#Lonesome loser

[myimaginaryradio]

Lonesome Loser - The Little River Band

[my-chaos-radio]

Release: July 1, 1979

Lyrics:

Oohoohooh … oooh …

Have you heard about the lonesome loser

Beaten by the queen of hearts every time

Have you heard about the lonesome loser

He′s a loser, but he still keeps on tryin'

Sit down, take a look at yourself

Don′t you want to be somebody

Someday somebody's gonna see inside

You have to face up, you can't run and hide

Have you heard about the lonesome loser

Beaten by the queen of hearts every time

Have you heard about the lonesome loser

He′s a loser, but he still keeps on tryin′

Unlucky in love, least that's what they say

He lost his head and he gambled his heart away

He still keeps searching though there′s nothing left

Staked his heart and lost, now he has to pay the cost.

Have you heard about the lonesome loser

Beaten by the queen of hearts every time

Have you heard about the lonesome loser

He's a loser, but he still keeps on tryin′

"It's okay", he smiles and says

Though this loneliness is driving him crazy,

He don′t show what goes on in his head,

But if you watch very close you'll see it all

Sit down, take a look at yourself

Don't you want to be somebody

Someday somebody′s gonna see inside

You have to face up, you can′t run and hide

Have you heard about the lonesome loser

Beaten by the queen of hearts every time

Have you heard about the lonesome loser

He's a loser, but he still keeps on tryin′

Songwriter: David Briggs

Have you heard about the lonesome loser

Have you heard about the lonesome loser

Have you heard about the lonesome loser

Now tell me have you heard about the lonesome loser

SongFacts:

👉📖

Homepage:

Little River Band

[blueguitar]

Who was that masked man?

[neverhangd-1721]

It's fucking weird, meeting any place in this port that isn't Jackie'z, but Anne's loathe to scare off the first and best lead she's found towards piecing a life back together for herself. She didn't know Ed past a name, too young to have been in his confidences at the same time as Jack was, but she did know Blackbeard. His stories were the ones that drifted her eyes seawards when she started hearing them. His legends were the ones that made her heart trill in her chest, even when she didn't know how excitement felt past a rush of blood and a split knuckle. To hear any fuckwit was dumb enough to openly hunt him had been a shock and a welcomed distraction from trying to figure out who she was without a sword and another man's shadow to stand in. Blackbeard is a tall man with a tall shadow. Helping to hunt him might grow Anne some, just like joining on with him undoubtedly would.

Find the pirates hunters. Find Blackbeard. Instate him as Captain over the pirate hunters. Sail a while on a reputation unstained by any man she knew or knows. Not a bad plan, that.

With her hat shading her eyes Anne shoulders her way into the Rat's Last Drink, surveying the few scoundrels there. Some look up and no sooner see her than flinch; others keep their gazes pointedly away, knowing that no one who comes through those doors comes for any good reason.

The only man who doesn't look up or away has his nose in a book and a foppish kind of air that makes Anne hate him on sight. (Stupid twat, wearing silks to a bilge-bar. She's been brought up with types like him, knows them as sure as she does the nose on her face.) Somehow, based on something Callahan had said, Anne has the sneaky suspicion that this idiot is her idiot. The man hunting for Blackbeard.

At least he looks as fucking crazy as he really must be.

Anne kicks the table rather than sit at it, loathe to waste her time if she's wrong. "You Bonnet?"

@neverhangd [Rewind!]

Stede ran his fingers over the edge of the pages of the waterlogged book. He'd fished it out of the sea with his own hands, holding it as tenderly as he might have held one of his own children. The book had been so important to him, at one point. It had been a look into the lives of legendary pirates... it had been his first introduction to Blackbeard. He had to admit that he spent more time reading the chapters (!) on Blackbeard.

Now he knew it was all speculative, an account of a façade that the man put on to generate the necessary fear around his name. Edward, his Edward, was not in those pages.

And the book had been damaged. The illustration of Blackbeard that had been at the start of a chapter had been torn out, the jagged edges of the paper sharp once the page dried. That was another part of the book that was decidedly not Edward. It looked nothing like him. The eyes were wrong. They weren't as warm and soulful...

But that wasn't why he had the book with him. There had been a handful of bites in response to the feelers he had put out in an effort to assemble a larger crew with the goal of going after Edward. Most of those that had expressed interest ended up backing down as soon as Blackbeard was brought up. But this bite was different. This was the slick hooked fin of a shark in the midst of a school of little silver fish.

This was Anne Bonny herself. They'd arranged a meeting through the contact that had reached out to him, and now Stede was waiting for her to arrive at the little dive bar nestled in the midst of the Republic of Pirates. It was apparently a competitor for Jackie'z, which was more familiar to Stede. Seeing as he hadn't been band from this particular establishment for breaking a nose jar, it would have to do.

He hadn't actually heard of Anne Bonny until after he'd had the misfortune of meeting Calico Jack. After being introduced to the man, and Hornigold by name, he'd immediately decided to do some research. If these men were associated with Edward, then there was a good chance that they were in his book. He was right, though the portrayal of Calico Jack in text was nothing like the malicious thing that had crawled up the side of his ship late one night. Adjacent to the section on Jack, there was Anne Bonny and M. Read. Immediately upon reading about them, he wished he'd actually done so earlier. Alma would have loved to have played Anne Bonny as they ran through the house dressed up as pirates. One of the few things that he ever seemed to have connected with his children over.

If the writing about Ed and Jack was so wrong, then there was a good chance that Anne was also depicted inaccurately. If it was right, he was about to meet a foul tempered and fouler tongued woman, who'd likely not be wearing a shirt.

She'd probably be wearing a shirt. Wouldn't she? It seemed improbable that she'd appear in the bar bare busted and toting a gun. Then again, a gentleman had come in shortly after Stede carrying some manner of lizard on his shoulder and wearing what could only be described as a harness. He'd already seen things against his expectation that day.

He thumbed through the water warped pages until he came across the illustration of the women. The one labeled as Anne Bonny seemed a bit taller than the other and her pose seemed a bit more put together than the other....

Stede quickly lost himself in re-reading the section.

[awsmedude]

New Vegas is actually really fun when you don't have a New Vegas fan in your ear pretending like it's the only fallout game worth playing

[starryneitz]

"'It's ok,' he smiles and says; though his loneliness is driving him crazy; he don't show what goes on in his head; but if you watch very close you'll see it all."

"But Oz never did give nothing to the TinMan; that he didn't, didn't already have."

"Now I've been happy lately thinkin' about the good things to com; and I believe it could be, something good has begun; oh, I've been smilin' lately, dreaming about the world as on; and I believe it could be, some day it's going to come."

"To keep in silence I resigned; my friends would think I was a nut; turning water into wine; open doors would soon be shut."

"When I think of those east end lights; muggy nights, the curtains drawn in the little room downstairs; Primadonna Lord you really should have been there, sittin' like a princess perched in her electric chair."

"We danced for those at minstrel shows and county fairs, throughout the south; we spoke in tears of fifteen years; how his dog and him, they travelled about; his dog up and died; he up and died; after twenty years he still grieves."

"Oh, I never was good with romantic words; so the next few lines come really hard; don't have much, but what I've got is yours; except of course, my steel guitar."

"I want to live, I want to give, I've been a miner for a heart of gold."

"Mirrors on the ceiling, the pink champagne on ice; and she said, 'We are all just prisoners here of our own device;' and in the master's chambers, they gathered for the feast; they stab it with their steely knives, but they just can't kill the beast."

"All my dreams pass before my eyes, a curiosity; dust in the wind all they are is dust in the wind."

[mctulsaysstuff]

loserposting again but why does everyone ever characterize any fictional character who is a hero to be some sort of sex god who is fawned over by the chicks (and sometimes dudes) like are we faggots in here.?

[borealopelta]

who wants to have a lunch date w me

[veevadoovee]

Another day

Another post to cry abt how much i love ulysses

Only this time i will cry abt it on tumblr

[ronanwazlib]

unrelated and i’ve said it before but lonesome love by mitski is just soooo sirius black re wolfstar like !!! i call you up so i can win …. you say “hello” and i lose

[myimaginaryradio]

Lonesome Loser - Little River Band - 1979

[loz3rliterature]

Each time was like a stab in the gut. Each time hurt. Yet I yearn for the pain. For the numbness. For the negative thoughts. Yet I yearn for loneliness. Yet I yearn for the ones who made me lonely, each time was like a stab in the gut.

[cupcakeinat0r]

A Nerdy middle-aged loser Miguel w a dad bod who teaches your genetics class.

He has a huge crush on you even though he knows he shouldn’t but how tf couldn’t he????

With the way you always walk in a minute or two late, making the whole class look at you as you strut in with your quiet “so sorry!” and your cute little outfits that show off the best parts of your body.

Miguel’s eyes would follow you and the way you set down your bag, whipping out your computer, ready to absorb all the knowledge that Prof. O’Hara has to offer like a sponge. He usually has to stand behind his podium because watching you hang onto every single one of his words with those parted, glossy lips and curious eyes made him embarrassingly hard.

Or the way you took notes, your cute little organization of colors and annotations. Your kindness in giving notes to your peers because you wanted to see everyone succeed. Even though you may not have looked like it, you were a smarty pants, too. And he found that extremely hot.

During his lecture, he’ll sometimes catch you applying lip gloss or fixing your hair in your compact mirror and think to himself how gorgeous you are and how lucky your boyfriend that you totally already have is.

Cuz there’s no way he could pull someone like you. Those days are over for him. Plus, you were way out of his league.

But he can’t help but have a sliver of hope every time you leave class with an adorable smile and small wave.

“Thank you so much, Professor O’Hara! Great class today!!”, your praise never ceasing to make him slightly flustered on the inside.

Before you, he totally fucked his own hand like everyday. He’s a lonesome man. But now that you were in his life? That man goes home everyday, imagining his had is your luscious, tight cunt, replaying your cute voice in his head over and over again.

What he has no idea is that his praise has the same effect on you.

Anytime you had a question or were worried that you weren’t understanding a concept, Miguel would comfort you, with the most gentle words and voice.

He was such a cute man. It���d be so easy to praise him and baby him, telling him he’s sooo smart and such a good teacher.

His well-kept black hair w tiny hints of gray throughout, his black rimmed square glasses, his little cashmere sweater + button up combos that hugged around his broad chest, enormous biceps, and pudgy belly. He was sooo dreamy. He made it so hard to focus.

You’d go up to his desk after class needing clarification on a topic. He’d tell you to sit down, eager to help you with the class (or anything ever, he’d do anything for you if it meant keeping you).

His cologne would fill your nose as he bends over the table, a strand of hair falling on his forehead, pushing his glass up his nose as he towers over you as he explains what ever it was you were confused about.

It never helped because you never caught a single word. You were too busy imagining his soft stomach rubbing against your back as he bends you over the table, plowing you while saying those sweet words of encouragement into your ear.

And those veiny, hairy arms and hands wrapped around your waist as he bounces you on his fat cock, making those adorable glasses of his fog up.

“Don’t worry, sweetie, you’re doing great, as always.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, sweetheart.”

“I know, mama, It’s a hard concept to grasp, but you’ll get it. I know it.”

It made you scream on the inside. You wanted so badly to be a good student for him so that he could talk to you this way every single class.

Pt.2 here!

Want more DadBod!Miguel ? Here’s my master list, bae!!

[luveline]

Omg please kbd uncle Eddie:’)

dad!steve x mom!reader, 1k

“Hi, Uncle Eddie.” 

Eddie rubs his hands together, holds them out in front of himself, and summons the prodigal child forward. “Bethany. Quick, give me a hug.” 

Bethie walks into his waiting arms, her giggle infectious as she says, “That’s not my name.” 

“Bethie,” Eddie says with a sigh. “You know my full name is Edward. Full names are nothing to be ashamed of.” 

“It’s Bethie.” 

She pushes the hair off of his shoulders. He smiles at her and her little hands. If someone told him ten years ago he’d be carrying Steve ‘King of Hawkins High’ Harrington’s babygirl around like a treasure he’d laugh in their face, but he loves Beth. She’s hands down his favourite Harrington, and he’s allowed to have favourites as an uncle, though the other clingers are cool too. Beth is Eddie’s favourite because she’s an underdog, and because she’s so clearly infatuated with him. They’re best friends. 

He gives her a pat between the shoulders and slips down into a seat in front of the TV. There’s no signs of the other babies nor their parents; Eddie always lets himself in when he’s coming around and he doesn’t expect wait service, but a hello would be nice. “Where’s mom and dad?” he asks, setting Beth down into the seat beside him. He zeroes in on a plate of pretzels and snags a few for snacking. “You’re downstairs by yourself?” 

“No! They’re in the kitchen.” 

“Really? What about Ave and Dove, then?” he asks through chewing. 

“Dove is napping and Ave, um, went somewhere.” 

He raises his brows. “Dad took her somewhere?” He imagines Beth would tell him Avery’s run away with similar nonchalance. 

“To Grandma’s. They’re going to watch a play.” 

“Oh,” Eddie springs up off of the couch. “Stay here, sweetheart, I’ll just go make sure they know I’m here.” 

Eddie is scared to open the door. Why is it closed? He supposed parents are deprived of one another but he doesn’t wanna see you kissing. Then again, if he does see you kissing, Steve will die of embarrassment. That’s worth it. 

“Hello!” he shouts, throwing open the door. 

He makes you both jump hard, Steve’s head thwacking a cabinet and your hand thrown to your chest. You almost fall on your ass where you’re kneeling by Steve’s leg. His pant leg is pushed up to the knee, and you have a tweezers in hand —Eddie frowns abruptly. 

“What the hell are you doing?” he asks. 

“Steve has a tick, you fiend. When did you get here?” 

Steve groans. “The door was locked,” he says, rubbing the back of his head. 

“Not well. Just stuck my credit card in there and wham. You guys should slide the chain in if you’re gonna leave poor Bethie all by her lonesome, don’t you think?” 

“Eddie, the door was locked,” Steve says. “You’re the only weirdo in Hawkins willing to break in. Plus, I still have that baseball bat in the garage.” 

“Sure. Come on, sweetheart, get off the floor. Let Eddie have a stab at it.” 

You laugh and pull Steve’s pants down over his shin. “It’s fine, I already got it. He might get Lyme’s now because you scared the fuck out of me–”

“Language.” 

“–but I heated it up and I think I got it.” You look up with a smile. Steve pauses his pained head rubbing to beam at you lovingly. 

“I’m sure he’ll be fine. Or he’ll turn into a zombie, and that would make him cooler. Win win. So, dinner?” Eddie asks. “Should I go get something?” 

“Nah, I made ravioli, you rude idiot. Where’s Beth?” 

“I told her to stay put in case you were making out.” 

Steve helps you up from your kneeling to dust you off. “Thanks for saving my life,” he sighs tiredly, kissing your cheek. 

Eddie rolls his eyes and turns away. Steve should love and appreciate you, you’re awesome, but he’s also a loser and Eddie’s entitled to thinking such disparaging thoughts about his friend from time to time. 

You and Steve made a kid as cool as Beth, so Steve can’t be too bad of a loser.

“Uncle Eddie?” 

“Yes, my lovely sweetpea angel?” Eddie asks. 

She stares at him, adorable in all her chubby-cheeked, sugary-eyed sweetness with her hands held up for another hug. Eddie leans down, says, “Daw, I can’t say no to you,” as she giggles into his hair. He strokes the top of her shoulder with his thumb. “So what’s happening? How did that painting go with mommy, did you put it in the contest?” 

Steve nudges you forward with a hand on your shoulder. “He’d make a good dad, right?” 

“For sure,” you say, “not as good as you, though.” 

“Oh, you’re flirting with me, that’s cool… Are you free Friday night?” 

“Probably gonna be pulling ticks off of some other guy's leg.” 

“Oh, that’s fine, I was busy anyways.” 

Beth giggles as Eddie tips her backward, a mixture of nerves and excitement that kids experience so much more than adults. 

“I always expected him to just end up with a kid. Like, one night stand style,” Steve says. 

“There’s nothing wrong with that. At least then he doesn’t get stuck marrying somebody he doesn’t love.” 

Steve glares at you as you laugh, dragging you into his arms to smush kisses into your cheek. “Don’t even joke about that.” 

“Sorry, honey. I hope Eddie gets as lucky as me someday.” 

Beth begs to be put down through giggles. “I don’t know,” Steve says, resting his cheek on your temple to watch her laugh, “I don’t think Eddie has luck, just sheer force of will.” 

“He’d totally get a baby in a basket on his doorstep.” 

Steve mulls it over. “God, he totally would.” 

[aealzx]

_______________________

Update Post

Prologue | AO3

Previous Next

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Being taken to a rich man’s manor left an uncertain taste in Jazz’s mouth, having long ago learned of the trouble her siblings and friends dealt with in relation to such places. But the positives were too important to them to get hung up on being prejudiced, so she tried to remain hopeful while they drove to their destination.It wasn’t like every rich man was the same. They couldn’t all be lonesome stalkers trying to kidnap other people’s spouses or children. Right?

It was tough having four people squished into the backseat of the car, but having her little siblings both so close to her was doing a lot to keep Jazz’s frazzled anxieties from that morning from fraying any further. She couldn’t believe the sun was already so high in the sky now, the clocks she’d glimpsed before reading just an hour or so before noon. She tried to blame her irritability on being hungry, but her nervousness making her have little appetite tried to disprove that.

The drive was thankfully quiet, leaving Jazz a recently rare moment to sort through her thoughts as one hand lightly rested on Danny’s chest and the other absently ran fingers through his hair repeatedly. Sometimes it was hard to hear or even see him breathe, so the physical movement of his chest rising and falling reassured her. And since she knew sometimes comatose patients could still register stimulus from the outside she hoped he earned some sort of comfort from her fingers through his hair.

It was those thoughts Jazz was lost in when they pulled through a set of heavy iron gates amidst stone walls. As expected, the manor was huge and the grounds surrounding it were expansive. But what was unexpected was that the grounds and manor exterior actually looked lived in and welcoming. Well kept gardens and walkways, and clean windows that weren’t even partially hidden. The glass was mirrored to keep prying eyes from seeing anything they shouldn’t, but somehow while the manor felt isolated it also felt inviting to those who were welcomed in its walls.

“Here we are,” Dick announced needlessly, pulling the car in to coast up next to the curb leading to the front door. There were both a set of stairs and a ramp leading up to the threshold. Something Jazz couldn’t remember seeing before for a private manor. She heard Sam draw a deep inhale while she stretched and realized she must have been dozing. She couldn’t blame her, even Danielle had decided to take a short nap to recover some of the energy she’d spent in the fight. While Sam, Tucker, and Danielle pulled their lethargic bones from their seats, Jazz waited patiently for Dick to half jog around to her seat. She didn’t realize her legs had fallen partially numb until Dick carefully lifted Danny from her lap, letting her help him keep the blanket tucked around the lad before he stepped away to allow her to exit the car and close the door.

“...Do you think he’ll be like Vlad?” Tucker asked once they started heading up the stairs, and Dick made a mental note of the name. It didn’t sound like someone the kids liked.

“No,” Sam answered easily, and when Tucker squinted at her incredulously Sam pointed towards the front door. “For one thing, he doesn’t live alone in this huge house like a loser,” she commented, having noticed Alfred already waiting for them at the entrance.

“Welcome to the Wayne Family manor, young masters and misses. Master Bruce will be with you shortly,” Alfred greeted them when they reached the top of the stairs, stepping forward to open the front door and hold it for their guests.

“Thank you,” Jazz responded quickly, causing the other teens to give a muttered chorus of thanks as well.

It was nice to be in an actual home again, after so long, and Jazz didn’t realize the kind of comfort it would bring to have the door closed behind them. The manor felt safe. Solid walls blocking the world from staring at them with suspicious eyes. A warm air that smelled faintly of burning wood from a fireplace. They gathered in the foyer for only a short minute before a calm voice came into the room. “Alfred, is that Nightwing with the kids?”

The voice was strangely concerned. Not in a way that made Jazz think the owner was reluctant to have visitors, but someone who knew what to expect and it worried them. A moment later a middle aged man in a suit was entering from another room, followed by a young lad and two dogs.

“Yes, Master Bruce. The children you told us about are here,” Alfred confirmed as Bruce approached them, looking them all over with an openly worried gaze. Jazz wasn’t sure what to say, openly staring back as Bruce took the sight of them in. Even the other three weren’t sure how to respond, the behavior being completely different from what they were used to from rich people. Of course Vlad always feigned concern, but it was easy to see he was being manipulative and it was isolated to certain people.

“Good morning, Mr Wayne. I hope we’re not intruding unwelcome,” Dick greeted, momentarily surprised by Jazz stepping between him and Bruce to block Danny from the apparent stranger. He allowed her to do so though, not wanting to stress her out more by trying to control her.

“Of course not,” Bruce assured, seeming to regain his composure and stop over analyzing his guests. “I have to admit I’m somewhat confused as to why I was the one chosen to entrust these kids to. But after hearing they were somewhat like my son Duke, it made a little more sense.”

“You have kids?” Sam spoke up, unable to keep herself from asking the question. So the quiet boy hovering in the back wasn’t just another visitor? And the other two older boys that had come into the room like curious spectators too? One of them was leaning against a doorway, while the other tried to look inviting as he’d come down the stairs. And to Dick’s surprise Stephanie was also there, giving him a subtle wink as she entered from a different room than the others.

“Yes, I have several children,” Bruce confirmed, reaching his hands out for Duke and Damian since they were the closest, resting a hand on each back. “This is my youngest, Damian. This is Duke, who I just mentioned. Stephanie was adopted shortly before Duke. And my second oldest is Jason, over there. You caught him and Stephanie while they were visiting, they actually live closer to where they work, but they and the rest of my children are free to come and go as they please. I hope you won’t be bothered by that.”

“N’no, that’s fine. It’s their home after all, not mine,” Sam stammered, backing away from the conversation uncomfortably. None of these people looked all that similar, and none of the kids looked uncomfortable about being there. In fact Stephanie seemed excited about something. Was she just happy to have guests? Duke looked nervous, but it was that general unease of someone trying to make a good first impression. And the way Bruce held them wasn’t out of possession, but familiarity. They could easily brush him off if they wanted to, but they didn’t. At first glance Bruce seemed to genuinely have the life Vlad wanted, minus there not being a wife as far as the kids could see. Maybe he wasn’t such a bad guy after all.

Throughout the light conversation Danielle had been looking between the home’s residents, squinting slightly as more people showed up. She knew Jazz had thought this arrangement was strange, and they all had a general unease towards rich men. But it hadn’t been until Jason made himself visible that Danielle had realized what was going on, and all of her unease fled. Of all the ones who had been helping them, Jason was the one that had the most distinct presence to her. Something not quite like her and her family, but also not quite like the others. A lingering sensation that Danielle recognized even without the usual red helmet. And when Jason raised a hand from his pocket to briefly wave at them when Bruce introduced him, Danielle immediately noticed the bandaged finger on his other, mostly hidden hand and grinned.

“Hey! It’s nice to finally see your face. You look a lot less grumpy without the red helmet hiding everything,” Danielle suddenly beamed, lifting off the ground to float over to Jason.

To their credit, the Wayne family tried to act surprised at her comments and metahuman feat. “Excuse me?” Jason asked, pulling back slightly when Danielle hovered close to him.

“You’re the one that was carrying Danny when we all first met. With the red helmet and brown jacket,” Danielle insisted, pointing. “So your name’s Jason? That’s great. That must mean… Damian is the little guy that sedated me. Stephanie is the really cool girl in purple. Duke has to be the one in yellow that drove everyone away from Deathstroke. And you must be Batman.” She pointed to each of the members in turn, ending with Bruce as the rest of her family's expressions changed from general discomfort to dawning realization. 

“That’s why you brought us here,” Sam commented as the pieces lined up in her mind “You could have just told us we were going to your house. That would have made the drive a lot less sullen.”

The room was quiet as the Wayne family subtly glanced between each other, trying to rapidly judge whether they should lie, or confirm the observations. The pause was short, but also long enough to cause Danielle to look between them all in genuine confusion, knowing she was right but wondering why no one was saying anything about it. 

Yet before anyone else could comment or otherwise respond Jazz was the one making a distressed noise, rushing over to Danielle to grab her and pull her back. “HHHHHH DANI!” Jazz wheezed, snatching the girl from the air and lightly placing her hands over Danielle’s mouth. “What did I tell you about spilling people’s secrets? You’re supposed to wait for them to tell you first,” she scolded, looking for all the world like an embarrassed parent whose child had just announced something inappropriate in a public space.

Danielle was already sputtering when Jazz pulled her back to ground level and smothered her. “What? I thought that’s what all this was over. You really expect me to just go along with the hoodoo pretend that they’re completely normal people we’ve never met before?” she protested, pulling away from Jazz and almost stomping in front of her.

“Yes!” Jazz almost hissed. “If they’re not ready you just have to wait,” she insisted, eyes flicking between the others as they were collectively starting to give up on the facade.

“Oh come on!” Danielle burst in response, throwing her hands up in exasperation and breaking away from Jazz. “We’ve had dinner together, a sleepover, kicked each others’ butts, kicked butt together, and she’s seen me topless! You really think we’re NOT on a first name basis yet? Most people just have to say Hi to each other.” Throughout her list of evidence Danielle gestured to various members, Stephanie and Jason from the first watch, Dick and Duke, the three that had taken her down, then Stephanie again, then wildly gesturing back and forth between herself and everyone else. She really couldn’t fathom why Jazz was making such a fuss about playing pretend when it would be so much easier to just let them know they didn’t have to hide around her.

Jason wasn’t sure who broke first, but he was going to blame Stephanie for her almost immediate snort. She tried to smother it down to save face, but it had already been done. And a moment later Dick started chuckling helplessly in both mild disbelief and amusement, which immediately set Stephanie off into a full laugh. And at that point Jason gave in and started laughing quietly as well while Duke and Damian turned to see Bruce’s opinion on the matter.

At this point Bruce could only heave a helpless sigh, relaxing his demeanor completely and taking away any residue of what persona he may have had.

“Well, this will certainly make it easier,” Damian commented as Stephanie settled down into giggles and Jason pushed off the door frame.

“How did you even recognize me? I’m the only one you never saw even a glimpse of my face, and I made sure all the injuries from this morning were hidden,” Jason asked, half curious and half wanting ammo to counter the others’ badgering for him being the one who was called out first.

“Oh, it’s because you’re the only one I’ve met in Gotham that has… that whole vibe thing you got going on there,” Danielle responded, pausing as she wasn’t completely sure how to explain what Jason had that the others didn’t, rolling her finger in a circle while pointing to him.

“The what now?” Jason asked, unimpressed. How was he supposed to figure out how to cover for something so vaguely described?

“The… weird… I dunno what it is, man. Okay? You just feel different from everyone else. Like Jazz and Sam and Tucker feel different from Danny and me, and everyone else feels different from all of us. It’s just a vibe you got,” Danielle tried to elaborate helplessly.

“She says you stink, Jay,” Stephanie blurted, sticking her tongue out slightly to tease.

“Can it, Steph. I smell fine,” Jason shot back.

“Ooookay. Since we’re all officially on a first name basis then, why don’t we get settled in so I can change and get cleaned up too?” Dick interrupted the mild squabbling. “.... Babs says she’ll also meet us here after working with the JL since we’re not doing the double identity thing.”

“I’ll prepare a meal for a full house then,” Alfred announced, “Will you still need me to show them to their rooms?”

“No, Alfred. Thank you. We’ll take care of it,” Bruce declined, hands still resting on Duke and Damian’s backs. This wasn’t how he’d wanted it to go, but maybe it would be for the better. Maybe this would better facilitate the openings to learn more about the Phantom children like Tim had also realized having them in the manor would allow. “Take Danny upstairs, I’ve already contacted Dr. Thompkins to help get him settled, and get you two looked after,” he directed Dick. “I left the door open for which room to use.”

“Good,” Dick nodded, shifting to head towards the stairs Duke had come down from. “Jazz, we’ll put you next door, so you can follow me too,” he offered, knowing Jazz would want to keep Danny in her sight as much as possible.

Giving a nod to Dick, Jazz started to follow, but took a moment to point a finger at Danielle. “Don’t cause anymore trouble. And don’t tell anyone about these guys being who they are. Got it?” she warned, putting on her best serious face.

“I got it, sheesh. I’m not going to go blurting their secret out to anyone. Who do you take me for? It’s not like I’ve told anyone at home about Danny either,” Danielle protested, rolling her eyes.

As Jazz’s expression reflected immediate barely suppressed frustration at Danielle just blurting a hint about Danny, Jason hurried forward one step and put his hand between the two girls. “We already knew about that. Danny is also known as Phantom, yeah?” he revealed, defending Danielle this time so she didn’t get more unnecessary lectures her way. Jazz seemed uncomfortably surprised at first, but then calmed down significantly.

“See? I know what I’m doing,” Danielle grinned smugly.

“Oh, I don’t doubt that. I just don’t want to deal with the amount of chaos you deem acceptable,” Jazz retorted to the girl.

Stephanie had to laugh at the exchange, stepping towards them to finally get them moving considering Dick was waiting patiently by the stairs and Alfred had already left. “Come on, let's get some actual clothes for you instead of stolen cheap things,” she laughed, grabbing Danielle’s hand and pulling her towards the stairs. “If you don’t like anything in my closet I’ll take you shopping later. On Bruce’s card of course.”

Following Stephanie’s lead, Duke approached Tucker and started to usher him upstairs too. “You too champ. We’ve got more boy clothes than girls. There should be something that fits you too. And I’ll show you which room you can use.”

“Wait, I get my own room?” Tucker gawked, following Duke as Sam had already started to Follow behind Stephanie and Danielle. It earned a laugh from Stephanie and Duke as they led the new residents to get settled.

______________________

I already had this part typed, so just had to spend like 6 hours drawing the pic today. Yey quick update~

Also I had to rewrite Bruce like 7 times in this part because I could not figure out how he would/should behave for the initial part. @ v @ So I just settled for more confused dad vibes.

I also learned from the previous chapter that Dick's butt cheeks have names like boobs, and I cried from laughing too hard X'DD I knew he was a fan favorite, but I didn't think he was that kind of favorite. I appreciate all the facts you guys give me. They're so fun.

Also just to clarify/restate, Jason is not a halfa in this fic, he's a revenant. So he doesn't have the same vibes as Danny and Dani, but they are still different from the others.

______________________

Tag list: @galaxy-sharks-and-bottled-ships, @starscreamlover, @nerdynonnativenarnian, @dragongoblet, @megacharizardx99

@bellathecatastrophe, @cj-ghostemoji-destielpie, @asexual-insomniac, @wolfeyedwitch, @tkiesai, 

@fanaroff, @raven1508, @nebulainajar, @serasvictoria02, @oliocelottafanfics,

@honeysuckletook, @omniithe-deer, @wolf-under-the-stars, @gingernutcalo, @that-random-fangirl,

@op-sys-chaos, @kirasigncomics

[cuntressgoingdigital]

BAD HABIT | abby anderson x reader - college au!!

free palestine! click this link for more info

synopsis: you catch abby's eye during class and she becomes determined to make you her's. unfortunately, she can't bring herself to just outright admit her feelings, forcing herself through weeks of yearning and agony.

notes: i have been sitting on this since early october. finally finished it up! gets kinda rambly midway through. can you tell i love writing abby as a gay loser? titled after bad habit by steve lacy :P

cw: 18+ content MDNI, reader referred to as a girl, alcohol ment, dom! reader (if you squint), inexperienced! abby, no smut technically (but def not sfw), abby doesn't know how to communicate

word count: 4.9k

it was abby’s final year of college. she was finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. the last three years had been a horrendous rollercoaster of trials and tribulations. all of her classes were rigorous and extremely involved. it felt like she never slept, ate, or had any time to herself. she had a couple friends, but nothing too serious. in reality, they were probably closer to acquaintances. she made the mistake of following her boyfriend halfway across the country to attend the same college as him. all of her friends were his friends and their breakup, while semi-amicable, set her back as far as friendships go. 

it wasn’t that she wasn’t good at making friends, she just didn’t have the time. making friends in your senior year of college was its own special beast. nobody wants to go out of their way to foster new friendships because of their temporary nature. everyone was applying for grad school, hoping to get as far away from home as possible. living off campus isolates you, ripping you away from the forced community that comes with living in a dormitory.

none of that mattered. abby was perfectly fine by her lonesome.

she had never felt compelled to establish a connection until she stepped foot into her french romantic literature class. everyone called it a gimme class. do the readings, write your reviews and reports, easy A. it was a low level class and she needed the elective credit, so why not? it was an 8AM, but she had dealt with worse. 

she was setting up her ipad and pencil when she felt someone brush past the back of her chair. she looked up and suddenly she couldn’t breathe. she swears she had never seen a girl more beautiful than you. it felt like one of those cheesy rom coms where all the sound in the room dropped out, the entire world slowed, and your smile lit up the room. 

“sorry!” you whispered, making your way a few chairs down and getting as comfortable as possible on those horrid plastic chairs. 

every day for two weeks she just watched you from afar. abby perked up every time you raised your hand to give insight on that week’s readings. you were intimidatingly smart. everything you said, she couldn’t have possibly come up with. she hadn’t missed a single day of class so far. 

but, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t think of a single thing to say to you. a simple “hi, nice to meet you” wouldn’t cut it. she didn’t want to come off as creepy or nonchalant. she needed a plan. 

one day you had left your bag open on your desk and abby caught a glimpse of a novel. it wasn’t one of the books that was required reading for class. was it a leisure read? immediately, she looked up the title and read the synopsis. 

she couldn’t fathom any way to make a book sound less interesting.

alas, at this point she was committed. 

that afternoon, during a small break between classes, she made her way to the library. after wandering on one of the floors for too long, she finally found the novel in question. the plan was to read it, hope that you left your bag open again, and ask about it after class. simple enough. 

she took the elevator down to the first floor and brought the book up to the check out desk. there was no one behind the desk and she wondered if she should come back later.

“sorry!” 

abby knew that voice. 

you sauntered out from the hidden staff area behind the desk. abby felt stupid for letting her crush affect her like this. her face was hot, she had to make a concerted effort to breathe evenly, and suddenly she forgot how to socialize. all she could do was stiffly set the book on the desk. 

“aren’t you in my class? french romantic lit, right?” you took the book in your hands and flipped it to the back cover to scan the barcode on the corner. 

“uh, yeah. i think so?” she had never felt more awkward in her life, sliding her student ID across the desk. 

“well, it’s nice to meet you…” you pick up the plastic card and read over it. “abby.”

there was a quiet beep and abby stood there awkwardly trying to think of something to say. “have you read this book before?” she blurted out. “i just…the reviews seemed to be pretty split. people either love it or hate it, y’know?”

a smile stretched across your face. you were clearly more than delighted to give your thoughts, recommendations for other books, and authors who had a similar writing style. abby thought your enthusiasm was adorable. she had absolutely no clue what you were talking about, but was happy you got to share your ideas with her. 

she cleared her throat. “i guess i’ll give you my thoughts after class one day?” 

you nod excitedly. “i would really love that.” 

abby collected her items and turned on her heel to leave the library. she felt accomplished, only to realize a few moments later,

fuck. 

she didn’t even ask for your name. 

that night abby started the novel. she was determined to finish before she saw you again on wednesday. homework was suddenly tossed onto the backburner. her childish crush took precedent. for the next day and a half she did nothing but read this novel, even going as far as making annotations and talking points for you. 

she woke up bright and early on wednesday. the sun was hanging lowly in the sky. she couldn’t go back to sleep even if she wanted to. she drug her body out of bed and pulled on a black tshirt and grey sweatpants for her early morning workout. she preferred to get her workout out of the way during the early morning hours to avoid the crowd of people in her apartment’s rec center and lower her chances of social interaction. 

her workout was a little more rushed than usual. she wanted to make sure she looked well put together when she approached you after class. she was meticulous with her shower routine, pairing the scent of her body wash with her lotions and deodorant. pine and amber with a hint of lavender. next was her hair that she braided and re-braided at least three times in front of her slightly fogged up bathroom mirror. she peeked at her phone and noticed it was way later than she thought. she ripped a black short sleeve button up and olive green corduroy pants off of their hanger and slipped on some shoes before she ran off to the bus stop.

she made it into the classroom right as the professor was reading off the first slide. the feeling of several pairs of eyes on her was unbearable. 

for the entire seventy five minutes of class she could only stare at you. you were feverishly typing on your laptop while also scribbling something down in your notebook. the clock seemed to tick slower than usual. 

“alright, that covers everything i wanted to address today. i’ll let y’all out a few minutes early. go enjoy the weather outside.” 

abby couldn’t pack up faster. she prayed you weren’t in any kind of rush. 

“hey!” 

abby spun around to see your face. thank god, you had approached her. this eliminated the possibility of her chickening out. 

“oh, hey!” this had thrown off abby’s entire script. “sorry i ran off yesterday. i didn’t catch your name?”

you chuckled at the realization. you hadn’t noticed either. after you properly introduced yourself, abby offered a “nice to officially meet you.”

you waste no time getting to your initial reason for approaching her. “did you start the book?” 

the sound of your voice had butterflies swarming about in her stomach. 

“yeah, i finished it actually.”

you slung your backpack over your shoulders. “which way are you going?” 

the two of you set off in the direction of the coffee shop on campus. abby went over her talking points and luckily you two shared a lot of the same ideas about the themes and writing style of the book. abby made a mental note to read more of your recommendations. 

the coffee shop was coming up on the horizon and abby had already completely derailed her walk to her next class. she had to wrap this up.

“did you maybe wanna study together sometime? you looked really into today’s lecture.” was that a weird thing to say? now it sounded like she was watching your every move.

she was. 

but, that wasn’t your business. 

“oh god, no. i hated this week’s reading. way too dense and the translation was clunky.” your head dropped in embarrassment. “i was actually playing sudoku.” 

god, you were the cutest thing. 

“dinner, then?” she ground her fingernails into the fabric of her backpack straps. “i just think it would be nice to have someone to talk about the homework with.” there was a beat of silence and immediately she felt the need to backtrack “it’s okay if not! i’m sure you’re busy and all.”

“dinner sounds fun! i can do tonight? maybe around seven?”

the two of you exchanged phone numbers and abby said a quick goodbye before rushing off in the opposite direction, praying she wasn’t late to her next class. 

you mentally high fived yourself. you had only made one friend during your time at college and that was your first year dorm roommate. she was great and all, but a senior with only one friend felt sort of pathetic. you were positive the two of you only ended up being friends because of your forced close proximity. you both loved each other to death, but you weren’t so sure you would have found each other otherwise. 

this time you made a friend all on your own. well, maybe you two weren’t quite friends yet, but you’d try your damndest to make your friendship status official. she was nice enough so far. 

and really pretty. 

like, really pretty. 

an hour or so later, abby sent a text with a link to a restaurant menu. you couldn’t help but open the message immediately. 

abby a.: is this good? 

you clicked on the link and your eyes grew wide. this was one of the places you would only eat at for special occasions. the cheapest entree was thirty dollars. there was no way you could afford that. you were a full time student living off of your need based scholarship and the meager wages you received from your work study job. if you looked you would probably see double digits in your checking account. 

you: this looks rlly nice but idk if i’ll be able to afford it 

you: i’m srry!!

before you could lock your phone, the grey bubble appeared again.

abby a.: don’t worry i invited you. i’ll grab the check. 

the idea of being indebted to her made you uneasy, but you couldn’t bring yourself to disagree with her. you didn’t want to seem high maintenance. 

your 8AM was your only class of the day, so in normal fashion you gallivanted around campus and sat in front of the library, people watching, until your shift started. the older woman who worked the same desk shift as you helped you on the daily crossword, forcing the time to pass faster. 

it was a little more than an hour before you and abby were supposed to meet up when your phone vibrated. 

abby a.: i’ll pick you up. send me your address.

you had fully intended to take the twenty minute bus ride over to the restaurant. you knew the bus routes like the back of your hand on account of you not owning a car. it wasn’t as bad as everyone made it out to be. 

abby pulled up at 7PM on the dot. once you received the “outside” text you grabbed your bag from it’s designated hook near the door. 

“where ya goin’?”

you looked back to see your best friend and roommate, liz. 

“dinner.”

“like a date?”

“nah. just some girl from my class.” your hand reached for the doorknob and pulled the door open. “i’ll see you!”

“have fun. make good choices!” she called out before you could shut the door behind you. 

you peered around the parking lot, trying to find her car. you pulled your phone from your bag and unlocked it, preparing to call abby to play hot and cold until you found her. then, you heard a voice call your name. 

abby was hanging out the sunroof of her car, waving at you. you approached her car and caught the brand sigil on the front grille. it was a BMW. you didn’t know much about cars, but you knew those were expensive. you opened the doors to see a custom leather interior and a high tech touch screen on the center console. it felt like you weren’t even allowed to sit down in this car. 

“hey, sorry it’s kind of messy.” 

there were maybe a dozen crumbs on the floor mats and a couple straw wrappers in the cup holder. 

“if this is messy for you, you’d hate to see my room.” you awkwardly tried to laugh off the tension you felt. “nice car.” 

abby moved the gear shift into drive and started to pull out of the parking lot. “yeah, it’s an early graduation present. i was hoping for something a little more practical. like a subaru or something.” she immediately bit her tongue. she probably sounded so stuck up right now. “i mean, this is perfectly fine! i just…what if i have some furniture to move, y’know?” 

smooth recovery.

“no, no i get it!” you, in fact, did not get it. you would kill to be able to drive yourself across town and not have to haul your groceries along with you on the bus. 

abby’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. “you can take aux if you want.” she motioned to the wire hanging out of the charging port. 

this was one of the worst things you could ever hear. now you had to carefully curate a few songs to last the duration of the short drive. shuffling your liked songs would surely end in embarrassment and you couldn’t tell what music abby would be into. you haphazardly queued a couple songs and analyzed every change in abby’s face, trying to decipher whether she liked the songs or not. to your delight she began humming along to one of the songs. 

“didn’t expect you to be into this sort of music.”

abby shrugged. “i’m full of surprises, i guess.” 

you made small talk about your major and your class load for the semester. all of the typical stuff you go over with anyone you meet in a college town. then, you discussed plans for grad school.

“i think i’m gonna take a year or two off and travel for a while. see the world and all that.” you picked up on the way abby’s eyes sparkled when she talked about it. 

“what are you gonna do about money and stuff?” finally, you had an excuse to ask how rich she was.

“my dad’s a neurosurgeon. he rolled right through undergrad into medical school with no time off. he wants me to take some time and find myself. make sure i’m committed to whatever my next step is.” 

you wordlessly nodded. the puzzle pieces fell into place. now you were almost embarrassed about not being well off. what could you possibly have in common with some uppity rich girl?

once the two of you started talking over dinner, it seemed like you actually had a lot in common. you both held a passion for the same movies, had slight overlap with your music taste, and held similar political beliefs. you had judged her a little too fast. you let her go on about her coin collection and in exchange she let you beak into a tangent about your hobbies. before you knew it one of the servers came up to your table. 

“hey folks, i brought the check over for you. take your time.”

you were mortified when you saw it was thirty minutes after close. if your server hadn’t practically run off you would’ve offered an apology. 

you instinctively peeked at the check and saw three digits. your shock must’ve been obvious as abby snatched the receipt holder from you. 

“i told you, i’ve got it.” she put down a heavy metal card and you were once again reminded about the difference in your tax brackets. 

dinner had gone so well it became a weekly endeavor. every wednesday you met up with her so she could show you a couple different spots around town. every time she paid the bill before you could even say anything. whenever you mentioned wanting to read some newly released book that the library hadn’t ordered yet, she would shyly present it to you the next time you two saw each other. weekly dinner dates turned into coffee dates between classes, which turned into study dates at home. she learned your coffee order and work schedule so she could occasionally pop into the library while you were working and deliver you a treat. you became inseparable rather quickly. often walking hand in hand across campus after your seminar. 

liz caught you smiling at your phone and peered over your shoulder. 

“hey, hey! what happened to privacy?” you scolded. 

liz looked you up and down. “what’s going on between you two? always texting, always facetiming, always hanging out.”

“nothing! we’re just friends.” 

it was clear she didn’t believe you. “there’s no fucking way y’all are ‘just friends’.” 

“i can be just friends with a girl!” 

“mhm. sure, sure.” liz left you to study (read: spend your entire night texting back and forth with abby). 

that night when you laid in bed, you finally gave your relationship some thought. were you two “just friends”? you were used to burying your semi-romantic thoughts about your female friends. that had been your MO ever since you discovered you were gay. you tried not to think about abby in that way. you were so excited to make a new friend, you couldn’t bear potentially ruining things with those thoughts. 

you two were just close friends. that’s it.

that’s all it would ever be. 

abby a.: goodnight see you in the morning <3

unbeknownst to you, abby was also spiraling about your relationship. had the little heart been too much? she was trying so hard to be subtle. either you were completely uninterested or she wasn’t being obvious enough. what was she supposed to say? “i think i have a crush on you” was way too forward. what if you didn’t feel the same way? now she would look like an idiot and have to bear the next couple months showing up to the same class as you three times a week. 

even worse, you were the first girl abby had ever properly pursued. her breakup with owen forced her to finally contemplate if she ever actually loved him. well, of course she loved him, but was she ever in love with him? after a month she had decided it had never been the latter. that had been nearly a year ago and in that time she had never actually made an effort to seek a relationship with anyone romantically. she made out with girls at parties, hooked up with one girl months ago, but this was different. she wanted your dinner dates to be real dates. to sleep with you in her arms. post you on her story with a caption that said ‘my girlfriend is so beautiful’. 

how the fuck was she going to make this work?

she laid awake drafting different text messages and formulating different scenarios where it would be appropriate for her to confess to you. 

that weekend abby invited you over for a sleepover. nothing too crazy. just wine, takeout, and a movie. the hour it took for you to respond was possibly the worst hour of her life.

you: omg sounds fun!! i’ll finish up my work at 8?

abby breathed a sigh of relief. she spent the next several hours stress cleaning. her entire house was pristine by the time she was meant to pick you up. 

confessing to you over text almost felt disrespectful. the wine would compensate for her intense fear of rejection. if you didn’t reciprocate, she’d just politely call you an uber and that would be that. the prospect of ignoring her feelings for you until the end of the semester trumped her fear of having to be in the same classroom with a girl who rejected her. 

she just couldn’t take it anymore. 

when she pulled into the driveway of your apartment she saw that you were already waiting outside, a small duffel bag in hand. 

you happily trotted over to her car and hopped in. the seat was perfectly adjusted for you as always. you took over aux without abby prompting you to. 

you always got the passenger princess treatment. 

abby listened to you tell her every intricate detail of your day. the dog you got to pet on campus, how the coffee shop messed up your order and you were too scared to tell them, and the crossword you weren’t able to finish because your usual coworker wasn’t on shift. 

while she was happy to listen to you, all she could think about was the fact that this may be the last time she got to hear your daily musings. 

“you okay, babe?” 

the hairs on the back of her neck always stood up when she heard you call her that. 

“i’m fine. just thinking about this assignment i forgot to finish.”

“i can help you when we get home. as long as it’s not your orgo chem class. you’re on your own with that.”

no matter how hard you tried to ignore it, you could feel the tension in the air. something was off, but you couldn’t tell what. abby was speaking less and just seemed out of it in general. every time you asked if she was okay it was always the same 

“i’m okay. don’t worry.”

you brush it off and carry on with the night as if all was normal. you ordered chinese food from your favorite hole in the wall restaurant and plopped down on her couch. it took you thirty minutes to decide on a movie, the two of you debating the pros and cons of every option. it didn’t take long for the food to be delivered and after abby gave you permission to eat on the couch you dug into your food.

“is this your first meal of the day?” abby knew you were terrible at taking care of yourself. not that she was much better.

“shut up.” you uttered through the food in your mouth. 

a few minutes into the movie, abby offers you a blanket which you eagerly take. you rest your legs over her lap and lay back against one of the throw pillows. abby almost felt wrong touching you. she had plans to irrevocably change your relationship before the night was over. 

would you be able to stay friends with her after?

“do you want wine? i figured rosé would be a safe choice.” 

you affirmatively hummed, prompting abby to rush off into her dark kitchen. she just needed a few moments to breathe. 

“can i ask a stupid question?” you called from the living room. 

abby felt the need to dry heave. “maybe.” was all she could offer as a response.

there was a few moments of uncertain silence before you spoke again. “liz is convinced we’re like…dating, or something? is there something going on between us?” 

you were always so forward. it was a trait of yours that abby admired. except this time. 

like the day you first spoke after class, you had completely derailed her scripts and scenarios.

“i…don’t know?” the question had her hands shaking so bad she couldn’t pull the cork out of the wine bottle. 

you hummed once more. “i don’t know either.”

the movie filled the uneasy silence between the two of you. abby was panicking and you surprisingly weren’t. 

“i think i like you.” you were the first to break the silence. “wait, that sounded really childish. i just…you know what i mean.” 

finally, abby could exhale. 

“i’m sorry. did i make things weird?” 

abby rushed back into the living room and saw you cocooned in her blanket, partially shielding your face from her.

“holy fuck. no, no!” she tripped over her words, trying to skip to whatever part of the script she intended to use for this exact moment. finally, she cleared her throat. “that’s kind of why i approached you the first time. i mean, i’m glad we became friends!” once again, she felt the need to backtrack. “when i first saw you in class i thought you were really pretty. i’ve been trying to work up the nerve to say this from the first time we met.” 

you finally met her gaze. abby was shocked to hear you giggle. “that’s sweet.” you reached out for her, beckoning her to come sit next to you. “i wish i had known. you’re always acting so mysterious about your feelings.” you teased. 

you sat up and loosely wrapped your arms around her shoulders. “so…was your plan to corner me here and bombard me with your confession?”

“okay, it sounds weird when you say it like that.” how had you read her intentions so accurately?

“i don’t hear any denial.” abby refused to answer. she had suffered enough tonight. “enlighten me, what was your plan if i said i liked you back?” 

abby shrugged. she really hadn’t expected to get this far. she spent more time planning for a rejection than reciprocity. 

you leaned into her. “well, i think you should kiss me.” 

abby had been dreaming of this moment. quite literally. whenever she had vaguely scandalous dreams it was always about you. she’d wanted this for so long and here she was awkwardly fumbling as she pressed her lips against yours. 

you delicately brushed a few fly away hairs behind her ear and leaned into the kiss. you could feel the hesitance in abby’s body language and knew you’d have to be the captain of the ship for the time being. you closed the space between the two of you, now chest to chest. 

“you don’t have to be nervous.” you whispered in her ear while you moved to straddle her lap. 

abby placed her hands firmly at your hips, finally working up the courage to just touch you. the movie was long forgotten when she lost herself in your kiss. her hand made it halfway up your shirt before she broke the kiss. 

“is that okay?” 

you giggled against her lips. “yeah, have at it.” 

the joking tone eased her mind and emboldened her. her hand found its way fully under the fabric of your shirt, cupping your left breast. her thumb brushed against your nipple, making you sharply inhale. you grinded down against her crotch and abby whimpered against your lips. 

you couldn’t tell how much time had passed. the both of you were feeling sensitive and hot all over. you were desperate to draw those sweet mewls out of her. 

“okay, fuck this movie.” all at once you pulled away from her. abby looked like she could’ve cried at your sudden absence. “do you wanna…like…”

“yeah,” she took a moment to catch her breath. “yeah. the bedroom is this way.” she took your hand and led you past the kitchen to her bedroom that was bathed in moonlight from the wall length windows. she rushed to close the curtains before she pulled her shirt off, revealing her black sports bra. you took her hand and collapsed against her bed, tugging her down with you. 

your fingers reached for the string of her sweatpants, working them down her thighs and tossing them to the side. 

“have you done this before?” you whispered in between kisses to her neck and collarbones. 

“sort of. a while ago.” 

“well i’m happy to give you a refresher course.” you flipped abby onto her back so you could be on top. “just relax.” you hooked your fingers into the waistband of her boxers and pulled her thighs apart. 

the sex lasted for an absurdly long time. for a beginner, abby was surprisingly adept. she was a quick learner. by the end of it, neither of you had the energy to go back to the movie. you slept soundly in her arms, not even bothering to redress. 

the next morning you were harshly pulled from your sleep by an alarm. it was saturday. there was no way it was your phone. 

abby shot straight up in bed and hastily pulled her phone off of the nightstand. 

“fuck. i’m sorry. i forgot i have rugby practice.” she leapt out of bed and started digging through her closet for fresh workout clothes. “for the record, i had plans to make you breakfast and everything. the whole nine yards.”

you stretched out in her bed, missing her warmth. “oh, i’m sure.”