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justmeinadaze · 2 years ago

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I Have Nothing (If I Don't Have You) Part 3 (Steddie X You)

A/N: I am still so in love with this moodboard. Thank you @sidthedollface2 ! You are amazing <3

Warnings: Soft Dom Steddie X Singer Reader, SMUT, angst, and fluff. Some dark themes regarding addiction (reader does get high and is tempted by all her vices; Steddie confront her), um...I think those are the biggest warnings. Brief mentions of her ex and an encounter with a bad friend.

Word Count: 5851

“Have you never been on a tour bus before?”, you giggle as both boys try to find places to put their things.

“Uh, no, sweetheart. My band wasn’t cool enough to get a bus.”, Eddie grins as he gives up and throws his overnight bag on to one of the bunk beds.

“Honestly, I prefer it to planes. I’m afraid of heights but thankfully we’re just touring the US this time around so…just a bus.”

Your phone begins to ring and after glancing at it you toss it to the side.

“Is he still bothering you?”, Steve asks taking a seat across from you.

“Kind of. He, um, he knows I’m going to fold soon and answer.”

“Why is that something he knows?” Eddie takes a seat beside you, his jeaned knee grazing yours.

Since that afternoon in Steve’s car, neither of them had tried to make another move but to be fair you had been extremely busy preparing for the tour. Occasionally, you would steal a glance or they would find little ways to touch you like placing a hand on your lower back to guide you towards the car or, like right now as they sat next to you, a part of their skin would find yours.

You reveled in that minimal contact; tasting what you so desperately wanted but couldn’t have just yet.

“Because I do it every time…”

“Yeah…but not this time. I mean, you already did something different by not bailing him out of jail.”

“Yeah, his mom did that.” They both smile as you laugh. “He, um, he’ll probably show up at some point…just so you know.”

“And we’ll be ready.”, Steve grinned, giving you comforting wink.

########

“This place is fucking nice, Harrington.” Eddie looks around with amazement as he and Steve walk around the venue you would be performing at in a couple of days.

“It really is. For Vegas I guess this is normal?”

“Speaking of…”, he stops walking, facing his friend. “I hate that her idiot manager made this place one of her stops let alone the first one. We may need to keep a closer eye on her here when it comes to her vices.”

“I agree. She’s been doing pretty good though.”

“Steven, it’s been a week.”, he chuckles. “You don’t undo that much trauma and damage in a week. She IS doing good but if she wants to remain sober, she’s got a rough road ahead.”

***

“Y/N! What’s going on, babe?” The director of the show startles you out of your fog as he shouts your name. You had dissociated into a memory while singing a song you had wrote many years ago about your parents. Usually you, just sang the song, plastered in a haze that numbed your pain as the words flowed through but this time…

“I…I, um, I don’t think we should have this song on the list.”

The boys, who had been sitting in chairs off to the side, heard the change in your tone as they leaned forward to listen to the exchange.

“What? This is one of your number one singles. It resonates with people. You have to sing it.”

“I don’t have to do anything, Mark. Can’t we just replace it with something else?” You roll your eyes as he looks at you with apprehension. “I need a break.”

They see it in your face as you stomp off the stage, splitting up to go in different directions.

“Where are you going, Y/N?”, Steve asks as he runs to catch up with you.

“I just need a break, ok? Can I have one goddamn moment to myself?!”

“Of course you can but then why are you heading towards the back exit?”

“I don’t have to explain myself to you.”

As soon as you open the backdoor, your blocked by Eddie’s towering, broad frame. “Going somewhere, your highness?”

“Move.”, you growl.

“Make me.”

Huffing, you turn around and push Steve out of your way as you head for your dressing room.

“What’s running through your mind, honey?”

You angrily pull a cigarette from your purse, allowing it to dangle from your lips as you search for a lighter.

“I’m not your honey, Steven. You think just because you had your fingers inside of me that I owe you something?!”

“Some respect at least.”

“Hm. Sure. ‘Respect’. All you fucking men are the same.” They watch as your hands shake as you try to work the lighter. “Fuck!”

Eddie reaches into his pocket as he moves towards you, lighting his own lighter, allowing you to bend and ignite your cigarette.

“Tell them again. Reiterate that you refuse to sing the song.”

Your eyes glance up towards them, filled with a lot less hate than before. “I need a drink.”

The metalhead shifts behind you, delicately petting your head as he brushes your hair away from your face.

“No you don’t, princess. Everything’s ok. You’re in control right now. Can you say it for me?”

“I’m…I’m in control.”, you whisper.

“Good girl.” His eyes find yours in the mirror as he smiles. “Say it again.”

“I’m in control.”

Eddie’s grin grows when you say it with a bit more confidence before reaching over you to steal your cigarette. “Thaaaaank you. Now, get back out there and show those fuckers whose boss.”

#########

“Oh come on, boys! Let me have some fun.”

“No.”, Steve’s tone was firm as he watched you slide on your high-heeled shoes. “You can go out and have fun but we need to at least be close by to protect you.”

You roll your eyes as you rise to your feet, smiling to yourself when you notice their eyes drink you in. Tonight, you had some friends that wanted to go out on the strip with you so you asked (politely) if the guys could stay behind. They adamantly refuse.

Before you retort your hotel door flew open as all of your friends ran in to give you a hug.

Throughout the evening, Eddie and Steve were pretty good at being invisible. There were a few times you forgot their presence until you reached for a glass of wine or cup of something bitter and an arm reached over to snap it from your grasp.

“Were they told to keep you from having a good time?”, a girl whined loudly in their direction to make sure they heard.

“I’m sure Jack and Sarah gave them a whole to-do.”

Another girl whispered something in your ear and you nodded your head as she got up from her seat with a friend to glide sexily towards them.

“Hello there. I’m Allie and this Caroline. Y/N has told us a lot about you two.”

“Hm. Not enough it seems because this right here won’t work.”, Eddie politely grins in their direction as he tries to move Allie to the side so he can keep his eyes on you.

“What won’t work?”, she asked coyly.

“Ladies, you’re gorgeous but you need to let us do our job, okay?”

“Oh please. What are you going to protect her from here at a club? The big bad bottle of vodka.”

“No but maybe we can protect her from selfish people who use her for her money and a fun night out.”, Steve responded sarcastically and they recoiled at his comment. “Jesus Christ.”, he sighs when he notices you’re not at the booth anymore.

“Here we go, Harrington.”

****

It took them 2hours to find you and they were livid. You knew they put some type of “Find my phone” tracker on your device so you left it in a taxi that had them running all over Vegas.

They gave up, deciding to wait for you at the hotel when a loud bass behind the door grabbed their attention. As they opened it, they found your friends strewn across the floor in a drunk haze with some other people they didn’t recognize.

You were sitting on your bathroom floor with heavy eyes staring into the void of the wall in front of you. “He-hey, honey!”, you slurred as you looked up at them. “Aha…looks like you found me.”

Eddie’s jaw clenched as he turned to head for the living room. Steve stepped over you, turning on the faucet to allow water to fill the tub.

“Oh, a bath sounds nice. Are you going to join me?” The boy remains silent as you giggle.

“HEY!” The people in the living room jump at the metalhead’s deep, booming voice. “If you’re name isn’t Y/N Y/L/N I want you to leave right now!” They groan as people slowly begin gathering their things causing Eddie to clap his hands loud enough that even you cringed. “Let’s go, people! You have until the count of ten before I call a cop. Eight!”

Within seconds everyone is gone, leaving them to deal with you. Steve lifts your sluggish body, placing you to sit on the edge of the tub as he kneels in front of you.

“Did you think what you did was funny? Disappearing like that.”

“Yeah, a little.” He nods, roughly grabbing your cheeks as Eddie shines a small light in your face. “What the fuck?! Stop that!”

“She’s definitely on something. What did you take, Y/N?”

“Fuck you. You’re my security. I’m allowed to have some fun without you looming over me!” Steve curtly nods again before lifting you once more and placing your fully clothed body into the bath. “Fuck me! That’s freezing!”

You try to jump out but the man’s grip on you tightens as he holds you still. “After you snuck out last time, we warned you not to disrespect us or what we do, right?”

You have no idea why but his calm demeanor despite the circumstances is pissing you off more as you aggressively tug at his hands. “Let me go!”

“We’re going to play a game, Y/N. If you cooperate with us, I’ll let you go. What did you take?”

When you don’t answer, his hand pushes you back, quickly dunking your head under the cold water before pulling you back up.

“What. Did. You. Take?” Steve’s voice is still calm but much firmer than before. You shakily point towards the bedroom and Eddie turns to look through your stuff, finding the drugs you took hidden in your suitcase. By your bed was a plate with a rolled-up dollar causing him to sigh.

“Did you bring this with you or did you buy it here?”, he asked.

“Allie brought it.” Your eyes widen as you watch him dump the contents down the toilet. “HEY! You can’t do that!”

“I just did. Call it penance for running around Las Vegas looking for you for two hours. Here’s your phone by the way.” He displays it in front of you before tossing it across the room onto your bed.

You continue to fight against Steve hold, splashing water everywhere to no success. Something inside you snaps as you stop moving and look around the bathroom. The drugs had begun to wear off but you still felt heavy under their haze. You were submerged in water in this revealing dress pouting like a five-year-old because they threw out what you believed to be your lifeline.

What hurts the most is when you risk a look at them both and are met with not just anger but disappointment. They’re job was to protect you and keep you safe yet you sent them on a wild goose chase so you could get high with people who didn’t give a fuck about you.

Steve lifts his hands and you hang your head as you begin to cry.

“I’m sorry.”

The man rises from his knees, leaning over to drain the tub before sitting on the edge. “Is it alright if I remove this dress? If not, we can step out so you can change.”

“I can’t move.”, you sigh as you respond with a tiny voice.

“Yes, you can. Come on, now.” His palms grip your arms as he fully stands with you. “See?”

Eddie comes up to the side and places some of your clothes on the sink. You gently hang on to his shoulders as he searches for a way to get you out of your gown, finally settling on lifting it over your head. His eyes remain on your face as he hands you a towel.

“Here. Go ahead and dry off, get dressed. Come out when you’re ready.”

“Can you dry me?”

“Like I said…come out when you’re ready.”

“Eddie! Please!”

“Why? Why should I do something nice like that for you after the way you treated us? You think after all that we’d really take care of you in that way?” You flinch as he tosses the towel in your direction. “Dry off. Get dressed. Come out when you’re ready.”

#####

That morning when you woke up, you found both boys asleep on the couch and your heart broke. You had this huge fancy suite that allowed the three of you to have your own room yet last night they slept on opposite ends of the couch to make sure you didn’t try and sneak out again.

One of their phones began to vibrate and you tiptoed to the counter it was plugged into to see who it was before bringing it to Steve’s sleeping frame.

“Steve…Steve…”, you whispered as you gently pushed on his shoulder. “Steve.”

“Hm?”

“Your dad is calling you.”

“My wha?” His eyes crack open as you display the screen for him. He groans as he answers, rolling off the couch, and heading for the bedroom.

Eddie, completely unphased, continued to snore as he slept. You sat on the floor beside him as your eyes scanned his shirtless torso. You had already known about the tattoos on his arms but the ones on his chest were new to you. Reaching over him, your fingers softly traced the inked skin before sliding down his tummy. He seemed to have a couple of scars here and there which you imagined where from previous security guard jobs.

You desperately wanted to kiss them. You wanted to kiss every part of him but after what you did last night you knew you didn’t deserve it. Sighing, you rose to your feet, heading for the shower to get ready for the day.

***

“I didn’t know you could play guitar.”

Your eyes flicked towards Eddie from your spot on the stage floor as you wait for crew to set up things behind you.

“It’s been a while. With, um, with my vices I couldn’t really keep my hands still to do what they needed.”

Hearing footsteps, you swivel your head to see Steve walk towards you two and sit on the floor beside you. He digs through the bag in his hand and produces a sandwich from the shop down the street, handing it to you.

“Lunch. Eat.”, he commands.

“Thank you.” You feel both sets of eyes quickly scan your face as the metalhead takes a seat as well, taking the food his friend offered.

“You ok? A little hung over?”

“No… I just feel a little guilty about last night.”

“Hm. You should.” Steve takes a sip of his drink before offering some to you which you eagerly sip.

“I’m really sorry.”

“We know. Actions speak louder than words, princess.”

“I understand.”

After rehearsal, they walked you back to your hotel, becoming instantly annoyed when they find your friend waiting outside.

“Attached at the hip still I see.” You cringe at Allie’s sarcasm. “Usually Y/N gives me a copy of her key to wait IN the room but I was told she can’t do that anymore.”

“Yup especially with apparent drug dealers coming and going.”, Eddie replies casually as he opens the door and holds it for everyone to enter.

“Pfft, what drug dealers?”

“Oh. So you didn’t bring drugs into this hotel room last night?”

“That doesn’t make me a fucking drug dealer asshole.”

“It does when you give them to her.”

They both glare at each other before she finally turns to you. “Are you going to let him talk to me like that?”

“Is there anyway we can pick this battle and talk about it later? I’m fucking exhausted.”

Allie sarcastically laughs as she reaches into her pocket and throws a baggie at your chest. “Fuck this shit. That’s all you care about, right? That’s all I’m good for? Tell them about how you beg for me to bring you my stash. How some nights you call me crying saying you NEED it.”

“Don’t play this game with me, Allison.”, you growl in her direction.

“You think I’m afraid of you?! Simon is right. You’re fucking pathetic.”

“Yeah, I’ll make sure to tell your husband you said that. Oh wait. Where is he? That’s right. He left you after you gambled away all your savings and I had to bail you out by giving you money so you could keep your house!”

She angrily stepped towards you but Steve blocked her path. “Out. Now.”

“You’ll regret this, Y/N!”

The man pushes her towards the door, shutting her out as she continues to yell. You reach down and big up the bag she threw at you, sighing as you hand it to Eddie.

“I’m going to go change. Will you throw this out for me? I don’t think I have the strength to yet.” You flash him a smile as you head to your room.

“What is it?”, Steve asks as his friend heads towards the bathroom.

“The last of her stash I imagine.”

#########

Later that night, both men came out of their rooms when they heard you shuffling around.

“Are you lost, your highness?”, Eddie asks slightly amused.

“No. Not physically anyway.”

“Whatcha doin’ then?”

“What’s it look like? I’m making a bed on the couch so I can get some fucking sleep.”

“Y/N, you can sleep in your bed.”, Steve chuckles as he leans into the doorframe.

“I could but…it’s not fair.”

“What’s not fair?”

You exhale as you roll your eyes and face them. “I fucked up and snuck away from you two. I should be sleeping on the couch while you sleep in the beds. It’s fine. I mean I’ve slept in worse places and you deserve to sleep on a comfy mattress like those especially if you’re supposed to be protecting me. I want you 100%.”

Their eyes continue to look you over making you groan. “What?! You can still hear and see me from there. If I tried to leave you can still run over here and catch me!”

Eddie glanced at Steve, nodding before placing his body in front of yours. “What? Fine, God damn! If you insist on sleeping out here, don’t say I didn’t—”

The metalhead’s hand shot out, gripping the back of your neck as he pulled your lips to his. His tongue danced with yours eliciting a soft moan before pulling back to rake your eyes over his face.

“Do you want to sleep on the couch?”

“No…”

“Do you want us to sleep on the couch?”

“No.”

“Where should we sleep then?”

“Wi-with me…”

“Oh, come on, princess. You’ve been yelling at us pretty much since we met you. I know you can say it more confidently than that.”

Your palms grip his face as you bring his lips back to yours. Eddie doesn’t miss a beat as you jump up and he grips your thighs in his strong hands as you circle your legs around his waist.

“Sleep with me…” You graze the tip of your nose across his. “…after you fuck me.”

The metalhead carried you to your bedroom, falling with you onto your bed. His lips hungrily ran down your neck as he bit and sucked on your skin.

“Wait…you can’t leave…marks on me before…before a show.”, you pant. He nods as he lifts his head to meet your eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“Sweetheart, that isn’t something you need to be sorry for, ok?”

“Ok. Where is—“, you turn your head looking for Steve, finding him sitting in a chair beside your bed. “Why are you so far away?”

His head tilted as he listened to your voice dip back to that little girl tone you used with them before. Eddie focused on you again, lifting off your shirt as he kissed your skin.

“I’m not far, honey.” To emphasis his point, he crossed his legs on to the mattress in front of him. “I just got to taste more of you last time than Eddie did so I’m letting him explore a bit.”

“Pfft, letting me.”, the boy chuckles as he takes off his shirt and yanks down your shorts with your panties. “Do you hear him?”

His lips trace your chest to your stomach as you reach down and run your fingers through his hair. He places soft tender kisses on the inside of your thigh, driving you wild.

“Eddie, please.”, you beg.

“Please what?”

You whine in frustration and he quickly turns to look at Steve, laughing to himself as the boy’s jaw clenches. He rises from the chair and saunters around the bed, laying down beside you.

“Look at me.” You do as he asks, taken aback by the slight hint of annoyance gleaming within his eyes. “When we ask you something, we expect an answer. No whining or pouting. Understand?”

Eddie’s fingers slide through your folds, opening them wide so you’re perfectly on display.

Steve’s own fingers grab your cheeks forcing you to meet his eyeline. “I said…do you understand?”

The boy between your legs smirks as he watches your pussy flutter at his friend’s words.

“Yes, I understand.”

“Good girl.”

Your eyes rollback when he releases you and Eddie runs his tongue through your sex. “Fuck me. You were right, Harrington. She does taste good.”

While he continues to lick you, you feel him shuffle, briefly looking down to see him kick off his pants and boxers. Much gentler this time, Steve turns your head again to face him.

“When we ask you to do something, we expect you to do it.”

“Mmm—I understand.”

“Now, honey, Eddie and I like to play a bit rough sometimes but we would never make you uncomfortable. Is there a word you feel like you’d remember under any situation? For example, what’s the first word that comes to mind right now?”

It was so hard for you to think as the metalhead wrapped his lips around your clit, sucking and flicking your nub with his tongue.

“I…I can’t…I don’t know.”

“Yes, you do, baby. Come on. First word, any word.”

“P-Paris! Fuck, Eddie. That feels so good.”

“Huh. Well, I definitely have some questions but I can work with that. Ed?”

“Stop if I hear Paris. Got it.”, he responded curtly before shoving his face back into your now dripping core. He moaned against your bundle of nerves, gradually stroking his cock as he devoured you.

Steve pressed his mouth to yours, swallowing your whimpers as you neared that edge. You reached down to rub your palm against the growing bulge in his pants.

“You…you can be rough with me. Just don’t…don’t… I’m gonna…”

“Hey, no. Don’t cum until you finish that sentence.”, he warns.

“Just don’t—mmm—don’t hit me. Fuck! Yes…” Eddie pins your thighs down with his hands as you came hard against his tongue. Your arms wrapped around the other man as you kissed him passionately, your body trembling as you came down from your high. “You can spank me…just don’t like smack me or anything.”, you pant against his lips.

“Ok. Ok, pretty girl.”

Eddie climbed up your frame, placing open mouth kisses on your skin along the way.

“I’m, um, I’m on the pill. I struggle with most things but I always remember to take that. I don’t trust Simon to…ya know.” Your eyes shift between theirs as your voice gets smaller. “I mean, I still understand if you want to use a condom. I don’t have any but—”

The metalhead cuts you off with his lips. “Have you been with anyone else since our wonderful introduction to your now ex?”

“No.”, you grin up at him. “I got tested before the tour to so I’m clean. Have you been with anyone…recently…?”

��We’re attached to you 24/7. Have you seen us with anyone?”, Steve smiles making your grin grow as he stands up to start removing his clothes.

“I don’t know what you do with your free time!”

“Aw, that’s cute. She thinks we have free time.”

You playfully smack his shoulder and he in turn captures your lips. “Do you want me to…?” Your eyes gesture towards his cock and he tilts his head to follow your gaze, tickling your face with his hair.

“Not tonight, sweetheart.” Eddie reaches down to grip your thigh, opening you wider as he drags his length through your pussy lips. “Do you feel that? Do you feel how hard you made me just from tasting you?”, he whispers, his forehead pressed against your own. You moan as he grinds his hips, teasing himself as much as he’s teasing you.

“Please…”

“You want my dick inside you, baby?” You aggressively nod your head as your nails tread down his back. “F-fuck, ask me for it.”

“Please, Eddie, I need to feel you inside of me. I need you to make me cum again.”

Both your mouths fell open as he gradually thrust his cock into your entrance.

“Goddamn, you’re so fucking tight.” His head fell to the side as your fingers reached up to tangle in his hair trying to hold him as closer to you as you could.

“Does he feel good, Y/N?” Your eyes flick up to meet Steve’s who’s watching your face intently as you nod. You could hear Eddie panting in your ear as he pumped into you inch by inch causing your cunt to clench tighter to him. “How do you usually like it, honey? Tell him.”

“I…I…don’t…”, you stuttered over your words as he bottomed out.

“Tell me, Y/N.”, Eddie whispered. “Tell me what you—mmm—what you need, pretty girl.”

“I don’t know.” You felt yourself start to tear up and immediately burrowed into his shoulder.

“Hey. Hey, come on. Let me see that gorgeous face.”, Steve grinned when you looked up at him. “Nothing to be ashamed of in here, baby girl. What do you like?”

“It’s been a long time since anyone has asked me that.” Eddie pushed up on his elbows so he could look at you as well. “You were right. Simon has never made me cum. It’s been a while. Well except in your car.” They both chuckled. “Why don’t you show me what you like?”

“I don’t think you’re ready for that just yet.” The metalhead leans up on to his knees, pushing both your legs back till your own knees were close to your shoulders. He began pumping into you again, your eyes rolling and closing as you feel him touch deep inside you.

You felt Steve’s breath warm your cheek as one of his palms comes up to caress your face. “Eddie and I like to be in charge in a relationship; more so in the bedroom.”

His fingers slide down to trace your lips before softly lingering on your throat. “We like…taking care of you…” Your jaw falls slack as he tightens his grip around your neck as Eddie slams his hips harder into your own. After a few moments, he releases you and the other boy returns to his steady pace. “And in return, you submit to us.”

“Fuck, fuck, please.”, you beg; to which one even you aren’t sure. Steve continues his path down your body till his fingers find your clit. Your hand reaches for his wrist but Eddie is faster, gripping your own as he leans forward over you, pinning it to the pillow.

“Goddamn.”, the metalhead groans as he feels your pussy tighten even further around him. He falls on top of you, rolling his hips so hard the bed moves underneath you. Your body shakes as you cum, moaning his name repeatedly as your free hand clings to his neck.

Eddie couldn’t hold back any longer especially with your cunt spasming around him as you came undone. With a few more hard, deep thrusts he came inside of you causing you mewled at the feeling.

His hair blocked most of his face but you could just make out the hint of a smirk painted across his features.

“Told you…we knew what…a woman cumming sounded like.”, Eddie panted and you snicked underneath him.

“You’re so dumb.”

“And you’re beautiful.”

He gently kissed your forehead before you turned to look at Steve. Your sweaty palm reached for his cheek and he turned into it, tenderly placing his lips against your skin.

“Do you think you can take me, honey? It’s ok if you can’t.”

You almost too eagerly nod your head. “I can.”

Eddie carefully climbed off you and Steve couldn’t help but notice you were still a bit shaky. “Come here, pretty girl.” He moved you with little to no effort, tugging you till your back was to his chest. Lifting your leg, he bent it at the knee in front of you, placing it near the other boy’s hip.

His lips kissed yours until you felt him hold your waist and guide his cock inside of you. You whined at the feeling as he allowed you time to adjust before pushing further in.

“Steve…oh my…fuck. You’re so big.”

Your eyes squeezed shut as you felt his arms encase you and hold you closer to him. His breath warmed the nape of your neck till you felt him bottom out.

“Fuck, baby girl. You’re so warm and wet. You’re making a mess on my cock.”

You’d heard dirty talk before. Hell almost every man in the entertainment business especially musicians thought they would lull any woman into erotic heaven just by saying dirty things in their ear. Simon and every one of your one-night stands had tried it. Every time it made your eyes roll and not in a good way.

Hearing Steve whisper his filthy words as he began really thrusting into you had you seeing stars while you whimpered out answers to his questions.

“Can you feel me stretching you open? Fuck, honey. I’ve never had a pussy this tight before.”

Your eyes fluttered open when you felt another set of hands touching your body.

“You’re doing so good, sweetheart. You look so gorgeous like this.”, Eddie cooed as he leaned in to kiss you. Your head lulled as both their lips trailed along your neck. “Can you cum again for us?”

You moaned as you shook your head. “Too much…”

“I know, princess. I know Harrington can be a bit overwhelming…”

You shook your head again. “Feels too…good. Can’t…”

“Yes, you can.”, he whispers, his finger drifting to your bundle of nerves. “Just give us one more.”

Steve slowed his pace and you whimpered as you turned to grip his neck with your arm. “Fast. Faster.”

“Is that what you need, sweet girl?” He does as you ask, pounding his hips into yours.

You lurch forward bringing Eddie closer to you while your other arm threaded through Steve’s hair behind you as you felt yourself tumble over the edge.

“Jesus fucking Christ.”, the boy behind you groaned as he chased his high.

“Good girl, princess. Such a good girl.”, the metalhead praised as he petted your head, moving your hair out of your face. “You did so well. Are you ready for Steve to fill you up?”

You weakly nodded as your turned to face him, his nose pressing to yours as he panted against your lips. “Please cum. I want you to cum like he did. Please…I need it, baby.”

Your eyes remained on his face as his own closed, eyebrows scrunched together as he came, pumping his seed inside of you.

As carefully as he could, he pulled his cock out of you but you still whimpered at the feeling.

“I know, honey. I’m sorry. Do you think you can handle a shower?”

Drunk on the high of them, you could barely move let alone speak but you somehow managed to shake your head at his question.

“She can shower tomorrow morning before rehearsal. Let me get something to clean her with now though.”

“No…”, you lazily reach for Eddie’s arm before it slides from your grasp. “Too far.”

“He’s coming right back, baby girl. You’re okay.” Steve places soft kisses along your face. “We’re not leaving you. I promise.”

You wince as the metalhead gently opens your legs and cleans between them. “Maybe we should bring her to one of our beds till they change the sheets.”

“Yeah, I think that’s a good idea. Since she doesn’t want to shower, grab another damp rag so we can clean some of this sweat off her.”

“I’m sorry.”, you mumble.

“For what, sweetheart?”

Opening your eyes halfway as Eddie sits you up, you glance towards where you had been laying as he starts running a new rag over your skin.

“I…made…mess.”

“Yeah…nothing you need to be sorry for. Fucking Steve made a mess to. Look at him!” You giggle when he smiles down at you from his place behind his friend as he cleans below his waist. As he reaches your shoulders and neck, your forehead falls to lean against his. “You don’t have to apologize for everything, princess. Not everything is your fault.”

“Hey, beautiful. Can you do me a favor and drink some of this?”

“What is it?”, you cringe as you take it from him.

“Water.”

After the first sip, you couldn’t stop, chugging it back till the glass was empty. “May I have more please?”

Both boys turn to each other, flashing a knowing smile. “Yes, honey. You can have more.”

Eddie suddenly lifts you into his arms and carries you to his bedroom, placing you down on his cool mattress. “Well, at least your using sentences. Do you want a shirt or anything?”

“No, thank you.”

Steve came in handing you the glass again which you eagerly chug after thanking him. They watch as you crawl under the sheets, waiting for you to get comfortable before getting in beside you. As soon as Eddie pulls the covers up, you wiggle to him, placing your head on his chest as you pull him closer.

Steve wraps his arms around your torso and your lower half immediately curves into him making both men smile.

“Can I ask you something?”, he whispers and you respond with a tiny hm.

“Why Paris?”

“My family went on vacation there when…when I was a kid. It was…the happiest I remember us…ever being. I go there sometimes when…I want to be left…left alone.”, you answered as you flitted in and out of sleep. “I…I feel safe…there.”

##########

@rckstrbee @melodymishahiddlestan @alienthingstwo

@siriuslysmoking @micheledawn1975 @cositaslua

@munsonmoonshine86 @unfocused81 @paleidiot

@steddieloverrr @aol19 @strngrlytn @mrsjellymunson

@needylilgal022

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ladymarycrawley · 2 years ago

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Man of the match part 1 - John Stones

Requested by a lovely anon, hope you like it even though its hasn't been proofread 🙈

Tag list: @masonxomount @prideofpd @johnstonesfc @stonesyy

(Gif credit to @johnstonesyy )

John has been in terrific shape lately: starting most games and scoring even two goals! He was happy and you were even happier.

Last big game in chronological order was the one against Arsenal, which was important to decide who would have gotten closer to the final result, winning the Premier League title.

Since you managed to leave your baby girl with his parents for a couple of days, you could make it to the Etihad, to cheer on him from the stands.

The most emotional moment of the night was when you saw him exploding with joy the moment the referee validated his goal. As a natural consequence, your heart burst with joy too, jumping in your spot as the chant "Johnny Johnny Stones" resonated through the stadium.

You only wanted that game to finish as soon as possible so you could wrap him in your embrace and tell him how proud he made you.

After the game he celebrated with his teammates and recorded some social content for City's Instagram, the only thing you could do was waiting patiently in the room where the footballers' families would usually wait for their beloved ones once the games were over.

You were chatting with Sasha when John finally made his appearance together with Rúben.

"Here's the man of the match!" Sasha cried as we all made a round of applause to compliment him on his brilliant performance. He blushed and thanked everyone before connecting his eyes with yours: the only thing that mattered were your own congratulations, how proud you were of him.

You smiled, opening your arms to him as he he hugged you with so much strength he lifted your figure from the ground.

"You were amazing, babe" You whispered in his ear, trying to keep your pda as discreet as possible as none of you liked to make a show.

Shivers ran down your bodies as he planted a small kiss in the crook of your neck.

"Thanks. Shall we go home?"

You nodded as he put back on your feet.

You waved everyone goodnight before entering his car.

"I can finally scream about the excellence of my man of the match" You exclaimed in a high pitched voice that made him giggle. You placed your right hand on his cheek to kiss his giggly lips as your thumb gently caressed his cheekbone.

"You were so so good and when the ref said the goal was in, that was crazy!"

He loved hesring you so enthusiastic about the game, talking about it with so much passion.

"Yeah, that's was crazy" Both his hands were on the steering wheel, being busy backing out of the parking lot before he could place his hands on your thigh.

"Glad you could come to the game"

You smiled and squeezed his hand, brushing your thumb against his skin

"We have the whoooole night to ourselves to celebrate" You hitted wiggling your eyebrows.

"Mh?"

"Bub's at your mum, remember?"

"Ohh well" He smirked, moving his hand further down your thigh. "You were looking forward to this, don't you naughty girl?"

You sighed, looking out of the window. "Well, if you prefer go home, eat a snack and going to bed it's fine for me"

He moved his head to the side to glare at you.

"What? You won't get away with it so easily…you still owe me that lingerie set you teased me with thr other day"

"Not my fault your daughter woke up crying suddenly!"

"Blame it on a child? You're so mean"

You laughed out loud and batted his hand away.

"Stop it or won't see that set not even tonight"

"And threatening your man? You're such a bad girl"

"Oh you have no idea how bad I can be" It was your turn to smirk and he bit on his lower lip squeezing your thigh.

As you closed the front door of your home behind you, meaning you were now in the safest space possible to show each other all your love, you started kissing your way down his neck, gently nipping at his skin.

John hissed as he firmly held your body close to his. His grip was tight on your bum as you slowly moved further south, unbuttoning his shirt while doing so.

He tugged on your hair to bring you back to your height.

"Go put that set on now" He ordered you huskily.

Needless to say all your clothes were scattered all over the floor as the passion got the best of you and you couldn’t spend not even one minute more apart from each other.

In the morning John was the most similar thing to an angel you could ever think of: his head on the pillow bordered by his perfect curls tickling his forehead made him look like a cherub. His sleeping features made you fall in love with him even more, if that was something humanly possible.

You couldn’t resist the temptation to move his curls away from his forehead and kiss it.

He moaned and stirred his body, throwing his arm around your waist to keep you closer to him.

"Good morning"

He groaned, not wanting to keep his eyes open.

"We haven't used that set, not even this time" You giggled, pressing your lips against his cheek.

"Someone was too busy asking me for more"

"But there was also someone begging to fuck me if I remember correctly"

John slapped your butt before taking you over his body to cuddle you.

"We have to go take Iris in a couple of hours"

"I miss her running around the house screaming daddyyyyy"

You giggled and kissed his lips.

"Now she'll hug you and won't let go of you for the rest of the day, you know that?"

"I can do that, you'll have to be the one to deal with your jealousy"

"Now you're the mean one" You pouted, making him giggle as he kissed you back.

"But we still have a couple of hours…do you wanna see the set?"

#john stones #john stones x reader #john stones imagine #john stones imagines #football imagines #football fics #mcfc #manchester city #manchester city imagines #england nt #england nt imagines #footie fics #john stones fluff #john stones smut

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wheelscomedyandmore · 2 months ago

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The unforgettable car chase in "Bullitt," featuring Steve McQueen racing through the streets of San Francisco in a Ford Mustang GT 390 Fastback, was not only a cinematic milestone but a direct result of McQueen’s insistence on authenticity and realism. His passion for driving and attention to detail shaped every frame of the film’s most iconic sequence, ensuring it would leave an indelible mark on Hollywood action filmmaking.

Steve McQueen’s involvement in "Bullitt" began when he was drawn to the gritty realism of Robert L. Fish’s novel "Mute Witness," which served as the basis for the film. He envisioned his character, Frank Bullitt, as a departure from the stereotypical police roles of the era, opting instead for a more grounded and understated portrayal. McQueen collaborated closely with director Peter Yates to bring this vision to life, insisting on an authentic depiction of police work and urban life in San Francisco.

The centerpiece of "Bullitt" was its groundbreaking car chase, a sequence that would redefine the action genre. McQueen, an avid racing enthusiast, was adamant about performing many of his own stunts. He personally selected the Ford Mustang GT 390 Fastback for his character, preferring its rugged, no-nonsense look over flashier vehicles. His hands-on approach extended to the chase’s choreography, as he worked with stunt coordinator Carey Loftin and drivers like Bud Ekins and Bill Hickman to craft a sequence that felt raw and unscripted.

Filming the chase was an ambitious and painstaking process. The production shut down sections of San Francisco’s famously steep streets, capturing dynamic shots of the Mustang and Dodge Charger weaving through traffic, jumping over hills, and skidding around corners. McQueen drove in many of these scenes, though Ekins performed the riskiest maneuvers. The intensity of the chase was heightened by innovative camera work, with director Peter Yates placing cameras inside and outside the vehicles to immerse viewers in the action.

One of the most striking aspects of the chase was its sound design. Instead of a traditional score, McQueen and the filmmakers opted to emphasize the visceral sounds of roaring engines, screeching tires, and crashing metal. This decision added a layer of realism that drew audiences into the action, making them feel as though they were in the driver’s seat alongside McQueen.

Despite its seamless appearance on screen, the chase was fraught with challenges during production. Mechanical failures, logistical hurdles, and near-misses added to the tension on set. McQueen’s insistence on realism often pushed the crew to their limits, but his commitment paid off. The resulting sequence felt alive and unpredictable, a testament to the dedication of everyone involved.

Beyond the chase, McQueen’s portrayal of Frank Bullitt was equally impactful. His understated performance, paired with his signature cool demeanor, made Bullitt a multidimensional character who resonated with audiences. From his carefully chosen wardrobe, featuring the now-iconic turtleneck and tweed jacket, to his quiet intensity, McQueen crafted a character that was as stylish as he was relatable.

When "Bullitt" premiered, the film was hailed as a masterpiece, with the car chase becoming its defining moment. Critics praised McQueen’s performance and the innovative approach to action sequences, which set a new benchmark for Hollywood thrillers. The chase has since become one of the most celebrated moments in cinema history, inspiring countless films and solidifying McQueen’s status as the "King of Cool."

Steve McQueen’s dedication to authenticity and innovation in "Bullitt" did more than elevate the film; it transformed action filmmaking. The legendary car chase, crafted with precision and passion, remains a high-octane thrill ride that continues to captivate audiences and set the gold standard for the genre.

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alearicci · 2 years ago

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“I'm proud of you, sebastian vettel” – SV5

pairings: sebastian vettel x girlfriend!y/n

summary: Sebastian was ready to win the race and dedicate the trophy to you, but something went wrong.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ♡ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆

To the applause of the supportive audience, Sebastian Vettel was preparing for another exciting Formula 1 race. Aiming for victory, he had high hopes for a successful day on the track. The training went more than well, the team took into account all the features of the track and corrected some details in the car, in qualifying he became second, which gave him a big advantage, and weather conditions allowed him to set a good time and get a place on the podium.

The satisfaction of a job well done remained inside him throughout this pre-race time, increasing his confidence in winning the upcoming Grand Prix. There was still time before it started, and therefore, Seb decided to spend these hours as productively and usefully as possible.

The mood was at its height, it could not but rejoice. He smiled at everyone who appeared on his way, was as friendly as possible and even signed the largest number of posters, caps and T-shirts for the last five Grand Prix.

Communicating with his fans, signing countless souvenirs and posing for photos, Vettel felt deeply grateful for their unwavering support. Their enthusiasm fueled his determination and lifted his spirits even more, encouraging him not to make the fans disappointed in him. The connection he shared with his fans reminded him of why he loved racing, and of the great joy they brought both to him and his followers.

With every autograph and light conversation, Vettel's expectation before the race grew. He knew that his performance during qualifying had laid a solid foundation, but he also understood that the real test was still ahead. The desire to turn his efforts into a victory intensified in him, and he mentally prepared for the challenges that awaited him on the track. The track is not easy, you need to combine speed and ride quality so as not to fly into the gravel.

When it came time to get into the car, Vettel's thoughts were filled with a mixture of nervousness and excitement. The realization that he has a great potential for victory, combined with the support of the fans, caused him such a pleasant, such a necessary adrenaline rush. He imagined with a sinking heart how he would be the first to cross the finish line, how he basked in the rays of glory, celebrated the victory with his team and, returning to the hotel room, rejoiced at the trophy with his beloved girlfriend y/n.

Y/n.

Y/n became everything to him. For him, she was not just a girl with whom he was in a relationship; she was his support, his soul, his personal happiness, his number 1 fan and the source of the greatest support.

Whenever Sebastian thought of y/n, a warm, tender feeling swept over his heart, making it beat much faster. Her bright smile was always in front of my eyes in difficult moments. Her eyes shone with love and understanding. She could always brighten up even the darkest and most terrible days.

He truly treasured every moment they spent together; every moment when their laughter echoed through the air, and their souls danced in perfect harmony.

Y/n's unwavering faith in Sebastian's abilities as a Formula 1 driver was one of the things that fueled his determination on the race track. He knew that before every race she would be very close, her unwavering support would be felt through the crowd. The thought that she was encouraging him from the outside, that her eyes were fixed on him with unshakable faith, filled him with a feeling of love and appreciation for this girl.

In those precious minutes before the race, when tension and adrenaline coursed through his veins, Sebastian closed his eyes and imagined y/n's face. He could almost feel her gentle touch, her fingers gently touching his cheek, whispering words of encouragement that resonated deep in his soul. It was as if she was next to him, her presence enveloped him in a cocoon of love and tranquility.

"You'll do fine, Seb. I'm here and I love you more than life."

It seems that this time the nerves are seriously making themselves felt, since he even imagines her voice. The Ferrari driver shook his head slightly, as if bringing himself to his senses. But then the voice of the racing engineer was heard.

"y/n asked for headphones to wish you good luck, we couldn't refuse her. "

"So it didn't seem like it..."

" What?"

"Nothing. Can you hear me?"

"It's okay. We are ready to win."

"Ready."

However, fate had other plans for the famous racer.

From the moment the lights went out, which marked the start of the race, it became obvious that this time the Grand Prix would not go according to one pre-conceived scenario with Sebastian.

Almost at the very beginning there was a series of annoying incidents, because of which he noticeably lagged behind in the race. The car's engine struggled with all its might, trying not to let the driver down, and his skillful maneuvers met the resistance of opponents. With each lap passed, the dream of a satisfactory finish slipped further away. The dream of a happy y/n was slipping further and further away.

When the race reached its climax and there were only a few laps left, Sebastian's car collided with another driver. The impact was strong, forcing the German to lose control of the car and crash into the fence. This seemingly insignificant collision was enough for his car to go off the track.

This incident was the last blow in an already disappointing race for Sebastian.

He groaned loudly in frustration and closed his eyes.

Racing engineer: "Sebastian, are you okay?"

Vettel: (Breathing heavily) "I'm fine, but the car got hit. Can you hear me?"

Racing engineer: "Sebastian, we hear you loud and clear. Are you sure you're okay? It was a strong blow. Stay calm, help is on the way."

Vettel: "I'm a little shaken up, but physically I'm fine, apart from a couple of minor scratches. The car is damaged, I was very unwound."

Racing Engineer: "Glad to hear you're okay, Seb. This is the most important thing. We'll check on you as soon as possible. Now let's assess the damage to the car. Do you see any serious problems?"

Vettel: "The front wing is completely missing, and the suspension on the right side is damaged. I can't move the car right now."

Racing Engineer: "OK, Seb. Stay put and the rescue team will arrive to you soon. We will assess the damage and see if the car can be repaired. Remember, safety comes first. We'll get you back on track as soon as we can."

“Damn, these conversations only make it worse. I immediately imagine myself as a small child being scolded for disobedience,” Sebastian thought and took off his gloves first, and then his helmet.

Rescuers arrived quickly enough. They helped him out, and later took care of the car.

Soon Sebastian was standing in the paddock and watching the engineers work. It was clear to him that he would not return to the race, but a tiny, very small hope still glimmered in his soul.

The team leader saw his thoughtfulness and came up behind him, lightly slapping him on the shoulder.

"The car was seriously damaged and it cannot be repaired in this race. We're going to have to drop out of the race, Sebastian. I'm sorry."

"I'm disappointed, but I understand. It happens in races and it's a miracle that no one was injured."

"Of course, Seb. Races can be unpredictable, and accidents can happen. It is important that you are safe and we will analyze what happened to prevent similar incidents in the future."

"Yes, you're right. I'll take it as an experience and come back even stronger. Thank you for your support."

"That's right, Seb! We are always here to support you. Take the time to relax and regroup. We will review the data again and discuss it with the team.

"I always appreciate the efforts and dedication of the team. Let's keep moving forward and strive for better results next time."

"Of course, Seb. We believe in you. Keep your head up and remember: every challenge is an opportunity for growth.

The man was about to leave when he suddenly stopped and slapped his forehead.

'I completely forgot, y/n is waiting for you at the medical center, she was very nervous about your accident."

Sebastian's heart skipped a beat.

He took off abruptly and ran to the medical center as fast as he could. He needed to see y/n right now. The withdrawal from the race instantly faded into the background.

His mind was filled with a mixture of emotions—fear, guilt, and a desperate need to comfort his girlfriend. He replayed the accident over and over in his head, wanting to turn back time and prevent it. In a split second, Sebastian lost control of his car, unable to avoid a collision with the fence. He was shocked by the blow, feeling the weight of disappointment grow.

Right now, he wasn't thinking about anything but y/n. The rider's heart was about to jump out of his chest.

Y/n could barely stand on her feet when she saw the incident with Seb with her own eyes. She felt a surge of anxiety and fear, knowing that Sebastian's safety was paramount. Her hands trembled slightly, and she instinctively clutched the cold metal railing. Deep down, she knew that accidents are an inherent risk in sports, but personally watching this was probably the most terrible experience of her life.

Y/n's heart ached for Sebastian, knowing how much he had invested in the race. She wanted to offer him support and comfort at this moment, but knowing that he needed space to process his emotions changed her mind. The girl understood the difficulties of this sport and was ready to overcome the ups and downs with her beloved.

Seeing Sebastian being helped out of the car, y/n staggered violently, causing the others present to be horrified. She had had to deal with similar experiences before, but lately her morale left much to be desired.

"y/n, are you, are you okay?"

"I'm not feeling well..."

"Take her to the infirmary immediately. Apparently, she was too upset because of Seb," the lead engineer said decisively, and a nearby guy gently took y/n by the elbow, leading her to the nurse on duty.

The kind woman measured all the data she needed and recommended y/n to be less nervous so as not to ruin her health.

Y/n barely refrained from answering her: "Try to be less nervous yourself when you dating Sebastian, damn it, Vettel"

"Just sit here for another ten minutes so I can make sure you're okay, okay, miss?"

"Yes, of course."

The silence and peace of the room was abruptly interrupted by the opening of the door. Sebastian arrived at the first aid station, breathing heavily after a fast and intense run. His eyes scanned the room with lightning speed until they settled on y/n, sitting on a stretcher, accompanied by medical staff.

Y/n raised her head, her face pale and full of worry. As soon as their eyes met, Sebastian's anxiety evaporated, replaced by an overwhelming sense of relief. She's fine. Not unconscious, anyway.

Seb sighed and carefully approached his beloved, hugging her as gently as he could.

He nuzzled her neck, inhaled her native scent, and for a moment felt at home.

Y/n was the whole world to him and he wanted to keep this world.

"Hush, my love. It's all good. Are you okay?"

"Yes, yes, apart from leaving the race, how do you feel?"

"It's okay, it's just that someone made me a little nervous. "

Sebastian chuckled softly. Even in such a situation, his y/n knew how to keep a sense of humor.

"Let's go to the hotel. We need to take a break from the events of today." Vettel said and, without waiting for an answer, took y/n in his arms, not forgetting to thank her and say goodbye to the nurse.

***

As soon as Sebastian and y/n crossed the threshold of their hotel room, Seb exhaled wearily and, leaning his back against the door, rolled down it.

Y/n smiled sadly and squatted down. She reached out and gently stroked Sebastian's cheek, then bent down and covered his lips with her own in a light kiss.

"You definitely need a shower, Mr. Vettel. Come on, I'll help you. Come on, get up, my champion."

Sebastian smiled weakly, but obediently got up from his seat and wandered towards the bathroom.

While he was taking off his racing suit, y/n had already managed to change into a swimsuit and prepare soap accessories.

He slowly made his way to the shower stall, allowing himself some time alone to collect his thoughts. The piercing jets of water flowing out of the shower head beckoned him, promising comfort to his tired body and mind.

Seeing her boyfriend standing under the falling water, y/n felt that he needed something more than just physical relief. She cautiously entered the bathroom and approached him, her presence bringing a soothing calm to the room. Cautiously approaching closer, y/n reached out and ran her fingertips through Sebastian's wet hair, massaging his scalp with gentle love and care. Then she washed off the foam and moved to her back, kneading the hard muscles with her tiny palms.

Sebastian closed his eyes, feeling his tension melt away as y/n continued to work her magic. The warmth of the water combined with y/n's attentive touch created a safe harbor for him, allowing him to get rid of the pressure of an unsuccessful race. He sighed contentedly, feeling the tension dissolve with each passing moment.

As the water dripped down his face, Sebastian turned to y/n and his eyes finally met hers. A deep feeling of gratitude filled his heart, and he whispered softly:

"Thank you, my love. Your presence and your touch bring me unspeakable comfort. I do not know what I would do without you."

Y/n smiled warmly, her eyes shining with love and admiration. She replied:

"Seb, you are a real warrior on the race track, but even warriors need time to do great things again. I'm here to support you in every way possible. Let the water purify not only your body, but also your mind. I'm here with you. And I will always be there when you need me, my love "

Feeling an overwhelming feeling of love and understanding, Sebastian wrapped y/n in a gentle, but no less wet embrace. He closed his eyes, cherishing their bond as the water continued to wash away the remnants of the race, leaving him rested and ready for whatever challenges lay ahead. At that moment, he realized that he had found the greatest reward in her face.

When the shower was over, y/n handed Sebastian a snow-white towel, which he wrapped around his thighs, after which she changed into drier and homey clothes.

Vettel himself did not keep himself waiting, after a few minutes he was sitting on their bed dressed in a T-shirt and shorts.

"Honey... Can we lie down together for a while?" Seb asked a little awkwardly, even though it was the last thing that would make him embarrassed.

" Of course, Seb." Y/n smiled warmly and, after taking a few steps, settled comfortably on the bed.

Sebastian smiled gratefully and settled comfortably on her chest, listening to the measured heartbeat.

The girl gently stroked his hair, lightly massaged the scalp, relieving all the tension accumulated during the day.

"I'm proud of you, Sebastian Vettel. No matter what defeats, no matter what setbacks, you will always be number one for me. It's just a bump on the road and you'll be back on track much stronger than you were before. You gave it your all. We all have days when things don't go according to plan, but that doesn't detract from your talent and skill. In my eyes, you will always be a champion. I love you more than life, Seb."

As if putting a big and important point in her words, y/n smiles and kisses Sebastian on the forehead.

They have each other, which means they will cope with all difficulties together.

#sebastian vettel #vettel5 #f1 #f1 2023 #f1 fandom #f1 fanfic #f1 imagine #formula one #ferrari #oneshot #drabble #my fic #fiction #seb vettel #x reader

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songbirdseung · 1 year ago

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award show / nishimura riki

It was that time of the year, award season. You either love it or hate it. Maybe it's the axcitement for your favorite artist's performance, the anticipation of knowing who wins, or maybe you hate the decisions and how rigged award shows can be.

Either way, you'd turn in and you'd love to see the interactions between idols during this time. Some end well, some leads to the spark of rumors.

Y/N waits in her respective waiting room with the staff members, her managers, and bubbling anxiety. As her make up artist gets her ready, Y/N can't help but express the feelings of nervousness towards the show. This is because, this award show will be Y/N's first one, as she just debuted as a soloist under HYBE Entertainment.

A young girl at the age of 17. The company made the choice to debut her as a soloist as her talents, charisma, and character was meant to be showcased individually and they didn't want that to be hidden within a group.

Now, she was barely in the industry for 10 months, but she had a successful debut with the album selling out quicker than expected. Due to her fast gain in popularity and supporters, she was nominated for a few awards.

A lot of the high ups, her senior groups under HYBE have encouraged her so much and made sure she was taken care of.

But even with all that care and support, here she was getting her make up and hair done with anxiety and multiple "what ifs". The soft hum of the dressing room's bustling activity and the gentle hands of her makeup artist did little to quell the racing beat of her heart. She took a deep breath, trying to find some semblance of calm in the midst of it all.

Her manager, a seasoned professional who had been guiding her every step of the way, leaned in and offered a reassuring smile. "Y/N, you've got this," she said with unwavering confidence. "You've worked hard for this moment, and your talent speaks for itself. Just remember to be yourself, and everything will fall into place."

Y/N nodded, her anxiety still bubbling beneath the surface, but she appreciated the encouragement. She had always dreamt of this moment, standing under the spotlight, showcasing her music and talent to the world. But now that it was here, the weight of the expectations, the scrutiny, and the "what ifs" weighed heavy on her mind.

As her makeup artist applied the finishing touches, Y/N's phone buzzed with a message from one of her senior labelmates, a member of a well-known group within HYBE Entertainment. It was a short but heartfelt message that read, "You've got this, Y/N! We're all rooting for you. Just remember, you're not alone out there."

Reading those words, Y/N felt a renewed sense of determination. She knew she had a supportive network of fellow artists and staff members who believed in her. And deep down, she believed in herself too. She was here because she had something special to offer, something that resonated with her fans and had earned her a place at this prestigious award show.

With her makeup complete, Y/N looked into the mirror and saw a reflection of the young girl who had worked tirelessly to get to this point. She knew that the journey was far from over, but this was a significant milestone. It was her moment to shine, to express herself through her music, and to show the world what she was made of.

Taking one final deep breath, Y/N smiled at her reflection and stood up from the makeup chair. "Thank you," she said to her makeup artist and manager. "I'm ready."

The ride to the award show's location was quiet. Y/N's manager tried her best ease up the mood and crack a few jokes until the car came to a stop at their destination.

As Y/N stepped out of the car, the flashing cameras and the roar of the crowd on the other side of the velvet rope greeted her with a wave of energy. The dazzling lights of the red carpet illuminated her path, making her feel like she had stepped into a dream. Her manager offered her arm, and she took it gratefully, using the support to steady her nerves.

She took a moment to adjust her dress, ensuring that every detail was perfect. Her outfit had been chosen meticulously, a collaboration with a top designer, and she felt like a princess in it. Confidence started to bloom within her as she reminded herself of the hard work she had put into reaching this moment.

As Y/N approached the red carpet, the guards guided her through the crowd of photographers, their cameras clicking rapidly as they captured her every move. The flashes were blinding, but she managed to maintain her poise, her smile radiant and gracious. This was the moment she had always dreamed of, and she wasn't going to let nerves get the best of her.

At the end of the red carpet, the interviewer/MC awaited her, microphone in hand and a warm smile on their face. They extended a hand to Y/N, welcoming her with a kind gesture. "Y/N, it's an absolute pleasure to have you here tonight. How are you feeling on this momentous occasion?"

Y/N took a deep breath, her heart still racing, but her voice steady. "I'm feeling incredibly grateful and excited," she replied, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "This is my first award show, and the support from my fans and everyone at HYBE has been overwhelming. I can't wait to share this special night with all of you."

The interviewer nodded appreciatively and asked a few more questions about her debut, her music, and her experience working with HYBE Entertainment. Y/N answered with grace and charisma, her confidence growing with each passing moment.

With the interview completed, Y/N thanked the interviewer and continued down the red carpet, pausing to interact with fans, sign autographs, and take photos with those who had supported her from the beginning. The excitement and energy of the evening filled her with a sense of purpose and a deep appreciation for the journey that had brought her here.

As she reached the entrance of the venue, Y/N couldn't help but smile to herself. The red carpet had been a whirlwind, but it was just the beginning of a night that held the promise of recognition, celebration, and the fulfillment of her dreams.

After the red carpet interview finished, she was led into the building and the area where most of the idols were already in. Y/N couldn't help but steal glances at the multiple groups and soloist. She spotted familiar faces from the industry, including her labelmates, who waved and cheered for her. Their support was a source of strength, reminding her that she was part of a larger family within the entertainment world.

Y/N settled into her seat, feeling a mixture of excitement and a touch of nervousness as she looked around at the sea of familiar faces in the artist area. She exchanged polite bows and greetings with her senior idols, showing the utmost respect to those who had paved the way for her in the industry. It was a surreal experience to be among artists she had admired for years.

As she glanced around, Y/N's eyes met with those of Ni-ki from ENHYPEN, who happened to be her age. Their gazes lingered for a moment before they both offered tentative smiles and nods. It wasn't the first time they had crossed paths, but it seemed that their shyness had always kept them at a distance, despite sharing the same label.

Y/N had heard so much about Ni-ki's talent and charisma, and she had always wanted to strike up a conversation or get to know him better. However, every time she had thought about approaching him, her nerves got the best of her, and she ended up retreating into her shell. It seemed that Ni-ki was equally reserved, making it a challenge for either of them to take the first step.

Despite the unspoken distance between them, Y/N couldn't help but feel a sense of camaraderie with Ni-ki. They were both young artists navigating the complex world of K-pop, and they shared a label that was known for nurturing talent. She admired his dedication and artistry from afar, and she hoped that one day they could break through their shyness and connect on a more personal level.

As the award show began, Y/N's focus shifted to the stage, where performances and award presentations unfolded. The energy in the venue was electric, and she found herself getting lost in the music and the celebration of the industry's best.

During one of the performances, she noticed Ni-ki's incredible dance moves and couldn't help but be in awe of his talent. She made a mental note to compliment him on his performance if they ever found themselves in a less crowded and intimidating setting.

Throughout the night, Y/N's nerves began to ease, replaced by a growing sense of belonging and a realization that she was part of a supportive and welcoming community of artists. She knew that the path ahead would still be challenging, but she also felt that she had a network of peers and seniors who would be there to guide and encourage her.

As the award show continued, Y/N couldn't help but steal glances at Ni-ki from time to time, silently hoping that one day they would find the courage to bridge the gap between them and form a friendship that went beyond the labels they wore.

Ni-ki couldn't help but steal glances at Y/N from his seat, either. He admired her talent and charisma from a distance and had often wondered what it would be like to get to know her better. The subtle smiles and nods they exchanged earlier in the evening gave him a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, they could overcome their shyness and strike up a conversation.

However, what both Y/N and Ni-ki failed to consider was the watchful eyes of the fans in the audience. These dedicated fans were quick to capture every moment on their phones and upload it to social media platforms. It didn't take long for a few eagle-eyed fans to notice the interactions between Y/N and Ni-ki, and they couldn't resist sharing their observations with the world.

On Twitter and Instagram, fans began posting about the perceived tension and chemistry between Y/N and Ni-ki. They created GIFs and edited photos to highlight the moments when the two had exchanged glances and smiles. Hashtags like #YNKi or #ShyIdols quickly started trending, with fans speculating about the potential friendship or even romance between the two young artists.

As the posts gained traction, Y/N's and Ni-ki's mentions and direct messages started to fill up with messages from fans and curious followers. Some fans were shipping them as a couple, while others were simply excited about the idea of them becoming friends. The attention from the fans and the online buzz added a layer of complexity to their already shy and reserved interactions.

During one of the brief breaks in the award show, Y/N's manager leaned over and whispered, "I think the fans have noticed something." He discreetly showed her his phone, which was inundated with notifications related to the social media buzz surrounding her and Ni-ki.

Y/N's eyes widened, and she felt a flush of embarrassment. She hadn't expected their subtle interactions to garner so much attention. She turned to her manager and replied softly, "I hope this doesn't make things awkward between us."

As the award show continued, Y/N couldn't help but feel the weight of the online attention and the potential expectations of their fans. While they both longed to connect with each other, they also knew that they needed to do so on their own terms, free from the pressures of public scrutiny. Y/N hoped that, in time, they could find a way to overcome their shyness and form a genuine connection without the watchful eyes of the world on them.

As the moment for Y/N's performance approached, her heart pounded with a mix of excitement and lingering nerves. She had spent countless hours rehearsing, refining her choreography, and perfecting her vocals, all leading up to this pivotal moment. The stage awaited her, and there was no turning back.

The curtains slowly rose, revealing the grand stage bathed in an ethereal, soft blue light. Y/N stood at the center, poised and ready. The hushed anticipation in the audience was palpable, and she could feel all eyes on her.

The music began, and Y/N launched into her performance with an electrifying energy. Her powerful vocals filled the venue, carrying her song's emotional depth to every corner. She moved with grace and precision, her dance moves synchronized perfectly with the music. It was as if she was in her element, a natural-born performer.

The audience was captivated from the very first note, and as Y/N continued to sing and dance, the initial anxiety that had plagued her earlier in the day seemed to melt away. She was in her zone, pouring her heart and soul into her performance.

With each passing moment, the crowd's cheers grew louder and more enthusiastic. The atmosphere crackled with excitement, and everyone in attendance could see that Y/N was a force to be reckoned with. Her talent and charisma were undeniable, and she commanded the stage with a presence that belied her rookie status.

As the final notes of her song filled the air, Y/N struck a dramatic pose, holding it for a moment before flashing a radiant smile. The audience erupted into thunderous applause and cheers, standing on their feet to show their appreciation for her incredible performance.

Backstage, her manager watched with pride, knowing that Y/N had just proven herself as a rising star in the industry. She had not only met but exceeded the high expectations set for her. The other artists in the artist area, including Ni-ki from ENHYPEN, watched in awe as well, recognizing Y/N's immense talent.

After her small break, Y/N returned to her seat, her heart still racing but now filled with a sense of accomplishment and joy. She had blown everyone away with her performance, and she knew that this was just the beginning of her journey as a soloist under HYBE Entertainment. The respect she had earned as a rookie idol was well-deserved, and she couldn't wait to continue to share her music and artistry with the world.

As Y/N basked in the afterglow of her stellar performance, she was oblivious to the fact that once again, the fans had their eyes fixed on her and Ni-ki. This time, it was Ni-ki's reaction to her performance that drew their attention.

In the audience, as Y/N had captivated everyone with her talent and charisma, Ni-ki had been watching her with rapt attention. His eyes were locked on her, and he couldn't help but be amazed by her stage presence and the power of her performance. As she hit her final pose and the crowd erupted into applause, a smile of genuine appreciation and admiration graced Ni-ki's face.

Little did he know, the eagle-eyed fans in the audience had captured that genuine smile on camera. As soon as Y/N's performance ended, they quickly shared videos of Ni-ki's reaction on social media, eager to feed the growing fascination surrounding the two idols.

The footage showed Ni-ki's sincere admiration and applause for Y/N's performance. It was clear that he was genuinely impressed, and this simple act of support ignited a fresh wave of speculation among fans. Comments flooded in, with fans swooning over the potential "YNKi" ship and wondering if there was more to their interactions than met the eye.

"OMG, Ni-ki's reaction to Y/N's performance is the cutest thing ever! He's such a supportive fellow artist."

"I'm living for the 'YNKi' moments! Ni-ki's smile says it all – he's a fan, just like us!"

"I can't handle how adorable Ni-ki is when he watches Y/N perform. This ship is sailing!"

"Whether it's romantic or not, I love how Ni-ki and Y/N are forming a genuine bond. It's what the industry needs more of."

"I'm officially stanning the 'YNKi' friendship. They're both so talented and humble."

"Ni-ki's reaction is all of us when we see Y/N on stage – blown away by her talent!"

In the midst of this online buzz, Ni-ki remained blissfully unaware of the attention they were receiving. Caught up in the excitement and adrenaline of the event, focused on his experiences. Little did he know that the fans' fascination with their interactions was growing stronger by the minute.

Backstage, as ENHYPEN basked in the excitement of another well-deserved award, the boys were given a brief break to check their phones and relax while their makeup and hair were retouched. It was during this moment of downtime that the news of Ni-ki's reaction to Y/N's performance began to circulate among the members.

Sunghoon, always quick to pick up on any news within the K-pop industry, was the first to bring it up. "Hey, Ni-ki, have you seen this?" he said, showing Ni-ki his phone with a sly grin.

Ni-ki, who had been scrolling through his phone, looked up in surprise as he saw the videos and comments related to his reaction. His face turned slightly pink as he realized what his fellow members were about to do.

Heeseung joined in with a teasing tone. "Ni-ki, it seems like you're quite the fan of Y/N's performance. Is there something you want to tell us?"

Jake chimed in, unable to resist the opportunity to tease their maknae. "Yeah, Ni-ki, are you secretly a fanboy?"

Ni-ki's embarrassment grew as he realized he had become the center of attention within ENHYPEN. He tried to deflect the teasing with a bashful smile. "Come on, guys, I was just impressed by her performance. She's really talented."

Sunghoon, however, was relentless in his teasing. "Impressed, huh? Or maybe you're just trying to hide your true feelings for her."

The other members burst into laughter at Sunghoon's comment, with Jungwon playfully adding, "Ni-ki, do you want us to set up a meeting with Y/N for you?"

Ni-ki's face turned even redder as he tried to defend himself, but his hyungs were having too much fun. The teasing continued until their makeup artist called for them to return to the stage for their next performance.

As they got back to work, Ni-ki couldn't help but smile at the playful banter. While he was slightly embarrassed by the attention, he couldn't deny that Y/N's performance had genuinely impressed him, and perhaps there was a part of him that appreciated the teasing from his supportive and close-knit group of friends and fellow artists.

Little did he know that this light-hearted teasing would only fuel the fans' fascination with the potential "YNKi" ship, making it a playful and endearing aspect of their respective careers in the world of K-pop.

"No matter what, it's heartening to see artists supporting each other's growth. Ni-ki and Y/N are shining examples." another post reads

(a/n: please actually don't ship idols romantically. this fanfiction is mainly for entertainment purposes and not something you should take to heart and mind. thank you)

As ENHYPEN made their way back to their seats after, they passed by Y/N's table. Ni-ki and Y/N, still a bit embarrassed by the recent attention they had received, refrained from making eye contact, each feeling a mixture of shyness and amusement.

The rest of the ENHYPEN members, however, couldn't resist the opportunity to continue their teasing. They exchanged knowing glances and stifled their laughter as they walked past Y/N's table. Sunghoon leaned over to Ni-ki and whispered "Hey, Ni-ki, don't forget to wave to your 'fan'."

Ni-ki's face turned even redder as he shot a playful glare at Sunghoon. The other members joined in, chuckling and making exaggerated waving motions as they passed by. Heeseung added, "You know, Ni-ki, you could at least say hello to your 'idol' crush."

Y/N couldn't help but giggle at their antics from a far, and her manager, who was seated nearby, joined in on the fun. "Looks like you've got some supportive friends there," she remarked with a smile.

Ni-ki, though slightly embarrassed, couldn't help but laugh along with them. He waved in Y/N's direction, his face breaking into a shy but genuine smile. Y/N waved back with a smile, feeling more at ease with the playful atmosphere.

The exchange between them, though light-hearted, was captured by fans in the audience and promptly shared on social media. Once again, the fans couldn't get enough of the adorable interactions between the two young idols, and the "YNKi" ship gained even more followers.

"Ni-ki's shy wave to Y/N is making my heart melt. These two need to become besties ASAP."

"Ni-ki and Y/N are giving me major friendship goals. It's so heartwarming to see artists supporting each other."

Indeed, Y/N and Ni-ki were determined not to let the speculations and shipper fantasies affect their growing friendship and camaraderie. They understood that the K-pop industry was filled with passionate fans who loved to imagine connections between their favorite idols, but they also knew the importance of maintaining genuine relationships with their peers.

Over time, Y/N and Ni-ki found opportunities to interact more frequently, both at label events and during collaborative projects. They discovered common interests, shared experiences as a young soloist and a group idol and developed a mutual respect for each other's talents and dedication to their craft.

Their interactions became less awkward and more comfortable, and they began to genuinely enjoy each other's company. Whether it was a casual conversation backstage, a shared meal at a label gathering, or collaborating on a special performance, their friendship continued to blossom.

Both of their groups, ENHYPEN and Y/N's own growing fanbase, were supportive of their genuine connection. They appreciated that their idols were not only talented but also grounded and authentic individuals who valued meaningful friendships in the industry.

Their friendship served as a reminder that, beneath the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry, it was the connections and genuine relationships that truly mattered. And regardless of whether they were viewed as a romantic couple by some fans, Y/N and Ni-ki cherished the bond they had forged and the support they provided to each other as colleagues and friends within the HYBE family.

#enhypen #enhypen imagines #enhypen au #engene #enha #enhypen x reader #nishimura riki #ni_ki #niki #niki nishimura #riki nishimura x reader #ni ki enhypen #ni ki x reader #ni ki fluff #ni ki imagines #enhypen niki

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hamlindigo-blue444 · 5 months ago

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Howard's Car Headcanons – The Jaguar and the Man Behind the Wheel

Howard’s Jaguar wasn’t just a car—it was an extension of himself. Sleek, elegant, and impeccably maintained, the black Jaguar XJ spoke to Howard’s appreciation for the finer things in life. He had purchased it after securing his partnership at HHM, a reward to himself for all the long hours and sacrifices he’d made. The car was a statement: sophisticated, polished, and with just enough power under the hood to make it exciting.

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Why the Jaguar?

The Jaguar XJ had always appealed to Howard for its combination of luxury and performance. It wasn’t as ostentatious as a Ferrari or as ubiquitous as a Mercedes; the Jaguar had a certain understated class to it, something Howard deeply resonated with. He liked the way it handled—smooth, with a bit of bite when he pressed down on the accelerator. It was a car that reflected his personality: refined and composed on the surface, but with an underlying intensity that could surprise you.

The sleek black exterior was always kept immaculate, gleaming as if it had just rolled off the showroom floor. Howard was fastidious about cleanliness, and his car was no exception. He often took it for a detailing session on weekends, ensuring that the leather interior remained pristine and the wood paneling gleamed under the sun.

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Inside the Car – The Details

Inside the Jaguar, everything was organized down to the last detail, much like Howard’s life. The leather seats were always conditioned, the smell of polished wood and a faint trace of cologne lingered in the air. In the glove compartment, you’d find a few essentials—his designer sunglasses in a leather case, an extra set of cufflinks (just in case), a pristine leather-bound notepad, and a Montblanc pen. There was a sleek umbrella neatly tucked into the backseat pocket, though rarely used, and a copy of the latest issue of *The Economist* or *Forbes* in the door pocket, ready to flip through during any downtime.

In the trunk, there was a small emergency kit, but nothing excessive. Howard liked to be prepared, but he didn’t clutter his space. There was also a neatly packed gym bag, complete with a change of clothes, because despite his busy schedule, Howard tried to fit in workouts whenever he could—be it tennis, golf, or a quick run at the country club.

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Music – The Soundtrack of Howard's Drives

Music was a particular pleasure for Howard, but like everything else in his life, it was carefully curated. When he drove, especially on longer stretches of road, he gravitated toward jazz—something about the smooth saxophones and rhythmic piano made him feel at ease, particularly after a stressful day at the firm. Artists like Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Stan Getz were frequent staples on his playlist.

On other days, especially after closing a major deal or winning a big case, Howard liked to indulge in a bit of Frank Sinatra or Tony Bennett. There was something about those classic crooners that resonated with him—the effortless class, the confidence. "Fly Me to the Moon" and "The Best Is Yet to Come" were often blaring through the speakers as he zipped through Albuquerque, the volume turned up just enough for him to lose himself in the music but not so loud as to draw attention.

The car’s sound system was state-of-the-art, of course, installed shortly after he bought the Jaguar. Howard appreciated good sound quality, and nothing less than perfection would do. He liked his music crisp, with deep bass notes and clear highs, enveloping him in the rich tones of whatever was playing.

On rare occasions, if Howard was in a particularly nostalgic mood, he would play some old rock—The Rolling Stones or Fleetwood Mac. He wouldn’t admit it often, but there was a side of him that still appreciated the rebellious spirit of rock music, though it wasn’t something he indulged in regularly. These tracks reminded him of his younger days, before the pressures of being a partner at HHM, when life was a little looser, a little less defined by expectation.

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The Way He Drives

Howard’s driving style was much like his demeanor: smooth, controlled, and deliberate. He wasn’t one for speeding—unless the road stretched out ahead of him, empty and inviting, and then he might push the accelerator just a little harder, feeling the power of the car beneath him. But even then, there was precision to the way he handled the wheel, never reckless, always in control.

Driving was a way for Howard to decompress. When the firm’s pressure weighed heavily on him or the complicated dynamics with Jimmy and Chuck got too much, a drive through the open roads surrounding Albuquerque provided the perfect escape. He rarely took calls during these drives, preferring to disconnect and let the motion of the road clear his head.

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Other Details – The Little Things

Howard’s attention to detail extended to the smaller aspects of the car, too. The air freshener was a subtle, woodsy scent—not overpowering but enough to give the interior a fresh, inviting atmosphere. He always had a bottle of mineral water tucked into the cup holder, usually untouched but there for whenever he needed it.

The GPS was programmed with his most frequent destinations—HHM, the country club, and Emilia’s place—but he knew most routes by heart. He liked to think that navigating Albuquerque’s streets was second nature to him, a reflection of the many years he’d spent mastering the legal landscape of the city.

Even the radio presets were methodically chosen—jazz stations, talk radio, and a classical station he enjoyed on particularly slow days when he needed to center himself before a big meeting.

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Howard’s Jaguar was more than just a vehicle—it was a sanctuary, a reflection of his tastes, his precision, and the man he wanted the world to see. And, in those rare, quiet moments when it was just him and the open road, it became a space where he could let go of the expectations and pressures, if only for a little while.

#Howard Hamlin #headcanons #bcs #better call saul

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justforbooks · 1 year ago

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David Soul, who has died aged 80, stormed to fame in the 1970s as half of the television “buddies” detective duo Starsky and Hutch, who careered across Los Angeles in their red and white Ford Gran Torino, over the roofs and bonnets of other cars, and through piles of cardboard boxes.

“When the Starsky and Hutch series was showing, police on patrol duty were adopting sunglasses and wearing their gloves with the cuffs turned down,” claimed Kenneth Oxford, a British chief constable. “They also started driving like bloody maniacs.” In south London, a council lowered a wall after fans of the tyre-squealing screen action used it as a launchpad to jump on to parked vehicles.

While Paul Michael Glaser played the streetwise, cardigan-wearing, junk food-eating Dave Starsky, Soul’s character, Ken “Hutch” Hutchinson, was the quieter, yoga-loving, healthy-eating one – two cool cops looking after each other as if they were brothers.

Over five series (1975-79), they patrolled a rough area populated by muggers, drug dealers, sex workers and pimps. They also fraternised with Huggy Bear (played by Antonio Fargas), a snazzily dressed, “jive-talking” informant with his own bar.

Soul traded on his newfound stardom to return to his first love, music. He recorded the ballads Don’t Give Up on Us (1976), a No 1 in the US and UK, and Silver Lady (1977), another British chart-topper.

His television career continued, but the starring roles rarely resonated beyond his homeland. An exception was the miniseries World War III (1982), in which he played an American cold war colonel trying to avert a nuclear holocaust. It also chimed with his political and social campaigning, which included supporting the anti-nuclear movement.

He took up the tempting offer to play Rick Blaine in Casablanca (1983), a five-part TV prequel to the film classic, in the role originally played by Humphrey Bogart, but it proved a flop.

Soul found renewed success – particularly on the West End stage – after moving to Britain in the 90s. He even hit the headlines beyond the review pages in the title role of Jerry Springer the Opera (Cambridge theatre, 2004-05), taking over from another American actor, Michael Brandon, as the “shock” talkshow host.

The BBC’s decision to screen Richard Thomas and Stewart Lee’s musical, complete with thousands of swear words, transvestites, tap-dancers dressed as Ku Klux Klan members and a nappy-wearing Jesus, received more than 60,000 complaints from viewers.

Soul simply relished the chance to fulfil his “dream to play in the birthplace of English-speaking theatre” after failing to “cut the mustard” when auditioning on Broadway.

He was born David Solberg in Chicago to June (nee Nelson), a teacher who had also performed as a singer, and Richard Solberg, a Lutheran minister of Norwegian descent. His father’s work as a representative of the Lutheran World Relief organisation during the reconstruction of Germany after the second world war meant the family moved to Berlin in 1949, returning to the US seven years later to live in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where David attended Washington high school.

He then acted in plays while studying at Augustana College, before moving to Mexico with his family. Influenced by his father’s work, he initially had plans to join the diplomatic service, and learned Spanish and studied Latin American history. He was also taught to play the guitar by Mexican students.

After a year, he hitchhiked to the US, landed a job singing Mexican folk songs at a coffee shop in Minneapolis and set his sights on a career in music. He also gained some acting experience with the city’s Firehouse theatre company.

While talking with friends about the metaphorical masks people wear, he came up with the idea of wearing a real one while performing so that the music stood on its own merits, and billed himself “David Soul, the Covered Man”. The William Morris Agency signed him up after hearing a demo tape, and he soon had bookings. One was in The Merv Griffin Show on TV between 1966 and 1968, when he eventually dispensed with the mask. More significantly, a talent agent spotted his acting potential.

He had a regular role in Here Come the Brides (1968-70), a comedy western series set after the civil war, as Joshua Bolt, one of the brothers running a logging company in a male-dominated Seattle frontier town and importing marriageable women.

A guest star, Karen Carlson, became Soul’s second wife (1968-77), following the dissolution of his first marriage, to Mirriam “Mim” Russeth, in 1966, three years after their wedding.

Soul was then popping up all over American TV in guest roles himself, and had a short run in 1974 as Ted Warrick, the defence lawyer’s assistant, in Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law, before wider fame came in Starsky and Hutch. By then, he was living in an “open” relationship with another actor, Lynne Marta. When he moved on to his third marriage, to Patti (nee Carnel, 1980-86), former wife of the 60s pop idol Bobby Sherman, he hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

In 1982, having already struck Patti several times, he returned home drunk one night following a day’s filming on Casablanca – which he correctly feared would bomb – and hit her repeatedly. He was arrested on a charge of misdemeanour battery, but a judge spared him jail on condition that he underwent therapy. Soul admitted to having a violent streak and, although he and Patti were reunited, the marriage was soon over.

He kept working, landing starring roles as Roy Champion in the cattle ranch soap-style drama The Yellow Rose (1983-84), the private eye of the title in the TV movie Harry’s Hong Kong (1987), and “Wes” Grayson, leading an FBI forensics team, in Unsub (1989), but his star was on the wane. Another marriage, to Julia Nickson (1987-1993), also failed, before he had a relationship with the actor-singer Alexa Hamilton.

Soul’s career was revived when in 1995 the theatre producer Bill Kenwright was looking for an American to star in the comedy thriller Catch Me If You Can on tour in Britain. He played Corban, a newlywed whose wife goes missing. There were other tours and Soul was in the West End as Hank in The Dead Monkey (Whitehall, now Trafalgar, theatre, 1998), Chandler Tate in Alan Ayckbourn’s Comic Potential (Lyric, 1999-2000) and Mack in Mack & Mabel (Criterion, 2006).

In between, he had one-off roles on British television, including as a locum surgeon in two episodes of Holby City (2001 and 2002), a Boston detective helping to investigate his wife’s murder in Dalziel and Pascoe (2004) and a criminology lecturer in Inspector Lewis (2012). Soul and Glaser had cameos in the 2004 film spoof Starsky & Hutch, alongside Ben Stiller as Starsky and Owen Wilson as Hutch. In the same year, Soul was granted British citizenship.

He is survived by his fifth wife, Helen (nee Snell), whom he married in 2010, and five sons and a daughter.

🔔 David Soul (David Richard Solberg), actor and singer, born 28 August 1943; died 4 January 2024

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

#just for books #david soul #in memoriam

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formulaphoe · 4 months ago

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daniel ricciardo's rollercoaster journey

in honour of danny being sacked, a little something to remind everyone how wonderful of a driver he truly is :(

image source: cnn

when it comes to the high-octane world of formula 1, few names resonate like that of daniel ricciardo. the charismatic australian driver has had his fair share of ups and downs, making him one of the most intriguing figures in the sport. his career has been rife with highlights, challenges, and enigmatic 'what ifs.'

early days and rise to fame

image source: x

born on july 1, 1989, in perth, australia, daniel ricciardo grew up surrounded by the roaring sounds of engines, thanks to his father who was a keen motorsport enthusiast. daniel's passion for racing ignited early on, and he began karting at just nine years old. his undeniable talent soon shone through, leading him to move to europe to pursue his formula 1 dreams.

ricciardo's path was far from straightforward. after making his way through various junior formulas, he caught the attention of red bull racing, where he secured a test driver role in 2009. he made his formula 1 debut with hrt in 2011, but it wasn't until he joined toro rosso in 2012 that he really began to make his mark. in 2014, he was promoted to the main red bull team, and that's where the magic really began to happen.

glory years with red bull

image source: f1 oversteer

daniel's time with red bull was nothing short of spectacular. in 2014, he scored his first grand prix victory at the canadian gp. his infectious smile, along with his spectacular overtaking skills and ability to perform under pressure quickly made him a fan favourite. over the next few years, ricciardo added more wins to his name, showcasing his knack for thrilling drives and strategic brilliance.

however, alongside the highs came the inevitable lows. as red bull faced increasing competition from mercedes, ricciardo found himself in the shadows of teammate max verstappen, which would lead to a series of internal tensions and external pressures.

red bull exit and a new challenge

image source: gpfans

by 2018, the competitive landscape had shifted dramatically, and ricciardo made the bold decision to leave red bull for renault. this move was met with surprise, but many believed it would be a fresh start, offering him the chance to be a team leader and potentially turn the team's fortunes around.

despite showing flashes of brilliance, the renault stint was a mixed bag. ricciardo managed to secure some impressive results, but the team struggled to consistently compete with the top teams. after two seasons, he made another big move, this time to mclaren in 2021. this switch was seen as a critical moment for his career, reigniting hopes of a return to his former glory.

the mclaren experience

image source: autosport

joining mclaren marked a new chapter for ricciardo, but it proved to be more challenging than anticipated. he struggled to find the right balance with the car, which resulted in a frustrating two seasons. despite a promising win at the 2021 italian gp—his first in almost three years—consistency remained elusive. the internal competition with lando norris further complicated matters, leading to a season filled with both highs and lows.

shock return to alphatauri

image source: f1

in 2023, following his tumultuous time at mclaren, ricciardo returned to formula 1 with alphatauri after a brief hiatus from the grid. this return was filled with intrigue, as fans and pundits alike wondered whether he could finally recapture his previous form. a few of his races with red bull's sister team showcased flashes of the brilliance that had once defined his career. but the shadows of doubt lingered, leading to his eventual firing following the 2024 singapore gp.

what if?

image source: apnews

daniel's career has become a testament to the unpredictability of f1. with moments of sheer brilliance intertwined with extensive episodes of misfortune, fans can't help but wonder how different his legacy might have been had he remained with red bull longer and avoided the setbacks he faced.

personal life

image source: planetf1

beyond the track, daniel is known for his vibrant personality. his trademark smile and cheeky sense of humour have endeared him to fans worldwide. off the track, he's an advocate for mental health awareness and often shares insight into his life and career on social media. his engaging nature makes him one of the most loveable figures in the sport, easily bridging the gap between fans and the sometimes insular world of f1.

sources

"daniel ricciardo." wikipedia, 2 oct. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ricciardo

"daniel ricciardo." formula 1, www.formula1.com/en/drivers/daniel-ricciardo

"daniel ricciardo." daniel ricciardo, 2 feb. 2021, www.danielricciardo.com/profile/bio/daniel-ricciardo

"daniel ricciardo f1 driver biography." racefans, www.racefans.net/daniel-ricciardo

"daniel ricciardo." encyclopedia britannica, 1 oct. 2024, www.britannica.com/biography/daniel-ricciardo

saunders, nate. "ricciardo's career is modern f1's ultimate case of 'what if?' espn, 26 sept. 2024, www.espn.com/racing/f1/story/_/id/41457664/daniel-ricciardo-career-modern-f1-ultimate-case-if

if any errors or typos are noticed, PLS PLS point them out via comment, ask, or dm. if there is a specific topic you would like me to cover, send in an ask and i'll look into it!

#formula one #formula 1 #f1 #f1blr #daniel ricciardo #formulaphoe: f1 #formulaphoe: biography #formulaphoe: drivers

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cleoselene · 7 months ago

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choirgirl, pele, scarlet

okay but every time I listen to it I realize that From the Choirgirl Hotel is maybe one of the more perfect albums I've ever heard??? It is the literal definition of 10/10 no skips every song is a banger even the bonus tracks are fucking flawless

the production is the most lush and complex Tori has ever put out

it's wild to me because I've always loved this album but I kind of slept on it sort of? "Playboy Mommy" was hitting me HARD when it came out and I was 19 and I'd just had an abortion. The album was associated with the literal worst year of my fucking life. So I think I kept a distance from it for that reason. "Boys For Pele" was the album that came out when I got SUPER into Tori. I'd liked her since Silent All These Years came on MTV as a buzzclip, and loved her collaboration with Trent Reznor on Under the Pink, but Pele got me OBSESSED as I was a senior in high school. I had just broken up with my first boyfriend, too, after a 2 year relationship and Pele is a breakup album so it just. RESONATED. And all the things that the very stupid critics hated about Pele: how baroque it was, how long it was, how insane Tori sounded in several of the songs, how impenetrable and whimsical the lyrics were in comparison to Little Earthquakes and Under the pink. These were the things I LOVED about Boys For Pele.

That tour was also the first time I saw her in concert (the first of eight over the years) and it was a MAGICAL EXPERIENCE. She had toured around Florida, but, being 17, me and my friend Melissa weren't able to drive several hours to Tampa or Orlando or Miami, because, parents. A lot of our friends had been able and we were ENVIOUS. We complained one day in AP English to each other that Tori was not coming to Fort Myers, which was a mere 40 minutes away, an easy and parent-allowed drive. Later that afternoon, after school, Melissa called me up sounding !!!! and told me that 1) TORI HAD ADDED A FORT MYERS SHOW, WHAT?? and 2) she had heard this because she was listening to the radio and they were giving 2 tickets to the tenth caller and MELISSA WAS THE TENTH CALLER, WE WERE GOING TO SEE TORI. It was like the only time in my entire life that I made an improbable wish and it IMMEDIATELY came true within 24 hours. That concert IMPRINTED on me.

Tori Amos was listed the #3 live performer of all time by Rolling Stone at some point, and I don't think that's an unfair assessment. There is an absolute witchcraft that woman practices onstage. She grabs the audience by the throat and does not let go until the encore is over. Which is why I keep going back to her shows whenever I can. My eight shows are nothing to the people who follow her around and get promoted to front row seats by Tori's team (my ultimate fan wish that I know will never come true, QQ), but for me, a Real Life Poor, it's a LOT. When I'm at her shows, I feel like there's no one else there but me and her (and the band if she's touring with them).

When I was 24, I had another big breakup, and moved across the country, from Lynchburg, Virginia to Portland, Oregon. I took a train ride to do so, it was a five day groggy sightseeing tour across the United States. Scarlet's Walk was in my portable CD player as I sleepily alternated between the sightseeing car (I could not sleep, I could not afford a sleeping car and I can't sleep in public in a chair. I was DELIRIOUS) and the smoking car (I was still a pack a day back then. it was 2004) and Scarlet's Walk, being a literal road trip across America, fraught with all the relationship angst that is Tori's signature, and the political anxiety building in that album post-9/11 was just... incredible for this train trip. I saw America at its most beautiful (the snow-covered mountains and lush greenery and waterfalls of the Pacific Northwest, specifically the Columbia River Basin, looking like Eden itself) and at it's most depressing and ugly (that was Toledo, Ohio. Holy shit it was like ... decayed industry and garbage everywhere. DEPRESSING).

I watched a drunk cougar in the smoking car crawl all over an 18 year old kid who was about to be shipped off to Iraq, purring in his ear that she was also eager to serve her country to this album. I smoked weed and did shots of Grey Goose with this chick in her sleeping car to this album. I sat in the sightseeing car and paused the album only once, this late night when some guy with a guitar and a bottle of whiskey attracted a crowd as he randomly played classic American songs the crowd mostly knew the words to at request, and everyone sang along. I felt like I was having some sort of transcendent American experience on this train trip, and Scarlet's Walk, an audio trip across the country, was my soundtrack. My mom road tripped to Simon & Garfunkel in the late '60s with her friends, I road tripped to Tori. And the ten years I lived in Portland after that train trip remain the most cherished and happy of my entire life. Those were the really great years.

So Scarlet became the favorite of my adult life.

Now I'm revisiting From the Choirgirl Hotel with the distance of two and a half decades, as some old vinyl collecting music nerd who has become re-obsessed with 90s-style trip-hop and industrial, and I'm just in awe of the quality of the music of Choirgirl. Like I said: flawless from beginning to end. It's an emotionally traumatic album even without personal context, though, given the subject matter, but it is perhaps the most perfect front-to-end album Tori's ever put out.

#tori amos #here have the biography of my tori fandom

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knightyoomyoui · 2 years ago

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Mina x M Reader - “She Will Be Loved”

STREAM “SET ME FREE” !!!

"I still can't believe we're doing this."

You just parked up your car in one of the blank lots beside the establishment where you and your couple of friends unanimously decided to visit.

Staring at the neon lights flashing at the sign beside the large board that says "PERFECT WORLD BAR AND LOUNGE", it struck you again the unbelievably feeling of the fact that you're about to spend a time for the first time not just by being alone but with your friends... inside a bar.

"Neither are we.", your friend and fellow high ranking employee named Kai placed his hands on his pants' pocket while inhaling the cold night air outside.

"But it still confuses us a lot how you as a rich personality haven't ever... entered a bar in your whole life?", one of the two women in your group, sporting a blonde wavy wearing her pencil skirt and blouse office attire named Minnie; asked you curiously.

"Never became my taste nor interest to go for a hangout.", you just shrugged, unamused emotion present in your face. "I don't know why but yes I get it, there's hot women there, expensive alcohol..."

"Just say you are an introvert and you don't like too much crowded and noisy places.", the other woman named Irene rolled her eyes at you.

"There you go.", you clicked your tongue.

"Alright, but hey; you really sure about this boss?", your friend Seungmin asked you worriedly. "We don't want you to be uncomfortable."

"I'll be fine. Like I said, it's my treat and you all have the freedom to choose where to spend it. I just want us to celebrate our successful presentation earlier.", you waved it off and smiled assuringly at them.

"Fine then. You got us anyway, boss. We'll make sure nothing would go crossing the line.", the last one in your group that hasn't spoken yet; standing beside you named Changbin smirked and massaged your nape.

You nodded and all of you proceed to walk your way to the entrance of the bar.

All of you showed your identification cards and immediately confirmed that none of you were below 18 since it's pretty obvious to your appearances.

Stepping inside, what greeted you is a very loud slow electrical type of music which is not your taste, resonating around the interior of the bar.

Many people around from every corners, sides and to the center. Slightly dark litted light scattered with spinning disco ball colored one moving around the room and ofcourse, the crowded noises that is not fitting for you but for your friends; you'll do your best to endure.

"Drinks to prefer? Anyone?", Kai asked every single one of you as all are facing the cashier and the bartender section.

"Mojito for me!", Minnie raised her hand.

"Cosmopolitan.", Seungmin followed.

"I'm good with Martini.", Irene said.

"Tequila sunrise would be nice.", you smiled as the craving filled your body speaking that favoring alcoholic drink of yours.

"Well, I'm taking a Margarita, how about you dude?", Kai asked.

"Negroni's on me.", Changin pointed himself with his thumb.

Kai nodded and he instructed Changbin to join him ordering all the drinks while you joined the rest to find a vacant table to seat.

You went to discuss with Irene, Minnie, and Seungmin first about a brief overview of what transpired during that crucial meeting, which provided enormous satisfaction to all investors interested in your firm.

Few minutes later, Kai and Changbin returned with all of your orders placed accordingly in the tray.

Just as when all of you about to take a sip from your respective drinks, your attention were hooked on by the announcement of the man speaking in the mic who sounds like he's introducing somebody.

"Ladies and gentlemen, for the next performance; please give a round of applause to Sharon!"

The audience began applauding in unsynchronized rhythms, some were rapid, such as those men gathered near the stage, expecting the arrival of that dancer, while others were sluggish, it's up to them now whether there's a purpose behind it. It was sheer curiosity, to tell you exactly what you and your friends had in mind. As you all heard the speaker hyping someone who would perform right now for everyone in the room, you all turned your faces away from the wineglass and toward the stage. A very attractive woman exiting the curtain was spotted slowly walking towards the middle of the stage in a black casual coat that concealed her matching pair of black lingeries, stockings and suspenders with high boots at the bottom.

The greedy, hyped men began howling even more at the sight of this hottie now fully presented in their lustful eyes.

Only for you to react differently with a ripple from your lips wackily at how pathetic these dog looking perverts acting right now of this woman named Sharon.

Sharon.

"Wait...", you muttered as that name rang into your head; as if hearing that name makes you feel... nostalgic and familiar.

After a series of scrolling down to your trip across the memory lane, it landed your mind to remember that there was this certain someone you knew very dearly before who holds that particular name you just heard minutes ago.

-FLASHBACK- "So you came from Texas right?", you asked the girl bestfriend of yours sitting beside you under the tree.

"Mmhmm.", she nodded, unable to verbally answer because her lips and tongue are focusedly savoring the taste of the mint flavored ice cream in a cone in her hand.

"Then that means you're half American too... and since you have that nationality then you should have an English name for you to use there in alternate.", you said as you shared the logic formed in your young mind.

"I do have one."

"What's yours?"

Your brows floated in eagerness.

"Sharon.", your mouth formed an O shaped in eureka as the information awed you. "They said my parent's neighbors back then used to call me that when I was a baby."

"Oh... wow, that's interesting.", you said with still your mouth left agape in surprise.

"You can call me too if you want. It's just a name after all.", she shrugged and giggled. "But ofcourse, I have to call you too with your own."

"But... I don't have any. I never went or lived in another country than here in Japan."

"I'll make one for you then.", she nonchalantly said.

"You can? What could it be?"

"Y/EN, is it alright to you? Or do you have any to suggest?", she smirked.

You shook your head as a no. "Nah. That sounds cool enough. I'll take it."

"Good.", she chuckled. She raised her free hand and showed it to you.

"Now that we have both, let's introduce ourselves again with our English names.", she grinned. Her face became kind of sultry and daring, a sly smile drawn in her lips as she offers you her hand. "Hi, I'm Sharon Myoui; what's your name."

"I'm Y/EN LN. Nice to meet you, Sharon.", you pretended as if you had your another persona like her and you just met her today.

-END OF FLASHBACK-

You finally recalled.

Sharon.

The english name of your childhood bestfriend before. Her real name's Myoui Mina.

You just realized that you haven't seen that girl for almost 10 years now since the last time you said goodbye to her after you departed through the States when your uncle offered your family to move with them as you also got a college application opportunity in Pensacola, Florida.

After you graduated, that's where you also slowly built your company with you currently as the owner alongside with your father plus also sitting in the CEO role.

That made you wonder, now that you are back here in Japan to monitor and take the CEO role for a month here along with your fellow friends slash employees after you requested to switch with the Japan branch management of yours; you didn't have any clue where or what she's been doing now these days.

You don't even know if she's alive or dead, but ofcourse there's no way you would love to hear the truth by that second option.

It made you miss Mina even more. To repeat, she was your very first friend.

Not to mention, the very first girl who taught you what love is.

You had a crush with that girl for so long, not until it got interrupted with your sudden leave to abandon her in Japan.

Speaking honestly, until now you still have her in your heart and mind. First love never dies indeed.

Now that you're here back in Japan, you took a mental note to yourself that have another task to do during your stay here for 1 month, and that is to find Mina again.

"Boss, you good?", Changbin asked you as he rubbed your shoulder while looking at you; snapping you out of the trance.

"Y-yeah, I am. I just remembered something.", you smiled timidly. Fortunately, Changbin got satisfied enough with your simple response.

"Dude, holy shit. I can't deny but... that Sharon looks so hot man.", Kai said as he directed his eyes more at the girl starting to spin around at the metal pole in the stage.

You didn't even know that while you were spacing up, the music background for Sharon to dance with was already played.

"Damn, Kai. Already turned on with the sight?", Irene said teasingly as she turned her head at Kai who got embarassed.

"Hell nah. I'm just stating what I clearly observed."

"But hey, she makes me gay again I swear. Lingeries and thick thighs are my goddamn weakness guys.", Minnie gulped and fanned herself as she heated up.

"No lies detected there Kai, it's as if she was taken control by her another persona now that she's performing. Something seductive you know. I saw her face earlier and she looked different from what we're having now.", Seungmin said.

You secretly agreed with what Seungmin said. She was just this pure-like looking lady entering the stage earlier then her entire aura changed to a much sexier and alluring one.

It is like she has two personalities.

That taught halted you as it sounded very... suspicious for you again.

"Nah. Maybe I'm just being too delusional. Coincidence it is.", you shook your head again in denial as you sipped on the alcohol from the glass you're holding.

All of you went silent as you focusedly watching Sharon's poledancing. Her movements are so smoothly done, flexibility was tested as she stretches and twirls around the pole which she easily passed it right away.

Not leaving the most important part, she has to capture everyone's attention more by seducing and attracting the audience with her sexy moves using the one thing she's confident of acknowledging it as the most favorite part of her body; those huge hypnotizing ass and shapely thighs of hers barely covered by her tight skirt and outlined with straps of her suspenders, bending and shaking it to present it even more.

Until it slowed down to a vanilla slow dance to match the fading rhythm of the song chosen for her before it ended, leaving most of the men to throw their money at the stage and whine about the sad fact that it has to end.

Some were even requesting for another one but to the respect of the time limit, it was peacefully rejected.

Sharon bowed as everyone clapped their hands including you and your group who was impressed and also tensed up at how intense her performance was.

You were left astounded and speechless at what you've seen. That was your first time and what an experience it is for you witness something like that from a very gorgeous woman.

Unlike from most of the men here except Seungmin, Kai and Changbin who are still on the mostly nice guys like you are, your attention shifted quickly next on the freshly cooked foods your friends ordered also.

"Smells tasty, c'mon guys, let's eat!", Kai said as he licked his lips before he encouraged his friends to feast.

-3 HOURS LATER-

"You know where their houses are?", you asked thoughtfully to Seungmin who was one of the only two people left remaining sober in your group other than you.

"Positive, boss.", he said confidently.

Glancing back at the window where you can visibly see the sleeping figures of Irene, Kai and Changbin at the back seat who were the ones got eliminated from being too drunk tonight.

"Be safe on your way home, okay?"

"Same as you and Minnie.", Seungmin said, pertaining also to his other friend in your responsibility to bring home also by your own since her place is quite close in your area.

He entered and sat in the driver's seat before starting the engine for the car to drive away as he waved goodbye at you which you returned the same gesture before he leaves.

You checked the time in your wristwatch, displaying the 11:08 PM glowing characters that told you the answer you're seeking before you enter your own car too.

However, it prevented you when suddenly you heard a screaming sound just almost near at your direction.

It piqued your interest on where could be the source is.

You searched for it, leaving your car where Minnie is still peacefully sleeping.

It led you to pause your tracks at the wall near the entrance of an alleyway just inches away from the bar.

You leaned your ears closer to hear closely before you followed it with your eyes to see what the hell has been going on inside there.

As you did, your own pair sprung up in shock at what you saw.

It was Sharon wearing her newly changed waitress attire being cornered by 3 men based on your counting.

One of them was now covering Sharon's mouth with his big hand while the other was cuffing her both wrists above her head on the wall.

Your eyes fumed as you heard those disgusting words that bastard spoke in front of the defenseless woman while the perverted animalistic looks of the other two guys are shown around her.

"All you have to do is to pleasure us, baby. It will be quick, we promise.", the guy creepily laughed. "We've been this very hard and horny since we saw that delicious body of yours, perhaps it won't be a problem for you to let us have a t-"

You can't bear the irritating sound if it much longer as you hurriedly rush through the punks, aiming first to the guy caging Sharon by executing a kick through the waist.

It yeeted the stranger aside and with your unexpected interference, it had you gather the attention of the other sidemen to see your dark and vengeful demeanor ready to make these losers feel your wrath from causing trauma on this woman.

They began attacking you, only to dodge it quickly with some sidesteps, aggressive bends and leans including some blocks before you returned the attempts back at them with karma.

Sharon had to sat and lean her back at the cold wall still crying while she watches you punching and kicking the shit out of these pricks.

Realizing that they are unmatched with your combat skills, they decided to retreat and run away leaving you and Sharon alone in the alleyway.

"YEAH RUN JUST LIKE THE COWARDS YOU ARE, BUNCH OF FUCKHEADS!", you shouted at them one more time.

You approached Sharon who is still kneeling and lowering her head between those encircled arms laid atop of her knees.

"Hey... hey, miss are you okay?", you poked her shoulder gently as you asked.

She gently raised her head to look at you. Her face was completely ruined by her messy makeup flooded by her streams of tears flowing down in her eyes.

It clenched your heart at how scared and awful she looked after that nearly worst experience of her life so far she almost experienced.

She couldn't speak from the strength of her shivers and heavy breaths due to her sobs, she only responded with a nod.

"You're okay now. Thank God I saw you here because if not... I'm really relieved I was still able to save you.", you said as you let her hug you and returned it back by clutching her arm and caressed it to comfort the poor woman.

"I know you don't know me also but I'll never do something bad to you just like what those scums did to you earlier.", you said confidently.

"Can I have just a little bit of your trust to let me take you home now? It's... now midnight here and we shouldn't stay here longer. I still have work also tomorrow."

You chuckled nervously at the end of your words.

Thankfully, it was enough for the lady to accept your invitation with another simple nod. She doesn't have any plans either to remain at this uncomfortable spot.

You grasped her slim arm and helped her gently stand up. She still lowered her head, making you think that she was rather shy or still hugely affected by that traumatic experience she faced.

You walked through your car with your hand still holding Sharon's arm, guiding her inside and allowing her to sit in the passengers seat beside you while you took the front to control the wheels, mentally memorized the address she gave to you. "Oh, don't mind her. She's with me. Got too drunk so I was about to take her home when I heard your screams.", you said cautiously when Mina stared at the sleeping Minnie on the back ride.

During the middle of the drive, you tried to engage a short conversation with Sharon who is staring lifelessly outside the window where she observes the surroundings being passed through.

It was becoming awkward and silent so you decided to atleast break that atmosphere to make the woman prevent build doubts about you.

"I was one of the customers who had to watch your performance earlier by the way."

"Your name is Sharon, right? Great dance you had there, but set aside the pervy thoughts that other men obviously had in you unlike me. You got real talent.", you added.

Sharon breathes deeply before she prepares herself to talk.

"T-thanks.", you heard her finally speak. It was slightly rough due to the effects of her heavy cries, but nonetheless it made you happy that atleast she's interested to join the flow of having a conversation with you.

"What happened to you? Did those men forcefully dragged you in that alleyway?"

Sharon heaved a large sigh and entangles her fingers nervously.

"I w-was just going to throw the garbage at the trashbin outside when t-those guys drinking their beers outside with their motorcycles got to see me. There, it follows what occurred next.", Sharon weakly shared.

You didn't wanted to continue tackling about that topic because it might make the lady even more uncomfortable and anxious to think about it over and over again so you moved on back to the previous.

"Good thing I heard your scream from the distance with my good hearing senses. If I didn't, I don't want to imagine anymore what it should've led. What's important now is that I luckily save you, Sharon.", you said before it ended there.

"How long have you've been dancing, Sharon?"

"Since young days.", she answered. "It was my talent ever since I was born and I fell in love with it."

They're the same as Mina, you muttered to yourself.

"No wonder why your movements are so fluid and natural.", you understood. "Then how long have you've been performing in that bar?"

"Almost a year.", she said. You hummed in response.

"A-are you new there? I have quite a sharp memory, I don't recognize you visiting the bar as a regular customer.", she bravely asked you. It made you appreciated even more that you made her participate more into this talk between you and her now.

"Actually that was the first bar and the first time I've ever seen that place.", you revealed and chuckled at the hilarious fun fact, which surprised Sharon.

"I was only brought by my friends, like that drunk lady behind us.", you chuckled. "We were celebrating our successful meeting in our workplace we had earlier. That was my treat to them and I let them pick wherever they want, so I follow their choice."

Sharon only nodded understandably at your explanation before she continued admiring the snowy outside view of the streets of Kobe while you on the other hand, your eyes glued back at the illuminated road.

Afterwards, you dropped Minnie first into her apartment where you were greeted by her roomate named Soojin and assured you that she'll manage her friendon behalf of you. You thanked her and left right away to arrive nextat the exact address Sharon has given to you.

Stepping out of the car, you showed your gentleman self by opening the door for Mina and escort her out too.

"So this is your house, huh.", you pursed your lower lip as you nodded while traced the exterior of the structure standing tall in front of you two.

Sharon felt embarrassed, knowing that her house just looks basic and average. She doesn't know why she had that kind of mindset, maybe due to your style of clothing that she predicted you are a rich personality that owns a house completely way better than what she has.

"Y-yeah, it is. Pretty lame, right?", she said timidly.

"Hey, don't be like that. Just be grateful you have your own proper shelter to stay in, you wheezed and waved it off.

"I guess I have to leave you here now."

"T-thanks for saving me again. I'm truly grateful for that. If only I could repay your-"

"No scratch that, I don't take payment for my kind act. That was something that should be done for a helpless victim like you and knowing that I accomplished that, having you staying alive is enough for me.", you smiled softly.

Sharon was heartwarmed and overwhelmed at your golden virtue. "O-okay. Well again from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much mister uhh-"

You figured that she stopped because she was clueless at what your name is, which you haven't even mentioned to her yet.

"Oh right, sorry! I haven't introduced my name. That's so unfair of me.", you said with an apologetic tone. "Pardon me, Sharon. My name's YN."

Sharon's eyes widened, face stretched in complete bewilderment as she heard that familiar name of someone she haven't saw, heard or spoke for so many years.

The name that belongs to the only man who became the first person outside of her family whom she held dearly and special in her heart.

Her eyes dwelled up in a pool of tears about to flow, lips started to shiver as the memories of what she shared with that childhood friend of hers began replaying inside her head.

She stared at you unbelievably, seeing the face she never thought that the person who rescued her all along was the same person she wanted to see again someday.

And it seems like that day has finally came tonight.

"Hold up, Sharon's not your real name right? Like a stage name? May I know w- uhh Sharon what's wrong?", you were taken aback when you observed that Sharon has a single tear flowed down in her cheek.

"Y-YN... is that really y-you?", her tone was filled with only one perfect word to describe: longing.

"Sharon what-", you processed again the way she said it until you got the sign that she seems like she knew or even met you before.

It threw you back to those memories ran in your mind as you compared Sharon to the childhood bestfriend you once had as they share the same name despite not being her actual one, as well as some similarities that both of them even great at dancing since they were kids.

You asked again to yourself, was it truly a coincidence you encountered a while ago?

There's only way to find out the answer that troubles you.

"M-Mina?"

Your face fell as you saw the confirmation from Mina.

She nodded swiftly. Your plans of searching for her in Japan didn't aged well, because she's here already; standing in front of you looking more beautiful and divine than ever in her matured appearance.

"Oh my god... M-Mina y-you..."

"YN... YN YOU'RE BACK!"

The two ran straight to each other, unbotheredly allowed their bodies to collide as they were end up catching their selves eitherway for a long-awaited embrace.

A waterfall of tears and echoes of wails were poured out from one another in pure joy as they both learnt that they met again after 10 years since their last meeting and goodbye they sent to theirselves.

"You're back, YN... It's been so long...", Mina said in a muffled sound as she sobbed at your shoulder.

"We met again, Mina. God, I missed you so much.", you pleasingly smiled to the heavens above; a long overdue grant to your prayers and wishes from all those times of being away from her side

Both seperated and faced each other closer, looking deeply at their matured features.

"I thought I wouldn't see you again.", Mina chuckled between her cries.

"Me neither.", you replied, smiling at how delighted Mina felt too on seeing you again. "We do have a lot of lost time to catch up."

"I know.", Mina nodded, gripping your shoulders tighter. "As much as I want to talk with you more-

"Yeah, you need to rest.", you pointed out. "Let's continue this tomorrow, shall we meet tomorrow, name the time a place please? I want to spend time more with my bestfriend.", you pleaded.

"2PM at Meriken Park."

"Noted. I'll see you there!", you enthusiastically exclaimed.

"And you will be, YN.", Mina elicited that favorite giggle of hers since your buddy time with her that you missed having from her too.

"Come here.", you commanded her and she quickly followed, hugging you again for the second time. "I can't resist it you know, I really missed my bestfriend a lot.

"Welcome back, YN."

"You too, Minari.", Mina's heart fluttered when you mentioned her nickname that you made for her in return to how she constructed your English name to relate with her.

You entered your car and bid goodbye to her as she waved back before you drive away satisfyingly and very uplifted, still a shock that the fate of crossing the same path with her would happen again.

Meanwhile, Mina's broad grin slowly faded with every step she take in the stairs leading to the door after YN's car disappeared in her sight as she felt another stinging pain in her arm before she entered her lifeless house and become lonely again for the rest of the night.

-THE NEXT DAY-

As you parked the car, you went on to find Mina; climbing the first set of long stairs which she told you that it would be the spot she'll be waiting for him to come.

It didn't last long when you immediately identified Mina sitting only by herself at one of the benches there.

She was busy checking on her phone, so you had an idea to make her notice you.

You took a quick picture of her then sent it to Mina.

Mina saw it instantly and there you watched her head goes upward and her eyes away from the phone, now looking at you as her mouth formed a smile.

"You startled me a bit at the photo you sent.", Mina admitted as she turned off her phone and placed it back inside her bag.

"Just being a bit creative for an alternate way to say "I'm here" or "Where are u"", you winked and clicked your tongue. It made Mina shook her head and smirk at your sillyness. "You're a terrible liar, YN.", Mina scoffed. "Yah! I am telling the truth, okay?", you tried to convince her but she still act like she doesn't believe you until she scrapped it off with a laugh.

"We have the whole day with us, let's go ahead and talk about everything we want to know from what we lost, shall we?", you said to Mina and began walking through the stone path with her beside you.

"I wouldn't waste the opportunity either.", Mina agreed. "So, YN yesterday you said that you came to the bar with your friends to celebrate your well organized meeting; so was your job related to business management or something?"

"Yeah, it is.", you nodded. "I'm actually their boss and the company they're working on is founded by my family.",

"Oh really? You own one now?!", Mina threw her head aside to stare at you in utter mindblown.

"Yeah, I do.", you nodded and smiled. "Currently I'm the CEO of the company and they are my employees slated in different positions."

"Woah, now that make sense why do you look rich now these days with your pair of suits huh!", Mina teased your clothing article which you just chuckled at the joke.

"How did all of it started?"

"It was after my graduation actually.", you narrated. "My dad and me decided to open our own food corporation. Thanks to the support of my uncle, one day our headquarters was built and opened there in Florida.

We did also hired new employees and staffs in our building to help me serve and contribute for the company's improvement towards a more successful and recognizable reputation. Now here we are, last night our products are about to get introduced to the world when we nailed that presentation."

"What do you guys make?"

"Some upgraded classic Japanese dishes with a swerve on the ingredients. Ramen, tempura, sushi, you name the rest."

Mina became silent as she let everything she learnt about you to sink in to her.

Without having any idea, the woman beside you is bringing jealousy deep within her; thus making his frown yet still managing to hide it from you by switching it back to a deadpanned one.

"How's uncle and auntie?", Mina asked concern.

"Doing good. Father's monitoring the headquarters in Florida while mom's managing her own restaurant."

"Wait, you have your-"

"Yeah, I gave it to her as birthday gift.", you chuckled, smiling at the wholesome memory when you took off the blindfold around your Mother's head and left her flabbergasted at what she saw.

"That's very sweet of you!", Mina said. "Mama LN loves cooking I see. I hope I could taste one of her best selling dishes one day."

You turned at her and saw her pouting, sulking at the probability that she won't have a chance for that.

"You want to?"

"E-eh... I mean... yes but..."

"I'll keep that in my mind Mina.", you bounced your eyebrows. "Believe me, that's the only thing you'll ever get to think about for how long it would stay in your mind at how delicious it is."

"I could tell it was true coming from the one who faced that scenario.", Mina smirked.

You laughed, unable to dodge Mina's truth shot.

Reaching the end of the path, both took another set of long stairs that will allow to reach the wide high ground of the park.

"How about you Mina, how's your life these past 10 years?", you asked, not even looking at her.

Mina heard your question which caused her to be silent. Unlike you, she has no sincere confidence to tell it to you; getting afraid for you to know her own story while you were gone.

She's scared because... if your life was full of accomplishment, hers was full of nothing but hardships.

"Mina?", you asked her again, now turning you head to gaze at her. She was biting her lip, face wearing a nervous emotion.

"I-... would you listen and try to... understand what I'm going to say, YN?", she cautiously said, voice became low.

"Uhh... yeah, s-sure if that's w-what you want.", you stuttered. It befuddles you why Mina's mood suddenly flipped.

The anticipation is making you anxious and scared about this mixed feeling growing into you, thinking you may not going to like where this is heading.

"It's not going to be bad right, Mina?", you chuckled in uneasiness. Mina didn't answer, she only proceeded to start speaking by sharing her own side this time.

With just one single sentence, you already knew the answer you've been wanting to receive... but not the one you're expecting.

"It was smoothly fine at first when I was studying until I met my boyfriend since after I graduated, a-and... he... he doesn't treat me well, YN.", Mina halted in her steps, her head dragged down in shame as she started her story.

You stood still and inspected her. "What do you mean he doesn't treat you well?

"I left my parent's side for the first time thinking it's time to reach my dreams and live by myself.", Mina didn't bothered to continue.

"We shared one roof, but then... during those early days of us now being a couple he just... changed. His behavior was opposite to how he was courting me.", Mina's body began shivering.

You kneeled in front of her, all feeling concerned at the struggling woman. "Mina, what did he do to you?"

She lets out a silence until she started choking with the overflowing emotion consuming her alive.

You tried to grasp her arm but then Mina shrieked, leaving you confused why she moved it away from you sounding like... she's in pain.

"Mina... please tell, what is going on? Does it hurt somewhere-"

You were about to finish your words but then you immediately got the point of what you're about to pertain.

And oh you didn't liked it not a single bit.

Mina rolled the sleeve of her polo, only for you to witness something that will break you heart in a snap.

Her wrist was full of bruises and healed wounds.

You felt weak on your knees as you saw her cry. "One night, I caught him cheating on me... and this is what I got from him."

"M-Mina."

"He hurted me, YN. He even threatened me and my f-family that if I ever d-dare to report his betrayal to them or leave our house and ran away, h-he... he will ruin my life or... even worse, he's going to kill me if I break up with him."

You joined her crying in your knees, still staring at her broken state.

This is just too much.

You didn't care if people walking around can see the two of you weirdly and suspiciously.

All that you focus about is what Mina has gone through when have her out of your sight.

If you are the one living in your dreams, she was the one who was caged in a nightmarish life of hers.

Part of those 10 years was just her enduring the abusive relationship she was involved too.

She didn't deserved to be treated like this. Not at all.

Mina is a pure woman and a vulnerable innocent angel.

How dare is that monster to torture her like that.

"He even claimed I should rather give up and not do anything about it because... I'm his property only. He owns me, YN.", your breath was taken away at how ridiculous and obsessed it sounded.

"To protect mom and dad and avoid myself getting in danger, I just let him do whatever he wants. He mostly goes away, maybe staying with his other girls than me. Fucking or kissing them like there's no tomorrow while he leaves his girlfriend heartbroken and alone every day and night."

"I don't get financial support from him, so I had no other choice but to move by myself and start looking for a job. Then, I discovered the bar that gives huge salary for people who can do both waitering and performing for the customers.

"I took it after, but still I thought what I'm doing was only for me. He forces me to give half of the money I get whenever he's going away."

"That house is not a home to me as long as he's there, YN. It was a prison. I'm his slave. All I ever wanted is to get out.", she finished speaking before covering her entire face with both palms together as she sobbed harder.

You rose from your knees and carefully trapped her in your arms by hugging her comfortingly, letting your collar and your shoulder to stain wet from her tears.

"I'm sorry, Mina.", you rubbed her back.

"W-why... are you saying... s-sorry?I should be-"

"NO! I HAVE TO SAY SORRY. I COULDN'T SAVE YOU! I COULD'VE BEEN THERE FOR YOU AND SET YOU FREE!", you said with aggressiveness and full of frustration that only directed to your own wrong doing.

"I should've kept you in contact from me all these years, Mina. I could've done something from you."

"YN, you know that I did the same mistake r-right? B-but I chose n-not to..."

"And why would you?"

She lets go of the hug and wiped her teary eyes.

"I just think I might be a burden to you. I-I don't want others to be involved with my own problem, especially y-you. I'm just saving others from-"

"What, HIM?", you referred. "Mina, I don't give a shit about what he could do to me. Hell, I won't even mind going to the jail as long as I can kill that bastard from what he did to you?!"

"THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, YN! Do you think I would want it to happen? Do you think that's right?", she said to you.

"It just doesn't feel deserving of me to receive sacrifices. I don't want to add more stress to you of all people, and now here you are; frantically pulling out some solutions that you don't even think about the dangers of it to your image and reputation.", Mina bowed her head. "I don't want others to be broken just like me, YN. I don't want you to be like this for me."

You breathed deeply as you stated at her weakened condition.

"Yes. You're right. You don't need sacrifices.", you said plainly.

"But you earn an assistance."

Mina looked at you sadly.

You reached for her soft hands and firmly massaged it.

"Mina, now that I'm here. Please, I'm begging you: let. me. help. you. Take it as a repentance or a way of catching up to you. You can take it whatever you want, but what's important to me is that you have to get out of that hellhole."

"B-but how, YN? He doesn't let me be. I'll get-"

"Leave it to me. I got the best attorneys and police by my side, Mina. I can have him thrown in jail where he belongs.", you said. Mina's eyes flickered with lights of hope thanks to you.

"Y-you do?"

"I am. We needed it anyways for our company's protection."

Mina only nodded.

"And about you, is it fine for you to leave that bar you're working on?"

"What?", Mina shockingly asked. "W-why though?"

"Because I just think of a better plan to give only for you.", you said.

"I want you to leave that bar, that house and... Japan.

Because you're coming with me to States."

Mina's eyes widened, jaw dropped and face stretched in shock at the offer you just made.

"Y-YN... are you serious about this?"

"Very."

"B-but... w-why, why do you have to?"

"I just want what's best for you.", you simply said.

Mina's face flared in red with the heat of the flutters from her heart at your sweet reply.

"For me, staying here won't do better. I'm willing to do this all for you, Mina. Not only that I want to save you, after everything I heard from you; I want to give you something that you definitely deserve to have in the first place."

"A perfect life, Mina. Trust me, with me on your side this time; I won't ever let you down again. I won't go home without you.", you said to her.

Mina's nose crunched and lips shakened at the incoming batch of tears again to fell straight on her cold cheeks.

She crashed her body against you, hugging you tightly which you reciprocated.

"T-thank you... thank you so much, YN."

"Glad I could help, Mina.", you stroked her long black silky hair as you enjoyed the amount of time having her so close to you just like what you also want to share together with her.

"Don't ever go again, YN please."

"I won't leave this time if I can't have you beside me", you said. "So do you accept?"

"Yeah, I-I would love to... join you.", she said.

You grinned heavily as it delighted you that she accepted your invitation.

This may be your plans for her so far, but you knew that this is just the beginning.

You still have a lot to give for your childhood friend and secretly your crush just to make her realize that the world still favors on her fate.

-2 WEEKS LATER-

Contrary to the plan of changing Mina's life for the better, you kicked it off by getting her husband arrested even after some little worries and pleads from Mina that he don't have to do this only because she's sacred; despite her being almost raped when you barged into her home after she called you; making you drive miles per miles to get in her place. The boyfriend tried to attack you but you overpowered him, dumping him on the ground and started a barrage of punches around his body; most particularly his stupid face. "YOU M-MERCILESS MOTHERFUCKER! YOU'LL P-PAY FOR HURTING AND TAKING ADVANTAGE OF HER! MARK MY WORDS!!!"

The police arrived quickly and enter the house where they set you apart from the suspect to stop your offenses and let them handle this incident. You rushed to Mina crying devastatingly on the couch and pulled her body for a hug as you checked on the sexually harassed victim. YN assured her that it will be fine because he has the best attorneys working for his family to help.

After the case was heard, the husband was put in jail guilty with rape and sexual asssault as well as him being positive on usage of drugs. You assured Mina again one more time that she's now finally safe and he'll tell those police he grown connection with to never let that animal escape.

Ending the whole special month of taking control the Japan branch of your company, first you brought Mina to the hospital to receive medical treatment from all the abuse she gained. Based on the findings, she also have more bad hits on her legs, torso and back but mostly on the upper area which arises your compassion for her further. You returned back to the States with Mina recovering on your side this time; booking two flight tickets for one of you.

Through flights and drives, you two reached your residence at one of the subdivisions in Miami.

Thanking the cab driver, you helped pulling Mina's baggage with you.

Opening the door, you let Mina take the first step of entering your humble abode.

She was left agaped and astounded at how expensive the interior looks. It was indeed largely opposite to what she had back in Japan.

It made her feel like she's literally broke compared to you.

"So yeah, this is my own place.", you said as you closed the door and positioned the baggages near the couch of your living room. "Do you like it?"

"I love it, YN. It just feels incredible being in this sort of lifestyle."

"You don't have to know, it matches and fits you better so better get used to it.", you patted her shoulder. Your words and touch targeted her straight in the feels, causing her to blush.

"Drink some water first then let me tour you around before we get to rest."

------------

"And last, this is the swimming pool where I learned how to swim thanks to my instructor.", you said while pointing at the pool filled with crystal clear water.

"That's all the areas I got here in my property.", you locked your hands at your back as you looked at Mina roaming her eyes around at the new environment she's in.

"You really are a successful man, YN. That was quite a house tour, you had so many expensive and valuable things in your possession placed all around the room."

"Aish, Mina it was all thanks to the hardwork and support I get. I won't be in this status if it wasn't for improving myself and the motivation my parents are giving to me.", you said.

"If only I could be this lucky.", you heard her mutter those words she thought it will fail you hearing it.

"It's not your fault, Mina. You only chose what you thought would be good to you, but you weren't aware of its consequences. because you are an innocent pure woman only focused on the goal to her own future.", you clarified. "You believed he's the one but he failed you. You could have the best girlfriend he'll ever have, but he chose to be a traitor and fool you by his disguise."

"You really are a positive thinker, don't you?"

"Why won't I be when all the things I want to achieve, it's now here with me. A cozy home, successful business, mom and dad living happily and stronger together and...

... my bestfriend being on my side after I lost her for so many years, witnessing how good my life has been.", you said to her as you glanced. She returned the stare, her expression softened.

"I just wish I could've shared it together with you.", you said with pure guilt. Mina was saddened, knowing how unfortunate it is that you didn't have this all without the inclusion of one of the most special person who entered in your entire life.

For you, it must've felt... lacking and uncomplete.

"But now that you're here, I swear to my words that I would make it possible just like the rest."

You looked at the structure of your house then back at Mina, now with a smile again in your lips.

"I once bought this house only for myself... but I guess this time it'll change."

... because I'm going to have another occupant to live with me here."

"H-huh?"

"I told you that you'll come with me here in States, so ofcourse I couldn't just leave you not having any place to stay.", you shrugged.

"But, YN... you could just help me find an apartment or-"

"Why, Mina? You don't want to be with me?", you playfully cooed, acting sulkily as you pouted and glared at her.

She got alarmed thinking it might have offended or hurted you.

"E-ehh? N-no that's not what I meant, YN okay? Ofcourse I want to be with you."

"Then it's settled, you're going to live here with me. As long as you want. No buts. No ifs. I already told you, I'm going to help you. I don't accept any repays. All you have to do is take it.", you sniggered.

"Well, would I still pay for the rent?"

"Again, this house is not just mine now but yours, Mina."

Mina sighed and scoffed at how overwhelming this is again for her. Imagine, this expensive and massive house not just for you... but for her now also.

"Alright, fine. I gladly take it, YN.", she smiled tenderly.

"Welcome, housemate.", you joked. Mina just lightly slapped you in the shoulder and giggled.

To give her atleast a better purpose while you're away and running the company although you actually wanted Mina to be part of it, you don't want a nepotism issue to scatter around the building that might reach the media and the higher up's attention which can ruin his company.

So, with an alternative way; you helped her instead to have her own business by giving her a cafe/bakery with the employees chosen by yourself through interviews after they tried applying for the said jobs.

All of these support and care that you have been giving on Mina coning from you kind-hearted and angelic personality has what made her to slowly develop likedness of a feeling for the man.

Her perspective of hers to you on being her friend gradually changed into someone that she admires, but she just kept her mouth silent about it; thinking that you might not like her back or so.

She still belittles herself that there's no other opportunity for you to get attracted with someone like her if she's not in the same level as your status and profile, including even maybe your ideal woman.

But despite of that, her crush on you still swells with her belief that you may be the most awesome person she has ever met in her life aside from her family that she thinks being a friend of yours isn't enough.

She wants to live and be with forever, cherish everything about you and return whatever you've done for her.

One day while she's on a work, assisting her workers around the bakery as she noticed that the place is getting even more recognizable to gain more customers; she received an incoming call from you.

"Ningning, serve this to Table 8 for a while please, I just have a call to take."

"Sure, unnie.", Ningning who is her one of the waiters in her cafe complied; picking up the tray full of orders to her hand.

Mina reached for her phone and swiped the screen, dragging her fingertips to the green button to answer your call.

"Hi Mina!", you cheerfully greeted. Mina grinned widely at your voice that easily uplifts her spirit everyday especially that she's liking you a lot these days.

"Oh, YN hi! Why did you call?", Mina responded.

"Uhh, I just wanted to tell you quick that you should close the shop early and let the employees go home and rest before nighttime."

"Why? Is there a serious or urgent matter?"

"No, no... I didn't meant to scare you it's just... I want to go out later tonight."

Mina got flushed at the idea of her spending time with you alone. It was too out of nowhere. She was just admiringly thinking of you a while ago and now, you even had to melt her heart more with your plan to share a moment with her again.

"It's been what- 3 days now that we barely see each other face to face around the house. The paperworks, partnerships, seminars everything in our company is affecting our closeness and it somehow irritates and worries me, you know. Are you disappointed in me, Mina?"

"No! W-wait, where did you get that?"

"I'm just overthinking I guess. That I'm being such a bad friend for not having fun together with you when we could have a chance to do so. Maybe the thought of me ignoring you crossed in your mind."

"YN, stop it. I'm not mad at you, okay? Ofcourse I get it and I know what I'll encounter ever since I joined you here in States and in your house that you'll be not that around for a lot because of the company you run.", Mina eased your negative insights down.

"Look at me, I'm also running a cafe here also by myself too. Don't say sorry to me, YN because it would rather just pain me taking it as if you're also apologizing that why you should've gave this all to me."

"O-ok ok, I'll stop now Mina!", you defended. "You know what, I'll just gonna pick you up there at 6. Sounds good?"

"Yup."

"Awesome, wear a nice dress okay? We'll go to one of my favorite places here in Miami."

"S-sure."

"Okay, see ya later, Mina! Bye!"

"Bye, YN! You too!", Mina said before the duration of the call ended. She got excited and touched that even after all these busy and hectic schedules, you still managed to think about her which she appreciated a lot.

Charging her phone into the outlets, she walked towards some of her employees positioned nearby at her in the counter for them to audibly hear her announcement sent by you.

"Guys! We'll wrapped this all up today at 5, you all can go home and enjoy the rest of the day early.", Mina said to the crew.

All of them darted their eyes at Mina who was startled at the attentions gathered all at once at those bright news she reported.

"Really, Ms. Myoui?!", the other waitress named Jiwoo asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, I'm going out with somebody tonight so we can't continue our service if that's so.", Mina explained.

She noticed that their faces changes into a cunning, mischievous smirks and squinted eyes as they slowly stepped across Mina.

"Ohhh what did you just say, Ms. Myoui? Going out with somebody, hmm?", the cashier named Danielle teased her boss.

"Sounds like a date, right guys?", Wonyoung said, making everybody agree with her.

"YEAH!"

Mina can only gulp, all of them are testing her to admit more of what's behind those reasons.

"Is it YN oppa, Ms. Myoui?"

Mina only nodded and her obvious tight expression in her face being all crimson red from the amount of blood and heat rising from her cheeks.

The crew cooed and lets out a playful laugh at their boss.

"You can do it, unnie! That's what you want with him, so all you have to do is have fun!", Kazuha said.

"Tell oppa hi from us, please!", Jiwoo pleaded.

"I will, I will. Now go back to work and stop teasing or else I'll cut your salaries off", Mina pretended like a strict boss with her cold tone only to be broken fast with her adorable giggle that failed to terrify the teens and rather joined her act by fakely letting out some scared noises.

-FEW HOURS LATER-

"I'm here."

Mina saw your message and hurriedly locked and closed the front door as she made her trail to the staircases until she gets into the gate.

She opened it and as she exited, she saw you sitting inside your car parked in front of the garage as you rolled down the tinted window.

"You look elegant tonight, Mina.", you said with a short but effective heart shaker of a compliment for the woman.

"Thanks. I truly did prepared myself for this.", Mina said. You opened the door for her and allow her to enter.

"Where are we going, YN?"

"You'll see.", you smiled before rotating the steering wheel to control the car as you fueled up the engine to drive yourselves straight through the destination after less than an hour.

The speed of the car lessened, making Mina assume that you and her made it now to your preferred location to hangout with her.

You pulled the brake, stopping the car before you hopped out and opened the door for her.

Mina learned that you took her to a place called "Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden" which is actually a great choice for both to balance ventilation, rest and funtime all at once at this spare time you both got for each other tonight.

It proved her even more when you paid the entrance fee to the guard before you brought Mina with you to stroll through the right path that will welcome the visitors to take clear sights of the green eco-friendly surroundings of the place.

"How this became your favorite place? Do you go here often?", Mina curiously asked.

"Yeah after my parents took me here during my college days.", you shared. "I don't know how I got became fond of being in the peaceful ambiance of the nature but... all I could tell was that in that day when I wandered around, I saw something that made these all add in my favourable things."

Mina stopped walking right at the exact time she sensed your shadow froze also in the ground.

She looked where you are staring at, and there it left her amazed at how gorgeous the bushes filled with colorful orchids placed almost inches away from you and her.

"Woah, look at those orchids YN!", her bubbly side appeared while pointing at those flowers.

"Exactly what I've been saying.", you smiled after hearing her reaction.

"Eh?"

"The orchids. When I saw those, it reminded me of you.", you looked at her.

"It was your favorite flower and it seems that it still is, I remember how much you bragged to me about it before when you showed up in my house having that on top of your hair like a decoration to your hairband.", you smiled as your reminisced that good old memory.

"And just like that, a glimpse of that orchids here in the garden became a part of the times where I would randomly think about you."

Mina stared as she remained listening at you.

"When you appeared in my mind, I developed another wish about you. I said to myself at that day that if only she's here with me, I wish she was seeing this and admire it more than I do, because she loves orchids so much.", you chuckled.

"Here I am tonight, I'm standing at the exact spot where I made that wish, and now that woman who I consider my bestfriend; is finally here with me, getting the opportunity to witness these with her own eyes."

You continued walking as you didn't mind Mina who nearly stunned at your statement; making her unmovable in her position.

Entering a wide, open space where the only path leads to a massive low-walled stone well with its water has leaves floating atop of it.

Beside the path is a series of trees standing tall, waving slowly to the splash of the breezy night air; contributing to the fresher quality of it for you and Mina to breathe in relaxation.

You took a time off from walking, as well as Mina following you from behind.

"This place is beautiful, yeah?", you said while travelling your sight around at the portion of the garden.

"That word isn't enough to describe everything about this place, YN.", Mina said. "No wonder why you fell in love in this place."

Both of you fell into a complete silence as she took her time to watch how pleasing the view around her while you on the other hand is preparing yourself to speak from what your mind is currently reserved to consume even before you invited Mina with you tonight.

"Mina.", you called her name. She looked back at you.

"Yes, YN?"

"I'm sorry."

Her eyebrows knitted puzzledly, clueless on why did you just suddenly apologized to her. "For what? You haven't done anything to anger me, YN."

"I know it's just... this just bothers me which I thought I still deserve to make an apology for you."

"Have I given you too much, Mina? These all the help that I did for you, it worries you a lot isn't it?"

Mina sighed. "To be honest, I appreciate everything you did for me and it's not that I'm offending you but... I just couldn't accept it all you know."

"You don't forcefully have me taking it all, I get it but... I want you to understand YN that you don't have to be selfless all the time for me. Just to let you know, I'm contented enough that I'm already fine when I have you on my side unlike before."

"I'm just so worried that you're risking your wealth to provide me everything you want for me to gain. I don't want myself to look like a burden to you, YN."

"But that doesn't make me mad at all, I don't have the rights. Aside from that, I just want to say thank you again, YN.", Mina said as she gripped your arm and squeezed it firmly along with her cute gummy smile.

You nodded understandably on Mina's point.

Holding her hand, you unlocked it from being attached and wrapped around your skin as you caressed the top with your thumb.

"I am now aware at how you perceived my kind deeds dedicated all for you, but just so you know I never think of you as a burden that I would heavily carry with me around wherever I go.

I poured a lot of effort to assist and support you through everything, Mina and I wanted it to happen.", you enlightened your actions to her.

"Because... there was this another reason of mine behind it that encouraged me more to pick you up when you were down, Mina.", you said to her solemnly.

You hitched a breath before your eyes directed back at Mina, who is anticipatingly waiting at the next you were wanting to say to her.

"YN, are you o-"

Mina didn't got to finish her sentence when she felt a weight pressing on her lips.

She knew what it was, and she has her eyes wide open piercingly staring at your face leaning super close to hers.

Her mind and senses got blank when she realized that you just kissed her straight without even further alert.

All of her imaginations about you run wild in her mind that driven her to cooperate with the way your tongue and lips swayed and clashed at each other.

Setting apart yourselves from each other, creating a gap and build this surreal feeling that you passed through her allowed you to take the opportunity to say something while Mina still stared at you deeply.

"I love you, Mina. That's why i'm doing it all.", not only you made the first move to kiss but also to finally confess your feelings dedicated to the only woman capable of creating this sensation for you to embrace.

A little recap, earlier in the afternoon you were having a lunch with your group of friends when all of them just informed you that they were coincidentally liked back by their love interests.

As the only one who remained single from them, they found it hilarious at first before they comforted you and urged you to confess your feelings at Mina when you shared to them about her so that you can be one of them.

They warned you first about the danger which you easily understood, but then after all the process in your thought it had you believe and agree that it's been put on hold for a long time now and you admitted that you can't just let it a secret for a longer period of time now that she's here again with you.

That led you to the idea of calling Mina and inviting her in your leisure time at the garden for two agendas: one is to catch up with her for being too busy and second is to express what you truly feel for your little penguin.

"I never had any chance to show you what can I do or tell you how much I love you more than just a friend because... our fate separated us from each other in a decade.", you said to her.

"Y-you... liked me since-"

"Yeah. I had a crush on you way back when we were kids, Mina.", you said, eyes forming pool of tears distracting your sight.

"When you returned and I met you again, I admit that I know I tend to get so insecure but I didn't cared about it anymore, not wasting more time to use this as my opportunity to finally make you feel how you make me feel."

Mina got brought along with the intensity of the emotions clouding both of you because of your sad revelation, droplets of tears crashed down in her cheek.

"From how she cuddled me when we feel asleep in our picnic before that started my crush on her until I found her again at the stinky alleyway as the girl wearing a broken smile and dealt a sorrowful story; all I ever said to myself is the same thing and it doesn't surprises me that it never changed.

Your hand cupped her cheek. Mina squeezes her eyes shut at your warm touch.

"She will be loved. It has grown into a responsibility I should never abandon because she needs it.", you whisperedly said to her. "It's you. You needto be loved, Mina. All I ever only need in return is for you to let me be. I just want to you make the happiest girl in the whole world because of me."

Mina proceeded to cry harder as she absorbed all of your heartwarming message to her.

She held your hand and pressed it on her forehead, grasping it tightly. You even felt it shivering, so you immediately had her again wrapped in a comforting hug to ride down her emotions.

"I- I love you too YN.", Mina said, choking a bit as she tries to stop her stutters interrupt her pronounciation too irritatingly.

You on the other hand, just let her take her time well while you smiled in delight at the assurance and confirmation now that atleast you know that she also wants to share the same love with you. "Y-you do?" "Trust me, I do feel the same as you b-but...

How could you still stand to love me? This is something I- I don't deserve at all, YN. L-look at us, we're not alike. You are a incredible, successful man who lived his dreams to the fullest while me-"

"Mina, stop."

"-i'm just nothing, I'm a pathetic young adult who never achieved my own dreams, never had a job or a wonderful life to live in because I became dumb, arrogant and oblivious, choosing someone I thought that would be best for me than my family but only had me abused over and over again-"

"Mina, please stop-"

"That's why I'm telling you that I'm not the right one for you-"

"MINA, I SAID ENOUGH!", you finally bursted out in frustration not directly at Mina; but to these ridiculous and horrible words she's stating to you.

"Mina, look at me. Don't you dare say those lies like that to yourself ever again, you hear me?", you said to her; trying to chase her gaze as she luring it away from you in embarassment.

"How many times do I have to remind you over and over again that you have to let go and moved on from that. That's not what I see through you, Mina. You don't have to worry about any of it because I'm proving any of it wrong and what matters the most is you are now safe, Mina."

"Just because somebody didn't treated you right that means it loses the value of what you are. Every people are different and I'm not like him, Mina. To me, your worth is so high that it can't be measured.", you sweared to her with your persuading tone.

"I don't care about any of it. My thoughts and views about you was never ruined even after what that bastard did to you. In my eyes, you are an awesome warrior who courageously endured all the pain and suffering from the abuse you faced.

"For me, you are still the same little girl I had a crush with and up until now that I told her how I feel, my love for her will always stay."

Mina gulped harder, sighed deeply and stared at you lovingly.

She hugged you again, her side profile laid down neatly on your shoulder as her chin nuzzled on your neck, her arms encircled around your waist.

Sniffing out her sobs, she weakly said something closer to your ears.

"I'm s-sorry... YN. Sorry. I shouldn't have said it..."

You rubbed her back gently. "No worries, Mina. I just want you to know that you won't gonna suffer again like what he did to you. You have me, okay? There's nothing to be afraid for. I have you under my care and we got each other backs from now on."

Mina kissed your cheek then compacted your cheeks with her palms as she transferred on your lips before pressing her forehead on yours.

You continued stroking the smooth texture of her arms to calm her down.

"I love you so much YN. Thank you for entering my life again with all these blessings you have for me.

"I love you too, Mina.", you said to her sincerely before both fell silent at such wholesome moment. At last, you won the heart of the woman who influenced you to consider this garden in which both of you are in also; as your favorite place. Now you'll love it even more to visit here with her next time. A month later, you joined Mina to visit her parents back in Japan after she suggested it to you, to apologize and beg forgiveness atleast for not reaching out to them for the past months.

They informed anything, starting with the abusive relationship Mina had that prevented her for being in touch with her family, her meeting you again and how you helped her.

The Myouis didn't think twice to give the blessing to them when you and Mina announced your relationship with their daughter now being your girlfriend and you as the boyfriend before the parents thanked you a lot, wishing that he would continue not hurting their precious daughter which he sweared he won't.

You let the family have their time alone by deeply apologizing for one another at their mistakes before both talked a lot more at some other topics, mostly about checking up at each other's lives.

Following the 3-day break you have in the company, you stayed for a while at Mina's house where both revisited all those places where you shared memories you shared with her in your beloved hometown of Kobe.

-5 YEARS LATER-

In the midst of midnight, a sound of baby wailing echoed around.

You who is signing the paperworks you brought with you from the office heard it and unhesitantly left your task in your desk.

Rising up from your seat, you quickly ran out to your own private office in your house to approach the crib where the baby is wiggling its tiny arms and legs as it cried louder.

You lifted it up slowly and cradled it in your arms as you stared at it while you sang a lullaby until it calmed down and stopped crying.

Leaving a kiss on its head, you carefully laid it back on its comfy crib and walked away.

You were about to pass the bedroom but then you saw the activated laptop on the desk, with nobody even using it.

Peeking through the door, there you found the one who's responsible for leaving it that way.

Your wife, Mina wearing a couple pajamas with the same design as yours is seen standing alone at the balcony.

Making your step towards her, you stood behind and made her escape a gasp as it transformed later to a smile at your sudden backhug.

"Why aren't you sleeping yet?", you asked her before inhaling her magnificent smell brought by her perfume.

"I should be asking to same to you.", Mina said, tracing your fingers on her belly.

"Don't mind me, well I got too much documents to assemble and it's a heavier task than you only reviewing a file you received from your manager earlier.", you explained, which unables Mina to fight back because you definitely won with your defense.

"I'm just not tired yet.", she whined. "Is Akihiro back to sleep now?"

"Yeah, he is.", you said. "Good thing Hiroyuki didn't woke up from that."

Mina chuckled when you referred to your 4 years old second son who is sleeping peacefully on his own room.

Both didn't talked and looked around at the quiet and dim litted neighborhood in your subdivision.

You were about kiss her and return back in your office when Mina suddenly spoke.

"This still feels amazing to me. Getting married to you, becoming the new head of the manufacturing department in our company, raising two kids and having our families collaborating in their own business together is truly remarkable to me, YN.", she said with a joyful smile, enumerating all the new good things that occurred in her relationship with you. On the other hand, both you and her respective parents are the ones who are currently operating the restaurant, which merged with Mina's café that was passed down to her parents, and it is now continuing to expand on other countries all over the world with newly opened branches as part of its improvement with the financial and growth on the recognition it receives.

"You indeed gave me a perfect life to live in, I have everything I cherish all at once; and it was all made possible because of you, my love. Thank you so much again, YN.", she tilted her body and reciprocated your embrace.

You kissed the crown of her head before placing your jaw as you enveloped her further in your body. "Always welcome, everything for my Minari."

"As I said before, loving and taking care of you is a part of my responsibility to do especially that I'm your husband and now that I'm also standing as the father of our family, to our two little kiddos.", you added.

Mina hummed in satisfication, without any regrets within her that she picked a magnificent man in the shape of you to be her lover tied in each other's own wedding wow.

"Love you, Y/EN."

"Love you too, Sharon."

You kissed her again passionately, placing your hand at the back of her head.

Spinning her around, you faced her away from you as her back leaning in your front.

You sneakily inserted your hand inside the top of her pajama, cupping her breast encased in her black bra and massaged it gently.

She whimpered at your touch before it intensified in a moan when your other hand landed in her set of well packed abs.

"Say, you weren't sleepy yet right babe?", your voice deepened as you said it on her ear.

"I just found my rest, how about I help you with your problem then?", you smirked as you felt her hand stacking your hand squeezing her soft breast. "It's been a while since I had an access around your body like this, hmm?

She lets go, turning herself around and aggressively pushed you back inside the bedroom, crashing you down to the cushion and sheets of your queen sized bed you share with her.

She crawled faster and straddled you, her pinning you as the top and you as the submissive bottom as she began grinding on your crotch with her hands planted on your chest.

You realized that you mentioned her English name that triggered her to shift her entire aura to strike back at you. These days, she uses her Sharon name as her other wild personality when comes to your heated, sex life with her.

"Then what are you waiting for? Go on, use me however you want, ravage my body until both of us get drained and can't take it anymore. Fucking do it to me.", she bit her lower lip and swayed her messy straight hair distracting her seductress face as she daringly challenged you

"With pleasure, Miss Myoui.", you smirked.

She kissed you again sloppily and there it started your another heated night with your wife as you showed to her how she will be loved again through your intimacy, not caring about the work they'll have later in the noon.

#twicemina #twiceminaxmreader #twiceminaxmalereader #twiceminaoneshot #twiceminaau #twiceoneshot #twiceau #kpoponeshot #kpopau #twice

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paracosmenthusiast · 6 months ago

Text

I Can Do It With A Broken Heart

Chapter 2: The Black Dog

Warning: 18+, some drunken fun in this one!

CHAPTER 2 - The Black Dog

Six months before Chicago - Starring The Infernal Ex Fiance

My ears were ringing from the concert. I was high on the experience, giddy at seeing my friends perform, happy they’d played my favorite of their original songs. And there was my fiance hiding in the back of the room pouting because he wasn’t getting enough attention as usual.

I think I did cross a line, maybe, spending time talking to the vocalist of that band; he was an angel who had spoken to me every time I’d followed my fiance to these shows, the one person who made an effort to talk to me when my fiance routinely sat me in a corner and ordered me not to move, and I had come out of my shell enough to feel confident talking to the vocalist first.

He was really excited by the little patch on my jacket that I had embroidered the band’s name on. Grateful for the support. And I was grateful and excited for a platonic friendship with someone in that music scene, as I was new to it. Especially someone who was so considerate of me for no reason other than the goodness in their heart.

But my fiance hated this. He didn’t bring it up at the time, and he didn’t even say anything on the hour drive home. But when I dropped him off at his parents house, he leaned in for a kiss goodbye and then out of nowhere his hand wrapped around my throat.

“I don’t ever want to see you talking to him again,” he said.

I was too shocked to respond. Hardly intimidated–hard to be physically intimidated by someone who couldn’t walk up a flight of stairs without getting winded–but I was shocked and scared by the fact that it had come out of nowhere.

I said the vocalist’s name out of knee-jerk reaction and surprise. “Don’t talk to him anymore?”

And then he hit me! He actually hit me!

Not hard enough to split my lip–but close. Just enough that I was rattled, that my head spun a little bit, that I stared in disbelief and agreed without another thought sure, I won’t talk to that band anymore. I think I probably would’ve said anything just to get him out of my car because I was just so shocked.

With one foot out the door he looked back at me. “You know, they don’t even like you. Everyone just feels awkward with you there because you don’t really fit in.”

Then he got up and he closed the door and left those words to resonate with me and I started the car, because I didn’t want to sit there and cry, because I was stung by the words and because I found it terribly hard to believe and terribly hurtful if it were true.

After that there was some distance.

We stopped sleeping together for months–I claimed I wanted to try out celibacy ahead of the wedding for the sake of getting off birth control to try to get my anxiety medication under control. It should’ve worried me how easily he agreed to it but I was so relieved to be free from the constant stress of his inability to perform (it had to be because of me, right?) that I let it go just like that.

Again. Things that add up in hindsight, things I shouldn’t have ignored in the moment. A bingo card filling up with red flags.

Present day -

“Oh, listen to that! I love the beat of this thing. It’s not a happy song but it always makes me want to dance.” Kendra does, in fact, get up, shaking her hips but holding her (very full) glass of wine stable in front of her. “Of the Jesus-looking singers, Noah Kahan is one of my favorites.”

I almost inquire and how many of those are there? But in a bid to avoid a tangent I turn my glass of wine and take a very long and generous swallow. I don’t even really like wine but it gets me drunk faster than anything else.

“So tell me,” Kendra says, after a moment of bobbing about in front of me along to the beat of the song, “What happened, again?”

I never told anybody what “happened” between me and Carmen. Because I was in pain, because it seemed such an injustice to the person that I had grown to–uh, to have deep feelings for; and to bring it up now seems cruel. “He was never around and we just got distant. I think I wanted a Taylor Swift-esque moment in the rain and it was just never the right time.”

Never the right time summed up our entire relationship. It’s a mystery to him how we had ended up together as he frequently told me there was no reason “someone like me” should ever be with “someone like him.” I wonder if he still uses that line to pull girls. I wonder if it ever works.

And it always hurt my feelings when he said that. Just a little bit. I liked to look at it as a marvelous incident of that old idea of fate, and he thought it was a series of mistakes colliding until we did, too.

Nope. Not thinking this way. More wine. “How is it that we’re talking about a guy I hooked up with four years ago instead of the guy that I was supposed to marry?”

“Ugh.” She clears her throat quickly to try to cover up the huff. “I mean, I don’t know. But we just saw this guy. And he’s so cute! That’s way more interesting.”

I almost ask her something about Taylor Swift just to change the subject from Carmen, but I don’t have the energy, so I look down and disappear into the depths of wine.

But then 2 glasses later, the words start to trickle out against my will.

There’s some weird part of me that does want to think about it. At least, thinking about Carmen instead of thinking about the abandoned wedding ring. “Oh my God, I left a fucking note before I ran away like a child.”

“As you should.” She’s not slurring. She’s probably not even that buzzed–Kendra can put away a metric ton of alcohol. Certainly more than me. But she’s also an entity of chaos and so she encourages my lapse in rationality. “That guy was a total loser! Please, I can’t move with you, I have to think about the future of my band, I’m thirty and I still obey my mom’s curfew, and think I’m gonna make it as a rockstar, and I spent our wedding budget on a master of the shittiest single ever produced–”

“Hey,” I say. I don’t want to talk about this anymore. One more half-glass of wine. “Can you help me find something?”

Stagger up from the floor. I love the floors in here. They’re wooden and gorgeous and they feel old and solid and real and I love them. I love the floors. This place is so much better. This place is so much better. Yes, I’m glad I moved to Chicago, already.

“Sure. What are we looking for?” Kendra trails after me. I slide my free hand down the wall as I wander toward the bedroom.

Nasty thought interrupts whatever I was going to tell her. “Hoe attire, Kendra. We’re looking for hoe attire.”

That takes her back but only for an instant before she’s back on board. “Fuck. Yes. I am so ready to hit the bars!”

Yes. And I want to drown in someone else’s skin and not think about the reason why I’m living in Chicago. I want that slinky black dress I know I packed with the matching heels–the one that screams I’m here for a good time not a long time–

Kendra and I ransack the bedroom, half from the alcohol, half from her excitement at my sudden change in spirit. Now that I think about it, I haven’t had a drink, not since I got with my fiance. Ex fiance. He was sober and so I turned sober out of mere convenience.

What we end up with is the slinky black dress of legend for me, a similar note in emerald for her, and a lot more confidence than perhaps we should’ve had for two drunk women in an unfamiliar city.

Kendra whips out her phone while I’m looking through my makeup, searching for a nearby bar. Though I keep the makeup to a minimum because of my inebriated state and generally being out of practice, I do down a couple glasses of water to help return myself to some semblance of a normal human being.

She actually holds her breath watching me drink the water, as if I’m going to go back on my decision to go out when I start thinking clearly. Wrong. At least, wrong this time. With the water put away, I raise my hand. “Onward?”

“Hell yes! I’m so down to bar hop in Chicago!” She could bring the energy for three of us if need be. “You look amazing, I look amazing, and we’re going to go to a bar and find–anything better.”

At the very least, I’m fairly sure I’ll find a much-needed distraction and an ego boost.

Kendra whips out her phone while I’m putting the finishing touches on my hair. “There’s a place down the street from us, so we can walk. That’ll be nice.”

“How far is it?”

“It’s like a seven-minute walk.”

That should be enough to sober up at least enough to put away something else. Vodka, maybe. Vodka is usually my drink of choice for the bad feelings to go away.

After a full-body mirror check, Kendra and I lock up the apartment and hit the streets, heading toward whatever bar she’d picked out on her phone. It’s not that late yet, 11pm, so I’m not even sure the crowd will be all that good.

But maybe I just needed a change of atmosphere to get certain things off my mind.

“Oh–we need to cross here.” Kendra grabs my arm and pulls me to a stop on the street corner, and I obediently rotate to face the direction she’s looking. It’s getting a bit cold, although not enough to justify wearing a coat over my outfit. Especially because then I’d have to keep track of a coat, one of my biggest bar-hop pet peeves.

The traffic light changes, beckoning us across the street, and we step across together. Luckily, Kendra is correct and the bar isn’t far at all; it’s quite close, and the exterior is surprisingly welcoming.

It’s not bad. When Kendra opens the door, we’re met by a rush of pleasantly warm (not too humid) air, and the low thrum of music not so loud as to be obnoxious but not so quiet as to be awkward.

Beeline for the bar. Kendra orders the same thing she always does–a signature cocktail, which is nearly twenty dollars and I have to shake my head at her choice. I’ll pick something much cheaper. Redbull and vodka.

“No, no way.” Kendra interrupts my order. “We’re celebrating! She just moved here. Can we get… Um… Whatever that guy’s having.”

She gestures down the bar and the bartender swipes her card with an obligatory smile and assures he’ll have the drinks right out to us.

“You really didn’t have to do that.” I push my hair back from my neck. “I’ll buy the next round.”

“That’s a great compromise, I like it! Now, tell me more about the plan for tonight.” She leans in close, a conspirator to the very end, with a suggestive wiggle of the eyebrows. I think this is way too much power for her to have and I wish she would’ve ordered me something like a dark beer–something that would take longer to drink and maybe wouldn’t get me blackout drunk. Kendra loves going on a bender.

Then again, I’m almost certainly going to be fielding calls from unknown numbers all night as my ex fiance has been so prone to do in the last two weeks, and do I really want to be fully conscious and sober for that?

The bartender slides our drinks over to us with a smile, and I answer my own question. No, I do not want to be fully conscious or sober for anything that’s going to happen next.

The atmosphere in the bar picks up after that, with one drink down and another round ordered a fresh group of people come in, the energy is livelier, and the music is a little bit louder and a little bit better. Kendra is tempted to dance, I can tell from her frantic tapping of her hands and feet, but there isn’t really any space to do it in here and everyone seems to be particularly excited over a sporting event.

Actually, why not? I drag her to one of the screens and despite not being particularly engaged with the sport or the team, we introduce ourselves to the group watching and quickly fall under their spell of rooting for victory.

It’s nice. Jumping up to our feet when something happens, gasping and clinging to each other in tense moments.

Another drink: This one is just a double shot of whiskey. We’re drinking with another girl at this point, a tall and beautiful and hopefully sapphic woman that Kendra is doing her best (and failing) not to salivate over, with long dark hair and darker eyes but a very soft and feminine voice that absolutely does not hint at the pure rage she expresses when her team fumbles a play.

“I will never understand how you can do that,” Kendra says. “I love drinking and I still wouldn’t do that with whiskey.”

I want to tell her it’s because we have very different taste buds–she likes sweet and floral or soda-like alcohol, and I like anything incredibly bitter and subtle, but the words get mussed in my mouth so I end up laughing it off and get up to order another drink.

“Get me one,” Kendra’s friend calls. “You can put it on Kendra’s tab! Anything with tequila!”

“You’re really impressing me and the gentleman over there,” the bartender tells me.

I lean forward over the bar, heart beating in my ears. “Huh?”

He pushes a bright blue drink across the bar to me. “This is from your buddy in the sports group.”

My mouth opens slightly. “Is that an Adios, Motherfucker?”

The bartender laughs a short, abrupt laugh. “I usually hear Adios, Mother F’er, or just an ‘Adios,’ but fuck yeah. Good for you.”

I pick up the drink and then turn around to look back at the group of cheery sports-watchers. “Who’d you say?”

“That one. Guy in the white shirt?”

It’s dim and alcohol makes it hard to see straight, but I pick out the white silhouette of the guy’s shirt and nod absently at the bartender. “Thanks, dude!”

On my way back over to the group, I try to meander, try not to make a direct beeline for the dude, but that’s essentially what happens. Except as I pass Kendra I hear her stifle her laughter and turn to her friend:

“I think you just got stiffed.”

“Whatever. You should get me one, then.”

Kendra leaps up, and brushes her hand over my shoulder as she passes me. To check if I’m alright maybe. I am.

My drink is–not delicious, but not terrible, and heavily, heavily concentrated. I haven’t had one since college so it’s a nice trip down memory lane.

I come up on him, the guy who bought me a drink, a moment later and raise my glass. “Nice. I haven’t had an Adios since college.”

He laughs. Up close he’s very attractive. He introduces himself, but I get distracted by the motion of his hands (he has a set of interesting tattoos and scars) and honestly his name doesn’t even make it fully into my consciousness before I completely erase it.

Whatever. Who needs a name? I introduce myself back, and before I can thank him again for the drink, something happens that has all of our new bar friends leaping to their feet with cries of indignation.

Yes. This is very fun.

Two more drinks down: I finish the Adios to a crowd of cheers and do shots with my new handsome male friend, Kendra, and Kendra’s very handsome female friend. Now I’m beyond dizzy–I want to go hide in the bathroom and try to breathe through some of it–but I’m too hyped. Too excited.

We’re getting to the end of the game. The scores are close but our team is definitely in the lead. Strange to feel camaraderie with people I barely know for a team I’ve certainly never supported in the past.

The homestretch. Everyone is clustered around the TV–even the bartender is at our end of the bar, hovering, trapped by the contagious atmosphere.

I grab my friend’s hand. Unlike everyone else, he’s sitting on a bar stool, a little more relaxed, a little less invested, maybe. His hands are very rough and calloused–it surprises me–and give it a very tight squeeze. I think he’s looking at me but I don’t peel my eyes from the game. If I’m blushing no one can tell because we’re all so flushed from yelling at the screen.

And then our team wins!!

I cry out in excitement before I can control it. The bar erupts into chaos, fans jumping to their feet and those few non-supporters shaking their heads at our antics. And in our group we’re hugging, and shouting, as if the triumph really belongs to us…

I want to kiss him so I turn to my male friend, caught up in the excitement, not a chance to second-guess, and I just—

I just lean in and he is surprised, but then kisses me back quick, his breath tastes a little bit like nicotine and I can’t stand smokers but for some reason, for some reason I don’t mind.

His hand comes up to my neck, gentle, cupping my jaw, and then just as quick I step back, still grinning, a little exuberant and a lot drunk. I have to raise my voice over the cheerful celebration going on around us. “Oops, I’m sorry!”

His eyes are very blue, I think, blue like the drink he bought me earlier. His hair is pretty and wild and curly and I want to run my fingers through it. “Uh, no, I mean, I’m sorry. Did you mean to kiss me?”

“Yes, I did.” Did I say I leaned in to kiss him? I got a little over-excited for how much balance I have in these heels when this drunk and to extricate myself, I have to put my hand on the bar and pull back. Oh, but I’m still smiling, I can’t peel the look off my face.

He laughs a little bit at that and then I realize I’m still clutching his other hand, a little tight. I apologize again and go to pull my hand away.

He doesn’t resist–per se–but doesn’t look away from me, either. I brush my hands down my sides, smoothing out my non-wrinkled dress to give my hands something else to do. Don’t grab him and go for another kiss. The aura is too confusing right now. I really can’t tell if he’s about to storm off.

“Do you want to sit?” he gestures to the stool next to him. “You almost fell just then.”

That’s a little embarrassing. I’m back to smiling, sheepish. “Well, I guess I figured you’d catch me.”

“Oh–no.” He shakes his head. “I am too drunk to be trusted with a–very beautiful woman. Like you.”

He smiles, it’s hazy, I can see now that he’s telling the truth about being drunk, and he clasps his hands together, gently rubbing them as if he has something to do.

“Okay then,” I say. “Then are you in the sweet spot or do I need to buy you another drink to take advantage of you?”

“Oh, you’re going to take advantage of me? In that case…” He pauses, pretends to contemplate. “Probably I have one more drink in me until we have to get out of here.”

We both try for a minute to get the bartender’s attention, but he is firm in ignoring us–attention completely directed to the opposite end of the bar.

My friend leans in close, lips almost touching my ear. “I think we might be getting cut off.”

I shake my head and push myself away from the bar. “Hey, you know what, I live just up the street from here and I got one handful of whiskey shooters if you can stomach it.”

He gets up from his seat, smiling again. “Alright then, lead the way.”

I turn in a quick circle, looking for Kendra and her friend, but they’re nowhere to be found. “One sec.”

I pull out my phone–it’s sometime past 1am–and there’s a short, abbreviated text message from Kendra. She’d taken the very lovely lady home. Or rather, the very lovely lady had taken Kendra home. Followed by a live location share and a pin of her address.

I send her a text back. Success with the guy.

Then I shove my phone back in my purse and reach for my friend’s hand again. “Come on, we gotta walk fast, it’s going to be cold!”

If the walk across and up the street was short with Kendra, it was much shorter with my male friend. Partially because I was self conscious trying not to fall down, and partially because I felt warm from the alcohol and that made the bracing cold so much easier to bear.

But thank God we make it back to my apartment and back inside and I’m flicking the lights on as he’s making himself comfortable on the couch. Where had we thrown our bag of road trip snacks? The shooters were in there, purchased at some gas station at Kendra’s behest and against my better judgment, as we had initially planned to stay in all night and drink in the apartment.

Whatever. It worked out in this case. I find it, wrapped up in a reusable tote bag imprinted with my home state, wadded up on the counter.

I come back out to the living room with a bigger smile, holding up the small bottles, and sit down next to him, dropping the bottles in his hands and then reaching down to undo my heels.

When I straighten back up with a breath of relief, he’s taken the tops off and hands one of the bottles to me.

“Cheers,” he says.

Obediently, I tap the rim of my bottle against his, and without breaking eye contact, we turn them bottoms-up.

For a moment I think that the walk over here sobered me up, but then I feel a sluggish haze spreading down to my fingertips. Dullness over my periphery.

He coughs. “Oh, fuck. That’s strong.”

I echo his sentiment. Mouth doesn’t want to obey me. “Sure is.”

One moment he’s looking at me and I’m looking at him and then our little bottles get wedged in the couch and he pulls me across the distance and half into his lap, lips pressed to mine.

He bites my lip, clumsy, and when I right myself, one hand on the back of the couch to leverage myself up, he laughs, breathless. Lips a quarter millimeter from mine he says: “Sorry.”

Actually, looking at him this close… “You know? You look really familiar. D’you get that a lot?”

He shakes his head. “You look familiar.”

Except staring at him doesn’t make it come back to me, or maybe I’m too drunk to care. I grab his hand, and put it on my waist. “I like your tattoos.”

“Thanks–”

I put my other hand on his chest to push him back down. He’s a million degrees warm but somehow not hot and when I kiss him I let my hand trail down his arm–he’s strong, muscular under my touch–and then his chest and feel his heart beating under my touch and then his hands cup my waist, scrunching the dress up and up so he can touch my skin,

And I close my eyes, push everything else out of my head, and think about how all of my skin feels like it’s on fire at the very, very welcome touch of a familiar stranger.

Chapter 3: Chloe Or Sam Or Sophia Or Marcus

Master list: Paracosm Enthusiast Masterlist

#carmy the bear #the bear #carmy berzatto #carmy berzatto x reader #heartbreak #heavy angst #hurt/comfort #carmen berzatto x female reader #carmen berzatto x reader #the black dog #I can do it with a broken heart

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