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writingsfromhome · 6 months ago

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Things to Learn II

A/N: I kind of love writing these characters? tsm for the love on the original I’m glad I got to dive back into their story again. I’m starting a taglist so if you’d like to be on it give me a shout :)

Part 1 / 2 / 3 /

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Harry rushes out of the toilets so he doesn’t miss the opening scene and nearly crashes into someone standing around the corner.

“Sorry!” He says as he tries to rush on by.

“Harry!?” The person calls his name.

He stops in his tracks and takes a look at who he just bumped into. And of course, it would be her.

“YN,” he swallows the lump forming in his throat. “Hi-uh what are you doing here?”

“Watching a movie?” She raises a brow. Still the same attitude as before.

“Oh! Right. Yeah. Me too-“

“Which movie are you here for?”

“The Planet of the Apes reruns,” Harry points to the door he so badly wants to walk through. As much as he wanted to stand here and talk to YN, have her attention all to himself, he wanted to watch the movie he came here for more.

“Well I’m here for that new romcom but Raina ditched me to go to that riverbank bonfire bullshit everyone’s talking about. But I hate smelling like campfire afterwards plus I already bought popcorn-“

“Didn’t that movie start 15 minutes ago?” Harry notices she’s standing in front of the poster. Why was she hovering outside?

“Well yeah because I’m wondering if I should be the loser inside watching a romcom by herself.”

Harry doesn’t know if he should be offended—he regularly watched movies by himself during the summer when he had nothing else to do. But then he realizes YN and her opinions weren’t something he took offence to ever since he put down his intellectually superior flag.

“Well I’m here with Caleb if you want to-“

“Bloody hell I was waiting for you to get the hint,” she brushes past Harry and he trails behind, confused.

“You wanted to watch Planet of the Apes?”

“No! I just didn’t want to watch a movie by myself. And you were supposed to invite me.”

“Oh,” these were the social rules Harry often missed. It was sort of nice having YN spell it out for him. “You could have just said-“

“Shh,” she shushes him as they enter the theatre.

Harry was pleased at the way Caleb’s eyes bugged out of his head at the sight of YN.

“I thought you were going to the toilet?” He whispers loudly.

“I was but she-“ Harry cuts off as someone in front turns around with a dirty look. The movie hadn’t even started.

YN sits beside Harry and begins snacking on her popcorn. She hogs the armrest and he lets her, and when she pulls out her sweets and offers it to Harry and his friend they end up swapping most of their snacks. Despite being distracted at first he has a really fun time with the two of them.

Outside in the lobby after the movie is done, YN hesitates after throwing out her trash. It looks like she was wondering if she should stick around or not.

“Thanks,” she finally tells Harry. “Let’s not do this again though.”

“You joined us,” Harry reminds her. She eyes both him and Caleb.

“Yeah, exactly?” She says with a hand on her hip.

“I’m j’saying we weren’t the ones ditched here,” Harry says before he could stop himself. Her pleasant expression falls and Harry can see Caleb concentrate on something far away. Coward.

“Firstly I was invited to join the party but like I said I don’t like smelling like campfire. Secondly, just cuz I told you I was ditched doesn’t make you-“

“Um, I gotta go.” Caleb pipes in from behind. Both Harry and YN turn to him and he almost shrinks. “My ride is here um…”

“See ya later,” Harry cups his hand and Caleb bolts out faster than a cat seeing a dog.

“You were saying?” Harry turns back to YN.

“Look,” she points to the other theatre, the one she’d been standing in front of when Harry bumped into her. “The next showing starts in a bit.”

Harry stares, trying to figure out what she was asking.

“We could watch it?”

“I thought we shouldn’t do this again?”

“Shut up,” she starts walking away.

“Isn’t this illegal?” Harry catches up to her. “I don’t even want to watch this movie.”

“Actually you do,” she grabs his arm and pulls him up the stairs even though he’s following her anyway. Harry tries not to focus on the exact part of his arm she’s touching but it feels warmer than usual. “And secondly nobody is going to kick us out. It doesn’t even matter, do something illegal once in a while.”

Harry follows along with her and they end up having a lot more fun at the second movie. He actually finds it funny and it reminds him of watching these during the holidays with his sister and mum. YN leans her head on his shoulder during an emotional scene and Harry feels like he’s made of clay until she takes it off and laughs at the next scene.

“You had fun, admit it!” YN says as they walk out of the theatre. It was close to midnight now and Harry was planning on walking home.

“Maybe!” Harry doesn’t.

“Liar,” she skips ahead of him. “Secretly you thought my romcom was a lot cooler than your Ape movie.”

“Planet of the Apes, and you enjoyed that one.”

“I’m not denying it,” she shrugs. “C’mon I know you’ve got a sister don’t you watch romcoms with her?”

Harry seems disturbed by the idea, “Not that sort. We watch holiday ones during Christmas but-“

“Oh my god like the Holiday?”

“Yeah I’ve seen that a billion times. And there’s one with Keira Knightley-“

“Oh I bet there is,” she nudges him and Harry blushes. “She does seem your type.”

“Yeah and you probably love Jude Law in The Holiday.”

“Well yeah he’s alright,” she pouts her mouth and doesn’t finish her sentence.

“No way,” Harry laughs. “It’s not Jude Law.”

“You know who’s peng? Tom Hardy. There’s a man I’d watch in a romcom over and over.”

“What?” Harry didn’t know who that was but now he was curious.

“Yeah. You should look him up. Anyway, my ride’s gonna be here any minute so I’m staying here.”

“Oh. Yeah right.” Harry thought they were walking home together but she stays near the closest bus shelter. “Well bye.”

“Bye,” she waves him off.

He doesn’t think he’d see her again that summer. But the next morning she sends him a text saying it was fun and he should come over some time to broaden his romcom education. He thinks she’s joking but the following Tuesday she shows up at his house with DVDs and Percys and although Harry’s mum is surprised to see a girl friend at the house, she orders them pizza and his family gives him the den all to themselves.

After watching two movies back to back and feeling sick from all the junk they’ve consumed they lay on the floor. As evening falls through the wispy curtains of his front window Harry asks YN about her summer and uni. She’s cagey and likes to turn questions around on him but it’s nice talking to her like that with most of her guard down. It almost feels like they’re friends.

***

YN shows up at Harry’s house after dinner. His butt is glued down on his sofa ready to settle into a night of playing video games but the ringing at the door interrupts him.

“Harry!” His sister calls out from somewhere. He was closest to the door and on his way there he peeks through the curtains of the den to see a familiar head of hair. In a cap.

“Hey!” She walks right in.

“Hey…” Harry looks at her get-up: a tanktop and gauzy skirt paired with the trainers she always wore.

“Oh YN,” Harry’s mum pokes her head down from the staircase. “You haven’t been around in a while how are things?”

“Hi Mrs. Styles.” YN was always the perfect angel in front of his parents but his mum was right, it had been a couple weeks since she came by. “I’m good! I’ve been working a few shifts at the shop I do summers at. I had the day off I’m trying to convince Harry to come out with me.”

She was, Harry thought. And she had a summer job?

He’s reminded that no matter how much closer they got, she was always somewhat of a mystery.

“Oh where are you heading out?” Harry’s mum walks down a few steps and sits down.

“There’s a get-together of some of our school friends. Harry never shows up to these things so-“

“Harry,” his mum joins in. “You should go!”

“I never even said no, jeez!” Harry grows flustered.

“But he was totally going to,” YN says to his mum. She laughs and Harry feels peer-pressured.

“Fine! I’ll go.”

“Well be safe,” his mum gets back up. “Make good decisions.”

Harry glares at YN when his mum clears the area and she smiles sweetly back at him.

“Oops.”

“For the record I don’t want to go.”

“Exactly,” she smiles. “Now where’s your room we need to put you in something better than that.”

He was in very comfortable sweatpants and a tee. By the time he was leaving he was in was a short sleeved button-up layered over the same tee and shorts he didn’t even know he owned. She’d forced him to take his glasses off and wear contacts then ruffled his hear with gel and she’d been so close every one of Harry’s senses had been hyper-tuned to her. YN had been oblivious.

“I can’t find my phone,” Harry pats his pockets down as they go downstairs.

“Just leave without it! We’re gonna be late!”

“Can you just call it?” Harry’s halfway up the steps. “I can’t leave without it.”

YN rolls her eyes and calls it. It rings from the den and she walks towards it.

“Seriously?” She walks back out. “You never changed my name?”

Future Prime Minister YN with a heart. It had stayed the same since their group project.

“I guess not,” Harry suddenly feels even more self conscious.

“You can keep the heart,” she goes into his contacts after holding his phone up to his face.

“Hey I never said you could go in!”

“Shush!” She smirks as she updates her name. “There.”

“You don’t want to change the photo?” Harry asks and sighs at her new name: HRH 💖

“No time. Let’s go!” She pushes him out the door.

“I’m going I’m going!” Harry closes the door behind him and they set off down the road.

“You’re so lucky your mum’s so chill,” YN says as they walk.

“Where are we going?” Harry asks.

“My mum thinks I’m at Raina’s watching movies or some shite. Your mum actually like, encouraged you to go out. She didn’t even give you a curfew.”

“Well I never do this,” Harry replies. “What is this anyway.”

“Another bonfire-“

“Does Raina do those like every week?” Harry remembered something about this that night they bumped into each other at the cinema.

“No,” YN says, offended that he would criticize her friend in any way. “The guy she’s seeing right now knows a guy. They do them like a couple times a month. If they did it every week don’t you think someone would catch on?”

Harry shrugs.

“Anyway, you have a decent closet why do you always dress so…boring?”

“I don’t dress boring,” Harry shoves his hand into his pockets. “I’m just comfortable.”

“I’m comfortable,” she points out.

Harry eyes her outfit again, she looked nice and her legs looked particularly nice in the skirt. Harry looks up in the silence he’d just created to find YN staring at him with a raised brow.

“Had a good look?” She punches his arm.

“Ow,” Harry rubs his arm but he deserved it. He’d been oggling. But ever since she’d gotten into his face to run her gelled fingers through his hair, and the cloud of her shampoo or perfume whatever it was closed in around him he’s having a hard time not glancing at her every opportunity.

“Have you got anyone you’re seeing?” Harry asks.

“Nope,” she pops her p. “With uni starting I didn’t really want to let a guy distract me and fuck with my feelings.”

“Wow,” it slips out of Harry’s mouth.

“What?” She narrows her eyes. “And we’re going right here.”

They turn the corner and she asks Harry again what his reaction meant.

“Nothing. I’m just surprised you’re not having a summer fling or something.”

“God Harry, do you think I just date boys to get off or something? I’ve barely had a boyfriend-“

She cuts herself off.

“What?” Harry missed what happened.

“Nothing.”

“Aw c’mon you can’t say ‘nothing’ now,” Harry pushes. After knowing YN this long, she was still scary, but he’d learned where and how to poke at her to get more answers without getting his head bitten off. “You’ve dated plenty of guys.”

“For someone with his nose in a book all the time you claim to know a lot about who I’m dating.”

“It’s hard not to miss what everyone’s talking about.”

“So you believe all the rumours? In that case it’s probably true you cried your first time.”

“What?!” Harry flushes. “Who said that?”

“But rumours are true right?”

“Fine. You just always had one of the football blokes nearby I just-“

“So you just thought I dated the whole team?”

Fuck, Harry realizes he’d screwed up when she starts to speed walk away. He’d spoken before thinking about what it might sound like from her end.

She starts to walk ahead and Harry fastens his pace to catch up. He reaches out and clasps her shoulder. “YN wait I’m sorry. I didn’t think-“

“Whatever,” she brushes his hand off.

He felt awful. He tries again, grabbing her arm this time and she comes to a stop.

“I’m sorry!” He says again. “Just forget I said anything.”

He’s surprised to see her teary eyes when she turns to him.

“What?” She snaps. “Never seen a girl cry before?”

“No I just—I didn’t mean to make you cry-“

“Oh you didn’t make my cry don’t worry,” she huffs. “I just hate how everyone in school always judges me based on their own fucking insecurities.”

Harry pauses, it was true. And he knew YN was only as cutting as she was so she could be taken seriously—so nobody would walk all over her just because she was a girl. He shouldn’t have made that comment, he knew that. He knew better but apparently he still had things to learn.

“I shouldn’t have judged you like that,” Harry mumbles. “I knew better.”

Her mouth parts slightly, YN wasn’t expecting Harry to say a combination of words that actually sounded better than an apology. She forgives him, but she doesn’t let him know.

“Well…you can make it up to me.” YN threads her arm through Harry’s. At first he doesn’t quite know what to do—despite their budding friendship YN rarely showed any affection or even friendliness in public. This was different.

“How? That sounds a bit sinister.”

“You’re going to get drunk with me. I’ve never seen you drunk before, and I want to be able to have embarrassing pictures of you to use next time you make me upset.”

“No way!” Harry unthreads his hand, regretting the decision a little.

“So you’re just gonna go to a party and watch everyone else drink? Your mum would be disappointed!”

“Trust me my mum doesn’t want me to get drunk,” Harry corrects her. “And I don’t drink for a reason. It really doesn’t take much to get tipsy.”

“Really?” YN eyes him. “But you’re tall.”

Harry shrugs, suddenly his heart thuds in his chest as he catches sight of the smoke of the bonfire. This was real—he was actually going to a class party with YN as his company. He had no friends there. This wasn’t his scene. What was he thinking?

“Have we got to do-“

“We’re going,” YN takes his hand and drags it the rest of the way. “We’re going to uni next year and you’re not going to be a party virgin.”

“I’ve been to parties!”

“What? D&D parties?” YN snorts. “You’re going to an outdoor party with drinks and getting drunk. I want you to let loose. Show everyone Harry the nerd is kind of funny?”

“Kind of?” Harry tugs her hand back. “You snorted at my jokes a couple weeks ago.”

YN looks back at him and Harry’s breath is momentarily caught in his throat. The light of the bonfire reflects in her eyes that crinkle at the corners as she looks at him. She has an amused smile fixed on her face. She’s relaxed completely, unguarded.

He wanted more of that, he realizes.

“Oi it’s about time!” Someone notices YN and waves her down. Harry’s forced to follow. “Brought a date did you?”

“Not my date,” YN rolls her eyes.

The group, amongst whom most had been in a lot of his classes, simply stare at him expecting a name or something. Blimey, he realizes nobody recognized him. YN did a good job with her makeover.

“Good,” one particular bloke—tall with a shaggy overgrown mop of hair peels away from the group and slides his arm around YN. She distances herself in one languid move and continues on.

“Are you lot alright?” YN asks. “It’s Harry?”

“Hey Harry,” a few of them say with a removed friendliness. They still couldn’t place him. Harry would have been offended if this wasn’t the last summer he would see them all.

“Okay?” YN turns to Harry with her eyebrow raised and a joke in her eyes like they were on the ins of something together. It warms Harry’s chest with a gentle ease.

“Harry,” shaggy-hair says. “How d’you two know each other?”

“I’m gonna show Har to the drinks,” YN continues ignoring the guy. Harry’s dying to know who that is. “Anyone seen Raina?”

“She was over there a little while ago,” someone motions towards the fire.

This satisfies YN enough. She turns, “Drinks

“Yeah,” Harry feels lighter being here knowing nobody really recognized him. Like he could be anyone. Maybe he was getting a taste of what being at uni would feel like. He liked it.

He asks YN who that guy was when they get enough distance.

“Oh him? We went out a few times, hooked up at a couple parties. He seems to think that means I want him around at any given moment but he’s a bit clingy.”

A bit was an understatement but Harry stays quiet.

“He looks old.”

She laughs, “Yeah maybe cause he’s 21?”

“What’s he doing with a bunch of teens?” Harry asks, puzzled.

“Oh Har,” YN pats his shoulder and laughs. “Let’s get you a drink.”

“Just one drink,” Harry insists.

But after downing the disgustingly hoppy beer YN hands him Harry starts to feel even better being here. Nobody recognizes him, he has YN keeping him company (after she goes to Raina for a bit and comes back grumbling about her new boyfriend), and the energy at the party starts to really take off as someone turns on a playlist and people really start to mingle.

“So you excited about uni?” YN asks. They’re both sitting on a large rock. Yn has her knees tucked into her and her cheek rests on top. She seemed down after coming back from Raina.

“Yeah!” Harry says. “Finally get some bloody freedom, away from this place.”

“This place?” She slides her cheek across her knees to look at him. She looks beautiful, Harry thinks, before sliding his eyes away. It was still hard for him to maintain eye contact with her despite all the evenings they spent together.

“School. These people.”

“Hey they didn’t even recognize you today,” she chuckles. “I did a good job.”

She reached out and brushes one of his curls. Harry inadvertently leans in closer to her.

“I look the exact same,” Harry scoffs.

“No without those big ass glasses you actually look different.”

“Call me Clark Kent then.”

“Clark Kent.”

Harry looks at YN with an are-you-serious expression and she laughs.

“I didn’t actually mean to call me Clark-“

“I know,” she says softly. “I’m trying to annoy you.”

“That’s not hard to do.”

“Hey!” She punches him lightly. “That’s mean. You’re mean when you’re drinking.”

“No I’m not,” was he? He was just being himself here.

“No…you’re not,” she agrees. “But you’re honest. Anyway, you’re living on campus right? That’s lucky.”

“Why don’t you?” Harry asks.

“I can’t,” YN turns her face away again. “I’ve got to stay at home. Things are…complicated. So I’ve just got to commute.”

“Do you think we’ll hang out at uni?” Harry asks and then flushes as he realizes he said it out loud.

“Yeah? Why wouldn’t we?”

Harry shrugs. “We don’t exactly run in the same circles.”

“Look at us now,” she leans into him, nudging his shoulder, and the warmth of her pressed into him is a balm to his melancholy. “We’re not gonna have the same labels in uni. Nobody knows us. We just get to be ourselves.”

“I hope so.” Harry says. “Should I get another drink?”

“Really?” YN sits up. “You want another?”

“Yeah!” Harry suddenly feels energized. “Why fucking not?!”

“Alright!” She hops off and he follows. “You also swear a lot more when you drink. It’s funny.”

“Sorry,” Harry apologizes immediately.

“Don’t be, I like it.” She says and Harry’s heart skips a beat. He floats the rest of the way to the drinks.

He downs half of another beer before he’s recruited to do a keg stand. He’s pretty sure it’s YN’s pretty-boy that jostles him into that crowd. He’d never done one before and YN tries to pull him away but tipsy and brave he gets instructions and allows two strangers to hold him up while he drinks what feels like the equivalent to the Thames.

The boys standing around cheer him on when he stands back up with the longest time out of everyone tonight. If he was anything, Harry was a winner. And he feels powerful: he’s actually seen and celebrated tonight for doing something as stupid as a keg stand. Why didn’t he do this more in school?

“Make way for the goat!” One of the guys shouts.

“You’re all wankers!” Harry shouts. “I just owned you all!”

“Harry,” YN’s hand clasps his and while he shouts celebrations back to the guys he’s dragged away by her.

“It’s Harry right?” A girl he’s never seen before stops YN on her trek to get him far away from the drinks. “I’m Marva.”

“Marva!” Harry pulls his hand from YN and shakes Marva’s. “Nice to meet you…Mara.”

“Yeah nice to meet you,” she smiles. “You’ve got really nice eyes.”

“Thank you Mara. You have really nice teeth.”

“Fucking hell,” YN mutters then louder she says, “Sorry Marva we gotta go. Maybe you can catch up with-“

“Okay I just wanna say that was sick what you did,” Marva points to the keg.

“I’m king of the keg,” Harry says and YN mumbles something to the side but Harry’s too swept in winning, in getting attention from this beautiful girl, to hear.

“Yeah, uhm could I get your number?”

“Uh,” Harry tries to remember his number but it doesn’t come to him. He should remember his number. Why isn’t it coming to him?

“Or I could give you mine?” She says after Harry stands there silently for an uncomfortable minute.

“Yeah,” Harry hands his phone over but his mind keep trying to push through the slosh to remember his number. Soon enough he’s walking away with YN again. “Why is my number? It’s a set of numbers…”

He’s mumbling, an anxious feeling creeping up his chest as he tries to remember.

“Hey,” YN finally allows him to stop. She senses the panic rising in him and lays a hand on his chest. The buzzing stops immediately. “Harry look at me.”

Harry looks down at YN, she was one of the most beautiful women he’s ever seen. He wishes he could hold her face for eternity. He would live in peace.

“Hello?” She snaps her fingers. “You’re not blinking are you alright?”

“Probably not!” Harry laughs. “I just got hit on by a gorgeous girl did you see that?”

“Yes,” she rolls her eyes. “She was impressed by your ability to drink upside down. What a catch.”

“I am a catch,” Harry motions to the water behind them. “I’m a fish in the sea.”

“Oh my god,” YN laughs. “You’re ridiculous is what you are. That’s a river I thought you were smart.”

“I’m cool now.”

She brushes his hair again, “give a nerd a new hair style,” she drags her hands over his eyes, “put him in contacts,” she continues tracing her hand down his face to his chest, “put him in new clothes-“

She cuts herself off when Harry grasps her hand against his chest. He was sure she could feel his heart racing inside.

They stare silently at each other, the darkness cushioning them on either side until it feels like they’re the only two beings in the night. Like they’re drifting in the dark, tethered only by hands and gazes.

Harry tilts forward, YN doesn’t move back. So he closes the distance and presses his lips to hers, they’re as soft as he imagined. They’re the best lips he’s ever kissed.

Maybe he imagines it, maybe it was a drunk fantasy, but for a brief second she presses her lips against his; she closes her eyes and kisses him back.

The next second, she’s shoving him backwards and scrambling away. Her look of shock and betrayal cuts right through the fog in his brain.

“What the fuck?” She shouts. “Did-did you just fucking kiss me?”

“I’m sorry!” Harry feels his heart in his throat, why did he think she would ever want to kiss him? She was YN, he was just Harry. “I don’t-I’m not I-“

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” She wipes the back of her hand against her mouth, adding assault to injury. “Why would you do that?!”

“YN,” Harry stumbles forward but she peddles backward. It’s another punch added, almost deflating him entirely. “I didn’t mean—I’m drunk I’m sorry-“

“Being drunk isn’t a fucking excuse,” she spits.

“I know! I’m sorry!”

“Goddamnit! You’re just like every other asshole of a guy. I thought we were friends! But of course you get drunk and try to kiss me-“

“It’s not like that!” Harry tries to tell her. He was just braver drunk but he’s been in love with her a long time. After hanging out this whole summer he just thought they had a moment there. He read the signs wrong; apparently a bookworm could read wrong.

Maybe he would never be good at this whole people thing.

“Then what?” YN seethes. “Then why the hell—why did you try to kiss me Harry? You don’t even like me why would you kiss me?!”

“I…” he doesn’t know what to say. Of course he liked her. He more than liked her; YN changed his life and he’s starting to like who she makes him be.

But nothing will make this situation better. And the worst part is he feels her slip away, right through his fingers. It’s like one of those jelly toys from when he was a kid; the harder he gripped the easier it slipped away.

“Get fucked Harry,” YN swears. She turns and leaves. She leaves him and he doesn’t think she’ll ever come back.

When the rush of adrenaline subsides Harry empties the contents of his stomach. With his head swimming he picks himself up and finds his way out. With a final glance at the party he’d just felt king of, he spots YN tucked into the body of shaggy-hair and his stomach turns. Why did he ever think she’d want him? Girls like her didn’t end up with guys like him. Why did he ever come to this stupid party in the first place and get drunk? This wasn’t him. Uni or not, maybe he was never meant to change all that much.

***

Harry looks around his half of the dorm he’s just finished putting together with a proud smile. At last the day had come, he had successfully escaped the shackles of school and all its taunting and made it to the uni of his choice. Despite only being a 1.5 hour train ride from home Harry chose to get the full uni experience and live on campus. His life was going to change, he could feel it.

That is, until his roommate walked in.

Messy hair, backwards baseball cap, crewneck and baggy jeans and massive headphones on. Harry already types him in his mind—how the hell did the dorm board pair the two of them together?

“Aw marra,” he holds his hand out sideways and Harry clasps his hand and lets his body gets tugged into his roommate’s bony shoulder. “Harry right?”

“Yeah,” Harry tries to find his balance again. “Roderick?”

“Just Rod yeah,” Roderick throw his duffel bag onto the bed and points behind him. “Give me a hand with the other bags?”

Harry wasn’t much for lifting heavy things but he didn’t want to start off on the wrong foot with someone he’d be living with the next year. So he goes.

“When did you get here?” He asks.

“Last night,” Harry wanted to get in before everyone else and avoid the crowds of people. He knew it would be a good way to meet others and make friends—his sister told him the first week was when you made most of them, but he did what we wanted.

Rod barely hears him as they get the last of his bags. “It was packed to shite trying to get in here. Where’d you come in from?”

“London,” Harry answers.

“And you’re staying here? On campus?”

“Yeah, I didn’t want to do the commute everyday. Felt like a waste of time.”

“Yeah that’d be crazy.” His roommate agrees.

“What about you?” Harry remembers to ask.

“Sunlun,” he replies. Harry hadn’t heard of it, and reminds himself to look it up later. “I was right ready to lose it driving here. My mam drove me-“

“Oh is she around?” Harry asks.

“No,” Rod laughs. “I’m not starting school trailing after her. But I promised her I’d have a meal with her after moving my—hey you should come!”

Harry has a hard time keeping up with Roderick, despite having longer legs than him he walks as fast as he talks and he talks with an accent that takes a minute to filter through for understanding.

“I couldn’t-“

“No you’re coming,” Rod claps Harry on the back. “She would love seeing that my roommate’s someone like you.”

Someone like you, what did that mean? But on some level Harry knows just by comparing Roderick’s outfit and Harry’s slacks and spotless crewneck.

Harry has no choice but he gets a free meal out of it. Roderick’s mum is sweet and by the end of the meal he understands his roommate a lot better, knows everything about where he’s from—Sunderland, and is invited to “drop by for tea” anytime he’s up north.

Roderick invites Harry to a get-together for first years happening somewhere off campus but Harry feels sensed out and tells him he was calling it a night. Rod looks disappointed but leaves without him. Harry almost feels disappointed in himself. He was supposed to have a different life being in uni, but he didn’t want to make old mistakes and try to be someone he wasn’t.

***

Freshers week is both invigorating and exhausting for Harry as he tries to navigate all of the personalities and social groups without falling back into his usual ways. He attends the talks and the tours, one in which he meets Mikey who was also planning on joining debate club. Harry goes to mixers and breaks so much ice he’s sure he could get a part time job as an ice sculptor.

Harry also attends the workshops and he meets a few more friends there, but mostly when he signs up for clubs he’s interested and goes to their mixers he finds people he clicks with very easily. He doesn’t spot Rod once or anyone else he would have known from school.

On Thursday Harry heads to Newsroom Society Club which was a fancy title for the uni’s reporting club. He has a few new friends he’s made, Florence from one of the workshops and Gabriel who lived in the same hall as Harry as well as Mikey. They were all interested in being part of reporting—the newspaper or the podcast.

Harry stumbles into a projector when he spots her.

“You alright?” Gabriel grabs Harry’s jacket to hold him steady. All eyes are on him as the slideshow on the wall tips off balance and he’s bright as a tomato.

“Yeah I didn’t see that there,” Harry lies.

“Kinda hard to miss,” YN pipes in from where she stands.

Looking at her reminds Harry of the summer. It felt like a dream looking back on it, how they became friends and then quickly drifted off after he stupidly misread her cues and tried to kiss her. Although it was one of the few times he had gotten drunk and he was out of his depth when it happened. But YN had avoided him after that. He knew they were going to the same school but he didn’t think he’d see her this early on.

Harry’s new friends eye YN, assuming she was being rude just because. But when Harry acknowledges her they settles down.

“YN. Hi.” Harry waves awkwardly.

“Harry,” she says coolly.

“You’re here for the paper?”

“The show actually,” YN nods. The girl she’s talking to touches her arm and motions she was heading elsewhere.

“Oh me too,” Florence pipes in. “I’m Florence by the way.”

“I’m Mikey,” his other friend says as if Flo opened a gateway to YN. “I’m also interested in it. Not sure if I’m staying though.”

YN eyes his friends and returns her gaze to Harry. “Neat. I’m YN.”

“You two know each other?” Mikey asks.

“Yeah,” Harry says as YN says “Unfortunately.”

There’s an awkward beat as the group tries to figure out if she’s joking it not. When her lips curl into a small smile and they take the cue to laugh. It amazed Harry how well YN could command a group. Even now.

“Are you going for any other clubs?” Flo continues asking YN.

“I was thinking tennis, I used to play.” YN says and Harry’s surprised to hear that. He’s reminded he didn’t know her much—he never really got to know her that well despite all the time together. She was a closed book on a lot of things. “How about you?”

“Yeah I’m thinking of joining the volunteer committee!”

“Yeah what do they do?” YN asks. “Obviously volunteering but like-“

She doesn’t need to correct herself any further as Flo launched into a onboarding speech about volunteer committee. And Harry’s mesmerized by YN as she listens to Flo attentively, it’s different to the way she interacted with him or Mikey or a lot of people. When she feels him staring her eyes flick up to meet his and then back to Flo. She does it again and he takes the hint, looking away.

He flushes remembering the summer, how things started so well and ended so terribly.

YN ends up sticking to their group as the club organizers gather everyone to do a small introduction of the Newsroom Society. When it ends and they’re left to mingle Harry’s friends ask him what they were going to do for lunch.

“I’m easy, we can go anywhere.”

“I wanted to catch the fencing match they have going on at 2,” Gabriel says. “I might stay behind-“

“Let’s just do the caf.” Harry decides.

Florence turns back to YN who’s with her friend again. “Hey we were gonna grab lunch in the caf would you want to join? Both of you?”

YN meets Harry’s eye and an awkward energy sizzles between the two. It happens so quickly.

“Soph?” YN asks her friend.

“Eh,” she shrugs. “Okay. I’m Sophie by the way…”

Introductions are made all over again and YN and Harry are left herding the crowd from behind at the end if it.

“Hi,” Harry says as they fall into step.

She eyes him first before responding, “Hi.”

Silence as the group ahead chatters away.

“How’ve you been?” Harry attempts small talk.

“Fine.” She replies without returning the question. Harry gets the hint and grits his teeth. It was frustrating knowing she had glued herself shut and it would require a tool he didn’t have to get her to open again.

At lunch she continues to gloss over anything he says and talking with everyone enthusiastically but him, making him feel like he was in secondary all over again.

“We should do this again,” Florence suggests. “You guys are fun.”

Harry thinks Flo just liked having girls to talk to since most of the friends she’d made so far had been Harry and his.

“Yeah,” Soph agrees. “Maybe we’ll all make the Newsroom Society. Flo I think I’ll come to the volunteer thing with you next week just text me when it is.”

Somehow Harry’s friends intermingle with YN’s and by the time classes actually starts he’s seen YN socially more often than he had in secondary.

“YN,” Harry catches her walking out of their international business course. He’d found they had two classes together despite deciding different majors.

She glances up at her name and upon seeing Harry continues walking.

“Hey YN,” he walks ahead enough to stop her.

“Hey. What?” She asks.

“Can we talk?”

She raises a brow.

“C’mon,” Harry turns and hopes she’ll follow. She does. He leads them to a seating area for students in the building’s courtyard. “We should talk.”

“About?”

“Us.” Harry fidgets. “Look, I know what I did last summer wasn’t right. And being drunk wasn’t an excuse. I…I misread the signs and I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to betray your trust like that and. Yeah. I’m really sorry. If we’re gonna hang out and be mates, it’s weird when you’re always mad at me.”

She stares at him for an uncomfortable period and Harry can’t hold eye contact the whole time.

“How many times did you practice saying that?” She asks with a straight expression.

He laughs, “A few times.”

Like the sun after a thunderstorm, her smile slowly brightens the rest of her face as it stretches over her face.

“For the record, don’t ever try to kiss me ever again.” YN lists on her fingers. “Secondly, there will never be signs between us as anything more than friends so just…don’t look for them. We’re just friends.”

“Got it,” Harry mock salutes.

“I’m not done,” she holds up three fingers. “Thirdly, it’s nice seeing you be less…secondary Harry.”

“What?”

“Y’know like, bookish awkward nerdy Harry. You’ve actually got friends, I saw you at a couple parties. It’s nice!”

“Oh,” Harry didn’t think YN thought about him at all. He thought he went back to being a nobody but she was still noticing things about him. Things he thought only he had picked up on.

She was right—he felt more himself the longer he was at uni. It wasn’t easy but he found it easier to make decisions about people and friends, emotions and conversations when the pressure to fit into a box fell away.

Of course, Harry still struggled connecting with his roommate. After declining his initial invite to a party Rod mostly kept to himself and sometimes Harry was asked to give him privacy a few hours some evenings. Harry usually obliged, wanting to still be friends with Roderick.

One of the parties YN saw him at must have been one Rod invited him to. It was the first time he’d really spoken to him since that first day. And Harry had gone to the party just to reduce the friction with Rod. It went over well, he’d even chatted up a girl.

“Anyway,” YN hitches her bag onto her shoulder. “My next class is much later in the day so I’m gonna find a place to crash until then.”

“When is it?”

“Like, 5?”

“Shit, you commuted for our 10 and have to stay that late?”

“Yeah,” she sighs. “It was the only way I could fit both classes into this semester.”

“D’you…” Harry reconsiders the rules she’d given him. He didn’t think this was breaking any. “D’you want to come go my dorm? You could…nap or something.”

Her face lights up, “Wait really?”

“Yeah?”

“Um yeah? If that’s alright if-“

“Yeah,” Harry’s pleased to be able to offer something that’s made her light up. “Yeah c’mon. My roommate should be out. My next class is at half past 1 though.”

“That’s enough time for a nap,” YN says as she falls into step beside him.

“You don’t have to leave.” Harry tells her. “You can stay while I’m in class.”

That’s how Harry finds himself walking out of his dorm quietly so as not to wake a sleeping YN. She had knocked out soon after getting into his sheets, and he’s thankful he’d just washed them over the weekend after accidentally spilling tea all over them.

He felt bad that she had to commute for nearly 2 hours and stay the whole day for an evening class. He gives her an open invitation to use his dorm as a hotel when she wanted. She’d corrected him it was more like a motel, and then said his bedsheets smelled surprisingly nice for a motel.

Harry has a smile for most of his walk to class.

Near the end of class his phone vibrates with a text.

Roderick: there’s a girl sleeping on your bed?

Shit, Harry didn’t think he’d be back before him.

Harry: that’s just YN, sorry hope you don’t mind.

R: nah I just wasn’t expecting it lol

H: she’s just crashing

R: she single?

H: what happened to the girl you were hooking up with last week?

Despite not talking a lot, Harry still had the lowdown on who Rod was hooking up with because of the revolving door of girls.

R: mate. That was last week.

Harry rushes back from class but to his surprise he finds YN sitting in bed braiding her hair while Rod leans against his desk explaining something about Sunderland.

“Oh hey Harry,” YN says when he walks in.

“Hey,” Harry tries not to sound too out of breath. “Uh I see you two’ve met.”

“Yeah. YN’s pretty cool, where’ve you been hiding her?”

“I’m not-“

“Ew,” YN cuts him off. “Do they not teach manners in Sunderland?”

Harry watches, for the first time since he’s met him, Roderick stammer and look uncertain.

“Anyway,” YN gets off the bed and adjusts her clothes. “Thanks for letting me crash.”

Harry watched Rod get a hold of himself and YN put her bag back together again. That was the privilege of being so beautiful, she could shame guys like Rod into behaving themselves.

“See you Friday?” YN tells Harry. They had a Newsroom Society meeting. Harry ended up making the cut for the paper along with Gabriel and Flo. YN had made it for the podcast and this week was when they first got assignments.

“Yeah,” Harry says. YN walks past him, squeezing him arm and walking out.

“Marra,” Rod blow the air out of his cheeks. “She’s….something. You should invite her to the party Friday if she’s on campus.”

“Yeah I’ll ask,” Harry says. Weird how the tables have turned, he thinks. Here he would be, inviting YN to a party.

***

Harry doesn’t get a chance to catch up with YN until after Newsroom. He asks her if she was doing anything afterwards.

“Nope,” she rubs her temple. “I have a Saturday shift to work so I was just gonna head home after this.”

“Oh.” Harry says. He forgot she worked. “I was gonna invite you to this party-“

“You?” She points to him and laugh. “You’re inviting me?”

“Erm yeah?”

“I love it.” She says seriously.

“Yeah,” a smile tugs at his lips. “I know. But if you’re busy-“

“Oh no. I’ll show up to a party you’re inviting me to, where is it?”

Harry gives her the place. She tells him one of her friends was trying to get here there too.

“Whatever, I’ll just suffer the consequences tomorrow. Although I’m not dressed for a party at all.”

Harry eyes her hoodie and jeans. Even he knew YN dressed up more for parties.

“Too bad you’re not a girl,” she sighs. “I could just borrow something from your closet.”

“How about the friend you mentioned?”

“She lives a town over so she commutes. Wait, let me see your closet maybe we can make something work.”

“Don’t you make fun of my closet?”

“No I make fun when you wear it. It might look hot on me.”

The idea of YN looking hot in his clothes forces the blood to rush to his head and he has to take a few deep breaths before trailing behind.

Rod’s nowhere in sight when they get to his dorm. Harry unloads his backpack and splays out on his bed, tired from the day and really not wanting to go to any parties.

“This could be cute,” YN unhooks a plain white tee from his closet and throws it on his bed. She picks up a sweater and a short-sleeved button up. She holds them up to her and instructs him to turn around while she tries it on.

Harry’s so tired that turned around he ends up falling asleep, half his body still dangling off the bed.

While uni was really fun for him, and getting to explore different sides of him and learn a whole lot, it was a constant rotation of something. Sometimes he wondered if he should drop a class or a club just to give himself some breathing room. Or sleeping room. But Harry wasn’t a quitter. Instead he was tired a lot of the time and felt like he was constantly catching up.

“Hello,” Harry’s woken by a vigorous shaking. YN peers down at him, lashes long and coated in mascara probably. Her lips are painted a deep pink and she’s put her hair down.

“How did you…” Harry blinks at her.

“I had some makeup in my bag, I just touched it up while you slept.” She sits down beside him. “Now what are you wearing and when are we leaving?”

“I’m just wearing this,” Harry motions to his jeans and hoodie. She raises a brow. “Wait what are you-“

He notices what she’s wearing. His white tee that hangs loose on him has been tightened into a single point on YN’s ribcage, baring her midriff. She’s kept her jeans on but somehow despite only swapping out one item of clothing she looks magnetic.

“Wow.”

“I know right,” she gets up to allow him the full picture even though he didn’t want to ogle any more. “I just went with one of your tees, used a hair tie to style it. I’ll wear my bomber on top. And you can change your hoodie at least. You’ll look like a slob in that, it’s not going to impress any girls.”

“What if I don’t want to impress any girls?”

“Don’t forget I caught you flirting with Sophie last week.” She warns him.

It was embarrassing, Soph had been talking through one of the articles they were assigned to think about for Newsroom and it had turned flirty when Sophie started teasing him. Harry had recently felt more confident in the girl department and he’d flirted back until YN had dropped into the conversation pretending to gag at Harry.

Harry wondered if Sophie would be at the party. He should have texted her to ask.

“Let’s not talk about that.”

“I would actually love to talk about that,” she grins. “But I do want to head out. So wear this and let’s go.”

She throws Harry a crewneck and taps her foot. When she doesn’t make a move to look away he changes in front of her and doesn’t meet her eye.

“You’ve got a tattoo?” YN sounds surprised as he gets his arms into the crewneck.

“Huh?” Harry realizes she’s staring at his ribcage. He forgot he had a tattoo, not often looking at himself naked in the mirror. “Oh yeah. Caleb and I got it for our 18th before we went to uni. He’s moved to Canada for uni so-“

“You’re full of surprises aren’t you.” YN says in a quieter voice than usual. Harry’s hands are still trapped in his sweater, halfway to his head, when she steps closer and traces her hand over the numbers. Her hands are cold and unexpected and he gasps.

“Sorry,” she looks up at him but he can barely look at her. She was touching his bare torso. “Was that cold?”

“Yeah,” Harry clears his throat.

“Any others?” She asks.

He shakes his head, his voice sticking in his throat. He couldn’t move, he was too busy concentrating on breathing.

He slowly pulls his jumper on the rest of the way and only when they head out does he feel safe enough to talk. He tells YN how he planned on getting more tattoos eventually, once he figured out what he liked. It was a bit scary being so permanent but he liked the way he could express himself or hold memories on his skin.

They talk about it until they reach the dorms the party was at.

“Catch you inside,” YN says as they enter. “Don’t get too drunk.”

“Never again” Harry shouts after her. She waves without turning around.

He thought they would hang out here together but he finds himself wandering the dorms until he spots Mikey. He becomes absorbed in Mikey’s group of friends and forgets he’d been here with YN.

At some point Harry finds himself the centre of attention of a girl from his intro to biology class. Mary. She’s cute with a shoulder-length brown hair and animated eyes. When she smiles at Harry he feels his heart flutter.

“What about weirdest?” She asks Harry. They were talking about their shared interest in cults.

“Raelian,” Harry responds. “Have you heard of them?”

“Ooh no tell me about it,” she shuffles closer to him in the stranger’s room they were talking in. Harry had been nursing his drink for the last couple hours and he’d nearly made it look like it was done.

His phone vibrates in his pocket and he ignores it. When it goes off again Mary raises her brow.

“D’you need to get that?”

“I dunno,” Harry pulls out YN flipping him off on screen. He still hadn’t changed her photo.

“Harry!” He hears his name shouted from the hall just as the call ends.

“Is somebody actually calling you?” Mary furrows her brows.

“I don’t-“ his name is shouted again but louder.

The two of them shuffle to the hall and YN’s unmistakable face comes into view.

“Harry!” She says in a loud and happy tone. “I found you!”

“YN,” Harry glances at Mary nervously. She seems concerned. “What happened?”

“What didn’t happen amirite?” She elbows him. “Anyway. I don’t feel well and I am going home.”

“Drunk?” Harry scratches his head. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea. You’ve got like nearly 2 hours on the train.”

“And?” She shrugs. “I’ll sleep it off.”

“You can’t do that.” Harry insists.

“Well good thing you’re,” she points her finger into his chest and tilts forward. “Not the boss of me. Oh hey. We haven’t met!”

She spots Mary beside him and she bows to her.

“Heh. Harry. And Mary.” YN points between them.

“D’you need help?” Mary asks. “With her?”

“I don’t need help!” YN shouts. “I’m cool. I’m fun. I’m totally alright.”

“You’re really not,” Harry grits his teeth. He was finally hitting it off with Mary and of course YN had to go and get drunk and ruin it.

Technically he did invite her to the party though. Did that make her his responsibility? Harry wasn’t too sure about that sort of thing.

“I did an amazing job at Ring of Fire,” YN slurs. “Phe-nnnnn-omm-enal.”

“I am going to get her out of here,” Harry tells Mary. He twists his mouth to the side and hopes he looks as sorry as he felt. “I invited her so…”

“That’s alright! That’s what friends are for right?” She smiles. “I’ll see you in class?”

“Yeah!” Harry nods. “I’ll see you.”

With a final exchange of smiles Harry grabs YN by the shoulders and gets her out of the building. The whole time she talks about random things from the night that Harry couldn’t care less about.

“YN why did you get so bloody drunk,” Harry says outside his building. It was a co-ed so it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for both of them to go in but Harry wanted to sneak her into his room.

“I didn’t mean to,” she says. “I wasn’t even gonna stay this long.”

Her voice pitches down and she becomes droopier in Harry’s arms. His arms hurt; he should use the gym on campus more often.

“What happened?” Harry continues to entertain her.

She doesn’t say until they reach his room. He prays Rod would still be at the party and breathes a sigh of relief when the other side of the room is empty.

“Sit here,” Harry places YN on his bed and finds a water bottle for her. “Drink.”

“I can’t, I need to piss.”

Harry groans. “Why didn’t you say earlier?”

“I forgot,” she whispers. “Sorry.”

He points the toilets out to her and leaves the door open a crack so she can find her way back. Her mascara’s running when she gets back.

“Were you crying?” He asks.

“No! I tried to take this stupid stuff off.” She sighs. “It really is waterproof.”

Harry shakes his head, YN was a right state and he didn’t really know what to do. She’s always the one in control and in command. He remembers his sister using makeup wipes but he didn’t have any. He improvises with kleenex but she complains that it hurt. He tries dousing one in water but the makeup barely budges.

“Just let me sleep in it,” she complains.

“And get it all over my bedsheets?” Harry shakes his head. “No way.”

“Oils,” YN leans back in his bed anyway. “If you’ve got oil. Or balms. Whatever.”

Harry rummages through the room and manages to find a hair product his sister bought him with oils. He puts some on the kleenex but YN is snoring in bed by the time he gets up to her.

“C’mon,” he taps her face. “Did you seriously fall asleep already?”

“No,” YN cracks an eye open. “I’m up.”

“Good. Here use this.” He offers her the wipe but she whines until Harry gives in and helps her wipe it off. It makes his heart race and he tries not to breathe her in too much. Despite smelling like a brewery, underneath that she smells like YN. The one he knew last summer.

“You can’t sleep in my bed with this on.” Harry complains. Who knows where those jeans have been.

“M’not sleeping in my underwear,” she mumbles. “You wish.”

“Trust me I don’t,” Harry didn’t even sleep in his underwear. “I’ll give you some sweatpants. Please change into them.”

“You’re the worst,” she whines. But does as he says, moving like a sloth. She peels off his tshirt and slides into his sheets and Harry avoids looking at her in her sports bra. At least it wasn’t a lacy one.

She was just a friend. They had both made an agreement. Friends slept in the same bed. He’d probably shared a bed with Caleb before—this was fine.

Harry creeps under his sheets and tries to keep space between YN and himself but she tucks herself into his side and is out like a light.

***

Harry wakes to a shock of cold on his thigh. His eyes rip open and he yanks himself away from the freeze.

It takes him a moment to register YN giggling beside him.

“What the fuck!” Harry groans and turns on his back. At some point he’d turned towards YN and they’d probably slept facing each other. It was better than any other alternative he figured.

“Sorry,” she says without sounding a single bit sorry. “I just had to do it.”

“I literally let you crash in the same tiny bed as me and you repay me like that!?” Harry says to the ceiling. Sleep still tries to pull him back in but he fights it—with YN up he probably wasn’t going to get any more sleep.

“Okay no I shouldn’t have done that sorry.” She apologizes. “You wouldn’t happen to have like paracetamol or-“

“It’s in the desk drawer—what are you—ow!”

YN had started climbing over him as he answered and nearly kneed him between the legs.

“Sorry!” She whispers. Harry glances at his roommate to find him sleeping in his bed. He hoped Rod was too drunk to notice YN in his bed when he came in.

Harry decides to just get up then and eventually he walks YN to the bus terminal both of them full on caf coffee and breakfast. She was going to cut it close for her shift but she didn’t seem to care.

“Thanks for taking care of me last night,” YN says as the bus comes into view. She doesn’t look him in the eye as she says it and he can barely look at her saying it. “You didn’t have to and you did.”

“It’s nothing,” Harry says, equally uncomfortable with YN’s vulnerability.

“I saw an ex,” she meets his gaze. “I didn’t think I’d run into him after all this time. That’s kinda why I drank more than I intended. I wasn’t supposed to inconvenience you—hey, weren’t you talking to some girl last-“

“Yeah,” Harry hoped Mary wasn’t too weirded out by YN. “It’s fine. I’ve got class with her.”

“Oh I’m sorry,” she slaps her hand to her forehead. “I hope I didn’t make things weird. I owe you.”

“It’s alright,” Harry finally meets her eye and realizes it was alright. He could be friends with YN and maybe this could work. “It’s what friends do.”

“Really?” She asks.

He nods. “I’ll help you home from any party.”

“Awww,” she wrings her arms around Harry’s neck and he takes a step back to steady her. He forces his brain to think only friendly thoughts, and not how steady his hand feels on her lower back or how nice her hair smells, as he returns the hug. “That’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever said.”

She leans back and pats his face. “You’re growing up so much. Look at how much nicer you are.”

Harry blushes and she laughs at him as she runs to catch the bus. He watches the bus wink out of sight and sighs.

It was in part thanks to YN he’s grown so much, she forced him out of his shell and pointed out all the ways his intellect can get in the way of being a nice person. And being out of school helped the rest of the way; Harry’s contemplative on his walk back home.

***

“What about orange juice and biscuits?” Mary asks.

Harry thinks about it before shaking his head, “No. it doesn’t make sense.”

The two were having dinner together in the caf. Ever since the party last month they’ve spent more time together in between classes. They weren’t dating but there was a heavy chemistry between them. Harry didn’t realize, Mary was just waiting for them to make the first move.

“Crisps and jam?”

“Why?” Harry scrunches his face imagining the weird food combination. Mary was reading off an article she was reading when he sat down at her table.

She shrugs, “Apparently it’s moreish.”

Harry liked Mary a lot but he sometimes felt he paled next to her, like if he asked her out and she really got to know him she might not like him as much. So he kept her at arm’s length.

“What’s more-ish is the bile coming up my throat thinking of that.”

“A lot of these are pregnancy cravings!” Mary says. “What do we know?”

“Who’s pregnant?” Flo asks as she sits beside Mary. Mikey joins the table too.

“Nobody’s pregnant,” Harry corrects. “We’re just reading an article.”

“No actually, the computer science prof that everyone hates is pregnant. She’s not teaching next semester anyone who’s interested should take it then.” Flo informs the group.

“Can you imagine?” Mary turns to her. “Being so hated that the one semester you’re not teaching there’s a massive waiting list on your course?”

The group begins to discuss this particular prof and Harry fades into a listener. Mary catches his eye a few times and sends a bright smile his way and Harry keeps it tucked within.

Now a couple months into uni Harry was starting to find a rhythm that he was able to ride. He had more friends than he’s ever had, regularly went to parties and hung out with them, Rod and him were good friends by some way of YN, and uni challenged Harry’s brain in a good way.

Him and YN didn’t hang out very much but he often saw her at parties, in the Newsroom, or if he came back to his dorm while she napped. If had become part of their regular schedule for her to use his dorm to nap and Harry was more than happy to let her. Rod was too—even happier than Harry sometimes.

“Are you going to the Halloween thing Harry?” Mikey asks.

“Huh?” Harry had zoned out. “Uh I think so. Yeah. Why not?”

“Awesome,” Flo says. “We should go together.”

“We’re not doing matching costumed Flo,” Harry says for the tenth time this month.

“Why not?!” She cries. The table becomes noisy again as they argue the same thing they’ve argued since October started. Harry feels at home.

***

Just finished my mid-term, Harry texts Mary. We should celebrate with drinks later.

Yeah after I finish mine later today, would love to. Mary texts back.

Harry smiles at his phone and switches chat to YN.

Are you still at mine?

She doesn’t reply and Harry figures she’s either sleeping or maybe writing a mid-term. He knew she had one later this afternoon—the same class as Mary.

Uni turned out to be a small world, he’d found a few people he already knew in these halls and somehow new friends and old acquaintances had all mingled together.

The good thing was now that he regularly wore contacts and started putting in some effort in how he looked, a lot of his old classmates either walked past him with no recognition or spoke to him like they weren’t the reason he had one friend in secondary.

It still took some adjusting to: here he was, bottom-rung at his old school, asking someone at the top rung if she was still sleeping in his bed. It was mad.

Harry turns the key of his door and freezes at what’s before him.

His roommate Roderick sits on his bed with his back to the wall and someone looking very much like—no it was YN because her jacket lay on his bed, straddling his lap. YN and his roommate were making out.

“What is this?” Harry asks when his senses return. “What’s going on?”

“Oh hey Har,” Rod looks past YN. He was so casual, Harry felt a little crazy at thinking this was a big deal.

“Oh,” YN turns and unhooks her legs from around Rod. “You’re done your exam. How was it?”

Were they insane it was he just a prude? Harry’s roommate was making out with his friend. That regularly crashed in his room. Has this been going on for a while?

“Good. Fine. YN can we talk?” Harry asks.

“Sure,” YN climbs off the bed and fixes her lipstick whilst passing the mirror. Harry nods to the hall and she steps out. “What’s up?”

“What…what’s going on there?”

“What? Rod?”

“Obviously!”

“Oh my god Har, it’s nothing serious we were just making out.”

“For how long?”

“I dunno? Why do you want to know?”

“No like how long have you two been hooking up?”

“We were just making out today why’ve you got your panties in a twist?”

“So this is the first time?”

“No…we made out at a party last week. Anyway I was just studying on your bed after getting a nap in and he walked in. It got flirty, one thing led to another-“

“I’m not comfortable with this.” Harry clenched his teeth. He didn’t know why but it felt wrong they were doing this in his room. After he’d opened it up for her to give her a break from the constant commuting. What if things go sour between them and Rod takes it out on him? What if she ruins the vibe of their dorm?

“Harry,” YN lays a hand on his shoulder with a serious face. “You know I’ve kissed boys before. Done even more than-“

“This isn’t a joke,” Harry brushes her hand off. “I don’t feel comfortable with you doing…that in the room.”

“So now you’re deciding who I can see-“

“No!” Harry shouts a bit too loud and someone on the other end of the hall looks up. “No. You know that’s not what I’m saying. I don’t care who you hook up with YN. Just not in my room with my roommate. Do whatever you want with him at parties but not in my room. I don’t care what you do. Just…not in my room.”

Harry shuts up once he realizes he’s repeating himself. He hopes she understands.

“Fine.” She does her classic move. She shuts down. “I’ll be a devout virgin in your room. Outside I’ll be the wild child I am.”

“YN don’t twist this,” Harry sighs. “Why do you do that?”

“I’ve got an exam in a couple hours.” She opens the door. “I should go.”

“Already?” Rod says as they walk in.

“Harry’s made a request about us,” YN shoots him a look and Harry wants to take that look and throw it back at her. He was going to break it to Rod differently knowing how tenuous the balance of their friendship was. But now she’s just dropped it like a bomb in the middle of their dorm.

“What?” Rod looks at Harry.

Harry flushes but he tries to look at Rod when he tells him, “I think it’s weird you two making out here. You can do that anywhere just not here. My roommate and my friend…it’s weird.”

Rod blinks, Harry thinks he’s zoned out until he shrugs. “Nee bother. I respect it Harry. I’ll catch you out there then YN.”

YN looks between the boys, her hands holding her bag are curled into fists and with one last angry look to Harry she exits the room.

“Doesn’t look like she’s too chuffed with you man.” Rod pipes in from behind.

She wasn’t chuffed with him half the time, Harry was now used to it.

***

The Halloween party is packed like sardines and Harry considers leaving. Mary had come down with a flu and she’d also been avoiding him the last week. Gabe said she’s probably tired of him not doing anything about their mutual crush, Flo thinks she needs space, and YN says she found someone new to fantasize about but Harry thinks the last one is mostly to get under his skin.

Ever since that day in his dorm YN’s gone back to being bristly with Harry. It doesn’t bother him most days but it does frustrate him on a few.

“Harry!” A familiar face waves him down. The party was in off-campus student res and it was decorated like somebody had gone batshit on Amazon. Just walking toward Sophie, Harry had gotten a faceful of smoke, fake cobwebs, and bubbles for some reason.

“Soph! How’s it going?” Harry hadn’t seen Sophie since she quit Newsroom a few weeks ago. With midterms and club deadlines clashing she decided she couldn’t do both and left the club.

“So much better,” her brightened eyes and large smile fixed on her face clued Harry in that she’d already started drinking. “But I miss the Newsroom crew. How is everyone?”

“We’re fine—you know you could still hang out with us? We’re around.”

“Ugh I know,” she sways towards him. “But I feel like I hardly have time to be social. Social. Does that sound weird—so-shul?”

“I think you’re a bit drunk Soph,” Harry points to her cup.

“Oh yeah,” she laughs. “What about you? You don’t even have a drink!”

“I…I was gonna go get one.” Harry lies. He was actually gonna go home.

“Okay! Someone had shots going.”

She grabs his hand and it tingles. She races around until she finds the half-empty vodka and demands Harry do shots with her. He nearly chokes on it and coughs uncontrollably which sets Soph off.

“Are you alright?” She slaps his back harder than she looks like she could. “You need a chaser hold up!”

She disappears behind the table and pulls out lime wedges from god knows where. She instructs Harry how to do it even though he didn’t want any more but she doesn’t relent.

The second time is a lot smoother but Harry realizes he really did not like vodka either.

“Soph! Har! You two know each other?!” Roderick suddenly walks in on them, crashing the two with an arm around both. “Small worlds!”

“Hey Rod,” Soph’s glow dims a little.

“Now what kind of hello is that? And what are you supposed to be?”

“Scream queen right?” Harry asks as Soph says “Scream Queen duh?”

Rod frowns and takes his arms down. “Well I can make you scream, qu-“

“Alright,” Harry and Soph eye each other. Harry has been to enough parties with Rod to know what level of drunk meant what level of no filter. And it was best they left him alone now. “We’ll see you around mate.”

“Thank you,” Soph whispers in his ear as she loops her arm and they walk away.

“What’s going on with you two?” Harry asks. He’s learned enough to know Sophie soured at the sight of him.

“Really?” She asks.

“Really—what?”

“Him and YN were hooking up a few weeks ago. He was just…ekgh.”

“That’s not a word,” Harry laughs.

“I know!” She throws her hands up, one of which holds a knife.

“Alright,” Harry holds his up. “It’s a word.”

She throws her head back and laughs, then wields the knife against his throat.

“Woah, Soph.”

“It’s fake!” She laughs again.

“Yeah thank god,” Harry lowers it and she tumbles into him with the pressure she had put on it.

“Oops,” she smiles up at him. “Hey how d’you know Scream Queens?”

Blood rushes to Harry’s head as she looks up at him through her lashes. Soph was beautiful—she always had been. But tonight she looks particularly beautiful. It could be the vodka. But he wanted to kiss her.

“I watched it over the summer with…” Harry had watched it with YN. This was YN’s friend. Maybe he shouldn’t kiss her.

“Hm?” She inches her arm up and loops it around his neck. Her head tilts to one side and Harry feels the vodka flood his brain while his blood rushes another direction. “You’ve got really nice eyes.”

“So do you.” Harry barely gets out.

“Our babies would have amazing eyes.” She says with complete seriousness. Obviously she was drunk.

“Yeah. Uhm,” Harry tries to push her away. He does, or he tells himself that. But when she stands on the balls of her feet Harry felt it was rude to not meet her halfway. Not press his lips against her strawberry-flavoured plush ones. It felt amazing.

“D’you wanna go somewhere?” She whispers in his ear.

Harry doesn’t want to. He just wants her to shut up so they can keep kissing.

He leads her gently to the wall and continues kissing her, displaying what he’s learned in his two months at uni. And the noises she makes does unspeakable things to Harry.

“C’mon!” She urges to him. “Surely one of the bedrooms are free!”

At the thought his mind clears for a single moment. Should he be doing this? Was his first time really going to be at a Halloween party with Soph?

“I don’t have any-“

“That’s alright!” She tugs him back to her. “Let’s just see where the night takes us.”

“You’ve got to lose the knife though,” Harry says against her lips.

She laughs and tucks it into his back pocket. “Okay?”

Her laugh scatters away the remaining rational thought and he follows her wherever she takes him.

***

“Alright team,” the head of Newspaper stands addressing the crowd. “This has been an incredible year of reporting. I think we’ve done a fantastic job and I want to commend you all on your efforts and time lent to our humble club. Our final edition is going to print today, and the year’s final episode releases this Friday. So do give it a listen. Next year we’ll be back invigorated with more stories to tell. Have a great holiday all!”

Harry’s eyes roam the room, feeling content at being part of this hard-working group.

Despite only a semester on the Newspaper Harry felt really bonded with everyone. The team was big, split into print and podcast and yet despite not knowing everyone, the passion for stories and reporting was palpable. Especially release weeks.

Over the semester Harry had gotten even closer to Florence and Gabriel, it made Newsroom feel even more collaborative. And they often grabbed a bite after Newsroom or they would sometimes go to Gabriel’s and play video games. YN would join occasionally.

YN, only being a first year, was often frustrated being sidelined by seniors. Her friends often heard about it after particular Newsroom meetings. Still, YN on the podcast team made waves and Harry knew because her name was often on a lot of projects or on the lips of a lot of seniors. It made him proud to be her friend, often it reminded him of how he used to think about her. But Newsroom was a perfect example of how they both had separate strengths and how they flourished in each of them. He’s glad he realized that last year.

Harry’s eyes continue to dart to the door, checking his phone. It was weird y/n didn’t show up today when she should have. Especially the final meeting.

When the group goes for dinner in the caf Harry spots their friend Sophie.

What started as hooking up at Halloween ended in a few other hook-ups over the last month or so. Each time Harry felt incredibly guilty but Soph was really nice to him and nice to kiss too. Plus, Mary had stopped hanging out with him without another word and he wasn’t exactly sure what he did for that. So he’d given her space.

“Y/n wasn’t at today’s meeting, shame.” Flo says to Soph. “D’you know where she is?l

“No, that’s strange. I saw her earlier today?” Soph looks at the group.

“Me too,” Gabe adds. “She’s around.”

“Yeah it is strange,” Harry comments. “She’s usually on time, or at least sends us a text if she can’t make it.”

“I hope everything’s okay,” Flo scrunches her brows.

“I’m sure it is.” Sophie reassures her.

She turns to Harry with a secret smile, one hand sliding onto his thigh. “Any plans after this?”

“Oh!” Harry startles as her hand slides higher up his thigh. This was so…public. “Maybe. Uhm. Soph can we talk?”

He’d wanted to talk to her all week but had been so busy with exams. He thought about it a lot and really didn’t think sneaking behind y/n’s back with her friend was right. Especially after he asked her not to hook up with Rod in his room and she stopped.

Sophie shrugs and follows him off to the side.

“We need to talk,” Harry starts, he waves between both of them. “About this.”

“Yeah?” Sophie asks.

“Yeah. And. About Y/n.”

Sophie just notices the serious tone to Harry’s voice. She stops playing with her hair and stands taller. “Okay. What about her?”

Harry takes a deep breath, trying to articulate his thoughts. “I’ve just been thinking with us being her friend, she doesn’t know about us. I don’t want to sneak behind her back give her another reason to have trust issues—she’s been through a lot.”

“Yeah,” Soph agrees. “Y/n’s strong. She’s got like, that tough quiet strength she just exudes it always. I admire that about her.”

Harry nods, a small smile tugging on his lips. “Exactly. She’s really loyal to her friends, and I don’t want to screw anything up. I just…don’t think she’d approve of this.”

Sophie’s eyes soften with understanding. “Oh.”

“What?”

“You…care about her don’t you?”

“Well uhm yeah she’s my friend I-I yeah-“

“Like care about her.” Soph cuts off Harry’s stuttering. He felt like an idiot.

“Uhhh…”

“Be honest,” Soph curls the side of her mouth. “It’s not like we’re dating I don’t like care if you do.”

“Yeah fine. More than I probably should yeah,” he sighs. “But she’s made it clear we’re nothing more than friends. And I’m fine with that but we go way back and she’s helped me though a lot. I just don’t want to lose her. As a friend. But you’re a really great person too Soph I don’t want to lose. And I don’t want it to get complicated here.”

“I get it,” Sophie shrugs. “But it doesn’t have to be complicated. Or a secret. We’re just having fun!”

“Yeah I just don’t want to jeopardize anything.”

Unbeknownst to Harry and Sophie, y/n enters the caf then and spots the two before spotting their usual table. She heads towards Harry and Sophie first, curious as to why they were separated in what looked like an intense discussion.

“Fine. I get it!” Sophie continues.

“I’ve screwed up with her enough.” Harry says as y/n gets within hearing distance. “I hate feeling like I’m walking on egshells around her.”

“YN’s a tough cookie,” Soph agrees. “I’d be scared to be on her bad side.”

“I’ve been on it. Kinda made my life hell. It’s like facing a lion with just a stick.”

“You poor thing,” Soph touches Harry’s cheek and laughs just as her phone vibrates. “Oh that’s Emmy hold on.”

Harry smiles as she steps away but it dies as y/n steps into view.

“Oh y/n…how long-“

“Walking on eggshells? Didn’t realize being around me was such a burden-“

“No y/n that’s not the-“

“Save it Harry,” her eyes flicker with hurt.

“No seriously!” Harry tries to explain. “I wasn’t saying it like that!”

“You compared me to a fucking lion!”

“Let me explain-“

“After everything I told you about me I thought we got each other Har-“ Y/n cuts herself off as her throat closes with tears. She was not the type to cry in front of anyone, especially a boy. She waits for the feeling to subside. “It’s pretty clear where I stand. And by the way, talking me down isn’t going to make you look good with Soph.”

“Y/n please,” Harry feels her slipping away again and he envisions taking her by the shoulder and giving her a good shake. He hated when she did this, like the tides at a beach she retreated so quickly all he was left with was sand. She never left enough time for someone to grab her.

“Just…whatever Harry.”

With that she turns on her heel and walks away, the noise in the caf suddenly comes roaring in on either side of Harry. He wants to turn the volume dial all the way down and run after her but he knows neither are possible.

“What was that?” Sophie reappears.

“She heard the wrong end of our conversation.” Harry says with dread. “I didn’t mean for her to hear it like that. She must think…I don’t even know what she must think.”

“Mmm,” Sophie squeezes Harry’s shoulder. “Just give her space. I’ll ask her what she heard and explain don’t worry. She’ll come around.”

Harry wasn’t so sure.

***

Harry watches as Mary enters the bar and looks around. For a moment he can just be another bloke seeing Mary for the first time wondering what she’s like with her cropped hair and animated brown eyes. He feels his heart picking up speed the longer he watches her—he can’t believe it took him this long to ask her out officially.

Although it wasn’t entirely his fault.

Harry didn’t think Mary would ever be interested in him on a deeper level—he definitely wouldn’t date himself. And when Mary began to make excuses about hanging out last year, Harry took that as a big glaring sign he was right, instead of just asking her outright.

Then there was the tryst with Soph. And the fallout with y/n who cut him out of his life like she was scissors through wrapping paper. Harry acted like it didn’t hurt him but it did; after all the time they spent together he didn’t know how y/n could be so cold with people she called her friends. She didn’t even care about his explanation.

But Harry’s sister had given him an earful one night during Christmas break, about dating the girl he was really into and not being such a coward. It took him a whole month to work up the courage but on Valentine’s Day he’d asked Mary to be his. It was cheesy but she loved it. They’d hung out a few times and last week Harry asked her to be his girlfriend. He was officially in a relationship!

Mary catches his wave from the front and she breaks into her toothy smile that squeezed his heart every time it was directed his way. Falling in love made the whole world feel soppy. Harry’d never experienced something like this; in a world of learning and achievements this was one he felt really proud to get to.

“What are you smiling so hard about?” Mary teases as she reaches him. Harry kisses her and keeps her hand in his as they sit.

“Just this girl, can’t stop thinking about her.”

“Must be a lucky lady,” Mary grins. She was head over heels too.

“Nah I think I’m the lucky one.”

“God,” Mary pulls her hand away and presses them to her blushing cheeks. “You’re damn charming when you want to be Harry.”

That wasn’t a word anyone would ever use to describe him. Yet Harry feels over the moon to hear it. Here was proof he was changing—he was finally growing up.

The new couple have a few drinks with their food, they talk about school, friends, and the upcoming Easter Break.

“I’m heading home too,” Mary was originally from Liverpool. “My mum’s sister’s coming in from Australia for Easter. She’s got these little rascals I haven’t seen in years so I’ll have to see how big they’ve gotten now.”

“Are those the rascals who stole your Taylor Swift poster?”

“Signed poster,” Mary corrects him. “And yes. As payback because I caught then stealing their dad’s smokes. It’s been 3 years and I still haven’t gotten that back.”

“You really think they kept it?”

“Well we’re gonna find out,” Mary grinds her knuckles into the palm of her other hand. “I’m older and stronger now I can take them.”

Harry laughs, he loved seeing Mary when she was joking like this. Otherwise she was a bit like him when it came to studying and being serious.

“Well you’ve got a boyfriend now. I’ll make the trip if it means getting that poster back.”

“Would you!?” Mary reaches out to him. “That’s actually so sweet.”

Harry’s chest fills with warmth as she kisses him, and that sparks a different hunger. They pay their tab and head out hand in hand back to his dorm.

Rod isn’t in and they take advantage of that.

Roderick and Harry had continued their friendship despite y/n disappearing from his dorm. They’d gotten to the point where Harry declined a couple parties and Rod didn’t take it personally, and Harry actually helped Rod out with some of his studies. They worked out together and there was a better balance.

He did see y/n at parties sometimes. A couple times with Rod too. He tried to talk to her the first couple times but she always danced away just as he got to her. So he stopped trying. She was frustrating.

“Hey,” Mary kisses his jaw. “Where’d you go?”

“Sorry,” Harry had gotten lost in his head again. “I think Rod’s gonna be back soon-“

“Oh,” Mary sighs. “Okay. My roommate’s a shut in, too bad we can never go to mine.”

“If I asked him to not come home he wouldn’t,” Harry realizes Mary wanted to cross some bases too late. He really should stick to being in his body more often. He should have messaged Rod as soon as they headed here.

“Maybe next time,” Mary smiles sweetly. She wipes the side of Harry’s lips with her thumb, that’s when he realizes she was wearing lipstick. It was a subtle colour but not as much when it’s smeared on her chin. Something about seeing it like that feels endearing to him.

“Until then,” he pulls her back to him and kisses her hard, she responds in kind. Just as Harry slips his hand below her tee the doorknob jiggles. He sighs, “Fuck.”

“It’s alright,” Mary whispers below him. “That was fun.”

He peers back down at her, her lipstick is even worse but she’s looking up at him like she’s seeing him for the first time. Note to self show Mary how much I like her, Harry realizes.

This time he uses his thumb to swipe at the smudged lipstick. She smiles at him like he hung the stars.

***

Harry would have taken the train home last night to avoid the crowds but it was his last day with Mary before being apart for 2 weeks and he wanted to make the most of it. So now he pays the consequences with a packed train and barely any leg room.

The guy next to him plays some video game on his phone, the person across from that guy is already napping with her mouth open. Harry waits to see who takes the seat across and his heart drops when they finally take the seat and look up at him.

“For fuck’s sake,” she mutters.

Y/n. Of course it would be her. She’s cut her hair since the last time he saw her—now she has a fringe and he’s pretty sure layers with how much they flick outwards from her face.

“Y/n,” Harry greets her. This was going to be one long train ride. Although he wasn’t sure what she was doing here—did she move on campus this semester?

“Harry…” she says with a studied coolness.

“Nice to see you.”

“Is it?” She asks. “Look I’ll just find another-“

She gets up but Harry’s faster. He stretches out his long leg to block the corridor. She’s stuck within the 4-seater.

“What are you doing?”

“Keeping you in,” Harry says with a small smile. She would be forced to sit in front of him, he would finally be able to get her to talk.

“Harry don’t be so immature move your leg.”

“That’s your seat just take it y/n.” He motions to it.

“Harry!” She tries to climb over it but Harry just raises his leg and it throws her off balance. She nearly falls backwards but Harry springs up fast enough to balance her. That’s how he finds himself standing in her personal space, one hand on her lower back and the other clutching her arm.

“Sorry,” he mumbles.

“Get. Off of me.” She replies.

He lets her go and she actually sits back down. Harry glances around and flushes as he realizes everyone around them had started staring.

“Nice hair,” Harry tries again as the train leaves the station. By then they’d been sitting in silence for at least 15 minutes.

“Yeah. Whatever.” Y/n brushes her bangs.

“So are you on campus now?” Harry continues casually.

This both surprises and irritates y/n. Usually he was very sensitive to when she was being a bitch to him, but now it seemed he was getting some enjoyment out of talking to her despite her attempt at staying cold; something had changed with him.

“No.” She answers as clipped as possible.

“So you’re taking the train home today because…”

“God Harry,” y/n sighs. “I had my last exam and stayed out too late. Now stop asking me questions like I’m in a bloody interview. Leave me alone!”

“Isn’t that what I’ve been doing the last couple months,” Harry grumbles. The look she gives him could cut him in half.

She studies him, what’s changed she wonders. He still didn’t meet her eye completely but he was challenging her a lot more. She wouldn’t have minded it as much if she wasn’t recovering from a killer hangover.

“So won’t be hard to continue.” She glares.

And that’s how the remaining hour or so is spent sitting across from his friend or ex-friend, whatever. In silence. Apart from a few glances her way he buries his nose in his book and texts Mary as she boards her own train.

Of course, they get off on the same platform and when Harry’s mum catches sight of y/n she insists on giving her a ride home since y/n was just going to take the bus. The two of them sit in silence as Harry’s mum asks them a dozen questions. The ride ends with an invite for dinner and a non-committal yes from y/n.

“You guys get into a fight or something?” Harry’s mum asks as they drive to their home.

“Or something,” Harry mumbles.

“It was like the the bloody DMZ in here.”

Harry shrugs. “It’s just y/n being y/n.”

“I saw her a couple weeks ago at M&S,” Harry’s mum continues. “She didn’t look so good I offered her a ride but she said she was waiting for her sister to finish her shift. D’you know what’s going on with her?”

Harry thought about it but couldn’t think of a single thing. Y/n kept her cards very close to her chest.

“No. She doesn’t share much.”

“Well do you ask?”

“No but even if I did she would just shut me out,” Harry suddenly feels defensive.

“It’s still nice to be asked,” his mum says. “Knowing someone cares enough.”

Harry looks at his mum, the words she’s saying makes sense. But it surprises him to hear them and realize just how much it made sense. How come he’s never realized that?

Maybe he was a shittier friend than he realized.

So Harry gives it a few days and shows up at y/n’s house. This time he knew exactly where to find her.

“You are?” One of y/n’s brothers answers the door. He was a couple years older than them.

“Harry I uh-is y/n home?”

“Maybe,” his brother continues to scrutinize Harry until he squirms. “Wait here.”

He waits for an eternity, sitting down on the stoop while he does. Finally the door opens behind him and y/n joins him on the stoop.

She’s in a blue sweater and pyjama pants. Harry’s surprised to see little powerpuff girls all over them. His sister used to watch that Friday evenings.

“What’re you doing here?”

“I just want to talk y/n,” Harry had practiced looking her in the eye. Just talking to her like a friend. He looks at her now. “You’ve been icing me out for months now it’s unfair. Sophie told me she told you what we were talking about, how you walked in when it sounded wrong and you’re still mad about it?”

She stares at him for a beat before sighing.

As she exhales she grows smaller in front of him until she’s drooped over, her arms circle her knees, and her head rests atop them—she’s the size of a pumpkin.

“I’m not mad at that,” she admits. “Sophie explained you didn’t mean it like that. I was more offended just at the fact that you two were talking about me. But I didn’t realize you two were close…”

“Yeah. I’m sorry about that-“

“That,” she cuts him off. “Is mostly why I was upset with you. You made such a big deal that I was hooking up with Rod meanwhile you were banging one of my friends? Behind my back?”

“We weren’t-I wouldn’t say bang-“

“Doesn’t matter Har!” Y/n sits up again and Harry feels the clouds break for a sec as she uses his nickname. “That wasn’t a great way to find out. Why didn’t you tell me?”

Harry didn’t know. Or he did: he didn’t think him and Soph were going to be more than a one time thing and when it was, he was ashamed a bit. He didn’t think he would go to college and have a casual relationship as his first one. It wasn’t something he necessarily wanted public knowledge.

“Maybe I was scared. I dunno. I just know I’m really sorry.”

They sit in silence for a few seconds, Harry hears the hoover turn on in yn’s house.

“Why’ve you got to be so fucking honest for,” y/n finally says with a sigh. “Makes it so hard to be mad at you when you’re all sincere and vulnerable.”

“Sorry,” Harry repeats.

“Stop it!” YN exclaims.

“Fine!” Harry’s heart pounds. “I don’t give a fuck about how you felt. Happy?”

Y/n freezes and slowly turns to stare at him. A smile ever so slowly tugs at the corner of her lips. She almost looks proud?

“Harry!” She grins. Then she punches him square in the bicep. Then gasps. “Have you been working out?”

Harry had been; in between class and clubs and dating, he started working out last winter with Rod.

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me y/n,” Harry jokes and y/n snorts. The two look at each other at the sound of it before bursting out in laughter.

“I don’t know where that came from!” Y/n says through laughter. “I literally snorted!”

“You sounded like Peppa Pig,” Harry also has tears in his eyes. He missed hanging out with y/n.

Once they get ahold of their laughter Harry bumps his shoulder into hers. “It’s nice you’re talking to me again.”

She looks like she wants to say something to Harry, her eyes grow intense as she fixes onto him, her chin wobbling, but then it passes. Harry ignores the spark of disappointment.

“Yeah we’ll see.” She says with a half smile.

All was right in the world again, Harry thought.

He should have known, though, being friends with y/n would never be that simple.

TAGLIST: hmu if you want to be added

#writingsfromhome #harry styles x reader #harry styles fic #harry styles #harry styles fanfic #harry styles imagine #fic #harry styles angst #harry styles fluff #college!harry #ya harry styles #enemies to friends #idk #harry stylesxreader #things to learn #harry styles series #how the HELL has it been over a year since part 1 #HOW #nerd!harry

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bteezxyewriter12 · 11 months ago

Text

Drunken Confessions

Pairing- San x Named Reader

Word count- 4k

Includes- Blow job, deep throating, pussy eating, cum eating, cock riding, desk sex, sex from behind, missionary, fluff

Tag List- @mingtina @jaxminnie @yeosayang @delightfulmoonbanana @tannie13 @y00nzin0 @marsstarxhwa

@yeosxxx @seokwoosmole @jjongsbebe @wisejudgedragonhairdo @meowmeowminnie @woo-stars @borntowalkaway @usagionthered @san-realblkwife @seonghwasstar @jejeyeppeo @soulseobi05 @kpop-bambi @prayerofthehaim @realisticnotes @pinkies-things @insomniacatiny @stephy-nicole13

Masterlists- check out for more fics

📝Masterlists 📝ATEEZ Masterlist 📝San Masterlist

J POV

"Uh San...you wanna...like...slow down?", I ask as he takes another shot of vodka

He snorts, "C'mon Jo. I'm not a newbie. I have a high tolerance. Give me another one"

I sigh, pouring him another shot

Which he downs in a nanosecond

I know why he's like this

Because she's here

His ex-girlfriend, Hanna, who dumped him four months ago and is now here, in his club with a new guy

Yeah that's gotta hurt

"Jo!", he exclaims, "More!"

I sigh, pouring him another

He's my best friend and I've tried to help him get over her

I thought he was making progress, until she walked in and he started drinking

Normally I'd drink with him but I'm working

Yup he's my best friend and also my boss

Brightside?

I can cut him off before he gets obliterated

And he's well on his way

I'm just appalled at the gall she has coming here

She actually went up to San and flirted with him

Smiling, giving him flirty eyes, touching his arm, his hair, commenting on how good he looks

With the new guy standing behind her

Now she's dancing with the guy but keeps looking back at San, giving him smirks, trying to get him jealous

She's succeeding and he's not the only one she's making jealous

I am too because he keeps looking at her

I wish he would look at me instead but I know that's never going to happen

Shoving all thoughts of San like that out of my head, I turn to the group of girls calling for my attention and take their order

I have to work to do and make money

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

"C'mon Sannie", I say, dragging him behind me

He needs to take a nap

He's hogging a spot at my bar, brooding and pouty and I need his spot for someone who's gonna pay for the drinks

He has a couch in his office that he can crash on until I can get him home later

Opening the door to his office, I lead him to the couch

"Lay down, rest, sleep. I'll take you home after my shift"

I start turning to leave, when I feel his hand on my wrist

He spins me to him, coming closer, his lips right above mine

What the fuck?

I quickly step out of his grasp

It hurts but I don't want to kiss him while he's drunk

While he wants to forget Hanna

I can't just have drunk sex with him, knowing it means nothing to him

He moves closer to me again, trying to kiss me

"San, what are you doing?", I snap

He stops, looking upset, "What? You don't want to kiss me?"

That is neither here nor there

"I'm not kissing you while you're drunk. I'm your best friend, not some girl you can use to forget Hanna is here with another guy"

"That's not why I'm trying to kiss you", he argues

Right

Because he tries to kiss me everyday

Please

"Yes it is"

I wasn't born yesterday

"No. I don't care who Hanna is with"

I snort

Why is he lying?

He knows I have eyes, that I saw him look at her then drink

"Yes you do. Don't lie San!", I exclaim, "You're upset because she's here with someone else! You're drunk because of it"

"God you're so fucking.....oblivious!", he yells, "I don't care about her!"

I snort, "Could of fooled me!"

"I don't. I fucking want you!"

Shock enters my body from his words

He wants me?

No he doesn't, he's fucking drunk

He wants anything that walks

"Fuck off San!"

"No!", he shouts, pacing, "You don't fucking know!"

Know what?

What the fuck is he talking about?

"You don't know that I broke up with her! You assumed she dumped me but I dumped her when I...when I realized that I'm so fucking in love with you!"

My mouth drops open, staring at him

There's no way

He never showed any sign...nothing

I'm not that oblivious

"I don't care if she wants me back, if she was flirting with me, if she's looking at me. I don't care if every girl in the fucking club looks at me. I only want you to look at me and you fucking don't! I can't tear my eyes away from you, when you're working, when we're hanging out, anytime I'm fucking around you. You act as if I'm not there, as if I'm not a guy and just one of your friends"

"You are my best friend San", I point out because I don't know what else to say

I'm still processing everything

And I'm terrified that this is all a joke

Or this is something he's saying because he's wasted

That would be the worst and so embarrassing

"I don't want to be your best friend!", he snaps, leaning against his desk, his fingers gripping the edges so hard they're white, "I want to be your boyfriend. I want to be the only one you notice, be the only one you want! I want to be the only one who kisses you, touches you. I want to be the only one you give your fucking gorgeous smile to. I want you to want me!"

I want that too but he's drunk and he doesn't know what he's saying

"You're drunk-", I start

"No I'm not", he snorts, "I'm tipsy but I know what the fuck I'm saying. You are the one I should of been with to begin with. I know what I want. You"

My brain is malfunctioning as everything he's saying is catching up to me

"Why...why are you drinking then?"

"Because she's fucking here and I thought she was going to start something with you!", he exclaims, "She knows I love you. I was panicking. I thought you would think I want her or she would tell you how I feel before I could. That's why I was drinking"

My mind is reeling from all this

"So don't tell me I don't know what I want", he growls, glaring at me, "If you don't feel the same then you can just leave, forget I said anything, never speak about it again and let me get myself together."

I can't leave

Not....not if he's telling the truth

Instead I walk towards him, my arms around his neck, crashing my lips to his

His kiss is fucking amazing, making me swoon and feel like the floor is tilting under me

His arms move around me, pulling me right against him, his solid, muscular body feeling so good

He licks my lip and I open my mouth letting his tongue in

I move my tongue to his, moaning softly when his plays with mine

Moving my fingers in his hair, I fall into his kiss, wishing, hoping this isn't just one kiss

When we pull away, I look into his beautiful brown eyes, "You better be sure about this San because I fucking love you so much. If you're just gonna say you didn't mean anything you said tomorrow when you're not tipsy then tell me right now"

He shakes his head, "I'll never say that Jo. You are who I want today, tomorrow, everyday"

I nod, "Ok Sannie"

"Do...do you mean what you said? You love me?"

I move my hand to his cheek, my thumb stroking his skin, "I don't remember a time I wasn't in love with you Sannie. I've been waiting for you for a long time"

"I'm sorry I made you wait naekkeo. I should have realized my feelings sooner"

"Better late than never", I smile softly

"I'll make everything up to you", he promises, then pulls me to him, kissing me hard, his hands grabbing my ass and squeezing

I drop my hands to his shirt, unbuttoning the buttons quickly, shoving the shirt off his muscular arms

Grabbing his belt, I open it, getting his black jeans open

My shirt is pulled off my body, our clothes flying all over until we're both naked

Dropping to my knees, I gape at his huge thick cock, having no idea that San was packing that

He's so hard, sticking straight out, a huge vein popping up, his head crying cum

Pressing my tongue to his tip, I lick his cum up, surprised at how much I like how he tastes

"Mmm yummy Sannie"

"Fuck baby", he groans

I move my mouth around his head, sucking lightly, keeping my tongue on his underside

"Yes baby", he moans as I move down his length, taking more of him in

He's so big and I have to open my mouth wide but I don't stop sucking on him, wanting to please him

Pulling off him, I lick him from base to tip, getting him back in my mouth, deeper than before

Spit is everywhere, all over his cock, falling on my chest

Bobbing my head faster, I wrapped my hand around the rest of his shaft, jerking him off at the same time

"God naekkeo, you have no idea how much I've wanted to see you on your knees with my cock in your mouth"

"Mmmm?", I ask, looking up at him, tears in my eyes

"Fuck, I've wanted to see these pretty brown eyes tearing up because of my dick. You looks so fucking good sucking my cock"

I nod, sucking harder, wanting to look good for him

He wipes my eyes, then slowly pulls out of my mouth

"I need to fuck you. I can't cum without being inside you"

He helps me stand then I move forward, pushing him down on his desk

He lays back on his elbows, watching me climb and straddle him

He smirks as I hold his cock up, hovering over him

Dropping on his shaft, I move my hips in a circle as I wiggle onto his dick

"Oh god, fuck", he moans, his eyes closing, head falling back, "Waited so long to have this pussy around my cock"

Oh fuck is right

I push down on him, feeling his fat cock open my pussy up so pleasurably and making me so fucking wet

"Oh god Sannie!", I cry, bottoming him out, rocking on his length, "Your cock is perfect. Fuck, the fucking best"

He's so thick, making us a tight fit, his head against my spot, rubbing against me with every grind

I don't think I've ever been this wet before, completely drenching his dick and I wouldn't be surprised if his lap is all wet too

"Fuck naekkeo, god when was the the last time you were fucked?", he groans, "Your pussy is so fucking tight baby. God I can feel every throb around my cock. You feel so fucking good"

"Yeah baby?", I smirk, bouncing once, "Do you want me to ride your cock?"

"Yes, fuck yes", he whines

Leaning towards him, I move my arms around his neck, bouncing once again

"How bad do you want it?"

"So bad baby", he whimpers

"Tell me what you've been thinking about", I tease, kissing his cheek

"Everything baby. I imagine you riding me, hard and fast, your pussy so fucking wet, all over me, your boobs bouncing in my face, you're sexy body on display for me"

"Oh yeah?", I ask, moving my fingers in his hair, pulling his hair back

Kissing his neck, I move along his skin, licking and sucking, hearing him moan as I keep my hips grinding on him, his head rubbing my spot continuously

"Yes baby. Then you cum on me and it feels so good"

"What else?", I ask, loving teasing him

"Fuck you on my desk", he pants

I giggle, "How long have you been fantasizing that?"

"A long time naekkeo", he confesses, "Everytime I'm in here I just imagine bending you over my desk, fucking your pretty pussy until you cum. Then I flip you over, hold you down on my desk and fuck you again, making you scream my name, make you cry for my cock. Making you squirt and cum, fucking you stupid. And after I fill you with my cum, I watch it leak from your hole"

"Sounds like fun baby", I tell him, "I'm game for being fucked on your desk"

"Mm good baby but can you please fuck me now?", he begs, "I can't take it anymore. I need you sliding up and down my cock. Please"

"I can do that baby", I smirk at him

Sitting up, I toss my hair over my shoulder, leaning on his hard abs

He's so fucking muscular, so hot with a gorgeous face and an amazing personality

He's has it all and I just realized he's mine

"Naekkeo, please", he whines

I snap out of staring at my sexy boyfriend and move on his dick, sliding up

Keeping just his head in my pussy, I shove myself down, taking him all in one quick shot, feeling his head slam right into my spot

"Fuck!", we both yell and I bounce on him as fast and hard as I can

"Yes oh my fucking god", he cries

His thick cock stretches me open, feeling so fucking incredible, I can't get enough

"Yes Sannie, oh fuck yes", I yell, the bliss so intense, "Yes, such a good cock!"

I'm drenched, the squelching sound of my pussy fucking his cock so fucking loud and so surprisingly pretty

"Fuck naekkeo", he moans, his hands gripping my thighs hard, "So fucking pretty on my cock. God that pussy looks so pretty wrapped around my dick"

It feels so good to be wrapped about his cock

Nice and hard, huge, I can feel every part of his fat cock inside me, the drag of it intense

As I bounce, I grind against him when I take all of him in, my hips moving in a circle, pleasure running everywhere

The constant stimulation to my spot is driving me insane and I'm so close, throbbing incessantly around his length

"I'm gonna cum! Sannie, I'm gonna cum!"

He nods, his eyes on mine, lust blazing in them, "Cum around my cock naekkeo. Let me see how this body cums"

I bounce a few more times, bliss taking over as I cum, clenching around his cock

"San! Oh my fucking god! San!", I scream, my body shaking

It feels fucking incredible, his cock so hard and so amazing to pulse around

"Yes baby", he chokes out, "So fucking beautiful. God, it feels so good"

"Fff...ffff", I trail off, rocking on his cock as the pleasure ebbs away

He moves so fast, the next thing I know, I'm face down, bent over his desk, he's standing behind me, his cock entering me again

He shoves himself inside in one stroke, making me moan like a porn star

"Fuck, so tight", he groans, "I just fucked you open, how are you still so tight for me?"

"Your cock is so fat baby", I pant, taking the pounding he's giving me, the pleasure making my head spin, "No room inside me for anything but your cock"

"Mmm I like that", he grunts, thrusting so deeply into my cunt I feel him in my stomach, his head pounding my spot, "Nothing but my cock filling you up"

"Yes", I cry, loving the way it feels as his cock slides out of me then forces me back open around him when he comes back in

My pussy clenches on his cock, pulling him back when he pulls back

"Fuck, this pussy wants to keep my cock inside huh?", he groans, his hands gripping my hips so hard, his cock impaling me over and over

"Yes!", I cry

"Fuck look at that hole. Clenching around me, drenching my cock in pretty cream. Fuck"

I know I'm soaked, I can feel it

I've never been this wet before

"Do you hear how loud this pussy is for me? How wet you are?"

I nod, moaning, the sound of my wet pussy taking him so pornographic

"Fuck, you just tighten up with every hit to your spot", he groans, "Throbbing so hard for me. Feels so fucking good"

"Mmm hmm", I whimper, his cock fucking me right into another orgasm

"San! San!", I cry, coming on his dick, my legs shaking as bliss blinds me

"Oh god, yes. Fuck", he cries, fucking me through my orgasm, "God, how do your orgasms feels so fucking good? Goddamn"

I have no idea but I like that it gives him pleasure

I want him to be in intense pleasure like he's giving me

His cock pulls out of me, making me whine from the loss, my body flipped over, my back on his desk

He opens my legs wide as I move on my elbows, watching him sit in his chair

His hands grip my inner thighs, as I watch his tongue lick all over my pussy

"God fucking damn, I knew your pussy would taste this good"

What?

His tongue runs up and down, all thoughts ceasing as bliss runs through every vein

I breathe hard, my head leaning back as his tongue lavishes my pussy in licks, his tongue swirling around my hole

"Eyes on me", he grunts, squeezing my thigh

I force my eyes open and look down at him, watching him eat my pussy so fucking skillfully

He smirks, his tongue slipping inside me

"Oh my god", I moan, my pussy squeezing around his tongue involuntarily

"Mmm", he grins, pumping his tongue in and out of my hole, the pleasure spiking

"Sannie", I yell, sliding my hand in his black hair, pulling on it as my legs shake around his head

His tongue slides up, rolling over my clit

"Fuck!", I scream, it feeling so fucking good, I can't believe it

He laughs completely sexily, his tongue flying on my clit

"So good", he says, sucking on my clit hard, sending me reeling into bliss, "My pussy is so good"

He sucks again, then slowly slides his tongue down, dipping and licking in my hole, then sliding back up, ending with a strong suck on my clit

He repeats the movements again and again, his eyes never moving from mine

"San", I whisper

"So good", he murmurs, "Everything throbbing hard on this pussy. All over tongue. Your hole, your clit. Making me so hard it hurts"

"Don't want you to hurt", I moan, moving my hips, fucking into his face as he sucks my clit and tongue fucks my pussy

"Mmm gonna fuck you hard after you cum in my mouth", he tells me, "Your pussy will make my cock feel better"

I nod, moaning yes

His mouth attaches to my clit, slurping desperately as my hips fuck his face, the sight of his jaw moving so fucking erotic

I keep my gaze on him, breathing hard, moaning as he nods

"Keep fucking my face baby", he urges between sucks, "My good girl"

That name sends me over the edge, screaming his name as I climax, pleasure blasting in my body, blinding me

His tongue thrusts in my cunt, letting me ride my orgasm out on it, him swallowing over and over, those dark brown eyes watching me

I collapse on the desk when my orgasm ends, his tongue pulling out and licking along my pussy

"Mm gonna eat this pussy every day", he says, giving me one long lick then standing, "Swallow your sweet cream everyday"

I nod, looking at him, hovering above me

I leans down, his lips crashing to mine, kissing me hard as his cock enters me again, the pleasure making me arch off the desk right into him

Keeping my legs around him, he thrusts into me over and over, his tongue in my mouth, kissing me desperately

I move my arms around his sweaty body, my palms against his back, feeling his muscles move over and over as he fucks me into his desk

"I love you", he whispers between kisses, his cock not missing a stroke, burying into me over and over, smashing my spot, "I love you so much"

"I love you Sannie", I whisper, kissing him passionately, my hips moving, meeting his thrusts

He slips in deeper, my head in the clouds, tears running down my face from the sheer ecstasy he's giving me

We fuck each other hard, our moans and the smashing of our skin against each other the only sounds in the room

"San!", I cry, his cock sending me over the edge, my mind completely shutting down as pure ecstacy tidal waves over me, "San!"

He groans loudly, sheathing his cock inside me, his warm cum filling me up just right

"Joanne!", he screams, "Naekkeo!"

My cunt pulses forcefully around him, feeling so good, sucking out all his cum

He cums so much, I feel it leaking around us

When we finish, he pulls out, sitting in his chair, his eyes on my cunt, watching his cum leak out of me

He smirks, raising his gaze to me as I sit up

He grabs my hands, pulling me off the table and into his lap, his lips against mine

And I just smile into the kiss

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

San holds my hand, his fingers laced with mine as we get back into the club

I lead him back to his spot at the bar, letting him sit while I move behind the bar

He smiles as I make him his favorite drink and put it in front of him

"Thanks naekkeo", he says, leaning over, his lips against mine in quick kiss

Smiling, I turn back to the bar, getting ready to take orders

"Hi San"

I stiffen as I hear Hanna's voice behind me

"What do you want?", San sighs

I slowly turn around, San having a fed up look on his face while Hanna is trying to get closer to him, practically pushing cleavage into his face

San, to his credit, doesn't even look

"I wanted to talk to you", she says

"About what Hanna? I told you before, there's nothing to talk about"

"I wanted to talk about getting back together"

He snorts, his eyes moving to me, "No"

"But I miss you San. I want you back", she says, "That guy, he doesn't mean anything. I was just trying to make you jealous"

I mean duh

It was obvious

"Obviously", he says, "Didn't work"

"Oh? But I saw you drinking after I came in-"

"No because I was jealous", he answers, "You can fuck anyone you want. I don't care"

"But-"

"Besides, I have a girlfriend", he says clearly

"You do? But I asked one of the bartenders and they said you didn't-"

"First off why would I tell staff about my girlfriend?", he cuts her off, glaring at her, "Second way to be creepy Hanna"

"I just want-",

"No", he says louder, "I said no. I'm with someone else and I love her with all my heart"

Hanna turns to me glaring and I just smirk at her

She scowls, then looks back at San, "Is it-"

"Yes it's her. Now go away", he dismisses her, "Don't come back. We're over. I'm happy with her and I'm not leaving her"

He downs his drink, stands up, walks around the bar, taking my hand

"C'mon naekkeo"

"I'm working baby-"

"Not anymore. We're going home"

"Home?", I ask

He nods, smiling, those gorgeous dimples out, "I'm tired, I need to sleep and I refuse to sleep without you anymore. Jae is here, he'll close up for me"

I smile, so happy, "Ok baby"

He presses his lips to mine in a sweet kiss, then leads me from behind the bar

He ignores Hanna as we pass her while I give her another smirk when she glares daggers at me

San pulls me next to him, his arms moving around me and I lean against him as we leave the club, so ready to spend the night in his arms

#ateez san fanfic #choi san fanfic #san fanfic #choi san smut #ateez san smut #san smut #ateez fanfic #ateez smut

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flamingoprincess25 · 2 months ago

Note

Hello! Are your headcannon requests still open? Okay, so I was thinking about that Disney princess post you made and I was wondering if you could maybe write headcannons about the boxers going to Disney World for a week. :3

Thnx in advance 💖✨️

OHOHOOHO I LOVE THIS ONE

(Let's see if I remember anything from my Disney trip in 2019 AUGHHH)

LITTLE MAC

The first thing he and Doc bought were obviously Mickey ears (Doc got ones that look like chocolate)

Doc gave Little Mac money to spend but it all got spent in one gift shop.

He did go to every park. (His favorite is Magic Kingdom)

Got to meet all the characters and get their autographs

GLASS JOE

Got a bit of social anxiety by the sheer amount of people in the parks

Was too broke and couldn't afford much

Absolutely LOVES the sweets they got

Threw up after riding Space mountain with the big boys.

Got a snowglobe (he loves collecting snowglobes)

VON KAISER

Actually brought his students with them. They basically fucked around with Aran Ryan.

Surprisingly, his favorite park is Epcot. (Almost thought it was the world's biggest golf ball 😭)

Makes sure everyone sticks in a group (it didn't last not even for 10 seconds)

Loves the Snow White coaster and would ride it over and over if the lines weren't so long.

DISCO KID

Blasted a whole Disney playlist the whole way there

Nearly passed away on some rides (*cough* tower of terror *cough*) and definitely passed out on a majority of the rides.

Attracted a crowd in Hollywood Studios from break dancing

Was SO HAPPY to meet Stitch (He was one of his favorites)

Would NOT stop singing the songs on repeat (Sandman wanted to BEAT his ass)

Got so many souvenirs he had to get another bag.

KING HIPPO

Has absolutely no idea where he's going or what this place is.

Fell in love with Animal Kingdom (some places in the park reminded him of home)

He actually got to see Kevin and he was so happy the whole trip. (He even got a Kevin plushie for himself)

Hogged everyones dole whip on the hottest day of the trip

Had a fucking BLAST at the water parks (don't know the names bc I never went there 😭)

PISTON HONDO

Didn't really mind the trip (He's been to Disney World Japan god knows how many times)

Attempted to take some of the food back home, only for it all to get eaten by Hippo

Was "Harassed" by storm troopers in Hollywood Studios

Kept comparing everything in Disney World to the one in Japan like bitch stfu and enjoy the trip.

Was mostly chill and did join some shenanigans.

BEAR HUGGER

Loves both Animal and Magic Kingdom

Fucking cried when he met Mickey (bro sobbed for hours)

Actually snuck his squirrel into the parks

Got Mickey ears for both him and his animal friends (Some were too big bless)

Oversleeps back at the hotel and sometimes misses the trams to the parks

Got a shit ton of stuffed animals

GREAT TIGER

Didn't need the trams to get to the park dude just fucking teleports there

He let's his clones fuck around but NOT with Aran Ryan or Von Kaisers students

Like Hondo, he was chill

Got to meet princess Jasmine and got her autograph.

Got a few collectibles (mostly jewelry)

Recorded a rap song about his trip a week later

DON FLAMENCO

OBVIOUSLY brought Carmen with him

He and Carmen wore matching Mickey ears

When he rode tower of terror, he let out the most girly horror scream in existence and was constantly bullied for it

Loved all the sweets they had but almost overindulged with an upset stomach.

He took Carmen to see all the Disney princesses

Became a princess at one point bc of Carmen (girly pop got him a dress, tiara, everything)

ARAN RYAN

Dude was a fucking menace

Took Von Kaisers students wherever they wanted to go (don't trust him babysitting he's gonna let me do fuck around and find out)

Almost got arrested....twice

Had beef with Merida and would shortly befriend the actress behind Merida. (He thought she was cool)

Shoplifted a bunch of shit and somehow got away with it

SODA POPINSKI

Fucking chugged down every drink the park had to offer

His favorite ride is Expedition Everest

Was unfortunately too tall for most of the rides

He didn't do much besides buy some souvenirs and meet characters (Cried when he met Olaf lmao)

BALD BULL

It was a nice trip for him but not with all the people pissing him off

Chilled in the pools at the hotels most of the time.

Was the spy in that one interactive Star Wars ride and made the most flabbergasted face known to man

Enjoyed the food there but almost caused a food fight.

SUPER MACHO MAN

Posed with the characters while getting his picture

Wanted to be in the shows they play but couldn't

Was another victim to the storm troopers but played along horrifyingly good (get bro an Oscar)

"I'm on a diettt" is later caught eating sweet shit

Absolutely LOVES Hollywood studios

The rest of the gang are the whole fucking reason why he's in debt

MR. SANDMAN

Didn't want to come but was forced to

Actually SMILED?! when he met Mickey and Minnie (he was picked on unfortunately)

Loves the star wars areas

Didn't buy much. All he got was a t shirt and a keychain

This is all I got for now (I tried, might edit it soon 😭) but let me know what y'all think!

Bonus HC: They did the most DIABOLICAL photo shoots on Splash Mountain (this takes place in 2009 SHHHH) for example:

(Anyways that's all!)

#punch out #little mac #glass joe #von kaiser #disco kid #king hippo #piston hondo #bear hugger #great tiger #don flamenco #aran ryan #soda popinski #bald bull #super macho man #mr. sandman #Disney trip

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uselesseaweedbrain · 3 months ago

Text

Supercorptober - 3. Dress

Lena's dress exposed her collarbones, and Kara looked around her suspiciously to prevent horny corporate business men from staring.

Oh, who was she kidding. She was the worst of them all.

When Lena had invited her to her private gala, she'd intended for it to be strictly friendly (mostly). Kara knew Lena was not interested in her, and was, to make matters worse, in desperate need of a friend that she felt Kara could be.

Therefore, under no circumstances was Kara planning on taking advantage of Lena's friendship to turn it into more.

Not that asking Lena out would have been possible even if she'd wanted to, considering the amount of people surrounding the CEO, and the very annoying alien trailing behind Kara with his incessant questions.

Both women made eye contact a few times, but Lena's attention was hogged by her guests, and Kara's by Mon-El's increasingly absurd inquiries.

By the end of the night, Kara had finally sent Mon-El away to Al’s, the dwindling buffet and drab company - exception made of Kara - persuading him to seek attention elsewhere, and Lena's high profile guests were dispersing slowly.

Lena made her way to a socially exhausted Kara with an ease that betrayed her high-society upbringing. Her steps were smooth despite her Louboutin stilettos, her dress impeccable still, her makeup flawless - undoubtedly touched up during the course of the evening.

"Kara!" She smiled easily.

Kara beamed in return. "Hi, Lena!”

Lena conspicuously looked around, then back at her date. "Has your friend Mike abandoned you?"

Kara chuckled uneasily. Mike. Right.

"Yes, he got bored at some point, went out to the bar instead. It seems socialite parties are not his thing."

Lena bit her lip worriedly. "I'm sorry, Kara, I've been a terrible host. I invited you both and I could barely keep you company at all. I hope you didn't feel compelled to stay for me?”

"No! No, Lena, not at all. Of course you had other obligations. I'm quite happy to get to talk to you like this, to be honest. I would go through this whole party again if I had to.”

Lena flashed her a sincere smile.

“Flatterer,”she whispered.

Kara's heartbeat stuttered and resumed, blood rushing to her cheeks.

"Um, Lena?"

Lena looked at her questioningly, seemingly unaware of the effect she'd just had on the blonde. "Yes?"

"Would you like to watch a movie, at my place, when this wraps up?"

Lena smiled again, dimpled cheeks and all.

Kara gripped her own dress with both hands, overcome with the sudden urge to wrap her arms around the ethereal being who called herself her best friend, plant a kiss on the smooth skin of her cheek, and never let go.

"It would be my pleasure, Kara." Lena frowned again. "If you don't mind waiting another half hour, that is? I really need to bid everyone farewell before I take my leave."

Kara laid a gentle hand on Lena's elbow. "Of course, Lena, don't mind me! I'll be here next to the few remaining potstickers." Kara winked and Lena almost snorted, catching herself at the last second.

Her smile was blinding still, eclipsing her exceptional dress and bare back as she strode back confidently towards the remainder of her guests.

Barely forty minutes later, the two women were riding in the backseat of Lena's car, towards Kara's apartment.

The drive from the venue took less than twenty minutes, providing both women the opportunity to breathe and relax from their exhausting evening. Talk was scarce, their companionship already allowing long stretches of comfortable silence.

When they reached Kara's apartment, Kara immediately rushed to her room to fetch Lena a change of attire.

"Here, Lena. Take these, you'll be much more comfortable."

Lena smiled gratefully as she accepted the bundle of clothes, heading to the bathroom after Kara's directions.

Kara super-sped into her pyjamas with jittery hands, both excited and nervous at the prospect of an evening with one of her favourite friends.

Kara was setting up food in the living room when Lena came out in Kara's casual clothes.

The CEO was pulling at the sleeves of Kara's National City University sweatshirt, self-consciously avoiding eye contact as she stepped into the room.

Kara's first and only thought for a few seconds was that Lena looked transformed, stripped bare and exposed without her corporate armour in a way that made her all the more stunning.

Kara's late second thought was that Lena seemed visibly anxious, shyly awaiting Kara's judgement like a jury sentence.

"You look amazing, Lena," she exhaled shakily.

Lena appeared to let go of a crushing weight, her half smile timid as she looked up hesitantly.

"Really? Even in these clothes?"

Kara frowned, hurt at the implications for Lena's self-worth.

"You looked stunning tonight, don't get me wrong, but here, relaxed, with me, I- you look like you, and it makes you glow."

Lena blushed and averted her gaze as she murmured a thank you.

They fell asleep together, Lena first, then Kara, who woke up soon after to gently carry Lena to her bed, electing to sleep on the couch.

Kara woke up first this time and all the times after, her powers warning her before Lena could spot her without her glasses, and uncover the secret Kara has dedicated so much of her life to hide.

But as careful as Kara is, Lena has always been her exception. She's not on such high alert when Lena is around, her senses barely triggered by Lena's presence anymore.

Kara lets herself slip more and more after Lillian's arrest.

When Kara solar flares after fighting a decidedly over powered alien, it's Lena who brings her soup.

Kara smiles tiredly at her best friend while she drinks the liquid at the bottom of the bowl, setting it back on the table and letting her head drop on Lena's shoulder.

As opposed to her powered self, solar-flared-Kara is extremely prone to falling asleep, and when her eyelids start to droop, she doesn't fight it, simply drawing closer to Lena to make herself more comfortable.

To Lena's endeared surprise, it takes less than a minute for the blonde to fall unconscious on her shoulder.

Lena smiles to herself while she fights a blush. It shouldn't be possible for someone to be so adorable, and yet- here they are.

Incapable of carrying Kara to her bed, Lena simply unfolds her legs and stands from the couch, setting up a pillow under Kara's head, and tenderly covering her up with a blanket.

A second trip allows her to clean up the soup on the table, and a last cursory glance reveals Kara's glasses precariously perched on her nose, adorably slipping as she falls into deeper sleep.

Lena chuckles quietly as she slips them off her face, folding them carefully and setting them up on the TV table.

She wants to stay and watch, but she knows how creepy it would be, so she only allows herself a handful of seconds to gaze longingly at the blonde's tired face.

In the beginning, Lena doesn't notice anything.

It's only after getting a glass of water that she steps back in the living room and does a double take, the perspective from the kitchen door jarring in its clarity.

Lena is gazing at the sleeping shape of Supergirl.

Lena Luthor has uncovered one of National City's best kept secrets, and, all along, that secret was her best friend.

Her heart starts beating erratically, her energy suddenly drained at the enormity of the find.

Lena lets herself drop into a seated position on the floor, gracelessly sliding against the wall to slow the fall.

She puts her head into her hands and takes a few deep breaths, centering herself before she starts thinking.

What she knows: Kara Danvers is Supergirl. Kara Danvers, her best friend, - no - Kara Danvers, the person she's spent all of her free time with, is Supergirl.

Kara Danvers has lied to her, if not directly, then by omission, for months.

The familiar sting of betrayal rises with the bile in her constricting throat, but Lena pushes it down.

Not the time, she admonishes herself. Not the time, not the time, not the time.

She can deal with her feelings later - or never, hopefully, if she shoves them in a box and closes it tight enough.

She will have to avoid Kara, for sure, but that should be easy enough, right?

Kara, Lena's best friend.

Kara, Supergirl, Lena's rescuer and hero.

Kara, who has conveniently failed to inform Lena of her secret. Kara, who - despite being the most important person by far in Lena's life - has not deemed Lena important or trustworthy enough to reveal her entire self.

Kara - Supergirl, Supergirl, Supergirl -, Kara who is sleeping peacefully at a Luthor's mercy in what seems like a frightening display of unintentional vulnerability.

Supergirl is there, asleep and helpless, defenceless and exposed, in front of Lena Luthor.

Either the hero is recklessly careless, or she trusts Lena besides any shadow of a doubt, despite her last name (somehow Lena doubts Kara would have fallen asleep anywhere within Lex's reach).

The puzzle seems easy enough to solve but Lena's logical mind is unable to see past that point, past the now glaringly obvious lies that Kara has fed her and the looming spectre of her forever tainted family name.

So Lena does what she always does when she feels scared, hurt or betrayed. She runs.

She takes the precaution of calling Alex first, informing her of her sister's state before departing like a thief.

The thought of Alex has Lena down another rabbit hole of raging self-doubt. Does she even know Kara at this point?

Thoughts of Alex lead to Winn, to James and Brainy, all friends of Kara, all colleagues of Supergirl, and Lena wonders if they know.

And then, immediately, wonders how she could have ever been so blind. So stupid. Fooled by a pair of glasses and a demure smile, by pastel sweaters and affected warmth that she now knows could only have been a play, a ploy to gain her trust and seize her heart.

*******

Kara hasn't heard from Lena since she fell asleep on her shoulder, and found Alex in her place.

She has sent Lena her thanks by message, apologising for using her as a pillow, and then-

She reaches for her glasses to fidget, and almost pokes herself in the eye.

She finds them quickly, neatly folded on the clean TV table, but if Lena's gone, and her glasses are there, does it mean-

"Alex?" Kara calls out.

"Hm?"

"Did you remove my glasses and put them on the table?"

"No, I didn't."

"Then- if it wasn't you, then-" Kara looks at her sister desperately, begging her to alleviate her fear and tell her she's assuming wrong.

But Alex doesn't say anything, and Kara knows, and her world crumbles around her.

It wasn't supposed to happen like this, I was supposed to tell her, she shouldn't have found out like this- and oh-

"What if she hates me, Alex?"

"Give her space, Kara", Alex had advised.

Kara had itched to fly to Lena, to explain, to apologise, but as always, she'd heeded her sister's advice and stayed put, only sending a short message to say she would be there whenever Lena wanted to talk.

Lena, apparently, didn't want to talk.

Two days passed, then three, then a week, and after two weeks Kara couldn't hold it in anymore. She couldn't help but believe that staying away had been a mistake. She should have gone to explain herself immediately, she shouldn't have let Lena's doubts fester, she knew her best friend...

She flies to L-Corp after work at CatCo, holding a paper bag of doughnuts, even though she doubts the bribe would suffice, this time.

Surprisingly, Jess lets her in Lena's office as usual.

Lena is seated at her desk, regal in a maroon suit tailored to her curves, her expression focused and cold.

The CEO slowly lifts her head and Kara stops breathing.

"You can leave us, Jess," she waves her secretary away, and Jess quietly closes the door behind her on her way out.

"Kara", Lena greets calmly. Only the slight hitch in her heartbeat indicates anything is amiss.

"Lena," Kara breathes out. "I- came here to apologise."

"Oh? What for?"

"For not telling you sooner. For waiting like a coward until you found out yourself. For not coming to see you."

"Well, now, I know, and I accept your apology, so- you can go."

"Wh- what? What do you mean, I can go?"

"Exactly what I said. You can go. Now that you've made sure that the Luthor will be kept in line, that she won't go berserk like the rest of her family, what other business do you have here?"

"That's not what I was doing, Lena. That was never-"

Kara pauses as she remembers her first visit, with Clark, whose only goal was to spy on Lena. She recalls, too, the invasive questions she'd asked Lena, under false and ridiculous pretences, about Lillian. Then the white lies, the missed dates- the way it must have seemed, from Lena's perspective.

"In the beginning, I was wary of you, but I swear, I swear to you that I stopped seeing you as a Luthor as soon as we became friends."

"Then why not tell me? If I'm really your best friend, why keep me in the dark, while everybody else is in the know?"

Kara swallows.

"I was selfish," she murmurs. "Selfish and scared. I thought- no, I knew, that once you discovered who I was, everything would change, and I delayed it as much as possible, but also- as long as you weren't aware I could pretend that you were mine, I could keep you to myself and be sure that you loved the part of me that no one ever sees, and I just- I wasn't ready to lose this, Lena. I wasn't ready to lose you to a symbol that takes takes takes and never gives back, to sacrifice yet another part of my life to the desperate superhero crusade. I wasn't ready for you to become friends with Supergirl, because Supergirl, as opposed to me, is actually on your level, and I- once she comes in, there isn't ever space for me anymore."

A single tear rolls down Kara's cheek.

"And if this is too big, if you can't forgive me- I will leave, and stop bothering you, and you can move on."

The silence stretches on, and Kara doesn't dare look up, disturb the fragile peace with her gaze or her clumsy presence.

"What if I can't?" Lena finally breathes.

"What?"

"What if I can't move on? What, then?"

"Then I will stay."

"Until when? Until you get bored? Until you find someone, like James, or Mike? Someone you trust with your secrets, with your life, with your heart?"

Kara shakes her head, slowly.

"No."

"What do you mean, no?"

"The person, that I trust with all of this?"

"Yes?"

"I've already found her."

Despite her super senses, Kara doesn't register movement until Lena's in front of her, her face dangerously close, getting closer still, and-

"Tell me I am reading this wrong, and I will stop", she whispers.

Kara stays silent, as if frozen, and Lena halts.

"Tell me, Kara", she repeats.

"N-no, you're- you're not reading this wrong," Kara squeaks, and Lena's mouth is on hers, soft and pliant and dripping with passion, and Kara's toes curl as she reciprocates greedily.

The kiss lasts as their tongues dance together, and Kara wants to hold Lena and never let go, to explore every inch of her and keep her close, but she's still holding that stupid bag of doughnuts-

Kara feels a tug on the bag and she lets it go, hears it drop unceremoniously to the floor.

"Your hands", Lena purrs against her lips. "On me."

And on Lena they are - for most of that night, and many nights after.

*********************************************************************

Edits: Tense consistency, and inability to leave well enough alone.

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itmeansiris · 2 months ago

Text

The Solar System Legacy Challenge: Accomplishments Gen 1 pt.75

The night Kason and M made up, Beckett never stopped by or called. M had sent him a text but didn't think much of it when he didn't respond, concluding that the date had either been really good or was another one to file with the growing list of failed dates Beckett had been on.

The next day was a free day for most of the Gratz household besides Kason, who had work. He spent the morning tending to the plants in the garden, it was secretly his baby. He had planted and nurtured every plant that grew there. Recently he decided reluctantly to leave Spirit to take over caring for the garden while he focused on work. There was a promotion coming up and with his outstanding performance, he was hoping to secure it by the end of the weekend.

M, on the other hand, had gotten the kids fed, dealt with a squabble between Venus and Aphrodite, who seemed to constantly be at each other's throats, settled them into their own individual activities, and decided she was feeling creative. For the cosmic duo, the storm was mostly behind them, which was ironic considering a huge thunderstorm was rolling into the Bay.

M was supposed to take Aphrodite to Chestnut Ridge that same Saturday but she'd gotten a call Friday night from the Ranch instruction. They'd been forced to cancel all horseback riding lessons due to the storm. The Weather channels were predicting it would be 4-days long. Dite had been looking forward to this trip all week it was all she'd talked about before school or during dinner. She had jam-packed all her free time after school and violin practice reading equestrian books or watching the Pony up Kids Channel whenever Venus wasn't hogging the Livingroom tv playing video games.

(Call takes place Friday night)

When M took the call Dite had shadowed her every move. M had paced the span of the first floor, trying to get something worked out.

M: We had classes set up for tomorrow afternoon. Yes. I understand. No, no thank you that's fine. The last weekend works just as well. I really appreciate that. Thank you again. Bye.

She'd barely removed the phone from her ear when Dite jumped her.

Aphrodite: So?!

Ishtar was in the living room watching the continued news coverage. It droned on about the strange 4 day storm affecting Chestnut Ridge but moving quickly into other areas like Evergreen Harbor and Henford-on-Bagley.

M: *sighs* Here's the deal. It's not raining here yet, but the thunderstorm is already in Chestnut Ridge and should start here later today. They don't think it's safe to take the horses out.

M was internally holding her breath. Aphrodite's' response was unexpected for any 7-year-old girl but Dite was special.

Aphrodite: That's okay Mom. I don't want any of the Horses or their babies to get hurt. The horses don't really like the thunder and the lightening.

M was in awe of her daughter and how mature she'd become despite her young age. M rewarded her with spectacular news.

M: Well I spoke with the owner Byron and he booked us for a weekend, to give you personal lessons and he's agreed to do indoor and outdoor lessons. That will give you more riding range and if the weather doesn't hold up they won't have to cancel again.

Aphrodite lit up.

Aphrodite: I get 2 days of riding lessons?

M cherished moments like these, when she could make her children happy and they looked at her with admiration and love.

M: Hmm, yes you get two days of private lessons from Byron himself. We'll get to stay in a hotel and try the local food. But, you're not upset we can't go tomorrow?

M asked wanting to snuff out the guilt she felt at the possibility of disappointing Dite. She had made Dite a promise and she'd wanted to keep it.

Aphrodite: Are you kidding this is awesome! I can't believe I get to take private lessons and sleep in a hotel! Can I call and tell Kelsey? Oh, and Mom, can we still buy me my own riding gear, please?

Her begging was unnecessary. M wasn't the type of parent that said no.

M: After school on Tuesday we can go shopping deal?

Dite jumped up and down too excited to express her agreement with words.

M: I'll take that as a yes. Go on, go call Kelsey.

Having taken care of that the day before, with no other plans M settled into her office to finish the remaining chapters of The Court of Slumbering Fae. Her deadline was coming up and she didn't want to give Takara a reason to come down on her. She was already working overtime dealing with the media. She'd gotten the photos removed and was working on Mercurys slander case against the reporters who had taken Paris' false information and tried to spread it like wildfire. Luckily Takara was like a tsunami, she was known for putting out fires immediately and would take out anyone who stood in her path to get it done.

Zohreh on the other hand was having a rough day. Lately, he'd been clingy and Kason was the parent of his unwavering affection at the moment. So when Kason left for work later that afternoon it was no surprise he threw a tantrum. He stood by the front door crying his heart out till Ishtar came over to comfort him.

Ishtar: Zoh what's the matter?

Zohreh: Dadaa w-weave Zohweh!

Ishtar: Come here Zoh. It's okay Daddy's coming back. I'm going to change. You go wait in the office with Mommy and then when I'm dressed we can play! Okay?

He kissed his brothers forehead and walked him to the office then went to change. Once inside he quickly found trouble. M paused her writing to interrupt his destructive search.

M: Zohreh? Can Mommy help you find something?

He trained his soft green eyes on her and pouted.

Zohreh: No. I wait for Ishtaw to pay.

His pale green eyes and curly blond hair made her think of his adult double. It warmed her heart to see so much of Kason in her youngest son, consider the triplets seemed to favor her with their dark hair and moss green eyes. Ishtar had taken on her exotic Tomarang coloring while the girls were fairer toned like their father.

M: How about some company while you wait.

She joined him on the floor as he babbled about Dada, his toys, and his favorite (and only brother) Ishtar until his mood lightened. Ishtar returned and took Zohreh out front to play, leaving their mom to work.

The afternoon passed by uneventfully after that. The kids kept busy while M worked on her book, until Spirit had summoned everyone from their respective activities to have lunch. At 7pm Kason returned home to find Spirit reading on the porch. He greeted her before heading inside to find all the kids gathered in the entryway helping Ishtar complete his school project.

Kason: Hey guys. Where's your mom?

Triplets: Hi Dad!

Ishtar: She's still in her office.

M emerged having heard the voices outside the door. She strolled over to Kason greeting him and sharing good news.

M: Welcome home handsome. The book is finished. I sent it to Takara for last minute edits before publishing.

She whispered with a hint of lust and excitement as she hugged him the sight of him making her instantly flirty. He pulled back showering her with kisses.

Kason: Mmm, you brilliant woman. I can't wait to read it.

She nipped at his bottom lip. His response was low and seductive.

Kason: Save some of that for later. I'll make it worth the wait. You'll never believe what happened today?

He mumbled between kisses.

Venus: Hello we are still here. Gross!

Ishtar giggled and Aphrodite sighed and shook her head at her sister's comment. Kason kissed M's nose one more time for good measure before putting a little distance between them to stop the mock gagging noises coming from Venus.

M: So? What happened?

A mischievous smile spread across his face.

Kason: Nope. You have to guess.

M: Hmmm. Paris quit?

She said only half-joking. Kason snorted.

Kason: Good one, but no we aren't that fortunate. One more and then I'll tell you.

M: Hmm. You..you got the promotion?

Kason shook his head enthusiastically the smile on his face full of pride his eyes shone with accomplishment. He had worked for Bay's Robotic Engineers for almost 8 years. He had been hired mid-level due to his degree but that hadn't stopped him from putting in his all to impress Greg and earn his keep. He'd moved through the ranks fairly quickly, his progress only halted when he needed to take time off after the triplets and Zohreh were born. He had even put up with training Paris and all the craziness that came with having her work for the company. His focus never wavered, he had a goal and finally he could ring the bell on his career. Being promoted to the head of the department he was now Bay's Robotic Engineers new Master of Machines and he could finally call himself a master of his trade.

M: Congratulations!! I'm so proud of you! Guys Daddy got the top promotion at work today!

The triplets jump up to join their parents excited to be a part of Dads big news.

Ishtar: Congratulations Dad! You're like the lord of the robots now!

Venus: Dad does that mean that you're the boss? That's so cool you get to tell everyone what to do.

Aphrodite: Yay Daddy!

Comet barked loudly running around the family's feet with confused excitement. Zohreh toddles out of the living room and M picks him up waiting for Kason to finish with the triplets. She brings Zohreh over to Kason and Zoh immediately squirmed reaching for his father.

Zohreh: DADA!

Kason: Hey buddy!

Zohreh: Zohweh missed you

Kason snuggled his son close.

Kason: I missed you too Zoh. I'm sorry I had to leave earlier Mommy told me you had a hard day but your big brother kept you company. Good job Ish.

Ishtar smiled up at his dad with fulfillment. Zoh just snuggled closer happy to be back in his father's arms. They stood around laughing and congratulating him. Kason was euphoric, his life felt whole. He was at the top of his dream career, he'd found and married his soulmate, and though they'd found trouble their marriage was stronger in the outcome. He was making good money and felt he and M were laying a secure foundation of wealth for their children to inherit when they were gone. The only thing worth perfecting now was his parenting. His kids were his life and he wanted to be the patriarch they felt they could always come to for love, knowledge, and protection. What else could be worth his time and dedication now that his personal life goals had been met? Kason had always been a great father but when it came to his children he knew there was always room for improvement. His parents hadn't been perfect and he knew the same was true of himself and M even though he felt she was as close to perfect as a parent could get.

He started by joining the triplets in tackling their school projects. When all the castles were complete and everyone was cleaned up for the night they gathered in the backyard to celebrate and enjoy each other's company. The clouds were low and ready to open and unleash rain at any moment but it wasn't raining yet. So they roasted marshmallows and hot dogs while Kason played the guitar (another of his hidden talents) while Spirit told ghost stories in anticipation of spooky day which was only a week away.

Around 11 the first signs of rain became evident as the droplets fell on the fire, the logs hissed in protest, leaving faint wisp of smoke in their wake as it tried to smothered small portions of the flames. Everyone found shelter inside while Kason stayed behind to ensure the fire was properly extinguished. Feeling full, accomplished, and filled to the brim with love for each other the family turned in for the night.

Previous Next

Beginning

Sidebar: It felt like Kason and M needed a break. Just a day to work on their own careers and spend time with their kids and each other. I also wanted to give a quick update on what was happening with the photos online. With M being a celebrity there had to be some fallout from her husband being called a cheater online. M has an active slander case against the paparazzi which I will include the results of in a later post. Also, I had no idea that Tucker was in the house or by the fire when I took the last couple of pictures. I didn't notice him till everyone was going to bed and got the notification thanking us for hanging out with him.

I sent M and Aphrodite to Chestnut Ridge to go horseback riding when I got there, there was this crazy thunderstorm going on (I forgot to reinstall my sul sul weather app by littlemssam) so I added the Friday night call because apparently something is wrong in Chestnut Ridge and there was like a 4-day thunderstorm almost none stop.

Poses: @elen-shine Homecoming

cc: @ravasheencc Fantastical Play Rug

#sims 4 #sims 4 gameplay #sims 4 story #sims 4 screenshots #solar system legacy challenge #itmeansiris #sims 4 legacy #sims 4 romance #gen 1 #sims 4 lovestruck

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wwestrang-fan · 3 days ago

Text

Something different pt 3

jey uso x oc reader

warning : a little bit of angst insecurity bit of age gap scars

Jey was in his locker room, putting on his clothes and getting ready to leave the area. Just then, Sami walked in and asked, "Hey Jey, you ready?"

"Yeah, let’s go," Jey replied, exiting the locker room and heading toward the car.

"You want to drive?" Sami asked as they reached the car.

"Nah, I'm good," Jey said, getting into the passenger seat.

During the car ride, Jey took out his phone and started texting Lola, a smile spreading across his face as he read her messages. Sami, sitting in the driver’s seat, noticed Jey's distracted expression.

"What’s got you smiling like that?" Sami asked, a curious look on his face.

Jey glanced up at Sami with a playful smirk. "Someone you don’t need to know about," he replied, returning his focus to the screen, the excitement of the conversation with Lola brightening his mood.

When Jey and Sami entered the hotel, the lobby buzzed with activity, the sound of chatter filling the air. Travelers and guests hurried past, creating a lively atmosphere.

Sami turned to Jey and said, "I'm going to get the keys."

"Okay, I'll wait for you by the elevator," Jey replied, giving a nod as he headed toward the elevator. He leaned against the door, his mind still drifting to Lola and their conversation.

After a moment, he glanced up to see Sami approaching him, a grin on his face as he held out the key cards. "Got it! Room 302," Sami announced.

"Nice! Let's get settled," Jey said, pushing himself off the wall and pressing the elevator button. The doors slid open, and they stepped inside.

When Sami and Jey walked into the room, they dropped their bags up.

"I'm going to take a shower real quick," Sami said, grabbing some clothes and heading to the bathroom.

Jey lay down on the bed, sinking into the soft mattress. He pulled out his phone, scrolling through his messages until he found Lola's contact. He hesitated for a moment, thumb hovering over the screen, before typing out a quick message,"Hey Just got to the hotel. How was your flight?

"It was good I just got back to my apartment," Lola replied. Jey couldn’t help but smile at her quick response, feeling the flutter of anticipation grow. They continued texting back and forth, sharing snippets of their day, and he appreciated how easily they connected, even over screens.

Moments later, he heard the sound of water turning off, followed by the bathroom door creaking open. "Did you leave any hot water for me?" Jey asked

Sami emerged, a towel draped around his neck and droplets of water still clinging to his hair, grinning. "You know I always hog it but I might have left a little for you."

Rolling his eyes, Jey shot back, "Great. I'm so excited."

Sami laughed at jey and tossed him a fresh towel. "Get in there we’ve got plans tonight.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going" Jey replied, shaking his towel like he was swatting away Sami's silliness. He headed toward the bathroom, turning the water on and letting the steam fill the room. As the warmth enveloped him, he couldn’t stop thinking about Lola.

Jey finished up in the bathroom, feeling refreshed. As he walked out, he spotted Sami putting on his jacket.

"You ready?" Sami asked, glancing over at Jey.

"Yeah," Jey replied with a nod, he grabbed his own jacket from the chair and quickly slipped it on, feeling the fabric hug him comfortably.

As they walked out of the room, heading to the lobby.

When Jey and Sami walked into the lobby, Jey suddenly spotted a familiar group gathered near the entrance.

"Jimmy! Naomi! Cody! Damian! Rhea!" Jey said, walking towards them.

Cody turned, a broad smile spreading across his face. "Hey, y’all! Glad to see you!" he called out, his arms open for a welcoming hug.

Jey started exchanging hugs and high-fives with each of them. "I didn’t know you guys were coming" he said.

"We decided last minute," Naomi chimed in.

Rhea, nudged Sami with her elbow. "So, what's the plan?"

"I were thinking about grabbing some drinks first, maybe hit up a restaurant later," Sami suggested.

"Sounds perfect," Cody said, clapping his hands together. "Let’s start with drinks then

The group began to head out of the hotel, laughter and chatter filling the air as they made their way to the bar.

As they made their way into the bar, the group found a large wooden table surrounded by comfortable stools. The atmosphere was lively, with music playing softly in the background and laughter ringing out from neighboring tables. They settled in, excited chatter filling the space around them.

Just as they were getting comfortable, waitress approached their table, her notepad ready. "Hey there what can I get you all to drink tonight?" she asked with a warm smile.The group looked through the menu of drinks.

“I’ll have a mojito!” Sami called, leaning back with a relaxed grin.

“I'll in take a whiskey sour,” Damian said.

“What do you recommend?”. Cody asked looking at everyone

“Definitely a Moscow Mule!” Rhea said, to Cody before turning to the waitress. “And I’d like a bloody Mary please”

“Okay, I’ll take that,” Cody decided, nodding towards Rhea’s suggestion.

The waitress nodded enthusiastically, jotting down their orders. “Great choices! And how about you guys?” she asked Jey jimmy and Naomi, directing her attention to him.

Jey thought for a moment. “I’ll take a piña colada,” he said.

As the waitress scribbled down their orders, Jimmy leaned over to Naomi, who was sitting next to him at the table. “And we take the same,” he said with a playful smile.

Naomi laughed, why, are you trying to get me to try piña colada, huh? What if I don't like it?”

Jimmy faked shock inspiration. Impossible! It’s good you’ll like it.

“Alright, I'll try it,” Naomi replied, i’ll take a piña colada too

“Perfect I’ll be back with your drinks in just a moment,” she said cheerfully before making her way back to the bar.

As they settled into their seats, the lively chatter resumed. Jey felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He took it out and saw that Lola had texted him. A smile spread across his face as they exchanged a few messages. Just then, the waitress returned and placed the drinks on the table.

“Who are you texting over there?” Sami teased, noticing Jey’s grin.

“Uh, no one,” Jey replied, trying to keep his cool.

“Really? The way you're smiling doesn’t seem like ‘no one,’” Rhea said, raising an eyebrow playfully.

Just then, the waitress returned, expertly balancing their drinks on a tray. She placed the mojito, whiskey sour, Moscow Mule, mango margarita, and a piña colada on the table with a flourish. “Here you go! Enjoy!” she said with a bright smile.

“Wow, these look so good!” Sami said grabbing the larger glass.

“Let's drink!” Rhea added, taking a big sip of her bloody Mary.

"Jey took a moment to glance at the screen of his phone, where a new message from Lola awaited him. His heart raced again, excitement brewing as he opened the text and continued their banter, feeling invigorated by the playful connection.

The drinks flowed, and laughter echoed around their table.

"Hey, I gotta go to the bathroom. I'll be right back," Jey said, standing up and making his way through the lively crowd. After he finished in the bathroom, he walked out and made his way back to the table, sliding into his seat.

“So, who’s Lo?” Cody asked, a teasing grin on his face.

“Yeah, when you were in the bathroom, you got a text from someone named Lo!” Rhea added.

“Y’all reading my text now?” Jey replied, a smirk creeping onto his face as he playfully dismissed their curiosity.

“Not reading, just curious!”. Sami replied with a smirk, clearly enjoying the moment.

“Hey, we just saw a text popped up,” jimmy shot back, raising his hands in defense. “You got someone reaching out to you while you’re out with friends; that’s a noteworthy development!”

“Yeah, it’s not every day you get a text from someone named ‘Lo,’” Cody added, raising an eyebrow. ��So, who is they?”

“It’s just a friend, okay? Jey explained, trying to maintain a casual demeanor.

"Just a friend? You've been smiling at that phone all day," Sami said, leaning back in his chair with a teasing grin.

Jey tried to maintain his composure, but the embarrassment was bubbling to the surface. “She’s… just someone I’ve been talking to,” he replied, taking a sip of his drink to buy himself a moment.

“She? It’s a girl!” Rhea chimed in, her eyes widening with interest. “I thought you were talking to Alex,” Naomi added, looking surprised.

“We didn’t really click,” Jey said, shrugging as he tried to deflect the attention. The truth was, the connection he felt with Lola was different, electric even, and he couldn't help but smile at the thought of her.

Sami leaned in closer, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “So, what’s she like? Come on, give us the scoop!”

"Nope," Jey said, taking another sip of his drink to dodge more questions.

"Come on, you can't just say you're talking to a girl and expect us not to be curious," Sami pressed, leaning in eagerly.

Rhea chimed in, "Exactly! You can't drop a bomb like that and not share more. Does she even know who you are?"

Jimmy interjected, "Or that you’ve got kids?"

Jey laughed nervously and shook his head. "Alright, let’s just keep it about the drinks," he said.

"Oh, come on! You can’t leave us in the dark," Sami replied.

“Yeah, why are you keeping secrets from us?” Naomi asked.

“I’m not keeping secrets; I just want to keep things private,” Jey explained.

“Sounds like you don’t want us in your love life,” Damian chimed in.

"It’s not like that! I just kind of... early in things; Jey said.

"Okay, okay, we’ll drop it for now, but I’m telling everybody" Naomi declared, and the group erupted into laughter as they ordered more drinks. The atmosphere lightened, filled with shared jokes and speculation about Jey’s mysterious date.

#wwe #wwe raw #wwe smackdown #wwe x reader #wwe x y/n #wwe x you #wwe fanfiction #wwe fic #wwe x oc #jey uso x reader #jey uso imagine #jey uso fanfiction #jey uso fic #jey uso x oc #jey uso x you #jey uso x y/n

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lqtraintracks · 10 months ago

Note

For the Word excerpt ask: 'frog' or 'rainbow' :)

Elise. I fucking love you for giving me FROG. Lmao! This is a(n overly long) snippet from the end of Shiny Things, Slightly Damaged. It may enrich the reading to know that earlier in the story (they’re eighth years) Draco witnessed a first-year getting Harry’s signature on his chocolate frog card. Thus this is the second instance of the word frog in this story. ;) They’re at a room at the Hog’s Head for this, just to set the mood.

It’s late, and they haven’t turned on any lights, but there’s a moon. Malfoy’s skin gleams silver under its light. He’s naked. They both are. They’re sharing the bed, lying on their sides, facing each other.

Ten minutes earlier, Malfoy was riding Harry’s cock, his head thrown back, arse pounding down hard. He came on Harry’s chest, and Harry came inside him, again.

It’s still a little unreal, even though they started fucking only a month after the war ended. Harry couldn’t tell you how or why they started, only that it happened. That one day, returning Malfoy’s wand to him, he saw that stupid, arrogant look in his eye and it was either fight him or… this. To his shock, when he gripped Malfoy hard and breathed in his face, Malfoy chose this, and kissed Harry’s lips raw.

It would have been just the once. Maybe. Except that a week later Harry saw Malfoy coming out of the office of the Mind Healer next door to his own, eyes red and puffy, chin jutting out at seeing Harry there. They’d passed each other quickly, without words. But that night, Malfoy had shown up on the pavement outside Grimmauld, just wandering back and forth—before Harry opened the wards and the door to him, and pulled him roughly inside.

It’s not something that should have happened. Certainly not something that should keep happening. But it does. Because neither of them stops it. Because both of them seek it out in the other. They pretend they have no choice. It’s so much simpler that way.

“What?” Malfoy asks, studying Harry’s face.

“Mm. Nothing. Just thinking we should get back soon.”

Harry hasn’t told his Mind Healer about shagging Malfoy. He wonders if Malfoy’s told his. Not likely, Harry thinks. Which tells him plenty about the viability of what they’re doing. If they could keep it secret from each other, they probably would.

Malfoy scoots closer, his knee between Harry’s, his hand encircling Harry’s cock.

“Again?” Harry asks, a crooked smile pulling at his lips.

Malfoy looks down at the cock swelling as he strokes it, then back up at Harry. “You tell me.” Then, “If you don’t want to, I’ll just wank myself off to your chocolate frog card.”

Harry cannot, absolutely cannot, suppress a mad bubble of laughter at that.

Just as he can’t not notice that Malfoy’s getting hard again too, just from touching him.

Harry moves into his body, takes a firm grip on him as well. Malfoy gasps.

“One more,” says Harry.

And already thrusting his hips into it, Malfoy breathes, “Just one more.”

#word excerpt ask game #drarry fic #drarry excerpt #my fic #shiny things slightly damaged

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mommastanberry-blog · 11 months ago

Text

It was late. Much later than Draco wanted it to be when he cast a Tempus charm to check the time.

Great. Good job Draco, another sleepless night.

He pulled on his coat and made his way out of his office, realizing quickly that he was the last one left in the building. He sighed. Owning a Quidditch team was not as fun as he had assumed. The paperwork and politics were grueling, leaving Draco almost no time on a broom. He missed the days of just being on a team and flying with his friends, the rush of the wind on a cold fall day made him feel more alive than breathing.

I’ll owl Theo tomorrow and see if he's busy. We can go fly up to Hogsmeade and have a pint at the Hog’s Head.

Stepping off the lift into the atrium, and out the door, Draco could see strikes of lightning in the distance. The strength of the wind told him a storm would be here soon; he needed to get home before it hit.

Riding a bike in the rain… definitely not my smartest move.

He mounted his bike, casting a few spells to repel the wind and rain, and donned his helmet. He hated the thing, but he drove in muggle London enough that he didn’t want to risk dealing with the police. He had had enough of that for a lifetime. He shuddered thinking about the 6 months he had spent in Azkaban. He had been at risk of a 10-year sentence, but thanks to an apparent earful, and Salazar knows what else, from a very swotty and bushy-haired Gryffindor, he had been given time served and a 5-year probationary period. Once he had returned home he had written her a letter, saying all the things he could never bring himself to in person.

Never got a letter back. I deserved that.

The rain was coming down in heavy sheets making it difficult for Draco to see. He took it slow, but that didn’t stop him from nearly hitting something that had appeared in the road.

FUCK!

He screeched to a stop, barely missing the…

Is that a woman? What is she doing out here?

He hopped off his bike and rushed over to the woman who was soaked from head to toe. He couldn’t see her face that was hidden under a large hood, but he knew she must be a witch, as muggles didn’t typically wear cloaks.

“Ma’am are you okay? What are you doing out here?”

She didn’t speak, she just kept trying to walk away.

What is going on here?

“Miss? MISS! It is not safe for you to be out here on the road in this storm!” He shouted through the thunder.

She jerked away, and Draco didn’t know if it was out of fright or disgust. He reached for her again, and his hand snagged her hood, pulling it off. He gasped as her face came into view. It was dark out, and the rain obscured his vision, but he knew instantly that the woman before him was Hermione Granger. She refused to look up and her bushy hair was matted to her face from the rain, but there was no mistaking who she was.

“Granger?! What are you—” he was stunned silent when another detail came into view.

Her eye was swollen and black, and her brow was split open. Judging by the level of swelling Draco could assume her orbital was broken. It was difficult to ascertain the other injuries in the dark. He needed to get her to the manor.

“Granger? Listen to me, you can’t stay out here, I’m going to apparate us to the Manor. Nod if you understand me?”

It took several moments, but she gave him a shallow nod and he returned it in kind. She still hadn’t looked up at him and he worried she was going to panic if she noticed before he got her to safety, so he quickly parked his bike far off the side of the road, and placed a concealment charm on it, returning to the witch and offering his hand. She stared at it for a moment before taking it in her own, and he immediately transported them to his bedroom in the Manor. He figured it would be the place least likely to make her think of the drawing room and, therefore, least likely to trigger her more.

He sat her down on his bed, casting several charms to dry and warm her, “Granger, I need you to tell me if you know where you are?” No response.

He reached over to unclip her cloak so he could remove it, but she flinched, yet again.

Gods what happened to her?

“Listen, Granger,” he said, kneeling down in front of her, “I need you to look at me. I’m not going to hurt you, but I need you to know where you are, and I need to make sure you realize who I am. Please, I can’t help you if you won’t let me.”

It took her several minutes. Draco sat quietly as she violently shook before him, eyes pinched tightly shut. He cast another warming charm, hoping it would slow the shakes, but he knew the reality was that it wasn’t likely from the cold, but shock. He stood and began to pace, unsure of what to do to end the spiral she was going through. A thought crossed his mind and he turned towards the bathroom, retrieving a washcloth and soaking it in cold water.

Returning to Granger, who hadn’t moved an inch, he reached a hand out carefully, taking one of her hands gently in his own. Flipping it over, he placed the cold cloth in her hands, but not letting go.

“Granger, would it—”

“It was Ron.”

She lifted her head and their eyes met. Fire shot through his veins and his heart began to race.

The weasel did this?

He couldn’t decide what he was feeling; rage? How could anyone have done this, much less someone who, to Draco’s knowledge, was supposed to love her.

Was this the first time? Can’t be, its too gruesome for that. Do her friends know? Does Potter?

“Gilly!” he called, not breaking eye contact.

“Yes Masters Draco? Oh! We have a guest, why didn’t you inform Gilly?”

“Gil! I need you to tend to Miss Granger here, she is quite injured. Keep her safe, do you understand? Give her anything she needs, a place to stay, food, whatever. Understood?”

“Yes sir.”

“Malfoy…”

“She is a free elf Granger, has been for years.” He said, allowing her a moment to process before taking her hand, “Where is he?”

She hesitated, clearly battling with herself on if she should answer, before quickly steeling herself, “Home. I think.”

“Where is home?”

“8 Heathgate, Hampstead Garden Suburb, London.”

He stood to leave, “Wait here.”

“Malfoy?”

“Just… Wait here.”

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

He stumbled out of the floo and tore through the unfamiliar home. After clearing the first floor, he checked the second, searching each room thoroughly. There was no sign of the weasel.

Where is he?

His final place to check was the garden. Pushing open the door, wand drawn, he braced himself for a fight.

Fuck! Where is he?

He scoured every corner of the garden, checking bushes and behind the willow tree, before resigning to put away his wand and head inside. He paced the kitchen, trying to decide his next move, when the floo roared to life and the weasel appeared, stumbling out of the green flames. They locked eyes for a moment, Draco’s heartbeat thundering in his chest.

“What the hell are you doing in my house Malfoy? How did you even get in here?”

He hadn’t really thought about what he had planned to do, but when his eyes caught a glimpse of Weasley’s bloodied knuckles his resolve snapped. He launched himself at Weasley, on him before he could draw his wand, connecting his fist to the weasel’s nose. They tumbled to the ground in a tangled mess. Weasley was bulkier than Draco, but it was clear he had been drinking heavily with his slowed responses to Draco’s moves. He was able to mount himself atop Weasley, pinning him to the ground with his legs.

“You…will regret…this……Malfoy!” He spat between blows, blood pouring from his mouth and nose as he held up his arms to cover his face.

He paused, catching Weasley’s gaze, “Doubtful.” He spat, and the air crackled around him as he reared his fist back, allowing all his rage to course through his body, and connecting his fist to Weasley’s face one last time, before his body stilled beneath him.

He blew out a breath and stood. Using his last bit of energy, he lifted his foot before stomping it down, hearing the crunch of Weasley’s skull as it cracked beneath his boot. He was dead, Draco would bet his entire vault on it. He plopped down on Granger’s couch as he tried to figure out what to do. There was no point in running, he was already tracked due to his probation, which had been due to expire soon.

So much for that.

He sat thinking for half an hour before his decision was made, “Gilly!”

She popped up beside him, wringing her hands nervously, “Yes, Master Draco?”

“Gilly love, I need you to do some things for me, alright? I need them done as soon as possible, and please don’t ask any questions. Time is of the essence.”

“Yes sir.”

“First, I need you to go to Gringotts and transfer all my personal funds into Granger’s vault. Second, please send all the books from the library that are safe to this address, someone should have them that will appreciate them. Can you do that?”

“Master Draco, what is—”

“No questions Gilly, not right now, there’s no time. I need you to do this before the Aurors come.”

“Aurors?”

��NOW GILLY!” he shouted, sighing as the guilt flowed through him, “Please. Do as I say.”

“Yes sir.”

She popped away, leaving Draco alone again. He gave it another half hour, stepping outside to smoke a cigarette, trying to give Gilly enough time to at least complete the trip to Gringotts.

Well, I guess it’s time.

He walked to the floo, tossed in some powder and called out for the DMLE, disappearing into the flash of green.

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

Draco was very familiar with the holding cell of the DMLE. Concrete walls and no door; the Aurors were taught the spell to make one appear when they needed in and out, same as Azkaban. He never thought he would be back here, and yet he had decided on his own to turn himself in.

For Granger.

He tried to rationalize the rash decision he had made, but more often than not, the truth was less sexy than fantasy. He saved Hermione Granger, because he hadn’t saved her before; not that he could have, he would have been killed. This time he had a choice, and he wanted it to be the right one, no matter the consequences.

“Mister Malfoy.” A voice said, startling him from his thoughts.

“Auror Dawlish.”

“Would you care to explain to me what happened tonight?”

“I was driving home from my office, when I saw a figure on the road. I nearly hit her cause the rain was so heavy and she was wandering down the middle of the road. I stopped to help, could tell she had been through something because she kept flinching when I would try to help.”

“Maybe it was just because it was you, Malfoy.”

“I don’t think she even saw my face. She had her hood pulled down so far, and refused to lift her head to look at me.”

“What happened next?”

“She was panicked and trying to get away, but I was afraid she was going to get injured or killed being out on the road in this storm, so I reached out to grab her, and accidentally caught her hood, pulling it down. That was when I noticed it was Hermione Granger.”

“Granger? What was she doing out there in the middle of the night?”

“I had that same question, until I saw her face. She had been assaulted. So I did everything I could to calm her down so I could get her to let me apparate us to the Manor.”

“Is that where she is?”

“She should be, its where I left her once she told me it was Weasley who did it.”

“Weasley? Ronald Weasley?”

“Yes.”

“Then what did you do Mister Malfoy?”

“I killed him.”

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

Sixty months and eleven days had passed since he had been sentenced to 10 years. Hermione had pulled every string she could to get him the sentence he had.

Will I ever be able to pay back my debt to her?

She came to see him often, twice a week when she was free, and wrote to him nearly every day even though he could only receive them on Sunday’s. Her most recent visit, she had snuck him a lemon drop, and Draco nearly cried with joy. He had popped it into his mouth so fast, without considering the length of time it had been since he had one, and instantly regretted it. His jaw seized up and his eyes watered as the sour candy overtook his mouth. He coughed trying to regain his composure when he heard a chuckle come from across the table. His heart stopped in his chest. He looked up at her, the tingling in his mouth long forgotten as he saw the smile that spread across her face. In that moment everything became clear to him, like the dark cloud that permanently hung over Azkaban had lifted.

It was worth it, all of it, to see her smile. Even if I’m here forever, I don’t care, she’s safe; and it’s a hell of a lot better than whatever place I’ve sent him to.

#draco malfoy #draco x hermione #dramione #harry potter #ao3 fanfic #fanfiction #hp fanfcition #spotify

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blue-collar-mans-sub · 5 months ago

Text

Swallow: the newest member of the boys’ club.

I had officially fucked up.

Let me explain—I was on my way home from Lowe’s, and found myself at a stoplight behind a younger biker. Maybe a 30s day, chunky boots, jeans, and a leather jacket.

I watched as he slowed down, dropped his feet to the asphalt, and walked his bike up to the stop line.

After he took off, I forgot about him. Until later that night, when I was pounding my meat. Suddenly I was looking up “biker” and “Harley” on Tumblr.

As it usually does when in horny, my horniness got the better of me and before I knew it, I banged out a Doublelist post titled “30s Alpha Bikers, Please Use Me!” I went on to describe I liked the idea of a rough, younger biker taking advantage of me; telling me what to do. Stated I liked military and authority figures, straight guys, masculine guys, and that discretion was assured.

I got one immediate reply: “bad scene, dude.” The message didn’t have an email address and was a waste of my time anyway. Fucking trolls

It wasn’t until the next day that I got my second:

40s. Ride a Harley. Former military. Got a pretty average cock, but shoot nice loads. I want sucked. Often. Get back at me with a place and time.

He sent a pic and he was, well, my type. Not pretty, rugged. I definitely noticed the thin blue line flag on his vest.

If I hadn’t been stroking when I read the reply—if I had came, maybe I wouldn’t have responded. But I did.

Gave the dude my address and said “whenever, just let me know.”

Next thing I know I was sucking on his hog. He just watched straight porn on his phone.

Soon enough, I heard him grunt and whisper, “swallow it.”

I did, and thanked him for feeding me a nice load.

He looked amused as he got up to go. Re-doing his belt, he looked at me and said “Not bad. Might hit you up some other night.”

“Anytime. Thanks for not beating the shit out of me. he laughed, and I should have left it there. But awkward me, always saying too much. “Never expected anyone like you to reply. It’s kinda weird—I always had this fantasy of being, like, the club bottom.”

He turned back to me on his way out to the mudroom.

“Yeah? That’s fucked up.” He seemed to think about it for a moment. He smirked and I saw an almost sadistic glint in his eye for a second. Something made him light up, anyway.

“So I got a group I ride with. Decent guys, we’re not a gang. Not a club. Just boys hanging out. Mostly vets, guardsman, retired military. A few of us are cops, we got a few tradesmen too. But all straight. And from what I know, kinky fuckers.”

I kinda liked the sound of that.

“Judge is kind of like our patriarch. He got us all together. We hang at his place by the marina. But point is, he caught his wife cheating. He didn’t really care too much. They ended up opening things up… but it was the secrecy and the lies he was mad about.

To punish her he ‘sentenced’ her to 6 months serving any of the guys, on demand. She did it, but after 6 months he made it clear she was off limits.

But some of us really got used to snapping our fingers and getting a suck job. That’s how it worked. We’d just snap or call for her and she’d do the rest. Pull it out, get it up, suck it down.”

Now if you’re serious, I know at least some of the guys would be willing to use a fa- uh, a queer cocksucker. But you’re gonna have to make it worth it. Dedication, probably full service. We never fucked Crystal… but you got two holes.

And if we do this, you gotta commit. You can’t start and then just disappear. The guys aren’t gonna want someone out there knowing they let a fa—fuck, a queer—swing on their dick.

Friday and Saturday nights you’re ours. Go home on Sunday and do what you do. But while you’re at the club, you obey.

Might even get you a vest like mine, if you stick around. Mark you as our little faggot cocksucker?”

That third time, he didn’t edit the “f” word. Hearing it made my dick harder than it was.

“Shit, that’s it. I got your nickname. “Swallow.” He kept going, sounding cocky. “Fuck, I can smell the desperation on you. You’re doing this. I’ll get the best embroidered and we’ll have them put a bull ring on the back, too.”

I must’ve looked confused.

“To hook your leash onto. Didn’t I mention the leash? It’s just to keep you obedient. …and, down where you belong.”

“Speaking of which, the thought of the club sharing another sex toy, that shit’s got me hard again.

Work another load out, Swallow.”

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tilltheendwilliwrite · 1 year ago

Text

Reflections

Chapter One

Master List / Real People Master List / Reflections Master List

Pairing: Mia MacAlsdair x Au Tom Hiddleston

Warnings: partner abuse, language, 18+ Minors do not interact

A/N: I apologize in advance should my Scottish/English interpretations be incorrect. I am Canadian playing in a world of my own making. Do not @ me.

**I do not tag. **To be notified of updates and new works, subscribe to me or the story on AO3 for email notification, or follow the library blog @tilltheendwilliwrite-library with notifications turned on so you’re not missing out. An account is required to access my work on AO3. For more information on how to get your FREE AO3 account, see this post.

Leonardo da Vinci once wrote, "I love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection."

Mia took those words to heart when life crashed and burned around her. At thirty-one, she found herself dumped by her fiancé of five years, homeless, and out of work, recovering from the pandemic and all that went along with that bullshit.

Canada wasn't hit as hard as other places worldwide, but it was hard enough that the economy struggled to recover even a few years later.

As an artist with a unique style, Mia also struggled. She had a decent following, and people liked her creations, but when the pandemic hit, she stagnated in a market that no longer had disposable income to spend. She put her hastily acquired medical transcription certificate to use to make ends meet and began working from home in her shared apartment. The work-from-home opportunity allowed her to continue to create art while bringing in a steady paycheck.

But Colt didn't like it. His law firm also turned to the work-from-home model, sticking them together in the same space without any breathing room for days on end.

Mia hadn't thought much of it at first. They loved each other, had lived together for two years at that point, and were blissfully happy as far as she knew. Time together was precious when Colt could spend upward of seventy-plus hours a week at the office. Having him home every night, having dinners together, and time to binge a little television sounded like heaven.

Until it wasn't.

Within months, he grew waspish, snapping at her for working on the kitchen table, taking up too much space, and playing her music too loud. When he began to berate her for her art supplies and how she couldn't just hog an entire room with them, Mia thought the stress of the pandemic had gotten to him.

Six months in, and she couldn't do anything right.

He'd always been a little critical, commenting on her clothes, hair, or makeup, but whenever she called him on it, he would say he was trying to help her better herself. She needed to act a certain way and dress a certain way. She needed to look like she belonged if she wanted to accompany him to company outings or galas.

A backward view granted her twenty-twenty vision at the giant walking red flag that was Colt, but Mia was too blind to see it at the time. And with Covid riding the world like a jockey whipping the last-place finisher on race day, Mia was stuck.

Plus, it was only stress. Or so she convinced herself.

When Colt's return to work order came, she was relieved. Maybe now she would get her Colt back, the sweet guy who brought her flowers and called her at lunch every day to hear her voice.

She didn't.

Colt only grew worse. Instead of just criticizing her, he yelled, screamed, and punched walls.

In hindsight, she should have left right then, but Mia kept chalking his actions up to stress. People changed with the pandemic. Life got harder. Money got tighter. Maybe she could do more, be better, try harder.

It wasn't until he grew indifferent that she realized she'd lost him. Finding the messages on his iPad that proved his cheating only confirmed what she already knew.

But Mia had nowhere to go. She didn't make enough money to get a place by herself when rent in her area was at an all-time high. She tried to take on more work, but so many people had the same idea as her when the pandemic struck that the transcription industry was flooded with workers. She even applied for jobs around town, but none paid enough. They wanted her to work for pennies for less than full-time hours, so they didn't have to pay benefits.

She was barely scraping by on helping with the rent. It was a crapshoot, and she knew it. So she bit her tongue; she stayed in her loveless relationship even as Colt's indifference grew into resentment, anger, and, finally, violence.

The first and only time he hit her, they were in the middle of an argument where she finally told him she knew about his cheating. He went quiet, scarily so. His face drained of colour before it rushed back in, painting his skin crimson as he lunged and slammed her into the wall, screaming at her for dragging out their relationship when he could have been with his new flame all this time.

The fist to the temple put her on the ground, knocked her teeth together, and set her ears ringing. But Mia was tougher than she looked and Colt was too stunned by what he'd done to stop her when she staggered to her feet, grabbed a side table lamp, and threatened to use it on him if he didn't leave. She screamed at him to get out and not come back, to go be with his new girlfriend if he wanted her so badly.

There was some minor back and forth, but every time his eyes darted to the blood and darkening bruise on her face, guilt flashed over his. Eventually, he left, but not before telling her she had forty-eight hours to get her shit out of his house.

Yeah, his, because he asked her to give up her lease and move into his place years earlier.

She slammed the door in his face, threw the lock and added the security chain for good measure. Then, on a wave of regret, grief and humiliation, and feeling stupid and utterly hopeless, Mia sat on the floor and cried until she sobbed, heaved, and almost threw up.

At that point, she wondered if she had a concussion, but there was no way she was leaving the apartment to find out, unsure if he would come back and toss all her stuff over their balcony in a fit of supreme assholery.

Colt could no longer be trusted.

Instead, she cleaned herself up, got an ice pack, and sat down to figure out what she would do in the next two days with what amounted to no job, no friends, and no family to help her.

Colt was once her best friend and family, the only one she really needed, and Mia found making friends difficult. She was neurodivergent, which was great for creating art but made maintaining lasting friendships difficult when it was easy to forget they existed for two or three weeks. People eventually got tired of reaching out when she never reached back. It wasn't that she didn't want friendships, but sometimes the worlds in her mind demanded all her time, energy, and focus to the extent that nothing else existed. Everything else could fade away, even Colt.

The only thing that remained was Him.

Mia glanced at the altar near the window. It wasn't much and Colt always teased her about her weird religious practices, but Mia ignored him. She was a Norse Pagan with strong leanings toward Lokean practice. Yeah, she worshiped the God of Mischief, but not the one in some comic book or movie. Her God was real. She knew it, felt it, and relished his attention when it came. The how and the why of it all were a long story, but she'd followed the path most of her life.

Even now, his voice whispered Colt wouldn't go unpunished, but Mia only sighed. "I think we've punished each other long enough."

She'd used him for a place to live, trapping them in a loveless relationship. Did that excuse him for hitting her? Fuck no! And if Loki wanted to exact retribution for that, she wouldn't stop him. But she needed to figure out what to do about right now.

The pile of discarded mail tumbled off the kitchen island, and a brown legal envelope skittered across the floor to run point first into her bare toe. The sharp little jab made her grunt.

"That's uncalled for, you know," she muttered, even as she picked up the envelope.

Mia hadn't bothered to look at it when she got it from the mailbox, assuming it was something for Colt, but finding her name and that of a law firm she'd never heard of on the return address label caused her to frown as she tore it open.

The first thing to fall out was a set of keys that looked like they were from a Jane Austin novel. Second was an old black and white photo, gone sepia with age. Third was a package of papers with a crisp white envelope paperclipped to the front.

The photo was of an old house, not quite a manor but bigger than a cottage, with a man and woman and three small boys standing out front.

She set the photo and the keys aside, glanced at what looked like a lot of legal jargon, and plucked the letter from inside the envelope. The words swam together a little, causing concern about concussion again, but the more she read, the farther her jaw dropped.

"How the hell do I own an estate in Scotland!?" And not just a house, but land, properties, and money—an obscene amount of it.

Loki's wicked laughter echoed in her head like an eerie breath of wind.

Telling the Mischief God to piss off, Mia made a phone call.

In a whirlwind of information, delivered by what turned out to be a very nice - though thickly accented - older man who she had clearly woken up, Mia discovered a heritage lost to her when her parents died in a fire when she was eleven.

She would never know whether it was the headache throbbing behind her eyes, the pulse of blood in her bruised temple, or just the shitty day piling up. Still, she sat on the floor and cried for the second time, causing the poor man to exclaim in alarm, demand to know if she was alright, and absolutely lose it when Mia lost her mind and told him everything.

Fergus MacDougal - because, of course, that was his name - informed her that he would take care of everything. He asked if she were safe to remain in the apartment overnight, to which she nodded before realizing he couldn't see her and replied yes. Colt was unlikely to be back before she was due to be out. Neither wanted to see each other again. They'd already said things they couldn't take back.

Fergus appeared to breathe a sigh of relief before telling her she was to pack her belongings, anything she wanted to bring with her immediately in one pile and everything she wanted to be shipped later in another, and be ready when the car called in the morning.

Stupidly, Mia asked, "What car?"

"The one to take you to the airport, lass. We'll have you across to us in a blink. You do have a passport, yes?"

Stunned, Mia again nodded before giving an affirmative grunt.

His laughter was like warm honey, thick and rich, rumbling in her ear before telling her to text him if she needed anything and hung up.

She sat staring at the phone for long moments before a gentle push from a kind hand knocked her from her stupor as Loki whispered, Pack your things, girl.

Mia looked up, almost expecting to see him crouched on the sofa like a raven, beaming at her, his red hair braided back from his face and threaded with feathers, but there was nothing.

She rose on shaky legs, dumped the thawed ice pack back in the fridge, dug three Tylenol out of the medicine cabinet and brewed a pot of coffee. She had work to do.

When the car called in the morning, all her art supplies, paintings, and works in progress were packed and waiting. She found all the boxes she needed in the building's recycling, ran out of the apartment long enough to buy tape and grab something to eat, and spent the rest of the night packing up her life.

When morning dawned, she looked at her small piles of boxes and fought the burn of tears for what felt like the hundredth time in only hours.

Going through her things, clothes, jewelry, even the DVDs, she realized how little of it she wanted to keep. She had no mementos, nothing from her past, and hardly any photos. Everything in the apartment was Colt's or something he bought her. They were all things Colt wanted her to wear, how he wanted her to look, how he wanted her to act.

Mia left it all behind. She took what little she'd brought with her five years ago and left the rest in garbage bags to donate.

Lastly, she wrapped and packed Loki's altar. The crystals, feathers, bowls, toys, statues, and altar cloth went in a small wooden box she carefully covered in bubble wrap, placed in the box with her meagre collection of books, and taped shut.

In her backpack, her laptop, chargers, the envelope from the lawyer, wallet and passport were ready to go.

She spent the last two hours cancelling everything she could think of and informed the landlord she was leaving. She wasn't on any of the utility bills or the lease, but she did change all her passwords before submitting a request to remove her name from their joint bank account, though she didn't touch the money.

It was exhausting, and by the time the movers knocked, Mia was ready to drop.

She opened the door to find a man in his later years, sixty to sixty-five, with white hair and crinkles around his eyes. His smile fell from his lips as his gaze zeroed in on her temple, and Mia's hand flew to her face.

He stepped toward her and slowly grasped her wrist, drawing her hand from the black bruise and mildly swollen eye.

"Is this the first time?" he demanded gently.

Mia lifted her chin and stared him in the eyes. "And the last."

"Do you want to press charges?"

Air tickled her ear, and a growl that could be mistaken for thunder rattled the windows.

"It's being taken care of."

She didn't know what he saw in her face, but the arch of his brow and slight quirk of lips said he believed her.

Afterward, it was a whirlwind. She wasn't sure how many men there were, but they had everything - which wasn't much - carted up and off, though she insisted on taking the last box she packed and her backpack herself.

Sebastian, the white-haired man in the cashmere coat, Armani suit, and red-soled shoes she didn't even want to guess the price of, insisted on carrying the box for her. As it wasn't heavy, Mia relented. He was a spry, fit man who filled out his coat with broad shoulders but had a grandfatherly quality that set her at ease.

While the movers took her things, he explained Fergus called him, asking him to see Mia safely onto the plane. As they were partners in a global firm of lawyers, he was happy to help, but when he saw how little she had, he instructed the movers to put everything onto the truck for the plane. They may as well send it all with her now.

Mia listened, but everything was a wall of sound and movement; nothing made sense, and if she didn't get horizontal soon, she would pass out and fall down.

Sebastian, seemingly aware of that fact, ushered her into the elevator, out the front, and into a limo, shocking her again when she was met with a wall of heavenly scent. Fresh coffee and sweet baking. He placed one of each in her hands, and she ate by remote as the car pulled from the curb.

Sebastian continued to talk, asking her questions about her art, having clocked the easel - likely to keep her awake - as they headed for the airport. When they arrived, Mia frowned because they didn't stop at International Departures but passed it to the private terminals.

"I don't understand," she murmured, too tired to hide her confusion.

"You didn't think Fergus would put you on a commercial flight, did you?" Sebastian chuckled, helping her out of the car when it stopped beside a private jet.

Mia stared at it, then looked at him in exasperation. "Who the hell are you people?"

Sebastian laughed. "The question, my girl, is who are you for Fergus MacDougal to call in numerous favours to get you out of that apartment and across the world in less than twenty-four hours'."

"I… I don't know," Mia whispered. The weight of what she was doing on an impulse suddenly hit her and caused her knees to shake.

Reflect, Loki whispered in her ear.

Her knees firmed, and she lifted her chin. "But Leonard da Vinci once wrote, 'I love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection.'" She turned to Sebastian and held out her hand. "It's time for me to grow brave. I appreciate your help."

He grinned and shook his head. "You're an interesting woman, Miss MacAlasdair. I wish you good luck in your future endeavours."

She smiled and squeezed his hand. "I don't need luck. I have something better."

"Oh? What's that?"

Mia glanced at the plane when a flash of red caught her eye, only to find a black raven on the open door. "Mischief. And someone who can use it looking out for me."

Sebastian's smile quirked a little like she'd confused him, but he didn't ask, just ushered her to the foot of the stairs where the wide eyes of the flight attendant said Mia looked as bad as she felt.

But she would smile through her trouble, gather strength from her distress, face her reflection and grow brave. She wasn't sure about this, but no one said she had to go to Scotland forever.

She climbed up the stairs to stand in the open doorway where the raven remained and turned to take in the city skyline with the sun rising to cast an orange glow over the buildings. Mia had the sinking feeling it would be a long, long time before she returned to Canada.

The bird was gone when she looked up at the raven again, but that didn't surprise her. Loki came and went as they pleased. It was a long flight to Scotland, and the deity she worshipped wasn't happy with Colt. And if that growl at her former apartment was anything to go by, neither was Fenrir.

Retribution would be swift and cutting.

A pang of pity tried to swell in her gut, but Mia stomped it out. Colt made his bed when he hit her. Loki was going to make him lie in it.

She nodded a final time to Sebastian, walked onto the jet, and set her backpack and box on the couch before falling into a chair. When she fumbled to do up the seat belt, the flight attendant hurried to help her.

"We'll be taking off as soon as they load your things," she murmured. "Can I get you anything? Coffee, tea, juice? Some ice?"

Mia sighed. "Does it look that bad?"

The woman winced. "Sorry. I wasn't trying to imply-"

"No, I'm sorry," Mia interrupted. "It's been a really long sixteen hours. If you have any, ice would be great, along with some Tylenol or Aspirin."

"Sure thing," she smiled. "I'll get that right away. Once we're at altitude, if you would like, you can move to the bedroom and sleep."

Mia's jaw dropped. "There's a bedroom!?"

The woman laughed. "Oh, honey. You haven't seen anything yet. I'm Ginny. Your pilots are John and Rhys, and we'll see you safely across the Atlantic. Once you're rested, I'll put together something more substantial than pastries and coffee for you, but let me get you some juice, painkillers, and ice. I'll be right back."

"Wait! How did you know what was in the limo?" Mia asked.

Ginny grinned. "Mister Vass always has coffee and pastries in the car for his morning drop-offs."

"So they do this a lot?"

"Rescue women and spirit them away to Scotland? No, I'm pretty sure this is a first," she chuckled and hurried off.

Mia frowned a little but couldn't dispute it. They did rescue her, though she hated being the damsel in distress, and vowed right then to find a way to repay Sebastian and Fergus for their kindness.

She glanced at the window and caught a glimpse of her reflection. Even in the glass, she could see the heavy bruising and sighed.

She reflected on her relationship. It had grown so toxic, so heartless. They'd been hurting each other emotionally for a long time. Neither was without blame, though she didn't excuse him hitting her. But she needed to close things on her terms. She didn't want to leave anything unsaid and wanted a clean break without contact.

The pain of the breakup had yet to come, but she knew it was simply a matter of time and distance.

Instead of thinking about it any longer, she dug her phone out of her backpack, noted it only had ten percent juice and sighed. She'd forgotten to charge it overnight. Still, it was enough battery to do what she needed and opened her text messages.

Colt,

I'm out. You can go home whenever you want. I've taken only my things - what I brought with me when I moved in, and my art supplies - all of the clothes, shoes, and accessories are in garbage bags for you to do with whatever you want. If you're going to get rid of them, at least donate them to Goodwill and don't throw them away. The landfills don't need that kind of burden.

I can't forgive how things ended. I could have lived with the screaming, cursing, and even berating because I did know you were seeing Mindy for almost a year, and I stayed because I had nowhere else to go. I used you for a roof over my head, which was selfish of me, but you hit me, which is unforgivable.

I don't want to hear from you after this. You were my best friend, my family, the only person I had left to turn to. The pandemic and subsequent fallout were brutal on everyone, but you changed. You turned into someone I don't recognize anymore. I hate who you've become.

I hate that we stopped talking about us, the wedding, our hopes and dreams. I don't know when you stopped loving me, I don't know when I stopped loving you, but somewhere along the line, we did stop. Maybe if Covid hadn't happened, we would be blissfully happy and settled down. Or maybe Mindy would still be in the picture, I can't say, but it doesn't matter now.

I'm done, Colt. You broke the last bits of my faith in you when you punched me in the face. Nothing you can say will make up for that. Nothing you can say will ever make me walk back into your life.

We were toxic to each other. Maybe apart, we can figure out how to be happy again.

Even now, I hope you find your happiness someday, but get help with your temper. You were never like that before.

For now, don't contact me. I don't want to hear from you, see you, or speak to you for a while. My world crashed and burned last night.

I need to start over.

I need to figure out how to do that.

I need to figure out a future without you in it.

Mia.

She hit send, saw it was delivered and received only seconds before her phone died. Mia sighed and shoved it back into her backpack.

She'd look into charging it later.

Next Chapter

#reflections #au tom hiddleston #tom hiddleston fanfiction #rpf #real people fiction

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the-firebird69 · 1 year ago

Text

BBC

Trump co-defendant pleads guilty in Georgia election interference case

1 hour ago

These people are all turning evidence and they declare their guilty and they have to give them something and they get reduced sentences or commuted or they have a parole or they have some sort of other sentence that they have to perform even out of country or even to stay out of the country and Trump is getting really mad this is the kids not doing it all you idiots are and you're saying he's been saying it the whole time doing all these people here pissing off you're leaving on me and it doesn't do a damn thing. Now Trump is just saying it no he needs it but he's going to lean on her son and it doesn't help him the Max and others are shooting his people for it. Tonight is the second installment of Halloween we think so maybe when our son and daughter say we think there's a lot more fighting going on and eventually it comes down a little bit and that's because Trumpsters are hammered flat. And then they're able to move her to a lower security place and that's going to occur probably in a few days and he'll be erased it in the Midwest and upper Midwest is putting all this energy into it but a poor boy I guess he's seen deSanta says a threat. And it's going on shortly that people are finding out that Trump is weakening and the financial area so they're moving in and the competing with mac and others and the max who are different than mac daddy and it is a heavy and hot fight and Trump is deteriorating fast very fast. Election the person riding on him in the Georgia election fraud case is his son Dave who lives one house or really one apartment in the same house over and her son is in the middle it's been going on like this.

What Sherry did today in Hawaii will probably cost her her life and she was dying it was poison and they had to rush her to the hospital and flush her she was damaged a little in the brain and the clones are going to pursue her she ends up stuck to this guy and goes to the Sahara desert and finds the device and they opened it up and really you can't see much after you do that but that's what they do and it's because they want to use it as a threat and that makes it much worse the two are wanted globally she goes to westboro and does not own the house now it is Mac Daddy and stabs him to death and takes the money and they pursue her and they wipe out stands people and she eventually goes nuts and becomes Catwoman and some other characters and Stan of course is in a lot of trouble and starts losing his fleet today and he's down to 150 million roughly and they are threatening for the big stuff and he only lost a portion of it that the large stuff Biden too it's getting threatened and lost about 100 million ships in the past couple days he's only down to 300 million but he's losing big stuff a little bit too and there's a whole bunch of people going after these guys and these warlock don't know any better but really they're going to attack the deserts they take like a base or two each and they're small Mac bases and they start taking the spice and they try and find the doomsday device the whole time and they're also doing it in the LA area and it starts a war and cesario kicks off the movies there one is dusk till dawn the other is cesario and we mentioned that that's first and the other one is Con Air which comes later on and after several huge movies and there's another one that it's like infection or something where the aliens are there and you can't get through Mexico very easily and that comes after a few of these stranger movies and someone says that they could blow the canal and the water would fly out of it and they could use it to try and access tunnels as cover and they might try that there is a movie about that it's not in California and it is with them and it is The China syndrome. There's a few more movies that cesario starts and on the border and goes a long ways there's weird movies raised in Arizona wild hogs there's the one about cocaine with the two famous guys and a Harley Davidsons easy Rider and there's a slew of movies okay just a huge number of them and it's even a lot of Clint Eastwood movies and it all going on the whole time about this doomsday stuff and I never stops they just keep going out there and trying they think it is ideal and we think they're nutty and the diamonds would have to be removed from several locations on the West Coast and within and below the Rocky mountains and the mining there is not occurring the mining is occurring in Appalachia and there's several moves that occur there soon and that's because there's a blockage there too and that would drain into huge tunnels that would deplete the Earth of water and the max are there too other tunnels would of course do that and they're dry but nobody can get to the blockages and we're stopping it now and other people were stopping it and they don't know who's doing it but these are places that someone is sitting on and it's not occurring anywhere else for real the clones are no longer sitting on it they're stuck in their ships for the most part and other areas are mixed except for Australia and New Zealand how about the fighting each other and cannot get there and this is one of the ways Mac people's are planning on taking the rule back over

Thor Freya

Olympus

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hookingminor · 3 years ago

Text

isn’t it strange? - nico hischier

a/n: this took so long to finish and once again not sure if I even like it but I will perhaps make a bonus epilogue to post later if I get inspired <3 if some things seem vague (re: family dynamics and details like siblings and parents) it’s because I wanted to make it as ambiguous and universal as possible, though this does center around a relatively close-knit family on the reader's side

word count: 12.7k (good god y’all)

warnings (18+): smut (unprotected), minor alcohol mentions, wedding antics, close family dynamics

teaser / part one

Things were awkward to say the least when you arrived at the large house your family had rented for the week.

It was awkward when Nico picked you up to take you to the airport, your favorite coffee and breakfast sandwich in hand when he greeted you at the door. As always, he turned up earlier than expected, leaving you to invite him in while you scrambled to collect the rest of your things.

The drive had eased some of the tension since you had nearly half an hour to chat on the ride over. A portion of the time was spent catching up on the last month though you both kept details vague, but most of the conversation centered on your family and the itinerary for the week ahead of you since you wanted Nico to be prepared.

Nico had met your immediate family many times before over the course of your relationship since he chose to spend holidays during the season with you and your family because he couldn’t make trips back to Switzerland with hockey going on all the time, but this was the first time he would be meeting your whole family: all the nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles, grandparents and cousins, everyone extended. It was a week sure to be filled with intrusive questions about your relationship and future together.

By the time you had your bags checked, Nico surprised you with upgraded first class seats from the coach ones you had purchased all those months ago.

“I asked you on this trip as a favor,” you quipped when he flashed the tickets before you with an amused smile that you did not return. “You shouldn’t be spending any money on this. Or me.”

“Who said this was for you?” He smirked. “I’m used to a life of luxury on private team planes. I don’t want to spend the next four hours with a kid kicking the back of my seat and you hogging the armrest.”

The tone of his voice let you know he was joking, but you half believed the excuse.

“Plus, you’re going to have to deal with your family for the next five days. I think you deserve to have at least a few hours of comfort before all this goes down,” he added after a moment.

“You’re too kind for your own good, Nico, you know that?” You replied with an agitated huff, taking the ticket with your name from his hands. Who were you to refuse a first class ticket you knew was nonrefundable?

“You did say that was one of my most lovable qualities.”

“And sometimes most infuriating,” you grumbled. “I’m paying you back for this later.”

“Yeah, yeah. Sure.” Both of you knew full well Nico would never accept a repayment.

The flight got delayed an hour due to air traffic, and you hated to admit you were extra thankful for the first class seats as you sat and waited for the runways to clear when suddenly Nico grabbed your right headphone to pop it into his own ear.

“What are you listening to?” He asked when the podcast started back up.

You waited a few moments and allowed the audio to play where the hosts where in the middle of describing a gruesome murder. “True crime,” you stated when they finished their story.

Nico never had the stomach for all the horror and gore you were fascinated with, though he tried valiantly to get into the same interests as you. More times than not it led to terrifying nightmares or unwanted paranoia or tenuous nausea.

“I always hated these,” Nico said, but he made no move to remove the headphone while the story continued on.

“That’s because you scare easily and get nightmares,” you chuckled. After the third time Nico woke up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night after watching a horror movie with you, you declared him unfit to watch any more (something Nico was eternally grateful for.) He would do anything for you, and if that meant sitting through awful movies and documentaries that scarred him, he would do it, but he was glad he didn’t have to.

“Nightmares were never so bad when I woke up next to you.” Nico let his eyes fall shut after the plane settled into a cruising altitude.

“Speak for yourself.” The corner of your mouth tugged into a smile. “You were always sweaty and clung to me like a koala.”

Nico’s own lips quirked up at the mention of his clingy bedroom tendencies but said nothing more, and within a few short minutes he was fast asleep, which was another quality you envied him for: his ability to pass out whenever and wherever.

You were grateful it was well into the evening by the time you made it to the rental home. The hour-long taxi ride gave you some time to unwind from the plane ride and figure out some last minute logistics before launching yourselves into a busy week. And it helped that you weren’t bombarded at the dinner you expected to be at but sadly had to miss.

Your parents greeted you at the front door, tackling you both in hugs before your father went to handle the luggage while your mother squished Nico’s cheeks and made comments about how he needed to eat more.

Nico wooed her with that dazzling smile of his that had her heart melting every time, complimenting her on her new hairstyle and giving her a big hug. Your dad clapped him on the shoulder in one of those fatherly squeezes, commending him on the past Devils season. Before you brought Nico home, your father never dared to follow New Jersey Devils hockey like any respected person would, but Nico easily converted not only your dad, but your entire family into Devils fans.

They traded some commentary on the playoffs currently going on as you entered the home before your mom showed you to the room you’d be staying in and updated you with the arrival times of your siblings the next day.

The conversation didn’t last long considering it was almost ten in the evening and they wanted to give you time to settle in. Plus, it was past their bedtimes as middle-aged adults and they were more interested in getting some sleep themselves than catching up with you right now.

“Are you sure you’re okay with being here?” You asked after your parents left, lounging on the bed while you waited for Nico to finish up in the bathroom.

“Of course I am,” he replied, flicking off the light switch before slipping under the covers. “I like your family. They always make me feel welcome.”

“That’s because everyone’s in love with you,” you chuckled. “You’re, like, every parent’s wet dream.”

Nico laughed, having heard you say some iteration of that same phrase multiple times over the years you dated. It was insane how much your parents loved Nico. Every time you brought him home, he stole the show. Your little cousins flocked to him like moths to a flame, and all the guys loved being able to discuss sports with a professional athlete even if your family wasn’t a hockey one. He had a stomach the size of an elephant and could eat his weight in food that your aunties made, and he was an even better complimenter and flirt. Your older brother adored him and your younger sister fawned over him. Hell, even the grocer at the local supermarket asked you periodically how Nico was doing when you came home to visit.

There wasn’t a single person he couldn’t win over. Both in your family and in life. He was just that perfect.

“Besides, having your mom’s cooking at least once this weekend will be worth all of this,” he added after a moment.

“You say that when you’re so clearly the favorite here.” You slid under the covers and pulled them up to your chest.

“What can I say? Moms love me.”

Everyone loves you, you thought.

“Goodnight, Nico,” was what you said instead, rolling onto your side and away from Nico. You hoped that if you didn’t have to look at him, your mind could forget that he was right next to you, but it was a fruitless attempt. Not when his body was denting the mattress just a few inches away and you could practically feel his heat radiating across the distance.

“Goodnight, Y/N,” he replied while settling himself deeper into the sheets.

The situation gave you flashbacks of the end of your relationship when you were still sharing a bed but acted like you were strangers. A pit settled in your stomach at the memories of Nico coming home late and crawling into bed without so much as a goodnight kiss and where you pretended to be asleep so you didn’t have to ask him about his day.

You pushed the thoughts aside and burrowed yourself deeper into the bed. If anything, maybe you could come out of this weekend as friends. You could only hope for the best.

“What’s for breakfast?” You asked, entering the kitchen where your mom and dad were already bustling around cooking.

Nico followed in behind you while you peered over your mom’s shoulder at the stove where she was flipping chocolate chip pancakes. Your lips turned down in a frown, but you didn’t say anything.

Turning around, you spotted freshly cut strawberries in a bowl on the counter, and another glance in a different direction showed turkey bacon slices resting on a plate. All of the dishes were Nico’s favorites.

“Is there anything for me here?” You scoffed teasingly when you saw your dad poaching eggs in a pot just how Nico liked.

“You’re not the guest here,” your mother replied with an eye roll. “We have to be good hosts.”

“Right. It’s not like Nico’s stayed with us multiple times and knows what to expect.”

“Oh hush, you know you’ll eat it anyway,” your mom said.

“Would’ve preferred waffles,” you mutter under your breath, which earned you a light hit with the nearby dish towel.

“This is all wonderful. Thank you so much. You guys didn’t have to go to all this work,” Nico stepped behind you, pulling you back into his body before you started arguing with your mom.

“And that’s why he’s my favorite,” your mom gushed with an affectionate pat to Nico’s cheek. “Help yourself.”

You rolled your eyes at your mom’s blatant favoritism, but Nico only smiled down at you and wiggled his eyebrows in amusement. He knew your parents loved him, arguably more than they loved you, and he was by far the favorite significant other between you and your siblings.

Your mom smacked your hand when you tried to plate your food first, reprimanding you to let Nico go first, who stood grinning and on the verge of laughter at your put-out face as you waited for him to finish.

“Now you’re just being an ass,” you said, snatching some bacon from Nico’s plate because he thought it would be funny to take them all.

“Careful,” Nico whispered as he leaned in closer, “or I’ll tell your mom you’re being mean to me.”

It was too early in the morning for your stomach to be filled with butterflies at Nico’s close proximity, so you teasingly shoved him to the side to put some space between your bodies. You were only given a short reprieve before Nico joined you at the table and pressed his thighs flush against yours underneath the table.

You tried not to think about his thigh against yours or the jokes and stories he shared with your father or the way he helped himself to all the extra leftovers your mom insisted on giving him because he didn’t want to hurt her feelings. And you especially tried not to think about how your heart rate sped up when Nico reached up to wipe a smudge of jam at the corner of your mouth.

Yeah, it was going to be a long day and an even longer week.

When you first agreed on Nico accompanying you back home, you both decided that the less time you spent lying to your family, the better. It was hard to avoid spending any time with them due to the fact that it was a family wedding, so when the opportunity came up to run some last minute wedding errands, you jumped to volunteer yours and Nico’s time.

While you loved your family, the day had been full of a lot of interacting, and tomorrow would be even more taxing when the rest of your extended family arrived. And then your brother and sister stopped by to catch up with everyone, and you were faced with another onslaught of questions about when you and Nico were finally going to settle down.

“If you’re waiting for permission, you know you already have it,” your brother had joked, clapping Nico on the shoulder with a laugh.

It didn’t help that Nico was absolutely incredible with your brother’s kids, tossing them in the air and letting them hang from his back like he was a human jungle gym. His ever-lasting energy devoted to playing with your niece and nephews only had your sister-in-law nudging you with her elbow and commenting on just how good Nico was with kids.

“He’ll be a great dad in a few years, huh?” She smirked. Laura loved Nico because she thought he was good for you and also because every time you brought him around, she always got a few hours of peace while he entertained them. “You don’t even know how excited they were in the car that they got to hang out with Uncle Nico today.”

You laughed at her comment though it lacked genuine feeling. You weren’t sure you even wanted kids in the future, but the remarks about how everyone loved Nico only stung more when you knew you didn’t have him anymore and that he wasn’t yours.

You practically had to drag him out of the house after a hectic lunch when your father asked if anyone wanted to check in on the vendors in town to make sure everything was still in order. Your family was great at asking too many questions and insinuating that they were waiting for Nico and you to get engaged yourselves, and the atmosphere was starting to become stifling.

“You okay?” Nico asked the second you stepped out the front door to take a deep breath.

A hand raised to cup your cheek before you could reply, and Nico met your eyes with a worried look.

“Yeah, sorry,” you sighed. “I just didn’t think I’d feel this bad about lying to everyone. I’m sorry you have to deal with all their dumb comments.”

“I’m okay, I promise.” Nico engulfed your face with both hands now and scanned your eyes for reassurance. “Why don’t we take our time in town? We can say something went wrong so we needed extra time to handle it and we can get dinner or something after so you can have some time to breathe.”

Nico honestly didn’t mind the inquisition from your family. Over the years, he’d become used to their fun-loving and sometimes invasive nature, but he knew they meant it all with love. They cared about both of you deeply, and it was endearing to hear that they still did. It warmed his heart and filled his body with such an intense longing that, for brief moments, Nico would forget you were actually broken up.

Those moments were usually when he caught you laughing with your sister at something and you’d glance over at him for a split second before turning away. Or when your niece would quietly whisper to him to ask if he could braid her hair, to which Laura would reprimand her for bothering Nico but he gladly entertained her anyway. Or when your mother took him to the side to ask about when they’d be flying back for Thanksgiving, and Nico’s initial reaction was to give her an answer instead of deflecting.

He especially felt it now with his hands warming your face as he watched your brows draw together in anxiousness, and Nico knew he needed to get you away from the house as quickly as possible.

“Yeah, okay, let’s do that please.” Your shoulders release some tension on your next breath to calm yourself down.

The drive into town settled your nerves the further you got from the home, and you were feeling more at ease when you rolled up to the flower shop your cousin enlisted for the wedding.

The florist was a lovely elderly woman who gushed over Nico immediately.

“The girls in your family have some real luck with gorgeous men, huh?” She blushed when Nico shook her hand, instantly feeling the charm of a handsome young man.

She ushered you to the back where she had started assembling the table pieces, blue iris and white hyacinth bundles scattered across her workspace. “My daughter will be in tomorrow to help me finish the rest, and we will be there early Saturday morning to drop them off and help set up if you need it.”

“They’re gorgeous,” you complimented, taking one complete bundle in your hands to inspect it. “Really, they’re incredible.”

“Oh, thank you, sweetheart,” the woman smiled, evidently proud of her own work.

She showed you around the rest of her shop after you were sufficiently confident that the flowers were taken care of, delving into the history of the store that she opened thirty years ago with her husband.

A phone call from the dress store had you excusing yourself and stepping outside while Nico finished up inside, and you thanked the lady again for her help.

Nico joined you on the sidewalk after a few minutes, the bell above the door alerting you of his presence as he bid farewell to the florist with a bright smile. A singular red tulip stem was between his fingers, and he held it out for you to take like it was a precious present.

“Ruth thought red seemed like your color,” Nico said. “I agreed.”

“Ruth knows me well.” You took the flower from Nico and brought it to your nose to sniff it.

Nico cleared his throat. “So what’s next on the list?”

“The tailor said the dress would be another hour before we can pick it up, so we should probably check on the cake and catering.”

You ran all over town with Nico, popping from shop to shop and checking on all the orders on your list.

The caterer ran through the list with you three times when you arrived, double and triple checking the vegetarian and special diet options and numbers while simultaneously having you try a few samplers to make sure everything was how it should be: a task that Nico was all too willing to participate in.

The cake decorator had barely begun baking the cake by the time you got there, so there wasn’t much to check in with, though she also had no concerns at the time and even sent you home with a complimentary slice for making the trip out there.

“Last thing on the list is picking up the dress. Emily said she had her final fitting earlier this week, so it should all be good to go.”

It was still early in the day by the time your cousin’s dress was tucked safely in the backseat of the car, and Nico could feel your hesitation behind the wheel when you realized it was time to head back.

“Hey, are you hungry? I’m starving,” Nico said. “We should get something to eat before we go home.”

“My mom is probably making dinner as we speak,” you chuckled, not opposed to the idea of skipping out on family time.

“She’s got the grandkids and your siblings. We’ll just say it was my idea and that we wanted some alone time. You know she’ll never get mad at me.” His lips pulled into a smirk. It was true. Nico walked on water in your mother’s eyes.

“Well, when you put it like that…” A smile slowly spread across your face. “Should we play a round of restaurant roulette?”

“You know me so well,” Nico laughed, already pulling up the list of nearby restaurants into his google search.

Restaurant roulette was something you often played when you were dating and couldn’t decide on a place to eat. It was your own way of discovering new restaurants and also how you made decisions when you were both too stubborn to agree.

Back in New Jersey, you had a list of all local restaurants and would randomly shuffle them and draw a number to decide which one you’d be going to, but in a town you weren’t familiar with, a random google search would have to do.

Nico didn’t show you the phone, viewing the list of places on his own and counting the total number of restaurants before asking you to pick a number.

“One through eleven, which will it be?” He asked.

“Four,” you answered.

Nico smiled wickedly before punching in the address.

The surprised restaurant turned out to be a Western country bar like one straight out of the movies. It was an odd choice of restaurant to be in a town that was most certainly not a small country town, but like every restaurant roulette choice, you embraced it with open arms.

You embraced the grizzly men sitting at the bar drinking glasses of dark liquor and the old, bearded bar owner serving the drinks. You even embraced the sticky booth table with the flickering light above.

The waitress was definitely a high schooler who would rather be doing anything than serving the two of you on a Thursday evening, but you figured she had no choice but to be there if you were going by the way she called the bar owner ‘grandpa’.

The menu, which was surprisingly long given the small establishment, had everything from fried appetizers to salads to steak. “There’s no way they can be doing all of this right,” you commented as you perused. It was nearly two full pages just of food and another full page of drink options.

“What do you think are the safest options?” Nico asked.

“Not the grilled salmon… or any fish option for that matter,” you replied.

When the teenager came back, you stuck to a simple burger while Nico chose a chicken sandwich, hoping that the bar at least had good classic bar food and handed the menus back.

Nico took your mind off your family while you waited for your meals, delving into updates on his family and his plans to go back home in the next couple of weeks.

“Is everyone doing okay? Your mom and dad? Siblings?” You asked.

It dawned on you then that you hadn’t spent much, if any, of your time together this week asking Nico about his life and his family. You’d been so worried and focused on your own issues that you neglected to check in with him.

Whereas Nico had met your family multiple times, you only had the privilege of meeting his when you traveled to Switzerland with him in the summer, and even then it was difficult for everyone to be together with his siblings both involved in sports. There was the rare event of his parents spending a week in New Jersey just last year, and that was the last time you’d heard news about them now that you thought about it.

“Everyone is good,” he answered. “They ask about you sometimes.”

Nico’s family liked you just fine from what you could tell and from what he would tell you. They weren’t given as many opportunities to hover and ask questions like your family did with Nico, but they were always welcoming when you visited. You had a good enough relationship where you would talk to his sister and mother separately on your own every now and then, though that had slowly fizzled out along with yours and Nico’s relationship.

For the most part, though, they only had Nico’s word to go off of when they developed their opinions on you, and Nico never had anything bad to say about you. Even when you were fighting or didn’t see eye to eye, Nico would never bad mouth you behind your back.

The waitress arrived with your dishes in record speed—a perk in ordering in a place that rarely seemed busy—and you were pleasantly surprised by the quality of them.

“I take back every bad thing I said about this place. I would definitely get this burger again,” you announced, polishing off the crisp fries on the side.

“I think this might be the best chicken I’ve ever had in my life.” Nico all but moaned around his sandwich, sending zings through your body at the melodious sound.

“How long are you going to be back home for?” You coughed awkwardly, trying your best to ignore the heat flooding your body by turning the conversation to something mundane.

“Till practice starts up again, hopefully,” he replies, dousing his own fries in an abundance of ketchup. “I already postponed going back because of this new trainer I’m seeing, so I want to stay there as long as possible.”

“You make me feel like a bad daughter because I’m here wishing this weekend was over so I can get back to Jersey,” you chuckled.

“Yeah, but your parents are coming to visit you in a couple months anyway.” His remembrance of your parents annual NJ trip just to see you stirred something inside you. “I get tired of my family when I’m home too. I think everyone does. Too much of a good thing sometimes, you know?”

Boy, did you. There was always a pang of guilt every time you thought about how you didn’t want to be around your family that made you feel like a disgrace or unworthy, so it was nice to hear you weren’t the only one who felt that way.

“Thanks for saying I’m not a bad person,” you said after a moment. “Even though this entire week has been based on lies.”

“But you’re lying because you care about them, so the pros outweigh the cons here.” You weren’t quite sure if you believed that, but Nico always said everything with conviction that you couldn’t help but mooch off his confidence.

“Yeah, maybe.” Perhaps the pros did outweigh the cons in this case, not to mention the lying saved you from unnecessary pity and coddling which was fun for no one, but that small bit of guilt still lingered in your chest despite all your attempts to settle it.

With a terrible turn of events, you woke up the next morning with a painful migraine. The few rays of light coming in through the blinds had you turning your face into the pillow and squeezing your eyes shut.

It was a rare occasion that you were overcome with debilitating migraines like this, but when they happened you knew you wouldn’t be moving for the next few hours at the very least. At most, you’d be out the entire day if you didn’t follow the very specific ritual and medications that you finally figured out to cure the headache.

The only bad part about following your migraine ritual is that it was hard to get yourself up to get the things you needed when your head was in splitting pain.

Curling the pillow around your head to block out the sounds of clanging pots in the kitchen, presumably your mother making breakfast, you let out a muffled moan at the overstimulation.

The moan had Nico stirring awake beside you.

Your migraines weren’t so rare an occurrence that Nico couldn’t immediately pick up on what was going on, but it had been months since your last migraine as far as Nico could remember.

“Oh no,” Nico said quietly, rubbing a hand across your back. “Is it your head?”

You let out another pained moan as an affirmation.

Your body was curled into a fetal position and burrowed under the sheets with the pillow wrapped around your head, and Nico kept his hand running softly over the fabric of your shirt in gentle circles for a few moments while he woke himself up and threw himself into mom mode.

“Wait here a minute, I’ll get you a towel for your eyes.”

The sound of curtains rattling against the rod let you know Nico was trying his best to close them despite the fact they wouldn’t completely block out the light. Then he shuffled off to the bathroom to find a washcloth to soak in ice cold water before coming back to you.

“Roll over, honey,” Nico instructed quietly, making sure to keep his voice as low as possible so as to not irritate your migraine further.

With your eyes still pinched shut, you rolled onto your back, and Nico placed the cold towel over your eyes.

“You don’t have any of your pills or stuff here, do you?” He asked, stroking your leg through the blankets.

“No,” you croaked out. “I need my ginger ale.”

“I’ll make a run to the store and get your things, okay? Think you can hang out for an hour?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“I guess not.”

“Then drive fast, please.”

Your mother didn’t blink twice when Nico asked if he could borrow a car to drive to the nearest pharmacy to gather your migraine medication and items you needed. She was mildly worried about your condition since you planned on having family over for a barbecue in the afternoon, but she also knew the best way to cure your migraines was to get you the ingredients you needed.

“Would you mind making her a cup of coffee while I’m gone? Be sure to give it to her with a glass of water too, and she’ll ask for cream and sugar but don’t give her any because she needs black coffee for it to actually help her.” The instructions fell from Nico’s mouth in a hurry, and he shocked himself when he realized that he still knew this small tidbit of you. Knowing you was like riding a bike, Nico thought. He didn’t think he’d be able to forget you if he tried.

Your mom’s eyes sparkled with adoration at Nico’s order. “Should I make her any food?” She was half asking because she did want to help you if she could, but the other half of her just wanted to see what Nico would reply.

He didn’t disappoint. “Not now, no. She always takes some buttered toast with her pills and ginger ale, but I have to go and get that stuff first. I don’t need to get any bread, do I?”

Your mother shook her head, and suddenly Nico felt sheepish. Which he shouldn’t have since your family still believed you were dating, but in all the family events you took him to, he didn’t think he’d ever shown so much affection for you then than he did just now.

“You better get going,” your mother said, smiling at the blush slowly creeping across Nico’s cheeks.

The trip into town and back took forty-five minutes since Nico sped as much as he could without raising suspicion and enlisted the help of a teenage clerk to show him where everything was so he didn’t waste any time looking.

He had everything you needed: cold pack for your head, pills for the migraine, eye mask to block out the light, ginger ale for whatever magical purpose it worked on you when you were sick, and the few obscure snacks you absolutely needed to eat when the headaches hit. Some of your rituals were weird and Nico didn’t think they really helped in any medical sense, but he also knew that if you skipped even one step you’d be out for the entire day.

You hadn’t moved an inch since Nico left, and he found you in the same position with your cold towel no longer cold. The coffee cup was nearly empty on the nightstand, which was the best Nico could usually get out of you since you detested plain black coffee.

“You didn’t drink any water,” Nico noticed and tutted his disapproval while he unloaded the rations from the grocery bag.

You grunted your own disapproval as Nico divided up the proper amount of pills for you to take. He placed the pills in one hand and the glass of water in the other hand, and you took them gingerly, moving as little as possible to swallow them.

“Toast time,” you whimpered.

“I’ll go make it in a minute,” Nico said. He eased the towel from your face and patted your skin dry before sliding the eye mask over your head and then the cold pack on your forehead.

Things started to look up after you blindly ate your toast that you washed down with a glass of ginger ale when Nico gently maneuvered your body until your head was in his lap so he could massage your throbbing temples.

“You don’t have to stay here. You should go help my parents get ready for the barbecue later,” you said. “I’ll probably end up taking a nap soon anyway.” As good as the massage felt, it wasn’t Nico’s responsibility to care for you anymore, and you already felt bad enough for everything he’s done for you this trip.

“Are you sure? I don’t mind,” Nico replied, sending a flurry of butterflies through your stomach.

“Yes, I feel bad enough already. Please go do something more fun than this,” you groaned and attempted to push him off the bed, though with your depleted strength it was a gentle nudge at best.

Nico didn’t put up much of a fight after that, knowing you well enough to understand that you meant what you said and also needed to be alone to recover. It only took a few minutes after that for you to fall back into a dreamless sleep, hoping that when you woke up that this migraine from hell would be gone.

Even after years of bringing Nico around, it still baffled you how well he fit into your family. It baffled you in general just how well-liked he was by everyone.

After sleeping off the migraine and chugging another glass of water with pills, you managed to peel yourself from bed to join your family out back. You kept on a pair of dark sunglasses as an extra precaution, and even with the shades shielding your face, you still managed to lock eyes with Nico the minute you stepped outside to greet your mother.

In a motherly fashion, she patted your cheeks in her hands and checked for any sign of distress on your face before declaring you were well enough to fetch more fruit from the kitchen. Across the yard stood Nico, who was currently playing goalie for your tiny cousins’ soccer game, and he flashed you a bright smile at the eye roll intended for your mother.

After grabbing another bowl of strawberries for the patio table, you strode across the grass to check in with your ‘boyfriend.’

“Auntie!” Your niece crashed into your legs before you got within ten feet of Nico.

“Hey, bug.” You scooped her up in your arms and continued on your path.

“Are you going to play with us?” She asked hopefully, batting those long lashes she got from her mother.

“Oh, I wouldn’t want to embarrass Nico by scoring too many goals on him,” you replied, causing her to erupt in a fit of giggles.

“I’ve already scored five on him!” She held up all five fingers right in front of your face.

“She’s on the way to the Women’s National Team, I’m telling you,” Nico confirmed from the goalpost. “You sure you don’t wanna take a shot?” He asked. Then he dove dramatically to the side on a shot by another cousin of yours, easily letting the ball through his side.

There was a cocky smirk on his face, put there to intentionally rile you up as he added an extra eyebrow wiggle. And if it weren’t for the cheers and screams of six kids under the age of ten yelling for you to do it, you would’ve passed. But you were nothing if not competitive and easily swayed.

You set your niece back on the ground and one of the kids kicked the ball over to you. You’d played these silly backyard games with your family in the past and with Nico, and you knew enough about how he played hockey to know he preferred his left side over his right.

By no means were you a soccer superstar, especially compared to Nico who played two-touch with the team before every game, so you banked on him acting predictably.

“I’m not going easy on you,” he said as you dribbled the ball in front of the goal.

“When have you ever?” You quipped with a smirk of your own.

He bent his knees and got into position, which was a funny image considering the goal wasn’t all that big to begin with. You kicked the ball between your feet a few times to get a feel for it before you took off towards him.

His eyes zeroed in on the ball, intently tracking its movements as you went in on the right side. Your foot reared back to kick before you passed it to the left, a move Nico expected and followed easily. At the last second, right when he committed for the dive as your leg swung back, you spun around and kicked the ball back to the right.

With Nico on the ground, you let out a victorious laugh, taking your sweet time in squaring yourself up to take the shot into the open goal.

Choruses of cheers sounded behind you, both the kids and adults from the patio chiming in as you raised your arms in celebration. Nico laughed from his position on the grass, sitting on his ass with arms resting on bent knees.

“You thought I’d go for your weak side, huh?” You asked, strolling over to his hunched figure.

“Nice shot,” he said, rubbing his hands off of dirt.

You extended a hand towards Nico to pull him up, but you underestimated Nico’s pettiness and sore loser attitude because the next thing you knew you were on the grass too and half rolled under Nico’s body.

“Sore loser,” you laughed underneath him.

Nico’s smile was almost as bright as the sun shining above him, illuminating him in a golden halo that had your breath catching in your throat. “You’re a sore winner,” he remarked, poking your side.

The sweet moment only lasted a second longer before your nephew was jumping on both of you, inserting himself in the middle and effectively starting a dogpile of tiny children. One by one they tackled you until Nico was completely blocked from your view, replaced by cherub cheeks and sweat.

“Okay, okay, I think that’s enough for now,” Nico’s voice sounded from above you somewhere, and you got a brief peek of your cousin hanging from his back like a monkey.

Gently, he moved the kids to the side and off of you all while balancing the kid clinging to his shoulders until he could extend a hand to you.

Your cousin jumped off when Nico bent down to help you up, steadying you with both hands while you pushed to your feet. Fingers picked at pieces of grass and leaves sticking out your hair, and you brushed off the dirt dusting Nico’s shirt.

“Are you feeling better?” He asked, removing a smudge from your cheek with his thumb.

Summer always looked good on Nico. The sun did wonders to tan Nico’s skin and always made his brown hair look lighter, and when the light caught his eyes they resembled melted honey.

You cleared your throat and stepped out of his hold. “Much better. Thanks again for everything this morning,” you said. “I’m going to get some water.”

It had been so long since you had Nico’s hands on you, or his attention for that matter, and you momentarily forgot how intoxicating it was to be near him: to have his scent surrounding you, to have his arms around you, to have his eyes on you and looking at you like that. It messed with your head.

“You and Nico are so adorable,” an aunt commented while you helped yourself to a glass of water.

“Thanks,” you replied with a tight smile.

“And he’s so good with kids,” another aunt chimed in.

Nico had started a game of keep away with the kids, acting as the monkey in the middle that they were trying to keep the ball from. “Yeah, he is,” you said, your tone genuine.

More comments about Nico’s suitability came into the conversation, but you pushed them out. It was getting easier with the passing days to ignore them and all their comments because even if you weren’t together anymore, they were all true. Nico was a good person and he did treat you well before everything fell apart. He was good with kids and caring and compassionate. Hell, he’d agreed to this weekend knowing the stress it would put on him, but he did it because he was inherently good.

But damn was it going to suck breaking the news to them in a few months.

Emily held the latter still while you stood on the highest rung, hooking the string lights along the wooden beams across the ceiling and looping them intricately per your cousin’s instructions.

“You can do this yourself, you know,” you huffed after her third ‘no, not like that’ order.

“I’m the bride. What I say goes, remember?” She smiled sweetly below you. “Besides, you’ll be the one calling the shots soon enough when it’s your turn. You can get your revenge then.”

The ladder step slips out from underneath your right foot, and you go stumbling downwards. Emily gasps below you while you scramble to find purchase on the metal rungs, clinging your arms around the side and catching yourself on the third step.

“Oh god. Are you okay?” Emily asked, coming to steady you with her hands after you stopped moving.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” you grunted. There was probably going to be a bruise on your thigh after this ordeal.

“What’s wrong? Did I say something?” Emily questioned. She paused for a moment then gasped. “Oh my god. Did Nico bring up marriage or something?”

You couldn’t help but laugh. “No. Not exactly.”

Confusion settled over her face. “What does that mean?”

“Nothing,” you said quickly and pulled yourself up slowly. “Do you wanna hand me the other end of the string lights?”

“What’s going on, Y/N?” Emily held the lights firmly. “Is something wrong with you and Nico?”

You hesitated, biting your lip in contemplation while she waited for a response.

“You know you can talk to me, right?”

And maybe it was the soft tone of her voice or the concerned look in her eyes, or maybe it was the combination of an exhausting week of lies and deceit taking its toll on you, but you broke at her words.

“Nico and I broke up,” you replied, slowly climbing back down until you were on solid ground.

“Broke up when? When did you guys get back together?” She asked.

“Broke up almost two months ago,” you answered. “We didn’t get back together.”

It took Emily a minute to process your words, her mouth opening to respond before shutting again. Her eyebrows drew further together and she crossed her arms. “What do you mean you didn’t get back together? What’s he doing here then?”

“I asked him to come back with me as a favor,” you said sheepishly, averting her gaze.

“Oh, honey,” she cooed softly. Grabbing your hands, she led you over to one of the dinner tables set up for the wedding and sat you down. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“Everyone loves him,” you scoffed. “I already told everyone he was coming, and it’s not like I can fake a hockey emergency in the middle of the summer. I didn’t want to take any attention away from you with everyone pitying me.”

“Why’d you break up? Did he do something stupid?” Her eyes turned sharp. “Do I need to kill him for you? What did he do?”

“Nothing,” you said. Her eyes narrowed in challenge. “Promise.”

“If it was nothing then why’d you break up?”

“Honestly? I don’t know,” you sighed. “It was like we fell apart, I guess. I don’t know. We just stopped caring about each other’s lives. He stopped calling when he was away from home, and I stopped waiting up for him at night. We stopped going on dates and making time for us. It was like the spark died and we didn’t know what we were doing together anymore.”

“And he still came back? It doesn’t sound like he stopped caring about you if he did that.”

“He’s a good guy. You know him.”

“I do know Nico, and I know he’s a terrible liar. I haven’t seen him upset or uncomfortable once this week being with you. I wouldn’t have even been able to tell you two weren’t still in love.”

“Well, he loves you guys.”

“He loves us because we’re your family,” she pointed out. “What about you? Do you still care about him?”

“Of course I do.” There was no hesitation in your answer. “It’s just—”

“Weird.” You both said at the same time.

“You know, when David and I took a break, I thought we would never get back together. I was twenty and thought I had my whole life ahead of me. And looking back, the space was good for us. I don’t think we would still be together now if we hadn’t taken that year apart and figured some stuff out about ourselves,” she confessed. “You’re young, and sometimes you need time apart from someone to discover what you truly want.”

“This week with Nico has been so confusing,” you admitted. “It’s like he’s the perfect boyfriend from when we first started dating. He took care of me the other day when I got a migraine and helps my mom cook dinner and remembers small things about me. He even went to town with me to run all your dumb wedding errands and didn’t complain. The way he’s been acting this week makes me question why we even broke up in the first place.”

She hummed quietly beside you.

“What’s that look for?” You asked.

“What look?” She smirked.

“Just say what you’re thinking, Em.” You rolled your eyes. “I know you’re dying to give advice.”

“It’s not my place to tell you what to do,” Emily started cautiously, “but I do think he still cares about you.”

“But do you think Nico’s it for me?” You played with the hem of your shirt, pulling at a loose thread.

She shrugged. “Who’s to say? I’d like to think so because I love him, but I also love him for you. I’ve never seen you light up like you do when you’re around him, and he’s always looking at you like you’re the North Star; always somehow knowing exactly where you’re at in a crowded room and always gravitating towards you whether or not he realizes it. Even now he still looks at you like that,” she remarked. “If you guys find your way back to each other, it was meant to be. And if you don’t, he’s not the end of your world. Either way you’re going to be okay. I’m sorry you felt like you had to lie to everyone this week.”

It was your turn to shrug. “It hasn’t been the worst, I guess. Definitely better than dodging everyone’s ‘so what happened?’ questions. Knowing dad, he’d probably lie and say he never liked Nico to make me feel better even though I’m sure he would date Nico himself if he could.”

Emily laughed at that, nodding along to agree with your statement. “If it gets too much, feel free to dip out tomorrow whenever you want. I know everyone can be a lot sometimes.”

You squeezed her hand in acknowledgement. “Thanks, Em. We’ll be fine though. Just two more days, right?”

Later that evening everyone had gathered in the barn reserved for the reception, the one you helped set up earlier that day with your family. Save for the tablecloths and centerpieces, everything was in place and ready for the big day tomorrow.

The rehearsal dinner consisted of just your close family for tonight and gave both David and Emily’s side time to mingle and get to know each other before the eventual ceremony while also thanking everyone for their help in planning and setting up for the wedding.

Once the best man and maid of honor speeches were done and everyone had eaten and the rehearsal dinner was finished, more drinks started flowing and a few more impromptu speeches were given. They were nothing scripted or long, mostly just family members extending their congratulations to the happy couple, but you still weren’t prepared by the time the microphone made its way to you.

Nico patted your thigh encouragingly as you stood up.

“Emily was my best friend growing up. She snuck me desserts from the kitchen when I was a kid and taught me how to tie my shoes. She even took me shopping for my first thong when I was in high school and was too scared to ask my mother.” Everyone chuckled while your mom shook her head at you. “She was always someone I looked up to and aspired to be: a successful career woman and a loving partner.”

“I’ve known David since the first time I caught them kissing in the driveway when he dropped her off at Thanksgiving, and Emily gave me five dollars to promise not to mention anything to the family. I was thirteen,” you said. “And throughout the years, I got to watch them grow as individuals and as a couple, and I couldn’t imagine a better man for my cousin. Even when they broke up in college, Emily always told me she’d marry him, and she was right.”

“I’ve been so blessed to grow up with incredible role models and literal couple goals, and everything I could hope to have in a relationship one day is what they have. So congratulations guys, I love you both.”

You felt unexpectedly uncomfortable when your speech concluded, heat rising to every surface of your body as you collapsed back into your seat. Nico’s hand immediately reached out for yours, squeezing reassuringly as the next person took the mic from you. You were scared to meet Nico’s eyes, opting to take a large drink of your champagne before casting him a sidelong glance.

His eyes were soft and full of emotion, a tight smile on his lips as he squeezed your hand again. You okay? His face asked silently, concern etched across his features.

Not in the slightest, you thought, but you managed to send him a tight nod anyway.

“Nice season this year, by the way, Nico,” your aunt gushed after the final speech ended.

You knew it was only a matter of time before someone brought up hockey as it was a popular topic around your professional athlete boyfriend. As far as you knew growing up, your family didn’t even like hockey and two years later they were experts in all things Devils. Well, all things Devils past 2015. Your parents had even called Nico when he was promoted to captain to tell him congratulations.

“You guys are definitely heading in the right direction,” your uncle chimed in.

“Thanks.” Nico nodded his appreciation. “We still have a long way to go, but we just take it one day at a time.”

“Heartbreaking way to end the season, though. Sorry about that,” your aunt sympathized with a frown.

She was referring to all his injuries, which had remedied themselves just in time for the end of the season to roll around, but sadly it wasn’t enough for them to get into a playoff position.

“Not as heartbreaking as Y/N’s year though,” your mom said, causing you to straighten your spine in defense.

“Damned West Coasters,” your dad huffed. “If they didn’t want my baby, they don’t deserve her.”

Nico sent you a sideways glance, a question in his eyes that he didn’t voice because if there was anything Nico learned in the last few years, it was how to read your social cues. So he played along with the family until he could corner you later.

“Yeah, it was a shame.” He took your hand comfortingly, giving it a reassuring squeeze before bringing it to his own lap.

Thankfully, the conversation didn’t linger on you much longer before your uncle was launching into a different story about something completely unrelated like the annoying neighbor he had that didn’t know how to properly trim hedges or understand property lines.

Nico’s gaze shot back to you briefly, one that you met with a sheepish expression and you understood what he was saying immediately.

We’re not done discussing this.

“You should’ve told me.” Nico’s soft voice jolted you back to reality, disturbing the silent night you were taking comfort in.

You escaped the party as quickly as you could to take a breather outside, finding solace in the empty patio porch out back while the party continued on inside.

“What difference would it have made?” You chuckled humorlessly.

A glance over your shoulder revealed Nico standing in the side exit, the door shut behind him and secluding you from the party. His hands were in his pockets as he leaned casually against the wood, tie undone around his neck and hair disheveled.

“It wouldn’t have changed anything either way.” You mindlessly drummed your fingertips on the railing.

The back porch overlooked nothing but vast, empty land, but the real sight you were here for were the stars. In the city, the stars were so hard to see sometimes, but out here in the country they lit up the sky like a million tiny fireflies.

“Maybe not,” he shrugged, pushing off the side to walk over to you. “That doesn’t mean you should’ve gone through it alone.”

He came to a stop next to you at the rail, mimicking your stance identically. “I didn’t even know you wanted to do all that, and I’m not even sure I fully know now what it is you wanted. You never mentioned it to me.”

It was your turn to shrug now. “I didn’t know either,” you said quietly. By the end of your relationship, it wasn’t like you and Nico talked much about what was going on in your personal lives. “Besides, I didn’t think I’d get into the program, and I didn’t. It was some respected company in California that would’ve taken up six months of my time. There was no point in getting anyone’s hopes up. I only told my mom because she always bothers me for information and telling her about the partnership seemed safer than talking about our failing relationship.”

“When did you find out?”

“Mid-April.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? Even when we had all our shit going on I still cared,” he questioned.

“Honestly?”

“Always.”

“I didn’t want to bother you,” you admitted. “I knew you had your own shit going on with the team and injuries, and I didn’t want to add to your stress. It’s not like we were close at the end. It didn’t seem fair to dump my shit on you too.”

You fiddled with a piece of some chipped paint. “And I was embarrassed,” you added. “I put in all that hard work in my application for nothing. They didn’t want me. I was disappointed in myself.”

“Oh, honey,” Nico said. With one movement he took your fidgeting hand within yours.

You still refused to meet his eyes, ashamed of the tears that began welling there. It had been three months since the rejection email came in, and you thought you were over it. You really did.

Nico shifted your body to face his, bracketing you in between him and the railing. One hand tilted your chin up to meet his gaze while the other held your waist comfortingly. Those butter soft eyes of his only made the tears threaten to spill over. This is exactly why you didn’t tell him. You couldn’t handle the pity.

“And now you feel sorry for me.” You let your head fall forward to his chest in defeat.

“I feel sorry you went through that all alone.” He stroked your neck gently. “Had you told me, I would’ve said you’re not a disappointment and you shouldn’t feel embarrassed. From what I heard it was highly prestigious and selective. To be in the final round is an achievement itself. And there’s always next year, right? Other programs? You’re not a disappointment.”

They were words you needed to hear but hated to admit it. It’s one thing when your parents told you ‘oh, well you did your best sweetheart’ because they were obligated to support you, but it was another thing entirely when the love of your life was comforting you.

“Thanks,” you croaked, lifting your head slowly. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”

“I’m sorry I was a shitty boyfriend and that you felt like you couldn’t tell me,” he apologized.

“I’m sorry I was a shitty girlfriend,” you said. “I should’ve put in more effort to fix us.”

“Hey, we were both to blame.” His thumb ran over your cheek in soothing circles. “I miss you though, you know?”

“Yeah,” you sighed wistfully, knowing the feeling well. “I do know.”

“We weren’t so bad together though, were we?”

“No, but we weren’t great either, Nico,” you chuckled. “Remember all the late nights and unread texts and missed dates?”

“I try to remember all the vacations and post-game celebrations and midday movie marathons.” He smiled weakly.

“It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows.”

“Yeah, but it wasn’t all clouds and thunderstorms either.” His index finger tilted your chin up just the slightest. “Would it be bad of me to say I wanted to kiss you right now? You looked really pretty tonight, and I don’t know if I told you that.”

“Yes.” It came out breathy and didn’t help your case in trying to dissuade him, but you made no indication to move away from him either way.

The telling smirk on his face said he knew what you were thinking. You wanted to kiss him as much as he wanted to kiss you. So you did.

Damn the consequences that would come from kissing your ex that was pretending to still be your boyfriend, he looked too good in his dress pants and baby blue button up with the top two buttons undone, giving you the slightest peek of his chain underneath. You grabbed the back of his neck with your hand and crushed your lips to his.

It was full of passion and urgency, both of you making up for the two months apart and overcome with the emotions the wedding atmosphere brought out.

Nico deepened the kiss with a slide of his tongue into your mouth, claiming you with the force of a man possessed by need. Hands dropped to squeeze your ass. “It’s probably even worse if I suggested we get out of here, huh?”

“Terrible idea,” you confirmed, taking a moment to catch your breath before going in for another kiss. “Let’s go now before someone comes looking for us.”

The short drive back to the rental house was a blur with Nico speeding along the back roads to get home as quickly as possible just in case any of your family members decided to check out of the party early.

You shuffled to your shared room in the dark, bumping into the wall nearly three times on the way there, and locked the door with a click behind you. Walking Nico backwards, you knocked him onto the bed and clambered on top of him in a frenzy while working your fingers on the rest of his buttons.

His hand guided your mouth back to his as you worked on his shirt, shoving it down his arms after untucking it from his pants and throwing it to the side carelessly. The hem of your dress rode up your thighs as you straddled Nico’s lap, shamelessly grinding yourself along the bulge of his pants to pull a pained groan from him.

“We should probably talk about this,” Nico managed to grit out, eyes casting upwards towards the ceiling in agony.

“We can talk later,” you said, tugging the rest of your dress up over your hips to give you unrestricted access to rub your barely covered pussy against him. “I need you so bad.”

Nico was hard as granite under you, and you watched him visibly gulp as he considered his options. The more logical part of his brain knew you should discuss sleeping together before doing it and the repercussions it would have on your relationship, but the reckless part of his brain couldn’t get over how beautiful you looked above him and how good you felt on him.

Future Nico could deal with the fallout. Present Nico needed to be inside you before he combusted.

You raised an eyebrow in question, waiting for his go-ahead.

“Fuck, okay. We’ll talk later.” Your hands immediately went to his belt buckle and zipper. “You’re still on birth control, right?”

You nodded your response, taking his cock out of his pants and giving it a couple tentative squeezes. Nico gripped your hips tightly as he released a loud moan, and you gave him another leisurely pump before rising above him, shoving your panties to the side, and lining him up with your entrance.

Nico guided you onto his length until he was seated to the hilt and your thighs made contact with his. You palmed his shoulders as pleasure rang through your body.

Fingertips dug into your ass when you tried to move. “Give me a second.” His voice was raspy and breathless. “It’s been a couple months, and fuck, you’re tight.”

You tried not to think about him not having sex in a couple of months and the implication that he probably hadn’t fucked anyone since you, but your walls reflexively clenched around him at his words.

Instead, you busied yourself with another kiss, tangling your fingers in his soft locks and taking his slack mouth in yours.

You waited for Nico to shift beneath you to let you know he was ready before rolling your hips forward and off his cock just to sink back down when you rocked back. Synchronous moans left both of you at the drag of Nico’s cock along your walls, and his hands found their home on your hips to help move you the way he wanted.

It’d been so long for you, since you and Nico broke up, that every slide of his cock into you had you spiraling towards that edge in record time; especially when one hand grasped your tit and worked your nipple between two fingers and the other hand fell to stroke your clit in determined circles.

“You close?” He asked, lips brushing against your ear when you leaned down for another kiss.

You gave him a tight nod, eyes falling shut while you focused on the exquisite feeling of him filling you up. Picking up your pace, you bounced harder atop him to bring yourself closer to the edge. A few more thrusts had you cresting that hill, an unrestrained whine mixed with a moan leaving you as you came on Nico’s cock, your walls fluttering and pulsating around him while the thumb on your clit strummed you perfectly.

After your grip on his chest loosened, Nico was flipping you onto your back in a smooth movement, and he hitched a leg over his hip while he pounded you this way. His breath was heavy in your ear as he chased his high, taking only a few more thrusts before he halted and then came inside you.

His moans always sounded so pretty when he came, and mixed with the way he lightly bit your shoulder as he finished, it sparked a second, smaller orgasm to wash over you.

Once Nico came back down, he captured your lips in another kiss; this one softer and slower than your previous ones. Then he slid out of your dripping cunt and rolled to the side in a boneless heap.

You both laid in silence, catching your breaths while you each waited for the other to say something first—to burst the euphoric sex bubble and have reality set back in, but it never came. Wordlessly, you got up from bed and used the bathroom to dress for bed. Nico followed in your steps when you climbed back under the covers and came back shirtless and in a pair of clean boxers before tucking himself in beside you.

Neither of you said a thing as Nico folded himself around your back, nestling himself nice and cozy against you and wrapping an arm around your middle to pull you in deep.

“Goodnight, Y/N,” he whispered with a kiss on your shoulder.

“Goodnight, Nico,” you repeated back, making yourself comfortable in his hold.

‘We’ll talk tomorrow’ was the unsaid conclusion you both came to that neither of you minded. But for tonight, you’d enjoy what you had.

Emily stole your breath walking down the aisle, the long white train of her wedding dress catching the red rose petals as she drew closer to the altar. You all raised out of your seats when the music started playing, standing with Nico in a row near the front with your brother and his family on your other side.

The weather was perfect for an outdoor July wedding, the clouds providing just enough cover to keep the heat from becoming sweltering. A long white carpet extended through the aisle that led to a beautiful floral altar overlooking a large expanse of fields.

Nico stood on the edge of the row, giving him a view of everything: the bride, the altar, David tearing up underneath it, but the most important view for Nico was you.

Your skin glowed in the afternoon rays, which also illuminated the pale yellow dress you wore, transforming you into sunlight itself. He couldn’t help but let his eyes flicker back to you despite his efforts to watch Emily walk down the aisle, but nothing compared to how pretty you looked beside him.

He was even more grateful when you were finally seated and you took his hand in yours, resting them both on your thigh. Your intertwined fingers rested comfortably throughout the ceremony, and at one point you even allowed your head to fall on Nico’s shoulder as your eyes filled with tears at their sentimental vows.

Nico produced a tissue he had tucked away for this specific purpose, handing it to you and watching adoringly as you blotted your eyes carefully. Maybe he even took a risk and kissed your temple softly when you were too busy cheering at their walk back down the aisle.

There were a lot of questions unanswered and more problems that needed to be resolved after last night’s slip-up, but Nico was just thankful you didn’t run screaming from him when you woke up in his arms this morning. In fact, you indulged him in a few minutes of conscious cuddling before pulling away to get ready for the day.

And maybe he was seeing things, but Nico swore your stare lingered on him for longer than normal over breakfast pancakes and that you nudged his foot with yours under the table, but he could’ve also been delirious and shamelessly hopeful.

Even at the reception, you sat closer to him at the table than you did the night before, occasionally letting your elbows knock together or letting your thighs brush momentarily. You didn’t shy away from his grasp like you normally did when you mingled with other guests, seamlessly introducing him as your boyfriend to strangers and leaning in closer to his touch. And when Nico pulled you onto the dancefloor, you twirled happily in his arms for three whole songs, whatever awkwardness that had been surrounding you all week was gone for those ten glorious minutes.

“Stop staring at my cake.” Nico laughed. “Just go get another piece.”

After burning off all the calories from dinner, you settled back down for dessert and easily tore through your own slice of cake. And Nico knew you had your sights set on his slice now.

“You took the largest piece. I’m not hungry enough for a whole slice. I just want one more bite.” You batted your eyelashes at him. “Please.”

Nico rolled his eyes but scooped up a chunk of cake on his fork and held it in front of your face. You gladly opened your mouth to take the bite. He watched with heated eyes as you licked the remaining frosting off your lips, and without overthinking his next move, he leaned forward and captured your lips in a kiss.

It was chaste and sweet and only lasted a second before Nico pulled back, the sweet taste of icing now coating his mouth.

“Nico…” Your voice was strained, your eyes downcast.

“Let’s take a walk,” he said, standing up abruptly.

The night was winding down already, a couple people had already left the reception and those who remained were well on the way to getting drunk. You looked around hesitantly.

“Come on.” Nico held his hand out for you to take. “No one will mind us leading a little early. Besides, we have some stuff to talk about.”

“I guess we do, don’t we?” You took his hand and let him lead you away.

Nico gave you the opportunity to say goodbye to Emily and David, but you skipped on telling the rest of your family lest they try to convince you to stay.

The July air had chilled significantly since the afternoon, but it was a welcome cool compared to the stifling air in the barn.

Nico’s hand still held yours as he steered you towards the backyard area, leading you down a cobblestone trail that continued into a thick copse of trees.

“I don’t think this is the way back to the house,” you commented as you traveled further into the woods, the trail illuminated by the occasional lamppost stuck in the ground.

“I figured this would be easier than trying to talk it out at the house with your parents and family there. And I found this cool spot when I was helping your dad set up yesterday.”

The destination came into view just a few short minutes later, a small wooden gazebo in a garden clearing, completely vacant and adorned in hanging lanterns. In the middle rested a large bench.

You both sat on the old bench, close enough to still hold hands but not nearly as close as you were back at the reception. The chirping of cicadas engulfed you from all sides while you sat in silence, internally debating how to address the situation.

“So I was—”

“We should—”

You nodded for Nico to go first.

“Last night was incredible,” he started, glancing down to your intertwined fingers. “For me, at least. This whole week with you has been great, really. Your family, the wedding, you, everything. I wanted to know if it was as good for you as it was for me.”

“Yeah. It was,” you admitted with a sigh. “It has me all different kinds of confused if I’m being honest.”

Nico’s chin tilted down in agreement. “Yeah. I know.”

Another silence filled the air between you.

“I think this week made me realize how much I missed you. How much I missed us,” you said. “And not us at the end where we didn’t even want to be around each other but us before everything went to shit.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever missed anyone as much as I’ve missed you these past months,” he confessed. “What do we do? What do you want to do?”

“I don’t know. We can’t go on like it is now, and we certainly can’t go back to how it was. I don’t know what other option is left.”

“Then we’ll start over.”

“Nico…” you scoffed. “We already know everything about each other. We can’t just start over.”

“Who says we can’t? You said it yourself we can’t exist like this and we can’t go back. The only other option is to start over. It’ll be our version of a do-over,” he said.

“And how would that even work?”

He shrugged. “We start from square one. Start with the dates and weekly phone calls and go on from there. I’ll give it some time before I ask you to be my girlfriend and then you’ll start spending the night. Slowly you’ll infiltrate my apartment like you did the first time by leaving some extra clothes around and bringing your own throw blankets.” He grinned as he reminisced. “We’ll do it all over and do it right this time. We’ll talk when shit gets hard and not let other obligations monopolize all our time.”

Nico lifted his arm to sling it around your shoulder, all the while keeping your hands connected. You leaned into his embrace and rested your head on his shoulder.

“What happens if I want to apply to another program that takes me away from New Jersey?”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there, but now that I know that’s something you want, we can work out a plan. God knows I have enough money to fly you back whenever you want, and we’ll always have the summer. It’ll be a temporary problem that’ll require a temporary solution. Past that? Who knows, but we can figure it out.”

“You sound pretty confident for a guy who ignored my text messages for days on end just a few months ago,” you chuckled.

He laughed at your joke and pressed a kiss to your temple. “I’ve done a lot of growing up,” he teased. “But it’s like you said with David and Emily. They needed their time apart, but you always knew they were meant for each other. I think you’re meant for me and maybe that was supposed to be our time apart.”

“How philosophical and romantic of you,” you remarked with a smirk.

“It’s the wedding vibes,” he replied. “And don’t act like you weren’t crying earlier at the vows.”

“Only if you admit they made you tear up as well.” You had seen the slight sheen of tears in his eyes after the ceremony.

Nico elected to ignore your comment. “So what do you say?”

“To starting over?” He hummed in acknowledgement. “You really think we can do it?”

“I don’t know, to be honest, but I think we have a much better chance than last time. And we’ll never know until we try, and I really want to try with you.”

You gave it a moment to ruminate. There was no doubt it wouldn’t be easy, especially since you knew that you did want to leave New Jersey at some point, but somehow even that fact didn’t bring you down. Maybe knowing everything you knew from last time would set you on a better path this time around. And there was no way to know unless you tried.

“Okay,” you said softly. “Let’s give it another try.”

“Really? You want to?”

“Yeah. I do. I want this with you.”

You looked up at him then, gazes connecting and a mutual compromise was reached. One more try.

“Should we get back to the party?” You asked, after a considerable pause of longing stares.

“Not yet,” Nico answered, and then he leaned forward to peck you sweetly. “I wanna spend a little more time here with you. We can count this as our first date.”

#nico hischier #nico hischier imagine #nhl imagine #hockey imagine #my writing #devils13

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