#I appreciate the handful of people who tossed these last few chapters a like - I enjoyed bringing them to life even if they're posted late

[azikarue]

Life in Color : Index

A collection for MayBlade 2023.

Like last year, this is mostly for personal reference or anybody who might want all the 'Life in Color' chapters wrapped up neatly in one post. This time around, I'm including each chapter's characters/ship, ratings, summary, beginning lines, and links (both tumblr and FFN).

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Day 1: The Past

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Characters: Saint Shields Rating: K Summary: In preparation for their Mission, the Saint Shields have each been assigned a member of the Bladebreakers to target. Mariam's doesn't come without consequence.

How it Starts: “Thinkin’ about Blondie?”

Mariam groaned, inwardly cursing her luck, and whipped around to glare at Dunga.

Something about him rubbed her the wrong way, and it wasn’t the smug tone in his voice when he’d asked about Max Tate just now. No, she’d pegged him for a pain in the neck from the first time the Saint Shields team had gathered. It had been almost a year now, and he’d yet to prove her wrong.

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Day 2: School

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Characters: Tyson/Hilary Rating: K+ Summary: Tyson helps Hilary decorate Miss Kincaid's classroom and realizes they've come a long way since eighth grade.

How it Starts: “I know you’re going with a spring theme, Hilary, but isn’t the canopy of cherry blossoms a bit much?”

Tyson realized his mistake as soon as the words left his mouth. He didn’t need to hear Hilary’s annoyed sigh or to see that he’d asked right as they crossed the halfway point of their time-consuming task. No, he’d known Hilary long enough to know he messed up without any physical evidence to prove it.

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Day 3: Pets

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Characters: Rick/Mariah Rating: M (for language) Summary: Mariah brings a cat in off the street. Rick tells her, in no uncertain terms, how he feels about it.

How it Starts: “No. Absolutely the fuck not.”

“Don’t be so heartless, Rick!” Mariah exclaimed. She had the nerve to sound affronted. Like it was downright blasphemy for Rick to refuse some critter she found in the gutter entry to his apartment. Her face screwed up into a glare that, somehow, came across as half pout, too. “It’s pouring down rain!”

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Day 4: Sci-Fi

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Characters: Kenny and Tyson Rating: K Summary: Tyson tries his best to dodge Kenny's movie invitation.

How it Starts: Tyson was trying not to let what he knew about Kenny’s taste in pop culture sway his decision. It wasn’t easy when the list included Ming-Ming and any piece of media with a talking robot or more than one species of alien.

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Day 5: Crane

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Characters: Claude Rating: K+ Summary: Claude makes it through his first World Championship Tournament with plenty of regrets and even more paper cranes.

How it Starts: Claude started it for something to do. Injured on purpose and forced to play it up for the foreseeable future, he needed something to focus on to keep his mind from racing down dangerous, self-destructive avenues – ones lined with guilt and regret.

He’d been feeling the pull on and off since they beat the Majestics. The desire to peel back the curtain and examine how he truly felt about the direction Barthez was leading the team.

The paper cranes helped.

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Day 6: Restrain

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Characters: Ray/Salima Rating: T Summary: Salima suffers the after-effects of dark memories and too much caffeine. Luckily, Ray is there to wake her.

How it Starts: Salima was running for her life through the jungle. Terror had hold of her insides, squeezing them tight as a vice, making every panted breath hurt like knives in her lungs. Her legs ached from running and jumping over the underbrush, but she couldn’t stop.

If she stopped, it would catch her.

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Day 7: Duty

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Characters: Hiro Rating: K Summary: Hiro has his reasons for siding with Tyson's enemies.

How it Starts: Regardless of what people might think, Hiro didn’t make the decision to join BEGA lightly.

From the outside, it looked like BEGA rose up to usurp the BBA overnight. In reality, it had been a long time coming.

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Day 8: Glitter

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Characters: Daichi/Ming-Ming Rating: K Summary: Daichi finds out there's more to Ming-Ming than glitter and frills.

How it Starts: “Atta boy, Strata Dragoon!” Daichi cried as his beyblade landed one last powerful blow.

The force of the hit sent Ming-Ming’s blade flying into the forest, where it embedded in one of the trees with a sickening crunch. A flock of birds fled in a mass of flapping wings and fallen feathers, after which the clearing was strangely quiet.

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Day 9: Ice Cream

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Characters: Max-centric, featuring Ray and the All Starz Rating: K Summary: Max's third World Championship Tournament isn't the experience he was expecting. Bumping into someone who feels the same does wonders for his outlook.

How it Starts: “Wait, what’s the Italian word for gelato, then?”

“Michael, gelato is an Italian word,” Emily groaned, looking at him like she couldn’t believe anybody could be so stupid. “What’s wrong with you?”

Eddy burst into laughter, causing several pedestrians to turn and stare. If one or two of them snapped a picture, he didn’t notice, too busy slapping Michael on the back as his teammate sputtered out a defense for himself.

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Day 10: Maid

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Characters: Rick/Mariah Rating: M (for language + canoodling) Summary: Rick and Mariah have vastly different priorities when it comes to their days off. Rick does his best to persuade Mariah to his way of thinking.

How it Starts: It was one of those spring days that made most people want to get off of their ass and do something productive.

Rick could tell as soon as he woke up to sunlight streaming into his bedroom and the curtains dancing in the breeze. It wasn’t hot enough for the city air to smell like straight garbage yet, and it was pleasantly cool for what promised to be a sunny day.

But as far as he was concerned, it was the perfect day to have zero obligations and Mariah in his bed, if she was up for it.

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Day 11: Music

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Characters: Julia and Spencer, side of Tala/Julia Rating: K+ Summary: Julia wakes up early and goes looking for Tala. Instead, she finds Spencer and learns what it means to be a part of his family.

How it Starts: There was nothing worse than waking up because you had to pee. Nothing would convince Julia otherwise as she reluctantly slipped out from under Tala’s covers to tiptoe to the bathroom.

At least she didn’t have to worry about waking him. He was a notoriously light sleeper and she knew he woke up every time she so much as rolled over at night. But, since he wasn’t in bed and it was still pitch black outside, that meant it was probably between five and six and he was out training with Bryan.

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Day 12: Fall

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Characters: Max/Mariam Rating: K Summary: Mariam saves Max from falling flat on his face before the World Championship's exhibition match, but it's not enough to stop him from falling in a different way.

How it Starts: Max would never admit that seeing a familiar flash of blue out of the corner of his eye made him do a double-take and stumble up the stairs. He would have fallen right into the seats trying to catch himself, if someone hadn’t steadied him at the last second.

“Thank you! That was close!” he laughed, righting himself. When he turned to address the person who’d saved him, his mouth went dry at the sight of her.

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Day 13: Royalty

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Characters: Daichi and Tyson Rating: K Summary: Daichi feels tossed aside when news breaks of the Bladebreakers' return. Surprisingly, Tyson is the one to talk him through it.

How it Starts: “The Bladebreakers are back! In a recent statement, the BBA announced the return of the fan-favorite team for the upcoming World Championship Tournament. Tyson Granger, Kai Hiwatari, Ray Kon, and Max Tate are considered beyblading royalty by the millions of viewers that tune into the tournament, and it’s predicted that their reunion will make this year’s Championship a record-breaking success.”

Daichi growled and crumbled up the newspaper. His name wasn’t mentioned once in the whole lousy article. Even the picture, plastered in the center of the sports section’s front page, was of the original four Bladebreakers. It looked like it was taken after their very first World Championship win.

“So much for being World Champion,” he grumbled and threw the newspaper across the room with a grunt.

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Day 14: Sorcery

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Characters: Ryu Granger, Tyson, Bladebreakers Rating: T Summary: When Ryu learns from Tyson that Max is leaving practice early for the fourth time, he knows something's up. His attempt to prove it is slightly... unconventional.

How it Starts: It put a smile on Ryu’s face to hear his grandson outside jiving with his friends. It had been too long since he’d stood in the kitchen and listened to the whole team bicker and battle and bond.

Ever since the gang had touched down in Japan, they’d been training morning, noon, and night in preparation for the upcoming World Championships. They barely even stopped for meals – Tyson and Daichi were remarkably chill about it.

That, and the fact that every single one of them were way taller than he remembered, made it feel like they were growing up right before his eyes.

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Day 15: Battle

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Characters: Tyson/Hilary (Ray/Salima and Max/Mariam implied) Rating: K+ Summary: While their friends battle it out, Hilary fights to make sure Tyson behaves.

How it Starts: “Draciel!”

At Max’s shout, Draciel rose from his beyblade to block the oncoming attack from Ray and Salima’s blades. It was a magnificent sight, swimming in the hazy summer air, but standing firm against the tandem attack. When its opponents ricocheted back, Sharkrash came out from behind Draciel, moving so fast that it was skimming along the top of the sand, to deliver another blow while they were vulnerable.

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Day 16: Bouquet

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Characters: Eddy, Michael, Emily Rating: K+ Summary: To pass the time until Steve is discharged from the hospital, Eddy and Michael debate who ordered flowers for Emily.

How it Starts: “Since when does Emily have a secret admirer?” Michael asked, eyeing the bouquet on Judy’s desk that had their teammate’s name pinned on it. He was slouched in a chair in the Director’s office, lazily tossing a baseball into the air and catching it. He looked every inch as bored as Eddy felt.

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Day 17: Hero

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Characters: Moses (Crusher) and Monica Rating: K Summary: When packing Monica's school bag, Moses finds something that brings him to tears.

How it Starts: “Monica, hurry up! You don’t want to be late.”

“I’ll be down in a minute!”

Moses smiled to himself. Hearing his sister’s voice ring strong and true through the house was something he hoped he never took for granted ever again. With one last glance up the stairs, he returned to the kitchen to finish preparing her lunch.

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Day 18: Unpopular Character

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Characters: Alan and Max Rating: T Summary: Alan hasn't seen Max in years when he comes walking into the coffee shop. Fortunately, Alan's break gives them plenty of time to catch up.

How it Starts: Alan recognized his voice as soon as he ordered. It didn’t matter that he was the whole way in the back, hanging up his apron so no customers would bug him on his break, or that it had been years since they’d spoken – he’d know Max’s voice anywhere.

Somehow, it was still a shock to round the corner behind the counter and see him standing on the other side.

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Day 19: Tree

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Characters: Tyson/Hilary Rating: K+ Summary: When a storm causes damage to an old tree in Tyson's yard, one with a particularly sentimental value, Hilary steps in to act as his support.

How it Starts: Hilary knew something was off from the moment she set foot in Tyson’s front yard. The normally uplifting atmosphere had an undercurrent of tension that made everything feel way too quiet for a sunny, spring afternoon. And, when it came to Tyson, quiet wasn’t usually a good sign.

With a deep breath, Hilary followed the path to the front door, glancing surreptitiously around on her way. Nothing was visibly amiss, and she was beginning to think that maybe her intuition was wrong for once, until she walked into the dojo and Hiro said:

“Oh, good, Hilary’s here. Maybe she can talk some sense into him.”

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Day 20: Scars

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Characters: Salima and Goki Rating: K+ Summary: Salima struggles to find solace after the cyber bitbeast incident.

How it Starts: Sometimes Salima spent her nights awake.

It was easier explaining it to Goki when they were somewhere new and exciting. Those times, he’d buy that she was thrown off by the timezone or the different constellations swimming in the sky above their heads. He’d lay awake with her on occasion, sketching the scenery and planning their travels, always tactful enough not to mention her clipped, one-word responses.

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Day 21: Rest

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Characters: Tyson, Bladebreakers Rating: K+ Summary: Tyson leans on his friends in the aftermath of his battle against Brooklyn.

How it Starts: Tyson’s legs felt like jelly as he hobbled down the hall. With every step his surroundings winked in and out of focus, sometimes changing inexplicably, like he’d blacked out for chunks of the journey. It was possible; he didn’t remember any of the car ride home. If Max and Ray hadn’t been holding him up, he probably would have pitched forward onto the ground before he even made it past the dojo’s gates.

Turns out that nothing brought out the bone-deep exhaustion in a guy like a beybattle that somehow transcended space and time, against an opponent with the power to annihilate entire cities.

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Day 22: Cover Art

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Characters: Ming-Ming Rating: T Summary: Ming-Ming's first days with BEGA aren't at all what she was expecting. Turns out, not even pro beybladers can avoid the necessary evils of show business.

How it Starts: Ming-Ming thought that everyone must feel this way in the beginning.

When your life changed so much in a short period of time, it was natural to feel some discomfort alongside the excitement. After all, stylists and photoshoots and glitz were about as far as you could get from biking half an hour to a rinky-dink restaurant job. Of course it felt like her stomach was curling in on itself. That was normal. This was all normal.

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Day 23: Glass

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Characters: Max/Mariam Rating: K+ Summary: Max and Mariam explore some tide pools and find something unexpected.

How it Starts: “There’s no one else out here, Mariam.”

Mariam tensed. Somebody else might not have noticed, but Max could see the sudden stiffness in her shoulders and the way her fingertips pressed white into her crossed arms. He’d become an expert in dissecting her every movement over the course of the tournament. It was how he was able to beat her in the semifinals and also the reason why his stomach became a sea of butterflies every time she looked his way.

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Day 24: Memories

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Characters: Zeo and Gordo Rating: T Summary: Zeo's used to Gordo's visits. What he's not used to, is living life as the sentient shadow of someone who's long gone. Or: if Gordo helped invent Zeo, it's only fitting that he help him reinvent himself, too.

How it Starts: It was a Saturday afternoon and Zeo could hear a motorcycle rumbling up his driveway.

“Just like clockwork,” he muttered to himself. He closed the book on his lap with a heavy thud and carried it to the edge of the balcony to wait.

The gates at the outskirts of the property were barely visible through the lush trees lining the drive, but he could see the metal move through the foliage as they swung shut. Only a handful of people knew the code to those gates. And only one of them had become a regular weekend visitor, even though he had to have better people to spend his time with. Real people, made out of flesh and blood instead of nuts and bolts.

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Day 25: Flame

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Characters: Ray/Salima Rating: T Summary: Ray holds Salima close by a bonfire.

How it Starts: Ray watched as Steve and Goki teamed up to launch what appeared to be half of a fallen tree into the already massive bonfire. Behind them, Michael and Eddy whooped as a spray of sparks erupted into the air when it connected, making several bladers from other teams leap back for their own safety.

Snuggled up with Salima’s legs in his lap on a low, flat rock, a safe distance from the flames, Ray couldn’t bring himself to care. He was much too distracted by the way her laughter reverberated through both of their bodies and warmed him from the inside out. Not for the first time that night, he wanted to cup her cheek, pull her in, and see how it tasted straight from her lips.

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Day 26: Pirate

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Characters: King and Queen Rating: K+ Summary: King and Queen raid their parts stash for the first time in a long time. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

How it Starts: “It’s a shame you have a moral compass now; we could be making a killing off of these parts.”

King rolled his eyes at his sister’s rueful remark. He shot a look her way, but she wasn’t paying attention, too busy running her fingers along a tray of attack rings like they were precious jewels. King recognized them at once as her personal collection of favorites from their parts-hunting days, all carefully packed in a custom case. They were one of the last things they’d placed in the storage unit before closing it up. King hadn’t thought he’d see them again so soon.

Though, he hadn’t thought a company like BEGA would come along and lock away all beyblading parts and components behind a membership, either.

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Day 27: Beyblade

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Characters: Emily, Mariah, Rick, and Michael Rating: T Summary: Emily knows that they're finished if they don't win the next battle against BEGA. She also knows that the odds of Kai coming back are dismal, which means they're going to need somebody else to master the Hard Metal System.

How it Starts: The melodic trill of crickets was more grating than relaxing tonight, Emily realized with a frown. She had too many other things fighting for purchase in her mind, making tension run icy hot from her temples down into the set of her shoulders. She took a deep breath, forced herself to loosen the hold her fingers had on the case she was carrying, and soldiered on toward the river.

The footsteps behind her sped up to match her pace.

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Day 28: Sunset

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Characters: Mariah and Lee Rating: K Summary: After running into Ray and his new team, Lee disappears. Mariah takes it upon herself to track him down.

How it Starts: “Where’s Lee? His dinner’s getting cold.”

Mariah glanced back and forth between Gary and Kevin, waiting for one of them to answer her. Gary shrugged, more concerned with finishing his own meal, and Kevin scowled. He was still pouting about Bruce ratting him out for wandering off to terrorize their competition earlier. Mariah’s grip on Lee’s plate tightened.

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Day 29: Double

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Characters: Johnny, Enrique, and Emily Rating: T Summary: Enrique challenges Johnny to a doubles tennis match which, naturally, requires him to find a partner. Emily just wanted to practice in peace.

How it Starts: “What’s the matter, Johnny? Scared you’ll lose?”

Johnny sneered. If there was one way to get his blood boiling, it was to insult his honor and claim he was afraid. Especially when your name was Enrique and you had a giggling blonde – wearing a hotel tennis uniform with her polo unbuttoned all the way – hanging off of your arm.

“Yeah, right,” he scoffed, rolling his eyes at the way her arms tightened around one of Enrique’s, brushing her cleavage against his elbow. “You’ve never beaten me at tennis. What makes you think that’ll change now?”

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Day 30: The Future

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Characters: Max/Mariam Rating: T Summary: Sometimes the future holds things even better than you can imagine. Mariam wouldn't have guessed that hers held a fixer-upper in Japan or Max Tate.

How it Starts: “Thinkin’ about Blondie?”

The disgust was obvious in Dunga’s voice even before Mariam turned around and saw the scowl on his face. He looked grumpier than usual, which might have had something to do with the fact that he’d been conscripted to help her and Max move. Never mind that she’d been making sure he got the heaviest boxes all day, waiting to see how long it took him to notice.

Mariam smirked. “We’re married now – I can think about him all I want,” she said, drawing out her words as Dunga’s face screwed up even more.

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Day 31: Free Day

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Part 1 Characters: Max/Mariam Rating: M (for implications) Summary: Max and Mariam meet in secret. He has something pressing on his mind and wants to clear the air. Mariam has other ideas. How it Starts: “You know, Max, asking me to meet you in front of my teammates makes me think you’re missing the point of keeping this a secret.”

Part 2 Characters: Rick/Mariah Rating: M (for language and implications) Summary: Rick's not scared of heights; he's scared of a Ferris wheel that went up overnight that more than likely has a few bolts missing. Mariah helps him relax. How it Starts: Rick didn’t make a lot of decisions in life that he regretted. It was entirely on principle. Regret was a waste of perfectly good time – he preferred to shrug shit off and move on with his life instead of agonizing over every imperfection. He’d do it this time, too, if he ever got off this fucking Ferris wheel alive.

Part 3 Characters: Max/Mariam Rating: M (for implications and undressing) Summary: Max struggles to settle into the hotel room with Mariam doing everything in her power to be a distraction. How it Starts: Max didn’t know the suite had a see-through bathroom when he booked it.

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THE END

[redrose10]

Here is chapter 1! I hope you like it. Chapter 2 will come out in a few days. Comments are appreciated!

Yoongi X Female Reader. CEO/Arranged Marriage AU

Summary: You were selected to marry the wayward CEO/Billionaire/Heir, Min Yoongi. You went into it with an open mind and heart determined to try and make it work. Yoongi on the other hand had no intention of ever letting you in let alone allowing himself to fall in love with you. Slowly you start to associate the smell of cinnamon and vanilla with the feelings of hurt and sorrow.

Word Count: 1,693

Warnings: (May get updated as chapters progress): Arranged marriage, cheating/infidelity, hints of smut (Probably won’t get very explicit but we’ll see how it goes), Sexual Assault, Brief mentions of death, Reader grew up an orphan, General Angst, Swearing

The weather outside did not match the feeling in the conference room. Outside the window you saw the bright sunny sky, not a cloud in sight. You longed for the warmth to touch your skin. Inside this room you felt cold. The walls were a dark cherry mahogany. A marble sculpture of a horse sat in the corner. You’re sure it cost more than a years worth salary for you. You chewed on your lip, a nervous habit you developed at some point. Everyone was patiently waiting for the same person to arrive so you could finally get this over with. Never would you have imagined you’d be in a position like this. Being married off to a man you’d never met. You knew of him of course. Who didn’t? Min Yoongi was the CEO of one of the largest tech companies in the world. He was the sole heir to a large fortune being that the Min family was one of the most powerful and wealthiest families in all of Asia. He was dangerously handsome with an arrogant attitude. A womanizer who was constantly in the media and not in a positive way. Just a few months ago we was caught on camera being tossed out of a club for punching the bartender. The video showed him staggering around so drunk he could barely stand straight. He shouted some choice words before shoving three random women into the back of his Rolls Royce and having the driver speed off. Of course the poor bartender didn’t even file any charges knowing he’d never win against the Min family power and money.

Shareholders started worrying about Yoongi’s ability to lead the company, some even demanding he step down. People were uncertain if they should invest in a company run by a sloppy drunk with clear emotional baggage. Stocks in Min Enterprises began to plummet which meant the Min family money started to dwindle and only then did they decide it was time to step in. Which is how you ended up here, sitting across from Yoongi’s parents and some of the other higher ranking officials at Min Enterprises. They had come to the conclusion that it was time for Yoongi to settle down. He needed to find a nice wholesome woman who could help him clean up his image, turn his life around, maybe have a future heir and turn himself into a well respected family man. The problem with that was that Yoongi had never lasted more than a couple weeks with any woman since he was about 19. Often going for quick hookups with women he met at clubs or random models he got ahold of that just wanted to use his name to further their career. In his mind it was easier. No strings attached. No chance of falling in love. No heartbreak. Just sex and send them on their way.

You were a simple girl. You didn’t come from money or power. You loved flowers, blue hydrangeas were your favorite. You often enjoyed a mug of warm milk before bed or maybe some chamomile tea if you were feeling adventurous. Most of your clothes were thrifted and definitely not name brands. You’d only ever had one serious boyfriend and less than four flings. You were the exact opposite of Yoongi and the women you often saw him photographed with.

Which is exactly why the Min family thought you were the perfect match to save their wayward son and bring a good reputation back to the Min name. You had no one else to thank but your old college roommate and best friend Jimin. After graduation he moved away but you kept in touch with each other. One day you get a voicemail from your friend asking you to come visit him in Korea. After calling him back and him assuring you the trip was all expenses paid by himself you agreed. Little did you know of the secret motive. Jimin had moved to Seoul after graduation, quickly getting a job at Min Enterprises. He started as just an assistant to Yoongi’s assistant. Over time Jimin was able to work his way up and was now a member of the board of directors and one of Yoongi’s best friends. When Jimin heard of the Min family plan he immediately thought of you and threw your name into the contenders ring as a potential suitor for Yoongi. You had recently complained about wanting to get out of your small town and Jimin recalled several instances where you mentioned your ever failing love life and non existent bank account so what better way to get around that than to marry a handsome young billionaire.

Your thoughts were interrupted when someone cleared their throat. Looking up you were greeted by the handsome face of Kim Seokjin, one of the Min family lawyers. “Can we be expecting Yoongi any time today?”, he asked probably more sarcastically than he had planned. As the elder Mr. Min started reaching for his phone the large double doors swung open and swiftly slammed shut as the man you were all waiting for stomped over and took his seat next to you, clearly agitated at having to be there.

You knew that Yoongi was handsome, most of the world knew that, but seeing him in person was different than any photos you’d ever seen. Soft perfect skin, piercing cat like eyes, silky jet black hair that he had started to let grow out. He was wearing a fitted dark green suit that probably cost more than every piece of clothing you owned. His cologne intoxicating, a mix of cinnamon and vanilla. He smelled like comfort and warmth.

When he realized you were staring at him he looked over at you turning to a face of disgust before shaking his head and turning his attention back to the lawyer, “Jin, can we get this over with? I have more important events to attend to.” You watched the lawyer lay out several sheets of paper in front of the two of you. “Right so these are the basics of the contract. It’s pretty standard. The Min family will release an official statement announcing the marriage of their only son Yoongi and Miss Y/N. The wedding will take place shortly after.” You watched as Jin turned to you placing an additional paper down in front of you and pointing to the stipulations as he read them off, “Y/N you will take the Min last name. You will move into Yoongi’s penthouse. You will agree to attend all social and/or professional functions with Yoongi and occasionally you will have to go alone as the Min representative. You will be given a credit card to make any and all purchases for any thing you need or want. And lastly you will uphold a satisfactory image as to not taint the Min image. Also please be aware that a divorce is not an option and the contract will only become nullified in the event that either Yoongi or Y/N were to pass away leaving the other as a widow.” You nodded in understanding while staring down at the list of demands in front of you. Things could be worse you thought but this still wasn’t ideal, especially not having the option for a divorce.

Jin turned his attention over to Yoongi placing a similar paper down in front of him and going over his stipulations which were much simpler than yours, basically don’t get caught with other women and don’t get drunk in public. You scoffed knowing that he would struggle to uphold his end of the contract. You were blindsided though when Jin read off the final stipulation, “After the wedding Yoongi will make an initial donation in his and Y/N’s name in the amount of $5 million US dollars to ‘Little Rays of Sunshine Orphanage’ in Y/N’s hometown. Then he will make an additional $1 million donation every year thereafter for the duration of the marriage.” Your lips turned up into a small smile. You had jokingly told Jimin that you’d agree to this whole ordeal if Yoongi donated a large amount of money to the orphanage that you grew up in. You didn’t think he’d actually get it done but you were a little relieved knowing that at least going through with this was going to benefit many children in need. You made a mental note to thank Jimin later. Deep in your thoughts you hadn’t noticed how Yoongi had looked over at you with furrowed brows questioning that request.

Jin placed a pen down in front of you before clapping his hands together, “Alright now that that’s out of the way the two of you just need to sign and date here and here and we can all go on with our day.” Trying your best to hide your shaking hand you gently grasped the ivory pen taking a deep breath before signing away your life to this man you met less than 15 minutes ago. Handing the pen over to Yoongi he glared at you before releasing a loud sigh and roughly taking the pen from your grasp signing away his name. Once it was done Mrs. Min began to speak but was cutoff by Yoongi loudly pushing his chair back and slamming the pen down on the glass table, “I have places to be.” And with that he stormed out of the room loudly slamming the door behind him. Mr. And Mrs. Min along with the rest of the elders followed not long after giving you a nod goodbye. You looked up to Jin who gave you an apologetic smile. He patted your hand as he continued to pack up his belongings, “He’ll come around Y/N. Just give it some time. He puts on a tough act but underneath that harsh exterior is really a sweet kid who got lost along the way.” Going into this you thought maybe this could actually work out and the two of you could at the very least pretend to love each other. Now, after meeting for the first time, you’re not so sure.

[milkypompon]

Chapter 1 | Midnight Musings

pairing: Marc Spector x Reader (implied Steven Grant x Reader, implied Jake Lockley x Reader)

summary: Even after a year living with Steven and Jake in the headspace, Marc struggles to quiet the buzzing chatter. He finds himself frequenting Coffee for Two, a place where brewing roasts fill the air and the cookies are as sweet as the barista.

content: coffeeshops, fluff, innuendo (thanks to Jake), poor shy and tired Marc who just needs his drink

wc: 1.2k

a/n: HELLO Moon Knight luvers!! I'm sweeping out this fic since I've had it around for some bit!

Moon Knight Masterlist || Main Masterlist

Coffee Doodles Masterlist

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Working the closing shift has its disadvantages… and occasional perks. 

People weave in and out of the café from the crack of dawn, then scurry away when the moon is at its highest. Rarely did they stay to settle down on the rickety chairs late into the night, ever so eager to drag themselves home after a long day.

You hardly remember the customers’ faces, usually down-turned with a sour look of annoyance on their phones who impatiently tap their shoe on the wooden floors. 

The man in front of you with waves of hair swept back to reveal his gruff demeanor, albeit a ruggedly handsome one, wasn’t any different from the others. Yet, you try to catch his eye as he sends a text. 

“You work the late hours like me?” You ask and crack a smile, immediately regretting it after realizing how wry it must’ve appeared from your exhaustion. 

He merely grunts in confirmation.

You clear your throat and idly tap your fingers on the granite countertop. “What can I get for you then?”

“Just a cup of coffee. Make it black.” He retrieves a leather wallet from his jacket pocket and pulls out a few quid in exchange for the kick of energy he desperately needs. 

“Your name?”

“Marc.” 

You whisper his name to yourself before reaching beside you to grab a paper cup and scrawling it on there.

Marc watches you catch your bottom lip between your teeth in fierce concentration as you doodle a smiley face next to his name. He wonders if you did this for every customer or if it was a way to keep yourself awake.

Before you made your last mark, you saw him through your peripheral vision staring at you intently. Usually, customers appreciate the little pick-me-up from the drawings you made. You inwardly wince for holding him up. “Sorry, you must be in a hurry”. You quickly cap the pink Sharpie and toss it into a small ceramic pot filled with other writing utensils. 

Marc notes how some were more appropriate or journaling, like the bright glitter pens, than for work. But it was well-loved all the same since it was nearly flatlining from use. 

“I’ll have it out for you in a minute.”

He shook his head, the black locks of curls bouncing slightly. “No rush, really.”

You situate yourself behind the coffee machine, tinkering with the buttons and opening the wrinkled bag of coffee beans. The warm scent permeates the air, even more so when the brown liquid dribbles into the cup. You quietly sigh in relief at the simplicity of the process. You’ve had a fair share of blended and iced drinks often brought back to the counter by unamused customers, claiming that it didn’t taste the same as last week even though there was a clear-cut recipe list plastered in front of your face when you made their orders. 

You carefully fiddle the cap over the cup and hand it to Marc with a tired smile. 

Marc felt your fingers brush along his. It was warm, but he wasn’t sure if it was just from the coffee. Regardless, he nodded in thanks and was soon swallowed by the darkness as he left to sip his coffee at nearly 1 a.m.

The London weather constantly nipped at his fingertips. 

He curses under his breath and shoved his free hand into his jacket pocket. He longed to settle back into his flat and curl up into layers of blankets, which was truthfully a sorry excuse for warmth because of the godawful heater he just couldn’t find the time to fix. His mind drifted to your touch, it was light, brief if anything. But it sparked a warmth that a blanket or a cup of coffee couldn’t quite satiate. 

A snarky voice filled his headspace, Fuckin’ touch starved.

Marc rolled his eyes. Shut your damn mouth, Lockley. 

He crosses the road, not bothering to look left or right, there’s only him, the moon, and some bloke smoking a dying cig by a closed convenience store. When he squints he saw Steven picking at the loose threads of his shirt in the window. 

Quite a looker with a pretty voice. 

Marc sighs in response, Not you too. 

He takes one last gulp at the bitter drink before raising it over the tin can filled with other rubbish. The streetlamp’s yellowish light caught your handiwork on the cup, his name with half a smiley face messily written with your pink Sharpie. He chuckled at the unfinished doodle, remembering how your eyes widened when you realized he was watching you closely. 

Like a deer caught in the headlights, Steven remarked.

Marc chuckles at his words.

–

It was another closing shift. 

You begrudgingly accepted it from your coworker who reminded you with a smirk that the pastries behind the glass was up for grabs the moment you flipped the “closed” sign by the window. Anyone with half a mind would have sticky hands for the chocolate croissant dusted with powdered sugar. Just the thought of warming it up in the oven toaster as you wipe the counters and stocked the shelves with mugs made you a little hungry. 

Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to be eating sweet treats considering the time, but said sweet treats were going straight into the rubbish-bin if you didn’t house them in your stomach. 

You happily hum a familiar tune you heard on the tube while sliding the glass door separating you and your beloved reward for the hard work.

A pleasant jingle of a bell rang over the front door abruptly ending your monotonous tasks.

You toss your head over your shoulder. “Sorry, we’re closed—” 

The same man (Marc, was it?) nods down in apology for entering after hours. He truly was a man of few words.

“Oh! It’s you. I was afraid you were a customer with a complicated drink coming in at the last second.” You dusted your fingers down the seams of your apron and beckoned him inside. “But, it’s the same as last night?”

Marc runs his fingers through the tufts of his curls, the strands wrapping around each finger. You wondered what it felt like. The thought in passing rises to the forefront of your mind. It left as quickly as it came when you hear him call your name after reading it across the embroidered stitching of your apron.

The corners of his mouth turn up in amusement, hardly an exchange for pleasantries, but it was more than what he’d given before. He slides a few quid on the counter. “Yeah, coffee. Black.” 

You pluck your pink Sharpie and begin to write his name on it. After a few quiet moments of gurgling from the machine, you hand the cup to him. 

He furrows his eyebrows.

You quip with a grin. “Did I manage to mess up the easiest order known to man?”

“No.”

“Then what is it?”

“You didn’t draw on it this time.”

You almost laugh but the serious crease on his face was a testament to his genuine disappointment. “Well it wouldn’t be very good service if I didn’t complete my job, eh?”

His eyes shift to the glass covering the pastries as if seeing something you couldn't. “You wanna talk about good service?” A playful lilt tugs at his voice, almost unfamiliar. 

Before you can respond, he mumbles a thank you and scurries out of the cafe. 

Did he just flirt? And… get embarrassed?

I'd love to hear your thoughts and my inbox is always open for requests or if you want to chat!

[golden-cherry]

deal - cl16 (1/?)

Pairing: Charles Leclerc x Reader

Series Summary: Your whole life has gone to shit. Your boyfriend broke up with you, you just lost your job and the Monegasque, who suddenly stands in your doorway, claims that it's his apartment.

Chapter Summary: The best tactic to defend yourself from a stranger? Being dressed only in a towel and having a newspaper in hand, of course.

Warnings: google translated French (I didn't put the translations in the story, but there's a reason to it! maybe you'll figure it out through the series!)

Word Count: 3.1k

series masterlist

A/N: here it is my friends! the first chapter! I'm not sure about tagging people. bad experience and stuff. I still hope you like it! feedback is appreciated! love ya.

The apartment is dead quiet when you get home. Tired, you flick on the kitchen light and toss your gym bag into your small bedroom before grabbing a wine glass from the shelf. You twist the cap off the cheap white wine sitting on the bottom shelf of the small fridge with your teeth, and spit it away. You wouldn't need the cap anymore. You would drink the bottle empty today. 

The whole last week had been unbelievably lousy. Your boss had fired you for a mistake you weren't responsible for, and even though you didn't like working there, you were on the money. 

A few months ago, you had moved to Monaco for that very job. You left your family behind. Built a new life here. Only to find yourself without a job, without opportunities, without prospects. 

You sit down on one of the two chairs at the dining table and open your laptop. Since you were kicked out, the home page of your Internet browser has been searching for suitable job offers, but you haven't found anything yet. You're glad that you've put aside enough money every month to be able to keep this apartment for a few more weeks. And after that, it's either take the next best job, no matter how underpaid it is and no matter how unhappy it would make you, or move back in with your parents.

You'd rather live under a bridge than back with your parents.

Frustrated, you close the laptop. It's hard to find a job in Monaco unless you're already a big shot or born into a good family. And as a former, small-time magazine photographer, you're neither. 

You leave the laptop and your sweaty gym clothes in the bedroom as you head to the bathroom for a shower. The warm water feels good on your skin and tense muscles. The lavender shampoo calms your senses and nerves a bit, but you can't flush that nagging lingering thought - what happens if you don't find a new job? - down the drain, unfortunately.

Ideally, you'd like to stay here, in Monaco. Why not? Life here is great and the people are so friendly that you don't even want to think about leaving it all behind. But the possibilities are limited. And time is running against you. 

You step out of the shower, wrap your hair and body in soft towels, and walk out of the bathroom. 

And just at that moment, the apartment door opens. 

"What the hell?"

The young man suddenly standing in the hallway wrenches his eyes open at your words and winces. Apparently, he wasn't expecting anyone either.

"What the heck are you doing in my apartment?" you yell at him, grabbing the nearest object you could use to defend yourself from the intruder. Unfortunately, it's just a magazine from your old job. You roll it up and point it at him.

"In your apartment?" he asks, confused, dropping the large bag hanging around his shoulder to the floor. He doesn't take his eyes off you. It's like you're the crazy one standing in his apartment all of a sudden. "What do you mean?" He raises his hands placatingly as you take a small step toward him on bare feet with the newspaper.

"Are you stupid? What don't you understand about 'my apartment'?" Your voice sounds a little shrill. You roll the newspaper up tighter in your hands. Not that you can particularly do anything about the man. Just wrapped in a towel and with that little bit of paper. Besides, he's at least a whole head taller. And definitely stronger, judging by his stature. 

The young man lowers his hand to let it disappear into his left pants pocket. You wave your arms behind your head - like Rapunzel with her frying pan. If he tried anything, you'd have enough momentum to maybe hurt him.

"Calm down. I'm not going to hurt you." He fishes something out of his back pocket and holds it up. Dangling from his finger is a jingling silver key. "This is my key. For my apartment. The one I bought." He enunciates each word one at a time, as if you're a child who must somehow be made to understand why two plus two does not equal five. Step by step.

You narrow your eyes. The newspaper stays in place behind your head. "I rented the apartment. A few months ago." You shift your feet apart a little to get a firmer footing. "If it really is your apartment, where have you been for the last few months?"

Confused, he looks at you as if you must know where he'd been. Then he rubs his forehead with his free hand. "Can I sit down? My day has been incredibly tiring and I'm exhausted." He takes a step toward the dining room table, where your wine glass still sits.

"If you take one more step, I'm going to scream."

He rolls his eyes, but stops anyway. "I'm too tired for this shit," he retorts, annoyed, running a hand through his brown hair. "This is my place. I don't know how you got in here or who's supposed to have rented it to you, but you pack your shit now and get out. Before I call the police."

"Why do you want to call the police? You're standing in my apartment!"

"This is not your apartment!"

Like two lions about to go for each other's throats, you stare at each other.

"You leave my apartment now before I call Joris and he throws you out," you threaten him. When he starts in with the cops, you continue with your landlord. If suddenly the cops are in your apartment, he would be informed either way. At least then you could give him a heads up if he really did call the cops. 

Apparently your words triggered something in him, because he lowers his arms and his shoulders relax a little. "Joris? Joris Trouche?"

The fact that he knows your landlord's last name unnerves you enough that you lower your arms as well. The newspaper, however, you still hold in one hand. "How do you know Joris?"

The man no longer looks annoyed, but seriously confused. "Joris is one of my closest friends," he explains. "I bought the apartment in his name. Did he rent it to you?"

Friends? Bought it in his name?

"He did. A few months ago," you answer him. You're not facing each other like lions now, but rather like two deer who don't know exactly how to act. You chew on your lower lip, undecided about what to do.

"I'll call him." As the man pulls his cell phone from his back pants pocket, you can only stare at him in disbelief. If his Joris is really your Joris - what happens next? If he bought the apartment, will you have to move out? You have a valid rental contract. Will it be terminated then? Will you have to move under the next best bridge sooner than expected? Does Monte Carlo have any bridges?

"Good evening, Joris." You didn't even notice that he had already dialed the number. He's not holding the phone to his ear, but in front of his mouth, and you can see he's activated the speaker.

"Hi, buddy. Did you have a good flight?", Joris voice actually rings out.

Your heart stops for a moment and the newspaper falls out of your hand. The man takes one look at the paper and then at your face. "I did, thanks." He licks his lower lip once with his tongue. "I just arrived at my apartment. You know, my second apartment. The one that's in your name."

On the other side of the phone, it's suspiciously quiet. As if transfixed, you stare at the cell phone in his hand, hoping it's all a big mistake. That this already shitty week isn't about to get even shittier. 

"I can explain." Fuck.

While Joris explains to his "buddy" what's going on - "I had rented out the apartment so that it wouldn't get miserably dusty. Besides, it would be completely stupid not to rent out a great apartment and let the money slip through your fingers. I couldn't have known you'd go there. I thought the apartment was only for emergencies." - you sit down at the dining table, still wrapped in your towel, and drink the rest of your wine in one go.

"C'est une urgence!" The man turns off the speaker and holds the phone to his ear. "Je ne peux pas et ne veux pas aller dans l'autre appartement! Tu sais pourquoi! Et maintenant, tu loues ma retraite sans m'en parler? Qu'est-ce que je vais faire maintenant, Joris?" His French is too fast for you to understand in the least. Judging by the wild flailing of his hand, he can't be saying anything good. He raises his hand, touches his thumb to his other fingertips, then holds it to his forehead. His face is flushed as he nags stressedly into the receiver, and you can even see the vein on his neck. "Je ne vais certainement pas à l'hôtel! Comme "pourquoi pas"? Parce que j'ai une résidence secondaire, espèce de crétin! Je peux difficilement l'expulser maintenant de l'appartment que tu lui as loué! Alors je suis le connard qui a jeté une jeune femme à la rue! Comment crois-tu que le gros titres vont suivre?"

While you understand a few words like hotel, idiot, woman - almost certainly meaning you - and headlines, your French is not so good, even after months in Monaco, that you could easily understand him.

"Je me fiche qu'elle soit sexy. Tu ne peux quand même pas laisser quelqu'un vivre dans mon appartement!" He puts his thumb and forefinger to his nose bone. "I'm really too tired for this, Joris. We'll talk tomorrow," he ends the conversation back in English and sits down in the chair across from you. He places the cell phone on the table before drumming his fingertips on the tabletop. "We'll summarize. You have a valid lease on my apartment. I have nowhere else to go. So I have to stay here. What's the plan?" He leans back in his chair and crosses his arms in front of his chest. 

You stare at him. "I should put some clothes on first." Wordlessly, you get up and disappear into the bedroom before he can say anything back. You quickly change, slipping into a dark green Adidas sweater and comfortable yoga pants, and quickly comb your hair. When you leave the room, the man is no longer sitting at the table, but stands in the small kitchen and - cooks?

"I haven't eaten anything today," the man says without glancing in your direction. "And you still had some stuff in the fridge."

You reach for the wine bottle and pour some more into the glass before taking a big gulp. "And you think you could just grab my groceries and cook yourself something?" you ask snarkily. He acts like he's at home. Like this is his apartment.

Well, it is, in theory. 

"I'm making two servings. For you and for me. I'm not a monster." He glances at you out of the corner of his eye as you lean against the fridge to watch him. "Maybe we should start over. Completely new." He turns the piece of chicken in the pan. "What's your name?"

"Y/N" You tilt your head. "And you?"

He furrows his eyebrows in confusion before giving the noodles in the pot a single stir. But as suddenly as the confusion was on his face, it's gone just as quickly. "Charles."

Sharl. The French pronunciation of Charles. And you have to admit, it suits him. As he cooks, you watch him, racking your brains on how to proceed now.

The apartment is small, but living with two people in it could work. One would sleep in the bed, the other on the couch. There would have to be a bathroom plan. And a cleaning schedule. And-

"Can you pour me a drink, too, please?" asks Charles, spreading the food on two plates. He sets them on the table and pulls two forks out of a drawer. 

"What would you like? Wine?" When he nods, you take a second wine glass and pour him the last of your wine. As he sits down, you look at him skeptically. 

Charles raises his eyebrows. "What is it?"

You tighten your mouth into a thin line. "That's my seat."

"Well, there's another chair. Why don't you take that one?"

Uncertainly, you teeter from one foot to the other. You don't want to seem like a crazy person, but in the few months you've lived here, you've always sat in the same chair. You want to keep it that way.

When you don't move, he rolls his eyes, but then sits down in the chair across from you. "Better?"

His food tastes better than expected. To be honest, it tastes better than anything you've ever cooked. But you don't tell him that, of course.

"I don't know how much you overheard of my conversation with Joris" - you overheard everything, you just didn't understand anything - "but I'm afraid I have nowhere else to go. Personal reasons." He pokes at his chicken for a moment. "And I don't want to put you out on the street, either, of course. I can't at all. After all, you have a valid lease and I can't just kick you out, even if it is my apartment." He looks up from his food and looks at you. His eyes are an impossibly beautiful green.

"What do you say we live here together? Just until my situation eases up," he suggests. Before you can say anything, he continues speaking. "I know the apartment is small and there's only one bed, but if we agree on cleaning and shopping and everything, I'm sure we can work it out."

There's a sparkle in his eye. You'd like to know why he can't go to his other apartment. Why he can't go to a hotel. Why he absolutely has to go to his second apartment. But he said himself it was an emergency. And you've known each other for what? An hour? Even if you asked, he certainly wouldn't tell you. 

Private is private.

And maybe it's not permanent. True, you could say on your own that you could go to a hotel, but on what money? For sure you could negotiate with Joris. You move out and stop paying rent. But what if you happen to find a job after all? Then you'd have to look for a new apartment again, because hotels in Monaco aren't exactly cheap. And you certainly won't get a cheaper apartment than this one.

"All right."

Charles doesn't seem particularly surprised, but relieved nonetheless. More like his suggestion wasn't a suggestion, but a fact you'd have to agree to. Which makes you very uneasy.

Maybe he's the kind of guy who takes advantage of his looks to trick young women like you and then murder them in their sleep. Or maybe he'll drug you and sell you to the nearest human trafficker. Or-

"Then maybe we should talk about the sleeping arrangement." He takes a sip of wine and screws up his face. "I thought this was dry wine."

"Dry wine is gross."

Charles exhales audibly. "That's debatable. Whatever." He puts the glass back, but a little farther away than you had put it earlier. "You can sleep in the bed for all I care. I'll sleep on the couch. It shouldn't be that uncomfortable. Except - if it's okay with you - sometimes I'd like to sleep in the bedroom to save my back." His offer sounds reasonable. Once you fell asleep on the couch from fatigue. You could have saved yourself the backache the next day.

"No problem." You smile kindly at him. "Thanks. For letting me have the bed, I mean." And for not kicking me out.

He nods before standing up, taking the two empty plates and placing them in the sink. Charles turns around, hands braced on the ledge behind him. "We can wash this tomorrow, if you like. I'm too tired for that now. And you don't seem like you're particularly up for it right now, either."

He's right. Although your fingers are itching to wash the dishes and put everything in its place, you're so exhausted from the day and the terror of suddenly having a stranger in your apartment that you could fall asleep standing up. So you just nod. 

"I'll just go brush my teeth. Then you can go to the bathroom."

Charles sticks his thumb up before you disappear into the bathroom and quickly get ready for bed. Thank goodness you cleaned the whole apartment yesterday, so you don't have to worry about things lying around or dirt. 

As you exit the bathroom, Charles is settling into the couch. "I grabbed the second set of bedding from the closet in the hallway. You certainly don't need that, do you?" he asks. You shake your head. "Great. I sleep without an alarm clock until 9 most nights. So would be great if you could keep it down until then. The walls aren't very thick, I'm afraid." He spreads out the comforter while you stand in the room, still unsure, watching him. "Do you have to go to work tomorrow? No? Great. Then we can talk about the rest tomorrow. About cleaning and stuff. We'll figure it out." His smile is almost infectious as he pushes past you to go to the bathroom. "Good night, Y/N."

Just before he closes the bathroom door behind him, you see him pull his shirt over his head and his back muscles move under his tanned skin. 

Just at that moment, your cell phone rings. Without looking to see who's calling, you push the caller away. There is only one person who could be calling at such a late hour. And you definitely don't want to talk to that person. 

A few minutes later, you're lying in bed with the covers pulled up to your chin and the door locked for safety - you never know - and you're racking your brains about what needs to be sorted out tomorrow. And whether the whole thing might not have been a stupid idea after all. 

Living with a complete stranger? Who could possibly kill you in the night? Or worse - could put you out on the street from one moment to the next?

You turn on your side, one hand tucked under your cheek, the other between your knees.

Maybe Charles is nice enough and living together works out great. Maybe you'll even become friends. Anything is possible. 

And apart from that - you don't have any other choice. 

Neither of you can go anywhere else. You both need this apartment.

That you both also need each other, you don't know at this point.

next part

[canonicallyobserving911]

WIP Wednesday

Fanonwriter2023 on AO3

Where CANON and FANON collide!

FANON FanFic: Buddie Multi-Chapter - “I’m still in love with you but... I needed to learn how to love myself too!”

Chapter 33 will be posted soon!

This is an EPIC LOVE STORY!

Currently 32 chapters completed: 1.485M Words; Rated: Mature

#1 {Previous snippet}

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I'm excited to finish writing Chapter 33 because at the end of Chapter 32, Buck and Eddie got the call from Angelo, the real estate agent in San Gimignano, Italy regarding the house they bid on back in December and they were informed the builder accepted it. Later that evening, they told their found family at the 118 about it and they had a lot of questions including if they were going to immediately relocate to Italy.

Eddie explained they wouldn't do it right away but he included a caveat that if Buck or Chris say they're ready to go, they would pack up and leave, no questions asked. They still haven't told the Diazes yet and they haven't told Margaret and Phillip either. Will they tell them in the next chapter? Also, in Chapter 31, Buck and Bobby agreed to have a conversation at a later date regarding Buck's meeting with Captain Mehta and the job offer he got from Captain Clarke at the 115. Will they have that meeting in Chapter 33? 👀

__________

Here’s a snippet from Chapter 33 of a conversation Buck and Eddie are having with Lindsey Brown, the executive producer of "All About Pasta", Emeril and the show's production team.

__________

Buck moves his hand underneath the conference room table and he takes Eddie’s hand in his.  He laces their fingers together and Eddie gives him a gentle squeeze to remind him that he’s right beside him.

Emeril’s response settles something deep inside of him because it’s one of the things he was nervous about.  He doesn’t want to consider the job if he’ll be tossed out like a loaf of stale bread in a few years.  Also, he’s been thinking about Chris and how they cook together a lot, therefore he has questions about the episodes.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”  Emeril replies.

“Lindsey, I do have another question but uh… I’m not sure if I should direct it to you or someone on the production team.”

“Please proceed with your question and whomever is responsible for it will respond.”

“Ok.  Uh… we have a son, his name is Chris and he’s my sous chef.”

Emeril smiles big and so does everyone else in the room.

“So… my question is would it be possible for him to join me on the show sometimes?  I—I’m asking because I’m teaching him how to make all my recipes, he knows the secret ingredients and we cook together all the time.  Last night, we made Ritz crackers crispy chicken and we’ve prepared several pasta dishes including one we made when we went to Italy in December.”

Lindsey looks at the producer and the assistant producer and after they have a quick silent conversation, she responds, “I’ll answer your question.  The great news about this being your show is you’ll have 100% creative control.  That means you get to decide the different types of pasta recipes you want to create along with the guest appearances you’ll have on the show.  You can even have an episode solely dedicated to you and your family and if you want to feature any recipes with your son, you can.  Also, if you want him to do an episode all on his own, he can.”

Buck nods, then he looks at Eddie who’s already looking at him.  They smile at each other, then Buck asks, “Eddie, will you cook with me and Chris?”

“Of course, I will.  You don’t even have to ask.”

They all laugh and after they finish, Lindsey continues.  “Buck, “All About Pasta” is your show and you get to decide how each episode is laid out including the recipes you want to prepare along with the schedule and everything else.  The 10 people on your team are all in here and they have specific responsibilities but they all have to coincide with the things you want on your show.”

“Thank you.  I—I appreciate that but I have another question.  Who’s responsible for making sure the ingredients I’ll need to cook with will be on set?”

“Buck, that would be me.  I’m Phil and part of my responsibilities as Art Director is to order the food, seasonings, utensils and whatever else you’ll need to prepare your meals.  The set will be designed however you like and we’ll spend time during the planning stage organizing everything the way you want it.”

He nods and exhales because that’s another important point for him.  He likes an organized kitchen and he wants to have some say so in how it’s designed.  “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”  Phil replies.

Buck takes a second to contemplate his next question and once he’s ready, he says, “The letter indicated that I would have a marketing team to assist me with completing a cookbook and possibly starting a cookware line.  I’m interested in all of those things so… um, how does that work?”

“I’ll answer this because it falls underneath my purview as the executive producer.  All of our chefs are marketed in the best way possible and the first thing we would do is have a brainstorming session with the marketing and advertising teams to come up with a catch phrase that will be used during your shows.  For example, Emeril says, “BAM!” so whichever word or phrase you decide on, our licensing team will make sure it’s not already in use.  Also, you’ll get to choose your own stage name.”

“My stage name?”  He asks with raised eyebrows.

“Yes.  For example, Guy Fieri’s last name used to be spelled “Ferry” until he changed it to match the original spelling of his family’s name.”

“Hmmm.”  He responds, then he looks at Eddie and asks, “What uh, do you think I should call myself?”

Without hesitation, he replies, “Buck Diaz.”

He nods and as he looks around the room, he notices everyone else is nodding in agreement.

After a few moments, Lindsey responds, “Buck Diaz it is and now that we have your stage name, there are all sorts of other things we’ll be able to market for you under that name.”

Is the Food Network production team giving Buck what he wants? 😉

Will Buck accept the job to be the new host of the TV show "All About Pasta"?😁

Since Chris is his sous chef, how many episodes will he be featured in? 🙃

Will Bobby contact Buck before it's too late? 😎

__________

Fic Summary: Months after Buck and Eddie were hit by the same lightning strike; they’re still struggling with the aftermath of it.  But before they make their love confessions, they’ll spend time getting to know themselves as individuals first. Eddie learns to enjoy the simple things in life as he participates in activities on his own and with new friends while Buck learns the rest of the 31-year-old deep dark family secret about his conception and birth. Their journey to forever is still a work in progress but once they finally admit they’re in love with each other, everything that follows their love confessions will be cataclysmic.

__________

Chapter Summaries

Chapter 1 - Eddie makes a new friend while Buck receives devastating news regarding the sperm donation he made for Connor and Kameron.

Chapter 2 - Buck does a lot of research to learn more about the abnormalities found in his red blood cells and Eddie starts a new therapy journey that’s all about him and not the traumas he’s experienced.

Chapter 3 - After more than a month, Buck and Eddie finally spend time together outside of work but it doesn’t end well and they part with a lot of uncertainty regarding their places in each other’s lives.

Chapter 4 - Eddie has a few realizations about his life which causes him to consider moving back to El Paso, TX while Buck continues to be reminded of his past which causes him to take an impromptu road trip across America.

Chapter 5 - Both Buck and Eddie have difficult conversations with their parents and Buck finally learns the truth behind the reason why his mother despised him while Eddie finally tells his mother about the way she tries to control him.

Chapter 6 - More than two weeks after Buck pushed Eddie away after suggesting they needed a break; Eddie decides to try again. Eddie’s there for Buck when he’s at his worst just like Buck was there for him when he was at his worst and he won’t let Buck give up.

Chapter 7 - After Buck’s mental breakdown, Eddie has his back the same way Buck had his when he had his own breakdown more than a year ago.  They share several vulnerable and emotionally intimate moments with one another and they begin to realize their small, sweet and caring gestures matter just as much if not more than any grand gesture ever could because these are the foundations of a long-lasting love relationship.

Chapter 8 - Buck, Eddie and Chris all have their own therapists and during their sessions, they reflect on their pasts while they’re in the present so they can prepare for their future together as a family.

Chapter 9 - Buck and Eddie are there for each other when Buck has to testify as a witness during the trial.  But by the end of it, they’ll both realize their individual and shared traumas are going to keep resurfacing until they talk about them, deal with the fact that they’re in love with one another and face the fact that they can’t live without each other.

Chapter 10 - As Buck and Eddie finally begin to confront their past traumas, they realize how much they need each other to fill in the gaps of their memories.  Additionally, the universe screams at them for what appears to be the one hundredth time so Buck can realize he doesn’t have to ��find it’ because he already ‘made it’ and Eddie’s reminded tomorrow isn’t promised and he doesn’t have to die alone if he doesn’t want to.

Chapter 11 - A “virga” or dry thunderstorm is in the forecast but once the rain starts, the thunderstorm happening outside won’t be able to match the storm brewing inside between Buck and Eddie.  It’s the universe’s final scream and when the tumultuous winds begin to blow, they’ll have one last chance to hold onto everything they’ve built over the last six years or they’ll lose it all forever.

Chapter 12 - Buck and Eddie have always shared a deep physical attraction and an emotional intimacy that’s unmatched but now that they’re in a relationship, they’re learning how to navigate the romantic intimacy they’ve been waiting for six years to explore. The love they have for each other is a once in a lifetime, soulmate, love of their lives type of love that transcends space and time.

Chapter 13 - While navigating the newness of their romantic relationship, Buck and Eddie take advantage of every moment they spend together. As their individual lives, people from their pasts, time constraints and the possibility of losing each other again make attempts to interrupt and interfere with their journey to forever, they love, care for, support and hold onto each other even tighter to withstand it all.

Chapter 14 - Buck and Eddie can see the lights at the end of the tunnels regarding the results of Buck’s Cancer Screening along with everything else they’re dealing with. But are the lights they see exits to the tunnels or are they headlights on different runaway trains that are speeding towards them in an effort to interrupt their forever?

Chapter 15 - Buck and Eddie have known they were exactly who the other one wanted in a partner since they met six years ago when they agreed to have each other’s backs. They’re in a romantic relationship, they’re both preparing to ask the other one to spend forever with them and by the end of the seventh week into their relationship, together they will plan their most important and greatest adventure for their future.

Chapter 16 - As Buck and Eddie begin to prepare for their marriage ceremony that will take place in Rome, Italy in December 2023, they start planning their first international adventure as a romantic couple. Even though Chris is still the only person they’ve told about their relationship, several people who know them have already witnessed the love they share and as the days continue, others will witness it too.

Chapter 17 - As Buck and Eddie get closer to departing Los Angeles for their international adventure, a moment in time will remind them; life is fragile, tomorrow isn’t promised and every second of everyday should be cherished because everything can change in an instant. The result of that realization will cause them to hold onto each other even more.

Chapter 18 - As Buck, Eddie and Chris prepare for family gatherings before and during the Thanksgiving holiday, the “Santa Ana Winds” start to blow and all sorts of expected and unexpected familial drama ensues.

Chapter 19 - As Buck and Eddie get closer to their wedding day, the universe begins to align everything so that some of their parent and children's relationships are strengthened while others come to an abrupt end.

Chapter 20 - With only 14 days remaining until Buck, Eddie and Chris depart Los Angeles, CA traveling to Rome, Italy, for their first family adventure, an early morning conversation about “tying up loose ends” helps Buck and Eddie realize there are still several things left unfinished on their ‘To Do’ lists. The question is will there be enough time to complete all of them?

Chapter 21 - Buck, Eddie and Chris are finalizing their ‘To Do’ Lists, double checking their itineraries and packing their suitcases in preparation for their trip to Europe so they can board their flight that departs Los Angeles, CA on Friday, December 15, 2023 at 3:25PM.

Chapter 22 - While Buck, Eddie and Chris spend the first 8 days of their European family adventure in Italy, their primary reason for going will be fulfilled as well as several others they hadn’t considered or anticipated.

Chapter 23 - As the Diaz Family continues their Italian family adventure, they’ll say, “Ciao” or hello and goodbye to a lot of things almost immediately after they become an official and legal family.

Chapter 24 - After Buck, Eddie and Chris arrive in London, England on December 24th; the Diazes immediately start preparing to spend their first family Christmas together. During their stay, each of them will hear a few choice words that will be the life raft to get them home to complete their searches to be seen and to be found.

Chapter 25 - After spending more than two weeks in Europe, Eddie, Buck and Chris are back in Los Angeles and they’re getting ready to attend Maddie and Chimney’s New Year’s Eve party. During the event, they have plans to make two surprise announcements but the question is, who’s really going to be surprised, the Diaz family or their found family at the 118?

Chapter 26 - Buck and Eddie are once again faced with their greatest fear of losing each other but this time it could be permanent and if it is, then they won’t be able to spend the rest of their lives together.

Chapter 27 - After Buck resumes therapy, he’ll continue to face the fact that he “DIED” in March 2023 and during those sessions, he’ll learn about the 7 stages of grief. As he continues his healing journey, Eddie will be right by his side just like he promised and the Diaz family will start to deal with their three minutes and seventeen seconds loss as a family.

Chapter 28 - Two years ago, Eddie was asked, “What are you afraid of?”; twice, once by Frank and once by Buck but he only answered one of them without deflecting. Since that time, he’s been to therapy and him and Buck got married but the question resurfaces when Frank asks Buck the same question and Buck asks it of Eddie for the second time. However, when Buck asks, his reasoning will be about something else entirely.

Chapter 29 - After Buck and Eddie have an emotionally intimate conversation regarding their dreams, they make several decisions that will affect their future. When everything falls into place, they’ll realize one of those decisions will result in them no longer being work partners.

Chapter 30 - In 2018, Buck and Eddie met at the 118 and after some initial apprehensions on Buck’s part, they became work partners and they agreed to have each other’s backs. It’s been more than 6 ½ years, a lot’s happened, they got married in December 2023 and they have the family they both chose. With Eddie leaving the 118 in 3 months and Buck getting closer to moving past his grief, what will him losing his work partner mean for him?

Chapter 31 - As Buck’s life hangs in the balance from what’s suspected to be another bradycardia event, Eddie’s by his bedside, their son is being cared for by relatives and their found family is in the waiting room. During this time, many questions will surface that could possibly lead to the truth but will everything be revealed before it’s too late?

Chapter 32 - On January 2, 2024, the figurative skies over the Diaz family became gray and filled with storm clouds. Buck’s recent trauma, Chris’ school project and Eddie’s paramedic studies combined with the attack on Buck’s life, all those things contributed to the grief they’ve been experiencing. However, as the middle of February approaches, will the dark clouds dissipate so blue skies can return?

Chapter 33 - Will be posted soon.

__________

Read chapters 1-32 are available on AO3.

Continue reading on AO3

Chapter 33 will be posted soon.

[alovesreading]

Constant Repeat | Part 17

Summary: Having worked at Focus Creeps for a year, Ella knows that as a production assistant and part of the crew, there’s one important rule: don’t interact with the talent unless it’s needed. But once she meets Arctic Monkeys, and the recording of the music videos for their upcoming fourth studio album starts, the band seem to become her exception. Not only because they treat her more like a friend than just someone else they’re working with but when Alex continuously makes her blush with his flirting, so enthralled by her that he forgets he’s got a girlfriend, Ella finds herself growing closer to him. As videos are filmed, wrapped and edited, the friendship lines become blurry. Situations unfold, secrets are told and others are kept under lock and key, but how long can Alex and Ella endure being stuck in each other’s minds on constant repeat.

Word Count: 36k

Story Warnings: Throughout this series there will be suggestive talk, jealousy, cheating, alcohol and drug use, angst, smut.

A/N: This took me way too long and I'm so very sorry but it's officially the longest chapter of this series and I hope it's worth the wait. Had a bit of this written for a while and I'm so glad to be finally sharing it with you all, it's one of my favourite moments in this story. Thank you so much for your patience and your constant love, I truly appreciate it and I'm sending all the love to you guys. Hope you enjoy!!!! xx

Masterlist

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 |

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Bonnaroo was always good to her. Being home, spending time with her sister and her best friend, seeing her parents and just enjoying life in her hometown always filled her with the rawest, and most exhilarating amount of happiness. But this year, the Monkeys would come along and that was a promise of an even better time.

Ever since the very first time they attended the festival, Ella and Lily took their mother's car and their friends would go on the backseats, all of them screaming together the lyrics of whichever songs would play on the radio as they made their way to the festival grounds.

The chatter would grow loud as they parked and then put up their tents. Excitement bubbling up inside them, making them toss and turn all night until they gave up and decided to just drink and laugh outside on the grass until they noticed the time and had to crawl into their tents and pass out from exhaustion.

And it was no different this time around.

It was surreal how every time she went to the festival, Ella felt like she was sixteen again—finally attending the event and camping without parents so they could finally get shit-faced and high without having to worry about being caught by their parents—only this time the ache in the bones and their lower backs reminded them that they were approaching their late 20s.

Still, they enjoyed every day of the festival like it'd be their last.

Ella was joined by her sister Lily and Jayne, her best friend, who had brought her fiance, Lewis, alongside with her. Lewis had been coming along for a fair few years then, instantly earning the Hayes sisters approval after he had joined them for the first time, and he was always very enthusiastic about the tradition.

The first day of the festival was incredible as per usual. Everyone in attendance was high on energy and ready for the long four days that awaited them, the crowds screaming along and cheering for the acts, the air filled with the scent of weed and nicotine, people dancing and singing, flags waving in the air.

Ella would sigh and smile brightly every five minutes. So good to be home, she thought at the sight of muddy cowboy boots and beer filled cups.

The group went around the different stages, enjoying the music with Tennessee whiskey in one hand and a cigarette in the other.

And that same thing happened every single day.

On day two they'd enjoyed watching bands like CHVRCHES and Vampire Weekend, stuffing their faces with Mexican food until they had to sit down to recharge their energy.

Day three had been when they saw Cage The Elephant, Damon Alabarn—who Ella and Lily had gone crazy upon seeing so close. If Alex thought Ella had gone insane when she called him after seeing that cover of the NME magazine where he stood beside the Blur and Gorillaz lead singer, he would've thought she had gone fully mad at the festival. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds had been another highlight of the Saturday and the great Jack White had been the one to close the day.

Saturday had been a long day but despite the exhaustion that exuded from the group as they walked back to their car and tents, Ella was still buzzing with energy. The sole reason for the evaporation of her tiredness and the rush of adrenaline that surged through her was the knowledge that the Monkeys were on their way there and would be in the same place as her in the morning.

There had been a skip in her step and she was humming a Fleetwood Mac song under her breath as she walked with her sister to the Plaza to take a shower. And Lily had frowned at her the whole time because not even when they got back to their tents, and they watched Jayne and Lewis leave for the showers, did the director show any signs of being worn out by the long day and wanting to rest.

"G'night weirdo." Lily said to her sister as she went inside her tent.

She winced when Ella replied, "Night! Love you!" in an obnoxiously chipper tone to have at almost two in the morning.

After smoking a cigarette to calm herself down, Ella went inside her tent and tossed and turned all night until she finally fell asleep. The last thing she remembered before succumbing to her slumber was her phone screen flashing a quarter to four in the morning.

Regardless of how little she'd slept, Ella still sprung out of her sleeping bag at around eight in the morning. A little over four hours of sleep was all she'd gotten, and yet it was as if she'd had the longest sleep of her life from how energized she was—she looked like a pinball going from one place to the other and getting ready as quickly as she could to go see if the band had gotten there already.

Ella called Bre a handful of times as she brushed her teeth and did her skin care, muttering profanities every time her calls went to voicemail. She knew she was being awful, blasting her best friend's phone so early in the morning but she was too eager to see them all again, she just couldn't help herself.

Finally, when Ella was power walking back from the Plaza to her tent, Bre picked up the phone and Ella greeted her with a screech and a hasty, "Where are you guys?! Have you arrived yet?!"

When Bre confirmed that the tour bus was parked by the artist's area, Ella ran the rest of the way back to where they had set up camp. After hastily dropping everything inside her bag, she set off with Bre still on the phone to try and find each other.

It took them about twenty minutes to do so, after a lot of chaos heard through the phone and Bre getting lost a few times, and when Ella managed to see the model from afar, a knot formed in her throat.

Tears spilled down her face as she ran towards Bre and when they finally collided into each other's arms, almost falling in the process from how hard they'd bumped into the other, it all felt right again.

They swayed in each other's arms, sniffling from the emotion that overcame them, and it was Ella who pulled back and swallowed a sob to shout softly, "You're engaged!"

"I know!" Bre said in the same volume, breathlessly, still unable to wrap her head around the fact that Matt had gotten down on one knee as they walked down the streets of Amsterdam and proposed to her.

"What the fuck?!" Ella whisper-shouted, looking down at Bre's left hand and her eyes went wide at the sight of the big diamond ring, "Holy shit, that's a rock!"

"I fucking know!!" Bre repeated herself, the state of shock that had bathed her for the past six days made her giggle though.

The model threw herself in the arms of the director again, enjoying having her best friend back again, sighing in bliss and frankly saying, "I missed you."

"Missed you more babe." Ella replied easily, "So much." She could feel even more tears pooling in her eyes and threatening to spill, she had to close her eyes harshly so as not to become a mess of tears.

The second she closed her eyes, Ella missed the sight of a disheveled Alex who came out of the tour bus rubbing his eyes with a cigarette hanging loosely from his lips, dressed in a white shirt and some grey joggers.

It was Alex who noticed her first, managing to blink a few times until he was decently awake. Enough for him to see a face he'd been yearning to see up close for too long.

He plucked the cigarette out of his mouth in a haste, shoving it inside the pocket of his joggers before letting out a breathy, "Ella?" that made her open her eyes in a split second.

Ella felt like the air had been stolen from her lungs, a mere squeak coming from her before she let go of Breana and moved towards Alex.

The singer was faster than her, like a magnetic pull had made him dash up to her, wrapping his arms tightly around her and lifting her up the ground as he hugged her. Her legs instinctively went around his waist, her arms clutching him impossibly tight over his shoulders, almost like she wanted to become one with him and never be teared away from him.

"Oh god." Ella muttered in between tears, trying to keep her emotions at bay seemed like an impossible task then when being in Alex's arms brought back all that she'd been missing the past month and a half.

"Darling." Alex whispered in her ear, a mix of relief and hurt that she understood so well. "Fuck, I missed you so much." He added as he inhaled her scent, letting himself indulge in the feeling of her wrapped all around him.

God had he fucking missed her.

"Me too." Ella sniffled as she said, her words coming out broken as she tried not to audibly cry.

Alex went to put her down and pull back to calm her down but she held on tighter, like a koala, shaking her head softly as she pleaded, "No, stay a little longer."

They stayed like that for a few more seconds, until Ella started slipping down despite Alex's tight grasp on the back of her thighs. She let herself stand back up, slowly peeling herself off Alex to finally see his face and she cooed at the sight of his bedhead and his puffy eyes.

"Awh, sweets. Did you just wake up?" She brushed his hair back softly, trying to tame the strands of hair that fell all over his forehead and tickled the lids of his eyes.

He hummed in confirmation, his cheeks tinting a subtle pink that didn't go unnoticed by her. She giggled under her breath and he brought his right hand to her waist to pinch her flesh softly to scold her for laughing at him.

"How've you been? Has the festival been good so far?" Alex changed the topic, his eyes catching Bre with a smirk on her face closely watching the scene unfold in front of her.

Just as Ella nodded and corrected his wording by saying, "Amazing." Alex watched as Breana winked at him and left for the bus, possibly going back inside the vehicle to wake her fiance up.

Alex was relieved to be alone with Ella just as the girl added, "But it just got a thousand times better."

He could freely smile like an absolute idiot and dip down to press a bunch of kisses all over her face as he mumbled, "Aren't you cute?" He could hear the twang of her southern accent weaving around her words and it was doing things to him.

Ella giggled stupidly as he attacked her face with short sweet pecks, the apples of her cheeks aching from how hard she was smiling by the time he ended up kissing down her jaw and left one last kiss on the side of her neck before he stated, "Love you."

"Love you too." She reciprocated, letting her arms cross around the back of his neck, fingers going up to his hair and his eyes fluttered at the feeling of her nails scratching softly on his scalp.

"God, I missed you." His words came out like a groan, one that reverberated against her chest and awoke a fire that she'd been trying to keep contained for the past few months. A fire that she had been trying to ignore, like the wind could sizzle down the flames until they dropped to a few agonizing sparks all on its own.

Ella couldn't not admit, "Missed you more."

But Alex shook his head to prove his point, "Impossible."

Nothing could compare anymore. After coming to terms with how he truly felt about Ella, it was like he was burning up alive at that very moment, wanting nothing more than to scream it out for everyone to hear—how it was only her, how badly he wanted to just be able to kiss her and hold her and never have to be away from her, as selfish as that sounded.

"Where are the rest of the guys?" Ella asked once she pulled back from the hug, snapping Alex out of his trance. She could see the way he looked at her and it was making her knees weak.

Does he realize the way he's looking at me? She thought, wanting to tell him to stop and have some mercy on her heart. She could only bear so much.

Clearing her throat, she made a stupid question to which she already knew the answer to, "Kelly and Katie came along, yeah?"

Alex still nodded, despite knowing that Ella had been on facetime with the two a few days before and just talking about how much fun it'd be once they got to see each other again. "Mhm. They're still asleep."

Ella was about to wince and apologize for coming by so early when a familiar voice rang behind her saying, "Yeah not me."

She turned around quickly and a massive smile appeared back on her face, rushing towards the drummer to hug him and cheer about the latest news, "Helders! Congratulations!"

"Ah, thanks Ellie." He said back, leaving a kiss on her temple and then pulling away to ask, "How's it going?"

"Great! Good to have y'all home." Her stomach flipped just by saying that aloud, like it made it even more real and she couldn't believe it. She had to hold back from pinching herself just in case she was dreaming.

Matt raised his brows at the way she was smiling, gently elbowing her to point out, "Looks like you're up to no good with us here now."

It was then that her sweet smile changed to a smirk, one that didn't match the raise of her hands as if declaring innocence while she promised, "Me? Nooooo. I'm just tryna make sure y'all have the best time over here."

Right then, Bre appeared back at the door of the tour bus and waved Ella over, leaving her fiance to not be able to scoop anything out of Ella about what she had been planning for them now that they were in her hometown.

With a skip in her step, Ella made way to the bus and followed Bre inside. They softly walked into the lounge and sat in the black leather settee, whispering as they started to chat so that they wouldn't wake the rest of the group up.

However, when Matt and Alex walked back inside and they joined the two girls in the lounge, their volume got louder and it ended up waking everyone up.

Nick was the first to come out to the lounge, rubbing his eyes until he saw Ella sitting there with Alex's arm draped over her shoulders and he froze in his place only to quickly walk up to her and hug her tightly.

Just as Ella was about to ask about Kelly, the pregnant woman came out wobbling her way down the slim hallway. Her face lit up when she saw the American girl there with them after so long. Ella, of course cried when she hugged her and saw the amount that her bump had grown. It was so mental to think that Kelly was already five months along.

Jamie and Katie came out of the bunk area twenty minutes later, actually looking ready for the day unlike everyone else in the lounge.

"When are you gonna make me an auntie then?" Ella said teasingly after hugging the couple, congratulating them properly for their marriage then, and shedding some more tears over the love she had for them.

"Don't." Alex warned as he shook his head, "They're already horrendous. Don't encourage them."

Laughter filled the room at the despair the singer let shine through his words. Alex was so happy to hear Ella's laugh right by his ear again, having her lean into him as she giggled, her hand coming to squeeze his thigh softly and leaving her warm touch there until she inevitably moved.

Ella's phone rang loudly interrupting their conversation, and when she saw that it was her sister and that it was nearly eleven in the morning, she let out a gasp. Excusing herself to answer the phone, Ella walked out of the bus.

Alex didn't even think twice before getting up from his seat and following her, grabbing a cigarette pack from the table and a lighter to take with him.

"Yeah, I know." He heard Ella say to her sister on the phone, "Just get ready and I'll be there in a bit. I'm gonna get you the passes and we can pack up before coming here so we're ready to leave tonight."

His steps were quiet as he approached her so Ella didn't know he was there until she felt his touch on her waist. He had the cigarette he'd pocketed earlier between his lips and offered Ella the open packet so that she could take one for herself.

"Thanks." Ella mumbled softly, taking the cigarette up to her mouth and letting Alex light it up for her. She gave him a sweet smile after she took the first drag, her expression changing in a split second when she heard her sister complaining on the other side of the phone, "Yeah, yeah. I know, don't be dramatic! Just get your stuff and I'll deal with mine, thanks. Stop being such a bitch, live a little!"

Alex chuckled, this sassy side of her wasn't something he saw often and he fucking loved it. He loved her. He sighed in bliss at the feeling washing over him, feeling her skin under his fingertips and watching her just existing was everything to him.

"Shut up! You're so annoying!" Ella scolded with an eye roll, "I'll be there in a bit, stop complaining. One will think you actually miss me when I'm gone." She taunted her sister who only scoffed in response. "Okay, give me five minutes. Bye bitch."

Alex had his brows raised as she ended the call and she was met with him holding back his laughter when she turned to the side.

"She's impatient, okay?" Ella excused her word choice, "She's complaining about me being late on my way back and her having to pack up my stuff. Which won't happen at all, 'cause I'm literally going back in a bit!"

Alex only hummed, siding with her, and Ella smiled at the confirmation that she was correct. "Want me to bring you the passes? Steve left them somewhere in the lounge."

She nodded, knowing it would only be a matter of time before her sister started blowing up her phone again. "Please? The quicker I go back, the sooner I can be back here."

The smile that pulled at the corners of Alex's mouth was intoxicating and the way he squeezed her waist before going back in the bus made her knees weak. Ella almost choked on the smoke she was inhaling as she watched him walk away, the rising sun already harshly hitting her skin wasn't helping her calm down.

She fanned herself with both of her hands, letting out a long sigh and she closed her eyes for a few seconds just thinking about how long the day would be. Yet, she was so incredibly excited for everything that it would bring.

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Just before her sister could start annoying her all over again, Ella managed to arrive back to where they'd been camping. In a haste, she got properly ready for the day, doing her makeup quickly and packing away her things to throw in the boot of her mom's car before turning back to undo her tent and help organize everything in the car.

It was by noon that everything was secured away in the car, ready to leave once the festival was over. They placed the lanyards with their AAA passes around their necks—Ella hanging the strap of her camera around her neck as well—and walked the way back to where the Monkeys were at.

Surreal was how Ella would describe introducing Lily, Jayne and Lewis to the band, two different sides of her life colliding and her heart was soaring at the sight. The fact that they blended in together nicely and the group was enjoying themselves assured Ella's smile to never leave her face.

They spent a good part of the start of the day drinking and eating by the artist's tents, watching the way that the band's crew went about making sure everything was fine and ready to set up later, chatting and laughing as they got to know each other more.

Ella had been drinking whiskey and coke, taking leisurely sips while she heard Jayne's horror stories as a nurse which the lads had been enjoying so much, they managed to get her to share loads of her worst experiences.

"No, trust me, you don't wanna know how we ended up taking that out." Jayne winced as she recalled, visibly shivering at the memory.

The group groaned in unison, making Ella laugh despite being disgusted herself. She went to take the last of her drink, she barely took a sip before her cup was empty. She turned to Alex to signal that she was gonna get a refill, the singer nodding and actually going with her.

Quite a lot of people were gathered around the place so getting to order took a bit of waiting. A few minutes that Ella took to snap a few pictures. One or two of her surroundings and the last one of Alex, who posed with a hand on his hip and a big smile on his face for her.

Alex watched in adoration as she pushed the lever and then turned off the camera to let it rest against her stomach again, Ella's face was glowing under the sun but it wasn't because of the faint sheet of sweat that was starting to coat her skin thanks to the weather, more because of how incredibly happy she was at that moment.

If he couldn't find it in himself to tell her everything just yet, then he could at least share with her something that he'd been keeping to himself for the past month.

"I've got news." He whispered in her ear after snaking his arm around her waist and pulling her close to him.

"Oh?" She perked up and turned to see him, "What is it? You gonna share with everyone?" She was certainly intrigued by the look on his face, and she was thinking of just getting another drink later so that they could go back to the group and he could tell everyone.

But he surprised her by shaking his head, plainly stating, "Just you for now."

Ella wasn't going to admit the way her heart leapt from her chest at the mysteriousness of it all. She prayed he couldn't hear the loudness of her erratic heartbeat and that it wouldn't show on her face how hard she was trying not to anticipate something that he couldn't give her. Her subconscious hoped for a combination of words that made her want to yell at herself, feeling pathetic when the spark of hope made her stomach flip.

She forced it all aside, trying to act cool as she played with her choice of words, "Oh, right. What have you done, Turner?" She crossed her arms, adding a bit of distance in between them, her brow raising as if challenging him for an answer.

"Got a house in Los Angeles."

He was grinning already as he said that but watching how her jaw dropped at the news had him giving the Cheshire cat some competition.

After a few beats of silence, a very delayed gasp and a loud, "What?!" came from her.

All his big smile would allow for was a soft mumbled "Yeah..." that only awoke a million questions in her mind.

"When? How? Where?" She lets them all spill in a split second, a mush of words confusing enough to make the singer giggle.

Ella watched him, expectant for answers, so much going through her head that she really needed the bartender to hurry up and get to her.

He rested his beer bottle on the top of a table they were standing by, turning it around in its place as he explained, "I didn't go with them that time, to that amusement park. Instead, I got in touch with Matt's estate agent and started working with her and she found me a bunch of options, but I ended up settling down for one a few minutes away from Helders."

"Are you joking?" She had to ask just to make sure, as if there was a possibility of Alex joking about such a thing.

"Why would I be?" He quipped back, brows furrowing for a split second before his grin won over again and made his frown loosen up. His hand was still placed on her waist, rubbing circles on the skin that showed as her shirt had ridden up when she crossed her arms. "They accepted my offer last week and they're finalizing a few things before we sign and we close the sale. So I'm getting the house before the end of the month."

Ella was still frozen in place, though her arms had fallen limp at her sides after the shock of the initial revelation. His relentless, yet delicate touch was the only thing that reminded her that time was still moving forward, so she managed to let out, "You're moving in by the end of the month?" entirely in disbelief.

He was really enjoying this, despite the fact that he was trying hard to decipher all that was going through her, grin unwavering on his lips as he shrugged like it wasn't that big of a deal. "If all goes well."

Like a switch had been flipped, it suddenly clicked inside her mind that it was real, she couldn't help but whisper-shout, "Shut up. Shut up!" before throwing her arms around his neck and mumbling in his ear, "Holy shit Alex!!"

"You happy?" Alex asked, pathetically really. He wanted to kick himself for asking, he was being so fucking transparent but he just couldn't help it.

"Of course I am! I–" She hastily said as she pulled back to see his face, that toothy grin still on his face and it melted her insides, "What the fuck?! Congratulations!"

She enveloped him in a hug again, he clutched her tightly as whispered in her ear, "Thank you darling." A squeak came from her in response, eliciting giggles from him.

"Won't be getting rid of me now." He joked, it seemed lighthearted but god did he know he wouldn't want to leave her side if they were going to be living in the same city.

"I fucking know." Ella replied, and it sounded like relief was wrapped around her words. Alex's heart leapt from his chest when she breathlessly added after she pulled back, "That better be a promise, sweetness."

"It is." He nodded softly, staring right into those gorgeous hazel green eyes of hers. "'Course it is."

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Less than a minute after Ella had finished freaking out about the news Alex had given her, the man behind the bar had taken her order and given her a new drink.

Walking back to where the group was, Ella's head was a tornado of a million thoughts. Her throat was dry and her stomach flipped thinking about how Alex would be just less than an hour away, no oceans in between to keep her away from exploring a place in her heart that she'd been avoiding, all of those threads of thoughts that she'd been shoving aside.

It felt so real then, everything he made her feel, every thought he sparked in her mind just by being. There were no excuses that she could hide herself behind anymore, and she was honestly terrified by the inevitability of it all.

She started feeling nauseous, all because of how every thought would cause her stomach to do somersaults and butterflies swirled every corner inside her. Ella was stiff in her place and struggling to focus and get absorbed back into the conversation, and it didn't go unnoticed by Alex.

With ease, his right hand came to rest on her lower back and delicately he let his touch drag until his fingers clutched onto her waist, leaving goosebumps to break on her skin in his wake. A step to his right so her shoulder brushed against his chest, the proximity now letting him rest his chin on her shoulder and ask in a whisper if she was alright.

She turned her head to the left and was met with his face just a few inches away from hers, their breaths mixing together in between their parted mouths and she could only nod. She turned back around, looking forward in an attempt to focus on the conversation that flowed in the group again. Her throat had gone dry so she took a sip of her drink, and another one, and another one. Until the alcohol in her system and the warmth of Alex's touch made her head light and fuzzy and she relaxed on him, her back falling nicely to rest against his chest.

Alex smiled when he felt her finally relax, unable to hold himself back from leaving a kiss on her temple. His lips pressed on her skin for a good few seconds, inhaling her scent and trying really hard not to close his eyes and stupidly hum in bliss in front of everyone. It would be too obvious, but it wasn't like he wasn't being entirely transparent thus far.

Everyone could see it so clearly and, though the band had gotten used to the pair acting that way, Lily and Jayne were the ones to exchange knowing looks every passing minute when they watched all that Ella and Alex silently did.

Breana had caught onto their looks and when the crew of the band had called them up to give them their in-ears and get them ready for stage, the model walked up to them with a knowing smirk and let them know, "They're always like that." When the two girls raised their brows as if silently asking 'really?', Bre nodded, "I know, they're insufferably oblivious. But just wait for them to get drunk, they get worse."

And that, Lily and Jayne were eager to see. But first, the Monkeys had to go on stage and perform to the sea of people that were cheering for them to come out on stage.

Before they could leave, Ella made everyone get together to take pictures. A few with her own camera but most of them with her phone so it was easier to ask someone from the lads' crew to take a picture of them all.

She smiled when looking at the results, her heart swelling in her chest seeing all the people she adored in one frame.

When she looked up, she caught a glimpse of a tan straw cowboy hat that the guys had been gifted, and getting an idea, she took it with her up to where Alex was standing, in front of a mirror by their trailer brushing his hair back after having put gel in it.

She cleared her throat to get his attention, his smile flashing for her through the mirror before he turned around.

There wasn't even a prompt from her before she placed the hat on his head, not caring about messing up the task of fixing his hair he'd just done.

A chuckle slipped past his lips when she smirked and took two steps backwards, swiftly turning on her camera and bringing it up to her eyes so she could take a picture she knew she'd love.

"How do I look?" Alex asked her while adjusting the hat on his head, giving her a twirl that had her smirking.

"Like you were meant to be a cowboy." She concluded as she perfected the focus of the frame, fighting herself not to bite her bottom lip and make it obvious that she was having the most sinful thoughts about him.

Not that it wasn't obvious to him, the way her eyes darkened and went all over him with a speed that screamed she was trying to enjoy every bit of her view. He smirked back and teased, "Do I?"

Pathetically honest, she nodded, pressing the shutter and rolling the film before walking towards him. She stood flush against his chest, after having moved the camera to her side so it wouldn't come between the proximity she so longed to have with him.

Fixing the collar of his striped shirt which clearly didn't need to be fixed, Ella hummed, "Mhm, just missing a bolo tie and your very own boots." Her hands brushed over the fabric on his shoulders and then smoothed down his chest. Her eyes wandered everywhere as her touch went over him and when she looked down and past that big buckled belt he had on to hold his black jeans in place, she saw his choice of shoes and gulped harshly at how well it all tied together, "Though those chelsea boots you've got on work well."

Alex couldn't bite his tongue any longer, his insides lighting on fire under her attentive gaze and he wanted to get a reaction out of her. So, with a smirk still plastered on his face, he clicked his tongue and played, "Right, stop flirting with me."

In a split second, she blushed hard like he had caught her red handed and there wasn't a way for her to fight against the accusation. Her tongue tangled in itself, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of the water and choking on the words stuck in the back of her throat, before the only recognizable sound was a weak, "I'm not–" that she interrupted to just tell him to "Shut up!" as she playfully shoved him away from her.

"Joking! I'm joking!" He said loudly in between laughter, she didn't want to smile to keep her facade on but there was no way she could force the corners of her lips not to lift when the sound of his giggles reached her ears. Yet, she still hid her bright red face behind her hands so he wouldn't get the pleasure of seeing what his words could do to her.

Taking a few steps to close the distance, one of his arms wrapped around her waist. She tried stepping away but he leaned into her space, keeping her flush against her chest. She felt so warm, she shrieked when he kept her trapped in his hold.

Her body temperature only rose when he dipped down further so that his lips brushed against her ear and he whispered in a sultry tone, "You can flirt with me all you want."

Every sound she could let out after that died in her tongue, her breath hitching in her throat as he dropped a singular peck on the side of her neck before pulling her up with him and leaving her with a squeeze of her waist, taking the hat off his head and putting it on hers.

Stupefied. She was completely stupefied.

She couldn't really dwell on her lack of thought or words though, because the guys were taken to wait by the stairs on the left side of the stage that would bring them right onto the stage in a few minutes. All the while, Ella was snatched away by the girls and Lewis who were being escorted to the other side of the stage where they'd be taken up to the balcony.

When they were settled there, Ella was blown away by the perfect view of the stage and the enormous crowd in front of the stage, all enduring the merciless sting of the sun to sing along to the songs the Monkeys were gonna perform for them. Lily, Jayne and Lewis were just as thrown aback by the scene.

There was no time to really process the moment, that Alex and the guys were headlining the festival she'd always known, that they'd be part of a tradition that very much defined a huge part of her life; because the lads walked into the stage and the roaring cheers of the crowd, filled the group on the balcony with adrenaline that was only heightened when, after Alex greeted the crowd and introduced themselves, the strums of the guitar for the start of 'Do I Wanna Know?' broke through the speakers.

After joining the dots about the song back in May, hearing it ignited a spark that burned her insides. Her chest felt like it was on fire whenever she heard him sing the lines she now knew he'd written with her in mind.

But hearing it live, the bass shaking her bones just as much as each word he sang in that voice of his that made her knees weak, was so much different. It felt like something inside her shifted, an impatience poking at every one of her nerve endings, one that longed for something she had no idea how to start, how to bring up.

She thought it was so obvious what she was thinking about, the hope for it all to move along shining on her face and a dust of pink flush rushing to her cheeks whenever he made eye contact with her throughout the song.

The fact that 'Snap Out Of It' followed as the second song they were performing didn't help either. Knowing explicitly from Alex himself that the song had been written about her made her stomach flip, every rasp of his voice made her want to sink to her knees on the floor. Thinking about Alex being jealous and writing the song about her when she was in another relationship made her bite her bottom lip not to smile like a fool.

Slowly, Ella was getting her hopes up and she didn't know if it was a good thing or not. Would she be brave enough to do something about it? She had no idea and she didn't want to think about it. Focusing back on dancing and singing along with the girls, she willed herself to worry about the what-ifs later.

It seemed like Alex had gone for the kill when he went to introduce the third song, Ella's heart exploded in her chest when he walked up to the microphone and strummed his guitar once before telling the crowd, "Bonnaroo, I gotta tell you about a girl named Arabella!"

He made it seem like his finger pointing to the right side of the stage, where the group was enjoying the gig from, was entirely accidental but Bre, Katie and Kelly squeaked knowing what Alex had really tried to do. After all, they knew the song was about Ella, and Bre made sure to tell Lily, Jayne and Lewis about it with a brief and yelled aloud, "This one is about her!"

Ella's cheeks tinted bright pink when the trio stared at her with their mouths agape. It really was a valuable piece of information that they couldn't believe Ella hadn't shared and Lily knew then that she'd need to properly shower her with a million questions because Ella was hiding more than she'd imagined. She thought her sister had a crush and she was just then witnessing how it seemed reciprocated but the fact that she had a song written about her—such a song as well—genuinely shocked her. There was so much more Lily didn't know of and she hoped Jayne would help her interrogate her sister.

The alcohol in her system helped Ella let loose, dancing with the girls and loudly singing along, her chest puffed out like it filled her with pride that such a good song was one she was the muse for.

She watched as Alex snatched the mic from the stand and walked over the their side, her mouth moved as she sang but her breath hitched in her throat and she stopped being able to follow along when he went down on one knee and pointed at her as he sang, "Baby she's a modern lover, it's an exploration, she's made of outer space."

Jayne gasped beside her, loudly approving with a "Yes, Alex!" that fully flew over Ella's head when she watched Alex stand up and this time turn to the crowd to continue singing, "Her fucking lips are like the galaxy's edge, and her kiss the colour of a constellation falling into place."

She couldn't deny she wasn't loving it, the clear signs only fed her and she just couldn't wait to have him walk off stage so she could throw herself in his arms. Her lips almost tingled with the need to kiss her and right that second she couldn't care less about messing things up or complicated them, she just wanted to kiss him.

After 'Arabella' came 'Brianstorm' and what no one but the band knew, 'Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair' was meant to follow. Matt had been the one to put together the setlist so 'Teddy Picker' hadn't been placed anywhere in it, and Alex had only noticed before walking on stage when someone from their crew showed them a copy of the setlist before going up on stage and securing it with tape on the floor.

Alex couldn't play in Ella's hometown, in a festival that meant so much to her, and not perform her favorite song. So he had made sure to tell the lads they were changing the fifth song for 'Teddy Picker'.

Still, just in case they had forgotten, he had taken a second to make sure they all knew it was coming after they finished 'Brianstorm'. Thanks to the loud cheering from the crowd, the group up on the balcony didn't hear Alex loudly saying, "Teddy next, yeah?" to Matt first as he sipped on his beer and then turning to Jamie and Nick mouthing, "Teddy Picker" so that they knew exactly what to do.

The second the first strums of the guitar came through the speakers, Ella screeched at the sign of her favorite starting. She enjoyed every second of it like she hadn't before and when the song was over, she made sure to blow Alex a kiss as a thank you. She swooned internally when he made a ruse of catching it in the air, and pressing it to his heart before blowing a kiss back to her.

So many feelings rushed through her that she felt like she was weightless as she danced. Each line that she sang along to with her friends and sister felt so much more fulfilling in the setting they were in.

Alex took over the stage like it was the place he was meant to be all along, smoothly and entrancing, his voice keeping everyone hypnotized and singing along at the top of their lungs. The crowd swayed like the ocean along the tunes that the band was effortlessly playing, their volume rising when they played 'I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor'.

The crowd slowed down when they started playing 'She's Thunderstorms' and Ella was entirely bewitched by him, his voice ringing in her ears and lulling her every sense. All she could think, see, hear, was him. The beating of her heart grew erratic and her breath caught in her throat when Alex turned to the right side of the stage and looked up at her as he sang, "She's been loop-the-looping around my mind / Her motorcycle boots give me this kind of / Acrobatic blood, concertina / Cheating heartbeat, rapid fire."

When the song died down by its end, Ella was struggling to keep herself together. So when 'No.1 Party Anthem' started, a wave of memories flooded Ella's mind with such force that just let the tears that had gathered in her waterline roll down her cheeks with ease. She was so emotional, sniffling as she sang along while Breana hugged her from behind over her shoulders. All Ella could think about though, was running into Alex's arms and just staying there for the rest of the night.

Thankfully, the next three songs picked her mood up and got her dancing again. Tears were wiped and dried on her cheeks as she danced with the girls, giggling and loudly singing along, enjoying every second left on the band's set.

The second to last song being 'I Wanna Be Yours' pushed her back into an emotional state though. This time around he stole a glance at her as he strummed his guitar by the beginning, when his hand wrapped delicately around the microphone on its stand and he started singing, he kept his eyes closed as if feeling every word in his soul the whole time.

She watched as he lost himself in every line and she selfishly wished he had opened his eyes and looked at her, how she was reciting each word with conviction but it was so much more than repeating the words she knew so well. It was so much more than being a good member of the crowd and proudly singing along with him.

It all was making so much sense to her, and it scared her but she was starting to run out of places to escape from her feelings, denial slipping away from her fingers to protect her.

'R U Mine?' was the last on the setlist and it was mesmerizing to see every time how it brought together the show and it left the crowd with an indescribable high rushing through their bloodstream.

Ella stared intently at every single move Alex would make, her gaze transfixed on the ease in which his fingers moved along the neck of his guitar and the way his hips would move along to the song.

She was almost drooling at the sight of it all and when the song was over and the band bid the crowd farewell, she dashed down the balcony stairs and the ones on the side of the stage to meet the guys again on the grass.

A soft, "Oof" stumbled past Alex's lips when Ella thudded against his back. Her arms wrapping around his shoulder and the fact that she jumped made him automatically hold the backs of her thighs so he held her in a piggy back ride.

"Y'all are amazing!" She exclaimed before leaving a loud wet kiss on the side of the singer's face.

She let herself fall back to stand on the ground, just as he giggled in response to the sudden affection. "You enjoyed that set darling?" He asked with the sweetest smile on his face, eyes a twinkling brown honey under the bright sun that captured her every sense.

Ella hummed with an eager nod of her head, coming to stand beside him, "Loved it. T'was so good!" She assured before wrapping her arms around his waist, humming in content as his left arm wrapped around her frame tightly and kept her flush against him.

He cooed under his breath and leaned into her to drop a kiss on her temple, mumbling a sweet, "So glad you did, darling." against her skin.

When the group caught up to them, Breana teased Ella for running away instead of waiting for them and after she rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out to her, the compliments for the band rained around.

They all eventually agreed to go back to the artist area to get some drinks and then go out to listen to some good music around the different stages. But, even though they were moving hastily around the place to enjoy the last few hours of the festival, Ella and Alex never let the other go.

They were either holding hands or their arms would be wrapped around each other's waists, laughing in each other's ears or whispering around like high schoolers keeping secrets. But the unwavering touches were as if they tried to tell the other that they wouldn't go, they were planning on staying right there and the smiles which never left their faces were enough proof to know that was exactly how they wanted to stay.

Progressively, the pair got tipsy and it was then that Lily and Jayne realized that Breana hadn't been lying about them getting worse when alcohol was in their system. To anyone, it would look as if they were a couple and it was really confusing that they were nothing near it officially when they would act the way they did with each other.

Jayne was about to snatch Ella away to talk with her when she saw how Alex leaned into her and Ella let him close the distance between them, only their lips never met—their noses touched and they beamed at each other in a nauseatingly sweet show of affection that got even cuter when they mumbled 'love you' to each other before turning back around to focus on the conversation happening in front of them.

However, Lily kept the nurse in her place when she watched Ella make herself comfortable and hum in joy in Alex's arms, as he held her with his arms around her middle, her back pressed to his chest and his chin on her shoulder so he could always be inhaling her scent and kissing the skin that was available to him.

It wasn't time for any interrogations, Lily knew that. She and Jayne would have to wait to get answers later, even though the curiosity surely was eating them both alive.

They went around for a few hours before settling in the right side of the back of the crowd in front of the main stage, where Elton John would be performing soon so they figured settling down there and waiting would be a good idea.

A pretty good idea when Ella had a few joints to share with everyone as they sat on the grass to wait for the headline show.

With the alcohol already coursing through her veins, the weed made her relax a greater amount than she already was, melting into Alex's chest felt heavenly. His touch made her feverishly hot and she kept giggling and sighing over how good it felt. The tickling of his lingering touches on her waist, her thighs, her arms, her neck and shoulders, made her smile so big that her eyes kept closing.

Her eyes fluttered closed once more after taking one last hit of the third and last spliff that had gone around but despite her languid state, her brain remained awake and reeling with the images of that very day which seemed to be slipping through her fingers so fast and inevitably like water.

The flashing of the memories she had been making so far kept her grinning loopily in Alex's hold and, though everyone thought she looked silly and it was certainly amusing to see her fall asleep with such an expression, Alex's heart melted when he looked down and saw her so happy even in her slumber.

It really felt like she could easily sleep forever in Alex's arms, and when she thought of that, everything that her mind could focus on was the singer.

Alex felt Ella squirm a bit before relaxing back down, he couldn't hold back from dropping a kiss on the side of her face when she did that. He was pretty sure the corners of her lips twitched in a bigger smile at that for a split second before it relaxed to her loopy grin again once she sighed.

Her stomach fluttered with a million butterflies, her blood rushed through her veins with an increasing temperature that warmed every inch of her skin, every single one of her nerve endings tingled from his touch, her lips itched with the need to kiss him.

She really wanted to kiss him. But after hearing his news earlier that day, she knew that if she did she couldn't ignore that feeling she knew so well that kept growing inside her each day. She knew what it was and how long it had been since she had last felt it. And it was like it had come back so much stronger since it was snatched away from her the last time, ripped right off her chest along with her heart.

It scared her, it really did. Because the realization became clearer by the second and with it the ghosts that haunted her. But the notion was so loud and bright that the hope of it all ending up being okay, the hope of finally having a happy ending pushed close that door where her fears hid behind, slammed it close with a certainty that she felt foolish to have.

But the hopeful sparks shined brighter when she would make a joke and he'd pull her close so he could giggle against her skin. When he smoked and kept their fingers intertwined, fiddling with hers and her rings as he exhaled the smoke upwards. When he kept his touch anywhere on her body as they chatted about random shit, unwavering and burning her like he was branding her and she didn't want it any other way. When his eyes would never leave hers and knew exactly what she wanted without her uttering a word, he had gotten her a new drink or gone with her to get something to eat before she could even excuse herself to go on her own. When he posed for her every time she brought her camera up to her eyes, and when he would take it from her to take pictures of her, which he didn't have to beg for anymore as it was easier for her to let herself be captured by his vision.

And the ease in which it came to her this time was the thing that scared her to a certain extent. Because back at the start, she knew she didn't feel this strongly and yet she let herself go with the tide and eventually she'd drowned.

This time the waves crashed with force against the shore and it was scary and dangerous, but she wanted to take a dip in that treacherous ocean and let herself be swallowed by the waves because she'd waited so long and she had a growing faith that the tide would mellow down until she could just stay afloat in content forever. Warm water that would envelope her like an embrace that she would never want to leave, never want to lose.

It was loud and quiet, it echoed inside her and rumbled through her chest but also buzzed softly in the back of her mind like a reminder, like a faint memory that made her smile.

Alex. It was Alex and it was so clear. She loved him, she really did and it was inevitable. It was a long time coming and the realization was there and it was undeniable. It all had let up to this moment and it shook her ground but it was soft like an earthquake that you can find yourself waking up to but not scrambling for safety, because it felt as if she had always known. As if it had always been there but she'd finally recognized the shadow that hid away in the back of her mind, her heart, her soul.

Ella had no idea how much time had gone by, if five minutes of twenty, but her eyes peeled open and her ears suddenly caught up with the chatter going on around her. She sat up straighter and continued blinking away the remains of her sleepy haze, Alex looked down with a stupid grin on his face as she came back to reality.

"Good morning sunshine." He mumbled playfully, very much aware of the fact that the purple and pink hues of the sunset were enveloping them all.

Her smile grew at the sound of his voice and the sight of the beautiful colors that the sky was painted. She threw her head back to rest on his shoulder and smiled up at him, "Hi. Did I sleep too long?"

He shook his head softly, "Not even ten minutes."

She hummed, a bit confused after losing grasp on time but she attributed it to him, "You're comfy."

A chuckle made his chest shake, "Good." He leaned in until his lips pressed on her cheek and he left a soft long kiss there, his hot exhale making her close her eyes and hum in content.

She loved him. She really fucking did. And those three words burned on her tongue but she swallowed them, wanting to savor the feeling for a bit before she could think about how and when to tell him.

And savor it she did. Every touch, every kiss, every time they sang to each other once Elton John walked on stage, every time he twirled her around only to pull her in until she crashed against his chest and he could keep her there.

When the encore started though, 'Your Song' was the one to send Ella into tears. Alex stood behind her when the legendary singer had walked back on stage, his arms over her shoulders and hands clasping over her chest. She was holding his wrists in place, rubbing circles on his skin which stopped when the notes of the piano hinted to a song Ella knew quite well and overwhelmed her after the conclusion she'd come to earlier.

Alex felt her shake in his hold so he dipped his face until he could hide in the crook of her neck. It was then that he felt her wet cheeks and heard her sniffles, he pouted and left a kiss on the side of her neck before whispering in her ear, "You alright darling? Don't cry."

Her head shook as she sniffled once more before she turned her face slightly and said loud enough for only him to hear, "Happy tears, I promise."

And they actually were. She was so beyond happy to have him there, home, with her and enjoying a bit of her that meant so much. She felt relieved to finally admit to herself just how intensely she felt for him, a weight lifting off her shoulders now that her fears became smaller and smaller when he was so damn sweet to her, when he was just him in all his glory.

But hearing that song at that very moment felt like a sign, one that held so much force that just pushed her to tears. If Ella had Alex's way with words, she was sure she could write endless ballads about everything he made her feel, a million poems about everything she would give him. Alas, she didn't and she had no idea how to make it justice. But that song made it seem so simple and it moved her deeply.

Is it really that simple? she thought, or is it too good to be true?

All she wanted to do was turn around and beg him to listen to every word and swear on everything that existed that she felt like that about him, that she loved him madly and that it had taken a while to get there but she had and she didn't know how much longer she could hold it—beg on her knees for him to feel the same if that's what it took.

"Don't be upset. I'm right here." Alex whispered back, snapping her out of her thoughts. His hand cupped her cheek and turned her face delicately to the side so he could wipe her tears, kissing her cheek when he was done.

"Yeah." She mumbled as she nodded, closing her eyes and resting her head on his shoulder. "Don't go." She pleaded pathetically. It was stupid because she could just say it but a shiver ran down her spine at the sudden feeling of fear, the one that had held her back for so long.

Coward.

Alex dropped a kiss atop of her head and promised, "I won't."

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Suddenly, the fireworks had come alive and the last song of the night was over. Once Elton John had walked out of the stage, the screens turned into a written goodbye and a promise to see everyone next year.

As every year, it was hard to say goodbye. Those four days felt like they'd gone in a flash and it felt unfair every time since this was Ella's excuse to come home religiously, to steal her sister and her best friend away from responsibilities.

There was a cloud of sadness that hung in the air as they all walked back to the band's tour bus. The silver lining was that the guys were staying another day in town, though they hadn't planned anything explicitly with Ella. Ella had planned the day for them already though, and was just waiting to tell them.

It was when they got back to the large bus that the Monkeys offered to take Ella, Lily, Jayne and Lewis home. Ella declined politely since they had her mom's car there to go back home, but she told them then that her parents were expecting them all to come to their home to join them for a barbecue the next day. The director cheekily added that she had more plans for the night but she'd keep the surprise the longest she could.

The guys were wary of the invitation, due to the fact that they just couldn't leave the bus anywhere since they had to leave early on Tuesday and the fact that there were so many of them and they didn't wanna become a burden to Ella's family.

Ella saw right through them and waved their worries away, "Guys, we have a huge farm house. There's like eight rooms in total and an extension out back so your bus driver can sleep comfortably. Plus my parents have a huge fucking field so the bus won't be an issue to park by the house."

Still, they were wavering on accepting the offer, but when Lily interrupted with, "Ella will be insufferable if you don't accept and our parents have been excited to meet y'all for a while now, they'd be sad if y'all don't come along."

They made the sisters promise twice that it wouldn't be an issue to have them over and the two times they wholeheartedly swore on it. And that was how the group ended up following Ella out of the festival grounds, back to her childhood home.

Just like Ella had promised, there was plenty of space beside the huge farm house for the tour bus to fit in. It could've fitted in the driveway easily if the bus driver hadn't been worried of blocking one of the garage doors.

Unfortunately, Jayne and Lewis had to leave right then since they had to work in the morning. So everyone bid the farewell before they could come into the house, Ella making her promise to call her as soon as she got back home, which thankfully only was thirty minutes away.

After they watched Lewis and Jayne driving away, everyone got their stuff out of the bus and they soon were ready to follow Ella and Lily down the cobblestone path and into the house.

The group whistled in awe when they walked through the big wooden doors, which certainly matched the grandiosity of the house. Before Ella could show them around and help them settle into the spare rooms though, she guided the bus driver out the back and showed him the extra two rooms and bathroom that was the extension.

When the director came back, after welcoming the driver to feel at home and let any of them know if he needed anything with a knock on the sliding doors on the back of the house, Lily had already said goodnight and excused herself to go to her room.

"Okay, let me show you where you're sleeping and where the bathrooms are before I collapse." Ella joked as she waved them to follow her but she wasn't entirely playing around since her eyes were starting to close against her will.

She still showed them around with a massive grin on her face, seeing the couples starting to occupy the rooms of her home made her incredibly giddy. So when she eventually got to her room, after wishing everyone sweet dreams and hugging them tightly, she sighed loudly in content before hopping in the shower. Her smile stayed on her face as she fell asleep, feeling warm and fuzzy just thinking about what the following day would be like.

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"Hi guys! Nice to meet you!" A voice they hadn't heard before greeted them as they walked out to the yard, where a long picnic table waited for them with a big array of food that was so American, it made the group smile. Before they could greet the woman back, she introduced herself, "I'm Grace and this is Parker. We're Ella and Lily's parents."

The group went around giving them hugs and properly greeting the couple, and once they did, Grace pointed at the benches waiting to be occupied for the feast to start, "Get yourselves settled, we made breakfast for everyone!"

There was pancakes, bacon, scrambled eggs, cornbread, pulled pork in hawaiian dinner rolls, sausages, toast, hash browns, orange juice, coffee and creamer. It looked like an army was meant to eat there, not the band and the Hayes family.

"Thank you, Mrs. Hayes." Alex smiled sweetly at the fifty year old woman who was expectantly waiting for each of them to fill the plates she'd arranged in each of their seats.

She scoffed playfully, "Oh please hun, Grace is fine. Don't make me feel older than I already am."

Alex chuckled in response, "Then thank you Grace, this looks delicious."

Before Grace could thank him for the compliment on her cooking, Ella and Lily walked out of the house and greeted everyone.

"Rude of y'all to make us wait." Parker taunted his daughters with a playful smile on his face to which her daughters sighed in response.

"Sorry guys." Ella said, and when her eyes landed on the food that was laid out for everyone, her jaw fell in surprise, "Fucking hell mom! Are you feeding the whole town?!"

Grace was about to scorn her for swearing, when Ella stopped in her tracks as she was about to sit beside Alex for she noticed the bus driver was missing at the table. "Hold up, I'm gonna go wake their driver up so he can eat something."

She dashed towards the extension out back and they watched as she knocked multiple times until the man appeared on the door. They couldn't hear the conversation but the man nodded and closed the door again so Ella turned on her heels and made her way back to the table.

Snatching a piece of cornbread from one of the trays, she finally took her seat next to Alex and before taking a bite of her food, she informed, "He's coming in five minutes."

Alex watched as Ella's dad smiled and walked up to her, pressing a kiss on her head and mumbling, "That's my sweet little girl." before he went to join his wife across the table.

The childish gleam of pride on Ella's face made Alex want to audibly coo. He knew there was so much more about her that he had yet to discover and this glimpse into her when she was surrounded by family and at her home was making him fall in love all over.

His heart had kick started when she had come into his view just a few minutes before, seeing her face still a bit puffy from sleep, dressed in some jean shorts and a blue shirt that read 'What would Dolly do?' which made him swallow a giggle. She was wearing some worn out brown cowboy boots that tied her look together and she just made so much more sense in this context. She glowed in a new light at home and it made him fall head over heels all over again.

Alex wrapped his arm around her waist, trying to keep each other close as if their thighs weren't already brushing together. Ella offered him a tight lip smile, her mouth full of delicious cornbread, and she let her head rest on his shoulder for a few seconds before she could get herself food on her plate.

It was once the guys' bus driver walked out, greeted everyone and sat at the end of the table, that everyone started to actually eat.

Grace and Parker asked about loads of things, starting with the band and the tour and how it had gone in the festival, to then asking about how they were finding their little town, if they had any favorite places in America and how it was different to touring around Europe and the UK.

The lads were very witty and made the conversation flow so easily that it felt less of an interrogation and more of a story sharing hour. Which, of course, had somehow ended in the retelling of how the band met Ella and how it had been working with her throughout the years.

Coming to the realization that it had been well over three years since they all met made the nostalgic, and soon enough they remembered that the latest music video they had recorded would be coming out later in the day so they'd get the chance to gather in front of the TV in the living room and see the final product.

Once everyone was satisfied with their very varied breakfast, they all got up from the table and started helping clean up. There had been some leftovers and those were carefully picked up and put away, as the rest of the group gathered the dirty dishes and utensils and brought them to the kitchen so they could be rinsed and put into the dishwasher.

Everything was taken care of after twenty minutes, so the group was good to go back to resting in their rooms if they wanted to—that was what the bus driver had done after wholeheartedly thanking Ella's parents for the meal—but before they could go, Grace had an idea.

As she finished drying the last few glasses they had used, Grace suggested, "Eleanor, honey, why don't y'all go down to the stable to see the horses? God knows Birdie misses you."

At the mention of her horse, Ella lit up and exclaimed, "Oh yeah!" Her eyes went wide and she turned quickly on her heels to go back outside, "Let's go y'all. I need to show you my baby."

The group had to pick up their pace to catch up with Ella, she was practically dashing through the slightly grown out grass on the way to the stable which was to the far right side of the huge backyard—it was more like an acre of land than a back garden, but if they had horses then it made sense to have such a big space.

Ella got to the gates of the stable quicker than them and she swiftly opened one of them ajar right when the group got there. They still had her walk in first to guide them in, and they saw how she inhaled deeply and smiled brightly when taking in the place. She'd grown up in that stable, playing with hay and learning how to care for the horses, sneaking away with her first girlfriend and getting in trouble when she would go out for a ride in the middle of the night.

So many good memories and the prospect of making some more with her best friends at that moment was making her all soft and gooey inside.

"Fucking hell. Yous breed horses?" Matt let out in surprise when he saw the seven horses inside the place, all huffing excitedly at the sight of visitors.

Ella turned to see him and shook her head, "Not really. We used to have a horse each but then my mom's horse passed and we tried to fill the void with two more and with them these two crazy boys came along." She pointed at two beautiful black horses on the left side of the aisle—the memory of helping her parents deliver the two horses would be one to stay with her forever. When Bee had given birth to Stephen, she had been absolutely terrified but almost two years later, when Bee gave birth to Blaze, she'd felt so much more prepared that it became a moment of pride rather than trauma.

She walked further until she got to the most excited horse of all, a brown one with spots all over its back and hips, and luscious black hair. "This is Birdie, he's my best boy." Ella said proudly before holding her horse's muzzle, pouting and cooing when he leaned into her touch, "Hi bubba!" The group watched as the horse started nickering and Ella gave him her attention entirely and nodded along like she understood, "I know, I know bub. Oh I missed you so much!"

When Ella realized everyone had stayed on the side watching, she waved them over, "Come on, don't be shy. He's a lover." Bre got to him and patted its muzzle and its forehead and Ella chuckled seeing how much Birdie was enjoying the attention. She shook her head and scoffed, he really was a big baby, "And he fucking loves attention so please pet him, he'll behave even better when he sees y'all wanting to show him some love." He hadn't changed one bit and she knew that had to be with her parents spoiling him to help him cope with Ella not being home and missing her.

Bre cooed at him, loving how he reacted to them and becoming speechless at the beauty of his coat, "He's beautiful. Can we go for a ride Ella?" The model had grown up going to the countryside with her parents and riding horses was her favorite thing as a kid so she really had to ask.

"Of course." Ella agreed easily, but she had to make sure first before she decided which horse she would give her best friend, "You do remember how to ride, right Bre?"

Before the model could answer though, her fiance took the chance to joke, "She sure does."

"Shut up Matthew." Ella scolded him, half smiling because he was such a little shit.

Bre snorted and rolled her eyes before thinking about it, she looked around the horses and ended up saying, "I do, but give me a calm one please. Haven't ridden in a while."

Ella hummed, looking around and when she saw the thoroughbred that belonged to her mum, she smiled, "Honeybee for Bre it is then."

"Awh I wanna ride too!" Katie pouted before Ella could get a singular saddle for Bre. When Ella turned to her and beamed, Katie gnawed on her bottom lip shyly before admitting, "Don't know how though."

"S'okay, I'll teach you." Ella waved her off. She was growing excited because she loved teaching people how to ride horses. Knowing it'd be easier to take her own horse since he would definitely listen to her, Ella offered, "Wanna take Birdie? He'll behave I promise."

Maybe Katie should've given it more of a thought but she didn't hesitate to nod eagerly and reply with a chirpy, "Sure!"

Ella smiled, but then a thought crossed her mind and she suggested to do one thing before taking Bre and Katie out, "First, let me take Birdie for a quick spin and I'll come back when he's calmed down. If you go on him now he'll get the zoomies and that won't be good." She winced thinking about the time she was fifteen and she'd gone on a camping trip with her cousins and their friends and come back after a long week, and when she'd gotten on Birdie, he was being so aggressive he threw her off and she dislocated her shoulder.

Yeah, she needed to take him for a quick loop before giving him to Katie.

"When I'm back, I'll get it all ready for you too." She promised Breana and Katie with a soft smile, "You guys can follow me on the golf carts if you want. There's a gorgeous lake a few miles down the field." They had a pair of beaten up golf carts that her parents used to get around the property easily, and she was sure the keys were in each of them, ready to be used.

With an impressive ease, Ella took Birdie out of his stall—and after softly calming him down as he started neighing and thrashing around from excitement—she saddled him up. She explained what she was doing as she went, and showed them how to mount twice so that Katie and Bre, and whoever else wanted to ride later knew what to do.

Once on Birdie, she had him slowly walk out of the stable—Jamie was a gooden and opened the second door so they could comfortably walk out and then closed the doors behind him—and showed them the golf carts on the back of the stable.

Alex, Katie and Jamie got in one of the carts while Nick, Kelly, Matt and Breana got in the other one. When they turned on the carts, Ella instructed them to follow her and she jetted off in a split second.

They all heard her loud laughter in the air as they followed, the exhilarating feeling of the wind blowing her hair as she picked up speed on her horse made giggles fall from her uncontrollably. Behind her, the group followed and they gasped so many times when Birdie would gallop higher and faster and it felt like Ella would be flung off its back on many occasions.

It took them a few minutes to get to the lake, but still Birdie wanted to run some more so Ella told them to stay by the body of water while she tired him out. That took about five more minutes. The horse didn't want to stray too far from the group—attention whore, Ella thought with amusement—and when he let Ella walk him back beside the group, the director praised him for being good.

A wide eyed Kelly was the first to speak when she was beside them, "Jesus Christ, Ella. I thought he was gonna throw you off so many times then."

"I know, me too." Ella chuckled, the adrenaline that rushed through her veins made her want to laugh. She was so happy as she explained, "He gets too excited when I'm back home. Don't you, boy?" Leaning in, she patted his shoulder and brushed his mane lovingly, "He's fine now though." She could feel his chest expanding continuously as he tried to calm his breathing down, just like her chest was heaving from the remains of the thrill of the ride.

Behind their pregnant friend, Bre leaned in so Ella could hear her whistle in awe, just before she complimented, "You sure can fucking ride, babe."

That made Ella cackle loudly, the words making her fill with pride so she smiled at her, all smug and said, "Cowgirl through and through, my love. I've been telling you." The wink she sent Ella made Alex clench his jaw. It was beyond him how she could be so hot doing the most mundane things. He'd been watching her with his mouth agape, really having to focus on driving the cart that whole time from how he couldn't keep his eyes off her.

She looked stunning as she dismounted the horse, landing with a thud on the floor, her cowboy boots digging on the mud. "It's a bit muddy over here, but it's so beautiful." She grabbed onto Birdie's reins, to have him walk with her up to the lake, and waved everyone over behind her.

The lads put the golf carts on park and left them where they'd stopped to follow Ella, Nick and Alex holding each of Kelly's arms to make sure she wouldn't slip.

Birdie was a menace so he actually huffed and puffed for Ella to take him into the water, the cowgirl rolled her eyes and told him he could go but reminding him to listen when it was time to go, as if he was a child that could understand her mom's wishes.

The water was warm under the sun, but it was refreshing to splash over their exposed skin. Matt had audibly regretted not bringing his camera along with him for the scenery was stunning, and Katie had asked Ella if she used to spend lots of time there as a kid.

"Oh yes. Loads." Ella nodded, nostalgia flashing through her features. "Used to sneak out of the house and mess around with my friends."

"Skinny dipping?" Kelly smirked, getting flashbacks to the photoshoot they'd had when Ella was over in London.

Ella smirked back, "Oh yeah, amongst other things."

The group laughed, Bre coming to shove her playfully and Ella tripped slightly. Alex was sweating looking around the place and just thinking about the things Ella could get up to, seeing this side of her and finding those little details of her had his mind dizzy.

There was one thing he could easily pinpoint though. He was falling for her even more, and the raw, animalistic hunger and need he felt for her was growing. The hot weather was only making him sweat and feel uncomfortably flustered.

A few minutes later, after a few stories from Ella about spending summers splashing around and getting drunk with her friends there, they all went back to the stable.

Ella got Honeybee ready for Breana, helping her mount the horse and then she helped Katie get on Birdie. She held the reins as she walked both the horses out of the stable and soon enough, she had them galloping around. Birdie was tired from Ella taking him earlier so he went way easier on Katie than she had Ella, and Bee was a sweetheart as per usual, being gentle with Bre and allowing the model to guide her on the pace she wanted to take.

The girls got the hang of it after a bit over ten minutes and then Ella let them go a bit faster on their own. It made Ella so happy to see the smiles on Katie and Bre's faces as they went around the field and she clapped and complimented them when they got to stop the horses effortlessly.

Ella helped them dismount and they walked the horses back to the stable. The girls helped get the saddle off them and put them back in their stalls, filling up buckets with water for the horses to have after their activities.

The cowgirl asked if anyone else wanted to go for a ride but when they all stayed quiet, pressing their lips together, she had to carefully look at each of them to make sure.

When her gaze landed on the drummer, she saw a hint of curiosity on his face so she scooped out a positive reply from him by softly asking, "Matt, you wanna take Stephen out for a loop?"

He hesitated but eventually nodded, "Ermm, sure."

"Perfect. Anyone else?" Her eyes went around the group again, until they landed on her other best friend who had been averting his gaze very obviously as if that would get Ella to not ask him. "Alex, you?" She pressed softly, not wanting to push too much from the get go.

"I don't know." He frowned warily. After seeing how Birdie had been with Ella, he was very hesitant.

"Oh come on, sweets!" Ella pouted, walking up to him with her best puppy eyes and stopping right in front of him to try and convince him. Her arms snaked around his waist and she made a show of batting her lashes, looking up at him with pleading eyes, "You can't come over and meet my horses and not wanna go for a ride. Come onnn, pleaseeeeee."

She had it so easy, she could have him do anything and everything with a snap of her fingers. It made him smile, knowing just how clearly she had him wrapped around her little finger, the love she felt for her making his chest swell.

Still, he tried to play it off as if it was a burden for him to accept, letting out an exaggerated sigh that made her narrow her eyes at him and concluding, "Alright, I'll do it. But not Birdie."

"Okay not Birdie." She rolled her eyes, a smirk on her face as she stood up straight and coming to a better alternative for him, she exclaimed, "I'm gonna get Duke, he's gentle."

Duke was the eldest one, her dad's horse that he'd gotten before he married Ella's mom, and he had grown soft and playful with age. After Luna, Ella's mom horse who had been his mate for the longest time, died he had dulled down and his thirst for speeding around the field and dashing through the mountains had almost left him entirely.

Ella's dad took Blaze when he wanted to dash around but when he just wanted to take a leisure walk, Duke was still his boy.

So Ella sweetly greeted Duke first, taking him out of his stall and getting him ready for Alex. She let the singer walk the horse outside, promising he would behave and he would wait patiently there for her to get Stephen ready for Matt.

The smile on Ella's face was impossibly big when they walked out and Alex was there carefully stroking Duke's muzzle. Her heart melted in her chest and she would have cried if she allowed herself to. The sight of that did something to her, a shift inside her that only accentuated the overwhelming love she now could easily point out that she had for him.

Holding back her emotions, she nodded to Alex to follow her behind the stable again so that he and Matt could get on the horses and go for a ride.

It had been hilarious and equally frustrating to get Matt to mount Stephen, when Ella finally managed to help him up on the horse she'd felt accomplished. But the feeling didn't last long for he instantly started complaining again.

"Owh fuck, my fucking balls." Matt exclaimed in pain as Stephen started walking rhythmically.

"Helders stop being so stiff." Ella called him out with a disapproving shake of her head. "Relax!"

The drummer snapped back with a hiss, "This fucking hurts, Eleanor."

"Too bad." She mocked, "Go on, Stephen is great."

Matt sighed and bit his tongue so as not to complain when Ella clicked her tongue and the horse started picking up his pace. But he couldn't keep quiet for long, not when panic started sizzling in his belly as the speed had increased, "That's too fast, no?"

Ella chortled along with the rest of the group, "Absolutely not. You're going way too slow." Bre was recording beside her and Ella was so glad she'd thought of that because this was being so entertaining so far. Before she could get lost in wanting to laugh at him rather than being a good host and instructor, Ella actually gave him advice to help, "He can feel you being uncomfortable, settle down and relax."

Stephen was going in loops after all so if anything happened, Matt knew Ella would know what to do so he kept reminding himself of that until he relaxed and actually started enjoying the ride.

"There we go." Ella praised with a sweet smile, "You can go a bit faster right?"

"No." Matt shook his head straight away.

"Yes you can." Ella sighed out a laugh. She couldn't believe Matt was that scared of riding a horse. So with another click of her tongue, the beautiful horse picked up its pace a bit more, "Yes Stephen, good boy."

When she praised the horse for following along the wordless instruction though, she noticed Matt's terrified expression so she spared him the stress and told him, "When you wanna stop, just gently pull the reins."

She didn't have to tell him twice because Matt softly pulled on them at the same time as he mumbled, "Ah-ah. Stop Stephen." and the horse slowed down until it stopped just in front of the group.

"See? He's such a good boy." Ella played when the drummer looked down at them all, his eyes still wide.

They heard him muttering profanities under his breath as he got down clumsily, tripping when he landed on the ground.

Without giving Matt more attention, Ella got Stephen and walked him back to the stable. She took a few minutes taking the reins and saddle off him, getting him some water before she walked out again.

She went straight to where Alex stood, holding Duke by its reins, and placing a hand softly on his shoulder, she instructed, "Your turn, sweets."

Alex nodded, his hands starting to get clammy from the nerves. She could see it on his face so she walked up to him, placing her hand on top of his hand which was holding the reins. "Want me to help you get on him?" She sweetly suggested, knowing it would ease him if she was there with him.

"Please." he mumbled, brows furrowing slightly.

Her expression softened and she had to fight not to pout, instead offering him a cute smile to soothe his nerves, "'Course."

Offering one of her hands as leverage, he mounted Duke. He struggled a bit finding his balance on one foot before he could swing his leg over to the other side of Duke's back but he did great and Ella didn't fail to praise his good job.

"Just relax and when I click my tongue he'll go, okay? Don't be scared." She said just for him to hear, she was on the other side of the horse anyway so the group couldn't hear.

Ella waited for Alex to nod and she walked around the horse to stand beside Bre again. Once there, she offered Alex another smile before she said, "Go on, Duke." followed by a click of her tongue that made the horse start walking around.

Unlike Matt, Alex's posture was great, his back straight but not stiff and his shoulders relaxed in good posture. She still made sure to ask, "How's that? Comfortable?"

"Yeah." Alex nodded in confirmation.

Matt chuckled in mock, "He's shitting bricks."

But before Ella could bite back, Nick scoffed and corrected, "He's doing better than you, dickhead."

"Piss off." The drummer quipped back in a mumble.

And it made Ella snort when Nick shrugged and added, "Just saying."

"Just let him go a bit faster, yeah?" Ella pointed when Duke came back after taking Alex with him a mile down the field.

"Okay." He loosened the reins a bit and tugged on them briefly and when the horse started going faster, he muttered, "Oh shit."

"You're fine!" Ella assured, Duke would slow down eventually, he couldn't keep up his speed for long so this was just him wanting to play around for a few minutes.

Watching as Alex kept his posture and continued riding, Ella praised once more, "That's a good job!" Of course, praising the horse as well, "Go on Duke, nice boy." She wouldn't deny that the scene was tugging at her heart strings, it was a mix of happiness and a sense of future nostalgia for the memory in the making.

"You know what to do to get him to stop?" Ella asked just to make sure when Alex and Duke rode past the group.

Alex nodded again, "Yes!"

"Okay, on your own time now, sweets. You got this." She encouraged.

Alex copied the way in which she'd slowed Birdie down and how Matt had managed to do with Stephen, he pulled on the reins softly calling out for Duke to stop and he did. Duke slowed down about a hundred feet away from the group and allowed for Alex to guide him back to them all with ease.

"Nicely done." Ella smiled brightly, filled with pride. "That was great! You did great, sweetness!"

Alex couldn't stop his cheeks from blushing, a loopy smile on his face as his chest puffed out with pride, "Thank you darling." He wondered if he could ask to go once more just to hear her sweet words again and again and again. His knees buckled at the thought of her praising him, that sweet voice of hers drowning his ears.

He was down so bad for her. How embarrassing, he thought at first, but then he wanted to laugh because he really wouldn't wish to have it any other way.

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After putting Duke back in his stall, giving him water and going around the stable once more, they all went back to the house.

Just by the sliding doors in the back of it, they found Ella's dad at the grill, flipping some burgers and cuts of meat with a speaker next to him blasting some old tune that Ella was trying to recognize.

The smell of the barbecue and his dad wearing that apron she made back when she was in kindergarten, made him think back to her teenage years when she'd have her friends over and they'd drive to the lake and come back to some yummy food and her dad's favorite music interrupting the sounds of nature.

Then it suddenly clicked. "Is that The Guess Who, dad?" Ella asked, pretty damn sure that was 'Undun' by the 70s Canadian band.

Her dad hummed proudly, after all he'd been the one to basically pass down his music taste to her. "Yes honey. Could you turn it up a bit?" Parker asked, pointing at his phone over by the picnic table with his spatula.

"Sure." Ella quickly went to get the device and turned the volume up a few notches until her dad sang and it got lost under the loud song. "Does mom need help with anything? Do you need anything?" She asked her dad before they could get comfortable on the seats. There were plates and cutlery organized around the table already, and aluminum trays in the middle of the table waiting to be filled with what was on the grill.

He thought about it for a few seconds before he shrugged, "M'not sure lovie. I'm alright but go check on her please."

Ella nodded and turned to her friends, "Guys, sit down. I'll be back."

Before she could leave on her own, Alex quickly called out, "I'll go with ya'" that made her smile and nod for him to follow her.

She opened the sliding door and closed it once Alex walked in beside her—right before the door was fully closed, they heard 'One of These Nights' by the Eagles came on. There was a stark difference between the heat outside and the nice chill in which the house had been kept thanks to the AC and it made Ella shiver.

Her skin breaking on goosebumps and a chill running down her spine made her almost miss the way Alex smirked and said, "Now that makes sense."

"What?" She asked confused as she started walking on the way to the kitchen.

She knew the cause of his smirk when he said, "That 70s head of yours."

Her cheeks turned bright red and her stomach flipped. This was the first time he'd ever acknowledged any of her connection to 'Arabella' directly to her so her voice wavered when she let out a high pitched, "Stop it." at the same time as she weakly shoved him.

The laugh she got from that made her breath hitch in her throat and she almost tripped because her legs wobbled at the sound. A giggle escaped her involuntarily and she felt like such a pathetic fool but it made her feel warm and nice that it was him who made her feel that way. Only him.

Ella was stuck in a stupid-in-love haze when she and Alex finally got to the kitchen, there Lily was already helping her mom out with finishing up the salad she was making so all Ella and Alex got to help with was taking the drinks and the ice bucket out to the table.

A few minutes later, Ella's mom and Lily walked outside with the big bowl of salad, setting it down carefully on the only empty space on the table which was by the edge of it.

Compliments over the delicious look of the food rained around and Ella's dad joked about everyone not having seen his culinary skills yet as he was still waiting for everything to properly cook on the grill.

But before Ella could get up and have the bus driver come over to have lunch with them, her phone pinged with a notification from Ben.

(17/06/2014 16:39) Hi Ellie, how was the festival? Hope you had fun and that the guys enjoyed Tennessee as well! Snap music video came out almost an hour ago, did you get a chance to watch it? Think it turned out brilliant, we make a good team :))) Anyway, enjoy your day! See you Thursday!!

Ella gasped at the sudden reminder, making Alex jump in his seat beside her and everyone else turn to her with wide eyes.

"Sorry." The director apologized, "Ben just reminded me that the Snap music video came out and I think we should go watch it now before eating."

Grace saw the hesitation in everyone's faces and she smiled softly before encouraging them to go, "Food is not ready yet, go and watch it and then we'll eat."

When Ella's dad agreed on it, they all scrambled inside the house and Ella had to yell out for Lily to bring her laptop downstairs so she could connect the HDMI cable to it and watch it on a bigger screen.

It took about five minutes to finally have everything set and the second they were all comfortable in the couches around the room, Ella pressed play and rushed to her seat in between Alex and Katie.

For the next four minutes, Ella's parents and Lily—who had walked outside after delivering Ella her laptop—watched as the group became entranced by the video playing on the screen. Grace and Parker found it incredibly amusing and it reminded them of when Ella would have her friends over and they would head over to the nearest Blockbuster to get a few movies to rent and tried watching them all until every single one of them succumbed to sleep.

What piqued their curiosity though was the way Ella would lean into Alex, and how he would hold her tightly and play with the strands of hair that fell over her shoulder.

Grace and Parker had noticed the way those two looked at each other and they knew that Ella felt some type of way about the boy just from getting a peek at it for a few minutes during breakfast.

The parents shared knowing looks and smirks, knowing they'd be asking Ella about it later but since Lily was right there, they figured they could look for some answers.

"So what's the deal with them two?" Grace started, catching Lily's attention, "Are they dating and she hasn't told us yet or what?"

Lily shook her head and sighed, "Have no clue, ma. But they were glued together all day yesterday, I can tell you that."

Parker hummed, "Elaborate on that, hun."

"Holding hands, holding each other's waists, kissing each other's cheeks, taking pictures, going together everywhere, giggling and whispering to each other." Lily sighed like it was a burden to recall, "They were disgustingly cute, really."

The list of things her eldest daughter had just given them made them even more curious about it, but before either Grace or Parker could ask about it, Lily added, "Oh and when he was singing, he would keep singing at her and there's this song that Breana said he'd written about her called 'Arabella'. He got down on one knee to sing a bit of that song to her and all."

The smirk on Lily's face was matched by Grace and Parker couldn't help but cackle at the information, "If he's even gonna think of getting down on one knee for her, he's gotta ask me first."

Grace scoffed and handed him a tray for him to place the food that was already done, before shutting him down, "Oh you old man, stop it. They're so cute actually, look at how big she's smiling!"

It wasn't an exaggeration at all for the smile on Ella's face was so big it reached her eyes and the apples of her cheeks were tinted a lovely shade of pink that made Grace coo.

"She's enamored." Her mom concluded, knowing that look on her daughter's face so well. She was just hoping it didn't end badly for her like it had the two previous times.

Lily hummed in agreement, "She sure is but she's too much of a pussy to admit it."

"Lilian!" Parker and Grace called out for the use of such a vulgar word.

"What?! It's true!" Lily raised her hands in defense, "The girls told me she's been in denial for a while. I wonder how much longer it'll take her."

Parker watched the scene through the glass of the sliding doors again, and he smiled tenderly seeing how his daughter relaxed in Alex's hold when the singer dropped a kiss on her temple after mumbling something in her ear that made her giggle.

"Not much longer." Ella's dad concluded; he had a hunch.

Before Grace and Lily could interrogate him as to why he thought so, they watched as the group in the living room stood up from their places and made their way back outside. They begrudgingly had to shut up and leave the subject for later, which they knew they would ask Ella about later that day if possible, especially since Lily had to leave early in the morning and she was too intrigued to let it pass.

When everyone went back to their seats, the food was already set on the table and their mouths watered at the sight. They waited for Lily to come back from letting the driver know that the food was ready and they were waiting for him to join them, and as that happened, Ella's parents asked about the video.

Ella explained the concept behind it and the song and how they both complimented each other, praying she wasn't blushing too noticeably when it came to explaining what the song was about.

After her explanation though, Alex couldn't not sing Ella's praises for her work with the video and when Ella's dad asked in a playful manner, "Is she alright? Not too much of a handful to work with?" Alex shook his head no.

"No, she's always been the best. Talented, patient, fun and so professional." His gaze danced between her parents as he said all that but it ended up falling on Ella when he finished, "She's always been gooden, this one."

Aware of it getting too cute, he poked Ella on the ribs and when she jumped in her place, she burst out laughing. "'Course you can't just be nice." Ella reprimanded with a roll of her eyes.

Alex hummed, "Gotta keep you humble."

The whole table smirked, even Lily was smirking as she'd heard Alex's words when she got back and it was like everyone but Alex and Ella shared a silent conversation about the pair while the two were too busy staring at each other lovingly.

When the driver arrived, running as he thought he'd been making them wait for too long, Alex and Ella were snapped out of their trance and the rest of the people at the table cut their telepathic conversation short. The conclusion so far was that they were so obvious yet so oblivious and they wondered what else needed to happen for them to do something about it.

Lunch went amazingly. It was like at breakfast they'd gotten over with the small talk so everyone was going around telling jokes and sharing stories, especially Ella's parents and they all ended up entertained at Ella and Lily's expense.

This meal went on for longer, as the chatter distracted them from quickly making the food in their plates disappear and though it had ended up cold by the time the food was about to be gone, they still enjoyed it all.

When they all deemed themselves full, Ella's dad brought out a big case of beer for everyone to share, and once those were opened, it felt like a proper homecoming.

It surprised Ella how they seemed to not run out of conversation topics, the sun had started going down to sleep on the horizon and the sky was starting to tint different colors. The knowledge of what she had planned for a couple hours later made her smile to herself for a few minutes, she was just relishing in the accents mixing together and the laughs she'd missed so much filling her chest and making her feel warm inside. The imagery of her childhood home mixing with her current life made for a lovely scene and she was taking it all in in fine detail so she could relive the memory every night.

Reaching into Alex's pocket, she fished out the cigarettes she knew he carried everywhere. He'd gotten startled by the sudden touch on his upper thigh but when she got the packet out and smiled, his heartbeat slowed down slightly.

Ella got a cigarette out and placed it between her lips, but before Alex could hand her the lighter, her mom groaned in disapproval. "Really, Eleanor? A cigarette?"

"Mom. Please." She mumbled with the stick poking out of her mouth, her fingers wrapping around the lighter and swiftly igniting a spark to bring alive her oral fixation.

Taking one long drag, she enjoyed the feeling of the smoke in her lungs before exhaling it upwards and then continuing with her quip back at her mom, "I'm a grown woman, we're past the point where you scold me for smoking."

But her mom got up from where she was sitting and walked up to her, squishing her cheeks together making her involuntarily pout she scrambled to hold the cigarette before it fell to the floor. Her mom chuckled and put on a baby voice to say, "I know you're 26 but I don't care, you'll always be my cute little baby."

"Mommmmmm. Stopppppp." She whined, her cheeks still trapped in her mom's hold.

It seemed like Grace didn't plan on letting go but then she just dropped her hand and Ella noticed the mischievous grin on her mom's face as she said, "Hold on a second." before quickly going back inside the house and dashing upstairs.

Ella frowned deeply, "What– Where is she going?"

Lily shrugged, an amused expression on her face because she found her mom hilarious but she assured Ella, "I've no clue." because she had no idea why the woman had gone back inside so hurriedly.

Their silent question was answered when, ten minutes later, Grace interrupted the group's conversation by dropping a handful of thick photo albums on top of the wooden table.

Ella instantly recognized them and whined in complaint, "No, mom! Don't!"

"But why? You were so cute I have to show you off." Her mom defended, opening the first one up and letting the group see newborn Ella wrapped up in hospital blankets and a cute little pink hat.

"Are those all photo albums?" Nick asked, intrigued by the amount of books Grace had brought.

"Yes they are." Grace nodded proudly, "They're all Ella."

That was enough for a bunch of hands to reach for the album and start flipping through the pages to see cute little Ella throughout the years.

Most of the first photo album was of Ella as a baby. Her wearing a bunch of cute little onesies, during each of her first holidays—she'd been dressed up as a baby cupid for her first Valentine's day and it made everyone coo—, as she took her first steps, her first time at the beach, her first baby photoshoot, her first ugly sweater—she'd turned to Alex after Grace had shown that one and said, "Always been a tradition, see?".

The next one's were more of her as a toddler and on. Her wearing a bunch of obnoxious little dresses and smiling so hard to show her little baby teeth it looked forced. A bunch of pictures of her playing dress up with her parents' clothes, many with her whole face disappearing beneath her dad's cowboy hats and the funniest ones of her modeling as she wore her mom's big heels. Her with her first pair of cowboy boots which had been the same day as her first rodeo, from which they had a bunch of pictures of her riding little sheep and then one of her on the podium smiling big as she held her first place golden medal. Some of her smiling wide to show her tooth gap after losing her two upper front baby teeth.

"You were so cute, what happened?" Alex joked, knowing she'd get the reference for his use of words.

Everyone around laughed along, but she blushed knowing why he was saying that and all she could retaliate with was a shove and a weak, "Shut up."

"Awh look at those chubby cheeks!" Kelly cooed, "I wanna eat you up!"

Katie gasped seeing one of her smiling wide with a big ice cream cone, Ella's eyes looked huge and incredibly green in the picture thanks to the sun that there'd been that day at the park, "Your eyes!"

Grace pouted when the model said that, getting nostalgic about her baby's big eyes, "Every time I see her when she's back home I think back to her big eyes she had as a baby. So sad she grew into them as well as her big ears."

Ella chuckled, the big ears she had as a baby had always been endearing to her. There was something it reminded her of, so she shared it to laugh a little at herself, "I looked like Dopey."

"You still do." Nick countered with a snicker.

Ella gasped dramatically and turned to him with a faux offended look on her face, "Yellamo, you offend me."

What the director didn't count on was her dad adding into it by saying, "She sure does look like Dopey when she wakes up." and since they all had seen her just after waking up multiple times, they agreed to taunt her even more.

"Dad!" She exclaimed, offended. Crossing her arms and shaking her head, she huffed in her place, "Can't believe I'm getting cornered in my own house!"

Her mom found it all so entertaining, she added more fuel to the fire by teasing, "Oh just you wait until I bring the VHS tapes."

But before Grace could even take one step, Ella interrupted by standing up herself, "Yeah, no. Not happening." She closed the photo albums and piled them up together before they could get to the ones of her in high school, and shook her head in disapproval, "You already did the photo albums and that's enough." Seeing that it was getting darker by the minute, she added a point that no one could refute, "Plus we need to start getting ready soon. We're going out."

The band and their missus looked at her in confusion, they had no idea they had more planned out for the day. Especially not since Ella hadn't mentioned anything and they had to leave Tennessee around three in the morning.

"Where?" The group asked in chorus.

"Oh there's this fun party down at the biggest pub in town, it's a tradition after Bonnaroo weekend." Ella shrugged as if trying to downplay it, but her failed attempts to hide a smirk made everyone's curiosity spike. But she didn't give them much at all, for all she added was, "Y'all better be ready, we're gonna have some fun."

Her sister was the one to give them a bit more clarity on her intentions by calling her out, "That's code for her getting you shit-faced."

Ella rolled her eyes and quipped back with a meek, "Fuck off, Lily."

One that Grace and Parker reacted surprised about, scolding them both with a quick, "Girls!" that had the sisters turning to them and raising their hands to feign innocence.

Ella was the one to defend herself verbally, pointing out, "What? She's jealous she can't go 'cause she's leaving tomorrow morning."

All it took was one glare from their mom to have both Ella and Lily swallowing their words, and all that was left to do was go back inside and start getting ready. It was almost seven in the evening so they'd have around three hours to make it there and get a table, therefore, Ella wasted no time to wave everyone in—they followed her inside after thanking Ella's parents for the meal and helping gather all the dirty dishes and bringing them inside—and plan on how they'd arrange the use of showers to utilize their time at the best of efficiency.

Since there were only two guest bathrooms, they'd have to take turns to shower. However, to try and be ready on time, while Jamie and Matt took the two guest bathroom showers, Ella had Breana shower in her ensuite and Lily let Katie have her ensuite. Making Alex, Ella, Nick and Kelly the ones to wait to have showers next.

While Bre was in the shower, Ella went to her dresser and found the little gift bag in which she'd hidden two of Alex's gifts and the other was set beside it. She grabbed them and slowly made her way downstairs, knocking on the door of the guest room Alex was staying in.

She had to knock two separate times since he didn't answer at first, and she didn't think much of it until he groggily opened the door and she saw his hair a mess and his eyes a bit red from interrupted sleep, "Oh shit sorry, were you asleep?"

"I was, yeah." Alex said sheepishly, his voice low and sultry, making her wanting to clench her thighs together.

Still, she winced and took a step back as she apologized, "Sorry. I can come back later."

But he shook his head quickly, one of his hands coming to her waist to bring her back close to him, "No, no. What is it darling? Wanna come in?"

She bit her lip briefly. The offer was tempting but she couldn't afford to act on impulse when she was still trying the best way to approach the fact that she was in love with him. It was her turn to shake her head, giving a different excuse to hold her cover, "I can't, Bre is coming out of the shower any second now but I have a few gifts for you."

His eyes opened wide at that information, and when she pulled out the silver gift bag from behind her, he let his shoulders hang and his lips formed in a pout, "Darling, I thought I told you to not be spending money on me."

"Yeah but I had to." Ella stated simply, like it was enough reasoning.

He watched suspiciously as her other hand stayed hidden behind her back, but still refuted her instead of asking about it, "No, you didn't."

She smiled sweetly though, handing him the bag and making it look like she was gonna let go of it any second so he had to take it so as not to have it fall to the floor. "I did because..." She started, digging her hand inside the bag and fishing out a mirrorball just like the one she had in her car, "You needed one of your own."

The feeling that washed over him was indescribable. It was like coming back home after being away for so long, like finding that peace of familiarity that you'd been searching after feeling lonely for way too long, like the warmth that sharing an inside joke with someone brought you, the way the laughter those elicited tasted so much sweeter on one's tongue.

"And you need to be properly ready for tonight." She continued, this time revealing what she'd been hiding behind her back: a brown leather cowboy hat lined with some worn-out looking studs. He took it from her in awe at how good it looked, but before he could put it on to make it a show for her, she said, "Wait, this first," fishing again for the bag and pulling out a bolo tie. She brought it over his head and put it on for him, adjusting it and patting it against his chest, in place and satisfied by the look of it, she smirked proudly, "There you go."

"This is for tonight?" Alex asked, slowly putting the cowboy hat on.

Fuck me, was all that went through her head. He looked so good in a cowboy hat, she half wanted to push him inside the room and get on her knees for him, to suck him off and look up at him dressed like that as she used her mouth to pleasure him.

She had to clear her throat when she realized she needed to answer his question, "Yes and you must wear it."

"What if I don't?" He challenged, slightly confused.

Ella shrugged and nonchalantly replied, "You'd be breaking the rules of the party."

It intrigued him even more. "So are you wearing one as well?"

"I will." Ella teased with a mysterious tone, and the way she shrugged again before adding, "Soon enough." made him raise a brow in silent questioning that she ignored.

With a little wave, she walked backwards a few steps before turning on her heels and going back upstairs. Her thumb came up to her mouth and she bit on the pad of it, nervously, as she couldn't contain her smile and a shriek when she got to her room.

Before she could get too distracted with her daydreaming about Alex in cowboy gear, she made sure to leave a hat for each guy in each of their rooms and once that was done, she went in the shower to start getting ready. Though she did get a little distracted by a few images her brain was conjuring, ones that involved a certain singer in that cowboy hat she'd specifically picked out for him, her hands wandered around her body for long enough to have her biting her bottom lip as she came, careful not to call out to the man she loved but didn't know it yet.

✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧

"Save a horse, ride a cowboy?" Nick asked with a raise of his eyebrow, Kelly's arm hooked around his as they walked closer to the entrance of the southern bar.

Ella turned around at the inquiry, a smirk on her face as she continued slowly walking backwards and opened her arms as if presenting the event for them, "Ladies, you'll have to steal the hats of the cowboy you wanna ride tonight."

Katie and Breana giggled at the information, not even sure of what to expect. Matt had his arm wrapped around his fiance's waist and he made a show of tucking her closer to his side when he said, "Think that's already arranged, no?"

But Ella let her answer open enough to just hint about how messy this all could get if they wanted. "Have fun!" She sing-sang, giving them all a wink before turning on her heels to face the door, opening it wide for them all to come inside the establishment before her and when Alex walked through the threshold, her smirk got bigger as she was swallowed by the familiar tunes playing loudly inside the pub.

The lads had decided to go to the bar to get drinks first, getting what each of the girl's wanted before leaving the table they'd chosen; but when they came back, they learned that they had to be quick about putting the cowboy hats on their partners.

A guy had come up to Katie, clearly chatting her up because of how Katie's cheeks were red and her eyes kept going from the lad to Jamie. The guitarist had turned up a notch in his pace and walked quickly to the table, setting his wife's drink in front of her and dipping down to peck her lips so that the lad got the clue.

"Sorry man, didn't know she was with someone." The lad said with his hands raised, the lack of a hat on Katie's head confusing him but he realized his mistake when he dropped his gaze and noticed the wedding band that adorned the model's ring finger.

Despite the apology, Jamie made a show of taking it off his head and placing it on Katie's. The model blushed even more when seeing Jamie so evidently territorial and she bit her bottom lip when he nodded with a fake smile, "S'alright, now you know."

The tone of his voice was threatening enough to make the guy hurriedly turn around and leave, not even saying bye to who he had just tried to chat up.

Ella chuckled, watching as the rest of the band who had stood there halfway to the table with pressed lips was finishing their walk back, trying not to laugh at a fuming Jamie.

When they all placed the drinks on the table, Ella patted it to bring Jamie's attention back to them, since he had been glaring at the guy's back as he walked away, and with an amused grin, she loudly warned the lads, "They're fast so go on placing those hats on your girls."

It was enough for Nick and Matt to quickly place their hats on Kelly and Breana respectively. Ella brought her whiskey and coke up to her mouth to take a gulp of it and chuckled at the lads' panicked faces as the alcohol went down her throat.

Tonight is promising.

Noticing there was one cowboy left, Ella left her glass on the table and leaned back in her seat. She looked at Alex and wiggled her eyebrows to tease him, "Only a matter of time until they come to snatch yours away now."

But Alex surprised her when he shook his head, rounding the table to lean down and whisper in her ear, "Don't think so." just as he took the hat off his head and placed it over Ella's.

Maybe it was being home that brought her the confidence, or the delicious taste of Tennessee whiskey on her tongue, or perhaps finally giving a name to all that she felt for the singer, but she adjusted the hat on her head and turned to whisper back in his ear, "Good choice, sweets."

Everyone was looking at them when Alex stood back up straight, but Ella cut their gawking by gulping down the rest of her drink, slamming the glass on the table and then grabbing Kelly and Katie's hands and nodding Bre over to the dancefloor, "Let's go dance, my loves."

Ella was on a roll. She vibrated with energy as she danced around, going to the bar when she felt thirsty and gulping down half a glass before leaving it on the table to go back to the girls dancing.

There was a side of her that came out of hiding in her hometown, just like her accent had come back subtly in the timbre of her voice, they had seen it in the way she let go of herself the day before at the festival and she was a level of carefree they hadn't seen before.

The alcohol had been helpful at pushing her inhibitions further away from her mind. Hips swaying more confidently, her hold tight around Bre's waist as they danced together to a song they both adored, even laughing with the people dancing around her who were just fully feeding off her energy.

That was why she had been the first of the girls to go back to the table and pull one of the lads up to dance.

She clutched Alex's hands tightly and forced him up his seat, wordlessly guiding him to the dancefloor with her and even though Alex had no appeal to dance in the public space in such an unfamiliar setting, he just couldn't say no to her.

There was nothing she could ask of him that he would deny her.

And the few glasses of straight whiskey on ice had been helpful too at not thinking much about all the people around them.

His hands fell on Ella's waist as soon as she turned around when she deemed them far enough into the crowd of sweaty bodies dancing to the music. Ella's arms wrapped around his shoulders and he smiled at her when the flashback to Nick and Kelly's wedding reception came to the forefront of his mind.

Alex went along with her every move, his breath hitching in his throat when she'd come to press her front against him, so painfully aware of the feeling of her so close to him and how much he was enjoying it. Secretly wishing there'd be an opportunity to have her properly pressed against him without having to be dancing—he was wishing he could just do it for the hell of it, just because he enjoyed being so close to her and he would steal a kiss from her too if she allowed him to.

She looked breathtaking in a blue corset top that zipped up on her front, so her tits were perfectly scooped up and they looked as if they were about to spill out of the fabric. With it, she'd worn a white satin skirt that came down to her mid thighs but with all the dancing, it had come up until her red ink tattoo showed perfectly for everyone. She'd changed her worn out brown boots from earlier for a pair of red heeled cowboy boots, ones that made her look exquisite. And her hair fell over her shoulders in loose curls, a few strands framing her pretty face which had a bit of makeup that enhanced her beauty.

His hopes went up when she started leaning into him after a pair of songs, but she missed his mouth entirely, instead going further until she could speak right into his ear, "Wanna get another drink?"

With a nod, he confirmed he did want to and Ella led the way once again. She had ordered shots of tequila instead, asking for lime so she could bear the taste of the two shots she'd gotten each.

Casamigos burned down their throats when they knocked them down, Ella bravely going for the second one without the lime after the first and she hissed when her second ran down her throat. The lime did help, slightly. Alex watched as she tried to get the most juice out of the wedge she had between her lips, his gaze growing hazy under the influence and his thoughts going a bit off the tracks at the sight of her plump lips sucking on the fruit.

Two whiskeys on ice were added onto their tab, one for each of them which they leisurely drank as they watched the rest of their group taking space in the dancefloor. The girls had followed Ella's lead earlier and brought their own partners up to dance with them. It was hilarious seeing Nick try to dance along, he was so stiff trying to match his pregnant wife's energy. At least the bar was playing all sorts of music so they weren't stuck trying to figure out how to dance to country music.

"He needs another drink." Ella commented, sipping on her own before correcting herself, "A few more, at least." Alex agreed with a hum around the rim of his glass.

But Nick had barely had another two glasses of whatever spirits he was having by the time Ella and Alex were long into their journey of getting drunk.

The rest of the band and their missus watched not so subtly as Alex and Ella kept giggling about, leaning into each other to whisper things in their ears and sharing touches that stayed on their skin for far too long.

At the start of one of her favorite songs, Ella took off to the dancefloor without even thinking of dragging anyone with her and it was mesmerizing how the crowd opened up to welcome her and she so easily made people turn around to look at her as she came alive to the music.

Some joined her, girls mainly just cheering her on and trying to feed off her energy but Ella was too eye-catching, a guy taking the opportunity to wrap his arm around her waist and turn her around so she could face him.

Alex's blood started boiling when he watched that happen, but he noticed the way her hands only hovered over the lad's chest and she gave him a soft smile and a "Hi." that seemed the slightest bit enthusiastic.

The singer's gaze was stuck on them as they danced along some old rock tune he didn't recognize, he could hear Ella's giggles if he concentrated enough and he only noticed his white-knuckle clutch on the back of his chair when Kelly walked past him after coming back from the bar and asked if he was alright.

A forced smile and a nod was all that she gave her as an answer, his eyes not wanting to leave what was unfolding in front of him but it seemed the split second he had taken his gaze off them, Ella had disappeared.

Suddenly, a heavy weight dropped all the way down to the pits of his stomach, menacingly threatening to make him sick, as if all of the alcohol he had ingested was rising up his throat with each second that passed and he couldn't find her. But then she appeared from the left side of the room, alone, and Alex took a deep breath in relief.

Her hand came up to her head to adjust Alex's hat on it, and with a raised brow, she asked, "You alright?" His cheeks were flushed from the alcohol he'd had so far and his pupils were blown but there was something written in them in fine letters that she got curious about.

Yet, he didn't give him the answer she wanted to receive. Completely ignoring her, he decided to point out her actions, "Don't wanna take that hat off then?" It was subtle enough, he thought, a question that would give him a secure answer about what she was currently thinking.

And it was her smirk, along with the way she leaned closer to him—elbows on the table, chin propped on the palms of her hands, dreamy eyes—to say, "I don't think I will, no."

The slight scrunch of her nose, the way she slowly pushed herself off the table—giving him an eyeful of her cleavage—and the wink she left him with as she walked back to the bar ignited something inside him, something he would have trouble controlling as the night went on.

It was like he was fully magnetized to her after that, a minute had been too long for him to wait for her to come back from the bar so he walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

His scent was unmissable, so easy for her to recognize even in a crowded sweaty room, so she hummed as she melted in his hold.

"Want anything?" She asked softly, her words careful not to show how much the circles his fingers were drawing on the skin of her lower stomach were affecting her heart rate.

Leaning in to reply, Alex couldn't help himself from dropping a kiss on the side of her neck, and he thought about how much he wanted to bite and mark her up as he took his time to come up with, "Whatever you're having, darling."

Her clenched jaw was a product of her trying not to let her mouth fall open and make sounds at the feeling of his lips grazing her skin and his hot breath hitting the sensitive spot of her neck.

The bartender came back with her glass and she asked him to please get her another one, words almost catching up on her throat when someone slipped behind Alex therefore making the singer press closer to her back and she could feel all of him so well.

Hurriedly, Ella took a gulp of her drink and Alex giggled in her ear at the speed of it. "Easy there darling." He warned as if he wasn't just as tipsy as her, the whiskey they had been having was no longer burning as it went down their throats.

His fingers clutching her tighter enhanced his proximity a tenfold, goosebumps breaking on her skin at the feeling of his face so close to hers and his hair tickling her cheek.

Soon enough, the bartender came back with Alex's glass and after the singer got ahold of it and thanked him, they went back to the table.

Under everyone's gaze, Alex found himself not giving a flying fuck about anything else but him and Ella. She had sat on his lap and joined the conversation Jamie and Bre had started, laughing loudly at Jamie's commentary on the place they were at, but she was slightly distracted by the way Alex's free hand came to rest on her thigh, rubbing over her 'Divine feminine' tattoo, making her shift on his lap, and making Alex groan against her shoulder.

She smirked at the reaction, playing dumb when she squirmed on him twice more in the span of the fifteen minutes they'd been sitting down, chatting with their friends.

In that last instance, he'd dug his teeth into her flesh after her ass rubbed on his hardening cock too well. His eyes had rolled into the back of his head, a moan stuck on his throat that he alleviated by biting on the crook of her neck and earning a gasp of pleasure from her.

Ella let herself fall back on his chest, a drunk smile on her face that he matched. She knew what she was doing and his reactions were driving her crazy, but she didn't know what to do next, so much rushing through her drunk mind that she struggled to pick the next move.

And then, as if by design, a 50 Cent song came on and Ella knew exactly what to do.

As they walked into the dancefloor, Alex could imagine every way this would go but when Ella stopped and wrapped his arm around her middle to start grinding on him, Alex swore he had died.

She leaned her head back onto him as her hips drove him mad with a pace that changed along with the rhythm of the song, he dipped his head into her neck, leaving wet kisses that only encouraged her to continue.

It wasn't long before he was groaning against her skin, starting to suck bruises on the sensitive skin of her neck in response. Ella whimpered and moaned, every time he sucked harshly and dug his teeth into her flesh, licking over his abuse with his warm tongue.

Their minds were reeling, the notion that they were out in public slipping away the more they continued. He grew harder against her ass and the flimsy satin of her skirt and the fabric of his black jeans did nothing to conceal the feeling of his bulge pressing against her.

Heat rushed through her, pooling in between her legs where she throbbed for him. Her brain was starting to cloud with need, a hunger that only he could satiate. She loved him and she needed him right then and there.

And so, without thinking of any of the consequences it would bring, Ella grabbed his hand which was holding her flush against him, fingers interlocking as she loosened his grasp only to drop it as she turned around to face him.

Their chests heaved as they made eye contact, and the second she caught the darkness in his eyes, her fingers wrapped around the bolo tie she'd gifted him and pulled him in to capture his lips in a heated kiss.

Words could not do justice to the array of emotions that exploded in their chests the second their lips met. But the lust that exuded through their pores was made palpable through the moans they let out when their tongues met.

Her white knuckle grip on the bolo tie loosened when his hand dropped from her waist to her ass and he grabbed a handful of it only to squeeze at it harshly, kneading it possessively and making Ella whimper against his mouth.

Up his chest until she could wrap her fingers around his neck, Ella let her hand wander. The pressure she applied on the sides of his neck made him moan sweetly, high pitch in need and Ella couldn't hold back the smirk that elicited from her.

She couldn't stop smiling after that, trying to continue with the kiss but he kept kissing her teeth until his lips started moving down her jaw and back to her neck, where he wanted to continue his attack.

But her breathy, "Let's go somewhere." interrupted his actions.

He was just as breathless as her, his voice almost a whisper under the loud music, "Where, darling?" Once his words were out in the air though, he dipped his head again to kiss down her neck.

"I don't know–" She said as she tried to look around for a place to escape, but then, Alex's tongue came flat in between the valley of her breasts, licking up from her cleavage to her neck and her knees buckled. "Oh fuck." She moaned at the feeling of his wet tongue teasing her flushed skin. In a desperate effort, she looked to the far right of the place and saw the neon signs that led to the washrooms, so with one last roll of her hips against him, Ella desperately said, "Bathroom. Let's just go to the bathroom."

With their fingers intertwined, they pushed through the dancing crowd towards the hallway of the bathrooms, but it seemed like their intentions were written on their faces in big bold letters for a security guard glared at them and warned them that they had to go in separately.

Ella rolled her eyes once she nodded walking past the big man in all black attire, with Alex pressed right behind her like a leech. She turned the corner and ran towards the first door she saw, which was unfortunately locked, so she tried her luck with the other three and they all were the same.

She sighed, exasperatedly, her slick cunt still throbbing for him and the feeling of him rock hard behind her wasn't helping.

"We can wait." Alex whispered in her ear, his voice deliciously falling in her ears and making her turn quickly to kiss him again.

This time Alex pressed her against the wall, one of his legs coming between hers and his hand falling to her ass again but this time to encourage her to press her clit on his thigh, to let the friction alleviate the ache in her core.

"Alex, fuckkkk." She mewled in his mouth, the friction making her jaw drop and lose her sense of logic long enough to stop kissing him.

But he cupped her jaw with his free hand, pressing on her cheeks softly to pucker her lips up and guide her back to where he wanted her.

He didn't want to stop kissing her. Not now, not ever.

Both her hands desperately ran up his chest and clutched onto his shoulders, nails digging into his clothed skin, trying to keep him there and give herself some support as her legs trembled beneath her. If Alex didn't have her pressed against the wall, she was sure she would've fallen to the ground.

Their eyes closed in pleasure, as if they were purely relying on their touch to memorize every bit of this moment. But when they heard a lock of one of the doors behind them come undone and open, their eyes snapped wide open and they barely waited a few seconds for the girl who came out of it to scramble inside and lock the door behind them.

To their despair though, the girl who'd come out had quickly walked up to the security guard and pointed out what clearly was about to happen in the bathroom Ella and Alex had just walked in. The big man wasted no time to go up to the door that the girl had pointed and slam his fist against it so hard that it made the pair flinch and open the door with a fright.

"Told y'all one at a time." He repeated his words from before with a stern look on his face. "I'm warning y'all, if I find you sneaking into the bathroom together again I'm kicking you out."

Unlike Ella who was on the verge of flipping off the man and telling him to go fuck himself, Alex nodded with an embarrassed smile and started walking away, not wanting to get them in trouble.

The singer looked at Ella's expression as they slowly walked out and he had to leave a few pecks on her lips to have her drop that menacing face before she could get told off again. His lips did the magic of loosening up her frown, and when he interlocked their fingers and guided her out of the area, she seemed a bit more relaxed.

She was still fuming though, and it was obvious when they walked up to the far side of the bar in a corner where no one stood and she crossed her arms and huffed like a kid before muttering, "Fucking cockblocker."

Alex chuckled, all that he could think about was how much he fucking loved her. "S'okay, darling, we can wait until we find somewhere else." He promised wholeheartedly, but it slipped past his drunk mind that they wouldn't have any time when they got back to Ella's house.

Ella pouted, "But I don't wanna wait." She really wanted him right then and there.

Alex's head hung at the pitch of her voice, whiny and needy. His blood rushed down to his cock all over again, when he made direct contact with her flushed chest and those tits he just wanted to see spill out of that corset and run his mouth all over them, "Ella..."

His breath hitched in the back of his throat when her fingers clasped onto the buckle of his belt and she pulled him into her, his bulge pressing against her mound. "Sweetness, please." Ella whined again, she didn't give a fuck about sounding desperate at this point.

"You're driving me crazy." Alex confessed before his lips latched onto a spot on her neck, directly opposite to one he'd left on the other side of her neck just before when they were dancing.

Under her breath, Ella cursed, "Fuck..." The feeling of him biting and sucking on her skin was lighting her up alive.

In that very corner they stayed, kissing and biting, hips rolling and hands wandering, moans spilling out of each other's mouths; and with everything, the need for each other grew and grew and grew until it became unbearable.

The desperation was clear in every kiss, in the way their bodies rolled and pushed against each other, in the way their hands kept the other in place with fingers digging harshly into skin, groping, pulling, scratching.

The whole group had lost sight of the pair after they disappeared from the dancefloor, everyone at the table too shocked by what they'd just seen them do to go out looking for them. But then ten minutes rolled by and then, ten more. And no one had a clue about where the horny pair had gone. That was until Breana and Matt were dancing and caught them kissing in the corner to the far side of the bar.

At first they were just gonna let them have at it, knowing how damn long it had been until the two had finally done something about the horrendous tension between them and the clear feelings they had for each other. But then, as the model and her fiance danced and giggled about Ella and Alex eating each other's faces and how they were about to just shag in front of everyone at that point, they noticed a big security guard glaring at them and talking through the radio clipped on his vest.

Bre narrowed her eyes suspiciously, anticipating something happening so she dragged Matt with her slowly to the edges of the dancing mass of people in the middle of the room. The man kept talking through his radio, his eyes never leaving Ella and Alex and it seemed like he was becoming annoyed by the behavior of the couple.

Sure enough, it looked like he had gotten an instruction through the radio and he started taking slow and steady steps towards them. It made Breana flinch, before her mind could process, she told Matt, "You get Alex, I'll get Ella."

The model had no idea how fast she'd gone, but she grabbed Ella's wrist and snatched her away from Alex in a split second before the security guard could get there.

Ella whined at the loss of Alex, her lips swollen, pink and wet but begging to have Alex's mouth back on them. A sheer coat of sweat was clear on her skin when the lights of the place fell on her from time to time, and her hair was disheveled in a subtle way under the cowboy hat which haphazardly took home on her head still.

"Are you fucking joking Bre?!" Ella complained loudly when Breana took her to the opposite end of the bar, far away from the man who had been planning on approaching her and Alex.

Breana saw the stern look on his face as she tried to settle Ella down, "Ella–"

Ella was fuming though, no explanation was enough to have ruined the moment for her, "No, why would you do that?!"

It was a childish tantrum she was throwing but Bre knew she was drunk so she couldn't blame her. Softly cupping her face, Bre whispered, "Hey. Hey." trying to get Ella to look at her. When she did, Bre kept eye contact to promise, "Trust me, you'll thank me tomorrow."

"Oh fuck off." Ella spouted with venom laced in her words.

Bre sighed in frustration before explaining, "That guard was about to kick you and Alex out. You need to either calm down or stop."

When Ella followed the way Breana was pointing at and saw the man from the bathrooms, she rolled her eyes, "Of course, that fucking cockblocker."

"Christ, you're drunk." Bre winced. She was growing more relieved by the second that she'd interrupted just for the sake of Ella's feelings and her mind not being a mess in the morning.

She'd seen Ella overthinking before and she had no idea how bad it would get if she and Alex got to do something while drunk and then him leaving to continue the tour the very next day. Or in the next hour, more like. And she already knew how it had ended the last time they'd been drunk and gotten horny.

"M'not!" Ella countered, stomping her foot on the floor like a kid.

But she wasn't a kid and Breana was straight up about what was going through her head, "You are! And now I'm even more glad I did this." Ella was done with the conversation, all that she was thinking of Bre in that moment was that she was a cockblocker and had ruined it all for her.

To impede her from leaving, Bre held Ella's and forced her to stay while she said, "Remember the morning after Nick and Kelly's wedding?" She felt the director freeze in her place, her muscles tensing at the reminder of that shitshow. Bre knew she had struck a nerve but Ella needed to realize that if she really wanted it to work out, she had to think properly and be sober to put her feelings first, which were the one thing that mattered most—if she was just horny, she could use her own fingers—but she couldn't ruin this potential with Alex. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Wanna go fuck him in the bathroom and then what's gonna happen in the morning? A repeat of that bullshit?"

With her jaw clenched, Ella huffed. "Don't."

"You know I'm right." Bre let out another sigh, she didn't want to seem like a bitch, she was just trying to guard Ella from fucking up her chances and hurting her own feelings by going about it all too impulsively. "I'm not doing this to upset you, I'm doing it to protect you from it all going to absolute shit again. You both need to be in all your senses if you want it to happen."

Ella felt like she was being scolded. Every bit of adrenaline evaporated from her body, and she felt herself coming down from the high she'd been on. She even felt like the drunken haze she'd been swirling in was dissipating, the annoyance and anger having sobered her up slightly.

Breana got her two water bottles before they could go back to the table, and when she got there, Alex was already sitting on his spot and offered her a loopy smile before waving her over to him.

This time she took a seat beside him, opening one of the water bottles and taking the hat off her head before leaning against him and resting her head on his shoulder.

He'd been less audibly angry at Matt than Ella had been at Breana, but when he heard the drummer say that the security man had been coming towards them, he stopped glaring at his best mate with fury, understanding they'd gotten them away from trouble. Alex made a mental note to keep an eye out for the man so as not to get in trouble again; he'd said they'd get kicked out after all and that was the last thing he wanted.

Alex just wanted to keep enjoying the night with his darling by his side, just like she was right then.

About an hour went by after that incident. Ella had progressively sobered up thanks to the water she'd been ingesting and dancing away with the girls multiple times. She'd placed the cowboy hat back on the very second she got up from her seat the first time she went with the girls, and the thought of her making sure it was on her head before leaving made Alex's stomach flip.

She'd taken Alex with her to the dancefloor a couple times but since the group accompanied them as well, nothing like before had happened. Their giggles got lost between the music when they danced, their touch on each other more innocently than before—except for the times he let his hand playfully fall to her ass and she'd indulged in it completely happy to have that happen anyways.

For once, Ella had left her camera home—since she planned on drinking, she was aware of the fact that she'd be very clumsy and could drop it, lose it one way or another, or just forget it—so it had been Breana to bring her camera and be in charge of the pictures that evening.

She'd taken loads of pictures at the table already, making sure to document every moment and comically taking pictures of every one of the lads with their cowboy hats on before making the girls take their pictures with the lads' hats on.

Many of the girls on the dancefloor had been taken too but Bre had left the camera behind when they'd go more times than not, so when the whole group went to dance, she made sure to take the device with her.

They wouldn't know until weeks later how good those pictures had turned out to be. Not only technically speaking, but in terms of the moments that had been captured. Nick doing a funny dance with Jamie scowling in the background, Katie trying to balance her glass on her head, Kelly and Nick dancing while he held her belly from behind, Bre showing off her ring to the camera while adjusting her cowboy hat on her head.

When the lenses had been aimed at Ella and Alex, they'd stopped dancing to press their cheeks together and smile brightly—their grins so big, their eyes closed.

Bre focused the shot and once she got it perfectly, she counted down, "One, two, three!"

But the second the model yelled out three, Alex broke his smile to run his tongue flat on Ella's face, from her chin, over her lips and to her nose. There the tip of his tongue got stuck inside her nostril for a split moment before it ended up following its path up the bridge of her scrunched up nose. The shutter had gone off right in the middle of that.

The giggles that fell from Ella's lips gave Alex life. His heart swelled inside his chest and burst with love, so without much to think about, one of his hands coming to cup her face while the other held onto her waist to pull her in a dizzying kiss. A teeth-rottingly cute moment that had also been captured by Bre's camera.

In between pictures and kissing and dancing, the group got lost in the music, enjoying the moment so much that time kept flying by unbeknownst to their distracted minds.

Since it had been a while she'd had a drink, and she felt a lot more sober, Ella felt the need to get herself something from the bar. She and Alex had stolen Jamie's drink earlier and been sharing sips but she wanted her own, so she told him she'd be going to get herself a drink. He nodded and Ella knew he was about to go with her but she told him to stay with their friends and that she'd be back in no time.

Reluctantly, he agreed. Watching her walk away was a sight to behold: those legs of hers strutting up to the bar, her skirt barely covering her ass now after all the dancing and squeezing Alex had done. His fingertips tingled at the thought of touching her again, he just wanted to be all over her again.

So he slithered his way through the crowd out to the edge of it but before he could fully escape it and he watched as she waited for the bartender to take her order, a guy waiting around as well walked up to her and started chatting her up.

Ella's eyes were barely on the guy after he said hello because she watched as Alex walked out of the crowd with a wicked grin on his face. She barely listened as the stranger went on about how beautiful she was and, after he asked where she was from and she'd said she was a local, how weird it was that he'd never seen her before if she was from Manchester; her gaze was on Alex who was smirking oddly at the situation.

She was lost in how his fingers combed through his hair, the slight raise of his brow as if challenging her to go along, those lips she'd tasted all night long slightly parted as he watched.

Her ears barely caught the "Huh?" that the guy had uttered before he pulled back to watch her awaiting an answer, so she looked at him and said, "Sorry, what was that?"

The guy laughed, slightly amused, wrongly taking it as if she was trying to play hard to get but it truly was that she was plainly ignoring him.

"I said, whose hat is that anyway? Don't see you here with anyone."

He was bold, Ella would give him that but that didn't hold her back from rolling her eyes before placing them back on Alex, who's gaze burned on her and filled her with a prickling feeling from head to toe.

She didn't really feel the need to waste her breath answering, so she simply pointed behind the man at the singer and when he caught Alex's figure leaning against the wall, sipping on his drink with a deadly glare on his eyes, he nodded.

"Right." He sounded gutted and it almost had Ella breaking down in laughter. "Sorry."

"No worries." Ella replied, giving him a fake pity smile and patted his shoulder like he was a little kid she was faking to be sad to tell unimportant bad news to.

As soon as the stranger was gone, Alex started making his way up to Ella. There was a hungry look on his face, and she felt almost like a prey watching as she was about to get pounced on.

A rush of heat traveled between her legs and it grew in intensity, not only because of having been unable to attend to it before, but because when he reached her, his left hand came to grab a handful off her ass to pull her flush against him. His fingers dug into her over the fabric of her skirt, pinky managing to burn onto her skin as it pressed on a spot the satin couldn't cover.

Ella's hands pressed on his chest, eye contact unwavering as her fingers danced up over his shirt, past the bolo tie she'd gifted him and when they found his thin gold chain, she fiddled with it like she was unsure of continuing with what she wanted to do. Bre's words reverberated inside her mind, echoing annoyingly with a logic that she couldn't deny was valid.

"Was he bothering you?" He made sure to ask first, and if the answer was positive he'd be off to break that twat's nose in a second.

But she shook her head, licking her bottom lip before she cheekily let him know, "He just wanted to know whose hat this is."

Under her hands, she felt the vibration of his hum and it reverberated deep inside her, making her bite her lip not to make a noise of her own in response.

There was an underlying meaning when he looked down to her parted mouth and back up to her eyes and he said, "Mine, yeah?" It was so vague and, even though they were talking about the hat, it felt like they both knew it went further than that.

She was breathless by then, a heavy breath pushing past her lips that he felt hit his own mouth. She nodded so faintly anyone else could've missed it, but not Alex, he was watching her so intently and waiting for her answer.

It didn't take longer for it to reach his ears, a shaky "Yeah, yours." that sounded like it was coated in thick honey, so sweet he could melt to his knees right in front of her.

So much rushed through his brain at the confirmation. Yours. He wanted to make her his so badly, there wasn't a thing on the planet he wanted more than for Ella to be truly his but there wasn't much he could do now.

Just one thing.

His drink was hastily dropped with a thud over the bar, and his now free hand came to cup her jaw firmly to pull her into another kiss. Feeling her plush lips slotting between his was heaven, her arms wrapping around his neck to keep him close and her fingers tangling in her hair at the nape of his neck drove him mad.

He groaned hard when she opened her mouth to greet his tongue, each other's wetness meeting and tasting the alcohol they had been drinking all night. His fingers dug harsher into her ass and in response she offered him a soft moan that he swallowed gladly as he intensified the kiss.

It was as if losing count of how many drinks they'd had hadn't been responsible for their dizziness, instead it was the way their lips melted together and their tongues lapped at each other like there wasn't time to waste.

And there really wasn't, but their breaths grew heavy as they went and they broke the kiss with a loud smack that rang in their ears just in time for Ella to be tapped on the shoulder and get her order taken.

She barely gave herself time to tell the man behind the bar to give her two whiskey and cokes because she hurried to turn back around and cup Alex's jaw to clash their mouths together again. A moan rumbled through him at the pressure of her mouth on his, loving the desperation it exuded.

But he remembered he had to be careful about the man having his eye out for them so that they could properly enjoy their time together there. He pulled back with an enamored grin that had her stealing one last chaste peck of his lips before he suggested, "Shall we go sit down?"

Ella nodded without really thinking, she just wanted him close and she'd follow wherever he wanted to go then.

When they got back to the table, it was unfortunate how she took her own seat but he didn't let the half foot distance between them deter him. He pulled on her chair so it'd be pressed right next to his and, as they got thrown into their friend's conversation, Alex used the fact that the table was covering them up to have his hand rest on the top of her naked thigh. Not that they really needed to hide anything anymore, their friends had seen a lot happen already and they wouldn't be surprised about his touch on her.

She felt herself throbbing and becoming more uncomfortably wet the more he brushed his fingers on the skin of her thighs, cheekily letting his digits go further up and inside, enough to brush against the damp fabric of her underwear and have her struggling not to let out a sound.

In a desperate attempt to gain control over Alex's touch but not lose it completely, Ella clutched his wrist and kept him in place before she crossed her leg over the other.

A "Fuck..." came as a low mumble from him, her heat radiating right into his hand which was now trapped between her legs and he truly wouldn't have it any other way. He wanted to take her right then and there.

Ella turned to glance at him, just to scour his reaction to what she'd just done and lust was written all over his face. She wanted trouble, it seemed like, because she clenched her thighs together slightly, letting out a small whimper that only he heard. Alex's fingers harshly dug into the flesh of her thigh in response, not like a threat, but a taste of how badly he wanted her.

Alex took out his phone to check on the time, trying to see how much time they could have if they were to leave the place right then. He needed her so badly, he would leave the party right then no matter how early it could be.

But they had lost grasp of the notion of time because a horrendous 02:30 am flashed on his screen and he knew that it would be soon that they'd have to leave to go back to Ella's. They were gonna barely make it as well and he was sure that Steve would be fuming at him the following day since he had let the band stay a day longer if they promised to be in Pittsburg by noon. It was over nine hours to get there so that promise was long broken by then.

Over his shoulder, Ella managed to catch a glimpse of the time and her mischievous expression fell into a sad pout. She rested her chin on his shoulder and whispered, wholeheartedly despaired, "I don't want you to go."

He nodded. He didn't want to go either, he wished he could stay there with her and tell her how much he loved her in every way possible: with words, with his body, with his lips, moving mountains and bringing her the moon down from the sky if she wanted. He'd do anything.

"Not yet." He mumbled with his face turned to the side to look at her better.

Her gaze fell to his lips, they looked so irresistible and after having had them on hers multiple times throughout the night, she felt greedy and took another kiss from him. It was cute this time. Started as an elongated peck that deepened into a slow meaningful one when he moved in his chair and cupped her face delicately.

Before relaxing back on his chair, Alex stole a few pecks. It made her smile like a fool, and though she wanted to yell at herself for wearing her heart on her sleeve and being so obvious, she just couldn't not become putty in his hands when he was sweet like that.

She uncrossed her legs to let his hand free then, but he didn't let her take herself away from him that easily—his hands grabbed her legs and threw them over his lap, his hands coming to rest over her thighs which he grabbed with a hint of possessiveness. His left hand cupped the flesh of her thighs with determination while he used his right hand to just rest on her thigh and rub soothing circles on her skin. The contrast made her swoon, she kept trying to focus on their friends conversing around them but her gaze was drawn back to his touch on her again and again.

Thirty minutes. They had thirty more minutes.

✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧

It was unfair really, how she could barely have them for forty eight hours and how those seemed to have flown by before their eyes.

Those thirty minutes at the pub had gone by in a flash, between the laughter and chatter, and the new round of drinks they all got to cheers for the lovely weekend—more like an unusual two day bender as it had been Sunday and Monday they'd spent together—, they hadn't realized it was time to go until the bus driver texted the groupchat the guys had with Steve and the rest of the crew to say they really needed to leave as soon as possible.

The group quickly left the establishment, the panic of them not making it in time to properly soundcheck before the show enveloping them all. It was good that they'd been smart and put away all of their things in the bus before leaving for the party, but it didn't matter that much how much time that saved when they were waiting for their taxi to arrive and they were about fifteen minutes away from Ella's.

It was torture when the trip back to Ella's house felt longer, as if the minutes had intentionally elongated when she was feeling the weight of the imminent goodbye pressing on her chest and threatening to make it difficult for her to breathe.

Alex was sitting next to her on the van that had picked them up, and they were keeping each other as close as possible, silently and prematurely making up for the distance that would separate them very soon.

He kept leaving kisses on the top of her head, while she brought their interlocked hands up to her face and kept dropping pecks on the back of his hand. Wordlessly reminding each other that they were still there, tasting every second they had with the other.

Knowing now that she was deeply in love with him made it hurt so much more, and that was why, when they had finally gotten back to Ella's house and walked onto the cobblestone path and towards the bus, Ella had let herself break and with her voice trembling as she tried containing her tears, she pleaded, "Don't go."

Tears pooled in her waterline, the corners of her lips dropping in a sad pout that squeezed Alex's heart. A knot formed in his throat, the despair she felt was the one tugging at his heartstrings as well. He walked up to her slowly, fearful that if he moved quicker that he would be snatched away from her even faster.

"I don't wanna." Alex admitted too, in a whisper. His arms softly snaked around her waist but when they were properly wrapped around it, he clutched her tightly onto his chest.

"Just–" She tried to say but her voice broke. A confession of every thought that went through her mind weighed on her tongue, she wanted so hard to tell him but what difference would it make if he was leaving? She sniffled as the tears started running down her cheeks, she was so frustrated. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders and kept him as close as he could to her, she could only mutter what she selfishly wanted for him to do, to not leave her. "Don't. Please."

Alex didn't move, only holding her tighter to him. His own tears fell when her chest started shaking against his as she started to sob. He had to pull back to wipe her tears and look at her in the eyes and console her with his words. But when he looked at those eyes he'd fallen hypnotized for, glassy and her nose reddening from her crying, his words failed him.

All he could properly do was kiss her.

The air charged with sorrow made the kiss feel incredibly moving, the second their lips touched and started moving together, something shifted. There was a new understanding, an underlying message that they both got.

It tasted salty from their tears, but it was slow and delicate. Their tongues didn't touch until she'd let herself whimper with despair into his mouth—those flames that had enveloped her earlier at the taste of him were long gone, all that was left was the heaviness of her chest that begged her to savor every bit of his affection, desperately longing for him already.

She didn't know if the alcohol was making it feel so much worse or if it was the fact that she'd come out of denial that made it so much more atrocious to have to see him go. All that it would take was her letting those words out, properly; yet, she didn't know if she was brave enough to be heard and then left behind for his responsibilities right after. If he were to reciprocate, she would run away with him from everything—if he felt the same, all he had to do was say the words and she'd go with him.

Yet, she didn't know for sure, but what she knew for a fact was that rejection and a goodbye on the same night would kill her, and she wasn't brave enough then to take her chances.

"Mr. Turner, we need to go." The voice of the bus driver interrupted them, making them separate with a sigh.

Their eyes were still close, foreheads pressed together and noses touching. They just didn't want to let go, they didn't want to start the course of distance after all that had happened in the past forty eight hours.

Alex sighed heavily, his eyes still closed as he muttered softly, "Fucking hate this."

Ella let a sad smile softly break on her face and she was about to say that she hated it too when Jamie walked out of the bus and informed Alex, "Mate, Steve is calling."

The sole mention of their tour manager, who had already been fuming in the groupchat when he learned that they were still not on the road, had Ella opening her eyes and tentatively pulling away from him. She whispered a simple, "Go." that broke her own heart.

Alex's eyes fluttered open and he brushed a strand of her behind her ear before teasing her delicately, "Thought you didn't want me to."

She couldn't find it in herself to sound playful, not when her chest felt like it was sinking into itself. "Don't wanna get you in trouble."

He shook his head, disapproving of her words. His thumb brushed her bottom lip before he corrected her, "No one I'd rather get me in trouble."

It made her want to scream at him, how smooth he was and how much harder he made it for her to say goodbye. If she only knew Alex was feeling the same, standing there teary eyed and pouting, begging him to stay and he was so close to actually telling everyone else to fuck off just to make her wishes come true. But she was so selfless, putting everyone first and it was devastating. He truly adored her.

One more kiss was shared, since they knew it'd be the last one until the next time they'd see each other again—and then it'd be a chance of will they, won't they since they were biting their tongues when it came to their feelings for each other. This kiss was similar to the previous one, but instead of feeling blue and their hearts breaking in their chests, it felt like a silent promise of a future to this, whatever it was so far.

"I'll see you soon, darling." Alex said sweetly when they parted.

She nodded, sniffling once more when more tears blurred her vision. "If you can have it even sooner, please do, sweets."

"Promise." Alex muttered, leaning in for another kiss. One last kiss. He needed one more, it felt like the last one hadn't been enough.

But it would have to be, because once more Jamie interrupted with an impatient, "Alex, mate." since Steve was blowing everyone's phones up with messages and calls.

Ella flinched when Alex yelled, "I'm fucking coming, fucking hell!" back in frustration.

He knew he'd have to apologize for that in a few minutes, Jamie not being the one to blame for the situation, but he couldn't not stay calm when he was being rushed through something so difficult. He frowned deeply, sure that if they were to be late the fans wouldn't have an issue waiting an hour or two more for the gig to start.

Before he could come back from his frustrated train of thought, he felt Ella's soft lips pressing a kiss in between his brows, instantly making his frown disappear and his expression to soften.

Devastating, that's what this all was. His heart hurt when he said, "Love you, darling." as a goodbye. Internally screaming out for her to understand that he meant it for real, with all of him in the way that his heart belonged to her and only her, that he was forever at her disposal.

All the while, her chest caved in when hearing those words and reciprocating wholeheartedly with a "Love you, sweets." that she prayed he would understand the real meaning to. That she'd be hers if he'd just ask, that she was willing to drop it all if he wanted her to be by his side until the end of times.

They both were so worried about trying to get the meaning behind their words across that they couldn't concentrate in reading each other's faces, because it was written so clearly on them and if they would just stop giving into their fears and waiting for the perfect moment, they'd already be enjoying each other in the way they'd been craving for so long.

Watching him walk up to the bus broke Ella's heart in a million little pieces. And when he turned around before stepping inside the vehicle, waving at her and blowing her a kiss, she felt all the tears she'd been holding back running down her cheeks.

She waved back at him with her free hand, and when she realized she still had his cowboy hat in hand, she put it on and blew him a kiss.

His. She was already completely his.

✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧

Ella had cried herself to sleep that night. And that had done nothing but worsen her hangover when she awoke to rush to the toilet at around ten in the morning.

She felt like utter shit as she threw up all of the alcohol she'd consumed the previous night, her throat aching by the time she felt like she was done, tears streaming down her cheeks from the force of it.

After brushing her teeth, she clumsily made it back to her bed and fell asleep once again.

It wasn't until she woke up again around four in the afternoon that every emotion she'd felt the previous night came back to her as if her soul had come back to her body.

That uncomfortable weight on her chest came back and the knot that formed on her throat was quick to block her breathing so her despair quickly turned into a panic attack that had her sobbing and gasping for air messily.

All of it dawned on her all over again. How in love she was with Alex, how fucking unfair it was to see him go again, knowing he'd be moving to Los Angeles soon but not knowing exactly when to know for sure what to do next. The fact that the tour was meant to continue until the end of the year made her even more unconsolable.

Ella had no idea what she'd done until her phone rang one last time in her ear and then Breana's voice rang through the speaker, "Good morning, missy. Sleep well?"

The model's tone was playful, like she was planning on teasing Ella from the get go, but a sob ripped through Ella's chest as she tried to say, "Bre–" and that was enough for Breana's smirk to completely fall.

She froze in her spot for a second, right by the catering table inside the Monkeys' greenroom, but when Ella's cries continued in a heart wrenching manner, Breana scrambled to leave the room, "What's wrong Ellie?"

It took Ella a few deep breaths before she could quiet her cries down enough to properly talk, "I can't do this– This is so fucking exhausting."

Bre quickly dashed through the venue's hallways until she made it out back. Her brows furrowed and her heart sank when hearing the pain behind her words, "What happened?"

A heavy sigh came first and then, a notion everyone had been waiting for Ella to come to terms with, "Bre, I think I'm– I'm in love with him." Breana couldn't stop the soft smile breaking on her face when hearing that, and it only got bigger when Ella got more intently about it by reiterating, "I am."

There wasn't a chance for her best friend to reply with anything, because Ella's desperate words came out of her quickly, "Oh fuck, I'm so in love with him and now he's gone and I can't stop thinking about him."

The sobs that were coming from Ella's end of the call were making Breana want to cry, so she pleaded with her best friend, "Ella, breathe please."

"Why is it always like this?!" Ella asked out to no one in particular, ignoring Breana's request because so much was going through her mind that she just couldn't keep in anymore. "Why does it always have to be so complicated?"

Breana brushed her hair off her face stressfully, trying to find the best way to get Ella to stop overthinking, because that's what she was starting to do already.

"But it's not Ellie." Breana wholeheartedly refuted her, "Yesterday– God, you two were stuck to each other." And that was an understatement. "He really likes you, there's not a doubt in my mind that he does."

Ella had been remembering more and more of the party the more she thought about it after she woke up and everything she recalled happening with Alex brought her so much hope that she'd grown horrendously terrified of it all being a product of being under the influence. "We were so drunk Bre, what if it was just that?"

"But it isn't!" The conviction in Bre's words relieved Ella but also made her stomach flip with anxiety, "After all this time Ellie, do you really think he's not been pining after you?"

The silence that filled the call was loud when Ella couldn't answer the question.

Breana sighed, understanding why Ella was so wary about really giving it all a meaning, she didn't want to get rejected; but how could she when it was so obvious. So she painted the picture for her best friend, "It all adds up, and if anything, last night was the confirmation. Just think about it: you were kissing like horny teenagers, dancing and grinding on each other, his hands were never off you and you always had some hold on him too, giggling like idiots." A scoff of disbelief came from the model before she added, "You were stuck to each other the entirety of Sunday, so much so that Lily and Jayne asked multiple times if you were together and just hiding it."

Ella was speechless, hearing it like that felt like a huge eye opening moment. But Bre wasn't done, she continued with full faith on her own words, "I'm telling you, there's no way that this isn't it, Ellie."

Okay, Ella thought, if this is it, then what comes next? She was desperate to find an answer to that, "What do I fucking do then?"

"Tell him!" Breana replied in a split second, it was beyond obvious.

Yet, it didn't fit in Ella's brain how that could work when Alex was away. She refused to do anything about it if it was this way. "But I don't wanna do that through text, much less through a video call."

It was Bre's time to stay quiet, a few beats of silence passing before she hummed, "Yeah, I get that..."

Ella fiddled with her duvet, pulling on a loose string at the edge of it as she shared the piece of information that he'd confided in her and she had no clue if he'd shared with the rest of the group yet. "He's moving to LA. Has he told y'all yet?"

The model's brows shot up in slight surprise when hearing Ella already knew. Alex had only just told them all because the estate agent that she and Matt had worked with to get their house in April had contacted the drummer to ask Alex to give her an urgent call back since the singer wasn't answering his phone.

"He told us this morning."

"Fuck... I– I don't know what to do. When is it right? How do I even–?" Ella stumbled in her words, a new thought appearing on the forefront of her mind before she could finish the previous one, the cries that kept escaping her lips only making it harder to speak.

Breana smiled to herself, wishing she could be with Ella just to give her a hug and promise her it was all going to work out for her. "Ellie, babe, let's just focus on the good news here okay? He likes you, he really fucking does and that's enough for you to stop crying right now, okay?"

"Okay." Ella replied. Inhaling and exhaling steadily to calm herself down but when that pang of hurt pierced through her chest when she thought about how far away they all were, Ella gasped, "Oh god, Bre."

A chuckle escaped Breana's lips, she was still shocked it was the day that Ella finally said it out loud. "I know babe, I know."

"I'm in love with Alex." Ella whispered like it was the most insane secret to be uttered, like she had to keep it very quiet just in case. "What the fuck?" She mumbled to herself, a hand coming over her mouth to hide the way her jaw hung open at her own shock.

"Took you long enough to realize." Bre scolded her like a little kid.

And to that Ella scoffed, "What does that mean?"

"Means you've been in denial for far too long. Please let yourself be happy this time. Don't overthink it, it'll be fine." If she kept trying to think too much into it, expecting the worst possible outcome, it would only cause her pain that she could spare herself if she was logical about it. So Bre had to be Ella's logic for now, "He's coming back to LA soon, he said the house would be his next week or something like that. You'll have your opportunity then, okay?"

The thought of it all happening so soon broke her down again, a weak broken, "Okay." coming from her side in response.

Bre's chest ached for her best friend, she needed her to stop crying. "Just breathe Ellie, please."

She heard Ella hum before she started inhaling and exhaling again until she calmed down and when the model heard a few sighs that sounded settled enough, she made sure to ask, "You feeling a bit better?"

"Yeah." Ella said, easier this time. It'll be alright. He likes me, and I'll tell him soon, she kept repeating to herself like a new mantra.

"Okay good. Now I gotta get back before Alex starts asking if something is wrong with you, but text me if anything, okay?" Breana had seen the singer whip his head around when she'd rushed out of the room and she'd hurriedly asked Ella if she was okay. She knew that she'd walk back into the greenroom and he'd be the first to ask if something had happened with Ella.

Another hum of confirmation came from Ella and Bre hoped that didn't mean she was still crying. With a heavy sigh, Bre bid her farewell sweetly, "I love you Ellie, it'll all be fine okay?"

Ella was so much calmer then, and she didn't know how to even properly thank her best friend. She got emotional all over again when she replied, "Love you too Bre. Thank you, you're the best."

"I know." Breana cheekily replied, making Ella snort out in laughter—that was enough to make her feel accomplished all over again. "Love you babe, bye!" Bre exclaimed as she walked back inside the venue backstage area.

"Bye! Love you!" Ella reciprocated, pressing the red button right after and staring at the ceiling with her hope restored.

It'll be alright, it'll all work out.

Those words kept echoing inside her brain as she replayed the events of the previous night.

Every laugh, every touch, every kiss, all of it.

It kept playing on loop, her brain fixating on some moments more than others like when he had her pressed against the wall, hand around her throat and his leg slotted between hers, grabbing her ass to guide her into getting herself off on his thigh.

Fuck.

She hadn't meant to get all flustered when recalling it all, but her body quickly got hot at the memories. It was as if it remembered the many times her pleasure had been spiking only to plummet down when they were rudely interrupted.

That was why it had been so easy to let her hands roam around her body beneath the sheets, letting her eyes flutter close and imagine it was Alex instead, touching and pinching and pulling and scratching. That it was Alex pushing his fingers into her mouth, wetting them to finally touch her clit, circling it nicely and getting her all wet and ready for his fingers to mercilessly stretch her out how he wanted. Fitting two, three, four fingers in her and making her cry out in pleasure at the sting, scissoring his fingers inside her to get her ready for his cock. But not before curling his fingers perfectly to hit that sweet spot inside her that made her toes curl and having her cum all over his hand before he could sink all the way inside her.

Her orgasm hit her with force, sending her into a blacked out state. Her brain was fuzzy and her ears felt like they'd been filled with cotton after she came, her fingers cramping after she'd had a white knuckle grip on her bed sheets when she fell over the edge.

She was sweating, chest heaving and her mouth was dry. She needed a shower, some water and food. But mostly, him.

Ella had never had him but after feeling him so well through his jeans the night before, her mouth watered and her cunt throbbed to properly feel him for the first time.

She groaned in frustration as she walked into her bathroom. She needed to stop those thoughts before she made herself cum again, only to once again be disappointed it wasn't him who had done it when her eyes peeled open.

So Ella focused on making herself feel like a person again: taking a long hot shower that soothed her muscles and felt like a reset, changing into some comfortable clothes—having to put a hoodie over mostly because Alex had left a few love bites on her neck that she couldn't have her parents seeing if she wanted to avoid questions—and going downstairs to have some food and something to drink.

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(17/06/2014 19:37) Wish you were here with us. I really loved Manchester, don't think anywhere else will ever compare. Think I discovered a new side to you and it all just makes perfect sense. Can't wait to see you, darling. Soon, I promise. Love you xxxxx

Ella's stomach fluttered when she woke up and unlocked her phone to that text. She kicked herself mentally for missing it entirely the previous day—she'd gone downstairs after showering and she'd found her parents in the living room watching a movie, one that they paused and ended up discarding completely when they caught Ella going to the kitchen to have something to eat and started asking her all about her long weekend.

Her loopy grin had been impossible to hide as she recounted her four days spent on the festival, how it had been seeing the lads playing there and having them over at home. She eagerly recounted going to see the horses and taking them to the river, taking a few pictures and teaching Katie, Matt and Alex how to ride a horse properly.

Her mom had the biggest smirk when she asked about the party though, and it made Ella blush. Ella wasn't as open about her dating life with her parents as Lily was, usually waiting to speak about anyone she'd been seeing until it got a bit more serious—Grace didn't know a thing about what had happened back in 2012 with Alex until after Julian had broken Ella's heart; when she'd come home after that, she'd let it all out to her and Lily and it truly was a roller coaster of emotions because when the story time started, they hated Alex but by the end of it, they warmed up to him all over again after learning how he'd been taking care of Ella.

But Ella knew that look on her mom's face meant something else so she'd sighed and openly asked her, "You wanna know about Alex, don't you?" Her parents' eager nodding was enough of an answer for her to come clean about it all to them.

It had gone way better than she thought, a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders as she went on and on about how sweet he was, how thoughtful and caring. She had stuttered through the recalling of them kissing at the party, omitting the non-PG details of their night, and getting a bit worked up when telling them about the moment they had to say goodbye.

Grace had been cooing audibly all throughout, Parker laughing a bit when seeing Ella recoiling into herself when she got embarrassed about her mom's reactions.

"You two are adorable." Grace smiled sweetly at her daughter, her heart swelling in her chest out of pure joy to see Ella so happy with Alex.

Parker nodded, agreeing with his wife, but he needed to ask the one thing they'd been wondering all along, "So are y'all together then?"

They watched as Ella's face fell, her features covering up with sadness at the simple question. Except it wasn't simple at all, not the debate within herself, nor the circumstances they found themselves in.

"No. No, we're not." She mumbled, pulling the sleeves of her hoodie to cover her hands and fiddling with them while she got the courage to say loudly to someone else than Breana. "I'm in love with him. Really am, but it's complicated."

Her parents frowned, not really understanding how it could be complicated, "Complicated?" Parker asked, he was entirely sure Alex liked Ella, there was no denying when the singer looked at Ella the way he did.

They watched as she took a shaky breath, her gaze falling to her lap as she tried not to get upset about it again. The ache in her chest was impossible to ignore though, and crying about it seemed like the only way to cope with it.

"Well he's still on tour and we barely see each other, and I don't wanna tell him through the phone." She sniffled when a few tears rolled down her cheeks. Her parents grabbed one of her hands each and she looked up at them, teary eyed but with a thankful smile. "He's moving to LA and I– I don't know exactly when, but I know that I'm telling him once I know he's there and staying. Maybe after the tour ends at the end of the year. I don't know how I would be able to cope with a long distance relationship if I told him before."

Grace offered her daughter an understanding side smile, but she had to disagree with Ella's plans, "I think you should tell him honey. Through the phone or even if you just get to see him once and he has to go. You can't keep hurting yourself by staying silent because you're scared of distance." She shook her head because the thought of her daughter crying daily because of the guy she loved being far away hurt her tremendously. "You can't say you're not gonna be able to make a long distance relationship work when true love can work through it all."

Ella frowned, her tears rapidly rolling down her cheeks then, "'That's so cliche, mom."

"But it's true! Love finds a way, honey." Grace squeezed Ella's hand, as if that helped make her words more real. "And distance makes the heart grow fonder, so it would only make it better when you two see each other again, if you know what I mean." Grace joked with a smirk and wiggling her brows.

It made Ella chuckle, which turned into a cackle when Parker audibly complained and gagged about the lewd insinuation. But the director wasn't sure her mom was understanding the situation, "I'm not even sure if he likes me like that, mom. I– Bre says he does or else he wouldn't have acted the way he did last night but what if it was just the drinks? I mean I hope it wasn't just that but I can't get my hopes up like that, I would be broken if he doesn't feel the same."

Ella's dad stared at her with an amused smile on his face, which Ella scowled at and asked, "What? What's funny?"

Parker shrugged, "That you think he doesn't like you back, or love you for that matter." He sighed and Ella was about to open her mouth to say something but he lifted his finger up and tutted. "No, hold on." He took a few seconds to put his thoughts in order before he spoke, "Have you seen the way he looks at you? Not to add the way he always keeps you close, which made me want to pull him aside and ask him a few things many times. Us and your sister had been wondering all day long if you two were together and just hiding it 'cause you didn't want your old man bothering your boyfriend—you didn't like it when I threatened that other stupid boy back when you brought him home so..."

Ella went to speak again, but her dad wasn't done. "And then, Lily tells us you were even worse the day before at the festival? I mean, we were expecting you to pull us aside and quickly tell us you two were dating before going to that party." Parker shook his head, his confidence in his words was unwavering, "There's no doubt in my mind that he feels the same. You just need to tell him and spare yourself the tears, sweetie. Breaks my heart seeing you cry like this but you need to do it if he's not gonna do it first."

Hearing Bre's words had helped her slightly but it all resonated louder when it came from her parents.

"D'you really think so?" She asked shyly, needing some more confirmation.

Her parents nodded in sync, but it was her dad who spoke, "I don't think so. I'm sure hun."

After that, a smile stayed on Ella's face until she went back to her room. She'd taken her hoodie off before getting in bed, and when her gaze fell on the couple of bruises Alex had left on her neck, she giggled like a schoolgirl before throwing herself on her bed and sighing when thinking of him until she fell asleep.

With quick fingers, she texted him back as soon as she'd seen the text the following morning. Butterflies fluttered uncontrollably in her stomach as she went over his message once again before sending her reply.

(18/06/2014 10:03) Miss you so much sweets. My heart is full hearing you loved it here and I'm glad it makes sense, this place is all of me, my soul really. Oh I can't wait to have you back in LA!! Let me know how everything with the house goes, okay? Love you more xxxxx

She felt like a Disney princess as she got out of bed, opening her window to hear the birds chirping outside and humming a soft tune as she got ready for the day.

She was planning on spending the day helping around with the stable and the horses, maybe cutting the grass with her dad or helping her mom clean the house before she had to go to the airport around seven in the evening. Her flight was leaving from Nashville, so her parents would have to drive her over to the city and it was around an hour long drive—it was gonna be a very long hectic day.

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By the time she had finished cleaning around the stable, after taking Birdie out for a lengthy stroll, the clock was painfully nearing three in the afternoon so she knew she had to rush inside, have some lunch, quickly finish packing her case, tidy up her childhood room and get ready for the airport.

She looked crazy going around tossing her things into her open case in just a towel with her wet hair dripping all over her wooden floor. She tried her best to multitask, eating a sandwich she'd made herself as she blow dried her hair and picked up the mess of makeup she'd left atop of her dresser.

Thankfully her efforts to hurry up paid off and she was in the backseat of her dad's truck about a bit over two hours before her flight.

She got there with an hour and a half to spare before her flight was meant to leave and she was so glad to see that there weren't big lines around the place so she could go through quickly and be at her gate with enough time to spare to get some food before boarding.

As always, hugging her parents goodbye was horrendously sad. It reminded her of the first time she'd left them to go to university and though she thought it would get easier with time, it never did.

She'd been crying even as she ordered herself a McDonalds meal before heading to her gate, the wave of emotions she'd felt for the past week making her pathetically cry as she ate her burger and fries.

But once the plane took off and she watched the city of Nashville getting smaller and smaller beneath them, she took the time to go back through the memories she'd made and she felt so warm and fuzzy inside at the collection of moments she was privileged enough to have stuck in her brain forever.

Going back to LA got her excited all over again, eager for what could happen if Alex closed the sale sooner than she was expecting, especially now that she had her parents' words echoing inside her mind which only helped her grow the courage to tell him.

She knew then, she wouldn't do it through text or through a call but if he closed the sale before the end of the month like he had said then he'd be coming to Los Angeles to sign and get his keys and she knew that it would be her perfect opportunity.

Her eyes fluttered closed, letting the feeling of being in the air back to her second home lull her to sleep.

It'll all be alright, it'll all work out.

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Around three in the morning Ella landed in LAX. Being back in the city made her smile, she really couldn't describe how it felt to be back there—it was like being twenty, hopeful and constantly daydreaming all over again.

When she was waiting for her suitcase to come rolling around at baggage claim, she checked her phone and her heart grew in size when she saw a new message from Alex.

(18/06/2014 23:51) Miss you so much more darling. I'll be back very soon, I think the sale closes next week, but I'll let you know for sure as soon as I find out. And that's impossible, I love you lots and lots and lots xxxxxx

Ella threw her head back, biting her tongue not to giggle like an idiot, but she looked pathetic enough smiling like a fool up at the ceiling of the airport.

She loved him so fucking much and it was starting to seem clear that maybe he did too. And the notion made her so incredibly giddy.

So much so that it didn't matter that she'd gotten back home at half past four in the morning and she'd showered and gone to sleep for barely five hours. She didn't care that she'd had to scramble to get ready to go to work, and she smiled brightly at everyone who greeted her when she arrived at the office.

She'd let herself freely blush when Ben came to her office to ask about how it'd gone and teased her about Alex for most of the time. The director had even managed to get out of her that she did like the singer, and she'd let out a bubbly laugh when he'd exclaimed he knew it all along.

But her elated mood had plummeted down when she opened up her Twitter app as she had lunch in her office.

She'd choked on the bite of chicken she'd taken when she saw a bunch of people sharing an article about Alex and Alex, who had apparently been paparazzied in New York just that morning.

Of course, Ella's curiosity got the best of her and she clicked on the article. How she wished she hadn't made that mistake, how she wished she hadn't followed a bunch of Arctic Monkeys related accounts on Twitter so that stupid article hadn't shown on her timeline to begin with.

She was trying her best not to loudly sob in her office, but still desperately trying to get ahold of Breana to let it all out because it really fucking hurt—she was the one who knew about her feelings for Alex, the only one she could tell this to at least.

The second Breana picked up, Ella whimpered, not even trying to hide that she was upset, "I'm so fucking stupid Bre."

"What happened?" The model sounded panicked.

"Why did I have to go and fall in love with a fucking famous musician when I'm just another boring, normal girl?!" She frowned in frustration, aware she sounded like a child but she just felt insignificant.

Bre frowned, entirely confused by her words, "Okay first off, you're not a boring normal girl. And second, what's happening woman?! I'm so confused over here."

"This fucking article." Ella sobbed, muffling her cries with her hand. She breathed deeply a few times to calm down before she could explain, "Alex and Alexa were photographed together in New York earlier today, and they're saying how there's been rumors about them 'rekindling their relationship' ever since Jamie and Katie's wedding."

This was news to the model, she hadn't heard shit about anything happening between Alex and Alexa and she literally was part of the lads' close circle so to her those rumors sounded like utter bullshit to her. "Ella, it could be nothing. You know how the tabloids are."

But Ella had been on the phone to Alex when Alexa had appeared outside, bumping into him. And it had been entirely fine then, she was mostly sad she hadn't been able to be there but this article made her mind start spinning; especially since her very own name was written in it. "They mention me, Bre. And they make it sound like I'm just... a nobody." She took a deep breath, willing herself not to cry as she read out loud what it said, "It goes: 'Another mysterious woman had been linked to the rockstar not that long ago. Around the time the band headlined Glastonbury for a second time, a few fans managed to bump into the pair in the streets of Manchester and Turner's native Sheffield, and caught that her name was Ella.'"

Bre's face fell as she heard all that, afraid for her best friend's privacy having been breached just for the tabloids to chat wank, "Oh shit."

But Ella got hurt all over again when she glanced at what came next, "No wait, it gets fucking worse." Clearing her throat, her words came filled with anger as she read them to Breana, "'After a bit of research, the identity of the woman was revealed to be Eleanor Hayes, one of the directors of the latest AM music video and the one credited to be behind the camera in the upcoming documentary of the recording of the Monkeys' fifth studio album. She's also been credited as a PA for many of the Arctic Monkeys' previous music videos and the photographer to capture a bunch of our favorite pictures of the band. It is unsure if there was ever anything between the singer and the director, but all we can say is that you definitely don't hold hands with just a work acquaintance nor do you take her out to the pub and a game of footy with your dad. But any intrigue that was still lingering when it came to the pair has been thrown out the window now that we have seen these pictures of the iconic couple in the streets of New York. It feels refreshing to see things go back to how they were and what better news to wake up to than Alex and Alexa finding their way to each other. Maybe that engagement will work out this time around? We just hope we get a spot in the guest list!'"

When the director read that last sentence, her voice broke and she barely managed to finish reading the ending of the dreadful piece. Bre felt her chest getting heavy for her, only being able to let out a soft, "Ella..." as she tried to look for words to console her.

"I feel sick." She'd pushed her food away after reading the article for the first time. The mention of a previous engagement made her blood run cold and the tears had started falling instantly.

Yet, Bre was entirely sure it was purely a situation where the media was just trying to get clicks. She didn't even know he'd seen Alexa in New York and they were already in Delaware to play a festival. "Don't pay that attention. It's bullshit."

"But what if it's not?" Ella whispered in desperation. Every bit of hope she'd had, had dissipated like smoke in the wind. Was there even a point if there was a window open for him and Alexa? I mean, in her head the decision wasn't hard: the model, fashion guru, it girl, internet sensation, tv host Alexa Chung; and then there was her, just another director and photographer that lived in the city of angels. The city was littered with more hers, he could find another her without any effort, but there wasn't really another Alexa Chung.

Ella just wanted to disappear and never come back. She felt pathetic and embarrassed to even think she had a chance in the first place. It pained her having to have Alex be one of those people she fell for but nothing happened, one that would forever haunt her what-ifs, and it would be easier to completely push herself aside but it would hurt so much more to lose him.

Fuck!!! Her head was going to explode.

"He hasn't said anything about Alexa all day babe. I promise you." Bre swore through the phone, because she and the guys had been chatting the whole way there and the name of his ex had never been brought up.

Ella wasn't looking at the positives of that statement though, all that it meant to her then is that he was keeping a secret, and that just made it so much worse. "But–"

"No. No buts." Breana wasn't going to allow Ella to belittle herself and throw herself down a rabbit hole that would just make her cry even more and break her own heart in the process, "Nothing's happening between them." She easily said, because she was completely sure of it and the model prayed that the words resonated with the same conviction inside Ella's head. But just in case it didn't, she needed to put forward some solid proof, "Do you think he would've been like that with you in Tennessee if there was anything going on between them?"

No! her subconscious said, he wouldn't have!! But she wasn't sure what to believe or think anymore, her head was a mess. "I don't– Fuck. I don't know. I don't know what to do."

She was starting to grow desperate, all the words she'd thought of telling him tickling her insides as if wanting to get out of her chest. Was there even something she could do?! She had no idea.

"Stop stressing." Breana said as she tried to find answers within her, but nothing to her knowledge could settle Ella down; all she could do was try to calm her down with her words.

Ella scoffed, "Yeah well, easier said than done, Bre."

"I know but–," Bre had no idea what to say, "It's gonna be alright Ellie, you'll see." She had a feeling, a hunch that this was nothing and that everything would work out for Ella soon. She frowned thinking back to the words of the article, "I didn't even see them talking at Cookie's wedding, what the fuck are they on about?"

"Oh well, I did." Ella chatted back exasperatedly, "Was on the phone to him and then she came up to him so I ended the call."

"Fuck." Bre muttered under her breath, entirely unaware of that.

A chuckle rid of any amusement came from Ella in response, "Yeah, fuck."

Ella sounded so deflated, a heavy tinge of pessimism that was uncharacteristic of her coating her words. Breana was used to Ella's overthinking and being superstitious, not being entirely cynical and nihilistic, "No. Stop. Nothing's happening there, I know it."

"Hmm." Ella hummed just purely to sound like she was listening, Bre's words slipping right through her ears.

"Do I need to remind you about the party?" Bre made an effort to make Ella see the facts again.

The sole mention of that night made Ella's heart heavy, "No, because I will cry again." Her warning had been too late because she immediately whimpered as tears started falling again at the flashing memory of them kissing, the passion with which he held her and touched her that she just didn't know what to make of anymore.

"No, Ella, don't cry." Breana begged with her voice dropping to a whisper full of pity.

Ella sobbed the quietest she could, dreading having someone hearing her, but despite her voice falling to a broken whisper, Breana's heart broke as if she had let out a heart wrenching scream, "I feel so pathetic."

"You're not. It's fine. I promise." She scrambled for another way to confirm that those rumors were just bullshit, hurriedly assuring Ella, "I'll ask Matt."

Sniffling and calming herself down with deep breaths, "Okay."

"But it's nothing, okay?" Breana said again, "You hear me?"

"Yeah." Ella let out with her voice wavering.

From afar, Bre watched as Alex and Matt walked towards her with amused frowns on their faces as she'd ran away from them the second her phone rang.

Faking a smile, she waved at them, only to turn around and quickly reiterate, "I love you. You're fine, it's all fine. It'll all be fine."

"Yeah. Love you." Ella replied quietly, as if she was working on automatic drive.

Out of the corner of her eye, Breana watched as her fiance started jogging towards her with a smirk on his face, looking as if he was planning on tackling her as a joke. "I gotta go but text me, okay? Don't be upset."

Ella hummed hearing Bre's hurried words, knowing it meant she was busy so she bit her tongue to not cry again.

"I love you!" Breana exclaimed before ending the call.

The truth was that Ella didn't want to be alone with her thoughts but unfortunately the world kept moving despite hers feeling like it had come to a full stop.

And now she had to swallow it all back and act like nothing was happening because Alex had technically done nothing wrong and if she wanted answers then she'd have to take her heart out and hand it to him and she really wasn't sure that that was something she wanted to do anymore.

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A/N: I hope you didn't think I was gonna give you a smooth ride by the end of this just because it's the last few chapters hehehehe. But I do hope you enjoyed this and you're welcome to yell at me all you want, I'll allow it lollll Still can't believe how long this chapter is but I know it'll take me a bit to come back with the next one so I'm glad I can leave you with a treat while the next chapter is in the works. Sending yous lots of love and I hope you have an amazing week, mwahh!!! xxxxx

Taglist: @imagine-that-100 @kennedy-brooke @faveficz @indierockgirrl @ladydraculasthings @moonvr @unwantedlovergirl @eaglestar31 @nikisfwn @funniestpersoninnyc @andrearroe @justacaliforniandreamer @alexturnersgf69 @yourorganiccigarette @chickenxdrum

[vex-bittys]

When Life Gives You Skeletons: Chapter 5: Skeletons Do Not [REDACTED]

All of your frustration, anger, and heartache pours out of you in the form of tears. Red starts out with a tentative hug, but eventually his arms settle firmly around you, holding you tightly. You grip his shirt front with both hands as if he's the only thing keeping you from fracturing, as if he's your lifeline. 

You feel like a boat set adrift on a vast ocean, lost and small. Everything you had just yesterday has an “ex” on it now: ex-manager, ex-job, ex-residence, ex-roommate. You moved to Ebbott for a fresh start, but you ended up in the same position as before. No family. No place to live. Granted, you do have a friend in Ebbott, but her career and fiancee leave little time for you. As an added bonus, you also don't have the suitcase of belongings you left your hometown with or the sense of security and safety you should have towards other people.

In short, you have a lot of things to cry about, so it comes as no surprise that it takes quite a while for your sobs and hyperventilation to subside to snot, sniffles, and the occasional hiccup.

Once he sees that you're calmed down, Red helps you back into your seat then heads to the counter to get some food. You try to protest his offer to buy you lunch, but he flatly tells you to either give him your order or you'll end up with a plain bread sandwich with extra mustard. You relent and call out the instructions for your sandwich. Red picks up drinks and chips as well, but when he goes to pay, the worker gives him an unimpressed look.

You can't tell if she dislikes Red because he looks like a living human skeleton or if she dislikes Red because he just reached into his pocket and tossed a bunch of wadded up bills, miscellaneous loose change, buttons, paper clips, lint, and other deep pocket detritus onto the counter with a casual “keep the change” thrown in for good measure. Fortunately, she perks up when she realizes that the “change” Red let her keep amounts to more than the cost of the entire order. 

Red brings the food to your booth and sets your meal in front of you. You appreciate it, you really do, but you're just too anxious and emotional to do much more than pick at your food and sip your drink. Red, on the other hand, demolishes his sandwich and chips with gusto, belches, then speaks.

“so where ya plannin’ on stayin’ t'night?” Apparently, Red is going straight for the million dollar question, so you stuff a huge bite of sandwich into your mouth and go over your options silently while you chew (also silently). Red’s phone buzzes an alert into the silence you've created, and he ignores it.

With no forewarning about last night's events, you'd gone ahead and paid your rent, your portion of the utilities, your phone bill, and your student loan payment in full and on time like a responsible adult, the kind of adult with a bank account running dangerously low on funds. You have a few hundred dollars that you had stashed in a savings account to someday purchase a car, but a chunk of that would be spent today buying replacement clothes and toiletries. Even if you had the money for a security deposit and first month’s rent, who would be willing to lease an apartment to someone with no job?

Nobody.

Even the cheapest motels would be out of your price range after just a few days. This conclusion has tears welling up in your eyes again. You hate crying in front of people; it makes you feel weak and helpless. You swallow your bite of food and your emotions and give Red an honest answer.

“I really don't know.”

“ya ain’t got nobody y’can stay wit’?”

You don't want to explain your family situation or your lack of a social life. Those are stories for another time. The last thing you need right now is to open yourself up to additional emotional turmoil, so you go with a short and simple “No.” Red's phone buzzes again as if to accentuate your answer.

“look, i'd have ta talk t'my cousin, sans cuz it's technically his house, but would ya wanna stay wit’ me n’ my bro n’ cousins?”

You're stunned by the offer, and it takes a moment for you to respond. “I don't want to be a freeloader…” You trail off because honestly there aren't any other options open to you.

“y'could offer t'do some of the cookin’ n’ cleanin’,” suggests Red. “i know my bro is always complainin’ about all th’ shit he has ta do around th’ house.”

It's a fair compromise, and you accept. Red’s phone gives a triumphant buzz, and he ignores the alert a third time in favor of calling his cousin. You suddenly become very interested in the lunch you've barely eaten to avoid eavesdropping, but it's difficult when the conversation is happening right across the small table from you.

Sans must have picked up because you overhear the indistinct mumble of a very deep voice on the other end of the line. Your phone vibrates violently inside your purse, and you welcome the distraction. Digging around to find it, you still can't help hearing Red speak.

“i gotta friend who needs a place ta stay n’ i thought maybe she could take th’ attic room.”

You retrieve your phone and see a new message icon displayed on the screen. 

“nah, she ain't a troublemaker.”

New Message:

The Magnificent Blueberry

(XXX) XXX-XXXX 

The Magnificent Blueberry: ARE YOU ALRIGHT, MAIDEN?

“my bro n’ blue already met ‘er, n’ they liked ‘er just fine.”

Your fingers fly over the phone screen, quickly tapping out a reply to Blue.

You: Yeah, I'm good. Just enjoying some lunch.

“axe didn't bother ‘er las’ night.”

The Magnificent Blueberry: I APOLOGIZE FOR INTERRUPTING YOUR MEAL!

Blue's random check-in is a bit odd, but it's nice to know someone is thinking of you and worrying about your welfare. You close the conversation with Blue only to notice another unread message underneath it on your list of texts. At first, you don't recognize the number.

“axe n’ rusty ain't had an episode in months. look, maybe y'should jus’ talk to ‘er yerself.”

New Message:

(XXX) XXX-XXXX 

(XXX) XXX-XXXX: y’can make it up t’me by joinin’ me f’r lunch sometime to listen t'more of my jokes. i got a skele-TON of ‘em.

You would've known this message is from Red even without your original text nested above it. Unexpected laughter bubbles up inside of you. When it bursts free, it takes some of your gloomy mood with it.

“A skeleton pun, Red? You must know I find them quite-” You pause for dramatic effect. “- humerus!”

You do not realize that Red has put you on speaker phone until you hear a deep, low chuckle coming from the phone. Red groans.

“i take back what i said. she's obviously a troublemaker,” Red says, making Sans laugh harder.

“Just because I like puns,” you huff, indignant. 

“puns're th’ low-hangin’ fruit of th’ joke world, doll.”

“Gasp,” you cry instead of actually gasping. “How could you say that? Puns are the pinnacle of jokes!”

“the cherry on top,” Sans quips, and you giggle.

“what’ve i gotten myself into,” Red laments.

You smile in a very devious manner. “Orange you glad I didn't make that cherry pun?” Red groans again, and you and Sans howl with laughter. Obviously,  Red’s cousin understands that the humor of puns doesn't come from the wordplay itself; it comes from people's reactions to the puns. You think you'll get along with him just fine, and it seems he agrees.

“i'll talk to axe and rusty and ask papyrus to get the attic room ready, but she's your responsibility, red.”

“got it.” With those final words, Red hangs up on his cousin, probably to avoid the possibility of more puns. You save Red’s contact information  as “Clifford” in your phone, and turn your attention to packing up the remains of your lunch. You don't have the appetite to finish it, but you hate wasting food. A partial sandwich and some chips will be a great snack if you get hungry later. For now, you need to focus on finding some inexpensive outfits and toiletries to bring to your new temporary home.

You approach the woman at the counter to ask for a bag to carry your leftovers, and no sooner have you stuffed your future snack into that bag than you hear an unmistakable high-volume rasp shouting for Red. At least you assume “MY INSUFFERABLE LAZYBONES OF A BROTHER” is Red. You return to your booth to find the two skeleton monsters arguing.

“HOW MANY TIMES MUST I REMIND YOU NOT TO IGNORE MY TEXTS!” It’s difficult to be sure since Edge speaks loudly and has extremely pointy features, but you think the tall skeleton might be angry at his brother. Red, though again you're no expert at reading bone facial expressions, appears sheepish.

Your curiosity leads you to interrupt. “How did you know where we were?” Edge levels a glare at you that makes you regret your very existence. 

“MY VEHICLE HAS A GPS TRACKER INSTALLED TO PREVENT THEFT.” OK, so Edge is obviously a stalker, and he has the nerve to sound proud of himself for it. “WHEN MY CONTACT AT THE HUMAN POLICE DEPARTMENT SHOWED ME THE REPORT FROM YOUR RETRIEVAL MISSION-” Retrieval mission? “- I DECIDED TO INTERVENE.” Now Red is on the receiving end of Edge’s glare again. “AND STOP TELLING PEOPLE THAT YOU CHANGED MY DIAPERS! SKELETONS DO NOT POOP!” Edge stomps his foot to punctuate each word of his last statement. 

“then what were ya wearin’ the diapers for?” Red asks oh so innocently. You sputter, trying to hold in your laughter and failing. 

Shifting his focus to you, Edge changes the subject in lieu of answering. “I ASSUME YOU ARE HERE TO REPLACE YOUR POSSESSIONS, AND FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON MY BROTHER HAS TAKEN IT UPON HIMSELF TO ACCOMPANY YOU.” You nod in acknowledgement. “I SUPPOSE I SHALL ESCORT YOU AS WELL TO KEEP AN EYELIGHT ON MY DEGENERATE BROTHER AND MAKE SURE YOUR PATHETIC HUMAN WEAKNESS DOESN'T PUT HIM IN ANY DANGER.”

“didn’ i teach ya any manners growin’ up?” scolds Red.

“NO.”

“true, but if ya keep bein’ rude ta the human, i'll show ‘er pictures of you as a babybones.” 

“YOU'RE BLUFFING!” Edge’s voice lacks its usual cocky confidence. You actually hope that he calls the supposed bluff and you get to see his baby pictures. Even pointy, scowling babies are cute!

“if ya think so, then try me.”

The skeleton brothers continue to bicker, trailing behind you while you backtrack to the store entrance to grab a shopping cart. You gather from conversation that Red raised Edge, but you don't dare to ask about their parents because it might invite questions about your parents. You aren’t ready to talk about that yet, especially when you're in the ladies underwear department trying to select a comfortable, affordable bra. 

Thanks to the abundance of clearance racks at this particular store, you have a pair of bras and a multi-pack of underwear in your cart in no time. You also find some pajama pants in case you need to wander the house at night without your upper thighs exposed. Red stays close to you as you browse a rack of marked down shirts. Edge prowls around the clothing department, eyelights darting back and forth suspiciously. Periodically he checks back, speaking to his brother in a low tone that discourages eavesdropping. You're not the listening-in type anyway, so the secrecy doesn't bother you.

You are, however, significantly bothered when Edge hijacks your cart to pass judgment on your selections.

“THE CRAFTSMANSHIP ON THESE GARMENTS IS ABYSMAL,” he sneers. Clearance rack leftovers at a superstore do tend to lack in the quality department, but you have a tight budget to work with. Before you can even begin to explain this to Edge, he drops a pile of clothing into the cart, scooping out the shirts you had just placed there a moment ago. You can see from the tags that he chose the correct size; unfortunately not a single item is on sale.

“THESE ARE THE BEST THAT THIS ESTABLISHMENT HAS TO OFFER,” Edge informs you, though he doesn't sound particularly impressed.

“I can't afford all of this right now, Edge,” you point out, exasperated. 

“I AM AWARE OF YOUR SITUATION, HUMAN,” he responds, equally exasperated.

Red diffuses the brewing argument by interrupting. “what my bro's tryin’ ta say is: since yer stuff got destroyed because you associated wit’ us, we'll pay ta replace it.”

Oh.

“AND I WILL NOT PROVIDE YOU WITH LOW QUALITY REPLACEMENTS EITHER. I HAVE A REPUTATION TO MAINTAIN.”

The tall skeleton monster can't know that his words mirror the ones his brother said to you yesterday, but they make you smile anyway. Now that clothing has been checked off the shopping list, you move along to the hygiene essentials. Red marvels at all of the human cleaning products (“hair soap n’ face soap n’ body soap n’ pussy soap, n’ it all comes in diff'rent flavors!”), and Edge remains vigilant for possible shampoo aisle ambushes. He also refuses to let you shop for sale items here.

You put cheap deodorant in the cart. Edge hands it back to you and points to a popular (and more expensive) brand. 

You try to pick out budget brand shampoo and conditioner. 

“NO.”

You grab store brand bar soap.

“TRY AGAIN.”

You reach for a value pack containing a toothbrush and toothpaste together for one low price.

“NOT THAT ONE.”

You toss a hair brush into the cart. Edge says nothing. Apparently the brush meets his high standards.

“it's easier t'just let ‘im have his way, doll,” Red whispers loudly to you. You roll your eyes. Calling Edge a control freak would be the understatement of the year.

“HUMAN!” The tall angular skeleton monster demands your attention. You patiently inform him that your name is, in fact, not “Human,” and give him your real name. Edge impatiently informs you that he “ALREADY KNEW THAT” and, in fact, “DOES NOT CARE.” He waves away any protest you might make, or perhaps shoos you towards your next destination. It’s difficult to read his intentions.

“SINCE MONSTER FOOD DOES NOT MEET A HUMAN’S NUTRITION NEEDS, YOU WILL NEED TO PROCURE VITAMINS AND HUMAN FOODS.”

You have seen the Public Service Announcements regarding monster food, of course. Monster food will satisfy hunger and even leave a human feeling rejuvenated just like a good night's sleep, but it lacks some key nutritional components. Humans can't survive on monster food alone, and monsters, who need the magical properties contained in their foods, can't survive on a human diet. You lead Edge and Red to the vitamins and supplements department only to be absolutely blown away by the ridiculous prices.

“I think I'll be fine with just a multivitamin,” you mumble, trying to avoid Edge’s well-meaning wrath. It turns out that Edge’s wrath is inescapable.

“IT WOULD BE STUPUD TO INVITE A HUMAN INTO OUR HOME AND THEN ALLOW IT TO PERISH OF MALNUTRITION. GATHER THE NECESSARY SUPPLIES AND STOP WHINING!”

“blue says she needs iron, b12, d3, n’ calcium citrate,” Red butts in, holding up his phone to show off what must be a text from Blue. Huffing in irritation, Edge swipes a handful of appropriate vitamin bottles off of the shelf and tosses them into the cart. Without another word, he stomps off towards the grocery section of the store. You and Red hurry to catch up, pushing the loaded down shopping cart in front of you. Knowing that skeletons don’t poop (thank you Edge for that strange tidbit of information), you grab some toilet paper on the way. 

Red and Edge return to their routine: Red hovering near you, and Edge patrolling each aisle as if Jay might leap out from behind a display of microwave mac and cheese to finish what he started. You fill the remaining space in the cart with breakfast, lunch, and dinner staples though Red reassures you that he and his cousins will start incorporating human foods into their recipes next time they shop for ingredients. Meanwhile, Edge scouts around the next corner and discovers the magical land of soups, the perfect food for autumn's chilly weather!

Hefting a can of soup in each hand, you weigh the pros and cons of chicken and rice versus chicken noodle, and Edge,  apparently satisfied that this aisle is secure, picks up a can of bone broth to glare at.

“WHY ARE WE BUYING CLOTHES AT THE SOUP STORE?”

You take the can from him and return it to its place on the shelf. “Convenience,” you say and move along to browse the store's selection of snack foods while Edge guards you from the perils of grocery shopping, whatever he thinks they might be.

You're just starting to think that this shopping trip will turn out alright in spite of Edge’s abrasive personality when someone decides to rain on your little three person parade.

“Can you believe that they sell monster food here? Humans can't even eat monster food!” The complaints come from a young woman who speaks in an annoying whine, a dead giveaway that she's probably one of those self-centered types who don't understand that not everything in this world is made specifically for them. There are two skeleton monsters shopping in the store right now just a few feet away from her!

“I know!” You mimic her voice perfectly.  “Can you believe that they sell milk here? I'm lactose intolerant!” The woman's pretty face turns into an ugly sneer once she catches on to your mockery, but you refuse to let her speciesist comment go unchallenged.

“I SINCERELY APOLOGIZE-” You already know Edge well enough to know he would never apologize to this woman, but her smug smirk tells you that she's falling into his verbal trap. “- TO ANYONE WHO HAS THE EXTREME MISFORTUNE OF ENCOUNTERING SOMEONE LIKE YOU.” Insult delivered, Edge places a surprisingly gentle hand on the small of your back to guide you away from the confrontation. 

Red adds his two cents with a double middle phalanx salute which he maintains while walking backwards behind you and his brother. You catch one last glimpse of the woman's stunned face, her mouth hanging open before Edge has you out of the aisle. You quickly dart back to grab a few boxes of Pop-Tarts only to have the delicious pastries scrutinized by a pair of disapproving red eyelights.

“ABSOLUTELY NOT,” Edge declares. “THOSE HAVE NO NUTRITIONAL MERIT!”

“I can pay for these myself,” you offer. You will defend your Pop-Tart habit to the death if you need to. Edge relents in his own way, snatching the treats from your hands and throwing them unceremoniously into your cart. Flanked by two skeleton monsters, you steer the cart towards the checkout lanes feeling a bit like a princess with two bony knights to escort her.

A cashier begins scanning your items, and with each beep your euphoria evaporates a bit more until all that's left is a heavy sense of anxiety. The total continues to climb, and anxiety gives way to panic. You can't ask two skeleton monsters that you've known for less than a day to buy you so much stuff, but the transaction is already out of your price range and the cashier is still working his way through the pile of clothing.

“breathe, doll,” Red whispers, making you jump. You actually forgot about the skeleton monster standing next to you! Now that your focus is broken, you take some calming breaths. The cashier scans the last item, and hits a key to reveal the staggering sum. Unfazed, Edge pays with a credit card. Did he even check the amount?

The cashier requests Edge’s ID, probably due to the large purchase. Edge hands it over. The cashier checks it, then gives Edge a skeptical look.

“Edgelord Edgerton Serif? What kind of name is that?” You think he might be joking, but Edge lets out a low growl of frustration. 

“IT'S THE KIND OF NAME YOUR MOTHER WAS SCREAMING LAST NIGHT. NOW FINISH MY TRANSACTION.” Edge’s dry joke makes you snort, and Red bursts into raucous laughter. 

Thoroughly chastised, the cashier gives Edge his ID and a lengthy receipt. Not bothering with the now-empty shopping cart, Edge picks up each and every bag and carries your purchases outside by himself. You suspect that he is grumpy about having his name questioned, but you have to agree with the cashier's skepticism. Who names a babybones Edgelord?

You aren't one to look a gift horse in the mouth, however… especially if that gift horse is a skeleton with really sharp teeth named Edgelord Edgerton Serif.

In the parking lot, Edge stows your new belongings (and Pop-Tarts) in the back of the SUV and slams the hatch down. Turning to his brother, he holds out a gloved hand, metacarpal palm facing upwards.

“YOU CAN TAKE YOUR CHOPPER HOME, BROTHER. I'LL TRANSPORT THE HUMAN.” 

“sure thing, boss.” With no protest, Red drops the keys to the SUV into Edge’s hand.

“You call your brother ‘Boss’?” The question slips out while Edge retrieves the chopper keys from his pocket. The skeletons repeat their earlier performance of throwing and catching keys, and Red gives you an answer over his shoulder as he saunters up to a sleek black and red motorcycle.

“yeah, everyone used ta think it was cuz i was a sentry in the royal guard n’ he outranked me, but it's really cuz he was such a bossy little babybones.”

Edge stamps his foot and shouts: “STOP TELLING THE HUMAN YOUR COCKAMAMIE STORIES!” Red just starts up his bike and revs the engine to drown his brother out. He then speeds off, leaving you in the care of a tall, irritated skeleton monster.

You and Edge climb into the massive vehicle (Edge figuratively and you literally) and start your journey together. Edge drives attentively and cautiously while still managing to go slightly over the speed limit. At first he doesn't speak to you, but the blissful silence is over all too soon.

“FOR REASONS UNKNOWN, MY BROTHER HAS FORMED AN ATTACHMENT TO YOU.” Edge’s loud voice fills the SUV, surrounding you with the sound of it. “IF ANY HARM COMES TO HIM BECAUSE OF THAT ATTACHMENT, I WILL ENSURE THAT YOUR END IS EXCRUCIATING SLOW AND EXCEEDINGLY PAINFUL.”

“I would never do anything to hurt Red.” Your heated words are immediate and honest. You would never forgive yourself if something bad happened to Red because of you.

Edge says nothing, and an uneasy silence returns to the vehicle. You wonder why Edge feels the need to control every aspect of a situation. Maybe it comes from being a high ranking member of the Royal Guard? You presume Edge’s inner monologue is more along the lines of where to hide your mangled body if you cross him, and an unexpected shiver races up your spine.

Thankfully, you survive the ride to your new home. Edge once again gathers up the purchases and carries them by himself. Red must have somehow beaten you here because he stands at the front door, opening it to let you and his brother inside where you find yet another skeleton monster waiting. 

“WELCOME TO YOUR NEW HOME, HUMAN,” he shouts with contagious cheerfulness. The new skeleton is tall like Edge with softer, rounder features and a casual style of dress. He sweeps you up into a powerful hug, spins you around, and sets you back on your feet,  then he picks up a gift basket from a side table and presents it to you. “PLEASE ACCEPT THIS TOKEN OF HOSPITALITY AND FRIENDSHIP FROM THE GREAT PAPYRUS!”

You stare through the clear cellophane wrapping in shock. The basket contains a luxurious loofah, slippers, bubble bath, candles, and lotion, all items that a person on a tight budget wouldn't bother buying for themself. This family of skeleton monsters barely knows you, but they have already done so much for you. Red protected you, Blueberry checked on your health, Edge provided for you, Sans made you laugh, and Papyrus embraced you as a housemate and friend, sight unseen.

You haven't felt so wanted and cared for since your grandmother passed away.

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[mgparker]

the bodyguard- din djarin

DIN DJARIN X F!ROYAL!READER [SERIES]

summary: the princess quickly learns how skilled her protector is.

warnings: short-ish chapter. violence, sword-fighting, lots of gwaine content, unedited

<< last chapter | masterlist!

ੈ✩‧₊˚. ii. a warning *.ੈ✩‧₊˚.

You stare at the night sky with a sigh and fold the schematics back up again. You click the hidden crevice and place all your plans into the opening of the round table.

“Do you think it’s wise to keep such confidencial plans here?” Gwaine asks from his spot on the floor, near the corner by the window.

“I have nowhere else,” you give him a tight smile.

Gwaine furrows his eyebrows. “With the entire castle at your disposal?”

“You and I both know the castle is filled with people who don’t have its best interests at heart.”

“And what of Senator Dameron?”

You look at him sharply. Still on the outs with him, you can’t help but wince at the mention of his name.

“Forgive me, was I too forward?”

“No, not at all. You know Phex is like family to me. But he’s been overbearing lately. Far more so than usual. I feel like I’m suffocating.”

“He’s protecting you the only way he knows how.”

“Really? You ask him that?” You snap in a moment of sudden frustration.

Gwaine stares at you silently. The sounds of the insects reel you back in.

“I…” you sigh. “Forgive me. You don’t deserve the brunt of my frustrations.”

“You’re forgiven,” says Gwaine simply. “I understand. Or I try to understand as well as I can.”

“I know. Your council is much appreciated, Gwaine. You’re truly one of the only people I have left.”

He gives you a sad smile.

You walk over to the window, the aged wood creaking under your footsteps, one of the only structures in Eiria that pre-dated the reign of your late parents.

From here, you can see the lights of the entire city. Vibrant golden buildings, some as tall as skyscrapers you’d once seen on a trip to Coruscant.

You gaze upon your home, trying to spot your balcony from here but you were too far out.

The sound of iron against iron steals your attention away from the palace.

“Can never put down your work, can you?” You’re only teasing.

“It’s my life,” he shrugs, still sharpening the two swords he’d had strapped on his waist.

“What’d you say we get a duel in? I haven’t held a sword in months,” you sigh.

“I’d be much too frightened to fight a Princess,” Gwaine chuckles.

That’s funny, you think. You’ve knocked me on my ass more times than I can count.

“Much too frightened to lose, perhaps?”

“Don’t flatter yourself.”

“Well, winner gets the pride. Pass it over.”

Gwaine tosses a sword at you a bit recklessly. You catch it with ease.

You both circle each other, getting into position.

“Prepared to lose?” Gwaine loosens his shoulders.

“To you?” You narrow your eyes. “Never.”

You make the first move, using both hands to strike your blade against his. You don’t bother holding back, knowing Gwaine, with all his years of welding and training, could take your full strength with ease.

He effortlessly blocks your attack, hitting back with his own. You pivot, trying to throw him off but he’s too good at what he does. He’s barely breaking a sweat, but it’s great practice for you.

You’re on the offensive until he decides to take it up a notch, lunging and striking your blade with grace. You do your best to block every attack, arms aching and a sweat breaking at the crown of your head.

“I’m feeling quite prideful already,” Gwaine laughs, slicing through the air near your neck and sending you a few feet back. You’re thankful you decided to wear your trousers. The fabric of a dress would’ve caused you to trip and lose.

“Don’t get too comfortable.”

You decide now’s the best time to use a trick Gwaine himself had taught you. An empty fade is what he’d called it, falsely jumping back before leaping forward to reclaim your spot on the offense.

Gwaine laughs and there’s a different type of pride in his eyes. You smile back, feeling quite proud of yourself despite your exhaustion…

If there’s one thing you know however, it’s that this duel is going to be over very soon. As competitive as you are, you knew it was never going to be a fair fight. Gwaine has an equally strong will but his skill far outmatches yours.

He proves you right, using an incredible amount of strength to knock you off your feet. A yelp escapes your lungs as you slam into the ground, his hand pressed between your shoulder blades to lessen the impact. He follows you down, keeping his body a respectable distance, but still, the false edge of his blade presses lightly against your neck.

Just as you were about to slam your hand down in defeat, eyes crinkling from amusement, a flurry of movements send your heart into near cardiac arrest.

Gwaine is thrown off of you, his blade landing by your feet and a scream of his own echoing within the abandoned tower.

You gasp, scrambling up to your feet to find Gwaine pinned against the floor with a boot to his chest. A blaster is aimed right at his head and at the other end of it…

The Mandalorian.

“Stop!” You cry in desperation, running over to the two and recklessly grabbing onto the Mandalorian’s forearm. The beskar cool against your palms.

“Gwaine is a friend. He’d never harm me. We were practicing!”

The Mandalorian doesn’t look at you, doesn’t even acknowledge the fingers that grip his armor tightly. He only holds the blaster even tighter, hidden eyes trained on his target.

“Consider this a warning.”

“Please—”

“Friend or not, no harm is to come to the Princess under my watch.”

Gwaine looks between the blaster, the Mandalorian’s other hand which was resting on some hidden weapon on his back, and you.

Slowly, he nods and by some miracle, the Mandalorian lowers his weapon, finally turning towards you.

His helmet makes a subtle up and down movement and you stare back into the black visor, heart still racing uncontrollably. You tear your hand away from his arm, realizing your death grip was hurting you more than him.

You kneel by your friend. The Mandalorian’s words replay in your head.

“Your watch? Where the hell were you all this time? Gwaine and I have been out here for hours,” you say as you help Gwaine up.

“I haven’t left your side since this morning,” the Mandalorian says tonelessly. His blaster is still in a tight grip by his leg.

“Is that so?” You ask sarcastically, but really you’re having a small internal panic. Had he been following you this entire time? Were you really that unobservant?

Or maybe the Mandalorian was much better at this job than you originally gave him credit for.

“It is, Your Highness. I must insist we return to the palace now. It’s just before midnight.”

You suppress a groan, grabbing Gwaine’s sword off the ground and handing both back to him reluctantly. The Mandalorian stands by the creaky staircase expectantly, helmet trained on you.

You give Gwaine an apologetic look, feeling horrible about your protector manhandling your oldest friend in such a way.

He smiles at you as if to tell you that he’s fine. It doesn’t ease your guilt.

With heavy feet, you begin to drag yourself to the exit, walking past the Mandalorian with a heavy throat.

Your fun was over, overshadowed by his abrupt and violent entrance. Your anger with him was simmering away however, knowing he was just doing his job… In some ways, you find yourself relieved someone so qualified is looking after you. Especially with the rumorous threats to your life lately.

“Fed your horse by the way.”

Both you and Gwaine jerk back in surprise, staring at the Mandalorian as if he grew another head.

“Nyla’s a nice name.” He adds casually. As if he wasn’t showing you the first signs of humanity since he arrived.

You look over the Mandalorian’s shoulder, who’s behind you at the top of the stairs — you’d only taken one step down — and make eye contact with Gwaine. His eyes are as wide as yours.

You whip back around, taking two steps at a time. Against your best efforts, an amused grin spreads from cheek to cheek.

Maybe the Mandalorian wasn’t just a faceless hunk of armor after all.

add yourself to the taglist!

[minijenn]

UF Preview

Aight yeah so so far this chapter is fairly similar to the old UF version of it but I think the old UF version is already pretty decent, though I am setting up a few more things this time around that'll pay off, maybe not in this chapter, but in future chapters, so enjoy some of that...

---

As Gideon raised his hand, the crowd did the same. Every last member of the audience stood, including Steven, the twins, Soos, and even the Gems. While Steven, Mabel, and Soos joined the crowd in clapping along to Gideon’s song, Dipper and the Gems were far more alarmed than enthralled.

“Wha–? How did he-” Dipper started, surprised that he’d stood when he hadn’t wanted to. 

“What just happened?” Pearl whispered to Garnet and Amethyst. The pair could only shrug, though they were even more caught off guard when Gideon tossed a handful of “magic” down to the audience below. Most of it landed squarely on Steven and the Gems, as if he’d intentionally aimed at them, though they quickly discovered it wasn’t as “magical” as he claimed it to be. 

“Is this uncooked rice?” Amethyst frowned, pulling a handful out of her hair. She answered her own question when she shoved her handful into her mouth. “Huh. Yeah, it is. Crunchy.”

“Ugh… When can we leave?” Pearl asked Garnet as she picked rice out of her own hair. 

Garnet didn’t answer right away, instead meeting the second pleading look Steven was sending her way. “...Soon,” she said simply. For Amethyst and Pearl, that “soon” couldn’t come quickly enough. 

By now, Gideon had wandered down into the crowd itself, singing straight to his excited audience as he showed off his “clairvoyance”. “You wish your son would call you more!” he pointed to an elderly woman. 

“I’m leaving everything to my cats!” the woman exclaimed, as a cat napped soundly in her lap.

“I sense that you’ve been here before,” Gideon predicted as he looked over to Sherriff Blubbs, who was decked out in Lil’ Gideon official merchandise.

“Oh, what gave it away!”

“I’ll read your mind if I’m able,” Gideon popped in beside Mabel, sending her a playful wink. “Something tells me your name’s Mabel!”

“How did he know?!” Mabel exclaimed, bewildered.

“Uh, maybe it had something to do with the fact that your name is on your sweater,” Dipper said, sending his sister a deadpan frown. 

Gideon rushed back on stage, gearing up for his big finish. “So welcome all ye… to the Tent of Telepathy… And thanks for visitin’… widdle ol’ me!”

As his song ended, the crowd went wild with applause and cheers, which Gideon was more than happy to soak in as he took a sweeping bow. “Thank you! You people are the real miracles! Now drive home safely, ya’ll! And don’t forget to stock up on Lil’ Gideon merchandise on the way out! Goodnight everyone!”

The audience was still cheering, even as Gideon left the stage. Though Steven and Mabel joined in on their enthusiasm, it wasn’t long before the Gems announced that it was time to go. 

“At least it was mercifully short this time…” Pearl said as the group began filing out of the tent.

“Yeah, last time we got dragged into one of these, it was almost an hour,” Amethyst groaned, still picking rice out of her hair. 

“Aw, don’t be like that, you guys,” Steven turned back to them. “Admit it: you all had at least a little fun tonight, right?”

“Not really,” Garnet said.

“Steven, we appreciate that you wanted us to join you, but you have to remember, we see real magical things every day,” Pearl pointed out. 

“Yeah,” Amethyst hung her arms behind her head, grinning. “Nothing phases us. Especially not some four-foot-tall kid with a fancy suit who can put on a little song and dance.” She snorted out a laugh, and even Garnet and Pearl couldn’t help but smirk along with her at Gideon’s expense. 

Steven knew he wouldn’t be able to win them over, so he decided to gauge the twin’s reactions to the show instead. “So? What’d you guys think?” 

“Well, I didn’t think it was possible, but somehow, that kid’s an even bigger fraud than Stan,” Dipper said with an incredulous grin. “No wonder our uncle’s jealous of him!”

“If there’s anything you really can say for Gideon is that he does have a bit more… pizzazz than Stan does,” Pearl agreed, laughing.

“Oh, come on, you guys,” Mabel countered. “His dance moves were adorable! And did you see his hair? It was like, whoosh!”

“You’re too easily impressed,” Dipper teased. 

“Yeah, yeah,” she taunted right back, giving him a playful shove. 

As the group left the Tent of Telepathy behind, none of them noticed a pair of eyes trained on them from the shadows. Anger slipped into the spaces between budding infatuation as Gideon marched back into the now-empty tent, tightly clutching the dully glowing amulet that hung from his neck. 

“So, those fancy-smancy Crystal Gems came to poke their noses ‘round in my business, huh?” he muttered, grinning darkly down at his amulet. At the first of hopefully many powerful artifacts he hoped to take from the towns’ mysterious guardians. “Well golly,” he chuckled with nothing less than genuine malice. “I sure do hope they enjoyed the show…”

[deceptive-daydreams]

The Under-Ground (18+ ONLY)

Chapter Three - Sunday Night

Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5 | Ch. 6 | Ch. 7 |

Modern!Barista!Eddie AU - Your best friend would never go behind your back...right?

Enemies to Lovers, Modern!Barista!Eddie AU, Eddie x Fem Reader

6K Words

Warnings - Eddie is an asshole, eventual smut, mentions of drugs and drinking, allusions to mental illness, I don't think there's anything else but please let me know if I missed anything

Author's Note: So it has almost been a month since I posted the previous chapter but we finally did it guys. Also shout out to @uglypastels for talking through one of my ideas for this chapter with me, I felt like I was going absolutely insane so she really helped me out.

Masterlist

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Hawkins High - Sophomore Year

It was mid August, school was just about to start but first there was an ice cream social the week before.  Usually you’d only see these for the elementary school but they’d started hosting them for the middle school as well the freshman and sophomores at the high school to give them a little head start in making friends and getting to know their teachers.  It was held in the parking lot where two ice cream trucks were parked and handing out cones left and right, only offering three flavors: vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry all for free.  

Your parents had played a big part in the Hawkins community, always helping to set up events and always making an appearance.  They had set out to create the perfect nuclear family with a picket fence and happy faces.  Your mom was on the PTA which meant you were forced to go to a number of school events.  This was one of them, you had no desire to attend an ice cream social especially as an established sophomore, you’d already attended last year’s as a freshman and you didn’t need to relive that.  And yet here you were, sitting on the curb in front of the school in the sweltering August heat while other teenagers created a ruckus throughout the parking lot, a few boys tossing melted ice cream at each other thinking they were the funniest people ever.  

None of your friends attended, obviously.  They weren’t forced to show up so that left you bored and sticky with a sheen of sweat gracing your skin and no one to talk to.  Steve Harrington was in attendance, more than likely also forced to show up because of his mom, however he was more of an acquaintance and someone that happened to always be at the same events that your parents dragged you to.  You watched as he performed little tasks as requested by his mother, the current one being to fetch a new box of Hawkins High t-shirts from the car.  Passing by you, he gestures to the box and rolls his eyes, an understanding between the two of you that this was ridiculous and neither of you had any desire to be here sweating profusely for the sake of your PTA moms and being their little assistants when needed.  You offer him a smile and a shrug, shaking your head as he sets the box on a fold up table, his mother shooing him away as he does.  You always wondered why his mom was so mean and dismissive but quickly took a step back to realize you were in the same boat, he just had more money that his parents would throw at him to get him to go away when necessary for them.  Yours just simply told you to find an activity when they had no interest in entertaining you.  

In any instance, you could appreciate that you and Steve were both lonely teenagers who always saw each other at these events and would sometimes convene and other times give each other mocking looks at how serious the adults were.  It was an ongoing game of who could roll their eyes the hardest and he always ended up winning.  After his mom waved him away, he plopped down right next to you, bowing his head in exhaustion and letting out a heavy sigh.

“Couldn’t get out of this one either?”  He asks with an empathetic smile.  

You shake your head, staring across the lot at all the families and groups of friends.  “Nope.”  You answer.

“Did you at least get ice cream?”  He questions, scraping his shoe against the pavement.  

“Nope.”  You reply, him muttering the same thing as you both laugh.  

“It’s gross anyway, it’s too hot even for ice cream.”  You elaborate while fanning yourself with an orientation brochure.  He agrees with a nod, running a hand through his damp hair, sweaty from lugging boxes around and doing just about anything his mom instructs him to do.  At least all you had to do was hand out the brochures.  

You and Steve continue to sulk on the sidewalk, miserable in the heat even at five in the evening while teachers introduce themselves to the incoming freshman.  Out of nowhere, a guy speeds past the two of you on the curb on a skateboard, abruptly coming to a stop in front of the table of PTA moms.  This was gonna be good, based on his looks, they were going to get a kick out of him.  You shared a look with Steve, an acknowledgement that you were thinking the same thing as you watched the scene play out.  The kid had to be your age at least, he didn’t seem like a freshman, had too much confidence and he appeared a bit older, maybe a junior?  He had a head of brown curls that were shaggy and messy, it looked like he was growing it out and he wore a black shirt with some kind of a demon on it along with some black jeans that were beyond distressed, denim threads hanging off of holes at his knees while he gripped his skateboard in one hand.  The board was pretty worn and looked as if it could snap in half if he stood on it wrong.  Your ears perked up as the moms took a look at him.

“Oh!  Wh-what can we do for you?”  One asks hesitantly, the others staring at him with wide eyes.  He only avoids their eyes, opting to fidget with the grip tape on his board, a piece that was beginning to peel off, that typical teenage boy grumpiness evident in his demeanor.

“Community service.  Name’s Eddie.  What d’ya need me to do?”  The kid grumbles.

Your mom takes a look at a clipboard and nods reluctantly.  “You’re late.”  She says with a scowl.  He shrugs, staring up at the sky as if he’d much rather be anywhere else and you couldn’t blame him.

“Well then.”  Your mother fiends offense.  “You can start by…”  She trails off, searching around for a task, her gaze focusing on anything that remains to be done, no doubt seeking something more difficult in order to punish the boy for being so late.  “Untangling these lanyards.”  She demands, shoving a small box into his arms.  He bites his lip, holding back from saying something before just accepting his fate and nodding.  As he turns, he catches your eye, doing a double take as he looks expectantly, you were staring first after all.  How could you not?  He was cute.  

You mouth a “sorry” while vaguely gesturing to your mother though he wouldn’t know it was your mom.  You proceed to do a dramatic eye roll like you would do to Steve and this elicits the smallest smile from him, a gorgeous smile framed by deep dimples.  The boy proceeded to set his skateboard against the curb by himself before slumping down, beginning his daunting task of untangling several knotted up lanyards.

Steve stares at you with furrowed brows before speaking.  “You know him?”  He asks.

“No, never seen him before.” 

Admiring his face as he sticks his tongue out to concentrate, you start to flush when he glances back up at you with a shy smile this time, peeking up at you from beneath his lashes, your stomach fluttering.  Eddie.

—

Present Day

The mall wasn’t somewhere you found yourself frequenting as of lately due to your financial situation however you couldn’t turn down Will’s plea when he visited The Under-Ground on Saturday, the evening following when Jason Carver visited the shop and mysteriously left without purchasing a coffee.  That fact lingered in your mind since it happened.  Will was in desperate need of some new shoes and also wanted to catch a movie that no one else would watch with him, he mentioned that Joyce gave him extra money to cover both of your tickets.  You should feel humiliation at the fact that Joyce insisted on paying for you but you know there is no judgment there from her and Will more than likely told her you were the only one that would be willing to go.  He knew you would say yes to a cheesy rom com that everyone else would gag at and in a way, you were like a sister he never had that could appreciate his feminine side.  Joyce appreciated this so she would ensure Will got his big sister time in.  

So here you were, Sunday afternoon strolling along Hawkins’ streets with Will on your way to Starcourt.  He didn’t have his license yet and you’d never even bothered to get yours which worked out really seeing as you would never be able to save up enough for a car, not even a used one.  Walking did you good anyway, that's what you told yourself as the days got colder.  

“No, I’m serious!  El refuses to watch rom coms.”  Will laughs as he kicks a pebble along the sidewalk, the same pebble he’d been kicking around since ten minutes ago when you’d left his driveway.  

Brow raising in curiosity, you offer him a scoff in response.

“What!?”  He smiles wide, happy, actually happy.  

Will had been through some rough patches with being bullied at school for everything under the sun.  His sexuality, playing DND, being quiet and shy, the list goes on.  A dumb list at that.  The other boys also had trouble however Will seemed to crumble the most under it all.  Though he had an amazing support system, the mind can really infect itself with its own nasty diseases of self hatred which led to endless nights in solitude, declining to hang out with anyone for weeks and instead collecting dust in his room.  

Jonathan confronted you, worried at one of Steve’s movie nights confiding in you that his brother wasn’t doing so well and that no matter what he did, Will continued to sleep for a majority of his time at home and even skipped school a lot.  Both you and Jonathan stepped into your older sibling roles and decided that night to head back to the Byers while Jonathan explained on the way there that not even El could get through to him which meant things were really bad.  So, when you and Jonathan barged into his room that night with various snack options and a plan to watch his favorite movie all together in his bed, Will was overwhelmed but in the best way possible.  Sure it didn’t fix everything, that’s not how it worked but it was the first little push toward being himself again.  As long as he had the people he loved around and loved him for who he was authentically, he could walk the horrifying Hawkins High halls in confidence that this place was temporary.  It also helped that you reminded him that he’s never alone at school either, Lucas, Dustin, Will, Mike, Max, and El were all going through the same hell he was and that you were sure they wouldn’t mind if he talked with them about it.  But even if he didn’t feel comfortable, you’d be there to listen along with Jonathan, attempting to help him carry the weight on his shoulders.  

“I’m sorry, little miss ‘soap operas’ refuses to watch a rom com?”  You smile in disbelief.

“I didn’t say it made sense!”  Will giggles, throwing his hands up in defense.

Starcourt Mall emerged in the distance from over the horizon as you completed your fifteen minute walk from the Byers, the weekend crowd was prominent as it was almost the only place within a hundred mile radius to do anything fun.  Kids squealed as they chased each other all the way up to the entrance, their parents scolding them through gritted teeth while uttering the threat of not getting ice cream later if they didn’t behave.  It was far too cold for ice cream but to each their own.

“Well we don’t need her anyway.  She hogs up all my Will time.”  You joke, nudging an elbow into Will’s ribs.  

“There’s no need to fight over me, there’s plenty of Will to go around.”  His eyes glimmered with life, something you hadn’t seen a lot of until more recently.  He had sparked this new found confidence that had you beaming at him with pride.  Little Byers, the group’s timid little brother, the youngest out of all of the kids, was growing into himself as he worked through adolescence and it was refreshing. 

“Oh, really?  As I recall, you have a waitlist and the only reason I got ahead of everyone was because El booted herself out this one time.”  You cock a brow at him, the two of you pushing through the heavy glass doors entering the building.  “How’d you get all popular on me, huh?”  You tousled his hair and although he was now taller than you, he was still Little Byers.

“I did NOT get ‘all popular on you’.”  He uses air quotes, that huge grin still plastered to his face while you walked absentmindedly through the mall, the smell of cinnamon invading your senses, instantly filling you with a craving for a soft pretzel covered in cinnamon sugar and icing. 

“No, you’re for sure Mr. Popular now.”  You playfully assure him.  

“Trust me.”  He sing songs, rolling his eyes.  “If I were, Eddie would’ve kicked me to the curb.  And he hasn’t…so hah.”  Will points a finger in your face.  Your face winces at the name though you keep to yourself as to not rain on his parade.  “He did, however, almost disown me last night when I won against him in Mario Kart.”

Mario Kart?  Only you and Will played Mario Kart.  Or so you thought up until this point.  It’s a stupid thing to be upset over, really but you couldn’t shake the bitterness that rattled in your bones.  It was a game, a video game that basically every person on planet earth had heard of and played.  And yet the only reason it felt like such a personal attack was none other than a common occurrence in your life recently, Eddie Munson.  So maybe when you mumbled your next words, you attempted to hide the sour tone but ultimately only outed yourself.

“Mario Kart?  You play–with him?”  Pathetic, you’re pathetic.  The fact that you spoke such a stupid sentence into existence is beyond you.  There was a jealousy coursing through you, spilling out of your lips and no matter how hard you tried to shove it back into the duffle bag of your body, there was no coming back.  Over a game called fucking Mario Kart of all things.  

Will nervously wavered in his response, side eyeing you as you both continued to make your way through the mall and to the discount shoe store.  “Yeah?”  It came out as a question, god you could just punt yourself down a football field right now for being a literal adult fuming in envy over another adult playing a video game with your basically adopted little brother.  “He came over last night after work.  It was me Jonathan, and him…”  You were practically making the poor kid defend himself over something completely okay.  “He’s been coming over a lot actually?  We play DND, Mario Kart, he brings over pizza.  Like once a week since summer.”  Will acts as if you had this information.

Summer.  When Will fell into his biggest episode to date, when everyone had plans of their own including Dustin with summer camp, Mike regrettably embarking on a trip to Washington DC with his dad, Lucas traveling around for his summer basketball program, El and Max bonding over their boyfriends being away and having girls night after girls night, and of course the adults with their jobs.  He had felt so outcast and alone.  You're suddenly beginning to realize that you weren’t the only one to tend to Will’s emotional wounds besides Jonathan.  There was a bigger picture here and though you hate to step back and look at it, you’re forced to realize that Eddie was also acting as a protector of Will’s sanity, assuming just as big of a role as you and Jonathan.

You shouldn’t ask, you shouldn’t dare trek into this territory but the words tumble out before you can even think, your shoulders relaxing and eyes softening at the boy before you.  “Were you too scared to tell me?”

Will shakes his head as he hesitantly starts to enlighten you.  “No–I just–I–”  He sighs, frowning.  “I thought you already knew.  A-and I never talk about him around you–or I try not to as best as I can because–because I know how much you hate him.  Like anytime you see him you look like you just wanna rip his head off.”  Will has moved into full rambling mode.  “And now–now you work together so I’m trying to be extra careful, so–so I’m sorry.  For mentioning him.”  

You have reached a point so low that you were now unintentionally making Will apologize for things that were never his fault or ever revolved around him.  Anxiety flashes in his eyes and you were giving yourself the goldstar for being the shittiest person alive.  “Will…”  You croak out.  “Will, no.  You don’t owe anyone an apology, I owe YOU an apology.  I didn’t mean for this to affect you like that.”  You explain, pausing in front of the store.  “Will, I’m sorry.  Please never worry about mentioning him in front of me, okay?  Not for my sake, I’m a big girl and you’re right, I don’t like him but I will have to learn to deal with it whenever he comes up.  Okay?”

There’s a pause as he absorbs your words, his eyes shyly looking to the ground and then back to you.  “Okay.”  He whispers, still uncertain.  You would need to visit this again at another time, you were not about to cause more turmoil for him just because of your personal vendetta and you can’t believe you didn’t see how it affected him before.  Will had enough with his dad causing issues in his life, he didn’t need two more bickering adults further proving that no one was ever happy.  You would keep your waging war with Eddie out of his sight.  The sudden shift in the air was enough to leave you numb, quickly clinging onto any remaining normalcy from your earlier conversation.

—

The scent of freshly popped popcorn, warm and buttery goodness filled the theater as you walked drowsily into the hallway decorated with multicolored carpet and little designs of stars with abstract shapes.  Nothing ever prepares you for the feeling of seemingly being transported to another realm the second you step out of a two hour movie and back into the real world.  Every other soul that had sat through the romantic comedy appeared to feel the same, zombies waddling out of the theater and into the main lobby heading back into reality.  It had to have been around 8:30 PM by now, the day long gone as there was no longer any trace of sunlight streaming in through the windows.  Will had been talking your ear off about the movie, the parts that were super unnecessary, scenes that had him on the brink of tears, and how the twist at the end was a sloppy way to conclude the story.  You hummed in response to his complaints, nearly asleep and yearning for your bed no matter how stiff it made your back.  

“You know, now I can kinda see why El hates these movies sometimes.”  He admits much to your surprise however you knew he’d never say those words directly to her.  

“Don’t let her catch you saying that.”  You warn playfully, the two of you pushing through the heavy metal doors leading to the mall parking lot.  

“Not a chance-”

Will is abruptly silenced when a familiar voice chimes in, happily wrapping his arms around both you and Will from behind.

“You guys went to the movies!?  Why wasn’t I invited?”  Dustin’s overly excited tone made you want to groan but you held back.  It wasn’t his fault you were on your way to becoming a grumpy adult who needed to be in bed by at least 9:00 PM.  

Will shoves Dustin’s arm off of his shoulder, turning to walk backwards as you continue your trek through the parking lot.  The grin on his face is genuine rather than masking some kind of true emotions like he’d previously done throughout summer.  “Cause we saw a rom com.”  It’s all he needs to say as Dustin fakes a gag.  “That’s why.”  Will gestures to him with a roll of his eyes.  

“Fair.”

The neon lights from the theater created a glow throughout the lot, bright reds, greens, blues, and yellows reflecting off of the cars.  The mall was still buzzing with people regardless of the stores closing, groups of teenagers and young adults scattered throughout the benches at the front creating a hum of clustered talking and every now and then, the annoying screech of some teenage girl overdramatically yelling to her friends about something was heard.  Dustin and Will continued catching up and you’d think that with them seeing each other every single day at school, they’d grow sick of one another but it was quite the opposite and once you got them going there was no shutting them up, no matter the setting.

The boy’s voices slowly phased out of your mind as you approached the back of the lot catching sight of something familiar but it wasn’t yet dawning on you where you knew it from.  A van, an older van.  Brown and white.  Barely ever seen out and about these days.  And before you could even register who it belonged to, a disheveled Steve suddenly hopped out the back doors, rushing to zip up his jeans as his chest heaved and he ran a hand through his voluminous hair.  A flash of realization crossed your features, eyes widening and jaw dropping.  

Eddie Munson’s van.  

Steve Harrington was stumbling out of Eddie Munson’s van after presumably committing unspeakable acts based on his flustered demeanor and attempts at cleaning himself up.  There was no mistaking it when the back of his hand wiped his mouth and to further confirm your suspicions, the man himself stepped out seconds later.  Eddie stood there, fly still undone while he stretched both his arms over his head, shirt riding up to show off a glimpse of his pale torso.  His curls were even more wild than usual and a smirk displayed on his face as he made some kind of comment to Steve.  

In your shocked state, you’d completely drowned out Dustin and Will’s banter, attempting to understand the scene playing out before you in the corner of the parking lot.  This wasn’t possible, Steve hated Eddie just as much as you did and although it was for different reasons than your own, it was hatred nonetheless.  If that was the case then why was this happening?  How could this be happening?  The questions remained unanswered as you realized you’d stopped dead in your tracks, falling behind the boys as they turned back to stare at you with puzzled expressions.  Your next question was thrown out the window due to Dustin doing a double take at the two men.  Do I draw attention to this or do I let it go like I never saw?  

It was now too late for the second option as a gasp escaped Dustin, he just had to look right when Eddie teasingly tugged Steve in by the belt loop and planted one last sloppy kiss to his lips before retreating to the driver’s side of his van, not even bothering to zip up his pants while Steve returned to his own car.  Things were about to become massively more complicated.  For Steve.  For you.  For your friendship.  Even for Dustin and Will who were utterly flabbergasted by what had just played out in front of them.  Because everyone knows Steve hates Eddie, right?  That’s just how the world goes.  Steve hates Eddie, Eddie hates Steve.  They’re polar opposites.  Nothing was adding up and poor Dustin and Will were about to experience something you wished so badly you could hold back.  There was no controlling it, you found yourself marching up to Steve’s car before he was even able to open the door, wedging yourself between him and the car.

“Steve.”  His name is spat right at him like venom, your face showing the distaste you had for him in this moment but he couldn’t quite gather if it's because you’d caught him or if this was you and you dramatics once again over something as simple as taking a rain check on driving Max and El to the arcade since they didn’t have their licenses yet.  

“Socks?”  He has the audacity to seem lost and it only fuels the fire growing inside of you.  

“Don’t.”  You warn through clenched teeth.  

Suddenly it feels as if it's only you and Steve in the parking lot, your eyes shooting daggers at him and he can only imagine that he fucked up.  And this time it was bad by the way your face flushed with anger, steam practically coming out of your ears.  Dustin and Will kept their distance near a dumpster, close enough to listen in but still somewhat hidden.  You didn’t want them to witness what you were about to unleash but it came out of nowhere, like a dam breaking and releasing all of its contents.

“How.  Dare.  You.”  Each word is enunciated with a harsh poke to his chest, his brown eyes becoming sadder with each one.

“I don’t-”

“If you’re about to tell me you don’t know what I’m talking about then I don’t even recognize you anymore, Steve.”  

He visibly deflates, shoulders shrinking as if he was a puppy that was caught doing something it wasn’t supposed to.  Except he was a grown man and he knew exactly what he was doing, he knew if you found out it would possibly cost your friendship. 

“It wasn’t supposed to–I–wasn’t–you gotta understand–”

“Understand what?  I think I understand perfectly!  You and Munson are messing around and you’re doing it behind my back!  What, is this some kind of prank?  Are–are you helping him get at me for something?  Did I push your buttons a little too hard one day and you decided to hit me where–where it hurts most?”  You were genuinely trying to name reasons for why he’d do such a thing knowing how much it would affect you but there was no making sense of it in your brain.  You were desperate to know why one of the closest people in your life would betray you in such a way.  

“No!  No I–”  

“Enlighten me then, Steve.  Cause I don’t get it!  Out of every single person you could choose, you fuck Eddie!?”  Tears were brimming at your eyes, your hand tightening on the door handle as you tried to regain some composure.

“If I may interrupt…”  Another voice chimed in a few feet away, the last voice you’d ever want to hear, especially at this moment.  “There was no fucking.”  Eddie leaned against the side of his van a few parking spots over, arms crossed and a cocky look on his face.  You swore you wanted to kill him, pure rage was coursing through your veins.  You wanted to kill both of them if you were honest.

Steve mumbled your name in sorrow, searching for answers just as much as you were.  “I didn’t mean for anything like this to happen.  I wasn’t trying to hurt you, I swear.  It–it just happened.”  A sigh of defeat escapes him while his hand rubs the back of his neck anxiously.  

The tears began to build up, breaking the barrier of your waterline and falling down your cheeks as you attempted to quickly wipe them away.  “If you didn’t mean to hurt me then why did you hide it?  Does Robin know?”  The question held such power over him, it was a deciding factor in what your next move was.  

Seconds pass although it feels like several minutes due to the tension.  He avoids your eyes, opting to further inspect the asphalt below.  Feeling yourself becoming more agitated and wounded, you roughly shove his shoulder with the palm of your hand causing him to stumble back a few steps.

“Steve.”  Still no answer.

This time you step forward to shove him again but with both hands, unable to comprehend how he can’t even admit his truth to you, only to be stopped when a taller figure steps in between the two of you, grabbing your wrists in his hands.  It takes you by surprise and at first you have no idea who would’ve stopped you but as you look up, you’re met with deep brown irises that you’d come to dislike even more in the last few minutes.  

“Take a breather.”  There’s something in his eyes you don’t recognize but you’re too far gone to analyze it.

“Let.  Go.”  

“Take.  A.  Breather.”  His grip on your wrists is firm but not unkind.  

“Eddie, I think you should just let us–”  Steve attempts to butt in but Eddie glances behind him with a warning written on his face.

“Harrington, I’d shut up if I were you right now.”  

“You have no business stepping into this, Munson.  Let.  Go.”  Wriggling around in an attempt to get out of his hold but failing, you huff out a breath, still glaring at Steve over Eddie’s shoulder.

“It is my business.”  

“Let go.”  Your voice regrettably comes out cracking, more tears involuntarily falling.  

And he does.  Eddie lets go, showing you his hands in surrender to which you try to shove past him only to be held in place by your shoulders.  It felt like it was you against the world and you kept losing.  

“Look, I know you’re not my biggest fan and now you’re not Harrington’s either but you need to take a minute.”  Again, you meet his eyes briefly only to find some kind of emotion lurking in them but you can’t pinpoint exactly what it is.  This isn’t something you’re used to, why was Eddie being the middleman, why was he talking you down out of everyone?  Why was there a drop of sympathy pouring from his gaze?  And then you decided, it had to have been sympathy for Steve, not you.  And that stung for some reason.  

Poor Dustin and Will still lingered near the dumpster, deciding to keep themselves out of it, rightfully so.  Even as you glanced toward them, taking in their concerned faces, you continued.  It was like something was set off deep within you and Steve’s actions released it.  Grabbing a fistful of Eddie’s shirt in your hand, you scowled at him and then Steve.  

“You don’t get to tell me what to do.”

“I do when you’re about to do something you’ll regret.  In front of Dustin and Will.”  That’s where he got you.  Releasing his shirt, you sigh.

You weren’t sure what you were about to do but you knew it was something along the lines of verbally ripping Steve apart and possibly trashing any chance of ever redeeming your friendship.  You slowly realized that you were again, creating reason for Will to see you as a loose canon.  Another adult in his life that flew off the rails and failed him because you proved that you could not handle simply existing in the same world as Eddie Munson.  And yet, Eddie Munson was standing right in front of you trying to talk you out of creating such a horrible reality.  Suddenly you felt so small, so insignificant as each one of them stared at you, awaiting your next actions almost fearfully.  Steve was apologetically gazing at you from behind Eddie, seeming to have words lodged in his throat but not succeeding in finding a way to speak them.  Will watched you with worry, Dustin next to him with an expectant expression.  You couldn’t bear to exist anymore since showing Will that side of yourself after assuring him earlier that you’d be fine and to not refrain from mentioning Eddie just because of your own personal issues.  

So you crumbled.  Right there in the parking lot at around 8:57 PM according to a peek at Eddie’s watch, his hand still resting atop your shoulder.  Hot, fat tears began rolling down your cheeks rather than the smaller, more controlled ones from earlier.  Steve urgently moved forward but Eddie removed one hand from you and held it in front of him to stop, Steve staring at him confused but still obeying.  You began to stumble backward, the urge to hide yourself prominent but Eddie held you in place for reasons unknown.  His attention wasn’t required in this situation, he should theoretically just hop into his van and drive off but he doesn’t. 

Out of the corner of your blurry vision Will approached and yet again Eddie held a hand out as a signal to stop.  It was all too overwhelming, why was Eddie helping?  Or was he sabotaging in some fucked up way?  Using your moment of weakness against you.  How could you let yourself lash out like that in front of Will?  Even in front of Dustin?  The right thing to do would’ve been to wait to talk it out with Steve in private but no, you had to self sabotage.  And now you looked like a villain despite Steve being the one who did the damage.  Sure Eddie could be to blame too however something like this was to be expected from him, never from your best friend.  

Body shaking, you began to feel paralyzed, nerves tingling and breath shallow as you succumbed to your anxiety.  Everyone’s eyes on you didn’t aid in calming your tantrum.  It wasn’t fair, you weren’t the one betraying your friend and yet it felt as if you were taking the blow.  Will frantically looked from you to Eddie, having trouble deciding if you were crying because of Eddie or because of Steve or both.  This was out of his scope and he couldn’t distinguish a path to follow in order to bring you peace.  But he didn’t need to.

“Byers, Henderson.  Ride home with Harrington.  I’ll take her home.”  Eddie instructs, no longer touching you but still keeping his eyes glued to you, wide but attentive.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”  Will asks cautiously.

“You think it’s a good idea to put her in a car with Harrington right now?”  Eddie references your outburst with a raise of his brow, Will nodding immediately in understanding.

If you had to be in a car with one of them, Eddie seemed to be the better option at the moment.  No matter how much you hated him, he wasn’t your target right now and judging by the way you didn’t run from Eddie as he tried to coax you toward the van, everyone seemed to agree this was the only option.  God only knows what would happen if you were placed in the passenger seat of Steve’s car in this state.  You weren’t thinking clearly.

You vaguely recall Dustin offering to walk you to the passenger side and Eddie responding that he was taking care of it and that he was trying to keep the environment the least bit stimulating due to your current anxiety.  Adding another person might’ve made things worse and Dustin agreed as he made his way to Steve’s car.  You caught pieces of the exchange but overall you found yourself in that frightening place between reality and your brain that wasn’t allowing you to fully understand the events happening around you and you couldn’t determine what exactly had set it off but one moment you were standing in the parking lot screaming at Steve, the next Eddie was urging you to take a breath, and then you were in the passenger seat of his van.

~end~

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tags - @mmunson86 @haylaansmi @batkin028 @obscureenigmatic @micheledawn1975 @dreamerjj @hideoutside

[yeehawbvby]

Falling Away With You | Ch. 47

Sebastian x F!Reader and M. Rasmodius x F!Reader

Rating: Mature/Explicit

Chapter Summary: You tell a few people about your polycule and get some Spirit's Eve preparations out of the way.

Author’s Note: N/A

Table of Contents + Work Summary

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“So you’re just, like, banging them both?” 

“Pfft–” I choke on my hot cocoa, which is totally too sugary for me to be drinking with such a sore throat, but Leah insisted I have some.

When I told her I was sick and bored (and stressed by how much Magnus and Seb have been coddling me for the past two days, to be honest,) she shot right over with some homemade shortbread cookies and hot chocolate. 

Being much wiser than Seb, as he’s starting to feel a bit under the weather too, Leah arrived with face masks – one for herself, with a forest green gingham pattern, and one for me, a mustard yellow with some autumn leaves speckled around it – at my request. She’s also been keeping her distance. She’s situated at the table, which has some art supplies sprawled around it amidst the cookies, and I’m sitting pretzel-style on my bed, all wrapped in comfy clothes and blankets. 

I came clean about my relationship with the two goobers. She’s a close enough friend now that I think I can trust her not to judge – and based on the enthusiasm behind her response, I don’t think she is judging me in the slightest.

This does make it a little harder to imagine how it’ll go once I eventually come clean to Sam, Abby… everyone else, really. Can’t fathom everyone having a positive reaction to it. But it’s super appreciated, of course.

I confirm, “Yeah, I am.” Still laughing, I clear my throat, then add, “Not at the same time, though…?” Drawing out that last word, I tilt my head and squint up at the ceiling, wondering if our situation the other day counts as a threesome. “Well, technically, not at the same time.”

“Damn, alright Aphrodite!” Curling into a fetal position in her chair, Leah complains, “Ugh… I’m not desirable enough to even get one girlfriend and you have two boyfriends.”

I frown, taking another sip of my drink before raising my mask back over my face. “You totally could, Lee, people just suck. Yoba knows I got lucky.”

“You want another partner, then?” she jests back.

Thankful that my mask hides my blush, and unsure if I should interpret that as a joke or not, I chuckle, softly walking around the subject. “God, two people is already a lot to wrap my brain around.”

“Especially those two,” she adds. 

During her few attempts to become a spellcaster (which failed quite fucking horribly, actually, there isn’t a single arcane bone in this poor woman’s body…) in the week or so after Seb and I were greeted by her in Magnus’ tower, she kinda got the gist of Seb and Magnus’ silly natures.

It was an odd group for sure, but a fun dynamic nonetheless. And honestly, it’s been nice to have a friend to talk to about magic other than people who do it themselves.

“I’m surprised Camilla hasn’t tried to throw herself into our weird little polycule,” I think out loud. 

“Is that the hot witch lady you guys work with?” I nod. “I wonder if she’d want me.” As Leah says this, a dreamy expression falls over her face. She doesn’t even know what Camilla looks like! I wonder what she’s imagining in the woman’s stead. 

“She’s terrifying,” I point out. “Super fucking hot, but like…” I finish my sentence with a shake of my head and shoulders. Shimmying out the jitters. “Here, lemme draw her for you,” I offer, placing my cup beside the bed and making grabby hands at the sketchbook near my friend. She tosses a pencil and the book over one by one.

“You think she and Magnus have…?”

I look up as I open to an empty page, and Leah wiggles her eyebrows at me. Not as flawless as Seb and Robin’s signature moves, but still a solid eight out of ten wiggle, I’ll say. She pulls down her mask to take another sip of her hot chocolate.

“Because I mean,” she pulls her mask up, “as freaky as he is… god. He’s sexy, babe.”

A cough-laugh comes out of me. Once I can breathe better, I respond, “Are you not a lesbian?!”

“I am, but I can make exceptions! ‘Labels are for soup cans,’ or whatever we used to say back in, like, the 2010’s.” 

After crossing one leg over the other, Leah pulls down her mask again just to smirk at me, winking simultaneously. I cover my face with my hands, nervously giggling into them.

“Good lord,” I mumble to myself. She laughs, and as my view raises, she’s covering her face with the fabric again. I take that as my cue to go on with my attempt to capture Camilla’s beauty. “And to answer your question, she’s tried. He’s not into it, though.” I shrug. “I think his hatred outweighs any desire that coulda been there.”

“He’s so sweet that it’s almost funny to imagine him disliking someone.”

“I always think the same thing!” I laugh, swiping away a few eraser shavings before tacking on, “It’s a secret pleasure of mine, seeing him all riled up like that.”

Through some of her own chuckling, Lee asks me, “Doesn’t he just wanna go apeshit?” 

“I’d like to imagine that someday he will. He’ll just, like… give up and deck her in the face or something. I dunno.”

“Maybe a good ol’ slap-and-kiss for good measure.” I love how she said that as if it's a thing.

“I’m just picturing… ok,” I pause drawing again to talk with my hands, “You know that one reaction image of Toad and Yoshi making out completely sloppy-style?”

“PFFT,” Leah nods, snorting. “What, them fighting then kissing?”

I shake my head and elaborate, “In one corner of my brain it’s them,” I hold up my left hand to the side, “and in the other you’re there too, and kinda just…” I hold up my right, and then bring the two hands in front of me, almost like I’m making them kiss, but at a weird angle. “...latched into the middle of them.”

“Like a leech.” 

“A horny one, apparently.” 

I resume my drawing. Leah adds, “A sex leech.”

“Sex Leech…” I echo. “That would be a great band name.”

“Oh! Leah and the Sex Leeches.”

“Would be mood music, for sure.”

A short silence passes after Leah’s responsive laughter dies down. I make a few additions to the quick, small doodle in my lap, then tilt my head as I observe it, tapping the eraser against the page. 

Something’s missing… Oh! I whisper the word to myself as I think it, flipping the instrument around to add her signature artificial beauty mark.

“Here,” I gesture my supplies in Leah’s direction. She readies herself as I toss over the pencil first, then the book. “Doesn’t do her justice, but I tried.”

Leah puts down the pencil before situating the sketchbook rightside up, and I snag my drink, holding it in both hands to absorb some more warmth. I’m not chilly by any means, between all these blankets, Seb’s huge sweatshirt, and the fireplace blastin’ to my right. But I’ll be damned if I don’t try my hardest to sweat out this fever.

Leah’s eyes widen, then she tilts her head to the ceiling and groans. I laugh while she exclaims, “Are you freaking kidding me? I need her!”

“No!” I point at Leah like she’s a naughty puppy or something, and only supporting the gesture, she slinks in on herself a little. I’d like to imagine she’s pouting beneath the mask. “I don’t know what it is about her specifically, but the vibes are horrendous.”

“I suppose if your part– well,” she corrects herself, “ one of your partners isn’t a fan, that’s probably a sign to steer clear.”

I tap my head knowingly. I can see a grin in her eyes before she turns her attention to the book again, staring longingly at the page. 

“So does she have any weird colors about her too, or is that just a Magnus sort of deal?” 

I shake my head. “White skin – a smidge paler than yours, maybe – and the same hair and eye colors as Haley pretty much.” I pause to cough into my arm, then mention, “She does have pointy ears, though. Can’t tell if it’s plastic surgery or if she has some Elven heritage like Magnus does.”

Grabbing the colored pencils, Leah adds some vibrance to my sketch. “They have surgery for that?”

“Yeah, I follow this dude who does it. Lives somewhere outside of Ferngill, though.” I finish off my cocoa before placing down the mug and twisting my torso to pop my back. “I’ve always wanted to go do it myself, but the recovery period outweighs my desire for cute pointy ears.” 

“Your ears are very cute as they are,” Leah compliments cheerfully. 

Caught off guard a little, I cover my face again. She isn’t looking, it’s just more of a self-soothing sorta deal at this point.

“Thanks,” I all but squeak out. Leah glares at me playfully. She’s caught onto the tic too, god damnit. “Grew ‘em myself.”

Lee places down the pencil she’d been using and stares down at the page. “Maybe if I show up at Magnus’ place someday,” she suggests, “I’ll just so happen to run into her, and then… you know…” As Leah trails off, she fucking holds up her middle- and pointer-fingers on each hand and slots them together oh my god.

“Leah!” 

“Sorry!”

“We really need to get you laid.” 

“I really need to get laid, yeah…”

______________

Seb and I both recovered from our illness with enough time to do some last-minute Spirit’s Eve shopping. He’s going to pass on going to Krobus’ sewer party thing — wants to make sure he has enough time to get his work done before going to the town festival — so he’s able to wear whatever he wants. I, on the other hand, am specifically searching for something extra creature-like.

Magnus warned me that shadow people tend to get a little quirky around humans, with Krobus being one of the very few outliers. I’ve gotta disguise myself real good if I want to avoid conflict. Something that’ll help me blend in with shadow people, at least disguising me as some kind of elemental, while also being acceptable for the main event… hm.

Gonna be kinda hard to find something like that at Party City.

“What about this?” Seb mutters, inspecting a cheaply manufactured vampire outfit. 

I purse my lips and tilt my head, trying to figure out a way to salvage this. Because sweet Yoba above, Seb would make a sexy vampire. 

“What if we just get you a cape, fangs, and maybe some pointy ears, and then try to closet-cosplay the rest?” 

“Hmm.” Still turning the package around in his hands, Seb contemplates his options. “I mean, on one hand, I can get corny with it.” He gestures at the costume in his hand. “Commit to the bit, y’know?” 

I nod. A fair point, indeed!

“On the other,” he continues, head tilting a little to the left, “I could try some Astarion Ancunín-type shit and get kinda slutty with it.”

I nod again. Both wonderful options. Secretly rooting for the second, but whichever makes him happy will make me happy. 

“Oh! Y’know what would work?”

“Hm?”

“If we get your ears pierced before Spirit’s Eve, you can wear those red earrings we got in Calico. Would make a sick bloody effect. Sorta.”

“Oooh, you’re onto something, kid. Just gotta check what material they are, make sure they’re safe for a new hole and all that.”

“I’ll give you a new hole...” I mumble.

“Is that a promise?”

“It’s a threat.”

“A sexy threat.” Seb waggles his brows before returning his vision to the costume he’s holding.

While Seb weighs out his options, I stray a little further down the aisle. “Oh my god.” I practically tear the costume off its hanger and jog over to Seb, holding it out in front of me. “Scratch that. Why be a vampire when you can be motherfucking Wumbus?!”  

Seb chuckles, taking the costume from me. He puts on his best nasally, nerdy voice to say, “Um, actually,” then points at the title of the costume on its packaging, and informs me, “it’s a Big Green Wumbo.” Shifting back to his normal speaking voice as I snort-laugh at his beautiful performance, Seb also notes, “But also, no way. Sam would lose his shit if I showed up as Wumbus. That’s his thing.”

“Technically not Wumbus!” I point out, poking his forehead through his thick fringe. He headbutts it out of the way. I take the costume back, wondering aloud, “God, how do they come up with these names? What even is a ‘wumbo?’”

“Dunno. It’s charming in its own way, though.”

I nod in agreement, then shuffle back to where I found the Big Green Wumbo to place it back on the rack it came from. “Wouldn’t feel like shopping for costumes at a Party City or whatever without the vast array of totally legit characters to choose from.” I turn to look at the row behind me, then pick out a knockoff Katniss Everdeen costume. “Oh wow, I sure do wish I could go as this Braided Archer Girl!”

Scrunching his nose and grinning, Seb walks over to me, tucking the vampire costume under his arm. “This wha—“ He sees the one I’m holding and laughs. “So powerful.”

“So fierce!”

“A force to be reckoned with in the, uh… what’s a good alternative to–”

I chime in, cutting him off, my brows furrowed with determination, “Hungry Fortnight.”

“Nah, dude, Fortnight’s too much of a brand at this point.”

“Ah, true…” I continue to stare at the costume. Oh, wait. “The Famine Games?” I suggest, looking up and to my right to see him. I shrug. “The Hungry Games is probably already taken.”

“The Famine Games it is, then. Great work, champ.” Seb holds out a first for me to bump. Instead of punching it back, I high-five it. Makes a dull smacking noise. Sounds less epic than I was hoping it would.

We spend a few more minutes giggling like a bunch of losers over all the goofy costume names in this aisle before moving onto the next. Some honorable mentions: Speedy Blue Rodent (Sonic), Lightning Rabbit (Pikachu), Ruler of the Countryside (Prairie King), and a couple’s costume of Dolly and Jake Skeleton (Sally and Jack Skellington).

Sighing, I look at the new options. Mostly lady-adjacent costumes over here, and they’re mostly labeled with that “one-size-fits-all” bullshit. Even if I were to fit into any of those, I wouldn’t want some lame fatphobe profiting off of it as a result.

I groan. “I wonder what the chances are that I'll be able to find something here.”

Pulling me closer by the waist, Seb suggests, “We could try other stores if we need to.” 

I lean into him. “I wonder what the chances are I’d be able to pull off being a fully-fledged elf… like some Magnus-looking elf, y’know?”

“Might be harder, but maybe his shrine could help.���

“Oh hell yeah!” I look up at Seb, my eyes and smile wide. “I didn’t even think to try using that thing, it always seemed like too foreign of a concept. Hopefully he’ll let me.” Knowing damn well I don’t have enough mana to make a long distance call, if you will, I opt to wait until later to ask Magnus about this. 

I’ve gotta get home a phone. 

“Who’s Magnus?” 

Seb and I nearly jump out of our skin, “OH MY GOD!” and “WHAT THE FUCK!” being shouted respectively. We simultaneously whip our heads around.

Again, speaking at the same time, “Mom?!” and “Robin?!” are exclaimed by the two of us. She evilly chuckles a little. 

I hold my right palm up to my chest and rest my forehead against Seb’s left arm. “What are you doing here?” he asks.

“Wanted to surprise your father with a matching costume.” I turn my head to her, still smooshing my temple against Seb. Before my emotional support human can interject, Robin adds, “Yoba knows he won’t want to wear it, but it doesn’t mean I can’t force him.” She’s still got a mischievous smirk on her. 

“Good luck with that,” Seb scoffs.

“So. Who’s Magnus and what’s this something about a shrine?” his mom prods.

Oh god damnit.

Seb and I look at each other.

“Think it’s time to tell her?” I whisper. I’m horrified. I try to hide it.

“I fucking guess so.” 

“Tell me what?” If the woman wasn’t giggling about her own dickheaded nosiness over there, this would be a lot more intimidating. 

“Uh…” I mutter. 

Shit, who am I kidding? It’s still intimidating.

“Straight to the point, yeah?” Seb asks. 

“I guess..?”

In the next breath, I’m saying “Our partner,” while Seb is saying “Her partner,” and gesturing at me. We both look at each other, both sets of brows furrowed.

“My partner?” I suggest, while he counters, “Our partner.”

“This is hopeless,” I whine.

I look at Robin. Her head is tilted and her eyebrows are raised in confusion, her slightly chapped lips slightly parted. I latch onto Seb’s arm and hide my face from her. My anxiousness about the situation takes over. I can practically hear my pulse. 

Seb clears things up while I quietly panic. “So like… (y/n) and I are dating, yeah?” 

“Uh huh…” Robin agrees.

“Well, she — we’re…? Oh my god.” Seb takes a breath to compose himself.

I look up at him, face coated in a furious blush because oh my fucking god this is so embarrassing. His is too, which makes me feel a little better about it.

“She,” he settles on, “is also dating our friend Magnus. But like, we both know about it. It’s chill.”

I turn to look at Robin. She’s biting her bottom lip and there’s a slight grin curling them up. She’s still very clearly bewildered, if slightly amused too. 

I hide my face again. 

“God, ma, please say something,” Seb breathes. 

“I… wow. Do I know this Magnus person?”

Seb and I both shrug. “So, funny story…” Seb goes on.

“Uh huh.”

“You know that super suspicious-looking tower south of (y/n)’s farm, west of Marnie’s?”

“Uh huh.”

“It’s the guy who lives there.”

“Uh huh…”

“He’s a wizard.”

“Uh huh.”

“He has a shrine that can change appearances.”

“Huh.”

“It’s magic.”

“Uh huh.”

“And that’s what we were discussing.”

“Uh huh.”

“Please mom for the love of god—“

“(Y/n), you little minx!”

I squeak, my shoulders tensing up. “I’m not a hussy, I promise!” I try to assure her from behind Sebastian’s arm. I feel a hand on my head and flinch. Feels small, so I’m assuming it’s hers.

“As long as you’re both happy with this guy, I’m not judging.” 

“You’re not even questioning the wizard part?” Seb asks incredulously.

“I’ve always thought it looked like those wizard towers in movies, so no, honestly. It just makes me wonder if he’s… ya know, some kinda crusty, Gandalf-looking dude.” A short pause passes. Robin asks hushedly, “Are you into old guys, Sebby?”

“I– I’m not the one dating him!”

“Suuure you’re not.”

“And you’ve probably seen him!” Seb declares. “Absurdly tall, purple hair, wears cloaks and shit, looks like he’s sick but it’s just his skin color–”

“Oh! I’ve seen him hanging out with Linus, by his tent!”

“Yeah, him!” Seb almost sounds excited that he didn’t have to explain any further. “They’re close.”

“Oh, he’s cute! Are you sure you don’t like him like that?”

“Ma, what the fuck!”

“Not so loud, son. There’s kids… er…” There’s a pause. I’m assuming Robin’s looking around. “Somewhere in here, I’m sure.”

Hesitantly, I turn back towards Robin to interrupt them. “So you don’t think I’m a hussy?” It comes out small and meek. Just like me, right now… Seb snort-laughs and pulls his arm around my shoulders again, pressing a kiss to my scalp. 

Laughing alongside her son, Robin replies, “You’ll only be a hussy if you hurt my son.”

She meant for it to be lighthearted, and I know that, but my eyes brim with tears anyway.

“Oh! Oh no!” Robin laughs a little harder as she notices the true state I’m in. “C’mere,” she offers as she holds her free arm out for a hug. The other is carrying two costumes – looks like Morticia and Gomez Addams, or whatever other names this place gave them.

Hesitantly, I let go of Seb and wrap my arms around Robin.

This is our first hug.

This is weird.

A good kind of weird.

Is this what it’s like to have a good mom? I think to myself.

Oh no.

Oh god, no.

The tears start falling after that thought.

What is with me right now?

“I’m sorry I’m being such a big baby...” I defend myself, in an effort to not seem quite as pitiable as I’m coming off, “I don’t do good with surprises, and I really didn’t expect this to happen yet!” I doubt my save is working. Sounds too wet and pathetic.

Robin hands off the costumes to Seb and wraps her other arm around me, bending a little to let me lean into the crook of her neck. She’s not nearly as tall as Seb, at like 5’6” or so, but still tall enough that it’s necessary.

Huh. I think she uses Bearglove too. That, or something similar. “It’s really okay, hun! It’s okay!”

“Thank you…” I pull away, risking showing my snotty, tear-stained face.

Robin’s hands are on my shoulders. I can’t meet her eyes, but she gives me a friendly pat with her right hand. 

“Seriously,” Seb chimes in behind me. I turn to look at him. He looks relieved. “Thanks, mom.”

“It’s simply my job to love you unconditionally,” she decrees. “And you make him happy,” Robin directs towards me, poking my shoulder and catching my eyes, “so that means you too.”

Oh no.

Just when I thought I was almost done crying!

I bury my face in my hands. 

“Oh gosh,” she laughs. “You’re a mess, aren’t you?”

I nod. “You’re too nice to me…”

“I can be meaner if you want, but that would just be weird.”

“You’re fine how you are!” I agree.

“Are you two done here?” Robin asks.

“I think so,” Seb answers. His words come out sorta like a question, so I nod.

“Why don’t we go grab a bite from that cute diner around the corner? My treat.”

Seb brightens a little. “You sure?”

“Yeah, why not! (Y/n)?” 

“Oh! Uh… yeah, sure.” I use my sleeves to try patting my face dry. 

“Perfect! Let’s go check out first.” Robin gestures her head towards the registers, which are across the store but within eyeshot. “As much as I dislike capitalism, I’m not about to go to jail for stealing…” She holds up the costumes to read them. Does that thing older people do where they squint and hold it a little further from them. Guess it’s time for her to get some reading glasses! “Beautifully Creepy Wife and her Spooky Doting Husband…? God, seriously?”

Seb and I both laugh. “This place is the fucking worst,” he retorts. “C’mon, let’s go.”

______________

After paying for our stuff, Seb and I hop on his bike to meet his mom at the diner. Seb told me on our way over that before Demetrius and Maru were in the picture, Robin would always take him here after they bought their Spirit’s Eve costumes from that same Party City we were just at. 

It’s no wonder he looked so happy about this, that’s fucking precious!

The restaurant is cuter than I imagined it would be, with that archetypal overabundance of tiles and wavy glass windows that the best diners always seem to have. The interior looks like an 80’s and 90’s stereotype of a diner had a weird baby, in the most endearing way possible. There’s pastel pink, blue, and green accessories decorating the place, a black and white checkerboard floor, and a wooden jukebox with rainbow lights along its outer rim near the waiting area.

While Robin talks to the host about grabbing us a table, I people-watch.

A handsome middle-aged dude with jet black hair and a matching leather jacket is nursing a coffee at the counter while trying to rizz up two younger blonde women a few stools over. Seems like it’s working, too. Good for them! In the meantime, the server behind the counter is very visibly eavesdropping, pretending to keep occupied with the glass case of baked goods. He looks impressed. 

When we walk past all the booths and tables further in, I continue being a little nosy, taking note of how many old folk are here. Most of them are in groups, some of them are in pairs, and a few sit alone.

One lady with a thick white perm, deep laugh lines, and long crow’s feet, who also seems to be here alone, is loudly chatting with the waitress. They seem to know each other. Maybe that woman’s a regular here.

Once I get a little closer, my hands tingle a little bit and her gaze lands on mine. I notice her irises shift in color – from a deep emerald green to a bright, happy yellow – and my eyes widen. I can’t help but smile, which she mirrors, and we share a nod of acknowledgement before she returns her attention to the waitress.

God, magic is so cool.

Once we settle into a somewhat secluded booth towards the back – with Seb and I on one side, and Robin on the other – Seb begins to lay down some ground rules.

“Alright, so first off.” He holds up his pointer finger. “Nobody can know yet.”

“Well, duh,” Robin shrugs, takes a sip from her complementary cup of water, and then goes on, “Most of the older folk in Pelican Town barely tolerate gay people, let alone non-monogamy.”

“Perfect. Second,” Seb puts up a second finger. His middle this time. “Please don’t try to talk to him the next time you see him.”

Robin practically pouts at her son. “What?! Why not?” 

“He likes his privacy,” I chime in.

Seb nods and tacks on, “Yeah, and he’s not exactly wonderful at meeting new people, so he’d probably want a bit of a warning first.” I nod in agreement.

“Aw man. Fine, I’ll keep my distance,” Robin responds, putting down her glass and holding her palms in front of herself to surrender.

Just before Seb can continue, a waitress comes by to take our orders. We all ask for some coffee to start. Then, Robin gets some sorta huge deluxe breakfast combo thing, god damn; Seb orders a bagel, topped with cream cheese, lox, and some greens; and I get a veggie and cheese omelet with some toast on the side. It’s pretty late in the afternoon, but diner breakfast food is the best breakfast food. Glad we’re all on the same page in that sense.

Once the waitress leaves, Seb continues. “Last thing.”

“Shoot,” his mom prompts.

“Please don’t tell anyone he exists.”

“Why not?”

“Privacy again, but also because of the magic.” 

I nod, adding, “This isn’t something everyone can just… know about. It can fall into the wrong hands and whatever that way, y’know?”

“Dramatic, but reasonable.”

“Besides,” Seb adds, “we’re only safe from monsters and shit because of him. If anything were to happen because an angry mob of old farts from around town made their way over to his place, we’d all be fucked.”

“What, like, the critters in the mines?”

Seb and I shake our heads. The waitress comes back with our coffees, and once she’s gone, I continue, “They’re all over Ferngill. The ones we have down there, and plenty of way more dangerous ones.”

I grab a few sugar cubes and cream packets from near the window before offering some to Robin. Seb drinks his coffee black, that edgelord, so I don’t bother passing any to him.

While Robin and I fix up our drinks, Seb goes on, “There’s a high-proficiency wizard in most of the higher-populated parts of the country, and each of them are in charge of keeping a protective barrier around the area they’re stationed in.”

“Who stations them, themselves?”

“Kinda..?” Seb looks to me. 

I jump in, “There’s like, a whole council of spellcasters that take care of this stuff.”

“So, politics.”

“Basically,” me and Seb respond in unison. We both give each other a look feigning disgust. That’s, what, the third time we’ve said the same thing at the same time today, maybe?

“So are you two involved in it, or is that just his deal?”

Robin squints at Seb, as if to silently tell him, “I’ll be so not-mad-just-disappointed if you left me out of this.” Seb and I look at one another, then at her. 

“Oh you are, aren’t you?!”

Trying to take the load off Seb, I defend, “To be fair, I’m new to it, but yeah, kinda. I’m a mage and the council knows about me.” I sip my coffee, before shyly adding, “They might recruit me at some point, actually.”

“Wait, really?” Seb asks. I shrug. “News to me…” 

“It’s iffy, but I dunno, Magnus seems hopeful. I’m 50/50 on whether or not I wanna actually do it. Seems intimidating.”

My deflection worked, and now Robin is solely focused on me. Nice. “Wait, you do magic too?” I nod. “Can you magically give me a million bucks?” she jokes, holding out an open palm. I snort, lightly slapping it.

Just after this interaction, our food arrives. Thank god. The conversation diverts here, into some less serious stuff. The weather. Spirit’s Eve. How good the food is. How shitty the coffee is. Et cetera.

When we’re all done eating, Robin insists we all split a piece of one of those giant chocolate layer cakes they had in the pastry case. And while the three of us go ham on it, Seb looks up nearby piercing parlors to go to, considering our earlier discussion.

“Huh. I think this is the one I started stretching my ears at.” He tilts the phone towards me, absentmindedly fiddling with one of his gauges with the other hand.

“All the way in Zuzu, huh? Would you wanna go out there?”

“I don’t see why not. Seemed like a solid crew.”

Robin raises a brow. “You’re not making those things bigger, are you?” I can’t help but giggle at her more official motherly side coming through. 

Seb shakes his head, telling her about our cheesy matching earrings, and his Spirit’s Eve plans. She feigns disgust, much like Seb and I did before, but I can see the loving glint in her eye. She really does seem to love us as a couple, it’s super cute.

Seb adds that he might get a few extra piercings while he’s at it, like a triple helix or nose stud or something. He wants more tattoos too, but figured piercings are easier to handle in bulk like this, so he’s gonna hold off on that. While he explains this, he messages the shop in question on Facebook to ask if they do walk-ins. They hastily respond that they do!

Seb clasps my shoulder. “You wanna go out there tonight?”

I wince. “I’m exhausted, dude.” The short-lived panic I endured earlier today took a toll on me. Plus, I harvested a few pumpkins this morning. Those bitches were heavy.

“No worries. I can go on my own.”

“You better drive safe,” Robin warns through a mouthful of cake, pointing her fork towards Sebby. 

“No promises.”

I mime Robin with my own fork before adding, “I’ll kill ya if you die in a freak biking or piercing accident.”

Seb chuckles, takes another bite, and then puts his fork down, proceeding to dip each of his pointer fingers into the frosting. He plops a small dollop on to my and his mom’s noses. A declaration of war... which is nullified by the waitress coming back with our check. 

I’ll get his ass next time.

[ravennaortiz]

Lost and Found Chapter 4

This is a twisting tale of love, family and loyalty told through present tense and flashbacks.

Trigger Warnings: General themes of the show( death, violence, drinking etc), Minors DNI, implied sexual assault in later chapters.

Jax sat on his dads bike thinking over his life and those he loved. He had hurt so many people and he hoped that he had given Chibs enough time to fix one of his mistakes. The look on Chibs face when he had told him that he had green lit Juice without permission haunted him the same way the image of his sister with a gun to her head did.  He hated himself for having pushed Scar so far. Of all people Scar deserved happiness and love and all he had done was tear her world apart. For what? To prove his leadership, to make a point? He hated himself for what he had done. He had been up all night making arrangements to fix his mistakes, writing a letter to each member and getting his wills in order. Jax took a deep breath before beginning his final journey knowing his demons would follow him forever but at least they couldn’t hurt those he loved anymore.

"You’re not going to tell your sister bye?" growled Chibs as he stormed into the ice cream shop where Jax was saying his goodbyes to the rest of the club.

"This will be better for her Chibs" replied Jax as he turned his eyes onto his mentor and friend. "Once it’s been confirmed I need you to be the one to tell her. I also need you to go to Stockton and meet with Tully." continued Jax as he pulled his friend to him and hugged him.

"Why?" replied Chibs with confusion as he pulled back to look in the younger man’s eyes.

"I made a mistake and I need you to fix it before it’s too late" replied Jax as he closed his eyes.

Chibs hoped he wasn’t too late as he pulled into the parking lot at Stockton, the conversation him and Jax had still ringing in his ears. He had no idea how he would explain to Scarlett both her brother and Old man were gone from this world at the same time. Would he be willing to stop her next attempt at leaving this world? Chibs shook his head to clear the what ifs, there was no sense getting lost down that rabbit hole yet.He glanced at his watch and quickly made his way into the prison as the sun began to set.

2 Days Later

Scarlett wiped at her red, swollen and painful eyes as more tears cascaded down her face. She was amazed at how more tears just kept coming. Every time she turned around a new memory hit her like a train. Her hands shook as she knelt next to the open gravesite and dropped another black rose onto the casket. She should be used to this level of pain at this point, it came with the life, but for her it never got easier. “I’m sorry. I love you and will miss you forever” she murmured as she stood up brushing the dirt off the hem of her dress before blowing a kiss down to the casket. The showing and funeral had been a simple and private affair which helped some as Scarlett didn’t think she would be able to handle the type of small talk that funerals brought on especially when it was for someone so young. As she turned to walk away her eyes fell on the club members who out of respect for her let her have her time first. “Thank you guys for everything. I know the last few months have been difficult and I haven’t always been the nicest, but I appreciate you all and your friendship.” Stated Scarlett as each man hugged her in turn before she made her way slowly to the bikes.

“Rest easy brother. I still stand by that promise I made you when her and I started dating, I will always protect and love her no matter what. She’s the best thing about me if were being honest. Thank you for finding me when I was lost because if you hadn’t id have never found my peace” stated Juice as he looked back at Scarlett at the end before tossing a rose down as well.

This is the end of this story but not the end of Scarlett and Juice.

Return to Chapter List

[anons-has-hlvrai-aus]

The Metamorphosis of Gordon Freeman [Chapter 4]

“We’re Playing Assassins”

Chapter 1 | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Chapter Summary: Forzen invites himself into Gordon’s home.

Word Count: 6,114

Ao3 Version Link

Notes: Thank you everybody for your patience! I hope you like bootboys, because I’ve got 18 of them, you’ll meet some of them in this chapter and the rest in a future chapter. Huge shout out to nbenrey-real on Tumblr for their Speculative Sweet Voice Translation.

“Forzen?”

“That’s my name.”

“It sure is.” Gordon sighed, “Who followed you? What the heck is going on? Why are you trying to come in through my window?”

Forzen slowly looked up at Gordon from his awkward huddle against the side of the house. “We’re playing Assassins. It's like Hide and Seek, except instead of somebody being ‘it’ that person is an assassin, and they have a NERF gun.”

“Th-that sounds bad, that sounds VERY bad. Do either of your cousins know you're out here? I need to call them before you guys take it too far.”

He gave Gordon a dirty look, a glint of what seemed to be fear in his one usable eye. “You think I'd be knocking on your window if they didn't know?”

The sound of foam darts hitting somebody from a couple houses over, followed by a muffled laugh, supplemented the answer.

“Lemme in lemme in lemme in-!”

“Okay okay okay!” He held out his non-dominant hand to pull Forzen inside. “Is it just you and the rest of Neo Team Nice playing?”

“I saw an old guy with glasses chasing after Eddy and Tower earlier, so probably not.”

“That doesn't help me any. There's a lot of people with glasses out here, especially from Black Mesa. You know from experience that people there have itchy trigger fingers.”

“You don't. You're built differently. They're all shoot first, you're all questions and stuff.” He looked around the dimly lit room with mild interest. “Woah, wicked lightshow. Did you have a perk saved up or something?”

Gorden waved him and some strings of Sweet Voice out of his room, “It's a long story, do you need me to put Irate Gamer up on the TV or something?”

“Nah, I can connect with my tablet.” The man threw his backpack onto the front of his chest to rummage around, looking incredibly silly in the process.

“Okay, you go do that.” He plucked a ziplock bag from near the bed. “Do you need anything to eat? I've got a surplus of toast from breakfast this morning, and I know you like yours extra crispy.” He shook it for emphasis.

“You got anything that’s charcoal?” He walked backwards out of the bedroom, skillfully catching a burnt bagel that was tossed his way. “Thanks.”

Once Gordon could hear the distant sounds of YouTube from the other room, he closed the bedroom door and slid himself onto his carpeted floor. Forzen was much more tolerable now that he had permanently bailed from the military, but he still had a few quirks that came from his then-situation as an extremely online 19-year-old. He was better off now, living with his two cousins and the 15 other people that were all raising Legal Hell on the HECU, but for some reason he seemed to gravitate towards Gordon every few months whenever he felt ‘homesick.’ It possibly had something to do with his parents disowning him, but Forzen frequently refused to give any other specifics.

Gordon did not appreciate these visitations at all for the first year or so, given he was still going to therapy at the time, but the man's semi-infrequent appearances had done more good for the both of them overall; Gordon was able to help Forzen engage with other people without immediately resorting to internet memes or YouTube, and in turn Forzen somewhat desensitized Gordon to the sight of camo, berets, and whatever else his brain associated with the HECU that the former soldier just had on him for some reason. Forzen was not on ‘official part of the Science Team’ status yet, what with him still being on thin ice with Tommy, but the fact that, as of last year, he and a few of his buddies from The Frat (AKA “Neo Team Nice”) were being considered for invitation to some of the Science Team's regular celebrations was a sign of progress.

There was certainly some irony in the fact that Gordon was more quick to invite a former bootboy into his life than he was of Benrey; they were pretty much the same person in some ways, but the differences were pretty transparent in Gordon’s eyes.

Forzen had literally been a kid trying to pay for college when he and the Science Team crossed paths. The guy wasn't even supposed to be deployed! Benrey, meanwhile, had intentionally made himself a problem for Gordon at every possible opportunity, and the three or so days they’d spent together had been more than enough Benrey for his lifetime. Forzen showed up in small doses, and usually left before he got too annoying to be around (even if he was getting better, he still had his moments of obnoxiousness).

Between the two, Forzen was also better because Gordon had managed to turn him into an almost-tolerable person; hell, he’d say the guy was a few steps away from being normal! He’d honestly much rather have Forzen teaching him how to do this alien shit.

Alas, another difference between the two annoyances in his life was that the one he tolerated more wasn’t an alien.

Although, it did give Gordon an idea…

He felt his way into the living room, Forzen somehow not needing any light to navigate the house and thus not bothering to turn any of the lights on prior to Gordon emerging from his room.

“Forzen.”

“That’s my name!” The man looked over from the center of the couch, the large smile on his face only just visible thanks to the glow of the television; his eye sparkled similarly to how Benrey’s did not that long ago.

“I’ve been consistently getting it right right for months now, you don’t need to get excited every time.”

“But it makes me happy, because sometimes I forget it too.” He relaxed to a more neutral expression.

“You forget your own name??”

“Only sometimes.”

Was this guy even sure that ‘Forzen’ was his real name? Gordon shook his head in bewilderment. That was a can of worms for somebody else to worry about. “Anyways, you and Benrey used to be friends, right?”

“We used to be best friends.”

“Cool. Did he ever tell you anything about Black Mesa?”

Forzen shrugged, “Sometimes. Neither of us liked to talk about it, so we just…didn’t.”

“You-? Hold on!” Gordon flopped into the loveseat, emoting with his hands as he usually did, albeit with more bumps into Sweet Voice. “What do you mean by ‘neither’? That means you-when did YOU visit Black Mesa prior to the Resonance Cascade?”

Forzen growled, “I don’t remember, time is an illusion. I just know it was after they let Benrey out for the first time. Military got access to experimental stuff and they’d test it out on people. They put some of the experimental stuff in my body, started teleporting everywhere, then fell into a restricted area when it stopped. Benrey harassed me until I left. We became friends after that.”

“Oh, so like, the experiments they did-wait, is that why you teleport sometimes?”

“Mm-sure.” He gnawed on his burnt bagel until it audibly crunched, a chunk of the literal charcoal freed from his efforts. He proceeded to ‘munch’ on the piece of bagel while he talked. “The Bill Nyes from your old work call it, uh, ‘harmony fuckers’ or something.”

“Can you not talk and chew at the same time please?”

Forzen obliged with a hum and another of his signature shrugs.

“Thank you.” Gordon sighed and paced around the room. That wasn’t the sort of information he came out to ask about, in fact it gave him more questions about what was going on with Benrey before the Resonance Cascade happened. What did he mean by ‘let Benrey out’? Did they keep the guy in a fucking cage? Were they trying to domesticate him? Acclimate him to being around humans? Why?

‘Focus, Freeman.’

Right, right. Thank you, inner scientist.

“Thank you.”

Forzen made a confused ‘huh’ at him.

Gordon shook his head, “Ignore that, I’m getting distracted. So-!” He shifted himself into a normal sitting position. “Everything you just said sounds VERY interesting, but I actually did have an important question to ask.”

“Mm?”

“Did Benrey, in all the time you’ve known each other, ever talk to you about the Black Mesa Sweet Voice?” He asked.

Forzen looked at him silently, eventually answering with an indifferent “no.”

Gordon swore under his breath, burying his face so deeply into his palms that it left his glasses askew. He’d hoped that maybe Forzen knew a thing or two about the Sweet Voice; having been friends with Benrey for so long, surely a normal guy (or at least normal compared to anybody else that knew Benrey) like Forzen would have been just a little curious about how the Sweet Voice worked.

Forzen had been a bootboy just one lifetime ago, though, and in Gordon’s personal experience they tended to not question or second-guess anything.

“Why do you wanna know about Sweet Voice so badly?”

Correction: Bootboys tended to not question or second-guess anything…unless it was to Gordon’s inconvenience. Forzen wasn’t a bootboy anymore, but the statement still partially stands true.

“Again, long story. How long were you planning to-?”

The doorbell rang, Forzen immediately cut off the TV and ducked out of view from whoever could see him from the main entryway. Gordon sidled over to the door, then stalled. He couldn’t be seen with piss-yellow Sweet Voice pouring from his mouth, he was anxious enough as it was. He rummaged around a nearby drawer and slapped on the first paper mask he was able to find before wearily cracking open the door.

“Hello?” Gordon answered, and then let out a very loud scream. He almost immediately calmed down once he recognized the visitor. “Mitchell! Don’t fucking scare me like that, dude.”

“Hello, Freeman.”

Mitchell was the less-weird of Forzen’s two cousins; both of them were weird, but if Gordon had to label only one of them as ‘the weird one’, it certainly wouldn’t have been Mitchell. He was a handsome-looking guy, despite the odd scars that he had apparently gotten while in Black Mesa, and seemed to be the closest thing to a leader when it came to the shenanigans of Neo Team Nice. Unfortunately, he had a strange aura about him that always scared the hell out of Gordon whenever they crossed paths, and he always, always talked like he had been trapped in a bad Metal Gear game for several years. Mitchell was a mixed bag to say the least, but he was never rude to Gordon, and that’s what really mattered.

“Howdy. How’s it, uh, how’s it going?”

“Fine. I have a question for you.”

“Yeaaaaah?”

Mitchell blinked a few times before answering. It made Gordon wonder if his manner of speaking was intentional. “Can I squat in your house for a couple hours?”

“Whuh-? I-? Pardon??”

The confusion must have been visible on Gordon’s face, because Mitchell immediately took this as his cue to explain everything in the most nothing way possible.

Mitchell smirked cockily. “Adrian and I made a deal that if he couldn’t find all of us before sundown, he would have to wear The Chicken Hat.”

“Can I ask why you have a chicken hat?”

“Collective punishment for us leaving the military. Everybody was supposed to get one, but they only sent a single hat, not that it affects us since the military can't force us to wear them.”

“I see…” Gordon slowly nodded. “That uh, yeah, that makes sense.”

It did not, in fact, make sense.

“I will ask only once more, Freeman. Can I-” Mitchell let out a horribly exaggerated yelp before ragdolling at the foot of the door. A little foam dart rolled onto the grass next to him.

A man dressed in cargo shorts and a white tank top came into view. He was immediately recognizable as Adrian, not because of how absolutely strapped with NERF guns he was, or the the gas mask he was wearing, but because of the tween-sized frog-thing trailing behind him like a puppy.

The two shared a moment of eye-contact before the ‘assassin’ gave a silent thumbs up. He ran out of sight just as quickly as he arrived, and Gordon decided to also make himself scarce upon Mitchell’s body despawning.

He peeled the paper mask off his face, drawing his eyes from the door back to the nearby couch. “It’s safe to come out now, man. Neither of your cousins know you snuck in here.”

“Nice.” He put the TV back on.

Gordon melted into the recliner for a bit to watch with the young man. He couldn’t help but squint while doing so.

“Don’t you think you should watch something other than Irate Gamer?” He asked, “I’m pretty sure you’ve seen this episode at least five different times at my house.”

Forzen let out a huff. “No. I like it, it makes me happy.”

“But that’s not normal. We’ve talked about this, you gotta branch out so you don’t just default to that when talking to new people.”

“If you wanna watch something else, you can just ask.”

“That’s not what I’m saying.” Gordon sighed, “You’re doing a really good job at fitting in right now, despite your shortcomings. You were almost as bad as Benrey in some of the ways you talked to people, but you’re doing great now! The real world, outside of Neo Team Nice and outside of the Science Team, is like a uh, a giant puzzle, right? Everybody has a place. I have a place, Adrian and Mitchell have a place, and you have a place!”

Forzen let out a grunt to imply he was sorta listening.

Gordon started to go into one of his little talks, ‘The Puzzle Metaphor’ he liked to call this one. Everybody has to fit into the puzzle, no matter what. You might have a few people without needing to fit in, but you need to be able to fit in to get along with everybody!

“Liking Irate Gamer is an innocent hobby, but it’s not gonna be the most acceptable one when you’re trying to meet new people. Not everybody likes it, and they’re not gonna want you around if that’s all you wanna talk about! But, uh, you know that already.”

“…You done now?”

Forzen clearly had enough babying from Gordon today. He got annoyed with Gordon, too, sometimes, even if he clearly meant well.

“Yeah, yeah I’m done now. Ju-just trying to hold out for ya, man. Like I said, a real big improvement from how you were.” He pointed to the kitchen, “I’ll be in there if you need me…”

-

Gordon waited until it was dark out before politely kicking Forzen out of his house, perfectly exposing the poor man to a barrage of darts. While waiting, he had made sandwiches out of the remaining ‘toast’ from breakfast that morning, plus whatever meats and cheeses were closest to running out; Gordon passed them around to the conglomeration of buff guys loitering in his yard, plus Lydia and Seargent Nutter when they were finally tagged out.

“Excellent job, everyone!” Mitchell proudly beamed. “We have successfully conquered my brother in a test of unbridled stealth! We will prepare The Chicken Hat first thing tomorrow morning!”

Gordon cupped his hands to be heard among the discordant cheering. “Cool, great, get out of my yard now!”

“There’s no need to be a sourpuss, Gordon. You’re too young to be getting so uppity about people on your property. Maybe wait another 20 years or so.” Sgt. Nutter gave him a wrinkly grin that really emphasized her age. “How’s Harold doing? Still back in the ring?”

“He’s been back in the ring for a while now, I don’t see why he’d wanna stop.” He gave her an annoyed tone, one she apparently didn’t like.

“It’s only a question, Gordon. I just like checking up on him.”

“Well you both have phones, I don’t see why you can’t call or text instead.”

“And communicate with him directly? Goodness, Gordon, are you trying to stop my poor, purple heart?” She got up close to Gordon, an evil glint in her big, buggy eyes. “By the way, this is your reminder that the only reason your ‘Science Team’ is alive right now is because I went AWOL. If I was manning the radio array when the orders went out…”

Nutter made a slow and quiet ‘pew’ sound.

“…So don’t forget that. You can get uppity with me all you want, but don’t you dare keep that up with them.” She pointed to Forzen and his cousins. Right, fuck, all three of them were younger than Gordon by at least five years. “I’ve held a grudge with Harold for a decade now, don’t think I won’t hold one threefold against you.”

“U-understood, ma’am. Uh, sir? Uh…Sergeant! Right away! Mrs. Sgt. Coomer-Nutter! Ma’am.”

The woman giggled heartily, as if she wasn’t threatening a (probably) violent grudge against him just now. “Oh, Gordon. You silly thing. Just Sgt. Nutter is fine, or just Nutter. I only use ‘Coomer’ in legal documents and on the field.”

“I’m pretty sure one of those two things is illegal.”

“Hasn’t stopped me yet!” She grabbed another sandwich from the tray Gordon was carrying around, a corned beef in lightly-toasted pumpernickel. “Goodbye, Gordon!”

A horrible, limousine-sized monstrosity known as the Jumble Jeep pulled in, a good enough sign if any that Neo Team Nice was leaving now. The team all gave their goodbyes for the night.

A few notable ones stuck out to Gordon.

“See you, Gourd-Man.” From Forzen.

Eddy, who Gordon immediately picked out from his glasses, ran by, wishing for him to “Keep up the good health.” Gordon rightfully interpreted this as a threat since he was the one licensed medic of the group. You should never piss off the healer.

“Catch ya later, Freeman!” Was barely audible from…either Adrian or Mitchell? They both sounded alike, he couldn’t tell unless he focused on the inflection. It sounded too optimistic to be Mitchell, so it was probably the oddly tender-hearted Adrian.

“Goodbye, Human Gordon!” Was loudly uttered by a guy named Anthony. “Human Anthony, who is a human, is saying goodbye to you now!”

Anthony was most certainly not a human. Gordon didn’t know what he was, because the rest of the Team was intent on keeping it a secret, but he wasn’t hurting anybody.

“You don’t have to say that every time you leave, Anthony.” Gordon waved at him, paused, then motioned him over. “Actually, hey! Anthony! Before you leave, I have a question for you!”

“Human Gordon has a question for Human Anthony?” He ran over and stopped a perfect five feet away from him. His orange-yellow eyes focused directly on Gordon’s face, and his arms waved a bit in front of him before he snapped them behind his back, military style. “What is your question?”

“So from one not-alien that has been to Black Mesa to another, have you ever heard of something called the Black Mesa Sweet Voice?”

Please say yes, please say yes! He needed somebody, anybody that could help him turn the fucking bubbles off. He didn’t want to bother Coomer after saying he wasn’t calling anybody tonight, and he couldn’t wait until Benrey got back in the morning, assuming that’s when he was planning to come back. He needed to speak and breathe without those terrible little orbs popping up in his peripherals. He dearly missed the chromesthesia; it was a little intrusive when he became too focused on one emotion, but it didn’t make his every thought into a public service announcement.

“Yes! I HAVE heard of this Sweetened Vocalization!”

“That’s great!” Gordon didn’t even hide the elation in his voice. ‘Pistachio, let’s go!’

“So you’ve used it before?”

“No!”

“Shit.” Gordon hissed. ‘Mahogany, fuck me.’

“But!” Anthony smiled. “Human Johnson has!”

“No I haven’t!” Johnson distantly rebuttaled. “You’re thinking of Jackson!”

“Oh yes! I apologize for the confusion! Both of you look alike!” Anthony clapped his hands over Gordon’s shoulders. It felt like he had been slapped with a live lobster. “Human Jackson is the ‘Jack of all trades’. He has many experiences with many things, he will help you! I will bring him to you!”

“Thank-”

“JACKSON!!!!!”

“Aaugh!” Gordon let out a weak scream. “Jeez, you’re so loud!”

“Thank you! It is because of my human lungs! Look, here comes Jackson!”

“Thank you, I can see that! I’ll meet him halfway.”

Gordon pried himself out of Anthony’s hold and slinked from one broad-shouldered man to another. Jackson and Johnson were easy to spot because they both had a cigar of some sort in their mouth, but Jackson’s was seemingly always lit, if how much smoke it actually produced was anything to go by. They did look a little too much alike, in Anthony’s defense.

“Hi, howdy, good evening.”

“Freeman!” Jackson laughed, “What’cha doing asking about that Sweet Voice?” Smoke puffed out with every hard consonant, fading almost immediately when it did.

“That’s a long story.” Gordon repeated his current go-to explanation. “You know how to use it though, right? The Sweet Voice?”

Jackson tugged the cigar from his mouth and cleanly sung four notes, two low notes followed by a high and medium note, in a voice that very distinctly sounded like Hatsune Miku. Instead of bubbles, the Voice took the form of pastel-colored smoke.

“That is wonderful, incredible even.”

“Glad you think so.” He put the cigar back in his mouth. “I know you ain’t asking around just to look at pretty colors, though.”

Sighing, Gordon removed a mask he had thrown on before kicking Forzen out. “So I, uh, kinda got stuck with it. I was hoping you might know how to turn it off?”

“Turn it off?” Jackson repeated. He took the cigar out again. “Fuck if I know. I’ve been stuck with it for years, now!”

“What?”

He held the cigar out to Gordon. “This thing ain’t even real. I just carry it so nobody finds out I blow balls from my mouth.”

“In PUBLIC?” A guy immediately responded, like a knee-jerk reaction.

“Yes Mike, in public, shaddup.” He sneered. The smoke wavered into an almost-bubbly shape when it went from white to more vibrant colors. ‘Orange to cyan. You’re pissing me off, man!’

“So you can’t turn it off?” Gordon asked.

“I don’t know, they just gave me the surgery and asked if it worked. Adam got the same surgery and he only made bubbles one time before it stopped working for him. I’ve learned that keeping my mind empty and suppressing my emotions keeps it a white and smoky-looking, so I just ‘picked up’ smoking to mask the problem.”

“That’s probably not healthy.”

“It’s not, but I don’t know how else to fix the problem. I’d marry the first guy that could perform that miracle, though.”

A deep, familiar voice butted in from behind. “Sound like a you problem, man.”

Gordon quickly turned around, meeting Benrey’s face by mere inches. Jackson screamed in Hatsune Miku.

“What’s up? Sharing notes with the class? S’all cool. It’s your first day, gotta catch up to the curriculum.”

“Where the hell have you been?” Gordon asked. He chose to ignore the baker’s dozen of scared and confused mumblings from the former-bootboys nearby.

“Doesn’t matter. So you wanna do Sweet Voice?”

With a tired exhale, Gordon let out a long and defeated “Yessss.”

“Okay, okay children. Class is-class is in session. I’m gonna teach you how to sing so good man.”

“I don’t wanna know how to sing! I wanna turn it off!”

“Oh that’s easy.” Benrey smiled.

He quickly shoo’d off Neo Team Nice, minus Jackson and Adam, promising to bring them back safely before promptly no-clipping them into Gordon’s house.

To Gordon’s (not) surprise, the group took Benrey’s words at face value and left. Gordon hoped he wasn’t expected to drive the men home, but he didn’t trust the other man with transporting them so…he might as well.

“You coming?” Benrey shouted.

Gordon turned to see a head and upper torso clipping through a wall. He didn’t feel like commenting, just nodding and heading back inside was enough to ease whatever worries Benrey had for him.

-

Gordon, Benrey, Jackson and Adam sat in a circle near the center of the living room floor. Chairs were apparently out of the question for the lesson, and nobody was willing to challenge ‘Professor’ Benrey about it.

“Your Sweet Voice is mapped to the first noise you made when you got it. Talking or yelling or whatever will map it to your normal voice, you gotta go into your settings and key-bind it to something else.” Benrey explained.

Jackson sheepishly raised his hand. “Can you explain that in non-gamer terms?”

“No.”

Gordon gave Benrey a Look.

“I’m joking, man. Lighten up.” He made a weird rattling noise before continuing. “Go into the filing cabinet in your brain. Go to your brain cabinet.”

Jackson and Adam both nodded.

“You too, Feetman.”

Gordon let out an aggravated “fine.” Admittedly, he had an easier time imagining the video game menu, so he stuck with that.

To put it simply, the Sweet Voice (SV) worked by pairing up vibrations in the voice box; if you matched the SV with humming, for example, it would only appear when you hummed. You could also completely change the sound output of the SV, which was apparently how Jackson managed to get his Miku voice.

Having access to the SV automatically gave one the ability to do what Benrey called a ‘throat whistle’ (which he humorously shortened to thistle). It was like laryngeal stridor, a condition that caused somebody to ‘whistle’ while breathing, except this was entirely on command and not connected to any health issue that Gordon could think of. Jackson had seemingly figured out how to thistle on his own and matched it while thinking about a certain digital idol, and from there you could probably guess what happened.

Gordon wasn’t sure how Benrey and Jackson had managed to help him actually perform a thistle, it all sounded like nonsense when Benrey explained and Jackson just kept telling him to ‘not overthink it’, but he did eventually get the hang of thistling. It was oddly fun on its own.

Adam had apparently thistled by accident when he got the SV and didn’t know how to replicate the sound, which was why it hadn’t worked for him for so long. He seemed quite elated with having a new set of noises to bother his boyfriend with.

It was a very effective lesson overall.

Unfortunately, this was also how he learned that you could have a maximum of two voices paired on you at any time, which was both a blessing and a curse as demonstrated when Benrey opened his mouth and released a horrifying harmony of his usual ‘singing’ voice and a high-pitched beep.

Gordon was grateful when he stopped.

“Pretty cool, right?”

“NEVER do that again!” He demanded, spewing a LOT of dark blue at Benrey. Neither of them needed a reminder for that translation.

“Ouch, man.” Benrey frowned.

He frowned. “And I mean it, too.”

Jackson,now that he was more acquainted with the non-human, seemed more humored by the display than anything. “I can finally go to the non-smoking sections of buildings without looking like a jackass! This is the best day of my life!” He looked at Benrey. “Fucking marry me, dude!”

“Not interested.”

“Perfectly understandable!” He returned to slouching, and looked over at Adam, who had figured out how to alternate between a car horn rendition of ‘la cucaracha’ and a slide whistle. Jackson started responding with his Hatsune Miku voice and what sounded like the rough imitation of an electric guitar.

Benrey gave Gordon an intense look. “Now you.”

Jackson and Adam stopped what they were doing to watch.

Gordon’s heart started to thump in his head at the attention, he could barely hear himself think. His hands balled up in front of him and pulled strands of carpet into their grip.

‘Pink lemonade. I’m nervous, not afraid!’

It felt like being stuck at an interview. He hated interviews. He was always being judged.

A pair of hands placed themselves over one of his own, the left hand.

“Hey man,” Benrey spoke in a slightly hushed tone. “Don’t take the class thing too serious? S’just a silly joke. Just a goof. Like the passports. I’m not testing you or anything.”

He looked into the other’s eyes, shiny cyan scleras with irises so deep and dark that they blended into the pupil. He must have learned that from Dr. Coomer, because he did the same thing when Gordon needed help calming down. He wasn’t sure when they would have told him, but that probably didn’t matter right now.

His heartbeat settled some.

‘Breathe, Freeman.’

The reminders from his inner scientist came to him clearly now.

‘Square breaths. Inhale four, hold four, exhale four, hold four, repeat.’

In four.

Hold four.

Out four.

Hold hour.

In. Hold. Out. Hold.

Again.

And again.

And once more.

‘Focus.’

Focus.

Settings Menu, Sweet Voice, he could see it now.

Input 1: Default

Re-binding Input 1…

Input 1: Thistle

Inhale, exhale.

No Sweet Voice, not even a single bubble!

Benrey looked at him expectantly.

Was he waiting for Gordon to serenade him with the song of his people? Jackson and Adam were waiting as well.

He was tempted. He shouldn’t have been.

‘What are YOU waiting for?’ Asked an irrational thought. ‘This is something you’ve always wanted to do, isn’t it?’

Maybe for a moment, but that was when the Player was in control. It had been a fleeting desire that scuttled off after that game of Spin the Bottle, nothing more.

…

And yet?

Output 1: Default

Re-binding Output 1…

Gordon took in a slow breathe. He felt the slight constriction in his throat as he sung out the unearthly tone of a synthesizer he’d once heard humming away in a plant nursery. It was in that eerie pitch that lingered only for alien abductions in movies or shows.

That’s what Gordon felt now.

That’s what Gordon was now.

He let the pitch fluctuate, and held it in spots where it sounded nice until he ran out of air. He squeezed his eyes shut, forcing breathe back into his lungs to hold back tears.

It was beautiful, and terrifying, and dreadful, and wonderful, and every other appropriate descriptor that his shitty, shitty memory failed to conjure.

One of Benrey’s hands moved off of Gordon’s, he felt something wipe a dampness out of his eyes, slightly dislodging his glasses. Gordon had a pretty good idea of who the culprit was; his eyes confirmed his suspicions once he willed them open.

Benrey pulled his hand away from Gordon’s face, clasping it over his mouth. If there was Sweet Voice, it was well hidden. Usually he would try to calm down Gordon with some blue but…maybe he was trying to avoid that.

“Uh,” The man mumbled behind his covered mouth, “final lesson for tonight. Binding the Sweet Voice doesn’t mean it’ll only show up when you want it. Big emotions will make it all just kinda-pfffffft. Ya know?”

“Why are you telling me-?” Gordon didn’t finish, he immediately noticed how his shaky breath let out tiny yellow bubbles. ‘Lemonade means I’m afraid.’

“Hey-” Jackson frowned, “I don’t really know what’s going on but…you seem scared right now, and it’s okay if you are. You just…can’t let it consume you, okay? Your beautiful friend seems to know what he’s doing, I think you can rely on him for whatever is going on.”

Gordon nodded without comment.

“You go sleep now.” Benrey got up.

“I can’t do that, I have to-”

“Sleep now, please?” His face was blank.

Gordon struggled to convey his concerns. He knew that arguing with Benrey wouldn’t make him any less stubborn, but Gordon had to take Jackson and Adam home. He had a car, he knew the area, he knew where they lived.

Benrey didn’t know that stuff, if he did he would maybe feel better about letting him take them home?

Gordon thistled out a shaky tone. Where words failed him, a blossom of technicolored orbs seemed to convey everything he felt.

It all must’ve been more complex than how he currently understood it; he wasn’t sure how ‘yellow like curry means I’m worried’ and ‘robin eggs with wine, I NEED to know it’s fine’ were able to combine with a few other colors Gordon didn’t notice in order to explain his concerns…but for Benrey it was more than enough.

Benrey looked at the other two men in the room. “Go wait outside, please.”

They both nodded and bid Gordon ‘goodnight.’

With the living room empty, he crouched back down to Gordon’s level and let out a sigh. “Words are hard.”

Gordon laughed. “Yeah. Th-they are.”

“But you understand words better right now, I think.”

“…Yeah. I do. My brain is translating the rhymes alright, though.”

“It’ll make sense, eventually.” Benrey said, “You won’t even need the rhymes…You’re doing good, even if Sweet Voice doesn’t make sense yet.”

Gordon waited for more, but received nothing else. Benrey looked like he was waiting, too, but for what…Gordon didn’t know.

Benrey let out another sigh and sang a string of blue between them both.

Gordon tentatively reached out to an orb, it popped at his touch and filled Gordon with a familiar calming sensation. It was much more appreciated than he had realized, and so he felt compelled to pop two more bubbles to let the calm completely overtake him.

“Thanks.” He mumbled.

A tiny smile showed up on Benrey’s face as he sat back up and reached over to help Gordon do the same.

The room had become completely dark without Gordon even realizing it. He had never turned the lights back on, having just used the perpetual stream of Sweet Voice to light his way. Now the only light left was the slowly-fading bubbles of calming blue, and even those were soon gone.

Gordon’s eyesight slowly adjusted, as was typical of the human eye.

Benrey coughed a bit, getting his attention. Gordon’s eyes had adjusted enough to barely notice the man’s hunched over posture, which almost immediately straightened upon Gordon looking his way.

“I can handle things.” Benrey told him. “You’ve had a long day, you need rest. I know how to find uh, Forzen. The bootboys all live together, that’s what Bubby said. I can-” He smacked his lips a couple times, sighed again, then let silence overcome the room for a minute. “…yeah.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Gordon let out a tired laugh. The irrational thoughts whispered to him sweet assurances that it would be fine.

Gordon allowed them to win.

“Okay, I’ll trust you.” He took out his phone and unlocked it. “Give me your number, if anything goes wrong-”

“Nothing will go wrong.” Benrey insisted.

He looked at the man with doubt. “If anything goes wrong, doesn’t have to be tonight, it could be tomorrow, or next week, or whatever…if anything goes wrong, if anything IS wrong, call me. Not text, call. If I can’t do anything to help, I can at least contact the rest of the Science Team for you.”

Benrey looked at the ground before telling Gordon his number. He flew off before Gordon’s confirmation text could send, but the irrational thoughts convinced him to let it go for now.

Gordon went about his usual routine, this time in darkness; he was actually proud of himself for being able to handle it for this long, as silly as it likely would have sounded to an outsider.

About five minutes after Benrey had left, his phone buzzed.

‘bootboys delibirded pls be sleep when i hime’

He couldn’t help but snort at the text. At least Jackson and Adam were home now.

It was only 10 o’clock at night, but Benrey was right: Gordon had a long day today, what with the doctor’s appointment and the alien puberty and the game of Assassins happening outside his house and his first ever lesson regarding the aforementioned alien puberty, he definitely deserved a long rest.

Gordon’s eyes drooped shut the moment his head hit the pillow, but his mind did not ease itself into sleep until he was able to hear a mumbling in his attic that unmistakably belonged to his new roommate. The barely-hushed hoots and hollers of a man deep into an online match was oddly soothing as Gordon slipped into unconsciousness.

[fangirlwriting-stories]

They Say You Can't Fight Fate (I Say Fucking Watch Me)

Chapter One

Author's Note: And that's a wrap! Thanks for reading this one, it was a tad spontaneous, but I really loved writing it, and I'm glad it got an ending when I wasn't quite sure when I posted it. I hope you enjoyed!

Chapter Eight:

Remus was almost scared to admit it sometimes, but things were good.  He’d never expected to have the freedom to work with people he loved, doing something he at least didn’t hate, and not have to worry about stupid soulmates or stupid orderlies or stupid people never believing him.

Roman seemed to be doing much better with the therapist, though Remus was loath to admit it.  But he was happy, and that made Remus happy too.  Logan was still amazing fun to hang out with, and Remus was definitely not imagining the blushes that were starting to be sent his way.  He was going to have to bring them up sooner rather than later.  Especially considering Virgil finally got his head out of his ass, realized how stupid waiting for your soulmate was, and decided to kiss Janus about it.  The two of them weren’t any less argumentative, but now quite a few of those arguments ended with the break room being mysteriously locked.  It annoyed Roman to death, but Remus thought it was hilarious.

Overall, though, life was starting to look up in a very real way, and even if there were still problems, Remus was starting to feel like it was something he might be able to handle.

He should have known it wouldn’t last.

It was a quiet Saturday, which was unusual, but it being unusual meant all four of them were scheduled to work, so they were lazing around at the front desk and tossing life stories and quips back and forth (well, with most of the stories coming from people other than Remus).

Remus was sitting on the desk and leaning back on his hands, listening to the others, smiling as he watched them.  Roman was arguing with Virgil about what movies to watch when they had a Disney marathon, and Janus was only cutting in to feed the flames of their argument.  Remus, on the other hand, was allowing himself a moment to be a sap and think about how much he loved the three of them, and how much he’d appreciated everything they’d done for him.

And then the bell jingled, and a horribly familiar voice yelled “REMUS!”

Remus went stiff immediately, and Roman whirled around from where he was arguing with Virgil and jumped forward in the same motion, surprising everyone except for Remus with how quickly he moved forward and shoved himself in front of him.

“Hey, woah,” Virgil said, moving forward at the same time Janus turned around.  “What’s going on?”

Their Mom and Dad both stepped forward, and Remus could see Roman shaking as badly as he was, but he didn’t move from his spot in front of him.

“What on earth are you two doing here?” their dad said, looking back and forth between them both.

“Uh, sorry,” Virgil said, and to Remus’ surprise, he stepped forward and pushed both Roman and Remus further behind him.  “But we have a strict policy against serving people who give our employees visible fear responses.”

“Step aside, young man,” their father said, crossing his arms.  “We’re here to speak with our sons.”

Virgil exchanged a look with Janus, and Remus could see the exact moment that something processed for the two of them.  He felt a little sick, but instead he just grabbed Roman’s arm and squeezed it, and Roman linked their hands and squeezed back.

“Get off of the premises right now,” Janus said lowly, pointing a finger out the door.  “Or I am calling the police.”

“No!” Remus screamed, and Janus turned in surprise to him.

Police would be on their parents side as soon as they even started to explain the situation.  They’d send Remus back, and who knows what they’d do with Roman, and Remus would never see him or Janus or Virgil ever again.

“Remus,” their mother said, stepping forward and holding her hands out.  “We just want to help you—”

“No, get away from me, stay away!” Remus screamed, backing up and pulling Roman with him.

“Fine,” Virgil said, shifting and putting himself firmly in front of Roman and Remus.  “Get off the premises right now or I will run into the other room and grab one of our fucking bats.  And rest assured I am not afraid to use it.”

“Don’t involve yourself in situations you couldn’t have the slightest hope of understanding,” their father said, crossing his arms and glaring at Virgil.

“I understand enough,” Virgil growled.  “I understand you’re scaring the hell out of two of the bravest people I know.”

“You listen here—”

Remus turned, grabbed Roman’s arm, and ran them both into the other room, because Virgil had a good idea there and he was going to take advantage of it.  Roman seemed to pick up on his plan after a second and thankfully grabbed a bat too.  Before they headed back out, he grabbed Remus’ arm.  “How far are you planning on going?” he asked quietly.

“I have no fucking clue,” Remus said, and banged the door open, startling everyone on the other side of it.

“Get out of here,” Remus said, hoisting up the bat behind his head.  “Or I am going to fucking kill you.”

Both of his parents stared at him for a minute, and then his father sighed and put his hands on his hips, looking exasperated.

“Remus, don’t be ridiculous,” he started.

Remus screamed and slammed the bat into the wall, putting a hole right through it.  “LISTEN TO ME!” he screamed.

Well, now at least his father looked a little frightened.

“Remus,” his mother said, her voice shaking.  “Stop it, you’re causing a scene.”

“Good!  I want to!  Get the fuck out of here or I am going to slam this bat into the space between your eyes, if that is what it takes to get you the fuck out of my life!  I am happy here!  I have Roman and I have friends and I have someone I might want to actually date sometime, and I am not going to let you fuck it up again!”

“You shouldn’t be dating anyone, they’re not your soulmate—” Remus’ father started.

“No, Roman is my soulmate,” Remus said, taking a couple steps forward until, to his vicious delight, his parents took a couple steps back.  “Because I fucking say so!  That is my choice, you don’t get a say in it!  You don’t get any say in my life anymore, because every time you have one, you fuck it up!  You fucked me up and you fucked Roman up too, and I am not going to let you stay here and fuck anyone or anything else up!  So I suggest you turn around and run home with your tails between your legs.  Because I don’t want to die, but you know something?  I’m starting to think I wouldn’t mind so much if you did.”

Neither of his parents said anything, just gaped at him in shock and a still-not-appropriate-enough amount of fear.

Janus and Virgil were both staring at him too, but Remus was trying very hard not to look at them right now.  That became a little more difficult however, when after a second Janus shook himself and turned around, glaring at Remus’ parents.

“Bye,” he said, raising an eyebrow.

Both of Remus’ parents looked at him again.  Remus smacked his bat against his hand.  They turned and fled.

As soon as they were out of sight, everything rushed out of Remus at once, and he dropped to his knees and sobbed, the bat clattering to his feet beside him.

A moment later a second bat hit the ground, and Remus felt the familiar arms of his Roman encircling him.

“It’s okay,” Roman whispered.  “It’s okay it’s okay.”

Remus turned and buried his head in his chest, trying and mostly failing to breathe in any capacity.

Then, he saw a different person kneel next to him out of the corner of his eye, and Virgil was suddenly there saying something.

“I’m gonna count to four, okay?  Try and breathe in.”

Remus listened and tried to do what he said, and eventually his breathing got a little stabler, though he was still crying, and he definitely didn’t want to let go of Roman.

“Okay,” came Janus’ voice, and he knelt down on Remus’ other side.  “We’re closed up, no one else is coming in today.”

“‘m sorry,” Remus managed.

“For what?” Virgil said firmly, looking meaningfully at him.

Remus sniffed.  “For damaging the wall,” he said with a weak smile.  “‘m not supposed to do that.”

Virgil burst into laughter, smiling back at Remus and shaking his head.  “I love you, you idiot,” he said.

Remus sniffed again, his smile fading.  “You want an explanation?”

“We don’t need one,” Janus said.

Remus turned to stare at him.  “You’re telling me you aren’t curious?”

“Remus, I have been desperately curious for months now,” Janus said.  “But last time we tried to talk about something before you were ready it went really, really poorly.”

Roman nudged Remus gently from the front, and Remus looked up at him.  “I think it’s time,” he said quietly.

Remus looked at him for a minute, and he nodded.  “‘Kay,” he mumbled.  He blinked a couple times, and then grabbed Roman’s still-shaking arms.  “You okay?”

Roman let out a shaky breath and shook his head, some tears slipping past his eyes.

Remus climbed up and wrapped his arms tightly around Roman, and Roman took his turn to cry into Remus’ shoulder.

When they both felt a little more stable, Remus turned to look at Janus, then Virgil, trying to think of how to start.  Finally, he sighed.

“Here,” he said, pulling his sleeve up and showing them both his soulmark.  Janus raised an eyebrow, and Virgil just looked at it, his face not revealing anything.

“Mom and Dad wouldn’t ever listen when I told them I was okay,” Remus said quietly, pulling his sleeve back down.  “And eventually they tossed me into a mental hospital, looking for something to justify their stupid beliefs and insane paranoia.”

“I kinda got the opposite treatment,” Roman said, pulling up his own sleeve and laying it out in front of them, but just leaving it there instead of pulling it back down.  “I told them I wasn’t okay, over and over, but they never let me not be.”

“So we ran,” Remus said.  “Decided we were soulmates, said each other’s soulmarks, and just ran away.”

Virgil whistled, leaning back on his hands.  “Well, shit.”

“I’m so sorry,” Janus said quietly.

Remus let out a shaky breath.  “Yeah,” he said, “me too.”

“We kind of lied about being eighteen for the first couple months we were here,” Roman said.

Janus snorted.  “Oh, we knew.”

Remus laughed a little, giving him a tired smile.

“I vote we all head back to Janus’ and I’s place,” Virgil said.  “We’re taking tomorrow off to watch movies and stuff our faces with junk food.”

“I’m so down with that plan,” Remus said.

“Eventually we’re going to need to figure out a plan to keep you both safe long term,” Janus said.  “But I think Remus bought us all some time there.  It will also help now that you’re both actually eighteen.”

“I like that plan,” Roman said, giving an exhausted nod.

“For now let’s go home though,” Virgil said, standing.  “I’m gonna go pull the car around.  Just meet me out front whenever you can manage.”

“Hey,” Remus said, looking between Virgil and Janus.  “Thank you.  Both of you.  So much.”

Janus reached over and gave Remus a squeeze, and then Virgil leaned down and did the same.

“Of course,” Virgil said.  “We look out for each other when we work shitty service jobs together.”

Remus laughed and smiled up at him, and Virgil gave him a smirk as he headed out to the car.

Janus helped him and Roman both stand up a second later, and they all headed for the exit at a leisurely pace.

And as they stepped out front to head towards movies and junk foods, and Remus climbed into the car with his brother and two closest friends, he realized maybe the good part of life would last after all.

[kookie-doughs]

Your Voice

Oikawa Tooru X Reader

-In a world where only a few people has a soulmate, and they are burdened with a disability until they meet their other half.

Chapter 18: The Taste Of Love

Italic signed, Bold written

Oikawa once again had his entire, table, lockers and bag full of sweets. He absolutely dreads this day.

People would say it'd be his favourite day as a chance to reap all his narcissism, but its really not. Having the fact he's still alone and will probably be for i dont know perhaps forever with food he can never enjoy thrown at him.

He hated sweets, he doesnt understand why people kept giving him. Years and years of him declining and saying no. No one listened.

So he did what he's always been doing to the sweets he's always gotten.

having them all in his bag. He went to the gym, it was after school and they had another practice.

"Yahoo~" He sang.

"You took forever."

"You got more than you did last year huh." Hanamaki smirked.

Oikawa groaned and tossed one large bag full of cookies and chocolates. It had been a tradition for the boys to gather valentines gifts and make it into a potluck so everyone in the team would get some. It was always Oikawa bringing them but hey, he doesn't like it anyway.

The man looked around. "Is Y/N at the locker room?"

"No she's at Shiratorizawa. She's giving their sweets." Iwaizumi said.

"SPEAKING OF!!!" Matsukawa cut off. "She got me something too, it was sweet of her. I didnt know she can bake!"

Oikawa blinked. He may not be a fan of sweets but he takes note of who gives them. Not one of them had your name. But you gave Matsukawa one?

"Oh, yeah I got one too!" Hanamaki bragged.

Even Hanamaki? Was it because he told you he doesn't like sweets? Was that why you didnt give him one?

"She made one for everyone." Yahaba interjected.

Oikawa's heart broke. Everyone but him. He wanted to have a bite. Even not being able to taste it, eating something you made... the thought of it makes him excited.

"Get the potluck ready already. Im going to get something."

Oikawa went to the locker and placed his stuff. He sat there too for a while.

He was thinking of you. He appreciates the fact you remembered he doesn't like sweet but it hurt that he was left out.

He took a breathy breath. It hurt him. Not wanting the others to check up on him, he left the locker room so he doesnt over stay.

Upon exiting, the boys had already put all the chocolate and cookies in a big bowl. Some were already eating.

Matsukawa saw Oikawa's expression. He handed him a chocolate.

"Maybe it'll lift your spirits."

"He hates those." Iwaizumi reminded him.

"Right..."

Oikawa put it in his mout anyway. The flavor of nothing made him slump more.

"Surprise attack!" Hanamaki then shoved a cookie to Oikawa's mouth.

The boy was about to spit it out when his stomach dropped.

"No." His eyes widened. Tears were forming.

This wasn't what he wanted.

It was chewy. It was his first encounter with flavor so he doesn't understand how to explain jt. It bittersweet chocolate chips. Chunks of chocolate were around, chocolate spreads to his tongue in each bite. It also had walnuts. They added crunch and a nice nutty flavor and a hint of bitterness that’s different from the bittersweet taste of the chocolate.

He had no words. It tasted amazing. It tasted beautiful. No words could come to his mind.

He pushed the guys away and looked around at the potluck

"OI SHITTYKAWA WHAT THE-" Iwaizumi was about to kill him.

"Fuck!" He sobbed.

He looked for any signs of nuts on cookies. But there were too many. He moved the cookies around looking for something. He'd bite from every cookie with a nut he found.

"Oikawa!" Hanamaki shouted.

He didn't stop searching. That was his only link to his true love. He couldn't lose it like this.

The boys were getting worried.

"Oi, oi, oi," Iwaizumi pulled him away. But Oikawa was struggling against him.

He needed it.

Matsukawa helped Iwaizumi.

"Oi, Oikawa what's wrong?!" The entire team was surrounding him.

"Fuck!" He sobbed throwing away the cookie he was holding.

He curled up and sobbed to his knees.

"Oikawa I'm sorry for feeding you... come one it was a joke..." Hanamaki was feeling so shit.

But they didn't know.

"I lied." His voice broke.

"What do you mean...?" Iwaizumi asked hand behind his friends back.

"I just lost it..." His sobbing was coming back to him. "I'm never going to find them..."

"Find who?" The guys asked.

"Oikawa-san..." Yahaba gasped.

"You lied about it? How?" Kyotani looked at him shocked.

"Lied about what?" Kindachi asked the couple.

"Oikawa-san has a soulmate..." Yahaba answered.

Everyone looked at his sobbing form.

"I'm assuming he also lost his taste... Until Hanamaki fed him something his partner made."

Oikawa tighten his hold on his knees.

"No way..."

"Your whole life you lied about it???"

"No fucking way..."

He couldn't careless about what they said. All he could think about was the love he had just lost thanks to his stupidity. Why hadn't he thought of tasting them before this potluck?

They were all looking at him in pity.

"He lost his only link to the love of his life." The couple said.

The flavour of the cookies still linger at his mouth. His heart tightens every time he thought about it.

He will never find his true love. The taste lingering, is the taste of his true love. The true love he lost forever.

And he won't ever find her.

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Taglist?

@gayer-than-the-gayest-gay @wormonastringonastick @the-sander-fander @rukia-uchiha-98

[lizard-shifter-noms]

Wayward Waters Chapter 2

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Hello everyone! Chapter 2!

time to have them explore more of the world!

this Story contains Vore, Dont like dont read.

have fun reading!

and as always reblogs are appreciated! (Also ASK’s are open so feel free to bother me!)

AO3 Link for those that prefer the layout there;

AO3 Wayward waters

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My first assumption upon getting properly on the boat was that I would indeed fit on the deck as an Ardua, three times even.

The second was that the ground wasn't as steady anymore.

The waves that gently swapped against the boat made it rock back and forth slightly, Arthur would probably have thrown up by now already.

I walked over the deck with Robin in tow, taking a closer look at the middle mast and the deck itself.

There were crates strewn about and some crewmates were tying them down to the ship with rope or lowering them into the ship itself through a hole.

Robin leaned so far over one that he almost fell in but I managed to snatch the back of his shirt before he did.

Having him on the deck properly again we went to search for Rikaad, if he was on board already he could tell us what to do.

I could shift into a giant, maybe I could help with the cargo somehow?

Thought that might scare people so maybe not, 

not to mention i was still hauling Robin's bag around with me while he had mine slung over his shoulder.

“Do you see Rikaad? Or even the captain? I want to now where to put our stuff”

The ginger shook his head.

“No, I don't even know who the Captain is! Ohh do you think he has an eyepatch? Like a pirate? Or a wooden leg?”

“No idea, I guess look for someone with the fanciest gear? Or like someone with medals on their uniform?”

I kinda doubted the captain would look like one of the pirates from stories, but then again I had no idea what to look for.

Continuing to look around we walked up a set of stairs, where we did find Rikaad talking to a man who wore a big dark red coat that had yellow accents and golden buttons.

Considering he was talking to Rikaad, that was probably the captain.

Rikkad suddenly turned around to face us,  as weird as it was that he knew we were there.

“There you are! Come here for a moment i'm going to introduce you to the captain of this vessel”

We walked over as instructed and he introduced the captain, who apparently was named Nemas.

Judging by his appearance, while still human, he wasn't native to Kamerasca and he had a face tattoo in the shape of a thorny rose stalk.

No wonder the ship was called Victory Rose.

“Welcome onboard! I hope none of you are prone to get seasick as we will spend a few days on the sea!”

Without missing a beat Robin replied.

“No, we left the one that gets sick back at home!”

the captain roared with guttural laughter.

“AHAHAHA good one! One less thing to worry about then,  last time I had a seasick guy onboard he fell in the water! Now then I'll have one of my crewmates show you your cabins later! We only need to tow the last crate and get all of the crew!”

He jumped over a railing to the lower part of the big deck and I could see from up here he was filling his lungs with air.

“GUYS! GET YOUR SHIP WIVES AND GET READY!  WERE ABOUT TO LEAVE HARBOR!”

That guy could yell loud, I should have held a hand over my ears, and what the hell were ship wives?

Whatever, I followed Rikaad and Robin down again to the deck where a sailor with a scarred throat mentioned for us to follow.

We did as instructed and the man led us to a bunch of cabins in the back of the ship, Rikaad got the biggest seeing as he was king.

Robin and I got one somewhat close and tossed our bags inside before going back on deck to watch the city get smaller and smaller behind us.

How weird, my entire life I had spent scared of being murdered in the city, and now I was on a ship to the trader islands with the king himself.

To Make sure I REALLY wasn't dreaming I pinched myself, yeah no, wide awake.

But still crazy to think about, so I just sat there for a while and watched Kamerasca get smaller and smaller. 

But I still made sure to keep an eye on Robin who clambered all over the place, ready to sprint after him should he even get close to falling in the water.

After a few minutes of that he joined me and we watched as Kamerasca slowly disappeared, talking about what details we could still make out.

At some point nothing of Kamerasca was visible anymore, not even the Castle and I had to admit this was a very fast boat despite its size.

Not that I knew anything about sailing though.

Since it was midday when we left it was only a few hours till dinnertime, I wondered what that would be like on the ship, did they also have a big table? Did that even fit in here?

Though maybe they would just hand out rations to the people and leave them to eat them on their own.

I did see a table in the captains quarter, though that one had been full of maps and other stuff I couldn't even name, Oakley would have had a blast with that I'm sure.

I decided to look around the deck a bit while Robin went and talked the ears of some sailor off about the boat and whatnot.

What I did find weird was that none of the sailors even batted an eye at me, considering my bastard status and pointy ears that was a tad strange.

I decided to talk to a few of the sailors out of curiosity.

As it turned out they just didn't care,  and had seen way weirder things on their journeys, they even pointed out the various injuries they had gotten from unusual creatures.

For example a missing finger from a horned wolf who had looked pettable for way too short and a chunk bitten out of someone's leg by a seadrake, as well as the sailor from before with the scarred throat.

The other ones told me he was mute which made sense given he hadn't made a single sound and the reason for that and the scars was that he got into a bar brawl with a tall and bumpy skinned guy that had possessed tusks.

Apparently the being aimed to rip out his throat with said tusks and I winced in sympathy, that must have hurt as hell! 

But he obviously survived, and when I asked how they told me their Captain had fought the attacker and cut his head off with the tusks still embedded in the mute man's throat. 

They brought him to a doc like that to prevent him from bleeding out.

What a wild story! And it was nice to know that according to them it was one of the least freaky things they came across.

They also told me they kept the tusks and they were somewhere in the captain's quarters.

These guys had quite the wild stories! And scars to match!

Suddenly a three legged gray cat with a blue bandana tied to its neck jumped up next to me and startled me.

The sailors laughed and told me the cat was named Smokey and supposed to catch rats and mice on the boat.

They had fished him out of the ocean in a bag and suspected someone tried to get rid of him like that.

The cat suddenly meowed with the most scratchy voice I could imagine, not even some of the hardcore smokers in the taverns of Kamerasca sounded like that!

No wonder he was called Smokey, not only did he have gray fur he also had a voice like he had gargled gravel.

“Mrechechech!”

The furball looked at me for a moment with weirdly yellow eyes before sprinting away to some crates.

“He's got good ears! Probably sensed a rat or something!”

For something with three legs he was pretty fast I had to admit.

Before anyone could say anything else a loud gong sounded from who knew where and the sailors all stood up and walked towards some carts that had been brought out by what I assumed were the cooks.

Suddenly I got tackled by Robin, who squealed in joy.

“They have a cat on board! And he has a job! Have you seen it? I wanna see it!”

I took a few seconds to recover from that, so he was aware of Smokey but hadn't seen him huh?

“Uh yeah i have, Smokey if i recall correctly? I think he went to hunt some mice? Maybe if you wait you'll see him?”

He pouted for a second before noticing the carts as well.

“Is that food on the carts? Do you think we are allowed to have some?”

Good question.

“Uhh lets ask someone first, they may have made extra somewhere for us so we don't intrude over there”

He nodded and we went to look for anyone who looked like they knew about such stuff.

Not finding one we decided to just knock on the captain's door to ask him.

He opened it with a sandwich in his hand that smelled strongly of fish.

“Ah hello there, can I help you with anything?”

He seemed confused,  probably thinking someone had already told us what to do.

Robin answered him faster than I could.

“Hi! Do you know where we are supposed to eat?  We can't find our group!”

His brain was all over the place once again it seemed,  but at least Nemas didn't seem bothered by the blunt question.

“Ah, I knew I forgot something! Sorry about that, I was busy with the maps! I think you can just go to the kitchen and ask, no wait you don't know where that is, eh, let me show you”

With hat he stepped out of his room and winked us to follow him,  fishy smelling sandwich still in hand.

I just shrugged and went after him with Robin right behind me.

He led us down some stairs not far from his door and showed us how to get to the kitchen.

It looked pretty much like a normal kitchen, aside from the fact things were bolted extra secure to the ground, like the tables and other working spaces.

Made sense, if bigger waves hit they would just slide around.

He organized us some bread and marmalade and then led us back to the deck. 

I silently thought next time we should just look for Rikaad.

We still thanked him and he went back into his own room, half eaten fish sandwich in hand.

How he could stand to eat something that smelled like that was beyond me though.

Deciding not to put crumbs all over the place we ate near the railing, only to have to flee to our cabins as seagulls appeared. 

So we ended up eating in our shared cabin instead, picking a feather out of my shirt.

The thing was still completely intact so I put it in the wooden box I took with me.

No idea what for but maybe someone would want it as a souvenir?

After eating we decided to unpack what we needed and I saw that the room had a bed and a hammock so we would have to choose who got what.

“Which one do you want? Bed or hammock? I'm fine with either as long as i don't fall on my face”

Robin shrugged.

“Uhh can I have the bed? Last time i went in a hammock i managed to get trapped in the fabric somehow”

Why did that not surprise me?

“Sure, take the bed,  but make sure that when we leave to check under it for your stuff”

He nodded and started searching for something in his bag while I hung my own on a hook on the wall and climbed into the hammock to test it out.

It was alright, it swayed with the motion of the sea which had a strangely soothing effect.

Grabbing my bag I fished out the medication Oakley gave me against the nightmares and took what he prescribed from it.

It was late and running all over the boat today had been exhausting, especially as I had to balance myself a lot on the unusually swaying ground.

Yawning and wishing Robin a goodnight I fell asleep pretty quickly.

I got woken up by Robin this time, which was worlds better than Nea as the only thing he did was poke my shoulder.

“Mhm?”

I blinked blearily at him.

“It's breakfast time! And this time I know where to go!”

Oh right, that was good, how long had he been awake for?

At least half an hour if he found that out already.

“Really? Good, gimme a minute i'll be right out”

“Okay! I'll try to find the cat! I really wanna see it!”

He nodded excitedly and weaseled out of the room, probably to go onto the deck.

Yawning, I stretched and then awkwardly climbed out of the hammock.

I really wasn't used to that huh.

Whatever, this arrangement wasn't for terribly long anyway.

I grabbed my shoes and slipped them on before following Robin up to the deck.

He was there staring up the middle mast with curiosity.

I went next to him and looked up as well to try and see what had captured his attention.

“There's a guy up there! What do you think he's doing?”

Looking up I could indeed see a leg stick out from a platform at the top.

Ohh what was that called again? Something Nest or so?

“i think that's the lookout, like the guy that informs people if there's land nearby or other ships”

He tilted his head like an inquisitive dog.

“Really? You think we could go up there?”

What? Up there? Quite frankly as interesting as that was, it seemed dangerous, especially for people that had never done this.

“I'm not sure if we are allowed to, besides that doesn't look very safe so id rather not, what if i fall? Or fall on top of someone?”

Falling itself was bad enough, falling on top of someone else was even worse as then I wouldn't even be the only one injured.

“Oh, you're right, and that does look pretty high up, so maybe not”

I nodded and he dragged me to where he last saw Rikaad, which turned out to be the same spot where he introduced the captain to us.

He was still there even, as well as the captain who apparently told some tale that happened to him sometime.

Man these sailors loved telling stories huh?

He was just about done with the story when we walked up the stairs though.

“Ah hello there boys! Hope sleeping with the waves moving the boat wasn't too bad for you!”

In my opinion it had been fine actually.

“Yeah it was pretty okay”

He saluted and then jumped over the railing onto the main deck again.

Rikaad looked after him.

“I do not think that man likes stairs”

Then he turned to us and before he could say anything Robin had tackled him in a hug.

To Rikaads credit he didn't even flinch, or even move a millimeter.

Instead of doing the normal thing and telling him to let go Robin was hoisted over his shoulder like a sack of flour.

Right, Rikaad was strong, so it was no wonder that he just carried Robin like that while he led us to an empty but pretty big cabin that had tables haphazardly bolted to its floor.

On the tables itself which had strange indents so the plates wouldn't slide off was some food, half of which I did not recognize.

And most of what i did not recognize was some sort of fish anyway, well it probably was the cheapest and most efficient thing to do.

Remembering the not so good smelling sandwich of the captain I'd probably leave that alone though.

While I tried to choose what to eat, Robin had already run around the tables and grabbed random things, Rikaad was nowhere to be found once again.

I went to a table that was in the corner away from the other tables which had some strange brown blocks stacked onto it.

One of the sailors was sawing a piece with a serrated bread knife.

Deciding to be bold i asked the man what that was.

“What is that? Some type of bread?”

He turned to me while stacking some of the crumbly stuff on his plate. 

“Hardtack! It's basically made from flour and water and some salt”

The entire thing only had three ingredients? No wonder it looked so strange, but then what was the white stuff? Wait did it move?

“Uhh why is it moving? What is that?”

“Oh that's maggots!”

Replied the sailor in a cheerful voice and scooped some of them onto his plate with the Hardtack before walking away.

I tried my best not to gag and instead went outside, As an Ardua I didn't need to eat as long as I had sunlight and I've never been more glad for that than now.

I really regretted asking now but there was nothing to be done about that.

No wonder that table was away from the other ones, but why the FUCK would a maggot infested salty flour block even be a meal option?

No, I didn't want to know, but considering it was made from only three easy to get ingredients it was probably meant for longer journeys where they couldn't stock up on fresh things.

Still, eew.

I didn't really want to go back inside so I walked over the large deck again, looking into the grid covered holes into the holding room of the ship.

Through the sparse light I could make out lots of crates tied to the ship and I wondered what was inside of it.

Maybe I could ask someone? Or would that be rude?

As far as i knew the cargo might as well be classified or whatever.

That and most of the people were still eating, at least the ones that weren't needed to keep the ship going where it was supposed to.

Looking up at the sunlight I kinda wished I could just turn into my Ardua form and take a nap on the deck.

But I didn't know if the ship would hold me or not, but maybe I could ask the captain? He did call the shots here after all.

Where was he anyway? Back in his cabin?

Since that was where he was last time I decided to check there, politely knocking on the door.

I heard footsteps on the wood and after a moment he opened the door, this time holding an entire smoked fish, who at least didn't smell bad.

“Ah hello! Do you need help with anything?”

He seemed quite confused, which honestly was fair.

“Uh, I just wanted to ask some things about the ship? If I'm allowed to?”

He winked me inside,  waving his smoked fish around and I followed him inside.

“Of course! I always love talking about my ship! 

It used to belong to my grandfather but I inherited it because my father would rather work a sawmill for whatever reason,  but hey if something here gets broken he's the best man to fix it!”

I felt like I was in for a not that factual rambling.

“Oh that's nice, I just wanted to ask some basic things really, like how much cargo can this vessel hold?”

He motioned for me to sit on a chair that was covered in maps, 

which I politely set on the ground.

As I sat down I spotted a weird set of coat hangers screwed into the wall and it took me a second to recognize them as tusks,  probably the same ones from that one sailors story.

So they weren't kidding huh?

“How much can it hold? Well if you're smart about weight distribution that can be multiple tons! Of course that does depend on the crate sizes and how heavy the things we transport actually are!

For example if we transport cotton that's a whole lot lighter and easier to distribute than like Marble blocks!”

He stopped gesticulating with the fish for a second, biting a chunk out of it.

“Oh wait, I think I get why you ask that!”

He did? What?

“You do? What?” He slapped the fish loudly onto a random plate.

“Your king has already informed you of the thing with the enemy ships and since my dear Victory Rose here has a very large and flat deck that can hold multiple tons he asked me to bring you guys there! 

He also informed me that one of his men could shapeshift, which is why they needed my boat and didn't take the Royal fleet!

So by that I'm assuming you're the shapeshifter? Do you really turn into a giant green lion?“

I was taken aback by that information, Rikaad had just told him that? Then again he did say he'd like me for the intimidation factor and doing that one a normal boat would just make it sink.

And informing the captain that I would eventually do that was probably the only option to not randomly get harpooned, so it did make sense.

I just wish he told me that.

“Uh, yeah, yeah I do turn into a giant ‘green lion’ though it's called an Ardua sooo…

Uh the thing i was here for was to actually ask if i could shift on the deck? 

Like if i do that i can just use sunlight instead of food and also showing what it looks like in a calm environment might be a good idea instead of suddenly having a giant being appear while in conflict with other ships?”

He clapped his hands loudly and I flinched back.

“Brilliant! What a good idea to demonstrate so my sailors don't get a heart attack! Having them distracted during a fight would be a bad thing! Especially since a ship requires a lot of things at once to sail properly!”

Huh, I was just rambling out of nervousness but he thought it was a good idea? Well I wasn't complaining.

He stood up abruptly and walked to the door, I followed behind him still a bit taken back by the waterfall of words he'd used.

He turned to me as he opened the door and strolled out backwards.

“Got any more questions? Oh since you don't really need to eat as long as you can shift have you even tried the food on the ship? If so, how'd you like it? The cooks I have onboard are from all over the known trade routes!”

That guy could talk a lot,  even more so than Robin who at least tried to stay on topic.

“Uhh, i did look at the tables? But I did go outside again after I was offered what one of your men called ‘Hardtack’.

I'm not a fan of eating live bugs and the stuff was teeming with maggots sooo…”

Alone the memory made me suppress a shudder, i didn't want to be rude but maggot infested flour block was not something i wanted on my plate.

“Ah the good ol’ Hardtack, it's for the longer journeys! And since it's only flour and a little bit of salt with water there aren't many nutrients in it!

Maggots on the other hand are full of em’! So like half the sailors started eating them with the hardtack when there wasn't much else!

I guess some of them came to like it and now they are eating them even when we got other stuff!

Also one of the cooks figured out how to fry them so they taste even better!

Though i guess to a landrat like you that seem rather unappealing”

Ah, that made some sense? Probably? 

If they got used to it they were not as squicked by it as others i guess.

And the captain really did talk a LOT, which i didn't find always necessary but whatever, as long as i understood what he was saying it was fine.

I started to regret asking as he led me to the front side of the large deck but there was nothing to be done about that now.

Ughhh and only because a bunch of maggots squicked me out!

To be fair the sight had briefly reminded me of what I had seen in the forest so long ago.

I had basically kidnapped Robin back then and walked aimlessly through the forest where some weird multi eyed fox deer with tusks rammed a maggot infested tree only to have magpies swarm down and eat them.

Not a fond memory, and I still had no idea what that even was about.

I didn't want to anyway. 

Captain Nemas led me to the front of the deck where there was enough space and told me to just hang out here while he informed the crewmantes.

Oh, that would mean they would stare at me, Now I really regretted asking.

But my rambly assessment that it was better to show them beforehand what the Ardua looked like was still valid.

I wasn't keen on having someone aim the ships cannons at me because they got scared or confused me for an enemy.

Also it was a little funny seeing him run around in his captain's coat and hat and tell his sailors not to freak out when a Giant ‘Green lion’ appeared today.

He was talking as unrelenting as the waves crashing against the boat and chatted to everyone about whatever they were doing.

That took quite a lot of time, during which Rikaad actually appeared, which made me wonder where the fuck he was staying on the ship.

“I have to say, informing them beforehand what an Ardua looks like is a good idea, less chance of anyone freaking out and losing focus should we clash with the Maringand Boats”

I numbly nodded at him, while it was the smart thing to do I still wasn't really comfortable having people stare at me.

I didn't even want to talk about that as I was sure I'd lose my nerves beforehand.

So I talked about the first thing that came to mind, which was still the Hardtack thing.

“I guess so, did you see that they have some sort of maggot flour block called hardtack? After i saw that i just went outside again”

His usually rather emotionless face cracked for a moment, and it was safe to assume by the face he made for a split second that he did indeed see it.

“I have, regrettably so, seen it and then left the room just like you did”

Glad to know I wasn't the only one who had a negative reaction to it.

“Well someone did explain why that was there,  but a warning would have been nice still”

He nodded in agreement and I had a feeling neither of us would go back there today.

Looking past Rikaad I could see captain Nemas still running around, which on the ever swaying boat was impressive as he'd not once fallen over.

By now he had informed the majority of the sailors,  some of which just continued working, 

apparently not thinking anything much of it.

Hoo fuck, but at least there were barely any people gawking as i was sure my nerves wouldn’t have been able to handle that.

As i thought Nemas was done taking his mouth off at the sailors and came back over, waving at us as he did so.

“Well! Now nobody should freak out! If you're sure there's enough space you can show what your other form looks like! 

I do wonder though why it's green? An animal isn't a plant after all, 

then again I rarely see either of those out on the ship anyway!”

Tuning out the captain talking on and on I stood a few paces away and turned the gem on the bracelet that let me shift.

In barely a moment I changed into the familiar giant form of the Ardua.

For a second i expected someone to scream or otherwise be terrified but as it was no one gave really a fuck.

These guys were weird, well so was i.

The only one gawking at me with curiosity was the captain, but he was mainly staring at my back, saying in the most confused voice I had ever heard.

“Are those plants? On your back I mean, and are those dandelions? aren't you a mammal? Not a plant?”

I loafed like a cat on the deck to get more stability on the swaying wood before answering him.

“Well, yes that's plants, but I'm still a mammal, they just grow there like hair, I think they are meant to help me absorb sunlight? Not sure though”

He came a little closer to examine it in more detail,  an almost childlike wonder in his eyes.

Well, he did imply to have lived on the ship for most of his life,  so who knew when he'd gotten to see field flowers closeup last time? 

Just then Robin walked out of the ship, a gray colored cat in his arms.

When he noticed me in my Ardua form his face visibly brightened and he walked over as fast as he could without tripping or dropping the cat.

Strangely enough the cat didn't seem to mind as Robin put him on the ground in front of me,  instead opting to brush up against my elbow and upper arm.

It was weird that cats weren't scared of me, they had every reason to.

Maybe it was because I somewhat looked like a big version of them?

“I think there's catnip growing on your shoulder and elbow”

Catnip? Why that? And how did Robin even know what that looked like?

Oh wait nevermind that last question, but still, catnip? No wonder the tiny Felines still came up to a giant plant lion thing like the Ardua.

It wasn't that they weren't scared, they just wanted catnip.

I felt kinda disappointed by that, I had hoped that I wasn't so scary even in that form but as it turned out they just wanted one of the plants that grew on me.

But that was still better than them being scared so there was at least that.

I stayed as an Ardua for the rest of the day, with Robin sitting next to me or using me as a pillow while cuddling with the three legged cat.

The cat himself purred at the attention, Which considering his voice sounded terribly scratchy and stopped at random intervals to pick back up stutteringly a moment later.

The sailors for the most part were only mildly distracted, not really caring somehow about the, who even knew how tall, Ardua next to them on the deck.

The only one that complained was someone that needed to move a heavier crate where I was in the way.

That was solved by standing up for a bit and letting me shove it through under myself.

While sunning myself I heard some of the sailors tell more stories, some of them even about sea monsters.

Huh, i wondered if there were any sea monsters in these waters, I hoped not.

Though it was really strange that no one batted an eye at me unless I was in the way, so I decided to ask Nemas the next time he came within earshot.

“Nemas! I have a question, could you come over here for a second?” He walked over to me at a brisk pace and tugged at his coat when it got snagged by the corner of a crate.

“What is it? Don't tell me you got seasick! That would be bad! Or is-”

I interrupted him before he talked even more again.

“No, I'm fine! Really! I just wanted to ask how you and your men are so indifferent? I guess? About a literary Giant with claws on your boat, i mean anyone else would be pretty afraid”

He tilted his head for a moment and I could see his tattoo in great detail.

“Well, we aren't afraid of you because you really can't do anything to us without also dooming yourself.

You don't know much about ships, and a big one like this needs many people to keep going, on top of that if you even where to destroy it then you'd be stuck in the middle of the ocean and drown.

So we don't really have any reason to be afraid, if you fuck us over then you're also absolutely screwed!”

Oh, well, he was right about that, if anything happened to the boat I'd just go down with it, and that would suck.

So really, they didn't have reason to believe I would do that, I didn't know shit about boats anyway.

Then Nemas pointed at the cat who was laying on top of a sleepy Robin.

“Also Smokey doesn't seem to have anything against you! And thus far he's always hissed at shady people!”

Huh, id better not mention the catnip then?

Probably better if I didn't. 

Though if their bar was, cant fuck us over without dooming themselves and the judgement of a three legged cat they might run into big trouble someday.

Though they also agreed to let us on board to fight other ships.

These guys were weird, though I had not much room to talk in that regard.

It wasn't too long after that the sun went down so I shifted back to the human sized one much to the dismay of Robin and the cat who now had no more catnip.

To be fair he had chewed a good chunk off my elbow so there was bound to be some on the ground.

I gave him a friendly pat on the head and then left for my quarters with a tired Robin behind me.

How he was tired after doing basically nothing was a mystery to me, though maybe he'd run around the inside of the ship while I had shifted.

Whatever, I went to my hammock and used the rest of the daylight to try and read something Rikaad had lent me to help me get better at reading.

It was a book about how to write neatly and legibly, of course he'd pick something like that for me.

The book itself was incredibly boring, so much so that I fell asleep before it got properly dark.

The next time I woke up was because I got flung out of the hammock and face first onto the floor.

What the fuck?-

“Ouch!”

The book that was previously on my lap landed on my head.

I tossed the thing to the side before standing up with a pounding head.

Only to fall over immediately again.

Getting my senses back in order I noticed that the entire floor was tilting left and right like mad, making balancing a nightmare.

Then I heard it, loud waves crashing against wood and the heavy pitter of rain.

A storm!

The ship tilted heavily to the left and I slid on the wooden floor into the table.

Ugh, good thing it was bolted down to the floor.

I looked over to where Robin's bed was only to find it empty.

What? Where was he?

I fell over again to the other side into the wall,  the book I had tossed earlier colliding with my leg.

Grabbing at the wall i stood back up again, trying to see if Robin was anywhere else in the small room.

He wasn't there.

Why? It had been late, He should be here sleeping?

Wait, his bed was anchored to the floor,  and thus would have noticed the crazy waves sooner than me!

He must have gone out to ask what was going on!

Oh no, oh no OH NO

I stumbled out the door and went along the little walkspace that led to the cabins, trying to get to the outside door without falling over too much.

At one point shortly before I reached the door the entire ship went sideways, making me slam into what was previously the wall.

That would leave bruises for sure.

Then the gravity went back again,  and this time I slammed into the actual floor.

I was now VERY glad they kept everything bolted down.

I managed to get to the stairs only to slam into them as the ship dipped forward, but I managed to catch myself with my shoulder instead of face.

Not bothering to stand up here as I would just fall again I crawled up on all fours, only stumbling twice.

When I reached the top I grabbed the doorknob, holding on for dear life as another wave hit the ship, making the door slam open and me into the adjacent wall while holding on like mad.

Swinging around I could actually look outside, well look was a bit much.

There was a LOT of rain, so much so that I could only make out what was there up to the middle mast of the ship.

Fuck, i hoped Robin was only on the other side somewhere and not in the ocean.

Maybe he was lucky and managed to shelter in the dining room.

I heard a strange strangled and scratchy yowl then, something that definitely wasn't human.

Looking around I saw nothing at first, and over the tosing water it was hard to make out where the noise came from.

Then I heard it again and managed to somewhat pinpoint where it Originated from.

It was the gray cat! He was tangled in a spare rope that had tied itself around the first mast!

Oh fuck! The poor thing!

Against better judgment and survival instincts I went out to the deck to try and get him.

I grabbed another rope that was used to tether a crate that was long since gone now and used it to not fall overboard when the ship tilted.

I slid around horribly and sometimes the waves crashed over the railing, dousing me and making it extremely hard to get to the cat.

I reached him eventually after a big wave drenched us both even more.

I untied him as best as I could in the ever shifting environment while I tried not to slide around too much while also holding onto the rope I had picked up.

I managed to untie him after fumbling around and he still clung to a part of the rope. 

I grabbed him with one arm and held him against my chest where he immediately dug the claws of his remaining front leg in.

That was fine, as long as I got him to safety.

I was thrown over on my ass as another wave hit the ship,  making it jerk suddenly.

While falling over I could see a bit more of the latter half of the ship as I was now closer than before.

My heart stopped for a second as I saw a familiar redhead hold onto another familiar form that was tethered by a rope to who knew what.

Why were Rikaad and Robin out here???  

I couldn't go over though, I still held the cat, so I got as close to the open door as I could and tried to stay steady, which was an incredibly hard task.

I grabbed the cat that was clinging onto me for dear life and then, as mean as it was, tossed him down the stairs into the ship so he wouldn't fall off the boat into the ocean in this storm.

I looked back again to where I last saw the other two, noticing there were some sailors as well struggling to close the main sail.

Oh, that's why there were people out, they needed to close the sail!

Another wave hit the ship, making me stumble.

I watched in horror as the rope Rikaad was tied to while holding Robin suddenly snapped, making them slide over the deck.

To my great relief Rikaad managed to hold onto the railing and Robin at the same time, now they just had to get away from there!

They tried to make their way inside, using the rail as an anchor to try and stay upright while they walked as water sloshed heavily over the boat, threatening to make them slip with each step if they weren’t careful. 

The floor lurched beneath them for a moment as another wave hit the side of the ship, but thankfully they were able to keep their grip on the rail while the sailors continued to try and pull the sail.

Then another wave hit and I was flushed over the railing in a rush of water, banging against the side of the ship as I dangled from the rope.

Only to be hit by another wave that transported me back onto the ship barely a second later.

that was terrifying as fuck, never again please.

There was a loud boom and lightning hit the middle mast, breaking it and making it tip over.

Right to where Rikaad and Robin were!

Oh no!

Without thinking I let go of the rope and sprinted over the deck towards them, not caring about the slickness of the wood.

While I ran as fast as I could I twisted the gem on the bracelet to turn into the Ardua form and dashed forward to stop the heavy wooden pole from falling on top of them.

Instead the thing crashed on top of me.

I slid from the sudden weight and when another big wave hit the boat I was swept over the side into the cold water.

I resurfaced only to have the broken mast hit me square on the head, dragging me under from the force.

At that point my body decided it had taken enough damage to warrant blacking out, which I promptly did as I sank under the waves.

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