#I’m just starting chapter 7 of 8 and I know I need to save it until tomorrow but I want to play it now so badly

[starkidlabs]

Playing a video game you really love is so difficult sometimes. On the one hand you want to play through it as quickly as possible because you’re so excited to see what happens next, on the other hand you know you need to play it slowly so it isn’t all over too quickly.

[theidiotwhowritesthings]

TAKE CARE OF YOU [7]

Sugar Daddy!Joel Miller x Female!Reader

Overall Warnings: slow burn, angst/comfort, power imbalance, age gap, possessive tendencies, eventual smut, #daddyissues, independent reader learns to let go and relax, emotionally constipated Joel Miller learns to be vulnerable; (more specific warnings to be added to individual chapters if necessary)

Chapter Word Count: 2,800

Summary: You spent your entire adult life supporting yourself and barely getting by. It’s why a life of ease offered to you by a mysterious stranger sounded so foreign and unbelievable. Joel Miller, dressed in flannels that had seen better days, didn’t look like the kind who could promise you the world on a plate, but he seemed desperate to help out. All he asks is that you let him take care of you. That wouldn’t be so hard. Would it?

[a/n: this one is on the shorter side, but I didn't want to leave y'all with nothing (ironically I wrote this while on a plane to my conference/vacation). The Las Vegas trip will all be one large chapter (someone asked if I was gonna split that into parts, but I won't). Part 8 will just be viva las vegas the entire time, baby.]

07: BEING VULNERABLE SUCKS ASS

"i don't have an explanation as to how you pull me in, you just do. you've always had a gravity that i've never been able to overcome." -JmStorm

The cost of a mani-pedi never seemed worth it to you in the past. You saved your money for other more necessary things like bills and groceries. Sitting in the padded chair with your feet resting in the heated water of the foot bath, you realized how much you had been missing out on. 

“I can’t believe that bitch showed up where you work.” Nima scoffed. She sat in the chair beside you with her feet in her own bath. You had used Joel’s money to pay for her to get a mani-pedi as well and that made you happier than the treatment itself. Over the years, Nima would pay for meals and drinks and times the two of you went out and she always did it nonchalantly and in a way that never felt like charity. It felt good to be able to buy her something for once. “How did she even find you?”

You shrugged, “No idea. Sugar baby grapevine?”

“Bitches do be talking.” Nima hummed. You chuckled and leaned back in your seat. This spa offered mimosas and you held your empty flute. Nima picked up her phone to shoot off a message before turning to look at you. “So? Viva las Vegas, baby. You excited?”

“Yeah,” You nodded once then tilted your head with a slight wince, “Well, I mean, I’m kind of nervous too. This is my first time going away with him. He’s stuck with me for a full 72 hours.” Once you started talking you found all your bottled worries spilling out. “What if he thinks I’m annoying and gets tired of me? I’m too scared to ask him if we’re staying in the same room or a different room because I don’t know what I want the answer to be. If he says no then I’ll be disappointed and worry that he is getting sick of me, but if he says yes then I’ll panic⏤ Is he not the man I thought he was and he’s expecting something from me? Or what if it is innocent and he got me a second bed, but then he hears me snore and thinks it’s gross?” You paused to catch your breath and realized Nima was just blankly staring at you with a raised eyebrow. “What?”

Nima shook her head. “Nothing.” She looked past you and raised a hand to catch the attention of an employee. “Hi! Yes, we need more alcohol please. As soon as possible.” You groaned and hung your head. Nima let out a low whistle. “Is that what your brain sounds like all the time? Jesus, babe.”

“I know I’m overthinking.” You admitted. A woman came by with a champagne bottle and you thanked her after she filled your glass⏤ turning down the juice she offered with it. You took a long sip. “I like him.” Nima’s eyes widened. “Yeah, yeah, you were right, okay? I… I like him. A lot.” A hand drifted up to hold the sunflower charm on your new necklace between your fingers. Tomorrow morning you’d be boarding a private jet with Joel and you’d be spending the weekend with a guy you were seriously crushing on. “I know it’s so stupid to start falling for a guy who is literally paying me to hang around him…”

Nima sighed, “Oh, babe.”

“This is the first time I’ve felt like this since… since Nathan.” You said. At the mention of you ex-boyfriend’s name, Nima’s eyebrows furrowed in pain. You didn’t often mention him, hardly said his name, and it was in part because just the thought of him hurt. Whether he meant to or not, Nathan made you feel like you had not been enough. Joel made you feel worthy. You hadn’t even realized that the hole Nathan left in your heart had been so deep until Joel began to fill it with care. “Maybe I shouldn’t go…”

Nima reached out and grasped your wrist. “No. You have to.”

“You told me liking him was a bad idea.”

“I know, but…” Nima shrugged. “You seem happier these days. Relaxed. I can’t tell you if this is going to end well or not, I have no idea, but… even if this is just some kind of emotional rebound, I think it’s good for you.” You gave her a small smile and Nima squeezed your wrist. “Nathan was a tool. You deserve to be happy. Even if happy comes in the form of a cowboy sugar daddy.”

You chuckled at her phrasing. Joel did make you happy. The negative, anxiety riddled part of your brain screamed that being a sugar baby was hardly the same thing as being loved. However, for the first time in your life you were choosing to ignore the logistics of the scenario and just focus on how you felt. 

“I keep telling myself to just be like you.” You admitted and Nima’s eyes widened. You chuckled and shrugged. “You’re never scared, Nima, and I feel… I feel like I’m always scared. You just explore love, guns a’blazing, and I wish⏤ I wish I could do that.”

Nima turned so fast in her seat that water sloshed out of the foot bath. She frowned, “Are you kidding me?? Of course, I’m scared! Loving someone, opening up yourself to be loved, is the scariest thing anyone could ever do.” Her lips pressed together and she reached out so both her hands held tight to yours. “So, don’t stress yourself out over it. How you feel is totally normal. Being vulnerable sucks ass.”

You shot her a firm smile as a few employees came over to discuss any specific nail styles you may want. Worrying about it too much would only ruin the trip. You had already come this far⏤ may as well keep jumping in head first.

It had been ages since you’ve flown, literal years, and never had it been in a private jet. Standing on the tarmac watching part of the flight crew roll your bags to be loaded, you just stared. Eventually, a large hand settled in the middle of your back. Joel saddled up beside you and he offered you a small smile.

“You gonna board or just stare at it all day, darlin?” He chuckled. He wore one of his suits, but he had already stripped of his coat. 

You nodded, “Yeah, sorry, I just can’t believe I’m about to board a private jet.” Without preamble or question, Joel’s hand slipped from your back to slide down your arm and tangle his fingers with yours. It was almost a habit now for Joel to take your hand. He led you toward the jet. “Do you always ride in style like this?”

“Not always.” Joel replied. “But I will say that ridin’ like this has spoiled me of public airlines.”

“No kidding.” You chuckled and Joel motioned for you to walk up the stairs to the jet’s door first. He followed only a step behind, hand not leaving yours. The inside of the jet was simple but luxurious. Couches rather than single seats and one side had a booth like table. “I can’t imagine going from this to Spirit airlines.”

Joel snorted behind you and stepped around you so he could lead you toward one of the couches. “If you think I’m ever gonna let you fly Spirit, sugar, you’re crazy.”

You sat down and your eyebrows lifted when Joel walked toward the back rather than sit beside you. He briefly disappeared from sight, it sounded like he was speaking to an attendant, and you took that time to gaze around the plush interior of the jet. This was your life for now. It felt like a dream.

Joel walked back and he had two champagne flutes. Your lips pulled up into a grin as he settled right beside you and offered you a flute. “For the pretty lady.”

“Why thank you.” You chuckled. The two of you lightly clinked your glasses together before sipping at it. Despite the jet having, ample space, Joel sat close enough to drape his arm over the back of the couch behind you. “How long is this flight?”

“A little over an hour or so.”

“Oh, that’s not bad.” You hummed. “Is anyone else flying with us?”

Joel shook his head. “Tess is gonna meet us there on day two, and Tommy never comes to the Vegas conference.”

“Why?” You asked then paused. “To both situations.”

Joel chuckled. “Day one is kind of pointless for us to be there. All the work and meetings my company is involved in starts day two.”

You raised an eyebrow, “Then how come we’re going for day one?”

Joel shifted in his seat and cleared his throat. “I figured it’d be fun to sight see together? If you’re interested that is.” You always loved watching him grow slightly nervous when asking you something like that because the smile he shot you after you inevitably said yes was damn near radiant. You nodded in excitement and Joel’s eyes lit up in response. “Good, and as for Tommy,” Joel gave a little shrug, “He’s got a history of gettin' involved in shit he shouldn’t. He’s got his head straight on now, mostly, but it’s just safer if keeps away from the temptation altogether.”

The pilot poked his head in to let you both know he was ready and suggest you strap in. You glanced around to see if there was a place you could set your flute down but the closest table was on Joel’s side. He set his own flute down briefly and reached out. You thought he’d take the flute, but instead Joel reached down to click your seat belt around your waist. It was such a simple motion yet you felt a warmth fill your cheeks.

“Thanks.” You mumbled. The plane taxied out to the runway and you quietly sipped at your champagne. You felt a rumbling underfoot as the plane picked up speed and when it began to rise your stomach lurched. Startled, your hand shot out to steady yourself on the closest object which just so happened to be Joel’s thigh. 

Before you could even fully comprehend how awkward this could be, your hand squeezed as the plane continued to rise— your only focus on the sensation of taking off. As the plane leveled off, you were able to feel other aspects around you, such as how thick and firm Joel’s thigh felt under hand.

He cleared his throat and peeled your hand off his thigh. Embarrassment flooded your soul, but Joel kept your hand in his. He laced his fingers between yours, shifting closer so his thigh was pressed against yours, and lifted your hand to his lips to set a soft kiss at the back of your hand.

“Are you alright, sugar?” Joel asked with nothing but concern.

“Sorry.” You shook your head. “It’s been a while since…”

“Don’t apologize. I should’ve asked if you were a nervous flyer.”

“I didn’t think I was.” You chuckled and swallowed the lump in your throat as the plane hit a patch of turbulence and wavered. Joel continued to trace circles against the back of your hand with his thumb and you focused on that alone. Somehow, his presence alone was enough to soothe your frayed nerves. You leaned your head against his shoulder and Joel shifted so you’d be able to rest in a comfortable spot. You really did like this way too much. 

Joel hummed, “Lemme know if you feel sick. We got a first aid kit on here somewhere with some motion sickness patches, I think.”

“I’m okay.” You replied, loathing the idea of him getting up or anything right now, “Where are we staying in Vegas?”

“The Wynn.” 

“Is that where you usually stay?”

“No, actually.” Joel said. “I usually stay at Mandalay Bay, but I thought you’d like the Wynn better.”

You were glad you were resting your head on his shoulder so he couldn’t see the absolute stupid smile that crossed your features. He had changed his usual routine and picked a hotel that specifically made him think of you⏤ one he thought you’d enjoy best. Maybe the bar was just on the floor from your last boyfriend, but it was no wonder you were falling for Joel Miller when he did such sweet, considerate things. 

“Why?” You asked.

“It’s real pretty. You’ll see.”

The two of you continued to chat idly and you listened to Joel tell stories about past conferences and the things he was looking forward to and wasn’t. Your stomach had mostly settled now that the plane was smoothly soaring at its cruising altitude. So, you figured now was as good a time as any to use the restroom. You excused yourself and cautiously walked to the lavatory. As you finished up and washed your hands, your eyes glanced up in the mirror at yourself. You may as well have been glowing. For the millionth time, you thanked your lucky stars that Joel had somehow found you.

At the thought, you paused. This entire time you wondered how Rosalind randomly found you at work, but what were the chances that Joel Miller would randomly walk into a failing bakery and see you behind the counter? You shut off the water, dried your hands, and walked back out. Joel was using the plane phone when he spotted you.

“Yeah, we’ll see you when you get here.” Joel stared at you as he spoke, his gaze soft. “Just call me if you need anythin’. Mhmm. Right. Bye, Tess.” He hung up and set the phone aside. “All good, sugar?”

“Can I ask you something?” 

“Course.” Joel nodded and you settled back in your seat beside him. 

You didn’t lay your head on his shoulder and turned just enough so you could face him while the two of you spoke, “How did you find me?” Joel raised an eyebrow in confusion. “At the bakery. Were you just passing by and saw me through the window? Or were you coming in for baked goods randomly?”

Joel suddenly looked sheepish. He cleared his throat, “It’s… Alright, this might not sound too good or flatterin’ toward myself.” You furrowed your own brows in confusion this time. “That week I was at a work site a few blocks down from the bakery. I had stepped off site to take a call and… and I saw you.” Joel rubbed the back of his neck, but he didn’t break his gaze. “I recognized you from the coffee shop, figured you were going to work, and I… I followed you.” Joel closed his eyes and shook his head at the admission. “Jesus Christ, you must think I’m the biggest creep. I swear I didn’t mean to. It was like… I was movin’ before I even knew it. I nearly followed you right into the bakery, but I stopped and came to my senses.” He reopened his eyes and there was regret and shame in his brown eyes⏤ two emotions you didn’t like seeing there. “I’m so sorry, darlin’. I know it was stupid and I tried to stay away, but I… I couldn’t get you out of my head. I broke down a few days later and came in. Told myself I was just gonna pay you back for the coffee and be done with it, but once I got to talkin’ to you…”

“It’s okay, Joel.” You said softly.

“No, it really isn’t.” He shook his head. There was a firmness in his words that echoed the shame he felt. “I should’ve told you much sooner than this and definitely not on a plane 40,000 feet in the air where you can’t even run from me.”

“I’m not gonna run.” You chuckled. Maybe you should be more concerned than you were, but Joel had been nothing but respectful the entire time you had known him. Besides, the only thing you could grasp from his words was the fact that it seemed Joel felt drawn to you the same way you felt toward him. It could just be naive optimism or a delusion, but you began to wonder if it were possible that Joel liked you as much as you liked him⏤ as more than just the sugar daddy and sugar baby ties between the two of you.

You turned in your seat to lay on his shoulder once more. Joel seemed mildly startled by the motion, but he was quick to wrap his arm around your shoulders to hold you in place. You reached up to play with his hand. “Thank you for telling me the truth.”

Joel chuckled, “I’m never gonna lie to you, sugar.”

The pilot came over the intercom to announce he’d be starting the landing process soon and you wondered if Vegas was going to be the start of a new chapter of your relationship with Joel.

taglist (closed):

@weddingfairy @bfences @fairntonorth @jasminedragon @biwitchy @huffle-punk @shelbyteller @anoverwhelmingdin @aheadfullofsteverogers @stagerightlauren @basicoccult @rinnfey @boofy1998 @farintonorth @thepascalofus @amatis-gray @casa-boiardi @northernbluess @jettia @sapphicsoie @spidey-3 @camiali25 @hrtsforpascal @gingersince97 @sentients17 @bigboiseason123 @lunxramour @ktheunready @heyheyheygaypay @keepingupwiththeskywalkers @adoringanakin @come-hell-or-eldren-fire @cherriebat @whitewolfstar01 @alyssa121611 @asreadbyaj @painfullyandprettypoetic @cantobightcafe @hellooseulgi @str84pedro

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✨J.M. Masterlist✨

[gotham-ruaidh]

Little Bit Better Than I Used To Be

Catch up: Chapter 1 (Starry Eyes) || Chapter 2 (Save Our Souls) || Chapter 3 (Dancing On Glass)|| Chapter 4 (Merry-Go-Round)|| Backstage (1) || Backstage (2) || Chapter 5 (Danger)|| Backstage (3) || Chapter 6A (Love Walked In) || Chapter 6B (Without You) || Backstage (4) || Chapter 7 (Stick To Your Guns) || Chapter 8 (Time For Change) || Backstage (5) || Chapter 9 (Take Me To The Top) || Backstage (6) || Chapter 10 (Home Sweet Home) || Backstage (7) || Chapter 11a (Nightrain) || Chapter 11b (Nothing Else Matters) || Chapter 12a (Handle With Care) || Chapter 12b (I’m So Tired of Being Lonely) || Chapter 13a (Angel) || Chapter 13b (She’s My Addiction) || Chapter 13c (Patience) || Chapter 14a (Where Do We Go Now?) || Chapter 14b (Where Do We Go Now?) || Chapter 14c (Where Do We Go Now?) || Chapter 15a (Dreams) || Chapter 15b (I Sing A Song of Love) || Chapter 15c (You Can Do This If You Try) || Chapter 16 (Let That Feeling Grab You Deep Inside || Chapter 17A: Never Tear Us Apart || Chapter 17B: It’s Tough To Be Somebody, And It’s Hard Not To Fall Apart  || Chapter 17C: I’m Wishing, Lord, That I Was Stoned || Chapter 18: Turn The Page || Chapter 19A: When You’re Alone, Do You Let Go? || Chapter 19B: Heading For A Spin || Chapter 20A: I Don’t Need Nothing When I’m By Your Side || Chapter 20B: I’m Walkin’ Down This Rocky Road || Chapter 20C: You're The Only One Who Gets Through To Me || Chapter 20D: Together We Can Make It A Dream ||| Also posted at AO3

Chapter 20E: My Main Objective Is To Get You To Turn Your Mind Around

You are in my system Got me right down to the wire You are in my system Help my equilibrium You are in my system…

 -- “You Are In My System,” Robert Palmer (1983) [click here to listen]

North Carolina || February 1989

Raymond scribbled on a fresh sheet in his notebook. Absently running his hand through his hair. Clearly thinking.

“All right,” he said, after a while. “Before I walk you through my plan – I need to ask you something. Both of you.”

“Anything,” Claire replied instantly.

“I need you to commit to this. To therapy. To getting better and stronger, as individuals and as a couple.”

“Of course,” Jamie breathed.

“Yes,” Claire echoed.

Raymond tilted his head, just a bit. “What I am going to ask of you will be a significant commitment of time and energy and effort. Obviously we’ll need to modify things to account for travel, but you need to agree to prioritize this.”

“Yes, I agree.” Jamie reached across the table for Raymond’s notebook. He flipped to an empty page, wrote I commit to Raymond’s plan, signed his name and wrote the date. He pulled back to let Claire sign her pledge and name as well.

“You don’t know what you’re agreeing to yet,” Raymond said quietly.

Jamie met his skeptical gaze. “It doesn’t matter. You’re here for a reason. I – we – want your help. So whatever you recommend, I will commit to doing.”

“Me too,” Claire added, pushing the notebook back across the table.

Raymond cleared his throat. “Well then. On typical days I’d like to have three sessions. Half an hour with each of you individually, and then an hour with both of you together. With the individual sessions taking place before our group session.”

“We can definitely do that.” Claire gripped Jamie’s hand on top of the table. “What do you think?”

Jamie nodded. “Yes. We will make it work. This is important. And you’ll of course be available if we need more time?”

“Definitely. To the extent you want time with me, I will make myself available. Nobody else – not your bandmates, Colum, not anyone on the crew – will be a client. I will quite literally be on call for you, 24/7. Jamie, if you start to have a panic attack, I don’t care what time it is or where we are, if you’re comfortable with me being there then I want to be there to help you.”

“And to support Claire,” Jamie added. “I won’t put all of that burden on her. It’s not fair to her.”

Claire squeezed her husband’s hand.

Raymond pivoted to face Claire across the table. “And Claire – I’m here for you in equal measure. I know you’re still adjusting to your sobriety. And I doubt you’ve worked through all of the trauma associated with your ex-husband.”

Claire swallowed. Jamie pulled her a little closer.

“So – if it ever feels too much, and especially if you start feeling like you’re losing a sense of yourself, when you’re so far away from home, and so out of your element…I want you to come to me. I want you to talk it through with me. And when you’re ready, we can talk with Jamie about it.”

She nodded, grateful.

“This goes without saying, but I’ll need you to continue to be as honest and open with me as possible. Our therapy isn’t going to work, otherwise. I’ve had clients in the past who struggled to be honest, and it ended up undermining their recovery. Especially the addicts.”

Claire poured a fresh glass of water for Raymond. He drank it all at once. Clearly choosing his next words very carefully.

“I will never judge you for anything you do or say – about your past or present selves. But the more you share, the more I can help you. And nothing you say to me will ever make its way to anyone else. Not Colum, not Ian and Angus, certainly not the crew. Definitely not the press. I’m bound by my professional code of ethics. And of course I’d never put you in that position.”

“Thank you,” Jamie breathed. “I want so hard for the most important things in my life to stay private.”

“But,” Raymond added, “If something comes up in one of our individual sessions that I think would benefit being discussed in our group session, I hope you’ll give me your permission to raise it. You’re already very open with each other, which makes my job easier. But I’m sure that both of you have things you haven’t told the other person about. So, I want you to know that if I bring up something one of you told me, in the presence of the other person, it’s purely because I want to get to the heart of a topic. To prompt a fruitful discussion.”

“I’m all right with that. I want to get better.” Jamie looked at Claire. Raised their joined hands to his lips, for a kiss. “I want us to get better, and stronger.”

“All the more reason to be honest with each other, and with me. Because as my favorite medical school professor told us – honesty has room for secrets, but not for lies. Do you agree?”

Jamie and Claire nodded.

Raymond smiled kindly. “I am so glad to have this opportunity to help and support you, at such this pivotal moment in your lives.”

Jamie laughed. “Don’t thank us yet. See how you feel in August, when you’ve been on the road for four months and you’re in bumfuck nowhere in Scandinavia and the blackout curtains won’t work in the hotel so that you can sleep.”

Raymond flipped to a new sheet in his notebook, smiling. “I’m going to recommend you do something, Jamie. Earlier we were talking about how it’s good to get a little separation sometimes.”

Jamie nodded, curious.

“I’m suggesting that you go out to L.A. in two and a half weeks, but on your own, with Claire staying here. She may fly out, let’s say, the final week. Or maybe not at all. What would you think about that?”

Jamie pursed his lips. Jaw clenching.

“I know why you’re suggesting it, Raymond. But…”

Raymond let the moment stretch. Watching, with Claire, Jamie process his thoughts.

“I want to say, no, I’ll never agree to that. I can’t go that long without having Claire with me.” He dropped Claire’s hand and crossed his arms.

“Why?”

“Besides the fact that I’ll miss her every second we’re apart? Because when I’m on the road, and doing industry stuff, and playing gigs, I know I’m going to see the things that I’m addicted to.”

“And you’re afraid that you’ll slide right back into that life, if you’re by yourself?”

Jamie heaved a deep breath. Raymond watched Claire hold herself back from giving her husband even the gentlest, most reassuring touch.

“Do you think he’d do that, Claire?”

She shook her head. “No way.”

Jamie huffed skeptically. “You have too much faith in me.”

“You should have more faith in yourself!” She stood, hands on her hips. “You’re so much stronger than you give yourself credit for, Jamie. Why don’t you see that?”

He covered his face with his hands, breathing deeply. “I know what I can do, Claire, when I lose control.”

“So do I, Jamie. But I know what you can do when you keep control. I know what you can say no to. Do you not remember that party in New York? It was hard, so fucking hard, but even though people were drinking all around us, and that model was doing coke two feet away from you,you were fine!”

Raymond kept his voice steady. “Do you really believe that at the drop of a hat, you’d forget your vows to Claire, Jamie? That you’d forget your commitment to sobriety?”

He nodded.

“But that’s never happened.” Claire lay a calm hand on Jamie’s shoulder, squeezing. “And just because I won’t be right next to you, or in the hotel room waiting for you, doesn’t mean that you will forget your promises.”

She rubbed his shoulder, so gentle.

“And, Jamie – to be honest, I could use the time here. To get to know the people at the clinic a bit better, get to know what kind of support they need. Obviously I won’t be around when we’re in Europe, and maybe not even after that if I come home pregnant. But I want them to get to know me, and I want to get to know them. And the best way I can do that is by spending time there, on my own. I can’t do that if I’m in L.A.”

Jamie pulled back to look up at his wife. She smiled down at him, pushing his hair out of his eyes.

Raymond gave them a moment before speaking. “When I suggested you go to L.A. alone, Jamie, you mentioned how you would feel, but you didn’t mention how you thought Claire would feel. Does what she wants not matter to you?”

“Of course it matters to me.” Jamie sounded a bit hurt.

“But you didn’t use those words to say that,” Raymond replied. “And you didn’t ask her what she thought about my idea. Claire does have a life beyond being your wife. She’s trying to find her footing. And she needs more space to do that. Has she ever told you that?”

Jamie looked directly at his wife. “Not like that,” he said softly. “Am I being too selfish?”

“You can be, sometimes.” Claire took a deep breath. “I know we’re both still healing, and figuring out how we live our lives together when everything is so complicated. This life we have together – it’s so wonderful, but it’s also so overwhelming. I want a family with you, Jamie – but I also want my career back. I know it won’t look like it did before, and I don’t want it to. And not right this instant, maybe not for a few more years. We have time to talk about it and figure that out.” She smiled at him. “That’s why I’m so glad that Raymond is here. Because he’ll give us the space to talk about these things.”

“Creating that space helps. So does re-framing a situation.” Raymond shifted in his chair. “Consider this: instead of feeling loss that you’re not together when Jamie is in L.A., or being afraid of what the world is like without the other…think of it as, two or so weeks of building new memories to eventually share. Two weeks of anticipation, to the buildup to being back together.”

“I like that,” Jamie said quietly. “And I see what you’re doing, Raymond. Turning something that could be negative, into something positive.”

“He’s not wrong, Jamie.”

Jamie sighed. “I know, Claire. I need time for me, and you need time for you. But I’ll still call you every day. Probably annoy the hell out of you.”

She laughed. “Of course you will. I want you to.” She turned to Raymond. “Can we start our sessions with you while he’s in L.A.?”

“Of course. We can do it all over the phone. But we can start tomorrow, if you like.”

Claire turned back to her husband. “Raymond asked us to be honest, Jamie. So when you speak with him, be honest. And when we have our session together, be honest. This is why we need his help. If you feel like you’re cracking, you need to fucking tell us. Do you understand?”

Jamie nodded. “I love you,” he rasped.

“I love you,” she laughed. “It’s just a few weeks, Jamie. Then we’ll be in Europe. You’ll get sick of me.”

He laughed, and it transformed his face. “Not possible.” He turned to look at Raymond. “I think you’ve got your work cut out for you, Doc.”

Raymond closed his notebook. “Well, you two will certainly keep things interesting.”

[jessicaloons]

Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince:

Chapter 1

Masterlist - Previous - Next

Miss Americana

May 2019:

"And you’re sure you can handle it? I mean working here and college?" Peter Hastings was a nice, middle aged man, looking for a new nanny for his 6 year old son, Gabriel.

"I’ll wake him up at 7:15. Make breakfast and get him ready for school, drop him off at 8:30 and go to my classes. At 3 I’ll pick him up. Help him with his homework. Soccer on Monday and Wednesday. Piano lesson on Tuesday. Prepare dinner. Make him bed ready and then you’ll take over. Monday till Thursday. Fridays I’ll pick him up at 12. We’re going to the park, museum, zoo whatever. Have lunch and I’ll bring him home by 4, where you take over. And if you need a babysitter on the weekends, you’ll call me." Rachel repeated the schedule Mr. Hastings had presented her with, hoping he would hire her.

"Impressive. Well your report looks great, I understand why you’ve got a scholarship for the MCPHS. I’d say you’ve got the job." Mr. Hastings smiled at the girl.

"Thank you, Sir! Really!"

"Gabriel liked you, you have strong ambitions. I think you’re perfect. Now let’s talk money, shall we?" he clapped his hands and Rachel nodded.

With a full scholarship and a well paid job that still gave her enough time for her studies, she could start saving up money to get the hell out of Woburn, after graduating from college with her nursing degree hopefully.

"I know this was not what you applied for, but I’ll ask anyways, if you say no, you’ll still keep your job starting in fall!" her new boss said and she looked up "My current nanny, well she left, family emergency, so I would need someone from now on, during the summer until you’ll take over at the end of August. I know, you just graduated and probably already planned your summer, but I thought I ask anyways. Again, feel free to say no, the job is yours regardless. It’s only one more month of school and then it’s… well a full day job, I’m off for the entire August, but before that I’m loaded with events here and there…"

"I’ll do it." Rachel said immediately, every reason to leave Woburn earlier was a good reason.

"Yeah? You sure? I mean like I said, you don’t have to!" Mr. Hastings said but the girl shook her head.

"No it’s fine. Really. I have nothing planned. And like this I can get used to Boston."

"You can stay here. Our old nanny has her own studio in the backyard. That way you don’t have to drive every morning from Woburn to here."

"Are you sure? It’s no problem for me to drive!"

"With traffic in the morning you’ll be in the car for an hour or longer. That’s ridiculous. Come on I’ll show you the studio. You could even stay there when you start college. Thinking back to my college times? The dorms weren’t the nicest place to stay." he laughed and got up, leading the young girl outside through the kitchen.

"I mean. I haven’t seen my dorm yet… but from what I’ve heard, yeah, not the nicest place to stay indeed."

The studio was clean and modern. A kitchenette, a table with two chairs. Sofa, TV and a bed. A little bathroom. It was definitely more quiet and private than any dorm at her college.

"Are you sure it’s okay?" the girl asked.

"100%. It’s yours if you want it. Free of charge. You just have to keep it clean yourself. And if you want to bring friends over, just give me a little heads up."

Free of charge. The money she would safe. Only paying the tuition fee. The rest of her scholarship could go into her savings as well. She could leave home earlier than planned. It couldn’t get better than this.

"I guess I’m moving in then."

November 2021:

Rachel always dreaded driving home. The rare occasions over the past 2 years where she had driven home were all proof why it was better to stay away. But something in her father’s voice when he asked her if she would come home for his birthday gave her the chills. When she parked her car in the driveway of her rundown childhood home, she felt the pit in her stomach grow. Calming down her nerves she opened up the door, walking inside. The house smelt rancid. A mix of liquor, smoke and bleach.

"Dad?" the girl walked inside the dark living room when suddenly the light got switched on. She flinched looking at the man sitting in the armchair facing her.

"If it’s not Miss Americana fresh off of college." Tony.

"Where’s my dad?" her voice not as strong as she hoped.

"Come." he got up and dragged her outside with him.

"Stop. Tony! Let go of me!" Rachel tried to get away from him.

"Get in the car. You can do it on your own or I’ll make you." his jaw clenched.

The girl got inside. Shaking.

"Where’s my dad?" she repeated.

"Your dad… he pissed off a lot of people… he was a capo once… but his drinking? Mamma Mia… he became useless the day your mother died… fallen from capo to soldato… and now? A shame really…" he sneered.

"What did he do?" Rachel asked with a shaking voice.

"Oh bella, you know I can’t tell you. Otherwise I’d have to kill you. And I really don’t want to kill such a pretty girl." he laughed and the girl swallowed hard "Just know that he owes a lot of people a lot of money…"

They drove to Winchester and the girl knew immediately where they were going.

"When was the last time you were here? When your mother died?" he asked, although he didn’t sound one bit empathetic "A long time ago… then again, it’s never a good sign if you have to go to Winchester… our family parties are usually held somewhere else…"

The driveway up the hill to the dark manor made Rachel’s insides churn.

"Get out." Tony parked the car and she did as told, following him inside.

"Oh Rachel! Mia bellissima ragazza! Look at you! What a beautiful, beautiful young lady! You should look for a girl like her, Anthony, not the skanks you’re going for." Rosaria Romano pulled Rachel in her arms, before kissing her cheeks "The last time I saw you was before you left for college and now look at you! You’re skinny! Don’t they feed you well at college? All the money they take and then not feeding their students? Che cavolo! You’re staying for dinner! Anthony, tell your father I’m feeding this sweet girl first, before he can talk to her!"

"Mamma! She’s not here to eat!" Tony grabbed the girls arm, but he shrugged away under the cold, hard gaze of his mother. He rolled his eyes, walking away, cursing in Italian.

"Now come, mia ragazza, you can help me with dinner." Rosaria lead her into the kitchen where already a handful of women were cooking away "Here, put that on. We don’t want your beautiful outfit to get stained with pomodori!"

The next hour Rachel cooked together with the ladies, told them about college and how her life was going. She knew all too well that she couldn’t tell them everything. Giving away too much was dangerous, so she lied mostly.

"And what about the boys at college? Someone special there for you?" nonna Viola asked right as Tony came back.

"She’s coming with me now." he grabbed Rachel’s arm, pulling her with him. A muscle ticked at his jaw. His hold on her arm made her whimper in pain.

"Anthony! You hurt her! Stop! Don’t make me swing my mattarello at you!" nonna Viola raised her rolling pin and Anthony let go of the girls arm "There you go, stupido!"

"Come." he glared at the girl who took off the apron, handing it Rosaria.

"When the men have finished whatever their having to talk about now, we’re finishing our conversation, Rachel." she smiled and Rachel nodded.

As she followed Tony down a long, dark hallway the bad feeling she had, since hearing her father’s voice on the phone earlier that day, only intensified.

When they stopped in front of a big oak door Tony pushed Rachel hard against it, caving her in. His nose rubbing down her cheek. His breath reeked of smoke and liquor.

"You won’t like what’s happening next and let me tell you, I understand you. But then again… mhhh look at you." he whispered in her ear, making the girl shudder "My mother wasn’t that wrong, I should go for a girl like you…"

"Anthony?" Don Vito’s cold voice rang out through the door.

"We’re here, papa!" Tony said with a sadistic grin.

"Bring her in then. We have a lot to do."

January 2022:

"Miss Lombardi? Miss Lombardi!" the screeching voice of Professor Cullers made Rachel flinch "Ah great. You are with us again… well, do you know the answer, to Miss Edwards question?"

"I- umm… I don’t. No." the girl looked at her professor "Sorry."

"Maybe stop daydreaming then and start listening to what I’m teaching you."

"Yes, ma’am." she nodded.

The rest of the class Rachel kept writing down everything Professor Cullers said, listening carefully and when the bell rang she was one of the last to leave.

"What’s going on with you?" Stuart asked, waiting at the door for her.

"What do you mean?" they walked side by side to their next course.

"You’re absent. Pretty often. For weeks now…"

"It’s nothing. I’m fine. I promise." Rachel faked a smile and Stuart sighed.

"Ok, cut the crap. What’s going on? Since you left for your father’s birthday a couple of weeks ago, you’re acting strange… what happened at home Rachel?" he looked at her and she took a deep breath, shaking her head.

Stuart was the only friend she made in college, he didn’t talk much, but there was a sense of understanding between the two after she accidentally overheard a conversation between him and a stranger behind the cafeteria one day. Rachel since knew that their backstory was similar and that he broke off all ties to his old life. He would understand her, if she told him what happened. But then again, she knew that she might endanger him if she told him too much.

"How hard was it? Leaving everything behind? Cutting off all ties to your family?" she asked instead and Stuart contemplated his answer for a moment.

"It wasn’t easy, that’s for sure. But I had to do it, so I powered through…"

"But I mean… how did you do it? Where did you get your new identity from? What happened to your old one?" the blonde girl pressed.

"I know a guy who knows a guy… but it costs a lot… also, starting a new life somewhere new isn’t for free either."

Rachel thought for a second, all the money she saved from her scholarship so far, because she only had to pay for the tuition fee and work materials. All the money she saved from working for Peter, which she barely had touched. It was a nice little sum and should keep her afloat for a while.

"Why are you asking me all this? What happened?" Stuart asked again and Rachel sighed "You can tell me, Rach. Nothing you can say will scare me away… I know how you grew up… I know how it is… so come on, tell me."

"I need to leave. Like for real… I always planned on moving to Boston after college, but they won’t let me… I only have time after graduation and then my old life will catch up with me again… I will be pulled into this mess that my life is if I don’t run away." Rachel almost whispered and her friend looked at her wide eyed "They wanted me to leave college immediately but I managed to convince them that a nurse with a degree and all qualifications is more helpful, more useful for them, so they agreed, but as soon as I graduate they will take me back to Woburn or rather Winchester… I can’t go back, Stuart…"

"And you shouldn’t have to go back, but Rach this is a dangerous thing to do? Killing off your old self, start a new life… it’s going to cost you more than just money…" Stuart said and Rachel nodded.

"I’m willing to do whatever it takes…" the young girl said determined.

"Then I’ll help you. But it won’t be easy…"

"Everything is better than staying here…"

"I need to make a few calls, then we’ll see." Stuart smiled at her.

"Thanks Stu. You’re a good friend." Rachel squeezed his hand.

"I’m currently your only friend… so that’s that."

"True…"

April 2022:

"Rachel? There’s a letter for you!"

"Thanks, Peter!" the girl took the letter from the counter, while stirring the pasta sauce "Waterman and Krieger? What is that?" she asked when she saw the sender of the letter.

"They’re a law firm. Inheritance law if I’m not mistaken." Peter looked up from his newspaper.

"Inheritance law?" Rachel ripped the envelope open, unfolding the letter. She went silent, staring at the letter, the pasta sauce bubbling.

"Rach? Hey? Rach?" Peter grabbed the sauce pan and shoved it off the stove top "What happened?" he looked at the girl worriedly.

"My- umm… my mom… she left me some money…" Rachel said slowly, looking at Peter "They write that mom set up a trust fund for me before her death. I have access to the money when I turn 21. Which is in three months."

"Oh wow…" Peter squeezed her shoulder "Do you need a moment? I can finish up dinner and I’ll send Gabe to get you when it’s ready?"

"Is that okay?" the brunette asked and he nodded "Thank you."

Back in her studio she looked at the letter and saw that there was also another smaller envelope inside. She knew the handwriting immediately.

My sweet Rachel,

when you read this letter it means I am no longer around to gift you with my last treasure.

Every money I earned from winning beauty pageants and later from working and that wasn’t needed, I put aside for you.

I know you’re a smart girl and every college would offer you a full scholarship, but just to make sure that if not, we have the money.

I never told your dad about this money, I was too afraid that he would use it. Your father is a great man and I love him dearly. But he’s surrounded himself with the wrong people, they poisoned his mind. And over time he had to drink more and more to forget what he had to do daily for Don Vito.

Please don’t tell him about the money. Keep it to yourself. It’s enough for a fresh start, if you know what I mean.

I’m sorry, that I couldn’t be by your side for longer. That I couldn’t give you the home that you deserved.

Promise me to live a good life. Go live your dreams. But please never forget that I love you, my little Miss Americana.

Love always,

Mom

Rachel leaned back in her seat, closing her eyes. When her mother died, she felt lost, didn’t know how to move forward, didn’t know how to continue with her life. Her father lost himself in alcohol, maybe even drugs. He disappeared for days, just to be laid down on the front porch by some of the men he worked with and for Rachel to get him inside, making sure he wouldn’t choke on his own vomit. She knew what he was doing. She knew who he worked for. From the day she was born she was part of a world she never wanted to be in, as she later realised. Movies and pop culture didn’t do this life justice. It wasn’t glorious or mysterious. It was scary and dark. Where other kids her age went to school and made new friends Rachel always had to stick to the kids from the family. To make sure she wouldn’t spill anything about her father’s work. Her mother had to fight hard with her husband to allow her to take Rachel to beauty pageants, after the little girl watched her mother getting dolled up for numerous pageants herself and wanting to be just like her when she was older. Rachel was talented, just like her mother. Her beauty apparent from a young age and it didn’t take long for her to win her first pageant. She loved competing in pageants. But what she loved even more was the time she spent with her mother. She was always so carefree and happy at the contests, a stark contrast to her usually quiet and almost depressed personality at home. She was always trying to not show Rachel how sad and worried she really was, but unfortunately it didn’t work out and Rachel had asked her more than once what was going on and why she was so sad.

"It’s nothing, my little Miss Americana, grown up stuff, nothing to worry about for you, my pretty girl." she had always said, followed by a kiss on Rachel’s forehead and a "I love you, my Rachel."

But with every year she got older she figured out more and more why her mother was so sad. And why the only times she was happy, careless and free, was when they went to pageants together. Because for a short while she could forget in what danger she was living with her daughter. What her husband did for a living. And the fear of the day where she, or worse Rachel, would have to pay the price of her husband’s job.

Ultimately she paid the price. After Rachel won the Miss Teen USA pageant in September 2016, and she had floated on cloud 9, her mother decided she deserved a treat and on the way home from Boston, where the pageant was held, she stopped at a little diner.

Rachel remembered how her mother ordered a strawberry milkshake and fries, she herself got a chocolate milkshake and fries and as soon as their food had arrived her mother looked around, a big grin on her lips before she nodded.

"No one’s watching… go!" she chimed and began dipping her fries into her milkshake.

Rachel laughed but did the same. Her father was always grossed out when his wife and daughter did that, laughing at them for their craziness, saying they better watch out or the food police would arrest them.

They were so happy that evening, her mother saying a million times how proud she was of her and what amazing and exciting times were ahead now for Rachel. But that happiness was gone in an instant when 2 men entered the dinner and her mother’s face turned to stone. She stopped laughing and looked at her daughter, shaking her head. To not draw any attention to them she silently held up her hand when the waitress looked over to them, signalling for her to come over. Paying in silence Rachel’s mother took her by the hand, guiding her outside, back into the car where she locked to doors immediately, starting the engine. She remembered how her mother called her father, telling him that two of Volkov’s men were at the diner. But before she could say anything she looked into the rear view mirror, her face turning pale when she told her husband that they were being followed. It didn’t take long for her mother to speed down the main road leading into Woburn, faster than ever before in her entire life. On speaker Rachel’s father telling her that their men were already on the way. But it was too late. She felt her mother grab onto her hand, clutching it tightly in her own, when the car was hit with something and soared through the air. She closed her eyes, holding onto the grab handle, listening to the sounds around her, when a searing pain shot through her left thigh. The pain was mind numbing and she tried her best to not focus on it. She tried to listen to the sounds around her but after a short while she only heard her own blood rushing into her ears. Then she felt her mother squeezing her hand and she opened her eyes, her first look was on the bright digital watch in the dashboard, then her mother squeezed her hand again and Rachel turned her head a little, looking at her.

"I’m so sorry, my beautiful Rachel. I love you so much." her final words as Rachel later had to find out.

After that night her father was never the same again. After that night Rachel was never the same again. She had to stay in the hospital for a couple of days, the doctors all confident that with the right care the wound on her right thigh, caused by an open break of her femur, would heal without leaving a big scar, so she could still compete in beauty pageants. But to her it didn’t matter. Without her mother she didn’t plan on continuing. And because of her not responding to any of the calls, mails or letters from the Miss Teen USA committee, regarding her upcoming tour through the United States, they stripped her off her title 6 weeks later, appointing her runner up, Caitlyn Summers, as new Miss Teen USA 2016.

Rachel absentmindedly rubbed her thigh, feeling the scarred skin through the thin fabric of her leggings. A reminder of the night that changed her life forever. That destroyed her life forever. She had to blink away tears, wiping her cheeks when Gabe knocked on the door, making her flinch.

"Rach! Dinner is ready!" his happy voice sounded through the door and the young girl cleared her throat.

"I’m coming in a minute Gabe!" she replied and listened to the sound of his steps on the gravel.

Rachel got up and looked into the mirror, wiping away the last remaining tears. It had been a while since she thought back to that night. The memories still too hurtful and real. After a minute of composure she followed Gabe back into the main house trying her best to not show the emotional turmoil she was feeling.

When Rachel went to bed that night she felt exhausted, drained, but also determined. Determined to escape her life in Woburn. Or Winchester. Escape her family. Live a happy life, just like her mother wanted her to. She would honour her mother’s last wish, give her all to do so. No matter what.

Chapter 1 - and that’s it. First chapter done. I tried something new this time, writing this story from a third-person perspective and also switching between Miss Americana/The Heartbreak Prince centred chapters. I hope you like it! Let me know what you think! 🩷💜

Please leave a comment/ like/ reblog/ message and tell me how you liked it! I'm dying to hear your thoughts!

If you want to be added to the taglist, drop a comment!

Last but not least, English is not my first language and although I tried my best: please excuse any mistakes I made!

Taglist:

@glitterquadricorn @lottalove4evelyn @janeh22 @itsjustkhaos

[observeowl]

Second Chance | Chapter 7 - Sighting

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After your intense training, you realise despite knowing the right form for shooting. This body has yet to be conditioned for shooting that many arrows. In a competition, you have to be able to shoot a minimum of 83 arrows. In your current condition, you have to take a few minutes break after every 10 arrows, and that’s not possible during a competition. 

Knowing your impending muscle ache, you returned to your room to recover your energy as your friends went out for lunch. You sent a quick text to Andrew before knocking out on your bed, not having any energy to do anything else. Thankfully, Andrew knew a few people from your club as he was quite sociable, and the sports team often came together at an event. After having lunch with his friends, he texted you after he went back to his room, and when you didn’t reply, he asked your friends to check on you. He was told that you were still asleep and that you were probably only going to be able to meet him during dinner. 

It was time to get ready for the team dinner, and your friends tried all sorts of methods to wake you up, but you were still sleeping like a log, and they had to splash you with a cup of water. “It’s your fault for sleeping so deep.” 

“Hey, sleeping beauty.” Andrew called out when you walked in. “Saved you a seat.” 

You walked sheepishly towards him and sat down. “Thanks. Sorry for being late.” 

“It’s not a problem.”

As everyone began eating, people started talking with their friends. Andrew talked about what he did while you were sleeping and mentioned that he just got the schedule of when his basketball competition was going to be. It was going to be held at the end of January, giving them time to practice before serious studying started. 

“Training must have kicked your butt.” Andrew said. 

You sighed and nodded. “I’m totally dreading the second session of training later.” You slumped on your chair, not wanting to go anywhere.

“Ohh poor you.” He took your hand. “Just think about the competition. I know it’s tough, but all the effort is going to be worth it in the end.” He encouraged you. 

“Do you want to join?” You asked him since you figured he had nothing else to do. “You could help me sight.” 

“Me? I don’t know how though.” 

“Don’t worry; it’s very simple. I’ll teach you.”

“I should help you sight.” Natasha offered when she joined your training one day. She came with the intention of seeing Clint, but when she saw you trying to figure out where your shots landed, she went forward to assist you. 

“Natty!” You turned around in shock. “I didn’t expect you to be here.” You went to hug her the best you could with all your equipment. “I don’t have a scope though.” 

“Don’t worry, I’ll get one from Clint. He can’t say no to me. He doesn’t miss his shots anyway. The scope is useless to him.” Without even asking, he went to take his scope from his bag and returned. “I’ll tell you your score and the position so you can adjust.” She made you return to your spot and get ready. 

“8, 9 o’clock.” You shifted your scope slightly to the left and fired another shot. “9, 9 o’clock.” You shifted it a bit more, taking a deep breath before shooting again. You had the level right; you just needed the arrow to move to the right. “10.” 

“See, you’re about to adjust better with someone helping you.” She said when it was time to collect your arrows. You managed to see the correction of the arrow - moving towards the centre.

“Yeah, but there’s often not enough people as there are many people shooting at once.” You explained as you pulled out the arrow and placed it back in your quiver. 

“I’ll be here for you.” 

“So, do you understand?” You asked after teaching Andrew. 

“Yeah! It’s really simple.” He went to his spot and started reporting where your arrows landed. 

Everything was going well. Everyone was minding their own business except for the few small talks you have with the person next to you while waiting for everyone to be ready before starting to shoot each time. You were shooting rather consistently each time, even though you haven’t been hitting many tens. Your groupings were small, and that’s the most important thing. “8, 3 o’clock. You have been shooting to the right a lot.” Andrew commented. You hummed, not wanting to move your mouth too much, shifting your anchor point. 

“Hey, Clint.” Someone said, affecting your release, you landed a shot way off.

“Oh, that’s a 1, 2 o’clock.” Andrew noted, surprised at your sudden deterioration in scoring. You nodded and took a deep breath before loading another arrow. You were unable to get your breathing rhythm back, and your hands were shaking a lot. Deciding to get over with it, you released the arrow, knowing it was not going to land anywhere close to where you wanted it to be. “2, 12 o’clock.” 

You placed your bow in your bow stand, not intending to shoot for a while. “Are you tired? Should I get some water for you?” You smiled at his attentiveness and nodded, going with him. You’re not willing to be in the same space as Natasha. 

“Let’s take a seat here.” You pulled him to benches that scattered the place. 

“You sure you can skip training?” Andrew asked tentatively. 

You chuckled a little. “Relax a little. Are you always following the rules?” 

He wiggled his hands a little. “I can probably count the number of times I went against the rules with one hand.” 

You smiled at him. “It’s alright here as long as you shoot 200 arrows during training. I just don’t want to enter now. I won’t be able to shoot right.” You had your hands together. He could tell there was something you were hiding, but if you didn’t want to share, he wouldn’t pry. 

You rest your head on his shoulders. He was the perfect height for you, it was very comfortable, and you drifted off without realising. 

===

“Nat. What are you doing here?”

“I’m just passing the time.” She sauntered over to him while looking at the others. After spending much time with Clint, she learned a few archery skills and could tell who needed more help. 

“Let me ask you something since you’re here.” Clint pulled Nat aside to speak in more privacy while still being able to see the rest. “Are you sure you’re dating Maria? You seem to jump from being friends to being girlfriends. When did you guys even go on dates? I never knew you two were this close.” 

“I don’t have to tell you everything I do. Maria and I like each other; that’s what matters.” Natasha angrily defends. 

Clint sighed and shook his head, “That’s okay if that's what you truly think. If not, you’re just going to hurt people around you.” He left Nat with his words before going back to guide his teammates. She’s mad that his best friend didn’t trust her. 

When she left the range, more smoke was coming out of her ears when she saw you sleeping on Andrew’s shoulders. Why was everything going your way, but she has to fight for every ounce of happiness to come her way? Isn’t it enough that her marriage with you has turned sour? Why does every relationship she gets into have to be so tough on her? Does she not deserve the relationship that every girl dreams of?

After a few shots, she decided that drinking by herself was boring and lame and called Maria to join her. By the time Maria arrived, Nat was already drunk on her shot. The bartender was a bit hesitant to give her any more, especially when looking like a student. 

“Maria!” Nat cheered when she saw her arriving. “What are you doing here?” 

“You asked me to come,” Maria said, wide-eyed. “Never mind, how much have you drunk?” She counted the number of shot glasses on the table. “You can really drink.” 

“Sit with me!” Nat pulled Maria closer and pushed her onto a chair. “Come on! Don’t waste it since you’re here.” She forced a shot glass into her hand and nodded for her to drink it. After knocking it back once, more came her way, but she refused it. Vodka shots were not something Maria liked, and someone needed to be responsible for bringing her back to her room. 

“Come on; you’re drunk. Let’s get back to the resort. Of all the days to get drunk, you choose to get drunk on the day before you leave. You’re not going to like the hangover you get tomorrow.” Maria said, more to herself as she knew Nat wasn’t listening. She paid for the drinks before swinging Nat’s arm over her shoulders and bringing her back to the resort. 

All the way, Natasha kept complaining about how Clint didn’t trust her. Her mouth kept running until Maria covered her with the duvet. As much as Natasha puts on a serious and menacing look on the surface, she’s a cute little one when she’s sleeping. She looks harmless when she curls up asleep. 

“I know you won’t remember any of this tomorrow. But I still love you for it.” Maria sat next to her and combed Nat’s hair with her hands as she watched her sleep peacefully. She hesitated a bit before placing a soft kiss on Nat’s hairline. “I have loved you ever since I laid my eyes on you, Natasha.”

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[ladykailitha]

Well Met By Moonlight Part 10

Hello! If you haven't seen it yet, I've got a set schedule for what story posts on what days now (as seen here) and this one as well as Icarus, Batshit Soulmates, and Never Hold Back Your Step... will still be posting just on rotation until I can finish some of my WIPs. (I may be stretching myself a bit thin having six going at the same time.)

In this chapter Steve gets a migraine dealing with his pack, Eddie and Wayne try to get a little deeper into the mystery of the town, and Robin has a big decision to make.

@mira-jadeamethyst @rozzieroos @redfreckledwolf @emly03 @itsall-taken

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9

****

While things were getting better outside the pack, things weren’t going as well inside the pack.

Someone was riling up the older pack members to fight Steve on every decision.

“Joyce,” Steve growled warningly. “I won’t tell you again. I’m not taking Nancy as bondmate. Nor do you want me to. Not unless your son has broken up with her recently. So recently I don’t know about it.”

Joyce rolled her eyes. “Of course not. But in the history of this pack, the alpha female has always been bonded to to the alpha male. It’s tradition.”

“Which pack are we talking about?” Steve snarled. “The one where Hopper was alpha and didn’t notice two families being abused by their father because he was drunk off his ass all the time? Or are we talking about the one that threatened to rape and kill my mother for accidentally walking into compound as a mortal woman and was only saved by Wayne Munson passing by? Or the one where Clarence Harrington founded the pack back in the 1800s?”

Joyce took a step back in the face of his rage.

“Maybe it’s time to see traditions aren’t working out for the pack and to move forward,” Steve said baring his teeth.

She looked him square in the eye, daring him to make a move.

“Submit,” he snarled, using his alpha voice. “Or be banished for this lack of respect you have shown me since I became alpha.”

There had been pack members milling around when they started arguing and more had gathered.

They all gasped when Steve threatened banishment.

“Do. You. Submit?”

She gulped and lowered her head for the first time in his presence. She kept her eyes on the ground and murmured, “Yes, alpha.”

He turned to the gathered pack. “Anyone who doesn’t respect my authority as alpha is free to go, no judgment. But I will not stand for willful and flagrant disobedience just because the person is older than me. Do I make myself clear?”

The assembled all nodded, making noises of affirmation.

“Good,” he said and then waved his arm. “Now scram!”

They all fled including Joyce.

Jonathan came up to him after everyone else had gone.

“You going to question my authority, too?” Steve snapped, a migraine starting pulse behind his eyes.

The other boy shook his head. “Nah, man. I know you’re cool. It’s just hard on my mom because Hopper would still be alpha if he hadn’t been kidnapped and she doesn’t know what to do with you being alpha so young.”

Steve sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. “Yeah, it’s not normal, but we have to change if we are to survive. The world is moving fast. Faster than anything this pack has ever dealt with and if we don’t move with it, it will kill us.”

Jonathan nodded. “I’ll talk to her. See if I can’t get her to be at least not as antagonistic toward you. Because since you’ve become alpha things are really starting to change around here, for the better, too. She just needs to acknowledge that.”

Steve clapped Jonathan on the shoulder. “Thanks, man. Because you can get her to calm down...”

“Then Hop will do the same...” Jonathan continued.

“And hopefully Murray will follow after,” Steve finished. “And while that won’t miraculously fix all the packs problems...”

“It make it easier for to focus on the things that still need fixing.”

He nodded. “Right in one.”

Jonathan gave his shoulder a squeeze and then walked away.

****

Steve lay on his bed as Robin stroked his hair gently.

“All I’m saying is that a lot problems would be solved if you became pack,” Steve mumbled into her side.

His migraine had taken control of his body and he was in agony. No one was sure why things like headaches, period cramps, and cancer were immune to the werewolf’s ability to super heal, but it really sucked that there were.

“And a whole lot more problems that would crop up if I did,” she reminded him.

He sighed deeply. At the moment he didn’t care about the problems, only the solutions and he told her so.

Robin sighed. “I want to. But I don’t want to alienate my family if I do, you know?”

Steve struggled to sit up. Robin protested his moving but was helpless to stop the much stronger alpha.

He tucked his knees under him and took her hands gently in hers. “This decision is only one you can make. But believe me when I say you have to make it for you. Not me, not your parents or friends. Not even that pretty siren girl you like. You. What do you want to do?”

Robin hung her head. “Can I think about it?”

He squeezed her hands. “Of course you can. I can’t do anything until you’re eighteen anyway and that’s a few months away. But I want you to make a choice that’s best for you.”

She nodded. “Yeah. Okay.”

****

It wasn’t like Gareth straight up laughed in Eddie’s face when he asked about moon days. But it was a near thing.

“I’m a gwyllgi,” he said. He pronounced it like g-with-gee. “It’s like the English Black Dogs, only cooler. I can transform at anytime or place, but my family tends to be groundskeepers for cemeteries and graveyards.”

He shook his head. “All these years playing together in a band and you never knew I was a supe.”

Jeff scoffed. “In all fairness, he was the only human for a number of those years.”

“That’s true,” Brian agreed, “and it’s not like gwyllgi have a scent to them the way werewolves do. Cut him some slack.”

Eddie cocked his head to the side as he scented the air. “I don’t think that’s quite true.”

The three other boys stood stock still as Jeff and Brian sniffed.

Jeff looked to Eddie. “Is that the smell of freshly overturned soil?”

Brian sniffed a little longer. “A bit of death, too.”

Gareth grinned, jumping up and down. “I was wondering when you guys were going to figure it out.”

They all turned to him and cocked their heads.

“Graveyards. You smell like a graveyard!” Brian said. “That’s I was having trouble placing it. Sirens bury their dead at sea.”

Gareth shuddered. “Sirens are weird.”

“How are you friends with two vampires?” Eddie asked. “Aren’t gwyllgi supposed to protect graveyards from entities like Jeff and me?”

Gareth tilted his head to the side and Eddie was struck by how dog-like his friend was.

He shrugged. “My parents vetted all of you before I was allowed to hang out with you guys. If my parents think you guys are cool, what the fuck do I care what you eat?”

Jeff and Eddie looked at each other and huffed out a laugh.

“Yeah, okay,” Eddie said ruffling Gareth’s hair. “Will you take notes during the next moon day and find out what they are teaching kids these days? Because Steve is really worried. Crosses and werewolves have never been a thing.”

Gareth nodded solemnly. “Yeah, even my parents are worried about what that might mean for the gwyllgi. They might decide we’re werewolves and come after us next.”

Eddie winced. That was a real possibility that he really didn’t want to think of right then. But he filed the thought away to talk to Wayne and Steve about later.

“What about you, Bri?” Jeff asked. “You hear anything in your neck of the woods?”

Brian shrugged. “People don’t like being friends with sirens so we tend to be shunned when they know what we are. It’s why I didn’t tell you guys for years.”

“It’s only when you sing though, right?” Eddie asked. “The compelling people to do shit, right?”

Brian shrugged again, fiddling with the tuning pegs on his base. “All sorts of rules to, too. But they don’t care. They think just talking to me will force them to do stuff.”

Eddie frowned. He knew he was new to the supernatural world being a bitten vampire, but there was so much bullshit that he wasn’t sure he could navigate through all of it.

“Well, siren or no,” he said fiercely. “You’re our friend and if anyone gives you hell, just point them me and Jeffey’s direction.”

Brian nodded still looking at the floor. All three other boys came over and hugged him.

“Thanks, guys.”

****

Wayne watched as Jason and Patrick toiled in the midday sun. The work was hard and more than a little tedious, but if they were working, they didn’t have the energy to cause trouble.

Patrick was already starting to shift his beliefs just from talking to Wayne and listening to his stories about fighting for the Union in the Civil War, about this town’s heritage.

Jason, he knew was going to be a tougher nut to crack. Jason was far too used to being spoiled and given everything he wanted when he wanted it to bend to Wayne’s will easily.

But Wayne had his ways and the first thing he needed to do was earn the boy’s trust.

“Did they kick you two off the team?” he rumbled.

Both boys looked up at him and then each other. They stopped what they were doing and leaned on their shovels.

Patrick snorted disdainfully. “They probably should have, but that would have meant removing their entire starting line and Principal Higgins wasn’t about to do that.”

“I got removed from being captain, though,” Jason said bitterly. He kicked at clod of dirt viciously with his foot to show his frustration.

“Who’s the new captain?” Wayne asked gently.

“Dirk Garroway,” Patrick said, glancing over at Jason. “He’s the younger brother of a former member of the team. A lot of the team isn’t happy about it.”

“That’s because he’s afraid of his own fucking shadow,” Jason sneered.

Patrick hid his wince well from Jason, but Wayne noticed nonetheless. “He’s always playing it safe. He doesn’t take risks. Which is great if you want a middle of the road team, but not one that’s going to win championships.”

“That’s certainly true,” Wayne said warmly. “Tell me what happened in the most recent game.”

Jason sneered. “Why would you care?”

Patrick looked panicked. He didn’t want to antagonize Wayne and was always afraid that if Jason mouthed off then Patrick would get the blow back.

“I’ve seen the rise of many a sport here in this country,” Wayne said with a smile. “But basketball and baseball are my favorites.”

That brought Jason up short. He straightened his spine and looked at Wayne with interest. “So you seen all the greats?”

Gotcha! Wayne thought with a grin.

“Sure have seen quite a few of them at any rate,” Wayne said sagely. “Who are your favorites?”

Jason launched into his inspirations and what his aspirations had been before he made the stupidest mistake of his life.

Wayne looked over at Patrick and winked. The other boy blushed, but was starting to finally relax.

It would take some time, but it was now only a matter of how long before Wayne got his answers on why they thought killing the Harrington Pack alpha would solve this town’s woes.

Because Steve was right.

There was something rotten in this town just below the surface. Below what he could see.

And wasn’t that just a terrifying thought.

****

Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20

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[armoricaroyalty]

When historians wrote about the sixteen short years he spent on the throne, they would characterize it as a short preamble to Rosalind's reign. He would be remembered primarily as her father, his name a mere footnote in her biography. He could accept that.

Previous | Chapter Start | Beginning | Next

Transcription under the cut.

ELISE | You have to speak with her. ANDRE | :/ ELISE | She’s your heir, she needs to know. ANDRE | Now? What about the boys? ELISE | Now, Andre. ANDRE | [ sighs ] You’re right… ANDRE | Do you remember the time we came here when you were little? ANDRE | You must have been…six or seven? ANDRE | We went for a walk, just the two of us, and ended up right here. ANDRE | It was the first time I told you that you would be queen someday. Do you remember what you said? He looks at her for a moment. Flash back to Rosalind, Age 7 or 8. ROSALIND | Yeah, Daddy. I already know. The present. ANDRE | And then you started telling me all about your big ideas. You were so excited. You said that when you were Queen, you were going to end world hunger and close the hole in the ozone layer. You were going to save the world. ANDRE | [ heavily ] Rosalind…what I’m trying to tel you is…it’s…I’m.. ROSALIND | Dad? Is something wrong? ANDRE | I’m not mad at you. ROSALIND | What? ANDRE | [ exasperated ] Life is too short, Roz. I’m not going to waste time being angry about your girlfriend or what some stupid reporter said in some stupid magazine. ANDRE | [ exhales ] ANDRE | Look…I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my time. ROSALIND | Dad— ANDRE | Let me finish! ANDRE | When you’re queen, you’re going to have to do things your own way. You have to be a leader. You can’t dither, you can’t sit on the fence…you have to be decisive. ANDRE | You can’t let fear hold you back. [ beat ] ROSALIND | I love her, Dad. I’m going to marry her. ANDRE | You feel that strongly about her? Despite everything? ROSALIND | She’s everything to me. ANDRE | [ he looks at her intently, searching her expression. She’s serious. ] Well…I’d say that you and Mary have waited long enough, haven’t you? ANDRE | You tell her to pick out a ring. And tell her to pick a good one. ROSALIND | Dad! ANDRE | It has to be good. Good enough for a queen…

[narcissarina]

Darkened Desires

Prologue and Chapter 1: The sun || Chapter 2: The moon || Chapter 3: The moon || Chapter 4: The sun || Chapter 5: The sun || Chapter 6: The moon || Chapter 7: The moon || Chapter 8: The sun || Chapter 9: The sun || Chapter 10: The outsider || Chapter 11: The moon || Chapter 12: The sun || Chapter 13: The sun || Chapter 14: The moon || Chapter 15: The sun

Pairings: Mafia!Scaramouche × Barista!Reader

Word count: 579

Thank you for making it this far!

EPILOGUE

I got back at working on my usual, had to company and assure my mother that everything’s under control and that I am fine (haven’t recovered from that experience but I’m making progress) my friends scolded me and got worried, I’m actually fine right now since I know a man who would go lengths just to come to my aid and rescue.

The same man who stalked me, kidnap me even then gave me a tour of his own home. Sharing his stories and experiences as I take in that we live in different worlds—yet he choses to be with me. Opposite attracts, right?

He lives in the dark, and I’m in the light.

Like how the moon loves the sun, that’s why every once in a while there’s an eclipse.

Funny how he was the obsessed one, I won’t be lying that he isn’t good in bed.

It’s been a few months, I still go to therapy because Scara refuse to stop paying for my sessions, he still believes that I still need it. “what do you mean that I don’t have to pay for your therapy?” he said and give me a judgmental look.

I even ask Ajax about it and he said he can’t do anything about it, and that Scara gets snappy when Ajax talk to him on my behalf.

The Tsaritsa has been doing good and her health was improving when I’m around (she thinks I’m her daughter but I really don’t mind) she would give me gifts on many occasions, I still remember she almost bought me a car, since my old one is shit.

The more I know them like friends, the more I forget that they’re wanted criminals. My mind drifting off that they’re old friends when they’re literally a dangerous and powerful mafia.

Behind the café counter, I take orders for my customers and work on the usual routine that I normally had. But this time, something different—after taking the last order, I move my neck as it cracks some of my stiffen muscles.

I go over and clean the counter top, then made a bitter black coffee, just how he likes it.

Ding—

The sound of the bell of the door opening. I greet that customer with a smile and present him his usual.

“Welcome, here’s your usual.” I greet and hand him his bitter black coffee, “did you make sure you made it with extra love?” Scara teases, as his hand brushes over mine as he takes his coffee from my hand.

I could only chuckle at his remark, he leans in the counter—coffee in hand as he took my hand with his free one, “date at three?” he kissed my knuckles, I roll my eyes and nodded.

He smirks and got to his table to drink his coffee and wait for my shift to end.

My friend pops out of nowhere and gave me a scare, “jesus!” I yelp, she cock a brow and look at me up and down, “y’all better behave.” I chuckle at her and wink.

I watch the man who sat beside the door, drinking his coffee and reading—the same man who has dangerous connections, who is morally grey. The same man who saved me, obsessed with me.

I smile, knowing that my safety will be in his hands.

Assured that he’ll give me the future that he and I vision.

The same man I didn’t knew I fell in love with.

A/n: Hello! This series has finally comee to an end, thank you for reading and for sticking around 😭😭🙏 I appreciate you reading my works, comments were really appreciated and motivates me to write more stories!

Started writing this at March 1, 2024

Finished writing this day, March 22, 2024.

Thank you for sticking with me!

[ssinnerplazahotel]

╭──────────.★..─╮

*Chapter Nine*

╰─..★.──────────╯

WC: 8k

Warning: 18+, age gap, smut, fluff, toxic elvis, manipulation, drug use, it’s the 50s/60s, painful-difficult-devastating-life-changing-extraordinary love

Pairing: elvis x black reader

Disclaimer: full of inaccuracies, inaccurate timeline, inaccurate depictions of Graceland, historically inaccurate themes and items

Masterlist: Prologue, Ch. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Time is a strange thing. It has a way of going by slowly and in a hurry all at the same time. It doesn’t wait for you or let you catch up. You discovered early on that if you focused too much on time it drifted by slowly. If you kept yourself busy and focused on other things it went by without you noticing too much. So you kept yourself as busy as possible.

Although you had plenty of money saved, you got a job within your first week of being in Atlanta. You waited tables at a small diner just a few blocks from the apartment you were renting.

It wasn’t the nicest apartment. It was above a family-owned restaurant and your landlord wasn’t the most forgiving woman in the world, but it was in the heart of the city and close enough to your job.

It wasn’t entirely without incident that you’d ended up there. When you arrived at the train station you’d decided to take the first train leaving that was going the furthest away.

Regardless, you didn’t regret the decision. It was a busy city, and you needed to be busy.

When you called Dawn that first night, from a hotel in the middle of a completely different state, she tore into for nearly thirty minutes. You were able to convince her that you were fine, and that you were doing what was necessary. You weren’t having a breakdown, you were trying to prevent one.

You didn’t expect to spend the next month searching for a place to be. That month of aimlessly wandering was unnerving, but now you were settling nicely in Georgia now.

You had left Memphis behind and you were gaining important life skills and managing your finances. It wasn’t the most ideal job, but you were able to throw yourself into your work everyday.

You were happy with the way things were going. And the more consumed you were with work and surviving, the less effort it took not to think about him.

You missed him every single day, a part of you always would. But it didn’t hurt as much anymore. The hole he left in your heart was still there, hollow but numb now.

“You got company, treasure,” Your coworker called out to you from the kitchen.

“Give me that sirloin, Chuck, I asked for it first.” You ducked your head to talk to him through the service window. “You get around like an old man.”

“You got one coming in hot,” He responded. “If you were nicer maybe you’d get your shit faster.”

“Yeah, right.”

“Looks like somebody’s lost,” Sinclair, a fellow waitress at the restaurant, said as she walked over to grab her order. You followed her gaze to the man taking a seat in your section. It wasn’t a segregated restaurant by any means, but only a certain demographic of people really ate there—this man, wearing a fancy suit and sunglasses in the middle of the night, didn’t fit into any of those boxes. “Let him know this ain’t Sterling’s.”

You laughed. “I might let him think it is for a big enough tip.”

“Speaking of big enough.” Sinclair called out to Chuck through the service window. “Where’s that sirloin?”

“Hey, next one’s mine.” You took your notepad and pen out of the front pocket of your apron. “I’m coming right back for it, Chuckles.”

“I’ll have it for you, treasure, don’t worry. I’m only one man.”

You rolled your eyes and made your way over to your section. You stopped to check on a few people before you made it to the man’s table. He wore dark shades even though it was nighttime and he kept his head down looking at the menu until you spoke.

“Hello,” You said, getting his attention before introducing yourself. “I’m going to be taking care of you tonight. What can I get started for you?”

He hesitated as he read your name from your name tag. He had an odd tone when he spoke but you couldn’t make out his expression behind the sunglasses.

“Yes.” You smiled politely, preparing to write. “What can I get started for you?”

“Well I’ll be, it is you.” He laughed. “What are you doin here?”

“I think you have me confused with someone else.” You smiled uncomfortably. “Just one of those faces~”

“Oh, no, it’s me.” He stood and removed the glasses.

“Joel?” Your stomach dropped. “Oh my god.”

Joel laughed, hugging you enthusiastically. “I haven’t seen you since you took off.”

You froze when he hugged you, uncomfortably patting his back with one hand before he pulled away. You glanced around the restaurant to see if anyone was watching, catching a few eyes before looking up at him again. “W-What are you doing here, Joel? Are you here with someone?”

“No, I’m alone.” He still looked stunned to see you.

“I-I hardly recognized you for a second,” You stammered.

“You look~ I mean~ you haven’t changed.” He laughed. “I only been out here a couple weeks or so with my parents.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, my dad opened up a repair shop just off the highway.”

“Auto repair?” You presumed.

“Yeah, he wanted me up here with ‘im. He’s got me fixin cars all day.”

“Why Atlanta?”

“I guess he thinks city folk have more car trouble,” He chuckled. “What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Why here?”

You shrugged. “I just found myself here. No reason really.”

“It’s a strange city,” Joel said. “I don’t think I’ve slept a wink since I been here.”

“I guess that explains the sunglasses in the middle of the night?”

“Oh, yeah, not to mention that I’m so hungover I can’t see straight.” He smiled when you laughed. “I don’t get out much but I pay the price when I do.”

“Well, sit down, I’ll bring you some coffee.” You smiled and turned to walk away before he stopped you.

“Maybe we can catch up,” He said. “You’re the only familiar face I seen since I been here.”

“I’m working right now.”

“After?”

You hesitated. “I-I don’t know…”

His face fell slightly. “That’s fine, I understand.”

You felt bad about declining the offer. He was a familiar face and he’d had a good rapport with Dawn and you would consider him an old friend, even though you rarely ever spoke. “…I’m off in the next hour. If you’re willing to wait.”

“Yeah.” He nodded with a smile. “I’m not in any rush.”

You smiled. “I’ll be right back.”

“I’ll be right here,” He said, retaking his seat.

Sinclair looked at you with narrowed eyes as you walked over to the service window. “You know that man?”

“He’s an old friend,” You said, leaning down to talk to Chuck. “Give it to me, baby.”

“I got you,” He said. “Order up in five.”

“Order up now.” You walked away to pour up the coffee.

“How do you know him?” Sinclair asked as Chuck served her orders through the window.

“He knows my aunt,” You stated simply. “Why?”

“Just curious,” Sinclair said, checking her tickets. “Can’t I ask?”

“I never said you couldn’t.” You took your orders out of the window and loaded them onto a serving tray. “Thanks, Chuckles.”

“You’re welcome,” He said. “You gone in an hour?”

“I’m gone in forty-nine minutes.” You dropped your orders at your other tables before taking Joel his coffee. He ordered his food and you took the ticket back to Chuck.

The final hour of a shift was always the hardest to get through, but you managed to finish out strong. You set up the next waitron before clocking out in the back.

“See you tomorrow,” You called to Chuck and Sinclair, waving at a few coworkers on your way over to Joel’s table. He perked up a little when he saw you, closing one of the four travel pamphlets he was reading to pass the time. “You know anything about Vegas yet?”

“Not unless you’re interested in a Tropicana Holiday,” He said, holding up the brochure. “Three days, two nights.”

You smiled and sat down across from him, draping your coat over the back of your chair and sitting your purse on the ground beside you. “How’s your head?”

“Like it never happened.”

“Good.”

One of your coworkers approached your table. Her name was Monica, that was just about all you knew about her. “What can I get started for you guys?” She asked, eyeing the two of you strangely.

“Are you hungry?” Joel asked.

“I’m fine,” You insisted quickly.

“You should eat,” He argued. “It’s on me.”

“Joel, really, it’s fine.”

“I insist.”

He ordered you something off of the menu for you and Monica jotted down the order before walking away.

“You know I can’t let you pay for it,” You said when she was gone.

“Let me. Consider it a favor from an old friend.”

“I’ll pay you back.”

“I won’t let you.” He chuckled, pushing his hair out of his eyes. His blond curls still framed his face like they did when you first met him, though they were longer now—nearly dusting his shoulders. It made him look boyish even though his features were mature. “What made you leave Memphis?”

“I needed a change of scenery.” You had repeated the same lie to everyone you encountered, so much so that you were starting to believe it yourself.

“D’you still talk to Elvis at all?”

“Why would I?”

He shrugged indifferently and moved on. “I saw Dawn before I left.”

“You did?” You perked up a bit, grateful for the immediate change in subject. “How was she?”

“She was good, still workin at the house,” He said. “She’s the same old Dawn.”

Monica returned with your order and the two of you sat there talking until you finished eating. Joel was interested in hearing about the places you’d been to around the city and you were happy to tell him. You had more than enough stories to tell after being on your own for so long.

Thinking back, you weren’t sure how you’d done it. As you were recalling the memories you were also recalling how afraid and completely lost you were—fear had been the only thing you’d felt in months. You were so constantly afraid that you were used to it.

“You live near here?” Joel asked after paying the bill. “I can take you home.”

“I usually walk,” You said, grabbing your things and standing with him. “My place is just a few blocks from here.”

“I’ll walk you~”

“You don’t have to go out of your way~”

“I don’t mind, really. I want to make sure you get there alright.”

You couldn’t convince him to let you go alone, so the two of you left the restaurant together.

The entire night had been so surreal, you never expected to see anyone from Memphis again. “I can’t believe we ran into each other like this.”

“It’s funny. All these people and we still managed to bump into each other.”

You hummed in agreement. “I guess you stumbled into the right diner.”

“I guess I did.” Joel sighed. “I ain’t talked to anyone outside of my folks in a while.”

“I haven’t had time to make any friends.”

“It’s harder to make friends in the city.”

“Yeah?”

He nodded. “Back home, you step outside your house and you make all kinds of friends just from right there on your front porch.”

You laughed at that. “It was never that simple for me.”

“I’ve met some good people that way. You meet people everywhere here but you don’t know anyone.”

“So, what I’m hearing is that you hate Atlanta?”

“I don’t know…I think I’ll start to hate it less.”

After Joel dropped you off that night you didn’t see him again for a couple of weeks. You figured that you would see very little of him even though you were in the same state. However, he did show up again eventually.

“What are you here for? Another cure?”

“I’m sober as a judge.”

You laughed. “I would take your order but you just missed me. I’m off now.”

“Then I’m right on time.” He smiled. “I wanted to take a look at the old coupe deville. You were telling me about it.”

“You came to look at my car?” You asked incredulously. “It’s ten o’clock at night.”

“Time still doesn’t exist to me, I guess.” He shrugged sheepishly. “I understand if you have plans.”

“I don’t have any plans, Joel, it’s ten o’clock,” You said, making him laugh. “You don’t need an excuse to come see me, y’know?”

You meant it as a joke but Joel’s face still flushed slightly at your words. “Can I walk you home?”

“Just let me grab my stuff,” You said. “I’ll be quick.”

“You better be. It is ten o’clock, y’know?”

You cut your eye at him and walked to the back to get your things.

“Yo, treasure, that guy bothering you?”

“No, Chuck, didn’t I tell you he’s an old friend?”

Chuck scoffed and mumbled something under his breath before getting back to what he was doing.

“That white boy’s out there for you again,” Sinclair said, sauntering through the door.

“His name’s Joel,” You said.

“And what does Joel want with you?” She asked. “He’s been here three times now.”

“I think I know what he wants with her,” Chuck said, walking back out into the kitchen.

“Fuck you, Chuck.” You shrugged on your jacket and faced Sinclair. “He’s been here three times?”

“He came while I was covering your shift last week,” She said. “Speaking of, I’m gonna need you to return the favor. Wendell has a parent-teacher conference at school Friday night and Marc can’t make it.”

You nodded, distracted. “I can do Friday night.”

“It’s three to eleven, my usual.”

“I’ll make it work, don’t worry.”

Sinclair thanked you and wished you a safe trip home before getting back to her tables. You put on a smile as you met Joel, admittedly drained but not wanting to let it show.

“How was your day?” He asked, his hands shoved casually into the pockets of his acid washed jeans as you walked along the quiet sidewalk.

“Okay,” You responded. “Long.”

“I hear you,” Joel sighed.

“My coworker said you came by sometime last week,” You mentioned. “You weren’t looking for me were you?”

“I don’t know.” He smiled, embarrassed.

“Why were you looking for me?”

“I don’t~”

“You have to know. A person doesn’t just do things without knowing why.”

“I don’t know,” He said anyway, making you shoot him a glare. He laughed it off. “Maybe I wanted to see you.”

He looked away as he spoke, kicking at the loose rocks on the sidewalk.

“Is that bad?” He asked when you didn’t respond, still looking down at the sidewalk, watching the rocks as they skidded ahead each time he kicked them.

“No, I don’t think so,” You said. “Do you think it is?”

“I don’t know,” He said, laughing in realization. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to~”

“It’s fine.” You smiled.

“I was already out tryna to get away from my parents, so I figured I’d try you again today.”

“Do your parents smother you?” You asked.

“Oh yeah.” He heaved a sigh. You couldn’t tell if he was frustrated at the thought of his parents or relieved to be shifting subjects. “They always have. Mama’s terrible about it, and daddy—he does whatever she tells him to. They don’t think I can make it on my own.”

“I’m sure they do it out of love.”

“I know.” He brushed his hair out of his eyes. “Everything I do is to try and prove to them that I can take care of myself. I’m starting to think they’ll always see me as a kid.”

“You should talk to them,” You suggested. “If they love you enough they’ll hear you out and try to change.”

“You think so?”

“It’s worth the shot.”

Joel smiled. “This is why I like being around you. You always have something good to say.”

You laughed in denial. “I know how it feels to be stuck in a box and not know how to get out.”

“Your folks overbearing?” Joel asked.

“Dawn’s really my only family.”

“I remember you saying that,” He said with an apologetic expression. “It must be tough being on your own.”

“It’s okay.” You were getting used to it, you almost preferred being alone. “Y-You should really talk to your parents. I think they’ll understand how you feel.”

“I will,” He said. “I’ll tell you how it goes.”

“Already planning your next stakeout,” You pointed out humorously. “Why don’t you just wait outside of my apartment instead of at my job?”

“You’re giving great advice tonight.” He laughed along with you for a moment. “Maybe I’ll catch you on a day you’re off, and it’s not ten o’clock at night.”

“You’ll have to if you plan on telling me about your talk with your parents.” Joel laughed again as you contemplated the idea. “I’m free tomorrow.”

“I’m usually done with everything at the shop around three on Thursdays—I could just….”

“That’s fine. You know the address now, I assume.”

“Locked and loaded.” He tapped his temple. “Not because I regularly stake out your apartment or anything.”

“No, of course not.” You smiled. “It’s 3B. Don’t forget.”

“I won’t,” He said. “You should give me your number. In case I have to call and cancel.”

You narrowed your eyes jokingly, coming to a stop as you approached your apartment building. You took your pen and pad out of the front of the apron you still wore under your coat and jotted down your number and address. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” Joel said, taking the ticket. “Good night.”

You smiled and turned to walk into the restaurant that led up to your apartment.

Joel waited until you were inside before walking back the way you guys came.

“Leftovers,” Your landlady called as she wiped down the tables for the night, nodding her head at the carefully packaged food. “You’re late. I almost threw them away.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Angie,” You said as you grabbed the bag. “You’re always so kind.”

She hummed, uninterested in your compliment. “Rent’s due by the end of the week, no exceptions.”

“I’m gonna have all of it,” You promised, heading for the stairs. “Tell Mr. Ben I said goodnight.”

You climbed the stairs and got into your apartment. After putting the leftovers in the fridge you didn’t have any energy left to do anything but shower and go to bed.

You dropped your tips in your savings jar and called it a night.

*

“I looked at him and I said ‘Daddy, some things are gonna hafta change around here if I’mma keep working for you. I ain’t gonna let you and mama run me around and tell me what to do like you have been. Not anymore.’ You know what he said?”

“What?”

“He said ‘get your ass over there and start rotatin them tires.’”

You laughed from where you sat on the ground piecing together a puzzle on your coffee table. Joel sat on the sofa looking down at it as you made more progress.

“So?” You asked, glancing up at him. “What’d you do?”

“I got my ass over there and started rotating them tires.” He laughed along with you. “What was I s’posed to do?”

“He probably just didn’t know how to react,” You said, picking up another piece of the puzzle and examining the incomplete picture of a swan on a lake.

“There.” Joel pointed to the missing part of the swans beak.

“At least you tried.” You put the piece in its place. “I wouldn’t know where to start if I tried to unpack things with my dad.”

“Tell me about your dad.” He moved from the sofa and sat down next to you on the floor

“There’s nothing to tell,” You said. “He left when I was little and took my brother with him.”

“Do you remember anything about him?”

“I try not to.”

You laughed but Joel’s expression remained serious. “I’m sorry about that.”

“Don’t be,” You said. “It doesn’t bother me.”

“It should.” You focused on the puzzle as he spoke. “Not having both your parents ain’t easy.”

“You can’t miss what you never had.”

“Yeah, but you can long for something you should’ve.”

You met his eyes and your expression grew to match his.

“I think, even if you say there isn’t, there’s a part of you that wishes he had been there for you.”

“There isn’t.”

“It’s okay if there is~”

“There’s not, Joel.” You examined the piece in your hand, scanning the puzzle again. “I don’t have any strong feelings about the situation. It’s just something that happened.”

Joel took the puzzle piece from you and tucked it into its proper place. “He missed out on a good thing from what I can tell. It’s his loss.”

You shrugged. “I wish my brother and I would have gotten a chance to grow up together. Other than that I just…”

“Try not to think about it,” Joel finished. You nodded. “I won’t bring it up again.”

You smiled a little as he pieced together another piece of the puzzle. “Why are you actually good at this?”

“You just havta go by the colors.” He handed you another piece. “Sit back and look at the bigger picture.”

You followed his advice and leaned away from the coffee table. “Ah, I see.” You laughed, finding where the piece went immediately.

“There you go.” Joel laughed.

“I still might take you hostage and make you finish it for me.” You smiled. “I’ll never get it done on my own.”

“I’d be a willing hostage,” He said. “I like being here with you.”

You laughed again, unsure of how you should respond. “I’d make for a terrible captor.”

Joel smiled without meeting your eyes. “I don’t think so.”

“You’re a strange man, Joel,” You said. “Sometimes I wonder.”

“What do you wonder?”

“I wonder what you’re doing here.”

He looked up at you. “I like being around you.”

You nodded. “You’ve said that.”

“You want more of a reason?”

“Yes.”

He smiled again, looking off in thought as he fidgeted with the puzzle piece in his hand. “I don’t know how to explain it.”

“Try.”

“When I think of being anywhere else…I always rather be with you.”

“Why?”

“Because I like you.”

He avoided your eyes, focusing instead on where your hand rested near his on the coffee table.

“I like you too.”

“N-No, I…I like you more.”

“More?”

“I’m attracted to you.”

You fell silent. He wasn’t saying anything that you hadn’t already suspected, but you were slow to process his words.

He seemed to panic when you didn’t respond. “I don’t want that to change anything~”

“It won’t,” You reassured him. “A-And I want to spend time together when we can.”

“You do?”

“Yes. I didn’t realize how lonely I was before you came along.”

Joel’s hand brushed against yours when he shifted and you felt a rush of something between fear and panic but you didn’t pull away.

“I can always keep you company.”

“Would you?”

“If you wanted me to.” His eyes darted to your lips for less than a second before landing on your eyes.

Your voice was barely above a whisper when you spoke again. “…I want you to.”

Silence settled over the room and the air seemed to thicken as it went on. The space between the two of you gradually decreased and you both hesitated, you imagined for entirely different reasons. Joel started to pull away after sensing your hesitation but you closed the space between your lips before he could.

You broke the kiss immediately, anxiously awaiting his reaction. He shifted towards you, taking your face between both his hands and searching your eyes for any sign of skepticism before kissing you again.

Your eyes fluttered shut and your hands came to rest on his forearms. You only opened your eyes when he broke the kiss, finding his already on you.

“Will you stay?”

“If you want me to.”

“I want you to.”

*

Your relationship with Joel brought something into your life that you didn’t realize you were missing.

He was there for you when you needed him and even when you didn’t. He listened to you and he was interested in your thoughts. He didn’t expect anything from you. He was patient and he let you come to terms with your feelings on your own accord. He was your friend before he was your lover.

You felt different when you were with Joel. You didn’t feel nervous or anxious when you were around him. You weren’t afraid to tell him the truth and you never worried that he’d hurt you or find some way to punish you if you went against him. He was gentle with you, almost too gentle.

“I want you to meet my parents,” He said during one of his afternoon visits. “I told them about you.”

“You did?”

“They want to meet you,” He said. “They wanna know who’s been taking up all my time.”

You didn’t know what was so different at the time—why Joel made you feel so different. You soon came to realize that Joel’s way of loving you simply wasn’t the same as Elvis’ way of loving you.

You were there for each other when you had no one. There was a space you filled in each other’s lives that was different. Even though it took time, you grew to understand and accept that.

“You mean they want to know if I’m worth your time.” You stood at the counter sectioning Ms. Angie’s leftovers into airtight containers. You always had more than enough, so you usually took some to Sinclair whenever you had shifts together.

“No, I can tell them that,” Joel said. He stood behind you and slipped his arms around your waist. “Some things they gotta see for themselves.”

You laughed, shying away from the kiss he left on your cheek. “I don’t know how you’ll manage to make time. You work almost every day and I work every night.”

“I’ll make time,” He said. “You just hafta tell me when you’re off.”

“Fine,” You agreed. “But make it lunch, not dinner.”

“Lunch not dinner, got it.” He nodded once. “You taking that to Sinclair?”

“Yes,” You sighed. “If I eat another dumpling I might die. I don’t have the heart to turn it down.”

Joel laughed, letting you walk out of his arms. “I’ll pick you up tonight. 10:30?”

“10:30.” You put the containers into an old grocery bag and tied the handles before grabbing your keys. "I'll see you tonight.”

“I’ll see you.” He smiled, his eyes following you as you left. “I love you.”

You cut your eye over your shoulder, slowing to a stop. You walked back over and left a kiss on the corner of his mouth. “Lock up when you leave.”

Things with Joel progressed quickly after you’d acknowledged your feelings. You were apprehensive at times about letting him into your life all at once, but you were more afraid to let him go after you’d grown attached. You feared that things would change the more he got to know you and that he’d leave on his own. But with time your trust grew and your feelings became stronger; you longed for him when he was away.

He became a part of your everyday. Long after the initial attraction that brought the two of you together had started to fade you still wanted him in your life.

Eventually, after talking and thinking it over, he moved in together. You were practically inseparable so it made the most sense.

“Marry me.”

“No.”

You were genuinely happy and you couldn’t see things any other way.

“Marry me.”

“Joel.”

You had a tolerable job, a decent place to live, and a person to share your life with.

“I’m not gonna stop asking.”

“That’s called harassment.”

It felt like you were finally getting a taste of that stability that had made you envy Andrea.

“Marry me.”

“For the love of god.”

You were somewhere in your life that you never thought you’d be.

“Please?”

You couldn’t have been more content.

“Fine. I’ll marry you.”

*

“Where are you, sugar?”

“I’m here.”

You sighed and closed the book in your hands as Joel entered your shared bedroom. He smiled when he saw you, dropping his work boots by the door.

“Look at you, lookin like a regular ol housewife.” He laughed, unbuttoning the dirty flannel he was wearing.

“You know I hate when you say that,” You said with a slight roll of your eyes.

“It’s not a bad thing,” He said, walking towards you. “Not to mention you will be soon.”

“Uh, uh.” You put a hand out to stop him. “You better wash all that off before you come over here.”

“Don’t I at least get a kiss?” He asked, still inching towards you. “I ain’t seen you all day.”

“Who’s fault is that?” You tilted you head expectantly.

“It’s my fault,” He said, kneeling on the bed. “It’s all my fault.”

You laughed despite your protests, pushing him away only after he’d stolen a kiss. He went into the bathroom to turn on the shower before leaning on the doorframe. “I meant to tell you that daddy wants me to go to Charleston after work tomorrow to pick up some parts.”

“Charleston?” You asked. “It’s gonna take all day to get there and back.”

“I know, but you can come with me and we can make it a thing.”

“‘Make it a thing?’”

“Make a trip out of it.”

“I don’t like the roads around Charleston.”

“I’ll drive.”

“Sinclair and Marcus were going to come over tomorrow night.”

“I know,” He repeated with an apologetic expression. “I don’t want to, but Charleston’s got the only place we can find that has any of those new alternators. I told you about them, they’re imported. We’re gonna be able to reach a whole nother demographic if we~”

“Baby, please, don’t go on one of your car rants.” You closed your book again, abandoning it on the bed as you stood. “This is the third time I’m going to have to cancel on them. Can’t your father go on his own for once?”

“I told him I would. It’s not like I’m doin it for free, I’m gettin paid for making the trip.”

“That’s not the point.”

“It’s my job to take care of you. You know that’s why I’m doing it, so why give me shit for it everytime?”

“Because I hardly ever see you anymore. I mean it, I don’t want to live here if it means you working all hours of the day and night.”

“We’re staying here. No one bothers us here, we keep to ourselves~”

“I’ll start working again to take away some of the pressure.”

“That’s not what I want.”

“What about what I want? I want you here, with me, more often.”

“I want to be here, sweetheart, I do. I’m not tryin to prioritize anything over you…” He worried his bottom lip as spoke, rubbing his face thoughtfully.

“But?” You prompted.

“But I hafta help at the shop as much as I can. It’s getting to be just as much my responsibility as it is daddy’s,”

“What am I supposed to do? Get in line and wait my turn for your attention?”

“You have my attention, always.” He crossed the room and took your hands in his. “If it’ll make you happy I’ll tell him I can’t go tomorrow, but I have to at some point.”

“Don’t bother.” You pulled away from him and walked away. “You don’t bother telling him anything else.”

“Why are you tearing into me right now?” He asked, shocked by your comment.

“Why won’t you tell him we’re getting married?” You faced him, arms crossed.

“I’m gonna tell him and mama~”

“When?”

“I don’t know just yet. When I can..”

“I’m starting to think you’ve changed your mind.”

“I haven’t.”

“Are you ashamed of me?” You asked.

“No, god, no.” He grew more frustrated. “I know they’ll never let me hear the end of it when they find out. It’s not about you at all.”

You fell silent, looking down to hide the tears forming in your eyes.

“I could never be ashamed of you, you’re too important to me.” He continued when you didn’t respond. “I’m sorry I haven’t been there for you like I should. I’ll try harder, okay? I’m gonna tell daddy I can’t go tomorrow and we’re gonna have some fun with our friends.”

You sensed him coming closer before you felt him gently lift your chin to meet your eyes.

“Don’t cry,” He whispered. “You know I hate to see you cry.”

You swallowed. “I’m sorry.”

“Stay and read your book,” He said. “You can tell me about it when I’m done.”

You nodded, forcing a small smile. “Okay.”

He kissed your forehead and let you go. “I’ll be quick.”

“Joel.” You stopped him. “I don’t want to be kept a secret.”

“I’ll tell them.”

“Tomorrow.”

He looked undeniably conflicted but he nodded his head before silently retreating to the bathroom.

The next day, upon hearing the news, his father fired him and kicked him out of the shop. You had a feeling that Joel knew that his father would react that way and had been putting off telling him for that reason.

He tried to put on a brave face about the situation, but you could see it in his eyes that he was hurt. He had every right to be after years of putting so much into building and maintaining the business with his father.

“McNally’s been bugging me about coming to work for him at his dealership,” He said. “I’m sure the offer still stands.”

“I’m so sorry, Joel.” You felt like it was your fault. If you hadn’t pushed him to tell his parents he’d still have a relationship with them and a job he loved.

“I don’t want you thinking this is your fault,” He said. “We’re gonna be married and if mama and daddy can’t accept that, then…I don’t want them in our life.”

You leaned back against the kitchen counter and crossed your arms. You didn’t know what to do other than apologize.

“I’m gonna change and head over to talk to McNally.” He stepped in front of you and took your face in his hands. “Don’t look so troubled, we’re gonna be alright. We might be more than alright if McNally gets me in at the dealership. There’s better pay and benefits~”

“It’s not what you love to do.”

“If it means I can take care of you, I love it.”

You slipped your arms around his torso, hugging him. He hugged you back.

“It’s all gonna work out,” He promised. He pulled away first, ducking his head to kiss your lips before he walked away. “Maybe you and Sinclair can go out tonight instead. You should take your car for a drive anyway. You’ll kill that battery leaving it sitting in the driveway all the time.”

“I’ll call her.”

“Brighten up, sugar,” He laughed. “It’s gonna be okay.”

You tried to smile. “I believe you.”

Joel secured a job working at Bibby McNally’s car dealership and, while it wasn’t something he was passionate about, he made the most of it. It was a high scale dealership and they had a lot of traffic all year round so it was never a dull moment. At times you could see him becoming drained and uninterested, but he insisted that working there was good for the two of you.

He was home more often and you got to spend more time together. It was exactly what you wanted, however, you felt guilty about him losing his job and contact with his parents.

One evening after he got off of work he came barreling into the house calling out for you. You rushed to meet him in the living room.

“What happened?” You asked in alarm.

“You aren’t going to believe this,” He said with excitement behind his words. “Guess who came into the dealership today. Guess.”

“Wha~ Who?” You asked, your eyebrows drawn together in confusion.

“Elvis,” Joel said, enthusiastically. “Elvis-fucking-Presley.”

“W-What?” You tried not to let your expression grow horrified. “He did?”

“Can you believe that?” Joel walked past you in the direction of your bedroom, loosening the tie around his neck. “He came in lookin some kinda Roadrunner. I was trying to get a Pontiac off my hands and all of the sudden the lady I’m selling to screams at the top of her lungs. I turn around and there he is.”

“Did you talk to him?” You asked, following him to the room. You stopped him before he walked to the bathroom. “I’m not done.”

“I talked to him.” He sat on the edge of the bed. “He has some time off from filming, I guess.”

“Oh?” You crossed your arms to stop your hands from fidgeting.

He nodded as he slipped off his shiny dress shoes and tucked them under the foot of the bed. “He said he wanted us to come back with him to Graceland over the weekend.”

“You told him about us?” You asked.

“Yeah, he was as shocked as you could imagine.” Joel laughed. “He said he’d arrange for us to fly out tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” You asked.

“You’ve asked me a hundred questions since I walked through the door,” He said. “Tell me what you think. We should go right?”

“I-I don’t know, it’s so all of a sudden, y-y’know,” You stammered. “You have work and we’re starting a new book in my club~”

“Sweetheart.” He stood from the bed as he unbuttoned his shirt. “You’re seriously telling me that you’d pass this up to go read a book?”

“You have work.”

“I can get away for a weekend,” He said. “It could be fun. We could see Dawn while we’re there. And Cynthia—Andrea, maybe.”

“You aren’t going to let this go are you?”

“A hundred and one questions.”

You rolled your eyes.

“I’ll never ask you for anything again if you’ll just go with me tomorrow. It’ll feel like old times.”

“For you maybe.” You walked back into the bathroom.

“Finish up in there so I can shower,” He called as you shut the door. “I wanna help you cook.”

“Just a minute.” You leaned forward against the sink, looking at yourself in the mirror. For a moment you saw your old self reflected back at you. Just hearing his name made you feel small and panicky. Knowing that he was in the same state didn’t make it any easier to breathe. You hadn’t seen him since~

Let me t-try to be better. Just give me a chance, baby, please.

You closed your eyes and tried to physically shake away the sudden memory. Was it possible for a heart to stay broken for this long?

You couldn’t see him. You didn’t want to see him. You’d put him out of your mind, escaped the hold he had on you. You’d worked so hard to rebuild yourself after he’d broken you down. You were at a place in your life where you were so sure of everything, you didn’t want to see him and lose all that progress.

You were in love with Joel and the two of you were prepared to build a life together. You didn’t want Elvis’ presence to taint that in any way.

“I wonder if Sonny and Lamar’ll be there tomorrow night,” Joel continued from outside of the bathroom. “Maybe Red and Billy too.”

“I don’t know,” You responded in the steadiest tone you could muster.

“I’m sure they’ll be there,” He continued. “You remember my cousin Jerry?”

You took slow breaths and stood upright with your hands on your hips. “I’m sure they’ll all be there, Joel.”

He laughed. “Tell me you’ll go. I don’t wanna havta drag you kicking and screaming.”

You swallowed harshly as you started putting away the makeup you had strewn across the counter. “Can we come back Sunday?”

“Yeah,” He responded, delighted with your capitulation. “We can come back whenever you want.”

You took one last deep breath and put on a decent expression before leaving the bathroom. “I don’t want to be gone too long, that’s all.”

“I’ll get you back home before you can even start to miss it.” He smiled as he watched you leave the room.

“Perfect.”

You went to figure out where he’d hidden your cigarettes. You pulled open a few kitchen drawers and shuffled through them before you found the slim, silver case. Your mind raced as you used the stove to light the cigarette before turning off the burner. You hadn’t smoked since Joel insisted that you quit weeks ago, but you couldn’t think of any other way to calm your nerves. You’d start your streak over tomorrow.

When Joel finally got out of the shower, he found you standing by the window in the living room. You were on your second cigarette and so lost in thought that you hadn’t noticed him at first.

“You better put that out,” He chided, walking over. “I told you what they’ve been saying about them things.”

“Luther Terry’s fighting a losing battle,” You muttered, crushing the cigarette in the ashtray that sat on the windowsill.

“I ain’t seen you smoke a cigarette in weeks.” He stood behind you and put his arms around your waist.

“I know.”

“Something bothering you?”

“Are you still going to Virginia with Bibby?” You asked in an attempt to avoid the question.

“Yeah…” He fell silent for a moment. “It should be the last trip for a while. Once convention season’s over I’m all yours.”

You walked out of his arms. “You should wear the navy suit you wore last week. I know you lost your red tie~”

“You’re upset.” He followed you to the kitchen.

“I’m fine.” You tried to smile, forcing back all of the thoughts that were threatening to consume you. “I’ll find your tie.”

You continued taking the pots and pans down to start cooking.

“How is Bibby anyway?” You wanted to fill the silence. “The baby?”

“He’s good, the baby’s good,” Joel said. “He says Yvette’s a natural…”

You tried to listen as Joel went on about Bibby and Yvette, but you were too preoccupied–too full of dread.

After all you’d gone through, you were walking back into the belly of the beast.

*

“Don’t get me in too much trouble,” Joel said handing you your second flute of champagne. “I don’t want no misdemeanor for aiding and abetting.”

“You’re a year older than me, Joel. Don’t you think I can handle a little champagne by now?” You laughed and took the glass.

“We’ll see.” He shrugged.

“Not too much for you tonight either. You’re driving.”

“Don’t worry, baby, I’m barely buzzin.” He slipped his arm around your waist and kissed you with gin-stained lips. The two of you parted at the sound of Joel’s name being called over the music, turning your heads in the direction of the voice. He lit up when he saw who it was. You smiled as they embraced each other.

“How have you been?” Joel asked.

“Alright,” Jerry responded with an indolent shrug. “This her?”

“Yeah.” Joel smiled, slipping his arm around your waist and introducing you.

“Right.” Jerry repeated your name as if it rang a bell and you exchanged brief pleasentries. “Look, E.P. wants y’all to come up. He sent me to find you.”

You took another sip of your drink after Joel quickly accepted the invitation. You probably shouldn’t have been drinking, you were beyond queasy and the champagne wasn’t helping–not to mention that it tasted like battery acid. You finished the glass anyway, hoping that, if anything, it would calm your nerves.

“Come on, baby,” Joel said, taking the glass from you and abandoning it at the bar with his own. He took your hand in his and leaned in to speak in your ear. “You can still let me know if you change your mind while we’re up there.” You nodded, forcing a small smile before letting him lead you as he followed Jerry to the elevators. The music from the party faded behind the doors and all that remained was the gentle melody of the elevator music. “How long y’all been in Georgia?”

“Since yesterday. E heard about the dealership so he wanted to pass through.”

“How’d he hear about it?”

“I’m not too sure.”

Their voices faded to the background. All you heard was the sound of your heartbeat accelerating. After so long, you wondered if he’d be different. Your fear and panic was beginning to be replaced by other things that you didn’t want to acknowledge let alone describe. Because having to describe those feelings would’ve meant admitting they were there.

The elevator stopped on the top floor and you forced your feet to move. Jerry led you to the suite and opened the door without knocking. “I found them, E,” He said, walking in first.

His eyes met yours almost instantly. Those baby blue eyes that were so familiar yet so distanced from the ones you knew. He still had that youthful glow about him as he smiled and stood to greet the two of you. His gaze lingered on you briefly but no longer than a second. “Joel, ol boy.” His voice caused your breath to hitch. It was different somehow, deeper and richer, but so familiar. Like an old song who’s melody you’d forgotten but still knew all the words to. You could’ve been making it all up. It could’ve been that he was exactly as you'd left him but his beauty had already started to fade in your memory. “I’m glad y’all could make it.”

“Yeah, so are we.” Joel smiled and asked if he remembered you.

“Of course,” Elvis said, shifting his attention to you. He had an amused glint in his eyes as he smiled at you. “How have you been, honey?”

“Okay.” You tried to smile, breaking eye contact for a moment. “How have you been?”

“Okay,” He said, before turning to retake his seat, the people sitting at the table with him cleared the space. “Sit down here a minute and a tell me what you’ve been up to, Joel. I saw you weren’t with your dad anymore.”

“No, I haven’t been for a while,” Joel said, pulling out a chair for you. “We had some differences of opinion.”

“Help yourself to a drink if you want,” Elvis offered. “We can get whatever you prefer.”

“I’m okay,” Joel said. They each looked to you expectantly.

“I’m sorry?” You asked.

“D’you want a drink?” Elvis repeated.

“No, thank you.” You avoided his eyes.

He moved on with his conversation with Joel and you noticed a smirk gracing his features when you glanced his way. “What happened with your old man? I thought you two were close.”

“I thought we were. But my folks didn’t exactly approve when I told them we was getting married.”

“Married?” He seemed genuinely surprised. Joel must’ve not mentioned it before.

“I held off telling them. I knew they’d have something to say about it, but…”

“What’d they say?”

“Daddy fired me from the shop and I haven’t spoken to them since.”

Elvis grimaced. “Man, I’m sorry to hear that.”

Joel shrugged. “It’s a shame but I can’t change their minds about anything.”

“Well, congratulations anyway. You make an interesting pair.”

“Interesting how?”

Both their gazes turned to you when you spoke.

“Unexpected, I should say,” Elvis rephrased. “How’d you get caught up with Joel?“

“We ran into each other one day.” You tore your eyes away and looked at Joel.

“Why were you in Georgia?” Elvis asked.

“For a change of scenery. ” You opened your purse and retrieved your case of cigarettes—your nerves were getting the best of you. “Do you mind?”

“Not at all,” Elvis said. “You know Dawny retired?”

“She mentioned it.” You nodded.

“She’s up in her own place now,” He said. “I check on her when I can.”

“That’s nice. I wish I could visit more,” You responded.

“I wish you could too,” He uttered, picking up a lighter from the table. “Light?”

You put the slim, white cigarette between your lips and leaned toward him as he struck the lighter. You sat back in your seat after the cigarette was lit, avoiding eye contact with both him and Joel.

“So you’re sellin cars now?” Elvis asked Joel, sliding a porcelain ashtray over to you.

“Mhm.”

“How d’you like it?”

“It’s a job.”

The conversation flowed awkwardly. It was almost as if they had to actively think of every question they were going to ask—preoccupied by other things. Eventually the three of you returned to the party happening downstairs. Elvis naturally drew the attention of everyone in the room. There was something different about him that you couldn’t pinpoint exactly. Whatever it was, you couldn’t help but steal a glance whenever he wasn’t looking. He radiated a certain energy that drew you in and made you want to watch.

“What’s wrong?” Joel asked. He hadn’t left your side since you got there and upon hearing that he was going to get your things from the car you must’ve looked panicked. He took your face in his hands and searched your eyes for the answer but you smiled and tried to distract him with a kiss. He stopped you. “Tell me.”

“Nothing.” You were a terrible liar. “I’ll help you.”

“No,” He said quickly. “It’s fine. And you don’t have to stay down here, you can go up to the room if you want. They say we’re heading out sometime tonight.”

“‘Sometime tonight’ meaning…god knows when?”

“Pretty much.”He laughed before letting you go. “Head upstairs, I’ll be there in a minute.”

You watched him leave before going to find the elevator. You couldn’t breathe.

You found the room Elvis had reserved specifically for you and Joel. You were relieved to be alone in the silence, but you felt uneasy knowing that he was downstairs and he knew where you were. The hours passed and soon it was nearly three in the morning. You were exhausted but you couldn’t sleep if you tried. Joel hadn’t come up the entire night and you wanted to be angry but tried anyway to give him time to be around old friends. He was familiar with their grueling routine—you weren’t. When he did finally return you were on the brink of sleep.

“Come on, sugar, we’re heading out.”

“God, what time is it?”

“I don’t know…it’s early.”

You pushed yourself into a sitting position and eyed him suspiciously. “You’re drunk.”

He laughed but ultimately shook his head in denial. “I’m fine.”

“You left me up here all night,” You complained as you slipped your shoes on. “I couldn’t change my clothes or anything. You could’ve checked on me once.”

“Time got away,” He said, grabbing your purse and holding his hand out for you. “They’re waiting on us.”

“Can I get myself together for a minute?”

“You’re perfect, come on.”

You took his hand and let him lead you out of the room—smoothing the skirt of your dress as he dragged you along.

You leaned your head against the window the entire drive to Memphis. Elvis had offered to fly you out but Joel insisted on driving. The two of you had planned to go straight to Virginia to meet Bibby afterwards.

You passed the time by trying to keep your doom at bay.

[cressthebest]

Crimson Rivers thoughts pt. 28

chapter 47:

1. 😟😶 no one even got to say goodbye. i- WHAT THE HELL??? FUCKING RIDDLE

2. i’m at least happy that remus, james, and pandora can all take care of each other during the games.

3. im actually highly worried about regulus being a death eater. too worried, actually

4. “Regulus realizes it as he sits there, never moving or doing anything at all, just breathing; he isn't scared this time. Not even a bit.”

reg not being scared makes ME scared

5. “He had planned to kiss Remus' mask one last time, and kiss Remus, too.”

of COURSE it’s ALWAYS wolfstar that tips the tears over. why does THAT make me sob???

6. oh shit. it’s a maze

7. “”Come now, surely you wouldn't harm me and little Draco, would you?"

"I'm going to give you one chance to run," Sirius tells her, holding still, "and take little Draco with you."”

LMAOO they both know she’s lying out her ass

8. “It's Mavis and Velvet; they'd done exactly as they promised they would. They found weapons, found each other, and they died together. Their bodies are splayed out on the ground right beside one another, curled close in death like the lovers they were in life.”

oh shit oh shit oh shit i’m starting to cry again. i feel so bad for them, but don’t blame them in the slightest. it’s what i would have done

9. “and there's just this quiet, momentary mourning and respect for two people who loved each other and decided, together, that they would not participate in a game as cruel and sadistic as this one. They went out together, in complete control of their own fate, and they never deserved anything other than a long life full of love.”

crying HARDER. this would be the turning point in the games for me. i shit you not, i’d start teaming up and trying to break out the fucking arena

10. “And then, unprompted, Regulus' voice rings out, nearly snarling. He's addressing the sky, the audience, the Hallows in a low hiss of derision when he declares, "When you take them, you take them together, and know that it's your fault."”

i know i’m quoting this whole little section, but it’s IMPORTANT and it HURTS and everyone in that arena is being human right now instead of trying to survive. they’re all united on the front that they’re human and understand what it meant to love

11. i’m not surprised that the “first” kill of the arena was made by sirius. especially since it was to save regulus

12. WAIT YALL ARE GONNA LAUGH AT ME FOR THIS!!! sirius killed twelve people in the arena the first time. just like how he was blamed for twelve deaths in canon. i. it took me too long to make that connection yall

13. oh CHRIST i forgot that they planned to kill marlene’s parents in front of her right before she went in the arena. i’m so sorry. i want to comfort her

14. “Someday, Riddle is going to fuck with the wrong person, and they're going to slaughter him, and on that day, the whole world is going to shine just a little brighter” 👀 side eye

15. sirius has too much trust in regulus and i understand why and i see that, but BABES you’re so wrong

16. “In fact, they're all eyeing him like they're considering just killing him now so they won't have to deal with the headache he is sure to be. He's so ridiculously fond of each of them, truly.” 😶😑😶 blink blink. my dear. you need therapy

17. i- eli got in the arena and took a GODDAMN NAP- no fucking way. that’s wild y’all

18. regulus hating the rain is so me. and i’m not even exaggerating. reg hates the rain and refuses to go in it. if i get wet from the rain, the second i get indoors, i start having severe panic attacks over getting wet. i don’t blame him in the slightest.

19. y’all. people have really got to stop challenging regulus. he says that he’s gonna kill a person or stab them with a fork or brutally maim them if they kill/insult james or sirius. and every damn time, people still test him. and every time, he goes through with it. why do people not believe him?? he SAID he won’t hesitate

20. the authors notes are literally me on the previous point (19):

“regulus: i am telling you explicitly what i will physically do to you if you do This Thing

everyone else: *does it anyway and is immediately shocked when he follows through*

like??? DOES HE LOOK LIKE THE TYPE OF MAN WHO JOKES??? WHY DOES NO ONE TAKE HIM SERIOUSLY??”

😭😭😭 me fr

remember to respect zar’s wishes and fanfic laws! do not buy fics! do not repost crimson rivers on other sites. please and thank you.

[quack-quack-snacks]

Star Crossed - Chapter 5

| Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 |

The Star Crossed Masterlist

My All Of Us Are Dead Masterlist

My Navigation and Masterlist

Warnings: Normal AOUAD things, the Gwi-nam and Cheong-san fight scene, etc. Word Count: 5,441

Everyone nodded in agreement when Joon-yeong took in a deep breath and ran back into the recording studio while plugging his nose which you and Hyo-ryung slightly giggled at. Su-hyeok looked down with a smile at the sound but you didn’t notice it from how you leaned forward to talk to Hyo-ryung. You also didn’t notice the questioning looks that On-jo passed back and forth between you and Su-hyeok.

It had been a while since everyone had gone to the bathroom and there had been meaningless chatter passed back and forth between each other. When yawns started to make themselves present across each of you, you decided to speak up.

“I think we should all go to sleep. No matter what we decide to do tomorrow, we’ll need to save our energy for it.”

You saw a couple nods and heard a few ‘yeah’s spoken through yawns that just proved your point. Everyone moved to the spots they were claiming for the night. Nam-ra, On-jo, and Hyo-ryung decided to use three of the chairs and the table as their sleeping places while Wu-jin and Joon-yeong used Dae-su’s outstretched arms as pillows on the floor. Ji-min used a blanket of hers along with two chairs as a sleeping space and Cheong-san walked over to another - the last - chair to use as his, deciding just to sit up instead of laying his head down on the desk that was next to him. Nam-ra saw how you looked around for a spot to use and was just about to offer up her chair when you were yanked backwards by an arm around your waist. You let out a sound of surprise before the person behind you shushed you.

“Just me,” Su-hyeok told you and your heartbeat calmed while you lightly slapped the arm wrapped around your waist, ignoring how it gave you butterflies.

“Jerk,” he laughed at your insult and pulled you backwards, sitting down so he was leaning against a wall and you were sitting in between his legs. He used the tips of his feet to push off his shoes and you squealed while trying to get away but he just held on tighter. “Bare-su, let me go! I don’t wanna sleep next to your smelly feet all night!” You teased and he whined at the use of the nickname.

“(Y/n/n)! Why do you have to be like that, come on, I just wanna snuggle!” He teased back and you felt your cheeks heat up but ignored it as you were able to scoot out of his arms.

“No, go snuggle with Dae-su and them!”

“Bare-su, if you come over here, I’m throwing you out the window,” Wu-jin threatened with a laugh that the rest of the group joined in on.

While you were laughing, you got yanked back into Su-hyeok’s arms and squealed as your head hit his chest with a soft thud. His grip this time was much tighter and you would happily die in his arms if you weren’t so flustered. “Just shut up and go to sleep,” he whispered against your head while placing his blazer around your shoulders. You were facing sideways in his arms with your face resting against his chest and his cheek pressed against the crown of your head. You shifted in his arms to get more comfortable and he tightened his grip as if scared you were going to try to leave again. He relaxed when he felt you stop. “Yo, Joon-yeong, can you turn off the lights?”

The boy groaned from his place on the floor but got up and complied with his wishes, knowing he wanted them off as well.

Although Su-hyeok would never say it to you, at least not yet, having you in his arms was like the hit of a drug and he felt himself falling for you even more with every passing second. He never wanted to let you go.

The next morning, you woke up, still in Su-hyeok’s arms, to the sound of the group talking quietly.

“-an put up a sign for help,” On-jo said and you looked around, confused and with your eyes squinted at the morning light. Su-hyeok cooed quietly at you and you raised one hand to smack the side of his head and the other to rub at your eye as you yawned.

“How?” Ji-min asked from her spot at the window.

“I remember my dad taught me a signal that’s used internationally,” On-jo said, sounding confident.

“What is it?” Hyo-ryung asked.

On-jo paused for a second as she thought. “It was red and blue arranged together to create some sort of a pattern,” as she talked she slowly got less confident and her hands which had been moving to indicate the pattern she was talking about had fallen to her lap.

“What are we talking about?” You asked with a yawn and Dae-su looked over with a disappointed frown.

“Aw, Bare-su! Why’d you have to wake her up? She was so cute when she was sleeping!” He whined and you scoffed with a smile.

Su-hyeok raised one of the hands he had wrapped around your waist in mock surrender. “It wasn’t my fault you all were talking too loudly! (Y/n) woke up completely on her own.”

“We’re talking about a way to signal for help, (Y/n),” Joon-yeong helpfully answered your question.

“Why don’t we just put up a curtain that says ‘SOS’ or something like that?” You suggested.

“Yeah, that might be better,” On-jo agreed.

“Yeah, let's do that,” Hyo-ryung announced her agreement.

You wanted to sit up and go over to the table but every time you tried to move, Su-hyeok would just let out a small whine and pull you closer to his chest. You rolled your eyes and scoffed but your heart fluttered every time.

Ji-min moved to sit beside the two of you when she got tired of standing at the window and you gave her a small smile which she returned weakly.

“We can't last long, anyway.”

Everyone looked over to Nam-ra when she spoke, including you.

“Three minutes without oxygen, three days without water, three weeks without food,” she continued.

“What’s that?” Su-hyeok asked from behind you.

“That’s how long a person can survive for. Once those run out, you die,” you softly explained in Nam-ra’s place.

“It's only been a day, you know. We have to try the best we can,” On-jo tried to remain optimistic but Nam-ra just said more things to bring that hope down. You couldn’t really blame her though, it was hard to stay optimistic in a time like this.

“We'll show signs of dehydration today, and we won't be able to move by tomorrow.”

“What are you trying to say? Are you saying we should go out, or… are you saying we'll die, anyway, so we shouldn't bother doing anything?”

Nam-ra looked away from On-jo, unsure of how to answer.

“I don't know.”

“Then don't say anything,” Ji-min spoke up from beside you and you looked over to give her a harsh glare. It was a strange and hurtful sight to watch how the fear she had of you all came flooding back in that moment. You knew throughout the interactions you had with this group in the past day, they had lost some of their fear of you and your brother from how you’ve shown your loyalty but apparently that wasn’t enough.

You turned back around and pressed your head against Su-hyeok’s chest, wanting nothing more than just to cry at that moment but refusing to let yourself do so in front of everyone.

Su-hyeok, who had noticed your distress having been in similar positions before, ran one hand up and down your back to comfort you, the other one holding you tightly by the waist, while stepping up to defend your best friend in your stead. The lump in your throat made it hard to speak so you couldn’t do it yourself.

“I think the prez means we should think about anything else that we can do,” he looked over at her for confirmation and her eyes traveled up from the table to him, down to you, then back up to him with a softer and more concerned look in her eyes.

“No,” she shook her head faintly.

“No?”

“We don't know anything at all. We need to know something before we can make plans,” she countered what Su-hyeok said.

“What more do we need to know?” Ji-min interrogated.

“What Nam-ra means is-”

“You don’t know what she’s saying, either.”

Su-hyeok shook his head in agreement before burying his nose in your hair in slight embarrassment. “No, I don’t.”

You leaned up and off of Su-hyeok’s chest to turn towards the group, your emotions calmed and the lump in your throat no longer present. “I’m guessing what Nam-ra is actually saying is that we need to understand the situation in order to take action. Not knowing anything will end up in us getting killed or put in a more dangerous situation than the one we’re already in,” you turned your head to face the class president with a curious smile, wondering if your bestie telepathy, as you’ve heard Hyo-ryung describe it a few times, was correct. You internally had a mini dance party in celebration when she nodded with a smile.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Well, I totally agree with that,” Cheong-san stepped in to also defend Nam-ra and put in his own input. “We need more information to decide whether to wait, run, or get out.”

“What can we find out about this situation, and also, how?” Dae-su butt in, asking the question that everyone was thinking.

“We can check online if we have a cell phone,” Cheong-san told his solution.

“But we don't,” Su-hyeok stated like it was obvious.

“Wait, what? Yeah, we do,” you looked over at On-jo for help with your case but saw her looking down in shame. “Right?”

On-jo looked at you with her eyes somewhat watery and shook her head.

“Oh…” you let out, this being the first you heard of the situation. You let out a little laugh despite the seriousness, “Well at least now I’ll have an excuse when I get back home to get a new phone,” you joked and On-jo seemed to brighten up at your lightheartedness. “Thank’s On-jo,” you gave her a genuine smile that you hoped portrayed that you really didn’t find her at fault for the loss of the cellular device and it must have worked because she gave you one back, her tears being wiped away and her mood lifted.

“The teacher’s office,” Cheong-san said after a moment of thinking. “They take our phones first thing in the morning and then take them to the teacher’s office every day, they should be in there.”

“But how will we get there?” Hyo-ryung asked in her usual soft, somewhat timid, voice.

Cheong-san shot up out of his seat and walked over to the window, jumping onto the ledge. You shot up right after him.

“Cheong-san,” On-jo called out nervously. “Stop being so stubborn.”

He turned around from his crouching position on the ledge and you wince at how risky he was being, only holding on with one hand. “Two rooms across and one floor down at the teacher's office.”

“You shouldn't go,” On-jo insisted but Cheong-san continued to ignore her protests.

“If I can't make it, I'll just come back, you know? Don't worry about me.”

“I’m not worried about you. I’m pissed off,” she told him but anyone could see and feel the worry and anxiety waving out of her like ultraviolet rays from the sun.

“Sure,” he said and rolled his eyes. “Yeah. Why would you worry about me?”

You rolled your eyes at their stupid argument and jogged over to On-jo. You grabbed her arms and squeezed them gently with a reassuring smile. “I’ll get him back safe, yeah?”

Before she could answer, you jumped onto the ledge, carefully following after the stubborn boy.

“Be careful, Cheong-san,” you warned and he nearly fell off at the sound of your voice behind him. You quickly grabbed a handful of the back of his shirt and pushed him towards the wall where he quickly regained his balance. “I said be careful, not to fall off, dumbass.”

“It’s not my fault you have the footsteps of a ninja!” He shot back to defend himself as he continued moving down but you just laughed.

“Be careful, guys!” Su-hyeok appeared behind you and you had to shoot your hand out again to catch Cheong-san when he jumped again. You gave him a lighthearted, mainly worried, glare before turning to give Su-hyeok your most serious one.

“Go back,” you demanded.

“No way. I’m not letting my two… best friends go off by themselves at a time like this. You’re stuck with me,” he hesitated when saying ‘best friends’ but you just brushed it off as you scoffed at his protests.

“I have no problem pushing you off of this ledge, you know?” You threatened, knowing that it wouldn’t have any effect on the boy. It never did.

He grinned. “Wouldn’t that be counterintuitive?”

You rolled your eyes before focusing back to your right where Cheong-san had gotten a few feet ahead of you.

“Why are you following me?” Cheong-sn grunted out as he stole a short glimpse back at you.

“If I didn’t, I know this one,” you pointed your head back at Su-hyeok, “Would. I also know you’re too stubborn to let me be the one who goes instead so why bother arguing. Following you was the least energy wasting option,” you explained.

“You could always just stay behind with the group,” Su-hyeok recommended.

You glared back at him. “Fuck off. I’d never leave you guys to do something like this by yourself. I’ll always follow.”

Cheong-san chuckled at your stern tone. “Alright, whatever. Just… you better stay close,” his tone turned concerned and you gave him the same reassuring smile you gave On-jo along with a nod.

He turned back to the right and focused on getting past the pillar separating two of the windows.

“Careful!” Su-hyeok warned as he saw Cheong-san slip slightly. The two of you stayed on the other side of the pillar as Cheong-san looked through the window and into the classroom to see if it was safe.

“Can we go in?” You asked and he shook his head with a definite no.

“Come back,” Su-hyeok told him and the both of you scooted down so he had enough room.

“What are you gonna do?” Cheong-san asked, momentarily lost.

“Let’s hang by our hands and go across-”

“Let’s make a run for it-”

You and Su-hyeok spoke at the same time and you smacked his arm. “We can’t make a run for it! There’s zombies in there. What if they come running towards us and run through the window? That’s too risky.”

“And hanging by our hands isn’t?” He retaliated. “All it would take is one wrong move and we would fall.”

“Falling is better than zombies!” You argued.

“There are zombies on the ground!” He argued back incredulously.

“Both of you be quiet!” Cheong-san broke up the argument and you rolled your eyes but smiled at the two of you’s banter. It had been a while since you’d done something like that. “I didn’t mean that,” he continued after the two of you had quieted. “I heard On-jo told you that she likes you. Are you going to go out with her?” He quizzed with an imperceptible jealous undertone.

Behind you, Su-hyeok’s eyes flickered from the back of your head to Cheong-san, something that neither you nor Cheong-san caught onto. “Is that important right now?” He reached behind your head and lightly pushed him, knocking him forward slightly before you reached your own arm forward to stop him from falling.

He retaliated by hitting his shoulder and you groaned when you had to grab onto Su-hyeok’s blazer to keep him from falling. “I'm not asking because it's important. I'm just curious. That's all.”

“Why? Do you think I should?” Su-hyeok asked with a teasing tone that you couldn’t tell what it was for. He brought the edge of his shoe over, meaning to knock it against Cheong-san but it ended up being against yours and you almost fell forward until both Choeng-san and Su-hyeok scrambled to catch you.

“I swear to fucking god, if you two don’t stop trying to kill each other, I’m going to kill you both myself,” you groaned, out of breath from the sudden death scare.

“Sorry,” Cheong-san apologized to you before his gaze settled back on Su-hyeok. “But, why would you even ask me that? Do whatever you want. Who cares?”

“What do you think?” Su-hyeok asked again, still teasing but now with an arm in front of your body, keeping you from falling. It made your heart flutter before you remembered what the conversation was about.

“Go,” Cheong-san told him but he didn’t respond. “Go,” he said again but in a whinier, more desperate voice.

“Cheong-san, you have to go. You’re in front of us,” you gently told him and his eyes lit up as he realized you were right. His cheeks turned a slight pink in embarrassment before he turned around and got down so he was hanging by his hands. “Be careful!”

“Shit, we’re really going to hang by our hands?” Su-hyeok asked from behind you, his voice breathless with disbelief.

“Oh stop being a baby. Just don’t fall,” you gave him a playful wink before hopping down yourself, less carefully than Cheong-san and definitely less carefully than Su-hyeok would’ve wanted you to do. He rolled his eyes but followed after you regardless.

All three of you slowly made your way across the ledge and arrived at another copper pipe that you all used to slide down onto the small little platform where you put your feet.

You suddenly could hear screams and wails coming from somewhere in the halls and Cheong-san stood back up from his crouching position to look down through the window. He held his finger out in front of his lips in a shushing motion until the screams died down. He crouched back down and slid open the window. It made a slight banging sound and all of you held your breath as you watched to see what the zombies would do. They all looked around before running in the opposite direction. You all saw your opportunity and jumped through the window to kneel down and crawl on the floor. Suddenly, you all heard sounds of something being crushed and stopped in your movements.

“What is that sound?” Su-hyeok questioned.

“I don’t know. Let’s go see,” Cheong-san replied and you rolled your eyes.

“Usually when someone hears something strange in a horror movie, they die when they try to find out what it was.”

Both of the boys ignored your sarcastic quip and inched forward to see where the sound was coming from.

You inched forward yourself, curiosity getting the better of you, and saw a girl who you knew hung out around Myeong-hwan and his little posse. You knew she was one of the victims of their bullying but couldn’t do anything. Any time you tried, you would always be pushed away by your brother.

“Gwi-nam… I’ll kill you…” You heard her mumble and you immediately tensed up. “Sending that video around… of that fucking girl pouring milk on me… I’ll humiliate you like you humiliated me in front of the whole cafeteria!”

You knew exactly what she was talking about. Despite your brother’s warnings, you had followed her into the girls’ bathroom that day and gave her the uniform you stole from the lost and found on the way there. You’d decided that her comfort and mental stability at that moment was more important than your status as a good student.

Suddenly, one of the phones she was crushing got knocked over to where the three of you were and Cheong-san slowly inched forward to grab. Just as he had grabbed ahold of it, the crushing sounds had stopped. You all held your breath as the girl turned to look at him.

“I'm gonna kill you!” She screamed and then launched herself at Cheong-san. “Give it to me, fuck! I'll kill you!”

Su-hyeok dashed forward and threw her against the cabinets to get her off of the boy and then the both of you helped him up as you saw the horde of zombies coming in.

You turned around to see if Cheong-san was behind you but saw him looking at the broken phone in his hand. “Shit!” You whispered as he ran off to find another one.

“I’ll get him back safe, yeah?”

You remembered your promised words to On-jo and kept them in mind as you sprinted forward and charged into a zombie that was headed straight for him. Su-hyeok tried to follow the two of you but the path got blocked by a few zombies and he was cornered.

“Su-hyeok! Go!” You screamed at him as you threw an oncoming zombie into the wall.

“You go! We’ll meet you there!” Cheong-san added on as the two of you fought off the monsters but were cornered against the classroom’s door.

“(Y/n)!” Su-hyeok called out desperately to you.

You looked at him with a mournful look, grieving for the life you might lose. “Tell On-jo I intend to keep my promise!”

You shot a last longing glance toward Su-hyeok before Cheong-san grabbed your hand and pulled you with him out of the classroom and down the hall.

You both ran and ran until you suddenly came across another horde of zombies that made Cheong-san lose his grip on your hand.

The two of you got separated by the mass of monsters.

“Go! Cheong-san go!” You screamed at him and started running down the corridor while he got stuck on the path of the stairs.

You ran and ran, dodging zombies left and right and occasionally kicking them backwards so you could jump over them. Out of breath, you looked around frantically for anything or anywhere you could find that could protect you for the time being and just to your luck, there was a zombieless classroom just to your right. You dashed in, shutting the door behind you and crouching down so the zombies wouldn't be able to see you. You covered your mouth as you waited for the sounds of the groans and growls to go away. Eventually, they did and you settled down, sitting against the wall parallel to the door and just breathing away your anxiety. Thank god you knew how to run.

~With Cheong-san~

Cheong-san kept running, narrowly avoiding the zombies as they chased after him on the dirt covered roof. He jumped through the open window to return back to the school’s corridors only to sigh in exhaustion as he saw more coming from the other direction. Pushing an oncoming zombie into the herd, slowing them down in the process, he ran into the door labeled Principal’s Office and rested his head against the door when inside. He turned around as he heard rustling and saw the high school’s gopher - your brother - and the principal in a precarious predicament. Gwi-nam was standing on top of the table while the principal lied down, his hands being tied behind his back by the younger boy. Both of them looked at Cheong-san as he came in and they stood there in silence for a moment as they examined each other.

“Is that the principal?” Cheong-san asked, finally breaking the silence.

“Get this jerk off my back!” The principal yelled and struggled against the bonds holding his wrists securely. “Get this psychopath!”

Gwi-nam leaned down so he was right next to his ear and yanked his shirt back. “Shh!”

“What the hell, Gwi-nam?” Cheong-san asked, his eyes wide with apprehensiveness and astonishment.

“Cheong-san,” Gwi-nam said to him with a dangerous tone. “Come here and tie his arms, the bastard won’t stay still.”

“Hey! What are you doing?” Cheong-san stood still as he watched his new-founded friend’s brother tying up the principal with not an ounce of guilt written on his face.

“Come and tie him up,” Gwi-nam said again, more annoyed this time.

“You're finished. Do you hear me? I'm expelling you! Untie me now!” The older man demanded once again but Gwi-nam rolled his eyes and grabbed the knife placed on the table to point it at his back. The man whimpered and Cheong-san took a step forward.

“Gwi-nam! Stop that!”

“Stop what? This fucking guy…” as he got off the man, he waved the knife around to gesture to him. “Tried to kill me,” he then pointed the knife towards himself. “He said to go out and get his car!” He jumped back onto the table and placed the knife against his neck in anger. “You call yourself a principal,” Gwi-nam scoffed before looking up to see Cheong-san bring a phone out of his pocket and aim it at him, filming his doings. He quickly hid the knife behind his back and backed away from the principal.

“That’s right! Good idea!” The man praised Cheong-san as he saw what he was doing.

“I’m filming everything. Let go, or I'm gonna send this to the police immediately.”

“You little…” Gwi-nam took a few steps towards the boy with the camera and grit his teeth. “I will kill you!”

“Just stop acting like human garbage. No one respects you just because you act tough,” Cheong-san scolded.

“I'm the new boss of this school. Don't you get it?” The blood stained boy told him cockily.

“Don't make me laugh,” Cheong-san spat out between gritted teeth. “You're just a fucking loser who will serve bullies for his entire life.”

Gwi-nam’s faux innocent face dropped and the knife fell from behind his back back down to his side. “Yeah? Say that again.”

“I feel sorry for (Y/n). Being related to you must be abominable,” Cheong-san confessed and Gwi-nam grit his teeth while taking a threatening step forward.

“You fucking keep her name out-” He started but got interrupted by the principal behind him moving. He turned around and swiftly slashed the knife across his neck, making his choke on his own blood before the life left his eyes.

He turned back around and tilted his head slightly, walking towards Choeng-san and wiping his knife on his white undone button up shirt. “So am I…” he took another step forward. “Still a loser?”

“Are you with me or not?” He asked intimidatingly and held his hand out. “The phone.”

“You just murdere-” Cheong-san stated in disbelief as his arms slowly dropped to his sides.

“Give me the phone!” Gwi-nam leaped forward to slash at him with the knife but he dodged down and Gwi-nam ended up slicing at the door. He kicked him back and Cheong-san landed on the ground with a groan, the phone falling out of his hand in the process. Just as Gwi-nam leaned down to grab the phone, he charged at him and tackled him away from it. Grabbing the phone, he rushed out the door and down the hallway, Gwi-nam following not far behind. “Damn it!”

With heavy breaths, they both ran until Gwi-nam was held back by a zombie coming from nowhere and tackling him. He stabbed it in the neck, scarcely avoiding the monster’s teeth and turning back to where the other boy had been running, seeing him far ahead. He quickly sprinted as fast as he could towards him and threw the knife at his back.

~With the group~

Su-hyeok returned to the broadcasting room, alone, regret hanging over his shoulders like a weighted blanket.

“Su-hyeok!” Dae-su exclaimed as he rushed forward to help him through the window.

“Hey, Bare-su,” Wu-jin said, also rushing to help him.

“Are you okay?” Joon-yeong as everyone looked back at the window, seeing neither of the other students sent out with him following behind him.

“Where's the phone?” Hyo-ryung questioned before On-jo followed closely with another one, her voice filled with worry.

“And Cheong-san?”

“Where’s (Y/n)?” Nam-ra asked worriedly as she ran up to Su-hyeok, trying desperately to catch his eye but failing as he remained looking away.

On-jo ran up to the door and called out each of your names. “Cheong-san! (Y/n)!” She turned around slowly. “Su-hyeok…” Her eyes filled with tears as she couldn’t hold back her emotions. “Where are they?”

Everyone looked at Su-hyeok as he turned back around to face her.

“We got separated in the teacher's office,” He looked at her remorsefully and tried to reassure her. “I’m sure they’ll be fine.”

“Are you serious? Oh, shit!” Dae-su uttered as he went back to looking out the window with no success.

“(Y/n) said something about keeping her promise,” he started and On-jo somehow simultaneously looked relieved and devastated. “I'm sorry… for coming back alone.”

~With Cheong-san and Gwi-nam~

The knife thrown by Gwi-nam at Cheong-san hit his back. Thankfully, it was only the dull side and caused a bruise at most. They kept running when Cheong-san ran into a zombie and practically did a front flip from the impact, losing the phone in the process before quickly getting up and grabbing it as he continued to run. Gwi-nam had lost the knife after throwing it so he ended up just running after him with no weapon besides his fists.

He ran until he found the library where there were zombies scattered everywhere. Noticing there was a boy on top of one of the shelves, he started racing towards them in order to do the same thing while Gwi-nam followed closely behind. He jumped up onto the shelf when the boy next to him started frantically asking questions.

“Were you bit? You were bit, right?”

“No, I-” Cheong-san tried to defend himself but the boy had grabbed his shoulders and pushed him off the shelf onto, luckily, the non-zombied side. He looked up at the boy just to see Gwi-nam get up there and pull the boy off into the crowd.

Both boys scrambled and dodged zombies left and right as they tried to survive, almost dying each time and letting the adrenaline lead their movements. Cheong-san jumped up onto a bookshelf but was caught when his leg got pulled on by the zombies below, each one desperate for a chance to rip into his flesh and carve out his heart with their teeth. Finally kicking his way out of their grips, he was safe but not for long. One zombie got up onto the shelf and he jumped over to the one beside it, ducking down as the beast pounced on him only for it to fall to the ground when it hit the hanging light.

Not getting a moment's rest, he saw Gwi-nam was also able to get up onto the shelves and was glaring at him. They ran around, Cheong-san trying to avoid Gwi-nam while Gwi-nam was actively trying to kill him.

“Cut it out,” he demanded and held out his hand again, giving Cheong-san one last chance to give up before he would just go through with his plan of killing him. “Give me the fucking phone.”

“You killed the principal. You're a murder,” Cheong-san protested and refused.

“You made me kill him, you shit!” He blamed him. “You wanted proof I wasn't a coward.”

“You're insane…” They both stood up and before Gwi-nam could do anything, Cheong-san ran along the tops of the book shelves up until the other boy leaped towards him and caught his foot, sending his crashing against the bookshelf and falling to the floor where he scrambled to get away from the zombies chasing him.

Finally getting up onto another bookshelf, he was quickly kicked in the stomach by Gwi-nam and they engaged in a fight that ended with Cheong-san trying to push him off with the light but ending up unsuccessful while Gwi-nam threatened to throw him to the zombies.

“Should I save you?” He asked mockingly while Cheong-san groaned, his hair being pulled by the zombies below. “What do you say? Beg for your life. Come on.”

“Screw you,” He denied and Gwi-nam was quick to punch him twice. He closed his eyes, pretending to be unconscious as Gwi-nam took the phone out of his pocket. He suddenly snapped his eyes open and slapped the phone out of Gwi-nam’s hand into the air before talentedly catching it with his other hand that was being held right above the zombies.

Gwi-nam gasped and reached across, trying to get the phone from him then putting both hands around his neck and choking him when he realized he couldn’t. Cheong-san plunged the edge of the phone into his left eye and he screamed in agony. While distracted with his pain, Cheong-san followed his instinct and threw him into the mob below.

Please forgive me, (Y/n)...

~~~

| Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 |

~~~

Taglist!

@multifandom-lover01

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@hellomotherfuker

Lmk if you want to be added or removed!

[rrenzwrld]

secreto de amor VIII

chapter 8! read chapter 7 here!

although jean did say people would come by everyday, he didn’t mention anything to you about connie and giving him a key to the apartment.

“i only did it to keep a man in the house for you. so if anything goes wrong, you can call him and he’d be there since he’s more accessible than our parents or elliot.” you’ve never been to his house but you were told connie also has an apartment up the street from where you lived so compared to everyone else, it was closer. but then you remembered how jean came into your room to ask about connie when there was nothing between the two of you.

“you act like i’m some damsel that needs saving. you’ll be home in a few days right?”

“yeah i come home monday.” it was currently wednesday so it had been a week since he left and he had another 5 days to go. you’d probably be okay with connie for 5 days.

“good.”

jean laughed. “don’t tell me you’re tired of him already?” you found out about the key on monday of that week but you barely saw him after that. he’d probably stop by before work then leave and maybe call if you’re lucky. he wasn’t doing the whole babysitting job well but you really didn’t care. you barely left the house anyways.

“he’s barely here.”

“oh you miss me? that it?” you rolled your eyes even though he couldn’t see.

“no. i’m hanging up now.” and that’s what you did. you’d talk to him some other time, he’d be fine. as if on cue, you heard the front door open so you left your room.

“sorry i was… working.” connie said as he took his shoes off and plopped down on the couch. he had a duffel bag with him and you found it odd.

“what’s that?”

“a bag, duh.”

“don’t get smart. what’s it for? what’s in it?”

“clothes and stuff. i wanted to tell you earlier but i was way too busy—“

“to stay here?”

“yeah, jean literally asked me to.”

“tonight?” you held your nose as he stood up and got closer.

“yeah—“ you put a hand in front of his chest to stop him.

“you’re loud… again. take a shower, please.” even though you were asking him to shower because you didn’t like how he smelled, all he could focus on was the sound of your voice. he didn’t know if it was the weed or you making his heart beat with haste.

“you got it.” he grabbed his bag and went to jean’s room.

“wait he said you can sleep in there?” you watched him.

“uh yeah? i wouldn’t be if he didn’t.” you turned around and went back in your room as connie got undressed and went into the bathroom. things were fine and you nearly forgot connie was there until you heard music blasting from jean’s bedroom and you were reminded that you weren’t alone.

“this nigga bro…” irritated from the noise, you got out of your bed and walked over to jean’s bedroom and knocked on the door. normally you’d just barge in because you were used to jean staying there but you didn’t know what to expect with connie so you knocked this time.

“hey.”

“you do realize the music is really loud right?” you crossed your arms over your chest, appearing as intimidating as you possibly could but it was hard because it wasn’t affecting connie at all. plus you were losing focus with the random man with little clothes in front of you. your eyes couldn’t help but comb through connie’s body. the way his black tank top and basketball shorts attracted you to his build. you liked that he wasn’t too buff with muscle but he wasn’t too slim either. looking at him was satisfying to you, even when you didn’t mean it.

“my bad, i’ll turn it down. you doing homework or something?” you weren’t but you enjoyed peace and quiet.

“no. just kept it down, please.”

“what if i don’t? you’ll tell your brother on me or something?” you hadn’t thought that far.

“just don’t do it and there will be no problems.” you started to walk back to your room.

connie smiled a bit. “you got it.” surprisingly he did what you asked and you hadn’t heard a peep from him for the rest of the night.

when you woke up in the morning, you were desperate to see if connie had left.

but when you were walking into the kitchen, you heard the sound of keys from the other side of the door.

“good morning!” he greeted you with both hands full of groceries.

“you need help?” it was a habit of yours to offer yourself to people. sometimes you were okay with it, sometimes you weren’t.

“nah i got it.” he said as he sat everything down on the island.

“are you cooking?”

“yeah, breakfast.”

“for yourself or..?” you watched as he searched through the cabinets for what he needed.

“i didn’t buy all this food for no reason, y/n. c’mon now. and yes, jean does know i’m cooking in his house.”

“okay~ well i’m going back to my room. let me know when the food is ready, i guess.” he didn’t say anything in response.

after some time, the house was filled with a lovely aroma. you expected to smell smoke and burnt bacon or something. you couldn’t even wait for connie to come to your room so you went into the kitchen yourself. the food on the two plates looked amazing and you were fairly surprised.

“pick up your jaw. didn’t think i could cook, did you?” he was pouring two glasses of orange juice.

“i didn’t.”

“are you even like, a breakfast person? i know i am so i’m sorry for assuming if you aren’t,”

“no, it’s fine. i just don’t be thinking about breakfast sometimes.” connie nodded in understanding before placing a glass down in front of you.

the two of you got to eating and talking in between bites. connie asked most of the questions so you were really just replying because there wasn’t really anything that you absolutely wanted to know about him if he hadn’t already said it.

“so i see you like to stay home a lot.”

“yeah, i said that.”

“you said you weren’t a party person. you didn’t tell me you were a homebody.”

“is that a problem?” connie shook his head.

“no, just observing. you got work today?” you told him about your job and how you also wanted to take online classes.

“no but i do have a hair appointment—“

“oh? can i go?” you looked at him like he had two heads.

“no.”

“why? i can’t let you out of my sight, part of the job.”

you rolled your eyes before finishing the last of your juice. “you’re never here.” connie could barely argue with that.

“i work.”

“sure.”

“anyways, what hairstyle are you getting?”

“just regular knotless. just so i won’t have to deal with my natural hair for a while.” in your free time, you looked up videos of on how to do braids yourself not only for your own head but to try to eventually make money from that too. but you were scared to go out on a leap so you opted for paying for styles until you weren’t scared anymore.

“why? i like your natural hair.” once again, you looked at him like he had two heads. your hair wasn’t unhealthy or unmanageable, you just were too lazy to style it yourself if it wasn’t a ponytail.

“sure.” you picked up your plate and was gonna throw it in the trash but connie took t from you and did it himself. “thanks.” he smiled.

“you sure i can’t go with you? i ain’t got shit else to do today.”

“umm, go home? don’t you sell drugs?” he quickly covered your mouth.

“shhh. i never told you that.” he whispered. you yanked his hand from your mouth.

“ain’t nobody here! and you did so, i’m a great listener. i’m sure i’m not the only one who knows though.”

“i told you i was selling, didn’t say what.”

“i’m not stupid. i know what you meant.”

“whatever. can i go with you or not? you keep bouncing around my question.”

“i did answer your question. i said no.”

“i don’t wanna hear that. say yes so i have something to do. i’ll even take you.”

“just for you to forget and leave me there for the rest of the day? i don’t think so.”

“i won’t leave you! i’ll stay the whole time, please?” you laughed at connie’s begging.

“are you begging right now?”

“…no, just let me go with you.” you had figured out that connie was a very persistent man and unless you wanted to keep hearing his mouth, you had to give in.

“okay whatever. it’s not until 12 and i need to wash and blow dry my hair so you have time.”

“okay~ i’ll clean up the kitchen and stuff.” you went to the bathroom to start on your hair.

[opposums-love-arson]

Scream Queen Book 1: Conventional Final Girl

Chapter 8

Chapter 7 / Epilogue

Hey y'all! I'm sorry I took a long unprompted hiatus from the story, I need to catch up on course work and didn't focus on updating. Again, I'm so sorry but I'm back now! This is the second to last update, though I'm thinking of turning this into an anthology series with different slashers. Let me know if that sounds fun to y'all!

P.S. let me know if you want to be added to the taglist!

  I heard shouting and yelling upstairs, getting worried I ran up hoping that Billy and Sid weren’t fighting. When I got there I flung the door open, “Sid! Sid everything ok-” I paused as I saw what was layed out before me… literally. Both Sid and Billy’s lifeless bodies toppled over on the large mattress. “Oh my god…” I said as I held the door open, only then did I notice the person dressed in all black holding a bloodied hunting knife. That was when he noticed me as well. “Oh shit, this is not happening!” I shouted as I ran out of the room. Locking the door I ran down the balcony hallway and into another room then out into the other end of the hallway. I was going to go down the stairs but the killer was already there. Panicking, I turned to go back the way I came. On instinct I slammed the door right in the killer’s face. He fell down in pain as I made my way to yet another room. There wasn’t another way out in this one… so much for quick thinking. 

  With the killer banging on the door I realized the only way out was through one of the windows. Unfortunately they were both shut. It was no use calling for help, no one would hear me. Or maybe there’s another window? To my luck there was, I crawled out and finally shouted, “Help!” before the killer came in and pried my hand off of the window sill. This is it, this is where I die, isn’t it? Nope, save by a tarp! Jumping down I’m ready to run when I see it, another person close to me has met their untimely demise… “Tatum?” I asked, as if she could answer, hot tears were running down my face before I could even understand. I ran away as fast as I could, not even checking to see if the Ghostface was following me. 

  “Help! Please help!” I shouted out as I ran through Stu’s yard and up to the fence. Breaking down a few of the flimsy wood planks I ran up to the news van. “C’mon please let me in!” I screamed out, jolting Gale’s camera guy to life. “He’s gonna kill me, he killed Tatum!” I wailed as I leaped into the van. The camera guy pointed to a screen showing Randy and the killer creeping behind him. He hopped out of the Van but both of us noticed the open front door. That’s when the camera guy was stabbed by the Ghostface. I closed the door, the masked murderer cutting my arm in the process. If dealing with mental suffering wasn’t enough then physical suffering will be. I crawled out a small hole in the back of the van. 

  I don’t even look behind me, I just start running and leaping over another fence back into the yard. Oh god where is everyone can’t there just be someone here? I continue running, Shit the road, there has to be someone coming down the street? I see the news van driving so I hop in the way and try to wave it down. “Stop! Stop!” I shouted. Things go exactly the way I didn’t want them to go and the van swerves off the street and down a hill. Thinking nothing can be done about that, I run to the house again in search of Tatum’s brother. “Dewey! I need help, Dewey!” I called out but only got echos in response. The front door opens and out walks Dewey. 

“Oh god, Dewey!” I called out in relief. 

“(y/n)?” He asked, he was about to walk down to me until he toppled over on the stairs thanks to a knife in his back. 

“Dewey! Oh no! No no no!” I shouted as my hand covered my mouth, both most likely smeared in blood now. 

That’s when Ghostface popped out from the doorframe, yanking the knife out of Dewey’s back and cleaning it off. I ran away horrified by everything that just took place and beeline for the patrol car. Seeing the killer go for the passenger door I hurriedly push down on the lock button. He quickly went for my side but I rolled the window up and pushed down the button just in time. I go to turn the key only to notice they’re not there. “Shit shit shit shit!” I cried down slamming my hands on the wheel. The killer knocks on the window to get my attention then dangles the keys right in my face. Before I have time to react he ducks below my view. Frantically I look around to see where he went. The passenger door unlocks so I hop over to lock it. The car radio starts sounding off so I grab the walkie-talkie-thingy and speak into it giving the address of where I am and that I need help. As I was talking the killer comes up from behind and strangles me! Yeah as if I’m going to let some sick fuck kill me in a car! I punch him where I think his cheek was and he lets go of me. I take the chance to make a run out of the car and to the porch. 

“(y/n)!” Someone called out my name. 

Crouching down as I go to get the gun of what I thought to be Dewey’s corpse I look up to see who it is. 

“(y/n), we gotta get the fuck out of here!” Randy shouted as he limped over to me.

“Stop right there Randy,” I said trying to sound as calm as I could while pointing the gun at him.

While hopping on his leg Randy said, “Don’t shoot it’s me! I found Tatum, she’s dead! I think Stu di-”

Stu came running up to the house saying, “Don’t listen to him, (y/n)!” he shouted, cutting Randy off. 

“Both of you. Just. Stay. Back,” I said sternly as they rambled words to everyone in a mile radius. 

Stu threw Randy down as they both hurriedly walked towards me. 

Stu cried, “(y/n), give me that gun, please just give me the gun!” As he kept looking back. 

I couldn’t trust either of them if I was being realistic but given the past few days… Stu might be the better option. The two boys were now having a pointing match as they kept looking at me and shouting. 

“Fuck you both!” I shouted and ran inside ignoring their protests as I locked the door. “Go away, please just go! Find help!” 

A grunt was heard from the stairs, whipping around. I saw Billy. 

“Billy…” I said, shocked and relieved at the same time. 

“(y/n),” he said as he fell down the stairs in his weak state. 

“No! Billy!” I said as I rushed to his side. 

Cradling him in my arms I said, “I thought you were dead, does that mean Sid is-” 

“No, the knife just… ” Billy said as he held my face, looking away from me.  

“C’mon let’s get you up,” I said with a small smile, “Carefully.” 

“We gotta get help,” Billy said with a few grunts as he made it to the door. 

“No, Billy, he’s out there. The killer is out there!” I raised my voice blocking the door.

“No, give me the gun. It’s okay,” He said as he took the gun out of my hands. 

Moving away from the door I said, “I trust you.” 

Randy barges in saying, “Please help me!” 

“Get in, get in!” Billy said as he ushered Randy in the house.

“Stu’s flipped out! He’s gone mad!” 

“We all go a little mad sometimes,” Billy softly says with a smile as he points the gun at Randy. 

“What the fuck Norman Ba- No Billy! What are you doing?” I ask, trying to get the gun away from him but his arm is longer than mine.

“Fuck,” Randy says before he’s shot in the chest falling back and taking the table with him. 

Running to his side I can hear Billy say, “Anthony Perkins, Psycho.” 

“It’s not even in the same context Billy what the fuck?” I shouted as I crouched down beside Randy. 

“Mmm, corn syrup,” Billy said as he sucked his finger clean. 

“Same stuff they used in Carrie, right?” I asked, my voice shaking as I backed up right into another person. 

Turning around I realized it was Stu, “Stu, help please? It’s Billy!” I said through sobs. 

Taking something out of his pocket he held it to his mouth and said, “Surprise, (y/n)!” 

I know that voice… it’s both of them…

Looking between the two I said, “Shit,” and shoved Stu out of my way and into the kitchen. 

I made it to the other side but not before Billy caught up to me pointing the gun in my face. 

“Woah now,” He said before catching the voice distorter Stu tossed. 

“What’s the matter (y/n)? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” He spoke into it.

Walking to the kitchen counter, seeing that there's no place to go I ask them, “So why exactly are you doing this?” 

“It’s all part of the game, (y/n).” Stu said as they walked closer to me. 

“It’s called-” Billy raised the distorter to his mouth, “-GUESS HOW I’M GOING TO DIE!” as he raised the gun to me

Flinching back at his words I said, “God, fuck you both,” while trying not to cry. 

“No no no, you had your chance at that game, you passed it up,” Billy said as he switched out the gun for the knife that Stu held up. 

“It’s all fun and games, (y/n). See we ask a question and if you get it wrong- BUGAH!” Stu shouted thrusting the gun in my face, “Ya die.”

“And if you get it right…” Billy trailed off, his eyes trailing me up and down. 

“Ya know you’re crazy right? The both of you,” I said as I leaned as far away as I could from them. 

“We prefer the term psychotic,” Stu said with a grin as he came up behind Billy, perching his head on his shoulder. 

Shaking my head and laughing a little I said, “You’re never getting away with this.” 

“I don’t know, tell that to Cotton Weary… You wouldn’t believe how easy he was to frame,” Billy said, twirling the knife around my hair. 

“Wait Sidney’s mom’s…” I trailed, it was all starting to make sense now. 

“Watch a few movies, take a few notes, it was fun!” Stu said, his head still perched on Billy’s shoulder.

“That’s what you meant Stu?” I asked them, this time they were the ones a little confused. 

“When Billy arrived, after he and Sid went upstairs you said Billy was using me…” I looked up my anger clear as day, “It wasn’t to get back together, it was to string her along, why?” 

“Why… WHY? Hear that Stu, I think she wants a motive,” Billy said, looking back at Stu. 

“Well I don’t really believe in motive, (y/n). Did Norman Bates have a motive?” Billy asked, looking back at me. 

“Nope,” Stu said, pointing his index finger up. 

“Did they ever decide why Hannibal Lecter liked to eat people? Don’t think so!” Billy said aggressively as he shoved his face in mine. 

“You’re wrong,” I quietly said

“What was that?” Billy asked as he pointed the knife to my chest. Stu came running up, cupping his ear with his hand. 

“I said you’re wrong.” 

“Care to elaborate for the class?” Billy asked, more so commanded. 

“Bates was motivated to kill Crane out of self induced fear from the past trauma of his now dead mother that never left. And similarly Hannibal ate people because of how strong the fears from his trauma were, killing and eating people were the only ways to silence it…” I said, getting more frightened with each word that came out of my mouth. 

“Oh is that so?” Billy asked, looking at Stu who held the gun up. 

“So tell me Billy, was it possibly because your father was hooking up with Sid's mom causing your mother to leave giving you a strong sense of abandonment that could only be silenced by killing the cause?” I asked, closing my eyes ready for my death. 

I could tell Stu was shocked too, he didn’t even know… did he?

Billy backed away, pacing around. He pointed the knife up saying, “Ya know (y/n), you should really take up psychology, right Stu?” 

“Right Billy,” Stu said with a laugh, earring him a glare from Billy. 

“So what are you going to do to me?” I asked

Billy took my hand and twirled me into his arms. Placing one around my torso and the other behind my head, “Darling, I’m not gonna hurt you… I’m just gonna bash your brains in!” 

“Jack Torrance, The Shining,” I said before biting my lip trying not to cry again. Force of habit? 

“It’s just a little fun! Lighten up!” Stu shouted and laughed, still having the gun at eye level. 

“Just pretend it’s all a scary movie, (y/n). How do you think it’s going to end?” Billy asked, moving his hand from the back of my head to my hair. 

Before I could say anything Stu exclaimed, “Oh-oh this is the greatest part! You’re gonna love this! We got a surprise for ya, (y/n)! Yeah you’re gonna love this one! It’s a scream baby!” Before leaving the kitchen. 

“You two really had me fooled, ya know?” I said, leaning my head to the side. 

“What do you mean?” Billy asked, running the knife along my body. 

“I mean I actually thought you two liked me...from the moment you confessed to when Stu kissed me at the party,” I said, laughing as a tear ran down my cheek. 

“We do (y/n), we honestly do like you but this is necessary for the plot,” Billy said, stroking my hair. 

“What plot Billy? This isn’t a scary movie… The credits aren’t going to roll after I’m dead, it won’t be a jump shot twenty years later when you two have happy little suburban families…” I said as I started crying harder. 

“Oh what do we have behind door number three (y/n)?!” Stu exclaimed as he came back into the kitchen dragging someone in

“Neil!” I shouted trying to rush to him only to be yanked back by Billy. 

“Woah hold it, that’s enough,” Billy says as he secures me to his chest. 

Picking the distorter off the counter Stu said, “Guess we won’t be needing this anymore, huh?” before shoving it in Neil’s pocket.

 “And oh look at this, ring ring? Won’t need this,” Stu said again, this time shoving a compact black cellphone into the pocket

“Got the ending figured out yet (y/n)?!” Billy shouted as he jostled my body around. 

“C’mon (y/n), ya think about it! Your stepdaddy is the chief suspect! We cloned his cellular, the evidence is all there!” Stu shouted as he pointed at Neil then shoved him to the ground. 

“Neil snapped, his wife’s murder anniversary made him snap, sending him on a murder spree killing everyone-'' Billy was cut off. 

“Except for Billy and me, we were left for dead,” Stu said with a wild expression as he rotated his fingers between him and Billy. 

“Then he kills you,” Billy started again, “Then he shoots himself in the head. Perfect ending.” 

“I thought of that,” Stu said with a big smile as Billy tossed me to the side. 

“I can’t fucking believe you!” I shouted, making the two boys pause. 

“What?” They both said. 

“Seriously Stu? You’re the one who wanted to kill me after you tried to get with me like a week ago, then kissed me four hours ago? And yet you’re the one that wanted me dead, now that, that there is just fucking perfect!” I shouted pacing around and running my hands through my hair and down my shoulders. 

“Seriously? You’re getting upset about that right now?” Billy asked

“Yeah no shit I am! I’ve processed every other fucking thing in the world but this is the shit that still baffles me the most!” I shouted again, hot tears streaming down my face. 

“Just get on with it already man!” Stu exclaimed, ignoring everything I just said. 

As Billy was about to stab his friend ‘for the sake of the plot’, I said, “Back the fuck up Norman Bates,” Shoving Billy back and taking the knife before he could say anything. 

“What are you-” Stu stopped and cried in pain as I stabbed him, staying to the side and not going too deep, “What the fuck, (y/n)?” 

Judging by the way Billy was looking at him the entire time, I won’t be the one to kill him. 

“How’s that for the fucking plot! Asshole!” I screamed in his face as I grabbed the collar of his shirt. 

Grabbing Stu’s hand I shoved the knife handle into his palm and said, “I just wanted to help,” in a sneering tone. 

I know what you’re thinking, stupid right? I know what I’m doing. 

Billy being as delusional as he was right now ignored my behavior and told Stu to just carry on, so he did. 

“Ah fuck! Jesus Christ!” Billy cried out as he slammed himself against the kitchen’s island, “Fuck, goddamit Stu!” 

“I’m sorry Billy, I guess I got a little too zealous, huh?” Stu said as he looked right at me. 

“Give me the knife,” Billy commanded. 

“No,” Stu said, like a child that didn’t want to share his toy.

“Give me the knife! NOW!” Billy commanded louder, like the mother ready to punish their child.

“See (y/n), everybody dies but us. Everybody dies but us! We can carry on and plan the sequel! Let’s face it baby, these days- you gotta have a sequel!” Stu shouted, spitting up saliva like a rabid animal. 

Flinching at the sound of Stu getting stabbed again I said, “You sick fucks, you’ve seen one too many movies. And that’s a lot coming from me.” 

“Now (y/n), don’t blame the movies! Movies don’t create psychos, movies make psychos more creative!” Billy yells as he gashes Stu again. 

“Billy you’re going to fucking kill him!” I shout, even though I should be relieved that it’s going to be one down one to go I just… I can’t 

“Yeah stop it Billy, I can’t take anymore… I’m feeling woozy here!” Stu shouts out, leaning over. 

“Alright, ya know what you get the gun and I’ll untie pops, okay?” Billy commands as he holds the knife to Stu’s chin, “NOW!” 

Stu gives a hushed, “Alright” as he walks over Neil and to the desk where the gun should be. 

“Um, uhm, Heuston we have a problem here,” Stu says as he turns around. 

Now pointing the knife at me Billy asks, “What?” 

“The gun, man! The gun I put it right there and it's not there,” Stu panics in a laugh. 

Walking over to Stu Billy shouts, “Where the fuck is it?!” 

“Right here asshole,” Said none other than Gale Weathers from the kitchen door frame, pointing the gun at Billy. 

Never in my life have I ever thought I’d be happy to see her. 

“I thought she was dead,” Billy said, looking over at Stu and gesturing to Gale with his knife. 

“She looked dead, man,” Stu said in shock before changing to a funny tone and saying, “She still does.”

“I’ve got an ending for you, the reporter left for dead in the news van? Comes to,” She said as she wielded the gun with a shaky hand. 

She kept going but I really wasn’t listening, I was more so worried about my life, Neil’s life, partially her life, and sadly even the boys’ lives. 

Standing up straight I said, “I like that ending,” Getting the attention of Stu who looked a little hurt by my words. 

And just like that my savior becomes my doom when Billy yanks the gun from her hand and kicks her right out the door. Fuck. 

I take this chance to run from the boys, I drag Neil away as well. Taking the phone and voice distorter from his pocket before shoving him and myself in the closet. 

Once in a secure spot I dialed the house number, Billy answered with a “Hello?” 

Holding the voice distorter to my mouth I speak into the phone, “Are you alone in the house?” 

“Bitch, you bitch! Where the fuck are you?!” Billy shouts getting more frustrated by the second. 

“Not so fast, we’re going to play a little game. It’s called-” I removed the distorter, “guess who just called the police and reported your sorry motherfucking ass?!” 

“Find her you dipshit! GET UP!” Billy shouted into the phone again but this time directed at Stu. 

I couldn’t hear much of what Stu said but I definitely did hear, “I think I’m dyin here man,” 

My breath hitched. 

“Hello?” Stu said into the phone 

“Awe Stu, Stu, Stu baby what’s your motive? Billy’s got one, the police are on their way, what are you going to tell them?” I asked, trying not to focus on the feeling of my heartbreaking. 

“Peer pressure, I’m far too sensitive-” Stu was cut off by Billy. 

“I’m gonna rip you up bitch, just like your sister and her whore mother!” Billy shouted into the phone. 

“Better find me first, delusional, traumatized, mama’s boy! At least, before the cops find you,” I’m sure they could both hear me smirking through the phone.

I could hear the boys shouting and crashing things around the house as I just stood here with my heart racing. 

“Hey babe… did you really call the police?” Stu asked into the phone. 

“Oh baby, Stu, you bet your sorry little oblivious lap dog ass I did,” I said trying to stifle a laugh but not let tears fall down my cheeks at the same time. 

It hurt so much, all of it. Knowing they wanted to kill me but in a way still harbored these twisted feelings. 

“My mom and dad are gonna be so mad as me,” Stu whined like a little kid. Okay that’s it I’m just trying not to laugh at this point. 

Billy was frantically searching when he opened the door to my hiding stop. Before he could spot me he was caught off guard by Laurie screaming as Michael slashed down the panels of the closet in Halloween. I took this as my opportunity to strike, literally. I took an umbrella and rammed both it and him into the wall, puncturing his skin. Just one more time, for good measure. He toppled down and I kicked the gun far away feeling triumphant. 

  That was before Stu came barrelling into the room trying to shove me to the ground. This just backfired and I landed on top of him, straddling him down. “Ya know babe, if you weren’t trying to kill me, this would be pretty hot,” I whispered into his ear before punching one of his stab wounds. 

  I shot up and made a break for it before Stu flipped us both over the couch. We landed on the ground, the coffee table sliding after we hit it, pillow feathers everywhere. “I really did have a thing for you, (y/n), I really did!” He shouted in my face as he pinned me down. “After this? Yeah I call-” pausing as I kicked him off of me, “bullshit,” getting up and seeing Stu on the floor. I kicked him one last time in the face knocking his head into the coffee table leaving a big bloody gash in the back of his head. Yeah, no way he’s coming back from that one, I thought. 

  Walking back into the entry room where most of the bodies were I knelt down by Billy noticing the Ghostface mask on the floor. It must’ve fallen out of the closet when I came at Billy. I practically jumped out of my skin when a hand grasped my arm! 

“Sorry, sorry,” Randy said as he rocked back and forth. 

“Oh my god Randy, I thought you were dead!” I shouted out in relief. 

“I probably should be, I never thought I’d be so happy to be a virgin,” Randy exclaimed. 

 I would’ve laughed had he not been punched in the face a second later. 

“You fucker!” Billy shouted as he pulled me up by my shirt collar and slammed me to the ground. 

I wrestled with Billy for a second before he started choking me and said, “Say hello to Sid and her mother!” 

No way I’m going out like this so I stuck my finger deep into the spot where I punctured him with the umbrella. 

Just as Billy lifted his arm in the air to retaliate by stabbing me, someone shot him in the chest! 

Frantically gasping for air I turn over and get up seeing that it was Gale Weathers who shot him. Guess she was my savior afterall. 

“C’mon, get up,” I said as I hoisted Randy up, walking him over to Gale as I took the gun from her. 

“Guess who remembered the safety that time? You bastard,” Gale said referring to what Billy said earlier. 

I kicked Billy under the leg to make sure he was actually dead. 

“Careful, this is the moment when the supposedly dead killer comes back to life, for one last scare” Randy warned me as if I didn’t know. 

Billy jolts back up like lightning!

Just like it was second nature I pulled the trigger landing a shot right to his head!

“Not in this movie he doesn’t,” I said as I started walking away. 

Just then a loud crash was heard from the closet and we all screamed! 

“Oh shit, Neil!” I exclaimed as I ran up to him getting randy to help me free him. 

  The after shock of everything that took place happened so fast. The police came and rushed everyone out of the house. Dewey had lived but he might have some serious injuries. Gale, Randy, Neil, and I were all checked out by paramedics. And of course Gale being Gale went on air to talk about what happened. It all felt great, relieved, almost surrealistically amazing to have escaped it all. At least it had until an officer came out of the house to tell me, “We couldn’t find the bodies of the two you reported as the killers…” “What?” Was all I could say as I stared over at my loved ones… trying to comprehend it all once again. Fear and dread washed over me but deep down a small drop of solace started to bloom.

This wasn’t the end of Ghostface. 

Taglist: @katie-tibo @thatoneuchiha @honeybee54321 @lolwey @livingordeadwhoknows @theomegaofvodka

[gotham-ruaidh]

Little Bit Better Than I Used To Be

Catch up: Chapter 1 (Starry Eyes) || Chapter 2 (Save Our Souls) || Chapter 3 (Dancing On Glass)|| Chapter 4 (Merry-Go-Round)|| Backstage (1) || Backstage (2) || Chapter 5 (Danger)|| Backstage (3) || Chapter 6A (Love Walked In) || Chapter 6B (Without You) || Backstage (4) || Chapter 7 (Stick To Your Guns) || Chapter 8 (Time For Change) || Backstage (5) || Chapter 9 (Take Me To The Top) || Backstage (6) || Chapter 10 (Home Sweet Home) || Backstage (7) || Chapter 11a (Nightrain) || Chapter 11b (Nothing Else Matters) || Chapter 12a (Handle With Care) || Chapter 12b (I’m So Tired of Being Lonely) || Chapter 13a (Angel) || Chapter 13b (She’s My Addiction) || Chapter 13c (Patience) || Chapter 14a (Where Do We Go Now?) || Chapter 14b (Where Do We Go Now?) || Chapter 14c (Where Do We Go Now?) || Chapter 15a (Dreams) || Chapter 15b (I Sing A Song of Love) || Chapter 15c (You Can Do This If You Try) || Chapter 16 (Let That Feeling Grab You Deep Inside || Chapter 17A: Never Tear Us Apart || Chapter 17B: It’s Tough To Be Somebody, And It’s Hard Not To Fall Apart  || Chapter 17C: I’m Wishing, Lord, That I Was Stoned || Chapter 18: Turn The Page ||| Also posted at AO3

Chapter 19: When You're Alone, Do You Let Go?

Love bites

Love bleeds

It’s bringing me to my knees

-- “Love Bites,” Def Leppard (1988) [click here to listen]

Pittsburgh || Early October, 1988

Ian Murray hissed as his sister-in-law sutured the gash on his forearm.

Claire Fraser briefly glanced up before turning back to her work. “Are you going to tell Jenny about this, or is that something I’ll need to do?”

Ian sighed. “I’ll tell her. God knows she worries enough as it is.” He took a deep breath as Claire’s needle pierced his skin. “You know she hates not being on the road this tour – she’s so happy we’re finishing up next week, and that I’ll be home for the break. Young Jamie has been teething – she’s not sleeping too much these days.”

Jenny Fraser Murray – Jamie’s older sister, and Ian’s wife – lived with their three small children on the Fraser family farm in upstate New York. The farm where Jamie and Jenny had grown up, and where their mother Ellen had died when Jamie was eight and Jenny was ten, and where their grief-stricken father had raised them before suffering a fatal stroke eight years ago.

Growing up without a mother had been hard enough – but it was the loss of his father, just when Print was starting to make a name for itself in the New York City club circuit, that pushed Jamie into his addictions.

That neither of his parents had seen his success, was one of the deepest regrets of Jamie’s life. Which was perhaps why, Claire mused, he had always been so kind and thoughtful with her Uncle Lamb.

“Breathe deep. This is the last one.”

Ian did, and Claire quickly and thoroughly pushed the needle through Ian’s arm one final time, before tying off and cutting the suture.

“Good. All done, just one more thing.”

Claire unspooled a few lengths from her roll of elastic bandage – black, instead of the typical tan color – and wrapped it around Ian’s sutures. “Here you go. I want to check on this tomorrow, and the day after. You’ll need the stitches for at least a week, and you really shouldn’t get this wet.”

Ian took a deep breath and carefully flexed his hand. “The show is gonna be interesting tonight. But at least I can still play. Thank you, Claire.”

She smiled, already rolling up her suture kit and rearranging the medical bag that she’d had to use quite a few times this tour. “Glad to be of service.”

“Hey.” Ian touched her hand, and she met his gaze. “Give yourself a bit more credit. You bring more to the table than you know.”

Now it was her turn to sigh. “I feel so out of my depth sometimes,” she admitted, quiet so that the roadies out in the hall couldn’t hear. “You know that I know nothing about this world. Jamie is working so hard to show it to me, and you and Angus and even Colum have been so gracious.”

“You make it easy, Claire. Jamie loves you. We only want the best for you. And I – ” He squeezed her hand. “I really want you here. You’re such a breath of fresh air for all of us. He’s changed so much in the past year, and you’re a big reason for that. You’re good for each other.”

She smiled.  “I never thanked you for being the one who got him to treatment.”

Ian snorted. “I was tired of watching him make bad choice after bad choice. It only got worse as the band got bigger – I’m sure he’s told you that.”

“He has,” she said sadly. “But you were there. You saw him. I can’t imagine how hard that must have been for you. You and Jenny.”

His eyes unfocused just a bit, clouded with memories.

Pulling open the door to the band’s dressing room, one night on the ’86 tour. To find Jamie kneeling on the ground, snorting lines of coke off his guitar case, just as quickly as the lighting guy from the touring crew could lay them out.

And

Jamie pounding on Ian’s hotel room door at four AM, somewhere in the Midwest. Ian opened the door, startled, and Jamie tumbled in, guffawing, gripping an empty bottle of Jack Daniels, racing across the room to hoist up the window and toss the bottle to the street fifteen stories below. He turned, grinning stupidly, to look at Ian in triumph – and startled a bit to see Jenny in the bed.

“Hey sis,” he slurred. “When did you get here?”

Jenny crossed her arms over her chest, shielding her five-month pregnant belly. “Maybe if you hadn’t had that liquid late-night snack, you’d remember.”

Ian cleared his throat. “Had Jamie not listened to me – to Jenny and me – that morning in Sacramento, and had we boarded the plane to London later that week, he would have come home in a body bag, and where would we be?”

Claire pursed her lips. So many times she had wondered how her life would have been – how Jamie’s life would have been – had he not made that one small choice to finally get the help he needed.

“Claire, I’ve known Jamie since we were seven years old. We grew up together at Lallybroch. I married his sister. He’s my brother. And now you – you’re my sister.”

She blushed, so happy.

“I want only the best for you. For both of you. I’m always here. Jenny is, too – well, even though she’s not here, she’s always going to be here for you. Because that’s what family does for each other.”

Claire’s eyes shone with tears. Heart so full.

Ian smiled, and patted the back of her hand. “Keep that kit out, in case I pop the stitches tonight. Can’t have blood gushing onto my bass in the middle of a song.”

“Hey!”

Colum filled the open door of the dressing room.

“Ian – this is your fifteen minute warning until curtain.”

Ian held up his arm. “I’ve got an excuse.”

Colum winced. “I don’t want to know. I’ll just thank God yet again that we’ve got a bona fide doctor with us this tour. I love Arch Bug, but he didn’t exactly develop a good bedside manor when he was a corpsman in ‘Nam.”

Ian smiled and stood, grabbing the bass that leaned up against the wall. “She’ll be ready if I need more.”

“Speaking of which.” Colum turned to Claire. “Your husband is looking for you.”

Claire snapped her medical bag shut. “Where is he?”

Colum crossed his arms. “Two doors down on the right. But if you’re asking about his headspace right now, it’s getting very close to me asking the opener to play an extra song so that you can do whatever it is you do to calm him down.”

She pursed her lips, and fished in her pocket for a fresh stick of Doublemint. “He’ll be on time.”

to be continued...

[lappel-du-vide83]

Also getting back to the manhwas train I finally read debut or die which was?? Not at all like I was expecting?? But anyways, here are just my reactions (often kinda random) but I hope you read through and can figure out what's going on while finding it funny!

Also don't ask me which chapter it starts at because brother in arms I don't know either

EUGENE IS SO FUNNY

[VTIC Cheongryeo sunbae-nim: Call me if you feel like dying ^^]

- LMFAOOOO what

didn’t know where this dogsh*t idea came from. Does his pituitary produce saliva instead of hormones? It was fortunate that he was the type to be impressed by trivial interpersonal relationships.

- woah what went straight for the jugular

I never thought that the situation where I cried for the first time in nearly 7 years would be live in front of a camera with 13,000 people.

- AND AIN'T AFRAID TO CRY

- OR TREAT HIS MAMA RIGHT

“You didn’t have a trashy attitude back then, Moondae. You just worked hard even though you were sick. Chungwoo hyung was worried too.”

- Oml

[We have to lose!]

- Bless cha Eugene's heart

-- HE'S SAYING IT IN ENG

Hey, that’s scary. I’m scared.’

- Behold the intelligence of mcs

The company’s internal network structure is derived from T1.’

- HOLY SHIT THIS GUY'S DEDUCTING SKILLS IS CRAZY

- Have you considered a career in

- Forensic?

He also gave very American advice.

- LMFAO

I cheered as I reviewed the ten-day seclusion plan.

- FR

- secluded for 10 days sounds like the DREAM

‘I am so f*cking uncomfortable with it, you bastard.’

- Leave the poor man alone 😭

-- Is this..?

-- THE KIDNAPPING???

(- WHAT

Why don’t you try to commit suicide?”

- CRAZY BASTARD

-- He is now the kidnapper

--- Kidnappee turn kidnapper

Because I beat the sh*t out of him.”

- Amen

It’s okay. I won.”

- HELL YEAH YOU DID

The fact that I was injured enough to go to the hospital was funnier.

- WHAT STOP

- HE COLLAPSED

- WTF

- PLS REST

--

HE'S ACTUALLY SO MANIPULATIVE

-- USING THE SKILL

-- SUBTLY CHANGING THEIR THOUGHTS IT'S CRAZY

---

DO YOU REALLY WANNA WORK THAT HARD

Arent you drinking too much

- ONG was not expecting this to actually be a problem

You look tired these days!”

- OMG HE _IS_ AN UNRELIABLE NARRATOR

--

Oh no he got a SURPRISE BDAY PARTY

-- Woah so his actual one is 8 dec??

-- That's awfully close

---

WATCHING RED PANDAS IN THE CORNER OF HIS ROOM

--- SAUR CUTE

----

HIS GRANDMA IS AN OPP

---- I'M SORRY IT'S REALLY MEAN BUT GET IT TOGETHER GIRL

---- OMG CHA YUJIN INSISTING THAT HE STAY

---- URGHHH MY HEART

Self criticism should be done during spare time not when it's a nuisance

- I respect this man so much

like a brainless idiot

- STOP

- YOU ARE SMART

- AND AMAZING

- YOU JUST GIVE 200% AT THE WRONG TIMES

--

AW OMG HE CARES SO MUCH

-- BLESS RAEBIN

-- EVERYONE ACTUALLY

-- THEY ARE THERE FOR EACH OTHER SO MUCH

- - -

Woah wait so they're aiming for a Moondae is the the same person as bae sejin feel??

--- I am INVESTED in the mv lore

It doesn't matter if it was worse this time

- NO

- IT'S ALREADY SO BAD

- THE RECOIL SHOULD NOT GET WORSE

- THAT'S RIGHT SLEEP MORE

- JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE BACCHUAS DOESN MEAN YOU DONT NEED SLEEO

--

OH NO

-- THE ACCIDENT

-- STOP

-- ARGHHH

-- WILL YOU REST PLEASE

-- OH THANK FUCK

---

WAIT

--- NO

--- NONONONO

--- STOP

--- NOT ALLT HE WAY BACK

--- Daydream??

( how desparate he is)

- OH MY FUCKING GOD

- SHOULD I JUMP OFFF

- NO

- OMG

- NO

--

OMG THIS REALISATION is Tearing me APART

rapid prayers in spanish

- the angst here is killing me

--

THANK GOD FOR NECTAR

-- 18 DAY COMA

OMFG

-- CHA YUJIN IS SAUR CUTE

-- BRIBED HIM WITH TANGEIRNES

-- HE'S SORRY

-- HE IS FORGIVEN

-- CHA YUJIN KEEPING QUIET ABOUT VTIC

-- AND BLACKMAILING MOONDAE

-- SO ADORABLE

---

FUNDRAISING

--- He's actually so sweet

--- PLS EVERYONE WAS CRYING

"do you think I'm some kind of sociopath"

- SEJIN NO

- THEYRE FRIENDS <333

- PLEASE I NEED THEM TO BE HAPPY

--

So the system is actively trying to help him??

---

TSRANDED ARC!!

--- Lights out :0

--- SAVE THE CHICKENS

--- The secret door is so ominous

--- Horror arc

--- OMG MOONDAE GOING wtf do I do??

--- SO REALL

--- WAS SO SCARED FOR A SECOND

----

THE MEETING

---- OMG

---- OMG

---- OMG

---- OMG

---- AHHHHHH

---- DID HE RUN AWAY???

---- I'M SO CONFUSED

---- BUT RGW IN THIS CONTEXT IS SO SWEET

HE TRIED TO COMMIT DEATH

- WHAT

- WHAT THE FUCK

- HUH

- IT ENDED LIKE THAT????

- No more abnormalities???

- WHAT

--

:OO A CONVO WITH OG PMD

Ah the need to be in control of every situation

- So valid

AND THEN MY TEXTS JUST END THERE SO...

anyways hope you had a laugh

And I really hope this fandom gets so much bigger than it is now :)

[mariaofdoranelle]

Look at Us Now - Masterlist

Aelin and Rowan don’t get along. Not at work, not when she gets pregnant, not when they have to co-parent their daughter.

However, when their four-year-old starts showing signs of distress because of their animosity, they need to work on their differences and figure out how to co-exist peacefully. Just enough to tolerate each other.

There’s no way they’d end up getting along too well… right?

General warnings: mental illness and NSFW

Main story finished but I’m continuing the fic with fluff

Dual timeline

A special thanks to @sassyhobbits for picking the fic’s name and @leiawritesstories for helping with the cover istg I can’t make a decision to save my life

~~

Read on AO3

1. Wings are not concrete.

2. Terrible and small circunstances

3. Transform brightness, wings, cheers,

4. Into a labyrinth of meager resonance.

5. Love soliloquies are not eternal.

6. However, I rebuild my wings each day

7. However, I create love

8. Like children create happiness.

9. No matter the distance that stretches between us

10. No matter the mountains that stand between us

11. The same sky covers us

12. And the same earth connects our feet.

13. Beginning and end.

14. I love you absent.

15. Because absence is what makes the love that's sensed.

16. And if this burning is to be forever

17. I will die of love being born in me.

18. I've loved you so much and in such ways

19. As if the earth was a sky blazing fire.

20. So burn my whole chest with this haze

21. As if life were fledging and flying.

22. The words that become lava in your throat

23. It’s not torment.

24. It’s this hunger for you,

25. This unbounded love.

26. Where does this breath that excites me come from

27. To look at things with the eyes that create them?

28. Of love and fear and endless waiting.

29. And if I love you more than I should

30. I don't know what else to love on earth.

31. Just expanded the fic

32. I need to sort out this poem thing lol

Bonus chapters in chronological order

Where Do We Stand?

Oneshot a year and a half before the main story starts

Chapter 3.5: Strip Away My Conscience

Chapter 11.5: Bonus Scene (RPOV)

Chapter 23.5: Maisie’s POV

Outtake: Easter

Other bonus content

My silly little playlist

Moodboard by @elentiyawhitethorn ❤️

Artwork by @fauna-flora11 ❤️

SPOILER: Deep analysis of the “breakup”, and how Rowan’s mental health shapes his relationship with Aelin throughout LAUN.

I was freaking out a little on how to name the chapters, so I ended up translating myself and mixing two Hilda Hilst poems after I had the outline. I hope you like it!