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runnning-outof-time · 2 months ago

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Some Calm in the Midst of War | Wartime!Tommy Shelby x Reader

request: yes by @cybubuvubbu

pairing: Wartime!Tommy Shelby x Reader

summary: (Y/N) meets a soldier in a club. Not wanting to let go of this taste of calm amidst all of the chaos, they extend their moment of revelry into something a bit longer.

warnings: language, smoking, talks of war, suggestive situations (pg-13 in nature…I think)

word count: 1721

a/n: so this is what I decided to do in order to get these requests that have been sitting for months out to read. I really focused on just letting all of the inhibitions about it go and writing. Whatever gets put down gets put down, and however it gets put down flies also. I’m sorry if this isn’t what you were hoping for/looking forward to from me, but please know that I’m doing this in hopes that it’ll help me figure out what I want to do next. Ok, I’m sorry for making this so long…enjoy! :)

a/n 2: I just can’t bring myself to write completely nsfw stuff but I wanted to take this request in this direction, so I hope anyone won’t be annoyed at the fact that it’s not explicit smut. This’ll probably be the closest my writing will ever get to it.

I’D LOVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! YOUR COMMENTS & REBLOGS HELP ME WRITE!

comment/message me if you want to be tagged!

The unlikely pair met in a club. She was - once - a woman of higher class, and he was a man whose family lived on next to nothing. But now because the war had ripped through both of their lives, they were finding solace in each other.

He couldn't take his eyes off of her all night. She was there with some of the ladies who she worked alongside as a field nurse. He'd come into town with his company, whom he was in command of.

Both looking for some semblance of what their lives used to be; looking for a way to escape the hell they’d been stuck in.

She was the one who approached him. "Saw you staring from across the bar," she started, her confidence earning some whistles from the men who were accompanying the man she was speaking to. One was even quick to leave his stool, offering the space to her. The man was surprised how quickly his men left them alone. "Thought it'd be a crime not to come and talk with you," she brought his attention back to her, her lips curved up into a smile.

He didn't know what to say at first. Prior to this, he wasn't sure if he was even going to take things further than a couple glances in her direction. But now he couldn't take his eyes off of her, and shit... he still didn't know what to say! A laugh filled with disbelief left his lips as he finally tore his eyes from hers.

He took a drag from his cigarette before looking her way again. One thing he wasn't going to do in this situation was fuck this opportunity up.

The two didn't talk much. Sure a brief conversation occurred, but it wasn't long before she was pulling them to the dance floor so they could join in with all of the other carefree couples.

The fact that he wanted to stay after the first song was over shocked her. It was evident though that she was the only reason he wanted to stay.

They exchanged a kiss before even exchanging names.

It wasn't surprising to see how quickly they became engrossed in one another. All they'd known for the last stretch of time was war and the feelings, not to mention sights, of terror that came with it. Neither knew when they'd get another moment like this...so they most certainly weren't going to waste it.

Their connection grew over the next several dances they shared. Soon enough the tender at the bar was yelling last call and they were ordering one last drink together.

Both weren't able to find the groups that they'd arrived with, so they decided to bask in each other's company for as long as they were able.

They finally got to talking, sitting at the bar until the keeper was telling them they needed to leave.

It was during these conversations that they found out just how different of lives they had led prior to this point. Funny how war had the ability to blur the class lines. Neither cared at the moment that the other wouldn’t have even spared a glance prior to now. They simply cared about feeling human again.

She brought him back to the room she'd been given for her brief time of leave from the field hospital. Tensions had risen between them as they walked closely together down the street. There was purpose in their step and things reached a fever point the second they stepped across the threshold into the small room.

The slightest look was shared before their lips met. No words needed to be spoken. What they both wanted was written clear across their faces.

Their walk to the bed looked more like a dance as they blindly fumbled with each others’ clothes. By the time her back hit the mattress, she was left in a blouse and underwear and he his trousers.

Another look was shared as a pause was taken. They were both breathing heavily, but this time he asked: “are you sure?”

She blinked a few times, as if it was her own way of checking that he was indeed real and that this was really happening. She couldn’t remember the last time she was in a position like this. The longer the pause was held, the more it became evident that she would be insane not to let the opportunity pass. “So sure,” she breathed in response, a smile playing on her lips.

His mesmerizing blue eyes turned a shade darker as he heard her response. A grin spread across his lips, and he brought his hand up to take hold of her cheek before she matched her lips to his again.

Their kisses were slower this time around. Both wanted to savor this moment, as they knew it may be the last like it they’d ever get. Inhibitions were thrown out alongside the rest of their garments and nothing more was said as they found a connection with each other.

Sweat stuck to their bodies and he made sure to hold her close, both reeling from the feeling the other was giving them.

They couldn’t remember the last time they felt this good. It was a feeling they never wanted to end.

Leaving was something neither of the two even thought about when they were finished. Their limbs stayed winded together, and they continued to exchange languid kisses as they came down from their highs.

“Shelby,” she breathed, her eyes focusing on the disc that was hanging around his neck. The disc that would be used to identify him if something were to happen in the field of battle.

Its presence made reality return to her mind. A reminder of the war they were still very much engrossed in flooded her thoughts, shrouding the state of bliss that she was previously experiencing.

“Tommy,” his voice brought her out of her thoughts.

“Huh?” she asked, focusing on him again with furrowed brows.

“My name’s Tommy,” he clarified.

“It’s nice to meet you, Tommy,” she said, then giggling as the context of the situation came to mind…usually these sort of introductions were done before she joined a man in bed.

Tommy cracked a grin at her statement, a chuckle leaving his lips before he leaned down to kiss hers, stifling her laughter in the process. “What’s your name?” he asked as they broke apart.

“(Y/N),” she answered, her smile still present.

“It’s nice to meet you, (Y/N),” he used the same greeting as she had, and they both began laughing again.

Their laughter subsided as their eyes met, and the tension they’d been feeling from the moment he spotted her at the club arose again. Nothing more was said as their lips molded together for the umpteenth time that evening.

Tommy was the one to break away, but he didn’t move far. He kissed a line from her lips down to her jaw and settled against the crook of her neck. (Y/N) sighed wantonly at the feeling, her hands tangling in the longer parts of his hair as her heart rate increased.

“Tommy…” his name was uttered in a breathy moan, “Tommy, I don’t…” she couldn’t quite keep her thoughts straight as his lips trailed lower, finding a new home in the valley between her breasts. It was becoming harder to think with each passing second, but she felt she needed to get these thoughts out. “I don’t usually do this—I’m not usually like this.”

He stopped his ministrations and lifted his head to look at her again. She sighed at the loss of feeling. “What do you mean?” he asked, his brows furrowing together in confusion when it took her a few moments to respond.

“I’m not usually this…” she paused, struggling to think of the right word, “…easy,” was what she finally settled on, although it still felt as if there were better words to use.

Tommy’s brows straightened only slightly. “I never thought you were,” he told her honestly.

“Things have been so different with the war and all,” she continued to explain herself even though he didn’t ask her to, “it’s been so long—too long, since I’ve been in a situation like this so forgive me for being unsure of what now needs to be done, but I just…my fear is that I won’t have a chance to experience this again…” she paused, feeling her chest tighten, “things are so uncertain now…”

“Hey…” he cut her off she could continue. She bit on her bottom lip to stop it from quivering, unable to match his gaze for fear of it making her tears fall. “Look at me, love,” he gently coaxed her, his hand cupping her cheek so that he could make their eyes meet. A solemn expression was present on his features as he reached up to brush away a tear with his thumb.

“I’m sorry,” (Y/N) apologized, now feeling pathetic for turning their passionate moment into this.

“Don’t be,” Tommy shook his head, his thumb running gently against her cheekbone. He searched her eyes for a moment before continuing, “no harm will ever come to you,” he told her, “not from me, not from anyone else…not while I’m here,” his words were spoken with the utmost truth, and his eyes never wavered from hers.

(Y/N) wasn’t sure what to say. She’d never had someone profess something like this to her…especially not someone who was a stranger a few hours ago. But in this moment it felt so right, and hearing those words alone gave her some hope that maybe they’d both be okay.

She smiled at him, reaching up to slowly run her hand against his jawline. “You’ll be here?” she asked him, her eyebrows raising slightly.

“Until I can’t be,” he assured her, a smile playing on his lips.

His response made (Y/N)’s smile widen, and nothing more was said as she gently took hold of his chin and brought his lips to hers once more.

Staying true to his word, Tommy stayed with (Y/N) until they both had to ship out to their posts again. Both were equally grateful to enjoy some calm in the midst of war.

Check out THIS ARTICLE that I found about the history of how identification tags were used throughout time — it’s such an intriguing read!

**ALSO - the italized words that Tommy said at the end were taken from the caption on the photo from the request, which were taken from the movie The Edge of Love.

MASTERLIST

Tagged: @mystcldydrms @the-anxious-youth @cloudofdisney @look-at-the-soul @elenavampire21

@mrsalwayswrite @julkaamazing @evita-shelby @theshelbyslimited @peakyswritings

@just-a-blackhole @watercolorskyy @strayrockette @peakyduchesss @alexxavicry

@captivatedbycillianmurphy @yummycastiel @dark-academia-slut @tommystargirl @emotionalcadaver

@stevie75 @lyarr24 @signorellisantichrist @zablife @anotherblinder

@cillmequick @strayrockette @dandelionprints @letal-y-poetica @garrison-girl-08

@insanitybyanothername @depxiety @justrainandcoffee @dragons-are-my-favorite @mrs-bond

@cljordan-imperium @brummiereader @red-riding-wood @everythingelseisextra @little-diable

@thomashelbyswife @shaddixlife @ryecosse @padfootdaredmetoo @novashelby

#tommy shelby #tommy shelby x reader #tommy shelby x you #tommy shelby x y/n #tommy shelby imagine #tommy shelby fanfic #tommy shelby fanfiction #tommy shelby fic #peaky blinders #peaky blinders x reader #peaky blinders x y/n #peaky blinders x you #peaky blinders imagine #peaky blinders fanfiction #peaky blinders fanfic #peaky blinders fic #fanfic #fanfiction

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lady-griffin · 2 months ago

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Did Ekko Make Jinx’s Prosthetic Finger?

I’m curious what other people think, but I don’t think Jinx made her prosthetic finger. The only thing about it that screams JINX to me is the painted smiley face. That’s it.

It’s far too practical and simple of a design to be made by Jinx; seriously, if you remove the smiley face, you wouldn’t be able to tell this was her finger.

By comparison - Fishbones was a complete and total surprise to me when I first watched Arcane and yet I didn't question his existence for a single second; because of course Jinx made a giant shark bazooka. That makes perfect sense given everything we know about her.

With this finger though, I’m like... maybe she made it under these specific circumstances, but even then, I doubt it, because she’s so committed to her aesthetic.

She consistently goes all out, even when there's no reason to.

She individually painted each of her moth bombs, you know the things designed for the sole purpose of exploding. And yet, I'm supposed to believe she made her own finger and only drew a smiley face on it?! Really?!

Are we sure we’re talking about Jinx?

Jinx’s two guns from S1 are her most practical and aesthetically simple designs and even they have more flourish, I mean one’s pink for fuck’s sake.

So, if Jinx didn’t make her own finger, then who did?

Ekko!!

He's the only one who makes sense to me.

Now maybe this is just my delusional Timebomb wishing heart, it's certainly a possibility, but looking over the Firelights’ hoverboards, accessories, and home, Jinx’s prosthetic finger doesn’t look out of place.

There’s no perfect match to Jinx's finger; but overall, the design itself, plus the color and the specific way the metal looks worn and is clearly repurposed – looks very Ekko/Firelights to me.

To be clear, beaten up or repurposed anything (especially metal) is not an Ekko only thing, not by a long shot, as it’s found throughout Zaun.

It is Zaun.

Still, the way Ekko and Jinx’s aesthetics come through their designs and inventions, usually makes them very identifiable and this finger looks far more like Ekko, than it does Jinx. Even the color says Ekko to me.

Neither one exclusively uses a single color/type of metal, but Jinx tends to favor metals that are grey, while Ekko favors more bronze or coppery colored metals - like Jinx's finger.

The color is by no means a smoking gun, it’s just this bit of extra oddness.

It already felt super odd the design is so simple and practical but on top of that - she also didn't opt for her usual grey metals? Even in the smallest of details, this finger doesn’t feel like Jinx; and Arcane is so specific and detail oriented with its designs.

Now, obviously Ekko is not the only other inventor in Zaun, but I can't see Jinx using something just anyone made, let alone a new body part. Maybe she would for practicality’s sake, but as soon as she could, she would either customize it to her own aesthetic or just make her own.

She's so specific and intentional with her everything, so why would she make an exception for her new finger; something that's going to be attached to her body and used by her for a decently long time.

The fact this design seems to be Jinx's permanent new finger makes me assume whoever made it, did a good enough job that it met Jinx’s standards and they're important enough to her she was content to just draw a cute little smiley face on it and nothing more.

And right now, I only see Ekko being that person.

Also, I just think it would be really cute and sweet. Seriously, think about it –

Jinx: Look at what my boyfriend made me! *Gives you the middle finger*

#Arcane #Arcane Season 2 #Jinx #Ekko #Timebomb #Ekko x Jinx #EkkoJinx #Arcane Jinx #Arcane Ekko

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mrchiipchrome · 10 months ago

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The Mechanic

W.C. - 4.2k

A/n: This was a bit rushed and not very good but anyways I’m going to bed now

——————————

Growing up, your father had been a mechanic and when you had days off from school he would bring you down to the auto shop he owned and worked at. Later, that would turn into you spending your afternoons and weekends down at the shop, learning everything there was to know about cars and how to repair them.

After graduating secondary school you were employed by the shop you had grown up in, rising through the ranks like any usual person would their job. You had close to no help from your father after your employment, he had always been clear that you had to work to get to your position especially if you wanted to one day inherit the shop.

So when your father died, you had more than enough experience with how to run an auto shop. In reality you were nothing less than a parentless kid trying to navigate their way through life without their biggest role model and simultaneous favorite person.

But eventually you found your footing, with the help of a bit of therapy that you'd gone to reluctantly, and had managed to find the balance between repairing cars and handling everything else that came with owning your own mechanic shop.

Still you consider yourself lucky, lucky for having Mitch who had been helping you with all the financials and all the other confusing things.

Mitch, or as you knew him Uncle Mitch, had been one of your father’s childhood friends and had been around since before you had been born. He was there for your father when your mother decided that she didn’t want to be part of your life and when he had no choice but to become a single father. He took you to school on the days your father couldn’t and helped you with school work.

So when a very pretty girl with car problems appeared one day, he was the first one to tease you about your obvious starstruck behavior.

—-

08.00 on a thursday and you’ve already been at work for a few hours, finishing up some paperwork and a couple small repairs on easier cars before all the other mechanics came in at 9. Hearing someone walk in through the open garage door is not an unusual feat, in fact you were used to your other mechanics coming in a bit earlier, so when uncertain footsteps echo in the peopleless shop you don’t roll out from where you’re situated under the car.

“Um, hi. My car just broke down like 2 minutes from here and I have no idea what to do.”

The soft fleeting voice is feminine and unfamiliar, definitely not one of your mechanics with their gruff chain smoking voices. Your head perks up and the hand holding the wrench from your tool set stills. With hands covered in soot and oil like most of your work clothes, you slide out from your place underneath the car.

“What seems to be the problem with it? Did it indicate something might've been wrong before it broke down? Any unusual sounds…?” Your voice trails off as you see the gorgeous blonde standing there looking around in curiosity, seeing all the different cars around the large shop. You just stand there, like an idiot seemingly enamored by the pretty stranger in front of you. She doesn’t seem to acknowledge your clear inability to act like a normal human as she directs her eyes toward you, eyes not even the greatest poets could try to describe.

The woman fiddles with the rings adorning her slender fingers as she rushes to explain the moments prior to her car stopping functioning.

“Oh god, yeah. I was supposed to come in for an oil change but then out of nowhere, my car started to make these kinds of crunching sounds and then there was a slight pop before it just broke down. Since I was supposed to come here, I knew it wasn’t that far so I left it with my friend and ran here for help”

The stress she’s feeling is evident in her actions and a surprising sense of protectiveness overtakes you, a feeling you can only describe as wanting to wrap her up in bubble wrap and protect her from the cruel world.

“Alright, have you called a tow truck yet?” The blush that immediately covers her face indicates that she had not, apparently not thinking that far. A sly smile takes over your face, fingers wrapping around a towel laying haphazardly on the deep red metal bench.

The soot and grime your fingers are covered in transfers over to the white surface of the towel, more soot at your hairline and your nose.

“You’re in luck miss, we have our very own tow truck.” Your hands shake deliberately as you try to lighten the mood, leading the blonde girl over to the regular truck you had. It was an old model, but damn if that car didn’t run perfectly. It had been a gift from Mitch for your 18th birthday, he knew that you adored putting excessive amounts of effort into your projects, and that car was truly a piece of work.

It had taken you a few short weeks to get it done, you were somewhat of a prodigy.

“Hey, take the passenger seat! I need you to show me where your car broke down.” You shouted as the blonde girl made no motion to move in any direction. She slowly shuffles her feet towards the car,enjoying the way your eyes raked over her body.

“Okay, so basically it’s just up the road, you’ll see a tiny dutchie standing beside it panicking.” She laughs softly as the last words escape her mouth, and in that exact moment you decide that it’s the greatest, most beautifully enticing melody ever created.

Your eyes are glued to the road, knowing that if you were to look into her eyes once more you’d get stuck looking at her. She felt like home even though you’d just met her moments before.

“Oh yeah? Why do you have a tiny Dutch person in your car?” The banter with you the girl you’d yet to get the name of was like you’d been friends for decades, you easily bounced retorts back and forth like great friends would.

“My teammate, we were driving to training and then my car decided that it didn’t want to work anymore. Wait, I haven’t phoned Jonas yet, I’m so dead.” You didn’t understand what she was talking about at the last part, the girl seemingly talking to herself.

Just like the woman beside you had said, there was a seemingly frantic short woman besides a white Mercedes. “How’d you know?” You ask the woman sitting in your car, her expression silly beyond comprehension. Her tongue was trapped between her teeth, her bright smile on display and her nose scrunched up adorably.

“A magician never reveals his secrets, right?” She fixes you with another cheeky smile, dark pink lips pulled together in the most admirable way. She was nothing if not perfect.

Her eyes shine brightly as you pull up next to her blinking car, the Dutch girl pulling the door open with a surprising amount of strength.

“Less, we are so late, Jonas is going to kill us!” Her foreign accent is quite noticeable, not that it bothers you. What did bother you was the way she threw the door of your beloved car up so violently.

“Yeah Vic, I know.” Less, as you’d come to know, told the other girl, Vic. Vic’s eyes flit over to you, taking in your non-threatening appearance and awkward smile. You wave at her before exiting your truck.

“So if you don’t mind, I’ll just pop your hood and try to find the problem.” You spoke to the taller of the two girls in front of you, who nodded her head vigorously, allowing you to do whatever it was you needed.

The smoke that escaped from beneath the hood concerned you, as did the heat of the motor beneath your fingers. It didn’t look too good for the blonde’s car, but for both her and your sake, you didn’t tell her.

“Well it’s definitely a problem with the engine, that much I’ll tell you.” A bit of worry seeps into your tone and Alessia doesn’t seem to like it.

“But my car will be fine right?” She was worried beyond recognition.

“Yeah, they say that I’ve got magic fingers for a reason” You sent her a quick wink, the statement true in both ways. The blonde’s face darkened significantly, red sprouting at every soft turn of the face.

“Okay there Casanova, why don’t you just hook the car to yours and take it back to the shop?” The dutchie’s tone left no room for argument, clearly she was protective of the blonde.

Pulling the wires from your trunk, you quickly hooked her car to yours in a safe way, making sure that her keys were out of the ignition and that her car was completely turned off.

Vic jumped into the backseat begrudgingly whilst Less took her place in the passenger seat.

You drove back to the garage in a slow pace, not wanting to damage the car behind more, plus you got to have the beautiful blonde in your car for longer.

“Less, how are we supposed to get to training if your car’s like that?” The girl in the backseat frowns at the blonde through the mirror, but you’re already multiple steps ahead, having put your thinking hat on before.

“I can drive you, and if y’all want we can take my coolest car too.” You spoke up nonchalantly, even though you were riddled with anxiety inside.

Less shakes her head softly, putting a soft and warm hand on your shoulder, stroking down your arm.

“It’s no problem really, we’ll just take an Uber.” She waves you off, despite seeming quite excited at the prospect of showing up to ‘training’ in a cool car.

“It’s no bother, my mechanics don’t come in until 9 so I’ve got time to kill. Plus, I haven’t been able to take the baby out for a while, needed to fix her up a little after the last time.” You laugh out, hand coming up to rub at the back of your head as you pull into the workshop.

“Take your things from your car and follow me.” The two of them do exactly as you say, getting their duffle bags from the white car.

You take them to the very back of the workshop, back to the garage where you kept your most prized possessions. In the smack middle it stood, your baby.

A 1968 Ford Mustang.

It was a gorgeous, shiny black color and you’d picked up a fair few ladies with it, just like your father did before you. He’d got it from his father, they’d started working on it before your grandfather died, and your father vowed to complete the work with his child.

Unluckily, your very own father died before the project was done, and so you were left to finish it.

“Here’s my beauty, my 1968 Ford Mustang, ain’t she a beaut?” You asked the two girls, standing behind you with their mouths wide open.

“Where’d you get it? Aren’t they super expensive?” Vic asked and Less slapped her arm harshly at the latter question.

“Passed down to me and yes, they’re incredibly expensive.” You could see how their eyes looked over your car, it was safe, modernized just enough so that it wouldn’t lose its charm.

“Right, you two can squabble about who sits in the passenger seat and who sits in the back, I’ll take your bags though, no scratching my paint.” You pluck their bags from their hands and put them in the trunk whilst Less and Vic actually squabbled.

Eventually, it was Less who won the battle, her hair blowing in the cool wind that passed you by as you drove. You’d gotten the address from the younger of the two as soon as you all got settled in the car.

When you finally pull up in front of the seeming training center, it’s to the sight of multiple girls standing with mixed expressions. Some were stern, others were shocked and some were confused.

“Alessia Russo, Victoria Pelova, where have you been?” The short woman at the front asks sternly, though shock does seem to flutter over her face for a second as she clocks your ride.

“Well my car broke down so I walked to the workshop not too far away-“ Alessia starts sheepishly, her fingers scratching at her forearm.

“Where she met Casanova, who decided to help by getting Lessi’s car to the shop and then driving us here in her sweet ride.” Vic finishes off Alessia’s sentence, patting your shoulder as she climbs out of the car. Alessia once again blushes at the name Vic gave you, just as you roll your eyes at it.

“You have a really beautiful car, miss.” One of the more sheepishly shy looking girls tells you, she had an accent you just couldn’t place.

“Thank you dear, tell me, where is it you come from? I can’t place your accent.” You ask her softly, not wanting to scare the young girl.

“Uhm, Denmark miss.” She looks down at her feet, shuffling them around as she blushes more than usual.

“Oh, I’ve never been, do you have any recommendations for me when I visit?” That seems to set the young girl off as she starts to babble on about different places to visit and where you could find the best food.

Alessia looks on as you engage with her teammate, with you leaning back on the side of your car and Katherine standing in front of you.

A sudden loud noise comes from your phone, and you recognise it as the jingle you’d put for Mitch.

“Hey uncle Mitch, whatchu calling me for?” You answer the call quickly, waving a little at the girls you’d met before.

“Where are you? The shop’s empty and I don’t know if I need to remind you, but your employees arrive in 10 minutes.” He was pretty clearly stressed about your current predicament.

“Oh shit, listen Mitch I needed to help a client and I took the Mustang so I’ll be back in like, 5 minutes.” You knew that he knew exactly why you’d taken the mustang, it was simply a lady magnet.

“A ‘client’ of course, that's what your dad always said when he wanted some alone time if you know what I mean.” Even if you couldn’t see your uncle’s face you knew that he was smiling and winking slyly. Your face scrunches up uncomfortably at the insinuation, not really wanting to know of your father’s ‘endeavours’ before you.

“Ew gross Mitchy, it’s not like that.” The whisper-shout you let out into the mic has the women around you looking at you weirdly.

“Alright, alright, I’ll open for the guys but you make sure that you don’t get in too late, you still have that car from a couple days ago to finish.” Rolling your eyes at the older man, you climb back into the car and put the keys into the ignition, turning the car on and saying a quick goodbye to the girls you’d given a ride to, telling the gorgeous blonde that her car would be done in the next few days.

You were fully on the road when the blonde realized that you hadn’t given her your number, which meant that she didn’t know when her car would be done.

You on the other hand knew exactly what you were to do when the car was done, it really wasn’t hard to make the plan.

—————

“Uncle Mitch? I’m going away for like an hour to help a client, so let the guys go on break for an hour and a half. They sure do need it.” You call out for your uncle who found himself at the shop more often than not.

“Okay kid, just make sure not to fool around too much okay? I know how you are-“ He starts off with a large smile on his face before you interrupt him with your own sentence.

“Yeah just like my father, I know, it’s kind of who I was raised by, you know.” You smile at the old man whose hair was graying and face wrinkled. He was like another father figure.

“Yeah, yeah, off you go to see Juliet.” He responds, shooing you out of the main room and towards the private garage where your Mustang was located.

“What is it with people naming us after old romance stories?!” You say exasperated, but the blush covering your face tells a different tale.

Revving up your car, you quickly pull out of the garage and pull out onto the road. The wind blows through your hair and the freeing feeling makes you smile, the hot summer breeze never failing you.

As you pull up to the training grounds there’s a large group of people exiting the building, training bags over their shoulders as they talk eagerly with each other. They do notice the car that didn’t fit in, black leather seats and black shiny exterior.

When their resident clumsy friend spots the car she trips over her feet, luckily enough for her, Vic is right beside her and she manages to catch the falling forward. It’s no easy feat by any means, but the smaller midfielder manages to pull her back to her feet.

When you pull up next to them, she comes up to greet you.

“Hi Casanova” She starts off, smile splitting her face open from ear to ear. Your face mirrors hers, the stupid nickname seemingly stuck around.

“Hi Alessia, I was popping by to pick you up as the work on your car is done.” The forward eagerly puts her bag in your backseat before she’s plopping down in your passenger seat. She smiles even wider as she realizes the soft rock flowing out from your radio. All of a sudden her face turns into a mess of confusion and a bit of fear.

“Wait, how did you know when my training ended?” She was staring deep into your soul, eyes glistening in the sun.

“Well I had a little help.” Turning around to face her Dutch friend, you can see the way she winks at the blonde sitting beside you, who merely raises an eyebrow at her. There were more questions to be answered but she decided that it wasn’t worth the effort.

“Are you ready to go back to the garage?” You ask her softly, her face just so enticing that you could do no more than whisper in her presence. She nods her head though and as you’re pulling out of the parking lot you both hear a:

“Don’t forget protection!”

The blush that comes over her face makes her look like an overly ripe tomato, though you don’t have much to say, looking like a tomato yourself.

The rest of the drive is spent in silence, Alessia looking out at the streets of London like she'd never seen anything like them before and you admiring her at every red light. It’s not until you pull up at the shop that she looks at you properly, her eyes glimmering.

“So if you just follow me out here, I’ll lead you to your good as new car.” She exits your car to follow you out and towards her own, the Mercedes that you’d put extra time and effort into. Nothing but the best for the gorgeous girl.

“Thank you so much. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you weren’t here to save the day, I really do owe you one.” Her seemingly never ending smile shines even brighter at the sight of her car, and as she turns to you it seems to get impossibly brighter.

“Well it’s my job you know, I kind of own the place.” It’s a hastily thrown out comment that seemingly piques her interest, Alessia’s hand coming up to rest on your slightly sooty arm.

“How do you own this place? I don’t mean it in a condescending way or anything but it’s just that you’re so young and pretty and you don’t seem like the type to buy a workshop.” She rambles in her nervousity, eyes shifting around the shop like they’d done only days before.

“I inherited it from my dad, the same with my car. He uhm, he died and my mom is like fully out of the picture so I got most of his stuff, my uncle Mitch also got some stuff but I was the main person.” She was so easy to talk to, you’d only met her days before and it felt like you’d known each other for years. Your dads death wasn’t something that you talked about often or with most people, so your heart had really taken a wild leap for the young striker.

“I’m so sorry for your loss, I know that he’s watching you with pride wherever he is.” Her hand rubs up and down your arm comfortingly, smiling sorrowfully at you as you recount your grief at the most important person in your life’s death.

“It’s not your fault, he lived his life to the fullest so I know that he was content when he died…” Alessia notices the want to change the topic of your conversation and so she shifts it to something more trivial.

“Uhm, how much do you want me to pay for this?” She asks, her voice wavering slightly at the whiplashing change of topic.

“You can pay with a hug and a kiss?” You joke lightly but it seems like the forward takes it seriously, as her hands come up to slither back around your neck, fingers tangling in your baby hairs.

Big hands settle on the blonde’s waist as she moves her face closer to yours, leaning up to rest her lips against yours in a soft embrace.

The kiss is nothing short of magical and as her tongue pokes against your lips you open your lips, basically french kissing the girl in the middle of your workshop. The kiss only breaks apart as whistles from your employees ring out throughout the shop, the guys having come back from their break.

When they finally quiet down it’s by the threat of you withholding their next paycheck and they all look away as you peck the girl’s lips a few more times before letting her leave in her fixed up Mercedes.

“Not a word of this to Mitch.” You look at them all sternly, but the knowledge that all of them had basically watched you grow up made you realize that they definitely weren’t scared of your empty threats. They sealed the deal by chuckling at you before turning back to their individual projects.

————-

In the weeks following the blonde leaving your motor shop she’d come in more than once for imaginary problems with her car, which you knew was just an excuse to see you. No one had that many problems with their car.

When she comes in fully unexpected one Thursday it’s with a fleeting problem with her motor from before.

“Hi Y/n, my car has been acting up a little again, mind checking it out for me?” She pops her head into the shop after hours, you’d just been finishing up some paperwork that needed to be done.

“Alessia, you do know that you can just ask me out on a date instead of making up problems with your car?” You prayed that you’d read the situation right, otherwise it’d be quite the awkward conversation.

“Oh thank you, it’s really hard to just come up with problems out of the blue” Her body leans on her hands that are now pressed against your desk, her face close to yours.

“So, are you going to ask me?” You ask her the question you’d been thinking about for a while, her face and the tops of her ears turning red.

“Y/n/n do you want to go on a date with me?” She asks nervously, like you’d ever reject a girl like her, a beautiful and kind soul that did nothing if not light your day up with her made up problems.

“Of course I would Less.” You respond to the girl, only for her to lean forward and capture your lips with her own. People always talk about the first kiss, but the second kiss was always so much better, and all the kisses after that were pretty great too.

Who would’ve thought, a footballer and a mechanic getting together, the very own Casanova and Juliet of the world.

Maybe some weird romance book would be written about it in a few years, but for now you were content with watching the stars with your gorgeous girlfriend in your less gorgeous (but still very beautiful) car, sharing deep kisses into the night.

#woso #alessia russo #unc soccer #woso x reader #alessia russo x reader #lionesses #arsenal wfc #woso imagine #woso imagines #woso fanfics

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izvmimi · 2 months ago

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cw: omegaverse. a little humor because ushijima is being well... himself.

“I’m still shocked you finally came out with us!” Romero grins, face awash in red as he downs another shot. Ushijima manages to get another sip of his glass of water despite the fact that his teammate is literally shaking him.

The only reason he’s out here tonight is because for once in his entire life he’s considering casual sex. Perhaps it would be easier to scope out the bar for any willing participants if he looked a bit more enthused, but the idea of getting drunk while he’s in this state seems like toeing too close to the line.

Despite the fact that he looks like a grump, he does notice a young woman, pretty but a little too enthusiastic, meet eyes with him. Her eyes linger and her lips part ever so slightly, and it’s clear that she’s displaying interest. Yet she doesn’t move.

“Excuse me,” Ushijima murmurs as he slips past Romero and Kageyama, whose face has already hit the bar counter in a drunken stupor (he’ll deal with that later), and makes his way to the young woman, whose eyes widen. The three friends with her look at him with equal surprise, then seem to scatter, one grabbing another who scrutinizes him a little more than the others, and whispering something about getting a smoke outside.

“Hey,” she whispers breathily.

“Hey,” he replies. Two seconds pass while she fidgets uncomfortably. She doesn’t know how to flirt.

He doesn’t know how to flirt either.

“Are you interested in sex?” He asks.

Blood seems to drain out of her face as her smile drops.

“What?”

She must not have heard him. It’s terribly loud in this bar, not really conducive to any type of conversation.

Louder he repeats, “are you interested in-”

The rough slap across his face is shocking, but is very clear. She storms off and he calls off any more attempts for the night.

…

He tries not to dwell too much on his inability to pick up women - well at least if he opens his mouth - on the way home, but the fact still remains that stroking himself with the palm of his hand is simply not enough to relieve him, no matter how many times he makes himself cum. He needs to mate with a person, he thinks through desperate groans and bites of a pillow, warm fluid spilling onto his hand and sheets.

Not just any person. It has to be with you.

#ushijima wakatoshi x reader #ushijima x reader #i'm literally never going to finish this fic #it's from like literally 3 years ago #daydreams: hq #mimi's notes #cw omegaverse

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itskattkm · 10 months ago

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The air in my lungs

Chapter 6

Cairo Sweet x Fem Reader

Summary: A stroke of fate changes you and leads you into the arms of Cairo Sweet. Will she be your downfall or save you?

Warnings: 18+, Grief, Injuries, Smoking, Trauma, anxiety, sexual content, student x teacher mentioned, harm, blackmailing, bad grammar

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You were lying on your stomach, with the arms under your pillow, breathing quite and steady when Cairo began to caress the scars on your back gently. You could feel her fingertips moving carefully above the higher parts of the scars. It’s been almost a month now. They were healed but still, somehow fresh. They were pretty pink and it would take some time before they would turn lighter and become a bit smoother.

Cairo was resting her upper body on one arm while watching your back. Scanning every scar, trying to figure out how the accident happened. She couldn’t stop thinking about the details, what you must have been feeling like when it happened and what it was like for you after the crash.

Her long, now wavy hair was falling slightly into your face, you didn’t cared, you had your eyes closed anyways while relaxing right beside her in bed. You could still hear the rain outside, the thunder had stoped some time ago. Cairo was wearing one of your shirts you had offered her so she wouldn’t be freezing cause the thunderstorm had really cooled down the heat in your town. Suddenly you felt something soft and wet on one of your scars across the shoulder blade. You released some air satisfied and had immediately goosebumps all over your body the moment you noticed that Cairo just kissed one of your scars and kept caressing them in general.

You loved this. And you could have stayed like this for the rest of the day or maybe forever. You never liked being close to someone, you never thought you would be in a situation like this. The scars in your back weren’t a thing you were ashamed of. You didn’t cared about something like that after barely dying. They weren’t pretty, that was a fact. But still… you were okay. And Cairos touch was so soft… it made you almost fall back asleep.

“I was a bit sad or well… confused that one day when your were acting so mean in swimming class…” began Cairo to speak so quite that alone her voice made you feel another wave of goosebumps. “so Winnie and I tried to find out why”.

You weren’t surprised to hear this, almost everyone in school wanted to know what happened to you, mostly because you had changed your way of styling and your personality mostly. But you were surprised that Cairo cared enough to really find out why you acted so different towards her that day, that made you smile into your arm, wich Cairo couldn’t see.

“…I’m so sorry y/n” she whispered and then moved to snuggle up her body onto yours. Her hand still on your back while her head was now beside yours on the pillow.

So Cairo knew about the accident and about the loss of your mother. She knew.

You looked at Cairo as if she read your deepest, darkest secrets. You felt so surprised that Cairo knew something as personal about you. You always thought of Cairo as someone who you didn't need to talk about personal stuff with, but it seems as if you were completely wrong in this moment. "Cairo... how did you know about that?" You asked, your face completely surprised right now.

Cairos eyes wandered along your face while caressing your shoulder now since she had pulled her arm around it in some way. “Winnie was walking around the whole school and asked probably anyone she could find. Later we found some old news articles about the accident online”. Your face now had a look of disappointment on her face mixed with some sadness. "I... I haven't told anyone about this... and yet you and Winnie have known this whole time." You said softly. You felt suddenly embarrassed and angry over the fact that this was already known. Only your friends and some teacher knew about this. You didn’t wanted the whole school to know about this. "I'm so..." you stopped talking at this moment but Cairo already knew what she wanted to say right now.

“Your friends knew y/n and we managed to find them and asked what happened to you.

I saw your scars after swimming and I was so worried and didn’t understood why you panicked in the water but now I do… please don’t be mad” said Cairo and had such a worrying and soft look in her dark eyes that you immediately got quite and looked away.

You couldn't help it. You couldn't even look Cairo in the eyes anymore after having one of your most private and personal things being known for a long time now. You felt angry with Winnie and with Cairo now. But did you have the right to be angry now? You felt so overwhelmed by this that you weren’t sure how to feel about this. Keeping things private was important for you… and now two more people or even more knew about it. "I... I don't like to talk about that Cairo... please." You said and tried to stay friendly while your voice was slowly growing more and more quiet. You were trying so hard not to get mad at Cairo now, but it was so hard for you in this moment to not feel like this.

Why did it even bother you? So what, a few more people knew about it now. But still you felt suddenly so much anger inside you that you didn’t knew how to let it free. At this point you were clenching your teeth so hard, you felt your jaw getting numb.

You sighed and then turned around so your face would be facing Cairo. You needed some distance now. Cairo moved herself as close to you as physically possible right now while seeing you turn you back towards her completely. Cairo's eyes were filled with concern right now as she was suddenly so scared that you would never talk to her again now. "Y/n... don't push me away now..." Cairo whispered quietly right now with her eyes moving along her body to read her current state.

“It’s just-“ you tried to keep your breathing calm, closing your eyes so you wouldn’t feel overwhelmed by the memories. Your heart racing fast feeling your eyes getting teary.

“It’s hard to talk about it…” you whispered and tried to not make your voice break mid talking. Cairo couldn't hold back anymore she hugged you even tighter now. You could feel her body against your back, while her arms were wrapped tight around you. "Y/n... I'm so sorry right now... I can only imagine how hard this has must been for you and I... I know that it must be hard for you... but... I... I didn't know how hard it really was for you y/n. I'm so sorry." Cairo said when she buried her face in the back of your neck while she spoke. You turned around and hid your face immediately in her neck while wrapping your arms around her. Holding onto her.

Cairo was so happy in that moment, having you still by her side. She hugged you back tightly while not letting go of you until you would decided to let go. "I should have asked yourself instead of making research... I know that I messed up, I’m sorry y/n." Cairo whispered softly to you. “Don’t be… you were just curious I guess. I probably would have been too” you whispered and raised your head to take a deep breath and let it all out. Cairo wrapped her leg around you to keep you in place while her head rested under your chin. She felt a lot better after hearing the words come out of your mouth now. She felt so much happier and relieved. "You're right y/n... I was just curious and a bit worried that's all. I didn't mean to..." Cairo said while her voice grew calmer again. She was so glad that you weren’t mad at her right now. She felt such peace of mind in this moment with you in her arms. "Is... Is there anything I can do to make up for it? To win your trust maybe?" Cairo asked in a luring whisper tone.

You moved slightly so you could look into her eyes before you said barely audible “just stay…”. There was a short silence before you kissed her slow and gentle. Cairo's whole body felt so warm right now as she felt your lips touch her own. It felt so special, so beautiful right now. She kissed you back after your kiss, wanting to stay in this moment forever and ever. She wanted to feel your lips against her own again and again. "I'm yours y/n... I'm... I'm yours." Cairo whispered right, her voice growing softer with every word she spoke.

It was darker outside since the stone grey clouds were still on the sky. It may had stopped raining for now but Cairo was sure it would be raining for the next three days since the heat wave had been there for weeks. „Thank you for driving me home“ Cairo said with a loving smile before leaning over and giving you gentle kiss on the lips. You felt goosebumps creeping up your neck

As her lips met yours and left a feeling you were getting addicted to on you.

“No problem…” you whispered quite when their lips separated, you could feel your lips being slightly wet, the tingling getting intense. “If you want you can come in…” Cairo said quite and watched your reaction. Her parents should have been at their flight by now. It was a wonder they were even there this morning. You smiled and felt a slight blush on your cheeks while looking past Cairo. “Maybe next time, seems like someone’s waiting for you”.

Cairo looked confused at you and then followed your gaze to see Winnie standing in front of your gate raising her hands like “for real girl?”. Her eyes were wide and Cairo couldn’t hide her grin when she looked back at you. “I’ll see you tomorrow then… bye” she said with excitement and kissed you one more time before getting out of your car and walking towards the gate where Winnie was waiting.

“Okay you skipped tho whole day with y/n?! did you at least get laid?!” She asked excited and hit slightly Cairos shoulder. Seeing that bug grin in Cairos lips made Winnie even more excited and restless.

"Yeah... I got laid Winnie..." Cairo smiled widely as she spoke and used the vocabulary Winnie always tend to use.. She wasn't lying and she felt like finally having a connected with you in every way. She could feel every part of you and now she was sure that she truly wanted you with her whole heart. Cairo didn't even care about your scars or anything else that would considered you as "unattractive" by many others. You were her goddess in every way possible."I loved every single part of her Winnie... and... and..."

Cairo struggled to open the door to the mansion. Smiling wide, almost blushing. Winnie grinned wide and said curious “and?”

"I think I love her Winnie... and I... I wanna be with her forever. I know it's crazy right now Winnie, but... but it's true... I know I've never had the experience of sex... but..." Cairo took a deep breath and tried to calm down while speaking to Winnie. She then managed to put the right key into the lock of the door and stopped, looking at Winnie serious "Winnie... you're kind of my best friend... And you're gonna be the one that sees me get married to y/n if this ever happens... I'll never forget what you did for me Winnie." Cairo said as her voice grew softer and softer.

Winnie looked at Cairo with raised brows and fought hard to not laugh. “Listen babe, I think your body really needed some good sex because no one talks like this after having it once” Cairo rolled her eyes and opened the door. Winnie laughed and nudged her before putting her arm around Cairos shoulders. “I mean… love? Are you sure? I think you’re still in the haze of being so intimate with y/n fucking y/l/n”. Cairo shrugged her shoulders.

“You know. All this teasing and being flirty was really putting some sexual tension between us. The was that constant hunger and lust I felt but then… it changed into something way more intimate. I can’t explain… but I know that I feel good with her” Cairo said deep in thoughts, walking up the stairs in the big hallway. Winnie chuckled “I thought it was only about the sex, I guess that girl really did something to you”.

"I know we're both so young right now Winnie and I know that this sounds crazy right now... but... but it's true. I think y/n and I are gonna be something special together. I mean that's what I felt when I was with her Winnie. I felt like I could be completely vulnerable with y/n. She made me feel like I could tell her everything. I just wanna be with y/n forever Winnie, right now." Cairo said while putting her backpack down as soon as she entered her bedroom. “Well if so, then I’m happy to hear that but for real... How was it… your first time?” Winnie asked and then smiled cheeky at Cairo while lying down in her bed. “Was it as dirty as in your writings? Was it hot and rough or? Did she go easy on you before taking your virginity? Wait… were you on the top maybe?” Winnie’s grin got wider and wider with every question. Her heart beating fast, feeling excited to hear the answers.

"It was... It was wonderful Winnie. It really was. Everything... Just felt so right between y/n and I." Cairo said without giving any details, feeling suddenly so shy, not able to use any dirty words now, while smiling gently at Winnie now. She couldn't contain herself right now as she felt so good right now with y/n in her life. “Oh! And you know what?” Cairo said excited with a teasing tone while getting undressed, her clothes were still wet and she wanted to get changed. After putting on some shorts she turned around and gave Winnie a cheeky grin sayin “it was her first time too”.

The moment those words left Cairos mouth, she could see Winnie’s eyes falling out right of her skull. Mouth opened wide in shock. "really!? Y/n... y/n first time? You’re joking right?” Cairo kept grinning devilish and put on the rest of her clothes, she felt so happy and lucky in this moment right now.

“Wow… another proof that looking hot and all doesn’t mean your having sex 24/7” said Winnie speechless. She laid down on Cairos bed Looking for her lipgloss in her bag “we should celebrate this” she said. "I'd love to Winnie." Cairo said as she laid down beside her and looked at the ceiling. She felt so happy right now with you now, with y/n being her first and her also being your first now. "I think I finally understand why people fall in love for their whole lives now Winnie... I feel like y/n is the reason I'm gonna be in love for the rest of my life and... I don't think I'll see anyone as beautiful as y/n ever again." Cairo said.

Winnie could feel how excited Cairo was about this whole thing. Cairo felt completely in love with you right now. She felt that y/n was her everything. And she knew she had to protect y/n with her whole heart. "Cairo... I know this sounds crazy right now but... but keep it slow... you need to give such things time before saying your in love and stuff” said Winnie a bit serious now. Yeah Winnie was always joking a round with a slight truth behind it, she had a dirty mouth and mind as well. But she what Cairo was capable off and she wasn’t sure if Cairo was being honest or if this started to be a obsession. They both were friends, if they had to define what they were in one word. It may seemed as Winnie was the bolder and controlling one between the both of them. But the truth was that Winnie was fucking scared of Cairo. That girl seemed innocent but could be the devil in disguise. Winnie knew her limits and boundaries. She knew how Cairos personality could change within seconds if something should trigger her. So yeah. Winnie was indeed excited for her, but she was also scared of the things that would come with that.

“I know what I’m doing…” said Cairo in a quiet and calm way. But there was a tone hidden in it that made Winnie go quiet and feeling scared.

The next morning in school y/n attended later her class. She had another talk with the coach since the last argument. They talked without so what happened back then wouldn’t happen again.

After speaking out things with the coach, y/n made her way to her classroom. Slowly she opened the door without knocking. She didn’t wanted everyone to turn around and watch her sit down on her table. The moment Miss Perry saw you entering the room, you achieved a quiet mood from her. She was informed that you would be in a meeting with Coach Rey so she kept talking about the different perspectives on the book you were currently reading in class.

The moment Cairo saw the teacher nodding she knew you were there. She didn’t turned around to look into your y/e/c eyes. Instead she texted you via her laptop. "You're late today y/n." You were smirking, enjoying that she was thinking about you, enjoying the fact that it must have been bothering her that you wasn’t here till now. “Had a conversation with Coach Rey…” you answered her and looked at the back of her head, admiring her beauty. Cairo read the text sent you and instantly got curious about what you had to say, so much to the point where she decided to reply to you right after. "What did she say? Did you talk things out?" Cairo asked while texting you with a straight face not showing much expression like she used to before. “The last time I talked to her she didn’t seemed to care about my incident and the trauma I took with me from it, but after seeing what happened in our last swim session... let’s say I’m free from the classes for now. But she wants me to try… and swim at least one track once in the week after school. She would be there and check on me… other wise she would have to make me fail the class”

Fail. A word that caused anger inside of Cairo. She looked over and over again your message. Not realizing she had been clenching her teeth. Her heart beating harder. She inhaled deep before letting the air out of her lungs again. Fail. She repeater the word in her mind. No. Cairo indeed didn’t like the word and the things it was bringing with it. And the thought that you would be alone with the coach? Something bothered while thinking about this.

“I’ll make sure you won’t fail” she send you after a while. You smiled slight, feeling curious about it. Trying to understand what she could mean by that message. So you shrugged your shoulders slight and tried to get your attention to the class.

Cairo didn't even pay attention to what the teacher was saying anymore. She was just so caught up in the feeling your text made her feel. She turned her head to the side, looking over her shoulder to see you. Seeing your beauty, your strong side and also your vulnerable side, you were her everything now and she had to keep you. You looked down at your laptop and began to type. Cairo just continued to stare at you with an expression that was hard to read, but it was making you feel a bit intimidated.

A flick on Cairos screen made her stop staring at you. “You’re breaking your neck if you keep staring” she rode in her head and couldn’t help but smirk slightly, she could hear your teasing tone out of that message. Did she felt guilty for staring at you right now without even realizing it? Not at all. But was she slightly embarrassed? Yes she was. She felt so lucky that you didn't take it too seriously though so she laughed it off a little. "Sorry... I didn't mean it... I... I can't help it y/n... you're just..." Cairo texted.

“It’s okay… I mean you’re sitting in the first row. You can’t watch me like I watch you without getting caught” you answered in a slight flirty way. Cairo felt so happy in this moment right now. She felt confident with you, she felt like she could trust you with anything and everything and she just didn't want to keep anything hidden in the closet of her mind right now. "I think the teacher is gonna be mad if she sees you looking at them me... but I know I won't be mad at all if I see you looking at me y/n." Cairo texted with a big smile on her face.

“Yeah I just need to be careful, you make me drift away with my thoughts pretty badly. If the teacher wants an answer from me I probably wouldn’t hear her” you admitted, trying to flirt a bit. Cairo held a laugh back after hearing reading this and decided to make a joke about the situation they were in. "if you're so focused on me right now... and the teacher tries to ask for something from you... does that mean I'm more important right now y/n?" Cairo wrote as she turned back to face you again, smiling cheeky.

“Maybe” you whispered after reading her message when your eyes met hers. Cairo smiled wide and was fighting not to blush. She felt that you were just teasing her and she enjoyed it all. "Well y/n. If that's true... then... well… i have to admit that I rather be focused on you instead of this boring lesson." She message you while turning back around.

After that isn’t long till the bell rang, wich em at they had a short break before next class would start. Cairo was so excited right now. She couldn't even focus on anything else right now besides you. She was waiting for class to end the whole time so she could talk with you "Hey y/n... can i talk to you?" Cairo asked you when she approached your desk you were sitting on, feeling like she was about to confess her feelings right now. She just wanted to tell you how much she loved cared for you, without sayin I love you, Winnie was right. Saying those words, words that were powerful, words that were easy for some people and hard for others. She couldn’t say them yet. Deep down she believed it was indeed love but she wanted to wait, to make sure she wasn’t blinded by your affection. Besides that she wanted to know if you felt the same way right now and how things would keep going between the both of you.

“Sure… let’s get some coffee then” you said calm with a cute smile that made Cairo melt right away. Your smile looked so hot… she began sweating for a moment. You began to pack your stuff before getting up and making your way to the hallways with Cairo and getting some coffee in the canteen. After you both got your cups, you two made your way to the back of the school and sat down on the stair since it was mostly private there. Both were getting all the fresh air that still smelled like rain. Cairo felt so happy right now after spending some time with you alone and she knew that right now was the perfect time to tell you how much she liked you right now. You probably already sensed it but Cairo wanted to make things clear. She felt so nervous and she didn't know what to say and how to start talking to you now.

After the thunderstorm yesterday, today everything seemed to be covered in fog and mist. That’s why the most students stayed inside the building.

Cairo liked looking at the fog and mist outside of the school with you. Her eyes looked up at the sky while you both drank coffee. "Can I tell you how I feel about you right now y/n? And can I ask you something after that?" Cairo said calmly while looking at you, she felt so nervous but tried to not show any weak emotion. She didn't wanna make this something serious but she felt she had to be truthful now in order for them to move forward together.

“Sure you can…” you said quite a bit surprised. "I really like you. Like... a lot, I guess..." Cairo said as she looked up at you while talking and felt so nervous now. She had to calm herself now just to say it all right now. She couldn't wait any longer and she just wanted you to feel safe and know how about her intentions. "That's why... I..." Cairo paused here for a moment and tried to catch her breath.

“So you’re not only saying that because of yesterday?” You asked hesitant while looking down into the cup you were holding. Feeling also nervous now. Sure you both were flirting and teasing and one thing came to another but speaking so obvious about it? Oh that was hard and you couldn’t handle the stress you felt in your body, neither the emotions that were making you lose your mind.

Cairo looked down at the ground now and felt more nervous than before. Your question or accusation? made her second guess herself and even made her have the urge to not say anything to you at all. After a short silence she looked at you confident and serious while saying "No y/n... I didn't just say it because I had so much fun with you yesterday... I mean I really enjoyed what we had yesterday. And to me… it meant something. I don't regret sleeping with you... believe me when way I say it was more than just sex y/n...".

Her speech made you feel overwhelmed and scared. You never heard something like that. Being close to someone use to be hard for you. You didn’t like vulnerable but you had to admit, that what you and Cairo had yesterday. Was so intimate and closed. You were vulnerable, but also was she.

“You mean it?” You whispered almost not audible, looking at her in a way that showed her how vulnerable you were right now. You didn’t wanted to be mean by asking her that or accusing that she didn’t mean it. It was just… that you were t use to this, used to affection or even love. It was something you never had the chance to experience. Or even feel. So yes. It was hard for you to believe such words. But hearing them from Cairo, your heart wanted to believe it. Hoping it was true.

Cairo laughed a little here and couldn't stop herself because your question made her feel so giddy and happy right now. "Of course I meant every word y/n... the fact that I let you be that close to me is something that is not self-evident..." you nodded quite and got up. You threw your now empty cup into the trash and then leaned on the wall looking at Cairo, following your steps.

“Good…” you said so quiet and so calm that Cairo struggled to read you. “I’ll take you out then. How does Friday sound?” You said like it was nothing in the world. Cairo smirked slight, the way you tried to act chill about it just proved that you were nervous.

“Or do you consider Saturday? Cause you need to make homework and write?” You said a bit teasing with a hidden smile.

Cairo walked closer towards you with her mischievous smile “Friday. 6 pm. You pick me up” she said confident. You tilted your head and moved one step closer “what if 6pm is too late for the thing I have planned?” You said teasing, taking a bit of power away from her. Cairo rolled her eyes and was about to say something, but you pulling her by her shirt into your chest while you leaned in the wall again made her gasp.

“6pm is perfect” you whispered.

Your faces were so close, both of you having a slight grin in the lips. “Can I call you my girlfriend now or is this too soon?” You whispered and Cairos eyes began to shine, she had that sexy smile on her lips when she looked up to you and nodded “only if you keep calling me your dear” you smiled wide and stand upright, looking into her eyes while your noses brushed slight.

“Okay my dear…” you whispered and your hand slowly around her waist, holding her close. “But why isn’t my girlfriend kissing me yet?” You whispered in a playful flirtatious way. Cairo giggled as she was just pulled closer to you now. She felt your arm wrap around her while your hand rested on her back. She got pulled closer and it made Cairo feel so safe and happy. She laughed for a little bit here before getting a little serious again now. "Wait a second... Are you saying that you wanna kiss me y/n? I..." Cairo couldn't even finish what she wanted to say before she felt your body press up against hers and felt a kiss on the lips. It was a soft and gentle kiss but still. Cairo wanted more of you now.

"M-more... I... W-was waiting for this the whole morning..." Cairo said while looking at you now, trying to gain her composure again. She couldn't believe that she just said that to y/n but she felt so much pressure after feeling you kiss her. She wanted more of you right now and she couldn't help but feel a little needy and wanted to be held and kissed more by you. You were just so irresistible right now.

“After school?” You whispered while holding her close to you. Cairo nodded and her heart fluttered like crazy after this short moment you two shared. She felt like she was in a romance movie right now. And she didn’t liked those at all. “I was about to invite you anyways… you need a swimsuit or bikini when you come over” Cairo said and just kissed you on the cheek, her hand rubbed your back. "Why do I need swim clothes...?" You asked confused. Cairo softly rubbed your back, trying to gain her composure after that long kiss you just gave her right now. “No questions. Just make sure you’ll bring something you can get wet in” Cairo said with a mischievous grin and tried to tease you.

A loud whistle popped the bubble you two were in and your heads turned to the side to see Winnie. “Damn I get all worked up seeing you both” she said with a dirty grin and stopped beside the both of you. She looked at you with luring eyes saying with a lower voice “by the way I’m Winnie C-“

You nodded and looked at her serious “Cairos best friend. I know”. So that was your second or official first interaction with Winnie. Cairo held back her chuckle and grinned wide after hearing you cut off Winnie right now just to tell her that she knew who she was. "Hi" Cairo said as she turned fully to look at Winnie now, still a bit flustered by that long kiss. Your arm was still around Cairos waist, keeping her close to you, like you were protecting her or something. It made Cairo fell comfortable and indeed safe, she felt like she could be herself without any pressure. The fact that you cut off Winnie made her feel a bit giddy in a good way, she defiantly enjoyed this version of you. But she was curious. You seemed to not like Winnie at all, well… most people didn’t, cause she was the schools slut, if Cairo could explain it like that. Winnie said sometimes the most annoying and inappropriate things at the worst times. And Winnie was making out with every guy or girl in every spot you could find in the school. So yeah. Winnie wasn’t everyone’s favorite.

Winnie now looked a bit serious, seeming to understand that you weren’t her biggest fan. So why should she flirt then? Beside that… you were Cairos toy now. She sighed and said “as much as I enjoy that you’re fucking my best friend now-“ she then began to make a cross with her fingers. Moving them from her head to her chest and sliding them up from her left to the right shoulder. Making it seem like it was holy for her and important before keep talking “…but I still Wanne smoke with her”

Cairo turned to look at Winnie and she felt so much pressure from Winnie's comment right now. Winnie just interrupted the romantic and intimate moment between you and then pointed out the fact that you two had sex. She felt a bit ashamed even though Winnie was her friend. The whole situation made her feel so embarrassed that she didn't knew how to respond to Winnie's comment at all. “Depends if Cairo still wants to smoke” you said surprisingly soft and looked from Winnie towards Cairo.

Cairo knew that you were only saying that to Winnie, just to ease the moment. Cairo felt like she owed something to you after beautiful moment you two had before Winnie came. So she spoke, this time being extremely clear about what she wants. "I rather stay with y/n now. We can smoke in our second break". Winnie rolled her eyes “okay bye, see ya” and left the two of you alone.

The moment she was gone you both began to grin wide and moved closer into each other’s arms “you… were so fucking hot when you cut Winnie off like that” Cairo said in a turned on way while moving closer to your face. You chuckled slight “I didn’t even meant to be mean” this made Cairo shook her head and laugh slight. You used the moment to wrap both arms around her and kissed her slowly. Feeling her smile on your lips. She felt like your soft and gentle lips were made for her, and she felt so happy that you accepted her feelings and was showing them through your actions and words. She didn't want to pull away or even stop for a minute now as she felt so happy and loved right now. Cairo loved you so much right now and she just wanted to kiss you and be intimate with you as much as she could now. This felt like a dream to Cairo and she couldn't be happier right now.

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nolita-fairytale · 2 years ago

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comfort & chaos | carmy berzatto x fem!reader | chapter five: called you again

summary: you and carmy try your best to repair the relationship... but it only leads to distance. you both make the mistake thinkin' the other is better of without you. (the five times carmen berzatto fell in love with you a little and the one time he finally told you)

warnings: angst, death, grief, no use of y/n, she/her pronouns, drinking & smoking, suggestive language

word count: 3.5k

listen to: supercut - lorde | speechless - lady gaga | call me back - young the giant | called you again - lizzy mcalpine

a/n: while i felt like i was dropping an emotional bomb on you with the last chapter, i didn't know it would have such an emotional impact. i just wanted to share that i write so much from my own experiences -- perhaps why some of the chapters feel so realistic. anyways, thank you for all of your kind words in regards to the last chapter. i didn't want to write the phone call, since after this part, 'make my heart surrender' begins / i write a bit of it in that story / it really made for a spicy dramatic ending.

on another note: it's me, hi! i broke my own heart writing this. high key like... i feel like i'm going through a breakup right now (i'm not). the next part will be a big time jump: it takes place after right after 'make my heart surrender' ends, where reader has just moved to chicago for carmy so you'll be glad to hear that i'm done hurting you and myself.

read: chapter four

April 2022

“Seriously, Carmy. I can’t thank you enough. You really saved the day,” Maya harps, reminding Carmy for the 100th time today that he single-handedly saved Passover.

“It’s nothin’ really,'' Carmy mumbles with a shrug. “I’m uh… gonna finish cleaning up in the kitchen. Shouldn’t take long.”

“Sure I can’t help?” Maya asks, giving him one last chance to say ‘yes.’

“No, it’s all good. I got a whole system,” he explains, a reassuring look in his eyes.

“Of course,” Maya replies, bowing out of the conversation.

She walks through her home towards the open double terrace doors that lead out onto the patio. You’re outside, shifted to one side of the large outdoor dining table, your focus unbroken as you stack empty plates, one on top of the other.

“Hey,” you say to her, a warm nostalgia about the way the spring air kisses your bare shoulders.

“So… Carmy really came through,” she starts, watching you for your reaction.

“Yeah, he did,” you reply simply, as if it’s just fact.

Maya half expects for you to say more, but she knows it’s been weird between the two of you since you slept together. She’s not sure why, but she’s always rooted for Carmy. Perhaps because you light up every time he’s around – every time you talk about him. Perhaps because she sees the way he looks at you, especially when he thinks you’re not looking. Because, even though he’s deeply imperfect, you’re good for him – and he, you.

“It’s all for you, you know,” she says, growing bolder in her reminder.

Her words stop you in your tracks. You stop working on the pile of dishes you’re creating, taking a moment to look up at your friend.

“Why do you think that?” you ask quietly.

“Because he took the night off to be here,” she answers, checking to make sure Carmy isn’t listening. “I mean, when have any of us seen him take any time off? He’s not doing it for me. I just think… it seems like he’s really making an effort to mend things.”

You nod slowly, processing what she’s just said. Carmy, in an effort to try to mend things, had joined you for a drink with some of your mutual friends from the restaurant. As Maya had lamented about the caterer falling through for her Passover dinner, he’d more than eagerly offered to step in, surprising all of you.

“Maybe,” you shrug, trying not to get your hopes up. “I don’t know. It’s still not the way it used to be.”

“Well of course it’s not!” Maya exclaims with a laugh. She sighs out your name, shaking her head as she continues. “You guys are… of course that would change things.”

“I think it’s just going to take a while…” you explain, your voice soft. “I uh. I should take these in.”

You collect your pile of dishes, heading back inside into the kitchen. You know you’re avoiding having the conversation with Maya, but the distance between you and Carmy has been so tough on you. It wasn’t until you took some space from him that you realized just how big of a part he’d been playing in your life. And now, he was grieving, and you’d both crossed the line that had complicated things.

It all just felt… messy.

As you enter the kitchen, you see Carmy standing there. He’s staged the kitchen for the most efficient dishwashing: one half of the sink is filled with to sanitize, the other to rinse, before loading up the dishwasher. You place the first stack of plates down on the kitchen island, making a sound that doesn’t even seem to grab Carmy’s attention. He doesn’t turn to you, doesn’t acknowledge the sound, so you decide to keep moving things in from outside instead.

You’ve managed to get all of the dirty dishes from the terrace into the kitchen, Carmy giving you a nod as he’d instructed you to place them down on the counter for him.

You put your focus on packing up leftovers in deli containers and making sure all the food that needed to be has been put away. Carmy’s loaded up the dishwasher but he’s got at least a dozen wine glasses that he knows need to be hand washed. You notice that he’s taking a break, pushing yourself to ask him, as if it’s going to be your only chance to.

“How are you?” you say, instantly regretting it as the words come out of your mouth.

He shrugs, unsure of how to answer the question, leaning up against the kitchen counter. You think it’s the only answer you’re going to get as he crosses his arms across his chest. You continue packing up the equipment that you and Carmy have brought over, while he manages to steal a few glances when he thinks you’re not looking.

He’s not sure what to say.

Hell, he doesn’t even know how he feels about it.

But something inside him is begging him to tell you – as if telling you will give him some kind of resolution. Like he’ll know what to do. Like telling you will bring him the comfort he’s so desperately been craving.

He opens his mouth to say something, noticing that you’ve kept yourself busy – almost as if you’re trying to stay out of his way.

He hates this.

He hates that you feel you have to tiptoe around him.

“Mikey left me the restaurant,” he confesses, the words tumbling out of his mouth like five hundred pounds of bricks.

“Oh wow,” you gasp, taking in what he’s said.

He nods, pausing before he speaks again. And it’s the first time he’s said it out loud to anyone:

“I think it’s time for me to go home.”

You don’t say anything back, because you’re not sure what to say back. You know he hadn’t gone home for the funeral, despite your insistence.

Why now? What did this mean? What would this mean? And when did he find out about the restaurant? You can’t help but feel like everything's falling apart, like this is the end. While you know he has to go home – you’re honestly surprised it’s taken him so long to come to this conclusion – it’s impossible not to feel your heart shattering into pieces.

Carmy was going to leave. You were going to stay. And you didn’t know where that left the two of you.

“Can I help – with the wine glasses?” you ask, focusing on the task at hand.

Focusing on the glasses may be the only thing that keeps you from crying.

“Yeah,” he nods, and you know it’s his way of trying to connect.

You work quietly, the only sounds in the background are the dinner party playlist that’s playing on a loop through the home’s speakers. You wash and Carmy dries, knocking out the remaining dishes that need to be hand washed, before packing up to go. Maya, of course, thanks Carmy again and again, while her partner, Patrick, compliments the meal, letting Carmy know he’s got to get some cooking tips from him.

As the two of you walk out of the door, brown paper bags loaded up with empty delis and equipment that you brought over to the house, Carmy stops before either of you can go your separate ways.

“Can I walk you home?” Carmy asks you, a hopeful look in his eyes.

You nod, “Yeah.”

May

Hope you’re doing okay. How’s home?

It’s about the third text you’ve sent to Carmy since he left New York. After letting you know he’d made it safely, you hadn’t heard from him at all. Sure it’s only been a couple of weeks, but it’s like as soon as he let you know he’d made it safe, he’d cut you off cold. To say that you’re angry would be an understatement.

You’re really fucking pissed off.

And you also know that underneath all that anger, is a fuck ton of hurt that you’d really rather not acknowledge – that you’re not ready to feel yet.

You don’t know how he’s able to turn it off – just pretend that the last two and half years haven’t been significant. That you haven’t practically been attached at the hip since the lockdown. That you’re not best friends who also just so happen to maybe be in love with each other.

Somehow, Liz has coaxed you out after a long night at the restaurant for a round of drinks with your coworkers. Something about a need to blow off some steam. Only a round has turned into many, and you just might have had one too many to forget about the searing pain you feel when you think about the fact that you may never hear from Carmy again. You’re waiting for your next drink at the bar, making a mental note that this has to be your last.

“How’s Berzatto these days?” you hear a voice ask, turning your head as you realize someone’s joined you at the bar.

“Uh.. yeah, I think he’s been really busy. You know… with the family restaurant. Getting adjusted, you know?” you lie to Nate, pretending that you’ve been in contact with him.

Nothing would sting more than to admit to Nate fucking Walker that Carmy’s ghosted you.

Nate laughs cooly, with a shake of his head.

“He hasn’t called you, has he?” he asks.

You don’t answer. But your silence is the only answer Nate needs to confirm his suspicions.

“Listen, can we just talk about something else?” you dismiss him, watching as the bartender returns with your drink.

The rest of your friends have started a game of pool, but you’re not in the mood for it tonight. Nate asks you to sit, so you do. You hate to admit it, but the attention feels nice, especially with how much you miss Carmy. It burns in your chest tonight, leaving you breathless. You’d rather be numb than feel this much pain.

You’re not sure how the conversation turns back to Carmy after an hour or so of conversation with Nate. Even though you said you didn’t want to talk about him. Even though you can see that Nate’s tired of hearing about him. You can’t help yourself when it comes to Carmy. Every little thing reminds you of him, and he just keeps coming up like word vomit.

“I thought you said you didn’t want to talk about him,” Nate reminds you.

You shake your head, “I don’t!”

Nate shoots you a look, before shaking his head, making sure to polish off the last of his drink.

“He’s an idiot,” Nate scoffs with an eye roll.

“Don’t say that,” you relent.

“I mean it. He’s a fuckin’ idiot!” he exclaims again, turning much more serious.

“Nate!” you protest lightly.

“I mean it,” he repeats himself, holding piercing eye contact with you.

Nate waits a beat, his eyes flickering from your lips back to your eyes as he leans in, lowering his voice.

“He couldn’t even see a good thing when had it,” he croons, leaning in towards you. You’re not sure if it’s the alcohol or the fact that you just want to feel wanted, but you feel woozy – hazy, you’re head spinning with lust as you contemplate kissing him.

“Not even when it was right in front of him,” he adds, his lips so very close to yours.

Nate’s always been good looking. Your eyes flicker to his full lips and deep brown eyes as he towers over you from where he sits, knowing that he wants to kiss you. He’s just the kind of guy that knows he’s good looking – something you find terribly annoying.

“You’re so beautiful. I’m sorry that he can’t see it,” he practically whispers against your lips, so close that all the blood rushes to your head.

It just feels good to be wanted, to be seen. So you surge forward, closing the gap between you. As you press your lips against his, you can feel Nate smiling into the kiss. He’s a smug bastard, but tonight, you don’t care. You entertain the kiss for a little longer. At this point, you could care less that you’ve garnered the attention of some of your coworkers, that you’re just making out with Nate fucking Walker out in the open for everyone to see.

“You wanna go somewhere else? My place is around the corner,” he murmurs into the kiss.

“Sure,” you agree, you breath catching in your throat.

“C’mon,” he encourages you, with a nod towards the door.

Revenge, or the last of your gin cocktail, burns in your throat as you make a deal with the devil, following Nate out of the bar.

June

Carmy’s phone buzzes again, catching his attention as he takes another drag from his cigarette. He’s got one missed call from Sugar, a voicemail, and a text with a link to that meeting she won’t stop nagging him to go to. He’s just about to put his phone back in his pocket as it buzzes again.

He looks down.

Shit.

Fuck.

It’s a text from you.

His heart stops beating for a moment, just for a second, and he freezes.

Came across this article in the New Yorker about denim & rock n roll. Made me think of you.

Carmy’s eyes scan over the title: From the Working Class to a Fashion Statement: John Lennon, Elvis Presley, & Other Icons That Brought Denim to the Mainstream. There’s a lump in his throat. He’s been so focused on the restaurant, so focused on fixing it, that it’s been easy to compartmentalize, push any thought of you out of his mind. But as his thumb hovers over the article, daring to open it, he can picture it all so vividly. His head is filled with the image of you walking down Bowery, a few paces in front of him, clad in your favorite denim jacket of his as you tell him to ‘hurry up.’

And just for a moment, it feels so real. He can practically smell the New York City air. He can hear your laugh as you bump into him in the small walkways of each mom-and-pop dumpling shop. He can almost feel your skin brush against his as you scoot by him on the way to your table.

It becomes harder to push the thoughts of you out of his mind, the sobering reality that it’s been at least a month and a half since he’s talked to you.

She’s better off without me. Without this. Without all of this chaos, he thinks to himself.

He hadn’t called, hadn’t texted, hadn’t been in touch on purpose, and he had to admit, it was killing him. There were days where all he wanted to do was call you, ask how you were doing – days where the only thing that would bring him comfort was imagining you running your fingers through his hair while he bitched about the restaurant. Days where he wanted nothing more than to curl up on the couch with you while you forced him to watch some violent action movie, and he’d watch you in awe. He’d call you a psychopath, when in reality, he was just in shock that someone like you could want to be around someone like him.

Carmy wonders if you miss him – if it’s killing you too.

But he doubts it.

You’re a fucking mess, he thinks to himself, coming to conclusion that you’re better off without him. Without all of this… mess… grief… chaos.

What would he even say?

Sorry I'm such a prick.

I don't know what the fuck I'm doing here.

I love you.

It becomes progressively easier to push his thoughts of you out of his mind, as he hyper-fixates on what needs to be done today: outsource bread, read over Sydney’s report because she’s probably right about the budget…. And what the fuck is KBL electric anyways?

Now that the impulse is gone to text you back, Carmy shoves his phone into his pocket, shaking his head as he finishes his cigarette and reminds himself again:

You’re better off without him.

August

“I don’t understand,” the exec chef says to you, his voice monotone. Something wild stirring behind his eyes in response to the notice that you’ve just given him.

“My heart’s not in it,” you explain, hesitantly. “And I know you accept nothing less than perfection. I just… need some time to figure things out.”

“You’re not going to find another job like this,” he reminds you, coldly.

You nod your head in response. You thought he’d say that.

“I understand, chef,” you reply, using your tone of professionalism in your voice as a barrier.

“I told her we could reevaluate in a month. I’m open to a rehire, should after your sabbatical, you come to the conclusion that here is where you need to be,” the head pastry chef adds.

Sabbatical.

Your head pastry chef is the only one using that word, as if they expect that you’ll come back. As if this is just a break.

But it’s not a break to you. It’s a much needed change.

Your exec chef thinks it over, his lips pressed together in a thin line.

“You’re an exceptional pastry chef, but your lack of commitment worries me,” he states plainly. “You’ll have to interview again.”

“I understand, chef,” you repeat yourself.

The conversation goes like this: you keep your cool, wanting nothing more than to get the conversation over it. It’s a daunting thing – quitting your dream job – enough as it is. Your head pastry chef fights for you, while the exec chef continues on his ego trip, as if you’re not sitting right in front of him. It’s not hard to tune him out. There’s a feeling inside of you, something telling you that you won’t be back, so the hoops he’s creating for you to jump through don’t seem to matter.

Your feet hit the pavement as soon as the conversation is over, and you can’t get out of the restaurant fast enough. Dinner service prep had already begun, and as you’d left, you understood there would be questions, rumors, strange looks from your coworkers. But you knew this was right.

Your heart hadn’t been in it for a while.

Not since it left and moved to Chicago and decided not to call you back.

You feel lost.

It’s not just Carmy. It’s not just the big changes and shifts you’re experiencing. It’s everything. You don’t know what the hell it is you want. And you’re brave enough to go searching for it.

You want nothing more than to call Carmy, to send him a text, for him to yell at you for quitting the job you both held in such high regard and tell you that you’re making a mistake. But the sting of the last time he ignored your call a few weeks ago stops you from picking up the phone.

Maybe he was only meant to be in your life for that chapter.

Maybe, as you leave the restaurant behind, you’ll be able to let go of him too.

Soon-To-Be Fall

It had only been a few weeks since you’d quit the restaurant, in those few weeks, for the first time in a long time, you were at peace. You’d gotten loads of calls and texts: a ‘just want to check in’ from your head pastry chef, a ‘you doin’ okay?’ from Tim, and a series of ‘can’t take no for an answer’ texts from Nate that you have no plans to answer.

The past few weeks have been filled with quiet. You’re enjoying your time, and you’re doing a whole lot of thinking about what it is you really want. You spend your Tuesday afternoon deep cleaning your apartment and listening to some of your comfort albums. It feels good to get to live slowly for once. It’s soon-to-be-Fall, even if the heat seems to be sticking around in New York City as of late.

You hear a ping coming from your phone as you close up the container filled with sanitizing wipes that you’ve been using. Making your way over to your small studio kitchen, you see a text from Liz.

Liz: I have the day off. Drinks & catching up?

You: Yeah. 7 pm?

Liz: Perf. I have restaurant goss. 👀

You chuckle in response to her text. Just as you’re preparing to type out a response, your phone buzzes again as a call comes through.

‘Carmy.’

Carmy is calling you.

Holy fuck.

It’s as if all the blood in your body rushes to your head and you have to try not to drop your phone. As it continues to ring, for a split second, you think about not answering. What if you didn’t? Send him to voicemail just like he’s done to you? But your curiosity gets the best of you as your thumb hovers over the ‘answer’ button. Had he heard? Was that what this was about?

You answer the call before you can talk yourself out of it, immediately putting it on speaker.

“Hi,” you say, your voice shaking a little.

And it’s as if all your troubles melt away as you hear his voice.

“Hi,” he replies.

a/n: hello! yes, by popular demand i'll be writing the phone call as a drabble. however, my first series i wrote about carmy, 'make my heart surrender' picks up right where this chapter leaves off. chapter six will take places after that story, so for those of you that have not, feel free to read it while we wait (w baited breath of course) for the final chapter of this one.

read: chapter six

taglist: @allthefandomstogether @gaysludge @sobshoney @harrysmatcha @starbritestarlite @tpwkkmila @cool-girl-is-hot @nunya7394 @galaxyprincess51-blog @carmensberzattos @blue-weekends @rexorangecouny @ridingthehotmessexpress @the-nursery @strawberryalicia @astronautelilanded @veryplatoniccircunstances @fonteyn

#carmen berzatto x you #carmy berzatto #carmy x oc #the bear hulu #the bear fx #jeremy allen white #carmen 'carmy' berzatto #carmy berzatto x reader #carmen berzatto x reader #carmen berzatto #carmy berzatto headcanon #the bear headcanon #carmy berzatto imagines #carmy berzatto fluff #comfort and chaos

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trashpandato · 1 year ago

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Dinner

For as much as Kara loves food, thinks about food, talks about food, dreams about food, she’s not very good at actually making it herself.

It’s been a thing for as long as she can remember. Several of her childhood memories of Krypton involve Alura shooing her out of the kitchen after Kara managed to spill key ingredients in her attempt to help her mother make dinner. In Midvale, Eliza straight up banned her from the kitchen at some point. Granted, it only happened after the fifth visit from the fire department, but Kara still feels a little sour about it. All she wants, all she has ever wanted was to learn how to cook a few basics: pasta, cookies, maybe a pie or two. But for some reason, almost all of Kara’s attempts to learn have resulted in unmitigated disasters and a general unwillingness of others to try and share a kitchen with her.

So now she mostly orders take-out, buys pre-made meals that she only has to heat up, or relies on others to do the cooking for her. At the same time, she still really wants to learn.

When Lena cooks her dinner for the first time, Kara’s mind is blown. In between mouthfuls of creamy, delicious risotto, Kara swoons.

“Lena! This is, it’s so good!”

Lena chuckles. “You sound surprised. I don’t know if I should be offended.”

“Yeah. I mean, no! It’s just, I didn’t know you could cook.”

“I don’t have a lot of time, but I do enjoy it. It’s relaxing.”

The question comes out before Kara can control it: “Would you teach me?”

“Teach you? To cook?”

Kara puts her fork down to avoid flinging bits of rice around. She’s known to gesticulate wildly when she’s excited about something and has learned that it’s better not to do that with utensils in hand.

“Yeah. I, um, I’m kind of terrible at it. So terrible, in fact, that I’m not allowed anywhere near Eliza’s kitchen anymore.”

Lena doesn’t seem too surprised at this admission.

“But you still want to learn?”

“I do! It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Just something simple that I can make for myself at home.”

Lena hums, seemingly weighing her options, but then she smiles and nods.

And that’s how Kara finds herself in Lena’s kitchen two weeks later, kneading fresh pasta dough on the marble countertop. She’s been following Lena’s instructions carefully, taking notes, and so far, the only item she has broken is a wooden spoon which splintered under Kara’s excited grip when Lena brushed her hands along Kara’s back as she walked behind her to grab the eggs.

“You know, I really don’t understand why everyone says you’re such a disaster in the kitchen,” Lena muses as she watches Kara roll out the dough as per her instructions. “You’re doing great.”

Kara can feel the skin on her face heat up at that.

“Well, um, usually there are charred things,” she admits sheepishly. “And ruined pots and pans. And, um, the occasional visit from the fire department.”

“Really?” Lena laughs. “I would think Supergirl could get that under control herself.”

“Well, okay, the fire department thing only happened when I was younger. Before I was Supergirl. But I’ve definitely ruined several of Alex’s good pans, so I’m not allowed to touch them anymore.”

Lena shakes her head, amusement clear in her features as she takes a sip of her wine.

“It’s a good thing that I’m a billionaire, then. I’ll gladly buy some more pots and pans if necessary. But I have faith that we won’t need to go there.”

In the end, Lena teaches Kara to make the pasta and pair it with zucchini, mint, lemon and cheese and it’s among the best dinners Kara has ever eaten. Kara decides that Lena must have the magic touch and asks if they could do this again.

They do, and the pie that Kara tries to make ends up burnt, but this time, it’s not because of anything Kara does. It’s because Lena starts kissing her, first lightly, then fiercely and Kara forgets about the pie in the oven until the smoke alarm goes off and she has to scramble out of Lena’s grasp to use her freeze breath to take care of it.

Kara starts to apologize, but Lena is right there and she’s laughing but then she’s pressing her lips back to Kara’s and whispers:

“You can burn down my entire kitchen, I don’t mind. Just keep kissing me.”

#supercorp #kara x lena #supercorptober2023 #supercorptober

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florenceafternoon · 10 months ago

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━。゜✿ jily fic recommendations ✿ ゜。━

Really, we shouldn’t be surprised by now but I have more amazing jily AU fics to share because the writers of this fandom are incredibly talented and I have my screen report to prove it.

For reference, anything in italics is taken from the summaries on ao3.

serendipity by desperateforsanity (on ao3)

Modern college/uni AU. Dearest Students and Staff, I am pleased to announce Hogwarts University’s fourth annual Pen Pal Program. Upperclassmen and sophomores likely remember and cherish the memories of their previous penpals and are excited to make another friend this year.

TW: for the later chapters for discussions of grief and its effects on one's mental well-being. For the most part, though this is a fun fic full of great banter!

The Frenzied Misadventures of Balcony Man and Window Woman by @clare-with-no-i

prompt: "It's 3am why are you outside my window- are you trying to rob me?"

It feels necessary to preface this entire thing with the fact that, yes, James had good reason to be dangling precariously from a third-floor balcony, and anyone who says differently is simply attempting to smear his good name.

At least, that’s the story he’s sticking to.

Hijinks & Shenanigans

mellow is the man (who knows what he's been missing) also by @/ clare-with-no-i

Earl's Court. 24th May, 1975. Led Zeppelin live in concert like you've never seen them before.

FEATURING: prolonged eye contact, deeply metaphoric descriptions of cigarette smoke, painful levels of detail about makeup, and a special one-time performance by Two Teens In Love! OR: the "we made eye contact at a Led Zeppelin concert but my friends pulled me away to mosh before I could come say hello" AU

So when I say that I saw this unfold frame by frame in my head, I mean the writing is on another level. The way that I could almost smell Earl Court ... I regret waiting so long to read it. Also, found out this is written by the same author as one of my favourite jily fics foreigner’s god so that explains it “I'm not a religious person but I do sometimes think God made you for me.” ― Sally Rooney, Normal People

but he’s a little bit too far away by @firefeufuego

Historical AU. A decade after they met as cadets for The Times, the toll of James chasing stories in war zones is starting to hit home for Lily.

Taking A Shot At You by @annabtg

Modern AU. Lily Evans, pharmacist, has to work all day and night on New Year's Eve - and ends up ringing in the new year with a bloke who just got himself a dog bite.

The Right Track by BeeDaily (on ao3)

Co-workers modern AU. When James is first handed the train ticket, his immediate reaction is to laugh openly in his father's face.

the horoscope by lirians

Modern AU. James stops momentarily to give way to a bunch of rambunctious teenagers on the pavement before he regains his step. Lily has come to a halt a bit further, waiting on him.

“Horoscopes?” he asks as they move onwards. He’s relieved that any awkwardness between them is apparently gone. “How so?”

“Marly sent me mine this week because it said I would meet someone from the past again,” she explains. “I’m still not sold on the idea of it, but isn’t this weird?”

I was inspired to read this by this art

The Falcon and The Squid by @jfleamont

There's a Lego Millennium Falcon that needs to be built. There's also a bet, a ring and a bike.

Put it all together and what do you get?

Leda's jily will always be a favourite of mine. They're idiots in love your honour

Glastonbury by elanev91 (on ao3)

Prompt: we're at a music festival and you crawled into my tent when drunk and fell asleep, now you've woken up bewildered and to be honest I should be more annoyed but you're just so good looking

One Day at Time by @sweeethinny

Single-mum-lily AU. One day at a time is the mantra Lily uses to keep peace inside her mind, but there are days when it's simply impossible and in the end all she needs is a glass of wine, a cozy hug with her boyfriend, and a serious talk with her son.

Note that you can read this as a stand-alone one shot but it's part of a series that takes place in this AU

For All My Life by aheartcalledhome & SecondJadeofLan (on ao3)

When saving the bees ends in a happy family.

pumpkins and blueberries by evotter (on ao3)

Modern soulmate AU. In which Lily Evans hates puzzles, Marlene McKinnon is a coffee-making goddess, and the stuffy manager with the unkempt hair just so happens to be Lily's soulmate. In the wise words of Mary Macdonald, nothing is scarier than a relationship. Especially if it's with your soulmate.

After Moon by lovesickjily (on ao3)

When the universe sent Lily back in time for some inexplicable reason, she didn’t realise that she’d fall for the charming, messy-haired Prince along the way, nor did she realise that she’d see him once again.

here's to never growing up by elixirsoflife (on ao3)

Chat fic where a group chat documents the lives of four highly dramatic teenage boys as they navigate their A Levels.

Or, like, die trying.

Okay, I rarely ever read chat fics, they're just not my thing. BUT this one had me wheezing on my way to school. It's crack. Just treat it like crack

Ice Baby also by elixirsoflife

Modern college/uni AU. In his defence, James never expected to meet his soulmate at thirteen minutes past eleven on a Sunday morning when he’s aiming a puck at Sirius’ balls.

Or: call me sweetheart again and I'll punch you in the throat.

Not a Clue by PotterandEvans (on ao3)

Modern college/uni Quarantine AU. Lily stood in the doorway of the flat, looking at the boy in front of her. She had spent most of the last two years keeping her distance from the annoying piece of work, staying away from his ego mostly. “Come in.” She said, stepping away from the doorway to let him into the flat that she usually shared with Remus.

"Ah, so kind." James muttered as he walked inside, his heavy bag weighing him down. This really was not the ideal situation, for either of them. But he had nowhere else to go, so staying with Lily Evans it was going to have to be.

they were zoommates (requires an ao3 account) by elanev91 (on ao3)

Modern college/uni Quarantine AU. Lily's on lockdown and, because she can't help herself, signs herself up for a whole bunch of extra (and free) work with her ad agency. Minerva, her boss, assigns a cheeky social media manager to her team to help her. Also, Marlene discovers TikTok (this is nowhere near as important to the narrative as its inclusion here suggests).

And You Heard About Me (Ooh, We’ve Got Some Big Enemies!) by @wearingaberetinparis

Fame AU. Lily Evans is a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and global superstar, who recently broke up from her latest and long-term actor boyfriend Amos Diggory. James Potter is a professional football player who plays as a forward for Manchester United and has never been quiet about his celebrity crush: Lily Evans. When Lily Evans thus plays at Wembley Stadium - a place he is more than familiar with due to his being part of the England team - he just has to go and see her perform, embracing his inner, besotted fan boy, while the woman on stage is completely oblivious to his presence. Or is she?

The most unrealistic part was man u winning (but it's James so that explains it). Regardless, I started this fic while waiting for my final grades from last year to come through, and while they were disappointing, this sure wasn't. I was crying so hard that I fell asleep. Then I woke up and continued the fic and suddenly I was giggling along with Lilly. Anything and everything Mary writes is a masterpiece. Thank you for sharing this wonderful story.

it continues (the beginning doesn't matter) by whitesunlars (on ao3)

She is the last person he expected at his door at that exact moment, despite feeling unsure about the fact that she managed to track down his address, he agrees to go out to coffee with her. A lot could be said about James Potter, but nobody could claim that he had good self-preservation skills.

They meet in a bar. Mistakes happen. They learn to keep going.

#lily evans #james potter #jily #lames #jple #jily fic rec list

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yourlastbraincell-kiwi · 9 months ago

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More Important Than You Think.

A/N: Another Benny story coming up! I adore him and I found this in my drafts, fixed it up all nice and here she is! ❤️

Pairing: Benny Watts x Reader

~~~~~

“Yes, put him through.” We heard from over the phone, “You all there? I’ll put her on.”

I smile, draping my arm over Benny’s left shoulder, resting my chin on right, all while side hugging Harry with my free arm. For how long I’ve been stand here, I’m surprised my legs ain’t give out yet.

“Hello?”

“If he goes for the knight, hit him with a king rook pawn.”

“Benny?”

“If he goes for the bishop, do the same thing, but open up your queen file.”

“How do you know?” Beth said whilst laugh, still skeptical.

“It’s in the Times. It’s 7 a.m. here, but we’ve been working on it for three hours.”

“We?” Benny hands the phone to Harry, “Hi, Beth.”

“Hi, Harry.” She said, with a soft chuckle. “Hey, what about me?” I grab the phone, and put it up to my ear. “Hey, B.”

“(Y/N)..” She said, most likely on the verge of tears.

“I’m not that good at chess, but I am good at making snacks, and that’s exactly what I plan on doing, whilst helping the boys.” I said, handing the phone off to Harry, putting a hand on Benny’s shoulder, before walking over to his kitchen area, making a little charcuterie board.

“It’s really nice to hear your voices.”

“Oh, well, hang on.” Harry holds up the phone so Matt, Mike, Hilton and Arthur yelled into the phone, telling her they’re proud of her amongst other things.

It truly almost made me want to cry as I brought, the board to the table, gently setting it near the chess board. Benny’s up in seconds, a gentle hand to my lower back. “What’s wrong? You okay?” I nod.

“Just happy you’re all doing this is all.” I said, with a bit of a sniffle.

“You’re? You are helping too. You said so yourself.” I shake my head.

“I did, but I suck at chess, I only offer snacks and emotional support.” I said, pointing to the board, I just set up on the table.

“Okay, come here.” Benny grabs my hand, bringing me into his room, before closing the door. “That? Whatever you told me out there is bullshit. That is not all you do, and is know for.”

“You’re not just that, you’re a best friend, you’re a singer, a musician..my girlfriend? You’re all that and more. Does none of those things mean anything to you?” I nod stating that, ‘it does,’ in fact mean something to me, wiping my runny nose.

“Come on.” He hugs me tight, rubbing my back, before bringing me back into the living area of his place. “You okay? You alright?” Matt and Mike asked at the same time. I smile and nod, standing behind Benny, placing a hand on his shoulder, “I’m fine.”

After listening to them, give Beth all the different combos and variations of how the match with Borgov could go, for a bit, Benny stood up at some point light himself a cigarette.

I backed up from the guys, and stood next to him. “You think this’ll work?”

“It’s gotta work, if not then all those hours looking over all of his old matches, would be for nothing.” I nod, watching him take another drag of his cigarette, watching the end of it become red as it turned to ash and fell to the floor.

I don’t know what came over me, but once Benny took it out of his mouth, I gently plucked it from out his fingers, and held in between my lips. “I thought you, said you didn’t smoke.” He said, as the smoke left his body through both his mouth and nose.

“I don’t. Curiosity, I guess.” I take a drag and almost immediately start coughing, “And that’s why smoking’s for grownups.”

He took the cigarette back, putting it in between his own lips, patting my back with his free hand, I just responded with a death glare, but he stared ahead at the group running up his phone bill.

“You’re very clingy, you know that?” He admitted.

“Well, shit. Thanks for pointing it out. I’ll be outta your hair then.” I start to leave, but Benny grabbed my arm, pulling me back into his chest.

“I didn’t say I didn’t like it, rook.”

“Oh, but of course. You want everyone to know, just who I got to bed with every night.”

“Damn, right.” He pulled me into a kiss, breathing into it cause the cigarette smoke he was holding in, into my mouth and out my nose.

“But if I catch you smoking again, you and I will have problems.”

Benny laughed, finishing smoking his cigarette, before putting it out, “Yes, ma’am.”

#benny watts x black!reader #benny x black!reader #benny watts #benny watts x reader #cute imagine #wattpad #x reader #fluff

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locker42 · 2 years ago

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“I don’t know why it affects me like this when you’re not even mine to consider.”

- Pedestrian at Best, Courtney Barnett.

Warnings: swearing, masturbation, explicit talks of sex, angst, cheating, use of drugs. (Let me know if I missed anything🥰).

Pairing: JJ Maybank x reader.

Words count: 5424.

The first time JJ had met her she didn’t leave quite the good impression on him, considering the only thing that covered her body from his eyes was one of John B’s Hawaiian shirts. He thought she was just a hook up, noting serious. Although he did think she was a little bit out of John B’s legue, to the better though. The next morning when he saw her sitting at the table eating breakfast with his best friend, he knew it was something more serious. John B kept her around for a long while, introducing her to the gang. She hit it off pretty quickly with the rest however JJ kept his distance. It wasn’t until one night when he came out of his room and saw her on the porch that he really made an effort to talk to her.

She was sitting on the couch, a joint held between her fingers as she exhaled the smoke, tilting her head slightly upward. He walked out of the opened door, drawing her attention to him. Now that he was outside he saw her full figure decorated with a shirt that no doubt belonged to John B.

“Hey, what are you doing out here?” He asked, still standing awkwardly beside her, hesitant to sit next to her.

“Just needed a smoke.” She shrugged her shoulders. “What about you? What are you doing up?”

“Couldn’t sleep.” He answered simply, deciding to put his doubts aside and sat down next to her. She put out her hand as an offer for a hit from her joint, he accepted with a small smile.

“Thanks.”

He took two long drags, enjoying the light-headed feeling it provided him.

“I didn’t know you smoked.” He said as he handed her the joint.

She took a hit before responding. “I mostly take my smoke breaks on the hammock in the back.”

He nodded, taking the joint from her as she offered it again. They sat in silence for a few minutes, and JJ felt his tiredness slowly slip away from him as he thought of what to say. He felt nervous for some reason, not knowing if striking up a conversation would the appropriate thing to do or maybe she just wanted to sit in silence. Before he could make his decision she made it for him.

“You know, I couldn’t help but notice that you are the only one who I didn’t get the chance to speak to.” She said, however her tone wasn’t accusing, she was just stating a fact.

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that. At first I thought you were just a hook up but then John B decided to keep you around.” He didn’t know what exactly in his words was the cause to her scoff.

“John B decided to keep me around?” She asked, and he knew he had opened his big mouth in the wrong time, again.

“No, that’s not what I meant.” He quickly defended himself. “It’s just that he usually doesn’t really have girlfriends, so it surprised me a little to see you stick around.”

“It’s okay, you’re good.” She dismissed him, a smile playing on her lips as she took another hit off the joint. “Oh, look, it’s finished.”

He turned his attention to the joint, only the butt of it left. She pouted before putting it out on the ashtray.

“I hate when that happens.”

“Don’t we all?”

For the first time since he met her, they shared a real smile rather than the polite one the sent the other’s way in the form of greeting. Just now he noticed how the corner of her mouth was tugged to the side and how she pressed her lips together and looked away as he kept his gaze on her. However he couldn’t figure out if she was shy or just uncomfortable. And, god, he wouldn’t forgive himself if it was the latter.

“So, how did you and John B meet?” She asked, pulling him out of his thoughts.

“We’ve been friends since the third grade and just kept in touch throughout that years.” He explained. She adjusted her position on the couch, turning her body to fully face him as she talked.

“That’s amazing, I don’t think I ever had a friend who stuck around for that long. You two must be very close.” She stated as she leaned her head in her elbow.

Although her first words made him think them over, he chose not to pry and instead commented on the latter of her words.

“Yeah, we’re all very close. Pope and Kie, too.”

“Are any of you dating?”

Her question made him chuckle. “Well, you are dating John B, and I’m pretty sure Pope has a thing for Kiara but he will die before he makes a move.”

She nodded her head, her hand coming to the back of her neck, moving her hair away. Her noticed the start of a small hickey on the collarbone, and something inside him twisted. It didn’t feel good.

“What about you? Any girl who caught your attention?”

Her voice made him return his eyes back to her own, feeling his face heat up in fear that he was caught staring. But she didn’t mention anything. “No, not anyone in particular.”

She nodded her head again, eyes darting from him to the room and he suddenly felt guilty for her visible boredom.

“So, where are you from?” He asked her, a small feeling of satisfaction resting on us heart as she turned back to him.

“Well, I’m originally from Michigan but I moved foster homes all the time so my childhood was kind of spread across the county.”

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. “You’re an orphan?”

“Not exactly. My father was a piece of shit and my mother was never around. One day the neighbors called the police and I was sent away.” She explained, and he was surprised at how casually she said that.

“Some life story you have.” He commented, relieved when he heard her chuckle. “How old were you?”

“Seven.”

“Wow, so you’ve been in the system for ten years now.”

“Yes.” She tucked a stray of her hair behind her ear and something in him was jealous, wanting to do that himself. “It wasn’t that bad, not until I moved here, anyway.”

“Is it that bad here?” He teased her, a fake hurt look on his face.

She laughed. “No, I like it here. It’s just that no family has ever adopted me, and I got used to being in the orphanage. I had a friend there, Max. He is the funniest guy I have ever met, he really helped me go through everything.”

“That’s good. God, I can’t even imagine going through that.” He said, shaking his head in disbelief. “So, wait, what family adopted you here?”

“Do you know the Tedfords?”

“Yeah, they live not too far from here.”

“That’s me.”

That he didn’t know. He was sure she was just a touron John B has met at some party.

“How much time have you been living here? I never saw saw you around the island before you and John B started dating.”

“Almost a year, actually.”

“I have no idea how I never saw you.”

“Well, I don’t around that much, I met John B in the grocery store, nothing special.” She said smiling, and her smile did something to him. It didn’t turn him on but he did feel his heartbeat in his ears, the warmth spreading from his neck to his face again.

“What about you?” She asked, cocking her head to the side. “I’ve only seen you here but I’m pretty sure you don’t live here.”

“Yeah, I don’t. It’s just that most of the time I’m here so it’s easier to just sleep, eat and basically live here as well.” He explained, his body now turned to her. Usually, he’d hate when the part of his father or living situation would come up, but something in her made him want to spill all his secrets, but yet he still kept a straight mind.

“That’s cool, your whole dynamic of the group is really cool.” She said, however there was something in her voice that he quickly picked up on.

“Well, since your dating John B I think we’re officially your friends.” He told her with a reading smile. “Cause we all know what a pain it is to not get along with your boyfriend’s friends.”

She chuckled, pulling her knees to her chest. “Yeah, but gladly John B has some great friends.”

“I’m great, I know.” He said with a cocky smile, sending her a wink.

“I guess you’re okay.” She said with a small giggle, however she had no clue of what that giggle did to his heart. I’m fact, she had no idea of what would become of that innocent, late-night conversation, neither of them knew.

They kept on a good friendship, however JJ’s image of her became further and further from being a friend. He thought of her in all the ways he shouldn’t, all the ways John B thought of her. He cursed himself for feeling that, however that didn’t keep him away from her. He wanted to be near her all day long, to talk to her and to make her laugh. He was well aware of the fact that it wasn’t his job or place to do that. He wanted to stay away from her, but he couldn’t. She was like this drug he couldn’t get enough of, like the best joint he had ever smoked - but better.

They had met a couple more times late at night, smoking together became a habit he learned to love and appreciate. He could listen to her talking all day long. She was different from the other girls he dated in the past, she was much more interesting, and much more like him. Their bond was noticed by the whole group, including John B. JJ was worried that he’d suspected something was going on but he claimed he was just happy she was getting along with the group.

As time passed, JJ and Y/N became closer and closer, however instead of focusing on that, all he though of was how long it’s been since she and John B has started dating. It uncanny for him to keep a girl around for that long, which only meant that they were getting serious, and that only made things harder on JJ. Every time they talked, every time he saw her, all he wanted was to grab her and kiss her - but he couldn’t. Not as long as she was dating his best friend. And even if things were to end between the two, it would be immoral and overall just a dick move to get together with her.

So he kept his distance. Part of him was feeling guilty, seeing as they were becoming good friends with the time, however he knew the temptation was too hard for him to resist.

His self control was put to the test when he had just gotten to the Chateau after a long day of work, only to hear the moans of what he guessed was his best friend and his girlfriend, whom he liked. At first, he thought that they were just having sex, which made him want to run away from the house and curl in a hole for the rest of his life. However after a few seconds, he realized he could only hear Y/N’s moans. His eyes widened at the realization, jaw clenching as he listened to her soft moans, some higher, some breathier, and some so fucking sexy he swore a porn video was playing. But no, it was just Y/N, just the girl he was pretty much in love with, just the girl who dated his best friend. With that, he turned around to leave. He had no right intruding on her privacy or to listen in on her touching herself like some pervert.

But just as he was about to take his first step toward the door, he heard her say something he had grown to love and to cherish the sound of - his name.

“JJ..”

He heard her moan breathlessly, making him take a step closer to John B’s bedroom, rather than to walk out of the house before he does something that he’ll regret. All of his built up self control vanished as once again he heard her moan his name, louder this time.

“Oh, god, JJ, please..”

He felt his pants tighten as a series of moans followed her statement. As she got louder and louder, the only thing JJ could think about was what was going on in her head, what was she imagining as she moaned his name is such a sultry way. Did she imagine him pinning her down on the bed as he took her, leaving marks all over her perfect chest? Or was she imagining herself riding him, breasts bouncing in his face as she used him to get herself off. Or perhaps she imagined laying on her stomach, letting him use her, letting him slap her juicy ass as he rammed his dick into her over and over again until she was so cock drunk she couldn’t even utter a word.

He then realized he was picturing her in every position imaginable for men, however there was only one detail missing - her body. God, what he would do for her little slutty, red bikini to just fall off, and to reveal what he longed to see - what he thought of every night while he stroked himself. He wanted nothing more than to see her beautiful breasts, or her pussy, all dripping for him. As his thoughts carried away he had to physically restrain himself from taking his cock out and cumming all over the wooden floor. Before he could, he shook his head violently and walked out of the Chateau, heading to the dock where his fishing gear was already set up from the day before.

After a few minutes of him trying to clean his mind from the dirty thoughts that had possessed it only moments ago, he turned around to see her walking out of the Chateau, a tank top and jeans shorts adoring her defined figure. She sent him a smile which he returned as she walked over to him, leaning her back on the rail he was leaning his elbows on.

“Hey, what’s up?” She asked, and god, he was angry. He was angry that she had the nerve to just come out of there like she didn’t do these slutty actions - like she wasn’t touching herself in a house that wasn’t hers where anyone could walk in. How she dared to look at him with what she probably thought were innocent eyes, however he knew she was far from that.

“All good, where’s John B?”

He cursed himself at the mention of his friend, but he knew that the thought of him was the only thing keeping him from pressing the girl against the railing and slamming hip lips onto hers, whether she wanted it or not. And judging by what he heard, there was a very slim chance that she didn’t.

“He’s working today, told me to spend the day here since all of you are supposed to come by sooner or later.” She answered him, crossing her arms over chest, her breasts slightly pushing upwards, drawing his attention for only one mere second before his looked away and cleared his throat.

“Yeah, I just got back from work, figured I’ll fish something for dinner.” He said and put his hand on the fishing rod.

“Oh, good. There are new groceries so I can make some salad or something. If anyone else coming as well?”

“Yeah, Pope is supposed to pick Kie up from work so they’ll be here in a few.” He said, not moving his eyes from the water.

“Okay.” She said, and he felt her eyes on him, but he didn’t turn. “Is everything okay?”

He shook his head mentally, why in the hell would she ask that? Did she really care?

“Yeah, just tired.” He responded with a shrug of him shoulders, sending a small smile her way.

She returned the smile with one of her own. “It’s been a while since we had a smoking session, I gotta be honest I’m starting to miss them.”

For the first time since seeing her today, a real smile creeped up on his face. “Yeah, me too.”

He didn’t t bother making up an excuse to why he wasn’t coming out of his room anymore, he knew she deserved better than that.

“Maybe I’ll see you tonight? I got some things to tell you.” She suggested, and he could see the hope in her eyes, and god knew he could never say no to them.

“Maybe you will, and maybe I just got a new stack to try out, some weird combination my cousin made.”

She giggled. With most girls he had met, when they giggled it was the fakest sound he ever heard, most horrible coming in second. He knew it was only a way for them to flirt with him. However with Y/N, he knew it was real and he wanted nothing more than to make her laugh all the time, just to hear it.

“Well, you know I’m always up for a challenge.”

Everything went smooth after what happened, although the sound of her moans never left his mind. She never left his mind. It was bad enough that she was basically living with John B, making him a constant witness to their sex life. JJ tried to remember that it was his name she moaned as she touched herself, not John B’s, however after he heard her scream his best friend’s name, he couldn’t help the jealousy burning in him. God, what he would do to have her.

He started to ignore her again, not completely but he didn’t show up to their mid-night smoking sessions and all the other times he saw her she was with John B so he just kept quiet and let her converse with him or the others. He noticed the confused looks she sent his way, and it hurt him to know that even though they didn’t know each other for that long, she still missed him. He wished he could sit beside her, wrap his arm around her shoulders or hold her hand - but he couldn’t. She wasn’t his, she was with John B.

“You’ve been avoiding me.”

He turned his head around, only now taking notice of the girl walking his way. He just got back from a ride on the HMS Pouge after a date. It wasn’t anything special - well, not to him anyway - just a distraction. Since he was trying to get over his feelings for her he’s been seeing a lot of girls. Well, hooking up would be the right term. But nothing helped, every time he was in bed with a girl the only thing he could think of was Y/N. His mind instantly went to the sound of her moans, he imagined how her face would look like when she was cumming.

“I haven’t, just been busy.” He replied, turning away to finish tying the boat to the dock.

“Busy? With what?” She asked and cocked her head to the side, taking a step closer to him.

“Just working.” He shrugged.

“Did I do something?” She asked, all hint of playfulness gone, her tone now completely serious.

“No,” he said quickly, “you didn’t do anything.”

“Then why are you avoiding me?” She pressed on, her voice more stern.

“I’m not fucking avoiding you.” He raised his voice, only realizing he did so until he saw her slightly flinch. Guilt immediately consumed him but she already snapped back at him.

“What is your problem? Do you not like me or something?” She asked, and he just shook his head and opened his mouth to deny her suspicions but she wasn’t done. “I don’t understand why you’re ignoring me, I thought we got along-“

She sounded more disappointed and hurt than angry, and that only made him feel even more guilty. He never meant to hurt her, all he wanted was to get rid of the feelings he had for her.

“Y/N, stop.” He said before she could ramble on and on. She glared at him but stopped talking. “Look, it’s not that I don’t like you, I do. I mean, in like a friend way. You’re cool. But I’ve just been busy, I’ve got work and I-“

He wanted to tell her the truth - he wanted to tell her how he felt in great hope she’ll return his feelings. But he couldn’t. Because doing that meant losing his best friend, and he didn’t think he could ever be okay with that.

“I have a girlfriend.” He blurted out, however he regretted it immediately after seeing her reaction. She looked hurt - sad even.

“Oh, I didn’t know that.” She said and dropped her gaze to the floor before quickly looking up at him with a smile, but he knew better than to believe it was real. “I’m so happy for you. Who is she?”

“Just some touron I met at the bonfire.” He said quietly, hoping she didn’t ask any further questions.

“That’s great.” She said and nodded her head. “Sorry I attacked you, obviously I’m not the center of your life.” She added with a chuckle. If only she knew.

“It’s cool, I get it.” He shrugged it off, hoping she didn’t think he was mad. She should be mad at him, for avoiding her with. I explanation whatsoever.

“Good.” She said and stared at him for a few moments before looking away. “I’m gonna go, John B and I are going out for dinner.”

He tried to hide his jealousy and disappointment and smiled at her. “Have fun. But not too much fun.” He teased her with a wink, although his heart was aching for her.

“Thanks. And have fun with your girlfriend, whenever you see her.” She said with a smile of her own - similar to his.

“Thanks.”

As he watched the girl walk away the only thing he could think about was how much he wanted to be the one to take her out. He could just imagine it; he’d dress up in a white button up and bring her a bouquet of flowers and take her out on a romantic dinner - just the two of them. Then after the date he would kiss her goodnight and walk her to her door. But he couldn’t, he couldn’t do any of it. And that hurt him more than anything.

_________

This was officially JJ’s worst day ever. He went to work only to be yelled at by his boss and then had to deal with spoiled Kooks all day long. When he finally got home his dad decided to pick on him, leaving him bruised and with a bloody nose. After storming out of the house he walked straight to the Chateau. The sky was already dark but he had no trouble remembering the way to John B’s - he had been taking the same route since he was a little boy. As he got closer to the house he saw that the lights on the porch were on, indicating that he was still up. However as he reached the top stair to the porch he saw her, sitting on one of the couches, smoking a joint. He couldn’t help the guilt that built in him as he looked at her, he didn’t know she kept coming out there at night. Then he reminded himself that she had been doing this a while before he joined her. Then ditched her.

His former footsteps seemed to catch her attention as she turned towards him. The smile that first rose to her face at the sight of him disappeared as she observed his rough condition. She quickly put her joint on the ashtray that was placed on the coffee table and stood up, a concerned look on her face.

“JJ, what happened? Are you okay?” She asked as she rushed over to him.

As much as he missed her, she was the last person he wanted to see at the moment. He didn’t want her to see him that way - all beaten up by the hands of his father, tears threatening to fall and an anxiety attack just waiting to break through. He was a mess, and the exact opposite of what she wanted, what she deserved.

“It’s nothing, I’m okay.” He brushed her questions off. “Where’s John B?”

“What do you mean you’re okay?” She asked, ignoring his question. “JJ, your nose is all bloody and your face is-“

She cut herself off, taking a deep breath and looking away from his for a second.

“JJ, please, tell me what happened.” She begged, and he could see the tears forming in her eyes. That’s that last thing he wanted.

“Hey, hey.” He said softly, aching to touch her to calm her down but he restrained himself. “I’m okay, really. Just got into a fight.”

She didn’t answer him, all she did was take his hand in hers and examine it. After huffing, she dropped his hand down.

“Your knuckles are fine. And before you tell me you punch with your other hand, I’ve seen you punch.”

He clenched his jaw. Of course she noticed, how wouldn’t she? He was basically living with John B when he had a place of his own, he avoided talking about his home life and now he showed up in the middle of the night sporting one too many bruises. How could she not notice?

“JJ.” She whispered, but he kept his eyes on the floor, holding back the tears. She placed her hands on his face, careful not to touch any bruises along the way. “Please tell me it’s not what I think it is.”

He finally looked at her, and god did he regret that. The look she had in his eyes almost hurt him physically. It made him want to crawl into her arms and cry like a baby. It made him want to spill everything - to tell her about his father. Instead of doing the latter, he did the former. Without noticing a tear fell down his cheek, and a sob broke through him. With no sign of hesitation, she wrapped her arms around him. At first he was shocked, staying still as she hugged his tightly. But then, after letting himself go, he allowed his arms to wrap around her waist and to bring his face to her neck as he let go of his tears.

It was the first time he allowed someone to hold him so soon after seeing his father. It felt good, better than he had expected. He always didn’t want to be touched after an incident with his dad, but something felt different. Instead of flinching away or shutting himself out, he found comfort in the girl’s arms. He found warmness in the smell of her hair and peace in the feeling of her heart beating as she was pressed up against him. He hugged her tight with no intention of ever letting go, he hugged her because she was his solution, his light. She was the only one who could bring lightness into a dark night like this.

“I’m sorry.” He let out, feeling slightly awkward in the hug after he had managed to calm down.

“You have nothing to be sorry for.” She said and shook her head, pulling back just enough for her to see his face. This time, he didn’t shy away from her, just focused on the beautiful features. Goodness, she was beautiful. He though to himself.

“This isn’t your fault, J. None of it. You don’t deserve any of this.”

They were these words that seeped into his mind, feeding his hunger for her. At the moment, he no longer thought of John B, or the fact that she was John B’s girlfriend. All he could think about was how much he wanted to feel her lips against his. He started to slowly lean in, noticing how she didn’t step back or pull away from him. Instead, she brought her hand to his hair and ran her fingers through it before joining their lips.

As soon as he felt her lips on his, he was a goner. He let out a groan at the feeling, pulling her closer to him as he deepened the kiss. It was everything he imagined and more. The mixed feelings of her hands in his hair and on his neck and her lips moving with his gave him a head rush, and he never wanted it to stop. He took initiative and ran his tongue over her lips, a new feeling of excitement washing over him as she opened her mouth and allowed his tongue to intertwine with hers. She pulled at his hair, making him groan into her mouth as he moved his hand up to her neck. The kiss didn’t last as long as he hoped for. After the king time he had to restrain himself from kissing her, now that he was, he didn’t want to stop.

She pulled away, her hands staying on his cheeks, thumb wiping the tears that stayed on his face.

“J-“

“Don’t.” He cut her off, Leaning his forehead against hers. “Don’t say anything, please. Just wanna stay like this for a moment.”

To his slight surprise, she didn’t object and closed her eyes. He felt her soft breathing on his face as his fingers played with the ends of her hair. He wished he could stay like this, with her in his arms. He wished he could kiss her again and to hold her again. At that moment, with her so close to him after a shared passionate kiss, he realized he was in love with her. It only made sense; he could not stop thinking about her, and not even in a solely sexual way. He wanted to do so much more than just sleep with her. He wanted to take her out on dates, to hold her hand and to hug her close in his arms. Before he could remind himself that she wasn’t his she pressed her lips to his again. It was a light kiss, unlike their first one, but it had the same effect on him.

“I’m sorry.” She said quietly, almost as if she didn’t want to say the next words. “But I can’t do this, I’m with John B and I-“

She took a deep breath, a pained expression on her face. He knew what she was gonna say.

“I love him, JJ. I’m sorry.”

It broke his heart, more than he could ever imagine. Hearing her say these words hurt him, because it made all of his suspicions and concerns true. She didn’t love him, she loved his best friend. It shouldn’t surprise him, really, she was in a relationship with him. But it still hurt, the rejection hurt.

“Then why are you touching yourself to me?”

He didn’t mean to say it, he didn’t mean the tone he used. But he was upset, and unfortunately for him, that manifested into anger.

“W-what?” She stuttered, clearly surprised by his question.

“You say you love him but yet you’re moaning my name when you touch yourself. So explain that.” He said and took a step closer to her.

She scoffed, shaking her head. “Were you listening to me? Are you stalking me or something?”

“No, I’m just saying that you should think twice before you do something like that in a house that isn’t even yours.” He said, keeping his voice low. “Cause all I had to do was walk into the Chateau and hear you moaning for me.”

“It-it wasn’t-“

“Save it. Just go back to your boyfriend, maybe think of me once or twice when you fuck him.” And with that, he walked off, leaving her standing in the porch. A part of him hoped she would call after him, but she never did. He shouldn’t have expected her to, as she said, she loved John B, not him

#jj maybank x y/n #jj maybank fanfiction #jj maybank angst #jj maybank x you #jj maybank imagine #jj maybank fluff #jj maybank smut #jj may #jj maybank x reader #jj maybank #jj maybank fic #outer banks jj #jj obx #jj outer banks #jj

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weirdsht · 3 months ago

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Queasy - Choi Han/Reader

a/n: inspired by me being the most easily nauseated person I know. Actually, idk if nauseated is the right term, we call it "naduduwal" in the Philippines and when I used google translate it said that the translation is nauseous. Anyways, this may or may not be inspired by actual scenarios in my life...

tags: self-indulgent, 5 + 1 fic, female reader, fluff, descriptive signs of vomiting, but there's no actual vomiting, author went a bit overboard?

English isn’t my first language so there will be grammatical errors

Pls don't repost my work anywhere without my permission

Constructive criticisms and any kind of interaction are more than welcome

Requests are currently closed but my ask are still open (read pinned)

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Ever since [Name] was a child she easily felt nauseous. The slightest change of smell can make her feel as though a bile is coming up her throat. Whatever she ate last threatened to come back up.

Living with it for all her life made her used to it. That was why she forgot to inform her new group of friends about her “condition”.

Which brings everyone to this predicament…

Beacrox was cooking lunch for everyone. The kitchen door was open as the thing his cooking had too much smoke. It smelled good. In fact, everyone couldn’t wait to eat. They were already imagining what could the chef be possibly making.

Until [Name] walked into the room.

When she first walked in everything seemed normal. They even looked happy as there was a pep in their step. However, that changed as soon as they smelled the aroma of the food being cooked.

[Name] staggered a little, but quickly composed herself. She could feel that familiar feeling something trying to crawl up her throat. But she knew that it was nothing alarming so she swallowed it down and greeted everyone.

“Are you okay..?”

Choi Han inquired hesitantly, his hands supporting [Name]’s back. The woman gathered herself fast enough that no one else noticed. It’s just that nothing escapes past the swordmaster’s observant eyes.

…Well at least nothing about [Name] can escape past Choi Han’s eyes.

“I’m fine. The sudden change of smell just surprised me.”

“Are you sure?”

Choi Han doesn't look convinced in the slightest.

“Positive. In fact, it smells good. I can’t wait to see what Beacrox made!”

After that day [Name] could feel Choi Han’s concerned gaze whenever the smell of food was up in the air.

The next time it happened it probably would have costed [Name] her life if it wasn’t for Choi Han. Which was comedic considering the culprit…

+~+~+~+~+~+

A sneeze.

Yes, a sneeze almost took out [Name]. A single sneeze made her vulnerable to the enemies' attacks.

They were fighting, another typical day of bringing Cale’s crazy plans to life. Everything was going well, they had the upper hand. The enemy was on [Name]’s mercy.

Achoo!

Well, it was until she sneezed.

It would have been fine if it was just a normal sneeze.

Bleur–

Unfortunately, it wasn’t.

[Name] staggered as she put her left hand on her mouth, her right hand trying to hold onto something to stabilize herself. Her momentarily loss of balance made her vulnerable to the enemies' attacks.

She honestly thought that would be her end. If it wasn’t then she would at least sustain some grave injuries.

THUD!

Black aura surrounded the area [Name] was fighting on. The sword of the owner of the said aura fighting against the enemies trying to hurt her.

The aide surprised [Name]. Because she swears just a millisecond ago Choi Han was fighting his fair share of enemies on the other side of the battlefield. Then as if he has a [Name] 6th sense, he almost teleported to where she was as soon as she started staggering.

Choi Han encircled his free arm around [Name]’s waist. He gently lifted her off the ground as he started to move around to fight the enemies.

It looked as if they were dancing instead of fighting. The two are facing each other chest to chest, [Name]’s feet are completely off the ground making Choi Han lead the sway. They looked as though they were presenting a bloody waltz. It would have been a sight to behold if it wasn’t a matter of life or death.

[Name] and Choi Han went on like that until none of the enemies were left alive. The swordmaster refuses to let her down despite her protests.

Later on, when Cale asked what happened, [Name] answered honestly about how her sneeze was the cause of everything. Choi Han was of course within hearing range when this conversation happened.

Since then the swordmaster made sure to keep anti-allergen medicine in his pocket at all times.

Cale’s group seldom get days off. It wasn’t because their young master was working them to the bone. In fact, his always the first one to suggest the idea of slacking off for a few hours. Rather, it’s just that everyone always keeps themselves occupied. Even when it’s a supposed “free day” everyone will be busy, either training or researching something.

+~+~+~+~+~+

That was why this stroll [Name] is doing in town isn’t because she had the day off. She’s actually strolling the busy streets in order to spread another rumour, Cale’s orders of course.

But she can’t help but admit that this task is more leisurely compared to their usual missions.

Which was why she decided to take it easy and enjoy her rare outing.

As usual, with her is Choi Han. The rumours don’t need lying so he was up for the task. He had been paired with [Name] to ensure he wouldn’t go overboard.

“Let’s go check out that stall! It didn’t exist when I went here last week!”

[Name] pulled the swordmaster behind her, trying to drag him over to the new stall that seemed to sell all kinds of trinkets.

Choi Han let himself be dragged by her. A smile grazed his lips at how happy she looked.

Just like that, the two continued to spread rumours while enjoying themself around town. Choi Han’s previously empty hands are now filled with bags containing souvenirs for everyone left at home.

“We should’ve brought a spacial bag–”

Keugh!

[Name] felt nauseous once more. There wasn’t even a trigger this time. No smell, no sudden movements. Nothing. Her body made her nauseous just because it could.

“Let’s get you home now.”

Choi Han, a little more used to her body’s antics now, placed himself in front of her in order to catch her. It was the next best thing he could do since his arms were currently unavailable. As expected, [Name] landed on his chest. Her hands latching themselves onto his shirt to keep herself from falling.

“…Yeah I guess that’s enough chatting with the townspeople. I’m sure everyone knows us by now.”

Next time [Name] felt nauseous Choi Han wasn’t there to help her. In fact, there were no adult figures as she was the adult for the day.

+~+~+~+~+~+

That’s right, she was with the children averaging 8 years old.

Everyone had something to do and they were in a foreign kingdom. Hence why [Name] decided to take the kids out to eat. After all, it’s not every day they would be able to taste these foreign dishes. Unless they manage to snag the recipe and bring it back to Beacrox.

“Try this [Name]!”

“You have to taste this nya!”

“This one is delicious too nya! Try it! Try it!”

[Name] had rented out a private room so the children could eat freely. One of the consequences of that was them pushing her to eat everything they deemed delicious. Which was practically the entire menu of the restaurant.

After a while [Name] could feel herself becoming full. She was aware that she should stop eating or else she’d feel nauseous again.

But she didn’t have the heart to deny the kids feeding her a bunch of food. They just wanted to share the joy of eating something delicious with her.

And so she pushed her limits. She couldn’t say no when those three pairs of adorable eyes looked at her expectantly.

Fortunately, Cale and Choi Han soon arrived.

As they entered the room the kids ran over to Cale, ready to feed him everything they made [Name] taste.

Simultaneously, Choi Han took it as a chance to check on [Name]. As soon as the door opened he noticed how pale she looked.

“You alright?”

He whispered as he sat beside her. His fingers rubbed soothing circles on her back.

“Yeah, just peachy. I just got carried away and ate too much”

She whispered back as she leaned on his arm.

“Sure? Maybe you accidentally ate something bad for your stomach…”

“I’m sure. I simply couldn’t say no to the kids.”

Choi Han chuckled slightly, understanding where [Name] was coming from.

“Try not to let them sway you next time.”

He halfheartedly suggested knowing that [Name] would probably do it again if it was for the kids.

“Hahahaha! Did you see the young master’s face!? It was hilarious!”

+~+~+~+~+~+

[Name] laughed as she recalled how the awards ceremony went down. She didn’t expect the crown prince to pull off such a thing. Beside her was Choi Han who was smiling. He didn’t fully comprehend why she found the earlier scene funny but as long as she was happy

“Who needs to go watch opera when you have that–“

There comes the nausea from laughing too much. [Name] instinctively grabbed on Choi Han’s arm. Her grabbing onto him seemed to be the drill as of late whenever she felt nauseous.

“Karma”

Cale grumbled as he walked past them while holding onto a plate of cake. He clearly heard how [Name] was laughing hard at him.

In the midst of [Name] almost throwing up her lunch she still found joy in the situation. The young master was quite cute when his upset after realising he got “scammed”.

And so another wave of laughter escaped past her lips.

“Stop laughing, you’ll feel worse.”

Choi Han clicked his tongue as he scolded the woman leaning on his arms. However, that said woman couldn’t control her laughter. Everything was just too funny.

Giving up, the swordmaster merely supported her weight. He waited for her to feel weak by either laughing too much or feeling even more nauseous.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

+~+~+~+~+~+

This time that desperate time is Choi Han feeling uncomfortable while dealing with a bunch of nobles. He had his fair share of interaction with them but it still felt unusual. Even more so when they surround him, just like right now.

In the midst of him trying to escape from everyone and seriously considering knocking them all unconscious, a familiar figure managed to stagger into his arms.

That familiar figure looked weak. The back of her hand was covering her mouth in an attempt to not vomit.

Of course, that familiar figure was [Name].

Choi Han easily caught her in his arms as she staggered towards him. Once she felt she was safe, she rested her head on his chest.

“I’m sorry, but I have to go now.”

Choi Han bowed towards the crowd before hooking his arms underneath [Name]’s legs. The nobles understood his intentions and finally created a path he could go through. Everyone is aware of how [Name], like Cale, seems to also have a weak constitution.

The swordmaster thanked them as he carried [Name] out of there. He walked until they arrived at a gazebo in the garden.

He sat down on the bench-like chair inside the gazebo, placing [Name] on his lap. Choi Han scanned her body to make sure nothing else was wrong before asking his questions.

“Did you push yourself again? Was it the crowd this time? Were they too much?”

Concern lingered in his eyes, but [Name] simply giggled at him.

“I’m fine, I was faking it.”

“Why..?”

The swordmaster is no stranger to his friends acting all sorts of roles to get what they want. However, this time he can’t fathom why [Name] would do such a thing.

“You looked uncomfortable silly. Is that a way to thank your saviour?“

[Name] jokingly asked him, flexing her muscles as if she just saved him from a gruesome battle.

“I guess you’re the knight in shining armour today huh?”

Choi Han played along to her whims. His hold on her waist tightened ever so gently to ensure she wouldn’t fall off his lap for she was moving too much.

That afternoon, the two spent their time talking about all sorts of topics inside the gazebo until they had to reluctantly go back inside once more.

#choi han x reader #manhwa x reader #lotcf x reader #female reader #x female reader #trash of the count's family #lout of the count’s family #tcf #lcf #lotcf #totcf

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riality-check · 2 years ago

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platonic hellcheer coparenting part 6! part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5

Chrissy flattens out her skirt and tries to breathe. She shouldn’t be so nervous, standing on the front steps of a home she’s never been to. She can’t even blame her shaking on the cold; it may be the time in March when it’s still blustery and threatening snow, but her thermal tights and sweater do their job well.

(Soon, neither of those will fit. Chrissy tries not to think about that. She knows what happens once she starts down that road, and it’s never good.)

No, her shaking is exclusively due to nerves, and she’s perfectly justified in feeling this way.

“There’s nothing to be nervous about,” Eddie says, snapping her out of her thoughts.

“That’s crap, and you know it.”

“No, I know that there’s nothing to be nervous about. So long as you still want to do this.”

He fishes his keys out of his pocket. How he manages to find anything on that cluttered mess of keychains and cards and multiple lanyards, for some reason, Chrissy will never know, but it’s another quirk that makes Eddie, Eddie.

It hasn’t been very long at all, but she’s finding, so far, that she really likes him. Not that she’s ever pictured it before it happened, but she can’t imagine being in this situation with anyone else at her side.

He doesn’t put his keys in the door. He just looks at her, eyes a little wide.

“You do still want to do this, right?” he asks.

“Yeah,” she says.

“I don’t want you to feel like you have to do anything you don’t-”

“Eddie,” she says. “Just because I don’t want to tell my parents-”

Just because I haven’t talked to them in years, she doesn’t say.

“-doesn’t mean we can’t tell your uncle.”

“Yeah, but-”

“Eddie,” she says again. “You’re allowed to want things out of this, too. Okay?”

He smiles. It’s different from the broad, mocking grins she remembers him having in high school. It’s small and almost secret, like he didn’t even realize it made its way onto his face.

She wishes, not for the first time and certainly not for the last, that she could love him like that. It sure would make life a lot easier.

But, Chrissy supposes, I don’t think easy is in the cards.

“Okay,” Eddie says, and he turns the key into the lock. The door creaks open, swinging inside and Chrissy can feel the heat of the house bleed out, just a little bit.

“Wayne!” he calls. “I’m home!”

He takes a step in, motioning for Chrissy to follow.

She does because what else is she supposed to do?

“Living room,” Mr. Munson calls back.

Eddie takes her inside to a cozy home. Straight ahead is a small kitchen with a little table and two chairs. To her left, a coat rack and a hallway. To her right, the living room.

Mr. Munson sits on a recliner. There’s a still-smoking cigarette in the ashtray to his right, and there’s a basketball game on the TV. Chrissy notes idly that the Pacers are losing.

Minus the ashtray, and if the TV were in HD, it could be Chrissy’s living room. The one at her parents’ house. Almost. It’s a little smaller, and the hats on the walls - that’s a lot of hats - make it feel… different.

Better.

Chrissy has been in this house for thirty seconds and already likes it better than the one she grew up in.

She wonders what her mother would say about her being in the trailer park. She finds that she really couldn’t care less, and she’s ecstatic about that fact.

Eddie grabs her hand. Squeezes once. Leads her into the living room.

They sit side by side on the little loveseat parked against the wall. Chrissy almost knocks her knee into Eddie’s, just for a little reassurance, but keeps herself from doing that.

She’s not really sure why.

She gets a good look at Eddie’s uncle this way, though. He’s an average-sized guy, bald, probably in his fifties. He has hard features and keys dangling from his hand and, most startlingly, really blue eyes.

Like, really blue.

She expected them to be more like Eddie’s. It shouldn’t be so much of a surprise - Eddie hasn’t told her too much about his uncle, nothing beyond the fact that he raised him and that he’s living with him again since he came back to Hawkins - but it is.

“How was your day?” Eddie asks.

Mr. Munson turns to the two of them. If he’s surprised to see Chrissy, he doesn’t show it. His face stays perfectly neutral, and his eyes give away nothing.

“Slow,” he says after a minute. “Got some good sleep. Little pissed that my team’s losing. About to head in to work in about an hour. Who’s she?”

He asks the question with the same inflection that he uses to report on his day, so it takes Chrissy a moment to realize that he asked a question.

“Chrissy Cunningham, sir,” she says. She stands up and holds out her hand to shake.

Mr. Munson stares up at her, and his eyes widen just a little bit. Chrissy thinks, though she doesn’t know what it could possibly be, that she’s done something wrong.

But then the corner of his mouth turns up, just a bit, and he stands slowly, taking her hand and giving it a good, firm shake.

“You don’t need to call me sir,” he says, and yeah, there’s definitely an accent of some kind. Southern, but not quite. Chrissy wonders why Eddie doesn’t have it.

“Sorry, Mr. Munson,” she says.

He wrinkles his nose and huffs out a little laugh. “Wayne is just fine. Mr. Munson makes me feel old.”

“You are old,” Eddie says from the couch.

“And you’re a brat,” Mr. Mun - no, Wayne - says, finally letting go of Chrissy’s hand. He says it lightly, like it doesn’t mean anything.

In what used to be Chrissy’s house, that would have meant a lot.

But Eddie laughs, and Wayne smiles, and Chrissy thinks, again, that this house is very different from the one she grew up in.

She sits back down next to Eddie. He knocks his knee into hers, and she knocks it back.

Wayne looks at them, amused. “You his girlfriend, Chrissy?”

“No,” the two of them say in perfect synchronization.

“You sure?” Wayne asks, eyebrows raised, clearly not believing them at all.

“I’m gay, Wayne,” Eddie says. Which. While that’s true, that’s definitely a route to take this conversation.

If Chrissy said that… well. She doesn’t know how that would have gone, specifically. Definitely not well. Maybe to church. Definitely to a therapist, but only one that would have agreed with her mother.

“Okay,” Wayne says with a shrug.

Eddie doesn’t even sigh with relief or do anything of the sort. Chrissy is getting more confused by the second.

“Did you know that?” Wayne asks Chrissy, and it takes her a moment to realize that he’s cracking a joke.

She takes a breath, then says, “Yeah, and I’m a lesbian.”

It feels good to say it out loud. Maybe even better saying it the second time.

Eddie knocks his knee into hers again. She knocks his back.

Wayne snorts. “Okay. Got all of Hawkins’s gay population in this trailer, with us three queers.”

That definitely explains his reactions, then.

Eddie chuckles and rolls his eyes.

“I got a feelin’ that’s not what you wanted to tell me, though,” Wayne says.

Chrissy does the slightly cowardly thing and turns to Eddie, who looks like he’s thinking really hard.

Whatever he comes up with has to be better than what she has, which is nothing.

“Wayne, remember how you’ve always wanted grandkids?” Eddie says.

Chrissy stands corrected.

“Somethin’ tells me that’s a lot less likely now,” Wayne says.

“Yeah, well. Less likely doesn’t mean it’s not happening.”

Chrissy wants to sink into the couch and never be seen again.

“What?” Wayne asks.

“Surprise,” Eddie says weakly. “One grandkid, due in November.”

Wayne turns to Chrissy. “Is he bullshitting me?”

“No, sir,” she says.

“You can drop the sir,” Wayne corrects, almost like it’s habit.

He turns back to both of them. “Do I want to know how-”

“No,” they say in unison.

Wayne nods like he was expecting that.

“You better get used to being called Grampa, because it’ll happen before you know it,” Eddie says.

Wayne smiles, for real this time. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Like you don’t already know,” Eddie says, but he gets up and hugs Wayne bone-crushingly tight. Wayne hugs back just as tight.

Chrissy stays on the couch, watching. The ache she thought she’d feel isn’t that bad. It’s bearable. It’s there, a low thrum deep in her chest, but it doesn’t hurt all that much.

“Chrissy, get over here,” Wayne says.

“What?” she says.

“Get over here,” he says. “You’re family.”

“But we’re not-”

“You’re family,” Wayne says seriously.

“Chrissy, get in before he comes over there,” Eddie warns, but that’s lighthearted, too.

Chrissy stands up and lets herself be hugged by the two of them. She could get used to family being light.

And, she realizes, I’m gonna make sure mine will be light, too.

#ria writes #phc au #eddie munson #chrissy cunningham #wayne munson #platonic hellcheer #stranger things #stranger things ficlet #st #st ficlet

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etoileee · 3 months ago

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Hello! I hope you're having a good morning/night! (It's morning where I am) I saw your request for questions and thankfully I'm full of them. Question 1. How's the food at the cafeteria? I've always wondered if it's quality or just regular summer camp food status.

2. Is it strange to see nymphs, and other 'fantasy' beings in your DR? Does it give an uncanny valley effect or does it give off movie CGI but in real-time? Or even cost player terms in looks? Because I would feel like I was in Narnia lol.

3. how are the other campers? Besides the main 6 and Nico, I would imagine them being friendly enough.

4. And finally last question, could you tell who's in who's cabin? I also imagine some gods 'genetics' stick more commonly than not (like Athena kids with gray eyes) but! That's all my questions! Hope I didn't blab your ear off! This is my first time able to ask the little nitty gritty questions of a POJ Dr (all the tic-tok videos I see are either from 2022 or disappeared ;-;) but I'm excited! Thank you and have a good week!

HELLOOOO it is in fact 10pm for me right now so yes I am having a good night! :D glad to hear you are full of questions because I love answering them!

1. I can’t say anything about food yet since I’ve only shifted to my pjo dr once and I was only there for one day, I had woken up there right around 9 pm and that’s dinner is, they did offer me food but I declined because I was too in shock to eat 😭 I do remember percy liking the food in lightning thief though so I’m expecting it to not be too bad

2. YES OMG i’VE ALREADY MENTIONED THAT I PASSED OUT WHEN I FIRST GOT TO CAMP AND SAW CHIRON HAAA

its not necessarily uncanny valley, its more like movie cgi in real time, after my talk with nico on the first night when we were walking back to the campfire to meet with the others again one of em emerged from a tree and I screamed because HELL I WAS SURPRISED OKAY and she kinda just looked and me mischievously and ran off, like she liked the reaction she got out of me lol.

3. I didn’t really interact with any other campers the first night other than the hermes kids and a little bit of interaction with a few apollo kids, after the campfire with the prophecy members I went into the hermes cabin to sleep since I haven’t been claimed yet and even if I was there isn’t a NYX cabin for me to be in. the hermes kids were a mix of like.. stand offish and unserious, they were curious about me and they weren’t shy about it. there was an empty bunk in the cabin and it still had someone’s belongings on it, and I can’t help bit think that stuff is luke’s.

4. with some cabins you can definitely notice similarities! and if they don’t look similar physically its their aura, for I saw some apollo kids walking to the hermes cabin, they were sitting outside smoking weed 💀 there was about six of them and they all had blonde hair and tan skin. as I walked they saw me, the new nyx kid with white eyes and they were definitely surprised and confused but most of them smiled at me to gave me a nod as I walked and I appreciated that :P

im so sorry I fell like I couldn’t give you good answers to your questions 😭 but I hope this satisfies you a little bit! I plan on shifting tonight and I plan on staying for more than one day this time so we’ll see how that goes! and I’ll make sure to come back and tell you all about it! :D

#percy jackson #percy jackon and the olympians #heros of olympus #pjo #percy jackson fandom #pjo fandom #reality shifting #shifting motivation #percy jackson x reader

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mischievouslittlecreature · 5 months ago

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Part 21: The Shadow of the Abattoir

Fandom: Peaky Blinders

Pairing: Tommy Shelby x OC

Summary: Tommy's mood has been sullen since the holidays arrived.

Word Count: 3,943

Notes: Warnings for depictions of smut, polyamory, and prostitution.

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Chapter 1: His Last Little Pet

Lucy tugged her coat a little tighter around her shoulders. It wasn’t terribly cold–not as bad as it had been last year–but still chilly enough to send a shiver wracking through her.

Her eyes darted up to the arched entryway of the Midland hotel, beginning to climb the steps hurriedly. She was running late. The line at the store had been long with slightly panicked patrons rushing to try to complete their last minute Christmas shopping, and by the time she finally paid for the few additional presents she’d decided to get for Charlie, it was later than she’d anticipated. Tommy was probably already inside the hotel, waiting for her.

Another chill ran through her muscles, teeth chattering slightly with it, and she silently cursed her tiny size that made her so susceptible to the cold.

No matter; Tommy would see to it that she was warmed up in no time once they go to the room they’d booked for the night.

She found him seated at a round table covered with a red tablecloth near the top of the stairs, smoking and talking with Lizzie, tall and elegant in her red coat where she was seated in the chair across from him. Lucy wasn’t all that surprised to see her; Lizzie had said she would stop by to drop off some of Charlie’s presents and give Tommy some files needed for a meeting they were to attend tomorrow before heading home for Christmas.

Tommy didn’t look all that thrilled to be talking with her. In fact, he looked to be on the verge of internally screaming. Lucy quickly recognized the miserable look in his eyes and felt her hackles raise a little protectively, pace hastening. Whatever Lizzie was trying to talk to him about, it was upsetting him.

As Lucy finished climbing the stairs, she saw Billy drop by the table, leaving a drink for Lizzie and speaking with Tommy. Adjusting her grip on her bags as she weaved her way around tables occupied by couples and families dining, Lucy saw Lizzie’s face fall at whatever Tommy was saying to Billy.

Probably enquiring about the whore he and Lucy had agreed to hire for the evening.

Lizzie’s face twisted, snapping something at him in anger. Tommy’s face remained immovable as stone, and Lucy was close enough now to hear him telling her about the horse they’d gotten Charlie for Christmas: a thoroughbred of sweet, gentle temperament.

“And on Christmas day, it’ll be just you and Charlie,” Lizzie said, like it was the worst thing in the world.

“And Lucy,” Tommy corrected. “And the horse.”

Lizzie shook her head. “You can’t live like this another year.”

Tommy met her eyes coldly. “Sex, freedom, whiskey sours…which one should I give up first, Lizzie, eh?”

Lucy finally made it to the table. “Hi,” she stooped to give Tommy a kiss on the cheek. “Sorry I’m late. The shop was a madhouse.”

He looked relieved to see her. There were creases of stress in his brow and around his mouth, but he smiled when her lips pecked his cheek, face leaning ever so slightly into her hand when she swiped her thumb across the freckled skin to wipe away the little lipstick smudge she left on him.

“That’s alright. I just got here,” he said.

“Hi, Lizzie,” Lucy said to the taller woman, who just frowned and turned away, not responding. Lucy shrugged off the cold reception, turning back to Tommy and setting the bags she was carrying down at the base of the table. “I managed to get those two things for Charlie that we talked about–”

“I already wrapped all of Charlie’s presents,” Lizzie said, a bit more snappish than Lucy was used to. Things had always been up and down between her and Lizzie, but lately they’d been more often up than down. She raised an eyebrow at her, but decided not to engage. Getting into a fight in the middle of the hotel restaurant wasn’t exactly on her Christmas to-do list.

“I can wrap these, it’s no big deal. I got some extra paper from the store on my way over.”

“Oi,” Tommy said to a passing waiter. “Could we get another chair, please?”

“Don’t bother,” Lizzie took a gulp of her drink, setting it down on the table with a little more force than necessary, gathering up her things. She shot Lucy a look of venom that she hadn’t seen from her in a long time. “I’m leaving.”

Lucy shot Tommy a slightly helpless look. His attempt to hand Lizzie her Christmas gift–just a sizable roll of bills–got them nothing but a scowl as she snatched it from his hand and stormed away.

Tommy sighed. “Merry Christmas,” he whispered sullenly. Lucy squeezed his shoulder sympathetically, sliding into the seat across from him that Lizzie had left vacant.

“I take it you two had a good chat,” reaching across the table, she pulled a cigarette from his case. “What did she want?”

“She was trying to convince me to come to John’s for New Year’s.”

“Mm. I’m sure everyone would be thrilled if we turned up uninvited. Esme might try to stab you.”

“Lizzie thinks that bringing Charlie would somehow quell everyone’s rage.”

Lucy snorted. “As if. The second they put all the kids out to play in the garden they’ll be on us both like a pack of wolves,” she rubbed the toe of her shoe up and down his calf, watching his sad eyes carefully. It hurt her to see him like this. Even though she and his family rarely saw eye to eye, she knew that he missed them. “I’m sorry.”

Tommy shrugged. “Not much that can be done about it.”

She gave him a small smile, foot still resting against his leg as she leaned forward, hoping that a change of subject would help distract him. “So. Who’d you get for us tonight?”

“I told Billy to find someone new.”

“Mm,” she hummed around her cigarette. “Good.”

“The room should be ready now, if you’d like to go up.”

Nodding, she stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray. “Yes,” raising her eyes to his as they both stood and gathered up their things, she smiled mischievously, hoping it would help to raise his spirits a little. “I got chilled on the walk over. I could use a little warming up.”

His expression settled into a small smirk, some warmth returning in his cold, dead eyes. “Is that so?”

“Mhm,” she nodded, biting the inside of her cheek to hold in a giggle, humming happily as his large hand, resting on the small of her back, started to guide her towards the elevators.

∗ ∗ ∗

“Oh,” Lucy grabbed onto Tommy’s hair, back arching and head falling back. His arms were looped around her, holding her as she rode him, face nuzzling against hers, foreheads touching.

Normally, he wasn’t so touchy-feely when they had a third member in their bed, but tonight, she sensed that he was in need of a little more closeness and love than he was willing to admit.

He’d been more solemn, lately. Probably because of the holidays. It just served as another reminder of the schism between him and his family that had drawn out for the past year. She knew that he missed them terribly, and that the few handfuls of times he’d tried to reach out to any of them over the course of the year, it had ended quite badly.

Her poor Tommy. It killed her to see that sad, lost look that always entered his eyes. The way his shoulders slumped, lips pressed into a deep frown while he allowed them to hurl insults or worse at him, not even trying to defend himself.

He kissed her temple, hips rocking up deeply into her, nose tickling against her neck as he pressed soft little kisses there.

Hmph. Heartless monster, indeed. Stupid Shelbys.

None of them deserved him. Not a single one. They’d never treated him right when they had him. And they certainly didn’t love him.

At least not without limitations.

When she tilted his face up to look at her, the light reflected off of the lenses of his glasses, and she felt her walls clench around him at the sight, bringing her mouth down to slant across his.

He was so beautiful.

The whore seated behind her, her front to Lucy’s back, doubled her efforts stroking Lucy’s clit, and the red-head whined softly into Tommy’s mouth. He grunted when she involuntarily tightened around him. The woman’s other hand cupped and squeezed one of her breasts, teasing the coral pink nipple. The added stimulation made Lucy shiver, and combined with the sensation of Tommy’s enormous cock pumping in and out of her, she was teetering dangerously close to coming.

“That’s it…” Tommy purred as he felt her impending orgasm building around him. Peppering kisses down her neck to her shoulder, he nipped lightly at the freckled flesh there. “Come, love.”

At the same time that he spoke, he thrusted up into her at just the right angle, and she sobbed to the ceiling, climaxing hard around him. Tommy moaned, and with three more quick thrusts emptied inside of her with a grunt of her name.

All three of them came to a stop, gasping with ragged breaths. Lucy burrowed against Tommy’s chest, humming when he wrapped his arms around her. Eyes closing, she breathed in the scent of his cologne still lingering on his skin, mingled with the natural musk of his sweat and smoke.

Behind her, the woman Billy had assigned to them for the evening pulled away, and Lucy instinctively snuggled closer to Tommy in an attempt to combat the sudden cool air at her back. He squeezed her tighter, then leaned back just enough to kiss her tenderly on the mouth. Over their breathing and the soft smack of their lips against each other, she could hear the woman moving about the room, getting dressed.

She hissed when Tommy’s softening cock slipped out of her, walls and inner thighs still a little oversensitive from her orgasm. He stroked her back, helping her to climb off of his lap and flop over onto the mattress. Immediately, she latched onto his side, koala-like in the way that she clung to him. Tommy quickly pulled the blanket up, tucking it in around her shoulders.

She watched the woman finish gathering up her clothes. She took the money Tommy handed her without a word, heading to the door. Tommy remained with his back to the headboard, face tilted up towards the ceiling.

Lucy reached out, stroking a hand down his chest to get his attention. “Tommy?”

He looked down at her, reaching up to pull off his glasses, setting them down on the bedside table. Flicking off the light, he settled in beside her, head on the pillows. His arm wrapped around her, pulling her in closer.

“Warm enough, now?” he asked in a low voice.

“Mhm,” turning her head, she pressed a kiss to his bicep. “Thank you.”

He pecked the top of her head affectionately. Wrapping her arm around him, she traced her fingertips delicately across his back, enjoying the warmth of his skin, like hot sand, against hers.

“I’m sorry about the rest of the family,” she said quietly after a moment. Tommy sighed deeply.

“Don’t be. It’s not your fault.”

Sometimes she wondered if that was true. That most of his family couldn’t stand her had likely not exactly been of help when it came to trying to mend fences.

Not sure what else to say, she simply leaned in and pressed her lips to his chest. One of Tommy’s hands landed on the base of her neck, warming her there and stroking the sensitive skin.

“I love you,” she whispered into his chest, right above his heart. She felt his breaths stutter slightly under her lips, and when she raised her gaze up to his face, it was to find him blinking hard up at the ceiling, eyes a little glassier than usual. When he looked down at her, she could see the gratefulness in his eyes.

“I love you too,” he craned his head down to kiss her. “Thank you for still being here. With me.”

Settling in closer, giving him a little squeeze in quiet camaraderie, she smiled. “No where else I’d rather be, love.”

∗ ∗ ∗

When he came out of the washroom, freshly shaved and half dressed, it was to find Lucy, already fully clothed and ready to go, sitting on the hotel room’s bed, holding his new black bowler hat in her hands.

At the creak of the washroom door opening, she looked up at him, forest green eyes narrowed, lifting the hat with one hand.

“What’s this?”

Tommy raised an eyebrow, moving to shrug on his waistcoat.

“I thought I’d try something new.”

“I thought that I’d made my feelings on hats like these,” she waved the black bowler hat in the air, “very clear last time.”

“Yeah, well, it’s my head. I can put what I want on it.”

“It’s worse than the one you wore to the orphanage opening!” she was looking at the hat like it had personally insulted her mother.

“You haven’t even seen it on!” pulling on his coat, he checked to make sure he had everything in his briefcase, and slid his glasses onto his nose. The bellboys had already taken down all their other luggage to the car.

She gave him a look, nose still wrinkled in distaste, and thrust the hat at him. He took it with a sigh, setting it atop his head. Lucy examined him for a long moment.

“...I think we should see other people.”

“Hey!” he protested.

“You look like an evil Tory banker come to ruin Christmas in one of those pictures Ada likes so much.”

He snatched it off his head. “You’re mean.”

“And you’re too sexy to be wearing something so dreadful.”

Stubbornly, he secured the hat back onto his head. “I’m wearing it,” and you can’t stop me, he added silently with his eyes. Lucy shrugged.

“It’s your head.”

He snorted, rolling his eyes fondly, taking hold of his briefcase and steering her towards the door with the other. “I wasn’t aware you’d become an expert on fashion.”

She elbowed him playfully with a glare. “Rude.”

Chuckling, he led the way to the elevators.

∗ ∗ ∗

Slumped into a chair at the table in the conference room, with a cigarette and some paperwork, Lucy watched closely as, from the far opposite end of the table, Tommy questioned Michael about first the union convener causing issues, and then about Polly’s wellbeing. That sad, lost look in his eyes, briefly abated since they’d fucked at the Midland and she’d teased him about his truly horrid hat, had returned.

She forced herself to remain in her seat, even if the desire to go to him and squeeze him around the ribs until he felt better was practically eating her alive.

Finally, he dismissed Michael and returned to her side, collapsing down into the chair at the head of the table next to hers. She didn’t speak until the door had swung shut and latched behind Michael.

“Are you okay?” it felt like a stupid question the moment it left her lips. Tommy just grunted, fingers running along his lips in thought. Angling and scooting her chair closer, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “That was good advice that you gave him. If he can get her off the tablets, things might get better.”

“Hm…maybe,” he rubbed at her arm with one hand, head tilting so she could rest her face in the crook of his neck, closing her eyes and drawing in the scent of his aftershave.

She did not know what else to say. Around and around they’d gone in circles all year. Any attempts to reach out a hand to any of them risked getting it bitten in return, but when they tried just leaving them alone, things only seemed to get worse.

There had been a time when she thought things might get better. Tommy’d had his share of rows with his family before. And they always came crawling back in the end.

But she was beginning to doubt that would happen this time.

“Ada’s coming. Maybe she can figure out some way to help…” even as she said it, she knew that it was probably wishful thinking. Tommy just nodded silently, blowing smoke from his cigarette, hand finding hers and gripping it hard.

She squeezed him tighter. Only a few more hours, and they would be on their way back home to Arrow House and Charlie. Maybe a quiet, peaceful Christmas Eve and morning would help raise Tommy’s spirits a little.

For now, she just held him tighter, pressing her lips a few times to his neck, to remind him that he was not alone.

∗ ∗ ∗

“Do you want me to stay?”

Tommy started at the sound of Lucy’s voice behind him, turning from where he’d been peering through the blinds to look over his shoulder at where she was still sitting at the table, fiddling idly with her pen.

“Hm?”

“During your meeting with Jessie Eden. Do you want me to go so you can speak with her privately?”

“No; stay. Better for her to see that not all women working for this company are as oppressed as she thinks.”

She snorted, shooting him a tiny smirk before returning to her papers. He went to sit beside her, waiting.

Jessie Eden had her dark hair cut into a bob around her chin, wispy bangs covering her forehead. Her eyes were dark and wide, and when he did not greet her when she stepped in the door, but instead immediately jumped into talking about her issues with the pay for his wire cutters, she looked taken aback. But only for a second. She recovered fast, finding a seat at the conference table, gaze slipping to Lucy for a moment before she was back on him, and the verbal jousting began.

Lucy didn’t say a word from her seat, but he could tell she was watching the whole exchange closely, even when he rose from his chair to lean against the wall. Reclined back in her seat, observing Jessie in that analytical way she so often did. Jessie had misstepped. She did not know it, but Lucy was likely her best potential ally in that room. But she came in acting all smug and self righteous. And if there was one thing Lucy hated, it was smugness. Especially of that sort.

The meeting could have gone better. Jessie ended up stomping out with a threat of calling a strike. She did not even look over her shoulder as she yanked the door open and stormed away.

“Sweetheart?” Lucy quoted back at him, unimpressed. “Really?”

He shrugged. “What?”

“You’re being an asshole.”

He looked over at her and raised an eyebrow. “Is that why you’re smiling?”

She pressed her red lips together, trying to suppress their upward curve. “She’s smug. You know how I feel about smug,” she took a drag from her cigarette as he moved to sit down beside her. “She’s alright, though. Just intense.”

“Idealist.”

“More realistic and practical than I think she came across there,” she tapped ash into the ashtray in front of her. “Considering the people she has to deal with on a regular basis, I imagine aggression has become her go-to approach. And I think you made her nervous.”

“You do?”

“Mhm. She hardly tried to negotiate. Which means that either she’s smart enough to know that it would be useless, or you managed to fluster her. I’ve been reading some of her other grievances and proposals,” she thumbed at the papers in front of her. “She’s got a point about the lavatory.”

“What’s wrong with the lavatory?”

She looked amused. “Tom, there’s no women’s lavatory up here on this floor.”

“There isn’t?”

That made her snort. “No, love. Why do you think it always takes me so long when I have to go for a wee?”

He frowned. “You should have said–”

She shook her head, waving away his concerns. “It didn’t really occur to me until I saw it brought up in her list of suggested changes,” she picked up a paper, skimming through it. “They aren’t all bad,” when she looked up at him, her eyes were sharp. “And for the record, I think you should pay the women the same as the men.”

He smiled a little to himself, having not expected anything less. “So do I.”

She gave him one of those knowing looks. The ones that reminded him that she knew him even better than he knew himself. “I know.”

“There are just some things that need to be done, first.”

“People need to eat, Tommy.”

“Yeah,” he rubbed at his eyes. “It won’t be long. I promise.”

She nodded.

“In the meantime, I’m gonna need you to back me up with Jessie.”

She bit her lip, eyes sparkling playfully. “And what do I get in return?”

Leaning back in his chair with an amused snort, Tommy raised an eyebrow. “I’ll have a women’s lavatory installed on this floor before the end of January.”

“Hm…see, I’m pretty sure you were going to get that done anyway…”

He huffed. Again, she was right. “Alright, how about…” he trailed off, a thought occurred to him. With a sly grin, he leaned forward, fixing her with his most serious look, fighting back a laugh when she returned it with one of her own. “I’ll let you burn my bowler hat.”

Her whole face lit up, like he’d just told her Christmas had come a day early. “Deal!”

He didn’t know if he should be moderately offended or not at just how fast she had agreed. Lucy spat on her palm, holding it out to him, and he chuckled, doing the same and shaking her hand.

Hands parting after they shook once, Tommy cocked his head, looking at his lover fondly. He knew that he’d been sulkier than usual as of late. The holidays had put him in a sullen mood that try as he might, he couldn’t entirely shake.

But Lucy was still here. Still putting up with him. He never would entirely understand why.

She was the only one who remained. Yes, Michael, Ada, and Lizzie were still working with them, but Lizzie was up and down as far as how warm she was with either of them, and there was a distance between him and Michael that Tommy doubted would ever be able to be breached. And Ada had been across the ocean in America for the better part of the last year.

Lucy was the only one still at his side. Still with him completely and entirely.

The only one who still actually loved him.

Reaching out to her, he stroked the back of his hand tenderly down her cheek. Her lashes fluttered at the movement, small, freckled hand raising to cover his.

“Shall we go home?” he asked, eager to return to the quiet peace of Arrow House and to Charlie. He’d missed his boy.

Lucy smiled against his head, letting out an exhausted, relieved groan. “God, yes.”

With a smile of his own–wider and more genuine than any he’d expressed the entire day–he stood. They gathered up their things, pulling on their coats, and then, hand-in-hand, walked from the office and to the car.

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#tommy shelby x oc #tommy shelby #peaky blinders #my ocs #lucy winters #lucy winters x tommy shelby #lily writes #love me where i'm most ruined

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