#I’m literally next to the coaches corner | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

fruitcoops · 17 days ago

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Do They Know It's Christmas?

Happy holidays, lovelies! And most importantly, happy noot fic exchange/ secret Santa to @itsaash --you're a legend, a sweetheart, and a friend I hold near and dear to my heart. I hope everyone is staying safe and sound! You've made it through the shortest day of the year; it's only up from here! Thanks to @veryspacecowboy for coordinating the exchange and @lumosinlove for the characters!

TW for implied smut and mild Vaincre spoilers

Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus, right down Santa Claus Lane…

“Fourth line, take it left!”

…and all the fun we had last year…

“Good work, boys, remember we’re working clockwise.”

Run, run, Rudolph, Santa’s gotta make it to town…

“I know, I know, but we need to get that down before we break today.”

…come on, it’s lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with…

“Keep those crossovers clean in the corners, Sunny!”

…the very next day, you gave it away…

Arthur frowned at his clipboard. An ache had started up along the inner corner of his eye, and not even the steady working of his thumb brought relief. The song changed to something bright and tinny with silver bells; the things he would give for a nice, quiet O, Holy Night right about now. Something soft, with minimal jangling. A saxophone would be lovely.

They had a schedule. They always had a schedule. The boys were used to rotation exercises—he had even taken pity and not added anything new or complicated to the roundup. The whole damn thing was laminated and taped to the damn glass around the damn bench on both damn sides of the goddamn rink.

Arthur’s eyes ticked typewriter-smooth down the list, but his ears alone would have told him it was a lost cause. Messy crossovers. From Sunny. Crunchy, scratchy steps from skates of perfect sharpness. Low muttering, barks of laughter, rollercoaster-arcs of chatting when they were supposed to be focusing. Cap did his best, but Harzy looked about two laps from chewing his way out through the boards.

Well. It was almost Christmas. He could be kind.

The whistle broke through Brenda Lee’s second chorus; 20 heads popped up.

“Revision!” Arthur called across the ice, drawing a steady line through the end of his list. “Bring it in.”

Their rush to the bench was the cleanest they had sounded all day.

“We’re going to finish a little early today—”

A wave of cheers cut him off, then petered out at his unimpressed glance.

“We’re finishing a little early,” he repeated when the Christmas spirit had released their souls at last, leaving only a faint ringing in the upper levels of the bleachers. “Because I’m taking off the last rotation.”

Arthur slipped his pen back into the clipboard clamp. Olli raised a tentative hand. “So…we can go…?”

Arthur frowned. “What? No, we’re going ‘til noon, if you just—guys, the schedule is right there—”

“Nooo—”

“But Coach—”

“—Christmas!—”

“I haven’t even—”

“—been here so long—”

“—like you don’t even love us—”

“—mom’s gonna kill me if I don’t—”

Unbelievable. Simply beyond words. Arthur looked over Nado’s pleading hands, hoping for an ounce of solidarity from the one person besides himself who was literally appointed for this duty, and was met with only a beleaguered, whale-eyed stare in return.

Arthur raised his eyebrows.

Sirius gazed back.

For such a large person, he could really pull off ‘sickly Victorian child begging for gruel’ when he wanted to.

“Alright,” Arthur muttered. It was lost in the sea of writhing and wailing. “Alright!”

The team (finally) fell somewhat silent.

“I am very sorry,” he began, pausing to slide his clipboard onto the bench hook. Their anticipation was delicious. “That I assumed a group of grown men playing their favorite game for millions of dollars would be able to handle one morning practice for their last competition before a holiday break.”

Pots’ eyebrows pitched as if he had been stabbed. “But Coach, it’s Christmas.”

“It is December 22nd.”

“I haven’t even found something for my dad yet!” Walker piped in.

“Sounds like a personal problem with time management.”

Pascal—the traitor—shuffled on his skates. “I was going to make holiday cookies with my children,” he said sadly. “They grow up so fast. We might not have many years of it left.”

Arthur rolled his eyes. “I’m letting you go at noon, not locking you in here overnight. And I know you make cookies on Christmas Eve, because you put them on my doorstep every year.”

Pascal tsked, but didn’t deny it.

“You get cookies?” O’Hara perked up, craning his neck to look at Pacal. “How come we don’t get cookies?”

“Because I don’t need you to like me,” Pascal said with a smile.

“What if we need to catch flights?” Knut interrupted.

Arthur squinted at him. “Knut, we have a game tomorrow. You better not be going anywhere.”

“Well, no, but the sentiment stands.”

“No, it does n—you know what, fine, if you make it through…” Arthur leaned around the glass to squint at his beautiful, crisp schedule. “Your next two—TWO, I don’t wanna hear it—rotations before 11:30, I will let you out then.”

“And no lift tonight?” Kuny asked hopefully.

“Don’t push it.”

“Veto.”

Budding protests froze over in one collective puff of breath.

…the stars are brightly shining…

“What?” Arthur asked at last.

A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices…

Sirius licked his lips, shifting from one foot to the other. “Veto.”

Arthur opened his mouth.

Closed it.

Every eye in the room was fixed on their captain. He rested his chin on top of his hands, folded on his stick. Lupin’s gaze flickered back and forth.

“But I…” Arthur faltered, gesturing at the schedule.

“I get three.”

“It’s not even 9:30.”

“No questions asked.”

“We have a game.”

“It’s snowing outside.”

“How do you know that?” Arthur asked despairingly.

A grin skipped across his face. “I’m Canadian. I can smell it a mile off.”

“Also, Tremzy texted everyone right before practice,” O’Hara added.

“It’s snowing, have fun at practice, you fucking losers, ha-ha,” Knut recited with a grave nod.

“No, no,” Sirius corrected. “My bones are made of snow and I was born with hockey skates in one hand and a thermometer in the other.”

“That, I believe.”

Arthur waved his hands between them before the already-unbearable situation could get any worse. “Let me just…” His headache was coming back. Going home early was starting to sound less terrible by the minute. “You, as captain, get three vetoes across the span of your contract.”

“Ouais.”

“Which you can use to veto any practice you want, for any reason, with no questions asked by me or other staff.”

“That’s what I signed, yes.”

“And you’re using it on a snow day? With barely two hours left of practice? Before a game and a week off?”

Sirius smiled. “Veto.”

“Lupin.” A last-ditch effort. Perhaps a dirty play, but it was warranted. “Lupin, don’t you have anniversary plans? Birthdays? Anything else he can use this on?”

The captain’s barely-contained mischief was bad enough. Lupin’s mild bemusement was worse. “I’m sorry, Coach, but I can’t question a veto from my captain.”

Arthur scanned the crowd of hopeful faces. Sometime in the last minute and a half, Knut had slipped his phone off the bench and was doing his best to text under Winter’s elbow. Kelly Clarkson sang along to his imminent defeat. He sighed, shook his head, and opened the gate. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Nobody moved.

Arthur blinked. “Merry Christmas?”

Not a twitch.

“Ho-ho-ho, get out.”

The dispersal was the most active they had been all day, surging forward in one mass of whooping red and gold. Out of the corner of his eye, Arthur saw Moody turn the music up a notch before hustling back into his office.

The herd had vanished down the tunnel in a matter of seconds. Arthur shook his head, turned his smile toward the empty rink, and pulled out his phone.

The locker room was a disaster.

“Don’t pull so hard!” Leo grunted as he fought to wriggle out of his jersey, hopping on one socked foot while Finn tried to help him out of his remaining skate. “I’m gonna fall, I’m gonna fall, Kasey—”

An elbow to the ribs righted him. “Yeah, no, I’m on my way out,” Kasey called over the ruckus, sandwiching his phone between his ear and shoulder. “Yeah, lemme get my shoes on. Al’s driving? Jesus, maybe I’ll just walk.”

“A tie is bad, right? That’s a bad gift?”

“T, I’m sure your dad will love anything you get him.”

“But I got him one for his birthday.”

Remus grimaced for just a moment, but it was enough. Thomas dropped his head into his hands with a groan.

“No, hey, it’s a good gift!” Remus tried, patting his shoulder. “Does he have a lot of ties?”

“He’s more of a sweater guy.”

“T.”

“I know, I know, I know.” Thomas sighed. His head fell back against his stall, then rolled toward Remus as his lip slid out in a pout. “I don’t even know where to start.”

Did Remus have to give him a minute with this one? He was a little afraid he did. “T,” he started. “Your dad likes sweaters.”

“Yeah.”

“So get him sweaters.”

“But what if he doesn’t like them?”

Remus took him by the shoulders and gave him a gentle shake. “He likes you.”

Thomas made a desperate sound and rolled his head the other way, then heaved himself upright. “I need to go outside. The cold clears my mind.”

“Way ahead of you!” Finn shouted over his shoulder, one hand clasped in Leo’s and the other on the doorknob with his skates teetering dangerously over his shoulder.

Leo hoisted their duffel bags, shuffling through the narrow doorframe with all the grace of a newborn giraffe. He gave them one last clumsy wave with a glove half-on. “Lo sends his love, even if he’ll never say it!”

“Yes, I’m coming,” Kasey laughed, presumably still to Natalie. He caught the door with his foot just as it was beginning to close; Remus grabbed the edge of it from him and waved off both his grateful look and mouthed thank you. “Yes, baby,” Kasey repeated. “Usual spot. On my way.”

It was a disaster, and then as fast as they had all tumbled in, everyone flooded out. A few of the newer guys remained, muffled by the hum of the showers. Dumo ruffled up Sirius’ hair as he passed, preoccupied by Celeste’s rapid-fire French on the phone and the hustle of his light jog. Remus was pretty sure he caught some mention of the park; there was one near their house with a pond that froze around this time of year. He was a little surprised Logan wasn’t already staking his claim on it.

Sirius’ arm was around him before he even started to sit. It made for the perfect guide and counterbalance, settling him firmly on a denim-clad thigh with a kiss to seal it in seconds. “Hey,” Sirius mumbled against his shoulder blade.

“Hi, trouble,” Remus laughed.

Sirius hummed, obviously pleased, and gave him a squeeze around the waist. “That felt good.”

“Using your powers for evil?”

“Mhm.” Another pulse, this time with a cheeky pinch to his hip. “And you.”

Remus scoffed, swatting at him, but couldn’t help leaning back into his warmth all the same. He was lucky Sirius couldn’t see the heat of his face, too preoccupied with nuzzling his way across the span of Remus’ back to leave a kiss at the top notch of his spine before burying his nose in the divot below. Odd creature, that one. Remus liked him far too much. “What are you doing?”

“You smell good.”

“I haven’t showered.”

“I noticed.”

Remus bit the inside of his cheek for a moment. He gave the room a cursory glance—the stragglers were just finishing up, too engrossed in whatever wisdom James was bestowing on them to notice the graze of Sirius’ teeth over the arch of his shoulder. “I was thinking,” Remus started, then lowered his voice. “Was thinking we could do it at home instead.”

Sirius’ smile pressed bright and devious to his skin. “Yeah?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Am I invited?”

“Unless I’ve started using the royal ‘we’,” Remus teased, digging his elbow lightly back into the curve of Sirius’ rib.

His laugh was soft, but the pat to Remus’ outer thigh was perfectly heavy with promise. “Get your bag.”

News of their early departure had obviously reached the ears of the rest of the training staff, because the halls were stark in their emptiness on the way out, after many goodbyes to James and promises of dinner tonight. Remus had been dying for some actual holiday time—he had planned gifts months in advance, dedicated an entire Monday to wrapping, agonized over delivery times and game schedules and delays.

But he was craving the substance of it, the literal meat and potatoes of people coming over to ooh and aah at the ornaments over dinner by the fire. Most of all, he wanted some time that was theirs. A brief moment to enjoy the lights and the smell of fir with just himself, Sirius, and the dog. It had been…three weeks? More? Since they put the wreaths and boughs up around the house. He was pretty sure that was the last time they had been able to do holiday things that didn’t involve obviously sneaking off to get gifts for each other.

Sirius seemed to feel the same. They had hardly made it past the PT room before he was pulled into an empty hallway for a kiss that melted in his mouth like butterscotch. He hummed, pushing into it, but Sirius just took him by the hips and pressed him back against the wall. Okayokayokayokayokay came the giddy whirl of the end of his thoughts.

“This.” Sirius’ mouth moved against his jaw, threatening a mark above his pulse point. “This is what I was after.”

“Cancelling practice just to kiss me,” Remus said, breathless already. His throat caught at a flash of teeth under his ear. “So irresponsible.”

Sirius’ eyes were bright and playful. “And I’d do it again.”

They got away with another minute—or five—before footsteps sounded down the other hall. Remus took him by the hand and pulled him toward the parking lot at a brisk, tumbling clip, sneakers pattering on the floors Filch was waiting to wax until they were all gone for the break. Hooligans, he called them. It echoed in Remus’ head as he kissed Sirius stupid in the hall beside the display cases. If only he could see them now.

The air bit his face as soon as they stepped outside, hot and kiss-fresh. Remus could hear voices around the corner but Sirius’ hand was sliding ever-lower and he just—“There’s people!” he hissed, fighting his grin with a blind bat backwards.

Sirius was too fast. A firm grab made him hoot, startling a laugh from both of them. “The entire world has seen us making out in a car, loup,” he snorted. “I think that’s worse.”

It was only the Cubs, after all, and half a snowman wearing a disjointed collection of gear. Leo’s oh-so-subtle text must have done the trick to summon Logan out of his holiday relaxation. He had only flown in that morning after the Rangers’ last game, but he seemed plenty awake despite the journey.

“You’re making me cold just looking at you,” he argued, adjusting his beanie over Leo’s ears while Finn finished rolling the head beside them. “You’ve lived here for years, and still you forget a hat?”

“Merci, baby.” Leo tried to sound begrudging while he obediently bent to let Logan work, but it only came off as fond. Remus could relate.

“And Fish just lets you walk out of the house like this. Unbelievable. It’s snowing.”

“It wasn’t snowing when we left,” Leo pointed out. “I seem to remember a ha-ha, losers text informing us of the change.”

Logan’s tsk was sharp as black ice while he tenderly tucked Leo’s curls under the hat’s knitted edge and kissed each of his cheeks. “Completely frozen over,” he informed Leo. “You’re welcome.”

“Now you’re going to get cold.”

Whatever disbelieving expression Logan made was lost to Remus as Sirius ushered him around the back of the car, but his scoff was plenty audible. “I’m Canadian. I don’t get cold.”

Sirius’ forehead hit the steering wheel the moment their doors closed. “I want to be home,” he complained.

“You’re in the right place to get there.”

“I don’t want to drive.”

“I can do it.”

A pathetic sigh heaved his back and shoulders. “I don’t want to wait fifteen minutes.”

Remus tugged on the back of his hat. “Not that I’ll ever say no to a little New Year’s action, but I feel like we just covered why that’s not a great idea in broad daylight.”

Sirius groaned, grumbled, and turned the car on.

Between salt and the morning commute, the roads were mostly clear. The familiar crunch of snow under tires pulled half of Remus’ brain from the rink; the other half followed at a sluggish pace, coaxed away by radio carols and the mindless chatter the two of them somehow managed in spite of spending eighty percent of their time together. The window was cold on the side of his head. Remus never liked freezing, but there was something about a snow day that always felt like home.

The house lights cast red and green glimmers over Sirius when they pulled in. They were working on getting decorations he liked; things he actually wanted, not just what Instagram said he should use. It wasn’t a lot yet, but it was a start. The icicle lights above the door had been a particularly good find.

They were greeted by a loud bark and the scrabble of paws. Hattie careened around the corner from the living room (she had taken to dozing under the tree) and spun herself at their feet in a few tight circles for maximum petting efficiency.

“We’re home so early!” Sirius cooed, gathering her wiggly body up in his lap like she was still tiny. “Oh, you’re so excited. Did we surprise you?”

“We were so mean to poor Coach,” Remus agreed as he dodged her lolling tongue. “Yes, baby, so mean, but now we’ll be home all day.”

Hattie keened and whined and nibbled on everything in reach for a tolerable thirty seconds, then launched herself out of Sirius’ lap and made a beeline for her toy box. She had hardly made it halfway to them when a cardinal flitted past outside—her ears spiked up, body puffing on a low bwoof. Remus barely got the screen door open before she was off like a bird-seeking missile, cutting through the snow in leaps and bounds.

They dumped their gear in the mudroom, made a snack, planned lunch, played with the dog, dried the dog, cleaned her paws, and finally—finally—they were standing in the same room, with nothing to do for another hour at least.

“Hi,” Remus said, heart kicking.

Sirius smiled. “Hello.”

Hattie’s teeth squealed on her peanut-butter-filled toy.

They wasted no time for foolishness on the stairs. A sweater on the ribbon-wrapped banister; socks in the hall. Sirius’ pants didn’t even make it across the bathroom threshold, belt clattering on the floor. Remus turned the shower on with his eyes closed because he quite simply could not be bothered to spare more than one hand.

“C’mere,” he murmured into Sirius’ mouth, even as he stepped backward under the spray. “C’mere, don’t move.”

Sirius’ response was wordless and perfect.

Steam built around them, chasing off the chill. The house was decorated. The presents were wrapped. Meals were planned, the dog was busy, and Remus was tired but he was so, so awake now, with ink-black hair wound around his fingers and a boy that held him so the hot water never left him.

Sirius rested his head on Remus’ shoulder and went lax at the drag of a soapy hand over his back. “So good.” His mouth rested at the curve of Remus’ jaw. Every word cooled his skin. “So good to me.”

“Doing my best,” Remus joked with a scritch to his nape.

Sirius raised his head, blinking sleepily around the water that spilled down his face. “I don’t remember the last time I wasn’t scrambling for gifts this time of year.”

“I do.”

“Mm?”

“Last year.” Remus smudged a few soap bubbles down the bridge of his nose. “Shopping for you.”

Sirius’ forehead wrinkled. “Me?”

“I was being cranky,” Remus assured him, running his thumbs over Sirius’ collarbones. He didn’t have a lot of soap left, but he would be shameless and greedy about touching like this. “Lily knocked some sense into me.”

“She’s good at that.”

“The best.”

“And she’s lucky to have you.” A kiss pushed the side of his hair into a cowlick; Sirius grinned as he smoothed it down with one hand. “Trop mignon.”

Hot hot hot hot hot. Remus wrapped both arms around his waist and sank his teeth into the knot of soft muscle above Sirius’ heart. Sirius’ laugh jostled him, but that was fine. He was used to it. “I love the holidays with you.” One last little kiss to his neck, to the spot he had bitten the other night and made Sirius’ leg tremble. “I love you.”

“I’m going to veto every single practice forever.”

“No,” Remus laughed, swaying them back and forth. He covered Sirius’ wicked smile with his hand and kissed the back of it. “No, non, not allowed.”

“But I get kisses and showers and I love you’s and dinner—” His hands skimmed up and down Remus’ sides, running over wet skin with the expertise of someone who knew all his soft spots. “—and you bite me and our dog loves us and we get to see James and Lily tonight—”

Remus cut him off with his lips this time. “Your perfect day,” he whispered, though it was just them in the house. “Sounds pretty close to mine.”

“Copycat.”

“Maybe we should just stick together,” Remus offered. Sirius’ fingertips found his own, lacing together all too easily. “For maximum perfect-day concentration, you know.”

“Nothing else, of course,” Sirius agreed.

“Oh, nothing.”

“Hey.”

“Hi.”

“I put mistletoe above our bedroom door when we were decorating.”

“Amateur. I put it on the ceiling above our bed.”

#remus lupin #sirius black #arthur weasley #james potter #leo knut #finn o'hara #logan tremblay #sweater weather #vaincre #lumosinlove #my fic #fanfic #winterfic #secret santa #fluff #team shenanigans #lions

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moongreenlight · 1 year ago

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More on Soap and his f!demon!reader because you guys forced me like oooookay I get it you’re horny on main

Just kidding everything I do is for you. All you have to do is vaguely imply that you want something and I’m all over it baby anything you need.

Mdni. Nsfw below cut.

Johnny’s demon who follows him everywhere after his first kill. Bound to him the moment the bullet left his chamber. A partnership of sorts. Cast into the pits and valleys of his soul. Gifted to him in the few intimate moments where the deafening blast of his rifle slowed time. Kept a secret even from him. A partnership between this world and the next. Quite literally a give and take. You sworn to him so long as he kept up his end of the bargain. Kill or be killed.

You stayed concealed in shadows for years. Flitting from corner to corner to make sure you always had an eye on him. Silently coaching him through little whispers carried to his ears on the wind. Watching him grow as a soldier under your care. Honing and refining his skill as you saw fit. Leaning your chin just over his shoulder during missions. Voice leading him through to victory like siren song.

Protecting him when it was necessary. Wrapping your big wings around him to shield him from an onslaught of bullets. Leaving his side only for a moment to gore a sniper with their sights on him with your blackbuck horns. Curling your fingers around his to force the trigger of his pistol back if he hesitated and put himself in danger.

It was a bit dirty in principle. Like forging his signature on the deed that signed his soul over to the devil, but he didn’t seem to mind. The cost of invincibility coming at a relatively low price all things considered. The only drawback was his ego. Sizable before, now bloated into something almost grotesque. Cocksure and arrogant but not without his charms.

Not to mention, you’d almost taken a liking to Johnny in your time together. Like a parasite slowly becoming fond of their host. He keeps you fed. Bringing you with him to the field, letting you gorge yourself on blood and carnage and pain until all you can do is drape yourself over his broad shoulders and lazily flick your magic around when it’s required. And he’s decently entertaining for a mortal. Has to be the best company you’ve been forced to keep in at least a few hundred years.

Though you found yourself getting increasingly irritated each time he came home from a mission and thanked God of all people. Letting him pick up a few more scrapes and bruises than you usually would on his missions after that whole bit started. Each murmured ‘Thank you’ making you hiss and howl down at him from your perch in the shadows. Wanting to show him just who he should be thanking for his survival.

Tired of his baseless belief and wanting to teach him a lesson on saying thank you; you revealed your human form to him during midnight mass on Christmas Day. Can’t say you didn’t have a sense of humor.

You sat alone in the pews. Feeling when he entered the church minutes after you. Skin erupting into goosebumps, hair standing on end, a heat starting under your skin like you’d been dropped into a pot of water being slowly brought to a boil. You watched from the corner of your eye as he and his family slowly made their way down the rows of pews, finding yours was the only one with enough room to hold the lot of them together. It all seemed too perfect when you and Johnny ended up knee-to-knee.

You felt his energy shift. He could feel you as much as you could feel him, but the sensation was foreign to him. The same discomfort you’d been plunged into when you took your human form. Trying to cooly fold the sleeves of his dress shirt up at his elbows and seem attentive to his mother who was harping on him about his hair up until the moment the priest stepped to the pulpit.

You didn’t get a chance at him until the congregation was finally prompted to greet one another. Some love your neighbor nonsense.

Johnny turned to you immediately. Standing from his pew with the rest of the crowd. Unable to sit still in such discomfort. His skin hot as yours. Buzzing just under the surface like he was inches away from a live wire.

You blinked up at him through thick lashes, wetting your lips with a flick of your tongue before pushing to your feet. Letting him shift his weight for a few more moments as you looked him over.

Standing in front of him, he dwarfed you. Always had- but especially now when you didn’t have your wings or horns to compensate. Not the tallest in the room, but carried himself like he was. Chest puffed out, arms subtly flexed by his sides, dress shirt hugging his muscled form just right.

He stuck a hand out. Brow cocked as he sized you up with glittering blue eyes.

“Peace be with you.”

He spoke first. You fitted your hand in his. Barely blinking when the meeting of your skin elicited something like a static shock. Relieving both of you from your discomfort.

“And with your spirit.”

You responded through a coy smile. He looked reluctant to take his arm back. The shock hadn’t deterred him. Instead he wrapped his fingers all the way around your hand, hanging on to you for a beat longer than was necessary.

“Alone on Christmas?”

He still didn’t let go of your hand. A sharp smile. Almost predatory.

“Nobody to spend it with.”

You shrugged, still gazing up at him with big doe eyes. Finally allowing your hand to drop from his and immediately feeling pins and needles in the absence of his touch.

“Don’t believe that for a minute.”

You caught his knee inching toward yours on more than one occasion as the mass carried on. Like he was testing the waters to see if you were truly the reprive he was seeking. Fidgeting slightly where he sat. Teeth clicking softly as he ground them. Cracking his knuckles. Clenching and unclenching his jaw. Shifting his hips slightly forward on the bench. To his credit, he showed an impressive amount of restraint. Never touching you. Not that it would have done much through his trousers.

The one true pitfall of your being bound to his soul. Forgotten until now in its seeming insignificance. It was near agony for the both of you when you took human form. Like your life force being torn in two and dangled temptingly close but just out of arm’s reach. A kind of pain that didn’t need to land blows on either of your physicalities. Felt divinely through each you. Not used to being separated, you had an almost instinctual need to be together. You’d known beforehand and he seemed to be picking up on it quickly. Skin needed to touch skin in order to provide either one of you any relief. Give both of your spirits space to knit themselves back together.

For being so tightly braided in the fibers of his being, you found it almost shocking that you hadn’t noticed how desperate he could be when he was looking for release. Body tense in his increased discomfort. No doubt grappling with the effects of your separation. Sweat beading at the back of his neck. Tugging at the collar of his dress shirt. Bouncing his knee. Looking up toward the rafters before fixing his gaze on you in an attempt to pass it off as a sweep of the room. The way he brushed your arm reaching over you for a bible nestled in a pocket just in front of you. Making contact with your exposed skin for a fraction of a second and nearly whining when the both of you felt your unease settle for a fleeting moment.

Trying to push up against you when you were down on the kneelers, murmuring a clipped apology each time. Still somehow finding time to rake his eyes over you. Nails digging little half-moons into the back of his hands where they were clasped in prayer.

On the tail end of the service, communion was given. You followed behind Johnny and his family. Just behind him like you had so many times before. His normal prowl substituted for a more casual saunter. Subduing his ego for something a bit more reserved in the presence of not only his family but also the good lord. Nodding his thanks as he took his bread and wine. You had to fight back the distasteful curl of your lip at the motion. Even now he was thanking God.

You saw the way he tried to casually turn his gaze back to you when you stepped up to take your Eucharist. Tongue laid out flat and long, head tipped back a few degrees. Intentionally pornographic in your acceptance of the wafer. Nearly tripping over his feet when he caught you staring straight back to him. You made a show of pulling your tongue back into your mouth, your best attempt at a demure smile curving your lips.

He tailed you closely on your march out of the church. You lingering on the walkway. Seeing the way his eyes flicked back to you as he walked his parents to their car. Mother still going on about something or the other. He needed to visit more or he needed a proper haircut or he needed to call more. He cut her off with a kiss on the cheek before closing the car door. Shook his father’s hand. And as expected, crossed the parking lot quickly to get back to you. Grinning wolfishly as he saw you stood with your winter coat folded neatly over your arms pretending to look around for who knew what.

“Still alone, are we?”

He queried, standing in front of you, folding his arms over his chest. You didn’t miss the way he flexed just barely, making the dress shirt bite into his bicep.

“You worried about me?”

You cocked your head slightly to the side, chewing the inside of your lip to dilute the smile threatening to curl your lips.

“Ken I oughta be, pretty lass like you.”

He chuckled softly, blue eyes glittering under the warm glow of the lights outside the church.

“Aren’t you sweet.”

You deadpanned.

“You’ve got no idea.”

He’s used to getting what he wants, that ego of his. And you’d made the mistake of not outlining exactly how quickly you’d play into his game beforehand. Mind now clouded from not being with him. Walls came crumbling down embarrassingly quick.

He’d somehow persuaded you to let him give you a lift back to his place. You making up some excuse about not being from the area, staying with a friend who must have fallen asleep instead of picking you up after church. Somehow allowed him to keep his hand fixed on the small of your back up two flights of stairs to his flat. Somehow wound up with a tumbler of whiskey in your hand, pushed onto the couch with Johnny sandwiching you against the arm.

Awfully smart for a mortal man. Figured out what it took to keep him comfortable and ran with it. His fingertips ghosting along the hem of your dress. Delighting in the goosebumps both of you got when he brushed your skin with his. The insatiable heat crackling within each of you dying down each time only to be fanned with a renewed fervor when he drew back. Eventually settling on not pulling away at all. Resting his hand on the top of your thigh, running the fabric of your dress between a few fingers. Careful to keep his palm flat against you. Infuriatingly comfortable with you seeing as you were a complete stranger to him. Chatting like the two of you were old friends. Flirting like you had done this time and time again.

He wasn’t one to beat around the bush. Couldn’t be arsed to play the fool and try and skirt around the subject. A dog after a bone, really. Practically drooling over you as you made idle chitchat. And the worst part was that it was working. You’d try to blame it on your addled state. Not in your right mind. Only you knew how flimsy those excuses were. Trying to curb his advances with little success. Trying to keep the ball in your court.

You were still looking to assign blame to something when he grabbed your hips and tugged you under him on the couch. Circumstance. Mindset. Whiskey. Church. God. You couldn’t even remember what the two of you had been talking about. Something insignificant. Very well could have been the weather. You had a feeling it didn’t really matter.

Hovering over you close enough to feel his feverish heat all over. His knee forcing its way between your legs like he felt some kind of right. Using his big paws, still clamped around your hips to grind you against his thigh. A sharp laugh when you tried to hide the soft mewls that bubbled up inside you.

You felt smaller than you had in eons. Not used to being jerked about. Reduced to something resembling a true human under Johnny’s touch. Not having been material for centuries would do that, you supposed. No room to think about the needs of your physical body if it’s something that’s been shelved until now. And- fuck. It’s like somehow your body had found room to store up thousands of years of repression. Bursting at the seams. Somehow, the heat in your belly rivaled that of being separated from him. A feeling that couldn’t be sated like your bloodlust. Like a hunger that could claw its way up out of you if left untreated.

He was grinning at you like the cat that ate the fucking canary. Properly giddy. Tickled with himself for snatching you up. You wanted to snap at him. Hiss and spit like you had when he’d thanked God instead of you after a mission. Remind him that he wasn’t the hero he thought he was because this was all part of your plan, but the words died in your throat.

“Jesus. Thought you’d be a good girl. Meetin’ you in a church and all.”

His voice wasn’t doing anything to help your case. Nearly sending you feral under him. Unable to help the wetness gathering at your sex. You tried to press your thighs together. To buck his hands off of you, but it only made him snap his teeth in your face. His fingers bit in just a touch harder, pressing you down into the couch.

“Thought you said you were sweet.”

You bit back, lips pressed into a tight line.

“Dinnae know s’what you wanted. Don’t seem like it.”

“Funny.”

You shot back, voice a bit more obviously breathless than you would have liked. He’d let go of your hips, leaving you to grind yourself against the muscle of his thigh that was pressed tightly against you. He looked down, watching the way you moved. Whining at the sight. You were much too lost in your mind to notice the small damp spot that was forming on the leg of his trousers. Rolling your hips lazily against him.

“You like funny? Cunt get this wet for any funny bastard that comes along?”

You couldn’t muffle the high keening sound that tore from your throat in time. His filthy words taking you by surprise. Blinking rapidly and making a vain effort to still your hips, but he was quick to the kill. Snorting a laugh and tugging you up off the couch. Bullying you down the short hallway and into his bedroom. Walking you backwards using his legs to guide you. Puffed-out chest knocking you in the direction he wanted, kicking at your feet if you were going to run into the wall or a corner. Herding you like some sort of farm dog. There was a nasty look in his eyes now that you weren’t touching anymore. Even a few seconds apart seemed too much.

He shoved you backward onto the bed, not giving you time to adjust the awkward angle at which you’d landed before he was knelt before you on the ground. Yanking you forward by the backs of your knees which caused your dress to bunch at your hips. Leaving your dripping sex exposed to him. The thin panties doing little to hide your arousal. You yipped softly, trying to twist away from him. Give yourself the high ground, but he wasn’t having it.

He wasn’t the light, arrogant, charming Johnny you’d seen before. Nor was he the dark, rough operator you’d seen him be on the field. This was something different entirely. He looked like a predator that had finally caught some elusive prey. A flash of his teeth through an infuriatingly smug smile. Eyes raking you over like he was about to tear into you. It made something deep within you coil tightly. The heat in your belly now at a roaring boil. Your plan long forgotten. Lost somewhere to swirl among the fog that took over your mind.

Given the animosity he was exuding, he took his sweet time warming you up. Kissing, nipping, sucking, licking his way up your legs. From knee to hip on both sides. Leaving small, dark marks on your skin. Marking his territory. Panting softly over your barely clothed cunt. You making your situation even worse when you twitched and mewled softly under him. Cheeks burning a deep scarlet.

It was entirely too much and somehow not enough. The visual of him knelt between your legs that were hanging off the bed. His artful way of touching you. Your thundering heartbeat and the blood rushing in your ears. It nearly pushed you over the edge without him even needing to touch you.

He was a dog pulling on a taught leash. Doing everything he could to restrain himself. His breathing was ragged. Eyes steely. Pupils blown out. Unable to look away from the damp spot on your panties. Humming his approval at the sight. Working his calloused fingers under the fabric and guiding them down your legs. His muscles were tense, impossibly so, threatening to burst the seams of his shirt. Swallowing hard when he finally got a look at your drooling pussy.

“Jesus, bonnie. Fuckin’ perfect.”

He shifted slightly on his knees. Cock pressing uncomfortably hard against his pants. The muscles in his jaw twitched slightly. Sat stilled for a moment with his hands at your thighs with a white-knuckle grip.

You whined. A choked sound. Trying to squirm out of his eyesight. A bit uncomfortable being ogled. This sent him back into action, strong hands yanking you back toward him. Snapping his teeth in your face in warning.

He then spent more time working you out. Like he had nothing else he’d rather be doing. His mouth hot and wet. Touching anywhere but your clit out of some torturous principle. Spreading you open with his thumbs. Lolling out his tongue and allowing drool to drip down off it and add to your gathering slick. Blowing cool air on you. Watching your every twitch and shake with lust-glazed eyes that somehow seemed more attentive than normal. Committing you to memory.

You were nearly in tears. He’d ruined your plan. Turned you from an all powerful being into some shivering, whimpering thing. Overstimulated without him needing to wreck you with an orgasm. Sweating and whining and yelping at his touch. Trying to tangle your fingers in his hair and jerk him closer, but he just swatted your hands away or sunk his teeth into the meat of your thigh to shut you up. Unable to be put off of his path even after you’d stooped well below your status and managed to ask nicely a few times.

And when he finally, fucking finally, showed you a bit of mercy; he only sunk one finger into you. Enough to make you let out a low, throaty growl, but not enough to satisfy you. He pumped in and out at an agonizingly slow pace. Biting his lip and panting as he watched the way your drooling cunt swallowed him so perfectly. You tried to roll your hips into him like you had on the couch. Tried to grind into his knuckles to give your swollen clit some friction, but he rewarded your efforts with a mean slap on the leg. It took you by surprise. Pain like that- physical pain- had been so rare that it made you cry out and jerk your head up to stare at him wide eyed and open mouthed.

“Yer gettin’ bratty. Take what I give you.”

He shrugged, still unable to tear his eyes away from where you were clenched around him. Though he didn’t bother hiding the smug smile he was sporting.

“N-not enough. More.”

You whined, tossing your head back onto the mattress.

“Hell of a way to say thank you.”

He chided, tutting his tongue softly.

“You’re out of your mind if-“

He put a quick stop to your impending tirade by stuffing you full with another finger. A soft squelching sound as he began to pump faster that sent you reeling. Unable to form a coherent thought, you were left to fall apart on his bed. Legs hanging lamely off the edge as he had his way with your cunt. Treating it like you weren’t even there. Cooing pure filthy words of admiration to your sweet cunt. Pinching around your clit for a moment before sliding back down to hold you open between the index and middle fingers of his free hand.

Fuck. So pretty. Look how she sucks me in, mm? Needy thing. Never been treated this good? Need‘ta get you ready, yeah? Bet she’ll be prettier all stretched out.

By this point, you were sobbing. Fat tears rolling down your cheeks and creating little stains on the comforter on either side of your head. Rolling down your neck. Something coiled so tightly under your belly that you were certain you would implode. Turn yourself inside out before he ever granted you release. Pained and overstimulated and under-stimulated all at once. Rendering you useless in doing anything other than moaning and fisting the sheets weakly in your hands.

He stayed like this for a few minutes, until he could tell that you were getting pushed to your breaking point. Working up his pace. Curling his fingers more and more. Letting his breath fan you. Still uttering filth like it was prayer. Fucking reverent. Slowly adding drops of water to a reservoir until the dam burst. It sent you careening over the edge when he finally wrapped his lips around your clit and gave a gentle suck. Lewd, wet noises coming from the both of you. It took all of a few seconds for you to reach your orgasm. Whatever had been furled tightly within you finally snapping and exploding outwards. Wiping your mind clean. Only allowing you to focus on your release. Walls clenching and spasming around his fingers that did not relent. Crying out and moaning and gasping much louder than you’d meant. Clapping a hand over your mouth to quiet yourself. Bucking your hips up into him and re-starting the entire process when your now hypersensitive clit grazed his teeth or tongue.

He stayed latched on to you for much longer than was appropriate. Lapping up as much of your spend as he could. Working his fingers into you well past the point of exhaustion. Keeping you spread open and on his view the entire way. Paying no mind to the way his knees began to object to his position or how tight his cock was pressed against his pants. Obsessed with the way your body reacted to him. Obsessed with your pleasure.

It felt like he was trying to make you come completely undone. Pulling orgasm after orgasm from you until you were nothing but a puddle on the bed. He spared you no mercy when he finally pushed himself to his feet. Hands flying to his belt and tearing it off. Too impatient be bothered to shed his trousers completely, opting to tuck the waistband just under his heavy balls. Shucking your dress up over your head. Using the slick gathered on his hands to lubricate his cock before he started fucking into his hand.

His leaking tip bumped against your clit each time he thrusted forward, sending you spiraling. Seeing stars. And now that he was certain he’d gotten you to come, it seemed the only thing he could focus on was his own orgasm. Yanking off his dress shirt with one hand. Working his needy mouth across your chest, up your neck, over your jaw until finally he met your lips. Leaving a slick trail of spit in his wake. Meeting your mouth with such a desperation that your teeth bumped together. His tongue sloppily working it’s way past your lips and further into your mouth.

He continued to fuck into his hands, eyes rolling back each time he brushed against you. Hypersensitive by nature, amplified a thousand times by the throbbing hardness of his cock. Dipping into you just a centimeter at a time. Driving the both of you insane. The scalding heat of his skin pressed flush against yours. The taste of yourself still on his mouth and chin. Sweat on sweat. Your head spinning. Mind still clouded with blinding pleasure. You wanted to tear him to shreds. So frustrated with him and his effect on you. Ruining your plans. Like he’d taken a seam ripper to your edges and was pulling you apart without even needing to try.

He hummed something filthy that you couldn’t quite make out. Sound muffled by the blood thundering through your ears. Letting out something that resembled a scream when he finally sheathed his cock deep within your walls. No longer satisfied with the stimulation of his hand. Bottoming out on his first thrust. Finally slipping himself out of the collar that was choking him in his rabid attempt to bury himself in you. He gave you no time to adjust to his girth, and you found yourself truly connecting the dots as to why he was so insistent on stretching you out with his fingers and loosening you up with multiple orgasms.

Your back arching impossibly further up into him. His sweat-slick forehead pressed hard against yours. Noses bumping together as he set a punishing pace humping into you. His eyes screwed shut in pleasure. Groaning and whining about how good you felt around him. He was beating hard against your cervix. White-hot pain popped spots behind your eyes. Your body trying to adjust to the feeling of him buried so deep.

“Fuckin’ perfect. Takin’ me so good.”

His tone was stuck somewhere resembling a growl. Rumbling so low you swore you could feel it in in your chest. Teeth clenched. Huffing in sharp breaths as his hips slammed into yours repeatedly. All you could do was mewl and cry under him in response.

He reached his orgasm relatively quickly, burying impossibly deeper into you when he finally came. His face buried into the crook of your neck, teeth sunk into your collarbone. It irritated you that he didn’t think to ask if he should pull out. But that was yet another boundary he didn’t seem to care for. Like he knew there was no way you could deny him. Like he felt that same entitlement to any part of you that he wanted. And honestly- that thought rang dauntingly true.

He thrust lazily into you, riding out his high before collapsing down next to you. Still sporting that infuriatingly smug grin. Fucking glowing. Tugging you over into his big arms and wrapping them around you. Tucking you under his chin and suffocating you with his smell. Sex and whiskey and cologne and incense. You hated that it worked to calm your aching body and mind.

“Oughta keep you around.”

He mused, chuckling breathlessly over you.

You simply hummed your response. Sighing sharply and resigning to the fact that revealing yourself to him at all may have been a mistake. You were at his service indefinitely.

#this took me forever to write because writing smut is so hard I kept having to take giggle breaks #cod mw2 #call of duty #cod x reader #johnny soap mactavish x reader #john soap mactavish #john soap mctavish x reader #johnny soap mactavish #john soap mctavish x you #soap mactavish #soap mw2 #soap cod #soap call of duty #soap x reader #John soap MacTavish smut #soap smut

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nrdmssgs · 2 years ago

Text

König meeting civilian reader Scenario (part 1)

Masterlist

Part 2 is here

Meeting for the first time. Civilian reader. I know, you all have your personal headcannons for his real/civilian name, so I tried to leave it blank for you. Boy is just homesick, so sorry for that “Austria is better than...” thing.

It was Friday night, you gathered with your friends at the local bar. Your neck and shoulders were aching after a week of sitting in the office, barely having time to stand up.

So when you saw an unoccupied coach at your table - you knew it was your choice for this evening.

You see, the coach is good for relaxing, even drinking maybe... but you all were hungry after a long day and sitting down there, you were too low to eat something from the table. Your nose was literally at tabletop height. So you were left alone on the couch.

Not that you minded extra space.

It was until your last friend showed up, bringing this mountain of a man with them.

"Everybody, say hi to *Königs` civilian name*. He is a friend of a friend, he'll be staying in our town for some time."

Despite being warmly greeted, he glances at you all cautiously and answers something under his breath.

You figure, the guy must be tired or just doesn't like big companies. So when he lands on a couch near you and almost immediately moves away, as if trying to take up less space, you just smile and reassure you don't need the whole couch just to yourself.

Even sitting on a low sofa, he rises above the rest of you.

You are quickly distracted by the conversation with the rest of your friends and turn back to the table. From time to time, someone from your company asks the giant next to you about his life, but his answers are always short and reserved.

Sometimes it seems to you that you feel someone's gaze, but when you turn around to your new acquaintance, he turns out to be absolutely fascinated by reading the label of his beer bottle.

At some point, one of your friends is going to the bar and asks what to get you. You glance at the menu without much enthusiasm.

"I don't even know... What are you drinking?", you turn to König.

"It's Villacher...", he answers almost automatic and looks so concentrated and nervous, as if you already knew the right answer and was just testing him.

"I don't see it in the menu... it must be in German exported list, yes?", you ask him without second thoughts, and it is where his face changes.

Anxiety is replaced by surprise on his face as he answers you in much slower pace now: "It's Austrian. You don't place Austrian beer in German list..."

And before you have a moment to consider, if you offended the guy, he starts a whole freaking TED talk on how Austria and Germany approach brewing. And how far the traditions of Austria surpass those of Germany.

But somehow he sounds not angry at all. He is actually very happy to share his knowledge with you. He even scribbles view from a window in a typical village in the Tyrolean Alps (yep, good luck figuring out how is that related to his lecture. IT JUST IS).

You notice small wrinkles at the corners of his eyes as he smiles, talking to you. You listen to his accent, remember his name, and put two and two together.

"So, I take it, you are from Austria. Miss your home?", he suddenly pauses at your question.

"Well, a bit... But I'm ok here, I guess".

You two spend the rest of the evening chatting. The more you talk to him, the more relaxed he seems.

It is until it's time to say goodbye, and you casually ask him for his number. Man frowns. Seems like he stops breathing.

"No-no, you got me wrong, I just want to add you to our group chat. That way, you'll have a bunch of acquaintances in the local area. Plus you'll know, when we are gathering next time", you laugh, hiding your own embarrassment.

He answers "Sure" not breaking eye contact and completely ignores the smartphone you placed before him on a table. Instead, he takes a napkin and scratches a number on it with a pencil (this gentle giant is so caught up in a moment, he doesn't have a single idea, what is he doing).

Back at home you understand, you've fetched the napkin with his sketch as well by mistake. But you keep it - such a wholesome reminder of that nice evening.

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its-time-to-write · 1 year ago

Note

I loveeee your taylor swift based jamie fics so i was wondering if u could maybe write one based on question..? You’re amazing at writing conflict between the reader and jamie but ofc ending with fluff and i feel like question is the oerfect outline for a fic like that. Thank you!

once again, I am slowly but surely finishing asks in my inbox! my hyperfixation has been awakened ever so slightly, as well as my need for new Jamie content. enjoy!

half-moon eyes

“What if I don’t go?” you suggest, sprawled out on Keeley’s couch.

“You have to,” Rebecca calls from the kitchen. “It’s non-negotiable.”

“I don’t even work for you,” you say, “so you literally cannot make me.”

Keeley grins devilishly next to you, feet propped up on the coffee table. “You don’t work for me either, and I can make you,” she says.

You groan. “C’mon, Keels, I’m not even on staff at Richmond. Why do I have to go to this benefit? It’s going to be a bunch of rich footballer twats.”

Rebecca places two glasses on the table and sits down. “You’re a rich twat. And you’re our friend. Besides, Keeley and I already bought your dress.”

“You what?” you yelp.

Keeley’s still grinning, except it’s all smug now. “Come on, babe, it’ll be fun. Free food, free booze. Hot men. Besides, it’s for a good cause. You love those.”

You drape an arm over your eyes and say, “Fine. I’ll go. But honestly, it’s just because Ted told me he’d help me get Roy on the dance floor.”

Rebecca and Keeley become a chorus of “oh, come on,” as they whack you with Keeley’s pink fluffy pillows.

—

Keeley and Rebecca are the absolute worst for picking out the dress they did, because it’s perfect.

It’s sleeveless with a halter neck, decorated with giant light blue sequins all the way to the floor, with a slit high enough to add some spice, but still low enough that you won’t feel the need to tug at it every five seconds.

And while you were correct about the rich footballers, you were a little bit incorrect about the “twat” part. Mostly.

You didn’t want to go to the benefit for the same reasons Keeley and Rebecca did want you to go.

Jamie fucking Tartt.

He does no favors for your “good girl” reputation, and yet you’ve found yourself completely enamored with him. You swear to Keels and Bec that it’s just his muscles and his eyes and nothing more, but they got you to admit that you also liked his personality and that’s when you knew you were done.

The whole point of being in a three-person friend group is so that at any given time, two of you can meddle in the third one’s love life.

It’s supposed to always be you and Keeley versus Rebecca, or you and Rebecca versus Keeley.

Not Rebecca and Keeley versus you.

They had successfully gotten you to spend time with Jamie during a team party, one where they snuck you in as Keeley’s emotional-support person then promptly ditched you to flirt with footballers/coaches of their own.

You’d sat in a corner with a book stolen from a shelf, trying to make yourself invisible. Unfortunately for you, Jamie has sharp eyes and a tendency to gravitate toward introverts.

But it doesn’t matter now. You’re in Rebecca’s car headed to that dumb benefit and gripping Keeley’s hand.

“Please don’t leave me this time,” you plead.

Keeley squeezes your hand twice. “Babe, it’s a bunch of people you know. And besides, how are you supposed to get in Jamie’s pants if you’re with me the whole night?”

Rebecca snorts out a laugh as you groan.

“I’m not trying to get into Jamie’s pants,” you say. “I’m literally only here because you made me.”

“Sure,” Keeley says. “And I’m a virgin.”

The car dissolves into laughter along with your nerves, and you feel as ready as you ever will to face the night.

—

“Two please,” you say to the bartender. He turns around to prepare Keeley and Rebecca’s drinks and you sigh, forearms on the counter.

“Rough night?” asks a teasing voice. You turn to see Jamie slide into the space next to you looking fit in a cream suit. He tilts his head a little bit, causing one dangly earring to sparkle in the light.

“Surprised to see you without a book,” he continues. “But no worries, you could always ask Roy for one of his. He’s always got one on him and I think he’s stored one up his-”

“Here you go,” says the bartender.

“Thanks,” you reply, nodding once to Jamie in a way that signals he can leave, but instead of doing so he follows you.

“I can take those,” he says, reaching for the drinks and you automatically hand them to him.

“Thanks,” you say again.

He tilts his head to look at you. “You’re fucking quiet tonight.”

You laugh once, short and grating. “Yeah, well, this isn’t really my thing. I got suckered into it and manipulated into wearing this dress and normally I’m not this uncomfortable, but I don’t really know many people here.”

“You know me,” Jamie says softly, and then you’re at the table.

Keeley looks up in surprise as Jamie hands her a drink but the surprise doesn’t last long before it’s replaced by devilish twinkle.

“Oh, are you two going dancing?” she says.

“N-no,” you stutter, “he was just-”

“Dancing sounds so fun,” Rebecca interjects. “I might join you in a song or two.”

“But we’re not-” you try again.

Rebecca quirks an eyebrow at you. “Aren’t you?”

You turn to see Jamie with his hand out. “Come on,” he says. “It’ll be fun. Swear down.”

You reach for him before your mind can tell you not to, and let him pull you onto the dance floor.

You aren’t the only ones there, it’s actually pretty busy, but there’s only one set of hands on you.

You’re letting Jamie Tartt into your space in a way that no man before has been allowed.

He’s crowding you a little bit, dancing close enough that you’re brushing up against each other and there isn’t really anywhere to go, but you’re fairly certain that the moment you indicated you needed space, he’d be gone.

He’s so close that it’s overwhelming, with the music loud in your ears and the smell of his cologne.

Time seems to slow, music fades, and all that exists are you and Jamie. He reaches out to touch your face and you lean closer, almost at eye-level due to your heels.

He pauses for just a moment so you surge forward and kiss him, vaguely aware of Keeley and Rebecca wolf-whistling somewhere nearby.

Sam looks over and starts clapping, and pretty soon all the Greyhounds within the vicinity are hollering and cheering. You blush and press your hands to your cheeks but Jamie just grins. It’s the cocky, “I got the girl,” grin.

So yeah, sue you if he ended up in your bed.

What were you going to do, act like you were immune to the way he looked at you? The way he talked to you like you were the most interesting person in the room? The way his lips peppered firm kisses up your neck and across your clavicle after you sneaked outside for some “fresh air?”

No, immunity was never an option.

Half of you said it was just a one-night stand and the other half… well the other half told you to consider the facts.

The facts were that you knew he was into you, like full-on romantically attracted because you’d seen his text thread with Keeley.

She hadn’t shown you exactly, just left her phone unlocked on her coffee table, angled toward you while she told you she was going to make tea and it was going to take a long time.

So maybe the way he threaded your hands together while he pressed his body to yours won’t be a one-off event. Maybe you’ll get another chance to hear your name from his lips like it’s the only word he knows.

Maybe.

Except you’re awake at 2am and he’s gone; no note, no text, no nothing. You know for a fact he’s not meeting Roy, so where exactly could he have gone?

You don’t know. You just know your bed is cold and empty and there’s a strange pit in your chest. Maybe Keeley was wrong, and he didn’t like you that much. Maybe he was just looking for one night of fun.

You’d be ok with that, if only you’d known ahead of time. If only you hadn’t gotten your hopes up.

—

It’s a good thing you don’t work at Nelson Road because it means you can avoid Rebecca, Keeley, Jamie, and Ted for some reason, because apparently Rebecca told him everything and he’s incredibly invested in getting Jamie a “good girlfriend.”

Instead, you go to work like normal and accept your coworkers’ invitation to go out.

Kevin got you all into some incredibly popular bar because his girlfriend’s a repo baby, and you can tell from the moment you walk in that it is not your vibe. You’re just grateful you asked what to wear ahead of time.

You go to the bar and say, “Two please,” and feel someone slide into the space next to you. You turn, half expecting it to be Jamie.

It’s not, but he is attractive, objectively speaking. You down your shots and smile as dazzling as possible.

If you’re going to be here, you might as well get the most out of your night. The man next to you smiles back so you take that as an invitation to move a little closer and start flirting.

He buys you a drink and you laugh at his stupid little jokes, reaching out just a little to touch his arm.

Your coworkers are doing there own thing and you’re debating whether or not you actually want to fuck this guy when you feel someone watching you.

You pause a moment to try to get the room into focus but before you can, someone is shouldering their way in between you and whatever this guy’s name is.

“Alright mate, time to go,” Jamie says, and the guy says, “Jesus, sorry, didn’t know she had a boyfriend.”

“I don’t,” you slur but he’s already gone.

Jamie turns to you and says, “I’m getting you home,”

Your skin is tingly and warm and there’s a pleasant haze in your mind, but not so pleasant that you forget the fact that you’re still a little mad.

“Kevin,” you mumble as Jamie slips an arm under your shoulder.

“Yeah yeah, told that rich prick that I was getting you home safe. Recognized him from your website.”

A less-drunk you would have latched onto the fact that Jamie had looked at your website long enough to recognize some of the people you worked with. As it is, all you can think about is sleep. Which reminds you

“Why’d you leave?” you ask as Jamie helps you into the passenger seat.

Jamie stills for a moment before continuing to buckle you in. He gets into the car and sits in silence for a moment.

“Dunno,” he finally says. “It- it was too real for a moment. We’re not the same at all. You’re fucking… good. I’m not, not really.”

“Bullshit,” you reply but you succumb to sleep before Jamie can ask you what you mean.

—

You’re in Jamie’s car again less than twenty-four hours later. Why you agreed to meet him, you’re not sure. But here you are in a deserted parking lot at 8pm, parked as far away from streetlights as possible. Your knees are pulled to your chest, and you’re grateful you opted to wear your favorite over-large hoodie. It gives you the illusion of security, like you can hide.

Jamie on the other hand is wearing a fucking brown Gucci track suit.

“Isaac gave it to me,” he says with a shrug, in response to your raised eyebrow.

That’s been the extent of your conversation for a solid minute, ever since you got out of your car and into his. You’re not sure if you’re supposed to talk first, but you’re not going to. He’s the one who invited you, he’s the one who can figure out what to say.

He does not disappoint.

“I wanted to say I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have fucking left. Don’t really know what I were thinking.”

You snort out a laugh, but his worried face falls so abruptly that you immediately try to take it back.

You say, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have laughed. It’s just that there’s no way you don’t know what you were thinking. You’re not stupid, you don’t just accidentally leave like that. And it’s not the leaving that’s the problem, it’s the fact that you didn’t tell me. Or talk to me after at all. So I’m just stuck in my own head trying to figure out what I did wrong.”

Jamie is shaking his head before you’re even halfway done. “You’re right, I do know what I was thinking. It’s like, you’re fucking brilliant, yeah? You do all this cool shit and make a difference and everyone fucking loves you. I went on a tv show to piss of me dad.”

He pauses, staring at the steering wheel. “If I woke up in the same bed as you, I’d start thinking we could be together. That I could have something- real, like. And that isn’t gonna fucking work.” He laughs, once, but it’s void of mirth.

You squint at him. “You could have at least tried.”

Jamie moves uncomfortably in his seat as he says, “That’s how I do shit, ain’t it? Fuck it up before it can fuck me up.”

You both relapse into silence, and you take stock of the way the nighttime glow sits on Jamie’s skin.

His features are softened, much like they looked in your dim bedroom light except this time, his eyebrows are knotted together.

You reach out to smooth them with your thumb before you can stop yourself.

Jamie sighs and leans into your touch and you find yourself cupping his face.

“What if we tried?” you whisper. “I bet we could do it. I’m really stubborn.”

He smiles a little at that, all wistful. “I’d do anything for you,” he responds, “Just don’t worry ‘bout it when it’s time for you to leave, yeah?”

��

What is it that Roy says, that you deserve someone who makes you feel like you’ve been struck by lightning?

You feel more like it’s a meteor.

It looks pretty as it shoots across the sky, almost like it’s a star, but then it lands on you and squishes you flat. There’s no electrifying current, just the inescapable, crushing weight of a giant rock that you thought you could wish on.

Two months. You made it two months with Jamie, and it felt like you were dancing on clouds right up to the moment you tripped.

It’s always something with him. Everything’s for PR, for an angle, for the game. Your relationship… it’s smothering.

It’s not smothering in the way you like, because let’s be real; you would be attached at his hip if you could.

But he seems to think that he can buy his way into your heart, especially during the weeks he has extra training, or an away game, or anything that cuts into your time together.

“It’s too much,” you say through tears one afternoon. “I don’t even know what to do with half of it. You’re spending so much money on me and I’m not ungrateful, but Jamie. I don’t want things. I don’t care that you’re busy, I want you and I don’t want to be in a relationship with someone who thinks they can purchase my affection.

Jamie just looks at you, nods once, and walks away. No fight, no nothing.

You’re struck by two conflicting memories at once.

The first being his outstretched hand at the benefit, ready to pull you out of your comfort zone.

The second, his soft voice saying, “don’t worry ‘bout it when it’s time to leave.”

As you watch his retreating figure, you fight the urge to run after him. He’s the one with the self-sabotaging tendencies. You should have realized you were going to end up here sooner or later.

If he doesn’t even think you’re worth fighting for, then what’s the point?

You text Keeley and Rebecca, then get to your bed as fast as you possibly can.

—

Two months is a lot longer than most people think it is. It’s over sixty days of waking up with someone. Of texting them. Of holding them, eating meals with them, of kissing them goodnight.

It only takes two weeks for a habit to develop and now your bed feels far too large and empty.

Keeley’s snoring in what should be Jamie’s spot, unceremoniously sprawled out in some awful satin zebra-print pajamas. It’s better than being alone, but you’d rather have Jamie snoring next to you in some awful satin leopard-print boxers.

—

“Do you believe in soulmates?” you ask Rebecca. You’re laying on her floor while she eats a biscuit.

She asks, “Platonic or romantic?” so you shoot her a questioning glance. “I’m not sure about romantic soulmates, but after seeing Ted and Beard, I abso-fucking-loutely believe in platonic soulmates,” she clarifies.

“Cool,” you say, “smashing, brill, fucking superb.”

“What makes you think Jamie was your soulmate?” she asks. That makes you sit up.

“I didn’t say shit about Jamie,” you say.

Rebecca rolls her eyes. “Darling, it was very heavily implied. And anyway, who else would you be talking about? The last time you had a boyfriend was back when this club was still complete shit. So. Why do you think Jamie was your soulmate?”

“I don’t,” you respond, “I just- I don’t know, we clicked. It was weird. You know we talked before the benefit? We were at this party and… he talked to me. I was hiding because Keeley fucking left me by myself so I stole a book and was reading in the corner, and he sat next to me and started asking me questions. And-” you stop yourself.

“And,” Rebecca prompts.

“And I wish he would have fought a little more. For as great as he said I was, he just walked away like it was nothing. It feels like shit.”

Rebecca stands up only to sit down on the floor next to you. She tells you, “Men are shit with feelings. They never know what they really want until they don’t have it.”

—

You don’t take precautions to sneak out of Rebecca’s office because everyone has left by the time you go, so you walk down the stairs arm in arm as you giggle about something stupid.

“Oh shit, I left my phone on my desk,” she says. “Wait here while I get it?”

You grin and lean against the wall, staring down a decal of Bumbercatch.

You can feel someone watching you and you assume it’s just Declan’s cutout until something moves in your peripheral vision.

“Jesus Christ!” you exclaim. “Jamie?”

“I weren’t trying to scare you,” he says apologetically. “Didn’t know anyone was still here. I was doing a cool down on the treadmill and lost track of time.”

“…Cool,” you reply. You’re not sure what you’re supposed to say in situations like this.

Jamie passes his water bottle from one hand to the other as you shift your weight. Neither one of you are making an effort to say anything, or an effort to leave.

“For Christ’s sake,” comes Rebecca’s voice a few steps above you. “Can you two please just tell each other how you’re fucking feeling? My god Jamie, use your big boy words for fucking once.”

Jamie looks offended for a moment but apparently Rebecca’s words ring a little bit true because he switches from offended to wistful. Again.

“I can’t with that face,” you tell him. “You look like a kicked puppy, and it’s your fault at least eighty percent of the time.”

“I’m leaving,” Rebecca says.

“Wait, but you drove me here,” you say to her back.

She calls, “Cheers,” with no indication that she’s listening to you.

“I can take you home,” Jamie offers.

You tilt your head at him and say, “Yeah, and I can catch a taxi. Or walk. Or anything, really.”

“I’m driving you,” he says. “Just gotta grab my bag.”

“Oh now he fights,” you mutter.

Jamie stills for a moment before heading into the locker room. He’s back so fast you wonder if he was worried about you sneaking out without him.

You’re sitting in the passenger seat, reliving all the times you’ve been here before. You resist the urge to curl up.

It’s a quiet ride over to your house and you take advantage of the fact that Jamie is actively not looking at you. You allow yourself to examine his profile out of the corner of your eye. You miss touching his face, holding his hand. Does he feel the same? Most likely not.

He pulls into your driveway and as you reach for the handle he says, “Oi.”

You still.

“I’m sorry,” he says. “I really am.”

You explode. “For fucking what, Jamie? What the fuck do you think you’re sorry for? How many times are we going to do this? If one of us were going to have relationship insecurity, I would’ve assumed it’d be me. Hell, everyone thinks that I’m the insecure one. But it’s you! I don’t fucking get it, you ruin every good thing you have because you have stupid fucking thoughts and you don’t fight for what you fucking want, for fuck’s sake.”

“I want you,” he says.

“Coulda fooled me,” you shoot back.

“I do and I know I was being a twat. Went to fucking… therapy. I’m getting better, swear down.”

“Uh huh,” you say. “Bullshit.”

“That’s a fuck-ton of swear words for you,” he comments. “Been taking notes from Roy?” “Piss off,” you reply.

“That’s a yes.”

“Fine. Here’s a nice, clean sentence for you. What do you want?”

“I miss you,” he says without hesitation.

Right.

“And..?” you say.

“And I want you back.”

“Maybe,” you reply. “Possibly. I’ll put you on probation. Cook me dinner and then we’ll talk about it.”

Jamie turns off his car. “Does that mean I can come in?”

You sigh, but it’s with a smile on your face. “Against my better judgement yes, it does mean you can come in. But no funny business. At least not tonight.”

Jamie grins just a tiny bit and says, “Does cuddling count as funny business? I miss holding you?”

“We’ll see how good dinner is.” You open the car door and Jamie follows you close on your heels into your house. You think maybe this time, you’ll both get it right.

#jamie tartt x reader #jamie tartt fanfiction #jamie tartt imagine #jamie tartt x y/n #jamie tartt x you #jamie tartt #ted lasso

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luke-hughes43 · 1 year ago

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Just Friends | edwards x Luke!twin

Here is the Ethan fic, hope you enjoy!

Part 2 | Insta Edit

~You are Luke Hughes’s twin sister and play hockey and softball at the University of Michigan. You are very close with Luke given that you are twins. You are best friends with teammate, Ethan Edwards. You and Ethan were always flirty with each other but were always strictly friends. Until, maybe you weren’t.~

*This is a part one of I don’t know yet. Takes place freshman year.*

October, 2021

Morgan’s POV

I’m currently hanging out with my brother and our teammates. We decided to have a movie night in Ethan and Mark’s dorm, since I had a projector and Ethan didn’t put anything on his wall. I put on Miracle because we couldn’t decide on anything and I figured that everyone would be happy, and they were.

Somehow, I wound up squished between Ethan and Mark. Ethan is quite literally my best friend. We do everything together and it’s been that way since we stepped foot on campus. When we’re not in class, at hockey, or me at softball (because I’m a two sport athlete) we’re always together.

Ethan put his arm around me and pulled me closer to him. This was a common thing we did. Me and Ethan are just friends though. I lean my head against his shoulder because I’m starting to get tired. I had 6 am weights for softball on top of three classes and hockey practice. This was a regular thing for me. I feel Ethan kiss my head (something that was also a common thing between us) and say, “Go to sleep, you had a long day. I’ll wake you when the movie is over and walk you back. Just close your eyes morgs.”

I nod and listen to him. I don’t really remember falling asleep but I remember hearing a camera click and someone that sounds like Dylan say, “They’re cute. Are we sure that they are just friends?”

“Yes. Morgan would’ve told me if she had a boyfriend. I’d know anyways, we’re twins remember.” Luke said in a ‘duh’ tone.

Mark comments. “And Ethan would’ve mentioned it. He talks about her a lot so it would’ve come up.”

“And neither Sarah or McKenna have mentioned it. So they’re just friends Dylan. Just drop it dude. Should we wake them?”

“Nah. She can stay. He’ll walk her home in the morning so it’s fine. She had a long day so let’s not disturb her. You guys should get some sleep too.” Next thing I know, I feel Ethan’s arms tighten around me and I drift back to sleep.

January, 2022

Morgan’s POV

Now that the spring semester has started, my days have become longer as the softball team is in preseason mode. I have to rearrange my entire schedule to accommodate lift, two practices, 5 classes and games. It’s stressing me out. Hutch is letting me do individual practice with a coach. It’s pissing a lot of my teammates off because they think I’m slacking off when I’m doing double the work. They have started being bitches to me and it pisses me off.

I taught Ethan how to soft toss so that I could get BP in everyday. He’s actually pretty good at it. He throws to me every time I ask and I could not be more grateful. We’re at the cages right now since I had a break in my day. He says, “Three more morgs. Then can we be done? I have homework and we have practice at 4.”

“Only if they are good ones.”

“Ok Ms. Perfectionist.” He says with attitude. He throws them and I hit all three of them perfectly to the top right corner of the cage. I put my bat down and we pick the balls up. I turn to Ethan who’s holding the bucket, and say, “Can we go to chipotle or something? I haven’t eaten today.”

“Seriously? It’s 12:30 and you had six am lift on top of back to back classes. And we have practice today.”

“I know that Ethan. I really don’t need you telling me what my schedule is. You sound like Luke.”

“I’m sorry, I’m just worried. You need to take care of yourself morgs.”

“Ethan, I’m fine. Can we just pick these up and get food?”

“Yea. And I’m buying your lunch.”

“Ethan…”

“Not up for debate. Just help me pick these up.” I laugh and we pick the rest of them up before we head to Ethan’s car and to chipotle. He stays true to his word and buys me lunch despite me protesting. A few of the girls from the team come in and see me with Ethan. Jess comments, “Oh, little miss hockey player is here. Must be blowing off practice again. Wish I could skip like that.”

“Oh and she’s with her little boyfriend. How cute? Wonder what he thinks of her skipping practice all the time.” Sierra says. Hearing that pisses me off. I don’t know why but it just does. I say, “can we go?” Ethan says, “yea. Are you ok?” I shake my head no and he says, “Ok. Let’s go then, yea?”

I nod and he holds my hand and leads me out to the car but we don’t get in it. He pulls me in for a hug and I relax under his touch. I think I’m developing feelings for him and it scares me. Ethan rubs my back and whispers, “Hey, it’s ok. Morgs, you’re ok.”

He kisses my head and I pull away no longer wanted to hit something. I wipe the tears that I apparently shed. He forces me to look at him and he asks, “What happened back there? I’ve never seen you mad like that before.”

“I told you about the softball team basically hating me because of me doing individual practices right?” He nods so I continue, “Well, they’ve been making comments and shit. I usually use it as motivation but it’s been getting to my head. Only Luke knows. He’s the only one I wanted to know. And now you.”

“So then what just happened?”

“Two of the girls in there were on the team and made comments about how I must be skipping practice again and how I’m with my little boyfriend as they refer to you as and said something about what you must think about me skipping practice. That’s not even the worst thing that’s been said. I’m just done with it, all of it Ethan. Sometimes I wish I just played hockey and never played softball in the first place. I can’t keep doing this, it doesn’t feel worth it anymore Eddy.”

He pulls me back in for a hug and he says, “you know that they aren’t right morgs. You are the hardest working person I’ve ever met. It takes real talent, skill, dedication, and sacrifice to play two division one sports like you’re doing. We’re extremely proud of you. Luke for damn sure is. He brags about you when you’re not around. I’m proud of you too. Don’t let them get in your head. I know it sucks. But you’ve worked so hard for this. Hutch knows that, she knows knows that your putting in double the work. It’s gonna pay off. And I’ll be at every damn game, cheering the loudest for number 6 who is my best friend in whole fucking world.”

I mutter, “thank you.” We pull away and head back to school so try and get homework done before practice. I mean we are students too. I hope he’s right and that everything will pay off in the end.

April, 2022

Morgan’s POV

Today is our rivalry game against State. The whole hockey team is here. I’m excited. Ever since our season ended, they’ve been at every home game and even traveled when we played State at State. These boys really do have my back and I love them for it.

Ethan was right, I got this. Bottom of the seventh, tied at 0, two outs. I get down to my last strike. The pitcher winds up and I get my bat on the ball, sending it over the fence, to win the game. As I’m rounding first base, I hear from the stands, “That’s my best friend right there. WOO! Go blue!”

I shake my head at my Ethan. I can hear Luke too, “That’s my twin right there. Hell yea morg! Go blue!” I turn and see Ethan and Luke chest bump. God I hate them sometimes. But they pulled up like they promised so I deal with it. I approach third base and get ready to high-five Hutch as I jog by. Literally the whole hockey team is on their feet cheering for me especially since we just beat State.

“That’s our girl.” I hear from Nolan Moyle.

“WOO! That’s my girl right there! Number 6 on the field, number 1 in my heart! I love you morgs!” I hear from Ethan fucking Edwards. Oh my god. Ethan is definitely drunk. I laugh it off and get greeted by the team. They're happy but I think it’s because we won, not because I hit a walk off.

It sucks because straight up only like 6 girls like me. Alex, McKenna, Audrey, Kaylee, Sarah, and Ella. Alex is transferring and using her 5th year somewhere else so I’m losing one of my girls. It’s tough but I got my boys.

After we shake hands and everything, I head to the locker room and grab my backpack. I usually just change at the house after games. I go out to all of the boys waiting for me. Ethan comes running over and engulfs me in a huge hug. He reeks of beer. He says, “I’m so proud of you.”

“Party at my house at 9 morgan. Invite whoever. We’re celebrating.” J Bone says. J Bone and his parties. I nod and text my girls and tell them. I ask them not to tell the other girls because I wanted to drink and get drunk tonight.

*At J Bone’s*

I walk in and everybody cheers for me. I immediately get a drink put in my hand by the bone man himself. J Bone stands up by the speakers and. He says, “Alright, everybody shut up for a sec. For those who don’t know, our girl Morgan Hughes, is a two sport athlete. She dominates on the ice for us and kicks ass on the softball field. Today she hit a walk off homerun to beat State. So this is for her. A toast to our superstar. To Morgan!”

“To Morgan!” Everyone toasts me, making me blush. He gets down and turns the music back on. I immediately down my drink and get another before finding my girls. I get greeted in a hug by them. McKenna says, “Ethan is staring.”

“He’s staring at you with heart eyes.” Alex says.

“He’s my best friend. He’s also drunk and probably just horny. Let’s not talk about Ethan.” I say.

“As you wish.” Audrey says. We start dancing together. After about two hours, I’m like 7 or 8 in and drunk as fuck. I feel hands go on my hips and someone behind me. I start dancing on them. I’m feeling extra confident, probably the booze. Oh I’m definitely not gonna remember any of this tomorrow. I turn and see my best friend, Ethan Edwards. Neither of us have a problem with this since we’ve always been flirty with each other. We stay like that for a bit before Ethan whispers, “I’m gonna get another, do you want one?”

“Yes please.” I say and kiss his cheek. I could smell the alcohol on him. I also say, “I’m gonna go find Luke while I can still kinda walk.”

“Ok. Just stay there until I come with your drink.” He says kissing my cheek this time. I stumble through the house to find my brother talking with J Bone, Chic, Moyle, Keato, and Grano. I stumble into him saying, “Lukey!” He grabs me smiling, “Morgy. Having fun?”

“Fuck yea. J Bone, your a g man. Sick fucking party.” I say slurring my words. The guys laugh. J Bone says, “Thanks lady Hughes. How many have you had?”

“Uh, I can’t count that high J Bone. Ethan went to get me another one.”

Moyle says, “Oh boy. Good to know.”

“Was he drunk at my game? He seemed it.” I asked. Luke laughs and says,“Yes. You’re staying at my house tonight by the way. You have no choice.”

I say, “Ok.” “You doing ok?” He asks being a little concerned. I nod, “I’m doing great. Has Ethan been drinking all day?” Luke laughs, “Oh yea. He started when he got out of class. I’ve never seen him drink this much.”

“Oh. Can I tell you a secret? But you have to promise not to tell Ethan.” I say. He looks at me smiling, “Twin promise.”

“Boys, block your ears. Lukey’s ears only.” They laugh and then block their ears. I pull Luke down closer to me since he’s so fucking tall and whisper in his ear, “I’m in love with Ethan.”

“I knew that morgy. It’s obvious. You just play it off as best friends. But you’re both drunk so make a move. You both won’t remember so no harm no foul.”

“This is why your my favorite. Your so smart.”

“Glad I can help.” He taps J Bone and they unplug their ears. I stumble over my own feet and Moyle grabs me before I fall. “Woah, you ok lady Hughes?”

“I’m fucking wonderful Moyle. We beat State, there’s no reason to not be ok.”

They all laugh and I hug Luke. He wraps one arm around me to keep me from falling over. Ethan eventually finds us and hands me my drink. I say, “Oh yay! You just became my favorite. Sorry not sorry Luke.” Ethans wraps an arm around me pulling me into him. I smile and say, “Let’s dance Ethan.” We walk off towards the dance floor.

Luke’s POV

I use Morgan going off with Ethan as my opportunity to make a move on McKenna. We’ve been flirting for a few months but I really like her and want her to be my girl.

I see her dancing with the girls so I go up behind McKenna and whisper in her ear, “Hey baby.” and then kiss her cheek. She turns and smiles at me. “Hey lukey. Finally come to hit the dance floor?”

“Just for you baby.” I say a smirk and pull her close to me.

I grab her hips to dance along with her. She looks up and at me smiles. She reaches up and runs her fingers through my hair. I look down at her with a smirk, “Can I kiss you McKenna?” She nods and I lean in to kiss her.

Morgan’s POV

I look to my right while dancing with Ethan and see Luke kissing McKenna. What the fuck? She’s my best friend. A heads up would’ve been nice. I point it out to Ethan, “He’s kissing her. She’s my best friend.”

“So then kiss his.”

“I am not kissing Dylan.”

“I meant me morgs.”

“Oh. ok.” He leans in and kisses me. I have a feeling that we are both so drunk that we aren’t gonna remember this in the morning. I can taste the beer on his lips. Everything is so fuzzy right now, but I think that’s the alcohol. I don’t remember us stopping but somehow I’m in Luke’s car and cuddled into Ethan’s side in the back while McKenna is in the front seat holding luke’s hand. I’m cold, tired, drunk. “Ethan I’m cold.”

“I know baby. We’re almost at the house. I’ll give you a sweatshirt to sleep in.”

“Thank you. Can I stay with you tonight?” I plead.

“Yea.” Luke pulls into the driveway and has to help us both inside. Ethan almost falls over getting out which is problematic to say the least. I do fall over getting out. “Ow. Ethan why’d you let me fall?”

“I tried baby.”

“No you didn’t. Neither did you Luke, your a bad brother.”

“Morgan, come on. Your drunk and it’s cold. You need to get to bed.” He says trying to get me up. Ethan comes over and tries to help too. I swat their hands away and try to get up myself. I say, “I can take care of myself. And I’m not that drunk.”

“Morgan, seriously. Stop being difficult.”

“I can take care of myself Luke. Just because we’re twins doesn’t mean I need you every second of every day. I’m 18. I don’t need you anymore.”

“Stop being fucking difficult Morgan. Just let us fucking help you. You’re black out drunk right now and don’t know what your doing. Stop being a stubborn bitch, shut up, and just let us fucking help.” He snaps at me. He’s never snapped at me like that. I stand up and lean against Ethan. I snap back at Luke, “Fuck you Luke. Go to hell. Don’t talk to me like that.”

Ethan and I stumble our way up to Ethan’s room. He hands me a sweatshirt and I change for bed. I’ll deal with makeup later. “Hey Ethan?” He looks at me with a raised eyebrow. I kiss him one last time for the night and say, “Good night.”

“Good night.” We climb into bed and drift off to sleep.

I wake up the next morning and I’m in Ethan’s sweatshirt and cuddled into Ethan. I look under the covers and check that we are both wearing clothes which is a relief but I don’t remember anything from last night. I don’t even remember getting here. What the fuck happened last night?

I hear Ethan moving next to me, “Why do I feel like I was hit by a bus?”

“I don’t know. Last thing I remember is being at J Bone’s with McKenna and the girls. What do you remember?” I say rubbing my eyes.

“I remember your brother scolding me for pregaming your game. And I remember your homerun. After that, couldn’t tell you.”

We laugh and then drag ourselves downstairs. I see Luke sitting on the couch watch tv with McKenna. When the fuck did she get here? Luke hears us and says, “Morning. Tylenol is on the counter.”

“Indoor voices.” I say rubbing my temple trying to sooth the headache. I grab the Tylenol and chug some gatorade. Ethan does the same and we both feel like death. I groan and lean against him hugging him. He hugs me back and asks Luke, “What happened last night? Neither of us remember anything.”

“Well, eddy you blacked out at like five from your day drinking. You guys spent most of J Bone’s party with each other. We had eyes on you since you both were blacked out. I was sober and drove home. You guys fell asleep within a half hour of being home.”

I zoned out like halfway through Luke talking. I need food or I’m gonna puke. I use ethan’s chest to hide the light because of my headache. I groan and say, “I’m starving. Can we get food?”

“Yea. I’ll drive. I’m good to drive I promise.”

“Ok.” We got into his car and drove off the get breakfast. He paid for mine, like he usually does no matter my protests. And we head back to the house. I take it nothing happened last night because Luke would’ve said something. We go to Ethan’s room and I cuddle into him to sleep this hangover off.

At least I can chalk up anything I did last night to being drunk. I’m just hoping that I didn’t blurt out that I’m in love with him.

(I have a part 2 ready and currently working on part 3 if anyone's interested)

#umich hockey #ethan edwards #new jersey devils #ethan edwards imagine #ethan edwards x reader #ethan edwards x Luke!twin #hockey

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simslegacy5083 · 3 months ago

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Today's (10/21/2024) Episode: A Coach's Cry For Help

Shortly after the incident at Skye’s elementary school Luigi got a text from his old college coach, asking if he’d be willing to meet up for a chat.

Luigi was eager to help his old mentor if he could and arranged to meet Professor Silva at Pepper’s Pub early the next morning.

Noemi tagged along with her husband to Britechester after they saw Skye off to school. “Man, this place sure brings back memories” she said as they settled down at a small table near the door with their laptops. “Did I ever tell you this is where Kiana and I first met?”

“I’m sure you did” Luigi laughed, “But I don’t recall. Go on.”

“Well…” she continued, not looking up from the screen “she was back here to reminisce – she went to Foxbury herself you know. I literally ran right into her when I bolted out of the bathroom to check on the party bot the bartender was helping me test. When we both got back to our feet, she laughed instead of getting angry, bought a drink from my bot, and struck up a conversation about school. The rest, as they say, is history.”

They settled down to work and wait, or at least Luigi tried to work. Every time he started, he was interrupted by one fan, then another, and another.

As always, he was polite, answering their questions and thanking his fellow sims for their kind words, but for the first time he began to feel a bit overwhelmed. Noemi kept her head down, but he could tell by her body language she wasn’t enjoying the multiple intrusions either.

Luigi couldn’t remember the last time he’d traveled with his family and not had strangers demanding his time and attention. “There’s got to be a way to be out in public without all this fuss!” he thought. Finally, he saw the professor enter and quickly held up a hand to forestall the latest eager supplicant “I’m so sorry, I have to go” he told her before rising and calling out “Hey, Coach!” to get his attention.

Coach Silva led them upstairs and over to a private corner away from the crowd, saying “We should be undisturbed here.”

“Thank goodness!” Luigi pumped his fist in the air for emphasis. “So, what’s going on? You did so much for me, I’d love to return the favor if I can.”

His old professor sighed, “Well… I imagine you still keep tabs on the college E-Sports scene?” Luigi nodded, “Then you know the last few seasons have been rough on us” he continued “Recruitment is down, and we haven’t beaten Britechester since you graduated. They can’t force a tenured coach out, but fans and administration alike are blaming our slump on me losing interest and just “phoning it in”. I’m being pressured to step down.”

“Mentoring young E-Sports athletes has always been my favorite part of teaching here. I refuse to give it up. I was hoping Rainy Day’s new director of strategy and recruitment – congratulations by the way – could help me introduce more young sims to scuffle and get our team into fighting shape.”

Luigi gave Silva’s shoulder a sympathetic squeeze as he replied: “I’m sorry coach, that’s terrible. I noticed my old home team had been struggling lately, but I knew you would never rest until you found a way to bring out the best in your students!”

“You were always one of the hardest working sims I know,” he continued “and taught me so much about leadership and sportsmanship. I’m honored that you asked for my help, and I’m sure that the two of us can develop a workable plan to turn things around!”

The two old friends spent the next few minutes doing just that, starting with strategy for the current season. The coach had brought a flash drive full of notes and recordings from the last few matches and practices. “I’ll analyze these and get back to you with my thoughts soon” Luigi promised.

As for recruitment, Luigi proposed a win/win new collaboration between the university and Rainy Day. “A formal internship program will attract more top-notch players to the school and help us with recruiting and placement once they graduate.”

“I love it!” Professor Silva said, “Their skills will stay sharper between seasons and more of our graduates will find jobs in their field.”

“This plan makes me feel so much better” Silva told Luigi, holding out his hand as they rose to leave. “I knew you wouldn’t let me down.”

“Well, I haven’t really done anything yet” Luigi chuckled “but I can’t wait to get started. It’s great to work with you again, coach. I’ll call you soon.”

With that he headed downstairs to grab his wife and head off to their next destination, feeling good about helping a friend in need.

View The Full Story of My Not So Berry Challenge Here

#sims 4 #sims 4 challenge #sims 4 legacy #sims4 #sims 4 nsb #sims 4 not so berry #sims4nsbstraud #sims 4 gameplay #sims 4 let's play #sims 4 lets play

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disasterbijamietartt · 2 years ago

Note

Gotta admit, I've reassessed my expectations and now the thing I need more than anything is Roy just admitting that he does actually care about Jamie (doesn't even have to be romantic at this point, I literally just need him to tell that boy that he doesn't hate him)

Yes! If this doesn’t happen, then I really don’t know what they are doing.

But honestly, I would be happy if anyone would tell Jamie that they care about him. Like, this season in particular, it is so obvious how much Jamie cares about the team and his teammates, how supportive he is and how much the dynamic in the team means to him.

He was there for Sam when Ola’s got demolished and was the one to express to Colin that the team has his back.

But I can’t remember anyone—aside from Roy—showing him they care about him, let alone telling him, ever since he got the toy soldier from Ted in the first season (I’m happy if anyone can point out things I’ve missed!). And actually telling him would be so important since he needs it spelled out for him to believe. He needs this positive reinforcement to override all the negative reinforcement he got from his "dad".

What happened in the locker room in “Man City” was never brought up again, and as much as I love to imagine the team made sure he didn’t spent the night sad and alone in his house, we didn’t see it (when I saw the gif sets comparing “Man City” with “Ola’s” and it hit me right in the feels how we saw the team supporting and caring about Sam in a way we never saw them do for Jamie). Everyone acted afterwards as if it never happened. Even Roy had no issue threatening Jamie with violence the next time they had a one-on-one conversation after The Hug™️ (or on countless occasions ever since)

When they faced Man City the next time, no one checked in on Jamie. It was great that facing the team itself isn’t triggering for Jamie and that he has no painful feelings towards them. Still, someone just asking if he is fine would have been nice, since his teammates and the coaches can’t know?

When Zava joined the team, Jamie got dismissed as a fragile bitch for bringing up concerns about Zava destroying their team dynamics. He was an outsider in the team during the whole the Zava cult thing (and except for Roy, NO ONE seemed to have noticed or cared that he was sitting at a table sulking and alone at Ola’s?). And when it turned out he had been right? All he got was a look and a brief nod from Ted.

The total football stuff and Jamie’s hesitance to speak up, so that he doesn’t seem like a prick (even though he does know better!), for me illustrated that Jamie still fears being rejected by Ted or the team when he speaks up about stuff that bothers him and doesn’t act like a perfectly compliant team player. (Like, he still doesn’t know why he got sent away and that it had nothing to do with anything he said or did during the ritual. To him it must have looked that opening up and trying to be a better team mate was too little too late.)

Someone in the tag (sorry, forgot who it was 🙈) mentioned how Jamie was othered this season, like he didn’t belong to the team the same way the others did (having his locker in the corner or at the side next to the door instead of having it amongst the rest of the team, being the only one not following the Zava cult, being the only one not with the team in Amsterdam, being the only one getting himself during the total football practice, being the one everyone zeroed in on when they wondered who else might be gay …) And I wonder if these multiple instances of him being separated in one way or the other from the rest of the team are building up to something, since it just happened too often to be a coincidence.

And I wonder if all of this will culminate in him not feeling like he really belongs and maybe exploding or breaking down, which leads to people finally realising that Jamie may have a big ego but still needs reassurance that he is cared for and loved.

Or maybe nothing will ever come of it at all and I have to accept the fact that the writers don't think Jamie deserves to get at least a little bit back for putting so much effort into becoming the best version of himself.

And I’ve given up on romantic Roy x Jamie by now.

Partly since it is only 3 episodes and it would be too rushed to set it up now for the general audience. (Unless maybe if it were the b-plot for the next episode—I have ideas how that could look like, but let's be real, I'll have to write that myself once the season is over.)

And partly, since I have lost all hope that any of their queer coding was actually meant to lead somewhere with so little time left to explore it.

(And sorry nonny, I went on some tangents here…)

#my answers #jamie tartt #roy x jamie #jamie x roy #royjamie #jamie tartt x roy kent

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itssokiee · 7 months ago

Text

Smudged Happiness: Chapter 4

Previous chapter

First chapter

Ao3

Erza ditches school for the first time, for a reason she could never live down.

Gray meets the new girl on the swim team, and they decide to initiate her by getting wasted.

Warning: Slight nsfw

A few hours earlier during lunch….

Erza followed behind Jellal shooting dagger at his skull. He hadn’t done anything bad to her, but still, even when he tried to do something nice, it put her on edge. She was too busy fuming to notice where they were going. Suddenly she realized they were headed up the stairs to the open roof.

“Where are we going? Why would we have the meeting up there?” Erza ask annoyed.

“Oh yeah I lied. There is no meeting,” Jellal said laughing.

“So then what was the point of all that?”

“Obviously to get you alone.”

Erza’s eyes widened. “No way! I’m done with that. See you later,” she said as she turned to leave. He caught her hand before she walked off and pulled her toward him.

“Do you really want to play that game at school? We could, but that would cause a scene,” Jellal he said smiling.

“Let go of me,” but she didn’t attempt to struggle. He pulled her behind a corner and bent her over the wall. He put his hand in her mouth and took off as little clothes as possible.

As soon as he came, Erza pushed him off panicking. “You’re not wearing a condom! Why would you not pull out?!”

Jellal eyes flash panic, “Wait - s-sorry it’s just that every girl I - usually the girls I’m with are on birth control… are you not?”

“You know my parents!! What do you think??” Erza yelled. “Oh my god oh my god.”

“Wait we can go get Plan B,” Jellal said. “We can go right now.”

“It’s like fifty dollars! My parents will know something is up if they see a charge like that!” Erza said freaking out.

Jellal opened his wallet and took out a hundred dollar bill. “I’ll drive let’s go.”

Erza Scarlett, Class President, Rule Book follower skipped her first day of junior year to buy plan B.

Last period was Gray’s favorite. Not because it meant he got to leave after - but because last period was swim. After class ended, it streamlined into practice. Not today though, he had a few weeks before the season started. And since it was the first day, all he was gonna do was chill with his team.

When Gray strolled in he checked in with his coach and headed to the bleachers.

“Hey Gray. Just the mermaid I was telling Meredy about. Your synchronized swimming skills really brought me to tears at state,” Lyon Vastia said smirking to Gray.

Gray and Lyon were the definition of frenemies. Sure Natsu’s and Gray fight, but Lyon really knows how to grind his gears.

“Shut up Lyon, I dusted your freestyle time,” Gray said back.

“Yes but you really stole the show with your graceful butterfly,” Lyon said teasingly. Just then Gray noticed a girl isolated up in the bleachers.

“Who’s that?” Gray asked.

“She’s a transfer student from Phantom Academy. Supposedly she was there best swimmer, so when she transferred here, she automatically made the team,” Meredy explained.

“Hold on I know her. Holy shit! Gray, she was that girl who broke the record time on freestyle for girls! She literally won for their team!” Lyon said.

Gray looked at her. He recognized her. Girls free stroke was right before Boys butterfly. Juvia was last to go for girls, and he was first for boys. While they were waiting - he heard Juvia’s team mates making snarky comments about her loud enough for everyone to hear.

Right before she went up, Gray whispered, “When you swim today, do it for you. Win for you and have a self victory. Don’t let these bitches have any glory.”

Since he was up next, he hadn’t seen her perform. “Why won’t she talk to us?” asked Gray.

“I dont know she hasn’t said a word,” said Rufus walking up.

“Let me try,” Gray said walking up the bleachers. He walked over and sat down next to her.

“Hey I heard about your win. Everyone’s excited you’re here,” Gray said.

“Go away before I make you miserable too,” Juvia said.

“What would be miserable for all of us, is a teammate who can’t work with us. It would make us miserable if you stay up here.”

Juvia blushed and eventually walked down the bleachers with him. After a while, the entire boys and girls swim team was sitting upon the bleachers. The Coach checked in and started giving the usual speech. Lyon leaned over to Gray,

“Hey Meredy, Ultear, and I are staying after the bell. You coming,” he opened his jacket revealing a water bottle and a deck of cards. That could only mean one thing.

“Hell yeah,” said Gray completely forgetting his previous plans.

“Also ask Juvia to stay.”

Finally the bell rang and the students began to filter out. And Juvia walked out the door Gray touched her shoulder and whispered, “Hey how’s the time to get to know your teammates. Stay after the bell.”

The only people remaining were Meredy, Ultear, Lyon, Gray and Juvia. They sat on the floor of the boy’s locker room.

“What are we doing? Trust falls? Ice breakers?” Juvia asked quietly.

“Even better,” Meredy said smiling slyly as she dealt cards. Lyon took out the water bottle, took a sip and passed it to Gray.

“We’re doing shots and playing strip poker!” Ultear said.

“Wait no, we both can’t go in,” Erza said. Another argument, this time in a drugstore parking lot.

“Why not?” Jellal asked.

“Because what if we see someone we know and they’ll see us together and we’ll be here! Buying plan B! Together!” Erza rambled.

“Ok well it has to be you then,” Jellal said handing her the cash.

“What?”

“It’s the law that if someone under the age of 18 purchases plan B, they have to be a girl.” Jellal says.

“You just made that up!”

“Well we can argue about that too or you could just go get it.”

“Fine,” Erza says as she gets out of the car. She sheepishly wanders around the store not daring to ask for help. Her heart sinks when she sees them locked behind the counter.

“Um excuse me,” she asks quietly not looking up, “could I get um one of those boxes right there,” she said her face the same color as her scarlet hair. The cashier began to unlock the box. Erza noticed something else at the check out line.

“A-also c-can I get a pack of those *comdoms*,” Erza face now crimson. After she pays, Erza wordlessly leaves the store and runs back to Jellal’s car.

“Where’s your wallet?” Erza demanded. Jellal held it up confused. Erza snatched it and put the condoms inside. She shot him a glare and tossed it back.

“As you wish ~” he says in that infuriating snarky tone.

Erza takes the pill and they drive back to school. As they pull into the parking lot, it seems pretty empty.

“Oh wow we missed dismissal,” Jellal says amused.

“Oh crap! I was supposed to drive everybody from school today! It’s already 4:30!” Erza exclaimed.

“Well that sounds like a you problems. See ya Scarlett,” Jellal says as he drives off.

Erza pulled out her phone

Erza: I’m so sorry! The meeting just ended!

Natsu: it’s cool Zeref drove us

Wow lying to your friends. Who have I become.

“Ugh Ultear can u give me a ride home,” Gray said laying on the floor in nothing but his underwear. “Yeah, might as well I’m already taking Lyon.”

“Noooo you guys are leaving~~~ but we’re having so much funnnn,” slurred a Juvia.

“Who knew all she needed was a little bit of alcohol,” Meredy said giggling, “I’ll drive you home Juvia, I’m pretty sober.”

Gray and Lyon stumbled their way to Ultear car. The walk woke them up, so thankfully they could sit up for the drive.

“Hey Gray, I really like that Juvia girl,” Lyon said.

“Hey she’s pretty cool,” Gray replied.

“No, you don’t get it, I really like her,” Lyon said.

“Oh that’s cool I’ll respect that,” Gray said.

“You don’t mind, right Gray?”

“Nope she’s all yours”

“Wow Erza’s meeting just ended now,” Natsu said as they pulled into the driveway.

As soon as they opened the door, they were greeted by a swirl with a sweet voice, “Welcome home Zeref and Natsu! Hey Mavis! Nice to see you again Lucy!” She said.

“Finally someone remembers me!”

“Hey Wendy how was school?” Natsu asked.

“Cmon let’s goo,” Mavis said pulling Zeref to his room.

“You gotta see the surprise!”

#fairy tail fanfiction #fairy tail #jerza #gruvia #natsu x lucy #lucy heartfilia #mavis vermillion #nalu #jellal x erza #erza scarlet #natsu dragneel #gray fullbuster #juvia lockser #ultear milkovich

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bluenails074 · 9 months ago

Text

Hold my hand and don't let go

Synopsis: Harua wasn't feeling well but he didn't want to burden his members, so he didn't say anything until it was too late

Genre: hurt/comfort, fluff (platonic)

Warnings: medical content, needle phobia, being overworked, exhaustion, physical and emotional distress...

Note: please be kind<33 (if you don't like it go away :p)

As we all know being a kpop idol ain't easy. Sometimes it leads to injuries, strained muscles or getting overworked.

Well one day, as &team were practicing hard for the upcoming comeback, Harua woke up feeling a little weak. He felt very cold and his head was pounding. He thought it was nothing and so he just brushed it off.

"Harua why aren't you eating?" Nicho asked. "You barely touched your food."

"I'm not hungry hyung." Harua answered even though he was hungry but his stomach felt like it would burst if he ate something.

"Harua you have to eat something." K said. "We have four hours of practice. You'll need energy for that."

"Yeah Harua eat at least a few bites." Fuma encouraged. Harua ate just a few bites of his food but it made him feel so much worse. After a few minutes, when everyone finished their breakfast, Harua felt nauseous and like he wanted to throw up.

"Rua are you okay?" the worried maknae asked

"I feel like I'm gonna puke." Harua answered in a panic. "Like the breakfast inside me wants to get out."

"Okay, okay go to the toilet then, I'll go tell Fuma hyung."

"NO! DON'T TELL HIM!"

"Why not? You're clearly not well. You should stay at the dorm and rest. "

"No! I need to practice more. The comeback is coming and I'm not ready."

"Well i won't let you put yourself at risk, your heath comes first. Plus the hyungs need to know Harua." Maki said with a stern gaze

"No they don't. It's just a little stomach ache. It will pas- " Harua didn't get to finish his sentence as they both kneeled down next to the toilet. Maki rubbed Harua's back while he was throwing up.

"That's it Haru, i’m here" Maki encouraged.

"Even if i don't tell them they'll find out. You know that." Maki said when Harua went to wash his face.

"Yeah, i know but you can't be the one who's going to tell them. How about this? If i feel like my condition is getting worse, I'll tell the hyungs. But you CAN'T.

"Okay" maki shrugged his shoulders

"You promise?"

"Promise i guess"

"Okay then let's go. We're gonna be late for practice.

When they arrived, every minute Harua felt weaker and weaker and the thought of 4 HOURS OF PRACTICE alone made him question how he's going to get through this.

He got through the warm up pretty easily but the rest was a lot more challenging than he thought. After some time passed, he couldn’t hide the exhaustion and it showed in the way he danced.

"Harua, make those moves sharper!" The coach yelled. "More energy Harua!" He tried to give his all but it wasn't enough. At this point he didn't know how long he would be able to continue like this. He felt his fever increased and he started shivering, but again he didn't say anything cause he didn't want to alert his members.

"Okay, you guys can take 5." Their coach said as they finished the choreography. The members took their water bottles and sat down in the corner of the practice room.

"Harua, are you okay? You're kind of pale." Taki noticed.

"Yeah, is everything okay? Why are you shaking?" Fuma asked as he took Harua's hands in his own to make them warmer.

"Y-yeah I'm okay it's just a little cold in h-here." Harua said while studering.

"Cold? It's literally so hot in here." Jo exclaimed. Fuma put a hand on Harua's forehead.

"Oh wow! Harua you're burning. Maybe you should sit down a bit." Fuma said as he moved Harua's soaked bangs to the side.

"No I'm okay guys, i'll just go wash my face in the bathroom and i'll be fine."

"I'll go with you." Fuma said following Harua out of the room. His gut was telling him he shouldn't let Harua go alone. Harua washed his face but he still didn't fell good at all. He started feeling a bit light headed. His head started spinning, his ears were ringing and his whole body was aching.

"Harua you really look sick, I think you should get checked out by someone professional”

"I-i told you I'm totally fi-fi.. fi…ne.."

"Hey hey Harua, Harua… GUYS COME HERE QUICK HE FAINTED" Fuma shouted alarmingly as he caught Harua.

The members rushed to the bathroom.

"Guys call the menager. Tell him we're taking Harua to the nurse. Fuma pick him up, let's take him there." Euijoo commanded.

When they got to the nurse they put Harua on the examination table and surprisingly the nurse wasn't in her office so Jo and Yuma went to find her.

"Fuma, K and I will stay with him, you guys go back to practice and stretch." Euijoo told the rest of the members.

"Hyung, i just got of the phone. The menager said he'll cancel the schedule for the rest of the day, and that he has the car ready if you need to take Rua to the hospital." Maki explained.

"Okay, thanks, now go back to practice and stretch, then all of you can go back to the dorms." Fuma said. "Don't worry we'll keep you updated on Rua's condition."

"Okay okay, thanks hyung." Maki thanked them before leaving. "Um hyung, there's one more thing I have to tell you.."

"Mhm, and that is...?"

"Harua threw up after breakfast."

"HE WHAT?!!" K, Fuma and Euijoo exclaimed "And why did nobody tell us?!" Fuma exclaimed furiously.

"Well only me and Rua knew and he didn't want to tell you so... yeah"

"Okay, we'll talk about it later, now go, i can see Jo waiting outside for you." Fuma said

"Okay, okay bye" Maki said before leaving

"Boys what happened?" The nurse asked calmly as she walked in

"Harua’s been looking very pale since this morning and he barely ate anything for breakfast. After breakfast he also threw up and he looked very unwell during practice so i went to the bathroom with him, and there he fainted." Fuma explained to the nurse.

The nurse measured Harua's blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen levels, when suddenly he regained his consciousness.

"Look he's waking up!" K said moving Harua’s bangs to the side.

"Hyung, what's going on? Why is everything spinning?" Harua asked, looking like he's on the verge of tears.

"Hey, hey, don't panic. It's okay." K said reassuringly combing the youngers hair. "You fainted so we brought you to the nurse's office".

"Harua how are you feeling now?" The nurse asked.

"Everything's spinning and my head hurts."

"Is he gonna be okay?" After a moment of silence Euijoo asked the nurse.

"Yes, but he’s body temperature is very high, so knowing that your comeback is coming up i think he should get checked out by a doctor to see if he's just exhausted or if there's some kind of bigger issue. And even if it's just exhaustion, he should get an iv drip or some medication to boost his immune system." The nurse explained.

"Okay, we'll take him to the ER now." The boys thanked the nurse and K gave Harua a piggyback ride to the car.

When they got to the ER they were seated in a small room.

"Well, Harua you are showing sings of exhaustion and a mild fever, but I'd still like to run a blood test just to make sure that there are no further complications." The doctor explained after doing a check up on Harua.

Harua's eyes widened. "A-a b-blood test?!"

"Yes, a blood test, a nurse will see you shortly. Do you have any questions?"

"No, thank you doctor" Fuma answered noticing the fear in Harua's eyes. As soon as the doctor left, Harua started panicking.

"HYUNG PLEASE I CAN'T TAKE A BLOOD TEST! YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I HATE NEEDLES! PLEASE HYUNG! PLEASE"

"Whoa whoa calm down Haru. I'm sure you'll be just fine" K said calmly.

"Yeah, you won't even feel it" Fuma added

"Plus you have us by your side" Ej said offering a warm smile.

"No but you don't get it. I HATE needles. I absolutely despise them. They're so disgusting and pointy and they hurt and i just can't. Please tell them i won't take the blood test."

"Look at it this way.." Fuma said trying to make the younger less scared. "This blood test will tell us if there's anything wrong with your immune system. And since we have the comeback soon we all have to be healthy and in great form. So this little needle that you won't even feel, could help you a lot." Fuma explained.

"Hello boys!" A nurse interrupted them. "I see you're up for a blood test Harua."

"Y-yeah" Harua answered as the nurse put down a tray with medical equipment on it.

"H-Hyung..." Harua closed his eyes quickly, panically tapping the bed, searching for Fumas hand, when he saw what was placed on the tray.

"I saw the needle hyung" he said on the verge of tears.

"Alright, you saw it, but it doesn't matter cause you're gonna look at me and think about something else, not the needle, okay?" Fuma said trying to make Harua as calm as possible.

"Harua, don't worry. The needle is very small, and it won't last long" The nurse explained calmly. "If you want I can tell you everything that I'm doing, so there are no surprises."

"O- okay, thank you" Harua answered, clearly terrified.

"Could i see your arms please? Just to see which one is better?" The nurse asked.

Harua showed the nurse his arms as Fuma rubbed his shoulders to ease the terrified boy. After a minute she found a vain to inject.

"Okay, now, I'll firstly use an alcohol swab to clean the area. It might be a little cold."

Harua squeezed Fumas hand tightly. "H-Hyung i-i can't b-breathe." Harua said in a panic.

"Look at me here, look how I'm breathing and imitate that okay?" Euijoo said trying to help Harua.

"Can i start now?" The nurse asked.

"Wait! Hyung i can't.. seriously, I'm too scared! I really can't" Harua whimpered trying to catch his breath.

"Harua, It'll be over in less than a minute. This suspense hurts more than any needle. So just let the nurse do her job and finish this as soon as possible." Fuma said "We're with you. Just take some deep breaths and think of something nice."

Harua took a few deep breaths "okay i'm ready, but don't let go of my hand."

No, don't worry, i won't." Fuma squeezed his hand reassuringly. Harua closed his eyes shut and waited for the nurse to inject him.

"Okay 3,2.. " she said before inserting the needle

"A-ah Hyung... it hurts" Harua whimpered as the needle pierced his skin.

"It’s over in a second, just don't move" Fuma hugged Harua so that he feels safer. At this point Harua was crying but without any noise. You could only hear him violently sobbing.

"You're doing so good Haru!" Euijoo said.

"Yeah just a few more seconds and it's done." K added.

"And done! That's it, you did amazing!" the nurse said trying to make Harua stop crying.

"That's it, you did it!" Fuma said running his fingers through Harua's hair.

"Good job!" Euijoo said

"Yeah you did so well!" K exclaimed.

"Could you press here for him please?" The nurse asked K.

"Mhm, of course" he said taking Harua's arm so he could press the cotton ball that was placed on his arm. Harua flinched when K pressed his arm.

"No, no it's just me, don’t worry " K said gently.

"A doctor will come see you after we see the test results". The nurse said before leaving the room.

After some time, a doctor went to tell the members about the results.

"So Harua, the test showed that you're very dehydrated, and you're lacking vitamins. That's what caused the fever. A nurse will give you an IV, which will last about 2 hours and that should boost your immune system. Apart from that i will prescribe some pills to control that fever and your stomach, so you can eat something without vomiting. If the he faints again, bring him back to the hospital. Even though i don't think that will be needed. Do you have any other questions?"

"No thank you doctor" Fuma answered quickly before Harua could say something.

"Alright, then I'll send the nurse here" tha doctor said before leaving

"Hyunggg..." Harua said with puppy eyes

"You did it once, im sure you can do it again" Fuma answered.

"But it hurts so much"

"Well we'll be by your side" K said trying to convince Harua.

"Hello" a nurse said a she walked inside. The boys greeted her and she told them how Harua is going to come with her to a different room where he'll be untill the iv drip is over.

"The room is really small so it would be great if only one person came inside with Harua."

"Hyung what do i do.." Harua asked worriedly

"I'll go with you if you want?" K said

"Yeah you can go with K" Fuma confirmed "okay?"

"Yeah okay..."

Harua stood in the sterile white room, his heart pounding against his chest as he stared at the medical equipment laid out in front of him. With a reassuring smile, K stepped forward and gently took Harua's trembling hand in his own. He helped him sit on the counter where the nurse told them to sit.

"You're going to be okay, Harua. I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere."

Harua nodded, still shaking. The nurse approached, her voice calm and soothing as she explained the procedure. Despite her reassuring words, Harua's pulse quickened, and his palms grew clammy.

As the nurse prepared the IV, Harua's breaths came in short, shallow gasps. He squeezed K's hand tightly, trying to distract himself from what was coming. K squeezed back with a reassuring smile. "It won't be bad, trust me".

As the nurse came close to them Harua tried to back away a little but bumped into K.

"H-Hyung I can't.. really.. it's too much... I-I-" Harua said with puppy eyes.

"Okay, okay i get it, but let's just put your arm here," K said as he extended Harua's arm so the nurse could find a vain. "and you just look at me and it'll be fine, alright? I know how big this is to you and how much you don't want to be here, but I'm here with you, and just focus on me. Not on anything else that scares you." with this said Harua took a deep breath and nodded. The nurse found a vain and took an alcohol swab to wipe his arm. Harua slightly winced as the cold alcohol touched his skin.

"That's just alcohol, okay" K explained.

"I'll countdown from three alright?" The nurse said and Harua nodded but K noticed tears peeking out the corners of his eyes.

"3, 2..." The nurse inserted the needle, and Harua winced as a sharp prick of pain shot through his arm. He bit his lip when he felt the tears coming. K, who was kneeling in front of him, stood up to hug him. He's heart ached at the sight of Harua crying. He leaned in close, whispering words of comfort as Harua's head was pressed to his chest, slowly getting K's shirt wet from tears.

"You're doing great, Rua. Just a little longer, and it's over." After taking the needle out and inserting a little tube, the nurse taped around the canula. "All done." She said after finishing.

"That's it, you did it." K said while rubbing Harua's back with a smile of relief on his face.

"Oh buddy" K kneeled down and wiped Harua's tears away. "Was it that bad?" Harua just nodded.

"Harua, could you sit up, please? I have to connect you to the IV." The nurse said as she attached a bag of fluids to the infusion stand. When the nurse approached him he backed a bit. "H-Hyung.."

"I'm here, I'm here," K said giving Harua his hand. "Give her your arm. It won't hurt now." After the nurse connected him to the IV stand she explained that the IV will last about 2 hours and that Harua might get a little sleepy and drowsy when the fluids start to kick in, and after that they can go home. The two of them were left alone there after the nurse left the room. "I have to tell Euijoo and the members that you're okay. Are you already sleepy?"

"Mhm" Harua said rubbing his eyes.

"Okay, I'll wake you up when it's time" K said with a big smile on his face.

4 notes · View notes

ghost-of-you · 2 years ago

Text

we just danced backwards into each other - ch - part 7

Paring: Calum Hood x Original Female Character.

Warnings: Swearing, mentions of an er visit and vague descriptions of an injury and how it happened, also Lena's team sucks.

Word Count: 9.4k

Authors note: okay, this took a long time to post, sorry about that, i cant even say i hit a writer's block patch because i have been writing a lot about them, i just hit a bit where i could only write flashbacks, i even briefly considered to post a part that was just flashbacks, but that didn't fit the plan, but here we are, hopefully, the next part wont take this long, i already have a solid chunk written. That being said the flashbacks are getting more elaborate, and theres quite a bit of them in this part. As usual, italics are flashbacks.

Read it on AO3

Part 6 Part 8

Masterlist

______

Lena wasn't exactly sure what to expect from the meeting she was called in for, she thought it would be about the conversations surrounding her and Calum and when she would be allowed to start putting songs out, but she sure as hell didn’t expect to find herself in the situation she is in.

“What do you mean, supporting act?” Lena asks as calmly as she possibly can.

“You’ll get your own tour next year, but they need an opener and it makes sense-” Her manager sounds calm and slightly condescending and that makes her cut her off.

“No, it doesn’t,” she shakes her head, and Sylvia sighs.

“Lena, you can’t do arenas alone, it will be good for you."

“No, I’m not doing it,” she says, crossing her arms but the look she gets in response makes her shoulders tense.

“You already agreed,” she says and Lena frowns in confusion.

“No, I didn't." She sounds a bit childish. Probably looks it too, arms crossed, hands clenching the ends of her sleeves, a pout she can't really fight on her lips.

“Yes, you did," Sylvia says and the look on her face it's what finally makes the situation make sense.

“The ‘a few concerts’ part of the deal is a whole tour?" She air-quotes, feeling exasperated, "are you fucking kidding me?”

“Lena,” she says, pinching the bridge of her nose and Lena rolls her eyes.

“Fine, great, I’m going on tour with my fake boyfriend, yeehoo," she says, making a dramatic motion with her hands, "does that mean I’ll get to release something?”

“Yes." The word sounds too careful and it makes Lena groan.

“But the first thing will have to be the duet, right?”

“Yes.” The word rings in her ears and it makes her blood boil. It makes her want to start a fight. But she just takes a deep breath, pressing her lips together.

“Okay, can I go now? I have a song to finish and a deadline now."

“Sure."

“Thank you,” she says, pushing her chair back loudly and making her way out the door. She wants to slam it. She wants to slam something. But she ends up slamming into someone. The last person she wants to see at that particular moment.

Lena was slowly walking through the schoolyard, dragging her feet, wishing she didn't have to go to the quad and stay there for another period. She wanted to leave. She wanted to hide. Actually, she wanted to cry and she felt stupid for it, so she wanted to run. But not literally, and if she went to PE, Coach would make her run laps or something and the thought made her want to scream.

To be fair, all her thoughts were making her want to scream. She wanted to scream at herself for failing that test. She wanted to scream at herself for caring so much about one stupid grade she could easily make up for. She wanted to scream for wanting to scream. It was all very frustrating.

It was why she ended up hiding in the corner beside the bleachers where she would sit when she didn't want Coach to force her to participate. Or where she would hide to watch the football team practice sometimes. The second occasion had happened more times than she would want to admit, but she liked understanding when Calum went on about the games and the team, so she started watching it more. It was just about being a good friend. It definitely had nothing to do with the way he would smile at her, a smile that would light up his whole face and he'd even get dimples on his cheeks, when she had an input that made sense. And she was growing to enjoy the sport, even if just because of his sheer enthusiasm.

She wasn't watching the field that day though, too busy feeling sorry for herself to do anything other than stare at the floor, twisting a pebble between her fingers, waiting for the hour to be over. It was why she didn't hear the footsteps approaching her until they were too close for her to run. So she settled to furiously wiping the tears off her cheeks with the back of her hands, letting out a frustrated huff as the tears wouldn't stop, trying to come up with an excuse to give Coach as she turned to look up at whoever it was when they stopped.

But it wasn't Coach, and she watched as Calum, dressed in the school team's uniform, sat down beside her, leaving about a foot of space between them, making her frown. Why wasn't he playing? Coach might not miss Lena, but he would definitely notice that Calum wasn't there.

She was looking at him trying to figure out what to say. Maybe tell him she didn't want to talk. That he should go back. That she wanted to be alone. But before she could say anything he offered her his water bottle, raising his brow in a silent question: do you want me to go? And Lena surprised herself by shaking her head while taking the bottle from his hand.

He didn't say anything, just nodded and looked forward, at the field. And Lena watched him, stunned for a few seconds while taking a big gulp of the water while feeling a rush of affection for him she couldn't quite understand, before shaking her head and scooting closer to him.

They sat there in silence until the bell rang when Calum scrambled to his feet and offered her a hand to help her up too, giving it a comforting squeeze before running back to get his stuff from the locker room, leaving Lena unsure of why she felt like she could follow him anywhere.

“Woah there, love,” Calum chuckles, holding her up, but frowning when he notices the look on her face, “you okay?” He asks, and she groans, closing her eyes, and exhaling sharply before stepping back from him.

“Fine, I gotta go,” she mumbles, stepping around him and moving toward the break room at the end of the hall. She doesn't know exactly what she wants there as she moves to get a glass and stops by the water fountain, hand clutching at the cool metal edge and watching as the water slowly fills the cup. Too slowly.

"Lena," Calum's voice is careful as it comes from somewhere behind her and she groans, staring at the wall.

"Calum, I mean this in the nicest way possible but get out," she says, as calmly as she possibly can, closing her eyes as she takes a sip.

"Lena," he tries again and she sighs.

"Look, really wanna do something self-destructive, picking a fight with you right now would definitely do that and I don't wanna say something I can't take back, so please leave me alone, I promise I'll talk to you once I stop feeling like wanna smash something," she says, clutching the cup with both hands, still staring at the wall.

"Okay, just call me if you need me," he says and she nods.

"Yeah." She is actually surprised when she hears him walking away, but she stays there, slowly counting her breaths as she sips on her water, trying to get a grip on her feelings when she hears footsteps behind her again.

"Calum, I said please," she groans, putting the cup down, but the voice that comes from behind her makes her head snap back.

"Not Calum," Andy says, and she finds him leaning against the doorway, "he did send me, though, he said he didn't think you should be alone," he explains and she stares at him for a few seconds before crossing the room straight into his chest, making him huff out a laugh as he wraps his arms around her, "what happened?"

"We're going on tour," she says, stepping back so she can look at him.

"And you're upset why exactly?" He frowns at her and she purses her lips.

"With 5sos," she says and understanding floods his face.

"We're opening?" He asks and she nods slowly, "so you're not sad, you're pissed."

"Yes."

"Got it, wanna go find something for us to break?"

"Yes, please."

The wait was agonizing. And it was throwing him off. It wasn't like this was the first time Calum and Lena had gone for days without hearing from each other. It wasn't the first time they had a fight that ended with one of them storming off. Granted, this was the first time Lena was the one that initiated the divide between them and stuck with it. But he thought she would come back. She always came back.

Their silly arguments used to end fairly quickly and when he was the one storming out after tearing them apart in one swoop, he felt like he didn't have the right to miss her. He regretted walking out on her the second the door had closed behind him but some part of him still thought it was for the best.

But this time, there wasn't a piece of him that didn't desperately want to fix this. He needed to fix it somehow.

But Lena was gone, no one exactly sure where and it was agonizing because he was terrified he had lost her for good. He was terrified of what she would do.

Most of all he was terrified of how much he missed her.

Their relationship had been about distance for long enough for Calum to be able to compartmentalize the feeling. It came with the job. He was always missing someone.

But this time it felt different. Maybe because he couldn't just call and have the ache softened by the sound of her voice. Maybe it was because there was no escaping it when even looking at a picture of them just made him feel worse.

Someone else might've seen the irony in the way Lena was out, somewhere in the world, convinced he didn't love her while Calum was finally understanding how much he actually did.

Not that he wasn't aware of how non-platonic his feelings for her were. How non-platonic they had always been. But letting himself admit it had him seeing how deep those feelings ran and he couldn't believe how stupid he had been.

She loved him. He knew that for years. He loved her. He also knew that for years. So why had he fought so hard to keep her out? And how had he left himself make her believe he didn't love her?

Granted, he thought she was over him. He thought he had lost his chance. That his time to do something had passed. That a somewhat mended friendship was all he could have after what he did. So he convinced himself that it was what she wanted. That it was what he wanted. And because of that, he had no reaction to give her when she made her feelings known. Again.

The worst part is that he couldn't even blame her for leaving. He sure as fuck would've too if the roles were reversed. He would've done more damage as he left too. It wouldn't be as graceful.

The calm in which she had taken his hand and done the exact same thing he had all those years before, just leaving the piece of them she held onto when he didn't deserve it, all while looking him dead in the eyes, daring him to stop her, was not something he could have achieved.

She walked away and he had to let her do it. He couldn't offer what she wanted. But then again, all he wanted was to get her to stay.

It was how he ran into Andy. The roommate who most definitely hated him. Not that Calum blamed him.

"She's flying back," Andy told him after an awkward greeting, turning back to Calum, “tomorrow if she gets on the plane,” he added before Calum could ask, sliding to the booth across from him.

“You talked to her?” Calum asked and he nodded, "is she safe?"

"She said she is."

"Do you believe her?"

"I don't know," he said, rubbing his forehead.

“How is she?”

“How do you think?” Andy huffed, rolling his eyes.

“I’m still asking,” he said simply and Andy studied him for a few seconds before answering.

“Well, she sounded a lot like she did last time,” he finally said and Calum frowned.

“I don’t know what that means." Those words frustrated him. He used to think there wasn't a part of Lena he didn't know and he didn't like to be confronted with the fact that he didn't know her as well as he thought.

“She sounded numb, dude, avoidance is something she mastered, it was like she couldn’t handle all she was feeling, I’m relieved she’s coming back, the numb stage was a bad one,” he ran a hand through his hair and for a second Calum wondered if he really wanted to know, but he couldn't stop himself from asking.

“Why?”

“She cried for like a whole week and one day she just stopped, it was like she decided she didn't want to feel it anymore, but she wasn't feeling anything else either, she was moving on auto-pilot, burying herself into distractions, she landed herself in the hospital once."

“I didn’t know that."

“She passed out on campus, it sounds worse than it was," Andy's voice was dismissive as he crossed his arms in front of his chest and leaned back on his seat.

“What happened?”

“She was dehydrated, pushed herself too hard, she was actually at the campus health center when it happened, not that anyone thought to tell me that when they called me, it was all ‘Lena is in the hospital, you gotta get here now’," he breathed out a puff of air and Calum considered his words. He really couldn't blame the guy for the way he reacted whenever he was around Lena.

"That sounds like a lot."

"I've spent the whole week waiting for that call again," Andy said, voice low, sounding as if he didn't want to admit what he'd been thinking but also as if he needed Calum to know how bad it could get.

"I know what you think of me, but I'm not trying to hurt her," he defended himself but the other man shook his head.

"You wanting to do it or not doesn't change how it's always happening," he challenged and Calum felt stunned for a second.

"Did you talk to her about-"

"Your situation and why she ran? Yes," he nodded and Calum looked expectantly at him.

"And?"

"She's hiding, she does that, hide until she can handle what she’s feeling," he said and Calum nodded. That he knew. He used to have a list of places she usually hid back home for the days she would run without telling him where she was going. Under the bleachers at their old school, the lookout not far from her mum's house, the park a few blocks from his place, the old playground by Michael's. He used find her and just sit with her until she was ready to talk. "I remember at the beginning of our second year she disappeared for a few days and then came back like nothing happened, I still don’t know where she went,” Andy added with a frustrated huff, and Calum frowned at him. He knew what happened.

“She came to see me," he said and got a puzzled look in return, "We were doing promo back home and she just showed up and followed us around, I think we were telling people she was our hairstylist or something like that.”

Lena had called him one day, saying she was at his hotel lobby. He had not believed her at first but went down anyway, grinning when he saw her, clutching the straps of her backpack while she bounced on the balls of her feet waiting for him. It took until he saw the anxious look on her face as she turned to him for him to start to question why she was there, it was a nine-hour drive after all, but she just hugged him and shrugged the question off. He knew she needed a distraction and he was happy to provide it. Their manager had been annoyed about it, but still made the necessary arrangements for her to be able to stay with him. She went to interviews, and a photoshoot, standing in a corner laughing as she fluffed Michael’s hair with a comb sticking out of her back pocket, saying Calum needed more hair gel, and sat next to him in the back of the van as if she belonged there. The night before they left she curled up on his bed and cried telling him about the fight she had with her mother, and how she just got in her car and drove. The same car he closed the door to in the hotel parking lot because she needed to go back to uni and he had another plane to catch.

“She stayed with us until I had to leave."

“She went to you?” He asked, sounding skeptical and Calum nodded.

“She used to do that a lot, come to me when she wanted to run, I always tried to be there if I could."

"It's just been a while since she ran without telling me." He was back to looking frustrated and Calum narrowed his eyes at him.

"You really care about her, don't you?"

“She’s my family, and honestly, I’m sick of hearing her cry over you, I can’t say I understand why she loves you."

“We had good years before things got too complicated."

“Complicated,” he huffed out a chuckle and Calum frowned.

“What?”

“When she was angry she would pace around, going on about how you kept saying it’s complicated, and calling you very creative names," the blonde explained with a chuckle and Calum narrowed his eyes at him.

"How much did she tell you?" He asked, genuine curiosity in his voice.

"Enough. I think she downplays some of the parts that hurt her the most, but I'm not sure if she's trying to get me not to hate you or if she's just sparing herself."

"It's probably both."

"Definitely both."

"I've been thinking about what you said," Calum said after a beat of silence and Andy looked confused.

"Me?"

"About being someone who deserves how much she loves me," He explained and Andy narrowed his eyes at him. It was unsettling to see how much they looked like Lena's when he stared at him like that.

"Right," he said, sounding skeptical.

"I can't change the shit that already happened, I would if I could, go back and smack some sense into myself, but if she lets me I'll try for as long as it takes to fix it," he paused, but Andy looked unconvinced, "you think she'll talk to me?"

"Honestly? No. Not right now at least," he added after a beat, "but maybe, if you are serious about this, she'll come around."

"I am serious," Calum said and Andy studied him carefully, before seemingly deciding he was being sincere by giving him a small nod.

"Then maybe you still have a chance."

Lena lost track of how long she had been sitting in her car, phone in her hand trying to decide what to do. Calum said to call him if she needed him, so she could call even if she didn’t necessarily need him at the moment. She just feels bad for the way she reacted. And she always hated fighting the urge to talk to him.

The decision shouldn’t be this hard. She should just call him if she wants to talk to him. At least that’s what she’s been telling herself for at least the last thirty minutes, music blaring through the car while clicking in and out of Calum’s contact.

“Just do it,” she tells herself, pausing the music, leaning back against the seat, and closing her eyes as she clicks the call button.

"Hi, L," Luke's voice comes through the phone when she thought the call was about to go to voicemail and Lena frowns slightly, pulling the phone off her ear and checking the screen to see if she dialed the right number, finding Calum's name on it.

"Luke?" She asks, sounding confused and he giggles.

"Cal is occupied, but I didn't want to leave you hanging."

"Oh, you didn't have to, I can call back later," she says, scratching her neck as she hears Calum's voice at a distance.

"Is that my phone?" Calum asks and Luke must've agreed because he adds, "why are you on my phone?" sounding a lot closer.

"It's L, you've been checking it compulsively," Luke says and there's a commotion where she assumes the phone is being passed around because she stops understanding what they are saying.

"Lena? Is everything okay?” He asks, sounding concerned, making her chuckle.

"You said to call if I needed you."

"I did."

"But you're busy, we can talk later, it's fine," she says, scratching her neck but he's quick to stop her dismissal.

"We're pretty much done, I'll be off, in like ten, twenty minutes?"

"Can you meet me then?"

"Yeah, you want me to stop by your place? You wanna come over? You wanna go somewhere? I don't have my car so I would have to go get it but-" He sounds eager and that makes her giggle, looking around herself before interrupting him.

"I can pick you up,” she offers, adjusting in the seat.

“I’ll wait for you then."

“You got your license?” Calum said, sounding skeptical and mildly jealous as he leaned against the open window, making Lena pout, as she gripped the steering wheel tighter.

“Just get in, some of us still have a curfew," she complained and he opened the door, sliding into the passenger side.

“You didn’t answer,” he said while she watched him.

“Seatbelt,” she said and he rolled his eyes, buckling in, “of course I got it, you think mum would let me get the car if I didn’t have a license?”

“When did this happen?”

“About a month ago,” she shrugged, carefully making the car move again and she didn't have to look at him to know he looked offended as he shifted in the seat.

“A month? And you didn’t tell me?"

“And miss the look on your face when I rolled up? No chance," she teased, glancing at him.

“I can’t believe you got your license before me,” he complained, pushing the seat back so he could sit more comfortably and she rolled her eyes.

“No, you’re not allowed to complain, you were just on a world tour, who cares about cars?”

“Says the one with a car."

“It’s not like it's my car.”

“You’re driving it."

“It's not that exciting, but sometimes mum lets me drive myself to school, so that’s cool.'

"So, where are we going?"

"I have no idea, I didn't think that far," she laughed, tapping on the steering wheel.

"We can drive around until we find someplace to stop," he offered and she considered it while he leaned forward to mess with the radio.

“Wait, wanna go to the lookout?” She said, suddenly, looking at him and he grinned at her as he finally got the radio to work.

Lena parked the car, still far from the edge, but close enough for them to be able to look at the lights of the city below, before getting out, moving to the front of the car, Calum following her, looking amused as she moved so she could sit on the hood, patting the space beside her as she leaned against the windshield.

"You've been coming here alone?" He asked once he was settled beside her, and she shrugged, glancing at him.

"Nah, it's weird being here now," she pressed her lips together while he watched her. Everything they used to do together felt lacking when he wasn't there. It just made the constant ache of missing him that much more intense, "and mum doesn't like me being out here by myself so…"

"It's probably not a good idea," he chuckled, eyes still on her making her slide closer to him and drop her head on his shoulder, holding on to his arm. She couldn't quite believe he was really there. Not just a voice on her phone or a face on a screen but within her reach. It made her want to hold on and never let him leave again. And that was stupid all things considered. It was never going to happen. She knew she needed to get over her feelings for him. But that was a problem for future Lena. At that moment the only thing that mattered was that Calum really was there.

"I've been meaning to tell you something," she said, looking forward and she felt him moving beside her.

"What?" He asked and she chewed on her bottom lip.

"It's okay if you're gonna be too busy, I didn't think you'd be here, but you are and well, I can't not invite you but really is okay if you can't go-" she was rambling and she knew she should just say it but the words wouldn't come out until Calum interrupted her.

"Go where?" He chuckled, and she pulled away so she could look at him.

"I booked a gig," she blurted out, pressing her lips together and anxiously watching him. But as his face lit up with a smile she felt stupid for being anxious about telling him. Of course he would be happy for her.

"Really?"

"It's not, you know, one direction, stadium world tour, but they told me they sold like few hundred tickets and I'm just opening and no one is gonna be there to see me and it's okay if you can't go," she was babbling and he looked amused.

"I'm going," he told her and she pressed her lips together.

"Really?"

"You think I'd miss it?"

"I didn’t think you’d be here," she chuckled and he rolled his eyes.

"But I am, so… When is it?"

"The day before you're set to leave."

"I'll be there," he said, sounding determined and that just made her smile at him.

Lena’s about to reach for her phone to let Calum know she’s there when she hears a tap on the passenger window, and she’s startled for a second before unlocking the door.

“How did you know I was here?” She laughs, watching as Calum gets in.

“I didn’t,” he says, making her frown at him, “I saw the car,” he explains, adjusting the seat and buckling in and she nods.

"Right."

"Where are we going?" He asks when they start moving and she laughs.

"I didn't think that far."

"So we're just driving around then?" He asks and she shrugs, "what happened that got you that upset?" He adds and she can feel him watching her.

"You don't know?" She asks, glancing at him and he frowns at her, "I'm your opening act," she adds and she can see he's fighting to keep his expression neutral.

"You are?" He asks, failing to mask the excitement in his voice. She thinks she'll be excited about it soon enough, she liked performing too much to be upset for long. And she knows he's excited about the thought of having her around while on the road again. But she's unsure how she feels about being on tour with him. It's just hard not to think about how badly the last tour they did together ended for the both of them. And they went in with a relationship that was a lot more stable than whatever's happening between them at the moment.

"Yep," she nods and he's still watching her carefully.

"Okay," he says, sounding unsure and she sighs.

"You know the agreement for the relationship?" She starts, looking at him at a red light and he nods, "I didn't know that I was agreeing to the tour too. I'm not mad I'm going on tour with you guys because of you guys, it just felt like a step back you know? And I know I ain't selling out arenas and that this is a good opportunity but I am annoyed." Most of all she's annoyed about the way she keeps getting tricked into doing things, but there's a part of her that doesn't want to do the tour simply because she feels like her career moved so much since the last time she opened for them. Two albums out, a third on the way. Was it crazy for her to not want to do the thing that started it all again?

“Why?” Calum asks and she chews on her bottom lip trying to figure out the right thing to say to get him to understand the issue she has with the situation.

“How would you feel if I told you you need to tour with one direction again?” She asks in return, stealing a glance at him and seeing the emotions on his face as he processes her words: confusion being replaced with understanding being replaced with uneasiness.

“Got it."

“I am sorry about earlier though, so you can stop with the monosyllabic answers-" she chuckles, feeling restless over the way his reactions feel too careful.

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” he says before she can finish her thought.

"-and you're allowed to be happy I'm going on the road with you again," she continues and he laughs.

"I am?" He sounds equal parts unsure and excited and it's a bit disarming.

"Yeah."

"Are you? All things considered?" He asks, genuine concern in his voice, and she considers the question.

"Well, it’s fun, so I'm sure I'll be excited about it soon, but if I'm being honest the idea of spending months seeing you on a semi-daily basis again it's a bit unsettling," she admits, fighting the urge to look at him because she doesn't want to know what she would see in his face if she did.

"Unsettling?"

"I don't know, okay? It's just, I'm trying not to shut you out, but it's weird."

“What?”

“Not fighting the urge to talk to you, I got used to it,” she says, tapping her thumbs against the steering wheel, “we need to finish the song, though,” she chuckles, glancing at him, wanting to change the subject.

“I like the way it is now," he says, simply. She does too. That version may only exist as a voice note recorded with Calum's phone but there's something about it. She really hopes they can capture that in the studio.

“Yeah, me too, but you really think it's gonna work with just the piano?" It's definitely not her usual style and she's worried about how it would sound.

"We could try it out,"

"We can work on it."

“Whenever you want."

“Not now though, now we’re doing something stupid,” she giggles, finally realizing where she wants to go.

“How stupid are we talking here? ‘Cause you have really high standards for stupid,” he jokes and she pouts.

“Hey!” She complains, sounding offended and he laughs.

“I’m just saying, are you just planning on driving until we run out of gas, or are you skipping that and just going straight to the airport? I'm down if you wanna flee the country again, you just need to tell me first,” he tells her and she can't help the way her heart flutters.

“So you would run away with me?”

“Always,” he says, making her have to press her lips together to control the smile threatening to take over her face. It feels unfair, the way he keeps getting these reactions out of her without even trying.

"Do I need a plane ticket and a shiny ring with your name on it?" She jokes, more in an attempt to keep the conversation lighthearted than anything else, but she starts laughing when he groans, rolling his eyes.

"I take it back," he says, and she glances at him, trying to determine how much he means it, but he seems to be fighting to keep a straight face.

"Too late, you're already in the car," she shrugs and he fakes outrage.

"That's kidnapping."

"Hey, you got in willingly," she laughs, looking at him when he laughs too, the sound making her heart beat faster. "I just want ice cream though," she adds, and he nods.

"Of course you do, but why is that stupid?"

"Because we are gonna go out into the world, I don't wanna sit in the car."

"The stupid part here is the risk of getting recognized then, got it."

"For all intents and purposes, we're selling the idea you're my boyfriend now so who the fuck cares if we get spotted together?"

"That's the spirit."

For some reason, Lena hadn't thought about what the batch of promo she would be doing between the legs of the tour meant for her and Calum until she had all her stuff taken down and was about to be ushered into the van to catch a plane to somewhere she wasn't sure where it was. They had three weeks off, at least the band had, she would only get a few days before having to meet the boys for the first show of the North America leg, she was in full promo mode and her team was driving her crazy.

But as she thought about how Calum had said goodbye, too quickly for her to fully process it, she couldn't help but feel anxious. This would be the longest they would be apart since whatever was happening between them had started. And she didn't know what to expect. Things between them had been easy enough she didn't think she had anything to worry about until she was standing in an empty hotel room, looking around to see if she had forgotten something only to find one of Calum's flannels on the couch in the corner.

And suddenly worrying was all she could do, even though she knew she couldn't make any demands. What would they do when the tour started again? Go back to just being friends? Stay in the routine of sneaking into each other's hotel rooms and hooking up in what sometimes felt like any space where they could get alone long enough for sex to happen?

Sure, it wasn't just sex. No matter what Calum said about not giving her a relationship, something more was going on between them. They talked more, they laughed more and Lena couldn't remember the last time they were in a hotel and she fell asleep alone. It was as if removing that line between them that they had danced around for years had them settling into a level of comfort with each other she never had with anyone else. But sometimes she did worry if it was all about proximity. So she was worried about whether the distance between them would change things again. She knew how quickly their relationship could shift. Had things been permanently altered or would this put them back the way they were before they acted on the attraction between them? Could she ever go back if he wanted to, knowing what it was like to have him, all of him? She wasn't sure.

But standing there wasn't going to change anything. She had to leave. There was a plane she needed to be on and she would have plenty of time to wonder if that morning before Calum left had been her last chance to kiss him and just pretend he was hers for a while.

She had just finished checking the front pocket of her backpack to make sure she had her passport and was clutching the fabric of Calum's flannel as she glanced around one more time when the door opened.

"Hey," Calum said, walking in, looking a little breathless under the carefree expression he was wearing as he closed the door behind him.

"Hi," Lena answered, eyeing him suspiciously, "you forgot this," she added, offering him the flannel and he nodded, taking it and putting it on over his t-shirt so he wouldn't have to carry it, "I was about to go find you."

"I thought I should walk you down," he said, stepping closer to her. He was staying there another day, doing some exploring, like Ashton liked to say, so there was no rush for him to leave.

"Okay," she giggled, "let's go then, 'cause I don't need Sylvia yelling at me," she added, adjusting the straps of her backpack on her shoulders and moving to walk around him. She knew not to wait for anything other than him just walking next to her, there was no telling who could see them, so she was surprised when he grabbed her hand.

"Wait," he told her, pulling her to him and she barely had time to react before he was kissing her. And there was nothing calm about it, the way he was kissing her made her head spin as she held on to him.

"Okay, now we can go," he said, pulling away from her, leaving her chasing his lips before she grabbed hold of his shirt and pulled him back to her. She wanted more. She wanted to map out the way kissing him felt like in case she didn't have the chance to do it again and that was what she did. She focused on the feeling of his lips on hers and his hands on her body and the feelings coursing through her.

"Now we can go," she laughed, a little breathless, pulling away from him and moving to the door. She knew he would follow her. And they walked down to the parking lot, after giving the key cards to her manager, Lena rambling about how excited she was for this round of interviews while Calum watched her with a grin on his face that made her heart beat faster.

He pulled her in for a hug, after checking to see if the parking lot was in fact empty, and she breathed him in before pulling away.

"I'll see you in a few weeks," she said, standing on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek before going into the van, putting the backpack on the seat before sitting closer to the open door to wait, leaning into the frame.

"Yeah."

Lena half expected him to turn around and leave, but he surprised her again by looking around, hoisting himself into the van, kissing her one more time, way too fast for her liking, before going back out, at the same time her manager showed up with the rest of her team.

"Bye, love," Calum said, winking at her, making her laugh, "call me when you land."

“Did you ever think about how fucked up it is that we spend so much of our lives moving?” Lena asks, slamming the car door closed as Calum stops next to her.

“Are you getting philosophical on me?” He asks, narrowing his eyes at her and she shakes her head.

“No, I mean literally,” she explains, and they start moving to the ice cream shop.

“That somehow makes even less sense,” he chuckles and she looks up at him.

“We are always on vehicles, you know? Cars, vans, buses, planes,” she lists, counting her finger and his eyebrow furrow as he studies her.

“Why are you thinking about that?”

“You mentioned running, I started thinking about planes, got into a little existential crisis,” she shrugs, pressing her lips together.

“And decided to drag me with you?" Calum teases, raising an eyebrow at her.

“It’s because you have a headstart on me, I was wondering if you ever had that moment, so, you know, thought I’d do some dragging, ask if you ever wanted to just stop moving." Lena sounds more frustrated than she expects and she chews on the inside of her cheek as she waits for him to say something.

"So you are getting philosophical on me." He looks so understanding, it's disarming.

"I guess," she sighs, scratching her neck and he cooks his head looking at her before reaching around her to open the door.

"Yeah, I have," he says, holding the door open for her to walk into the shop and she murmurs a thank you as she walks in.

"What do you do about it? How do I make the feeling go away?" She asks, stopping suddenly, looking at him and he has to hold out his hands, landing them on her waist so he wouldn't hit her.

"What makes you think I'm any better at it than you?" He laughs, guiding her to the line and she doesn't miss the way his hand stays on the small of her back.

"I mean, everyone seems better at this than me right now, so," she shrugs, trying to sound nonchalant but he can clearly see through it.

Calum seems to be trying to find the right words to say but before he could it's their turn to order and it's not until they are sitting on opposite sides of one of the booths that he speaks again.

"I know that's the worst possible answer, and I sound like a bad self-help book, but you gotta find what works for you."

"Running really works for me," she says, digging into her sundae and he laughs.

"Maybe try calling it a vacation the next time."

"But that's boring," she fake-complains, pouting a little too hard.

"You can always lean into the chaos," he chuckles and she sighs.

"But then I have to deal with the consequences and I'm tired of the consequences," she says, looking down and swirling the spoon around the glass dish.

"Love," Calum's voice is careful and she looks up at him, not letting him continue.

"There's gotta be a better way than imploding my life, that's all I'm saying," she shrugs, shoving ice cream in her mouth in an act that doesn't seem nearly as carefree as she would hope.

"Well, you can find different outlets, but knowing you that would just distract you from the problem, maybe try therapy? That helped me."

"Oh, I am," she tells him, and he laughs at the look on her face.

"Not as instantaneous as you thought it would be, right?"

"Why can't she just fix me?" She complains with a laugh, moving her arms dramatically around her and getting a pressed-lip smile as an answer. Calum's watching her and the look in his eyes makes her feel uneasy. She can't tell what he's seeing in her face but she can't tell he doesn't like seeing it.

"I'm sorry," he says after a beat. So that's what the look was. Guilt.

"What I did is not on you, you know."

"Yeah, but what I did to you is, and I am sorry for my part in it."

"And I forgave you already so, if we want this to work, I need you to stop apologizing."

At first, Lena thought she was imagining the taps on her window. She was still feeling loopy and she was exhausted after the day she had but she couldn't get comfortable. She didn't know if it really was the stitches and the bandage or if it was just how she was extremely aware of them. But the sound happened again and she could swear she heard her name, so she got up, moving to the window. She frowned as she opened it, feeling confused. Were the painkillers enough to get her hallucinating?

"Why are you on my window?" She whispered, carefully leaning forward so she could talk to Calum.

"You weren't answering and your mum won't let me in." He looked anxious, trying his best to scan her through the window as he moved closer to her.

"Because you're an idiot who told her it was your fault," she rolled her eyes because her mum was driving her crazy over what happened, but she regretted the action when he flinched, guilt twisting his features.

"It was my fault." His voice was small even for the rushed whisper conversation they were having and it twisted her heart.

"I fell, it was not your fault," she assured him, but his eyes were still filled with guilt.

"How are you?" He asked, studying her as best he could through the window.

"I'm fine," she assured him but he gave her an unimpressed look.

"Lena."

"I got some stitches, there's some bruising, nothing to worry about." She was downplaying it and they both knew it. She knew it because she had nine stitches under her ribs on her left side towards her back on top of the bruising that came with landing too hard which made it hard for her to even move her arm. He knew it because he saw it as it happened. She didn't see the cut, it was out of her line of sight and she wasn't tempted to try, but the panicked look on Calum's face as Coach ran to her was not something she would forget any time soon.

"I'm sorry."

"It was an accident."

"But-" he tried and she knew he would continue to try and take the blame if she let him talk.

"Calum, were you trying to hurt me?"

"Of course not!" He exclaimed, loud enough for her to worry her mum may have heard it, but she didn't really care.

"Then accept it wasn't your fault, and that I'm fine," she said, but he was still looking anxiously at her. "Just get in," she said, sounding exasperated and moving back so he could climb through the window. "See? I'm fine," she joked, motioning to herself once he was in and he stopped, looking at her.

Calum seemed to determine she was fine because, after a few seconds, she was being pulled into him. The hug would've been tight enough to leave her breathless on a good day, and it felt good after the day she had, but she couldn't stop the pained whimper that escaped her when his arm hit the stitches.

"Shit, sorry," he reacted by letting go of her, taking a few steps back, guilt back to twisting his features when she winced as she touched her side, "are you okay?"

"We already established that I'm fine," she said, closing the distance between them again and wrapping her arms around his middle, "but you won't be if you don't hug me back in the next second," she threatened, hiding her face on the crook of his neck when he didn't move, "I know you got scared but I was the one that was stuck in the ER, so can you just fucking hug me?" She complained, grabbing his arms and placing them around her shoulders and he laughed, tightening his arms around her.

"Are you sure you're fine?" He asked, his face hidden in her hair and she chuckled.

"They let me out of the hospital so how bad could it be?" She mumbled into his skin, before stepping away from him.

"I'm so fucking sorry," he said and she cocked her head, looking at him.

"Hey, all you did was kick a ball," she said, fighting the urge to reach for his hand or caress his cheek given the way he was looking at her.

"I shouldn't have-"

"Oh sure, the footballer shouldn't have kicked a ball,” she interrupted him, rolling her eyes and giving him an unimpressed look, “it was a streak of bad luck, Cal, you had no way of knowing I wasn't gonna be able to catch that, no one in the school had any idea that nail had been dislodged and it sure as fuck was bad luck that I managed to miss the step and land in a way that made that nail drag across my-" she stopped talking when he flinched, and they stared at each other for a beat before his expression softened.

"You're not usually this logical," he pointed out and she shrugged.

"I've been trying to convince mum it wasn't your fault all afternoon," she complained, letting out a dramatic groan and he shook his head.

"Why?"

"She took my phone because you wouldn't stop texting, I needed to do something.”

"So that's why you haven't been answering?"

“Obviously, when did I not answer you?” She said, giving him an annoyed look and he chuckled, “also I had a feeling I might have to convince you you didn't do anything wrong."

“I’m still unconvinced,” he said and she frowned at him.

"If you need me to say it, I forgive you for forgetting I have no athletic inclination," she joked, playfully hitting his chest and he nodded.

"Yeah, what was I thinking believing you could catch a ball without landing yourself in the ER," he deadpanned, and something about it had her breaking down laughing before feeling the stitches and stopping, touching her side.

"Don't make me laugh, it hurts," she complained with a pained chuckle and his face went serious again.

"Did they tell you how long?" Calum asked, scratching his neck.

"I have to go back next week to get the stitches out, but the doctor said the bruising from the way I landed may last longer.”

"This sucks."

"Maybe it will leave a cool scar," she shrugged, pressing her lips together, and he sighed.

"I should go before your mum catches me in here," he said, pointing back to the window and she nodded.

"Okay."

"I'll see you in school tomorrow?" He asked and she shook her head.

"I have a doctor's note, so probably not."

"Right,” he agreed, thinking for a second before adding, “I'll stop by after practice then, bring your homework, maybe your mum will let me in then."

"I'll continue to try and convince her it wasn't your fault."

"Thanks," he kissed the side of her head, moving back to the window, but he stopped before he reached it, "Lena?" He said, turning back, and she scratched her neck.

"Yeah?"

"I love you," he said, stepping back closer to her and she blinked at him a couple of times.

"I know, I don't need to hear it just because I got hurt," she said, tucking her hair behind her ear. It was not like they had never said that to each other before, hell, Calum would end every call with a cheerful “love ya” when he was in Brazil a few months back, but the look on his face felt too serious.

"But I need to say it, you're my best friend, and today sucked, so I need to say it,” he explained, his face intense and Lena wasn’t sure how to react.

“Sweetheart,” she breathed, but she wasn't sure what she wanted to say, so she just moved to wrap her arms around his waist again, "I love you too," she said, head on his chest when he wrapped his arms around her, "you're, like, my favorite person in the planet."

"So can we not go all deep and emotional? At least not right now," she asks, crossing her arms on the table and leaning her chin on top of it, looking at him with pleading eyes, making him laugh and lean back in his seat.

"I'm all for following your lead, remember?"

"Right," she nods, feeling her cheeks heating up as she watches him.

She's not really thinking when she pulls out her phone and snaps a picture of him, the spoon in his mouth and chocolate on his cheek making her act before she processes what she's doing.

"What was that?" Calum asks with a chuckle, raising an eyebrow at her and she shrugs, putting the phone facing down on the table before she can stare at the picture for too long.

"You have chocolate on your cheek."

"So you just took a picture?"

"Yeah," she nods, smiling when it takes him a few tries to clean his cheek.

"Why?"

"Because you're cute," she blurts out, her eyes widening when she notices she said it out loud and he laughs.

"Thanks?"

"Yeah," she drops her forehead to her arms for a second, before looking back at him, letting out a "hey" and sitting up straight when he takes a picture of her too.

"Gotta keep things fair," he teases and she can't help but laugh.

"Idiot," she complains, focusing on her almost-finished ice cream.

"You started it," he shrugs, smiling at her. It's not until that moment that it occurs to her that this feels like a date. And she doesn't know how to feel about it. "Love?" He frowns at her, maybe she's wearing her feelings on her face, and she shakes her head.

"Sorry, I got-" she starts but her phone buzzes in a familiar pattern that lately makes her skin crawl. And she stares at it as it does it again. And a third time that makes her grimace at it like it's radioactive.

"What's wrong?" Calum asks, eyebrows furrowed as he studies her and she sighs.

"Sylvia," she explains, picking the phone up and unlocking it, it would be worse if she ignored it, clicking the notification to find an inquiry as to what she's doing and if she was with Calum and a link. To fucking Twitter. With a picture of them.

"Fuck that was fast," Lena mumbles, sliding in the seat so she could get closer to him to show him the texts.

"Still don't care?" He asks when he finishes reading it and she shakes her head.

"Nah, we look cute," she says, pulling the tweet her manager had linked her to and showing it to him. The picture really is cute, the wilder angle getting the whole booth, her arms crossed on the table, her chin leaning into them as she looks at him, and he's smiling at her, leaning back against the seat. But it does have her looking at the window from where she thinks it was taken.

"What do you think would happen if I liked this?" Calum asks, snapping her out of her thoughts and making her giggle.

"Chaos?"

"And if I retweeted and tagged you?" He has a mischievous glint in his eyes that makes her raise an eyebrow at him.

"I thought I was the one doing stupid shit?"

"Why is it stupid?" He challenges and she presses her lips together.

"I don't know."

"Wait, I have a better idea," he says, pulling out his phone and she laughs when she realizes what he's planning.

"You do remember I don't have access to my official accounts anymore, right?"

"Good thing you're not the only one in this then," he teases, bopping her nose, making her laugh.

"Can I at least see the picture before you do whatever you're about to do?"

"Nah."

"But-"

"Relax, it's a good picture," he says, posting it to his story and she shakes her head, feeling resigned.

"Okay then, give me your phone."

"Why?"

"We might as well go all out," she says, sending the picture she took earlier to him and putting her phone down while taking the phone from his hand and sliding closer to him.

"No soft-launching then, huh?" She laughs, after hitting post, clicking on the bubble with his picture to see the picture he posted of her. And it's a bit weird for her to see the fond look in her eyes as she looks at a point slightly above the camera, so she leans back in the seat. Only realizing Calum had his arm on the seat behind her when she hit it, and suddenly she's extremely aware that she's pressed against his side. Even more when he drapes his arm around her shoulders.

"It's not like I never posted anything with you before," he says, accepting the phone she's handing back.

"You haven't in a while, though, or me posting you for that matter," she says, relaxing into him, even if just unconsciously, her head dropping to his shoulder. "Should we get out of here before someone finds out where we are and decides to come check?" She adds after a beat and he nods.

"I think yes," he says, sliding out and offering her his hand, she takes it and lets him hold it on the way back to her car.

"I don't wanna drive, though," she tells him, crinkling her nose while offering him her car keys. And the laugh she gets in response is enough to keep her smiling all the way home.

_____

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