#Jess O'Neill (Sway Lake)

[angst-fairygodmother]

Bound Goddess (Oliver Sway x Jess O’Neill)

A/N: I have nothing to say here. No explanation, just an offering. Of tender, romantic porn. Word Count: numbers baby Rating: E - bondage, mild sensory deprivation, oral (male receiving and female receiving), body worship, multiple orgasms, language, mixed metaphors probably

His long, deft fingers followed the line of rope down her body, along where it traced the curve of her breast before winding around her hips and looping up again. She shivered at his touch, nerves alight. Behind her, the thin gray material continued to twine like snakes around her, spiraling down her arms to meet itself at her wrists. Her hands were clasped in prayer to him, her servant-god, and pressed into the hollow at the base of her spine. 

Satisfied with the way each length lay, he drew back and she caught her lower lip between her teeth in a desperate attempt to hold back a whine so early on in the night. He placed a hand in the graceful curve of where her neck and shoulder met, fingers curling around and thumb caressing the column of her throat. He pressed lightly, guiding her down on her knees for him. Her stuttered gasp became a ragged moan as the pressure threatened, promised, that he might restrict the air from reaching her lungs. In this new position, she leaned back, presenting herself to him, completely under his dominion, and he knew that if he removed the scarf that had been secured over her eyes they would be blown wide with need and hunger. 

He was struck suddenly by the knowledge that she was the most beautiful woman to ever live, the sight of her like this a gift, from the universe and more importantly from her. He couldn't help but pause and stare in adoration and worship. 

He bent over her, fingers tangled into her fiery locks to angle her head just right, and mouth devouring as it moved, slow and steady, against hers. He kissed her until his lungs burned, not wanting to let her go for even a moment. Her tongue worked just as much as his, probing and mapping, as if they did not have every inch of each other already memorized, a tiny act of rebellion against the absolute control she had given him, and it made him ache for her even more. 

“I love you,” he breathed as he slowly, reluctantly, pulled away again. 

Her kiss bruised lips moved haltingly, as if searching for him still and another small whine escaped her at his absence. He smiled softly at that, running the pad of his thumb over her pout, only to be the one to gasp as she darted forward to draw it in, swirling her tongue around it in a way that could only be called obscene.

“Oh is that how it's going to be? Why don't I give you something better to suck on, my gorgeous minx?” He aimed for it to be a growl but he couldn't help his own breathlessness, the anticipation making him ache, even as the one in control. He couldn't even imagine the way she must be feeling. 

“Please?” Her voice was small, unexpectedly fragile as a butterfly's wing and he paused. 

“Jess?” He said, all pretense and playact dropping. “Are you okay?”

He was already reaching for the first binding, anxiety swelling his throat, when she laughed, the sound washing over him like the bubble of cool creek. 

“Oh Ollie,” her voice was soothing, but still tinged with a rasp of lust that made his pulse race in a much better way. “I'm more than okay. Horny as shit, but this feels…incredible. Now will you pleeease let me suck your fucking cock before I explode?”

Reassured, he stepped back to shimmy off his boxers, breathing a sigh of relief as the currently too tight cotton fell to his ankles. At the soft sound of fabric hitting the floor, Jess opened her mouth in a salacious “O”, waiting. He paused again, her warm breath fanning over his tip and making him shiver, feeling a small measure of guilt at treating her like just a hole to stick himself in, even though it was what she wanted at that moment, and what they had discussed well before, even though he wanted it too. 

“Ollie?” she leaned back to place some distance between them. “Do you want to stop?”

“No!” he practically yelped in a rush. He just needed to…get out of his own head.

“We can if you need to. Or…” she smiled that gentle, knowing smile that he loved so well. “Do you need me to take the lead here, just a bit?”

“I…” his cheeks flushed hotly and he was grateful that she couldn’t see him. “...yeah. Yeah, I think that would help.” 

She nodded. “I’m yours, however you want me, leading or following.” 

He couldn’t resist reaching out for her, a brush of her cheek to tell her…everything he couldn’t put into words, especially with her still so beautiful and bound and naked and understanding before him. She leaned into the touch, turning her head to kiss the palm of his hand in answer, lingering for a moment before shifting forward again into their previous position.

His fingers carded lightly into her hair, part instinct and part signal that he was ready now, whenever she was. 

In a smooth motion, despite the constriction on her and her limited range of balance, she moved forward and curled her lips around his shaft, sinking slowly further until she had taken all of him inside. He groaned, enraptured, as she slid her tongue along him and drew back, nearly all the way, the cool air a scintillating counter to her warmth. She repeated the action a few times, hollowing her cheeks and slowly increasing speed as his fingers tightened in her hair. He wasn’t sure exactly when he joined her in movement, chasing her mouth when it retreated, bucking wildly, breaths short and ragged. The tug and press of his hands on her scalp drew moans and soft mewls of pleasure from her as she continued to work him to a frenzy. 

It was a blissful eternity and still all too soon when sparks began to dance in his vision and he barely managed to cry out her name before spilling his seed into her throat. 

Bending down to kiss her again, he moaned at the taste of himself on her tongue. Leaving one hand tangled where it was, the other sought the junction of her collarbone again to guide her, upward now, pressing her body to his own in a way that made the ropes rub delicious friction across his chest as well as hers. 

He was forceful now, both hungry and desperate to please, steering her toward the bed and onto it without ever breaking the contact of their mouths except to allow a few shallow breaths. Keeping her gently pinned on the mattress beneath him, he began to kiss down the column of her throat toward the valley of her breasts. Teasing with mouth and tongue and teeth in combination, he explored, following the pattern of the ropes and then wandering between them, leaving no inch of her skin untouched. She whined his name as he paid particular attention to her nipples, nipping lightly at the firm bud of one side and brushing over the other with the pad of his thumb as he massaged and kneaded the soft flesh around it.

She was practically trembling beneath him and he moved back upward, leaning close to her ear and letting his hair tickle the side of her face as he whispered.

“Is this alright?” he asked, voice purring. “Do you want more sweetheart?”

“Yes. Ollie. Please.” 

Her comfort confirmed, he returned to his oral cartography, tracing back along the paths he had wandered, paying brief attention to her breasts again, this time on the opposite sides he had before continuing onward, down the smooth, soft plane of her stomach to the apex of her thighs. He let his breath flutter over her, his hands eclipsing her thighs but not restraining them, not yet, as she squirmed ineffectually for even the smallest touch at the points she needed him so desperately. Instead of giving in, he slid his grasp further down her legs and back up with ghostlike pressure, watching in delight as the little hairs all across her body stood on end from the sensation. On the third pass, he stopped at the bend of her knees and lifted one of them effortlessly over his shoulder, opening her up to him more fully. 

Finally judging her sufficiently tormented (not to mention his own desire spiking, cock once again hard and throbbing, particularly at the sight of her like this, exposed and wanton and ready), he gave her what she was at this point begging for. He started slowly, tongue flattening against her as he licked broad strokes on her most sensitive areas before he drew his attention inward, narrowing to a precision focus on her clit. He fixed his mouth on it, sucking gently on the swollen nub while his nimble tongue danced patterns over it, keeping measured time, spurred on to faster tempos each time she cried out. The taste of her, the feel of her, and knowing that she was his, wholly and completely, made a fire pool low in his belly, and he feared for a moment that he was the one who might snap. 

Ever eager for her pleasure, he leaned in more, shifting her raised leg to be nearly perpendicular to her body, the space between her legs widening to give him more access. Her muscles clenched, nearing her peak but not quite getting there before he backed off, releasing the pressure on both her core and hip. 

“You stopped?”  her breath came in gasps and her voice was slurred with disoriented disbelief as she again tried to wiggle despite her bonds to re-establish the connection between them. 

“Keep behaving like that and I really will,” He tsked playfully, mouth still close enough that she felt his words as much as heard them, reminding her of the arrangement, and she stilled. “I’m hurt. Do you really think I would leave you on edge like that?” 

He watched in delight as her skin flushed from the scolding. “I’m sorry darling, I know you wouldn’t. I’ll be good. I’ll behave. I swear I will,” she bit her lip as she made her promises, “Just please keep go–” 

Her plea cut short into a shriek as he dove back in without warning, offering no slow build-up this time. His mouth worked tirelessly to propel her toward climax and then guide her through it, riding out the waves of pleasure that made her cry out and shudder with their force. The thought briefly crept into her mind to be thankful she had no neighbors who would be around at this hour to overhear when the noises she made drifted through her open window, the bookstore the only shop with a living space directly above, but it didn’t last long. He wasn’t done with her yet though, using the momentum to carry her rapidly into a second orgasm and then sliding two fingers to curl inside her and bring about her third. 

As she came down this time from her high, he lowered her leg gently back to the bed and slowly slid his hands up her sides, until he leaned over her, hands cradling her head. 

“Ollie, that was fucking incredible,” she panted eventually. “How have you gotten so good at that?”

He grinned at the praise, his cock giving a jolt that made him roll his hips involuntarily against her core and they both inhaled sharply. 

“It’s all because of you Jess,” he wasn’t sure why his voice dropped to a whisper to answer her earnestly, but he let it, punctuating the thought with a tender, practically chaste in comparison kiss. 

She pressed upward, leveraging the fact that her hands were still beneath her, so that their bodies were as connected as possible while she kissed him back. He’d expected her to need a rest and to have to take care of himself, but it almost seemed as if she were more amorous now than when they had started, so he smiled against her lips and took a chance.

“Do you want me to untie you, or do you think you can last one more round tonight?”

“What an offer,” she cooed, a satisfied smirk answering him before she even finished speaking. “I’ll always take more of you.” 

Reaching down, he slowly guided himself into her waiting body, moaning at the way her walls fluttered and clenched around him from their sensitivity. She bucked upward, harder now than before, desperate for every inch of contact, every touch and brush of his skin on hers. The motion forced her body into an arc, the ropes around her chest pulling taut, pressing against her and making her freckles flare. He wanted to kiss each sun-browned spot in reverence, to thank it for gracing her body, and he would, in time, but for now, there were more important things to focus on.

“I love you so much,” he murmured into her hair as he bowed his head and rolled his hips slowly, almost a question, trying to find the perfect angle to please them both. 

She reveled in the tease of each movement, answering the motion with her own, their hips moving in an alternating waltz that kept them close no matter what. Each time he hit those sweet spots within and without she made intoxicating little gasps and moans, voice starting to grow hoarse from overuse. He kept the pace steady, trying to prolong the climb, more focused on sensuality this time than pure lust. Slowly, his fingers carded through her hair and came to rest on the knot of silk behind her, tugging until the scarf fell away and he could meet her eyes. 

It was his turn to gasp as he met her eyes, overwhelmed by the mingling love and desire in them, pupils blown wide and eyelids half-closed in an expression that had nothing to do with the dim but sudden light. He leaned in, pressing their foreheads together and staring back, trying to convey everything he felt in that gesture. 

As he cradled her, she hooked her leg around his slim hips and before he knew what was happening, on thrust inward, she threw her weight against him, throwing them both to one side in a roll that placed her on top and grinning down triumphantly. But he smirked back, quick to reach up, one hand finding a breast and teasing it until her head fell back in pleasure and using her distraction to hook the other hand through the ropes down her back, tugging lightly to control her movement. 

She gasped at the sensation of the pulling and rolled her hips a little faster to spite him, leaning back to maintain her balance. He took advantage of the new position to sit up, keeping her in his lap, and fixing his lips around her nipple once more, sucking and flicking over it with his tongue, nipping lightly and making her mewl.

“Oh, Ollie, please, keep doing that,” she begged, breathless. “I’m so close. Please, just a little more.”

“Not yet sweetheart,” he murmured, and she shivered at the tickle of his words against her skin. “Hang on for me, come with me.” 

“I can’t,” her red hair bounced as she shook her head. “It feels too good, fuck I’m–” she gasped, crying his name and nearly collapsing forward against him as the most powerful orgasm of the night rocked through her, vision flashing white and nerve endings singing. 

He caught her around the waist, supporting her through the waves of pleasure that left her feeling like she was made of jello. The feeling of her clenching and coming apart around him, and the blissed out expression she wore, made his pulse race and brought him to his own edge.

“I love you,” he chanted, thrusting harder and unsteadily, “I love you, I love you, I love you.” 

The words continued even as his hips stuttered and he came, seed painting her insides and turning her aftershocks into a fifth and final rolling climax. 

“Holy shit,” he mumbled in unison to her swear. “I…”

She giggled as he gently pulled her against him. “I know.”

~

Later, both of them lay in the bed, freshly showered and wrapped in blankets, warm and satiated and comfortable, limbs tangled together casually, and he traced a faint red line across her wrist with one thumb and she listened to the beat of his heart beneath her ear. 

“What are you thinking about darling?” she asked, transfixed by his movements as he considered the mark.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he whispered, voice dripping in regret.

“Oh Ollie, you didn’t,” she rushed, turning her head up to look at him. “I promise you didn’t. That will fade, and even if it bruises, it wasn’t your fault. You were so good to me, and you gave me this incredible thing. It was my own fault for pulling too much, trying to be in control.”

“But…” 

“No buts. Please believe me?” she felt tears stinging at the corners of her eyes and reached quickly to dash them away with her free hand before they spilled and really worried him. The ropes had been her idea, remembering how much he enjoyed when she wore things with straps and buttons for him to take apart, but now she was afraid she had pushed him too far and a chill that had nothing to do with the night air rushed over her. 

“I’m okay, better than okay. Tonight was amazing,” she was rambling, begging, panic bubbling up faster the longer he took to say anything. “And we’ll get better, so that doesn’t happen again. I mean if you want to do this again, I won’t push it. I thought…well it would be sexy but I would rather the most…what’s the word Honey used, vanilla? I think? Anyway, the most ordinary, simple sex in the world than to make you uncomfortable. Ollie…?”

He laced his fingers through hers, bringing her arm up so that he could press feather-light kisses along the mark, as if he could soothe and heal it with his love for her. She wished he would speak, but didn’t want to rush him as he reassured himself that she was, as she said, okay. 

“I love you, Jess,” he said finally, quiet and resolute. “And I trust you completely. I just…never want something to happen to you, okay? Especially not because of me.”

“I know,” she scooted up the mattress so that she was more level with him, using her hand that was still interlocked with his to cradle his jaw and turn him so they lay face to face. “I love you too, Ollie. And as long as you’re here, nothing will. I can feel it, in here.” She guided him to rest their hands, overlapped, on her heart. “I promise.”

After a moment, he smiled. “I did…really enjoy tonight,” he admitted sheepishly. “You’re always so sexy but this was…special.” 

She smiled back. “Good. That’s all I wanted. I love you, so much.”

[miss-kittys-magical-library]

It's All Coming Back To Me Now

(Sunny Kostas x Jess O'Neill - another @angst-fairygodmother collaboration ☺️)

Warnings- a hint at teenagers doing naughty things?

a/n- Once upon a time there was Sunny and there was Jess and there was love that maybe didn't last but it was true while it did.

Sunny didn't want to be unique. Although in his family he really wasn’t. He could perhaps levitate and telepathically manipulate people (his mom called it charm because hypnotize sounds too vaudeville) on top of summoning and conversing with the dead, but it really wasn't THAT special.

Sunny’s parents were friends with George Carlin and Elton John and Blondie. His uncle or brother, or whatever Klaus was these days, started a religion. A cult. Both? And Selina danced her way through life effortlessly. She was a natural. Sunny faked his ability to keep up. He had it somewhere inside, but got addicted to borrowing talent from dead people.

When he was 14 years old, and grew about a foot, Sunny realized he didn't just favor his father. Or Klaus. He was their triplet. He would often walk past the full length mirror and call out a greeting to Leon, but when it was reciprocated identically Sunny would sigh. Even his looks weren't his own. Selina could at least muddle by only resembling Honey in passing. The teenage boy had a crooked nose that he had never broken and slid into a British accent without realizing.

He did however grow a sarcastic exterior. A loud demeanor that announced his arrival before his physical body even could. He was lanky and bony with big hair and big lips he hadn’t quite grown into yet.

But girls, and boys, couldn't help looking at him when he came around. So Sunny learned how to flirt and charm and kiss his way around not being able to use his powers freely. To give himself a reputation that preceded him as he plowed through anyone who dared get close enough to fall under his spell.

Then Sunny went down off of Tom’s mountain into Sway Lake for the summer with Selina. They decided to spend it with their surrogate grandfather. Even HE stood out: ex-CIA assassin, and his partner Ella was a French model, art film actress, and ex Warhol Factory Girl.

The summer Sunny turned 15, the townies were his for the taking. Until the unstoppable force (him) met the immovable object (her).

Jessica O’Neill.

---

Jessica O’Neill (never Jess, no matter how much she wanted to be, because it wasn't ladylike. And only Jessie when her sister wanted to make her feel foolish and small.) learned young not to go after what she wanted, that it wasn’t her place. She wasn’t the oldest, who was allowed to aim high and act mighty, who could only fly and never fall because their family was there to make sure of it. That was April’s role. And she wasn’t the baby, or the only boy, little Henry who could do no wrong in the eyes of anyone. No, she was first the youngest, and then later the middle child, which meant that her duty, her place in life, was to look out for her brother and support her sister, and never make a fuss. She felt certain that there would never be anything meant for her, that she could call her own. She pushed herself in school to get good grades and stand out, to have something that was hers, but she had so many of the same teachers in school, she was called the wrong name or no name at all until well into the year anyway. Jessica O’Neill was, or seemed to all the world to be, invisible.

At seventeen, she was sent to Sway Lake to live with her grandparents, to help care for her grandmother who had fallen ill, and work for her grandfather and “learn to be more responsible” (as if she weren’t already bearing the weight of her family on her shoulders). She stayed for nearly a year, accepting the long commute for school and the isolation from people she'd called friends in favor of space to breathe.

She fell in love twice that year.

The first time was with The Papermill. She had worked there from time to time before, helping out whenever she went to visit, but now she was left to run it alone many days, to explore and find its secrets and quirks, to run her fingers over hundreds of spines and breathe in the life hidden in their pages. Within those four little walls in the not-quite-town on the lakeshore, she found home and a happy place and hope that there might be something for her still.

The second time was with an impossible boy. He was brash and sarcastic and beautiful in an unconventional sort of way, all wild hair and bright eyes and charming devil-may-care smirk. Her friend Selina’s little brother, Sunny Kostas was everything Jess should never have wanted.

--

There was something that compelled Sunny to follow his sister into town that summer. Typically he would steal away in the evening, blend in to the parties at the summer camp. The townies, bored high schoolers who needed cash to blow and college students pretending to enforce hidden rules while getting high and fucking practically out in the open. This was the crowd Sunny could work over.

But there was a strange pull into the bookstore he passed a hundred times. He had been so filled with the belief in soul mates, he was always subconsciously looking for that connection. So when he realized THIS was where his sister had been going, he hoped she could share.

In all the years to come Sunny would remember that first kiss with Jess with embarrassment and warmth.

Their playful and natural banter. Which, in his nerve-wracked state, spewed out in a multitude of languages that made her face scrunch in confusion. Then a smile and crimson crept along her face while he handed her the latest Stephen King. Sunny had puffed out his chest in triumph.

Jess rolled her eyes behind closed lids when he had shown off using his tricks to shelve books with only his mind. Playfully, to her annoyance, he stacked them seven feet high in the aisle. Her imperviousness to his charm drive him nuts. So he resorted to parlour tricks.

"Who ya gonna call!"

"Klaus!" Jess bit her lip and smirked. She pushed him in that way girls do just to touch someone.

Sunny had momentarily scrunched his nose. She leaned up and kissed the end of it. He swallowed his bottom lip to stifle a giggle.

"I.. Don't tell Selina.."

"She's not our keeper," That wasn't completely true. "Do it again. Please?"

She did, but lost her footing and landed on his chin. Sunny could feel the heat from her mortification against his skin. Goosebumps had formed on every inch of his body.

"Fuck," she had mumbled.

Sunny launched himself at her. His hands knew instinctively how to hold the back of her head and small of her back. He Invaded her space. She was Troy and he was the entire Spartan army. Tumbling into bed one day was inevitable.

~

“What are you doing Sunny?” Jess mumbled, squeezing her eyes shut and burrowing her face into the pillow.

She could feel his fingers trailing patterns across her spine and shoulders. If she didn't know any better, she'd think he was drawing pictures there.

“You know you've got constellations?” He asked instead of answering. So maybe that was what he was doing. “My sister the moon, me the sun. It makes sense that you're the sky, between us.”

“You're talking nonsense.” She felt her face getting hot, shame and a strange sense of anger filling her as he rambled. The Kostases were like that, and after nearly a year of…of...whatever she and Sunny were, and longer as Selina's friend, she should have been used to it. All their talk of gods and destiny and celestial symbols. But she wasn't, and he'd never pulled her into it before.

“They're not stars,” she snapped as she rolled away from his feather-light touch. “They're freckles. Blemishes. Marks on the skin developed because I'm too pale to have any business being outside all summer and I–”

spend too much time in the sunlight. The words suddenly died in her throat and she cursed herself for getting dragged into his foolish metaphorical terms. But it was true. She'd been spending so much time with him, soaking in his energy, basking in his light. Her grandfather had even commented how different she seemed since that summer began, bolder. She had no business with a boy like him, someone so special, and because she dared to anyway, she was changing.

It was never supposed to go this far. They were supposed to just be friends, indulging boredom and curiosity and hormones. Because he was sweet (if arrogant) and pretty (if still boyish and awkward) and she trusted him a hell of a lot more than any of the boys from town. But once became twice. thrice. More. She stopped keeping count when they added in hand holding and kisses in dark corners and secret picnics and closed for lunch signs and napping together on the stupid futon in the attic (always after, never on its own, not yet). If she didn't know any better she'd think she was dating her best friend's little brother.

Only she did know. They had agreed to keep their hearts out of it, so they were still ‘just friends.’

It was an agreement they reinforced when summer ended, and when he called her unexpectedly and when they cuddled, one crawling in next to the other long after Selina fell asleep, when Jess would spend those blessed long weekends in the city. But eventually that stopped too. They never labeled it, though, or made it “real,” even as she fell madly in love with him.

“Jess?” Sunny's voice startled her, so close to her ear but loud, confused. She realized that she's stopped mid sentence.

“Don't be stupid, okay,” she said, voice weaker this time. “They're just discolored spots of skin, normal skin.”

“They’re beautiful. You’re beautiful.”

She flushed, whole body growing hot under such simple praise. And for a shining moment, she let herself be convinced that this was how life was meant to be.

@neuroticpuppy @firstpersonnarrator @forenschik @love-is-dirty-baby @rob-private @holidayspirits @a-ghoulish-tale @elliethesuperfruitlover @crabstick @bisexualnathanyoung @vonkimmeren @sylvertyger @falloutby

[angst-fairygodmother]

Would You Know Me In Your Heart ~ A Song of Sway Lake Fic

A/N: This sort of unintentionally ended up a 3 part series (parts 1 and 2 being Brick and It’s All Coming Back To Me Now, though you don’t technically have to read either for this to make sense) about pasts and choices for the Sway Lake crew. I hope it means as much to you as it does to me. And, as always but even more so, I owe a huge thanks to @misskittysmagicportal. For the encouragement, and the workshopping, and putting up with me changing my mind about 800 times over the direction/outcome. I couldn’t have gotten here without you. 💖 Word Count: 2522 Rating: T - teen pregnancy, fear and isolation, discussions of abortion, adoption, regret, mild language

“I have one condition,” Jess said, sitting down beside the young girl, who was clearly trying not to cry. “If we go through with this, it’s an open adoption.”

“What? Why?” she asked, her face a mixture of shock and confusion. 

“Because I’ve been where you are,” Jess offered up a hug, or at least a comforting arm around the girl’s shoulders, and she leaned into it.

Now it was Ollie’s turn to stare. He and Jess had been together for years now, and yet somehow, he still didn’t know everything it seemed.

“I know how terrifying and alone it feels, and how heartbreaking it is to think that your child is better off without you.” 

Jess felt the tears stinging at her eyes as she remembered her own ordeal in reaching that conclusion. 

“And you might think that you want a clean break, because watching someone else raise them will hurt too much. And if that’s really the case, that’s fine, you don’t ever have to reach out or open the connection from your end. But I also know you might find yourself lying awake someday, years from now, staring at the ceiling and asking the universe, ‘Is my baby okay? Is he happy? What’s his life like?’ and if that happens, I don’t want you to have to suffer not knowing. I want you to be able to call, or write a letter, or take advantage of a standing invitation to Christmas and birthdays and graduations.”

The young mother started to sob, turning to throw her arms gratefully around Jess's neck. Ollie watched on helplessly as the two shared a pain that he could never imagine, wishing there was some way to take it away, from them both. 

Later on, as they sat side-by-side and curled against each other like a pair of cats, watching the sunset, Ollie finally worked up the nerve to ask the question that had been plaguing him all afternoon. 

“Jess,” he said softly. “Will you tell me about your son?”

“How do you know it was a son?”

“You said 'he' when you were talking about the questions you ask yourself. You don't have to tell me if it's too much for you. I just...had no idea.”

Jess smiled a little sadly back at him. He really was the sweetest man. She hadn't planned to ever mention the baby she gave up, and wasn't sure exactly where to start. But she realized she wanted to tell Ollie, so she took a deep breath and tried. 

Jess had often wondered if there was truly a point where you could cry so much there were no more tears left. She had thought the loss of her grandmother might bring her to that point, but even after a week of spending more waking hours crying than not, there had still somehow been more tears to spill. But now, now she might have found the maximum, or maybe just her breaking point. 

“How could you be so stupid?” April asked for the fourth time that afternoon. “And with the Kostas kid? He’s been a manwhore since puberty. Why would you ever give in to that?”

She wanted to protest, to say that yes Sunny slept around, but it was different with her. She wanted to tell her sister that what they had was special and that she loved him, no matter what their relationship, or lack of, was. She wanted to tell her that she didn’t care that he slept with other people, so did she from time to time. But her throat felt dry and her tongue felt heavy and the words just wouldn’t come.

Instead she sat there, staring at the wall, and deliberately not looking at the test in her hands, and let her older sister berate her. Because for once, April was right. It had been one mistake, one moment of stupidity and it was about to ruin her life. 

She found herself thinking back on the night. It had been late, and pouring rain, when Sunny had shown up at her apartment. He stood on the steps, teeth chattering, asking if he could come in. His face was wet and she didn’t know if it was the rain or tears, or both. But he said he needed her (not someone, not Selina but if she wasn’t there Jess would do, he needed her), and no matter what their agreements were, that was all she needed to hear to let him in. She’d handed him a towel and an old t-shirt and her gym shorts. She’d set a kettle on and made tea. She’d marveled at his timing, how he might have come to her for comfort or care, but it was on a night she needed someone too. And they’d fallen into each other like a magnetic pull. It happened fast, neither of them thinking past their need and their hunger. It wasn't until much later, as she watched him sleep beside her and sipped oversteeped, slightly too cold peppermint that it occurred to her what they'd done.

And now here she was, facing the reality of where not thinking had gotten her. Three weeks past when her cycle should have come, unsure if her nausea was fear or something else, being lectured by her sister who finally had proof positive that she was the superior one. Or maybe not positive yet, but it was only a matter of time. 

“Can you stop yelling at me and help me figure out what the fuck to do?” She begged bitterly, voice thick with tears. 

“Don't take that tone with me. You're an adult. I could leave you to figure it out for yourself.”

“Please, April. I'm scared and I need my big sister.”

April scoffed and rolled her eyes. “At least if it's a kid you can get rid of it, so you better hope for that. I've heard the rumors that he's been with men too,” she shrugged. “It could be AIDs.”

“That's not how that works. Besides, he's too smart to be that stupid. He's careful about that shit.”

“Aren't you usually smart about sex too?”

Jess bit her lip, realizing there was no arguing that point. A chill ran down her spine as she realized the test was finally reacting, slowly producing the answer she had feared. 

“The Kostases are loaded right?” April pointed out, peering over her shoulder at the colored strip. “All those famous people and their club, they must be.” 

Jess struggled not to roll her eyes. Of course her sister's first thought was of money.

“Make him pay for whatever you decide to do with it. And all your medical shit besides. Like going and getting it confirmed for sure.”

“I'm not doing that. I won't ruin his life too.”

“Jessie, honey, he knocked you up. You have every right to ruin his life. You should ruin his life. Or get something out of it.”

“I said I'm not doing that. If you aren't going to be helpful, then just go away. I'll figure out how to take care of it alone.”

“Fine,” her sister huffed. “But don’t say I didn’t try.” 

~

Jess did take care of it. By going to doctors out of the city so no one in her small social circle, or more importantly Sunny’s parents’, might catch wind. By wearing thick sweaters and baggy tops no matter the weather, to hide her growing stomach. By avoiding everyone she could, muddling her way through classes and work without socializing. 

She didn't want to think of options, pushing the choice off as long as she could. It was her baby but she couldn't be a mother. Especially not when her parents made it clear that she would get no help from them, and she was sure the very fact would give her granddad a heart attack. 

Jess thought about telling someone on his side. Every doctor's appointment alone or phone call with the adoption agency, every step toward the fateful day was a new scenario. She must have imagined telling Selina a hundred times, in a hundred different ways, and Sunny almost as many. But sometimes it was Klaus, or Honey or Leon (oddly never “and” despite how linked the two were in her mind), Tom Kidman, even Selina's…Luther in one desperate bid of loneliness. But she could never bring herself to do it for real; there were too many ways it could go wrong: anger, resentment, hatred, ostracization, running away; insistence like her parents’ that she get rid of the baby; insistence that they keep him or her - a Kostas, not really hers; shadowy figures in the night come to snatch them away to be some child soldier experiment.

She wasn't sure which thought was the worst, but she couldn't bear any of them. So she kept them to fantasies. 

“He deserves to know,” the voice in the back of her mind chanted in a constant loop. “His family deserves to know.”

But he had a whole world of options still open to him, and they were barely more than kids. It would be an unfair burden.

Instead she just carried on, silent and scared. 

~

Jess laid in the hospital bed, exhausted and sweaty and in pain, but that was nothing compared to her mental state. She cradled the newborn infant against her chest, giving it a chance to nurse. She tried to think of it as distantly as possible, even though her heart cried out for her son. His tiny, dark fuzz covered head and his big round eyes and the way he’d looked up at her moments before. The feel of his skin against hers. Everything about it filled her with regret: that she had made the choice she did, that she agreed to meet him for even a little while, that she couldn’t be his mother.

She knew the couple that had agreed to the private, closed adoption would love him, and that he would be better off with them than in any life she could give. But still, she wanted to look at them when they entered the room a little while later, the little bundle asleep in her arms, and beg them, “please don’t take my baby away.” 

The words stuck in her throat. They smiled at her, the woman reaching out for the child with a coo of how precious he was. A tear rolled down Jess's cheek and landed, fat and round, on his forehead, and she couldn’t help thinking of it as a sort of baptism, as she passed him over.

“Did you have a name you wanted him to have?” the man, Brian, her baby’s new father, asked. “We’d be happy to honor it if you do.”

For the few hours of his life, the child had been ‘Baby Boy O’Neill’, on his crib and the tiny identity band around his wrist.

“His father’s name is Niklaus,” she said thickly, smiling fondly for a second. “Even if he never goes by it. There's a family tradition that he should have some variant on that as part of his name. But I...I hadn’t planned to name him, I didn’t think I was allowed.” 

The man smiled at her, almost as paternal as he looked at her...at their new child. “We’re not taking him out of the hospital yet. Give it some thought. Unless you don’t want to.”

Later when they came back for him, when it was time for them to really take him away from her, she smiled through more tears as she kissed the tufts of hair on the top of his head. 

“I couldn’t think of anything,” she said regretfully when they asked her again about her son’s name. “Besides, he’s your son, really. So you should give him whatever name you want.” 

“Are you sure?” his mother, Niamh, asked.

Jess nodded, stiff and reluctant. They told her the name they had been considering, asking her opinion it, stating again they wanted her to feel comfortable and involved, if only for a little while. 

“We know it’s a little bit of an odd one, but it’s an old family name from my side,” Niamh explained, “that we’d always considered if we had a boy.” 

“It means Son of the Raven,” his father added. “And with how dark his hair is already, it must run in the line, so…” 

Jess’s thoughts were suddenly filled with a familiar, watchful (sometimes judgmental)  black bird, and she didn’t really hear the rest of what the little boy’s new parents were saying past the rushing in her ears that sounded a lot like wings. 

“Unique,” Jess corrected, voice thick. “It…suits him.”

They smiled at her, and then down at the baby still in her arms. 

“It’s decided then.” Brian started to clap his hands together, catching himself at the last moment and slowing it so that it didn’t make a sound to scare the baby. 

She asked if she could hold him, for just one more minute, to say goodbye. They agreed, a look of kind pity in their eyes as they stepped out ‘to find the nurse and fill in the birth certificate,’ so that she could have her privacy.

“Cormac Nicholas MacNamara,” she whispered, staring into his wide, round eyes that already betrayed a glint of not-quite-natural intelligence. “You are going to be so amazing. And I will always love you.” 

“I eventually did tell Selina. I felt horrible keeping it from her, from all of them.”

“Selina's your best friend. I'm sure she understood.”

“But she's Sunny's sister first. It was complicated, and ended up being the longest we ever went without talking.” Jess swiped at her tears again. “I think she was as much hurt that she thought I didn't trust her to help me as at the secrets. But I didn't want to put her in the position of having to choose between us.”

“Obviously she forgave you though?”

“Oh, completely. Eventually. And I thank every god and goddess that might be listening for it. I don't know what I'd have done if I lost her too.”

Ollie was quiet for a long while, thinking about what she'd told him and the weight it must be for her. He couldn't even begin to imagine what that might be like, but it didn’t really matter. Pulling her close with the arm resting around her shoulders, he pressed a lingering kiss to her temple. She sighed, relaxing into him again.

“And adopting a baby with me…” he bit his lip nervously, “it’s not going to, I don’t know, upset you or be too much right?”

“What?” She turned to look at him, brushing the hair from his face in order to meet his eyes. “No. Of course not. There is nothing I want more than to do this. And it’s going to be hard sometimes, but…I have you, we have each other. And I don’t know, I probably sound too much like a Kostas again but, maybe this is setting the balance of things right again?”

Ollie kissed her softly. “I think it’s meant to be too.”

[angst-fairygodmother]

Exchanges: Babysitting (The Song of Sway Lake Story)

A/N: A young Irina helps her aunt and uncle come to a realization about the future. Word Count: 734 Rating: G - no warnings? Implied smut, I suppose. 

Jess leaned against the doorframe, watching Ollie with Irina. It was hard to believe that when she was born he was afraid of being asked to hold her, afraid to even touch her, in case it went wrong. Now, she was cradled carefully against his chest, eyes fluttering like she was fighting sleep, as they swayed to a perfect tune that Ollie hummed. 

She felt something warm building in the pit of her stomach, a fuzzy feeling that made her heart race like it was about to burst forth and take flight. He looked so natural with the little girl, and there was an almost overwhelming sense of peace blanketing them. She wished she had her camera to capture the moment. But she couldn't force her eyes away from the scene, let alone turn to go, lest she miss a second. 

Ollie looked up suddenly, catching her eye with one of his awkward, adorably shy grins. She tried to smile back, but she couldn't, too busy spiraling and drowning in what his eyes held, a promise that was a question too: it will be our baby next, if you want it to be, today or tomorrow or when we're old and greying, whenever you are sure.

~

Later on, Irina sleeping peacefully in the next room, Jess studied her boyfriend’s profile. The dim light of the tv, some old movie droning softly in the background, caught on the sharp angles of his jawline and strong plane of his nose, highlighting them like he was sculpted. His tangled hair was tucked behind one ear, leaving a wide expanse of his throat exposed and calling to her. 

“I love you,” she murmured, reaching up to tuck a stray strand back into place and kiss his pulsepoint, the rest of her sentence so muffled into his skin that he couldn't understand her. 

She watched in delight as his eyebrows dipped in confusion and a shiver ran through him. 

“What did you say?” He asked, not quite turning to look at her. 

She kissed the same place again. “I said I love you.” 

“And…?” he prompted with a chuckle, “what was the second half?”

She hummed as if she was trying to remember. “Oh! That.” She swung a leg over so that instead of sitting beside him, she was straddling his lap. “Just that I've been thinking.”

He swallowed nervously, but she saw a glint in his eye as he waited for her to go on. She threaded her fingers into his hair and stared at them, suddenly afraid to look at his face. 

“I want them to have your eyes, and your talent with music, and your laugh. Have I ever told you how much I love your laugh? And we'll close the bookstore for the off-season and go to the city, so they can have a proper school, not the bullshit that's up here. And I want Selina and Nikolai nearby, and maybe Honey and Leon. A baby should be surrounded by family. And grow up with a best friend, not have to find them later and be lonely. Promise we won't let them grow up lonely like we did?”

“Jess,” he reached up to cradle her face in his hands, swiping away a tear with the pad of his thumb. “Sweetheart, what are you talking about?”

She leaned into his touch, her cheek resting on his palm, heart racing and breath coming short. 

“Our baby,” she said after a moment. “No, babies. I want to have so many babies with you Ollie.”

“You do?” His voice dropped down to an awed whisper, barely even able to think. 

“I do. If you do, I mean. You asked me before, at the wedding, and I wasn't ready, but then I saw you with Irina tonight and something just…clicked.” 

He leaned forward to close the gap between them, tender and full of all the promises she had asked him for.

“That sounds perfect,” he whispered breathlessly. “Except for one thing. I want them to be a lot more like you than me.”

She pouted at the withdrawal of his kiss. “At least two then, one like you and one like me. So we should probably get started.”

“Deal,” he laughed, standing up suddenly so that she had to cling to him as he carried her to the bedroom (and then back again when they remembered the infant asleep there).

[angst-fairygodmother]

On Your Orders (Oliver Sway x Jess O’Neill)

A/N: Apparently, being dehydrated as hell and thus sick as a dog is exactly what I needed to finish this thing I've been vaguely working on since Valentine's Day. As usual, the best of the ideas can be attributed to my beloved writing partner (@misskittysmagicportal ​in case that’s not known by now), who often says words and I go "ooh" and file them away in my little squirrel brain to revisit later. Word Count: 1448 slutty slutty words Rating: E - language, strip tease, masturbation (f), fingering, overstimulation?

“Tell me what you want?” Jess said, tilting her head as she looked up at him from her place resting against his shoulder. “I'll follow whatever you ask, as long as you use your words.” 

“I don't understand?” Ollie’s face scrunched into his adorable, confused face. 

“What is there to not get, Boyfriend? I’m bored, and horny, and I want you, even more right now if you order me around.”

“I…” She watched him tug his sleeves down over his hands, twisting the fabric between his thumb and forefinger in an obvious and familiar nervous gesture. His face had gone pale and she felt her heart twist, feeling momentarily guilty for asking. 

“It doesn't have to be extreme. It's just…remember in the rain the second, no third, time we had sex?”

Jess brought her thumb to her mouth reflexively, nervously chewing on the corner and struggling to meet his eyes while she waited for Ollie to answer. He reached for her, covering her hand in his and gently pushing it away.

“Jess, you're the most amazing thing to ever happen to me, and I remember every time we've made love, trust me.”

She giggled, blushing brightly at the implication there and he flashed her a lopsided grin.

“But what does that have to do with anything?”

“Well…” she bit her lip, looking for the words to explain. “You got all intense and really took charge that night. It made me feel like I was yours in every way. And it was so.fucking.sexy.”

“O-oh.” Now it was his turn to try to match her hair at the hunger in her tone, and the way his body responded to her.

“I want that again, please? It doesn't have to be all the time or anything. Just sometimes…like right now?”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.”

Ollie stared at her for another moment, eyes scanning her, searching for something in her expression. Without warning, he surged to close the last breadth between them, kissing her passionately. One hand tangled into her hair and the other slid over her hip to grab at the curve of her ass. She moaned against his lips, surprising herself at how needy she sounded. She responded by wrapping her arms around his shoulders to cling to him, mind going fuzzy as his tongue pushed its way into her mouth, claiming her. 

“Strip,” Ollie murmured, not quite the commanding voice she wanted, but it was good enough, to start. 

Jess quickly pecked his lips again before moving to stand in the center of the room, making sure he had a full view. Immediately, she missed the feeling of his hands on her body and sighed, closing her eyes so she could imagine it was him instead of her slowly undoing the waist of her skirt. She let the denim drop, stepping out of it with a kick for dramatic flourish. His breath hitched as he caught sight of her lacy panties, and her heart began to race. 

“Wait,” he said, voice louder now, as she started to reach for her shirt collar. “I want you to look at me while you do it?”

She locked eyes with him, trying hard not to fumble from the fire flooding her veins. Each tiny button felt agonizing until finally she shrugged the garment off to reveal a matching bra. Ollie shook his head when she reached for the clasp, gazing raking hungrily over every inch of her. 

The air was thick with anticipation as he shifted forward on the couch to stare at her more intently.

“Touch yourself.” The words startled Jess, shattering the silence and making her shiver. She gaped at him, and he repeated the finally firm command. “Touch yourself. Show me what you want me to do to you.”

A flash of uncertainty hit as she slowly moved the fabric of her underwear aside and ran a finger through her folds. It felt odd, but thrilling, knowing he was watching as she slowly circled her clit. Her pace quickened as she pressed harder on the sensitive nub and sparks danced under her skin.

“Ollie,” his name fell from her lips on reflex, mind associating him immediately with the pleasure washing over her.

He shifted in his seat, reminding Jess that he was there, and intent on her.

“Ollie, please,” she wasn't sure what she was begging him for as she repeated the phrase like a prayer.

He cleared his throat, trying to avoid making any noises of his own.

Her other hand trailed up her body, fluttering at her neck before clutching her own hair. Her breath quickened more, nearly gasping, as they made their way back down to tease a hardened nipple through the thin fabric she was still wearing. Her eyes closed and head dropped back, crying out as she twisted to toy with her clit with her thumb and slipped a finger inside herself. Her muscles started to tense, the coil in her stomach close to a breaking point.

Ollie's long fingers suddenly curled around her wrists, restraining and stopping her movements, and Jess yelped, so focused on her pleasure that she hadn't heard him stand. Gently he pulled her away from herself.

“Not yet,” he whispered.

“Ollie…” she sighed, squirming in his grasp, feeling a chill and discomfort from the absence. 

“Jess,” he answered, just as breathless and smiling adoringly. “You are so beautiful like this. And I can't even think.”

“Who needs to think?” 

“Me. Of what I'm going to do to you.”

Jess raised an eyebrow, smirking back at him. “Oh you're going to do something finally? I've been doing all the work so far.”

He shifted her so that he could hold both her wrists in one hand, pinning them in the air above her head. His other grabbed her ass again, pressing her lower half to his before traveling downward to trail between her thighs. His inhale was all the warning she had before his fingers replaced hers, quickly working her over in the same patterns he had watched her use. He added in a roll of his hips, using their stance for leverage, the extra pressure and friction making her breath hitch. His lips brushed along her jaw, sucking on the sensitive skin under it and blending with tongue to tease her. She felt every hair on her skin raising at his touch, and her knees buckled as his efforts drove her to orgasm within moments. Ice flooded her veins and she screamed, his name becoming something wordless and primal as she shattered and came back together, all at his command. 

Jess swayed, unsteady and lightheaded, and Ollie rushed to catch her, face twisting in concern as he guided her to the couch. 

“Jess? Are you okay?” he asked worriedly, cradling her face in his hands once she was seated.

She smiled at him, skin still buzzing with the aftershocks and eyes glowing feverishly. “Holy…fuck…Boyfriend…that was…”

“Too much.” He nodded, finally seeming to relax a little, settling beside her so he could pull her into his arms.

“Noo. Hell no. Definitely not too much. It was incredible.” 

“Jess,” he looked serious and now it was her turn to be concerned. “You almost passed out. I could have hurt you…”

“Ollie, darling, I’m okay. More than okay. I promise.”

He didn’t look convinced, so she turned them both so that she was sitting, straddling his lap, and their foreheads were pressed together. She pressed a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth.

“That was intense, more than I was expecting it to be, yes. But it felt amazing, I feel amazing. And I want to do that for you, please?”

“I always feel amazing when I’m with you.” 

“Why are you always so romantic when I’m trying to be sexy?” Jess pouted at him for managing to flip her script. “At least let me…help you out with this?”

Ollie’s breath shuddered as her hand drifted down to brush against his prominent hard-on through his jeans. 

“Later,” he promised, catching her wrist again and bringing it up so that he could kiss the inside of it. “We can do anything you want, later.” 

“But–”

“You said you wanted me telling you what to do?” his tone took on an edge that sent a shiver of desire through her. “I’m ordering rest. Now. Shut up and cuddle me.”

She laughed, letting him tug her down so that they were both stretched on the couch. She kissed the hollow of his throat as she nestled against him, in a half-hearted last effort to change his mind, and he groaned softly but remained firm. 

“Fine,” she yawned after a moment. “You win.”

[angst-fairygodmother]

Tropes 6 and 7 for Jess and Ollie pretty please? And can I ask for it to be smut? Or not, idk if that's weird

A/N: I don't typically take specific fic type requests (although I do honor "not angst" or what have you) but I did for this. It posed a unique challenge, and I hope I rose to it. This was a lot of fun. Thank you Nonny. Word Count: 2996 Rating: E - oral (m receiving), fingering, teasing, penetrative sex, some light nipple play, lingerie mostly smut, also some fluff, and very very cheesy.

“You're here!” Oliver said in surprise, grinning excitedly as the door shut behind his girlfriend and her dog. “Did I know you were coming today?”

“No. I figured since you gave me a key and everything I'd turn up early,” Jess shrugged as she set her luggage down and unwound her scarf. “I forgot traffic though. So it's late, and frigid, and there was nowhere to park. Lenore loved the walk. I, however, am a popsicle.”

She shrugged her coat to the floor and faux swooned on top of him before he could get up from the couch.

“Hi,” he said, looking adoringly down at her splayed across his lap.

“Hello Boyfriend.” She smiled almost sheepishly back. “Is this a good Christmas surprise?”

She knew the answer, but she wanted to hear him say it anyway, completely in love with the way he smiled at her.

“The best.” He bent down to kiss her softly, only to recoil in shock. “Jesus, Jess! You weren't kidding. You should go warm up in the shower before you get sick.”

“Are you going to join me there?” Her smile became a smirk, running a teasing finger down his sternum and making no move to leave his lap.

He swallowed thickly, tempted by her implication and the way she was looking up at him.

“I can’t…” he groaned. “It’s a tiny shower. Besides, if we want to eat tonight, I have to call kind of now...”

She pouted until he kissed it away despite her icy skin, doubling over her as her arms looped around his neck.

“Are you sure?” She drawled when they broke apart and she finally sat up. She sighed dramatically when he shook his head. “Fine, be responsible. Your loss.”

~

Despite the bliss she felt at the steam and water enveloping her, Jess rushed through her shower, not wanting to waste a single minute of her time with Ollie. Toweling her hair, not caring that she was standing naked in his bedroom, she poked through her suitcase for something appropriate. Her eyes fell to a carefully wrapped present, and to the black cable-knit poking out of one of his drawers, an idea sparking.

Dressed a few minutes later, she padded out to the living room, soft knee high socks masking any sound. She paused in the doorway, her next step of launching herself at her boyfriend interrupted by the sight of him. In the time it had taken her to shower, he had wrapped a twinkling rope of multicolored bulbs around the little Christmas tree in the corner and turned it into the room's only source of light. He stood near it, trying to untangle the next, very knotted string, pausing repeatedly to flick his hair out of his eyes. The rainbow behind him caught among strands as he moved them, bathing him in a halo that stood out with tones of red, orange, and pink. Her breath caught in her chest, struck by how perfect he was.

“You know,” she purred, her hands carding through his hair. “This wouldn't get in your face so much if you wore it back more often.”

He leaned back into her touch, shivering as her nails scraped his scalp.

“But if I did that, you wouldn't be able to do this,” he hummed distractedly, eyes fluttering shut.

She laughed, keeping his hair gathered in her hands and kissing the side of his neck. His fingers fumbled, nearly dropping the tangled cord.

“Mm, that's true. But have you considered the counterpoint, I think you look really sexy?”

“Can’t be as sexy as you in my sweater,” he let the lights fall away, reaching behind him to stroke the exposed skin of her thighs. “Hardly keeping you warm though.”

“That’s what I have you for,” she sighed as his fingers wandered further, “there are so many better ways than clothes.”

He turned around then, biting his lip with a whimper at the tug of his hair. His first kiss was to her chin, making her giggle, and then to her cheeks, eyelids, and the end of her nose before finally finding her mouth. She sighed, melting into him as his tongue swept her bottom lip and his hands moved up her hips to cradle her waist beneath her clothes. Her own hands worked quickly to detangle from his mane so that she could tug at his sweater, the two of them reluctantly parting so she could cast it aside, followed quickly by the t-shirt underneath.

“I missed you Jess,” he sighed as she trailed open-mouthed kisses down his exposed chest.

He could feel her smile against his skin. “Why do you think I came a day early?”

His breath hitched as her mouth reached the skin just above his waistband. She traced the shallow dip of his hips with her tongue, feeling the way his muscles tensed, and the slight press of his clothed erection against her. Her fingers deftly unbuttoned his jeans, stroking him through the fabric of his boxers. Sliding both pieces of fabric down so they pooled around his ankles, she looked up at him, leaning into the way he caressed her cheek despite how at odds the tender gesture was.

She kissed his palm quickly before rocking forward to take the head of his penis into her mouth. He inhaled sharply as she swirled her tongue around it. His hips buckled toward her and one of his hands tangled loosely into her hair. She relaxed her jaw, sliding her lips further along his length and drawing away again in a slow, sultry pattern. One hand braced herself against his thigh and the other gripped the base of him, twisting and stroking in tandem with her mouth.

His breath came in panting gasps and his beautiful eyes fluttered closed in bliss. She hummed, the salt-sweat taste of him heavy on her tongue sending sparks to her core. His fingers tightened, nails dragging on her scalp, eliciting a moan.

“Jess,” his voice was strained and she couldn't help but smile as she continued to toy with him. “Fuck. Oh, fuck.”

She could hear how close he was to breaking and backed away with one last teasing, almost demure kiss to the tip of his cock before sitting on her heels. He whimpered at the loss of contact, and then he was suddenly in her space, kneeling to kiss her hungrily. In the span of a blink, he had her on her back, body stretched over hers and looking down at her in awe.

“What? Have I got something on my face?” She joked, squirming uncomfortably under his lovestruck gaze.

“It's just...the twinkle lights. And your eyes. You look beautiful Jess,” he whispered.

She blushed. “Oh.”

He kissed her again and she melted beneath him, opening up to his tongue and touch. Her fingers tangled in his hair, combing it back from his face again, and more importantly her own that it tickled as he moved to kiss beneath her jaw and wander the length of her neck. She sighed as he brushed, snowflake light, across her sensitive skin.

One of his hands reached for her inner thigh again but she stopped him with a smirk.

“That's cheating, Ollie. If you want your Christmas present, unwrap me properly,” she purred, leaning up to tease her lips against the shell of his ear.

He frowned at her in confusion, his face adorably scrunched up, and she laughed. She reached over, guiding his hand to the hem of the sweater, their intertwined fingers pushing it upward slightly, just enough for him to get the picture. With tantalizing slowness and reverence, he continued, sliding his large palms up the sides of her body, just brushing her skin as he rolled the soft wool material upward, eyes locked with hers all the while. It wasn’t until he reached her chest, where he had to stop so she could pull the garment the rest of the way off, tossing it aside somewhere, that he noticed what she was wearing beneath, revealed in full.

The matched bra and panty set were made of soft violet satin that offset dramatically against her pale freckled skin. Swirling black lace overlay created an illusion of greater coverage while still leaving so much skin exposed, and matched ribbons criss-crossed her body like she was tied there, a single bow perfectly centered between her breasts completing the imagery. The sheen of the fabric seemed to catch and reflect the Christmas bulbs above and make her glow as she stretched out to give Ollie the best view possible. Her green striped knee-highs unbalanced the sexual image, humanizing her unintentionally in a way that inexplicably drew him further in, making him swallow thickly.

The lingerie had been sort of her best friend's idea, Selina suggesting something...intimate after listening to Jess agonize for weeks over the perfect Christmas gift for her boyfriend. And Jess trusted her, despite a nervousness that it was somehow crossing a line, placing pressure that their four and a half month romance wasn't ready for yet. Now, when Oliver didn’t say anything, she bit the pad of her thumb, worrying it nervously between her teeth.

“Do you like it? I was going to wrap it under the tree but then I thought it would be fun to just surprise you wearing it. I don’t know if it’s normal for a girlfriend to buy her boyfriend lingerie or if it’s supposed to be the other way around? And I wasn’t sure if it was weird to do it in purple, but red or white seemed so cliché, especially as a Christmas thing…oh god this was too much. I was so stupid wasn’t–”

Her words became a gasp at the sudden feeling of his lips trailing over the mound of her breast, tracing the line of the lace, down one and up the other. Her hands fell away to the carpet as he groped and nipped, exploring every inch of her that wasn’t covered by fabric.

“Shut up Jess,” he muttered lovingly into her skin. “You could wear a sack and look fucking beautiful. This…this is…” he paused, warm breath raising goosebumps across her stomach as he looked for the right words.

Giving up, he instead returned to her, kissing fiercely, biting at her lower lip. The intensity of it made her yelp, even as she arched into his still-roaming hands, and he ran his tongue soothingly over the place he bit. She cracked her jaw, welcoming him in with a needy whine, their tongues twining and bodies pressing together. He slipped his fingers under the band of her panties, groaning as he felt for her clit and found her slick for him. She bucked her hips in time with his touch, his small circles stoking the fire in her core. He kept going, using all of the little gestures and patterns she had shown him during their time together, applying pressure and relaxing off again, adding a second finger, sliding down to tease their way inside her while his thumb continued to stroke, anything he could to bring her to the edge but not over it. It was sloppy, Ollie still in many ways unfamiliar and new, blending enthusiasm into skill as if they were equivalent, but Jess moaned encouragements, the static buzz through her body threatening to overwhelm her anyway.

Suddenly, she hooked a leg over his, throwing her weight into it to flip them so that he was stretched on his back and she straddled his thin hips.

“No more teasing,” she begged, shifting her weight against him as she shimmied out of her underwear. “I want you, please?”

He nodded rapidly, hands circling her waist, but as she tried to rock forward, he stopped her short.

She made a small noise, mingled complaint and confusion escaping her as an almost squeak.

“Condom, right?” He asked, remembering the rule she tried to keep to.

She bit her lip, hesitating, and then nodded. He flashed her that adorable half-smile of his and lifted her off of him as he sat up. Shocked by how easily he moved her, she barely registered the soft peck he gave her or the instruction to wait right there before he disappeared into the bedroom. Her thoughts suddenly racing, she laid down on the soft rug and stared up at the rainbow-stained ceiling while she waited for him to return.

A moment later, he was back, looking at her stretched out, a supplicant before him, with wide eyes. He licked his lips nervously, and fumbled with the little foil packet before managing to get it open and slide the rubber sheath over himself. Her eyes traced his movements with the same amusement of a cat toying with a mouse. Even exposed and prone as she was, she could see in his actions that she held dominion over him, and the power of it sent a thrill down her spine.

“Well?” she quirked an eyebrow as he continued to just stand and stare.

“Can…we try…I mean the way we…with you…on top?” he stammered hesitantly, and in an instant she stood to face him.

Cradling his face between her palms, she kissed him gently, trying to reassure and sooth his nerves with her touch. She understood his nervousness, the uncertainty of how to ask for what he wanted, and tried not to hate that he still felt that way around her, even for an instant.

“Boyfriend…Ollie,” she said, seriously, drawing back to meet his eyes. “We can do whatever you want. Well not completely whatever, I have my limits, but you’re allowed to ask. Even if I say no, I’ll never be upset with you for it. You know that right?”

He bumped his forehead against hers, making her chuckle. “I do.”

“Good. As for this request, we can absolutely,” she smiled, trailing one hand up the muscles of his stomach to his shoulder.

Giving a gentle push, she coaxed him downward, trying to ignore the heady rush that sent her head spinning at the sight of him kneeling before her. His arms hooked around the backs of her legs, coaxing her with him as he laid back. His touch traveled upward as she sank down. She rolled her hips against his, sliding his length through her folds and he drew matching circles over her spine. Reverently he unhooked her bra, sliding it down her arms, casting aside the last piece of clothing either of them wore. She shivered as the chill air met her chest, peaking her nipples swiftly and sending a wave of goosebumps along her skin. He captured one pert bud in his mouth, tongue swirling over it. Her eyes fluttered closed in bliss as she moaned his name.

One hand reaching between them, Jess guided his cock, lining him up with her entrance as he turned his attention to her other breast. Their hips rolled, meeting in a thrust that buried him to the hilt.

Names falling from each other's mouths like prayers, they set a slow, steady rhythm, each rock of their bodies drawing him out to just the tip and back in to fill her. She planted her hands on his chest for leverage, feeling his heart race beneath her fingers. Ollie cradled her waist in his hands, the extra lift and pull making sure that he was able to be as deep as possible.

They were both keyed up from their games and anticipation that it didn't take long for his thrusts to become unsteady as her core clenched around him, muscles tensing as the coil in her gut so close to snapping but not quite there.

“Ollie,” she whined, body bending over his. “Fuck, I'm so close.”

“Yes,” he panted back, bringing one hand between them to tease her clit. “Come with me.”

“I…”

Her breath stuttered, the light pressure he applied to the sensitive point sending her tumbling over the edge. Throwing her head back, she cried out for Oliver again as white heat flooded her senses and the tree above them reeled like a galaxy of pinprick colors. The way her body reacted sent him chasing quickly after, spilling into the condom as he pulled Jess into a vice-like embrace. Both slowly sinking back to earth, he tilted her chin with one finger, angling her mouth toward his, and she couldn't resist a soft, breathless “Merry Christmas Ollie” before their lips met.

~

Once again in nothing but Ollie's sweater (the one he had been wearing earlier leaving him with just his white t-shirt), Jess stretched out dramatically across the couch. Ollie sat on the floor in front of her, leaning against the couch as he returned to working on untangling the lights. She felt mesmerized, watching his deft fingers work magic on the cords. Every few minutes, his eyes drifted to the hemline slowly inching up her thighs, before he swallowed and looked away quickly.

“Boyfriend,” she sing-songed. “Are you thinking naughty thoughts still?”

He chuckled, blushing and ducking his head to hide behind his hair. “It’s just that I’m really, really glad you’re here. And that I’m so lucky to have you.”

“Aww.” Now it was her turn to blush. “I love you.”

He leaned back further, his head pressing against her stomach so he could look at her properly. She couldn’t resist reaching for him, gesturing for him to forget his project, again, and join her on the couch.

“I’m never going to get these untangled at this rate,” he laughed, turning around to face her.

“I like it like this, it’s romantic.”

He hummed as if to say, ‘oh really?’ and rose up on his knees, drawing closer. She shifted forward to meet him, their lips just ghosting over each other when a loud gurgle interrupted them, and Jess turned nearly as red as her hair.

“Pizza's on the stove,” Ollie teased as she tried to bury her face in her hands.

———————————————————————————————————–

Taglist: @firstpersonnarrator @misskittysmagicportal

[angst-fairygodmother]

We all know that Leon probably dies not much longer after Honey. Probably a few months. Enough time to make sure everyone's going to be alright (Trick situation: the kids were always going to be alright without their parents).

Selina is angry/jealous that her brother and daughter can see her parents at will. She ignores that they have to kill themselves to do it. Sure he can conjure them, but she's conflicted about that too.

Sunny becomes obsessed with visiting Honey at least until Leon dies. He uses the guise of Klaus. He wants to keep her for himself. Sometimes he presents himself as a little boy or a teenager to make up for all the grief he put her through with his addictions and disappearing for two years.

Nikolai takes their deaths harder than anyone expected. ESPECIALLY Leon which takes Selina by complete surprise. He finds it hard to communicate what it is that is causing him so much grief, but it's really because Leon's been his dad longer than Sergei ever was. Leon always told Nik that he was very easy to love.

Luther is also devastated. Leon and Honey were his first friends outside of the academies. Actually they were Sloane's first friends too. And it was reciprocated, Honey did not have actually confidantes outside her sister and Leon until she met Sloane. They were both worried the other would judge them on their pasts.

Funny enough, I suppose this is the same situation for Diego and Lila too?

Irina and Lev and JT are the most ok with everything. Their period of grieving is far shorter than their parents and uncle and great uncles/aunts.

Leon's heaven is just a dingy flat in White Chapel above a Greek restaurant and Gracie with the flowers in her hair.

Now your turn: Jess and Ollie and their family's reactions 🥹😮‍💨

😭 I love this, but also hate it. Why would you do this to me?

Jess and Ollie have a similar timeline actually.

They live well into their eighties, or maybe even nineties (probably nineties. I like the word nonagenarian better). Time to not only meet but really have relationships with grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Jess dies first. Of something slow enough that she has time to say goodbye, but not painful. Just age?

Of the next generation, I think the three that take it worst are her middle daughter, her and Ollie’s son, and Sean (after all, she was something of a mentor figure for him for most of his life, and their similar interests kept them close. Although actually I think he takes the years leading up to her death, where age has stopped her from being able to take pictures anymore harder.)

Her eldest daughter is very stiff upper lip about it, and feels like it’s her job now to take care of the others, and she only cries after she’s sure her siblings, cousins, and their kids are all okay.

Cormac probably handles it best out of them, both because he met her later in life which gives them a unique relationship, and because of his scientific approach to things. (Plus if he’s anything like his father, he has the chance to talk to her again.)

I have no idea on the grandkids and great grandkids. Some are devastated, others take it better.

Ollie dies within a year. Suddenly in his sleep.

His official cause of death is a heart attack, but everyone in the family knows that it was actually a broken heart, it just took a while. 

The family is equally saddened, but are able to take comfort that they’ll be reunited.

This is the one that gets their eldest and youngest daughters, the latter probably at some point begs any/all of the folks in the family that can to bring him back, so they can have one more conversation, one more hour with him.

(I tried to think of how Selina and Nikolai would feel, if they outlived their other halves, but I think that is too much pain. 

[angst-fairygodmother]

Disastrous Dinner (Oliver Sway x Jess O’Neill)

A/N: Well, I think we all sort of knew this was coming at some point. After all, I rewrote the rest of the summer, I can’t stop before the end.  Word Count: 3459 Rating: E - fingering, handjob, penetrative (unprotected) sex, canon-typical violence and language, brief mention of blood, minor instance of slut-shaming and other canon-typical insults, angst 

“This is a terrible idea,” Jess said for the fifth time that afternoon, meeting Ollie’s eyes in the mirror as he reclined on her bed and watched her putting up her hair.

“I know,” he said sincerely. “Thank you for agreeing to it.” 

She turned, letting her hair drop back down around her shoulders and moved over to sit beside him. Eagerly he reached for her, tugging her closer until he was on his back and she straddled his thin hips, skirt pooling and knees planted on either side of him. 

“We’re going to be late,” she protested half-heartedly as she leaned in, letting him kiss her. 

“So?” he laughed, hands wandering along her sides and making her shiver as they drew close to where she wanted but never quite touched them.

“So,” she teased him by carding a hand through his hair and tugging his head back against the mattress. “It would be rude,” she kissed his jaw, “to miss the salads, or delay the inevitable fireworks.”

“Please tell me you’re not planning anything?” he sighed, no conviction to his voice as he gave way beneath her. 

“Oh Oliver, I am planning so many things,” she rolled her hips and made him groan. “But when it comes to Charlotte, I’m just reading the room. She already doesn’t like me much, we don’t need to add tardiness as a reason.”

She kissed him again swiftly before standing up, leaving him staring after her as she returned to the mirror to fix her makeup. “The sooner we do this, the sooner the night will be over and we can celebrate surviving it. Now go, help Marlena get ready, and I will meet you there.”

~

Ollie stared at Jess as she walked up, soft blue dress shining in the glow from the barn that spilled out over her. 

“Hi,” he breathed, walking toward her. “Jess…I...wow…” 

She blushed, shifting from one foot to the other as she took in the scene. The building had been transformed, cleared out and made into a lovely dining space. A table had been set formally, soft music drifted through the air. And both Ollie and Nikolai had decided to wear tuxes for the occasion, cutting dashing figures as they both made their way over. The latter of them opened his mouth, but she cut him off before he could speak.

“You boys both look rather handsome,” she said smiling before kissing Oliver on the cheek.

Nikolai blinked, looking taken aback at her compliment, while Ollie beamed, wrapping his arms around her middle to pull her close and kiss her properly. A moment later someone, Marlena, cleared their throat, interrupting the couple as she entered and started setting out dinner. Jess shrugged unapologetically, staying close to her boyfriend's side and making small talk while they all awaited the guest of honor. 

Charlotte's arrival caused a marked shift in the atmosphere, any sense of comradery or casualness crushed by her domineering presence. The dress she wore and the way she carried herself, Jess saw how beautiful she was in the prime of life. When she tried to compliment the older woman however, it was met with an icy silence that made her stomach twist. Marlena finished pouring the champagne, and everyone paused, unconsciously waiting for some signal.

“Please, no waiting, everyone sit,” Charlotte called, ever the charming hostess. She raised a glass. “Respect the chef.”

“Funny, you never do,” Jess muttered as she demurely allowed Ollie to pull out her chair. 

He coughed to hide a chuckle, and when she turned, she saw Marlena struggling not to smile at her. She flashed the other woman a quick wink as everyone raised their glasses in a stilted toast. 

The tension that settled over the room as they began to eat was suffocating. Small talk quickly became snide backhanded “compliments” from Charlotte and little ways to bolster herself and her precious family. Jess's hand tightened around Ollie's under the table, not sure who was doing the comforting as Charlotte made a mockery of the work ethic of their generation and how “everyone thinks they have an artistic talent these days” after the topic of Jess's photography slipped out.  Nikolai nodded along, caught her the wake and unable, or perhaps unwilling, to break away. Ollie, a surprising rage flashing behind his eyes, pushed back against his grandmother, demanding to know what she had really done with her life. 

“I didn’t wish him ill,” Charlotte continued, set off on a rant about how miserable Timmy had been in his life, “but perhaps it would have been better had he never been born.”

Everyone sat in uncomfortable silence for a moment, even Nikolai seemed to unable to make eye contact or come up with his usual retort, all too stunned that she would actually say such a thing out loud.

Suddenly everything seemed to explode, in slow motion. She wasn't sure who stood first, Ollie who pronounced venomously that he needed to urinate or Nikolai who moved to follow him or Jess herself who would have lunged at the old bitch if it weren't for Marlena's hand on her arm and the soft shake of her head. As if the weather felt the same anger as they all did, the skies opened up, starting to pour with a rumble of distant thunder. Charlotte sat like stone amid the chaos, until Ollie returned a moment later with a drawer which he slammed down onto the table, full old photos and jewelry and what Jess could only guess was The Record. 

He tore into the paper, Charlotte visibly flinching and begging him not to, and all but slammed the record into place. His shoulders shook as the first sad strings sang out. Jess moved to his side, wrapping her arms around him. He spoke matter-of-factly, but she caught the pain in his tone anyway as he described the record, pointed out the imperfections and beauty of it. Charlotte scoffed and said that she never wanted him to get attached to “dead things.”

“So it was okay to let a stranger steal it?” he countered, pulling away from Jess. 

Nikolai frowned, shaking his head as Ollie continued, until the conversation took another turn. This time, when Ollie stormed out, Jess was fairly sure that he wouldn’t be returning with some new shock, so she turned to apologize to Marlena for her dinner being wasted. A blur of movement caught her eye as Ollie landed a punch to Nikolai’s face and the Russian returned in kind. Their words couldn’t be heard over the storm and the record still singing, but their distress was obvious in their stances. Then Ollie ran.

“Shit,” Jess muttered, nearly knocking her chair, and then Nikolai, over as she chased after her boyfriend. 

“Ollie!” she called. “Hey, wait up.”

He paused, giving her time to catch up and link her arm through his, letting him lead her away. The rain and wind whipped around them and she shivered, staying silent despite her confusion why they were headed toward the boathouse. Finally he stopped, staring down the steps toward the dock, scowling. She turned, guiding his gaze back to her with a gentle tug on his arm. 

“Some dinner huh?” she joked, tilting her head to the side to tease, and in an attempt to flick her drenched locks out of her face. 

His face remained somber, almost haunted, and she gently wiped the partially-dried blood away from his nose. He closed his eyes and nuzzled into her hand, kissing the base of her palm. 

“Talk to me darling,” she cajoled, voice barely loud enough to carry over the storm. “What do you need?”

“I…” he trembled, shaking his head, and she could hear the tears in his voice once more. 

She pulled him closer, hugging tightly as if she could take his pain away if she tried hard enough. He kissed her, tangling one hand in her hair and the other bunching into the fabric at her hip. They stumbled back against the railing, nearly toppling down the steps beside them until he let go to steady them. 

“Ollie,” she breathed.

“You,” he answered in the same tone, trailing his lips along her jaw before kissing her again, tongue tangling with hers. “I need you.”

“Then take me.”

“Here?”

She shrugged. “It's dark, and no one is going to come looking for us. If you want--”

Her sentence was cut off with a tiny shriek of surprise as Ollie lifted her and moved, turning so that he could lay her out along the top of the stairs and stepping down so that he was below her and between her knees. One of his hands caressed her chest, gently teasing and stroking as she arched into him. The other slid up her leg, pushing the fabric of her skirt out of the way. 

“Are you sure?” He asked, toying with the waistband of her panties. 

She nodded; he pulled the garment off in one quick movement. Jess gawked, a wave of heat flooding through her as he grinned almost wolfishly and stuffed them in his pocket. 

He traced the path back up her legs to her core and she flushed as he groaned, feeling how wet she already was for him. He fumbled for a moment before pressing two of his fingers into her with agonizing slowness. His thumb sought her clit and she gasped. She bucked upward into his strokes, the coil in her stomach tightening.

She sat up suddenly, biting back a squeal at the sharp new angle it made him hit, and reached for him. She tugged at the button of his tuxedo pants, popping it and most of Marlena's careful tailoring in her urgency. As soon as they were undone she shoved, pushing pants and boxers down as far as she could. 

Continuing to writhe under his ministrations, she took his penis in one hand, stroking in time with him. Her thumb rolled over the tip, smearing the bead of precum forming there, and her free hand reached to fondle his balls. Now it was his turn to arch and spasm, breath coming out in a stutter and fingers stilling as the sensations threatened to overwhelm him.

“I want to be inside you,” he growled, the sound causing her core muscles to clench with desire. She liked this commanding side of him, the fire inside her sparking the more it came out.

“Use me, Ollie,” she begged, her hands splaying across his chest. “Anything you want right now, I'm yours.”

His eyes widened and she could feel his heart race at her words. He kissed her, tongue probing into her mouth as he resumed fingering her. She squirmed, soft sounds escaping her, only to be swallowed down by him.

Suddenly he stopped, withdrawing the digits. Entering her slowly at first, he bottomed out with a sharp sudden jolt. He braced one hand on the step beside her, his pace hard and slow. Her fingers clawed at his back, gripping tightly to the damp silky material as she tried to keep up with him. 

Their mouths crashed together as her body crested it’s peak, muffling her moan against his lips while he continued to pound desperately, hungrily into her. His fingers dug into her waist, sure to leave crescent-shaped marks in the flesh there. She gasped for air even as her lips sought blindly for the pulsepoint at the base of his throat, breathing him in. 

“Fuck, Ollie, please,” she mewled, his actions and her sensitive nerves driving her already toward a second climax. 

She hooked her legs around him, heels digging into his ass, asking him to be even deeper, no matter how impossible that might be. Rolling her hips in time with his, she met him over and over, walls fluttering around him.

He trailed his hands up her sides, fingers splayed across her ribs and shoulders before cradling her face between his palms.

“I love you Jess,” he murmured.

She nuzzled her face into Ollie's, lips ghosting over his. “I love you too.”

Her body sparked, white heat buzzing beneath her skin. She used what leverage she had to angle her body away, to hold off as long as she could, needing to bring him at least to the edge with her before she let go.

“Ollie!” She moaned. 

He pressed closer to her, her legs folding against her body as she remained wrapped around him. Their lips met to swallow down each other's cries as he gave a few more unsteady thrusts before pulling out in a rush, spilling across them both. He flushed, stammering out an apology while she laughed and peppered his face with kisses. Despite the rain still falling down around them they stayed there for a few minutes, panting for breath as they slowly came back to Earth. 

“Are you okay?” Jess asked. “I know this...isn't exactly how the night was supposed to go…”

“Yeah. I'm...I'll be okay,” Ollie answered. “Thank you.”

“You don't have to thank me for sex you know. Especially not when you make me feel, god, that good,” she groaned, exaggeratedly stretching like a cat. 

“I wasn't...I didn't mean for the…” he stammered, blushing bright red. “I meant for being here, and coming after me, and everything.”

“I know, I was only teasing. But we should probably clean ourselves up a little and go home?” Realizing how that might sound, she added in a rush, “back to my place I mean not...anyway…”

“Yeah, okay,” he nodded, standing with a groan and helping her to her feet.

“I’m proud of you by the way,” she said, as they attempted to make themselves presentable in case they were caught crossing the lawn. “For standing up to her, and to Nikolai. I know that it was hard…”

He flashed her a half smile. “I couldn’t have, without you.”

“I don’t think that’s true at all, Ollie. You’re more than you give yourself credit for.”

~

Jess let him tuck her against his side as they walked toward the station wagon, trying not to shiver as the chill of the rain set in. Even his jacket, slung over her shoulders to hide the streaks of mud, seemed to do little to help. About halfway across the yard she realized that her purse, with the only set of keys to her apartment, was still hanging on the back of her chair.

“Shit,” she sighed, hanging her head, the sentiment echoed by her boyfriend when she explained. 

She giggled when he clung to her tighter than her wet dress, resisting the idea that they part. “Go. Start the car, warm up. I'll only be a minute.”

She hurried back through the rain toward the barn, hoping by now it would be empty and she could just grab the bag and go. As she neared, she heard the soft sounds of the record - that beautiful, terrible record - drifting out with the yellow light. Bracing herself, she rounded the corner, and stopped short. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected, but it certainly wasn’t Nikolai, dancing with Charlotte as if in a trance. Charlotte leaned in to kiss the Russian.

“What. the hell is going on?” Jess blurted before she could think.

Both of them jumped back as if burnt, Nikolai seeming saddened and a little bit ashamed, and Charlotte just looking annoyed.

“Why are you still here Jessica?” she scoffed. 

“I forgot my purse. Were you just kissing him?”

“I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”

“Because, regardless of anything that happened tonight, Nikolai is important to Ollie, and that means I care about him too. And he’s a quarter of your age. What the fuck?”

“Do not use that language with me.”

“I’ll use whatever language I fucking want. Especially to express the kind of abject horror I’m feeling right about now.”

Nikolai, momentarily forgotten, held her purse out to Jess. “Here. Now leave, Jessica.”

“No. I don’t think I should.” She snapped, still glaring at Ollie’s grandmother.

“All Sway men have their...dalliances with the working class,” Charlotte cast a pointed, judgmental look over Jess that made her blood boil. “Why shouldn’t I?”

“Because it’s cruel. And it’s selfish. And Nikolai deserves better.”

“I think he might disagree with you. He has spent all summer not very subtly trying to charm me, and if he’s going to pretend to be Hal because he thinks it will give him what he wants, what happens after is hardly my fault.”

“You’re toying with him. Encouraging it to feed your own ego. Of course it’s your fault.”

“Do you think you’re any better? Are you really so concerned for Nikolai or do you think without me in the way, you can keep them both on a string to dance for you?”

“Excuse me?” She reeled back at the accusation. 

“Oliver is the obvious choice. Wheedle your way in, convince him to use his family’s money, my money, for you, or worse, marry you so half of it will be yours. But Nikolai is the more attractive one, with that irresistible edge of danger to him. And of course you lucked out. He’s a thief, so you’ll still get expensive things. As long as you don’t lose hold of him.”

“You still think that’s what this is about? Greed, money, vanity? I'm not you.”

“I understand it. The power - the only way a woman can truly have power - that comes from claiming men under you. Even if you're under them in a more literal sense, as the case may be.” Charlotte chuckled. “You don’t have to pretend to have a righteous intent.”

“Under...you saw…?” Jess's stomach twisted before she shook her head. “No. It doesn't matter. I don't have to listen to this, or justify myself to you.” Grabbing her purse from the table, she turned to leave.

“Were you hoping for a baby, to trap my grandson before the summer ended and he left? Ask Marlena how well that sort of con works out.” 

A crack echoed through the barn, deafeningly loud in the silence. Charlotte stared in shock, one hand covering the cheek that Jess had just slapped. 

Out of the corner of her eye, Jess saw Nikolai move. He stopped short, nearer to her than she liked, and she blinked in surprise. His face was twisted into a vicious scowl, seemingly at war with himself over whether or not to strike back. 

“How dare you!” Charlotte snapped. “Get off my property immediately. And be glad I'm feeling generous not to have you arrested.”

“Don't you ever speak to me, or about Marlena after everything she's done for you all these years, like that again,” Jess spat, feeling herself shaking with rage, balling her hands into fists and letting her fingernails dig into her palms to ground her.

“Is that a threat?”

“You are a bitter, horrible, old hag. No, it wasn't a threat, I don't need to. Someday you're going to get exactly what you deserve.” She turned on her heel to walk out. Pausing briefly she looked hard into Nikolai's eyes. “Do better. We both know you can, and she's not even worth a fraction of you.”

~

Jess was sobbing by the time she got to Ollie and the station wagon, overwhelmed by the night, Charlotte’s comments cutting deep. He reached for her as she dropped into the seat but she shook her head.

“Just drive,” she managed, sounding so small and miserable that it broke his heart (a fact written plainly across his face). “Please.”

Ollie nodded, heading up the driveway as quickly as he dared. A thousand questions danced on the tip of his tongue only to die when he opened his mouth to speak them. Jess sniffled, seeming to shrink into the seat as she stared blankly out the window, resting her forehead against the glass. 

He reached a hand over, lacing his fingers through hers gently. She jumped, startled back to the moment by the touch.

“Some dinner huh?” he joked, flashing her that adorable half smile that she couldn’t resist.

“God,” she groaned, using her free hand to swipe at her tears. “Your grandmother is the worst.”

“Yeah,” he chuckled. “Yeah, she is.”

Their laughter trailed off and the only sound that remained was the rain on the windshield. 

“Are you okay?” he asked softly. 

Jess looked at their joined hands, and then back at his face, that sweet, kind face that had first drawn her in like a magnet. She thought about how fast the summer had flown, how much they’d been through, how she wouldn’t trade any of it, even tonight. 

“Yeah,” she smiled at him, and meant it, “I’m good.”

———————————————————————————————————–

Taglist: @firstpersonnarrator @misskittysmagicportal

[angst-fairygodmother]

“Did you hear that?” and scenario 8 for Jess and Ollie please? --🦚x

A/N: Sorry for the delay, my darling, and that I didn't get this up before Halloween. I hope you enjoy anyway :) Also, recommended listening: This House is Not Haunted by TMTWNBBFN Word Count: 1293 Rating: T - mild language, death/ghosts, implied sexual conduct

Jess couldn't help the disbelieving giggle that escaped her as Ollie emerged from the bedroom. 

“What the fuck is on your face?” She asked her boyfriend, standing up from the couch to get a closer look, marveling at the elaborate facepaint he had done. 

“Hey. I don't ask you that every time you wear makeup.” He joked back, pouting at her, which looked completely ridiculous (and his inner lip insanely pink) couched in black and white.

“Yeah, but I don't go full Gene Simmons.”

“Why are you being so judgy, woman?” He laughed. “It's my costume for tomorrow night. I wanted to try it out now to make sure I could do it.”

“Wait, are you actually dressing up as a member of KISS?” She gasped dramatically. “Why Oliver, how mainstream.”

He rolled his eyes. “Keep teasing, see if you get any of those tonight.”

“That's fine. My resolve's stronger than yours anyway.” She shrugged, smirking at him. “Although, if you do the whole tight leather pants and spiky vest thing, that might change my mind.”

Ollie laughed, and she could tell by the tone that he was blushing underneath his makeup. “I...might be planning to.”

“Well what are you waiting for? Go put them on! Go, go!” She gave him a shove toward the bedroom.

“Seriously?”

“Lea-ther pants, lea-ther pants!” She clapped her hands, cheering and laughing. “Gimme!”

He rolled his eyes but disappeared to do as she said, coming back down the stairs a few minutes later in an outfit that was practically the opposite of anything she'd seen him in before. Her jaw dropped, and she couldn't help the appreciative whistle she let out. 

“Fuck me,” she said, stepping into his space again and wrapped her arms around him. “What will it take to get you to keep this?”

“If the pants stay, the face stays.” 

She leaned back, tilting her head to study him for a long moment. “I'll get used to it.”

He shook his head affectionately, pressing a sloppy kiss to her cheek and smearing grease paint across them both in the process.

“I suppose since you showed me yours, I should show you mine.” She smirked. “Or maybe the one I'd planned for after the party? We could give your makeup a sweat test?”

~

“Ollie,” Jess hissed, tapping her boyfriend's shoulder to wake him from their nap. “Ollie, wake up!”

“Huh?” He mumbled, sitting up. “Jess? What's the matter?”

“Was Nikolai coming over tonight?”

He frowned, confused. “No. He's going to come in the morning to help me hang decorations. Why?”

“It's nothing,” she shook her head. “Never mind.”

“Are you sure?” He wrapped his arms around her, kissing her shoulder.

“Yeah. I'm fine, promise.” She turned her head to smile at him. 

He cupped her cheek in one hand, drawing her softly into a kiss and back down into bed.

She was just on the edge of sleep when she heard the noise again, just loud enough to startle her but not enough for her to place what it was. She sat up with a gasp.

“Did you hear that?” She asked in a whisper. 

“No. I didn't hear anything.”

“I swear there was a noise…”

“It was probably just the wind.”

She frowned, sure that wasn't the explanation and a little annoyed that he was being so dismissive. Her eyes narrowed as a thought occurred to her. 

“If you two are trying to prank me it's not going to work,” she snapped.

“What?”

“You and Nikolai. The spooky noises. I'm not going to fall for it.”

“What noises are you talking about?” he asked, voice an almost growl of frustration. 

“Fine, play your game,” she huffed, crossing her arms. 

“There's no games Jess,” he sighed pleadingly. “It's an old house, in the middle of nowhere. With a lot of bad memories around it. And it's almost Halloween, so of course you're imagining ghosts or demons. I did, and that was summer.”

“No. You dreamed of a restless spirit, because he had a message for you and couldn't move on until it was delivered. There's a difference. And I'm not imagining things.”

“Jess…” he shifted to be sitting with his chest pressed to her back and arms around her middle. “I swear--”

He was cut off by a series of thumps from downstairs, loud enough to make both of them jump. 

“See?” She hissed, somewhat smug. “I'm not imagining that.” 

“It's probably nothing,” his voice was shaky and she could tell he didn't quite believe it. “Just some animal. Raccoon or something.”

“In the house?”

“Maybe?”

Jess rolled her eyes. “I think we would have noticed a raccoon in the house before now. And we didn't leave anything open for one to get in through.”

“You're saying a ghost makes more sense than a raccoon?!”

“Considering our best friends and their family, I'm shocked you think it doesn't.”

Suddenly, familiar crackling notes drifted into the room and Jess raised an eyebrow. 

“Are the local wildlife big fans of Tweed McKay?”

Oliver froze, staring at the shadows on the other side of the doorway. His face was set in a grim, serious line, and the longer he sat, the more worried about him Jess became. 

“Ollie?” When he didn't answer, she shook his shoulder. “Oliver? You okay?”

“How…?” He asked softly. “They shouldn't be able to...the record's not even down there.”

“Because it's a ghost. Or several ghosts. Screwing with you is one of their primary skillsets. They must have found it somehow.” She frowned, giving his arm a comforting squeeze. “I can...why don't I go down and turn it off?”

He didn’t say anything, but when she stood up, he got dressed with her and followed her down to the living room. They both stopped short at the sight that greeted them. All of the furniture was pushed to the walls and the rug rolled out of the way. As they watched, two shadows moved through the open space.

Oliver moved to cross over to the record player in the corner, and Jess placed a hand on his arm. 

“Be careful,” she murmured in response to his questioning look. “I don't know what happens when ghosts get angry, but it probably isn't good.”

“So we should just leave them? What about all the weird noises you were hearing?” 

“It was apparently them rearranging the room to have a dance floor. Which is kind of romantic.” She shrugged. “As long as it's all they do…”

“What are you saying?”

“I don't know. Maybe it won't hurt to let them have a last dance tonight and call our personal Ghostbusters in the morning, I guess?” 

Ollie looked thoughtful. “Could we wait, if we're going to leave them tonight anyway, and just deal with it after the party?”

“What? Why?”

“It's Halloween! And we have the chance to have actual ghosts at our party. Why wouldn't we want that?”

“Because Charlotte Sway doesn't exactly scream 'roaring good time' or make my top 500 for people I'd want at a party. And I never met your grandfather but everything you've told me makes me think he gets the same assessment.”

“How do you know it's them?”

She fixed him with an 'are you kidding me?' look that said all she needed to and he sighed.

“I guess you have a point. No one else would be dancing to this song.”

“I don’t know, it’s special, like you always said. I can see why someone might want to dance with the person they love to it.” She shrugged, smiling at him.

It took him a moment to register what she was hinting at. Then he smiled sheepishly at her and held out his hand. “Shall we then?”

[angst-fairygodmother]

Girl Talk (The Song of Sway Lake Fic)

A/N: The moment has finally arrived! The first official collab/crossover between myself and @miss-kittys-magical-library​! I’m really excited for how this came out, and how much fun we had writing it together. 😊 Word Count: 3127 Rating: T - mild language, brief mention of blood, discussion of violence

~The Papermill bookstore, Sway Lake~

Selina burst through the door of the bookstore.  She almost doesn't wait for Jess to say hello or ask questions.  Selina is overcome with adrenaline, the exhilaration of what she did. A giant smile spread across her lips.  There's almost a dreamy look in her eyes.  

She's covered in blood: her hands, her jeans, the bottom of her shirt.  Selina held her hands like a surgeon so she didn't touch anything.  

Jess’s mouth hung open while she pointed nervously towards the upstairs.  Her friend knew where to find what she needed.

Selina comes out of the hot shower knowing Jess will be in the room waiting.  She found clean clothes but stopped to study herself in the mirror.  Somehow she felt like her body had changed somehow.  

Selina caught a picture of her and Jess and held it up.  How far they've come from the girls in the photo on her best friend’s dresser.

She glimpsed Jess in the mirror, a strange smirk on her face.  Selina knew something was up.  She handed the picture to her friend and spoke,

“Can you believe this was us?”

------

There had been a time in life where Selina and Jess had told each other everything, no matter what. And yet somehow this summer, one of the most eventful in recent history, Jess hadn’t told her best friend anything. Anyone who had spent any time on the lake knew about tensions between the Sways and...basically everyone, but especially Selina’s mother and her relatives. And more than that, it had been kind of nice to have a good secret all to herself for a little while. But she missed her friend, and would have loved her advice on what to do about the boy who was quickly becoming someone important, and a problem for her heart. 

She was just thinking about the other girl, wondering if she should call her after work, maybe suggest a bonfire or late night rowboat race like they used to have, when Selina burst through the door. Jess’s eyes fell to the blood first, and then rose quickly to Selina’s face and the expression that didn’t match the apparent situation at all. 

A thousand questions raced through her mind as she pointed her best friend toward her bathroom (not that Selina didn’t know where it was by now) and made quick work of closing the shop. She didn’t seem hurt, so everything else could wait. While Selina washed herself clean, Jess dug for any clothes left behind the last time she had come for a visit, and failing that, any old shorts and t-shirt. She left them on top of the dresser and poked her head into the bathroom to gather the discarded bloody garments and throw them into the wash. 

Selina was standing in the bedroom, studying herself in the mirror when Jess returned, and for a moment she wondered, again, if her friend was injured. 

“Can you believe this was us, what?”

Selina laughed, “These girls.  We’re just girls here trying to be grown women.  I sort of treated you like I did Sunny.” 

She waited for Jess to maybe bristle or tense up at his name. “I marched on to the beach, saw the first girl my age who had SOMETHING in common with me, and declared you mine.  We aren't little girls anymore.”  

There was a bittersweetness in her voice.  Selina didn't even care that she was naked. 

Jess laughed. She remembered that day, meeting Selina after escaping her siblings in search of a moment of peace and quiet, far from what actually found her instead. But they had got on so quickly she'd forgotten to be angry about it.  

"No, we really aren't," she agreed with a tinge of nostalgic sadness in her own voice.

She leaned back on her hands on the bed, watching her friend study the picture. "I never minded, you know. It was kind of nice to be claimed by somebody. You'll always be my first for that," she bit her lip, hoping the joke didn't come off as uncomfortable given the situation. 

Selina finally dressed and sat beside her friend on the bed.  Her knuckles caressed the other woman’s cheek before she swept the hair from her face. Without a thought, she leaned in and gently pressed her lips to Jess’s, tongue lingered a bit before she broke away.  

“That's from Sunny too.”  Selina laid on her side tucked under Jess’s arm.  “How is it that I was here for a few weeks, and youuuu have been tramping around Sway Lake with some chick?!  Have you gone FULL lesbian?” she dropped her voice low. 

Jess turned onto her side, propping a head on her arm to face Selina. 

"You two are so weird," she rolled her eyes. "I don't think I'll ever get used to that." 

Her stomach flipped at the thought of Sunny, eyes cast to the ceiling as her thoughts wandered. She loved Ollie, but there was something raw about the idea of losing the other boy, even though he wasn't really hers anymore and hadn't been in quite some time. 

She quirked a teasing eyebrow as she returned to the present moment and the woman beside her.

"If I was going to do that, do you think it would be with anyone else than you? Whoever gave you your gossip needs glasses."

Selina’s mouth dropped open, “There's a guy around here with hair that long?!”  

She linked her arm through Jess’s and pulled her in for a hug.  The other woman now wrapped up in her embrace.  Selina let her chin rest on her friend’s head as she stroked her hair.  “You feel happier.  Content.  Like you're just drifting along.  I know you loved Sunny in your own way, but this is different.  It's the,” she ran a hand up and down Jess’s body without touching it, “this.  Papa would call it your aura.” 

Jess grinned. "I am. I'm really, really happy," she answered dreamily. "Ollie's a really sweet guy. But only here for the summer…"

She swallowed down the lingering bitter taste her argument with Ollie the previous morning had left in her mouth, not wanting to burden the conversation with her fears. Especially not when she still had so many questions of her own. 

"But don't think asking about my love life is going to get you out of explaining yourself, missy." She teased.

Selina sat up, “Oliver Sway?!  Jessica!  Come on.  Any other Tom, Dick or asshole at this stupid lake.  Sunny.  Sunny’s RIGHT THERE.  Just grab him by the ankle and bring him back to Earth.  He needs you.”

She took a breath, “That.. harpie will tear you apart because you aren't good breeding.  It's Sway Lake because that's what those upper crust cunts hold over this entire town.  Sway.  Lakes dont belong to one family, they should belong to EVERY person.  Are Sunny and I the only ones NOT under this family’s curse?  First Tom, then Nikolai and now you.”  

Selina’s voice was full of disappointment more than anger.  She looked at her hands.  Her palms, white and clean, were just caked brownish red not even an hour ago.  “It can't be the both of us.”

"Nikolai?!" Jess asked, staring for a moment before doubling over in laughter. "Oh god it all makes sense now."

She struggled to contain her laughter, gasping for air and wiping away the tears in her eyes from it. 

"Fuck Charlotte Sway, I couldn't care less what she thinks," she said, sobering and then sighing. "It's not like I planned on falling in love with Ollie. But I did, and it kinda scares me. I really really don't want to lose him. And he hates her and the whole legacy bullshit as much as anyone. Let it all rot or burn or whatever."

Jess was silent for a moment. It was hard to say Selina was her only or even oldest friend. But they were best friends, for certain, and they knew everything about each other. There were even times when they were younger that Selina and Sunny had talked about soulmates and Jess had wondered if she were hers. Which is why her stomach twisted with guilt as she realized just how unsettled Selina was, and pretending not to be. 

"But enough about me, it doesn't matter. Are you okay?"

Selina took Jess’s hand in hers.  She laced their fingers together and laid down again.  This time she and her friend were side by side.  She was certain no one in any spoken language had invented a word for what the two of them were.  

Selina knew it was why Leon and Johnny always ended phone calls and visits with long hugs and I love yous.  Why Honey and Klaus showered each other with intimacy and affection Honey showed Leon.  Friendships that made people question your sexual intentions.  It was probably something in the Kostas skin, like a pheromone. 

The 23 year old pushed the thought out of her mind that everyone around them was their friend because they didn't have a choice.  Instead she squeezed Jess’s hand.  

“You know Honey, she holds grudges with a tight grip.  There's only two people she hates: Charlotte Sway and Reginald Hargreeves, and he's the one she really wants dead.  Charlie is lonely and miserable. That's punishment enough for Mama.  Papa always says she would make a great Mafia don. She DID like Tim Sway; 

cried when he killed himself.  He wasn't even Charlot-”  Selina cut herself off.  “Either way Ollie must take after him then.  I hope he does.  I think we played together when we were little?”   

She realized she was avoiding the question and wanted to deflect solely on Jess.  Sunny wasn't the only one who slept around up here, or had a weird effect.  Selina again panicked if maybe, somehow, what was in him was in her.  That the Russian on a canoe in the middle of the night would show up in the Village, screaming at her in the dead of night.  Some of the guys she fucked flopped around on top of Selina for a few minutes, got off while she stared at the ceiling.  Then they laid claim to her like any White guy who thought he owned someone else’s land.

“And don't laugh like that either!  I was doing my duty as a future nurse and helping someone who got hurt.”   

She watched Jess cross her arms, even on her back.  She was giving Selina THAT stare.  Selina threw her hands up. “Ohhh,” she whined, ”I was swimming, floating really.  Probably out further than I should be in the middle of the night, but that fucking moon.  And there he was on his way to get rid of those horrendous jet skis of Jimmy’s.  And he was flirtatious and made me groan, but also laugh?” 

Selina had pulled her knees up to her chest so she could hug them.  A far off look on her face.  “And he's very.. I didn't really pay attention to what he looked like.  WHO, right?  It was just this fire that went through me.  Like I knew him?  

“Mama always talks about the day I was born and speaking into existence this notion. That every version of her will be loved by and love Papa.  She thought it was blood loss creating insanity, but Sunny and I had designs on a love like theirs.”

“And the way Nikolai made me feel, and the way he knew my body?  We didn't even fuck; not like that.  I haven't cum that hard or much ever.  Even by myself.”

“Then he got hurt, and I made Sunny take me to him.  Ollie had saved him, right?  As we're stitching him back together, I see his face.  That face I grew up with three times over.  He's fashioned for me, Jess.  Maybe like Ollie is for you.  But Nikolai is Leon and Nicklaus and Klaus and he's made to be mine.” 

"No, no  I'm not laughing at that, or you," Jess promised. "Just...the first decent conversation Nikolai and I had, he mentioned meeting someone. Matching his description to you is what's funny. And the fact that you two are such opposites." Jess paused, smiling in fondness for both parties in question. "But it's safe to say he likes you, a lot." 

She felt silly now, not putting it together sooner. After all, there was no one else in the world she could think more aptly described as a siren made of the moon. And as funny as it was on paper, something about Selina and Nikolai made sense. 

 And, it made her heart beat giddily. Her faith in fate was complicated, but when it came to the Kostases, the concept was shockingly simple. And it seemed impossible that this was just coincidence, the four of them tied together like this. 

'Or maybe,' she silently scolded, 'it's wishful thinking so you can tell yourself you're not being completely crazy.' 

The rest of what Selina said registered belatedly and she blanched. "Wait. That was a lot of blood. Are you saying that it was all Nikolai's?"

“It was,” Selina replied softly.

"Jesus. What did he do, get in a knife fight?" Her voice was a mixture of concern and annoyance. 

She could see Nikolai doing something like that, to defend his own pride which he deflected onto Ollie, or for some other stubborn, idiotic thing. And now that there were two people she loved who would get hurt if something happened to him, she made a note to have a little chat with him about being so reckless. And to find Ollie later to check on both boys. 

"I know if he had you helping take care of him, I don't have to ask if he'll be alright." She nudged Selina teasingly with a shoulder, hoping to break up some of the heavy, contemplative air settling over them both.

“Knives don't cause QUITE as much damage as you think.  Unless you hit a vein.  Diego showed me how to do it effectively once.  Plus if he's like the others, Nikolai probably prefers fists to weapons.  Or the spider monkey sleeper-hold thing Klaus and Sunny do.  Although Papa stabbed Uncle Jonny once, it was just an artificial wound.” 

Selina suddenly scooped Jess up in her arms so they could go back to a cuddle.  She tangled her legs and arms around Jess to sort of dominate her personal space.  Her forehead pressed into her friend’s neck.

“He and Jimmy got into it, and they were on the boat dock.  Nik slipped and hit his head.  Ollie swam for like, the first time ever to get him up into a boat.  Had pressure on it.  I just stitched him with fishing wire.  They'll do better at the ER.”

Selina sighed, “If he's like them he wouldn't die anyways.  Klaus died like twice in a few days, also head injuries?  Either way, Nikolai would’ve been fine without me.”  

Then almost like an afterthought, “Did you say he talked to you about me?  Probably something about conquests and the Russian army.  But you!  YOU FELL IN LOVE this summer!  I got my pussy licked and think he's this mythical soulmate.  You're in actual, real love.”

Selina propped up on her elbow, “Have you slept together?  No I'm sorry,  YOU get to call it MAKING LOVE!!”  she burst into a fit of giggles around cheeks fired by jealousy.  “I am happy for you.  I promise.  I'm glad Sunny..  I'm just happy.”

"No, actually," Jess said, shifting around Selina so they tucked together more cleanly, like two matched puzzle pieces. This kind of closeness wasn't Jess's favorite thing, but Selina knew that, and Jess trusted that if she didn't need it, she wouldn't be initiating it. "It was surprisingly non-militant. And only one nautical reference."

Jess hesitated, remembering some of the incidents Selina had to deal with and one or two more from the summers that  Sunny, or Jess herself, had headed off before they got far enough to be a concern (or for Selina to even know). She wanted her friend to know just what Nikolai had said, and that he very much did not just see her as just some conquest. But the line between sweet and creepy was a hazy one at best. She brought one hand away from the tangle to fret the corner of her thumb between her teeth while she thought it over. 

"I'm not saying I'm jealous...but I thought it was romantic. And dramatic of course, look who we're talking about. But dramatic isn't always bad. I wish you'd stop dismissing yourself like that. Soulmate or no, you have some sort of feelings for him which seem serious; one might call it a crush at least. And he made you feel good. He made you happy. You're allowed that. You deserve it. And now, for the moment if not more, you have it, savor it." 

"As for Ollie and me..." 

She froze, frowning as she struggled to figure out just what to say. There was a part of her that feared a reputation of some kind (even though it was just Ollie that she'd been a first time for, and Sunny, but he didn't count). And another part that wanted to keep it to herself, even though most of her wanted to share. She bit again at her thumb, searching for words. 

"It's not that big of a deal?" 

Selina bit her lip before a yawn escaped her.  “One: a crush is a crush because you can get hurt.  Otherwise, it would be called a cushion.  I think that's what Papa said once.  Or was it Klaus?”  

Selina closed her eyes now. “Either way, it's a very big deal!  I can feel the difference in you.  I want you to be in love.  To maybe leave Sway Lake.  Come back to the city with me?  Close up this place for a few months.  You can live with me.  Or Oliver for a little while. Oh lovely little Oliver making my sweet Jessica come ‘round again.  All your sadness and little pieces everywhere.  I couldn't stitch you back together with fishing wire, could I?  I shouldn't have let Sunny break your heart.  I just didn't want being around me to remind you of him.  I'm sorry.  But Ollie.. he’ll..  Sorry, I think I'm a bit delirious from adrenaline?  Mind if I nap a bit?” 

But Selina was fast asleep before Jess could give permission.

Jess shook her head with a smile, carefully extricating herself and tucking her friend into the bed. Selina had given her a lot to think about.

[angst-fairygodmother]

Love Lessons (Oliver Sway x Jess O’Neill)

Word Count: 2444 Rating: E - teasing, handjob, hair pulling, penetration, language

“Oliver?” Jess asked, tilting her head questioningly as he froze, poised above her exactly where she wanted him but staring like a deer in headlights.

“I don’t...I’m...I’ve…” he stumbled over his own words as he tried to explain, before rolling off to the side with an explosive sigh.

“You don’t have to be afraid to tell me anything,” she said, rising up on her elbow so that she was the one looking down at him now. “I’m not going to judge. I love you.”

“There’s never been girls exactly lining up to get with the weird long-haired music nerd. So I’m...not experienced with this. I don’t know what I’m doing. Nikolai said that--”

The rest of his words were mumbled as she lightly pressed a hand over his mouth to silence him. 

“I don’t want to talk about Nikolai while we’re in bed, alright?” she asked, eyes crinkling with laughter. “And I don’t care about...look it’s not something you can become an expert at. Well, I guess you could, but you don’t need to be. Just...trust your instincts. And trust me.”

“What?” he asked, face contorted and words still muffled until she drew her hand away.

She leaned down, lightly kissing the corner of his mouth. “Sex is about communicating, listening.”

She dipped further, kissing the underside of his jaw. “I’ll show you.”

A third kiss to his Adam's Apple as he swallowed nervously. “What I like.” 

Now she nipped at his collarbone, smirking at the whimper that escaped him. “What I don’t.”

Her hair brushed against his skin, tickling him as she placed the next on his chest, just over his heart. “What’ll make me putty in your hands.”

She sat back, looking at him. “And you tell me the same. Or we don’t have to do this right now, if you’re not ready…?”

“What? Why wouldn’t I…?” he seemed appalled that she would even suggest such a thing.

“It was a question, Ollie. You’re nervous, and seem a little uncomfortable. I just wanted to make sure you’re sure about this.”

“I am.” He stared earnestly into her eyes as he assured her, not an ounce now of hesitation.

She smiled, nodding softly in acceptance as she let him draw her down, mouths meeting and tongues twining, breathing each other like they were more necessary than air. The fingers of one hand curled against his chest, the other tangling its way into that long, wild mane she loved. Without breaking the kiss, she shifted one leg over his so that she sat across his lap.

He kept her close with his hand around her back and slowly trailed over her ribs, gently exploring the skin until he brushed over the band of her bra and stopped short. She pulled back, just enough to meet his eyes, and smirked at him.

“You think you can take that off, or do you want me to do it for you?” she teased. 

He made a childish, mocking face and she giggled, the bubbly noise trailing off into a surprised gasp as he undid the clasp with shocking deftness and guided the garment off. After he cast it aside, he ran his hands slowly down her chest and stomach, and then back up to cup and squeeze the soft flesh of her breasts. Hoping he remembered how she liked to be touched, and that it was the same without layers of clothing between them, he ran the pads of his thumbs across her nipples, pressing as he did. 

She arched into his touch, a soft mewling sound escaping her.

“Gentler,” she hummed as he stroked back the other way. “I can feel it without so much pressure.”

Moving torturously slow, he barely brushed across her nipples a third time before changing patterns, setting a tempo, her body writhing to a silent waltz. Hesitantly he half-sat up in the bed, bending at the waist beneath her, so that he could add his lips, soft and wet against her feverish skin. 

“Oh,” she breathed, one hand bracing beside them and the other wrapping around his head, pressing him further against her. 

Jess wanted to scream for how badly she wanted more, but she tried to fight back the feeling. Tonight was supposed to be about Ollie. She slid her hands slowly down his neck and across his collar, marvelling in the trail of goosebumps her touch left, even as he drove her close to begging. Gently she took him by the shoulders and pushed him back again, his lips leaving her with a soft smack. She smiled down at him, placing a quick peck to the end of his nose, motioning for him to stay put. 

Slowly, she trailed featherlight kisses down his body again, continuing lower until her breath ghosted over the erection between his legs. She wrapped her fingers around it, dragging her nails teasingly along the vein. Ollie whimpered, her name coming out in a stutter as she continued to stroke it, alternating twists of her wrist and teasing the head with her thumb.

“Do you like that?” She asked, smirking down at him.

“Y-yes, fuck, Jess…” he moaned, stretching out his hands to her, wanting to touch some part, any part of her. 

“Do you want to grab my hair Ollie?” she urged, shifting on the bed so he could reach. “Go ahead. You can even pull it if you like.”

Hesitantly he combed his fingers through her hair, and she slowed her own motions to mimic him, using her free hand to hold his hips as he tried to buck against her. After a few strokes and pleading moans that did nothing to move her, although each sound stirred her and she could feel her panties becoming soaked, he seemed to realize what she was doing. Experimentally his grip tightened, wrapping the strands around his hands. She rewarded him with a soft moan and picked up the speed of her motions. As he bucked harder, lifting slightly off the bed despite her weight pressing on him, she bent down, relishing in the pull against her scalp, and pressed a kiss to his head, tongue darting out to brush the slit. 

He gasped sharply, yanking her head back in surprise. She yelped, the pain stinging. 

“Shit. Sorry. Are you okay?” He cried, rushing to release his hold and trying to sit up to check on her. 

“Relax,” she laughed, moving both hands to his shoulders and her face to hover over his. “I'm fine. Are you?”

“Yeah. Yes. Fine. Just. That felt...I don’t think I’ll last very long if you keep doing that.” He flushed, embarrassed by the revelation, and she leaned in to kiss him softly. 

“It’s okay Ollie. Those are things I want you to tell me. I just want to make you feel good. And I don’t mind whether we don’t make it to tab A, slot B tonight.”

He frowned in confusion before sputtering a laugh at her euphemism before sobering. “I do though. I want to make you feel good too Jess. That’s...all I ever want.”

“Oh Ollie,” she sighed, brushing back his wild hair. “You’re too sweet.” 

She kissed him again and he wrapped his arms tighter around her shoulders, keeping her close and pressing his tongue between her lips. She sighed into it, parting easily for him, letting him consume her until her head spun from the lack of air. 

As she pulled back enough for them both to breathe, his hand wandered down her spine, making her shiver. She ground her clothed core against him as he dove to reconnect their lips and held her, seeking any amount of friction she could, their tangle of tenderness and passion making her head spin. 

“I want you.” She surprised herself with how suddenly and fiercely the words slipped from her. 

“I’m yours,” he promised, voice cracking slightly. 

Her heart fluttered, but the slick between her thighs and the fire in her stomach kept her from appreciating the sentiment. 

“No. I mean…” she took one of his hands in hers, reaching down and guiding it to her wet folds for him to feel. “I want you. Inside me, on top of me, anything. Please.”

He inhaled sharply as their overlapped fingers found her clit, leading him in circles over it that made her keen softly into his skin where she pebbled kisses to the underside of his jaw. Cautiously he cradled her with his free arm and rolled them so that she lay beneath him, hair spread like a halo. Slowly, he slid her underwear down, tracing lines on the sensitive skin of her inner thighs and the back of her knees, fingers reverent. 

“Wait,” she said, stopping him cold as he started to make his way back up her body. 

“What...what is it? Did I do something wrong?”

“No. No, you’re...god you’re amazing. But...the last thing either of us needs right now is a baby,” she repressed a shudder at the thought. “Bottom drawer.” 

She pointed to the nightstand to her left, waiting patiently where she lay as he scrambled to retrieve a condom and fumbled with the little foil package. Trying to suppress a laugh, she took it from him, pulling him close as she slid it over his erection, making him moan again in the process. 

“There, now...where were we?” she teased, brushing him through her slick, teasing herself on him. “Right about, here?” She lined him up with her entrance as she spoke.

He nodded, biting his lip and closing his eyes as he slowly slid inside.

“Oliver,” she whined maybe a tiny bit exaggeratedly, as he filled her, satiating a hunger in her gut. 

He groaned as he continued to press, seeking a seat deep within her, until he couldn’t go any more. Then he froze for a moment, confidence lost. Wrapping one hand around the back of his neck and scratching lightly with her nails to catch his attention, she pulled his gaze up from where they joined and made him meet her eyes. Sure that he was paying attention, that he could see the need and desire she felt for him, she rolled her hips slowly, leading him into motion. 

His thrusts remained erratic and sharp and punctuated by grunts and pants, driving hard and imprecise. She took one of his hands again, the other braced against the pillows beside her head, and led him to her clit, reminding him of the motions that made her cry his name and gasp, made him moan as her walls fluttered around him in response. 

“Yes, Ollie,” she panted, her hand dropping to clutch the sheets as he proved a quick study of her body, musician’s instinct helping him to play her to crescendo. “Fuck. Yes. I’m so close…”

“Jess! Fuck!” The way her body reacted to him and the earlier teasing proved to be too much for him as he found his own climax with a cry. 

He continued to thrust awkwardly into her, face twisting in guilt that he didn’t bring her to completion, until he had spilled completely into the condom. He tried to keep on even as he softened and finally gave up. As he pulled out, hands still working, by chance he brushed against the sweet spot within her and something snapped. 

She tugged on his neck, pulling him into a crushing, needy kiss as the orgasm she didn’t expect to have tonight found her, waves of fire overtaking her and leaving her a puddle. He stopped, still half inside, feeling her body spasm around him, pulling away though she tried to chase his lips, a look of concern crossing his face. When he found no trace of pain in her face, only the blissed smile and glassy eyes she fixed on him, he reconnected, tongue tangling with hers before he collapsed to her side.

“Wow,” he panted, rolling onto his back, and she laughed, resting her cheek against his chest despite the sheen of sweat covering it.  

~

She wasn’t sure how much time passed, drifting in and out of sleep tucked close under Ollie’s arm, her head resting above his heart. She was dimly aware of his fingers tracing patterns on her shoulder where he held her, and of the stiff way that he laid there, staring up at the ceiling rather than sleeping. But she knew him well enough by now to know that asking him for his thoughts wouldn’t get much of anywhere. Instead, she waited, tracing her own shapes on his sternum. 

Finally, after she was starting to think that they’d spend the rest of their night in this holding position, Ollie spoke.

“I found it,” he said, sounding sadder than she expected from such a proclamation. 

“Oh,” she tried not to let her own disappointment creep into her tone. She knew their time was short, and that he was leaving once he found his record, but as a nebulous thing that didn't sting nearly as much as the reality, or the fact that he had kept it from her until now, did.

“I’ve got it tucked away until I can figure out how to leave with it.”

“Figure out? Aren’t you just going to put it in your luggage and go?”

“I need a reason. She’ll be suspicious if I just take off.”

“I could pretend to break up with you? I think anyone would buy that as a reason to cut your losses and bail.” 

“No, that won’t work.” He shook his head, the ends of his long hair tickling her cheek. 

“Why not?”

“Because I want you to come with me.”

She sat up in bed, curling one knee to her chest and leaning her chin on it as she turned to look at him, eyes wide. 

“Ollie...you know I can't.”

“Why not?” He sat up too, facing her. “Screw this place.”

“Flawed or not, this is my home. I...have responsibilities, and I built a life here. Which means no matter how much I want to, I can't just pack up and run away with Prince Charming.”

“I know it’s a lot to ask, but Jess, I love you.” The tone of voice seemed to say that should be enough, and that she shouldn’t need anything else to do just that. 

She sighed, scrubbing a hand over her face. “I...can we talk about this tomorrow? I don’t want to ruin tonight…and we’re both tired...”

He looked for a moment like he might argue before he deflated, pulling her into his arms and they both lay back down. “Yeah, sure. Tomorrow.”

[angst-fairygodmother]

37 and 66 from I love you things with Ollie and Jess?

A/N: Hi Nonny! Thank you so much for this prompt. I’m so sorry it took me a while to write, but I hope it was worth the wait. I went back and forth while writing this between making it a reader-insert and using Jess as an actual OC and finally settled on the latter, because it just felt right. (Which is probably how I will continue to write this pair going forward also.) Word Count: 3493 Rating: G - mostly fluff - heights (and fear of influencing how it’s written), a little swearing, referenced/implied panic attack

Jess closed the shop at 6pm on the dot, giving herself an hour to get ready for...whatever Ollie had planned. There weren’t a lot of places to go out to dinner in the area, and she desperately hoped he wouldn’t start out by inviting her home to meet the infamous Charlie Sway. She chewed nervously on her nail, staring at her closet. She knew she needed something that would work for anything, but her mind continued to run in circles trying to decide exactly what that meant. 

She couldn’t remember the last time she’d given this much thought to what she looked like on someone else’s account. It felt strange to say the least. But, she mused, not a bad kind of strange. Eventually, she settled on a cute cream-colored sweater and jeans, hoping that the evening temperature dropped enough to make them reasonable.

There was a soft knock on the door and she frantically cast one last look over herself in the mirror, smoothing down her shirt and hair, stomach twisting nervously. 

She threw open the door perhaps a bit overenthusiastically, a warm expression on her face. 

“Hi,” she greeted him, the single syllable all she could get out as she met those soft blue eyes. 

Ollie grinned when he saw her, the excited, adoring expression making her heart flutter. It was hard for Jess not to scoff at the cliché, when she was behaving like the protagonists of the romances she sold by the dozen. But at least he was looking at her the same way, and seemed at least momentarily speechless. 

“Uh, do you want to come in?” she offered meekly after a moment, gesturing over her shoulder. “Or I can come out, and we can...I mean...um...”

The two of them stood there, staring at each other dumbly for a moment, on either side of the doorway. 

“So...where are we going?” she asked after a long pause ripe with awkward tension. She wanted to kick herself. Ollie had been so easy to talk to from the moment he walked into her store, but now, suddenly they were going on a proper date and everything felt different?

“I have a picnic bag in the back of my car, and I thought we could drive somewhere, and then maybe hike a bit?”

“A hike?” she asked nervously. “Like, up into the mountains?”

“Yeah. There’s a point up there that has great views of the entire town and the lake. Nik heard about it from one of the girls at the bar we were flirting with…I mean he was flirting with mostly. It wasn’t...I mean I didn’t...and this was before I met you…”

“Ollie,” she laughed lightly, tilting her head to one side to look at him. “I’m not the blushing, swooning virginal maiden, and I don’t expect you to be either.” 

He coughed, face turning crimson and she couldn’t help smiling fondly. Finally, things were feeling a little more normal, this was still the same Ollie she had come to adore. 

“You’re also only here for the summer, or however long it takes you to find your Dad’s record. So I hadn’t set my hopes on serious, or exclusive. I just think you’re cute, and fun to be around, so why not enjoy something and see what happens with it?”

“Oh.” His face twisted as he considered her words.

“However, I don’t think a hike is a good idea. It’s going to be dark soon.”

“There’s still almost two hours before sunset, and I brought flashlights so we can get back down the mountain.”

Of course, he had planned ahead. It would be stupid to plan a hiking date and not account for that, and he was far from stupid. And they were both dressed fine for the occasion. Her mind quested desperately for some other reason that they shouldn’t go and came up blank. So instead she held up a finger for him to wait, and went back to collect her camera. If she were going to do this, she might as well get some good photographs out of it, she rationed. Maybe even one she could sell prints of, if she was incredibly lucky. (She already felt insanely so, when such a wonderful boy wanted to go out with her, so why not see how far that streak ran?)

~

The first part of the hike went surprisingly smoothly, and it didn’t take long before Jess and Ollie were joking and laughing, scrabbling over rocks like young goats, playing eye-spy with the woods, any weirdness melting away in the evening sun. She barely noticed the way their path climbed, and felt completely relaxed.

Gradually, without her noticing, the trail narrowed and became steeper, until it rounded a tight bend up ahead, nothing but air off to her left and solid rock to the right. She swallowed nervously, trying to keep her eyes from the empty space. All of her joviality dropped away like the ground. 

“Jess?” Ollie asked, noticing her discomfort as she edged very slowly along. “Are you alright?”

“Yes. Yeah. Fine. I just...don’t like heights.” She answered, breath and words coming in short bursts. 

“Oh. Shit. Um, we can turn back if you want? I didn't realize you--”

“No. No, it's fine. We're here now. I'll make it through. You just might have to hold my hand for the way back down.”

She’d meant it as a joke, a light flirtation to distract her from the many, many feet she could fall with one misstep. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to be doing any good, as her mind found a way to focus on both the space and how cheesy the sentence was.

“Do...you want me to now?” he countered, holding one slim hand out. 

She flashed him a small smile, taking it with her own and trying not to think too much about how nice, how right it felt. “You’ve been taking lessons with Nikolai haven’t you?”

“What?”

“That was smooth, Oliver,” she teased, enjoying the way he turned red all the way to the tips of his ears. 

~

Eventually, the young couple made it to the overlook, with much gentle guidance from Ollie to keep Jess’s nerves from overwhelming her, and she gasped. The lake stretched out below them, still and silver in the evening light, shining like a mirror. Tiny specks of color, moving too fast or too far for the eye to really track marked the boaters and jetskis, and kites flown from the small public beach. Most of the buildings disappeared into the verdant green surroundings, and the ones she could still spot looked like houses and shops and mansions for Polly Pockets, not people. The sun was just starting to dip behind the mountains on the far side of the lake, hazy outlines of shadow against the sherbert sky. 

“Oh, Ollie,” she breathed, stunned. “It’s beautiful.”

He mumbled something she didn’t catch and started unpacking the picnic he’d brought in his backpack. Not wanting to disturb him, and clearly left to her own devices for the moment, she took out her camera, adjusting the lens carefully, capturing as much of the view as she could. Then, on an impulse she turned around and snapped one of Ollie, silhouetted against the forest and the peeks of sunset between the trees, before he could notice. The sound of the shutter, or the finishing touches being put on dinner, made him look up.

“What are you doing, Jess?” he asked, confusion written across his features. 

“Taking pictures of beautiful things,” she answered with a shrug, bringing the camera to her eye again.

“No,” he held up his hand to block it, laughing. 

“I’m serious. This place, up here away from it all, suits you.”

“You’re full of shit, Jess.” He shook his head, his hair falling across his face.

She took another photo while his guard was down. 

“Come sit down. Marlena put together a good meal.” 

Relenting after another photo out into the distance, almost wishing she dared to get closer to the edge of the overlook, she carefully disassembled her camera, storing each piece with reverence back in its bag, before sitting across from him. He had set up quite the array on the blanket: simple but delicious looking toasted sandwiches, glasses and lemonade, berries and chunks of watermelon, and what looked like very freshly baked chocolate-chip cookies.

“Ollie, it looks amazing,” she said with a smile, popping a sweet, juicy blackberry into her mouth with a small, exaggerated moan. “And tastes even better.”

He blushed, shrugging and laughing sheepishly. “All I did was carry it up here.”

She rolled her eyes as he deflected yet another compliment. He seemed to always be doing that, much to her frustration, and she made a mental note to find a way to make him see how much she meant them, how true each one was. 

Silence fell over the two of them as they started picking at the buffet between them, but it was an easy one, a pause rather than an interruption, and eventually conversation resumed. She asked him about his search for his father’s record and listened as he spoke of the things he had found, which weren’t what he was looking for but seemed to bring (mostly) happy memories of his childhood. He asked for stories of her family, and of what the town was like when summer-people left. 

“Sway Lake is a different place,” she concluded eventually, casting her eyes about her on the clifftop, “just like it is from up here. Or frozen in a moment in your record.” 

By now the remains of the food had been set aside, and the pair had scooted closer on the picnic blanket, sitting side by side and facing out, instead of across from one another. Hesitantly, Jess shifted her hand closer so that their pinkies brushed, daring him to take action and hold her hand again. He didn’t seem to notice as he turned to face her, eyebrows knitted in confusion. 

“I…” he cleared his throat and started over. “You have a really unique view of the world.” 

Something in the way he said it made it feel like the kindest compliment someone could give, and it was finally her turn to blush, ducking her head to hide as her cheeks heated furiously. 

“I mean I guess,” she fiddled with the edge of the picnic blanket beside her, plucking at a loose thread so she didn’t have to meet his eyes just yet. “I’ve never really thought about it like that...”

“The view up here must be great for photos,” he said, making her laugh at his abrupt change of subject, obviously picking up on her embarrassment and knowing it well. 

“Yeah, it is. I’m hoping they come out well. Thank you for showing it to me.”

“The way people were talking, it’s pretty well known...how come you haven’t been up here before?”

“Heights, remember?” she flashed him a half-smile as she tilted her head to one side. “I’ve never had someone invite me before who seemed worth the risk.”

“How do you know if something’s worth it without ever seeing it?”

“You know your record is without hearing it don’t you? Besides, I said someone, not something.”

He froze, blinking owlishly at her. 

“Ollie?” she asked after a long pause, wondering what was going on with him suddenly.

“Can I kiss you?” he blurted, and now it was her turn to freeze, the question momentarily incomprehensible. 

“Yes,” she breathed, barely getting the word out before his lips were pressed against hers. 

The contact was abrupt, almost a headbutt but more romantic. There was a moment of awkward fumbling, of bumping noses and clashing teeth, until their mouths finally slotted together properly. Even after finding the right way to connect, there was a split second of hesitation, and then his hands came up to frame her jaw, pulling her closer, the tips of his fingers teasing at her hairline and the small hairs that had escaped the scrunchie holding most of it back. Keeping one of her own hands on the blanket to hold herself steady, Jess wrapped the other around the back of his neck like an anchor and leaned into the pressure of his soft lips on hers. 

All too soon he pulled away, panting breathlessly, and staring at her with an awe that made her own breath catch in her throat. She was half tempted to pull him back into another kiss, if only to make him stop looking at her like that. 

A distant roll of thunder shattered the moment, and her eyes flickered toward the clouds gathering on the blue-purple horizon. 

“We should probably head back, before that gets here,” she said reluctantly, wishing she had more time.

Ollie nodded in agreement, and the two of them made quick work of packing back up the remains of the picnic. He handed her a heavy black flashlight (that, she noted gratefully, and then laughed internally at her own thought, would double as a decent weapon against a rogue mountain lion at least long enough to run) and set off down the mountain. She tried to follow him without looking down, but the uneven terrain in the growing darkness made that too difficult to maintain. Soon the very idea filled her with just as much fear as looking. The edge of the path seemed to drop sharply, drawing ever closer to her feet in the narrow beam of yellow light, until it felt like she was walking along the very line of the drop. 

She stopped short with a yelp, head spinning from the sensation and whole body trembling. The sound made Ollie turn around sharply, placing himself as a barrier between her and the fall as she pressed her back firmly against the rock. 

He took her by the shoulders, trying to get her to make eye contact instead of staring blankly at the sight, or lack of sight beyond him. 

“Jess? Can you hear me?” he asked. “It’s alright, Jess. I’m right here, I won’t let you fall.”

Her blood roared in her ears and she saw his lips move but it was too loud for her to hear him.

When talking didn’t seem to work, he wrapped his arms around her, drawing her into a tight hug. Her fingers curled into his sweatshirt, clinging to him like a lifeline. Face pressed into the side of his neck she let out a sob, as the world spun around her much too fast.

~

The rest of the journey down to Ollie’s station wagon and much of the drive were a blur. Jess wasn’t completely unconvinced that he had somehow found a way to carry her down, although that was giving his physical strength more credit than he looked like it deserved. The storm picked up as they drove, clouds turning the sky to black, lit only by the occasional crash of lightning, and rain slamming against the roof and windows.

All too soon, the car stopped, parking in the narrow street in front of her building. They exited the car and promptly Ollie took her by the hand, lacing their fingers together. Not wanting to stand in the rain, she used the point of contact to drag him along, running as if she could dodge the water falling from the sky until they made it to her door. They stood there under the eaves, hair and clothing dripping, facing each other reluctantly, not wanting to say goodnight just yet.

“Tonight was…” he said, pausing. 

“Amazing?” she finished, smiling and feeling the light heat of a blush on her cheeks.

“Yeah. That.” He smiled back, and looked for a moment (during which her heart beat like a bird trying to escape her chest) like he was going to kiss her again. “I should let you go inside…”

“Stay over,” she blurted out before she could consider the words. 

“W-what?” he stared at her like she’d just grown an extra head or twelve. “Jess I can’t do that…”

“It’s late. And the weather’s bad. And I saw you yawning while we were driving back. I’d worry about you if you tried to go home now.”

“It’s just around the other side of the lake…”

“Yeah, but that’s like half an hour unless you drive recklessly. All it takes is drifting off for a second...please stay?”

“But...what will people think?”

“People,” she raised an eyebrow, “or your grandmother?”

“I don’t just mean her. I don’t want you to be treated like--”

“A slut?” 

He shuffled and looked away. 

“People aren’t that bad, you know. There are a handful of dicks, but most of town doesn’t give a shit.” 

“I didn’t mean…” he frowned. “I’m a Sway. I know people don’t like my family. If you’re seen with me like that...I know what being an outcast feels like, and I don’t want you to have to feel that way.”

“Well I guess you'll just have to make sure no one sees, then.” She smirked, before she sighed. “Look, Ollie. We're grown adults. What we do at night, or any other time, or with whom is no one's business but our own.”

“I know but--”

“No. No buts. I wouldn't have invited you to sleep over if I didn't mean it, or I wasn't prepared for gossip and fallout. It’s up to you. I just would feel a lot better if you did.”

“You really want me to stay?”

She rolled her eyes and fixed him with a look rather than actually answering. The wet breeze sent a shiver over her as she turned to unlock the door, not waiting anymore for him to make a decision. 

“And it’s not...too fast?”

She shrugged, taking him by the arm to pull him into the house and into a kiss. Her other hand threaded into his hair and his hovered over her hips as if he wasn’t quite sure he was allowed to touch her .

“Too fast is a myth,” she murmured, breath ghosting across his face. “Besides, I was inviting you into my house, not my bed.” 

She’d lost count by now of the number of times she’d managed to make Ollie blush tonight, but each time you did was just as adorable as the first. 

“Although, I was going to offer to take the couch,” she said over your shoulder as she led the way toward the furniture in question, “so I guess it was...also...into my bed…this is...I’m making it weird.”

“What? No!” he fumbled to reassure her. “I mean, no. You’re not, not no I won’t sleep in...I don’t want to, without you. Not that we have to sleep together. It’s just. It’s your bed.”

“God we’re a pair,” she said, laughing now as she dropped down and motioned for him to sit beside her. “Tripping over ourselves like romantic baby deer.”

“I just don’t want to mess this up,” he admitted sheepishly, sitting awkwardly perched on the edge of the cushion as if he was going to run at any moment. 

“Is there...something to mess up?” she asked, reaching over to take his hand and lacing her fingers through his. 

“I think so,” the words may have been a statement but his face was a question as he turned toward her a little more. “I don't want this to be some summer fling, Jess. I want it to be real.”

“Hey, summer flings can also be real. There was this one guy who…” she paused at Ollie's expression and shook her head, “never mind. The point is they're not mutually exclusive. But I appreciate the sentiment. And I’d really like that too.”

“What does that mean though?” he asked. 

She paused. “That’s what we have to decide. But...not tonight. It’s late. We should go to bed and talk about it when we’re rested.” She fought back a yawn that emphasized her point as she stood. 

He nodded, watching her turn and cross the room, eyes lingering low. It took him a moment to realize when she had stopped moving again. 

“Well aren't you coming?” 

“What?” he squeaked out. 

“It occurs to me, the bed is big enough for two and way more comfortable than the couch.”

“I…”

“I just mean to sleep, for real. And, I guess, maybe cuddling?” She bit her lip nervously. “Unless you're not good with that…”

He stared for another long, awkward moment. “Even with my nightmares?”

She shrugged. “Yeah. I’ll deal. Or maybe having someone else beside you will help.” 

Ollie scrambled to his feet, nearly tripping over himself in his rush to join her by the doorway. She laughed, lacing her fingers with his and leading him further through the apartment, silently marveling at how well things had gone, for a first date.

[angst-fairygodmother]

Exchanges: Come With Me (The Song of Sway Lake Story)

After sleeping together, Jess and Ollie have a few things to work out. [Direct continuation of Love Lessons].

A/N: Here there be mood-whiplash. Word Count: 1362 Rating: T - mild language, angst, implied sexual conduct

Jess was still asleep when Ollie woke up, their bodies slotting together naturally and her forehead pressed between his shoulder blades. He quietly slipped from the bed, finding his boxers and stepping over Lenore out into the hall. A quick shower later, he stood in the kitchen, wondering if he should make breakfast to go along with the coffee he’d set to brew, when the sound of someone’s throat being cleared startled him. 

“Morning,” he said sheepishly, voice sleep-gravelled as he turned to face Jess. 

He paused for a second, stunned by how beautiful she was, framed in the doorway by the morning light. He was struck by the simple and obvious fact that she was an angel. Unfortunately, his angel looked more vengeful than saving. 

“You're still here,” she observed with surprise.

“We said we were going to talk in the morning.”

She offered him a wry half-smile. “Most people wouldn't have actually stuck around to do that though. Easier to just avoid the problem.”

“If I did that there'd be no chance of you considering my invitation.” He stepped forward to try to wrap his arms around her, and stopped in confusion when she stepped back. 

“Oh it's an invitation now?” Her eyebrow raised challengingly and she crossed her arms over her chest. Something about the way she moved made the collar of her robe slip, exposing more of her skin and making it hard for him to think.

“What are you talking about, Jess? It's always been an invitation.”

“Really? Because 'Fuck this place, I want you to come with me' sounds more like a demand. Or an ultimatum.”

“What?”

“You hate it here. And I understand that. But it felt, it feels like you want to leave and never look back.”

“I do.”

“So my choice is you or here?”

Ollie was silent. Jess brought her hand up to chew on the corner of her thumb. 

“I don't want to have to choose,” she said eventually, tearfully. “But I will.”

He frowned, feeling his own eyes starting to sting, both at the conversation and the thought that he had upset her.

“No. You don't have to choose,” he said quickly. “I didn't want to make you feel like that. I love you. I'll stay, for you.”

“That's not fair either.” 

She shook her head, her defensive stance deflating. She finally let herself step into his space, hand coming up to cup his jaw. He leaned instinctively into her touch. 

“I love you Ollie. But if us means someone has to compromise and be unhappy, maybe--”

“No.” He shook his head vehemently and this time he was the one to step back. “No. There has to be a way.”

“I want there to be. But I don't see it.”

“Why are you being like this?” he sighed in frustration.

“Me?” she scoffed. “You’re the asshole that waited until after we had sex to tell me you were leaving.”

“You knew I was only here for the summer.”

“I didn't know that you'd expect me to leave with you.” She threw her arms annoyedly in the air.

“I don't exp--”

“Fine!” She turned away and wrapped her arms tightly around herself. “I didn't know you'd want me.”

“Jess…” 

She swiped angrily at her tears. “I thought by now Nikolai would have convinced you I'm not worth the effort, or you'd have picked someone else, and you'd be happy to leave, and, and, that'd be that. This...I don't have a plan for this.”

“Is that what this is about?” He asked softly, placing his hands on her elbows and drawing her back against his chest. 

“What?” She frowned in confusion. 

“You're not worried about staying or leaving are you?” He kissed the side of her neck just below her ear and she fought herself wanting to lean into the soothing touch. “We said we'd figure things out. Together.”

“And then we didn’t. Just ignored the fact that this was going to become a problem sooner rather than later.”

He spun her around to face him. “I love you Jess. So tell me what you want to do, and I'll do it.”

“I don't want that,” she shook her head. “I don't want to just tell you what to do and have you do it.” 'You deserve someone not bent on controlling you.’ she silently added.

“So, what then?”

“I don't know!” She groaned. “We're just going in circles. It's pointless!”

His hands tangled into her hair suddenly and he kissed her. The action startled her, their teeth clacking together before she melted. She mirrored him, nails dragging across his scalp as she combed into his locks. She pushed back, tongue sliding into his mouth and hips pinning him to the edge of her counter. He released her hair, hands wandering to the edges of her robe now, caressing the skin beneath it and drawing out a sigh.

“W-wait,” Jess breathed, pulling back. His lips made their way to her jaw and she pressed a hand to his chest, leaning back. “Ollie, how does this help?”

He looked at her and she realized that he was crying.

“Hey,” she reached out to brush the tears away. “What? What is it?”

“I just wanted to kiss you one last time,” he whispered shakily. 

“Last time? What are you talking about?” She swiped away a few more of his tears.

“We're breaking up, aren't we?”

“Why would we be doing that?” She wasn't sure whether to laugh or to cry. “Do...you want to?”

Even in the split second of waiting for his answer, she felt like a fist clamped around her, twisting her stomach and making it impossible to breathe. 

“No! I just thought…” he sighed, shoulders slumping.

It felt like a slap in the face. She had hurt him, and scared him, and now risked losing him. And for what? She loved him, in a way she had never felt before, even when she tried. Her heart raced and the only thought she could focus on was ‘fix this.’ She took a deep, steadying breath and forced it out slowly.

“I hate this, fighting with you. And I'm sorry.” Her forehead pressed to his. “I just, panicked.”

He brushed his fingers against her cheek and nodded, letting her go on.

“You're not leaving today, so we have time. To figure out what comes next. Long distance and visits or something. But we really do have to figure it out. You're not, are you? Leaving today?”

He shook his head with a slight laugh. “No. I don't know when I'm leaving, just soon. My grandmother will probably kick me out after her goodbye dinner.”

“Charlotte’s actually leaving?” her eyebrows shot up in surprise. “And throwing herself a goodbye dinner? That's almost sad.”

“Yeah, something about having one last formal night at the Point.”

“Oh. That's perfect though. If she's leaving, you could stay without having to worry about her? Not permanently...unless...but for a little bit longer?”

“We'd probably have to stay here…” he pointed out, a small smile on his face that almost seemed to tease or challenge her with the idea.

She shrugged. “We do anyway. And I'd even let Nik stay on the couch if that needs to happen to keep you longer. Assuming he doesn't just run off with his 'siren'.”

“His...you heard about her too?”

She laughed. “All about her. Except who she actually was or any way to identify her.” 

“I should tell him to bring her to dinner.” His smile widened at the thought and she winced, already imagining the chaos that would cause.

“I don't know, I might have to tap out if you do. I have to draw the line somewhere.”

“So you'll come?”

She nodded, fingers finding his and lacing through them. “Sure, if you want me there.”

He nudged his nose against hers affectionately. “You know I always want you.”

She kissed him fiercely, drawing back when he slid his tongue across her lip and smiling teasingly. “I could open the shop late if you want to prove it? We can make sure there’s no tension left between us?”

[angst-fairygodmother]

Exchanges: Town Hall (The Song of Sway Lake Story)

Jess confronts Charlotte after the town hall debate, hoping and failing to find common ground. 

Word Count: 1045

Rating: PG-13 - several instances of mild language, insults, slight spoilers for Song of Sway Lake if you squint

“Why are you doing this?” Jess asked, following Charlotte out of the town hall meeting that was one step short of a riot.

The Sway matriarch scoffed. “I don’t have to stand here and be berated any longer. I’m leaving.”

“Wait, please. I’m not trying to berate you. I’m asking an honest question, because maybe if I understand you better it’ll feel a little less like you’re just maliciously trying to destroy my life and the lives of people like me.”

“Excuse me?”

“I grew up on the lake too. But my family wasn’t lucky enough, or wealthy enough, to be a founder. So we built a place brick by brick, until we had a home here. But locals think we’re a novelty, and we need the curious and the bored, and that means tourists, to survive.”

Charlotte raised an eyebrow, unmoved by Jess’s impassioned speech.

“So I get wanting to preserve it, trust me I do. I love this place, and I’ve never seen somewhere so beautiful. But we need to move forward. And you’re standing in the way of that, and I’m asking why.”

“If you truly understood, you wouldn’t need to ask that.”

“There has to be a way for everyone to win, a...compromise. Something.”

“My father was a businessman, just as much as your grandfather or every other greedy self-interested immigrant and vagrant that came in, tried to claim a piece of what wasn’t theirs, and built something off the backs of those who were here first. And even when he lost everything in the crash, he pulled himself up by the bootstraps, started over, and made something of himself.”

Jess frowned at what definitely sounded like the start of an out of touch, vaguely bigoted ‘back in my day’ lecture. She gritted her teeth, holding back the snide response on the tip of her tongue.

“Jessica, don’t,” Nikolai said warningly from the other side of the car, looking for a second like he might circle around to put himself between the two women. She wondered if it was out of concern for her, his best friend's girlfriend, or some lingering protective instinct over Charlotte.

“And don’t think I don’t know exactly who you are, Ms. O’Neill. I am not to blame for your struggles. If you can’t figure out how to make a living selling the drivel you stock, maybe you should consider a new line of work. Give up. Abandon it to your sister and run away to the city if you're not cut out for it. Instead of blaming everyone else for your problems.”

“Bitch,” the word slipped bitterly from Jess’s mouth before she could think. Set on a course now, she laughed in disbelief. “Ollie told me you’re selling the Point. Which means you don’t actually care. You’re just so alone and miserable and horrible that you have to drag the rest of us down to feel like you still matter in the world.”

Charlotte shook her head, a condescending smile on her face as she turned back to the car.

“Hey! I’m not done talking,” Jess snapped. “I don’t want to hate you. I tried to see things from your perspective. But if you don’t want to meet in the middle, fine. Just remember, you're a relic of a bygone era. Just like that stupid house.”

She shook her head, almost pitying now. “I hope you can’t sell. I hope you’re stuck there for the rest of your life, and you get to watch as everything you claim to love gives way to progress. Marinas, and jet skies and pre-fab box vacation homes. Maybe a summer camp or a motel with basketball courts and chlorinated pools bumping right up against your precious, perfectly manicured lawn. It’ll be a fitting penance for trying to destroy things for the people that actually give a shit enough to stay.”

“And here I thought you said you loved the lake like I do.”

“You still don't get it. The things to love aren't the pristine water or the particular fish, or the types of boats out and about. And certainly not the huge fancy homes and private properties.” She made a sweeping gesture. “Take a look around, Mrs. Sway.  There is so much life here that your lake never had. Do you even know what joy sounds like anymore?”

Charlotte and Nikolai both frowned, staring at Jess.

“You sit up there, alone, and you judge everyone else as unworthy no matter what they do. You want everything to be so clean and untouched. But that also makes it unloved. Things aren't beautiful or special because they've not faced challenges. The ones that weather the storms or the jet skis, or the people trying to tear them down, and come out the other side not only surviving but having thrived are so much more. Sway Lake is strong, stronger than you give it credit for. It doesn't need to be sheltered or shaped or preserved. Just let it breathe and grow and find it's own way.” 

“You're very clever, pretending this is about the lake,” Charlie drawled, her lips pressed together somewhere between a smirk and the grimace that comes with an unexpected lemon.

“What are you talking about?”

“Do you think I can't tell you mean my grandson? I’ve heard that little rumor, I know where he spends his time in town.” Charlotte took a step closer, an angry glint in her eyes to go along with the smug smile on her face. “Are you really upset about my conservation efforts, or because you know if I get my way, the lake will never be yours for you and your little townie friends to treat like a playground? You will never be a Sway dear. Ollie will get bored, and remember where he belongs, and you’ll be left with nothing. Again.”

“I…” Jess gaped at her. Even as she fought back hot, angry tears, she was almost impressed by how well the other woman had cut straight through her to her insecurities, and picked up on what Jess didn’t even know she was saying. 

Charlotte Sway turned away, climbing into the station wagon that Nikolai was driving and left without another word, and Jess just stared, watching her go.

[angst-fairygodmother]

Exchanges: Children (The Song of Sway Lake Story)

A/N: It’s Tragedy Thursday! Back with a vengeance and a micro-fic about Jess and Ollie. A conversation from the future.  Word Count: 198 Rating: T - discussion of infertility, angst

“Ollie? Darling, what's wrong?” Jess asked, coming home to find her fiancé curled in on himself on the bed, silent tears shaking him. 

He struggled to speak, barely managing “I can’t” before another sob wracked him. 

“Did something happen? Are you alright?” she felt like her throat was closing in panic, hands shaking. She wanted to comfort Ollie with all her being, but she didn’t know how. She laid down beside him, wrapping her body protectively around him. 

“I’m sorry, Jess.” He finally managed, breath unsteady as it ruffled her hair. “I’ll understand if you want to leave.”

“Nothing, nothing could ever make me do that. What would give you the idea I would?”

“The tests…I…” he swallowed and moved to pull away, but she held tight. “I’m why we can’t be parents…I can’t be a father…”

She was sure she could hear both their hearts breaking in the silence that hung over the room with his pronouncement. 

“I don’t care.” 

“What?” his face scrunched in confusion that momentarily chased away the pain.

“I don’t care. What matters is I love you. We’ll figure it out. As long as we’re together.”

She leaned in and kissed him fiercely.

[angst-fairygodmother]

Exchanges: Morning After (The Song of Sway Lake Short)

When Ollie returns to The Point after his date/sleepover with Jess, he and Nikolai have a heated argument. A/N: Set immediately after “First Date.” I spent too long trying to come up with some of what’s said before I realized, ‘I don’t have to be good and quippy at this, Ollie probably isn’t.’ Word Count: 732 Rating: T - swearing, insults/derogatory language

“Oliver,” Nikolai greeted him as he slipped back into the house along with the first full rays of sunlight. “I see you did not come home last night.”

Ollie cringed, feeling much the way he imagined teenagers did when caught by their parents, up to no good. At least it wasn't his grandmother, he thought with a sigh of relief.

“I uh, yeah. I spent the night at Jess's. So what?” He snapped, feeling peevish. 

“Obviously. She is your siren, like I have mine. So was she a good fuck?”

“What?” Ollie's voice cracked and he felt his neck growing hot.

“I am asking if she was worth your time. If she was easy enough to put out after one dinner--”

“You’d know all about that. Do you even wait for dinner?” Ollie scoffed, interrupting. “It's a little late to try and win the Cold War with an army of your bastard children, don’t you think?”

“What does that even mean?” Nikolai frowned, eyebrows knitting in confusion. 

“It means even if Jess were a whore, which she’s not, you calling her that is a joke. Do you even know the name of the last girl you screwed?”

The Russian actually took a step back, shocked that his friend reacted so fiercely. 

“Of course you don’t,” Ollie continued. “You probably hate those stupid jet skis because you want to be the only quick, rented ride around.”

The words had barely left his lips when Ollie started to regret them, face flushing. He licked his lips nervously, trying to force an apology off his tongue but Nikolai spoke before he could.

“You would fight me over this chick Oleg?”

“I…” Ollie hesitated. 

His first instinct was to say yes. It was already obviously the answer. The thought made his gut twist. He was already hurling words, but he was alarmed to realize he was willing, and in fact tempted, to take a swing at his best and possibly only real friend because of a girl. 

Nikolai picked up on his hesitation and scowled. 

“She is nothing, you see. You can find a hundred Jessicas. Anywhere you spit, when we go back to the city.”

“You're wrong!” Ollie shouted, getting up in the taller man's face, his own growing red. “Jess is...She's…I love her.”

Nikolai laughed, incredulous.

“I'm serious, Nik,” Ollie said, sounding somewhat surprised himself, as he took a step back from their confrontation and sat heavily in one of the dining chairs. 

“So she was a really good fuck then?” 

“Ugh,” Ollie groaned. “You don't get it! We didn't even have sex. We just talked, and laid together and actually slept. But...it felt...special.”

“I don't understand. You think you love this chick but you didn't…” he frowned. “Why not?”

“It wasn't the right moment. If I'm going to be with her, it should be perfect. Like her.”

“How can you know you love her if you don't lose yourself to passion and burn with desire at the very sight of her? If you don't want to seize her in your arms and have her at every moment?”

“I feel like I can talk to her about anything. Like she really cares to hear what I have to say. And she sees me, not The Last of the Sway Family or whatever. And I want to know everything about her. I just left her place and I already miss her so badly it hurts. That has to be love.”  

Nikolai fell silent, studying the wistful look on his face as Ollie talked about the girl. There was an odd twist in his gut. Something in his words felt familiar, like the emotion spoke to Nikolai's own. But there was also jealousy there: toward Ollie who was so desperate to cast aside his family name, who had truly everything now and didn't seem to notice, and toward Jess who was a no one, a shopkeep, nothing special, like him, and was threatening to take away what little he had, the brother-bond he had fought so hard to forge. 

After a prolonged moment, he shook his head. “You are too romantic for your own good Oleg. She is not so special.” He shrugged, as if to say he was bored of the conversation. “We are wasting the day. The sooner we find your Pops’ record so you can leave her behind, the better.”