#NOBODY EVER BE APOLOGETIC FOR SENDING ME WEIRD ASKS!!!!!!!!
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whumpitisthen · 9 months ago
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is it strange that i genuinely kinda wanna be an irl whumpee? like im aroace so its not like That, but like being kidnapped and held captive sounds almost comforting to me for some reason and i always imagine myself as the whumpee in my whump scenarios. dunno what this means about me but i saw ur reblog and it got me thinking lol sorry if this is weird
Well if it is considered strange it's no more strange than me wanting to be an irl whumper so 🤝 you may come by my inconspicuous black car and get tied up and thrown in a trunk any day you wish i will take such good care of you i promise my basement is very damp and miserable and my thoughts about you are mean and evil only <3 for no particular reason i must ask are you more of an impersonal whumper or a carewhumper kinda guy.
But also no it's not strange you're not alone and im not alone i guarantee so many people are into whump in the same way you are. in fact, there's almost definitely more irl whumpees than whumpers out there if poll results i keep seeing are anything to go by and also. I heard kinks aren't explicitly sexual all the time? Which is a strange ass thing to comprehend for me bc then. The fuck is a kink. Just something that people like? That is strange? Bc then stuff like asmr and whump are absolutely kinks no questions asked no discourse needed. People can be sexually into those too, but it's always explicitly said that they aren't Always sexual, so like? And while i am also ace i have come to the conclusion that whump to me may be a kink too, even if it is absolutely not sexual to me ever. I like it, it is considered a strange thing to like, i even get physical reactions to it if it hits just right and i can't tell the difference between that and "actual kinks". All that is to say, dont be too pressed about it darling this is tumblr you are a clown just like the rest of us jingling foolishly across the floor of this circus (affectionate)
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its-time-to-write · 1 year ago
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hello! First thing first, I want to say how much of a good writer you are, I hope you know this 💕 second I have this idea of reader and Jamie dating, but nobody knows. One day reader is in the coaches room and starts yawning and Roy is like what's that ���� (something similar to that scene with beard after he gets back with jane) and reader answers with "you have been waking me up everyday at 4 am" or smt like that and this is how everyone finds out. I know you have already written something like this but I thought it was cute, so feel free to ignore
this was cute. you were right.
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coffee at midnight
Neither you nor Jamie exactly decided to keep your relationship a secret.
“It’s not a secret, it’s private, babe,” Jamie insists. You just roll your eyes.
But like, it is private.
That means no instagram posts, no public dates, and no unasked opinions. It also means that Jamie gets a Polaroid camera (“so we don’t get hacked, babe,”), plans dates in his giant house, and keeps fans’ noses out of your relationship.
It also, also means that Roy Kent doesn’t know you’re in Jamie’s bed every morning when he knocks on the door loud enough to wake the dead.
You’re a week into these shenanigans, and you’re not sure how much longer you can handle it. You’ve barely been at Nelson Road for an hour, but you’ve yawned more than you’ve spoken. Jamie’s been sending you apologetic looks every time he passes you in the hall, but now the entire team is in the weight room as you bring the coaches their coffee.
You place Roy’s in front of him and he asks, “The fuck’s wrong with you?”
You glare. “Nothing. That’s rude to ask, anyway. I’m-” you pause to yawn- “fine.”
Ted looks between you and Roy. “Normally I’d side with the lady on this one, but you look dead on your feet. You been sleepin’ okay?”
“Yes,” you reply shortly. “I’ve been sleeping fine. I just don’t get a lot of it these days.”
“That sounds decidedly un-sexy,” Trent calls from his desk.
You snarl, “It isn’t,” then realize that Trent is undeserving of your anger. “I’m sorry. I’ve been getting like five hours of sleep every night this whole week. Me and my boyfriend just moved in together and we both talk like way too much. So we usually don’t fall asleep until late.”
The room fills with whistles and hoots from Ted, Beard, and Trent. Roy is stoic as always.
“I didn’t know you had a boyfriend,” Ted grins. “What’s his name?”
You hesitate. You’re pretty sure Jamie would be okay if you told Ted, but you’re not sure you really want to. You let the silence stretch on for a beat too long, and Trent’s on you like a vulture.
“It’s someone here, isn’t it?” he asks.
“No,” you reply, but it’s not convincing. It’s hard for you to lie when you’re this tired.
Jamie and Sam choose this exact moment to come into the locker room to grab water bottles. Jamie glances at you and you make the mistake of glancing back. It’s just for a second but Trent catches it with his stupid eagle-eyes.
“Oh shit,” he says.
You round on him. Maybe he does deserve your anger. “Don’t say anything,” you warn.
He zips his lips as Roy says, “Why are you being so fucking weird? We know you’re fucking lying. Just say which of these little pricks you’re dating and get some sleep like a fucking normal adult.”
“I’d be able to get regular sleep, except you’ve been waking me up at fucking 4am!” you explode.
The room goes silent. 
“Fuuuck,” Roy whispers. “Fucking Tartt? You’re dating- fuck, you moved in with fucking Tartt?”
“Yes,” you groan, “We’ve been together for six months and it’s probably the most serious relationship I’ve ever been in, and I know how it sounds but we really like each other. Higgins already knows because of HR shit but other than that, it’s been private.”
Ted and Beard have matching open-mouthed smiles. It would be a little scary if you hadn’t known them for as long as you have.
“That’s the most adorable shit I’ve ever heard in my whole life,” Beard says.
“Hold on,” Trent interjects, “does this mean you and Jamie have been staying up late every night talking?”
“Yes,” you reply primly. “And then this prick bangs on our door at fuck-thirty in the morning and I’m awake for the rest of the day.”
Roy says, “Right,” very slowly. “Is that fucking why he wasn’t wearing fucking trousers?”
All eyes turn to you.
“I’m not answering that,” you say. “In fact, I think I hear Higgins calling me. I have to leave right now.” You back out of the room and down the hall before anyone can say anything else.
The coaches’ office is silent for a moment before they all clamor out of their seats to chase you down the hall. They have so many questions but first, they’re going to yell at Higgins for keeping it a secret.
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hotch-stufff · 3 years ago
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Kiss The Girl
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Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x Reader
Warnings!: angst, pining(lots of it), crying, arguing, but a fluffy ending, like super fluffy ending :)
Word Count: 3.7k words
Description: Hotch tries to deny it, but he's madly in love with you. He keeps getting this urge to just kiss you. Could it really be that easy?
A/N: not really sure what this is, but I was listening to that new cover of kiss the girl by Brent Morgan and I really wanted wrote this. It definitely took a turn i was not expecting, but I hope you guys love it as much as I do. :)
*Based off the song "Kiss the Girl"*
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He loved you. It was no secret.
Everyone knew, everyone except maybe him.
Or maybe he did know, but he refused to accept it. He couldn't love you. It was wrong. But if it was wrong, why on earth did it feel so good?
There, you see her, Sitting there, across the way
She don't got a lot to say, but there's something about her
He wasn't the best at sharing his feelings. He was good at locking them away, and throwing away the key. But you, you made that hard.
There was just something about you. It drew him in, and he was hooked.
Maybe it was the way you giggled when you were nervous. Or maybe it was the blush that tinted your cheeks when someone gave you a compliment. Maybe it was the way you showed Hotch the happiness he needed in his darkest times.
He wasn't sure, but he knew you were special. He was sure he knew exactly when these feelings had started. It was the night of Rossi's Christmas party.
You sat on Rossi's couch, laughing along with Morgan and Prentiss. They had made some very very inappropriate joke, that you just thought was hilarious. 
"Okay, h-hang on. I need a refill." You gasped out between laughs. You made your way to the kitchen, grabbing the wine before pouring yourself a glass.
"Hey." You nearly squealed as Hotch came in the room behind you.
"Jesus Hotch, could have given me a heart attack." He simply chuckled. "Yeah, laugh it up." You playfully rolled your eyes.
"I'm sorry." He tried to hide his smile.
"Yeah, you sound it." You walked towards him, giving him a soft smile as the teasing atmosphere faded. The room was empty, and you wouldn't be able to ever work up the courage again.
"Merry Christmas Hotch." You whispered as you leaned up, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. You pulled back, gave him a small smile, and walked back to the living room.
Aaron stood there, shocked. 
Why had you don't that? Why had he liked it? Would you do it again?
The questions repeated in his head, over and over. And he realised that a peck on the cheek wouldn't be enough. 
He needed a kiss, a real kiss. Even just one from you and he would be satisfied for life. But that, was an impossible dream. Or, so he thought.
And you don't know why, but you're dyin' to try
You wanna kiss the girl
Months had passed since then and he still hadn't gotten another kiss from you. 
You two had grown increasingly close however. You were practically inseparable. Always at one of your houses, talking, watching movies, eating. You name it.
Although watching movies was usually with Jack, and currently he was stuck on repeating the Little Mermaid.
"Miss Y/n?" He asked one night.
"Yes Jackers?" You asked, looking down at the small boy.
"Can we please, watch the little mermaid with daddy?" He begged. He used those puppy dog eyes and you were sold.
"Of course we can." You heard a chuckle come from behind you and you whipped around.
"Didn take you long to give in, huh?" Hotch questioned, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Oh shut it Hotchner. Go get the popcorn." He laughed and shook his head before walking to the kitchen.
Soon you found yourself wrapped up with the Hotcner boys. Jack was curled up on your lap, his face buried in your neck as he fell asleep.
As you and Hotch watched the movie, he snuck glances every couple of minutes. He couldn't get over how beautiful you looked. 
And you were holding his son, loving him like he could be your own. It filled Hotch's heart with love and affection.
And then that song began playing softly in the background
Yes, you want her
Look at her, you know you do
The lyrics spoke a truth that Hotch was desperately trying to avoid. 
But he didn't know how much longer he could go without telling you. In the moment he couldn't remember why he hadn't told you already.
Possible she wants you too, there is one way to ask her
It don't take a word, not a single word
Go on and kiss the girl
All he wanted to do was reach over and bring you into a kiss. Just a simple kiss. 
Just to feel your lips move together. Just for a second. He almost did. You had turned to look at him, and he leaned in slightly. His hand raising. 
But the shrill sound of his phone broke the trance. His hand receded before you could grab it. And he didn't kiss you.
You were filled with a disappointment that you couldn't explain. 
Sha-la-la-la-la-la, my, oh, my, look like the boy too shy, He ain't gonna kiss the girl
Sha-la-la-la-la-la, ain't that sad? Ain't it a shame? Too bad, He gonna miss the girl
The music of the movie faded as a grim look replaced the carefree one on Hotch's face. 
"We'll be right in." He muttered out the words with disdain, sending you an apologetic look.
But you barely noticed, you were still trying to calm down the beating of your heart.
He was going to kiss you.
Did he feel the same way that you did?
All thoughts left your mind though as you felt Jack wake in your arms.
"Hey buddy." He looked up at you with the eyes he shared with his father.
"Do you have to leave?" Your heart broke a little bit at his questions.
"Yeah, bud. I'm sorry." He just smiled at you and burrows further into your chest.
"Its 'kay." He mumbled sleepily. "But we have to wait till Aunt Jess gets here so we can keep cuddling." Your heart swelled and your face lit up. Hotch was staring at the two of you, in awe. His son loved you so much. 
You looked over at him, a tear in your eye. He swallowed as he pushed his feelings aside, giving you a soft smile before getting up to get dressed.
He was screwed.
A couple cases later, and you were holed up in a precinct, everyone nearly falling asleep.
It was a bad case, a really bad case. And you were running out of time. The unsubs' latest victim only had about a day left.
But nobody could work if they were falling asleep. Eventually Hotch sighed and told everyone it was time to head to the hotel.
But of course, once there, there were only 4 rooms.
"I'm taking my own room. I'm old." Rossi said and grabbed the key before anyone could argue.
"C'mon pretty boy." Morgan grabbed another key, and walked off with spence.
"I'll go with Jj. Y/l/n, you good with Hotch?" Your face went bright red at Prentiss's words. But you nodded, looking anywhere but at Hotch. You couldn't say no, it would be too obvious.
"Y-yeah, that's fine." You all trudged to the elevator, Emily and Jj said goodnight and walked off once you reached your floor. You and Hotch walked in silence down the hall to the very last room.
He swung the door open, and you had to stop yourself from gasping. There was only one bed.
"I'll uh, I'll take the floor." You scrunched your nose at Hotch's offer and he couldn't deny how adorable you looked.
"Hotch, no. That will kill your back." You shook your head. "We can share. We're both adults, it's fine." You're not sure if you're convincing yourself or him. He just nods and gives a soft okay.
"Do you want the first shower?" He asked. 
"Um, no. I shower in the mornings." He nodded before walking into the bathroom.
Why was this so awkward? You guys were such good friends, this shouldn't be so weird. 
You pushed the thought aside before crawling into the bed and curling up.
Hotch walked out of the bathroom 10 minutes later in nothing but a towel.
Your eyes grew and you couldn't take your eyes off of him. He cleared his throat, and you looked up at his eyes.
"Uh sorry, forgot my bag." You nodded, looking away quickly. Too scared to speak. He quickly went back into the bathroom.
"Get a hold of yourself." You whispered to yourself. You weren't going to survive this case if he did that again. He joined you in bed soon after getting dressed.
Neither of you spoke, neither of you moved, neither of you breathed. It was completely silent.
After about 20 minutes of silence and trying desperately to fall asleep you spoke up.
"Hotch?" 
"Yeah?" His voice was hoarse.
"Um, I can't sleep." You turned towards him and he did the same.
"Neither can I." You sighed.
"How's Jack?" You asked, trying to bring up the mood, or to at least get rid of the awkwardness. It seemed to work because his face lit up at the mention of his son.
"He's good. He actually just asked if you could come over soon. He got an A plus on his spelling test that you helped him study for and he really wants to show you." You smiled as you listened.
"That's great! He was so nervous for that test." 
"Yeah, thank you Y/n for helping him." You grabbed his hand, squeezing gently.
"Of course Hotch. I love Jack." You muttered, and you fell into silence again.
But it was more content, more peaceful. Your hands stayed laced together, and Hotch's mind went blank as you started leaning closer.
Now's your moment
Floating in a blue lagoon
Boy, you better do it soon, no time will be better
He started leaning in, his hand moved from your own to cup your face. But something switched in his mind. What was he doing? This was wrong. He couldn't let this happen. 
Your faces were inches apart when he pulled his hand away and scooted backwards slightly.
Look like the boy too shy
He ain't gonna kiss the girl
Your face fell, and his heart squeezed painfully.
"Um, we should go to bed." You were so confused. You thought that was it. It was perfect. He, he pulled away though. Why had he pulled away?
You could almost physically see his walls being built up.
Walls you had spent so much time breaking down.
"Oh, um. O-okay." You stuttered out, pulling back  quickly.
"Goodnight Y/n." He said softly, but you didn't respond. You were too scared you would cry if you did. 
You fell asleep faster than you anticipated, but maybe you were just that tired. 
He was gone when you woke up.
You thought everything might just go back to the way it was after that night.
But boy were you wrong. Hotch had completely pulled away from you.
No longer did he invite you over, or invite you to do paperwork in his office with him
You didn't watch movies, or go out to eat, or even talk about anything other than work. It was hell.
You tried, you really tried to get him to open up again, but it just didn't work. Nothing did.
It was to the point where he would be almost rude to you. 
The team was beginning to notice. And you couldn't hold back any longer. It was killing you.
You needed to talk to him, past this wall he had put up. You needed to know why he was pushing you away. You walked up to his door, knocking on the door.
"Come in." He said softly. You walked in, and his eyes stayed trained on the paperwork in front of him.
"Hotch?" He still didn't look up.
"How can I help you Agent Y/l/n?" He asked, his voice not wavering from professionalism. You shut the door behind you and walked forward, sitting in one of the chairs.
"We need to talk." He was taken aback slightly by the determination in your voice, but he sighed before setting down his pen.
"What is it?" He sounded almost annoyed, which just made you angrier.
"What the hell is going on?" You didn't mean to be so rude about it, but you needed to know.
"Excuse me?" 
"Seriously Hotch, we went from talking almost every day, to not speaking unless it has something to do with work."
"Y/l/n…" he went to stop you.
"No. Hotch please. I don't know what I did." You begged. "I mean you can't even use my name anymore." You whispered.
"This is very unprofessional." he wasn't breaking.
"Please Aaron. Don't lie to me." You tried his first name, and he had never loved his name being spoken more than when you said it. But he had to stop this.
"Agent Y/l/n. I'm sorry if our friendship was confus-" but you cut him off.
"We weren't just friends. You know that and I know that." He had the audacity to look confused. But he knew exactly what you were talking about.
Don't try to hide it how, You wanna kiss the girl
"Please Aaron, don't pretend, not with me."
"Agent Y/l/n! That's enough!" His voice was rising. 
He didn't understand why you couldn't just let it go.
"No it's not. I love you Aaron, I'm sorry. But I do. And it hurts so much that you are pushing me away!" Your eyes filled with tears and Hotch stood there, awed that you felt this way. But he couldn't let you in. So he took that final heartbreaking step.
"I don't love you." He whispered out. You had been standing and you took a staggering step backwards. 
"What?" Your voice was small.
"I don't love you Y/n." The lie was tearing him apart. Why was he doing this again?
Tears began falling down your face. You were upset and mad and heartbroken. And you were embarrassed that this man had this much of a hold on you.
"Fine." You sniffed. "If that's how you feel Agent Hotchner." He missed the way you said Aaron and flinched at the formal title. But this was what he wanted. "I apologize for the unprofessionalism." You turned to leave, but stopped when he spoke.
"Y/n…" His voice was small, strained. You wiped away your tears. When you looked back, his eyes were glossy.
But he didn't say anything else and you kept walking, slamming the door behind you. The bullpen silenced and everyone stared at you.
It was humiliating, but you walked to Rossi's office, your head held high.
"Rossi?" 
"Y/l/n, what's wrong?" He asked, like he hadn't heard the conversation through his shared wall with Hotch. 
"Can you please tell Hotch that I'm sick and I won't be in for a while?" Your voice wavered slightly, but you ignored it.
"Y/n-" he started, but you didn't feel like talking.
"Please Rossi?" You begged, praying he would just say yes so you could leave.
"Yes, of course." You nodded and thanked him before leaving. You slipped down to your desk and grabbed your bag. 
You didn't see Hotch standing in the doorway of his office, watching you as you left, tears silently slipping down your face.
Your teammates asked what was happening, but you just waved them off and left.
They all turned to Hotch, but he was already back in his office, his door slamming for the second time that day.
You wanna kiss the girl
A week passed, and you hadn't come back to work yet. Hotch wasn't sure what to do with himself. He hated what he did.
The team was confused, Rossi kept sending him angry glances, and your empty desk was haunting him.
And then, Jack asked that question. The question that broke him just a little more.
"Why doesn't Miss Y/n come over anymore daddy?" He had asked one night at dinner.
He didn't know how to answer. "Does she not love us anymore?" His eyes were big and glossy like he was going to cry. He decided not to lie to his son.
"Daddy made a mistake and Miss Y/n is just a little sad right now." Jack didn't understand what was happening, but he wanted to help fix it. His dad had been so sad these past couple of weeks and it made him sad. 
"Daddy, you have to say sorry! And you have to do what the song says!" Hotch looked at his son confused. What song?
"What song buddy?" He asked, pulling his son into his lap.
"You know, you have to kiss the girl!" He giggled like it was the most obvious answer in the world.
"The little mermaid song?" He asked, smiling at his son's innocence. 
"Yes, remember, you and Y/n were sitting on the couch before you left for work, and you were going to kiss her!" Hotch looks shocked, Jack was awake for that?
"Um, buddy. Me and Y/n aren't together." He sighed as his son deflated.
"But why? You love her. And she loves you." He spoke, confused as to what was happening.
"Um.." Hotch drew a blank. He couldn't give this little boy an answer. Not when it was his fault. Not when he was the one that had said no. 
It was a mistake, a huge mistake. He should have just told you.  Why hadn't he?
He should have kissed you.
The first time, or the second time. He should have told you that he loved you too. Was it too late? 
"Um, buddy, you know what? It's time for bed." Hotch put his son to sleep and called Rossi, asking him to come over.
He prayed he wasn't too late. Rossi showed up at his door 20 minutes later.
"Hotch-" but he knew.
"I know, I'm an idiot. But I have to go tell her I love her too." He was rushing, grabbing his keys.
"Atta boy Aaron." Was all Rossi said as Hotch ran out the door, jumping in his car.
He was sure he was going faster than the speed limit, but he couldn't care less. He needed to see you, and to be with you. To tell you that he loved you.
His car was barely parked when he jumped out and ran up to your door, banging on it.
You heard the noise wondering who would come over so late. You were shocked to find Hotch there as you opened the door.
There, you see her, Sitting there, across the way
She don't got a lot to say, but there's something about her
"Y/n." Was all he said. You slammed the door in his face.  He began banging his fist in the door and you threw it open, again.
"Leave Hotch." 
"Please, Y/n, just hear me out." He begged. You hesitated, but moved to the side letting him in. You shut the door softly.
Yes, you want her, Look at her, you know you do
Possible she wants you too, there is one way to ask her
"What do you want, Hotch? What more could you possibly want?" He shook his head, holding his tears at bay.
"Aaron." He spoke quietly.
"What?" 
"Please, it's Aaron." 
"Agent Hotchner. You need to leave." But he didn't leave. He stood there and stared at you. 
"I'm so sorry Y/n." 
"Hotch, seriously, I can't do this. I can't." You tried to keep those tears in, you were tired of crying over him, but there was no point. You felt then slip down your face.
Words weren't working, he had already said enough. But he remembered Jacks words. 
The song.
Now's your moment, Boy, you better do it soon, no time will be better
She don't say a word and she won't say a word, Until you kiss the girl
He stepped forward and brought his hand up to your face. He leaned in slowly, and brought your lips to his. 
Your heart stopped, and you kissed him back desperately. You had wanted this for so long. You had waited for so. Damn. Long.
"Your so stupid." You murmured against his lips. He pulled away gasping for air.
"I know" his voice was beautiful.
You've gotta kiss the girl, Go on and kiss the girl
He leaned in again, kissing you like his life depended on it. He gently ran his thumb across your cheek as he wrapped his arm around your waist, pulling you forward. He broke away a moment later.
"I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry. I was an idiot. I love you." A tear escaped his eye, and you brushed it away. "I dont expect you to forgive me. I wouldn't forgive me if I was you. I was awful, and I never should have lied and said I didn't love you too. I shouldn't have pushed you away."
"Why did you?" He hesitated, he wasn't sure you would understand.
"The last time I let someone in my heart, she left. And then she got hurt because of me. I couldn't risk that happening to you." He shook his head.
"Oh Aaron. I'm not leaving. I don't ever want to leave you. I love you too much to leave." You paused. "And you can't hide and be scared to open your heart. Its okay to let people in." You added softly and he gave you a smile.
You both stood there in blissful peace, your foreheads touching. He chuckled and you looked at him confused.
"What?"
"I kissed the girl." You just grew more confused.
"What are you talking about?" You asked humor in your voice.
"The song. Jack said I had to do what the little mermaid song said." You understood then and began giggling. 
"Maybe, maybe you should do it again." You suggested, a smile on your face.
"Hmm, maybe I should." And he leaned in again for another breathtaking kiss.
.....................
"And that is how me and your dad got together." Your three kids sat in front of you listening in awe. 
"Wow, so Jack is why he finally told you he loved you?" Your middle child, Tommy asked. Jack laughed as he stood up, tapping your shoulder as he towered over you. 
"You could say that." Aaron said from the doorway, you turned, smiling at your husband. 
"Yeah, sure." You giggled and ruffled Jack's hair as you picked up your nine year old daughter, Jenna. Who, in all honesty, was almost too big to be picked up.
"Mommy, can you tell us that story every night?" She asked, and you smiled. 
"Of course I can sweat pea. But now, its bed time." You tucked in your kids, giving them each a kiss on the forehead before joining your husband in your room.
You plopped on the bed and curled up into his side.
"Hi sweetheart." He greeted you with a kiss, and he pulled you into his side. "You know, you didn't need to make me sound so…" he couldn't quite find the word.
"Stupid? Clueless? Dumb?" You asked, giggling as he began digging his fingers into your side, tickling you. 
"St-stop. Aaron!" You shrieked and he let up, but not before plopping on top of you. He began peppering kisses all over your face.
"I'm glad you finally told that story. Jenna has been begging for weeks" Your youngest had watched the little mermaid a couple of weeks ago and Jack had made a comment about one of the songs. Jenna had heard one word and was begging for us to tell her our "falling in love story", as she put it. 
You had finally given in and told them, and they had loved every moment of it. Jack of course had already known, having witnessed it. 
But Jenna and Tommy had loved hearing how their parents had fallen in love. 
And a week later when you walked in the living room you were filled with a sense of nostalgia as you saw Jack with Jenna in his lap, as Tommy and Aaron sat on the couch next to them. Watching, of course, the little mermaid. You plopped next to Aaron, smiling. 
As Kiss The Girl started playing.
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Thanks for reading! Requests are still open, so ask away! If you would like an idea of what to request, here is my prompt list, and if you would like to read more of my work, here is my masterlist.
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apocalypticgargoyle · 3 years ago
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meet clay, he knows how you'll die.
intro filler chapter sorry
☾ pairing: dream x reader
☾ cw: interact at your own risk; contains graphic depictions of various character death and violence, suicide, blood, gore, and other triggering material. angst, language, guns, adult content, mentions of sex, slow burn friends to lovers
☾ wc: ~4100
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Clay pulled the strap of his backpack further on his shoulder as he wove through the mindless sea of college students, eyes scanning the crowd for you, his best friend and the only person he could stand at the early hour. His knuckles flashed white as he sighed, taking the blunt impact of someone walking into him. He removed one of his headphones, mumbling a quick apology and swatting off the enthusiastically apologetic sophomore girl. All he could focus on was how much she bit her lip as she stammered on about not seeing him. It wasn’t alluring to him when most girls tried to sway his affections by looking at him with a puppy dog expression; all his mind drifted to was the dead skin across the body of her lower lip.
He finally nodded and reinstated his headphone, turning on his heel and heading for the front of the building. He received a few greetings from his peers as they crossed his path, people who shared past lectures with him and who had cheated off of him during exams. He wasn’t popular by any means, but he stayed out of people’s business and didn’t express his opinions loudly, so people tended to like him. The autumn breeze picked up as he stood in the dwellings of political science majors on the front lawn, acting as if they hadn’t seen one another in years when it had been only a few days. Clay absent-mindedly looked down at his cellphone, flipping through music as he leaned against the cool brick of the hall’s facade, waiting for you to find him.
Clay’s usual brooding manner was often off-putting to outsiders, with the careless-hollow look in his eyes giving bystanders the impression that he was nothing but a machiavellian. But you always saw the brightness in him; the side that you always experienced was specifically for you, and he made sure to keep it that way. You had wedged herself into his life and he was ever grateful for the love you had given him.
Despite the understood truth between the two of you that nothing was to be left unsaid, Clay still found himself keeping one of the most important aspects of his character unknown to you. His bloodcurdling secret was his own curse, something that would only be poison for another soul to know.
“What’s up, stud?” Somehow a flush of relief rippled through Clay’s body as his eyes locked to yours, pulling him from his isolated shell. Your hair looked brighter today against the dark hoodie peeking out from beneath an all too familiar bomber jacket. The wind fluffed your locks slightly as you continued towards him.
His eyebrows perked up as if to signal he was attempting to downplay his excited demeanor. “Stud, huh?” You smirked at his response, taking one of his headphones and putting it in your own ear, her face angled up to Clay as you waited to recognize the song, swaying slightly.
He chuckled as you shrunk away from him after muttering the song’s artist disappointedly and rolling your eyes, pulling on his hoodie pocket to follow you. As chaotic as his life often felt, he could always rely on the consistency of you. You usually attached yourself to one of his backpack straps, handles, his belt loop, or ended up under his arm, wedged against his side. It had gotten to the point that he felt naked if you weren’t within arm’s length of him, which was rare for the two of you. “So, I have something for you.” He smugly looked down at you, green eyes masking a hidden sparkle as you handed him a can of root beer, making him chuckle.
“Aren’t you sweet?” He popped the tab, taking a sip as you waved at a group of girls passing the two of you before slipping your hand against the crook of his elbow where his hoodie sleeves were pushed back.
“Actually, I was hoping it could be payment for later. I need to head over to the cemetery for some rubbings. History 270 has me getting into some weird shit, huh?” He laughed again at you, offering you the drink.
“And you need wheels?” You nodded and smiled politely at him, beaming at his words. “Yeah, alright. I have to sketch something for art anyway.” He thought about the week’s assignment and then about your little project he had dealt with the prior year. You had acted like the two of you hadn’t been to the cemetery on a regular basis, but he was grateful that you wanted him to come along with you.
You quietly jumped once. “You are my hero in faded denim, Clay. You know that, right?”
The two of you parted ways to your select destinations, one of Clay’s least favorite parts of the day, which was only solidified as he sunk into his seat and attempted to look equipped for the lecture. He spotted an unfamiliar kid shaking his knee in a distant section of the classroom. In any other circumstance, he wouldn’t have thought twice, but the sie of the class had given him the pleasantries of getting his own personal curse out of the way on the first day.
He carefully watched the boy speak smugly to a few of the more athletic kids in the room. One of the athletes pointed to the general direction Clay was sitting in and they all moved towards him. He, yet again, took out his headphones, knowing full well that they would be talking to him for the rest of the class.
“Oi, Shaman,” one of the main guys greeted Clay like they always did: a strange pattern of slapping and shaking his hand. He was thankful he had gotten all of their first impressions months prior and didn’t have to worry about getting their scenarios again, but he geared up to meet the new kid.
“How are you, Punz?” Clay took a deep breath as the new kid was gestured to and brought into the light.
“This is Mark. He’s a transfer from one of the commuter campuses. Mark, this is the mastermind you pay for notes.”
Clay sarcastically smiled at Punz. “My, you flatter me more than any girl. Nice to meet you, man.” As soon as he touched Mark’s hand, Clay’s mind flashed to a dingy-looking barn out in the middle of nowhere before an older man in his mid-thirties came into view with a lever-action rifle in his hand. In another flash, Clay was in front of the man, now kneeling with the gun in his mouth, red, blurry eyes looking straight through Clay. A pang of guilt broke open in Clay’s stomach as he pushed against the handguard lever and pulled it back into place, squeezing the trigger and sending Ckay back to the class. He let out a sigh and fought to plaster one of his less absent smiles.
“Speaking of our lovely girls, Mark here has a question about her.” Clay’s head tilted towards Mark, not exactly squaring up to him, but sending him an amused look as if to warn him not to cross a line, knowing full-well this conversation would somehow involve you. “We all know that no guy would ever intrude on her without your blessing, but Mark sat near her on the bus before his first class and was thinking about asking her out.”
Clay bit back a laugh, feeling like the Vito Corleone. “Well, you know her, Punz, and you know she would be mortified if I told some guy to fuck off, so I would just ask her yourself?” Oh, how desperately Clay wanted to bash Mark for not even telling Clay himself and the fact that the boy before him was nowhere near your type, but Clay knew better than to burn bridges and he felt bad for the way Mark would meet his end.
Nobody, not even you, knew about Clay’s gift. In the going-on-five years of knowing you, he came breaths away from letting his secret slip but has always kept it hidden, hoping to bury it with him after being married to you for forty happy years.
The visions started around his fifth-grade year, beginning with vivid dreams of dying in the midst of the Civil War, feeling the warm gushing of blood leaving his system, and the stabbing pain of being shot multiple times beside a woman who oddly looked enough like you that he almost called out your name. He had lived what he presumed to be his death in the life before this one several times, each vision taking him a few clicks further.
Soon, he found himself catching glimpses of others’ deaths before they happened as soon as they touched him, but thankfully it was usually over with no time passing and he only endured the visions once for each person, fate having already sealed itself. The only person who seemed to mix him up was you.
It was love at first sight for him, but as soon as you touched his arm, bleak snapshots of a boating accident raced into his mind, only to have to re-experience the scenario a few months later with you stepping in front of a train. Even as a measly high school freshman, he promised himself that there was no way he was letting you die in the gruesome manners being predicted to you. He didn’t think changing fate was possible until he witnessed you in action. He hated seeing you so young in each of the glimpses, tearing him to shreds as he knew time and time again that there was no way he could change what was meant to be.
There were even times when he quietly promised you that he’d die by your side if he couldn’t stop it.
As his lecture let out, Clay found you tucked into a corner of the library, smiling to yourself silently as knew you had finally found what you were looking for in one of the massive books before you. There were many moments like this that Clay wished he could pause and remember for the rest of his life. He was proud that you were there for him even though you could have left instead of playing your own little game of library scavenger hunts.
Since knowing you, he had taken note of how you treated other boys, usually as first dates and never true pick-ups. You didn’t care if they called you the next day or not and he was sure you had never even been kissed before. Something about your guys’ relationship gave others the nod to leave it the fuck alone, and that your heart truly belonged to Clay; a responsibility he wished didn’t plague you with. Despite this, he couldn’t bring himself to be with you, only worried that what you had would be destroyed because he knew that as soon as he told you about his gift, you might leave.
You always brought a bag of marbles and a bouquet of flowers to the cemetery. You loved to find the tombstones that looked neglected or ones with older dates, knowing that the possibility of having family members who remembered the person was lower. The trees in the graveyard were reds and yellows with the changing season, leaves scattered over the grass, naturally piling in large masses. This was your favorite for how neglected it seemed to always be. You had a knack for making inanimate objects and lost souls feel loved; Clay often feeling like he was one of these disembodied figures.
Clay leaned his back against one of the massive trees a few paces from the tombstone you had picked, smiling as he watched you carry out her routine. He flipped to a clean page in his sketchbook as you sat cross-legged in front of the great stone resting place, pulling the long-dead flowers from the concrete gauntlet and replenishing a few flowers in their place while setting an equal number of marbles along the grass line of the stone. A daisy was tucked behind your ear as you ran her fingers against the worn chiseling of the dates, smiling slightly. He began to sketch you out. Your eyes drifted to him before the corners of your mouth curled up into a smirk and you returned to her previous position, straightening your shoulders. “Who is it?” He asked, blending a rough edge with the pads of his finger as you tilted your head at the script carvings.
“George McAfee. Born 1926. Died 1963.” The wind picked up, blowing your hair away from your face as you pulled your jacket closer around you. “What was happening in 1963?” You turned your head to him momentarily before looking back at the lucky man. “I mean besides Beatlemania and JFK’s assassination?”
Clay outstretched one of his legs, swallowing as he thought, his eyes fluttering from the page in front of him to you. “Well, Alcatraz was shut down, Studebaker stopped production, the USSR sent the first woman into space…” he trailed off, watching you as the gears began to spin in your head.
“Do you think he died in the Coliseum explosion?” You wet your lips and he couldn’t help but smile at you.
“Maybe he died in the USS Thresher sinking?” He was thankful that he could capture your thoughtful gaze in this picture.
“You’re smart, Dream. Have I ever told you that?” He chuckled at the sigh in your voice. He detailed the bomber jacket you were wearing---which you’d stolen from his closet god knows when---a bit as you placed a piece of paper over the engraving and rubbed a crayon against the stone, his name coming to life on the paper as you came to life on Clay’s. It didn’t matter why you two would be in the cemetery, you always had a type of bond with the dead, surprising Clay due to how bright you were and your power of holding onto so much compassion. He threw his sketchbook into his backpack and slug in over his shoulder, moving to help you up. You decided to give the rest of the flowers to George as Clay stood next to you, gazing down at his grave.
A high-pitched moan startled the two of you, snapping your heads to look over the hedges separating your section of graves and the one beside it. Clay’s eyes widened as they fell to a girl in all black with porcelain skin propped on top of one of the tombstones. You clasped your hand over his mouth pulling him onto the ground next to you as you peered through a hole in the bushes. His mind noticed your arms first. One of them was secured over his chest and the other wrapped around his shoulder from beneath his arm, holding onto him as he steadied himself in the weird crouching position. “Are you enjoying this?” He jeered, looking over his shoulder slightly as he heard you snicker. The girl began to ride the stone harder.
“How many times in your life are you going to see a girl humping a gravestone? Honestly, Clay, how many?” He shook his head as you both looked at the girl, giggling to yourselves. You dug her face into his shoulder trying to stifle the next laugh trying to rip through your body as the gothic girl moaned, letting out more labored breaths. Clay’s face contorted into a twisted look of disgust as the girl tugged on her own hair. “Oh, do you think that hurts?” You took the words out of his mouth, tightening your arms around him as he shrugged.
“I doubt it’s any rockier than sex with a human.” He bit his lip, a hollow sound interrupting him quietly laughing at his own joke as you thumped him in the chest. The girl moaned louder. “Alright, she’s climaxing. I’m uncomfortable now.” Clay stood and Willow popped up next to him, lacing your fingers with his, bringing color back to his cheeks as you slipped the remaining marbles into his pocket.
“Oh, hi!” In the midst of holding hands with you again and trying to slink back to his car, he hadn’t even realized that the moaning had stopped. The girl now stood near the two of you in what seemed to be a black slip. Clay found it hard to make direct eye contact with her. “Are you guys looking for someone?”
“We were, but we couldn’t find him so-” you began, gesturing for Clay’s car and pulling him next to you.
“Well, I can help. Who are you looking for?” A thousand sarcastically vulgar comments ran through Clay’shead but his eyes flickered from her face to the tombstone she was on previously.
“Uh, my grandpa. His name was Rupert Daniels,” Clay managed to choke out. Your nails dug into his arm while your hand squeezed his. The girl looked around at the surrounding stones.
“I don’t see him right now, but I can look?” You both shook your heads quickly and muttered various responses before finally slipping away from her and getting into his car. Neither of you said anything as you pulled off the gravel driveway until crossing the railroad tracks when Clay burst out laughing.
“Do you think she even knew who it was she was gettin’ it on with or did she just pick somewhere random?” Clay laughed harder at your stunned response. “I’m serious. Clay, what the fuck. How can someone even get off in a cemetery?”
“I don’t know, man. Would you hook up with someone in a cemetery?” Clay quipped, wiggling his eyebrows at you, causing you to laugh. You dug into his console, pulling out a bag of M&Ms you had stashed in there last week, popping one in your mouth.
“Only if it was you.”
He giggled. “Excuse me, what?”
“There are just some things you do with certain people, Dream. You know what I mean.”
“I don’t know if I should be flattered I’m the only one you would have sex with in a cemetery, or like, disgusted?” You laughed at his reaction.
Within ten minutes the sun had begun to set and Clay sang loudly with you to the song playing over the radio as Clay sped along one of the county roads near your apartment complex, not wanting the night to end. He loved these moments with you. You turned down the radio and threw your hair back into a ponytail. “So, what do you think of that new kid, Mark?” Something in Clay shifted, taking away the free feeling he had recently possessed next to you. He thought carefully.
He chewed his bottom lip. “Depends on what you think?”
“Well, he seems like a wannabe Punz. And he asked me out. Naturally, I said ‘yes’ because maybe he’s different?” Clay chuckled at your sarcasm, putting his car in park on the side of the street your flat was on and getting out with you. The radio still hummed in the air lowly. “He insisted on Friday, though.” Clay dramatically acted like you had stabbed him in the heart, even though it did hurt. Friday night was their night. It had been a running tradition for movie night every Friday since your freshman year and you had never canceled on Clay for a date. “I know, I know. But I figured that I’d tell him I had diarrhea when it hit eight o’clock and be over at your place with an extra pizza? Your roommate’s working right?” He chuckled with a nod, walking you up the first three steps to your place as you made it to the concrete landing. You turned to him. “And he said he was taking me somewhere fancy, so I’ll snag you some breadsticks.” He tilted his head at you as you winked at him.
“Nah, don’t worry about it. Wanna be Punz might be fun. Maybe I’ll call up Minx and hang out with her?” He joked. Minx was a friend of yours that hung out with the two of you sometimes. He had never really liked her, but she was friends with you and thus he was always civil.
“You’re still my number one, babe.” You pushed him slightly as you climbed a few more steps, leaning on the railing as he waved to leave. “Hey, Dream?” He turned on his heel as you forced yourself to make eye contact. He stuffed his hands in his jeans pockets. “You could kiss me, you know? For science.” You smiled softly at him from where you were perched. He wet his lips as his heart hammered in his chest. He wanted to scale the steps and close the space between you, to knock you off your feet and show you just how much he was in love with you.
He hated himself. “A first kiss should have more magic in it than just for science. As a romantic, you should know first hand.” You smiled at the ground in front of you.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” The two of you seemed to shake off the serious moment as you stuck your tongue out at him and slipped inside your house as both giggled.
“I love you,” he murmured as you left, punching himself in the shoulder as he got back into his car.
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Clay’s heartbeat pulsed in his ears, making him truly believe he was going to pass out. He had lost his gun at least a mile back. He was running mindlessly now, not knowing how long or where he was going. He trudged through the forest, hearing dogs barking and gunshots erupting around him, the ringing in his ears building with every step he forced himself to make. He wanted to rip open the front of his jacket to release the body heat drenching his collar, but he didn’t move other than propelling his body further and further away from the soldiers. You ran beside him, holding your skirt up while your hair danced around your shoulders like a great waterfall. As soon as his body felt like it might just give out, he would look at you and somehow find more of a drive to pull forward. His breaths were brittle and hoarse as he drew in borrowed oxygen. His lungs felt shallow like they were giving out on him.
You reached back, grasping his hand and pulling him into a sharp corner, hoping to lose the group. You both had managed to weave into the forest, but the dogs were somehow still picking up on your scent. The pair of you finally came upon a clearing and kneeled down out of sight, spotting a house in the middle of a glen. Bullets were streaming through the air. The forest was catching fire and cannons were echoing through the distant air. You squeezed his hand tightly, looking at him with terror in your eyes. He had gotten the two of you into this mess, but he was glad he was beside you.
He pulled you to your feet as the pair of you sprinted for a distant house. A sharp pain stabbed into Clay’s back, making him drop to the ground. How did he not hear the gun? You dropped to your feet, your eyes welling with tears, ripping at his jacket, but he pushed you off, telling you to leave quickly. He leaned forward, eyes locking on the soldiers in gray coming towards them, reloading their rifles. He groaned, pushing himself up, but only having the same stabbing sensation two more times in his chest. He heard you scream, but he couldn’t see you.
His hands were going numb as he touched where the bullets entered, feeling the warm and sticky crimson substance seep between his fingers. The soldiers reached you before you had made it to the house, pulling you to the ground next to him. You were crying heavily as you looked at him. Everything began to run quiet as you held onto him tightly. You were saying something to him, but he couldn’t hear you. He was only aware of his jacket soaking with blood. He coughed, wanting to tell you he loved you one last time, but you were tugged away from him, pressed to one of the men in gray. He raised a hand to you as you fought against the man. And then everything went dark.
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Dream Tag List: (hopefully this works)
@karlkitten @pluto-dizzz @more-like-reyna @honk-izzie-was-taken @marrymetheonott @froggyy06 @ghoulandghost @savingpluto @marshmallow-babe @drunkpumpkincake @unstableye @tinyegg @behzzyboo @twist3dtinkerbell @sparkletash @shroomieissmall @clubfairy @camerondiaz48104 @victory-is-here @rat-poisin @alm334 @acidluvs @pachowpachowbucket @bbigbbrainn @cdizzlevalntyne @idiotinnit @generallysleepdeprived @sacvf @phsychopathetic @froggerrrr @robinslie @essencee @jemalovesmarvel @sbi-is-my-onlysanity @jenlouvre @victoria-a567 @miilliiie @bunnylotl @thegirlwhowritesawksh-t @carlyferrell @dumb-chaotic-bi-energy @nyxieahh @quivvyintheclouds @sarcasticmichelle @book-of-anarchy @millavalntyne @lightdreamy @baddiesforcorpse @sunnynapp @fantasy-innit @rat-poisin @wreny24 @deepestofwaters @exenestea @indecisivehusky @fallxnly @alm334 @skaratjung @punzcanrailme @sap-naps @denki-exe @angeltears18 @silvemistxe33 @andreamalik6 @kris-stuff @sun-fiower-seed @where-thesundoesntshine @dilfdream @esmegregory04 @itsparasocial @mlqcool @mcgoddess404 @rinatdawn @chaoscait @peppermintkisses @libbynotfound @speedrunningtherapy @lunxramour @aoonai @loraleiix @ghoulpixiie
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Good Girl, Bad Boy (Pt. 02 of 15)
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Pairing: Billy Hargrove X Reader
Word count: 2.3 K
Summary: You're the extreme opposite of Billy Hargrove. The good girl, with perfect grades, the child every mother wants to have. And you don't want to have nothing to do with his kind. Ignoring Billy – and his constant, lingering stare – became an habit. But after you're put together for a special school program, you'll have no choice but to get along with him. And soon enough you'll find out that Billy is so much more than just Hawkins' bad boy.
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Growing Closer
You find Billy walking away from his locker, ready to go home. He's alone this time, and you heard something about Stacy being mad at him. You wonder what he did to her. Or if he just got tired and is now aiming for someone else.
“Hargrove.” You call when you're closer enough to be heard. Billy turns around immediately, and you both stop in the middle of the hall. “Do you happen to have some time? We need to discuss the calendar.”
“Sure.” He simply says, and it's clear to you he's pissed off already. He was forced into the program, so it's only normal he doesn't want to do that.
“We can hit the library. It remains open for two hours after class.” You can't help but notice some people staring. But that isn't a surprise. You and Billy are as different as day and night, and nobody expects to see you two talking.
“Sure.” He repeats, and a fun expression crosses his face before he steps aside, gesturing for you to walk.
Chuckling, you furrow your eyebrows, starting to make your way to the library.
You know the place by heart since you're here at least three times a week. Waving at the teacher who stays in the reception, you pick a table in the back, so your chattering won't bother anyone. Taking a seat, you watch as Billy settles down across from you.
It's a little weird at first, and a silence falls in between you two. You suddenly realize you've been staring at him, way too focused on his blue eyes. You didn't know Billy's eyes were so beautiful. But you quickly clear your throat, searching on your bag for your notebook.
“I made you this planner.” Pulling the paper sheet off the notebook, colorful by many different marker colors, you slide it over to him. Billy's eyes fall on it immediately, eyebrows raising. “It's just to help you keep up with everything until the end of the year. More stuff will probably be add, but don't worry, I'll let you know.”
“You have everything figured out, don't you?” He finally speaks up, holding the paper in his hands.
“I know you don't want to do this. But this is senior year and you're almost free. Just a little longer and this will be over.” Offering him a small smile, you put a strand of hair behind your ear.
“I won't repeat the year. My grades are enough to get me through.” He sounds a little angry, and you sigh.
You don't know what to say to make him cooperate if he doesn't want to. “Look, you can't get out of the Improvement Program. But you can pick another tutor. So if you want, I have a list of everyone who's still available and maybe if there's someone you already know or happen to be friends with–” As you speak, you start looking in your bag for the small blueish paper. “–you just have to talk to Mrs Martinez and–”
“I want you to be my tutor.” His voice startles you since it's a little too loud and because of the silence, it echoes a bit. “But just because I know you're the smartest person in this school.”
Biting your lip, you nod, not sure how you feel about his compliment. “Thanks... I try.”
“You freaking succeed,” Billy mutters, cupping his hands above the table.
There's heat creeping through your cheeks so you look away, bringing back to mind what else you must talk to him about. “So, the next project is a presentation on History about World War I. Our part is about the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, the invasion of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the July crisis. The happenings before the war was set.”
“Great.”
“Shhh.” Someone says, and you look at a small group of people on your left.
“You shut up, asshole.” Billy raises his voice a little, and you look at him with wide eyes.
“Hey. Don't say that.” You warn him, giving the boy an apologetic look. “We're at a library, we're supposed to be quiet.”
“Excuse me.” Mr Williams comes, standing a few feet away. “Some students are complaining about your chattering, so I'll have to ask you to leave, please.”
“Oh...” Blushing a little, you start gathering your stuff. “Sorry, Mr Williams. We'll leave.” Billy is just about to say something when you give him a look.
You're quickly outside again, fixing the strap of your bag on your shoulder. “We...” Moving out of the way of some people heading to the library, you set into his pace, walking side by side. “We'll need some time to work on everything. So we can switch between your place and mine because doing things in the library won't work.” You feel a little shy to propose this, but it's not a big deal. You'll be doing this until the end of the year, so it's quite inevitable. “If that's ok with you, of course.”
“We should hit your place then. My father is home today, so... It just won't work.” There's a change in his voice, and you glance at him.
“My mother is home too. But she won't bother us.” Walking a little faster, you gesture at your car. “Just follow me.”
Billy nods, and you smile, giving him a little wave.
The school is empty, and so are the streets around it, so you have no trouble speeding away. Keeping your eyes on the review mirror, it only takes twenty minutes to get to your house, so you park on your usual spot, stepping out of the car and waiting for Billy to do the same. When he finally joins you on the porch, you move to unlock the door.
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Billy couldn't help but feel lucky to be at her place. He never thought he'd come here, under any circumstances. Trying not to let her notice, he allows his eyes to wander a little as she opens the door, taking in the place (Y/N) calls home. It has a weird feeling for him, almost as if the place is sacred, somewhere he wasn't supposed to be.
“My mother is nice. But she may say some embarring stuff so... Be prepared.” Following her inside, Billy notices as her mother looks at them, eyes going a little wide to see him. He wonders if she isn't used to her daughter bringing boys home. Knowing (Y/N), he knows she's not. “Mom, this is Billy Hargrove. I told you about him yesterday, remember? From the Improvement Program.”
She told her mother about him. So yes, she was thinking about him. Maybe just for a couple of seconds, maybe just as someone she knows, who she has told to help. But it doesn't matter. (Y/N) was thinking about him, and for now, it's enough.
“Of course.” She stands up, coming to give her daughter a quick hug and shake Billy's hand. “I'm Amanda. (Y/N)'s mother.”
“It's good to meet you, Mrs–”
“Call me Amanda kid, or else I feel terribly old.” She jokes, kindly smiling. “I believe you'll be hanging around here a lot because of school. But don't worry, I won't get in your way.”
“Thanks, mom. We'll be in the dining room.” (Y/N)'s light touch on his forearm is enough to make him shot her a glance, almost too desperate, something in him wanting to ask her why she did such a thing. Billy curses himself as he follows her to the dining room for feeling so stupid. It's just a freaking touch. On his freaking arm. And she wasn't even giving it much thought.
As Billy settles down on the table, (Y/N) moves the centerpiece to the edge so they'll have more space. “Do you want anything? Water? Or some chips? I happen to have some.”
Her voice sends Billy into some kind of stupor. A guy like him shouldn't feel this way. (Y/N) is just a girl, and he had many. But none of them ever made him feel like this. Like his heart is trying to jump off his chest. After a year, he did think he got over it. But he was wrong. Billy didn't want to be this close to (Y/N), always watching her from a safe distance. But this stupid school had to put them together, so damn close. Look at him now, seated on her dining table, staring at her like a complete idiot.
Just because she offered him water and freaking chips.
“Water is nice.” He mumbles, eyes on her back as she walks away, passing behind his chair. A sweet scent irradiates from her. Like flowers, he doesn't know which one though, like freaking sunshine.
Laughing at his stupidity, Billy looks down at his hands. How can someone smell like sunshine? It's illogical.
“Get it together, she's just a girl,” Billy says to himself, resting his back against the chair and taking his jacket off, laying on the chair next to him. Girls are nothing new to him. He had they all figured out, their ways, how to break them, how to please them, how to bend them to his will.
But not (Y/N).
A nice girl like her is immune to his tricks. And that's good because if she wasn't, it would mean she could also fall on someone's traps. Like Tommy, or Jimmy, or Jackson. The very thought of those assholes with her, touching, caressing, kissing... It disgusts him, and he's quick to push such images away.
“Did you say something?” (Y/N) asks, coming back from the kitchen and handing him a glass with cold water. Once she's close enough, he takes a deep breath, and her sweet scent almost drives him mad.
She's not a girl for you, get it together. “No.” He mumbles, taking long sips before putting the glass down. “So what now?” He sounds a little rude, so he immediately clears his throat after, eyes on (Y/N) as she takes a seat next to him on the round table instead of across from him. Billy finds it odd, but he's thankful for the proximity. This way, he can be surrounded by her candy-like scent, trying to memorize it so he could play it back later. When he's into the nightmare he calls home.
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You're just about to start, History books already on the table, since you'll begin with the presentation, notebooks and papers so you can take notes, but then you look at Billy. There's a bruise on the apple of his cheek that you haven't noticed it before.
“Did you get into a fight?” You ask, leaning slightly forward to take a better look.
“What?” There's a moment of confusion on his face before it changes. “Yeah.”
“Did you win?”
“In a way.” It doesn't look like he'll say anything else.
“Well, if someone punches you, make sure to beat them up.” Smiling a little, you take the History book, opening it on chapter 7. “What exactly do you know about–”
“Are you still dating Steve?”
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The question takes you by surprise, making you nervously giggle. “Why are you asking me that?”
“Just curious.” He shrugs his shoulders, tilting his head to the side. “Saw you two talking earlier today and he wouldn't be happy to know we'll be around each other a lot.”
“Steve is my friend. We dated last year but only for two months.” Avoiding Billy's eyes, you go through the book, not really paying attention to anything. You can feel his stare, and for some reason, your cheeks start heating up.
“Who broke up with who?”
Chuckling, you turn your body towards him. “Why do you want to know, Billy?” Maybe he's just trying to procrastinate. “Because if you're just trying to delay things I–”
“No, I really want to know.” He leans forward, pulling the book closer to him. “You and Harrington don't fit together, so I was surprised to see you hanging out with him last year.”
“Steve and I got pretty close when he dropped the jerk act. And we were both single so we decided to give it a try.” The only reason you're telling Billy this is because it's not a secret. Some people know and they probably didn't put any effort into keeping it hidden. “But it didn't click. We were dating but it wasn't really romantic, so...” You smile to remember it, and the memory that comes back is definitely a secret. Nancy is the only one who knows, her and Steve, obviously. But you guess it's ok to tell Billy, it's quite funny. And silly. “We... We never really kissed, you know?”
“What?” His voice startles you, and the genuine confusion on his face only makes you laugh. “You're joking.”
“I'm not, and if this gets out, I'll know it was you.” With a finger pointing at his face, you fake a threatening face. “So keep it between us or else.”
Pinching his eyebrows together, Billy seems amused. “Or else what?” His voice gets lower, as he leans closer.
“Or else I'll have no choice but to make out with Steve in front of the whole school.” In a sassy tone, you smile, biting your tongue not to laugh at his expression. Billy is... Impressed? Surprised, maybe. Something tells you he wasn't expecting this answer.
“Ew. Please don't.”
“Then don't tell anyone.” Shrugging your shoulders, you pull your feet up, crossing your legs on the chair. “Now, C'mon. World War I.”
“One more question and we get to it.” As he speaks, you feel him pulling your hand away from the notebook, forcing you to give him attention. “Why in the hell didn't you and Steve–”
“We kissed. I mean, those quick kisses, you know. Like when you say hi or goodbye. Just a peck in the lips. But that was it.”
“That was it?”
“That was it.” Giggling again, you assure him. Why is it so important to him anyway? “Now, can we start?”
You watch as Billy's eyes remain on you, burning, lingering. After a while, his lips break into a smile and he looks down at the book, shaking his head lightly. “Let's start.”
×
@multific @clockworkballerina @tina1938 @graciehams @moatsnow @all-the-stars-on-your-skin
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Text
for @bend-me-shape-me 's SPN advent calendar 2020. prompt: phone calls and late night texts.
Cas isn't a serial texter.
And Dean's a-okay with it.
But for all that's worth, they sure seem to have a ridiculous amount of emotionally significant conversations via, or starting off as, texts. And most often, in the middle of the night.
*
>>> hello, dean. [12:07 am]
Dean jolts up at the sound, realizing he fell asleep still wearing his headphones, with the laptop on his lap (and a new episode of The Good Place playing) and rolls his eyes at himself, hitting pause before he can see what’s happening (because he has good reflexes, and because screw spoilers that’s why) and rummaging for his phone.
At this hour of the night, it has to be something important.
It doesn’t really strike him that Mechanical Engineering majors whose only other selfprofessed skill is air guitar aren't exactly the frontline warriors for midnight emergencies.
Cas's name shows up when he squints at the too-bright screen, and he sits up a little straighter.
<<< hey [12:09 am]
<<< you OK? [12:09 am]
The response is immediate.
>>> do you have peanut butter? [12:09 am]
And as if it's an afterthought, Cas adds.
>>> yes, I'm fine. how are you? [12:10 am]
Dean blinks.
<<< peachy. peanut butter? [12:10 am]
At least this time the response takes a while. Dean wonders if Cas realized it was midnight, and not exactly a time to run inventory on your best friend's stash of condiments.
>>> I ran out. [12:12 am]
Dean sighs, unable to help smiling.
It's not like he's a stranger to Cas's weird cravings when he's high. (There'd been this one time with pie and a traumatized Gas 'N Sip cashier that still sits heavy on Dean's conscience.) But he doesn't think Cas is supposed to be high right now — Dean's usually either invited or informed by an unspoken rule — which just means this is regular "jelly, not jam"-Cas, at his core a weird, persistently sleep-deprived economics major and astronomy nerd, that Dean may or may not have had a crush on for an embarrassingly long time, and who's also prone to grammatically perfect texting, deadpan, Disney references, and bluntness when the occasion calls for it.
<<< pretty sure i have some [12:14 am]
>>> :) [12:14 am]
>>> I'm coming over [12:14 am]
*
And weird as it may sound, that had turned out to be the night Cas told him he was gay. Said it had been a revelating moment, unprecedented and wholly unexpected — and apparently revelations come in pairs because it had been followed by an intense need for peanut butter, and the rest, he explained emphatically, was history.
Dean had just snorted, congratulated him, and brought out the fancier plates for sandwiches — shipped in from home instead of a sale at Target — all the while, repeating to himself in a loop, that this changed nothing between them, nothing at all, and Cas having the capacity to be attracted back to him didn't mean that he ever would be (or for hell's sake, he'd scoffed at his traitorous chick-flick-nonsense brain, is.)
*
The second time had been early — way, way too early and it was by pure chance that Dean was awake to respond at six friggin' am on a Sunday. Like, that’s practically nighttime. 
Goddamn stupidly-fit running-freak.
Dean picks up his phone blearily, tongue in cheek as he clicks on it.
>>> I miss you [6:28 am]
>>> I'd* miss you [6:29 am]
Dean's stomach twists, and he's not sure if it's in a good way, or a bad way, or what-the-sincere-fuck-are-you-talking-about way.
<<< what [6:32 am]
<<< wtf are you talking about? [6:32 am]
Nothing.
<<< cas? [6:33 am]
<<< dude [6:34 am]
<<< cas???? [6:34 am]
Dean swears at his screen, more queasy than irritated. He can't stop fidgeting, so gives up on lying down altogether and hoists himself to his feet. Better to get his friggin' toothbrush since he's already up, and now definitely awake. Cas was so paying for this later.
He comes back, mouth mint-fresh in theory but still tasting awful and of fear and dread, and practically sags when he sees his screen blare with two messages from Cas.
>>> sorry, I had to make a call. [6:42 am]
>>> I'm not taking the job. [6:42 am]
*
And that's how Dean finds out about Michael (Cas's oldest brother, entitled asshole) inviting Cas to join his and Lucifer's (second oldest, bag of dicks) firm the year he graduates — invite, of course, being a loosely used word here for expecting it blindly (out of some crap he calls 'loyalty') and being readily willing to manipulate him into it.
And it's how he finds out that Cas turned them down.
"It's not who I am anymore." Cas had repeated, third time probably, and surer than before, and Dean had nodded earnestly before realizing Cas couldn't see him through the phone, and humming his affirmation instead. "And if I go back there, I'm never getting out again."
Dean'd swallowed.
"I don't want to." Cas had said, voice trembling. "I am — my own person here. It shouldn't be like this but this is the first time I have autonomy, Dean. Here is free will, and here are you. I don't — I can't. I'm not going to let them take it away."
"Good." He'd sounded shaky to even himself. "Don't."
"Yes." Cas had promised. "I'm not going."
*
And eventually they'd moved past the heavy talk into why-didn't-I-hear-about-this-before territory, Dean being righteously annoyed at his best friend for keeping something so huge from him, and Cas making lame (but probably valid) excuses in the name of not knowing how to explain the situation until he knew himself what he was going to do, because Dean may've been the first person he'd confided in about the insane fuckery that been his childhood and adolescence, but that still didn't mean he'd understand this, broken and convoluted.
And then Cas had nicely segued himself out of Dean's target of irritation and added, "They asked Gabriel too, by the way."
"And?" Dean didn't ever have much care for Gabriel (third oldest brother, cares about Cas, still a jerk) but Cas shared an apartment with him, so he had to face him plenty.
"He's running off to Miami."
And Dean had thrown his head back and laughed until Cas had smoothly added, "And I was wondering if you would consider moving in with me." 
At which point, of course, he'd started coughing instead, because holy shit, it actually made sense (Sammy had left for Stanford two months back, and Dean lived alone in a space that had probably been two big even when there were two of them) and might actually happen, but Dean wasn't really sure how much longer he'd be able to hide his crush, sharing a friggin' kitchen with the guy.
*
The third time's after their first date.
(Because, well. It happened.
It happened with Dean leaning across the breakfast table to prove to Cas his bacon was superior (to cookie friggin' crunch, because goddamn is Cas a dork) and Cas taking a bite with their eyes fixed on each other's, and Dean turning red when Cas licked his lips and then, just like that, Cas swearing under his breath (definitely filed for later pondering, that bit), grabbing Dean, and kissing the living daylights out of him.
And Dean had kissed back with everything he had, hands cupping his face, and nearly melting in his arms - but then they'd separated for air and Cas had had an apologetic look on his face and when Dean had tried to lean in to kiss it away, he'd received half a smile and a shake of his head.
"Let's do it the way we're supposed to."
And Dean had known immediately what he'd meant. Let's not fuck this up by becoming best friends and roommates who sleep together. Let's...play safe.
"Okay. Uh," he'd rubbed the back of his neck. "Would you like to go on a date with me?"
"Thursday." Cas had promised with twinkling eyes, though Dean had already known he was going to say that since he knew Cas’s week at least as well as he knew his own, and two days and an anxious half of a thursday later, they went on their first date. Burgers and beer, and Led Zepp, and hands held in the Impala. Four hours later, they were back, and in their respective rooms, and Dean couldn't stop thinking about Cas.)
When his phone vibrates, Dean reaches for the bedside table.
It's at least midnight, it feels like he's been in bed for ages, and the only reason he isn't asleep is because all his brain seems to be capable of at the moment is thinking endlessly about the date. Fortunately, he's not the only one — although he's better at hiding it (practise, he'd say) because his heart is in his mouth the moment he reads Cas's text.
>>> I think I'm falling in love with you [11:43 pm]
>>> already. [11:43 pm]
Dean is very grateful for autocorrect as he types back with too-excited thumbs and a racing heart.
<<< so much for doing it the regular way cas mosby [11:44 pm]
>>> in my defense, it's been years. [11:44 pm]
<<< that part i get [11:44 pm]
<<< me too [11:44 pm]
<<< but youre supposed to wait three days before calling dumbass [11:45 pm]
Jesus, he'd never expected to blush cause of texts, but here they are.
>>> I'm texting. [11:46 pm]
And he guesses he'd never expected to giggle (he's alone there, sue him) cause of them either, but Cas apparently exists to prove him wrong about himself.
<<< good for you [11:46 pm]
He sends, biting his lip, and then lies in the silent darkness for a couple of minute, devoid of text notifications entirely, thinking uneasily — before he gives up.
They're idiots, sure, but nobody is this dumb.
<<< so when the fuck are you coming over then [11:50 pm]
>>> on my way <3 [11:50 pm]
And thinking about the lightening speed of that reply and the fucking heart emoji is enough to sustain him the entire one minute it takes Cas to get there, gently opening Dean's door, and climbing into bed — fitting in Dean's space like it's been made for him, and kissing him in greeting after leaving his phone on the table next to Dean's.
*
As it goes, with the confessions and the midnight cravings (and the grocery lists that keep getting piled onto through the day, and random pickup lines Cas decides are perfect to send Dean daily once he's found a website for puns, courtesy of Claire, and of course, pictures of Grease, which clog Dean's cloud in dozens whenever the ridiculously cute cat does something even slightly out of routine, god bless her lazy soul) Cas might just be a texter.
But Dean's pretty sure he's more than okay with it, so it doesn't really matter.
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7wanderingpaws · 4 years ago
Text
let's have some gentle fun - m
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Dedicated to anyone who is left thirsty after Drown; there is a sprinkle of Disappear as well, so beware.
This is written especially for @to-all-the-stories-i-love​ thank you so much for your support and I really hope you will like this oneshot! I apologize for the wait dear ❤
Word count: 7K
 🛑 This one shot contains explicit mature content and alcohol consumption. Please do not read if you are uncomfortable with the themes or under 18 (also dont listen to Drown then). Thank you!
You had seen them a couple of times in the club. Their swaying bodies, his wandering hands and her obnoxious roll of hips couldn’t go unnoticed by anyone. Well, anyone who didn’t look particularly close (unlike you had been doing for the past hour). 
Despite the loudness of the music, you always thought you could hear people’s conversations in the dark room full of dancing bodies. It was most probably a defect caused by your occupation but you never minded - the frustration of customers when you couldn’t hear their orders over the deafening house music was something you wanted to avoid at all costs and you did. You were thankful until now. Hearing their (imaginary) conversation did you little to no good.
Before you could purse your lips in distaste, someone elbowed you, effectively gaining your attention. “Huh? What?”
Your co-worker and the owner of the club, Jiyong, smirked, shaking his head. The tattoos littering his skin were shining brighter tonight. “Troubles in love land?”
You scrunched up your nose, pretending to be oblivious. Pretending. It was second nature almost. “Dunno what you’re talking about, dragon,” you replied quietly but loudly enough for him to hear you. He was mixing drinks, preparing them on the tray that you were supposed to bring to that cursed table with half of your “friends”. What were friends anyway?
“You need to resolve this unknown issue then,” advised Jiyong, grabbing a whisky. When you noticed where he was pouring it, you gasped, reaching out to hold his arm. He shot you a questioning look. “Huh? What is it?”
“Why are you pouring it into the coffee? Who the hell ordered coffee?” It was a freaking night club.
Jiyong only chuckled and winked your way before proceeding to pour the whiskey into the small cup of espresso. “I’m pretty sure it’s your table.”
Oh.
Looking behind your shoulder, you noticed some of your friends laughing at the VIP section. They didn’t know you arrived at your shift and took over their orders. But now, you were getting a hunch about who ordered the weird combo.
“Here,” Jiyong brought you back to planet Earth. “You need to do something with that stare of yours, really,” he commented before moving on to the next orders. “I’d piss my pants were I to be on the receiving end of it. You’re scowling.”
You gasped and snatched the tray skillfully, throwing him an offended frown which only prompted him to chuckle. You were marching towards the table of your friends.
They all welcomed you with cheering but you knew better than that. It was just a clout; some way to make you feel like you were cool and important before they would quickly forget about your existence. You made sure to ask out loud (while smiling) who wanted which drink until only coffee was left and you had to face the inevitable.
She was sitting on his lap from sideways, which you thanked all the club gods for, because nobody wanted to see her straddling him. Well, you didn’t for sure.
Baekhyun smiled at you kindly, his eyes following your movements the entire time despite having a beautiful chick sitting on his thighs. Gulp. Those thighs.
“Thank you,” he made sure to say, when you stood up to your full length. Shooting him a very pressed, almost painful smile, you nodded once, accidentally meeting his gaze that you thought was not on you any longer.
You were wrong. But were you wrong as well when you always felt electricity curse down your veins whenever you would look at each other? Was the attraction just from your side? Why was he so hard to approach yet so easy to talk to once you actually managed to spike up a conversation?
Right. Your friends always snatched him away. While he was the center of the circle, you were the edge; the misunderstood one yet always invited. Doing chatty-chats with the famous ones in the circle of your friends seemed to be hard because if they didn’t really vibe with you, they’d made sure you could feel it. Baekhyun not once did, yet his apologetic smiles whenever someone wanted to talk to him when he was about to start a conversation with you, hurt more than any of your other friends’ attitude.
Reciprocating his stare a little longer, you finally turned, thinking he would be paying attention to the pretty lady on his lap. Yet again, you were wrong. He was looking even when you were far gone and back to the bar to continue your shift.
-
He was your neighbor, too. How damn lucky. Living on the same floor should have been a blessing; the best news for someone with a crush as crazy as yours, but it was anything but. 
Hearing him bring his girlfriend home, hearing them do stuff made you sick in your stomach but you never said a word. If anything, you were glad at least he could have a certain someone with whom he could spend the intimate times with.
You, on the other hand, weren’t so open. Despite working in a club, you rarely ever let another man touch you or agree to their invitations; you did receive many of them on a daily basis but club was a workplace for you and certainly not your kind of fun. Of course, pretty much every one of your friends had the misconception that you were wild and had banged half of the town given your curves, the way you dressed those curves and sending convincing, confident smiles. You were pretty sure Baekhyun believed in them, too, and it made you sad for some reason. If there was one person you didn’t want to think you were promiscuous or too open-minded, it was him.
Currently, it was eight in the morning when you were just typing in the code to your apartment. A small headache and swollen ankles made you want to pass out on bed, too tired after work. Just when you were about to close the door behind you, someone called out your name before you heard rushed steps.
Quickly opening the door and recognizing the voice, you felt your heart skip a beat when you noticed Baekhyun on your doorstep.
“Hey,” he smiled, somewhat sheepishly. He was in his work attire - very, very handsome suit. He wasn’t wearing a jacket over the dress shirt which made you momentarily distracted when you stared at the way the textile stretched over the broadness of his shoulders. The necktie seemed so thin compared to the vastness of his shoulders.
Bringing your eyes back to meet his, you caught a smirk and you quickly cleared your throat. “Hey. What’s up? You’re up early.” Oh god, you knew he was heading to the company, why would you say such nonsense?
He let out a breathy laugh. “Yeah, just in time to catch you,” he winked and your heartbeat became erratic. “Could you please lend me baking soda?” Your eyes widened in surprise and he added: “I mean- if you have. I forgot that I don’t have one but I already started on the cake.”
It took you exactly three seconds to overcome your surprise and nodded hastily, opening the door wider for him to come in. “Sure, sure. Don’t stand outside, what will people think, huh,” you added sarcastically which earned you a snort in return. You took off your trainers and rushed to the kitchen, meanwhile thinking where the hell you had baking soda. It’d been a while you used your kitchen for its actual purpose.
“Nice flat,” Baekhyun commented, looking around with curiosity.
You smiled to yourself while you opened a cabinet. He was living in the middle unit of the corridor and those were the priciest of apartments in the building. The side ones were for poorer people, like you. The fact that he still had the need to compliment your small but cozy apartment made you feel warm.
“I like how you wisely use up the space,” he continued, eyeing the small, dark green couch that had a cream-colored carpet in front of it. You liked to bury your feet into the fur while watching tv. “You have an eye for design.” He stood now next to you and it made you momentarily freeze.
“Thanks,” you mumbled, not looking his way. “I prefer to think twice about what I’m spending my money on.”
Baekhyun smiled, endearment visible but not to you. When it came to him, you didn’t want to admit to anything you saw, for it could be just a product of your desires.
“I like that,” he said in a lower tone and this time you made sure to keep searching despite electric shocks spiking through your heart. “There is so much more to you than it meets the eye.” He looked around your kitchen, pushing his hands in the pockets of his dress pants. “I feel like you’re so much more interesting than you ever let on.”
Baking soda. Finally. Grabbing the package you handed it to him with a triumph. “You could hardly know when you’re so busy with your own, uh, stuff.” When Baekhyun didn’t accept the package, you pushed it into his chest. “Not like half of you all care, anyway.”
Baekhyun messily grabbed the package, almost dropping it as he tried to save the situation. “No, that isn’t the truth. Of course we care-“
You giggled. “You’re so cute. Of course I don’t mean it!” you exclaimed, faking a genuine smile. “I have a man hiding in the closet so...“ you said, wanting him to be out of your apartment already. Bad decision.
“You have a what?” he frowned, confused.
Licking your lips, you raised an eyebrow. “You heard me. Go before your precious lady needs to wait for you any longer. Not that I’m throwing you out of the house-“
“You have a man here?”
Both of you were quiet now. He was staring into your eyes, something so hard for you to decipher flashing in those deep orbs. His eyes seemed almost black, swallowing up every light that dared to enter including you.
“It’s what you all think about me, isn’t it?” you mumbled quietly. “That I bring men home, that I’m the quiet before the storm. I know that’s what you all say behind my back. I’m just living up to your knowledge.”
Baekhyun’s face became unreadable. His features evened out. “Way to ruin the mood.”
You laughed. “Whatever mood you’re talking about-“
He stepped closer, silencing you right away. “I know people are judgemental fucks but I would have always said otherwise about you.”
“Meaning?”
He gave you a lopsided smirk, not reaching his eyes. “I can hardly judge you when I know so little about you. I never believe those rumors and you shouldn’t give a damn either. If anything, you’re the most intriguing among our friends.”
He couldn’t tell, but breath hitched in your throat from the way his eyes were drinking you up, their intensity burning every sane thought you could produce. “Then why do you always yield to those friends? We had many chances to talk. But it wasn’t me who always turned around at the last moment.”
The tension was almost palpable when you were looking up at him.
He didn’t reply and you realized the headache you were gifted with today. Sighing tiredly, you smiled up. “Whatever. Don’t answer that. Go. I bet your girlfriend is waiting.” When he didn’t move, you snorted a laugh. “Why are you even baking at this hour? You’ll be late to work.”
Only after that he let out a sigh and made a few steps backwards, watching you. “My girlfriend is my secretary. Thought I’d surprise her with a cake.”
And the mood was dampened yet again. Pressing your lips together, you nodded, crinkling up your eyes to show him you were smiling instead of dying. “What a wonderful employer you are. Bet she’ll be loving it.”
“What’s your favorite cake?” he asked curiously as he backed all the way to the door where he stopped, making you groan inwardly again. He pursed his lips, staring you down and causing goosebumps on the back of your spine. “I’d say you're a raspberry cake person.”
“Raspberry?” you scoffed but laughed nonetheless
He hummed, his eyes becoming droopy as he observed you without a word.
Swallowing, you breathed. “Care to explain yourself?”
Slowly, the side of his lip stretched up in the most flirty way you’ve ever seen on him and you swore you felt something move inside you. “Maybe one day.”
He turned around and raised his hand with the baking soda packaging, shaking it. “Thanks for this!”
You watched him enter his unit but not before he looked back at you. Waving one last time, he disappeared inside, leaving you with a wildly beating heart and a very bothered mind.
-
He broke up with her. You knew for a while when there was barely any movement in his apartment (not that you eavesdropped!) and then the small gossips began in your friends’ circle.
This was just another gathering, another evening full of fake smiles and small talks because you couldn’t win yourself more than that; an actual deep conversation. Baekhyun was absent but someone said he was on his way which, to your dismay, made your heart beat wildly in your chest. Quickly gulping down the whiskey, you made a face but didn’t follow it up with a soft drink.
“It was a bad break up,” you heard from the girls chatting nearby. “But it was him who let her go. She cheated on him with the CFO.”
Your heart involuntarily dropped at the information. Who, in their right mind, cheated on such a gorgeous man like Byun Baekhyun?
“She wanted him back but Baek was adamant. I guess he is truly a man of his words. I wonder who will be the lucky one next? Just imagine fucking hi-“
Thankfully your phone vibrated just in time. Quickly fishing out your phone, you saw a couple of text messages from Jiyong.
sorry to bother you sweets i’m short on staff tonight pls save me by coming in? u won’t have to work during holidays promise
Weirdly enough, you couldn’t have been more happy to get out of the suffocating atmosphere. At least you had the needed push of whiskey and with a fairly good mood could stand up and bid farewell to everyone, though they didn't care much.
Just as you were about to leave the restaurant, Baekhyun entered. With a single glance, he pinned you to your place because as the wind blew from the outside and his coat fluttered around, while his hair was messily falling into his dark orbs, you forgot how to breathe.
“Yo, Baekhyun’s here! Finally, man!”
The shouts were coming from your table while none of them even bothered to call out to you.
Smiling softly, you mumbled a hi before reaching for the door he was still holding open before you felt his arm grab yours swiftly, turning you to look at him. He seemed out of breath.
“Where are you going? I just arrived.”
“I’ve got a last minute plan. They need me at the club tonight,” you replied, pressing another smile while trying hard to control your frantic heart. You became all too aware of his touch on your arm but he wasn’t about to let go for whatever reason. “They’re waiting for you, Baek,” you added quietly when the shoutings weren’t subsiding.
Baekhyun didn’t spare a single glance at his friends when he took your hand and led you out of the restaurant. “Let me drive you. It’s already late.”
“No, it’s fine, really-“
“I insist,” he chuckled, swiftly pushing aside your protests. “It wouldn’t have been fun without you there anyway.”
You wanted to stop and stare at him but you decided against it. He was affecting you too much and you could already feel your trembly hands because he was still holding you.
“They just talked shit behind my back, didn’t they,” he asked, sounding more like a statement, and with one last squeeze let your hand go. He pushed his hand into the pocket of his coat and you couldn’t help but swoon at how handsome he was despite being after a break up and a possible heart ache.
You decided to keep quiet in means to communicate the answer. Baekhyun was smart so when he snickered, you knew he got the message.
His black Audi was parked just by the curb, looking like the horse of the dark knight, easily becoming one with the night. Baekhyun opened the passenger’s door for you, but you almost instantly froze when he stood a tad too close to your body, your face right next to his neck as he covered your entire being with his. He gave a pointed look to your short skirt and you understood, while growing a little warm at his thoughtfulness.
Those couple of seconds while he rushed around the car to sit next to you were a little delirious. The way your hand was still burning up from his touch, feeling like you’d been caressed by love itself. The quietness of his expensive car, the smell of the leather mixed with a small hint of forest, the way it felt so comfortable to sit in it with the seat set low and making your legs so high. The way all the sounds were blocked out and nobody could see inside given the tinted windows. All your senses were high on alert and when you heard the opening of his door and him swiftly sitting down and adjusting himself behind the wheel, you felt your throat go dry just a little bit.
You didn’t realize your mouth was slightly open, lips gently parted before the man himself turned to you with a cheeky smile.
To save yourself you quickly blurted: “What a lovely car you have here, Baekhyun!”
Baekhyun let out an amused laugh as he buckled himself with one hand, while his other one fumbled with the radio. He shot you a look. “Thanks. I’m quite proud to have it, not gonna lie.
“It suits you,” you added, and let out a little oh when he pressed the button and the car came to life. “I always thought you’d be a black car kinda guy.”
He shot you a curious look before looking back at the traffic as he tried to make a turn to the main road. “What does that mean, missy?”
You giggled at the nickname and you heard him heave out a low chuckle too. “Just a thought. Nothing much.”
He hummed, entertained, when a comfortable silence enveloped the inside of the car. “I will take that as a compliment.”
“Yeah,” you breathed, trying to focus very hard on the world outside instead of his leisure stance on the driver's seat; left hand preoccupied by the wheel while the other casually rested between the two of you. “You should.”
You said it so quietly you genuinely didn’t think he would hear it. Leaving you in the utter obliviousness, Baekhyun heard your voice loud and clear but didn’t acknowledge it. To the ever-so soft spoken you, he always was ready to listen, ready to get to know you. Just like you had trouble keeping your stares to yourself, he wasn’t anything different; that darned short skirt hiking a tad too high on your thighs for him to keep his cool. Your legs seemed endless in the passenger seat of his car and he never wanted to pull over this much in his life.
Heaving out a sigh, he said: “Mind if I join for a bit? I think I need a drink,” he told you once he stopped at the curb, the streets yet to be filled up with party people.
Shooting him a look while you unbuckled your seatbelt, you nodded: “Sure. Will that be okay, though?” You nudged your chin towards him. “You’re driving.”
Baekhyun smiled and automatically reached out, tapping your knee gently. “Don’t worry, I have my ways.”
You sprung out of the car, breathing heavily because god damn, did he just touch you? You. Wanted. More.
It didn’t take you long to prepare for the shift, Jiyong basically squeezing the life out of you for saving him at the last minute. “But shit, who is that dude with you?” he asked quietly in awe when you were standing at the other side of the bar, sneakily watching Baekhyun sip his drink. He was standing out, still being in his work attire - a gorgeous striped suit, with his long Burberry coat and almost white hair lusciously licked back, having only a few strands obscure his handsome forehead. He didn’t look like he came clubbing for sure. But he certainly looked like a good time after clubbing.
You tried to keep your saliva back. “He is just a friend.” You cringed at the sentence. “He broke up with his girlfriend recently, so he might get shitfaced soon.”
That was what you genuinely believed in. Why else would he come with you if not to drink away his hurt emotions?
Jiyong threw you a quizzical look. “You know, you can be super oblivious sometimes.”
“What are you talking about?”
He smirked. “That man kept eyeing you up and down ever since you entered my club. I was worried he’d start drooling all over the floor.”
You rolled your eyes. “As I said,” you pressed skeptically, “he broke up with his hot assistant. There is no way someone like him would want someone like me.“
Jiyong nudged you, not giving two damns about your worries. “Make him forget her then.”
“What?”
“C’mon, sweets,” purred Jiyong confidently, always the one up for a game, “ease up a bit, have a glass or two and make him forget. He definitely wants to forget.”
You stared at him, wondering, imagining and then ending up finding the idea ridiculous. Baekhyun would never give in to your advances even though they would be completely honest, be it intoxicated or not. The idea of kissing him sent shocks down your body.
“Whatever. Let’s see what the night brings,” you murmured when you accidentally caught Baekhyun’s eye. The warm, wide smile he gave you in that instant could heal all the illnesses. Could you cure him, though?
-
“Baek, just head home,” you told him two hours later. He was patiently waiting for something that you didn’t know about, his drink long forgotten. He wasn’t even tipsy when he looked at you with wide, bright eyes.
“I’ll wait for you,” he told you gently.
You looked confused. “Listen, there is no need. I still have work to do and-“
He ran his hand over your forearm, bringing goosebump up. “I really don’t mind though. I want to take you home.”
The way he was looking at you… it was all so surprising and telling a story by itself. He bit his lip when you didn’t reply and you still refused to believe that spark of want in his eyes. “Hm? Unless I’m bothering you, in that case…” he retreated his hand quickly and you were fast to shake your head and grab it back. You rested your hands on his thigh, wanting to irk him. Baekhyun instantly smiled. “I take it I’m not bothering you?” he teased.
You sighed. “If this is because of your ex…” you trailed off and at the mention of his secretary, Baekhyun puckered his lips in distaste.
“It isn’t about her. The spark was gone a long time ago.” He observed you and seemed like he wanted to add more but he decided against it.
You nodded and squeezed his soft hand. 
“Okay,” you mouthed and turned to the bar while sliding your hand off his thigh, catching Jiyong smiling down at the cocktails he was mixing up.
Out of nowhere, you felt a hot breath on the shell of your ear with a hand on your waist, momentarily shocking you. “This isn’t a joke but you look fucking hot while working, you know.” Baekhyun’s soft lips tickled you and you wanted to shake off the feather-like feeling. 
You turned your head and saw his expectant eyes, a small smirk stretching his lips that he just sexily licked.
Did. He. Just. Say. That.
“I mean it,” he said louder over the music. He made a point when his eyes travelled lower, the way your shirt hugged your chest and then you skirt doing little to no job of hiding your beautiful curves that Baekhyun seemed to feast his eyes on. He didn't like that you had to dress like this for work, but right now he was confident he was allowed to stare.
You grew hot within a second. Hot and very, very bothered. You leaned in to him and his attention was back to your face. “Baekhyun,” you murmured, “if you were words on the page, you’d be a fine print.”
Within one second, Baekhyun was laughing loudly, quickly covering his mouth when he couldn’t contain his giggles. You leaned back when you heard the tray with the cocktails being put on the bar, ready to be served. “I mean it,” you winked and turned away, taking the tray and going back to work, feeling his eyes following your every move. You noticed the way the tray was shaking because- did you just use a silly pick-up like with him? Either way, you felt incredibly proud for making him laugh like that. As if the sun suddenly made its appearance in the underground club.
The remaining time you spent incredibly conscious of Baekhyun’s following gaze. You caught him chatting a lot with Jiyong which kind of made you happy because Jiyong, despite looking the opposite of Baekhyun, was one of your good friends that never left you hanging.
Soon, you went over to the side of the bar and Jiyong pushed a shot of vodka into your hand. “Go home early. Don’t let him wait any longer,” he told you, and watched you gulp down the burning liquid. “Both of you are making the pressure go up in my club and I don’t want any explosions here. He is basically eye-fucking you.””
You frowned in amusement and handed him back the empty glass, electric waves cursing down to your core at his last sentence. The liquid support was very much needed because Baekhyun was screaming sex even when he looked like the most polished gentleman in the house.
“Baek,” you walked quickly over to him when you changed back to your previous outfit. He turned on his seat, facing you with full interest. “Take me home then.”
The way you said the words; he got the secondary meaning. He licked his lips, looking for a moment at your own pair before taking your hand in his and bidding a quick farewell to the smirking Jiyong.
You were out within a minute. It was only past 2am but you never felt this free and ready to call it a night with him by your side. You expected a heavy make-out session right outside in the fresh air. But when he simply walked the both of you to the car and opened the door for you, you felt a tinge of disappointment.
It was during the quiet, tense car ride that you realized you must have read too much into the situation. God, you so badly wanted to take up on Jiyong’s idea; make Baekhyun completely forget he ever was with that secretary of his, but would he want to? 
“Thanks a lot for the ride,” you murmured when you arrived at your floor. He would go to his own apartment and you’d go to yours. Easy. Painless. Maybe once you’d close the doors, you’d feel like complete shit, but you still kept your kind stance up.
Baekhyun ran a hand through his hair. “Gladly,” he breathed when the both of you stopped walking from the elevator.
You looked up and noticed his droopy gaze on you. “Thank you for waiting for me,” you added to lengthen the time you had with him.
He shook his head, staring at you. “Don’t mention it,” he murmured, somehow distracted.
In that moment, you braced yourself. Now, or never. One last try. 
Stepping closer to him, you murmured. “I can make you forget about everything, you know.” You took his hand, playing with his long fingers. They would surely make you feel good.
“If I let you,” he said without hesitation, “I can’t guarantee I will behave,” he growled your name and you might have grown wet.
“You want to bet who will be naughtier?” you quirked an eyebrow in a challenge.
“Fuck,” Baekhyun let out and he grabbed your face, slamming his lips onto yours. You were taken aback for a mere moment before taking his face in your hands, feeling how smooth his skin on his cheeks was. Baekhyun was anything but soft though. He was biting and cheeky and daring when he forced his tongue into your mouth, making you moan. He made out with you dirtily in the corridor until he pressed you against the wall next to the door to your apartment, his knee pressing up your womanhood while he sucked on your neck as you melted in his embrace.
It took almost five minutes until you were finally inside the apartment.
It was another couple of minutes until he fell on the top of your bed with a huff, his eyes wide when you started to take off your clothes slowly. Your erratic heartbeat was making you giddy, or maybe it was the excitement from having his usually soft, kind eyes, now wildly set on your curves that he seemed to like so much.
“Now, baby boy,” you purred, stepping closer when you were just in your underwear. He followed your every move, and almost flinched when you touched his cheek. “If you dare to moan, you ain’t getting any tonight. How’s that?” you asked him, trying to grasp on every sober emotion that was still left in you, but it was difficult. You were so intoxicated by his still too-well put together look. You wanted to devour him.
Baekhyun slowly raised an eyebrow and it made you feel things. He hummed, observing you for a moment before wordlessly reaching for your hip, his hand landing exactly on the panty line. “As long as I get to touch.”
“You won’t get to do that either, if you as much as squeak. Do you hear me, Mr Byun?”
“Jesus- fuck, that’s to hot,” he groaned. “Let me add a little more fun to your game. If you moan,” he licked his lips and made a point to look at your chest, ”I will destroy you.”
Not realizing how harshly you were breathing by then, you nodded, the urge to get rid of your soaked panties big as you went to straddle him. Just as you were about to move though, you stopped. “Strip for me, Baekhyun.”
Baekhyun looked surprised for a moment before smirking. “You sure, pretty?”
“Solid.”
Baekhyun took an eternity and you knew he was playing with you, teasing you. With every button he undid and with it showed more skin, you grew relentless. He stood close to you and when he was reaching the last button, he leaned in to you, kissing your neck sweetly, almost like a secret promise, that was followed with a sensual lick. You quickly grabbed the shirt and slid it off his wide shoulders. “Now the jeans. And the underwear has to go, too,” you said resolutely and he laughed gently.
“You are like a tigress. Don’t get surprised if I stand tall and proud for you, baby,” he winked at you and you wondered just for a moment about what he meant when he did just what you asked, his member springing free and looking very excited.
Daring to take a step back, you looked and swallowed. You made sure to let him know that you looked. His body was sculpted, wide chest and shoulders, prominent pectorals with even more prominent serratus muscles that made his chest even wider and very much ripped. His lean waist and stomach with fading six pack made you salivate until you took in his member. You sucked your lips in and pushed Baekhyun back on the bed, his smirk growing in anticipation.
“Won’t you undress for me?”
“You don’t deserve it just yet,” you replied absentmindedly and when he rested his back against the headboard, you dived. Without any warning, you grabbed the meaty thighs and lowered your head, tasting him. Baekhyun flinched and he let out a grunt as his hips almost automatically bucked up.
As you licked your way up to the tip, you muttered: “Don’t you dare moan. And keep these naughty hips in check for me.”
Excitement was cursing through your veins and you prayed your shakiness wouldn’t show too much. You licked up and down a few times before taking the tip in your mouth and slowly bobbed your head, feeling how he was now fully erected. Making sure you were letting out appreciative hums, you looked up and Baekhyun was gnawing on his bottom lip, his hand inching closer to your hair. “C’mon, grab me. I like it rough,” you told him and he didn’t waste a second with grabbing your hair and pulling on it. You hissed and dived deeper, feeling the prominent vein on the flat of your tongue, his tip gently scratching the back of your throat. It didn’t do you no harm though, and with every movement of your head, you went lower and lower until your eyes were teary. Coming back up, you swirled your tongue around the tip while your hand pumped him sensually, making sure he would be at the end of his wits.
Baekhyun was grunting but he didn’t dare to make more of an explicit sound, given his other hand was clasped over his mouth, his eyes now closed in pleasure. He looked divine and way too comfortable.
Deciding to make it a little harder for him, you grabbed his balls and massaged them gently, knowing it was the ultimate way to make him lose. But you were surprised when Baekhyun pushed you away out of nowhere, and he was now on top of you, his face flushed red, and his eyes so wild and dark he could eat you up. 
“How can this game be fair if I don’t get to play my part?” he muttered in a deep, throaty tone which made your womanhood twitch.
“Wha-“
You gasped when you felt his fingers at your lower lips as he quickly pushed the crotch of your panties aside, the index and fourth finger spreading them apart and letting the dominant middle finger press on the sensitive bud, your mouth opening in a silent moan. Baekhyun was looking carefully, your every move, your every breath detected by his attentive eyes and ears.
“Let’s see how long you’ll last, baby,” he murmured and his hands slid up your thigh, massaging them, the one that fingered you spreading your wetness over your skin. With every touch of his, he raised goosebumps and you found yourself on your elbows. He smirked at you and slowly spread your legs wider before he winked and leaned in. He kissed you on your lower lips, your head instantly falling backwards, and he sucked gently, making out with your womanhood.
You sighed louder and he quickly looked up, letting you know he heard you well. You giggled and pressed your lips together to prevent any unwanted sound leaving your mouth.
“Keep these wide open for me, alright?” He purred, using the voice you used with him before, and then his tongue came into the game; you just knew you would lose. You weren’t bad at giving blow-jobs (or so you thought) but Byun Baekhyun was eating you out like a madman. His tongue licked you up and down before he teased your entrance with it, collecting all your wetness. He hummed and groaned while his nose was pushed in the pubic bone as his tongue swirled and aroused you even more, licking every corner he could reach.
Your elbows became weak and you fell on your back, one of your hands grabbing the bed sheets in a strong grip while the other went to the back of Baekhyun’s perfectly brushed hair. He moaned again when he felt you pull on it, and you found yourself pushing his face more into you. His tongue complied and dove into your hole, poking inside as he lapped up all the juices around.
An earth shattering, deep moan left your throat, your weak mind forgetting about any silly game you came up with in order to make him focus just on you. Maybe you secretly wanted it to happen because you were dying to know how it felt like to let him have his way with you.
“That’s right, moan for me sweetheart,” came in his thundering, low growl and your airy moans filled the room. Your hips buckled up but he was fast to press them back into the mattress, tongue still relentless.
“I’m so close, don’t stop,” you panted with your eyes scrunched close, eager to get the release.
Baekhyun stopped. Pushing himself away, he looked at you in triumph while you snapped your eyes open, whining: “What are you doing?”
“Look who is an eager little tiger,” he teased, climbing over you. “As if I would let you come after teasing me like that before,” he murmured when his face was just in front of yours, his breath fanning yours lips. “I want to feel you.” He paused and leaned in, gently nipping at yours lips, the slightest taste of your own essence present on his mouth. “Let me feel you, baby girl.”
You were shocked at his sudden change from rough eating-out to a gentle kiss on your lips. You felt him poking you at your entrance and you found your hands wandering over his shoulders, feeling up those muscles, enjoying the way he was so wide and covering your entire body under him, making you feel safe. You slid them over his back and you had to spread your legs wider and shimmy under him, reaching his cute butt and squeezing, causing Baekhyun to groan gently against you. It sent another electric wave through your core and you just needed him to be in you.
“Undress me,” you mumbled, still fondling with his backside. You met Baekhyun’s eyes and he expressionlessly leaned back, letting his hips glide against your own while his hand looked for the bra clasp on your back.
You started to giggle and he stopped. “You can undo it right here,” you told him softly, your eyes looking between your breasts where the actual clasp was.
Baekhyun gave you a shy laugh, his cheeks gorgeously puffing up as his hands brushed against your breasts before unclasping the bra and pushing it to the side to reveal your mounds. He observed for a moment and then started trailing kisses around them, biting gently on the tender skin and effectively bringing out a hiss from you.
His free hand reached for your panties and you pushed your hips up to help him slide them off. You watched the underwear fly across the room and you laughed, sighing in content when he circled his tongue around your nipple.
Moving under him, you pressed yourself against his erect member, goosebumps raising on your skin at the feel of him. He wasn’t huge; he seemed the perfect size that would promise you something unforgettable.
“So, so fucking eager, you little devil,” he murmured against your breast but he gave himself away when he also pushed against you, his tip teasing you now at your center. He groaned gently and brought his face back to yours.
You closed your eyes in the meantime. Even the slightest movement from him was giving you a high.
“Look at me. Are you ready?” his voice was so low and raspy you shuddered.
You opened your eyes and you saw sex screaming all over him. “I’m so ready.”
He smirked and mouthed at your neck. “Let me ride you, then,” he muttered and pushed in.
Both of you moaned in unison. Since he stretched you before and denied you an orgasm, you were dripping and sensitive for him, giving him easy access to you.
“You feel like paradise,” you breathed an airy moan.
He was fast to look at you, the tip of his nose brushing up against yours as he gave you time to adjust to him. “Tell me what you like, sweetheart.”
“I like you,” you blurted under the spell of an intense ecstasy your body was going through. You froze right as you said it, scolding yourself for thinking the moment, but Baekhyun leaned in with an acknowledging hum and let his lips hover over yours as he started to rocked you gently, in and out, going up and down above you.
“I like you, too,” he admitted, the regular harsh puffs of his breath hitting your hungry lips. “You’re literally the sexiest woman I have ever laid eyes on.”
You were shocked and flying on cloud nine. His thrusts were making you feel like a goddess, the way he was looking at you made you feel loved. You chased his lips, kissing him sweetly while he fumbled with your hand and intertwined his hands with yours which made your tummy flutter with excitement. In and out was he rocking, your walls hugging him so well you felt like the missing puzzle piece to him.
You separated quickly for the lack of air and the pressure building up in your lower abdomen made you ever so breathless and moany. It was almost embarrassing how you weren’t about to last any longer; he was so intoxicating you felt like you would be recovering from the orgasm for a while.
“Are you close?” he asked as he gave you a sharper thrust, causing you to scream. He watched with eager eyes. “Oh, that’s right. Scream louder than that, baby girl. You can do better than that for me, hmm?” he gritted his teeth and thrusted into you again, your bed creaking in despair just like you were.
“Baekhyun!!” you met his hips half-way, the both of you rolling in perfect unison like the tumbling waves kissing the shore. Up and down, in and out he went. Just when you thought you couldn’t hold it in any longer, he pinched your clit with his other hand, harshly massaging you between your lips. “C’mon, don’t hold back.”
“Come with me,” you pleaded, trying to hold it in. You moaned, arching your back so that your breasts were pressed up against his chest and he groaned at the feel of your convulsing walls. He fastened the pace, wildly slamming into you now, not caring about the gentle sex he had in mind from the start.
“Let go,” he ordered sternly, and rid you further up the wrinkled bed sheets. “Hold on to me and let go,” he whispered into your open mouth, short on breath.
You did. Your high-pitch scream pierced through the sex-filled room, blocking all the inappropriate rufflings and moans out. You hugged him to you, shaking as you kept sighing.
Baekhyun let out a throaty grunt and you felt him twitch in you. He was fast to pull out, quickly helping himself out before releasing his seed all over your glowing skin. He breathed loudly, watching as his release hit your chest and stomach, looking absolutely stunning on you.
The way your chest was heaving up and down while feeling him dripping down made you feel ecstatic. Baekhyun met your eyes and gave you a tired smile before he fell on the bed next to you.
Both of you were panting loudly, glistening with sweat. You swore your legs were used up, unable to provide you service for a while. Baekhyun took your hand again and rolled on his side, resting himself on his elbow. You looked at him and took notice of the gentleness of his orbs, the way he looked so fucking hot but not a sprinkle of lust was in his eyes anymore; affection more like it.
Without a word, he leaned in and pecked your softly on your lips. “Let me clean you up,” he murmured and didn’t wait for your reply when he left your room.
You knew he would find your bathroom and soon enough he was back with a warm, wet towel. He cleaned you up with utmost gentleness; your breasts, your stomach and your womanhood, neither of it in a sexual way. Then he threw the towel on the floor and joined you in the bed.
“You didn’t have to,” you murmured sheepishly when you saw him making himself comfortable.
He smiled. “But I wanted to.” He covered your bodies in your comforter and you were fast to turn and bring yourself to him, eager to know how it felt like to rest your head on his chest.
He took you in with a small kiss on your temple and his arm rested on your hip. “Thank you. That was amazing.”
You sighed. “Did you mean it though?” you dared to ask, knowing full well you might end up ruining the moment. Baekhyun was a man of his words, and you never saw him as a type to back off when he already uttered something. But you saw how he was unsure the whole car ride back to your apartment.
“I did,” he sighed. “I really do like you, you know.”
“But how… so suddenly?” you asked, your hand drawing spirals on his pectoral. It was so firm.
He squeezed your hip. “I’ve liked you for a long time actually. You are literally the hottest girl in our group of friends and the fact that you’re so oblivious is just mind-blowing.”
Shocked, you pushed yourself up to look at him while his hand slid over your backside. You shivered when the comforter lifted, exposing your chest straight in front of his eyes, yet he didn’t look. “What? But - how? I just… you were with her and then…”
“I told you,” he said quietly as he caressed your butt cheek. “The spark was long gone. I just always tried to do my duties as a boyfriend until I was fully convinced she was fucking another one.”
You opened your mouth to respond but he beat you to it, amusement glistening in his eyes. “You are incredibly attractive and I might sound like a total creep but shit, your body is an eye magnet. I couldn’t stop thinking about touching you and feeling you.”
“Baekhyun,” you sighed, already affected by his words.
He hummed and his eyes dropped on your lips. “Just kiss me and let’s talk in the morning, hm?” he suggested as his eyes traveled to your mounds. “I feel like drowning in you until morning, pretty.”
And you were aroused right away. You leaned in, already hungry while you straddled him under the comforter. “Just so you know,” you whispered, closing your eyes when you felt his member at your heat. “She lost herself a gem.”
Baekhyun’s lips slowly stretched into a gracious smile while his hands navigated your hips above him, ready to let you ride him. “I guess we have to lose something in order to gain something much better in life.”
You smiled as well and kissed him.
-
You woke up sore. It was still a little early and Baekhyun was asleep next to you, his gentle snores making you laugh into your palm quietly. After five minutes of closely inspecting his face and realizing he had a whole constellation of moles, you decided to quickly jump in the shower so you could be fresh for him once he woke up.
You took his white shirt and slid into it, feeling tiny in the huge size that easily came to the middle of your thighs. It made you feel incredibly sexy.
As you tiptoed to the bathroom, you heard loud noises and shouts coming from the corridor outside your flat. You shuffled over, checking the ruckus through the small hole on your door. A little taken aback, you saw a beautiful, tall woman slamming her fist on Baekhyun's door. Her hair was in a perfect bun, not a hair sticking out.
“Baekhyun! Open up, I know you're home! Please, let's talk!”
You really didn't want to -- but you smiled in triumph. Oh darling, your ex is in my bed, sleeping tight after a mind-blowing night full of sex. Snickering to yourself, you quickly went to the bathroom.
Coming out after fifteen minutes, you roamed in the kitchen for a bit, preparing the water for the morning coffee you very much needed. While it was warming up, you went to check your bedroom to see if Baekhyun was anywhere near to getting out of the bed.
Stopping in the doorway, you saw an empty bed. Sheets messy, your underwear still on the floor, nothing seemed out of the place. Only his clothes were gone besides the white shirt that you obviously still had. Despite searching your small apartment, he wasn't anywhere. He wouldn't explain to you what that raspberry cake meant. He wouldn't explain to you what he promised last night - the way he grew to like you.
Baekhyun was gone.
He disappeared.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
A/N: lets thank our kind anon for wanting to mix Drown and Disappear to have it angsty! here you go, angst and never knowing what will happen 😜😆❤❤ Thank you so much for reading! I hope it was okay -_- 
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winterscaptain · 4 years ago
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Aaron Hotchner x Gender Neutral Reader
a/n: takes place after constellations and before through and through. this is just a fun little piece before i continue my descent into Ouchtown, USA with the ajf 100 arc. i am really excited to include more of these early-series ‘home scenes’ with the hotchners and reader!
an ajf fic that requires no context!
words: 2.6k warnings: language
summary: happy 3rd birthday, jack! it’s a family affair, in more ways than one. 
masterlist | a joyful future masterlist | requests closed!
“So, how do you know the Hotchners?” A handsome man, probably just a little younger than Aaron (but significantly shorter), asks, filling his plate beside you.
“I work with Hotch - Aaron - Jack’s Dad - at the DoJ.” You keep your tone neutral, polite. There’s something off about him - he’s a little overeager, a little too comfortable in the Hotchner house. 
“Ah,” he says. “A profiler.” 
With a little laugh in your voice, you ask, “Are you familiar with the field?”
“Haley’s told me a little bit, but I wouldn’t call myself an expert, no.”
“I see. Do you know Haley well?”
“Yeah, my son is in Jack’s preschool class.” There’s still something he’s not telling you, but nevertheless, he sticks his hand out and you shuffle your plate to take it. “I’m Joseph. It’s nice to meet you.” 
Joseph. Not Joe. 
What happens if you call him Joe? 
Pin that for later. 
You introduce yourself and continue to make small talk for another few minutes, noting that he’s filled a second plate - you can only assume it’s for someone else. 
Let’s keep an eye on this one...
+++
“I’m so happy you all could make it.” 
You jolt back into your body after zoning out for a couple of minutes, finding yourself alone at one of the patio tables with Haley. A smile breaks across your face. “Me too.”
She snacks on a chip, delicately covering her mouth as she asks, “Is there anything exciting you’re all working on right now?”
Since when is Haley interested in cases? 
“Kind of. I head out to Colorado with Emily and Spencer tomorrow to go visit a religious cult on a compound in the mountains.” She laughs, and you follow suit. “So, it’s the little things, I guess.” 
“Very few things have changed, then?”
You nod, a knowing smile on your face. “Exactly.” 
There’s quiet for a moment and your eyes wander across the yard out of habit, taking stock of all the preschoolers running around, their parents at the perimeter. 
“Oh!” She sits forward, pulling her knee to her chest and propping her heel on the edge of her chair. 
You look back at her expectantly. 
“Did you like the book? Catch-22 is one of Aaron’s favorites. I think I wrote that in the note, but…” She gestures vaguely. “I thought it would be helpful.” 
Smacking your hand to your forehead, you laugh a little. “Oh, it was! I completely forgot to send a thank-you note, Haley, I’m sorry.” You lean forward conspiratorially. “I loved it. It was such a thoughtful birthday present. Thank you” 
Her nose scrunches up as she smiles. It’s adorable. “Good. I’m so glad.” 
+++
“Are you seeing what I’m seeing?” Dave sidles up to you, eating a piece of cake. 
You follow his gaze, where Haley, Joseph, and their boys are kicking a soccer ball around. Haley’s full of laughter and unnecessary touches, but that’s not a new observation. 
You’ve had Joseph-not-Joe’s number since he first spoke with you. He seemed far too interested in getting to know the people close to Haley to be without ulterior motive. 
“I’m seeing something. I’m not sure what it is, yet.” You take a sip of your drink, letting your eyes wander. 
“Not for nothing,” Dave says, “and, of course, this stays between us -” 
“Of course.” 
“- But Aaron thought Haley was seeing someone before they got divorced, in the spring before you joined the team.” 
You hum. “Interesting. Do you think this is the guy?”
This is definitely the guy. 
“Well, there’s more to their relationship than ‘our kids go to preschool together,’ don’t you think?”
“Yeah, I do.” Your eyes wander to Aaron, who’s chatting with a couple of the parents, Emily at his side. He’s distracted, also focused on Haley and Joseph with the boys on the other side of the yard. “Give me a second, would you, Dave?” You absently hand him your drink as you cross over to the small cluster. 
“Hey, Hotch,” you put a hand on his shoulder with an apologetic smile to the mom you just interrupted. “I think we have a little bit of a crisis in the kitchen. Can I steal you for a minute?”
With a grateful look only you and Emily pick up on, he says, “Sure.” With a rueful smile and wave to the other parents, he leaves Emily to her own devices. Much to her (and your) relief, JJ and Will are on their way, ready to save her from the inane conversation. 
“What’s up?” Aaron asks, his brow just a little furrowed. 
Triple checking that the house is empty, you lead him into the kitchen and lean against the counter, crossing your arms. “What’s going on with you?” 
His eyes flicker around the room before settling back on you and his jaw is tight. Somehow, he’s still trying to avoid you when you’ve made it impossible. “What do you mean?” 
You level him with a Really? look. “Tell me.” 
“Fine.” He leans back and mirrors you, crossing his arms. With only a little bit of reluctance, he shares, “This is the first big event...thing since the divorce and I -” He huffs. “I don’t know how to be a divorced parent when I’m...in front of people? I don’t know.” 
You cross the kitchen and lean against the counter beside him, the heels of your hands resting on the marble. “You’re not alone. We’re here with you and nobody expects you to be perfect.” You laugh lightly. “There are at least seven divorced couples out in your yard right now. Weirdly, it’s normal.” 
He shrugs. “I guess.” His eyes wander to the window, where Haley and Joseph are still visible with some of the other parents, seated around one of the patio tables. Joseph’s arm rests casually on the back of Haley’s chair. 
That’s it. 
“What’s going on with those two?” You pointedly match his focus and Aaron sighs. 
“Did I ever tell you I thought Haley was seeing someone before we were divorced?” 
You shake your head, only a little thrilled he’s choosing to share this with you so soon after Dave read you into the secret. 
“I think that’s the guy.” 
“I was wondering about him, myself. He seemed a little…eager,” you say with a laugh. 
Aaron rolls his eyes. “He thinks he’s subtle, but I’d also imagine it’s rough to be the mistress when the ex is an FBI profiler.” 
You snort. “True.” 
Aaron’s hand covers yours and you look down, the contact shooting a spark through your arm and down your spine. 
Isn’t that the biggest cliche on the planet? 
“Thank you,” he says. “Thank you for being here.”
You look up again, meeting his eyes. “You’re welcome.” With a smile, you add, “I’ll always be here to save you from suburban moms and your ex-wife’s boyfriends.” 
The smile you get in return warms you from your scalp to your toes. 
+++
A couple of hours have passed, and Aaron settles into his role as the birthday boy’s dad. He’s been particularly demonstrative with Jack, but it’s all genuine. He chased him around the yard, threw him over his shoulder, covered him in kisses, and just generally lavished him in all the love of which he’s bereft while away on cases. 
It’s simultaneously weird and very normal to see him with that face-splitting grin. It looks at home there, and you wish you had the pleasure of seeing it more often. 
Watching father and son together is something special. The resemblance is often uncanny, even more so now as Aaron has Jack propped on his hip, chatting away, almost nose-to-nose. You’re only aware of the soft smile on your face when Jessica, Haley’s sister, plops down beside you. 
“Those two are something else, aren’t they?” She says with a little smile. 
You nod. “Two peas in a pod, for sure.” 
You’re both quiet for a moment, watching Haley jog up to the two of them, her cheeks flushed in the autumn chill. She lays a hand on Aaron’s arm as she speaks, her other hand rising to Jack’s face to rub some frosting off his cheek. 
“How’s it been on his end? Being apart?” 
You look over at Jess. “It’s been alright. He stays even later in the office, if you can believe it -”
“Is that even possible?”
“You’d be surprised,” you laugh. “I’ve been thinking about getting him a shock collar or something so I can train him to be home by eleven.” 
She snorts. “That would be a sight, wouldn’t it?”
The two of you share a raucous bout of laughter, drawing the attention of both Aaron and Haley. Their confused looks only make you laugh harder, and pretty soon you and Jess are clutching each other for dear life. 
You don’t know her well, but you imagine you’ll jump that hurdle. You’re already halfway there. 
In fact, the original thought isn’t even that funny anymore - you’re just laughing for the sake of it. It feels good.
+++
You find yourself next to Haley as the cleanup proceedings begin. She’s got a little smile on her face, and you take a moment to admire just how lovely she is. 
Haley, you think, is a bit like the sun. She’s bright, but will burn the shit out of you if you’re not careful. 
She glances up at you, blue eyes warm in the waning October sunshine. “Thank you.”
You hold up handfuls of wrapping paper and shrug. “No problem. Happy to help.”
“No,” she laughs. “I mean thank you for looking out for Aaron.” She lowers her voice and leans in toward you. “I know he’s not always cooperative.” 
You suppress a rueful smile. “Haley, I don’t -”
She lays a hand on your arm. “I know. Just…” Her eyes wander across the yard, where Aaron’s passing (a very pregnant) JJ a glass of water. “Thank you.” 
“I wish I could say it was my pleasure but...” you pull a yikes face and it makes her laugh again. 
+++
You end up spending much of your time together as she thanks guests and people start to go home. There’s a kind of camaraderie that develops between you and it feels like you’ve known each other for years. 
Her temperament tells you a lot about Aaron. They way they must have functioned together through the years. They’re so different, complementary, but you can see how things could get heated fast between them (good or bad).
She’s surprisingly affectionate by nature, her fingers glancing over your shoulder to direct you to tasks you’ve offered to help with, pressing a kiss to her sister’s temple as she passed her on the porch, holding onto Aaron’s forearm when she’s talking to him, and most notably, embracing Joseph by his car as he leaves, lingering only a little longer than she should. 
Nevertheless, you’re almost impressed by their restraint. You haven’t caught them on anything major, and it’s been close to eight hours since he arrived. You’re sure you haven’t seen the last of Joseph-not-Joe. 
Haley wears her emotions on her face. She can’t hide a thing. It’s refreshing. 
+++
You lean on the porch railing, enjoying the crispness of the early autumn evening. Dave stands beside you for a while in silence. When he’s had his fill of your tacit company, he kisses you on the cheek and bugs out with Spencer. 
Will takes JJ home a few minutes later. There’s a little smile on your face as you watch her take his arm down the front path, leaning on him. 
They’ll do well together. 
Soon, everyone else is gone, and you’re only a little concerned you’ve overstayed your welcome. Jess tells you you’re being ridiculous as you rearrange the fridge for leftovers. 
“When has my sister ever kicked anyone out of her house while they’re still of use?”
You take a moment, fighting a smile. “Thanks, Jess.” 
“As far as I’m concerned, the BAU is part of my extended family.” She bumps your shoulder. “And family is always welcome in a Brooks house.” 
+++
Even when it’s time for you to go home, it isn’t. 
Jack almost breaks down in tears when you kneel to hug him goodbye, so you’re trapped. It’s not like you can leave him, right? Not when he holds you hostage with those big brown eyes. 
Identical to Aaron’s. 
Funny enough, you can’t deny him anything either. 
Oh, that’s enough. 
Haley catches you by the forearm as Jack runs back to his dad, who gently launches him onto the couch. “You can sneak out, if you want to go home. I’ll distract Jack.” 
You raise your eyebrows. “And leave you without your buffer? Not a chance.” 
You’re rewarded with another laugh and she lets you go, shaking her head. She can’t say you’re wrong. As much as she and Aaron can fitfully coexist on their own, it’s much more comfortable with you around. 
Haley might love him, but she doesn’t always like him. You, for some reason, make it easier to like him.
She resolves to think a little more about that, for future reference. 
About twenty minutes later, you assume your role as the buffer and land between Haley and Aaron on the couch, with Jessica on her other side. Jack’s stretched out across all of you, his head in his mom’s lap and his little arm hanging off the edge. You managed to find a movie he actually wanted to watch, but you suspect he’ll be long asleep by the time it’s over.  
Aaron’s phone buzzes and he maneuvers it out of his pocket. Being nosy, you peer over him without disturbing Jack. 
Strauss.  
He answers it, quietly. “Hotchner.”
You can feel Haley’s disappointment and residual resentment without even looking at her. 
He continues to speak in hushed tones, drawing little patterns on the back of Jack’s calves as he does so. “Ma’am, I’ll take care of that when I’m back in the office...No ma’am, I’m with my family at the moment...Yes...Thank you, ma’am...You too.” Aaron takes a second and silences his phone, stretching a little to set it on the end table. 
You’re sure the rest of you are wearing matching expressions of shock. 
“It can wait.” He shrugs like it’s nothing and turns his attention back to the screen.
Turning to look at Haley, you find her staring at Aaron with a kind of soft surprise and pride in her eyes. You feel a little like an intruder, so you drop your eyes to the back of Jack’s t-shirt under your fingertips. 
In the rapidly-approaching darkness, Haley reaches for your hand and you take it, your hands landing on Jack’s little shoulder blade. You drop your head onto Aaron’s shoulder, leaning into the casual familiarity of the moment.
It’s nice to feel like family. 
“Thank you,” he says. It’s hardly a breath, let alone speech. 
You nod once. Anytime. 
If either one of them asked, you’d keep them from tearing their heads off forever. It’s not a far reach from your everyday responsibilities, you already do it for Aaron and Derek. Trading out one temper for another is almost easy. 
Aaron looks down the line when the credits start to roll, finding Jess and Haley with their eyes closed, leaning against each other. You’ve been out for a little while, now tucked under his arm where it’s stretched across the back of the couch. One of your hands still loosely holds Haley’s while the other rests on the middle of Jack’s back. His lips twitch up into a smile as he rests his head against the back of the couch. 
Maybe it will be alright.
+++
tagging: @arganfics @quillvine @stxrryspencer @agenthotchner @wandaswitxh @hurricanejjareau @ughitsbaby @rousethemouse @criminalsmarts @shrimpyblog @genevievedarcygranger @ssaic-jareau @good-heavens-chris-evans @davidrossi-ismydad @angelsbabey @gublergirls @writefasttalkevenfaster @venusbarnes @hotchsflower @ogmilkis @marvels-agents100 @hotchslatte @risenfox @mrs-dr-reid @captain-christopher-pike @whoreforhotch @pinkdiamond1016 @pan-pride-12 @sunshine-em @word-scribbless @jdougl-love @sageellsworth05 @nohalohoseok @giveusbackourbucky @writerxinthedark @bauslut @dreila03 @forgottenword @aaronhotchnerr @ssa-morgan @buckybau @sana-li @tegggeeee @abschaffer2 @ssacandice-ray @ellyhotchner @lotties-journey-abroad @mrs-joel-pimentel-23-25 @laneygthememequeen @violentvulgarvolatile  @mooneylupinblack @ssareidbby @violet-amxthyst @bwbatta @roses-and-grasses @lcvischmitt @capricorngf @missdowntonabbey @averyhotchner @mandylove1000 @garcia-reid-lovechild  @cevanswhre @qvid-pro-qvo @jeor @spencers-hoodrat @infinity1321 @zizzlekwum @popped-weasels @evee87 @nuvoleincielo @this-broken-band-girl @reidtomestyles @hotch-meeeeeuppppp @winqhster
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hearts-hunger · 4 years ago
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dralshy’a ka’ra (brighter stars): chapter four || din djarin x reader
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Read on AO3 | Masterlist
chapter one | chapter two | chapter three
Series Summary: In the lake country of Naboo, you and Din romance each other under summer’s brighter stars. || Part Two of Jate’kara (Lucky Stars)
Chapter Summary: Din gives you a present, and you both spend the day enjoying it.
Pairings: Din Djarin x Wife!Reader
Genre: Fluff, smut, a tiny bit of angst | Word Count: 4.3k
Warnings: smut, oral (f receiving), unprotected sex
A/N: The penultimate chapter! She’s wordy but she’s cute. No, I am not immune to manufactured angst that is solved by a man being very kind and understanding. Also, reader has a canon maiden name, sorry if that’s weird. I hope you like it! ♡
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You woke to a soft but persistent knock on the front door.
You frowned a little as you wrapped a sheet around you and went to see who it was - surely it was just Din, as nobody else knew you were here. You opened the door and immediately wished you’d taken a moment to make yourself more presentable.
A boy who couldn’t have been older than twelve was standing expectantly on the top step, looking entirely too unbothered by your appearance that would have indicated to anyone a slight bit older what exactly you were staying on Naboo for. You hastily wrapped the sheet around you with more intentionality and tried to tame your sleep-mussed hair.
“Miss Tilyria?” the boy asked.
You almost didn’t know what to say. No one had called you that in ages, and it made you slightly wistful to be on Naboo hearing your maiden name again.
“Yes,” you said, a little hesitantly. You wondered if someone from your past had seen you in the city yesterday. “How can I help?”
The boy gave you a smile and held out a package neatly wrapped in brown paper. “The Mandalorian said I was to bring this to you.”
You took it from him, careful of the wrappings, and smiled to yourself. What had Din gone and surprised you with now?
“He also told me to give you a message,” the boy said seriously, and you knew Din had made it out to be a mission of vital importance. Being on speaking terms with a Mandalorian was a very great honor for the boy, you knew, and you smiled at the thought of Din creating a little adventure to fill the boy’s morning.
“What message is that, darling?” you asked. His accent had taken you back to your youth, and you recalled fondly that children on Naboo were called by terms of endearment whether you knew them or not.
He beamed. “I'm to tell you that the Mandalorian’s work kept him out longer than expected, and he hopes you can accept his apology for being late.”
You cradled the package in your hands, knowing the gift was a part of that apology; Din knew he didn’t need to ply you with gifts to keep himself in your good graces, but it was a sweet gesture all the same.
“And the Mandalorian paid you for your trouble?” you asked.
“Yes, miss,” the boy said, nodding earnestly.
You smiled. “Thank you for helping him, dearest. I know we’re both very grateful to you.”
“You’re welcome,” he said with a proud smile. “Have a good day, miss!”
You gave him a wave as he scampered off down the steps, singing a little nursery rhyme to himself. You started to hum it too, remembering it from time spent playing with your friends as a child.
You took the package inside, your sheet-dress skimming over the floor as you made your way to the table on the terrace. The morning sun was bright and warm on your shoulders, and you felt a flutter of giddiness in your chest as you opened your present.
“Oh, Din,” you gasped, unfolding the layers of soft sea-green silk organza that fell through your fingers like water. It was the most beautiful dress you’d ever seen, vibrant with delicate flowers of every hue stitched into the bodice and sheer sleeves. The fabric caught the sunlight and little silver butterflies hidden among the flowers shimmered every time the dress moved.
You wanted to put it on as soon as you took it out of the wrapping, but you made yourself be patient. You carefully folded it back up and placed it on the settee; your fingers trailed lovingly over the fabric for a moment before you untucked the sheet you wore and put it back on the bed. Your new dress - and the man who’d bought it for you - deserved you looking your best, and you took your time getting ready.
You lathered yourself with flowery soap in the shower, soothing any remaining ache that lingered from your time on the frozen planet. This trip had been just what you and Din needed, and though you knew you’d have to go back to the more demanding pace of your life soon enough, you savored the time you had to simply be with your husband. You rubbed sweet-smelling lotion into your skin as you dried off in the sun, hoping your Mandalorian wouldn’t be too much later in returning to you.
It felt more luxurious than anything you’d done in a long time to lay out on the terrace with nothing on you but the sunshine, letting your hair dry with the slight breeze as you stretched out on the reclining chair and listened to the birdsong. The terrace was hedged on both sides by flowering bushes and willow trees, leaving you safe from any prying eyes, and you drank in the feel of the sun’s warmth all over your body.
When you couldn’t keep your excitement in check any longer, you went back inside and unfurled the dress again. It was so beautiful, more beautiful than any dress you’d owned before you married. You put it on carefully, minding the little silk blooms; it settled a little off your shoulders and swirled over the floor, and you positively glowed with happiness. You were not surprised that it fit perfectly - it was very like Din to know the details of your sizing, as attentive as he was.
You sat at the vanity and added the barest touch of makeup, glossing your lips a little and twining small flowers into your hair. You felt more beautiful than you had in a long time, and you couldn’t wait for your husband to come back so you could thank him.
You didn’t have to wait long. You were tucking the last of the flowers into your hair, trying to make them sit just so, when the door opened behind you. You caught a glimpse of beskar in the mirror and turned with a beaming smile on your face.
“Din!” you said happily, rushing over to him, the hem of your dress trailing behind you over the floor. You threw your arms around his neck and he caught you against him on instinct.
“I’m so happy you’re back,” you said sincerely, looking up at his helmet. You waited for a beat, perhaps a little selfishly, for him to comment on your dress, but he said nothing.
You pulled back and twirled for him; your dress belled out around you and you couldn’t help a giggle at the feeling of the soft fabric. You felt like a princess, and you hoped Din liked it as much as you did.
You gave him an expectant smile, but he still didn’t say anything - he hadn’t removed his helmet, either, so you couldn’t tell what he was thinking. You felt a sudden flurry of nervousness, casting about for reasons why he wouldn’t be happy. Perhaps it hadn’t been meant for you at all - but no, it could only have been for you. What other Mandalorian knew your maiden name and would send you a gift in the first place? 
Perhaps he’d been intending for you to wait to put it on, in which case you could better understand his upset, but still didn’t know why he’d be downright sullen about it to the point of not speaking to you. Then, the worst thought of all - maybe he was angry with you because you hadn’t thanked him, and he felt you were taking his generosity for granted.
Rationally you knew that didn’t seem like him at all, but it didn’t take much for the idea to settle. It was too grand and beautiful of a gift; you probably hadn’t been able to afford it, not really. You suddenly felt much less dazzling than you had, and felt a little embarrassed to be flaunting his gift without even having thanked him.
“I’m sorry,” you said quickly, your voice soft with nervousness. You crossed your arms over your chest defensively and couldn’t look up at him.
“Sorry?” he asked. The first thing he’d said to you, and it sounded entirely bewildered even though the modulator. “What are you sorry for?”
You worried the petals of one of the little silk flowers. “I didn’t...” You made yourself look up at him, imploring him to understand you. “I love the dress, Din, more than you know. I know didn’t even thank you for it, and I didn’t mean to make you upset with me, because I  - ”
“Cyare,” he said, gently cutting you off. He took off his helmet then and held it under his arm, and you felt a measure of relief when you saw his expression was nothing but kind.
“I’m not upset with you,” he assured you quickly. “You don’t have to thank me. I...” He looked a little bashful. “It was a gift, and I hoped you would like it, and I’m very glad you do. I wasn’t looking for thanks, cyare.”
“Oh,” you said, feeling a mix of relief and confusion and a fair bit of sheepishness. Of course he hadn’t been withholding his affection because you hadn’t thanked him. You were foolish to have ever thought so.
And yet...
“Why didn’t you say anything?” you asked softly, still a little hurt and confused by his lackluster greeting.
He looked very, very apologetic at that.
“I wanted to,” he hurried to explain. “I just... I know it sounds like an excuse but you were so breathtaking, running over to me like that in your new dress, and I absolutely couldn't think of anything intelligent to say to you. Nothing that would have done justice to how radiant and lovely you look right now.”
“Oh,” you said again. You felt your cheeks warm at the look of heartfelt longing on his face.
“I’m sorry if I hurt you,” he said. “I know I must have. But, cyar’ika...”
He closed the distance between you, and you felt a thrill of desire and affection wash through you at your big, beskar-clad husband looking at you so lovingly.
“You are the most captivating thing I have ever laid eyes on,” he said tenderly, ardently. He tipped your face up with a gentle touch. “In all the galaxy, there is nothing as beautiful as you.”
You let him kiss you, dazed with how much you loved him. You felt a secret bit of pride that you’d so undone your Mandalorian as to render him speechless, and for as lovely as the dress had made you feel, a word from Din could make you feel that beautiful no matter what you wore.
“Thank you,” you said, shy and earnest. You showered his face in kisses, and he laughed.
“You’re welcome, cyare,” he said warmly. “I’m very happy you like it.”
You pressed closer to him, feeling the cool of his beskar through the fabric of your dress. “Come have lunch with me on the terrace,” you said. “You’re probably hungry after all that very important errand-running, aren’t you?”
He hummed in agreement. “A little,” he admitted. “Let me clean up a bit before I join you, alright?”
You relinquished your hold on him with a parting kiss. “Don’t take too long, my love.”
You set yourself to putting lunch out on the table by the pool while he removed his armor and went for a shower. The pantry had all sorts of delicious food you hadn’t enjoyed in a long time - fruits and cheese and bottles of sunberry wine. Most of what you had aboard the Crest was good but not quite so frivolous, and you were glad you didn’t have to worry about cooking a whole meal.
Din came out looking refreshed, his curls damp and his scruff a little more neatly trimmed. He’d dressed in a soft white shirt and dark trousers, and you were happy to see him so relaxed as he took his glass of wine and tapped it against yours in greeting.
“Thank you for making lunch, cyar’ika,” he said.
You smiled. “You’re welcome. It took a lot of effort to get it set up so pretty for you.”
He chuckled and picked an orange from the fruit bowl. “What did you get up to while I was gone?”
You took half of the orange slices when he offered them to you. “I was asleep until your little friend came knocking.”
“How did that go? At first I thought it was clever of me to use your maiden name, and then I remembered that anyone who knows here would know you by that name.”
He touched a few fingers to his temple to indicate his foolishness, and it was such an endearing little gesture that you couldn’t help a laugh.
“It was a little surprising to hear it,” you admitted. “It was kind of nice, but not as nice as being called Mrs. Djarin.”
You followed him over to the balcony, watching as he leaned on the railing and looked out at the mountains.
He thumbed the rim of his wine glass. “I’m sorry you don’t get called that very often,” he said. He looked over at you. “I can’t imagine it’s any easier for you than it is for me to stay so... anonymous.”
To your knowledge, only a handful of people knew his name - you, Cara, Greef, and Omera. Your parents, too, and you knew how much it meant that he’d given them his full name when he asked to court you. Part of it was just the anonymity that Mandalorians valued so highly - they were simply harder to find if you didn’t know their names or faces.
The other part had come with your baby: now that you were technically on the run, his name was the most valuable piece of information the New Republic or Imperial warlords could get their hands on. Din Djarin was a man with a past, with a link to something they could use as leverage; a nameless Mandalorian was just that, and there were an indeterminate number of them to sift through to find the right person. 
For you to be called by his last name would be very risky for all of you, so in most cases, you were merely “the Mandalorian’s wife”. Some encounters were better left completely void of your attachment to him at all, and you had played the part of the nursemaid more than once. You’d had to play a slave girl once, and that had sent your husband into an emotional turmoil you had a hard time untangling. You eventually realized he was torn between guilt at feeling like he’d degraded you and a wild, irresistible lust for you, and you helped him work that out in a way that ended with your skimpy little costume shredded on the floor of the Crest’s refresher.
There at the balcony, you ran an affectionate hand over his back and tried to ease the slight tension he held across his shoulders.
“Thank you for saying so,” you said gently. “I wish we didn’t have to be so careful about it, but if it keeps you and our baby safe, it’s alright if you’re the only one who calls me that.”
He looked over at you and smiled. “I love you, Mrs. Djarin.”
You leaned close and kissed him; he was sweet with wine and fruit, and his cheeks were warm with sunshine.
“You look so pretty in your new dress, cyar’ika,” he said sweetly. He nosed against your jaw and breathed deeply. “You smell nice, too.”
You gave a soft laugh. “I wanted to get all dolled up for you,” you said. “It’s not every day we get to lounge around without a toddler to mind or a ship to pilot.”
He set his wine glass on the railing and put his hands on your waist, drawing you close. “We should get back to them in a few days,” he said. “I don’t want to leave him for too long.”
“Me either,” you said truthfully, though with the way your husband was kissing your neck, you weren’t sure anything could have convinced you to leave just then.
“But for right now, I want to be here with you,” he said, dipping his head to kiss your collarbone. “And I want to see what’s under that pretty new dress of yours.”
You bit your lip as he sank to his knees in front of you, steadying yourself against the railing as he took the hem of your dress and tucked it neatly into the ribbon belt. 
He gave an appreciative hum. “Well, then. Nothing under your dress, I see. How scandalous of you, Mrs. Djarin.”
He pressed a kiss to the top of your thigh. “Seems like you were hoping this afternoon might go a certain way, hm?”
You almost rolled your eyes, smiling to yourself. 
“You’d never have known if you hadn’t been so keen to look, Mando,” you said cooly.
He looked up at you and grinned. “Fine, you got me.” He traced his fingers over the backs of your thighs. “May I show you just how much I like you in this dress, my love?”
You nodded, every bit of your cool, teasing demeanor lost to you as he gently brought your leg over his shoulder.
“Din,” you breathed, gripping the railing as his tongue parted your folds and started in on you with an admirable enthusiasm. You leaned your head back as he lapped at your heat; he was being a bit less careful than usual, but no less skillful. You gave a breathy moan as he sucked on your clit, and his own groan of desire made you shudder with  pleasure.
“Oh, Din, Din - ” you gasped, feeling yourself quickly lose any thread of control as he eased his fingers inside of you, his tongue still on your clit. He curled his fingers inside of you and you quickly came undone, tangling your fingers in his hair as you moaned his name through your orgasm.
“Love it when you call my name like that,” he said, standing to give you a bruising kiss. Your legs still shook with pleasure and you steadied yourself against him, bracketed protectively by his arms as he held your waist.
“I want to try something,” he said. His voice was rough with desire, and you didn’t think you could deny him anything in your power to give.
“Okay,” you agreed. He picked you up by your waist and sat you on the balcony railing; in a brief panic, you grabbed at his shoulders and pressed closer to him.
He chuckled. “I’m not going to let you fall, cyar’ika,” he said, holding you close to comfort you for a moment. He sucked love marks into your neck and circled your waist with his arm.
“Let me take you right here, cyare,” he said. “I want everyone to know you’re mine.”
And oh, you would have said yes in a heartbeat to something like that, his possessiveness alone enough to flood your whole body with heat. You were still a little uneasy with the balcony, though, and wanted convincing.
“And if I tumble right off to my death?” you asked.
He smiled against your skin. “You won’t, I promise. I’ve tussled with things a lot bigger than you, and falling off a cliff wasn’t what killed them.”
“No?” you asked. His hands on your breasts were awfully distracting.
“I am a man of some honor,” he said, kissing the top of your breastbone. “And I figure letting someone tumble off a cliff isn’t a very noble kill.”
“Oh, well, that’s reassuring,” you said. “You’ll keep me close when you kill me, then.”
He laughed. “No one’s killing anyone, cyar’ika. You trust me, don’t you?”
He had you there, and he knew it. “Of course I trust you, Din.”
“Okay then,” he said with a smile, punctuating it with a kiss. “Relax, cyare. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
You let yourself sink into his touch, cradling his face as he kissed you. He kept one arm around you, steady and safe, and gave his cock a few quick strokes before he settled himself between your legs.
“Easy, cyar’ika,” he said affectionately as you held tightly to him. You hooked your legs around his waist as he pushed into you, leaning back against his hand that rested steadily on the small of your back, taking him as deeply as you could. You kind of liked it, the headiness of depending on him so completely to keep you safe as you took him inside of you.
“Maker,” he breathed. “You take me so well, my love.”
That was certainly a compliment, considering how well-endowed he was. You remembered how wide-eyed you’d been at him your first night together, and how he’d lavished you with praise for how well you’d done.
That night, he’d whisked you away to your love nest after all the guests were gone, both of you eager for him to finally remove his helmet for you and take you to bed for the first time. The place you’d honeymooned was nearer to your village in the country, a small lake house that had been in your family for generations and had probably seen many a young bride and her new husband discover each other. Din had been very slow and gentle with you, and despite neither of you knowing what you were doing, it ended up an enjoyable night for both of you.
It seemed your husband was remembering that night too.
“I thought you would break, the first time you took me inside of you,” he said. He laughed a little and you felt his cheeks warm against yours.
“That sounded awfully prideful, forgive me,” he amended. “I really have no clue how I compare to anyone else in terms of... size, so I shouldn’t be very big-headed about it.”
You laughed and kissed his cheek, endeared by his humility.  “Let me put it this way, darling,” you said. “You’re very well-hung.”
He laughed out loud at that, bright and warm and beautiful.
“Well, that’s encouraging to know,” he said. “Thank you, cyare.”
You smiled when you kissed him.
“I was just so afraid to hurt you,” he said, his hands wandering over you. “I was so used to violence, and you were the softest, most beautiful thing I’d touched in all my life. I didn’t know if I could... if I was good enough, or kind enough to treat you how you deserved.”
Despite your nervousness that night, you’d known he wouldn’t hurt you. Din was incapable of it, of really hurting you, and even at his roughest he was still an attentive and selfless lover.
“I thought I would break too,” you said, teasing him gently. “But we fit together, you and me - perfect for each other.”
He started to move, and you sighed against his shoulder as he drew out of you and sheathed himself to the hilt again. He took his time and built up your pace slowly, kissing you deeply. You gripped his shoulders as he snapped his hips against yours.
“Perfect for each other,” he agreed against your skin, running his hands over your thigh. “Ner mesh’la riduur.”
“Din,” you managed, giving a broken gasp when he reached between you to circle your clit. Maker, he was so good to you. You carded your fingers through his hair and raised your legs to draw him deeper.
You moaned his name as he took you, possessive and a little rough with pleasure. Like he'd wanted, everyone within hearing distance of your balcony heard who exactly was bedding you so well.
“I’m close, cyare,” he groaned into your neck. You felt yourself tighten around him and leaned your head back in pleasure.
“Me too,” you gasped. “Cum with me, please.”
He gave one, two, three more strokes, circling your clit as he buried himself deep inside you and came with a desperate groan. You came when he did, riding out his last sloppy thrusts as he rubbed you through your orgasm.
“Osi’kyr,” he breathed as he kissed you.
“You only say that when we get into dogfights,” you said with a laugh. Without fail, every time he had to do some fancy flying to get someone off your tail, you’d hear that exclamation from the cockpit.
He gave a tired laugh. “Yes, well, I’d much rather be saying it with you than while trying to get away from some X-Wings.”
He pulled out of you and you drew him close, wanting him against you still. You brushed his curls back from his face.
“Thanks for not letting me fall off the balcony,” you said with a kiss.
“Any time, cyar’ika,” he said, and you could feel his smile against your mouth. 
-
You spent the rest of the day on the terrace, dipping your feet in the pool and sharing slices of shuura fruit and oranges. You got wine and sun-drunk, both of you giggling like school kids at funny stories you took turns telling and little jokes you'd built up with each other over the years. You loved that nothing had to take him away from you - he could stay, as long as he wanted, and you hung off him as if to make up for all of the times you couldn't.
"You're tired of me, aren't you?" you teased. He'd found a seat at the table while you went in to get another bottle of wine, and instead of getting your own chair, you were sitting in his lap.
He smiled as you kissed over his cheeks and the bridge of his nose, pink and warm with the sun.
"No," he said sincerely. "I could never be tired of you."
He traced patterns against your hips, content you let you kiss him as the sun started to set. The air was steadily growing cooler, and you cuddled closer to him.
"Would you like to live here?" he asked. "If we ever got the chance to settle down?"
You smiled. "You mean if you and our son ever stop being fugitives from the law?"
He chuckled. "If we're ever lucky enough for that to happen, yes."
You considered that, looking out over the mountains as the sun sank behind them and cast marvelous pinks and oranges over the surface of the lake. 
"I hadn't really thought about it," you admitted. "It's hard to plan or dream about our future when everything seems so immediate, day to day. Of course I would love for our children to grow up somewhere safe, but if that's the Crest, then I'd be just as happy there as anywhere else."
He curled his arm around you as you rested your head on his shoulder. "Do you think so?" he asked, and you knew he wasn't sure you were telling the truth, whether consciously or not.
"What do you mean?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. The Crest is the only place I've called home, really. And I know it's your home too, but you grew up on one planet, with the same friends and school teachers through your whole childhood. You don't want that for our kids?"
You drew his hand over your stomach and held it there, drawing circles over his knuckles. You hoped you would be pregnant soon - now that you knew it was what you both wanted, you found yourself daydreaming about how different and wonderful your life would be with a new baby.
It would be hard to have two babies on the Crest. There really wasn’t room for a family of four; it was a bachelor’s ship, and you’d made it comfortable enough for the three of you, but it would only get harder if you had more children. You didn’t want to leave the Crest - it was your home, your first home with your husband, familiar and safe like an old friend. But Din was right; if you were honest with yourself, you had envisioned your children growing up like you had, not with the transient childhood that Din had gone through.
You sighed. “I don’t know,” you said. “I guess I do. But...”
You trailed off, unsure you even wanted to talk about something that seemed so unachievable. Of course you wanted to settle down with him and raise your family - but it wasn’t feasible right now, and it made you confused and sad to think about it.
He sensed your hesitation and twined his fingers with yours.
“It’s ok,” he said. “We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”
You ran your fingers over his collarbone. “I want to talk about it sometime,” you said. “When we’re closer to being able to do it, you know? Right now everything just seems so... jumbled.”
His laugh was a little melancholic. “Yeah, I know what you mean.”
You were both quiet for a moment; then, sensing your lovers’ getaway drifting into more serious territory than you wanted, you sat up and gave him a quick, deep kiss.
“We have our whole lives to worry about those sorts of things,” you said. You stood and offered him a hand. “Come on, Mando. Let’s go jump on the bed or something.”
He grinned up at you as he took your hand. “Don’t fuss if I start a pillow fight, then.”
You smirked. “I won’t fuss if you let me win.”
He let you kiss him and take him by the hand; your worries about the future were soon forgotten in a flurry of feathers, and you held on to every single moment like it was something precious.
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Read chapter five!
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theworldofotps · 4 years ago
Text
Silent Stranger (Part 1)
Pairing: Dexter Lumis x Reader Word Count: 2,377 Description: New to NXT, Y/n makes some new friends who warn her to stay away from one of their coworkers. Misunderstood and silent Dexter can’t help but admire the new woman at work.
Part 2
Part 3
Dedicated to the sweet anon who said they would like to read some Dexter fics in the future. And I had been planning to but never had an idea, my sweet friend Rachael gave me this idea which I love. Anon I really hope you like this, and thank you so much @new-zealand-chic for all your help. Xx
Warning: Povs switch between first and third person throughout the fic. They are separated by ~~~ so hopefully you don’t get confused. ____________ Tag list:
@hungmanhorsecarriage @writtingrose @sjwrites22 @sassymox @the-beastslayers-queen @thewrestlingwarehouse @new-zealand-chic @mrsambroserollinsacklesmgk @xladyxfatex @biforrollynch @irish-newzealand-idian-dutch @demonqueen29 @itsicantbelievethis666  @lilred91 @xbreezymeadowsx @rebellious-desires @youcantreignonmyparade @melblacc @undiscovereddisneyroyalty
If you wanna be added to the list lemme know. _____________
“Glad you could finally join us Y/n we’ve heard some amazing things from the PC about you, I truly hope you enjoy working here with us at NXT.”
“Thank you so much Hunter I really appreciate it, I’m sure I’ll love it.”
I smile shaking his hand, standing I pull my bag over my shoulder following behind him as he leads the way from his office.
“I’ve already gone ahead and asked Shotzi to show you around just until you learn the ropes and know where everything this. She was thrilled to be the welcome committee, any questions you have just go ahead and ask her.”
“Thank you that takes away some of the nervousness I had.”
Following Hunter, down a few halls, we come to the back area where a few superstars were sat at tables doing their own thing or eating.
“Hey Shotzi come here for a moment please.”
I watch as an energetic woman comes over quickly her green hair standing out brightly, at least I wouldn’t lose or mistake her for someone else.
“What’s up boss?”
“This is Y/n, she’s the new superstar I was talking to you about the other day.”
“Of course the one I’m showing the ropes to, it’s so nice to meet you I hope that you enjoy working with us here.”
“Thank you, it’s nice to met you too I really appreciate you helping me.”
“You’re welcome, it’s no trouble at all I know how hard it can be when you first get here and who better to befriend on your first day than me?”
Shotzi laughs and lets out a little howl then hooks her arm with mine quickly leading me away from Hunter who chuckles waving. Walking around Shotzi points out a bunch of different areas and even introduces me to a few of the other wrestlers sitting or walking around. 
“What do you think so far?”
“It’s great better than I ever dreamed it could be I’m honestly so excited that this is going to be my life.”
Smiling as we sit at a table with some bottles of water and a bag of chips to share I look around watching everyone.
“Is this everyone?”
“No way, there are some in other parts of the building working out and some didn’t come in today. But you’ll see most of them on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.”
“Okay got it.”
I say eating a few of my chips as nervous as I was to be finally here I was more excited and hoped to befriend some of my coworkers.
“Once you’ve finished eating we can head over to one of the practice gyms and do some work to practice for whatever match you end up having first for your debut.”
“Sounds good to me I’m more than ready to get started.”
Shotzi smiles at me patting my back as we make small talk finishing our snack then heading off to find a ring to work out in. ~~~~~~~ Dexter walks quietly down the hallway he had just finished a match and gotten a shower. Since he wasn't needed for anything else tonight he was going home. Adjusting his duffel bag on his shoulder, he gets halfway through the center before feeling a smaller body crash into his from behind. Thinking it was someone doing an unexpected promo he quickly turns around stopping when he sees the new woman that joined NXT a few weeks ago. 
“I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to run into you. I'm trying to hide from my friend and wasn’t watching where I was going.”
She says and gives him an apologetic smile, Dexter offers his hand helping the woman up off the floor looking her over to be sure she wasn’t hurt then gives an incline of his head. She was trying to keep her balance as she adjusted her shoe. Hearing someone call her name he turns and leaves continuing on his way to the parking lot. Not noticing the woman left standing behind, staring after him. Getting into his car he starts it pulling out of the lot and driving back home.
That was the first time he had seen her face to face, the last few weeks she was at Full Sail he had taken a genuine interest in her. He had learned a little about her having overheard conversations with their coworkers while he was eating lunch. He honestly was kind of hoping to run into her sooner or later and found himself wanting to befriend the woman. He just wasn't sure how to go about it, maybe it was just best for him to be silent and wait. It was what he did best and he really didn't want to let people know he was curious about her.  
The drive from Full Sail to his house was filled with a little music playing on the radio. Other than that his mind was just wondering, he couldn't help but smile when he moved and the faint scent of your perfume hit his nose. You hadn't even touched him for that long. Parking in the garage once home he goes inside. Dexter was more than ready to sleep; he just needed to brush his teeth and change into pajamas. Stepping into his bedroom Dexter begins stripping crawling into bed once he is changed and settled. He was excited to go back to work to see you. 
~~~~~~~~~ Looking up from my book I smile seeing Finn walk into my room carrying a small vase full of flowers. 
"Y/n delivery." 
"Hey Finn, wow those are beautiful where did they come from?"
"I don't know I was coming to see if you wanted to grab lunch with Shotzi and I. They were sitting on the floor outside your door and there is a card that says. 'Hope you enjoy these flowers, they pale in comparison to you.'"
“Awe that’s so sweet.”
Standing I took the flowers, smelling them then reading the card, it was typed out so I wasn’t able to find out from handwriting who sent them. 
“I wonder why they didn’t sign their name.”
“Well if you ask me I think you have an admirer.”
“Oh come on Finn I haven’t even been here that long how could someone admire me?”
Setting the flowers on my small table I read over the card once more as he sighs dramatically and sits down next to me.”
“Because you’re an awesome person who just seems to draw people in even when you don’t mean to. I know you don’t feel like you’re good at making friends but people just can’t help but want to be around you.”
“If you hadn’t trained me at the PC would you have felt that way when I came here?”
“Probably then again I don’t know, being the champ makes me busy so it’s a probability but I’m sure we would have become friends quickly anyway.”
“Awe that’s sweet of you.”
Pinching his cheek lightly I laugh as he swats my hand away standing back up and stretching. 
“You wanna go get some lunch?”
“Yes I’m hungry.”
Standing I grab my phone pocketing it and following Finn from the room shutting the door behind me, placing my arm through his grinning.
”Lead the way Prinxey.”
~~~~~~~~
Dexter watches from the shadows as Finn picked the flowers up that he had left for y/n, he really hoped that you liked them. Waiting until you left he walked over with a small gift box full of a few things for a self care day. Opening the door a crack he slides the gift in, he didn’t want to invade your privacy by going all the way in. And he was thankful you hadn’t remembered to lock the door before you left. Closing your door gently Dexter quickly leaves just to keep anyone from spotting him. Going back to his room he sits down to start on a drawing he was doing for you.
For the next month Dexter left you small gifts, drawings and notes just something to make you smile. Nobody could tell you who it was doing this all and he couldn’t believe his luck that you hadn’t found out it was him yet. You two still had no communication apart from the night you ran into him. He was good at staying hidden and to be honest he was nervous about how you’d react. It wasn’t any secret that a lot of people thought he was weird and even a bit scary. But the few people he had managed to befriend they all stayed out of each other's intimate relationships. And he wasn't sure if he wanted to go changing that now. ~~~~~~
"I can't for the life of me figure out who's been sending these gifts."
"Have you gotten any new ones lately?" 
Looking across the table at Johnny whose wife I was currently feuding with, I nod my head. Reaching into my bag I pull out the most recent picture. Handing it to him I watch as he looks it over then shows it to the guy beside him. 
"I can almost guarantee you that it's Lumis, he's the only person around here I've seen that draws like this."
Johnny says and hands the picture back with a chuckle.
"Which one is he?" 
I ask as if I didn't already know, I had been paying attention to Lumis since that night I ran into him. There was just something about his presence that made me want to know more about him. 
"He's that really tall guy kind of blonde colored hair, mustache and muscles he wears those leather gloves when he wrestles." 
Johnny says and then points towards the door over my shoulder. 
"That one right there, aye Dexter! Are you the one sending these weird pictures to Y/n?"
"Like you'd actually stand a chance?"
The guy sitting with Johnny laughs loudly, frowning I watch as Dexter stops in his tracks staring at our table. He quickly turned away leaving the catering area.
"Why would you do that?"
"Oh come on y/n don't worry or waste your time on Lumis he's a freak that's why he stays to himself."
Johnny listens to his friend before turning his attention back towards me.
"You'd do your best to stay away from him y/n honestly."
"I think that should be my choice to make and right now I'm going after him. I suggest you two find something else to do then be awful to someone who just doesn't wanna talk to people."
Grabbing my things I quickly leave the catering area looking down the hallways. I had no idea where Dexter had gone or even what room he stayed in. Pulling my phone out I text Finn.
Y/n🎶⭐: Do you know where Dexter's room is?
Hitting send I begin walking around if Finn couldn't help me I may have to find a staff member who could.
Finn😈👑: It's one hall down from mine left turn
Finn😈👑: Why?
Y/n🎶⭐: Cause Johnny thinks he's the one that's been sending me the pictures and gifts and they called him out on it and I think they made him feel bad
Y/n🎶⭐: So I wanna talk to him
Finn😈👑: Dexter doesn't really talk to anyone here except for the few people that he's friends with
Y/n🎶⭐: It's worth a shot
Finn😈👑: Just be careful and if you need anything let me know
Y/n🎶⭐: I know thanks Finn
Pocketing my phone I make my way down the hallways heading for Finn's room. Once past it I go down turning left. I look at the doors, not all the superstars had their own changing rooms but Dexter's was one of the only few back here. Taking a deep breath I knock on the door then step back to wait and see if he opened the door.
"Hi Dexter."
I wave after he opens the door.
"Can I come in please?"
Dexter steps out of the way after a moment of hesitation, stepping inside I walk a little farther in his room and look around. He motions to the couch, smiling at him I sit down fiddling with my fingers in my lap.
"We haven't formally met apart from me running into you, I'm Y/n. I wanted to come and apologize for how Johnny and whatever his friend's name treated you. I didn't think showing him the picture would cause that, I was just hoping he could help me figure who sent it."
Pulling out the picture I place it on the small coffee table between us.
"Did you do this? Are you the one who's been giving me the flowers, little gifts and drawings."
Watching Dexter rub a hand against his neck then nods his head, smiling at his gaze darting around the room I place it back in my bag.
"I want to thank you for everything. It was really sweet of you. You don't have to be embarrassed about it either if you were, I'm actually quite flattered."
I explained looking around the room, he hadn't said anything yet and I wasn't sure what else to really say.
"I know you don't really say much but maybe would you like to exchange numbers? I think we could be really good friends, and it would be easier for you."
Dexter nods and grabs his phone, swapping we put our names in and I hand it back.
"Well I guess that I better go, I have a practice match coming up and I don't wanna miss out. Thank you again."
Standing I walk to the door Dexter holding it open for me, stepping out I turn giving his hand a light squeeze then quickly making my way back towards my room. I felt really good about how it went and I hoped we could be friends. Stopping at my door when my phone goes off I pull it out smiling.
D. Lumis👁️👁️: Would you like to go get coffee or something sometime? Maybe Wednesday morning?
Y/n💮: I would love to😊
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wlntrsldler · 4 years ago
Text
unrequited (draco malfoy/ cedric diggory series)
PROMPT: You and Cedric grew up together. After the tragedy of the Triwizard Tournament, you’re left feeling empty without your best friend. Draco Malfoy steps into the picture. Will the feelings be reciprocated? Or will it be unrequited?
WARNINGS: MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH, angst, fluff, sadness???
PAIRING: draco malfoy x reader and cedric diggory x reader; hufflepuff reader
WC: 2.1K+
UNREQUITED MASTERLIST
UNREQUITED PLAYLISTS (SEND ME SONGS!)
-
PART 8
Much to your dismay, you and Draco went back to acting like you didn’t know each other after that night. He avoided you at all costs, even going as far as moving his seat in Potions. Snape caught on after a while, eyeing Draco from the other side of the room when he would try to subtly look at you. 
He stopped looking at you in the Great Hall, changing his seat so his back was facing you. You didn’t know what happened or what you did, but it bothered you. He closed himself off again, reverting back to the Draco you despised. Although he no longer made fun of you and your friends, it still hurt knowing that he acted like you didn’t exist.
You were in your dormitory, doing some last minute packing. Everyone else was already off on their way home for the holidays. The Weasleys, Hermione and Harry left for the Burrow some time ago, leaving you to yourself as you said you had to take care of something beforehand. You wanted to go somewhere before the holidays.
You placed the last sweater into your backpack, letting out a breath of relief that you were finally done with packing. You always hated packing, that’s why you pushed it off to the very last minute. You zipped up your backpack and placed it at the foot of your bed, mentally scolding yourself for working to fit everything in one bag. You knew your back was going to kill you. 
You tugged your coat on, double checking to see if you had everything. The golden bottle of cologne stood lonesome on your desk, reminding you that you had to pack it. You walked over, getting a hold of the bottle and spritizing some on. Chamomile and honey, just how you like it. 
“Y/N?” 
Startled, you dropped the bottle, the contents spilling out of the broken glass. You turned around, surprised that there were even still people in the castle. You saw Draco standing by the doorway, eyes apologetic when he saw the wet stain on the floor caused by your cologne. You scolded, “Merlin, Draco. Don’t sneak up on me like that.” 
“Sorry,” He apologized, awkwardly standing by the door.
You knelt down and picked up the large pieces, tossing them in the trash. You wiped up the cologne, cursing that you had to wait until you got back to pick up a new bottle. “What are you doing here?” 
“I just wanted to wish you a Happy Christmas.” Draco stated. “I know it’s been really weird between us and I just-” He took in a breath. “I just wanted to say have a Happy Christmas.”
“I wonder why it’s been weird.” You snapped, picking up your bag to make your way out of the dormitories. “Seriously, Draco. What the hell is wrong with you?”
He groaned, shutting the door behind him. He approached you, not wanting to startle you so he calmed himself down before he stopped in front of you. “I know, Y/N. I’ve been an arse. I just-”
“You what?” 
“Let me finish.” He huffed, crossing his arms over his chest like a child. “I just can’t talk about the Dark Lord and stuff like that. I get a squirmy.” 
“Squirmy?” 
“Yeah, you know like… I get weir-”
You cut him off again, “I know what it means, Draco. I’m asking, why?”
He groaned again, rubbing his eyes with his palms.”That’s- It’s complicated.”
“I hate that phrase.” 
He cocked an eyebrow, “Well, there’s no better way of saying it.” 
“I guess.”
“Y/N,” His voice was calmer now. He sounded more at ease than before. He stepped towards you, grabbing you by the shoulders to steady you. “It’s complicated, okay? I just can’t talk about it. Especially not with you.” 
You stared at his hands on your body. You couldn’t help but smile at how absurd you two must look right now. Draco Malfoy, the touch starved boy, holding onto you like a lifeline with the most worried look on his face that anyone has ever seen, in the middle of a Hufflepuff girl dormitory. His eyes were pleading, expensive shoes getting stained by the leftover cologne you didn’t wipe clean, and his fingers digging into your skin, but not to the point where it hurt. You don’t know how you got here, but you did. 
You chuckled, raising your hand to place it on top of his- less cold than you remembered. “Okay, Draco.”
He smiled, eyes darting down to where you touched him. “Okay.” 
You moved his hand to intertwine your fingers, an action that seemed so natural. You hummed in appreciation as he rubbed his thumb over the top of your hand. You traced the veins on his hand with your other hand, drawing figure-eights on his pale skin. He shivered under your feather light touch. You both looked up at the same time, eyes twinkling with something new. You didn’t know what it was but it was nice. Being with Draco, this Draco, was nice. 
You stood there for a while, just smiling at each other like fools. You tried to look away so many times but his smile was addicting. It was a crime that he didn’t do it more often. His smile was contagious. And when he let out a genuine laugh at how long you two held your stares, probably realizing how stupid you were both acting, you could’ve swore your heart fluttered in your chest. Draco Malfoy, you thought, who would’ve known?
“Well,” He started, backing away but his sheepish smile remained on his face. “Happy Christmas, Y/N. I’ll see you after the holidays. Enjoy your time with the Weasleys.” 
Your smile faltered a bit, not wanting him to go so soon, but it was progress. You’d take it over nothing. “Bye Draco. Enjoy your holiday, as well.” 
He gave you a courteous nod before walking out of your dormitory, shutting the door quietly behind him. The castle was quiet enough that you heard his footsteps receding down the hallway. You plopped down on your bed, unable to stop smiling and replaying the scene that happened in front of you. What the hell was going on? 
You left the castle an hour after your encounter with Draco. You made your way to the cemetery where Cedric was put to rest. It was your first time going since the funeral and a part of you felt guilty because of it. You knew you should’ve been there more often and visited him but you couldn’t bring yourself to do it. Seeing his name engraved in the stone made it too real and for a long time you weren’t ready to face a reality that didn’t have Cedric in it. 
You knew he would’ve wanted you to continue living. He always found the value of life, always telling you to look on the bright side of things. He was a glass half-full type of person, always was. He would joke around when you were younger that if he were to die early, he wanted you to keep him in the back of your mind, but never let his death keep you from being happy. He would’ve been disappointed in you, the first few months of his death, because you did exactly what he said not to do. But now, you tried to obey his wishes. 
You felt the snowfall as you walked towards the gates of the cemetery. You carried your backpack with your clothes on your back, unable to feel the pain as the lines of tombstones made you feel numb. You’d only been there once but it was like your feet knew exactly where to go. 
Nobody was around, which made sense. It was cold out and the snow kept falling with no hesitations. Everyone was indoors, snuggled up in blankets with their loved ones. You saw some indents of footsteps going in and out of the cemetery. You studied them for a moment. One set of footprints belonged to a child; you could tell because it was so small. It reminded you of yours when you first buried your mother in the Muggle cemetery, holding your aunt’s hand tightly as you cried into your shoulder. 
You saw a field of flowers by one tombstone and you knew it was Cedric’s. Your heart skipped when you saw how many people still thought of him. It made you feel like you weren’t alone, for once. Like you weren’t crazy for always thinking of him, dreaming of him, almost feeling his touch. Maybe nobody else missed him in the same way as you did, but it was comforting to know that other people missed him too. Was that horrible? 
You sat in front of the tombstone, Cedric’s name seemed to blind you. You felt tears prick your eyes as they danced over the fresh flowers people left on his grave. A few from some Hufflepuffs, a bouquet from Mr. Diggory, and one from the Trio and the twins. You smiled, knowing they stopped by before you did to pay their respects. You really did have the best of friends. 
“Hey Ced,” You greeted, unable to stop the tears from falling. “I’m sorry I haven’t been around lately. I couldn’t bring myself to see you. Selfish, right? You’re the one who died and I’m the one who’s acting like her life is over.” You chuckled, half expecting him to laugh with you. He always laughed at your pitiful jokes. 
“Um, a lot has changed, Ced. Christmas is a few days from now and I know you won’t be there to wake me up. I haven’t seen your dad in a while. It’s gonna be weird without his pancakes.” You bit your lip, uncontrollably shaking. “I’m spending it with the Weasley’s, though, Harry and Hermione, too. They help a lot. They help me a lot.” 
You cleared your throat, digging through your bag to pull out his journal. “I hope you don’t mind but I-I’ve been reading your journal. Your dad gave it to me for my birthday this year. It makes me feel like you’re still around. Like sometimes, I talk to myself, out loud, because I think you’re gonna reply and I look next to me and you’re not there. And I just-” You stopped for a second, trying to steady your voice. “And I just miss you, Ced. I don’t know life without you. You’re my best friend and you’re supposed to be here. You know? You arse. You’re supposed to be here and tell me everything’s gonna be okay and that you love me and this is just a bad dream.” 
You could almost hear his voice, calm and steady, telling you to take a deep breath. He always did that whenever you grew frustrated with him, which he hates to admit, happened a lot. You would be so close to throwing things at him when he pissed you off and he would wrap his arms around you, let you cry and ruin his clothes, while helping you match your breathing with his. Cedric was always so good with that. Always so good with you. 
But he wasn’t there now. And it was unfair of you, you know it was, but you couldn’t help it. You were mad. You were angry. You were hurt that he had to die and leave you to figure life out without him. You lost so many people and loved so hard only for love to spit in your face. You always thought Cedric would be the last person to go. 
Yes, you were selfish. Unfair. Cruel. But dammit, Cedric’s gone. And you were by yourself. 
Your voice grew louder, “You’re supposed to hold me and tell me I’m overreacting. That’s what we do, Ced! We don’t leave each other. You never left me before. Why did you have to go?” Your voice cracked, hands trembling. You noticed how loud you were when the birds flew away at the sound of your voice. You whispered, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell.”
You sniffled, wiping your nose on your coat. “Ced, I wish you were here. I wish it everyday. There’s nothing I wouldn’t give to have you back just for a day, even. An hour. A minute. Anything, Cedric Diggory. I just… I want more time with you. I didn’t get to say goodbye.” 
You placed your palm on his tombstone, like how you used to do on his chest to feel his heart beating under you. “I didn’t get to tell you that I love you back.”
-
A/N: sorry if i spam you guys with updates but i literally LOVE writing this fic. the minute i hit over 2K words and i like the way i ended the chapter, i publish it right away. so if there’s some errors im so sorry. im just too excited LOL. 
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kerikaaria · 4 years ago
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If I Never Met You: Chapter 41
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(Taehyung X Reader) Idol!AU, Manager!Reader
Genre: (PG13) Angst, but lots of fluff
WC: 3.6k
Warnings: None
Series Masterlist
Chapter 40 | Chapter 41 | Chapter 42
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You had never seen Jin so angry. The look on his face was almost enough to make you feel absolutely terrified, even if you knew that anger wasn’t directed at you.
There was no getting past being honest with Jin after he already heard so much. So Yoongi had grabbed his arm and hurriedly dragged him into the stairwell before attempting to calm him down and explain what he had heard.
But there was apparently no calming him down.
“And you guys felt like this wasn’t important information to share?” Seokjin asked.
“We thought it was better if less people knew about it,” Taehyung replied. “There’s nothing we can do at this point, and Bang PD already told noona that he’s going to let her finish healing without anything else being asked of her.”
“That doesn’t make it any less wrong,” Seokjin agitatedly replied. “Are you just letting it slide? Not going to do anything about it?”
“If you heard about that, then didn’t you hear what I told noona?” Yoongi asked, meeting Jin’s intensity.
“I heard Y/n saying about the article’s release being intentional and done behind her back,” Jin answered. “I wasn’t close enough to make out anything before that. But frankly, I don’t care what you said, Yoongi. Something should be done about it!”
“First of all, would you just- please calm down,” Yoongi said, attempting to do the same for himself. “Don’t go waking the whole building. And you should care about what I said before that. What do you want us to do, hyung? Barge into Bang’s office, tell him how much of an injustice it was, and demand he compensate her?”
“Sure, that sounds like a great start,” Jin said, still obviously very agitated, but his voice at a reasonable volume.
“Okay, then what?” Yoongi asked. “Do you think he’s going to just admit it? Do you think there is no chance whatsoever of it affecting noona’s job? Or our own? Do you really want to risk everything you’ve worked for for years, and risk making noona losing her job, make her have to move back home? While she’s still healing?”
“He can’t just do stuff like that, though!” Jin replied incredulously.
“He’s a businessman, Jin,” you said. “He saw an opportunity to better your guys’ image and popularity and he took it.”
Your friend turned to you and furrowed his brows. “You’re not telling me right now that you’re okay with him just- just using you like that, are you?”
“Of course I’m not!” you whisper yelled, making the boys around you flinch. “It is constantly bothering me. He called me earlier today, and I felt so awkward I had no idea how to talk to him. He apologized for asking me to go to the airport to pick you guys up, but I wanted so badly for him to come clean and apologize about the article instead. I can’t tell you how much I want to just wheel right into his office and demand that he tell me what he did and why he did it, even if I already know. I want to hear it straight from his mouth, and I want him to tell me he knows he did something wrong and say he’ll never do it again. But it’s not going to happen, Jin. It’s just not.”
Letting all of the anger you’ve felt over the situation out in your rant made you feel breathless. The others remained quiet for a moment, probably unsure of how to respond to something like that.
“Yoongi is right,” you said. “It’s wrong, and he shouldn’t have done it. I’m getting more attention than I ever asked for and it’s nerve-wracking being this much in the public eye. But what good will it do to ask for an apology? It will make him aware that I know what he did, and probably wonder who else knows. I have no idea if I’d get fired, if he’ll do something to make sure that I can’t tell anyone. And I’m scared of how it could affect you guys. I needed to talk to Tae and Yoongi today because I just had a lot of emotions and wanted to confront him, but knew it wasn’t a good idea and they helped reason that with me.”
Jin chewed on the inside of his cheek while he calmed himself down. “I’m still not okay with this.”
“Neither am I,” you admitted. “But what else can we do, really? Other than hope that he decides to come clean about it on his own.”
“Hyung, please promise you won’t do anything,” Tae pleaded in a small voice. “I really wish I could too, believe me. But I just don’t think this is one of those things we can fight.”
Seokjin didn’t look any of you in the eyes while he said, “Don’t worry, I won’t. I’m sorry for exploding like that, I just-” he sighed, unable to finish his sentence.
“I know, hyung,” Yoongi said, placing a hand on Jin’s shoulder. “I felt the same when I found out. I understand.”
“Now I get why he’s acting so apologetic, though,” Seokjin said. “When he gave us permission to take a long break to take you out of the house, he just seemed odd. I couldn’t place what it was, but it was almost like he felt guilty. Which I guess could be explained by the airport, but it felt like more than that.”
“I mean, being attacked by a couple of sasaengs does make one afraid to leave the house when they’re so defenseless,” you said, laughing a little. “If I could stand on my feet and run away, that’s one thing, but I’m literally at others’ mercy like this.”
“That’s why you have us to protect you,” Tae said, smiling widely at you.
You smiled back, feeling more at ease now that you were all on the same page.
“Alright, let’s get back before someone else gets curious and eavesdrops,” Yoongi said, sending Jin a teasing look.
It was Jin who took you back to your apartment, helping you into bed. Nobody really argued when he silently decided he’d do it, figuring it would help him feel better to help you in the ways that he at least knew he could.
“I seriously can’t wait until you can start walking again,” he said as he helped you gather your covers and tuck in. “Not that it’s a burden to help you, but just because I know how frustrating it is for you.”
You chuckled. “Yeah, you and me both.”
Jin suddenly looked serious as he sat on the edge of your bed. “Y/n, you know you can always come to me for anything, right? If you need anything, I’m here for you.”
You smiled at him. “I know Jin. I promise I will. If I need to talk or just need some company or something, you’re the first person I’d go to.”
“You really are like family, you know?” he said. “It’s not just me. But you really are like a sister to me. So I want to be a good brother to you.”
“You are, Jin. I treasure your friendship. And I love being a part of this family. I would never trade any of you guys for anything.”
“Even if it meant you’d instantly be rich?”
“Absolutely,” you didn’t hesitate to answer. “I’d pick living a poor and hard life if it meant that I had the seven of you with me. I’d even be willing to be stuck in a wheelchair for life.”
Jin laughed quietly. “Well, we’re for sure going to try to not let any of that happen. But thank you, I’m sure we all feel the same.”
He gave your hand a squeeze as he leaned in to kiss your forehead before getting up and you one last ‘good night’ while he left.
You really did have such a wonderful family here.
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By now it had been about two months since your injury. It could take up to six for your legs to fully heal, and with you staying entirely off your feet the hope was that you’d heal more quickly than that.
Two days after that night in the stairwell, Mrs. Kim attended your doctor appointment with you. She was really sweet and you couldn’t have been more grateful for her wanting to keep you company during this short time. It was especially a relief having someone with you when you visited the doctor. Not that you were scared of hospitals or anything, but you often had trouble remembering to ask questions and just nodded along to what the doctor told you. So someone else being there who could remember to do so was a huge help.
After an x-ray of your legs to see how the bones were healing, your doctor informed you that the healing process was going well. It would still be a little while before he recommended anything like walking, but they were at least healed enough that putting some weight on them shouldn’t have been bothersome.
To test it out, he asked you to place your feet on the floor and put a small amount of pressure on them and told you to immediately stop if you felt any pain. You found that it didn’t really hurt with just a bit of weight, but it did feel weird to do so for the first time in so long.
With the confirmation that it didn’t cause any pain, he told you that you were able to assist when people helped you in and out of your chair now. They still had to hold the majority of your weight, but walking lightly to help make it easier on them was no problem.
It was small progress, but it made you feel happy and excited, nonetheless.
After the doctor appointment, you decided you wanted to go back to the office first and let Bang and hopefully the boys know the news.
You felt nervous since this would be your first time seeing him in person since you learned about the article, at least if he was available to see you. But you felt it was important that he knew any progress in your condition and it wasn’t like you could avoid him forever. You had to see him at some point, so might as well rip the band-aid off now.
Your boss ended up not being at his office, and a quick message to Sejin let you know that the boys were practicing choreography for the concert so you headed toward the practice room in the meantime. You waited outside with Mrs. Kim, watching through the window as they practiced for Boyz With Fun. The choreography for the song was more lighthearted and didn’t need to be precise since the song was mostly for fun, but it was still very high energy.
When the song ended and didn’t restart right away, Taehyung’s mother knocked lightly on the door, not wanting to intrude without permission. It was Hoseok who came to open it, smiling brightly despite looking exhausted. “Hello eomeoni, noona. What are you guys doing here?”
“We wanted to stop and say hi,” you said. “We just came from my doctor appointment.”
“Oh, that’s right! That was today!” Hoseok sounded excited. “You can come in. We’re due for a break anyway.”
He opened the door wide, holding it while you wheeled through after Tae’s mom.
“You had your appointment today?” Namjoon asked from his spot on the floor through ragged breaths. “How’d it go?”
“My legs are healing well,” you said with a smile. “He said I can put a little bit of pressure on my feet now.”
“Really?!” Jimin asked, sitting up straight after having been laying flat on the floor.
You nodded. “No walking or anything yet, but he said I can put some weight on them to help when you guys are moving me in and out of the chair.”
“That’s great!” Tae said, smiling widely as your eyes met his. “That’s huge progress. That means your bones are healing really well.”
You smiled softly, feeling your heart skip a beat. It felt silly, but everyone seemed so enthusiastic and made it seem like it was such a big deal when it was really only just a small amount of progress.
That, and how are you supposed to not feel affected when Taehyung was staring at you like that.
“Yes, the doctor said she’s healing really well,” Mrs. Kim said. “He said she’s healing faster than they expected, almost as fast as they hoped she would. He expects it to be no more than two months, if that, until she’s able to start getting back on her feet.”
“And then you’ll be able to resume being our manager,” Jungkook said.
“Well, after I can walk again, yeah,” you said. “I can already feel how weak my legs are. They’re going to need a good amount of physical therapy before I can walk entirely unassisted.”
“But that’s still so much closer than it could have been,” Namjoon smartly added. “With how bad that fracture was, the doctor said it could have taken up to six months. But since you’ve been really good about resting your legs, I guess that helps a whole lot, huh?”
You nodded. “That’s what he said. He said he could tell that I’d been following his instructions to not put any pressure or weight on them.”
“How much longer are you boys practicing?” Mrs. Kim asked.
“Probably another hour,” Hoseok said. “We have a few things to refine, but we made a deal that if we can do the choreography with no mistakes for five runs in a row then we can go home early. I think we can do it.”
“Well, I guess I’d better go get dinner ready then, hm?” she responded. “I want to make something a little special today since we got the good news from the doctor.”
“It’s really no big deal, eomeoni,” you insisted.
“Nonsense! Every step is progress, and that’s something to celebrate.”
“I still need to let Bang know,” you said. “I might need to just call or text him to tell him.”
You could see Jin’s head turning to you out of the corner of your eye at the mention of your boss’ name. “We can tell him for you if you want,” he said.
“It’s fine.” You smiled in his direction. “I can talk to him.”
Jin took a moment to think before nodding, clearly understanding what you meant. You were okay with talking to him despite the fact that you still hadn’t quite gotten over what happened.
“Do you want to stay, noona?” Taehyung asked hesitantly. “I know you used to like to watch us practice. You could stay and go home with us?”
You turned toward his mother, about to ask her what she thought before she beat you to answering.
“That sounds like a lovely idea,” she said, smiling. “You have been wanting to get out of the house more anyway. Do you want to stay?”
“That would be nice,” you didn’t hesitate to answer. Seeing Tae’s boxy smile break out on his face at your response most certainly didn’t make your heart skip again. Not at all.
“Alright, I’ll see you back at your apartment in a little while then,” Mrs. Kim said before turning toward the door. “Take good care of her, boys!”
When she left, you wheeled yourself to the front of the room, as close to the corner as you could so you wouldn’t be in the way of their reflection.
“Do you want to sit on the floor?” Taehyung asked. “We can use our jackets to make a little seat for you, it might be more comfortable than your chair.”
You thought about it for a moment, realizing that that would help keep you more out of the way for them since your chair could be folded up as well. “If it’s not too much trouble, then sure. It’ll keep me from blocking your guys’ reflection, too.”
Taehyung’s eyes widened. “I didn’t mean it like that!” he backtracked, flailing his hands around a bit.
“Whatever is more comfortable for you is more important,” Namjoon chimed in. “You’re not in the way, not at all. But if you’d prefer to sit on the floor, then it’s no trouble for us.”
You smiled at their thoughtfulness. “I know that’s not why you asked, Tae. It’s okay, it was just my own concern. But yeah, if you don’t mind I would definitely like to spend some time out of this chair.’”
“Absolutely,” Jin answered, smiling reassuringly. Everyone jumped into action, grabbing their spare jackets to pile into the corner.
You wheeled yourself away so they could work and turned to look at what they were doing. A smile slowly spread across your face as you watched them quietly discuss how to set everything out so that it was the smoothest and most comfortable they could make it.
It made your heart swell, the amount of thought and care they put into such a small task. You really didn’t know what you would do without them.
After almost everyone sat on the little pile of clothes, testing to make sure that it was comfortable enough (It was only supposed to be Jimin, but then a few of the others decided they wanted to make sure themselves, which of course made you laugh), they dispersed and you approached the makeshift seat. You locked your wheels, Taehyung approaching to help you get out. Scooching forward as usual, you internally reminded yourself that it was okay to put some weight on your feet to help him out. Especially since you were being moved to the floor, it would require a bit more maneuvering than the usual chair-to-bed or vice versa.
But when Taehyung reached out for you, he wasn’t standing in front of you and with both arms reaching underneath your arms. He instead was a little to the side, one arm wrapping around your shoulders as the other looped underneath your knees. Just as you were opening your mouth to ask what he was doing, he lifted you with ease, hands reflexively linking behind his neck to keep yourself steady.
Before you could even blink you were being held princess style, which most definitely wasn’t the standard way of picking someone up out of a wheelchair. You had to resist the urge to tuck your face into his chest to hide your embarrassment, brain working well enough to notice that that would only make things worse.  
“What are you doing?” you finally managed to ask as he knelt down next to the clothing pile to set you down. “Why’d you pick me up like that?”
“It was easier,” he answered. “Less shuffling and easier to get you sitting down.”
It felt like forever before you were finally sitting on the floor, even though it must have must have been no more than ten seconds. Once he pulled away you found yourself feeling simultaneously relieved and disappointed at the loss of his warmth.
Looking up at the others, you caught the knowing smirk and raised eyebrows on Jin’s face. You felt a sudden urge to smack the expression off of him, but of course you couldn’t exactly get up and walk.
“Comfy?” Hoseok asked, giving some of the material around you another fluff for good measure.
“Yes, it’s nice and soft. Thank you,” you said.
“Good,” he responded. “Alright, let’s get her chair folded up and get back to practice, guys!”
It was really nice to watch them practice again. It felt so normal, you could almost forget that your injury ever happened and like you were still working with your boys almost every day.
At one point, when they had just a moment in between runs through the choreography, Jimin captured a selfie of the two of you. He sent it to Sejin with what he wanted to caption it with to get it approved before saving to post on Twitter later.
It ended up being closer to two hours, rather than the one that Hobi projected, before they were perfect enough to head home early. Luckily, you weren’t picked up so intimately this time as you were helped back into your chair by Yoongi. He said he wanted to let you practice and get used to letting your feet rest on the floor and help do some of the work.
You appreciated your heart being saved from anymore palpitations today.
Even on the walk home, you felt so refreshed at even the smallest return to normalcy that you didn’t care about Jungkook wanting to push your chair for you when you’d usually insist on wheeling yourself.
Mrs. Kim’s delicious homemade dinner filled with laughter and the company of your closest friends warmed your heart even more, so by the time you got around to texting your boss if he was available and calling him when he responded, you didn’t feel even the slightest pit in your stomach as you had the previous day.
You still had quite a while to go, but everyone was right. You were making progress and despite how small, it was reason enough to be excited and celebrate. It was enough to help keep you going as you waited for the day that you could walk again, at least for now. Nothing was perfect and there were certainly more things that you needed to personally work through, but it was the little steps to be celebrated that would help you climb your way there.
After laying down for the night, you got the notification that BTS tweeted. You clicked to see a sweet but short message about how you heard good news from the doctor today, and how excited they were to have you cheering on their practice.
You fell asleep with a smile on your face and dreamt of your head pressed against a warm chest while strong arms carried you.
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Series Masterlist
Chapter 40 | Chapter 41 | Chapter 42
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radishaur · 4 years ago
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66+74 from the 100 ways to say ily with zuko or sokka pls!
I’ve never written anything for Sokka before so I hope that I get his character right! Constructive criticism is appreciated. :) I hope you enjoy! Also, for those who haven’t read the prompts, here they are. #66 is “Stay over” and #74 is “We can share”.
- Zoe
•••
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Late Nights (Sokka x Reader)
Warnings: None
Genre: Fluff
Part: 1/1
Summary: See Request
•••
Now that the war was finally over, you felt alone. Everybody else had families and homes to return to. They had jobs and specific duties to begin. You, on the other hand, had nothing.
You had no family to celebrate with, no home to return to, and no important responsibilities.
When the group had found you in Omashu, you were homeless. You were fighting for your survival on the streets of the town. The Fire Nation had arrested your parents for resisting their authority and they had died in prison. The thought of it broke your heart.
You only hoped they were proud of everything you had accomplished.
Nevertheless, now you had nowhere to go and nobody to turn to. You had agreed to accompany Katara and Sokka back to the South Pole and that’s where you were now. Both Katara and Sokka were busy attenting to various projects as the Chief’s children. They always seemed to busy to see you.
So, when you heard a knock on your door and saw both Sokka and Katara standing there, you were beyond surprised.
“Sokka! Katara!” you exclaimed, pulling them into a tight group hug, “I’m so happy to see you two!”
“We missed you so much, Y/N! I’m so glad we can finally spend some time together,” Katara said, smiling happily at me.
“It was all my idea, of course,” Sokka bragged, brushing fake dust off his shoulders in pride.
Katara smacked him upside the head and I couldn’t help but giggle. I had really missed them both. I opened the door and let them inside. They made themselves comfortable as I prepared some snacks for them.
“How’s your stay been?” Katara asked.
I sighed. That was quite a loaded question.
“It’s been......a lot,” I answered honestly, sighing as I set down a bowl of seaweed chips on the table and sitting down, “I’m really grateful for the place to stay, I’m just having a hard time adjusting and figuring out where I work into all of this.”
Katara gave me an understanding smile and Sokka seemed to be silent as he thought. I shook my head and allowed myself to smile.
“Enough about such sad topics. I want to hear about you guys,” I said happily.
Katara immediately launched into story after story of what she had been working on and where she had to travel next. She seemed beyond happy to have something important to do. She was working on projects she genuinely enjoyed and that made me feel less sad about my current state.
Sokka was uncharacteristically quiet the entire time. As Katara kept talking and talking he seemed deep in thought. I wanted to say something and ask if he was alright but I also wanted to show Katara that I was paying attention to her, so I decided to wait.
Sokka eventually got his turn to talk and I listened intently as he told me about all the work he was doing with his dad. He seemed really happy to be learning how to become a Chief. I knew he had been waiting for this day to come. I was so proud of him.
“Oh wow, it’s so late,” Katara said, looking outside and seeing that the sun was now setting.
“It feels like you guys just got here. I guess time flies when you’re enjoying yourself,” I sighed, sad to see them leaving so soon.
“I’m sorry, Y/N. I would stay longer, but I have to be up early tomorrow,” Katara apologized.
Sokka hesitated for a moment.
“I could stay a little longer. It’s been a while since we’ve hung out just the two of us anyways,” Sokka said, sending me a warm smile.
“Y-Yea, I’d like that,” I stuttered.
Katara looked between the two of us and smiled as if she knew something we didn’t. She winked at Sokka as she left, which made me cock my head in confusion.
“What was that about?” I asked in confusion.
“That? Ha ha. Uh, I’m sure it’s nothing,” Sokka said, rubbing the back of his neck as a small blush appeared on his cheeks.
“Why don’t I make some dinner?” I asked, laughing slightly at his weird demeanor.
His expression quickly morphed into a huge grin. He shook his head excitedly and I laughed as I headed into the kitchen.
“I don’t know if I have enough fish for us to each have some,” I sighed as I looked in the cooler.
“T-That’s alright! We can share,” Sokka offered, leaning against the counter as he watched me.
“Who are you and what have you done with Sokka?” I teased, shooting him a disbelieving look.
“What?” he asked sheepishly.
“Sokka you never share food. Ever,” I pointed out, taking the fish out of the cooler to begin preparing it.
“That’s not true! I share sometimes,” he protested, blushing as I called him out.
I simply chuckled and shook my head, deciding to leave it alone. I still wanted to ask him what was wrong. There had to be something important on his mind for him to miss the opportunity to tease Katara.
“So, you were really quiet earlier. Something on your mind?” I asked as I began cooking.
He sighed.
“Yea, actually. I just feel kind of guilty for ditching you since we got here,” he said, sending me an apologetic smile, “Katara and I have been so busy that I haven’t had time to stop by. I just feel bad for leaving you here with nothing to do.”
“Sokka, you have much more important things to be worrying about than me,” I scolded him, “You were just telling me how stressful learning how to be a Chief is.”
“Y/N, I can’t just stop worrying about you. I care about you,” he replied, his gaze never leaving mine.
I felt a soft blush creep it’s way onto my cheeks at his words. Sokka has grown to be my closest friend as we traveled with the Avatar. We had connected originally about being non-benders. Ever since then we had become each other’s best friends. His care for me never failed to make me a flustered mess.
“A-Anyways,” Sokka said, breaking the tension that was beginning to grow in the room, “I’m sorry if I made you feel like I was abandoning you.”
“You could never make me feel that way, Sokka. I just wish I could be doing something. All of you guys returned home and started working towards rebuilding and fixing the state of the world. I feel kind of useless,” I admitted, sighing as I leaned against the counter next to him.
“If you could do something, what would it be?” he asked.
I thought for a moment. There was a lot of things I wanted to do, but one of them was at the forefront of them all.
“I want to help rebuild Omashu. Make it back into the town I remember it as from before,” I said, turning to look at him.
He had a look of determination as he smiled down at me.
“Well then it’s settled. That’s what you’ll do. I can reach out to Zuko for you and get him to help you,” he said.
“Are you sure? You don’t need to-“ I began to protest before he stopped me.
“I’m sure,” he said with a smile.
For the next hour or so, we simply ate the food I had prepared and talked amicably about whatever came to our minds. Pretty soon, we were both yawning and fighting to keep our eyes open.
“Jeez, the walk back home is going to be exhausting. It’ll be a miracle if I don’t fall asleep on the road,” he joked through a yawn.
“Stay over,” I said without hesitation.
I blushed when I realized how that probably sounded. Sokka’s look of surprise confirmed that what I had said had most likely been misinterpreted.
“N-Not like that!” I exclaimed, smacking his arm slightly before explaining with a laugh, “I just mean you can stay the night here so you don’t sleep in the streets.”
“Right, yea of course. What else would you have meant,” he said sheepishly.
I chuckled and rolled my eyes. I grabbed his arm and pulled him into my bedroom where I began searching for some clothes he could wear. I eventually found an oversized shirt and some sweats that would fit him and threw them into his arms.
“I’ll get changed in the bathroom,” I said as I grabbed my own nightwear and left him to change.
When I returned, he was just pulling the shirt over his head. I couldn’t help but stare at him. He was toned and his body had naturally carved abs that poked out underneath his skin. I blushed and averted my eyes.
“Alright, I’ll grab some pillow to sleep on the couch,” he said when he realized I was standing in front of him.
He went to leave before I stopped him.
“I’m not making you sleep on the couch. Just sleep in the bed with me. It’s big enough for the two of us. It’ll be like old times,” I insisted, referring to the times when we were traveling that we had been forced to share a bed or sleeping bag before.
I could see his cheeks color slightly, but he didn’t disagree. As we slipped under the covers, I couldn’t help but feel more at home than I had in a long time. It just felt right when Sokka was next to me. It felt like home.
“Do you remember when we used to fall asleep to the stars?” I asked him as I nuzzled into my pillow.
“Of course I do. You would always point out the constellations until I fell asleep of boredom,” he teased, earning a slap on the arm from me.
I rolled my eyes.
“You liked it. Don’t lie,” I smirked, causing him to blush.
“It wasn’t the worst,” he mumbled.
“I remember one night at the Western Air Temple and I was telling you stories about what each constellation meant. Everyone else had long gone to sleep and I- mmph!” I started talking, but was interrupted when Sokka presses his lips onto mine.
It was a soft kiss. Gentle in nature but not lacking in passion. And just as soon as his lips were on mine, they were gone.
“I don’t remember that part of the story,” I said, somewhat still in shock.
“I-I’m so sorry! I just got caught up in the moment and...and I....” he began explaining, trailing off once he realized I was laughing.
I couldn’t help myself. I let the laughter spill from my lips as I watched him struggle to explain himself.
“Well you don’t have to laugh at me!” he exclaimed, his face flushing a furious red.
“You’re such a dork,” I teased before kissing him back.
He was surprised for only a moment before letting himself kiss me back. He brought his hand up to my face and kissed me like he had been waiting to kiss me for years. When we finally parted, we were both smiling happily.
“Who knew you’d be such a good kisser,” I said, sending him a soft smile.
“I’m pretty great, I know,” he responded, smirking at me as he did.
I let myself pull him into a hug. He wrapped his arms around me as well. I smiled into his chest as I began drifting off to sleep. I knew I was home.
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jilytho · 4 years ago
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Fake Laughs and French Fish
"You laughed in a restaurant but you have a really ugly laugh so I thought you were choking" au. The opposite of a meet cute bc James is an idiot. idk what this is but Happy Jilytober!
Read below or on AO3 or FFNT
It was James’s least favorite kind of restaurant. The kind of place where sure, the food is good, but the portion is barely big enough for a snack and the music was too soft and the tablecloths were too stiff and there were too many types of forks that he didn’t know which was meant for salad and which was for stabbing into his thigh. 
All places should have prices on the menu, smarmy little French places were not an exception. But Peter’s birthday had been last week and James had missed the party to deal with a work emergency so he owed him dinner at Peter’s choice of restaurant. And of course, Peter had to pick the most pretentious place in the city. 
Sirius and Remus were there as well, of course, they could hardly go anywhere without them. It was exactly the kind of place Sirius grew up in, and although he had gotten very comfortable with fast food since he was exiled by his family, he still seemed to fit in perfectly at this kind of place. 
As much as James loathed the whole joint, he grudgingly admitted it was worth the hefty bill to watch Peter’s whole face alight with joy as they sat down. His head was on a swivel, swooshing from side to side, tittering with excitement. 
Just as the young waiter brought their appetizers over, a mushroom risotto and salmon tartare, Remus was in the middle of thanking him and requesting more water when a large man at the table behind them snapping his fingers, head turned to look at the waiter. “Well, that’s just rude,” Remus murmured under his breath. James and the waiter both watched to see a large beefy man glaring over at them, beckoning the waiter with two fingers in a way that made James’s skin crawl. He was sitting with two women, James could see the whole table quite easily when looking past Remus’s right earlobe. The woman on Whale Man’s right looked like she was being choked out by her string of pearls, lips pursed, a nose slightly too sharp for her face, and what appeared to be a stick up her ass considering the daggers she was shooting between the other woman at the table and the waiter. His eyes found the second woman, the one being subjected to Miss. Bony Lady’s eye daggers and was shocked he hadn’t noticed her the second she sat down. That hair was not something that should ever go unnoticed by anyone. 
He couldn’t even see her face, as she was hiding it between her hands, and glaring down at the table, but he found himself craning his neck, trying to get a glimpse. There were waves of hostility trolling off of her and every element of her body language seemed to be screaming “DO NOT ENGAGE” . Her hair was forming a wall of fire, curtaining around her face, protecting her from the angry glares of her dinner mates. As the waiter walked over to their table, after nodding politely at Remus, he watched her emerge from her hands to grimace up at him apologetically.
He couldn’t hear what the whale man was saying, and subconsciously heard Peter start to tell some story about work and dish out portions of their appetizer, but he couldn’t pull his eyes back yet. The girl was flushed and glaring at the bony woman, saying something hushed but clearly angry. Her nose was scrunched up, nostrils flared and as angry as she looked he started to wonder if she’d giggle if he booped her nose, all scrunched up like that. Started cringing at himself for thinking about something as ridiculous as that. 
From his distance, he couldn’t make out the color of her eyes, just that they were bright and sparkling and even from ten feet away he could feel the passion and emotion coming off her. 
When the waiter had finally left, dismissed with an angry wave of Whale Man’s hand, he watched the red head roll her eyes, and twist her neck like cracking it would release the anger built up in her. He wondered how creepy she would find him if he offered to massage the shoulder for her, maybe there was some chiropractor-esque or glowstick pickup line he could use to impress her. Cheesy lines had never done him good in the past but she looked like she could use a laugh, maybe she’d think it was funn-
“Right, James?” James tore his eyes away from the girl to find all his friends staring at him, looking for his agreement on something James had not heard a single syllable of. 
“Erm, yeah, right. Of course,” he nodded strongly, reaching for his water to gulp down and give himself a chance to calm the flush slowly rising up his neck. 
Peter looked pointedly towards Remus, “See I told you, Lupin.”
As James busied himself with pushing risotto onto his spoon- the smallest spoon closest to him, was that meant for desert?- he carefully ignored Remus’s eyes on him, silently watching James and nodding to Peter. 
“Mhm, Pete. Looks like I was mistaken.” 
The rest of the course went by smoothly, James kept his eyes off of the Magical Mystery Woman as best he could, forcefully making himself enthusiastically engaged in Sirius’s discussion of the lineup of next week's game. He was in the middle of making an argument for why Johnson should start as center, not Malinsky when he got stopped mid sentence by Whale Man clearing his throat loud enough for half the bloody restaurant to hear and his entire argument went to shit. 
Honestly, who did this bloke think he is, the bloody Prime Minister? Mystery Woman was too perfect to be putting up with this. Why would she go out in public with this oaf? Was he her brother? She seemed perfect but having him as a brother-in-law would really put a damper on the future marital bliss. She was gripping her knife so tightly it had to hurt, maybe he should offer up his own hand to squeeze instead, that’d be less painful he was sure. No. No, that was weird. He shook himself again and wrenched his eyes back to Sirius and resumed his argument.
They were just getting ready to clear their plates and ask for the desert woman when it happened. Mystery Woman’s table was still on their main course, she had ordered the fish, exactly the same meal James had eaten. Was that a sign of compatibility or what? If anyone had asked him later he would have sworn he was paying full and complete attention to Remus’s story of Dale from accounting messing up again but he was somehow also subconsciously completely and totally aware of every single one of Mystery Woman’s movements because he just knew she had just placed a delicate bite of fish on her fork and was chewing lightly when she let out this hacking, squawking, horrific noise. 
Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god she is choking. My dream girl is choking and is going to choke on fish and DIE before I even learn her name. If she dies before I know her name I won’t even know what funeral to go to and how to mourn her properly and how would I even introduce myself at that funeral, ‘Hi, I stalked this girl from ten feet away and fell in love and will now live the rest of my life single and alone.”
If anyone were to have asked, he was positive he was still sitting at the table, nodding along with Remus. Somehow, without his conscious noticing, he had thrown back his chair and jumped to his feet, sending his chair falling backwards, narrowly missing a passing waitress. He practically leaped across the empty space, flown to behind her chair, gripped her shoulder tightly, and began to slam his hand against her back. 
“Ma’am, miss, oh my god are you alright? Can you breathe? Can you hear me, miss, oh my god WE NEED AN AMBULANCE, breathe ma’am breathe!” James yelled at her, pounding against her back, mentally preparing to perform the heimlich maneuver, he had never learned it properly but he saw it on a crime show once and it worked there maybe it would work now? He was really regretting not taking that First Aid class with Remus when she suddenly yanked herself out of his grip, leaping to her own feet and spinning around to face him, red hair flying into his mouth as she turned. 
Green. Her eyes were green. Green and bright and shining and gorgeous, oh my god she really can’t die now. 
“Oh my god, are you alright??” He reached out again to grip her shoulders tightly, had him slamming on her back dislodged the fish? Would she live? Was he a hero? 
“I will be when you explain why you just hit me repeatedly.” She crossed her arms over her chest, seemingly cross. 
His eyes widened and he looked around for someone else to agree and call him a life saving hero. Whale Man and Bony Lady looked bewildered, like he had just suddenly sprouted into a fish, instead of saving their dinner mates life.  All across the surrounding tables, he was met with concerned stares and the mortifying sinking feeling that he had completely misread the situation. 
“I- um. I saved you! You were choking! I saved you….. Right?” He dropped his hands from her shoulders, one immediately going to fix itself in his hair, face burning bright red. 
“I wasn’t choking, why did you think I was choking? Are you a doctor?”
He could hear Sirius laughing now. Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. “No, just erm- a concerned citizen? Trying to ah, do my civic duty, preventing fish related deaths, I- erm- I’m sorry I really thought you were choking you made like a hacking sound I thought you were dying, I really just wanted to help” he tugged on his hair, averting his eyes to the floor. Not only did he ruin his chance of getting Mystery Woman to fall in love with him but now he has basically assaulted her, dear God he is never going to live this down. 
“That was a laugh.”
His eyes shot up to meet hers, “A what?”
“A laugh. I was laughing.”
“That was not a laugh. That was a deadly sound. Nobody in the world has a laugh that horrible.”
“Hitting me AND insulting me now, wow this is really my lucky day.” 
James’s jaw dropped. He couldn’t even wrap his brain around the fact that he had just insulted her laugh just that this seemingly magnificent girl laughed like THAT. He couldn’t help the little chuckle that escaped him. 
“Thats your real laugh? Oh my god I’m so sorry.” 
“Sorry for insulting me or sorry that that's what my laugh sounds like?”
“Erm… both?” 
She giggled then as well, light and small, and very, very different from the choking sound he heard earlier. 
“See!” He pointed at her accusingly, “now that’s a laugh! That sound before was a dying bird and I won’t have you tell me otherwise.”
“Well,” her eyebrows lowered and she leaned in a little conspiratorially, whispering her next words, “the joke wasn’t actually very funny. I suppose my fake laugh may need a little more work before I attempt to use it so publicly again.” 
The two shared a grin and wow was he screwed. 
“You know,” he leaned in again, “I’ve been told all my laughs are top notch, fake and real, and if you were every interested in some tutoring, I suppose I could-”
“Ahem,” Whale Man cleared his throat again, “If you’re done disrupting our evening, I would very much like to return to my meal.” An apology on the tip of James’s tongue when he was cut off by Whale Man continuing to blabber, “Honestly, the heathens they allow to enter this establishment. Absolutely zero respect. Didn’t anyone ever teach you manners? Of course you attract this sort” The last words were directed to Mystery Woman and all the desire to apologize to Whale Man disappeared immediately. It wasn’t her fault he was an idiot who started hitting her. 
He was prepared to say just that, and apologize to Mystery Woman, when she cut him off herself.
“Now you listen here, Vernon-” Mystery Woman began, red anger creeping up her neck.
“Lily, honestly,” Bony Lady cut in, “Just sit down and let's finish our meal and go, you’ve made enough of a scene.” Bony Lady’s tone was low, but sharp and cutting and seemed to send a shiver down Mystery Woman’s - or was it Lily?- spine. 
He had a feeling she would have kept going, but also had a burning desire to run from Bone Lady’s eyes. It felt like they were piercing straight through him. 
“I’m sorry,” he started loudly, one hand back in his hair, eyes quickly finding those incredible green ones, “I’m truly sorry for interrupting your meal and um hitting you and insulting you. Truthfully, you’re just spectacularly gorgeous and I thought you were choking and kind of lost my head a bit, I suppose,” his eyes averted quickly at that admission, missing the way hers started to fill with mirth and eyebrows began to creep up. “I’ll leave you to your meal.” 
He turned on his heel and returned back to his table, picking his chair off the ground and sitting, adamantly avoiding eye contact with his friends. He felt her eyes burning into his neck and stared determinedly down at his fork. 
“So you’ve gone crazy,” Sirius states, matter of factly with a shit eating grin, “that’s fun.”
“I thought she was choking,” he murmured under his breath. 
“What was that, James? Couldn’t quite hear you. Speak up now or one of us will have to beat it out of you.” Peter could barely finish his sentence before him and Sirius began to guffaw obnoxiously.  Even Remus was chuckling. 
James groaned and covered his eyes with his hands. “Can we please just go, I will pay double if they bring the check right now.”
“Oh Jamie dear, why the rush?” Sirius tutted, “We ordered desert while you were busy saving lives! We wouldn’t dream of leaving before Pete gets his birthday desert!” 
Muttering “tossers” under his breath, James set his jaw and raised his eyes to meet his friends, and not to look past Remus’s ear to Mystery Woman again. 
By the time desert had arrived, James had been properly roasted by his mates about twelve times over and they had slowly moved onto other topics, all being other times James made a fool of himself in public. Sirius had just left for the restroom leaving Peter with the task of making James’s life hell.
Peter was just getting into the climax of his own personal favorite James humiliation tale, the Koi Pond Incident of ‘09, when James’s bite of tiramisu was interrupted by a light slapping against his back. 
He spluttered and coughed grossly, ready to whip around and smack Sirius, assuming it was him, when he felt hot breath on his ear and a flash of red in his peripheral and completely froze.
“You alright there? Wouldn’t want you to choke. Just being a concerned citizen and all.” She murmured into his ear, teeth centimeters away from nipping it.
He turned to face her, gaping at her sudden closeness to find her smirking face mere inches away from his own. 
“Thanks for that,” he croaked. 
“Of course, always on the lookout. Doing my civic duty,” she winked. She winked. What the hell did that mean, oh my god, this woman would be the death of him. 
“Here,” she pressed a slip of paper into his hand. “Just in case you want to stop me from choking at dinner another night too.” And then she winked again, spun on her heel, red hair whipping him in the face and left with another tinkling laugh. James stared dumbly down at the numbers on the paper, memorizing them immediately.
“Holy fuck, James. What was that?” Pete stared at James’s dumbfounded face. Sirius chuckled lightly from behind him, apparently having returned in time to watch the entire exchange. 
“That, my friend,” Sirius clapped a hand down harshly onto James’s shoulder, “may have just been the future Mrs. Potter.”
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cherripeach · 4 years ago
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Chapter 2
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Little Match Maker
Summary: Your life motto is "I have the power of god and anime on my side, don't mess with me," and you stand by that with your life. No human, magician, or random creature could ever stop your firm belief in it. 
However, getting transported to this world that seemed to turn your already bad luck worse was not what you wanted to be in your life story, but you made the most of it.Making friends, enemies, and disasters, you were in your prime in this world, and so you decided to help as many people as you could flourish, at least what you believed to be.
Prologue 3-5: I wanna take a nap
Chapter Summary: Was everyone in this school an evil bratty child or was it just you?
Warnings: jokes about death(I think) and committing crimes and curse words, some sex jokes (but not the bad ones; middle school boys comments and stuff)
Words: 3.4k
Relationships: Pending twst x reader
Two boys-you assumed-were chasing after the cat, and while neither of them seemed to be very athletic,  the cat really was not either. The cat kept bumping into its own fire and having to turn away, or trying to blast fire at the two chasing him and almost tripping both himself and the other two boys. The cat did end up getting chased into a corner after almost tripping the two boys, and the smaller of the two raised up a pen or pencil looking object and screamed the words “Off with your head.” The only thing that passed through your mind was that you need to get out of here.
After the boy screamed, a red light appeared from the top of the pen and was soon directed straight toward the cat. The cat horror-struck backed up as far as he could and even climbed a few inches up the wall to move away from the beam of light heading toward it. The beam smacked the cat into the wall and caused him to fall from his position onto his butt and falter in any movement. Once the light cleared, there was an obvious difference in the cat’s appearance. A red and white collar had shown up around his neck, and the cat still dazed to notice it screamed out, “Nughab! The heck is this thing?”
You mumbled out, “Kinky…”
“Law of the Queen of Hearts Number 23: ‘One shall never bring a cat into a festival.’ You being a cat means you’ve broken the rule. I shall have you leave at once,” Here we have another member of the crowd who also thought the creature was a cat, but apparently, this disappointed child also has the numbers of the rules for something memorized, and that threw you off. He straightened himself once he noticed that the cat was caught within the collar and put his pen away in his coat that you just noticed everyone was wearing.
You surveyed yourself to see what you were wearing and realized that it was the same thing, only leading your mind to one conclusion: “This has to be some kind of cult…”  you mumbled the phrase so that anyone close by could not question your thought process, but this school and world just happened to get worse and weirder the more you looked around.
“...I'ma burn this collar right up and... ehhh I can’t use my fire!” You caught the rest of the cat’s declaration, and both him and you were in absolute awe for what the collar had apparently accomplished.
“Hmph!” The disappointed child straightened his back even more and tilted his face up toward the ceiling a little, “You won’t be using any magic until I remove the collar. Just like an ordinary cat”.
“Whh-what? I’m not some pet!” The cat was having none of it. He was clawing at the collar on his neck and pulling it as much as he could just sitting in place next to the wall in his time out corner.
“Don’t worry, I’d never keep a pet like you,” the kid really just can’t help himself can he, “I’ll take it off anyway when you get thrown out.” He turned away from the cat and began to walk back to the center of the room where the sus headmaster in the top hat who for a weird second kinda reminded you of Willy Wonka stood and fumed over the past events.
Once the kid began walking, the other male chasing the cat spoke up, “Wow, as wonderful as ever. Any and all magic gets sealed by your Unique Magic, Riddle,” the male even threw his arms out to match his display of amazement only to pull them pack in a second later to place one hand on his chin while the other held his elbow to his chest to allow the male to mutter some words to himself. The taller male then pivoted around and sauntered to follow the smaller male. Both of them held this formal air covered in arrogance, and you wanted nothing to do with either of them.
The end of their conversation must have halted the top hat headmaster because he straightened himself up and glanced at the crowd only pausing his eye movement when they reached you. He kept both of his eyes on you while he strode over to your wall. Your day could apparently get worse.
“You must do something about this! It is your familiar!” the man made hand gestures to point at you in his furry, and you decided that maybe now is the time you should speak up.
“Sir, with all due respect, stop assuming things,” this man was worse than some teenagers and teachers you have met, so you shut him up, “Please tell me when I told you that he was my familiar,” your flicked your hands and continued, “whatever that is, because I am clearly lost.”
“So it’s not yours?” The man put his hand to his chin and closed his eyes either to calm himself down or figure everything out.
“Yep. Never seen it before it asked me to strip” Please let this man listen for once.
“Ah, um You did.” He cleared his throat, “Anyway, let's get it out of the school. We won't turn you into a stew. For I am gracious. Someone help, please.”
Several of the students crowded around the cat until finally two came out holding the cat who was yelling the entire time. He was a little too desperate to just stay in this school.
You broke off from the masked man’s lecture for a second until another voice joined the conversation.
“That’s not different from usual, is it?” You were lost as one of the taller of the five males from earlier spoke up. He was a half furry, but you had no clue what that was called again and you would rather not know.
“What?” The sun graced everyone with its presence, “Did nobody tell him about the ceremony?” His features turned into a sorrowful, sour look from his normal bright and upbeat feature; he even glanced around at all of the others who surrounded the masked male. You noticed that all of them were the five from earlier, not including the tablet.
“If you are going to complain, you should’ve done it yourself.” Another one of the tall gang of the five males spoke up; however, this one was the exact opposite of the half furry. He was incredibly put together and more breathtaking than anyone you have ever been in the same room in. The male must be the ruler of self care, even if he did give you arrogant vibes.
“Hmm. But I don’t really know anything about the guy.” The sun appeared guilty at his statement.
The people which you forgot about broke out into chatter about a man who was named something like ‘Malaus Drakconia’ or something like that, but you had no clue who he actually was or how to actually spell his name. All of the chatter stopped when another male, much smaller than most of the five males, strolled into the room through the double doors.
“I was correct. I thought he might come but ‘Malaus’ really didn't. It seems the invitation "never arrived" again.” The small male shook his head and sighed gently after entering the room.
The males in the middle all exchanged glances before two emerged: the two from before; the ones that were chasing after the cat.
“My deepest apologies. I promise, we didn't intend to exclude you.” The taller male closed his eyes and appeared apologetic.
“His aura makes it hard to approach him,” The shorter male just can’t stop himself.
You just had to butt in because no one was taking this seriously; you walked up from your wall to meet with the group in the middle, “Yo, dude that’s really not right. I mean what has he ever done wrong to ya?” Some teenagers just weren’t for you, and so you apologized to the new face that entered. “Tell the dude he has my condolences or something.”
The short new face just stared through your soul for the next couple of minutes, not blinking, but he finally did cough and twist away from you to face a group of students. “It’s not your fault child, but it is all right.” He took about three steps. “Members of the Diasomnia Dormitory can come with me… I hope this doesn't upset him.”
You in your brilliance decided to cup your mouth and scream out to the male leading the first group out, “Tell the dude that if he needs someone to talk to, I’m freeee! I hope he feels better!”
You even heard a slight chuckle from the group. And slowly all the groups left; most making eye contact with you, but you just carried on trying to think of how expensive the clothes you had one were; you rubbed the sleeve and found out that they were made of a fabric resembling silk.
Crowley, from what you remembered, sauntered up to you once the room was clear and both of you began to conjure in your head and make a conversation about what was going to happen:
“While I normally would have you leave this school, I do not know where you are from. Would you mind stepping up to the mirror to find out. There is no need to worry. The Dark Mirror will send you directly back from whence you came. Enter the Gate, and picture your home clearly in your mind... “ The male pushed you to the mirror again, and you thought of your home for as long as you could. You even heard him mumble words back and forth with the mirror when you were lost in thought.
However, a surprised noise came out of the man’s mouth and your mind buffered to process everything because both Crowley’s and the mirror’s gaze, if you would even call it that, were stuck on you.
“This is the first time this has ever happened since I became headmaster, what should I do?” You held contact with his weird mask eyes for as long as you could before you swerved your gaze to the mirror. “Are you positive that is where you are from? And that you have never heard of Twisted Wonderland, Night Raven College, anything?” He was moving closer to you at an extremely fast rate causing you to discreetly walk back to your wall.
“Yeah, sir, why would I ever lie about that? All of this seems like a weird movie for me.” You just could not believe how little this “headmaster” or whatever believed you.
“Our best option is to go to the Library and do some research. Come and join me.”  Headmaster Crowley twirled around making his cloak follow his mystical movements like some fairy or evil villain and started to make his way out of the room.
You just as confused as before followed after him, wondering if anything in this world would ever make sense.
~~~~
After around an hour of scouring through books in the odd library you were in earlier, you and the headmaster both decided to take a break.
“Can you please believe me now?” You slumped in a chair and groaned as loud as you could for as late as it was and even massaged your forehead, just hoping the man would get your point.
“You are correct. There is nothing about your hometown anywhere…” The male halted his speech and glanced back at the books, “There is also a possibility you are from another world.”
“What a nice thing to say to the tired, lost teenager,” and you stopped your speech to turn to him and point at him, “That you are in charge of.” You could not believe this man, and so you deflated while he carried on with his speech.
“Did you have anything on you when you came here?”
You just shook your head and rolled your eyes out of his view.
“Do you have any identification, like a license for a magic car, name on a shoe... You appear to be empty-handed?”
Another shake and a hand placed back on your forehead, and you noticed that he was probably going to go back into one of his speeches when he stood up taller and paused speaking for a second.
“This is concerning…..My graciousness is limitless! I am a model for all educators.We had better be on our way. Let's head to the dormitory. It may be a bit old but there is a certain charm to it.” Apparently, you were going to stay in a dormitory. Always a new surprise with this man.
And you two were off again through the halls and outside to your new stay in this world, but from how terrible the place was on the outside, this was not a luxury resort.
It was a four or more story house accompanied by a broken gate guarding the house, spider webs on all of the molded dead trees, broken shutters, even broken window, and to top it off just an overall haunted vibe to the place. This was where smart, sane people in life would avoid; this was just the trap for those characters in haunted movies, and you were just hoping to find a peaceful place to sleep in it tonight.
Crowley must have caught your staring at the dorm and ushered you inside, “Right, right. Please come inside.”
You can confidently say that the inside of the dorm was incredibly worse than the outside; the streets might be a better option if you took into account all of the health hazards in just this room alone.
Crowley did not seem to agree, “Staying here will at least keep you out of the rain.”
You hoped to interject, “Isn’t there somewhere el-”
“I'm going back to do more research. Make yourselves at home. Don't go wandering around the school! Goodbye!” This man was going to be the death of you or the reason you commit murder.
The lounge area was terrible: almost everything was broken and covered in dust, including the walls, ceiling, and floor. This area was not fit for a person to live in, and even if you tried your best it might never be.
But of course with your luck streak, Crowley saying that it would rain had to come true. “Are you kidding me now!” You threw your hands up in the air and then grabbed your head and tried not to commit arson.  “Nothing is ever going to go my way here, will it?”
Thunderstruck.
“At least you are on my side…” You gazed out the cracked window expecting it to break soon.
The thunderstorm caused more problems in your new dorm than it should have. The building would shake, as would the windows, and it allowed more damage than before. However, it appears that you are not alone with a caterwaul screech from behind you.
“Hyyyi! It’s really coming down!” And located on your broken couch was the cat from before. He was apparently a gift from someone, who probably was laughing at you, for you with how often he was popping up.
“What are you doing here?” You probed in an apathetic tone as you both deadpanned and glared at the cat.
“Gyhaha! You've got this stupid look on your face like a spider being attacked by a water gun! I'll have no trouble sneaking back into school. Come on, come on. If you think getting thrown out is gonna make me give up on getting in, you've got another thing coming!” The cat gabbed just as long as the headmaster.
Your day could somehow get worse, “Honestly, I don’t care. Please don’t cause problems or I’ll kick you out.”
“Hmph. You wouldn’t understand, but I’m a genius who is destined to be a great magician! I've been waiting for the Ebony Carriage to come pick me up. But... But...Hmph! The Dark Mirror just doesn't have an eye for this.So that's why I came here on my own. Not letting me in would be a loss for the world, humans just don't get it.” This cat might be annoying, but the sob story does make you pity him a little. That is if he started acting kinder and not like an annoying pretentious kid.
Now that you look at him, he resembled a small child disappointed that they did not get what they wanted, but you had sympathy for him. He never mentioned a family or had anyone who cared about around him. He seemed lonely. He wanted to get into school which honestly you don’t know why anyone would want to go to school, but people had their priorities.
A water droplet hit the cat, “Nyaa! So cold! The roof is leaking!”
Another drop.
“Fgyaa! It keeps coming! My adorable ear fire is gonna go out at this rate!” He pulled down his ears closer to his eyes and met your gaze.
“Fine, fine. I’ll get a bucket..” You uttered going to look around the building and ignored any more retorts the cat came up with.
You exited the living room and entered a hallway with a flight of stairs going up, and the rest of the house mirrored the living room and outside by how disgusting and hazardous it is. There was even a gigantic spider web spreading the top of the hallway, and the wallpaper was coming off and covered in mold.
“This is a great time for the first kill in a horror movie,” in this situation talking to yourself helped calm you down.
That is until three ghosts appear. All of different sizes and heights, and they look incredibly familiar like from a movie or something.
“Hihihihi…. Ihihihihi…We haven't had a guest in so long...I'm itching for some action. Ihihihihi!” Frozen in your spot, you watched as the ghosts chuckled and floated closer to you.
“Um, sorry, but like…. What?”  You became more disoriented as the day went on., and this topped the cake.
The cat was not on your wavelength and followed you out of the living room and into the hallway only to freeze at the sight of the three ghosts.  
“Gyaaaaaaaa!!!! G-g-g-g-ghoooooooooooootts!!” The cat bawled before he darted to cling onto your cloak.
The shortest ghost found amusement out of the cat’s reaction, “The people living here got scared of us and left…”
So did the largest ghost, “We’ve  been looking for more ghost pals. How about you guys?”
“Dudesss, chill down. We are not here to hurt you.” You tried to placate both the ghosts and the cat clinging onto you, but nothing ever went your way.
The cat leaped out from behind you looking as ferocious as a duckling, “Grim, the Great Magician, isn't scared of some ghosts!!!” and blew fire at the wall, “Punahhh ~ ~ ~ nnn!!”
The ghosts were having fun with the cat as the tall one asked “Where are you aiming?” and the largest one ran around the hallway area chanting “Over here, over here!”
Apparently Grim-the cat- was actually taking this seriously or did not like getting teased, “Shoot! Stop disappearing!” He continued to blast fire in all directions, most not even where the ghosts were.
You were not going to put up with his attitude so you made a deal with him wanting him to either shut up or do his job right, “Grim or whatever, either you get a move on and listen to me or I’ll tell the headmaster that you are here so that a red collar can be placed on you again and get you kicked out on the streets.”
“Ughhhh, buttt.. I’m a genius.” Grim ran around the area but paused as another ghost came up behind him. “Bunch of cowards ganging up on us! Fine,” Grim circled around to face you, “tell me where the ghosts are!”
“To your left!” Helping Grim would never be easy, but you somehow made it work.
“I hit it! Alright, let’s get them all outta here!” Like a child, he bounced over the fact that he did something right.
And like a child you could not wait to take a nap. 
~~~~~
um like exams such so there was that, but thanks for reading and I hope you have a nice day! Next chapter should be out around Monday or so.. maybe. 
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alj4890 · 4 years ago
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And Then I Left You
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(Thomas Hunt x oc*Amanda) in a "what if" version to the RCD/TRR fan fic And Then I Met You Series
A/N This was one chapter that I couldn’t find a way to divide up. It’s a tad long, but let’s just say that what we have been waiting on finally happens.
@krsnlove @my-heart-beats-for-ya @aworldoffandoms @flyawayboo​  @trappedinfanfiction @everythingmarvelsherlockspn  @sophxwithers @kate-mckenzie @twinkleallnight
Masterlist
Chapter 6 The Chase is On
Cordonia, The Royal Palace...
Glancing at his door, Drake set his coffee cup down to see who was knocking in a persistent and irritating manner.
"Hey. Where'd you disappear to last night?"
"What were you doing with Thomas Hunt?!" Amanda stormed into his chambers and shut the door. "I thought you were my friend!"
Drake rolled his eyes. "I see you're in your usual, reasonable state of mind."
"Just answer me this." She took a deep breath to try to remain calm. "Are you on my side?"
"Come on, Amanda." He muttered. "Of course I am. That's why Hunt is--"
"I don't want to hear anything about him!" She snapped. "I don't care why Thomas is here." Her eyes narrowed on Drake. "I simply want to know that I can still depend on you to help me if I need it."
He folded his arms. "I'm trying to help. If you would just--"
"That's all I needed to hear." She twirled around and quickly left his room.
Dropping his head back, Drake groaned in frustration. He then searched for his phone to send a group text to Thomas, Liam, and Maxwell.
Drake: A's been by showing that she's just as stubborn as before.
Liam: I will have a talk with her. She can't ignore me during this social season.
Maxwell: 😬 Is this the same A we grew up with? She ALWAYS finds a way to wiggle out of stuff she doesn't really want to face.
Thomas: I think my only chance is to irritate her into finally speaking to me.
Drake: Maybe you can corner her at the derby.
***************
The Derby...
"Now remember, you have to remain pleasant whenever they bring Thomas up." Nadia whispered.
Amanda grit her teeth. "I can fake it for a few minutes."
"That a girl." Olivia encouraged her as she stepped up to talk to the reporters.
"Your grace!" Ana smiled warmly. "Welcome home."
Amanda's answering smile was more natural at that opening to her interview. 
"Thank you." Her eyes lifted to the crowd of people milling about the track. "I didn't realize how much I missed Cordonia until I came back after such a long absence."
"It must have been a surprise to come home and discover that you are to take part as one of Prince Liam's suitors."
"Quite." Amanda shrugged with a smile. "I know though that his royal highness will choose a lady that will make all of Cordonia proud."
"How do you rate your chances?" Ana continued. "Given your closeness over the years, do you think you have a better one than the other suitors?"
"Not at all." Amanda gripped her hands together. "I believe that Prince Liam will give every lady a fair chance to see if they are meant to be his future queen."
Ana's attention drifted over Amanda's shoulder. "There you are!" She motioned for Thomas to come forward. "Perfect timing. I was about to ask how things are going with The Earl's Undoing."
The duchess stiffened when he stepped up next to her and set his arm around her waist.
"Everything is moving along as expected. Our only hiccup is Ryan's need to extend a promotional tour of his last film." Thomas turned toward Amanda. "Lucky for me, her grace has been so understanding."
Amanda felt her cheeks heat up with color. "I'm certain anyone would understand a need to wait on one of their leading actors."
"You'd be surprised how many refuse to hear the real reasons behind delays."
Against her better judgement she lifted her eyes to his.
An apologetic smile formed on his lips. He kept his gaze on her face as he spoke. "I intend on making it up to her grace once everything is ready to begin."
Amanda's eyes narrowed more in confusion than anger. She didn't know what to think about that or any of what he was hinting at. Her curiosity was starting to override her furious pride.
"Does this mean you might have to push back its release date?" Ana asked, interrupting her thoughts.
"Possibly. We will know more once filming begins." He explained.
"Speaking of dates, I noticed that both you and Simone Carmichael just so happen to be here at the same time." Ana grinned at him. "Are you spending these next few weeks with her?"
Thomas had to grip down hard on Amanda's waist to keep her from walking off.
She had lowered her head so that her large sun hat hid her annoyance. He still caught the brief twist of disgust on her lips.
"No. I had no idea Simone was coming here." He bit down on his tongue when he felt Amanda pinch his hand. "From what I gathered, she came here strictly to do a photoshoot for you."
Ana chuckled. "Well, that and I might have hoped once I knew you were here too to help romance along."
"Forgive me." Amanda said sweetly. "But I must join the other suitors."
"There isn't anything to help along with Simone." Thomas gripped a handful of material at the back of Amanda's dress to keep her in place. "I wish her nothing but luck in her career and personal endeavors."
Ana didn't bother to hide her disappointment. Her eyes then lit up when she focused once more on Amanda. "Your grace? You know Thomas well. Which of his recent dates do you think was the most successful?"
Amanda could feel Thomas stiffening next to her. One quick peek revealed his frown firming while he waited to hear how she would respond.
Unable to believe her luck, or rather lack thereof when it came to her own personal romances, a laugh escaped her lips.
Thomas nearly cringed from the sharp, bitter edge he and those who knew her well could only detect in what was usually a warm, carefree sound.
"I wouldn't dare to presume Thomas's heart." She made a show of checking her watch. "I really must be on my way."
"Thank you, your grace." Ana added. "And Thomas," she winked at him, "I'll be watching you and those who visit Cordonia."
"Let. Go. Of. Me." Amanda hissed once they were well past the press.
"I need to speak to you." He insisted.
"You're ruining my dress!" She whispered harshly. "If you let go of me then I will listen."
She couldn't believe he actually believed her lie. Once his fingers eased, she made a mad dash through an opening in the crowd.
"Amanda!" He tried to keep an eye on her as he was forced to pause here and there to keep from mowing people down in his pursuit.
The last glimpse he caught was seeing his escaped lady ducking into the suitors' tent.
*******************
"Riley got into Liam's tent safely." Maxwell whispered. "Operation Big Apple is officially a go."
Nadia giggled. "Good. I hope we can find them a lot of special alone time. It's going to seem so weird to Riley being basically courted like a contestant on a reality show." Her nose wrinkled. "It's a shame they never got to go on real dates before all this."
"It will work out." Maxwell told her. "We'll--" he saw the one who really needed help and waved. "Thomas! Up here!"
"What are you doing?" Nadia didn't bother to whisper. "He's the enemy of our friend!"
"Babe, he's so not the enemy." Maxwell grinned at her anger mounting. "If you would hear him out, you'd know just how bad he has it for our friend."
Nadia hmphed as she watched the still an enemy in her eyes climb the stairs of the section they were seated in.
"How'd it go?" Maxwell asked.
"I was making some headway until Ana brought up Simone being here." Thomas sat down next to them. "Then she escaped before I could get a word of explanation out."
Nadia's delighted smile held a hint of evil.
Maxwell shook his head in exasperation over the two women he knew and loved. "Will you tell my wife," he whispered, "without mentioning a certain someone's name, why you went on those dates?"
Thomas eyed him then frowned at Nadia. He tried not to think too much about how he must be desperate to continually open up to these people who were practically strangers. He had a hard enough time doing so with his own friends. Accepting help from Amanda's had to mean that even he was unaware how much he must love this woman who refused to be near him. 
"I wanted to make certain it was her I wanted instead of just someone."
Nadia's brow furrowed. "You didn't know?"
"I did to some extent. But before I took a chance on ruining our friendship, I wanted to make certain."
"And every one of his dates was a bust." Maxwell added. "Nobody could measure up to our Aman--her."
Nadia looked back and forth between the two. "Oh. Then why did you come early?" 
 Thomas glanced around to make certain no one was listening. "I was asked by someone how I felt about her."
"Key component of operation Big Apple." Maxwell added.
Thomas merely quirked an eyebrow at that cryptic statement before leaning closer. "I told him I am in love with her and he planned on me being here for all this," he gestured around, "so that I could be with her in secret." His eyes flickered to the suitors' tent . "But she won't allow me to tell her how in love with her I am."
Nadia remained silent after his heartfelt confession. Maxwell shared a concerned glance with Thomas at his wife’s unusual reaction to something that would normally make her squeal with fluffy feelings.
"That is the most romantic thing I've ever heard!" Nadia clapped her hands over her mouth.
"And we have one more for team Thomas." Maxwell announced with glee.
******************
The Royal Palace grounds...
Thomas stood off to the side with Drake, Maxwell, and Nadia as the ladies of the court lined up to greet the queen. He scanned the overly eager smiles and excited whispers of many of the young women hoping to catch Liam's eye. A slight smirk formed as he noticed just how uninterested Amanda seemed with it all.
Her facial expression was one of calm neutrality. She didn't gush when Liam walked by, merely curtsied and bowed her head. A genuine smile flashed across her lips when he paused to say hello. Other than that, she might as well have been standing in line for some mundane task.
Once the queen and Liam chose their partners for the croquet game, she and the remaining ladies were forced to follow along and clap politely for them. Thomas caught a few of her eye rolls each time someone complimented the prince on his amazing form with the use of a croquet mallet.
"Things must have gone well in the tent." Nadia whispered. "Look how happy Liam and Riley are together."
"I knew it would." Maxwell boasted. He then noticed Amanda trying to peek over towards them instead of focusing on the game.
Her hat helped shade her eyes as she ever so often turned to look at Thomas. The slight tightening along her lips was the only indication that she didn't understand why those closest to her were hanging out with him.
Thomas noticed and met her gaze with his own questioning glance. Her body stiffened in response before turning her attention back to a game she had always found immensely boring.
"Wow." Drake whispered. "I'm impressed. I've never known a simple look could irritate her that much."
"Will there be mingling anytime soon?" Thomas asked.
"Once all the fawning is done, we'll be able to eat and mingle." Maxwell explained.
"Good." Nadia placed a hand on her stomach when it gurgled. "I hope it's soon."
It wasn't long before Liam and Riley won, causing many to surround him to offer their congratulations.
Drake snorted. "With how they're acting you'd think he just became some conquering hero of a war or something."
Thomas had lost sight of Amanda when the crowd of ladies surged. As Liam politely excused himself, while holding fast to Riley's hand, he managed to get through and find an empty table.
"We better join him before he's surrounded again." Maxwell tugged Nadia along with him.
"You coming?" Drake asked when he noticed Thomas's hesitation.
"I was trying to see where Amanda went." His eyebrows lifted when he noticed her talking to the queen and pointing directly at him.
Her smile was a bit unnerving with the smug triumphant he could so easily see.
Much to his surprise, she began to walk over with the queen just a step ahead of her.
"Your majesty," she said sweetly, "allow me to introduce Mr. Thomas Hunt."
"A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Hunt." Regina greeted him. "Her grace tells me you have quite the interest in Cordonian history."
Thomas blinked. The only history he knew had been interested in was whatever took place in  Amanda’s book. "Er, yes. After reading Amanda's story, I have wanted to see the fields and buildings where it all took place."
Regina smiled in approval. "Then I am most happy to be your first guide."
"My first what?" His brow furrowed.
Amanda laughed softly. "You are a lucky man, Thomas." Her eyes sparkled with imminent victory. "Queen Regina knows every historical happening that occurred on the palace grounds."
"You flatter me, your grace." Regina fondly replied. "Now go and participate with Liam and the others. I will make sure your Mr. Hunt is taken care of."
"You don't need to--"
Amanda curtsied and interrupted his attempt to get out of this. "You are too kind, mam." Her smile grew at Thomas's shock. "And don't believe a word Mr. Hunt says about not wanting this tour. He is afraid of irritating people with his need for extensive detail."
His eyes narrowed at her success with getting rid of him for the remainder of the afternoon. Little did she know that he was not going to go down without a fight.
"Perhaps her grace can join us, since it is her book that sparked this interest."
"She can once the tea is over." Regina took his arm. "Now then, let us start over there with the apple trees that Queen Odette planted for each child she bore."
Thomas frowned at Amanda's unabashed glee as he was forced into this. He knew he should be pleased that she couldn't chance being within the same area as him, but he had intended for today to be the end of her not listening.
He was ready to do whatever was needed to finally tell her what was in his heart. If need be, he would sneak into her chambers and force the issue. Yet...with her anger, she might use that as a way to make him leave her country.
Two hours into the tour, his prayer for escape was answered. Regina was summoned by the king for some matter or another. She quickly gave her apologies and insisted he go enjoy himself at the tea party.
"And do give my apologies to Lady Amanda." She said as she paused at the door. "Let her I know she can tell you even more stories from the past than I can."
"Thank you." Thomas bowed his head. "I intend on claiming her attention as soon as I find her."
***************
Amanda had known as soon as Thomas disappeared with the queen that he would find a way back to the party. There really was only one option she had if she intended to not be confronted once again with whatever he felt the need to talk about.
But how could she sneak away without anyone noticing?
She grimaced at the ruby red dress she had on. It practically screamed designer and had drawn a lot of attention. With the floppy sun hat and heels, she couldn't have been less prepared to escape into the capital. She set her barely touched teacup down and began to walk the perimeter while trying to think of a plan.
"What are you doing?" Drake asked when she walked past him.
"Hmm?" She paused, preparing to glare at him. Then it hit her. If there was one person in the world who knew a way to get out without being seen, it was Drake. "Remember our conversation this morning?"
He eyed her warily. "Yeah?"
"Then let's get out of here." She whispered.
"Why?" He nodded toward the banquet being set up. "You love those pitiful excuses they call sandwiches."
"I'd rather have a cheeseburger."
His eyebrows lifted. "Really?"
"I missed breakfast." She whispered. Which was true since she was afraid of bumping into Thomas in the palace dining room. "This tea isn't going to hold me over until dinner."
Drake hesitated. A big part of him was ready to fall into her plan for his own sake. If he heard one more lady giggle while saying how strong Liam must be to swing his mallet, he would end up saying some kind of snide remark. He hated seeing his best friend be showered with phony attention.
But then again, he had promised to help Thomas with talking to Amanda. Shouldn't he find a way to keep her here so that they could finally put an end to her stubborn refusal? Of course, he could use the time alone with her to help ease the way for Thomas.
"After we eat," Amanda added, hoping to tempt him further, "we could find a place to play a couple of games of pool." She held her purse up. "I'll even buy the first two rounds of drinks."
She really is desperate for a break, he thought.
"Deal." He nodded toward a gap in the hedges. "When I say go, you head straight through there. I'll meet you down the hill in a few minutes."
She beamed at him before doing as she was told. As she hurried down the hill, she couldn't help but chuckle at her finding yet another way to avoid Thomas. Now she wouldn't have to worry about any confrontations or declarations or anything she didn't wish to hear.
This day was turning out better than she thought.
***********************
At a dive bar...
After grabbing a burger at some little hole in the wall place, the two had searched for a bar that they wouldn't be bothered at. The one they decided on was barely lit inside with an occasional neon side here and there. The few patrons sitting at the bar seemed the type to mind their own business and expected others to do the same.
"You sure about this place?" Drake asked. He felt a little uneasy at the type of patrons here.
"It's a bar without nobles or press." She pointed out. "This is exactly what we need." 
The two wandered over to an empty pool table. Drake handed Amanda a pool cue then proceeded to rack the balls.
"You going to finally tell me why we left the tea party so quickly or not?"
Amanda shook her head. "How about a drink?"
He mentally shook his head as she ordered for them both. She was getting worse. Before news of Thomas’s dates had aired, Amanda had been more willing to talk about him.
"Are you going to break or what?" She asked.
Drake leaned down and struck the cue ball.
Two solids went in.
"Guess I'm stripes." She muttered.
Eyeing the other patrons, Drake sidled up next to her. "Maybe we should go somewhere else."
"Why?"
"Because you are in a fancy dress!" He hissed. "A dress that looks like you stepped out of one of those old paintings in the palace with ladies sitting in the gardens or something.
Amanda wrinkled her nose. "I don't think anyone here cares about that."
"Why did you decide to leave the tea party?" He demanded.
She leaned down to line up her shot. "Because I didn't want to stay."
Drake's head dropped forward in frustration. "Why?"
"You know why!" She twirled around to face him causing her skirt to flare out in an elegant spin. "I did not want to be cornered by Thomas again and forced to listen to him talk about his love life!"
"Amanda, do you know why Thomas is here? Alone?"
"I don't." She stuck her nose up in the air. "And I don't want to. What he does is none of my business." She took another shot. "And I intend for us to be nothing but workplace associates."
"And people call me stubborn." Drake grumbled. "Liam invited him here. If you would just--"
"Hey!"
The two turned toward a large, bald, burly man. The black leather vest he wore had on it what appeared to be a bleeding skull and other lovely items of death.
"This guy bothering you?"
Amanda relaxed. "No. But thank you for coming to check on me." She gestured toward Drake. "He is actually a friend of mine."
Casting a warning glare towards Drake, the intimidating man then faced Amanda. "I know you."
She highly doubted it. "You do? Forgive me, but I can't remember our meeting before--"
"You wrote that book." He stroked his beard while staring at her. "What is it called?"
Drake's eyes widened. "You read The Earl's Undoing?"
"That's it!" He snapped toward his other companions.
Four more heavily muscled bound men walked over and was introduced to the duchess.
Drake mentally groaned at the bodily harm that he knew was about to befall him.
Amanda was delighted if he was to go by how bright her smile was directed at the men she was introduced to.
"Did you really like it?" She asked. "I was worried that many wouldn't give it a chance being about people who aren't well known."
"We did." The one introduced as Breaker replied. "My sister has talked of nothing but your book since it came out."
The first one, who said he was known as Crow, spoke up again. "My mom loves it." He smiled, revealing a few missing teeth. "You mind if I call her and have her come here to meet you? She doesn't live far."
Drake cleared his throat while edging around the bikers surrounding Amanda. "We should probably head out. We--"
"Of course I don't mind." She waived off Drake shaking his head. "We can stay another hour or so if you want to call her." She smiled warmly up at Breaker. "If you think your sister might want to also, I would be more than happy to meet her too."
The men excused themselves, yelling to the bartender to give her whatever she wanted and to put it on their tab, and stepped outside to make their calls.
"Okay. We're leaving." Drake whispered. "There's a back door over by the restrooms." He nodded toward the other side of the bar. "I'll go first and--"
"But why?" Amanda sat down on a barstool. "I can't leave with their family members coming here."
"Did you not notice the fresh blood on that one guy's shirt? All the scars? The weapons?" Drake ran an agitated hand through his hair. "These aren't the kind of men you sit down and talk regency romances with!"
"But they approached me about that very thing." She whispered back. "If you want to go on back to the palace, I'll be fine--"
Drake held his hand up to make her stop talking. "I don't know why we're arguing about this. We're--"
"Arguing about what?" Crow asked.
"You sure this guy ain't bugging you?" The shorter of the five asked from over Drake's shoulder.
"I'm sure." She replied with a laugh. "Thank you though, Gearhead." She tilted her head towards Drake. "He's more like a brother to me and likes to try and be an older one at that."
The bikers looked on Drake with some respect.
"Hard enough making a sister do anything, much less one that isn't related." Breaker grumbled.
He slapped Drake on the back. "You're a good man for looking out for her."
"Thanks." Drake managed to say once he was sure no bones were broken.
While the bikers sat down next to Amanda to ask her more about her book, Drake sent a quick text to Thomas.
He knew if there was any chance of getting out of here safely, he would need some help.
******************
An hour later...
Thomas's entrance went by unnoticed.
The only sound in the bar was Amanda, reading her novel before a small crowd of some of the roughest individuals he had ever seen.
They were captivated as she added emotion to the dialogue.
After ordering a drink, he found a seat towards the back that allowed him a perfect view of her.
She gave her thanks as one of the bikers poured her another cup of tea when her voice cracked. She then continued with the passage that held her audience on the edge of their seats.
Elizabeth rode as if the very hounds of hell were nipping at her heels. Every moment that she felt slipping away meant that she might be too late.
"Eliza!" Marija called out. "Turn north!" She whipped her horse to catch up. "It is a shortcut to the abbey."
The two ladies continued down the moonlit road, each praying for the man they loved.
Reginald and Arthur were already in the field that would decide once and for all who would be with Elizabeth.
Arthur removed his great coat followed by his jacket, cravat, and vest. "Here." He handed them to his brother. "I'll fence better being unencumbered."
Reginald did the same. He then tested his rapier, moving it faster than the eye could follow.
"Brother, I beg of you, stop and consider what you're doing," Carlisle spoke in a low tone. "Please, don't do this. Sir Reginald has never been bested. You must--"
"I have to." Arthur snapped. He placed a hand on the younger man' shoulder. "When you lose your heart to someone one day, you will understand."
"This isn't love." His brother insisted. "This has been an obsession, one you refuse to let go."
"Some would say that the two are one in the same." Arthur rolled his wrist, testing the weight of his own rapier. "Now, forgive me, but I must fight for my chance with Elizabeth."
One noble who had journeyed with others to this spot to make certain honor was upheld in the duel motioned the two combatants to the center.
He dropped a handkerchief, causing the two to rush each other. Their swords let out a screech of metal as they slid over each other.
Arthur barely deflected Reginald's strikes.
He really is the best swordsman in Cordonia, he thought.
"Oh!" Crow's mom gasped. "This is my favorite part, your grace."
Thomas knew it was his too. He found himself leaning forward as Amanda continued after thanking the elderly woman dressed from head to toe in leather.
The two fenced, each with a determined fury to be the man to have Elizabeth all for himself.
They ended up face to face during a violent block.
"Elizabeth loves me." Arthur snarled. "She has been mine far longer than yours."
"That might well be so." Reginald spat. "But not only am I in love with her, I'm the only man she has ever been betrothed to. She is my intended. The Queen was the one to settle that Elizabeth will belong to no other but me." His eyes narrowed with the hatred he felt towards this man who dared to try and steal her away. "She is mine by right! Not yours!"
They pushed away and began to strike with more fury.
Each burned with a desire to permanently eliminate the one who stood between him and a lifetime of happiness.
The one that made them doubt that they held Elizabeth's heart.
Breaker's sister sniffed while wiping her tears. "Here it comes." She whispered.
Amanda yelled out Elizabeth's words.
"WAIT! PLEASE!"
The two noble ladies on horseback rode directly onto the field.
Before either could react to seeing the very one they were fighting over,  Elizabeth slid out of her side saddle and ran to Arthur.
The bartender cursed out loud. "Elizabeth chose that bastard over Reginald?"
"Hush!" Breaker's mother told him. "Listen."
"Elizabeth." Reginald whispered, as he saw her take Arthur's hand and yank him further down field.
He gripped his sword. Anger fueled his body as he was forced to see the woman he loved choose another. He took a step forward to finish this duel and destroy Arthur once and for all. Yet something made him halt and watch his Elizabeth talk with the man she had met first.
Crestfallen and heartbroken, Reginald took one last look at the lady who had once been his then turned to collect his things.
I must leave, he thought to himself. Elizabeth deserves to be with the man she loves. I can't take that away from her when all I've ever wanted was for her to be happy.
He handed his rapier to his man servant. He then began to put his coat back on.
He was startled when a pair of arms embraced him from behind.
Turning abruptly he noticed a somber looking Arthur speaking to his brother and Lady Marija.
Elizabeth lifted her eyes to Reginald's face, taking in every feature she adored.
"Eliza," Reginald stepped back and took her hands. His eyes dropped to the ground as he spoke, unable to see her disapproval for his rash actions, "forgive me for trying to take the one you--" he noticed her damp skirt and silk dance slippers.
A surprised yelp escaped her lips when he picked her up and carried her over to a moss covered boulder. Her concern mounted when he knelt before her.
"Reginald, I--" her breath caught as he began to use his discarded cravat to tenderly dry her feet.
"You're going to catch a chill or worse if you remain out too much longer." He took a deep breath to calm his renewed anger over her having such a man to look after her. "Arthur should see you home at once."
Elizabeth cupped his cheek urging him gently to look at her.
"Why would I allow Arthur to take me home when I would much rather be with the man I am in love with?"
Reginald lifted his eyes to hers. "Eliza? Do you mean--" 
"I love you, Reginald." She scooted off the boulder and into his arms. "You are the only man I can ever see myself married to." 
Even in the early blush of dawn, he noticed her cheeks coloring from her admission. As if desperate to prove her heart was his, she slipped her arms around his neck and kissed him. His arms wrapped around her, holding her close as he responded to her sweet touch. When they broke apart to catch their breaths, their smiles were nearly identical with their joy. 
"Eliza,” Reginald pressed her hand to his heart, "my love, my very being is and shall always be yours."
Amanda shut the well worn copy she had been given to read an exert from, thanking the group when they applauded.
She stepped off the stage and began to sign the copies they had brought.
"My lady," one of the bikers placed his hand on her shoulder. "You aren't like those nobles we always read about."
"Thank you, Ink." She patted his heavily tattooed arm. "I promise there are more out there, like Prince Liam, who care and want to listen to the people."
"Your grace," Crow's mom pulled her into a brief hug. "This has been the best surprise yet at this bar." She turned toward the others. "Right?"
Many murmured their agreement while some others spoke of the time Arnie threw a full keg at a guy who came in causing trouble as their favorite surprise.
"Will the movie follow the book, my lady?" Breaker's sister asked.
"Yes, it will."
Amanda whirled around at the sound of the deep voice she knew so well.
"Thomas! What are you doing here?"
He briefly shrugged while moving to stand a little in front of her.
"I plan on it being as if the words Lady Amanda wrote came to life." He explained to the group.
"You're that Hunt guy." Ink narrowed his eyes. "You better have treated our duchess like she deserves."
"Mr. Hunt has been nothing but kind." Amanda quickly spoke up. "He might love my book more than anyone."
"I do." Thomas said softly.
He took her hand and held tight when he felt her trying to tug it away without making a scene.
"If you will excuse us," Thomas met each of the suspicious pairs of eyes on him, "I need to speak to her grace about my plans in Cordonia."
Crow shared a glance with his comrades.
"It's fine with us as long as she wants to go with you." He replied.
Thomas cocked an eyebrow at Amanda.
Seeing no way out of this without causing a problem, she wished the bar patrons a good night and promised to visit again before she left the capital.
Drake breathed easier once they made it out the door.
"That might be one of the weirdest experiences I have ever had." He muttered as they walked to Thomas's car.
"They were sweet." Amanda glanced back at the building. "I never dreamed that people like them would enjoy my-"
"Get in the car." Thomas bit out as he held the door open for her.
She stiffened once more, remembering how angry she was with him. "I think I'll walk."
Drake didn't bother to mask his groan at her response.
Thomas tossed him his keys, told him to drive back to the palace, and grasped Amanda's arm. He guided her on into the night.
"I meant alone." She grumbled.
Thomas remained silent.
She huffed at that. "Why did you come to the bar?"
He abruptly stopped in his tracks. His grip on her arm caused her to stumble back against him.
She looked up at his face made harsher by the shadows and low light of a nearby streetlamp.
"Do you have no knowledge of the danger you placed yourself in? Do you have any idea what they would have done to Drake if those men had not been fans of your novel? To you?!"
His questions struck like a whip as he held tight to her.
She glared defiantly up at him. "I've been on my own for many years, Mr. Hunt. I do realize the danger, yet since those men were gentlemen I saw no need to treat them any differently than someone kind I meet at a palace ball."
"Your stubbornness is going to be the death of me." He let go of her arms, took her hand, and continued to walk the path back to the palace.
She twisted her hand to set it free, then jerked him to a stop once more when he refused to let her go.
"Why were you there?"
"Drake texted for my help in getting you safely out of that bar."
"And why does he have your number? And why are you reading texts?! You hate texting."
His eyes narrowed. "I never hated receiving texts from you."
For some reason that he didn't understand, that made her angrier than anything else he had said to her.
"Why are you mad at me?" He asked. "Is it because of--"
"You never told me!" She shoved away from him when his grip loosened. "We talked everyday, Thomas. EVERYDAY! Texted one another multiple times each day." Her eyes sparkled with tears. "I told you private things about myself that I never shared with any other person." Averting her eyes, she took a shaky breath. "And you couldn't bother to tell me you had begun to date again."
"Amanda, it isn't what you think. Those dates were nothing more than--"
"I don't want to hear it." She stepped out of reach. "I see now that I took advantage of our living arrangement and thought we had a closer relationship than we did." She looked up at him, trying to not let him know how hurt she was. "Like I said at the masquerade ball, I will treat you only with a professional courtesy and not involve you in anything personal."
"If you would let me explain why I did what I did--" his eyes widened when she jogged off to get away from him. "Amanda!"
She paused, gripping handfuls of her skirt. "I only want to know one thing. Why are you invited to the events?"
"Liam invited me." He replied. "He came to my home during his bachelor trip and we discussed you."
"Me?" She paled. "Why?"
"He believed that you have feelings for me and didn't want to possibly choose you when you could be with the one you want."
"He did what?" 
She covered her face. She couldn't believe Liam would do something like this to her. She didn't know if she would ever get over this embarrassment.
"Liam then asked me how I felt about you." He added. "And I told him that I am in love with you."
Her head snapped up. "You told him what? Why?" Her brow furrowed. "Are you trying to protect me from something?"
"No. I told him because I didn't want to lose you in case he decided to choose a friend to marry." Thomas replied. "He then invited me to every social event so that I could secretly be with you."
"Then why the mass amount of dates?" He could hear her anger once more in her tone. "If you are so in love with me that you journey to Cordonia weeks before you planned, why did you date so many different women as soon as I left your home?"
Thomas guided her into a small park near the gate of the palace. He gestured toward a bench for her to sit. When she stubbornly refused to budge, he tugged her over and used his weight to force her down beside him.
"I prefer to stand." She grumbled.
 "And I prefer you sitting beside me." He countered. 
She scoffed while folding her arms and staring off into the distance. 
"I didn't want to take a chance on hurting you." He began. "I--" 
"Hurting me? How?" She removed her sun hat when she bumped him with her trying to face him. 
 He repositioned on the bench and set his arm across the back of it. "I was worried that my attraction to you was formed from you simply being near at hand."
 Amanda's brow furrowed. "I see. So, you decided to start dating to test whether or not that was true?" 
"Yes." He gently brushed a curl back that had been caught up in a breeze. "And every single one of them proved that I wasn't simply lonely." His fingers slid down her cheek. "I was lonely for you." 
Thomas inched closer to her until he could easily slide his arm around her. "When Liam came to my home and told me you were his suitor," he paused, searching for the right words, "I've never felt so hopeless in my entire life. I thought in that moment I had truly lost any possible chance to be with you." 
Amanda lowered her eyes. "I felt the same way when I saw the footage of your dates." 
He cupped her cheek, carefully urging her to look up. "Those dates were nothing. There was no affection, no spark, nothing remotely romantic." 
Her eyes searched his for the truth.
He waited patiently for her to say something about his confession.
Eventually she blew out a frustrated breath. “I don’t know what to think.”
“Would you like us to try and be together in secret?”
She quirked an eyebrow at him. “Would you? You've never struck me as the type of man who enjoys subterfuge.”
A hint of a smile appeared on his lips. “True, but I could last a few months doing so just to be with you.”
“We would have to be so careful.” Amanda blinked in surprise at herself for even considering doing this. “Even this,” she gestured to his arm curving around her, “would cause a scandal. Which, though it would eliminate me from being an acceptable choice for Liam, it would cause a great deal of damage to my standing within the court.” Her nose wrinkled. “I wouldn’t mind that so much but I need their support from time to time for votes that could affect the people of my duchy and for the various charities I am over.”
“Then we will make certain no one sees us.” He pulled her closer. “With your friends assistance, I think we can find time to spend alone.”
She felt her heart pick up speed as it finally registered that not only had Thomas confessed his love for her, but that she was about to do something so daring. 
“Amanda?” He leaned closer to her, giving her time to make a decision. His lips brushed her cheek. 
She swallowed before meeting his lips with a tentative kiss. She should have known that any kiss they shared could not remotely be considered chaste. It was all she could do to keep up with his passionate response.
After a few moments that felt all too brief, he eased away. “We better get you back to the palace before someone notices you're gone.”
“Drake is probably waiting by a side door we usually use to let us in.” she mumbled when his lips brushed hers again.
“Then we shouldn’t abuse his friendship.” He forced himself to move away from her. 
Taking her hand in his, he led her out of the park.
The clock tower chimed the late hour by the time they found Drake leaning against the palace’s east wall with his arms crossed. Noticing that the two were still holding hands without Amanda arguing had him smiling in relief.
“Everything good?” He whispered.
The couple shared a look before both nodding.
“Thank God.” His voice returned to its normal gruff nature. “I was about to resign from trying to convince Amanda to hear you out.”
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