#I'm not as bothered about Long Tall Weekend

[lapinpuff]

TMBG corner growing like a tapeworm haha. I also have BOOK but I have the erm..book version so I can't display it </3

[roosterforme]

Yours Truly, Bradley Bradshaw Part 18 | Rooster x Reader

Summary: Short notice before the start of a deployment was bad enough, but Bradley was left worrying about so much more. And if he didn't figure it out quickly, he thought he might lose you. How would you and he make it through the worst kind of time apart?

Warnings: Fluff, oral sex, smut, angst, adult banter, desperate Bradley, 18+

Length: 4100 words

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Female teacher!Reader

Check out my masterlist for more! Yours Truly, Bradley Bradshaw masterlist

Your boyfriend was acting strange, and now you had the distinct feeling he was lying to you. You sat on your bed after work on Friday with tears in your eyes as you tried to process the fact that you barely heard from him after you sent the topless picture the day before. Usually that kind of thing got him going in a good way, and he kept telling you he was fine, but it didn't seem that way. You just couldn't figure out what happened. 

A few minutes ago, you texted him about the plan for the weekend. You really wanted to talk to him about your upcoming winter break, too. You were supposed to be heading to his house right now, but you were having second thoughts as you read the latest message from him again.

I know we were supposed to go to Salvatore's tonight, but I think we need to talk instead. 

This sounded so bad to you. It didn't sound like he simply had a long day and just wanted to relax on the couch with you. This was something that built up over the past two days, and now you felt tears in your eyes as you scooped up your overnight bag and headed out.

"Just get it over with," you told yourself as you drove. You tried to focus on your playlist, but your mind was wandering to the plethora of reasons why I think we need to talk spelled disaster.

After you fought your way through rush hour traffic and pulled up to park in front of Bradley's house which you were supposed to move into next month, you noticed he was sitting on the porch step, waiting for you. And he didn't look very happy.

"Hi," he greeted with a poor attempt at a smile as he slowly stood and made his way over to you. He looked tall, broad and handsome in his uniform, but he didn't call you Gorgeous. 

"What's wrong?" you asked, not even bothering to get your bag out of your car before you met him halfway up his walkway. 

He pulled you in for a hug, and you could feel his lips on your ear as he lied to you again. "Nothing's wrong."

"Bradley," you said, trying to pull out of his grasp. He let you go, but now he wasn't even pretending to smile. You swallowed and whispered, "You've been acting strange since yesterday. I thought maybe work was getting to you, or that you just needed a day of quiet to yourself. But clearly this has to do with me, so just tell me what's wrong."

"It's not you," he replied instantly, taking a step closer with a pained look on his face. "God, it's absolutely not you."

When you looked at him more closely, it was obvious he was exhausted. Like maybe he hadn't even slept last night. He had dark circles under his eyes, and his shoulders were sagging forward just enough that he looked almost defeated. 

"Bradley."

He looked down at the sidewalk before meeting your eyes again. "I found out yesterday... I'm being deployed."

The wave of emotion didn't hit you as hard as it could have, because you'd given this a lot of thought, but you were still rendered speechless. You'd mentally planned for this. Deployments were a way of life for him. But the tears were back as you asked, "When?"

"Day after Christmas," he murmured miserably. "But that's not all."

Your voice wouldn't work as you looked up at him, vision blurring his handsome features into something that was almost frightening. "What?"

He paused while you swiped at your eyes, and just when you thought you were going to have to force it out of him, he said, "It's with the Atlantic Fleet. Out of Norfolk, Virginia. They... they said they want me permanently."

"No," you sobbed, realizing that your tears were starting to roll down your cheeks. Now it made perfect sense. You knew why he'd been acting so odd. "You want to break up before you leave."

"What?" Bradley replied, his voice sharp as he reached for you again. "No. No, Gorgeous. I don't."

You felt ridiculous, crying in his arms in his front yard, but all you could say was, "Then why didn't you just tell me yesterday that you're going back to Virginia?"

"Fuck," he grunted, tucking you tighter against him. "Does this mean you don't want to dump me?"

You inhaled the smell of his deodorant and jet fuel as you cried. "Why on earth would you think I'd want to dump you? I'm in love with you."

He started to back toward the front door, his hold on you never relenting as he murmured, "Now that I know you're not going to leave, let's go inside where we can talk and snuggle on the couch."

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

Bradley had been waiting on his porch step for almost an hour for you to arrive, thinking there was a real chance that you'd drive off again. He was tired and hungry, and he'd spent the last day and a half trying to figure out what was going on with his job. But more than anything, he was afraid you hadn't changed your stance on falling for a guy who lived on the opposite side of the country.

Shit. He made you cry. You were still crying as he led you over to the couch where you ended up sitting on his lap. He was trying to wipe your tears away as you just shook your head. "I'm sorry, Baby," he whispered. "I didn't mean to upset you like this."

You sucked in a few breaths before you managed to say, "Let me make sure I have this straight. You're leaving for Virginia. And you don't know when you're coming back, if at all?"

"Yeah," he whispered. There was no point in beating around the bush about it. "The deployment out of Norfolk is a done deal. Leaving on the twenty-sixth is a done deal. I'm trying my hardest to fight the rest of it."

"You can do that?" you asked, letting your forehead rest against his. 

Bradley kissed you softly. He couldn't stop himself with you this close. "I'm trying. I don't want to leave San Diego. Virginia used to feel like home, but it hasn't for a long time. Especially not since I met you. So a permanent change of station is something I will fight until they force it on me."

You kissed him this time, and he knew nowhere would feel like home without you. But he couldn't retire yet, and he didn't want to have to ask you to uproot your life for him. He just made himself dizzy, chasing his thoughts around in circles. 

"Is there anything I can do?" you asked.

He wanted to beg you to stay with him no matter what, but he couldn't do that either. "Remember when I was deployed last time and you told me you were afraid I was stationed somewhere far away from you? And how you would have to brace yourself to say goodbye instead of pursuing something?" You nodded against him, arms around his neck as he whispered, "I thought about that all night last night. About how this could be the end for us."

"Stop it," you said before pressing your lips to his. "I don't feel that way anymore at all. It wasn't even a deal breaker when I said it months ago, and I hadn't even met you in person yet. I'm not going anywhere, Bradley. We'll figure it out."

He eased himself down along the couch, keeping you firmly on top of him as he sighed in relief. Suddenly fighting for his job with the Pacific Fleet didn't seem as daunting. He had to figure it out though, because he wanted to stay here and get married. "Say my name again?" he asked, knowing exactly how much you could calm him down when he let you in.

"Bradley," you whispered, settling against his chest as he closed his eyes.

"I love you, Gorgeous."

He didn't realize exactly how tired and stressed he was until he woke up close to midnight, alone on the couch with a blanket draped over him, still wearing his uniform and boots. As soon as he opened his eyes, his head was pounding from the events of the week, but he could smell something cooking.

Bradley rolled off the couch while his stomach growled, and he made his way into the kitchen where you were wearing his sweatshirt and making a grilled cheese sandwich while you looked at your phone. "Hey," he murmured, wrapping his arms around you from behind. You quickly swiped out of the photo album and tossed your phone aside.

"I was going to wake you up soon. You have almost no food here, but you need to eat," you told him, turning to face him. He had no food, because he originally planned to take you out tonight, and now there was no point in going grocery shopping since he was leaving. Your expression was unreadable, and he didn't like that.

"What I need is to spend as much time with you as I can between now and Norfolk." Your lips curved up into a small smile. "I should have told you what was going on as soon as I found out."

You nodded. "I know we haven't been together long, but I'm taking this pretty fucking seriously, Bradley."

"Me, too," he promised. "And it's really hot when you swear." When you laughed, he felt so much better. "Listen, you're absolutely stuck with me now, okay? I'll figure this shit out, but you're stuck with me, and we're going to get married someday."

"Sounds good," you replied easily, still smiling. "But right now you need to eat."

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

You felt better with Bradley's arm around you than you had all day. You couldn't believe he'd been hanging onto your words from his last deployment. You were surprised he could still possibly think that distance would mean anything to you. Both of you agreed not to get ahead of yourselves. Uprooting your life and your career would leave you devastated, but you'd start over again for him.

"Were you just looking at the dirty picture you sent me?" Bradley asked as he bit into half of the sandwich while another one cooked.

"Yes," you whispered before nibbling on your own sandwich half.

"Shit," he mumbled, dropping his food back onto the plate where he stood in the kitchen. "I never even told you how much I loved it."

"No. You didn't."

He wiped his hands on his uniform shirt. "God, I keep fucking up. I got so sidetracked by the orders from Norfolk that I couldn't even think. I loved that photo."

You turned away to flip the second grilled cheese sandwich in the pan. "I thought you got tired of me sending them." Bradley's hand moved faster than his brain as he flicked the knob on the stove, turning it off. "Hey," you protested, turning to look at him again, but he pulled the spatula out of your hand and tossed it into the sink. "Bradley!"

He mashed his lips against yours, silencing you as his hands grabbed the backs of your thighs, pulling you closer until you were pressed tight to the front of his body. Then he let his hands slide along your bare skin from your legs, over your perfect ass, up until they were on your lower back. "I'll do better," he promised. "And right now, I want to show you how not fucking tired of you I am."

A minute later, you were on your back on the edge of his bed, legs thrown over his shoulders while he ate your pussy. Your fingers were tangled up in his hair as he knelt on the floor, and his sweatshirt was bunched up above your tits. "I will never get tired of you," he swore before licking a long stripe up to your clit. If you thought for a second that he would want to throw in the towel over long distance, he needed to make sure you understood he never would.

"Bradley," you moaned as he sucked on your clit. His insignia pins were digging into the back of your thigh, as was his name tag. He would figure this out. He would figure everything out. Leaving in a handful of days was not ideal, but as long as you still wanted him, he was all in.

"Oh my god," you whined, back arching as Bradley realized he was being a bit rougher with you than usual. But he couldn't stop. His fingers were digging into your hips, holding you in place as you tried to rock against him. 

His mouth was demanding as he sucked on and plucked at your clit, but you just kept getting louder for him. Your legs were shaking, heels digging into his shoulder blades, but he didn't stop until you came. With his tongue still swirling your clit as you yanked on his hair, Bradley quickly unzipped his khaki pants and pulled himself free. He positioned himself at your entrance as you tugged until his mouth was on yours.

"You liked it rough," he grunted between kisses slick with your arousal.

"I did," you answered, rolling your hips to take the tip of him. As your fingers trailed down to his pins, you asked, "Are you going to fuck me, Lieutenant Bradshaw?" He watched you gasp, mouth agape as he filled you with one deep thrust, and then your head tipped back as you moaned, "I'll take that as a yes."

His lips found that sweet spot next to your ear that he loved to kiss. "I just want to ensure that you'll miss me as much as I miss you while we're apart."

Your voice was softer as you said, "You don't have to worry about that."

Bradley kissed along your neck and told you how much he loved you before absolutely pounding you into the mattress. 

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

You and Bradley slept in so late on Saturday morning, you heard him wander out to the living room when Natasha arrived to go for a run to tell her he'd workout on Sunday instead. When he tried to slip back into bed, you rolled over toward him.

"Sorry. It was just Nat. I forgot I told her days ago that we could run." He gathered you against his chest and kissed your forehead.

You grinned and said, "I heard you tell her that the love of your life was more appealing today than working out."

"I sure did," he grunted and ran his big, heavy hand down your back. "You're always more appealing than anything else, Gorgeous. But if I don't run, I'll gain so much weight. You know how much I eat."

A smile found your lips as you thought about the rough sex followed by another round of grilled cheese sandwiches at two in the morning. "Can we skip Salvatore's again tonight? I'd rather stay here and feed you. We can go to Salvatore's when your deployment ends and you return to San Diego."

Bradley sighed. "And if I get told my new station is in Norfolk?"

You pressed your fingertip to his lips. "We're not humoring that thought yet. Instead, we're going to snuggle and fuck and maybe watch a Christmas movie. Okay?"

"Nothing has ever sounded better."

After that, Sunday was spent with the two of you trying to use up as much of his food as you could. You even managed to bake some cookies that he ate a dozen of in one sitting, and then you found a strand of twinkle lights in his hallway closet where you discreetly squished a spider without telling him. You helped him hang the lights on his porch railing as he laughed and said, "I don't usually celebrate holidays anymore."

"You do now," you informed him, making a mental note to have your students make some cards for him this week before he left. Bradley would be very busy over the next few days, and you didn't want to stress him out about the holiday. But just when you were about to ask him if there was a chance he'd want to spend Christmas Day with you before he flew to Norfolk, he said, "Maybe we can get Thai food on Christmas, and you can help me finish packing?"

You nodded and tried to keep the tears at bay, afraid to admit to him that the future you were so sure of was scaring you a bit. Being without him for a deployment was manageable, but the last thing you wanted to do was move across the country. At least you'd have your regular pen pal back while he was on the aircraft carrier; having Bradley in your email inbox on a regular basis again was better than nothing.

"That sounds perfect," you told him, knowing you'd do whatever it took to make this work.

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

When Bradley was called in to talk to Cyclone, he was exhausted for a different reason. Although the weekend started out laced with uncertainty between you and him, it bloomed into something sweet. On Sunday evening, you held his hand and walked along the windswept beach until it got too chilly, and then you helped him start packing. You'd had some tears in your eyes that he brushed away as you folded his clothes into tiny rectangles and stuck by his side.

Now the only uncertainty he felt came from the U.S. fucking Navy. With a deep breath and squared shoulders, he opened Cyclone's office door after he knocked. It wasn't surprising that Mav and Warlock were there, too, but he couldn't tell if that was a good sign or a bad one regarding a change of station. He raised his hand into the proper salute.

"Admirals. Captain."

The three men returned the courtesy before Cyclone sank into his office chair. "Have a seat, Lieutenant." His voice sounded gruff and perhaps even more annoyed than usual as Bradley slowly sat down opposite him. "Captain Mitchell," he barked at Maverick who procured a folder from behind his back and handed it to Bradley. Then he turned toward Bradley again and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Lieutenant Bradshaw, you'll report to the USS Gerald R. Ford in a matter of days to rendezvous with the air strike team."

Bradley nodded and skimmed the paperwork inside the folder regarding the sensitive nature of the mission, but he didn't much care about what they wanted him to do when he got there. "Sir, can you tell me where I'll be stationed once this mission is completed?"

Cyclone leaned back in his seat, brow puckered, arms crossed over his chest. "Naval Station Norfolk has, as you know, requested you specifically to round out their Super Hornet team permanently."

"Yes, Sir," Bradley replied, practically choking on the words. He would have never thought the promise of Virginia would feel like a threat to his happiness, but here he was. "I would really prefer to stay in San Diego," he added, trying to keep the pleading tone out of his voice.

Cyclone leaned forward in his seat with a weary sigh. "Admiral Simpson, Captain Mitchell and myself all agree that the Pacific Fleet is very well balanced at the moment. Losing a reliable pilot to the Atlantic at this point would not be ideal." The tension in Bradley's body eased up momentarily before Cyclone said, "But I can only do so much to keep the status quo when there is a clear need across the board."

Bradley wanted to ask why nobody else was even in consideration when Warlock cleared his throat and said, "There's a price to pay when you're the best of the best."

There was a beat of silent agreement amongst the four of them before Cyclone heaved a deep breath. "I'll do what I can," he said simply. "In the meantime, prepare for your flight to Norfolk. The information is in the folder. And prepare to be out of communication with any and all civilians for the duration."

Bradley's heart stopped. He opened the folder again, but his eyes couldn't seem to focus on the words in front of him as the pages all blurred together. His fingers scrambled as he swallowed hard, and finally he looked up at the older man seated behind the desk. "No communication at all. For the duration?"

Cyclone nodded once. "You are dismissed, Lieutenant."

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

It was just something silly, but when you saw it while you were out shopping, you bought Bradley another Christmas present. You wrapped it up in red and gold paper along with the Mira Mesa Elementary School sweatshirt you got in his size. Then you threw the gifts along with the collection of cards from your students in your overnight bag and tried to keep yourself calm as you drove down to Coronado.

You would have a few days with your boyfriend at the beginning of your winter break before you took him to the airport and sent him off to Norfolk. There would be plenty of things to keep you busy while he was away, including packing up your apartment before your lease ended. But now you'd be moving into his house without him there.

All of the twinkle lights and decorated trees gave you a bittersweet feeling in the pit of your stomach as you drove down his street, but at least this time when you parked, he jumped up from his porch step and met you at your car.

"Gorgeous," he breathed, wrapping his arms around you. His old sweatshirt was currently keeping you warm, and you really wanted him to have his new one for his deployment. You kissed him hard, noting the look of apprehension on his face, but chalking it up to the stress of the unknown.

You kissed him again and kept your arms around his neck as he picked up your bag. "I was going to say we should wait until Christmas morning, but I want you to open your presents now."

His voice was deep and raspy and right next to your ear as he led you inside. "You did not have to get me anything." He kissed your cheek and added, "I need to tell you something important."

"After you open these," you agreed, reaching into the bag and pulling out both gifts before he set it down.

Bradley studied your face before running his thumb along your cheek. "Sure. After I open these."

He took the wrapped packages as you tugged him toward the couch with your hands on his bicep, and you ended up halfway on his lap as he carefully tore at the paper like he didn't want to harm it too much.

"Just rip it," you said with a soft laugh, but he shook his head and looked up at you.

"It's too pretty," he replied. "And nobody gets me gifts, ever. Unless you count coupons for steak dinners from Natasha."

You laughed a little louder as you imagined the laundry list of weird gifts his best friend must have given him over the years. When he finally had his hands on the sweatshirt, he sat frozen with a smile on his face. "I love this. I kind of feel like an honorary faculty member at your school."

"You're a legend in my classroom, Bradley," you promised, snuggling a little closer as he set the shirt aside and carefully unwrapped the second item. This one would mean more to you while he was away, and you hoped he understood just how much you were going to miss his voice and his touch. But you'd still have something from your pen pal.

"Oh," Bradley said softly as he held the navy blue stationery set on his lap. It included note cards, luxuriously thick paper and a gold pen. You could already picture his handwriting on the pages.

"We can go back to being pen pals for a bit," you whispered. "I'll be refreshing my email inbox and waiting not so patiently for my mail to arrive. It'll be great. That's how I fell in love with you in the first place."

"Gorgeous," he groaned, setting the stationery down on his coffee table before burying his face in his hands. "That's not gonna happen."

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

Atlantic Fleet, here we come. But for how long? No pen pals. No email. No letters. This deployment already hurts. Thanks @beyondthesefourwalls

PART 19

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[orions-choker]

Even tho I'm really bad at giving ideas, maybe something with james sneaking into your bedroom at night?

Warnings: Slight size kink, vague pain kink if you squint, rough sex, unprotected sex.

Wordcount: 3,371

The muffled sounds of rowdy laughter from downstairs thrummed against the back of Y/N’s skull like a constant unwavering presence. It hurt, it was too loud, too overstimulating. Harshly she pinched the skin between her eyebrows, if she caused more pain there maybe it would distract her from the worsening headache…it didn’t. She really didn’t want to be that person, the annoying roommate who ruined everyone else’s fun by telling them to shut the fuck up on a Saturday night. If she could just tune it out it would be okay, deep breaths, close her eyes.

Her feet were hitting the plushness of her carpeted floor before she could stop them. Soft padding sounds as she strode across her room and pushed open the door. With gentle thuds she made her way downstairs. Gathered in her living room was her roommate, along with her boyfriend Lars and his bandmates. She knew them well enough, Cliff, Dave and James. They were here every weekend. Maybe it was because they had a seemingly never ending supply of booze in the house, or maybe it was because of the way James’s eyes always seemed to linger on her.

Y/N couldn’t deny that James was cute. She would be blind to not see it, he was tall, lean, had sandy blonde hair that truthfully looked like it hadn’t seen conditioner once in its life but was pretty nonetheless. Even the spattering of acne across his cheeks and jaw was endearing. However cute he was though, didn’t make up for the fact that all of them were loud. She frowned at all of them gently. “Hey Y/N, you good?” Her roommate asked her kindly.

With a wince Y/N rubbed at her temples, trying to soothe the headache that had gripped her skull and violently shook it. “I am so sorry but could you guys be just…a little quieter.” It was kinder than what she really wanted to scream at them. Tell them all to shut the fuck up and stop yelling at two in the morning. She watched the guy’s faces fall at her request, a soft grumbled agreement passing over the group. Her roommate smiling apologetically at her. “Thank you,” She sighed softly and nodded at them.

It didn’t bother her so much that she could hear Lars and Dave bitching about her as she turned to walk back up the stairs. She didn’t need them to like her, she didn’t care what they thought. As long as her roommate didn’t hate her and she could keep the peace she was content. Finally it was quiet upstairs the sounds from downstairs no longer filtering up, her room becoming a sweet sanctuary as she flipped the lights off. The pounding in her head easing up as she took a sip of the lukewarm water on her nightstand and crawled back into her bed.

Her eyes closed as she leaned back against her pillows, the softness cradling her head gently. She wanted to will herself to sleep, her mind opting to daydream about a certain tall blonde guitarist. She hardly knew James and that made it easier for her to inflict her own assumptions of what his personality was like onto her fictionalized version of him. Sometimes he was soft and sweet, laying her down and kissing her stupid until she passed out. Other’s she pictured his toned body holding her down against the bed and breaking her in over and over. It was easy to crush on a pretty boy when you didn’t know him.

There was a warm crackling beneath her ribcage as she let herself get sucked into the never ending loop of fantasies she had on repeat in her head. Her palm sliding down her body slowly, fingertips dipping beneath the waistband of her pajama bottoms. The soft pad of her fingers pressing against the dampening fabric of her panties. Then there was a creak, a soft stream of light dancing across the backs of her eyelids as her door was pushed open.

With a jump she yanked her hand out from beneath her pants as she sat up straight like a metal rod had replaced her spine. Her eyes snapping open just in time to see the dim light from the hallway disappear as her door closed once more. However standing at the end of her room was a dark tall silhouette, walking towards her slowly and hesitant. “James?” She hissed in surprise.

“Don’t stop on my account.” The soft raspiness to his voice made her stomach twist. The way he spoke was like he was trying to be confident but there was an underlying hint of shyness that surprised her. For being the front man of a metal band he seemed…soft and uncertain of himself. “You looked really pretty, I wanna see more.” Her bed dipped at the end under the weight of his knees. His body slowly crawled atop hers.

James’s rough calloused fingers wrapped around her hand, gently grabbing her wrist and guiding her hand back to the waistband of her pajamas. She could faintly see his features as her eyes adjusted to him in the dark once more. “What are you doing?” She asked hesitantly but she didn’t fight the way he moved her arm.

He smiled softly at her. “You looked like you were in a lot of pain so I came to check if you were okay.” He mumbled, his head dipping down beside hers. She could feel his breath ghosting across the skin of her neck. He smelt like booze, cigarettes and leather. It was weirdly intoxicating. “Seems like you’re doing okay though…you sound really nice moaning my name.” He teased her. Y/N’s breath hitched in her throat, had she been saying his name? She hadn’t even realized she had been making any noises. His hand was guiding hers further beneath her bottoms. Then his lips pressed against the side of her jaw and she let out a strangled gasp. He spoke against her skin. “Wanna show me how you touch yourself when you think about me?”

His heavy hand pressed her finger tips against her wet heat through the fabric of her underwear once more, guiding her hand to roll soft circles across her clit. His lips marked a path down to where her neck met her shoulder. A soft moan spilled from her lips as he continued to press his hand down against her own forcing her to touch herself. The whole situation felt unreal, like something straight out of one of her daydreams. But this was different, a different possibility to the way she usually imagined James. He was soft and romantic or rough and demanding. He was nervous, sweet and eager underneath a facade of indifference. She liked the unexpected .

Y/N pulled her hand back, watched as he pulled away from her neck with a disappointed look. “You said you wanted to watch?” She asked quietly as she hooked her thumbs into the waistband of her pajamas and underwear, tugging them down her thighs in one go. He smiled in relief, his eyes dropping down between her legs and he sucked in a harsh breath. James settled back on his knees, his heavy hands moving to push her legs further apart for a better view.

“You’re prettier than I imagined.” he hummed appreciatively. His calloused thumbs rubbed small circles into the milky flesh of her inner thighs. Y/N flushed softly at that. He imagined her? The same way she imagined him. Absently she wondered if she was living up to his preconceived notions of her personality. “C’mon touch yourself.” It was commanding, like he had taken a small shot of confidence.

Her hand dipped gingerly down to press her fingers against her puffy swollen clit. She let out a shaky sigh at the relief it brought. Every motion seemed to be intensified underneath James’s piercing gaze. Her eyes fluttered close to avoid the intensity of his eyes as she worked herself in slow gentle motions. It was a little more tame than the way she would usually work herself fast and hard to bring her release quickly, but if he wanted a show she would give it to him. Two fingers slipped down and sunk into herself, warm and wet constricting around the intrusion. “Oh fuck,” Y/N gasped, throwing her head back against the pillows.

James choked out a groan, his fingers digging into the flesh of her legs where he kept her propped open. “Yeah just like that beautiful, fuck you’re so hot.” He encouraged her. His cock was straining so hard against the front of his jeans he thought he might pop the button on them. One hand left Y/N’s thighs to press his palm down harshly against his hard on, the friction providing little relief. “Tell me how you think about me fucking you.” He groaned.

With a wet pop Y/N pulled her fingers from herself, watching as the slick that coated her hand dripped onto her stomach as she rested her hand there. Her chest heaving with soft pants. “T-think about you fucking me raw.” She mumbled, her hands sliding up her body to push her shirt up, the fabric pooling underneath her chin as she exposed her chest to James, reveling in the way his breath hitched at the sight. “Want you to split me open, wreck me for anyone else, over and over again.” Her hands reached out, hooking her fingers into his belt loops and tugging him closer.

“Yeah?” James grunted, shuffling his knees forward so he was better pressed against her body. A wetness spread across the denim from where he settled his hips against her. “S’that what you want?” His fingers tapped impatiently against the flesh of her thighs as he rolled his hips against her seeking some sort of friction to ease the tension. “You can have it baby, help me out here a little.” He nodded down towards the strain in his jeans.

Quickly Y/N scrambled up onto her knees, tugging her shirt fully off her body. She leaned up to kiss him, it was instantly sloppy and wet, his tongue pushing into her mouth without waiting. Her hands pressed against the front of his jeans, palming him teasingly through the fabric and he groaned into her mouth. Pulling back just a bit to mumble against her lips. “Quit fucking teasing and pull it out.”

The words shot heat straight down to her core, she was pretty sure she was dripping onto her sheets and she would definitely need to wash them tomorrow. Her fingers clumsily popped open the button, sliding the zipper down carefully over the straining bulge. James let out a breathy sigh of relief as some of the pressure was taken off. She let him devour her mouth once more, tongue fucking her throat until she couldn’t breath as she reached into his underwear.

The weight in her palm made her pull back from the kiss in surprise, her eyes going wide as she looked down at his length in her hand. She slid it down to the base before wrapping the next one around him above it, and his tip still peaked out from beneath her fists. She whimpered softly at the sight. “Fuck, s’gonna hurt.” She whispered in disbelief. It was so pretty, reddened and hard. Shiny with the spread of his pre cum around the head.

James laughed softly, tugging his bottom lip between his teeth as he looked down to watch her smaller hands pump him slowly. It was hardly enough pressure to relieve him but it made his hips stutter anyways. “I think you can take it.” He hummed as he pushed her back against the mattress. He quickly reached behind him, tugging his shirt off by the collar and tossing it somewhere in her dark room. He pushed his jeans down just enough to fully tug his cock out, his balls resting against the waistband of his boxers.

There was an unmistakable hunger in Y/N’s eyes as her gaze stayed trained on him, the way the veins in his arm strained as he stroked himself slowly. “I can.” She nodded in determination. Her tongue flicked out to wet her bottom lip in anticipation. “Wanna take it all.” She whined, her hips jutting up off the bed in anticipation.

“All of it?” James asked, raising an eyebrow as he repositioned himself between her legs, resting his weight on one hand beside her head. His other hand grasped the base of his length as he gently rubbed the tip across her wet folds, causing Y/N to whimper and squirm against the feeling once more. “You sure about that baby?” He teased, rubbing the head across her swollen clit.

Y/N’s hands flew up to dig her nails into James’s bare shoulders. Her mouth parting prettily as she let out a soft moan. He was relentless in rubbing against her and it made her eyes roll into the back of her head. “Fuck, James please.” She pleaded, tilting her hips up so his tip got caught on her entrance for just a moment. “I can take it all, want it all, want you to stretch me open please.” She was trying to push herself back, fuck herself onto his length.

One heavy hand came to wrest on her pelvis, pushing her hips back against the mattress firmly. “Fuck, wait a minute.” James sighed, his eyes fluttering closed for a moment. ‘Didn’t realize you were so cock drunk baby.” He grinned lazily at her as he pressed his hips forward. His confidence had skyrocketed tenfold when he realized just how eager she was for him. Slowly he pushed the head of his cock into her. The warm tight heat enveloping him and making him moan. His head dropped down to her shoulder as he shuddered. “God I just want to destroy your pretty little cunt.”

With each inch that he pushed inside her the air was pushed from her lungs almost violently. She could feel him everywhere. She could feel him in her stomach, behind her ribs in her throat. “Destroy me then.” She gasped, her legs coming to wrap around his waist and pull him closer, forcing more of his length inside her until he was buried to the hilt. She could feel his tip pressing uncomfortably against her cervix but the pain was worth it. To feel him so fully inside her, his balls heavy and pressed against the flesh of her ass, it was exhilarating.

He bottomed out with a grunt. His heavy raspy voice right beside her ear and making her head spin as he spoke lowly to her. “Yeah, want me to abuse this fucking pussy until no other dick could ever satisfy you?” It was raw and primal. Each word had her stomach tightening, the coil of arousal threatening to snap and unleash at any moment. His hips rocked slowly at first, barely pulling out before pushing back in hard. The force of the thrusts pushing her against the mattress firmly.

“God, yes James,” She whined and she realized she was being too loud. Ironically she bet that everyone downstairs could hear her right now. “Please, please fuck you’re so big it hurts so good.” Her hands slid down from his shoulders and over his back, tugging his body in closer to hers so she could feel his weight holding her down. “Don’t hold back please, wanted this for so long.”

Something within James snapped hearing her moan his name like that, pleading for him to use her. He leaned his weight on her, dropping his head to suck one of her perky nipples into his mouth as his hands came down to hold her waist. His grip was almost bruising as he pressed her down into the sheets. In one fluid motion he pulled out almost to the tip before slamming himself back into her with a force that made the headboard hit the wall behind it. “Fuck, Y/N.” He growled, biting down gently around her tit as he set his harsh pace.

It hurt, it hurt so bad that it made her eyes widened, but god it felt so good. She was pretty sure he was bruising her insides, she didn’t think she would be able to walk the next day the way his cock brutally pistoned itself against her walls. His lips suctioned around her nipple, teasing the hardened nub with his teeth. She hissed and winced, tears springing to her eyes at the intensity of it all, she was drowning in it, in him and she loved it. “D-don't stop, oh my g-god.” She cried out, head tilting back against her pillows.

His blunt nails dug into the skin of her hips, it was a dull pain compared to the rest of the way he was using her body. The creaking of her bed and rhythmic thump against the wall was almost comical. His long blonde hair splayed out across her chest as he leaned his full weight against her. “Fuck baby, you’re so tight, taking me so well.” He groaned. His hips thrust into her, forcing soft wet noises from between them. “Not gonna last long with you squeezing me like that, god.” He hissed.

The sentiment was shared but Y/N couldn’t find the words at the moment. The only noises she was able to make were pathetic whines and jumbled moans that vaguely sounded like James’s name. Blinding hot white heat pooled in her stomach, traveling down her thighs as it threatened to overflow. “James, fuck I'm gonna-” She gasped her back arching off the bed. “Fuck I’m coming!” She squealed as she spasmed around him. She clenched down hard as her stomach tightened and then relaxed, a wave of wet warmth gushing around James’s cock, still fucking into her with reckless abandon.

It was too much stimulation, her hands desperately clawing at his skin, anywhere she could touch him while he continued to fuck her through her orgasm. “Just like that pretty girl, fuck you feel so good.” He praised her gently. He lifted his head from her chest to press his lips against her own. There was a little more thought behind this kiss, sweeter, more gently as they slotted together. “Gonna come in you okay?” He mumbled against her lips.

Y/N nodded dumbly as she chased his lips, desperate to keep them pressed together. She didn’t care, he could do whatever he wanted to her as long as he kept holding her like this, kissing her like this. She whined against his lips as his hips stuttered and still, burying himself impossibly deep. His cock twitched as warmth spilled inside her in hard spurts. She could feel every little movement and it was addicting.

Finally James pulled back with a gasp, his chest heaving as he leaned up onto his elbows, caging himself around her body as he looked down at her, the pupils of his eyes blown out completely enveloping that pretty blue color. He shifted his hips pulling himself from her cunt along with a wave of their mixed release, sticky and thick as it dripped down between them onto her sheets. “Holy fuck.” He mumbled, smiling lazily at her. “That was…wow.”

“That’s putting it lightly.” She laughed breathlessly, looking up at him in awe. “Jesus Christ, can we do that again sometime?” She joked playfully, but her smile was soft as she looked up at him. Her hands gently rubbing up and down his straining arms as he hovered over her. He rolled off to the side, wrapping his arms around her waist and tugging her against his chest. It was a surprisingly affectionate gesture.

His lips ghosted beside her ear as he spoke. “Yeah just, lemme take you on a date first.” He mumbled. The thought had Y/N’s insides warm and fuzzy like tv static. “Please,” He tacked on at the end, his arm curling tighter against her bare waist. How could she say no to that?

“Yeah, okay…take me on a date.”

[abbysimsfun]

Sims In Bloom: Generation 2 Pt. 75 (Nearing Delivery and There's a Fancy Cake!)

As with all her pregnancies, Heather worked hard up to her due date. Running Buttercup Pet Clinic meant very little time off and she was always tired, but she was more confident than ever in her team's ability to hold things down when she took some family leave after delivery.

She'd begun making ambrosia treats to sell, giving a few to Conrad so he'd have them when he returned to the lighthouse. But as ever, he was in no hurry to chase down ghosts and death, and it had been months since the Ambrosia Society's last newsletter. With Heather so close to giving birth and Ash about to celebrate his birthday, Conrad was happiest sticking close to home.

The did pay a quick visit to her family in Henford-on-Bagley, where they picked up a death flower from her mother's last batch so they could start growing a bush on their own. "Thank you for this," Heather said when they arrived. "We're too busy with life and work to wait for our plants to grow, and our upstairs hallway isn't big enough for a cherry tree."

"Take as many as you need," said her mother as River handed her a rare, spiky red and black plant. "It'll be winter soon, and you might want to grow the plant outdoors to give it as much natural light as possible."

One evening, Heather returned home to see a woman peering in one of their windows. "Hello?"

Startled, the woman gave a half smile and rushed toward the square. "The paint job is lovely," she called, but in a moment she was gone.

Inside, Heather found Conrad in the living room watching TV. Right away, he could tell something was bothering her. "What is it?"

"There was a woman looking in our kitchen window."

"What are you talking about?" He jumped up to take a look.

"She's gone. I said hello and I was going to ask her what she was doing but she took off and said she liked our paint job. But I swear to you, she was looking into the house."

"What did she look like?"

"Tall, pretty, blonde hair, black shirt, and she had a Selvadoradian accent...I think."

"Maybe it was a tourist who got lost on their way from the creek," he said, trying to calm her anxious nerves. "I don't think there's anything to worry about, but I'll see if anyone's filed a similar report at the station tomorrow."

They were both unnerved but life went on until it was time to celebrate Ash's birthday. Heather and Conrad were planning to host Harvestfest at home later that week, so they decided to forgo a large party.

"I wish I had the energy to throw something bigger for him," Heather lamented. "But with the Landgraabs in Oasis Springs for the long weekend, I'm happy not to hear Nancy moan about how much sugar you get in a piece of cake."

"He'll just be happy to have the cake," Conrad assured her before he stood to bring Ash to the candlelit dessert - a tiered confection Heather had baked to improve her gourmet cooking skill. "He'll have all the time in the world to hang out with his family and friends, and plenty more birthdays."

Heather smiled as her phone rang. (It was her family. Bad timing made plot!) "Hey Mom, are you guys ready to sing Happy Birthday with us?"

"Of course! Where's the birthday boy? How are you feeling?"

"I feel good. Tired, but good. This one kicks way more than Ash or Jett ever did. It's wild! Oh, they're coming downstairs now."

Conrad brought Ash to the kitchen and hoisted him up, and Ash blew out his candles with a big gust from his small lungs. Conrad, Heather, and her family sang and cheered.

Ash was growing up before their eyes. ->

<- Previous Chapter | Gen 2 Start | Gen 1 Summary | Gen 1 Start

Sorry, psych! Short post coming tomorrow, all about Ash but not technically storyline. I put myself on a time crunch to get certain posts out by a certain deadline I set for me, so I'm squeezing in a quick little Ash hype post to give us a taste without making another post too long and splitting it, pushing certain events past when I want them to post. He'll be a kid tomorrow, I promise!

[idesofrevolution]

Party Animal

Danny smiled his signature perfect smile, posing stereotypically as the phone sat propped up on a sidewalk trashcan with a timed camera counting down. While it was his 21st birthday, and he'd invited nearly twenty people to come out clubbing with him in New York City, he wasn't entirely shocked when everyone had some lame excuse as to why they couldn't come. Victoria was in the middle of watching Yellowjackets and couldn't be bothered to get up off her couch. Taylor was stuck at the airport in Nashville, unable to board his connecting flight due to "inclement weather." Felicity couldn't find a dog sitter for the night (bullshit), and Kyle just didn't even respond to the text. This was relatively par for the course for poor Danny, who'd gotten all but used to the feeling of his "friends" ditching him when it was plans of his own.

There were absolutely reasons in their mind as to why going out with Danny was less than an ideal evening: he was a wallflower. Sure, like everyone else in his small town, he had a fake ID. So one would assume that his relative experience in bars would at least teach him something about how to have a good time in one. Unfortunately, this was certainly not the case. Danny was the friend who would get to the bar, order two Long Islands and drunkenly cry for the rest of the night. He couldn't hold his liquor, he couldn't hit a joint without having a fifteen minute coughing spell, his moves on the dancefloor were generously described as "cringe," he would leave early and complain about it the next day. Yet, without fail, the next weekend would roll about and he would be the first one in line at open. His messy party ways had completely eradicated any chance of an entourage going with him, even on his birthday. Thus, as he posed rather stereotypically on the side of West 17th Street, alone and underdressed for his first gay nightclub of legal age, there was a level of disappointment.

Chelsea was bustling that evening, with stunning people in outrageously skimpy outfits strutting from building to building. All were in their little cliques huddles together until they made it to the doorman, where they'd quickly disperse into the drunken crowd within. Guys like him were the ones standing in line, waiting for someone to leave so they could have a chance of getting in; wallflowers, all of them. Thus, as he finally arrived at the club he'd heard so much about on every gay travel blog imaginable, he wasn't shocked to receive a quick look up and down from the bouncer and a head shaking no. Dejected, alone, and not even buzzed, Danny pulled out his phone to call the Uber back to his hotel. That is, until he felt a subtle tap on his shoulder. He sighed and turned around, locking eyes with an unexpected but very welcome sight.

He was tall, maybe 6'4 in a cutoff white tank top, a golden chain hanging from just beneath his nipples. His abs sat like the cobblestones on the street against his chiseled torso, flanked on either side by two huge, vascular arms. His fly was undone, with his thumbs suggestively holding it open. He had a gentle, yet sultry face: perfectly manicured facial hair and sweaty, wavy curls atop his head. He smiled as he leaned against the wall, illuminated brightly by the streetlight above them both.

"Baby you're not gettin' in looking like that." He had a thick accent, perhaps Cuban or Dominican, but it rolled off his supple lips like the drool which had begun to slightly dribble down Danny's jaw. The man smiled and ruffled his hair, getting ready to walk back into the club.

"Hey! Uh... I really like your outfit. You wear it really... really well." The stud turned back, a small chuckle under his breath.

"Thank you baby! I wasn't sure about the chain, but it draws attention to all the right places, am I right?" He ran his large hands over his abs, winking at the salivating 21 year old. "I'm Mateo, by the way." The two shook hands, Danny barely able to contain himself.

"So, you come out to these clubs often? It's my first time in the city. My twenty first birthday, actually." Mateo's face lit up. Tossing his arm around Danny's shoulder, he leaned in close to hopefully be heard above the hustle and bustle of the chattering crowd outside. Danny blushed. He could feel the heat from Mateo's pit on the nape of his neck, the smell of wet armpit after a night of dancing tickling the hairs in his nostrils.

"Where's your party? You better not be out here alone on a Saturday night!" Danny looked down, trying to hide the thirst which had overtaken him.

"Ahh, they all cancelled. It's just me tonight." Danny felt an immediate yank, as Mateo squeezed him tightly against his pillowy pecs.

"Nahh. It's just you and ME tonight. C'mon." Mateo began guiding Danny down the street, chatting about the nightlife in New York City, how it's better than anywhere else, how it has the hottest guys and the best vibes. Mateo had been a staple of the ballroom scene for a couple years at that point, and was well acquainted with the bars and their owners. Any place of any note, he'd be able to waltz right in. Though in this instance, he decided to do something special for this little guy who he'd found meandering the streets. "It's definitely an in-the-know kinda place, if you know what I mean. And you're not getting in wearing that, so I guess we're just going to have to get you a birthday present." The two strolled up to a relatively inconspicuous apartment building, Mateo flashing his card to open the heavy metal door. Two flights up and ten doors down the hall, Mateo opened the door to his apartment. It was tidy for the most part. Plants sat on every imaginable surface, even hanging in macrame slings from the popcorn ceiling. Mateo flipped the lights on in his bedroom and opened his closet door.

"Uhhh, what are you looking for?" Danny nervously shuffled from side to side. This wasn't going to be one of those makeover scenes a la Clueless, was it? Mateo flashed several articles of clothing in front of his face, each vastly different from the one before: leather pants, a silk button up, a ripped up tank top, a latex polo... Under his breath, Danny could hear the quiet mutterings Mateo whispered after each one. Too young, too bulky, too preppy, too kinky.

"Hey. Like what's the vibe you're going for? If some hot guy walked up to you and was looking you up and down, what would you want him to see in a perfect world?" Danny sat there a moment, pondering. He wasn't entirely sure. He'd never thought about it. Closing his eyes, he tried to go back to his days of fantasizing about what a perfect Danny would look like. What he'd always wanted to look like. Though, for him, those days were far behind him. The years of being ditched and cast aside, while he understood why, had taken a toll on him. He'd only ever seen himself as that annoying friend who ruins the mood. Danny shuffled his feet beneath him, hanging his head.

"I don't know... just not... this." He motioned up and down, alluding to the rather sad appearance he'd taken on. Mateo stopped what he was doing, chucking a pair of sunglasses at the frowning young man, hitting him square on the nose.

"You stop that. This is not a pity party, it's a birthday party." Danny nodded, picking up the sunglasses from his feet: Balenciaga. "You know what you need? You need a confidence boost." Mateo pinched his chin, analyzing his closet. "And I have just the thing." It was like a frenzy. Within seconds, clothes were being tossed at him. Looking down at them, he anxiously investigated them. A long, almost see through tank top, a well worn sleeveless leather jacket, and a pair of wide, baggy pants- all of which about two sizes too big.

"Uh, hey, I really appreciate it but I don't think I'm gonna fi..." Mateo had plopped a heavy pair of beat up combat boots on top of the pile in his hands, nearly spilling the whole outfit out of Danny's arms.

"Shut up and go put this on, I promise you'll look great." Sighing, he started headed toward the bathroom, only for Mateo to stop him. "Here, just..." Mateo grabbed the wrists of Danny's shirt, pulling the gaudy top off his frail body. Snatching the tank top from the pile, he ripped it off the hanger and slipped it over his arms and head. The shit was undoubtedly massive on him. Danny was after all 5'4 and 100 lbs soaking wet, the tall hunk which stood before him would obviously be wearing way larger clothes than him. "Arms back!" Mateo slid the sleeveless leather jacket onto him. Danny could smell that this item was well loved, catching a subtle hint of weed, cigarettes, and sweat gently wafting from it. "Pants off!" He directed, Danny followed. Pulling his skinny black jeans down to his ankles, and taking off his brown loafers. He stood before Mateo in his whitey-tidies, and an unimpressive flat bulge. "Yeah, take 'em off and burn them. Besides, easier access for the lucky guy later tonight." He winked, causing Danny to blush. Any time his gal-pals had tried to do a makeover it always ended in a trip to Hollister or Abercrombie to look like every straight high schooler in 2013. He'd never had a guy, let alone a gay guy take the time to dress him. His guard finally down, he dropped them, quickly snatching the lightweight pants and pulling them up his legs, tightly pulling the drawstrings to keep them up.

Mateo looked him up and down, clearly thinking about what was missing as Danny slid his feet into the massive boots, feeling the squish of gogo boy sweat bubbling up onto his soles. Mateo snapped his fingers, grabbing the sunglasses and sliding them onto his face. Danny couldn't deny feeling cool in these ill-fitting clothes, whether or not he felt hot in them or not- if this sexy club kid thought he looked good he probably did.

"Awesome, here, take this bag. Happy Birthday, we gotta go!" Danny didn't even get a chance to peer into the mirror before a large leather bag was tossed at him and he was pushed out the door. He tripped over the baggy pants dragging on the ground, and the clunky boots which slid around on his now damp feet. "You look great," Mateo said as they hopped down the stairs. "I got just the place to take you."

The two walked for perhaps only a block or two before they turned into a dark alley, only a single red lamp far down the brick walled canyon illuminating the surroundings. They strutted up to the rusted metal door, Mateo knocking only three times before it swung open. The huge bouncer blocked the door with his arms crossed, though the moment he saw Mateo, he silently stepped aside. Thrust inside from behind, Danny entered the club.

From then on, the night was a blur. The few moments of clarity and recollection told quite the story. The club was packed, sexy guys dancing on eachother, gogo boys on the bar, discarded ecstasy pills littering the floor brightly glowing from the blacklights. A DJ played derivative beats as they approached the bar. The last clear decision that was made was to take a round of shots.

"Zayn! Could you get us two blowjobs?" Danny turned quickly, shocked at the prospect. He was slightly less anxious when the two cream topped shots were placed in front of them. After a quick birthday toast, the two downed their shots. Immediately, Danny felt an instant release. The nervousness had subsided, and he felt ready to enjoy the evening. He couldn't help but notice, before Mateo had ordered round two, that the sexy bartender seemed to smirk with every shot, heading to the back room for a moment only to come back with two perfect drinks. Round 2 felt just as good as the first, feeling himself smile and sway to the music. It was followed up by round 3, then round 4, then round 5... The shots just kept coming, and by round 7, the world was spinning.

From what little could be recalled, he hit the dance floor with Mateo, showing off the notorious dance moves which had caused him so much grief back home. Though, as the night progressed, he felt the music in a patently distinctive way. Every beat, every note hit differently. His body seemed to just move on its own, his hips swaying, his hands slowly wandering around Mateo's firm waist. The unfittedness of the clothes seemed to dissipate, and they began to feel... right. He liked the way that they showed off his broadening shoulders, his widening biceps... As he dropped, effortlessly pulling off spins and dips, his strong, muscular legs kept him firm in his stance, rooted in the perfectly fitted boots.

He could remember Mateo running his hands over the light tattoos sprawled on his pulsating forearms. He'd even done a few of them himself in his boredom during a relatively crazy shroom trip a few years back. In fact, as the two of them stood there in eachother's arms, looking eye to eye and towering over the dancefloor, he was so grateful that his bestie Mateo would give him such a night out on his birthday. Though, it seemed every year got more and more wild. The two didn't waste any more time. This was going to be a wild birthday, as Mateo planted a deep kiss onto his lips. Their sweaty, muscled arms wrapped around eachother, passionately making out on the dancefloor, before Danny reached into his bag, pulling out the magnum ribbed condom he'd gotten earlier that day, hoping the two would arrive at that point sometime during the night.

Mateo smiled and nodded, the two heading outside to wait for the Uber to take them back to the apartment. As Mateo eagerly tapped away on his phone, Danny leaned against the street pole, thrusting his sizeable package toward his boyfriend.

The next morning, Mateo woke up to an empty bed. Sweaty sheets tossed from one side of the room to the other, the stench of kinky sex still wafting in the air. He rolled out of the stained bed, walking past Danny's still warm, musky combat boots splayed on the hardwood floor. After a night of being railed with his face buried in it's ripe opening, he couldn't help but take a quick whiff down memory lane before going down to the front door. There, perched on the step, in all his blonde, shirtless glory sat Danny smoking his American Spirits.

"Good morning, sexy bitch." His velvety voice soared like the wind to Mateo's eager ear, something about that cocky, confident swagger behind his words always hit just right. He plopped down next to his boyfriend, sensually nibbling on his pierced ear. "Gonna get the neighbors all hot and bothered." Danny chided, Mateo knowing full well he loved being seen in even more compromising positions by anyone who stumbled across them.

"That's the idea." The two laughed and kissed, hoping old Mrs. Prallatt across the street was huffing and puffing in an indignant rage. "Hey the house is performing later tonight in the Bowery, I think you should show off the new number. Kick the LaBeija's ass off the floor." Smirking, Danny took a long drag and let out a large cloud of smoke before turning to Mateo.

"They don't stand a chance." Mateo stood up, kissing Danny's smooth hand before getting ready to head back up to get dressed for the day. "Hey, babe." Mateo turned and looked down at the beautiful creature which had been the wildest ride he'd ever taken. "How about you take those sweats off and I show you a couple more moves before we head out?" A strong grope of Mateo's growing bulge and a wink from behind his Balenciaga shades was all that his man needed to see.

[peachybeom]

Stress Relief ♡

sfw, soobin x reader, college au.

blonde fluffy soobin is so cute ill eat him-

Soobin hurriedly made his way to your apartment, taking the stairs instead of the elevator believing the latter took more time.

He had been trying to reach you for almost a day now but got no response. Growing impatient, Soobin had left you texts and voice notes but unfortunately all of those remained unanswered as well.

Finally giving up on waiting, your boyfriend had contacted your roommate-who was out for the weekend, for the apartment passcode as he made up his mind to go check on you himself.

He punched the code in the machine and anxiously opened the door to look for you. His eyes scanned the living room for a few seconds, until they fell on a huddled figure sitting down on the floor.

You were hunching down, sitting cross legged resting your head gently on the table in front of you. Your eyes were shut tightly while your lips parted slightly letting out soft periodic breaths.

Soobin quietly closed the door before him and lowered himself to your level, he let out a breath of relief and gazed at your soft features before brushing a few wild strands of hair from your face.

You stirred lightly at his touch but showed no signs of waking up, that was when Soobin noticed all the books and pens and crumbled papers that surrounded your sleeping figure, you were even holding a pen between your fingers as you slept.

The smile fell from Soobin's face as soon as it had appeared because he realised how tired you must have been. Your college midterms were about to commence in about two weeks and you were determined to work your ass off for it, even it meant studying vigorously without taking any breaks.

As much as Soobin wanted to support you through this tough time, his resources were limited too as he was a film major and you a medical one. Plus past few months had been hard on him too, constantly busy finishing assignments and reaching deadlines.

Soobin hated seeing you stressed but he had promised to not bother you for an entire month during your midterms because he really didn't want to be a distraction, though he would almost text you daily and occasionally call, to check up on you and your studies.

Though you both weren’t able to talk for long, just hearing your voice once in a while was enough for Soobin to go on.

You time and again reassured him that you were doing fine but witnessing the current situation, it was clear that you clearly were not and had been pulling one too many all nighters.

 You gently moved and rubbed your eyes sleepily as the sound of clinking cutlery awoke you to consciousness.

You stretched your arms behind your back and were ready to yell at your roommate for being so loud- when you turned your head and spotted an all too familiar figure in the kitchen.

"Soobin!" You exclaimed loudly, grabbing the boy's attention.

Your boyfriend turned around and raised both of his hands towards his sides, a bright smile appearing on his face as he spoke

"Hi bunny,"

"I'm sorry if I accidentally woke you up, I actually came over to check on you because -"

His words were cut off when you-in a matter of seconds strode across the room and wrapped your arms around his tall body.

"There there, easy tiger" Soobin chuckled patting your hair with his hand.

"I missed you so much" You mumbled, burying your face in his shirt.

"That's why you are wearing my hoodie- the one I thought I had lost months ago" Soobin said in a teasing tone.

"Yeah, it's actually really comfortable, I need to raid your closet more often" You replied, looking up- God you missed his beautiful face.

Soobin laughed before gently breaking the hug between the two of you and placed a soft kiss on your forehead.

“I missed you too baby, I got so worried that maybe you had fallen sick or something because you weren’t picking up my calls or answering to my messages.” He said while caressing your cheek.

You felt a pang of guilt for making Soobin worried like this.

“Sorry, I’d put my phone on silent while studying and did not even realise when I fell asleep” You mumbled.

That’s when he noticed the light bags under your eyes and the pale color of your skin.

"You should take a break Y/N, you deserve it," Soobin said in a concerned tone before placing another kiss on your face.

"Yeah, you're right I really should," You sighed heavily.

"Great! so I'll just finish cooking this ramen, then we can try to clean up the mess that is your living room and have a movie night?"

 After having dinner- which tasted so good, even though it was just regular ramen. Soobin let you pick a movie which could help you unwind.

You both were halfway through the movie when your eyes began to drift sideways rather than being on the screen.

It was a good movie, it really was! But whenever Soobin was around you, you could focus on nothing but him. His pretty face demanded attention all the damn time, even if that wasn't his intention.

The movie still had a long way to go but you were growing restless. You extended your arm towards your boyfriend and placed your palm on top of his open one.

Soobin absent-mindedly curled his fingers against yours intertwining your fingers, too absorbed in the movie playing before him.

Next, you raised your other hand and grazed your fingers on his ear, softly pulling down the earlobe. This made Soobin turn to face you, his eyebrows furrowed together in curiosity.

You wordlessly ran a hand through his fluffy blonde hair before running a finger down his nose and giving it a light tap.

"What are you doing," Soobin asked letting out a breathy laugh.

You finally got up to and placed yourself on either side of his knee, strangling him between your legs on the couch. Then you placed your palms on both his cheeks and squeezed them between your hands.

"You are like my stress relief squishy. I want to pull you, squeeze you, poke you and viola all the stress is gone," You answered in a cheeky tone.

Soobin laughed loudly at your answer, his eyes closing and forming cute little crescent shapes.

"Jeez that's one weird way of saying you want to make out with me, bunny."

He then put his hand on your waist pulling you closer to him till your noses touched and whispered,

"Bet a squishy can't to this though,"

Soobin captured your lips between his and you let out a surprised squeak but almost melted under his touch right after, hands now grabbing the soft material of his shirt.

Soobin's mouth travelled down leaving small kisses as he made his way through. One hand teasing the waist band of your pyjama while the other slipping under the oversized hoodie. You let out a sigh of contentment and bliss, taking you away from all the anxieties and worries of the past week.

Holding onto him tightly, eyes closed, feeling him all over you, you realised being close to Soobin was really the best way to relieve stress.

[aflame4goinghome]

Come Down Soon

j.m.k x reader

(part two to Head First)

a/n: Hey everyone! It's been a while. Inspiration for the closure of this short story came to me recently, so I've finally been able to write it and get it to you all! I'm really proud of how their little story turned out. I hope you like it.

word count: 10.5k

warnings: THIS STORY CONTAINS SMUT! MINORS DNI!!! swearing, drinking, smoking, angst, arguing, fluff; SMUT: kissing, sexually explicit language, dirty talk, fingering, unprotected sex, spanking, choking, slight biting, tiny bit of breeding kink if you squint, soft dom josh <3

part one

“ Something here

I’m biding time ‘til it disappears

Oh, it’ll come down soon ”

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APRIL 2024 – 5 YEARS LATER

You wake up to your alarm wailing in your ear, shaking you awake. Fuck, you think to yourself. I really need to stop going out on weeknights. You roll out of bed and quickly get ready in the bathroom, coming to terms with the fact that you’ll be late for work. Luckily for you, your boss is your father, so you don’t have anything to worry about. 

You’re still in Frankenmuth, working for your dad at the music store, your life staying as consistent as ever. But it was comfortable, and comfortable is exactly what you need. A few years back, you got a business degree with hopes of taking over the business for your dad after he retires. Your younger brother wasn’t as into music as the two of you are, only playing guitar every once in a while. He moved to Chicago three years ago to go to Northwestern to study economics, leaving you here to take over the family business one day. That’s still a solid five or ten years away, but you’re prepared. You already practically run the place, working from open to close every single day. 

This didn’t bother you. You were perfectly content with that being your life. You loved music and you loved teaching it, so you were happy, truly. But every once in a while, your mind would wander to the ideas of what could have been, and you get stuck there. You hated when your mind would wander there, to him. It sent a sickening feeling throughout your entire body and you would be stuck, frozen in time. Frozen in the past.

Sitting back in your chair behind the counter in the empty music store, you start to doze off. On a random Tuesday morning like this, hardly anyone ever comes in. It’s way busier in the early evenings and on the weekends, but someone had to be here. You usually have another worker come in around 3 pm, but it’s only you until then on weekdays. 

You feel your head start to fall heavily to the side and you’re so lost in your exhaustion that you don’t hear the chime of the bells on the door jingle. You don’t hear the silent figure approaching the counter, watching you curiously as you breathe slow, long breaths through your slightly open mouth. But you’re suddenly jolted awake when the mystery figure taps the little bell on the counter and your head swiftly rushes upright, making you hit it harshly against the wall behind you. 

“Fuck!” you exclaim, raising your hand to rub soft circles against the back of your head where you hit it against the hard plaster. As you start to recalibrate yourself, your eyes finally fall onto the figure in front of you who was responsible for the bell. “Sam? Is that you?” The tall man in front of you smiles widely, his dimples appearing at the ends of his mustache. 

“In the flesh,” Sam smiles confidently, leaning his long arms onto the counter. “Hi, Smalls. Long time, no see.” You roll your eyes at the old nickname, standing up from your chair to round the counter and greet him.

“You really don’t have to call me that anymore, Sam. We’re grown now, you know,” you joke, bringing him in for a tight hug. He chuckles above you, patting your back lightly.

“You’ll always be Smalls to me, no matter how old we are,” he teases, rustling your hair on the top of your head playfully. 

“You’re an idiot. What the hell are you doing here? Aren’t you guys a little too big now for this town?” you ask, releasing him from the hug and leaning your back against the counter. He slots his hands in his front pockets with a laugh as he starts to answer. 

“We’re really not all that,” he says modestly, looking down at his feet before looking back up to your gaze.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Sam. You guys are selling out arenas left and right… you’ve big-timed us for sure,” you answer with a playful scoff. He just shrugs, avoiding talking too much about their success.

“Whatever. We’re just here to visit Mom and Dad for a while before this next leg of the tour, that’s all. It’s a long one, so they wanted to see us.” You nod, fiddling with your fingers.

“So, you’re all here? All three of you?” you ask apprehensively, slightly afraid of what you know the answer will be. He rubs his hand on the back of his neck nervously, then nods.

“Yeah, we’re all here. Jake and Josh are back at home, they sent me out to go to the grocery store for a few things. Clearly, I got sidetracked…” he says, chuckling at the end. You smile and laugh with him– Sam could never complete an errand without getting distracted somehow. 

“I see… well, it’s good to see you. You’ve really grown up, I’m proud of you,” you say with a smile, crossing your arms as you lean back against the counter. 

“Thanks, Smalls… It’s really nice to see you, I’ve missed you,” he says earnestly, walking a bit closer to you. “We all have.” That sentence cut straight through to the heart. God, you didn’t think this would be so hard. 

You’d successfully managed to evade interaction with them each time they’ve come into town over the years, but now you couldn’t avoid it. It’s been four years since you’d last spoken to Sam Kiszka, or any of them for that matter. You didn’t cut them all off intentionally, but it just happened in the aftermath. 

“Right, I… I’ve missed you too,” you say hesitantly, backing away to go back behind the counter. 

“Y/N, I think my parents would really like it if you came by for dinner tonight. It would be nice, just like old times,” he says, looking down at you hopefully. Great, exactly what you’ve been dreading.

“Oh, I really don’t know, Sam. I don’t think Josh would…” you trail off, looking down at your feet.

“Look, I’m not entirely sure about what happened between you two, but please. Please come to dinner. It’s been years, I’m sure he’s over it,” he pleads. You’re not too sure about that, but they don’t know the full story. “I promise, Smalls. Just think about it. My number is still the same as before, just send me a text after your shift ends and let me know what you decide, okay?” 

Shit. He never makes it easy to say no to him. The puppy-dog eyes still work on his 25-year-old face, the same as they did when he was 18. You were no match for it, and he knew it, too.

“Okay. Okay, fine, I’ll think about it,” you concede, exhaustion coating your voice. “But no promises, alright?” His face lights up with an eager nod. He reaches over the counter and pokes your nose with his pointer finger, eliciting a giggle out of you as he smiles then turns around toward the door.

“Okay, Smalls, I’ve got some shopping to do. See you later!” he yells opening the door and walking out of the store. 

God, this was going to be a long day. It wasn’t at all like how you expected it to be. You went through the rest of your shift worrying about the worst-case scenario of how dinner could go down tonight. Before you know it, it’s already 3 o’clock, and your dad walks through the doors. 

“Dad? What are you doing here? I thought Parker was supposed to be coming in tonight,” you ask as he approaches the counter. He shrugs, heading to the office behind the counter and setting his stuff down on his desk. 

“He called out sick, so I just decided to come in for him,” he says casually, slipping a sweatshirt on over his head. You nod, your mind trailing back to your current predicament. 

“Did you know that the Kiszkas were in town?” you ask, looking over at him. His eyes shift guiltily as he approaches you. 

“Yeah… I caught Kelly outside on the porch the other day and he told me about it. I’m sorry that I didn’t warn you about it. Didn’t want to upset you,” he admits, rubbing your shoulder softly. 

“It’s okay, Dad. I’m fine,” you say, lying through your teeth. If anyone understood how you felt about your fallout with Josh, it was your dad. He was there for you through it all, as you tried to bury your feelings by working endless shifts at the shop. He says it never gave him any bias, but you know that secretly, he felt differently about Josh since that day. No matter what, he was always on your side. 

“Sam came in here this morning. Asked me to come to dinner at their house after work,” you admit, fiddling with the hem of your t-shirt. 

“Oh. Are you going to go?” he asks apprehensively. You look up at him and see the concern in his eyes. 

“Uh, yeah. I think I will. Sam really wants me to and… it’s been four years. We’ll have to get over it some time. Might as well be now,” you say, trying to seem as sure as possible, despite how unsure you actually felt. Your dad raised you to be strong, and you wanted to be that person for him. 

“Okay, if you’re sure,” he says, offering a reassuring smile. You nod with a smile.

“Why don’t you just head out now, hon? I can handle the rest of the night. You just go home and get ready for dinner,” he offers, not giving you any time to protest before he walks off to do inventory in the back of the store. You shrug to yourself and decide to just go home, grabbing your tote from the office and heading out to the front of the store to your car parked in the front space. 

The store is only a ten-minute drive from home, so you’re back before you know it. You pull into the driveway then gather your things, heading inside. You walk in to find your mother in the kitchen, cooking some dinner.

“Hi baby, how was work?” she asks, turning around to face you. 

“It was alright, pretty slow,” you say, stopping in the kitchen to talk for a moment. 

“I talked to your brother today, he should be coming home in a few weeks after finals are over,” she says, stirring the food in the pot as she talks. 

“Oh, that’s cool. That should be nice,” you remark, your mind wandering, making you unable to entertain the conversation much more, so she changes the subject. 

“Are you hungry? I’m making some pasta with vodka sauce right now if you want some,” she asks. You weren’t sure how you’d explain this situation to her, but you have to. 

“Actually… I’m going to the Kiszkas for dinner,” you answer quietly. She stops stirring in her pot and looks at you, her eyes drooping just like your dad’s did not long ago. 

“Oh! That’s quite a surprise,” she answers honestly, her face feigning excitement but her eyes give her away. 

“Mom, it’s fine. I’m fine. Seriously, it’s no big deal,” you answer, trying to convince yourself as well as her. She gives you a small smile and nods, and you take your leave up the stairs to your bedroom. Over the years, you’ve renovated the large attic in your parent’s house so that you had more of your own space away from them in your adulthood, while still living at home. It’s been nice and quite private, you’ve really made it your own. 

As you set your bag down on the floor and sit down on your bed, your mind travels back in time to the last time you saw Josh Kiszka. You still wonder where it all went wrong. It was perfect, truly perfect– until it wasn’t. The worst part about it is that it was nobody’s fault, there was no one to blame. You wondered for years if it was just the right person but the wrong time, but those delusions soon faded away as the years progressed and you still never heard from him. He’d moved on, and so had you. 

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JUNE 2020

“I just don’t understand why you won’t just come with us! You’d be perfect there– I need you there!” Josh shouted, slamming his hands down on the counter in frustration as you leaned your back against the kitchen counter, keeping your head low.

“Josh, it isn’t that fucking easy! I can’t just pick up and leave! I have responsibilities here! My job, my family!” you yelled with your head in your hands. 

The band made plans to move to Nashville, Tennessee by the end of the month, hoping to record their music there instead. Their success had shot up significantly since the two of you got together, with money pouring in and new music being recorded left and right. You knew they’d outgrow you and this town, but you didn’t think it would happen this soon. 

He begged you to come with him, insisting that you could find a job down there and live with him and Jake, but that wasn’t what you wanted. You made a commitment to your father, having started online business classes with UMich in January with hopes to someday run the shop yourself. Josh knew that, but he insisted that you come with him.

“Don’t you think I’m making sacrifices here, too? I don’t want to have to leave my parents, but it’s our destiny, Saph! This is what I’m meant to do, I thought you’d understand that,” he groaned, shaking his head angrily. Tears start to fill your waterline as you struggle to get your words out.

“Of course I understand! I’ve always believed in you, you know that! Since day one, I’ve supported you!” you yelled as the tears started to escape from your eyes. “You know we’ve always had different goals, this town has always been my whole life. And you’ve always been destined for more. I knew that from the start.”

“If you know that this is what I’m destined to do, then why can’t you just come with me?” he asked with a sigh, rubbing his temples. 

“Josh, I love you. I love you more than anything I’ve ever loved in my entire life,” you said, tears spilling down your face. “But this is your dream, not mine.” You watch as his eyes start to water, mirroring yours. His face drops as the realization kicks in.

“So, that’s it then? You’re just giving up? You’re giving up on us?” Josh asked accusingly, stepping closer to you, but you backed away. 

“I’m not giving up, Josh. But we want different things,” you answered honestly, your voice shaky. 

“All I want is you, Saph. I love you so much. Please,” he said, his eyes pooling with tears. He stepped forward once more, reaching his arms to your waist and attempting to pull you closer. “Please just come with us.” You shook your head, backing up more. 

“I’m sorry. I can’t,” you said, looking into his eyes as they filled with despair. 

“You’re breaking my heart, Y/N,” he whispered, his voice cracking. Your heart sank. 

“And you’re breaking mine,” you answered, taking one last look at him before turning around and heading toward the back door in the kitchen, yanking it open and rushing out. As you rushed home, you wiped the tears from your eyes, not wanting your parents to see you that way. And that was it. That was the last time you saw Josh Kiszka.

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CURRENT  DAY

Deep breaths, Y/N, you tell yourself as you look at yourself in your bathroom mirror. You pull your hair back half-up, putting the small section of hair into a little bun that sits on the back of your head. You pull a few front pieces out to frame your face and then pull a brush through the rest of your long, wavy hair. You’ve got this.

You throw on a grey flannel over the cropped tee you were wearing, which contrasts well with your distressed dark grey jeans. You slide on your Converse and then sit down on your bed to check your phone. 

Sammy: Hey, Smalls. Did you think about gracing up with your presence at dinner tonight?

You breathe out a quiet laugh and shake your head at his sarcasm as you type your reply.

You: Don’t get your panties in a twist, Samuel. I’ll be there. 

It doesn’t even take a minute for him to respond.

Sammy: Knew you’d come around. Come over around six?

You slide down on your screen to check the time — 5:28 pm. Okay, you still have some time. 

You: See you then. 

You fiddle with your fingers as you sit on your bed, waiting for the appropriate time to go downstairs and walk next door. The entire situation stressed you out beyond belief. You’re not sure how you managed to get yourself into this mess in the first place, you had done such a good job at avoiding them when they’d come to town for the past four years. But now, it was unavoidable. 

How is Josh going to react? After you left that day, he left you dozens upon dozens of voicemails and text messages, all of which you ignored. After a week of trying to get you to talk to him, he eventually relented. He gave up. At the time, it stung somehow. You didn’t understand it, you wanted him to leave you alone and let you both move on, so why did it hurt so bad when he finally did? It was all so complicated and screwed up. You just hope that he isn’t still upset with you after all this time. 

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JOSH POV

“Josh, honey,” your mom says from the kitchen, making you turn your head to look at her. “Could you turn that movie off? It’s almost time for dinner.” You nod and take your feet off of the coffee table, reaching for the remote, and reluctantly turning the TV off. No matter how old you got, you still always helped your mom with dinner. It was a tradition at this point, as silly as it sounded. 

“Boys, it’s almost dinner time!” she yells, trying to get your bothers’ attention from the garage, which had a door connecting to the kitchen. You hear muffled ‘okay’s from behind the door and soon enough, your brothers emerge from the garage and storm the kitchen. 

You get up from the couch and watch as Sam walks over to the dining room to set the table and Jake opens the fridge and takes out a bottle of white wine to drink with dinner. You decide to enter the kitchen and help her transfer the food to the serving dishes.

“Oh, Mom,” Sam starts from the dining room as he gathers the folded napkins from the pantry. “I forgot to tell you earlier, I stopped into the music store today on my way to get groceries. Y/N was there.” 

Your movements come to a halt as you hear the words fall from his mouth. How could he just bring her up so casually? You quickly try to shake it off. It’s been four years, it’s nothing. You probably won’t even have to see her, anyway. You’ve gone this long without running into her, anyway, probably by her own doing. 

“That’s nice, sweetie. How is she doing?” your mom asks kindly as she hands you an empty dish to transfer the pierogis into. You take the dish into your hands and walk over to an empty counter space to set it down. 

“She’s good! I actually invited her to come to dinner tonight,” Sam said nonchalantly with a shrug. 

“What?” you exclaim instinctually, your mouth agape as you stare daggers into your little brother. Before you even realize what’s happening, you’re startled by the sound of the dish you were holding falling onto the ground and shattering into pieces. You didn’t even feel yourself drop it. “Oh God, Ma I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s gotten into me. I’ll go get the broom, don’t go anywhere.” 

You shake your head and curse under your breath as you rush down the basement steps to grab the broom and quickly run back up to the kitchen. As you clean up your mess, you listen silently to the conversation, too embarrassed by your behavior to say anything else. 

“I feel like I haven’t seen Y/N in ages,” you hear your twin remark from behind you, leaning against the wall, crossing his arms. He needs to wipe that smug look off of his face before you do something drastic. 

“I know, it has been a long time. It’ll be nice to catch up, won’t it, honey?” your mom asks sweetly, turning over her shoulder to look at you with an encouraging smile. 

She knows every single detail about what went down between you and Y/N four years ago. She was here to pick up the pieces. Jake, not so much. While she was there comforting you, your twin was just blinded by his ambition. All he cared about was how great Nashville was going to be, for the both of you. 

“You don’t need Y/N, Josh. You have us. We’re your family,” Jake said apathetically as the two of you packed up your things. You just scoffed, shaking your head as you folded your clothes and placed them into your bags. 

“That’s not the point, Jake. I really wanted her there, and now I don’t know who I am without her,” you admitted, not looking up from your bags in hopes of not catching Jake’s sharp glare. 

“You’re Josh fucking Kiszka, lead singer of a band that’s going to make it BIG, that’s who you are,” Jake said confidently, patting your back. “We’re only just getting started, brother. Mark my words. Years from now, you’re not even going to remember her name.”

He just didn’t get it. Your other half always had an easier time with everything: getting girls, getting over girls, and everything in between. Nothing fazed him. It wasn’t that easy for you. You’re a writer, for God’s sake. An artist. You were nothing without a muse. 

“Just make your own muse then,” your brother had said. 

And that’s just what you did. Once the four of you got to Nashville, all you cared about was the music. You didn’t let yourself get distracted– no girls, no guys, nobody. Just you and your notebook and your dream. And it’s worked like magic ever since, you didn’t need anybody else besides your brothers and this band. The news of her coming back into your life has now set you back to four years ago, like nothing has changed. But everything has. 

“I don’t know, Mom. I don’t think she’s gonna want to talk to me, after everything…” you trail off, turning your back against your family as you try to focus on the task at hand. 

“I still don’t understand what even happened, Josh,” Sam says, rolling his eyes. Of course, he didn’t get it either. He was always fond of her, you assumed he had a small crush on her for most of his childhood. Whatever that was has surely passed on by now, but Sam was always protective over her. He was your brother, at the end of the day, so of course he was on your side. But you always knew that he was sad over her absence, deep down. 

“We were just different people, Sam. It wasn’t meant to be, that’s all. It doesn’t matter now,” you mutter, not looking up from the floor as you finish sweeping. 

“If it doesn’t matter now, then why would she still be upset with you?” Sam asks, frustration coating his voice. “When I talked to her earlier, she seemed to think that you wouldn’t want to talk to her.”

“Oh,” you breathe out, not sure what else to say. Why on Earth would she possibly think you could still be upset with her after all these years? You couldn't admit it then, blinded by young love and all the firsts you shared. But you knew it was for the best, in the end. She didn’t want to leave, and you couldn’t make her. 

You were glad that she let you go when she did, rather than moving with you and growing to resent you. She wanted to stay, and you needed to go. You’ve come to terms with it. Do you still think about her every now and then? Sure. The what-ifs do tend to creep in at night sometimes, but you always quickly shove them down. You have no room for what-ifs in your life right now. Things are really starting to pick up with the band, with your world tour and impending new music that you’ll be teasing any month now. The last thing you needed right now was to worry about the one that got away.

“Just try and talk to her, okay? It can’t hurt,” Sam says, walking past you to go sit on the couch now that he’s finished setting the dinner table. Yes, it can, you think to yourself, knowing better than to actually say it out loud. You just simply nod, grabbing a new dish and transferring the food over.

“Okay. I’ll talk to her,” you concede, covering the food with aluminum foil and then walking over to the dining table to place it down in the center. You run your fingers through your hair nervously as you walk back to the kitchen and finish helping your mom plate the rest of the food. 

You hear your dad walk in through the front door and he enters the kitchen, kissing your mom on the cheek before going to sit on the couch with Sam. You watch as he reaches for the remote and turns the TV on, switching the channel to put on what seems like the hockey game. 

“Hey, I was watching something there! Now I’m going to lose my place!” you scold, walking toward the living room and leaning against the wall. 

“Josh, you were watching Silence of the Lambs for the millionth time, I don’t think you need to worry about losing your place,” Jake teases, walking into the living room to sit on the armchair and recline. 

“Yeah, Josh. C’mon, the Red Wings are on, it’s almost playoffs,” Sam says matter-of-factly. You hear your dad chuckle at the banter, turning the volume up. Traitor. 

“No! No more TV, Y/N will be here any minute now. You four are unbelievable,” your mom scoffs from the kitchen, shaking her head as she finishes preparing the food. Your brothers groan loudly and your dad reaches to turn the TV off. You swallow deeply as you wait nervously for Y/N to arrive. You don’t know what to expect, and that scares you. Maybe it’s because you were the oldest, or maybe it’s because you have a Cancer Moon, but you like being able to predict what will happen next. Now, all of that was completely out of your hands.

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YOUR POV

5:56 pm. Time to go, you suppose. You really don’t know what to expect, but Sam reassured you that everything will be fine. In all honesty, it wasn’t the possibility of Josh being upset with you that worried you. You were worried that, the second you saw him, your entire world would cave in. You were worried that you would just want to fall into his arms and apologize for everything you said. 

But you knew that you couldn’t do that, you can’t. He’s come too far now to be pulled down by you. He seemed truly happy and successful, who were you to come waltzing back into his life and tear it all up? No. You had to be strong. For Josh, and for yourself. 

As you approach the Kiszka’s porch, you take one last deep breath before laying a few soft knocks on the front door. You hear jostling behind the door and a distant “I’ll get it, I’ll get it!” before the door finally swings open with Sam’s wide grin greeting you. 

“Honored guest! Welcome!” he exclaims, reaching out to grab your arm and pull you inside, shutting the door behind you. Your eyes scan the room as you enter, smiling at Sam’s antics before the inevitable happens. First, you see Kelly and Jake sitting in the living room, turning over their shoulders to look at you. But as your eyes drift to the kitchen ahead of you, you see him. 

You knew it was too late to turn back now, despite the strong urge to leave now while you still can. But you can’t run away, not this time. You watch as his posture shifts when he feels your eyes on him, straightening his back as he leans against the wall. Your eyes soften as you take it in, almost unsure of where to start.

He looked so different. Yet somehow, as you looked at him, it still felt familiar. You thought that you would feel uncomfortable or unwelcome, but no. You feel safe. 

His hair was styled much differently now, his fluffy, curly hair now shaved short on the sides of his head. His cheeks were still as rosy as ever, adorned with little white dots along the cheekbones. You like it, you decide. He always knew how to stand out. 

His once bare face was now decorated with a dark mustache and goatee, much like Sam had, but not nearly as long. Josh’s was more clean and precise. Just like him. 

He’s wearing a plain white t-shirt with the sleeves rolled slightly. You can see that his arms have gotten bigger since the last time you saw him, which didn’t surprise you. The boy you once knew truly grew into a man, standing in front of you. 

They all had. Jake looked so different, with his hair sitting right on his shoulder, sporting some facial hair of his own. He looked more serious now, which wasn’t a bad thing. You should feel proud, but all you feel is regret that you weren’t there to see it. 

“Hi,” you say shyly, already beating yourself up on the inside for it. Just hi, seriously? That’s how you want to start? Jake gets up from the armchair on your right to approach you, reaching out to pat your arm supportively.

“It’s great to see you again, Y/N,” he says with a closed-lip smile. “Do you want a drink? I was just about to open this bottle of Chardonnay that I picked out for dinner, if you’re interested.” You nod and follow him to the kitchen, passing Josh on your way there. 

His eyes follow you as you walk into the kitchen. You don’t say anything at first, but as Jake works to open the bottle of wine, you decide to work up the courage. 

“Hey…” you start, walking over to him as he shifts his body, turning to face you with his back against the wall. 

“Hey, Y/N,” he answers, slipping his hands into his front pockets nervously. Ouch. You weren’t necessarily expecting him to use your nickname, it’s been years since you saw each other and the nickname itself was rooted in his feelings for you. But hearing your real name fall from his mouth still cut like a knife. You suppose that if you wanted him to use your nickname, you’d have to earn it. 

“You look good,” you say, fiddling with your fingers in front of you as you look behind you to see if Jake has opened that wine bottle yet. God knows you’ll need it. Josh’s eyes drop suddenly at your words, almost as though he didn’t expect it. Fuck, why did you say that? Making him upset certainly wasn’t your intention when you gave the compliment, you just didn’t know what else to say. “I’m sorry, I don’t know why I said that– stupid…” you start apologizing, but he stops you.

“No, no, it’s okay. I was just taken aback, that’s all,” he says honestly, concern covering his face. He’s still as empathetic as he always was. You knew he would be, you don’t know why you’d expected anything else. “So do you. You look… radiant.” Before you can let him see your cheeks flush, you turn around as Jake extends his arm to hand you a very full glass of wine.

“Jeez, that’s one heavy poor, Kiszka,” you joke, taking a short sip of the wine before leaning your back against the wall opposite of Josh. The younger twin chuckles at your words, taking a sip out of his own glass before answering. 

“Hey, I figured you could use a little extra. What’s the harm?” he says with a shrug, leaning against the kitchen counter. You smile at him, looking at him as the two of you exchange a silent look. It’s clear that he knows how tense this might be for you, and you feel grateful for that. Maybe this dinner wouldn’t be so bad after all. 

Karen descends the stairs and walks into the kitchen, calling everyone to the dinner table. She greets you, of course, expressing how glad she is to see you after so long. You really did feel guilty over abandoning the rest of the Kiszkas when you and Josh had your falling out. They were like a second family to you throughout your entire childhood, so you missed them so much.

The boys rushed to the dinner table, clearly starving from the looks of it. Obviously, they all had their own “assigned” seats around the table, with Josh and Jake sitting next to each other, with Sam sitting across from Jake. The seat across from Josh was probably reserved for their sister, Ronnie, but she wasn’t here, so you suppose that seat’s for you. Timidly, you approach the seat and sit down, looking at Josh quickly before averting your eyes and watching as their parents take their own seats. 

Dinner itself actually went really well. Karen asked you questions about your life recently, and you talked about your brother going to college, as well as your own business degree and your plans to run the shop. Josh kept mostly to himself, eating his dinner silently while sneaking glances every now and then when he thought you weren’t looking. 

You couldn’t tell what he was thinking, though, and that made you feel uneasy. Was he uncomfortable with you being there? Did he want you to leave? Or was it possible that he wanted to talk things out? You hoped for the latter, wanting to at least give both of you some closure. You were hopeful that he wanted that, too. 

Before long, Karen was coming around the table to gather the dirty dishes. As she approached your seat, you pushed your chair back and stood up. 

“Here, Karen, let me help,” you say, picking up your own plate, along with Sam’s. She thanks you, and the two of you walk to the kitchen together to put the dishes in the sink.

“Do you want to dry them once I’m done washing them?” she asks, and you nod eagerly. You get into a rhythm soon enough, finishing the dishes in only a little over five minutes. “I like having a helper around here. These boys always get so lazy after they’re done eating.”

“Tell me about it,” you answer with a laugh. “I used to have to drag Josh up off the couch to go anywhere after we’d had a meal.” The memory was fond but fleeting as you gaze into the dining room to see Josh’s eyes locked on you. Shit, you probably shouldn’t have brought it up. His attention was soon drawn back to his brothers as Jake snapped his fingers at him, trying to get him back into whatever conversation they were having. 

“It really is nice to have you back here, Y/N,” Karen admits with a soft smile. You return it with a gentle nod and she retreats to the living room to sit and watch the rest of the hockey game with Kelly. You stand there for a moment alone before you look over to see the boys getting up from the table. 

“We’re gonna go jam in the garage for a bit. Might be good to get our creative juices flowing in the place where it all started,” Jake says, nodding his head to his brothers as he walks over to the door to the garage. 

Sam quickly follows with Josh behind him, who stops at the door and turns to you both. Your eyes lock for a moment before he looks behind him at the garage, then back at you, seeming a bit conflicted. 

“Hey, I’ll be in a little later. You guys start without me,” Josh says to them, with his eyes still on you. They were searching for something on your face, some sort of sign. You caught on rather quickly, walking toward him to reach for the door to the back porch, opening it apprehensively. You step out onto the porch and he follows, shutting the door softly behind him. 

You walk to the porch swing on the far side of the porch, patting the cushion next to you to tell Josh to sit next to you. You sit in silence for a few moments, unsure where to begin. You open your mouth to start to speak, but Josh beats you to it. 

“So, you come here often?” he jokes, looking down at you with a smirk. You giggle and look down at your feet, the cliche successfully breaking the ice. 

“As a matter of fact, I do. I live right over there, you see,” you say smartly, pointing to your house behind you. A laugh erupts deep from Josh’s chest as he looks over at you with a genuine smile– something that you haven’t seen in so long. It almost felt normal, all of this, in that moment. Almost. 

“You don’t say,” Josh answers with a grin as he reaches into the back pocket of his pants. He pulls out a pack of cigarettes and a red lighter, pulling one out of the pack. 

“Cigarette?” he offers, stretching his hand out to you with it between his fingers. Your eyes travel from his hand to his face, looking back at him with an awkward smile.

“Oh, I don’t smoke,” you say honestly, your cheeks flushing with a bit of embarrassment as he smiles at you awkwardly, sucking air between his teeth.

“I knew that,” he says, retracting his hand and placing the cigarette between his lips. You laugh, the idea of knowing each other so well but also not at all feeling terribly ironic. He knew you, once. He knew what you used to be. But the girl you were at 22 was very different than you are now at 27, in more ways than one. For better or for worse, you’ve changed, and so has he.

Was it possible to get to know the new version of him? Did he want you to know him? Do you want him to know you? At this moment, sitting on the back porch in the same spot that you sat in for most of your youth, you believe that you did want to know him, and him you. Did he want that too?

Josh lights his cigarette quickly and then slides the pack and lighter back into his pocket, taking a drag before resting his hand on his knee and looking back at you. Why were you so intimidated to say anything? It was just Josh, the same Josh you once loved. Once. What were you so afraid of?

“I almost didn’t come tonight,” you finally admit, leaning your arm onto the back of the swing as you shift your body toward him. He raises his eyebrows at your honesty, shifting his body toward you in return.

“Why did you?” he asks honestly, searching your face for an answer. You weren’t sure what the answer even was, but you tried nonetheless. 

“Honestly? I’m not quite sure,” you say, fidgeting with your hair. “I think part of me hoped to get some closure. Another part just wanted things to go back to the way they used to be.” You didn’t expect yourself to put it all out in the open like that, but you realize that the large glass of wine loosened your lips more than you thought it would. 

“Things can’t go back to the way they used to be,” Josh says quietly, taking another drag of his cigarette and blowing it the other way. Your eyes shifted to your lap nervously. 

“I know. You’re right,” you whisper, now avoiding his gaze. You sit silently for a moment before he finally speaks up.

“You’re happy here?” he asks, giving you time to respond. You finally look up at him and his eyes soften as your eyes meet, the same soft eyes you’ve always known. A dark brown color in the darkness of the spring night, only catching the light every once in a while when he turned toward the porch light. 

“I am, I think…” you answer, almost hesitantly. He nods silently. “Are you? Happy there? Is it everything you hoped it would be?” He pauses for a moment, seemingly collecting his thoughts.

“Yes, I’m happy there,” he admits, biting his lip slightly as he ponders his next thought. “But is it everything I hoped it would be? Not so much.” Your eyes fall sadly at his words, inching a bit closer.

“I’m sorry to hear that, Josh,” you say, rubbing his arm softly. He flinches slightly at your touch, making you retreat entirely, scooching back to the other side of the bench. He takes another drag of his cigarette and shakes his head. 

“It’s just a bit lonely. It’s only work there, no play,” he says softly. “I love the music, don’t get me wrong. I’m making the kind of art I always wanted to make. I just hate doing it alone.”

Oh. He isn’t over it. That much was clear. You can’t help but feel responsible for his suffering. But you knew you weren’t, this wasn’t your fault. You were never meant to move down there, it wasn’t right. 

“You’re not alone. You have your brothers, you have friends,” you say supportively, hoping to steer the subject further from the harsh truth. He shakes his head again, taking an extra long drag from his cigarette.

“That’s not what I’m talking about,” he says, a bit of frustration hanging on his tone. When he catches it, he shakes it off. “Look, it doesn’t matter really. Forget I said anything.” You nod, looking over at him to find that his eyes are already on you. 

Music starts to pour out of the open windows of the garage behind you, startling you a bit. You could hear Sam’s keyboard and Jake’s guitar playing a song that sounded familiar to you, but you weren’t sure why. It must be one of theirs. Surely you heard it in one of their practices all those years ago. 

“What’s this one called?’ you ask, referencing the song coming from the garage. Josh’s lips tweak into a small smile as he answers you. 

“It’s Heat Above. It’s from our second record,” he says. You nod slowly, recognizing the name. 

“I think I know that one,” you say with a timid smile. 

“You listened to the album?” he asks with slight surprise. You nod again, inching a bit closer once more. 

“Of course I did. Listened to the new one, too,” you admit, fiddling with your fingers in your lap. When you look back up at Josh, he’s smiling widely.

“You listen to our music,” he says proudly. You return the smile and look back down at your lap, hoping to avoid him seeing the blush that’s started to cover your cheeks.

“Sometimes, yeah…” you mumble, “You know I always loved hearing you guys play. That never changed.”

“I just thought you might’ve avoided it… like you have us,” he says, which forces you to look back up at him. Here we are again, back to this topic.

“I wasn’t avoiding you…” you start, but he gives you a stern look. “Okay, fine. Maybe I was. But I just wanted to give you some space, you were really upset with me when you left. I didn’t want to rehash it all.” The closed-lip smile on his face as his dimples caved in was enough to catch your breath in your throat. 

“You didn't have to avoid me, Saph… I was fine. I was handling it on my own,” he says softly. There it was. The nickname– finally. You still don’t feel like you’d earned it, but it was clear that he was growing soft on you. You’d be lying if you said it didn’t spark up the butterflies in your stomach that you thought were long gone. 

Comfortable silence fills the air as you look over at him, only inches away from you. As you sit together on the porch swing, the same one that you used to sit on together every summer, you can’t help but feel your heart swell in your chest.

His eyes drift downward every once and a while as he takes drags from his cigarette every minute or so. You know he’s looking at your lips, he has to be. For a moment, you wonder if he wants to kiss you. Do you want to kiss him? It feels like you do, but you know you shouldn’t. It’ll throw you right back to where you started, two people with different goals in life. But despite the glaring truth, your conscience starts to fly out the window as you let your gaze drift to his lips as well. 

He takes one last hit of his cigarette and then puts it out in the ashtray on the table next to the swing. Music still flows loudly from the garage as the two of you sit there together in the quiet night. He turns back toward you, his eyes drifting to your lips again before you decide you can’t take anymore. Your hand leaves your lap and moves to rest on his waist, rubbing his side lightly with your thumb. 

“Josh?” you start, unsure if you want to continue the way you intend to. 

“Yes, Sapphire?” he answers, making your heart jump inside your chest. The nickname was effective before, but now it felt like something different entirely. How he had so much of an effect on you with so few words baffled you. It was something that you’d never experienced before and likely never will again. 

“Are any of those songs about me?” you finally ask, keeping your eyes on his in an effort to feign confidence. You watch as his gaze softens and he nods slowly. 

“Yes, some of them are,” he admits earnestly, his eyes darting to your lips as your proximity becomes even more apparent. 

“Are some of them about someone else?” you ask, already knowing the answer. But you wanted to hear him say it–no, needed to. He was so close that you could feel his warm breath against your face, sending your mind reeling.

“There is no one else,” he says, his voice deep and low. You breathe out a slow breath, trying not to look relieved. The corner of his mouth tweaks up into a smirk as his eyes burn through yours. After a few more moments of silence, where the tension is so thick you could cut it with a knife, your eyes soften as the gap between you gets even smaller.

“Please,” you whisper, a quiet plea for him to close the gap and give in to all of the desire that was looming over you. And that was all he needed to hear before his soft lips encompassed yours.

The breath is stolen from your throat as Josh’s lips crash against yours, his hands wrapping around your waist as he pulls you closer. You almost have a double-take for a moment, wondering if this was really happening, before you’re snapped out of it by the feeling of Josh’s tongue gliding against your bottom lip. You give him access and his tongue slips past your lips and dances with your own, making you sigh quietly against his lips. 

The feeling of his hands on your body and his mouth finally on yours is almost too good to be true. Were you dreaming? Surely not. His touch brings you back to reality, his hand grazing your ass and grabbing it tightly. God, you missed this. You missed him. You cursed yourself for even having doubts, but you do. Before it goes any further, you pull away, wrapping your arms around his neck as you pause to think straight.

“Josh…” you whisper, resting your forehead against his softly. 

“Don’t think so much,” he says, brushing a piece of your hair behind your ear. “We can talk later. This feels too right to stop now.” After he speaks those words, it all feels reminiscent of a distant memory. Your first time, five years ago.

“Josh…” you start, rubbing your thumb along his cheek. 

“Shhh,” he whispers, bringing his finger to your lips. “We can discuss it later. Right now, I just need to feel you… gotta make sure that this isn’t some sort of dream.”

Some things never change… Without ‘thinking too much,’ you just simply nod and stand up from the swing, taking his hand in yours. 

“Come home with me?” you ask, lacing your fingers with his. A smile creeps across his face as he nods.

“I’m offended that you even felt like you had to ask,” he jokes, letting his arm be dragged by you as you exit the backyard and enter your own, entering the house through the backdoor. Your parents are in bed by now, so the two of you move swiftly up the steep steps into your attic bedroom. Once you enter your bedroom, you shut the door behind you and lock it. 

The room is lit only by the string of lights along the back window, giving you a limited view of the man in front of you. You approach him, placing your hands on the back of his neck as he wraps his arms around your waist softly. Up close, you can see the clear smile across his face. It brought you joy, to see him happy, and to know that you were the reason for it. 

Your lips finally find his again, backing him up quickly until the back of his legs hit the bed. He turns you around, laying your back against the bed as he hovers over you. His hands move to slide your flannel down your arms slowly, tossing it on the floor before leaning down to kiss hot, wet kisses across your jaw and down your neck. 

His hands find the bottom hem of your shirt, pulling up on it lightly as his lips pepper kisses down your neck. You nod feverishly and he leans back to pull your t-shirt up and over your head, leaving you in just your bra. Josh’s hand strokes your cheek softly and then travels down your neck to your chest, grasping your breast over your bra, making it spill out slightly. 

He pulls his own shirt off, throwing it on the floor behind him before leaning back down to kiss down your collarbone, stopping at your bra strap. His finger slips underneath the strap and pulls it up, snapping it against your skin. You let out a light moan at the sensation and you watch him laugh at you before lowering his face to yours. 

“God, you’re desperate for it, huh?” he asks, his nose brushing against yours as his eyes darken. “So needy.”

A quiet whimper leaves your throat involuntarily as one of his hands glides down your side to hold you still at your waist, while the other reaches behind your back and undoes the clasps of your bra in one swift movement. He pulls it off, tossing it to the side before lowering his mouth to your bare chest and taking one of your nipples into his mouth. 

You throw your head back as his tongue swirls around the sensitive bud relentlessly. It was almost like he was starving, unable to stop himself as he pleasured you. The thought itself turned you on even more, almost becoming too much to handle. 

One of his hands starts to work on the button of your jeans, undoing it before slowly sliding down the zipper. Without even bothering to pull the jeans down, his fingers slip underneath the waistband of your panties and immediately dip into your folds, eliciting a whine from you. A smirk grows across his lips as he dips his fingers through your folds a few more times, teasing your entrance before sliding his pointer finger inside of you with ease. His pace is relentless, curling his finger deep inside you before inserting a second finger, making your eyes roll into the back of your head. 

“Josh, I–” you start, struggling to get your words out. He flashes you a smile as he quickens his pace, bringing you closer to the edge. “Josh, enough. I want to feel you, please.” He smirks as you beg for him, his ego growing even bigger knowing the effect he had on you. He removes his fingers from you and then grips the hem of your jeans, yanking them down and pushing them to the floor. He stands up off the bed and unbuttons his own pants, dropping them to the floor along with his boxers. 

God, he was just as beautiful as you remembered. You’ve relived this moment dozens of times before, on nights when you were lonely and longing for him. It happened more than you’d like to admit. His chest was even more sculpted than the last time you’d seen him this way, bare in front of you. He had grown into this strong, sexy man that you almost didn’t recognize. But he was someone that you were desperate to have. 

“I’ve pictured this moment so many times, but it’s still even better than I ever could have imagined,” you whisper, wrapping your arms around his neck and pulling him on top of you. His lips attack your neck, sucking dark marks along it as you writhe underneath him. 

“You’ve pictured this, baby?” he asks, his eyes dark as his strong arms hold you still on the bed.

“Yes,” you nod, melting into his kiss as his lips press against yours. His hand aligns himself with you, rubbing your sensitive clit as he talks to you before slipping inside.

“Tell me what you thought about,” he says, his eyes burning through yours, dark with lust. Before you have time to answer, he pushes himself inside you to the hilt, making a stifled moan erupt from your throat. Your nails dig into his back as he pulls out almost entirely before slamming back into you harshly. “I said tell me,” he repeats, his voice low and hoarse. His hips start a brutal pace as you try to collect your thoughts, unable to think straight. 

“I– fuck,” you start, quickly interrupted by a harsh slam of his hips as the tip of his cock brushes against your cervix. “I thought about how badly I wanted to feel you inside me again. Just like this,” you finally answer, throwing your head back against your headboard. 

“Yeah? Did you touch yourself while thinking about feeling me deep inside you?” he says, his right hand resting on the back of your neck as his thumb strokes the front of your neck softly. You nod swiftly, your eyes squeezing shut at the sensation. 

“Yes, so many times,” you mutter, your eyes still shut tightly. 

“What else?” he asks as you whine underneath him, struggling to keep going. “Open your eyes, look at me,” he asserts sternly. Fuck, he was so hot when he was in charge, you never wanted it any other way.

“I thought about when you’d be rough with me… so fucking hot,” you spit out, your eyes half-lidded as they lock on his. He curses under his breath and slams his hips extra hard against yours. 

“Fuck,” he groans, pulling his hips back and pulling out of you before swiftly flipping you over onto your knees. Without warning, he pushes back into you and sets a steady pace, his hand gliding from your hip down your back to the back of your neck. He pushes you down by your back as he slams into you, his tip hitting that special spot inside you repeatedly. You whine underneath him as the pressure inside you starts to build. 

You wince as you feel Josh’s hand crack down on the swell of your ass, eliciting a high-pitched squeal from your mouth. As he fucks you deep into the mattress, his hand comes down on you a few more times, smoothing out the spot softly after each flow to your soft skin. You hear him panting behind you, muttering a slur of curses each time his hand cracks down on you, the sound of you whimpering underneath him almost enough to make him cum right there. 

Josh’s hand wraps around your throat, holding tightly as he pulls you up, his warm chest pressing against your back. The new angle is almost excruciating and your mind is numb, you’re unable to speak. He brushes your hair to the side, planting harsh kisses on your shoulder blade as his neck holds firmly on your neck, squeezing ever so slightly. 

The roughness was partially thanks to how much the tension built up, yearning to break free. But you knew that it was out of frustration too. Frustration over you not leaving with him all those years ago, and you deserved it. At this moment, if this was punishment for your decision, you wanted nothing else. 

“Is this rough enough for you, baby?” he mutters against your skin, his other hand moving from your waist to rub tight circles around your clit. You whine under your touch, knowing that your climax is near. “Is this just what you wanted?” 

“Yes, yes, feels so good,” you breathe, desperate for your release. 

“Perfect,” he whispers, moving his hand from your throat to grasp one of your breasts, his fingers pinching your nipple harshly. God, you were so close. “I’d do anything to make you feel good, Saph. Anything.”

Your orgasm crashes over you at that moment, the burning, white-hot sensation washing over you more intensely than you’ve experienced in God knows how long. Your mind goes foggy and you grow stiff against his touch as he kisses your cheek softly and helps you through it. 

“I’m not gonna last much longer, baby,” he whispers against your skin, kissing down your neck as his thrusts speed up. “Where should I…” You lean your head back against his shoulder as he gets even closer, overstimulation almost taking over you.

“Inside. Fuck, please,” you plead, and he moans in your ear as he slams his hips into you harshly, chasing his own high. 

“Shit, Saph, that’s so fucking hot,” he mutters from behind you, his arm holding your tightly against him as he grows closer. “Gonna fill you up, just like you want. Fuck, I love you so much.”

Your mind is so cloudy from the feeling of Josh inside of you and his lips on your neck that you almsot don’t register it at first. Before you have time to respond, he slams his hips into you one last time before you feel his release shoot deep inside of you. Your eyes roll back just from the feeling of it: warm, perfect. You knew in this moment that you were his. You always have been, and you always will be. It didn’t matter if you were together or apart, you were his. 

He thrusts a few more times, pushing his cum deep inside you before pulling out slowly, laying you down on the bed softly. He plants a soft kiss on your shoulder, stroking your bare back softly before getting up from the bed and walking to the bathroom behind you. Moments later, he returns with a towel, soaked in warm water to clean you off with. Once he’s convinced you’re clean, he wipes himself down quickly before tossing the towel back into the bathroom and then lying down next to you on the bed. 

As he lays down on his back next to you, you scooch over on the bed, placing your head next to his on the pillow and putting your hand on his warm, soft chest. He leans over, placing a kiss on your forehead with a quiet sigh. As his fingers start to ghost over your arm sweetly, you finally break the silence. 

“I love you, too,” you whisper, nuzzling into his neck as you shut your eyes, knowing that sleep will soon take over you. You don’t have to see him to know that he’s smiling.

“What does this mean for us?” he whispers, the cogs turning slowly. “I have to go back to Nashville on Sunday…” You think for a moment, not wanting to jump the gun or say the wrong thing. 

“I… I’ll talk to my dad in the morning, and I’ll tell him that I need to move to Nashville. With you. He’ll just have to find somebody else to take over.”

The silence is deafening. At first, you wonder if you’ve scared him away, but he speaks again.

“I thought that running the store was your dream, Saph,” he says apprehensively.

“It was. But everything is different now,” you answer, looking up at him with a soft smile. “You’re my dream, Josh Kiszka. Only you. Everything else can come after. I didn’t know it four years ago, but I know it now. It’s always been you.”

His lips crash into yours and you can feel him smiling against yours. Everything was falling into place.

“I love you, Y/N,” he whispers. 

“I love you, Josh.”

The End.

*:·.·:**:·.·:**:·.·:**:·.·:*༺˚ ⊹♫⊹ ˚༻*:·.·:**:·.·:**:·.·:**:·.·:*

Taglist:

@highladyofasgard @jordie-gvf @peaceloveunitygvf @sanguinebats @gvfstuddedmajesty @myleftsock @lilbitx

[theradicalscrivener]

Hey I have an idea for a story I want to give you, inspired by NNN with Hyper dick and balls. A man who is doing the 3 day challenge decides to give up, he wants to masturbate but decides to use an HFO video, he finds it and warns that if he starts watching it he will go into a state of conscious hypnosis and will make his cock grow and swell his balls with the associated words "growth" and "swell" when the time comes to come he will say "come". The protagonist does not believe it but it is too late he is under the influence of the video he no longer has control of his body he is stuck in the chair ( I'll leave the fun part to you), at the end the video (when the protagonist is sitting on his enormous genitals and in a state between horniness and terror) will say the famous phrase but with an extra lead to the end of the NNN. P.S. I'm not good at writing and English is not my first language, so if you see spelling errors here's why.

Interesting premise. Although it leaves a lot of questions. Would he be aware of this? Because it sounds like all he has to do is say "come" to break the effects, and even if he wasn't aware, it sounds like that word is common enough in the english langage.

Maybe hearing the word "come" makes him cream, but doesn't stop the effects. He assume that's how to break the control so he lets himself get huge enough to be fun and then says "come". He cleans up, goes out about his day without realizing the effects are still in play. Sure, he has a massive hog and fat nuts, but he likes those.

"Growth" and "Swell" are not as common. He doesn't even realize he's still growing at first. Manages to get like a third of the way through the day before he runs into a coworker that's like the kinda nerdy Flander's-esque dude who uses outdated terms like "everything's swell! Hope you have a swell weekend!"

Guy feels it almost instantly. The heavy weight in his pants straining against his already over-stuffed slacks.

"Don't say swell!" *feels it grow slightly more*

"I always say swell. It never bothered you before" *feels it grow even more.

His pants are now visibly sagging from the weight of his massive nuts. The waistband is pulled down so low that several inches of fat cock base are exposed. The dude tries to pull his shirt down lower to cover it up, but it's not working.

"What's going on?" the coworker asks.

"Every time you say "swell" my nuts grow!" The guy hisses angrily.

Upon saying this his nuts AND cock grow. Shit. Apparently it's not just "growth" that triggers it but words like "grow" as well.

"that can't be possible. Your nuts can't just grow like that!" his coworker says.

"It can! And it did! Now stop saying that word!" He shouts.

"What word? I haven't said 'swell' since we started." coworker replied.

his balls visibly swell. His pants pop and fray at the seams. His massive nuts spill out and land on the floor with a heavy *whump*

"Not that word! I mean. Yes. Don't say that word, but don't say the other one either!" he whines.

"You only said the one word! All you said is that your nuts grow when I say 'swell'" his coworker replied.

His nuts and cock grow even more. He can't believe this. Is his coworker truly this clueless? His cock and balls are now openly on display! Everyone can see how huge he is! Everyone can see that his nuts sit solidly on the ground. Either massive orb the size of a beanbag chair. His comparitively smaller cock is two feet long and thicker than his neck!

"No! The other word is "grow" or "growth" or maybe even "growing"! I don't know! Any word like that makes my dick grow!" he whines.

He stares in awe as his cock surges in size. Oh no. Oh no.

"Now I know you're pulling my leg," his coworker says. "If you were really worried about words like "grow" and "swell" you would stop saying them. You just said "grow" like five times."

"Oh fuck. It's still growing!" He says in horror as his cock surges in size. His dick is now longer than he is tall. It's wider than his shoulders. His fat hog is sitting atop a pair of nuts the size of a sofa.

At this point another coworker walks by. Eyes the dude's enormous package and turns towards the first coworker, "What's up with him?" coworker 2 asks.

"I think it's a bit or something. He keeps saying everytime someone says "grow" or "swell" his cock and balls grow," Coworker A says.

"Well it's a good thing you're the only one here who says "swell" all the time," B replied.

"That's what I said! Clearly this is a joke at my expense, but I am amazed he's committed to the bit this long," A says.

The dude is just standing there and silently whining as he watches his nuts swell even more. How do they not notice how huge he is!? He wants to just ditch this convo, but he can't! He can't even move at this size.

Coworker B gives the guy a playful sock to the shoulder. "Hey there, sport. Hope you're having a swell time. I'm swell myself. In fact, we're all swell here. Just swell, swell, swell," he said jokingly.

the guy stares in horror as his nuts rapidly inflate. They're so huge he can't even see over them. Either massive orb is the size of a backyard toolshed.

"Oooh. You did it now. You said swell like five times. He's going to grow so much." Coworker A laughs.

"Grow and grow and grow," B says with a similar laugh.

"Grow! Grow! Grow!" the two buds chant.

"Stop it!" The dude whines. His cock is surging in size. His dick is the size of a BW van now and still swelling.

"Grow! And Swell! Swell! And Grow!" The two continued their chant.

The dude can't do anything but stand there and stare. His jaw hanging open as his cock and balls surge to unheard of sizes. His nuts fill most of the room. He coworkers had to have noticed, right? they literally, physically, had to move to avoid getting pinned down by his swelling sack.

At this point their boss walks in. "What's going on here!? Do none of you have work to do!?" He grumbled.

"We'll get back to it in a second." A says.

"Yeah. We're just giving our friend here some light-hearted ribbing," B replied.

"Yeah. He keeps saying that his junk grows if anyone says "grow" or "Swell"," A says.

"Grow or Swell?" the boss asks.

"Yeah. He always was a kidder," B replied.

"You're the only one here who says swell... seems a bit targeted if you ask me..." the boss grumbled.

"That's what I said!" A laughs.

"Well you've had your laughs. The only thing I want to hear growing and swelling is our sales. We've got quotas to meet," the boss said.

"Growing and swelling as always, sir!" B said with a playful salute.

"Oh come on..." The dude whines, but no sooner are the words out of his lips than he realizes the mistake of his words. He had a third trigger word... "come"

"Oh... oh shit..." He whines. His cock shudders and lurches, but it had nowhere to go. His cock and balls filled pretty much the entire room.

"I... I'm cumming!" He shouts as the dam break. Huge, thick spurts of cum erupt from his jetliner sized schlong.

[fo0lishl4m]

Sweet Nothing wolfstar au

Where Remus is a sick boy who is a member of the poetry club at Gryffindor Boarding School. Or where Sirius is an American Football player at Gryffindor Boarding School.

summary: Remus and Sirius meet for the first time in the Hospital waiting room

notes: diseases, swear words, poor development, modern au

word count: 1.3k

chapter one | chapter two

Remus' pov:

The walls of hospitals always generate cold, it is something I have reluctantly realized, it is a breeze that whispers to me that I should never leave the house without my sweater or I would die of hypothermia. Too much? 

I'm used to being in places like this, I've always been a sick child, and I swear it doesn't bother me, I've had worse days than sitting in a waiting room. Sometimes I listen to music, sometimes I look at a fixed point distracting myself and sometimes I read. 

I like silence, but lately it has been interrupted. The last week. I go to a boarding school, Gryffindor Boarding School, it's a huge school that only allows us to go out on the weekend. I like being there, the poetry club is where I participate the most. The hospital I go to at least three times a month is used to receiving students on a regular basis, so my mother and several nurses already know each other. 

There is a moderately tall boy (shorter than me) with pale skin, dark eyes and long black hair that he always ties in a high bun. He has a broken leg. I don't remember his name, we go to different clubs and from time to time we share Literature and Physical Education classes, I think he is part of the American Football team. 

He always sits two chairs next to mine when he comes to the hospital, there is always one chair away and his friend always accompanies him. I've had a little more interaction with him because we have three to four classes together. They are both very loud. 

I forgot my book in my room, I probably should have forgotten the fact that I had a checkup at the doctor today, too. My pocket vibrates when I receive a message. 

Lily Evans Well? How are things with you? 

Remus Lupin I haven't entered yet hahaha It's noisy

Lily Evans Black? 

Remus Lupin What? 

Lily Evans The boy with the broken leg The one who no longer goes to training Sirius Black

Remus Lupin Ah, so that's his name. Yeah,, and his friend with glasses too

Lily Evans Neither of them gives me confidence Anyway, I have to go study with Mary Xoxo

I turn off my phone. Lily Evans has been my best friend since I was thirteen, we are practically inseparable, yet I still spend a lot of time alone. I'm not complaining. 

I turn my head to see the happy Sirius Black who begins to laugh with his friend with glasses, whose name I am almost sure is James Potter and who is also part of the team. James gets up from his chair saying something about a soda and a joke about his friend's broken leg before leaving the waiting room and entering the pre-waiting room. For the first time, there is genuine silence. 

It doesn't last long. 

── Are you from Gryffindor? ── Sirius asks. 

I realize that I've been looking at his feet for just over five minutes while I was probably distracted by thinking about what part of the book I had left last night that the slightest sound of his voice almost scares me. I look up and think about what to respond. 

── Yes. ── I look away from him. Ah, my institutional sweater. Sure. 

── Me too. ── Add. ── But I had never seen you. ──

── I'm part of the poetry club. ──

He frowns. He clearly didn't know the existence of that club. He shrugs his shoulders like it doesn't really matter, puts his arms behind his head and leans against the back of the chair. 

── Well, poetry boy, I'm more of a physical person. ──

I make no secret of raising an eyebrow and looking down at the cast on his leg; ── Oh, I already noticed. ──

He lets out an ironic laugh, not offended, as he would have expected as a first reaction. 

── Hey! In my defense, it wasn't entirely my fault. I wasn't the one who fell on another guy. ──

── I think I'm interested in knowing. ──

── I was going to score a touchdown and the opposing team jumped on me. Goodbye leg. ──

I don't know anything about American football, okay? 

── Did you win? ──

── Local party, thirteen to twenty. ──

── Oh. ── I can say. I think I had heard a piercing scream from Potter that day when the results came out. ── At least it was local. ──

── Yes, but at the end of the term we will have a game against another school! ──

── What worries you? ──

── First, my leg. ── Highlight the obvious before continuing. ── Second, the team is a disaster without me, not even the locals will win. ──

── What's with your leg? I mean, is it injured or broken? ──

He gestures with his hand, adding a small grimace. ── I don't know, can I say both? ──

── You have a cast. ──

── Yes, but what about you? ── Raises an eyebrow. Oh God, please no. ── What are you doing here? ──

── Asthma. Among other things. ── I add after thinking a little.

Hum. ──Then you must spend more time than me here. ──

── I can live here. ──

── Yes, I can see it now. ──

He lets out a laugh and I imitates him, mildly embarrassed but amused. 

── Well, broken leg boy, you'll soon get used to it. ──

──Broken leg boy? ── He imitates and raises an eyebrow. ── Is that all you have to tell me? ──

── I don't know your name. ── I lie. 

── Sirius Black. ──

── Remus Lupin ── I answer. 

──Lupin, huh? Your last name sounds too familiar to me. ──

── Poetry club. ──

── No, that's not why. ──

He rested his elbow on his knee and his head on his palm, looking at a fixed point while, I suppose, he was trying to remember something. 

── Maybe from another club? In third year I was part of the theater workshop. ──

He clicks his tongue but doesn't change his posture. 

── No, close, but no. ──

── One of my friends is a cheerleader. ── I add. 

He raises his eyebrows in surprise and turns to look at me. 

── Who, exactly? ──

── Mary McDonald. ──

── I knew it! ── He laughed victoriously. ── I knew it. ──

I raise an eyebrow. ── What did you know? ──

── You, I had seen you before. Chemistry last year? ──

I think it, but I don't say it; he's pretty dumb. And irritating. If I have continued talking to him it's because I have no other choice and I have put up with a lot of irritating people for many years. I probably won't talk to him again when we leave this waiting room, but I don't want to be rude either. Not verbally. 

The only thing I can point out (aside from what I mentioned) is that he exudes an arrogant aura. I'm not an expert on that, I'm just friends with Mary. 

── Yes. ── I replied distractedly. 

── Ah, that explains a lot. ── He says again, highlighting with a kind of victory, as if knowing who I am was an achievement or something.

── You look for many explanations for questions that do not exist. ── 

── Do you believe? ── 

I hum in response; ── This is not the first time I have encountered someone with a broken leg. ── 

── You say it as if it were my only personality. ──

── I don't know you, I dare say it's like that. ──

── Do you want to meet me? ──

── I have no other choice, I'll keep you here for a while. A few weeks or a few months, perhaps. ──

The conversation flows, I don't know whether to consider that I'm having fun or I'm simply tolerating his presence, but it doesn't make me want to hit him. I think I'll see him here next week.

[hearts4golbach]

The Night Shift.

chapter 2.

Johnnie Guilbert x Fem!Reader.

Repetitive.

It was all so fucking Repetitive.

So fucking repetitive. 5 hours of taking orders and making them. Tonight made me want to curl up in someone's arms and cry. But I didn't have anyone waiting for me at my tiny apartment. I had never even had a boyfriend before. My parents were so insistent that I find a beautiful, tall, blonde boy who plays football. I had never found that.

Repetitive. The ringing of the bell on the door snapped me out of my thoughts. i didn't bother brightening my expression, assuming it was just another drunk.

"What can I get for you?" I asked in a monotone voice, not looking up from the register.

"Y/n?" a familiar voice called. "You okay?" I looked up, my eyes meeting Johnnie's.

"Oh, hey. Sorry, it's been a long night. Seeing you is the first good thing that has happened to me tonight."

"Do you wanna sit down and talk about it?" He offered.

A small smile grew on my face. "why not? let me take your order first."

"Can I try a large vanilla coffee? Iced, please." His tone was calm and sweet, and he seemed less tired than he did last night.

He began to take out his wallet. "This one's on me." I commented. "Any updates about your ex?"

"I haven't heard much from her, and that makes me paranoid." he replied. "let me pay, Y/n. it's your paycheck."

I rolled my eyes. "You got me a donut last night, it's the least I can do." I smiled as he threw up his hands in defeat. "maybe she got bored."

"I hope so." he sighed, leaning over the counter has he did last night. "Do you have any crazy exes?"

My face flushed. "I've never dated anyone."

His eyes widened. "That's shocking, you're really pretty. Sorry if that offended you or something."

I shook my head, my face as red as a beet. He was very attractive himself, so the compliment caught me off guard. I had no idea what to say. "Thank you, uh, you're attractive yourself." i stuttered, muttering out the first thing that came to mind.

a small blush spread across his face as he smiled with his teeth. "what's stopped you from having a boyfriend?" he asked as I brought his coffee, as well as one I made for myself, to the nearest table. he sat across from me.

"My parents want me to have the perfect guy. Blonde, football, blue eyes, you know." i stopped and looked at him, seeing a dissapointed look on his face. "But that's not what I want. So I guess I've just been waiting for someone to come to me."

His facial muscles rested. "cool." he replied, taking a sip of his coffee. "this is really fucking good."

I laughed. "did it catch you off guard? I can't believe you, johnnie. I don't make shitty coffee." I teased.

he immediately shook his head. "no, I just usually don't like coffee."

I made an 'ah' sound and took a sip of my own.

"There's a new year's party this weekend, me and my best friend are going. You should go." he smiled. "Me and Jake can give you a ride and everything."

"hmm. I can try, but I don't see why I wouldn't be able to go. I've never been to a party."

"Oh Jesus. Have you ever drank?"

"Thats like asking if I breathe air." I rolled my eyes. "why 'oh jesus?'" I questioned in a mocking tone.

"New years parties are always fucking insane, in my opinion. I'm always reeking of some sort of alcohol even if I don't drink." he scrunched his nose slightly, as if he could smell it already.

"sounds like my type of event." I smirked, taking another drink.

He smiled with his teeth. "So you'll go?" he said excitedly.

"of course." I smiled. "it'd be nice to get out of the house."

"Tell me more about your family." He replied, intertwining his fingers.

"Well, my grandparents spent their whole lives saving up to buy this cafe." I began, mimicking my parents voices. "and, in their will, they passed it down to my mom and dad. I've been spending majority of my time in this building for as long as I can remember."

"are you a peoples person?" Johnnie asked me.

"like, am I good with people and like to be around them?" he nodded. "I guess so, but I like being alone, too. like, if I'm alone too long I get tired or if I'm with people for too long I get tired. I don't know, it's weird."

"understandable." Johnnie acknowledged.

"what about you?"

"I'm just like you. But I lean more towards being with, like, two people than being alone or in a big group." he explained, waving his hand around.

I nodded in agreement. Maybe it was a bad idea to go to this party, but I had little to lose.

"Can I get your number?" He asked me. I quickly wrote it down on a napkin.

my heart fluttered. I gave a guy my number. I wasn't expecting anything to come from me and johnnie, though.

[jtargaryen18]

House of Shadowed Roses ~ Chapter 2 Preview

Coming soon...

As you suspected, Edward's home was a sight by the light of day. The stunning white mansion, its pristine walls glowing softly in the sunlight, stood proudly in the center of a sprawling, perfectly manicured lawn. The lush green grass was so uniform and so well maintained that it looked almost like velvet. Surrounding the house were elegant flower beds, bursting with color - roses, hydrangeas, and tulips arranged in perfect harmony, a vibrant contrast to the mansion's crisp white facade.

Strategically placed among the winding stone pathways were intricately shaped topiaries, each sculpted in artful designs, some shaped like spiraling towers, others like playful animals. The scent of fresh blooms fills the air while the towering oak trees at the edge of the property provided a sense of quiet privacy. Looking around, you didn't see any other homes, even off in the distance.

Your heart swelled with hope in your chest as you took in the combination of white mansion, colorful flower beds, and perfectly-formed topiaries that evoked a sense of elegance and timeless beauty. This was your home now and it was a massive upgrade from the sad, now condemned building you just moved out of it. Edward's home, honestly, looked like paradise.

"Can I help you?" 

The sound of that deep voice had you turning to find a tall, handsome man with a strong, muscular build that hinted at years of hands-on work. His short sandy hair was slightly tousled, perfectly complementing the well-groomed beard that added a rugged charm to his appearance. What truly stood out to you where his striking blue eyes, the kind that caught the light and held depths of both intensity and warmth. They reminded you of a clear sky on an autumn day. His fitted gray T-shirt clung to his muscular chest and arms, his worn jeans and work boots had a couple of greasy smudges. The toolbelt slung low on his hips completed the look, made you realize that he was a worker here. The man stood there eyeing you too, carrying the confidence of a man who was good at what he did. 

Edward hadn't mentioned anyone else. 

"Hi there," you said, giving him your name. You held out a hand but he just crossed his muscular arms across the wide expanse of his chest. Awkwardly, you pulled your hand back. Apparently, Edward hadn't mentioned you to him either.

"Can I help you?" he repeated.

"I'm the new tenant," you explained. "I met with Edward about the rooms this week and we agreed I'd move in this weekend."

He rolled his eyes. "Of course he did." You thought he muttered "fuck" beneath his breath.

You weren't sure what this was about. Maybe it didn't even have anything to do with you personally. But his low-key animosity threw cold water on your excitement about moving into your new home.

"I don't expect you to help," you said, in case that made any difference. "He said I didn't need to call and I could move in this weekend... I don't mean to be a bother."

Still looking put out, he marched off in the direction of the house. No welcome. No 'please, let me show you around.' Nothing. 

What were you supposed to do? Call Edward to let him know you were there? You didn't know who the handsome bastard that walked away was - he did have a nice ass. But was he about to mess up your arrangement here? If this fell through, you had nowhere else to go.

 You stood by your SUV like an idiot in the long elegant drive in front of the house. Did you start moving stuff in? Should you drive back to your current apartment - you only had two days left there - and try to call Edward, speak to him about it.

The man you'd just talked to slammed his way through the front door of the mansion. You'd seen no sign of Edward. Nerves were starting to get the best of you. You were just about to climb back into your car when the front door opened and Edward stepped out onto his front porch, calling your name. Hoping this meant good news, you walked around your vehicle to join him on the porch. His condition made it hard to read his expressions, but you were hoping he'd come out to clear things up.

"Are you ready to move in?" Edward asked. It sounded like he was smiling.

Edward was taller than you remembered, his broad shoulders nearly as wide as the doorway behind him. His long-sleeved T-shirt was pushed up to his elbows, showing off muscular forearms and hinting at strength and power. Another look revealed his entire frame was athletic. Why did that surprise you? Yes, his face drew most of the attention - a face covered in countless small, bulbous tumors that greatly distorted his features. They clustered around his cheeks, chin, and forehead, creating uneven ridges that made it impossible to even guess what his face might look like without the disease.

In the light of day, you realized his left eye was only partially hidden by the overgrowth of skin at his brow. His right eye was striking, a deep, dark blue.The rest of him was untouched by the condition, his thick neck, powerful chest, and heavily-muscled arms gave him an almost unsettling duality.

"Yes," you said, smiling awkwardly. "I met uh..."

"You met Frank Adler," Edward explained. "He helps me around the house, with the cars. He's been my handyman for years."

Trying to be polite, you nodded but didn't say anything.

"Normally, he's even charming," Edward went on. "Not sure what got into him today." Turning back to the house he asked, "Would you like to see your rooms?"

That's better.

"Yes, please," you said, smiling at your new landlord. 

Edward paused, his gaze locked with yours, his holding so much intensity. You weren't sure what the moment meant to him, but you felt like it was significant.

[shinyrhinestones]

Youthful Hearts

Part five

Series summary: Readers new around town, and therefore doesnt know the place or people. However, she ends up befriending the most chaotic people she could find.

Billie Joe Armstrong X Fem!Reader. Set in the 90s.

Warnings: mentions of alcohol & drugs.

Here are the other parts

—-

Things were finally taking off. Things were finally happening in your life at where you had moved to.

You'd be lying if you said that you never worried about being lonely for all of the years you were gonna stay. You really didn't know how long you were gonna stay when you didn't know if you were gonna grow to love living here. But you might. For now you finally had weekend plans. Plans you could look forward to while you also had school.

Something to look forward to when you get off for the weekend. In class you were constantly drifting off in your mind to the gig you'd been invited to. Apparently he had his own band. You wondered what kind of music they play, what instruments do each of them play? What's their band name? Why didn't you even ask that in the moment..? Oh well the weekends gonna be very lively.

You had made sure to look your best, just the way you like it. As you were getting yourself ready, you felt like butterflies were flying around in your belly and normally that would tell you it was because you were nervous. But you could tell it was a little different this time. Exactly what you couldn't actually tell. It was more just a feeling.

Well, hanging out with three foreign boys was quite nervewrecking in its self. Maybe just a little more when the one who invited you, was a somewhat attractive young man. It felt weird.

You had written down the adress Billie gave you, and had yet again to make sure you could find your way there. However, made it and you really hoped that you weren't late nor too early there. You weren't sure if you could keep conversation flowing if you were early. As summer was dying down as August reached its end, you walked through the struggle of the wind constantly throwing your hair around. But you managed and got to finally enter the pub, where no wind was bothering you.

Your eyes scanned the pub but didn't get to get a good look before someone placed their hands on your shoulders with a whisper yell at you:

Boo!

Your jumped and quickly turned around, as you felt your heart skip a beat. You lightly shoved the person without seeing who it was but saw it was the tall man you had seen Billie with the other times. He laughed at you and looked behind him to see that the green haired guy had caught up to him by now. Your eyebrows furrowed as your eyes kept going back and forth. His eyes wrinkled at the sides and his smile was wide. You may have smirked just a bit. The tall one lightly hit the other man on his chest. You stood with your hands in your pockets, really just watching them laugh at your reaction. You shook your head and let out a breath as if you found them just a bit funny but at the same time ridiculous.

"Sorry about them." You heard a voice behind you yet again. You turned your head and saw Billie. His hair shined underneath the lights of the pub, and you found it cute. He had actually been laughing along with the two other boys, and you could also see it on his face that he had found it funny.

You rolled your eyes, still with a smirk on your face. "Yeah yeah it's alright." You shrugged. He let out another short laugh, that rang through your ears. You had just arrived and yet the laughter was already taking off. "Oh right, I'm Mike." The tallest one said as his laughter started dying down. He pointed to the man beside him and talked yet again. "And this is Tre Cool." Now you weren't gonna lie, that name caught you off guard. You must admit it is kinda bizarre. But finally their faces had a name too.

"Hi. Uh, I'm Y/N". It was a little weird considering the fact you didn't know if Billie had said much about you. But you felt introducing yourself to them only made sense. "Oh yeah, we know. Hi Y/N". Tre said. This might've been the first time you heard him actually speak rather than just laugh. His voice was so loose and almost childish. It was a funky voice. Explaining it is weird. Your eyebrows raised just a bit, and you looked back at Billie who was standing next to you. He looked at you with a crooked smile.

You found it kinda funny how you didn't know their names, yet they knew yours. Well, you know their names now. But it took a good minute. "Oh okay, well thats only good now I guess." You let your eyebrows fall down back into its relaxed state and you shrugged. "Yeah, Billie's been snitching." Again Tre opened his mouth. You laughed, 'cause his sentence didn't make sense. Snitch? Is it even possible to snitch on someones name?

You shook your head and rested some weight on one hip. You were getting a little tired of standing in place. Mike reacted similar to you. "You idiot." He laughed shortly and tapped him again. "Just say he's mentioned her." He then said, and was looking at Tre only. Tre put his arms up in defense and raised his eyebrows. "Hey go easy." While they were talking you noticed all the commotion around. It was quite late and therefore the pub had gotten quite a handful of guests. A lot of chatter and clinking could be heard loud and clear, all around you.

You sighed deeply and looked back over at Billie, who was looking at the stage behind you. You turned your head over your shoulder to get a glimpse of the scene aswell. It wasn't all that big, but it was enough for three people you thought. Some equipment was already set up, and you wondered if it was even ready yet. You looked back at Billie, and he was gazing at you. You were caught off guard and felt your face heat up. "What's up?" He let out casually.

"Uhm.." You really didn't know what to respond. You weren't all that good at talking to new people, and especially not boys. Mainly because you weren't that used to being around them all that much. Most of your best friends had been girls. You looked off to the side of the ceiling, to see if you could maybe fish something up from the corners of your mind.

"What do you mean?" There were plenty of better things you could've said. And somehow thats what you ended up saying. Your looked at him confused, but you were more confused at yourself than him.

His smile was small, almost invinsible. Your fingers were figdeting with each other, as you stood before him. "The stage. We're playing there tonight in like thirty minutes." He diverted the conversation just a bit. You nodded. "You nervous?" He rubbed the back of his neck as you asked him. "Just a bit. We've got our ways to calm the nerves before shows though." He shrugged and let his arm fall down to his side again. You nodded and looked over at the other two guys. They were half in their own talk and half listening to you and Billie's. They looked at you both a little weird. Like an unsure look in their eyes.

"Billie, maybe we should go get the rest done? The equipment." Mike chimed in and now he was rubbing the base of his neck, like he was nervous or worried. You adverted your gaze between the young men and felt off. Maybe you shouldn't have went.

But then again you were quick to turn on the flip side instead of letting go, and give more chances.

Billie nodded, and the three young men left after telling you their gig started soon. You decided to go over by the bar and sit. You hadn't really prepared yourself for this moment. For sitting by the bar all to yourself, 'cause you either came early or Billie had made you arrive early. You sat down and rested both elbows on the wooden counter. Your left hand going up to touch your foreheard and rub gently.

Your fingertips slowly moving along your warm skin, as you closed your eyes for a second. "You good?" A new voice sounded infront of you. You look up with wide eyes at first. "Yeah." You reply as you let your hand fall down again. The bartenders smile widened as he saw your actual face after you moved your hand out of the way. "Good. You looked stressed for a minute there." He was so chill but somehow energetic, and perhaps you had to be when you worked around mostly drunken people. "No, it's alright." You shrugged and he left to take care of some orders. It made you realize how you probably should relax a bit and try to have fun again.

While the wait you had gotten a soda for yourself, and inbetween chatted with the bartender. He had noticed how every now and then you would let your eyes scan the stage. "Yeah, a bands playing tonight." He mentioned and his arms were resting on the counter. He was leaning his arms up against the counter flashing a long and big tatto on his left arm. You had to admit it was kinda cool.

"Yeah." You curtly said. You bit your bottomlip, and wrapped your hands around your bottle. He observed you, like he was trying to read you. Maybe he could tell you weren't in a totally good mood, like you wished you were. You couldn't exactly point out why, but it was probably when Mike started to act concerned that you started to feel weird.

"They're called Green Day. Some punk band I think."

He just answered a bunch of questions you have had in mind since Billie Joe invited you here. You don't know why you didn't ask him earlier. Or why he didn't tell you. Maybe he was busy.

"Oh really?" You finally cracked a smile again. That's when you noticed the bartenders eyes light up. "Yes. I hope they're good." He smiled. You took a sip of your bottle and right as he said that you smiled and giggled after sinking. "Yeah, I hope they're good too." Your eyes must've been sparkling again.

The young looking bartender had to dissapear as more customers came rolling in. The lights dimmed and you looked up at the stage, as all the boys were ready, and started introducing themselves.

You smiled lightly at them. You loved how intimate the free concert felt. How close the music was to you, and how you feel it under the chair you were sitting on. Even if you didn't much about punk or the music genre you truly did enjoy their perfomance and music. And you don't think you were the only one.

Multiple people were swaying along, bobbing their heads or really focused on their performance. Watching and smiling. You noticed how you were tapping your foot atleast. All three of the boys seemed to really get lost in their music on stage, and it was quite cute.

You were met by the three boys down by the bar a few minutes after their gig. Billie did keep his promise, and got you a drink. You weren't gonna say no to free drinks, and you hoped that Billie had clean intentions. Why would he wait until the second time meeting you to try and connect with you, if he was purposelly trying to hurt you? However, that doesn't automatically mean that he couldn't have bad intentions. It was confusing and you knew you couldn't trust any of them just yet. But they were funny. They cracked jokes all the time, and bickered half of the time too. It was entertaining you must admit. "So you're Green Day?" You asked with a crooked smile and a glimmer in your eyes.

The bots chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, that's us." Billie pinched the edge of his nose before taking a sip of his own drink. "Care to explain the name?" You giggled. The alcohol might've done that to you. Their name was a colour next to the day. That was a little silly, but not that you hated it.

Mike's eyes looked panicked. He was switching his stare between you and Billie somewhat fast. You watched him carefully, and then looked back at Billie. He was staring at his drink with an unreadable smile. Tre opened his mouth after sipping the rest of his drink. "It's weed." His tone was always direct and a little loud, and it shocked you how he said it so playfully yet carelessly. You froze for a second before a small breathy laugh escaped your lungs. You sat up straight, not sure how to handle the information. You didn't do drugs for good reasons. And you didn't hang out with people who did drugs anyways, because you just never seemed to be in that kind of enviroment. You also didn't know how much you'd wanted to be around people who you couldn't count on because of the effects of drugs.

And how most people do it to escape reality. What reality were they escaping from? Maybe none. You didn't know, you'd technically just met them.

"Oh." Was all you let out as you just stared numb infront of you, at your drink. Billie was looking at you, you could feel it, but you didn't look back at him. You wanted to avoid his gaze at all cost.

You were afraid to mess something up, more than you maybe already did. Which is funny cause in a way you didn't want to be around people who did drugs, but at the same time you found them funny. Ugh. Why did it have to be so weird?

And what other drugs could they be taking? You stood up and looked at Billie for once. "Yeah, I'll see you around. I have work tommorow, so I should probably get going." You explained as chilly as you could, and pointed with your thumb to the door, as you grabbed your summer coat. Looking at Billie felt a little strange. The emotion on his face wasn't all too clear. He looked weirded out yet nonchalant.

However, the two other men were see through. Tre looked completely careless and calm. Wasn't that surprising now, was it? Mike however looked shocked. Worried and at unease. You smiled weakly at them before heading towards the exit. You pushed the door open and turned right. But before you could go straight ahead down the path, a voice called out.

You recognized it and turned around. Billie must've lit up a cigarette inside the pub before something made him follow you out. He exhaled some smoke as he walked up to you. His eyes were a little hooded and you could still see those bags under his eyes, while you both were standing by a lamp post.

"Are you okay?" Perhaps, Billie found it just as difficult to read you, as you struggled to read him inside. You were basically hugging yourself as you shuffled your weight on your feet. You let out some air, and let your muscles make you smile. It was half fake, and half real. You found it sweet that he had followed just to see if you were okay. You nodded softly. "Yeah, I'm alright. I'm just tired and I have work tommorow." You actually didn't. The school library is closed on weekends but you didn't know what else to say. He tilted his head as he took another drag of his cigarette, while you were talking.

He looked around at the cars by the pub before looking back at you. "You're walking home?" He furrowed his eyebrows. "Yes. When you're studying there's not a lot of money for a car." You let out a breathy laugh. You couldn't lie and say that you weren't interested in him. If you didn't want to have anything to do with him anymore, you would've kept your response short and vague. But you didn't.

He cracked a smile and nodded as he looked briefly down at the ground. "Yeah, that's very true." He looked back up at you again and his eyes were squinting slightly. You figured it was because the sharp light from the lamppost right next to you both.

"It's dark, are you gonna be alright?" You knew it was dangerous to walk home alone in the dark. It was also dangerous during the day, but the risk was worse at night. You swayed slightly and ended up shrugging. "I don't know. I don't live to far from here." You almost whispered, becoming really tired.

"I'll walk you, if you don't mind?" He lifted an eyebrow and you moved your mouth muscles to the side, as you thought about it for a while. You kinda did want him to but you also didn't know him that well, and you don't know how safe you felt with it.

You shook your head. "I think I'm good, Billie. But thanks." You said. He nodded and bend his head down again, staring into the ground. "That's alright. Give me a ring sometime." His voice was a mix of carefullness and at the same time a little playful. He waved at you and headed towards the pub again, and you stood and stared until he was out of sight. You stood and swayed, and looked down onto the pavement, lost in your thoughts once again. You didn't know what to do now. What to think. How to feel.

You just wanted to go home.

———————————————-

A/N: Uhm okay not that wild but its something...share your thoughts and I'll be working on the next chapter. Also sorry if some of this doesnt make sense its 3 am rn...Bye bye !

[maluarty-blog]

New IF :D

History:

After years of working as a prostitute in one of the wealthiest areas of your city, you find a job as a caretaker of a duke who has been wounded by the war. Hired by his sister, you are invited to live in their mansion with your son. Life really does seem to be giving you quite an opportunity, doesn't it?

Romantic options:

(Liah Chancellor) THE BLACK WIDOW:  Female

She's the woman who hired you, Cesar's older sister.

She returned to the city after her husband passed away. Her personality is calm, carefully rehearsed, perfect, worthy of a duchess.

Appearance: The duchess has long curly hair tied up in a low bun and dark skin, her dark brown eyes do justice to her striking appearance. She is short and is always seen wearing black garments.

(César Chancellor)  THE LOST KIN:  Male

He was a war hero, but his glory days have left their mark.

You've been hired to look after him and his needs. He seems to judge everything you do, sharp dark blue eyes that seem to look for any mistake, or does he simply want to get to know you better? There's no way of knowing unless you break through his invisible barriers.

Appearance: His skin is dark brown, marked with old scars. His long, wavy hair reaches his back like the light waves of the sea. His stories were grand, but the man in the wheelchair seems nothing more than a vague ghost of what was left behind of his greatness.

(Tiana Reed)   THE EXILED CHILD: Trans-Female

Tiana currently lives with Liah and her brother. She left home after her gender transition, losing her job as a lawyer and consequently her circle of friends. Many say that in childhood her hand was given in marriage to Liah, but the engagement was cancelled for unjustified reasons. With a light-hearted personality, she always seems to have a smile on her face, even if it sometimes looks worn.

Appearance: Her skin is fair and her blonde hair is cut short, she is of medium height and has round blue eyes. She is quite fashion-conscious, enjoying dressing up in a variety of outfits.

(Bruno Vanverd)  THE KIND HEART: Male

Bruno is a childhood friend of Dimas, your older brother, and consequently yours. The son of one of the biggest merchant families in the region, Bruno has always liked to be with people and be close to them, even if it's against his family's wishes.

Appearance: He's tall, towering over almost everyone around him, his messy brown hair and fair skin are well known on the streets of your neighbourhood, as are his careful, attentive honey eyes.

(Jean ??)  THE REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE: F or M

Jean is what they call a real troublemaker and a challenge for their family. Not even their lessons have been able to fix the rebellious person who only thinks about enjoying life's pleasures, without bothering about their family's problems. 

Appearance: Red hair (short and wavy if male, or shoulder-length and wavy if female) and pale skin. They're tall and their eyes are a shade of brown.

I intend to post it this weekend, I'm finishing correcting it and I also plan to release the complete prologue of Behind your eyes this week too! (finally!! because it's been ready since December, but I haven't had much time to do anything about it these past months, I really like to go over and over things, because English is not my first language and I really worry about how I write, I make a lot of mistakes on the keyboard with double letters ksks, and even though I've been on holiday, I've had a lot of exams and other matters( and cof baldurs gate 3 cof cof)).

[cceanvvaves]

oops; c.ty

(moved to isanggayfrog) warnings: none

You hurried through the door and rushed upstairs, making sure that the thing wrapped in your jacket was okay. After a quick surveillance of the vicinity you concluded that your girlfriend wasn't home yet.

Okay, proceed with the plan.

A whine emerged from your bundle of clothes, making you smile. Locking the door, you stripped off your outer layer, revealing the puppy inside.

You headed to the bathroom with it, not bothering to change out of your dirty shirt since you were bound to get wet anyway. Eyebrows furrowed, you scanned the bathroom for Butter and Kaya's shampoo.

Speaking of, it was probably because of them Tzuyu's out. Better thank them with treats once they return.

Anyway, you lathered your new pet with pet shampoo, washing away the dirt and discovering that its fur was actually white and not brown. Once you finished, it shook itself dry, letting you wrap it in a blanket and dry it.

You checked the puppy, deciding that it was a male. He let out a bark and nuzzled your hand. "Hmm.." you thought aloud, looking around in your head for a name. "Should I name you.. Atlas?"

Atlas barked again, tongue out and tail wagging. You giggled and pet him. "Stay here, I'll get you some food."

You quickly undressed and put on a comfier t-shirt, one of Tzuyu's. Walking downstairs for the dog food, you heard the door creak open. "Baby? I'm home."

Butter and Kaya came rushing in, leashes falling out of Tzuyu's hand. They came at you with paws scrabbling at your pants and begging for a pet. You chuckled, kneeling down to give them a kiss and spoil them with compliments.

A loud bark from your room interrupted you.

Tzuyu looked curiously at her dogs, noting that they didn't make a sound and were innocently gazing at her. She moved toward the stairs, but was stopped by you.

"Haha, so.. How was your walk?" you started nervously, hoping she thought she was hearing things.

"Y/N..." she started, placing her hands on her hips and narrowing her eyes at you.

"Yes?" you said enthusiastically, looking anywhere but her.

"What's up there?"

"Up where?"

Sighing, she tried to push you away, but you remained firm. "You're hiding something."

You shrugged nonchalantly before running up to hide Atlas before Tzuyu saw him. Sadly, she was tall and therefore had long legs, and she caught up with you pretty quickly. Just as you were convincing Atlas to hide in the closet, she burst through the door.

"Oh my gosh!" she squealed, eyes widening at the sight of the new dog. "Is that a dog?"

No, it's a giraffe.

"Umm.." Well, you couldn't lie now. "Yeah. I found him on my way home, and I think he was abandoned, so..."

"Baby, you don't adopt just out of pity. We've talked about this! It's not a good thing for both you and the dog, you'll be stressed trying to take care of it when you're not ready and he doesn't deserve it."

"But I am ready! In fact, I've talked about it with my mom, and she agreed. I was planning to visit the shelter this weekend and surprise you but.. there's just something about him that drew me in," you gazed at Atlas fondly. "So I guess the surprise is a little earlier than expected, huh?"

Tzuyu smiled. "Yeah, I guess. I'll take you to the vet tomorrow, since Butter and Kaya need a check-up anyway. We can get him set-up for shots if he needs it."

You blinked confusedly. "Huh?"

You girlfriend laughed. "You didn't really think I wasn't going to help, did you? He's our dog now, just like mine are yours."

Atlas tilted his head, blinking up at you with wide, innocent eyes. He hesitantly walked towards Tzuyu and gave her a small kiss on the hand. "Aww," you cooed. "Look, he likes you!"

"I like him too," she grinned.

[a-iya]

Hiii ＼(ﾟ∀ﾟ)／

Sooo what do you think about the Haikyuu! Movie without knowing anime? 😀

(I'm sending this ask to discuss our impressions in the comments (and recommend this series a bit haha)

Have a nice day ♡

hiiii!! i didn't realize this was going to become a full-on essay so 💀 apologies in advance for the long-windedness. i don't blame you if you don't feel like reading all the way through lmao (there is a tl;dr at the end if that's the case)

my sister actually got into haikyuu after S1 (pretty much a decade ago at this point 😭) so i've at least known about it and understood the gist of it for a while now. i myself didn't get into anime until a few years ago though! so i've been slowly building up my watch catalog. normally i like funny animes so haikyuu definitely fits the criteria, but due to the fact that 1) it's a sports anime 2) i have very little interest in sports and 3) there would be a LOT of episodes to catch up on, it's just been sitting in my to-watch list for years lmaooo

as i started to follow more people on tumblr, i also started to see more haikyuu content, so i recognized some characters just by their appearance (hinata [obviously], but also kenma, kageyama, and atsumu miya [the guy with the undercut, who i don't remember seeing in the movie]). but anyway, my sister had been saying she wanted to watch the movie once it came out. and over the weekend, i happened to see a lot of people posting about going to watch the movie so i told her we should go! and so we did!

the movie was so hilarious and i thoroughly enjoyed watching!! the rivalry between the 2 teams was sooo funny. i knew i was going to like the movie, but it did end up being a little bit fast-paced for me cause i basically dived in with like. 0.4 background,,,, like ya girl was strUGgLinG trying to keep up. but that's no one's fault but my own 😔 i was kind of hoping it'd be like the demon slayer mugen train movie (which is actually what got me into anime! but that's besides the point). where the premise would be simple enough that you wouldn't need that much context before watching. i knew the movie would basically be just one really long volleyball game so i figured it would be fine... alas, i was wrong 😭 i don't know the rules of the game or any of the characters/their positions so it was all i could do to just watch and try to understand everything as it was happening ;-;

another thing i wanna mention is that now that i've long since graduated from my "beginner weeb" phase and become a full-on weeb, i'm familiar with a lot of voices and voice actors so it's difficult for me to see new characters and their voice actors (that i already know from somewhere else) as one entity 🤔 i'm not sure if that makes a lot of sense ><

for example: the whole time we were watching the movie, i felt like kenma sounded a lot like yuki kaji (who voices shoto [mha] and eren [aot])?? but also didn't at the same time. it was bothering me the whole 2 hours but i looked it up after it was over and i was right 😩

i also immediately recognized kuro as gojo [jjk]/hawks [mha]/greed [fma]; so kuro wasn't even kuro to me, he was just a volleyball au gojo with a completely different look 😭 i feel like that kind of gets in the way of my viewing experience personally, because i couldn't pause and think about where i know this voice from (like i usually do when i start a new anime). but it bOThERs mE because it's like on the tip of my tongue and my mind caNnOT rEST until i confirm my suspicions 😩

anyway, going in, the only people i knew about were like. hinata and kageyama... and it was surface-level knowledge at best. but i've seen kenma around enough where i recognized his character design so i thought i might like him. and he ended up being super cute!! i loved him, but i also really loved kuro (he is very handsome 🥰) and the tall glasses guy from karasuno. he was funny as fuck. but i'm definitely interested in watching the show to see what other lovable goofs the story has to offer. i'm always on the hunt for more blorbos

tl;dr basically i loved the movie, i thought it was really funny; now i have to actually watch the show so i can really enjoy the experience the movie had to offer. the production was honestly great. my sister wants me to get caught up so we can watch it again while it's still in theaters lmao. we'll have to see about that... the first 2 seasons are 25 eps each and then there are at least a few more seasons (even if they are less eps) after that 💀 when i got into mha last year, i was able to blast through 6 seasons within a week,,, but that costed me 3 full days worth of binge-watching and several work nights to catch up 😩 idk if i can do that again

thank you for the ask and interacting with me 🥺🫶 i know your day just started so i hope it goes well!! have a nice rest of the week also <3

[odyver]

taking amtrak long distance (CT to Pittsburgh) for the first time right now and im gonna put the pros and cons of long distance train travel here for those considering this compared to flying or driving:

pros:

- to talk about the part before boarding, this is soooo much less stressful and much easier than the airport. airports are sprawling labyrinths with a lot of people. i started in a smaller station, not one of the big hubs, so there weren't a lot of people to begin with. And it was literally, walk to the station, take an elevator up to the platform, and sit and wait.

- there were not long lines - you don't have to deal with boarding groups, or missing an announcement or terminal changes. you just get on the train when it pulls up, the cars are labeled on the outside of the car so you know whether you're entering a coach or business class car

- you don't have to worry about the security process like you do at airports, no standing in line, no having to remove shoes and belts. you can pack liquids, foods, medicines, and anything you need in your carry-on (of course as long as it's nothing illegal)

- i started in coach for the first leg, and am in business class for the second longer leg of the trip. leg room in both classes was wayyy more than you'll get on a plane

- both have been almost empty (I'm assuming weekend travel would be more crowded) I have had the whole row to myself, except for the last 15 minutes when a larger group was picked up at the 2nd to last station (and I just got unlucky that someone chose to sit next to ME, 30% of the seats were still empty in the car)

I have room to sprawl out and work on my knitting without being bothered

- there is the option of traveling on a "quiet car" which guarantees talking and other noise will be kept to a minimum - I don't believe this is an extra cost at all, it's still considered coach

- the train car feels so much less cramped, there's standing space for people up to up to 7' tall (in the aisle), you don't have to be strapped in, the windows are larger, and big bonus is being able to freely walk around

- there is a cafe car, where you can get food and drinks, with little 2-4 person seating tables to use while eating

- getting to watch the world go by is really cool. spent a cool 3 hours at the start of my trip just staring out the window

- when you have layovers, because the hubs are going to be right in the middle of larger cities, you can go explore during the layover. I had a 2.5 hr layover in new york city, and got to grab a bagel, walk the high line, and visit the large pigeon statue. if you're not feeling like wandering around, the hubs are like small airports with lounges and charging stations + malls and food options

- cheaper than flying (at least this time of year). round trip was $297, whereas flights were $400-$600 round trip

- better for the environment!

cons:

- longer total travel time than other methods

My usual driving time from CT to PGH is 7-8 hours, 9 hours if NYC traffic is bad

Air travel for that route is ~1.5 hrs in the air + 3 hrs on either end for getting to and from the airport, security, and taxiing (total of 7.5 hrs)

This trip started at 6:15am and i'll be arriving at 8:00pm, with the 2.5 hr layover (total of 14 hrs: first leg was 1.5 hrs, second leg is 10 hrs)

- more expensive than driving (this depends on your car's efficiency and tank size)

- it feels like your hand isn't "held as much" compared to the airport experience. like there is basically no way of boarding the wrong flight since they check your tickets before boarding. for the train, it's a much more independent travel experience, and you need to pay attention to the number of the train you're boarding. there's multiple announcements before departure of "please please please check your ticket and make sure you're in the train! :)))" this is not as much of a con as long as you're organized and paying attention

so I find the train incredibly worthwhile - sure it's more travel time, but I'm lucky enough to have the time to spend on this. and the trade off is being able to read, work on projects, sleep, etc. during the travel

hope this helps someone who might be apprehensive about booking a train ticket because of the ✨️ unknown ✨️