#I don’t even reapply this shit Why does it stick so Well | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

lovabletomholland · 4 years

Text

The Beach House - Chapter 4

Tom Holland Imagine (Tom Holland x Reader)

Word Count: 2,366

Warnings: Language, Angst, Fluff (that’s it for now, will add to it if needed)

Summary: Tom keeps popping up at unexpected times. You spend the day at the beach with the twins and later go for a midnight swim where something unexpected happens.

A/N: So here is Chapter 4. I am so excited for you to read it. Thanks for the feedback and the comments, they always make me smile and I love hearing what you all think. So I hope you all enjoy this one!

Previously: Chapter 3

You're sat in front of Nikki as she braids your hair. She has always loved playing with your hair and you don't mind. You love the feeling of it. You always loved it when your mom would brush your hair after a bath when you were younger. Tom and Paddy are sitting on the couch playing Mario Kart. You can't help but smile when you see the look of concentration on Paddy's face. You hear the winning chime as one of them crosses the finish line first, "Yes! I totally destroyed you!" Paddy's victory yell comes right after. "You did. Good job." Tom chuckles and winks when his eyes meet yours making you look away. "Is Dom not coming up?" You ask Nikki. It's weird her husband isn't here. "Yes, he's coming. Should be here in a couple days. He just had things to do." She pats your shoulder, "All done. You're free." "Thanks." You stand and smile at her. Even though she doesn't have any daughters, she's really good at fixing hair. "You're welcome, sweetie." She smiles, "Thank you for letting me play with your hair." "Always a pleasure." You giggle and turn to head up stairs but instead you run smack dab into a hard chest, "Oof." You pull away and see Tom looking down at you. "You know it's creepy to just stand behind someone like that. You could have at least made your presence known." "I was going to but before I could you ran into me, again." He sounds smug, "That's the second time you've ran into me. One might think you're doing it on purpose." You roll you're eyes. You really just want to kick him in the shin but you hold back. "More like you're making me do it on purpose." You push past him to the stairs. "Now if you'll excuse me. I am meeting your brothers at the beach."

After you have changed into your bikini, you walk down to the beach where Harry and Sam are waiting for you. You see Harry has his camera with him today, he is taking pictures of the ocean and objects on the beach. You know they must look amazing, Harry’s photos always do. He is like his mother in that way. You can tell he is really focused right now, he didn’t even notice you walk up. You decide to leave Harry alone and walk over to Sam, who is laying back in a chair.

“Hello you,” he smiles as you walk up.

“Hey,” you grin and sit next to him. “Harry is in the zone, huh?”

“Indeed, now would be a good time to sneak up behind him and scare the shit out of him.” He winks, “I’ve had to fight the urge to do it.” He shrugs.

“He would be so pissed if you made him drop his camera.”

“He would be, that is why I haven’t done it. If he would put the strap around his neck I would do it,” he grins at you mischievously. “I wouldn’t want anything to happen to his camera, he loves that thing and getting a new one wouldn’t be the same for him, even if it was the exact same one,” he shrugs.

“Very true. Wanna go out into the ocean with me?” You ask Sam.

“Sure.”

You and Sam talk as you are out in the ocean. It was nice having a chance to catch up with him finally. You guys even ended up getting into a heated water fight which was fun. You fix your hair by dunking under the water, because unfortunately you had to take out the braid Nikki put in earlier thanks to Sam messing it up. As you come up you notice Harry and his camera are facing you. You smile at him and then stick your tongue out as you see him taking pictures. You are happy to see his attention turn away from you as he snaps some pictures of Tom, Harrison, and Will as they make their way down to the beach.

“I need to reapply sunscreen before I start to burn.” Sam tells you and you head out of the water with him. As you are coming out you notice Harry is taking pictures of you again. You hold your hand up and show him your middle finger which makes him laugh.

“Y/N, can you put sunscreen on my back?” Sam asks you. You nod and walk over to him and apply some to his back, making sure you don’t miss a spot.

“Yeah, I need to do that too.” Harry says, suddenly standing next to you. When he gets to his back he holds the bottle out for you, making you giggle. He squirts some into your hand so you can put it on his back.

As you finish Tom calls your name and you turn around to face him. “Wanna help me out too?” he asks shaking his own bottle of sunscreen.

You shake your head at him but walk over to him nonetheless.

“Bro, I was gonna do that for you. The treachery!” Harrison says theatrically. “How dare you!” he continues to joke, smirking at Tom.

“Oh, fuck off!” Tom laughs, pushing Harrison away from him.

When you get to him he hands you the bottle and turns around which is a relief, you already feel your cheeks heating up. By the time you are finished, your cheeks are on fire from your hands touching his bare back. Why does he still have this effect on you? It simply isn’t fair. “Okay, all done,” you tell him and it makes you happy to hear your voice came out normal.

“Thanks,” Tom turns around to face you, “I can do you.” he pauses and thinks about what he just said. You notice his cheeks are pink tinged now. “I mean- you know the sunscreen?” he adds quickly.

“I’m okay,” you smile at him, “thanks anyways.” You turn and walk away, you seriously had to get as far away from him as you could right now. Your stomach was doing flips and your heart was currently trying to beat out of your chest.

You sit in a beach chair next to Sam and Harry, who finally put his camera away, and you talk to them as you calm down. The rest of your time at the beach is spent making sure you don’t even look at Tom because every time you do your heart rate speeds up. *** Later that night you're sat in your room, unable to go to sleep. So you change into your bikini and sneak outside to the pool for a late night swim. It's your fifth lap around the pool when a splash interrupts your peacefulness. You lift up your head to see Tom. "Are you stalking me? Do I need to get a restraining order?" You tease. Seems like all that time avoiding him today is now wasted. Of course he has to come out here when you’re here. He rolls his eyes, "No, I just couldn't sleep so I came out here. I was surprised to see you." You nod and continue your laps, letting it relax you so hopefully you'll be able to sleep soon. Swimming at night is so peaceful. When you feel your muscles start to get tired you get out. You dry off a little and sit in a pool side chair, listening to the waves off in the distance as you continue to dry off. Tom gets out of the pool and you have to look away from his bare chest. You can hear the chair next to yours creak as he sits down. "So what made you want to come back this year?" "What makes you think I only came back this year?" You retort. Your mom said he wasn't here last year, so how would he know if you were? "Last year my brothers said you weren't here." He laughs. Right. Harry and Sam would have told him. "I missed this place. It was my childhood. I also missed your mom and brothers. I wanted to see them again." You answer honestly. You look up at him and watch as he nods, "But not me?" "Of course I wanted to see you too. Even if you didn't always let me play with you while we were growing up." That's just how it is when you're younger. You don't want to play with your siblings. You want to be cool and hang out with people your age or older. It changes as you get older though. You see that in your brother and Tom. Will used to not want anything to do with you, now he enjoys the time you have when you catch up. You see how Tom is hanging out with his brothers and does his best to play with Paddy and keep him included. You sit up and wrap your towel around you so you can properly look at Tom, "I missed all of you." He smiles, "I missed you too." He seems to think about that for a second, "Will and your mom as well." He adds. You stand up, finally dry, "Goodnight Tom." It is never a good idea to be alone with him. Your heart is fluttering. "Wait!" He calls out. You pause and look at him. "Would you like to go to the board walk with me tomorrow? We can get something to eat, maybe ride the Ferris wheel?" He asks. "Are you asking me out on a date?" He scoffs, "Of course not. Just two friends goin-" he abruptly cuts himself off and sighs, "yes, I'm asking you out on a date. Is that okay?" "It's weird seeing you nervous." You grin at him. Tom usually oozes confidence so seeing this side of him is refreshing. "Yes, it's okay." You wink and walk inside without another word. *** Around dinner time you're getting ready for your date with Tom. You're feeling nervous but you're also really excited. You pull a dark purple off the shoulder dress out of your closet and put it on. It goes down to about mid-thigh but the back of it is a little longer. You look at yourself in the mirror and pull it off quickly, feeling like it's a bit much. You do this several more times before you finally just put on a cute gray t-shirt dress with some converse shoes. When you walk out you go into the twin's room. You're happy to see it's just Harry in there. You know Sam would tease you for asking. "Do I look okay?" You ask Harry. He looks up from his laptop and smiles, "Yeah. You look gorgeous. Why?" "I'm going out with Tom." "Oh." The way he says it throws you off. Almost like he isn't happy about it and you noticed how his smile disappears. "Oh? What do you mean, oh?" You ask him suddenly worried. "Nothing. It's great and you look great. I hope you have a good time." He smiles again, but it isn't genuine. You sigh and sit next to him, "Seriously Harry, what is it?" "It's nothing, really. I just thought you didn't like him anymore?" "I didn't. Or well at least I didn't think I did." You shrug and smile brightly at Harry, "I don't think my feeling for him ever left, I just pushed them away because I didn't think he'd ever like me but he asked me out last night." You can't help the excitement in your voice. You think back to when you were fourteen and he was seventeen. You would go wherever he would, hoping he would just notice you or just include you. Harry nods, "Well, I hope you have a good time." "You already said that." You ruffle his curls. "When I get back we can have a movie night." "Okay." He grins. *** You and Tom manage to get out of the house without anyone noticing. Neither one of you wanted to listen to the teasing. "You do realize we are going to a place with a high amount of tourists, someone will spot you," you tell Tom. You watch as Tom puts on a Monster's University hat and a pair of sunglasses. "Does that help?" "Um, a little but I can still tell it's you but maybe that's just because I know it's you," you shrug. When you get to the board walk you find a place to eat. You tell Tom how it's been going with your classes at college and he tells you about the last four years of his life. Which sounds crazy. You're not sure how he's done all of this, his life was very busy the last few years. After eating you walk around the board walk looking at all the things to buy, that's when you notice people are starting to stare at Tom, point, and whisper as you walk by, his hand entwined with yours. "Let's go ride the Ferris wheel." You smile at him and pull him towards the Ferris wheel. You get in line and sigh in relief when you are finally on it. "I don't think your disguise is working." You shake your head at him, "People are starting to stare and point as they whisper." "Oh, I was wondering why you were in such a rush." Tom nods. Unfortunately, it didn't help. Once you are off the Ferris wheel, a group of people surround you and Tom asking him for pictures and an autograph. You feel very claustrophobic so you push your way through them and find a place to sit while you wait for Tom, you know he's too nice to tell anyone no. As you wait you overhear some girls talking, well you are pretty sure they want you to hear since they aren't talking very quietly. "They were holding hands, I think they are dating." You hear one say. "No way! Why would he date her? She's nobody, she's not even that pretty." The other girl scoffs, "He can do so much better. I'm sure it's nothing. He's probably just being nice."

Chapter 5

Taglist (let me know if you want to be added or removed:)

@averyfosterthoughts, @artsyle, @photoshopart15, @peterisparker, @rebekkah4766, @jackiehollanderr, @myr5heart, @143amberrose, @mendes-fan, @peteparkersdarling, @jdroman5432, @stxfxniexreads, @nightxshadex201, @literalfsngirltrash, @livingforbarnes , @stretchkingblog97, @headlights95, @parkerpeter24, @okami-the-oaktree, @ohhh-boo-tiful, @kpop-wuver, @thevelvetseries, @heroes-die-young, @jillanaholland, @llamaluverlizzy, @greenarrowhead, @iwastornsincethestart, @adayasgeorgia, @spn-assemble-seven, @musicandbokkslovingweirdo, @broimjustvibin, @coni-martina, @tequilasunrisesenorita, @lets--be-honest, @meme-lord-shit, @panicattheeverywherekid, @illwritetomorrow, @infinityflamesworld, @juliebean247, @inmyworstlies, @smilealways19, @agirlwithpointlessideas, @myslightobsessions, @blazingrosepetal, @luvv-myy, @captainbuckyy, @silver-winter-wolf, @just-a-random-fangirls-blog, @yourwonderbelle, @spaghetittiesbcimgay, @awkwardnesshabitat, @lulueliott24, @silteplaittais-toi, @just-a-littlebit-of-everything, @multi-fan-lover, @maianakali, @perfektionsmakel, @herondalism, @ifilosemyselfagain

If your name has a line through it, it means I can’t tag you.

#tom holland #tom holland imagine #tom holland fanfiction #tom holland fanfic #tom holland x reader #tom holland x y/n #tom holland x you #peter parker #peter parker imagine #peter parker fanfiction #lovabletomholland #the beach house #harrison osterfield

241 notes · View notes

purplesurveys · 3 years

Text

1216

1. Can you remember what you were doing at 8:15 this morning? I think I was just taking my morning shower.

2. In your phone’s contacts, who is the first person listed under the letter ‘R’? When did you last see that person? Berns, an orgmate of mine. Idk, we’re not close so the last time I saw was definitely before the pandemic.

3. If someone is sticking their nose into your business where it isn’t wanted, how would you deal with that? Would you say something to them? I just wouldn’t share too much.

4. What did you have for lunch today? Or, if you haven’t had lunch yet, what do you think you will have? Surprisingly enough I had food this noon! Bea sent over a box of pizza...there was no occasion, so I really appreciated the gesture.

5. Is there someone you desperately want to see/speak to atm, but you can’t? Nah. I want to be alone right now, so that’s working out well for me.

6. Do you and your significant other have a special song? What is it? I don’t have a significant other.

7. If you HAD to sing something on karaoke, what song would you choose? It’s definitely not on most karaoke machines but I would for sure pick UGH! by BTS.

8. Can you remember the last time you felt ill? What was wrong with you? Maybe a month or so ago. I had daily headaches back when I had to work without glasses.

9. What time is it now? Are you tired? 8:19 PM. I’m pretty awake, but I’m emotionally exhausted. I went downstairs for dinner in an upbeat mood even though I was left tired from work, only to be greeted by really bitter and stressed vibes from my parents. I tried to be really cheery the whole time, but all their replies were just laced with annoyance or unenthusiasm. It was so fucking draining. I get that we have our off days, but I really wish people didn’t take out or spread their bad vibes to other people, much less their kids. Anyway, I feel less happy now and I feel that’s so unfair.

10. If you wear make-up, do you take it with you, to reapply throughout the day? Does your make-up stay for a long time after you first apply it, or do you find that you need to reapply often? Are you wearing any make-up atm? I never wear makeup :/ I put some on myself for the first time in YEARS last week for an important virtual event, and tbh I surprised myself with how decent my work on myself was since I didn’t know the first thing about makeup. I still don’t know how I pulled it off but at least I now know I could actually give it a shot and not have it turn out horribly.

11. What if you found the last person you kissed, in bed with the last person you texted? I would be very...confused? They’re worlds away from each other.

12. The last person you held hands with - have you ever kissed them? No.

13. Can you remember what your parents bought you for Christmas last year? My mom got me a foldable laptop stand that I could use in bed; my dad got me a pair of socks he knew I’d like.

14. Think about the person you fell hardest for. Why do you think your feelings for this person were so strong? How is he/she different compared to everyone else you’ve had feelings for? Because I felt like I could help her and save her.

30. Have you ever caught your friend cheating on their boyfriend/girlfriend? If you have, what did you do about it? If you haven’t, what do you think you would do? No, and I don’t think I would tolerate that shit either.

31. When your last relationship ended, how long was it before you felt ready to think about being with someone else? I’m still in the phase of not wanting to be with someone else. I was involved with the person for a really long time; and it feels genuinely nice to be by myself for now.

32. Has any of your friends ever had a boyfriend/girlfriend that you found attractive, and you would secretly have liked to have for yourself? I don’t think so, no.

33. How many guys do you know named Matthew? A couple.

34. Think about the last person that made you cry. Would that person be there for you if you needed help? I feel like she would if I reached out. But she would also probably just offer ‘help’ I didn’t need since her go-to advice for everything is to just pray.

35. Who was the last person you talked to before you went to sleep last night? Do you remember what you talked about? Angela and Reena in our little groupchat, I think. We were just talking about BTS since that’s the purpose of our chat anyway.

36. Has someone of the opposite sex made you cry at any point during the last 24 hours? I cried over a boy band’s song like 10 minutes ago, does that count?

37. Is there anything you would like to say to your most recent ex? Mmh, not really.

38. If your friends are sexually active but you aren’t, does that bother you? Have you ever felt pressured to have sex before you were ready, because your friends had done it? No. Sex doesn’t really mean a lot to me.

39. In your opinion, what is the difference between having a crush and being in love? Have your own experiences helped you to realise that there is a difference? I feel like a crush for the most part just refers to physical attraction, like fantasizing about kissing or cuddling them or whatnot. Obviously being in love goes beyond that.

40. Did the last person you hugged have any of these letters in their name: T, R, K, P, J? She has three of these letters in her whole name, but none in her nickname.

41. What’s the most unhealthy thing you’ve eaten in the last 24 hours? Pizza.

42. What was the last compliment you received from someone of the opposite sex? I don’t even remember.

43. Who did you last say ‘I love you’ to? What colour are that person’s eyes? Andi, I think. Black/dark brown.

44. If you took away the first and third letters of your name, what would you then be called? Oyn.

45. Name 7 things that make you happy, and explain how it might affect you if you had to give them up. I’d be devastated if I had to give up any of these: my dogs and my friends.

Life would suck if I lost these but the world wouldn’t end: coffee, movies, writing, traveling, the internet.

46. Think about your Facebook profile photo. What kind of assumptions do you think a stranger might make about you, from seeing that photograph? Would any of these assumptions be correct? Someone who doesn’t know jackshit about lighting. Yes, they would be correct.

48. Choose 5 friends, and talk briefly about each person’s longest/most serious relationship. Who was the relationship with, and how long did it last? I wouldn’t talk about someone else’s personal life on here.

49. Do you think it’s wrong for someone to commit themselves to a long-term relationship at a young age? Explain. No? I don’t understand why it’s wrong. Life turns out that way for some people, and if it also turns out to last, then all the better for them.

50. Is there something happening in the near future, that you’re looking forward to? Erm...the weekend? Hahaha.

#survey #surveys

1 note · View note

pookapics · 5 years

Text

‘Way Down to Hadestown’ -MobBoss!Steve Rogers x Reader - Chapter 2 - When the chips are down, I’m gone.

Chapter 1 here - https://protectthelesbians.tumblr.com/post/189016602288/way-down-to-hadestown-mafiabosssteve-rogers-x

Next Chapter - https://protectthelesbians.tumblr.com/post/189126314108/way-down-to-hadestown-masterlist-mobbosssteve

Masterlist - https://protectthelesbians.tumblr.com/post/189126314108/way-down-to-hadestown-masterlist-mobbosssteve

Warnings: Mafia!SteveRogers, Mobsters, Heartbreak, Cheating, Eventual romance, Sexual innuendo, Age-Gap (Reader is 21 and Steve is 30 so 9 year difference), Hints of violence.

Milaya* - Sweetheart in Russian

‘A ticket to the underworld’

The bouncers parted at the door as to let Steve leave, escorting him out to his limousine which was parked outside. Still in the booth, you sat in shock, fingers still clutching the ticket he’d given you. The shock began to fade, the adrenaline of what happened began to wear off, you turned your head to see Wanda looking at you with wide eyes and so were the two other girls you worked with, who had obviously just arrived for their shift. Rising to your feet, you scuttled off backstage quickly, needing to bring yourself back down and to recompose yourself. His lingering eyes haunted you, heart beating fast as you thought of his ghostly but beautiful baby blues.

Thinking of Steve Rogers, King of New York.

Out of nerves, you ran your hands through your hair, unable to be stopped till Wanda placed her hand upon your shoulder “Are you alright milaya*?” For a moment, you opened your mouth expecting words to come out but nothing did, Wanda simply held you close as you finally muttered out “He gave me a ticket…” Wanda and the girls gasped and looked shocked beyond belief “STEVE ROGERS GAVE YOU A TICKET?!” They squeaked in unison, mouths agape “A ticket out? A ticket to his underground?!” Wanda couldn’t believe it till you handed her the ticket he gave you, continuing to fiddle with your hair as the girls swarmed around Wanda to get a peek at the ticket before glancing between themselves before turning to you “What you gonna do?” Dottie spoke up, asking you with wide eyes, she guided you to sit down on the ragged looking love seat which was in the dressing room as you tried to think over your choices. You simply looked between your work-friends and sighed “What do I do? Please… help me figure this out.” you begged almost, needing your friends’ input on this.

Wanda put the ticket down on the table and turned to you “Life ain't easy.” Wanda spoke up and looked at you sadly as Dottie tagged in “Life ain't fair.” and even the shy little Trixie, the newest girl here joined in “A girl's gotta fight for her rightful share.”

‘What you gonna do when the chips are down?

Now that the chips are down

What you gonna do when the chips are down?

Now that the chips are down’

The three kept speaking to you, Wanda took your hand in hers and sighed “Help yourself..” she almost begged, she wanted nothing more for you than for you to get out of here. Out of the dark, scummy streets where things lingered that wanted to hurt girls like you. Dottie showed her spunk as she spoke out, still sat beside you “To hell with the rest!” she expressed, the girls were trying their best to reassure you and convince you that this ticket meant another chance. Any girl would fight for a chance like this. To get out of the cess-pit which was your current neighbourhood.

Trixie, who was perched on the arm of the love-seat spoke up next “Even the one who loves you best…” She glanced to your vanity which had a photograph of you and your now-ex, Oscar rested upon it. It was from a happier time. You wandered over to the vanity and stared at the photograph then back to the ticket rested upon the table, you gripped the photograph in one hand as you muttered “Oh, my aching heart…” You put the photograph down as you stared at your reflection in the vanity mirror, the girls walked over, standing beside you in front of the vanity, hands on your shoulders reassuringly.

‘What you gonna do when the chips are down?

Now that the chips are down’

The girls turned to you “This is your chance to get out of this place, a fresh start.” Trixie spoke softly, pointing to the ticket which was staring at you from the table, tempting you with every breath you took “Take if you can.” Wanda insisted, picking up the ticket and placing it in your hands, she looked at you desperately as Dottie reapplied her lipstick, she was to go out to sing her set of songs next “Give if you must.” Trixie sighed and pulled up her stockings, smoothing out her dress and flyaway hairs in her up-do. All three turned to look at you as they all in unison spoke the motto which many in this neighbourhood went by, the mantra of the people “Ain't nobody but yourself to trust!” They were all ready for work, dressed and looking at you with the same expression “But I can’t just leave! What about you three?!” concerned what would happen to your friends if you left here, the group of girls here always stuck together round here, they needed to when customers got too handsy or too drunk, the group would always help the others out of the trickiest of spots. Wanda, who always acted like a sister to you, touched the sides of your face “Milaya… We all want out of this place, you've been given the biggest golden ticket, take it. We will stick together no matter what! Right girls?” Glancing to Trixie and Dottie who both nodded and smiled “Who knows! Maybe soon we’ll find our way out to paradise! Save us spaces on the good side, alright?” Dottie nudged you, smiling teasingly, she was a tough girl who took no shit but deep down she did care. You admired her spunk and gusto.

‘What you gonna do when the chips are down?

Now that the chips are down

What you gonna do when the chips are down?

Now that the chips are down’

Dottie walked up to the red curtains and ushered you up beside her, she peeked the curtains just enough so the two of you could see out there “Aim for the heart! Shoot to kill!

If you don't do it, then the other one will…” She pointed her finger gently out to the crowd of people which now swarmed the club, she was right. If you weren’t decisive around here, someone would take that choice from you with ease. As you remembered when being with Steve in the booth.

You were a prey animal surrounded by a hungry pride of lions, but could you trust the big bad wolf?

Dottie touched your shoulder “What you gonna do when the chips are down? Now that the chips are down.” She sighed before walking out on stage, leaving you standing there by the red curtains as she did her performance onstage for the sleazy clientele of Big Louis. You pulled away from the curtains to see Wanda and Trixie both smiling faintly “Though we’re telling you to go, its your decision (Y/N).” they insisted, they couldn’t make this decision for you. You’d spent a long time letting Oscar, your ex make the decisions for you. It may be time to make your own decisions around here.

‘And the first shall be first

And the last shall be last

Cast your eyes to heaven

You get a knife in the back!

Nobody's righteous

Nobody's proud!

Nobody's innocent

Now that the chips are down’

As you stood there with Wanda and Trixie in front of you, trying to help you. The big man himself, Big Louis wandered into the dressing-room making Trixie squeak and adjust her silk robe, not expecting anyone from up-front to come in the back. Big Louis chuckled and averted his eyes “Don’t worry toots, I didn’t see anythin’.” his deep chuckle rumbled as you stared at him. This was an oddity, Big Louis never left up-front, he always wanted be there with the patrons, watching them and sniffing out any trouble that was stirring. So why now was he round back, checking on them?

Big Louis cleared his throat before speaking “(YN), I’m giving you the rest of the day off a’right? You did good dealin’ wi’ our ‘special guest’.” he said, clearly meaning Steve, which made you just look at him shocked “The rest of the day off? But Sir I-” Big Louis raised his hand to interrupt “If you’re wonderin’ about your pay, don’t fret. I kept my promise.” He pulled out an envelope, the same ones he used to dish out pay to each of the workers. Your pay envelope never looked that big before, then you remembered the promise he made before you sat down with the King of New York. He dangled the envelope in front of you, waiting for you to take it from him, which you did “Thank you Sir.” you nodded and held the envelope close to your chest, as well as holding the ticket in your other hand.

Big Louis nodded “Take care of yourself.” he tipped his hat before heading back up-front, back to his usual spot close to the bar, a space that was solely reserved for him, no-one dared sit in his spot. You stared as he left, letting out a big shaky breath “W-what was that?” she stared at the envelope “Does he know? Do you think he knows about the ticket?” Glancing to Wanda and Trixie who were both as shocked as you were at the whole thing. Wanda recovered quickly “Maybe it’ll do you good, get home and think about it. Make your decision.” She put on a smile as Trixie wandered over “Whatever you decide, you’re still our gal (YN).” smiling as you thought about the group of friends you made here. Wanda, Dottie and Trixie and maybe Pietro (if he wasn’t such a flirt all the time). Briefly, you nodded “I guess you’re both right…” Wanda handed you your casual clothes you came in and your coat “You’ll need these.” she smiled as you hugged her, you were so glad to have such good friend’s here in this place, you quickly hugged Trixie too before running off to get changed back into your usual casual clothes that you didn’t work in.

You needed some air, some air to think and to figure out what you were going to do

‘Now that the chips are down...’

TIME-SKIP - YOUR APARTMENT

Pushing the door open to your apartment, you placed your bags down and threw your coat onto the tattered couch which came with the place, you sighed as you wandered around, keeping your shoes on as you did so. The apartment was small, it was one big room with the bed in one area, the couch in another and the small kitchenette and the only separate room being the small toilet and shower-room which was littered with mold and grime from the landlord’s neglect. Memories of this place were now sour, they were once happy. Flashbacks to first moving in were coming to mind, both of you were fresh to the neighbourhood, coming from the suburbs which you’d known your whole life to the bustling city neighbourhood, full of excitement, passion, drive…

And love.

You pushed away those thoughts as you stared at the bed the two of you shared, Oscar was rarely home most days, doing gigs at the nicest spots in the city, he was lucky in finding the jobs, you weren’t at first. None would hire you, not even the local grocers would. But Oscar, with his charm and wit, had jobs lining out the door. You spent most days alone in the house, wondering if he would be home for the small dinners you’d make, cause money was tight, sleeping in the cold bed alone, fighting against the cold, biting winter which was striking the city as of late, contrasting the beautiful spring and summer the city had when you first arrived there with Oscar. Currently, you sat upon the bed, staring at the side of the bed which Oscar would sleep upon “Oscar, my heart is yours, always was and will be…” Staring longingly at that side of the bed before turning your head away from it to stare at the ticket and envelope of cash in your hands “But it's my gut I can't ignore… Oscar, I'm hungry.” Your hand touched your empty, grumbling stomach. You felt physical hunger but it went on further than that. You were hungry for more.

Hungry for a better home.

Hungry for a better life.

Hungry to find someone who actually loved you through and would do so through all the challenges which faced you, something you discovered Oscar simply couldn’t do.

You looked around at the apartment, it once felt full and whole but now it felt empty and barren, the walls felt like a cage which constricted and kept you down, your hand came to rest upon your chest as you thought “Oh, my heart, it aches to stay…” it felt painful to stand here in the apartment, but you had to make a decision whether to stay or to go. To stay here and forgive Oscar.

Or to take Steve’s offer and go to the paradise known as the ‘Underground’.

‘But the flesh will have its way

Oh, the way is dark and long’

You froze, in truth. You think back, you’d subconsciously made your decision before Steve had even left the club. Before his lips graced your knuckles and enchanted you with his words of grandeur. You wandered out of your apartment, keys in hand as you found the phone booth which was only a few steps away from the front door to your dingy apartment building, you had a few coins left in your purse, the rest was notes from your job as you inserted them into the booth box and looked at the number which was written on the ticket Steve Rogers had given you

‘But I'm already gone…’

Your fingers shakily rotated the dial to insert each number which was on the ticket, hearing the click every time you inserted the number as you let go, you kept going and muttered the last few numbers under your breath as you prepared to speak, one hand holding the phone up to your ear.

‘6’

‘9’

‘4’

A voice you recognised as none other than Steve Rogers spoke up on the other end of the line “Hello?” His voice gruff and defensive, as a mob boss should be when someone calls your office. The call was somewhat muffled due to the quality of the call in the phone-booth not being the best in your area. You stuttered for a moment, trying to find the words but settled for the first one’s which came to your mind “Its (YN) from Big Louis uhm…” You could almost hear his voice switch to the one he used with you at the club “Ahh~ Little Songbird. Have you made your choice concerning my proposal?” he asked, you could almost hear him tapping his fingers against something, probably a desk. With your mouth going dry, you wiped your tongue across your dry lips as you said only two words, scared that if you said any more than that then you’d stutter.

“I'm gone.” You heard the line go silent for a moment, you held the phone shakily in your hands as you waited for him to respond, the anticipation rising. Was this a trick?

Finally he spoke up “I guess you better go back, Little Songbird~ I’ll have my driver pick you up from your address. I’ll need that.” You breathed out a shaky breath as you heard that, it all felt like a blur. Mumbling your address to him as he guided you to pack your things, with haste you returned to the apartment to pack a few bags, you only had a few things you’d want to bring anyway. Leaving behind anything which reminded you of Oscar.

‘Go ahead and lay the blame…’

You wrote a simple note on the back of an advertisement for one of Oscar’s gigs, not explaining where you were going, only that you were gone and that was it. Trying to cut the ties which bonded the two of you together. Shoving the keys and the note through the letterbox flap in the door as you left with your things, leaving behind the old and waiting outside for the new to appear in the form of a black limousine, which it did.

The driver, dressed in a suit got out and put your belongings in the boot, guiding you to sit in the back, helping you in. You rested back against the leather which padded the limousine's backseats, they were pristine and well-kept, prideful almost. Unlike the tattered and ragged edges of your couch or of the love-seat back at the club, something you were used to.

‘Talk of virtue

Talk of sin’

The limosine drove smoothly through the traffic, it felt as if traffic parted ways for the car, as if everyone knew who the limosine belonged to. You weren’t used to this feeling but decided instead of staring at the front of the limosine where the driver concentrated on the road, you instead turned to look out of the black-out windows, the colours of the city drained behind the windows but still you could recognise the area.

‘Wouldn't you have done the same?

In her shoes

In her skin?’

They were nearing Big Louis’, she recognised the restaurants which surrounded it and the specific advertisements which were strung up alongside the graffiti-ed brick walls of the neighbourhood. Your eyes fell upon Big Louis’ as the limo stopped at a crosswalk, you stared out to see Big Louis himself standing out there, outside and staring straight at the limosine. You thought for a moment that he couldn’t possibly know you were in there, you were being paranoid.

That thought left your mind when Big Louis grinned and tipped his hat in your direction, almost as if he was sending you off, saying goodbye in his own way. How did he know? How much did he know? You couldn’t ponder long as the limosine drove off down the street, leaving behind Big Louis’ and heading far out, to places you couldn’t recognise. Leaving behind all you knew.

‘You can have your principles

When you've got a bellyful

But hunger has a way with you

There's no telling what you're gonna do’

You kept driving on, it felt like a while you’d been seated and on the road for, the buildings outside were a blur as you drove past, fiddling with the edges of your dress out of nerves and a little bit of wonder. And almost suddenly, the limosine turned and went down a long, grey tunnel which had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, you looked around confused and a little frightened when they came out of the other-side to see a warehouse and numerous cars surrounding it, it wasn’t grimy looking, far from it actually.

‘When the chips are down

Now that the chips are down’

You stared at it for a while before feeling the car start to park alongside the other sleek black cars, you looked around, your head turning side to side as you heard people approach the limo from behind, you couldn’t see them until you heard the door on your side open, light beaming through the opened door, you adjusted your eyes as a hand reached into the car and left their palm open for you to grasp. Gently, the person took your hand and kissed the back of it as your eyes adjusted, the feeling of facial hair scratching against the back of your hand, a familiar feeling.

“Hey little Songbird~ Your journey go smoothly?~” The voice of the man you’d spoke to only an hour before, your eyes adjusted finally as your eyes locked with the hauntingly beautiful baby blues of Steve Rogers, King of New York, your hand in his. His voice made you alert, you briefly nodded as he helped you out of the limosine, like a gentleman, keeping a grip on your hand.

“Well Songbird, Welcome to the Underground~” He whispered in your ear which made you shiver, he smirked at that, you would blame it on the cold, bitter, winter wind if someone asked but you knew the truth. There you were, standing in only a small portion of the Underground. A place where no police officer dared entered, where no gang dared trespass. Here you were. And then you thought ‘What happens now?’ pondering as you turned to stare up at Steve who led you towards the warehouse. Your bags remaining in the boot of the limosine for now as you walked side by side with one of the most dangerous men in the city, you wondered if you’d made the right choice but it was too late. Too late to run. Too late to turn back. You were now in the Underground, with no idea what cards to play in this new chapter which was beginning at this very moment.

‘What you gonna do when the chips are down?’

Now that the chips are down…’

_________________________________

TAG LIST

@imsonick @bloodybalerina @everything-is-awesomesauce @whovianwriter @thenormanreedus

#Steve Rogers #steve x reader #steve rogers x reader #captain america x female reader #captain america #x reader #reader insert #mobboss!steverogers x reader #mafia!steverogers #mafia au #mobster #bucky x reader platonic #eventual smut #eventual romance #alternative universe #Avengers #Marvel MCU #hadestown inspired

44 notes · View notes

jamielea81 · 5 years

Text

Take a Chance on Me

Chapter 2

Description: On your thirtieth birthday, you had everything you needed. A steady job, a nice new apartment, your cuddly cat Moto, and your two best friends Natasha and Wanda. Suddenly you were half way through age thirty-three and nothing had changed. You were never the type to need to be in a relationship, but you just thought it would have happened by now. Never one to take risks, you decide to shake up your life by creating an online dating profile.

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Warnings for this chapter: A couple of curse words. Drinking.

A/N: Italics indicate internal thoughts. Tag list is still open. Likes, comments and reblogs are always appreciated.

Chapter 1

You spent a good hour dressing for drinks with your Find Love match Bucky B. You still weren’t entirely sure that was really his name, but you would give him the benefit of the doubt. You then spent an additional hour changing out of the outfit you picked and re-doing your hair and makeup. The first look wasn’t you, and while you were trying to get out of your comfort zone, pretending to be an entirely different woman looks wise was too much too soon.

You snapped a couple of selfies and sent them to Wanda and Natasha. Immediately your phone was dinging with texts from the two.

Wanda: You look so pretty!

Wanda: But I think you need a clip in your hair. Do you still have that green one?

Natasha: Someone’s getting lucky tonight!

Wanda: Natasha!

Natasha: What?

Natasha: You need a jacket. Wear the black leather one.

Rolling your eyes at the two of them, you found the green clip and pinned back the hair on your right side. Digging through your closet you found the jacket Natasha mentioned and set it on your bed.

Y/N: Thank you Wan. Found the green clip.

Y/N: No one is getting lucky tonight, except for maybe you and Bruce. You know I don’t do that on a first date.

Y/N: It’s too hot for a jacket, but I’ll bring it with me.

Natasha: Since when?

Y/N: Not since college.

Wanda: Good for you Y/N. Make him wait.

You tucked your phone in your crossbody bag and slugged your jacket over your arm. Your friends do mean well, but the two of them were stressing you out and you hadn’t even left your apartment.

Jake’s is only three blocks away, so of course you left a half hour earlier than you needed to. No matter how hard you tried, you were always early to your destination. Weddings, birthdays, work, baseball games, you’re always the first to arrive. You tried to walk slowly, but it was no use.

A few smokers and a young couple arguing outside the entrance, Jake’s was kind of packed for a Monday night. Heading inside, Stacy, the server that you’ve come to know over the last few years spotted you and gave you a wave. Her dark brown ponytail swaying side to side. You headed away from the bar to your usual table and took a seat.

Stacy plopped herself at an empty chair, elbows immediately resting on the table with her face in her hands.

“Hey girlie. Where’s the crew?”

“Just me tonight.”

She gave you a questioning look, scooting her chair closer to yours.

“Are you looking to hookup? Is that why you’re all dressed up?” She asked.

You looked down at your clothes and back to her. “Do I look dressed up? I wasn’t going for dressed up.” You put your jacket on. You would keep it to yourself that you ended up wearing the jacket. You didn’t need an ‘I told you so’ from Natasha.

“You look fine. You’re usually just here in jeans and a tee.”

You leaned in closer to her. “I’m actually meeting a blind date.” She raised her eyebrows. “Technically it’s not a blind date. I actually met him on a dating site.”

“Uh oh. What if he’s like 60? What if he’s married?”

You shook your head. “You aren’t helping.” You whined. “He had a couple of pictures on his profile. If it’s not the same guy, I’ll know right away.”

“Ohhh, let me see.” Hand tapping the table.

You pulled your phone from your bag and opened the app. “Here.” You handed her the phone and she flicked through his photos.

“He’s here!”

Quickly scanning the bar to no avail.

“Where?!” You asked excitedly.

She nodded her head towards the bar. You stood up to look and she pushed your shoulder down.

“Unless you are going to go say hi, don’t stare.” She says plainly. “I think you need to take a couple of breaths and then go introduce yourself.”

You nodded and took a few deep breaths. You put your phone back into your bag and reapplied your lip balm.

“Okay. Wish me luck.”

She stood up as you did and squeezed your arm.

“Good luck.” She sing-songed.

Now that you were standing and actually looking at the bar, you did see him. Beer bottle relaxed in his hand and a pretty blonde practically in his lap. Okay, she wasn’t in his lap, but still. They were definitely flirting. She was leaning in close and he was smiling at her. Touching her hand that she had resting on the bar top.

I just need to go over there and introduce myself. This is your date; she needs to go.

Countdown to self-doubt in 5, 4, 3, 2… What if he double booked us? What if it’s like a competition? Do I have to dance or sing?

You feel the sting before you see her. “Go!” Stacy says, smacking your ass as she walks by.

You promptly stick your tongue out at her because you’re an adult and proceed slowly to one Bucky B.

You can tell he’s confident without even hearing him speak. Good looks and that smirk. That smirk is trouble. He slides his jacket off and you can clearly see that he has a prosthetic arm. It’s not something your used to seeing, metal instead of flesh colored. He flexes it and the blonde gushes, reaching over to touch it. You reach the bar and stand next to the blonde who is still touching his arm. You roll your eyes and Bucky chooses that moment to notice you.

“Sorry, darlin’, my date’s here.” Slight Brooklyn accent that you love coming through.

She turns around to face you, frowns, and turns back to Bucky. “Call me.” She struts away. Like literally struts.

You pull your gaze away from the blonde and look back to Bucky who is watching you with curiosity.

“Y/N, I presume.” He stands and pulls out the stool next to him.

You kind of do an awkward nod like wave thing before the words come to your lips. “Yep.”

Get it together!

“Nice to meet you.” You spit out.

You take a seat and attempt to get the bartender’s attention. You need a drink and you need one fast. Bucky raises his hand high and the bartender comes from the other side of the bar a moment later.

“What’d you like doll?” Bucky asks.

You crack a partial smile and your face instantly heats. You really need to date more.

“Beer please. Whatever he’s having.”

The bartender nods and reaches into the cooler below him grabbing a brown bottle out. He pops the top and places it in front of you. You grab it and quickly drink about half of it down before placing it back on the bar top. Bucky smirks and takes a swig from his bottle.

“Thirsty?” He asks.

“You could say that.”

He smiles and stares at you for bit. It definitely makes you feel uncomfortable but you find the nerve to smile back.

“So, Bucky, that’s an interesting name.”

“Yeah, I get that a lot actually. It’s a nickname. My middle name is Buchanan, so Bucky kind of stuck.”

“I like it. It’s cute.” You were flirting. This was flirting, you were pretty sure.

He ducks his head down a little bit, fingers tip brushing against the bar top. His eyes find yours again and he winks.

“You’re pretty cute.”

“Thank you.” It comes out smooth as butter and you’re surprised you were able to pull that exchange off so confidently.

“How was your weekend?” You ask. It’s a decent question, it’s Monday after all.

“It was great. Just got back from a trip with my buddy Sam.”

“Oh, where’d you go?”

“Shawangunk Ridge. Ever been?”

“Uh, no. Haven’t been there.” You didn’t even think to look up places for these so-called adventures you’ve taken.

Note to self, look up Shawangunk Ridge.

“Yeah, great place to climb. Where do you usually go?”

Shit.

“Ah. You know, I usually go with my friend Wanda. She plans these trips. She’s the one that got me into climbing. I just kind of follow. We’ve been up North and to Colorado.” You lie.

He gives you a sideways smile and you quickly down the rest of your beer. You tip it back and forth, waiting for him to speak.

“You ready to get out of here?”

Your head jolts up, eyebrows furrowed. “Where do you want to go?”

“Probably your place. My roommate is home.” He stands up. Slaps a $20 on the bar top and looks back to you.

You sit, staring blankly at the brunette you found charming up until a minute ago.

“You want to go back to my place?”

“Well, yeah. It’s the end of the night.”

What does that even mean?!

You scoff. When you can’t think of what to say, you scoff again. He sits back down on the stool, crossing his arms and raises an eyebrow at you.

“That’s not happening.” You shake your head.

He sighs. “Come on. Everyone on that site knows it’s a hook up site.”

“It’s called Find Love. Love. Not find a hook up.” You defend.

He chuckles, mostly to himself but you hear it.

“I put looking for a committed relationship on my profile. You did as well.” You practically shout.

“Everyone does that. It’s still a hook up site.”

You’re so heated and embarrassed you don’t know what to do.

“Well, that’s not what I’m looking for.” You pull your bag over your head and stand up.

“You lied on your profile too doll.”

You drop your butt down on the stool once again. “What do you mean?”

“You’re not into rock climbing. I doubt you’ve gone snorkeling or jumped into a waterfall as you said in your profile.” He says with air quotes.

Suddenly extremely hot, you pull your purse off your body and take your jacket off, slinging it over your lap.

“Well, those are things I want to do. So, while I’ve never done them, it’s something I am planning on doing. Eventually.”

You run a nervous hand through your hair, pulling the clip with it. It slowly falls off your leg where it landed and onto the floor. Bucky bends down and picks it. He turns it in his hand and then extends it to you.

“Pretty.”

You gently pull the clip from his hand, fingers grazing his skin. You feel a little bit of a shock, but quickly shake those thoughts away. He isn’t interested in dating you, he only wants to sleep with you.

“Thank you.” You say politely, a hint of a smile on your face.

“Listen doll. You need to meet a nice guy at someplace like the grocery store or work. Someone who’s looking to date a nice girl. Just stay off dating sites, they’re full of guys like me.”

You look down, suddenly interested in the string that’s hanging from the pocket of your jacket.

“I should set you up with my roommate, Steve. He’s a nice guy. An accountant.”

“I’ve dated enough accountants.” You say softly.

“He’s not just an accountant. He’s my best friend and he really needs to get out of our apartment once in a while. His girl ended it about a year ago because she was moving overseas.” He points at you. “That’s the type of guy you need.”

You roll your eyes and turn back to face the bar waving over the bartender. Might as well buy yourself another drink with the way this night turned out. Another beer is placed in front of you. The sound of another bottle being placed on the bar top draws your attention. Bucky raises his bottle to you in a mock salute and you look away.

“You’re still here?”

“Might as well wait around and see who else shows up. Bar’s not closed yet.”

“Sure.” You reply.

You decide to finish your beer in silence, choosing to ignore the man to your right who you can see is looking at you from the corner of your eye.

Why do the really attractive ones have to be this way?

Half way through your beer, you start to form an idea. It’s silly and really doesn’t help you find that long term commitment you’re looking for, but it’s an idea.

You gulped down the rest of your drink and place the empty bottle on the bar. You turn back to Bucky who apparently has his attention on Stacy now. You tap him on his shoulder and he turns his gaze back to you.

“I have a proposition for you.”

His face lights up, it reminds you of an excited puppy dog. You quickly shake your head.

“Not that kind of proposition buddy.”

He frowns. “I’m listening.”

You take a breath and put on a pleasant smile. “You need someone to go on a date with Steve.”

“Dates.” He interrupts.

“Dates, with Steve. And I want to go on adventures. Why don’t we help each other out?”

“How so?” He asks. Crossing his arms once again.

“I go on dates with your friend Steve and when you go on your adventures, big or small you take me. Of course, this all depends on Steve agreeing to see me.”

He nods. “He’ll go out with you if I ask. He may just need a gentle shove.”

“Charming.” You grin.

He bites at his lower lip, slightly tipping his head back and forth repeatedly. He slaps his hands on his thighs and sticks out his hand to you. “Deal.”

You smile big and proud and place your hand in his. “Deal.”

Chapter 3

Tag list: @marvelousnomad @rainbowkisses31 @violetadefebrero @tanelle83 @thejourneyneverendsx @ly-cia @caps-lockdown @thefandomzoneisdangerous @ladywintersoldat @not-another-tmblr @chita0027 @estillion14 @lookwhatyoumademequeue @i-am-not-a-goat @theonelittleone @captaineef @banriombeansidhe @lumar014 @humandasaster @joannie95 @booktease21 @fanfiiiiiiics @formulafun @verygraphicink @perfect--weapon @buckysthing @midnightsinger @blazeshira @sweetbeary713 @panic-naran @xxloki81xx

#Bucky Barnes #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes au #Marvel AU #marvel imagine #Steve Rogers #stever rogers x reader #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes imagine #Take a chance on me #bucky

207 notes · View notes

brianamorganbooks · 5 years

Link

The reek of mothballs and disinfectant almost knocks me over. Wood paneling lines the walls. It’s not a big dorm. Just enough space between the twin beds to prevent awkward touching in the night, twin dressers and desks that have seen better days, and a gray-brown carpet. Beside the door, sitting on a patch of linoleum, is a sink with a tiny mirror. Still, the room looks clean, and the big window lets in more light than I expected.

I slide the strap of my guitar case off my shoulder, set the guitar on the bed, and walk to the window. Livingston Academy is sprawling. I doubt I’ll ever find my way around–even my residence hall is massive. Though there’s still a day before classes start, the lawn outside my dorm, Meyer Hall, ripples with activity. A few girls sit on the stone steps leading to the front doors. Others lean against the wrought-iron fencing or the building’s brick exterior, make small talk by the rose bushes, and stretch out on the browning grass.

A pang of yearning knifes my chest. I turn away.

I don’t have friends. All I have are my parents—barely. And once they go home, I won’t have anyone.

“Where do you want to start with these?” Dad asks.

I turn. He and Mom are standing in the doorway with several boxes at their feet. I didn’t hear them come up.

I shrug.

Mom chooses a box without my input. Dad cuts the tape and unloads my stuff. They chat like I’m not here, discussing my class schedule.

Nathan would never ignore me like this.

But Nathan’s why I’m at Livingston.

My parents are already starting on the second box. I feel so overwhelmed, like I’m trapped inside a trash compactor along with last night’s leftovers. Cold sweat beads on my forehead. If I don’t get out of here, I’m going to lose it.

“I’ll be right back.” I head out in search of somewhere quiet. Anywhere but here.

A bathroom calls from the end of the hall. When I walk in, it’s another empty room. Humid air clogs my nose and mouth. Standard bathroom stalls line one wall; sinks and mirrors on the other. Shower stalls are tucked away in the back, marked by pastel-pink curtains. I head for the stall in the middle of the bathroom.

Behind me, someone coughs.

I let go of the stall door and spin around. A pale girl with long, red hair and fierce green eyes stands in a sundress, staring. In one hand, she holds an empty beer bottle with flowers sticking out of the mouth and liquid sloshing inside. I can’t see what’s in her other hand, curled into a fist.

She catches me staring and hides the bottle behind her back. “Excuse me.”

“I…”

“That bathroom stall,” she says. “It’s mine.”

I turn back to the stall. It doesn’t look special. My brow furrows. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”

“Holy Hecate.” She rolls her eyes brushes past me, shoulder smashing into mine. Her fingers curl around the handle of the door. I barely jump out of the way before she slams it shut.

I’m still standing, shocked, when a black girl with big, round glasses and even bigger hair enters the bathroom. She peers at me over the top of her glasses as she checks her hair in the mirror.

“Thought that was you for a moment, Charlie,” she says, voice tinged with an English accent.

“What? She looks nothing like me,” Stall Bitch—Charlie—answers from atop her porcelain throne.

She’s right. We’re both white, but my eyes are blue to Charlie’s green, my hair is dull brown unlike her scarlet locks, and my mouth is heart-shaped, while hers is more of a pout. I think Charlie has freckles too, but I didn’t get a good look.

I wipe my sweaty palms on my jeans. Being scrutinized by other teenage girls is nothing new, but I feel exposed. It’s all I can do not to pull the hood of my sweatshirt over my head and hide my face as English Girl looks at me.

“Pretty,” English Girl says. “How about it? Are you new?”

“Transfer student,” I say.

Charlie’s voice floats out of the stall again. “Would’ve pegged you as a freshman.”

“Sorry, I’m a junior.” I don’t know why I’m apologizing. “I’m sixteen.”

Charlie starts muttering something to herself, but I can’t make out what she’s saying.

English Girl walks to the stall, eyeing me as she passes. She raps twice on the door. “What are you doing in there?”

Rude question, considering we’re in a bathroom. But Charlie’s reply is quick and breezy. “I told you earlier, setting the charm.”

Setting the charm? What is she talking about?

“Gods alive,” English Girl replies. “You don’t need it. Eddie’s head over heels.”

“You don’t know him like I do, and I like certainty.”

I still have no clue what they’re talking about. Maybe I should leave.

“Ouch,” Charlie says.

“Don’t do too much.” English Girl returns her focus to me. “I’m Billie. Didn’t catch your name.”

“Rose. Nice to meet you.”

“Brilliant.” Billie readjusts her glasses and fiddles with the door, like she can unlock it. “Let me in. I can help you.”

“Another potion? No thanks.”

Potion? I must have misheard. That can’t be what she said.

“You keep trying the same spell, you’re just going to hurt yourself more,” Billie says.

Spell? Come on. These girls have lost it. I need to get out of here. Besides, they won’t miss me. They’re friends, and close ones, by the looks of it.

I feel another pang. I press a hand to my chest to stifle it, but it doesn’t work.

I pee in a hurry, wash my hands, and go back to my dorm room. Laughter echoes down the hall and prickles the back of my neck. They’re not laughing at me. Probably.

The door to my room is still open. I stare at the gold placards on the wall beside it: MASTERS, C. & E. I guess they haven’t had time to switch one of those names for mine.

My parents are right where I left them.

I stand there for a moment, watching, more out of place with my parents than I was in the bathroom with those strange girls. I walk in and wander over to my guitar, slipping it out of the case. My fingertips brush the strings.

Mom pulls a pillow from a box. “Everything all right?”

No. “It’s fine,” I answer.

“Thought we heard girls in the hall,” Dad says. “Did you meet them?”

I chew the inside of my cheek. Please, anything but this. Anything but my parents pretending this is normal. Pretending this is a regular school transfer.

“A few,” I say.

Mom sets the pillow on my bed and props a hand on her hip. “Open up a little if you want to make friends, Rose. Not everyone is out to get you.”

What happened between me and Nathan is splashed in red paint all over the walls. My dirty little secret won’t be a secret for long. The media never released my name, but it wouldn’t be hard to put it together. It’s spelled out in my permanent record.

I cross my arms. “Are the boxes done?”

“Nearly, no thanks to you.” Dad smiles, but the jab still lands. I know he doesn’t mean it like it sounds. Neither of them ever does. “It’s normal to be nervous. You’re in a new place, and you’ll be making new friends. You’ll be fine.”

“It won’t be like last year,” Mom assures me.

Dad shoves his hands in his pockets. “That man—”

Mom glares at him.

“I mean, well… yeah. Not many men around here. You’ll be all right.”

I want to believe them. But in their eyes, what happened last year was entirely one-sided. They don’t know I loved him.

Still, maybe they have a point. In a school full of girls, where even most the teachers are women, how can I be tempted?

Mom crosses to hug me. “We’ll make this quick. You know how your father gets.”

Behind her, Dad sniffs. When Mom steps back, he moves in. His tears wet my cheek. “Be good now, all right?”

I turn away to wipe my face and give Dad some privacy. Maybe they’re worried about sending me somewhere they can’t keep tabs on me as easily, but maybe they should have thought of that before shipping me off to Livingston.

When he turns again, his eyes are bright and hopeful. I haven’t seen that look on his face in a while.

“Call us,” Mom says.

“I will.”

“You promise?”

I grab Mom’s purse from the bed and hand it to her. “Not like it’s forever. You’ll see me in November. Thanksgiving, okay?”

“Promise?” Mom echoes.

“Yes, Mom. I’ll call you.”

No one says anything else. My parents look me over and walk out of the room. The door clicks shut.

I sit on the edge of my bed and push my guitar away. My roommate’s unmade bed sits across from me. The blankets are all over the place. One poster hangs on the wall behind her bed—something by Monet—but I don’t see a single suitcase, and the closet rack is empty.

If she has the same room as she did last year, where is all her stuff?

We still have a whole day before classes start. Maybe her parents are coming tomorrow.

I flop onto my back and stare at the ceiling. Wood stares back. One stray match and this school would burn down in a second.

I’m almost asleep when keys jangle in the lock. I sit bolt upright as the door swings open.

“Shit,” Charlie says.

I think back to the placard. MASTERS, C. Her last name must be Masters.

“You’re my roommate?” I reply.

“Why else would I have the keys to this room?” She pushes the door shut and puts her hands on her hips. The light streaming through the window is kinder to her face than the lights in the bathroom. She has freckles like me, much more prominent on her paler skin. But there’s a fresh cut on her cheek. It must have happened in the bathroom.

“Your face,” I say. “It’s bleeding.”

“I know,” she says. “Guess I missed your parents. They coming back?”

“No.”

“Bummer.” She doesn’t sound bummed. She doesn’t even sound the least bit interested in me. Instead, she leans over the sink and reapplies her crimson lipstick in the mirror.

“What happened to your sister?” I ask. “Did she graduate last year?”

Charlie’s application falters, the point of the lipstick freezing at the corner of her mouth. She doesn’t turn, but her eyes in the mirror meet mine. Then, they narrow.

“Masters, C. and E.,” I say, lifting a hand lamely to point at the door. “Same last name. I thought—”

“Forget it.” Charlie goes back to putting on the lipstick. She frowns at her reflection, mutters something under her breath, and washes her hands. “Don’t drink this water. Old pipes.”

“Thank you.” My face must be crimson. “Um, your cut…”

“It’ll stop.” Charlie shrugs, grabs her designer purse from the floor, and heads out of the room. I glimpse something by the sink and walk over to investigate. It’s a small vial of blue liquid—and it glitters in the light.

I pick it up and run my fingers over its smooth surface. Something shifts and shimmers inside the liquid, like a fog trapped in a mirror. The swirling mist reflects my image back at me.

I shriek and drop the vial. It shatters on the linoleum. Shit, now I’m screwed. What do I do?

The liquid burns through the linoleum and I wonder who—or what—these girls really are.

tag list (let me know if you’d like to me removed/added): @lady-redshield-writes @smokescreens-n-otherillusions @cogwrites @nicholewrites @fireflys-locket

Read chapter two here!

#writeblr #writerblr #my writing #livingston girls #wip excerpt

16 notes · View notes

preface2adreamplay · 5 years

Text

Under Your Spell (Chapter 19) - Myself A Storm

Summary: A Jared Padalecki /OFC/ Oscar Isaac fiction.

Stef & Claire head to a convention, with a few surprises :)

Married Jared! Single Oscar! Single Richard!

Chapter warnings: Cursing, fluffy smut, a bit of ranting.

Chapter WC: 3,800

With shadows tall and grim, and histories inked in sin.

‘It’s a convention, we just walk around and look at stuff.’

Claire was near to stomping her foot with discontent. She didn’t want to come to the convention, she didn’t want to get on the plane and she absolutely didn’t want to walk around and look at stuff.

She was lovesick. Richard wouldn’t be arriving until the next morning.

It wasn’t unlike Claire to be cranky when she didn’t get her own way, but this was almost insufferable.

‘Well I’m going to go get a drink at the bar if you want to join me, you are welcome to. But don’t bring bitch-Claire with you.’

Stef threw her bag over her shoulder and put her hand on the door handle, from the corner of her eye, she could see Claire pausing while putting on her mascara. She pouted at her reflection.

‘I’m sorry, Stef.’

The apology took her by surprise, ‘I know you miss him, but he will be here in 10 hours so let’s just try enjoy the time before I don’t see you because you’ll be too busy being romanced.’ Stef waited for her friend to respond.

Claire sighed heavily, chucking the rest of her make up back into its case. ‘Ok, fuck it. I’m being a dickhead, let’s get a drink. I hate men!’

Stef laughed, ‘you hate men?’

‘Only the men that make me feel like this!’

‘You’re angry at Richard coz he’s not here yet?’ Stef bit her lip, watching her friend struggling to slip her arms into her jacket.

‘Bitch, hang on I’ll help you, chill.’

Claire huffed. ‘Yes I’m angry with him for not being here all the time. He should be at my beck and call, you know.’ The sarcasm was there, but there was sincerity behind it too.

‘I’m in love with him, Stef.’

Stef fumbled with the jacket collar, Claire turning to look at her, to see her reaction.

‘I know you do.’

‘It’s very new to me. I’m not really sure what to do with myself when he’s not around.’ Claire was adorable in these moments, dewy and doe eyed.

‘Enjoy it, coz that feeling fades.’

‘Fades to what?’ Her eager eyes meeting Stef’s.

‘A different kind of love. The type where you would do anything for them, your tummy doesn’t squirm around like it used to, but your skin hums when they’re around.’

‘That’s beautiful. I’m at the squirmy stage, but the next part sounds good too,’ Claire whispered.

‘Morning snuggles that you love turns into ‘you’re breathing on me, turn over.’’

Stef crinkled her nose, remembering the last time she lay awake while Jared slept next to her. That man could snore!

‘Yeah, for me it was always get out before they wake up, but I stick around for Richard to wake up so I can bring him coffee.’

‘Oh, you do love him.’ Stef simpered, throwing her arm around Claires shoulders, guiding her to the door. ‘So let’s go to the bar and talk about him some more, maybe even video call him so we can see his handsome face, huh?’

Claire squealed, pulling out her phone, unlocking it to show Stef her wallpaper, a cute photo of Richard leaning in to kiss Claire’s cheek, a similar face to what she was wearing now. Pure happiness.

Stef gave her friend a quick peck on the forehead. ‘So happy for you, honey.’

***

The bar was busy enough for how early it was. The girls picked at some nachos and dip while sipping beer from ridiculously tall glasses.

‘So, when you’re with Jared, do you get all the lovely squirmy love feelings too?’ Claire had reapplied her lipstick twice already having lost most of it to the entire rim of the beer glass.

‘Kinda.’

‘What do you mean ‘kinda’,’ Claire looked at her quizzically.

‘Well, I do but I know that he’s not mine. If you get me?’

‘And the fact that he’s someone else’s husband stops you from knowing your true feelings for him?’

‘Kinda.’

Claire rolled her eyes. ‘Talk to me girl, you’re so fucking evasive.’

‘Well, it’s like this. I agreed to be the other woman, k? So that means when he’s not working, he’s with his family, when he’s away from his family, I’m his…’

‘Girlfriend.’

‘No.’

‘His whore.’ Claire winked.

‘Fuck off, Claire.’

‘What? I meant it in a nice way.’

Stef huffed, crossing her arms across her chest. ‘You’re not wrong.’

‘I know I’m not wrong, Stef. But you said it’s what you both wanted. So, he’s your whore too.’

Stef snorted a laugh. ‘Oh he is.’

Claire wriggled in her seat, a sure sign she was waiting for Stef to tell her everything.

‘No, bitch. You don’t get to know. Some things should stay private.’

‘Aw come on, I’d love to know what he’s like in the sack.’

Stef widened her eyes in warning, ‘I can’t just start talking about it, that’s not fair. I wouldn’t like it done to me!’

‘Fair enough!’ Claire scooped some guacamole onto her fork.

‘So, long term?’

Stef sighed, ‘I dunno.’

‘Not something you’ve talked about? I mean, it’s been about six months now.’

‘About that, since we met. We haven’t been seeing each other that long.’

‘You and Richard?’

‘Don’t change the subject!’ Claire poked a finger in Stef’s direction.

‘We both know it’s what you want to talk about,’ Stef waggled an eyebrow.

‘When will Jared be here?’

‘Sunday,’ Stef replied dismissively. ‘Do I have the hotel room to myself tonight?’

Claire let a contented sigh escape her mouth around the glass, ‘Most likely.’

‘Sweet, I’ll definitely be having phone sex with Jared, so don’t come back.’

Claire giggled, slopping beer down the front of her dress.

‘Oh fuck, I’m so nervous now thinking about Richard walking through the door. I feel like a schoolgirl.’

Stef snorted, remembering the line from Jared’s favourite movie, ‘I feel like a schoolboy again, a schoolboy who desperately wants to make sweet, sweet love to you.’ She snorted again thinking how that line worked out for Harry, poor guy.

Stef could sympathise, there were often times she was clumsy with words or even just her body. When they were teenagers, Oscar would (lovingly) call her a bonehead, though mostly ‘Steffy’, which evolved to Effie.

‘You’re mind has wandered, where did you go?’

‘Oscar.’ Stef blurted.

‘Oscar? Can you see him from here?’ Claire raised her hand and began waving excitedly.

‘Who are you waving at?’ Stef craned her neck looking about the room.

‘Oscar!’ Claire shouted.

‘Oh my fucking god.’

Oscar was standing in the doorway, dressed in black, looking suave as fuck. He smiled, waving back at Claire, his smile widening when he saw Stef gaping at him.

‘Did you know he was coming?’

‘No! Did you?’

‘Why would I know?’ Claire shimmied out of her seat to hug Oscar.

‘Hey Claire, so good to see you, it’s been an age.’

‘I know! You look good.’

Stef stood up, pulling Oscar into a hug without looking at him. Too tight of a hug maybe, she heard him grumbling.

‘You ok?’ He asked, putting a hand on her lower back.

‘Surprised to see you here, is all.’

‘Well, I had time off and someone invited me so I figured I’d come and see what was up.’

Sliding into the booth next to Stef, he ordered three more of the ridiculous sized beers.

‘You staying for the whole weekend, then?’ Stef bit her lip while Oscar nodded.

Shit, she thought. There’s no way in hell Oscar and Jared won’t run into each other.

‘Is that not ok with you Ms. James?’ Oscar queried, hearing her sigh.

‘Sorry, I read that if you don’t sigh, you die. That’s why all the people in the early version of the iron lungs died…’

Shut the fuck up, Stef, she thought, taking a huge gulp from her beer.

Oscar frowned at her before turning to Claire. ‘So how’s your dude?’

‘Oh my god, did Stef tell you about it?’

‘Uh, no…you did…that night you both got hella drunk and called me.’

‘Wow, yes, that was a fun night… I think.’

While they were both laughing, Stef was thinking about how she could keep the two men away from each other. Or why she would want to in the first place. Was she ashamed of what she was doing? Of course she was.

He had warned her it would get messy, she had disagreed. There were parts of her life she liked to keep away from each other, exes and new partners were definitely one of them.

Stef was so caught up in her own thoughts, she didn’t realise Claire had left the table.

Oscar nudged her. ‘So what’s up, you can tell me if you’re not happy to see me.’

His half smile belied how he really felt. It wasn’t the happiest greeting he’d ever had.

‘I am happy to see you.’ She responded brightly.

‘But…’

‘But nothing, don’t be silly,’ leaning into him to brush her shoulder against his.

‘Ah ha, I know what’s going on.’

Stef raised her eyebrow, ‘you do?’

‘Mmhmm.’

Oscar didn’t say anything, putting both of his elbows on the table, he gulped down the last of his beer.

Stef waited for an explanation that never came. Once his beer was gone, Oscar stood up from the table and made to leave.

‘Don’t go!’ Stef reached for his hand, grabbing it just in time.

‘I just want to go for a piss.’

‘Oh,’ Stef felt a little deflated. And foolish.

‘I’ll leave you and loverboy alone this weekend, I promise.’ Oscar said softly, brushing his fingers through his dark curls.

‘I thought you were leaving coz I was being an asshole.’

‘Why are you worried we might be in the same place at the same time, there will be a couple thousand people here, the chances of us meeting are slim. And if I stay away from you, we will probably not even be in the same side of the hotel.’

‘I’m sorry. I’m just…can you sit down so I can explain, or should I stand up?’

Oscar huffed and sat down, her hand still wrapped around his.

‘You’re not an asshole…’

‘Well, I feel like one. I don’t want you guys to meet because I want to keep some things private.’

‘This is quite a public place to keep things private, Effie.’

‘I mean from you! There are some things I want to keep from you to keep myself sane.’

‘I don’t deserve all parts of your life.’

Stef agreed, just not out loud. It was true, he wasn’t her partner, he didn’t get to live every moment of her life with her.

‘I’ll be around, Stef.’

Sighing, Stef put her hand against her forehead, cursing herself. Why was she such a dick? It definitely wasn’t him, not this time.

Sitting alone for a few minutes before Claire came back, Stef held back the tears. She should go after him and apologise, but he was gone. The bar itself was now half empty, the convention was kicking off.

‘You ok, girl? Where’s Oscar?’

‘We had a disagreement.’ Stef said, sadly.

‘Oh no. About what?’

‘I told him I wanted him to leave me alone this weekend without actually using those exact words.’

‘Stef!’ Claire scolded.

‘I know, I should get over it and hang with him.’

‘Well, check who he is here with first, you don’t wanna be third wheel.’

‘Do you think he’s here with a woman?’

‘Probably, come on, he’s Oscar Isaac, he has women throwing themselves at him all the time. All. The. Time.’

‘Yeah I got it. Thanks.’ Stef rolled her eyes.

‘Can I give you some advice?’ Claire was typing something into her phone.

‘Sure.’

‘Stop giving a crap.’

‘Just like that?’

‘Yes. Just like that.’ Claire clicked her fingers. ‘You’re worrying about two men meeting. Two men that are crazy about you and fall over themselves to please you all the damn time. What’s the worst that could happen? They might take their shirts off and fight. But, seriously, you’re an adult, you’re not going to get into ‘trouble’ with anyone. If someone has a problem, tell them to fuck off.’

‘You’re right.’

‘I know I am. Now if you’re not going after Oscar to fall at his feet and plead with him to forget you’re a crazy, paranoid person, then help me face-time Dick.’

‘You don’t need my help with that.’

‘Then go find Oscar.’ Claire dismissed her friend with a wave.

The beer had gone to her head pretty quick. Or her legs, whichever. She was a little unsteady but she was wearing a pair of heels, terrible footwear for walking Stef always said.

Oscar was not in the bar, he wasn’t in the foyer and she wouldn’t have a chance of finding him in the huge rooms now stuffed with people.

After trying his phone and not getting an answer, she got caught on her way through the doors. A woman was waving and grinning. ‘Oh my god, I’m such a big fan. I can’t believe you’re here.’

‘Hey, thanks.’ Was all she could say. It was rare to be recognised, but in a place this busy there was a bigger chance of it happening.

‘Yeah, I came with a friend. It’s my first convention.’

‘Wow, are you here to support Jared?’ The fan asked, kindly.

‘Yes and no. I’ll hang with him when he gets here but I have always wanted to see what goes on at these places, huge chance of me going home with a case full of memorabilia I don’t need!’

‘You’re so cute, can I get a picture with you?’ The girl pulled out her phone.

‘Only if I can get a picture with you!’

Several clicks later, Stef asked that she be tagged in absolutely everything she takes pictures of this weekend. The fan was a sweet girl after all. You always need more sweet in your life, right?

The cool air rushed at her as she stepped out into the street, the sun was hanging low and bright in the sky. Hearing a whistle, she turned and found Oscar at the corner of the building across the street. He waved her over.

‘I thought you were giving up.’ Stef nodded to the cigarette hanging from his lips.

‘I thought you were giving up on me.’

‘Nah, I came to apologise.’

‘Oh really?’ Oscar laughed. He was always quick to let go of his bad moods.

‘Yeah. I’m sorry. I’m a jerk.’

‘Don’t apologise.’

‘I just did. So can you live with me being an asshat?’

Oscar shrugged, his gaze hanging on her like the smoke that clings to your clothes well after the cigarette is gone.

‘I’m not worried about anyone meeting you. It’ll just be less embarrassing for me if you guys don’t meet. And it was nice seeing you showing up like that.’ Stef crossed her arms across her chest, looking at the ground rather than at him.

He still didn’t say anything, he was just looking at her and she hated it. He was dissecting her. When she finally met his eyes, she wondered if he was undressing her in his mind. She could never really tell with him.

‘OK.’ He replied, simply, finishing his cigarette. ‘We’re both asshats. Can we enjoy the weekend together and not together?’

‘Yes.’ Stef walked towards him as he opened his arms to her.

‘Are you here with somebody?’

‘I’m here with a few people.’

‘That’s not what I was asking.’ She felt Oscar chuckle.

‘I’m here with someone and I’m here with a group of people too. So get out of here unless you meet and the world implodes.’

Stef shivered, rubbing her arms. She had left her jacket with Claire. ‘Oh god, I’ve left Claire in the bar.’

‘Oh no, that girl can’t handle herself, you should go to her rescue.’ Oscar said sarcastically, crossing the street back to the hotel.

‘Well, I didn’t think I’d be gone this long, I got stopped while I was looking for you.’

‘I haven’t been stopped yet.’

‘You’re super famous, so they’re probably afraid to approach you.’

‘It’s still early…’ his sentence was interrupted by someone shouting, no, screaming his name. Several women lunged at him, pushing cameras into his face.

Stef offered to take some pictures for them, even being surprised when one of them asked her for a photo too.

She took a mental note to thank Jared for making her recognisable in the street. It hadn’t been her music, it had definitely been him.

Oscar walked her back to the bar, walking as quickly as they could through the throngs of people gathering everywhere.

Claire was in an embrace when they found their table. Stef cleared her throat, surprised to see Richard’s head duck out from behind Claire.

‘Hey!’

‘Wow, two surprises in one day!’ Stef grinned at Claire.

‘Right? I called him and he pretended to be getting ready but he was already here!’

Richard was eyeing Oscar.

‘Oscar, Richard. Richard, Oscar.’ It wasn’t really necessary to introduce them but it was polite.

‘Well, tickle me pink. I had no idea you were coming here together.’

‘We didn’t,’ Oscar and Stef spoke together.

‘Just met randomly, actually.’ Oscar offered.

Claire was wiping lipstick from Richard’s face.

‘Are you joining us?’ Richard held his hand up for the server.

‘Why not.’ Oscar slid across the seat across from Richard, patting the empty space for Stef to sit next to him.

‘Great! Beers for all then.’

‘Yay!’ The giddiness from the couple opposite them was palpable.

While they whispered and giggled with each other, Oscar leaned in, ‘we were like that as teenagers.’

Stef grinned. ‘We were. It’s cute isn’t it.’

Oscar sighed, ‘man I miss those days.’

‘Of carefree making out!’ He laughed, seeing Stef make a face.

‘And feeling you up behind the gym hall.’ A shiver ran up her spine as he leaned in close to whisper.

‘Oscar!’ She whispered back, scolding him. Squeezing her hand on his knee, making him jump and try to pull her hand way.

‘Calm down there, you two.’ Richard winked at Stef when he saw her blushing.

This weekend is gonna be interesting, she thought.

***

Much like the previous hotel meeting, Jared was upon her before she had time to close the door.

His mouth was on her neck, biting playfully. ‘Having a good time so far? I brought you a gift.’

‘Why?’

Jared presented a rose by putting it between his teeth and lifting her and physically throwing her onto the bed.

‘Jared!’

Stef was giggling so much she couldn’t form a sentence. Jared was busy stripping to music in his head.

There would be no calming him. He would come down in his own time.

Once the excitement of seeing each other wore off, their clothes would be on the floor.

Jared lay next to her, running his hand along her hip, resting his long fingers against the cooling skin of her stomach. ‘It hasn’t even been that long since I’ve seen you but it feels too damn long.’ He complained.

‘I always say you’re insatiable.’ Stef propped herself up on her elbow, sweeping her fingers across the hair that fell into his face. He kissed her mouth, her chin, her eyelids.

‘Thanks for coming, by the way.’

‘You made me come.’

Jared shuddered with laugher, ‘I meant to the convention. Get your mind out of the gutter, Stef!’

‘NEVER!’

Stef launched herself onto him, pinning his arms down, straddling him. Her strength was no match for his, he could pull out of her meagre grip easily. But was enjoying this. Stef was wiggling her hips, grinding her core against his balls. His cock twitching against his stomach.

‘You gonna ride me, pretty girl?’

‘Maybe.’ She teased, leaning over him. Her nipples grazing lightly against the hair on his chest, he groaned as she kissed him. ‘Please, never stop kissing me like you do.’ Jared lifted his hips to grind into her as she moved, rubbing her slick along his cock.

Sliding her hand down the soft underside of his arm to his chest agonisingly slow, she sucked on his lower lip, pulling away for just a moment to see his face. His lips puckered, eyes closed. He looked beautiful, innocent even.

Her hand reached between them, pushing at his cock with her fingers so she could angle him at her entrance. His mouth fell open slowly as she slid down onto him.

Capturing her hands with his he pulled her flush against his chest, entwining their fingers over his head while she ground onto him.

Jared put his feet flat on the mattress to get some leverage so he could thrust into her, slow and steady, allowing the pleasure to build.

They were kissing softly, with tongues, sucking noisily at each other when he came with soft groan, halting his hips while he was still buried deep inside her.

‘I need your hands,’ she whispered against his jaw.

She was on her back, his fingers moving against her, inside her, his cum dripping from her swollen lips, he used it, pushing four of his fingers up against the front of her walls. She came hard, arching off the mattress, grabbing his hair.

Both panting, sticky with sweat, they lay in silence. Jared’s phone rang.

He ignored it until the second call came in. ‘What the hell?’ he grumbled, getting off the bed, Using his ‘clean’ hand to pick up his phone. His eyes widened when he saw his messages. A few had pinged while they were fucking.

‘What is it?’

Standing by the bed, gloriously naked, he cursed.

‘My family are here.’

‘At the hotel?’ Stef was pulling on her bathrobe.

‘They’re at my door right now. Gen says she’s been knocking, she wants to know where I am.’

Jared ran to the bathroom, a string of curses following him. Stef heard him running the water for a minute before grabbing his clothes and dressing quicker than she’d ever seen.

‘I’m so sorry, Stef. I didn’t know they were coming.’

’S’okay.’

Jared huffed angrily and took a steady breath. ‘I have to go see them.’

Stef threw his beanie to him as he was grabbing for the door handle.

‘Thanks.’

As he opened the door, he turned on his heel and moved towards her, grabbing the back of her neck and kissed her quickly. ‘I’ll make it up to you.’

Stef nodded. He was out of sight before the door clicked closed behind him.

‘I hate surprises.’ Stef threw herself back onto the bed.

5 notes · View notes

artificialqueens · 5 years

Text

Bad Girls Club (Branjie) Chapter 6 - Joley

ao3 link

[June 6th, 2018]

“Tradition or not, this shit gonna get our asses busted one of these days, and I don’t know about y’all, but I’m trynna haul ass outta this zip code as soon as I can.”

“God, who invited Captain Buzzkill?” Vanessa rolled her eyes. “You as fucked up as we are, Silk. So, shut up and grab a box.” She passed a box of snap poppers to Silky and A’keria and kept one for herself. Glancing over her shoulder, she opened hers up and took one of the small, wrapped spheres between her thumb and finger. “On three.”

In stage whispers, the three girls counted down from three before throwing the little balls at the stairs of their high school, giggling as the loud snaps filled the otherwise quiet night – well, quiet for that part of town, anyway. Despite the complaints, it was still one of their most cherished traditions, dating back to eighth grade when they set off the poppers at their middle school the night after the last day, ringing in the start of the summer.

The girls were so caught up in their celebration that they failed to notice the police officer walking up behind them until he cleared his throat to get their attention.

“Seriously, you guys?” He pinched the bridge of his nose as the three teenagers scrambled upright in a haphazard (and fruitless) attempt to save face. “Alright, you know the drill. Davenport, Ganache, Mateo, into the car.” And they were left with no option but to comply.

While the process was always the same, the outcome varied based on multiple factors – the type of crime, the time of day, whether or not Officer Watts was fighting with his wife – but everything was added to the books, so to speak. Tonight, it just seemed like he couldn’t be bothered to do more than go through the motions, bringing each girl home and walking them to the door, so their guardians knew just where they’d been.

Vanessa was the last stop and the officer dropped her off to her mom with the repeated normalcy as any sort of scheduled custody exchange. “Say hi to Kimberly and the kids for me!” she called out as Officer Watts returned to his patrol car.

“Don’t try to buddy your way out of this, Vanessa. I’m getting real tired of this bullshit.” Her mother’s tone was as sharp as her glare, punctuated by the sound of the door slamming shut. “I see that police car come down this block more often than the ice cream truck! It’s like you’re not even trying to better yourself.”

“Better myself?” Vanessa scoffed and rolled her eyes. “What is this, My Fair Lady?” She calmed herself as quickly as she had snapped. “Sorry, sorry… but I promise we ain’t done nothing wrong, just hanging out.”

“Hanging out doesn’t get you brought home in a cop car. Don’t you ever stop and think about your future? How you gonna apply to college with a permanent record like that?”

The sudden silence that followed filled the room with a solemn sense of unease. Vanessa sat down on her couch and picked her dog up onto her lap. “Can we stop pretending I got a chance of going to college, Mom? We both know I’m not cut out for that.”

Her mother’s expression softened as she sat beside her on the couch. “Mija, I wish you could see the potential in yourself that I see in you.” She wrapped her arm around her and held her close. “You are not a lost cause, and I’m not giving up on you.”

[Present Day]

“Do you think prison’s actually like Orange is the New Black?” Vanessa asked, her gaze drifting from A’keria to the grass beneath her, ripping a handful of it from the ground and aimlessly scattering the blades.

A’keria quirked her brow. “Why you worried about it? The whole point of this shit is us getting clean records, so we don’t go to prison.” After a moment, she sighed and rolled her eyes. “Is this about the whole prison wife thing you think Brooke Lynn was talking about?”

Vanessa looked away as she answered. “No…” She chewed on her lip. “Not just her. You really think this shit is gonna stick? That we’re gonna go to college and get on the dean’s list or some shit? This whole thing is just so they can pass the blame onto us when we fuck up and land in jail for real.” As she finished her rant, she noticed the expression on her friend’s face. It wasn’t quite anger or sadness, but it made her chest tighten. “What?”

“I just didn’t think you, of all people, would give up on yourself.”

“I’m not!” she quickly defended. “I’m just being realistic.”

A’keria turned and cornered her into eye contact. “Are you? Or are you setting yourself up for failure on purpose, so you don’t have to get out of your comfort zone?”

Vanessa huffed and crossed her arms. “Since when are you into psycho-ana…psych-analy-a…” She gestured vaguely. “You know, dissecting my brain and shit.”

“It don’t take fuckin’ Einstein to know you’re being ridiculous. Look, I’m not saying I’m not gonna drink or smoke or do hoodrat shit after this, but we got a chance at actually having futures. And if you’re gonna sit and act like none of this ever happened when we get back home, you’re a hugehypocrite for being mad at Brooke Lynn for wanting to go back to the good life she had.”

It was rare for Vanessa to be at a loss for words, but she had no way to argue what had been said. It would be a conscious choice to go back home and get in trouble again, and she would be disappointing everyone that cared about her. So, maybe she couldn’t fault Brooke for longing to escape from this situation, but it didn’t resolve how she felt about her or even in general. She lay down on the ground and stared off into space while the sun warmed her skin. “I don’t know what to say to her.”

She nodded slowly. “I knew it would come back to that. You give so much of your heart so easily, Vanjie. You set yourself up to get hurt. Hell, you might still have a shot with her if you actually stop and think about what you say instead of shooting off at the mouth.”

Vanessa pushed herself back up, shaking her head. “Nah, not with how I’ve been. She probably thinks I’m psycho now.”

A’keria shifted to her side to properly look at her. “You won’t know if you don’t talk it out. Just… Don’t slip back into your old habits.”

“What old habits?”

“Really, bitch?”

[September 3rd, 2018]

“Okay, the suspense is killing me, so I’ll bite. What the hell is wrong with Vanjie?”

Silky rolled her eyes before looking in Vanessa’s direction. Their friend was sat at the other end of the lunch table, pouting with her arms crossed, but also looking sincerely solemn and crestfallen. “Oh, that girl she been hooking up with all summer dropped her ass ‘cause she has a boyfriend.”

A’keria let out an exaggerated groan. “I told her. Didn’t I tell her? I said, ‘watch yourself with her, she ain’t in it for the long haul,’ right to her.” She sighed and shook her head, deciding to save the well-earned ‘I told you so’ for later. For now, she needed to be a comforting friend. “Alright, c’mere baby. It’s gonna be okay,” she soothed and wrapped an arm around her.

“She got me fucked up, man,” Vanessa’s voice trembled as she spoke. “She really went and said she ‘never felt like this before’ and now she’s gonna act like I don’t exist. Who does that shit?”

“Straight girls,” Silky chimed in, which got a small laugh out of Vanessa – much to both of her friends’ relief.

With the tension lifted – at least for the moment – Vanessa pushed herself up to her feet. “I’m not gonna stay stressing over this, okay? I’m good, fuck her and her greasy-ass boyfriend.” And with that, the school bell rang, and they were all off to class.

Silky walked with A’keria, trailing a few steps behind Vanessa. “Do you actually think she’s done stressing over this?”

“Not a chance.”

Much to their chagrin, A’keria ended up being proven right not a full three days later.

All it took was one house party with just enough alcohol and Vanessa was making out with her summer fling off in a corner. She had one hand up the back of the girl’s shirt, the other tangled through her hair – it was as if nothing had changed at all.

Until it did, ten minutes later.

“Where are you going?” Vanessa asked, not about to be left high and dry without putting up a fight. “It was just getting good,” she added with a discontented huff.

“My boyfriend’s here,” the ex answered in a calloused tone, reapplying her lipstick without looking in Vanessa’s direction. She fluffed up her hair and sauntered off, wrapping her arms around some lanky, awkward looking guy and effectively acting as though Vanessa ceased to exist.

A’keria got up to collect her friend. “This time I’m not holding back the ‘I told you so.’”

[Present Day]

“Are you still giving me the cold shoulder?”

Vanessa shrugged it off. “There’s a lot worse I could be giving you. Don’t push it.”

Brooke Lynn sighed and pushed herself to sit up on her bed. “Baby, I can’t fix anything if you don’t tell me what’s wrong.” She pouted and reached out to grab Vanessa’s hand, swinging it slowly.

This wasn’t fair as far as Vanessa was concerned. How was she supposed to maintain her tough resolve when Brooke was giving her puppy dog eyes and a soft, pink pout? Her weakness was being used against her – it had been at least two days of freezing her out and she had been starting to get lonely anyway. She bit down on her lip and looked down. “I’m not trynna have this heart-to-heart yet. I know you ain’t about it, so the time has to be right.”

“Then let’s not talk.” Brooke noticed Vanessa wasn’t resisting her hold anymore, so she pulled her closer and closer until the smaller girl sat on her lap. “We don’t have to talk, just let me take your mind off it for a while,” she cooed as she started to place soft, slow kisses from her shoulder all the way up to her jaw.

The temptation was undeniable and nearly every part of Vanessa’s body was urging her towards Brooke. And at first, she gave in. She straddled her lap with her arms draped around her neck. Their foreheads rested against each other, lips just barely touching before connecting in a kiss. And another one, a deeper, languid one. For a moment, she was perfectly at ease. There was no yesterday or tomorrow to weigh down her mind – there was only now and only them in a dream of their own design.

Then she woke up to the sinking feeling that this was too easy. Not every problem could be solved by kissing pretty girls, no matter how hard she may try. She pulled away, standing up. “I can’t do this right now. It ain’t even you… I just…”

“You just what?”

Vanessa was shaking her head as she backed away. “You wouldn’t understand. Sometimes it’s better to not do enough than to do too much. That’s how you end up in this shit hole.”

[June 24th, 2019]

It was the dead of night, a time where – in many places – everything would be quiet and calm. But this was still Los Angeles in the early days of summer, when the weather was nice without the balmy heat making the air hazy, the kind of heat that made walking feel like trudging through a thick slime.

The ability to walk quickly and move nimbly was imperative for Vanessa and A’keria – down one from their usual trio with Silky away visiting family in Mississippi. It would’ve taken a lot more than that to quash Vanessa’s plans.

“You have got to be fucking kidding me. I swear to god, if the police don’t kill you, I will. It’s like you’re trying to invent a new level of stupid shit to try to get away with and—”

“Shh!” Vanessa elbowed her in the ribs. “We’ll get away with it if you shut the fuck up.” And with that, she had effectively tuned A’keria out as they kept walking to their destination. “Alright, this is it.”

A’keria hesitated. “You sure? Cause if it ain’t—”

“It is. Now, do you want the eggs or toilet paper?” She held up a carton of eggs in one hand and a roll of toilet paper in the other, offering up both options.

After a moment of disgruntled hesitation, A’keria sighed and grabbed the toilet paper. If Vanessa wasn’t going to come to her senses, she would at least pick the lesser of two evils on her end.

Of course, when the police arrived it didn’t really matter who was throwing what – vandalism was still vandalism. But Vanessa sat upright and indignant as she was escorted into the backseat of the cop car. Just as the car was pulling away, she stole a glance out the window, at the girl who had ignited the anger in her that drove her to revenge.

She looked indifferent – mildly annoyed at most. This infuriated Vanessa to no end. “Look at her, she don’t even care. What the fuck?”

The other girl sighed with her head against the window. “Now do you see how ridiculous you’ve been? You got your ass all worked up over some bitch that don’t give two shits about you. I keep telling you it’s gonna land you in a damn mess and look where we are now. We could catch a real charge for this, V.” She took a deep breath, willing herself to calm down. There was no point in them fighting on top of everything else. “Just once I wish you’d think things through before you act, channel that passion into something useful.”

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “Listen, I’ll take the whole rap for this. It was my fault – you tried to talk me out of it.”

A’keria shook her head with a soft smile. “Nah, they caught me red-handed too. Besides, we’re still ride-or-dies no matter how foolish you act.”

[Present Day]

“Hey… Vanessa, right? Do you mind if I ask you a question?”

Vanessa was undeniably caught off-guard when the hot, tattooed blonde that’d served her lunch plopped herself down beside her at the table. She blinked, taking a moment for her brain to connect to her mouth. “Um… Sure, what’s up?”

“You see that girl over there? With the blonde ponytail and the kicked puppy expression?” Kameron cocked her head in Brooke Lynn’s direction. “Every time I look at her, she’s looking at you. And I mean looking at you. So, I have got to know – is something going on between you two?”

That was the million-dollar question, wasn’t it? Vanessa looked down at the table for a good few moments before facing the girl who didn’t seem annoyed or jealous – just genuinely curious, which she supposed alleviated some of the anxiety the question could’ve caused. “You could say that,” was what she decided on. “But it’s complicated, you don’t want the whole backstory or nothing.”

Kameron chuckled, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Listen, I know complicated. And I know Brooke Lynn. I promise, nothing you could say about her would surprise me.”

It certainly wasn’t the response Vanessa was expecting, but it did explain the nonchalance Kameron had. “It’s not even her. I mean… it’s kind of her. But it’s me too. I got a… bad habit of getting real intense if I start to catch feelings, and she’s got this whole life to go back to, and I shouldn’t be mad at her for wanting to go back to her normal life…”

“So, what, she told you to fuck off back into the hood?”

Vanessa laughed, but it was a laugh filled with embarrassment and a hint of self-realization. “No… I just been avoiding talking to her about it since I’m, you know, real and emotional and shit, and she’s all closed off cause she’s a hornet.”

“Do you mean WASP?”

“Like it matters. It’s like we’re speaking different languages half the time anyway.”

Kameron tilted her head and pressed her lips together, going absolutely silent. In actuality, it wasn’t more than a minute or so, but with Vanessa unconsciously holding her breath, it felt like ages. “What if I go talk to her for you? You know, serve as a middleman or something.”

“Oh, no that’s not a— oh, okay, you already going. You ain’t even listening to me.” She hid her head in her arms on the table. “Well fuck me, I guess.” It wasn’t like the situation could get any more awkward, she figured.

Meanwhile, Kameron seemed as cheerful as she had been while serving food when she perched herself across from Brooke Lynn at the otherwise empty lunch table. “Long time no see, huh?”

#rpdr fanfiction #brooke lynn hytes #vanessa vanjie mateo #branjie #lesbian au #teen au #bad girls club #joley

20 notes · View notes

missjanjie · 5 years

Text

Branjie Fic | Bad Girls Club (6/?)

Title: Bad Girls Club Summary: Los Angeles’ new program, the Juvenile Female Rehabilitation Program (JFRP) was created with the purpose of taking at-risk girls in the county and send them to a summer-long program located where a sleepaway camp once stood. There, they will take classes in ethics, behavior, and other courses to help mold these young minds. Brooke Lynn and Vanessa have been sent there for wildly different reasons, but with the same result - a clean permanent record. Being roomed together, the pair might find an unlikely alliance (and maybe more) in each other. Word Count: ~2.9k (this chapter)/~16.1k (total) Relationship: Branjie (Brooke Lynn Hytes/Vanessa Vanjie Mateo) Rating: E

Read on AO3

[June 6th, 2018]

“Tradition or not, this shit gonna get our asses busted one of these days, and I don’t know about y’all, but I’m trynna haul ass outta this zip code as soon as I can.”

The girls were so caught up in their celebration that they failed to notice the police officer walking up behind them until he cleared his throat to get their attention.

“Hanging out doesn’t get you brought home in a cop car. Don’t you ever stop and think about your future? How you gonna apply to college with a permanent record like that?”

[Present Day]

“I just didn’t think you, of all people, would give up on yourself.”

“I’m not!” she quickly defended. “I’m just being realistic.”

A’keria turned and cornered her into eye contact. “Are you? Or are you setting yourself up for failure on purpose, so you don’t have to get out of your comfort zone?”

Vanessa huffed and crossed her arms. “Since when are you into psycho-ana…psych-analy-a…” She gestured vaguely. “You know, dissecting my brain and shit.”

Vanessa pushed herself back up, shaking her head. “Nah, not with how I’ve been. She probably thinks I’m psycho now.”

A’keria shifted to her side to properly look at her. “You won’t know if you don’t talk it out. Just… Don’t slip back into your old habits.”

“What old habits?”

“Really, bitch?”

[September 3rd, 2018]

“Okay, the suspense is killing me, so I’ll bite. What the hell is wrong with Vanjie?”

“Straight girls,” Silky chimed in, which got a small laugh out of Vanessa – much to both of her friends’ relief.

Silky walked with A’keria, trailing a few steps behind Vanessa. “Do you actually think she’s done stressing over this?”

“Not a chance.”

Much to their chagrin, A’keria ended up being proven right not a full three days later.

Until it did, ten minutes later.

“Where are you going?” Vanessa asked, not about to be left high and dry without putting up a fight. “It was just getting good,” she added with a discontented huff.

A’keria got up to collect her friend. “This time I’m not holding back the ‘I told you so.’”

[Present Day]

“Are you still giving me the cold shoulder?”

Vanessa shrugged it off. “There’s a lot worse I could be giving you. Don’t push it.”

“You just what?”

Vanessa was shaking her head as she backed away. “You wouldn’t understand. Sometimes it’s better to not do enough than to do too much. That’s how you end up in this shit hole.”

[June 24th, 2019]

“You have got to be fucking kidding me. I swear to god, if the police don’t kill you, I will. It’s like you’re trying to invent a new level of stupid shit to try to get away with and—”

A’keria hesitated. “You sure? Cause if it ain’t—”

“It is. Now, do you want the eggs or toilet paper?” She held up a carton of eggs in one hand and a roll of toilet paper in the other, offering up both options.

After a moment of disgruntled hesitation, A’keria sighed and grabbed the toilet paper. If Vanessa wasn’t going to come to her senses, she would at least pick the lesser of two evils on her end.

She looked indifferent – mildly annoyed at most. This infuriated Vanessa to no end. “Look at her, she don’t even care. What the fuck?”

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “Listen, I’ll take the whole rap for this. It was my fault – you tried to talk me out of it.”

A’keria shook her head with a soft smile. “Nah, they caught me red-handed too. Besides, we’re still ride-or-dies no matter how foolish you act.��

[Present Day]

“Hey… Vanessa, right? Do you mind if I ask you a question?”

Kameron chuckled, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Listen, I know complicated. And I know Brooke Lynn. I promise, nothing you could say about her would surprise me.”

“So, what, she told you to fuck off back into the hood?”

“Do you mean WASP?”

“Like it matters. It’s like we’re speaking different languages half the time anyway.”

Meanwhile, Kameron seemed as cheerful as she had been while serving food when she perched herself across from Brooke Lynn at the otherwise empty lunch table. “Long time no see, huh?”

#branjie #branjie fic #rpdr rpf

8 notes · View notes

reylostolemysoul · 5 years

Text

Bendemption Evidence (gifs & commentary) pt 2b

Tl;dr - Poe and Rey’s interrogation scenes are direct mirrors of each other. The contrast allows us to see the beginning of Kylo’s redemption as part of the Reylo story. While with Poe, we’re meant to see Kylo as an unfeeling villain (like how Vader started), by the end we’re supposed to see him as a conflicted human being (like redeemed Vader).

There is a reason why they’re so similar yet opposite. (There’s also Vader-demption parallels here.)

This is split up into two parts - 2a is the capture, 2b is the interrogation. Part 2a -> x

A/N: This didn’t end up being as detailed as I wanted because I realized a lot of the pieces I could use in other, smaller comparisons. And this was already WAY out of control length-wise.

Onto the interrogation scene.

First we have a fully dressed Kylo (who stays fully covered the entire time), interrogating a beaten-up Poe (who was not bloodied when he was taken away by the STs), in a rather dark room. Kylo speaks first, not really giving Poe a chance to wake up. Kylo is standing from the start, forcing Poe to stare up - a sign that Kylo has power over him. Kylo is dictating the interrogation from the very beginning, forcing Poe to respond to him.

(not entirely sure why the gif quality is so shitty but I’m not spending any more time on it lol)

Contrast to a well-lit Rey and a Kylo that starts in the dark. He allows her to speak first, even if he is still being a smartass, allowing her to lead the encounter. He is sitting, putting Rey in a position of relative power even though she is restrained.

He is literally crouching before her in the same way that he does before Snoke much later on.

Then we have the reveal. He (and the filmmakers) needed to prove to Rey (and us) that he is not a creature. In fact, he is a very heavily made-up prince. (No seriously, he’s wearing a crap ton of make-up here. Not that AD isn’t already attractive but he’s made through make-up and lighting to be positively Disney-prince level attractive)

It’s parallel scene, where Vader asks Luke to remove his helmet, happens only after Vader has returned to the light side because of his love for Luke.

In other words, the removal of Vader’s helmet and return to humanity/the light happens as the culmination of his return to the light. Kylo, on the other hand, begins his re-rise to the light in the first film, at his first meeting with the one who will be his catalyst, with the removal of his helmet.

Vader asked for his helmet to be removed so that he may look upon Luke with his own eyes (before he dies). He needed to peel away the last layer between himself and his son. The last remaining protection between them.

Besides, there’s something different about seeing each other without barriers that is incredibly intimate. See reactions:

“Oh shit he’s... not a monster. Crap he’s attractive. This is not the way this was supposed to go!”

Anyway sticking with the mask stuff - for her and her alone, he bares his face (soul). She didn’t even ask. He just needed to prove to her that he’s not a monster. Why? Why would he need to do that? (Because he already felt some connection to her - which we see hints of earlier with “what girl?” and his personal desire to go bring her to him)

Don’t mind me as I get really unnecessarily close to you. Notice that his face is in the light - like more light than it looks like exists in that room - the whole time after he takes off his mask.

Now with Poe, we see his approach shrouded completely in darkness. He, again, remains a monster - a faceless, merciless being that remains completely in the shadows. [He also gets straight to business. Give me the map.]

[he then goes straight into pulling it out of his head.]

Meanwhile, over in Reylo land... we have Kylo first asking (or telling, but not forcibly taking) for info. And then gives Rey, his prisoner of war that he’s interrogating, unnecessary information about what he’s after. (Seriously, Kylo, no one asked.)

“You. A scavenger.” (You. Someone I should feel no affinity to. But why do I? Also why am I impressed by you?) He hits Rey’s deepest insecurity right on the head - that she’s a nobody. Wait, does that sound familiar?)

And then we go way closer than necessary to Rey’s head while he digs around for droid information searches through her fears and desires? And what she does... at night? [Yes. Creepy and problematic but it’s a way to connect these two characters quickly and more or less believably.]

[This scene too - she’s seen Ahch-to in dreams. The ocean. The island. Where she imagines she won’t be as lonely/hurting. Gee... the island where she has sex with ahem I mean marries ahem touches hands with Kylo.]

[like he disappointed me.]

As soon as she resists him, and he goes back to being the interrogator, he goes back to the shadows and is once again over her - in a position of power.

Then we have the push and pull where Rey puts herself back on equal ground (relatively, realizing that yes she is still locked up).

Now we’ve come to the end of the interrogation scene where she is inside of his head. She has found his deepest fears. He became emotionally vulnerable by removing his mask and she tore down the rest of his barriers to find the most human part of him.

They now know each other’s deepest fears. They are deeply, emotionally connected whether they want to be or not (and they don’t).

Finally we have Kylo’s face journey.

The next time he goes to see her, his mask is back on. She got too close. (She doesn’t see the mask because she escapes but it has been reapplied nonetheless.) This becomes significant during TLJ when we see him physically and emotionally peeling back his layers to her.

#bendemption #reylo #SoulOfBendemption

40 notes · View notes

eldritchsurveys · 5 years

Text

347.

1. Can you remember what you were doing at 8:15 this morning? >> Yeah, I was taking a walk.

2. In your phone’s contacts, who is the first person listed under the letter ‘R’? When did you last see that person? >> ---

3. If someone is sticking their nose into your business where it isn’t wanted, how would you deal with that? Would you say something to them? >> I just refuse to indulge their curiosity. I mean, I’m assuming this is my business we’re talking about. If they’re nosing into someone else’s business, well, it’s that person’s business to stop them, not mine. Otherwise then I am also nosing into their business by butting in, lmao.

4. What did you have for lunch today? Or, if you haven’t had lunch yet, what do you think you will have? >> I didn’t have lunch. I don’t really eat concrete “meals” per se, I just eat when I’m hungry / when I have the chance.

5. Is there someone you desperately want to see/speak to atm, but you can’t? >> No.

6. Do you and your significant other have a special song? What is it? >> No.

7. If you HAD to sing something on karaoke, what song would you choose? >> You don’t have to force me to sing karaoke, lmao, I’ll do it willingly. What I choose depends on what’s available and what kind of energy I feel like bringing to the [metaphorical... or literal] stage.

8. Can you remember the last time you felt ill? What was wrong with you? >> No.

9. What time is it now? Are you tired? >> 4.40p EST. No.

11. What if you found the last person you kissed, in bed with the last person you texted? >> The last person I kissed was an inworlder, so by default there’s no way this is possible. But if it was, the last person I texted was Sparrow, and I think it’d be pretty cool if she and Can Calah had a night together, lmao. As long as she shares Ulfric with me. ~*

12. The last person you held hands with - have you ever kissed them? >> ---

13. Can you remember what your parents bought you for Christmas last year? >> ---

14. Think about the person you fell hardest for. Why do you think your feelings for this person were so strong? How is he/she different compared to everyone else you’ve had feelings for? >> ---

30. Have you ever caught your friend cheating on their boyfriend/girlfriend? If you have, what did you do about it? If you haven’t, what do you think you would do? >> I haven’t been in this situation, no. I don’t know what I’d do about it, because I can’t even imagine being in the situation.

31. When your last relationship ended, how long was it before you felt ready to think about being with someone else? >> I mean, he wasn’t my only relationship at the time, so I just... resumed life as it was before he wrecking-balled his way through it.

32. Has any of your friends ever had a boyfriend/girlfriend that you found attractive, and you would secretly have liked to have for yourself? >> Yeah, and you know what happened? We ended up having a thing on the side. And then I eventually told my friend and she went the fuck off on me (actually when I told her she didn’t go off. she went off the next day when I least expected it. I haaaaaate it when people do blindsiding shit like that, lmao, just go off the first time) and we stopped being friends. After like 8 years. So, definitely not my finest or most intelligent moment.

33. How many guys do you know named Matthew? >> Right now, none.

34. Think about the last person that made you cry. Would that person be there for you if you needed help? >> I’m pretty sure that people who hurt me badly enough to make me cry about it are definitely not the kind of people who would be there for me if I needed help. I wouldn’t even want them there, at that point.

35. Who was the last person you talked to before you went to sleep last night? Do you remember what you talked about? >> ---

36. Has someone of the opposite sex made you cry at any point during the last 24 hours? >> No.

37. Is there anything you would like to say to your most recent ex? >> Absolutely not. I’m perfectly happy with him having the last word forever if it means I never have to deal with what I dealt with again.

38. If your friends are sexually active but you aren’t, does that bother you? Have you ever felt pressured to have sex before you were ready, because your friends had done it? >> This is, like, so inapplicable.

39. In your opinion, what is the difference between having a crush and being in love? Have your own experiences helped you to realise that there is a difference? >> I don’t know what the difference is, this isn’t something I have a whole lot of knowledge about in the first place.

40. Did the last person you hugged have any of these letters in their name: T, R, K, P, J? >> ---

41. What’s the most unhealthy thing you’ve eaten in the last 24 hours? >> Uh... I’m not sure. A bag of Sun Chips? Not terribly unhealthy, but nothing else I ate was either, so.

42. What was the last compliment you received from someone of the opposite sex? >> ---

43. Who did you last say ‘I love you’ to? What colour are that person’s eyes? >> ---

44. If you took away the first and third letters of your name, what would you then be called? >> Odred.

45. Name 7 things that make you happy, and explain how it might affect you if you had to give them up. >> Getting to pet dogs I see when I’m out in public, reading really interesting books, having an engaging conversation, listening to music, curling up in bed with my plushies and Netflix when it’s cold out, remembering when I saw The Phantom of the Opera on stage earlier this year, being in line at the store or something and someone’s kid interacts with me. Obviously, I’d have less happy moments if those things didn’t happen anymore, how else do you think it’d affect me...?

46. Think about your Facebook profile photo. What kind of assumptions do you think a stranger might make about you, from seeing that photograph? Would any of these assumptions be correct? >> ---

47. You buy a bar of chocolate, but you decide that you don’t want to eat it now, and put it in the fridge. When you go back later, half of it’s gone - someone else has started eating it! Who are you most likely to blame? >> I mean, the only other person I live with is Sparrow, so I’d assume she ate half of it. Which is fine, because it takes me like 2 years to finish one bar of chocolate and I’m fine with sharing with someone who likes it more than I do.

48. Choose 5 friends, and talk briefly about each person’s longest/most serious relationship. Who was the relationship with, and how long did it last? >> ---

49. Do you think it’s wrong for someone to commit themselves to a long-term relationship at a young age? Explain. >> First of all, why would I even bother having an opinion about this...

50. Is there something happening in the near future, that you’re looking forward to? >> Not really. All the exciting stuff will be happening in October and December.

#surveys #survey #random survey

1 note · View note

din-skywalker · 6 years

Text

Sunkissed Fun

Hey look another fic.... I'm a bit wishy washy with how I post rn cause I'm out in the middle of nowhere with no wifi aside from my sister's boyfriend's hotspot. So that's fun lol.

Anyway, enjoy another fic:

“This right here is called the Frio River,” Hank explains, gesturing out to the swirling water in front of them. “One of the best rivers to float an’ swim in in Texas.” He pauses and looks back at the android's with him when he hears no response. He bursts out laughing at their expressions.

Connor is already bent over, eyes wide and sparkling with curiosity- much like a puppy’s- as he reaches out, sticking a single finger tip in the flowing water. Caleb is still standing straight, and he seems to have become a bit stiffer, LED circling yellow, head tilted. He squints his eyes and Hank already knows he is scanning the water.

“It is currently sitting at 69 degrees fahrenheit,” Connor informs both of them, Caleb nodding, still staring forward in awe at the river.

“There appears to be a handful of wildlife,” Caleb says next and Hank rolls his eyes, ripping his cover up over his shoulders and throwing it at the android. Caleb catches it without even looking up, but he does look at Hank, an eyebrow raising.

“I don't give a fuck about temperature or wildlife,” Hank informs, tugging his swimsuit up. He steps into the river, grinning at how blessedly cool it is compared to the Texan heat. He turns back and points at the tubes expectantly. “Well don't just stand there. Grab em.”

“Why?” Connor asks, tilting his head curiously. Hank runs a hand down his face.

“We discussed this before we even fucking came here, Connor,” Hank grumbles. He stars to make dramatic motions with his hands. “We at the tubes. Put the tubes in the water. Sit in the tubes. And then we float.”

“May I ask what the point of this activity is?” Caleb questions now, his head tilting like Connor’s.

“No you may not!” Hank shouts and whisks one of the tubes from the ground, dragging it to the river all the while grumbling to himself about “stupid kids don't remember jackshit”. He throws it on the water, hops on, and holds his hands out. “Tah-fucking-dah. Now you two do it, too.”

Connor presses his lips into a line and tugs at the top of his blue and black swimsuit. Connor, when shopping for swimsuits, had chosen to remain with his usual black and blue colors. This swimsuit he was currently wearing was mostly black with blue streaks on either side, the string rips the same hue. Caleb had actually diverged from his normal color scheme and he was currently wearing a red and yellow swimsuit, the sides and bottoms yellow while the rest was red. Hank had nearly fainted in surprise at the android’s divergence in color. Not that he didn't look good in it, though. Both androids were killing it in their respective swimsuits.

“Connor, the water isn't going to bite you,” Hank says, exasperatedly as Caleb grabs another tube, stepping into the water. His LED flashes yellow for a moment as the liquid envelops his feet before a small smile plays on his lips and he hops into the tube he'd grabbed beside Hank.

“I know that, Hank,” Connor retorts, throwing a glare at the human as he slowly steps into the water, a tight frown on his lips.

Caleb leans back in the tube, letting his head rest in the water, hair spiraling out. Hank grins as he watches the huge android kick his feet out and he ends up sprawled out like a starfish, stomach stretched. He then looks back to Connor, laughing his ass off again when the android slips and falls into the river.

Connor’s head pops out of the water a split second later, eyes wide. “I saw something moving,” he said.

Caleb picks his head back up, looking at the water. Hank continues to laugh his ass off because holy shit Connor. “It would seem a catfish has joined us,” Caleb informed, LED flashing yellow once more as he stares at the fish hovering beside Connor’s head. “Catfish are non hostile, brother. Don't worry.”

Hank continues to laugh, his tube shaking with the movement. Connor presses his lips further together before he hops into his tube, scrambling to grab the rope. “Wait, don't we need to connect our… tubes?” he asks quickly, looking from his tube to Caleb’s and Hank’s. Hank shrugs and splashes a bit of water at Caleb’s face. The android hardly even flinches, peeking a single eye open to look at him. “But, Hank, we do not want to float away from one another.”

“It'll be fine, Connor,” Hank says with a wave of his hand. “Now shut the fuck up and just… float. Be like Caleb. He's doin’ great.” He motions to Caleb, who is currently completely sprawled across the top of his tube, the most relaxed Hank has seen the android since meeting him. His eyes are shut lightly, his limbs are relax, and his LED is circling the lightest blue Hank has seen on any other android. He's obviously enjoying himself.

Connor shifts in his tube, glancing to Caleb, LED flashing yellow as he leans further back into the headrest. He props his feet up and grabs hold on the handles, staring up at the sky. He still seems too tense, though.

“You not like water or somethin’, Connor?” Hank asks and Connor looks to him, shaking his head.

“No, it's not that,” he replies, honestly and Hank shifts in his own tube to better pay attention to the android. “It's just… I hadn't yet been in water, so it's… strange. I'll be fine, though.”

Hank shrugs and kicks at the water, splashing Caleb a little bit more. Once more, the android hardly reacts.

The three of them end up floating peacefully.

That is, until Hank gets a sunburn.

“Goddammit!” he shouts as they step onto land once more. He throws his tube on the ground, glaring angrily down at his arms, groaning as his back burns horribly. “Are you fucking serious?! I reapplied!!”

“What's wrong, Hank?” Connor asks, looking the human up and down in concern, a frown on his face. Caleb trudges forward, squinting his eyes.

“He is sunburnt,” he informs the other android. “He apparently did not fully reapply like he believed he did. Next time I will be sure he does.”

Hank throws a glare at Caleb. “The fuck does that mean?” he demands. But Caleb doesn't answer him, merely sending him a knowing look that Hank doesn't quite like.

“We need to remove Hank from the sun,” Caleb continues, and Connor nods, listening intently. “This appears to be a horrible sunburn as well, and the pain will kick in shortly. He will not be able to move much within the next five minutes.”

“Oh no!” Connor exclaims, eyebrows knitting together, LED flashing red for a moment before returning to red. “Perhaps we should carry him?”

Hank sputters and shakes his head furiously. “Oh fuck that! You are not carrying me like some damned child!” he shouts, pointing an angry finger at both Connor's. Caleb glances to Connor, an eyebrow raised and he knows they're telepathically communicating again. He grunts. “Look you two, it's just a sunburn. It's not like I'm bleeding out or anything. I'll be fine.” He pauses. “Though yes. I should probably get out of the damned sun.”

With those words the androids seem to be satisfied. “We will carry the tubes, then,” Connor says determinedly. “You can go ahead back to the campsite.”

Hank shrugs, not really minding this arrangement. He fucking hates lugging those things around. Once both androids have a tube Hank heads up back to their campsite, unlocking the RV. When he glances back at both Caleb and Connor, he can see them silently communicating once more.

He dreads what they may be planning.

Connor walks up to him first as Caleb hangs the tubes up on a string. “Come on, Hank, Caleb suggested remedies for your burn,” the android says, opening the door for the lieutenant. “He is going to collect the necessary ingredients while we get you comfortable.”

Hank holds his hands up, shaking his head. “You two are going fucking crazy over a small sunburn,” he points out in annoyance. Seriously, this was certainly not his first time being burnt, and it certainly was not his last time, either. He loves to swim.

“This ‘little’ burn is covering seventy-five percent of your body!” Connor protests in exasperation.

“It's nothin’, really, calm the fuck down,” Hank said, waving Caleb over to them. “Caleb, get your ass back here.” The android has already started down the trail back towards the river, halting in his steps at Hank's yelling. “Yeah, that's right. Turn your ass around and get inside.”

Caleb hobbles back over, looking utterly confused. “But the plan,” he says to Connor who shrugs helplessly.

Hank rolls his eyes and steps inside. “All I need to do is lay down… and not move for the next year. So lemme sleep,” he says over his shoulder, already laying down in the uncomfortable bed of their RV.

“Okay, Hank.” they say it unison.

“We’ll be outside,” Connor informs him, pushing Caleb out.

Hank sighs heavily, rolling his eyes once more at their overdramaticness of a small sunburn. But then he smiles, a warm feeling spreading through his chest.

At least he knew they cared.

~~~

Lemme know what you think!

#mine #my writing #fanfiction #dbh #detroit become human #dbh connor #dbh hank #rk900

49 notes · View notes

saficsky-blog · 7 years

Text

Her One Good Thing (bechloe pp3 one-shot) ~

Description: Beca walks away from DJ Khaled's offer, unwillingly to abandon the Bella's, unwilling to abandon Chloe. OR Bechloe fluff, angst, and the Cups song duet we all know we wanted taking place in a hotel room. Words: 6828 Ao3 Link: http://archiveofourown.org/works/13167213 I decided to post my fic here too(but this site is weird and I don’t know if I’ve posted it on here right). I just really wanted a bechloe version of the cups song. I’m such an unmotivated human...but I also really want to create a multi-chapter story with these two in canon verse eventually. It will just take planning, which is hard T__T. Anyways....

Her One Good Thing ------- Beca walks at a pace not much slower than the rate at which her heart is pounding. The sound of her heels hitting the hallways reflective tile floor echo throughout the increasing space between her and the room she just left. She refuses to even entertain the idea of looking back at what she is sure are the shocked faces of Theo and DJ Kahled—or…apparently Billy? “God, why are important and successful people always so weird?” Beca lets out a breathy huff with the thought. Exasperation leaks out of her tiny body, more so than usual, making her broody aura just a bit more intense. She’s sure they think she’s crazy, because how could anyone turn down such an offer given to them by the DJ Kahled, famous DJ, record producer and label executive. The great Billy himself? Beca falters a bit in her step. “Am I being…?” She slows to a stop, the hallway becoming eerily silent in the absence of her steps forward. More thoughts begin rising in her head, doused in the waves of uncertainty rolling through her mind. “Ugh!” She groans aloud, as she shakes her head in a poor attempt to rid herself of the storm in her head. “No Beca,” she mumbles to herself as she continues her trek down the hall, “Just…no.”

-------

Beca makes her way through the hotel and up the elevator, until she finds herself walking down the hallway she’s been sharing with the Bella’s. The floor here is covered in dark carpet and appears well kept, but Beca is sure if one is really looking they could make out the darker spots with causes she would prefer to remain unknown. Still, the hotel is nice, and they thankfully aren’t stuck having to fit nine girls into just one room again. Beca shudders at the memories of waking up with Jessica’s foot shoved in her face. Even worse, the time she woke up screaming “Snake” and yanking the covers off the bed just to find Lily staring at her blankly, Beca’s big toe fit snugly in her mouth. Then there was that one time…with Chloe. A blush begins creeping its way up Beca’s face at that specific memory. “Ugh, God,” Beca shakes her head hard for the second time in what she considers to be way too short of a time span, “What is up with my head today?” Swallowing thickly and forcing heated air out her nose, she makes her way to the door of the room she has been sharing with Chloe.

As soon as she opens the door she is hit with the smell of citrus and cinnamon. Really, Chloe’s most beloved body spray is called Cinnamon Citrus. In her mind Beca thinks the combination odd, imagining sticks of cinnamon floating in a glass of orange juice. A concoction that sounds disgustingly sweet and bright to Beca. Yet, on Chloe it is palatable. She smiles softly, wallowing in the fragrance that her body instantly recognizes as home. The thought of Chloe reapplying the scent for a certain military hunk rises, along with an increasingly familiar heat of jealously between her ears. Beca forces the thought and feeling down, an action she has repeated multiple times since first landing on the military base. “So not needed now,” she thinks to herself whilst kicking off her heels by the door. There are two full sized beds in the room. Beca makes her way to the one furthest into the room and closest to the window. She flings herself backwards on the mattress, letting herself sink in as far as she can go. Her eyes close and for a few moments she feels utterly relaxed atop the plush hotel comforter, the dark serenity behind her eyelids, and the sweet and recognizable air she breathes in.

Of course, this moment of peace is interrupted by a sudden vibration in her right back pocket. “Fucking, technology,” Beca grumbles and puts in the most minimal amount of squirming to remove her phone from her pants. She brings her phone above her face with her hand and see’s that it is a new update from the Bella group chat. Unlocking her phone, she sees the message and the picture attached. It is a message from Stacie that reads, “Here with baby Bella and rooting for all you Bella’s!” A picture of Stacie holding the brown-haired infant against her cheek, snug in her arms, falls below the message. Beca can do nothing to stop the smile that spreads across her face at the sight of Stacie and her little girl. A new message pops up from Ashley, ‘Too frikin adorable Stace!’ Followed soon by another from Aubrey, ‘Thanks Stacie <3! Bella looks so beautiful! Just like her mommy!’.

Beca lifts her other arm out of its hibernating state at her side and attempts to type out her own message, but instead finds her thumbs trembling. She rereads Stacies message. Zeroes in on how Stacie is rooting for all of them, not just one, not just Beca. She thinks back to less than fifteen minutes ago when she stood alone before DJ Kahled. She thinks back to her moment of hesitation in the hallway and feels guilt churning in her gut. The uncertainty makes its way back to the forefront of her mind like storm clouds and suddenly the phone in her hands seems to weigh a ton. She only makes out the first few words of a message just sent by Cynthia Rose, before she tosses her phone away from her with a loud sigh.

Beca covers her eyes with her hands and rubs slow heavy circles around her eye, before slowly dragging her fingers down the sides of her face. Her hands cup her cheeks as she stares up at the white ceiling above her. While the view in front of her in blank, in her mind all she can see is the faces of the girls who have become her family over the years. She hears Cynthia Rose’s laugh, feels Fat Amy’s incredibly rough, but somehow still affectionate touches, she sees the sparkling blue of Chloe’s eyes. Thinks of the banter between them. Remembers the jokes—many of which have been directed at Beca’s height—and swears she can feel the love in her bones, but maybe that is just the sensation of her phone vibrating constantly on her bed right now. “I’d never leave you guys behind. I promise,” Beca thinks with as much steel as one could muster up for a thought. With that, Beca flings herself into an upright position and moves to grab her laptop and wireless headphones off the nightstand between the two beds in the room. “Screw the competition and Theo and DJ Billy,” Beca says under her breath as she opens up her laptop to clear her mind of everything. Her hands move through the familiar motion of placing her headphones over her head, and the sensation of the ear pads against her ears is also one that makes Beca feel like she is at home. With a new smile on her face, a mind set on unwinding, and a few clicks, Beca opens up iTunes and starts playing her “My Mixes” playlist. She sits on the edge of her bed facing the window with closed eyes and a rhythmic sway to her head.

Of course, this blissful moment was ruined approximately seven minutes later when the first few notes of a certain mix came on. It wasn’t that this mix was bad or unenjoyable, actually quite the opposite. This mix was amazing. This mix was something that Beca spent a week of late nights on, in the studio at her workplace. Hours of layering and mashing beats and vocals, hours of tweaking to assure ever pitch was perfection. She is a Producer and she produced something amazing, something ACA-fucking amazing, not that she’d ever describe it that way to anyone outside her family of awesome nerds. Still that little guy, little shit, had the nerve to call her mix trash? The worst part is he isn’t the first one to give her their false opinion on her mixes. Beca loves making music, she does, she really truly does, but— “FUCK I hated that job!” Beca groans loudly into her hands, before jabbing her finger at the laptops spacebar to silence her amazing mix. The negative memories of her job resurfacing in her mind, drag her memory of the offer just made to her along with them. Beca loves the Bella’s and she means that silent promise towards the ceiling with every fiber of her five feet and one inch body, but she can’t pretend that the offer still isn’t appealing. Beca knows this opportunity is huge. She knows the creative freedom she would be allowed in her new career would be miles above her old job. Still, the idea of leaving the Bella’s behind and performing without them tears her apart. After all, she would never be where she is without them. Beca thinks back seven years, to when she first came to Barden University. Unmotivated, unwilling, and with an aura even more broody than the one she carries now. She thinks about the hard time she gave her father back, and how far their relationship has come since. She silently thanks him for pushing her so hard to just leave her room. She remembers how ridiculous, but endearing Fat Amy was since the moment she met her in front of what she mistakenly thought was a booth for a DJ club. Walking across the green back to her room after signing up for the college radio station, Beca never had any intention of stopping. She’d already coldly ignored multiple students trying to get her attention by shouting and shoving fliers in her face, but then there was Chloe. Chloe who’s twinkling blue eyes managed to melt just enough of Beca’s cold exterior to stop her in her tracts, reel her in, get her to simply listen. Then there was Chloe again, in her shower…naked. Heat rises to Beca’s cheeks at the memory, but the warmth on her face is nothing compared to warmth she felt singing with Chloe back then. It was like layers of ice were melting off her heart and dripping down the drain next to their bare feet.

Beca likes to pretend that it wasn’t the connection she felt to Chloe in that moment that drew her to auditions, but she knows it was. Without Chloe, she’d probably be broke and friendless in LA. Now she’s broke in Brooklyn…and technically unemployed, but she has friends! She has Chloe, the girl who not too long-ago was sitting at a bar, crying, because she wanted to be with the Bella’s more than anything. Now here Beca was, toying with the idea of leaving the Bella’s behind. She couldn’t possibly be a worse friend. Beca swings her feet back and forth against the side of the bed, and glances around the room, trying to get a bit of her mind off of all the self-loathing she’s been doing within the past hour. Her eyes glance down at a rumpled sleeping shirt on the floor by her feet she told herself she’d pick up a day ago and up at the blue sky through the rooms window, then to the two folded up towels on a table by the door that look like swans kissing. Finally, her eyes land on a small plastic cup sitting on the nightstand between the bed that Chloe had been drinking out of the night before. The sight puts a small smile on Beca’s face. She gently closes her computer and stretches across the bed to grab the cup, before returning to sit back on the edge of her bed. She turns the cup in her hand, rubbing her thumb along the ridges circling the cup and trying her hardest not to think about how absolutely weird she is being by staring at this cup so longingly. She knows why Chloe brought that blue cup with her to the Bella’s reunion. Chloe has never held back from letting Beca know she loves the music she has created, and the cups song is something Chloe loves. There have been multiple occasions over the years where Chloe has tried to get Beca to perform the cups song for her again. Something that she has always declined, only ever feeling total embarrassment when thinking back to her impromptu audition in her freshman year. The closest she has come to doing it again was in her senior year at Aubrey’s camp, and well how could she resist joining in when Chloe’s voice was both melting and reeling in her heart at the same time? Chloe isn’t even here now, but still Beca can’t help but feel something tugging. That same feeling from the shower, and at auditions, in the tent, during the campfire, hiding from Theo, and all the in between moments at Barden and in Brooklyn. This sensation too, feels like home. Beca doesn’t want to ever do something to make it end. “I got my ticket for the long way ‘round,” Beca begins to sing softly to the cup in her hands, bobbing her head along to the familiar tune. “Two bottle ‘a whiskey for the way,” she continues to sing, and while she is staring at the bright red plastic in her hands, the red she is imagining it a completely different shade. “And I sure would like some sweet company, And I’m leaving…tomorrow,” Images of the Bella’s looking broken over Beca taking the offer spill into her imagination. Chloe is there in the front, the same twinkling eyes that drew her in at the activities fair are dripping tears. Wetness begins pooling in Beca’s own eyes. Her hands tighten around the cup, creating uneven noisy folds where her finger tips press in. “Wha-do-ya-say?” Beca asks aloud the question ending the first verse. Of course, not expecting an actual answer, but this past hour hasn’t gone exactly as expected for Beca to begin with.

-------

Beca loves her headphones, she loves them because they’re wireless, play both the highs and lows of her beats beautifully, and have amazing active noise cancellation that can drown out Amy’s loud singing in the shower even without music playing. So of course, Beca didn’t hear the red head opening the door behind her. Nor did Beca see her eyes and grin both widening to a hypnotizing size as her ears heard the lyrics flowing from the girl sitting on the edge of her bed, completely unaware she was being watched. Beca surely didn’t hear the slow approaching footsteps behind her, and she wasn’t in the slightest bit aware of the woman gently placing her hands on the soft bed and slowly leaning towards her. So of course, when Chloe placed her head just inches behind the brunette and sang out the next lyric, “When I’m gone,” Beca nearly had a heart attack.

“DUDE!?” Beca shouts in the middle of literally flinging herself off the bed to the floor below. She barely manages to get her hands out to catch herself before her head slams too hard against the floor, headphones flung off mid-flight, the cup jetted off to a corner somewhere, and the sleeping shirt lying close by as unceremonial as its owner. Beca looks up at the bed from her position on the floor to see Chloe’s big blue eyes staring down at her, with an upset furrow in her brows. “Why’d you stop singing?” Chloe says, almost pouting. Beca scoffs. “Dude, there is a literal chance I’ve been concussed and that is what you care about?” Beca asks in exasperation. Chloe reaches out a hand for Beca to take and rolls her eyes. “Oh please. We both know you’ve been through much worse.” Images of a militant Aubrey and Lily cutting Beca down from a bear trap spring up in both of their minds as Beca takes Chloe’s hand, pulling herself into an upright position. She picks up the headphones lying next to her, checking for damage, before tossing them gently on the bed. “Right. Never ever going camping again,” she says while rubbing the back of her head and standing up to go sit on the bed next to a guilty looking Chloe who looks at the spot Beca hit her head with genuine concern. Beca sighs and intercepts what she feels to be an unnecessary apology. “My head is fine Chloe.” “I’m still sorry. I just couldn’t help myself when I heard you singing that song,” Chloe says with raised sheepish shoulders. Beca huffs out a laugh, trying not to stare at the way Chloe nervously bites her lower lip. “Yeah, I guess I should be used to you invading all my personal boundaries over a song by now,” Beca replies in her usual sarcastic tone. She expects Chloe to smile at the obvious reference to their shower duet, but instead her shoulders drop as she stares at Beca. The little crease of a scar on Chloe’s forehead deepens from the furrowing of her brows, the sight putting a frown on Beca’s own face. “Chlo, I told you my head is fine,” Beca says, making sure to put extra emphasis on “fine”. She shakes her head from side to side. “Nothing rattling inside. Nothing to worry about.” Beca even throws on a big grin to try to wipe the sad look off of Chloe’s face. It doesn’t work. “You were crying,” Chloe states. “Oh shit,” Beca thinks. If there is one thing Beca hates more than crying, it is other people knowing she has cried. It isn’t that she doesn’t trust Chloe enough to cry in front of her. Truthfully, she has cried a handful of times in front of Chloe over the years. After graduation and before the Brooklyn apartment arrangement was made, when she didn’t know when she’d see her best friend next. When her and Jesse broke up, and when she found out how fast he moved on. The time Chloe somehow talked her into watching a compilation of sad Disney movie scenes on YouTube in their bed, and when Beca made her promise to take the fact that the Beca Mitchell cried over Bambi with her to the grave. It is just that she doesn’t like people worrying over her, especially not Chloe. Beyond that, she totally isn’t interested in explaining to Chloe that she was literally crying over a plastic cup while thinking of her, and that she has spent the past hour drowning from the guilt of just her thoughts. “I, uh—.” “And don’t you go trying to deny it!” Chloe snaps before Beca can finish stuttering out a half decent excuse. “I couldn’t tell from when I was behind you, but now that I can see your eyes, I know you were crying.” Beca finds herself faced with steely blue eyes full of resolve, daring her to lie. Releasing a heavy sigh, Beca says, “Listen Chlo…OK…OK sure. I was, but it isn’t a big deal.” Unfortunately, Chloe isn’t at all willing to accept Beca’s desire to shrug off whatever emotions she was feelings that led to her state. “Beca, every time you cry is a big deal!” Beca scoffs in response. “Um, need I remind you of the Bambi incident mam,” she says waggling a finger at Chloe who gasps in disbelief. “Beca! Bambi is totes a big deal!” Chloe says in a tone so serious that Beca can’t decide whether to laugh, or stare in awe at how absolutely unreal the woman next to her is. “Anyways don’t you go trying to distract me away from the situation,” Chloe says causing Beca to groan loudly. “Dude, there is no situation. I just…” Beca trails off and Chloe leans towards her in response. As if their closer proximity would allow her to hear the cause of pain Beca so stubbornly refuses to vocalize. “You just…?” Chloe dip her head down, trying to gently coax the words out of the brunette. Beca exhales and squeezes her eyes tight, seeking some kind of refuge from Chloe’s intense stare. Instead she finds herself back at the campsite, standing before Chloe, fighting with her. She remembers the way Chloe told her to never be afraid of being honest with her after the campfire, and the silent nod she gave her best friend. Beca takes in a deep breath before opening her eyes to meet Chloe’s. “We just...we didn’t make it OK?” A huff of an exhale leaves her mouth and her eyes drift downward, trailing one of the colorful patterns of the comforter. Chloe squints her eyes and shakes her head in confusion. “We didn’t make it? Beca what do you mea—.” Realization enters Chloe’s mind cutting off her question. “Oh….oh...” Beca refuses to look up, afraid of the expression that would match the hurt tone to Chloe’s voice, and her fingers begin pulling at a loose thread on the bed. Suddenly she feels a familiar hand on hers, and watches the way she allows Chloe to sneak her fingers in the spaces between her own. “Becs?” Chloe calls out softly, and Beca finally looks up at the sound of her voice. “You know it’s OK, right? We all did our best.” Chloe gently squeezes the hand she holds, trying to pour as much comfort as she can into the small gesture. She is more than aware of how hard Beca can be on herself when it comes to anything music related. Having spent nights holding her hand in a similar fashion after Beca finds out a piece she made wasn’t as well received as she imagined it to be. “This isn’t your fault. Besides I know I and the rest of the girls were just happy to be togeth—. ” “No, no, no Chloe. Y-you don’t get it,” Beca says interrupting her with a shake of her head. Chloe’s eyes take on a steely sheen once more. “No Beca, I do. I know you’re blaming yourself for us not being good enough! But we all—“ “There is no we OK!?” Beca finally says, her raised voice causing Chloe to flinch slightly. Beca slips her hand out of Chloe’s, and instead grips the bed beneath her. Chloe pulls her hand slowly back to her own lap, not understanding what her friend is telling her. “What do you mean there is no we?” Her voice is soft, and instantly Beca feels guilty for just shouting at her. “I mean…just…we didn’t make it...,” Beca says, voice more of a low mumble than anything by the end. “I did,” she says, and the admission widens Chloe’s eyes and parts her mouth in shock. Beca continues, “Yeah, me. Just me. Stupid Theo and DJ Billy—Khaled, whatever, think that I should just abandon you guys for some stupid label signing. How could they think that? Who do they even—OH!” Beca shouts as she suddenly feels Chloe’s warm body pushed into hers, arms circled around her shoulders, and a curly strand of red hair poking her in the eye. “Dude, can you for once in your life just give me a warning before invading all of my personal space!?” Beca says breathing in a hefty scent of Chloe’s sweet perfume. “We both know if I did that, you’d run,” Choe says into Beca’s neck, her warm breath sending a tiny shiver down the spine of the girl she has wrapped herself around. Beca swallows and blows out a breath trying to push the feeling down. “Well could you blame—woah!” Beca exclaims in response to Chloe gripping her shoulders and pushing her back, till she is directly facing Chloe at an arms distance. Beca is about to complain about being tired of people thinking they can manhandle her just because of her size, but the expression on Chloe’s face stops her. She stares at the way Chloe bites down her trembling bottom lip and how her eyes glisten with unshed tears. A frown stretches across Beca’s face. “Oh no. Chloe please don’t. I said I’m not taking the lame offer.” A short laugh of disbelief escapes Chloe’s mouth, along with the first slow stream of a tear. Shaking her head she says, “Becs…I’m crying, because I’m happy.” Her mouth upturns in a smile and Beca looks at her with her in slight confusion. “You’re happy? Because I turned it down…right?” “What? No, no! I’m happy because,” Chloe grip tightens around Beca’s shoulders, “because you’re amazing.” Beca stares in wonder at the way the woman in front of her is able to say those words as if they were universal fact. To Chloe, Beca is amazing in the same way the sun is aflame and rises every morning. There is no uncertainty Chloe holds about the amazingness of the girl before her. The only time she second guessed Beca was as the girl walked away from her at the activities fair years ago. Their duet in the shower quickly proved to Chloe that the feeling that pulled at her heart the moment she first laid her eyes on Beca years ago wasn’t a fluke. Chloe always knew Beca was special, and now… “And now you’re getting truly recognized for that.” Beca spends a second lost in the pure adoration radiating off of Chloe eyes, before reaching up to pull off the two hands on her shoulders. Chloe’s smile falters as Beca releases her hands. Without shoulders to grip on she falls slightly back away from Beca, watching her throw her hands up in a frustrated gesture. “You guys have already recognized my talents…or whatever! You guys are the reason behind why I’ve gotten as far as I have. Chloe, you’re the reason I’m here right now. And I’m not gonna just—I can’t just, leave the Bella’s behind,” Beca finishes sounding emotionally drained from the harshness of her breaths. “Beca, you aren’t leaving us behind by taking that deal,” Chloe says trying to assure her friend. “More than anything we just want you to be happy.” Beca stares at her in disbelief. “Really dude? Just a few weeks ago you were in a bar crying and saying how you’d do anything to sing together again,” Chloe flinches a bit, remembering how low she felt that night. “There is no togetherness in a solo performance Chlo. The last thing I want is you guys sitting in some audience watching me the way we watched the New Bella’s. I’m not…I’m not doing that to you Chlo.” Chloe stares at the woman in front of her, trying her hardest to take in the care she feels pouring off Beca in waves. She knows that Beca comes across as cold and unapproachable to many people, but Chloe knows her aura of dark, gloomy sarcasm only runs so deep. Chloe understands the way Beca’s heart built up walls to defend itself from all the pain she faced as a child. However, when you are one of the lucky few who find themselves on the other side of those walls, like the Bella’s and Chloe have, you find yourself met with a heart far bigger than most. She knows Beca doesn’t want to hurt her or any of the girls, and she is so appreciative of the woman before her, but she also knows she’s so wrong. “Listen I already told them no, so we should just—.” “You know,” Chloe cuts her friend off, “I spoke with Chicago a few days ago.” Beca tries her hardest to not grimace at the sudden mention of the man’s name. “He helped me realize something. I mean maybe not realize exactly, more like…remember.”

For a moment Chloe’s eyes lose focus, placing herself back in the hotel lobby just days ago. The girls are spread throughout the expensive looking room. Jessica and Ashley attached at the hips and pointing to something outside the tall windows in awe. Cynthia Rose and Aubrey are leaned up against a wall laughing. Closest to her, Fat Amy, Flo, and Beca are huddled together for a silly picture. Beca is smiling through the cookie Fat Amy just put in her mouth, while Flo giggles at the act. Chloe looks on, smiling through watery vision, her heart brimming with the love she feels towards each and every one of these women. Then she is back in the present, heart still spilling over with love, but towards the one women before her. “I remembered that no matter what, we will always be family Becs.” “But—” “No! There is no but Beca. It doesn’t matter what we do, nothing could ever tear us apart! I mean…” Chloe trails off quickly reaching for her phone in her pants pocket. She unlocks her phone and opens up the Bella’s group chat. “Look!” Chloe exclaims and Beca finds herself facing the lit-up screen of Chloe’s phone. Seeing the picture of a smiling Stacie with baby Bella for the second time. “Stacie isn’t even here. She is a mother now, with a whole list of new priorities, but don’t you still feel it Beca? The connection we have to her, the connection that we’ve all held on to since leaving college?” Beca feel her eyes widen at Chloe’s words as she stares at Stacie’s smile, baby Bella’s perfect skin, the words of love trailing after the picture in the chat. The letters suddenly look a little muddled and Beca know her eyes are watering up, knows that Chloe can almost certainly tell. She watches Chloe put the phone down next to her. “I love performing with the Bella’s Beca, I do, but more than anything I just…I just love you all,” Chloe says as a few tears spill down her face, she swipes a few away with her hand. “We are a family, and all I want is for my family to be happy,” she says as Beca feels a tear escape her eye. “Also…I know how much you hated your job,” she tells Beca as she breathes out a giggle. Beca responds with a small chuckle of her own, smilingly helplessly at Chloe. “Yeah I really hated that fucking job huh?” Beca says and the two spend a moment staring into each other’s teary eyes, before laughter spills out of both of their mouths. “Oh God...I can’t believe I’ve done a year’s worth of crying in less than an hour,” she groans while rubbing at her eyes with her sleeve. Chloe just smiles endearingly at her friend’s typical sarcastic attitude, before reaching to take the hands in front of her again. Beca lets them be taken, finding solace in the way Chloe’s fingers intertwine with her own. “So, you’ll do it right?” Chloe asks, worrying her bottom lip in fear that Beca might still be afraid. Beca lets out a long sigh. “I mean…I guess—GOD!” And then Beca finds herself once again with an armful of Chloe Beale, this time squealing next to her ear in a pitch Beca isn’t entirely sure she should still be able to make since getting nodes. “Jesus dude! We really need to develop some type of warning system between us.” Chloe just seems to squeeze her tighter in response. “And I mean I want to talk to the rest of the girls first, just to be sure.” “Sounds aca-amazing,” Chloe whispers in her ear and Beca is stuck between wanting to roll her eyes at how absolutely nerdy that sounded and groaning at what the breath in her ear just made her feel. Then Chloe releases Beca, but doesn’t retreat too far from the brunette. “So…” Chloe begins in a voice dripping so heavily of innocence that Beca knows she is planning something that is the complete opposite. Chloe tilts her head away from Beca, her eyes landing upon on an item in the corner. Beca follows Chloe’s gaze. “Oh no.” Upon realization of where Chloe was looking, Beca lets out an overdramatic agonized groan. “Absolutely not,” she says adamantly. “Please! Just sing it for me!” Chloe pouts in Beca’s direction with the biggest puppy eyes she can muster. Beca feels her will crumbling beneath Chloe’s adorable expression. “Chlooooo,” she begs. “You were doing it before. Just pretend I’m not here!” Beca scoffs at the idea, as if she could ever just forget about Chloe’s existence in a room. “No!” She manages to force out, clinging to the scraps of will left within her. “Why not?” Chloe asks, somehow managing to pout even more. “I just! I don’t….I….”Beca trails off, eyes landing on the cup on the floor, then back to meet Chloe’s. She stares into the same big blue eyes that drew her in that day, the ones that changed Beca’s life completely. Chloe’s eyes are staring at her with such a sharp intensity, but the way they tug at her heart is the gentlest Beca’s ever felt. She thinks of the way she held the cup in her hands earlier, thinking of Chloe, feeling at home.

Beca sighs, then reaches out, softly taking Chloe’s hands in her own. “I got my ticket for the long way ‘round,” Beca sings quietly as Chloe’s soft gasp hits her ears. “Two bottle ‘a whiskey for the way,” she continues in a soft voice. Her eyes never leaving Chloe’s as she goes on, “And I sure would like some sweet company. And I’m leaving tomorrow, wha-do-ya-say?” “When I’m gone,” Beca smiles as Chloe sings out the lyric alone, then joins back in for the next. “When I’m gone,” they both sing in harmony, with hands still clasped between them. “You’re gonna miss me when I’m gone. You’re gonna miss me by my hair. You’re gonna miss me everywhere. Oh, you’re gonna miss me when I’m gone.” They finish together, both smiling at each other, Chloe’s own smile similar to the same one she gave Beca that day at auditions, total adoration. “Thank you Beca,” Chloe says with genuine gratitude. Her heart is soaring from the moment she just shared with the woman in front of her, but something about her thanks rubs Beca the wrong way. “Why is she thanking me?” Beca thinks to herself. “Chloe you know that you’re…” She falters, squeezing the hands held by her own, trying to gather as much strength as she can from them. “You know that you’re the best thing to ever happen to me, right?” Chloe just stares at her, lips parted in shock. Beca swallows, listening to her heart pounding in her ears, while waves of regret begin rolling throughout her body. Then Chloe is smiling, and the waves slow to a stop. “Oh Beca,” Chloe breathes out, pulling both their hands up so they’re resting on her chest. Beca can feel Chloe’s heart beating beneath her palms, and while the sensation sends something nerve-racking through her body, it also sends strength. She uses that strength to get the rest of her thoughts out of her. “I-I mean it! Like, if you weren’t there that day! And if you hadn’t barged into my shower, as absolutely insane as that was, I would’ve never met the Bella’s. I would totally be depressed and alone somewhere in LA right now.” Chloe squeezes Beca’s hands against her chest. “I would’ve found you eventually,” she says with complete confidence, unable to believe there could be a universe that exists where she doesn’t know Beca Mitchell. Beca smiles softly at Chloe’s assertion. “I hope so,” she responds, and she catches the way Chloe’s eyes flicker down her face, then back up again. Beca can feel a rhythmic pulse throughout her body, but she isn’t sure if it is coming from her own heart or the one beneath her hands anymore. Beca’s own eyes flicker down to Chloe’s lips, feeling herself pulled in by the pinkness of them, feeling that gentle tug at her heart. Her eyes land on Chloe’s once more, something swimming in the woman’s bright iris’s.

Is it nervousness?

The two are so close. The air between them is heavy and buzzing. Beca watches Chloe slowly lean towards her.

Perhaps anticipation?

Chloe is so close, still clinging to Beca’s hands as if her heart would stop beating without them. Beca can feel Chloe’s breath hit her face. She peers into the pupils of the eyes in front of her. They’re the darkest she’s ever seen them. Her own eyes begin to flutter shut. Desire? “God this woman will be the end of me,” Beca thinks to herself before Chloe’s lips press softly against hers. There is a part of Beca, the part of her that put up her walls and pushed people away, that is telling her to run. Telling her to stop before she gets hurt, gets her heart torn apart by the people she loves again. Maybe a few years ago she would’ve listened to that voice, but Beca is different now. Beca met Chloe, and she is the best thing to ever happen to her. So Beca ignores that voice and presses further into Chloe, lips upturning into a smile. She focuses on the way Chloe’s lips are moving slowly against hers, her sweet scent, and the shared pulse between them. Beca would be more than OK with ending this way. She doesn’t, but the kiss does. Chloe pulls back slowly, eyes spending a few extra moments locked on to the lips she just kissed. Chloe smiles and Beca blushes beneath the intensity of Chloe’s stare, but returns a smile of her own. “Chlo…that was…” Beca begins before a thought pops into her mind. Chloe’s brow furrows at the concern that takes over Beca’s features. Beca takes back her hands, causing a frown to form on her best friend’s face. The brunette casts her eyes downwards, only making Chloe worry more. Was Beca having regrets? “Uh…what about….Chicago?” Beca asks, wondering about the guy Chloe’s been blatantly flirting with this entire trip. Realization slowly washes over Chloe, smoothing the worry out of her brows. “I’m not into him Beca. He’s just cute,” Chloe explains and Beca exhales as a wave of relief washes over her. “Oh,” she says, looking back up at Chloe to find her carrying her own expression of concern. “What’s wrong?” “What about Theo?” Chloe asks, worrying her lip over Beca’s possible response. The response Beca has however, is to burst out laughing at Chloe’s question. “Theo!? Dude, no. He looks like a fucking turtle!” Beca exclaims with a smile. The worry drains from Chloe’s face and then she’s smiling again too. “You know he kind of does look like a turtle,” she says in agreement, smiling and giggling at Beca’s comparison. Smiling, because Beca isn’t interested in Theo, smiling because she just kissed Beca Mitchell, smiling because the best thing to ever happen to her too, is right by her side. “I know! It is kind of weir—Mm!” She finds herself once again cut off by Chloe, as the red head throws her arms back around Beca, fitting herself over Beca’s lap, and pressing their lips back together. Sure, Beca could come up with a dozen snarky comments about the amount of times she has had her boundaries aggressively crossed today, but she doesn’t. Instead she presses further into the lips against her own, wrapping her arms around Chloe, and pulling her in even closer. Chloe is the best thing to ever happen to her. She can cross all the lines she wants, Beca will always let her in. Chloe pulls back slowly again, staring lovingly into Beca’s eyes and finding the same intense affection mirrored in them. Her arms are wrapped around Beca as a smirk begins tugging at her lips. “I still can’t believe I got you to sing my Lady Jam 2.0.” “Y-your what!?” Beca sputters out, as Chloe hops off Beca’s lap running to the room’s bathroom, leaving a trail of giggles behind her. Beca can do nothing but stare with her mouth agape from her bed, heat rising to her cheeks. “Oh, you heard me,” Chloe says, turning back to send a wink in her direction, before disappearing into the bathroom. With burning cheeks, Beca gets off the bed, and bends to pick up the plastic cup in the corner of the room. She holds the cup in her hands and turns to look at the closed bathroom door, behind which Beca swears she can hear Chloe humming Titanium. With a small shake of her head Beca falls back against her bed. She lets herself sink into the mattress, holding on to the cup with one hand. Her lips stretch into a lazy smirk. “Yup. Totally gonna be the end of me.”

#bechloe #fanfiction #beca mitchell #chloe beale #my writing

32 notes · View notes

athyrabunlord · 7 years

Note

So I’m having major LLSHP AU withdrawal symptoms so I was wondering whatever blip you choose it could be from that universe? first choice is: 8. “Your smile is not as bright as it used to be.” Kanamari after Mari was attacked in Hogsmeade and her power had been drained Or either: 45. “I think I made a mistake.” (Kanan) 46. “Shut up, I am a delight!” (Mari)- Kanamari prequel When they first started dating if possible? As I’m desperate to know how their relationship started! Thank you!

“Shut up, I am a delight!” [Prompt List] (closed)A/N: I skipped 6 asks to do this one sorry XD;; Don’t worry, I’ll do all the existing asks. As said in this post, I’m glad to be asked about this AU Anon! A/N2: This would be a teaser from the prequel-Interlude “Delphinus”, which is about kanadiamari’s Hogwarts days prior to the main story, told in Mari’s POV.Words: 2,696As usual, “italicized words” = Mari’s Engrish

“What’s up with her…?”

Mari lowers her Omnioculars and fiddles with the buttons on the side before looking through them again. Her objective is jogging at a decent speed, not at all deterred by the bumpy and uneven shore around the Black Lake. The girl’s expression is one of utmost concentration, her dark-indigo ponytail fluttering behind her like a, well, pony’s tail. Dressed in jeans and a shabby hoodie, Kanan Matsuura looks like a lost Muggle who somehow wandered into Hogwarts grounds.

Alas, the carelessly strewn Gryffindor cloak and scarf beside a rock remind Mari that Kanan is indeed a fellow student, Muggleborn or not.

She sure can run… ugh, stupid tree in the way.

Mari narrows her eyes and shuffles from one hiding spot to another. They say curiosity kills the cat, but she happens to be quite resilient! Each and every one of her adventures make her into the shiny person she is today!

Once an idea has taken root, Mari is sure to follow it through until boredom wins and sends her elsewhere. So far, her observation of Kanan is, frankly, tedious. Other than learning her peer has seemingly inexhaustible stamina and appears to be unaffected by the cold weather, nothing exciting has happened.

Mari grumbles under her breath as she reapplies the Hot-Air Charm for the umpteenth time. Waking up at the ungodly hour of 5AM is horrible already, let alone on a friggin’ Sunday! And Kanan’s done nothing but jog around the Black Lake for over an hour now! After the first twenty minutes, Mari had given up sneaking around the bushes and merely settled for perching on a high vantage point so she could oversee the Lake’s perimeters.

Sighing, Mari uses the Omnioculars to slow down Kanan’s movement and watches the replay to see if she could find anything interesting. As expected of binoculars specifically made for Quidditch games, she could see every single detail clearly, such as how Kanan’s sweaty bangs are messy and her cheeks flushed from the jog.

Mari blinks, noticing a particular detail for the first time.

Is she… smiling?

She considers herself an active person, having flown around on her broom and her precious Hippogriff since she was a little girl, but all the fun had been obtained through magical means. She doesn’t understand what could be so enjoyable about something as mundane as just… running. It’s not a game of Tag, and there is no goal, no incentive as far as she can see.

What’s so fun about this?

Sure, Quidditch players are known to train around the Black Lake, but even they would not wake up this early on a Sunday (she really can’t get over this fact). At least, such outdoorsy and tenacious spirit fits the Gryffindor stereotype. Mari has always wondered why Kanan got Sorted into Gryffindor - she isn’t rowdy and prone to mischief; while she appears smart enough in lessons, she isn’t academic like the Ravenclaws; she certainly exhibits no ambition whatsoever like the Slytherins.

Really, Kanan should be an easygoing, peaceful Hufflepuff. From weeks of observation, Mari decides that most of her peers fit the norm, and everyone seems to be mingling just fine. It’s only their First Year at Hogwarts after all, so it takes a different amount of time for an individual to find his or her niche.

Mari herself is quite friendly with her fellow Ravenclaws, finding their intelligence on par with her own and thus making it easy to strike interesting conversations. And, if she gets a little bored, she would challenge the Gryffindors to Exploding Snaps or even secret duels (she has yet to get caught!). Chilling in front of the fireplace or enjoy the rare afternoon sun? No problem, she has a few Hufflepuff buddies to share that lazy but content sort of joy too!

And there’s always Dia Kurosawa to tease and prank. Really, the only reason Mari even tries so hard in tests is just so she could flaunt her scores over the studious Slytherin. They’re evenly matched so far, with her being slightly ahead at Transfiguration and Dia at Potions. Like the rest of the students, other Muggleborns have more or less settled in the daily routine of school life here at Hogwarts.

Yet, why does this Kanan Matsuura still seem out of place? It’s not like she gets ostracized in lessons, and she sometimes participates in class discussions or naps through droll lectures. She’s like any regular teenager, so why is there something off about her?

Chartreuse eyes blaze in determination. That’s why she, Mari Ohara, is here to solve the mystery! The Sorting Hat must have placed Kanan in the House of Gryffindor for a reason, surely not just because this jogging-maniac has muscles!

Oh, she’s finally stopped. Hmm, what’s she doing now?

Kanan has returned to the boulder where she had discarded her cloak and scarf earlier. Instead of donning them, she simply stands there with her hands in her hoodie’s pouch and is looking out towards the Lake. Since her back is facing Mari, this only gives the blonde Ravenclaw two options: go around the trees to another vantage point, or just go over to confront the girl in question!

Smirking, Mari nimbly hops down from a branch, utilizing Sticking Charms and other small tricks to muffle the noises from her movements. She’s tired of all this spying (totally not stalking) and is ready for some action!

She casts a few more Charms to ensure that her approach inaudible. She does hesitate for a moment when she notices the slightly forlorn expression on Kanan’s visage, but she quickly steels her resolve.

Eheh, I bet you weren’t expecting any spectator, are you, Miss Ponytail?

Mustering all her energy, Mari darts out from the bushes and leaps for her target when she’s close enough.

To her shock, Kanan somehow detects her pounce and dodges to the side. Their mutually startled eyes meet for a brief second before momentum pulls Mari towards the rocky shore.

“Shit!”

Though confident in her own swimming ability, Mari could feel her limbs cramping up under the icy lake water. Bubbles burst from her mouth as she panics, her uncooperative fingers unable to reach the wand in her pocket.

A muffled splash later, she glimpses a dark silhouette diving towards her. Strong arms wrap around her waist behind her and she faintly feels propelled upwards where the light is. As soon as she breaks the surface, she gulps for air and tries to swim but only ends up flailing about.

“Be still! You’re in no shape to swim. Try to relax, I’ll get you to shore.” A calm yet firm voice stops her movements.

With her mind muddled, Mari could only nod and allow her savior to lead. She struggles to drag herself ashore, though the drenched clothing is weighing her down more than she could ever imagine. Again, strong arms haul her up and soon, she finds herself seated atop the boulder where the Gryffindor cloak and scarf remain rumpled in a pile nearby.

“Just what were you thinking! Do you have any how dangerous that was?!”

Kanan looks and sounds furious, wearing a dark expression never before seen and thus surprises Mari into silence.

After opening and closing her mouth a few times, she could only mouth a word. “Sorry.”

Glaring, Kanan is probably about to scold some more when a chilly breeze blows past them, making Mari shudder and her teeth chatter.

Wordlessly, Kanan wraps her cloak around Mari and begins to dry her in brusque movements.

“Erm, you should dry yourself first-?”

Indeed, the soaked ponytail is plastered to Kanan’s equally sodden hoodie. A scowl is all Mari receives as Kanan continues to wipe at her head.

Honestly, Mari feels like a little kid under reprimand and in no position to argue.

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Mari retrieves her wand and gives it a complicated wave. Kanan recoils, her amethyst eyes wary and her fists clenched even as Mari calmly directs the wand’s tip over her.

Her stance only relaxes when it’s obvious that the magic is simply drying her clothes via controlled hot air. Smiling, Mari then dries herself with this nifty Hot-Air Charm and holds up her hands akimbo.

“Tada~ See, no need to manually do it. It’d take forever to wring out the water, yes?”

“Right, what was I thinking. You’re a Witch and we’re at Hogwarts.” Kanan’s tone is oddly aloof, as if she doesn’t consider herself a fellow Witch as well.

“Yup! I can do this too,” she utilizes one of the more advanced Transfiguration spells and manages to conjure a jar from a piece of the Omniocular. Under Kanan’s watchful gaze, Mari smoothly aims Bluebell Flames into the container. “See? You can even carry this around if you get cold!”

“Useful, I suppose.” Again, Kanan’s voice is rather flat, not in a dismissive way but more like all of this has nothing to do with her. Her eyes are still trained on Mari, scrutinizing at her from the top and down to her feet.

“What?” Though unabashed most of the time, Mari feels quite self-conscious under such an intense gaze. “Am I so pretty that you can’t look away?”

Ha, she couldn’t help but add that cheeky remark.

Kanan, as expected, ignores her and points at her leg. “You got a spell for the cramp too?”

“Damn, you got me,” Mari playfully holds up her hands. “That’s for a Healer’s level.”

At last, Kanan’s hardened expression is replaced by a small smile. “See, it’s still necessary to do it yourself, rather than rely on magic.”

“U-um…” Again, Mari finds herself rendered speechless as Kanan begins to massage her leg. Her hands are well-practiced, as if knowing exactly where and how much pressure to apply.

“How do you feel? Does anywhere else hurt?”

Blinking out of her daze, Mari shakes her head. “You seem knowledgeable about this. Do you do this often? Is this a way to hit on girls?”

Kanan gives her a blank look. “Huh?”

Mari rolls her eyes. “Never mind that. So, this massage, the swimming, and all that, you seem like a professional-?”

At this, Kanan holds her head a bit higher. “I already have my lifeguard license, back in the Muggle world I mean. My grandpa… well, I used to work at a diving shop,” her voice falters a little but her enthusiasm quickly takes over again. “See, I live at this small town by the sea and-”

Always ready to learn new things, Mari becomes absorbed in Kanan’s story and especially her passion about the sea. Despite having quarter Muggle blood, the Ohara ojousama grew up in a magical community and mostly interacted with Pureblood peers. As she grew older, her father would take her around the world to build connections with foreign communities, hence she has some pen pals from Beauxbatons, Durmstrang and even Ilvermorny. The acquaintances she does know from the Muggle world all have power and position, so she has yet to befriend a Muggleborn like this.

Well, she’s always been fascinated by Muggle contraptions anyway, so this could be her chance?

“Hey, teach me more!”

“What-?”

“Like, what were you doing around the Lake? Can’t be only jogging! It’s a Sunday!”

Kanan’s relaxed expression tenses again in annoyance. “I was just exercising! I do this every day, and that reminds me, what were you doing spying on me and-”

“Don’t mind don’t mind~ At least we’re talking now right? You chat with your Housemates and other students just fine but I notice you always pull away before the conversation gets any longer.”

“That’s- I was just-” Kanan furrows her brows. “How long have you been watching me? And why me?”

Honestly, Mari doesn’t know. She tends to go with her instincts and just rolls with it. Some would argue that is actually a Gryffindor trait, but hey, a shiny and creative mind like hers could only belong to Ravenclaw! Everyone has bits of qualities from each House, sì?

“It’s a secret~ To find out, all you have to do is teach me more about Muggle life style~” Mari ends her sentence with an award-winning wink.

Needless to say, Kanan appears unaffected. “I don’t really… besides, I can see that our personalities don’t match and-”

“Shut up! I’m a delight!” Mari pats Kanan’s shoulder and gives her a thumbs-up. “Stick with me and I promise your life here will be shiny every single day~”

Reluctance oozes from Kanan’s body language. “Surely there are other choices? Aren’t there some Muggleborns in Ravenclaw and I bet they’re smarter than me-”

“Nope. I’ve picked you, and that’s the end of the discussion.”

Kanan lets out a quiet and contemplative hum. “You sure are headstrong. What do I get out of this then?”

Shrugging, Mari glances at the blue fire flickering in the jar. “Hmm, I could teach you cool tricks like this? Whatever I can think of to help your daily exercise or something?”

“That… could be helpful,” Kanan mumbles and seems hesitant for the first time in their conversation. “Well, being a Muggleborn, there are some stuff I don’t quite get about the magical world, and I do have trouble with some of the assignments and spell works, so, um…”

“No problem!” Eager to be of help, Mari shakes Kanan’s warm hand and grins triumphantly. “Deal! We help each other out and, well, we’ll go from there, Kanan!”

“We’re on first-name basis already?” Kanan’s lips twitch in a hint of a smile, which Mari takes as a good sign.

“Of course~ We’re gonna be spending a lot of time together, so get used to it!” The blonde pauses when a thought occurs to her. “But, huh, I thought Gryffindor Lions would take you under their wing. Pride of Lions as they say, no?”

Kanan does not reply to that, her expression rigid. Mari puts that away to her To-Investigate List and waves it off.

“No matter, I’ll be a much better influence than those rowdy Cubs anyway, hehe. Oh, actually, I have a better idea.”

“What?” Kanan asks warily.

“I’d love to be the one tutoring you but my attention span isn’t long enough for that~” Her dear acquaintance and perhaps the only person she considers a friend would surely accept. Dia’s outstanding achievements in every class have already made her famous in the school, on top of her prestige as the heiress of an ancient Pureblood family. However, such distinguished status causes a distance between her and her peers, even her Housemates. They don’t dare to approach her out of reverence, and Dia likes to keep her personal space anyway.

Until Mari Ohara comes along, that is.

“I have the perfect candidate in mind. Why don’t we go to her right now?” Grinning, Mari tries to stand up but almost stumbles when her cramped leg refuses to cooperate. She could support her own weight, though the sensation of weakness is disconcerting enough to make her growl in frustration.

Where is her broom when she needs it!

Suddenly, she is lifted up as if she weighs nothing.

“First, we need to go to the Infirmary. Your leg still needs to get looked at properly,” Kanan says evenly, not at all out of breath as she begins to walk towards the castle.

It takes several moments for the gears in Mari’s head to resume functioning. Didn’t her morning start with trailing after this ponytailed Gryffindor? How did that lead to her being wrapped in the said Gryffindor’s cloak and carried like a princess?

“Okay, giddy-up!”

“I’m not your horse.”

“Go fetch!”

“I’m not your dog either.��

“What are you then?” Mari peers up at Kanan, fluttering her eyelashes theatrically.

Kanan looks down and huffs in exasperation. “I suppose, we’re… friends now?”

“Good answer! Ten points to Gryffindor!”

Kanan sighs and Mari giggles to herself. Perhaps, by sticking with Kanan, it is her life that will be shiny every single day!

#anon ask #LLSHP AU #kanamari #prompt list bliplet #an excerpt from an Interlude that would take forever for me to get to lololol #the beginning of the kanadiamari trio #keep in mind they're same age as Yoshiko here #and... somewhat different than how they're currently characterized in the main story XD #which is through Yoshiko's perspective too so #POV effect yay \0/

49 notes · View notes