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scuttling · 3 years ago

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Tempting

Fandom: Criminal Minds Pairing: Aaron Hotchner/Latina OFC Sophie Cortes Word Count: 2,392 Tags: 16+, Mature SFW, Pre-relationship, Fantasizing, Accidentally turned on, Mentions of sex Summary: Aaron and Sophie both find themselves... tempted. Collection: Sophie Cortes timeline, 7-12 Months at the BAU (See Masterlist for reading order) Link to AO3 or read below! “Hey, just wanted to hand off my profiles,” Sophie says as she peeks her head into Hotch’s office Wednesday night. “Any idea when the department will catch up to the 21st century and let us do these on the computer?” she asks playfully, and he smiles, rolls his eyes a bit.

“It’s not the department that makes us do these on paper, it’s me. Morgan has been trying to get me to switch to digital, says Garcia can make us a user-friendly system in her sleep.” She crosses her arms, leaning a hip against the doorframe.

“And you’re resistant because…?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. Maybe it’s nostalgia, or because I hate change.”

“As long as it's not because you’ll miss seeing my smiling face at the end of the day, turning in my files,” she says, and though it’s obvious she’s teasing, that kind of is part of the answer.

He doesn’t want to be just a figure in his office, silently collecting completed case files with a ping of his computer. He knows they know his door is always open, but it’s sometimes the excuse of turning in their work that leads them there, gets them in the door, and he thinks it’s important to maintain.

“All joking aside, I think it could really benefit the team. If you wanted a beta tester, I’d be happy to try it out; we can get together once a week for a couple weeks to discuss any bugs or issues we find with the system. The others don’t even need to know; I could do my regular cases during the day, stay later once or twice a week and work them on the computer. I don’t mind the overtime, I’ve got nothing going on.”

“You should go enjoy your life, not spend extra hours holding my hand because I’m resistant to change.”

“I want to, though, if it will help. And I said I don’t mind the overtime.” They stare each other down for a moment; he is the first to cave, sighing and pushing a hand through his hair.

“I’ll talk to Garcia, see if she has capacity to work on the program this week.” Her answering smile is almost blinding, and he feels warmth spread in his chest; he's been feeling that a lot lately, always where Sophie is concerned, but especially when she smiles. “Hey, while I’ve got you, do you mind looking at a case with me? I can’t help feeling that I’m missing something.”

“Sure, of course.” She walks fully into his office, around the desk so she’s looking over his shoulder at the open file. Her hair falls in cascading waves around her face before she gets a chance to tuck a few strands behind her ear, and the smell of her shampoo is... tempting, to say the least.

It’s coconut, and jasmine, maybe, a light, tropical scent that makes him think of palm trees, fresh pineapple, warm sand under his feet… Sophie in a bikini, a tiny thing that shows off her every curve… Sophie curled up next to him in a private cabana, laughing softly in the moonlight… Sophie on a soft bed in a hotel room, her bare skin, even darker from sunbathing, a beautiful contrast to crisp white sheets…

“Have you considered that the second unsub could be a woman? That would explain how the victims are being lured from the mall—a woman probably wouldn’t stop in a parking garage at night for a man, but she would for another woman, if she’s in trouble.” She turns to look at him, and he’s shaken from his fantasy abruptly.

“No, uh, I hadn’t considered that. That closes the gap in my profile. Good thinking.”

“That’s why you keep me around, isn’t it?” He earns another, softer smile, and he thinks about leaning in to kiss her, how easy that would be. It doesn’t take long to shake that thought away, because it’s almost literally insane, but he can’t deny that he had it.

“Something like that. Are you headed home?” She stands fully, and he’s glad, because that means the temptation is gone. It’s not her fault in any way, all his, but he can’t deny it gets worse the closer she is.

“Not home; the girls and I are meeting around the corner for a drink. Will you be finishing up soon?”

“Probably not, but it’s alright. I have nothing going on,” he says, repeating her turn of phrase. He looks down at his work, and she sighs lightly.

“You could have something going on. Come out for a drink with me.”

“And crash your meeting with the girls?” He’s not entirely certain he’d be welcome, or comfortable, but she makes it sound so easy. Like it’s something he could just decide to do, if he wanted.

“Trust me, they won’t mind.”

“It’s a nice offer, thank you. Maybe another time.” She rests a hand on his desk, on top of his case file so he can’t finish filling out the consultation paperwork, and he has to look up and make eye contact with her, which he’s sure is by design. She’s too good at reading him, sometimes. “Definitely another time. I really do appreciate the offer.”

“I’m gonna hold you to it, Hotch. You need a life outside of this place.” She lifts her hand from the desk, places it briefly on his shoulder, and then heads for the door. “Have a good night.”

“You too,” he sighs at her retreating back. His feelings seem to be getting a little too hard to ignore. Their next case doesn’t come until the beginning of the next week. Sophie goes with Hotch to interview a victim’s mother in hopes that they can find the woman who is currently missing before the unsub kills her, but they come up with nothing, which is all they’ve come up with all day.

It’s clear Hotch is not pleased with their progress. He stands outside the car for a moment, looking like he’s trying to compose himself, and he takes off his jacket and throws it in the back seat.

“Damn it,” he hisses when they get back into the car, slamming his hands against the steering wheel; he scrubs a hand through his hair, unbuttons his cuffs, and rolls up his shirt sleeves a bit more angrily than seems strictly necessary. Sophie can’t keep her eyes off of his hands as he pushes the fabric up over his forearms—baring firm muscles covered in thick, dark hair—and when he throws the car into reverse and turns his head, placing his palm on the back of her headrest while he looks behind them, it gets her a little… hot.

It’s nothing new, of course. She has been feeling certain things, where Hotch is concerned—some emotional things, some physical things—for a little while now, if she’s being honest with herself. And she’s usually got the presence of mind to ignore it, or force it to the back of her thoughts, but he caught her off guard and she’s spiraling, now, imagining his hands on either side of her head, on her throat, holding open her thighs. His hands are close all the time, and visible, and the thought of reaching out to touch them is just so… tempting.

She must be making an oh, shit face, because his eyes become more inquisitive, his features a little softer. “What’s wrong?” She’s breathing heavily, and her cheeks feel warm, so she probably looks insane; she just shakes her head and exhales lightly, tries to calm herself.

“Nothing, it’s nothing.” He looks like he absolutely does not believe her, and she curses herself for the hundredth time for choosing to work around a bunch of profilers; they’re always thinking, analyzing, squinting their eyes at you and trying to figure you out, and it can get really irritating.

“I shouldn’t have reacted like that. I’m sorry if I upset you,” he says when he’s done squinting. She almost wants to laugh: he’s worried about upsetting her over a minor curse word while she’s literally hot under the collar for him; her chest feels like it’s on fire, always quick to flush when she’s aroused, and she’s thanking the gods that she chose a crew neck t-shirt today and not a v-neck, or the situation would probably be a lot more awkward.

“You didn’t upset me, Hotch, it’s okay,” she insists, and he breaks eye contact to focus on the road.

They ride in silence the rest of the way to the precinct, but he doesn’t move to exit the vehicle after he takes the keys out of the ignition. “I’m sorry again for my outburst. I shouldn’t have reacted that way, at least not with you in the car.” She sits back in her seat, because this is now about more than her embarrassing moment from before.

“You’re allowed to be human, you know,” she tells him, and when it looks like he’s about to argue, she shakes her head. “I know the bureau likes to discourage it, but being in tune with our emotions and other people’s emotions is what makes us the best at what we do. Don’t apologize for the things you feel.”

“I have to lead by example. It’s the best way to set clear expectations.”

“Telling us your expectations is the best way to set clear expectations. You don’t have to pretend to be emotionless. When you’re angry, be angry.” He frowns, looks at her like what she’s saying makes absolutely no sense.

“When I got angry just now, you were looking at me like you were seeing something about me for the first time. Like you were afraid of me.”

“I wasn’t afraid of you, it’s… it’s nothing. I’d really rather not get into it.” His face softens again, and he’s giving her a look that’s usually reserved for families of victims, which throws her off guard.

“I know that victims of abuse can sometimes have a negative reaction to shouting…”

She wants to groan. He’s being so kind, but if he doesn’t let this go...

“I’m not a victim of abuse, and you didn’t scare me.” He still looks guilty, and if that’s what he thinks happened, and that’s how she made him feel? Well she’s gotta come clean sooner than later. She takes a deep breath. “You turned me on, okay? You were angry, and you rolled up your sleeves, and then you put your hand on the back of my seat and it just… affected me. I can’t believe I’m saying this,” she mutters, covering her face with her hand. Hotch processes that, is still processing that when she removes her fingers from her face. He just looks at her, expression carefully blank.

“Oh. Uh, well. It’s natural; nothing you could have done about it.” She sighs at that, runs a hand through her hair.

“I know, I’m not ashamed of being aroused, or anything, but—we’re working, you’re my boss. The situation is awkward.” He looks at the steering wheel, like he can’t say what he’s going to say directly to her.

“You shouldn’t feel awkward. This kind of thing happens to all of us.” She arches her brow, smiles a little incredulously.

“You’re telling me you, Aaron Hotchner, have been inappropriately turned on on the job before?” He shrugs, nodding.

“Sure, yes.” Her brows rise further into her hairline, not believing him for a second; he sighs at her expression and shakes his head, huffing a laugh. “Okay. You were in my office last week, leaning over my shoulder to look at a case file, and I could smell your shampoo. It’s coconut, right?” She nods, not sure exactly where the story is going, but she feels herself getting hot again, against literally her every wish. “Well, it made me daydream of the vacation I so desperately want: a drink in my hand, sun on my skin, sand beneath my feet… making love late at night with a breeze blowing through the open patio door.”

“Oh.” Her heart is racing, beating so hard she’s almost surprised the sound doesn’t give her away, and her breathing is heavy, and she thinks he’s about to speak again when someone taps on his window abruptly. He rolls it down and Gideon sticks his head in.

“There’s another body, 482 West Hemlock; you two might as well stay in the car and meet us there.”

“Will do,” Hotch replies, and Gideon nods, steps away from the car. If he wonders why they were sitting there unbuckled for so long, he doesn't show it.

They back out of the parking lot sexy-incident-free, and they’ve gone a few blocks before he turns to look at her again. “Are we okay? I hope I didn’t say too much.”

“No, you didn't. We’re okay.” She smiles softly, actively thinking about anything but vacation sex with her boss.

(It’s surprisingly difficult.)

They process the crime scene, gaining some new insight about the unsub, and before long they’re ready for a profile. Sophie opts to ride back to the station with Prentiss under the guise of letting Gideon and Hotch iron out the details, but really she needs to be as far away from him as possible while working the case, or she’s going to lose her mind.

The rest of the day is uneventful, spent poring over pages and pages of cold case files trying to link other murders to the one that occurred earlier that day. They identify at least 15, and when they literally can’t go on for a minute longer, Hotch calls it and they discuss where to go to grab some dinner.

Italian wins, and Sophie gets a big, beautiful bowl of pasta primavera and a glass of white wine, and it’s almost enough to make her forget all about the day until Hotch catches her eye from across the table, smiling at something Morgan said, and her stomach clenches. She smiles lightly, trying to hide it, but she’s not sure she was able to save face in time. She spends the rest of the meal arguing semantics with Reid, something so perfectly normal that it shouldn’t raise anyone’s suspicions.

She feels eyes on her anyway, but she doesn’t look in their direction.

#aaron hotchner #aaron hotchner fanfic #aaron hotchner/original female character #Criminal minds fanfic

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lovelyirony · 4 years ago

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Moony-Eyed

@bironfam i hope this is okay!

Tony didn’t think that their new astronaut was going to be anything special.

Well.

That’s a lie.

You kind of have to be special if you’re going to be an astronaut for NASA. You have to keep your cool, have good eyesight, and be okay with the possibility of dying. Maybe. Maybe you have to be cool with that.

Tony is rather good at his job. From revolutionizing how space suits are made to making the functions of the ship easier to manage, Tony is NASA’s secret weapon, the handyman of all handymen.

He’s usually squirreled away in his workshop, at his apartment that he honestly needs to clean far more than he does, or arguing with Potts about why he needs eight different coffee mugs.

They know him as a guy who doesn’t exactly give a rat’s ass about the chain of command, or dress code.

“You can’t fire me,” he had told Happy, after he had tried once again to stop Tony from entering areas containing sensitive information in sweatpants and a sweatshirt that proclaimed him the “MIT class of 1992.”

Tony is good at his job, nearly too good. He likes it that way.

But back to the astronaut.

Danvers had taken leave to take care of her family, and honestly? Space usually isn’t a lifetime event for astronauts. You see too much of it, you need time away. A lot of time away.

Pepper is giddy. She loved Carol, but Carol was happily married with a baby girl, and this one? This one wasn’t.

Not that Pepper was looking for anyone. No, she and her partner Nat had standing date nights every Saturday evening, and she loved them too much to even think about anything else.

But Tony? Tony needed someone. He never really dated anybody, at least not anybody that he genuinely liked.

Stark was a powerful name, and it got tossed around a little bit, but Tony mostly kept to himself and only responded to it when he was at a party or Happy was mad at him for forgetting his ID badge yet again.

James Rhodes was a nicely built man with a strong, confident aura, and single.

(Pepper had checked.)

She thought that he and Tony would get along quite well, if anything.

James is shifting uncomfortably in his seat. He’d rather just get to work on what he needs to do. Getting into the air is one of the best feelings, and the sooner he can experience it, the sooner he’ll be fine.

He always pushed the limits, and space is just the last limit he gets to push. He’s excited. He’s always wanted to work for NASA, be on their roster of astronauts. He wants little kids who identify with him to know that they can do it too.

So he’s ready to work with the best and brightest of their era.

“Where the fuck are my nachos?!”

His head whips around to a man who is wearing an ill-fitting cardigan (that is most likely not his), old jeans that have what look to be equations written on one thigh, and glasses that are most definitely broken sitting at an angle.

“Your nachos were too close to the computers,” one woman says without looking up. “Stop bringing nachos here or I’m going to fucking kill you.”

“You can’t kill me,” the man retorts.

“Tony,” comes another voice. James turns and sees who must be Pepper Potts. “Go to your office. Now. Change your pants, you wrote on them again.”

“I did?”

He looks down and swears.

“Son of a bitch!” He then looks at Jim. “Wait, who are you? Are you the new astronaut?”

“Uh, yes? I’m James.”

He sticks out his hand.

Who seems to be Tony stares at his hand.

“Your name is seriously James?”

“Do you think I’m bad at jokes?” he asks, eyebrows raised.

Tony grins.

“No, I think you’re gonna be a riot. But I’m not calling you James.”

“Jim, then.”

“No,” Tony says. “You’re not an old man, you’re still attractive.”

His eyebrows raise.

Tony’s face pales.

“I’m going to. Go. I have math on my pants.”

Pepper snorts, readjusting her grip on her clipboard.

“Welcome to NASA, Colonel Rhodes. I can promise you that we don’t usually yell about our lunch location or write on articles of clothing.”

Surprisingly, James doesn’t see Tony for two weeks. Apparently, he’s been working outside with a couple of the interns to calculate some stuff, rework some of the older ships for experience, and stay out of the way of Pepper, who says that he’s attempting to murder her via headaches to deal with.

He seems interesting, however. There are sticky notes and papers all over the offices and breakrooms reminding people of what Tony had for breakfast/lunch/dinner, or where the extra coffee supplies are.

“You provide for him?” he asks Pepper one time.

“He gets too much into his own head sometimes,” Pepper says. “He focuses too much on a program or an improvement and forgets that he works around other people. You wouldn’t believe how many times we had miniature science experiments based off of lunches that he would leave in the fridge.”

Rhodes nods. “Well. I’ll look forward to working with him.”

Tony has been working outside of the office for two reasons:

1.) To legitimately help the interns. (Ned and Peter are making improvements!)

2.) James Rhodes is the hottest guy on earth. Maybe in the universe. For real. Seriously.

He hates Pepper for this. Didn’t even tell Tony what the new astronaut looked like, and then shows up with a god of a man. Rude and unfair.

And he had to be the dumbass with the equation on his pants.

He didn’t even have spare pants! He had to stay in his office for the whole day because the equation was actually really important and he needed it.

“Why didn’t you just transfer it over on paper?” Bruce asks over the phone. Bruce is his friend who works in a technically classified, off-the-books, not-exactly-government-issued building. He’s cool. He also points out the obvious.

“I’m the biggest idiot on the planet,” Tony groans. “There was just a new guy at work, and he threw me off balance, so-”

“What’s he look like?”

“Why, you not crushing on that hot Nordic space dude?”

“No, still am. But I still remember when Barton came to work for you guys and you didn’t know that his name wasn’t George until about six months into him working there.”

“In my defense, he works mostly with physical therapy and prep for no gravity,” Tony says. “I work with math and shit.”

“Still,” Bruce says. “You wouldn’t have pointed him out if you didn’t think he was cute. What’s he like?”

“I...don’t exactly know.”

“Oh my god, you’ve been avoiding him?”

“Oh what, like you didn’t jump out of a window when Thor almost saw you in a tank top?”

“I have a farmer’s tan! Totally different circumstance!”

“Is it?”

“I hate you.”

“Get to dating Thor and then we’ll talk again. Have fun re-revolutionizing green energy, Dr. Banner.”

“Look to the stars, Tony.”

James has to get fitted for his suit.

He faces Tony, who looks quite different from when he first saw him. His hair is somewhat less messy, he has one of those geeky NASA-logo shirts that they sell at Target, and is wearing khaki pants with about a million different pockets.

(Something in his mind is whispering that he definitely shouldn’t find him attractive. But he will anyways.)

“Alright space-cowboy, let’s get your measurements,” Tony says. “You feeling okay today?”

“Right as rain.”

“Rain is never good, sunshine,” Tony quips. “Now, about your nickname from me...hm. Rhodey.”

“How’d you figure that out?”

“Substituted the ‘s’ for a ‘y’, just simple stuff,” he says with a shrug. “You approve?”

“I...guess.”

“Good. Now Rhodey, how are you feeling?”

“Like sunshine and gumdrops,” he responds sarcastically.

Tony smiles, and damn if it makes his heart thump a bit.

“Better answer, soldier. Extend those arms, please.”

Tony smells really nice. Subtle cologne and clean laundry. Rhodey finds that he likes it.

“How’ve you been doing, Tony?”

“Like a gentle breeze on a day that’s seventy-two degrees,” Tony answers. “Work’s been good today. Helen made tacos.”

“I had some of those, they were pretty good.”

“Mm,” Tony answers. “Legs a bit more apart, thank you.”

Rhodey shifts his stance a little bit, carefully not watching Tony bend down just a tad to get the bottom of his foot.

(But oof, that was hard.)

Tony comes back up again, looking into Rhodey’s eyes. For a moment, for a brief moment, his breath is taken away.

“I need to wrap my measuring tape around your waist. You okay with that?”

“More than.”

“Don’t get saucy,” Tony winks. “No one likes more than one floozy at the office, and that’s what got me this job anyways.”

Rhodey lets out a laugh, and Tony grins.

He likes making him laugh. Likes it more than he should.

They spend more and more time together. Tony always makes adjustments, Rhodey realizes that Tony doesn’t exactly keep track of when he eats, so they have lunch together.

They like it a lot.

On good-weather days, they eat outside on a bench. Tony leans against one said, foot brushing Rhodey’s calf, and Rhodey doesn’t really mind because he’ll lean over occasionally and steal whatever Tony’s eating.

“This is theft, you know.”

“You eat like a bird, what do you know about food theft?”

Tony almost always stays later than anyone else except for nights with Rhodey.

Once a month, they have dinner together. Rhodey’s new to the area and Tony’s almost never social with anyone, so they’ve been working through a list of the three-star-rated restaurants and seeing which ones they like.

“It’s kind of like a date,” Pepper says, on her monthly hangout with Tony (and also kind of a clean-up party for his house).

“Not dates,” Tony says. “Just friends. I’m sure he has his eye on someone in or out of the office.”

“Like you?”

“His first impression of me was me writing an equation on my pair of jeans, and then I haven’t exactly upgraded my style since,” Tony deadpans. “He’s seen me in neon orange sweatpants, Pep. You don’t exactly come back from that.”

“Maybe he likes you for who you are!”

“God that’s such a bullshit answer,” Tony whines. “You sound like a straight-to-video movie that came out in 1997!”

“That’s too specific.”

“And? You still get the point!”

Pepper flings a pillow his way.

“Where is your wine?”

“In the same cabinet you always leave it.”

“Goody.”

While Pepper sways to bed, Tony thinks about what she said.

It could be possible. Tony had never exactly asked him about himself in that capacity, but Rhodey never had an odd reaction to a statement that involved talking about a partner of the same-sex or a one-liner about it.

Maybe?

...no.

Guys like Rhodey deserved someone better than someone who forgot to eat lunch four out of the seven days of the week. (And maybe four was being generous.)

On the flipside, Rhodey was currently telling his woes to Carol, who was laughing at him.

“You nerd!” she says. “You like Tony, and you’ve done nothing about it? Have you even told him that you also like guys? Cuffed your pants?”

“No,” Rhodey says. “I just...why would he like someone like me? I’m...boring.”

“You’re not boring,” Carol says.

“Yeah you are!” Maria calls from the kitchen. “You’re very boring, Mr. ‘Only-Drinks-Black-Coffee’!”

Carol giggles.

“Maybe Maria has a point. Maybe.”

Rhodey groans, leaning against the couch.

“I’m so fucked.”

“On the contrary-”

“Oh shut up.”

Pepper is tired of people’s problems. They’re getting closer and closer to launch, and Clint’s out sick and Helen is being weird again, and Jane is off somewhere to a secret government-but-not-government launch to discuss things with two potential boyfriends. (Maybe boyfriends. Maybe.)

Tony is getting stressed.

Usually, he’s the only one who’s fine during a launch. He’s still cracking jokes, making fun events, and calming down people who are a bit too nervous.

But usually, he’s not as close to the astronaut as this.

He’s been thinking about the accidents they’ve had over the years. He doesn’t want a repeat. He’s been pulling all-nighters, avoiding sleep, and checking in on Rhodey consistently, to the point where Rhodey has to drag him outside and tell him that things will be fine.

(In Pepper’s professional opinion, they’d be fine if they just did a goodbye kiss or whatever, but okay.)

Tony’s getting into his own head.

So is Rhodey.

He’s going to be gone for a long time. He’s going to miss the holidays. And Tony won’t be able to talk to him everyday.

“You should tell him,” Pepper murmurs. “I think you both would benefit from it.”

“I’m not going to play that unfair card,” Rhodey murmurs back. “I either confess my love and go to a dangerous mission knowing that he loves me back and I said it when I can’t return, or he doesn’t and I just played a guilt-trip card.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Isn’t it?”

Rhodey shakes his head.

“I...I can’t do that to him. Wouldn’t be right. After the mission.”

“After, then,” Pepper says. “When you come home.”

Rhodey grins.

The day of launch happens far quicker than anyone wants it to, most of all Tony.

Pepper actually kicked him out of his office, told him to shower, and wear something nice for once.

“Make sure he knows he has someone to come home to,” Pepper says. “Wear your turtleneck!”

“It’s only September,” Tony scowls. “And he’s his own person who’s about to launch himself into space.”

“He will be fine,” Pepper says. “With your research and work, we’ve cut down overlooked mistakes by about forty percent.”

“Still not half.”

“Because we’re NASA,” Pepper sniffs. “Our mistakes matter more, so we make less of them.”

Tony nods.

He ends up almost being late to the launch because of Pepper’s stupid wardrobe advice.

He’s wearing his nicest pair of pants, a button-up that’s been at the back of his closet for quite some time, and he’s feeling stupid because he had to play AC/DC in the car so he would actually focus on what was going on.

Now he’s waiting for Rhodey to exit wearing the space suit that he made and to tell everyone that it was an honor and a privilege to be going to space where things happen and Tony can’t be there to help.

Life sucks.

But it goes on, and there’s Rhodey in the brilliantly-designed suit, and Tony’s never been more proud and more sad, but he sucks up his tears and walks up anyways.

“Hey space-cowboy. Ready to explore the frontier?”

“As ever,” Rhodey says. “You ready to forget to eat your lunch all over again?”

Tony smiles.

“You’ll have to check in with me soon, then,” Tony says. “Cut the mission short?”

Rhodey laughs.

“Wish I could. But I’ll send you pictures,” he says. “I promise.”

Tony stops for a moment, smile dropping from his face.

“Promise me one more thing.”

“Anything,” Rhodey says. “Anything you want.”

“Come back safe. Swear to me that you will.”

Rhodey grins.

“Safe and sound, honey. Safe and sound.”

Tony watches him board the ship, wave to the cameras, and wink at him.

He rolls his eyes, but blows a kiss anyways.

Tony’s a nervous wreck.

Pepper has decided that Rhodey needs to not go on missions anymore, or at least take Tony with him because he’s annoying.

“Can you stop crying on the second floor bathroom? It’s getting annoying,” Pepper says. “Clint says he can hear you and feels bad.”

“Well how are we supposed to know that Rhodey’s okay?!” Tony says. “For all I know, he could be dead!”

“I really hope you don’t mean that,” comes a voice from behind.

Tony whips around, seeing Rhodey’s grainy face from the big screen.

“You bitch!”

He laughs, and it doesn’t sound real, but he can see him.

“Hey Tony. You been making sure no one is pissed at you for forgetting your dinner in the fridge?”

“Well, now I will,” he admits. “I’ve missed you.”

“I missed you too,” Rhodey smiles. “How’s everything been down there?”

“Boring,” Tony says. “When are you coming back?”

“I got about two more months,” Rhodey says. “And then I’ll be back.”

“Quit hogging all the screen time,” Natasha teases. “You lovebirds can have your moment on earth.”

Tony blinks.

“What.”

But by that time, Natasha and Sam have already been asking a million questions, and Pepper is filling Rhodey in on what he’s missed.

Tony is still stuck on the whole ‘lovebirds’ thing that Natasha suggested.

...that couldn’t be possible. And yet if other people saw it that way...

“Tony? Tony?”

He blinks again, looking back up at the screen.

Rhodey is smiling at him, that smile that means that he’s happy to see someone.

“I’ll see you soon, honey.”

“Right back at you, space-cowboy.”

The screen goes to black, and Tony smiles a bit.

“Aw, you nerd,” Clint teases. “So, you gonna ask him out on a date?”

“Clint, I will cut off your leg,” Tony says cheerily. “I have to go finish some paperwork!”

Tony’s done all of his paperwork, it’s one of the few times that Pepper’s had it done on time.

He has to keep doing things to stop thinking about Rhodey.

He writes him letters. He knows that he won’t ever read them, but writing letters helps and sometimes it makes his hands less jittery.

He’s not ever going to send them. Ever. Letters are cheesy and they feel...personal.

Pepper tells him that he’s being lame.

“I’m not being lame!” Tony cries. “I am just. Protecting myself!”

“You have the reasoning of a Jane Austen love interest,” she says flatly. “I swear if you don’t tell him, then I’ll meddle. And you know how bad I am when I meddle.”

“You literally have made things so much worse for so many people,” Tony responds.

“Not worse, per se.”

“Oh right, how could I forget?” Tony exclaims sarcastically. “You made things the worst.”

“If we weren’t such good friends, you’d be dead,” Pepper says.

“Then let’s be worst enemies,” Tony mutters. “You still ready for pizza night?”

“Yeah, I’m ready,” Pepper says. “Meet at your place at seven, right?”

“Right.”

Here is what Tony does not know: Rhodey’s coming back down earlier than expected, and Pepper knows this.

So she’s been busying Tony with work while she’s acclimating Rhodey to life on earth again.

“Has he really missed me?” Rhodey asks for about the twentieth time in about two hours.

“Yes,” Pepper says. “I hope these aren’t your talking points for your interviews. If people know you’re this much of a love-struck idiot in real life, they won’t take you seriously.”

“I just missed him!”

“Oh sure,” she responds, rolling her eyes. “And I’m sure you’ll tell the news reporters that you missed me with as many stars in your eyes as now. You like him, you absolute geek.”

“Well, maybe a little,” Rhodey mutters. “But you’re sure he’ll like the surprise?”

“One hundred percent.”

Tony is having, perhaps, the worst day in his life. Maybe in history, if he’s being quite honest.

His car, for one thing, won’t start for more than is done-away-with concern, so he has to call Pepper and say that he’s going to be late since he has to fix his own car.

“Will you get coffee on the way here?” Pepper asks.

“Your usual order?”

“Yeah, you know the drill.”

Then the line is long because some stupid person wanted to complain, and Tony was this close to just threatening to buy the entire store to make it stop, and he cried on his way to work because he saw a duck cross the road and it reminded him of how Rhodey crashed his first car avoiding a duck that was crossing the road.

Yeah. It’s rough.

Then he parks in the wrong parking spot because some asshole with a stupid rental car took his usual spot, and then he stepped in a puddle.

He hates today.

“Pepper!” he declares as he enters the building. “I wore jeans today, I got your coffee, and I’m already done with the day. I swear to god if one more unexpected thing happens, I’ll just say ‘fuck it’ and go work for the Soviets!”

“The Soviets aren’t a thing, Tones.”

He knows that voice.

He fucking knows that voice. He isn’t supposed to be back from that mission for another month.

Tony doesn’t turn around.

“I’m hallucinating. Oh my god, I’m hallucinating.”

Hands wrap around his neck, hugging him.

“This feel like a hallucination?”

(Okay so Tony drops the coffee.)

Rhodey’s smile is blinding, and he’s...he’s here. Right in front of him with those not-supposed-to-be-that-hot polo shirts, those eyes that he could get lost in, and just...

Well.

He hugs him and he hugs him tightly.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming back so soon?!”

“Pepper organized it,” Rhodey says, giddy. “Decided it would be a nice surprise for you.”

Tony looks over at Pepper, who’s trying to hide a grin behind her hands.

“Pepper if I wasn’t so over-the-moon right now, your heels would be snapped.”

She shrugs.

“Worth it. You requested today off, by the way.” She winks as she turns back to her office.

“Well, what do you say?” Rhodey asked. “Help me get used to having my feet back on the ground?”

Tony grins.

“Dinner sounds like a good start. Gotta get you some good earth food, none of that dehydrated crap.”

“Do you know how long it’s been since I had a decent slice of pizza?”

Tony grins.

“I can fix that.”

#lovelyirony writes #YES THE TITLE IS FUCKING PUNNY I'M HILARIOUS WHAT ABOUT IT #rhodeytony #tonyrhodey #ironhusbands #rhfe #rhodey #tony stark #iron man #war machine #pepper potts

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werezmastarbucks · 5 years ago

Text

Whitmore Guy and the eternal studs

Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Part Five

Part Six

Part Seven

Part Eight

word count: 3158

warnings: language

As summer exams were approaching, the pressure on the students of Whitmore grew immensely. And Y/N was the one who felt it clearest of all. Each student, whether depressed, or just stressed, felt only their own weight pulling them down. Y/N had to be the anchor for all of them at once.

In the incredible fuss of early June she didn’t notice that a bunch of young people were very behind in their studies. When she finished filing out all of their graduate papers and closing documents for their rented apartments, she realized at least twenty people from the whole Whitmore did not show up for their preliminary sessions in the end of May. Three of them were missing, and the police already knew about it. A week later, after Damon had finally submitted the heads to the Mystic Falls sheriff, their identities were confirmed, and the college had a big wake for them. Their names were Sheila Bent, Christopher Harris and Taylor Whitaker. Y/N remembered them from her everyday work, and they weren’t unusual; all three, like the rest of the bodies dragged to Damon’s lawn, were Mystic Falls residents. Rebekah left the town for some time, led away by Klaus. Of course, her brother was defensive of her, aggressive, even, however, the pressure of the surviving town, the main core specifically, made it uneasy for him. Y/N was honestly baffled by how him being in love with Caroline changed his attitude. How easy it is to break you, and to manipulate you, when you’re into somebody. And how nasty it is, when this somebody is not entirely on your side.

The rest of the students, who were now in the danger of getting kicked from the college, swarmed her office for the whole first half of June; pleading, begging, crying hysterically, and throwing tantrums. Yesterdays’ mature young people transformed in an almost inexplicable way. There were some athletes among them; there was a brilliant science student Alana May, whom Y/N always liked for her reasonable attitude. All of them changed into these whining kids who did not know what to do now, that they spent half a month somewhere, and couldn’t cope with their deadlines. The situation got thousand times weirder after Y/N found that they all said one and the same thing when asked what the hell they’d been doing.

They said, we were having a party. Fifteen people from different faculties, studying different things, who have never been seen before, of different age and interests, were all having party for at least two weeks, all together.

It was Damon’s birthday, and he could not wish for anything better than investigating the college drama. Although, Y/N did not call it a drama specifically; she said it was more of a sinister mystery. Damon strongly advised her not to contact the failing students again before he gets his head in. When people go missing and then return, having completely changed their behavior, there can only be one explanation, that is – in his world. They’ve been turned.

“Ah-what?!” she yelled.

“When did they come in?” Damon asked knowingly.

“All at a different time – but in the working hours. Which are during the day”.

“Did you look for the lapis lazuli?”

“No, I did not. I’ve been more busy trying to calm down four people at a time. I don’t even have lunch these days, I have so much work”.

“God, the IT guy must miss you”.

Y/N snorted bitterly.

“Joke’s on you, Damon. He brings me coffee every morning”.

“Ew. Anyway, try something if you see any them. I’ll be there by three. Gather them all in one room and I’ll stake them”.

She pressed her fingers between her eyebrows, trying to pull the migraine out. How is she not screaming at him yet.

“You’re not going to come to Whitmore and stake fifteen people who you think are vampires”.

“I’m pretty damn sure gonna. I have a lot of things to do today”.

“Like what? Buy yourself a cake?”

Damon gasped on the other side of the line.

“What? You’re not getting me cake?”

Of course not, she thought. Cakes are traditionally on Caroline.

“Damon, you gotta have at least a picture of a plan before we do it. It’s your faint assumption. Maybe it’s something worse. Or something else. Maybe they joined a cult or something. Maybe they’ve turned into very normal human terrorists”.

“Good thinking, Y/N. Get them all together. By three”.

“Don’t you think it would make more sense to first talk to one of them if you want to check?”

Damon was silent for a moment.

“Yeah, good idea”.

He hung up.

She thought, standing by the window, as she looked out on the parking lot and the football field behind it. Why would Rebekah turn all these people? Was she bitten by the same family craving bug as Klaus once was? In what world all this turning, heads ripping stuff made any sense to her? The summer solstice was getting dangerously close, and Y/N had a bad feeling. There was always a massacre timed to a big cosmic or festive event in this god forsaken town. Every Founder’s Day – someone tries to butcher half of population. And she didn’t even want to remember the Halloween party back in 2009. Or the Perseids night four years ago. Some freak put a bunch of people inside of trees everywhere in the park using magic. They never caught him, of course… those were the weird times, when they failed, once and again, to prevent tragedies. Then it just ended. There were couple of strange cases in Mystic Falls, never solved. The greatest regret of the former sheriff Liz Forbs, before she died, was never solving the case of who killed her father and grandmother.

Thank God she didn’t live to see what happened to Matt.

Y/N decided to find and secure Alana May when Damon comes. She liked her the best, and she had a great hope to save her, if anything as horrible happened to her.

Y/N closed her laptop and left her office, walking to the teacher’s room to see Alaric and involve him a bit. His life has been getting far too boring lately.

She also discovered Mal together with him. The Occult Professor was sitting in his chair, looking into his computer intensely, and Mal clearly did not read the signs of his body – or didn’t want to. Standing right behind his shoulder, he pushed Ric’s back with his stomach, and spoke straight into the poor man’s ear.

“Huh, and then she was like, I don’t really believe that you’re already closing to thirty. I was like, ma’am, just because I’m clean shaven, like any other civilized individual… I mean, you know, not to say anything about your majestic beard, Ric, but I’ve never been able to grow anything like that. There are some people, you know…”

All the while his fingers were working on the keyboard disconnected from his brain completely. Ric’s face expressed misery, and Y/N chuckled, watching them, as she sat down behind someone’s unoccupied desk.

“Hey”, Mal smiled, looking at her briefly.

“Y/N”, Alaric stood up with a swing, almost hitting Mal in the face with his elbow. “I was just thinking about you. I need to talk to you. Can we…”

Mal looked up at them curiously, and a sly smile curled his lips. Half of the time he was pissing Saltzman just for the sake of it.

“Yeah, same”, Y/N gestured, inviting him to leave the room since Mal was working. Together, they stepped out into the corridor, which was sunny, smelled of summer, and stood half empty as it was morning.

“Heavenly God”, the man puffed, looking her in the eyes, “how do you stand that person?”

She was still giggling.

“Serious stuff, Ric. You remember I complained to you about those students who chucked on their studies and were running around on fire?”

A line lay between his eyebrows.

“Uh-huh”.

“Damon thinks they’ve been turned. It’s a bit soon to tell, but when I think about it, it makes sense. They all became like one: impatient, nervous, and very short-tempered. There haven’t been any killings yet… that I know of”.

She looked at him with a question. Saltzman shook his head.

“That’s a morbid picture, if he’s right. You think they’re connected with that massacre at the Salvatore mansion?”

“We don’t know if they are vampires yet. Let’see first. He’s coming over today at three”.

Ric put his palm on Y/N’s shoulder.

“Shall we give him his present then?”

The door opened, and Mal walked into them.

“Aw, my bad. The room’s free, if you want it. Y/N, you wanna grab a beer after work?”

“Not today, Mal”, Y/N watched him tilt his head musingly. “We got uh- a thing to do”.

“Oh, the hybristophiliac police gathering. Got it”.

He looked hurt though. Y/N understood very well what he felt at that moment. There they stood, two very different people, part of her outer world, and part of her inner dimension. Ever since Mal came round, the prose of her life became even more boring. Mal was like leaving your house on a fresh morning. You don’t really wanna do that shit anymore. You want to make lava lamps in his basement, listen to his favorite music, and watch Dr Pepper cans fall out of their slots.

“Not really, it’s…”

Ric was watching them both with mist in his eyes.

“Anyway, let’s do it tomorrow”.

“Whatever. Not like I wanted to tell you something super important. It’ll wait”, he smiled and waved them with his quick ringed hand.

“I’ll go get Alana”, Ric put his hands in the pockets of his jacket. “And you watch out for the rest of them”.

“Uh-huh”, Y/N said, still watching Mal walk away. Cindy/Sandy caught her eye. As he walked past her, the girl followed him with a glance, too, and then turned and looked directly at Y/N. Something was off about that look, more than just a “woah, we’re checking out the same guy”. Y/N brushed it off. Not now. Not fucking now.

“Alright, I’ll get her into your office by three”.

“Call me if something happens”.

All those phrases were rehearsed and vocalized hundreds of times. All that routine was suffocating. Y/N walked back to her place thinking about Cindy/Sandy. Maybe she should check her name after all, to finally memorize it.

Damon was there by two-fifty. At three straight, there was a knock at her door, and Alana, led by Alaric, came into her office. Damon’s eyes were highlighted by the sunlight penetrating through the windows like juice. All pale, with bright turquoise, focused and a bit frustrated already, he moved towards the girl without a word.

Alana didn’t have time to react. The vampire took her by the shoulder, as Alaric snapped the door closed, and looked at her like a doctor with at least a century experience.

Only, Salvatore gaze wasn’t caring or curious. It was examining the depths of Alana’s majestic dark brown eyes with cold concentration, and his hard hand never left the girl’s shoulder. Y/N stood next to her, a kind of a maternal instinct rising in her, to protect her from… whatever.

“What are you now?” Damon asked quietly. Alana was looking at him with confusion on her beautiful face. She eyed the man almost angrily, and then replied,

“I’m Alana. Who are you?”

She looked at Y/N for assistance.

“What’s going on?”

“Look at me”, Damon ordered quietly, but with great significance. Y/N got a glimpse of what attracted her to this individual long time ago; he was a very obvious alpha. He was also extremely irritated all the time, which somehow added to his charm. Maybe she just liked the mean type.

Alana stared at Damon, looking all the more lost, and suddenly he straightened up, his face going a dead mask, jaws clenched.

“She’s been turned”.

“What?” Y/N barked, leaning to the student. Alana was turning her head absently at this point, trying to gain someone’s attention, but afraid to stand up as Damon was towering over her.

“Who turned you?” Y/N asked. Alana looked at her, and her eyes went blank.

“What do you mean? What the fuck is going on here?”

Heating up, the girl tried to get up, but Damon pushed her back down roughly. Y/N took him by the shoulder, and he didn’t fail to catch her hand in his inescapable clutch.

“Look”.

He bared his teeth like a tiger yawning, and bit her wrist in a flash, so fast, Y/N couldn’t feel pain at first. She only felt stinging when the first thick, dark drops of blood started to fill on her skin. She could yell at him later, and roll her eyes, too. She looked down at Alana, whose gaze was now focused on her completely. Suddenly, the girl’s face grimaced in pain, and she pushed herself deeper into the armchair, crying out,

“I can’t! Please”, her mouth opened in horror, long fangs growing out of her gums; a familiar black web of swollen veins evened out under her eyes, but she looked at Y/N.

“Your blood, I can’t take it, I can’t…”

But her thirst was stronger. Shaking and convulsing, Alana jumped out, throwing herself over the armchair, just as Damon wrapped his arms around Y/N. It was all too fast, at the vampire speed which always made everything look like changing pictures. Alana threw herself back, right onto another human: Alaric. He was a bad victim, all with instincts and ready hands that never failed him. Y/N bumped into her desk, moved it with her body, pushed away by Salvatore. Damon wanted to step forward to Alana and pushed away the armchair she’d been sitting in, so hard that it collapsed into the bookcase, breaking the glass and scattering the pieces of it. Alaric was pinned to the door, head tilted down, and Alana was immediately pushed to him. She gave out a groan, all too familiar, for Y/N not to understand.

She balanced herself back to her feet, but it was already too late. Salvatore took the student’s body away from Ric, and, having checked that she was dead, took the stake out.

“Good reflexes”, he nodded, carefully placing Alana on the floor.

“Not her”, Y/N moaned. It was her mistake. She chose her to bring here, to Damon. This death was on her.

Y/N ran her fingers through her hair, thinking. She looked at her bookcase and the glass on the floor. Oh how she could’ve used that beer after work.

“God fucking dammit”, she uttered, taking the armchair and pushing it further, to the window.

“How many are there left?” Damon asked. Y/N thought about them with horror. Right now, there’s a group of young vampires, high on thirst and anxiety, getting their blood devil knew where, scattered around the campus. One of them could be flirting with Mal.

“So, we’re not gonna talk about it?” Alaric walked towards the body and then looked at Y/N. “A newly turned vampire, that’s unable to withstand the call of blood, manages to avoid biting you, because, apparently she’s been compelled. If that’s still Rebekah, then I’m completely confused”.

Damon turned to her and gave her the longest look. Y/N felt like the vampire was staring right into her, down to her every little bone, and a nasty feeling crawled into her brain. There was something to do with her. There was a thought, in the back of her mind, almost on the brink of subconscious, that she pushed away and couldn’t reach anymore. The only sensation left was guilt. Why did she feel guilty, like she was hiding something? Why was Damon staring at her like that? He was the third already, that day.

She was walking across the football field. Thank God they didn’t make her run around the campus and look for the remaining fourteen failing students. She was swinging Alana’s keys between her fingers, looking for her car on the other side of the road. She failed to find it in the parking lot and decided to check in the street. It was a normal thing now, deaths. People died pretty often in Mystic Falls and its suburbia. Weird things, awful things happened there. They knew about it even back in Seattle. So, technically, if you come to study or live here, you claim that you’re ready to take the risks. It just bothered Y/N that deaths didn’t bother her anymore. How much does it take off a person to become jaded? It certainly wasn’t that much for her, and yet, she was calm. She’s just seen one of the best Whitmore students die pointlessly; out of Alaric’s paranoid stake throwing. And all she felt was frustration. The new knot to untie, the whole new bunch of threads to pull on. And what if someone really important gets in the way?

She finally found it, a dark blue Honda. Y/N took it back to the campus, circling the building and stopping it at the back entrance. Damon came out with the body and put it in the trunk.

“Tha-ank you”, he clicked his tongue, taking the keys from her. Ric appeared next to him and looked at Y/N with the same silent question.

“You know, if they all were compelled not to feed on you, you’re going to lure them all by yourself”.

“I won’t be luring anyone”, Y/N protested, “we don’t have to kill them. I’m sick of this… favoritism. Either kill all new vampires, or save them all. Imagine it was Bonnie, who’s been turned yesterday. You wouldn’t have staked her”.

Damon puffed.

“Oh, sweet lord. Don’t tell her that. The idea of being a vampire makes her go suicidal this quick”, he snapped his fingers and got into the car.

“Damon’s going to take care of little Alana” he announced, letting down the window, “and you find the rest of their bunch and assess them”.

Ric’s phone rang. He answered it quickly, lifting his palm as if to say, wait a second. Then he looked at them both:

“Caroline’s asking if we’re still up for tonight, at the Grill”.

“Are we really doing the party?” Y/N inquired, morosely.

Damon hummed like he did when a very bad, murderous idea came to him.

“Make it Craze. And Y/N, let everybody know that there’s a lit party tonight. It’s going to be totally sick or whatever you kids say. Let them all come”, he winked, and started the engine.

“That would be dangerous”, Ric tried to reason with him.

“Young vampires won’t be able to resist an opportunity to party”, Y/N thought out loud. “Loud music, lots of hot blood, and excitement”.

“And piles of dead bodies”, Saltzman noted, watching as Alana’s car sped away from the campus.

#kai parker #kai parker imagine #kai parker x reader #vampire diaries #vampire diaries imagine #damon salvatore #ric saltzman #whitmore guy

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my-desire-fantasy · 7 years ago

Text

Nia and Tate (2)

Nia’s Views.

I wonder how Kia’s doing, I’d call her but not going to do that. Glad I left everything in great shape before I left.

*next day*

The next day I had quite a lot to do. First I had to go to my job, I got lectured and suspended which is good, better than being fired, but I have a lot of work to do.

*later that day*

Kia: *bust in the house* I cannot believe you left me

Nia: sure, come on in

Kia: do you know how awkward it was?

Nia: nope

Kia: well it was very awkward

Nia: did you get your car?

Kia: yeah, he paid for it.

Nia: that’s nice of him. Did you go to work?

Kia: No, I’m fired anyway

Nia: who told you that?

[MORE]

Kia: you went?

Nia: yes

Kia: and?

Nia: Well, we’re suspended, with a ton of work to do.

Kia: oh, that’s better than I was expecting.

Nia: I know right

Kia: have you hear from Luke?

Nia: not what I’m looking forward to

Kia: are you going to give him the ring back?

Nia: well I’m not going to keep it

Kia: what about your new boo Tate?

Nia: he’s not my boo, and I don’t know.

Kia: really? I gave him your number I thought he would’ve called you by now.

Nia: you give him my number?

Kia: well yeah, you two hit it off so well. honestly, I think this vacation was the push you needed.

Nia: why do you say that?

Kia: you caught Luke cheating on you 9 months ago, and you shut people out, the only reason you talk to me is cause I’m a pain in your ass, but it would’ve taken you a while to go out again.

Nia: oh

Kia: but, that’s not what’s important right now

Nia: what is?

Kia: your birthday

Nia: my birthday is three months away

Kia: I know, but you’re going to be the big 30, speaking of age, how old you think Tate is?

Nia: I’m not sure, but I’ll give him around 33-36

Kia: are you inviting him to your party?

Nia: no

Kia: why not?

Nia: I’m not having one

Kia: why not?

Nia: I do not want one, I suggest you go work do your work.

We got suspended for a week, I use that week to catch up on my work. The following, we went back to work, but I really hate the stares I’m getting because of the whole cheating thing I had going on, but I’m not going to let that bother me.

*Friday evening*

Even though I try to catch up with my work, more just keep coming. I had to leave my house and go to my nearest Starbucks, just to sit down to focus. Sitting down I feel a stare burning the side of my temple, I know it’s a public place people can stare but damn. I went back to focus on my work *putting my headphones on*

I’m the most focus when I’m working. If I’m on my computer doing my work, all hell can break loose, and I would not know a thing. That’s good but also bad at the same thing.

I should go get another drink since I’m only sipping on ice.

“would you like me to get you another drink?”

Nia: yes, please I’ll have- wait *looks up and sees him*

Tate: hi, what kind of drink would you like?

Nia: uhm I’ll just have a water, please

Tate: I’ll be back

Nia: okay

I really hope Kiara didn’t tell him where I live.

*moments later*

Tate: here *hand her the water*

Nia: thank you, so what are you doing here?

Tate: I had a meeting two blocks from here

Nia: oh

Tate: what are you doing? how did it go with your job?

Nia: Well I didn’t get fired, I got suspended and a hell lot of work to do.

Tate: Better than being fired right?

Nia: right, so how have you been?

Tate: just the usual

Nia: work

Tate: none stop, so you live around here?

Nia: about 30 minutes, you?

Tate: without traffic two hours, with traffic two and a half. are you always this focus when you’re working?

Nia: pretty much, why?

Tate: nothing. Where’s your friend?

Nia: I have no idea

As weird as this might sound, I actually missed him.

Tate: I should let you do our work.

Nia: yeah

Tate: I’ll see you another time *walks out* oh what the hell

Nia:* follows him outside* Hey,

Tate: yeah

Nia: do you wanna have dinner with me.

Tate:*smile*

Nia: I mean, If you don’t have plans you can go-

Tate: Nia I’d love to have dinner with you.

Nia: okay, I’m going to get my stuff.

*moments later*

I think maybe I should change my pants

Nia: okay, maybe I should change my clothes.

Tate: wait for you here?

Nia: no you can just follow me.

*30miutes later*

Tate: how many tickets have you gotten so far?

Nia: none, why?

Tate: I thought you said it took you 30 minutes

Nia: why? Did you get scared of a little speed?

Tate: I can handle the speed *smirk*

Nia: shall we?

Tate: after you.

*upstairs*

Nia: Just warning you, My house ain’t fancy *opens the door*

Tate: nice place

Nia: Thank you, make yourself comfortable and I’ll go change.

I’m raiding my closet to find something, that looks cute but urggh I’m going to end up with jeans anyway.

I decided to just wear white cutout jeans, and a denim shirt with the sleeves rolled up sleeves.

*Tate’s views*

Her place is small but comfortable. It has this warm feeling that made you not want to leave. I can see why she’s ready to do her spring cleaning, fall is full of her boyfriend pictures.

Nia: you ready to go?

Tate: Yeah.

*outside*

Nia: you driving?

Tate: sure *open the door for her*

Nia: oh thank you

Tate: you’re welcome

*moments Later*

Tate: where are we going?

Nia: well since you’re from the rich part of town, we’re going to try some good food over here.

Tate: *laughs* how do you know I’m from the rich part of town?

Nia: your watch and the car is a dead give away, and come on, the hotel, and you pay for both Kia and me, means you definitely not from this part of town.

Tate: should I watch over my shoulder?

Nia: you should

Tate: What?!

Nia: you scared?

Tate: no

Nia: don’t worry I’ll protect you

Tate: I feel so little right now

Nia: *lol* don’t worry I won’t tell anyone about this.

We got to this place that looks like a bar, I’m not sure they’d have food in there.

Nia: you might want to leave your suit in the car.

Tate: why?

Nia: you look uptight, take the suit and your tie off.

We walk inside, I can feel eyes on me.

Tate: is it me or are they staring?

Nia: everyone can tell you’re not from here.

“Nia?”

Nia: regular booth, please

“Okay, follow me”

We sat down in the booth, it been a while since I sat on one of these.

Nia: you can relax, they’re looking at me not you

Tate: why?

Nia: I got proposed in here, so no one actually knows about the breakup.

Tate: I’m sorry

Nia: it wasn’t meant to be, but let’s not talk about it. Do you want something to drink?

Tate: what do you recommend?

Nia: Well I don’t drink alcohol so I’m not much of a help in that area.

She is so much different from the last time I saw her, More confident. It’s like there are many sides of her, makes me want to get to know her more.

Tate: what are we eating?

Nia: I’m getting what I usually get, spicy shrimp pizza.

Tate: you’re joking

Nia: don’t judge it before you try it, besides you can order your own food.

It feels like the perfect place, people look friendly, like they’ve been coming here for a while, the smell of the beer is a perfect combination. I’ve never met anyone who looks that happy over food.

Nia: do you want to try it?

Tate: no thank you

Nia: you might like it

Tate: nope

Nia: it won’t kill you

Tate: Nah

Nia: just one bite *put it close to his mouth*

Tate: fine *takes a bite*

Okay, that is good.

Nia: Well

Tate: I’m mad at how good it tastes.

Nia: told you

Tate: you can hand over the rest.

Nia: not going to happen

Tate: come on

We split the pizza, I’m glad she didn’t get just one slice.

Tate: I must admit, that I didn’t have many expectations coming in here.

Nia: I told you-

“Nia”

He looks familiar, I’m guessing that’s the ex.

Nia: Luke

Luke: I’ve been looking for you, we need to talk

Nia: talk about what?

Luke: us

Nia: Luke there is no us, we’re done.

Luke: that’s it? Are we not going to talk about it? Come on Kim

Nia: there is nothing to talk about. I’m not sure why you have that pathetic look on your face, you cheated on me not the other way around. I don’t want to talk to you, I don’t have anything to say to you. I’m going to bag all your stuff and put them outside the door you can pick them up on Monday. Right now you’re interrupting my dinner, you may excuse yourself, have a good night.

Well damn

Nia: I’m sorry

Tate: it’s alright, you good?

Nia: yea.

Why did he call her Kim?

Tate: is Nia your first name?

Nia: nope, my full name is Kimberly Nia Parker.

Tate: Kimberly?

Nia: yeah don’t call me that.

Tate: why not? It’s nice

Nia: too many people have that name.

Tate: true, when’s your birthday?

Nia: guess

Tate: not really good at guessing

Nia: come on

Tate: July?

Nia: really?

Tate: you look like a summer born type of girl, with your colorful house.

Nia: oh so we’re judging now mister uptight always wearing suits

Tate: they don’t hate on my suits

Nia: don’t talk about my colorful house.

Tate:*lol* okay, but for real when’s your birthday?

Nia: my birthday is Dec 31.

Tate: wow you almost made it to the new year, that’s in 3 months, doing anything?

Nia: nope, I’m gonna come here order some food, go home and watch movies.

Tate: come on, it’s new years eve you have to party.

Nia: I don’t know.

We talk and talk and more talking and we left the place at around 1 AM.

*in the car *

Tate: are there any hotels nearby?

Nia: why?

Tate: I don’t think I’m gonna be able to make it home

Nia: you can stay over if you want, it’s not as fancy as the hotels, but it has a bed and a roof over it.

Tate: you sure?

Nia: Yeah, I mean it’s my fault you still here anyway.

Thank God I stopped for coffee.

*her place*

Nia: okay you can sit out here for a bit, I’ll change the sheets out from the guest room, you can watch TV if you want.

I watch her go back and forth, from her room to the next bringing stuff, removing stuff.

Nia: okay it’s ready

Tate: thank you

Nia: you’re welcome. I put some clean towels in there for you to take a shower, there’s a pair of sweats in there with a shirt, I’m sorry they’re pink, that’s all I have.

Tate: thank you

Nia: you’re welcome if you need anything call me, well in an hour because I’m going to take a shower as well.

Tate: aight

*hours later*

It is 2 am I hear her shuffling things out in the living room.

Tate: you good?

Nia: Did I wake you?

Tate: yes

Nia: I’m sorry I just feel like getting rid of these things right now.

Tate: you can do that in the morning

Nia: no if I don’t get rid of them now, I’m just gonna get annoyed and not being able to sleep.

Tate: need help?

Nia: I can’t ask you to do that

Tate: it’s okay

Nia: I’m only getting rid of the pictures, I’m keeping the frames if I like the pictures I’ll just cut him out.

Tate: what are you doing later?

Nia: well, since It’s fall I’m going to do a little shopping to change my colorful house to fall

Tate: I see you still on that

Nia: I am very salty about it, cause I put a lot of efforts on decorating my house

Tate: I’m just saying that I’ve never seen a house with so many colors, not that I have time that much time to go to people houses, but I doubt they’re that colorful

Nia: I wanna see how your house looks like, I bet you have one of them bougie ass all white houses.

Tate: What are you doing later?

Nia: not really sure yet, but I think it’ll involve shopping.

Tate: thought you didn’t like shopping?

Nia: I’m too busy adulting to be shopping all the time

Tate: Adulting?

Nia: working and paying bills, my paycheck doesn’t always allow shopping all the time.

Tate: I see

Nia: you should go to sleep

Tate: I’m good right here

Nia: I’m sure you’d be more comfortable on the bed.

Tate: trust me I’m fine here

Nia: okay

I spend the next 30 minutes watching her, taking things off the wall, pictures of albums.

Tate: ok ma'am I think that’s enough, you want to take out your frustration find another way right now it’s time to sleep.

Nia: I’m not-

Tate: I get it, you’re frustrated and annoyed doing all of this isn’t gonna help.

*following morning*

I must be dreaming because she said that she can’t cook, but I can smell food.

Tate:*sits on a stool by the counter watching her*

Nia: *startles* good morning

Tate: good morning

Nia: so, I made breakfast, what would you like?

Tate: *smirk*

Nia: what?

Tate: nothing

Nia: Okay then *takes out a plate and takes out scrambled eggs,* bacon or sausage?

Tate: …

Nia: both

She fixes my plate with food and fruits and went back to clean the kitchen.

Nia: *phone rings* Hello? hey mom, what man? oh, so he went to complain to you huh. Listen, mom, I really don’t want to talk about that so I’ll see you later *hangs up the phone*

Tate: you okay?

Nia: yeah

Tate: you sure?

Nia: yeah, why?

Tate:*points at her hands*

Nia:*squeezing the syrup* oh eww, I’m going to take a shower.

Tate: okay.

*two hours later*

Tate: Thank you for having me over

Nia: well it was nice having you as a guest.

Tate: maybe next time we could have a sleepover at my place.

Nia: we’ll see

Tate: wait, you doing anything for Halloween?

Nia: I’m not sure yet, but I think it involves food and staying home.

Tate: why?

Nia: because I don’t like being scared.

Tate: Well I’m throwing a Halloween party and I’m inviting you.

Nia: no thank you

Tate: come on

Nia: no thank you, I’m fine

Tate: okay I’ll come pick you up, I’ll call you later.

Nia: okay.

I spent the two hours drive back home just smiling and thinking about yesterday It’s been a while since…

Following days we text each other as much as we can, talk on the phone as much as we can it feels nice, actually, it feels really really nice.

Rick: knock knock

Tate: Hey, what are you doing here?

Rick: your party

Tate: oh

Rick: how’s it going man?

Tate: same old, just working

Rick: and your ladies?

Tate: I don’t have ladies, I’m working on having one lady.

Rick: you’re not a one woman type of guy

Tate: *smile*

Rick: who is it? please tell me it’s not the same girl from the hotel

Tate: yup

Rick: dude

Tate: what?

Rick: What about all the other women you have?

Tate: what about them?

Rick: you think they’re going to just sit there and let it happen? what about Tara?

Tate: you think I didn’t think about all these things? the other women will get over it.

Rick: what about Tara?

Tate: what about her? she moved on, got married, it’s been ten years. Now I have to start thinking about myself.

Rick: you serious about her?

Tate: I’m getting too old for this man, I spent a night over at her place, and before you ask, no I did not sleep with her. It just feels so right, even though we didn’t sleep in the same bed, I want to do it every day.

Rick: good luck man, I hope it works out for you.

Tate: yeah me too

*Nia’s Views*

Things have been going well with Tate and me, we talk and text each other, it’s pretty nice-

Kia:*burst in the door* I was thinking, we should watch scary movies for Halloween and just binge on ice cream.

Nia: first of all good morning, second I don’t watch scary movies, Third what are you doing in my office?

Kia: I’m bored

Nia: I’m pretty sure if I check your desk, I will find all the papers you haven’t worked on.

Kia: You worry too much

Nia: you’re right, it’s not my problem, besides, I have plans for that day.

Kia: you never have plans for Halloween, what is it?

Nia: Tate’s having a party and he invited me.

Kia: when were you going to tell me that?

Nia: never, cause I’m not going

Kia: why not?

Nia: I hate dressing up

Kia: but it’s a party

Nia: I am aware, and I hope you’re aware that I’m two seconds from kicking you out of my office.

Kia: I’m coming over later

Nia: please don’t

Of course, she came by later.

Kia: I don’t see why you are not going

Nia: because I don’t want to go

Kia: why not?

Nia: Kiara I do not want to go, end of discussion.

Kiara spent the following days nagging me about the party until I give up. We have 3 days to find a costume. Three days before Halloween? everything is pretty much gone.

Kia: that’s all your fault if you had said yes earlier-

Nia: Why are you complaining? you found your costume.

Kia: you are the guest of honor-

Nia: who told you that?

Kia: well he likes you, so you are his guest of honor

Nia: sometimes I wonder if you have anything in your head, like is it just an empty skull? do have a brain in there? how small is it?

Kia: the only thing they have here is this spiderman costume and it’s two sizes bigger.

Nia: I’ll just wrap some tissue an go as a mummy

Kia: I’m embarrassed to be your friend.

Nia: now you see how I feel about you every day.

She ended up buying the spiderman costume. I’m not really sure why she thinks she can fix it, but she’ll be my entertainment for the rest of the day.

Nia: how exactly are you planning on fixing this?

Kia: You’ll see, I’m going to wash it, and shrink it in the dryer

Nia: okay good luck, I’m going to nap.

*2hours later*

So, the costume shrink

Kia: you win, we’ll stay home

Nia: I’m glad you back to your senses.

Kia: I’m going home

After she left I went online to find something. Everything I would like all sold out, clicking links after links, I finally find this website with all of these things that I personally would not wear. They’re pricey and paying extra for the shipping, I feel so sad paying for them.

*call from Tate*

Tate: Hey

Nia: what’s up?

Tate: Nothing, just heading to a lunch meeting.

Nia: why does this feel like a depressing text? is it the you don’t want to go but have to go meetings?

Tate: yup, what you do today?

Nia: work, I went out with Kia, now just chilling. you’re not driving and using your phone, are you?

Tate: no, I’m not driving.

Nia: good

Tate: you know still haven’t said yes to my party.

Nia: If I haven’t said it that probably means no.

Tate: funny, because I’m not taking no for an answer.

Nia: is that so?

Tate: yes, as a matter of fact, I’m picking you up myself.

Nia: Mhhm really?

Tate: yes. look I will call you back okay

Nia: okay.

While out with Kia, I bought a few things for my place. With some music, I flip my living room upside down.

*Oct 31*

I mentally prepared myself since yesterday for tonight’s party. I told Kia I had an emergency, to bring her here. She’s been moody since yesterday.

Kia: what’s the emergency?

Nia: why you look like your cat die?

Kia: what do you want?

Nia: I need a blanket

Kia: why are you telling me that?

Nia: so you can go get it

Kia: Kimberly Naya Parker you made me drive over here to get you a blanket that you could’ve just get off your lazy ass to get?

Nia: yeah

Kia: *breath in and out*

Nia: come on I’m cold

Kia:*walks in the room*

wait for it

Kia:*screams, and runs back out* where did you get these?

Nia: I bought them, you owe me $90

Kia:$90?

Nia: yes, I had to pay extra for fast shipping.

Kia: why didn’t you tell me?

Nia: I liked how miserable you were, The party’s at 7 PM, it’s a two-hour drive, so you should go get ready.

Kia: It’s 2 PM

Nia: exactly

Kia: what about you?

Nia: I won’t take that long.

Kia: you’re not wearing makeup?

Nia: nope

We fought for the next two hours, it’s not that I don’t like makeup, it’s just when I get home I just get lazy about taking it off.

She had a latex captain America costume I had Batman cause it’s black, I love wearing black. I get annoyed quickly cause I got hungry, and there is not enough room in this tight costume to breath.

I got a text from Tate that he’s outside, I’m nervous, the fact that I don’t really like parties, and it’s probably a bunch of snobby people.

*downstairs*

Tate: Well hello ladies

Kia: Captain America nice to meet you.

Nia: I’m Batman, I would rather stay in my cave

Tate: you guys look great

Nia: thank you.

Tate:*open his car door for them*

*in the car*

Tate: good day?

Nia: I’ve had better and worst. You?

Tate: I’m ready for a vacation

Nia: didn’t you just had one?

Tate: no, that was for work.

Nia: oh

Tate: I’m taking a winter vacation soon, Going snowboarding

Nia: sounds interesting

Tate: do you know how to?

Nia: I’m not a fan of falling on my butt, not a fan of falling period. The snow is not really my thing, I’m more of a summer born type of girl.

Tate: you should get out of your comfort zone.

Nia: no thanks, it’s safer for me.

Tate: what about you, Kia?

Kia: I know how to

Tate: see she knows how to snowboard

Nia: she learned it to impress a guy, my butt is more important to me.

We got to the party it looks like the typical Halloween party except more high-end. The only thing I’m interested in is food, and I have not seen any insight.

Tate went to greet his guests, and Kia loves all the attention she’s getting, I’m just hungry.

It’s dark and foggy, I find a balcony with a chair with a nice view I’m good.

Sitting looking at the big houses, wondering how much would it cost to live there? What kind of job these people have? What’s in the house? How much do I need to work to afford one, or even rent one?

I’m contempt with how my life is but. Speaking of my life, I haven’t been able to tell my parents about me not getting married. I know he went over and tell them something. I have to go over for Thanksgiving it’ll have to wait till then.

*Tate’s views*

It’s been almost two hours and I have no sight on Nia, I look everywhere but I can’t find her. Kia, on the other hand, seems to be having fun.

Tate: hey can I talk to you for a bit?

Kia: sure

Tate: have you seen Nia?

Kia: no, the last time I saw her she was looking for food

Tate: food?

Kia: yeah think she missed both lunch and dinner

Tate: does she have her phone?

Kia: she should, but with all this noise she’s probably not going to hear it.

*hours later*

After waiting for what seems like four hours, I finally see her walking out.

Tate: where were you? hiding in a cave?

Nia: Yeah, until I get hungry.

Tate: why didn’t you tell me?

Nia: you had guests to attend to

Tate: I know, but I could’ve ordered you something.

Nia: that’s alright, have you seen Kia?

Tate: yeah, she’s over there.

Kia: okay see you in a bit.

After an hour or so, I apologize to some people and take the ladies home.

Kia: you know a taxi would’ve been fine.

Nia: yeah, you didn’t have to take us

Tate: since I picked you guys up, it’s only right to do so.

We got food on the way back, and Kia knocked out.

Tate: I’ll take it as you didn’t have fun

Nia: I did

Tate: doesn’t seems like it.

Nia: I had fun my own way, I was starving but doesn’t mean it was that bad.

Tate: oh I see

Nia: how are you going to sleep?

Tate: what do you mean?

Nia: the party was at your house, no?

Tate: oh no that was just one of my houses, that house is kind of reserved for things like that.

Nia: why’s that?

Tate: Well it’s hard to control a lot of people, having parties at my house mean people are going to go in places or rooms they shouldn’t have been in. That house is empty, there’s nothing in there.

Nia: oh, I see

Tate: yea, but more importantly your birthday is in a month.

Nia: yeah

Tate: are you excited?

Nia: meh

Tate: you’re not excited?

Nia: it’s just a birthday

Tate: so everyone always excited about their birthdays.

Nia: I passed that phase.

Tate: why’s that?

Nia: I’ve always wanted a birthday party when I was younger, but I never had one. After I turned 16, I decided that I would throw my own party. I started saving money for my 21st birthday, I work anytime I had the chance. I planed my party since it’s New year eve, I wanted an all-white party, on the roof just to see the fireworks, since I love to eat I wanted my favorite foods, like cupcakes-

Tate: pizza

Nia:*laughs* Yes absolutely. I planned every single detail. As I got older I got better jobs make more money, as soon as I was getting ready to put things in action, my mom got into an accident, and well there goes my party.

Tate: you used the money?

Nia: yeah, she needed surgery and I had the money saved, it wasn’t much but it helped.

Tate: did you regret it?

Nia: of course not. It stung a little because that was five years of saving. Five years of no shopping, going out or do anything folks my age basically do. I spent my 21st birthday eating hospital food sleeping on a chair. After I got engaged, I thought that was it, by then I had a great job. I said I would make up for all the birthdays I missed, I started saving.. again. I worked extra, and of course no shopping or enjoying myself, and then I got cheated on. I guess that how I realized there are more important things than a birthday party or fancy wedding, I stopped caring about a lot of things to tell you the truth.

Tate: wow

Nia: but don’t feel sorry for me, I turned out pretty good. I put myself through college, got a degree I’m doing pretty well.

Tate: you pay for tuition yourself?

Nia: loans I’m still working on. I’m going to use the wedding money to buy my parents a house paid in full, I still have a lot more working to do, then tackles my student loans

Tate: then?

Nia: I work to travel

We get to Kia’s house she’s still fast asleep. Well, obviously I had to help her out.

Tate: you have her keys?

Nia: yeah, I kind of have to take her home a lot. Good thing I don’t drink.

Tate: that would be a disaster.

While Nia went to help Kia get set for bed, I look around the sitting room there are so many pictures of the two of them together. Even years before she was just as beautiful.

Nia: okay she’s all set, I’m going to put her alarm on.

Tate: won’t it go off when she wakes up?

Nia: no, her mom is getting off of work at 7 AM, she won’t be up until 2 PM

Tate: wow

Nia: told you, I’m kind of a pro at putting her to bed.

We head back out to drop her off.

Nia: I’m beat.

Tate: tell me about it, I feel like my eyelids are 10 pounds each.

Nia: do you want me to drive?

Tate: no

Nia: you sure?

Tate: Yeah.

Nia: you know you still never tell me what you do for a living, besides it being “business”.

Tate: it is just business.

Nia: that sounds like an excuse you give your girlfriend when she thinks you’re too close to your assistant “come on baby it’s business” *mimicking his voice*

Tate: was that me? Is that how I sound?

Nia: *laughs* yeah

Tate: I sound nothing like that

Nia: yes you do.

Tate: do not, I have a sexy voice.

Nia: please don’t ever say that I think you should let the other person that.

Tate: why?

Nia: I’m just saying you sound kind of like an a-hole

Tate: I’m a sexy asshole.

Nia: you’re special

Tate: you think so?

Nia: yeah, I think you’re a special asshole

Tate: you forget the sexy part

Nia: I was not trying to include it.

We fool around until we get to her house.

Nia: thank you for the ride, I had a good time.

Tate: you’re welcome.

*Nia’s views*

I really don’t know if it’s obvious but I’m really digging this guy, I wished he lived closer, but I guess that’s suck.

As always he opens my door and walks me to my place.

Nia: are you going to be okay driving back?

Tate: yeah

Nia: are you sure?

Tate: yes

Nia: but your eyes are saying something else.

Tate:*chuckles* trust me I’ll be fine.

Nia: do you want to come inside?

He looks dead tired, no way he’ll be able to drive two hours.

Tate: another time.

Nia: look it’s Saturday morning drunk people are on their way home from parties it’s not really safe driving. You said you were sleepy, and that’s even worst, besides I need help with this zipper.

Tate: Nia-

Nia: Look this is not up for a debate, you’re staying. Lock the door after you *walks inside*

Tate: yes ma'am.

Nia:*kicks off her heels* I’m suffocating in this thing. *stands in front him* unzip, please.

Tate: *helps her out* I see you change the colors

Nia: thank you, and yes I did.

We both got ready for bed, and I guess that was the night.

*next morning*

waking up I smell food. walk out, he is in the kitchen cooking.

Nia: I can get used to this.

Tate: Good morning.

Nia: Good morning, I didn’t know you can cook

Tate: there are a lot of things you don’t know

Nia: really? wanna tell me?

Tate: I can show you better than I can tell you

Nia: really?

Tate: really really.

Nia: *smile* I guess, I’m gonna look forward to you showing me all the things I don’t know.

Tate: So what is your plans for Thanksgiving?

Nia: normally I would go to my mom’s but, since I’m ducking them about the whole engagement thing I guess shrimp pizza it is.

Tate: why are you stalling? you should just tell the truth and get it over with.

Nia: Luke already went to them, and tell them who knows what

Tate: then go tell them the truth.

Nia: I’m not really a fan of explaining myself.

Tate: and you think stalling is helping? that’ll only make you look guilty

Nia: get off my ass

Tate: trust me, if I was on your ass, you wouldn’t want me off.

Nia: what about you, Mr. know it all?

Tate: I’m gonna go to my parents and they’re going to nag me just like they do every year, complaining about how I don’t take life serious blah blah blah.

Nia: you don’t?

Tate: I have two other brothers, they’re married and I’m not

Nia: I see.

Tate: oh by the way your fridge is empty

Nia: Well I would’ve gone to the grocery store yesterday but, I went to your party. I’ll go later.

We didn’t do much after that, he went home, I went grocery shopping, and I guess chill and get ready for the following week.

*weeks later*

I’m happy on how busy the past few weeks have been. I love being super busy with work, to me it makes the days go faster, when you have deadlines and the days tries to catch up with you, I find it really exciting.

*Day before Thanksgiving*

*phone call from Kia*

Kia: you really not going to your family’s for Thanksgiving?

Nia: hello to you too, I’m doing great. How about yourself? And to answer your question no, if it was just my family as in my mom and dad it’d be fine, I just don’t feel like dealing with everyone.

Kia: if you had told them-

Nia: Kia let’s just not okay?

Kia: I’m sorry, but you don’t have to stay home alone, you can come over.

*phone beeps*

Nia: hold on I’m getting another call.

Kia: okay *hangs up*

Nia: hello

Tate: hey, what are you doing?

Nia: eating ice cream, and watching T.V., what’s up?

Tate: nothing, I’m heading to my parents’ house, but I’m stopping somewhere else first.

Nia: have fun

Tate: how was your day?

Nia: Well, I haven’t really done anything. I showered, eat, and that’s about it.

Tate: did you at least call your parents?

Nia: I will do that later, right before dinner.

Tate: what? what is going on in your head?

Nia: right now? nothing I- *hears a knock on the door* hold on there’s someone at the door

I hate when people come to my house unannounced-

Nia: what the hell?

Tate: hi

Nia: what are you doing here?

Tate: not really sure, but I think it involves me taking you with me

Nia: uh not gonna happen

Tate: you can’t spend Thanksgiving alone

Nia: yes I can, watch me

Tate: Nia-

Nia: Look I appreciate what you’re trying to do-

Tate: Then come with me

Nia: to your parents’ house?

Tate: yea

Nia: why would I want to do that?

Tate: because it’s better to spend time with other people on Thanksgiving.

Nia: you know I have this thing, where, when I plan something I’m kind of expected it to go as planned. I planned to stay home for Thanksgiving, and I will do just that.

Tate: look I need your help

Nia: with what? *walks in the kitchen, and grabs a bottle of water*

Tate: *sits on a bar stool*

Nia: you look serious, what’s up?

Tate: Look I have two older brothers, and they all kind of have their lives altogether, and my parents have been giving me hell for the past 10 years. I’m the punch line to every joke on Thanksgiving.

Nia: so, where do I come in on this? I mean why am I being dragged?

Tate: Look I know, we said that we would take things slow, but-

Nia: you want me to save you this weekend, well Thanksgiving is on a Thursday, so it’s not really a weekend and also, Black Friday is the next day I have a few things I have to buy

Tate: are you even taking me seriously?

Nia: yes, it’s just I want to go black Friday shopping.

Tate: look I’ll take you shopping and do whatever you want for a whole day, and all you have to do is help me survive Thanksgiving.

To be honest with you I just really don’t want to get out of the house.

*Tate’s phone rings*

Tate: hello, no I’m not there yet. Are you joking right? okay, I’m on my way.

Nia: you okay?

Tate: yes, I have to pick up my brothers from the airport.

Nia: oh okay

Tate: okay, well I’m going to text you the address regardless, in case you change your mind.

Nia: look, it might not be as bad as you make it seems.

Tate: I’ll see you later.

Well, I certainly did not plan on feeling like an asshole today. what should I do?

Nia: *calling Kia*

Kia: that was a long hold

Nia: that was Tate

Kia: you put me on hold for your boyfriend

Nia: he’s not my boyfriend`

Kia: might as well. you both obviously like each other, enjoy each other’s company, Nia, the guy really like you. he lives 2 hours from you, even when he’s busy and tired he still manages to see you.

Nia: He actually just called asking me to spend Thanksgiving with him.

Kia: that’s really nice

Nia: yeah, he even come here to pick me up

Kia: well what are you waiting for?

Nia: well I told him no

Kia: you know what, I’m coming over right now *hangs up the phone*

*20 minutes later*

*door bust open*

Nia: I know you have a key, but can you pretend to knock

Kia: what do you mean you tell him no?

Nia: I didn’t feel like going

Kia: why not? what exactly did he say?

Nia: well he said that his parents been on his case for the past ten years about him not being serious about life and all, so he wanted me to go with him.

Kia: ten years? how old is he?

Nia: is it weird that don’t know?

Kia: it is very weird, but he looks around 35 or 36, but that’s not what’s important. What’s important is you start getting ready to go. *walks to her room* did you shower?

Nia: yes, why?

Kia: let’s go find you something to wear

Nia: Kia-

Kia: just don’t. I know you always do the opposite of what I say, but for once listen to me.

Nia: okay

Kia: Okay, let’s pack you some stuff because you’re going

Nia: oy vey

#larenz tate #tate #love story #black writers #writers #nia #kia #random #popular #artists on tumblr #f #fanfic #reading on vacation #black love #reading #nia and tate #blogger

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evenifyoudontfic · 7 years ago

Text

Even If You Don’t: Chapter 27

Previous chapter

Michael’s POV

“Can we just have one day where you’re not moping around and feeling sorry for yourself?” Ashton huffed in the middle of another one of Calum’s tangents about how he didn’t want to go out for the fifth weekend in a row.

“I’m allowed to mope, Ashton,” Calum reminded him.

Luke snorted softly, “Mari has more of a reason to mope than you do but she’s not.”

“How do you know that?” he replied.

“They’ve been in the studio pretty much since they got home,” he answered harshly, “But I wouldn’t expect you to know that since you spend all your time in bed bitching about how sad you are.” Not wanting to hear another one of Calum’s excuses, Luke stood up abruptly and left the room. Unfortunately for him, however, he wasn’t able to get away that easily.

“You would be sad if you broke up with your girlfriend too, Luke!” Calum called after him.

“At least Luke doesn’t break up with people without a damn reason,” Ashton spat, leaving as well. Calum grumbled under his breath, looking at me.

“You gonna get pissy with me too?” he asked.

I was silent for a moment, trying to think of what I wanted to say. Well… Actually, I knew what I wanted to say – I just knew it wouldn’t be helpful to any of us to say it. It hurt to know how much Mari was still hurting over the breakup – we still texted every day, of course – and as much as I wanted to cuss Calum out for everything he was putting her through, it wasn’t going to help the situation at all.

“Cal,” I sighed, “The distance thing… It was temporary. That girl could be your forever. And you’re willing to just throw it all away because she lives in another country? This might be the stupidest thing you’ve ever done. For someone claiming to be in love with the girl, you’re pretty shit at showing it.” I walked away before he had the chance to respond, letting him make the decision on his own.

Calum’s POV

Three days later; London

I knew the boys weren’t going to be pleased to find out I’d left without any warning – though, I did leave a note telling them I’d be back soon – but I knew I had to go find Mari. I knew everyone meant well in their lectures with me about what I did – and I knew they were right as well – I guess I just didn’t want to admit it. But I knew that I had to make it right with Mari – I had to do it because I loved her.

My sister picked me up from the airport and took me straight to the recording studio – Kaylynn had tweeted about being there today. She didn’t say anything to me the whole ride, which I wasn’t too surprised about – both her and my parents hadn’t really wanted to speak to me since they found out what happened through the boys.

Mali parked out front and we both went in – she finally told me she needed to talk to someone whose name I didn’t catch. She went her own way after waving to a girl at the front desk while I went up to the girl sitting beside her.

“Where can I find Lost and Found?” I asked her, earning myself a dirty look – and I instantly knew she was a friend of Mari’s. When I realized she wasn’t going to tell me anything, my jaw tightened. “Listen,” I grumbled, “I don’t know you and you don’t know me and my business is not with you, so I need you to do your job and tell me where the band is so I can apologize to the people I need to apologize to.” She looked at me again for a moment before muttered a ‘B’ to me. I snapped back with a harsh ‘thank you’ before heading in the direction of studio B.

As I was walking toward the door, I could hear Mari’s voice singing. My heart was beating so hard, I honestly thought I was going to throw up as I then heard her stop and Kenzie speak.

“Can you play the second verse and pre-chorus again, Will?” she asked the producer, “I think I know what Mari’s going for, but I just need to hear it again.”

“Sure thing, Kenz,” Will replied, hitting play on what was obviously a recording. I sighed softly, realizing Mari wasn’t actually there – at least not that I knew of – but stopped at the door, wanting to hear what was only something I could assume Mari had written.

You were a vision in the morning when the light came through I know I’ve only felt religion when I’ve lied with you You said you’ll never be forgiven ‘til your boys are too And I’m still waking every morning but it’s not with you

You’re dripping like a saturated sunrise You’re spilling like an overflowing sink You’re ripped at every edge, but you’re a masterpiece And now you’re tearing through the pages and the ink

I leaned up against the wall, not even paying attention to Will and Kenzie’s exchanges anymore. I could hear the strain in Mari’s voice and I knew it was because of me – I knew that verse was about me. And I was sure she wouldn’t want to see me, but I knew I had to see her.

The moment I stepped into the doorway, Kenzie immediately stopped singing and laughed bitterly.

“Absolutely not,” she stated, causing Kaylynn, Vanessa, and Will to look over – while Mari was nowhere to be found. Vanessa simply rolled her eyes, resting back on the couch she was sitting on, but it seemed like Kaylynn was the most upset to see me there. She got up from her spot beside Vanessa, marched over, and backed me out of the room so I was standing in the middle of the hallway.

Kaylynn’s POV

“What the hell do you think you’re doing here?” I spat, crossing my arms and leaning against the door frame.

“Heard you guys were in the studio today,” Calum swallowed nervously.

“Oh, you still follow me on Twitter?” I laughed bitterly, “Surprised you didn’t block all of us after we left Sydney.”

“I need to talk to Mari.”

“Well, Mari’s not here – wasn’t feeling up to it,” I replied monotonously, “She hasn’t felt like doing much of anything since we got home now that I think about it. She did write a kick-ass song though, so I guess that’s something decent that came out of this.”

“Kaylynn-“

“You broke my best friend’s heart, Hood,” I growled, “You think we’re just going to let you come back and do it all over again? You ruined her. You became so much more than just her celebrity crush and the fact that you could just tear her down like that? You were very convincing though; You had all of us fooled with the way you looked at her – like she put the stars in the sky, I seem to recall hearing you tell the boys during soundcheck one day.”

“I swear, Kaylynn…” he choked, “I swear to God, none of that was fake. I never should have broken up with her because of something so stupid. I need to see her, Kay, please. Even if she doesn’t forgive me, I just need her to know I love her.”

I froze at the confession; I should have known that’s why he was here. If the last six months really didn’t mean anything to him, why would he have flown to London and be begging to see Mari now? Of course he was in love with her; He wouldn’t be doing all this if he wasn’t.

I let out a breath, walking over to the table in the room. I grabbed a pen and a piece of paper, going back to where Calum was still stood at the door. I scribbled a couple things down and shoved it into Calum’s chest.

“If you don’t fix this and she calls me later to yell at me for telling you where she is, I’m going to fly back to Sydney and kill you myself,” I warned him.

“Thank you,” Calum let out a deep breath, taking the paper and running back down the hallway.

Calum’s POV

I quickly found Mali as she was walking toward another room, grabbing her forearm and dragging her along with me.

“Calum!” she exclaimed, huffing when I didn’t respond. She simply sighed and got into the driver’s seat of her car as I sat shotgun. “Where are we going?” Mali asked as she started the car, understandably annoyed I forced her back outside. It wasn’t until then that I looked down at the paper Kaylynn had given me and read it.

Indianapolis

“The airport,” I murmured, realizing Mari had gone back home.

“Cal,” my sister groaned, but pulled onto the street anyway, “We were just there!”

“Mali, please,” I pouted, making her roll her eyes.

“If she forgives you and you screw up this big again, call an Uber the next time you come back to London to beg for her forgiveness,” she stated. I smiled slightly, knowing she was still taking me back to the airport.

An hour later, Mali dropped me off at the airport. I thanked her profusely, to which she only replied with ‘Just make sure you fix it, Calum; I actually like her’ – which was certainly something considering my sister never really liked any of the girls I’ve dated before.

I ran inside the building, making a beeline to the first information desk I saw. The woman sitting there clearly looked confused as I was practically shoving people to get to her.

“Hello, sir…” she said slowly when I reached her, “Welcome to London City Airport. What can I do for you?”

“I need to get on a flight Indianapolis like, right now,” I breathed heavily from running, leaning onto the desk.

“I’m sorry, sir, but the last flight left ten minutes ago,” she said apologetically, “I can get you a ticket for the next one, but that won’t be for another week.

“Are you sure there are no other options?” I begged, desperate to see Mari at this point.

“You could try connecting flights,” she shook her head, looking at her computer as she typed, “But it looks like it’ll still take you about a week to get to where you actually need.”

“Okay,” I sighed, putting my face in my palms so my voice was slightly muffled, “I’ll just take the earliest Indianapolis one you have.”

I paid the woman for my ticket and she told me when to be back at the airport next week. I stalked back outside, calling myself an Uber – I didn’t really want to force Mali to turn around and come back as she was already annoyed with me for making her drive two hours to and from the airport that day, and I returned to my sister’s place about an hour later – much to her surprise.

“Cal, what are you doing here?” she asked, cocking an eyebrow at me.

“Next flight to Indianapolis isn’t for another week,” I mumbled. Mali sighed, moving out of the way and allowing me to walk into her apartment.

“You’re an idiot, Calum,” she told me.

“I know,” I swallowed, “I’ve been hearing it a lot over the past few weeks.”

“Yeah, well, you haven’t been hearing it from me,” she stated, crossing her arms, “Did you really think this was going to go over smoothly? Did you think everyone was going to sympathize with your reasoning for breaking up with Mari? Did you think Mari wouldn’t have given long-distance a shot either?”

“Mali…”

“No, Calum! I’m not gonna baby you about this the way everyone else has!” she exclaimed, “Every time I saw you and Mari together, you were both so happy – I’ve never seen you that happy with someone you were dating before! What made you think that was going to change just because she lived 11,000 miles away?!”

“I don’t know, Mali,” I sighed, “I don’t do well with long-distance – you know that.”

“Mari deserved that explanation, Cal! She deserved more than you telling her that the distance was too much! She deserved the chance to try to make it work rather than you just not giving her the option!”

“I know, okay?!” I threw my arms up, “I know I fucked up! I know I’m an asshole! I know! But as much as you and me and everyone else wishes I could, I can’t go back and change it! I can’t go back in time and stop myself from breaking her heart, and I don’t even know if flying all the way to Indianapolis is going to make it all better, but I’m trying, okay?! Because as hard as it is for you and Mum and everyone else to believe, nobody hates me right now more than I do!” I ended my rant by throwing myself onto the couch, putting my hands on my face and breathing in and out slowly to calm myself down. I heard Mali sigh to herself before feeling the seat dip as she sat next to me.

“You’re an idiot,” she repeated in a whisper.

I only laughed dryly, “Tell me something I don’t know.” I wasn’t expecting to get an answer, but Mali started talking again.

“Nothing’s gonna make everyone forget what happened, Cal,” she told me, “But I know Mari… And I know that she’s the most forgiving person there is… So if she forgives you, then that’s the only person’s opinion on the situation that you need to care about.” I removed my hands from my face to look at her, finding her already looking at me.

“Thanks, Mali,” I said, my voice hardly even coming out. She barely smiled, wrapping her arm around my neck and pulling me into her for a hug.

Song used: “Colors” by Halsey

Next chapter

#calum hood #5sos #evenifyoudontfic #calum hood fanfic #calum hood fic #calum fanfic #calum hood fan fiction #calum fic #5sos fanfic #5sos fan fiction #5sos fic #sounds live feels live #slfl

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small-stars-blog1 · 7 years ago

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Prompt 95, Lams?

Prompt 95—You’re so cute when you’re all worried.

John/Alexander, 1400 words (approc.). John gets drunk, Alex is a worried boyf.

I have literally no excuse as to why this took me so long, I’m just lazy. But! I have lots of time to spare so will be writing a lot more frequently! So feel free to send me more

Alex was home late.Again. For the fourth time that week, his work ethic had forced him to staybehind at his job (even if Washington, his boss, insisted that Alex go home). Alex’s brain, as it often did,had wracked him with ideas and thoughts and he just couldn’t stop writing.

So here he was, at theungodly hour of 1am, creeping around the apartment because John was probablyasleep, if the eerie silence was anything to go by. Alex couldn’t say be blamedhis boyfriend. For the past week John would be up and waiting for him to comehome, but tonight (or, rather, this morning) Alex had really set the boundariesanew. He did manage to pick up a boxof John’s favourites chocolates at the 24-hour garage, as a thank you/apology.

Alex himself wasexhausted, his body practically screaming for a rest, so he decided to leaveshowering for the morning, hygiene be damned. He’d much rather wake up feelinga little disgusted than collapsing in the shower (and, besides, even if he didfall asleep in the shower John would inevitably wake up looking for him, andAlex really didn’t want to make him worry after the week they’ve both endured).

After placing thechocolates on the kitchen-table, Alexander made a bee-line for the bedroom. Hejust barely kicked his shoes off when he opened the door, not bothering tocontain an escaped yawn as he slumped onto his side of the bed.

Huh.

Alex fumbled around onthe bed, reaching to the right side for that familiar warmth he couldn’t seemto find, only—

“John?” Alex called out,sitting upright immediately and peering around the bedroom. He was met with asmuch darkness as before, just catching glimpses of furniture outlines. But noJohn.

Alex was usually a calm,collected person when it came to his boyfriend’s antics. He wasn’t the jealoustype, at least not as much as John could be, and had no quarrels with himstaying out late. Of course he didn’t! John was an adult.

But it’s 1am.

And as the screen of hisphone illuminated his face, Alex saw no text messages. No missed calls.

And it was 1am.

There was immediately avery prominent thud, thump of hisheart in his chest as he speed-dialled John.

And then there was theprolonged beep, beep, beep, whichAlex swore was mocking him as the seconds continued to tick by.

“Come on, John,” Alexfound himself mumbling. By this point he was pacing furiously around theapartment, checking in every room and cupboard. He even checked in the fridge,although he wasn’t quite sure why. “Answer the phone, damni—“

“Heeeey babe!” Came theslurred response, mingled with too-loud music that blared through the speakers.

“Hi?” Alex winced,pulling the phone away from his ear. “Where are you?.”

“What, you missing me inyour—“ hiccup “—bed already,Alexandeeeer?”

Alex assumed that Johnwas trying to sound sexy, and if notfor his overwhelming concern he probably would have found the whole ordealhilarious. So instead, Alex deadpanned, “How much have you had to drink?”

“I’m not sure?Probably—“ There was a loaded pause. “Oh my—yes!I love this song!”

Alex suppressed a sigh, Too much,apparently.

“Do I need to come and get you?” Alex asked, his tone becoming a littlewarmer.

“Yeah, yeah. Come over here!” John said with a chuckle, a sound whichnever failed to make Alex’s chest feel warm and fuzzy.

Try as he might, Alex couldn’t suppress a smile.

“Alright, where are you?”

It took an extra 5 minutes for Alex to decipher an appropriate responsefrom his overly-drunk and humoured boyfriend, and normally Alex wouldn’t mind,but he could hear some heated discussion happening in the background, and that usuallyended in disaster.

“Alright, I’ll be there in 10 minutes.”

John’s spoke in a whisper, “Pssssssst, Alex,”

“Yes?”

“There’s some asshole back here,”

Alex’s heart did that horrible thing where felt like it had dropped tohis gut. “Don’t do anything, John. Just—wait outside for me?”

“Sureeeeeee.”

Alex decided it would probably be best just to hang up, grab his keysand launch himself into the drivers seat. Speeding down small city-streetsprobably wasn’t his wisest decision, but the roads were pretty empty. And no-onewas watching. And he was anxious. Oh, was he anxious. His mind was racing. Oh god, what if something happens? Is anyoneeven there with him? But, he’s an adult he can go out with himself—but—

He shook his head of thoughts as he curved into a park space, notbothering to lock the car as he got out (okay, so perhaps he forgot, but that’sbeside the point).

Alex didn’t have to look far, really. In the darkened street, the onehouse with multicoloured lights seeping from all windows and music blaring fromthe inside stood out like a sore-thumb. Having said that, Alex didn’t recognisethis house, a fact which was both intriguing and worrying.

He readied his fists because he doubted anyone would here a subtle knock, knock on the door. If needs be,he would (attempt to) kick the door down, which he realised may not be a veryrealistic goal but he also realised he was a very worried boyfriend, and doorsare no match for very worried boyfriends.

He lifted his fist up to the door when it opened.

“Alex!”

“John!” He couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his lips. His fistquickly delved into a supporting hand on the shoulder, because John wasswaying. “John, I almost punched you.”

The taller of the two frowned. “That’s meaaaaan. You need to drink!Yeah.”

“No. I don’t.” Alex bit hislip and tentatively asked, “Are you alright? What happened to that, uh‘asshole’?”

“Um—”

As if on cue, there was some brash shouting in the distance. Alexattempted to tune out the offensive language; if he got mad then John certainlywould and Alex just wanted him home.

John tried to smile, “I might have punched him.”

“Welp, we’re going. Come on,” his grip on the others’ shouldertightened, and he began to drag him out of the house and down the street. Johnwas obviously having difficulties walking in a straight line, so naturally Alexsupported him with a hand to the waist.

“Don’t you want to, um” hiccup, “goback?” He asked, leaning over to Alex and nuzzling into his neck. Johns awkwardposition was making it difficult for Alexto walk in a straight line, now.

“No, John. I don’t.” They neared the car and Alex helped his boyfriendinto the passenger seat, ignoring Johns insistences that he didn’t need helpbecause clearly, he did; John was using the wrong seatbelt, for a start. “John,darling, that’s my seatbelt. Here,let me do yours.”

When Alex finally, finally gotinto the drivers seat and began to drive away, John leaned over to him andpositively purred.

“Aleeex, why wont you love me?”

“I am trying to drive…?”

“You’re angry.”

Alex frowned. He turned a corner, driving at a considerably slower speedthis time. “Not angry. A little annoyed, perhaps.”

“Whyyyyy?” John asked, prodding Alex’s cheek. Neither of them knew whyhe did that for, really.

Alex didn’t answer until they had pulled into park by the flat-complex.The other had spent much of the journey mumbling to himself about something;Alex couldn’t really make any of it out.

“John.” Alex turned to him, “I love you. You know I do. Just,” he huffed.“But, right now it’s one-fourty a.m, and I understand you’re anadult, but one call or text doesn’t go amiss. I was worried.”

John proceeded to poke his boyfriend again. Alex was poised betweengiving in and laughing, because god was John Laurens cute, or being veryannoyed and irritated. He decided to go for the latter, because he wouldn’t forgive himself if this happened again.

“I was worried. I was speeding to get you because I thought youwere gonna get in a fight. Again.”

John beamed, “You’re so cute when you’re all worried.”

Alex pouted. He realised that this was probably a conversation to havewith sober-John, since drunk-John didn’t seem to be computing all that wellright now.

He helped his boyfriend to their bedroom, deciding to leave the apology/thank-youchocolates for tomorrow, too. He wasn’t all that surprised when John collapsedonto their bed, be it from vertigo or sheer exhaustion. Honestly, it could havebeen both.

He mumbled into the pillows, “I love yoou so much, babe. So, so much.”

Alex smiled. “I love you too.” He nudged him, “Hey, don’t you want to get in your PJs?”

But there was no response other than the gentle, slowed breathing thatcame with sleep. Alex crept from the room, grabbed a glass of water and two-paracetamoltablets and put them on the bedside table beside John.

After changing into his own pyjamas, he laid down in bed and was relieved to feel thatfamiliar-warmth at his side again, where it belonged. Still, he made a mental note to have careful words with John when they awoke.

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alucywarner · 7 years ago

Text

~♥ FUTURE PLEASE ♥~

[April 2076: For a quick recap, Julian probably did try to tell Jordan that he should back off of Carmen. For reasons I know, but you don’t know, this honestly just causes Jordan to go off on Julian. ‘It’s not your baby, Julian’, he tells him. ‘I know it’s not my baby, but you’re stressed her out’, says Julian. Jordan most like drops those three words to Julian, which shakes him onCE MORE, because really, he should’ve expected that, but he didn’t like hearing it either.

And honestly, I believe Julian ~trying only made the situation worse than it was. Because now idiot Harper felt like he had to try even moRE to get himself into the mix. Because, heck, it’s his child, and he had his damn riGHTS.

Carmen, of course, was still grateful that Julian had even tried. He had no reason to actually get mixed in it, but he did it anyway-- for her. (Or maybe it was for him as well, but, even if that was the case, it was still for her, you get me.)

All of these acts from Julian Harper gave Carmen a bit more insight to just how he was feeling. About her, that was. Because, before, though acting like he was put-out by her keeping her distance so much, he was respecting it. He was acting like a boss when he wasn’t prying into personal questions. He was friendly, but he wasn’t too friendly. But with all the concern with her attachment, or lack thereof, to his brother, and concern for her mental state and well-being, well... it was clear to her by this point that something she had been doing was working. And maybe he felt something a bit deeper than what he would let on.

So, what did she do then? She decided to let him in more. Personal questions were something that she’d allow in moderation now. They’d have conversations with one another. She treated him less like a boss and more like someone close to her once more. And, most certainly, she’d throw in a flirt every now and again. How could she not? She’s Carmen. And, yes, Julian, as ever, accepted it and threw the flirts back. How could he not? He’s sweet on her.

But still, there was a hesitancy from him. And why wouldn’t there be, actually? The only time he’d shown no hesitancy was when he was drunk. So, should she expect him to say ‘fuck it all’ and throw her against his desk immediately? No. Want that? Probably. Most likely. Yes. But expect it? No, she shouldn’t. But, at this point, it was obvious that her plans to make him go nuts with jealousy over this whole situation were working.

He wanted her. And maybe he even had feelings for her in the same way she did him. And unlike five years ago, he knew it sober. That’s what the personal questions about her feelings toward Jordan were about. That’s why every time she talked about her pregnancy with a co-worker his lip would upturn and he’d find a reason to walk away. That’s why he hated that she was keeping her distance. And, more so, that’s why when Sophie came to the office, with each passing visit she seemed to grow colder and colder towards Carmen. Because maybe she noticed that her husband was looking at another woman in a way he shouldn’t.

Carmen wished she could feel sorry. Because it wasn’t like Sophie was a bad person. She wasn’t evil, or rude, or spiteful. She was very nice, actually. She’d always treated Carmen with kindness. But, no, Carmen couldn’t feel sorry. Her heart wouldn’t let her be sorry for trying to find her own happiness. Because five years ago she’d decided that she’d never truly be happy unless she was being happy with Julian Harper.

So, now, we come to the present. It’s late. Carmen usually would’ve left a few hours ago, and Julian would have done the same. However, they’re both here, working on a stupidly difficult case, and Carmen’s left to be the one to type everything out. Yay, secretary-ing.

They’ve been sitting here for what seemed like ages, and the sun went down long ago, even though at this time of the year the sun didn’t set until like seven or eight. And they’re both pretty stressed. Carmen, because she pregnant and moody, and she just wants to lay on her dang couch (she’s already kicked off her shoes), and Julian, because this is a huge thing for him. If he wins this case, he is on the dang map as a lawyer.

So, they’ve been pouring it over together, looking for breakthroughs, loopholes, somETHING ANYTHING. Have I stressed that it’s been like this for hOURS? Until, something turns on in Carmen’s head. There’s a light bulb, as she’s poring over some law book, that illuminates. ShE’S GOT THE ANSWER. So, her head pops up from the book, and she looks to Julian, and she rATTLES OFF SOME LEGAL JARGON THAT I DON’T KNOW, BUT JULIAN DOES, AND IT’S GENIUS. IT’LL WIN THE CASE FOR SURE, DANGGIT. SO, SHE’S JOTTING IT DOWN ON THAT COMPUTER, YO.

Julian is freaking the heck out, and he’s making phone calls, like he’s got two phones in his hands at once, and Carmen’s staring up at him like he’s a gosh darn hero, and he’s the most amazing thing she’s ever seen. And he is. He’s too darn perfect.

So, he’s clearly about to hang up his phones, and he’s saying ‘yes, yes thank you. thank you so much.’ And once those phones are gone, he lets out a laugh of disbelief and victory, and he’s giving her the same look that she was giving him. Like she was a darn hero, and the most amazing thing he’d ever seen. And SHE IS. SHE’S TOO DARN PERFECT.]

Miss Rivera... [Because they hadn’t gotten out of that, and at this point, he’s just too used to being corrected.] I think you just won me this damn case.

I wouldn’t have even known the answer if I didn’t have such a great boss to mentor me through my last semester of Pre-Law.

No, you didn’t need me. You’re amazing on your own. They should just give you a Master’s now.

Right? Helping an established lawyer win a case this big? I’m amazing~.

God, you are. [And he’s actually gonna pull her out of her chair, and do something a lot like this.]

[Which, in turn, draws a girly giggle from Carmen, because what even? Is this really a spin hug? AMAZING. You can bet your sweet bippy they’ve never hugged before.] C’mon, put me down. I’m in delicate condition.

[So, he does put her down (with his arms still around her.).] Honestly, you have no idea much you’ve helped me. Not even just on this case, but on every case I’ll ever get in the future.

You owe me a lot then, huh~?

My life. I owe you my life.

S’big debt to owe.

I’ll give it.

[So, we see here that Julian’s arms are still around Carmen. So, being the lil coy bitch that she is, she steps out of his arms.] Well, you’re welcome then.

[A silence falls over the room, and Julian’s eyes have yet to leave Carmen. If you looked in his head, you’d see two sides at war. You’d see a man with a family, who, as Jordan put it in that talk ‘he should focus on, instead of (Jordan’s) “family”’. Then you’d see a man, desperately fallen for the woman standing in the room with him now. Both sides were fighting, but which was stronger in the end?]

... It’s late. We should probably get going, right? I think even the janitors have left now.

[One man is losing this fight. One side is overpowering as he stares at the woman he’s come to love so ridiculously much. And, here, in this moment, there only seems to be one proper course of action. And it should be to do what Carmen was saying to him right now and leave, but that wasn’t it. That wasn’t what felt right. Here. Here, is going to do what feels right, and what has felt like the right thing to do for months now. So it’s said rushed, hurried, like he’s trying to get it out before his brain changes it’s mind.] I love you.

[And Carmen stops breathing for five or so seconds. She honestly forgot how to. He’s looking at her with a load of bedazzlement in his eyes, and she’d never seen anyone look at her that way (maybe save this one’s brother, but that’s not on her mind right now at all.). There’s a blink, and a step forward.] Do you mean that?

[There’s a scoff/laugh. Because why does she even need to ask?] ‘Course I mean it. I love you, Carmen. And I can’t pretend that I don’t anymore. You make me feel things I didn’t even remember that I could.

[Carmen blink-blinks again, and she shifts on her feet. She has to take in a deep breath, because this is everyTHING SHE’S WANTED SINCE SHE WAS SEVENTEEN YEARS OLD, OKAY? And maybe Julian was at war with himself there, but there is no war going on in the mind of Carmen Rivera. All she feels is joy, because her dreams are finally reality. So, there’s one more step forward, because she has to know.] That night... at the beach, when you said kissing me was a mistake... Did you mean that?

The only mistake I made was hurting you.

[And so that sealed the deal. And this sealed her fate-- thEIR fate, even. Because it’s there that she’s gonna close the distance and do the very thing that she’s wanted to do again since the first time.]

[She did it, and there was nothing to describe the bliss that both of them felt in doing what they’d wanted for so long. Because if you think Julian ever stopped wanting to kiss her after that first time, well, boy, you’ve got it wrong.

So, all thoughts of everyone else are thrown out the window. After five years of pining, I say they deserve this bit of selfishness. But they’re alone, and Julian’s got a nice comfy couch in his office, so the opportunity needed to be taken. They’d wasted too much time already, amirite?

He’s walking her towards the couch, and there’s already clothes being pulled off, but she pulls back, and she looks him in the eyes, and with all of the love in the world...]

That question I told you to ask me some other time-- about Jordan. Ask me now.

[He’s confused but, he’ll oblige anyway.] Have your feelings for Jordan changed?

[She shakes her head.] No. No, never. In case it wasn’t obvious enough, I love you too, Julian.

[He does smile a bit through his breathlessness, buT.] Call me Mr. Harper.

[AND BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY SHE’S OKAY WITH THAT. OKAY. PT 4 OUT. I’M SCREAMING.]

#privacyplease #future #pt 4

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afoolsingenuity · 8 years ago

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Looking Forward // February 2017

Looking Forward is a regular feature on the blog where I let you know which books I’m looking forward to in the month. They are all books I’m looking forward to being released and want to know if you’re excited about them too?

This month is great because I know I can put in a request for a few of these books for my birthday at the end of the month… although I’ve already pre-ordered two of them… I may not understand the concept of budgeting.

Long Way Home (Thunder Road #3) – Katie McGarry

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Release Date: 1st February 2017

Unconventional – Maggie Harcourt

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Release Date: 1st February 2017

Seventeen-year-old Violet has always been expected to sit back and let the boys do all the saving.

It's the code her father, a member of the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, raised her to live by. Yet when her dad is killed carrying out Terror business, Violet knows it's up to her to do the saving. To protect herself, and her vulnerable younger brother, she needs to cut all ties with the club—including Chevy, the boy she's known and loved her whole life.

But when a rival club comes after Violet, exposing old secrets and making new threats, she's forced to question what she thought she knew about her father, the Reign of Terror and what she thinks she wants. Which means re-evaluating everything: love, family, friends…and forgiveness.

Caught in the cross hairs between loyalty and freedom, Violet must decide whether old friends can be trusted—and if she's strong enough to be the one person to save them all.

Lexi Angelo has grown up helping her dad with his events business. She likes to stay behind the scenes, planning and organizing...until author Aidan Green - messy haired and annoyingly arrogant - arrives unannounced at the first event of the year. Then Lexi's life is thrown into disarray.

In a flurry of late-night conversations, mixed messages and butterflies, Lexi discovers that some things can't be planned. Things like falling in love...

Why Am I Excited?

I know Katie McGarry often writes overly dramatic and slightly angsty YA which is always a little crazy but her writing is so insanely addictive. I am always there for her latest release because there is something about her books which hook you. I know the first time I read Pushing The Limits I was rolling my eyes and thinking I’d never go back to one of her books and then I ended up wanting to reread a year later and loved it. She’s an author who just gets you somehow and I love it.

Also, it’s a little bit like Sons of Anarchy for a younger crowd and I love Sons of Anarchy.

Why Am I Excited?

Honestly, I don’t even know. I guess it’s mostly for the fangirl in me who is excited about this book. I think I need a new book to feed that fangirl side of me and what better way than a book about a convention? It is just the perfect sounding fun YA and I want to read it. Is that so wrong?

A Darkness Absolute (Casey Duncan #2) – Kelley Armstrong

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Release Date: 7th February 2017

Wintersong – S. Jae Jones

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retelling

Release Date: 7th February 2017

The follow-up to #1 NYT bestseller Kelley Armstrong’s acclaimed City of the Lost, Rockton town detective Casey Duncan makes a terrible—and dangerous—discovery in the woods outside of town.

When experienced homicide detective Casey Duncan first moved to the secret town of Rockton, she expected a safe haven for people like her, people running from their past misdeeds and past lives. She knew living in Rockton meant living off-the-grid completely: no cell phones, no Internet, no mail, very little electricity, and no way of getting in or out without the town council’s approval. What she didn’t expect is that Rockton comes with its own set of secrets and dangers.

Now, in A Darkness Absolute, Casey and her fellow Rockton sheriff’s deputy Will chase a cabin-fevered resident into the woods, where they are stranded in a blizzard. Taking shelter in a cave, they discover a former resident who’s been held captive for over a year. When the bodies of two other women turn up, Casey and her colleagues must find out if it’s an outsider behind the killings or if the answer is more complicated than that...before another victim goes missing.

Casey Duncan returns in another heart-racing thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong.

All her life, Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, dangerous Goblin King. They’ve enraptured her and inspired her musical compositions. Now eighteen, Liesl feels that her childhood dreams are slipping away. And when her sister is taken by the Goblin King, Liesl has no choice but to journey to the Underground to save her. But with time and the old laws working against her, Liesl must discover who she truly is before her fate is sealed.

Why Am I Excited?

I may be new to the Kelley Armstrong fanclub but that doesn’t mean I’m not committed to reading all of her books. I mean, I’ve been looking forward to this book ever since I finished City of the Lost. I have just been making grabby hands at computer screens and wishing for it to arrive sooner so I am so excited for this release! I had actually contemplated requesting this for my birthday at the end of the month but that is so far away I don’t think I’ll make it! I may sneak this into my basket (don’t tell anyone).

Why Am I Excited?

Well, first of all, is this an honest to God standalone fantasy I’m seeing? Second of all, it sounds awesome. I’ve heard this being compared to Labyrinth but considering I’ve never seen that film I don’t actually care. I just want to read the damn book. I even have it preordered for Kindle (dedication on my part).

Pretty Face (London Celebrities #2) – Lucy Parker

Genre: Romance, Contemporary

Release Date: 20th February 2017

A Conjuring of Light (Shades of Magic #3) – V.E. Schwab

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Release Date: 21st February 2017

Highly acclaimed, award-winning author of Act Like It Lucy Parker returns readers to the London stage with laugh-out-loud wit and plenty of drama

The play's the fling

It's not actress Lily Lamprey's fault that she's all curves and has the kind of voice that can fog up a camera lens. She wants to prove where her real talents lie—and that's not on a casting couch, thank you. When she hears esteemed director Luc Savage is renovating a legendary West End theater for a lofty new production, she knows it could be her chance—if only Luc wasn't so dictatorial, so bad-tempered and so incredibly sexy.

Luc Savage has respect, integrity and experience. He also has it bad for Lily. He'd be willing to dismiss it as a midlife crisis, but this exasperating, irresistible woman is actually a very talented actress. Unfortunately, their romance is not only raising questions about Lily's suddenly rising career, it's threatening Luc's professional reputation. The course of true love never did run smooth. But if they're not careful, it could bring down the curtain on both their careers…

The precarious equilibrium among the four Londons has reached its breaking point. Once brimming with the red vivacity of magic, darkness casts a shadow over the Maresh Empire, leaving a space for another London to rise. Kell begins to waver under the pressure of competing loyalties. Meanwhile, an ancient enemy returns to claim a crown and a fallen hero is desperate to save a decaying world…

Why Am I Excited?

Erm, did you see my review for Act Like It? I need to know if that was a fluke or not. I mean, I highly doubt it was, I doubt it so much I have it pre-ordered and have a review copy, but you never know.

I do have to say if her first book is anything to go by Lucy Parker is destined to be a firm favourite of mine and I cannot wait to dive into this book, just two other review copies to conquer first! I wasn’t actually going to include it here because I have a review copy but I am insanely excited for this book so I want to keep shoving it in your faces.

Why Am I Excited?

I may not have read the second book yet but that makes me no less excited for the release of this one. I am ready for a good old binge read of all three. To binge read a series is one of my favourite things to do and this one would definitely be worth it.

Since I have read the first book I can say that based on that alone I would be buying this. I mean, I just loved it so much and Schwab proves time and again that she is an author worth keeping an eye on as she seems to always deliver an interesting read.

Special Mentions

These three books are also books I’m excited for this month but I have review copies on them which I’ve not read yet and so can't say if I want to shove them in your face or not. They are books I’m interested in and I am aware are being released. Let me know your thoughts on these if you have read them. I’m currently reading Our Own Private Universe and like it so far but we’ll see about the rest.

And there are my picks for February. Have you read any of these or are you looking forward to them as well? And are there any books I’ve missed and absolutely need to include on my list?

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#a fool's ingenuity #books

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