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alltheirdamn · 5 months ago

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Killing Me Softly | (Joel x teacher!f!reader)

Epilogue

Summary: Joel had always been the one. Rating: 18+ Explicit Word Count: 6.5k Warnings: None! Enjoy whatever comes! A/N: So, here we are at last. The final goodbye to one of my favorite pairings :') It is so bittersweet to end their story, but I am so thankful you all have supported it and loved it along the way! Tommy & Beth's story will be coming soon, so I hope you guys stick around for it! All my love, xoxo <3

Masterlist | Ko-fi

“Sarah!” You called from downstairs. “We need to leave soon so we aren’t late!”

“Coming!” She shouted back.

You could hear her footsteps shuffling across the loft, no doubt in a rush trying to find her backpack. It was the first day of school, and you were the brand new eighth-grade teacher—totally not because you wanted to keep teaching Sarah before high school.

The three of you had spent the summer in a whirlwind, between camping trips and helping Joel work on a business plan for his own job. You even took a small trip to Boston to see your family; you needed to get the closure you deserved finally. But you couldn’t think about that trip now; you needed Sarah to hurry up.

“Joel,” you grumbled. “Can you please get her down here?”

Joel was leaning against the kitchen counter, his coffee mug half-full and lifted to his lips. He rolled his eyes at you, his lips curling into a soft smile.

“I got it, baby. Go get your ass in the car, and I’ll make sure she has everythin’ together.”

You gave him a quick peck on the lips before slinging your bag over your shoulder. A large hand closed over your bicep, and Joel yanked you back into his broad frame.

“No y’don’t. Give me a real kiss,” he chuckled.

He pressed a hand into your lower back, holding you firm to his chest as he bent down to kiss you. You deepened the kiss, your tongue overlapping his with a soft whimper off your lips. Joel swallowed every noise and pressed you against his lips for as long as he could.

“Grossssss,” Sarah groaned, startling you both.

You jumped back from Joel’s embrace, staring at Sarah with an embarrassed smile.

“Can you guys not do that? At least wait for the wedding.”

Joel barked a laugh, kissing your cheek with wet lips before pushing you out of the kitchen.

“I can kiss my future wife all I want, sweetheart,” he protested.

Future wife.

You loved it when he said that. You loved it even more when he was pinning you to the bed and whispering it in your ear as he fucked you. Lazy strokes and sweet words… The thought alone had you clenching your thighs beneath your skirt.

Joel didn’t waste a moment proposing after you moved in. He and Tommy had snuck away one Saturday to a jewelry store to find the perfect ring, and he proposed that night. The tiny diamond sat snug on your finger, the gold band reflecting the sunlight every time you admired it—which you did a lot.

You and Joel were still working through the mess created after your accident, but there was no question that you’d marry him. At least you knew he wouldn’t run from the wedding; the thought of it happening kept you up some nights.

Both you and Sarah arrived at the school with only ten minutes to spare. She’d be in your final class for the day, so you parted ways and made your way to your new classroom. Joel had helped you set up your room over the last week, hanging the posters you couldn’t reach and remaining adamant about keeping you from any possible chance of falling. God forbid you hit your head again; it wasn’t something you liked to think of often.

Walking into the classroom, you quickly set up your lesson plans and placed worksheets on each desk. The first week of school would be the easiest for you and the students. A slight tap on the door jolted you from rushing around, and you looked up to see Maria sheepishly standing in the doorway.

“Welcome back,” she said.

Neither of you had spoken since the end of the year, and you still weren’t sure what to say. Joel had explained to you that Maria wasn’t entirely at fault for anything; she only meant to care for you and keep you company throughout the years between. At the start of last year, he mentioned that he considered going after you, which was why Maria was always so pushy about talking to Joel. And she had, in fact, been the mastermind behind ‘Happy Hour’ when Joel showed up.

You couldn’t stay mad forever, even if sometimes you desperately wanted to. Anger was all you had known for months, and you worked hard to replace it and battle through it as the summer went on. But right now, you could put that aside and at least be cordial with Maria.

“Thank you, Maria.” You gave her a tentative smile.

“Can I come in? I wasn’t sure if I’d catch you before the day started, and I was hoping we could chat.”

You nodded, motioning to one of the desks. Maria entered the room and leaned against the edge of the desk, waiting for you to settle into your chair. You tried ignoring the emails that continued to chime on your computer, attempting to give her your full attention, which she deserved.

“I’m sorry,” she blurted. “I had no intention of lying to you, but I only wanted to see you happy. After the accident, it was so hard for me to lose you in the way I did. Giving you a place to live after your breakup with Bennett and seeing you meet Joel… Then nothing. I cared for you like a daughter and wanted to continue being there for you.”

“I know you did,” you sighed. “It’s been hard having to adjust after regaining my memory, and it’s taking a lot out of me to try to work through it all. I hope you know I appreciate all the care you’ve shown me. Before the accident and after. I just needed time to process it all.”

“If you ever need anything, sweetie, you know I’m here.”

“Thank you.”

You reached your arms to hug her, and Maria took the opportunity without question. Her warm embrace was enough to bring you to tears; you did miss her—a lot. Pulling away, you lifted your hand a little to show off the sparkle on your ring finger.

“Oh my gosh!” she squealed, grabbing your hand.

You laughed at her excitement and allowed her to admire the ring on your finger.

“The wedding is next month,” you told her. “Joel and I would love for you to come if you would like.”

“Are you kidding? Of course, I want to come!”

She pulled you in for another tight hug, muttering a litany of ‘thank you’s.’ Eventually, the school bell rang, she ran out of the room, and you settled back at your desk for the beginning of the day.

Not even two minutes after the final bell rang, Sarah was barreling into your classroom with a big smile. You had just seen her in the third hour during her own class, but her excitement never failed to make your heart swell with happiness.

“Ready to go home, kiddo?” You chuckled.

“So ready! I think Dad is cooking us dinner, and I’m starving.”

You ruffled her curls softly before tucking her under your arm and leaving the classroom. The person you were last year—before remembering everything—would have never allowed this to happen. Dating your student’s father was out of line and, quite frankly, not your forte, but this was an exception. A very necessary exception.

As you pulled out of the parking lot, you heard your phone ringing in your purse. Sarah was quick to retrieve it, staring confused at the caller ID.

“Who is it?” You asked, glancing away from the road.

“Aunt Beth.”

Shit.

Things hadn’t been great between you two since the trip back to Boston over the summer, but it was better. If you sat in silence long enough, the bitterness and anger returned in full force. Joel was your voice of reason, calming you down from the resurgence of emotions and always quickly reminding you of Beth's work to fix the relationship. You only hoped they weren’t empty promises and she would prove herself to be who she was before the accident.

“Here, let me see it,” you said, extending your hand.

Pressing answer, you held the phone to your ear and hoped Sarah didn’t see the trembling in your fingertips.

“Hello?”

“Hey, sis,” Beth said. It was easy to hear the frustration in her greeting.

“Everything okay?” You asked.

You came to a slow roll at the red light in front of you, relaxing your white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel. Sarah rubbed an assuring hand over your arm, and you turned to give her a sad smile. She was like her father, so receptive and aware of your emotions.

“Yeah, I think so. I don’t know, I just… Do you want me there? Are you sure?”

“At my wedding?” You questioned. “I already told you I wanted you there. I extended the invite to the entire family, including you.”

“I know, but being your bridesmaid feels wrong.”

A car horn blared behind you, and your eyes snapped up to see the green light staring down at you. You inhaled sharply and pressed the gas.

“Joel and I already talked about it, and we both agree not having you there would be something I might regret one day. I want you and Stell both up there with me.”

“You’re sure?” She asked, her voice cracking.

“Yes, Beth. I’m sure. Now, are you flying out on the day of the reception or the day before? I just need to make sure your hotel room is booked and set up before you get here.”

“I’ll fly in the day before with Stell. I think Mom and Dad are coming the day after.”

“Okay, good. I’ll make sure everything is taken care of. Just please promise me you’ll be there.”

“I promise, sis,” she sighed.

You rounded the corner into the neighborhood and pulled up to the house. Joel’s truck was already parked in the driveway, his truck bed overflowing with work tools and wooden planks. You nodded at Sarah to head in while you finished the phone call—you needed a moment alone before going inside.

“I just got home, Beth, so I’ve got to run. I’ll send you the information for the hotel and everything, okay?”

“Wait, before you go,” Beth hesitated.

“Yeah?”

“I’m still really sorry,” she admitted. “About everything.”

You scrubbed a hand down your face, holding back a wave of tears that threatened to break your composure. Beth wasn’t one to show her emotions or speak them this freely. Her vulnerability was something you were still adjusting to, among everything else.

“I know you are, sis,” you exhaled.

“I’ll, um, I’ll let you go. I’ll talk to you soon.”

You didn’t get the chance to say goodbye before the phone line went dead. Resting your head against the steering wheel, you let the tears run down your face. It was hard to control your emotions these days, and today was no different. Between seeing Maria and talking to Beth, you were exhausted. The wedding planning hadn’t been stressful until now, but knowing Beth was having second thoughts about even coming? The stress was starting to creep in.

A light tap on the window jolted you from your tearful silence. You turned your head to see Joel standing outside the door, his eyebrows furrowed with concern. Seeing him was the final nail in the coffin, and you lost it completely. He was quick to yank the door open and wrap his arms around your limp body.

“Sarah told me Beth called,” he confessed. “I’m sorry, baby. I know this isn’t easy.”

You clung to his shirt, nestling your head into his neck. The work day still lingered on his skin, the smell of fresh wood and sweat flooding your senses. He smelled like home.

“Am I making the wrong decision?” You choked out.

Joel’s grip tightened around you, his sturdy frame grounding your emotions to cascade into. You fell victim to your cries, your tears dampening the cotton tee he wore.

“You’re makin’ the mature decision, baby,” he stated. “It took a lot for you even to see them this summer, but the wedding will fly by, and this can all be put behind us.”

“I just don’t want to be let down again,” you cried.

“No one's gonna let you down. I’ll make sure of it, ‘kay?”

You peeled yourself away from him, wiping away the tears that trailed down your cheeks. Joel’s brown eyes softened as he took in your fragile state, his lips turning down. Cradling your head in his hands, Joel brought your forehead to his lips for a comforting kiss.

“Hey, I love you,” he said.

“I love you, too,” you whispered. “I’m sorry.”

“Y’know how I feel ‘bout you sayin’ that, baby,” Joel grinned.

The slight shift in the color of his eyes was warning enough to make your emotions skyrocket in a different way. You gave him a shy smile before pecking him on the lips and jumping out of the car. Joel quickly wound an arm around your front and hauled you back to him.

“You’re lucky we got dinner on the table,” he whispered in your ear. “Punishment’s gonna have to wait ‘til later.”

“Punishment?” You echoed.

“Mhmm,” he hummed, dragging his mouth over the shell of your ear.

You shivered at the touch, your body molding against his. Leave it to Joel to always turn your mood around; it’s what you loved about him. The worst days could be changed in minutes, and you weren’t afraid to be vulnerable with him. You also weren’t afraid to rile him up, too.

Shifting your body slightly, you brushed your ass against the crotch of his jeans, rewarding yourself with the hardening bulge of his cock. Joel groaned at the brief touch, his teeth nipping at your earlobe.

“Oops, I’m sorry,” you giggled.

You repeated the motion, Joel’s body tensing behind you.

“Oh gosh,” you feigned distressed. “I’m so sorry.”

“You’re gonna regret that, baby,” Joel growled.

With a sharp smack on your ass, Joel urged you toward the front door—not before readjusting himself several times before entering the kitchen.

Sarah had long gone to bed by the time you and Joel retired to your room. You took time showering and readying for bed while Joel sprawled against the sheets. Peeking around the corner, you caught a glimpse of his body, nearly naked, except for a pair of black boxers. It still didn’t feel real that you had found your way back to him, and it especially didn’t feel real that you’d be marrying him in less than a month.

“I know you’re starin’ at me over there,” Joel chuckled.

You emerged from behind the door, a grin on your face. Joel propped himself against the headboard, his hands locked behind his head and his biceps flexing slightly.

“Obviously,” you rolled your eyes. “I’m allowed to admire my handsome future husband.”

“Get your ass up here, baby.”

You happily obliged and jumped onto the bed, straddling his waist as you bent down to kiss him. Joel’s nose brushed against yours as he deepened the kiss, his hand carding through your hair to anchor you closer.

“If I’m not mistaken,” he muttered between kisses. “Y’said somethin’ earlier that you shouldn’t have.”

You trailed your lips down his neck, humming softly with each press of your lips.

“I did?” You teased.

“Three times,” Joel groaned.

His fingers laced tightly between the tendrils of your hair, pulling your head up until there was nowhere to look but into his dark eyes. The swell of his pupils had replaced the soft amber colors of his irises, a mischievous look flashing across his face.

“This is what’s gonna happen, baby. You’re gonna slide that beautiful body up here and ride my tongue ‘til you cum three times.”

“Three?” You repeated, your eyes growing wide.

Joel huffed a laugh and hooked his arms under your thighs. You fell forward, your hands bracing onto the headboard. Joel lucked out with you already being bare under your t-shirt; it was easy work for him, especially when you were already drenched with arousal. A small swipe of his nose over your throbbing clit was enough to elicit a soft moan from your mouth.

“Bite your lip and stay quiet for me, baby,” Joel mumbled. “Can’t wake up Sarah with all your noise.”

“Okay,” you exhaled.

Joel flattened his tongue against your entrance and licked a long, slow stripe through your wet folds. Sinking your teeth into your bottom lip as he had instructed, you bit back a desperate whine that threatened to escape. You rolled your hips slightly, the pointed tip of his tongue dragging over your aching bud softly. The fire crept through your veins, catapulting you closer to the edge as Joel’s jaw worked relentlessly at your leaking entrance.

“Joel,” you whispered, a faint whimper leaving your lips.

“Shh,” he hummed.

The low vibration of his hush radiated through your pulsating clit, forcing you to jerk away from his mouth. His calloused fingers dug further into the skin of your thighs, anchoring you down onto his face. His tongue worked faster at your clit, stroking it with tantalizing flicks of his tongue. Flames burst through your stomach with each move of his mouth, your thighs quaking in his grip. So close… you were so close. Joel felt it, too, and latched his mouth around the sensitive bud.

“Joel!” You cried, the orgasm barreling through your body.

He didn’t let up, his tongue dipping into your entrance and lapping at the juices leaking from you. Your hand shot to the curls at the crown of his head, tugging him off of your sex, your body still twitching from the aftershocks of your climax.

“That was only one, baby,” Joel muttered into the flesh of your inner thigh.

He pressed wet kisses against your skin, working his way back to your center with small kitten licks over every inch of you. Your thighs clenched around his face, framing him perfectly between your legs. You glanced at him only to find his dark eyes staring at you. The air knocked out of your lungs, seeing him under you in such blissed-out beauty. Joel shifted his face up, revealing his arousal-coated mustache and wet plush lips.

“Y’gonna give me two more?” He asked, his mouth curving into a grin.

You nodded vigorously, guiding him back to your swollen bud. Joel rested his tongue over your center, nudging you silently with a slight tilt of his head. Dragging your hips forward, you lowered yourself onto his open mouth. Back and forth, you moved against his tongue, tremors wracking through your limbs with each pass.

“Joel! I’m gonna—.” You choked on your words.

With one hand grasped on the headboard and the other tangled in his sweat-soaked curls, you bore down and let your second orgasm surge through your body. Biting your lip did little to help the cry of pleasure that escaped your mouth. You lifted yourself from his face, attempting to unlatch yourself from his tight grip.

“Nuh uh, baby,” Joel protested, his voice husky. “One more.”

“I can’t,” you whined.

You stumbled over his body, collapsing into the bed beside him. Joel rolled over you, his eyes sparkling with mischief and desire. The lower half of his face was coated in your arousal, his chin and beard glistening in the dim lights of the bedroom. You wound your arms around his neck, pulling him to your lips. The sweet smell of your arousal hit your nose as his mouth collided with yours. Joel groaned against your lips, coaxing your mouth open wider. You tilted your head to give him better access, your tongues dancing in unison in a heated kiss.

You felt Joel’s hand slide between your bodies, his body shifting slightly as he pushed down the boxers from his waist. The weight of his heavy cock rested on your thigh, and you hooked your leg higher to give him access to your dripping sex.

“Got one more in you, baby?” Joel asked, his mouth roaming down your neck.

“I think so,” you said, your voice shaky.

Joel suctioned his lips to the hollow of your neck, the head of his cock pressing against your entrance. You gasped at the intrusion, your body adjusting to the girth of his cock as he split you open. Joel carded a hand through your hair and glued his eyes to yours as he thrusted into you slowly. Your bodies moved in a simple rhythm; when he drove into you, you careened back. Soft cries and heavy grunts, each of you flowing in perfect harmony.

“So fuckin’ perfect,” Joel whispered.

“Feels so good, Joel,” you panted.

Your eyes fluttered shut, the swell of release at your fingertips as Joel speared into you deeper with each cadence of his hips. You were overstimulated and covered in a thin sheen of sweat, but you wanted to come undone with him. You wanted to fall over the edge together; you wanted this moment to be something you shared. Lifting your mouth to his ear, you whined softly, garnering a low growl from his chest.

“I love you.”

Three simple words. It was enough to send Joel over the edge, his body tensing above you as he drove into you one last time. Your sex clenched around his cock, milking him through his release. His cock dragged against the aching walls of your sex as he pulled out, his body resting heavily on top of yours. With his head pressed to your heaving chest, you ran your fingers through the dark curls resting at the base of his neck.

“You tired?” You laughed softly, bending down to press a kiss to his forehead.

“Don’t know what you’re talkin’ ‘bout,” Joel argued.

“Get some sleep, handsome. I love you.”

“I love you so much, baby.”

He nuzzled further into your embrace, a soft yawn exhaling from his mouth. You smiled to yourself, reveling in the fact that this was your life. Here, at this moment, everything you had endured was worth it. It was worth it knowing someone inexplicably loved you. Someone who wasn’t going to leave, no matter how hard things may be. Joel fought tooth and nail to have you back, and you learned to forgive his faults. His patience and unwavering love were enough to battle any doubts that lingered in your mind.

He was yours, just as much as you were his.

Outside your bridal suite, storm clouds swirled in the sky. You had watched the news channel praying for a sunny wedding day all week, but the Texas weather laughed at your pleas. The thunderstorm looming in the distance was only the tip of the iceberg in your ever-growing levels of anxiety.

“Sis, it’s gonna be okay,” Beth urged.

Beth and Stella were the only ones in the room with you, and they both sat at the edge of the bed, watching you helplessly pace the floor. You itched to undo the tight bun your hair had been wrangled into, the pain of each bobby pin shooting another jolt of pain into the onset headache forming in your head.

“What if he doesn’t show? What if Joel doesn’t want this? What if—?”

“Oh my God, stop!”

It wasn’t Beth that cut off your rambling, but Stella. She wasn’t one to raise her voice often, but it was enough to halt your frantic thoughts. You threw yourself onto the chair in the corner of the room, letting out an exasperated sigh. Stella rose from the bed, carefully sidestepping the hem of her silk bridesmaid dress as she waltzed to where you sat. She lowered herself to her knees and stared up at you with pleading eyes.

“Joel loves you, sis,” she stressed. “He’s not going to leave you. All of these pre-ceremony jitters will go away the second you walk down that aisle.”

“But—.”

She held up her hand in protest, shaking her head sternly.

“No more of that. You are going to put on your dress and get ready.”

You glanced at your wedding dress hanging on the back of the door. The white fabric was a haunting reminder of the rain-soaked dress you had worn only years ago, dirtied by the mud and broken hopes left in Bennett’s wake. You chewed at your lip to stifle back a cry, your brain ready to disintegrate with all the pressure building inside your head.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” you whispered, the admission frightening you.

Beth groaned, leaving the bed to join Stella on the ground. You had spoken little since she came into town, sharing only a few shallow words in passing when necessary. But the seriousness in her eye ignited a new wave of fear; her words could slice you clean through if you let it. Saying your name softly, Beth clasped a hand around yours and inhaled a sharp breath.

“You can do this, and you will. I know you’re scared, but Joel is waiting for you. He’s been waiting for you for years, and he’s not going anywhere. Trust me when I tell you no one in this world loves you more than he does, okay?”

A tear slipped down your cheek at Beth’s words. The way she spoke of Joel was night and day from how she spoke of Bennett. Her words regarding Bennett had been laced with venom strong enough to poison even your happiest memories—whatever those had been. They were fighting words, and each punch was perfectly placed. With Joel, she only spoke with sincerity. Both she and Stella had been there to see Joel at his worst after the accident, watching the life he had made with you crumble away within the hospital. They had been there to experience his grief firsthand, and that was something you could never argue. Joel held a special place in both of their hearts, a bond you couldn’t remember but couldn’t deny.

“I’m sorry,” you muttered, burying your head in your hands. You threw caution to the wind when it came to ruining your makeup. It was a lost cause at this point.

“Hey, come here,” Beth whispered.

She hauled you into her arms, wrapping herself around you. Stella followed her lead, both huddling around you as you cried quietly. Time had stolen so much from you, time you couldn’t get back with your sisters. Putting everything aside, you sat in the moment with them and let their strength hold you up.

“Okay, okay,” you sighed, peeling yourself away. “Can you both help me get into my dress?”

Stella squealed excitedly, hauling herself up and hurtling toward the door where it hung. Beth gave you one final squeeze and a quiet “I love you” before joining Stella.

You discarded your robe on the bed and stood awkwardly before them in your bridal lingerie. Both of them whistled at you provocatively, their eyes growing wide. You blushed at their giddiness, motioning for them to bring the dress to you. The three of you worked silently as you slipped into the tulle fabric. Beth worked at zipping up the back while Stella secured the gossamer sleeves over your shoulders. The fabric was cool against your skin, a welcome reprieve from the warm anxiety that simmered below the surface. You were ready after a few final touches on your makeup and the clasping of your heels.

“Breathe, peanut,” your dad whispered in your ear.

The bouquet in your hand was shaking from the trembling in your fingers. You stared through the glass door into the open courtyard where everyone sat, the sky darkening by the minute. In the distance, you could spot Joel's outline as he stood under the floral arch above the altar. He was right there…waiting.

“Whenever you’re ready,” the wedding planner said, grasping the door handle before you.

You turned your head to look at your dad, his features soft and emotional. If he cried, you’d soon follow, and you couldn’t ruin your makeup again. You squeezed his arm and nodded to the wedding planner.

“I’m ready,” you whispered.

With a gentle push of the door, you stepped over the threshold and into the humid air of the early evening. The soft crescendo of the Wedding March began to drift through the open space, and your friends and family all turned to stand. Your eyes shifted side to side, looking down each row at the warm smiles in your direction. Maybe if you didn’t look down the aisle, the fear of Joel running away wouldn’t come true. Look anywhere else. Your steps faltered, and you felt a wave of anxiety assault your nerves.

“He’s waiting for you,” your dad mumbled. “Look up.”

You lifted your head and found Joel watching you with the brightest smile. His hair was tamed and slicked down with gel, and his beard was trimmed short—but still patchy in small areas along his jaw. His broad frame stretched out the black suit that was tailored perfectly to his body, and something about the refined look on him made your heart leap. If you weren’t already breathless, seeing his eyes stole any air left in your lungs. Joel’s brown eyes sparkled with fresh tears under the gray skies. Not even the darkest storm clouds could darken the amber flecks glimmering in his irises.

As you neared the altar, you also realized his hands were trembling. His fingers fidgeted with the cuffs of his shirt, and his body shifted from side to side as he waited for you. The music drifted to a close as you finally approached the altar, just inches from Joel. He didn’t run. He was standing right there.

You turned to your dad, giving him a tearful hug and a quiet thank you. Joel stepped forward to give your dad a firm handshake, a warm smile gracing his face. As they said their final words to one another, you handed off your bouquet to Beth, who stood behind you, along with Stella and Sarah. Sarah’s cheeks were damp with tears as she grinned at you brightly, her skin radiant in her green dress. You blew her a kiss and turned back to Joel.

“Y’look so fuckin’ beautiful,” he exhaled, wiping a tear from his face.

“And you look extra handsome,” you grinned.

Joel chuckled, clasping his hands around yours. Your fingers squeezed around his knuckles, and your thumb rubbed soothing circles over the rough skin of his hand. The officiant beside you cleared his throat, and you and Joel turned your attention to him.

“Family and friends,” he began. “Thank you all for joining us today for this wonderful union of love.”

The officiant's words faded into the background as you stared up at Joel, capturing this moment in your memory. Years of loss, pain, and grief all led you to this moment—right here. With Joel’s hands wrapped around yours and his loving smile shining down on you, it was all worth it.

“I understand that you both have written your own vows,” the officiant said, interrupting the flood of emotions inside you.

Beth tapped you on your shoulder, handing you the small paper you had scribbled your vows onto that morning.

“Okay,” you sighed. You smoothed out the paper in your hand, your eyes hardly focusing on the words before you.

You opened your mouth to speak but paused as the first drop of rain splattered across the ink. A laugh bubbled out of you as you tilted your head up toward the sky. Rain misted your face, the slow sprinkle of rain dampening the ground around you.

“Would y’look at that,” Joel laughed. “It’s rainin’ on us, baby. I think that means it’s good luck, right?”

You beamed at him, watching the raindrops catch onto his thick eyelashes. Crumpling the paper in your hand, you let it fall to the ground and composed yourself. Joel lifted his eyebrow, the corner of his mouth twitching.

“Joel Miller,” you started. “I can say, without a doubt, I was always meant to be with you. From the moment I ran into you, literally—.” You laughed at yourself. “I knew it would always be you. Even when time and differences separated us, a part of me knew I was missing something. You and Sarah were the missing pieces that made me whole. And I’m so thankful that the universe conspired to bring us back together and lead me home. I vow to you, Joel, that every day will be filled with memories we remember.

I vow always to make you smile. I vow to always annoy you with my late-night conversations about books and poetry nonsense you most definitely have no interest in. I promise to stand beside you on the soccer fields, cheering on our girl through every win and loss. I vow to you, Joel Miller, to never leave and to always work through the hardest obstacles. Together.”

“I love you so much,” Joel whispered, tears streaming down his cheeks.

You lifted a finger to wipe them away, your hand resting against his cheek. Joel sniffled back more cries, shaking out the rain clinging to his hair.

“Alright, guess I gotta try and beat that now,” Joel joked.

He crumpled his vows, the paper floating onto the wet ground where they melted into the rainfall. Joel barely managed to choke out your name before succumbing to tears all over again.

“Man, this is hard,” he huffed. “I ain’t sure how y’did all that without losin’ it, baby.”

“You’ll be just fine, Joel. I’m right here,” you assured.

He spoke your name again, this time only faltering at the end. You gave him an encouraging smile, your hand still caressing his face.

“I can’t tell you enough how lucky I am that you’re in my life,” Joel began. “I ain’t ever felt a love like this, and I ain’t ever wanna lose it. I’m not a many of many words, at least not where it counts, but havin’ you by my side makes every single day brighter. There ain’t no better happiness than seein’ your smile every day or seein’ you be the mother to Sarah that she always deserved.

Y’make me the proudest man alive, and I vow always to love you and care for you in every single way. I promise to read all the books y’read. I vow to remind you which cereal we buy at the grocery. I vow to stay truthful and always love you no matter how hard things may get. It’s you and me, baby. I ain’t goin’ nowhere. You got me ‘til I stop breathin’.”

You were the one crying the hardest now—a vow of all vows, spoken upon the altar that had always haunted you. One thing remained true in the weariness and uncertainty of the last several years: Joel was your steadfast. He was the constant that worked against the odds and continued to fight for a love you had since forgotten. Through the heartbreak, grief, and endless nights alone, you now had the one man the universe had created just for you.

I love you, you mouthed. You couldn’t trust yourself not to entirely wither into a heap of sobs as his vows sunk further into your heart.

“Now, if we may have the rings,” the officiant urged.

Tommy handed the ring to Joel while Sarah stepped forward to give you the wedding band you both had picked for her dad.

“Thank you, kiddo,” you whispered, bending down to hug her.

You and Joel repeated each word the officiant said, slipping the wedding bands onto each other's ring fingers. The rain was coming down harder now, pelting your face in wet splashes and rolling down your bare neck. Joel’s suit was soaked through, yet he didn’t care. Neither of you could stop smiling.

“With the power invested in me and the state of Texas, I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Miller! You may now kiss your bride.”

“About damn time,” Joel snorted.

His hands swept under your shoulder blades, dipping you low as he bent to kiss you. The moment his wet lips touched yours, everything became a reality. Joel was your husband. You molded your body into his embrace, your arms winding around his neck. He kissed you recklessly as if no one else around you existed. And truthfully, the world could have collapsed around you, and you would never have known it. You wanted to remain in his arms for eternity.

This was your home. He was your everything.

The reception had drawn into the late hours of the night, and the buzz of a few drinks had your body relaxed and at ease. Whatever stress you had before the ceremony it had long since vanished, swept away with the rain as it continued to pour from the sky. The train of your dress was stained brown from the mud, yet you didn’t care. It was a memory of the day, and you wanted to keep it with you forever.

“One last dance?” Joel asked, extending a hand to you.

You rose from your seat, placing your hand in his. Somewhere during the night, Joel had discarded his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves. Seeing him this dressed up was far more dangerous than you expected; you craved to undo every button traveling down his torso and strip his tailored pants right from his muscular legs. But those tempting thoughts would have to wait till later.

Half the attendees had left for the night, leaving only your family members and a few friends still scattered around the ballroom. As Joel swayed your bodies to the music, you caught wind of an argument drifting through the music. Turning your head over your shoulder, you watched Beth and Tommy go toe to toe in a standoff.

“Do you think we should go calm them down?” You asked.

Joel glanced towards his brother and shrugged.

“M’sure they’ll sort their shit out, baby. Ain’t nothin’ gonna stop me from enjoyin’ this night with you.”

“You’ve seen Beth when she’s angry,” you reminded him.

“And y’know how grumpy Tommy can get,” Joel countered. “They can handle themselves.”

You both moved to the music in silence; your eyes settled on one another as you spun in slow circles. Joel hooked a hand under your knee and dipped you, only to pull you up just as quickly to crush his lips to yours.

“When can I take y’home?” He muttered between kisses. “I’ve been dyin’ to take that dress off of you all night.”

“As soon as this song ends, I’m all yours,” you smiled.

Joel’s brown eyes darkened under the twinkling lights, and dimples appeared on his cheeks as he grinned at you.

“Baby, you’ve been mine from the start.”

#joel miller x f!reader #joel miller x reader #joel x teacher!f!reader #joel miller #joel miller fic #joel x f!reader #joel x female reader #tlou #joel miller tlou #tlou fic

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happilysmythe · 7 months ago

Text

❥ 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙮𝙤𝙪

trent frederic.

word count: 1.6k

no warnings

"i think i wanna marry you" — bruno mars

A/N: requested by the showstopping @ahockeywrites — a soft trent fic including a picnic and possibly a proposal, so here i am to deliver. thank u pookie and i hope everyone enjoys this short n sweet trent blurb to hold you over! happy reading :)

- - -

Not a day went by where Trent wasn’t heckled by his teammates, formers, buddies, and even family members for how positively whipped he was for you. And although he hated it on the outside, he wasn’t afraid to show it behind closed doors.

The man loved you—he’d never deny that.

You and Trent had been dancing around the idea of marriage for months. You’d been together for almost three years. It was only natural that the subject would eventually come about. The two of you, however, had received a plethora of comments from your peers about it but never discussed it on your own. At least, not nearly to the extent that you needed to.

You finally made the move from St. Louis to Boston nearly a year prior, so it didn’t come as a surprise to you that the other wives and girlfriends began pressing you about it.

“So you’ve still never once talked about it,” Kiley, your best friend, would say.

And the others would give you mixtures of “Why not?” and “Aren’t you going to?”, usually to no avail.

You’d often mention the interactions to Trent, and he’d typically wave them off, telling you that they were simply being pests. He’d tell you to ignore them. But the last few times you’d mentioned it to him, he’d smile, sometimes letting out a laugh, and even sometimes tell you it was “nice” or “cute”, much to your confusion.

That being said, you really didn’t put as much thought into it as you probably should of.

Because Trent was subtly trying to hint to you that he had other plans; that he might have started to take the girls’ advice.

“How about a picnic?” he suggested, his finger twirling a strand of your hair around as your head comfortably rested in his lap, legs sprawled across the couch cushions. You’d been debating with him on what you wanted to do that night, as he’d just gotten home from a road trip with the team the day prior. “The weather should be nice.”

Your eyes lit up at the idea, teeth on display as you smiled up at him. “That actually sounds great.”

“Well, then.”

“Great. Then it’s settled—we’ll have a picnic,” you sat up, palm flat on the cushion as your arm supported your weight.

“You packing?” he teased.

You rolled your eyes and shook your head, giggling softly as you stood up. “Yes. I am. Because I don’t particularly trust you,” you told him, walking into the kitchen. “But only because of that.”

“Oh, I’m sure,” he shouted from the couch.

You whipped up a few sandwiches and stored them neatly in a basket, followed by the remainder of the strawberries you had in your fridge and a few other snacks. You put some napkins and drinks inside, then folded a blanket over the food and shut the basket, leaving it on the kitchen counter to grab when you left.

Then, you got ready, slipping on a pink and white floral-patterned babydoll dress and sandals. You matched a white bow to the white in the dress and clipped it into your hair, then picked out a few pieces of jewelry to top it off. You’d just gotten your nails done a few days before, courtesy of Kiley, and you decided on a French manicure that ultimately tied the look together, in your not-so-humble opinion.

You waited by the door for Trent, basket in hand as you scrolled through your phone, then looked up when you heard his footsteps coming toward you.

“Wow,” he nodded, stopping in front of you. “Outdid yourself, eh?”

“Well, if I’m going to go on a spring picnic. I might as well look the part, right?” you noted, stepping up to him and planting a kiss on the tip of his nose. “And besides—I don’t think I’ve ever seen you wear a white polo with…Khakis.”

He looked around the room bashfully, a guilty expression lining his face. “Well,” he shrugged, lips pressing into a flat line. “I guess you’re right.”

You giggled and gently kissed him once more, and then the two of you set off.

You decided on a quaint, meadowy area that sat just near a local river, which ultimately was the perfect location for your little outing. He and you sat atop the blanket, basking in the sunlight as you ate.

“You have chocolate on your face,” you giggled, bringing your thumb up to the corner of his mouth and carefully wiping it. You licked it off and dried your thumb with a napkin, taking notice of how Trent’s eyes seemed to be completely trained on you.

“What?”

“Nothing, just,” he paused, taking a breath. “You look really pretty.”

A smile spread across your face as your head tilted to the side at the unexpected compliment. “Thank you,” you bashfully replied.

“Mhm.”

“I think the sun’s about to set,” you noted, wiping your lips with the same napkin and setting it back down on the blanket. He and you finally finished your food, and you turned to face him.

“You wanna watch it?” he asked.

You nodded in response and he moved the basket to the side, lying on his back and extending his arm out. You nuzzled into him, resting your head on his shoulder, and he wrapped his arm around your waist, letting his hand rest flat on your hip.

You sighed gently, letting your eyes close for just a moment as you relaxed into him. There you sat for the next ten minutes, the two of you not speaking a word as you watched the sunset hit its peak. It was then that he finally spoke, catching your attention immediately.

“Hey,” he cooed, looking down as you sat up slightly and turned to face him.

“Hm?”

“You mind if we stand up for a second?”

“Sure,” you shrugged, then rose to your feet, looking up at him as he stood in front of you. “What is it?”

He took your hands in his, rubbing the backs gently with his thumbs, then took a deep breath.

“Remember the first time you told me about the girls teasing you?”

“Sort of,” you replied confusedly. “Why?”

“You remember what I said?”

“To ignore them?”

“Yeah. And I kept telling you that; that it was stupid, or that they were just being annoying,” he started softly. “But even if they were being completely out of line doing it, they were right. They just didn’t know that I already had my own plans.”

You tilted your head, brows furrowing together as you tried to make sense of what he was saying.

“I’d already made my choice, but I kept shrugging you off because I was scared.” He cleared his throat. “Anyway, what I’m getting at is…I should’ve done this a long time ago.”

Then it started to come to you, everything slowly beginning to piece itself together in your head. For the past few weeks, you’d received less heckling from Kiley and the others. Of course, you didn’t think anything of it before. Then, she took you to get your nails done out of the blue. And later that day, she took you shopping for the exact dress you were wearing. Because she knew.

And when Trent got down on one knee, you knew, too.

You gasped quietly as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, velvet box, holding it with one hand, the other still holding one of yours.

“I bought this a month after you moved in,” he finally spoke, holding it up. “I’ve just been trying to figure out when and how to do this.”

“Oh—oh my god.”

He took another deep, long breath. “I love you. So much. And there’s nobody I’d rather spend the rest of my life with. So…” He spoke your name softly, prying the box open with his hand to reveal the diamond ring inside.

“Will you marry me?”

Tears pricked at your eyes, your free hand covering your mouth as you finally processed it all. He was doing exactly what you thought he wasn’t going to do anytime soon. And only a few moments passed before you were nodding your head sharply as your hand fell down to your side.

“Yes,” you replied with conviction.

So he took the ring from its resting place and raised your hand, slipping it snugly onto your finger, marveling at how perfectly it fit for just a moment. He tossed the box to the ground and slowly stood up, thumb brushing over the ring on your finger as he held it between you.

You quickly threw your arms around his neck and kissed him. He quickly reciprocated, hoisting you up and holding you tight as your legs wrapped around his waist.

The warm hue of the falling sunset illuminated your surroundings, the scene topped off by the faint noise of crickets as he and you shared one of the most intimate moments of your lives. And he couldn’t have planned it out more perfectly.

A small tear ran down your cheek as you pulled away, smiling gently as you looked down at him. He quickly leaned up and kissed it away. Affection laced his expression when he pulled back to look up at you, unable to contain his smile as he felt the cold surface of your ring grazing the skin on the back of his neck.

“I love you, T,” you whispered to him.

“I love you, too,” he echoed softly, hand brushing a strand of hair behind your ear just before adding,

“Mrs. Frederic.”

#boston bruins #trent frederic #hockey #fanfic #trent frederic fic #boston bruins imagine #trent frederic imagine #soft fic #trent frederic x reader #soft trent frederic #fluff fic

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hiphop-rap-and-basketball · 2 years ago

Text

Tattoo • Jayson Tatum

Pairing: Jayson Tatum and Tattoo Artist Reader

Word Count: 2,290

Summary: Tattoo artist reader finally gets the chance to have her first big name client in her chair, Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum.

A/N: Think of this as tension but like good tension, lol . Also, I swore I had posted this. But I didn’t realize I didn’t finish it but I was so close to having it done! What a treat to have something to post for now☺️☺️ plus I wrote it over a year ago so ages might have changed but oh well. Undecided on how many parts quite yet, just hope you enjoy for now ❤️

• • •

You had a lot of clients these days in the shop you worked at now. As the word got around that you were one of the up and coming new and talented artists, you gained more and more clientele as time went on. But there was one client who you just could not wait to see at the shop again. But this time around, you had hoped he would sit in your chair for his next appointment.

It was 11am now. Today when you opened up shop by yourself, you had to sweep and sanitize surfaces. Once you finished, you sat and waited for your first client to walk in.

You heard the familiar ring of the swinging door and you looked up, feeling pleased it was exactly who you wanted it to be.

“Hello,” you greeted him cheerfully as he walked through the door, all alone. You studied his outfit for a moment. It was casual and comfy. You wondered what he had planned on getting done today.

“Hello… Is Steve in today?” He asked, looking down at the glass table that displayed and array of different jewelry in between the two of you before looking up again.

“Oh- um no, not yet. Not until 1… how can I help you?” You asked, trying to resist the urge to sound eager.

“Ohhh, okay I’ll just come back then,” he stated. He was very soft spoken.

“You sure? Did you want to just book a consultation with him in the meantime?” You asked him while turning the front desk computer on to pull up the scheduling system. “He might have something booked at the time he comes in, I’ll have to check.”

“Ahhh-well I’m looking for a certain type of piece to be drawn up…” he began as he started pulling out his phone. You watched him as he focused on scrolling through his phone with his lip pulled between his teeth and eyebrows scrunched.

“This picture but… I want it to say ‘like father, like son,’ underneath.”

You held his phone and scanned the photo for a moment.

“That’s sweet,” you replied, “did you want to just sent it over to the store email?”

“Sure,” he nodded.

“You need it?” You asked him.

“Nah, I still got it,” he stated, keeping his eyes locked on his phone.

When he sent it and you pulled it up, you admired the photo.

“That’s my son,” he stated proudly.

“That’s so sweet,” you grinned, admiring the photo. You gave him a price estimate and he shrugged and agreed to it.

“Will you be doing it then?” He asked you softly and you smiled at how sweet he seemed.

“Depends… Do you trust me?” You asked while looking up at him. Your tone came out more flirty than you intended. You almost missed his small eyebrow raise.

“I mean- if you got the job here I’d hope you have some skill,” he responded and you weren’t sure if you should be offended or not. You crossed your arms and listened to him as he continued.

“It’s just the placement… I didn’t want to make a woman uncomfortable… I wanted it right here,” he stated, patting on his thigh.

“I’ve unfortunately tattooed penis’s before… so at this point I don’t think it can get worse than that,” you shrugged and he chuckled softly, shaking his head.

“If it’s cool with you,” he shrugged. “I’m Jayson by the way.”

“Y/N,” you responded nonchalantly. “And hey- it’s my job and it’s on your body. Are you comfortable with it?” You asked him and he nodded.

“Okay, I’ll just get this drawn up then but before that, I’ll just need you to sign some papers.”

•••

He shook off his sweatpants and readjusted his shorts he had underneath before he sat down. You felt your throat get dry in response and caught yourself before you started staring for longer than you should.

When he sat back in the chair you remembered how you’d have to keep it professional. Reminding yourself that he was just another client. A really well-known individual who smelled amazing the closer you got to him. And clients should not make your heart beat and hands sweaty because it was your job to stay still and focused while you worked.

You watched yourself, avoiding any fumbling before he thought any worse of you.

You performed the usual procedure as you sanitized his skin and shaved the hair off the area. You focused on the spot avoiding eye contact with him at first until you relaxed. You were pleased at how calm he seemed and you looked forward to gaining his trust in the process.

You regained focus again, gathering together all your tattoo guns and ink included. You kept your cool and managed to get a conversation going with him.

“So what if I told you you were my first real person I’ve tattooed?” You asked him and he chuckled softly, shaking his head.

“I wouldn’t believe you, I was looking at some of your work in the front while you drew it up, You’re really talented,” he smiled and you quickly looked down before his smile became the next distraction you didn’t need right now.

“Well thank you… I could say the same to you,” you responded as you began filling the tattoo gun with ink.

“Plus, I think I’ve seen you in here before, you getting your reps in,” he responded and you couldn’t help but stop what you were doing to look up and smile at him for a moment. From this angle, he was looking down at you with his big brown eyes. His broad frame intimidating yet calm.

“Oh yeah? Well, I started a couple months ago. Have you always come to this shop?” You asked nonchalantly even though you hoped and prayed he would be back at some point.

“Yeah, since I started living here so, a couple years now,” he yawned. “Steve’s my guy.”

“Hmm,” you hummed in response as you continued inking up his legs, small grin on your lips. “Not for long.”

You were working your way down and needed to get closer to the side of his inner thigh. As you began to tattoo that spot, you noticed him shift in his seat a bit, gripping onto the chair more now.

“You okay?” You asked him.

“Yeah, yeah, might need a break at some point though,” he stated. “My legs are usually… sensitive.”

You smirked up at him. “Break already?”

“Ha-ha,” he replied teasingly. “It’s not an easy pain.”

“I understand. “You need anything right now?” You asked him, your flirtatious eyes were clear now, and he grinned slowly.

“I’m good, for now,” he replied, scanning your expression. “Thanks.”

You continued your work with a great deal of silence between the two of you. He remained focused on his phone and you remained focused on your piece.

“Steve might kill me for cheating on him…” he stated, breaking the silence after almost a half an hour.

“What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him… for now,” you smirked, looking up at him.

“Well well well, how’d you get the apprentice to convince you to give you a tattoo?” You heard Steve’s voice ask.

“Ahhh what’s good Steve,” Jayson greeted him with a handshake.

“I’m just messing, she’s amazing that Miss. Y/N, but don’t go stealing all my clients now,” he said with a wink before walking off to the back.

Steve had been an incredible mentor and you were grateful for how much he had taught you.

Jayson gave him a friendly smile and it was quiet again between the two of you now as you made progress on his piece.

“So about that penis you tattooed before…” Jayson began and you quickly shot your head up at him at his curiosity.

“What’d they get tattoo on it? He finished.

“You won’t believe this but… they wanted a tiny dick on their dick,” you replied and he laughed.

“What the hell,” he laughed, bringing his palm to his forehead before running his fingers through his hair.

“Yeah, um-“

“Did it have to be- uh… stiff?” He asked and you couldn’t help but giggle at how curious yet uncomfortable he was.

“ It was on an off,” you replied quickly.

“My god- I’m so sorry,” he said while shaking his head.

“It’s okay,” you giggled. “I still love this job. Everyday is different. And when I get to do meaningful tattoos like this one- it means a lot.”

He smiled at you before licking his lips, eyebrow twitching at the pain of the needle.

You felt your throat dry at the sight as you swallowed before you spoke. “How old is your son?”

“He’s 5 now,” he replied.

“And how old are you?”

“24,” he replied.

“Ahh, me too!” You grinned, mentally slapping yourself for saying that.

“How’d you get to practice?” He asked.

“Lots of drawing… a lot of it.”

“Hmm,” he responded, keeping his eyes locked on the needles going in and out of his skin.

“What about you? What made you so good at basketball?”

“Same thing, practice,” he chuckled. “It was my dream to play since I was a kid.”

“That’s sweet, you should be proud of yourself,” you smiled, continuing to work your magic.

“I am,” he smiled confidently. “Wait- how’d you know that’s what I do?”

“Well um, your height was kind of a dead giveaway. Plus, I don’t live under a rock.”

“Damn,” he chuckled. “Okay miss.”

“Haha my fault, I didn’t mean to come off sassy. Is this your hometown?”

“No, I grew up in Missouri. What about you?”

“I’m from here, yeah,” you replied.

“You like it?” He asked.

The curiosity in his tone made you feel warm inside.

“It’s okay, but I love that with this job I really could go anywhere. So I can’t wait to get out of here.”

He chuckled in response, unable to give a good answer as his face scrunched in discomfort as you dragged the needles through his leg.

“You’re doing great,” you smiled up at him. The slight gleam in his eye increased by your encouragement.

“I’m going to have to get more in between your legs for your inner thigh…are you comfy with that?”

“Yeah that’s okay,” he replied quickly.

He spread his thighs out and you slowly admired his tan and lean long legs through your lashes and the way they looked in your chair. You felt your cheeks grow warm as you tried to regain focus on the tattoo. Yeah his leg was blistering red from the endless stabbing of the needle but he looked incredibly fit. You wondered what his body looked like under that fabric.

“So do you have a boyfriend?” He asked, snapping you out of your thoughts.

“W-what?” You asked, shutting off the needle to make sure you heard him correctly.

He chuckled nonchalantly, “I said do you have a boyfriend? I mean, it must be kinda tough tattooing other guys the way you said you do and him not being jealous,” he chuckled, scanning the look on your face as you loosened up.

“Oh- haha, right,” you nod. “No, I’m very much single.”

“Oh, I see,” he responded with a nod, pulling his bottom lip between his teeth in a thoughtful manner. “Sorry- that was kind of a personal question.”

“It’s fine,” you smiled sweetly. “Do you have a girlfriend? It must be hard for her watching you get all the attention from women,” you smirked to yourself without looking up from the ink, dabbing it and wiping it as you continued.

“No, I’m also very single. Pretty focused on the game right now and taking care of Deuce,” he replied calmly.

“Hmm, I have a hard time believing that,” you chuckled, standing up to stretch your limbs for a moment.

“Why’s that?” He questioned, smirk tugging at his lips and he crossed his arms. His golden skin almost glowing against the hoodie color he wore.

“There’s not a doubt in my mind there’s not a woman in your life right now,” you retort, taking a sip from your water.

You had always suspected that NBA players are exactly that as you’ve seen; players. From long conversations you’ve overheard at the shop of men talking about all the women they dated. He was definitely capping.

“Well, I’ve dated a couple of women, for sure. I’m not a perfect man. There’s women out there who want you for who you are or just want you for your money, a chance at fame. It’s an unfortunate circumstance to be in, especially in my position.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say unfortunate is the right word,” you replied and soon regret it. You don’t know what it’s like to be in his shoes and yet, here you are challenging him.

“Oh you think so?” He smiled playfully. “How would you describe it then?”

“Well, I guess I wouldn’t fully understand what it’s like to be in your shoes, but it must suck only being wanted for your money.”

“Yeah, well,” he exhales. “There’s only so much you can do. I can either keep searching or just wait for the right one to come along. When you’re basically defined by your financial status, everything is so different.”

You nod in agreement, unsure on how you got on a topic so deep.

“Well, you’re still young. There’s time,” is all you can say. How far do you push it with a guy you just met but no so much about already?

“Yeah,” he lets out a big sigh. “Not gonna lie I’m feeling a little nauseous.”

“Did you eat?” You giggled.

“Not enough,” he chuckled.

“Let’s take a break then,” you smiled.

•••

Lit lit. I loved this. Still figuring out where I want to go with it but I’m excited for this new beginning 😊😊

#jayson tatum imagine #jayson tatum #Jayson Tatum fanfics #nba players

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brighttears · 1 year ago

Text

Breaking Glass

Joel Miller x f!reader

No use of y/n, no physical description except for female sex organs and having hair

Summary: It takes a close call on a run outside of Boston for Joel to realize that he needs to finally tell you the truth—he’s in love with you.

Word count: 7.7k

Warnings: pining (Joel, resolved), violence, description of being cut (brief and metaphorical), smut (minors dni), unprotected PiV, cunnilingus, creampie, dirty talk, pet names (sweetheart, baby, darling, good girl)

A/n: WOOOO finally i wrote something. this took way longer than i thought it would. BIG THANKS to my lovely bestie @bejeweledblueberries for being my beta reader <<<<33333 (btw the smut is p much unedited) (also the cover photo is so lq but its such a pretty picture so)

—

“You ready?” You ask, grabbing your gun to tuck into your waistband, flipping your shirt over where it sits on your back to conceal it.

Joel does not like being in Boston, but he can’t say he’s ever excited to leave—leaving means danger, extra danger, more than what you’ll find within the QZ; infected, for one, but not only. And though he feels safe with you and your weaponry at his side, he does not like going outside the QZ with you. However, the two of you have agreed that him going out without you is just as acceptable as you going out without him, and there are things out there you can’t get anywhere else, and you need a generator.

Joel looks you over while you rustle through your backpack and then slip it on. You’re so beautiful, he wants to say, but he won’t.

From the moment you met, Joel felt something shift. Someone had introduced you to him as a solid resource, so you did a few deals, and then you became an asset. That was the word Joel stuck with for a while, but when you started going on runs together and sort of teamed up as traders, Joel found something more growing. Shoving it down worked adequately well, though, so Joel felt relatively safe. Nonetheless, the feelings have continued to simmer, but he’s been able to keep them contained.

If he had his way, right now he would take your bag off of you, lay your weapons down, scoop you up, take you into the bedroom, and lay down with you; nothing more, just lay and hold you safe with him. But he won’t.

At his silence, you look at him and raise your eyebrows.

“Oh, yeah.” Joel snaps back into it, stealing one last double take before grabbing his own gun to hide like yours and slinging on his pack. You start for the door first and Joel follows you down the noisy, dingy hallway.

The afternoon sun is harsh outside and the streets are bustling, but you have a learned path that you follow to sneak out past the walls.

Once out, the din of the QZ trails behind you for only a short time before being replaced by chirping birds, the rustling leaves of the green trees, and refreshing flora. A subtle peace falls over the two of you as you pull away, but a dismal tone intrudes as you venture out further into the ruins of the former world. Many things are left exactly as they were, but broken, dilapidated, decayed—visibly abandoned in the chaos of that final fateful day. Joel diverts his gaze when you pass an empty stroller, a faded pink blanket dirty and rumpled on the ground in front of it.

The goal is a generator, and Joel turns his attention back to the search for any place you might be able to find one; there’s supposed to be a hardware store around here somewhere. You pass clothing stores, grocery stores and drugstores, a jewelry shop, and restaurants, all overcome by nature, with ivy snaking through broken windows to crawl onto ceilings, welcome mats covered with moss, any hanging plant holders a waterfall of colorful flowers with curly, verdure tails. Mother Earth has come back as queen decorator and with her new freedom has wasted no space.

After walking for a while, you pause in front of an upscale restaurant, and Joel slows to a stop, coming to your side to look in with you. The inside is open to view from the large wooden frames missing their glass. The wood interiors are rich but mostly wrecked by water damage. Every table is still set up with plates, silverware, folded cloth napkins, and large wine glasses, though all dirty and dusty. Liquor bottles sparkle in the sunlight on the back wall’s bar.

After a moment, Joel looks at you and asks, “Watchu thinkin’ about?”

You hum a sigh, then turn to him with a wishful smile, “I just bet their food was sooooo good,” you laugh. Joel smirks and then gives into a smile as he watches yours. Inevitably, his mind wanders to taking you out there, you in a tight dress, he with cufflinks in, clinking glasses with a red rose on the table—

Suddenly, a booming voice calls out, “Hey there, friends, haven’t seen you around these parts!”

You both whip around and, far but still too close, four men are walking towards you. Their clothes are dirty and ripped but their faces are unconventionally cheerful.

The man speaking shows off two broken teeth, gapping his smile. “Oh, look, a gentleman and a lady!”

The hair on the back of Joel’s neck stands. Quietly, he states “Foe.” and raises his gun, but you beat him at the punch, shooting twice and then yelling “Go!”.

Joel instinctively bolts into the restaurant and hears a gruff “Fuck!” as he sprints to the bar at the end of the room. He throws himself around it, quickly pulling out his revolver to cock in his hand on the concrete floor as his back hits hard against the cabinets.

Glass shatters and he ducks his head as the cups from atop the bar blast over his head. At the top of his vision, dozens of shelved liquor bottles burst, pouring reds and golds. Clear vodka drips onto the toe of his shoe at the end of his outstretched leg. It runs cool into his sock as it trails down his boot.

Joel shoots out an exhale and then whips around, throwing his arms over the bar to return fire, but his bullets only batter the wooden tables flipped on their sides, shielding the men set behind them. Joel ducks back and lands just in time for another powerful succession of bullets. A half broken bottle falls and crashes onto the floor and he shuts his eyes and swivels his head, feeling the liquor spray his cheek.

He whirls back over the bar but after only a few shots hears a loathsome clicking. When he crouches down to check the cylinder, he finds it empty.

“Fuck.” Joel grits through his teeth.

Thoughts churn and froth in adrenaline as he slaps over empty pockets, and when a hand lands on his belt, where his knife should be, he looks down at it and realizes he must have forgotten it.

Running the day back through his head, he remembers looking at you right before you left; he must have been too distracted and left it, probably on the table right next to his gun. Joel closes his eyes and hits his head back on the bar. “God damn it.”

Then his eyes shoot back open—where the fuck are you? His heart stops. Where the fuck are you?

Joel shuts his eyes again and realization of his true failure floods through him.

He loves you, but he’s never said a word. Never has a breath of it ever left his lips. Why? The fear that has kept it sealed away seems like complete bullshit compared to the electrocution of fear that shot through him when he realized he’s out of bullets. He had been afraid of living. He sees that now.

Behind his eyes, he sees you.

The first image that flows into his mind is your smile—something hard to find in the Boston QZ, something that took a long time to see, and something that knocked the breath out of him the first time he saw it. He had watched your lips broaden in slow motion, revealing teeth in a perfect curve. He’d made you laugh. He tried making jokes a lot more often after that, and started becoming familiar with your dazzling smile in return.

He remembers the first time you went on a run together; you had snuck out early in the morning to split through between guard’s shifts when the sun was still rising, gold in the divine forestry of the world beyond gray walls. There was a moment where the sun perfectly framed your profile, highlighting the curve of your nose, your lips, your brow, your lashes; the image is etched in his memory.

One day, out in the streets, some Firefly approached him when he was really not in the fucking mood for it, and right when he took a step forward, tensing to throw a punch, you had grabbed his hand. It was the first time you’d touched, and it brought him down immediately. It didn’t calm him, distracted him more like it, but he let you drag him away. One look from you told him to quit it and he followed obediently behind you while you led him back to his apartment. Mesmerized, he watched the swish of your hips the whole way back. In front of his building you told him, “You need to learn how to pick your battles, Joel. He wasn’t worth your punch.” He objected, you returned, “Figure out what’s important and put that zeal of yours into that.”

He thought on that for a long time, it was the precursor to his realization that he’s in love with you. He barely slept the night he did. When you showed up at his door the next morning, he was tongue tied. You asked him what was wrong, he told you he’d barely slept. When you asked why, he admitted he’d just been thinking about what you said, about figuring out what’s important, but when you asked him what conclusion he had come to, he lied. He felt completely unable to tell you then.

After that day, Joel debated almost habitually if he’d ever tell you. That’s when the fantasies started. Torture came with it, too—he was so very torn, so full of longing; it was like he’d been cut, his love for you was like a wound, in such deprived circumstances. He was too afraid of losing his only friend, and to be left behind with a gash of unreciprocated love. The longing deepened quickly, but he grew to tolerate it; he needed you around, whether it was exactly how he wanted it or not. No matter what, he just didn’t want to lose you, and that fear kept the lips of his heart sewn shut.

Once there was a time when you had arranged to meet up and you opened your door to meet him with a black eye, split lip, and a bent posture. A protective hand hovered over the side of your ribs while you stepped aside for him to enter your apartment. Joel stumbled over “Are you okay?” and “Who did this to you?”, pulled both further into your apartment and back out to beat the fucker’s ass, but you sat him down and kept him locked there when you begged him to stay—“Just stay here, okay? Please don’t go out there to start a fucking brawl in the street, that’d be stupid—you’d get teamed up on or busted by some FEDRA guard, I don’t want to get you lookin’ like me or locked in a cell or whatever the fuck—it’s just not worth it, okay? Just, please stay here.”

So he did, all day, and you let him clean you up better than you had yourself. He focused his gaze more than he has even when shooting a gun when you lifted your shirt up so he could check the damage to your ribs. It wasn’t all that difficult with that bruise though, black and blue with flecks of red, threatening tears in his eyes. He almost told you that day.

Still too scared. He needed this moment now, because now he might really lose you.

The raspy voice of one of the men trapping Joel takes him out of his head, “Haven't heard any shots outta you in awhile, you outta bullets, fuck face?” He cackles, shrill and ruthless, “You’re fucked now, huh?” He cackles again, ugly and evil. The laugh itself sounds like that of a killer.

“Come on out, we’ll spare ya!” Another shouts.

“Yeah, don’t worry, we’re real gentlemen, we don’t shoot unarmed men!” A third adds and they all laugh.

“Gotta come out sometime!”

He’s right. Panicked, Joel glances around, looking for something to use. All there is is broken glass—useless from this position.

“Shit.”

This quick run outside the walls, where he foolishly guessed he’d only need one gun, has turned into a shootout, and he’s lost track of you. The possibility of you having been killed ties Joel’s chest up tight as a noose.

Then, three shots but no breaking glass, a man’s agonized scream, another shot, and quiet. Joel’s breathing does not calm and he remains flustered until your voice breaks the silence.

“Joel?”

Immediately, he shoots up to see you standing in the doorway of the restaurant, gun still raised, pointed off to the side at a slumped body. Your chest heaves and your hair is disheveled.

“Are you okay?” You call out as he’s already holstering his gun and swinging around the bar. He basically charges at you, flooded with relief just at the sight of you. Then you collide, and Joel wraps his arms around you impulsively, his lips almost touching your shoulder with his nose on your neck. Joel closes his eyes, breathing in deeply with his cheek firmly against your skin and letting his arms squeeze you. Enveloped in you, his surroundings fall away, and all he wants is to hold you.

A near death experience is often something that knocks some sense into people and Joel just hopes to god he can keep this fresh courage long enough to get home to finally tell you that he loves you, because there will come another time when he is fucked, doomed, out of bullets, and you may not be there, and he will die with a mouth full of regret. He doesn’t let go of you.

“Joel, are you okay? Hey, hey, are you ok?” You put your hands on his shoulders, lightly pushing him away, but he doesn’t release you, nor does he open his eyes, wanting to just feel you and listen to you breathe.

“Yeah, I’m ok.” He murmurs against you.

“Joel,” you say softly, then move your hands from his shoulders to instead wrap them around him, resting your chin on his shoulder and brushing your hands up and down his back slowly. Joel feels your chest expand and contract with a deep breath. After a few moments, you whisper, “We have to go. It’s not safe here.”

Joel takes one more inhale of your scent before reluctantly loosening his grip. He pulls back slowly, letting his hands shift down, stilling on your forearms to hold you before him. He looks over your face, idling, a dreamy haze over his mind, almost dizzy from the adrenaline rush wearing off and the sleepiness of love.

Your lashes flutter and a smile tugs at the corners of your lips. Your thumbs circle over where they rest on his biceps. “Hey.”

“Hey.”

“We really should go.”

Joel doesn’t answer. You’re right, but he’s afraid to move, afraid that if he lets go, of you and of this moment, his fervor for truth will stay here, and he’ll leave it behind and stay silent. But should he risk staying here and Infected showing up, having heard all the gunfire, or if the recently deceased have friends not far behind?

Finally, he nods. As you turn and start toward the door, Joel’s hands, still not ready to let go of you, trail down your arms. One slips down into your hand and you look back at him, grow a smile and curl your finger to hook in his, tugging lightly to pull him behind you.

And then you’re off. There’s no real room for conversation as you leerily duck and weave your way back to the QZ, but Joel forces the prior moments to run through his mind like a film. He is determined to grip this chance, thinking again and again of how he almost left you behind in this world without you knowing the truth about his feelings for you.

When you reach the QZ, only barely making it before curfew when the guards will begin rolling through with their bright flashlights and loaded guns, you slip quietly through the streets before finally making it to the apartment you share.

Only recently had you began living together, decidedly mostly out of convenience, since you go on runs together so frequently and have the same goal of leaving Boston—Joel has a brother out there somewhere, and you would simply like to get the fuck out of this cesspool that used to be Boston. Also because you get along so well, and well, he loves you, and he likes to be around you as much as possible.

Decorating isn’t really something that exists in the QZ; belongings typically consist of necessities and maybe a few little personal indulgences, such as the butterfly window hanging that Joel couldn’t help himself from getting for the place. You arrived with your life in two bags. Nevertheless, your mark has trailed into his apartment, and somehow, the air feels a little cleaner with you there.

Because you came to him, your bed is technically the pullout couch, but since his is much bigger, whenever you arrive home after him at night, he’s already on the pullout, forcing you into the more comfortable, actual bed.

Every morning that Joel’s up first, or if he wakes in the night, he takes a moment, or a few, to lean in the doorframe to watch you sleep. He adores how you look when you’re unwound. If it’s in the middle of the night, he is often tempted—no, he aches to crawl in, even just to lay next to you. More frequently though, he fantasizes about moving closer, taking you into his arms, feeling your body against his, your hair in his face, to fill his lungs with your scent, even if it’s just sweat and ash. He imagines the little sound you’d make or the breath you’d let out once you feel him there, your fingers intertwining with his when he closes his hand over yours, you snuggling closer… sometimes he has to pull himself away for a quick dick pulling in the other room. Regardless of how it makes him feel—horny, smitten, quaking with yearning, or just some kind of tangled melancholy, he treasures these quiet moments and tries to memorize the relaxation on your face.

These are not the only times he likes to watch you—sometimes, he’ll just be sitting at the table and you’ll be in the kitchen making coffee or in the living room tinkering with something or other, and he’ll play with ideas of a domestic life. Very secretly, he’ll roll around in the sound of your first name with his last name, or, unfrequently and especially confidently, a wedding.

Joel simply likes seeing you, being near you, and no matter what you’re doing, he adores spending time with you. The only way he can get a splash of contentment is when he’s with you—there’s nothing else here that could do that for him here. Only you, only you, runs through his head often.

Tonight, you’re visibly exhausted as you walk into the apartment before him, dropping your bag on the table—right next to his knife, exactly where he had guessed it was—and rub your hands over your face. They slide down your neck, pausing briefly before falling to your sides. Then you turn to him and ask, “Are you ok?”

He nods, “I’m alright. Are you?”

“I am now, yeah,” you chuckle, “now that we’re back and I know you’re ok. What happened back there?”

Joel shrugs, “Ran outta bullets.” He chuckles sheepishly.

“Oh.” you laugh. “Shit, yeah, you were three on one. I was around the corner fighting off one of those fucks. It was a knife fight though, usually takes a little longer.” Suddenly, you throw your hands to your head, “Fuck, I’m–I’m sorry I didn’t get there sooner, I mean, you needed backup and I… took so long to fucking—”

“No, no,” He puts his hand out to stop you, his brow pinching up, “no, don’t worry about it sw—” he pauses, clearing his throat to pull back in ‘sweetheart’—maybe he’d been thinking about his feelings too much on the way back—“don’t go blamin’ yourself. You didn’t do anythin’ wrong. We got ambushed, that’s jus’ how it goes. I’m jus’ glad you’re alright—” Joel then paces over to you, scanning your face and body, “you sure you’re alright? Did’n’ get nicked or somethin’? Don’t hide that shit from me, you know,”

“No, I’m fine. Maybe a couple scratches and bruises, but that’s it.” As he turns you, leaning in to check your back, you chuckle, “I’m fine, Joel.”

“You sure?” He asks again, quietly when he returns in front of you, turning your face from side to side with his fingers lightly along your jaw.

“Yeah, I’m okay.”

As he looks over your face, he gets caught in your eyes, almost doelike with a sweet smile. He swallows hard, suddenly realizing your proximity.

“Okay.” He almost whispers.

Your lips twitch, you blink, and he swallows hard again, then lets go of you and steps back.

You blow out an exhale, looking around. “There’s a box of bullets in my bag you can grab, I gotta wash this off,” you tell him as you walk backwards into the kitchen, then take your blade out of its sheath and turn to the sink. Joel moves to the table, slowly unzipping your bag, pulling out the box, and reloading his gun. His heart rate has picked up because he feels that now is the time and fuck, here it is, and he has to do this, it’s what he’d been promising himself he’d do the whole way back. His anxiety reassures him that this is his one chance; that damning fear is close to overtaking him again, and he can’t let it this time.

Joel plods over to lean against the counter next to the sink.

As you run your knife under the water, you glance at him with a light smile. “Hey.”

“Hey.” He copies nervously.

You glance at him again, then shut the water off, wipe the blade on your shirt, and resheath it on your hip. Leaning your hands over the edge of the sink, you shift your weight to one hip and turn your head to him. “What’s up?”

Joel meets your gaze and takes a deep breath. The broken sink continues to drip, clinking into the drain. “Well I,” he starts, “well, thank you, for… y’know.”

“You don’t need to thank me.” You chuckle.

“No, I mean, I know, I just… wanna thank you anyway. But, that’s not….” Joel takes another deep breath, stalling. “Uhm… well, I just… that was… that was a close call.” You nod, looking down. “And I’m… really glad… well… ok, listen.” You look back up at him but then he has to look back to the floor to gather his thoughts. “That was a close call.” He begins again. “I’ve had a few, but haven’t had one like that in awhile. You…” saved me. Not just then, you’ve been saving me for a long time. Joel clears his throat and takes another finalizing exhale, forcing the truth out with it, “You know what they say about… near death experiences I guess, where people get uh, moment of clarity, when they see everythin’ they regret doin’? Well, I think that could count as a near death experience, cause I was thinkin’... I mean, y’know, I got a lotta things I regret, but the one that was on my mind, just for a second, before you came in and saved my dumbass,” Joel looks up at you to smirks and you return one. “Well…” Joel’s smirk fades and as his eyes travel over your face his heart swells. Confidence and fear mix like water and oil within it, but the persistence he’d been cultivating surfaces and urges him to continue. “Well, I was thinkin’ about you.” Your head tilts slightly and your eyes soften, the corner of your lip pulled up slightly. “I was thinkin’ about how… I never told you that uh,” Joel looks down and nervously scratches his eyebrow. “I–I’m… in love with you.” He puts his hand on his hip, the other leaning on the counter, keeping his eyes down. Your hands clench the edge of the sink. His heart flees with pattering beats. The faucet drips its endless drip.

At least you know. At least you know, he thinks to himself. He hadn’t built any expectations of what you might say, he can’t say he’s ready if you reject him, and he hasn’t thought far enough ahead to what he’d do if you do. He just needs you to know.

Joel watches your fingernails turn white pressed against the silver of the sink and feels his heartbeat punching in his chest. This is his moment of truth. He knows that one way or another, nothing will be the same now; if this is the end between the two of you, he will never let himself share a truth like this ever again. He will leave Boston tomorrow and never look back.

Finally, he looks up at you for some kind of tell, his lips parted, brow anxiously knitting together, but your eyes are locked unrevealingly on the drain. “Do you—could you—I mean, i–is that ok?”

“This is something you planned on taking to the grave?” You ask, finally turning to him with still unrevealing eyes.

Joel rubs his hand on his forehead, closing his eyes, shamefaced. “…I did. I jus’… I don’t wanna ruin everythin’.” He shakes his head. “Look, y’know, I really like you, I mean I lo–I love you, but, but, I jus’, y’know… like bein’ around you. I like everythin’ about you, I like talkin’ to you, I mean I feel like I can talk t’you. An’ I mean, we work pretty well together,” glancing at you, he adds, “don’t’y’ think?” He moves his hand to rub the back of his neck. “I think you’re so,” Joel looks back to the floor, finishing quietly and awkwardly, “beautiful… and I jus’… don’t wanna lose you. An’ back there… I thought I was gonna. I mean, I was gonna lose eveyrthin’, I was gonna lose my life, an’ I felt so… jus’… full of regret. That I never told you. I hope I show it, that’s the import’n thing. But I jus’ thought it was import’n that… you knew that I love you. An’ you’re worth lovin’. An’ I jus’ felt like you should know.” He concludes.

“Well… I’m glad you told me.” This makes Joel look up and is met with a light smile. This time, your eyes are soft. You pull your lips in briefly before continuing, “I really like you too. I mean, I really like living with you and… I really like spending time with you and talking to you. You’re the first friend I’ve had in awhile,” you chuckle, “and… I feel safe around you.” Joel breathes deeply. You feel safe around him, one of his deepest desires come true. I’ll keep you safe forever. Just stay with me forever, and I’ll keep you safe forever. I’ll love you forever. “And… I just really like you, and I’m… I love you too.” You breathe out, “I love you Joel,” and your eyes are on his lips and you turn to him, fall into him and you kiss.

You taste sweet and you’re in his arms again and your fingers tangle in his hair and you grip his shirt. Joel’s hand holds your bicep and then the back of your neck and his arm wraps around your waist. “I love you,” Joel mumbles into your lips and pulls you closer until his body is flush with yours.

“I love you,” you return, and sling your arms around his shoulders, both hands in his hair as his slides over your face, holding his thumb in your cheek, his eyes squeeze shut.

How long he’s been waiting to have you like this.

You’re both sweaty and grimey and there’s a tinge of copper in your scent but Joel appreciates it with the rest of it. He smooths his hand over your tangled hair, bunching it in his hand to keep your face in place for him as he slips his greedy tongue through your teeth. You twist your tongue with his, them becoming their own snaking dance while you pull yourselves desperately closer to each other. Joel takes your face in his hands and, like a dam breaking, tells you again, “I love you, I love you, I love you,” in between kisses. In response, you hum into his mouth and wrap your arms tight around him, dragging over his back and into his hair, pressing your bodies even closer together.

You pull back with hot, heavy breaths, still sliding your hands all over him, and say, “I’ve wanted you like this for so long,” and punctuate with a slow sloppy kiss. Joel’s chest swarms and then he hoists you up, your legs automatically wrapping around his waist. Feeling your weight fills him with satisfaction he didn’t know he longed for and hums into your mouth, starting for his bedroom with you in his arms.

The passion develops, as natural and guaranteed as changing weather. The novelty creates a storm that Joel is unprepared for but embraces with awe. The storm develops quick when he drops you onto the bed and you reach up to pull him on top of you by the lapels of his flannel, taking him back to your mouth like you’re starving for it. Joel’s entire body is hot as his hips weigh down over yours. Electricity buzzes over the area of contact and Joel feels himself getting hard, the storm now a hurricane of lust that pushes his hand up your shirt. When you moan, it vibrates through his lips and all the way down to his cock. He comes up to sit on his knees and when he lifts his shirt you follow, eager to see the parts of each other never before revealed.

“Fuck,” Joel mumbles and returns back down on your body. His hand slides lazily over your torso and he moans into your lips when you reach down for his belt.

“I want you,” you say, and Joel moans again.

“I’m yours, baby.”

You slip his belt open and don’t bother with his buttons or zipper before slipping your hand in to slide over his length. Joel pulls back for only a moment to breathe, then goes back to attacking your lips. His hand reaches down to grip your wrist in a frenzied move, overwhelmed by the feeling of your hand on his hardening cock.

“You like that?” You ask into his mouth.

“Yes,” is all he can get out, then moans when your hand closes over his base.

“God, you’re big.”

“You want it?” He slurs.

“Yes.”

At that, Joel slides his own hand down your pants, palm on your clit while he curves his fingers to feel the wetness already soaking through your underwear. He moans, once again overwhelmed by the want he feels from you. “Yeah, I know you do.”

You remove your hand from him, instead wrapping your legs around him to pull him down, squeezing his hand in, allowing him to feel the details under it. He hums and bites your lip.

Joel raises up again, using one hand to unbutton and unzip your pants with the other working on his own. Breathing out deeply as you watch him, your hands slide over sides up to over your face and into your hair, reaching up to squeeze the pillows your head rests on.

A lamp mistakenly left on allows for light for him to view you under. Admiring you, Joel shakes his head and speaks his mind, “Beautiful ain’t enough to describe it.”

You chuckle and sigh, looking down to watch him tug down your underwear and jeans. You widen your legs for him to tug them down, bending one knee to remove a leg and then the other for him to pull free. Joel doesn't bother with his own, only pulling his down enough to make room for his cock, which bounces out of his lowered boxers. When your eyes flick from it back to his, your body lifts and falls with a deep sigh. Seeing the lust in your eyes, he finds himself unable to take any time with it, and he comes back down on you, slipping his hand to his member, now rock hard, to guide it to your entrance.

“Yes,” you breath out, once again opening your legs for him.

“Yeah?”

“Yes.”

Joel kisses your lips lightly before pulling away to look through the window of his body above you to the dark mess of curls between your thighs, the muscles of his groin tensing as he enters you.

“Fuck. you’re tight.”

“You’re big.”

“Too big?”

You shake your head.

“Good.” And with that, the entirety of his shaft enters you and you both moan.

“Shit.”

“Fuck me, Joel,” you whisper.

Joel groans deeply at your response, then repositions, taking his hand away to set his forearm over the bed, his other hand dragging over your face, resting his thumb on your lip. He watches your face as he starts with long, slow strokes. After a few, he can’t get himself to pull so far back out of you, needing to be inside you and unable to help himself from starting to snap his hips into a fast pace. The force of his full length has you bouncing and you close your eyes, eyebrows furrowed up with your mouth opened wide, pouring out moans.

“Yeah?” Joel says breathily, “You like that, sweetheart?”

“Uh-huh,”

“I wanna make you cum, baby,” he says, then messily kisses the corner of your mouth.

“I want you to cum inside me,”

“Yeah? You want me to fill you up with my cum?” He says, then bites your lip.

It flips up from between his teeth when you reply, “Yes.”

“I wanna make you cum first.” To punctuate, Joel’s pace quickens, loading his full length into you over and over again.

“Joel, feels so good,” you squeeze the words out, eyes still closed and brow pinched up, fingers raking through his hair.

The feeling of your hands holding his face close to yours and your tight walls around him fulfills Joel’s long lived need to unite your bodies like this and his chest is filled with all the feelings of every moment he’s fantasized about this exact scenario.

“God, please, fuck me,”

He hums, “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to hear you say that.”

Finally, your eyes snap open, locking on his as you careers his face, “Fuck me, fuck me, fuck me,”

Joel reattaches your mouths messily, sliding his tongue around your lips before it finds its way back in, and your nails scratch over his cheeks as you pull him closer. Your moans break the hold in brief intervals, singing them to each other as you fuck. Joel moves a hand down to grip your ass, holding you steady as he ruts into you.

Pleasure builds inside of him warm and tight and Joel suddenly pulls out, “Shit, I’m gonna cum.” Without pause, he moves back on the bed and settles his mouth between your legs, sliding his hands up your thighs, and as he starts his tongue along your slit, your hands go back to pull at his hair.

“Oh shit Joel,” he hears you, muffled with your thighs over his ears, and groans into you as he continues to slip his tongue up and down. His head is clamped tighter between your thigh when he sucks your clit and he feels your moans vibrating through you, your fingernails scratching his scalp. He uses the tip of his tongue on the underside of your clit with his lips suctioned around it, and in no time, you’re trembling around him, bobbing your crotch into his mouth. He feels you crying out more than he hears it and only pulls away when you tug him away by his hair. When he looks up, all he sees is your jaw, your head laid back, breasts on display with your back arched up. He pushes himself up, admiring how your toes curl at the end of your spread legs. Joel smiles as your quivering subsides. Crawling back on top of you, he presses his hand over your now soaking wet pussy, carrying out your orgasm with a few more spasms. As soon as he comes to your face, Joel grabs your lips with his again, kissing you sluggishly with your deep exhales tickling his face.

“Oh my fucking god, Joel,” you say, pulling his face away.

“Yeah?” He smiles.

“Yeah,” you chuckle, then bring your mouths back together. Then you take yourself away again, fingertips grazing over his cheeks when you say, “I want you inside me again, I want you to cum inside me,”

Eagerly, Joel is already reaching back down for his dick, slicking it over your pussy. “Yeah? You starvin’ for it, ain’t ya?”

“Mhm,” You nod, your eyes dragging up from his lips back to meet his gaze, circling your thumbs over his cheeks. Sweet desperation paints your face with your brow furrowed and lips swollen. You lick into his mouth, bobbing your hips up to tease his tip inside of you.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart,” Joel says as he guides his cock once again into you, “I’ll give you what you want. Just tell me, an’ it’s yours.”

“I want you,” you reply, bucking your hips up to bring him further in.

“I’m yours.” He whispers, lips brushing yours as he speaks, before finally filling you with his cock.

“Yeah, more,” you whine as he begins to fuck you again. “Harder,” is music to his ears, and your body jolts on the bed as he obeys. “Like that, like that,” you breath out, eyes closing briefly before opening back up to his, hands still cupping his face. Though you’re not kissing, your hot and heavy breaths create a link between your mouths and you use the remaining space to keep locked on each other's eyes.

“You feel so good, baby,” Joel tells you, his voice jumping with his pace “I wanna feel you cum again, can’y cum for me again, sweetheart?”

You simply nod, starting to lay out short moans as you tie your legs around him. “You’re so big,” you mewl, and Joel can’t help but lick into your sounds. You whine again, clamping your legs around him tighter. Open mouthed moans part your lips connection, but Joel appreciates the view, watching your eyes squeeze shut and then open again, lips wet with his spit and your own cum.

Joel groans in appreciation of it all, your sweaty bodies gripping each other’s in every way, him providing for you, making you feel good, making you cum, and from his lips slips again, “I love you.”

Your response is in the hand thrown back to clutch the pillow, eyes screwed shut again with your lips in an O, and Joel replies with harder thrusts, your groins meeting as he bottoms out. Needing to stabilize himself on the rocking bed, Joel’s hand lands on the wall.

“Gonna cum for me? Such a good girl, doin’ what I ask. Yeah, I can feel you comin’ close baby. Cum for me, darlin’. Cum for me, and then I’ll cum inside you, js’ like you asked. Go on, baby. Ah, fuck.”

You cry out, gripping Joel’s hair as your head flips back again, legs still keeping Joel locked deep inside of you. As he feels your pussy contract around him, Joel starts to breathe heavier, letting out grunts, groans, and moans as his thrusts get messier, bumping into your harder to a needy, unsteady beat.

“Ah, fuck, I’m gonna cum,” is his turn to cry out, and, looking down at you, and in the same loud voice, he says, “cum for me baby, cum with me, cum with me.”

Your free hand grabs his wrists as he holds your side, chest jolting with lustful breaths, and then you’re shuddering again, and Joel raises up to grip your sides with both hands. Your orgasms are drawn out as Joel pulls you onto him with deep thrusts, pausing inside of you while he pumps his cum into your tight, quivering sheath.

When your climaxes subside, you’re left staring at each other, breathing heavily. Joel smiles, then gently lowers himself down to kiss you tenderly. He waits until he’s empty of cum to pull out, cock softening as it rests in the V of your hips.

“That was fucking amazing,” you say between breathes.

“You feel better than I ever coulda fuckin’ dreamed.” Joel chuckles, then kisses you one more time before rolling off of you to lie at your side, turning his head to meet you looking back at him.

“You dreamt about that?” You smile.

“Fuck yeah I did.” Joel admits shamelessly. You laugh. “Did you?”

“Once or twice.” You shrug, chuckling with a toothy smile. Joel chuckles back, then looks up with a heavy sigh. He smiles to himself, then feels your finger on the edge of his lips. He closes his eyes. This is something he’s never felt before, and truly never dreamed. It really is better than anything he ever could have imagined, laying next to you like this, his body still warm, your touch on his lip. Nothing outside of this room exists, nothing over than this bed with you in it. He hums another sigh, then turns his face back to you.

“You’re so beautiful.” He murmurs.

“You’re so beautiful.” You say with a smile.

Joel takes your wrist with his hand, feeling the muscles move as you continue to pet his face with your finger.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

His hand falls away from your wrist and he rests it on his stomach, stars in his eyes as he gazes back into yours.

There's a few minutes of silence, but it’s filled with an air between you like a rosy haze of sweet smelling smoke, lit up under golden light.

Joel supports his head with his hand under his pillow, allowing a better view to stay with your eyes. As he stargazes, he takes a deep breath through his nose and decides to admit, “…I almost said this before,” his mouth pauses open before he continues, “you saved me today, out there… but you saved me before then. You saved me a long time ago. For a… long, long time, I didn’t really know what I was doin’. I know I had to go get Tommy, I just needed to get a car.” He shifts his head to look up, “I still need to get a car.” Then he looks back at you, “We still need to get a car, you know I’m not goin’ without you. But… I was lost. I felt… empty.” Joel swallows, looking over your face, “But then I had you. N’ then I felt like… I was alive again. Not just survivin’. You made me feel… real. I forgot what smilin’ felt like,” Joel chuckles, “until you. All I wanted was to leave. I mean, I still wanna leave here, Bostn’, but then, all I really wanted to be was with you. Anywhere, with you.”

You smile, and then roll to your side, sliding your hand over his chest and kiss him. He closes his eyes but keeps still. Heaven sounds in a cloud passing over him as your sweetness once again blesses his lips.

“You know, it’s funny how much of that I’ve always felt, too.” You start, still over him, and start to trace over his features with a featherlight touch. “I didn’t have a brother. I just wanted to get out. I was happy to meet you because you were a way out. But… you weren’t just a way out of Boston, you were a way out of… everything. Only for moments at a time, but, you were. It’s like… I just can’t believe I found you. In the mess of everything, you were there… and I’m just so… grateful, I guess. That’s not the right word… Just… Thank god for you. I kind of think god is dead, after all the… you know, everything, but thank god for you.”

Your words bring tears to his eyes. He allows them to bead in the corners, and you touch them away with your fingertip. “I love you.” He whispers.

“I love you so much, Joel.’

Joel was something without you, but not much. A knife, a gun, a severed brother, a fractured father, a frightened soul staggering around a broken city. With you, he’s carried back to love, and he can feel softness finding its way back into his veins from a heart inlaid with velvet.

He may not believe in fate, but Joel likes the idea that he was destined to find you, and you him, and he thanks whatever was responsible for granting him the courage that grabbed him the moment it did so that he could finally tell you what you mean to him, because he knows the fearful man in his core couldn’t do it alone.

Love, bona fide, is a deep pool in his center that never dried up, but was fortified with pieces of his dark desperation, broken down himself into spikes he assembled around it. But now with you, he surrenders, and, bodies held close, he dips with you into the warmth of his pure waters.

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luke-hughes43 · 2 months ago

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boston | will and dani

will taking dani to kenny chesney for her birthday

she comes from Boston, works at the jewelry store, down in the harbor, where the ferries come to shore, she never really knew how good it would feel, to finally find herself in a place so warm and real

for dani's 20th birthday, will got the two of them tickets for the kenny chesney concert. (he totally used a chunk of his contract but in his eyes it's anything for dani) he drove them the hour and a half down to the stadium for the show, smiling ear to ear and resting a hand on dani's thigh.

she rests her hand on his and leans her head on his arm. she says, "thank you for this. i've always wanted to see him."

"anything for you baby."

she wears a Red Sox cap, to hide her baby dreads, the girl she was in New England, is different now and dead, in all the local bars, she flirts and tells the boys while they're talkin', she's from Boston

after they park and everything at the stadium, they go into their seats and dani is in awe of close they are. will really spoiled her with this. since it was last minute of her finding out, she didn't have her cowboy hat, but she was having a great hair day so it didn’t matter.

will thought she looked beautiful. he kept her close to him and enjoyed seeing her so happy. and she was excited to see megan moroney too. this is the happiest that will has ever seen dani and he’d do anything to keep her this happy.

about halfway thru megan’s performance, he pulls dani into him and presses a soft kiss to her lips. he says, “you having fun?”

dani nods and kisses him, “so much fun will.” she hugs will semi tightly and megan starts to play “tennessee orange” causing dani to jump up and down in his arms.

dani loves that song because it makes her think of will. will keeps her close and they rest their foreheads on each other while singing along. about halfway through the chorus, they end up kissing deeply and dani says, “i love you so much will. so so so much. this is the best thing i’ve ever had done for me.”

“i’d buy you the world just to see that smile again dani. anything for you love.” will says smiling.

she comes from Boston, talks to her family now and then, through e-mails and postcards, she tries to explain to them, that education and occupation will have to wait for now, she loves the Rasta, reggae rhythms, her dreams have changed somehow

once kenny comes on, dani is smiling and cheering with the crowd. after the first few songs, will says in her ear, “do you want something to drink? i’m gonna get a water.”

“can you get me one too?” she asks. he nods and kisses her cheek before fighting the crowd to get water. she gets so lost in the music that she doesn’t notice will come back.

he puts a hand on her back and says in her ear, “here baby” and then hands her the water. when he went to get water, he also bought a hat and dani a hoodie. knowing that she’d want something as a memory.

later on in the show, one of dani’s favorite songs starts playing, Boston. the whole reason she’s ever wanted to see him in foxboro. she turns to will with a smile, “this is my favorite song”

he smiles, “i know.” he pulls his hat off (which happens to be a red sox one) and puts the chesney hat on, while putting his red sox hat on dani’s head. she smiles as will pulls her into his chest from behind.

he smiles and starts singing along in her ear, “she wears a red sox cap, to hide her baby dreads” and taps the brim of the hat on her head making both of them giggle.

will kisses her cheek and the both of them sing every word to the song while he holds dani tight to his chest. she wraps her hands around his forearms and smiles while leaning her head against his chest.

her toes dig deep and deeper in the sand, she's seduced by the sunsets and her new life at hand

after he sings boston, will pretty much keeps dani close to his chest the rest of the night. just wanting to keep her close. during a song break he says softly, “i don’t know if i’ve said this yet but i am so glad your going to stanford. i’m gonna need your support this year and i don’t think i could do this whole nhl thing without you.”

“i’m glad to be going too. but whether i was with you in san jose or staying in boston, i’ll always support you william smith. always.” dani says smiling up at him.

she turns and kisses him like they are the only two people around. to be fair, this whole concert experience for dani has felt like they were the only two people there.

as the concert comes to an end and dani gets tired, she clings to will. gripping his hand tight as he leads them out of the stadium and to the car. she says quietly, “thank you.”

“you don’t have to thank me.” will says and kisses her head.

when they get to the car, dani goes on her tip toes to kiss will. he grabs her waist and pulls her into him while deepening it. she has her hands up on the back of his neck and threads her fingers through the ends of his hair.

she pulls on a few strands and he groans into her mouth causing her to smirk. she says between kisses, “you need a hair cut.”

“you’d kill me if i cut my hair.”

“damn right i would.” she says kissing him again.

she wears a Red Sox cap, to hide her baby dreads, from Boston, she came to this island from Boston

after it’s all said and done, dani falls asleep in the car on the drive home. she’s holding wills hand and curled into his arm. every once in a while, he will presses a kiss to her head while she sleeps.

will smiles the whole way back to his house after having one of the best nights of his life with the girl who is arguably the love of his life.

when he gets back to his house, he doesn’t bother waking dani. he just carries her in and puts her to bed. he carefully wipes her makeup off and crawls into bed with her.

she latches herself onto him in her sleep and they both fall asleep with smiles on their and wake up the next morning tangled in each others limbs. both of them having the best time at the concert.

#will smith hockey #danielle duke #will x dani

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andydrysdalerogers · 2 months ago

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Cross-Checked ~ Chapter 24

Andy Barber x OFC Leighton "Leia" Andrews

Summary:

Andy Barber is having the best year of his life. His game is on point. It’s gets to play with his best friend and his fiancé just... dumped him?!.

Reeling from a sudden change in status, Andy decides it’s time to just focus on hockey. Until his best friend's sister comes out with news that rock the entire organizations world.,

Andy has always carried a torch for the untouchable Leighton but in her hour of need, is now the time to shoot and score or risk getting cross - checked again?

Warnings: Cheating (but not by the MCs); slow burn; friends to lovers eventually; SMUT!; pregnancy; jealousy; handsome goalies, evil exes...

I do NOT give permission for my work to be translated or reposted on here or any other site, even if you give me credit. DO NOT REPOST MY FICS. Reblogs, comments, likes, and feedback ALWAYS appreciated

Dividers by @firefly-graphics

Banners by me!

Previous: Chapter 23 ~ She's Ours

Series Masterlist // Main Masterlist

Andy

Relationships are hard.

I know this.

What I forgot is that proposing is even harder.

Sure, your relationship is in a constant state of change. You weren’t the same person you were when you started the relationship, and you won’t be the same person when it ends. I get that.

I’ve even proposed before, but my ex had chosen the ring and told me how she wanted to be proposed. It made doing it very easy.

(To be honest, that should have been my red flag, but you know, hindsight is twenty/twenty.)

Leia, however, has not dropped a single hint on how she dreamed of being proposed to or even what her ring looked like. Granted she has changed from girlfriend to mother and the priorities are different but still, I assumed she had talked about it to her friends.

You know how to spell assume right?

Now I’m panicking. I want to have the perfect proposal for my queen. She deserves something special and spectacular after everything that she has been through. I want it to be something that she tells our grandchildren one day. I want her ring to be something we pass down from mother to daughter (or son). I want it to be the symbol of the infinite love we have for each other.

No pressure whatsoever.

But first things first, I must find it.

You know what else is hard: asking your best friends to go ring shopping with you. Because your best friends are probably useless in choosing jewelry. Luke has it easier. While he didn’t have a clue on the how, he did have an idea on the ring. And Miranda loved the ring he picked out.

But my girl, my queen, hasn’t dropped a hint. Nothing. Zip. Nada. And that is how I find myself in a boutique jewelry store in Boston with five other hulking hockey players. The salesperson seems overwhelmed with the number of men in one store. I really had only meant to bring Luke. But that somehow turned into bringing Luke, David, Brad, Jeremy and Linus. The salesperson has a selection on rings out, but nothing seems to catch my eye.

I know I wanted something that would be classic but unique as well. I see like 30 rings but none of them scream “Leia”. I’m starting to feel defeated when a soft glimmer catches my eye. I move to the case, leaving the others arguing the merits of each ring. “Can I see that one?” I point to the ring.

(Picture of the ring at the bottom)

“This is an antique,” she starts. “It's a 1.5 karat light blue diamond, lab created. Its set in a halo and surrounded by a half karat of diamonds and along the band set in rose gold. It has a matching double band in smaller blue and white diamonds.” I studied the ring, and I can see it on her hand. The color almost matches Avery’s eyes. My princess has blue green eyes, and the diamond reminds me of them.

“It’s perfect.” I smile at the salesperson. “I’ll take it.”

Luke wanders after me as I look at the ring one more time. “Wow, dude, that’s beautiful. Kinda reminds me of Avery.”

“Yeah, that’s why I liked it.” I pull out my credit card and handed it to the girl. Now I just need to figure out how I was going to do this.

It was easier to discuss things on the road. The only problem was I couldn’t get Stella and Jeremy in the same room. The poor guy was exonerated and yet his girl still wasn’t talking to him. I decided to leave Stella out of it because I didn’t want to rub it in her face. I know they will work everything out. Leia said that Stella is dealing with her guilt on how she handled Jeremy’s situation. “She’ll get there,” Leia said with a soft voice. “They’re soulmates.”

I love how much she loves sometimes.

I have to plan this proposal. She needs something more than just asking a question. She is the queen of my world, and I want everyone to know it. “How about a sky writer?” Brad offers.

“That’s excessive,” I comment.

“You could do it at the diner,” Luke offers. “You guys have hung out there a lot, even when we were younger.”

“True.” I’m thinking it over when Jeremy pipes in.

“What about after we win the cup?” A couple of hands go to bat at him, and he dodges. “What?”

“You’re gonna jinx us,” David says. “But he does have a point. Why not after the season ends, wherever that may happen.”

“What if we are on the road when it does?” I counter.

“If we’re to that point, wouldn’t she be in the building anyways?” David smiled. “We can involve our girls to make sure she has help with Avery and pictures and stuff.”

All the guys agree, and I smile. “Ok, then that’s when I’ll do it. But someone has got to carry this ring around.” I hand the box to Linus.

His eyes go round. “Me?”

“You are the most responsible out of all of us. Plus, on that final game, you and Jeremy will know how to find it.”

He sighs and takes the box. “I’m only doing this because I love Leia, and she deserves this.”

Leia

Hockey players are weird. They are superstitious, grouchy, high-strung men that need a chill pill. Honestly, Andy has been so jumpy that last few weeks that it’s been concerning. I catch him texting all the time and when I ask, he says it's the guys. But he’s acting so shady.

I’m at lunch with Miranda and Stella. “The way he’s acting is so different from years before. I know hockey players are intense and superstitious, but I think something else is going on.” I take a sip of my ginger ale and then look at Avery in her stroller. She’s awake and her beautiful green eyes are on display, taking in the scenery.

“Luke has been acting cagey as well,” Miranda said. She took a bite of food and chewed thoughtfully. “Do you think he’s cheating?”

“God, that thought never even crossed my mind.” I buried my face in my hands. “Why would he make a big production about adopting Avery if he has a side piece?”

“Whoa!” Stella takes my hands. “She asked if you think he is. And you think he is not. That’s good. That doesn’t mean he is. And I’m with the team most of the time. Even if I’m avoid certain players, Andy is always checking in with me. It's the playoffs, trust me. Andy’s first year as captain and he took them to the playoffs. That is so stressful it would make anyone loopy.”

I know she’s right. But now that the seed of doubt has been planted, its starts to grow as the season goes on.

We travel whenever the guys get to an elimination point. But so far, the guys have been playing fantastic. We celebrate on the ice when we win at home or in the family rooms during away games. Its been a roller coaster but I couldn’t be happier for Andy and my brother.

Andy

Game Seven – Stanley Cup Finals

Here it is. The final game of the season. Game Seven.

I might throw up.

And not because of the game.

It’s because I know, tonight is the night I ask Leia to be my wife.

I woke up this morning to the cries of my little girl. I looked over to see Leia still asleep. Avery had been up and down this week and Leia was exhausted. I grabbed the baby monitor, turned it off and headed into Avery’s room. We had been transitioning her to her crib at three months and it was hard on Leia but a necessary step. I needed to be able to take my girl whenever I needed. And while I understand my baby probably can’t see what I’m doing yet, I know she can hear us, and I don’t need her to hear me violate her mother.

The thought started to chub up my dick, so I shook the thoughts away.

I walked into the room and peered over the railing. As soon as Avery spotted me, she quieted to sniffles. “There is my princess.” I reached into the crib and pulled her to my shoulder. Her heavy diaper and the stench that followed alerted me to why she was crying. “Did my princess make a mess? Yes, she did,” I cooed as I went to change her. As I cleaned her up, I wanted her opinion.

“Do you think mama would want to be married to daddy?” Avery shook her fist at me and cooed. “Yeah, I think she wants that too. Would you be happy with me marrying your mama?” Avery a shout, startling the both of us. Her eyes widen and she did it again. Looks like someone found her voice, I chuckled. “Let’s get some breakfast, princess.”

This is what I wanted. Mornings with my girl, letting my queen sleep. She’s been with Avery 24/7 while I had been on the road but this summer, I would spend all my time with my girls. I made a bottle and sat to feed Avery with some SportsCenter in the background. I felt a delicate hand on my cheek and looked up at Leia smiling. “You should have woken me up.”

“And miss my morning conversation with my princess?” I scoffed. “Fat chance.” I kissed her palm. “Wanted to let you rest.”

“Hmm.” She walked into the kitchen and heard her making the coffee. A few minutes later, she placed a steaming cup on the table in front of me. “Wanted to cuddle this morning.”

“Well, I’m right here,” opening my arm so she could slide right next to me. “Avery required my attention this morning. For the sake of keeping the house smelling good, I obliged.”

Leia giggled. “How are you feeling about tonight?”

“Optimistic. First Game 7 as Captain. I don’t want to let the boys down, but I know they have it. I just don’t want to screw it up.”

“Baby, you would never screw up anything up. At least not on purpose.” She gives me a cheeky smile before sipping her coffee.

“Brat.” I really can’t retaliate as I have my daughter in my arms. I kiss the top of Leia’s head. “Promise, no matter what happens, you’ll stay with me.”

“Andy...”

“You’ll still love me even if I lose the cup.” I stare out the window, the sun beginning to peek between the clouds.

“Baby, look at me.” I turn to her, and I feel the tears forming behind my eyes. “I haven’t had any doubt about your ability to lead this team. You were named captain for a reason. Don’t doubt that.”

I kiss Leia softly, but it quickly deepens until Avery lets out a cry. I turn to look and see her bottle is empty. But her eyes are drooping so I kiss her head and stand. I offer a hand to Leia. “Give me 15 and I’ll be back in our bedroom.”

She gives me a sexy smirk. “Yes, sir, Captain.”

I still as she sways her hips in front of me and climbs the stairs. I look down at my sleeping daughter. “$1000 if you sleep for the next hour baby girl,” I whisper before I follow her mother up the stairs.

This game has been tight. The Kings are a great team. They deserve to be here.

But my boys are better.

We made this game 2-1 and there are two minutes left in the game. Los Angeles pulls their goalie so its but to us to get the puck out and away from Jeremy. His glove has been on fire. The one he let it, no one would be able to have stopped. But since then, I don’t think the puck has gotten six inched near the line.

We set up on the left of Jeremy. This is going to be an all-out fight for the puck. The kings centerman lets one go that Jeremy is able to block but the puck deflects right. He up to block the next shot from the right but his left is wide open.

“Oh fuck,” I yell as I skate to his left. Another shot after a block comes sailing towards the net. I dive in front, and it hit me square. I groan as I hit the ice. That one is going to leave a mark.

“Andy! You ok?” I hear Jeremy yell at me as the rest of the skaters move to the other end of the rink.

“Yeah, I’m...” and the buzzer sounded.

Oh my god.

We did it. We won.

I rush to Jeremy and launch myself into his arms as we hug. “We did it!” I yell as I feel my other teammates start to crush us.

“Fuck yeah, we did,” Jeremy says. The team is around us and yelling out. It takes a while to get us to do the traditional handshake and then wait on the official to bring out the cup. I look at Linus and he nods. Gary Bettman, the NHL commission is now up at the mic.

“First, let me say congratulations to the Los Angeles Kings for a fantastic final. You demonstrated why you are the best in the west.” Applause fills the arena. “Before we bring out the cup, I want to name our MVP for the finals. With three goals and one hell of a save, your Finals MVP is your captain, #27, Andy Barber.” He starts to clap as the crowd screams.

I shake his hand before I lift the trophy and stand for pictures. I skate back a little while an assistant takes my new MVP trophy away. The arena fills with more pomp and circumstance as the Stanley Cup is brought out. “Boston, your team to themselves to the limit to come back home and win it all. Congratulations to the coach and the team.” I skated forward and I lifted the cup with him for photos before I took it in my own hands.

Its heavy but I think the weight of it being the first cup I’ve held is more. I lift it over my head. “Yes!” I skate around and then head over to David. He smiled. “Thank you, Cap!”

“You earned it, Pasta!” I hand it over and watch as he skates around. This goes on for half an hour before we see our families heading to the ice. I see Leia with Avery in her carrier. I skate over with a big smile. “Hey.”

“Hey,” she says with a smile. “Did something big happen?”

“Just won a trophy.” I shrug. “No big deal.” I grin as I lean down and kiss her hard. “I love you, Leia.”

“I’m so proud of you Andy.” Avery coos and waves an arm. I feel something in my hand and see Linus wink. I go to move when I hear a scream of “Yes!”

I look to see one of the rookies proposing to his girlfriend. Everyone is cheering for them, and I try not to scowl. I can’t propose now. I want it to be special. I slip the box behind the bench and look at Linus. He’s got his little girl in his arms, but he sees what I did and nods.

I take a break and refocus. Tonight, it's about our team. I can get engaged another day.

@patzammit @texmexdarling @slutforchrisjamalevans @firephotogrl74 @tinkerbelle67 @before-we-get-started @bunnyforhim @alexakeyloveloki @sunnyhummingbee @whiskeytangofoxtrot555 @peaceinourtime82 @saucy-sassy-sparkly @kmc1989 @kandis-mom @lokislady82

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cutedisneygirl · 10 days ago

Text

Love Online Chapter 29

Warnings: none

Over the next few days Merida anxiously waits to hear from the judge. The security team that Chris's manager set up follows her, but they do not make it obvious they are following her. On Thursday morning Merida has just finished feeding her kids when she hears her phone. She normally would have it on vibrate and put up but knowing she could get a call she kept it out with Catherine's permission. She sees the caller Id and sees it's an LA number.

"Miranda, can you excuse me a minute? I need to take this."

"Sure."

Merida steps outside the door onto the playground.

"Hello."

"Is this Merida Owens?"

"It is."

"This is the Judge. I viewed your case. I am going to accept it, however, remember I don't normally accept without a police report, but after listening to you and all your witnesses I will grant it. Here is how it works Bradly is not allowed within 1500 yards of you. If he is seen or comes closer than that you contact the police immediately!"

"Thanks so much. I will."

"Ms. Owens, I will tell you between you and me, also what saved you is because of who you are engaged to. That is what helped you a lot. But please do not tell anyone I told you that."

"Your secret is safe with me. Thanks so much."

"You're welcome. I'm sorry you are having to go through this. If you ever need anything let us know, okay?"

"Thanks."

Merida hangs up and quickly texts Chris.

Merida-I got it! I got the restraining order! She just called me! 😁

Just as Merida was heading back inside, she gets a text

Chris-That's great babe! I knew you would! Call me when you're home and we can talk about it. Love you 😘

Merida-Will do. Love you too 😘

Merida puts her phone away and goes back to work. That evening when she gets off work after she arrives home and lets Dixie out, she texts Chris to let him know she's home, it is not long till he facetimes her. She tells him what the judge told her except for him being part of the reason she got it. They talk for an hour before they say goodnight. The rest of the week goes by. Chris and Merida don't see each other for several weeks. Chris has lots of meetings he has to go to, but they continue to facetime every night. Merida does get a call from the dress shop in LA telling her dress is ready and she can come back to try it on. She works it out to fly out in late May. She is staying with Scott. Chris has to stay in Boston. Scott takes her to the dress shop on Saturday and she tries on the dress and after making sure it fits, she is allowed to take it home. As her and Scott leave the shop he asks

"Is there anything else you need? We didn't get to shop anymore that day."

"Well, I do need to find some shoes and my garter, but the one I want I doubt I will find here. I think I have order it."

"What do you want?"

Merida pulls out her phone and pulls her Pinterest page and shows him.

"Oh wow, that's cool. Yeah, I don't think you will find that in a store, but if you want, I can try and find it online for you."

"Sure thanks, that would be great."

"Welcome, but you said shoes. I know just the place come on."

Scott takes her to the shoe store and after trying on several pairs she finally finds the pair she likes. She even gets some flats to wear later after the wedding.

"Scott."

"Yeah?"

"I've been wondering what I should I get Chris for a wedding gift."

"Hmm, a watch?"

"Can you help me find one?"

"Sure, come on I know a great place."

It doesn't take them long to get to the jewelry store. They look around for a while. Then a young woman approaches them.

"Can I help find anything?"

"Yes, I am looking for a wedding gift."

"Oh, okay. Would this be for a groom?" She smiles.

"Yes, it is."

"Are you the bride?"

"I am."

"Well congratulations. What are you thinking about?"

"I was thinking a watch."

"Perfect. Follow me."

They follow her to some watches. She starts pulling some out.

"This one."

"That one is $316.00."

"Wow, that's a lot. Do you have anything cheaper?"

"Not by much I have some for $215.00." She pulls them out.

"No, they aren't him. I really like this one but..."

' "Mer, I could..."

"No! Absolutely not! You already paid for my dress, I won't ask you to..."

"Mam, could we have a minute?"

"Of course, take all the time you need."

"Thanks."

She walks away. Scott turns to Merida.

"He is going to kill me for this."

"What? Who is? What are you talking about?"

"Chris paid for your dress. That wasn't me."

"What!"

"He insisted. I knew you would protest, and he said he knew you would but not to let you pay for it that he wanted to do it."

"I can't believe he did that!"

"Mer don't be mad at him. He loves you and he only wanted to help."

Merida sighs.

"I know. It's just that..."

"I know. But look, I would love to help you with this. You could even pay me back if you want. I mean of course you don't have to; I don't mind helping but..."

"Okay, I can pay you back. I can pay part of it and then as soon as I get the money, I will pay you back for the rest."

"Sure, but no rush. Pay me when you can."

"Okay and Scott?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't tell Chris about this."

"I won't."

The lady comes back. "Did we decide?"

"We will take the watch."

"Okay good. Would you like to get it engraved?"

"How much is that?"

"No charge."

"Really?"

"It's my wedding gift to you." She smiles.

"Well thanks."

"What would you like it to say?"

Merida pulls out her phone and pulls up Pinterest. She remembers seeing a picture that she loved, and thought was nice. She finds it then shows the lady.

"Sure, we can do that. It will take a few hours can you come back?"

"Sure, we can come back," Scott says.

"Okay. See you in a few hours"

Scott and Merida leave the store and go to get some lunch. Scott takes her to a small café not too far away. They enjoy a nice lunch and talk. Scott tells her some stories about Chris when he was little. Merida laughs. About a few hours later they head back to the jewelry store.

"Your watch is ready. Would you like to see it?"

"Yes please."

She shows them the watch.

"Wow, thanks I love it!"

"You're welcome. Would you like me to wrap it for you?"

"Yes, thanks."

"I will meet you at the register.

Scott and Merida head to register. The lady wraps the watch in a nice box and heads to the register.

"Your total will be with tax $321.00."

"Wow, that's a lot more than I thought it would be. Umm I can do $100."

"Sure, I can pay the rest."

After they pay for it, they head out.

"Thanks Scott."

"You're welcome. Is there anywhere else you need to go?"

"Umm I don't think so."

"Alright we will head home then."

After they arrive back at Scott's house Merida puts her stuff away and has just sat on the couch when her phone goes off. She sees Chris is Facetiming her. She smiles and answers.

"Hey!"

"Hey there is my girl! I've missed you."

"I've missed you too."

"How did shopping go today?"

"It went well. I got my dress, and I got some shoes too."

"Nice. Can I see?"

"The dress? No, you have to wait till the wedding day for that."

"Aww come on just a little peek?"

"Nope!"

"Okay fine. How about the shoes?"

"They are nothing special just white shoes with heals and then some flats to wear after the wedding."

"Okay babe. So, everything went, okay? No problems?"

"Nope everything went fine."

"Good."

Chris got quiet for a few minutes.

"Chris?"

"Yeah."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah why?"

"You got quiet on me."

"Sorry, I just got a lot on my mind right now. I will be flying out to France soon."

"Oh right, you're filming that new movie."

"Yeah."

"Okay. But we will still talk right?"

"Of course. I'll still call you."

"Call me? You mean you won't facetime me?"

"Uh...well I..."

"Chris?"

"Babe, I got to go. I'm getting a call. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Alright? Love you." He blows her a kiss and ends the call.

Merida is in tears when Scott walks in the room.

"Mer, what's wrong?"

"I don't know. But Chris was acting weird."

"What do you mean? What happened?"

"He told me he would be going to France soon and when I asked him if we would still talk, he said he would call me. I asked if we would not till facetime, he started acting weird. He hesitated and then he abruptly tells me he has to go and doesn't even let me say I love him back or goodnight he just hangs up." Merida cries.

"I'm sure he's just got a lot on his mind. You will still talk to him don't worry."

"I know but why is he acting like I won't be able to see him? It's like he is hiding something from me."

"I don't know. But don't let it worry you alright?"

"I'll try not. I am going to head to bed. I'm tried."

"Okay sure. I'll see you in the morning."

Merida heads to her room and gets ready for bed and then climbs under the covers but she is unable to sleep. She keeps thinking about Chris. She wonders what he could be hiding from her. She knows he isn't cheating on her. She trusts him. What is going on? The next morning Merida wakes up and grabs her phone from the bedside table. She sees she has a text from Chris.

Chris-Morning beautiful! I'm sorry about last night. I love you! I will talk to you later. 😘🥰❤️

Merida smiles and messages back

Merida-Good morning, Chris. It's okay. I love you too. I can't wait to talk to you.

Merida climbs out of bed and heads to the bathroom. While she's in the shower her phone goes off. After her shower she checks her phone. She smiles when she sees a text from Chris.

Chris-😘🥰❤️I can't wait to see your beautiful smile. I need to walk Dodger and then I can call you

Merida-Okay sounds good. I look forward to seeing you. I miss you. 😘

Merida gets dressed then heads into the kitchen. She sets her phone on the island.

"Morning Mer. How did you sleep?"

"Morning. I slept okay."

"You seem in a better mood this morning."

"Yes. Chris texted me and he is calling me in a few minutes."

"Oh, well good. I knew everything would be okay."

"Yeah."

"Are you hungry? I can make you some breakfast."

"That's okay. I can just have some toast and coffee."

"Are you sure?"

"Yep."

"Alright toast and coffee coming up."

Scott puts two pieces of toast and in the toaster oven and then put a mug under the Keurig. A few minutes later, "Here you go. Toast and coffee."

"Thanks."

By the time Merida has finished her toast, she is finishing her coffee when her phone rings. She sees the caller Id and smiles.

"Hey!"

"Hey beautiful! It's so good to see you. How are you?"

"I'm okay."

"Just, okay?"

"Well, I'm better now I am talking to you."

"Aww. Well, hey I wanted to apologize for last night. I'm sorry I hung up so fast. I was getting another call and I had to take it."

"It's okay. I understand."

"You aren't upset?"

"No, I understand."

"Okay, because it looked like you were. I saw it on your face."

"That wasn't why I was upset."

"Then why?"

"Because of how you answered me when I asked about FaceTime Ing you while you were in London."

"Oh yeah, right. That."

"Yes. Chris, what is going on? Are you hiding something from me?"

"Mer babe, I...I have to keep a low profile and..."

"Chris that makes no sense. I'm your fiancé!"

"Babe, hey calm down. That's not what I meant. It's just that..."

"What?"

"I can't facetime while I am there."

"Why?"

Chris sighs

"Chris, what is it?"

"I can't tell you right now, but I promise I will explain soon alright?"

"Chris, what are you hiding from me?"

"I will tell you soon alright? I need to go. I love you babe. I will talk to you tonight alright?"

"Okay, I love you too."

They hung up. Merida looks up and sees Scott looking at her.

"Your right he is acting weird."

"I know. He's hiding something."

"Yeah, definitely but he said he would tell you soon."

"Yeah."

Merida heads back home later that day. She and Chris talk that night, but Chris doesn't explain what was going on. Chris is flying to London in the coming weeks. She hates that he will be there on his birthday. If she didn't have to work, she would surprise him and go to him, but she does. She couldn't miss any more work.

When Chris arrives in London, he messages Merida and tells her he will call her later. After work Merida arrives home and lets Dixie out. She is just sitting down at the island when her phone rings. She looks down and sees Chris is calling her.

"Hi."

"Hey babe. Are you okay?"

"Tired."

"Understand. Rough day?"

"A little. How are you?"

"Tired. This time difference is rough."

"Yeah. So, I can't see you?"

"Babe, I can't sorry."

"Why? What are you hiding from me?"

"Babe, I'm not really hiding anything from you, I just...okay listen. In this new movie, I can't show off my new look yet. I have to keep it a secret for a while."

"Even from me? Your fiancé?"

"Babe, I hate this just as much as you do, trust me. But I just can't."

"You don't trust me? You think I will tell people?"

"Babe, come on. You know that's not true. Of course, I trust you. I just can't okay. I made a promise not to show anyone or post any photos yet and I have to keep that promise. Even from you. I hate it, I do. Trust me. I want to see you so badly right now. I want nothing more than to see your beautiful face, your smile."

"Chris."

"I love you babe, so much. It's only for a month alright?"

"A month! I have to go a whole month without seeing you?"

"We will still talk I promise, but yes but it will go by fast I promise."

"This is going to be a rough month." She frowns, but Chris of course doesn't see it.

"I know babe, but we will still talk every night I promise! I have to go. I will call you later. Sweet dreams. Love you."

"Goodnight Chris, love you too."

They hang up. Merida cleans up and gets ready for bed. She climbs in bed. Dixie is laying on the other side beside her.

"Dix, I miss him. I miss him so much. I hate I can't see him."

Just then her phone rings. She sees it's a call from Tiffany.

"Hey girl."

"Hey! How are you?"

"I'm okay. I miss Chris. He's in London."

"I know. Did he tell you why he can't facetime you?"

"Yes. He said its because of a new look for the movie that he can't reveal to anyone yet."

"Not even to you?" she asks shocked.

"Yeah. He said he hated it. He said he wanted to see me so badly but he promised he wouldn't show it off to anyone."

"Wow. Well maybe a photo will get leaked and we will see him."

"No I am staying off social media right now."

"Really why?"

"Well one because of Bradly and two I am going to respect Chris. He said its needs to stay secret and I'm not going to try and not see a pic of him when I am not supposed to."

"Wow girl!"

"What?"

"You really love him."

"I do very much."

"Alright, well I'll talk to you later. Love ya night."

"Love you too night."

A month later, it was a Saturday and Merida has just gotten out of the shower and was getting dressed when she heard a knock on the door. Dixie starts barking.

"Dixie, who could that be? I'm not expecting anyone."

Merida walks to the door and opens it. Dixie runs up to the door.

"Can I help you?"

"Babe, you don't recognize me?"

"Chris?"

"Yep."

"Oh my gosh!"

Merida runs to him and throws her arms around him.

"I didn't know you were coming." She says pulling back a little

"I know I wanted to surprise you. I'm a little shocked you didn't recognize me." he says walking in with his arm around her.

"You look so different with the mustache. So this is the look you had to keep secret?"

"Yes. I'm surprised you haven't seen by now. Some photos got leaked."

"I haven't been on social media. I am staying off."

"Oh? Why what happened?"

"Nothing happened. I just decided to because of Bradly and then because I respected you since you told me it was secret I didn't want to see you till you could let me see you."

"Oh babe!" Chris says hugging her. "I love you! I love you so much. God I've missed you." He gently pulls her away a little and leans forward and kisses her.

Merida laughs pulling away.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Because your mustashe tickles."

"Oh it does?"

"Yes."

"Hmm," Chris then kisses her again then gently nudges her ear and plants kisses on her neck. Merida laughs.

"Chris, stop!" she laughs.

"God I've missed that laugh."

"Are you going to shave?"

"You really don't like it?"

"No, it makes you look weird."

Chris laughs. "Alright fine. I'll shave it."

Chris starts to leave the room.

"Chris?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you going now?"

"I'm going to get cleaned up. It has been a rough day. I didn't take time to take a shower. I just left my hotel and headed to airport."

"Wait a minute. Are you saying you came here from London?"

"Yep."

"Oh Chris." Merida says walking towards him. "I bet your tired."

"A little yes. I'll be back in a few minutes." Chris kisses her then leaves the room.

Merida pulls out her phone. She has a text from Tiffany.

Tiffany-OMG girl! Chris has a mustache!

Merida smiles and texts back.

Merida-☺️I know. I just saw.

Tiffany-Oh you decided to look 😉☺️

Merida-No, he's here 😁☺️

Tiffany-What! Seriously? Did you know he was coming?

Merida-No, he surprised me. He's taking a shower now and is going to shave.

Tiffany-Oh he's not keeping it?

Merida-No, I don't like it and he said he would shave it.

Tiffany-Aww, well have fun talk to you later. We need to get together soon. Girls night! Maybe a bachelorette or lingerie party?

Merida-please no lingerie party maybe bachelorette party, but noting too big

Tiffany-Aww come on, it would be fun. You need some sexy lingerie for the honeymoon.

Merida was starting to message her back when she felt arms wrap around her.

"Babe, who you texting?"

"Chris!" Merida exclaims almost dropping her phone. "You scared me."

"Sorry."

Merida turns and looks at him and smiles.

"Better?"

"Much. That is the Chris I know and love."

"What you didn't love the other me?"

"Of course, but..."

"I kidding babe." He says kissing her. "So who were you texting?"

"Tiffany. She wants to throw me a bachelorette and lingerie party."

"Oh is that so?" He says raising an eye brow.

Merida smacks his arm. "Chris!"

Chris laughs and wraps his arms around her. "I've missed you so much. After not seeing you for almost two months."

"I know. It seems like forever. I've missed you too. I've been watching a lot of your movies just so I could see you."

Chris laughs. "Is that so?"

"Yes."

"Aww, well I'm here now babe." He leans forward and kisses her. He continues to kiss her getting more passionate. He starts leading her to the couch. He only pulls away sightly to sit down on the couch but then kisses her again.

"Chris?"

"Yes babe?"

"I've missed kissing you, but..."

Chris pulls away from her and looks at her. "But what? What's wrong?"

"I can't. We shouldn't. We might get carried away."

"Babe, I wouldn't. You know that. I've promised you that I wouldn't let it go that far."

"I know, but I still think..."

"And babe, we have made out before."

"I know, but I'm afraid I wouldn't want to you stop."

Then Merida's phone goes off.

She gets up from the couch and walks into the kitchen and picks it up and carries it back to the couch.

"Who is it?"

"It's a text from Tiffany."

Tiffany-Two weekend from now! We are having that girls day and the party!

Merida just rolls her eyes. She then opens up Instagram and starts scrolling through. She then sees a post.

Chrisevans-It's like watching the leaves in autumn, but condensed into one painful afternoon.

"OMG!"

"What babe? What's wrong?"

Merida looks over at Chris and grabs his arm and pulls it up and looks at it.

"What is it?"

"You got hurt!"

"Yeah that was over a month ago. You didn't see that?"

"No. I haven't been on much."

"I had noticed you hadn't liked or commented on anything lately."

"Looks like it hurt."

"It did. I still have a little bit of a bruise but its not bad."

"Hey I've been thinking."

"About?"

"Another tatoo."

"Oh really?" He asks raising an eye brow

"Yeah. I found one I thought would be cute."

"Show me."

Merida pulls up the pic on her phone.

Chris laughs.

"What why are you laughing."

"Well, because there is something you don't know yet."

"What?"

"They are making a Buzz lightyear movie. It's about Buzz the space guy not the toy."

"What! Are you serious?"

"Yes and.."'

"There's more?"

Chris nods. "Guess who the voice of Buzz is?"

"Your kidding! Are you serious?"

"Yes. I start in a few weeks."

"Chris that's great! We definitely need to get this then!"

"Sure."

"Let's go!"

"Now?"

"Yeah why not?"

"Wow, never thought I would see you so excited to get another tatoo. When we got your first one you were so scared."

"I know, but I really want this one."

Chris smiles. "Alright then lets go."

After getting their tattoos they grabbed some dinner and then headed back home. That night Merida was curled up next to Chris with her head on his chest. She went to sleep smiling. She was so happy to be back in Chris's Arms. She has missed him so much.

Taglist:

@cevansbaby-dove

@sarahrogersevans

@nescavaneck

@willowsages-blog

@tess-love

@bookishtheaterlover7

@kmc1989

@frogeezz-blog-blog

@angelbabyyy99

@lizette50

@eva-knits12

@krissy25

@nicoline1998enilocin

Hope I didn’t forget anyone in my taglist

4 notes · View notes

fatehbaz · 2 years ago

Text

Walk down Washington Street in Lower Manhattan between the Battery Parking Garage and Albany Street, and you’ll see virtually no signs that this area was once home to one of the largest communities of Syrians in the United States. Groups [...] have worked tirelessly to preserve the three remaining buildings [...] that stood during the heyday of New York City’s “Syrian Quarter,” or Little Syria. [...] From 1890 to 1940, Little Syria stood as the mother colony to Syrian and Lebanese communities across the United States. The three-block radius around Washington and Rector was home to newspapers, magazines, restaurants, jewelry shops, banks, barbers, grocers, churches, a mosque, record stores. [...] This was the Mahjar, America’s Arab diaspora. [...]

Tucked within these streets were three Arab American record labels -- Maloof Phonograph Company in the 1920s and 1930s, A.J. Macksoud’s Phonograph Company from the 1910s to the 1930s, and Alamphon Records in the 1930s and 1940s -- now among the most recognizable to record collectors.

---

These labels filled an important cultural gap -- by the 1920s, the US’ two big phonograph record companies, Victor and Columbia, cut back on recording and selling Arab music. And while companies like Beirut-based Baidaphon recorded Syrian and Egyptian musicians and sold their records at home [...]in the early 1900s, by the 1910s that was changing. Mahjari musicians in the United States began to record music themselves, for mahjari audiences.

The music that New York City’s mahjari artists performed from the 1910s through the following 30 years included recorded poems, folk songs from the homeland and original compositions telling of loss, love, [...] and favorite foods from home; the names, tunes, beats and rhythms connected them to their roots and shaped their nostalgia for what they had left behind. There was much to miss, even before leaving what was then known as Ottoman Syria: today’s Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Palestine. The region’s silk industry and other trades were in decline. Political instability and poverty were on the rise. Thousands of former Ottoman subjects soon found themselves in New York City, Boston, Detroit. [...]

---

[T]he performing and literary arts movement that gripped Egypt and Greater Syria during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. That movement was the Nahda, the Arab Renaissance.

The arrival of immigrants from Greater Syria coincided with a boom of gramophone machines, phonograph cylinders and flat-disc records.

And as Arab musicians in Cairo and Beirut recorded music throughout the 1890s and 1900s, thousands of miles away in Little Syria a precocious Alexander Maloof began composing and publishing music for the piano. [...] From a young age, Maloof listened to traditional Arabic music such as mawwal, Arab folk music forms such as the ataaba, and experimented with fusing these with American marches, fox trots, and ragtime.

Meanwhile, by 1907, 29-year-old musician Abraham J. Macksoud, now using the moniker A.J. Macksoud, opened a phonograph record store in Little Syria. [...] Columbia and Victor had already begun to record the songs of mashriqi musicians back home [...], but as late as 1911, no Arab or Ottoman immigrant to the US had recorded specifically for a mahjari audience. That was about to change.

---

On 24 July 1913, Alexander Maloof, now a well-accomplished songwriter and composer, recorded the piano solo B 13834-1, #17443 Al-Ja-Za-Yer (“Algeria”) for the Victor Talking Machine Company. With Maloof's song, Mahjari musicians had now found a home for recording their music. [...]

The number of Syrian Muslims to emigrate to the United States remained relatively small during the first wave of emigration from 1880 to 1941. Still, in 1916, Columbia recorded one of only a few Syrian Muslim immigrants, Mohamed ZainEldeen. Born in Homs, Syria in 1892, ZainEldeeen arrived in New York in May 1912. By the fall of 1916, he had cut seven songs on six double-sided discs for Columbia [...]. As the number of Arab immigrant and Arab American musicians grew on Columbia and Victor’s rosters, A.J. Macksoud moved and opened two new record shops at 52 Broadway and 89 Washington Street. [...]

---

The 1920s marked the era when Victor and Columbia lost their monopoly on lateral-cut recording technology, but it is also the period they slashed efforts to record and issue new Arabic-language music. To fill in the gaping hole left in the industry, [...] pianist and composer Alexander Maloof established his own record label. He kept up a break-neck pace appearing on radio, running his record label, composing songs and selling sheet music to publishers.

In October 1923, Maloof finally recorded his “Egyptian Glide” and a second track, “Pharaoh,” on his label’s pressing company, Gennett Records. And despite its long hiatus of recording Syrian American artists, in 1926 the Victor Talking Machine Company even brought Maloof back into the studios, this time with his larger orchestra, to record “Desert Wail” and “Kurdistan.” [...]

On his self-titled label, Maloof recorded former Victor recording artist Ilyas Wardiny, who became one of the label’s most popular singers. [...]

---

Farid Alam al-Din (anglicized Fred Alam) founded the last of Little Syria’s record labels. For years, historians, ethnomusicologists, and even the most experienced scholars presumed Maloof and Macksoud shared the position of Washington Street’s only Arab American record labels headquartered in the heart of Manhattan.

But as the Great Depression saw Maloof and Macksoud shut down their labels by 1935, Fred Alam opened his store and launched his Alamphon Record label from 81 Washington Street.

---

By then, Little Syria as a whole was already in some form of decline. Whether Alam bought out A.J. Macksoud’s inventory or launched his store anew, a 1935 newspaper article read:

"The Syrian quarter of the town, which for years boasted one of the country’s greatest rag centers, has practically vanished. What remains is in Washington Street down by the Battery. One of the best known is Alfred Alam’s Oriental gramophone record shop. Alam’s phonograph record business is perhaps the only business of its kind not diminished by the radio. [...]”

Little Syria’s Nile Restaurant and the Son of the Sheik restaurant commanded special attention, as did Alfred Alam’s shop. The paper noted “the piles of Egyptian and Syrian Phonograph records at A. Alam’s store. [...]” And yet, that same article also reported the changes that would soon mean Little Syria’s demise, as development and urban renewal programs took hold in Manhattan's Lower West Side.

The construction of the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel in the 1940s meant the destruction of the tenements that once housed thousands of new immigrants and Syrian Americans. The buildings that contained many of the community’s businesses and meeting places steadily disappeared, never to return. [...]

Few traces remain, except the music records that subsequently scattered across the US, from owner to owner.

---

Text by: Richard M. Breaux. “Songs of nostalgia in New York City’s long-lost ‘Little Syria’“. SyriaUntold. 5 March 2021. Article part of SyriaUntold’s ongoing series on Syrian music. [Bold emphasis and some paragraph breaks/contractions added by me.]

97 notes · View notes

peonierose · 2 years ago

Text

Under the Mistletoe

Pairing: Bryce Lahela (M!MC) x Luna Auclair (F!OC)

Words: 2,274

Rating: General

Summary: Luna and Bryce spend some time with their friends Ethan and Hayley and the open heart gang in Boston.

A/N: I’ll be participating in the Holiday event for @choicesficwriterscreations as well as @choicesflashfics I used these prompts they’re going to appear in bold: “Have I told you how much I hate Christmas shopping?” / “You know, when you said ‘Christmas party,’ this isn’t what I was expecting.” / ”You’re lucky you’re cute.“

I used the prompt @choicesdecember2022 You & I

A few days earlier

Hayley

“Have I told you how much I hate Christmas shopping?” Ethan says carrying shopping bags.

I hope he won’t fall. I grin. It would be fun though. I could definitely steal a kiss in the snow.

”Come on grumpy face. Don’t leave me hanging. I want to get Luna something special. She and Bryce will only stay a couple of days before they go back to Hawaii, and I want this visit to feel special for them.“

I can see Ethan sigh.

”Alright, fine. But only because I like Luna.“ He smiles.

”You’re like her big brother, it’s so cute.“

I grin and together we walk through the snow, crunching under our soled boots. White air is coming out of our mouths like puffy clouds.

It’s a beautiful white Christmas in Boston. As Ethan and I go from store to store to find a nice gift for Luna. Bryce’s is already wrapped. But we’re still looking for something for Luna.

Ethan heard of this local artist who makes beautiful art pieces. From handmade jewelry to paintings, even little glass figurines.

There’s something for everyone.

We enter the shop and see a woman with dark toffee-colored curls held back by a purple headband standing in front of a sculpture.

She looks up when she sees us and smiles. Her big brown eyes sparkle with joy.

”I’ll be right with you. Just give me a second.“

Ethan and I nod and admire the craftsmanship she has on display.

I can see that Ethan is standing next to the jewelry cases.

”Something caught your eye?“

I ask him and he nods towards a moon necklace. I admire the pretty golden moon hanging on a dainty gold chain.

The artist just walks towards us as Ethan is about to ask a question.

The artist smiles at us.

”I’m Teresa. How can I help you?“

”We were interested in that necklace. You don’t do engravings by any chance, do you?“

Teresa nods.

”I do. I can do it by the end of the day. Would that work for you?“

Ethan and I nod.

”It’s for a friend of ours she’s expecting twins next year.“

”Oh wow that’s wonderful. I might have an idea in regards to the necklace.“

Ethan and I look at each other and just shrug. Then we nod at Teresa to go ahead.

”Why don’t you combine a silver and a gold moon necklace? That way you can write both names on separate necklaces.“

”That’s a wonderful idea.“ I nod enthusiastically.

”Alright, perfect. I’ll need the names of the twins and an address where I can deliver the present.“

We give Teresa the names.

”It’s Kehlani Mae and Alaia Rose.“

Teresa writes it down, we pay, and exit her shop. I look at Ethan and smile at him.

”This was the easiest Christmas purchase we ever made.“

We pass some Christmas carolers who sing jingle bells on the way to our apartment.

We need to get some last Christmas decorations done. Then later we’ll pick up Luna and Bryce from the airport.

I smile at Ethan. Snowflakes glisten in his dark hair.

It’s so beautiful to celebrate Christmas in Boston.

Luna

Ethan and Hayley picked us up from the airport. And we are on our way to their apartment.

Jenner nestled between us. I pet him and he leans into me.

Bryce just stares at me.

”Lunes kept asking if you guys will bring Jenner along. It’s like I don’t even exist anymore.“ He says and pouts like a three-year-old.

”Look at that Bryce got replaced by a dog. That’s truly precious.“ Ethan grins.

”Don’t worry B. We‘ll have plenty of snuggle time together.“

I grin and he smiles.

”Thank god I bought new earplugs. So go ahead and have fun.“

Ethan mutters.

”Aww Ethan, that's so cute of you.“

Hayley says and we all grin.

We arrive at Ethan and Hayley’s place and Ethan helps us with our suitcases. We rode the elevator to their place. As soon as they open the door we get greeted by our friends.

”Surprise.“

Bryce and I grin. Poor Ethan looks like he just got the scare of his life.

Sienna, Rafael, Elijah, Jackie, and Aurora stand there looking super festive in their ugly Christmas sweaters.

Ethan turns to Hayley as Bryce and I walk inside exchanging hugs and kisses.

“You know, when you said ‘Christmas party,’ this isn’t what I was expecting,” Ethan says.

Hayley smirks.

”I gave them a key. So that they could make this surprise happen.“

Ethan just nods.

We all laugh at that.

Four days later…

Bryce

It’s our last day in Boston before we have to fly back home to Hawaii tomorrow. It’s been a lot of fun. We’ve gone to the Christmas market, been in a snowball fight which I won fair and square. Had a competition for decorating gingerbread houses and made some snow angels.

Though the best part is right now. Spending time with our friends.

We’re all sitting, eating, and having a great time. With some festive Christmas music, Hayley put on.

The Christmas tree is decorated and glows. The presents have been put under the tree. It’s perfect.

Luna grins at me and points to her gingerbread man. The poor gingerbread man looks slightly disfigured as she’s dunking the gingerbread man in her hot cocoa, topped with whipped cream.

”Look at the drunk gingerbread man.“

”More like the gingerbread man enjoying his jacuzzi.“ I grin.

”Filled with cream.“

Everyone laughs.

”You guys are just weird.“ Jackie remarks.

Luna just grins at her while I pull her close.

”Are you ready to pop?“ Jackie asks.

Luna leans back in her chair.

”I still have 2 and a half months to go.“

Luna groans and looks at me while I’m enjoying some whiskey. Courtesy of Ethan getting out the good stuff.

”I had to pee five times last night because your kids decided to sit on my bladder last night.“

”Oh so they’re my kids now?“

Luna grins while I just smile and shake my head at her.

Jackie grins at Luna.

”You know that’s always something I liked about you, Luna. You don’t take Bryce’s bullshit. You serve it right up to him.“

”I have ovaries of steel. I wanted to say balls of steel, but that’ll offend Ethan’s poor sensibilities.“ She smirks and grins her blue-green eyes twinkling with mischief.

Ethan turns in Luna's direction.

”Excuse me?“ He exclaims while everyone else just laughs.

Luna smiles softly at Ethan.

”It’s okay for a man to be sensitive Ethan. We still love you. It doesn’t make you less of a man if you’re in tune with your emotions.“

Ethan stares at her and then just smiles and shakes his head at her.

Luna

Bryce and Ethan stand together talking, not realizing they‘re standing under a mistletoe.

I clear my throat and both guys look up.

Ethan raises an eyebrow. His blue eyes were eyeing me questioningly.

”Do you realize where you’re standing under?“

They both look up with horror.

”Dibs not it.“ Bryce says.

I grin, having the time of my life.

”Oh that won’t work here babe. Just give him a kiss.“

Everyone waits with bated breath.

”Why do I have to kiss him? Can’t he initiate the kiss? He’s the taller one.“

Bryce complains.

”I’m not letting you out of this one. You too Ramsey. Be a dear and give my very hot fiancé a kiss. It can be on the nose too. I won’t judge.“

Ethan just stares at her.

Bryce tries to back up.

”Dude no. Don’t listen to her. Don’t let her bully you into doing everything she tells you, just because she’s pregnant. Lu stop it.“

I laugh and wait for them to kiss.

Meanwhile, Ethan gives Bryce a kiss on his cheek. Thankfully Bryce hasn’t turned around. Otherwise, it would’ve been a kiss for the ages.

I capture the moment on my phone.

Bryce pouts, but soon he smiles again and tugs me towards him to give me a loud kiss.

”I can’t believe it. Your lips almost made contact with Ethan Ramsey.“

Bryce grins.

”Yeah. Yeah. Let’s go get some food and pretend this never happened.“

”Fat chance. I’ll be teasing you over this for a while.“

”Oh, shocker.“

I slap his ass.

Bryce looks shocked, but then he grins.

”You’re lucky you’re cute.“ B says while pulling me close. I grin and kiss him.

Bryce

Elijah and Aurora had to go because they were both on call. The hospital is short-staffed, and with other doctors being on vacation they volunteered to be on call if they were needed.

They both hugged me and Luna wishing us a merry Christmas.

So now it’s Ethan, Sienna, Hayley, Rafael, Luna, Jenner, and me.

We sat around the Christmas tree.

”Is it time to open presents? So freaking exciting.“ Lunes sits there looking super cute in her white cashmere dress and her hair pulled up in a bun.

Sienna grins looking eager to open some presents too.

”Anyone who says they don’t care about the presents is just lying.“ I comment earning a fist bump from Rafael.

Hayley grins.

”Trust me Hayley dragged me from store to store until we found the right gift.“

Hayley rolls her eyes.

”He’s lying through his teeth. He loved every second of it.“ Hayley grins.

I pick a dark green present and gently push it toward Ethan.

”You go first. Lunes and I both chose the present for you. Hope you’ll like it.“

Ethan eyes us as he gently opens the present.

”It’s nothing weird is it?“ He asks afraid, it’ll be some weird shit.

”It’s not sex toys. Just open it.“

”That makes me feel only slightly better.“ Ethan says.

He peels away the wrapping paper.

”Whiskey?“ He asks.

I grin.

”Read the label.“

He sighs but reads the label out loud.

”Only the best friends get promoted to godfather.“

He looks shocked and slightly uncomfortable by all the attention focused on him.

Sienna, Rafael, and Hayley lean closer to Ethan to read the label too.

Even Jenner leans into Ethan, thinking it might be treats for him. Sorry, buddy whiskey isn’t for dogs.

Sienna sniffles.

”That is so beautiful.“ She grabs a tissue.

”I don’t know what to say. I feel very honored. I’d love to be the twin's godfather.“

Ethan says and holds the whiskey bottle close. As if it’s his most prized possession.

”Thank you, I haven't expected this at all.“ He looks so touched as if he’s about to cry.

I smile and have tears in my eyes too. Luna leans into me and I snuggle her close.

Hayley clears her throat.

”I don’t know if we can top that. But Ethan and I got you two something.“

Hayley hands both of us a present.

I tear into mine and hold out two onesies.

When I see the onesies I smile.

One says ”If you think I’m good-looking you should see my dad“

The other says ”Best Daddy ever“

I look down and start to realize March is going to be here faster than we think. It’s all hitting me now. I’m going to be a dad in just 2 and half months. Holy shit.

That’s pretty scary, to be honest, but as I look around and see laughter and love in my friend's eyes and Luna who is so touched I know I can do this. Because I’m not alone.

Luna starts to cry and Sienna hands her the box of tissues. Luna takes one and daps at her eyes.

I am excited to see what Luna got from Ethan and Hayley.

She unwraps the present and sees a box that says Artemis. Must be some jewelry store.

She opens the box and gets out two necklaces.

One silver and one gold moon necklace. She stares at it and then gives it a closer look.

When she hands me the necklaces and starts to cry again I take a look.

The necklaces are engraved.

It’s the names we’ve chosen for the twins.

Kehlani Mae on the gold necklace and Alaia Rose on the silver necklace.

”We bought two pairs for both you and Bryce. In case you both wanted to wear them.“

Hayley says and hands me a golden-wrapped present too. I open it and find the same two necklaces as Luna does.

”Wow, guys. I don’t know what to say. You made this Christmas very special for both of us.“

Ethan and Hayley smile.

”Christmas lost its special side to me a long time ago … but you’ve brought some of that magic back.” Ethan says.

”Aww. We love you too Ethan.“ Luna says and hugs him. He endures it but smiles softly.

When Luna and Ethan break apart everyone else opens up their presents.

Sienna got some lush products she wanted. Hayley’s gift.

A red sweater for Sienna. A blue one for Hayley from Rafael.

Grinch socks for Ethan from me.

Luna and I got Sienna and Hayley matching bracelets with an engraved dolphin. They were both excited, to say the least.

Rafael got a colorful painting made by Luna with all the wonderful places in Brazil. So that he might miss his home less. He was very touched by the gesture.

On the next day, we hugged each other goodbye and boarded our flight back home to Honolulu.

All in all. We had a beautiful exchange of gifts. There were some tears and laughs, but we spent some wonderful days with our friends. Ones that we consider family.

#Under the Mistletoe #Bryce x Luna #open heart #cfws holidays 2022 #cfws

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