#I think they are leaving for the airport and isaac is just like..

[dreamings-free]

Isaac running to meet a fan’s dog as Louis’ band are leaving the hotel in São Paulo 12/5/24

🥹💛🐶

[morlao]

Breaking your own

rules

▪︎Isaac Garcia x fem!reader

▪︎Y/N Howard, Jackie's younger sister

Things have always been tough for you. As the youngest Howard girl you were constantly compared to your older sisters Lucy and Jackie.

Lucy the popular sunshine that everybody loved and Jackie the perfect girl who already had her plans for the future figured out and worked very hard to reach them.

Don't get me wrong, you loved your sisters with all your heart but sometimes you wished that they - especially Jackie - wouldn't set the bar so high. You were always only "Jackie's sister". Even your teachers referred to you that way.

Since the accident it had gotten so much worse. While it was obvious that you were breaking apart, Jackie had much more self control. While she studied even harder, you could barely concentrate.

When you heard the message that you and Jackie had to move to Colorado to the Walter family, you couldn't deny that you felt relieved.

Starting a new life with the Walters also meant leaving this comparism behind. Or at least most of it. You could start over new. No teachers who acted like your way of grieving was wrong and no uncle who told you what your parents would have wanted you to be.

~ ~ ~

You immediately liked Katherine and George when you first saw them as they picked you up from the airport. They made you feel so welcome. One could only hope that the boys were just as nice as they were.

Well... they weren't. At least not all of them.

You hadn't even entered the house when you heard someone shout. "Watch out!" You could just jump out of the way when a boy with a skateboard zoomed by.

"That's Lee." George explained.

Right after him chased a little boy, almost bumping into Jackie.

"Be careful, Benny!", George shouted but you were pretty sure the boy didn't hear him - and if he did, then he didn't care.

George led you into the living room where two boys were sitting on the sofa playing video games.

"Boys, that are Jackie and Y/N Howard. Girls, that are Alex and Isaac."

The boys greeted you both with a smile. The way Alex looked at Jackie made you grin widely. Seemed like this could become interesting.

Meanwhile your attention was on Isaac and for a couple of seconds your eyes met. He looked very handsome with his dark hair and his laid-back look.

Isaac grinned and raised his eyebrow and quickly you looked away. You didn't want him to think that you fancied him. Because you didn't. You were not looking for a flirt or even a relationship. You just wanted to forget about the accident and start over new.

George smiled. "Okay, let's continue the tour." He showed you the kitchen, where you met Will, Nathan and Danny and the living room where Parker was playing Hockey.

Wow, you didn't expect so many of them. It would definitely take you some time to remember all the names.

At last he lead you in the garden to the pool and to a smaller boy with a camera. A blonde guy was just getting out of the water, grinning as he saw you and your sister. He put on a total show, acting like he was the best looking guy in the whole universe.

You hated guys like him. Way too self-centered and way too arrogant. Unfortunately you noticed the way Jackie looked at him. She tried to hide it but she was clearly faszinated by him.

"Come on, Cole! Don't be such a show-off!", Nathan said, rolling his eyes.

Living here could definitely turn out to be exciting.

~ ~ ~

A few days later you woke up to laughter and Jackie's screams.

The door flew open and she stormed in, covered in a towel. "I can't believe it! I can't believe they did this!" She walked over to the mirror and looked at her hair totally in panic.

Still very sleepy you rubbed your eyes and got out of bed. "Did what? What are you talking about?"

"They put bleaching in the shampoo!" She was close to tears. Her hair had now quite a lot of blonde strands that looked like somebody had drawn them with a paint brush. In other words, it looked horrible.

However, Jackie still wanted to go to school. Perfectly ambitious as always. She managed to take George's Baseball Cap and hid her hair with it, it didn't really match her style but better than nothing.

When you came home from school you walked right into a very angry Katherine and a bunch of boys who looked absolutely pissed.

"What's up?", you asked curiously, almost regretting it as Isaac sent you a deathly glare.

Lee lowered his voice. "Your sister is a sneak. She told Katherine what happened today."

Jackie, why... you sighed heavily before running up the stairs to your room. You couldn't believe that she told Katherine. You stormed into your room and walked straight up to her desk where she was sitting and doing her homework. "Why did you do that? You know that you just ruined your chance to be accepted by them, don't you?"

Jackie frowned, clearly not agreeing with you. "What else should I have done? Just accept it and act like it didn't happen?"

You shook your head, grinning. "No way, let's give them a taste of their own medicine. Let's see if they go to school with... let's say... pink hair."

You spent the next two days preparing everything for your revenge.

Jackie was not really helpful, in fact she seemed like she wanted to stop you. "Please, Y/N, don't do it. They were grounded, I think that's enough."

"Fuck no!" You had a plan and you were going to go through with it.

While the others were having their dinner you sneaked into the boys rooms and put hair dye in their shampoo. Lee, Isaac, Cole, you got them all.

No wonder that the next day you were woken again by screams and laughter. Excited you kicked off your blanket and jumped out of bed.

Who has been the first to fall into your trap? Hopefully Cole! You couldn't stand his arrogant behaviour and you also didn't get why your sister seemed so faszinated by him.

You opened your door and couldn't help but laugh. Isaac had just come out of the bathroom, a look of horror on his face. Most of his hair was bright pink. It was hillarious!

The only negative thing about it was, that the other boys were now warned. They would for sure control their shampoo before using it.

"New York is tougher than I thought", laughed Cole, eying your sister as she covered her mouth, trying not to laugh too hard.

"I'm sure that wasn't her", said Nathan before he turned towards you, "It was you right?"

Isaac's eyes widened as he also turned around to look at you.

You leaned against the doorframe, grinning. "Don't underestimate me, Garcia!"

Isaac POV:

Wow, he couldn't deny that he was impressed. He had branded you a popular spoiled girl, a city girl who got everything she wanted, daddy's little darling. Guess he was wrong. You were tougher than you looked.

He eyed you as you stood there laughing. He definitely had to be careful. You were not only beautiful you were also not afraid of standing up for yourself and messing with the boys.

A little smile escaped his lips and he ran a hand through his hair. "Good one, Y/N"

You raised your head proudly.

Long after you disappeared into your room he still stood there, grinning.

Your POV:

The following days you were extremely careful, looking out for Isaac's revenge.

You showered at 4 in the morning so that you didn't cross paths and used freshly bought shampoo. You locked your room and sat as far away from him as possible during breakfast and dinner. Except for "Good morning" you didn't really talk to each other.

To your surprise he knocked at your door one afternoon. "Hey, Y/N, wanna play videogames together?"

You turned around, closing your maths book. "Do you really think I'm this stupid?"

He blinked. "What?"

"If you want to play a trick on me, you have to try harder. I'm not following you in the living room. I bet you have some slime that falls down on me when I walk through the door."

Isaac looked at you perplex. "Nope, I just want to get to know you better. You seem cool." He grinned. "But that's an incredible idea!"

"No pranks?" You raised your eyebrow and Isaac nodded. "No pranks, I promise."

The two of you got along surprisingly well the whole time. Isaac had some snacks and drinks prepared and he showed you his favourite video game.

After a few initial difficulties, things didn't go so badly anymore. "You're not as bad as I thought."

You took another bite of chocolate. "And this from the mouth of Isaac Garcia. I feel honored."

"Yes, you should!"

Since then the two of you often met for video game sessions. He wasn't as annoying as you thought. In fact he was really cool and fun to be with.

Jackie still didn't like him and gave you a disapproving look whenever she saw you together. You didn't really get what her problem was. She was the one who constantly hung out with Cole! Isaac was a saint compared to him.

~ ~ ~

In the last few weeks you were also starting to spend more time with Lee.

He soon grew to be one of your closest friends. (You really thought it was necessary to have a best friend who isn't a close friend to your sister. You wanted your own life after all and not just a cheap copy of your sister's)

How this friendship with Lee started? Well, being the daughter of the famous designer Angelica Howard could be hard. Everyone expected perfection, even if they didn't say it explicitly. Most of the activities you did were only because they would look nice on your CV.

At the Walters' house you had the chance to finally choose hobbies that you really liked. So you wanted to try skateboarding.

One afternoon when the majority of the Walter boys were out to watch Parkers match you took Lee's skateboard that was leaning next to the door.

It took a few attempts until you were able to stand on it without holding on to the wall. Getting around with it was even more difficult. Again you fell to the floor.

How did Lee make it look so easy? You were glaring at the skateboard as you heard a chuckle behind you.

"That looked painful."

You turned your head and saw the Garcia brothers standing there.

Isaac walked towards you and offered you a hand. You took it and he helped you to your feet.

Blushing you rubbed the back of your neck and smiled at Lee apologetically. "I'm sorry for taking your skateboard, Lee."

To your surprise Lee didn't seem angry at all. "You wanna learn it?"

"Sure"

"Okay, I'll teach you how"

Lee wasn't that good at explaining, his teaching methods were more like: I show you how easy it is by driving around and beeing absolutely cool and then it was your turn and you made an absolute fool of yourself (which Jordan captured on camera - thank you very much!).

Isaac's POV:

He couldn't stop smiling. The way you tried so hard not to fall off, your hands stretched out, looking for balance.

Soon he found himself watching you practise everyday and it wasn't boring at all. He enjoyed watching as Lee told you what to do and he even offered to give you a hand when you tried to make turns.

You were a fast learner - or at least faster than he himself when Lee tried to teach him some tricks.

"You're getting better and better", Lee said, clearly proud of himself as a teacher and proud of you, his student.

"Soon you'll turn into a real skatergirl", grinned Isaac and you gave him the brightest smile possible.

He stared at you, feeling his heart racing in his chest. Yes, he couldn't deny it anymore, he had fallen in love with Y/N Howard.

~ ~ ~

Your POV:

Lucy's Birthday. You had feared that day since the accident. And even though Jackie tried to act tough and strong you were pretty sure that she struggled just as much as you did.

While the others left for school in the morning you pretended to be sick and stayed in bed till afternoon, staring at the ceiling.

"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you" Your words were quiet, your voice shaking. "Happy Birthday dear Lucy, Happy Birthday to you."

Tears streamed your face as you whispered her name. Again and again. Lucy.

Jackie never wanted to talk about her or your parents. It had been months since you last said her name. It left a bitter note on your tongue.

Abruptly you sat up. You needed to get out, you needed to stop thinking about her.

Making sure that nobody saw you, you sneaked in the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of vodka. Katherine had tried to hide it, not knowing that you watched her.

The bottle in your hand you left the house, walking towards the barn. The loft seemed like the perfect place to get wasted. In any case better than your room since you didn't know when Jackie would come home.

You climbed up the ladder and sat down on the floor, your feet dangling above the ground.

Lucy. There weren't enough words to describe how much you missed her. Her spirit, her energy. You had always felt closer to her than to Jackie - not that you didn't love Jackie but she was always so perfect that you felt like you couldn't keep up with her. Lucy on the other hand was popular and outgoing just like you. For her school wasn't the number one priority. Her grades were good but not perfect.

"Hey" Isaac's voice snapped you out of your daydreams. "What are you doing up there?"

You held up the bottle of vodka. "Celebrating!" Your voice cracked, sounding drunk already.

Isaac rised an eyebrow. "What are you celebrating?"

You shrugged, taking another sip. You didn't wanna talk about Lucy, you didn't even know if you could say her name without bursting into tears. "My miserable life?", you suggested.

Isaacs expression changed from slightly amused to worried. He climbed up the ladder and sat down next to you. "Are you okay?"

The question was so absurd that you bursted out laughing. "Yes, yes I'm totally fine!" You handed him the vodka and without taking his eyes off you, he took a sip.

You didn't want to think about anything. Not about Lucy, not about your parents not about school.

You needed something to distract you, something better than alcohol. In New York you always went partying with your friends when you felt like your world was falling apart. Here in Colorado you felt more lonely than ever. Maybe you just needed to feel alive again.

Without thinking about possible consequences you grabbed Isaac by the collar of his shirt, pulled him towards you and kissed him.

Isaac's POV:

Was this a dream? Was this really happening? Did you maybe just kiss him because you were drunk? Did you really want this?

His heart was pounding violently in his chest as he felt your hands in his and your kisses against his lips. He pulled you closer towards him, leaning against you.

He had wanted to kiss you for a while now and even though he mostly seemed so confident, he hadn't found the courage to tell you.

He asked Lee about you once or twice, trying to find out if you liked him too but either Lee didn't knew it or he didn't tell him. What cheek! What else was a brother for, especially when he was best friends with the girl Isaac loved?

His kisses became more passionate. Hugging you and spreading soft kisses on your neck, he whispers: "I'm in love with you."

You giggled, kissing him. It would definitely be best if you didn't show up for dinner.

Isaac actually hadn't thought that you were so heavily drunk, he only noticed it when you two tried to climb down the ladder again.

You giggled, trying to keep your balance what nearly gave him a heart attack. It almost took you twenty minutes.

Isaac grabbed your hand and dragged you towards the house. "Please be quiet!", he begged you while trying to get a glimpse where all the others were.

Had they already gathered in the kitchen, ready for dinner? "Lee!" He whisper-shouted as he saw his brother and signaled him to come outside.

"What's wrong, bro?"

Isaac only gestured towards you, while you were trying to stand on one leg, giggling and blabbering.

Lee stared at you in shock. "Holy shit! She looks totally drunk."

"She is", Isaac confirmed. "We need to get her to her room before Katherine sees her!"

"What if Jackie tells her? She's always trying to act right, remember."

Isaac bit his lip. That was right. Jackie had already proved that she was a sneak.

"We bring her in our room", Lee suggested, "Nobody will notice and we can take care of her until she feels better."

Okay, that sounded like a plan!

"I'll distract the others!" Lee hurried back into the kitchen, making sure the others didn't come out.

Isaac kneeled down in front of you. "Hold on to me. I'm gonna give you a piggybag ride"

You wrapped your arms around him, laughing. "I bet that's fun!" You talked loudly, way too loudly.

Isaac heard Katherine's voice. "Was that Y/N?"

"I don't think so!", Lee answered quickly, trying to block the door, "She said she would be home very late. She has to prepare a talk for literature class with one of her friends - I guess her name was Grace."

He kept talking and talking while Isaac hurried up the stairs, carrying you on his back. There wasn't the right word to describe how relieved he was, when he finally entered his room and laid you down on his bed.

Your POV:

As you woke up the next morning your head was aching. You tried to sit up but stopped in the middle of the movement - and not just because you felt you might need to throw up due to the drinking yesterday.

This wasn't your room. You took a look around, wondering how you got here.

Isaac was lying on the floor next to you. The other bed on the other side of the room was empty. Lee had already left.

Was it already this late? Damn, you didn't want anyone seeing you sneaking out of one of the boys bedroom, especially when you still felt that you were about to throw up. You were sure that they would assume the worst.

Your memory of yesterday was very vague. In fact you only remembered drinking and... oh shit, snogging Isaac. Damn, why did you do that?

It's gonna be so weird sitting next to him during lunch and dinner and seeing him basically the whole day because you lived together.

You covered your face in embarrassment. Okay, stay cool. It was just snogging. Just snogging. You were pretty sure it didn't mean much to Isaac either. He always acted like the cool boy with his leather jacket and his macho posturing.

Slowly you started to stand up and grabbed your shoes that were lying next to the bed.

Isaac moved. You must have woken him up by accident, because he grumbled softly to himself and sat up. His hair looked like a mess but it suited him surprisingly well. "Morning, Y/N" He smiled at you and leaned in for a kiss but you backed away shocked.

"What are you doing?!"

Isaac hesitated, clearly confused. "Well... after last night I thought..."

"You thought what?", you snapped, regretting how harsh it sounded as you saw how hurt Isaac looked.

"I thought we were... we kissed, I told you I loved you..."

Your face starts to burn. "You WHAT?!"

"Don't you remember that?"

"No!" You gathered your stuff and stormed out of his room, not caring anymore if somebody saw you.

All you wanted was to get away from this situation as soon as possible. You had never been good at expressing your feelings or solving conflicts. You were only good at running away.

You ran towards the room that you shared with your sister, threw the door open and stormed inside.

Jackie let out a surprised squeak. "Y/N, you scared me to death"

You kicked the door shut and threw yourself on your bed.

Jackie didn't seem to notice how upset you were. She was lost in her own chaos. "I did something very stupid", she whispered after a few minutes of silence.

You looked at her in surprise. Jackie and doing something stupid? These were words that you normally wouldn't put in one sentence.

You walked over to her and sat down on the egde of her bed. Only then did you notice that she looked just as hungover as you felt. Was she also drinking? "I'm pretty sure what I did is way worse" you said, trying to cheer her up a little bit and offering her a guilty smile.

She shook her head, half smiling, half crying. "I went to a party with Cole and I... I was drinking way too much... I almost kissed him in front of Erin and the whole group... and when I came home and Alex tried to be there for me, I tried to kiss him too."

You looked at her in disbelief. You had never thought that she would ever do something like that.

She leaned over to you and pulled you into a hug.

"Hey, it's all gonna work out, okay?" You rubbed her back soothingly. "Seemed like you took a break from being the good and perfect girl."

She rolled her eyes, smiling. Then a thought crossed her mind and she looked at you questioningly. "Y/N, you said yours would be worse...what did you do?"

"Oh" You blushed a deep shade of red. "I was snogging with Isaac."

"YOU WHAT?" She stared at you wide-eyed.

"I was drunk, way too drunk... I just wanted some distraction from thinking about Lucy and then... it just happened..."

"How much did you drink? And on top of that Isaac?!"

You knew that she couldn't stand him, especially since his prank on her. "Jackie, please, I don't want to talk about it, not yet."

She nodded even though you could see that there were lots of questions swirling around in her head.

Since you didn't want any lunch, Jackie forced you to at least go down for dinner. The Walters were already sitting at the table when the two of you came in. Isaac stared at you angrily. You avoided his gace and sat down as far away from him as possible.

~ ~ ~

Thanksgiving. The first Thanksgiving that you wouldn't celebrate with your family.

You tried to keep busy in order not to think about it.

While you were helping Katherine in the kitchen, Isaac and Lee got ready for their video call with their dad.

Lee picked out a black shirt and even a tie. It was cute to see him so excited as he asked you at least five times if he looked good and if his hair was fine.

"You look amazing", you told him with a big smile, brushing aside the single strand of hair that hung in his face.

Lee nodded excitedly and hurried outside the room.

Isaac still seemed to be angry with you as he walked right past you without even looking at you. He didn't bother dressing smartly but you still thought that he looked very handsome. He always did.

"Can you prepare the vegetables, Y/N?", Katherine asked and handed you the bowl and the different ingredients.

Danny was responsible for the dishes and they looked really amazing. He even let you try a single bite of it. Delicious.

Katherine turned towards you. "Do you know when Jackie comes back?"

"She didn't tell me." Secretly you suspected that she would try to join the fiest as late as possible. That's just the way Jackie was. Acting strong and pretending everything was fine when really she was hurting.

The door flew open and Lee stormed inside. You had never seen him this angry and hurt before.

You jumped to your feet, almost dropping the little bowl of Vegetables. "Lee, what happened?"

Lee didn't answer. Instead he opened a bottle of wine, ready to get wasted.

You turned towards his brother who has just entered the room, looking just as unbothered as he did before. "Isaac, what's up with Lee? What happened?"

He turned around, glaring at you. "Don't act like you care. I know you don't."

His words hit you like a knife. You could feel the others staring at the two of you and your cheeks started burning. "What? Of course I care! How can you say that?"

"Okay" He raised his hands defensively but his expression said 'whatever'. "Guess you do care about Lee then."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh come on, you know that exactly! You played me like a toy and you couldn't have cared less about it!" He stormed out and you were so bewildered that you just stood there not knowing what to say.

It didn't help that everyone was staring at you, their faces asking clearly "What happened between you two?"

Avoiding to look at them, you ran out of the kitchen and up to your room. Why did he say that? You didn't play him, did you?

Nevertheless his words hurt you deeply, deeper than other people's words normally did. He seemed to hate you and you... you missed spending time with him. Did you have feelings for him?

You shook your head fiercly. When you moved here you had decided that it would be better not to rush in a relationship. Especially since you still struggled with the loss of your family. You needed friends, not some drama about boys.

~ ~ ~

The great bonfire, the party everyone was waiting for.

Of course you also couldn't wait for it. A party! Amazing! Finally some distraction!

You got ready with your sister and your friends. It was hard talking to Jackie alone the past few days. Since she and Alex started dating, he was always around, barely giving you two some sister time.

Originally you had planned to spend the whole party with her and your friends but then Alex and Cole started making their usual drama about who gets to be with Jackie. Pretty annoyed you walked off - which Jackie didn't even notice.

Lost in thought you stood in front of the bonfire, staring into the flames.

"Y/N" Lee walked up to you, a worried expression on his face. "Are you okay?"

You didn't want to ruin his evening so you forced a smile and tried to forget about Cole and Alex' drama for once.

You poked Lee in the cheek and grabbed his arm. "Yeah, I really like the party. You know... the partys in New York are totally different from here."

A soft smile escaped his lips. "What are they like? Tell me about it."

"Well..." How should you describe the feeling, the unique style, the atmosphere? To be honest the only comparism that hit you was: "They are just like Jackie."

Lee raised his eyebrow, looking confused but curious. "What do you mean 'like Jackie'?"

You shrugged. "They are perfect in every way. Glamorous even. Everyone is wearing beautiful dresses and drinking fancy cocktails with straws. They are talking about their dreams and their plans for the future. Most of the people I know have already figured it out." It often felt like you didn't belong there.

Lee watched you attentive.

"Most of the parties I went to were organized by students in order to get extra credits. They seemed like a ball for a princess." You couldn't help but laugh. "I prefered the clubs. Dancing like tomorrow didn't matter and like nobody was watching. I have only been there twice." As a minor it was hard to get in, but Lucy had always found a way.

Lee looked amused. "And now you're here, playing beer pong and standing around a huge bonfire. No cocktails, no glamour."

"Yes, it feels like two different worlds."

"Which one do you prefer?"

"Honestly? This one here. No need to be perfect, just having fun and being yourself."

He chuckled and you took a sip from your drink. "By the way...have you seen the others? I want to convice Jackie to play beer pong against me. That could be my one and only chance to be better than her." Also she needed distraction from the Alex and Cole drama.

You stood on your tiptoes, searching the crowd for familiar faces. You turned around and you saw them, right next to the fireplace. Your heart clenched.

Isaac and one of the cheerleaders. The girl looked amazing. Of course she did, all cheerleaders did.

Don't cry. Don't cry. Damn, you could feel the tears in your eyes.

Lee stroked your back comfortingly. Hell, you were angry.

So goddamn angry, but not at Isaac or the girl, you were angry at yourself. You've had your chance and you pushed him away. Guess you deserved this.

Isaac POV:

He laughed as the girl in front of him said something about the party last weekend. He didn't pay attention what it was, honestly he couldn't care less.

Every now and then he stole glances over his shoulder to make sure you had noticed him and were still watching. I mean, what was the purpose of making you jealous when you didn't see it?

Yes! You were close to tears! He couldn't help but feel happy about it. After all it meant that you liked him, didn't it?

Lee was standing right beside you, his arm around your shoulder. Isaac's smile froze.

"Hey, are you okay?", the girl asked him. He didn't even remember her name.

"Mh? Yeah, yeah I'm fine." When he looked in your direction the next time, you were gone. Panic started to rise within him. Had he gone too far? Was it a horrible plan?

"I'm sorry, I have to go", he told the cheerleader, not caring that he interrupted her. Well, her story wasn't very interesting anyway.

Without waiting for her response he hurried over to his brother, looking around if you were anywhere near him. "Bro, where is she?"

Lee nodded in the direction in which you had walked off. "She wanted to be alone. Guess your brillant plan backfired."

Damn, he was right. But still he didn't regret going through with it. At least he knew now that you liked him because what other reason could your reaction have? "Did you tell her?"

Lee was clearly offended by this question. "About your plan to make her jealous? No, I promised not to, remember? Damn, just go and talk to her! You act like a seven year old!"

Lee's words made Isaac's face burn with shame. He was right, wasn't he? He really acted like a little kid. Hoping he hadn't messed completely with you, he followed you.

Your POV:

You turned as you felt someone walking up beside you. Isaac. His pretty cheerleader was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey" You forced a smile, pretending that everything was fine. You were getting better at it lately.

Isaac looked at you, worried and maybe also a bit guilty. "Is everything okay? I saw how sad you looked when you walked away from Lee."

You shook your head, smiling. "Oh, it's fine." Damn, talking to him was harder than you thought. Why was he suddenly so nice to you? He has been ignoring you or glaring at you for days, maybe weeks, and now... he left this pretty girl in order to talk to you? That boy really was a mystery.

"Look, I'm fine, Isaac. Why don't you go and have fun talking to that cheerleader girl. She seemed to fancy you." You didn't mean to sound this annoyed and bitchy.

"But I would rather talk to you, Y/N", Isaac said and suddenly he looked even more guilty. His face burning bright red he rubbed the back of his head. "I just talked to her... to make you jealous."

What? You couldn't help but stare at him. Your heart did a somersault out of joy. The relief you felt... did that mean that you liked him?

Your silence seemed to make Isaac feel insecure. He lowered his head. "Sorry, that was a stupid idea... it's okay if you don't like me."

"No that's not..." you hurry to say, "I'm sorry for what happened that day in the loft and for the way I behaved afterwards. I should have apologised way earlier." You avoided looking at him and stared into the pitch black night instead. "I didn't want to get emotionally involved... it wasn't sure how long Jackie and I would stay here after all. It wouldn't be fair to start a relationship and then move away a few weeks later."

Isaac laughed and you looked at him bewildered. "What's so funny about that?"

"Well... everything. You say a relationship wouldn't be fair but what you did is even more unfair! You made me fall in love with you, you kissed me and then you ran away and acted like it didn't happen. Like it wasn't a big deal."

You didn't know what to say. He was right and you knew it. But that didn't matter now. He just confessed to you! Your heart felt like dancing in your chest.

"Why don't you give it a try, Y/N?" His voice was soft, almost sensitive. He took your hand, his thumb gently stroking the back of your hand.

You didn't know what to answer. Should you tell him that you were afraid your uncle would take you back to New York and that saying goodbye to him would be even harder? That you tried not to get too close because you were never good at showing your emotions? That you were afraid you would hurt him again because that's just the way you were?

A thought crossed your mind. Starting over new, that's what you had wanted when you came here. You wanted to leave the old Y/N and all her problems and insecurities behind and use the chance to become someone new. Maybe this also meant giving Isaac a shot. You liked him, so maybe you should stop running away. Maybe you should break your rules of not getting too close to someone while you were here.

You stepped closer and reached out your hand to touch his cheek. His eyes widened with joy. Slowly the two of you leaned forwards, your lips touching in a sweet and gentle kiss. He seemed restrained, almost fearing you would change your mind and pull away again. To prove to him that you wouldn't run away this time, you pulled him closer and intensified the kiss.

For a moment you forgot everything around you, you only concentrated on the feeling of his lips against yours and his warmth. When you slowly start to pull away, you couldn't stop smiling.

"We don't have to rush things. And I promise I won't show you off like a trophy in school." He chuckled, clearly thinking about the way Alex and Jackie acted - all touchy and totally embarrassing. It was so gross walking through the hallway and seeing them snogging in front of everyone.

"That's very good to know", you smiled back. Your decision was right, you could feel it deep inside you. Isaac Garcia was worth breaking your own rules.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

[wheredidhiseyebrowsgo]

Any Preggo!Stiles fics? (Cause I swear I read them all).

Hi @disneyprincessbuffyannesummers! I hope some of these are new to you.

You Smell Off. by Maria (Queenofcarnage)

(1/1 I 113 I Teen I Sterek)

Stiles smells, well off.

Not there yet by BlindBunny

(1/1 I 551 I General I Steter)

A caring Peter and a very pregnant Stiles being cute and shit

Don't you forget about me by Anonymous

(1/1 I 2,100 I Mature I Steter)

The one where Stiles forgets

In the Family Way by A Devil Like You (ShootToWin)

(1/1 I 3,924 I Explicit I Sterek)

Derek brushes their noses together when he pulls away and cleans Isaac with broad, long strokes of his tongue before pulling the boy close by the softness of his smooth, little ass. “Your mama needs to be stretched, we need to make room for the new baby to come. Could you help?”

Monday I can Fall Apart but by Friday I’m in Love by tryslora 

(1/1 I 5,609 I Mature I Sterek)

It's just past five in the morning and Stiles is barely awake, wearing only sleep pants that hang low below his pregnant belly, and he can't get the damned brand new jar of decaf coffee open. But he has a neighbor, and he's too tired to think that waking someone else up at this hour might not be the best (or politest) of ideas.

I Think You're Something I Can't Have by sweetbutterbliss

(1/1 I 7,884 I Explicit I Sterek)

Derek never thought he'd ever get the opportunity to be a dad, but now Stiles is telling him that he's pregnant. He wants the best for Stiles, and surely that doesn't involve having a baby at 22. With Derek, of all people.

Add Another to Our Brood by modestfuckup

(1/1 I 7,950 I General I Sterek)

“Sorry, I got a little sick and big man here threw a tantrum when I wouldn’t let him throw up too,” Derek thinks that that is strange. Stiles hadn’t said anything about feeling sick earlier, and even if he did Stiles only ever gets sick when he’s pregnant…

Oh.

Or the one where Stiles and Derek are in an airport with their pups, Stiles might be pregnant again, and Derek might be freaking out about it.

Through the Dark by WriteByNight

(11/35 I 93,401 I Explicit I Sterek)

Stiles is down on his luck and out of money, just trying to finish his last year of college. Out of ideas, he goes to donate his sperm and meets Derek Hale, who is looking for a surrogate to carry his and his infertile girlfriend's baby. Stiles is instantly attracted to the alpha werewolf, but pushes his feelings to the side in order to fulfill Derek's dream for children.

Derek and Stiles grow close, but try to deny the feelings growing for one another because as soon as the pregnancy is over Stiles will have to give the baby over to Derek and Braeden, and walk out of their lives. However, the closer he gets to his due date, the harder it is to come to terms that he'll have to let go of the man he's come to love.

Bring my heart to heel by Heyokaooohshiny

(30/? I 126,991 I Explicit I Sterek)

Derek Hale leaves Stiles bereft after a one-night stand. After exposing his heart to the older man, someone he trusted intrinsically to at least remain friends, Stiles finds himself unintentionally abandoned by the last person with which he had any hope. With nothing left to lose Stiles uses the cover of a school trip to run away from the pack. He finds out soon after that Derek left him with more than just painful memories. He meets a witch who becomes a much needed friend.

Settle Down by wearing_tearing, whatthehale

(19/9 I 153,890 I Explicit I Sterek)

Stiles is a struggling author barely making ends meet.

Derek is a successful architect whose biological clock is ticking.

Enter a surrogacy agency, two packs, and a particularly sticky and toe curling heat week and you get a match made in heaven.

[comfy-whumpee]

Echoes

Whumptober Day 10 - "You said you'd never leave me." CN: referenced domestic violence, minor whump.

Jax taglist: @bloodybrambles, @wildfaewhump, @lektric-whump, @that-one-thespian, @raigash, @burtlederp, @rosesareviolentlyread, @eatyourdamnpears

Savvie, Izzy and Jamie belong to @ashintheairlikesnow.

-

She says, “You said you’d never leave me.”

She is staring at him from across the metal table. The inmate jumpsuit is a good look on her, he can’t deny, and he likes seeing her hands cuffed to the table too, unable to grab or touch him anywhere at all. Her nails are short and round and unpainted, which he has never seen before.

She says, “You’re mine, Jax.” She has tied her hair back from her face and it makes her look more her age. He looks older than her, has for years, because of how they have lived. But now, she looks as haggard as he feels, without the makeup he is used to seeing on her.

He doesn’t have an answer for her demand. He remembers promising many times that he wouldn’t leave her. He’d never betray her. He couldn’t. That always satisfied her well enough.

Of course, the moment he could, that all became moot. But he’d said all the right promises without worrying about that. Looking to the future was never his strong suit, anyway.

“I thought you loved us,” Savvie continues. She doesn’t need him to reply. “I thought you cared about us, as a family, Jax. But you just wanted to hurt us.”

Jax thinks about her nearly dropping Jamie when he spit up on her shirt. He thinks about Izzy coming into the kitchen white as a sheet from one of her ‘talks’. He thinks about how sound carries in her old house, and how both kids have heard his screams.

“My poor babies.” Savvie is a one-woman show of grief. Her eyes glitter with crystalline tears, but they don't leave him, watching for his reaction. “You can’t take them from me. They’re mine, Jax. I’ll fight for them. I just need to see them again, to make sure they understand what’s happening, to make sure they know why you decided to break up our family.”

“You did that, Savvie,” he interjects. “You did that every time you took me away from them.”

“You never wanted them,” she replies dismissively, trying and failing to gesture with a rattle of chain. “You just wanted to lecture me about them. It’s thanks to me they even exist.”

That is all true. But none of it matters. It stopped mattering as soon as there became real children involved. He couldn’t just abandon a baby to her.

“You’ve ruined our family,” she adds. She’s been refuelled by his words. He needs to stay quiet. “It will never, ever be the same, after what you’ve done. I hope you’re happy, Jax. I’ll never be happy again.”

His mouth is already open to speak, to retort, when she adds the rest. But it only becomes more true. “Here’s hoping.”

-

“Daddy,” she sniffles, arms tight around his waist. Her face is pressed into his stomach and he strokes her hair gently. “I’m sorry, daddy,” she hiccups. “Please d-don’t go without me an’ Jamie, please.”

“I’m not going anywhere without you two,” he promises. He gently loosens her arms, but keeps hold of her hands as he drops stiffly to one knee. He meets her wide, tear-filled eyes. “Hey. I said I’d never leave you two, didn’t I?”

She stares at him, full of fear. He should have seen it coming, of course. He can’t talk about a holiday without reminding her of Savvie’s version of a weekend getaway: kids abandoned with zero warning, sudden trips to the airport while they were still asleep, Jax dragged along on half-baked promises that Isaac would send someone.

“I want to go on holiday with you both,” he promises her. Her little hands are gripping his back, her fingers soft and warm against his callouses. “That’s what holidays are like now. I will never run away on holiday without you, especially not if you are sleeping.”

“Never ever?” she asks, her gaze so afraid and so desperately trusting.

The weight of his words feels so heavy, knowing she will hold onto them tightly, repeating them over and over to herself. How to pick words that will comfort her through all their uses?

He starts with the fundamentals. “Family is me, you and Jamie.” No Mommy. No Savvie. Not even grandpa makes the cut, at the end of the day. With this established, he adds, “Family holiday has to be me, you and Jamie too.”

She leans forwards, asking for a hug in that careful way she has with touch. Touch with him, anyway. She isn’t this cautious with the others.

He hugs her close. “Never, ever,” he repeats. Sometimes he likes to imagine how long he could go without un-hugging his baby girl. He could sleep with her in his arms again. He can eat with her on his lap. Walk the dogs with her in his arms. He could keep hold of her forever.

Of course, it’s just an instinct. He lets her go. “And,” he adds, to lift her spirits, “you get a say in where we go on holiday, now. We choose together.”

She doesn’t care as long as she’s with him, he knows. It’s the same for him. But maybe, with some time, he can get her excited for the holiday, and give her back some of the joy she never had.

Here’s hoping.

[moon0fairy]

TED LASSO 3x03 COMMENTARY LET’S GO (sorry for the yelling it will happen again):

• COLIN STORYLINE OMG THAT‘S EVERYTHING WE EVER WANTED

• his body is a church in an airport… totally get that ( I love him)

• He‘s still saying his mantra 🥹

• him starting to drive with the theme music starting as if it‘s gonna fade out now, him bumping something and interrupting the whole thing was hilarious and I love when shows do something like this

• not the Zava cut out face😭

• TRENTS OUTFIT (is he comfortable enough to not wear a whole suit piece even tho he looks amazing in them?🤔)

• I have zero idea what they‘re talking about, sorry for being uncultured

• I see where this episode is going and oh boi, the slight homophobic jokes and Colin playing along haha this is fine

• not Zava getting his own corner, I can already feel the tension between Jamie and him

• I don‘t know how to react to anything Zava just said

• „Do you even know where you‘re going?“

„I do not!“

• The atmosphere in the locker room

• Ted always stepping put of Zava‘s shadow there‘s a metaphor there too

• now that was a terrible and an uncontrolled breathing exercise

• Jamie just 🤨🤨🤨🤨

• „He‘s tall“ being Trent‘s only statement… ok

• Oh Rebecca‘s mysterious meeting is her moms psychic (?) didn‘t expect that she would actually meet with her. I assume for her mother

• ouch

• OMG WORDLE and Coach telling Ted the wrong word love them

• nawww Jamie is worried about the team dynamic

• Colin is not playing, sad (Isaac checking in on him tho🥹)

• This is not good please don‘t let this end in another panic attack

• Damn I knew it

• Dani nooo stop being adorable

• wait hold on we‘re time skipping my brain needs to adapt

• ohh first time we‘re seeing Nate again

• Keeley not seeing Roy and he probably thinks she‘s moving on

• Oh so the new boyfriend is the therapist- that‘s bad

• ROY AND TRENT SMILING AT EACH OTHER THEYRE BESTIES YOUR HONOR

• Dani made Zava a friendship bracelet-

• Colin invited his boyfriend pal Michael to meet the others I‘m scared (looks like they have done that a few times)

• SASSY

• omg I completely forgot about the Rebecca and Sam storyline

• wait has Jamie been wearing earrings this whole time??

• I‘m spotting Trent hehe

• oh no a green matchbook

• THE TRENT AND COLIN/MICHAEL ENDING SCENE Y‘ALL CANT JUST LEAVE ME HANGING LIKE THAT NOOOO

With that being said I will hibernate for the next few days till next Wednesday because I don‘t think I can go through this week conscious 🫡

[joyful-soul-collector]

The Two Faces Of January

Whatever my reactions are to this, blame @raven-rk they told me to watch it. Also if anyone wants to send me recs of oscar isaac movies to watch (or any movies?? you want my gay ass to react to??) go ahead and suggest em, I'm all ears. You too, can be responsible for an unhinged reaction post

All I know about this movie is the one sentence description on HBO MAX and that Oscar Isaac is in it let's GO motherfuckers

Oop there he is

Oh look its Aragorn

Everything Oscar is wearing rn? slut behavior

OH HIS SMILE IS SO CUTE LOOK AT HIM

Rydal is a cool name, stealing that

Oh he's a sneaky little man

I wish smoking weren't so bad for you, it's so damn aesthetic

Idk why Chester doesn't trust him, I mean he doesn't even know Rydal scammed him with that bracelet

Wait does he not trust him cuz he's a person of color. Is this mf just straight up racist. I wouldn't be surprised but still lol cmon bro

Who's this rando

Nice of him to try and return the bracelet he scammed em with lol

Oh shit we fightin'

Oh damn did he kill him?

Oh fuck yeah he ded

Oof, dad passed away only a MONTH ago? Poor guy

Is anyone gonna tell Colette what the hell is goin' on

KITTY

Love this guy scamming rich people, you go Rydal

KITTY

I enjoy the aesthetic of this movie a lot, lots of yellows and browns, makes the cooler colors pop well

Cool that he knows so many languages! I like Rydal so far, he's interesting

Oop Chester is d r o n k

Hope Chester doesn't still remind him of his dad, cuz then his dad would be an asshole...

Oh the intimacy of sharing a cigarette... Again, really wish it weren't so bad for you

I've said it once and I'll say it a million times over: men are always prettiest when they're a bit disheveled

RYDAL IS SO SWEET LOOK AT HIM HELPING THIS WOMAN OUT OF THE BUS

Oop he knooooows

God that bus is fuckin banger, I wanna turn that into a mobile home

Chester you mf, blackmailing Rydal like this

Oh Colette is adorable

Also Rydal's hair rn... Slut shit. Whore behavior

Rydal you sweetheart, standing up for Collette like that

OH THIS IS THAT MOMENT WHERE EVERYONE SAYS HE LOOKS LIKE JAKE LOCKLEY IN THE TANK TOP

I see it, 100%

Ok I hate Chester but his bedhead is 10/10

Jesus this guy has a real drinking problem

Oop Rydal to the rescue

Shiiiiit their pictures are in the paper

Why does this random kid think she can just take people's sunglasses???

HELL YEAH GET HIS ASS RYDAL

Oh they just walkin there huh

Love Zippo lighters, I can do a couple tricks with those, it's quite fun

BRUH WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU WHY'D YA DO THAT

OH SHIT FUCK SHIT IS SHE DEAD??

Ohhhhhhh no....

Wait is Rydal dead too? Did he fuckin kill Rydal? I thought he just knocked him out...

OH GOOD he's okay. He'll be pissed when he finds out about Colette tho

FUCK people saw Rydal leaving those ruins, they're gonna think he did it

Love it when people breathe smoke in the face of someone they hate, fuckin great. ONCE AGAIN, REALLY WISH CIGS DIDN'T KILL YOU

Hell yeah Rydal blackmail the shit outta him

OH SHIT MF ALMOST GOT THROWN OVERBOARD

SHIT fuck shit fuck they're looking for Rydal

Pfft hahaha he's like "if I get caught you're comin' down with me"

Oh damn he called him dad. Yeah his dad must've been right shit then

I forget airports didn't always have nine miles of security to get through

Called it, poor guy had a shit dad

Of COURSE Chester's out here like "forgive your dad everyone expects too much from dads, I hated my dad too"

Hell yeah get tf outta there Rydal

Aw dammit they got him. Hope he can get that confession he needs to be freed

Admit it, do it motherfucker

Ah shit he runnin

OH SHIT THEY SHOT HIM

Dammit I really hope he can get this fuckin confession outta him...

THANK YOU God the one good this Chester does in this whole movie

It's the breaking the cycleeeee, Chester hated HIS shit dad and Rydal hated HIS shit dad so now Chester's gonna be a not shit dad in his last moments mmmmmmmmm

Looks like he really does remind him of his dad in the end. And he went to his funeral in return for the confession

Interesting that he buried the bracelet with Chester instead of Colette. Something something, the immortality of fatherhood and metaphors about breaking cycles and literally burying his previous life and crimes with a man who embodied everything he hated, something something

That was a good movie I quite liked it! Good foreshadowing with the "he reminds me of my dad" comment at the very beginning. Viggo plays a great bad guy. Featuring Slutty Oscar, drunk off his ass Viggo, and poor Kirsten who did not deserve any bad things to happen to her ever, and yet they did

[daydreamgoddess14]

Run

MASTERLIST

The team tries to stop Ted from leaving.

Rebecca couldn’t look up. Couldn’t bring herself to look around the locker room. She could feel Colin’s shoulders shaking beside her, and Van Damme’s noisy, snotty tears. Beard sat on her other side, still holding her hand. Jamie still hadn’t released Sam from his tight hug, his face buried in Sam’s neck. Isaac was on double duty - trying to console Will with one arm whilst holding Moe’s hand, no hands spare to wipe away his own tears. Keeley had made herself as small as possible and curled into Roy’s lap. Leslie and Trent had slumped together, looking around the room at the other members of the team in various states of despair and tears, comforting each other or seeking comfort from those who still had a spare shoulder to lean on. Her arm shook a little as Beard took another deep, shuddering breath to calm himself before giving up and letting out a sad little whimper. Still she stared at the floor, at the dirty socks, Jamie’s painted toenails following his afternoon with Phoebe. She did find one player at floor level, Dani had laid down and curled into a ball. She sighed sadly. She needed to pull herself together, for the team more than herself. She gripped Beard’s hand and gave it a squeeze, took her own deep and painful breath, and stood up, clearing her throat. Some of the team looked to her, others were still too lost in their own thoughts.

“We should… we need to… Fuck.” She wiped away the tears which had restarted as soon as she’d caught Jamie’s eye over Sam’s shoulder. “We need to regroup, I know this is sad.”

“It’s not sad, boss. It’s worse than that.” Richard mumbled. Rebecca’s heart nearly tore open again at hearing him call her ‘boss’.

“I know. I know it is.”

“Why did we let him go?” Van Damme wailed, Rebecca braced herself to be blamed.

“He wants to be with his boy, we need to respect that. We ain’t his kids.” Jamie grumbled, his voice still muffled by Sam.

“There’s got to be another way. A better way.” Sam countered.

“Well, if there is Sam, then I don’t know what it is.” Rebecca admitted. She’d thrown money at the situation - her private jet, the best solicitors to discuss shared custody. Nothing had worked. Beard knocked his knee against her leg, she looked down at him.

“There is one thing we didn’t try. But I didn’t want to suggest it around Ted.” Over a dozen voices seemed to speak at once-

“What is it?”

“Anything, we’ll do anything!”

“Tell us!”

“What do we do?”

Rebecca dropped back into her seat and turned to face him. “Tell me what to do?”

“We call Michelle and Henry. Show her… this.” He gestured around the room and then reached for his phone. “But be warned - he may never forgive us for this.”

“It’s worth the fucking risk, do it.” Roy said gruffly, his voice still strained with the effort of his crying. Beard selected the contact and waited for the call to connect.

“Coach, what can I do for you? This is a surprise.”

“Michelle, I’m gonna cut to the chase. Ted’s just left for the airport to go back to Kansas.”

“What? Since when? I had no idea, I promise we haven’t discussed this.”

“I know you haven’t. This is all his own stupid idea. But I need you to see what he’s leaving behind.” He turned the phone around and panned it across the room. No one bothered to hide their tears or distress, they clung to each other like they were each other’s lifeboat. He handed the phone to Rebecca, the tracks of her tears still evident.

“My god. Why does he think this is necessary?”

“He wants to be with Henry, is he there?” Rebecca’s voice cracked.

“He’s here, he’s here.” She handed the phone over. 4,336 miles away Henry’s face popped into view.

“I don’t need him to come here. I want to come there, I want to spend more time there. Can’t you stop him?”

“It’s too late sweet boy. He’s already left us.” Rebecca felt fresh tears fall.

“Stop him!” Henry bellowed, the team suddenly roused. “I am Lenry Hasso and I am telling y’all to move your-” his voice dropped to a whisper, “asses! Move, move, move! Old man Coach Beard can move faster than you dweebs!” He shouted again. Beard sprung up next to her, followed by Roy who nearly dropped Keeley. Jamie finally let Sam go, Van Damme roared. Within moments, the team was on their feet. Pulling on trainers, t-shirts. Rebecca thrust the phone at Beard and grabbed her bag from the floor to get to her own phone. She brought it to her ear and scrolled through her contacts.

“Bring the coach round, right now. Right now!” She shouted, “Right you lot, get outside now - we’re going to Gatwick!”

“Heathrow.” Trent offered.

“Heathrow! We’re going to Heathrow right fucking now! Thank fuck for that,” She turned to Trent, “it’s half hour closer!” It didn’t take long for Rebecca, Beard and Roy to corral the team onto the bus. In fact, it was the quickest they’d ever organised themselves. For once, there was no arguing over who sat where or pushing down the aisle. Beard had handed the phone over to Keeley while he got everyone in order. Once Will had done a headcount, he sat next to Rebecca and they both looked to the screen at Henry, who’d be joined by Michelle and Jake.

“Are you all there?” He asked, breathless.

“Yes Henry, we’re all here. We’re all going to stop him.”

“I’m going too - Beard, do not hang up this phone. I don’t care how much it costs, I’ll send you my allowance.”

“I’m not hanging up buddy.”

“And you will not, I’ll cover this phone bill.” Rebecca used the journey to calm herself down, there was nothing to do about looking like she’d been in a boxing ring - her eyes red and sore, hair and clothes disheveled, but she could at least try and calm her mind and try to figure out what the hell to say. As if reading her mind, Henry asked exactly that.

“Tell him the truth.” He said once Rebecca had admitted that she didn’t have a clue.

“What’s the truth? That the team is entirely dependent on him?” Henry scoffed,

“No silly, that you love him.” Rebecca nearly dropped the phone, but Beard was able to grab it from her.

“It might be obvious to astute types like us, H, but Rebecca’s not quite there yet.”

“Well according to Google, she’s got about 20 minutes to get there.” Henry said sternly.

“Are you pulling out Lenry Hasso again?” She asked.

“I might. Do you love my dad?” Rebecca thought briefly before nodding with absolute certainty.

“Yes Henry, yes I do. Is that ok?” he beamed at her through the screen, and behind her a huge cheer went up amongst the players.

The bus pulled up at the drop off point and Leslie gave some vague instructions to the driver about doing a loop of the airport. “Think Sandra Bullock in Speed.” He said sagely. The entire team huddled together,

“Are you sure we should all do this?” Will asked nervously, the team ribbing at him. Isaac looked around the group.

“Hands in, ‘Get Ted’ on six.”

“One, two, three, four, five, six - GET TED!” They all shouted before dispersing and heading to the terminal doors. In the midst of the group, Trent as the voice of close to sanity shouted directions.

“Gate 16, turn left.” They all ran as if their lives depended on it. Rebecca’s feet pounded the floor with each step, she wondered how she had enough air in her lungs, how she could be running in heels, but the team swept her along and kept her going, their odd peloton navigating the wide corridors of the airport. They raced through duty free and followed travelators until they reached security. Rebecca was pulled to the front and presented to a trio of security guards. She was about to channel her inner Keeley Fucking Jones when one of the guards said,

“Ain’t you Jamie Tartt?”

“And ain’t you Roy Kent?”

“Shit Derek - this is the Richmond team!”

“I know! ‘Ere, what you lot doin’?”

“We need to get through.”

“All of ya?” Rebecca drew herself up to full height,

“All of us. Is there a problem with that?” The security guard swiped his card and the double doors swung open, the team pushed through before they could be stopped again, and the running continued.

“Turn right at the bottom!” Trent called out, they moved as one, all leaning into the corner. “It’s the last gate at the end of this hallway.”

“Course it’s the last fucking gate.” Roy puffed. “Last push lads, let’s fucking goooo! Whistle, whistle, whistle!” With renewed energy, they upped their speed and ran at full pace, crowds dispersing in their path. Rebecca looked around quickly, trying to keep her balance. Somewhere behind her, Keeley’s voice rang out,

“We’re all here babe, all of us are still here.”

It was hard to ignore the noise, chaos and confusion brought on by an entire football team, their support staff and owner running through an airport. Ted heard the commotion long before he saw it with his own eyes, he wasn’t sure he could trust what he saw though until they were screaming his name.

“COACH!”

“Ted!”

“Lasso!” and over the speaker of Beard’s phone, still connected to Henry,

“Daaaaad!” The team surrounded him, barely leaving him space to turn on the spot.

“What in holy heck is goin’ on here?” Somehow, Rebecca found herself pushed to the front again. Over Ted’s head, Beard handed her his phone.

“Someone wanted to talk to you.” She said, short of breath.

“Dad! Don’t get on the plane!” Henry shouted. The team murmured in agreement, their voices rising until Ted could hardly hear Henry.

“Settle down, hush your butts boys.”

“Sorry Coach.” They all muttered.

“Henry, I need to come back to you.”

“No you don’t Dad, you need to stay there - the team needs you. Beardo needs you. Rebecca needs you.” He whirled around to look at Beard,

“Did you do this?” He accused.

“All I did was pick up the phone. These guys did the rest. And her.” He nodded his head towards Rebecca.

“Tell him, Rebecca, you gotta tell him!” Henry demanded.

“Tell me what?” Ted asked, his voice quiet. The murmurs of the team rose in volume again,

“Tell him, tell him.” They whispered, gently jostling Rebecca.

“Don’t go, Ted.” She begged, a prod in her back pushed her forward half a step into the little left of Ted’s personal space. “I love you, please don’t go.” She breathed, the chaos of the last 40 minute drive and dash through the airport had kept her going, but the tears were now threatening to fall.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” He asked in disbelief.

“She didn’t know!” Half the team replied in singsong unison.

“I didn’t know.” She whispered with a watery smile. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know. But I do, I love you. I love you, Ted.” The tears fell and her knees gave out, nearly sinking her to the floor, but her team held her up. Isaac on one elbow, Colin on the other. Ted nodded at both of them and they moved away to let him through. He took her into his arms.

“I love you too, boss.” He grinned, “I don’t suppose I can rescind my resignation?” He leaned in to kiss her, wrapping his arms around her waist. Her arms moved up and around his shoulders bringing him in as close as possible. Surrounded by whoops, cheers and tears, Ted smiled against Rebecca’s mouth.

“You’re not going anywhere, Coach Lasso.”

Sometime the next morning, late morning, Rebecca laid in bed and flipped through the newspaper. She had a cup of tea resting against her exposed collarbone, a sheet held up against her body. The first 10 pages contained photos of the airport dash, with a picture of Ted kissing her on the front page. She couldn’t help but go back to that page again. Next to her, a deep voice muttered from face down in the pillow,

“I know a picture lasts longer sweetheart, but I don’t think it matters when you got it on demand?” Ted rolled over to look at her, bare faced and smiling at him.

“I’m just thinking about how your next press conference is going to go.” She sniggered. Ted grabbed the paper and threw it over the side of the bed, pulling her closely to him, “Watch the tea!” She reached behind to put the cup on her nightstand while Ted kissed the red mark the hot cup had left on her chest.

“I don’t care, I’ll have the full support of the owner.” he mumbled against her skin.

“Yes you will.” She smirked, settling back into his arms.

[altarflame]

My Day in the Life of Children, Now

It’s Saturday. I slept in late, got up gradually. When I went to pee, Elise (15) was ready to intercept me with childlike eagerness, about the construction paper ghosts they (non-binary pronouns) were adding to the fall leaves hanging from the dining room ceiling. I praised the careful placement. They are also full of stories about being on their high school’s parade float in the big parade, yesterday.

I offered Jake (16) a fried egg on toast as I made some for me, Sterling, and Elise, but he’d just made himself spaghetti and was getting ready to head off on his bike, to his girlfriend’s.  

Aaron (21) had still not texted since leaving the state two weeks ago by plane, but today was to be his return flight, and Grant and I both know he was expecting a ride home, even though that airport is 4.5 hours from us roundtrip. My driving foot is acting up and my right calf feels tight all the time - I drove over 200 miles for work yesterday! I certainly don’t want to do this. Grant swears he told him he had to arrange return transport because we weren’t doing it. Aaron wouldn’t reply to texts. Sterling saw that bus tickets home from the airport were only $35 - less than the gas it would cost us. I sent Aaron this info, he was like “But I don’t want to ride the bus.” I feel frustrated but glad he’s communicating. Sigh. He is willing to just bus it, admits he’s had a good time and actually gives me a couple of sentences.

Elise was excited to be going to a birthday party that MIGHT be a sleepover, this afternoon - depending on whether they had a good time in the first part, liked the house/family enough, etc. They put bats up with the other autumn things in the dining room, too - with googly eyes. I dropped them off, just a few minutes away. 

Isaac (18) and I sat at the dining table talking about  the Aaron Conundrum. Isaac is afraid Aaron is fragile right now, which is something I am also basically always afraid of. Isaac is leaving for 2 weeks soon, to go visit friends in South Florida. He’s a much more conscientious planner (they’re both using their own money from their own jobs for these trips, which I just get notified of - which is fine when middle of the night road trips aren’t expected from me). Isaac is gonna pay for a driver’s ed course when he gets home, because he thinks it will make up his confidence gap with driving.

I went out on a great bike ride with Sterling, who was on skates. We passed Isaac biking away somewhere on a trail, while we were out.

After we returned, Jake got home from his girlfriend’s house, very upset by her complicated home and family dynamics. We talked about it one on one in his room for 15 or 20 minutes while I gathered up Elise’s sleepover things (the two of them share a room, and Elise decided they do want to stay at their friend’s and messaged me a requested list). It’s difficult to know how to have boundaries - Jake or me - with his gf’s people, because we don’t want to jeopardize his ability to see her, but also, this shit is ridiculous and neither of us exactly approve...

I knocked on Ananda’s (22) door and asked if she’d like to come with me to take Elise their things. She did. We talked about her shift at work and her degree program’s foreign language requirement. Elise’s friend’s mom seemed really nice, and Elise was super grateful I’d brought her the bag. I reinforced my “call or text at any hour and I’ll pick you up” guideline, and then Ananda and I ran to Publix for coconut milk to come home and make cacao with. 

I was in the kitchen with the blender for that, while Ananda waited to show me a movie trailer she’s pissed about, when Wolfgang (nephew on Grant’s side) started texting me about his various sadness. Multiple deaths in the past few months, it’s big stuff. We talked off and on via messenger for the next hour. It kinda reminded me to message his twin, Patrice, about her pregnancy and her moving options and her baby shower. 

I have decided to write my sister’s kids letters. I’ve done postcards and birthday/holiday packages, but they don’t feel behooved to reply to those things, and I think they would with letters. I might even send return envelopes and stamps. I kinda suspect my sister is trying to limit their ability to communicate with anyone, not explicitly me but I’m not important enough to get them on messaging platforms or what have you, if that makes sense, and it kinda hurts my feelings because honestly wtf. I text her things to show them but like. Sigh. 

I just asked Elise for a 1am status update if she’s awake (she’s never stayed at these people’s house and it would be fine if she WAS sleeping, but I doubt that); she immediately replied that she’s having a blast. Nice contrast to how Aaron is miserable that the bus station sucks, the bus will suck, paying for this has sucked for him, and also everything sucks :p 

I’ve been listening to a podcast while playing Tetris, as I half watch my phone, and considering writing projects, and how to get Patrice’s baby’s blanket crocheted by her baby shower, and how I need to finish this quilt I’m half done with for Ananda, first. It’s good to have weekends but I’m really glad I’ll be off for 9 days straight later this month. I contemplate things I’d like to accomplish with my plants tomorrow, and how to have a block of time for sex, and how glad I am to be less bloated than I have been these past days, from UTI antbiotics that were seriously kicking my ass. Jake’s birthday is Tuesday and we’ll take him to Moe’s and bake him a carrot cake, but mostly he’s having his party next weekend.

That about covers it :p

[siodium]

KOREA DAY 7: MYEONGDONG AND HONGDAE STREETS 🐈‍⬛

our last full day in korea!! decided to roam around myeongdong and hongdae more bc we didn't have any specific plan. except to have isaac toast for breakfast/lunch. the shrimp sandwich was delicious~

also spotted a kimbap place next to isaac toast and i realised i haven't had kimbap at all during this trip?? so i got one just to check it off my mental to-do list. i had a bit of trouble chewing through the seaweed but otherwise the taste was pretty good.

afterwards we went to a cat cafe (cat playground 고양이놀이터 myeongdong branch) that we saw on our way to isaac toast!! there were so many cute and floofy cats there!! some of them looked so grumpy like i owed them money but that's cute too.

dinner was at a jeon place in hongdae?? unfortunately i didn't catch the name of the restaurant. the seafood jeon was sooo good omg. there was also honey makgeolli on the menu and i wanted to try so i ordered but our server wanted to see both of our IDs even though i was the only one drinking (ban doesn't drink) and ban left her phone in the hotel so she didn't have any form of ID on her. the exchange that ensued was so funny LMAO. it was a comical back and forth of "pls i'm flattered that you think i'm not even 19 years old but i'm actually almost 30" and "no i need to see your ID". in the end i did a google translate of "she doesn't have her phone with her and she won't be drinking" on my phone and the server let us have the alcohol heheh. i'm glad that i didn't have to forgo the drink bc it was actually so tasty (and also hard to find in sg?? i heard).

after dinner, we strolled around hongdae and checked out some of their clothing stores. saw a rly nice skirt but i didn't get it cuz i couldn't justify $80 for the last piece. :/

we wanted to stretch out our last day as much as we could so at around 10 pm when the stores started to close, we went to get a mango cheesecake bingsu at sulbing to share~

ofc couldn't pass up an opportunity to take more pics at a photobooth for the last time on this trip!! we're pros now.

more pics (mostly cattos) + our chaotic return flight day under the cut ↓↓↓

.

.

.

KOREA DAY 8: LOTTERIA, MADE BY, BACK HOME 🐸

we had a flight at 11 am but we overslept and only woke up at 10 am. 💀 it was not a good idea to leave all the packing to the last minute bc we were at it til 4 am?? ? there was no delay this time so we had to re-book our flight. luckily there was a t'way flight back to sg at 7 pm on the same day. phew almost got stuck in korea lmaoo.

welp after securing our flight tickets, we went to lotteria for lunch. no pics cuz i was kinda hungry bUT THE SHRIMP BURGER WAS SO GOOD. pls come to sg, lotteria sunbaenim.

we had less than 5 hours til check-in and it wasn't a lot of time but we decided to head back to the city area bc there was nothing to do at the airport. that caused another round of chaos LMAO. the trip to the city took about 1.5 hours which meant that we had pretty much only an hour to do whatever we wanted to do. we could only visit one last place due to the time constraint, so we went to check out a stationery store (made by) in hongdae that i bookmarked but we haven't been to. i dropped a good $50 there on cute stationery (and also partly out of stress bc i was upset about losing my hookkahookka studio tortoise keychain bUT it turned out i still had it?? the bead chain got stuck to one of my magnets so i didn't see the keychain when i was packing my suitcase).

what we didn't account for was that the airport railway would take 5000 to 6000 won per trip?? and ban didn't have enough on her transport card for our return trip to the airport. sooo there was a bit of panic at the station trying to find an ATM to withdraw cash to top up her card.

not us almost missing our flight for the second time in a day. @w@ we legit had to run across the airport to make it for check-in.

i've never heard of t'way but it's a korean budget airline?? the plane was so empty though. the entire middle section had like nobody?? and ppl were lying down across the seats trying to sleep??

i seriously considered to go lie down as well until the plane went free falling for like 3 seconds?? ppl were screaming and there was no announcement or anything to address what just happened?? idk after that ban and i were too scared to move out of our seats (i gave up my toilet going plans too) so we just stayed awake together for the rest of the flight watching a studio ghibli movie and some episodes of vanitas no carte (!! it was on my to-watch list for a long time and i finally started it!!). nothing else happened after that though.

anyway we made it back to sg safely!! i joined ban's family (minus her mum) for supper at a ramen place before heading back home to s L E E P.

[thedeviljudges]

How do you interpret that last scene? I read it very much as a promise of a reunion/what's to come. How is it a goodbye?? They're not at the airport, they're at wherever Gaon's hearing was held, and like you pointed out, time has passed, so unless Yohan and Elijah were just chilling in motels for the past month and a half before jetting off to Switzerland, this is Yohan returning to Korea for Gaon's big moment/cos he can't keep away. That and their expressions, plus Gaon's realisation that (tbc)

nothing has changed (which would be a super downer way to end his arc if he truly was alone) doesn't suggest goodbye, but instead something more along the lines of a rejuvenation, a 'right, what's next?' or a 'I'll be seeing you.' I mean, Yohan clearly wanted Gaon to catch him, otherwise he wouldn't have stood directly behind him caressing his chair! Could just be wishful thinking but if I hadn't read comments saying so first, it would never have occurred to me that it was meant to be a goodbye.

i think the point of the scene is leaving it up to viewers discretion, but because most of us here are very lawful husbands-oriented, of course we refuse to see it as a goodbye. plus, i didn't take it as a goodbye while watching it personally.

i did miss the "a month later" notation when i first watched just because where i was watching with english subs, there was notes about where gaon and jinjoo were covering it up. so luckily someone pointed it out or i would've missed it.

i think that note about the month thing really says a lot in terms of how it's meant to be interpreted. so let me just go off about it because i'm feeling so many things still.

first, i think it truly shows that yohan still cares for gaon and always will no matter how much time passes between each other and they're not by each other's side. yohan purposefully flew back (i don't think they would've stayed in a hotel since all of yohan's and elijah's things were packed up and gone when gaon visited the house) just to see gaon. literally the singular reason was to push gaon into his role as a judge and support him giving his testimony—one that yohan made happen in the first place. why wouldn't he see out this plan in person, too? this might come across as yohan checking up on gaon before leaving again, and that's certainly the case, but it's not a goodbye. it's yohan popping in to check up on him, especially for the road gaon has ahead of him as a judge.

yohan didn't give gaon a proper goodbye either. he left the cards and the blueprint of the courtroom in his bedroom so gaon would find it and know that he's safe. he never actually said goodbye at the building as well, and it's similar to the theming of death where if a body isn't shown on screen, are they really dead? is it really goodbye if it's not uttered?

i've come to the conclusion that it feels more like "i'll see you around" for me - that gaon knows yohan is out there, and he's not gone for good. he blatantly "threatened" gaon and told him if he wasn't doing a good job, he'd be back. that means yohan is going to be watching over him in some capacity, and you're telling me that he's going to spend time doing that and not go see gaon at any point? why would yohan fuck himself over more like that? doesn't make sense. that's too much pining, and when has yohan ever sat back and did nothing about what he wants?

i think they both recognize that after all of the pain and suffering they've gone through, a brief separation is not just needed but probably a good thing - sort of like a breather to really settle down, work through their emotions, and also for gaon to give yohan and elijah a bit of time to work on their relationship without gaon in the mix for once. also for gaon to find his own way as a judge without yohan's influence as well.

so overall, no. to me it's not a goodbye. i can see them coming back together just a few months down the line because they need each other and all will be well. plus, gaon would be more than supportive of yohan and elijah staying in switzerland if it means she has a chance to go to physical therapy and heal. gaon knows how to be independent, and so does yohan. i think they're perfectly capable of maintaining a long distance relationship if it means elijah comes first. it's like one parent stays home while the other goes to work and/or travels. just like any other family.

it could also be reasonably explained that they did not go near one another due to the building they were in. i highly doubt that yohan wants people to know he’s alive. gaon wouldn’t jeopardize yohan again, and they most certainly do not want people questioning gaon after everything that just happened. he’s at a judicial reform meeting, and he blatantly told everyone that he still doesn’t agree with yohan’s way of justice. he’s not a criminal, and he’s not a hero.

then, we have the watch. the blatant watch that gaon never took off no matter his doubts about yohan. from the very beginning, it’s been there. and it will stay there as a reminder. fitting that isaac gave yohan his token of remembrance to do good in a necklace. and yohan gave his through a watch. yohan has the scar gaon gave him.

and finally, does this not look like one kang yohan who has something up his sleeve? where have we seen this blatant look before? especially as tempest plays as he walks away.

[formula1imagines]

Daniel Ricciardo Fanfiction

Chapter 2: Sweet Beginnings

Chapter 1

Warnings: no warnings, only fluff.

As the 4 of ya’ll landed in Perth, you were pleasantly greeted by a few of Daniel’s mates. You headed to Daniel’s farm in 2 cars. The farm was quite far away from the airport- a 2 hour car journey. All the 4 of y’all- Dan, Michael, Blake and yourself were drained and jet-lagged- desperate for good sleep. Michael, Daniel, one of Dan’s school friend and you headed in one car while Blake and another one of Dan’s friends headed out in the second car. Michael, Daniel and you sat on the back seat. Michael’s head rested on the window while you rested your head on Daniel’s shoulder. He eventually placed his head on yours too. In no time, your eyelids felt heavy and you drifted off to sleep in the car.

After almost forever the car came to a halt because you guys had finally reached Dan’s home. Home sweet home at last. Grace, Joe, Michelle, Dan’s brother-in-law and little Isaac were all there to welcome y’all in. As you headed inwards, the first thing Daniel did was kneel down and hug his nephew. You saw how tightly Dan hugged him and little Isaac reciprocated the hug with the same enthusiasm. “Uncle Danny!! i missed you sooo much!”, squeal Isaac. “Me too little fella, me too”, said Daniel emotionally as he lifted Isaac into his arms and hugged him some more. Daniel placed a kiss on Isaac’s forehead before placing him on the floor again. “It’s so good to finally meet you!” said Joe and Grace as they welcome you into their home. Everyone hugged everyone but Daniel was visibly emotional of all and he looked relieved to be back. We had decided to spend some time at Daniel’s parents’ place before heading to Daniel’s house.

The three boys immediately got comfortable in the house- Michael and Blake had been coming to Grace’ and Joe’ since their childhood. The two went to freshen up one at a time and you looked around the house. You saw all the photos that were there and spoke at great length with Joe. He was such a proud father. Daniel was so lucky to have a father like him. You knew Dan would be a great dad too. The thought of Daniel as a father gave you butterflies and you couldn’t help but blush. It was great to get to know Daniel’s parents. They were just like he had described them- maybe even sweeter and understanding :) Grace was so welcoming and asked you how you put up with Daniel sometimes and the both of ya’ll crack into a terrible laughter! The whole house suddenly felt so cheerful. Suddenly you realised you hadn’t seen Daniel around much so you go looking for him.

Walking down a long and elegant corridor you try to peek into a few rooms to check if Daniel was there. You finally found him in Isaac’s playroom. You should have guessed :) There he was playing with cars and simply admiring the innocence of his nephew. You stood at the entrance of the door just admiring the view. You didn’t want to disturb them. You stood there with your weight against the door, smiling away to glory. You might have teared up a little as well. You were brought to the current time when Isaac called you to play with him and Dan. Daniel looked up to see you and you two made eye contact. He smiled and raised a hand to guide you to sit next to him. He placed his arm around your waist as you gently sit down. Daniel rubbed the side of your arm and looked at you as you were looking at Isaac. When you saw Daniel looking at you, you asked him what had happened he simply smiled and shook his head. Was he blushing? You think he was. The both of ya’ll sit with Isaac for about an hour as he played with his toys and occasionally asked you for help or any sort of involvement. You didn’t complain because this moment right here, sitting with Daniel and his nephew felt so intimate and homely- it felt just right.

Later on that day, after everyone had freshened up, you all gathered in an outdoors seating area to eat. Dan sat next to you and Michelle sat on the other side of you. Grace sat in front of you. The vibe was absolutely amazing. It was sunny but still cool. The food was amazing. The company was outstanding and you couldn’t be more grateful to be here with everyone. You couldn’t be more grateful to be here with Daniel. You glance at Daniel who was biting into his avocado toast. He looked at you and placed his hand on your thigh. You placed a hand on his hand and soon your fingers intertwine. You whispered to him how grateful you were for this moment, to be here with everyone, and he smiled at you and kissed your forehead. Michelle saw your hands intertwined because she soon said “awww!” and winked at you and Daniel and you simply roll you eyes and laugh!

It seemed like you knew all these for years. You and Dan had been together for 4 years now and the countless FaceTime sessions with his family meant that you had gotten to know everyone quite a bit.

Isaac had left the table to go and play in the field for a while. He came back after a while complaining that he was very hungry. He walked over to your side of the table and asked if he could sit with you and ‘uncle Danny’. Both of you gushed and let him in between the both of you. He sat on your lap and rested his head on your shoulder. You couldn’t help but feel special! You looked towards Daniel who couldn’t stop staring at the both of you. Grace, who was sitting in front of you, got teary-eyed and left the table and she promised to be back in a while. You fed Isaac some bread and he happily ate. He was definitely tired after playing so much as he soon started to drift off in your arms. Before he could completely fall asleep, Michelle took him. It was just Daniel and you on the table now. Rest of the boys were in the kitchen helping out with the dishes. You and Daniel soon joined them inside.

“You two make a great couple and I couldn’t be more happier.”, Grace told Daniel. Daniel smiled and gave his mum and tight hug. He hugged Joe and said that we’ll be coming the next to day visit again. You thanked them for the lovely food and for a great time. You hugged them both. Just before leaving, Isaac came running and hugged Daniel. Daniel lifted him up and kissed him on the cheek. He promised to take him the adventure park soon. You couldn’t help but let you thoughts drift to think about when you and Daniel would have children. You knew he’d be a great dad and you also knew he couldn’t wait to become one.

After the goodbyes Daniel, Michael, Blake and you sit in the car. You were going to drop the two boys at their respective homes before heading to you me home. You smiled as you imagined all the incredible things that were going to happen that night. Daniel finally back home, finally in Perth, you felt like this was the best version of Dan you were about to see :)

[wiypt-writes]

Leave No One Behind

Chapter 16: Endings Beginnings

Co written with @icanfeelastormbrewing​

Summary: Ari and Hannah settle into life back home, but it isn’t all as smooth as they’d have hoped…

Warnings: Bad Language words.

Pairings:  Ari Levinson x OFC Hannah Horowitz

Word Count- 4.5k

A/N: It was recently brought to our attention that in a few other chapters there have been a couple of things that Ari has said/done that are not technically accurate for someone of Jewish heritage. First up, it was reference to Ari observing a ‘Sunday Roast’ when he visited Mama Navon. We just wanted to remind people that Hannah is of Catholic Christian and Jewish heritage (Spanish Catholic Mother, American Jewish Father) and her and Sammy’s upbringing has always been a combination of the two. So, when Ari visited Mama Navon when he was home from Sudan, clearly this was her tradition he was observing. Secondly, in another chapter Ari was praying to the ‘God and the Saints’. Of course, Judaism does not have saints, so there’s a slip up on our part with that one. As with the third point, when we described Ari rushing Sarah to the alter. He would have rushed her to the hoopa.

Regarding all of the above, we would hasten to add, that Ari grew up in the USA, leaving when he was 18. From what little we learn of him in the film, we know was taken by a British Soldier, who married an American Nurse. From the way he talks about it, we don’t get the impression his ‘adoptive’ parents were Jewish, so that alludes us to suspect he had a largely Christian upbringing, whilst clearly  being aware of his heritage. Therefore, we don’t think it is beyond the realms of possibility that he would pick up the odd little thing such as the above three points.  

That aside, we hope the above didn’t distract anyone else from the narrative as it did the reader who brought it to our attention.

Now, just a personal plea from myself in general. Myself and Storm do this for free, and not being a person who pays much attention to religion at all (that’s another debate in itself) it is for this reason I was VERY nervous about continuing this storyline beyond the plot of the film. We certainly don’t have the time, nor brain capacity to be researching things into any kind of huge depth. It’s why most of my story lines centre along similar types of things that I have a good background in. This fic was never supposed to focus on the ins and outs of a particular race of people, just the lives of two dumbasses in love. As all writers on here, we do this for free, and the moment it becomes hard work or unenjoyable, we won’t be continuing. So any other little slip ups, please, unless they’re offensive, give us a little leeway and put it down to Ari being exceptionally Westernised as pointed out above.

Sorry if this comes across as being a little harsh, but this has been playing on my mind a lot over the past few days, to the point I was seriously considering if we ended the fic where it currently stood. That said, I think we have a lot left to tell of Hannah and Ari’s story so, I’ll shut up now and let you read it…if you want that is.

Leave No One Behind Masterlist // Main Masterlist

Part 15

“You haven’t forgotten tomorrow?” Hannah heard her mother ask, as the woman stood up from the table while holding the teacup and saucer to place them in the sink. “You do remember you have to pick Sammy up from the airport tomorrow afternoon, right?”

 Hannah rolled her eyes at her mother’s back. “No, I haven’t forgotten,” she sighed as she played with the crumbles of the pastry she had been nibbling on, “I mean, it’s not like I’ve got anything else going on, is it? Seeing as Ari is with Maya and according to Sarah’s stupid rules I can’t be there with them…”

 At that, Maria Navon turned, giving her daughter a sympathetic look and Hannah snorted in anger.

 It had been four months since they arrived back in Tel Aviv, and Hannah had to concede that for the first few weeks it was fine. She and Ari settled nicely in the apartment Mossad rented in Ari’s name once all the paperwork following the end of the mission had been sorted. Ari had asked Isaacs for an upgrade of his living quarters, given he was now having Maya over to stay every other weekend, plus numerous nights of the week. Not to mention the fact Hannah was moving with him. When Isaacs had asked Ari to put a justification forward, he had simply shrugged, “I fucking earned it, Isaacs.”

 So he got it. Just like he usually got what he wanted, one way or another.

 Hannah was back working at the clinic. Her hands and the experience she had acquired while in Africa were needed more than ever now that it was only her mother and her to run it, although how long it was before her mom decided to retire fully was anyone’s guess. It had been a couple of busy months, what with interviewing for new nurses and locum staff, but Hannah would be lying if she denied having enjoyed every minute of it. She might have Mossad secret agent skills, obviously passed down by her father, but she was a doctor at heart. And that hadn’t changed in the two years she had been away.

 The team had split up within a month of arrival back in Tel Aviv.  Ari and Max had been working to help the refugees. Many of them had simply melted away post their arrival, still not trusting the mysterious white men who had come to their aid. However, some had stuck round; being housed temporarily in hostels, and was those who Ari and Max were tirelessly working for. They focussed their efforts on obtaining them permanent, legal status along with finding them better places to live and jobs of sorts to help them fit in their new reality. 

 Jake had headed back overseas to continue work as a diving instructor, this time in Jamaica, whilst Sammy had been in the States with Rachel for almost two and a half months now, and was, as Maria just reminded Hannah, due back the following day. Hannah suspected, however, not for long, fully expecting him to move there permanently to be with Rachel.

“Sammy is lucky, you know? He has none of this shit with Rachel’s ex.” Hannah grumbled, “Sarah is just being a pain in the ass. And I know for a fact it’s because we told her we got engaged. She was fine with me being there when Maya was until that point.” Hannah finished her rant as she placed her teacup and saucer on her mother’s extended hand. 

“You can’t be sure about that, sweetheart. Maybe there’s something else."

“No, she’s being a bitch.” Hannah quickly stopped her mother’s attempts at justifying Sarah’s behaviour. “She seems perfectly fine with us having dinner during the week and going out and stuff but won’t let Maya stay when I’m there on a weekend, basically just preventing us from spending those days together, for no reason other than she’s bitter.”

Maria Navon sighed. She knew where her daughter was coming from but, being the gentle and caring woman she was, she couldn’t help but try to put herself in the other woman’s shoes. She saw Hannah bite her lip and twirl her engagement ring round her finger, a rounded blue sapphire as deep as the ocean set against a halo of smaller white diamonds on a white gold band, before she spoke again.

 “I wouldn’t mind mama but they’ve been legally separated for years! The terms of their divorce are basically already been agreed. All they need to do is sign the damned papers but recently, well, Ari seems afraid to even raise the issue in case Sarah starts making it all awkward again and stops him seeing Munch.”

“Hey, sweetheart. Listen to me.” Hannah’s mother caught her attention as she pulled out a chair to sit next to her. “Everything is going to be ok, she’ll sign eventually. She knows there isn’t anything she can do about it, she’s just grieving.”

 Hannah’s brow creased at her mother’s choice of words. “Grieving for what? She left him, years ago!”

“She left him because she couldn’t cope with his lifestyle anymore, and he wasn’t winning any awards for being husband of the year, Han. That doesn’t mean she didn’t love him,” Maria woman spoke softly as if to appease her daughter’s raging tone.

“So, basically, I’m just stuck here waiting until she gets her head out of her ass?” 

“Have a little patience, honey. You two have waited over a decade, one way or another, to be together. You sure can wait a few weeks more.” Maria smiled as she reached out for Hannah’s hands who were fiddling with a teaspoon. 

“That’s the thing, Mama.” Hannah sighed as she looked up to meet her mom’s eyes. “I don’t think it’s just going to be weeks.”

“You don’t?” The woman frowned. “Well maybe she’s more stubborn than I thought.”

Hannah shook her head and then noticed her mother’s features had suddenly softened into a smile and she was looking straight over her shoulder. Hannah turned to see Ethan walking into the kitchen in his signature crisp work suit.

“Hi Ethan,” Hannah smiled at him and then looked up at the clock over the fridge before standing up and shrugging. “I should go. Spend the night with my fiancée before I’m banished back to my childhood home for the weekend like a love sick teenager.”

As she left the kitchen dramatically, she heard Ethan ask Maria. “That bad?”

“She’s pissed off,” Hannah heard her mom whisper back, “can’t say I blame her but she needs to make an attempt to see this from the other side, so to speak.”

With an angry growl, Hannah slammed the door and set off walking back to their apartment, in even more of  bad mood than she’d been in when she arrived at her mother’s. 

 Why was anyone treating her like she was the spoiled brat?

****

Ari was getting ready for Hannah’s arrival. He had been cooking, or sort of, making an attempt at dinner for a while and was now setting the table for two. He wanted to make tonight special as he knew this week was going to be the third weekend out of six that he and Hannah would be apart thanks to Sarah and her fucking rules. 

He was finding it hard himself. He’d gotten used to sleeping besides his Firefly since they had got together in Sudan, especially at night. But he knew Hannah was finding it harder. He was sacrificing their time together so that he could spend his allotted weekends with his daughter, which lessened the blow a little, but Hannah was basically being banned from living her life as it was for two days every two weeks, and that make his heart ache. 

And the worst bit about it all, was that he had seen it coming a mile off, and had been powerless to prevent it.

It was a bright Friday morning when they told Maya about their engagement. The previous evening Ari had proposed to Hannah for a second time after buying her a lavish ring. Thus, they had decided to take Maya for a walk and ice cream to break the news to her.  The little girl had been over the moon with the idea of her dad and Hannah getting married, which hadn’t surprised Ari seeing as his daughter had been all over his fiancé ever since they had met at Mossad headquarters the morning they had arrived home.

Now, as he approached Sarah’s apartment to take Maya back, he was about to tell his ex-wife and he was not particularly looking forward to it. But, he was being cautiously optimistic. Sarah had, after all, been amendable since they’d gotten home and seemed okay with Hannah being a part of Maya’s life.

Still, he felt his stomach churn as Maya walked up the apartment they had all shared once upon a time, and rang the doorbell.  No sooner had Sarah opened the door, Maya bounced in blurting the news out without hesitation.

 “Mom, guess what? Dad and Han are getting married! He asked her yesterday and she said yes!”

Ari groaned internally to himself, “Sarah, I didn’t ask her last night,” he smiled bashfully as he explained himself, “and I certainly didn’t do it in front of Maya.”

Sarah shook her head and brushed it off.  “Don’t worry, Ari and … erm, congratulations, I guess.”

“Erm… thanks.” Ari blinked. “I just thought you should hear it from me first… even if you technically did hear it from Munch.”

Despite the civil exchange, Ari could tell that Sarah was hating she didn’t have time nor the privacy to digest the news, and that wasn’t what he’d planned at all. He’d wanted to tell her, quickly, and leave, but Maya had put paid to his plans. Ari could feel coldness of his estranged wife’s stare, along with the tell-tale faint twitch of her nose and upper lip. He knew Sarah well and he, also knew how she deep down felt about him and Hannah. 

“She seemed cool about it but I know her, Han. Too cool for Sarah.” Ari told Hannah that night over dinner. “I can’t help feeling this is going to be bad…”

For once, Ari wished to God he’d been proven wrong. But, Sarah ended up doing what he feared, reverting back to being petty and petulant. She called him the next day to announce from that moment on, when Maya stayed with him, be it during the week or on her agreed weekends, Hannah wasn’t to be there overnight because, as Sarah had put it, it wasn’t appropriate for Maya to be around when they were… well, “up to stuff.

Hannah went ballistic, telling Ari his estranged wife was being ridiculous and she could go to hell, but Ari knew Sarah well enough to know she needed to get this out of her system. He tried his best to explain to Hannah that until she did, there was nothing he could do but roll with it, certainly for the time being. Making Sarah angry would not only risk her going back on terms of the divorce they’d set out in their separation degree, but also, he feared, make her get pissy about him seeing Maya. And that simply wasn’t something he was prepared to risk. He’d already missed too much of Maya over the years, admittedly through his own fault, but he didn’t want to miss a single second more than he had to.

Just as Ari was turning down the heat under their dinner, Simon’s ears pricked up and a second later Hannah’s key was heard in the door. Air smiled at the dog, who let out an excited whine, and leaned to give him a scratch behind his ears.

“Mama’s home, buddy.”

The pooch looked up at his master almost like he was pondering his words and Ari scoffed. 

Yeah, home. Bar the weekends when she’s banished to her mother's…

 Simon trotted off and soon after Ari heard Hannah greeting him. A moment later she walked into the living area and gave him a tired, but genuine smile. 

“Hey Lobo.”

 Ari beamed at his fiancé as he walked to meet her and without warning, he grabbed her face with both hands and stamped his lips on her plump ones, kissing the hell out of her. Hannah moaned in surprise but melted into his hold, her hands instantly reaching for Ari’s bearded cheeks.

“Hey Firefly.” He whispered when he broke the kiss.

She smiled at him as her hands travelled upwards and tangled in his hair. “Something smells good.”

“Thanks, I just showered.” Ari drawled, a cheeky smile on his face.

“I meant the food, you ass.” Hannah laughed as one of her hands slapped Ari shoulder, but his grin never faded.

“I’m a whole meal, honey.” He continued, playfully. Hannah rolled her eyes and stepped back. “But yeah, I’ve been cooking or rather mixing things in pots and pans.”

“Hmmm should I be worried?” She shrugged off the light jacket she was wearing to shield her from the summer showers.

“Well, Simon tasted everything and he’s still breathing.”

“Simon used to eat jellyfish, Ari. That’s not a bar to measure your cooking with.”

“Hey, I tried, okay? Give me some credit. I’ve never cooked for a woman before.” He grabbed her hips and pressed her to his body, one of his big hands splaying over her back.

At that Hannah smiled at him lovingly. He was right. She suspected he had never cooked for Sarah and he certainly hadn’t cooked for her, not once. Never in the brief amount of time they had been secretly dating, and at the resort it had been Chef Aziz's job to cook for everyone.

“I’m honoured, and I’m sure it’ll be great. Give me five to go wash up okay?”

“Sure, babe. I’ll plate the food and open the wine.” He winked at her and Hannah stood on her toes and gave him another quick peck before she headed into the bedroom, Simon following her.

True to his word Ari had done a pretty good job and thirty minutes later they were both sat at the table after having enjoyed a dammed passable and tasty attempt at a beef stroganoff on Ari’s part that left Hannah pleasantly surprised. 

She sighed with satisfaction as she left her fork on her plate and when she looked up she noticed Ari was looking at her intently, his eyes shining under those long eyelashes.

“You trying to seduce me before my carriage turns into a pumpkin tomorrow, Levinson?” Hannah asked before bringing her glass of wine to her lips.

“Hannah...” he sighed.

“What?”

“Please don’t, sweetheart. I don’t want to argue.” 

It was her turn to sigh, heavily. Ari’s words were more of a plea than a warning to her, but she couldn’t help the way she was feeling. Granted, she wasn’t quite as pissed as when she had left her mother’s house, but she still had a sour feeling which was nagging at her. 

“I don’t want to either, Ari. I just don’t like the prospect of spending my weekend away from you. Again.”

“And you think I do?” He asked, reaching for her hand over the table. “Honey, this won’t be forever. Sarah just needs to get her stupid tantrum out of her system.”

“Yeah, I know and I don’t want you having trouble with Maya because of me, I wouldn’t keep you from Munch, ever. But you’re my fiancé and I just...” she trailed off, shrugging, “I don’t want us to be apart.”

Ari licked his lips and pondered for a moment as he looked at their entwined hands. “Okay, I’ll talk to her when I pick Maya up tomorrow.” He nodded with determination when he looked up at her. “See if I can reason with her and...”

“Don’t Ari. You’ll only set her off.” Hannah rapidly cut him off.

Ari groaned and let go of her hand, his look and voice growing harder. “Well then, what do you want me to do? You literally just said-“

“I know, but I don’t want you to poke the bear! I just want this fucking ridiculous situation to be over.” Hannah shook her head. She knew she was riling Air up, but she was sick of everyone trying to get her to accept the situation they were in without so much as a word of complaint. “I’m not blaming you, it’s just…forget it, can we just pretend we are a normal couple who are having a normal evening dinner?”

“We are a normal couple. Well, as normal as most anyway.” Ari took her hand again, his features softening. “Look, I’m sorry. I really am. I just don’t know what I can do.”

“Love me.” Hannah stated after a while.

Now that puzzled Ari. Was that a request or was she doubting him. She couldn’t be doubting him, right? With concern written all over his face he pushed his chair back to stand up and hurriedly crouched beside Hannah, his hands grabbing her thighs firmly as his eyes searched for something in hers. 

“Firefly, I do love you. You know this… I mean, at least, I hope you do.”

“I do.” She nodded as she looked down to him. “Just don’t stop loving me, no matter what crazy ideas Sarah comes up with.” 

“Hannah, that’s not gonna happen.” He assured her after swallowing hard. “I promise you. Nothing she says or does is gonna change the way I feel about you.” 

****

Ari meant what he said and took it upon himself to make sure his Firefly was left with no doubt as to his feelings for her all through the night. And then again he made sure she hadn’t forgotten the following morning too before she left to pick Sammy up from the airport.

Ari collected Maya, as arranged, from the summer holiday camp run by her school and then, throwing caution to the wind, took her to Maria’s to see not only Hannah, but Sammy and the family. Hannah was surprised, but pleased to see them both and hugged Maya tight as the girl threw herself at her, chatting away about her day. They ate a lovely dinner, courtesy of Maria, and later, retired to the shared garden in the warm, July air. 

As Maya sat with Sammy, who was telling her stories about the states and Rachel’s kids, Ari found himself watching Hannah. She was sat with her mom and Ethan, the three of them sipping wine as the dusk drew in. It wasn’t long before the first little twinkles around the tree flashed through the darkness, signalling the fireflies had come out to play. 

Ari’s mind quickly travelled back to when he first met Hannah, how those little bugs had been present in the garden, earning her the nickname. His nickname for her, which had stuck and become a term of his love for her, symbolised by the pendant round her neck. It was that pendant, or more specifically how he had given her that pendant, which had fixed the idea on how to present her with the sparkling sapphire and diamond ring on her finger…

It was a Thursday morning, and Hannah walked into the bedroom after her morning shower. Ari looked up from where he was fastening up his short sleeved shirt and smiled as she grinned back at him. 

“You really do suit that colour, pretty sure Ethan’s secretary will approve.”

“Ethan’s secretary?” Ari continued, stopping two buttons under the collar.

“Yeah, that’s what I said Lobo.” 

“Ethan’s secretary is nearly a hundred years old, Firefly.” Ari rolled his eyes with a chuckle, his hands on his hips as Hannah frowned.

“Well who was the young, blonde girl at her desk the other day when I called in?” She picked up her hairbrush from the top of the chest of drawers that served as her vanity unit.

“Lorraine? She’s an intern, Mrs Goldman is training her.”

“She likes you. I can tell.” Hannah hummed, combing out her locks which had been piled on top of her head to prevent them getting wet.

Ari rolled his eyes as Hannah pulled her hair back into a neat ponytail. “Whatever.”

“You can whatever me all you want,” Hannah sang as she picked up a bottle of lotion and sat on the bed, “I can sense these things.”

Ari snorted, looking down at his girl as she sat on the bed applying lotion to her legs. “You getting all territorial on me?”

“Do I need to?”

“Don’t be an ass!” Ari snorted, leaning down to kiss her. 

As they moved around the room, Ari took his time, a lot longer than usual, dragging his morning routine out as long as possible. If Hannah noticed he was making a meal out of tidying his beard up, something he had taken to doing since returning to civilisation, she didn’t notice.

He was stalling for one reason, and one reason only. The surprise that was waiting for her in her underwear drawer.

After what seemed like an age, she crossed the room and pulled it open. Ari held his breath as she reached in for a pair of panties, but instead she gasped, he hand flying to her mouth.

Bingo.

When Hannah spun around, the red, velvet box in her hand, Ari was waiting on one knee, beaming up at her. “Still wanna marry me, Firefly?”

Tears brimmed in her eyes and she nodded, her voice thick with emotion, “yes, you know I do!”

“Had to ask with a ring, sweetheart.”

He watched as she opened it, her mouth dropping open once more as she stared at the ring. 

“Lobo, it’s gorgeous… I… I love it!”

As Ari rose to his feet, he sighed with relief, “good, ‘cause I had a hard time finding something worthy of my girl.”

“It reminds me of the ocean,” she smiled up at him, “and your eyes.”

“Kinda why I bought it, the ocean that is.” Ari smiled as he took the ring from the box, slipping it over her knuckle, watching as the sapphire settled at the base of her finger. “Hannah Maria Navon, I love you, baby girl.”

Hannah glanced at the ring before she beamed, her hands cupping his cheeks, “and I love you, Ari David Levinson.”

Ari smirked a little at the memory, they were totally late for work after getting a little ‘distracted’ so to speak celebrating their engagement once more, only this time in a bed and not the back of a shitty jeep in the Sudanese desert. 

“Dad?” Maya bounced into his lap, drawing a huff from him as she accidentally elbowed him in the ribs, “Are those fireflies?”

“They are Munch.” He nodded, kissing her head as she watched them zipping around. “Can you see now why I call Hannah my Firefly?”

She grinned, “yip!”

Hannah, who had been watching them, cleared her throat. “Ari, it’s getting late. Shouldn’t you two be heading back to your apartment?”

Ari looked at her pointedly. “Our apartment, sweetheart.”

Hannah was about to shoot a response back but then remembered Maya was there so she merely sighed. “Ari, look, you shouldn’t even be here now anyway. It’s not worth the argument if she finds out.”

“Why can’t we stay here, dad? I wanna stay with Han!” Maya piped up and Hannah groaned a little, shooting Ari a look.

“Because Han needs to stay with Sammy tonight, she’s not seen him for a while. You can stay some other time, okay?”

“I’m not gonna say anything to Mom if that’s what you scared of.”

At that, Ari and Hannah exchanged a look. “Why do you say that? Why would we be scared?” He asked and Maya shrugged.

“I heard Mom say some things.”

“What things, Munchkin?” Ari smoothed her long hair back and waited for her to reply.

“Well, I was upset, because at first I thought Hannah didn’t like me anymore as she always left when I stayed over. But one day last week, I heard Mom tell Grandma on the phone she had made you and Hannah spend the weekends apart because I was with you.” Maya paused and looked at Hannah, “Is that why you don’t stay with us at the apartment?”

Hannah blinked, she was stuck. She didn’t want to lie but also didn’t want to start bad mouthing Sarah in front of Maya, no matter how tempting. “Erm, it’s, well it’s complicated, sweetie. You and your dad need to spend time together. But I promise you it’s absolutely not because I don’t like you. I do, I love you very much.”

At that Maya stood up and launched herself at Hannah.  “I love you too, Han.”

Ari and Hannah could do nothing but exchange a look, which Hannah broke as she leaned down to hug Maya, tears visible in her eyes.

And it left Ari feeling even more like shit than he already did.

No, he had to fix this, even if it meant pulling Sarah up on her attitude despite Hannah asking him not to. Whilst he understood Sarah’s anger, and that she had every right to direct it at him, the fact that it was clearly having an impact on Maya was something he couldn’t let slide.

With a sigh, he stood up, instructing Maya to bid everyone good night. Before he left, he pulled Hannah into a kiss, his hands cupping her face.

“I’m gonna fix this,” he whispered against her lips, “trust me, baby.”

“I do.” She sniffed a little, her nose bumping his. “Go, go on. I’ll see you Sunday.”

As they walked the few blocks home, Maya’s hand locked in Ari’s, he was only partially listening to his daughter as she spoke. 

“Dad!” Her voice drew him from his thoughts about how exactly he was going to approach the subject with his soon to be ex-wife. He glanced down at her.

“What?”

“We’re you listening to a word I just said?”

“Honestly, no!”

“Daaaaaad!” She whined and Ari chuckled.

 “I’m sorry baby, what were you saying?”

“I was saying that I should get Hannah something for luck.”

“What do you mean?”

 “Well, Mom was talking to Auntie Louisa, and she said that Hannah was going to need plenty of luck being married to you so…”

Ari took a deep breath, anger flashing through his system, rolling his eyes. “Oh, did she?”

“Yup.” Maya nodded.

“And, do you think Hannah’s gonna need luck?”

Maya looked at him, and grinned cheekily. “Well, you are an idiot!”

“Rude!” Ari narrowed his eyes playfully, “mind you, technically, you might look more like your mom but you’re half me. Guess that makes you half an idiot, huh?”

Maya went to dig him in the ribs and with a chuckle, Ari swung her up and onto his shoulders. Her hands tangled in his hair as she giggled, before she leaned down, fingers threading into his beard.

“Han’s right, you do look like a wolf.”

Ari laughed, his hands tightening around his daughter’s ankles as her heels lightly bounced against his chest with each step he took.

[prettiestvulcan]

pairing: enji todoroki x oc

rating: explicit

wc:

summary: a summer getaway gets heated, in more ways than one.

warnings: none

a/n: part of @delirieum's hot milf summer collab!

She’s always had a dislike for summer. The sticky, humid heat. The influx of tourists, which meant more crime. The increase in her number of patrols. Summer meant more work in near unbearable conditions.

There is one plus to summer, though. It means the kids are out of school, so she gets to spend more time with them. Sure, during the day she’s always on patrol, but then she gets to pick them up from her parents’ house and take them to pick out dinner. They don’t have to be in bed for school, so she can introduce them to her favorite childhood movies.

This summer is different, though. Her parents are taking their grandkids on a vacation and she can’t go with them. Work is having their own week-long mandatory ‘vacation’, which involves flying out to an island for team-building exercises disguised as fun. It’s the first time the agency has done something like this, but her guess as to why is as good as anyone else’s.

“Mommy, do you have to go?” Her youngest asks. She kneels before him, giving him a soft smile.

“I’m sorry, sweetie, but mommy has to go because of work.” He pouts, crossing his arms with a frown.

“I don’t want you to go.” Isaac looks close to tears. “I don’t want to go with Nanny and Pappy. I want to go with Mommy.”

“Isaac,” she brushes tears from his cheeks with a thumb. “Don’t cry, sweetheart. Mommy will be back. And I’ll call every night before bedtime.”

“Promise?” He sniffles. She nods, holding out her pinky. He grins, wrapping his much smaller pinky around hers.

“I pinky-promise,” she answers. His tears have started to dry up.

“Okay,” he finally relents. “I’ll go with Nanny and Pappy.”

“That’s my boy,” she ruffles his hair, the curls catching occasionally. He doesn’t seem to notice.

He runs off towards the front door, giggling the whole way. She stands, watching him go with a smile. He’s always been a cheerful kid, willing to do as she asks. She’s grateful for it. However, her eldest isn’t as agreeable. Perhaps being close to ten, she’s just going through a face. She was a fussy baby, though, so something tells her she just takes too much after her father.

“Why do I have to go?” Hazel starts. “I’m old enough to make my own decisions.”

“Hazel,” she reproaches. “I don’t have time to find you a babysitter. Nanny and Pappy already agreed to take you somewhere fun.”

“Ugh,” she groans. “Whatever, mom.” Hazel storms off without another word. She frowns, watching her go. If only there was some way she could make both of them happy. She hadn’t lied, though; the trip for work was very sudden and she didn’t have time to look for a babysitter. It was only through luck that her parents had agreed to take them on vacation with them this year. Perhaps because they were both old enough not to need as much supervision and constant care.

With a sigh, she grabs her suitcase once more and climbs into the taxi. She really wishes she could have given Hazel a goodbye hug, but she knows her daughter well enough to know that wouldn’t have gone down easily. There would have been a lot of yelling and pushing, possibly some kicking. She really hopes Hazel doesn’t regret not saying goodbye.

The taxi drops her off outside the entrance of the airport. She takes her suitcase from the trunk before heading inside. The layout is huge, but everything is clearly marked and mapped. She has no issues finding the check-in for the airline. Finding the gate is even easier, since each gate is in a specific order. She sits down to wait for their boarding time, taking her phone out to make sure there are no calls or texts from her parents. Thankfully, there are none so everything must be alright.

She decides to look around the area from her seat, spotting several familiar faces in the seats around her. They all seem absorbed in their own activities, so she leaves them be. She was never really familiar with any of the other sidekicks, anyway. Being a single parent meant she didn’t have much time for get-togethers, so she was always turning down invites after patrols. They’re always friendly towards her, however, so she thinks they’re all on good terms. They probably understand her hesitance to leave her kids at home with the babysitter longer than needed.

After a while, it’s time to board the plane. It’s her first time flying since before Isaac was born, but she still remembers the drill. Show your boarding pass, get it scanned, find your seat. It’s very straightforward. Everything about the trip so far has been, which is something she’s grateful for. She’s not a huge fan of surprises. Never has been. Although she supposes Isaac and Hazel are two surprises she absolutely couldn’t live without.

Soon, the pre-flight announcements are beginning. She’s surprised to see no one in the seat beside her. It’s nearly a full plane, though she’s not going to complain. It just means she has more room to stretch out. She listens to the pre-flight announcements, turning off her phone as instructed. She takes her in-flight bag off the floor, putting it in the empty seat beside her. She couldn’t quite reach the overhead bin and had been too embarrassed to ask for help.

The plane takes off, bringing with it a slew of emotions. She’s excited to be going somewhere, even if it’s for work, but she’s going to miss her kids. Not being able to see them for an entire week? It’s an entirely new experience for her. She’s been home with them basically since they were each born. She’s been there to kiss ouchies better, to read them stories before bed, tuck them in with a kiss on their foreheads. She’s been there to wipe their tears, to make them smile and laugh. Being away from them will be a new experience for all of them, but at least they won’t be completely alone. She trusts her parents to take care of them, just like they cared for her as a child.

She takes comfort in that thought, relaxing back against the seat. She hadn’t realized how tense she’d been the whole time, but once she relaxes the soreness of her muscles makes itself known. She rubs at her thigh, trying to soothe some of the pain. It works, to some degree. She’ll just have to remind herself to relax and take something for the pain once the plane lands.

She rests her head against the headrest, closing her eyes. Nothing wrong with a nap on the flight. Just as long as the turbulence of landing wakes her, she’ll be fine. She feels herself slipping into unconsciousness….

The island is beyond anything she could have imagined. It’s lush and tropical, palm trees dotted everywhere. The air smells like salt from the sea, but somehow still refreshing compared to city air. Even the hotel is magnificent. There’s an indoor spa! She’s never stayed anywhere with its own spa.

They arrive late the first day, so they’re told to find their rooms and get settled in. They’ll receive instructions the next day, according to Burnin who is giving the orders. She wonders if Endeavor will show or if this whole event is being organized by Burnin. She’s certainly capable of doing it.

She spends the first night unpacking and familiarizing herself with the hotel. There’s so many extra amenities and she hopes she has time to try out some of them. She takes photos of the view from her hotel window, sending it to her parents so they can show Isaac and Hazel. When she’s finished exploring, she retires to her room and makes the promised call.

Everyone is doing great, of course. They also made it to their hotel, which Isaac excitedly informs her has an indoor pool. Hazel is much less talkative, but seems to be in high spirits even if she doesn’t outright say it. She’s glad they’re enjoying their trip so far and hopes they keep up the momentum. When they finish swapping stories, she wishes them goodnight and tells them she’ll talk more tomorrow.

The next day, they all have breakfast in the hotel’s café before convening outside. It’s more upscale dining than what she’d have expected. Once outside, Burnin gathers everyone close before speaking.

“Hello, everyone!” Her voice easily carries across the crowd. “I hope you’re ready for a fun week!”

There are cheers from the other sidekicks.

“Well, have I got a surprise for all of you.” She’s close enough to see Burnin grin. “There’s no agenda for this week, aside from getting out there and having fun together!”

No agenda? She’s a little surprised by that. She thought this was a mandatory team-building trip, not just a vacation. She feels conflicted. On one hand, she’s glad for the opportunity. On the other, she had fully expected the week to be planned out for her so now she’s at a loss.

What does one even do on vacation? It’s been eighteen years since she’s done anything by herself. Sure, she’s taken weekend trips with Hazel and Isaac but never alone. And never somewhere so opulent or tropical. She doesn’t know what to do with herself now.

“Now get out there and have fun!” She snaps back to reality at the sound of everyone’s cheers, before shuffling back inside the hotel. Whatever she wants to do, huh?

She changes into something more comfortable, having expected there to be training. Thankfully, she had thought ahead and packed extra clothes on the off-chance there was any free time. It looks like her foresight had come in handy, as she takes out her bathing suit and coverup. Nothing like a trip to the beach.

She’s surprised that there’s no rigorous training. Endeavor is known for running a tight ship, so this whole trip seems out of character. Then again, ever since his last major fight, something had changed. He’s still just as strict, but he seems almost approachable now. A little more lenient. She’s certainly not as terrified of being called to his office anymore.

She wonders if he’s come on this trip, as well, or if he’s staying back at the office. He could use the trip, she feels. He’s always working so hard. Besides, she swears she saw his youngest in the crowd. If his son is here, surely he would’ve come as well.

Someone clears their throat behind her and she startles, realizing she’s just been staring at the open elevator doors. She shakes her head, murmuring an apology, and enters the elevator. The figure behind her enters, as well, and as she turns her eyes go wide.

“Endeavor, sir,” she hurries to greets, giving a polite bow. “Thank you for this opportunity.”

He doesn’t say anything, just looks at her with a grimace. She wonders if she’s said something wrong before he grumbles something under his breath, inclining his head in acknowledgment. He doesn’t say anything else, but she’s shocked to see him. She wants to comment on it, but the elevator arrives at the ground floor before she can figure it out.

“Ah, Endeavor, sir,” she calls out without thinking.

“Please call me Enji.” She can’t help the eyebrow that raises. “We’re on vacation. I’m not your boss right now.”

“Of course, Enji, sir.” He doesn’t look pleased with the added ‘sir’ so she tries again. “Alright. Enji.” It feels awkward coming out of her mouth. He’s been her boss for the better part of a decade and never once called him by name.

He seems pleased by the amendment on her part, though it’s hard to tell with him. She shifts her weight from foot to foot, trying to figure out why she even called out to him. He waits, turquoise eyes trained on her.

“Would you like to come to the beach with me?” She almost smacks herself with how bold she’s being. Sure, he’s been nice to her over the past few months, but that doesn’t mean he wants to be friendly.

He looks just as surprised by the offer, one eyebrow raised. She purses her lips to keep from saying anything more, waiting on an answer. Her heart pounds in her chest. Finally, he speaks.

“You’re going to the beach?” She nods. “I’ll accompany you. I was headed there regardless.”

She takes in his appearance for the first time, noting the swim shorts. He’s wearing a white t-shirt, a towel slung over his shoulders. She nods to show she understands, eyes moving back up his hulking frame, to find his eyes also looking over her.

Had she just been caught checking out her boss?

Had she just caught her boss checking her out?

The thought brings warmth to her cheeks. She ducks her head down, though she’s sure he’s already seen her blush. She decides to take the lead, brushing past him towards the door. She can feel him follow, after a few tense seconds.

She feels a little silly. She’s too old to be checking out other men, let alone her boss. It doesn’t matter if he’s older; he has his own family. She knows he has at least three kids, though she’s never heard about their mother. He has to be married, though. There’s no way a man like him hasn’t been snatched up.

She tries to push those thoughts aside, instead focusing on walking down to the beach. It’s not far from the hotel; might as well consider it the backyard. The closer they get, the more of the ocean she can smell. She’s not sure it’s an entirely pleasant scent.

There isn’t much in the way of conversation. For her, it’s just too awkward to start one and he’s not exactly known for being chatty. She’s sure he doesn’t find it awkward at all, the silence. But she does.

As she scrambles to come up with something to say, they finally arrive at the beach. There’s a few others on the beach, rainbow color of towels spread along the sand. She tries to find a spot some distance from the main crowd, not wanting to interrupt or intrude.

She expects him to part once they reach the beach, but he keeps pace with her easily. She did invite him to come with, but she hadn’t actually expected him to follow through. Sure, they talk at work about work. But conversations about patrols are entirely different from conversations about life and the weather.

They lay their towels out, red and blue side by side. It’s a little closer than she’d been expecting, but still a respectable distance apart. She hesitates a brief moment before pulling her coverup off, folding it and setting it aside. She has nothing to be embarrassed about.

Hero work has been good to her. Even after two kids, her physique is still desirable. She’s not exactly slim, but she’s muscular enough to hide the chub from two kids. She has very few major scars, the most notable being the faded white scar on her right leg from a piece of metal out of a falling building. She’s lucky it didn’t take her entire leg.

“I’m going to swim,” she announces to her company. He inclines his head, again not saying anything. She leaves him where he’s reclining on his towel, heading down to the water.

She feels more comfortable in the water. It’s cool and refreshing, compared to the sticky heat on the beach. She takes her time in the water, swimming around and floating. She even rides a few waves to the shore before swimming back out. When she’s had enough, she returns to her towel.

Endeavor—Enji, she corrects herself. He’s still laid out on his towel, but his eyes open when he hears her approach. She flops down onto her towel, feeling energized after her swim. She turns her head to face Enji, having felt his eyes on her.

He’s wearing an inscrutable expression. He’s not exactly easy to read, but it looks as if he’s taking extra care not to express any emotion. She offers him a smile, not sure what to do or say. He doesn’t return it, but he does finally look away.

She peers up at the clear blue sky, wondering what kind of exchange that was. She rests her arms behind her head, closing her eyes. It’s a vacation. She’s going to get in as many naps as possible….

She wakes sometimes later, having been shaken awake. She blinks a few times to clear the sleep from her vision.

“The tide is coming in,” Enji tells her. She nods to show her understanding before sitting up. She stretches with a yawn. “Dinner?”

She’s not sure if it’s a question or a demand.

“Sure,” she agrees. “I could go for something to eat.” She stands, grabbing her towel. She shakes off as much sand as possible before slipping her coverup back on.

“We should change at the hotel,” he says.

“Good idea.” She looks down at herself. “A quick shower might be good, too.” She gives him a crooked smile. He nods and she swears she sees the ghost of a smile on his lips.

She feels significantly less uncomfortable on the walk back, perhaps because he’s actually not that scary. He’s just not very talkative. And if she doesn’t think about how he’s her boss, it’s almost like hanging out with a friend. A very new friend. Okay, maybe it’s still a little awkward.

Dinner is a quick and quiet affair. He doesn’t say much and she isn’t sure what to say. When they finish, they bid each other a good night and go their separate ways. She takes the time to call her parents so she can speak with Isaac and Hazel. They tell her all about their trip so far and she shares hers.

“You spoke with Mr. Endeavor?” Isaac seems in awe.

“Yeah, sweetie. I spoke with Mr. Endeavor.”

“Can you get his autograph for me?” She can hear the excitement in his voice.

“His autograph?” She repeats.

“Yes!” Isaac is definitely bouncing on the other end. “I saw him on the TV! He’s my new favorite Hero!” She chuckles.

“Sure thing, sweetie. I’ll get his autograph for you.” It shouldn’t be too difficult. He is her boss and she’s sure he’s used to being asked for it.

“You’re the best, Mommy!” She smiles at that.

“Love you, too, sweetie.”

“Okay, I’m gonna give the phone to Hazel now.” There’s a shuffling noise before she hears Hazel’s voice.

“How are things going, Mom?”

“They’re going well,” she answers. “How are you doing?”

“It’s okay.” She hears Hazel shrug. “Nanny took me to the museum, so I guess it’s alright.”

“The museum?” She prompts. “Which one?”

“The Hero Museum,” there’s a smile in her voice. “It was pretty cool.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.” She really is. Hazel is a difficult child sometimes, but her interests aren’t outside the realm of any other ten-year-old. “I love you, sweetheart.”

“Love you too, Mom,” Hazel huffs. “I’m giving you back to Nanny now.” More noise as the phone is swapped to another.

She talks to her mom for a few more minutes, just to be sure the kids are behaving. Her mom assures her that everything is fine and to enjoy her own vacation.

The next day is spent much the same: at the beach with her boss. Enji. She keeps having to remind herself. She does manage to get his autograph, explaining it’s for her youngest. He asks about him, and she’s more than happy to talk about her kids.

He speaks about his own children, much older than her own, but there’s pride in his voice as he speaks about them. She can’t help but smile, her laughter coming freely when he tells embarrassing stories about them. It feels like she’s getting to know him and she can’t help but like what she’s seeing.

It’s hard not to find him physically attractive, but she’s old enough to not be distracted by a pretty body. She’s worked for his agency for nearly ten years; she’s long gotten used to the way he looks. But something about their conversations has her reassessing him.

The third day on the island, something feels different between them. He feels warmer, somehow. It isn’t exactly anything particular he does. It’s in the way they lean towards each other when they speak, the way they keep bumping into each other, the way they keep finding ways to spend time together. It’s a combination of all these things that has her heart pounding when she sees him.

She decides to make a move. Either he ignores it or he reciprocates. Either way, there’s no harm done. They’re on vacation. Perhaps she’s feeling a little risky because of it. Away from work, away from her kids, she’s feeling a little more brave than usual.

It’s been years since she last was with anyone. After Isaac’s father left, she swore off dating and catching feelings in general. It was just too much of a hassle. Why now, after all these years, she isn’t sure. Something about it just feels different. Feels right.

They go out for dinner as usual, but she invites him to the hotel bar afterwards. She doesn’t fully expect him to agree, so when he does she’s feeling more confident. They sit next to each other at the near empty hotel bar, drinks in hand.

When she makes a joke, laughing at it while he gives a slight grin, she reaches out to put her hand on his arm. He looks surprised by it at first, eyes going slightly wider. She wonders for a brief moment if she’s overstepped, pulling her hand back, but he quickly grabs it before she can withdraw.

They stare at one another, neither saying anything. It’s like he’s waiting for a signal. She nods. He moves into action, pulling her up from her seat. He keeps their fingers entwined, tugging her along to the elevator.

It’s actually happening, she realizes, as she leads him to her hotel room. She didn’t think this would ever actually happen.

He presses her against the hotel door, mouth hot and heavy on hers. She grasps at his arms, his shirt, anything she can reach to keep herself afloat. She’s quickly giving in, sinking further into his desires. She doesn’t think she wants to fight them anymore.

His mouth moves down to her neck, biting and kissing. She can’t help the sounds spilling from her and just hopes no one in the rooms around can hear her. His hands—big, so big—tug at her dress until she’s slipping the straps from her shoulders and letting it fall to the ground.

His bright turquoise eyes stare at her, wearing nothing more than a pair of lacy underwear. She feels intimidated by that heavy gaze, feels the urge to cover herself.

“Don’t,” he growls as he grabs her hands, pulling them away. “Let me see you.”

She lets her hands fall to the side, trying not to feel so self-conscious. She tries not to think of all the stretch marks across her belly and thighs, on the tops of her breasts. She tries to remind herself that they wouldn’t be here if he didn’t see something desirable about her body.

“Beautiful,” he murmurs, cupping a breast. It fits perfectly in his hand, his thumb rubbing circles against her nipple. She squirms, a moan slipping from her parted lips.

“You too,” she tosses back. “I want to see you, too.” He grins, something crooked and slightly menacing. But he pulls away from her, tugging off his shirt and shorts. She reaches for the last piece separating them from each other, pulling them down.

She can’t help but stare. She knew he was a large man, but it couldn’t have prepared her for how proportionate that made him. Long and thick, red at the head. She wraps her hand around him as best she can, giving a few short tugs, and hears him groan. Will it even fit?

She doesn’t have much more room for thought as he pulls her in for another kiss, tugging her towards the bed. She goes willingly, wanting nothing more than to feel him against her. He nibbles at her bottom lip and she licks at his; soon their tongues tangle together. It’s been so long since she’s been with anyone like this. She hopes she can make it as good for him as it feels for her.

She lays on the bed, situating herself against the pillows. She beckons him, wanting to close the distance between them. He lays himself atop her, balanced by his hands on either side of her hips. He kisses her, sweeter this time. Not as desperate.

He kisses a path down her neck, across her shoulder, before dipping to take a nipple into his mouth. She shudders, pleasure welling within her. She runs a hand through his hair, red strands tickling between her fingers. He hums, licking and sucking her nipples.

“Enji,” she whines, pushing on his head. He chuckles, moving lower. He plants kisses across her stomach, still a little pudgy from her last pregnancy nearly eight years ago. She feels self-conscious about it, but the way he worships her body makes it a little better.

Finally, he’s exactly where she wants him. He wastes no time, diving right into his task. Her head knocks against the headboard, but the brief bloom of pain is nothing compared to the sensation between her legs.

He eats her out like a man starved. A little uncoordinated, but enthusiastic. His tongue circles her clit before flicking it, a single thick finger toying with her hole. She grips the blankets beneath them, unable to stop the noises slipping out of her kiss-swollen lips.

He slips a single finger in finally. It’s as thick as two of her own, but she knows she’s going to need the preparation if he’s going inside of her. She squirms, wanting to clamp her legs shut, but his shoulders keep her spread. She has no choice but to give in to the onslaught of sensations.

And give in she does. Head thrown back, mouth open and spilling profanity with his name mixed in. She couldn’t keep quiet if she wanted to and she can tell he definitely doesn’t want her to keep quiet. That single finger pumps in and out, stretching her, before he adds a second.

It’s almost too much, but she forces her body to relax. She’s soaking, giving him plenty to work with. His spit and her fluids ease the way for that second finger. She moans, pressing down against him. She feels his laughter, a gentle vibration through her cunt.

“Please,” she begs. “Want you inside.”

She’s ready for it. She can handle it. He pulls off, looking up at her, and she can’t help but flush at the sight of him. His chin is wet with her juices, his lips swollen. He shifts up, towering above her, and reaches down to line himself up.

Her mouth opens on a silent moan as he pushes in, stretching her beyond what she thought she was capable of. It’s painful at first, but as she has time to adjust it morphs into pleasure.

“Finally,” his voice rumbles through her. “Been wanting to do this.”

She whines, pushing her hips down and against him. She needs him to move already. It’s been ages since she last got fucked and she’s eager for it. She wants him to pound her into the mattress until she forgets who she is.

He delivers on those fantasies. He fucks into her roughly and with abandon, until she’s moaning his name and his name only. He shoves two of his fingers into her mouth and she sucks on them, drool seeping from the corner of her mouth. She doesn’t even care, too busy with the feel of him.

She doesn’t even care anymore when things changed between them. The only thing she cares about in that moment is coming around his cock. She can worry about feelings and emotions later. Right now, she’s only focused on reaching that high.

He reaches between them to roll his thumb against her clit and she can feel her eyes roll to the back of her head. Just a few circles and she’s cumming hard around his cock. He fucks her through it, fingers shoved deep in her mouth.

When she comes down, she takes a moment to appreciate the fucked out look on his face. The squinting of his eyes as he concentrates, the sweat beading on his temples, and the slack-jawed grunts and groans spilling from his lips.

“Inside,” she tells him. “Come inside me.” It’s a risky request, but she wants it. He does, too, judging by the way his thrusts speed up until he growls and spills inside of her.

When he pulls up, she feels his semen trickle down the inside of her thighs. He collapses onto the bed beside her, but searches for her hand among the sheets. He laces their fingers together and she smiles up at the ceiling.

The mood is ruined by the sound of her ringtone, however. She’s tempted not to answer, but it might be her parents calling about the kids. With a sigh and a silent promise to return, she gets out of the bed to answer.

“Mommy!” Her son, Isaac, shouts from the other side. “Are you coming home yet?”

“Not yet, sweetie,” she laughs. “In a few more days.”

“Awww,” he pouts. “You’re with Mr. Endeavor, right, mommy?”

“Yeah,” her voice is soft with affection as she gazes towards the bed, where Enji is lounging.

“Did you get his autograph for me?” She chuckles, but confirms she did.. “Yay! You’re the best, mommy!”

Isaac hands the phone off to her mother, who updates her on her eldest who refuses to come to the phone. It’s just like Hazel to be so stubborn. They’re doing fine, her mother assures her, and tells her to enjoy her only vacation in eight years. She just laughs, but promises to have as much fun as possible.

When she’s finished, she sets her phone back down on the desk and wanders back to the bed. Enji greets her with open arms and she rests her head on his chest. She listens to his heartbeat, letting it lull her to sleep.

Best getaway ever, is her final thought before she falls asleep.

[jamie-leah]

War of Wolves (17)

Season 1

Episode 17 - Foreboding 

Bucky x Reader

Summary: You have been on the streets for the past two years, ever since your accident that left you with the ability to tell if someone is lying. You work as an informant for the white wolf and his mob but you had never met him…until you overhear a phone call that leads you to saving his life. Now he wants you to work for him. Its an offer you couldn’t refuse…right?

Word Count: 3215

Warnings: Swearing, Violence, Death 

A/N: Omg a consistent update coming your way? On a serious note, my life is changing drastically atm and any extra love would be great. Enjoy Lovelies! 

<---Previous Episode     Next Episode--->

WoW Masterlist   Series Masterlist    Oneshot Masterlist 

You wake up the next day to an empty bed. That wasn’t unusual these days as Bucky was busy trying to get all the information needed on Isaac and what to do with it. The thing that made that morning different was that Bucky didn’t leave a note. He always left a note. 

From that moment on, you felt uneasy and you couldn’t shake the feeling. No note meant that he probably left in a hurry or was too distracted with emotion to remember to leave one. Either way, it wasn’t going to be a good thing. 

You get out of bed quickly and dress, just about putting your shirt on before leaving to go find Bucky. You try to keep calm, restraining yourself from bounding down the stairs. You make your way to his office. 

You knock and pop your head in and find Bucky pacing, Sam standing static with his arms crossed, and Steve sitting down looking lost in thought. They all look up at you though as you enter. 

You don’t bother with pleasantries, “what’s happened?”. 

Steve speaks first, “it’s nothing that major-“. 

Bucky and Sam scoff and you find it hard not to snap at all of them, “can someone please, for once, just tell me straight, what happened?”. 

Sam shifts on his feet, “Bucky got a phone call early this morning from a man. He said that his name was Harry Taylor and that he wanted to meet about Isaac”. 

Your face screws up in confusion, “how does he know Isaac and how does he know that we know Isaac? And to discuss what?”. 

Steve sighs, “I’ve met him. Harry is British. I met him years and years ago, before Bucky was the boss. I went with our old boss to meet Harry’s old boss in the UK. Harry has now taken over the mob there”. 

You fold your arms, “okay, I’ll come back to that. But surely there was more of a conversation than what Sam just told me?”. 

You look at Bucky who is looking out the window. He looks back at you after a few moments of silence, “he introduced himself to me. He said that we had a mutual enemy and that he wanted to help take him down in any way he could. He said he had heard through whisperings that I was looking for information on Isaac and he said he had some, but that it wasn’t safe to talk on the phone”. 

You arch a brow, “so he suggested a meet up?”. 

Bucky nods, “he said that he was in America doing business deals and wanted to pass through here and stop to give some information. He suggested a meet up at the parking complex at the airport not far from here”. 

“And what did you say?”, you were curious as to how Bucky felt about the situation. 

Bucky shrugs before folding his arms, “I said I would think about it. He said his flight was leaving at 12:15 tonight”. 

Sam pipes up before anyone else, “this is insane. We have no idea who this guy is, and he randomly seeks us out? Something seems off to me”. 

Bucky nods in Sam’s direction until Steve interjects, “Harry hardly seemed like a criminal mastermind when I met him. Plus, his Boss got on well with ours, he would have no reason to want to screw us over. It doesn’t make sense that this would be any kind of an ambush”. 

“You hardly know him well Steve. You met him years ago when he was a low-level guy. We have no idea who he’s friendly with”, Sam unfolds his arms and starts gesturing, frustration starting to show.

Steve shakes his head, “and what would not going achieve Sam? Nothing. If we go and it’s an ambush, we’ll be ready because we’ll bring lots of our men and we’ll know Isaac a bit better. If Harry does have valuable information, then we have a leg up on Isaac”. 

Sam takes a step forward, voice rising, “nothing? What we’d achieve is no casualties. I would say that’s more then ‘nothing’”. 

Steve rises from his chair but Bucky holds up a hand. You’re surprised that it was enough to make Steve sit back down. Bucky waits a few moments before looking at you, “what do you think?”. 

You’re taken a back slightly, “me?”. 

Bucky looks at you like it should be obvious by now, “yes you. You’re apart of this now, our inner circle, especially when it involves you too. I value your opinion, so I want to hear it”. 

You sigh. Both Sam and Steve had good points and you didn’t want to cause anymore tension, but you had to go with how you feel, “I think Steve is right. I think we should go. We gain nothing if we don’t go. We have the potential to gain something valuable by going. In terms of casualties in case of an ambush, I would advise letting our men know exactly what situation we’re going into and if they want to sit this one out then they can”. 

No one objects, which you take as a good sign. You watch them all mull it in their heads. The room is silent for a while before Bucky unfolds his arms and nods, “we’ll go with Y/N’s plan then. Let’s get all the preparation done then before tonight. I want to be prepared for every possible scenario”. 

The format is familiar now. You riding in the car with Steve, Sam and Bucky behind a car of men and two other cars behind yours. The airport looms ahead and when you reach it you descend down the car park complex. 

When you reach the bottom there are hardly any cars. Harry and his men stick out like sore thumbs. When you all park and get out, you can feel the tension in the men. Bucky and Steve approach first with you Sam not far behind, your men flanking you. 

Harry only has three other men with him and you look around to see no one else in the car park. You know this isn’t an ambush but every time you look at Harry you feel like something is off. 

He’s a pleasant looking man with chocolate hair. He’s wearing a navy business suit and appears relaxed. He gives Bucky and Steve smiles like he’s known them for years and an unmistakably British accent escapes his lips, “I’m glad we could meet lads. I must say I didn’t think you would take me up on my offer”. 

Harry extends a hand to Bucky which Bucky takes speaking, “its hard to pass up such an offer, especially if your information is worthwhile”. 

Harry extends a hand to Steve, his smile widening, “you haven’t changed a bit Steve. Its good to see you again”. 

Steve takes his hand with a smile of his own, “and you Harry”. 

When they let go, Harry chuckles, “I must say I was shocked to hear that Bucky found a woman before you though Steve”. 

The men laugh, but it barely registers with you. You hear the lie plain as day. Your heart starts racing as you go over his words again. The only possible conclusion is that he knows about Peggy, but how would he know?

You start panicking about Peggy and the twins, wondering what you should do. You had a feeling that something was horribly wrong, but it was just a feeling. You couldn’t tell Bucky and Steve without alerting Harry and if you did alert him, he could just speed up whatever he has planned before you can get to the house. 

You get your phone out like you just got a message. You count to five in your head before interrupting Harry, “Bucky. I just got a message saying they’re at the house, I should probably go and meet with them”. 

Bucky looks at you and it takes everything in you not to show panic on your face. He only pauses for a second before going along with it, “okay, we shouldn’t be too long here. Sam, go with her”. 

You could see the worry on his face if you looked closely, but he turned around like it was nothing and Harry carried on talking like nothing was amiss. 

It takes every muscle not to run to the car and as soon as you get in with Sam he speaks, “what’s going on?”. 

You swallow, “just start the car and leave calmly. As soon as we’re away, I’ll tell you”. Even when everyone was out of sight, you wait a few more seconds before explaining, “we need to get to Peggy’s now. Harry was lying about Bucky finding a woman before Steve”. 

Sam doesn’t say a word but steps on the gas. You get your phone out and try ringing Peggy. You listen to the beep of the phone and your heart sinks when it reaches voicemail. You try ringing again, “come on Peggy, pick up the phone”. 

She still doesn’t answer as Sam weaves in and out of traffic dangerously. You try not to focus on the car as you click the call button again. Still no answer. 

Sam finally gets to the dirt road leading to the house and flies down it. You’re surprised he doesn’t blow a tire. When the house comes into view, you can see lights are on despite the time. You open the car door before Sam can even stop the car. 

You run up the steps and knock on the door before bursting in, “Peggy?”. 

You hear her voice just as you get into the living room, “Y/N? What is it? What’s wrong?”. 

You see her curled up on the sofa with a mug and a book and you’re happy to see her safe, “I’m not entirely sure, it could be nothing, but I didn’t want to take that chance”. 

She nods like she understands as you help her stand up from the sofa. Her hand lays protectively on her stomach as she says, “the twins are in bed”. 

Sam walks in just as you say, “I’ll go get them, you put your shoes on and make your way to the car”. You don’t wait for her response as you bound up the stairs and into Joseph’s room. You gently shake the kids awake and they instantly perk up at seeing you. 

You can see that they’re about to launch into talking to you, but you stop them, a sense of urgency driving you, “you can tell me everything in the car okay? We’re going on a trip, so lets hurry downstairs and put our shoes on”. 

They leap out of bed, ready for action. You follow behind them as they make their way down the stairs and towards their shoes. Peggy and Sam wait by the door. 

As soon as they have their shoes on, Peggy turns off the lights and you all make your way to the car. As you walk, Joseph starts talking, “so, where are we going?”. 

You reply fast, “on a trip”. 

He asks another question, “for how long?”. 

“I’m not sure Jo”, you try and not let on that something is wrong. 

He frowns, “does that mean we won’t be coming back tonight?”. 

You shake your head, “I’m afraid not buddy”. 

That’s when Sarah gasps and runs back towards the house. You just about hear her as she runs in the other direction, “that means I need Bailey!”. She’s talking about her teddy bear. 

Peggy instantly shouts her name and you can hear the panic underneath. You have to grab Joseph before he runs after her. He squirms hard in your arms and you have to hand him to Sam. 

When Sam has him you say, “get Joseph and Peggy in the car and start it up, I can’t drive. I’ll go get Sarah”. 

Sam nods and you take off after Sarah. You run straight into the dark house and up the stairs again. You shout her name before heading into Joseph’s bedroom again. It takes a few seconds to process the dark, but you finally see Sarah at the back of the room clutching Bailey. 

You gesture to her, “come on Sarah, we’ve got to go now”. 

She shakes her head and you take another step towards her. That’s when you notice just how scared she looks as her eyes are fixed behind you. You figure it out too late when you feel an arm snake around your waist and a hand cover your mouth to stop you from screaming. 

You struggle as what feels like a man drags you backwards. Your legs kick out in the air in panic as his arm squeezes the breath out of you. Finally, your brain starts working as you bite his hand and then rear your head back into his face. 

He drops you with a yelp and you waste no time in grabbing Sarah and running. You make your way to the stairs when you see another figure at the bottom that looks nothing like Sam or Peggy. 

You react quickly, running into the bathroom and locking the door. Sarah is crying, and you feel her shaking as you head over to the window. 

As you open it you speak to her calmly, “hey, its alright. You’ll be fine Sarah, I’m here and I’m not gonna let anything happen to you. Now, do you trust me?”. 

It takes her a few seconds before you see her nod very slightly. You look out the window and then back at Sarah. She jumps as the men start banging on the door, but you make her look at you, “I’m going to lift you out the window and onto the ledge just underneath okay? And then you can climb down to the shed, and then do you think you can get down the shed?”. 

You hear them throwing more of their weight against the door and you know you only have ten seconds max. Sarah nods and you waste no time in lifting her out the window. You hold onto her hand until she sits down and slides onto the shed roof. 

You don’t get to see her make it down as the door smashes open. When they see you’re the only one in there, one of them leaves towards the stairs. You keep your hands behind your back as you grip the cold metal in your hands. 

When the guy steps closer you whip your hand out and spray his eyes with a can of deodorant. You go to push passed him, but he manages to grab your arm despite his compromised vison. His grip is tight, and you try to pull. 

That’s when a bang goes off and the guy drops to the floor. You stumble, and Sam catches you. You don’t let yourself stop just yet as you grip him, “Sarah? There’s another man-“. 

Sam cuts you off, “she’s fine, and I got him”. That’s when you let yourself breathe and you hug Sam tight. He hugs you back for a few seconds before pulling back, “you okay?”. 

You nod before you both make your way out the house, Sam’s arm around your shoulders. As you get outside you see another car coming up the dirt road and tense until you see its one of yours. 

You watch the car stop violently and both car doors open. You see Steve rush over to Peggy and the twins in the other car while Bucky all but runs over to you and Sam. 

You feel Sam slip away as Bucky cups your face in his giant hands. His eyes hold worry while his heavy breathing alerts you to the panic he was feeling. He eyes search yours, “are you okay?”. You nod before your arms wrap around his neck. 

His arms bring your body against his and it hits you just how safe he makes you feel. He kisses your cheek before pulling back. He was about to say something else when you hear Steve shout. You both turn towards him as he makes his way over, angry. 

You’ve seen Steve angry before, but nothing like this and it was never directed at you before unlike now. He looks at you as he gets closer, “why the hell didn’t you tell me that Peggy and the kids were in danger?”. 

“I couldn’t-“, he doesn’t even give you a chance to explain. 

“Bullshit. It would have been as easy as tapping me on the shoulder and telling me”, as he gets closer to you Bucky steps forward. 

You can tell Bucky’s tense as you stare at his back, “you need to calm down Steve”. 

Steve’s voice rises, “don’t tell me to fucking calm down. My wife and children could have died tonight”. 

You step out from behind Bucky, “I get that Steve, but they’re okay”. 

His fury comes back to you as he points behind him, “you sure about that? The twins are in hysterics! And Peggy is beyond distressed”. 

Your voice rises also, frustrated with the situation, “but they’re alive!”. 

Steve gets closer again, “that’s not the fucking point! You should have told me”. 

“And risk Harry catching on and speeding up the process before we got here? Then they really would have been dead”, you’re shaking now, the adrenaline wearing off. 

Steve looks furious and Bucky’s had enough. Bucky puts a hand on his shoulder to move him back gently to cool off, but Steve slaps his hand away. That’s when Bucky really pushes Steve. 

Steve stumbles and you hear Peggy in the background trying to get Steve to calm down. Steve starts forward, but Bucky grabs Steve’s shirt and brings him closer, “I know you’re scared. I know you could have lost everything tonight, but you didn’t. And being angry at anyone but Harry and Isaac is a waste of time. We’ll figure this out Steve, but right now you need to get your shit together because your family needs you”. 

They stare at each other for a few tense moments, until Steve finally nods. They break away when Peggy calls Steve again, but this time panic can be heard in her voice loud and clear. You look over and so do the boys. 

Peggy is clutching her stomach as she looks up at Steve, “my water broke”. There’s a moment of stillness before everyone bursts into action. 

You all run over to her. Steve wraps an arm around her and steers her to the car he and Bucky came in. He helps her in the car as Sam shouts to him, “I’ll look after the kids. I’ll take them to a safe house”. 

Steve goes around to the driver’s side as he looks at Bucky, worry all over his face. You hear Bucky say, “take her to our hospital. Don’t worry about anyone seeing her, you know I have safe houses not even you know about”. 

Steve nods grateful before getting into the car and speeding off. Sam looks over to you and Bucky, “you coming?”. 

Bucky shakes his head, “no, we’ll clean up here, you get the twins to a safe house”. Sam nods without a word and drives off too. 

WoW Taglist: @a-really-bi-girl @crazyblonde124 @summerwelsh @scuzmunkie @loving-life-my-way @pequenaguaxinim @paranoid-borderline-insane @lilsonbucky @somanyfandomsblog @broco8 @inquisitor-selvala @mad-red @k-n-e @rinkashirikitateku @duhh-danielly @boundtomyfate @kalesrebellion @booktease21 @whatinthyworld @flyingbabyunicornnamedangel @asapkyndall @yaszx @amoredashley @aveatquevale- @putinovertime @melimelbean @valsworldofcreativity @lokilokilokilokilokilokilo-blog1 @vesper852 

[thesewordsareallihavetogive]

I Used To Call You Home - Isaac Lahey x Reader

(gif source)

Summary: Isaac comes back from France after two years after leaving without saying a word. (Requested by anon: Could I have a teen wolf Isaac Lacey imagine where he comes back from France? It’s angsty but has a happy ending)

Word Count: 2660

Warnings: angst, fluff, cursing (what else is new)

a/n: hi! sorry this took so long, thanks for sending in the request anon! if i’m being completely honest i kinda like the title more than i like the actual fic (oops). but hopefully you like it and i did it justice! as always, please message me if you’d like to be added to my taglist!

masterlist

It was the last day of y/n’s first semester of college. It had gone by in a blur, really. The pack, y/n included, had still been recovering from everything that had happened with the hunters back in Beacon Hills, so to say her mind was elsewhere at the beginning of the semester was an understatement. She had finished all of her finals the day before so technically she could have already gone back to Beacon Hills, but given that her family all but disowned her when they found out she hung around with the “freaks” of the town, she wasn’t exactly eager to go home. When Scott’s mom found out that y/n was planning on staying on campus for the break she graciously invited the y/h/c to stay with them for the holidays. While y/n was looking forward to spending time with her found family, she found that now, with her classes over and almost a month of nothing ahead of her, she had more time to think about things than she’d like. 

Despite her efforts, her thoughts always wandered back to him. The one that got away. If one could even call it that, technically they were never together. But that didn’t mean it hurt any less - in fact, maybe it made it hurt more - when he left without so much as a goodbye. y/n was packing up the last of her clothes for the break when her phone rang. When she saw the name, she could’ve sworn that her heart dropped through the floor. 

Isaac.

She almost didn’t answer. She would’ve been smart not to, considering all the pain he caused her. But something inside her - the part that still loved him with every fiber of her being - told her to pick up the phone. The line was silent for a moment before she worked up the courage to say something.

“Hello?” y/n began timidly. Another beat of silence passed and she wondered if he’d called her by mistake. Or worse, as a joke. She heard him clear his throat and she let out a silent gasp as he answered.

“Hi… I’m… I’m at the airport, could you come pick me up?” Isaac said shyly. y/n could’ve been knocked over with a feather in her state of shock. He’s here. He’s in California. He’s home. On his end of the line, Isaac was almost sure that she’d hung up on him based on the lengthy silence that followed after he spoke. Though she couldn’t see him y/n knew that he was scratching the back of his neck, the way he always did when he was unsure or nervous. Before she could give herself a chance to be bitter, to be sad and resentful, to leave him hanging just like he did to her, she said yes. She was almost as shocked by her answer as Isaac was. 

“Okay… um, yeah, I’ll be there soon. Give me like 45 minutes?” she stumbled over her words as she pressed her phone between her ear and shoulder while rushing around her room to pack the last things she’d need while back in Beacon Hills.

“Great, no rush. I can’t wait to see you, y/n,” Isaac smiled warmly before hanging up the phone. y/n stood still in the middle of her room, surrounded by sweaters and leggings with her mouth wide open. I can’t wait to see you, she repeated in her head. 

“Fuck me,” she murmured under her breath as she shoved the last few items in her bag. “So much for moving on,” she muttered to herself, shutting and locking her door behind her as she left.

The drive to the airport from y/n’s college campus really wasn’t too far, much to her dismay. Sure, she was eager to see Isaac, but she was definitely not looking forward to confronting the feelings she’d been avoiding for years. As she pulled off the interstate she had to remind herself that they’d been friends since they were in middle school. They knew each other like the back of their hands. Well, they used to know each other anyways. She reminded herself that he always had her back and she always had his. Until of course, he left. No matter what she thought about, it always seemed to come back to that. He left home. He left the pack. He left her. There were some days it made her so angry that she could cry - so she did - but today it was more of a low simmer with the potential to burst at any moment. 

The moment y/n pulled up to the terminal it all seemed to fade away. The hurt, the anger, the sadness, gone. Just like that. It didn’t take long after she parked to find him in the crowd. Her blue-eyed, six-foot-two scarf-wearing best friend stuck out like a sore thumb in the crowd of shorter travelers. Her breath hitched in her throat when they locked eyes through the window. As far as she was concerned, the rest of the world ceased to exist in that moment because all she could see was Isaac striding towards her car with multiple bags in hand. She snapped out of her daze and nearly tripped over her feet as she rounded the car to greet him and help him with his things. 

Before she could say anything Isaac haphazardly dropped his bags on the ground, the safety of his belongings be damned, and wrapped his arms around her in a tight bear hug. A million scenarios had gone through y/n’s mind on the ride over but this was not one of them. Isaac buried his face deeper into her neck as y/n finally came out of her state of shock and returned the hug.

“I missed you so much,” he whispered quietly. His breath was warm, much warmer than the uncharacteristically frigid December night, and it sent a warm tingle down her spine. I missed you so much. God, she wanted to scream at the top of her lungs. She was convinced it had to be a joke, this whole thing was playing out as if she hadn’t spent an entire year putting the pieces he’d left her in back together. The worst part was that she knew him leaving had nothing to do with her. He had never meant to hurt her and she knew it would kill him if he knew how badly he did. But, she decided, that was a conversation for when she wasn’t dangerously close to getting a parking ticket for being in the terminal pick-up for too long.

“I missed you too,” y/n replied with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. Isaac was instantly able to tell something was bothering her.

“Hey,” he said with a concerned smile on his face. “What’s the matter?” He genuinely cared, y/n could tell that much. She would’ve felt bad lying to him if she knew she’d get away with it, but she knew he’d be able to tell the moment the words left her lips.

“I’m fine,” she replied with her lips pressed into a thin line and an expression that Isaac couldn’t quite read. He knew something was up, but he also knew y/n. The last thing she would want is to talk about whatever was bothering her in public, so he squeezed her arm gently before effortlessly picking up all three of his suitcases simultaneously to load them in the back of her car. They were quiet for the first few minutes of the drive and a silent understanding passed between them. A lot has changed. The silence remained until Isaac glanced away from the yellow street lights reflecting off the pavement to look at y/n. She’d grown a lot in the time since he’d last seen her; her hair was darker, the bags under her eyes had faded to a lighter color and her skin was clearer. He was almost too wrapped up in rememorizing her features that he didn’t see a small tear slip down her cheek, followed by another, this one larger and faster. Almost.

“Hey, hey, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?” he asked, worry etched all over his face as he gently placed a hand on her arm. If she was being completely honest, y/n hadn’t even realized she’d let the tears slip out until he said something. She glanced in the rear view mirror before quickly rubbing her face with the sleeve of her oversized sweatshirt.

“What? Nothing. I’m fine,” she managed to say without her voice cracking. A small sniffle escaped but she never looked away from the road. At first Isaac was patient, he really tried to be anyway. He realized that after nearly two years of radio silence he didn’t have much of a right to come back and act like nothing had changed. But every being - supernatural or not - has their limits, so when y/n lied about her feelings for at least the second time that night, Isaac got tired of being patient.

“Pull over,” he ordered gently, looking at her expectantly and drumming his fingers on his thigh.

“What? No, I wanna get back ho- to Beacon Hills by a decent time,” she answered, only tearing her eyes away from the highway momentarily to try to read his face. He didn’t miss the way that she avoided calling Beacon Hills ‘home’ and that spurred him on even more.

“y/n, pull over, Please,” Isaac pleaded. y/n, who was really not in the mood to unpack her feelings this late at night, almost said no again. When she took in the soft look in his eyes though, she melted. Just like old times. She pulled off at the next exit and parked in the nearest well-lit area. The place was so quiet that it reminded her of a ghost town. A shiver ran down her spine at the thought of the pack’s encounter with the ghost riders. Boy, did they have a lot to catch him up on. They sat in silence again for a moment as y/n was nervously wringing her hands together in her lap while Isaac studied her face.

“What’s bothering you? Seriously? Do you know how much it kills me when you’re hurting?” he asked sincerely. y/n let out a small chuckle at that. If only he knew. She thought about deflecting again but she knew that would accomplish nothing and he’d keep them there until the early hours of the morning if she didn’t tell him what was on her mind.

“Why didn’t you say anything,” y/n murmured in a small voice. A beat of silence passed before she continued again. “I know why you left, I get that. I know you were hurting after Allison died. Hell, we all were,” y/n took long pauses every now and then and Isaac gave her all the time she needed. “I… fuck, Isaac, I don’t know how I’m supposed to tell you this,” her voice getting louder and gaining momentum with each word. Here goes nothing.

“I- I loved you, okay? I loved you and you just left without a single goodbye. I was stuck picking up the pieces of myself for almost a year and loving someone who was gone. I lost my best friend,” she rushed out before she lost the courage to say it all. “I still love you,” she whispered quietly. y/n refused to look towards her used-to-be best friend after her confession. She started to regret the words the minute she was enveloped in the silence that followed. Loved. Love. I still love you. The words rolled around in Isaac’s mind for a few moments. When they’d finally registered he lunged towards her, narrowly missing the center console as he gently grabbed her face and pulled her in for a passionate kiss. y/n honestly thought that he was going to get out of the car and walk back to Beacon Hills after her admission, so when he kissed her like he’d been waiting to for years she let out a surprised gasp and sat frozen for a moment. When she finally snapped out of her daze she returned the kiss with a newfound fervor as she threaded her fingers through his brown locks.

The pair only broke apart when their lungs were screaming for air, and by then the car windows had managed to fog up a little. y/n smiled sheepishly at Isaac, who wore a grin big enough to crack his face in two. She looked down to her lap shyly as she chuckled.

“So…” she trailed off, a little bit lost for words.

“So…” Isaac mimicked, a playful look in his eyes as a smirk danced across his face. y/n rolled her eyes and playfully slapped his arm. 

“Be nice to me, I could’ve let your ass freeze outside the airport,” she retorted, followed by a very mature display of sticking her tongue out at him.

“Oh, I think I was very nice to you,” Isaac wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. y/n groaned but nonetheless smiled at his boyish nature. The two years apart hadn’t harmed his sense of humor and y/n was grateful for that, maybe just as grateful as she was to have him back home. A few short but sweet kisses were exchanged before y/n drove back towards the highway. It wasn’t until they were nearing the exit leading to Beacon Hills that y/n realized she didn’t know where she was taking Isaac. 

“Hey, umm, where are you staying?” she asked as she flicked on her blinker before merging into the right lane. Isaac looked at her like she’d grown two heads.

“With you, to Scott’s place,” he answered, confusion written all over his face. y/n’s jaw dropped and she tried her hardest to keep from swerving off the road.

“So they knew you were coming! And they conveniently forgot to tell me! And you conveniently needed me to pick you up from the airport! What the hell?!” she ranted. Truly, y/n was far too giddy from their earlier kiss to be angry with her friends, but the little plot they had orchestrated definitely had her brainstorming ways to get back at them. Even though Isaac was unaware that the pack had kept y/n in the dark, he found her outburst a bit amusing. During the remainder of the drive to the McCall house they alternated between playful bickering and laughing at each other’s stories from the past two years.

When y/n and Isaac pulled into the driveway they sat there for a moment, basking in the warm feeling of each other's presence. The air between them was quiet for a moment before Isaac broke the silence.

“You know, there’s something I meant to say earlier,” he began as he slowly leaned toward her.

“And what would that be?” y/n asked playfully as her eyes danced around his face.

“I love you too,” he murmured sweetly before pressing his lips against hers. Joy swelled in y/n’s chest as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in closer. After they pulled away y/n nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Scott, Stiles, and Lydia standing only a few feet away from the front of her car. Both of the boys wore knowing smirks and Lydia was swatting Stiles’s arm.

“I knew it! I knew it!” the red head squealed. Isaac chuckled as y/n’s cheeks began to burn bright red. She buried her face in his chest and he rested his chin atop her head, pressing a gentle kiss to her hair.

“I think this might have been part of their plan, too,” he whispered with a smirk.

a/n: if you saw me using italics 534988 times in this post, no u didn’t ❤

join my tag list!

tag list: @linkpk88​ 

[finalgirlkateausten]

i'd love if you could do 13 + 30 for ted/rebecca

Okay I'm answering 13 here and you need to bug me in DMs so I don't forget to answer 30 😅

13. "Who did this?"

Summary: Ted gets a little too optimistic about throwing a birthday party for Coach Beard. Rebecca helps with the cleanup. Shoutout to @freetobegrace because her fic Nil Points gave me this idea

An entire weekend of business conferences and league officials is utterly exhausting, but Rebecca remembers Ted's mention of a party for Beard tonight, so as soon as she leaves the airport, she heads for his flat.

"Hey, Boss," Ted says, answering the door with a wide grin. "I really appreciate you comin' out tonight, I know you've had a long weekend."

"...but I'm late to the party?" she says, wincing regretfully as she realizes there's no one else in the house.

"Technically it's still going, I think," he answers, opening the door the rest of the way and leading her in. "Uh, Beard took the boys to the Crown & Anchor after, well..." he gestures to his living area, and Rebecca raises her eyebrows at the beer bottle-pizza plate-present wrapping carnage, before her jaw drops as she spies his TV.

"Who did this?" she asks, a note of incredulity creeping into her voice.

Ted chuckles easily, like he isn't going to have to shell out for an entirely new television. "Isaac got a little worked up when Sweden started beating our women's team. And by 'our' I mean the states. Gosh, that's still hard." He shakes his head.

"'The states?'" Rebecca smiles. "We'll make a brit out of you yet."

"Speaking of which," he says, "do you want some tea?"

"Why, Ted Lasso!" she laughs. "I didn't expect you to keep it in the house."

Ted just laughs. "Well, you've been around here often enough, thought I should be a good host."

She blinks, following him into the kitchen. "Ted, did you-- you didn't have to buy tea just for me."

"Hey, you can get it real easy around here," he points out with a wink. They reach the kitchen and he turns on the burner under a kettle she's sure had come with the flat. "Anyway, you're comin' out here so late, you deserve a hot drink."

"Aren't you going out with the team?" she asks, her brows knitting in confusion.

"Nah, I gotta clean all this up," he says, gesturing to the chaos of the living room.

She winces, nodding sympathetically as he sets out two mugs emblazoned with different versions of the Richmond logo. "Bad news about the television. Do you want me to help out?"

"Oh, no, no," he says, shaking his head vigorously. "You've been traveling all day. I don't wanna make you pick up my mess."

"But it's not your mess," she points out, giving him a teasing smirk. "And you can hardly be expected to clean up after an entire football team by yourself. It's a superhuman task."

"Well, if you're feeling up to it," he concedes. "We've got a hot minute until this water boils, anyway." He lets out a chuckle. "Hot minute."

Rebecca shakes her head as she stands. "Horrible, Ted."

They get most of the plates into the trash by the time the water boils, and move onto the wrapping paper while they wait for the tea to cool. Aside from the sad-looking television that will have to be dragged out to the dumpster in the morning, the flat is back to normal by the time they settle into the couch, mugs of tea in hand.

"Thanks for coming, tonight, Rebecca," Ted says, giving her an easy smile, and that and the sound of her first name on his lips sends a bit of a shiver down her spine. "Sorry it wasn't a big ol' party."

"I liked this better," she admits. "I'm not sure I could handle Richmond-level energy right now."

Ted chuckles, raising his mug to his lips. Knowing what's about to happen, Rebecca winces and grabs a throw pillow to shield herself. "Ted, you don't like--"

But she's cut off by a choking, spluttering sound, as Ted spits tea back into his mug and pushes it far away from him, across the coffee table.

"Tea..." she finishes with a sigh.

At least it hasn't gone everywhere this time.