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kitkatscabinet · 11 months

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Whumptober - 07: Drugged

John Mactavish x f! reader

A/N: For @bunnyreaper here's the whump version, sorry it took so long, hope you like it <3

Soap knows that something’s wrong the moment you call him. You drunk calling him wasn’t exactly out of the norm, in fact, it was weird if you didn’t spam him with texts and tik toks letting him know how much you loved him.

His team often sledged him jokingly for how whipped he was for you, but it was that adoration and care that let him know within seconds that you weren’t okay. There was no excited shout of his name, no blaring music that you were drunkenly singing along to and none of your friends were yelling at him for interrupting girl's night.

There’s just silence, a terribly concerning silence only accentuated by the shuffling of clothes and shuddering breaths. He’s on his feet and crashing into the wall on his quest for the keys in three seconds flat. His shoes aren’t even on properly and he’s already in the car when he finally gets a response to his barrage of questions.

“Johnny?” Your voice is slurred and confused in a way that has his blood freezing. You very rarely got so sloshed you couldn’t function anymore but Soap knew what you were like even then, and this was not it.

When the phone connects to the car's Bluetooth he’s throwing his phone into the passenger seat and reversing so quickly the tyres screech in protest. He knows where you are, you were always good at updating him if you moved venues but it doesn’t stop him from double-checking.

He has to ask the question three times before you eventually confirm that you haven’t gone anywhere, his heart rate increasing frantically with each second that passes and he’s not by your side yet.

“Johnny? Wh’re you? I think somethin’s wrong. Don’t feel so good.” Your whimpers fill the car and Soap starts to drive even faster, blowing through two red lights and a stop sign with little concern over the inevitable tickets and demerits he’ll get.

“I know baby. Am almost there, just hold on a little longer.” He commanded as firmly and gently as possible. “Ye in the bathroom? Locked the door?”

Once again it takes a while for you to understand and respond to his question but when you do he allows himself to relax a little. He tries to ascertain where your friend has gone and not for the first time he wants to kill her when you tell him you have no idea where she’s gone.

“Johnny?” you call for him a few more times as if forgetting you’ve already gotten on the line.

He throws the car into park when he arrives, not bothering with the handbrake and not caring that he’s just stopped in the middle of the road. Cars are honking and people are yelling but he doesn’t give a single fuck, his mind is on a one-track mission.

He’s even left his phone on the seat in his haste and the door open. Undoubtedly, you’ll yell at him when he relays the details later but he’s willing to cop all of your anger if it means he gets to you in time.

He runs past the bouncer, outpacing the shouting man and ducking past various security members as he beelines towards the bathroom. Vaguely he recognises that he’s being chased but it doesn’t matter because he makes it to the ladies' bathroom well before they catch up.

It doesn’t even register that the bathroom door isn’t locked like you’d said it was when he bursts into the grimy space because his attention and fury are quickly dragged elsewhere. Namely to the motherfucker that was sticking his hand down your pants as you sobbed and tried to get away with your body’s sluggish movement.

He’s letting out a furious roar and when the man turns with wide eyes at the commotion behind him Johnny’s fist smacks into his nose with a sickening crack that sends him stumbling backwards bleeding and onto the tile floor.

It’s only the fact that your legs give out without someone supporting you that stops him from beating the man to death as he grabs you and pulls you against him.

You’re so out of it that you protest, pushing against his chest as you cry because you don’t recognise him straight away.

It takes a bit of cajoling and pressing soft kisses into your hairline before you recognise him but when you do you completely devolve into a crying, sobbing mess, collapsing against him even further as you finally allow yourself to feel all of the overwhelming panic you’d been trying to hold off.

Security’s caught up and the commotion they make as they barge into the bathroom sets you off even further and Soap simply shoots them a heated glare before shouldering past them with you safe in his arms.

Perhaps miraculously, both the car and his phone are still where he’d left him and Johnny gently deposits you in the passenger seat, clipping your seatbelt in. His heart shatters a little further when you start to beg him not to leave you.

“M not leaving ye bonnie, just need to get myself strapped in.”

“Promise?” you sound so small and Soap is now certain that once you’re safe and looked after he’d going to hunt down the scumbag that dared lay a finger on you. For now though,

“I promise love.” When he slips into the driver's seat you’re reaching blearily for his hand immediately and he takes it just as quickly, pulling away and driving far slower than he’d gone to get to you.

“I promise.” The words are so soft that they’re more for himself than you. They’re an oath that he’ll keep even if it kills him.

#x reader #cod mw x reader #soap x reader #john mactavish x reader #john mactavish #cod john mactavish #cod soap #cod mw

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vodika-vibes · 25 days

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This Love

Summary: In the middle of the war, Dogma's girlfriend's family invites him to their family reunion. And it's just what Dogma needs to push his relationship with his cyare to the next level.

Pairing: Clone Trooper Dogma x F!Reader

Word Count: 1372

Warnings: None

A/N: I was feeling soft for Dogma, so you all get this.

Click HERE to be added to my Taglist

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Dogma’s gaze flickers from the ticket that he’s holding to the woman leaning against his arm. She’s looking up at him through worried eyes, and he can’t help the way his heart skips a beat when he sees her.

Force, I love her so much.

“I am, I promise.” Dogma smiles at her and lightly rubs the worry lines off her brow with his thumb, “You worry over much, mesh’la.”

“I think I have good reason to be worried,” She points out as she lays her head against his shoulder, “I know my grandparents kind of bullied you into this.”

“I’m about to spend a whole month on a tropical vacation with the most stunning woman I’ve ever met, and the whole thing is being paid for by other people.” Dogma lists dryly, “I couldn’t be better if I tried.”

She bumps him with her hip, “It’s not just a vacation, Dogma. You’re going to meet my whole family.”

He laughs and drapes his arm over her shoulder, tugging her properly against his side. “And you’ve met my brothers in the 501st. In fact, I’m pretty sure they spent hours grilling you on your “corrupting” influence before I was able to rescue you.” Ironic, really, seeing as they haven’t even kissed yet.

She squints at him, “Yeah. They did.”

“I am sorry about that. My brothers seem to think that me, and Tup, are still cadets.” Dogma apologizes, again.

“It’s because you’re so cute,” She reaches up and presses her hands against his cheeks, “But you’re certainly no cadet.”

“Thanks for the compliment. I guess,” He replies dryly.

She giggles and Dogma feels a swell of affection for her. He’d do anything for her, she just had to ask. He lightly presses his hands over hers and pulls them away from his face, so he’s able to thread his fingers with hers.

“I do have a question though.”

“Shoot.”

“If we’re taking a private ship to your family's personal planet,” She grins at him, most likely from the disbelieving way that he finished that statement, “Why do we need tickets?” Dogma finishes as he lifts the ticket.

“Security.” She replies cheerfully, “That ticket proves that we’re allowed on the ship. It’s biometrically linked to you.”

Dogma eyes the ticket again, “What, exactly, does the majority of your family do again?”

“Not important!” She tugs him towards the side gate that will bring them to her family’s private ship, “What’s important is that it’s a three-day trip to the island we’re staying on, and we’re the only ones traveling from Coruscant.”

“Wait, what about you’re parents?”

“Traveling from Alderaan.” She replies as she pulls him through the private gate, only pausing long enough to hand her ticket, and Dogma’s, to the massive security droid looming ominously over her.

As soon as the tickets are scanned, the droids back off and she leads him down a long hall, and stops in front of a window that looks out at a private hanger.

The ship might, very well, be the most expensive-looking ship he’s ever seen.

“Are you sure I’m allowed on that ship?” He asks dryly.

She laughs, “It’s just a ship, Dogma.” She turns her bright smile onto him, “People are more important than things to my family. Things can be replaced, but people can’t. Come on.”

“And your family won’t mind that you’re bringing a clone?”

“They’re happy that I’m happy,” She replies as she pushes a button, and the doors to the private hangar slide open. Dogma catches a glimpse of the many suitcases being loaded under the ship, half of which belong to him. “My older cousin is married to a Wookie.”

Dogma blinks and turns his gaze to her, “What?”

“Yeah. She’s very nice. Will rip off your arms if you look at her wife wrong.”

“...The cousin or the Wookie?” Dogma asks.

“Both!” She waves towards the droid that looks like he’s going over the flight plan, and then leads him up the ramp into the ship proper.

If Dogma thought the outside of the ship was fancy, it doesn’t compare to the inside. Honestly, if it wasn’t for the fact that he could hear the sound of the spaceport behind him, he’d think that he just stepped into a luxury hotel.

The floors are carpeted, the walls are covered in wallpaper and fine art, and there’s soft music playing from…somewhere.

“This is a ship?”

“Grandmother likes to travel in comfort.” She taps her chin thoughtfully, “Meals are whenever we want them, and the entire ship is crewed by droids. There are multiple bedrooms and a full sitting room that’s been stocked with the latest holomovies.”

“I don’t think I’m ever going to get used to this,” Dogma admits.

“I haven’t and I grew up with it.” She lightly squeezes his hand, “This way.” She leads him through the halls, again, and then stops as she reaches a hall lined with doors. She opens the first door and reveals a bedroom with a full king-sized bed and massive comforters. “All of the rooms look like this. So you can take your pick.”

Dogma’s gaze lingers on the bed for a moment, and then he flickers his gaze to her. “Where are you sleeping?”

She shrugs, “I haven’t decided yet.”

He hums thoughtfully and then lightly trails a finger up her arm, “I wouldn’t be opposed to sharing.”

His comment is rewarded with a shy smile and a blush, and Dogma quickly reevaluates his plan.

Originally, he had planned to, well, seduce her while they were in the tropics. But the knowledge that they’re alone on the ship changes things.

A lot.

“You want to share a bed with me?” She asks, looking up at him under lowered lashes.

Dogma laughs softly, “Has that ever been in doubt?” His hand comes up to gently caress her jaw, and then settles on the back of her neck, “The only reason I haven’t brought it up before now is a lack of privacy. For both of us.”

She turns to him and slides her arms around his waist, “I was beginning to worry that you weren’t that interested in me,” She admits and a crooked, almost sheepish, smile crosses her face. “I had a plan.”

“Oh?”

“I was going to seduce you when we got to the island.”

Dogma laughs, his head tilting forward to lightly bump against hers, “I had the same plan.” He admits, “But since we’re alone now—” He trails off.

He doesn’t have to finish his sentence, as she surges up and catches his lips with hers. Dogma reacts immediately, his arms folding tightly around her to pull her as close as physically possible.

Kissing her is better than he ever imagined, and he imagined it a lot.

He tightens his hold around her, and takes a step backward, into the bedroom behind him. She lets him. More than lets him, she eagerly allows him to direct her towards the bed.

And she giggles as she topples onto the bed, looking up at him with an adoring smile. “Dogma,” His name is a sigh on her lips, “I love you, you know that?”

Dogma grins at her, feeling lighter than he has since the day the war started, “Yeah, cyare. I knew.” He settles onto the bed next to her, reaching out to smooth his hand against her cheek, “I love you too.”

She tugs him down into a kiss, and then shifts so his forehead is pressed against hers, “So,” She murmurs, “Do you think I’ll actually deserve the accusations of corrupting you after this?”

Dogma laughs, “Maybe I’ll corrupt you.” He teases.

“Mm, I look forward to finding out.”

With that, Dogma settles on the bed next to her, and curls his arms around her, lightly burying his face in her neck. “Cyare?”

“Hm?”

“How’d you convince the GAR to give me a month's vacation.”

She just hums and lightly runs her fingers over his hair, “Don’t you worry about that. You’ll understand when you meet my family. For now, Dogma, let’s just watch a holo and cuddle.”

“Whatever you like, cyare.” He mumbles, his voice muffled by her neck.

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#star wars #tcw #clone trooper dogma x reader #dogma x reader #star wars fanfiction #x reader fanfiction #f!reader fic

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damianodavds · 1 month

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Do You Want a Record Deal?

You have just been promoted at elecktra records but you haven’t signed a band or artist yet. what you discover one summer night is something that will change everyone’s life forever

a re-writing of the dirt netflix film where motley crue was actually discovered by a woman

warnings: course language, fingering, oral - female receiving, slight fem!slash

It was a nice warm summer evening in los angeles and you were checking out the night-life after grabbing a hot dog from a street vendor.

After a few minutes you came across a night club with a large line outside. You stopped to look at the sign and it read: ‘motley crue, tonite’ you even saw the time of the show so you decided to walk to the front of the line to see if you could get in without a ticket.

“Hi, Cheryl Goldberg I just got promoted a elecktra records.” You explained to the buff security guard while struggling to show your business card.

“Back of the line.” the security guard responded while ignoring you.

“No, you don’t understand I am a record executive. I mean, I haven’t signed any bands yet….”

“Back of the line, bitch!”

You were shocked as the security guard slapped your hand and your hot dog fell to the ground. You shrugged your shoulders and walked to the back of the line.

——

It had been an hour since you waited but that didn’t bother you because the night was still young. Finally after a few moments the line started to move and soon enough you were at the front showing your I.D.

Once you entered you saw a big crowd near the front of the stage but you wanted to stay in the back just to observe everything. In five minutes the lights went low and you heard over the intercom:

‘Ladies & Gentlemen, from Los Angeles Mötley Crüe!’

As you heard the introduction, you saw four men walk onto the stage and start the show. You heard the beginning of a drum beat and as the song started playing you were not surprised that the crowd went wild, especially the women in the room.

While enjoying the concert, you wanted to talk to the audience members around you. You started a casual conversation with a guy standing beside you.

“so how long has this band been together?” you asked the twenty-something year old.

“Where have you been, girlfriend? Motley Crue is the talk of the town. Sooner or later this band is going to get a record deal.”

A thought suddenly came to your mind, you can be the one to give this band their record deal.

You couldn’t wait for the show to be over to share your idea with the boys.

——

You knew the bands who performed would go to the rainbow bar and grill after the show for drinks and an early breakfast.

While sitting at a booth a far distance from the band, you were drinking a cold coffee and thinking of what to say to them.

Once you had the courage to make a move, you left your seat and walked to where the boys were sitting.

“Hey, great show out there you really rocked.” you told the group

“Who are you?” the bassist asked with a confused look on his face.

You introduced yourself as you sat beside him, “Cheryl Goldberg, elecktra records I think if we work together we can create something really great...”

As you got comfortable in your seat, you suddenly felt a hand undo the zipper of your jeans. You thought you were imagining it as it was 3am and you had been awake for many hours, working. Once the mysterious hand got your jeans and underwear down you felt a finger rub your clit. You kind of giggled and tried to limit a moan. You noticed the band members smiling at you but also ignored it as you felt like you might be high. When you felt something wet replace the fingers, you jumped out of your seat.

“Hey, hey!” you yelled in shock.

An unnamed woman poked her head from under the table, “what, not your style? I swing both ways.” she told you, you couldn’t believe she was being serious.

Yes, you did kiss a girl at a party once but this was over the top for you.

“No, thank you” you replied.

“Well, if you are interested here is my number”. She gave you a piece of paper and you put it in your pocket not thinking too much of it.

the lead singer laughed when you blushed, “don’t worry, girl we don’t judge.”

When everyone at the table laughed you noticed one member of the group with a serious expression, he looked older than the others like he was too old for the cheeky fun and games. You brushed it off, took back your seat and got down to business.

“As I was saying, I am from elecktra records. So do you want a record deal?”

The boys were speechless and you were worried that you made the mistake of approaching them.

“What do you think?” You heard one of them say.

You smiled and knew you won them over.

“Elecktra records signed us with a five album deal and the party was just beginning.” voice over

end

#motley crue #motley crue x reader #motley crue fanfiction #motley crue smut #my writing

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frenchlatte · 11 months

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“You can call me whenever you want..”

[Rengoku Kyojuro x Reader]

[Modern!AU][AFAB Reader][No smut only Fluff]

Sighing to yourself, you checked your phone for the time. 10:15 AM. It feels like time can’t fly any faster at your job.

You worked at the most popular green coffee shop, and today it was slow. Seems like everyone wanted to sleep in! Grabbing a cleaning rag, you rubbed the counter for about the 5th time in a row today.

Hearing a drink’s ticket print, you grew excited at the opportunity to do something. It was easy, a small iced caramel macchiato. Finishing quickly, it became evident you were back to square one again.

Hearing the door give a small chime caused you to perk up. Eyes scanning forward you saw your favorite regular! Well.. favorite was a word. He made you feel flustered every chance he could, especially if he had been super chatty while you worked on his drink.

He was incredibly handsome, and always had a small smile on his face when he spoke to you. He had his spiky blonde hair down today, while he wore a white button up, tie, and slacks. His sleeves were rolled up to the forearm. Woof.

You let you eyes stare probably a little too long, as he greeted you and went to place his order at the register. He definitely caught you staring, but again when does he not..

His name is Rengoku, his usual order goes as a large iced hazelnut blonde latte. Replace the 2% milk for whole milk, and light ice.

He always wears nice business casual when he comes in, and seems to drive a really nice car. You wondered what he did for business, as the only thing he tells you is security. You thought to yourself, no security guard makes that much money.

After placing his order, he seemed to scuffle over to you pretty quickly. He waved, and smiled bright at you. You felt your face grow a little red with the new attention.

“Hey!! Good morning Rengoku, welcome back. I got your latte coming out soon.” I smiled back at him as I prepared his drink.

He waited across the counter patiently, “No worries Y/N! I’m so happy you’re making my drink. It always comes out the best from you.”

The compliment made me smile for two reasons, I was passionate about my craft and it came from him. My eyes went back to him as he spoke again.

“Have you had your 30 yet, did you wanna come sit with me if you’re able..?”

His voice trailed off a little, sounding less confident but still with a bright smile. His eyes were soft, but still piercing in a golden hue. He sounded nervous to ask you.

Your lips curled into a smile, butterflies swarmed your stomach. Whenever you could, you would take your meals with him. It was so fun to sit and just talk about nothing. You watched him across the counter from you fidget waiting for your response.

You topped his finished drink with a lid, and handed it out gently,

“Let me go check to see if they’re in a good enough place for me to take a lunch now! I’ll be right back Rengoku.”

His eyes brightened and he nodded excitedly with small words of encouragement.

You turned around to walk and see if anything urgent needed to be done, and if your team needed you for those 30 minutes. Without any reason to stay, you walked back out to the lobby and sat down with him.

“Alrighty they don’t need me. What’s up Rengoku, I feel like I haven’t seen you recently.”

You sat down directly in front of him, leaning your head into your hands. Your eyes met, and you smiled. Focusing your attention solely onto him. His posture straightened as you sat down with him, and you watched his hands subtly twitch. He was a very well sculptured man. His shirt clung onto his arms tightly, and his pants were tailored to him exact. He had a nice and assumingely expensive watch on his left wrist. He always dressed so nice.

“I feel the same!!” He said enthusiastically. “I’ve been working so hard recently. You’ve been on my mind a lot though, so I wanted to drop in as soon as I was at a stopping point. I hoped you hadn’t forgotten about me yet.”

He let out a low chuckle and scratched the back of his head. He was blushing softly, and so were you. This man always made you feel so special. You broke the eye contact and averted your gaze to the coffee he held in his hand. Your face undoubtedly had a nice red hue to it.

You shifted in your seat uneasily , “Rengoku, how could I ever forget about you? Even when you don’t come in I still think about you and wonder how you’re doing.”

His eyes widened slightly and you could’ve sworn you saw him tense, grabbing his coffee a little tighter than normal. His face broke into a grin, and he laughed a little.

“ Wow Y/N!! I didn’t know you could make me smile this big .”

Your face erupted into a hot blush, and felt uncertain on how to respond. He seemed to notice his outburst and rushed out,

“ Ahh I’m sorry that came out so forward… you’re blushing like a rose… you just…” he trailed off smiling at me with half-lidded eyes. He brought up his coffee to take a sip.

“no no it’s okay I promise.” A few giggles came out of your mouth, and time seemed to pause for a moment while you two stared at each other. You couldn’t break the eye contact, it felt so comforting and alluring in that moment.

In that moment, it connected for you. You are attracted to this man beyond his looks, but how he talks to you and treats you. When he would come in, he’d show you goofy dog videos on Tiktok. You both would chat about random things like broken patio furniture and make it interesting. He cared when you would seem different, asking about what happened and how he could support. He was .. great. You wanted more of this.

“Uhh hey Rengoku..”

He snapped back to reality.

“Yes Y/N!” He answered with a smile. His hand came up to brush a few strands of spiky hair out of his face.

“ This is so awkward but..” you hesitated, huffing a little and blushing again, fiddling with the sleeve on your shirt. “ I wasn’t wanting a relationship recently, but since you’ve been coming in I just.. have realized I have feelings for you. You always make me happy to be around you and I want more of that..”

Your eyes were shifted down at the table, and you squirmed in your seat. Your brain focused on the soft music playing in the cafe around you two, and you tried to not think about the man in front of you.

“Y/N !! You’re the only reason I come here. I find myself just wanting to see you every day, and I’m pretty sure you consumed 90% of my brain! It’s not awkward please don’t say such harsh things about yourself.”

Your eyebrows raised hearing his words.

You felt a large hand caress your face, it encouraged you to look forward and meet the eyes of a love struck Rengoku. His face was equally as blushed except he looked so happy to hear your thoughts. His eyes were glowing as he grinned. The other hand of his reached out in an inviting way for your hand.

You slowly lifted your hand to slide into his, and leaned into the one on your face. A smile broke loose on your face, and you said softly

“I guess you’ll be needing this then..”

You reached into your pocket pulling out a tiny post-it note square and a pen. You scribbled down your number and passed it to the enthusiastic male across from you.

His eyes beamed with delight, and he nodded.

“ absolutely Y/N. I’m so happy to finally have told you this.. it removes so much worry off of me.”

A small alarm came from your phone, signalizing your break was over. A pang of disappointment washing over your heart and face.

Rengoku reached out and gently cupped your face, smiling brightly.

“Don’t be so sad my little flame!! You can call me whenever you want to!!” His hand slid to your hair and gently ruffled.

Your face glowed, giving him a smile.

You would.

#rengoku kyoujurou x reader #rengoku kyojuro #rengoku kyojuro x reader #rengoku x reader

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panakinthedisco · 3 months

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PART 2 | TICKET TO RIDE ━━ Joel Miller

summary: becoming the president of the class is the most stressful thing that joel miller ever did in his life but then, you made it bearable.

author's note: i'm shookt with the amount of likes with this mini-series huhu so here you go! if it's your first time in here, please read the part 1 of this series <3

other notes: au, elementary teacher!reader x contractor!joel, no outbreak!joel miller, sarah lives, single dad x teacher, eventual smut but this is a slow burn romance, maybe angst? reader is a fan of the beatles and a mccartney girlie while joel is a george harrison stannie! age gap (reader is in the middle of 20s x joel miller in his 30s), sarah being a cute matchmaker to her dad!

word count: 4.4k

A few days had passed since the PTA meeting, and you were still adjusting to your new life in Austin, Texas. The town was unfamiliar to you, and the job offer had been the only one available at the time. Thankfully, your cousin lived in Austin and had kindly offered you a place to stay. The apartment wasn’t large, but it was cozy and gave you a sense of security in this new environment.

Settling into your new role at the school, you found that the staff and students were welcoming. The school itself had a warm, community-driven atmosphere that you appreciated. Your class was manageable, and you even began to grow fond of your students. They were eager to learn and showed respect in the classroom, which made your job easier and more enjoyable.

One student, in particular, stood out to you: Sarah Miller. She had a natural curiosity for science and was always eager to help. During science classes, Sarah often assisted you in arranging the flasks and beakers on the shelf, her enthusiasm evident in the way she carefully handled each piece of equipment.

One afternoon, as you were setting up for a lab experiment, Sarah approached with a smile. “Do you need any help?”

You returned her smile warmly. “That would be great, Sarah. Could you please arrange these beakers on the top shelf?”

Sarah nodded and began to carefully place the beakers in their designated spots. As she worked, you couldn’t help but feel grateful for her assistance. It made the transition into your new role smoother and less overwhelming.

“How are you finding Austin so far?” Sarah asked, her voice full of genuine curiosity.

You paused for a moment, considering your response. “It’s been an adjustment, but I’m starting to feel more at home. My cousin has been a huge help, and the school is wonderful. I really enjoy teaching here.”

Sarah beamed. “I’m glad to hear that! You’re a great teacher. Everyone in class really likes you.”

Her words warmed your heart. “Thank you, Sarah. That means a lot to me.”

As Sarah carefully placed the beakers on the shelf, you couldn’t help but notice how meticulous and dedicated she was. Her assistance was invaluable, making your adjustment to the new job much smoother. You watched her for a moment, grateful for her help and impressed by her enthusiasm.

Sarah glanced over her shoulder at you, a thoughtful expression on her face. “Have you had a chance to visit any places around Texas yet?”

You shook your head, a small smile playing on your lips. “Not really, Sarah. I haven’t had much time to explore. The only place I’ve really been to is the grocery store near my apartment.”

Sarah giggled, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “You know, there’s a great place for horseback riding just a mile away from here. My dad has a truck, and we go there sometimes. Would you like to join us?”

Her suggestion took you by surprise. It felt a bit unusual to be invited out by a student, especially since you were still getting to know them. You felt a mix of flattery and apprehension, unsure how to respond.

“That’s very kind of you, Sarah,” you said politely. “I’ll think about it.”

Sarah nodded, seemingly satisfied with your answer, but you could see the gears turning in her mind. She returned to her task, her expression thoughtful.

Internally, Sarah was plotting. She adored you and knew her dad had been lonely for a long time. What better way to help both of them than by arranging a casual outing? She envisioned them enjoying a day out, her dad relaxing and having fun, and you, seeing a new side of Texas. Maybe, just maybe, her plan would help bring a bit of happiness into both of your lives.

As you continued to prepare for the lab experiment, you couldn’t help but think about Sarah’s suggestion. The idea of horseback riding sounded fun, but the prospect of spending time with Sarah and her father outside of school felt a bit strange. You appreciated the gesture, though, and couldn’t deny a small part of you was curious about the experience.

Later, as you walked around the classroom, checking on the students and ensuring everything was in place, you found yourself thinking more about the invitation. Sarah’s enthusiasm was infectious, and her desire to share her favorite activities with you was touching.

As the day went on, you decided to keep an open mind. You could see how much Sarah cared about both her father and her teacher, and maybe this outing could be a chance to bond with her and better understand the community you were becoming a part of.

“Alright, everyone, time to wrap up,” you announced, bringing the class to a close. As the students gathered their things and prepared to leave, Sarah gave you a bright smile, and you couldn’t help but return it, feeling a sense of warmth and connection.

As you watched the students file out of the classroom, a wave of mixed emotions washed over you. The hustle and bustle of the day was winding down, and you found yourself alone with your thoughts. The adjustment to life in Austin had been challenging, to say the least. Moving away from your parents was a difficult decision, but the job offer had seemed like a beacon of hope at the time. Now, you weren't so sure.

Loneliness had become an unwelcome companion over the past few weeks. Your parents had been supportive, encouraging you with words of wisdom and confidence, assuring you that you could thrive on your own. But their words felt distant in the face of your current reality. Each day felt like a test of endurance, and even the small victories were overshadowed by an overwhelming sense of isolation.

The faculty room, a place that should have been a source of camaraderie and support, only intensified your feelings of being an outsider. You were the youngest among your colleagues, and their close-knit conversations left you feeling invisible during break times. They had their routines, their inside jokes, and you often found yourself on the periphery, unsure of how to break into their circle.

Your thoughts drifted back to Sarah Miller. She had been a ray of sunshine in an otherwise cloudy experience. Her genuine kindness and eagerness to help had been a lifeline. When she invited you to go horseback riding with her and her father, it had been the first time anyone in Austin had reached out to you in such a personal way. The invitation felt like a small crack in the wall of loneliness that had been building around you.

You sighed, leaning back in your chair, staring at the now-empty classroom. The idea of spending time with Sarah and her father was starting to seem more appealing. Maybe it was a chance to break out of your shell, to connect with the community, and to find a sense of belonging that you desperately needed.

"Why not give it a try?" you thought to yourself. "It’s just an afternoon, and it could be fun."

The image of Sarah’s bright smile flashed in your mind, and you felt a flicker of hope. Her invitation was a small gesture, but it held the potential to change the trajectory of your experience in Austin. Maybe, just maybe, it was a step toward finding the connections and support that you had been yearning for since your move.

You packed your things, the classroom now quiet and still. As you walked out, you made a silent promise to yourself: you would accept Sarah’s invitation.

Life as a teacher continued for you. The final bell rang, and the bustling energy of students packing their bags and heading out the door filled the classroom. You busied yourself with tidying up, ensuring everything was in place for the next day. As you straightened the books on your desk, you glanced up and were surprised to see Joel Miller standing in the doorway.

Your eyes quickly took in his appearance—typical flannel shirt, worn out jeans, and work boots covered in a thin layer of dust. He looked as though he had come straight from a job site. Despite his rugged appearance, there was a certain warmth in his eyes that you found comforting. You gave him a friendly smile.

"Mr. Miller, come on in," you said, motioning him into the classroom.

Joel stepped inside, looking slightly out of place in the tidy, structured environment of the classroom. Just as he was about to speak, Sarah and her friends came up behind him, chattering and laughing.

"Hey, Dad," Sarah greeted, a playful glint in her eye. "I’m going to hang out with Maddie for a bit."

Joel turned to her, a familiar, fatherly concern in his voice. "Alright, but remember, Uncle Tommy is picking you up before dinner. Don’t be late."

Sarah nodded, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. "Got it, Dad." Then, she glanced at you and back at her father, her smile growing wider. "And Dad, don’t forget to shoot your shot."

Joel looked momentarily confused, his brows furrowing. But then he caught the way Sarah glanced at you, and understanding dawned on his face. His cheeks flushed slightly, and he turned back to his daughter, trying to maintain his composure.

"Sarah, you need to go," he said firmly, though his tone was tinged with embarrassment.

Sarah laughed, a light, carefree sound, and gave him a quick hug before skipping off to join her friends. You watched her go, feeling a mix of amusement and curiosity.

Turning your attention back to Joel, you could see he was still slightly flustered by his daughter’s teasing. You decided to break the ice.

"So, you’re here for the field trip plans, Mr. Miller?" you asked, keeping your tone light.

Joel scratched the back of his neck, a sheepish smile forming on his lips. “You can call me Joel, Ma’am. And yes, here are the plans.” Joel handed you over a piece of paper, and it’s handwritten by him. Ever since the PTA meeting where he was elected class president, the responsibility had weighed heavily on him. He had no idea how to organize a field trip, and the last thing he wanted was to embarrass himself in front of you, the new teacher. Earlier, Joel sat at the dining room table, papers strewn about in a chaotic mess. He rubbed his temples, staring at the tentative plans for the upcoming field trip.

His brother, Tommy, wandered into the room, a look of confusion on his face. "What’s got you all riled up, brother?" he asked, eyeing the disarray on the table.

Before Joel could respond, Sarah chimed in, a knowing smirk on her face as she drank her hot cocoa. "Dad’s trying to impress the new teacher," she said, not bothering to hide her amusement.

Tommy's eyebrows shot up, and he plopped down beside Joel, his expression turning into one of playful mischief. "Is that so? Trying to impress the teacher, huh?"

Joel sighed, feeling a flush of embarrassment. "It's not like that," he muttered defensively. "I'm just trying to get these plans sorted out. Also, she seems younger, you know?"

Tommy laughed, clapping Joel on the back. "You’re making excuses, man. I’ve never seen you this worked up about anything before. Sounds to me like you’re more interested in her than you’re letting on."

Joel shook his head, but he couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at his lips. "She's just trying to do her job, and I don't want to make things harder for her. That's all."

Sarah giggled, leaning against the doorframe. "Sure, Dad. Whatever you say."

Tommy leaned back in his chair, still grinning. "Look, Joel, it’s okay to admit you find her interesting. But you can’t stress yourself out over this. We’ll help you figure it out. It’s just a field trip. Goddamn, you’re a lot more stingy to this rather than talking to the grumpy old man across the street that you almost cussed out."

Joel glanced at his brother and daughter, feeling a mix of frustration and gratitude. He appreciated their support, even if their teasing was relentless. "Alright, alright," he said, holding up his hands in surrender. "Let’s figure this out together."

They spent the next hour brainstorming ideas, Tommy throwing out suggestions with his usual carefree attitude while Sarah chimed in with practical advice. Slowly, the plans started to take shape. Joel felt the tension in his shoulders ease as they worked through the details. At least, he had an initial idea for your class’ field trip.

As the last of the students filtered out of the classroom, Sarah gave her father a mischievous grin before heading off with her friends. Joel watched her go, feeling a mix of pride and trepidation. Once the room was quiet, he turned his attention back to you, taking a deep breath. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper, handing it to you.

"This is, uh, the rough draft of the field trip plans," he said, his voice a bit strained with nerves.

You took the paper with a warm smile and gestured to an empty chair nearby. "Why don’t you grab a seat Mr. Miller? We can go over this together."

“You can just call me Joel, Maam,” you nodded and looked through the paper.

Joel hesitated for a moment, but then he dragged the chair over and sat down beside you. You unfolded the paper, smoothing it out on your desk, and pulled out a pink ballpen from your pocket.

His eyes shifted from the paper to the colorful array of pens spilling out of your pencil case. The case itself was decorated with playful designs and a few strips of washi tape, each adding a personal touch that he found unexpectedly charming. He watched as you reached for your pink ballpen, your fingers deftly maneuvering it as you made notes on his rough draft.

As you started scribbling on the paper, Joel’s brow furrowed, a look of concern crossing his face. "Am I doing something wrong?" he asked, his voice tinged with worry.

You looked up, noticing his apprehension. "Oh, no! It’s just a habit of mine," you explained with a reassuring smile. "I like to doodle while I think. Helps me focus."

Joel nodded, relaxing slightly. He watched as you continued to make notes.

He couldn't help but smile as he observed your methodical yet creative approach. The pink ink swirled across the paper, punctuated by little stars and hearts that danced around your comments and suggestions. Joel was taken aback by how much personality you injected into such a simple task. It was endearing.

As he continued to watch, he found his gaze drifting towards you. He tried to be subtle, but his eyes traced the curve of your hand as it moved, the way your brow furrowed in concentration, and the gentle way you bit your lip when you were deep in thought. There was something soothing about your presence, a quiet confidence that he hadn't expected.

Joel's attention was momentarily drawn to the scent of vanilla that wafted towards him every time you moved. It was light and sweet, complementing the warmth of the room and adding another layer to the growing sense of comfort he felt in your company.

He shifted in his seat, trying to focus back on the task at hand, but his eyes kept returning to you. The way the afternoon sunlight streamed through the window, catching the strands of your hair and casting a soft glow around you, made it hard to look away. He was struck by how natural and unassuming you were, yet there was an undeniable spark that drew him in.

As you scribbled another note, you looked up, catching Joel's intent gaze. For a moment, neither of you spoke, the air thick with unspoken words. You broke the silence with a warm smile, your eyes crinkling at the corners. "You okay, Joel?" you asked, your voice soft and kind.

Joel cleared his throat, feeling a flush rise to his cheeks. "Yeah, just... watching you work. It's impressive."

You laughed lightly, “Thanks, Joel.”

Returning to the paper, you continued making notes, occasionally glancing up at Joel to ensure he was following along. He tried to focus, but his mind kept drifting back to the little details—the pink pen, the vanilla scent, the way you looked so at ease in your element.

After a few minutes, you paused, tapping the pen thoughtfully against your chin.

"I really like your idea of taking the kids somewhere engaging and interactive," you said, turning to look at him. "Rather than just going to a zoo or a museum, something hands-on will be much more memorable for them."

Joel’s eyes widened in surprise. "You really think so? I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea."

You nodded enthusiastically. "Absolutely. Kids learn best when they’re actively involved. It’s a great way to make the experience more meaningful."

Joel felt a swell of pride at your words. He had spent hours agonizing over those plans, and hearing your approval was incredibly validating. "Thanks," he said, a genuine smile spreading across his face. "That means a lot."

You returned his smile, your eyes twinkling with encouragement. "We’ll just need to iron out a few details, like permissions and logistics, but overall, I think you’re on the right track."

Joel leaned in closer, his confidence growing. "Alright, let’s do this then."

For the next half hour, the two of you worked together, discussing various aspects of the field trip. You appreciated Joel’s practical insights and his willingness to listen to your suggestions. He sat beside you at the small, cluttered desk in the classroom, the map of Austin spread out between you. His rough draft of the field trip plans was covered with your colorful scribbles, and now you were both leaning over the map, discussing potential locations.

"What about this park?" Joel suggested, pointing to a green area on the map. "It's got a nice picnic area and some trails. The kids might enjoy that."

You nodded thoughtfully, considering the idea. "That sounds great. It would be good for them to have some outdoor time."

As you both continued brainstorming, you glanced up from the map and remembered something Sarah had mentioned earlier. "You know," you began, "Sarah mentioned something about horseback riding. She invited me to come along with you two."

Joel's eyes widened in surprise. "She did? What exactly did she say?"

You smiled, recounting the conversation. "She said you have a truck and that there's a place just a mile away. She thought it would be fun if we all went together."

Joel chuckled softly, shaking his head. He knew what his daughter was doing and it’s not even subtle anymore but he did notice that you had no idea what his mischievous daughter was doing. Before he could say more, you interrupted, your eyes sparkling with genuine interest. "Actually, I'm interested. It sounds like a lot of fun."

Joel was momentarily speechless. He hadn't expected you to be so open to the idea. Gathering his thoughts, he finally managed to say, "Well, that would be great. I think it could be a lot of fun, too."

As you both continued discussing the field trip, you glanced at the clock on the wall and realized how late it had gotten. "Oh wow, it's already seven in the evening," you said, surprised. "I think we've done enough for today."

Joel looked at the time and nodded. "Yeah, we should probably call it a day."

As you started packing up your things, Joel looked at you earnestly. "Let me take you home," he offered. "It's getting late, and I don't want you walking home alone. This town has its share of people who might take advantage of someone new."

You hesitated, not wanting to be a bother. "I appreciate it, but I don't want to trouble you."

Joel shook his head firmly. "It's no trouble at all. I insist."

Seeing the genuine concern in his eyes, you nodded in agreement. "Alright, thank you, Joel. I appreciate it."

Together, you left the school, the evening air cool and refreshing. As you walked to his truck, you felt a sense of camaraderie growing between you. Joel opened the passenger door for you, and you climbed in, feeling a mix of gratitude and curiosity about where this new connection might lead.

As Joel drove the truck with you in the passenger seat, he suddenly glanced over at you and asked, "Is it okay if we drive through McDonald's? It's for Sarah."

You smiled and nodded. "Of course, that's fine."

The drive to McDonald's was accompanied by a comfortable silence, punctuated by the hum of the engine and the occasional rustle of papers from the plans you had been working on together. Joel broke the silence, his voice warm and curious. "So, where are you originally from?"

"I'm from Louisiana," you replied, a hint of homesickness in your voice. "This is my first time being away from my family."

Joel nodded, his expression empathetic. "I know it can be tough, especially when you're used to having them around. Just a piece of advice, though: don't walk around at night alone. And if you need anything, you can call me anytime."

You appreciated his concern but didn't want to be a bother. "Thank you, Joel. I don't want to impose, especially since you have a busy work schedule."

Joel waved off your concerns. "It's no imposition at all." He reached out to the dashboard, retrieved a calling card from his company, and handed it to you. "My number is on there. Don't hesitate to call if you need anything."

You took the card, touched by his kindness. "Thank you, Joel. I really appreciate it."

A few minutes later, the truck pulled into the McDonald's drive-through. As you approached the ordering kiosk, the cashier's voice crackled through the telecom. "Welcome to McDonald's. Can I take your order?"

Joel leaned over to the speaker and ordered, "I'll take two Big Macs and fries, please." Then he turned to you. "And what would you like?"

You hesitated, not wanting to add to the order, but Joel's encouraging nod made you feel more at ease. "I'll have a chicken burger, please."

Joel relayed your order to the cashier. "And a chicken burger as well, thanks."

As you waited for the food, Joel glanced at you with a smile. "Louisiana, huh? Must be quite a change coming to Austin."

You nodded, thinking about the differences between the two places. "It is. But I'm slowly adjusting. Your daughter, Sarah, has been a big help since I came to the class."

Joel chuckled. "She's a good kid. Always looking out for people."

The truck rolled forward to the pick-up window. The cashier handed over the bags of food, and Joel passed them to you to hold. As he paid and received the change, you couldn't help but feel a growing sense of admiration for him. His kindness and willingness to help made the transition to your new life a little bit easier.

"Thanks for doing this, Joel," you said as he pulled out of the drive-through and headed back towards your apartment.

"No problem at all," he replied. "I'm glad to help."

When you finally reached your apartment, Joel parked the truck and turned to you. "I'll walk you to your door."

You nodded, appreciating the gesture. As you both got out and he walked you to your apartment, the evening air was filled with the quiet chirping of crickets. When you reached your door, you turned to him with a smile. "Thanks again, Joel. For everything."

"Anytime," he replied, giving you a reassuring smile. "Have a good night."

"You too," you said, watching as he made his way back to the truck.

As you entered your apartment, the cozy familiarity of the small space greeted you. You placed your bag on the kitchen counter, the scent of vanilla lingering from your perfume. Joel Miller's calling card was still in your hand, and you set it down next to the fruit bowl, taking a moment to reflect on the evening.

Joel Miller. He was an enigma. In the classroom, his rugged appearance had caught your eye: the typical flannel shirt, worn-out jeans, and work boots—he exuded a blend of ruggedness and reliability. You remembered how he had seemed hesitant but determined to discuss the field trip plans, his deep voice carrying a hint of nervousness. Despite his rough exterior, there was a gentleness in the way he interacted with you and his daughter.

You recalled his strong hands pointing out locations on the map, the subtle scent of sawdust and pine mingling with the vanilla of your perfume. His genuine concern for your safety had touched you, and his easy smile had made you feel at ease.

But then you shook your head, trying to dispel those thoughts. Joel was a parent, and you were a teacher. It was inappropriate to think of him in any other way. You needed to maintain professionalism, especially since Sarah was one of your favorite students.

You made your way to the bathroom, flicking on the light. The cool tile floor under your feet grounded you as you leaned over the sink, splashing your face with cold water. The shock of the cold helped clear your mind. You stared at your reflection, droplets of water clinging to your skin.

"Cut it out," you muttered to yourself, gripping the edges of the sink. "He's just a parent. Focus on your job."

You took a deep breath and stood up straight, grabbing a towel to pat your face dry. The lingering thoughts of Joel Miller needed to be pushed aside. You were here to teach and not to get distracted by the rugged charm of one of your student’s parents.

You walked back into the living room and sat on the couch, opening your laptop to review tomorrow’s lesson plans. Immersing yourself in work was the best way to push those thoughts away. As you typed away, you reminded yourself of your priorities: teaching, supporting your students, and adjusting to life in Austin.

Everything else, including your confusing emotions about Joel Miller, would have to wait.

Whatever that even means for you.

CONTINUE READING: PART 1 | PART 3 ━━ AVAILABLE ON AO3

☆ MASTERLIST | NAVIGATION | SOCIALS | SIGN OFF BANNER MADE BY. @ALDERAANDORS

#joel miller #joel miller x reader #joel miller x you #joel miller one shot #joel miller fanfiction #joel miller fanfic #joel miller smut #the last of us smut #the last of us fanfiction #tlou fanfiction #tlou smut #*writing #pedro pascal #alternate universe #joel miller x female reader #sarah miller is alive #no outbreak!joel miller #contractor!joel miller

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bradshawssugarbaby · 11 months

Text

My Best Friend's Girl - Walt "Finn" Finnegan x Reader

a/n: not my greatest work or anything, but i finally got around to writing something for my fave 80s man. I have a serious hang up on anything 80s so don't be surprised if more of this comes up. Also a little inspired by My Best Friend's Girl by The Cars.

pairing: Walt "Finn" Finnegan x reader

warnings/content: swearing, McReynolds cheating (sorry y'all, had to make it work for the story), Finn being "mr. steal yo' girl" on him, pure cheesy fluff.

word count: 1.8k

As your friends danced away in the middle of the bar, you stood back, sipping your rum and coke, savouring every taste as you kept your eyes forwards. Your brow furrowed as Renegade by Styx blared from the juke box from somewhere at the back of Sound Machine, the bar on campus. The SouthEast Texas University baseball team had not long entered the room, trying their charms on any and every girl they saw. You weren’t falling for it though, you’d decided. You’d seen them in action, a couple of the freshmen players managing to charm your friends into dancing and drinks, but you weren’t easily fooled. You knew they were only after one thing from the women on campus, and you weren’t giving it up easily. Your standards are much higher than that, you thought to yourself.

You looked around the room once again, trying to keep tabs on where your friends were before either of them agreed to go home with one of the college boys who’d secured their attention. You weren’t about to let either girl go home with some freshman baseball player who could barely tie his own cleats. You’d recently broken up with your own baseball player prior to the start of the school year, and you couldn’t help but cringe whenever you caught a glimpse of him or his teammates and their sleazy pick up methods. Your brows knit together into a glare as you saw one of your ex’s teammates, Walt Finnegan, or Finn as everyone knew him by, was staring at you. Finn’s lips curled into a grin under his thick, blonde mustache, his shaggy hair was clearly styled to match his. You looked away, avoiding his stunning green eyes as he looked in your direction again.

As the opening bars of Two Tickets to Paradise began filling the room, you finished your drink. Looking up, you noticed that Finn was approaching you. His charming eyes and million dollar smile were on full display as he sauntered over, his shirt unbuttoned just enough to show off his tanned skin, the sleeves rolled just enough to accent his biceps, clearly in an effort to show off his commitment to the game and workout regime he’d given himself. He was never the greatest player on the team, but as their first baseman, he did a pretty decent job holding his own, and everything he lacked on the field, he made up for in charm and charisma. Even you couldn’t fully resist his charms, despite how badly you wanted to. You frowned as Finn danced his way up to you, his hips swaying in time with the music. Christ, he was a good dancer. You couldn’t deny it, Finn was good, but you refused to let him sway you tonight.

“Hey there, pretty thing, what’re you doing here by yourself? Come back to show McReynolds what he’s missin’ out on?” Finn’s voice was smooth as he spoke. He was always a fast-talker, but this time, it was like he purposefully was talking slow to make a point, like he was trying to give you no choice but to focus your attention on him.

“Please, Finn, I don’t give a rat’s ass what McReynolds does with his time now, I broke it off with him for a reason.”

“Yeah, trust me, I heard about it. We all heard about it.”

“My condolences. Can you leave me alone now, please?”

“No, you haven’t even heard why I wanted to talk to you yet!” Finn pouted his lips slightly as he spoke. He leaned his body against the wall and grinned at you as he put his hand beside your head, framing your body between him and the corner of the room.

“I’ll bite then, why do you want to talk to me, Finn?”

“‘Cause, I think we both like watching McReynolds sweat a little. Plus, I saw you looking at me like that. Trying to look like you’re not bothered by the fact I’m here. You and I both know we had something before you met him.”

“We had nothing, Finn. Nothing.”

“Are you sure about that, sweets? Why not show me just how nothing it really was?”

Finn’s hand snaked its way around your waist, pulling you in tightly to his body. You let out a sharp exhale of air as you felt your bare back press against his shirt, his body radiating heat against yours. You could smell his musk scented cologne, strong, yet masculine as it surrounded you. His hand on your bare waistline was enough to drive your senses wild, and as much as you wanted to hate the sensation of his skin on yours, you couldn’t bring yourself to shove him away from you. It was as if some sick, twisted part of you craved him, despite the fact that Finn was your ex’s best friend. Then again, clearly that fact didn’t bother Finn too much either.

“Finn, we can’t do this,” You mumbled as you felt him press his nose to your neck, “McReynolds is gonna kill you.”

“I can handle myself, don’t you worry, darlin’,” Finn’s voice was like velvet, rich and smooth as he spoke, dripping with confidence and self assurance, “Besides, what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him, right?”

You frowned, biting your lip as Finn spoke before finally giving your head a shake. You tilted your head to face him, his green eyes full of lust and longing as they met with yours. You’d never noticed before today just *how* green his eyes were, but now that they were so close to you, you couldn’t notice anything else. The signature grin still painted on his face, Finn pulled you in closer to him, his breath hot on your neck as he whispered against your ear.

“I still haven’t heard a no from you yet, babydoll. Whatd’ya say?”

You felt Finn spin you around to face him, hips moving perfectly in sync with the music playing in the background. At this stage, Finn’s presence had completely disoriented your focus and no amount of concentration could tell you what song was playing, what colour the lights were on the dance floor or where your friends were at this point, all you saw, all you knew in that moment was Finn. Finn, your ex’s best friend with the million-dollar man smile and sun-kissed tanned skin. Finn, with his perfectly styled hair that he always spent at least 30 minutes on perfecting with a round brush and hair dryer every morning, and his mustache that he sat and brushed out with a fine toothed comb, trimming anything that seemed out of place. Finn, with his stunning green eyes and overwhelming all-consuming confidence, and his ability to never be able to stop talking about anything and everything.

“I don’t know that this is the smartest scheme you’ve ever come up with. What exactly did McReynolds do to piss you off to the point where you want to use me to get back at him?” You finally retorted back.

“Maybe letting a girl as good as you go is all he had to do to piss me off this time.”

Finn’s words lingered in the air for a moment, replaying in your mind over and over as you gave them some thought. You let out a frustrated sigh as you shook your head, arms folding across your chest as you looked at him.

“Finn, stop it.”

“Stop what? I’m being honest.”

“You’re pissed off at Mac for letting me dump him?”

Finn sighed and ran his hands over his face before shaking his head in exasperation. He shook his head before reaching his arms out, placing his hands on your shoulders with a firm, yet gentle touch, as if he was trying to get you to reason with him.

“Listen to me for a second, ok?” He breathed out a heavy sigh before speaking again.

“Look,” Finn’s green eyes stared at you with a newfound level of intensity as he spoke in soft, hushed tones, as if he didn’t want anyone overhearing your conversation together, “I know why you and Mac split, ok? I saw him when you did it, and he told me. I know everything - the cheating, the lying, how you walked in on him, trust me, I know all of it, babe.”

“So…you know how I walked in on him with some other girl in your house then?”

“All of it. And honestly? I told him he was a real fuckin’ dick for it too. I may be a bit of a...casanova, but I’ve never cheated. There’s a reason I stay single. No one’s feelings get hurt if I move on, ‘cept maybe my own, but that’s besides the point.”

You frowned and sighed, shaking your head as you blinked away the lone tear developing in the corner of your eye. You looked up to see Finn in a new light, an air of vulnerability clouding over him, as if he was opening himself up to you and at the same time, you felt your own vulnerability closing in. You felt Finn’s hand on your cheek, guiding your face upwards to look at him. He gently pulled you in to him, his lips pressing to yours in a gentle, passionate kiss. Your lips lingered on his for a moment before pulling back, your eyes wide in shock as you look up at him.

“W-what the fuck was that?” You whispered, a soft, awkward laugh escaping your lips.

“Me, showing you that I’d never treat you the way Numb-nuts over there would,” He nodded as he let out a hearty chuckle.

“Finn…”

“Mhmm, that’s my name, baby, don’t wear it out,” He smirked as he tucked a strand of hair back behind your ear.

“You’re something else, you know that?”

“You know, I have been told that. It’s part of my charm, apparently.”

“Come on, let’s get the fuck outta here, before McReynolds smartens up or sobers up and realizes I just made a move on ya,” Finn takes your hand and grins as he leads you outside.

Under the stars, feeling the mild southern Texas breeze against your skin, you and Finn walk out together. Looking up at the sky, you take it all in, letting out a soft audible sigh as you nod your head once.

“Finn, I never thought I’d say this about you, but you know, you’re a pretty decent guy.”

Finn shook his head, laughing as he looked over to you, his signature smile appearing again. He threw an arm around you playfully and shrugged his shoulders.

“You know what, I feel like McReynolds might argue with you on that one.”

#walt finn finnegan #walt finn finnegan x reader #finn x reader #everybody wants some fic

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dadsbongos · 5 months

Note

Please.. anything for Henryk… I love my loser malewife… I’m starving …

833 words / notes - milk toast fluff, gender neutral, not even re-read for an edit

summary - you work as a waitress at kimikov's with henryk as the chef! he's kind of a weirdo, but at least he's handsome and shares food ~~~

Lady and Sir of Kimikov’s are exceptional bosses. More often you encounter the lady, a sweet woman edging sixty, as she handles more of the front end service of their family restaurant. Her husband, mild-mannered and humble pushing seventy, is usually stowed in the back office to count bills and manage expenses. Naturally, you prefer Lady, but you’ll happily force an encounter with Sir if it means not having to speak with their useless son.

Useless is harsh, he is the cook after all.

Does not make you any less annoyed with him, though. All he does is stare. Petrifying blues boring into your frame as you flit this way and that on the floor, carrying platters of his cooking to mellow regulars and starry-eyed newcomers. You always feel his gaze on your back, bleeding you out like a leech and having the audacity to coyly look away when you catch him.

Today, even. Fresh off a Saturday lunch rush, you’re leaning against one of the walls closest to the kitchen door. Legs jellied and arms burning from the prolonged straining when you spot him again. Shamelessly blinking out at you through the window into the kitchen, then startling back and jerking his gaze away when he realizes you’re staring back.

Kimikov’s front door squeals open, you push off the wall to greet and serve until Lady Kimikov lays a shaky hand on your shoulder. She smiles and shakes her head, cooing quietly, “Rest awhile, dear, you haven’t had your own lunch yet, have you?”

You shake your head and she passes to seat the couple in a freshly cleaned booth.

“Uh- “ calls from the kitchen, “Hey…”

Turning, you see Henryk leaning out of the window -- unable to meet your eyes, but cheeks aflame with red. He’s pushing a plate towards you.

“For me?” you ask redundantly.

He nods.

You push open the door to the kitchen and come around to snatch the plate, sitting beside Henryk at one of the stools his poor old father uses. Steaming pierogi that make your mouth water, but before you can pluck one tentatively between your fingers, curiosity stops you.

“Do I have to pay for this?”

To avoid locking eyes with you, he glances out at the patrons taken by his mother. Henryk folds his arms and leans against the counter in faux nonchalance, “No. No, don’t worry about it. If my parents say anything, I’ll handle it.”

“Really now?”

The shallow boldness deflates from him instantly, Henryk frowns at you with a forced chuckle, “Am I so easy to read?”

“I just know you,” you wave his worries, giving in to your hunger and fiending on the dish in your lap, “You make excellent security to strangers.”

He snorts at that, “Papa could only scare off children… Well-behaved children, at that.”

“So specific.”

“Children hardened and accustomed to the streets will find nothing to fear in my father,” Henryk sighs, though his tone is alight and delighted like what he’s admitting is a point of pride, “Not that he’d willingly frighten children anyway.”

“Mhm,” you hum around the soft potato and melted cheese in your mouth, savoring the flavors, “‘s is good.”

“Is it?” if Henryk had to approximate, he hears that (or some variation of compliments to the chef) around thirty times a day -- when it's slow -- but for some odd reason, it weighs heavier when you say it, “You mean it?”

“Delicious!”

“Thank you…” he looks down at his feet bashfully.

“You’re so easy to read,” you blurt.

Rather than fighting the accusation, Henryk takes the order ticket from his approaching mother and muses, “Did you know I wanted to be an actor as a kid?”

“No!”

“Yes,” he crosses the floor to wash his hands before cooking, “What a nightmare that would’ve been, huh?”

“I’m glad you found culinary instead,” at your half-baked confession, Henryk pauses. Finally, his eyes find yours, they scan from your head to your feet and back into your eyes. Digging for more, a silent prayer for you to continue. To say what he wants to hear.

He’s so easy to read.

“If you hadn’t,” so you do continue, “then we wouldn’t have met. Or at least, wouldn’t see each other every day.”

“That’s a plus?” he asks unsurely.

“Who would I be if I didn’t have you watching me all the time?” you tease, and he shakes his head, eyes clenching in obvious embarrassment.

“How terrible of me…”

“Maybe just do this from now on instead,” you raise your plate, “Much more inviting.”

“I’ll keep it in mind,” he turns away again, slower and more hesitant. Visibly unwilling to return to work.

“Good,” and now you search him, every muscle twinge and flinch.

He wants to say more, you sense he feels the need to.

But, ultimately, he does not. Only returning a stiff, “Good.” before devoting himself to the stove.

Oh, well… maybe next time Henryk will gather the courage to finally declare his feelings.

#henryk x reader #henryk fear and hunger x reader #fear and hunger x reader

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holdinonto-heartache · 1 year

Text

Summary: y/n and Louis, who haven’t seen each other in a while, attend a concert for their good mutual friend and end up going home together.

Warnings: SMUT18+, strong language, alcohol consumption, flirting, super cute fluff beginning/end, unprotected sex, cream pie, oral (F), fingering, hair pulling, biting, filth

Y/fbf/n -> your friends boyfriends name

Y/f/n -> your friends name

Master

“Are you guys ready yet?” Y/fbf/n says leaning against the door frame.

You look over your shoulder, “You can’t rush perfection.”

He rolls his eyes, “You can if you don’t want to miss a free concert.”

You sigh and shake your head, laughing, “Hey, those are my tickets. I didn’t have to bring you.”

You got tickets from your close friend, Niall. He’s doing some shows and teasers for his new album that’s coming out. (I started writing this before his album dropped so just pretend it hasn’t yet lmao)

“Don’t listen to him, we have plenty of time.” Y/f/n smiles and continues to do her makeup.

——

You arrive at the venue and walk in. You’re greeted by someone at the door and Niall cuts them off, “They’re with me!”

Excitement fills your body as the security guard moves and you see Niall for the first time in two years.

“Ah! Oh my god!” You hug him and bounce up and down, “I’m so proud of you!”

He smiles and shakes his head, “Oh stop it.” He looks up at your friends, “Hello.”

“Niall, this is y/f/n and y/fbf/n, her boyfriend.”

Niall reaches out to shake each of their hands, “Ni, I’m Niall.”

He moves back to you, “Come on, I’ll show you around.”

You follow Niall around the arena, talking with him and catching up. It’s going great until you walk away to grab a drink.

You turn back around and see Niall standing close with your friends, “Secrets don’t make friends.”

Niall laughs, “Yeah, no you’re right Um.” He glances over at y/f/n then back to you, “We were just trying to get the last minute plans together for your birthday dinner tomorrow.”

You squint and tilt your head, “Believable.” You laugh and look at Niall, “If you’re talking about Louis, it’s fine.”

He shakes his head and checks his phone, “Actually, I haven’t heard from him a day, so. I don’t even know if he’s coming.” Niall looks up at you, “If I would have known, you know I would have told you.”

You nod, “Yeah no. I know.”

You and Louis dated for a little while then broke up because of him wanting to focus on his solo career and you headed off to start your own business that is now very successful.

You miss Louis, honestly.

A part of you now feels like you guys could make it work, but another part of you is nervous because it’s been so long and time goes on.

You wanted to know if he’s seeing anyone, but you didn’t want to be upset the whole show, so you decided to distract yourself until then.

“Hey, anyone hungry?”

——

You grab a drink at the bar and make your way to the vip section of the pit with your friends. You smile and look around at all the people who came to support Niall.

You knew him for years before the x factor. He’s the one who actually introduced you to Louis.

Only after years of flirting and not facing up to the fact that there was chemistry there, you finally decided to give it a go.

It was going great for the longest time. You and Louis were inseparable until you couldn’t seem to find a solution involving your career paths.

The breakup was civil and you remained friends, but it left you with that unfinished feeling.

You always said that Louis was the one, and you still stand by that.

The lights go down and the volume is the room immediately gets cranked up to ten.

You smile and bite your lip, waiting for Niall to come on.

The beat of Nice to Meet Ya starts playing and everyone goes nuts as Niall walks out.

He starts singing and you dance with y/f/n as you sing along with him.

“I wanna blow your mind.. just come with me.. I swear..” you smile, “I'm gonna take you somewhere warm, you know j'adore la mer..”

You sip your drink, still dancing in your spot. You hum along to the music and y/f/n lays a hand on your shoulder, “Oh, um. By the way..” she lets out a nervous laugh, “Niall lied.”

She steps away and you turn to her, “y/f/n!” You shake your head, “About what?”

“Fancy seein’ you here.”

Your heart drops into your stomach and you turn towards him, “Louis?”

He smiles and holds his arms out, “Come here.”

You immediately fall into his chest, definitely not like you thought. He wraps his arms around you, “I wish I would have known you were coming, I would seen you sooner.”

He leans back, “Wow you still look good.”

You smile and shake your head, “Wait, Niall didn’t tell you I was coming?”

Louis shakes his head, “Not at all. Didn’t even mention ya.”

“Hmm.” You look over at your friends and they give you a thumbs up. You laugh and look over at Louis, “So you been okay?”

He nods and talks to you as he glances back from you to Niall, “Yeah, great actually.. you’ll have to come to a show.” He smirks and looks at you.

You nod and smile, “Please. Yes.”

Louis stares at you for a few moments, the same thoughts about making it work with you run through his mind.

Throughout the show, you and Louis have gotten physically close.

It feels like you guys picked up right where you were supposed to.

You feel whole again, just like he does.

You knew you and Louis were going to be the talk of the fandom because you spotted some fans snapping some pictures and what not.

But you didn’t care.

You had Louis again and this time, you knew you’d do anything but let him go.

Niall starts to sing Story of My Life and Louis wraps his arm around your waist, holding you as he watches Niall perform the song that they used to sing together.

You watch Louis, smiling as you quietly sing along with the crowd.

He looks down at you and without hesitation, he plants his lips onto yours.

The fans that are closest to you absolutely go crazy and you can tell you’re being lit up by phone flashlights.

“You got any place to be after this?” Louis asks just loud enough. You smile and shake your head, “No where until tomorrow night.”

He nods, “Good, because I’ve been missin’ something special of yours.” He watches as you close your eyes and fight back a moan.

You nod and slowly look up at him, “yeah.. okay.”

He chuckles at you trying to keep yourself composed, “Fuck, I missed you.”

He pulls you back into his body and holds you close to him as Niall works towards finishing his show.

——

Niall stands on the stage, looking out at everyone.

He spots you and Louis holding onto each other in the crowd and points, causing the fans to scatter to look around.

He smiles and shakes his head as he walks over to grab his guitar. The fans go wild because they know what that means.

It’s gets quiet and Niall starts playing his guitar, “I'm like a crow on a wire.. You're the shining distraction that makes me fly.. Oh, home..”

You and Louis sway slowly to the sound of Niall’s singing.

“And yeah.” Niall sings and steps back to let the crowd sings.

“I let you use me from the day that we first met.. But I'm not done yet.. Falling for you, fool's gold”

You smile and look around in awe. Your gaze slowly meets Louis and you smile even bigger.

“But I don't regret.. Falling for you..” Louis sings to you as he brushes your cheek with his fingers.

You wanted to hate Niall for calling you out like this, but at the same time you wanted to hug him and thank him over and over again.

After the song ends and Niall leaves the stage, Louis grabs your hand and leads you out of the pit, your friends following behind you.

You make your way around, to backstage and Niall dances as he walks over to you. He points at your hands that are interlocked together and looks up at you and Louis with a huge smile, “I knew it would work.”

“You are such a liar! And you lied to me! That’s even worse, Niall.” You fake pout but can’t control your smile, “Thank you.”

“See, I knew you wouldn’t be mad.” Niall hugs you and Louis, “Now go. Catch up.” He gives you a wink, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

You turn to your friends and y/f/n bats the air, “Go. We knew about for the longest time so we made plans.” She laughs, “You deserve this.”

“Okay, love you.” You blow her a kiss and wave to y/fbf/n. Louis keeps your hand in his as he leads you out to the car.

Of course there’s fans waiting to see if they see us leave together.

And they do.

You laugh as you get into the car, “These fans are sneaky little things aren’t they?”

Louis laughs and raises his eyebrows, “Oh, you have no idea, love. But they’re good though.”

You nod and look out of the window, luckily the windows are tinted dark enough to where they can’t see in.

Louis pulls you over to him and attaches his lips to yours. You lay your hand on his chest and he cups your cheek, “I’m so happy to see you.”

Louis kisses down your neck and you tilt your head, “I’m so happy to see you.” You run a hand through his hair.

You bite your lip as he sucks a purple mark into your neck, “I don’t know why I let you go.” He looks up at you.”

“I’m back.” You rest your forehead against his, “I’m not going anywhere without you.”

He smiles and brushes his fingers through your hair, “We’re about to have the best sex ever, you know that right?”

You smirk and nod, “I do know that.” You wrap your arm around his neck and kiss him.

You and Louis break apart when his driver clears his throat, “We’re at the hotel, Louis.”

“Ah, thank you.” He looks over at you, “Come on, love.”

You get out of the car and hold his hand all the way up to the hotel room. You guys felt like teenagers again, running through the hallways to be alone with each other.

He pushes the door open and pulls you in with him. He kicks the door shut and pulls you with him to the bed.

His hands never leave your body and his eyes never leave yours.

You sit down, pulling him down with you and he falls into you. His lips meet yours and they move in a quick rhythm against each other.

“Fuck.” He groans against your lips, “Didn’t know how bad I wanted you back until I saw you standing there across that arena.”

You lay your hand on his cheek and smile up at him, “Well, you got me.”

He bites his lip and nods, “Fuckin’ right I do.”

He flips you guys over and you straddle him as you giggle. You lift your shirt up over your head and toss it behind you. His eyes move over your body and he tilts his head, “No bra? That’s sexy.”

You laugh and lean down to kiss him. His hands drag down your back and squeeze your hips.

You grind down on him, moaning into his mouth as the bulge of his cock pushes against your thin panty covered pussy.

He tilts his head back and groans, “Shit, babe.” He grips your hips and pulls you towards the bed. You lay down and look up at him.

He undoes the button on your skirt and pulls it down your legs. Your legs instantly spread for him and he slides his hands up your legs, “Ah, ah. Gotta get these off of ya.”

He hooks his fingers into the band of your panties and you watch as he pulls them down.

Once they’re off, his hands lay on your knees and push your legs apart. He waist no time diving in, pushing his tongue past your folds and pushing it inside of you.

You moan and arch your back, hands immediately going to his hair. He moans against you, pulling you closer to him.

You tug on his hair, earning a groan from him.

“Y-yes, baby.” You whine out, “Fuck, fuck.”

He brings a hand up, slipping two fingers in to replace his tongue and he slowly builds up speed as he thrusts them in and out.

He watches you you move your hands to the sheets and pull at them, moaning as you feel I’m bringing you closer, “Fu-“

Louis leans down, circling his tongue with your clit. Your eyes roll back and close at the added pleasure, “F-fuck. Fuck.”

You look down at him and grab his shoulders, “Come here. I need you.”

He pulls his fingers out and sits up. He quickly takes his shirt off, throwing it, “Anything you want, my love.” He gives you a smirk and pushes his jeans down.

Your eyes flicker down to his cock and back up to his eyes with a smile forming on your lips.

He moves up to hover his body over yours and he rubs the tip of his cock against you before slipping in with a groan, “Fuckin’ hell.”

He places one hand on your thigh and squeezes. You moan as he pushes his cock fully in, resting there for a second as he looks down at you.

“So fucking good.” He moans lowly and dips his head down to kiss you as he starts to thrusts his hips. He quickly builds up to a fast, almost punishing pace.

Your back is arched and your chest is pressed against his. Your legs tighten around his waist and you wrap an arm around his neck, “Fuck, baby. Yes. Yesyesyes.”

He moans into your neck as you tighten your arm and legs around him, clenched his cock as you moan.

You become a whimpering mess under him.

“So pretty when you cum.” Louis whispers quietly as he rubs your thigh.

He grips it and flips both of you over, “Wanna watch you ride me.” He smirks as he raises his eyebrows, “Always one of my favorite things.”

You smirk and reach down to hold his cock steady as you sink back down onto him. Your eyes flutter closed and your lips part as you feel him fill you.

You start to slowly move your hips and open your eyes and look down at him, “Louis.” You moan out almost breathless.

“What baby?” Louis strokes your hips with his thumbs, “Tell me.”

You whimper and interlock your fingers with his as he grabs your hands, “I love you.”

He smiles and nods, “C’mere.”

You lean down and he presses his lips to yours as he squeezes your hands, “I love you.”

You smile and kiss him again, moaning into his mouth, “Close again.”

He lets go of your hands and sits you up, “Go on then.”

You smirk and bite your lip as he watches you. His eyes slowly move down and fixate on his cock being swallowed by your cunt, “Fuck, y/n.”

You moan and reach down to rub your clit. Louis moans and lays his head back, eyes still on you touching yourself.

“Fuck, fuck.” You tilt your head back and let out a long loud moan as you cum around his cock. He places his hands under your thighs to hold you up and steady as he thrust his hips up from below you.

You reach behind you and lay your hands on his shins, digging your nails in, moaning as he fucks you through your orgasm.

After a few moments, Louis’ thrusts become slow, quickly. You look at him, tilting your head as you let out a small moan as he cums inside of you.

He lays his head back, taking a deep breathe before looking at you, “Could do this all day.” He winks and watches as you lay next to him.

You lay your head on his arm, “We might just have to.”

“Ah, yeah, but your birthday is tomorrow, and we have dinner plans.”

Your mouth drops slightly, “What else don’t I know?” You laugh slightly, “we have until then.” You look up at him and give him a smile.

He sighs and thinks for a few moments, “Sold.” He leans down and kisses you before he leans back.

His eyes scan over, studying your face, “I’ve wanted you back since the minute you left.”

You nod, “I know how you feel. I bawled for weeks.”

“Aw, babe.” He pulls you in and hugs you, “I should have followed you.”

“I should have came back, or called you at least. I didn’t think you wanted to hear from me.” You sigh, “I’m sorry.”

“None of that, ya hear me. It’s no one fault.” Louis runs his hand over your hair, “I gotcha now.”

You smile and nod, “And I got you.” You look up and he looks down at you. He presses his lips to yours and smiles within the kiss.

“Oh!” You sit up and get up to go grab your phone out of your purse, “Wanna see something crazy?”

He nods and moves the blankets for when you come back over and you unlock your phone, tapping on the twitter icon.

First tweet that pops up is about you and Louis and you look over at him. He looks over the screen and shakes his head, “That’s always been crazy. How fast stuff goes around like that?”

You nod, “Agreed.”

You scroll through with Louis, looking at the pictures of you guys from Niall’s show.

“Oh that’s so cute. I’m stealing that.” You laugh as you screenshot and crop the photo.

“Send that to me.” Louis says smiling,

“Of course.”

He presses his lips to your temple and watches you as you go through the #Y/NandLouis hashtag.

@/LOUISFAN01: Y/N Y/L/N and Louis Tomlinson were seen arriving to the show separately. Met up during the show got a little cozy, then they were seen leaving together. What. Does. This. Mean?! #Y/NandLouis

——

@/LOUISFAN2: Is Louis and y/n happening again? #Y/NandLouis

@/LOUISFAN3: Pleaseeeeee I pray to god that Niall brought this power couple back together. #Y/NandLouis

——

Hi hello. I hope you liked this. Sorry for being a little MIA.

If you have any requests you can send them to me! Anon is on!

likes and reblogs are very appreciated! <3

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higanbana-games · 2 months

Text

Hints in Point&Click Adventures. How not to make players feel stupid?

The Point&Click Adventure genre implies a very simple gameplay from its name. Whether it’s a 1st person or a 3rd person game, players are meant to click in various areas on their screens. And that click calls many possible actions: talk to an NPC, pick up an object, use an object, examine some area, trigger an event/action and many other possible variants.

Story is what gives such games a meaning. Detective stories, romance novels or even horrors. However, a good story can simply go unnoticed if the gameplay doesn’t complement that story.

I’ve played many games of different genres, but when it comes to a story quest I often stumbled on one thing that unites such games as Syberia, Fran Bow and even Elden RIng. It’s the lack of in-game hints.

Every story is unique and has its own deep meaning, and I absolutely love every game I mention in this post. So, the following examples will just show some hard parts in the games I mention.

“Fran Bow” - ticket to the Club

The overall game is a masterpiece! Yet, I had a really hard time trying to understand what I was supposed to do to get into the Club in Ithersta.

(The following might be a spoiler if you haven’t played the game yet)

What the quest is about:

you have to find a hidden passage from the back of the club and send your cat in there,

you play as a cat too steal a ticket from one of the guests and bring that ticket to Fran,

Fran shows the ticket to the security guy at the entrance but he can easily tell she’s lying to him and doesn’t accept the stolen ticket,

Fran takes a smeared pest control specialist’s card she picked up ages ago and a green crayon she had got even earlier than that. And she draws herself a ticket on that card.

Fran gives that ticket to the security guy and he lets her enter the Club.

The main problem here is that Fran has had the objects she needs in her inventory all that time, but the quest makes players find a way to steal a ticket and try it first. Only after that sequence of actions can she fake her ticket. Of course, it can be explained like Fran had to see the real ticket before she could draw the one for herself. But this idea wasn’t emphasized in any way, which makes it extremely hard to figure the logic out by yourself.

No chance to skip the mini games

Another concern I had was on release of a wonderful game called “Children of Silent Town”. The game has stunning art and gives pretty but creepy vibes. The story felt so smooth that I did not even once think of looking into guides. Yet, some mini games were relatively hard. Though they had basic visual hints explaining how to play, some of the games took me too much time to enjoy them. And there was no button to skip it nor the more precise instruction showing how to complete it.

“Rusty Lake” - good visual hints

As a good example of guiding players through the game, I would call the “Rusty Lake” series. There are good visual hints following through the gameplay. And when there are no such obvious hints and players feel stuck, it’s up to players whether to try and figure everything out by themselves or press a button and see a thorough visual instruction.

My point here is simple. Hints should be balanced.

If you have to use a head of cheese to open a door with a complicated mechanism and there are no hints on such a unique usage - players might feel too stupid to solve it.

If a player character or an NPC comments on every action with phrases like “The door is locked” or “The villain ran over there”, it might frustrate players. For such comments are too basic and don’t give any extra helpful information while on the other hand they don’t guide players nor hint at what to do next.

The balance between making players feel too smart or too stupid is really delicate.

The main idea is to make players feel smart when they solve another puzzle or listen to an NPC carefully and follow the implication; or just let them enjoy the game in a simple way they choose by directing them smoothly and letting them skip the hard parts.

There probably isn’t one correct answer or a universal solution on the subject (should there really be one?), and I just shared my thoughts and observations.

Every story-driven game is unique, and game designers choose the best way that suits every single project to reveal its potential and touch people’s hearts. <3

#point and click #cozy games #fran bow #ChildrenofSilentown #rusty lake #game design

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harukaprism · 2 years

Text

Ripples

Pairing: Haruka Hashida x GN!Reader

Warnings: Fluff, not prof read

Word Count: 1,247

How would you describe your subject for your experiment? Haruka Hashida was a man of many personality traits, mostly the popular guy that every girl gushed over but with the project you were doing you made him show the sides of himself he would hate showing others.

“Well Hashida, where would you like to go today?” Today the two of you were hanging out so you could see his everyday life for one of the last parts of your psychology project and he had picked you up from your apartment.

“I think we should go to an art museum, we haven’t done that yet.” You were not the only one that benefited out of this project, he was using the scenery that the two of you saw for his art projects during this time too.

Glancing at your body length mirror in your hallway you checked out your outfit, though it was your regular everyday clothing the long cardigan sweater you wore in your favorite color gave you some coziness with the colder weather outside. “Sure, it is your natural habitat, isn’t it?”

Haruka only offered you a smile as he opened the front door to your apartment for you, this is how it normally went; you knew that it would be like this when you chose him for this observation. He was quieter with you; it was like his brain had the chance to catch up on itself with the craziness that is an art student.

With your tickets secured you both walked inside the building you were met with silence and cold air. Taking out your notepad you fell a few steps behind the tall man and studied him closely, picking up on his emotions as he looked over the paintings and sculptures. He explained a few pieces to you after he caught you staring curiously, he was never rude about it he was gentle and calming.

Your notes today were about the subtle changes in his mood and emotions, it was such a shame he was a pretty boy. The way his braids slightly swayed as he gazed between the paintings, the way his eyebrows knitted together as he scoffed slightly at a Picasso piece.

He asked you every so often what you enjoyed about the pieces you were looking at, though art was not your expertise you made comments about the colors and the inspiration behind them. Every once in a while he would talk to a fellow art connoisseur while you stood back taking your notes and filling out the required questions.

After about 30 minutes you finally took a seat, while Haruka was off talking to a student from his school you glanced into the interactive piece you subconsciously sat by. The water in the pool glowed as the water stilled, the instructions to this were to experience the waves and how life looked with them. Your bench was a bit above the water, so you reached your hand down dipping your fingertips into the water, counting the ripples you caused and the way they bounced back when hitting the edge of the glass.

Raising your hand from the water you flicked off the rest of the moisture watching the drops fall back to where they belonged. A smile crossed your face as you thought of Haruka’s response to this piece. It was not art in the traditional sense but the commentary would be interesting.

“This is hardly art.” A huff came from behind you as long black braids fell to either side of your face, you could smell the subtle cologne he wore as he studied the ripples that were fading away.

“You are correct but I like it. You get to control what happens with the water, it really is all in your hands.” Taking a spare pencil you thrusted the eraser into the water sending ripples throughout the container, then you dipped your fingers back in gently watch the slow waves meet with the larger ones.

“You would like this one, as a psychology major.” His voice was teasing of course but there was some sincerity behind it. “Art is my department.” Having you a handkerchief you dried your hand and pencil and went to hand it back as you stood up. “Keep it for now, I think there may be other interactive arts here.”

Though there were you didn’t quite enjoy them as much as the water one. After excusing himself real quick you stood by the water again watching as children splashed the water watching the ripples distort their faces and your own, yet the corner you stood at calmed after the waves were sent back to the young children.

You were so entranced with the piece that you lost track of time. Soon the children left and you were standing by yourself, leaning against the barrier you played around with the water with your fingers.

After a moment the sounds of footsteps pulled you from your head as Haruka approached, a soft smile etched on his face. “Ready to get some dinner?”

With a nod the two of you left the museum stopping by a ramen shop to eat, the entire time the two of you talked about what you saw on your trip and your feelings behind the art, though he sneered at the Picasso arts you couldn’t help but smile at his distaste for the man's work.

Taking you home the two of you parted ways, today was the last day you would see him for this project, part of you hoped you would still meet up every once in a while but that remained to be seen.

A week later you turned in your project, you got a text from him telling you to meet him at his college you grabbed your trust cardigan and a thank you basket for his help on your work. The two of you met at the front. “Here, this is a thank you for all the help.”

A genuine smile cracked his face as he took it. “I would offer you one too but I have something much better.” Guiding you inside the school you were taken to a hall where various works were being displayed, you had seen his handy work upfront as he sketched while you were asking him questions but surrounded by paintings you were at a loss for words.

A blonde looked as the two of you approached, he had a shorter friend with him as they both stared at you with wide eyes. They glanced back at the two paintings in front of all four of you and then back.

Taking a glance at Harukas work you froze in place, they were big canvases of the museum, the wave pool and most importantly you. The first one was you sitting above the pool with your cardigan flowing around your body with your fingers in the water, your reflection staring back at you; the second one was you staring into the pool longingly as the waves seemed to be alive on the canvas.

“Haru…”

“This is my thanks for all the hard work you put in.” His voice was just a whisper in your ear as your heart swelled in your chest, unable to pull your eyes away from the masterpieces in front of you.

Did he feel the same as you? With the way he drew you it seemed that way. All doubts evaporated as his soft lips met your cheek.

#blue period #blue period fanfiction #blue period fanfic #blue period x reader #blue period x you #blue period x y/n #haruka hashida #blue period hashida #hashida haruka #hashida x reader #haruka hashida x reader

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starpearlz · 7 months

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Could you Finnish up merry go round that fic w Nikki six I loved it sm ur writing is amazing

Starry Eyes -> Nikki Sixx

This will officially be my last Nikki Sixx story and I don’t wanna leave it alone forever bc I hate when people end the story and never finish it

not edited >1.0k fluff

gif by starry-eyed-ki

At that moment everything felt empty, but what people do say is true. That time heals, I didn’t believe it when people told me but it does. Now high school is over and I rarely thought about Nikki but that doesn’t mean I wonder what could’ve happened if he was still around. And now all I hear about is this Motley Crue band and when Linda go tickets for a show I knew I had to go. We got there pretty early so we we’re able toto stand in the front.

But when I went to go I didn’t expect to see Nikki there not even as a guest but seeing him play as bass was even more shocking. “Did you know?” I pulled Linda arm and screamed in her ear “What!” She exclaimed back “did you know!” “I can’t hear you!” Oh she definitely knew.

I knew about Nikki wanted to be a huge rockstar, he’s not huge but a rockstar he sure is especially right now. And the music is really good, I’m happy. I’m actually happy the music so good that I started dancing and made me feel like I was in high school again. But as all good things come to an end so did the concert.

We walked to the door talking about how amazing it was and how we have to go to the next one. We were about to walk out until a security guard stopped me, “uh is something wrong?” He was big buff guy making me nervous “Nikki wants you in the back.”

My heart dropped “he wants me?” He nodded “follow me.” I turned to Linda “I’ll be in the car.” I nodded and followed him leading behind the stage and met a door. He opened it with a key meeting with three different doors “he’s in the last one.”

“Thank you.” I walked to the door as he walked off I passed the first one hearing a bunch of screaming and ruckus. Do I knock? I decided knocking three times. I heard some movement and the door opened then I saw him, I haven’t seen him in years. He looks so different now with black spiky hair and dark makeup on his eyes, yet he still has the same vibe. “Hi.” I whispered out. He moved aside not saying anything for me to go in, I walked in and saw cigarette butts and beers everywhere. Same old Nikki.

“I knew it was you, you still have the same eyes.” I turned and faced him laughing “yes I still have the same eyes.” His head tilted as he checked me out “you look so different, yet the same.” I laughed “I can say the same about you.”

He gave a smirk “I never thought I’d see you again.” I squinted at him “you? You’re the one that left me.” He sighed “I know I’m sorry, that day I left town I was scared. I was so in love with you that I thought you would hold me back.”

I guess he’s right but still it hurt. “Seeing you tonight brought back all those feelings.” He scoffed and looked down “you want to know something funny.” I tilted my head “what?” He looked back up and took a step closer to me. “I actually wrote starry eyes about you.. and seeing your eyes again made me realize something.” I’m gonna kiss him so hard right now.

“What?”

“I never stopped loving you.”

#[ nikki sixx 🫀]#nikki sixx #nikki sixx x reader

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communicationthroughlyrics · 1 year

Text

I Like Your Blood On My Teeth Just A Little Too Much - 8

You’re a former military, career oriented security executive who has made quite the living for yourself- but it has always been lacking. Your non-committal attitude has led you down a playgirl lifestyle, never really settling. What happens when your new boss throws you a curveball, and as a result? You end up hopelessly involved with a Hollywood starlet.

A/N: I've got a long weekend, so I'm hoping to post this and Chapter 9. This is a shorter chapter, so let's see how this goes XD.

2.7K Word Count

Ch. 8: The Weight That’s Crushing Can Be Relieved

You had honestly driven just about as fast as you could to get to the tower as quick as possible. The anxiety alone that you were in the process of pushing down was almost crippling you at this point, years of unresolved traumas resurfacing with the reappearance of the only being that you hoped was dead somewhere for the last 8 years. This was one part of your past you never wanted to confront again, but ironically you had to deal with it now- for work, for a new client. The rest of the trip was anti-climactic, nothing of significance really happened. Kris had only called you about an hour ago, checking to make sure you were still on track to show up at the office around 2. You looked at the clock on the radio to the truck, seeing that it was now 2:18 PM as you pulled into the underground garage. The garage attendant did a double take, not anticipating seeing you here on a Sunday. You always made sure to give yourself 1 day off a week, usually Sundays. You rolled down the window, stopping by the all concrete office that he worked out of, complete with bullet proof one way glass windows.

“Hey Ralph, how are you today?” You asked, handing him your work badge so he could swipe it, giving you a little ticket to stick to the inside of your windshield, signaling to all that this vehicle was allowed to park here.

“Good Afternoon, Ms. Y/L/N, it’s a wonder to see you here today. I hear you gotsa big project comin’ up.” He handed back your card, leaning against the doorway to the office.

“Yeah, I do Ralph. And please, call me Y/N.” You slid your card back into your wallet, before resting your right arm over the steering wheel to the truck and holding your chin with your left, which was resting on the armrest on the door.

“Good luck with your project, Ms. Y/N. And get some rest, you ain’t looking so great.” He smirked, before closing the door to his office and retiring to his post.

“There’s a real confidence boost,” you think to yourself as you slowly pull forward, working your way up the floors in the parking garage to get to the highest floor, and finding your rightful spot in the level, complete with your title on the sign bolted to the wall. As you pulled in, you noticed that Kris’ car wasn’t there yet, so you glanced down at you phone to see if she had texted you. With no new notifications, you quickly typed out a message to her, hitting send and bringing down the visor in the truck to check your appearance. Ralph was right, you looked like absolute hell. It was obvious you hadn’t slept, the bags under your eyes a faint greenish purple hue, almost like you had two healing black eyes. Your eyes were red, like you could be a spokesperson for Visine, and the puffiness around your eyes betrayed the intermittent crying of the past few days. You felt your phone vibrate, glancing down at the screen.

2:24 PM YOU- “Hey, you close? I just pulled into my spot, I'll be in there shortly.”

2:26 PM KRIS- “Yeah, I had to make a pit stop on my way in, I know you haven’t eaten anything but gas station garbage. I'll be there in 10.”

You smirk at how well she knows your habits, before climbing out of the truck and going to the passenger side to grab the duffel bag. You stretch briefly, groaning at your joints aching from pushing through that drive after having been up for 17 hours prior. You brush yourself off, wiping off any crumbs that may be lingering from your road snacks, and any wrinkles in your clothes. You stood by the door to the elevator, swiping your security card and pressing the up button, tapping your foot while you waited for the elevator to arrive. The door dinged open, and you stepped inside, pressing the button to take you to your office.

You slid the card to open your door, throwing your duffle bag onto the sofa at the far end of your office, and walked over to the private bathroom that lurked behind a faux wall panel. You looked yourself up and down, realizing just how terrible you really looked. You reached over to the small cabinet on the wall, grabbing a cloth from within, and wetting it with cold water, wiping your face entirely, and wringing it out before soaking it in cold water again, and resting it on your eyes. Your stomach made a small grumble at its lack of true sustenance, and you heard the faint click of your office door opening, meaning Kris had arrived. You heard the click of high heels coming towards your desk area. Rising from the toilet, you removed the washcloth from your eyes, wringing it back out and draping it over the empty towel rack in front of you. You splashed some water onto your face, and ran your fingers through your undercut hair before opening the door and walking out to greet your assistant.

“Thank you for meeting up with me, I know you value time off a little bit more than me.” You state, drawing the attention of the blonde in front of you, sitting in one of the arm chairs with her legs crossed. She had on a pair of light blue ripped jeans, and a simple black t-shirt, and her glasses sat on top of her head.

“Jesus, Y/N/N. What is wrong with you?” She quickly rose and came over to your side, concern etched into her features. She could tell you were not doing so well right now. “What’s going on?” She rubbed your arms up and down, while you stared down at the hardwood floor. She shifted her head to interrupt your vision, stirring you from your trance, and grabbing your hands to try and ground you. When you winced in pain, she looked at the bandaged hand that was in her grasp. You motioned for her to sit across from you, keeping the barrier of the desk between you for this conversation.

“Sit down, I’ll tell you. But you’re not going to like it. God knows I don’t.” You state as shed the coat you were wearing, and draping it over the back of your chair.

“Do you want some food first? You look like you haven’t eaten for days. I brought you some tikka from your favorite place.” She motioned towards the bag sitting on a far table.

“Right now Kris, I’m really not hungry. I ate some of a sandwich on my way here.” You reasoned, trying to reassure her that you had been taking care of yourself.Her face dropped, but she knew better than to try and force you right now. “But you can go ahead and eat some, if you want.” You nodded towards the bag, and she walked over, opening it and getting her containers of food set out. She brought over a few cups, one with rice, one with her masala, as well as a foil pouch which you knew held some garlic naan inside of it. On a normal day, you would absolutely devour some of this, and. Your mouth would water at the smell of the naan, but in your current state it made your mouth run dry, as you felt queasy.

“Does any of this have to do with that creeper dude by your apartment?” She asked, staring down at the container of food in her hand, picking through it for the piece she wanted, before glancing back up at you. Your hand shook slightly at the mention of him. But you knew, you had to tell her some of what you had ‘discovered’.

“Yeah, it is. It’s all about him right now.” You state flatly, standing up and walking over to the windows in your office, grabbing the dog tags under your shirt and rubbing them for some form of comfort. “He was in McCall. Working at the general store.” You stare out the window of the high-rise, not sparing a glance over to the woman at your desk,

“He what?!” She asked with a tone of disbelief. “Y/N, that can’t be a coincidence. Did he say anything?” She set her food down, leaning over to rest her arms on her knees to get slightly closer to you.

“He approached me in the parking lot, trying to make a conversation about the Cobra. I pretty much shut that conversation down, then went in to get my groceries. When I checked out, he was the cashier. Went by ‘Fred’ at the store.” You glanced back over your shoulder, trying to gauge her reaction.

“Have you seen him anywhere else?”

“No. Not physically, at least.” She narrowed her eyes at this statement. She could tell that you were being purposefully vague, and that irritated her to no end.

“Not physically? What is that supposed to mean?” She asked, leaning back in the chair, resting her arms on the armrests.

“When I got back home, I did some research. Turns out that ‘Fred’, or Mr. Steven Waters, was one of my Sergeants while I was in the Army.” You turned around at the last bit of information, wanting to see how she reacted to him being from your past as well. He eyebrow raised, and she ran one of her hands through her hair.

“So you know him?”

“Yeah, you could say that.” You express flatly, not wanting to let on that there was more to this story. “He’s a real swell guy.” You lace as much sarcasm as you could into the last of that statement. “Looks like he’s had a rough go of things since his discharge. Battery, Aggravated Assault, Robbery, you name it. Man has been busy for the last 8 years.”

“That’s how long it’s been since you last saw him?” She asks, her tone alluding to the fact that she knows you are withholding information.

“Yeah. He’s definitely changed a bit since then. Which would explain why I didn’t recognize him at first.” You state.

“But still, you have the uncanny ability to recall the most vague of details. Something isn’t adding up here, Y/N.” She stood, coming over to where you stood., looking you in the eyes. “Do you think that’s who was in that car behind you?”

“I know it was. He was driving. He had someone else with him, but I don’t know who.”

“How do you know? I mean, if you never saw him, it may have not been him.”

“He called me.” You mumble, walking away towards the sofa where your bag lay.

“Wha…What?” She turned on an axis, stalking after you to try and withdraw more information from you. “What do you mean he called you?”

“Did I stutter? He CALLED me. On my cell. Twice. First time, I was at the house. He knows that I know he’s lurking around. The second time was to tell me that he knew I was heading to LA, so it didn’t matter what route I took- he would find me either way.” Kris stood there, mouth agape as she absorbed the information being relayed to her. “He knows where I live, he has my phone number, he knows where I work.”

“How? How did this happen? You’re so tight lipped and close to the vest about everything. You’re normally so careful.” She spoke softly, not wanting to insinuate that this was your fault.

“Hes an ex-Ranger, Kris. He was one of the best trackers in the goddamn military. I learned from HIM.” You punctuate the last part, to let her know that he had been the teacher, meaning he knew more than you. “I may hate his guts, but he was like a goddamn bloodhound. You told him to find someone, and he would find them, their closest relatives, you name it. Witness Protection, Clandestine, didn’t matter. He would find you. He found out about this contract before I did. And it isn’t like I haven’t been interviewed and published. People still know about me, Kris.” She grimaced at this, knowing that meant he knew about everyone in your life by this point, including her.

“So changing your number won’t help, I take it?” She tried to make light of the situation slightly, but you just glared at her.

“No. It won’t.” You played with the zipper on your duffle bag.

“So, if you know this guy, why do you seem so off about it?”

“Kris, thats exactly why I’m off. I know him.” The innuendo in that statement made your skin crawl. “I know what he is capable of. And all things considered, he is a man with nothing to loose. He is dangerous, and it sounds like the wrong people have a hold on him.”

“Why did you come back early? Why not take the time to process? And why the hell wouldn’t you fly in?” You knew this would come up, and you weren’t sure you knew the answer.

“Honestly, I just need to work. I need to figure out what this guy has been doing to warrant a top tier security firm being hired to protect an A List celebrity. I need to know the in between, and what he has been up to since his discharge that lead up to this point. He is too dangerous to just take time away- so I need to bury myself in work. Occupy my time. ” You state, sitting yourself down on the sofa. You didn’t want to tell her you drank yourself into a stupor and didn’t feel like flying would be safe.

“Ok.” She left it at that, for which you were thankful. But you could tell she knew there was more.

“Has there been any discussion as to what this guy has already done to the client?” You ask, moving your bag to the floor so you could rest more comfortably on the sofa.

“The Client? Y/N, just say Scarlett. And no, not to my knowledge. All I know is that this security threat has affected and rattled her to the point she lost her husband as a result. I know you care, but you need to rest first, so you can put your best foot forward. When was the last time you slept?” She asked, coming over to kneel by the sofa.

“I dunno,” you mumble, glancing at your watch, which now read 3:15 PM. “I couldn’t sleep, so I was up at 3 yesterday morning.” She shook her head in disapproval.

“Y/L/N, you need to sleep. Do you need me to drive you back to the apartment?”

“No, I’ll head there in a little bit. I just need to rest for a bit and feel productive.” You don’t want to let her know that you’re planning on staying here, you know that he will be watching your apartment. You don’t trust him when he knows you’re alone.

“Ok, Y/N. Get some rest, wash up and I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?”

“Yeah. Thanks K. And thank you for bringing me something to eat.” You smiled briefly.

“You know it. And Y/N?”

“Yeah?”

“Take care of that hand. I don’t wanna know how that shit happened.” She narrowed her eyes at you, insinuating that she thinks it may be self inflicted.

You watched as she left your office after placing your food into the small fridge located behind your desk. You made sure that she left the floor before moving your bag into the hidden bathroom, hanging up your work clothes so they wouldn’t be wrinkly for the morning. This is the time you were glad that they let you design your own office. You had hidden the bathroom, so no one really knew there was one in here but Kris, but even she had no clue that you had designed a full hidden Murphy bed into the wall as well. You pulled the book on your shelf that was responsible for the latch, and slowly eased the bed onto the floor. You flopped onto the mattress, pressing a button on the wall nearby to draw all the shades for the windows to the office, allowing the room to fall into darkness. You grabbed your phone and set a series of alarms, ensuring that you would wake up before anyone arrived for work in the morning, and so you could freshen up in the gyms showers.

(CHAPTER 9)

#communicatethrulyrics #wlw fanfic #natasha romanoff #natasha x reader #natasha romanoff x reader #scarlett johansson x you #scarlett johansson x reader #scarlett johansson x fem!reader #scarlett johansson #marvel mcu #ILYBOMTJALTM

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gennyanydots · 2 years

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Show me the way home, honey Ch. 10

Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw x f!reader soulmate!au

AN: I have an obsession with Loungeflys and Disneyland and it’s going to show.

It had been a month and a half since you started talking to Bradley on the phone. You talk every day that you can. Some days it doesn’t work out due to his work but you understand and you’re happy to hear from him every time. In between calls there’s always texting going on between the two of you. Each phone call and text brought you closer and closer. The both of you falling deeper and deeper even though you had yet to meet. That was actually happening tomorrow and like every single one of your friends expected, you are freaking the fuck out. You can’t help it! The good news is you haven’t thrown up so clearly you’re off to a good start.

Your best friend decided she was coming with you. It was only going to be for a long weekend. You leave tomorrow ,Saturday, morning getting in late morning and fly back Monday afternoon getting in, in the evening. You figured since your work was closed Monday and both you and Bradley have been trying to figure out how to see each other, that this weekend was the perfect time to meet. It was much harder for him to fly to you than it is for you to fly to him. He has a spare room at his house that he said you and your best friend can sleep in. You’re kind of hoping you don’t sleep in there at all if you’re being honest. You’d much rather sleep with him. He had said you could star fish on the bed with him already so you might as well hold him to that, unless he went out and changed his bed to two twin size beds in which case you’d still rather sleep in the same room as him. You’re pretty sure you won’t want to be apart from him even to sleep.

Packing was not going well. Your bedroom was a mess. Every piece of clothing you own has been touched at least once by you as you decided whether it was good enough to come with you on the trip or not. You have half a mind to run to Target and buy all new clothes. You lay down in the middle of your room and take a break from packing to scroll on your phone.

It’s how your best friend found you not yet bright and early the next morning, passed out surrounded by clothes. Her laughter is what woke you up.

“You ready to go?” She asks.

You whine, “No. How much time do I have?”

“Enough time to shower and get ready to meet the love of your life while I pack for you,” she says throwing a shirt at you.

“Why are you the bestest friend in the whole world?” You ask sitting up.

“Because I am. Go!” She orders as she unzips your suitcase to start packing.

An hour later your clothes have been cleaned up and your bag packed. You were ready to go in your comfy but cute outfit for the plane. Didn’t want to be uncomfortable for your plane ride at the crack of dawn. The sun still wasn’t even up yet.

Your best friend’s dad dropped you both off at the airport with a hug and a forehead kiss for each of you as you both promised to keep him updated especially when you land.

You both quickly get your tickets then go through security ,not many people flying before the suns up, and grab a snack to sit down at your gate.

“Are you nervous?” Your best friend asks you.

“Yes and no. It almost feels like I’m going home? I’m sure that doesn’t make any sense but Brad Brad gives me a feeling of home. Like I’m supposed to be with him,” you explain.

“That’s fair. He is your soulmate after all,” she says with a smile.

You smile back then frown slightly, “I am nervous about the plane ride though.”

“Ironic that you aren’t the biggest fan of flying and your soulmate is an aviator,” she says with a laugh.

“Okay but it’s your fault! You made me watch Final Destination!” You huff, “And Snakes on a Plane!”

She starts laughing and says, “I have had it with these mother fucking snakes on this mother fucking plane!”

A couple people around you look over at her and she grins and waves. You roll your eyes and sink down into your chair.

They start to call boarding groups and you quickly text Bradley that’s you’re boarding even though since it’s a Saturday you know he won’t be up for a while. He doesn’t have to be. You’re about to be on the plane for a full five hours so he still has some time. To your surprise he texts back that he can’t wait to see you and your insides melt a little.

As your group is called you take a deep breath and grab your best friend’s hand and you both walk up and the stewardess scans both of your phones. You head onto the plan and sit down next to each other planning on trying to sleep a little bit the next couple of hours. You stayed up a little too late last night googling what it feels like when you meet your soulmate. Of course there were lots of articles on it. A few you read said it’s like a warm sensation almost like getting wrapped up in a warm blanket right out of the dryer. Some others said it was like they just knew, just being near that person made them feel whole. You wonder what you’ll feel. Right now you feel nervous and giddy and anxious and excited and calm somehow all at the same time.

The plane ride itself goes pretty quickly which surprises you. You napped a little bit mostly due to being over tired. You watched a movie on your iPad with your best friend who fell asleep in the middle of it. It was one you had both seen before but it was a comfort movie. Something you knew would help ground you before one of the biggest moments of your life. You played a couple games on your phone and before you knew it you were in sunny San Diego.

When you touch down you quickly shoot Bradley a text then wake your best friend up who looks around confused. “We’re here,” you tell her and she nods sitting up and stretching. It’s another half an hour before you’re able to get off the plane. By now your stomach is doing flips and you’re praying you don’t throw up. The online articles you read said nothing about throwing up and that would be a terrible first impression.

Your friend looks over at you noticing your distress and pulls you into the waiting area outside the gate you arrived at. She makes you sit down and shoves a water bottle into your hands, “Drink it.”

You nod and drink. You drink the entire thing. You sit up a bit straighter and she takes back the bottle as you shake your hands out a bit, “I’m nervous.”

“I can see that.”

“What if he doesn’t like me?”

“Then I kick his ass.”

“Be serious!”

“I am!”

“You can’t kick his ass.”

“Baby, I can kill him and nobody will find his body. I can surely kick his ass. Or maybe get Natasha to kick his ass. Plus let’s be real if I attempt to kick his ass I don’t think he’s going to try and hit me. He’s like a trained weapon and I sometimes go to the gym and walk on the treadmill. If he hits me back then he’s getting hit with an assault charge,” she says with a shrug.

“Could you not press charges against my soulmate?” You ask.

“I won’t have to as long as he loves you, which I have no doubt in my mind that he will. He’ll never love you as much as I do but he can try,” she says with a wink and pulls you in for a hug and gently rubs your back, “It’s going to be okay. I would never let anything happen to you. Plus pretty sure like biologically or however this shit works he has to love you. His body is hardwired to love you.”

You sigh and hold her tightly, “I know. I’m just… I dont know.”

“It’s normal to be nervous but I think you have a chicken waiting on you,” she says pulling away.

“A Rooster.”

“That’s what I said,” she says with a wink and stands up holding out her hand, “Let’s go pretty girl. Time to meet your man.”

You smile and grab her hand. She pulls you up and you walk through the airport hand in hand.

“Do you think we can convince the aviators to take us to Disneyland?” Your best friend asks seeing a sign for Disneyland.

“I don’t know. We didn’t bring our Disney things,” you say with a shrug.

“Oh my sweet summer child, you think I didn’t pack a potential Disneyland outfit for you?” She says giving you a look.

“Well now I’m thinking you did obviously,” you say laughing.

“Why would we go all the way to California and not go to Disneyland? Don’t be dumb.”

“Did you talk to Natasha about going to Disneyland?” You ask.

“Don’t ask stupid questions. You’re smarter than that,” she says sticking the tip of her tongue out at you.

You shake your head laughing, “I don’t have any of my backpacks.”

“Well good news. I checked and Disneyland actually sells Loungeflys so looks like you can get a new one. Plus let’s be real. Spend five minutes with Brad Brad and I bet he’ll be wanting to spoil you,” she says with a chuckle.

“But $90 backpack spoil me?”

“Have you seen your puppy dog eyes? Because I have and it has taken me years to be able to confidently tell you no,” she says.

“That’s not true at all,” you say with a laugh.

“Yeah but we can pretend.”

“I guess,” you say and shrug your shoulders. You feel vibration in your back pocket and quickly pull out your phone and see a text from Brad Brad and you show your best friend, “Brad Brad and Phoenix are waiting for us at baggage claim.” You let go of her hand and text back that you’ll be there soon.

She links your arms back together, “Well then we better get to stepping.”

The two of you follow the signs to baggage claim. Once you get there you both see some familiar faces and gasp.

#bradley bradshaw x reader #rooster x reader #show me the way home honey #bradley rooster bradshaw x reader #rooster soulmate!au #rooster soulmate! au #rooster x female reader

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darklydeliciousdesires · 16 days

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Sky Full of Stars - Chapter Twenty Four.

Apologies for missing last week's update, guys! Thanks as ever for your continued support. You are all beautiful people :)

Previous chapters - One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven Twelve Thirteen Fourteen Fifteen Sixteen Seventeen Eighteen Nineteen Twenty Twenty One Twenty Two Twenty Three

Tag list - In the comments

Words - 3,595

Warnings - 18+ content throughout. Minors DNI!

Monsters of Rock, Moscow, 1991. It had been one of the largest ever live music festivals to date, with a staggering estimated 1.6 million rock fans descending on the Tushino airfield in Moscow. The year two thousand and sixteen heralded its return, but with a slightly smaller audience.

This time around, the organisers were arranging a push of eight hundred thousand tickets, all of which had virtually sold out by April, the performance due to take place on July seventeenth. Bands such as Motionless in White, Queens of the Stone Age, Lamb of God, Machine Head, Slipknot, Korn, Sepultura and Marilyn Manson had been signed on to perform on the day.

The headliners? Seventh Gate.

For one Sunni Balakrishnan, this meant stress. A lot of it.

“Right, before we start filling our faces, let’s get down to the details, ladies,” their powerhouse tour manager spoke, sitting with the five in a restaurant in the SoHo area of Manhattan. “Now, we all know that Russia is a volatile climate to play in. We’ve toured there before, but Monsters of Rock is an entirely different animal. There’ll be no contracted security for a start. The entire event will be overseen by the police and Russian miliary, and I am saying this to you all now, and fucking clearly. There will be no fucking around and finding out.

“They will likely get heavy with the fans, baton use, pepper spray. If you see it, you will not intervene, or you will be arrested. Katie I am specifically looking right at you here,” he spoke, pointing a finger at the guitarist. She didn’t even bother trying to look innocent, her grin spreading devilishly. “There will be none of you opening a can of Brooklyn whoop ass. None. You will be clubbed; you will be cuffed, and you will be thrown into a cell I likely won’t be able to negotiate you being released from.

“Jade, you will spout absolutely no propaganda, feminist, religious or otherwise while you are on that fucking stage, or you will be arrested. You cannot play Holy War, Kill your Masters, Fallen God, Temple of the Whore or Rise Up. You will be arrested.”

“What the fuck?” Jade spluttered, Sunni begging to gesture with his hand wildly, eyes almost out on stalks.

“You bloody, bloody, bloody won’t do it! It’ll be seen as defiance, or incitement, and Russia do not mess around there!” And people said Jade could be wound tighter than a watch spring when under duress.

“But we near enough always close our set with Kill your Masters! It’s one of our most famous songs!”

“Yes, because it’s basically one long battle cry against oppressors, of which the Russian fucking government very much are! For fucks sake, the music video alone showed you personally beheading an overload, holding up said severed head and instructing thousands of enslaved people to break their chains and do the same! Shall we talk about how many countries it was banned in?”

Jen couldn’t help herself, snickering into her hand. “Sunni, that vein in your head is popping hard, homeslice.”

“Jennifer, I feel like I’m on the verge of a heart attack and we haven’t even landed on Russian soil yet!” The wild gesturing continued; his arm flung around as he pointed at all of them. “Trying to manage you lot is like attempting to herd wild lions! Please, just work with me and bloody behave yourselves!”

“I don’t enjoy being censored,” Jade muttered, Sunni’s eyes fixing upon her sharply.

The finger was pointed, waving, his brow beading with sweat. “You. Will. Not. Do. It. I am not even going to risk it, because you know Russia doesn’t play. As I have plainly stated, if you fuck around, you will find out. There will be no provocations, no lewd gestures, no inciting of riots, and for the love of god will you please tell me that Adrien will be accompanying you, because if there’s one man you’ll behave for, it’s your husband!”

Her smirk had the girls falling into mild fits. “Not all of the time.” Oh, their poor, dear Sunni. He honestly looked like he was about to birth his own spleen out of sheer stress. “Yes, Adrien is coming with me. He’ll be there for the other five festival dates, too.”

With no album release that year, their only touring obligations were to six open air shows, one in the UK, two in Germany, one in Sweden and one in France all prior to Monsters of Rock. It was shaping up to be a nice, sedate year. Both she and Adrien had little in the way of work, deciding to take a very well-earned break from filming commitments, the latter only just home again after leaving her almost straight after the Oscars for a month-long stint in Bulgaria, shooting his only movie that year.

As it would turn out, both would discover that the timing of their break was orchestrated quite perfectly.

After eating, Jade used the restroom, ready to head back to their apartment, Jen already having to leave on account of her and Nick getting ready to take a two-week vacation back to Scotland to visit with his family, Jess out the door rapidly to meet up with her new boyfriend, leaving just her, Katie and Charlotte after Sunni had also departed.

“I need a favour from one of you,” she spoke, sitting back down at the table, her girls looking at her with curiosity. “Can one of you head into the drugstore down the street and buy me a pregnancy test, please? Obviously, I don’t want even a sniff of this leaking to the press or general public, and if I get pictured buying it, it’ll be all over the fucking media before I’ve even had chance to piss on the damned thing.”

The faces before her lit up, Charlotte gently flapping her hands in exclamation. “Oh my god, yes! Do you really think you might be, then?”

Sipping her sparkling water, she nodded. “My period is now nine days late, and that never happens with me, as you both know.”

Katie squeaked quietly, bouncing in her seat. “You are. I can feel it.” Turning then to her wife (she and Charlotte had finally gotten hitched two years before on their eighteenth anniversary) her eyes widened. “We’re gonna be aunties!”

“Shhh, walls have ears!” Jade shushed her with gently, putting her arms around her and kissing her cheek. “But yes, I think you might be.” With one clandestine rush to the drugstore four blocks away, Charlotte reached beneath the table to slip the paper bag containing the rest into Jade’s hand with a wink, the latter tucking it into her large, slouchy boho style leather bag before getting up to hug them both warmly before leaving, deciding to take the twenty-minute walk back to her apartment rather than jump in a cab.

On the way back, she collected a loaf of fresh sourdough from the local artisan baker, an armful of flowers and some tomatoes she intended to snack on with the large ball of fresh mozzarella in the fridge for lunch, a bunch of basil purchased, too. All the way home, the test seemed to burn in her bag, her excitement reaching overload by the time she stepped foot in her apartment.

“Bug, where are you?” she called, Adrien appearing from the kitchen and pointing to the phone in his hand, moving to give her a quick kiss before absconding again, taking the bags from her with a smile and a wink. She quickly steered herself in there to fill four vases with water, leaving him to it and arranging the flowers she’d bought. The calla lilies went on the table in the hallway, the roses and stargazer lilies on the coffee table, and the peonies into the remaining two vases at opposite ends of the lounge.

Once done, she grabbed the test, heading down to the bathroom. While she knew that for accuracy, it was best to take a it in the morning, she’d asked Charlotte to buy two. The waiting would likely kill her, so one would be taken right away and the other in the morning to be certain. One quick pee onto a stick later and she was pacing a circle, her heart thundering as she waited the required time. Was this it? Had it happened for them? Reaching for the test, she saw the definite answer right there on the display.

Pregnant.

Clasping her hands over her mouth, the test was dropped into the sink with a small clatter, Jade jumping up and down as she squealed quietly. She had to be quiet, as on her way home she’d thought of the most adorable way to tell her husband if she did happen to get a positive result, wrapping the rest in a heap of tissue and stuffing it into the bin before hiding the second one.

Come 7am the following morning, the display read the same again. She was elated.

And so began her little plan to tell Adrien, calling up Amazon on her phone and ordering exactly what she needed in order to let him know he was doing to be a daddy in just over eight months' time. It wouldn’t arrive until the following day, and it almost killed her to keep the news a secret. The poor Amazon delivery guy almost had his arm ripped off in her haste to grab the package with thanks, shutting the door and scurrying into the kitchen, opening the boxes to pull out the gift as well as the sheet of wrapping paper she packaged it in.

Walking into the lounge, she placed her phone against one of the vases of flowers, already recording so that they had the moment he found out immortalised forever. “Honey, here. A little gift,” she spoke, handing it to him where he sat in the corner armchair, placing down the book he’d been reading.

His face was a picture of curious as he took it from her. “Thanks, Moo. What is it?”

“Open it and find out, silly!”

Tearing the paper with a smile, he wondered what on earth occupied the small, rainbow paper wrapped square, pulling out a tiny t shirt and reading the slogan printed across the front. His heart all but jolted into his throat. ‘If you think I’m cute, you should see my dad.’

“You’re fucking kidding,” he spoke, his face stunned as his eyes began to well up. “Really? You really are?”

“Yep,” she grinned, watching him shake his head.

“I’m gonna be a dad?”

“You are, baby.”

“Oh my god.” Placing the t shirt down, they were both in tears as he stood to lift her into his arms, hugging her tightly. “Oh my god!” Happy laughter filled the space, Jade wrapping her legs around him as they hugged, kissed and cried, stroking his face, her heart bursting. “I’m so happy, and stunned, and shit, if that wasn’t the cutest way you could have told me!”

“I’ve been bloody bursting for the last day and a half! I found out when I came back from the band meeting, but I wanted to be sure, so took another test yesterday morning but then had to wait until today for the t shirt to be delivered!”

His eyes widened a little. “Shit, that’s some restraint right there, not caving in the meantime. Who are you and what have you done with my wife?”

Placing her back down, he gave her another kiss, Jade racing to retrieve her phone, explaining she’d recorded it. He thought that was just as lovely, too. “I really don’t know how the hell I didn’t crack, or that you didn’t notice that the alleged Jack Daniel’s I drank yesterday was actually iced tea! I had to bloody think fast, there!”

Sitting back down in the armchair, he pulled her onto his lap with a look of comic trepidation. “Oh god, you without alcohol for the next nine months. I’m scared.”

Barking a laugh, she stroked his chest, resting her cheek against his head. “I hereby promise to try not to be living hell.” She thought a little longer. “Oh fuck, I can’t have coffee either! I’m going to be resigned to shitting decaf!”

“Okay, I’m moving out for the duration. I’ll stay here, you go back upstate,” he joked, guffawing at the narrowed eyes he received. She then looked thoughtful for a few moments, hand still idling circling over the centre of his chest.

“I have to bring my performance A game while being just over four months’ pregnant. That’ll be interesting,” she mused, Adrien nodding.

“You still going ahead with that, then?”

“Gotta do it, innit? We’re contracted in, and as long as I’m completely healthy still, it shouldn’t be a problem. My life can’t just stand still because I’m pregnant, but seriously, how well did we time this break we’re taking from work?”

“Perfectly. I have psychic sperm, evidently.”

His words had her in soft fits, hauling herself up to go and prepare some lunch while he went back to his book. He didn’t remain long.

“Excuse me, Mr. B,” she spoke, Adrien wrapping his arms around her as she sliced tomatoes. “You are hampering my making of salad caprese.”

His hands moved to her tummy, stroking it lovingly. “There’s a baby in here.”

Oh, he was so adorable. “It’s probably only about the size of a peanut right now, Bug,” she spoke, finishing her slicing, slapping his hand when he stole a piece. “No stealing! She needs to be marinated!”

He shrugged. “To use a Jade-ism, calm your tits.” he was elbowed away, but it didn’t keep him from once again wrapping her in his arms. “And I don’t care how big it is, it’s my peanut. I’m fucking thrilled. God, my ma is gonna howl. Full on ugly cry when we tell her. And yours will probably deafen us. You definitely get your volume from her.” He paused then, Jade feeling him shaking with laughter. “What if this child inherits their mother’s lungs? Oh man, we’re screwed.”

“You, you,” she began, turning to wave her finger at him. “You’re just adamant to piss me off today, aren’t you? Fucking wanker.”

“But I’m not wrong,” he chuckled, his abs hurting from her spluttered reaction.

Her lips tightened, softly kicking his leg. “Get the fuck out of my kitchen!”

“No, I have things to ask you,” he spoke, batting away her foot, “like when are we gonna tell people? Twelve-week scan, is that when they say you should?”

“Hmm, well since Charlotte and Katie know of what my suspicions were – it was Charlotte who went to buy the test for me, save I be photographed – we might have to tell them and swear them to secrecy.” She then looked conflicted. “But that means leaving Jen and Jess out, and I don’t feel comfortable about that. Then if we tell them, of course I want to tell our parents. Aw, hell. I think we should wait, though. Not to jinx anything, but when I’ve been pregnant before and sadly lost it, I want to double make sure that everything is okay this time around.”

He hadn’t even thought of that, his features softening as he reached to stroke her cheek. “I think Jen will understand, given the circumstances. Same as everybody else. And try not to think about what happened before, even though I know you will. Doesn’t mean it’ll happen this time, does it?”

It didn’t, but just as he predicted, it was on her mind right up until the moment the sonographer told them everything was fine twelve weeks on from them, both overjoyed to see the small smudge that was their first child and hear its rapid heartbeat for the first time. Armed with a few of the sonogram pictures, they then put the cute idea on how to reveal it to their mothers into action, heading over to Queens first...

Lois was in the middle of wiping down her kitchen when she heard her doorbell buzz, the dogs doing their usual routine of dancing and barking. “Move it, boys, lounge!” she spoke, Ginsberg and Bukowski scampering off at speed, poking their heads up at the front window. Opening the door, she was puzzled for a few seconds to see nobody there, until her attention was caught by a large bouquet of sunflowers, her favourite blooms sitting there on the step.

“Open this before you go into the house.” she read aloud, pulling the card from the little holder and opening up the small envelope. Reading what was inside, coupled with a sonograph picture, her jaw practically unhinged.

‘Congratulations on becoming a grandma!’

“Mother of pearl! Oh, my goodness!” she cried, her eyes then caught by her son and daughter-in-law popping up from behind her car where they’d been hiding. “Are you fucking serious, Adrien Nicholas Brody? Doing this to me on the doorstep!!”

They doubled over with laughter, making their way up to the house, a very tearful Lois pulling them both into a hug. “I am thrilled for you both! Oh my god, this is wonderful. Wonderful!” she exclaimed, kissing their cheeks in turn as she continued to shed a storm of happy tears, ushering them both inside. Patrick was home, too, and of course had some unique words upon hearing he was going to be a grandfather.

“Well, this is exceptional news. It’s been six years; I was almost certain you were firing blanks.” Adrien was about to admonish him for such, but couldn’t, seeing his dad swiftly remove his glasses, pinching the bridge of his nose as his eyes welled. “I’m so damned happy for you, son.” Pulling him into a huge hug, he kissed his cheek, clapping his hand upon his back a few times. “It’ll be the best thing you ever do. Trust me on that, because it was for me.”

Those tender words from his father had him choked up, Adrien kissing his forehead fondly. They spent a little time there at the house before jumping into a cab and heading to Harlem, phase two of their plan put into action. As a chronic hay fever sufferer, the only flowers allowed within Gemma’s home were of the faux variety, Jade having the perfect idea how to surprise her after visiting a small giftshop.

Opening the door to her brownstone, Gemma was confused at the sight of a pile of helium balloons there in a little arrangement, a note affixed to one of them that instructed, ‘pop me before you go back into the house.’ There was a pin sellotaped to the note that she carefully unpicked, bemusedly doing at instructed. It sprayed confetti everywhere, as well as a little card that had been carefully placed into the balloon prior to it being filled, with the same message as the one that had greeted Lois.

“I’m... oh!!” Instantly she began to cry, her eyes scanning the immediate surroundings of the frontage of her home. “Jade Lucia!” she boomed, clasping her hands over her mouth for a moment, “come out from wherever the hell you’re hiding!”

Up she and Adrien popped from behind the wall at the front of the house, ready for round two of the joy they felt at finally being able to share the news with their parents. “Get up here right now and let me hug you both! Oh my god, I am shocked to my bloody bones, buba!” Gemma’s joy in life were her grandchildren, and now she had a third on the way, she couldn’t have been happier. As was Steven, who luckily wasn’t on shift. Yes, Jade had checked in a clandestine way earlier in the week after phoning her mother.

“Well, would you look at that?” he spoke, holding the sonograph picture, his other arms wrapped around his daughter as he laid a kiss upon her head. “First you get the little gold fella, and now a little baby. I’m absolutely thrilled for you, monkey.”

They stayed for dinner there before heading back to their apartment, content to curl up on the couch and watch a film before going to bed. The next day, Jade visited both Jen and Jess to tell them her news, calling her brother and sister too before they boarded a flight home. With a few more close friends told later that day, as well as their management teams to field off the likely incoming median questioning reaching out for comment when Jade inevitably began showing, they’d told everyone they were ever going to.

There would be no “official” announcement made, the pair not the kind of people to make statements about their private life in such a way. Their baby was their business, and they loved every second of their journey into parenthood.

“Baby, quick. Come see this,” Jade called softly, Adrien entering the lounge to a heartwarming sight. Usually, Juno would only curl up with him, very much his cat, but on that evening, the big puddle of pale grey fur was lying contentedly with his wife, her paws softly kneading against the tiny swell of her tummy. “She knows! Look at her!”

Crouching by her knees, his smile crinkled his eyes, rubbing Juno’s head. The cat purred and drooled, her tail swishing contently, continuing her kneading. They weren’t the only ones excited that in just over six months, there’d be a brand-new member of the family arriving, it seemed.

#adrien brody fanfiction #adrien brody fanfic #adrien brody fic #adrien brody #sky full of stars #adrien and jade

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