#I was telling my friend about this and she said it would make a good tumblr post

[melminli]

Ddakji Man

summery - you were always struggling to make ends meet, despite having three separate jobs and you doubted that that would ever change. it felt like you were working out of your own casket and it would probably be more sustainable to invest in one at this point.

pairing: (gong yoo/ji-cheol) the salesman x fem. reader

word count: 1,5k

contains: slight arguing, cursing but nothing too graphic tbh

"Are you sure that you don't want to come?" One of your friends asked you a little sadly since you were about to leave the group. They rarely got to see you anyway, did you have to leave so early? "You never come with us when we go out for a drink, we miss you there, you know?"

You smiled a little tiredly as you strolled casually through the streets. "I'm sorry guys, I just have to work tonight." you tried to explain. Besides, I'm fucking tired and just want to get some sleep before then. I miss my bed.

Your best friend pouted as she hugged you from the side and you welcomed it, even if it made walking a little more difficult. "It's always work this work that. Live a little for once, all this stress is not good for you. You need a break." she spoke up before a thought came into her mind that made her a little furious. "Don't tell me that you're using work as an excuse to cancel on us. We can do something else if you want to. I'll even invite you, come on!"

You took a tired breath. I don't have any energy for this. "Trust me, I'd love nothing more than to get drunk with you and I'm not being sarcastic or anything." you clarified. Besides, I wouldn't work this much if I didn't have to.

"All right." she gave in unhappy. "We'll catch you one of these days, I can feel it..."

You laughed softly. "Please do," you replied and stopped in front of the stairs that led to the subway. This was the place where you had to say goodbye to your friends and you did with a few more hugs. You enjoyed spending time with them and loved your friends with all your heart, but you were still happy to be a bit on your own now.

So you plugged in your cable headphones and played your current favorite song at the loudest volume before checking when the next train was going to arrive. Another twenty minutes? The last one must have just left. You decided to just sit down on a bench and wait while staring blankly around and quietly mumbling the lyrics to yourself.

A few minutes later, a person sat down next to you and you could see out of the corner of your eye that it was probably some kind of businessman or something. You didn't look closely out of politeness and turned your gaze somewhere else after checking the time on your phone.

"Excuse me." the unknown man tried to get your attention, but as expected, you could barely hear him over the booming music. He placed his briefcase in the space between you before leaning closer to your figure and looking towards you with a smile and finally, you seemed to notice his stare and turned in his direction. You took out one of your earbuds as you met his gaze. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

The man leaned back again. "I haven't said anything yet. I wanted to ask if I could talk to you, do you have a moment?"

You looked around a little uncomfortably as he maintained uninterrupted eye contact with you. "Ehm, well..." you stumbled slightly over your words. "I'm not religious or anything, sorry," you replied, having no patience for another discourse about Jesus and the church. This is the fourth time this week, lucky me. You thought to yourself as you were about to put your earplug back in.

The salesman held a hand in the air to stop you from doing that to keep your attention. You just looked at him uninterestedly and waited, it was going to be a while before your train arrived anyway. A smile graced his face after you were willing to listen to him again. "That's not what I wanted to talk about, I just want to offer you a chance."

Your face tightened a little in disgust and you were quite irritated by now. He seemed to be waiting for some kind of answer and didn't say anything else, so you had no choice but to interpret his words. He doesn't look like that kind of guy, but I guess it's always the ones who look the most decent. "Listen to me asshole," you said openly this time, all politeness gone as you pointed at his chest with your index finger. "I don't know you, maybe you're one of those men who try to talk in riddles to seem mysterious or something, but right now it just sounds like you're looking for someone cheap to fuck." you replied as you tapped his tie with each syllable and leaned a little closer to him as you whispered. "And I'm not cheap, so you might want to look elsewhere."

This time it was you who grinned as he looked at you in surprise and he let out a small grunt after you finished your sentence. The salesman straightened his tie while watching your figure before reaching for his briefcase and revealing its contents, "That's too bad, but also not what I was talking about," he replied as you looked at the money and colored paper in confusion. "Have you ever played Ddakji?" He asked you as he took out the red and blue paper. You just shook your head. "That's no problem at all, we can still play it if you're up for it." 

Your gaze alternated from his hand to his face. Oh, so he's crazy. You finally concluded. I guess he is too handsome to be just a normal guy, huh. You turned your head away from him, something about the whole thing just seemed perverse to you. "No thanks, I'll pass."

"You sure?" He asked again, knowing he'd convinced you as soon as he brought the money into it. These people are all the same, she'll snatch the paper right out of my hands after I start talking a language she understands. "Every time you win, you get 100,000 won from me." He began, watching the look on your face. "But if I win, you owe me 100,000 won and -"

You sighed and interrupted him. "Yes, I'm sure. I still don't want to play with you, okay?"

This time the man looked at you with a cold, icy stare. A few minutes passed like this and you just tried to ignore his gaze, but then he started talking again. "All right. 200,000 won." he finally said, but couldn't seem to get your attention back. He tried again. "Is it because you've never played the game before? We can have a practice round if that would make you feel more comfortable." he tried again and got irritated when you continued to ignore him. He looked around the area as he considered his next move. Is she waiting for me to increase the prize money further? These people usually jump up happily at the first amount since they're so desperate. He tried to collect himself again. "500,000 won." he finally said. "I've got the money right here, you just have to go for it."

When is this stupid train coming. "Look, I don't want your fucking money, understand? I'm not a gambling addict or -"

"You may not want it, but you need it," he said, annoyed. This has never happened before, is she stupid? He then spoke out your name and described your miserable living situation as if you didn't already know about it yourself. "You also have quite a lot of debt for someone who is still relatively young, are you seriously going to turn down the money I'm offering you? For what, to prove a point or something?"

You didn't know what this man's fucking problem was, he should be glad that you didn't want to take his money, and how did he even know all this? You got up from your seat next to him when the train finally arrived and turned to face him one last time. "Fuck you," you told him and then went to the doors. You even looked out of the window at him as soon as they closed before you, to show him your the middle finger.

The man in the suit watched your figure irritated until it was gone and then, took the little card out of the inside pocket of his suit, that was meant for you. He turned it over a few times in his hand before closing the open briefcase with his other one. He had already played and lost a few Ddakji games in his life, which was the point of the whole thing - to recruit players for the actual game. However, the thought of what awaited them there meant that he was still in control of the situation. He was always in control of the situation. "I didn't loose, we haven't even played." he tried to reassure himself.

And yet the whole conversation with you left him feeling like he was utterly defeated.

[cazort]

things people can do:

listen and understand and show you they understand, which can sometimes help you feel better even if that's the only thing they do

help you with an insight or idea that you might not have thought of, which might improve your situation or how you feel

offer you some sort of material help if it's a situation where that would help (and sometimes material help can indirectly help with problems they have no control over, like for example if i'm really stressed by a situation out of my control, having someone bring me food when i'm out of food might help me so much even if the main bad situation itself is unchanged)

be grateful that you have shared with them how you are really doing, even if they can't do anything to make you feel better. i know i am like this much of the time, like when i know someone well, i can often tell when they're not fine but say they're fine. and when they tell me how they're really doing, it makes me feel good, because i know they trust me and feel safe and comfortable enough with me to share how they are really doing.

feel better about their own struggles. the person asking you how you are, may not be doing well themselves. they may even have similar struggles. and if everyone around them says they are fine, they may feel alone. but if you open up, you may be helping them to realize they are not alone. you can then both feel solidarity, perhaps commiserate.

so yeah. this is why i often actually tell people what is going on with me when i'm not fine, and why i really appreciate it when others do the same with me.

not just friends, sometimes strangers.

like once i was in a coffee shop and there was a long line and the scene was hectic and several customers in front of me had been snippy with the baristas, so when i got up to the front of the line the barista was like "what can i get you?" and i paused and i was like "how are you?"

it threw her off guard. she sighed and i could see her whole posture change, like she shrugged her shoulders and physically relaxed and her face changed. she looked visibly tired and exasperated but more relaxed, and she didn't answer my question but she didn't need to, i could read the answer all over her face. and she was like: "you are the first person who has asked me that in a while and i can tell you care" and that's all she said and then i made my order.

but it really touched me because it was a genuine human connection, a sharing of a moment of intimacy with a stranger that i think was beneficial for both of us, in a sea of hectic, stressy interactions that can be quite alienating.

i think that that small interaction taught me a deep lesson, that sometimes, sharing with someone that you are not doing well, can actually be a gift to that person. it can be a tiny moment of mutual healing, even if nothing further comes from it. it reaffirms the thread of humanity that is all-too-often missing in our modern society.

[joeyfranchise]

all tangled up in the moon

justin herbert x fem!reader

summary: you finally began feeling open to dating in your new home of sunny la, especially since your best friend didn’t love you back the way you loved him… unless he did? a telling double date begins unraveling feelings that you didn’t know were shared…

warnings: pining/mutual pining. expressions of feelings. a LOT of fluff. explicit sexual content, MDNI. 18+ only.

word count: 6.3k.

note: my first ever justin fic!! based on so many ideas from my bestie @joeyburrrow, also happy belated birthday btw 🫂 i’m sorry i didn’t get it posted yesterday! but, she and i have talked about so much of this and this fic truly is for her. ALSO— FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS FIC ONLY— i made justin allergic to walnuts. idk if he is or not, but it’ll make sense when you get there. i hope you like this. love you all. 💗

the dating pool in los angeles was nothing short of horrible.

sure, there were tons of people, which meant tons of options… but that also lead to some problems. there was so much diversity around, which again, is great… but it often led to mismatched partners and having trouble finding someone with all of the same interests or morals or values as you.

that being said, while messing around on dating apps, you found yourself a date that ticked more of your boxes than anyone else had since you moved to the sunny city.

his name was damon, and he worked at a law firm that wasn’t too far from your own nine-to-five job. his profile said he was 6’2, in his pictures he displayed a beautiful smile, and his interests were similar enough to yours that you figured why not give it a chance?

when you swiped right he’d messaged you nearly immediately, which could’ve been a red flag, but he kept it sweet and professional. his personality shined through his messages and you found yourself genuinely laughing at some of his jokes, and that was always a good sign.

you ran into one little problem though. you didn’t really know anyone else in l.a. except for your best friend, therefore you didn’t have many people to trust. sure, you had coworkers and acquaintances in the office, but none of them were around you enough to be able to vet through suitors from your dating life to let you know who would work and who wouldn’t.

you were also afraid to go out with someone new alone, and you blamed that on being an introvert. you ultimately made the decision that either damon would have to be okay with your first date being a double date, or you just wouldn’t go. when damon agreed it was fine, you called justin worriedly - this was going to be the hard part.

he picked up after two rings.

“is this the krusty krab?” you asked teasingly, smiling as you heard him huff out a brief laugh. he lowered his voice before answering.

“no, this is patrick.”

“yeah, justin patrick,” you teased, “unless i called the wrong brother.” you chewed on your bottom lip as you heard him chuckle again.

“that’s my name! don’t wear it out.” he joked. you could practically see the dumb grin already etched across his face. you remained silent for a moment, the weight of the question weighing on you. when you didn’t respond, justin took the lead of the conversation again.

“hey, y/n? you okay? not that i mind you calling me, of course i don’t mind… but did you need something? is everything alright?” you appreciated his ability to talk you down in moments like this, it was like he could sense your nerves even from miles away, and over a phone call.

“i’m okay. but i have a tiny favor to ask. you know you’re my most favorite best friend in the wholeee world, right?” you laughed, trying to push past the anxiety of the question you needed to ask him. “i do. what’s the favor?”

“i have a date friday night and i’ve never met him before. i didn’t know anyone else to ask and.. i was hoping maybe you and chloe could come along? like a double date?”

justin and chloe had started seeing each other recently, and you liked her enough not to really worry about their relationship. sure, she was living your dream being with justin, but you practically knew he didn’t feel the same about you. while you were completely and utterly in love with him, he still saw you as his best friend, and you had learned to accept it.

when you first met chloe you knew she wasn’t his type, she was completely different from justin… but he seemed happy, and that’s all you ever wanted for him. she was excited to meet you too, and in the few times you’d seen her since she was always genuine and kind.

“i think we can make that work, i should be out of practice in time. i’ll let chloe know and then we can figure out where to go. there’s a new restaurant downtown she and i went to a few weeks ago, you’d love it. they have really good raspberry cheesecake!” he said.

“oooh my favorite!” you cheered, already daydreaming of the delicious confection.

“i know.” he agreed. you smiled on the other end of the line, the way he knew you from cover to cover made your heart ache. you only hoped damon - and if not him, then whoever was destined for you - could be such a wonderful lover to you. someone who truly cared to learn everything there was to know about you, just like you and justin did with each other, even if only as friends.

you and justin talked for a bit longer over menial things before you ended the call, bidding him a goodnight. you made sure to text damon about your plans, letting him know you’d get back to him about a time as soon as you could.

he was excited for your date, and also excited to meet justin. you learned damon was a big fan of sports, and even though he wasn’t a chargers fan, he still really liked justin and thought he was a great player. he didn’t believe you when you first told him justin was your best friend, you had to provide him with photo evidence. the whole ordeal made you laugh. after chatting briefly with damon you put your phone on your bedside table before rolling over and getting cozy under your blankets.

you went to bed with a smile on your face that night, excited for your date with damon and also excited for him to meet your best friend.

꩜ ‧.°. 𖦹.°.‧ ꩜‧.°.𖦹 .°.‧꩜ ‧.°. 𖦹.°.‧ ꩜‧.°.𖦹 .°.‧

you sailed through the week on a high, and when friday night came you were still feeling ecstatic. you were still a little anxious about going out and meeting damon in person for the first time, but getting to know him through the week had helped you warm up a little and let your guard down.

you decided on wearing a simple black dress, classy yet not too-fancy. you curled your hair and applied a light layer of makeup before slipping on a pair of strappy black heels.

you planned on meeting justin and chloe at the restaurant at seven, giving everyone enough time to get ready and allowing justin to shower and freshen up after practice.

damon picked you up at six-thirty. he met you at your door with flowers which you graciously accepted, and you excused yourself to bring them inside and put them in water before locking up and going with damon to his car.

he opened your door for you and you slid in, buckling your seatbelt as you waited for him to get in and start the engine. it was a bit chilly out and you were grateful when damon turned up the heat before backing out of your driveway and heading to the restaurant.

you chatted with him on the drive and it was pretty pleasant, you were thankful that the conversation between you both flowed easily. you learned that his favorite football team was the los angeles rams, and you joked with him that he’d need to let you out of the car immediately because you wouldn’t stand for that nonsense.

he laughed heartily at your joke. he talked to you more about his job, you learned he was a paralegal and that he’d been in the profession for nearly four years. you told him about your experience working in human resources and you related over shared experiences.

when you arrived to the restaurant damon parked and came around to open your door, and you were quickly met by justin and chloe. damon and justin shook hands and introduced themselves to each other as you greeted chloe.

“i love your dress!” she smiled, you thanked her. “you look incredible too, chloe!”

she wore a light blue dress that came down mid-thigh and had long sleeves. she wore black heels as well, and you loved the glittery eyeshadow she had put on.

the four of you walked into the restaurant and justin spoke to the host about reservations he had so graciously called in - which you thanked him immensely for. the host led your party to a table toward the back of the restaurant and you all sat. damon made sure to pull out your chair, and justin did the same for chloe.

the waitress came by shortly after for your drink orders, you and justin both got water. chloe ordered a riesling and damon ordered a cabernet, which you found amusing. you didn’t say anything about it, though.

the waitress brought your drinks quickly and she also brought a basket of bread for the table, with little cups of cinnamon butter. you indulged in one as you listened to justin and damon begin chatting about football.

you and chloe began to chime in at times, and the atmosphere was nice. you and damon also engaged in your own quiet conversation every now and then, and you were starting to like it every time he’d flash you his award winning smile… until justin would smile at you from across the table. in those moments, you knew who your heart truly belonged to.

a few times during dinner the conversations would ebb off, or the input from chloe and damon would stop, leaving only you and justin talking to each other.

the waitress brought your food and you all began dining, while still chatting here and there about work and sports and things of that nature. the waitress came back around a bit later to take plates and your dessert orders. the men continued to talk while you and chloe ordered, with you asking for cheesecake and chloe ordering a fudgy brownie.

something damon said reminded justin of something he needed to tell you, and he turned his attention toward you quickly.

“y/n, i was meaning to tell you that my uncle had some students interested in trying to make a car run on vegetable oil.” you laughed at his statement before giving your input.

“so what, they want to install a second fuel tank i’m assuming? so the vehicle can run on diesel til it’s hot enough and then they’ll switch to the oil?” you ask. “yeah exactly. i thought it sounded pretty cool.” justin smiles. “sounds like a waste of time to me.” you say amusedly. justin tilts his head and gives you a questioning glance.

“it’s totally not a waste of time. if they can figure out how to do it, it’ll be pretty sick.” he disagrees. damon glances between you before chiming in. “i think it’d be pretty cool too!” he agrees with justin.

“do you know how many times they’d have to filter the oil before they could even use it? and they’d have to make sure to install a solenoid valve to switch between two fuel tanks. too much work.” you say, crossing your arms and looking back and forth between both men. chloe says nothing, you assume she has no idea what any of you are talking about.

you noticed damon checking the time on his phone before sliding it back into his pocket and rejoining your conversation, but mostly listening to you and justin bicker.

“it totally reminded me of that 70s show though, you know? when hyde says ‘there’s this car…. and it runs on water, man!’” justin laughs, doing a pretty decent impression of the character.

“i just feel like making modifications to your car so it could run off vegetable oil is a waste of time.” you say, leaning back slightly in your chair. justin’s girlfriend looks between the two of you with an odd look on her face, only breaking focus when she sees the waitress approaching again.

“here’s the double chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream,” she says, placing the plate in front of chloe, “and here are the slices of raspberry cheesecake.”

she places the plate in front of you and damon is quick to grab it, sliding his piece of cheesecake onto one of the extra serving plates. chloe picks her fork up excitedly, slicing into the brownie and taking a small bite. her eyes roll as she tastes it, the richness of the chocolate has to be delectable. you watch as she cuts another small bite, this time more toward the center of the brownie where you can see it has small pieces of walnut in it.

she reaches over to cup justin’s jaw, squeezing a bit to get him to open his mouth so she can feed it to him. you ignore the slightly jealous feeling bubbling in your stomach as she brings it closer to his mouth, but you can’t get your words out. justin looks at her with a puzzled expression. he hadn’t been paying attention to her or what she ordered, so he has no idea what she’s about to feed him.

as if on instinct, your hand shot across the table and closed around her wrist, stopping her from feeding him. “s-sorry.. uh, justin is allergic to walnuts.” you say, lowering your gaze so you don’t make eye contact with her. she lets go of his jaw and he shrugs sheepishly.

“sorry baby.” she tells him, eating the bite for herself. “it’s okay.” justin replies. his eyes find yours for a fleeting moment, nervous energy is shared between you. damon watches the entire ordeal silently, passing glances between the three of you as he eats his dessert.

you pick up your fork and take a bite too, and the tartness of the raspberry dances across your tongue in a pleasant way. justin was right with his recommendation, this restaurant truly is amazing. damon and justin begin conversing again, and you stay quiet as you eat, listening attentively.

chloe chimes in a few times, earning laughs from both men with her unintentional humor. you slide the last bite of cheesecake on your fork and bring it to your lips, ready to enjoy it, when suddenly your fork is plucked from your hand. you look up to find justin eating the last bite straight off of your fork. yours.

while you’re on a double date. with other people.

your gaze quickly flips from justin to chloe and then to damon as you try to gauge their expressions. damon doesn’t seem to notice or care as he continues talking about football, and justin nods along with what damon is saying as if this ordeal was the most normal thing that has ever happened.

sure, you and justin are close enough to eat off each others forks and sometimes even drink from the same cup or can, but the fact that he did it on a double date baffled you. neither of the men at the table seemed to be giving it a second thought, but when your gaze shifts to chloe you can tell she’s perturbed in some way. her eyes are slightly squinted as she looks you up and and down, and then her gaze shifts to justin as she does the same to him.

you continue to sit quietly at the table, listening to the men talk. chloe stays quiet, too. the tension between the two of you feels almost palpable.

you would never want to come between her and justin, even if you did have feelings for him throughout all these years.

the rest of the time spent in the restaurant went by in a blur. eventually damon and justin stopped talking, realizing that you and chloe hadn’t shared a word, and they mutually decided that dinner should be over.

damon and justin split the checks and pay before each of you stand from the table to leave. when you make it outside you suck in a deep breath of the fresh air, you’ve felt like you were suffocating for the last fifteen minutes. all of you say goodbye to each other before you get into damon’s car, and chloe into justin’s.

the drive back to your house is quiet. you’re anxious, your throat feels tight and you know your cheeks must be incredibly pink. damon hasn’t even glanced at you and you’re afraid to say a word because if you do you’ll start crying.

he finally pulls into your drive and parks the car before looking at you for the first time since you left the restaurant. you wring your hands together before looking back at him, expecting the worst.

“that was fun, justin is a really nice guy.” his voice is genuine as he speaks to you, but you’re prepared for where this is going. “he loves you, y/n.”

you look at him with bewilderment as he continues speaking. you want to say something, but he holds up a finger to tell you to wait. “before you start with the whole ‘he doesn’t feel that way about me’ spiel, he does. i saw how you looked at each other all night. he doesn’t look at her like that.”

tears are pricking at the corners of your eyes as he speaks, and you turn your gaze from his so he won’t see. “you love each other, y/n. it’s okay. i had fun, i’m glad i met you.” he says, reaching over the console to grab your hand. he gives it a gentle squeeze and you look back up at him as he smiles at you. “i would like to be your friend, if that’s okay.”

“yeah, we can stay friends, of course.” you tell him. he lets go of your hand and gets out of the car, circling around to get your door and walk you up the front steps. before you can walk up damon pulls you in for a hug, which you reluctantly accept.

“it was nice meeting and going out with you, y/n. don’t be a stranger!” he says, and then he lets you go and gets back into his car, driving off down the street.

you let yourself in the house and lock the door behind you before collapsing on the couch. you don’t have the energy to move, to take off your shoes, or to even be worried about your makeup.

you just sit there, and you cry. you cry for all the lost time, if it is true and he does love you. and if damon’s wrong, and you do take the time to tell justin how you feel and he rejects you… well, you should go ahead and cry for that too. you cry for the only boy you’ve ever loved.

꩜ ‧.°. 𖦹.°.‧ ꩜‧.°.𖦹 .°.‧꩜ ‧.°. 𖦹.°.‧ ꩜‧.°.𖦹 .°.‧

justin buckles his seatbelt and holds his foot down on the brake before backing out of his parking spot at the restaurant, ready to get home and into more comfortable clothing. chloe sits beside him silent, like she did for most of the dinner.

he spares a glance her way and notices her posture is rigid, her lips are pressed into a tight, thin line. justin reaches over to grasp her hand but she flinches away from his touch.

“are you okay?” he asks her, his tone concerned. “i’m okay. can you take me to my house, please?” she asks. her voice sounds small, she sounds upset.

“of course.” justin agrees. they hadn’t been dating long enough to make the steps to move in together, but chloe frequented his house often as long as he was home. he thought it was a bit strange that she wanted to go home, but he waited to question it.

when he pulled in her driveway and parked she was quick to jump out of the car and make her way inside. justin turned the car off and pocketed the keys before following chloe inside.

“um, is everything okay?” he asked, stepping into the living room. “no. we need to talk.” chloe said, sitting down on the couch. justin sat next to her and place a reassuring hand on her knee as he waited for her to speak.

“i think we should break up.”

justin is taken aback by her confession, but he doesn’t speak. he waits to hear her out. “i really like you, justin. and i think you like me. but you don’t love me. and you never will, because you love someone else.”

“what?” he asks, his tone incredulous. “you love y/n, justin. you know it, i know it, everyone on the planet knows it… except for her. i think you’re both idiots.” chloe smiles softly.

justin looks around the room nervously, waiting for chloe to speak again. “you’re both idiots because what you’ve been looking for has been in front of you the whole time. it was obvious you two should have been on a date. you both carried the conversation, you were doing silly impressions to make her laugh… you look at her like she’s your most prized possession, justin.”

he takes a deep breath before looking at chloe and finally speaking. “i’m sorry.” is all he’s able to mutter out.

“you don’t need to apologize. i’ll admit, i was upset at first. but on the drive i thought about it, and i just want you to be happy. and i figured someone needed to tell you that girl loves you, because if the two of you have been friends this long and you haven’t figured it out, i’m afraid you never will.” she laughs. “and god, i didn’t even know you were allergic to walnuts.”

justin laughs too before reaching over and pulling chloe into him for a hug. “thank you for telling me all that… and i am sorry. i really am.”

“it’s okay, justin. just get the girl, okay?” she says, shooing him out the door. he waves goodbye before walking off to his car and heading home.

when he arrives home he sits in the driveway pondering… did you really love him back? and if you have, how long? and what was he going to do?

he thinks of all the time he’s lost out on if it’s true, and you do love him back. he’d supressed the feelings for as long as he could remember because he never knew he had a chance - he never thought he’d be the one for you. and if he wasn’t he knew it’d break him, but all he wanted was your happiness.

all he knew right now was that he loved you, that you were the only girl he’d ever loved.

꩜ ‧.°. 𖦹.°.‧ ꩜‧.°.𖦹 .°.‧꩜ ‧.°. 𖦹.°.‧ ꩜‧.°.𖦹 .°.‧

you don’t talk to justin for a week.

you’re afraid to. usually, he’s the first person you run to about anything, but since the subject matter is him, you feel like you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place. you spend the entire week sad, crying into your coffee or whatever dinner you’ve chosen to eat after work (usually cereal), and watching lifetime movies that are guaranteed to make you feel worse - they make the longing in your chest burn.

justin finally texts you on friday night, and you’re afraid to open it. you let it sit unread for half an hour before your phone starts ringing on the end table. it’s justin, you know it is, but you’re afraid to answer. you pick up your phone slowly and slide your thumb across the screen to answer the call.

“hello?” you sniffle, picking up a tissue to wipe your nose. “hey y/n, you okay?” justin asks.

“yeah, lifetime movie, sorry. what’s up?”

“just wanted to see if you wanna come over and hangout? i haven’t heard from you all week, i miss you.” he says. you miss him too. but are you ready to see him after what happened?

against your better judgment, you agree to go over. after all, he is your best friend. if anyone can get you feeling better, it’s justin. you hang up the call and slide on your slippers before grabbing your keys and phone and heading over to his house.

you didn’t bother changing, you didn’t care what you looked like in front of him. he’d seen you sick as a dog before, he even held your hair when you puked a few times, so he could handle seeing you in an old ratty tshirt and sweatpants that were a few sizes too big.

there’s also no way he could ever judge you for having greasy hair.

you make the quick drive to his place and you almost panic and leave before calming yourself down and walking to the front door. it’s just justin. this is no big deal.

you knock twice but you know he already knows you’re there, and he swings the door open quickly before pulling you into a tight hug. physical affection is something you both enjoy, and you’ve missed him. you wrap your arms tightly around him and squeeze back.

justin laughs as he looks down at you. “sometimes i forget how small you are.”

“or maybe you’re sasquatch.” you say, giving him a shove. he lets go and steps aside so you can get in the door, and you waste no time in sliding your slippers off plopping down on his couch. you notice his house seems a little… different, but you can’t put your finger on it.

justin closes the door and makes his way over to you, acting like he’s going to sit on your lap. “don’t even think about it.” you tell him, bringing your legs up to your chest. he sits next to you and leans into your side.

“how was your week?” he asks you innocently. “it was horrible.” you reply. you share the most miniscule details with him when he tries pressing you further, because you’re too afraid to tell him what’s really wrong. justin listens intently either way, hoping to find something he can do to make you feel better.

“well how’s it been with damon?” he finally asks, and you freeze. justin moves so he can lay his head on your lap, and he straightens out your legs before doing so. your hand naturally finds its way into his hair, your nails raking along his scalp soothingly. he shudders.

“damon um… well. he didn’t wanna go on another date. it wasn’t because he didn’t like me, though. he just said… he could tell u didn’t like him.”

justin hums softly. “interesting.” he says.

“what’s interesting?” you ask him. “chloe broke up with me.”

“WHAT?” you shout, startling him a bit. “sorry… i mean, what? why? i thought you guys really liked each other?”

“well, she liked me a lot. and i liked her but… i don’t love her. she really helped me realize a lot of feelings i had that i’d been holding back.” he turns his head to look up at you and smiles and - oh. oh.

the look he’s giving you seems to be full of pure adoration, pure love. and you realize that he always looks at you like this.

tears start to form in your eyes again and justin sits up, this time pulling you into his lap. “you okay?” he asks, soothingly rubbing his hand over your back.

that’s why it seemed different - all her stuff was gone.

“i don’t know. what’s happening here?” you ask him, burying your face in his neck. “chloe helped me realize that i love you, y/n. i always knew it, deep down. but… i don’t know. i never really thought you felt the same.”

“damon said the same to me. that he could, um, tell we loved each other. are we just stupid?” you ask him, pulling away from his neck to look in his eyes.

“apparently two idiots in love.” he says. his hand finds the back of your hair and smooths over it softly before he pulls you into his neck again, crushing you in another hug.

“so where do we go from here?” you ask, enjoying his embrace. “i guess forward.” he jokes, poking at your sides. “together, of course, if you want that. as a couple.”

you can’t help the giddy feeling bubbling up inside you as he speaks. of course you want that, it’s all you’ve ever wanted. “i love you, justin.” you finally say, and being able to tell him to his face is like a dream come true. “i love you back.” he says softly. you meet his gaze once again and he looks nervous, but you aren’t sure why.

“what’s wrong?” you ask him sweetly. you softly touch his cheek, smoothing over it with your thumb. he doesn’t say another word, but he leans in and kisses you.

you feel dizzy, your heart is pounding incredibly hard against your chest. justin is over the moon too. your lips begin moving in sync, neither of you able to catch a decent breath as you devour each other hungrily. justin's hands find your waist and he pulls you into him further, and your arms circle around his neck.

he pulls away for a second before jumping right back in, awkwardly bumping his nose against yours. you both laugh before kissing again. this is truly what euphoria feels like. you don’t know how long you both sit there taking each other apart, whether it’s minutes, hours or days.

what matters is it’s happening. finally.

your hands trail down his biceps as he continues kissing you, leaving a trail from the corner of your mouth down to the exposed column of your throat. your breath hitches when his lips meet one of your most sensitive spots, right where your neck meets your shoulder. “you okay?” he says, sounding concerned.

“i’m nervous.” you whisper. his gaze is soft as he looks at you, half smile spreading across his face. “it’s okay,” he whispers back, “we don’t have to take this any further until you’re ready.”

you hug him again and kiss his cheek softly. “i want to. i’m just nervous.”

“there’s no reason to be afraid.” he assures you. “do you wanna…” he starts, cocking his head to the side and motioning toward the direction of his bedroom. you nod a simple yes.

he stands with you and leads you down the hall to his room, although you know very well where it is. you’ve spent countless nights here cuddled up with him.

he twists the knob slowly and pushes the door open before guiding you inside, and meeting your lips with his again. the kiss is soft and gentle, and he walks you back toward his bed without breaking contact. once you’ve reached the side of the bed he pulls away and reaches behind himself with one arm, grabbing his shirt and yanking it over his head in one swift motion.

uou hop up onto his bed and get cozy against the pillows as he crawls onto the bed too, leaning over you. you rake your nails over the planes of his chest as he presses a kiss to your forehead. his fingertips find the hem of your sweater and his gaze meets yours, waiting for your approval. you nod, and he slides both hands under it before lifting it over your head.

you’re wearing a simple white bra, but justin is looking at you like you’ve just descended down from heaven. you know he won’t ask you to take it off so you let what little bit of confidence you have flowing through your veins take over, and you quickly reach behind you to unclasp it.

justin sucks in a deep breath at the sight of you. you’re easily the most breathtaking woman he’s ever seen in his life, you have been since he first laid eyes on you… but seeing you like this… he feels like he’s died and made it to the afterlife.

you don’t hide your gawking either, his toned body has always been something you’ve enjoyed staring at whether he noticed it or not. “you’re so beautiful,” justin tells you, leaning in to capture your lips again. as he crawls over your body you can feel his length through his sweatpants, it lays hard and heavy over your leg. you shudder at the thought of it.

justin’s hands slide up your torso and he caresses your breasts softly before tweaking both of your nipples with his thumbs and forefingers. you arch upward into him and your body is covered in gooseflesh as you await his touch again.

you’ve never felt such pleasure and satisfaction in your life, and he’s only barely started. you’re sure that you’ve soaked through your panties and sweatpants at this point. he continues to grab at your chest as he kisses you and you moan out his name softly, causing him to rut against your leg. he needs you just as much as you need him, you can tell.

“justin, i’m ready. i want you.” you tell him, breaking away from his kiss to look into his eyes. he smiles down at you and raises his eyebrow, making sure one more time. “i’m ready.” you promise him. his hands grab the waistband of your sweatpants before pulling them down your legs quickly, along with your panties.

he pulls his off next and your mouth falls open, gawking at the sight in front of you. sure… justin was 6’6, everything about him was big… but holy shit. he is huge.

he smiles at you nervously before reassuring you, “it’ll be okay, i won’t hurt you. i swear.” you almost think you could faint at how cute and sexy he his. you tell him you don’t need any prep but he won’t allow it, and he uses the pad of his thumb to circle your clit quickly as he enters two fingers into you to work you open.

after a few minutes you’re ready, you can’t take anymore and you’re practically begging him to fuck you. he blushes at the sound of your moans, but his chest fills with pride knowing he’s making you feel so good. he pulls his fingers from your soaking heat slowly before wrapping his hand around his cock and giving it a few strokes. you let him situate your body how he needs to and he ends up with your ankles right at his shoulders as he prepares to push into you.

he’s lucky you’re flexible. his lips find yours again as he pushes in and your thankful because his kisses swallow your gasps. he moves slowly, inch by inch until he’s fully seated, and he waits a few minutes before moving so he doesn’t hurt you. when he finally pulls out and pushes back in, he moans loudly at how amazing you feel around him. you moan too, you’ve never felt so full in your life - and you’ve never felt so fulfilled either.

he moves to kiss you again and bumps his nose against yours again sweetly as his hands find yours and he tangles your fingers together. his movements are calculated, slow and methodical as he takes you apart, and unravels you in the very best way.

the room is filled with soft moans and labored breaths and the sounds of you kissing each other anywhere your lips can find. it doesn’t take long for you to reach your peak and tears prick at your eyes when you do. this is all you’ve ever wanted, and it’s beautiful, it’s magical. justin feels the same.

you warn him that you’re close and he tells you it’s okay, you can let go for him. “cum for me, it’s okay. i love you, y/n.” and that’s all it takes. his admission of love knocks you straight over the edge and into the thrashing waters, your orgasm taking over your whole body. he cums soon after, his body enjoying the feeling of you squeezing him as he rides out his high.

when he pulls out of you he stand quickly, running off to his bathroom to grab a warm wet towel to clean you both up. he didn’t bother asking if you were on the pill, he already knows every aspect of your life anyway.

justin cleans all your sensitive areas with the warm rag before wiping himself off and sliding back into bed with you, pulling the covers over your bodies.

“that was amazing.” you admit.

“yeah it was. you know how long we could’ve been doing that?” he laughs, and you giggle too. “i love you.” you tell him. “i love you too, so much. can i tell you something stupidly embarrassing, though?” he asks, and you roll over to face him. “oh god, what justin?”

“remember after we graduated, right after you turned eighteen and we had that pool party?”

“yeah, i remember.” you say. it was one of your fondest memories, actually. “that little yellow bikini you wore… i just thought i should admit to you now that i thought about you in that so much when i was jerking it that i thought my dick would fall off.”

both of you erupt in laughter, the admission funny and embarrassing, although endearing too. “that’s okay, remember right before we went to college and you were teaching me how to drive but you kept getting frustrated and yelling at me? i thought that was the hottest i’d ever seen you.” you say. he pulls you into his chest and kisses you softly.

“you’re getting me all worked up again, baby,” he laughs, kissing at your cheek toward your ear. “looks like we’re gonna have to go for round two.”

- - -

taglist: @slimshiesty @joeyburrrow @starsinthesky5 @joeyb1989

photos and dividers used are not mine, all cred to owners.

[demonic0angel]

hasn't slept in a week dead tired Jason knocking on his neighbors door: hey Jazz would you mind watching Robin and Superboy for me so I can sleep? *holds out a scruffed Damian and Jon very much in civis* Thanks, I'll be back in an hour *stumbles back to his place*

Jon and Damian: 😮 Watch who? Who did he say you have to watch

“… we’re not Superboy or Robin,” Jon said nervously.

Jazz just blinked. Then she nodded slowly and said, “Yes. I would guess not, since you two don’t have flying powers, right?”

“Us two?” Damian said, very tense.

Jazz nodded and shrugged. “Yes. Since Robin and Superboy can both fly, right? I’ve never seen them in person, so I have no idea.”

Damian and Jon shared a look and then nodded at her, clearly not wanting to push it. Jazz just smiled idly and said, “Well, I can’t watch over you two here, so how about I take you to Arkham Asylum?”

“…you’re taking us to Arkham? Arkham Asylum?” Damian said, sounding appalled.

Jazz blinked and nodded. “I still have work. Would you two like to come with me to tour? I don’t have any meetings with any of the more… volatile patients for today. I can bring you around and you two can volunteer and help around.”

Jon looked eagerly at Damian, who glanced at his overexcited friend and then at Jazz. She smiled encouragingly and said with a smile, “I have a gun that I can use to protect you two, and I can fight. If it makes you feel better.”

Damian narrowed his eyes at her and then nodded once. He held Jon’s hand determinedly, which made Jazz’s lips twitch before she smoothed her face over in a flash.

Jazz beamed. “Great! Let’s go!”

————

Jason blinked. “Damn. They’re absolutely knocked out.”

Both Damian and Jon were completely and utterly worn out from the day they had. Usually, at this time, they’d be bouncing and nagging and screaming for patrol or excitement or games, but whatever sacrifice Jazz must’ve killed in order for peace must’ve been extremely valuable and to a very agreeable god.

“What did you do?” Jason asked, in awe.

She giggled and kissed him on the cheek. “Just brought them around. They were so sweet! Although, I do want to tell you that Damian isn’t getting the amount of sleep that he needs for his age, and don’t look at me like that, I know what your nighttime job is, he still needs sleep. You should encourage him by making him associate bedtime with rewards, and I think that’ll make him less grumpy. He was very cute though! And Jon is an absolute sweetheart, I don’t mind watching them again if you’d like.”

Jason just smiled as he picked the two kids up in his arms. “I’ll give your advice to Dick and B. Thanks. Sorry for just dumping them on your doorstep.”

“You’re tired from the case, I get it. I don’t mind, but next time, I’d like a warning, okay?”

“Sure thing, Princess. Thank you again. I’ll cook dinner for us on Thursday?”

She nodded. Then she paused and said, “Also, you called them Robin and Superboy when you brought them here. Did you know that?”

Jason froze and then cursed to himself. “Damn! I knew I was forgetting something. Sorry, Princess, I forgot to tell them that you knew my identity so—”

“Hmm, yes, I figured, since they seemed really wary of me at first. It’s okay though, we had fun in the end and I think they like me a little now.” She giggled and then said, “I have to get back to my papers, but I’ll see you tonight, dearest!”

With another kiss, she ushered him out the door and waved goodbye before she left.

Jason smiled dreamily after her before bringing the kids to his bike, where he held them carefully as he drove though Gotham streets.

Damian woke up at some point, rubbing his eyes and yawning. At these times, Jason could kind of understand why Dick seemed to think he was the cutest thing in the universe. “Did you have a good rest, sleeping beauty?” He teased.

Damian nodded and said, “Next time Father wants you to babysit, don’t bother. Just bring us to your girlfriend and leave.”

Jason almost swerved. Damian hissed and held onto Jon, who grumbled and nearly knocked Jason off of his bike with his sleepy headbutt. “What! Damn, what the hell did she do for you to like her so much?!”

Damian smirked. “She has guts, smarts, skill, and compassion for the poor and unfortunate. You have chosen well for a sister-in-law and I expect you to marry in less than 3 years, understand?”

Jason looked at him like he was crazy. He appreciated the support, but he was starting to feel like Jazz might’ve replaced his brother with someone else. “… what did you three do all day?”

Damian smiled with all of his teeth. “She brought us to Arkham Asylum to shadow her work and then she defended us when one of the inmates broke out. She can perform a magnificent takedown with no hands.“

Jon also spoke up, blinking sleepy eyes, “She also let us meet Killer Croc! And we also met Poison Ivy! It was cool!”

“You should also tell her the truth at some point. We told her that you have horrific, delusional dreams because you can’t sleep and that’s why you lied about our identities.”

Jason just stared.

Yeah, that last part was definitely the usual Damian.

[starfilmz]

THOROUGHFARE | UNSURE FEELINGS, DRUNKEN CALLS

⤷ A JJ MAYBANK SOCMED AU .ᐟ

──── you never expected that swapping socials with your call of duty duo would change your life — whether for better or worse, you're still not sure. friendships are made and something much more begins.

thoroughfare masterlist ──── 05 | 06 | 07

a/n: chap 6 has been a bitch to post bc tumblr couldn’t handle it but VIOLA it has arrived. this chap became a mix of smau and written fic so we doin something here 🤔 ofc it’ll still be social media based do not fret, but i feel like these written ones are needed for this. not betaread obvs so mistakes are everywhere!! lmk your thoughts, expectations, or how u see this fic ending cuz it is soon 😝

john b stood up as soon as he heard the whirring sound of his best friend’s motorcycle. it came to a stop when he stepped out on the château’s porch, leaning against one of the posts with his arms crossed. jj looked disheveled and as much as he wanted to say “as per usual”, the boy walked towards the house as if he ran into several bushes on the way.

he had a frown on his face as he faced john b. “i don’t know what do,” he finally spoke, his expression morphing that tells john b he didn’t want to admit to that. “long distance relationships are weird and, i’ve experienced worst that weird, man, you and i both know that and i—“

“alright, calm down,” john b grabbed the boy’s shoulder before he could go on another self-destructive tangent. “let’s talk about this, okay? pope said he’s on his way with beers.”

jj sighed, running a hand through his blonde hair. “it feels unfair for her that i’m making a big deal about this. it’s the whole rafe thing again! honestly, i genuinely think i overreacted.” he sat on the closest couch on the porch with furrowed eyebrows.

john b followed him, an amused expression on his face. jj noticed this, raising his eyebrows at the boy. “what’s so funny?”

he shook his head, his curls falling slightly to his side as he looked at jj. “when’s the last time you acted this way towards a girl?”

“oh, don’t start, jb.”

“i’m sorry, okay? look, you don’t need to be thinking this hard, man, alright?” the boy chuckled, patting his friend firmly on the back. “yn’s a good person, i can tell, and…” john b looked around as if anyone else but the two of them were around. he leaned closer towards jj, who didn’t think twice to do the same.

“from what i’ve read from sar’s phone, yn’s just crazy for you.”

this changed jj’s solemn expression into a mixture of lovesick, curiosity, and excitement. “i mean, that’s natural, right? she agreed to be my girlfriend so it’s natural for her to like me.” his words sounded defensive which made john b’s eyebrows rose.

“what i’m trying to say, jj, you don’t have to freak out just because you don’t know who’s around her. long distance is weird, i agree, but are you going to be like this every time she hangs out with people you don’t know?”

jj lowered his eyes, a tiny wave of shame washing over him. “no.”

“right, and i’m not trying to say don’t be jealous— you can’t help it, you like the girl,” john b held one of the blonde’s shoulder. “and if i were to give you an advice, man to man, thinking in your shoes, if you find long distance so much, why don’t you do something about it?”

jj looked up at john b, confusion etched all over his face. “what are you—“ and as if something clicked in his mind, john b nodded, confirming his thoughts. “isn’t it too soon?”

“what’s too soon?” both boys visibly flinched as pope made his presence known, beer bottles in hand. “i had to swipe this from my dad’s stack so you guys better fill me in.”

you couldn’t help the smile at john b’s story, giving it a heart as scrolled off the app. you would send a response, something about not leaving him in the streets because you guys still have a game session planned tomorrow, but you decided not to.

they were probably still at the boneyard, a place where they usually throw their parties as you’ve learned previously from jj, and they’ve shared enough stories about those to let you know those parties don’t end easily.

you sighed, sliding further into your bed as you hugged your pillow. was it silly to feel the way you do now?

you aren’t ready to fly out to see the boy you’ve been dying to see, but you want to, and you tell yourself you’re okay seeing them have fun, but as you stare deeper into your bedroom wall, you’re beginning to doubt that.

you took a deep breath, closing your eyes in an attempt to sleep and brush off your thoughts, but as soon as you do, your phone rang beside you. you moved the pillow and raised your phone, seeing jj’s profile picture and username across your screen.

jj was calling you.

you sat up, answering the phone, and placed it on your ear. loud music greeted your first, along with voices you’re not familiar with.

“—you can’t just leave her like that, jayj!” a girl harshly whispered against the speaker and it made you think she was either kiara, cleo, or sarah.

“hello?” you finally spoke, and when you did, everyone on the other side seemed to quiet down. you heard some kind of harsh slap, along with a small ‘ow!’. you didn’t recognize the rest of the voice before, but you were definitely aware someone had slapped jj.

“jj? you there?” you called once more, tone lighter in amusement. “i’m gonna hang up on you if you don’t talk.”

that seemed to catch the boy’s attention as he began sputtering away. “no, no, don’t, hello! look, i’m sorry, i’m being peer pressed right now—“

“don’t say that!” a deeper voice interrupted him.

“—and i just wanted to hear your voice…” from the way jj was talking, you could tell he was drunk, though you did believe that slap before sobered him up a bit. “i missed you, yn.”

“it’s only been a day a whole, jj,” you chuckled, leaning against your pillows. despite your answer, you couldn’t help but feel the same way. “but i missed you too, jay.”

“i’ve been building up the courage to call you all night and, i don’t know, i just wanted to hear from you before my lights go out,” jj laughed at his own words, a drunken expression all over his face you imagined.

“build up the courage? i’m your girlfriend, jay, you could call me whenever you want.” you answered, a small smile on your face.

there was a beat of silence from him and you thought it was a sign that he’s close to getting conked out, but his next words proved otherwise.

“can you say that again?” he whispered, almost like he’s hiding, which was most likely from his eavesdropping friends. “about the girlfriend thing, please?”

you hummed a playful tone, the instinct to tease jj was strong and it almost won if it weren’t the way your cheeks heated up at his voice, the way he sounded so soft and near the phone as if he was saying it directly in your ear.

“i’m your girlfriend, jj maybank. you happy?” you had to roll your eyes despite no one being with you hearing your sappy voice and attitude, anything to keep the butterflies in your stomach at bay.

“so happy, you don’t even know, baby,” the nickname came to you as a shock, but it didn’t felt wring hearing it from jj. if anything, you wanted to make him say it again. “i’m just so— oh my god, so happy. i’m your boyfriend, you’re my girlfriend— oh, bliss!”

you couldn’t help the laugh that bursted from you as jj’s voice doubled in volume. “i have a girlfriend! and she really likes me!” jj’s speaker managed to get the sound of what sounded like a crowd cheering at his embarrassing announcement, making you chuckle even further.

“alright, hands off the phone, okay— john b, take him, please? before he announces more details about yn?” another voice took over the call, and by the way the boy, who you now know is john b, responded with a ‘yes, ma’am’, you assumed it was sarah who came to the rescue.

“hey, sarah,” you greeted her. “having fun?”

“oh, we are, but no so much for jj tomorrow.”

“i can imagine, you’d think he’ll be able to live with that?” you joked.

“babe, he has no choice,” sarah responded with a laugh. “but for now, john b’s taking him back to the château to properly conk out.”

“that’s good to hear.”

“so,” she started and you already picked up the teasing tone in her voice.

“so?” you chuckled, amused at her.

“still unsure of visiting your hopeless boyfriend? was his very public and loud declaration of love for you enough?”

you hugged the nearest pillow, a warm smile spreading across your face. you felt a lot more at ease and mind solely focused on jj. “it’s enough.”

thoroughfare taglist: @yumwhy @beeskisses @callieyanderechan @udpoota @vivian-555 @popesbby @whatisoutside @roryology @readinghoes @mytimeiswaiting @marleymarleymarleymarley @urmotherlvr @fruitcakerafe @bobobellabo @max23b @mirellef2001 @bearbear21 @cassiewritessalot @baocean @ayy1234567 @lmaowhatt @scaroooos @mbella607 @dylsdaily @1mcrazybutcute

big apologies to the peeps that wanted to be tagged but aren’t here cuz i might’ve missed yall bc and for the people that are written on here but weren’t notified pls refer to this post :)

[kaliforniahigh]

birds of a feather, we should stick together - n.s. (part two - final)

Best friends to lovers, fake dating and best friend Noah <3 A little something to start the year right!

Warnings: slow burn I guess? curse words, Noah is a little bitch towards Jade lol a shitty ex makes an appearance, pining, idiots in love, smut (oral, fem and male receiving, unprotected p in v), me not knowing how to end fics.

WC: 7.2k (I proofread this, but if there are any mistakes, let me know!)

Requests are closed for now / Click here to be added to the permanent tag list <3

The salty air already filled your lungs as soon as you stepped outside the airport and into the humid air. You fished your sunglasses that were hanging on the collar of your shirt and put them on. You heard Noah laughing lightly beside you.

"We're not even at the beach yet", he pointed out and you just shrugged your shoulders.

"We'll be soon", you answered as you looked for a taxi to take you to the resort.

Noah and the driver put your bags in the trunk and you got in the backseat. Pulling up the name of the resort to show the driver, who was a man and appeared to be in his thirties.

On the drive there, he told you how you were going to love it here, especially since you were staying in one of the nicest resorts in the area. You looked at Noah and wiggled your eyebrows, who just shook his head with a little smile playing on his lips. He didn't want to cave and admit he was going to have a good time.

As soon as you arrived, you gave the driver a tip and thanked him. You and Noah making your way to the reception. Jade informed you to give your names and ID, and that the room was already booked in advance.

You were so distracted with balancing your purse and carry-on luggage, that you didn't understand when Noah let out a quiet "oh shit, here we go", beside you.

You soon understood though, when you heard Jade's semi shrill voice coming from the reception just a few steps ahead of you.

"I'm so glad you made it!", she exclaimed, maing your way towards you. Of course she would be waiting for her guests at the entrance. You gave Noah a pointed look from over your sunglasses, that told him to keep this conversation civil.

"Hi, Jade! We're so excited to be here", you told her, and opened your arms to giver her a hug.

Noah wanted to have your abilities to fake enthusiasm, but he was afraid he couldn't. So, he kept a neutral expression when Jade separated from you and looked over at him.

"Hi, Noah", she said, appraising him. "You haven't changed much", she pointed out, the little jab in her tone of voice not going unnoticed by you.

"You have", Noah answered, and you braced yourself for the snide remark that was surely coming. "Especially your face", he said, with an overly sweet smile on his lips.

Jade's face soureded immediately and she diverted her eyes from him and looked back at you.

"Well, your room should be ready, just talk to the receptionist over there", she pointed behind her, Noah going ahead of you and muttering under his breath about how that's what you were trying to fucking do before she interrupted you. "Then", Jade clapped her hands excitedly. "The resort is all ours!", she exclaimed and you smiled at her enthusiasm.

"Thanks, Jade", you adjusted the purse on your shoulder. "I should get settled in. I see you around?"

"Yes, of course", she gave you another hug and you made your way to where Noah was standing, the card to your room already in his hand.

When you were both out of earshot, and walking towards the elevator, Noah started on his little rant.

"How can she tell me I haven't changed much? I cut my hair, my band is so much more famous now and look how buff I've gotten over the years", he flexed his arms a little bit to get his point across, and you chuckled beside him. Getting in the elevator when the doors opened in front of you, and pushing the button to your floor.

"She's just saying that to get to you", you argued and he knew it was true. "I mean, lucky me, who has a boyfriend who's so famous and tours the whole world singing in front of thousands of people. Who's so strong and has such nice, buff and tatted arms", you gripped his biceps and he had a little bashful smile on his lips.

"That's right", he said, nodding his head in affirmation.

"Is that what you wanted to hear?", you asked him.

"I mean, not from her. But it's nice when you say it. You can keep going, actually"

"Would it make you feel better if I told you her husband totally has a receding hairline, while you have nice and luscious hair?", you said and he laughed out loud at this. He didn't know if you were joking with this information, but he played along with you.

"It makes me feel so much better"

The elevator doors opened and the two of you stepped out. You grabbed his hand to look at the card he was holding.

"What's the room number again?", you asked, when you noticed it wasnt written on it.

"612", he answered and you two went about trying to find the direction of your room.

When you finally found it, Noah scanned the card and you two made your way in, shutting the door behind you.

When you and Noah looked at the room though, you couldn't help but stop in your tracks at how beautiful everything was. To the king sized bed, to the stunning view of the ocean from the sliding glass doors. You probably haven't seen a place so beautiful before in your life.

"I can already tell I'm gonna have the best sleep of my life here.", Noah said and you couldn't help but agree.

"Just imagine, laying on the bed and hearing the sounds of the ocean. The waves crashing on the shore", you marveled, as you set your bags down on the floor and got prepared to put everything away.

"Yeah. Your snores too", Noah said and you wipped your head to look at him.

"I already told you, I don't fucking snore", you told him, but you knew he said it just to mess with you. He knew how much you hated when he insinuated that you snore.

"And I already told you that you do. In fact, I'm going to record you one day to prove it to you", he teased you once more, loving the way you huffed and puffed in annoyance.

"You've said that a hundred times, but have never actually done it", you dismissed him, walking towards the bathroom to put your stuff on the counter.

"It has a fucking tub in here", you yelled from the bathroom, and he made his way over to see it for himself.

"This dude is actually fucking loaded", Noah remarked and you nodded in agreement.

You two worked together to unpack everything, finding new things about this room as you walked and inspected it. As soon as you were done, you grabbed your bikini and went to the bathroom to change. You picked all your best outfits for this trip, and your best bikini happened to be one with an intricate pattern on the back that you couldn't figure out how to tie.

Sighing in defeat, you decided to summon some help.

"Noah", you called out his name.

He walked from the bed to the bathroom door and stopped right in front of it. "Yeah?".

"Get in here. I need your help with this bikini", you said and saw the door open from the huge mirror in front of you. "I can't tie this", you complained to him.

Noah couldn't help but notice how the only thing keeping your top from falling down completely, were you hands holding them against your boobs. He had to look away, because his swin shorts were already thin, and he didn't need a hard on right in front of you. He cleared his throat and grabbed the two thin straps of your bikini.

"Why do you have to pick the most complicated one?", he asked, keeping a safe distance from you, noticing how your bum was barely covered from your bikini bottom.

"It's the nicest one I have", you argued back and Noah could see why you picked this one. It was certainly nice on you.

"There, I tied it", he said, patting you on the back twice and stepping away from you. You turned around to face him.

"You tied it tight, right? Can't be at the beach and suddenly give everyone a show"

Noah thought that wouldn't be so bad, actually.

Shit, why the fuck was he suddenly having thoughts about seeing your tits?

"Don't worry", he rolled his eyes at your statement, trying to look as if he wasn't affected by it, and made his way out of the bathroom, you following right behind.

"I'm gonna put some suncreen on your back, because I don't need you red as a tomato and complaining that it hurts", you pointed out and Noah acted as if he was personally attacked by your remak.

"What are you talking about? That only happened everytime we went to the beach ever", he crossed his arms in front of him and you laughed, grabbing the sunscreen bottle and telling him to turn around.

Spreading a nice amount on his back, and covering every inch of skin possible, you handed him the bottle and turned around yourself, silently asking for him to do the same with you.

Noah started to talk about how he wanted to try every cocktail they have on the menu, but you tuned out his voice as soon as his hand came in contact with your back.

It was a fact, and everyone knew he had huge hands, but to have them splayed on your almost naked back, warm and steady was a different feeling completely. You noticed how he had to lift the straps of you bikini to get suncreen underneath, and suddenly you felt lightheaded, imagining the scenario in a completely different circumstance.

Shaking your head from your thoughts, you noticed he was done, and you told him he could keep the bottle so he could put sunscreen everywhere else, and that you'd be in the bathroom, getting your hair ready.

In no time, you were both strolling around the resort, finding the perfect place for you to lounge around.

"There's a pool with a bar in it", Noah pointed out and that's where you decided to settle.

Getting in the pool, you both sat on the stools covered by water and ordered your first drinks of the day.

The sky was clear and the sun was beaming in the sky. You skin was already warm, and you were hoping for a natural tan by the end of your stay here. Looking around you, you saw children playing in the water, people sunbathing and a few people taking some dancing classes in the distance.

However, as you were about to turn around to take the drink the bartender had just set in front of you and Noah, your eyes fell on someone you haven't seen in ages. Someone you hoped you'd never see again.

Taking off your sunglasses, you did a double take, making sure your eyes weren't deceiving you. And sure enough, your high school ex was standing right there, chatting with his other dude bro friends you recognize from school as well.

"You have to be shitting me", you muttered under your breath.

"What?", Noah asked, taking a sip from the straw with a little colorful umbrella on it. You turned around and put your head in your hands.

"Dan is right over there", you informed him, and he looked behind the two of you to confirm.

"Well shit", he said. "Idiot Dan sure is right over there", he turned back to look at you, a displeased look on his face as well.

Noah knew Dan very well. He was the first guy to break your heart at the ripe age of 14. You were dating Dan, but what you didn't know, was that Dan was dating every other girl in school. And you found out in the worst way possible.

You found him kissing another girl under the bleachers.

You and Noah always skipped class hidden under the bleachers, and that day, it was no different. But, he did find it very weird when he found you running out of the gym with tears streaming down your face. That's when Noah started calling him Idiot Dan. Because to him, any guy who had you, and let you slip through his fingers, was a complete idiot.

And Jade knew about the history, so why did she have to invite him?

"Well, look who it is", you heard a distinct voice behind you, and you rolled your eyes before turning around to face him, Noah doing the same. "I always knew this was going to happen", Dan said, pointing at you and Noah.

And that's when you remembered that you're supposed to be a couple. So you leaned a little more towards Noah and you felt him wrap an arm around your waist. His hand a little wet, but warm against your skin, brought you a little comfort in the wake of this conversation.

"Hi, Dan", you greeted him, not trying to hide the displeased tone in your voice.

"I hope the couple is enjoying the beautiful place", he said, waving his hand around him towards the imensity of the resort.

"We'd be enjoying it a lot more if you left us alone", Noah said, in a clipped tone. Every interaction between them ever since you found out Dan was cheating on you was full of rude remarks and even a few curse words.

"Chill man", Dan said in a light tone. "Even if I could, I don't wanna whisk her away from you, so don't worry about it"

Dan was doing it on purpose, and you could tell. Noah gripped you harder and pushed you closer towards him, your hips now meeting his.

"I'll go back to my friends. Have a lovely day", Dan said and made his way to the other side of the pool, where his friends were congregated.

"I hope he fucking drowns", Noah growled beside you, but didn't let go of you just yet.

"How can someone be so despicable? I can't believe I was into him when I was 14", you huffed in annoyance and grabbed your drink once again. You were ready to order another just to forget this interaction ever happened.

Luckily for you, the pool was huge, so Dan's presence on the other side didn't really bother you that much, as you swam back and forth and tried to float, ultimately failing and hearing Noah's laugh from the bar.

Now, you had both of your arms resting on the edge of the pool, feet swaying back and forth. You heard some splashing and felt Noah's presence beside you.

"Are you done tasting all the drinks?", you asked him, looking in his direction. His hair was wet, and his long front pieces were stuck to his forehead in a funny way. You used your finger to push them around and get them out of his face.

"I have a few left, actually", he smiled. "I was observing Dan and his friends over there"

You knew that Noah's protective instinct had kicked in ever since the interaction between you.

"You don't have to worry. I already forgot it happened", you tried to ease his mind a bit.

"He was pointing at you and telling his friends something about you"

"Ugh", you groaned in reply. "Just let it be, he's an asshole", you tried to look back at the group of guys to see if they were still talking about you, but Noah's grip on your shoulder distracted you.

"I thought it was my duty as your boyfriend to make them stop", he got a little closer to you, and his words piqued your interest.

"Oh yeah? And how do you plan on making them stop?", you asked, a little amused.

"Do you trust me?", he asked, and you scoffed.

"Of course I trust you"

As soon as the words left your mouth, you felt Noah's soft lips on yours. His hand that was on your shoulder moved to the back of your neck, and you rested your palm on his chest.

The kiss didn't evolve much from a long peck on the lips, since Noah didn't want to push his luck too much and scare you away.

He parted from you, but kept his face close to yours.

"Was he looking?", you asked. Noah looked over your shoulder, locking eyes with Dan, who had a more than displeased look on his face. He smirked a little and looked back at you.

"I don't think he was", he said, voice low, only for you to hear.

"Then I guess you'll have to kiss me again"

"I guess so", he smirked before planting his lips back on yours for a second time.

This time, though, you didn't let it stay a shy little peck, opening your mouth and moving your lips against his. You felt him slip his fingers through your wet locks and gripping the back of your neck.

You let out a little gasp at the feeling, and suddenly, what you were doing became much more real, as you parted your lips from his, both of you breathing heavier and with your eyes closed.

Looking back over your shoulders, Dan and his friends were nowhere to be seen.

You and Noah have been trying to act as if the kiss didn't happen, and besides that, things have been pretty normal, for the most part.

Everytime you looked at him, you refrained from remembering how soft his lips felt against yours, and how nice and firm his hand felt on the back of your neck. You had to constantly shake the thoughts from your head.

On the next day, you met Jade and the girls for a few drinks and she explained to you that she actually didn't invite Dan. Turns out, he works at the same clinic as her husband, and they're both pretty close. And when she saw the name on the list, the thought of it being him never crossed her mind.

But it's ok, you haven't crossed paths with him yet after that encounter. Besides, you wouldn't let something that happened years ago ruin your stay in this beautiful place.

Today, you and Noah had to wake up extra early, since it was the wedding day. You requested a clothes iron so you could iron your dress and Noah's suit and hang it in the closet so it wouldn't crease.

You also had to get your hair and makeup ready, and since you weren't a bridesmaid, you were on your own for this one. You just hoped you didn't forget anything essential at home.

"What if I just wear the dress shirt and leave the suit jacket here?", Noah said. He's been spiraling over his clothes for the last 15 minutes.

"I already told you", you sighed out loud. "Jade said you can wear only the dress shirt and roll the sleeves up. It's a beach wedding after all", you went back to pressing the beautyblender on your face.

"Yeah, and it requires dress shoes?", he scoffed in indignation.

"There's gonna be a tarp over the sand, you won't get sand in your shoes", you rolled your eyes at his dilemma.

"It would've been much better if I could wear my grass flip flops", he muttered under his breath. "I think it fits with the place too".

"I'm gonna throw you over this balcony if you say that one more time", you threatened, but he could tell you were holding back your laugh. "I had to physically remove that abomination from your suitcase"

He threw himself on the bed behind you, putting his hands under his head and watched you get ready.

"Have you showered already?", you asked him.

"No", he answered. "We have 2 hours still"

"What are you gonna do with your hair?", you looked at him from the mirror as you applied some rosy blush to your cheeks. Your look wasn't overcomplicated, but you did want to look healthy and bronzed.

"Hmm", he thought about your quesiton. "What do you mean? I'm doing this with my hair", he waved his hand over his head, where his hair already feel in a perfect swoop.

You groaned.

"Ugh, I wish I was a guy. You'll probably start getting ready fifteen minutes before we have to leave, and then be ready before me", you pointed out. He turned on his side, facing towards where you were sitting.

"I don't understand why you have to do all that", he pointed to the vanity and all your makeup spread over it.

"Because I like to look good?", you answered as if it was obvious.

"You already look good all the time", he shrugged his shoulder as best as he could laying on the bed, acting as if his remark was the most normal thing ever.

And it probably was, if it wasn't for the butterflies dancing all over your stomach.

You decided to not unpack this feeling right now, not having the time for it, and went back to doing your makeup.

Your hairstyle was simple enough. Some updo you were used to doing all the time, just to keep the hair out of your face. Your dress was a light shade of blue, since it was in the wedding's color palette.

Soon enough, you were putting on your dress, and Noah was getting showered and changed. You put on some perfume and the smell permeated the entire bedroom.

You were strapping on your sandals when Noah emerged from the bathroom.

"How many buttons...", he trailed off when you looked up at him from where you were on the bed. You looked like a fairy in your dress. Your makeup was light, but it accentuated your features and he was starstruck for a moment.

You've gone out with him many times befores. He's seen you in this setting many times before. Why did he feel so differently now?

"What?", you asked, and went back to trying to clasp the strap of your sandals behind your ankle. You were struggling though, and he noticed it.

He kneeled in front of you, and gently moved your hands away. "I was gonna ask how many buttons should I leave undone?", he asked and grasped the straps in his hands, the feeling of his fingers on your ankles prompting goosebumps up your legs. You hoped he didn't notice.

"Oh", you swallowed. "Maybe two is enough?", you offered, as he stood up, all done with your heels, and that's when you really looked at him.

His hair was still slightly damp from the shower, but it was his shirt that caught your attention. It was white and quite see through, and you could see the array of tattoos adorning his chest and abdomen, revealing the lack of an undershirt. For a second, you regretted telling him to leave his suit jacket behind.

Before he could catch you staring though, you turned around and grabbed your purse, making sure you had everything you'd need.

The ceremony was breathtaking, like you thought it would be. The set up was beautiful, white flowers everywhere and an arch decorated right above where the bride and groom were standing. It wasn't over the top - if you ignored the luxurious resort just a few steps away from the beach - but it made you emotional as the bride and groom shared their vows.

Noah, when he noticed you were about to start crying, leaned closer to you and whispered in your ear.

"You were right about the receding hairline", and you had to disguise your snort as a sob, so people around you didn't notice you holding in your laugh.

Now, at the party, people were mingling about and talking. Noah left to get you a drink and as he was waiting at the bar, he felt a presence beside him.

Jade stood there, now in a different dress, and they both didn't say a word for a few seconds.

"You know", Jade started, resting her elbows on the bar top. "I get it now".

"What do you get now?", Noah countered, confused.

"When we were all teenagers, and I observed you and Y/N together, I knew you two would end up together at some point", Jade observed. Noah kept an attentive eye on her. For once, she didn't have an accusatory or judgmental tone in her voice. "I've been observing you two for these past couple of days, and I can tell that you really care for her. It was always like this, but something's different now. You look at her like she hung the moon and the stars in the sky. It's really beautiful to see".

Noah didn't know what to say. You and him always had to deal with people saying you two would end up together, but you two always thought it was just people not believing that a man and a woman could be friends without actually dating.

His eyes drifted to you, chatting with your friends, with a smile on your face, and he realized that yes, he did look at you like you hung the moon and the stars in the sky. Because for him, you did.

"So, with that being said, I'm warning you not to break her heart. She deserves someone good, and I believe you could be that for her", Jade stated.

"I'm not gonna break her heart, Jade. You don't have to worry", Noah affirmed. He didn't remember the last time they could agree on something.

"I know you're not. I'm just telling you though"

And with that, Jade made her way back to the party, and out of the corner of his eyes, he could see you walking towards him, a slightly worried look on your face.

"I saw Jade here, I was coming to intervene just in case something happened", you said and Noah smiled at your concerned expression, as he handed you your drink.

"Don't worry. Nothing happened. We were just talking"

You gave him a skeptical look, but didn't pry any further.

The party went on with a lot of music. Eventually, you and Noah just took your shoes off and decided to go barefoot for the remainder of the night.

You saw the guests congratulating the couple before leaving to go to their respective rooms, the party dying down slowly, until there was only a few people left.

As the sun was setting, you observed the waves crashing on the shore, the soft wind blowing and the moon casting it's glow on the sand.

Suddenly, you had an idea.

"What if we get in the water?", you proposed to Noah, who was standing beside you.

"They don't allow clothes in the pool", he observed, but you shook your head.

"I mean in the ocean", you pointed to the imensity of water in front you both. "We've been here for a couple of days but haven't gotten in the water yet"

"Y/N, it's going to ruin your dress"

You looked around you and an idea popped into your head.

"Come on", you took his hand in yours and led him away from the party, walking along the sand.

"Where are we going?", he asked, a little confused. You just kept walking until the people from the wedding looked like distant figures in the night sky.

Then, you started to take off your dress.

"Oh my God, what are you doing?", Noah exclaimed as he tried to cover his eyes so he wouldn't look at you in only your bra and panties.

"I'm going in the water. You can either go in with me, or you can stay here and watch", you had a mischievous smile on your face, and in this moment, Noah thought you'd be the death of him, as you slowly walked towards the ocean water, beckoning him to go in like a siren.

"Fuck", he muttered under his breath, before starting to unbutton his shirt and undo his belt, leaving himself only in his boxers. He was glad he at least picked a black one for the night.

You were already in the water when he ran behind you, splashing water everywhere and grabbing you by the hips, swaying you around. You laughed and shrieked from the feeling and the cold water hitting your body.

When he released you, you walked further into the ocean and splashed water on his face, getting his chest and hair wet. He did the same to you, and you stayed there, playing in the water like little kids until one of you called for a truce.

You and Noah were breathless from the activities, but had big smiles on your faces. The water was up to your chest, but barely reached Noah's since he was much taller than you.

"I wish I knew how to float", you observed, moving your arms around the surface of the water, eyes fixed on the tiny waves the motion created.

"I can teach you", Noah proposed, extending his arms towards you.

"How are you gonna teach me?", you asked, a little amused at the idea.

"You just lay down on my arms and I'll keep you afloat", he explained, like it was the easiest thing in the world.

You took a few, slow steps until you reached him. He had his arms extended in front of him, and you tried to float so he could grab you from underneath.

The feeling was strange, you could feel his arms under your back, albei a little soft because of the natural movement from the water, and the feeling that he could let go of you anytime and you'd fall in the water was overwhelming.

"Don't let me go", you said, looking at him. He could sense the uneasiness in your voice.

"I'd never", he reassured you, and you both stayed there, under the moonlight, as Noah held you and you extended your arms beside you, feeling the most carefree you had in a long time.

It was Noah who broke the silence.

"I'm glad I came on this trip".

"I'm glad you came too".

You were both looking at each other, and even in the night, you could see the droplets of water on his eyelashes, and the way his hair stuck to his forehead like it always did. You reached forward to push the strands out of the way, but Noah grabbed your hand. He brought your hand to his lips and gave your palm a kiss.

The atmosphere became charged, as you shifted from your position and went back to standing up in the water, this time, in front of him.

"I think I realized something", he told you, voice quiet, the sound of the ocean served as a background to his confession. "I love you. And I love you as so much more than what I thought I did. And I had this feeling blooming in my heart from the very first time I looked at you. But now", he licked his lips, getting closer to you, your chest touching his. "Now, the feeling grew and spilled over and I can't live anymore without telling you this"

You were stunned by his words. He looked so vulnerable under the moonlight.

"The only thing I thought about these last few days was how I wanted to taste your lips for the rest of my life", you murmured to him, hands splaying themselves over his wet chest. "I love you so much. I love how you take care of me, I love how you defend me, I love the way you accept to do crazy things with me and for me", you smiled at this last one. "It's always been you, and I'm glad I told the girls that day at the restaurant that you were my boyfriend, because it led us to this moment".

"My lips are yours to taste for the rest of eternity, baby", he said, before placing his lips on yours, the saltiness of the ocean mixing with the taste of him, and even though your feet were planted on the sand beneath you, you felt as if you were floating.

His hands went underwater and grabbed your hips, bringing your bodies closer. But you weren't satisfied, so, with the help of the ocean water, you wrapped your legs around his middle, and the feeling of every part of you touching him sent Noah into a spiral.

He put both of his hands under the swell of your ass, and parted briefly from your lips.

"Is this ok?", his eyes were almost closed from how good he was feeling right now, and you started to kiss his neck and down his chest.

"It's more than ok", you whispered into his skin, and slowly ground your center over his stomach. Noah let out a low growl and gripped your ass harder.

"Fuck, baby", he said through a hiss. "Gotta get you inside our room right now".

You nodded in agreement, and reluctantly let go of him, and you both made your way to the sand, Noah swatting your ass in the process.

"I hope no one stole our clothes", you observed, but you could see two mounds of fabric forgotten in the sand.

"It's not like we're gonna put them on anyways. We're soaking wet", Noah countered.

"Yeah, I'm soaking wet alright", you teased him, and he groaned and threw his head back in exasperation. "I think it's late enough and we can sneak through the resort like this"

"I hope we don't get arrested for public indecency", Noah joked and you laughed at the ridiculous idea.

You both made it through the resort just fine, with almost no one spotting you, giggling the whole time. You decided to take the stairs instead of the elevator, that way, you and Noah didn't risk running into someone in just your soaked underwear.

You got into your room out of breath, and Noah closed and locked the door behind the two of you. You stood at the end of the bed, a smile playing on your lips. Noah made his way over to you, resting his hands on your hips.

"Well, we can't mess up the bed with our wet clothes, right?", you noted, and Noah smirked at your insinuation.

"Guess we'll just have to take them off, then?", he suggested and you nodded in reply. The room fell into a comfortable silence, only your breaths could be heard, and the ocen in the distance, from the open balcony door.

Noah's fingers danced over your stomach, up your arms and collarbone, finally reaching the straps of your bra, and slipping them off your shoulders one at a time. You held your breath when he reached behind you to unclasp your bra, letting it fall to the floor with a quiet thud.

"Breath, baby. It's just me", he whispered in the space between you, and you let out a breath, smiling up at him and meeting his eyes to see him smiling back at you.

You grabbed one of his hand, placing it in the hem of your panties, silently asking for him to take it off, and he complied. You kept your eyes on him and you could see his composure faltering a bit when his eyes fell on your naked form.

His head leaned down to plant kisses all over your top half, walking you backwards to let you sit on the bed. His large hand massaged one of your breasts, as his mouth sucked on the other one.

You threw your head back at the sensation, moving your hand to rest on his hair, combing your fingers through it, trying to anchor yourself so you wouldn't go crazy from the feeling of his lips on you.

Noah alternated his movements, and you could already feel the wetness between your legs. You spread them open slightly, an invitation for him to move his lips lower, and he caught on, moving his kisses to your stomach and down your navel.

You laid back on the bed, his hands gripping the back of your kness, spreading your legs further part.

Noah inhaled sharply when he saw you exposed in front of him, your already glistening cunt begging for his attention. He swiped his thumb over your slit, and your body jerked from the sensation, and he could hear your silent whimper from where you were laying.

He situated himself on the floor, in front of you, and placed his mouth where you needed him the most.

The feeling was new and unlike anything you've ever felt before. You tried to hold back, but you could feel your orgasm building rapidly from the feeling of his warm mouth. You were so worked up from the moment in the ocean, that in just a couple of minutes, you were grabbing his hair and distancing his face from your center.

"What's wrong, baby?", he asked, resting his head on your thigh.

"I'm almost there already", you said, breathless.

"Then let me make you cum"

"It's too early", you noted, but he shook his head.

"C'mon, pretty girl. Let yourself cum on my mouth, yeah? I want it", he placed a few kisses on the inside of your thigh, before running his tongue over your clit once again.

It only took a few laps to get you writhing underneath him. Noah placed his hand on your stomach to try and keep you in place. The moans falling from your lips the prettiest sound he's ever heard.

Once you calmed down a bit, he made his way up your body to see your face resting in complete bliss, eyes closed and chest moving up and down rapidly.

You opened your eyes to meet his, raising your head off the bed to place your lips on his, tasting yourself on his tongue. Once you separated, you noticed he still had his briefs on.

His fingers were absentmindedly running up and down your arm, when you grabbed them and placed a kiss on the tip of his fingers. After, you opened your mouth to let your tongue run over his middle and ring finger.

Noah thought it was impossible for his dick to get any harder, but every second it went by, you proved him wrong. Especially when you slipped two of his fingers inside your mouth, sucking on them while maintaining eye contact.

"I want your cock in my mouth", you said, letting a trail of spit run down your chin.

"Fuck, you can have everything you want, baby", Noah muttered, stading up to take his underwear off.

You kneeled on the bed when he laid down, straddling his legs and taking his length in your hands, stroking up and down. Noah tried to keep his eyes on you, but the sensation was too overwhelming, and he soon found his eyes screwing shut when you placed your open lips on his tip.

You didn't waste much time, taking him inch by inch and coating his dick with your saliva, moving your head up and down.

Noah's head was spiraling, and he couldn't help but grab your hair in his hand, helping your movements along. His dick twitching when you moaned around him.

"Not gonna last long", he said, voice constricted and a beautiful blush coating his cheek and chest.

"It's ok, let yourself cum in my mouth. I want it", you threw his earlier words back at him with a smirk on your lips, and a few seconds later, his body shuddered under you, legs going stiff and his warm cum coated your tongue, and you did everything you could to swallow it, even though a little was dripping down your chin.

His body laid slack on the bed, and you moved your body to lay beside him.

"I think you sucked the soul out of my body", he noted, eyes still closed and head trying to wrap around what just happened. You giggled at his remark, shaking your head even though you knew he couldn't see it.

After a few seconds, Noah deemed himself human enough again to roll over and get on top of you. You could feel his still hard dick resting just above your navel, and the though that he was about to be inside of you made you lift your hips up, looking for a little more friction.

"Someone's eager", he teased you, you only nodded and let out a little gasp when you felt his tip slipping inside.

"Ok", Noah said, trying to steel himself, as he rested his head on your chest, feeling himself slip inside of you little by little. You were letting out little gasps and clutching on to his back, and before long, he was finally fully inside you.

"Fuck, it feels so good", you whined, wanting him to move already.

"Fucking feels like this pussy was made for me", Noah grunted into your neck and started to move back and forth, lifting himself up to rest on his elbows. The feeling of your warm and wet cunt swallowing him whole made him never move from his place inside of you.

You hooked both of your ankles over his back, changing the position and you moaned when you felt him get even deeper.

With all restraints gone, his movements picked up pace and the sound of skin on skin filled the room, along with the noises Noah coaxed from your lips.

"God, you feel so fucking good", you heard him say, as he grabbed your bum, lifting you slightly from the bed, making you meet his harsh thrusts.

You could feel the hotness building in your core as he kept slamming in and out of you.

"I'm gonna cum", your voice stuttered a bit, and his was just as wrecked as yours.

"Me too, baby. C'mon, give it to me. Want to feel you squeezing round me", he slipped a hand in between your bodies, and started to rub your clit.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck....", you grabbed the pillow under your head as your body spasmed on the bed, the feeling taking over your body like hot lava.

"Fuck, I'm cumming", Noah grunted above you and his thrusts faltered a bit before the feeling of his release spilling inside of you warmed your insides. You think you could cum again just from the sensation.

"Wait here", Noah said after a few seconds of resting on top of you, as his wobbly legs made their way to the bathroom, and he came back with a towel in hand, cleaning up the mess in between your legs.

"We should take advantage of that nice tub in there", you suggested and Noah clearly agreed, getting in the bathroom again to try and figure out the perfect water temperature.

Before long, you were both soaking in the tub, bubbles coming up to your chin, as you rested your back against Noah's chest.

"You know what Jade told me at the party?", Noah said, softly.

"What?"

"She told me that I looked at you as if you hung the stars and the moon in the sky"

"That's the nicest thing she's ever told you", you joked a little.

"True", he smiled at your remark. "It's funny how everyone already knew we would end up here, but us", he mused, fingers smoothing over your hair.

"I think we would've realized at some point", your head craned back a little and you looked at him, his head already leaning down to meet your eyes.

"I'm glad it was now", he grabbed your chin, making you smile.

"Me too"

Your lips met once more in a sweet kiss, both of you conveying how much you meant to each other.

Tag list: @concreteangel92 @foliosgirl @collisionofyourkissmakesitsohard @stardustsirenmelody @miwomens @concretejunglefm @fadingangelwisp @prettygirlrock126 @dontwantthemoney @tosoundlessdarkistare @babygirlchuuya @follow-me-down-to-wonderland @lacy1986 @romanreigns-supreme @xmads-omensx @missduffsblog @rumoured-whispers @thisbicc @badomensgoodomens @floatingkiwi @collective-heartbreak @dontwantthemoney @dream-machine-love @alwaysfightforwhoyouare @amelia-acero @kenjipepsi1 @montgomery-929496 @daddy-dierkes-girlie @stardustsirenmelody @cheyyyyr @triedbimsoblu333 @xxkatsatwatwafflexx @noyaisasimp @youlookforultraviolet @w0manof-flesh44 @chaoticwineaunt @geminigirlfromfinland @zozaline @deardelirium @ferduttini @turn-your-life-into-folklore @butterflyeffect07 @dominuslunae @shelbyrlxoxo @super-btstrash-posts @shayzillaaaa @kaylacosmic @wordskeeper @enemiestolovershoe @chicken-tender-slut

[stxrslutrestored]

FREE TRIAL

pairing; godfather!jj x reader

summary; when you complain to your godfather that boys your age just don’t know how to treat you, he decides to show you what you’re missing out on in the world of older, more experienced men.

content; large age gap, “uncle” name (not biological) 

authors note; didn't know wether to upload this here or sluttiebabydoll. but since theres not really anything noncon or inherently dark in it i'm just putting it up here

you’re sweating like crazy, the summer air is too hot for your body and your skin, it makes you feel sticky and disgusting. your makeup is running down your face along with your tears. on the way to a family and friends barbecue is just about the worst time to receive a breakup phone call from your boyfriend. 

you walk to the house, and to your dismay the front door is locked and you are without key, which means you’ll have to enter through the back, where the barbecue is. you don’t even try hiding your emotions as you walk round, you know it’s obvius you’re devastated anyways. 

you push through the small crowd of people in the backyard as fast as you can, avoiding anyone and everyones gaze. unfortunately you still catch attention. your father frowns from where he stands at the barbecue. jj is next to him, sporting the same expression. 

theres a minute or so of silence outside after you slam the back door on your way to your room. after that minute jj speaks up, “y’all know what kids are like, don’t let her dampen the mood,” he exclaims, trying to put everyone back on their social track. he then turns to your father, “i’ll go check in on her, make sure she ain’t in trouble.” 

his father nods and then jj turns to follow you through the house, he makes his way through the house to your room. he doesn’t bother to knock, just pushes the door open to find you curled up on your bed crying. 

he closes the door behind him and starts to advance on you. “aw babygirl,” he croons, “what’s makin’ you cry like this huh?” he sits himself down on your bed. 

you sniffle, looking up at him, “my boyfriend dumped me.” you say sadly, petulantly. normally you wouldn’t share so quickly, but you’re comfortable with your godfather, your uncle jay. 

he croons, rubbing your knee, “awh well don’t you be frettin’ over that,” he tells you, “ain’t nobody in their right mind would dump a girl as lovely as you. hes a crazy guy.” he provides immediate reassurance. 

you smile, “thankyou uncle jay,” you look down sadly, “just so annoying you know.’ you start, hesitating momentarily to say the next part but you continue nonetheless, “boys my age just.. they’re so immature.” 

he chuckles, “oh well i ain’t head a truer thing said today.” he looks at your tearstreaked face, “but you’ll find someone, don’t you think you won’t for a second because you will.” 

you shake your head, “it’s just so impossible,” you tell him, “nobody is good enough. no one knows how to be with me or treat me or… touch me,” you murmur the last part quietly. 

his eyes widen a little, “nobody knows how to touch you?” he questions, “well i’m sure that ain’t true.” he argues, but you cut him off. 

“prove it then,” you snap slightly, “prove to me that there’s one person in this world who can treat me and my body right.” you huff, looking away, you expect it to be a dead end then, but to your surprise jj stands up and locks your door. 

little did you know, for this whole conversation, you’ve been teasing jj, hes been doing his absaloute best to hold back, be moral and not corrupt his goddaughter, but after that outburst, he refuses to hold himself back anymore.

“you really want proof sweetie?” he asks, standing over you, “i’ll give you proof. take that little dress of for me and ill give you all the proof in the world.” 

you’re immediately taken aback at his command, did he really just tell you to strip. “what?” you say, slightly incredulously, “you.. you want to be the proof.” 

he smirks, moving closer, “yeah.” his voice lowers, “i think the only reason you think nobody can treat you right, is because you aint had your way with an older man before.” 

you frown, “so you want to.. to.. touch me?” 

he smirks, “consider it a free trial. im exactly what you need sweetheart, older, more experienced. you give me a try, and if you like it then you’ll know what to look for in the future. it’s just a lil favour darlin’. no biggie, what do you say hm?”

you hesitate for a moment. you cant pretend youve never thought about him like that, youve always had a little bit of  crush on him, but for him to offer to have sex with you, thats a whole other thing. but you suppose, if its just once like he says, there couldnt be much harm in it. 

maybe your rational thoughts are clouded by the sadness you feel, but you decide to do it, so you nod. “okay.. okay.. i’ll let you show you what im missing…”

[shitsndgiggs]

Can y write Kenan and YN is dating secretly, and when she goes to an event with him as a plus one a girl tries to flirt with kenan infront of her

SILENT CLAIM - KENAN YILDIZ

A girl tries to flirt with Kenan at an event

Kenan Yildiz x fem! reader

︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿

The soft hum of chatter and the occasional clink of glasses filled the air as we stepped into the grand event hall.

Kenan’s hand briefly brushed against mine before he tucked it back into his pocket, a small reminder of the secret we were keeping.

Dating Kenan was like living in a bubble—beautiful and exhilarating but fragile. For now, we were just Kenan and me, no public scrutiny, no flashing cameras dissecting our every move.

That’s why I’d agreed to come as his plus one tonight, to be by his side without really being by his side.

“Stay close,” he murmured, leaning in just enough so only I could hear. His warm breath sent a shiver down my spine, but I kept my expression neutral.

“I always do,” I replied softly, catching the faintest smile tug at his lips before he turned to greet one of his teammates.

The evening was polished and glamorous, and I stayed in the background, sipping champagne and letting Kenan navigate the social scene with his usual charm.

Every now and then, his eyes would find mine across the room, a silent check-in that made my heart flutter.

But it wasn’t long before someone decided to disrupt the harmony.

I was chatting with a few people near the edge of the room when I noticed her—a tall, striking woman who had zero hesitation as she sauntered up to Kenan.

Her hand lightly grazed his arm, and she tilted her head, flashing a smile that was just a little too bright.

My grip on the champagne flute tightened as I watched the scene unfold.

“Kenan, right?” she said, her voice carrying just enough to reach where I stood. “I’ve been meaning to introduce myself. You’re even more impressive in person.”

Kenan’s polite smile didn’t falter, but I noticed the slight shift in his stance, like he was preparing to deflect whatever was coming next. “Thanks,” he said simply.

She stepped closer, ignoring the space that etiquette usually demanded. “I was thinking, maybe we could grab a drink sometime? You could tell me all about your training routine.”

My stomach twisted, but I forced myself to stay calm. This wasn’t the first time I’d seen someone try to get Kenan’s attention, and it probably wouldn’t be the last. The difference was, tonight, I couldn’t step in.

Kenan glanced briefly in my direction, his eyes flickering with something I couldn’t quite place—an apology, maybe? Then he cleared his throat. “I appreciate it, but I’m good.”

“Oh, come on,” she pressed, her tone playful but insistent. “Just one drink. I promise I won’t take up too much of your time.”

Before I could think better of it, I stepped forward, my heart pounding. “Actually, he’s busy tonight,” I said, my voice calm but firm.

Both of them turned to look at me. Kenan’s lips parted slightly, caught between surprise and amusement, while the woman raised an eyebrow, clearly sizing me up.

“And you are?” she asked, her tone dripping with condescension.

I gave her my most polite smile. “His plus one.”

Her expression faltered for a split second before she recovered, laughing lightly. “Oh, I didn’t realize.”

Kenan, to his credit, didn’t miss a beat. “Now you do,” he said, his tone carrying just enough edge to make his point.

She muttered something about needing to find her friends before walking away, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Kenan turned to me, his eyes glinting with both gratitude and amusement. “Didn’t know you were coming to my rescue tonight.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You looked like you could use a little help.”

He grinned, stepping closer until the space between us practically disappeared. “You’re amazing, you know that?”

I shrugged, pretending to be nonchalant even as my cheeks warmed. “She was annoying. Someone had to say something.”

Kenan chuckled, his hand brushing against mine again, this time lingering for a moment longer. “You didn’t have to, but I’m glad you did.”

I glanced around, making sure no one was paying us too much attention. “I’m not used to playing the secret girlfriend,” I admitted.

His smile softened. “I know. But soon, I promise.”

“Soon,” I echoed, though the word felt heavier than I wanted to admit.

Kenan’s eyes searched mine, and for a moment, the rest of the room seemed to fade away. “Thank you,” he said quietly, his voice carrying a weight that was just for me.

“For what?”

“For being here. For putting up with all of this.”

I smiled, the tension in my chest easing. “You’re worth it.”

Kenan’s expression shifted, something unspoken passing between us. He nodded slightly, as if to seal a silent agreement.

“Let’s get out of here,” he said, his voice low but insistent.

“Don’t you have people to impress?” I teased.

He leaned in, his lips brushing my ear. “The only person I want to impress is you.”

[koifishhies]

yes yes yes yes yes!! oh my god i completely forgot about eating food with his hands part. every day I’m less and less convinced chibnall autism coded this man on accident. another thing I’ve noticed is in his little office, he always has the lamps on and rarely the ceiling light. or after Sandbrooke is solved, when he goes to have a good cry in the empty interrogation room, he keeps the lights off. probably a sensory thing. ceiling lights can be a sensory nightmare.

ugh there’s just so much about him. the way he wears the same things every day, is an extremely picky eater, doesn’t really say “hello” or any kind of greetings and it rubs people the wrong way. i need to rewatch this show with my notepad out like a maniac.

also ABSOLUTELY agree with what you said about Ellie, when she chews him out about how he behaves and he begrudgingly takes the food. that’s definitely around the time he was starting to build respect for her and see her abilities. so he backtracks—where before he’d completely dropped the mask and decided to disregard and forgo even trying to make any social connection in Broadchurch, he decides, hey, this one is worth it. he compromises, he takes the food. and he starts working with her more, challenging her, bouncing ideas off her. and though he may be framed as the more experienced one, her contribution teaches him and makes him a better detective too.

but then, the whole ordeal with Joe happens, and Ellie is absolutely wrecked, obviously. but even though this whole time Alec has been the one telling her to close her heart, be objective, look at her town from the outside, etc etc, he doesn’t go in with an “i told you so” mentality. he is so, so sympathetic, and he is so horribly sorry for her. you can see how hard he’s trying to be gentle and comforting when breaking the news to her. because he’s been through this before. he’s been through an absolutely horrific case that tore his family apart. he’s watching all that happen again, to someone he might even dare call a friend, and he can’t do anything to stop it. he can only be there, and understand.

though they had the potential to be close before, I think this really cemented their bond/friendship. the whole situation leads to Ellie being socially ostracized, which, in a way, puts them on the same level. who can she spend time with, who won’t look at her with either judgment or pity, but Alec? the man who’s been socially ostracized his entire goddamn life?

when Alec brings her into the Sandbrooke case, you can argue he does so because he wants her fresh and different perspective, while also trusting her expertise. sure. but I doubt he would have done it if Ellie hadn’t gone through what she had. it’s such a vulnerable thing for him to do, isn’t it? he said it himself, this is the case he nearly died over, the one that completely ruined his life. he even tells her about his trauma with dragging Pippa’s body out of the water. it is such a blatant display of trust. and I absolutely adore your take of saying he did it for her sake, to occupy her, to give her something to do because he cares about her in that way. it’s like he’s trying to tell her, hey, look, I made it out of this. yeah I came out a little broken, but I made it out the other side, and you will too. broken hearts can mend, after all.

and Ellie’s not ready to accept it yet! even if it’s exactly what she needs! she works on the case, kind of pretending the whole time that she only did it because Alec asked her to, and that’s all. she doesn’t want the olive branch, she doesn’t want the hugs, she doesn’t want the comfort. and Alec doesn’t push any more. he does what he can, and he leaves. but the foundation has cemented itself, and by the time he returns to Broadchurch in s3, look who’s working together again!

it’s such a multi-faceted, complex bond you don’t see portrayed so well in media very often, ESPECIALLY between just friends, ESPECIALLY ESPECIALLY between male-female friends. i absolutely rambled for way longer than i intended to and this post is INSANELY long at this point, but i love them so much and finding different angles to look at them is making me foam at the mouth with joy. no wonder David says Broadchurch heavily changed and influenced the landscape when it came out, you can’t expect this level of care and depth from just any detective drama

I just love how broadchurch (unintentionally) made an autistic-coded detective, but instead of going the sherlock route they made him just. a guy. he’s not special in any way, he’s not a savant, he’s just kinda There and Traumatized About It the entire time.

like alec hardy wants one thing in life and it’s to do his job, but he’s also constantly faced with the unfortunate reality that his job Sucks. he’s also actively dying half the time. and that’s it that’s his character.

also he’s not a twink like most autistic coded savants in media, and I may not be a middle aged dad but that’s the kind of representation I can get behind

[oldsoul007]

patience

javier peña x reader

summary: javier, your coworker is always trying to take you out but you know his reputation

disclaimer: blood, kissing, reader is referred to as baby by javier

Javier Peña had a reputation—a reputation that preceded him wherever he went. He was the charming, confident DEA agent who could sweet-talk anyone and make them believe he was their best friend, their confidant, or even their lover. In a world dominated by drug cartels, violence, and danger, Javier’s heart was the one thing he never gave away freely. He was a playboy, but there was something about you that made him want to break his own rules.

Y/n was the exact opposite of the women Javier usually went after. She wasn’t impressed by his flirtations or the dangerous life he led. A brilliant agent in her own right, y/n worked alongside Javier in the fight against the Colombian cartels. She was tough, focused, and knew exactly how to handle herself in a crisis.

But Javier wasn’t going to let a little thing like that stop him. Day after day, he tried his best to get under her skin, to make her smile, to win her over.

“Y/n,” he said one afternoon, leaning against the desk where I was sifting through paperwork. “You and I, we should get dinner tonight. There’s a place downtown. I hear the wine’s smooth.”

I didn’t look up from my papers. “I don’t have time for dinner, Peña. We have a case to solve.”

Javier smirked, knowing he’d heard this answer before. “You’re breaking my fucking heart, baby. I thought we were friends.”

My eyes finally met his, but there was no softness in them. “We are friends, Javier. But I’m not going to let you distract me from what’s important. And what did I tell you about calling me that.”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “Distract you? I’m just offering a little fun. You work too hard, y/n.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” I replied, the faintest of smiles tugging at my lips.

Javier leaned in closer, his voice dropping. “You deserve more than just work, y/n. You deserve someone who can show you the good things in life. Don’t tell me you’re not curious about what we could have.”

I stood up then, taking a deep breath. “I’m curious, Javier. But I’m not interested. Not like that.”

He watched me walk away, his heart skipping a beat. He wasn’t used to hearing “no.” But he’d never been one to give up either.

Javier was doing his usual thing—teasing, pushing me with his flirtatious remarks, “Come on, baby, stop pretending you’re not into the idea of going out with me. I know you want to.”

I rolled my eyes, but there was that playful spark in my gaze. “Yeah, right. As if you’re actually someone I’d be interested in.��� I crossed my arms, keeping him at a distance, but it was clear I was enjoying the banter.

He chuckled, leaning in just a little closer. “Come on, stop playing hard to get. Everyone knows you like the chase.”

I raised an eyebrow, a sly smile curling on my lips. But then, without warning, I stepped forward, closing the space between us so quickly that he barely had time to react. For a second, it felt like I was going to kiss him. My breath was warm against his skin, my eyes locked on his, the tension thick in the air.

Javier’s heart skipped a beat, his pulse racing. Was this it? Was she finally giving in?

Instead, my lips barely brushed the air near his, my voice soft but teasing, “You really think you’ve got me all figured out, don’t you?” I leaned in even closer, just enough to make him feel like he was on the edge of something, but then pulled back, my smirk widening as I watched him swallow hard.

“I’ll keep you guessing, Javi,” I said, my tone light but with a challenge in my eyes. “If you want me, you’re going to have to do better than that.”

And with that, I turned and walked away, leaving him standing there, frozen, trying to shake the feeling that maybe—just maybe—I was actually playing him.

Over the next few weeks, our banter became almost routine. Javier would flirt, I would dismiss him, and the cycle would continue. But there was something more between us—something unspoken.

Late one evening, we found ourselves working late at the office, going through surveillance footage from a drug bust. The dim lights and the quiet hum of the air conditioning created an intimate atmosphere. As the hours passed, we grew more comfortable with each other, the usual tension between them fading into something else—something softer, more honest.

“Do you ever get tired of this?” I asked suddenly, my eyes still glued to the screen. “The constant chase. The risk. The lives we’ve lost.”

Javier paused, his gaze drifting to me. He had been asked similar questions before, but something in the way I phrased it made him think harder. “Every day,” he admitted. “But we do what we have to do. The world doesn’t stop for anyone.”

I nodded slowly, my fingers tapping nervously on the desk. “I get it. But sometimes, I wish I could just walk away from it all. Find something… simpler.”

Javier took a step closer, sensing the vulnerability in my words. “And what would that be, y/n? A life without all this chaos?”

I hesitated, my eyes meeting his. For the briefest moment, the air between us felt charged, the chemistry undeniable. I wanted to say something—anything—that might acknowledge the tension, but I held back. I always held back.

But then, Javier’s voice softened. “I think I could show you something better than this life, if you let me.”

For the first time, I didn’t respond with my usual coldness. I met his gaze, my heart beating just a little faster than normal. “Javier, don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

He smiled, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “Baby, I never break my promises.”

Days turned into weeks, and the tension between them only grew. Javier still pursued me relentlessly, but it wasn’t just about winning anymore. Somewhere along the way, he had begun to care for her, to want her in a way he hadn’t expected. He couldn’t explain it, but there was something about y/n that made him want to be better.

And then, one night, everything changed.

We were in the middle of a raid, tracking a cartel boss. The operation had gone south, and gunfire erupted from all directions. In the chaos, Javier and me found ourselves separated from the rest of us team. Javier pushed me behind cover, taking the brunt of the bullets as he shielded me.

“Stay down, y/n!” he shouted, his voice barely audible over the roar of gunfire. “I’ll cover you!”

But as he turned to return fire, a sharp pain exploded in his side. He staggered but didn’t fall, his hand gripping his bulletproof vest where the impact had struck.

My heart skipped a beat. “Javier!” I screamed, rushing to his side. I saw the blood trickling down the side of his shirt, but I didn’t care about the details. I only cared about the man in front of me.

“I’m fine, fuck that hurts.” he said with a weak grin, his hand on my arm as he steadied himself. “It’s just the vest. I’m good.”

But I wasn’t convinced. The sight of him hurt, the fear of losing him—she couldn’t breathe.

“You idiot,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “Don’t ever scare me like that again.”

Javier reached up, cupping my face with his bloodied hand. “You’re breaking my heart, baby,” he said with a faint chuckle. “But it’s worth it. Every damn minute of it.”

I didn’t say anything. Instead, I kissed him—softly, quickly, as if I were afraid the moment would slip away. But it wasn’t the kiss of a colleague or even a friend. It was the kiss of someone who had been holding back for too long, someone who had finally realized that we couldn’t keep saying no.

When we broke apart, Javier looked at me with surprise and something more—something that made his heart race. “You just kissed me,” he whispered.

My face flushed, but I smiled. “Maybe I did.”

“About time,” he said, pulling me into a hug. “Took you long enough.”

I chuckled, my voice thick with emotion. “I was just waiting for the right moment.”

Javier grinned, his eyes lighting up. “Well, baby, I’m not going anywhere. The right moment is now.”

In the weeks that followed, our relationship blossomed. We worked together, fought together, and when the dust settled, we found comfort in each other’s arms. No longer was it about the chase or the game. It was real, and it was ours.

Javier had always been the playboy, the heartbreaker, the one who never stayed for long. But for me, he was everything I had been waiting for. And when he said, “You’re breaking my heart, baby,” I realized, maybe, just maybe, I was breaking his too.

But this time, neither of us was going anywhere.

[rubywithecat]

JjK men love tropes and how you first meet them

A/n: Please note that this is just a fiction and my own opinion, so please feel free to skip if you find any discomfort in reading. Thank you for love and support ~<33

Gojo Satoru

(Colleagues)

-I first think of student-teacher trope but I personally feel like Gojo wouldn’t date a student (especially his student)

-He would likely to date a colleague or junior partner.

It all started when u were assigned with the strongest sorcerer, Satoru Gojo for your first mission since you graduated. You don’t know if you should feel lucky or doomed cuz the mission is guaranteed to be hard. Since you attended Kyoto school, you haven’t personally trained by Gojo and heard a lot abt how arrogant he is from your teacher, Utahime like how he bullied her back in sch. “So, ur the kid that they partnered me with?” He appeared from behind. You turned your back “Yeah. My name is y/n” you greeted formally. He didn’t even bother to greet back and told you to just stay behind him. You were really annoyed by him but it was not a good idea to make a sense here. You got injured from the mission but helped a lot for him to fight with your cursed technique and he was impressed. He visited you to your apartment, asking about injury. Your impression for him changed quite a bit of how thoughtful he is. Then, you go out a lot with him and started growing feelings for him like who could resist his charm. On the other hand, he couldn’t believe himself but he also fall in love with you without any reason as if he’s capable of love?

Geto Suguru

(Friends to lovers)

-I think he is likely to only date from inner circle so it’s whether you’re his friend or have mutual friends.

It was at your bff birthday party and you were lost in the big room. You bumped into Geto and he apologized, helping you get up. “Thanks” you awkwardly replied. “Im Geto Suguru” he broke the silence since you were starring at him for a couple of sec. “Oh, I’m y/n. I’ve heard abt you from (ur fri name)” you replied, giggling. He smiled at your laughter. “I bet she wouldn’t tell good things, right?” He said and you guys chatted a lot that it was like an hour. “Hey y/n!” Your bff yelled as she saw you from the crowd and made her way to you and noticed someone beside u “Oh Geto! I thought you didn’t come!” She hit his shoulder. “I almost go back home of how boring your party is” he sarcastically replied which made her rolled her eyes. “Stop being an ass, Geto. Were you chatting with y/n?” Your bff side eyed him. He chuckled “Well, see you guys later. I just saw Gojo” he suddenly blushed and made his way out, saying small goodbye to you. You grabbed nearby drink and took a sip, looking at his way “U didn’t tell your childhood fri is cute” you said to your fri. “He’s all yours” your bff smirked at you and the rest of the night, enjoyed the party. The next day, you got his social acc from your bff and added him. You guys started talking and formed a friendship. U wanted more but didn’t wanna ruin the newly built friendship so as he too. But when the third party got involved, everything changed and jealousy grew into more and then he confessed to you finally.

Toji Fushiguru

(Second chance)

-This man would very likely to mess up in a relationship so it wouldn’t work out at first and you break up with him.

Even tho your clan doesn’t agree you with him cuz he doesn’t have cursed energy and is disgrace in jujutsu world, you fought for him and he messed up, letting you go. You were emotionally so hurt and heart-broken when he handed you to your brother back, taking the deal money. That was the biggest betrayal he made. How could he? Besides, Toji had always been selfish and wanted to keep you by his side but he has to give up on you to protect you and he know he couldn’t provide a good life to you so he just thought it would be better to make you hate him and just watching you happy from afar. He thought he would be fine but he isn’t. He couldn’t sleep nor focus on other things and his mind is always on you and memories. When he heard that you are forced to marry to another clan leader, he couldn’t do it anymore and fought for you back, this time harder.

Nanami Kento

(Love at first sight)

-He doesn’t believe in love or he is too busy to think about love. But when he saw you for the first time, he felt a strange but nervous feeling and his heart started to beat faster. Does it called love?

He was watching sunset from his apartment when he saw a girl with her friends, laughing and talking. Your beauty is unmatched and even the sunset he admired doesn’t compare it. It happened so fast that he doesn’t realize he was looking at your movements without even batting an eye. Then, you disappeared and he thought that’s it. Even tho there are several beautiful women who are throwing themselves to him, he doesn’t even bother to look at them. But how could you bewitch him? The next day, he tried his best not to think about the event anymore and went to work and then he saw you when he grabbed a coffee. You worked there. “What would you like to order, sir?” Your sweet voice sounded so good to him. The next day, he always come to visit you and you guys got close to each other and the relationship grows into smtg more.

——

——

[empressdede]

The Lyon’s family Christmas

Summary: You lie to your mom and tell her that you have a boyfriend to bring home and begs your best friend Jon to come with you to meet your family.

Word count: 2.7k

Pairing: Jimmy x Y/N

A/N: Happy New Year and Happy Holidays; I am so so so so sorry that this is so late but I literally worked the entire holidays so this was the best day for me to release. I hope you guys enjoy!

P.S. Guess who’s officially back? 🙂💙

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

As often as this was a reoccurring issue, Y/N don’t know why she expected the conversation to take a different direction unlike the very worn out route her and her mother usually seemed to take.

“Do you remember Trent from church? I’ve heard the younger girls were saying he’s single now, and I was thinking about inviting him to our Christmas party. I think he makes for a nice boy, don’t you?" Her mom asked over the phone. And there it was, the same damn conversation causing Y/N to roll her eyes. Thank God her mother couldn’t see her.

Her mom never knew how to stay out of her business, always going out her way to try and set her up with damn near anybody because she thought it was the most terrifying fact that her daughter was single at 30 and have been for the last three years now.

But Y/N valued her peace more than anything, and all her past relationships have not always bought her peace, just heartache. So she wanted to be very cautious her next go round because she was being very serious when she told everyone she only had one more relationship in her. She just wished her mom understood that.

Y/N let out a sigh, "Mom, I haven’t seen Trent in forever. Do NOT invite that boy over for no foolishness. Plus, he’s really not my type." Y/N expressed which caused her mother her scoff.

"And since fuckin when was Trent not your type? I thought you were trying to get with a good man Y/N?" Her mother questioned.

Exactly.

Y/N let out a huff in annoyance, she knew way more than her mom and knew that Trent was definitely not the way go. But she didn’t know want her mom to think she was trying to push at the conversation so instead of being honest, Y/N does the first thing that comes to mind.

“I didn’t wanna tell you like this but Trent ain’t my type because I have a boyfriend now Ma.”

Y/N’s POV

The silence on the phone made me more nervous, why the fuck would I just say that?

“You got a boyfriend? Since when you found a boyfriend? And why haven’t you said anything about him?” The questions were leaving her mouth like quick fire, barely giving me anytime to answer her. But I did the best I could.

“I didn’t say anything because I wanted to make sure this was something worth bringing up.”

“Mmhmm, and how long you’ve been seeing this guy?” She asked

“Five months now, but we were friends before we started dating. I’ve been trying to take it slow.”

Another beat of silence took over the phone and for a second, I thought she knew I was spewing nothing but bullshit just to get her to shut up.

“Hmm, well baby you ain’t getting no younger. Tell this man I wanna meet him, invite him to the party and I’m not taking no for an answer.” She finally replied, but her response took me aback.

“Wait- mom..”

“Great! I’ll see you guys next weekend, Love you baby.” And with a quickness, she hung up in my face.

I was left amuck, staring at the phone in disbelief because what the fuck did I just do?

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

In retrospect, you didn’t really have anyone to ask but him. You weren’t comfortable asking anyone else but your best friend - who has yet to meet anyone in your family, which was perfect.

Who else would’ve agreed to do this for you?

“You want me to what?” He asked, choking on the fried rice he was eating prior.

Okay, so maybe it’s going to take a little bit of convincing.

“Please Jon, you’re the only person I can ask and I feel like we’re close enough; we could definitely pull it off.” You exclaimed, a small smile on your face; trying to be as persuasive as possible.

Jon was not amused, for all he knew this was another one of your tired ass pranks that he refused to fall for.

“So you want me to lie to your mom for Christmas?” he questioned, causing you to roll your eyes.

“Why don’t you just tell her you’re single? I’m sure it won’t be the end of the world.”

You sigh, shoulders sinking in a bit. “She wants to set me up with some guy I haven’t seen in years. You know how I get with guys Jon and she won’t stop until she sees me with someone.”

You turn to fully face him with pleading eyes. “C’mon Jon, I already told them I have a boyfriend, who else am I supposed to ask?”

Jon watched you with careful eyes, silent as if he was thinking it over. You couldn’t help but keep your gaze hopeful as you guts sat in your living room waiting for him to respond.

You knew it was a big favor to ask but you would owe him the world if he could help you get your mom off your back.

The silence that filled the room made goosebumps litter all over your skin and the anxiety that bubbled in your stomach made you want to throw up. Just when you were going to tell him to forget it, Jon cut you off.

“Fine, I’ll go. But if we do this, we need to get our story straight.”

And just like that, the planning began, and for the rest of dinner, the two of you sat and theorized on how their fake love story came into existence:

Two friends who danced around the possibility of what could be till one night Jon stepped up and asked you to dinner and you agreed and you guys have been taking it slow from that night on.

____________________________________________

Two days after that, Jon surprised Y/N with matching pajamas for this impromptu trip.

“What kind of couple would we be without matching PJs?” Jon had asked when he dropped them off.

It made Y/N more appreciative of the effort he seemed to put into it. Of course Jon would play the perfect gentleman like boyfriend, who else would’ve did this for her?

The night before they had to drive six hours to your mother‘s house, you two agreed that Jon spend the night. This instance wasn’t anything new, Jon was your best friend and he slept over before, but something within your dynamic changed.

It was as if they were falling into the role of a loving couple for each other instead of Y/N’s family.

Jon sat on the bed watching Y/N finish applying her night cream, getting ready for bed.

“Is there anyone I should expect to give me a hard time?” Jon asked and you shook your head.

“Honestly, my mom is probably going to push you to marry me.” You joked causing Jon to chuckle.

“Well, if that’s the case, you ready to be stuck with me for life babe?”

The nickname caused butterflies to flutter in your stomach.

“Babe?” You questioned and Jon sends you a shy smile.

“You gotta start the habit now. I can’t call you that when I get over there, what if I just randomly call you princess and you get flustered?” He slightly teased, and there was those damn butterflies again.

He was right though, they needed to fall into the role of a devoted couple because how else were they going to make everyone believe they were in love?

You playfully rolled your eyes, and respond back, “what if I call you, baby boy and you get flustered?”

At that, Jonathan laughs and shakes his head at you. “I thought you said you wanted it to be believable?”

“How is that not believable?” You questioned as you walks out of the bathroom and towards him where he sat on the bed.

You cupped Jon’s cheek and talked in a baby tone, “Who wouldn’t think you’re my baby boy?” Cooing softly in a joking manner.

Jon decided he’s had enough of your antics and stood up to tower over you. Your hand falling back to your side as you stare up at him, a small smirk slowly formed on his lips as he stared down at you.

“C’mon now, you really think anyone is going to see us and think you call me anything but Daddy?” He had lowered his tone on purpose, and just like that the playfullness was sucked out of the room.

Your breath hitched at the sound of his voice, taking note of how close you guys actually were. Why did he have to do all that?

You felt your cheeks warm up and you couldn’t be more thankful than you are now that your skin had a darker hue to it - but Jon didn’t need to see it to know that you were flustered because your silence gave it away.

His smirk grows, almost tauntingly as he stared down at you. Maybe he knew what he was doing to you or maybe he didn’t and just got a kick out of this, but you did not appreciate his little game.

“Isn’t that right princess?” Even though you knew that Jon was teasing, you couldn’t help the shiver that ran up your spine.

You squinted your eyes to glare at him, “You’re not funny Jonathan.” You hissed out but he only chuckled at you and shrugged his shoulders.

It was all fun and games until it was his turn.

Just to put the icing on the cake: Jon’s hand lifted up to cup your cheeks, “Say you love being daddy’s baby.” He cooed back causing you to smack your lips and slap his hand away.

Your nerves were still a little rattled as Jon doubled over in laughter.

“Ha. Ha. Ha. Very funny; you ready for bed or what? We got a long day ahead of us tomorrow and you’re driving.” You stated, walking past him for bed.

This is going to be the longest four days weekend ever.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

The drive to your childhood home to Orlando FL, wasn’t so bad, three hours into it anyways.

When there was three more hours left to go, you became just a little restless, whining about how cramped your legs were starting to feel.

It went to show how much you really disliked long distant roadtrips.

“You don’t think you can wait another hour? We’re almost there.” Jon tried to negotiate but when he turned to face you and seen the pout on your lips, he let out a tired sigh and looked for the closest exit to stop at the nearest gas station.

You flashed him a cheeky smile, “Who knew you loved me so much?” You teased and he rolled his eyes letting you have this little moment because you guys had three more hours to kill and he’d rather you be in a good mood.

Another pro for stopping at the gas station is the opportunity to restock on snacks. After Jon filled up the tank, you both entered the gas station to look for whatever looked good enough to replenish you guys for the rest of the trip.

You both split ways to look for your favorite road trip snacks: Honey flavored chex mix, gummy worms and sunflower seeds since it was Jon’s preference.

Humming along to the Christmas song playing in the store, you went looking for Jon. Your eyes skimming through the isle looking for the tall idiot until your eyes fall on two figures: a girl laughing and holding herself up on Jon’s arm.

You raised an eyebrow at the scene, the feeling of annoyance swirled around in your stomach.

What the fuck was he doing?

You watched as the girl flash him another smile while fluttering her lashes in a flirting manner, and you couldn’t stop the scoff that left your lips. Your eyes squinted into a glare before an idea flashed in your mind.

It barely fully registered in your mind before you found yourself walking towards the two with the fakest smile on your face, “Babe did you find us some drinks?”

Jon turned to face you, a small smirk on his face cause he had watched you walk up to him.

The jealousy that burned in your eyes was very amusing and very apparent for him to see. If he didn’t know you well enough - he would’ve pushed his limit just a bit to see how far he could take it.

But knowing that they had three hours to kill before reaching Orlando, he’d rather not be in the car with an irritated Y/N, no matter how amusing it was to him.

Little did he know it was a little too late for that.

“Uh.. No, sorry babe. But we could go get it together.” He replied, and without bidding the girl goodbye, he locked arms with you to walk you towards the refrigerated section.

The girl watched with a frown on her face, as you guys walked away from her, and you couldn’t help but turn around to flash her a quick smile - almost taunting her before returning to face Jonathan, with the meanest glare, you could muster.

“I could’ve stayed in the car if you were going to be hot and fresh chasing hoes.” You gritted out once you were out of earshot.

Jon just chuckled softly, shaking his head at you while looking for your favorite drink. “She was just being nice.”

You roll your eyes again, “I’d rather you not insult my intelligence Jon.”

The frown was prominent on your face, and Jon couldn’t help the small smile that seemed almost glued to his face. You were cute he could definitely give you that.

A small chuckle emitted from him again as he walks closer to you to pull you into a hug. “You’re absolutely right princess, Daddy’s sorry.” He cooed, causing you to tense in his arms.

“Jon.” You grit out in a warning tone but he completely disregarded you. He lifted his left hand to tilt your head up to face him, and suddenly the air shifted between the two of you like it did back at your house.

“Jon.” You whispered out this time and he still chose to ignore you, his eyes flickering to your lips instead causing your breath to hitch.

“Jonathan.” You repeated, almost pleading with him and his eyes slowly traced up your face to lock eyes with you.

“You forgive me?” He rasps out; goosebumps littered all over your skin at the deepness of his voice.

“Y/N,” He muttered and you hummed to let him know you heard him. “Do. You. Forgive. Me?”

What in the world were you mad about again?

“Yeah.” You breathed out, hoping Jon with snap out of it, but he still didn’t let go of your chin.

“Good.” Was the only thing he stated before closing the gap between you guys. His lips pressed against yours and just for a second you both forget that this was supposed to be an act.

The butterflies that erupted in both of your stomach’s made the moment even more real for you guys. Your lips locked in a slow kiss, Jon’s hand slid down from your chin to grip behind your neck to keep you in place in deepen the kiss, just a little.

Your heartbeat filled your eardrums as blood rushed to your cheeks. When Jon finally pulled away, he seen how flushed you were, despite your darker skin tone.

He flashed you a small smile, “Was that okay?”

You nodded your head to assure him that it was more than okay. After the two of you finished up buying your snacks, you got in the car with childish grins and giggles slipping through your lips, both of you now in a way better mood than you were not less than 10 minutes ago.

You couldn’t help but secretly thank your mom for the invite to your family Christmas party because you don’t think you would’ve been here otherwise; and even though you’re pretty sure there is a conversation that needs to be had, maybe there was something to finally look forward to this holiday season.

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Lmao this was lowkey eh, but I did my bestest😭🫶🏾 Thank you to those who like and read it!

As always please, like, comment and reblog if you feel like and lemme know how you feel.

Tagging the lovelies: @wrestlingprincess80 @whatdoeseverybodywant @blacst4r @paigereeder @alyyaanna @raya-hunter01 @mzv11 @trippinsorrows @partypoison00

(If you would like to be added to my official taglist please comment and I will add you, and if you want to be removed, please let me know🤍)

[tarnishedsilverjewelry]

Hey! Hope you’re doing well! I’ve had this idea of reader being in love with Bi Han but she thinks he loves Sektor and is bummed out about it but it is revealed Bi Han actually loves reader? I need angst 😔

A misunderstanding

A/N: Ugh this is such a good prompt *MWUAH* I hope you like this, I’m still new to this writing format to excuse me if the required angst isn’t up to par🤍

Warning: Angst(?), ooc Bi han

You sighed softly, gaze lingering on Bi Han and Sektor they had been sparring but now they lingered on the edge of the training grounds, his near constant praise for her echoing into your ears

You knew that you weren’t someone he even had to look at, just one of the kitchen staff who prepared meals for him. But..he’d sought you out out before

He knew your name, and spoke to you. He, the grandmaster of the Lin Kuei, sought you out and had said he valued your opinion! And when he watched you clean the kitchen before walking to your quarters had praised you for you attention to detail. He called the kitchens your domain, the one place he couldn’t beat you

It made your heart flutter, but perhaps you read too much into it. Now seeing the gentle smile he saved seemingly for Sektor, and the hand resting upon her shoulder. You were seeking out a friend who was last seen around the sparring grounds, but now you suddenly felt ill

Your heart wrenched at the sight, you knew the look Sektor was giving him. Like your grandmother would say ‘The eyes cannot lie. They will always tell’ turning on your heel you returned to the kitchen. You’d made apple and apricot glazed tarts for your friend, but now nothing sounded particularly appealing

You left the tarts out for kitchen staff to pick at, and tried to ignore the tears burning in your eyes and the tightness of your throat. A few shuddering deep breaths later and you were able to bury your feelings deeper for now

“[Reader], what are these?” By the Elder gods. Could he not let you miserable with the kitchen staff? Did he have to come and speak to you? “Apple tarts with an apricot glaze. I made them earlier. They are not up to my standards.” But your words did not make him falter, he picked up the last tart and took a bite

Your Grandmaster hummed slightly “I cannot see the faults you see in them, but perhaps that is only a mark of your expertise.” His voice lightened, and your heart sank further in your gut. “Thank you, Grandmaster.” You said tensely

“Excuse me, I’m rather tired today.” And just like that you were gone, leaving him alone in the kitchen. The walk back to your quarters were unbearable. Your thoughts raced and made your head pound, and with every step you took away from him you could feel your heart being ripped apart more and more

You respected Sektor, and she would undeniably be a good pairing for your grandmaster. She was as skilled in battle as he was, she moved with such grace and agility despite her cyberized armour. She did not need to depend on the weapons that came with her suit, as she packed quite the punch.

And you…understood. You were not what the grandmaster wanted in a partner, soft and unable to defend themselves. You came from a family of cooks and bakers, not fighters. You were only able to hide and hope any potential attacks didn’t find you, you could not take a stand like Sektor could. And on top of that, Sektor was exceptionally beautiful and you were painfully average in face and body.

Finally reaching our room, which you thankfully didn’t have to share with anyone (thanks to your head of kitchen staff title) you shut the door behind you and quickly changed into your fathers old clothes to sleep in.

Once you were snugly under the covers, you cried. You cried into your pillow for hours over a silly crush with a man who wouldn’t even look at you as more than his staff. When the moon was high, sleep finally took mercy on you and you slept free of dreams of a certain grandmaster

The next few weeks flew by, and you saw little of your grandmaster when he was alone. Lord Liu Kang was visiting, and often ate his meals with your Grandmaster and his brothers.

Tomas and Kuai Liang, like their brother easily picked up on your sour mood. They looked at you in concern and confusion—they hadn’t seen as more than bubbly and friendly. Lord Liu Kang noticed their confusion too, but thankfully said nothing.

He only passed to you a gentle and knowing smile.

When you could finally scurry out the room, and sit down until they called for more tea you felt like crying. Your face had been puffy from your near constant crying, and your eyes red. Thank goodness for cold compresses and early mornings.

When lunch was finally over, and the meat marinating for dinner already you had some free time. You slid through narrow and dimly populated hallways to the flower garden

The smell of flowers brought you peace, the light breeze. Your outer peace did not seep through to the ache in your heart, but thankfully—

“[Reader].”

Well there goes any alone time you may have enjoyed

“Lord Liu Kang, how may I be of service to you?” The God and protector of Earthrealm smiled “I just thought you may enjoy to know something.” Curiously, you patted the spot beside you “No need, m-[Reader]. I shall leave you alone after this.” Liu Kang thought for a moment before speaking again

“In every other life, you have faced this fear. And in every life this fear was for naught.” You stared at him, his knowing eyes crinkling with fondness. “Truly?” “Truly, K—your friends in past lives were the ones to push you to face it. I thought it best to tell you now before it festers deeper in your soul.” He smiled at you gently, eyes flickering with emotions you couldn’t quite place, and left.

Lord Liu Kang was not your only visitor, in fact Sektor herself found you among the flowers.

Would these people give you no peace????

“You seem at peace here.” She noticed. “Oh yes, when I was girl my aunt tended to the gardens. I was often allowed to go with her. You know I’m quite sure I planted these roses?” You mused, fingers dancing along the edge of the red petals

The red armored warrior chuckled. “Your family has served the Lin Kuei for many reader then?” You nodded. “Yes, my mother was the head baker and my father head cook. I grew up between the gardens and kitchens. My father and mother had two sister each, who worked in the gardens. When I was too young to help in the kitchens I was here.” Sektor nodded, half listening. She was mostly just assessing you

“Forgive my disrespect..but what do you want?” Sektor was so startled by your words she snorted. Quickly she took a seat beside you and leaned in to whisper in your ear “The Grandmaster is…exceptionally fond of you. But he is incapable of expressing them normally. He sent me to find out why you’ve been acting odd with him.” She admitted, watching you flush.

Keeping your voice low you looked at your hands “Really? I never thought he would reciprocate my feelings. Honestly, I thought…that you and him..” Sektor in response nearly doubled over in laughter. “Oh goodness no! Never that!” She continued to laugh unashamedly at the notion for multiple minutes. You laughter too, only a little embarrassed.

When her laughter sobered, she looked at you and said “You know I’ll have to explain this to him, right? And I won’t be the one to stop him from finding you.” She warned you lightly. “He knows where you sleep.” She added jokingly. “Well ask him to wait until after dinner, Lord Liu Kangs champions like to eat. I’ll be very busy.” Sektor nodded sagely, “I for one, am excited for your creations tonight too. I’ll make sure he waits.”

Dinner that night was a loud and boisterous event, and you quietly managed to convince Sektor to give you a few minutes head start before she told the Grandmaster.

The Grandmaster was visibly annoyed by Sektors insistence that her news could wait until dinner and dessert were cleaned up. “We should not spoil our meal!” She would insist.

The grandmaster stared you down anytime you came to take plates or refreshed drinks. You kept your gaze downward, focused on making this meal perfect for the visitors sake.

When you finally could pass duties onto the clean up crew, you slipped through dimly lit hallways past your bedrooms to the flower gardens again. You knew he’d find you, but for a few moments of peace before you had to face him? You’d do anything.

You didn’t bother to hide yourself, instead choosing to sit on the bench under the cherry blossom tree in the middle of the courtyard. It was only ten minutes of silence before you could hear the pounding footsteps of Bi han.

His eyes zeroed in on you, and he surged forward. “You have been avoiding me.” He growled. “Yes grandmaster, I’m sorry. Please sit and let’s talk.” The blue clad ninja sat beside you, body turned towards you. “Why Sektor? She is..a warrior. Fierce and worthy of pride for her word in defending earthrealm. Why would you have all people worry?”

Flushing red, you shrugged. “Exactly that. She is a fierce fighter, and everything I am not. I am astoundingly plain, a cook. I thought you would prefer someone more…worthy.” Bi han stared, in disbelief

“I have watched you since we were young. You are not a fighter, but you are exceptional. Your food is unmatched in all aspects and…plain is not how I would describe you. I have so much I dreamed of saying to you, but now in this moment….it is lost on me.”

Instead of continuing, Bi Hans hands slid up to cup your face. His face was hard and stern, but his eyes danced with emotions. Slowly, he leaned in not daring to tear his eyes away from yours. When you nodded softly, he pressed his lips against yours.

His lips were cold, where yours were warm but the mix was not unwelcomed. Your arms wrapped around his neck and his hands slid down to your hips. He pulled your body against his, leaving no gap between the two of you.

The kiss was slow, there was no rush now. Neither of you were in any rush now, Bi han had you in his arms after years of dreaming about it, and you could feel your heart mending itself with each passing moment.

When you pulled away, your head rested on his chest and he could feel the smile pulling at your face. “Come now, it’s cold out tonight. I’ll escort you back to tour quarters.” Bi Han said, reluctantly pulling away from you.

[chaos-in-deepspace]

Zayne's Chocolate Incident (Discussion)

Aight so this is spoilers for the newest 5-Star Banner for Zayne, but felt I should discuss it since I've seen some discourse about it that I've been seeing. If you don't mind spoilers or have already seen it, then you can continue under the cut.

So I've been seeing two different things being brought up about this, and it's:

MC not telling Zayne it was alcoholic chocolate and how horrible that makes her.

Zayne pretending to be drunk (or how the fuck did this man get drunk) discussions.

Let's start with the 1st one!

MC not telling Zayne about the chocolate

People are making it out to be super problematic, as if MC was trying to get Zayne drunk for amusement, or maybe it's just the fact that there was alcohol in the chocolate and she didn't tell him.

I dunno if y'all have ever had alcoholic chocolate, but for the most part...you eat it for the flavor. In fact, the alcohol content in it is so low it's laughable. It would be impossible for someone to get drunk off a single chocolate unless they were an actual toddler (hell a toddler would probably be fine). Not to mention chocolate contains both sugars and fats...two things that are known for helping you sober up when drunk.

In essence, you're eating the chocolate for the flavor alone. The taste of the alcohol in the chocolate can help accentuate the flavor and it's good. Unless I had a friend allergic to chocolate or didn't drunk due to religious reasons, I probably wouldn't bat an eye at it.

To put it into context, one piece of chocolate contains about 1.8% alcohol in general. An average shot of alcohol is 40%. I could probably eat 20 of those chocolates and maybe feel a slight buzz...if that. Pair that with the sugar and fat content of it, it makes it even harder to get drunk off of it.

This is probably why MC didn't say anything about the chocolate. You're eating it for the flavor, not the effects, and Zayne likes sweets. It's common knowledge in this fandom. I'd probably offer it to him too because hey, it's a different type of chocolate that won't be giving you negative effects like getting drunk.

Not to mention Zayne originally only took a bite of the chocolate, and managed to realize it had alcohol in it. He then proceeded to continue eating it, which probably meant he was also aware that this kind of chocolate is made for enjoyment not getting drunk.

Hell MC was fucking shook when Zayne ended up getting drunk from said chocolate because she clearly didn't think it was possible, and the proceeded to take care of him with a bit of teasing on the side (something he's also done a bit of when MC was drunk).

At the end of the day it's up to your opinion if MC not telling Zayne it had alcohol makes her a horrible person, in my opinion it doesn't. She knew he didn't have religious reasons and he wasn't allergic, and she didn't think it was possible to even get tipsy over a single chocolate.

Now for the second part:

Zayne getting drunk

It's a trope. It's a trope people. In fact it happens in K-dramas pretty often from what I've heard from those who watch them. They wanted to find a believable way to get the composed Zayne to get drunk. None of us can really see Zayne actively drinking since he's made it clear he doesn't, but he ain't gonna turn down chocolate.

I also don't believe Zayne was lying or playing up the drunk part. Again it was to fit a trope. They wanted to get Zayne drunk for the card, so they made him drunk. Same reason we got the cat banners. They wanted the men to have cat ears and came up with a random thing. Same reason we got the Wander in Wonder event. They wanted an excuse to put them in unique clothing that's outside of the norm.

It's for tropes.

Also these are fictional characters in a fictional world.

I think with having said that, it's kinda cleared up the case of the alcoholic chocolate. Realistically Zayne wouldn't have been drunk, even if he's a lightweight beyond lightweight, it just isn't plausible. He got drunk because he's a fictional character and that's what the devs wanted. If he was sober it wouldn't have made for a very exciting card.

[neatwhiskeyplaguedoctor]

OMG! Finally I get to read some male reader with Vi and Jinx. It's so hard to find these, like, I'm a lesbian but I wanna read those too. But anyway, that was so good, I loved it! Great job! Your style is cool!

If you don't mind, could you do some hcs for teen and current Vi with a Vastayan boyfriend? And Caitlyn or Jinx too, if you like. Hope that's okay. Have a wonderful day, luv!

Sure, thanks you so much for the praise <3. Now I don't know much about LoL lore so I'm going off of TikTok info. Didn't know if you wanted Teen Cait as well so I'll do her as well. Just not Powder since Powders like 11.

[Fox Vastaya Reader]

Jinx

She met you through Silco after he hired you to easedrop on conversations for shimmer clients.

She found you sitting in the rafters after she went there to chill.

Jinx feel for you quick. She often barged in on meetings of you and Silco and dragged you away to hang out with you.

Slico wasn't thrilled when he found out you were dating Jinx, but allowed it since you made her happy.

She started calling you 'Whiskers' almost immediately.

Anytime you were doing work she would appear out of god knows where to play with your tail, ears, etc.

She introduced you to Isha as 'This is Whiskers, my future husband'

She picked d out outfits that complimented your ears and tail.

She loved your canines and always tried to feel them when she kisses you.

You use your tail to cuddle her.

She makes you fox releated trinkets if she makes you upset.

Vi(Past)

You met after she beat up some kids who were picking on you.

It was clear to everyone but her that she had a crush on you, saying "He's just a close friend."

It took Vander for her to realize.

The week leading up to her confessing she was a mess. Always asking if she looked good, fixing her hair, redoing her wraps, etc.

When you said you already knew about her feelings you simply pointed to your ears.

Her favorite part of your appearance was your ears, always finding an excuse to play with them.

She would purposely make your ears twitch by blowing on them cause she liked your reaction.

She nicknamed you Mochi cause your ears and tail were soft and because of how much she loved you.

Vi(Current)

She became extra clingy after she got out of Stillwater.

She found you working as a bartender and informant.

She often found any excuse to hug or hold her.

You eventually had to tell her to just hug you when she felt down

You used your tail to hug her when you were bust.

Vi got a small fox tattooed on her wrist while she was in Stillwater.

She jokingly called you 'Bartender' when you two are drinking together.

She's little spoon.

Caitlyn(Teen)

She met you in the forest while practicing her shooting.

She accidentally shot the tip of your ear off.

She immediately took you home when she found out you were an orphan.

She introduced you to Jayce and accidentally called you her boyfriend, making her turn beat red.

She randomly apologizes for shooting your ear, even though you didn't mind.

She often buys you expensive stuff to make you feel better if you feel down.

During winter she found it the best excuse to cuddle you saying 'You're naturally warm.'

She got pissed off when someone at the Academy called you a pet.

Caitlyn (Current)

She would randomly find loose strands of hair on her uniform and despite being annoyed she secretly liked it since it showed how much you loved her.

Anytime she was on watch you would stop by to give her food, drinks, talk, etc.

She would take you to Galas and Balls to keep her from getting bored, and cause she never got tired of the look of pure amazement when you saw everything.

You always make her go to bed when she's up too late, making sure to use your tail to coax her.

She nicknamed you 'Kitsune' due to your part fox appearance and because of your smarts

[edward-munson]

i'm right here - E.M. * Chapter Two

"I never realized that"

Warning: angst, mentions of weed, fluff

Pairing: Eddie Munson x fem! Harrington reader

Word count: 4.5k

Previous Chapter

⋆˚✿˖°

"Wha- How?" Eddie stumbles over his own words and tries to catch up on what you just said and implied.

You nodded. After the delicate conversation you both just had, it feels awkward to talk about it now. It feels wrong, it's kind of ridiculous too.

"Yeah, I... it's been a while, actually" You look up to him and find Eddie completely static. One of his hand grips tightly the steering wheel while with the other one he fidgets with his rings.

"Wait, wait, wait. You're saying you like me?" He shakes his head a few times and looks at you with widened eyes. "You like me? Shortie..."

"Yeah, I know Eddie! I just wish I wouldn't have told you like that okay? And I know you like her, and that you're still pretty hurt because of everything that happened, but..."

"Oh my God, shut up for a second" His voice was soft and calm, and you notice he's kind of smiling. "I never realized that. It’s kind of cute, I just… It’s just too much to deal with right now. But yes, I'm hurt. I'm so disappointed, I feel used and invalidated by her. I feel like a piece of shit. But I also feel like something has always been different with us. I mean, you and me"

Eddie reaches over to hold your trembling hand and makes sure you feel comforted. He gives you this reassuring smirk as he rests his forehead over his left hand.

"I'm sorry, Eddie. For everything. For not telling you before, for what we just saw. And for confessing my feelings just now" You feel like a twelve year old girl who just told someone her deepest secret.

He pulls you for a hug and you don't protest. Your face is smashed against his fluffy hair and you can even smell his mint shampoo. Eddie rubs his thumb against your back and rests his chin at the top of your head.

"Don't be stupid, sweetheart. We can't control our feelings. And... about that other thing, I guess you should've been honest. I would've never even given her a chance, I think I wouldn't even let her come close and talk to me. But I know you had good intentions"

"Steve wanted to tell you but I told him that if someone had to do it, it should've been me. You know, he's not friends with her but he thought she could've changed. We all grew up, we're almost graduating and becoming adults" Your words came out a little muffled as you were still holding each other.

You pulled back only a little, so you could properly see his face before apologizing to him again. This time, you could smell his cologne and it made you feel giddy from being too close.

"I'm really sorry. I didn't know you guys were together until my first day at school. Steve never wanted to tell me before"

"Hey" He pinched your chin and shook your head playfully. "It's okay, shortie. It's not your fault either way. Neither it was mine"

You nervously chuckled and pinched his chin back. Eddie noticed how close you two were and how suddenly it started to get hot inside his van.

"I, uh- I should probably drop you off before your brother decides to come back looking after you" He cleared his throat trying to avoid eye contact and you noticed how nervous he suddenly became.

The ride back home definitely felt more awkward than you thought it would. You picked the Black Sabbath tape and blasted the songs over the speakers at a higher volume. Maybe it would make him feel more comfortable and less nervous, it should be a good distraction. You didn't want to ask him what he was gonna do about Chrissy and you probably knew the answer.

It wasn't going to end well either way. You just didn't want things to go south that fast. But at least he had a friendly reaction after you told him about your feelings. You just weren't sure he felt the same way, and yet, it's probably not the best time to talk it over.

Eddie parked over your house and waited until you got out of the car. He was leaning his arm against the opened window, tapping against the vehicle while he watched as you walked over your porch. He just said goodnight and nothing else. Should he even say anything else? Is there something to say? His mind was racing with a million thoughts and a lot of them were about you two.

You were looking for your keys, until you realized you forgot to bring one with yourself. You stood there for two seconds and groaned, knowing you'd have to ring the doorbell for Steve to open the door.

"Forgot your keys?" Eddie asked, his arm still lazily resting against the window. You just nodded, biting your lip feeling embarrassed. "Harrington isn't gonna let you in, is he?"

"I'm not sure I will" Steve said through the door.

"Stevie, you better open this fucking door you dickhead" Your voice wasn't one of the most friendliest and he noticed that through your tone.

"Right, sis. Remember when you stepped on my hand at the bowling? I told you, you should find some other place to sleep tonight!"

The only reaction you could have at that moment was to scoff. Eddie was watching all of it and just snorted but it wasn't audible.

"You're kidding me, right? Steve, if you don't open this fucking door I will knock it down!"

"Should've thought about it before being a little shit with me" Steve didn't even mention he would open the door and you looked behind yourself, Eddie still parked on the street. "Munson is still there, isn't he? I'm sure he's a great host"

"I'm not coming over to his house just because you're being childish" You lower your voice so only your brother can listen to you, but you don't expect Eddie to be right next to you that very second.

"Munson would love to give her shelter, but this is her house, Harrington. Stop being a moron and open the door for her" He knocked a few times like it would change his mind.

Eddie actually wouldn't stop knocking and the fact his rings were hitting the door loudly was kind of making up for it. "I can do this all night, bro"

You watched as he kept knocking until Steve gave up and opened the door for you. He deadpanned at his friend for being so annoying and insistent, not looking at you when he took a step back for you to walk in.

"You guys look like you're still children. Jesus Christ, you're a man, dude" Eddie shook his head.

"Yeah and? Didn't ask" Steve kept his demeanor, only this time he grinned at his friend. "Go home, you look like shit, bro"

As a response, Eddie gave your brother a hard punch on his shoulder and walked back to his car. You saw as he waved at you and drove off the street until you couldn't see it anymore.

Instead of going to your bedroom and getting ready for bed, you throw yourself over the couch and breathe heavily. Steve sat next to you and leaned against his knees waiting for an answer. You know he wants to know what happened, but you were too tired to talk about anything.

"I'm not telling you anything now, you weirdo. Fuck off" He laughs at your attitude and pushes your arm playfully before he made himself comfortable and looked for something to watch with you on the TV.

-

Eddie was rushing through the students as he held his backpack lazily, walking towards his locker. Uncle Wayne wasn't home and he overslept, meaning he didn't have time to eat breakfast or pick a good outfit for the day. It's not like he cared about his looks, but he would usually choose something nice to wear during the day.

He had just learned he was going to be in your biology class and couldn't find a way to ignore you. He didn't want to, he just hasn't gotten over the idea of you never telling him how mean and heartless she was. Eddie still hasn't even told you about his mutual feelings either, because everything was so confusing to him. The only thing he could think about the past days was how distressing it was to break up with Chrissy.

And you saw how sad he was just by looking at his face. He had bags under his eyes and his frizzy curly hair was so disheveled you wondered if he even brushed it lately. He didn't talk much with his friends or even the guys from the Hellfire Club. He didn't seem very present during the breaks or while eating at the cafeteria.

You watched as Eddie entered the classroom and made his way to the farther table in the back, not even daring to look at you. Maybe he didn't see you, maybe he didn't want to face you. It seemed like he was running away from you.

The entire time at school he spent with his friends and the boys from the Hellfire Club. It seemed like he was feeling a little better since he was talking to the boys. It made you feel relieved to see him like that, you'd hate to watch him feel like shit because of her. Speaking of, Chrissy was sitting next to Jason along with his basketball team, laughing at whatever shit they were talking about. You watched as Eddie couldn't look away from them, his face holding a grimace everytime they would share a kiss or something. And it made you feel nauseous from noticing how he was still having feelings for her, and not for you.

The basketball leader didn't spend much of his time teasing the other students or making fun of them, but every once in a while he would say something about the guys who liked playing board games. You still didn't know why he was such a bully, but it made you feel so annoyed it was hard to ignore it.

It was the way he was such an asshole that made your friends despise him, especially Steve. As soon as he gave up on being on the team, Jason stepped into it taking away your brother's title of "the best player". He didn't care about it anymore, he wasn't like that in a long while.

You were talking to Nancy and Robin when Eddie's voice made its announcement through the cafeteria. All of you looked at him as he was sitting on the table, one of his legs was bent and he rested his elbow on top of his knee. There it is, the scene he likes to make sometimes.

"You mommy didn't give you enough attention, Carver?" Eddie asked over a sarcastic tone, giving him a playful smile.

Most of the students around the tables were watching and giving both of them looks, whispering to one another waiting for the scene to unfold.

"I don't know, freak. Did yours?" Jason knew Eddie's mother died when he was younger, he just didn't care about that information.

You really thought that was the lowest someone could ever go with. But looking at your friend, you noticed how he didn't shift his demeanor, even though you knew he was hurt. It's not like he could complain about it, Eddie was the one to push Jason.

"Ah, even if she did, I like the attention. You know better than that" He shrugged, dropping his weight on the floor after getting up from the table. Eddie walked up to Jason, staring at him top to bottom. "You're the one calling me out every time you see me. I think you want me to be more noticeable, don't you big boy?"

Jason shoved his hand that was pinching his chin so hard the skin became pink. He looked at Eddie and placed his arm around Chrissy's shoulder, who stood there sitting on her chair without moving in the slightest. "You couldn't even keep the most beautiful girl by your side. You can't keep a reputation"

"I wouldn't want to keep a bitch like her for a girlfriend" Eddie gave him a cheap grin, looking straight at Chrissy, who gasped.

The entire room went silent, and you shared a look between your brother and your two friends. Before Robin even mentioned getting up, you did it first and paced towards Eddie and Jason. The basketball player was about to throw a punch when you pulled the curly brunette by his t-shirt. He didn't take a single step from his place, still staring at the guy in front of him.

"What did you just say, you fucking loser?" Jason closed his hands into fists and looked to his side when Chrissy tried to stop him. She sat back down and looked at you.

Both of you stared into each other. You felt an urge of punching her face because that was her fault somehow, while she just wanted this entire show to end. She just knew she was a bitch, there was no reason to contest his accusation. She wasn't even the one to make a scene in front of people, she was a bitch behind people's backs.

"You better take that back, or I will punch you so hard you won't even remember your name" He teased, his jaw was clenched. Jason tensed his shoulders waiting for Eddie's response.

"Eds" You tried to call out, but he wouldn't listen to you. "Just leave it, come on"

"Yeah, Eds" Jason quipped and mimicked your tone. "Listen to the Texas bumpkin and go back to your stupid cult"

You immediately threw him a disapproving look and frowned. While still holding Eddie's shirt, you noticed how his bicep tightened at Jason's words.

"Fuck you, Carver. Stop being such an ass" He laughed and mocked you with a pout. Again, you pulled your friend by his arm but again, he didn't want to move.

You barely saw when Steve stood next to you, his chest puffing and his arms crossed. His nose was flaring and you didn't even want to think about his thoughts right now. You knew your brother was so pissed that Steve could smash his face with only a punch.

"You better stop, Jason. This isn't going to end well" Steve warned, his face seriously holding a hard expression as he tried to stay away from the blonde guy.

He looked at the three of you and scoffed, pulling Chrissy by her hand and taking a few steps closer to Eddie, looking at you sideways before closing in on your friend again.

"You and your bitch better not do this again" Jason almost bumped his nose into Eddie's when he emphasized he was talking about you.

This time, Eddie didn't care if he was going to be expelled from school. He just couldn't let anyone talk shit about you or treat you like that again. You tried to avoid a fight to start by grabbing him from his tiny waist, while Steve gripped one of his hands over the side of Eddie's neck.

Jason didn't even flinch, because he knew Eddie wouldn't be capable of beating him down. As much as he wanted to. As soon as they left, Steve guided you both to your table, sitting you down next to Eddie. You stood between them, still not having any idea of what to say.

"Sometimes I wish I could break his fucking nose" You hear your brother rage and grab a fistful of his hair into his hands.

To your left, Eddie chuckles and agrees with him. When you look at him, he's shyly staring back at you while he nervously bites his lower lip.

"I'm sorry I dragged you into this, shortie. I didn't want this little show to happen" He frowns and rests his hand on top of yours.

That weird electricity happens again, and you both look from your hands to each other. He doesn't retreat, instead, Eddie closes it and holds your hand tighter. He gives you a sweet smile that makes your stomach flutter. You smile back at him and fix one of the strands of hair from his bang. He blows some air to playfully fix it for you and it makes you laugh at his sweetness.

Trying not to make a big deal out of what just happened, you change the subject. "You're crazy for doing that, Eddie. He's crazy and mean"

"He's an asshole. The biggest. And he deserves to be pitied. Dude doesn't know where his place is. And no one can call you a bitch"

"You called Chrissy a bitch" You remind him and he tilts his head.

"Because she is" Your mouth opens in full shock, he's still wearing a peaceful expression on his face. "I've been thinking about a shit ton of stuff. Things she would do and would never do when we were together, and– Sadly, you're right"

It comes out with a hurting tone, and you feel sad for him. But it means he's finally getting over her and moving on from their relationship. If there ever was one to begin with.

You give him a comforting smile, squeezing his hand tightly. "I'm sorry, Eddie. You're so much better than that and you don't deserve her. Neither does she deserve someone like you"

He squeezes your hand back and for a fraction of time, his first reaction was to place his free hand over your jaw and rub your cheek with his thumb. But then Steve called out to you both and your little bubble was broken by his voice. He doesn't even notice what just happened between you two.

"By the way, I can't give you a ride back today. I gotta go to work earlier with Rob"

Eddie removed his hand from yours. The one that was halfway through touching your face, he used to brush his hair. "I can take her home, dude. No worries"

"You're giving me a ride back to your house?" He laughed and pinched your cheeks, pursing his lips.

"No, you dummy. I meant taking you back to your house"

You nod timidly for misunderstanding what he just said. You feel your face getting warm and you're pretty sure you're red because of the embarrassment. Steve chuckles next you, getting elbowed on his side for the second time in a week.

-

You and Eddie still haven't talked about anything that has been happening between you two since your first conversation about your feelings. He hasn't even been honest with you about his own feelings and instead, he was trying to avoid the conversation with you. He was probably too traumatized to bring up the subject, afraid of being rejected even though you made it clear that you like him. 

You’re sitting on the kitchen island stool at your house with Robin, Nancy and Max. Steve was throwing a gathering for a few people, but turns out, reefer Rick decided to invite the rest of the school. Obviously, it didn’t include the basketball team or the cheerleaders.

Him and his friends were having a nice conversation by the porch, while Eddie, his friends and the boys were playing foosball outside your backyard. Robin couldn’t stop talking about Vicky and Nancy tries to give her some advice even though she’s only been with guys. You watch the conversation unfold next to Max, who’s bored out of her mind. She’s resting her face against her hand, tapping her fingers against the furniture. 

She laughs at some jokes Robin makes, but it doesn’t look like she’s interested. You haven’t talked much to her lately, so you try to distract her from being bored. 

“What are your plans after school?” She looks at you with a funny expression, grimacing at the thought of being an adult. 

“Maybe I’ll move out from this hell and become a veterinarian” Max shrugs, drinking her coke from the can. “What about you? Why did you even come back?”

You didn’t know exactly why. You just knew you didn’t want to live with your parents forever, but you also didn’t want to come back to the place that made you go away, for instance. Your shoulders slump and you give a deep sigh. 

“I like living with Steve, and I didn’t want to live with my parents forever. I think I like this place” Your words made her almost choke on her drink and she laughed. Max laughs so hard, it’s even weird to see her like this after everything that happened to her.

“That’s plain bullshit. Who could ever want to come back to this godforsaken place? Nope, there’s gotta be a better reason” She’s right, you don’t have a good reason or even an explanation. 

Little did you know.

Dustin calls out your name from the door and waves at you. You get up from the stool and follow behind him to the backyard. Eddie is smoking weed with Gareth and the others are playing a match on the foosball. The curly boy guides you to where he’s sitting and makes you sit in front of him. 

“You know I’m a master at playing games and figuring out stuff, right?” You also knew he had the biggest ego for someone so small too. You just nod and wait for him to continue.”Steve also told me you’re a mastermind. So, I wanna know how I can build this small device with the smallest amount of pieces I can” 

He shows you a device you have no idea that is. All you know it’s something digital. You inspect it, squinting your eyes harder than you can to figure out what it is for. Behind you, Eddie and Gareth expectantly wait for you to say something. They clearly look high already. 

It takes you a few minutes to decide what could work for that little device, so you explain it to the kid in front of you and show him the options. He looks at you with delight and smiles. Dustin has the most endearing smile you’ve ever seen. He’s also nice, smart and caring. 

“Dude, she’s a genius!” He exclaims with excitement, happy to be helped by you. 

“She’s always been a brain. But she sucks at math” Eddie helps you up but you manage to trip over his foot even though you haven’t been drinking that much. 

You fall into the comfortable grass and laugh your ass off from being so damn clumsy and he looks at you like you’ve grown seven heads, while Gareth cackles along with you for God knows why. He’s not even paying attention to what’s really happening. 

“Hey-” You choke on your own laugh “Not every brilliant mind knows everything”

He extends his hand and firmly grabs you up again. This time, he makes sure you won’t trip, but you had other plans in mind and pulls him as hard as yo ucan. Eddie falls onto the grass by your side and cracks up, standing on his elbows. He offers you a beer and you sit next to him, taking a swig from your beer as he also offers you the blunt he’s holding. 

You haven’t smoked weed in such a long time. In fact, the last time you smoked one was before you moved out from Texas, but it wasn’t the same thing as sharing it with your friend. You inhale the smoke and it fills in your lungs, giving you a relaxing sensation. 

“It’s great that you helped Dustin. He’s a really cool guy and he likes to blend people in our groups, especially you. Steve is gonna love seeing his sister getting along with his friends too” He smokes again as you pass his weed back and you nod. 

It really makes you happy to be part of Steve’s group of friends. Through the past weeks, you’ve noticed how close they all are to each other and how caring they are. It crosses your mind that maybe it’s because of everything they’ve been through together, and it reminds you that you never knew what really happened to Eddie. 

“What happened to you last year? I mean, Steve doesn’t say much about the others because every experience is different, but he told me he pretty much almost died too” You remember when he showed you the scar on his neck, telling you how those bats almost choked him to death.

Eddie bit his inner cheek and looked down at his feet. Maybe that was a dangerous territory to reach. His eyes suddenly became kind of dull when he stared back at you, roaming through your expression of not knowing what to say anymore. 

“I mean, if you really don’t want to talk about it-” 

He passed the blunt back to you again and sighed. A heavy one, to be honest “They… they almost choked me too. But the worst part was still yet to come. They chewed on me. They ripped my skin open and it was hard to breathe, and you know I’m asthmatic so it was a hundred times harder to find oxygen” 

His words were heavy and he shifted on his seat, sitting straight. As soon as you both finished smoking, Eddie took his leather vest off, lifting up his shirt so you could see some of his scars. They weren’t as nasty as you’d imagine since it’s been only a year, but they were still there. 

He turned on his back to you and you could see a round shaped bite the size of your palm. That one was the most visible, it also had a bump on it. You hesitantly ghosted your thumb over his skin, gently pressing against it with horror stamped on your face. He flinched as a reflex and you pulled back immediately, apologizing for pushing the boundaries. 

“It’s okay… it’s just- It doesn’t hurt much. It’s just a weird sensation it gives me” He sits back and drinks the rest of his beer. 

“I’m sorry this happened to you. I know you were all trying to save Max out there and I’m glad you came back” You feel like you wanna hug him, but instead you snake your arm around his and rest your head against his shoulder. 

He leans against you and you feel the weight of his head over yours, his hair tickling your face again. You smell his scent and again it makes you feel unsteady. Eddie starts to feel weird because of how his heart is racing and the only thing he wants to do is interlock his fingers with yours. 

As you sit there and share a moment for the first time, you know why you came back to Hawkins. Because of him. And right there, you feel lightheaded because that’s what you’ve been wanting to do for as long as you’ve known. And Eddie doesn’t think much about it, but he also knows why you two always have shared this different connection. Because now he knows that’s what he wanted too. 

He just didn’t want you to know that surviving the attack from the bats came with a consequence, and he didn’t want to scare you.

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@thegirlthatsfalling @strangemaximoff @readergf @sheneedsrocknroll92