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[unknownarmageddon]

Christ Alive

a kross oneshot. in which they go to a party cackles

based on the song skeletone by bones uk rental suits au belongs to me and @psycho-chair

The parking lot was mostly empty, save for two, maybe three, cars. It was dark, the only thing visible in the black murk past the washed out lights of the gas station’s overhang was the passing specks of car headlights. 

    Cross leaned on the elbow he held propped on the counter, tried to tune out the mediocre mainstream music playing distantly over the store’s speakers, and watched the only customer inside idle about the shelves. 

The lights buzzed. two of the fridges against the back wall flickered every so often.

      The door chimed as it was opened, and another stranger entered. They wanted 50 dollars’ worth on pump three. And a pack of cigarettes. The door chimed again, then they were gone. 

The lights buzzed. The fridges flickered. Everything was delved in a cool colored haze. 

     The last remaining person in the store bought two drinks. With the dinging of the door as they left, a father and two kids entered. They piled their spoils, a mound of snacks, onto the counter.

      There were several minutes of vacancy. Nobody in the store but him. It felt like an eternity, always did. Cross fiddled with the shelves behind him to waste time. 

Buzzing lights. Uneven churring from the slushy machine in the back. 

        The door chimed. Footsteps, sneakers scuffing on tile. 

Cross turned, and could practically feel the grin boring into him.

Him again. 

    He was leaning forward over the counter with his arms crossed in front of him. His jacket had obtained a few new stains, both red and black. The faint, electric sound of music played from the chunky maroon headphones around his neck. 

Cross felt himself grin for a moment. He couldn’t help it.

“Hey pretty boy.” He looked at Cross with deep dark sockets. 

“Killer.” 

“Fancy seeing you here.” Killer quipped. 

    He pulled himself up to sit on the back edge of the counter, still facing Cross. Cross furrowed his brows. 

“I told you to stop sitting on the counter.”

Killer hardly considered moving. His soul hummed like even it was laughing. “You’re gonna have to make me, sweetheart.” 

Cross knew that wouldn’t have worked. And he didn’t really care, not enough to force him. 

“You miss me?” Killer quipped.

“I haven’t decided yet.” Cross replied. 

Killer laughed. “I’m wounded.” 

     Cross turned back to the shelf, and Killer slid off the counter to stand next to him. 

    “Ya got any plans tonight? Other than the blast you’re clearly havin’ already.” Killer murmured, hands shoved the pockets of his jacket. The fabric of he and Cross’s clothes brushed as they just almost touched, they were that close.

When did Cross ever have plans? He shook his head. 

Killer’s grin got wider. Cross narrowed his eyes at him. What was he planning.

     Killer hopped back over the counter and headed for one of the fridges in the back. Cross leaned over the counter on his elbows to watch him. 

“Y’know, there’s gonna be a party tonight. At ten.” Killer jerked open the door and crouched, now partially obscured by the shelf behind him. His voice came to Cross echoed by the distance.

“Where?”

“Some guy’s place in town, I dunno, all I’ve got is the address. He was really talkin’ a big talk, I wanna see if he’s full of shit or not.” Cross could tell he was grinning. He had that kinda voice. 

“And you want me to go with you.” Cross responded after a pause. 

From the fridge Killer retrieved two energy drinks. He stood and the door was closed with a shove from his foot. 

“Exactly.” 

He hesitated, apparently for dramatic effect knowing him, and waited for an answer.

“…I’m not going.” 

“C’monnn, you gotta get outta this boring ass gas station sometime. Have an actual good time.” Killer pressed.  

“I don’t do parties.”

“How bad could it possibly be?” 

“I doubt I would miss out on much.” Cross responded.

“You’d never know. Unless you go.” Killer persisted.

       Cross didn’t respond after that. He stared at the tile in front of Killer’s feet, turning the notion over in his mind. He knew damn well that if Killer wanted something he’d find a way to get it, so he doubted how much good resisting would do. 

      Killer weaved through the aisles to the middle of the store, then went for the far back. He cracked one of the energy drinks. 

“When are you gonna start paying for those?” Cross called to him. 

“You think about that party, ‘kay, pretty boy? Think about it.” Killer called back instead and pulled the headphones on. He vanished among the shelves. Cross saw the top of the storage room door as it opened, then closed.

      Cross was left alone in the store again. The trickle of costumers came and went, and he worked on autopilot. His mind was occupied by the party and the loiterer in the storage room.

     His first reaction was to not go. And he trusted that reaction. All he knew about it was that it would be loud and crammed with people he likely didn’t want to be around. And that he wouldn’t know anyone but Killer. He didn’t think— no he knew it wouldn’t be worth it. 

     But who knew how well Killer would take that news. And he kind of had a point about getting out of the gas station. 

      Cross worked for three more hours. Occasionally he would watch Killer slink from the back to steal another energy drink or two, or a bag of chips. Cross pretended not to notice. Every time Killer passed the counter he would toss a smug grin at Cross. Meant only for Cross. The kind that loosely hid all the kinds of things he would say out loud if they were alone. Cross pretended not to notice those, too. 

        He would’ve stopped him, confronted him again for never paying for what he took. But Cross didn’t exactly want to be on the receiving end of that knife he flashed the night they met. And when Killer was around he had company, and the extra shitty customers never came back. It was a fair trade. So what if a few cans went missing here and there. 

        When Cross’s shift came to an end he left the counter in favor of the storage room. The smell of smoke flooded his nose the minute he pushed open the door. It wasn’t invasive, but it was noticeable enough whenever you walked in. It’d always smelled like smoke in here, after Killer showed up.

           The culprit sat on the floor in the corner beside the door. He had fully tucked himself into that corner, in the gap between boxes and freezers that lined a few of the walls. He had one leg propped on the other, and the magazine he held obscured his face. Cross could still hear Killer’s music blasting through his headphones even from where he stood. 

“My shift’s over. You gotta leave.” Cross greeted him.

Killer pulled the headphones down and looked up over the edge of the magazine. He hadn’t heard him.

“Shift’s over.” Cross repeated. 

The music cut off; the magazine was shoved under a shelf. “You got it, boss.”

He pulled himself to his feet and left his corner to push past Cross, who tailed him in return. 

     The gas station’s front door chimed for the last time as they exited out onto the pavement in front of it. It was cold, Cross zipped up his jacket. His breath clouded in front of him as he watched insects buzz around the precious glow of the station’s lights. 

     After a moment of standing he stuck his hands in his pockets and looked around at the vacant parking lot, awkwardly awaiting for whatever Killer was going to do. He didn’t trust him enough to leave first. 

His eyes landed on him. 

“What time’s it?” Killer asked.

Cross checked his phone. “Nine forty.” 

      Killer hopped off the slight incline of the pavement and moved through the darkness. To Cross he became a raccoon you’d see outside your garage. So blanketed in darkness it doesn’t look much like anything at all. Except, his soul provided a red halo around his silhouette. 

“You comin’?” Killer called over his shoulder and stopped. It was more of a request than a question. 

Hesitation. Cross glanced to his left, then back at Killer. “No?”

“You scared, sweetheart?” Killer replied. He could barely see him, but again Cross could tell he was grinning.

“No.” 

“C’mon, just this once. It’s just a party. One time’s not gonna hurt anything.” He said. More firmly, sharply. 

Killer gestured with his head, nodding, beckoning Cross to come with him.

“You always say that.”

“Am I wrong? Let’s live a little. Nothin’s gonna happen.” He spread out his arms, turning on his heel to look back at Cross. 

Cross scowled doubtfully. He’s known Killer for long enough to at least know going anywhere with him didn’t have any guarantees of anything. 

    Killer slunk back toward Cross and grabbed him firmly by the zipper of his jacket, pulling him down so their faces were level. His face was warmed by Killer’s breath. Killer looked him over, then dead on. 

Killer huffed a laugh. “You’re scared.”

     Cross paused for a long time. A car alarm started from somewhere distant in the dark. Then it was quiet again. 

“We’ll take the truck.” He decided eventually, flatly.

      Killer’s eyes widened. He released Cross and ran for said truck, which was parked back in front of the gas station. It was small, old, and white; one of those trucks that didn’t have back seats, and the front was one long singular bench with seatbelts that just went across the lap. 

      Killer was grinning, exclaiming to himself, in his triumph. He had gotten Cross to cave, andthey were taking the truck. 

      Killer rapped on the truck’s side with his palm as he stepped along it toward the door. He tried the door prematurely, eagerly. It was still locked. Then there was a click as Cross pressed a button on the interior of the driver side door and the rest of the doors unlocked. Killer jerked his open to slide into the passenger side; Cross got in after him, with less enthusiasm. 

The key met ignition and the vehicle grumbled to life like an aged animal. 

     Its beige leather seats were long worn, its paint was chipped in spots, it was overdo for a wash, and its windows were dusty and still functioned on a crank, but it served its purpose. 

     They left the parking lot. Cross heard Killer fighting with the window beside him, but he eventually got it open. Cold air streamed into the cab. Killer leaned against the door with his shoulder out the window. His feet were kicked up onto the dash. 

    In front of the windshield, dangling from the rear view mirror, hung a silver pendant on a chain and a long-expired air freshener. 

With each imperfection in the pavement they hit the cab bumped. 

“What’s the address?” Cross asked.

     A slip of paper was dug out of Killer’s pocket and examined. He put his legs down. 

“Left, up here.” He pointed, the turn signal clicked in time.

“Go for a bit,” He said now. “Here,” 

“Right, past here and down that road,”

     They drove for a while, mostly in silence save for Killer’s directions and occasional quips or broken humming.   Sometimes the headlights of a passing car or a lone streetlight would illuminate the cab; otherwise it was dark. 

Killer pointed at the windshield again. 

They were here. 

      What Cross saw was the front of an apartment building, one a few notches nicer than his own. That building immediately set the tone for the whole party in stone in Cross’s mind. It was fucking intimidating. He shouldn’t be here. 

   He glanced over at Killer, who was already slipping out of the truck. Cross inhaled and followed. 

———

       Upbeat music he’s heard everywhere a million times blasted through the apartment. Talking, laughing, shouting, all joined it. Lights everywhere, sounds everywhere. So many people were crammed in this single space.

     Cross was made hyper-aware of the presence of the other guests. The way they were dressed, the way they held themselves. They belonged here, he didn’t.

      He became Killer’s shadow. He kept his arms tight to his side, his eyes trained on his feet and Killer’s stride. He followed directly behind him as his companion sauntered through the apartment.

       They collected a few stares. What a sight they must be, two stupid boys wading through somewhere they shouldn’t be, one with stains on his clothes and one in a plain black jacket he’s had since high school. One with oil flowing from his eye sockets, one with an old rusted pickup. 

          Cross liked to imagine the things they whispered to themselves as the skeletons passed. Exclamations of surprise, of judgement. Eyes glued. 

     But, in reality, no one said anything. No one heckled them. He even doubted that many people were paying attention to them. Even still he was all too aware. 

      Finally, he and Killer breached the thick of the waves. Killer was saying something to another guest as he handed Cross a plastic cup of red liquid, which he accepted without much thought. 

“Whad’ya think?” Killer asked Cross and leaned against the table. He gestured with his free hand at everything around them like he was showing it all off. He held his own beverage in the other hand, Cross clutched his with both. 

    Cross didn’t respond. He didn’t know what to think. It was loud. There were way too many people. He’d decide eventually, he thought. 

     Killer lifted his cup to his mouth, then paused and lowered it. He deadpanned at it. 

“This tastes like shit.” 

Cross half-laughed, Killer grinned. 

      They stayed at that table for the duration of three, maybe four, songs. Killer did most of the talking. Cross only listened, offering the occasional hum in agreement or comment. Killer would point out people in the crowd he found notable for whatever reason to him. Made jokes, teased, rambled about menial things. He complained about the music, but he still tapped his finger against his cup in time. 

       Cross kept searching Killer, trying to figure him out. He wondered if he noticed how out of place they were. Or if he cared. But then he thought about it more, and he doubted he did.

     The song changed; Cross didn’t recognize this one. It was slower, but not melancholy. Carried by a steady rhythm and smooth electric guitar. Like the pounding of rain on concrete at night. 

Killer glanced up. “Fuckin’ finally, something good.”

     He set his cup down and pulled away from the table. “Alright I’m tired of standin’.” 

He stood with his back turned a moment, surveying the crowd, thumbs jammed in his shorts pockets, before he swiveled to offer his hand to Cross. “C’mon, you gonna do me the honor?” 

    Cross retracted, set his cup down and put his hands in the pockets of his jacket like he was hiding them. 

“I don’t dance.”

Maybe he would, in any other circumstance. When there weren’t so many people.

“Fuck babe, what do you do?” Killer replied. The corner of his mouth ticked up. 

    He pulled back toward Cross to nudge him with his elbow like he was trying to push him forward. 

“Dude,” Cross laughed. 

“We’re at a party, you gotta dance at least once.” He argued. “It’ll just be me, don’t worry about them.”

Cross conceded. “Just for this song, alright?”

    Cross quickly learned that Killer didn’t know how to dance either. They devolved into a mess of movements, a tangle of limbs. Killer held a hand to Cross’s hip, Cross held one to Killer’s shoulder. Occasionally their hands would intertwine. 

      They exchanged steps off-rhythm. Killer was quick, Cross took strides to catch him. 

      Cross continued to be aware of the other dancers, even here. He couldn’t shake them from his mind. He wasn’t nearly as coordinated, and he had a habit of staying too stiff and rigid. But Killer had enough confidence for both of them.

       All Cross saw was the carpet, his eyes glued to their feet. Making his best effort not to trip. Or get stepped on. He risked a glance up at Killer’s face. He was grinning with the most actual enthusiasm Cross had seen from him tonight, and it became infectious. 

“You keepin’ up, pretty boy?” Killer asked, catching Cross and keeping him from looking back down. 

“You’re horrible at this.” Cross replied.

“And you dance like you’ve taken ballet since kindergarten.” Killer scowled, but his eyes were still grinning. 

     In the last remaining minute of the song they slowed, swayed, leaning into each other. They let the wave of other dancers surge around them. Killer hooked an arm around Cross’s neck, Cross laid his over his shoulders. Cross watched him, awaiting his next move silently. 

Killer took Cross’s left hand and pressed a slow kiss to his knuckles.

Cross decided this party wasn’t that bad, at least.

          Killer’s song ended. They untangled. Cross followed Killer as he slunk over to the apartment’s kitchen, where refreshments were strewn over the counters. The nearby balcony’s door was propped open, and Cross lingered there in the opening. Cool outside air hit his back. 

       Now Killer was chatting up another guy at the table. Like he always did when they went out anywhere. As if out of habit. Cross disregarded them; all he heard was Killer say “is that a challenge?”.  He would’ve dwelled on it more, been more bothered, but he put his attention on everyone else. He scanned the crowd like he expected to be jumped. 

   Beside him Killer returned and he felt him press up against him. He knew he was grinning. His hand wandered Cross’s arm, then his back. He smelled like smoke. What was he after. 

Cross’s face grew warm. His shoulders tensed. But he averted his eyes, kept his focus on the crowd. 

     His gaze landed on one woman in particular, not far from the table. She was surrounded by her own group of people, but for some reason she was staring directly at him, both of them. With this look in her eye.

      Her lips, which were covered in a red smothering of lipstick, ticked down in a grimace. 

What a sight they must be. 

      A wildfire of anger burst up through Cross. His bones grew hot, like he was being burned by it. She made him so fucking mad. He couldn’t process why.

      She hadn’t even said anything. Not yet. But he knew she would. It was a matter of time, with the way she was  looking at them. 

     Cross searched her, trying to gauge her. He knew these kinds of people all too well. 

   He returned her look in a blank stare. In it, he silently poured out every bit of desire he had to wipe that look off on the wall behind her. He doubted he’d actually do something, though. It wasn’t worth whatever hell would come of it. 

Still, it leaked into his voice.

“Someone’s staring.” He said, quietly, and Killer retracted slightly.

      He followed Cross’s gaze. His grin fell. The soul in front of his chest flickered, becoming an unstable ever-shifting shape far from a circle. To Cross it resembled a star nearing on a supernova. 

      He wasn’t being nearly as discrete as Cross; he glared back at her with just as much anger. If not more. Like a dog with teeth bared. 

 His voice dripped venom. “I’ll deal with ‘er.”

     Cross’s companion pulled away from the table and over to the woman. Each step carried a buried intention, buried fury, with it.

Cross felt like someone’s gonna die. 

     Cross blinked and Killer was already in front of her. She said something to him, and he heard Killer shout back at her. He blinked again and Killer’s fist was flying. The woman’s head skewed to the side unnaturally, awkwardly. Then she fell to a heap on the carpet; A painted lady sprawled across the floor like a body bag. 

       She struggled to her elbows, coughed blood onto the carpet. The tease of a grimace became a full-fledged snarl. Her pretty prim lipstick was smeared. 

Cross didn’t hear anything. Hardly even saw anything but Killer and the woman. Only the pounding of blood in his ears and flashing lights in the corner of his vision. 

A needle of sudden anxiety, anticipation, stabbed Cross. Nothing good was gonna come from this.

If they hadn’t been before, everyone was certainly staring now. 

     The few nearest were on Killer like a pack of wolves to a carcass.

Someone was gonna die. 

       The surge consumed Killer. Shouting roared over the music. Cross barely saw him as he clawed, fought, screamed. Grinned. The suddenness of it all startled Cross out of his anger. 

     Two attackers were thrown back, blood streaming from their noses. Two more took their place. 

       At some point Killer’s jacket slipped,  leaving shoulders exposed. And one of his sleeves was torn now. Bits of bleach-white bone were visible like Cross was peaking through a break in the blinds. 

         For a moment, he just stood and watched. Watched Killer fight like an animal. Admired the fluidity of his movements. Stared into the flames. 

God,

He couldn’t help it. 

Maybe this is what he came to this dumb party for. 

       Killer got tackled by two guys much larger than him and Cross, simultaneously, was thrown into the mess by someone behind him he didn’t see. It was like he was in a hornet’s nest. It was confusing, loud, violent. He didn’t know what to do, how to do it.

        Somehow, he gathered himself and he and Killer managed to push back the swarm. Everything broke like oil and water, if only for a moment. 

        Killer now stood on Cross’s right, clutching his wrist tight in his hand. On the other, his left, was a smear of red lipstick. He held it curled in a fist. 

Cross’s magic pounded in his ears.

    There was a single heartbeat of still, then they were on them again, just as quick. They tore at them, stampeded over them. Except now Cross was in the middle of it. And at that moment he wanted to be anywhere else. But he didn’t really, either. This was where Killer was. 

It became war.

     Like with dancing, Cross wasn’t as confident a fighter as Killer. And he doubted his skills. But he wasn’t harmless, he hoped. 

      He tried to stay close to Killer, to not lose him to it all. That became his only goal. To not lose Killer, and to survive. 

      Cross grabbed another guy by the shirt and pulled him off of Killer, then had to spin to push someone different back with a strike from the elbow. It was overwhelming, smothering. Everyone on every side at all times. 

        Occasionally he got glances of Killer as he would stumble backward, only to run back in, laughing. He never stayed in range of who he fought, always jumping in and back out. Circling, a wolf nipping at the ankles of an elk. But he hit hard, knew what he was doing. 

          Warm blood ran into Cross’s eye, obscuring his vision. He must’ve busted an eyebrow. 

         Even before that, his vision became blurred. All he saw were movements. He focused everything on not drowning. Where was Killer? He had lost sight of him at some point. But the thought was ripped from his mind as he sustained a kick to the back and staggered. He gritted his teeth and returned the hit, pushed someone he didn’t see long enough to identify away. He rammed someone else with his shoulder. 

      Then he took another, harder, blow. This time to the side of the head. He felt like his whole skull was jarred and he staggered again, almost falling this time. 

Someone grabbed his wrist. 

It was Killer.

     He ripped Cross from it all, fingers dug into his arm. Then they were running. He knew they were being followed. Killer shouted something. At some point they were in a stairwell, descending. Pounding in his skull was all he heard. 

Suddenly, cold night air.

They were outside. There was Cross’s truck.

       They ran to it and pulled the door’s open so hard he was surprised they weren’t thrown off their hinges. They were slammed closed just as hard.

       Cross stuck the keys in the ignition and turned as fast as he could manage. 

       Six remaining pursuers flooded from the apartment. They tried to follow, yelled curses and profanities. 

“Go, go, go!” Killer shouted.

“I’m trying!”

     They pulled out and ended back on the road. 

      Finally, things started to slow back down. But Cross still felt like he wasn’t there. He felt like he was still at that party, busting his knuckles on strangers out for his blood. He didn’t even feel relief yet, that they were in the safety of Cross’s truck now. He didn’t feel much of anything.

    The first thing Cross fully registered was Killer slamming his arm on the side of the door four times. “Holy shit!” 

He put his hand to his head. “Holy shit.” 

    He was making an expression Cross couldn’t read, or place. Was it excitement? Surprise? Detest? Fear? Maybe just adrenaline. He was grinning. But he always was. His eyes were wide. Like he had just gotten off a rollercoaster. 

Cross glanced at him again after checking the road. “You’re bleeding.”

He was, from the nose. 

“So’re you.” 

     Cross put a finger to his eyebrow and felt warm liquid. The wound stung, he just now noticed. He wouldn’t notice the rest of his pain until much later, when the adrenaline was out of his system. 

“Dude that was fucking insane.” Killer breathed. He almost laughed as he said it. 

“It was worth it, though.” He added. “God, getting to wipe that look off her face,” 

“Mm,” Cross hummed absently. Was it worth it? Part of him agreed silently. 

“Showed her. Fucking showed her.” Killer continued, mostly to himself.

      “You’re alright?” Cross asked, eyes pinned to the road. He still felt jittery. He hated having to sit here this long. 

“Oh, what, me? Yeah I’m fine, I’m fine. Nothin’ I can’t handle.” Killer replied. He wiped at his nose, then cleaned the remaining lipstick from his hand on his jacket. 

He was so… unaffected. Like this was an everyday occurrence for him. Maybe it was. 

      Cross rubbed the blood from his brow again. It hadn’t stopped bleeding yet. He wondered how bad it was. But he didn’t check the rearview mirror for his reflection. 

He felt Killer’s eyes on him.

“It’s a look, y’know.” Killer quipped. 

Cross laughed quietly. “What, having dried blood on my face?”

      They drove in silence for a while. Cross’s soul was still pounding. At some point he collected himself enough to remember to put on his seatbelt. He listened to the occasional clicking of the turn signal and Killer’s mindless tapping. It grounded him, pulled him away from the party. 

“I didn’t know you could fight like that.” Killer said eventually. “Didn’t think you had it in ya.” 

“I was just trying not to get killed.” Cross responded dryly, like it was a fact. He hadn’t thought it was that impressive. 

Killer laughed. Even though it was the truth.

“Wasn’t too bad, either. I could teach ya a thing or two, though. If you wanted.” 

Killer offered with a grin.

Cross considered it just for a moment. “I think I’m fine.”

“Your loss. You think about it, ‘kay?” Killer replied. “I’d love t’see what you could do if you knew what you were doin’” 

Cross just hoped he wouldn’t find himself in a situation where he needed to know what he was doing.

      Killer leaned forward to start messing with the truck’s radio. He flicked through stations and static. 

“I didn’t expect that many people to come after us.” Cross said. 

“Yeah, god, it was like everyone at that party was pissed.”

“What’d she say? I saw her say something to you.” Cross asked.

“What d’you think? Some stupid shit about us. I dunno, I don’t remember.” Killer said, scowling at the radio. Cross knew he remembered, but he didn’t press. 

Killer eventually found a station he was satisfied with and leaned back. Now a loud, quick, shouty rock song Cross hadn’t heard quietly filled the background of the cab. 

Killer stretched out his arms. “Well, I’d consider tonight a success.” 

Cross stared at him.

Killer laughed. “Eyes on the road, sweetheart,”

———

        After what felt like an eternity they ended up at Cross’s apartment. Cross fumbled with keys to unlock the door and they stumbled inside. Everything was dark, lit only by the lights of the street and a standing lamp near the door Cross bothered to flick on as they entered. 

        The first thing Cross did was go for the fridge in the conjoined kitchen. It was mostly empty, but he found a cold canned drink and tossed it to Killer. He pressed it to limbs, to his face, soothing the bruises he had acquired. 

         He had a faint, dark ring around one of his eye sockets in the start of a black eye. Cross took his wrist and slowly, firmly, guided his hand to the socket. 

“You caused a lot of trouble.” Cross murmured, sighing, as he held his hand there. 

“You saw the way she was looking at us.” Killer replied sharply.

Cross retracted his hand, stood there to look at him. “Still,” 

“She was basically just askin’ for it, anyway. No one else was gonna do it.” Killer argued.

“I think I’m gonna have a headache for a week. Thanks to you.” Cross said, though he was just barely smiling.

“You’re welcome.” Killer grinned.

“Mm.”

          After, the can was handed back to Cross. It was just barely warmer, just barely flecked with blood. He pressed it to his own bruises, and to his eyebrow. The start of a headache stabbed at him. 

            Cross watched Killer as he fixed his jacket from where it had fallen off his shoulders. Just as closely as when he had watched him fight.

He felt both of them linger there, unsure. Awkward. Mutually asking “what now?”

“Well, it’s been a hell of a night, but I better be gettin’ outta here. I’m a busy man, y’know.” Killer said finally, flicking up his hood over his head. 

“Already?” Cross asked. 

Of course.

“Don’t worry, you’re not gettin’ rid of me that easy. I’ll be back.” Killer said, brushed up against Cross as he headed for the door, grinning up at him. He caught Cross’s hand and held it in his for just a moment. 

      ‘I’ll be back’ could’ve meant a myriad of things. Cross could see him tomorrow. Maybe in a few hours, even. Or he could see him next in however many days.

      Cross’s mouth teased a smile and he shook his head. He followed him to the doorway, where Killer lingered, holding the door open with one hand. 

It sounded like it was raining outside. 

     For some reason, in that moment Cross remembered what Killer had said at the gas station, before they left. 

His eyes widened, then narrowed at him. “You’re such a liar. You said nothing would happen.” 

“Your favorite liar.” Killer grinned.

    He leaned farther through the doorway toward him and pressed a kiss to Cross’s teeth, as if it was some kind of weird apology. It tasted like smoke. And blood. Cross let it happen, didn’t want it to end as quick as it did. 

“We should do this again sometime.” 

Then it was over, Killer was gone, and all Cross saw was the door as it clicked closed.

[ilove-adawong]

Rockstar Ada Wong Bot Drop ﹒⪩⪨﹒

I'm back, YAY! This bot idea was a request sorry for getting to it so late :[

Includes 2 Ada bots, both are GN

I made 2 bots, I remade my rockstar user x groupie ada bot as well as made a new prompt as well just incase!

Ada Wong (Link) | Rockstar Ada x Groupie User *. * ·

The cheering and roaring of the crowd are almost insanely loud, and your ears already feel the effects of being so close to the stage. It was the 5th concert already, and you would make it your mission to go to every single one. Your goal? Get invited to one of the many after-parties planned by the band, or at least find out where it was so you could try sneaking in. It seems your luck was in because you got invited by someone you met in the crowd. It was clear they were trying to impress you, but you didn't care you just wanted to meet Ada, the main singer of the band. The concert ended and you were already in your car making your way to the party. It looked like it was being held in a house, probably a rental. you were supposed to meet that same person there but you weren't going to do that of course. It was a bit early since only a few people were there, you could only imagine that she was in there… it sent shivers down your spine just thinking about it. After sitting in your car nervously for a few minutes, the party seemed more packed and alive so you got out to make your way in. The entrance was bare, with a few people standing outside. You just walked in, letting out a breath of relief that no one was there to question you. You walked around a bit, even if you wanted to have fun and party the thought of her being in here somewhere didn't let you rest. You needed a drink if you wanted to let loose. You didn't think that's where you'd find her, also pouring herself a drink. This had to be your moment, you were gonna do it, talk to her. You walk over, getting a cup for yourself. "You look… familiar?" You say to her with a playful tilt of your head, an obvious joke as you pretend to not know who she is.

Ada Wong (Link) | Rockstar Ada notices you in the crowd *. * ·

The speakers were blaring and your ears were muffled with how close you were to the stage. Ada was performing and you swear you locked eyes with her so many times. You were practically front row, maybe a row behind but very close. Ada is just as beautiful in person, of course, you would know that very well. You saw her live as often as you could. At some point of the performance Ada winks at you. You swear she does. The concert comes to an end and you notice one of the bodyguards or staff? You weren't sure but they were walking right towards you. Maybe they finally noticed you everywhere and were gonna tell you to stop following Ada, luckily, that wasn't the case. They instead took you backstage where you would be able to meet Ada Wong. They were talking to you about some NDA and to be respectful and not freak out. Ada pulled you backstage, why else would her staff be talking about all of these things? Of course, you'd do anything, sign hundreds and hundreds of contracts. They take you backstage to a single room, with a knock on the door she opens the door. Greeting you with a pretty smile. "Hey, welcome backstage… come in," she says, motioning for you to come into her dressing room. She could tell you were a bit shaken, nervous even. She chuckled, finding it amusing. "You must be confused… but I assume you're smart enough to understand what's going on right?" She asked you.

[thruheavenandhighwater]

Pairing: Eddie Munson/ Plus Size Female Reader

Requested By: Anon

Word Count: 10,531

Summary: You and Eddie had decided at the beginning of your relationship that kids probably weren't for you. But every summer when your niece visits for two weeks, you find yourself reconsidering. This takes place in like '93 and reader and Eddie are both in their mid 20s.

Content Warning: Smut (18+, minors DNI) Eddie being a horny little gerbil and making sexual/ suggestive jokes. Breeding kink kinda. Unprotected sex.

Stranger Things Masterlist

Eddie Munson Masterlist

~~~~~

You'd always loved summer vacation. When you were in school, you obviously loved getting 10 weeks of freedom. As you got older you learned to appreciate the nice weather and ability to spend time outside with your friends. When you met Eddie you loved being able to follow him to shows, watching him be a rockstar at small festivals and house parties all around the state. But now, you loved summer for a whole new reason. 

Your brother and sister in law had moved out of state a few years ago for his job. They were happy in their new city, and your niece had made gaggles of new friends at her school. But you missed them all terribly between visits. Your niece's summer vacation just so happened to be their longest visit. They'd come back the last week of June, stay through the Fourth Of July holiday, and drive back to their own city until November. 

You and Eddie were both excited for their visit. You always were. For the last few years, since you'd been dating, you both loved those two weeks in the middle of summer when the baby would be home to visit. Neither of you had ever particularly wanted kids, but you loved spending time with your niece. 

She and Eddie got along famously from the first time they met. She'd only been barely two years old at the time. Eddie had been nervous, making himself sick with worry for weeks leading up to the visit. He convinced himself that your brother and his wife wouldn't like him. He thought they'd take one look at him, at his leather and chains and run for the hills. He even had himself believing that you would listen to them and leave him while they were in town. 

None of that happened, obviously. You all gathered at your parents house the day after they arrived for family dinner. The only thing stopping Eddie's hands from shaking was the fact that you held one tightly in your own, and the other held the cookies you'd made earlier that morning. You watched all of his worry melt away almost as soon as the front door closed behind you. Before you could even greet your family, your niece was across the room, taking Eddie's hand from yours and leading him into the living room to play Care Bears with her. They ended up playing for most of the afternoon. She made him be Funshine Bear, and your brother still calls him Funshine whenever they see each other. 

This year, you and Eddie were finally able to get your own place. It was a rental, admittedly. A small house a few blocks from your work. But it was yours and you were both proud of it. The best part, you both agreed, was the extra bedroom. A few weeks before their visit you called your brother to ask if your niece could spend a few nights with you and Eddie while they were in town. Being that she was six years old now, he left it up to her. She nearly broke the speaker of your phone with how loudly she squealed once you asked the question. You and Eddie spent way too long passing the phone back and forth while you all planned what she was calling "the super awesome mega slumber party." The following weekend you and Eddie went out and probably spent too much money buying a new bed and Disney princess sheets, just for your niece in the extra bedroom. 

The day everyone arrived back in Hawkins you met them at your parents house. No more than three minutes after she was in the house, your niece corned you and Eddie in the kitchen demanding to see "her" bedroom. 

"It's in our house all the way across town, jellybean," you told her. 

"I'm going there tonight?" 

"Not tonight, kid," Eddie answered, crouching down to her level. "Auntie and me both gotta work tomorrow. You're comin' over on Friday." 

"What's today?"

"Wednesday." 

The groan that came from deep within her body would have suggested that she'd just been given the news that her stocks were tanking. Eddie only giggled, promising a fun weekend and as many blueberry pancakes as she could eat. She begged the both of you to come over tonight, claiming that she had to check out her room and make sure it was good enough. You told her no, though you didn't want to. You knew that if she came over tonight she'd be there for the rest of their trip. At the end of the afternoon you and Eddie hugged her goodbye and did your best to ignore the wide eyed, pleading looks she gave you through your parents living room window. 

You ended up taking a half day on Friday, physically incapable of sitting at work for an additional four hours. You were practically bouncing as you called your parents house from work. Your brother answered, sounding very arrogant when he simply said your name in lieu of a greeting.

"Is my baby awake?" You asked. He chuckled and told you that she wakes up with the sun. "Has she eaten lunch? I'm about to leave work and I was thinking we could have a little date to Benny's." 

"Benny's without me?" He asked, almost sounding genuinely offended. 

"I guess if you're like, on the brink of starving to death you can go." 

"Thank you so much for such a warm and genuine invitation," he said in a monotone voice. "But I'm gonna watch golf and pass out on the couch the exact moment your car is out of the driveway, so I won't be able to attend." 

"Nice to know that nothing has changed in your old age." 

"I'm barely four years older than you," he reminded you. "So if I'm old, what does that make you?" 

"I'm still young and full of life," you answered. "And I'll be there in like ten minutes so she better be ready." 

When you arrived at your parents house, your brother opened the door before you had the chance to knock. "She's been staring out the window since we hung up," he told you. The two of you stood side by side as you watched her slip into her pink tennis shoes. "Where's Uncle Funshine?" He asked. 

You swatted at him, the back of your hand smacking softly against his chest. "Stop callin' him that." 

"She calls him that!" 

"She's six and it's cute," you retorted. Just then your niece stood up and proudly showed off the laces of her shoes, which she tied all by herself thank you very much. Your brother let out an exaggerated groan as he lifted her backpack to hand it to you. You had to admit, it seemed like she had packed everything she owned in that small pink bag. On the drive to Benny's she told you all about everything she had brought with her for the two nights she was spending with you and Eddie. 

"I brought two outfits and then a extra shirt in case we go somewhere fancy," she told you. You did your best to hide the laugh that pulled from you, knowing that you were currently driving to the fanciest place in Hawkins. "And I brought some books, 'cause I'm getting real good at reading." 

"So you don't want Uncle to read you stories anymore?" 

"Well, he can sometimes," she answered. "But only 'cause he does voices and stuff. Oh! And daddy said you're gonna take me swimming so I brought my bathing suit." 

"Daddy said that, huh?" You asked, looking into the rearview mirror to find her nodding triumphantly, her bright smile on full display. "Then I guess we gotta find a pool, don't we?" 

Later that evening, after dinner and bedtime stories Eddie joined you in bed. "We're going swimming tomorrow?" He asked, turning onto his side to face you. 

"Apparently my brother has promised her swimming," you answered with a smile. "Figured we could take her to the pool and let her tire herself out." 

"Which pool?" 

"There's only one public pool," you laughed. 

Eddie groaned dramatically. "That place sucks," he told you. "And the lifeguards are all banging each other and it smells like chlorine and-" 

"Okay!" You said, halting his rant. "So where do you suggest we take her?" 

"Steve and Robin's apartment has a pool." 

"For residents," you told him flatly. "We aren't residents." 

"Steve and Robin are residents," he shrugged. You only sighed, telling him that you'd call them tomorrow. Eddie seemed happy enough with that as he rolled onto his back, opening his arms for you to take your usual spot with your head on his chest. 

"I love you," you sighed as your eyelids began to feel heavy, the rhythm of his heartbeat lulling you to sleep. 

"Love you, too, princess," he whispered. "Goodnight." 

Your niece woke both of you up entirely too early for a Saturday. She came into your bedroom, wiping sleep from her eyes with her favorite stuffed bear under her arm. She walked to the foot of your bed and crawled between your body and Eddie's. "Pancakes?" She asked sleepily as she pushed you almost to the edge of the mattress. 

"Can I sleep for like, four more hours?" Eddie asked, voice barely audible. She shook her head against his chest. He giggled, now rubbing his own eyes as he started to wake up. He looked over her head to you with a fond smile. "Then I guess it's time for pancakes." 

Each of you had a job to help with breakfast. Eddie made the blueberry pancakes, per your nieces request. You stood beside him, frying bacon in a pan. Your niece delegated drink duty to herself, pouring glasses of orange juice for each of you. It was nice, you thought to yourself. Just the three of you bopping around the kitchen while you prepared for your day. Eddie hummed to himself as he added a pancake to the growing stack on the platter next to him. 

"We swimmin' today?" Your niece asked as she shoved a syrupy bite into her mouth. Eddie answered, humming positively as he took a sip of his coffee. "When?" 

"Later," you answered. 

"When later?" 

"Can you even tell time?" Eddie asked with a giggle, earning a withering stare from her. 

"I'm not sure what time," you told her. "I gotta call our friends and find out." 

"Can you call them now?" 

You looked at the clock over the stove. It was barely 8 in the morning. You knew that neither Steve or Robin would be awake this early, unless they were at work. You decided to wait, telling her that you'd call after breakfast. 

Eddie ended up being the one to make the call. Your niece cornered him while you showered, using her flawless skills of coercion on him. You walked into the kitchen, rubbing your hair with a towel while he was on the phone. 

"- rules about dirty little freeloaders using your pool?" You smiled as you stood there, just out of sight while Eddie listened. "You're amazing, Buckley. No, I mean that. I'm gonna commission a statue of you and put it right in the front yard. Of course, very tasteful. Okay, bye. Love you!" 

He smiled as he turned to face your niece, who was bouncing on her toes as she waited for the verdict. "We're in, short stack," he announced, holding his open palm out for a high five. 

"Yes!" She cried, her small hand slapping loudly against his. "I'm gonna go get ready." 

She ran past you, barely sparing a glance in your direction as she ran to her bedroom. The door closed behind her as you walked into the kitchen. "We're getting a statue?" You asked as you wrapped your arms around the back of Eddie's neck. He snaked his hands around your waist, nodding. 

"Just a little one," he answered. "She said she's gotta work, but if we give her a few hours she's gonna wake up Steve and force him to let us in." 

"So, shouldn't we get a Steve statue then?"

Eddie scoffed, "Absolutely not," he answered, leaning forward to catch your lips in a soft, slow kiss. He traced his tongue along the seam of your lips. Just as you opened them, granting him further access, you heard a door open. 

"I need help," came a small voice down the hall. Eddie groaned, tightening his grip around you when you tried to pull away. You satiated him with a quick peck before turning away towards where your niece was half into her swimsuit. 

She was beyond agitated when you told her that you weren't going swimming right this second. You recognized the beginnings of a tantrum brewing. Her little hands balled into fists. She sucked in a deep breath, preparing to let out what you could only assume would be an earth shattering scream. Just as she was about to let loose, Eddie swooped in with a day saving move.

"I was gonna go get ice cream," he said casually as he shrugged into a t shirt. "But if you wanna stay here all day and be mad, then I guess I'll just sit back down-"

"Ice cream?" She asked, suddenly dropping her shoulders. Eddie nodded from his seat in the living room. "Can I get sprinkles?" 

"Obviously," he answered. "That's the best part."

The small ice cream stand in the center of town had only been open for a few minutes when you all walked up to the window. You were glad to see it was Jenny working today instead of Miranda. Jenny liked her job, whereas Miranda seemed to have a personal grudge against every person who dared order ice cream from her. 

"Two chocolate cones with sprinkles, and one vanilla with no sprinkles," Eddie ordered with a smile. He turned to face you as he pulled his wallet from his back pocket. "For the boring and gorgeous love of my life who hates sprinkles for some reason." You only rolled your eyes, crossing your arms over your chest as he handed Jenny the cash. 

You all collected your cones and walked to a bench a few yards away from the stand. Your niece sat on your lap while you all ate. 

"We goin' swimming now?" She asked. 

"Not quite," Eddie answered. "Don't you know you gotta wait 30 minutes after you eat or sharks will get you?" 

"Pools don't have sharks." She deadpanned, licking at her ice cream. 

"Oh," Eddie scoffed. "Didn't know you were a shark expert." 

She turned to look at you. You had to laugh at her expression. She looked so much like her mother, who often gave you a similar look when your brother was acting some type of way. 

"Pools don't have sharks," you confirmed. "Your uncle's just… well, I don't know what's wrong with him, honestly." 

Eddie giggled, continuing to work on his own ice cream as it rapidly melted in his hand. 

Eddie made one more stop on the way to the apartment building that sat on the south end of town. Your niece did nothing to hide her disappointment when Eddie parked the car in front of Melvalds general store. 

"You said we were going swimming!" She whined, throwing her head back in annoyance. 

"Well, I thought you might want some floaties or toys or something," Eddie told her. She perked back up instantly and began to scramble with her seatbelt before bolting out the back door, letting it fall closed behind her. 

The water toys and accessories were pretty much front and center as soon as you pulled open the front door of the store. Your niece made a beeline for the toys and floating tubes. Eddie followed behind her, promising not to let her go crazy with purchases. You smiled to yourself, knowing full well that she was going to walk out of this store with anything she asked for. You walked down the opposite side of the aisle to where the necessities that you knew neither of them cared about were hung. You added a bottle of sunblock, a magazine, a hand pump for the floaties you were sure your niece would pick, three pairs of sunglasses, and some new beach towels to your basket. You originally picked out a plain pink towel for your niece, but put it back on the shelf in favor of the one right beside it. It was smaller than the others, obviously made for children, and featured a scene from the newest Disney princess movie. You knew she'd love it. 

When you rounded the end of the aisle you couldn't help but laugh. There Eddie stood behind your niece, both arms full as she continued to shop. Your sandals clapped against the tile floor as you walked over to them. Eddie gave you a pitiful smile over the pile of boxes and toys he was hugging to his chest. From a cursory glance you saw three floating rafts and inflatable rings in matching colors, squirt guns, and a beach ball. He also had a purple plastic bucket dangling from his fingers, which your niece was in the process of filling. 

"I told her she can only get what fits in the bucket," he told you in a weak attempt at defending himself. You giggled as you watched your niece add a pair of goggles to the two small dolls that were already in the bucket. 

"They're mermaids," she told you when you picked one up. "And their hair changes colors!" 

"They change colors, babe," Eddie parroted with a grin. 

"One more toy," you told her in your best attempt at a stern voice. 

"But Uncle Funshine said-"

"We won't be able to fit it all in the car if we listen to him," you told her, smiling up to Eddie as she returned to diligently scanning the shelves. She ended up choosing a florescent green frisbee as her final choice, even though it didn't fit in the bucket. You loaded all of your things into the trunk, handing out new sunglasses to everyone. They both looked so good, and so happy. You almost kicked yourself for not bringing your camera to commemorate the day. 

Steve answered the door already dressed for the pool. It was surprising since you were pretty sure he was asleep less than an hour ago. He stepped back from the door, raising one arm to usher you all inside. Your niece was hesitant, having never met Steve. Eddie crouched down to her level and put one hand behind her back. 

"This is Steve," he told her softly. "We're swimming in his pool." 

"Hi, Steve," she said shyly, pulling a sympathetic look from Steve. 

"Hello, honey," he answered. "Uh… so the bedrooms are empty if you guys need to change or anything." 

"Cute of you to think this one would let us out of the house without swimsuits already on," Eddie told him, standing up straight and motioning to his black trunks. Steve looked to you just in time to see you pulling the black strap of your own swimsuit from the neck of your shirt. 

"Well okay then," Steve said, clapping his hands in front of him. "What are we still doing inside?" 

Once you were inside the black metal fence that surrounded the pool your niece immediately began to disrobe. She dropped her shirt and shorts in a pile before you told her to hand them to you. You folded them neatly and put them into one of the paper shopping bags to keep them dry. Eddie pulled his own shirt over his head and you had to force yourself to look away. The way his trunks hung low on his hips, showing off the bit of hair just below his belly button, accompanied by the mischievous wiggle of his brows as he handed his shirt to you. He knew what he was doing. You took a seat on a lounge chair near the pool and began to unpack your haul as Eddie and your niece stepped into the water. 

"What do you think you're doing?" You asked, stopping both of them in their tracks. "I didn't buy sunblock just to put it on a shelf as decor. Get over here." 

Both of them hung their heads as they trudged back to you. Eddie pulled the sunblock from the bag and squeezed a dollop into your open palm. You began to rub the lotion into your nieces arms and legs while Eddie did the same to himself. By the time you were finished with your niece, Eddie was holding the bottle out to you. "Help?" He asked, looking pitiful as he motioned over his shoulder with his head. You rolled your eyes, feigning annoyance as you took the bottle from him and stood from your seat. You squeezed a bit more sunblock into your hand and lathered up his back and shoulders, reveling in the warmth of his soft skin. Once you were done he turned back to face you. 

"Thanks, babe," he said softly. "But I think you missed a spot." You gave him a questioning look, knowing that you had gotten every inch of him. He wagged his brows again, placing his hands on your hips as he looked down towards his crotch. 

"Oh, get away from me," you laughed. He tightened his grip on your hips, pressing himself into you just a bit. "I'm gonna drown you." You threatened, though your smile told Eddie that there was no trace of malice in your words. 

"Who's gonna make you pancakes if you drown me?" 

"Steve." 

Steve barked out a laugh from behind you. You turned to see him sitting on the chair beside the one you'd just vacated. 

"You wound me, princess," Eddie whispered. "Now you have to kiss me or I'll think you don't love me anymore." You obliged, leaning into him as your lips met his. 

"Can you guys stop?" Your niece called from where she was already in the water. She earned another loud laugh from Steve, who fell back against the seat, his hand over his stomach as cackled. You pressed another peck to Eddie's smiling lips, earning a loud groan from your niece as you pushed him away towards the pool. You sat back down on the lounge seat and began to open one of the floaties.

"What are you doin'?" Eddie called from the steps. 

"Someone's gotta blow these up for you hooligans."

"Yeah," Steve called from his seat beside you. "Ya hooligans." 

You smiled at him as he brought the beach ball to his lips to inflate it. You almost considered going back to the store and grabbing a second pump for him. But you didn't, instead telling yourself that you'd probably be done with the rest of them by the time he finished the beach ball. One by one you opened each of the floaties, pumped them up, and tossed them to Eddie and your niece. 

You looked on happily while they played together. Your niece had her goggles on, absolutely convinced that they helped her see underwater. The pair would alternate between simply splashing water at each other and actual games, most of which were made up by the two of them. Their favorite seemed to be an Eddie original that he had dubbed Shipwreck. It was a fairly simple concept. Eddie would balance her on his shoulders and swim around for a bit. He’d don a happy smile and point out things around them like a cruise director. 

“And if you look over here, you’ll see a tree,” he announced cheerily before pointing in an opposite direction. “And over there is… Oh, no. Oh, good god, it can’t be. Sea monsterrrrrrr!” He cried loudly, your niece giggling away above him before he fell backwards, dropping her like a sack of potatoes into the water. She came back to the surface, taking a deep breath before letting out another round of loud, high pitched laughter. 

You loved it. You loved seeing the two of them interact. You loved the relationship they had, though they only saw each other a few times a year. It made sense, given that she was six years old and Eddie was basically an overgrown child himself. But still, you loved these moments with them. Just sitting back, watching them together. It pulled at your heartstrings, just a bit. You and Eddie had quickly and unanimously decided fairly early on that children were probably not in the cards for you. Babies didn’t really seem like fun to either of you. And neither of you were particularly jazzed at the idea of being wholly responsible for a human life other than your own. But sometimes, moments like these, a part of you would start to drift away and think about what a life with Eddie and a baby of your own might be like.

As you were finishing up the last of the rings, and before you could let your little daydream go too far, you heard the metal gate to the fence creak open. A woman a few years older than you walked through the gate, followed by three young kids. 

"They saw you guys out here and decided it was time to swim," she told you with a laugh. 

"Sorry," you laughed just before tossing the pink ring to Eddie.

"Oh, it's fine," she sighed as opened a magazine. "This'll tire them out so they'll sleep all afternoon. And then they're going to grandma's tonight, so it's fine by me." 

You nodded, fully understanding and silently hoping for the same outcome with your own rugrat. You pulled your magazine from the bag it sat in as Steve stood from his seat, beach ball fully inflated in front of him. He dropped it and let it bounce off his toe towards the water before walking towards the edge of the pool. He lowered himself so that he was sitting on the edge before pushing off and into the water. You adjusted your sunglasses before settling back into the seat, thankful for the attached umbrella for providing some cover from the harsh summer sun. 

"Aren't you gonna come in?" Your niece called to you. 

"Maybe in a little bit," you answered. 

"Come on, babe," Eddie begged. He swam to the edge of the pool, propping himself up on his elbows. The water from his arms left a large wet spot on the concrete. "The waters not freezing or anything." 

"Yeah, come on, babe," Steve called from where he was treading near your niece. 

"Yeah, Aunt Babe! It's fun!" 

Eddie giggled, looking over his shoulder at her. His smile was beaming when he turned back to you. "Aunt Babe and Uncle Funshine," he laughed. "Sounds like the worst fuckin'comic book ever made." 

"You'd probably still read it," you told him. 

"Because I'm a glutton for punishment," he shrugged. His smile faltered just a bit as his voice quieted. "You are gonna come in, right? You're not just gonna sit up there all day?" 

You sighed, dropping your magazine so that it covered your stomach. You still had your jean shorts and t-shirt on, your one piece black bathing suit underneath. Your niece had forced you into it, though you had no intention of swimming in public. Eddie sighed and pushed away from the side of the pool. You watched as he made his way to the steps and walked out of the water. It dropped off of him, leaving a trail of puddles and wet footprints on the concrete as he walked towards you. He placed his hands on the armrests on either side of the chair. He leaned close to you, his wet curls falling, hitting your shoulders. 

"I love you," he whispered. You smiled, feeling a blush crawl across your cheeks. "And I think you look sexy as hell in your swimsuit. But more importantly, I think that nobody but me will care what you look like. Like, I'll probably want to take you up to Steve's apartment and do unholy things to you in his bed," he smirked, seeing the flush on your cheeks deepen from pink to red. "But I'll be good, I promise." He leaned forward, pressing his lips to yours. 

You knew he meant every word he just said. That he thought you were sexy. That nobody else would care about what your body looks like in a swimsuit. That given the chance he'd happily defile Steve's bed with you. But you just couldn't shake the insecurities. Having been a bigger girl for as long as you can remember, those harsh judgements from other kids were burned into your brain. Every cruel name, every barnyard related insult, all of it. 

Eddie stood up straight and turned back in the direction he'd come from. You watched the wet footprints dry up and disappear beneath the hot sun. Suddenly, your jeans and t-shirt felt constricting. Too hot to be wearing when it was 90° before noon. You called out to Eddie, stopping him in tracks just as he was about to step into the water. He watched as you reached down to the ground beside your chair, grabbing the sunblock. You held it out to him, silently asking for help. He grinned as he walked towards you, taking the bottle from you as he watched you lift your shirt over your head. 

"Think Steve would notice if we disappeared for like ten minutes," he asked as you bent over to add your clothes to the paper bag that held everyone else's. You giggled, pulling your hair into a messy ponytail as you heard the cap of the sunblock open. 

The lotion was cold. It shocked you just a little when it touched your hot skin. Your eyes fell closed as Eddie's hands began to work it into your skin. Once was done with your back, he placed one hand on your shoulder to turn you towards him. He expertly rubbed the lotion into your arms and chest, smirking to himself as he watched your skin turn pink beneath his fingers. 

"Ready to swim?" He asked quietly, closing the bottle and dropping it onto your chair. You only nodded, smiling up at him. 

Your niece shrieked with delight as you followed Eddie into the water. 

“See?” She cried excitedly as you swam to join her and Steve. “Isn’t this so much fun!”

“It’s the most fun I’ve ever had,” you told her. 

You felt Eddie’s hand slide behind your back beneath the water as he pressed into your side. “Me, too,” he whispered in your ear. You looked up at him to find that he was staring directly down the top of your swimsuit, your cleavage on full display from his vantage point. You pushed him away, repeating your threat to drown him as you and your niece began to work together to splash him mercilessly. 

The rest of the afternoon was much of the same. Your little group would alternate between splashing and actually playing. Even the other woman’s kids begged Eddie for a turn at Shipwreck. He happily gave everyone a turn, once he’d okayed it with their mother. He was a natural with kids, you noted. They all seemed to love him. They loved his cruise director voice. They loved his wild attitude. They loved his tattoos, and his crazy hair when he’d break through the top of the water and whip it over his head, sending a burst of water cascading around him. You felt that familiar tug, your mind beginning to wander again. 

Steve exited the pool suddenly, grabbing his towel from his chair before heading to the gate. 

“You bored of us already, Stevie?” Eddie asked. 

“Gonna grab us some waters, if that’s okay with you.”

“We are literally surrounded by water,” Eddie deadpanned. 

“But you probably shouldn’t drink it,” Steve told him, closing the gate behind him. A few minutes later Steve returned with water bottles in hand, distributing them to your little group and offering some to the other woman and her kids. A little later a blue car with a Pizza Hut light on top pulled into the parking lot. Steve stood from his seat and met the pimple faced teenager at the gate, handing him some folded bills as he took the pizza from him. 

“Lunch is served,” he announced as he set the pizza box on a table and flipped the lid open. 

Everyone exited the pool and wrapped their new beach towels around themselves as they ate. You and Steve decided to stay out of the water after you finished. Eddie and your niece, however, were having none of that. Neither of them seemed to be done playing for the day. You and Steve sat back and watched them, smiling to yourselves as you did. 

A few hours later, your niece finally allowed you all to leave. You asked Steve to borrow Robin's camera, begging him to take a picture of the three of you. He did so happily, saying that if Robin had anything to say about the missing photo, he’d set her straight. Your niece posed for the photo, one arm around and one around Eddie beside the pool. She yawned loudly as the photo printed from the bottom of the camera, and you took her back to the apartment to change back into her normal clothes. She fell asleep as soon as you began to drive her back to your house. You wondered if this meant that she wouldn’t sleep tonight. But as you looked back to where she was slumped over in her seat, her mouth hanging open as she slept, she looked so precious that you could’t find it in you to care. 

Dinner that night was a cookout in the backyard. Eddie had been so excited about having a real yard that he’d gone out and bought a grill as soon as you moved in. And he loved taking any opportunity that he could to fire it up. Eddie manned the grill outside while your niece "helped" you to prepare sides inside. You tasked her with shucking the corn while you popped some potatoes into the oven. She hated it, complaining loudly that the "hairs" were getting stuck to her. Eventually, you took the corn cob in her hand and sent her outside to help her uncle. You walked out a few minutes later, carrying plates and drinks to the small table you'd gotten at a garage sale two weeks prior. The first thing you saw when you opened the door was that she had pulled a chair over to the grill and was standing on it, watching while Eddie flipped burgers. 

She smiled over her shoulder to you when she heard the back door open. "You gonna help, too?" She asked. 

"I'm helping inside," you told her. 

"Come here and help, Aunt Babe," Eddie told you. He was still facing the grill, but you could hear the cheeky smile in his voice. You set the plates and drinks on the table and went to Eddie's empty side. He threw an arm around the back of your neck and pulled you close enough to plant a kiss to your temple. "So what's goin' on inside the castle?" 

"Corn in the cauldron, potatoes in the oven," you answer, wrapping your arms around his waist.

"Ah," he sighed, almost triumphantly. "A feast fit for royalty." 

After dinner you had to force her into a bath. She fought back, claiming that she was clean from swimming. 

"Do you have any idea how many chemicals they put into pools?" 

"No." 

"Okay," you giggled at her honesty. "Well it's a lot, and you need to wash them off. And out of your hair." 

Eventually, after promising as many bed time stories as she wanted, you got her into the tub. You once again let your mind wander a bit as you messaged conditioner into her hair. You wondered if your baby would have hair like hers, fine and stick straight. Or would it be thick and curly like Eddie's? Would you have a little girl, with Eddie's attitude and your laugh? Or a little boy, with your eyes and Eddie's smile? 

After she was clean and dry, you brushed her hair and helped her into her pajamas. She walked with you to the kitchen where Eddie was snacking on a plain hot dog that was probably lukewarm at best. 

"Will you read to me?" She asked him. 

"'Course," Eddie answered before shoving the last half of the hot dog into his mouth. He shot you a sly wink as he walked past you, towards her bedroom. 

You smacked him lightly on the shoulder, pulling a giggle from him. "Edward!" You scolded playfully. 

Your niece stopped in her tracks, turning back to face you. She had one eyebrow raised high on her head. The picture of confusion as she looked between you and Eddie. "Edward?" She asked slowly, like she wasn't sure if she was saying it correctly. 

"Don't say that, honey," Eddie told her. "It's a bad word." 

"Like butthead?" 

"Yes," you giggled while Eddie tried, and failed, to glare at you. "Edward is exactly like butthead." 

She accepted your answer, seemingly adding Edward to her mental list of words not to say. She took Eddie's hand in hers and led him down the hallway and into her bedroom. You giggled as you turned to begin packing away the leftovers from dinner. You placed the Tupperware bowls into the fridge, right next to the untouched leftovers from the previous night. After the dishes were done and put away you popped your head in to check on them. 

You poked your head into the room to find them cuddled up together in the small bed. Eddie's feet nearly touching the end of the bed as his back rested against the wall behind him. Your niece was laid against him, using his forearm as a pillow while he read Cat In The Hat to her. They both turned To face you in unison as the door opened slowly. 

"How's it going in here?"

"This pesky little cat is causing all types of mischief," Eddie answered. 

"Yeah," she agreed with a yawn. "He's a bad cat." 

"Well, that's not good," you told them. "I'm gonna go to bed, okay? Goodnight, jelly bean." 

She yawned again, her jaw opening wide before she bid you goodnight. As you closed the door behind you, you heard Eddie start up the story again. His Cat voice was similar to the voice he assigned the chubby raccoon outside your old apartment last summer. 

You got comfortable in bed with your own book. Eddie could be a bed hog, and you'd never admit it to him but you cherished moments when you'd get the whole bed to yourself without him spreading his limbs across all of it. At first you could hear him reading aloud in the other room. But as you got more and more into your own book, his voice faded into background noise. According to your alarm clock beside the bed, you read for about 40 minutes before you realized that he still hadn't come to bed. You marked your spot in your book and set it beside the alarm clock before leaving the room on a mission to rescue Eddie from your promise of infinite bedtime stories.

You slowly pushed the bedroom door open and nearly melted into the green carpet in the hallway. The pair were in a similar, yet much more cozy position as you'd left them. Only this time, both of them were fast asleep. She was curled into Eddie's side, her little head resting on his chest. He had one arm wrapped around her with his head slumped to the side as small snores fell from his open lips. A new book sat open across his stomach. "Oh, The Places You'll Go!" in a pretty blue font across the hard cover. 

You tiptoed and quickly and as quietly as you could down the hall and into the living room to grab your camera. This was without a doubt something you'd want to remember. You snapped off a photo of the two of them so peacefully asleep. You set the photo and the camera on the kitchen table and walked back into the bedroom. You kneeled next to Eddie, placing a hand on his thigh and shaking it just slightly. 

"Hey, sleeping beauty," you whispered softly, your lips close to his ear. 

He woke up just as peacefully as he'd been sleeping. His dark eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the light you hadn't thought to turn off. He took a deep breath through his nose. His eyes found your hand on his leg and you watched a smile bloom over his face as they traced from your hand up to your face. 

"Hi, baby," he said, quiet voice already gravely with sleep. 

"You wanna come to bed, or am I being replaced?"

His smile grew as he looked down to where your niece was tucked into his side. "She doesn't snore," he answered playfully. You rolled your eyes as he bent his head down to gently kiss the top of her head. It was almost funny watching Eddie, all gangly limbs and no coordination, try to untangle himself from a sleeping six year old without waking her. Luckily for both of you, she took after your brother when it came to sleep. A MAC truck could bust right through the living room and neither of them would stir. You replaced Eddie with her favorite stuffed bear and had to bite back a sigh when she clutched it tightly to herself in her sleep. Eddie threaded his fingers with yours, leading you out of the room and closing the door behind him. 

"She tricked me," Eddie laughed as he changed into a pair of cotton sleep pants. 

"You're a grown man," you laughed.

"She used magic baby sleeping potion or something." 

"Oh, well I didn't realize she was armed when I sent you in there." 

Eddie crawled beneath the comforter beside you. You gave him a kiss, smiling as you turned over. His chest was warm and solid as he pressed into your back. His hand dipped below the hem of your tank top, finding purchase on your soft, supple stomach. He rubbed his thumb over your skin as he spoke again. "Shoulda known," he told you. "You have the same shit." 

"I have magic baby sleeping potion?" 

"Yes."

"I'm not a baby."

You could actually feel him rolling his eyes behind you. He tightened his hold on you, pressing even closer to you. "You're my baby," he told you. "And I mean it when I say I never slept as good as I do now before I met you. You're magic." 

"And you're a sap." 

"Not a sap, just a lucky bastard who knows how good I got it." You hummed and wiggled your butt against him. He backed away just slightly, whispering in your ear in a tone that went straight to your core. "Unless you wanna make her a cousin tonight, you better stop." 

You laughed, feeling a blush crawl over your face and down your neck. You didn't want to stop, but you did. You were not going to be the one to traumatize your niece with your sex noises in the next room. 

Sunday morning started much the same as Saturday had. Your niece sleepily crawled in bed between you and Eddie. She quietly asked for pancakes. Eddie tried to bribe her for more sleep. She had none of it and the three of you made breakfast in your pajamas. The only difference was that you were out of bacon, so it was eggs this morning. She made a mess as she helped to scramble them in a bowl. But you loved having the time to spend with her, so you didn't even mind wiping up the goopy yolks with a paper towel. 

"I gotta wash my clothes," she announced suddenly. You and Eddie exchanged a confused look, before turning to her in unison. "I'm out of clothes."

"Clothes for what?" Eddie asked. 

"For tomorrow." 

"You're going back to grandma and grandpa's today," you told her, almost sadly. "I'm sure they have clean clothes for you."

"But I want to keep staying here." 

Eddie dropped his fork to his plate, his gaze almost heavy as he looked over to you. You knew you'd have to be the bad guy today. You would have to be the one to put your foot down. You loved Eddie, but right now you found yourself hating how soft he could be. Especially when it came to her. 

"Don't you miss your parents?" You asked. 

"A little," she admitted. "But I'm gonna miss you guys more." 

"We're gonna hang out some more before you go home with mommy and daddy," you explained softly. "But we both gotta work tomorrow morning and it wouldn't be very fun for you to stay here all day by yourself, would it?" 

She looked at her half eaten breakfast in front of her. She seemed to be considering what you were saying, trying to understand. "I could go swimming with Steve again." She announced. 

Eddie barked out a laugh, throwing his head back. "I bet Steve would love to go swimming with you again, but he probably has to work, too." 

"But maybe I'll see if we can go over again before you leave," you told her. "How does that sound?" 

She perked back up at the promise of another day in the pool. She still seemed a little upset at not being able to stay with you and Eddie forever, but you knew it would be short lived. 

After breakfast you and Eddie offered up different things you could do before she went back to her parents. Shopping, the park, mini golf, ice cream. But she didn't want to do any of those. She opted for a day in with the two of you and as many free children's movies as Kieth would let you rent from the Family Video. The limit, it turned out, was five. Once you were home with your little haul of movies, your niece chose to watch Scamper The Penguin first. She snuggled into Eddie's side as she watched the little penguin and his friends adventures, yawning as the movie came to an end. The next on her list was The Little Mermaid. You stood from the couch to replace the tape, usually a task delegated to Eddie. Once you sat back down beside them, your niece shuffled to your side of the couch, resting her head on your lap. She was out like a light in the first half hour of what she had claimed was her favorite movie ever. 

Eddie smiled down at her and rested his arm over the back of the couch. You reached up, placing your hand over his as the movie played. It was mostly forgotten, neither of you paying much attention to the antics of the voiceless teenager on the screen. Just when it seemed like Ursula, the evil mermaid who had stolen Ariel's voice, was going to win the phone rang in the kitchen. Eddie stood with an exaggerated grunt and went to answer it. You listened from your spot on the couch. 

"Hello?" He answered, turning to lean back against the counter. "She's nappin' on your sister right now, but we can wake her up. Yes, we did. Thanks for signing us up for pool duty, by the way." 

You smiled to yourself as you listened to his side of the call. You always liked how easily Eddie seemed to get along with your family. He joked around with your brother like you did. Your parents adored him, telling you frequently that he was a catch and that you should hurry and get married already. 

Eddie hung up the call and walked back into the living room. "They're on their way to steal her," he announced with a sigh. He bent over, his hand coming to your sleeping nieces shoulder. He whispered softly to her, slowly pulling her from her nap with the news that her parents were on their way. She blinked her eyes open, staring at him almost confused for just a moment before sitting up. She yawned, stretching her little arms over her head before going into the guest room to gather her things. 

When your brother arrived he greeted both you and Eddie with hugs before turning his attention to his daughter. 

"Ya have fun?" He asked. 

"Yes!" She answered excitedly. "Uncle Funshine said we can go swimming again with Steve before we go home. Right?" She looked up at Eddie with those big, pleading eyes that he was absolutely weak against. He laughed, and confirmed that they would go swimming at least once more. 

"Who's Steve?" Your brother asked you. 

"He's Aunt Babe's cute friend." 

"Aunt Babe?" He asked, eyebrows rising comically. "And he's cute?" Your niece suddenly got shy, wringing her hands into the front of her shirt as she shrugged off the accusation that she might just think that Steve Harrington was cute. You made a mental note to tell him when you called later. 

"I don't think he's anything special," Eddie interjected casually. "But if the little miss thinks he's cute, who am I to argue?" 

Your brother nodded, smiling around a laugh that was too much like your dad's. He scooped his daughter up like it was nothing, taking her backpack from you and swinging it over his shoulder. He told her to say goodbye, announcing that they were going back to grandma and grandpa's. She waved at you and Eddie, almost sad as her father said his own goodbyes before leaving. 

You and Eddie fell onto the couch in unison after closing the door behind them. It was almost muscle memory at this point to snuggle into him. He put one arm up, beckoning you to him. You wrapped your arms around him and you rested your head against his chest. 

"Sometimes when she's here I almost want to rethink the whole baby thing," you admitted. 

Eddie chuckled, running his hand up and down your arm. "You say that every time she's here, and two days later you change your mind again." 

"I know, but I can't help it. I just love her so much."

"Yeah," he sighed. "I do, too." 

You turned to look up at him. "Would you ever want to rethink it?" 

"Dunno," he answered. "Doesn't help that you've been on the pill since before we met. And we use condoms." 

"Not all the time," you told him. 

"Yeah, and when we don't, I always pull out 'cause I love seeing that pretty belly all covered in my cum." 

"Jesus," you gasped. You felt your cheeks go warm as you turned to face the TV once again. 

"What?" Eddie asked, a smile evident in his voice. "You're the one talking about making babies." 

"I was talking about having babies," you corrected. "Raising them. Not making them, ya little perv." 

“Okay, well excuse me for getting confused, but ya know you can’t have the baby without making it first.”

You looked up at him again. His eyes were dark, you could feel the bulge beginning to form in his jeans. “You wanna make a baby with me?” You asked, your voice dipping into a husky tone. 

“I’d certainly like to try.”

“Yeah?” You asked, barely louder than a whisper. He was already leaning towards you, nodding his head as a small ‘uh huh’ fell from his parted lips. 

The moment his lips met yours, it was heated. It was messy and desperate and passionate. His hand cupped your jaw as he moved to lie you down. Your back hit the couch softly. He moved to hover over you, his free hand supporting him on the back of the couch. 

“Want me to fill you up? Huh?” He asked between kisses. “Want my babies?”

You nodded as his lips trailed across your cheek and down your jaw.  Your soft whimpers were offset by the deep, low growls coming from Eddie above you. He pulled back from you after a moment, towering over you as he straightened his back. He was still perched on his knees between your open thighs but he seemed so much taller than you as you lay beneath him. He took the hem of your shirt in his hands and expertly pulled it over your head, tossing it across the room like it burned his hand to hold it. He cupped your breasts over your bra, a cocky sort of smile on his face as he kneaded your flesh in his palms. 

“God, you’re so fuckin’ pretty,” he moaned. He leaned down, connecting his lips to yours as his hands snaked around your back to unclasp your bra. He dropped it beside the couch as his hands traveled lower down your body. His warm, soft palms mapped every inch of your body as he made his way to the button on your jeans. He moved to kiss your neck as he popped the button open, the zipper slowly following. 

“Been waiting to taste you all weekend, baby,” he sighed into your neck as he tucked his fingers into the waistband of your jeans. “You looked so fuckin’ hot in your bathing suit. And poor little me, I couldn’t even do anything about it.”

You lifted your hips as he pulled your jeans down your legs, leaving you in just your panties. He dropped your jeans on top of your discarded bra beside the couch. He once again straightened his back so that he was above you. You bit your lip as you watched him shuffle back on his knees. The anticipation alone was enough to have you soaking through the cotton that covered your core. 

He gently pulled your underwear down your thighs. Once they reached your knees he lifted your legs one at a time to slide your feet though the holes. He planted soft, open mouthed kisses to your knees in turn before letting them fall back to the couch. Once you were naked beneath him his smile turned downright deadly. He laid down on his stomach, his shoulders between your knees as he gazed up at you. 

“Love you so much, baby,” he sighed as he wrapped one hand around your thigh. Your eyes rolled into the back of your head when his pillowy lips finally wrapped around your aching clit. He used two fingers of his free hand to split your folds before dipping his middle finger into your entrance. You mewled, overwhelmed his sensation as he began to move the single finger in and out of you. 

“Fuck,” you whined. “God, baby, need more.”

Eddie obliged, like you knew he would. He added a second finger without missing a beat. He began to lap at your clit with his tongue, timing it with the thrusts of his fingers. He groaned, sending a shock of vibrations through you. You reached between your legs and took his long curls between your fingers. He groaned again, and you couldn’t help but to tighten your grip. 

Your legs began to shake as Eddie expertly worked you to your orgasm. His tongue and fingers knew you so well. Knew exactly how to get you to the best orgsams of your life. The knot deep in your core suddenly snapped as he curled his fingers inside of you. You came loudly, a broken cry of his name falling from your open mouth like water from a fountain. Eddie kept his speed, never faltering for a second as he allowed your release to wash over his face and hand. You knew he loved it. He’d told you as much when you started dating all those years ago. 

Once you finally floated back to earth, you pulled your hands away from his hair. Your signal that you were done. That he needed to stop if he didn’t want to overstimulate you. Eddie sat up on his knees and used his fingers to gather up every drop of your orgasm from his chin. Once he was satisfied that he had gotten every delicious drop, he pulled his own shirt over his head. You reached forward and began to undo his belt as he tossed his shirt behind him. 

“Needy little thing, aren’t you?” He giggled as you fumbled with the buckle. He moved your hands out of the way and undid the belt in record time. You expected him to stand and drop his jeans onto the floor. Instead, he only pulled down the zipper and pushed his jeans and underwear down just enough to free his rock hard cock. 

You felt yourself begin to salivate as you watched him wrap his hand around himself. He groaned as he gave a few soft tugs to his shaft. His other hand fell to your knee as he shuffled forward just a bit. 

He ran the head of his cock through your fold a few times. You jolted when he made contact with your sensitive clit, earning a smile from him each time. It felt like a sick sort of mercy when he finally plunged himself into you, bottoming out with no warning. He fell on top of you, planting his hand into the cushion beside your head. 

“Love fuckin’ you like this, princess,” he moaned into your ear. “Soft and warm and tight, just for me.”

You wanted to answer him. You wanted to tell him that you loved it, too. That it was all for him. That he was the only one who could ever make you feel this good. But the words escaped you as he slowly pulled himself out of you. You held your breath as you waited for him to move. When he did, all you could do was let out a noise that fell somewhere between a moan and a cry. You felt him smile into your neck as he set a brutal pace. In and out, in and out. Quick and hard and exactly what you both needed. 

You dug your nails into the backs of his shoulders as you felt a second orgasm building. “Can you cum again for me, princess?” He asked, punctuating every other word with another hard thrust. “Can you cum all over my cock for me, baby?”

You nodded quickly. Your eyes wrenched closed as he continued to fuck you. Each thrust pushed you closer and closer to the edge and you knew that this would be a big one. 

“Fuck, fuck, fu-” You whined with each thrust. “Gonna- ah, fuck-”

“Yeah,” he moaned into your ear. “Yeah, baby, wanna feel you cum around me. Yeah, just like that.” Each word was accompanied by another deep thrust. 

Finally you couldn’t stop it. Your orgasm hit you hard. You saw stars behind your eyelids as Eddie continued, his pace picking up just slightly as you came. He groaned as you clenched around him. 

Without a moment to spare, Eddie suddenly pulled out of you. He sat up straight on his knees above you one last time. Just like before, his left hand sat on your knee while his right hand wrapped tightly around himself. He tugged twice before you felt his hot cum hitting against your skin. He covered your stomach and chest with his load. You reveled in the low, gravelly moans that were coming from him as he milked himself all over you. 

“Fuck,” he sighed as the last few drops of his cum dribbled from the red, angry head of his cock.

“That’s not how you make a baby,” you panted as he began to drag his finger through the mess he’d made on your stomach. 

“Couldn’t help it,” He shrugged as he gathered some of his cum between two of his fingers. “You just look so fuckin’ good. Layin’ there, naked and covered in cum. Fuckin’ masterpiece, babe.”

You reached out and grabbed his wrist. His brows furrowed almost pathetically as you wrapped your lips around his fingers. You swirled your tongue, collecting his cum before swallowing. 

"We can't have babies," he announced, breathing heavily. "I really love being able to fuck you into the couch on Sunday afternoons and we probably can't do that if we have kids running around the house." 

He giggled to himself as he stood from the couch. He bent over to retrieve his shirt from the floor, wiping himself with it before tucking his spent cock back into his jeans. He left the fly unzipped as he kneeled on one knee beside the church and turned his attention to you. The cheap cotton scratched against your skin as he began to clean his cum from your stomach. As you watched him, you couldn't help but to be a little disappointed with what he'd said. You loved him. You loved him more than anyone. The kind of love that would have you stepping in front of a bus for him.

"You really don't want kids with me?" You asked quietly as he was finishing cleaning you up. "Like, you don't even want to talk about it?"

He was almost surprised when he looked up at you. His dark eyebrows were hidden beneath the blunt cut of his bangs. His eyes were wide, almost sorry looking. You couldn't blame him, really. You were the one who had been the most adamant about not wanting kids. Eddie was more go with the flow. A very "if it happens, it happens" kind of mindset. 

"Can we talk about it tomorrow?" He asked. "Right now I'd give you my left eye if you asked for it. And that's a conversation we should have with level heads, yeah?" 

"Yeah," you agreed with a small nod. "You're right." 

He offered a small smile before taking your hand in his and planting a lingering kiss to the back. He stood up, pulling you by the hand into a sitting position. "Come on, babe," he said softly. "Let's take a shower." You grinned, always happy at the idea of a shower with Eddie. You followed him into the bathroom and let him wash your hair, his long fingers massaging your scalp before you did the same for him. 

You did talk the next day. And then again a few years later. And once more when your niece was 13. Each time was after their annual summer vacation visit. And each time, you would sit down with Eddie and ultimately decide that you had made the right choice. You were both happy with the life you made together. You were happy to have a niece, and eventually two nephews, to love and spoil and watch grow up. And that was enough for the two of you.  

~~~~~

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[theelizamanelli]

Chapter Four Word count: 3,543 Rating: 18+ (no minors), mature content, fingering, discussion of broken bones, sensitive topics Link to Chapter One...

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Four Years Ago…

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Lettie is dominating Joel at Mario Kart. Crucifying him with red shells until he’s swearing at her - attempting to knock the controller out of her hand. 

“I believe that’s called cheating.” I state, shoving him back to his side. 

“She started it,” he mutters under his breath. 

The doorbell rings, volunteering to get it I stand up and waltz towards the front. The pizza delivery man stands there waiting expectantly for his cash and for the heavy boxes to be relieved from his arms.

Reaching out to take them, Joel appears from behind grabbing the boxes before I have a chance. 

He takes them into the living room without even acknowledging my presence, I hand over the cash he left on the entryway table with a sigh. 

I tell the delivery man to have a good night before returning to the couch, the only spot open now next to Joel.

 Settling in, I lean forward to grab some pizza before joining the next game. 

Joel has nearly lapped me despite every effort to thwart him. 

“You little fuck,” I laugh and push his controller slightly forcing his character to sway. 

“I believe that’s called cheating,” he teases before shoving his shoulder into mine with a laugh. 

“Sarah, control your father. He’s a menace,” I smile. 

Sarah responds with a giggle.

The Night At Museum ending credits roll down the TV screen, the soft sounds of Lettie snoring on the couch with Sarah’s legs tangled in hers. 

I stand from the couch and place one of the blankets over the two girls. I grab the pizza boxes from the table and walk them to the trash. 

“Thanks for stayin’, Els.” Joel says from the bottom of the stairs.

“I always have been a sucker for a ‘Pretty please, Mae Mae’.” I laugh and close the lid to the trash can. “I appreciate you dealing with an unexpected third in this sleepover.”

Joel chuckles, I grab my keys from the entryway table and head towards the door.

“I’ll get out of your way,” I say, reaching towards the handle.

“You’re never in my way, it’s nice having you around.” He says quietly, holding onto the railing.

I pause, hand on the door. “It’s nice being around,” I respond before turning the knob and inching the gap open slowly.

The seconds tick by and a portion of my heart hopes that he’ll ask me to stay. I let out a breath, not realizing I had been holding it, as I step through the doorway.

“Goodnight, Red.” Joel says from behind.

I turn and my eyes find his, a tinge of sadness weighs them down and I find myself frowning.

“Goodnight, Joel.”

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Present Day

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It’s a Friday night at Lazer Lanes and it’s the busiest I have ever seen it. To the businesses credit, I can’t recall the last time I stepped foot in the rink so my gauge is a little skewed. Lettie and Sarah run ahead, checking out the arcade and the concessions menu. The neon lights bouncing off their skin and reflecting portions of their clothing.

The rink is full of people ranging anywhere from four to fifty years old. I am surprised to see such a wide diversity skating in circles while Rihanna blares through the speakers. 

A pubescent teenager stands behind the counter, appearing beyond thrilled to be spending his weekend night doling out shoe rentals to the locals.

Joel rattles off the sizes of our party before taking out his wallet to pay.

“Outta all the things on that list, this is what ya picked?” He gestures to the kid’s birthday party next to the group of adults performing a synchronized skate. He sets the various sizes down on the table in front of us and sits down on the bench to unlace his boots. 

“Listen, what can I say? This was a popular place back in the day. Just not popular for me.” I say as I take off my tennis shoes.

“Ya think ya really missed out on anythin’ not comin’?” He grits out as he slides the skates on.

I laugh as I lace up, Joel helps out Sarah while Lettie holds onto my shoulders for balance so that I can tie hers. 

The girls are off before we can tell them to be careful, we yell but they are too busy giggling and racing one another on the rink.

I shake my head before taking a deep breath, attempting to prepare myself for the inevitable embarrassment. One thing I hadn’t accounted for was the high potential of falling on my ass in front of Joel Miller: certified playboy, ruggedly handsome, a widow’s wet dream. 

“Ya nervous or somethin’?” He asks, standing above me. His eyes warm, his gaze conveying a non judgemental expression. 

“I’ve never done this before, remember? That’s why it’s on the list.” I say, rubbing my palms on my jeans as if the friction alone will give me enough energy to stand up. 

Joel reaches out his hand for mine, “Well, that’s what I’m here for, right?”

I hesitate, taking in the image of him looking down at me with a slight smirk and his hand waiting. 

I place my palm in his and he pulls me to a standing position. I wobble for a second and Joel settles his hand on my lower back, steadying me. His hand hasn’t left mine, squeezing it slightly. 

He helps me get to the edge of the rink before sliding his hand from my back to allow himself room to maneuver in front of me. 

He looms over me and doesn’t say a word, waiting patiently for me to make the first move towards the inside. My hand still in his, my breathing increases as the anxiety starts to brew. I close my eyes tight before exhaling.

I take a tentative move towards the inside of the rink. My right skate moves a little further than I expect, I tighten my grip on Joel and reach out for his arm with the other hand.

He hasn’t moved a muscle, blocking the other patrons so that they are unable to trip me up or see me trip myself. A constant and diligent protector.

“Have I ever let ya fall, Red?” He says, putting his free hand on my hip.

The memory of him preventing me from smacking the concrete the night we picked Dad up from the bar flashes through my vision.

The sound of Sarah laughing sucks me back to reality as her and Lettie try to skate backwards through the rink.

“No.” I whisper, my death grip on his flannel and hand not budging.

“Alright, then. Ya got this.” He says, beginning to skate slowly backwards guiding me out into the open. 

I stare down at my skates, attempting to slide one forward then the other. I falter a few times but Joel’s ironclad grip never lets me hit the ground. 

I look up at him and his eyes meet mine, a smile spreading across his face as I manage to stay upright without his hand on my arms. 

A warm and floaty feeling spreads through my chest watching him skate backwards ensuring that I don’t take a tumble. His broad shoulders and muscular arms accentuated as he reaches for me, that genuine smile spreading into a laugh as I grab onto his hand again to keep from falling.

He lets me stumble my way through three laps before I exit the rink and take the skates off.

Joel is gliding with the girls, doing spins and tricks to make them giggle. He grabs onto their hands and catapults them forward, met with excited screams. It’s unfair to know this man is not only attractive and funny but a good Dad.

The moment deserves to be encapsulated, so I pull out my polaroid camera and snap a shot as they fly by. 

I look down at the film, waiting for it to develop when a scream echoes off the baseboards.

—————————————————————————————————

Sarah’s cries fill the truck as Joel speeds towards the hospital, I rub circles on her back and talk softly into her ear.

“Sweet girl, you’re going to be okay. Daddy and I are going to make sure of it, you’re alright!”

In between sobs Sarah wails, “I-it hurts s-so bad!” My heart breaks at the tears streaming down her face. Looking over at her V shaped left arm. 

“I know, baby, we are going to the doctor and they are going to make it all better.”

Joel is stone faced, reaching out and stroking her hair as we drive. Lettie hasn’t said a word from the backseat, periodically wiping tears from Sarah’s cheeks.

Her cries dwindle as we reach the lot, Joel shifts into park and races around to the other side of the truck. He opens the passenger door and helps me climb out holding Sarah in my arms. I attempt to hand her over but he shakes his head subtly; his face pale. 

I nod and squeeze Sarah comfortingly as Joel holds Lettie’s hand to cross the street towards the entrance.

We go through the triage process and are taken back to a room where I finally set Sarah down in the bed. Joel strokes her hair, pulling his chair right next to the cot. 

The resident walks into the room and we explain the story, “Lazer Lanes got the best of ya, didn’t it?” Sarah giggles softly at the doctor. 

The x-ray technicians come in and take the picture, confirming the obvious. I fill in Joel periodically by leaning down and talking into his ear, explaining who the emergency doctors are versus the orthopedic team. Educating him on the sedation that she’ll need and what will happen, the attending physician enters the room for him to sign the consent form. 

Joel has barely uttered a sound besides words of encouragement in Sarah’s ear. I squeeze his shoulder and walk back to the chair in the corner of the room, Lettie sits down on my lap and I rub her back lightly. 

“Mama, you can come on up and sit next to her.” says the nurse as she prepares to start Sarah’s IV.

“Oh, I’m n-” I begin to say before I’m cut off.

“Please, Elsie.” whimpers Sarah as she holds out her hand. Joel pats the bed, encouraging me to sit by Sarah’s feet in the space next to his chair.

“Of course, baby.” I respond as I walk to the cot, sitting down and rubbing her leg reassuringly. I feel Joel’s knee press against mine as we comfort Sarah. He leans forward and his arm rests on my thigh as he holds her hand.

We are asked to go to the waiting room during the procedure so we gather our things. Lettie has fallen asleep in the chair in the corner, I go to pick her up but Joel beats me to it. He lifts her easily while holding onto my stuff in the crook of his arm. Her head nuzzles into him and her arms wrap around his neck instinctively. 

We walk to the waiting room and he sits down in one of the chairs, still holding Lettie. His head rests back against the wall, his eyes close as he lets out a sigh.

I plop down in the chair next to him and place a comforting hand on his knee, “You did good, Joel.”

“I did good, Els?” He opens his eyes but doesn’t move. “I was a wreck, I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t been there.” His hand reaches out and rests on mine, his thumb stroking mine almost absentmindedly as his eyes close once again. 

——————————————————————————————————

Joel carries a snoring Sarah in his arms through the front doors, Lettie piggy backing off of me. 

He nods his head up the stairs before whispering, “Lettie can sleep in Sarah’s room.”

We walk up the steps and place the girls in bed, he pulls the covers and kisses Sarah’s forehead before exiting the room; I follow closely behind. 

“It’s been a long day, I’ll let you get to bed, Joel.” I start to pull the keys out of my pocket when he lightly grabs the inside of my elbow to stop me.

“It has been a long day, Els. It’s late, why don’t ya stay the night?” He pulls his arm away from me and gestures to the bathroom. “Feel free to use the shower, I’ll grab somethin’ to wear.” 

A blush creeps up my neck at the thought of spending the night under the roof with Joel “nothing but boxer briefs” Miller.

“N-no, I don’t want to impose,” I fall over my words. “It’s a short walk.”

Joel has already picked out an old shirt and a pair of boxers, making his way back to me. He smirks before saying, “After the day we’ve had, ya really want me worryin' about ya walkin' home in the dark?”

My face falls as he turns around and walks back to his bedroom, I whisper aggressively at him, “That’s called manipulation, Joel!”

I can hear his chuckle fading into the walls as I make my way into the bathroom.

I shower quickly, not washing my hair but taking extra care with my body. I clamber out and pull a towel quickly around me, glancing down at the clothes on the counter. 

The steam clouds the mirror as images of a shirtless Joel threaten to claw its way into my mind. I wipe it off quickly hoping to dispel the condensation and the thoughts.

Drying off, I slip on the gray patterned boxers and pull the t-shirt adorning the logo “Bad Company”. 

I tiptoe down the hallway and knock lightly on the bedroom door. When I don’t get a response, I nudge it open slightly and peer in.

Joel is lying fast asleep on the bed, his arms crossing his chest and his body fully clothed. His face is as peaceful as I have seen it all day. 

I smile, I can only imagine the emotional and physical toll on his body from all the stress.

I inch my way over to the bed and slide his boots off, tossing them in his closet. His soft snores ricocheting off the headboard. I lean over his body to pull the covers and feel something grab my shirt.

I freeze, holding my breath as I turn my head slowly towards his face. He’s still asleep, softly mumbling incomprehensible sounds.

His fist is balled tightly in my shirt, I straighten a bit letting go of the covers. I reach my hand down and attempt to lightly pry him off but he isn’t budging. 

Joel mutters sleepily, “Get ova here.” In one fluid movement, he pulls me from a standing position to lay on top of him.

My legs are hanging off the bed and I swing them over his body rapidly attempting to re-adjust. In the commotion, Joel surprisingly hasn’t stirred but lets go of my shirt. 

I anchor myself against his abdomen to sit up which forces my lower half to push against his groin as I straddle him.

His hands instinctively reach up and grab each of my hips, a low grumble coming from his throat.

My cheeks burn a bright red as one hand flies to my mouth, attempting to keep quiet.

I look down and the boxers are pressing against the zipper of Joel’s pants. My bare legs lined up against his while my hand sits palm down by his bellybutton, his shirt lightly riding up. 

I can feel the heat creeping up my body, staring down at him. I can't help but wonder what sounds would come out of those lips. 

I bite the inner corner of my mouth, thoughts racing through my head. In order to get off him I have to move, so I wouldn’t be doing anything inappropriate or wrong.

I deliberate for longer than I intend and shift slightly to get the weight off of my left leg. He grips my hip a little harder when I move and I feel the zipper raise slightly. 

My eyes widen as I realize that Joel Miller has an erection.

I can hear my heartbeat flooding both ears, the pressure of him underneath me starting to buzz through my body.

I convince myself that moving again wouldn’t hurt anything, it’s the only way to figure out how to get off of him.

I grind against him slightly, watching his eyes for any unexpected movement. They crinkle slightly but don’t open.

I take one hand off my mouth and put it lightly on Joel’s thigh before mumbling barely above a whisper, “I’m going to hell…”

I slide myself against him again, this time with a little more intention. The pressure crackles up into my lower abdomen, a moan threatening to escape my lips. 

It’s been so long since I’ve been touched that even this small amount of friction has me completely soaked. 

Joel re-adjusts how he’s laying which presses his bulge into me unexpectedly causing a groan to slip from my mouth.

He stirs slightly and I pull my leg over his lap, laying down quickly next to him facing the opposite wall. 

I hold my breath, listening intently for any sounds that would indicate he’d woken up and realized what a touch starved pervert I am.

The seconds pass by agonizingly slow, I finally remove my hand from my mouth and take a deep breath. 

Joel grunts before moving his body to where his torso is touching my back, one hand sliding along my lower stomach and his bulge pressing into my ass.

I close my eyes tight, shaking my head slightly. Completely unsure of how to get out of his bed after this, I know that come morning he’s going to have a field day knowing I somehow ended up laying next to him.

I can already hear the snide comments.

Joel grinds against my ass again causing my thoughts to scatter in a frenzy. I push back against him without thinking, my inner thighs closing tight begging for the pressure from before.

His hand traces my lower stomach, towing the line of the boxers. My breath hitches as I feel him slide underneath, his fingers dragging down to the place I want him most. 

A noise that sounds dangerously close to a whimper falls from my lips and his fingers falter.

“You’re killin’ me, Red,” Joel grumbles into my ear, his warm breath caressing my neck. His other hand slides underneath my body and grabs onto my hip, pulling me back to him.

I gasp at the sound of his voice, desperately attempting to figure out at what point he woke up.

“I-I’m sorry,” I whisper, not moving a muscle in fear he’ll stop.

His fingers descend as he grunts, “Not as sorry as you’re about to be,” his middle finger slides onto my clit as I take a swift breath, my ass pushing into his groin.

He groans, “Ya think you can lay in my bed lookin’ so fucking pretty and I’m not gonna touch ya?” his finger circles slowly causing me to spread my legs slightly in response.

“In my clothes?” He picks up his pace and changes the rhythm. “Smellin’ like me?” 

I bite my lip and let out a small moan. He grunts his approval before reaching his finger to my pussy and swirling, returning to my clit. 

The feel of the natural lubricant has me pulling my knee up and draping it over Joel’s leg, bucking slightly against his fingers. 

“Feels good, don’t it?” He growls in my ear, pushing himself against my ass.

I barely bite out an mhm before the familiar pull in my stomach begins to build. 

My abdomen tightens and he keeps his pace steady, his hot breath on my ear.

“Don’t ya dare cum.” He grunts out. “Not until I let ya.”

My mouth is dry as I struggle against his fingers, the pleasure excruciating as it flows through my body. I grip the sheets with one hand and reach back for Joel with the other, grabbing onto him tightly and digging my nails in. 

“God, I’ve waited so long to hear those pretty little noises,” He whispers in my ear before placing a soft kiss on the nape of my neck. 

“P-please,” I grit out desperately.

“Fuck, let me hear ya.” 

The release is electric as my body contracts and I swallow the moans. 

I can feel Joel pushing against me hard at the same time and he slowly lets me go as I come down. A bead of sweat trickling from my eyebrow down my nose as I release my grip on his hip. 

I attempt to slow down my breathing when I hear a soft snore from behind me, I whip my head around and see Joel fast asleep.

——————————————————————————————————

Elsie Mae’s To Do Before Eighteen

-Sneak out 

-Skinny dip

-Go roller skating

-Ride a motorcycle

-Throw a rager

-Rodeo

-Kiss in the rain

-Say yes to something that scares the shit out of me

[daniigh0ul]

this entire conversation happened while starstrukk! by 3oh!3 was playing

prev. next.

NOW.

At around 2AM Sidney Price and his friend Kayden Cope arrive at the Landgraab rental where the house party is happening.

SIDNEY: LET'S GET DRUNK

KAYDEN: HELL YEAH

Starstrukk! by 3OH!3 begins to play over the speakers.

Kayden and his friend look into the room where everyone is dancing, and as bodies move he sees Tati, his ex-girlfriend. They haven't spoken since... well.

KAYDEN: Tatiana?

SIDNEY: oh no

Tati has not heard her ex yet. She is too busy having fun dancing to this very ridiculous song with her best friend, Gia.

He says her name again.

KAYDEN: Tatiana?

Tati stops in her tracks and turns to face the hallway when she hears her name.

TATI: Kayden...?

Gia thinks Tati is making a joke. Surely, he isn't here.

GIA: Haha, that's a funny jo-.

KAYDEN: We should talk.

TATI: Um, no. I have to pee now BYE

GIA: oh shit

Tati and Kayden take off in a sprint.

SIDNEY: Um, should we stop them?

GIA: Yes. Yes!

KAYDEN (exasperated): Don't run away!

GIA: I'm not! I just have to pee really, really bad.

Is Kayden a jerk or a concerned ex? Why is Tati avoiding him when she was spying on his social bunny a few hours ago? Find out next time! :o

[starshine-wagner]

Nothing

Pairing: Josh Kiszka x Reader

Summary: Keeping warm on a fall night under the stars, in more ways than one. 

Words: 2k

Warnings: none

A/N: This is a re-upload to move it from my old blog to my current blog.

I’d just washed the smell of smoke out of my hair. After a day of strolls in the woods and conversations by the creek, we’d built a small fire behind the rental cabin. After all, what was a fall day without a little fire? Stepping out of the shower, I pulled on my sweats and grabbed my high school cross country tee. It was getting ratty and thin, but it would be good enough for sleep.

Wrapping my arms around myself, I stepped out the back door in search of Josh. The still-hanging Christmas lights on the porch provided just enough light to see that he was out on the grass, crawling around like a lunatic.

“Josh, come in! I’m cold and I’m clean and I’m ready for bed.” His head whipped around, clearly not expecting to see me there.

“Close your eyes! Just one second, here…” I obeyed, a little wary of whatever he was up to. I could hear him scrambling around, the crunch of leaves around him, some little grumbles and mumbles… “Shit…,” some more hurried shuffles.

“Okay,” he spoke into my ear. I shivered a little bit, not expecting him to be so close. His hands immediately came up to my bare shoulders. When I opened my eyes, he was right in front of me. His eyes sparkled differently in the dim light. They were softer. When he moved aside and let me out, it took a minute for my eyes to adjust.

“Ta-daaaaa!” He sang, opening his arms wide with pride. The guest room mattress was covered with every mismatched blanket from the living room splayed onto the grass. The cushions from the porch chairs were balanced between the bed and the oak tree.

October was the perfect time for it. The fall chill had just settled in the Michigan air, but the blankets would be enough to keep the warmth of each other wrapped around. He’d just decided to spend a long weekend at home and figured that now was as good a time as any to show me where he grew up. So, here we were, in the woods outside of central Michigan, spending a weekend away from the world.

“What is all this about?” I questioned, smiling at the realization that he’d been clambering around out here for a while just to get this ready. Josh was no stranger to romantic gestures, but this was something different. There was nobody around to see. No cameras to capture the moment, no brothers around to crash the party…

“What? Can’t a guy want to live his granola dream with a beautiful woman?”

“I mean, he certainly could. But after she’s already gotten set for bed? It’s damn cold out here…”

“Ah m’lady, this is where you are wrong! Join me.” He motioned to the makeshift couch, grabbed my hands, and pulled me down on top of him. My wet hair dangled in his face as he pretended to spit it out and blow it away from him. I raised my eyebrows at him and he only smirked back at me.

“Scoot your ass up and let me get us properly settled, yeah?” I leaned back against the cushions by the tree and let him arrange the blankets until we were properly cocooned.

“Ah, fuck. Hold on. I’ll be right back.” He got up, leaving me momentarily alone in the yard. I hadn’t noticed the previous night, but the view of the stars out there was incredible. Away from the city lights, you could nearly see the Milky Way on a clear night. I silently pointed out Jupiter and Saturn shining above, and searched the sky for the Big Dipper which was soon to be out of sight. The sky was incredible to me. The idea that every person who’s ever lived has looked at the same moon and traced the same constellations is comforting. I was getting lost in my own wonder when Josh came scurrying back carrying a stack of books, his speaker, a flashlight, and two bottles of water.

“Okay. Now we’re ready!”

“Ready for what?”

“Ready for the interstellar show, baby!” He smiled like an idiot. “The meteor shower that’s supposed to be coming through tonight…? I know how much you love the planetarium and the stars so I figured we could enjoy it out here.”

I let out a small gasp of realization. He was right. I’d told him 3 weeks ago that we should make it a point to catch the shower, but I’d completely forgotten. He’d remembered. It was just a passing conversation, but he remembered.

He resettled in the blankets and pulled a sweatshirt out from under his butt. Handing it to me, I hesitated. It smelled smoky and I had just washed the scent off of me. I decided to throw it on anyway.

“Okay, so it isn’t supposed to start for another hour or so. I brought us some books and I also have my speaker so we could-“

“Josh…” I shut him up by pressing my lips to his. Once the surprise wore off, he reached his hand out from under the blanket to cup my cheek. His nose was cold and my hair was still drying, but I was so overwhelmed that I didn’t care. He was the most thoughtful person I’d ever met. He pulled back, just for a moment, to meet my eyes. Again, I caught the porch lights igniting a sparkle in his. He put his head back down and kissed the base of my neck, working his way up to my ear, over my eyes, and onto my nose. All gentle, all soft. He let our noses touch before looking back up to the universe above. I followed his gaze. The moon was barely there, but the hazy nighttime clouds were starting to roll in. I scooted further down onto the mattress and, once I nudged his necklace out of the way, I let my head rest on his chest. Pulling the covers up to my chin, I was content to stay in this spot forever. Josh let out a wistful sigh and moved his hand up to my hair. Grabbing strands, he started to twirl it around his fingers, the feeling lulling me nearly asleep.

I was brought back, though, when his chest started to rumble ever so slightly. Under his breath, I heard it.

“You fill up my senses like a night in a forest, like the mountains in springtime, like a walk in the rain…”

My heart sank. It sank so deeply in love that I feared I might never recover. He was whispering Annie’s Song. I didn’t want him to stop, so I stayed as still as possible. His hand moved from my hair to the spot just behind my ear. Little circles, he drew, as he let his mind wander to wherever it was in this moment.

“Like a storm in the desert, like a sleepy blue ocean, you fill up my senses…” he drifted off. I finished, ever so quietly, “Come fill me again.” He looked down and I could barely see him through his eyelashes. He flashed the softest smile I’ve ever seen as I sat up to be eye-to-eye with him again. But, my insecurities surfaced as I thought about what could’ve just happened. The next verse. “Come let me love you, let me give my life to you…”

Love. Josh and I hadn’t used that word in reference to each other before. Everything had been happening so quickly, so fittingly, that we didn’t ever really stop to question what it was we were doing. Did I love him? Yes. Yes, absolutely. I was in love. How could I not be? But was he in love… with me?

I’d never been anyone’s first pick. I was a good distraction, the funny girl that guys hung out with to get with my friends. I was pretty, but I certainly never felt like the most beautiful person in the room. When Josh and I began seeing each other, I figured that this is what that was. Another distraction. But he was so sweet, so funny, so complex and intriguing and insightful and strange and beautiful that I didn’t care. I was happy to be his temporary fix. I’d let him settle for me if it meant I could be near him for however long he’d let me.

These thoughts must have flashed across my face. Josh’s smile faltered just a bit, noticeable only because I’d studied his face so carefully these few months. He turned his body so that he was fully facing me and placed his thumb on my cheek. We stared at each other and he began tapping each freckle under my eyes.

“You know…” he spoke, hesitating just a second, “the stars. They’re nothing.”

Hm. Not what I was expecting. I stayed silent, though, figuring he would explain.

His lips caught mine again and I wasn’t about to complain. His hand left my cheek and wandered down my side, landing on my hand. As our mouths said what words couldn’t, he lifted my hand to his chest and held it there. He was warm. He was always warm. I tried to move my hand up to his neck. I wanted to grab his curls and bring him closer. I wanted to be closer. But he stopped me. He kept my hand right there on his chest when suddenly he pulled back once more.

“I’m in love with you. I-“ he searched the night sky for answers before returning to my eyes, “I love you.” And then, for once, he didn’t have any other words.

I was sure I’d misheard. He loved me? He loved me. My eyebrows furrowed as my mouth hung open, still wet with his kisses. “Josh, I-“

“No, don’t say anything. Not yet..” He shifted and gathered confidence as he closed his eyes and sang, just barely audible…

“Come let me love you. Let me give my life to you. Let me drown in your laughter, let me die in your arms. Let me lay down beside you. Let me always be with you. Come let me love you. Come love me again.”

When his eyes opened, I felt mine prickling with tears. He really meant it. The damn fool loved me. He wiped a stray tear off my face.

“I couldn’t keep it to myself anymore. I love you. I, everything… I didn’t know how to say it myself. So I figured I could call on old Johnny to help me out here.” I laughed and was rewarded with a hopeful smirk.

“I love you, Josh. I was afraid that you…” This time, it was him cutting me off. Our lips collided and my hands were instantly in his hair, needing to pull him closer. He grabbed my back and laid me down on the mattress, crunching some leaves that had made their way onto our little island in the woods. Hovering above me, he peppered my face with kisses and grabbed both of my hands, locked in his grip above my head. If he was being soft before, this was a whole new game. He was urgent, no, insistent on solidifying this new declaration with his body. I started to sweat in his smoky sweatshirt, but he was one step ahead, already grabbing the hem and pulling it over my head. Just as he came back down…

“No- fuck!” A mosquito had flown straight into his left eye. I burst out laughing and practically rolled off the mattress.

“Shut up and get back over here,” he sighed, clearly embarrassed that such a tiny disturbance had ruined our confession of love for one another. He rubbed his eye and swatted around to clear the air of any more flying bastards.

“Actually, Mr. Kiszka, I believe we have a show to watch!” I gestured to the sky and decided we could save the heat for an indoor activity. The meteor shower was set to begin any minute. We fell back into the most comfortable spot on the mattress with our heads side by side, hands clasped into one. Just as we settled, an enormous shooting star flew by. I’d truly never seen any that big before.

“Did you see that one!? Holy shit!” I yelled. Any other day, Josh would’ve met my exclamation with equal, if not more, excitement. But tonight, he just turned to me.

“The stars… they’re nothing. That’s what I meant to say.

They’re nothing next to you.”

[lightsounds]

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[nikaglazr]

The After Party- Nika Muhl

Synopsis: Nika and Y/N had been rivals since Freshman season. Nika being the defensive presence of UConn, while Y/N was the same for Virginia Tech. Now, in their junior seasons, both face off in the final four. But the night before the game, the two teams find themselves in the same club.

“You always come to the parties, on your knees.”

PART 2 !!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Y/N’s POV

The morning after the club was bad for everyone on the team. We spent most of the day getting over our hangovers. But hey, it gave us time to watch UConn clip.

The game was at 8:30 pm but we had to be at the facility at 6:00. We had a couple hours to get our heads together since it was currently 10:00 am.

After watching a few games of clip we end up turning off the tv before all going back to our rooms. I head to the bathroom and begin getting undressed to get in the shower. The hot water hits my back as I sigh in relief. Today my only goal was to stop the guards, everyone else could hold their own.

Every time we played UConn it was a struggle, not because we were bad, just with Georgia being only 5’6 and Paige being 5’11 she got kinda bullied. I decided to trust the team with offense so I could save my energy on providing energy from the defense.

After a few minutes I turn the water off and step out the rather small shower. I dry my hair off before wrapping the towel around my body and walking out the room to my suitcase.

Georgia just looks up her phone as I nod to her, telling her the shower is open and she just nods. Me and Georgia never felt uncomfortable around each other, she was the only person on the team I could tell absolutely everything to.

I ended up putting on my dark red team joggers on with a tight black compression shirt. I slip on some white Nike socks along with black slides. I lay on my bed before deciding to look at social media while I wait.

I open Instagram and begin scrolling, seeing my friends post and other celebrities. As I keep scrolling I come across an ESPN post.

@ESPN

: The rivals are back against each other!! Who y’all got??

Nikafanpage10: Nika finna cook that bum

>View 70 replies

Hokies_house: GO HOKIESSS !!

>View 30 replies

User234: WHY DO MY 2 FAVS HAVE TO HATE EACHOTHERRR 😭😭

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I mean I know she’s good but she’s not even THAT good. And why is she being compared to me? We’re nothing alike. Whatever, I have things to do. I decide to just keep scrolling to pass the time.

~~~

It’s now 2:00 pm and me and Georgia decided to do a coffee run. We both walk out to the rental car and head to the shop. The shop is about 10 minutes away so me and Georgia fall into light conversation as the music plays quietly in the background. Once we get there Georgia goes up to the counter to order pur drinks as I take time to look at the view out the window.

Cleveland never really stood out to me, but as I take a longer look, it’s actually beautiful. After Georgia comes back with the coffee we get back in the car and ride around town for a bit.

After about 2 hours of yapping with Georgia and riding around, it was 1:00. So we decided to head back to the hotel to prepare for the game.

When we get back i pack my game bag. Putting my speaker, deodorant, perfume, AirPods, and a team jacket in before zipping it up. My uniform and my accessories are at the stadium already so I don’t have to worry about any of that.

Me and Georgia decide to get a few extra games of clip in before we have to leave at 5:30.

When the clock hits 5:00 I hit up the team group chat to see if everyone is ready to leave, which they are.

Coach decided to head to the stadium early in a uber so we could take the car. We all head outside and, once again, cram in the car. Samyha once again getting the aux.

We pulled up to the stadium and went in through the back. We all make our way into our locker room to both go over tape, and the game plan. We have an hour before we go out at 8:00 for warmups and interactions.

After we all getting changing into our uniforms and respected accessories we all sit down for coach to start talking.

Once Coach K stands in-front of the group she pulls out a whiteboard and clears her throat.

“As we all know, this is a hard game. I would go as far as to saying this game is gonna be harder than the championship. All of you have been doing amazing this season and I couldn’t ask for more… other than what im about to.” She says and she looks to the whiteboard.

“Play. Defense. Yes, some of you are doing good holding your own, but we need all of you to be. There is no room for mistakes tonight. We need to come in aggressive and end it aggressive. That doesn’t mean get so many fouls until you have to sit, I mean play like this is the last game you will ever play.” She pauses before sighing and looking more towards me than anyone.

“And Y/N, I know you like taunting, but keep that to a minimum tonight. We need you, you understand?”

I nod my head slowly, a small frown going to my face as I look down, trying to get ready for the game.

Coach looks at the clock on the wall before resuming.

“We have 10 minutes. I want you guys to spend this time getting locked in, alright. There’s no such thing as half way play for the Hokies.” Coach says, earning whoops and whistles from some of the girls, a few even clapping.

In the next 10 minutes I have my Airpods in, i’m listening to my pregame playlist, which is mostly Travis Scott.

When the time runs out and we have to head out for warmups I sigh audibly, shaking any remaining nerves put of my body. UConn doesn’t scare me. Nika doesn’t scare me.

I walk out with the team with my head down. I follow the others as we line up for announcements. Suddenly the lights go out and blue and red spotlights come down, signaling both teams colors.

“Welcome everyone to the 2023-2024 women’s Final Four!” The announcer yells in the mic as the crowd erupts. After the cheers die down, the man continues.

“Tonight we have a tough matchup against the newfound rival teams. UConn vs. Virginia Tech! Huskies vs. Hokies!” The crowd erupts again.

“Now introducing your Huskies starting five.. at Point Guard, standing at a tall 5’10, the secretary of defense… NIKAAA MUHLL.” The man yells.

I roll my eyes at the name, deciding to tune out the rest of the names.

After a few minutes the announcer gets to my team.

“And nowww.. the starting line up for you Hokies! First, at Point Guard, standing at 5’6.. GEORGIA AMOOREEE. Next, at Shooting Guard, standing at 5’10, newly deemed as ‘The Lock’… Y/N L/NNN.” He yells.

I smirk at the crowd and tilt my head up to the Jumbotron. Cheers erupt from the stands as my face is plastered on the screen for a moment. After the crowd quiets down, the man announces Carys, Rose, and Clara.

After the announcements are over and the lights turn back on, we all head to the basketball racks and warming up. I shoot around for a couple minutes before sitting on the bench and staring at the other team. They seem good. Locked in. This is gonna be hard. But they don’t know what’s coming. She doesn’t know what’s coming.

When warm ups end we get in our positions for tip-off. Me and Nika get beside each other, me already giving her a barely noticeable push with my shoulder. She just looks at me with that Nika signature.

The ball tips off and Clara wins, I run up the court as she passes me the ball. I think for a second before crossing over and driving, Nika staying with me. Once I get far enough my eyes twitch to find an open teammate. I see Georgia cut and lose Paige and I send a quick drop pass to her as she gets an easy layup. I clap and bump her shoulder as I head back up the court. This is gonna be fun.

It’s now the beginning of the third quarter. The score is 67-69 UConn. I had 29 points and Georgia wasn’t very far at 25. I had done everything I could to take over when the starters weren’t playing. Now, the only starters on the court for us was me and Georgia, while the Huskies had Paige and Nika. Nika. She has 15 but only 6 of those points were when I was in the game.

It’s UConn’s ball, meaning Nika is carrying the ball down the court. I decide to play a little more aggressive now, to liven up the game. When she gets to half court I push my body up against hers, blocking all possible paths. I can hear her huff as her eyes flash to her teammates. Once she sees that no one is open she dribbles back a bit. Her eyes meet mine momentarily, She’s so readable. She’s angry. Frustrated. Fired up. My look contrasts that heavily. I’m calm, a taunting grin pulling at my lips.

She dribbles for a few more seconds before I feel a tall presence right beside me. Suddenly, Nika drives and thanks to, who I believe to be the Alfy girl, I can’t catch up. Fuck. How could I fall for a screen.

As soon as I get the ball I feel the brunette on me. Now it’s my turn to huff, I dribble the ball before driving to the three point line, I notice she doesn’t seem like she plans to stop running. Got her. I stop and go right into a cross-step back. Her momentum stop her from closing out ad I shoot a rather long three. Bang.

The crowd erupts in cheers as the entire Hokies bench shoots up from their seat, celebrating. I laugh at her as she glares at me. I jog back down the court, beating my chest towards the crowd.

A few more minutes go by and now it’s the fourth quarter. Coach decided to sit me for most of it. It wasn’t that eventful honestly, the score was 87-73 us.

We now had 1:21 left in the fourth, the score 93-95 them. Our team had giving up points after points and fouls after fouls while the starters were out. Now, all of our starters were okay, along with all of UConn’s.

UConn is running dow the clock, waiting until the last second to make a play. Suddenly, Aaliyah goes up for the midrange, misses. Clarys gets the rebound. 56 seconds left.

Once we get down the court she passes to Clara who goes for the quick layup, blocked by Nika. The crowd erupts. 30 seconds. They slowly bring the ball up the court. All I can think about is the time. 29, 28, 27, 26.

Paige runs around, winding the clock down. 20, 19, 18, 17.

I can’t loose to them. I can’t loose to her.

16, 15, 14, 13, 12.

Paige goes uo for a three, misses, but Aaliyah gets the rebound, passing it back to Paige.

9, 8, 7, 6, 5

Paige decides to pass to Nika, and suddenly my body jolts involuntarily to the ball, getting it before she does. I sprint down the court and as I see the 2 appear on the screen, I realize I have no other choice.

I shoot maybe a foot behind half court. The whole stadium goes silent. Everyone’s eyes are following the ball, and after being launched towards the goal, it goes in.

The crowd screams. Some in shock and excitement, others in anger and distaste.

The Hokies bench floods the court and swarms around me. My senses are filled with yelling, head taps, chest bumps, shoulder bumps, but I can barely notice that. I just made that. We just won the game.

I decide that shock is not the way to act, so instead I hop on the announcers table and yell as I beat my chest to the crowd. After a few moments of that I see and feel red and yellow confetti sprinkle all over me.

I get down from the table, still basking in our win. Before we celebrate, we have to shake hands with the other team. I get towards the back of the line as I quietly give the UConn team light high fives. Paige daps me up, and even though you can see the tears in her eyes, she tells me things like “good game” and “you’re a dog”. When I get to Nika I put my hands behind my back and she just scoffs. I meet her eyes and I can tell that she wants to cry.

At that moment I feel a wave of pity wash over me. It was so close, we could’ve lost. And even if I don’t want to admit it, she played great. After we got through the rest of the their team I decided to try to talk to Nika before celebrating with the rest of mine.

I walk into the tunnel before stopping outside the locker room. Their meeting should be done in a few minutes so I’ll just wait.

After a few minutes I hear the door open. My head turns to the group of deflated girls walking out of the room. After few girls exit before I see the one I want to talk to.

“Muhl- uh Nika” I say, quietly enough to were only she can hear me.

The Croatian turns around at the call before rolling her eyes.

“What do you want L/N?” She sighs, “here to bask in your glory?”

Now it’s my turn to roll my eyes.

“No. Nika, you… you and the team played amazing tonight.” I say with a genuine look in my eyes.

She looks at me for a second before something in her face changes. She doesn’t seem as resentful?

“Thanks, I guess.” She says, not fully believing my words.

“I-I mean really. We wouldn’t have won without luck. We didn’t deserve it as much as you guys did.”

She sighs, “that’s… that’s sweet, but you gues just outplayed us. You just outplayed me.”

There it is. I could tell she was upset about something more than loss. Her eyes are red, she quiet, she’s not scowling at me. If she was mad at losing then she would be yelling at me. I can’t just let her blame herself for her team losing. Me? Helping Nika Muhl? This is crazy work, but that doesn’t matter right now.

I put a hand on her shoulder, “this wasn’t your fault, Nika. You played amazing, and that’s coming from me. You’re an amazing player, okay?”

She just look at me, her eyes tearing up.

“It is though. I let you score 30. I let you hit that last shot.” She barely gets out.

I sigh, “And you got 2 steals and 3 blocks on me. Also, only 13 of those points were scored on you. So really, you only let me drop 13. That’s amazing.”

She stares at me before trying to respond. When she opens her mouth all that comes out is a choked sob. I immediately pull her into a hug, wrapping my arms around her waist. Her arms go around my neck before she begins to fully cry.

I can’t do anything but rub her back and whisper sweet nothings into her ear. I wonder if the girls even realize she’s gone.

After a moment of thinking about what I should do, a thought comes to me and I almost physically huff.

Take her to our hotel.

That doesn’t seem like a good idea, but it’s the only one I can think of. I pull away, rubbing her back.

“Hey, I can take you to our hotel. Just for the night.” I offer as the brunette lets out small and shaky breaths.

“O-okay. Tell Paige, she needs to know where I am.” She whispers, her breathing slowly getting clearer.

I nod before taking out my phone and going to Instagram. I pull if Paige’s account before sending her a message.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Y/N.offical: Hey nikas w me. I can take her back to our hotel for the night n drive her back tmr?

Paigebueckers: omg thats where she was

Paigebueckers: and ya that would be ok if she agrees

Y/N.official: alr i will

Y/N.official: see u tmr

Y/N.official: and good game

Paigebueckers: ty u too

~~~~~~~~~~~~

I out my phone back in my pocket before look back at the girl.

“You ready?” I ask.

She just nods as I lead her out of the stadium and decide to get an uber instead of riding with the girls. After a few minutes, the uber pulls up and we both get in. A couple minutes into the ride I feel her head slump against my shoulder, a fluttery feeling emerging in my stomach. Could I like her? Nika? Me like Nika? No way. I’m just being nice.. right? I decide to lean my head on hers as I wait for this drive to go by, and shake these thoughts out of my head.

When the car stops I open my door and look over at the still sleeping girl. Do I really have to carry her in? The girls are gonna give me shit. But I can’t just wake her up, she looks so peaceful, she looks.. adorable? Wait- no- I hate her. Right?

I end up getting out the car and walking to the other side to get the other girl. I open the door before gently picking her up and closing the door, trying my best not to wake her up. I open the door with my foot before walking inside to go straight to the elevator. I click the up button before getting inside. The girls are probably already here. God what is Georgia gonna sayyy. Ugh whatever get a grip pussy.

Once the elevator opens I walk at and gently knock on the door to my room. After a moment the door opens to reveal a confused Georgia. Her face quickly changes when she sees the Croatian girl in my arms.

“Oh!-“

“Shut up. She’s sleeping Geo.” I whispered yell, walking into the room and to my bed. She just looks at me giggling before getting back in her bed.

I roll my eyes before kicking off my shoes and changing into my pajamas before reluctantly getting in the bed, staying as far away as I possibly could. Just as I was about to fall asleep, I feel a body cuddle into mine. Oh my godd. What is she doing to me? I hate her. But why do I feel this way?

I decide to be nice and kiss her forehead lightly before closing my eyes and letting the events from the past couple hours hit me. We won the game. We’re in the finals. My rival cried in my arms and bow she’s lying in them. Lying in them. Seriously? Wait- My rival? I don’t know what she is anymore. I don’t know how I feel anymore…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PART 2 FINALLY OUTTT

R being confused about their feelings??

Might be a part 3?? 😭😭

[rentyae]

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[utterlyinevitable]

Where It Begins (21/?)

↪ series masterlist  

21. Question...?

Pairing: Colin Bridgerton x Penelope Featherington   Format: textfic   Chapter Rating: T+

Summary: It’s Moving Day Eve, and you know what that means!!

Colin hopped out of the rental van (expertly parked, in his humble opinion), and sauntered the few shorts steps to a less-than-ambiguous metal door. He let himself in with a shake of his head, just as suspected the building door was left unlatched. 

He climbed the three flights of stairs to her weird walkup and her door was halfway open, too. Enough to know this was the party location but not enough to see the ruckus inside. And there wasn't much ruckus at all - Colin is an hour and a half early after all; no one was meant to be here, they were to meet at the bar at eight the earliest. 

Stepping inside, Colin could clearly see Stella (new red do and all, causing him to stop in his tracks) leaning over the little kitchenette island speaking with two others across from her. He doesn't get a single word out before there's a blob stopping him in his tracks. Not just any blob of black and blonde - Penelope. In a little black dress with pearly sequins and sleeves, and her hair half tied up, half falling into ringlets. Her make up is done beautifully and she is just so effortlessly -

"Lovely. You look lovely, Pen."

She blushes oh so prettily, and my god does his heart ache with a longing Colin didn’t know could exist. It's been too long. He does all he can to stop himself from leaning down and capturing her lips, from reaching out to fill his hands with her pliable and intoxicating hips, from indulging in the fantasy of their meet up that’s been weaving through his imagination for longer than Colin would admit. It’s been nearly eight months since he’s seen her last - and although she hasn’t said explicitly that she’s with anyone, it’s common decency not to assault your best friend and hostess just because you missed her ardently. 

She invited you over to help her move. You promised. And things could change... 

"Thank you,” she smiles. “You're not too bad yourself."

There's some sort of mumble coming from the kitchen that has Pen rolling her eyes.

"You can pop your stuff in my room" she says, nodding to his rucksack and pointing down the corridor to the white wooden door he knows so well.

***

This is different for Colin. A pub is a pub no matter where in the world, and an English one is nothing special. Except this pub had sparkles in the air. There were groups of obvious regulars packed in corners, rowdy boys at tables taking shots, music with strong bass and high syncopation playing over far away speakers. All of it white-noise. Because steps away in the center of the tavern (their tavern. the one that started it all), was Her. 

Colin was sat at a bar top on the sidelines. Something he’s certainly not known for doing in his daily life; the charismatic Bridgerton as rooted as a wallflower. Pen’s done her duty as hostess and introduced him to most of the early attendees, including him in this facet of her life before being lost to her friends. This is Colin; we’ve known one another for ages. Other late-commers sidling up and eyeing a newcomer in their midst, Colin introduces himself as Pen’s friend from home. But Pen’s home is here - has been here and will be Birmingham from tomorrow, and Colin’s... his home is the four walls in his mother’s estate. 

I’m Pen’s friend from London.

He’s watching. Staring. Eyes gazing fondly as Penelope mingles. She's happy and floating and shining. Colin can’t recall if he’s ever seen her like this in recent years (years! they’ve be reacquainted for years now. it still seems like just last season she stumbled back into his life). Whenever he’s been in town, their adventures have been illicit and quiet and just theirs. The only glimmers of her daily life he was afforded to were in their texts and whatever Stella let slip on occasion. 

The smirk permanently affixed to his lips faltered at a new thought. How could one woman stumble into his life and change almost every thing he’s ever assumed? 

Surely, Benedict's words followed, floating and clouding and taking over. 

What is this? 

Surely you can’t be serious. 

He took a long swig of whiskey.

Is she worth it?

In the distance he could hear her giggle. 

Colin stole a glance again, and their eyes met. Pen’s glowing features perked into a small genuine smile just for him.

He couldn’t look away - she was the depths of a sea and he wanted to continue falling deeper and deeper. His full body shifted towards her, a sailor being beckoned by a siren. 

Is this just lust? A culmination of dry weeks and anticipation of ending this spell?

Or is this sabotage?

And in the distance, several feet away in the warm low-lit bar, there she was making an absolute fool of herself trying to do some strange choreography. 

It had Colin’s heartbeat quickening and his grip on the glass tightening.

***

She's dancing with some guy she knows, has been speaking with him for ages. Hours it feels like. If Colin knows anything about anything it's cues - they're close and closer and getting closer as the minutes tick by. He'd look away but he just can't help himself from drinking her in.

If Colin Bridgerton knows anything at all, it’s that Penelope Featherington is his friend first and foremost. 

Tonight is all about her. 

He watches as she checks her phone and her brows furrow. A little scowl of confusion etching itself before erasing completely. A weight of unsettlement roots in his stomach, Colin turns towards the table he's sat at, taking full interest in his pint. Determined to head out once he’s downed the last drop. 

Soon, seconds, there's a nudge at his leg, and bright eyes imploring him once he turns towards his companion. Pen. Pretty little Penelope slotting herself between his legs and her warm palm at the back of his neck and those words

Is she?

Is she?

Is-

Soft lips take his. She tastes fruity and a little like the peanuts she's been snacking on- but most of all she feels right. She's everything he's missed in the world. She's warmth. She's safety. She's the greatest drug he's encountered. He tugs her closer, bodies pressed together, the firmness of the bar chair keeping them upright. A quiet indulgent. Then, clapping. Cheering. Voices all around them causing a scene.

Pen pulls away much to his chagrin. Colin leans in to preserve the moment.

Her warm silky hands fall to his chest. Blush creeps down her chest and blooms over her skin.

He raises a questioning brow.

She responds with the most conspiratory of smirks. Her painted fingertips curling in his shirt. "You will not."

"Aye, aye Captain."

[eyes-eyes-eyes-eyes-eyes-eyes]

hey guys. I need to tell you a story about my bizarre life

i'm around 11. me, my parents, and three friends are crammed in a car on the way back from seeing the eclipse (we had to drive out of state for it to be visible). on this trip our car broke down three times, we almost burned down our hotel room during an impromptu birthday party while we were stranded, and lots more. but most traumatizing was the small water/mystery cd day.

we're in the line at mcdonalds. my mom is exhausted from hours of driving with three children in the back seat and is trying to order a happy meal with a water for the drink. simple, right? not in this stranger avatar ass car. my mom went back and forth with the mcdonalds server, who tried to tell us we could not get a small water, and it had to be a medium or large if we wanted it with the happy meal. otherwise we had to order it separately (something like that). my mom was so delirious she ended up breaking down in tears at the drive thru window until the employee just charged us for a small water.

so that was its own whole thing. we're all split between laughing and crying, thinking about how fucking weird that exchange was. anyway, we drive up, get all of our food, and the tension is so high in the car, so we need something to calm us down.

my (then) step-dad remembers that we found something in this rental car when we got it: an unlabeled CD. i mean, it had some guys name on it, but that was it. we, thinking it would be someone's underground music project, thought it might be fun to listen to. we pop it in. friend #1 has her small water in hand. we're reversing out of our spot in the mcdonalds parking lot. the audio starts.

what followed was the sounds of frantic movement, a baby crying, and someones haggard breathing. from the speaker, a child cries: "mommy won't wake up, what's wrong with mommy?" more crying, more shuffling, more confused wailing. this went on for a full 20-25 seconds before we stopped the track.

silence in the car. what the fuck was that.

that shit was haunted. im pretty sure it caused my mom's breakdown and the future car issues. all of my struggles since then have been the result of the evil spell that shit cast on us as a family

[tomatoluvr69]

The place I work does birthday party rentals on weekends. I’m supposed to offer for them to connect to the speaker with whatever music they want to play but if they don’t want to we have a “party mix” which is full of the grating, sugary pop they play over the credits of off brand kids movies. Which is how I’m sitting here listening to sick tracks like “Feel The Thunder” by HAIM off the soundtrack to The Croods: A New Age and everything Anna Kendrick was forced at gunpoint to croak out in return for those Trolls millions

[meghkhurana]

Important Tips To Know While Choosing A Right Party Venue

Choosing the right party venue can be a tiresome task. It invites a number of challenges even while choosing the best legacy function hall in Delhi to organize a small event. You may need to change your decision just while you're close to finalizing your selection and this always affects a sorted plan. Various things such as the event date, catering options, attendees' experience, etc., play an important part to choose the right location. A slight difference can bring a large change.

So, in this blog, you'll get to know some tips to consider while selecting a suitable resort for party in Delhi.

1. Location

An easy-to-reach location is always a must while organizing an event. It also depends on who are the attendees. For example, an employee-only event should be near the office and must be easily accessible for easy transportation. Conferences, corporate meetings, conventions, and trade shows must be near the airport or around comfortable locations. This will be more convenient for the industry professionals or all of your company members, such as regional sales representatives.

2. Capacity

Taking a rough estimate of the number of guests would be better to cut down on the extra expenses. You should know how many people are going to attend your event before choosing an event venue. Picking a too-small venue will create a congested atmosphere and a too-large event venue will make your attendees feel dwarfed. Some of the best banquet halls in Delhi NCR will help you know your room requirement.

3. Ambiance

You can choose from a number of venues during event planning. Even venues that appear to be the same in terms of location, size, accessibility, cost, etc., can differ greatly in terms of their ambiance. Choosing the environment, you want to create for your guests is one of the easiest ways to eliminate options. Should your gathering be formal, casual, or private?

4. Budget

Consider the cost of a legacy function hall in Delhi, any additional costs they may ask for the type of event you are planning, and the expense of establishing the ambiance you need. Selecting the venue's preferred vendors, booking rentals, arranging transportation, and purchasing additional insurance can all be more expensive than using a more expensive location when those extras are already included in the base price.

5. Amenities

It's better to ask about the amenities your company desires before booking a resort for party in Delhi. Make a priority list of the various amenities that are most important to your event when choosing a venue.

Parking. Always go for the locations with ample parking, or keep a suggestions list with you for alternatives. Including shuttle pickup and drop-off points, ride-sharing discounts and reserved spaces in a nearby public parking lot will compensate for a location without parking.

Seasonality. While certain areas are more comfortable during chilly weather, others are designed for hot summer days. Choose a venue that is appropriate for the season you will be holding your event. Ask about how each venue accommodates events in the rain, heat, snow, and cold.

Layout. The location and accessibility of entrances, restrooms, bar, stage, tables, and serving points always affect an event flow. It is also a nice idea to have quiet areas tucked away from the main event.

Decor. Many banquet halls in Delhi NCR do not include enough decor or lighting. This gives your company a clean slate, but it may also consume time and financial resources. On the other end of the spectrum are locations that are always decorated. There are, of course, many locations in between these two extremes.

Technology. Acoustics, audio/visual capabilities, and Wi-Fi accessibility are of varying importance, depending on the event's nature. These elements are more important at speaker series, award shows, and conferences than at corporate parties.

6. Sustainability

Several legacy function halls in Delhi believe in the "green earth" concept. The first stage in reducing the environmental impact of your employer's or client's business event is to choose a venue that has a strong focus on sustainability.

7. Preferred Vendors

Many spaces require the use of specific vendors, such as event planners and caterers. Make sure you consider these restrictions when choosing a venue.

[soundcontrol24]

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Mixers A DJ mixer is essential for blending tracks and managing audio levels. Look for models with intuitive controls and high-quality output.

Controllers Modern DJ controllers are compact and versatile, allowing you to mix music directly from your laptop or other devices.

Speakers High-quality speakers are crucial for delivering powerful, distortion-free sound. Many speaker hire options include portable or larger systems depending on your venue size.

Microphones Wireless microphones are ideal for speeches, announcements, or karaoke, adding another layer of fun to your event.

Lighting Effects Enhance the festive vibe with disco lights or LED setups that sync with the music. Many rental packages include lighting equipment for a complete party experience.

Benefits of Sound System Hire for Your Christmas Party

If you’re looking for a comprehensive solution, sound system hire is an excellent choice. Here’s how it can elevate your event:

All-in-One Packages Sound system hire includes everything from speakers and microphones to mixers and amplifiers, ensuring a cohesive setup.

Customizable Options Choose from packages tailored to small gatherings, medium-sized parties, or large-scale events.

Professional Installation Rental providers like Sound Control PA handle the setup, ensuring optimal sound quality throughout your event.

Flexibility With London speaker hire, you can rent equipment for a few hours, a day, or even a weekend, giving you the freedom to plan your event without time constraints.

How to Choose the Best DJ Equipment Provider

When selecting a rental provider, keep these factors in mind:

Reputation Look for companies with positive reviews and a proven track record of providing reliable services.

Wide Range of Equipment Ensure the provider offers a comprehensive selection of DJ equipment, PA system hire, and sound system hire options.

Support Services Opt for a company that includes delivery, setup, and technical support to ensure a hassle-free experience.

Location Choose a local provider, such as London speaker hire, to ensure prompt delivery and support.

Flexible Pricing Look for affordable packages that fit your budget without compromising on quality.

Why Choose Sound Control PA for Your Christmas Party?

Sound Control PA is a trusted name in DJ equipment and sound system hire in London. Here’s why they stand out:

Extensive Inventory: From premium mixers to high-powered speakers, they offer everything you need for a successful Christmas party.

Expert Guidance: Their team provides personalized recommendations to match your event’s size and requirements.

Seamless Setup: Enjoy delivery, installation, and on-site support for a stress-free experience.

Affordable Rates: Competitive pricing ensures you get top-notch equipment without breaking the bank.

Convenient Location: Based in London, they provide prompt services to meet your event’s timeline.

Tips for Using DJ Equipment at Your Christmas Party

Test the Equipment Test all gear before the event to ensure everything works as expected.

Create a Playlist Prepare a festive playlist in advance to keep the party flowing without interruptions.

Delegate Responsibilities Assign someone to manage the equipment during the event to avoid technical issues.

Incorporate Lighting Combine sound with lighting effects for a vibrant and immersive experience.

Have Backup Equipment Keep spare cables and a secondary audio source on hand to avoid disruptions.

FAQs About Renting DJ Equipment

Q: Can I rent DJ equipment for a small party? Yes, rental providers offer packages tailored to small gatherings, ensuring you get the right equipment for your event size.

Q: How far in advance should I book? It’s best to book at least a few weeks in advance, especially during the busy Christmas season.

Q: What if I don’t know how to set up the equipment? Most providers, like Sound Control PA, include professional setup services to make the process easy.

Conclusion

This Christmas, make your party a celebration to remember by renting premium DJ equipment in London. Whether you need PA system hire, speaker hire, or a complete sound system, renting ensures top-quality sound without the hassle of owning equipment. With trusted providers like Sound Control PA, you can enjoy seamless services, expert support, and customizable packages tailored to your event.

Don’t let subpar sound dampen your festive spirit. Rent the best DJ equipment and let the music bring your Christmas party to life!