#I remember one girl had dental work done!!!

[skinreflectsthesun]

Wow I used to love America’s next top model but this show was so fucked up

[ashintheairlikesnow]

Call Mom

CW: PTSD/flashbacks, BBU in general, haunted, ghosts, reference to a murder, severe chronic panic

Jameson's Masterlist (scroll down)

-

Aw, crap. Hey, Johnny, do you remember where I put that girl's number? Like, Katie, or Caitlyn, or... do you remember? Hey! Johnny! Put down the fucking xbox controller for two fucking minutes and give me a hand, won't you?

Fingers snap right in front of his face.

Johnny!

Jameson jerks in a breath that sounds like a whine, sitting straight up. The fan blows cool air over his sweat-soaked skin and he shivers, cold inside and out. The air in his room is freezing, suddenly. Outside it's so dark you can't even see the trees - the power outage must still be going, there aren't any streetlights. Thanks to the clouds, no stars or moon, either.

Just darkness.

Wait, if the electricity's out...

He looks up. The ceiling fan is perfectly still above his head, even while ice-cold air keeps goosebumps rising on his arms, the hair standing up at the back of his neck.

See, was that so hard? It'll take like five minutes if we work together, I swear.

"Nat?" He mumbles. "S'at... you?"

Checked there already, actually. Checked the fridge, too, so where the hell did I put it?

He's the only person in this room.

Jameson goes from still half-asleep to fully, painfully awake and aware in a single breath.

The voice comes as clear as if it was right next to him, a voice as familiar as his own - but he has no idea whose it is. There's no one here but him - even Trash Cat isn't here any longer, probably hunting a tiny piece of plastic downstairs that he'll end up stepping on in the morning. So far she hasn't eaten any of them. He doesn't even know where she's finding them.

Johnny, come on. Let's, like, retrace our steps.

His head starts to ache more with every single word, the pain working like tendrils behind his eyes, a pressure trying to crush his skull from the inside. Something flashes, bright and almost like a spectrum of rainbow colors, in the corner of his right eye, but it won't resolve when he turns his head.

I got home from work, I told you we had a hot customer who gave me her number, and then... then what?

Jameson stares into darkness so complete it feels like it has weight. Like it's sitting on the bed next to him, like the mattress dips underneath it. A body made of memory, slowly pulling together the pieces of what's been hidden. Clawing them out but leaving deep weals across the inside of his mind, like a corpse's fingers digging into loose dirt to climb out of his grave.

"Caitlyn," He whispers, as the thought crystallizes. A memory, pure and perfect. Some sliver of whatever they broke the person he was into. Some small piece of the man who signed up. "Her name was Caitlyn, not Katie. She... wrote it on the fucking paper."

Right! Okay, so, clearly I told you her name, and then what?

Jameson turns his head, and there he is.

Hank.

His breath catches in his throat.

Hank is younger than he is, even though he was older then. The older brother, trapped in time, while Jameson - Jonathan - keeps aging. The rakish smile is still there and, Christ, Jameson had forgotten that he'd done that stupid thing to his hair - you forgot everything about him, you begged them to take him away from you so that it wouldn't hurt anymore. He's still got that one crooked tooth he'd refused to get braces to fix. That crooked tooth had been in his dental records. It was how they identified his body.

The fucking crooked tooth, the silver-colored fillings, then the DNA tests...

"No," He whispers, going for a vicious hiss, but what comes out is far too close to a whimper. "No. This is-... this is a flashback. This isn't real, this isn't-"

Maybe I left it in yesterday's pants?

"This isn't real, fuck off." Jameson shoves himself off the bed, forgetting his stupid fucking legs don't work. His knees buckle as soon as they have to take his weight.

He lands wrong on one arm and the pain spikes up through his shoulder, making him cry out in the hoarse, rasping voice that his life has left him with. "Fuck!"

He rolls onto his side, but he can't stop himself.

He looks up again. He doesn't want to remember Hank but he's desperate for one more look at his face. Just the one more time.

Just once more.

Hank sighs, raking a hand back through his hair, leaving it mussed-up and sticking out, looking ridiculous. He did that all the time. Bit his nails, too, and tried everything to stop but he never did. He wore those jeans with the ripped knee all the time, their mother had hated it. Hank, wearing the t-shirt for the band they'd gotten concert tickets for but never got the chance to see. Hank, dead for years, smiles to one side at a brother who isn't there.

The brother who erased him.

"Hank," He whispers. "Hank, you gotta-... you gotta go. You're hurting me-"

Damn. Man, it wasn't in my jeans either. Well, I'll find it sooner or later, I guess. Hank shrugs. His eyes are in shadow, not quite defined. Jameson wonders if it's because he's forgotten what color his brother's eyes were, forgotten it deeply enough that even this can't pull it back.

It'll be okay, Johnny. It really will. Hank looks right at him. Jameson's breath catches in his throat. The room is so cold the air burns as he breathes. It never gets this cold in California. It can't be this cold in California. I mean it. Don't cry yourself to sleep over this.

"I cried myself to sleep... all the time, but I don't now. I'm not-... that guy." He can barely speak. He sees his breath puff out when his lips move, and Jameson slumps back. His voice cracks, it creaks like old floors. He didn't stop crying for weeks. He didn't leave his bed. He did any drug he could find trying to not think about Hank, until he realized there was only one way to make sure he never had to think about what he'd done, by letting Hank walk home alone that one night, again. He didn't want to think about that pain anymore.

They had promised him he wouldn't ever have to hurt like this again.

They lied about that, too.

Jameson makes a sound he refuses to admit is a choked-off sob. "I'm not him, Hank. I'm not Johnny... not anymore."

Hank stands, and it's impossible. He's not here. But he holds out his hand anyway, and Jameson takes it without thinking. Hank's grip is so cold it burns, but Jameson lets his dead brother pull him to his feet anyway.

He smells like earth and ice.

"I'm not him," He whispers.

Right, like that argument ever works. Hank just grins, shaking his head. The man Jameson was - the one he had begged to leave behind - is the reason Hank will look like this in his memories forever. He's the reason there isn't another Hank, only this one, locked in the memories he wanted to boil and burn out of his own head. They're still there, though. They break through.

They never stop breaking through.

He would crawl back into Robert's cage himself if it only meant he didn't have to remember that it's his fault Hank is dead.

Tears run hot down his cheeks - the only thing in him that isn't frozen is his grief, wildfire in his chest leaving nothing but ash behind. Forests after wildfires are ghosts, Hank said once, when they were both high and everything sounded fucking important.

Jameson had called him an idiot - he remembers that now. But... he also thinks Hank was right. He closes his eyes as tightly as he can, focusing. He isn't here. Hank cannot be here. "I don't remember... remember you-... I don't want to remember you! It was my choice to forget!"

Hank claps him on the shoulder. His smile goes briefly gentle and soft. Jameson can see it with his eyes closed. Whatever you say, man. Just promise me you'll call Mom sometime soon, okay?

The pain is too much. If he can't pass out soon, he might die just from having to experience it, unending, never stopping, rising higher and higher. "Mom...?"

Yeah, dumbass. Mom. Our mother? Who gave birth to us and never lets us fucking forget it? I keep trying to talk to her, but I guess my signal's bad. Hank laughs, and Jameson's whole body breaks with the sound of that familiar laughter. The way Hank could throw his head back without the slightest bit of self-consciousness, how he'd hear that laugh across a crowded room and know it was his brother's, know right where he was.

Until he didn't.

Until nobody did.

Until the cops found what was left.

Until-

Jameson jolts again, and finds himself still lying on the floor next to his bed. He's burning up, boiling hot, pouring sweat until his sleep shirt sticks to his back and his arms feel slick with it, his hair sticking to skin. A droplet trickles down the back of his neck like a fingertip, barely touching. He rips his shirt off, then his pants, throwing them as far away from himself as he can, until he's naked on the floor but it isn't enough.

He's still sweating, still breathing in harsh gasps, fighting around the strength of his racing heart to get enough air to fill his lungs. He looks frantically around, but no one's here.

The ceiling fan circles lazily overhead.

He takes in a breath, his heart pounding. It feels like it's going to grow wings and fly away, up his throat and out of his mouth. He's still crying, he realizes only now. He closes his eyes as tightly as he can and fights tears back through sheer willpower and rage, curling his hands into fists. Just like they used to be, his fingers know - muscle memory of mittens that had kept him powerless, once. Now, he does it on purpose, and he forces them to curl through the pain.

Forces down the dream.

Wills himself to forget he ever had it.

"Four... f-four things you can see," he whispers to himself, slumping back down. His voice keeps trembling, catching, and it's everything he has to open his eyes again around the pounding headache in his skull and look. "The-... moon. Out the... window. The, my dresser... for my clothes... M-My, uh, the picture Nat p-printed of me and Allyn... fuck, the... the doorknob."

Every time he thinks he knows how much of his body can hurt at once, some nerves he didn't know existed decide to join the party. He has to breathe in and out, slow and controlled, trying to will his body to cooperate. He won't walk tomorrow, he can tell already. It'll be a day to spend in bed, or using his wheelchair. It might be a week until his body lets him walk again.

He fights back a new well of rage and despair at how well he knows the next way his body will fail him. He can't think about that right now, or the pain and the panic will spiral out of control. He might hurt someone. He can't hurt anyone, not ever again.

He won't.

"Three... things I can touch," He murmurs. "My, my... my shirt, fuck, gross, sweaty... my... my hair... the floor, feels... cold, feels good... the corner of my bed..."

It helps. He makes himself focus on this, on real things, not the nightmare of his brother.

He won't remember his brother.

He won't.

"Two things I can hear. Uh, the, there's... crickets or something outside, and-... and I can hear-"

Hank's voice whispers right next to his ear.

Call Mom.

His breath hitches.

"Not real," he whispers. "One... one thing I can taste..."

All he tastes is blood, and for one horrified half a second he's sure it's Hank's blood, until he realizes he bit his tongue in his sleep.

The blood is his own.

Call Mom.

-

[healingspell]

people i want to get to know better

tagged by @sora-iro, thx a lot this was a nice surprise! 😊🌸✨💌

last song: tank girl by darth marley, rev theory (its catchy!)

favorite color: all the pastel colors lol, i guess pink if i had to pick one (my desk area is pastel everthing lol)

currently watching: house and 911 whenever my boyfriend or i randomly decide to watch stuff, also i tend to watch lots of makeup asmr for relaxing!

last movie: oof can't remember! umm letterboxd says Inside Man: Most Wanted (2019)

sweet/savoury/spicy: savoury ^-^ my teeth can be kind of sensitive to sweet stuff cause i need to get dental work done yayy, but i do love sour/other candy and other stuff sometimes - spicy stuff i'm not so good at unfortunately T-T" lol

current obsessions: obsessed w/ the thought of organizing my place more, purging and donating stuff i'm not using/don't need anymore, more order in the chaos would be great :')

relationship status: boyfriend/partner of 5 years ⭐

last thing i googled: ghost recon breakpoint on sale lol 💸

tagging some mutuals who have stuck around my blog the longest, ty!!🍀🌸😊

only do it if you'd like toooo! @lookingisntseeing, @vigoroth, @cyasca, @liquid-luv

[headcanonsandmore]

'Glad All Over (Cake By The Ocean)', Chapter One

Summary: Nyssa Traken, a dentist from London, finds herself in the small Cornish town of Tregonnereth. While initially in the town for a short break from the big city, upon meeting Tegan Jovanka (a jack-of-all-trades), Nyssa begins to find herself falling in love with the charms of the close-knit local community (and maybe a certain someone as well)...

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here's my new multi-chapter fic, everyone! I hope you enjoy it! I've been wanting to write a chill, cosy, slice-of-life rom-com for a while, so I hope you enjoy it! This won't have so much of a dedicated release schedule, but -given the more relaxed pace of this fic- I think that fits it quite well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Read on AO3.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Nyssa Traken sighed, stretching her toes out on the sand.

To be honest, when she had started her working week that Monday in London, she hadn’t been expecting to end it sat on a beach, in Tregonnereth, a small town in Cornwall. For one thing, she had a job in London.

But her job as a dentist was growing increasingly unfulfilling. Dental practices across the country were becoming increasingly geared towards the rich, with a noticeable reduction in patients from the NHS. It saddened Nyssa; one of the greatest health services on the planet was being broken up piecemeal and sold off to private companies for profit.

Nyssa, the daughter of a dyed-in-the-wool Welsh trade-unionist, felt an immense sense of anger towards the people responsible for this.

Many dentists were either leaving the profession, or moving abroad for better pay. She’d read somewhere that, in the decade since 2010, the amount of dentists throughout the UK had severely declined, especially outside of major cities.

Nyssa sighed again, drawing her knees up in front of her and wrapped her arms around her legs.

So, why Cornwall? Why this particular town in Cornwall?

To be honest, Nyssa had only been to this place once. On a family holiday when she was a small girl. Her parents had taken her here to get away from London, from the noise and frantic pace of life. Nyssa remembered walking with her parents along the sandy beach, looking forward to the promised ice cream for a mid-afternoon snack.

It was the last holiday they had been on, just the three of them.

Nyssa let out a small sigh, staring out to sea. It was a calm day, and the first signs of summer sunshine were peaking through the clouds. Whenever she had looked at weather forecasts, it had always seemed as if Cornwall got an astonishing amount of both rain and sunshine. Mercifully, today was highlighting the latter.

She imagined she probably looked a rather strange sight; a woman sat on the sand in a suit (the fabric of her waistcoat, of course, contrasted nicely with the Edwardian-styled knee-length skirt, the jacket having been tidily folded into Nyssa’s bag due to the warmer weather). But she found it difficult to care; the sand was dry and this suit had done her in good stead for years. The warm wind was pleasant on her exposed forearms, as she had smartly folded the sleeves of her blouse up to her elbows.

There was a buzz in Nyssa’s leather messenger bag. Frowning slightly, she rummaged through the contents, past her jacket and socks, and extracted her phone.

‘Hi, Mel,’ she said, climbing getting to her feet. It was more comfortable to walk on sand barefoot anyway.

‘Nyssa, where exactly are you?’ came the confused voice of Mel Bush. She was both a friend and a colleague; the two of them had even been housemates for a while at one point.

‘Er… Cornwall.’

Nyssa heard the redhead take a large intake of breath.

‘Why are you in Cornwall? You barely like going further than the M25!’

‘I…’ Nyssa put her head in her other hand, as she walked along the beach. It was so deserted that she wasn’t concerned about her shoes being stolen, as she might have been back in London. The sea breeze ruffled her Gibson-Girl-inspired up-do of brown hair. ‘I… I needed somewhere quiet.’

‘And… you decided on a seven-hour drive through the West-Country instead of just going to a park?’ Mel asked, sounding concerned. ‘Nyssa, is something wrong?’

Nyssa sighed, grateful for the worry her friend was showing.

‘I’m sick of practicing in London, Mel,’ she said. ‘Looking into the mouths of rich people who just want their teeth whitened and spend half their time in the surgery treating the clerical staff like rubbish. Our NHS patients can’t afford our fees, and I’m not high-up enough to do anything to help them. I just… I feel like I’m not helping anyone doing what I’m doing.’

Mel made sounds of sympathy.

‘Maybe Cornwall will be good for you. Wellness, and all that.’

Nyssa chuckled. Mel was a bit of a keep-fit nut, and her latest interest was a combination of mindful meditation mixed with yoga.

‘The sea breeze is pretty nice here,’ she said, looking out through the waves. ‘There’s no traffic. No taxi drivers yelling at each other. And the air is so clean.’

‘Hey, you focus on you,’ Mel said. ‘Have a nice long weekend, and do that breathing technique I recommended the other day.’

Nyssa chuckled.

‘I’ll try, Mel. Thank you.’

‘No problem,’ Mel replied, warmly. ‘See you next week; bye!’

‘Bye.’

Nyssa hung up, placed her phone in her bag, and turned around, heading back to where she had been sat.

Both her shoes were missing. In their place was the tide.

‘Drat!’

Nyssa hurried forward. Sure enough, she couldn’t see a thing. Well, shoes probably didn’t float, so that was unsurprising. Still…

Nyssa sat down on the sand, and groaned. Yes, she could always buy another pair, but that pair had seen her through so much. They were a good pair of shoes; comfortable yet smart. Nyssa had always been very particular about her personal belongings; when she wore something out, she tended to just replace it with something either identical or something very similar. It was the way she had always been-

Thud.

Nyssa’s shoes landed on the sand.

‘These yours?’

Nyssa looked up.

A woman was standing in front of her. She was a couple of inches shorter than Nyssa, wearing a wetsuit. Her hair -shortly cropped- was wet and swept back to keep it out of her eyes. Her bicep bulged under the material of the wetsuit as she held a surfboard under her arm, and her stance on the sand was confident yet relaxed. Her accent was Australian, and Nyssa could see herself reflected in those large brown eyes.

‘Y-yes!’ Nyssa stammered, stumbling to her feet and picking up the shoes. ‘That’s-how-thank you- I-’

‘They washed up on my board,’ the woman said, not seeming to notice Nyssa’s flusteredness. ‘I’m guessing they got caught by the tide?’

Nyssa nodded.

‘Thank you; that’s very kind of you.’

The woman shrugged.

‘They almost stabbed me in the eye! You need to be more careful what you’re doing with your shoes.’

Nyssa stared at the woman, startled.

‘I… they just got swept out-’

‘You can’t just leave your shoes lying around when the tide is coming in,’ continued the woman, clearly irritated. ‘What if this had gotten stuck in the fishing nets- hang on, are you from London?’

‘Yes, I am!’ Nyssa exclaimed, feeling very thrown off. ‘How could you tell?’

‘Just a feeling,’ the woman said, wiping her nose with her free hand. ‘Most locals don’t tend to wear suits on the beach.’

Nyssa frowned, feeling irritated by the woman’s tone.

‘You’re being rather rude.’

‘This, coming from the person who almost blinded a surfer with her shoes. Whatever, just be more careful in future.’

Without so much as a backward look, the woman walked off, her board under her arm, leaving a trail of wet footprints in the sand and a very angry Londoner.

Nyssa turned, fists clenched as she sat down on the sand. The cheek!

*

Eventually, once she had cooled down (that breathing technique of Mel’s was surprisingly effective), Nyssa put her now-dried shoes on her feet, left the beach, headed across the road, and into the café. It wasn’t a chain shop, but she didn’t really mind; coffee was coffee.

The place was well-made-up, with lots of seaside paintings on the walls. There was no queue at the counter, although a couple of teenagers were sat in the back.

‘One cappuccino,’ Nyssa said, as she approached the counter, rooting in her bag for her purse. ‘I think I’ve got some spare change here-’

‘Don’t tell me you lost that in the surf too?’ came a familiar voice.

Nyssa looked up.

‘You again!’

‘My name is Tegan, actually,’ said the Australian, who had presumably changed from her wetsuit into a black shirt, trousers and a matching apron. Not that Nyssa was taking notice, of course. ‘D’you want that cappuccino with dairy or non-dairy?’

‘Er... non-dairy,’ Nyssa replied. ‘Thank you.’

‘No worries,’ said the woman called Tegan.

‘Er, sorry about earlier,’ Nyssa said, slowly. ‘I… well, I’ve been having a rather strange day, and I took it out on you.’

‘I kinda gathered,’ Tegan said, chuckling a little. ‘Apology accepted. What’s your name?’

‘E-er,’ Nyssa said, suddenly feeling flustered. ‘I-’

‘It’s for the cappuccino,’ Tegan said, without missing a beat.

‘Nyssa,’ said Nyssa.

‘With a ‘y’?’

Nyssa nodded.

‘Welsh family, I take it.’

Nyssa repeated her nod.

Tegan chuckled, bemused.

‘Do baristas not talk much in London, then?’

‘Not really.’

‘Sounds rough.’

The Australian began making the cappuccino. Her biceps strained slightly against the fabric of her button-up shirt as she worked the coffee machine. Nyssa blinked quickly, feeling rather warm all of a sudden.    

‘So… Nyssa with a y,’ Tegan said, mouth twitching into a lopsided smile as passed over the coffee, and then leant against the counter. ‘What’s a big-city girl like you doing in Tregonnereth? Most tourists don’t arrive until later in the summer.’

Nyssa took a sip of the coffee. It was just right; not scalding, but warm enough to taste good.

‘Needed some quiet,’ she said, inbetween sips as she started to drain the mug. ‘London can be… a bit much.’

‘So I’ve heard.’

Nyssa finished the mug, and placed it back on the counter.

‘Thank you; that was lovely.’

‘No worries,’ Tegan said, smiling as she moved the mug away. ‘Would you like a cookie? We get them from the bakery in the high street.’

‘No, thank you,’ Nyssa said. ‘Too much sugar.’

‘Let me guess; you’re a dentist?’

‘Er… yes, why?’

Tegan shrugged.

‘You look like a scientist to me.’

‘Well, I did train as a doctor initially.’

‘Gotcha,’ Tegan cheeked, grinning. ‘You’ve got that vibe. Like you read science textbooks for fun. But -then again- I read airplane manuals for fun, so I suppose I’m not one to talk.’

Nyssa suddenly found herself snorting with laughter.

The Australian grinned, as she watched the Londoner double over with a fit of the giggles.

‘There we go,’ Tegan said. ‘Something tells me you needed a laugh, right?’

‘Y-yes,’ Nyssa gasped, mouth stretching into a smile ‘I did. How could you tell?’

Tegan shrugged.

‘Just a guess. You were carrying a lot of stress in your shoulders. Stress that I may have inadvertently added to, now that I think about it,’ -the Australian grimaced apologetically- ‘Sorry.’

Nyssa waved a hand.

‘It’s fine. You weren’t to know. And you made me laugh, so I would say we’ve even.’

‘Is that how it works?’

‘Yes. Equal and opposite reactions. Trust me,’ Nyssa said, smiling. ‘I’m a scientist.’

Tegan grinned.

‘See you around, Nyssa.’

‘Thank you… Tegan.’

Nyssa smiled, softly, as she turned and headed out the door. As it shut behind her, she couldn’t help but feel strangely buoyed, as if she had been given a second wind. Well, a pretty Australian smiling at you might well do that, she supposed.

She headed up Tregonnereth’s high street, away from the main harbour. It sloped upwards at a decent rate, meaning that Nyssa felt herself begin to tire as she approached a small square situated roughly halfway up the slope.

A fair-sized building (presumably the town hall) faced the square, with another side being taken up by a church. In the middle of the square was a war memorial and -stood in front of the memorial- was a group of children. There was all roughly school age, between nine and fifteen, and were all staring at a woman. The woman, dressed in a skirt, blouse and cardigan, had a commanding presence, like teachers Nyssa had known when she was at school herself, and possibly in her early forties. It was difficult to tell, as she had one of those beautiful ageless faces.

‘Now,’ said the woman, speaking to the children. ‘As you all know, Tregonnereth has existed for almost a thousand years, in one capacity or another. Can anyone hazard a guess as to why?’

‘Near to Plymouth?’ a young girl asked.

‘Partially, yes,’ replied the woman. ‘The trade heading along the Tamar valley passes here, and so there has always been a harbour of sorts.’

‘Not much here now,’ muttered a boy.

‘Oh, that’s not entirely true,’ said the woman. ‘Well, granted, the dental practice has closed, the library is now a mobile library and the GP surgery is on reduced hours, but-’

‘No cinema, no good shops-’

‘Yes, thank you, Andrew,’ interrupted the woman, frowning at the teenager who had spoken. ‘I will grant you that things are rather sparce in the town as of late, but you shouldn’t be pessimistic about it.’

The church bells rang for six.

‘Okay; let’s leave it here for today,’ said the woman, clapping her hands together. ‘All of you, make sure your parents know about the next town meeting, alright?’

There was a chorus of agreement, and the children dispersed, heading into the streets nearby.

As the children hurried away, the woman noticed Nyssa and walked across the square towards her, a warm smile on her face.

‘Hello, I’m Barbara Wright,’ the woman said, reaching out and shaking Nyssa’s hand. ‘Hope you didn’t mind my lecture; I’m one of the teachers at the school here.’

‘Nyssa Traken,’ Nyssa replied. ‘And I didn’t mind at all. I found it very interesting, actually.’

‘Thank you,’ Barbara gave a kind smile. ‘Oh, that’s a lovely name, by the way; are you old Cornish?’

‘Er, my father’s Welsh,’ Nyssa said.

‘Still Celtic,’ Barbara replied. ‘People often say that, when they come to Cornwall, it’s like coming home.’

Nyssa nodded, thoughtfully.

‘I was curious about something,’ Nyssa said. ‘Tregonnereth doesn’t seem to have a dental practice?’

Barbara sighed.

‘I’m afraid so. It’s the same in a lot of rural places nowadays; I’m afraid there just isn’t the population needed to keep a practice open. At least, that’s the official reason we were given.’

‘People still want a dental practice, surely?’

‘Absolutely; not everyone can drive to Plymouth or Truro, and -for the elderly- it’s not that easy to get the bus.’

Barbara sighed, folding her arms.

‘I wouldn’t say it in front of the children, but I am concerned about the town’s future. There’s nothing here for young people; most move to the nearest cities when they leave school, and the ones that leave for university rarely return- oh, hello, Tegan.’

Nyssa startled, as the Australian came to stand next to her.

‘Hi Barbara,’ Tegan said. She was now wearing a pair of dungarees over her black shirt, the sleeves of which she had folded up to her elbows. ‘I see you’ve met Nyssa with a y.’

Nyssa felt her face burn at the nickname.

‘Yes,’ Barbara said, clearly noticing Nyssa’s reaction but deliberately not saying anything. She gestured to Tegan. ‘Nyssa Traken, this is Tegan Jovanka; our resident… jack-of-all-trades, I suppose. Tegan, Nyssa and I were discussing things in the town; you remember how the dental practice closed down back in February.’

‘Hang on, weren’t you a dentist back in London?’ Tegan said, turning to Nyssa. ‘Why don’t you start our local practice up again?’

Nyssa stared at her.

‘What?’ Tegan asked. ‘You could do it! The building is owned by the town itself, so the rent is basically none-existent.’

‘Oh, that would be wonderful!’ Barbara said, smiling widely. ‘That would mean so much to us! But… are you sure? We are a long way from London, and I understand the change from the capital to a small town would be a big ask.’

Nyssa looked, between Barbara’s barely-disguised delight and Tegan’s encouraging smile, and found herself unable to mount a counter-argument.

Well… she had been growing tired of working in London, after all. It wasn’t as if she had much to go back for; her father had moved back to Wales years ago and, with the exception of Mel, Nyssa didn’t really have any friends back in London.

‘I… well, I’d have to see the practice,’ she said, slowly.

Tegan grinned, and Barbara smiled even wider.

‘It’s just down the road,’ Tegan said. ‘C’mon; I’ll show you the way-’

Without warning, she reached out and took Nyssa’s hand. Nyssa felt the heat rise in her cheeks, but she found herself unable or unwilling to resist Tegan pulling her away. She cast one last quick look at Barbara, who gave a rather knowing smile.

*

The premises for the old practice had definitely seen better days, she had to admit.

Granted, it wasn’t the roof was falling in, but the place had definitely not had much TLC in a long while. The front door urgently needed painting, and the grass outside was very overgrown.

‘What do you reckon?’ Tegan said, smiling at Nyssa. She had dropped Nyssa’s hand as they had come to a stop in front of the practice, and didn’t seem to have noticed Nyssa’s flusteredness. ‘Great location; just off the high street, but far away from the road to avoid the noise. The town’s car park isn’t too far away, either.’

Nyssa stared at the building.

‘The place would need a lot done to it,’ she said. ‘I mean, the pipes probably need seeing to, and then there’s the matter of getting it redecorated-’

There was a flutter, as Tegan opened her wallet. A long chain of licenses descended halfway to the ground.

Nyssa’s mouth fell open.

‘Carpentry, interior designer… even plumber?’

‘I’ll consider myself hired,’ Tegan said, grinning cheerfully as she closed up the wallet. ‘Shall we have a look?’

Nyssa stared at the woman, mouth still hanging open.

‘You amaze me, Tegan.’

‘Er, thanks,’ the Australian said, a slight but rather attractive flush rising in her cheeks. ‘So… shall we?’

Nyssa smiled, feeling her cheeks dimple. She nodded, and followed Tegan towards the door.

About an hour later, the two women emerged from the practice. Nyssa’s phone was now full of pictures of the various rooms, as well as possible ideas for what she could do with each of the rooms. A lot of the furniture could still be used, although it would need some cleaning first. Tegan had politely listened as Nyssa had excitedly rambled about requirements for dental practices, the Australian nodding along in a state of cheerful bafflement. If she didn’t care much for the discussion, she hadn’t made it known.

‘Listen,’ Tegan said, as she locked up the door behind hind. ‘I know we kind-of hassled you into this, but the final decision really is yours. You’re the one who’ll be running the place, after all.’

Nyssa smiled, appreciative of the Australian’s kind words.

‘Thank you, Tegan. I… I think I’ll need to think about it about it some more, especially in terms of the financial side of it. Starting up my own practice is a bit decision.’

Tegan nodded.

‘I find surfing normally helps me think.’

Nyssa chuckled.

‘I wouldn’t know the first thing about surfing.’

‘Maybe a walk around the harbour, then?’

Nyssa nodded, smiling.

*

The sun was already beginning to sink towards the horizon. Tegan had pointed out a hotel in the high street that Nyssa could stay in overnight, before a flat or house could be found for Nyssa in the local area.

The two women reached the harbour. A few small fishing boats were nestled against the harbour walls, and the sounds of seagulls could be heard echoing above the town. Judging from what Tegan had mentioned, the birds were menaces, often attacking dogs and even small children.

‘It’s pretty quiet in the winter,’ Tegan said, leaning against the interior of the sea wall. Her brown eyes reflected the setting sun. ‘On my first day here, it was blowing a gale and chucking it down with rain. But… I dunno, I knew I’d found a place I wanted to live.’

Nyssa nodded, quite unable to take her eyes away from the Australian’s face. Despite only knowing Tegan for that afternoon, she felt as if she’d known her for years. Was that strange? Or was that just wishful thinking on Nyssa’s part?

‘Halfway around the world?’ Nyssa asked. ‘How did that happen?’

Tegan chuckled, giving Nyssa a quick wink that sent a happy shiver up her spine.

‘Nyssa, I can’t be mysterious if you know that, can I?’

Nyssa giggled.

‘Fair point. Alright, keep your mysteries for now, Ms Jovanka.’

Tegan’s mouth quirked slightly.

‘For now?’

Nyssa gave a wink in return, chuckling.

The two women laughed together for a moment. Nyssa now knew that her initial assessment of Tegan had been rather misplaced; the woman wasn’t rude, she was simply forthright and straightforward in her opinions. And she had a kindness behind her eyes that was intoxicatingly endearing.

‘Hey… please stay,’ Tegan said, softly, turning to stare at Nyssa. Behind her, the sun was beginning to set, casting a cosy pink halo around the Australian’s face. ‘Build something with us here.’

Nyssa stared at the Australian, feeling herself lost in those lovely brown eyes.

Oh...

‘I… I suppose I’ll need to have my things sent down from London over the next few days.’

Tegan stared at her for a second, before letting out a whoop. Dashing forward, the Australian pulled Nyssa into a hug. Nyssa felt her cheeks flesh at the sudden contact, and gave a squeak as Tegan hoisted off her feet and swung her around and around in an arc, laughing with delight the entire time.

‘T-Tegan!’ Nyssa stammered, very aware of how close they suddenly were. ‘P-people might stare!’

‘I don’t bloody care!’ Tegan exclaimed, eyes shining as she beamed up at Nyssa. ‘You’re wonderful, Nys!’

Nys?

Oh, dear, Nyssa thought, as she stared into those gorgeous brown eyes. This had all gotten rather complicated…

~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks for reading, everyone; hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Stay tuned for the next!

[workingforitallthetime]

well this sure is 1.5K of f/f gavin/seamus, isn't it

-

“That girl was flirting with you.” Gavin flops backwards onto her bed.

“Who?” Seamus is at the mirror scrubbing a wipe along the line of her eyelid. She folds the cloth over, looking for a clean spot between streaks of the eyeshadow that made her eyes look even bigger and darker and sadder than usual.

“The lacrosse one.” Long blonde hair, longer legs. Taller than Seamus. Or Gavin.

“She wasn’t flirting with me.” Seamus tosses her makeup wipe toward the trash can. “She’s one of the ones who saran-wrapped Kienan’s moped.”

“She held your hair back at the water fountain.” In the dorm lobby, completely unprompted, as everyone filtered in from a Saturday of parties and meandered their way toward the elevators. “She was absolutely flirting with you.”

Seamus squirts toner onto a cotton pad. “You’ve held my hair back.”

“While you were puking,” Gavin protests.

Seamus gestures like Gavin’s just proved her point, but it’s not the same thing. Holding your friend’s hair back while they puke is just helping. Holding Seamus’s hair back at the water fountain — gathering up all those thick dark curls, letting your fingers brush the back of her neck— that’s flirting. Which is why Gavin’s never tried that with Seamus.

Seamus leans into the mirror, carefully blotting her face. “Just because every girl flirts with you doesn’t mean they’re flirting with me.”

Gavin doesn’t even try to argue the first half of the point. But even if Seamus doesn’t have Gavin’s brand of adorable butch magic, the kind that beguiles queers and converts straight girls, plenty of girls ought to be into the busty Irish barmaid vibe that Seamus has going. “Doesn’t mean they’re not, either.”

Seamus makes a skeptical noise and shakes a nearly empty tube of something over her palm, trying to expel the contents.

Gavin’s suddenly conscious of her own nighttime routine: considerably easier, and already completed. Teeth brushed, sports bra tossed over her chair, jeans and crop top replaced with boxers and an old t-shirt. Done.

She repositions her pillow behind her head. “Would you ever?” she asks Seamus, while Seamus is distracted with the sad empty wheeze of whatever skin care product she’s after.

Somehow it’s never occurred to her to ask. Gavin always figured Seamus would tell her if she ever had anything to say. Gavin hadn’t had any hesitation about telling Seamus, pugnaciously spitting out I’m gay while they were stickhandling in Seamus’s driveway six years ago, using Seamus’s momentary confusion to swat the puck out from under her.

Seamus suddenly gives up on the tube in her hand, tossing it into the garbage can with a clunk. She rummages through her basket and comes up with dental floss instead. “Yeaaaaah…” The syllable draws out uncertainly as Seamus pulls a length of floss out of its case. She doesn’t sound unsure about the answer. She sounds more unsure about sharing it with Gavin. “I never have.” She leans in close to the mirror and works the floss between her molars with precise movements. “I don’t think I’d know how.”

“It’s easy,” Gavin scoffs. “You’ve kissed guys, you can kiss a girl.” Although Gavin’s not 100 percent sure how far Seamus has gone with guys, even. Seamus never told her about anyone in the picture while she was at the program. And from what Gavin’s seen this year, guys don’t really seem to… stick. They’ll be around for a few weeks — a study partner, a coffee date, a string of notifs superimposed over Seamus’s lockscreen photo of her and Gavin at U18 worlds — and then gone without explanation. Seamus never looks too upset. Gavin never asks.

Seamus flicks the used floss into the trash can and turns to face Gavin. “It seems pretty different.”

Gavin can’t remember whether the Team USA shirt Seamus is wearing is hers or Gavin’s. Same with the faded Florida Alliance t-shirt Gavin’s wearing. Now that they share a dorm room it’s pretty much stopped mattering. Seamus keeps sneaking her laundry into Gavin’s basket and Gavin keeps letting her get away with it. “I could teach you.”

Seamus looks away so quickly it’s almost a flinch. “You would?”

“Yeah, sure.” It’s not like Seamus would be the first straight girl who’s learned the ropes from Gavin. It feels a little more… high stakes, maybe… with Seamus, but why should it? What good is a gay best friend if she can’t teach you how to hook up with a girl? Gavin can do a little gay mentoring, equip Seamus to kiss whoever she wants. Anybody at all. Just… like, hopefully not anybody from the lacrosse team. Or anybody else tall and blonde. Gavin swings her feet over the edge of the bed and sits up. “C’mere.”

“Like now?” Seamus shifts her weight uncertainly from one bare foot to the other under the hems of her pajama pants.

Gavin pats the mattress next to her. “Yeah, now.”

“Can we at least…” Seamus goes for the light switch without finishing her question. Gavin lets her. As Seamus’s feet whisper across the floor in the darkened room, she wonders what Seamus doesn’t want her to see.

Her eyes adjust as Seamus perches on the edge of the bed, one leg tucked under her so she can face Gavin. It feels familiar. They could be eight years old, in Gavin’s bedroom in Florida, crunching wintergreen lifesavers to watch the sparks. They could be fifteen, in a hotel room at a minor hockey tournament, Seamus trying to draw lip liner on Gavin for the awards banquet. Eighteen’s not so different. It’s not so different to see Seamus’s face, bare and vulnerable, when she closes her eyes as Gavin leans in to kiss her.

Gavin’s ready to show off a little, but isn’t she always. She tucks a finger under Seamus’s chin and tilts her face upward into Gavin’s best entry-level kiss, warm and slow and searching, the kind that usually makes straight girls forget they came to the party hoping to blow Adam or Rutger.

It doesn’t quite work on Seamus. Her lips are soft, but she’s so tense Gavin can feel her grinding her teeth.

Gavin pulls back. “Relax.”

Seamus sucks in a deep breath like she’s been putting it off while Gavin was kissing her. “Sorry.” She covers her mouth with the back of her hand. “You don’t have to…”

“Oh yes I do,” Gavin says, murderously. Now she’s determined. She’s going to win the… well, whatever it is, she’s going to win it. She’s going to get Seamus started off right on whatever fucking journey she’s headed on. She grips Seamus’s shoulder loosely and gives her a little shake. “Just, like, breathe, okay?”

Seamus nods quickly. “Okay.”

Something about the smallness of her voice burrows underneath Gavin’s bravado. She takes Seamus’s face between her hands, and it’s like she’s holding all of it, all thirteen years of shared history twined together like a French braid, cradled in her palms. “Okay,” Gavin echoes, softer, and brings their lips together.

She doesn’t bother taking it easy this time. Just goes in mean and hungry, but that’s nothing Seamus doesn’t already know about her. Seamus finally relaxes, mouth falling open soft and easy, when Gavin catches her bottom lip between her teeth. Maybe because it’s exactly what she’d expect from Gavin.

Gavin lets one hand drift down the line of Seamus’s neck and trail along her collarbone. She traces a fingertip over Seamus’s shoulder along the line of her bra strap, just a little tease to build on when Gavin decides where she wants to take this.

Seamus leans into the kiss. Gavin can feel the catch in her breath, the yearning angle of her head as she follows Gavin’s mouth. But as Gavin’s hands wander, Seamus’s hands sit uselessly in her lap. “Touch me,” Gavin murmurs against Seamus’s lips, punctuating it with a stinging kiss.

After a breath, Seamus carefully settles one hand at Gavin’s side, just above the waistband of her boxers. Gavin twines a hand in Seamus’s hair—god, all that hair, thick and dark and cloaking a pocket of pure heat against Seamus’s neck—so she can hold Seamus in place, lick deeper inside of her. Her skin feels raw, hypersensitive, anticipating Seamus’s touch.

Seamus’s hand stays tentatively at her waist. More like she’s steadying herself than touching Gavin.

Gavin breaks off the kiss. “Okay…”

Seamus immediately drops her hand, as if they’re all done here.

“Hold on.” Gavin crosses her arms and strips her t-shirt over her head in one seamless motion. Her nipples tighten with the sudden coolness, the awareness of exposure. “You have to actually touch me.” She tries to level Seamus with a challenging stare.

It misses the mark. Seamus’s eyes are elsewhere, looking at Gavin’s tits like she’s never seen them before. Gavin can’t quite read her expression in the dark. Maybe cautious. Maybe hungry.

She cups Seamus’s hand in her own and lifts it to her breast. “Here.” Gavin waits a moment before withdrawing her own hand, wondering if Seamus can feel her heartbeat quickening. Seamus looks up at her, eyes so dark that Gavin might drown in them. She doesn’t pull away when Gavin releases her, shifting her hand instead so that Gavin’s breast fits in the curve of her palm.

“Oh.” Seamus barely breathes it. She brushes her thumb over the tip of Gavin’s nipple, feather-light.

Heat ripples out from the touch and pools in Gavin’s belly. She closes her eyes and arches into Seamus’s hand. “Yeah, there.”

[wolfsbanemanor]

So, how did they become vampires anyway? (Part 1)

I'm going to tell you the story of how (I think) they became vampires. I want to preface this by saying that this is my opinion, and though it's informed by the Reveal Trailer for this pack and Lily Zhu's dialog boxes from the Werewolves pack, it's just my thoughts on them, and you are free to take this with a grain of salt. I am posting it under a cut, because it is not only a fairly long story, it may be upsetting to some. (Though I do believe it goes a long way towards explaining why Caleb is the way he is, why he has the vampire weaknesses he does, and why he has such a thing about not biting Sims without permission.) So, without further ado...

The story of Caleb and Lilith doesn't begin with Caleb and Lilith. No. It begins with Vlad. One night, Vlad was skulking about, and he entered the home of a woman named Marybelle Smith. Now, a little bit about Ms. Smith. She had once had bad teeth, but her parents had paid a small fortune for her to have some extensive dental/orthodontic work done, and she prided herself on her perfect smile. Every morning and every night, she would brush, floss, gargle mouthwash, and admire her teeth. She was so grateful to her parents, who had passed away some time ago. Her teeth used to cause her such anguish, and got her teased a lot in junior high. Since then, she'd done quite well for herself; she had a good job, a nice house, a bitchin' motorcycle...yes, life was good.

Until that night, that is. Marybelle was brushing her teeth, like always. She never locked her door; she lived in a nice neighborhood, and almost no one ever locked their doors. Vlad crept into the house, and listened for any sign of life. His ears were more sensitive than those of most Sims. He heard it: Marybelle brushing her teeth, and the water running in her sink. He took a minute and admired her beauty, covered only by a pink towel from her bath. Then he crept up behind her. She felt a presence that startled her, and she doesn't remember much else. She woke up on the bathroom tile around midnight, a little bit confused, and with a strange hunger (or was it thirst?) that she couldn't explain. And...was that blood? From her neck? In the coming days, her transformation was complete. No longer did she have a perfect smile like you'd see in a toothpaste ad. Her teeth were sharp and pointy now! And worst of all, she couldn't see them in her mirror. Marybelle had always had a bit of a temper, from the time she was a little girl. Enraged, she smashed her mirror and stormed out of the house, never to return to it.

Over the next few months, Marybelle changed. A lot. She learned that she was a vampire now, and she had to say, she was rather liking it. She could stay up all night and travel around as a bat. And she had hypnotic powers and greater strength than she'd ever had in her life. Yes, she thought. She could get used to this. She even had the ability to somewhat shapeshift into a "Dark Form." Hers happened to include a mohawk, dyed a blood-red color. She decided that the name "Marybelle Smith" no longer fit, and paid to have her name legally changed to Miss Hell.

Meanwhile, back in Willow Creek, a pair of twins grieved for their parents, killed in a tragic car accident one evening. The road had been slippery from snow, and the car spun out of control and slammed into another car. They had put their dreams aside, to deal with the work of getting their estate sorted out and all that stuff. So much paperwork, so many meetings with lawyers. So many hours spent sorting through their parents' possessions, deciding what to keep, what to donate, what to sell. So many meetings with their parents' pastor, and the local funeral director, to give their parents a proper send-off to The Great Beyond. So many well-meaning friends and neighbors (there were no other relatives, save for Mrs. Vatore's sister and her husband, who were in the same car and perished that same night, leaving their only daughter Lily behind) who'd brought casseroles (most of which disgusted Caleb, though he was too polite to say so), sent cards and flowers, and moved on with their lives. But finally, finally, after months of back-and-forth with lawyers and whatnot, Dr. and Mrs. Vatore's estate was sorted out. Everything belonged to Caleb and Lilith now. And though they still missed their parents, they were getting used to life without them. They got themselves jobs: Caleb in the mailroom at Dewey, Cheatham, and Howe, and Lilith at a local coffee shop, and they were considering the possibility of going back to school. Life was good, or at least well on its way there.

And so they decided that they were going to go out and party a little bit. They had themselves a good time. Lilith went home with some guy (whose name she no longer remembers), and they had themselves some intense woohoo. Caleb stayed behind, enjoying cocktails and conversation. (Two of his favorite things!) Mar-...uh, Miss Hell came to the same bar, and she spotted Caleb. She was immediately taken with him, as many women (and men) were. She tried to get his attention, but his mind was elsewhere, lost in the music, the alcohol, the conversations with random people about everything from llamas to underpants. This angered Miss Hell; why wasn't he noticing her?! Was he deliberately ignoring her? Her?! As the night wore on, she found herself getting more and more fixated on him, feeling a strange combination of lust and loathing, attraction and anger. She wanted his blood, she wanted to woohoo him, and she wanted to watch him squirm. All at once.

Eventually, Caleb decided to call it a night. It had been an enjoyable evening; he'd gotten a few numbers to use later. (Caleb was no stranger to woohoo, but he preferred to get to know his partners first.) Before leaving, he decided to use the bathroom. (All those cocktails had caught up with him!) Unbeknownst to Caleb, Miss Hell transformed into a bat and followed him in. Nobody else noticed this; they were all too wrapped up in themselves to notice this, though it wasn't something one saw every day.

As he relieved himself, he couldn't help but feel like he was being watched. Not by a Watcher; putting aside the question of whether or not such an entity existed (he'd never been certain, though he was raised in a very religious household, where the pastor visited regularly, grace was said before meals, and Henry Puffer and several other books and movies were forbidden), or the question of why such an entity (should He/She/They/It exist) would want to watch him urinate (and truth be told, though he was no prude, he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer to that question), this didn't feel like a Being off in the wild blue yonder somewhere. No, this felt like a presence much, much closer. But, there was no one else in that one-person bathroom but himself. He'd locked the door behind him, right? He figured it was late, he was getting tired, and he'd had a few drinks, and his mind was playing tricks on him. He never noticed the bat hovering in the shadows, waiting for just the right moment. Nor did he notice when the bat transformed into a punk-rocker woman. The only sounds he could hear were the music from outside, and his own stream splashing into the toilet.

No sooner had he finished up and tucked himself back into his pants, he felt himself grabbed from behind. A cold, pale hand, with long black acrylic nails filed to sharp points (one with a silvery spider glued to it) covered his mouth, while a matching hand snaked down his abdomen and reached into his pants. "Don't feel like you have to put that away just because of me," said a female voice, right in his ear. "Since it's just you and me in here, let's have some fun!"

Meanwhile, back at home, Lilith stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around herself. Her hookup had left, and she was getting ready for bed. As she dried off and changed into her PJs, she started to worry. Caleb hadn't come home. It wasn't like him to stay out all night, and it wasn't like him to not at least text her. She decided to try his phone; he didn't answer.

After she'd taken all she wanted, Miss Hell put her clothes on, and redressed Caleb as well, so no one would suspect anything. Caleb was too shocked and traumatized to move, though he wanted nothing more in that moment than to get away. Then Miss Hell decided that she wanted to see him again. She decided she was going to turn him into a vampire like herself. She picked him up, hypnotized him, and plunged her fangs into his neck (again), before biting her own wrist and forcing her own blood into his mouth. Blood which tasted like...nothing else. Certainly not like normal blood. She let him fall to the ground and said, "See you around, Sexy." Then she smoothed out her clothes, and walked out of that bathroom like she hadn't just done the worst thing a Sim could possibly do to another Sim. Tears fell from Caleb's eyes, and then his world went dark. Between hitting his head on the tile, the shock, the trauma, the blood loss, the alcohol he'd consumed earlier, etc., he passed out. The only signs of life came from his phone: calls and texts from Lilith, who was getting more and more worried by the minute. No one had noticed anything amiss, or come to his aid; all the noises associated with what just transpired, including his pleas for help, were drowned out by loud music from outside.

Hours later, he found himself being kicked awake by an irate, heavy-set man. "Come on, Kid, move!" he said. The music had stopped, the bar had closed for the night, and most everyone had gone home. The grumpy bartender had come in to clean up, found Caleb passed out on the floor, and assumed he was just another drunk or junkie that had partied a little too hard and passed out (after some rough woohoo, by the look of it). At first, Caleb had no idea where he was, or how he'd gotten there.

Then it all came flooding back: her cold hands, her chilling laughter, his body responding to her touch in ways he wished it didn't, her sharp nails, her strong grip, his unanswered pleas for her to stop, the hard slap across his face that his protests earned him, her piercing green eyes that seemed to glow, struggling against her and trying to no avail to get away (which only seemed to encourage her), her weight on top of him, being unable to fight her off, her cold wetness (why in the Watcher's name was she so cold?!), her sharp fangs piercing his neck (wait...fangs?), some kind of fuzziness in his head he couldn't explain, the acrid smell of blood and sex, the sounds of the twisted pleasure she got from using his body, pleasurable feelings he wished he didn't experience, her forceful and thoroughly unwanted kisses, his favorite outfit being ripped and damaged, the strange, sickly-sweet tastes of the juices and blood she forced him to drink in, all of it. "She's not here anymore, is she?!" he panicked. Then he felt dizzy and passed out again. The bartender caught him, "Listen, Kid, I don't-" Then he paused. This young man had two strange-looking wounds on his neck, like two deep puncture wounds. They almost looked like someone had bitten him...but that was crazy, right? They were fairly fresh, too, and blood still trickled from them. He'd never seen anything like this before. The unconscious young man in his arms was pale and felt cool to the touch; something wasn't right here. "Hey, Kid, stay with me," he said. "You need some help." He took out his own phone and called an ambulance.

Lilith awoke to the sound of her phone vibrating on the coffee table. She was in the living room, waiting up for her brother, but fell asleep. She looked at her phone. The caller ID said, "Willow Creek Hospital." Lilith blanched. Oh, Watcher, something terrible must have happened to Caleb! Was this another call like the one she received months ago about her parents? She wasn't sure she could handle that. Hesitantly, she answered the phone. Seconds later, Lilith ran upstairs, grabbed some clean clothes to bring Caleb, plus her own jacket, and raced to the hospital. She found her brother in the ER, looking battered and bruised, like he'd been through Hell and back. His head and neck had been bandaged, and he was hooked up to an IV. The clothes that he'd been wearing when he arrived had been carefully packed away as part of a forensic exam (which was almost worse than what that punk lady had done to him), in case he wished to file a police report, and he was wearing a blue-green hospital gown. "Oh, Watcher...Caleb, what happened to you?!" cried Lilith. He struggled to tell her what happened.

When he was discharged, Lilith brought him home. Caleb took a long shower, and made Lilith stand outside the door. When he was done, he changed into PJs (and Lilith changed his bandages), and he curled up under the blankets and cried himself to sleep. He woke up, haunted by those glowing green eyes and those cold hands and sharp teeth. Caleb remained in his room, curled up under blankets. He couldn't keep anything down, not even just plain water. Lilith tried to get him to get some fresh air and sun, and he reluctantly agreed to it, if only to make her happy. But no sooner did he set foot outside, his skin started to burn. As in, sizzle like bacon. He yelled out in pain and ran back inside. Lilith wasn't sure what to do. She couldn't bear to see him suffer. She called their cousin Lily for advice. Lily came over right away. She went upstairs to comfort her cousin, and even got him to eat a little bit (though he still couldn't keep it down). Soon enough, he looked in the mirror, but no one stared back at him.

[ericac318]

Time For Class

Summary:

Post season one of HBO’s ‘Barry’ with the addition of an OC. Things are going well for the members of the acting class even after the tragic death of Janice. Gene played Arthur Fonzarelli in ‘Happy Days’ in this version, the only AU aspect. This is just a silly story that I wanted to write, don’t expect any crazy drama. Eventual or more quickly Gene/OC. Some moments venture to a more 'M' rating. I own nothing.

The rest of the story can be found here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15335268/chapters/35580990

Chapter 1

Prologue

Gene mourned Janice for the remainder of the summer, unsure if he’d ever find someone else to give his affections to, ever again. The conventions kept him busy, distracted, allowing him to take on the role of Arthur Fonzarelli instead of himself. It didn’t always last as long as he hoped, but it was the best thing he would have until his acting class resumed in the Fall.

Barry and Sally continued their relationship through the summer, getting engaged as the last days of August snuck by. Barry hadn’t killed since Janice (the last tie to his murders in LA that could put him away) and he was finally happy, getting ready to get back to acting class. Sally was signed by the agent at their Shakespeare show, and she was going to audition after audition. She hadn’t landed her big role yet, but it was only a matter of time, and until then acting class was her happy place.

Alyona Moore left her life on the East coast behind, her job as a dental tech and the snow, for LA. She had done some research and found out that Gene Cousineau, who played her biggest TV crush the Fonz, taught an acting class. Her goal was to find freelance work, live off her savings, and get into that class. Meeting Gene and working with him was one of her biggest dreams. Alyona read his book for the (she’d lost count) time on her plane ride to her new home.

Present Day

Alyona arrived in LA with only days to spare before Gene’s class would resume for the Fall. She found a studio loft, moved in, and found a job within two days. It always amazed her how much she could get accomplished when truly motivated. On her fourth day in the City of Angels, she drove to the location of Gene Cousineau’s acting class and parked, waiting to go in as he nerves had finally caught up with her.

Alyona took a deep breath, turned off her car’s engine, opened the door and walked up to the door, opening it in hopes to start her new future. She walked into the classroom to find a group laughing, no sign of Gene.

“Excuse me?” Alyona interrupted a blond girl in the front row, grabbing her attention.

The girl turned and looked at her, “Can I help you?” her smile brighter then any Alyona could remember seeing.

“Is this Gene Cousineau’s class? I’m hoping to join,” she replied, asking her question while sharing her intentions.

She nodded enthusiastically, “It is. I’m Sally,” she gestured to the man next to her, “And, this is my fiance Barry,” before she introduced the rest of the class leaving Alyona to share her name last.

“It’s nice to meet all of you,” she smiled, modestly, “I hope to get to work with all of you. I’m Alyona Moore,” she shared, silence taking over the room as Gene entered, standing on the stage in all his greatness.

“Welcome back,” Gene greeted his students, truly happy to be back with them, “Do we have any new faces joining us?” he asked, dramatically searching the room.

Alyona stood, “Yes sir, my name is Alyona Moore and I came here in hopes to join this elite class, if you’ll have me,” she began, smiling and trying to keep her cool in front of her first big crush.

Gene moved off the stage, straight to her, stopping mere inches away from her. “If you want to become a member of this very exclusive class then you must perform a monologue to prove your worth,” he explained, “Do you have one prepared or would you prefer waiting until the next class and just observing today?” his voice grew softer as he spoke to her, leaving the theatrics alone for the moment.

Alyona swallowed, nervously, “I have one ready,” she replied, “I can do it today. No reason to get my hopes up and wait if you hate it and kick me out,” she added, attempting light humor but knowing it was exactly how she felt.

“What do you have in store for us?” he asked, his giddiness visible as he moved to a seat in the front row near Barry and Sally.

Alyona moved to the stage before she began speaking, “I haven’t acted since high school but I performed an Anne Frank monologue then, and I’ll be doing it for you all today.”

The students sat back, waiting on her to begin.

Alyona took a deep breath before pulling a chair next to her, to play the part of Peter. Then she began, hoping her German accent was still semi acceptable.

“Look Peter, the sky,” Alyona looked up. “What a lovely, lovely day? Aren’t the clouds beautiful? You know what I do when it seems as if I couldn’t stand being cooped up for one more minute? I think myself out. I think myself out on a walk in the park where I used to with Pim. Where the jonquils and the crocus and the violets grow down the slopes. You know the most wonderful part about thinking yourself out? You can have it any way you like. You can have roses and violets and chrysanthemums all blooming at the same time? It’s funny. I used to take it all for granted. And now, I’ve gone crazy about everything to do with nature. Haven’t you?” she threw herself to her knees at the chair. “I wish you had a religion, Peter. Oh, I don’t mean you have to be Orthodox, or believe in heaven and hell and purgatory and all the things. I just mean some religion. It doesn’t matter what. Just to believe in something! When I think of all that’s out there. The trees. And flowers. And seagulls. When I think of the dearness of you, Peter. And the goodness of the people we know, all risking their lives for us every day. When I think of those good things, I’m not afraid anymore. I find myself, and God, and I… We’re not the only people who’ve had to suffer. There’ve always been people that have had to. Sometimes one race, sometimes another, and yet… I know it’s terrible, trying to have any faith when people are doing such horrible things, you know what I sometimes think? I think the world may be going through a phase, the way I was with Mother. It’ll pass, maybe not for hundreds of years, but someday I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are really good at heart. Peter, if you’d only look at it as part of a great pattern. That we’re just a little minute in the life?” she paused and looked away from the chair. “Look at us, going at each other like a couple of grownups! Look at the sky now. Isn’t it lovely?”

Alyona finished and waited for Gene’s reaction, as well as the that of the other students in the class.

[amberesinite]

Vampire, Siren, and Fachen!

Omg thanks 😍

𝐕𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 - Something that you’re proud of: Yesterday I performed a surgery that I had never done before, but it was a life or death situation so I sucked it up and did it, and it went really well!

𝐒𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐧 - A song that you remember from your childhood I have a very distinct memory of walking along the boardwalk in Wildwood, NJ on vacation with my dad late at night and hearing Bailamos by Enrique Iglesias blaring from the boardwalk speakers. I was 7. Hearing it still makes me feel nostalgic, if a bit sad.

𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐧 - Do you have any pets? Yes! Currently my two boys (Mao and Yuengling) live with my mom because they're not really well-socialized and we can't get them into carriers lmao. My girls (Azalea and Mango) and my dog (Taxi) live in my house with me and my husband though.

I'm gonna put their pictures and a short bio of all of them under a cut :)

Azalea - 7 yo FS DSH This gremlin was born to an owned outdoor cat on the East Caribbean island of Grenada who had kittens. The momma cat's owners didn't want the kittens, so they gave them to a TNR group to adopt out. Azalea was the last one who hadn't been adopted yet, and she was the runt (she was originally named Arya because she was so tiny lol). She's super codependent and also my emotional support animal / the love of my life. I've had her since she was 8 weeks old 😭

Mango - 1 yo FS DSH This little shit was found on the city streets at about 4 weeks old without a mom or littermates, so she was dropped off at the shelter where I work. I wanted a friend for Taxi since Azalea hates him, so I brought the little 1 lb kitten home. She's got diagnosed with the kitty-tism, which makes for some very interesting interactions between her and Azalea (read: fights where Azalea is big mad but Mango thinks they're having fun). She also shares a single braincell with Taxi.

Taxi - 3 yo MN Chihuahua Yorkie Poodle Pomeranian Shih Tzu thing This absolute fucking goober was relinquished to the shelter due to a broken leg that the owners couldn't afford to fix. He spent about 2 months in a crate with a splint in an attempt to let it heal on its own. It didn't. So then I offered to foster him until the day of his leg amputation. Unfortunately, my husband fell in love with him, and now his is our sad pathetic son who has sleept between us under the covers every night for the last 2 years.

Mao - 7 yo MN Siamese This gremlin was a feral cat in Grenada too. A student at the university noticed that he had blood and pus coming from his mouth, so we took him to the clinic and found out that he has shit dental genetics and needed all of his teeth removed. We obviously couldn't release a feral cat with no teeth back into the "wild," so I took him home. I've had him for 6 years now 🤗

Yuengling - 10 MC DSH This goober has big orange cat energy. He was hit by a car as a kitten and had his leg amputated. He then went into foster care and stayed there for SEVEN YEARS before I adopted him. Now he hobbles around my mom's house yodelling all day.

[suckitsurveys]

Are you interested in any reality TV shows? They are definitely not something I seek out, but I can get caught up in them from time to time. Also, do competition shows count as “reality?” Like Legomasters and Is It Cake? Lol.

What’s your favourite thing to have on toast? Jelly/jam.

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever had to deal with at your job? There was an active shooter threat on the campus I work on and it was me and my coworker’s job to secure all the buildings remotely while also dealing with the fact that the threat was a block away from me.

Do you think being born was a mistake? I was definitely planned but I sometimes I feel like I shouldn’t have been.

Do you have a large dog? If not, are you afraid of them? I don’t and I’m not.

What is something you used to always do but don’t anymore? I don’t know.

Has anyone ever told you that they loved you, and you didn’t say it back? Yes. What’s your favorite hairstyle on the opposite sex? I love it a little shaggy.

Have you ever done a Mason jar craft? Nah. I usually use them to drink out of or store food in.

Who is your favorite photographer? I couldn’t tell you.

Were you shy in high school? Yes and no.

Do you wish karma were real, or are you glad that it isn’t? Oh it can be real.

Who are the cutest babies in your Facebook newsfeed? Barf.

Are your ears pierced more than once, if at all? My left ear is pierced 3 times and my right it pierced once.

Did the last guy/girl you kissed have any piercings? They do not.

Do you actually love your parents? Of course I do.

Do you know anyone autistic? Yes.

How about someone bipolar? Yes.

Do you believe in celebrating anniversaries? Of course.

What was your very first pet like? I had two parakeets that were my 2nd grade class’s pets. We took them home for the summer and ended up just keeping them because the teacher who got them left. Their names were Featherbrain and Lucky. FB was light blue. Lucky was dark blue and name so because his lil feet were twisted around. They were very cute and loud lol..

Have you ever pet a cow, a sheep or a pig? All three.

What is the wallpaper on your best friend’s cell phone? I have no idea. The last time I saw Sarah’s it was a picture of her and her husband and their cats. I can’t remember the others.

Do you like your girlfriend’s/boyfriend’s parents? I do.

Do you like Polaroid photography? Sure.

Is there a friend of yours who curses nonstop? Who would that be? It’s me oops.

What internet browser do you use? Chrome.

What do you usually do to let your feelings out? Cry.

What was the last thing you uploaded/plugged into the computer? Uhhhhhhhhhhhhh my headphones to charge

Are you participating in Project 365 (you take a picture of you/something every day of the year and post it)? I’ve tried this before and I failed haha.. Do you have a Flickr? If so, post the link. I don’t.

Do you think it’s dumb when a band smashes their instruments, or do you find it totally radical? Whatever.

Have you ever made a gif? If not, do you think it’d be interesting to make one? No.

When you feel uninspired, do you feel like you need to go somewhere to become inspired? I mean, it depends.

Have you ever lived on a university campus? Nope.

Do you play any games on your phone? Yup.

Have you ever shaved your face? Yes, I do often because PCOS is a bitch.

What was the last vaccination you got? Covid.

Who’s your favorite rapper? And your favorite song by this favorite rapper? Post Malone. My current favorite is Chemical.

How about your favorite band? And your favorite song by this band? Vampire Weekend. Hannah Hunt is my favorite, naturally.

Has anyone ever made a promise to you that they’d change? Who? Uh huh.

Have you ever had any painful dental work done? If so, what? I had my wisdom teeth out and that was not pleasant.

Is there anyone you’d like to apologize to? I’m good.

Could you go a month without talking to your best friend? Not a whole month, no. Not without at least saying a couple things to each other.

How has your style changed since you were in high school? Eh. I’m still for comfort over fashion.

What was the last new drink you discovered that was delicious? I bought some Thai tea from the grocery store with low expectations but it was really good.

What is your favorite way your hair has ever looked? In terms of color? Blue with black ends. Style? My most recent “buttlerfly” or “wolf” or whatever you want to call it cut.

Have you ever had a teacher that also taught your parents? Nope. I did have a teacher in high school who graduated high school with my sister.

Where’s the nearest GameStop near you? I have no idea. Probably the

What was the last thing you took a video of? A deer we saw on a walk recently.

What’s the biggest risk you’ve ever taken? Honestly, going to meet my husband for the first time.

Do you believe your ex cares about you? No.

What was the last compliment you received from the opposite sex? Something work related.

Have you ever been to an orchard? I have.

Who was the last family member of yours that died? My father’s cousin.

What is your favorite color for cars? Purple or blue.

Do you have any gay family members? Yes.

Did your last relationship end because of you or the other person? It was both of us.

Would you be upset if you caught your boyfriend looking at porn? No, of course not.

Have you ever had crabs, turtles, or lobsters? As pets? No. Eaten? Yes.

What is your favorite type of cat? Torties.

What if a friend asked you to go with her to get an abortion? I would go with them, no questions asked.

Who of the opposite sex has seen you at your worst? My husband.

Are you sitting in a spinning chair? I am.

Are you one of those people who will not use a public washroom? No. If I gotta pee I gotta pee.

Have your parents ever disapproved of the person you’re dating? No.

Were you raised by someone other than your parents? I was raised around extended family so to an extent, yes.

What’s the last chore you did? Laundry.

What is your favorite jungle animal? Do pandas count?

Is your father injured? Nope, and I’m always hoping he stays that way.

Are you part Native American? Yes. A small part, but it’s there.

What are your pets’ names? Friday, Ramona, and Sake.

Have you ever worked two jobs? I have not.

Who is the oldest sibling in your family? My sister.

What are some of your happy thoughts? Kitties.

What are the names of all the dogs you’ve ever owned? Cosmo.

Would you ever get a face tattoo? Nah.

How much was the rent/mortgage at the cheapest place you’ve ever lived? $975

Who in life have you felt the strongest need to protect? My nieces.

What is the cruelest thing a person has ever said to you? Blah.

Who do you think was the worst criminal in history? There’s been way too many.

Which laws would you most like to change? Abortion would be legal everywhere.

Who have you most feared in your life? My brother in law.

What is your strongest reason for your opinion on abortion? Because people should be able to do whatever the fuck they want with their own bodies. What one natural thing would you most like to see? Some national parks.

[survey--s]

637.

Would you rather have another job?  I mean, I'd rather not work at all, but seeing as life isn't free, I'm happy enough doing what I do. I doubt I'll do it forever, but it suits me perfectly for the time being.

Did you ever live in a house with more than one story?  We always have done, except for when I was in a flat for a couple of years.

What room of your home do you spend most time in?  The living room. I only really use my bedroom to sleep.

Is your second toe longer than your big toe?  Yes, on both feet and they're permanently bent because of it, lol.

Have you ever given yourself a tattoo?  No.

Do you own any clothes you wouldn’t wear in front of your mother?  Yeah, a couple of things.

Do you have health insurance?  I have dental insurance but otherwise I just use the NHS.

What are some medical issues you’re currently dealing with?  Nothing really.

Why did you last take pain medication?  I had a headache this morning. I really need to remember to drink more at work.

What physical traits have you inherited from your father?  We have the same hair type and we're both pale skinned. We're also very similar in terms of our facial structures - like, there's no denying he's my dad, lol.

How about your mother?  We have the same hair/eye colour.

What personality traits do you wish your children would inherit from you? I don't want children.

What parts of the world are your ancestors from?  Scotland, Spain, Australia, the Seychelles.

Have you ever had a strange pet, outside of the normal animals people keep?  No. Over the years, I've had six cats and a dog.

Do you believe in astrology?  No.

Do you drive an electric car?  No. There's not really the network for them around here yet. We're too rural for them to be reliable, especially as we don't have decent off-road parking.

What are your opinions on global warming?  I think it’s too late for us to do anything about it - this planet is fucked regardless of any changes we make. < I am pessimistic about it too, yes. <--- same.

Do you like facial hair on guys or do you prefer the clean shaven look?  It depends on the person.

Who was your first celebrity crush?  Josh Hartnett and Michael Owen.

Are you good with kids?  Apparently so.

Are you usually late, early, or right on time?  Early or right on time. I HATE being late, it really stresses me out, even if I'm just picking a dog up for a walk and the owners aren't there to know anyway, hahah.

Are you good at applying makeup?  No.

Do you like pastel colored hair?  I think it's really cute but it looks like a lot of work.

What do you think about the most?  Work, my animals, life in general, food.

Do you like to see it snowing outside?  I love snow but we never get the proper stuff. We're too close to the sea - we mostly end up with slush and sleet.

Do you have your national flag hanging up anywhere outside your house?  Most definitely not.

Have you ever been in a choir?  Yeah, just school ones though.

Do you look older or younger than you actually are?  Younger.

When is the next time you’ll be up on stage?  I have absolutely no idea.

Where did you spend your last birthday at?  It was actually a snow day - I had a couple of cat visits that Mike had to drive me to (my car wouldn't get up the hill) but otherwise I just stayed at home and I think we ordered takeaway.

What was the last show that you watched a full episode of?  Keeping Up Appearances.

Is there anything you need to work on doing soon?  Nah, not really.

Were you ever a boy or girl scout?  Nope.

Do you take your medications in the morning or at night?  I don't take regular medication.

Have you ever bought a YouTuber’s merch?  No.

What is the best type of donut?  Apple cinnamon fritters.

Do you like thrift stores?  Not really. All the ones around here are just super disorganised and it stresses me out, hahah.

What is your town known for?  Being an old mining town that's now run-down and poor, lol.

Have you ever used a fake name at Starbucks?  Probably as a teenager, yeah.

What color is your lava lamp?  I've never had one.

Who is your favorite Lisa Frank character?  I never had any Lisa Frank thing.

What’s your favorite movie that you remember seeing in the theater?  Pocahontas.

Do you know anyone who has ten cats?  I don’t think so. Have you ever had a cat?  Yeah, we currently have three cats.

Have you ever had a dog?  Yeah, we have a beagle.

Have you ever any other kind of animal?  No.

Have you ever had a pet rock?  No.

What were you voted in the senior class polls?  Most likely to change in ten years time.

Who was your favorite teacher in high school?  Mr Cox, my German teacher.

Do you want to give your kids common names or unique names?  I don't want kids.

What collection are you thinking of starting?  I have no intention of starting any collections.

What are five of your favorite stores at the mall?  I haven't been to the mall in years. But generally I love book shops, jewellery shops, candle/gift type shops, stationary places and I guess clothes shops.

Do you organize your clothes by color?  No, they get organised by style/item.

What do you want to name your first child?  ...

List ten favorite girls names.  Catelyn, Sophia, Samantha, Emilia, Scarlett, Harper, Clara, Nathalie, Chloe and Lauren.

List ten favorite boys names.  Seth, Liam, Samuel, Nathan, Alexander, Harrison, Dylan, Thomas, Oliver and Xavier.

What season do you want to get married in?  We got married at the very end of summer/beginning of Autumn.

Is your Pinterest cluttered?  I don't use Pinterest.

What is your favorite insect?  Ladybirds.

What bugs scare you?  Hissing cockroaches and tarantulas.

Who picked your name, your mom or your dad?  My dad.

What are your siblings’ names?  I don't have any siblings.

Have you ever fallen asleep in a significant other’s arms?  Sure.

Do you have a television in your room? If you do, is it one of the old school big ones? Or i it a new flat screen?  We do. It's a flat-screen but it's ancient.

What was your favorite cartoon or television show as a child? What about movie?  Arthur was my favourite show. Movie-wise, probably Lion King or Land Before Time.

Did you have sleepovers at your friends’ houses a lot as a child? Or did your friends come over to your house more often?  Not really. I didn't really start going on sleepovers until I was at secondary school. Generally my friends slept at mine as I had a spare bed and no annoying brothers lol.

Do you have any significantly older siblings?  Nope.

When opening presents on Christmas or birthdays, do you first try to guess what is in the package? Do you tear the wrap off slowly, or just rip it to shreds? Are you polite no matter what the gift, and say you love it anyways?  I try and guess but then I just open as normal. I always thank the person who's sent it, yes.

What happened last time you got drunk?  I don't remember, it was years ago.

What are you listening to?  The Desolation of Smaug is playing in the background.

Which parent do you feel the most affection for?  My mum.

How do you feel about God?  “If there is a God, He will have to beg for my forgiveness.” A quote that reached fame by being found carved in a concentration camp wall. And I will forever agree with it, violently so. <– I like this answer. < There you go. <--- yep.

Which platform do you use to listen to music on the most?  Spotify or YouTube.

Who do you care about the most?  My family, my animals and myself.

[yaboyoj]

End of year review 2022

As I sit back and try to reflect of what has been the year 2022, I don't have much to say. My wife and I are still good, and our baby is growing, beautifully and authentically. Her personality is shining through, and she is bright, curious and opinionated. She can also be shy around others, and I think she is developing a fondness for the arts (especially music). My wife is up for a major promotion next year, and her most significant research project is well underway and should publish it's initial findings next year. This should be the most seminal piece of work on this subject since this is a relatively uncharted area, and will most likely lead to national, if not international prominence for her. I am incredibly proud of all she has accomplished, and will accomplish in the future. Professionally, I have taken a step back, and truthfully, I am still not sure how I feel about this. I have left all board and volunteer positions except one, and I have put aside all work for my consulting firm until after out daughter goes off to school. The time commitments of full time parenting, are too much, and have left me unable to pursue anything I am truly interested in. While reading my reflection from last year, I noticed my goal for this year was to live a healthier life. That led me to two thoughts. First, I feel as if I abandoned that goal for most of the year. I did do some much needed dental work that has improved my health in that regard, but I did little to improve my physical or mental health in any way. I really wanted to curtail my drinking, and I did not for most of the year. But as of 12/30, (and spearheaded by a bout of Covid that has recently stricken our entire household) I am 14 days sober. My goal isn't to stay completely sober, so I don't expect to continuously keep track of this, but this does make me feel good, and it gives me hope that I will reach a time in my life where I don't have to count the days (and when 14 days isn't a significant milestone). Consequently, I shall make my health a priority again next year. My second thought... I wrote so much in point one that I lost my train of thought and I can no longer remember my second point. So I will leave this here in case I remember but if not, it will stay until next year. A long meandering post, with little introspection in the way of specific events from the year, but truthfully, it was not an overly eventful year, and that is a good thing. So... until next year!

Updated on 02/17: I remember what I wanted to include in my end of year post. I want to focus on my mnental health for 2023. Being at home with a child, day in and day out with no refuge has had an adverse effect on myh mental health. I love my daughter, and the time I have spent with her is inmeasurable. But it has also taken it's toll on me. I want to improve my mental health next year and one concrete way I think I can acheive this isby finding sometihng to look forwrd to outside of this house. A hooby. An interest. Something I can regularly enjoy that isn't finacnail or career focused. Something just for me and my passions. I really hope I find it.

I also want to close out this year end post with a little introspection about my friend Sean. Sean was a good friend of mine, and a roommate in college. He died the day I wrote my initial post and it didn't really set in until days later. A father of two girls, liver disease took him away from there in much the way that I sometimes fear will happen to me if I do not slow down my drinking. While I have made progress over the years, I often fear I have done irreparable damage. Seeing something like this befall a good friend and regular drinking companion, only exacerbates those fears in me. While I have lost other friends and family members over the years, this one really stayed with me for many reasons. Most significant of which is that it just highlighted my biggest fear (that my daughter will have to grow up without me). A good man, and father, I know that was his biggest sorrow as well. So with added emphasis, I reiterate my goal for this year is to improve my health, both physical and mental, and limit my drinking to a level I consider healthy.

[rrazor]

hq boys post wisdom teeth extraction

tags: fluff, soft boyfies lol

kuroo tetsurou wakes up and immediately the first thing he tells the professionals around him is that he wants to see his girlfriend because he knows you’re waiting for him and “i love her so much 🥺🥰" he says it a few more times and everyone laughs at how doped up he is both from the drugs and you. when you walk in to take notes on how to take care of him afterwards, he just stares at you as he holds you hand with the SOFTEST LOOK on his face like 🥺😍☺️❤️💕💖💝🥺🥰💖💝☺️

tetsu cannot stop looking at you and u almost have to plead with him to watch where’s he walking like tetsu pls we don’t wanna have to come back to get your front teeth done sweetie 🅱️lease!!!!!! other than that he is pretty easy to reason with it as long as you promise to kiss every part of his face once in a particular order and if u mess up, unfortunately, you’ll just have to start over again sigh it makes his heart go 💥💥💥

bokuto kuroo offers to drive him back home and brings you along to support and comfort him. he helps kou get into the back with you but he refuses and goes “kuroooooo, she’s too pretty, I dun wanna sit next to her ☹️” LMFAO kuroo rolls his eyes and just sits him down and buckles him in despite his protests HA

kou is super nervous and keeps looking over you when he thinks you aren’t looking like 🥺😊 and you decide to play along and ask him how he’s feeling and if he’s in pain and he shakes his head and goes “‘m okay, you’re really pretty though 🥺😍” kuroo snorts in the front seat and you’re trying rlly hard to not laugh at how cute he is so you take his hand and kou lit rally thinks he’s gonna pass out when you call him handsome and ask him out before kissing his cheek. he starts crying as he says things like “kuroo!!!! the pretty girl is my girlfriend now!! 🥺❤️😭💖💕😭😭🥳”

akaashi you’re already by his side by the time he wakes up but he doesn’t remember jack so he goes “hello, have u seen my girlfriend? she looks just like you. can u tell me if u see her? I would like to see her—she’s my everything 😊🥰” UGGHH KISS HIIMMM

he doesn’t remember who you are until the medication wears off but you manage to convince him that you’re gonna take him to his girlfriend so you can take him home 💀 and he spends the whole car ride really pretty quiet until you ask him why he’s so fidgety and then he softly tells you “i… can’t wait to see my girlfriend 🥺🥰💕 she said we’d go on an ice-cream date after🍦i hope she’s not mad that it’s been so long 🥺❤️💗” AHDHJANAA like a little happy babyyyy 🥺😭

oikawa tooru’s procedure finishes earlier than expected and has a dental hygienist watching over him as they wait for you and for some reason he starts to sing, but it’s really out of tune because of all the cotton in his mouth and the dental hygienist is just standing there, taking it. you can hear him down the hall as you walk into his room and he’s so excited to see you!!! “did you hear me sing for you, babe? i didn’t want you to get lost in this maze 🥺🥰” “yes, i did, tooru, tysm you don’t have to sing anymore 😊😇💕”

tries to pull you into his lap as the dentist goes through the aftercare procedures and whines “pleasssseeeee, it huuurrrrrttttts i just want cuddddlllleesssss 😭☹️🥺💕” you opt to sit on the edge of the chair as he buries his head in your back 🥰

iwaizumi YOU try to flirt with hajime because he doesn’t remember that you’re his girlfriend and he’s all like stop!!! i have a girlfriend! 😡 AHAHA so you decide to ask him about his lovely girlfriend and he gets the softest smile on his face omggg and he starts going on about how hardworking you are ❤️, determined 💘, beautiful 💖, how nice you smell 😳

when you tell him its you he doesn’t believe you!!! like stop u r trying too hard, stranger!!! 😠 It’s not until you bring up a photo of yourselves and stick it next to your face does he go all soft again like babe i missed you 🥺 there was this weirdo trying to flirt with me, i’m so glad you’re here 🥰 and you tell him that the weirdo was you and he’s like “no, you’re better than that” LMFAAOO THANKS HAJIME 😭

matsukawa his mom is there to pick the two of you up and he’s holding your hand as he turns to you, super concerned and goes “babe, we forgot my teeth 😞” HWJJCKWJSJEF 💀 he’s all pouty and its sooooooo cute LMFAO WHAT DID HE THINK A REMOVAL WAS??? but you play it cool and squeeze his hand and say “i didnt forget you though 😊” he nods like a little kid and says “yeah” and tries to pull you into his lap so that you can cuddle but his mom is right there and you’re tryna be a good passenger and stop him from unbuckling your seatbelt: issei, we can cuddle when we get home!!!!

this giant dude just looks at you all 🥺 and BEGS like “babe please, just a little, i just want to hold you 🥺💕” he tries to guilt trip you like “c’mon, babe, you forgot my teeth” 😭😭😭 STFU u somehow make it back to his place and he tackles you into the couch and promptly falls asleep in 2 minutes flat 😴 his mom thinks its hilarious and thanks u for taking care of him ☺️❤️

hanamaki straight up asks you if you have a boyfriend. you say yes and he gets REALLY SAD OH MY GOD and is all “oh ☹️🥺” but then you cup his cheek and hold one of his hands and start telling him what your boyfriend looks like and how he has cute strawberry hair and pretty eyes and how handsome he is and talking about his cute little eyebrows and how good he is at volleyball and takahiro is like…. 🧐🤨 is that…… me??? but then he’s like wait it couldn’t be and gets all sad again 😭

you can’t take how sad he is and tell him it’s him!!!!! you give him some kisses as an apology 😭🥺💖❤️ and he’s all really?!!? 🥰💖💕💝🥳💕as he pulls you close to rest his head on your chest. he asks you to talk about how much you love him again 😭🥰🥺 refuses to remove himself from you

kyoutani he’s got this super angry expression on his face and everyone stays a good ways away from him 😬 when you come in, you get the same 😡 but then he chills because you’re wearing that one dress he went out of his way to buy for you when you were window shopping together that one time and he’s like …..suspicious why is she wearing her dress 😒 HAJFKAKSW KENTAROU

but THEN he sees the bracelet he got you for your one year anniversary and takes a whiff of you (um 😷) and NOW he’s all WAIT…… connections r being made—he gets super handsy 😳💕 really likes it when you kiss his forehead 🥺 and glares daggers at the dentist with his head on your chest, arms around your waist as you stand next to him and listen to what the aftercare instructions are because he’s all like grrr my girlfriend!! no touch!!! 😡🤬

daichi omg daichi is SO SHY and BASHFUL like he looks at you all 🥺🥰 and when you look towards him he immediately looks away but it’s so obvious because his ears are red and you can see his blush high on his cheekbones 😭🥺💕 you ask him what’s wrong and he’s stuttering trying to ask if you have a boyfriend and you’re like yes 💔

his face FALLS and it hurts but then you show him your matching engagement rings 💍 like “we’re fiancés, dai 🥰❤️” and he almost cries as hard as when he heard you say yes 😭💖💕 he’s so EMBARRASSED when you show the video back to him 😭 suga and asahi clown him 🤧

sugawara fella wakes up, looks you in the eye and is like “they’ve rebuilt me, babe✨” what? “the technology!!!” ??? “they made me better than i was before: better, stronger, faster 🤖💪🧠" LMFAO thinks he underwent some experiment like no we just fixed your teeth 😌

when you tell him so he gets a little dejected and asks you if you’d still love him without any upgrades with his lips pursed and his cheeks pink as he plays with your hands 🥺💗 like OFC KOUSHI!!! 🥰🥺❤️ really sweet and giggly on the bus ride home—holds you close and draws circles on your skin as he talks about the strangest things 🙈💖

kageyama no inhibitions so tobio is very attached to you!!! when he wakes up to see you next to him, he grabs you in his half-asleep state to leave slobbery kisses all over you like some dog before he falls back asleep again 💀 he wakes up twenty minutes later to see that you’re gone (had to wash off his spit 😬) and he panics when he doesn’t see you 😭🥺

he gets up to try to look for you and the second you come back, he hugs you and is all ☹️ telling you “don’t go too far, i wanna always be able to find you 😠🥺” you rub his back and pinky promise to stay close by and he’s so relieved he falls asleep standing 😴💕 like …..thanks 🤧 asks if he can play volleyball and pouts rlly hard when the dentist says no 😭💔

atsumu atsumu is loopy af and he wanted to go to the washroom so the poor staff had to hull around this 6’2”, 80kg man around but then you walk in just as they’re about to turn the corner and the moment he sees you, he’s goes “BABIEEEEE, I loOoove yoU! 😍” in this super adorable, high pitched sing-songy voice and makes OBNOXIOUS kissy faces at you but it looks so funny because his mouth is full of cotton 😭😭🤧🥴 the nurses tell you he’s a keeper but then he promptly slips and nearly falls on his face trying to walk over to you unassisted 🙄

the walk to the car is SO HARD because he clings to you like a baby koala and whines when you try to get him to loosen up so that you can get better leverage to support his weight like atsumu pls we’re almost there, just let go for a bit and he’s all puppy eyed like “don’t 🥺 ya 🥺 love 🥺 me 🥺 baby???????? i jus’ wanna be close to ya 💔💔💔” JAJCJJWNCMS he denies all of it when he sobers up

osamu all this fool remembers is that he has a girlfriend and that she looks EXACTLY like you but his brain synapses aren’t working like they used to 😔 so he doesn’t remember that YOU are literally his girlfriend so he just sits there and goes all “you look so much like her….. i miss her sm 😢🤕😞” with this faraway look in his eyes AS IF YOU WERE DEAD 💀 THE DISRESPECT

he rlly wants to hold your hand and touch you but like u aren’t his girlfriend right??? but you tell him u are after rolling ur eyes and show him some photos of the two of you as proof and he’s all “oh!” 😳 and he smiles so broad you can see his little dimple on his left cheek 😭💖 because he can FINALLY hold your hand 🥰 no filter so he whisper-begs for kisses throughout the entire time the dentist talks you through his surgery and how to care for him and you’re so embarrassed JAJCJKAKDSS “pls, pls can i have a kiss” you give him one “can i have one here now” “what about here” “pls another one pls” 🥺🥺🥺 at least he’s polite JAJCNKAFB

suna rin remembers you and right when he wakes up to see you next to him he says, “hello, wife 💖" and waits for your response but like wtf do u SAY like you’ve only ever heard him tell you he loves you that ONE time he thought u were ASLEEP!!! and you haven’t even talked about anything beyond dating yet!!! is it the anaesthetic that’s making him say this or is he just fooling you??? 💀😵 a few minutes later, he sighs and goes “you’re supposed to say ‘hello, husband ❤️’….” 🙄🥱

show him the video after the anaesthetic wears off and he’ll sit there looking at you like “….well? i’m still waiting? 😐” ugH modern romance am i right HAHDJKAKSKAA

ushijima wakatoshi thinks you’re another nurse even though you’re dressed nothing like them and he asks you when his girlfriend is coming and if she knows he’s done with the procedure and also “have you met my girlfriend? she is very beautiful and very kind. you must meet her ☺️” he asks the same questions to the dentist who comes in to talk to you afterwards and they’re looking at him like ?????? “isn’t this your girlfriend, ushijima-san?”

wakatoshi just goes 😯, looks at you and says your name so softly and in the sweetest way possible and tells you he missed you and he loves you and he wants to go get curry from that one restaurant later and the dentist tells you they’ll be back later as you sob 😭😭❤️💕❤️😭💖

semi eita thinks you’re one of the office receptionists when you walk in and asks you if you, his girlfriend 💕, had been notified that the procedure was done and you’re all uh yes she does, she’s coming soon!! he nods very cutely and thanks you, handsome smile on his face at the thought of seeing you 🥰 he turns around to look at the window and you just stand there all 😶 he HUMS softly as he waits and it’s that one song he played for you on his guitar HAJXNJSW 😭🥺💘❤️

he turns back around thirty seconds later like “babe?? is that you?? you got here so fast 😍🥺💖😚” as if it wasn’t you THE WHOLE TIME �� melts when you kiss his cheeks tenderly 🥰 plays with your fingers as he softly looks into your eyes!! 😍

tendou really wants to get his wisdom teeth back like just because you pulled them out doesn’t make them yours, sensei 🙄 LMFAO the dentist gives him his teeth afterwards and he holds them out for you and you’re like “tysm for your bloody, gross teeth, satori 🥰😬” “AWWW you’re welcome 😊 aren’t they cute? ya think our kids will be this cute? 💖”

many thoughts: 1) oh god oh GOD he wants to have KIDS WITH YOU!! MARRIAGE??!? 😵❤️ 2) y does he think his molars r cute and y does he hope your kids will look like nasty teeth 😭💀 he’s rlly adamant about you lazing around with him. keeps showing u his teeth for some reason but gives the cutest smiles and hums when you feed him his fav chocolate ice cream 💗💗💗

goshiki he tries to flirt with you but its so funny and endearingly awkward because he’s got all the gauze in his mouth and he isn’t that good at it and he’s on the verge of tears half the time and you dont know why??? you ask him and his brows are all furrowed, pout on his lips and says “just wanna be your boyfriend pls 🥺💕” “yeah?” “yeah,” he nods. “i promise to do my best 🥺”

when you tell him you’re already dating, he starts to cry and is all like i have to tell all my friends 😭 tsutomu cries to the dentist like “sensei, y’know, we’re boyfriend and girlfriend 😭❤️” he quiets down when you brush through his hair with your hands ☺️

terushima you walk into his room after he’s done and ask the dental hygienists how he’s doing and he looks at you all confused like 🤨 and asks the hygienists who you are. they think you’re married for some reason and say “that’s your wife!” and you’re so EMBARRASSED but also super happy on the inside HAHA he straight up goes “DAAAMMNNN, I did alright, huh?! when we bustin’ outta here?!” 🤪😜🥴😘 as if he could actually differentiate between left and right, up and down 😔

just in case, he asks you if you’re his wife at the same time the dentist asks if the two of you will be okay from here on out and you nod to the dentist’s question but yuuji thinks it’s for him so he lays back down with this satisfied look on his face like HELL YEAH alright, alright, alright 😌🥰🥴 and does those little nods SIDJAJJDJSJFJR HAHAHAHA

sakusa omi lets you play with his bangs and hands as you wait for the dentist and he LOVES IT softest smile on his face!! RIDICULOUSLY CLINGY!!!! he does NOT want you to leave him at all, will not let you go to the bathroom even though you’re like “omi, please, the dentist is busy with another patient right now, i’ll be back soon before we go through the aftercare stuff” “no” “omi, i have to pee” “do it here” and now it’s you who’s all 🤢

gets really defensive and protective when the dentist comes in and just shoves his head in your chest because he doesn’t want to look at them LMFAO death grip around your waist 🤧 when you show him what he said about you going to the bathroom he demands you delete it “omi, i didn’t know u loved me that much 🥰🥺💕” “…………..🤐”

hoshiumi kourai insisted he was fine on his own “nothing is impossible for hoshiumi kourai, national athlete 😤” when the dentist asked if he needed someone to watch over him and the dentist is 🤨 ok sir and leaves after he falls asleep. when he wakes up, no one’s in his room and he has to use the washroom and he’s like i’ll do just it myself 🙄 he tries to stand and promptly collapses to the floor. he CRAWLS around on his stomach and makes it out of his room just as you walk in and you’re like KOU whY are you on the FLOOR like a ROACH 😭😭😭

it’s like you’re reenacting some dramatic romance movie as kou groans around the gauze and makes poor attempts to stand up, holding onto you LAKDSHLASKAHD 💀💀💀 asks you to get on the floor with him because he honest to god can’t get UP so that he can cuddle with you as the dentist and his assistants stand two feet away 🥰💕 tries to fight the staff when they get too close to you trying to help him get back to his bed HAJJFKAKDMAD

extra: kita shinsuke (lol) when kita finishes his wisdom tooth extraction, he looks at you like this and doesnt remember who you are; he thinks you’re here for another patient and doesn’t say a word to you because his grandma taught him not to talk to strangers.

[atlafan]

Sweet Tooth - One Shot

a/n: dentistrry is here!! I only researched a couple of things, so if you’re in the dentistry/medical field please don’t come for me if things are inaccurate, it’s just a fic, you know? This ia really cute, sweet, datey fic, so I hope you enjoy! Feedback and reblogs are super helpful! (not proofread) Consider buying me a coffee if you’re able! 

Warnings: fluff and smut (the word molested is used, nothing bad happens or has happened to the main characters, it’s just mentioned during a conversation)

Pairing: Harry x OC

Words: 18K

“Dad, I can go by myself.” Abby groans to her father.

“I have to make sure everything gets billed correctly. Your dentist said only two are impacted, so only half is covered my medical and the other half is covered by dental.”

She huffs out a sigh, but nods her head as they enter Tufts Medical Center. Abby was finally getting a consult for her wisdom teeth. Perhaps at the age of twenty she felt a little late to the game for this, but her mouth had only started to hurt a little this past year. She was a little nervous about being knocked out for surgery, but she also just wanted her mouth to feel better. It was the summer before her junior year of college, so now was the perfect time to get it done. Abby and her dad make their way through the building, and get to the floor they need to be on.

“Abigail Simmons.” Her dad says to the receptionist and she nods.

“Someone will be out for her shortly. Did you have her most recent x-rays sent to us?”

“Yes.” Her dad says, and they both go to take a seat.

Abby’s leg was bouncing and she was chewing on her bottom lip. It was just a consult, there was really nothing to be worried about.

“Abigail?” Her eyes widen as she looks over at the person who just said her name. He had a toothy smile and was wearing a set of blue scrubs. She and her father both stand up. “Hi, I’m Harry, you can follow me.” He smiles to the two of them as he leads them to the consult rooms. He gets Abby situated in the dental chair. “Just so you both know, I am a student, but a competent one, which is why one of the other nurses isn’t here, but one of them will come by shortly, and so will the doctor.” He sits down on the stool and wheels over to Abby as he puts his gloves on. “Heard your mouth’s been sore, huh?”

“Y-yeah.”

“She called me at school in tears.” Her dad says and she glares at him.

“College student?” Harry raises an eyebrow and looks back at the computer to review her x-rays. “How old are you?”

“Twenty.” Abby says.

“Your teeth are, like, really straight. Did you have braces?”

“When she was in middle school. She stills wears her retainer.”

Harry and Abby both look at her father and blink. He was really starting to piss her off. She could answer for herself.

“Well, you’ve got a very good girl here, don’t you, Mr. Simmons? Listen, uh, this is going to take a few minutes. I need to look at all of her teeth and confirm the ones that are impacted and if the other two have room or not. There’s another waiting area right over there. I’ll call you back over once the doctor’s here. Would that be alright?”

“It’s just…Abby’s really nervous-“

“Dad, please, I’m fine.”

“Alright.” Her dad sighs. “I’ll be right over there.”

“Bit of a helicopter you have there.” Harry smirks at her.

“Thank you for getting rid of him. I bring myself to the doctor all the time, but for whatever reason he was adamant about coming to this.”

“It’s major surgery I don’t blame him.” Harry grabs a bib to put around Abby. “So, you go by Abby?”

“Mhm.” She blushes as he clips the bib in place and adjusts her hair.

“Is it true, are you nervous?”

“A little…mostly about the surgery, not so much about the rest. I’m not one of those people that’s afraid of the dentist.”

“No worries, love, you’ll be in good hands with us.” He smiles. “I’m gonna put the chair back now, alright?”

“Okay.”

The chair slowly goes back, and he situates a pair of sunglasses onto her before fixing the light over her eyes.

“Could you open up for me as much as you can? I’ll try to be as gentle as possible since I know you’re experiencing a lot of discomfort.”

She nods and opens up wide. She feels his pinkies enter her mouth and feel around her gums. She winces a few times when he brushes up against the back of her mouth. She hears him whisper sorry a few times. Abby tries to focus on anything else. She focuses on how green his eyes are, and how seemingly perfect his skin is. Her mind wanders to how people get skin like that. What’s his routine? How could she get skin as smooth? Does he see a dermatologist regularly?

“Okay, Abby, I’m gonna out the chair back upright, and go grab your dad and the doctor. Hope that didn’t hurt too much.”

“It was fine, thank you.”

Abby’s dad, two nurses, Harry, and the doctor all come over to her to discuss her teeth. She definitely needed all four removed. They settle on a date for her to come back and have the procedure done, and Harry gives her the rundown on how to prep for the surgery.

“We’ll see you in a couple of weeks, Abby.” Harry smiles.

“You’ll be here?”

“You bet.”

Even though she was nervous as fuck to go under, she was almost excited to see the handsome dental student again. At least it was something to look forward to.

//

Abby had an early morning surgery, and she had to stop eating the night before. So she was exhausted and starving, not to mention she was a ball of nerves. Her dad drove her in for the appointment, and assured her he’d be there afterwards.

“Abby?” Harry comes out all scrubbed up and ready to go. She stands up and waves back to her dad before going with him. He brings her over to a consult chair and types on the computer. “Alright, whatcha have for breakfast?”

“N-nothing, I haven’t eaten since dinner last night.”

“Good girl.” He says without looking at her. “And what about a midnight snack?”

“Harry, I haven’t eaten since dinner last night.”

“You remembered my name?” He asks as he turns to her, and she blushes.

“Sort of hard to forget the British guy that told my dad to go sit somewhere else.” She smirks, and it makes him laugh. “Will you be in the operating room?”

“Yup, I’ll be there the whole time. I’m the hand holder.”

“The hand holder?”

“Mhm, while they’re helping you get to sleep I’ll be holding your hand, making sure you’re alright. I also get to put the IV in your arm.”

“Lucky you.” She deadpans and it makes him laugh again.

“What are you in school for?”

“Psychology. I’d like to be the type of doctor that doesn’t have to deal with all this.” She gestures around the room.

“Helping people on a whole other level, I see.” He nods.

The doctor comes over, and she must have gotten asked about four more times if she had eaten breakfast. She gets settled in the chair in the new room where she’d be operated on. She watches as Harry gets the IV in her arm, and then he holds her hand, just like he said he was. He was wearing a mask now, but she could tell he was smiling.

“Don’t worry, Abby, the next time you wake up these nasty teeth will be gone.”

She nods at him and squeezes his hand as they get the oxygen hooked up to her nose. His thumb rubs the back of her hand as a nurse puts the mask over her mouth, and her eyes slowly start to droop. The last image she has is Harry’s hand in hers.

When Abby wakes up, her eyes immediately well up with tears as she looks around the room. She sees her dad sitting in a chair reading a magazine, and she sees the IV still hooked up to her arm. She makes a whining noise and her dad looks over at her.

“Hey, you’re awake.” He smiles. “Everything went really well, honey. You did great.”

After about ten minutes a nurse comes in and takes the IV out. In her daze she tried looking for Harry, but she couldn’t find him. She was so delirious she could barely walk, and her dad had to help her to the car. She just wanted to say thank you to Harry for holding her hand, but she never got the chance.

//

Several years later, Abby had finished her master’s degree in counseling, and just finished up her licensure program. She already had a few different job opportunities lined up. The one she wanted most was at a local university at a counseling center. Being a student in today’s age was tough, and Abby wanted to be someone they could open up to. She had done extremely well in her postgraduate internship, so she had impeccable recommendations. She just needed to narrow things down to what school she wanted to work for, and that ultimately came down to benefits. She ended up going with UMASS Boston. It was a school a lot of her friends attended, so she sort of knew the campus, it was easy enough to get to by train, and the benefits were great.

After getting the first semester under her belt, Abby was feeling confident in what she was doing. She was truly helping students. She’d even be able to go for her PhD for free after she had six months under her belt. With winter break underway, Abby was getting caught up on some self-care, which meant going in for her annual cleaning.

“Hello, this is MidCity General Denstistry, may I please speak with Abigail Simmons?”

“This is she.”

“Hi, Abigail, this is a call to remind you of your appointment this week.”

“Right, Wednesday at 3PM?”

“Correct, and I have to inform you that your usual dentist, Dr. Morgan, has recently retired.”

“Oh…I mean good for her, I just liked her a lot.” Abby chuckles.

“Don’t worry, our new doctor, Dr. Styles, is amazing and everyone’s really like him so far. He’s taking over all of Dr. Morgan’s patients.”

“Okay, that should be fine. See you Wednesday!” Abby hangs up the phone and puts an extra reminder on her phone so she wouldn’t forget.

On Wednesday, she checked in and was brought into the back by a nurse, Marie. She was the dental assistant that would be doing her cleaning, nothing out of the ordinary. Although, Abby was starting to get aggravated because Marie kept sticking the pick into the same tooth in the back of her mouth. She hears Marie sigh.

“Abby, it seems like you may have a cavity. Dr. Styles will be able to confirm it. Let me polish you up, and then I’ll go get him.”

Before Abby has a chance to respond, Marie was already polishing her teeth. She was left to lay back in the chair while Marie went to get Dr. Styles.

“Hello, Miss Simmons.” Abby’s eyes widen when she hears his voice. He sits on a stool and wheels over next to her. “I’m Dr. Styles, nice to meet you.” He extends his hand to her and she takes it. “Mind if I take a quick peak at everything else before I inspect this possible cavity?”

“N-no, go ahead.”

“Thank you, open wide for me.”

She does so, and he sticks his gloved fingers into her mouth, feeling around her gums, and making sure everything’s alright. Next he grabs the tools and does a quick inspection of her overall mouth before poking at the tooth that Marie said was the problem. Abby notices how he hum along to the music playing on the radio. It was almost soothing.

“Okay, I’m gonna hit the button so you can sit up.” He says to her. Marie moves the light, and Abby takes the sunglasses she was given off. Her eyes widen again when she gets a good look at him.

Abby had come into contact with a lot of people in her life since the time she was twenty. It would be odd to remember someone that helped with her oral surgery, but too much was adding up. A man with a British accent, the same green eyes, and he was in the dental profession. She was finally going to get a chance to thank him.

“You have a cavity.” He sighs.

“I’ve never had one in my life.” She shakes her head.

“Happens to the best of us.” Dr. Styles chuckles. “Are you eating a lot of sweets?”

“Um, well, I’m a counselor at UMASS Boston, and I tend to suck on jolly ranchers when I’m meeting with students. Helps remind me to just sit and listen and not interrupt.”

“Ah, that’s a pretty good trick. Maybe try sugar free gum?”

“No, gum gives me a headache.” She shakes her head. “I prefer to suck than to chew.”

“Right.” He swallows. “Maybe try sucking on some mints then?”

“Sure, I can try that.” She smiles at him.

“Good girl.” He smiles back at her. That just sealed the deal it was definitely him. “Marie here will help you set up an appointment so I can take care of this for you.”

“You’ll be doing the procedure?”

“Mhm, you’re stuck with me now…unless you want to switch to another doctor, which I hope you don’t. Hope you’re not missing Dr. Morgan too much.”

“Not as much as I thought, that’s for sure. Um…this may be a weird question, but did you happen to be a student at Tufts Medical Center?”

“I was! It’s where I went after I got my bachelor’s. I can perform oral surgery, but I much prefer doing stuff like this. Can fill a cavity in my sleep. How did you know I went there?”

“I…this is going to sound so weird, but, like, six years ago you…held my hand when I got my wisdom teeth out.” Harry’s eyes widen at that. “Normally I wouldn’t remember someone so well, but…it’s not every day I have a British doctor.”

“Oh, wow, you remember me doing that?”

“Yeah, and we left before I ever got a chance to say thank you for keeping me so calm. So…thanks.” She blushes.

“I wish…I wish I remembered that. They often had me as the hand holder. How nice for our paths to cross again, huh? Promise to be just as good a dentist as I was at holding your hand.”

“That’s all I could hope for.” She smirks, and it makes him chuckle. “Right, well, Marie, please help Miss Simmons set up her appointment with me so we can get this cavity filled.”

“Sure thing, Dr. Styles.” Marie says as she makes a few clicks on the computer.

Just like that he was gone. He had grown into quite the handsome man since she last saw him. Not that he wasn’t before, but he looked more adult now. She wondered how much older he was than her. More importantly, she wondered if he was single.

//

It was about a week later when Abby came in to have her cavity taken care of. Marie was the dental assistant again which brought Abby some comfort. Marie gets her prepped in the chair as they wait for Harry to come into the private room.

“Alright, good morning, Miss Simmons.” He says brightly.

“You can just call me Abby if you want…” She says shyly.

“Okay, Abby, it is. Let’s fill this cavity, yeah?” He sits on the stool and wheels over to her. “Gotta give you a spot of nova cane, but before I do that we have to numb the area a bit, so this little thing that looks like a lollypop is gonna go in.” Abby nods. “Open up for me.” She does so. “Good girl, thank you.” He places the numbing stick inside her mouth and she scrunches her face. “I know, it doesn’t taste very good, sorry.” He stands back up. “I’ll be back in about five minutes.”  

True to his word, Harry comes back five minutes later, and takes the numbing stick out of Abby’s mouth. Next he has her open up so he can administer the nova cane. He tells her she might feel a slight pinch, and she accidentally grabs onto his thigh.

“S-sorry.” Abby says as she takes her hand off him. “I may not be afraid of the dentist, but I really don’t like needles.”

Harry and Marie share a glance, and then Harry looks at Abby.

“Marie, would you mind handling the nova cane so I can hold Abby’s hand?”

“Sure thing, Dr. Styles.”

Harry hands the needle to Marie, and then Harry grabs onto Abby’s hand. He smiles softly at her, and she’s able to focus on him and not the needle going into her gums. Marie says it’s all set, so Harry gets back into position with the drill.

“If it hurts, just let me know and we can numb you a bit more.” Harry says to her. “It’ll be over before you know it.”

Abby pinches her eyes closed the second the drill comes into contact with her tooth. Thank god Harry was wearing a mask because he couldn’t help but smile at how cute she looked. Luckily, Abby didn’t suffer too much. The procedure didn’t take too long, and she was sitting upright before she knew it.

“You did great.” Harry smiles at her. “So, that side of your mouth will be numb for a bit. Give it a few hours before you eat anything, avoid hot foods.” Abby just nods her head along, too embarrassed to speak because she knew she would sound stupid. “Have you made your appointment for your next cleaning?” She nods again. “Great, Marie, I’m just gonna go over another few things with Abby, feel free to go on your break.”

“Oh, alright. See you in six months, Abby.” Marie smiles, and leaves the room as Abby waves to her.

“I actually already went over everything with you. I…uh…just wanted her to step out.” Abby’s eyes widen at that. “I was actually wondering, um, if you’d like to go out for coffee sometime…you know, when you can have hot liquids again.” He blushes and so does she. She nods yes at him quickly. “You do? Great, um, can I have your number then?” Abby frantically reaches for the phone in her pocket, unlocks it, and then hands it to Harry so he can add his contact. “I’ll call you in a couple of days so we can set something up, yeah?”

She smiles and nods as she takes her phone back. Her heart was fluttering. She felt like she was in a dream or something. Coffee couldn’t come soon enough.

//

Harry called Abby a couple of days later, just like he said he would, and they agreed upon what coffee shop they should meet up at on Saturday. Her mouth was feeling much better, and she was really excited to see him. She was still in shock that he asked her out in the first place. She thought she’d have to wait another six months to see him again.

He got to the coffee shop first, and decided to wait outside for her. He smiles when he sees her and they step inside.

“It’s on me.” He says. “Get whatever you like.”

“Oh! That’s so nice of you.” Abby blushes. “Thanks.” They each order and grab a table to sit at. It was too cold outside to go for a walk.

“I just want to preface by saying I’ve never asked out a patient before.” Harry says to her.

“So…why ask me out then?”

“I just found it really endearing that you remembered me, and all you wanted to do was say thank you to me for doing something so simple.”

“Harry, I had just turned twenty, I was practically still a kid. I had never gone under or had a surgery before, I was petrified. My dad was just as nervous, you were the only thing that calmed me down.”

“So, that would make you roughly twenty-six now?”

“Yes it would.” She smiles as she takes a sip of her coffee. “How old are you?”

“I’ll be thirty-two next month.” It was an age difference both of them might have been against those years ago, but not now. They were both well into adulthood, had their careers, and had some life experience under their belts. “It’s killing me that I don’t remember you.”

“It’s really okay. You’ve probably seen so many patients. I’m sure years down the line I won’t remember every student I’ve met with.”

“Right, you said you’re a counselor at…?”

“UMASS Boston.”

“And how do you like doing that?”

“I love it, honestly. I feel so bad for these kids, they have so much on their plates, under all this pressure. It’s really brave of them to come ask for help, so I like giving them a safe space. Some meetings are more serious than others, so it’s never boring. I feel like I’m doing something worthwhile.”

“That’s amazing. Feel like I do better talking to people in small spurts, that’s what’s so great about being a dentist. People can’t strike up small talk when you’ve got your fingers in their mouth.” He laughs and so does Abby.

“How long have you been at MidCity for?”

“Like…six months, I think. I like it a lot, everyone’s really nice. Marie’s my favorite assistant, though, sometimes her kids come in and they’re really cute, and her wife bakes the best brownies.”

“She’s usually the one to do my cleanings, I like her a lot too.”

“Can I ask why you chose jolly ranchers to suck on? I mean, how many students are you meeting with? You must go through a ton.”

“I do.” She blushes in embarrassment. “I got them when they were on sale after Halloween…I’m definitely going to try the mints like you said.”

“Good, I’m glad.” He smiles as he takes a bite of his bagel.

“So, how does a doctor such as yourself not already have a girlfriend?”

“Getting right to it, huh?” He smirks and she nods. “Medical school takes up a lot of time, and then when I first started as an intern, I was constantly overworked. I was doing surgeries left and right, I was too exhausted to try and make anything serious work. Then I decided I’d rather be working at a practice. I still do a lot of teeth pulling, but not as much as I was. And now that things have slowed down a bit, I just haven’t met someone I’ve wanted to be serious with.” He shrugs. “What about you?”

“Same thing, sort of.” She giggles. “Grad school was a lot, and then interning was a lot. Now I’m just really settling into my job. I survived the first semester, now I feel like a pro.”

“That’s a good feeling to have. Is your commute long?”

“Not really, I just take the green line to the red and I’m there. Obviously the trains can be unpredictable, but it beats having to pay for a car and car insurance. What about you? Are you in the city, or out in the suburbs.”

“Oh, I’m in the city. I drive to work, though, I’ve got my own parking spot at the back of the building.”

“Well, we can’t all be so special.” She smirks.

“No, I suppose not.” He smirks back at her. “How’s your tooth feel, by the way?”

“Oh, it’s fine, thanks. You’re really good at your job. It was nice of you to hold my hand when Marie did the nova cane.”

“I felt so bad that you were scared.” He reaches across the table and places his hand over hers. “When you grabbed onto me I knew I had to do something.”

“God that was embarrassing. I would have felt so violated if someone did that to me.”

“It’s not like you grabbed my dick, Abby, it’s alright.” He gives her hand a squeeze.

“Right.” She lets out a nervous laugh. “So, do you work a standard Monday through Friday at MidCity, or how does all of that work?”

“Yup, pretty much.” He takes his hand away from hers. “I mean obviously if there’s an emergency we have to cancel appointments, but for the most part we leave spots open for surgeries so people are able to book those easy enough. I usually pop by the cleanings in between cavity fillings and other stuff.”

“What made you want to become a dentist?”

“Well, I knew I wanted to work in the medical field, but selfishly I didn’t want the long hours at hospitals. I don’t have to be on call, like, I don’t have to worry about emergencies in the middle of the night. Not often, anyways.”

“I feel like I would get grossed out looking at teeth all day.” Abby chuckles.

“It’s not as bad as you think. I try to separate the teeth from the person. Like, I was able to give all new teeth to this recovering meth addict. She had this incredible story, and I knew I had to help. She had been sober for five years, but no one would hire her because of her teeth. Now she’s working a corporate job doing great.”

“Oh, wow, that’s amazing.”

“You must have some great stories with your students.”

“Yeah, I’ve really bonded with a few of them. Sometimes they just need someone on their side, you know? A lot of them are first in their family to go to school, so they’re doing a lot on their own.”

“That’s a lot of pressure.”

“You have no idea.”

“Well, it’s good they have a nice person like you to help them.” Harry smiles warmly at her and she smiles back. “Would you, um, would you be interested in going out for dinner some time?”

“I…yeah, I’d love to.” She blinks a couple of times. “I’m free most nights right now because we’re on winter break.”

“You don’t have to go into your office at all?”

“I just answer emails from home.” Abby shrugs.

“Sweet deal.” Harry grins. “So, how would Thursday night work for you?”

“Thursday works great.” She smiles.

They both throw out all of their trash and step out of the coffee shop. They share a gentle hug, and go their separate ways. Harry said he’d call in a couple of days to let her know where he’d be taking her, and she was beyond excited.

//

Friday night, Harry picked Abby up in front of her building. When he saw her, he got out of the car to open the door for her and she giggled.

“That’s a nice coat.” He says to her.

“Thanks, I got it on sale at L.L. Bean back in August. Keeps me nice and warm.”

“Oh, I love shopping there! Once in a while I’ll take the drive up to New Hampshire to go to the actual store to get the really good stuff. The boots I got from there for the winter will last a life time.”

“Yeah, it’s just good quality stuff. I usually get a decent coupon in the mail or online.” She chews her bottom lip. Clearly Harry had a little more money than she did. “Where are we eating?”

“You’ll love it, it’s this nice Italian place at the North End. I remember you said Italian was something you liked when we spoke on the phone.”

Abby smiles at him and he looks at her briefly to smile back. He finds a place to park, somehow, and they walk towards the restaurants. She hadn’t been to the North End in a while since most of the places were expensive. Harry puts his hand on the small of her back as they walk in, and he tells the hostess he has a reservation. She leads them over to a table for two and he pulls out the chair for her.

“So, how’s your week been?” Abby asks him.

“Pretty good, fit this one person with a new tooth, did a couple of crowns. Same old, same old.” He shrugs. “How about you?”

“Good, I did some virtual sessions with some students who are having shitty winter breaks. I went into the office for a team retreat, and then I updated some spread sheets.” She chuckles.

“That’s nice of you to do virtual appointments.”

“It’s all part of the job.”

“Good evening, folks.” A waiter comes over with water and a basket of rolls. “I’m Parker, can I start you off with any drinks or appetizers?”

“Abby, would you care to get a bottle of white for the table?” Harry asks her.

“Oh, sure, that’s be great. Would Pinot Grigio be alright?”

“It’s perfect. A bottle of Piniot Grigio, please.” He looks down at the menu and furrows his brows at the appetizers. “Calamari?” He asks her and she nods. “Calamari, Parker.”

“Sounds great, I’ll be back in a moment with the wine and to take your dinner orders.”

“The calamari here is excellent, it’s lightly fried in peanut oil so it doesn’t feel heavy.”

“What do you recommend for an entrée?”

“Everything’s good. What are you in the mood for?”

Abby looks down at the menu and her eyebrows raise at the prices.

“Maybe just one of these pasta dishes.”

“Don’t do that.”

“What?”

“Don’t get the cheapest thing on the menu. Get whatever you like, it’s my treat.”

“Harry, this is gonna be really expensive.”

“I wouldn’t have brought you here if I couldn’t afford it, please don’t worry about it.”

“O-okay, then…maybe the steak tips with the pan seared peppers.”

“If that’s what you want then you should have it.” Harry smiles. Parker comes over with the bottle of wine, and pours the first two glasses for them. “I’m really glad we could do this tonight.” He grins. “I…found something when I was going through some old things the other day.”

“Oh?” She raises an eyebrow as she sips on her drink.

“It was killing me that I couldn’t remember you, but then it hit me.” He reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a card. “I’ve never been so thankful to be a packrat in my life.” He opens it and smiles. “Dear Harry, I never got a chance to say thank you when you held my hand before my surgery. I figured I’d drop this off when I came in to have my stitches removed. I hope this finds its way to you. You’re going to be a great doctor someday. Sincerely, Abby Simmons.” He smiles at her as he places the card back in his back pocket.

“You…you kept that?”

“It wasn’t often I got cards like that, so I kept it, and once in a while when I needed a pick me up I’d read it. As soon as I re-read it the other day I completely remembered you. I even remembered telling your dad to go sit in the other waiting room.”

“Oh my god.” Abby chuckles. “That was the greatest thing I had ever seen. Think that solidified the crush I had on you.”

“Telling your dad to basically leave you alone?”

“Yeah.” She smirks. “Super hot to see you be so sure of yourself and confident. Plus, he was really pissing me off, talking over me and answering for me.”

“Wow, so I guess I’m the one that away, huh?” He smirks.

“You certainly were. Although, I hadn’t thought about you in quite some time. It’s crazy that you ended up becoming my dentist.”

“Very crazy.” Parker comes over with the calamari and tells the two he’s going to put their orders in now. Harry watches as she sticks her fork into a piece and takes a bite. “You’re really cute, you know that?”

“I’ll take your word for it.” She smiles. “This is really good.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

The rest of the date goes really well. Abby and Harry continued to joke around and flirt. It wasn’t until the check came that she felt a little uncomfortable.

“How much is it?” She asks him nervously.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” He smirks and slides his card into the slot, letting Parker take it. “Would you like to walk around for a bit, maybe get some dessert by the water?”

“That sounds great, but only if I can pay for dessert.”

“Deal.” He smiles.

Harry holds Abby’s hand as they walk through the little park by the water. Even though it was cold out, it was still a beautiful night. They duck into a gelato place for a little dessert. They decide to split something, which ends up being insanely romantic when Harry lifts his spoon to her lips. She makes a show of it as she takes a bite, licking her lips after and everything. He holds her hand during the drive, and lets her pick the radio station. He gets out and walks her up to the door once they get to her building.

“I had a lot of fun with you tonight.” She says to him.

“Me too.” He steps closer to her. “Do you see a third date in our future?”

“Definitely.” She nods. “Do you like bowling?”

“Love bowling. Are you, um, free Saturday night?”

“I can be.” She smiles. “Pick me up around seven?”

“It’s a date.” He smiles. The two stand there awkwardly for a moment, unsure if they should kiss or not, so instead Harry opens his arms for hug, and she wraps her arms around his neck. She kisses his cheek, and then he kisses hers. “I’ll see you Saturday, Abby.”

“See you Saturday, Harry.”

//

Harry was on cloud nine the next day at work. He couldn’t stop thinking about Abby, her smile, her laugh, the little beauty mark she has under right eye. He thought she was gorgeous, charming, and kind. Normally he’d never get involved with a patient, but he couldn’t help it with her. He thought it was so sweet that she remembered him after all this time, and he felt so relieved that he remembered her.

“You’ve had this dreamy look on your face all week, what’s with you?” Marie asks Harry while they’re eating lunch.

“I…sort of met someone, and we’ve been out a couple times…she’s great.”

“That’s great! Anyone I know?”

“Um…well, you know Abigail Simmons…”

“Of course I know Abby! Oh my god, is that why you asked me to step out of the room when you filled her cavity?!”

“I didn’t wanna ask her out in front of you.”

“Harry, since when do you date patients?” She whispers.

“Normally I wouldn’t, but it turns out I met her a long time ago. When I was a student at Tufts I assisted in removing her wisdom teeth.”

“Oh, wow, that’s incredible.” Marie blinks. “When are you seeing her again?”

“Tomorrow night. We’re going bowling, how fun is that?”

“Should be really fun.” Marie grins. “Look at you, putting yourself out there. Now Leigh and I can stop trying to set you up.”

“I’m excited about her. She’s got such a cool job too. I can’t wait to keep getting to know her.”

//

Since they were going bowling, they could easily just take the train, so Harry takes a cab to Abby’s building Saturday evening. He was wearing a nice pair of jeans and a sweater under his jacket. She comes down the stairs in her long coat, and a Patriots hat on top of her head.

“Hey.” He smiles at her, taking her in for a hug. “How are you?”

“Good.” She smiles up at him. “How are you?”

“Good, great, actually.” He takes her hand and they walk towards the nearest t-stop. They both swipe their Charlie Cards and hop onto the next train.  

“I hope you’re okay with candle pins…I’m not good with the big balls.” Abby says to him as they hang onto the same pole of the crowded train.

“I love candle pinning.” He chuckles. “No worries.”

They get to the bowling alley, are given a lane, and get their shoes. Abby takes her hat off and fixes her hair, and then unzips her jacket. She had a pair of jeans on with a red turtleneck. Abby was a short, curvy thing, and Harry absolutely loved it. When Abby first met Harry back when she was twenty, she was a tiny size two, but now she was a comfortable size eight and was fully embracing it. She was healthy, and that was all that mattered.

“Do you want anything to drink? I could get us a pitcher of beer.” Harry says to her as they settle into their lane. “I could get us some pizza too.”

“That sounds great, thanks.” She smiles as she slips her shoes on.

“Be back in a tick.” Harry goes over to the snack bar and gets two slices of pizza and a pitcher of beer. “Here we are.” Harry fills two of the plastic cups up with the beer, and hands one to Abby. “Shall we?”

“Mhm, I already set up the score sheets.” She shows him the large sheet of paper. “Not that I care that much about the score…it’s just fun to keep track.”

Abby bowls first, knocking most of the pins down, and then gets the rest on her second throw. Harry couldn’t help but smile as he watched her to do a little jog and hop as she threw the ball down the lane. He goes up next and immediately gets a strike.

“Woohoo! Go, Harry!” Abby says as she takes a sip of her beer. “I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a strike before.”

“I could show you how if you want.”

“Isn’t it just luck?”

“Nope, it’s all physics.”

“And…you’re good with physics?”

“Had to take it during pre-med, I even tutored for it. Come on, I’ll show you.” Abby gets up and grabs one of the balls. Harry goes behind her, and puts his hand on one of her shoulders, moving her hair so he can speak closer to her ear. “Okay, so what you’re gonna want to do is walk a little closer to the line, swing the ball back, and let it fly.”

Abby turns slightly to look up at him. Her cheeks were flushed. She nods at him, and does exactly what he said to do, and she gets the strike.

“Oh my god!” She squeals and throws her arms around him. “I can’t believe that worked! You’re amazing!” She kisses his cheek.

“You did great! Nice to know you’re good at following directions.” He winks at her and grabs his next ball.

After three rounds of bowling, and two pitchers of beer, they both head out. They take the train back to the stop nearest to Abby’s apartment, and Harry walks her home.

“I had so much fun tonight, Harry.”

“Me too, I’m glad you suggested bowling.” They both stop in front of her steps. “Can I see you again next weekend?”

“I’d like that.”

“Maybe if it’s not too cold we could go ice skating at Frog Pond.”

“Oh, I’d love to do that! I have my own skates and everything.”

“Perfect.” He smiles and steps closer to her. She looks up at him with her big brown eyes. He didn’t think brown eyes as beautiful as hers existed. “Abby, can I kiss you?” He asks softly.

“Yes.” She nods and smiles up at him.

He cups her cheek and leans down to her. His lips press to hers, and he uses is other hand to cup her other cheek. It’s soft and gentle at first, it grows a little needier as she presses her body to his, but she stops him from walking up the stairs. She pulls away first and blushes.

“Um, well, goodnight.” She says to him.

“Yeah, goodnight.” He rubs the back of his neck. He was sorting of hoping she’d invite him up. It was the third date, after all. Maybe she was a fifth date kind of girl, which he had to respect. “I’ll call you at some point during the week. I’ve got a few different surgeries, though, so if you don’t hear from me a lot that’s why.”

“No worries.” She shrugs. “I’m getting ready for the students to return, and I have some meetings to go to, some seminars, so I’ll be busy myself. Wanna just plan for next Saturday?”

“Sounds good to me.” He leans again to kiss her again, and she happily kisses him back.

“Okay, goodnight for real.” She giggles and walks up her steps. She waves goodbye as she goes into her building and he sighs.

Abby sighs happily as she gets into her apartment and squeals. She immediately texts her best friend everything about her date with Harry. She was so excited about him, and couldn’t believe he was actually interested in her.

//

They texted here and there during the week. Abby got a little brave and sent him a mirror selfie of her dressed up for work, and he sent one back of himself in his scrubs ready to go in for surgery. Her jaw nearly dropped when she saw him. She had seen him in scrubs before, but it was ages ago. He filled them out so differently now. Plus, the thought of him being a doctor just did things to her insides that she couldn’t even describe. He thought she looked gorgeous in her pin striped slacks and blouse. He couldn’t but think about how lucky each student was that got to sit and talk with her.

Harry was exhausted by the end of the week. He must have extracted over a dozen teeth, filled a stupid amount of cavities, and put on ten different crowns. He couldn’t wait to see Abby Saturday. He asked her to go to the pond a little earlier in the evening so they could get dinner afterwards. The decided to just meet at the pond. She was easy enough to spot now that he knew what her long coat and Patriots hat looked like.

“Harry.” She smiles when she turns to see him. They hug and share a quick peck on the lips. “Did you catch up on some sleep?”

“I did.” He sighs as they find a bench to sit down on to put on their skates. “Been looking forward to seeing you all week. How’d your seminar go?”

“Oh, it was great! It ended up being more of a training, I have a new certification too.”

“That’s amazing, good for you. I’m constantly going to lectures and stuff to stay up to date. I’ve published a couple of things too to some medical journals.”

“That’s so cool! Once I’ve been at UMASS for six months I can start taking classes for free. I’m gonns go for my doctorate, so hopefully I can start publishing some work too.” They both stand up and make their way into the rink. Abby puts her hand out for Harry’s and he takes it as they start to glide on the ice.

“That’s great that they have a program like that for you.”

“I know! I was super happy when I saw that in the benefits package.”

They skate around the rink a few times, enjoying the music that was playing. Harry guides them over to the side for a little break. He presses her against it, his hands going onto the railing, caging her in. She looks up at him, and he leans in to kiss her. She tugs on his coat to pull him closer, and the kiss deepens slightly. Abby really liked kissing Harry. He always tasted like mint, probably because he was constantly chewing gum, and his lips were insanely soft. She starts smiling and so does he, and he presses his forehead to hers.

“Do you feel like going to eat now?” He says to her.

“Yeah.” She nods.

They end up going to a Mexican restaurant not too far from the pond. They each get margaritas and laugh a lot. Harry talks about what it’s like to extract teeth during a surgery, and Abby asks if people ever want to see their teeth afterwards. He asks Abby how she copes when she has to deal with a heavier situation at work, and she says her little Shih Tzu, Marvin, helps make her day a lot better.

“That’s nice your apartment allows pets.” He says to her.

“Yeah, he’s only, like, nine pounds, if that. He’s so cute, do you wanna see a picture?”

“Of course!” Abby pulls out her phone to show Harry a few pictures of Marvin, and even a selfie she took with him. “He’s so cute, and so are you.”

“Thanks.” She giggles.

“He looks like a little stuffed animal.”

“He really does.”

“Why a Shih Tzu?”

“They’re really smart. They’re tough to train because they’re so stubborn, but once they get a little older they start to listen, and they’re pretty self-sufficient alone during the day. Although, sometimes I sneak him into the office.”

“How old is he?”

“About two. Do you have any pets?”

“Nah, I’m not home enough to take care of anything else. But I love dogs, I think they’re great.”

“Well, maybe at some point you can meet little Marv.”

“I’d like that.”

They square up the tab and Harry walks Abby home once again. They kiss for a while outside her front door. He desperately wanted to feel her tongue on his, but she wouldn’t open her mouth up. His hands squeeze at her hips, and she tugs on his jacket like she had done earlier.

“Well, I better get up inside.” She says against his lips and he hums his response as he continues to kiss her. She giggles into him. “Harry.” She smiles and steps back from him.

“Sorry, I just really like kissing you.”

“I like kissing you too.”

“When can I see you again?”

She takes her phone out to check her calendar.

“Are you free on Friday?” She asks as she furrows her brows at her screen.

“I think so. We could go to dinner, if you like. There’s this really great Chinese place in China Town that I love going to if you’re interested.”

“That sounds great, Harry.” She smiles. “I’m looking forward to it.”

“Maybe…um, maybe we could meet up for lunch, or something at some point during the week.”

“Do you have time for something like that?”

“I’m sure I do. I can look at my calendar and let you know which day works best.”

“Okay.” She nods. “I’d love to meet up for lunch.”

“Great.” He leans in to kiss her again. “Hope you and Marvin have a good night.”

“Oh, we will. He’s probably antsy for me to get up there and give him all the cuddles I can. Text me when you know which day works for lunch.” She smiles and heads inside.

Harry couldn’t believe a little dog was going to be getting all of her cuddles tonight and not him. She was slowly killing him. He respected that she might want to take things slow, but to still not invite him up? He sighs and orders an uber back to his condo, hoping he’ll be able to fall asleep easily, and not stay up thinking about the girl who was slowly creeping her way into his heart.

//

Abby was able to meet up with Harry on Tuesday, but only for a quick walk, which she thought would be a great opportunity for Harry to meet Marvin. She gets his sweater and harness on, leashes him up, and out the door she goes. Harry was standing outside her building, in his scrubs, and a jacket, with two hot chocolates.

“Thank you.” She smiles and takes the warm drink from him. “Harry, this is Marvin.”

“Aw.” He pouts, and squats down to put his hand in front of Marvin’s nose before he pets him. “Nice to meet you little guy.” He looks up at Abby. “He’s even cuter in person.”

“Right? I’m really excited we could get out for a little bit today. He loves when I can take him for a good walk.” Harry stands back up straight and they all start walking. “Were you in surgery today?”

“Yeah, early this morning, and I’ve got another one later this afternoon. Didn’t make much sense for me to put my other clothes back on.”

“You look cute in your scrubs.” Abby says, a blush creeping onto her cheeks.

Harry nudges her and he looks down at Marvin.

“He’s pretty quiet, huh?”

“He was yappy when I first got him, but he’s calmed down a lot. First summer I had him I spent a lot of time training him. Pretty much taught him not to bark unless someone’s trying to break in.”

“You must be good with discipline then.”

“I try to be. Although, I’m more of a fan of positive reinforcement.” They pull to the side as Marvin takes a tinkle near a fire hydrant. “Good boy, Marvin.” She says and gives him a kibble as a treat. “Kibbles are great treats. Can’t get fat off what he normally eats.”

“That’s really smart. Have you, uh, been laying off the jolly ranchers?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Dr. Styles, I didn’t realize we were in your office.”

“Abby…”

“I’ve been trying to, but I have a horrible sweet tooth. They’re the only candy I really eat. What’s the harm?”

“Your teeth rotting out?”

“Okay, good point. I mean, I haven’t had nearly as many since I’m not really meeting with students right now, and I’ve already gone out and bought a ton of mints for the next semester.”

“Good girl, that’s what I like to hear.”

“What do you say to your male patients?”

“Pardon?”

“It’s just…you say good girl a lot…do you do that with all your female patients, and if so…what do you say to your male patients? Also, I’m an adult woman. Do you say good girl to all adult women?”

“Abby.” Harry chuckles. “I think I’ve only ever said that to you.”

“Oh, fuck off, I bet you say it all the time.”

“I really don’t.”

“Then why me?”

“You’re cute, and I tend to be a flirt sometimes.”

“You consider calling me a good girl flirting?” She stops short and he turns to look at her.

“I do.” He nods, a smirk growing on his lips. “Do you want me to stop saying it to you?”

“N-no.”

“Alright then.” He grins and they continue walking until they get to Marvin’s turn around spot, and make their way back to Abby’s building. “I’m glad we got to meet up for a bit. Still on for Friday night?”

“Definitely.” She goes up on her tip toes to kiss him goodbye and inside she goes. Harry left her with butterflies in her stomach.

//

Harry was really hoping tonight would be the night something more happens between him and Abby. He just wanted to feel her body on his. He drives to her place around seven Friday night, and he waits outside the car for her.

“Hello, beautiful.” He says to her as she steps outside.

“Hey.” She smiles and kisses him. He opens the door for her and he jogs around the other side to get back in. He takes her hand in his as she drives towards China Town. “How was your day?”

“Good, really busy, but good. I tend to get a lot of kids on Fridays since it’s an easy day for them to miss school.”

“I bet the little kids love you.”

“They do, I like being goofy with them.” They get to the restaurant, and are seated. “Do you want to share a few things?”

“Sure, that sounds good.” She smiles. “I hardly ever come out here, how’d you find this place?”

“When I was at Tufts I used to come to China Town all the time since it’s close by. I got sick of eating at all of the same places, so I decided to come around here and branch out. This is obviously nicer, but I like it a lot.” They decide which dishes they want to share, and tell the waitress when she comes over. They both also order a couple of drinks. “The semester’s starting soon, right?”

“Yeah, on Monday, actually.”

“Oh, wow! Do you feel ready?”

“For the most part.” She nods. “The first week is usually quiet, and then I start to get booked out. That’s how it was last semester, anyways. I already have some of my regulars from last semester on my calendar for next week.”

“I bet they’re excited to see you, I know I would be.” He places his hand over hers and gives it a squeeze. “Abby, um, after dinner…I was wondering if you’d like to come back to my place for a bit.”

“Oh, that’s so sweet of you to offer, but I don’t want to leave Marvin for that long.” She takes a sip of her drink. “Another time, though.” She smiles and he nods at that.

A food runner brings their dishes over, and luckily nothing feels awkward, but Harry was sort of hoping that she’d offer to have him over after dinner instead. They both enjoy the food, and share a few laughs before heading back to Harry’s car. When he pulls up to her place they both linger for a moment.

“Thanks again for dinner, Harry, I had a great time.”

“Me too.” He looks at her. “Can I ask you something?” She nods yes at him. “Are you, uh, seeing anyone else? It’s okay if you are, we never said this was exclusive, I guess I’d just like to know.”

“No, I’m not seeing anyone else. I would have told you if I was dating around. Are you seeing anyone else?”

“No.”

“Okay.” She smiles. “Good to know.” She leans across the console to kiss him, and he kisses her back. He turns his body more so he can cup her jaw. “Are you busy tomorrow?”

“I…I don’t think so, I mean, just usual weekend errand type stuff. Might be grabbing drinks with some friends in the evening, why?”

“I was just thinking maybe, um, you could come over for dinner, but if you’re busy-“

“I can cancel. I can get drinks with them any time.”

“Don’t be silly.” She smiles. “We can do it another night. We’ll figure it out. I better get upstairs.” She pecks his lips. “Goodnight.” She gets out of the car, leaving him speechless. He wanted to rip his hair out at this point.

//

“Harry, how things going with that girl you’ve been seeing?” Greg asks him as they sit in a booth at the bar.

“Yeah, you still like her?” Lenny asks.

“Things are going well.” He nods. “But I can’t seem to figure her out. We’ve been out, like, six times and she still hasn’t invited me up to her place. I invited her back to mind last night, and she said she didn’t want to leave her dog alone for long.”

“Have you kissed?” Greg asks.

“Yeah, we’ve kissed plenty of times. We just haven’t done anything else. I mean, we don’t need to jump right into bed, but it’d be nice to do a little more.”

“I get what you’re saying, man.” Lenny says. “Maybe she’s just nervous.”

“I didn’t think I was giving her a reason to be.” Harry sighs. “She invited me over tonight, but I stupidly told her I had plans with you lot.”

“What are you doing with us then?! Go pick up some dessert, and go get your girl!” Greg says.

“I can’t just show up at her place…I’ll look like a stalker. What if she’s not even home?”

“So text her.” Lenny shrugs. “See if she’s around and ask if you can stop by. Tell her you’re at bar in the neighborhood.”

“But I’m not. She’ll know I’m lying.”

“Dude, just text her and see if she’s around.” Greg says.

Harry takes out his phone and types out a text. He hesitates before hitting send.

Harry: Hey, Abby! Are you home? I’m finishing up with my friends a bit earlier than I thought…maybe I could bring some dessert over?

Abby: Hey! Yeah, I’m home, snuggled up with Marv. I’d love it if you came by, especially if there’s dessert involved lol

Harry: Great! I can be by in about 30 minutes

Abby: sounds good! See you soon

“Alright, I’m gonna go up to the bar and get a lava cake to go. Thanks for being so cool about this guys.”

“No worries, H.” Lenny says. “Good luck.”

Harry races to Abby’s once he’s gotten the cake, and she buzzes him in. He knocks on her door, and she opens it for him.

“Hey.” She smiles and steps aside. “Come on in.”

“Thanks.” He pecks her cheek. “Hope you like chocolate lava cake.”

“Love it.” She takes it from him. “So…this is it. It’s just a studio.” She blushes. “But the kitchen is its own area, which is nice.”

“It’s great.” He smiles at her. “You’ve definitely utilized the space.”

There’s a large monitor mounted on the wall, a desk underneath it with Abby’s laptop, and an HDMI cord connecting both. There’s a small couch a few feet back, and then her bed is up against the opposite wall. Everything was neat and tidy.

“I use this wireless mouse as a remote, and I have a Fire Stick.” She says. Marvin comes trotting in from the kitchen. “Marv, you remember Harry. I’m just gonna stick this in the kitchen. Feel free to make yourself comfortable.” She walks into the kitchen as Harry sits down on the couch. Marvin jumps up to sit in his lap.

“Hey, little guy.” Harry pets his head and scratches behind his ears. Abby comes back out. She looks really cute tonight. She was wearing glasses, her hair tied to the side in a braid, leggings and an off the shoulder sweater. “Hope I’m not intruding on your cozy evening.”

“Not at all! I’m really glad you texted, actually. Did you have fun with your friends?”

“I did, yeah.”

“Are they dentists too?”

“Mhm, we lived together while we were in medical school. Lenny and Greg.”

“Where do they both work?”

“At other practices around the city. Greg’s actually an orthodontist. They’re both junior partners, though, I’m the first of the three of us to become a senior partner at a practice. Guess that was the one good thing about Dr. Morgan leaving MidCity.”

“You’re so successful.” She bites her bottom lip and looks down at Marvin in Harry’s lap. “Look at that, you’re here five minutes and he already liked you better than me.” She reaches and takes Marvin from Harry, snuggling him to her chest before putting him on the ground.

“I didn’t know you wore glasses.”

“Oh, I don’t. They’re just blue light blockers.” She takes them off and sets them on the side table next to the couch. “They help a lot when I’m on the computer for a while.”

“Ah.” He nods.

“What’s your place like?”

“I’ve got a condo, uh, it’s a three bedroom, but I use one as a home office.”

“Wow, good for you.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t always get to live so comfortably.”

“You’ve earned it, I bet you work really hard.” She smiles.

“I’m sure you work hard too.”

“True.” She nods. “But I’m paying off loans, and this is all I can really afford.”

“It’s a great place.” He assures her. “I wish the studio I had when I first started out was half as nice as this. I certainly didn’t keep things as neat as you.”

“Oh, I just rushed around to clean things up before you got here. It was a mess.” She laughs.

“I’m glad you were cool with me coming by.” He puts his hand over hers, rubbing his thumb along the back of her hand. “I’ve been having a great time with you this last month.”

“Me too.”

“My birthday’s next weekend, and…um, a ton of us are getting together at this pub…I’d love it if you could come.”

“Oh! Sure, would it be Saturday?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m there, I’d love to go. That’s so nice of you to invite me.” She leans in and kisses his cheek.

He looks at her, his eyes locking in on her lips. He leans in and presses his lips to hers. Her arms go around his neck to pull him closer, her fingers tangling with the curls on the nape of his neck. His arms wrap around her, hands splaying on her back to have her chest pressed to his. He lightly sucks on her bottom lip, and she opens up wider for him. He nearly groans as he licks into her, finally. She tugs on his hair as her tongue molds to his. One of his hands slides down her back and around to the front of her stomach. He just about reaches the band of her leggings when she grabs his hand, and moves it to her hip. He gives a squeeze and she whimpers into him. He plants kisses along her jaw to her earlobe, nibbling on it gently until he kisses on her neck. He mouths at her skin before sucking on her and she gasps.

“Don’t leave a mark.” She grunts, and she feels him nod against her skin. “H-Harry, is this the only reason you wanted to come see me tonight?” She blurts out and he stops to look at her.

“What? No.” He shakes his head. “I genuinely wanted to see you and split that cake. And…I mean…yeah, I’ve been wanting to do a little bit of this.” He runs a hand through his hair. “I like you a lot, Abby, I can’t help it.”

“I like you a lot too.” She gives him a soft smile. “We can keep kissing.”

“Are you sure?”

“Mhm.” She nods and brings her hand to the back of his neck to pull him back to her. This time she nibbles on his bottom lip and his hands go to her hips, squeezing and kneading. “Mm, but I don’t wanna go any further than this…not yet anyways. I hope that’s alright.”

“Of course it is.”

“I just…sort of wanna see where this is going before something so serious happens between us.”

“I get it.” He smiles. “I know you’ll be worth the wait.”

//

Harry: hope the first day of the semester has been treating you well!

Abby couldn’t help but smile at her phone. She knew Harry was extremely busy at work, so the fact that he took a moment to text her meant so much. The only thing was he texted her during a staff meeting, and her colleague Maya noticed her goofy smile.

“Abby, how was your break?” Maya asks her after the meeting.

“It was good! Um, I sort of started seeing someone.”

“Shut up! That’s amazing, who is it, how’d you meet?”

“His name is Harry…he’s, um, my dentist.”

“Oh, my, a doctor?”

“Yeah.” Abby nods. “We actually met years ago when he was still a student, and he just so happened to take over for my other dentist who apparently retired. It’s been a little over a month. He’s super nice, and funny…and he’s really fucking handsome.” She says the last part quietly.

“Good for you. Do you have a picture of him?”

“There’s one on the practice’s website. I haven’t, like, taken a selfie with yet. Although, I wish I had when he took me ice skating.” She pulls up MidCity’s website on her phone and shows Maya.

“Holy shit! He is handsome.”

“It’s going really well too. He’s met Marvin, and he invited me to his birthday party this weekend.”

“Wow, so you’re gonna get to meet his friends already?”

“I guess so.” She smiles. “The only thing is…do I get him a gift? And if so, what do I get him? I feel like it should be casual because everything’s so new still, but if it’s too casual he might think I’m not as into him as I am.”

“Shit, yeah, that’s a tough one.” Maya steps further into Abby’s office. The girls were close, so they were used to talking about personal things. “Have you slept with him yet? You could wear something for him to unwrap.”

“No, we haven’t.” Abby sighs. “I’m trying to take things slow with him because I really like him. We’ve made out a couple of times…”

“So…is that a no?”

“I don’t know, birthday sex as a gift? I feel like that’s so…cliché or something? Plus, I feel like he’ll be expecting it. I want it to feel more special than that.” She bites her bottom lip in thought.

“Oh! Have you been out to eat with him much?”

“Yeah, a ton, why?”

“Did you notice him order any specific types of alcohol?”

“Yeah! On our first real date he had this really nice bottle of white wine ordered to our table. It was delicious, and he loved it. I remember what it was, I could just get a bottle of that and a card, right?”

“I think that’s a totally acceptable gift. It’s sentimental, so it shows you put some thought into it, but also casual enough to show you’re not a psycho.”

“Exactly.”

Abby: you’re so sweet! It’s been a little busy with meetings and stuff, but other than that no fires to put out. Thanks so much for thinking of me, I hope you’re having a good day too! 😘

//

Harry didn’t want Abby to walk into the pub by herself, so he said he’d pick her up on his way. She insisted he didn’t need to, but he insisted that he did. She had a black dress on with black tights and blue heels. She zips up her long coat and runs her fingers through her hair. Her phone buzzes with a text from Harry that he’s downstairs with the uber. She takes a deep breath, grabs her gift, and heads downstairs.

“Happy birthday.” She smiles and gives him a peck on the cheek.

“Thanks, beautiful.” He opens the door for her and goes around to the other side. “Is that for me?” He points to the bag she’s settled into her lap.

“Maybe.” She shrugs a shoulder.

“You didn’t have to get me anything.” He places his hand on her thigh.

“I said maybe, so this could easily not be for you. I guess you’ll find out later.” She side eyes him and it makes him laugh.

“How was your first week back to campus?”

“Exhausting.” She sighs. “But I caught up on sleep this morning. Everyone was excited to see Marvin.” She chuckles. “And it was good to see my friends and students.”

“That’s good.” Harry smiles.

“What about you? How was your week?”

“Busy. I had four different surgeries, a ton of cavities, and a fuck ton of cleaning check ins. I think a lot of college kids were getting in their bi-annual visits before going back to school.”

“Ohhh, yup, I bet that’s what it was. Is there ever a time of year you’re super busy?”

“I would say summers I do a lot of wisdom teeth removals, so I get bogged down there. Everything’s pretty consistent, though.”

“So, who’s going to be at this party?”

“My friends Greg and Lenny, who are very excited to meet you.” Harry smiles and gives Abby’s thigh a squeeze. “Some people from work, you know Marie, and Dr. Morgan’s going to be there as well. Some other med school buddies will be there. I’m only thirty-two it’s not really a big deal.” He shrugs.

“I’m excited to meet your friends too.” She smiles. “And it’ll be good that I’ll know a couple of people so you won’t feel like you have to babysit me.”

“Aw, babe, I wouldn’t feel like that. I wouldn’t leave your side if that’s what you wanted, no worries.”

She nods and smiles nervously at him. He just called her ‘babe’ and it filled her tummy with butterflies. The driver pulls up in front of the pub, and Harry gets out first so he can open Abby’s door. She smiles at him as he puts his hand on the small of her back to lead her inside.

“There he is!” Greg exclaims. “Happy birthday, H!” The two hug.

“Thanks, mate, this is Abby. Abby, this is Greg.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” She says to him.

“Same to you, you’re even lovelier than Harry described.”

Abby giggles at that, and Harry leads her over to the coat room. It seems the whole pub had been rented out for his party. There was a small table for gifts, so she sets hers down.

“Wow, you look amazing.” Harry says, rubbing his hands up and down her arms.

“Thanks.” She smiles and leans in to peck his lips. “Wanna introduce me to some other people?”

“Yeah, come on.” He takes her hand and leads her back to everyone.

Abby gets introduced to Lenny, and some of Harry’s other doctor friends. She then gives Dr. Morgan a big hug, and she says hello to Marie and her wife. Harry gets Abby a glass of wine, and much to her surprise, he keeps his arm hooked around her waist for most of the evening. He clearly wanted her close by. His friends were kind, not at all arrogant, which was a tad unexpected since there were a lot of people with deep pockets in the room. Maybe doctors weren’t as snotty because they also had large student loan debts. They engaged her in conversation, asking about her work, and why the heck she wanted to spend her time with Harry, which made a lot of people laugh. Harry lit up when he was explaining how he and Abby actually met ears ago, and he talked about the card she had sent along to him, making her blush a bit. Everyone found the story to be quite endearing.

“Are you having a good time?” Harry asks Abby as they go up to the bar together.

“I am, your friends are great. Are you? It’s your birthday.”

“I’m having a wonderful time, even more so since you’re here.” He kisses her cheek and hands her a new glass of wine.

A tray of cupcakes is brought out, and everyone sings happy birthday to Harry. He blows out a few candles and thanks everyone for coming. The cupcakes were delicious, clearly from a nice bakery. Harry notices Abby getting a little bit of frosting on the corner of her mouth, and before she can grab a napkin, he’s catching it with his thumb and sucking it into his mouth. Her eyes widen as he winks at her.

“Th-thank you.” She says, clearing her throat.

“Don’t mention it.” He pecks her lips. “I was wondering something…”

“What is it?”

“Would you like to come home with me tonight? I thought it would be nice to spend some time alone after being so social.”

“Oh, um, yeah, I’d like that.” She nods.

“Will Marvin be alright without you?”

“Yeah, my, um, neighbor’s kid is actually watching him tonight. She’s a great pet sitter. I…I told her I may not be coming home tonight, so she’s fully prepared for a sleepover.”

Harry’s smile grows, and he kisses her again. After making the rounds to say goodbye to everyone, getting their coats, gathering all of the gifts, the two get into an uber to head to Harry’s condo. There’s a doorman that says hello to Harry and gives Abby a warm smile. She follows him through the lobby to the elevators. They step inside, and Harry hits a number on one of the higher floors. He leads her to his door, and he gets it open. She follows him into his living area, and they set his gifts down. He takes her coat for her, and hangs it up in his front closet.

“This is…a really nice place.” She says as she looks around.

“I’ll give you the full tour in a moment, I’ve been dying to open your gift all night.”

“Oh.” She blushes. “It’s really nothing special.”

He gives her an unconvinced look, and grabs the bag he remembers her bringing. They both sit down on the coach, and she watches him reach inside.

“A card, classic.” He smirks and sets it aside. He reaches back inside and pulls out the bottle of wine. “This is one of my favorites! How did you know?”

“I remember you ordering it when we went to that Italian place.” She smiles and he hugs her.

“Mind if I open it, or have you had enough for the night?”

“I’d love some.”

“Great! Just hang tight.”

Harry goes into the kitchen with the bottle. While she’s waiting patiently on the couch, Abby hears music come on. She sees a Bluetooth speaker light up, he must have turned it on from his phone. He comes out with two glasses of wine, and hands her one as he sits back down.

“Thank you.” She says as she takes a sip.

“No, thank you. This was really nice of you. You’ve got a great memory.” He takes a sip and sets the glass down on a coaster on his coffee table. She does the same. “My friends adored you, by the way. I’ve already got the texts to prove it.”

“I’m glad I made such a good first impression.” She inches closer to him.

He reaches to tuck some hair behind her ear, and he leans in to kiss her. She wraps her arms around his neck, and opens her mouth for him. One of his hands falls to her thigh as the other one cups her cheek. Her fingers work their way into his hair, and he squeezes her hip.

“Abby.” He breathes, and moves to kiss on her neck, just under her earlobe.

She lets her heels fall off as she pushes him back farther on the couch. She moves to straddle one of his thighs, and she brings her lips back to his. His hands move up and down her back until they reach just above her bum. She grabs his hands and moves them down to her ass. He groans into her as he squeezes, loving how plump she is. She kisses along his jaw and to his neck, and she rolls her hips down onto his thigh. He raises it to help press into her. She whimpers into his neck, and he cups her cheeks so she’ll at him.

“Do you wanna take this to the bedroom?” He asks softly.

“I don’t wanna go to sleep yet.”

“I didn’t think you did.” He smirks.

“No, I just…I mean, if we go in there…that’s all I’ll want to do.”

“Sleep?” She nods her head yes. “Oh.”

“Harry, I’m sorry.” She sighs. “I know it’s your birthday, and you were probably hoping for some…stuff to go down between us, but I think we should wait a little longer. Is that okay?”

“Abby, I wasn’t expecting us to do anything. I mean, if we had of course it would have been nice, but it’s okay.” He assures her. “I’m just happy you wanted to come back with me.”

She leans back in to kiss him, and they continue to grope each other as they kiss. Their tongues swirl around each other, and she continues to rock back and forth on his thigh. She lets him puts his hands on her breasts, and he kneads them through her dress. He moves her to lay down on the couch and he settles himself between her legs as he hovers over her. He kisses on the tops of her breasts that were now spilling out of her dress. He sucks and bites on the plushier areas, eliciting a moan from her.

“H-Harry, maybe we should cool it before you turn me into a leopard.”

He chuckles against her and pecks her lips before he sits up.

“Would you spend the night?”

“I’d love to.”

He helps her up off the couch and leads her to the bedroom. He flips the switch for the lights, and her eyes widen. His bedroom was neat, almost a little too neat. She raises a suspicious eyebrow at him.

“I…um, have a housekeeper.” He clears his throat. “Let me just grab a few things for you. I’m assuming you’ll want something to sleep in?”

“Please.” She chuckles, watching him move to his dresser for a tee shirt and pajama bottoms.

She follows him into his en suite as he opens the closet inside to look for a spare washcloth and toothbrush. He sets everything down on his double vanity and smiles at her.

“Use whatever you need, beautiful.” He kisses her cheek and steps out to give her some privacy.

Abby strips herself of her clothes, and then washes her face. She brushes her teeth, runs her fingers through her hair, and then puts on the clothes Harry set aside for her. They were so soft and smelled just like him. She sighs happily and makes her way back into his bedroom. He smiles at her and stands up from the bed.

“Get comfortable, I’m just gonna do my thing.” He tells her and she nods. “There’s a spare phone charger on that side of the bed if you need it.” He points to the right side and she smiles.

When he’s done in the bathroom he comes out in a pair of plaid bottoms, but he’s gotten rid of his shirt altogether. He was littered with tattoos which really surprised her. She thought he only had the one little cross on his hand.

“When did you get all of those?” She asks as he gets into bed with her.

“All of what? Oh! My tattoos? Years and years ago, when I was a stupid teenager.” He chuckles. “Haven’t added to the collection in a while.” He looks down at himself. “Do you, uh, not like tattoos?”

“No! I think they’re really cool.” She furrows her brows as she scans his chest. “They’re so interesting.”

“Thanks.” He smirks.

“Did they hurt?”

“Some more than others. You sort of get used to it after a while. I’m assuming you don’t have any?”

“No.” She shakes her head. “Just a few piercings.”

“Yeah?”

“Mhm.” She tucks some hair behind her ear. “Got my cartilage, and three holes in each lobe.”

“Noticed those, I love the earrings you wear.”

“And…” She pulls the blankets back a bit and pulls the shirt she’s wearing up slightly to reveal her belly button. “Got this done when I was twenty-two. I always wanted one and said fuck it.”

“It’s cute.” He smiles as he admire the jewel attached to her naval. “Now that had to have hurt.” He says as she puts her shirt back down.

“It honestly wasn’t as bad as I thought. It was just a little pinch, the guy took really good care of me. I was a little light headed after, and it was sore for a few days, but other than that it was fine.”

They stay up talking for a bit until they eventually fall asleep. Abby had moves to rest her head on Harry’s chest, and that’s how she fell asleep, to the smooth rhythm of his heartbeat. Harry couldn’t remember the last time someone spent the night in his bed and it didn’t involve sex, there was something sort of sweet about not doing anything and still be able to fall asleep together comfortably. Maybe there was something to this taking it slow thing.

The next morning, Abby woke up being spooned by Harry. His breath was fanning over the back of her neck, and he had a leg between hers. His arm was strung across her lower stomach lazily. She grabs her phone and sees that it’s about 8:30. She yawns and wiggles a bit to adjust herself. She feels his lips press a kiss into the back of her neck and his arm tightens around her stomach.

“You awake, darling?” He coos and it nearly makes her melt.

“Mhm.” It’s all she can manage to say.

“Good morning then.” He kisses the back of her neck again.

“Good morning.” She rolls over to her other side to look at him and he gives her a sleep smile. He leans into peck her nose, and he rubs at her side.

“Sleep alright?”

“Yeah, did you?”

“Mhm.” He nods. “I’m gonna wash up and then make us some breakfast, how does that sound?”

“Sounds amazing, Harry.”

He gets up and makes his way to the bathroom. When he comes out he’s thrown a shirt on, and Abby gets up to freshen up herself. She washes her face and brushes her teeth, putting her bra on under the shirt he had given her so she wasn’t putting on a show for him. She comes out to his kitchen and smells fresh coffee. She wanted to roll her eyes as she saw him using a French press.

“Hope you like hazelnut, it’s the only flavor I’ve got.”

“It’s perfect. Got any creamer?”

“Mhm, in the fridge.” He points to it and she opens it up, grabbing the creamer on the top shelf. It was pretty much full.

“I don’t use it myself, mostly keep it for guests.” He pours the coffee into two mugs.

“Ah, and do you have guests often?”

“None that I’d want to have a sleepover with, if that’s what you’re asking.” He kisses her cheek, and she pours the creamer into her coffee. “Now, what can I make you? What do you like for breakfast?”

“Oh, nothing fancy.” She shrugs. “Whatever you feel like making is fine.”

“Eggs and toast?”

“Works for me. Can I help?”

“You can help by just having a seat.”

Abby smiles and sits down on one of the stools at Harry’s kitchen island while he works to get the eggs out of the fridge. He ends up making scrambled eggs for the two of them to keep things quick. It was a pleasant breakfast. Abby thought it was cute that Harry genuinely read from the morning newspaper. She was resting her chin on her palm watching him.

“Anything interesting going on?” She asks him.

“Nah, it’s all negative.” He sighs as he flips a page.

“Could I have the funnies?”

“Sure!” Harry finds the chunk with the comics and slides it over to her.

“Thanks, I used to look forward to this every Sunday when my dad would pick up The Globe.”

“What was your favorite?”

“There was this one called Opus. There were all these different characters, and the story was pretty linear, which I thought was cool. I actually saved the last comic strip in a scrap book. The main characters, Opus the penguin, had gone missing or something and he was trying to find himself. It really tugged at my heartstrings.”

“Sometimes I forget not all of the funnies are just for kids.”

“I’m also partial to Family Circus, and I loved Zits.”

Harry smiles and goes back to reading the paper. He liked going over the sports and arts sections most. Abby helps him clean up the dishes and then she goes to get dressed.

“Do you want some sweat pants to wear so you don’t have to put all of that back on?”

“No, I’m okay. I’m just gonna put the dress on.”

“Won’t you be cold without the stockings?”

“I’ll be alright, but thanks.”

“Let me at list drive you home.”

“Okay.” She nods.

The ride was comfortably quiet as Harry kept his hand in Abby’s. He pulls over to the side to stop in front of her building, and they look at each other. Smiles grow on both of their faces.

“You already know what I’m going to ask.” He says to her.

“I know, but I wanna hear you say it.”

“Alright, when can I see you next?”

“Hmm…what about Tuesday night? We could go to a movie. Tickets are cheaper on Tuesdays so we can splurge on snacks.”

“I like the way you think. I’d love to go to a movie. You pick, and just tell me what time I need to meet you.”

“Sounds good.” She leans in to peck his lips. “Talk to you soon.” She gets out of the car and heads up to her apartment. Chrissy, the teenager watching Marvin, was sitting on her couch watching TV. “Hey, Chrissy. I already paid you on Venmo.”

“I saw! Thanks so much.” She stands up.

“Thanks for watching him all night.” Abby scoops up Marvin and cuddles him to her chest. “I hope he wasn’t too much trouble.”

“Not at all, he was great. He was my little study buddy.”

“Perfect. Well, enjoy your Sunday. Tell your parents thanks too.”

“I will, have a good day.” Chrissy heads out and Abby sets Marvin back down.

“Alright, Mumma’s gonna take a shower and then she’ll take you for a nice, long walk, sound good?” Marvin yips excitedly at her. “S’what I thought.”

//

Harry was fucked. He was running late and couldn’t get to a phone because he was in the middle of a surgery. Of course the one time there’s a few delays and complications he actually has somewhere to be. He was supposed to meet Abby at 6:45PM, it was already 6:30, there was no way in hell he was going to make it. He did his best to stay focused so he could do right by his patient. By the time he was done it was 7:45PM. He tried to call Abby, but her phone went right to voicemail.”

“Shit.” He says to himself.

“Dr. Styles.” Marie says. “You should change, you’re still scrubbed up and you have blood on you. Go home and shower, she’ll understand.”

“I just wish she’d turn her phone on…”

“Maybe she went to the movie alone.” Marie shrugs. “She could be one of those good people who actually turns their phone off.”

“Right, yeah. I’m gonna freshen up here, and then I’m gonna try to catch her outside the theater.”

Harry does just that, using the hospital locker room to have a quick shower. He rushes to the movie theater and waits outside. The movie they were supposed to see should be wrapping up any moment, so he goes into the lobby to watch for her. Hopefully she was actually there.

Abby throws out her trash and walks towards the main lobby. She was just turning her phone back on when she saw Harry standing there with a very apologetic look on his face. She sighs and walks over to him.

“I’m so sorry.” He starts. “I tried calling as soon as I could, but your phone went right to voicemail.”

“I turned it off when the previews started.” She chews on her bottom lip. “What happened?”

“My last surgery of the day got delayed, and then there were some complications…everything’s fine now, but it wasn’t an easy extraction. I had to really take my time, I’m so sorry. I swear this won’t happen a lot.” He looks down at his shoes and then back to her. “Was it a good movie at least?”

“It was alright.” She sighs. “Would have been better if I had someone to make comments to.” She nudges his shoulder.

“How can I make it up to you? Are you hungry? We could-“

“I already ate, it’s okay. I know you didn’t do anything on purpose. It’s getting late, so I’m just going to head home.”

“I feel terrible.”

“Don’t.” She smiles. “Shit happens.”

“Let me at least take you home, I drove here.”

“Sure.” She takes his hand in hers as they walk out of the theater. “Are you hungry?”

“Starved, actually, but I can just eat when I get home.”

“Don’t be silly, I have leftovers. You can come up and eat if you want.”

“I’d like that.”

Once they’re up in her apartment, Harry plays with Marvin while Abby heats up her leftover stir fry and rice. She hands Harry the warm bowl and they both sit down at the small table she has in her kitchen.

“Is it hot enough?” She asks him.

“It’s perfect, thank you.” He eats a little and then looks at her. “I really do feel terrible that you waited and had to sit alone…”

“It’s really okay. It’s not my first time going to the movies by myself.” She shrugs. “I’m pretty independent.”

“I just don’t want you thinking this is something that’s going to happen a lot. It’s so rare for a surgery like this to not be timely.”

“I’ll take your word for it.” She gives him a reassuring smile. “It’s really sweet you still showed up at the theater like you did. We’re together now, that’s all that really matters.”

Harry finishes eating and cleans up his bowl. He stands with his hands in his pockets by the door and she stands with her arms crossed. Neither were sure what to do. It was really too late to hang out any longer since they both needed to work the next day.

“Are you free Friday night?” He asks her. “We could go to dinner if you like.”

“Sure, that sounds nice. Wanna say seven?”

“Works for me. I’ll pick you up then.” He caresses her cheek and kisses her. They both linger for a moment before letting go. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” She sighs after he leaves. It sucked being at the movies alone, but it meant the world to her that he still showed up at the end. It really showed his character, and for that she was grateful. She was still trying to gauge what kind of guy Harry was, and she had finally come to the conclusion that he was a good one.

//

“Two months and still nothing?” Greg asks Harry one Sunday evening as he and Lenny came over to watch the hockey game.

“Yeah.” Harry sighs as he sips on his beer. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love kissing her and, and she’s let me touch her over her clothes, but…I don’t know, she’s not as desperate and grabby as I am. What if she’s just not as into me?”

“I don’t think she’d be seeing you still if she wasn’t into you.” Lenny says. “How old is she again?”

“Twenty-six, why?”

“Well, maybe she’s hoping for things to be a little more official before she goes all the way with you.”

“Define official.” Harry mutters.

“Maybe she wants to know if you’re her boyfriend.” Lenny states.

“God, do you really think she’s hung up on some stupid label? We’re dating, we’re together, I think that’s pretty clear.”

“Remember when I dated that younger girl? She was, like, twenty-three?” Greg says and the guys both nod. “Well, she wanted to know what the status was after a few months. Obviously it didn’t work out because of the age difference, but these things matter to the younger women. They wanna know what to refer to you. Boyfriend is a lot easier to say than having to say the guy I’m seeing.”

“So, you have to ask yourself, do you want to be Abby’s boyfriend?” Lenny asks him. “If you don’t see things working out long term with her you should break it off.”

“I definitely don’t want to break it off. I really like her, and I like spending time with her.” He runs a hand through his hair. “I’m going to her place on Thursday for dinner, maybe we can talk about it then.”

“Yeah? She cooking for you again?” Greg asks.

“Mhm.” Harry smiles. “She really likes cooking for me, I don’t know why. I don’t mind it, she always makes something delicious.”

“Do you ever cook for her?” Lenny asks.

“Sure.” Harry shrugs. “We take turns.”

“That’s good, those things should definitely go both ways.” Greg says. “I bet you she just wants to make sure you’re not going to up and leave the second she lets you hit it.”

“I don’t know why she’d even think I’d do something like that…”

“Maybe she’s been burned in the past.” Lenny shrugs. “Have you had the ex talk?”

“No.” Harry shakes his head. “It doesn’t seem like something we’ve needed to talk about…but maybe we do.”

//

Thursday night Harry goes over to Abby’s with a bottle of wine and a box of chocolate chip cookies. He liked bringing dessert the times she made dinner for him.

“Hey.” She smiles and kisses him once he’s inside. She must’ve had a long day at work because she was still in her work clothes. Most times when Harry came over she had already changed into comfier clothes. “How was your day?”

“It was good, how about yours?” He hands her the wine and cookies and follows her into the kitchen.

“Long.” She sighs. “I had some heavier appointments today.” She blinks a few times. “I…I cried with a student today.” She looks at him, tearing up.

“Oh, baby, I’m so sorry, come here.” He opens his arms for her and she’s comforted by his embrace. He rests his chin on the top of her head. “Are you allowed to tell me what happened?”

“Yeah.” She sniffles and looks up at him. “This male student…he had a rough go of it in high school. A teacher…molested him, and it was this whole thing. He’s from a small town in Vermont so everyone knew. He came here to get away from it, you know? Make a fresh start? He’s started to see this girl that he really likes, and he’s petrified of her finding out, and he’s not sure if he should just tell her or if he should keep it to himself. But he’s afraid she might find out anyways somehow. I felt terrible. I mean, what kind of sick fuck uses their position of power over a kid like that, you know?”

“That’s…awful, beyond awful.” Harry frowns down at Abby.

“I just couldn’t keep it together, especially when he started crying, so I cried too. Then we both started laughing, and he was able to calm down and we talked about things more.” She steps back from Harry and wipes under eyes.

“I guess the upside is that you created such a welcoming environment that he felt safe enough to be so vulnerable with you.”

“Yeah.” She nods. “I suppose that’s a silver lining, thanks.” She smiles. “Anyways, we’re going to meet bi-weekly now just for little check ins.” She sighs and moves to stir the pot of pasta that’s on the stove. “I’m making pasta and meat sauce, hope that’s alright.”

“It’s great, Abby. Can I do anything?”

“No, everything’s just about done. Um, would you actually mind taking Marv out quickly for me? He just ate and I haven’t had a chance to take him out to do his business.”

“You got it.”

It wasn’t Harry’s first time taking Marvin out, so he really didn’t mind. He leashes him up and takes him down to the street. Marvin does his business, and Harry gets him back upstairs. By the time he comes back, Abby’s plated up dinner, and gotten the wine open and poured.

“Thank you.” She says to him, and leans down to pat Marvin’s head. “Ready to eat?”

“Mhm, thank you for cooking.”

“Oh, it was nothing.” She smiles. “I like when we get to have dinner together.”

“Me too, babe.” He takes a bite of food and moans. “This is amazing, Ab.”

“Thanks.” She blushes and takes a sip of her wine. “Harry, um, there’s something I…well…I’m just gonna come right out and say it.” She takes a deep breath as he looks at her. “Am I…am I your girlfriend?”

Harry’s concerned face softens into a smile.

“I’d like you to be.” He says to her. “I was actually going to bring this up tonight, guess you beat me to it.”

“Oh.” She says, a little surprised. “Well, good, okay.” She nods and takes a bite of food.

“I like you a lot, and I know it’s been a couple of months. I’m still having a great time with you.”

“Same here!” She assures him. “I just, you know, I don’t know what to tell my friends sometimes when they ask about you.”

“Well, now you can tell them about your boyfriend, yeah?” He smirks. “When do I get to meet these friends, hm? You’ve met all of mine.”

“That’s true.” She chews her bottom lip. “Well, I could arrange for a night out at a bar some weekend. We all love going out to dance and stuff…”

“Sounds like fun.”

“You’d be into something like that?”

“Sure, why not?”

“You just don’t exactly seem like the type of person who would enjoy going to a stuffy club with a ton of drunk people.”

“Hey, I know how to hang. Set it up and I’ll be there.”

“Great, I’ll text them.” She smiles, her body was buzzing with excitement. Harry stands up abruptly and comes over to her side of the table, cupping her jaw. He slots his lips over hers, sucking on her bottom lip and then letting her go before he sits back down. “Wh-what was that for?”

“Just wanted to give my girlfriend a kiss.” He shrugs, a smirk forming on his lips.

“Oh.” Her face had to be beat red at this point. They look at each other and smile. This time it’s Abby who decides to be bold. She gets up and sits on his lap side saddle. She grabs her phone and opens up SnapChat because it was better for taking selfies.

“What are you doing?”

“We hardly have any pictures together. Now that you’re my boyfriend that’s going to change. Smile.” She says to him, and he does as she says, taking a very cute picture.

“Send that to me?”

Abby presses her lips to his. Getting through dinner was going to take a little longer tonight.  

//

Harry could, in fact, not hang. It was midnight and he was fighting to stay awake. He wished Abby had planned their big night out with her friends for a Saturday not Friday. It was a long week, and Harry just wanted to go to bed. He thought her friends were interesting. There was Billy, Abby’s absolute best friend. Billy happens to be trans, which Harry didn’t care about at all because Billy’s life was none of his business. Then there was Amy and Gina, Abby’s roommates from undergrad. They were all getting along fine, but the club was loud, packed, and sticky. Abby was having a good time, though, so what could he do?

“Another drink, Harry? Next round’s on me.” Billy says to him.

“Oh, no thank you. Think I’m gonna cool it.”

“Cool it?” Amy scoffs. “The night just started. Ab, hold old did you say he was again?”

“Don’t tease him.” Abby hooks an arm around Harry’s waist. “He’s thirty-two, a doctor, and he had a long week.” She looks up at him. “You’ve last two hours, go home if you want.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’ll call you tomorrow.” She puckers her lips and he kisses her.

“It was really nice meeting all of you. We’ll have to do it again sometime…maybe on a night I didn’t have two different surgeries.” He kisses Abby again. “Text me when you get home so I know you got back safe?”

“Will do, bye, babe!” Harry heads out, and Abby looks back at her friends. “He’s cute, right?”

“Very.” Gina says. “He seemed like he was having fun at the beginning.”

“He’s just tired.” Abby sighs. “We should have waited until tomorrow. He really is a lot of fun.”

“I’m sure he is.” Billy says with a smile. “So, you really haven’t slept with him yet?”

“No.” Abby shakes her head.

“What’s the hold up?” Amy asks.

“I just haven’t felt ready.” Abby shrugs. “He’s a really good kisser, though, so I know I’m close to getting there with him.”

“You haven’t even sucked his dick?” Gina asks.

“No, but I’ve felt it. We grind on each other a lot. But I always have us stop before it gets to be too much.”

“I’ve literally never known you to not want to fuck a guy you’ve been seeing.” Billy says.

“I know…I just…it all just feels like a dream come true still, and I’m afraid that once we do it something will go wrong and we’ll stop seeing each other. I have no idea why I feel like that, but I do.” Abby says.

“He’d be an idiot to let you go.” Amy says. “Do it when you’re ready, but I think I speak for the three of us when I say we approve of him.”

“Thanks, that means a lot.” The four share a group hug and go back out to the dancefloor to enjoy the rest of their night.

//

It was a rainy Saturday at the beginning of April. Harry told Abby to bring Marvin over to his place so they could get cozy for a lazy day of watching movies and being cozy. She happily accepted. The two of them really needed a day to relax. Abby was booked solid at work right now, and Harry was starting to get booked out with more and more wisdom teeth appointments. Harry liked when Abby would bring Marvin over. He had gotten a little dog bed for him and some toys. Harry even got him a little food and water bowl.

Abby was really falling for Harry. He made her feel safe, and he was beyond considerate. She also couldn’t believe how patient he was being. They were together three months, just entering the fourth, and they still hadn’t had sex yet. She knew he wanted it, of course, and she really wanted it too.

They were curled up on the couch together while Marvin was snoozing on his little dig bed. Neither had ever watched The Mindy Project before so they were binging it. Abby couldn’t believe what she was about to do, but she couldn’t help from blurting it out.

“Harry?” She looks up at him.

“Yeah?” He looks down at her.

“I…I love you.” His eyes widen as he looks at her, his mouth falling open. “Oh my god, it’s too soon, right? I…I…I…” Before she can ramble on anymore, he’s kissing her, hard.

“Christ, Abby.” He presses his forehead to hers. “I love you too.” He kisses her again.

“Really?”

“Of course I do. You couldn’t tell? I’ve got your picture framed on my night table, and I’ve got all this stuff here for Marvin, and I keep your favorite snacks in the pantry…”

She moves to straddle him, pushing his shoulders back into the couch. She slots her mouth over his, and he holds her close to him. She sucks on his bottom lip, making him groan.

“Harry, bring me to your bedroom, now.”

“Y-you wanna go to sleep?” He looks at her confused.

“No, I want you to fuck me.” She looks at him with dark eyes.

“Really?”

“Yes!”

He doesn’t question her again. Instead, he lifts her up and quickly carries her down the hall to his bedroom. He gets her on the bed, hovers over her, and starts by getting her shirt off. His eyes widen when he sees the lace bra she was wearing. He furrows his brows as he gets her leggings off. He glares at her when he sees that her panties match her bra.

“What is it?” She asks innocently.

“There’s this old saying that goes along the lines of if the girl’s wearing matching underwear, then she’s the one who decided to have sex.” Abby blinks at him. “Were you planning for this tonight?”

“I was hoping.” She sits up on her elbows. “I…I’ve been fucked over before, and I really wanted to make sure I knew how we felt about each other before we did this. I’m sorry that I made us wait so long.”

“Don’t be sorry, baby.” He caresses her cheek. “I’ll admit I was a little frustrated in the beginning, but…I’m sort of glad we waited. It’ll be more special now.”

“Exactly!” She beams at him. “Can…can we get back to it now?”

He chuckles and takes his shirt off and pants off. He hovers over her and kisses on her neck and chest. He reaches behind her to unhook her bra, and tugs it away. His lips wrap around one of her nipples, and he licks around it. He sucks on her, and it makes her moan. He licks over to her other breast, and sucks on her other nipple. She pushes his head closer to her chest and tugs at his hair. He kisses and nips his way down her soft tummy. She lifts her hips as he tugs her panties off. He opens her legs and sucks a bruise into her thigh. She gasps at that and groans. He licks a flat stripe up her slit and to her clit. He does this a few times, just to get a good taste of her.

He looks up at her as his tongue flicks back and forth on her clit. He presses a hand on her pelvis and pushes up so he can see her better. He sucks on her clit and she moans out. His fingers work around her folds, feeling her wetness, and then he slides his middle finger in. He gets his ring finger in as well, and starts to pump in and out of her. He moans into her as his hips rut against the bed. She grabs at his hair as his fingers start to rub against her front wall. Abby starts panting and breathing heavier.

“Fuck, Harry, please don’t stop!”

He groans into her as his answer, and keeps doing everything exactly the same to help get her there. Her hips move along with his face, and her body starts to feel warm all over. She cries out as she comes to her release. He retracts his fingers, and he sucks on her wet center before sitting up. She catches her breath and smiles at him. He smiles at her and gets his boxers off. She whimpers when she looks at his hard dick. She crawls towards him and wraps her hand around him. She kisses his tip and wraps her lips around him.

“God, I’ve been dreaming about this.” He groans as his head rolls back while she starts to bob up and down on him. She goes down enough to choke on him, and then she pulls off. “Do you want me to use a condom?”

“No, I’m on the pill. I wanna feel you.”

He nods and gets back onto the bed with her. She opens her legs back up for him, and he rubs the head of his cock along her folds and clit. Her hips press up towards him in anticipation. He slowly presses into her, and her mouth falls open.

“Jesus, you’re so fucking tight.” He grunts as he bottoms out.

“Move.” She tells him. “Move, Harry.” She whines, and he starts to rock in and out of her. She clutches at his biceps and digs her nails in. “Oh my god.” She moans.

“Feels good?”

“Feels amazing.” She bites her bottom lip. “Go harder.”

“Yeah, want me to fuck you hard?”

“Fuck, yeah, really give it to me.”

He gives her a wicked grin, and then pulls out of her. He flips her onto her stomach and slides back in. He grips the back of her neck, and his other hand rests at the base of her spine. He takes a deep breath, pulls out almost all the way, and then snaps his hips back into her. She gasps, and he does it again. He smacks her ass, and continues to fuck into her hard. The hand at the base of her spine slides around to her clit and he rubs it. It doesn’t take her long to lose it again. He pulls out and sits up against his headboard. Abby sinks down on him as he grips her hips. They move in sync together as she rides him. She licks into his mouth and they both moan. His hands grab all over her body, unsure of where he liked squeezing the most. He fondles her breasts for a bit before deciding to stick with her ass.

“You’re so fucking beautiful like this, Abby.” He says as he kisses on her neck. “I want you to come for me again.” He snakes a hand between them so he can rub her clit again.

“Fuck, yes, oh my god, Harry!” She grinds faster on him. “I want you to come inside me.”

“Shit, fuck.” He moans out and they come at the same time. “Fuck, Abby.” He breathes and kisses her, sucking on her bottom lip. Her fingers tangle back into his hair.

“Was it, um, worth the wait?”

“Oh my god, of course it was. I wanna fuck you over and over.” He smirks at her and she giggles.

“I think that can be arranged.” She pecks his lips. “Would you ever want to, um, tie me to the bed?”

“Oh, baby, if I didn’t love you before.”

[justmelookingbackatme]

Remember

When I was six years old, I met a girl. I remember very little about her. Not even her name. It started with a C, I think. Cynthia? I don't remember.

I do remember: We went to summer camp together, the summer before first grade.

I do remember: There was a pool we went to, and age restrictions on how deep you were allowed to go. When no one was looking, she and I snuck into the deep end. One of us, or maybe both, lost our footing. In retrospect, we would have been perfectly fine, but at the time I thought I was about to drown. I grabbed onto her. I was scared and disoriented, and I found my way back to her.

I do remember: That summer, I had a lot of dental work done. As one can imagine, that wasn't pleasant. But I would come back to camp from the dentist, gums sore, and she would make me smile. We would eat sugar cookies and make each other laugh, and for a moment I could forget about my pain.

I do remember: I left the camp for a week to go on vacation, and told my relatives all about her.

I do remember: She liked to draw. And she was good at it, or as good as a six year old could be anyway. Better than me. She tried to teach me how she drew in her cartoon style, and that was how I drew for years. Even after we fell out of touch.

I do remember: When the school year started, we took swimming lessons together once a week. We weren't as close, but I still liked her.

I do remember: On Valentine's Day, I gave her a card. I was in first grade, and I had to give everyone in my class a card. But hers? Hers was a choice. Hers was special. I wrote a poem. Nothing good, of course. It was something like "roses are red, violets are blue, cookies are sweet, and so are you."

I do remember: She was my first crush, even if I didn't know it at the time. I didn't know the name for it at the time, I wasn't sure I needed one. I didn't have a word, but I had her, and wasn't that good enough?

Things were so much easier, then, compared to my second crush. There was no late-night googling "am i gay quiz." There was no choking on the words as I tried to tell my parents. No worrying about all my friends hating me.

Just us.

I don't remember much about her, but I remember her fondly. I remember how it felt, to have a crush on a girl, but without all the hate and fear and guilt. Just happiness.

[imaginarypeteel]

Really Kal?

Kal Sharma x reader

Warning: Cussing, spoilers

Word count: 2k

You were waiting for Kal and Dru to reach the school impatiently. You had been sick for some time and were utterly creeped out already. This girl who was walking to school in front of you suddenly froze. She didn't respond when you asked if she's okay and few seconds after, just kept walking forward like nothing. Not to mention Regan was standing and guarding like a hawk.

You raised your brow as you saw Kal riding his bike faster than ever. He did a dramatic brake near you. "Y/n!" he called, smiling.

"Kal, what the hell? Why are you cycling so fast? Actually how are you cycling so fast? And where's Dru?" the boy's face dropped at your last question but he wiped it off quickly.

"Yeah, i wanna know too, where is Dru?"

asked Chloe as she ran over from her place beside Regan.

Once again, the grin that made you want to smile oh so stupidly fell and he clicked his tongue. "i don't know, probably in the library," he replied.

"Try the library!" yelled the ginger to the 'leader.'

You couldn't help but roll your eyes at her action, Kal seemed annoyed as well.

"Anyway, I have been working out. Ya like it?" he grinned like a shit fox, placing his bike away and flexing his arms a bit.

"Yeah, sure, you became Usain Bolt within the few days, i was away. What's going on? Everyone's so weird and haven't even had one class yet."

"Heh, but it is true. I’ll tell you soon. It's nice to see you're okay now Y/n," the Hindi Aussie boy smiled and stepped to your side, awkwardly hugging you.

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

"Y/n! You're back! Did you do the dental...thing the school had?" Dru asked as he dashed into the classroom.

"Uh no, my mum didn't allow it, remember? I went to the dentist last week."

Dru's eyes grew wide. "Oh no, listen. Just act like everyone else but get out of here as quickly as possible," the glassed boy rushed out quietly. You slowly nodded, not understanding what he meant but trusting your best friend regardless. He isn't one to make you skip school for no reason. You glanced at his twin who suddenly froze like the girl today and sat in a robot like way. Among others who did the same. By instinct, you mimicked their behaviour and awkwardly lip synched the Mandarin phrase. There was some Chinese boy in front of the classroom who was shifting his eyes around, they widened as his gaze met Dru and yours but he stayed put.

Miss Biggs introduced the Chinese boy before he started asking math questions in Mandarin. You started to sweat a bit, even more so when all of the others answered correctly with perfect pronunciation. What the hell? I thought they all sucked at Mandarin. You thanked Gods of all religions when Dru answered wrongly because now you won't be a complete loser if you're asked.

Luckily you weren’t.

When class ended, you tried to hide between the brothers and managed to slip past teachers long enough to get outside.

"Y/n, Dru, see you," said Jiao as he walked past. Both you and Dru stared after him confusion while Kal pulled you closer to him.

"What does he mean 'see you'. What the fuck is going on?" you grumbled upsetly and rubbed your ear, slightly distancing yourself from the more athletic one of the two.

"We'll explain soon, for now just go to the sewers, you'll be safe there," Dru rushed out as he looked around nervously. You glared at him for his order to go to the sewers but decided to surrender and just trust him.

"Miss Y/n L/n!" called a voice with clearly high authority.

You froze, as did the twins. Though the thing that went unnoticed by you was how Kal slid a bit closer to you protectively. "Yes Miss Biggs?" you smiled crookedly. "Can i help you?"

"You haven't done the dental checkup yet, come with me," she ordered with a sickly sweet smile.

Your eyes widened as you noticed the twins tense a bit. What the hell? "Uh you see, i already had an appointment with my dentist last week," you laughed awkwardly. The ginger woman didn't seem happy with your response.

"Everyone has to do it. Now come to the nurse's office with me, please." Her eyes were a bit slit and you could tell she was getting frustrated.

"Okay, i just need to go to the bathroom first," you excused yourself with a smile.

"You can hold it, the checkup won't be long," she hissed out, stopping you.'

"I'm afraid I can't hold my period. You should know that," you replied politely but anyone could tell you yourself were embarrassed. She can't deny this excuse.

"Fine," spoke the woman as she saw she was defeated.

You hurried to the bathroom, the twins after you. "Y/n!" called Dru when you were almost at the bathroom door. You looked up at him in confusion. "Get rid of your phone as well. Be completely off any radars," you nodded slowly and switched your gaze towards the other brother. Kal smiled at you, a bit sadly you would say.

You entered the bathroom, shutting the door firmly behind yourself. You took a deep breath in before walking to the window in the  bathroom. You opened it and climbed outside, slightly hissing as you landed badly on the grass outside. Regardless you started to walk towards the area you knew a huge opening to the sewers was. The wonders of having a little suspicious friends who can't help but be attracted to smoking at the weirdest places. Those friends not being Kal and Dru. At least you hoped so.

On your way there, you snagged a pair of sweatpants from someone's yard that were out drying. You do not plan on sitting in sewers in that stupid uniform skirt. You bought a hot dog and some snacks from a food truck with cash of course.

You slipped past the metal bars guarding the sewers, cussing when your ass got a bit stuck and you had to squeeze it through. The stench of the sewers was disgusting but you tried to ignore it and find a place you could comfortably change your clothes at. You felt your feet getting stuck behind something before an alarm that almost scared you to death blew across the tunnels. You jumped and then froze, e/c eyes wide. "Holy fuck! I am so gonna kill the dickhead who put this shit here." You stepped over the alarm triggering line and kept walking. The sounds had shut off.

You put a chewie in your mouth since you were getting bored just walking and getting lost in the stinky tunnels. Now that you think of it, you should've left a sign for the boys to find you. You cuss as you turn around to go back a bit and stay closer to the entrance but then, you were grabbed and a bag was put over your head. "OH WHAT THE HELL?! BUGGER OFF DICKHEADS! YOU FUCKEN' SLAGS, LET ME GO!" you yelled, thrashing around but it wasn't much use.

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

You glared at the three girls and the guy who were keeping you here. "Can i at least go change out of this skirt to the sweatpants?" you asked upsetly. They exchanged looks with each other before nodding. You stand up and walk to a corner in their little hideout, they too gave you a bit privacy. It was weird to change but you sighed in relief when instead of the skirt, comfortable sweatpants were hugging your lower body. Even if they weren't your own. "Alright. Fine. I'm Y/n, what's your names?" you asked as you sat back down on your former place. They communicated in silence with each other again which made you sigh. "Look, i have no clue what's going either. I'm just here because my two mates told me to come here, so the school wouldn't do this dental thing on me," you explained, rolling your eyes.

Their eyes widened, "Your mates, are their names Dru and Kal perhaps?" asked the girl with more Asian looks.

You narrowed your eyes at her words. "How do you know them? Whats going on anyway?"

"Ah, Y/n, i was hoping you'd find them," said a familiar voice from the mouth of the room or so. "Let me explain but first, here, Kal wanted you to have this," you closed your eyes as a black-and-white hoodie was thrown at your face. Kal's black-and-white hoodie. You took the hoodie to your hands and rose a brow in question. "I'll explain what's going on and you'll understand why he couldn't give it himself." The tan boy sat down beside you ans started explaining. "So..."

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

"So what you're saying is that this company that wants to show themselves as child friendly kid helpers is actually enslaving all the kids and making them into robokids with an implant they put into jaws during that dental checkup?" you asked with a disbelieving face.

"I know it sounds crazy but you saw what the others were like today. Have you ever seen Kal learn a word of Mandarin?" That was true, you had never seen Kal learn anything except new ways to piss Dru off.

"Fair, okay, i get it. What will you tell my parents though?" you asked, chewing your lip.

Dru looked at you with sad eyes, "For now, nothing." Fuck.

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

You stared at the walkie talkie with teary eyes as you listened to how Kal was speaking with Regan. You looked down sadly. These implants were really changing him. Dru had ranted to you before on how much he had changed ever since he became an Elite. You thought before that it was just the twins getting annoyed of being with each other all the time but now you could see what he was talking about.

"I'm sure he didn't mean it," said Jacob as you leaned your head against Dru's arm sadly.

I want my Kal back. You thought as you closed your eyes and a single tear escaped your eye.

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

Kal tongued his cheeks as you once again escaped from interaction with him. The only contact the two of you had done was when he had fallen on you in the tunnels because he was close to losing consciousness. After that, nothing. You had stayed behind to watch over Regan with Kymara and now you were all out and this part of the mission to take GCI was done.

"Y/n," he said firmly. You froze and turned towards him, avoiding eye contact. "Why are you avoiding me?"

You gulped and your eyes met with his chocolate ones for a moment and you were surprised to see the sadness and angst in them. "We heard you, I heard you," you replied quietly.

"What do you mean? What did you hear?" he questioned nervously, hoping and praying that it wasn't what he thought it is.

"With Regan, this Eliteness has gotten to your head, Kal. I mean, you were a dickhead before but you were my dickhead, the one i knew i could trust with my life. The one who traded spots with his brother because he was afraid of something. The one who despite being a jocky like asshole helped others regardless of their status. Now you're just, just..." you pressed our lips in a tight line and turned away. "I'm sorry you're just, I just..." you stopped talking completely and walked ahead without another word, following the rest of the Unlisted. The implanted twin stared after you sadly.

-----------

You and Dru caught Kal as he fell after the device was destroyed, you hissed at the pressure your injured arm was put under. While trying to stop Kal from chasing after his brother, he had roughly pushed you against the stone wall, a sharper point in it tearing an ugly wound on your arm that you had shielded your head with. It was probably infected by now.

"Ow, my head," groaned the boy who was just released from the control of Emma Ainsworth's despicable gadget. He tried to stand up by himself but wobbled right back into your embrace.

"Kal! Relax, you can lean against us. We'll help you. I promise," you said softly. He smiled shakily and rolled his head against your neck, still conscious but weak. His soft yet hot breaths against your skin made you turn a bit red but you ignored it. The two of you helped him outside where Dadi and rest of the Sharmas were waiting for you.

"My little wombats!" she exclaimed and came running over, engulfing the three of you in a tight hug, you squeezed your eyes shut in pain. "Kal, are you okay? What about you Dru? And you Y/n, are you okay?" she gasped as she saw your arm. "Your arm!"

You ran towards the bathroom after you had heard Kal scream like a little girl. "Kal! Are you okay? What happened? Open the door!" you rushed out. The door opened and your friend stood there like he had seen a ghost. He looked at you dead in the eye as he pointed at something with shaky hands. You frowned and slipped into the bathroom, trying to ignore that he had been in the middle of a shower and just had a towel wrapped around his waist. And then you saw the problem. "Really Kal? You have lived in Australia your whole life and you're afraid of a huntsman? Really?" you shook your head. "By the way, this is Bobby, he is our bathroom spider, if you see one at the toilet, then that's Ronald, our toilet spider."

At his Dadi's words, the former Elite rose his head from its place on your shoulder. "What's with your arm?" he croaked out, searching for the source of the problem. His eyes widened as his gaze came across the wound. "Woah, how did that- Did I do that?" the boy asked, guilt washing over his face. You bit your lip and nodded slowly. You felt bad as you saw the few tears starting to make their way down his cheeks. You gently put the hand of your injured arm on the Hindi Aussie's handsome face, "Hey, you weren't in control. It was Emma Ainsworth, okay? You couldn't've been able to control this dog's breakfast okay? I don't blame you, i blame that slagger who was in a serious need of a wristy," you chuckled as did Kal. "We'll talk more but first we both need a checkup.

---------

"You have two of these things?!" he squeaked out, shuffling further from the arachnid on the mirror. You nodded. "When we get our own place and start living together, you and I are gonna have a talk on this," he said, not realizing what words exactly he had let out of his mouth.

"Oh? You think we're gonna live together?" you smirked, turning your body away from Bobby and towards the handsome bloke with that amazing fluffy hair.

Kal's eyes widened as he realized what he has spoken out and he averted his gaze. "I-I mean uh, I," he stumbled over his words, getting tongue tied and in turn, becoming even more nervous.

"Heh, why not but we'll talk about it after you get some clothes on," you laughed, walking back out. The raven headed boy twisted his face in confusion at your words and looked down before realizing what you meant and hiding himself away.

You were on the couch, trying to choose a movie you could watch. You gave up on the adult and teen account and switched to the kids one. You heard laughing behind you and grumbled. "Ever the mature Y/n, i see." Kal plopped down beside you and 'sneakily' let his arm stretch out behind your shoulders.

"These," you pointed at the TV, "are far more interesting than those 'mature' ones," you argued.

The boy smiled at you quietly, letting you choose anything you want.

Carmen Sandiego

"Le Chevre and El Topo should just kiss already, they're so cute," you squealed as another scene with the two came up.

"Hey Y/n, do you think we would look cute together?" asked your favourite of the two after your words.

You looked up at him, the two of you had cuddled closer during the series binge. The handsome boy had a serious face on as he stared back at you. You smiled and booped his nose, "Of course we would. Do you want to look cute together?" you replied, ignoring how Carmen was beating the fuck out of the A.C.M.E A agents.

Kal grinned cutely. "I do, I really really do."

[justkending]

The Number One Rule. Chapter 15.

Summary: Y/N has always been seen as “Steve’s rambunctious sister.” However, she grew up, graduated, and moved to London to study abroad for 4 years and get her bachelor's degree. The girl that returns looks nothing like the teenager that left, but don’t worry the attitude is still there and stronger than ever. What’s to come of the two grown adults that used to push each other's buttons, but now have a lot more in common than they’ve ever realized.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Y/N Rogers (Steve’s little sister)

Word Count: 3100+

A/N: Ladies and gentleman. This is in one of my top 3 chapters I’ve written in this series. The next one being my number 1;) I hope you enjoy and I would love any and all feedback you are willing to share!! xoxoxo

Chapter Fifteen:

Eventually when Bucky had snapped out of his thoughts, Y/N had long fallen asleep on him. He smiled down at her with a sad smile. One filled with remorse for everything she had gone through, but pride in how she handled it and didn’t let it destroy her. At least not to the extent that a lot of people get into.

She had years to do that, whereas Bucky was fresh on the subject. It would take him time to move on from that for her. He couldn’t help but feel hate for himself knowing exactly what party she was talking about. 

It was one of the few he and Steve didn’t attend. They had planned on it, but Dot wanted a quiet night in, and Steve just didn’t feel like it or something. It had been a while since that party, so he didn’t remember intricate details. 7 years to be exact. And the only reason he could guess which one it was, was because of how she acted after it. A whole month of depression and guilt she sat with and it showed. For the last 7 years Y/N had carried that with her. The only person she trusted to tell to this day was Beck. Now he was the other. 

He gathered her up in his arms, and she drowsily threw her own over his shoulders and hung on in a sleepy daze as he brought her up the stairs. He laid her in her bed, turned on her fan, and tucked her in. 

But as he stood to go back downstairs, her hand clasped around his. 

“Where y’ going?” she asked. The wine was playing a big part in the sleepiness and he could tell by her weak squeeze to his hand. 

“I’m just going to clean up downstairs. I’ll be back up in a second, sweetheart,” she nodded before giving him another squeeze to his hand and pulling the bed covers up to her cheeks. He smiled at her cute self and bent down kissing her forehead. He moved the strands of hair they fell over her eyes and studied her for a second. 

Eventually, he pulled away and went to do what he said. Popcorn kernels trashed and bowls cleaned. Leftover wine in the fridge and beer bottles recycled. He folded the blankets on the couch and set the pillows back in their original arrangement. Lastly, he went and checked to make sure all the doors were locked for the night. He had spent the night there enough to do a lock up without issues. 

Coming back upstairs, he changed into his own pajamas and snuck into the other side of the bed. Careful not to wake her, he gently and ever so softly, pulled her back to him. In her sleep, she turned to where they were face to face. Curling into his chest in comfort, trying to get as close as she could. 

He couldn’t hold in the chuckle that rumbled through his chest as she nuzzled under his chin. He ran his hand up and down her back and noticed her body relaxing with each stroke. He was glad he had that effect on her. It was the least he could offer after not being there for her in those hard times.

Now when he held her, he wasn’t just protecting her, but also trying to shield her from any more pain. He had been doing that his whole life for the family that the Roger’s had become to him. But now was different. This was a different kind of defense. This wasn’t just family protection. This was protection for someone you love. 

________________

The next morning, Y/N was the first to wake. She found herself practically embedded in Bucky’s arms. He had wrapped his giant self around her waist pulling her in close to his body. 

They had cuddled before, and even had a few sleepovers when Steve wasn’t in town, or if Becca wasn’t going to be home for the night and lent them her space. But it was only enough to count on one hand. That, plus, it never escalated to anything other than cuddling and maybe a makeout session here and there. 

Bucky had been gentle and patient in that area. Even if they hadn’t had that talk yet at that point, he didn’t push. Something she wasn’t used to in most of the guys she had dated. Pietro probably being the only other one that was understanding of it. 

Even if they had been dating a little over a month, she was glad they were taking it slow. Even if they had known each other their whole lifes. 

She somehow was able to turn in his arms and see a soft smile on his lips. He wasn’t awake, so he must have been dreaming of something nice. She took a second just breathing him in and trying to wrap her head around how all this came to be. 

Sure she had crushes on him growing up. I mean who doesn’t form a crush for your older brother's hot best friend. Though if she was being honest, she had always thought deep down that it was never a card that would be played in this game of life. 

Little did they know, it would just take time and growth. Then the fates would do with them what they will. Most card games were just a game of chance. You never know what’s going to come around the corner...

Eventually, she pulled herself away ever so gently and quietly to escape downstairs and make breakfast. She was still in her sleep shorts, but at some point took off her sweatshirt in the night from almost overheating. That plus the surprisingly excessive amount of body heat Bucky gave off made it hard to sleep with it on. 

She found a new one laying over her chair in the corner and threw it on before grabbing a hair tie and brushing her bed head up into a bun. 

Tiptoeing to the door, she slowly closed it leaving it open just a crack. 

Just as she took a step on the stairs, she heard the front door unlock and open. Freezing in her spot she waited a second. The only person who had a key besides their mom and her was…

“Hey, sis,” Steve said coming around the corner seeing her at the top of the stairs. 

“S-Steve,” she said in almost a whisper. Panic. Fear. Dread hit her at full force.“What, um, what are you doing here?”

“It’s Saturday and mom’s out of town, and I knew you were home alone. I thought I’d come over and we can go get breakfast or something,” he said with a sweet innocent smile. 

Running down the stairs a little quicker, she met him at the bottom. 

“Um, why didn’t you call? I would have gotten ready. I just woke up,” her voice was filled with anxiety and Steve noticed. 

“I thought I’d surprise you,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “You ok? You seem off?”

“Um, no. I’m fine. I just got a text from work that one of the projects they had me on needs to be done sooner than I expected.” How she came up with that lie on the spot like that? She had no idea, but she ran with it. “Yeah, not the best thing to wake up too. Making me a little nervous.”

“Oh, well do you want to go get breakfast and we can talk about it? I’ve barely heard about anything with your new job. We need to catch up, Mini,” he said, poking her stomach and making her let out a loud laugh, having always been super ticklish. 

Just seconds after that, having heard voices and a loud almost shout, Bucky swug open the door and peered down the stairway where they were both at the bottom. 

Two seconds. 

Two seconds was all it took for Steve to put two and two together in his head. Bucky acting weird lately. Sneaking off randomly and never telling Steve anything, which wasn’t like him in their friendship. Hell, he had even noticed Bucky’s lingering looks, but always put in the back of his mind thinking nothing of it. 

But now. Oh, he was thinking about something now. 

Bucky was frozen at the top of the stairs, eyes locked with Steve. To make matters worse, he only had pajama pants on and no shirt.

Even from the distance of the stairwell, Bucky could see the storm brewing in the blue eyes of his best friend. 

“Steve,” Y/N started placing a hand on his arm. 

The blonde immediately ripped away from her as he turned to fully face Bucky. The alpha male, big brother, pissed off best friend was in a stance ready to fight. 

“Why the FUCK did you just come out of my sister’s room half fucking naked?” Steve growled.

“Steve, you don’t know the full story,” Y/N said softly, but she could sense the tension and for once in her life, she was slightly scared to enter the fight. 

“The fuck I don’t know the full story,” Steve said finally whipping his head back to Y/N. His blue eyes were carrying a category 5 hurricane in those ocean blues. But they didn’t stay on her long as he turned back to Bucky. 

“Listen,” Bucky said, coming down slowly. 

“I don’t know if I want to,” he responded through his teeth. “Take one more step down here, and you’re going to need some serious dental work and a nose job.”

Bucky froze about 4-5 steps away from the siblings. Finally, he looked at Y/N, worry in his eyes, but they were also apologetic. 

Y/N immediately moved around Steve and stood between the two. Closer to Steve to try and hold him back if she needed to. 

“Now wait a damn minute,” she spoke up looking straight at her older brother even if he was sending a death glare past her shoulder. “You need to calm down before we talk-”

“No. You need to go to your room. Bucky and I need to talk,” he said in an authoritative voice. 

“Excuse me?” she retorted back. Her gentleness in the situation was fading and being replaced with aggravation. “Go to my room? Am I a 13 year old girl?” she said stepping in his eyeline so he was looking at her. 

“This isn’t a fucking joke, Y/N!” He shouted. “Go to your room!”

“No,” she replied, folding her arms across her chest. 

The two had this kind staring contest all the time growing up. Anytime there was a fight, they almost never relented with their stubborn asses. Their mom or dad had to send them to their rooms themselves and kept them there. The time ranging from 20 minutes to 5 hours before they calmed down. 

They were two of the most headstrong ornery people to live in this world. And it didn’t help that they were now pitted against each other. This kind of fight looked as if it could be ranging more into weeks or months. 

Knowing and experiencing situations like this with them before, Bucky spoke up again. 

“Y/N, you should listen to him. We need to talk,” he said sedately. 

“I leave and he’s going to beat your ass,” Y/N said, still staring at her brother. 

“I think he’s going to beat my ass either way,” Bucky mumbled. “Really Y/N. Just give us a second.”

“I’m a part of this equation too,” she said. Her tone easing just enough to be noticed. 

“Yes, you are. But right now, Steve and I need to talk first,” he said trying his best to defuse the fire against the heated situation happening in the entryway of their house. 

There were a few more seconds of silence as they glared at the other. 

“Fine, but I’m coming back down in 10 minutes,” she bartered. 

No one responded as she started to go up the stairs backwards. The staredown did not cease until she was even with Bucky on the steps. 

“If he does anything stupid, I’m going to beat his ass,” she said looking at Bucky. 

“I’m sure you will,” he said with a small smile that was forced for reassurance. 

She placed a hand on his shoulder. A silent good luck as they studied the other in a quick second. 

Turning back to look at Steve, she saw he was still in a rigid stance. The tension in his shoulders doing nothing but grow with every passing second. She would’ve sent him one more warning glare if he was looking, but his eyes were trained on Bucky with a look that could kill. 

Eventually she went into her room and shut her door, leaving it open just a crack. They deserved their privacy no matter how bad she wanted to step in. Deep down she knew, as best friends, they needed to talk on their own. 

Bucky looked back down and saw a bull looking at him like he was a red cape.

“Outside. Now,” Steve commanded before stomping off to the back and letting the screen door slam harshly. 

Letting out a long sigh and running a hand down his face, he finally went down the stairs. He grabbed a shirt from the bag he had left down there and headed to the backyard. Steve already in the grass pacing. 

“Steve,” Bucky said softly as he walked down the porch steps barefoot. 

Instantly, a fist collided with his face. He stumbled trying his best to not fall from the impact. When he looked up, grasping his jaw, he sent a glare to Steve. 

“I’m not saying I don’t deserve that, but-”

“Oh, you deserve a lot more than that, but I need you to explain what the HELL I just walked into and you can’t do that with no teeth,” Steve glowered. 

Looking at him while straightening his posture he wiggled his jaw some feeling just a tad bit of blood on his lip. Damn him for teaching Steve how to make a proper swing like that. 

“You gonna punch me again before I talk, or can I fucking explain myself now?” No response, only a stare was given. “Ok, so I’ve been hiding something from you.” Steve raised an eyebrow. 

“You think?”

“Listen, I’m almost as taken aback as you. One day, she’s like a little sister running around with my actual sister, and the next she's a mature grown adult who knows what she wants, exudes confidence, and is intelligent beyond measure.” He paused before adding. “Not that we didn’t know that.”

“I know what my sister is. What I want to know is why you’re sleeping with her?” Steve said, taking a step closer. 

Bucky just straightened up more as if expecting another hit. But then he processed Steve’s sentence. 

“Sleeping with her?” he questioned almost in shock. Steve not breaking his gaze. “I’m not fucking sleeping with her, asshole! I’m dating her.”

The smallest amount of tension released from Steve’s body and his face wasn’t frowning as much.

“You’re dating?” 

“Yes. Dating.”

“So you guys haven’t-”

“No. I’m a little upset that you think that low of me,” Bucky scoffed. “You think I would really just start booty calling my best friend's sister? If I wanted a friend with benefits, I can easily find a girl at a bar,” he said, taking a deep breath and running a hand through his hair. “You’re sister isn’t a girl from a bar, Steve.”

Steve was silent processing it. He still wasn’t happy, but at least it wasn’t as bad as had thought. 

“Listen, Y/N’s been in my life just as long as she has been in yours. We’ve grown up together, created childhood memories together, picked on each other, and protected each other. She would be the last person on this earth I would want to degrade to a one night stand. She deserves so much more than that.”

“Exactly,” Steve said. 

Bucky paused taking note of Steve’s tone. “Exactly? Why do you say it like that?”  

“I mean she deserves a lot,” he said, confirming Buck’s thought. 

“I see. So I don’t make the cut?” Bucky said, now getting frustrated. The silence was enough of an answer to his question. “Wow. 26 years of being best friends and you think that little of me?”

“She’s my sister,” Steve answered. A slight tone of apology behind his words, but he kept the stoic face. 

“Yes, Steve she is! And 2+2= 4! We know this!” he said waving his arms and scoffing as he turned in his spot before turning back. Hands on his hips before one came up and ran a hand through his slight beard. 

“You know what? Screw this. I’m not going to sit here and be that guy that says, ‘Yeah, you’re right. She doesn’t deserve me. I’m not good enough for her.’ You know why, Steve? Because I know that. And it’s because I know that, that I’m going to strive with every muscle in my body and every might of my being to make sure I can be that for her one day. To make sure I can give her everything and more that she deserves. To make sure she never has to see a sad day again. To make sure she only experiences joy if I have any say. To make absolutely sure that no one ever hurts her. Why? Because I love her!”

Out of breath, Bucky chest heaving up and down showed how hard his lungs were working to get air back in them. 

Steve’s posture had almost gone back to normal. The anger no longer there. Whatever emotion he was feeling, Bucky couldn’t tell. 

“How long?” Steve asked. 

“What?” Bucky asked, confused. 

“How long have you loved her?” he repeated, looking down at the ground. 

Bucky paused. He couldn’t actually answer that. There was no specific time frame. Truth was he had loved her for a while. 

“Honestly, longer than I know... It’s just taken me this long to figure out that’s what this feeling was.”

Steve nodded his head as he put his hands in his pockets and continued to stare at the dirt by his feet. 

“Ok.”

Taken aback, Bucky's eyes widened. 

“Ok?” 

“Yeah. Ok,” Steve repeated before he started walking to the back fence that led to the driveway. 

“Wait. You’re just going to leave it at 'Ok,’ and walk away?” Bucky rushed over to stop him. 

Steve slowly turned from staring at the ground and then back at him. 

“You know, I thought that we were close enough that you could come to me with this kind of thing. That you wouldn’t feel like you had to hide it from me. Y/N and you both,” he said with pursed lips. “Guess I was wrong.” 

With that he turned back and walked to his car. Bucky watched as he started the engine, pulled out, and disappeared. 

What the hell kind of mess just happened?

(Tags for this series will be closing soon as it is getting pretty full, please send an ask if you want to be added:)

I’ll post on whatever chapter I decided to close it down here.

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@bellamy-barnes

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