy or something?” Amanda laughs.

You can’t stop the burning flush that rises to your cheeks.

“Oh so it is a hunky guy.” Amada says, raising a dark, arched brow in your direction.

“It’s just a quiet cup of coffee, and we’ll see how it goes from there.”

“Well, I hope you have fun darling. You deserve it.”

“Thanks Mandy, you’re a life-saver!”

With Lottie being the curious and excitable young girl that she was, it didn’t leave a lot of time to meet potential romantic connections. 

But chance, and maybe your very own tiny little match-maker, had pushed you towards Bucky and for the first time in a long time you were excited to go on a date.

Once you had dropped off Lottie at Amanda’s place you busied yourself with tidying up before deciding to get ready. Setting about finding the perfect outfits to wear you figured that a comfortable casual dress and leggings would be the perfect thing to wear. Hoping that your choice of clothing didn't seem too dressed up for what was probably going to be a casual date.

You took the time to yourself to apply a light dusting of makeup, just enough to enhance your features.

With a final dab of lipgloss and a ruffle of your hair you throw on your coat and grab your purse and make your way out of your apartment, leaving plenty of time to walk into the city to meet up with Bucky.

The crisp golden orange leaves crunched underneath as you walked down the street, nearing closer to the coffee shop that you had agreed to meet up at. As you got closer the more nervous you got. This was the first date you'd been on in a long long time, what were you even going to talk about? What if Bucky decides he doesn't actually like you? Were you actually just making a fool of yourself? All of the worst case scenarios scan through your brain at a hundred miles an hour.

“Hey, there you are!” Bucky smiles jogging to meet you. “Guess we showed up at the same time. You wanna head inside?”

Bucky holds the door open, the bell above tinkling as he does. The quiet murmur of chatter fills the coffee shop.

You wait beside him as you line up to make your order. Your eyes cast downwards for a brief moment, and when they do, you can’t help but notice the way his hand hesitates next to yours. Almost like he wants to hold your hand, but he isn’t quite sure if making a move like that might be considered too forward. It’s sweet to see how adorably shy and nervous he is, and it does wonders to settle your own nerves to see that you were both in the same boat together.

Taking it upon yourself you slyly slip your hand in his, lacing your fingers between his. 

His cheeks heat up with a lovable pinkish glow, as he squeezes your hand with gentle pulse.

You reach the front of the line and both bucky and you place your orders.

“One black coffee for me please.” Bucky says. “And a…” he trails off for you to give your order.

“A pumpkin spice latte for me please.” 

“Is that for here or to-go?” The batista behind the counter asks.

“To-go please.” Bucky smiles. 

“I thought we were staying here?” You ask curiously, turning to him with your eyebrows drawn together.

“Actually I had a little something in mind for us, if you'll indulge me?” He says with his soft smile quirking into a cheeky grin.

The batista behind the counter hands both of you your respective drinks, and Bucky pays for them. Before you can protest he's there with that charming smile once more.

“Come on now, it’s my treat”

You link your arm with his, turning to him with a smile of your own.

“Okay then Sergeant Barnes, lead the way.”

He walks with you through the busy city streets, his hand still holding yours as you sip your coffees.

“Y’know, I didn’t have you down as a pumpkin spice kind of person.” Bucky says, taking a sip from his own coffee cup.

“I don’t think you’re in any position to judge me,  Mr. “One Black Coffee”.” you laugh at him.  “I always treat myself to a pumpkin spice latte this time of year, it’s one of the little things that I look forward to.” you smile. “So where are we headed?”

“I just think if you’re going to go for a date in the city, you should probably see it the way it should be seen.” Bucky said with a smile as he led you by the hand through the park’s gate.

“Oh, so this is a date, is it?” you ask playfully.

“Well, I hope so at least.” he flushes with an adorable pink blush before coughing to cover the slight nervous crack in his voice. “Central park is at its peak in the fall, and it’s hands-down the best view of the city all year.”

You walk around the park hand in hand, and you have to admit he's right, the beautiful wash of burnt orange, rusted red and golden leaves clinging to the branches of trees lining the pathway. The chill of the crisp autumn air whipping through you in a refreshing breeze and the tempting scent of warm cinnamon floats from a nearby doughnut vendor, beckoning you to indulge in his sweet treats. This certainly was the right way to see the city.

“So, tell me more about you?” he asks with a soft voice.

“What’s there to tell? I’m not all that interesting, I promise you.” you brush off.

“Nonsense. I wanna hear everything.”

“Okay, well Lottie and I moved to the city not too long ago, my relationship with her dad gradually came to an end when I found out I was pregnant with her. I was excited, and I thought he was too, y’know? But a few weeks down the line we started fighting a lot more, and one night he just decided that being a parent, being a father, wasn’t something that he wanted, and that was that.”

“Well, if you ask me, he’s missing out big time. Lottie seems like a great kid.” Bucky says with no hint of irony or sarcasm in his voice whatsoever.

“She sure is.” you smile at his kind words. “So I moved to the city to get away from him, to start fresh. It definitely wasn’t easy at first, being a single mother in a new city but things are good now and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“That’s such a great attitude to have, I admire that.” 

“Anyway, enough about me, what about you huh? I feel like I see you almost all the time splashed across the newspapers or on my television screen, but I guess that’s not how you want to be known.”

“Well the media likes to try to pin me down as one thing, which I guess is a fair assumption, I’ve done bad things, my life is full of danger and chaos, but I don’t want to be known for that. I just want an easy life. I just want to slow down and take my time to enjoy the things that make me happy.”

“..and what is it that makes you happy?” you ask softly as you chance to look at him.

“Right now, this,” he smiles, gently swinging your hand in his. “..is making me happy.”

You both finish up your coffees before throwing them in the trash can, continuing on your trail through the crisp autumnal landscape of central park.

You continue talking with him about everything and anything. Conversation with Bucky felt so easy. He listened to you, he never made you feel silly, and everything about being with him just felt right.

As you round a corner a gentle melody fills the air, and as you turn around you see the brightly coloured lights and gentle whir of a carousel. You looked at the ride with a fondness, it was something that you had loved as a little girl, a ride that you had endlessly begged your parents to go on time and time again.

“Do you wanna go on it?” Bucky asks, when he sees how your eyes light up at the attraction.

“No, no, I think I’m a bit too old for carousel rides.”

“Come on, we can go on it together. It’ll be fun I promise.” he says, holding out his hand for you to take.

He hands over the money for the tickets, and holds your hand as  you swing your leg over the horse.

 “M’lady.”

He lifted himself onto the horse beside you, and soon the ride whirls into life. The warm sparkle of the lights bounce off the mirrors, and the music bounces along in time with the rise and fall of the carousel horses.

You can’t help but smile, bright laughter bubbling from you at being able to enjoy yourself like this, completely free of judgement.  Bucky gives you a soft smile and warm laugh of his own in return, and in this moment you knew that saying yes to this date was the right thing for you.

The ride slows to a stop and Bucky is there to help you as you come down off your horse, one gentle hand on the small of your back the other holding your hand.

“I told you it’d be fun.” he says smugly.

“Yeah it was pretty fun. I haven’t done anything like that since I was a kid.”

The glow of the carousel’s light sparkles in his steely blue eyes, and it’s only then that you realise that his hand is still resting on your back, almost curving along the curve of your hip.

His hand quickly pulls away when he realises, trying to hide his blooming blush with his hand moving to scratch the back of his neck. His nervous energy around you just makes him all the more cute in your eyes. 

“Shall we?” you offer your arm for him to take, looping your arm with his as you walk around the rest of central park.

Bucky walks with you back to your apartment block, pausing outside your building with you.

“Thanks for agreeing to go out with me, I had a great time with you.” he smiles.

“I had a great time with you. It was easily one of the better dates I’ve been on in a while.”

“I hope that means that you might be interested in doing this again some time?” Bucky asks you hopefully.

Feeling bold you rise up on your tip-toes to meet him, and place a kiss to his cheek.

“I certainly would be interested in doing this again some time.” you flush. “Thank you for today, Bucky, it’s been wonderful.”

Once you're back at your apartment, with Lottie picked up from Amada’s place, you’re sitting on the couch curled up next to her, Cinderella playing on the tv. Her eyes wide in awe as the pretty princess whirls around the dancefloor with her Prince Charming

“Did you meet a prince today, mommy?” she asks, turning her face away from the screen.

She catches you off guard with her question, so you fire back a question of your own.

“What makes you say that, baby?”

“You were wearing a pretty dress today and your hair was done all pretty too.” her wide smile was too adorable. “So did you meet a prince?”

“You know what Lottie? I might have just found myself my very own Prince Charming.”

@penguinsandpotterheads @ghoul-friendz

@honeyglee @myfavbuckyfics @buckgasms

[dnpanimationstudioclone]

Niffty Redesign🐛

Made my own take on Niffty for Fun!!!!!!!!💖 I def thought a lot on what to try with her!!!!

Pushed for a more 50’s Housewife aesthetic/hotel maid vibe. She’s wearing a pinafore apron which was very popular during that era and I took the poodle skirt idea and reworked it into the apron, but rather than a poodle it’s a bug 🐛. Also brought back warmer colors like the pilot look had. Pastel yellow was def a pop color!

Also added a name tag as to show she works for the hotel 🏨

Added more splotches and made them bigger on her apron. Polkadots were popular in that time and I think are cute(lot of her concepts had polka dots on her) plus I can see her wanting people to assume she’s a ladybug or Asian Lady Beetle 🐞 (@peeperscreeperz made a take of Niffty being that which is AMAZING and I considered making her that too but I ended up going a different route). I can see her also wanting them to give off flowers…only for most people to see them as blood stains.🌸🩸

Also gave her those iconic cleaning gloves 🧤. Shes the Hotels maid AND cook afterall 🧽 👩‍🍳

Gave her a bandana bow for the housewife and maid look and because I think it’s cute and lowkey gives off antennae. I LOVE the idea of her being a bug demon so I went with that. I was going for a subtle ambiguity of what she’s suppose to be(she’s hiding what she is).

Gave her warmer eye color back! Also made the pupil more leaf shaped 🍃.

Added gradient for her limbs.

Added extra limbs. Great for extra cleaning 🧹 🧼

Her hairs actually antennae…and extra legs 🦵

Gave her three fingers.

Made her eye bigger(bugs often got big eyes! Or for her case eye 👁️)

Added a lil bug instead of a poodle for her apron!🪳

For her color motif, went back to warmer colors and because for mine I’m going with a rainbow motif she’s Yellow💛🌈 the color known for its positives such as joy and friendship…but can also mean negative things such as Deceit, illness and often used as a warning color⚠️ it was also a popular color for Sci-Fi posters(she was based on B-Alien Movies)

Made her skin a kinda warm pastel orange🧡 I missed her having a warm palette but I also get why they changed it due to her roots 🇯🇵. So I went with orange!!!! Her hairs also a more brownish red-orange.

For her bug theme,

I went with something that I figure would connect her both to her ability to take down pests so well and Japanese origins. The Japanese Centipede! Centipedes are great for pest control but apparently to Japan they’re considered symbols of evil and rottenness, plus with how they look they often scare people even those they don’t pose serious threats to humans, which I think fits Niffty’s whole desire to be loved only to accidentally scare people away…shunned & unloved by a world she can’t seem to fit in💔

HUGE Spoiler alert!!!! Hazbin Hotel

With the reveal of Husk being once an Overlord I like to believe the same with Niffty but rather than souls(talked about this with @a-sterling-rose, she was an immensely powerful sinner like Alastor, but alas her form was far too big and scary for people to want to get close to and she was alone…until Alastor offered her a deal he’d provide a more approachable form in return for her eternal service)

A lot of her looks meant to be hiding what she is. Disguising her extra limbs as hair, her body’s color scheme based on a centipedes, poofy dress that could cover extra, even the bug design could be Interpreted as a long centipede. I was also going for a subtle sharp, mini legs for her apron ruffles, giving off her trying to look sweet and soft but could also be interpreted in another way…

I read and learned from a @lovesart23 redesign vid for her that, she was meant to be based on B-Alien Movies. LOVE that and I tried it myself(hardest part was figuring out what bug to make her and what themes to go with) but I ended up going for another Sci-Fi route. Kaiju/Giant Bug monsters. Creatures like Godzilla or those giant bugs creatures like “the Tingler” 1959(which was a centipede monster I read). I figure it’d connect well to both her struggles of fitting in but also her Japanese Roots.

Monsters are tragic beings. They are born too tall, too strong, too heavy. They are not evil by choice. That is their tragedy. They do not attack people because they want to, but because of their size and strength, mankind has no other choice but to defend himself. After several stories such as this, people end up having a kind of affection for the monsters. They end up caring about them."

— Ishir⁠ō Honda The Director of Godzilla

Plus some certain Kaijus could qualify as Aliens!.

There’s even a Yokai/demon based on the centipede know as the Ōkumade!

CW freaky Pictures of centipedes and Mice

What do u think? I’d love to know💖

I’ve also done Charlie, Vaggie and Angel🍎🦋🕷️

[junkdrawerfics]

Swan Sisters (Part 4)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Bella and Sister!Reader

Summary: You get dragged into dress shopping in Port Angeles with the girls, which turns out to be a good thing considering Bella is a magnet for danger! Jasper is not in this one cause it got too long!

Word Count: 3534

Warnings: some violence (self defense) and allusion to/attempted assault (Port Angeles scene) also possibly horrid writing, I've been up for 24 hours!

---

“How was the beach?”

You meet Bella at the door, fluttering around her hectically as she toes her boots off and shakes stray droplets from her coat. She hits you with a look, the ‘calm down before I walk right back out of here’ look. Smiling apologetically, you back off a few paces, though you can’t stop the habitual leg bouncing.

She obviously had something planned last night, when you talked about La Push. Waiting is not exactly your forte these days. After wasting a couple hours working, you called Alice, who hadn’t seen anything, a common occurrence when the wolves are involved somehow. So wait you did, not that it was easy. The living room is in a completely different arrangement than it was this morning.

“It was fine. It rained a bit, but everyone seemed to have fun. I think I convinced Angella to ask Eric out,” she recounts once she hangs up her coat and starts towards the living room.

“Really? Angella and Eric? Huh.” You never thought of that, but they do seem like a perfect pair. Eric’s not too crazy and Ang- Wait, she’s trying to distract you! Focusing back in you, you prod a little further, “Besides that, did anything happen? Any coincidental Jacob appearances?”

‘Coincidental’ because you know of Jacob’s little crush on your sister. If he heard about Forks kids showing up on the reservation, he’d probably show up out of pure curiosity.

“Yup.”

Hm, the shut out approach. Smart. Unfortunately for her, you are now undying, which means an eternal amount of stubborn snooping.

“How’s he?”

“Fine, Billy’s good too.”

“That’s nice.” You give her just enough time to sit down and reach for the tv remote before plopping down next to her, your next question spilling out, “What did you guys talk about?”

Bella rolls her eyes, “Are we playing twenty questions?”

“Until I figure out what you were planning last night before dad came in,” you reply, just as snarkily, “So?”

“Fine,” she huffs, “I got him to tell me about the legend behind why they don’t like the Cullens. Happy?”

“How’d you do that?” This question is just for fun.

A lot of fun, considering Bella goes positively red, pursing her lips in discomfort.

“I might have…flirted with him,” she mumbles, scratching the back of her neck.

Oh the poor boy. Being exposed to that so young, he’ll never be the same. And to think, Bella can actually successfully flirt! You can’t stop yourself from snickering, which makes Bella look even more miserable. 

“It’s alright, Bells.” You try to reassure her, but there’s no hiding the amusement in your voice, and she just glares at you. “Sometimes you just have to use your feminine wiles to get your way, you know?”

She groans, head dropping into her hands. Her voice comes out muffled when she growls, “I hate you so much.”

The laugh you let out is truly a cackle, completely evil in intent, “You could never.”

“I am this close.” She holds out her fingers, except they are pressed firmly together, which just makes you laugh harder.

It takes a moment for you to calm down again. It’s a good thing you don’t need air, otherwise you’d be gasping, ribs aching. But now you can laugh as much as you want, as long as you want. A weird perk, but one you enjoy.

“So,” you start again, wiping a nonexistent tear from your eye, “What did you learn?”

Bella shifts, just enough to cast you a sidelong glance. Her eyes, thoughtful, calculating, seem to look straight through you as she considers her words carefully. You wish she would just spit it out, but it’s not too hard to guess what she might be thinking.

“He said that the Cullens are some enemy clan, and that they have some treaty with the Quileutes that keep them off the reservation,” she finally explains, though her tone is clipped.

“An enemy clan, huh?” 

That makes sense. You get the feeling that there’s more to what Jacob said, something about what you are, but you don’t press further. Whether she figures it out or not, you’re not too worried anymore. Alice’s visions always come true, and your stubbornness alone will deter the more gruesome ending.

You look at her face. There’s no fear in her expression as she meets your gaze. So maybe he didn’t say too much. But there’s still something. She has to know something. You catch yourself, humming at the realization that you want her to know something.

Maybe the quicker she figures it out, the quicker that future will come true.

You give her knee a soft squeeze and push yourself back to your feet, “Whelp, I’m glad you had fun, Bells. You should talk to Jacob more often, he’s a smart kid.”

Her brow furrows, confusion flooding her face at your conspiratorial grin. With a quick wink, you dart upstairs, leaving Bella positively bewildered much to your own amusement.

---

Not much changes the days following the conversation. The weather gets a little sunnier, meaning the Cullens don’t go to school and you get a few off days with Jasper. Bella doesn’t mention their absence, much to your surprise.

It’s almost like things are normal for a little bit.

She even invites you to Port Angeles for prom dress shopping, which prompted the question-

“You’re going to prom?!”

And the subsequent answer.

“No.” Said with such disdain, you let it drop immediately.

Even so, that’s how you find yourself here, watching Angela and Jessica try on dresses while Bella stares out the window, lost in thought. It’s a good thing that you know the girls from your time in Forks High, otherwise this would be so awkward.

Maybe that’s why she just invited you, to spare herself the pain of doing it alone.

“I like that one on you, Ang,” you chirp, “Lavender is totally your color.”

“Yah?” She smiles meekly, looking down at herself.

“Totally! Don’t you think Bella?” You give your sister a hard elbow to the ribs, making her jump and glare at you before turning to her friend.

“Definitely, Angela, you look beautiful.” At least she’s trying.

The two more normal girls go back to fussing over their dresses. Watching them gives you a dull sense of nostalgia. It’s been so long since you’ve done something like this with humans. Since you’ve been able to.

“So, (Y/n), are you still dating Jasper Hale?” Jessica suddenly pipes up, eyeing you with poorly hidden jealousy.

Ah, that, you haven’t missed. Out of the corner of your eye, you catch Bella smothering a smug smile. Karma.

“I am,” you reply shortly.

“Is that weird?” She presses as she stares at herself in the mirror, messing with a pair of white gloves. “Ya know, since you graduated and he’s still in school?”

“No. I skipped a grade, so we’re about the same age.” Not even close, technically, but appearance wise it is. 

“Still-”

Thankfully, or unfortunately, she’s cut off by a sudden knock on the window. A group of men walk by, whooping and catcalling. Angela and Jessica flinch and shuffle away from the glass, faces twisting with discomfort. You frown, a sudden flare of anger flushes through you.

You jump in front of the girls, flipping the bird at the men as you bark a low, “Piss off!”

It doesn’t do much to damper their attitudes, since they’re probably too buzzed to notice the typically unnerving edge you carry as a vampire. Anger simmers low and hot in your gut. What happened to common decency?

“That is uncomfortable,” Jessica mumbles.

“But really cool, of you, (Y/n),” Angela murmurs, voice touched with awe, “Thanks.”

“Oh please, it’s only decent,” you grumble and slump back into your seat, “I can’t believe that.”

You’re tempted to go rip their heads off, but that wouldn’t look too good.

“It’s disgusting,” Bella agrees, looking just as frustrated.

You fall into a tense silence. It’s tense to you at least, but that’s probably because you’re watching the window like a hawk, as if they’ll come back at any moment. For their sake, you hope they don��t. Their death would not be pleasant. No, you’d make sure-

“What do you think of this one, Bella?”

Oh right, dress shopping. Probably not the best time to get swept up in murderous thoughts.

“It looks great.”

You snort. Is it possible to sound less enthusiastic? 

“You’ve said that about, like, the last five dresses,” Jessica says with a grimace-like smile.

Bella shrugs, “I thought they were all pretty great.”

Angela, who’s observant nature rivals even Edward’s, picks up on her reluctance easily, “You’re not really into this, are you?”

“I actually just really wanted to go to this bookstore.”

You perk up a little in interest, eyeing your sister, “A bookstore?”

She noticably avoids your stare as she nods. Curious. Maybe something to do with her talk with Jacob?

“Well let’s go to this bookstore of yours then! We’ll catch you girls at the restaurant?” A charismatic smile and they agree easily. You tug Bella up by her arm, though she quickly jostles out of your grip with a soft glare.

“You don’t have to come,” she grumbles.

“Hmmm, stay here dress shopping for a prom I’m not going to or accompany my twig-like sister around a dangerous town?” You pretend to mull it over, rubbing your chin theatrically, and Bella rolls her eyes. “I’m afraid I’ll have to go with the ladder. For your safety, of course.”

“I can hold my own.”

Swan stubbornness.

“A gust of wind could knock you over, Bells. Or worse, a nice patch of wet concrete.”

No need to remind her of all the times you’ve watched her trip on nothing. The girl was frightfully uncoordinated. Plus, you’d heard word of some strange “animal” attacks nearby. It’s safer if you’re with her.

Though the trip turns out to be mostly uneventful. You walk to a small store, Thunderbird and Whale Bookstore, who’s clerk gives you a weird look as you puruse the indigenous literature. Not completely abnormal, given your appearance. Just abnormal enough to make you wonder, not too abnormal that people ask. But the legends of their people definitely make you more conscious of your human habits. 

Breathe. In. Out. Blink. Shuffle.

Until he focuses on Bella as she comes up to him with a book.

You peer over her shoulder at the cover. Quileute Legends. Seems you right.

She shifts, blocking your sight as she tucks the book to her chest. With a quick thank you and goodbye, you’re back on the street. The restaurant shouldn’t be too far.

“So…Quileute legends?” 

“Yep.”

You huff, “You’re so boring sometimes, Bella.”

She meets you tick for tick, “You’re so annoying sometimes, (N/n).”

Unconsciously, you catch the sound of heavy footsteps down a nearby road.

“That’s my job,” you chirp, slinging an arm over her shoulders, to draw her close, just to be careful.

“I thought you’re job was to teach me about makeup and boys and all that,” she snorts back.

The footsteps get louder.

Pretending to be playful, you pull her hood up, synching it over part of her face, “What do you want to know, hm?”

Bella looks at you, glare equal parts amused and irritated, until she catches the faintest glimmer of unease in your eyes. You smile, but it’s forced, too stiff, unnarturally sharp. She grip the book closer to her chest. As you push her into an alley, she catches sight of the two men walking where you had. 

And they catch sight of the two of you. A glint sparks in their eyes. An all too familiar one. The hunt has begun.

“Keep walking, Bells, please.” You urge, voice tight.

Their gaze burns on the back of your neck, much like it had at the dress store, dripping with hunger. It brings back every memory of walking through Port Angeles alone. The fear, gripping your mace with white fingers, keys held like claws in your other hand. All because men like them think they are entitled to touch touch touch-

Rage simmers up your throat.

Any other day you could show them what that fear is like. How it feels to be hunted. But you’re too aware of Bella tucked under your arm, one hand curling around your wrist so tight, it would break if you weren’t made of marble. She would see. As much as you want her to know, this is not how you want her to figure it out.

So you clamp down on the rage. Dismembering them might not be the best solution anyways.

Though it sounds more appealing as you step out of the alley and watch the last of the drunken men slither out from the shadows. Disgusting snakes. They were waiting for you.

“Hey, where you running to?”

“There they are.”

Bella flinches, and you envision their blood spilled over the pavement, fizzling alongside their beer. Something inside you craves it, longs to see these men wounded in the same way they hurt young women. But you keep it locked down. Not yet. Not unless it’s necessary, you snarl to yourself.

“Stay close to me, Bella,” you murmur, arm like a metal guard around her shaking, frail shoulders. 

The girl merely nods. Her eyes are wide, unblinking, like a china doll.

You will protect her. At all costs.

Head kepts low, you try to force yourself forward, through the men, but they close in like vultures around you.

“Woah, woah, woah, where are you going?” 

“Yah, why don’t you hang out with us?” They chorus in agreement.

Your eyes dart around, looking for any way to escape. There’s maybe ten men, and you feel your throat tighten with each step they take towards you. With each step, Bella’s heartrate spikes, panic flickering over her features. You pull her impossibly closer.

You go rigid when a scorchingly hot, sweaty hand gropes your butt. Snarling, you slap it away, disgust burning a pit in your gut.

“Don’t you dare touch me,” you warn, though your eyes flicker between their identical, sickening smirks, unable to tell who did it. If Jasper were here, they’d all die for it. They still might.

“Oh, she doesn’t like that.”

“Feisty one, eh?”

“What about this one?”

Everything slows down for just a split second.

Another reaching hand, palm covered in sweat and beer, nails rimmed with dirt, skin smudged with oil. Ready to touch. Ready to take whatever it wants. Reaching for your sister.

Fast - too fast - you block his way. Bella gasps almost inaudibly behind you, but you’re too distracted as you catch the man’s wrist. His face goes stark white at your crushing grip, and it’s like the clouds clearing, his eyes setting on you for the first, real time. The fear glinting in their depths gives you a sick sense of satisfaction.

“Keep your disgusting, filthy hands off my sister,” you hiss slowly and give his wrist a deft twist.

The satisfying pop paired with his pained yelp is music to your ears.

Alongside the sound of screeching tires.

Edward.

Bella barely has time to breathe as you shove her towards the Volvo as it skids to a stop, barely catches the imperseptible nod you give Edward as he steps out. Ignoring her sputtering, you push her into the front seat.

“What the h-”

“Just stay put,” you grumble and slide into the backseat.

You don’t watch as Edward approaches the men. You don’t care to see their faces again. If you do, you just might turn around and break the remaining wrists. Maybe that would keep them from laying their hands on any innocents again.

Eyes flickering shut, you let every muscle in your body go still. It helps somehow, like you’re resetting. You focus on the sound of Bella’s breathing, how it slows down, and how her heart eventually returns to a normal rhythm.

It picks up a fraction when Edward slips back in, slamming his door hard enough to make the car shake.

“Hold on tight,” you whisper, mostly to yourself.

Bella turns to look at you, but gasps and clutches at her armrests when Edward whips right out of the lot. The man drives like usual, like he’s trying escape the depths of hell. This time, you don’t give him grief for it though.

“I should go back and rip their heads off,” Edward snarls, fingers going somehow paler around the steering wheel.

“No. Bad idea-”

“Sounds good to me-”

Bella shoots you a glare. With an unapologetic shrug, you turn to watch the trees race by. They might not have hurt the two of you, but there’s no doubt in your mind that they’ve done the same thing to some other poor soul. They deserve to rot.

“You don’t know the vile things they were thinking.”

You resist the urge to slap your forehead. Or him.

“And you do?” Bella’s brow furrows.

Cover it up, cover it up, you idiot.

“Not hard to guess.”

Better than that, Edward.

The glare he sends you through the rearview mirror is remarkably similar to your sister’s. They really will make a lovely match. Good thing they can’t have kids, what with the amount of disapproval they can put together. 

“Good thing you were visiting Port Angeles, huh Edward?” You tease with a lecherous grin pointed right back at him.

“You were just…visiting.” Bella’s voice rings with suspicioun.

Edward grinds his teeth, “Yup. Visiting.”

The word is slowly losing all meaning. 

You settle back into your seat as an awkward silence fills the cabin. If you didn’t know better, you would think Edward was just another inexperienced teenager, new to the whole love thing. Though, he still looks ready to murder those guys, based on his black glare barely focused on the road.

Remembering them brings back a new feeling. Not fear, but a remanent, the faintest lingering of anxiety that makes you grit your teeth. Dread maybe, because you can’t help but wonder - what if it happened a year ago? It’s pointless, you know, but there’s no banishing the images that come to mind.

Something hollow opens in your chest as you shake your head, as if that will dislodge them.

Edward glances back at you again. His gold eyes crease with concern, but ignoring him seems better than admitting to something so stupid. You’re a vampire now, nothing like that will happen. Instead, you let thoughts of Jasper fill your mind. His smile. His eyes. Anything to keep you distracted until you’re in his arms.

Bella must tell Edward where to go, because the next thing you know, you’re pulling up to the restaurant you were meant to meet Jessica and Angela at. They are barely walking out the door as you park. Bella jumps out, probably to greet them, and Edward goes to follow, but you stop him with a hand on his elbow. Gold eyes flash back to meet yours, still concerned and questioning.

“Thank you,” you all but whisper, squeezing his elbow gently.

His features soften, a small, genuine smile flashing over his lips, “Go. I’ll take care of Bella. Alice told Jasper about tonight, he needs you just as much right now.”

Those words wash over you like a warm tide. Somehow, the thought of Jasper in a rage over your safety, despite you being almost stronger than him now, makes you feel a little better. His protectiveness almost matches your own, though yours spans to practically everyone around you.

Speaking of. 

You slip out of the car and give Bella one last once over. She looks…okay. No bruises. No lingering fear. Like it never happened. Satisfied, you nod to yourself and pull her into a tight, almost crushing hug. She jumps, wheezing out a soft laugh.

“I’m fine, (Y/n).”

“I know, I know. Just, stay with Eddie, okay? He’ll get you food and take you home.”

Bella frowns, “Where are you going?”

“To see Jasper.” You offer her a guilty smile, though she nods her understanding. “Eddie called him right before he got to us, so he’s freaking out a little.” Another nod. “Love you, Bells.”

“Love you, too.”

One last squeeze and you pull away, offering the two other girls a short wave, “Night girls, get home safe, alright?”

“You too, (Y/n)!”

“It was nice seeing you again.”

As you turn to leave, you hear Bella flip on her heels, laughter in her voice, “Eddie?”

Edward’s following groan casts off the last of your dark clouds. You’ll pay for that somehow, you’re sure, but it’ll be totally worth the pure enjoyment it brings you. He hates it when you call him that. Almost as much as Bella hates it when you call her Tinkerbell. Another match.

The silver lining of this all is that you have a convenient reason to leave them alone together.

And based on the events of the night, Bella will probably have more questions than Edward can answer without lying. Plus the book. Everything’s lining up, it’ll just depend on how much Edward outs himself!

---

Part 5 (ending)

I hope y'all enjoyed! The next part will likely be the last! And sorry if you missed Jasper in this part :( I try to keep my stories to below 4k words, so I decided to keep that for the next part.

@avadakadabra93

@glaciuswduo

[flippinpancakes64]

filming a tiktok with edward cullen

Filming a TikTok with Edward

Okay so I figured that this one would be better suited for a narrative story format yk so here I am trying it once more.

I actually had a lot of fun writing this one lol

Thank you for requesting and I hope you enjoy!

“Are you sure you don’t want to come with me?” Alice pleaded to you once again.

“Sorry, Alice. You know I would go with you but I’m just way too tired today,” you sighed.

“Pleeeease? Rosalie already said no and it’s boring going to the mall all by myself!” She said, trying to step past you into the entryway of your house.

It had already been what felt like at least 10 minutes of Alice begging you to go with her to the mall. And 10 minutes of you telling her no. She may never need sleep, but you sure as hell did.

“What’s so important at the stupid mall anyway? Don’t you already have enough clothes to cover the entire Pacific Ocean?”

Alice rolled her eyes and successfully pushed past you, dancing her way to sit on the couch.

“What’s ‘so important’ is none of your business just yet. I had a vision,” she said, her eyes staring mystically into space as she waved her hands around exaggeratedly.

You huffed, “You can’t just say that you had a vision for everything you don’t want me to know.”

“Okay well then how’s this; something very fun and important will happen later but only if you let me take you to the mall right now and buy you a new outfit.” A sly smile spread across her face, her eyes appearing fox-like as she giggled quietly.

You groaned. Luckily, your parents weren't home yet. They would have told you to just go a long time ago. That's part of the Cullens' charm, everyone liked them. And you weren't immune to them either.

You sighed, finally taking your heavy backpack off of your shoulders and letting it slide to the ground. You looked up at Alice and saw her staring at you in anticipation.

"Fine, just let me go get my wallet-" and in a flash Alice was gone. Before you could even blink again she was standing in front of you with a huge grin on her face and your wallet in her hands.

"Done. Okay let's go!" she cheers, taking your arm and dragging you out the front door. "You've wasted enough time already."

"Did you forget how to walk or something? Come ON!" Alice sighed as she attempted to drag you through the crowded mall.

"I can walk just fine, thank you," you huffed, trying your hardest to keep up with her as she raced down the walkways.

Alice weaved the two of you through the large crowds. In between couples, over chairs, past crying children, and finally... to a Spirit Halloween.

"..." you stood there, Alice's hand in yours still as she continues her attempts to drag you along. "...is this some sort of joke? Cause I'm not laughing."

"No, it's not a joke. Now come on! You are so slow! We are running out of time!"

You let yourself be dragged into the store. Completely devoid of people, it was even creepier than it was intended to be.

"I have so many questions," you started. "First of all, why? Second of all, why is there a Spirit Halloween already, it's only July? And third of all, why???" you protested as Alice guided you to a corner of the store.

She stopped in front of you, whirling around to face you and getting in close. "Look," she whispered, "I have a plan and I just need you to go along with it. Edward is terrified of clowns. Some traumatic childhood memory or something, whatever."

"So... what, I'm gonna dress up as a clown and try to scare Edward? Yeah, like that'll work," you said sarcastically.

"No, it'll work! I've seen it! Bella will cover your thoughts so that he doesn't hear you approaching, Jasper is going to overload his mind with a sense of ease so that he doesn't suspect anything, and Emmett's gonna call his attention, then- boom! That's when you strike!"

"...How long have you wanted to do this?"

"Years." And with that Alice extends her arm, in it she holds a clown mask.

"Did you remember to start recording?" Alice whispered.

"Well obviously I haven't started it yet," you snapped, "ugh, Alice this thing stinks." You said, pulling the latex mask off of your face.

Currently, you were dressed head to toe in a cheap costume of a ripoff Pennywise the Clown. The Summer sun was beating down on your back as you stood outside with Alice, Jasper, Bella, and Emmett.

Alice tutted and pulled the mask back on your face, "I know it does, but you won't have it on for much longer," she said. "Okay, everyone knows what to do, right?"

Nods and hums of affirmation were heard around the circle. Looking at all of their faces, you noticed the latent excitement in their features. Emmett was jogging in place as if he was preparing for a hunt, Jasper was smirking and cracking his knuckles, and Bella's grin was so wide that it almost looked inhuman.

Alice shot you one look and you sighed, pulling out your phone, and starting the recording.

"Pranking my boyfriend while I'm dressed up as a clown," you said, then laughed. All of you moved into the house. As soon as you crossed the threshold, Bella stopped and closed her eyes, presumably laying her shield over all of you to hide your thoughts.

You ventured through the house, your little pack of helpers following stealthily behind. Through the house, you could hear Edward's piano keys ringing. A soft melody that was not very fitting of the intense situation floated all around.

You stopped right outside of the open doorway to the piano and waited. Inside, Edward was sitting at the keys, plunking away. Jasper closed his eyes next to you and held his hands up as if he was manifesting his ability. Next to him, Emmett sprang to the side door to the room and called Edward's name loudly, bringing his attention to the other side of the room.

This was your shot.

As fast as you could, you ran towards Edward, doing your best scary clown laugh the whole way there.

And if you hadn't caught it on camera, you wouldn't have believed his reaction.

He sprang out of his seat, his knees knocking against the piano. He shrieked a sound that could only be likened to that of a little girl, and flew to the wall, his back pressed up against it. For the split second before he realized what was actually going on, there was pure fear etched onto his face.

Laughter erupted through the house. From Bella at the entryway to the other three Cullens in the room. You couldn't help yourself either. You yanked the mask off of your head and threw it to the ground, laughing so hard that you doubled over.

"What the fuck! You guys are assholes!" Edward yelled, clearly embarrassed that he had been bested. That just made the roaring laughter get louder.

"Oooh! My TikTok has 400 likes!" you said, laying in bed next to Edward as he was rolled onto his side, facing away from you.

"Hmph." he huffed.

"Aw, come on. You're not mad, are you?" you said, turning to place your hand on his shoulder in an attempt to get him to roll over and face you. "You gotta admit, it was funny."

"No 't wasn't." he mumbled, still pouting.

"Edward. Eddy. Baby. Edweird. Sugar plum gumdrops. Hot cakes. Mr Shiny Skin. Big ass. Little ass. Rich Man. Edward. Edward. Edward" you pestered, poking his shoulder.

In an instant, he rolled over and laid on top of you.

"Oof!" you grunted, your lungs wheezing under the added weight. After a second you wrapped your arms around his back. "I really am sorry though. But you do have to give credit where credit's due."

He thought about it for a second. "Fine. You guys did a good job, you really did get me," he laughed, then thought for a second more. "But if this happens again, you're driving yourself to school for a whole year."

"Hey wait we can talk about this-"

[heygerald]

Falling Without A Harness - Chapter 5

AU where Tom Ryder is still an asshole, just not a psychotic one. When he has good news, but no one to share it with, Parker invites him along to her brother's birthday party. A moment of weakness, or a moment for him to prove he's more than just his Hollywood ego?

read the story here: prev / next

"—and Jody said she was going to wear something simple, maybe jeans and a t-shirt, but I'm not really sure I want to match that vibe or go for something a little more, you know, fun. Maybe I could finally break out the bucket hat tonight," Colt's voice droned on from the phone tucked indelicately into the crevice of her neck and shoulder. Parker was only half listening, as was the usual when it came to her brother's incessant rambling about anything related to the pretty blonde camerawoman, and while he talked, she made work of slowly peeling strips of painters tape from the freshly painted wall. The ball in her hand was nicely sized by this point of the conversation. "So, anyway... uh, wait, what was the point?"

"Was there a point?" she mused aloud. "I stopped listening when you started talking about some pony she rode once at her twelfth birthday party."

She heard him snap his fingers. "Right—the birthday party."

"Hers or yours?"

"Mine! Listen, I know that you all put a lot of work into planning this shindig—"

"Shindig? God, you're old!"

"—but I would really appreciate if you told me what to expect tonight. Just a hint will do. I'm not trying to show up wearing dress shoes to a disco if you know what I mean."

Parker stuck another piece of tape onto the ever-growing ball with a blithe snort. "I never know what you mean."

"Park," he whined, much like a child, and not the thirty-something year old man that he was. Was this year number thirty-seven or thirty-eight? She should probably figure that out before putting candles on his cake. "Come onnnnnn. Just tell me. Just a hint!"

"And ruin the surprise? No way, Jose."

"But it's my birthday surprise! You can spoil it for me. I mean, realistically, no one would blame you if, maybe, you accidentally let the surprise slip. It'd be expected coming from you, actually."

She frowned. "What do you mean it would be expected coming from me?"

"Well, you know, you can't keep a secret to save your life."

Parker tossed the ball of tape into the trash and picked up the broom with an indignant scoff. "Excuse me, I am a very good secret keeper."

A long winded and high-pitched whine followed, and she winced at the volume of it. Parker switched the phone to her other ear, certain that between her brother and Melissa she had permanent hearing damage.

"Oh, so now all of the sudden you're a locked vault!" he blathered on. "Where was this dedication to silence when I got sick at Macy Lindwigs wedding and you spent the entire evening telling everyone you could find?"

An image of Macy Lindwig, dressed to the nines in a beautiful handmade wedding dress, staring in horror as her brother puked in an azalea bush three minutes before the ceremony started came to mind.

"Oh, I totally forgot about that," she snickered, the memory almost too sweet to ignore now that it had been brought back up. "You ruined her heels that night, you know. What was I supposed to do? Not tell everyone?"

"For starters. Or, at the very least, you could have refrained from blabbing about it at Christmas," he muttered petulantly. "Grandma never looked at me the same way again. She still won't let me near her rose garden."

"Cause and effect," Parker chirped. "You drank one too many tequila shots the night before, and thus, you have to suffer the fate of Grandma judging you every Christmas Eve."

"Miami Vice premiered the night before!" he argued, shouting, in what she suspected was a deranged manner. Parker hoped he was somewhere public; perhaps a grocery store or laundromat. "Just another example of how you can't keep a secret for the life of you, not even when your brother's good name is at stake. Your only true sibling, might I add."

"And here I thought I was an orphan found in a box."

She could hear Colt kicking something, palm clasped over the speaker as he whined, before he was back. "You're worse than Judas, you know. You ruin lives just for the fun of it, no silver needed."

"Are you offering silver?"

A cough. "Uh, I mean, I'm a little tight on silver at the moment. I think I have a free sub from Publix somewhere around here."

"A coupon. Wow. So generous."

"It's a punch card, and those aren't easy to fill out, you know," he huffed indignantly, obviously put out that Parker wasn't going to accept his lackluster offer. "What if I say pretty please?"

"Ha! Nice try. I happen to like Jody, so even if I wanted to tell you what we're doing tonight—which I don't—I'm not going to. She was really excited to help me plan this year."

Some spluttering followed her resolution, before he was kicking something again. Apparently, whatever he kicked was harder than he thought, however, and the next moment her brother was wheezing in pain.

"Jesus, take it easy, alright? You're going to need your toes for tonight."

In a breathless voice, he weaseled, "tonight at...?"

But Parker was no novice when it came to keeping secrets from her brother, and so she didn't fall for the trick. "Ha, nice try," she snorted while stooping to sweep her pile of dust and paint chips off the ground. Shades of green and white stained her hands, but she didn't bother to clean them off. It would be a pointless endeavor, after all, considering what they had planned for Colt's birthday party later that evening. "I'm trying to stay on Jody's good side."

"Both of her sides are good sides," was his immediate response, something wistful coloring his tone. "She's gorgeous. If you haven't noticed."

"Trust me," Parker deadpanned with a blithe glance at her own disheveled appearance, "I've noticed."

"Do you think I should bring her flowers?"

"To your birthday party?"

"Girls like flowers. Plus, she's planning the whole thing."

"I helped!"

"I'm not bringing you flowers to my birthday party, Park. It's not about you, you know."

"Right, of course, how could I have forgotten?" she deadpanned. However, despite his disinterest in showing her any gratitude, Parker smiled at the concept that there was a man out in this world so infatuated by a woman, that he not only spent all his time talking about her, but he also wanted to bring her flowers for no good reason. If only she could find someone like that who wasn't her brother. Wishes and wants, she supposed. "As nice of a thought as that is, don't bring her flowers tonight. They'll end up wilted by the time she gets back home from the party. If they aren't totally trashed first, that is."

His tone pitched higher, eagerly. "Trashed? Why would they be trashed? Are we doing some floral vandalism tonight? Oh!" Colt cried, hands clapping together. "Are we going to a wreck-it room? I've always wanted to do something like that. You know, somewhere that wasn't on a set, anyway, where I'm being beat up for a living with props."

Parker covered the speaker of her phone to curse at herself. While she hadn't ruined the surprise, Colt was like a dog with a hambone, and was not likely to let it go anytime soon.

She cleared her throat and attempted indifference. "Not even close," she said, but it didn't sound super convincing, and with an exasperated huff, she threw her hands up. "Jesus, Colt, you're going to get me into trouble! Just chill out. Jody should be picking you up soon, anyway."

"Picking me up soon for...?"

Colt's whining was interrupted by the tinkle of the front bell, and as she switched her phone back to her right ear, Parker took a moment to scoop up the paint-splattered tarp sprawled across the floor.

Melissa had been on to something with her suggestion to repaint the store, and while they had only gotten the walls finished over the past two and a half weeks, the mossy green color with gold accented picture frames really gave some life back to her shop. It still had that musty smell, as well as a pair of flickering lightbulbs from the janky electrical sockets, but they were definitely taking a step in the right direction. The color made everything feel cozier, and once they coated the bookshelves with shades of blue and yellow and replaced the overhead fluorescents with something warmer, she thought it might look like an entirely new store for the price of a few gallons of paint.

Not to mention the color stood out from the recent tan and brown trend that had swept across Hollywood hills. Win, win.

"Ugh! Stop trying to spoil your own surprise and let it happen, alright? You're going to love it," she pacified half-heartedly while booting a stool out of the way. Too deep of a breath had the smell of laquear and paint fumes killing off some braincells, and Parker dropped the tarp along with the rest of the paint materials with a cross-eyed huff. "Plus, it was all Jody's idea, so if you hate it, I would keep that to your..."

Parker paused halfway up the aisle.

On the far end of it, a brown and black colored dog sat patiently wagging its tail at her. Its tongue was sticking out of the side of its mouth, but despite Elon Musk's predictions about the existence of intelligent life in the galaxy, she was pretty sure that the local population of Hollywood mutts had yet to grow opposable thumbs capable of opening a door.

She blinked at it.

"Er, listen," she muttered into the phone, gaze darting past the dog, but not seeing its owner. "I have to go. There's a dog situation that I need to take care of."

"A dog? I've been asking you for years to get a dog, and now you finally decide to get one on my birthday! That's so totally fu—"

Parker hung up before he could complain any further, and slowly tucked her phone into the back pocket of her jeans. The dog barked at her, as if excited to finally have her attention.

"Er—hi. Did you—how did you get in here?" she asked.

It responded by tilting its head to a ninety-degree angle. She stared, waiting, as if the language barrier would suddenly disappear.

Unsurprisingly, it didn't. The dog barked a second time.

"I don't have any treats on me," she said again, not sure else what to say, but certainly feeling like she should say something. It trotted towards her, and though it seemed friendly at first, when it stuck its head into her crotch to take too deep a sniff for comfort, Parker jumped backwards. "Ah—fuck! Buy a girl dinner first, huh?"

She sidestepped the dog, hands splayed out in front of her like she was a robbery victim, and did her best to avoid being felt up as the dog followed her towards the storefront. It nosed her rear end, and Parker let out an undignified squeak.

"Jesus! I know the humane society is underfunded and all, but this is a little ridiculous, don't you think?" she asked it.

The dog darted in front of her, nose going right back for the crotch, and Parker just barely managed to leap onto Melissa's sunken reading chair when an increasingly familiar head of blonde hair stepped out from behind one of the bookshelves.

"Talon, Jean Claude," he said, and as though the dog hadn't just been harassing her, it plopped down onto the floor right beside him. Dog and owner blinked at her in bemusement. "Don't seriously tell me that you're afraid of dogs."

Parker shot him a disgruntled glare in response, but Tom didn't seem to mind the heat packed behind it. Instead, he smirked at her, crossed one arm over the other, and languidly leaned back against the front counter.

It was obvious he was laughing at her, and not with her, and Parker added it to the list of all the things she couldn't stand about Tom Ryder. Worse though, she couldn't help but subconsciously smooth a hand over her hair, because where Jody was effortlessly gorgeous, Parker required quite a bit of effort not to look awful. And right now, with paint-stained pants, a half-assed pair of dutch braids, and miscolored converse, she was certainly not showing him her good side.

If she even had one, that is.

"I should have known you would have a pervy dog," she said while looking down her nose at him. Literally, too, considering she was still standing on the chair. Parker flushed a bright red at the realization and none-too-glamorously clambered down onto her feet. "And French, too. I think that's stereotyping, Ryder."

Despite the distrustful look she shot the dog, he seemed a whole lot less pervy and rabid now that she knew he had an owner, and when she approached it, its tail flapped back and forth excitedly.

"Insulting an entire country?" Tom harrumphed as she started to scratch the dog between its ears. "Maybe you should sit through PR training with me next time Gail hosts a session."

She blew a bland raspberry as she read the dog's name tag.

Jean Claude. Huh. Cute.

He let out a low whine when she hit a particularly sensitive spot, and in delight, he rolled onto his back with half-lidded eyes.

"Is this the one you were talking to the other day, or do you have any other expat mutts that I should know about? I can only be felt up so many times before I file a harassment complaint."

"Jean Claude isn't a mutt," he corrected her, disdain at the very idea of owning a mutt. Parker supposed adopting a kennel-dog was likely below him, being a superstar and what not. "He's an Australian Kelpie, pure-bred, and he certainly wasn't fucking cheap. His parents are award winning cattle dogs in the Australian circuit."

"That's an award category?"

"Hmph. Laugh all you want, but I'd bet he's better trained than you are. He's even trained to attack someone in the balls on command."

"So am I," she sassed while making kissy faces at Jean Claude. "Oh, he's cute. Yes, you are. Yes, you are," she cooed.

He ate it right up, tail flapping in every direction, and when she spared Tom a glance, she could feel the jealousy rolling off him that someone else was getting more attention. Dog or not. Parker snickered.

"Sorry you're stuck with this one," she added, jerking a thumb over her shoulder to gesture in Tom's general area. "But trust me, you're way cuter, and probably lower maintenance than he is."

Tom cleared his throat. "Are you done?"

"Jealous?"

"Of a dog?" he deadpanned, rolling his eyes beneath a pair of expensive Ray Bans—not at all disproving the theory—and Parker smiled at her private joke. "Hardly."

She leaned closer to Jean Claude, and spoke in a stage whisper, "I think he's jealous."

And—yup—that seemed to do it.

Tom pushed off the counter with a sharp huff, unamused by her teasing, and make a command in French. Jean Claude bounded onto his feet, trotted to where Tom was, and curled up between his legs.

Parker stood and planted her hands onto her hips. "Real mature."

"I can always show you his attack command," Tom threatened. "I doubt you'll find him as adorable when he attacks you. It's always a hit at parties, watching someone get their balls bitten off."

"I think I'm missing a critical component for that trick to work," she pointed out with a dry smile. "But, anyway, what are you doing here? If you came to return my books, they're yours, considering how much you paid for them the other day."

He shrugged. "Maybe I want my change."

"You came all the way here, through traffic, to get your change?" she echoed, clearly disbelieving his piss poor excuse. Under her stare, Tom shuffled uncomfortably on his feet. "Hm. I thought I was supposed to be the penny pincher between the two of us."

"Maybe it's not the money I care about. It's the principle of the whole thing."

"Ha! You expect me to believe that you have principles?"

Tom huffed, but she caught the crooked upturn of his mouth. Still, he played the victim—always acting, this one. "You're right. I don't just deserve change. I should get a full refund, considering how awful your book recommendations were. Not to mention the books practically fell apart when I touched them. Clearly, you sell cheap products."

"Clearly," she muttered, while flipping the sign on the front door from OPEN to CLOSED. There wasn't much going on outside, anyway, and she doubted she would be missing any customers by taking the day off early.

"You want to tell me what you're really doing here? Because we both know you liked my recommendations," she said matter-of-factly, moving to the cash register now. She had made a few sales throughout the day, more than a typical Friday, and so she carefully began stacking her receipts. "I mean, who wouldn't? Those are good books I gave you. Contact is in my top ten."

Tom leaned on the counter. "Books I bought."

She waved him off, stack of receipts in hand, as she locked the lower cabinet. Tom could complain all he wanted, but she did know that he liked her book recommendations. He had finished them all within a week, when he likely should have been spending more attention devoted to practicing for his audition. Granted, it was a sci-fi movie he was auditioning for, but—

She startled.

"Oh, duh!" Parker sprung to her full height with a curious look. "Did you get the part?"

Tom smirked.

It wasn't bashful or pleasant or soft like authors typically described their tall, dark, and handsome characters, but it was so very him that she hardly minded it. In fact, Parker sort of liked it. It crinkled the soft lines by his eyes, loosened the tension in his shoulders, and made him look younger. Nicer. Cuter.

"Of course I did," he sassed. "I told you I was going to get it."

She ignored his blatant peacocking to punch him in the shoulder. The action seemed to shock him, and Tom clutched the spot with his other hand—as if she had done some real damage—while Parker grinned. "Holy shit, that's great! I mean, sure, you were a shoo-in or whatever, but this is a big deal. Right? It's a big deal? You must be jumping off the walls right now!"

Tom gave a bemused huff, eyes darting over the length of her face, and nodded. "Biggest movie I've gotten yet," he said. "My first sci-fi film too, so, that's going to get my name out there even more than it was. I mean, if I thought I was well known before... after this, everyone will know who Tom Ryder is."

"That's awesome!"

Tom rolled his eyes at her enthusiasm, clearly not buying into it, and though Parker was so excited on his behalf, Tom seemed like he was fighting off indifference to the news. "Yeah, well, a role's a role, you know."

"Well, yeah," she hedged, waving a hand at him, "but this is your first sci-fi role, and it was one that you even told me you wanted to get. You must be at least a little excited for it. Sci-fi is so interesting, I bet filming it is gonna be a ton of fun."

"Sure," he echoed dryly. His smirk had returned, and though she wouldn't necessarily classify what his face was doing now as a smile, it was certainly close. "Fun. That's what I'm aiming for in my career: fun."

"Oh, please," she clucked her tongue at him, receipts shoved hastily into their folder. "You can be a huge movie star and still have fun doing it. I mean, isn't that the point? Doing something you love and all that. I'd imagine it's going to be a whole new experience for you, stepping into a sci-fi set."

He hemmed, mouth twisting between a smile and a frown. "I guess."

He didn't sound all that convinced. In fact, when Parker thought about it, she seemed to be far more excited about the role than he did. She tilted her head at him suspiciously. "Alright, well... what are you doing to celebrate?" she asked. "A vacation? Buying yourself a new car? Oooh—Legoland?"

He furrowed his brows at her in surprised. "Legoland?"

"It's what I would do," she shrugged. "Probably, anyway. I've never been because the tickets just don't seem worth the price, but if I had just landed a giant role in a giant blockbuster, I think buying a ticket would be the least of my worries. You could probably even write it off on your taxes."

He blinked at her. "Poor people are so sad to me."

She stuck her tongue out at him, and took delight in the way that he huffed in amusement. "Well? Come on—make me jealous—what are you doing?"

Tom shrugged. "Gail's throwing a big party next week to announce the role. She always does that. Invites her producer friends and talent agents and that sort of stuff. There'll probably be some sort of attraction, singers or a zebra or something."

"Casual," she snorted.

"She has a weird thing for exotic animals, I don't know."

"Seems like it. But that's what she's doing, what are you doing?" she needled further. "I mean, I assumed you would do a big party with your friends before then. You know—cops get called, party crashers—the whole scene."

Tom hesitated to answer, and when he did, he didn't sound all that much like himself. "Well, I can't really do that—she controls when I make go public with the news—has the whole timeline figured out, and manages all the press for it. She doesn't let me tell people ahead of time."

"I'm people."

He rolled his eyes. "You're a nobody," he said. Not to be mean; no, Tom was very clear in his words when he intended to be mean. Instead, he had said it nonchalantly, as if it was a universal truth that everyone understood. And, in all honesty, Parker got it. "I mean, who are you going to tell that would care, you know?"

"Okay, ouch," she muttered still, before barreling on. "Don't you have any non-work friends that you can go get drinks with?"

"All my friends are work friends."

"What about people that don't know Gail?"

Tom huffed and waved a hand at her. "That's the same thing, you know. She introduced me to everyone I know in the industry. Other than some set hands, we have the same circle."

Parker sank onto her heels, feeling slighted on his behalf, but knowing that she didn't really have a right to. Surely, Tom Ryder would have stood up to Gail if he didn't like her hands-on, helicopter parent approach to managing his life. And clearly their work relationship was beneficial to them both. He certainly didn't need a nobody like her feeling sorry for him.

And yet, she did.

Because, as she listened to him talk, it felt like he had to give up everything just to be a somebody in Hollywood. And while it might have been the norm for him, it was absolutely not the norm for everybody.

Did he even realize that?

"Fuck that," Parker said before she could think better of it, emotions getting the better of her. Colt always joked that she had a bleeding heart, but she had never thought there was anything wrong with that. "Come hang out with me, then."

Tom arched a brow at her, mouth parted dumbly. "...what?"

She shrugged, feeling a little like a specimen beneath a microscope, and struggled to explain herself. "I mean, you just said that Gail doesn't want you telling anybody that matters, and I only hang out with people that don't matter in the grand scheme of Hollywood politics. I'm getting ready to head to Colt's birthday party after this, and if you're not doing anything else, you may as well come with me. It won't be a celebration for you, obviously, but... it'll be fun."

He blinked at her slowly, surprise written in the fine lines of his face.

"We're not going to murder you," she huffed indignantly.

"I—I never hang out with Colt or those guys."

"Yeah, for good reason. They all sort of hate you for being an asshole on set to them. Like, all the time. I wouldn't want to hang out with you outside of work either, if I was them."

He scowled. "Oh, well, when you put it like that," he huffed. "Obviously, they're not going to want me to come. And, I may be an asshole, but I try not to gatecrash birthday parties."

She waved his concern away with a paint-stained hand. "First off, you won't be gatecrashing, I'm literally extending an invite. And secondly, they only hate you because you're a prick on set. What better way to prove that you're not a prick, by coming to Colt's birthday party, and—you know—actually being nice for once. Just don't be a dickwad. Or an asshole. Or any sort of thing that you usually are on a normal day."

"I think the saying is 'always be yourself'," he deadpanned.

"That absolutely doesn't apply here."

"Smartass."

Parker nudged him in the shoulder with an exasperated look. "Come on! What else are you going to do? Do some irresponsible spending and buy everyone a round of drinks. I bet they'll think differently of you after everybody is a few beers in."

Tom didn't seem too convinced with her logic. "Crashing his birthday party doesn't seem the best way to get on Colt's good side. I didn't even know it was his birthday."

"Now you do," she shrugged, as if it wasn't a big deal. And—well—her brother was probably going to bitch about Tom's presence at the party, but Parker also believed that after a few shots of liquor, everyone would get over the issue fairly quick. Not to mention the party itself was designed for stress relief. Bringing Tom may actually make the night. With a conniving wiggle of her brows, Parker tried again. "I know for a fact that there's room for one more. Jody and I planned the whole thing together, and if she's allowed a plus-one, so am I. Jean Claude can even come. Colt loves dogs."

Tom seemed to sway a little further with her reasoning, and with a slow nod, he finally agreed. He certainly didn't look happy about it though.

Parker punched the air. Oh, Colt is going to love this.

"Awesome! Give me a minute to lock up, and then we can go."

"Fine," he huffed, not too unlike that of a sulky toddler. "But I'm driving."

Parker smiled. Her car was a piece of shit that barely worked on a good day. She was going to insist he drive in the first place. Plus, now, she could get really drunk.

"Fine by me," was all she said, not eager to give away that piece of information just yet. "Just promise me you won't be an asshole. I won't be able to keep my reputation of favorite sister if you ruin the night."

"I'm not going to ruin the night," he snarked with a petulant glare. Parker shrugged, grabbing her things, as he asked, "...wait, I thought you were his only sister?"

"Exactly. Now, come on, I want to get there before they start assigning teams."

The bell rang as she stepped outside, Jean Claude trotting with her, and Tom hesitated for a brief moment before what she said caught up to him.

"Wait," he called, jogging after her. "What do you mean teams?"

---

Tom's presence did not go unnoticed. In fact, it had taken a mere three minutes before Jody was elbowing her to the side, a stern, disbelieving look furrowing her brows. She had let it go in a huff, however, when Parker pointed out that Tom had promised to be on his best behavior, as well as promised to buy the first round of drinks once the game was over.

That had been a lie, of course, but she supposed she could deal with that tantrum later.

Colt, on the other hand, hadn't been so easily placated, and as the twenty odd players stood in a circle, listening to the instructor drone on about safety, he weaseled next to her with a glare.

"I can't believe you brought Ryder," he hissed for the third time that night, hot breath on her face. She would have shoved him away if the instructor hadn't already reprimanded then twice for being distracting. "I mean, seriously Park, I can't stand the guy."

"Oh, really? I couldn't tell."

"Really!"

"Well, I'm sorry," she shrugged, although the apology was half-hearted at best, and Colt seemed to know this as he narrowed his eyes at her irritably. She huffed. "What was I supposed to do? Leave him behind?"

"Yes," Colt whisper-yelled. Dan glanced over his shoulder at the pair, and in perfect Seavers' sibling unison, they plastered fake smiles onto their faces with a friendly wave. He shook his head at them, but likely didn't think they were worth whatever trouble they caused, and faced forward once more. "That's exactly what you should have done!"

"It's not that easy," she argued, hissing as well. "He looked so sad! Like a little abandoned puppy dog that had just been kicked. It was a moment of weakness!"

"Oh, really?" Colt drawled. Together, they glanced over at Tom to find him ignoring everyone in the group with his head stuck in his phone. When a fly buzzed too close, he swatted at it with an icy glare. "That? You couldn't say no to that?"

"I said I was sorry!"

Parker's voice hitched higher than she intended, and the instructor paused in his speech to glare at the duo. She gave him a weak smile in return, mouthing, a guilty, sorry!

The man only got two words back into his speech, however, before Colt started whining again.

"Look, I'm totally stoked about the surprise party, okay? You did a stand-up job on it and the guest list. So how could you fuck it all up so close to the finish line?"

"What the hell does that even mean?" she asked in bewilderment. Parker shook her head. "Seriously, you need to update your sayings."

"Update my—?" Colt bit off a groan, pinching the bridge of his nose to take a long, overdrawn breath. "Why was he even at your bookstore? Since when did you two become friends? What happened to the whole—asshole, asshole, asshole—bit you had going on?"

"I still think he's an asshole," she shot back. But, well, when she caught Tom's gaze across the grass, she faltered. Did she think he was an asshole at his core? Or had he simply become someone she was beginning to understand—a dog that lashed out when someone got too close? Parker rubbed circles into her temple. "And we're not friends. And, even if we were, you have no one to blame but yourself."

"Myself?" he echoed in disbelief. "What do I have to do with this?"

"You're the one that gave him my phone number."

Colt snorted, shaking his head at her. "Fat chance of that," he said. Parker, thinking he was joking at first, fell silent when he caught the look in his eye. But, if Colt hadn't given Tom her phone number, then who had? she wondered, mentally counting down the list of people it could have possibly been.

Bigger fish to fry, she reminded herself when the list made her go cross-eyed.

"Whatever. We're not friends or buddies or whatever you think we are, so you can stop worrying about that."

Colt snorted. "Oh, sure you're not. He just happens to hang out around your bookshop and you share recommendations and, oh yeah! You bring him as a plus-one to my birthday party!"

Parker scowled. "I made the guest list, I think I have a right to bring someone along with."

"Sure, someone. Not Jaws over there."

She frowned at him, thrown off by the random insult. "Jaws?" she echoed, crinkling her nose distastefully. "What does a shark have to do with this?"

Colt sighed. "No, not the shark, the James Bond villain."

"That's a stupid name for a villain."

"I didn't write the damn thing."

"Okay, well, maybe he has the arrogance of a James Bond villain, but at least pick one from this century."

"Silva?"

"Nah. Whose the the one with the weird eye?"

Colt hummed thoughtfully, gaze darting over towards Tom. "Le Chiffre?"

Parker snapped her fingers and pointed at him. "That one!"

"Yeah, alright, I'll give you that," he conceded, nodding. "He does give off Bond villain vibes with the sunglasses and hair-do."

"Right? Oh you should have seen these glasses he was wearing last time. They were huge, and yellow tinted; like Tony Stark would wear. They were so ridiculous."

Colt snickered for a moment, enjoying mocking Tom with his sister, before realizing that he was currently mad at her. He threw his head back with a subtle groan. "Stop doing that! I'm still mad at you!"

Parker gave her brother a blithe look. "I think you're looking at this all wrong."

"Wrong? What other way should I look at it?" he snarked. "With my eyes closed?"

Resisting the urge to smack him, Parker instead gestured to their instructor, the paintball gun in his hand, and then towards Tom. "You literally get the chance to chase down and shoot, Tom Ryder, bane of your existence or whatever. Shoot him. Think about all the welts and whining and, maybe, if you're lucky, the tears you can get out of this experience. Legally. Without getting fired or arrested. What's better than that, huh? It's your very own personal rage room."

Colt considered all of that silently. He swept his gaze from the large pile of paintball guns set off to the side, to the acres of arena in front of them with inflatable obstacles, and then to his blonde alter-ego sulking at the edge of the group.

He slung an arm around Parker's shoulder with the boyish grin. "Have I ever told you how much I love you?"

Parker snorted, amused by his mood swings. "Not nearly enough. It's all Jody this, and Jody that anymore."

Jody, having finished listening to the instructor's demonstration, peered around Colt's shoulder to blink at the siblings. "What about me?"

Colt and Parker shared a silent look.

"Nothing," she said, whilst he cooed, "just talking about how pretty you are."

Jody blushed a bright rouge instantly, and Colt obviously took pleasure in that when he slung his other arm around her shoulder. Taking a deep breath, he let out a happy sigh. "My two ladies. Paintball. The smell of tears and blood on the horizon. What better way to spend a birthday?"

Parker glanced at Jody, expecting her to roll her eyes, but the camerawoman instead just smiled with something soft in her eyes.

Parker responded by wiggling out of Colt's reach. "Ew, blegh, that's disgusting. They say cooties are contagious you know."

"What on Earth are cooties?" Jody asked.

"An STD," Colt replied, only half joking, and though Jody appeared mildly disturbed by his joke, Parker had known her brother long enough to appreciate his odd ball sense of humor. "And they're not contagious if you have a shot."

Jody, not wanting to know if he was serious or not, let it go as the group slowly filed forward to get their guns, face masks, and coveralls. They followed shortly after, snickering like kids the entire way through.

In the end, Colt and Jody both got white, while Parker and Tom were given black ones.

Karma, she supposed, is that she wouldn't be able to shoot the asshole after all.

"Somehow, this is a step up for your usual clothes," said asshole chirped, pinching the baggy material hanging at her waist between his forefinger and thumb. Parker swatted him away, only for Jean Claude to bark at her. "Easy, you want to get taken down before the game even starts?"

"Please, you're lucky we're on the same team," Parker teased. He didn't seem to buy it if the blithe look he shot her was anything to go by, and she huffed at him. "I bet I could have gotten the first hit on you if we weren't on the same team. I have mad skills at paintball, Ryder. Seal Team Six type stuff., you don't even know."

Tom rolled his eyes at the same time that Colt reappeared, face mask propped on the top of his head, looking just a tad too comfortable in his onesie. Jody and Dan flanked him, and Parker didn't like their smiles one bit.

"What?" she asked.

"You suck at paintball," Colt egged. "Remember Tallahassee? You were covered in welts for weeks!"

Tom snorted, and Parker considered him the greater threat considering the fact he was standing closer to her than Colt was. She glared at him to state, "I'm not joking. I could literally take you out. Any of you," she added with a stern point of the finger sweeping through the group. "All of you!"

Not a single person believed her.

Tom went so far as to snicker at her. "I don't buy that. for a second. You're a total klutz."

She gasped. "Am not!"

Colt raised a hand. "Are too. Remember when you broke your ankle trying to play hopscotch?"

"Just—stay out of this!"

He did not, in fact, stay out of it. "What was it you said, Park? Cause and effect? You suck at sports, and the effect of that, is you're about to go down on the course."

She blew a rather wet raspberry at her brother. "Please, if you and Tom were on the same team, I would smoke both of you."

They bickered for a moment, amusing some, but boring Tom, and the A-lister broke up their argument with a long-weary sigh. "Oi! Whose to say either of you could get a shot on me?" he taunted.

The siblings turned to face him.

"Is that a challenge?" Parker asked, hands planted on her hips, whilst Colt raised his brows.

Tom shrugged, unconcerned.

"In fact, I bet I'll make it a whole round without getting shot once," Tom tacked on, ego puffing his chest out as he smirked at the group standing around. Dan rolled his eyes, while Jody coughed into her hand to hide an obvious laugh at his showboating. "I'm serious. First one to hit me gets five hundred dollars—"

Thwack! Thwack!

Tom gaped at his chest, now dotted with one yellow and one blue splatter. Parker and Colt stood in front of him, guns still smoking, and while his eyes widened in anger, the pair of siblings were more concerned with claiming the prize to notice.

"First!" Colt cried.

"What? No fucking way," Parker argued. She waved at the yellow paint splatter haphazardly, almost taking out Jody as she did so. "I was so first. Tom! Tell him!"

Tom, now even more unamused by their bickering, blinked in wide-eyed disbelief at them both. "Are you fucking serious?" he shouted. "The game didn't even start yet!"

"But you just said—"

"I meant during a match. Christ, Parker, we're on the same team," he blustered, attempting to wipe off the paint, but only managing to smear it further down his chest like a bad Jackson Pollock painting. "Fuck!"

Colt, sensing a blow-out was coming, swung his gun behind his back with a wide eyed, innocent look. "Hey man, it was all her," he started. "Totally uncool. And immature. And, really, if you need me to smack her around a little after this I totally can."

Tom glared at Colt, effectively shutting him up in seconds, before turning to Parker. Everyone watched in baited breath, nervous what he might do, and while Parker hadn't been on set long enough to know what his meltdowns looked like, the ones most familiar with Tom were left stunned by his reaction.

Or, really, how utterly tame this one was to the hundred others they had seen.

"Are you happy now?" he asked.

Parker hemmed and hawed for a moment before deciding that honesty was the best policy. "I mean, I'd be happier if you gave me my five hundred dollars."

"I'm not paying you shit."

"Oh, come on," she rolled her eyes, popping a hip as she did so. "It's not like you're cash poor or anything. You're just upset that I shot you."

Tom gaped at her in disbelief. "No shit!"

Parker, shifting her gun over her shoulder, waved the other at him blithely. "You'll get over it once the game starts. It's—heh—surprisingly therapeutic."

"Shooting me is therapeutic?"

She paused, caught up in her own statement. "Er, well, not you exactly. Just someone, in general, you know." Parker swallowed when Tom continued to stare at her. Awkwardly, she laughed. "Just... wait till you get out there, and you'll see."

Tom remained silent, blinking at her for a long, tense, moment before he rolled his eyes with a heavy sigh. And—

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

His gun went off before anyone could stop him, and Parker gaped at the trio of yellow paint that was now splattered across her chest. "Fucking ow!"

Tom smirked at her, blowing the muzzle of his gun for extra flare, before swinging it over his shoulder. "Huh. I guess you're right. I do feel better."

"Asshole!"

"Yeah, well, takes one to know one, right?" he snarked.

And—oh.

She could kill him. Really, seriously kill him.

But, well, the longer she stared at him and he stared at her, eyebrow cocked and a daring smirk in place, Parker realized above the hatred simmering in her chest, she felt something kindred and wanting flutter like butterflies. Something amused by the curve of his smirk, flushed by the scorching burn of his gaze, and—dare she think—understanding at the retaliatory strike. She had, afterall, shot first.

He had only lowered himself to her level; played by her rules.

And with a strong suspicion that Tom Ryder wasn't so much an asshole as he was just looking for someone to understand him, Parker's only response to that was to throw her head back and howl in laughter.

Despite this, no one else moved for a long moment, too busy darting their gazes between Parker and Tom in case they needed to intervene, but in an even more surprising turn of events, he laughed as well. Not so outright, and not nearly as loud, but he did. Prompted by his positive reaction, it wasn't long before Colt started to laugh, and then Jody, and then suddenly everyone was knelt at the waist in laughter.

It wasn't until their instructor honked a blow horn at them, none too amused with the pre-game warfare, that they calmed down. He honked the horn a second time at Parker and Tom, threatening to kick them out if they kept breaking the rules, and while they managed to stay straight-faced, the moment he turned his back on the group, they shared matching grins.

Maybe, she thought as they got into place, it hadn't been such a bad idea to bring him along.

And maybe, her brother thought at the exact same time, Parker and Tom being friends wasn't the end of the world.

[wzy3ka]

| Childhood best friend✧˖*°࿐Y.JW (양정원)

Pairing✧.* Childhood best friend!Jungwon x fem reader

Word count✧.* -1.6k-

Contains✧.* kisses, fluff and a little bit of angst that’s all

context: No content just read and enjoy!

"Jungwon is coming as well?" You ask your mother while she washes the dishes and she nods, making you smile.

"He said he will if you're here." The way she says it makes you almost laugh. Jungwon has always hated friend reunions, but it seems he suddenly is a big fan of it if you're present.

You've been out of town for a while because of university, but now that it's summer vacation, you're back for one or two months.

"I actually miss him. It's been a while." You admit. You had a crush on Jungwon when you were young, but because you had gone out of town, you slowly forgot about it the more time you spent along with the new people you met there.

But deep down, he's always been there. You spent half of your life being his best friend, it's hard to just forget about him and the little crush that came back the moment you arrived in town.

"He misses you too. His grandmother said he still has the bracelet you gave him."

You gasp. "Wait, really?" The bracelet was one you made him two years ago. He promised he would never take it off but you thought that at some point he'll take it off and forget about it.

You also believed that by the time you came back, he would already have a girlfriend. It seems you were wrong.

"You haven't moved on, have you?"

Your mother's voice brings you back to reality and you blink at her, surprised. "I can tell you didn't."

You can't really hide anything from your mother, but you're afraid she'd be too excited and end up telling Jungwon's grandmother about it. His parents passed away when he was a child and ended up living with his grandmother, so the two of them are the closest.

"I don't think I have, but I don't want to ruin our friendship. So don't say a word."

"Don't try to silence your feelings, sweetheart."

You end up in silence while you prepare food for the event. Her words replay in the back of your mind but you tell yourself it's better if you don't talk about it.

Time passes and you're standing in front of the mirror, the short sage green satin dress hugging your figure. You don't feel that comfortable in it because of how much skin is exposed, but you're willing to try something different.

You've grown up. You're not the same little girl that used to play with Jungwon anymore. And neither is he the same boy.

His features are more defined now, his shoulders broader and jawline sharper. In other words, he's hotter and more attractive and he's just your type. Someone who looks like he'd break your heart but has a heart of gold.

The event takes place in your backyard and you set everything in place before your friends and family arrive.

"Y/N?" A foreign yet familiar voice calls and when you turn around, it's Jake. You widen your eyes when he approaches you with a big smile on his face. "It's you."

Jake was Jungwon's friend, and you got to know him through Jungwon. He spent most of the time in Seattle with his family and spent the summer vacation in town with you. He used to bring gifts and the three of you used to spend the night in empty playgrounds with you sitting on the swing and the boys protecting you like you're their princess.

It's a nice memory that makes your heart warm. You wrap your arms around his neck and he holds your waist, making you hold your breath. His hands are big and strong, making you feel small in comparison. But it's a comforting feeling, like you're being protected by someone you trust.

"I missed you." You mutter, his grip tightening gently around your waist.

His eyes crinkle in the corner when he smiles at you. "I missed you too. It's been a long while."

"Your father said you're the new CEO."

He nods. "Yeah, I took over the company a few months ago. It's a lot of work but I'm having fun."

"Look at you, all grown up and successful." You smile. It feels very nice to see one of your closest friends being successful and happy.

You're smiling while chatting with Jake, but when you spot him in the corner of your eye, you freeze. He's staring at you, his eyes filled with something you can't quite decipher.

You feel nervousness and excitement flutter in your stomach.

It's been a while since you've seen him, you're not quite sure how to act around him anymore.

He approaches you, his eyes going up and down as he checks you up and you see his Adam's apple bob.

Your heart races as he stops in front of you. His gaze is intense, making you feel exposed and vulnerable. You can't help but blush under his scrutiny.

He looks so good. He's grown taller and his features have become more chiseled, but there's still something about him that's familiar and comforting.

You can tell he's trying to find something to say, but he remains silent. His presence alone is enough to make you feel flustered, and you're not quite sure how to handle it.

You notice the tension between Jungwon and Jake and the way they don't look or talk to each other. Jake clears his throat. "Well, it's good to see you again. I'll catch up with the others."

And he leaves, leaving you standing there with Jungwon while you try to calm your racing heart down. "Hey." His voice makes your heartbeat skyrocket.

"Hi." You smile. "It's been a while."

"'Yeah, it has." He nods, his gaze never leaving you. "You look great."

"Thanks." You feel your cheeks heat up again. "You too."

"I..." He starts, running his fingers through his hair when you notice that he's not wearing the bracelet.

He took it off.

It makes your heart drop for some reason. You expected that he'd wear it to the reunion just for you, but he didn't.

"How have you been?" You ask, the bitter smile on your face too obvious.

"Good." He keeps eye contact and you hold your breath. But then he sighs. "Look, I'm so annoyed right now."

"What?" You frown. "Why?"

"I don't know. Maybe because I've missed you like hell and when I finally get to see you, you're hugging my best friend who likes you too and his hands are all over you?"

Your heart skips a beat at his words and only then do you realize why Jungwon and Jake are awkward.

They definitely talked about you.

"Why does it bother you if I'm hugging him or anyone else?" You scoff. "He's my friend."

Jungwon's eyes narrow at your words, and he takes a step closer to you. "He's not just your friend, and you know it. He's been into you since high school."

"Yeah, but who am I into?" You don't intend for your voice to come out that sharp. "Have you ever thought about it? You didn't even think of me when you took off the bracelet I spent hours making."

He just stares at you for a moment before he holds your wrist and pulls you with him, making his way out of the house. You realize he's bringing you to his car when he opens it and looks for something inside.

And when you see the bracelet you gave him hanging in the rearview mirror, you feel your heart skip a beat.

"I'm sorry," He says softly after he approaches you, holding out the bracelet to you. "I didn't mean to upset you. I haven't taken it off since you gave it to me but I lost it once and I'm afraid of losing it again so I put it here."

"Oh." Here comes the guilt.

"I don't want to lose it when it's the only thing I have left of you, apart from the memories that I can never forget, and the kiss that we shared though it was years ago." His voice is barely above a whisper.

You take the bracelet from him and look at it, ashamed of your outburst. "I'm sorry too," You say, feeling tears prick at the corners of your eyes.

"Hey, hey," Jungwon holds your chin and makes you look at him before he wipes the tears that are threatening to fall. "I'm sorry, sunshine."

The nickname makes you want to cry even more. "Why did you call me that?" You ask softly, looking up at him.

"Because you're still my sunshine. Always." He kisses your forehead and looks into your eyes. "This bracelet means everything to me, just like you mean everything to me. I missed you, a lot. And you have no idea how my blood was boiling when I saw you with him."

"Do you like me?" You ask, kinda knowing the answer. And he smiles.

"Yes, sunshine. Actually, I don't think it's just that." He chuckles.

"You're on my mind. All the time.

It's more like I love you. I was waiting for you to come back so I can confess and ask you out-"

"I thought I moved on," You look down, resting your head on his chest. "But I never did."

Jungwon holds you tighter, his hand caressing your hair as he chuckles.

"I'm glad you didn't. I never did either. I've always loved you, ever since we were kids. But I was too scared to tell you. And then you moved away and I thought I'd lost you forever."

"But you didn't," You say, feeling your heart beat faster when he leans in and presses his lips to yours. They're soft and warm against your lips and his hands hold your waist so gently that you feel so safe and loved.

"No, I didn't," He says against your lips. "And I'm not going to let you go again."

[lily-alphonse]

for the rare pairs, did you ever get one with marlon and rasmodius? i haven’t been able to stop thinking about them together 👀

Old man yaoi is such a crowd favorite fr lmao

Ok you guys aren't ready for where I'm going to take this (except Human) because I had an idea for vampire!Abigail that involves Marlon and Rasmodius getting together. Cuz you know, like, 2 dads or whatever. (Technically 3 but Pierre? Ugh. He’s wimpy comic relief in this only)

For the purposes of this fic, Abigail is the wizard's daughter and only him and Caroline know.

Anyways I'm trying to do A LOT with this one so maybe I just do bullet points this time to give you the idea

There's no farmer, instead Marlon takes Abbie under his wing as a young adventurer

Rasmodius (because he watches everyone, like a creep) sees this and is like UGH not that THAT GUY, because Marlon is essentially his annoying coworker. Marlon tries to be buddy buddy with him and Ras is not about it. Like bro do your job protecting the valley and shut up pls.

Abbie stumbles on something she shouldn't in the mines, accidentally unleashing an ancient evil vampire and getting bit. It's very important to me that she turns into a bat. It happens automatically when the sun touches her skin, as a defense mechanism. She can survive in the sun as a bat.

So shit hits the fan obviously. Caroline goes to the wizard's tower screaming and freaking out because her daughter is missing and she is certain he has something to do with it (she hadn't known about Marlon) and Rasmodius pieces together it probably has something to do with the ANCIENT EVIL now on the loose. He assures her he is going to take care of it and has no choice but to team up with (ugh) Marlon.

Marlon doesn't know about Abbie. Ras is keeping all his secrets close and being careful about which info he gives to who. They go on an adventure of bonding. Important features of which are homoerotic wound dressing, and Marlon getting serious with Ras about his past and stuff. So he sees another side to him and starts to gain respect for the man.

A lot happens next that I don't have worked out yet sue me its just a concept rn. I have a few different ideas for how Abbie's side of things can go. She could potentially get out of the mines and turn into a bat which leads to her flying to the tower bc who else would believe her? Or she could be trapped in the mines with the original vampire and be like his spawn under his control or something.

Either way, we end up at a moment of truth where Marlon realizes Abbie has turned and feels like they need to kill her or otherwise trap her for eternity or something. And Ras is like tf no Im not condemning my daughter to that and Abbie and Marlon both are just [shocked pikachu face]

BATTLE OF THE DADS. DAD DUEL. FATHER FIGHT where they are physically fighting but also arguing about who knows best for her since the wizard has literally never spoken to her in her life but is also the one trying to save her, while Marlon actually did become a strong father figure for her but wants to kill her (only to end her suffering ofc)

Imagine they are fighting and Abbie just calls over them like "Not really suffering a whole lot, to be honest!" because this is a dark comedy as well as a romance.

Ras wounds Marlon badly enough (owie, it hurt his heart to do though, what is this, FEELINGS?) that he is subdued. Abbie and Ras take on the ancient vampire and nearly DIE but Marlon comes back and saves the DAAAY

He has the opportunity to also kill Abbie and doesn't, he's come around to compromise his morals for the sake of the ones he loves

Potentially even more homoerotic wound dressing and then they KISS with their old scruffy man beards and Abbie pretends to vom

The End

If you want this one to exist be sure to reblog and vote for it in the poll! This would be a hell of a fun one

Send me any Stardew Valley rarepair and I will tell you how I would make them work! (Even non-marriage npcs) If youre lucky you may get a mini fic out of it. Check the list below to see if Ive already answered yours

Rarepair Masterlist

@totallyhumanexe @chikoxiko come get ur old men

[koukaimagines]

Hi!! Can I have your headcanons of how Jae ha and Kija would take care of their injured s/o? (Not sure how she got injured but thank you for opening your inbox love!!!)

Hi anon! Sorry for the wait, you absolutely can have headcanons of that! I think Kija and Jaeha especially would be fun watching when it comes to an injured s/o, so thanks for sending this in!

Because anon has used she/her pronouns, I will also be employing that in these headcanons where applicable!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kija

When Kija finds you with Yoon treating your injuries, he is immensely and instantly worried. Kija's the type to fret a lot about small things, so if he could take ten thousand arrows to soothe your pain, he would do it.

But that's unfortunately not how healing works, so he refuses to leave your side until Yoon finishes dressing you and tells him that it'll heal without an issue. He may refuse to leave your side after that too.

He'd ask Yoon about several things and try to change the dressings himself based on what he's learned. Unfortunately, his abilities are no where near as skilled as Yoon's, and the claws bestowed on his right hand do little but wear the bandages or tear them. He's clumsy trying to take care of you, to say the least.

He'd feel frustrated at how useless he is, how only Yoon can help you and how he failed to prevent your injury in the first place, no matter what he was doing at the time.

Until you recover, he does everything in his power so that you rest. You're forced to concede to his adorable authoratative tone every time you try to move. "Do not move! Yoon has instructed that you rest! I shall fetch that for you, Love." He attaches that pet name to each of his sentences like he's happy to be at your beck and call while you heal, and he unabashedly is.

This is exclusively figurative and metaphorical— but he's sort of like a puppy that tries to lick at your wounds if that makes any sense. The licking is more like staying by your side, making sure you have everything you need and keeping you company. Note the futility of the wound-licking in terms of actual wound-healing. It's just nice because he very obviously cares.

"It's only natural for the duty to be mine to care for Y/N until she recovers!"

Jaeha

Jaeha would be fascinating to watch. Despite his usual attitude, he's visibly shaken when he sees your bandages soaked in red. Soaked in red on your body.

He'd revert back to himself once he registers that you're in Yoon's hands and alive, making a snarky comment on what you've gotten yourself into this time. "I leave you for a mere moment and you've gotten hurt? Looks like I can't let you out of my sight now, Dear."

Although he wants to stick by you and take care of you, he can't seem to forfeit his pride as he does so. He makes himself more composed than how he really feels as he changes your bandages. And he didn't volunteer to, nor had he asked Yoon about it. Yoon simply told him to, of course, and who was he to deny Yoon and refuse time next to you? Even though he could just do it if he wanted to and it would make no difference.

While you're injured, Jaeha's fraught with a silly internal conflict as he navigates his feelings of worry towards you and a fear of acting like he's too worried. That explains why he'd rather you didn't know about how intentional his close proximity to you is. How he'd keep the herbs Yoon used on you in mind and excuse himself and leave for the fields without telling anyone what he was up to.

If you're injured and unable to use your hands, he'd feed you while teasing you about it. As if he's not absolutely ecstatic to be in the position he's in right now.

Throughout your recovery, he'll let his walls down here and there, often while griping about how hopeless you are, when he more means to convey how hopeless he is— how hopelessly carved into his being you are, and your injury would only serve as proof of that.

[rrenzwrld]

secreto de amor VII

chapter 7! read chapter 6 here

“y/n~i need to talk to you.”

“you always need to talk to me. talk to your other friends.”

“don’t get smart with me. i just wanted to remind you about the business trip i’m going on. i leave next wednesday.” jean worked with a company that providing them with relaxing trips out of the country twice a year because they know how taxing the job can be.

“where you going this time?”

“it’s actually a cruise, going to the bahamas. i’ll be gone for two weeks tho, much longer than last time.”

“two weeks??” that caught your attention. you were used to jean and his trips but you’ve never been left alone for two weeks.

“i figured you don’t need a babysitter because you’re 18 but some people will swing by to check on you.”

“you tell—“

“yes i told mom and dad. they’ll come check on you and if you get scared just stay over there.”

“anything else i need to know?”

“nope, think that’s all. love you!” jean closed the door behind him. although it was only tuesday and he had about a week to prepare, it shouldn’t worry him about leaving you. he knew that you were a good kid, you don’t cause trouble , and you’re practically already independent apart from you living with him. so he didn’t know why he was feeling weird about all of this.

later on that day, you called tia to have your daily conversation and some interesting things were brought up.

“you said he said what now?”

“just reposting tweets n shit and relationships, talkin bout some ‘i’ll take my old bitch over a new bitch any day’” the dude in question was your ex you dated for two years until he cheated. he was your first and last boyfriend and luckily you hadn’t lost your virginity to him or else you’d be going mad even now.

“a weirdo for real. remind me why you follow him again?”

she shrugged. “to be nosy. give us something to talk about.”

“valid.”

“your brother still going on the trip thingy?”

“yeah, why?”

“just asking. don’t he always go around the same time?”

“yeah but i didn’t think you were paying attention. he’s gonna be gone for two weeks this time.”

“two weeks?? oh you’ll be dead before he gets back.”

“don’t say that! i can handle myself fine for two weeks.”

“you don’t even sound like you believe yourself. but look at the bright side,” you rolled your eyes as you already knew what would come next. “connie can come over without any interruptions and he’ll stay and keep you company, and then~” tia started clapping her hands and moaning.

you laughed. “i fucking hate you. i don’t even think about him like that, he 22.”

“so? older dick be the best dick.”

“i’m gonna hang up on you.”

“it’s okay if you wanna hang up on me to call your man.”

“i don’t have a man.”

“sure..”

next wednesday rolled around quicker than you thought and it didn’t seem real to you up until you saw your brother all packed up in suit and tie.

“why you dressed up? i thought you were going on the trip to relax.”

“there’s a meeting right before we board the plane.” you nodded as you watched your brother put on his dress shoes. “are you sure you’ll be okay? you’ll call or text if you need anything right?”

“yes, i’ll be okay. just have fun.”

“i already called everyone to let them know so some one would be there everyday to check on you. and don’t throw any parties or anything while i’m gone.”

“i’ll try not to.” you joked. but he knew you weren’t like that. the most you’d probably do is have tia sleep over or something and just the two of you do stupid shit in the comfort of your own home.

“well,” he started as you helped him load the last of his things in his car. “i love you, i’ll be back in two weeks. i’ll call and text everyday, just don’t die on me.” he laughed while he pulled you into a tight embrace

“i won’t die, promise.”

after the both of you struggled to let go, you bid him a formal farewell as you watched him back out the parking lot, “love you too, be safe!”

after all that, it was weird having the place to yourself but you’d just operate how you would normally do. the only difference was that jean wasn’t present and you had to get used to that. but as he said, over the two weeks, people came to check on you every day.

you had visits from your older stepbrother elliot snd his girlfriend, your mom, your stepdad, and even your biological dad who really just started speaking to you after your mom remarried. but family wasn’t the only people who were there for you. you had visits from sasha who you’d hang out with from time to time, and sleepovers with your friend tia. but one person you really should’ve saw coming was connie. but you didn’t know how you felt just yet.

“y/n~” you heard connie call out to you from your room but he stopped in the doorway when he made it. “your brother told me to—“

“check up on me?”

“yeah, but.. a little more than that.”

“what?”

“he gave me a key, see?” he held it up proudly but you were shocked and maybe a bit upset.

“when did he give you a key? and why?” connie walked into your room and sat at the chair by your desk.

“he wants me to check on you

everyday—“

“people do that already.”

“yeah but he wants me to check on you everyday.. for multiple times a day.”

“so i don’t have a choice.. but to see you everyday?”

“multiple times a day, yes.” he smiles. “but that makes it easier for us to get to know each other.”

“don’t you have things to do? like work or..?”

“yeah but i’ll just come here after.” you rolled your eyes. although jean suspected that connie was trying something with you, he still trusted connie to keep you safe if anything else.

“whatever.” you went back to whatever you were doing.

“right,” connie stood up to walk out the room. “and imma need your number or something.”

“to track me?”

“no, just to keep in contact with you. weirdo.” he laughed. you were the weirdo? you ended up putting your number in his phone and he put his number in yours. “i turned locations on by the way. i’ll be back, bye!” he left before you could even get on him about it.

[sevensoulmates]

As always it's a delight to get to read your posts and meta, it's just as satisfactory and fun as it is watching the show. You're just awesome ❤️

You know after watching the last episode (and now that we know little bit more about Marisol) it made me feel really sorry for her, because I just know she'll be collateral damage while Eddie figures himself out and that's just so sad. And I wasn't really sure why those comments Eddie made about him/Marisol when they encountered Buck and Tommy at the restaurant and after having sex with her made me feel so uncomfortable, but then you pointed it out and I was like yeah that was kinda like locker room talk, Eddie was overcompensating here like trying to be a big macho man and that's why it felt so weird.

I'm baffled about Eddie's situation the most because I'm sure it's gonna be hell for him for a while since he will have to work through a lot of issues to finally be at peace with himself. And until stated otherwise my headcanon is the same as yours. I'm sure he is a gay repressed man (and not no get into the gay Eddie vs demisexual  Eddie discourse but I'm sure he may be both) I grew up in a Mexican household, I was raised catholic and although I wasn't in the army my dad was and he raised me and my siblings with an iron fist. So Eddie's background/storyline has always hit too close to home for me. I'm just dreading all the issues he's going to have to face.

Which brings me to this. To show his coming out arc and make it into completion do you think they will have to show us more about his childhood and upbringing, not just having Eddie talking about it but to have scenes like we did with Buck's childhood?

And why do you think the scene about Buck apologizing to Eddie for hurting him at the basketball court had to happen off screen?

Btw thanks for always replying to my questions.

Hi there!!! No problem!!! You always have super interesting questions to ask, so I am always delighted to answer them!

We all know how Eddie feels about "performance". I just feel like why would Eddie feel like the performance stops once he's actually made it past the dating phase and into the relationship phase? Maybe the external pressure from others is off (none of his family or the firefam questioning him, etc) but in order to KEEP the relationship, it really would require MORE performing.

It's fascinating to me, because we don't see Eddie acting this way with Shannon. You could make some arguments that their relationship was pretty fractured from the get-go and we didn't really see their dating/"honeymoon" phase but even when they were ~slightly~ back together in season 2b, Eddie wasn't acting like that with Shannon. Even when they were sleeping together, he wasn't. The most he did was make a couple of cringe comments about his "dashing good looks" or something, but that was more poking fun at himself. Even when Eddie was telling Buck about how "sex complicates things" with Shannon, he wasn't out here smirking or making comments about how good it feels to finally get some after two years of (apparent) celibacy. Say what you want about their relationship, but at least Eddie respected Shannon enough as a person to not start speaking about her that way. Their relationship was far too serious for that.

With Ana, it was so incredibly hard to watch because even though the storyline ITSELF wasn't about sex, a lot of their scenes had that edge to it? Like the sex-scene fake out in season 4, "grade me on a curve", "you really like to see me dressed up" "and the other thing" it was so ODD and FORCED. At the time of s4/5 airing you could maybe chalk it up to Eddie overcorrecting since it's his first real relationship after Shannon, but then he goes and does the same thing with Marisol which now makes it a pattern.

Once it clicked in my brain that the reason his relationships with women feel so fake is that he is literally putting on a show of hyper-heterosexuality (idk if that's a real term or not but roll with me here) it all made sense. I think seeing him "in a relationship" with Marisol for real was the final puzzle piece to seal this deal for me.

His extreme performances with these women, combined with their purposeful lack of development into full characters, all points to the fact that none of these relationships are going to work out. Eddie is not going to be able to actually settle down with his "endgame" partner until he actually finds someone he can be his true, real self with and "doesn't have to pretend with them" ;)

Is it bad that I actually enjoyed getting to know Marisol a little? Putting aside the actress, Marisol, the character, is interesting, because we're actually getting to know her a little bit more, far more than we got to with Ana. But I find both of these love interests fascinating in one mutual way: the fact that they put up with Eddie. Like I think about other characters and if they would've been okay being treated by their partners the way Eddie treats his girlfriends and I'm like.....hell no!

Oddly enough the only person I could see putting up with it was Buck before he finally started realizing that he doesn't have to be in a relationship with someone just because they want him. Only someone who also has deep insecurities, abandonment issues, and a general lack of self-respect would put up with Eddie's BS to his girlfriends. That's not to say that Eddie's a horrible person or abuses his partners or anything, but it's basically indisputable that he does not ever put in any emotional work to actually create meaningful relationships with his girlfriends. So why were Ana and now Marisol, so willing to accept that?

Ana resisted the break-up even though she could feel Eddie's whole heart wasn't in it. She was willing to keep trying in a dead relationship just in the hopes that something would work out. The same goes for Marisol. Idk about you, but if I was in a relationship with a man for going on 4-6 months and he knew NOTHING about me? I'd feel unloved, uncared for, and unappreciated, and I'd LEAVE.

We know that Marisol was scared of Eddie rejecting her or fetishizing her and that's why she didn't tell him about the nun thing, and I understand her reasoning and fear there. But gworlie, what else do we know about you? Can Eddie name a single hobby you have outside of loving Jesus and DIYing houses? Does Eddie even know your last name? It really makes me think that Marisol is unfortunately the type to just let things like this slide in the hopes that some man will accept her, any man. Since they rarely do because of the nun thing. And boy, do I understand that feeling, but that's NOT real love. I bet you anything once we get to the Eddiemarisol breakup she's gonna be very similar to Ana in that she knew Eddie's heart wasn't fully in it, but she just didn't want to be alone again.

I think that like attracts like, and Eddie's clutching onto this relationship for the same reason Marisol's clutching onto this relationship: because it's easier than being alone and being judged for it.

This is a tangent but I also want to point out that one thing that Eddie found uncomfortable about Marisol being a nun was the fact that nuns used to be his teachers....but was Ana also not a teacher? Just because she wasn't a nun, doesn't mean she couldn't have also been in a position of power that Eddie could've found uncomfortable. I find it interesting that even though Marisol's not a teacher, the show found a way to connect her to teachers and therefore to Ana.

As for Eddie's coming out arc, while I don't think it's entirely a necessity to have flashbacks to how he grew up, I certainly think it would help a lot of people who can't read between the lines if they had some. I especially would like to see scenes of young him + Shannon. Maybe seeing how the pressure from his family and church led him to believe men have to be a certain way, potentially microaggressions about being lgbt that he might've seen from his family/church (I don't necessarily mean full-on homophobia but possibly like little ways in which he was shown that there was no other "acceptable" option from his church other than heterosexuality. I think seeing scenes of how he and Shannon got together could be enlightening too, how their community reacted to them getting pregnant, etc. I think all of this, combined with a mirrored storyline in the present (similar to Buck Begins) would really drive home the point the show is trying to make, especially if they can finally be overt about Eddie's queerness. BUT all of this can still be done present day without the need for flashbacks either. I just think it would be a way to make the storytelling more rich and to spell it out more obviously for the people in the back.

As for Buck apologizing to Eddie for the basketball scene...I would've liked to see it too, but at the end of the day, it's like Ryan said in his interview...Eddie was always going to forgive Buck because he loves him to his core, because he knew Buck didn't come at it from a place of truly wanting to hurt Eddie. All of it was a manifestation of Buck's own issues, and by this point (especially after the lawsuit arc and the deadbrother arc) Eddie is aware of that. We did see plenty of scenes where Buck was scolded and demonstrated he was aware his actions were shitty, and Eddie probably assumed that letting Buck stew in his own guilt was atonement enough. And so I think likely the writers felt that in the end, the sentiment got across. Separately--given all the switcheroo stuff that happened with 7x04 and 7x05, I wouldn't be surprised if there WAS an apology scene and it got cut for time.

[ladykailitha]

Star Child Part 6

Yeah...I’m going to hold out a little bit longer on who Steve’s ACTUAL security is going to be. Next chapter though. But we get to meet the indomitable Corroded Coffin manager this time.

For the next few chapters Eddie and Steve will be dealing with separate shit so the angst will be high, but have no fear Happily Ever After is the end game. I promise.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

*

Steve pulled into the Motel 6 parking lot to find a woman waiting for him. She was dressed in a black suit with a pale blue button down. Her long hair was pulled back in a neat pony tail. Steve knew that this was his security.

He got out the car and grabbed his bag from his trunk. He walked over to her. “Hellfire Security I assume?”

She nodded. “You’ve got good instincts. That will help. I’m Janice Montgomery.” She stuck out her hand.

Steve shook it. “The CEO, I’m impressed.”

She laughed. “I was in the area and needed to go west, so I figured we could make the trek together.”

Steve sighed in relief. That made better sense. He hated being treated differently. “Works for me.”

“I booked us two rooms and scoped out the area,” she said. “So we’ll be good tonight. Then tomorrow we’ll begin the drive out to LA.”

Steve blinked. “We’re driving?”

Janice smiled. “Your manager, Robin Buckley told me you’re afraid of flying?”

He ducked his head and blushed. He scratched his cheek. “Bad experience flying to Europe for the first time. So I avoid it when I can.”

“Fair enough,” she said. “She also said you don’t mind staying at bigger hotels, but prefer places like this?”

Steve nodded. “I’ve been told by other security teams that they’re not as secure, but...”

“But people fawning over you makes you uncomfortable?” Janice suggested.

He nodded again.

“Happens to the best of them,” she said softly. She squeezed his shoulder.

Steve sighed in relief.

“Let’s get to bed and we’ll start first thing in the morning.”

“Is seven too early?” he asked.

She raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you’re a teen idol? Because I thought there was a law that your lot didn’t get up before noon if they could get away with it.”

Steve laughed. “I wake up at 6am most days to go for a run. Or if I’m home in LA a swim. I don’t understand how people can sleep that late.”

She shook her head. “Usually partying until three or four in the morning. Which I understand you don’t do.”

He shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Under contract to not get into any trouble. So I don’t do that anymore.”

Janice raised an eyebrow at ‘anymore’ but said nothing. She would contact the label tomorrow and let them know her company would be in charge of Steve’s security. Until then. She had herself an unusual client. And she loved those.

*

The next day at the Corroded Coffin sound check it was a little awkward.

Jeff and Brian tuned their instruments and kept throwing glances at each other as if they were daring the other to broach the subject.

“You guys are wusses,” Gareth finally bit out. “What these morons are trying not say is that we’re sorry about last night. We shouldn’t have made fun of Steve that way.”

Jeff sighed. “Yeah, man. You were right. We don’t know if it’s just us or if he sees other bands.”

“Especially when we were talking him up the last three days,” Brian said. “We were dicks and we’re sorry.”

Eddie huffed angrily and rubbed his eye. “I know. I just wanted tonight to end as well as it had started. And it didn’t.”

Brian nodded. “Yeah, I feel that. You just keep striking out with this guy and I know you’re worried that we might have scared him away.”

Eddie threw himself back against the seat he was in and his lip twisted. “It’s not just that. I think he was trying to befriend you guys, too. Remember this is the guy that got his start in a group and now he’s solo. He travels with stage musicians. And you can’t tell me they’re always the same ones. So I think he wanted to hang with you guys too.”

The three other members of the band looked down at their shoes.

Jeff scratched the back of his neck, Gareth fiddled with his drumsticks, and Brian scuffed the floor.

“We really fucked up, didn’t we?” Brian asked after a few moments.

Eddie sighed. “I don’t know, man. I don’t know.”

They went out onto the stage for the soundcheck as their manager ran around making sure that everything was setup properly. Chrissy Cunningham was one of the best managers in the business and Corroded Coffin was happy to have her. She had been in LA meeting with their agent Dustin Henderson to make sure they didn’t accidentally cross streams over the recent tour dates.

But she had only managed to get in late last night and missed the concert but barely.

She bounced onto the stage. “Hey, guys, we might have to cancel tonight.”

All heads turned to her in shock. “The venue has changed hands since the last time we were here and I don’t like the look of the bartender or the spotter.”

“Fuck,” Gareth hissed.

“Did they at least read the rider?” Jeff asked.

“Not a Pierre or red M&M in sight,” Chrissy said dryly.

Shit. They added the fancy water and red M&Ms to make sure the venue actually read the rider. And if they weren’t there it was sure bet they didn’t read the parts on how heavy their equipment was or when the lights should go up.

Brian looked up at the rafters and grimaced. “Ew, gross.”

The other four looked up to see grease and dirt and filth clinging to the rafters.

“Shit, shit, shit,” Eddie cursed. This was bad. “Cancel it. Find a park willing to take us with such short notice. If not, full refunds.”

Chrissy nodded. She pulled out her phone and immediately began making calls.

A roadie came up to them. “Hey, guys. We need to get this stuff off the stage, now.”

All four of them looked at each other in shock. “What do you mean?” Jeff asked.

“I just heard the owner talking to one of the waitresses and he was telling her that the guy that was supposed to repair the stage upped his price by a thousand so it never happened.”

“Shit!” Gareth hissed. He shot up from his seat and all of the band helped the roadies get their equipment off the stage and back into the bus.

“What are you doing!” the owner screamed when he saw them packing up.

“This is unsafe,” the roadie who had warned them told the guy. “I’m not having my guys get hurt because you can’t be assed to keep this place up to code.”

“I’ll sue!” the owner screamed.

“You can try,” Jeff said, “but you didn’t read our rider so, you broke contract with us first.”

The man started sputtering and a couple of the bigger roadies stood guard to prevent the man from trying to stop them.

Chrissy hung up the phone and walked over to where the man was spouting obscenities at the band.

“Mr Dallas?” she asked sweetly.

He stopped screaming and looked her over. “What can I do for you, princess?”

She smiled. “I have the health department and liquor license people on the way over here to shut you down. And I have a pretty good idea that you have been dodging your taxes, too. So the IRS will be informed as well. Have a nice day.”

Mr Dallas looked at the bartender and the two of them made a dash for the backroom, but it was too late.

The liquor license people had called the cops and they were being invaded. The band and roadies gave statements and vanished into the night, giggling and heckling the owner.

Once on the bus, Chrissy smiled. “All right, we’ve got a large park nearby that is willing to house the concert. But it’s going to be a hell of a mark up and it’s going cost a lot in merch sales too.”

The band groaned.

“And I am assuming, Chrissy the fair,” Eddie said waving his hands, “that you have already started checking up on our other venues, yes?”

She batted her eyes at him. “But of course, Eddie the Banished.” She winked and got on the phone.

“Dustin,” she greeted.

They got set up at the park and Eddie didn’t like the look of it. There was too much of a chance of people getting hurt.

He bounded up to Chrissy. “Hey, babe. I hate to add you to your already growing pile of shit you have to deal with tonight, but if you can swing it, I want extra security.”

Chrissy looked out at the growing crowd with pursed lips. “I’ll see what I can do. I’ve got Dustin working the other venues so I don’t have to worry about that.”

Eddie nodded. He almost felt sorry for the other venues.

Almost.

Dustin was a tough and tenacious agent and when he got going it was hard to stop the guy. It why Eddie had been with him for so many years. He knew his band was in safe hands if Henderson was talking to the venues.

Soon it was time to rock his heart out.

“Thank you everyone for being able to come to our little impromptu jam session,” Eddie said, stepping up to the mic. “The original venue was a shit show, I wouldn’t recommend it. At all. But let’s get to what you came here for!”

He started playing, turning his head to bob to the music as Gareth came in on drums.

“I want to make you mine!” he screamed into mic. “Your body next to me, Fitted together like by design. You set me free!”

The crowd went wild. Eddie working out his anger and frustration at the way everything ended last night. The way their previous venue had shat all over everything because they were greedy bastards. The way that Chrissy had to step in and take over because without her, they probably would have played and gotten hurt.

All that rage, hurt, and anger channeled into his music and it pushed the crowd to a fevered pitch.

Finally when the note was played and the final encore performed, Eddie felt at peace. That was the real reason he did this. It was a way for him to channel his emotions constructively.

He loved it.

Part 7  Part 8 Part 9  Part 10  Part 11  Part 12  Part 13  Part 14 Part 15  Part 16

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