#The photos I took blew up so I’ll take more tonight :3

[swagliostro]

Sketch page of Chip! (That I colored digitally with a mouse since I still need a new stylus </3)

[ecclais-fouoras]

SOFTER ON THE INSIDE

Ch2 and 3

Read Ch1

Waring: mention of self harm

The morning after you went to get breakfast and miss venable at everyone except you. You couldn't tell if she was mad or what she felt, she was colder than usual and you were worried you'd hurt her. After breakfast you went back to the library like you always did.

You didn't realize you were singing out loud as you were painting again.

Le corps nu sur le sol

J'me fais du mal depuis des années

La main sur les yeux

Pas envie de la retirer, hey

Y a pas de place pour les faibles

Y a pas de place pour les regrets

Le cœur sur le sol

Relève-toi faut pas déconner

J'ai ces bruits dans ma tête et j'aimerais que

ça cesse mais en vain hoh

J'ouvre un peu les yeux, des couleurs, des photos me reviennent hoh

Tous ces bruits dans ma tête faut que ça cesse

J'ai perdu la tête

Où est le chemin de ma maison?

Quoi qu'il advienne

Je retrouverai les clés d'la raison

J'ai perdu la tête

Où est le chemin de ma maison?

Quoi qu'il advienne

Quoi qu'il advienne

Le regard des gens j'en ai que faire

Qui sont-ils pour me juger?

Un pardon à mon père (ouais)

Insolente je l'ai été

Dans les yeux de mon frère

Ouais des claques il s'en est bouffé

Sur les joues de ma mère

Des rivières se sont écoulées

J'ai ces bruits dans ma tête et j'aimerais que ça cesse mais en vain hoh

J'ouvre un peu les yeux, des couleurs, des photos me reviennent hoh

Tous ces bruits dans ma tête faut que ça cesse

J'ai perdu la tête

Où est le chemin de ma maison?

Quoi qu'il advienne

Je retrouverai les clés d'la raison

J'ai perdu la tête

Où est le chemin de ma maison?

Quoi qu'il advienne

Je retrouverai les clés d'la raison

J'ai perdu la tête

Où est le chemin de ma maison?

Quoi qu'il advienne

Je retrouverai les clés d'la raison

J'ai perdu la tête, ouais

Hm, mm

Quoi qu'il advienne

Je retrouverai les clés d'la raison

"That was beautiful y/n"

She spoke softly and you jumped.

She was standing at the door leaning on her cane.

"Oh God ms Venable you scared me"

She Looked down out your words.

"What's going on ? Did I say something..?"

"No, not at all miss y/l/n", "you've been distant lately" she laughed slightly and replied

"Because you thought we were close at one point ?!"

This was unlike her to reply so coldly to you, and you were a bit hurt that you thought you meant something to her.

"Oh well...i..just"

"Pathetic"

"Well if you just came here to insulte me, you might as well find someone else, I'm working"

"Working...of course ! And i am here tap dancing"

"Aha very funny ms Venable, yes i am working, painting is a long process, it takes hours to perfect."

"..."

"Now you can stand here and keep being in a bad mood, or you can sit with me and try to paint a little"

She opened her mouth to protest, but she considered you for a minute and sat.

"Here" you said as you cut a piece of hair from her red locks. "WHAT?"

You began to put it  on a stick and began circling it with a tiny rope.

"Calm down I'm just making a brush"

"Here" you said as you handed it to her.

The two of you painted for a few hours and chatted. "Look...what is that? "It's a cow ! Are you blind" you both laughed "well with what you painted i wish I were !"

"No you don't !"

"You're right I don't....if I was blind I wouldn't be able to look at you... noor paint"

You brushed a hair that had escape her haircut, and looked at her eyes.

"You have such pretty eyes"

"...i..i "

"You do, they look warm, steady, elegant like some dravite."

She met your gaze and her eyes were glossy with tears threatening to spill.

"Oh...ms Ven... Wilhelmina i didn't mean to hurt you"

You said as you stroke her cheek. She composed herself and spoke.

"You did not hurt me, and Don't think flattery will get you anywhere."

"Ms venable i thought we were passed that point...I'm not trying to do anything or "get anywhere". I enjoy spending time with you, genuinely. And look we both painted and it was fun"

She looked back at the work in front of her, and it was her portrait, how did she not notice before ?

"Oh..you painted me? I...why would you do that"

"Because you were here, it inspired me and 

You have a beautiful face." "..i.."

"Just say thank you, don't overthink it Wilhelmina"

"Thank you y/n"

You both started at each other for a while and her eyes switched back and forth from your lips to your eyes. You cupped her cheek and leaned in to place a kiss her mouth slowly. But this time she kissed you back, and held your neck as your hand landed on her hips.

You pulled away but kept caressing her cheek. "You're not going to run away from me again ? Please.." she replied by closing the gap between you again. "We should go before anyone sees us". "Where ?"

You took her hand and lead her to your room,  when you were both at the door you asked her if she felt alright "Mina, are you okay ?"

"Yes...yes i just...don't know what we'll do"

"We can read, talk or do Both or none and just kiss"

"I like all these things..." She almost sounded ashamed that she could want that.

"Ok, well get in"

---

"This poem is my favorite... here can I read it to you ?"

"Of course y/n"

"Never trust a mirror,

For the mirror always lies,

It makes you think that all your worth,

Can be seen from the outside.

Never trust a mirror,

It only shows you skin deep,

You can't see how your eyelids flutter,

When you're drifting off to sleep,

It doesn't show you what he sees,

When you're only being you,

Or how your eyes just light up,

When you're loving what you do,

It doesn't capture when you're smiling,

Where no one else can see,

And your reflection cannot tell you,

Everything you mean to me,

Never trust a mirror,

For it only shows your skin,

And if you think that it dictates your worth,

It's time you looked within.

Erin hanson."

"This poem got me through most of high school" you giggled and sat back on your bed next to her.

"What did you thi...oh mina" she was now crying quietly.

"I'm fine"

"No you're not, and that's okay"

"It's just..what you read..."

"I Know i was the same the first time I heard it. My sister read it to me when I was 13 on my bathroom floor"

"What were you doing on the floor?"

"...i might have been bleeding out...for some reason"

"What reason ? And why were you bleeding out with your sister ?!"

"She was waiting for the paramedics, and i perhaps maybe had sliced my wrist"

"WHAT"

"come on i already told you I used to self harm"

"But those are different things"

"Well often self harm doesn't lead to suicide attempt but I had an episode and I needed to kill myself so I could find my inner skin or something like that...it was a weird thing"

"I can imagine.."

You both laughed it off and kept talking for a while.

When silence started to get heavy you took her head and kissed her again, as things progressed the kiss grew heavier and she moaned against your face. "Mmm...you taste so sweet" you said between kisses.

Hands started to roam up and down her body, resting on her hips digging your nails a little. You laid her on the bed and took of her shoes, then went for the dress. "Wait..."

"What honey ?" "Honey..??!", "Well you taste As sweet as honey so...". "Okay..i just don't want to take it off yet..." "Oh that's perfectly fine Mina, we don't have to do it tonight"

"I'm sorry...plus i need to change the rules before I break them with you" you gave her one last sweet kiss. And she started to get up and find her cane.

"Don't ever apologize for that ever, you don't own anything to anyone and you are right, we can't break your rule"

She was at the door, and you blew out one last kiss, she laughed softly and left.

You didn't stop thinking of her and were almost late for dinner.

Ch3

Warning smut

You were cleaning your room in the morning just after breakfast, yes you knew the grey's were here for that but a big part of you felt that it wasn't fair. Even in the apocalypse, social classes were maintained as if they were something more important than life itself. That outraged you, the bare though that people were spending what could be their last days serving ungreatful rich people. Besides cleaning was a good occupation and distracted you from wanting to see mina all day everyday and have your new relationship exposed to them.

As you were twirling around and setting clothes in your drawers, you were singing like the world wasn't watching.

My God, I'm so lonely

So I open the window

To hear sounds of people

To hear sounds of people

Venus, planet of love

Was destroyed by global warming

Did its people want too much too?

Did its people want too much?

And I don't want your pity

I just want somebody near me

Guess I'm a coward

I just want to feel alright

And I know no one will save me

I just need someone to kiss

Give me one good honest kiss

And I'll be alright

Nobody, nobody, nobody

Nobody, nobody

I've been big and small

And big and small

And big and small again

And still nobody wants me

Still nobody wants me

And I know no one will save me

I'm just asking for a kiss

Give me one good movie kiss

And I'll be alright

Nobody, nobody, nobody

Nobody, nobody

Ooh, nobody, nobody

Nobody, nobody, nobody

Nobody, nobody, nobody, nobody

"I want you"

You practically dropped the pile you were holding in shock. As wilhelmina stood by the door watching patiently for you to stop singing.

"Oh god mina ! You scared me"

"I can see that as your eyes almost left your head in surprise."

"Well I.. I'm...I was jus-"

"I know, I'm sorry for scaring you darling."

"I'm beginning to think you purposefully want to straddle me since you make quite a habit of coming whenever I sing like an angry teenager in my room" she approached you slowly

"Well y/n I love your voice"

"And I love you" you leaned and kissed her nose sweetly.

"What was that for"

"No reason, I just felt like it" you replied pressing her closer to you and her head came to a rest in your neck.

"You smell really good y/n" you chuckled softly against her and it vibrated against her lips.

"Yeah..absolutely not related to the fact that I've just showered and put on perfume"

She let out a giggle and you melted. You couldn't help but feel thankful that she was letting her heart open to you like this, letting you see her and her truly, not the persona she put up so people wouldn't get through her and actually hurt her.

"I love having you so close to me wilhelmina"

She looked up with her dull eyes and whispered

"...you do.?"

"Of course I do why wouldn't I ? I've got the prettiest girl inside my arms."

"....I..I'm not the prettiest girl"

Her lips quivered and she looked like she was about to cry.

You parted to look in her eyes, "darling you are. I look at you and I'm just so amazed by your beauty, please see yourself how I do"

"Don't lie to me y/n"

You smiled sadly and kissed her cheek and then her nose, chin, cheek and finally lips.

"Look into my eyes and tell me I'm lying to you."

"What?"

"Look into my eyes. You are beautiful, gorgeous, smart and sexy wilhelmina. Look, do my eyes tell you I'm lying ?"

She couldn't help the smile that creeped on her face as she saw your eyes filled with truth.

"No"

"Exactly baby" you kept kissing her and she drew in a deep breath before she starting making out with you. Her hands hurried over your clothes desperately trying to take of the fabric that clouded her vision of your body.

Her fingers fumbling your buttons and unfastening them quickly. Her hand finding your bra covered breast and kneaded it slightly. You led out a low growl your own hands found her zipper to pull it down running your hand on her hips pressing her even tighter through the kiss and grabbing her boob earning a moan followed by many small whippers. She rushed you to further in the room to reach the foot of the bed and you stopped her hands resting yours on her wrists.

"Wa..wait...wait..wait a minute honey.."  she pulled away concerned.

"What's going on ?? Don't you want me? Omg you don't..I'm sorry I overstepped your boundaries and you don't wanna have sex with me. What was I thinking? I'm so sorry...what's wrong with me ? Why did I think you could ever wa...."

"Hey, hey, hey stop baby. Wilhelmina. Let me speak before you assume what I want or don't want."

"But you sai..."

"I told you to wait a minute, not only do we have all the time in the world, but I just wanted to make sure you were okay with this" she looked up and got closer to you

"Oh" she said before kissing you again and running her hands to sit you on the mattress

"I am"

" what about your rules mina ?"

"I said no unauthorized sex, im autorizing this one"

"Okay but have you ever done this before ?"

She looked down at her feet and blushed

"No... I... I'm still a virgin. No one ever wanted me enough to try"

"Oh mina.. Don't be embarrassed it's totally fine if you've never had sex. And they were blind because anyone who likes women will agree with me that you are simply really hot."

"Okay.." you took her hand and made her sit on her bed

"And I think that as much as I appreciate your enthusiasm I should take the lead huh?"

Yes please" you pressed your lips against hers and started to take her further on the bed and settled her on the pillows. You pointed at her dress

"Can I take this off of you?"

"Yes..." She said breathless and shivering with anticipation. Your hands fumbled the fabric and pulled her dress down to rest on the floor. A moan escaped her mouth and she bit her lips to stop the sounds form coming out as your fingers unhooked her bra and played with her nipples.

"Don't. I wanna hear you. Every sound I can get out of your sweet mouth."

Her breath hitched when your hands found the waistband of her panties gently slapping her pelvis with it. Tugging them down while still looking her eyes to make sure she was alright with that and you dived in, wasting no more time to taste her sweetness. She was already glistening with want and you took

Her clit into your mouth while rubbing her nipple in one hand and hooking her leg over your shoulder with the other one. "Look at me baby. I want to see your beautiful face When I make you cum, do you think you can do that for me?"

"Uh...uh...y..yes.. god y/n"

"Do you want my fingers inside of you babygirl ?"

"...I...I...d..don't know...how does it feel?" You looked up and made soft patterns with your thumb on her thigh

Do you want to try and see ?"

"Yes"

‌You delved back into her and kept liking her in bold stripes and soft sucks. And as soon as she was ready you slowly plunged a finger in her, then added another one and curled them inside of her entrance. Her hands found your hair and she wiggled on the bed before she went stiff a loud moan and series of whimpers of your name.

"UH UH Y/N AAH FUCK...KEEP GOING"

you helped her ride out her high and didn't stop until she came again a second time.You took your fingers and sucked her juices of off one of them before puting the other one in her mouth for her to taste. You were perfect darling, I love you" "..mm...you too, and I can't even begin to explain how much you mean to me and how much I  love you y/n" You cuddled closer to her and started to drift off to sleep. "..babe ?". "Mm? "...well you don't want me to reciprocate ?"

[luvhollands]

Ok so I’ve been thinking about Peter Parker and phone sex - I think that he'd be nervous at first but actually be really good at it, Stark!Reader where they've been dating and had sex before but for some reason haven't seen one another in a really long time like a mission (or a pandemic idk idk) I feel like she'd pitch the idea and Peter would be kind of nervous about feeling stupid and then just- y'know- be amazing at it

i’ll do my best <3

it’s hard to get motivated when it comes to writing stories because i wanna make these perfect for you all, but this was a last minute post so if there’s some weird words or punctuation i’m sorry // love you!

“Dial”

warnings: phone sex . peter being really dirty . over stimulation . stark!reader . short story . minor squirting . both characters are over 18 . terrible at warnings

When your boyfriend broke the news explaining he’ll be gone for a while due to a mission, you’d thought it’d be simple and everything will be fine until he got back - oh, did you stand corrected. Within just a day you became miserable and missed all the affection, you’d call Peter every chance you had even if you might be interfering with his work you couldn’t help it. Tonight you sent the last texts to your friends and were ready to head to bed, that’s when you saw that Peter had sent you a photo; you quickly opened it and your eyes bugged out as you took in the sight of your boyfriend’s cock. From the picture you could see it throbbing, taking notice of his surroundings - his Spider-Man suit pushed to his ankles while his gloved hand was tightly wrapped around his dick. “I missed you, I couldn’t stop thinking about you.” He texted you following with another message but a video. You played it and shivered at his low groans, he rapidly stroked at his cock as it dripped from the tip; moaning your name ever so often until the screen went black and the video ended. By now your hand was digging into your panties, fiddling with your clit; the pleasure started to take in as you closed your eyes. Imagining all the things you and Peter could be doing right now, you wanted him to touch you; knowing only he could pleasure you the right way, leave you breathless and trembling. You replayed the video that he sent you over and over, your fingers were moving on their own - fastening the pace until your thighs started to shake, signaling your orgasm. The dinging sound of your phone made your eyes snap open, “Send me a picture baby.” Peter said. You obeyed, angling the camera to your lower half and pressed record. Your fingers continued to assault your swollen clit, your back arched as your climax approached again. You let out pants of Peter’s name and with a squeal your body spasmed, your phone fell out of your hands. Calming down from your high, Peter blew up your messages with pleas to video call or send him a picture. You didn’t know exactly what got him so heated in the moment but who are you to deny the chance of phone sex? You both had conversations about it and Peter thought he’d be total shit at it, but you loved him more than ever and your body was aching so you hit the call icon and within seconds Peter answered, it was really dark and you didn’t know where he was. “Have you been touching yourself? I know a dirty girl like you would, all for me.” His voice was grain and frustrated, “Come on Doll.. Show me.” All you could do was listen to his orders, shimmying off your underwear and throwing them wherever in your room. Your fingers immediately went back down to your throbbing cunt as you repeated the pace from before, “Been thinking about you all day. Thinking about coming over just to fuck that pretty little pussy all night, with Stark next door.” You tummy did flips and you yelped at the striking pleasure; you closed your eyes and listened to Peter tale about all the things he’ll do to you. Imagining him slamming into you as you tried to hide the screams, it wasn’t the first time you two found yourselves fucking in the Stark residence but the anticipation and rush you both got from it made your sex life irresistible. “Look at how wet you are baby, come on, I know you wanna come again..” Peter’s voice was trembling and you could tell he was just as close. “Oh f-fuck!” Your thighs clashed together from the overstimulation, your eyes going into darkness. “There’s my dirty girl!” He watched your squirt drench the covers and your left over moans in the background; chasing over his own release until ribbons of hot cum stained his suit. Both of you laid there in silence, your body was exhausted and Peter started to tell you how beautiful you looked all fucked out and sweaty. He had to go sooner or later because of the mission and after exchanging, “I love you’s.” And all that mushy shit he hung up. Leaving you humming in satisfaction and the best sleep of your life.

[thegirlintheswivelchair]

More Than We Hoped - Ch. 2

Summary: The Daily Bugle drags Spiderman, Tony forces Peter to come up to the compound, and that black haired man packs a punch.

Word count: +6.6k

Warnings: violence, injury, blood, angst...to be honest I think that’s it for this chapter

A/N: OK so I am actually really nervous to put this chapter out. It feels a little different from what I usually do. It felt like the story took on a life of its own, and also...this is all Peter. Y/n is not in this chapter. However, I am gonna have her in the next chapter quite a bit, so hopefully that will make up for it!! Anyways...I hope you enjoy this!

(Oh and this starts off directly after chapter 1!)

series masterlist | main masterlist

——

Still Saturday 

Peter sighed heavily, rubbing his eyes with the hand that wasn’t holding the phone, “Hey, Tony.” 

“Yeah, you’ve already said hello. Got anything else to say?” Tony’s voice deadpanned over the other line. It was sassy, but Peter could tell that he wasn’t necessarily in trouble...yet.

“I just woke up, what else did you want me to say?” Peter said off-handedly. He really wasn’t awake enough to handle where Tony wanted to take this conversation. Plus, he really did not know what was going on.

“I don’t know, you tell me? Why did I wake up this morning to see Spiderman’s name in a trending article from the Daily Bugle?”

“Would you believe me if I said, ‘I don’t know?’” Peter asked.

“Not really, no.” Again, Tony didn’t seem annoyed, but Peter couldn’t help but feel he might be getting a lecture somewhere down the line.

“Honestly, Tony, I haven’t even had time to read the article.” Peter responded evenly.

Tony let out a sigh, “It’s not great, Pete. Whatever you did on patrol last night—they’re spinning it like you lost control, and the guy is in the hospital because of you.”

“What?” Peter said in shock, “Hold on…”

Taking the phone away from his ear, he put Tony on speaker, so he could bring up the article to read.

The same twinge of foreboding that had hit him earlier came back as he read the headline again:

IS HE REALLY OUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDERMAN? Masked Vigilante involved in near lethal apprehension of defenseless substance abuser.

Clicking the article’s link to read more, he was greeted with a photo of his superhero alter ego. The photo showed Spiderman looking like he was being cornered in an alleyway. One of his hands was lifted urging whoever was in front of him to calm down, while the other was gesturing to the heaped form behind him. Anyone looking at it could see it was a body sprawled out on the ground, but the image was such bad quality barely any details were discernible. 

His eyes went quickly to read the beginning of the article:

In the early morning hours last night, distress calls were phoned in by a number of residents of the Bright Valley Apartments. They were alerting authorities of a violent disturbance in the alleyway next to their building between Spiderman and a nondescript man. 

The recorded calls are still not available to the public, but an eyewitness says the man seemed frantic and was lashing out. They said Spiderman struck the man a number of times until the victim was incapacitated. 

When authorities arrived at the scene, Spiderman was still present before webbing his way out of the situation without properly debriefing the authorities that came to the site. It is unclear what the masked vigilante’s intentions were with the victim that has now been identified as Wayne Campbell, who has been known to use drugs. Campbell is now in the hospital with severe internal injuries and is in critical condition.

More was said underneath, but Peter had already seen enough. The feeling of foreboding deepened into a sloshing mess of worry, hurt pride, and a sense of sadness. There was too much misinformation and exploited truths in the first few paragraphs alone for Peter to say it was anything but what it was...

“They-They wrote a slander piece about me…” He said softly, switching the phone back to normal and bringing it up to his ear.

“Looks that way...Sorry, kiddo.” Tony said in a similarly soft tone before continuing, “Know anyone you’ve pissed off lately?”

“No one I can think of,” Peter responded in a sort of mumble after sitting quiet for a moment, thinking.

“Thought you might say that. That’s why I sent Happy to grab you and bring you back to the compound, so we can get to the bottom of this. In the meantime, how about you catch me up on what Spiderman’s been getting up to.”

“What? No—Tony, I can’t just make a trip out to the compound!” Peter exclaimed. 

“Why not?” 

“Because I’ve got...” Peter paused. He felt he was needed here, but with his brain still stuck on the article he didn’t say that. Instead what came out was, “...homework.” He finished, closing his eyes knowing how lame that excuse was.

“Yeah, that hasn’t worked for the last 12 years, not gonna work now.” Tony said matter-of-factly.

Without missing a beat, Peter quipped back, “Technically, I didn’t get to use that excuse for 5 years. So really it’s only been 7.”

“Uncalled for,” Tony said. If they had been in the lab together, Peter could imagine that his mentor would be pointing a wrench at him and raising his eyebrows to emphasize the point that he was hurting the old man. A small smile tugged at the corner of Peter’s mouth at the thought.

“So, you gonna tell me what really happened?” 

The question sobered Peter quickly, making him momentarily forget about going to the compound. He blew air between pursed lips, his cheeks puffing out. “Whatever is happening is so screwed up, Tony…” Peter said quietly.

“It always is.” Tony said this with such sincerity Peter could almost hear the memories coming to life in the retired superheroes head. Tony cleared his throat and spoke up again, “Just start at the beginning.” 

“Yeah, Ok.” Peter breathed out, and he began telling the story of the last 3 nightmarish nights he’d spent patrolling. 

It took 45 minutes before Peter was getting to the details of last night. To his surprise, Tony had let Peter talk without much interruption, only small clarifications here and there and a hum to show he was paying attention.

Once he finally went quiet Tony spoke up, “And you haven’t found any connection between the 3 victims?” 

“Not yet, I haven’t had time—” Peter was cut off by another call coming in. Looking at the contact, he saw it was Happy. He’s seriously making me go to the compound? No questions asked?

Sighing and not hiding his frustration, Peter quickly said “I gotta take this, it’s Happy.” He didn’t wait for a reply before accepting the new call. “Hey, Happy,” he said, adopting a much lighter tone than a second ago.

“Peter, where are you? I’ve been waiting outside for the last 15 minutes.” Happy said in a familiarly gruff greeting.

“Crap, you’re already here? Sorry, Happy. I’ll be right down.” Peter said as he jumped up from his spot on the bed and hung up the phone. He began grabbing at random clothes around the room, hoping they were clean, and throwing them on.

Soon, all that was left for him to do was find his other shoe. Shouldn’t be too hard right? Wrong. He turned over everything. At one point he even stood on the ceiling thinking a new angle would help him—It didn’t. Just as he was starting to get really frustrated, he found it hiding in the corner of his room where he could have sworn he’d looked at least three times before. 

“Ah-ha!” He cheered triumphantly. The victory was short-lived when his phone began to blow up with texts from Happy. Each one getting steadily more grumpy in how they said he needed to get his ass moving and down to the car right now.

So in a chaotic blur of motion, Peter grabbed his lone shoe, his backpack, a granola bar from on top of his mini fridge, and jogged out of his room with only one shoe on.

As he made his way down his hallway, his phone rang for what felt like the thousandth time that morning. He picked it up without looking at the contacts name, and answered, “I know Happy, I’m on my way down right now. Couldn’t find my shoe.”

“See, I keep telling you to put trackers in them, but do you listen?” Came Tony’s amused voice over the other line. 

Even though he had not expected his mentor's voice on the phone, Peter smirked and shot back, “Says the old man that can’t find the wrench that’s still in his hands.”

“That was one time!” Tony’s voice said defensively before changing the subject, “So you haven’t left with Happy yet, I take it?”

“Just getting out to his car.” Peter said, walking into his dorm’s elevator.

“Uh-huh. While, you’re on your way up, try and think through what might be similar to each incident. We’ll use that while going through the info your suit gathered during patrol.”

“Speaking of—Tony, I need to be back by tonight to go patrolling again. I need to be there for the next person that gets affected by this thing.” 

“Yeah, no can do, Underoos.” Tony said. It was said with a casual finality, even off-handed in a way, and it irked Peter for some reason. 

“What do you mean?” He said slightly annoyed as he left the elevator. 

When he neared the door leading outside, he realized he was still not wearing his other shoe having been so distracted by Tony. He put his granola bar in his mouth, and began moving in a way he knew was not even remotely graceful as he tried to keep forward momentum and put his shoe on at the same time.

“There’s too much heat around the situation now, Pete. You need to stay away for awhile.” Tony broke through Peter’s concentration of staying upright as he barreled through the door to the outside.

Once he managed to get the shoe on, Peter paused for a second to take a bite out of his granola bar before moving again. He answered his mentor with a hard tone, “I can’t just drop this, Tony!”

“The media has gotten involved. That automatically makes this trickier. It’s important to tread carefully now.”

“I know I need to be careful,” Peter groaned out, “But I feel really close to a breakthrough! I just need a few more nights of recon. Please—”

“You have any leads?” Tony cut him off before he could keep talking.

Peter faltered before replying. He really didn’t have any leads, and it was clear Tony knew that. He had just hoped that train of thought would work on Tony, and he would be allowed to patrol. “I mean—no, not really.” Peter said quietly, opting for honesty in this moment.

He heard Tony sigh, “We need to be smart. This isn’t a recon-then-action type of mission anymore.”

Peter had made it to the sleek black car that would take him to the compound. Pausing in front of the passenger side, one hand on the door’s handle, Peter started talking, “I know, Tony, but these people—” 

Tony cut him off again, “The answer is still no. We’ll talk more when you get here.” 

The annoyance that had been simmering under Peter’s skin throughout the whole conversation, sparked at that moment. “Fine,” He snapped, and hit the phone’s red ‘End’ button. Opening the car door with a particular amount of aggression, he slid into the seat with a huff. 

Happy immediately began pulling away from the curb as soon as the door shut. A sour silence fell over the two figures, with Peter staying silent and glaring out his window. The other, usually more grumpy, older man glanced at Peter frequently as they made their way upstate. Peter felt the stare each time, knowing the older man was trying to get a read on him as he quietly brooded. 

Over the many years they had been in each other’s lives both had gotten relatively good at reading each other. In this particular situation, it was obvious Peter was frustrated about something, but he knew Happy was trying to piece together what might be annoying him.

“Tony did something again, didn’t he?” Happy’s voice finally broke the silence.

“You could say that,” Peter muttered.

“Whatever he did, I’m sure he has his reasons.” 

Peter had to resist the urge to roll his eyes, Happy didn’t deserve that. “Happy, no offense, but I really don’t want to talk about it.”

“Ok, fair enough.” Happy conceded easily. The rest of the drive was silent, only the soft sounds of music were heard.

When the car rounded the tree lined bend that led up to the compound, Peter’s emotions did a bit of a dance. He always loved seeing this building. It was a symbol of something so much bigger than himself, even bigger than him as Spiderman. Excitement always sparked in his gut as he thought about what and who it held inside and all the inner workings that even he didn’t fully understand yet. The weight of its purpose was inspiring while also being rightfully intimidating. Peter had yet to shake the feelings of being inadequate when thinking about it all. No matter how much he had wanted it, he couldn’t stop wondering if he was good enough to be an Avenger, of being a part of the moving pieces that title gave him power in, and what it meant to protect the world. He was just your friendly neighborhood Spiderman after all.

Today, though, that wash of emotions was dampened by his frustration over why he was here to begin with. He felt like Tony was calling him here to keep an eye on him. Like he didn’t trust him, and it stung.

After the car pulled up to the giant glass doors of the side entrance, Peter said a hasty goodbye to Happy, got out and slammed the door shut a bit harder than necessary. He bounded up to the door, and stepped into the building.

Almost immediately, Friday, Tony’s AI, greeted him with an even tone “Hello, Peter. Should I let Boss know you are here?”

“Tell him I’ll be down in a sec.” Peter answered, but instead of going directly to the lab, he made his way to the large communal kitchen to make himself a sandwich. 

Friday’s voice came through the silence of the kitched “Boss is asking for you to come down to the lab.” The AI paused then added, “He says to just bring the food with you.”

Peter rolled his eyes, Tony knew him a little too well sometimes. Taking a massive bite his sandwich, he grabbed his plate and started his way down to the lab.

When he turned into the large state of the art lab, he was greeted with a view of Tony’s back. 

Since Thanos, Tony had changed from what he had looked like during his active days as Iron Man. It wasn’t for the worse, he had simply changed, gotten older. His hair had gotten distinctly more salt and peppered, even more than when Peter had been remade after the snap. The wrinkles around his eyes had gotten more prominent, and they highlighted the smile he’d started wearing more often now that he was a father and genius mechanic rather than a superhero holding the weight of the world on his shoulders. 

He also had a prosthetic arm, a constant reminder of the day he saved the galaxy. When you could see it, it was a surprisingly tame color—a dark charcoal grey. “You can wear it with anything,” Tony had joked when asked why it wasn’t bright red. It still held Iron Man’s trademark colors of red and gold in its details, with a bright blue light filling out the crevices or other details that the nanotechnology didn’t cover. The scars from the wound that traced their way across his skin came up his neck and stretched up around his ear and cheek. Anything else around his shoulders and chest was usually covered by a shirt, unless he was in his tank top fixing his cars, or swimming at his house in the woods. 

The biggest difference for Peter though, was the softness that had taken over Tony. He was certainly still the cocky, confident man he’d always been, but he didn’t hold himself that way anymore as a suit of armor. Now that confidence was worn as a person slowly working on their monsters and ever so subtly finding hope in who they actually are. It was a softness that came with years of therapy and walking through it all with good friends and family. Peter was proud of Tony for that, and was grateful he got to be a part of it.

Currently, Tony was in a basic long sleeve black shirt pulled back to his elbows and his usual chop-shop jeans that were filled with grease and other stains. 

With his back to the door, he was surrounded by three different holographic projections. One was the schematics and details of Peter’s Spiderman suit. Another was a news feed scrolling and continuously playing any news that might be relevant to his search, and the last one had numbers, graphs, and other data that Peter quickly realized was the data from his suit. 

The suit, while being his, and even his own design, was still hooked up to the main Stark “cloud” that Tony had created for everything that held Stark technology. That meant Tony could bring up anything he wanted from Peter’s suit. 

At any other time, this would have annoyed Peter, maybe even offended him. The two of them had talked at length about the Baby Monitor protocol, and over the last 4 years had slowly lessened it all so that Peter could be his own person, having complete control over the responsibility he had as a superhero. Tony had promised to no longer check the data or videos on his suit unless Peter let him, or asked him to. For this particular moment, even in Peter’s already frustrated state, he knew there had been an unspoken agreement that Tony would help. That meant he would look into these details. So Peter let it slide, and while taking another enormous bite of his sandwich, he walked up to Tony’s side and asked with a mouthful, “Found anything interesting?”

Tony turned his face towards him with both eyebrows raised quietly asking the parental question of ‘really? while eating?’ to which Peter gave a noncommittal shrug to say ‘yup’. Tony lips twitched with amusement, and he turned back to the projections, answering, “No, not yet. Was waiting for you actually.”

Swallowing the bite, Peter said, “I think we should get Friday working on whether or not the three victims have anything in common with each other. Then you and I can look through the surveillance Karen saved through my mask’s camera and see if there is anything we can see for clues or leads.”

Tony nodded, then said, “You heard him, Fri. Start seeing if there is anything to connect these people together, and please upload the videos from Peter’s suit so we can start watching them.

“What time frame do you want to focus on for the videos?” She responded.

“Let’s see, everything starting from Wednesday at the beginning of my patrol to the end of the last entry on Friday,” said Peter.

Friday didn’t respond. Instead, a new hologram popped up in front of the two men, and the first scenes of the surveillance videos began to play. They silently began to watch together while Peter finished his food. 

Three hours later, the pair were now sitting in chairs, eyes slightly glazed from the amount of random footage they had already gone through. Peter tried not thinking about the fact they were still only on Wednesday night. They had fast forwarded through most of the early evening of that night, until right around when Peter remembered it all started. 

When he heard Karen respond to something he said by saying, “You said never to call a night ‘calm’ because it tempts the universe,” he perked up in his chair and spoke out loud, “This is where my senses started going off before I heard the whimpering.”

The suit’s camera showed the vantage point on top of a building looking down at the still busy street below. “Pause the video,” Peter said. Getting up from his chair, he raised his hands to the image. With an outward wave from both hands he expanded the image to be twice the size it was before, essentially engulfing himself and Tony in the scene.

“My senses went off, but I couldn’t see where it was coming from. It was too hard to tell with so many people staring simply because I had swung overhead, but I know someone was staring for another reason.”

Tony looked at him questioningly, “You know when someone is staring at you for another reason?”

Peter nodded and shrugged, “Yeah, there’s a difference in someone staring innocently, and someone that is staring for another reason. I don’t know why, but I can feel the difference.” 

Tony nodded slowly, and his face briefly flashed a ‘huh, neat’ face before he turned back to the image. “Friday, start scanning the faces and see if there are any that stand out. Let’s start with criminal records or anyone that Spiderman has dealt with directly.”

“Certainly.” Friday responded.

In the meantime, both men were staring at the screen seeing if, on intuition and instinct alone, they could pick anything up. After about 2 minutes, Friday spoke, “There are three different faces detected that have misdemeanor records, none of which are connected to Spiderman for their arrest nor their crime.”

The 3 faces showed up with their records next to them, and it was clear right away that none of them were who they were looking for. One had a public indecency charge, another was a DUI, and the last had the only genuine criminal record for assault, but it was from over 20 years ago.

Peter sighed at the news feeling disappointed, while Tony leaned in. “Friday, run the video and see if anyone stays focused on Peter when we know the whimpering started.”

The time between where the clip started and when the whimpering began was only a few seconds and it was impossible to truly focus on the faces with the way the camera whipped in the direction of the whimpering when Peter had heard it. The audio itself didn’t pick up on the whimper—it being too faint for the microphone—but it was clear enough when Peter had heard it. When nothing could be seen, Tony called for the frames to be slowed down to a shuttering frame by frame pace. 

In the blinking frames that could be seen right before Peter’s head moved, only a few people had remained focused on the superhero. An old man who had been tending to his store front, a child staying planted in awe until his parent tugged him along, and a tall slim man with black hair, suit, and...a silver tie.

“Wait!” Peter blurted, “That guy, right there. I recognize him! I saw him last night.”

“Him?” Tony pointed at the blown up image of the man.

“Yeah, he was coming out of the alleyway right before I went to help the last victim.” 

“Friday, you know what that means.” Tony said to his AI.

The silence lasted for only a moment before Friday was speaking to the room, “His name is Everett Mercury, age 25, born and raised in New York City.”

“Ok, can you tell us anything else about him?”

“Actually, boss, his file and any subsequent information that is regularly available or traceable for the average person is coming up blank. This lack of data would normally suggest all information for Mr. Mercury was wiped clean or is purposefully untraceable in most technological databases.”

“Well, I think that means we found our guy, what do you think, Pete?” Tony said, snapping his fingers together and spinning on his heels to look directly at Peter.

Peter gave a small absentminded nod as he only kind of heard Tony’s question. He was still glaring at the face in front of him, thinking. “Is he anywhere near the second location?” 

Again, the silence filled the room until the AI spoke, “Based on my recognition software, there is no record of him being at the location of the second victim.”

Peter groaned,”Dang it!” all though he used entirely more colorful language in his head.

“That doesn’t mean that wanna-be-young-Keanu-Reeves here isn’t our guy.” Tony said lightly.

“No, but it doesn’t confirm it either. Plus, we don’t know anything about him,” Peter shot back.

“They don’t usually make it that easy for us.”

Peter knew Tony wasn’t trying to goad him. He wasn’t even trying to be condescending, but after the week he’d had, the fear of the unknown and the frustration that was just sitting at the bottom of his stomach mixed and boiled quickly. “No they don’t. That doesn’t mean I wasn’t hoping our first lead might have been a little less vague. What are we supposed to do with this information, Tony?” Peter said heatedly, whirling to face his mentor with a glare.

Tony met his stare with raised eyebrows and a slight cock of the head. “I’m sorry, did I miss something?” He looked into Peter’s eyes for a second, “Are you mad at me?”

“How does this help people, Tony? How does me sitting here with you, finding out this guy's name, in upstate New York, help anyone?” Peter said, not answering the question.

“Pete, this is only just the beginning. We’ve only been here—what? 3 hours?” Tony said, checking his watch.

“Yeah, and by the time I get back someone might already be infected by whatever-the-hell this is and could even be dead!”

Understanding washed over Tony’s features at Peter’s words. “You’re upset I said you couldn’t go patrolling.” It wasn’t a question. He had said it as its own confirmation.

“Have you watched any of these videos, Tony?” Peter said with quiet intensity pointing back at the projected image, “New York needs someone out there protecting them, and right now, no one is.”

Tony remained silent as he looked intently at Peter for a moment, his lips pushed up in thought. When he finally looked away, he gave a heavy sigh, and his hands came up in a loose shrug before he said, “Ok. You want to go out and patrol. Then I won’t stop you.”

“What?” Peter said slightly shocked, “You’re gonna let me go?” He was not expecting that reaction. He thought he would need to put up a fight, argue a bit more. Even then, he didn’t think Tony was going to allow him to go. 

“Yeah. You want to patrol. I won’t stop you.” Tony said lightly.

Peter looked at Tony for a second, hesitating. His brows furrowed as he searched the man’s face. Something about Tony’s reaction bothered him, but he couldn’t think why. Why was that so easy? The thought was momentary, a sparked instinct to push for more information, but as soon as it came, it was swallowed up by the new thoughts of getting back to the city. If he could patrol, maybe he could do better reconnaissance, maybe even find the black haired man himself and question him.

“Uh, right.” Peter breathed out, “Then I’m gonna go.” He turned and started to leave the lab. Right when he got to the door, he looked back and saw Tony had already turned his back on him and was looking at each screen he had pulled up. He had started playing the frame-by-frame video again. His arms were crossed, and it was clear he was thinking and assessing everything he saw. Again, something in the back of Peter’s head told him he should stay, but he pushed it back stubbornly. 

A couple hours later found Peter atop the lone skyscraper on campus. It was a massive clock tower that used to ring every hour with a real bell, but it had since been turned electronic, telling the time silently as it watched the students wander below. On nights when he needed to just think Peter would find himself up here, especially when he couldn’t be bothered making it to his usual favorite perches closer to the center of the city. Tonight, Peter was watching dusk settle over the city, thinking of a game plan for the night’s patrol.

Somehow, the other incidents had happened right where he was, no need to search far and wide. That left Peter with little direction as to where to start, but he still had to get moving. The shadows were growing, and that meant more alleys to hide in and go unnoticed. 

Standing up, he shook himself loose, and flicked out his hand. His two middle fingers came to the base of his palm, tapping his web shooter to life. It responded with a string of web flying over to the next building, and just as Peter stepped off the tower, he spoke to his AI, “Karen, I want you to monitor for raised temperatures, and scan every face you can for Everett Mercury. Let’s make tonight worth it.” 

“Initiating scanning parameters.” Karen confirmed.

As Peter swung, he felt his senses open up and his nerves coil like springs. The anticipation he held for finding another victim was growing, and he hated how afraid he was. It wasn’t just the fear of these people getting hurt. Frankly, that he could deal with. He’s had to deal with it. It was a responsibility of a superhero to deal with the fear of people getting hurt. No, he was afraid of seeing the side effects of this thing again. The glowing eyes, the pulsing veins, the shrill cry that comes with each victim—it was haunting. He was also afraid of holding another person in his arms as they fought whatever it was they were affected by. He didn’t know how many more people he could watch seize and drop into a comatose state. 

He was uneasy, and he felt a little ashamed this thing had dug its claws into him so quickly, but the apprehension he didn’t want was still there all the same. With each flick of his wrist that carried him farther into the city, he tried to think of a way to turn that fear in his favor, but all he came up with was a sour and shaky form of adrenaline. 

Much later into the night, Karen’s voice came out clear in Peter’s ear,“My scans show a man that fits the description of Everett Mercury by the ATM’s on the corner.” 

Peter swung to the nearest rooftop, and upon crouching and turning around to look out at the four-way intersection he felt his senses buzz lightly. That annoying warning was back, and his skin crawled at the feeling. He spoke quietly to his AI, “Where is he?”

Before Karen could answer, Peter’s eyes found a black haired figure in a sharp suit standing motionless at the corner. When Peter found his eyes, he felt his stomach do a flip. The man was staring straight at him, unflinching and unfazed as their eyes met. His eyes were cold and dark, set within a face of stone. Each second felt stretched in time as Peter looked at him. He stood expectantly, like he had known Spiderman would be there, looking for him. As if to confirm the suspicion, a small smirk began to play itself on Mercury’s lips before he broke eye contact, turned and in a few steps, seemed to vanish into thin air.

“What? What was that?” Peter whispered harshly as he stared wide eyed at nothing, “no no no no!” 

In a panic, he shot out a web, and launched himself down to the other side of the intersection. As he landed lightly on his feet where Mercury had been standing, he looked in all directions only to catch a glimpse of the dark suited figure slipping down a darkened road at the end of the street. Peter sprinted in that direction, and when he turned the corner he was met with more empty space. 

What the hell?!

Scanning the area, Peter saw that he had run into a large empty courtyard. It was rundown, with pipes coming out haphazardly from the walls, concrete benches spotted the outskirts of the central space where the ground had broken and the cracks were growing grass and weeds. It was lit by a solitary orange street light that shone weakly at the entrance making shadows fall over the far side and its corners turn black. 

As Peter squinted in the direction of those shadows, he saw a flash of movement in the corner of his eye. Flicking a web in the direction of the movement, he knew he had caught nothing as it hit a pipe with a hard hollow sound. 

He jerked his head in the direction of the movement, and felt his body crouch instinctively, muscles tightening, ready to launch into motion. 

Another glimpse of movement, and another web that hit nothing. 

“I know you're in here!” Peter spoke out into the courtyard. Still crouched with fists clenched, he felt his heart hammering in his chest, and adrenaline coursing through his body.

Peter tried to hone in on his spidey senses hoping to locate the man that way. He felt the familiar buzzing at the back of his head, but the warning felt like it was coming from more than one direction. There was nowhere that didn’t feel threatening, and his mind began to go fuzzy the longer he tried to focus on it. It was like white noise slowly getting louder as the threat started to close in like walls.

In the fog taking over his brain, Peter didn’t notice the air shimmering a few feet in front of him until Everett Mercury had materialized in front of him. The man stood towering over Peter’s crouched figure, a smirk still on his face. 

As quickly as he had appeared, his body crouched and shot out a hand which connected with Peter’s sternum and sent him flying into the wall behind him. After the hit landed, he vanished into the darkness again.

A voice, low and smooth came from the dark, “I’m not the one you should be focusing on, Spiderman.”

The impact had knocked the wind from Peter’s lungs, and he slipped to the ground on all fours coughing. He tried to right his breathing quickly as he scrambled up and got into a ready stance again, saying breathily, “Oh, yeah? And your cloak and dagger thing is what, a party trick? Doesn’t exactly convince me you’re a good guy.”

Peter didn’t get an answer. Mercury appeared at his side and shoved him hard enough to make Peter stumble towards the center of the open space. Peter tried to correct his balance and figure out where his opponent might be coming from, but there was nothing but mental static.

“It’s not about me being good or bad. I just follow orders. You on the other hand...What are you doing to save all those helpless people?” The disembodied voice spoke casually. It sounded like it was circling the perimeter of the yard. “You’re wasting time, Spidey.” 

Peter knew he was being baited, but that didn’t stop a spark of fear and anger to go through him at the thought of more victims. Fuck, please be bluffing.

“Why are you doing this?” Peter growled, trying to stay focused on the task at hand.

“Why am I doing this?” The voice answered, amusement laced its deep tone, “I’m not doing anything. They seek us out.”

With the white noise still muffling his senses, Peter didn’t notice Mercury come up behind him until he was whispering in his ear, “They ask for it.”

Peter whirled around to see Mercury standing right in front of him. With a knee-jerk reaction, Peter shot out his fist, but he hit nothing as Mercury smoothly ducked out of the way. Peter pivoted to counter the dodge, but the dark haired man’s eyes flashed with an intensity that charged the air. It felt like the split second between when a fuse runs its course and the firework finally erupts. Except, Peter wasn’t ready for the explosion. 

Mercury lunged forward, and swung his fists at Peter. First a straight cross, then an upper cut, then another jab. Mercury’s fists were flying, and each hit was made with a trained precision. The ferocity of the attack caught Peter off guard, and each blow was thrown with such brutal speed and power that he felt defenseless against them as they slowly pushed him backwards towards the wall.

Finally, a particularly harsh punch came and hit his face. Peter’s body gave him no choice but to drop to the ground dazed. He felt warm blood flow from his nose, and in the back of his head he guessed his nose might have been broken. 

The other man, barely breathing heavy, stalked closer to Peter’s hunched figure, and mumbled something under his breath that Peter didn’t catch over the ringing in his ears. Then he picked Peter up by his shoulders and slammed him into a mess of pipes jutting from the wall behind him. A loud crack sounded, and pain radiated through Peter’s ribs as one of them broke on impact. His head rocked back into a lead pipe, and he felt the edge of yet another pipe’s broken opening cut into his skin because of the sheer force he was being pressed into it. Weakly, he tried and failed to squirm out of the other man’s grasp. 

Mercury glared into Peter’s masked face and spoke in a low menacing voice, “You might not believe this, but what’s happening is for the better.” He looked between the two bright white eyes with cold intensity and growled, “Don’t fight this.” 

He let go of Peter, who immediately slumped to the ground, and stepped back. Shadow engulfed Mercury’s figure once more, and he was gone.

Peter sat on the ground, clutching his torso, and trying to breath through the pain that was currently coursing through his body. It had been a while since he had been beaten up this badly, or been so taken by surprise. Why wouldn’t my spidey sense work? His pain addled brain couldn’t think of a reason just yet, and his main priority needed to be getting back to the dorms. 

“Hey Karen, how far are we from campus?” Peter whispered out.

“You are currently 2 miles away.” The AI responded.

“Great,” He said a little high pitched, “I can do that. No problem.”

Shakily, he stood up and raised his arm to shoot out a web. The broken rib screamed in protest, but gritting his teeth against the pain, Peter shot and pulled himself into the air. 

He must have blacked out as he swung back because Peter would not have been able to tell anyone how he managed to make it back to his dorm room that night. All he remembered was waking up on the floor during the very early hours of the day with Ned shaking him awake.

“Pete. Peter! You gotta wake up!” Ned’s voice was full of worry. 

He groaned as his friend continued shaking him. He reached up his hand and swatted clumsily at the arm connected to the hand shaking his shoulder.

“Oh, thank god,” Ned sighed, “Dude, you’re a fucking mess. What the hell did you do tonight?”

Peter couldn’t form coherent thoughts just yet with the pain and disorientation his injuries were causing him, and just mumbled, “Patrol.”

“Yeah, figured that much out myself. I meant what happened to you?”

“Everett Mercury.” Peter said briefly, still trying to stop the spinning in his head.

“Whose that?” Ned asked curiously.

Just then, Peter’s phone began ringing and buzzing on his desk. Ned reached over Peter’s head and handed it to him. The screen’s brightness bit into Peter’s eyes and he flinched while making out the series of texts coming in from Tony.

Tony: We need to talk.

Tony: Mercury is enhanced and highly dangerous.

Tony: Do not engage with him. We need to make a plan

Too late, Tony... Peter thought as he felt each injury pulse in time with his heart.

There’s chapter 2! Please let me know any feedback you might have! I’d love to know if there are things you are hoping to see, or if you have any thoughts about the story in general. All reblogs are so incredibly appreciated! 💙❤️

Taglist (Let me know if you want to be added)

@cocoamoonmalfoy @empath-bunny @storybookholland @kassey @touchmethomas @greenorangevioletgrass @emilyparkerholland​

[carnationcreation]

Okay so I love your writing and I am such a sucker for sport!readers so I was wondering if you could do one with Carrie? Maybe she comes to support you at a game and like wears your jersey or number or sumtin, please and thank you! also i love you!!

TITLE: The Jersey (Carrie Wilson x reader)

✌🏻Masterlist Taglist, Requests, and Works in progress!

Request: Okay so I love your writing and I am such a sucker for sport!readers so I was wondering if you could do one with Carrie? Maybe she comes to support you at a game and like wears your jersey or number or sumtin, please and thank you! also i love you!!

Prompt/summary:  Carrie is there to support (Y/n) at her state championship.

Word Count: 1,246

Authors note: I”M DOING ANOTHER SOCCER PLAYER READER CAUSE I HAVE PRACTICE LATER!!! ALSO I LOVE YOU TOO!!!! This is basically just fluff cause I love Carrie and she’s underrated

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

I really wasn’t expecting her to be there tonight. But I couldn’t be happier that she was.

"Are you coming to my game Friday?"

Carrie sighed and sat down the magazine she was reading, "I'll try. I promise. But the performance at the cafe might hold me up."

"I don't care if you're late, I just want you there afterwards. It's the state championship. I just want my girlfriend there to celebrate my victory or console me over my loss."

Carrie smiled and put her hand on my cheek, "I promise I'll do my best to be there afterwards."

And now she was here. I had just ran out on the field for warm ups when I spotted her in the stands, wearing my old jersey. The smile on my face couldn't be wiped off as I put my gloves on in the goal.

"Isn't that your girl (Y/l/n)?" One of my teammates yelled.

"Yup."

"Oh they're so smug."

"You're just mad you don't have someone there with your jersey on!" I yelled as I shuffled backwards into the goalie box with a smirk on.

After I got over the glee I felt of seeing my girlfriend in the stands cheering me on I finally got into my game mode. Trying to only focus on my teammates and how I could best support them, while also getting so awesome saves in. The team put up a good fight, making some good plays that scored us a goal in the first 10 minutes of the first half. Unfortunately, the opposing team put up a bigger fight, scoring 3 goals by the end of the first half.

By the time half time rolled around I was exhausted, dragging myself into the locker room I noticed my favorite sports drink on my spot.

"With love from your number one fan- xoxo Carrie"

I couldn't help but smile as I chugged the drink and collapsed on the bench.

"They're really hustling you out there, but you're still on your A-game!" my teammate cheered and clapped me on the back.

"It's cause their girl is here," my other teammate smirked.

I only rolled my eyes and finished off my drink. The couch's mid game pep talk lasted up until the timer went off signaling the end of the break and we all did our chant before jogging back onto the field.

"Go (Y/n)!" I heard from the stands.

I turned and blew a big kiss to Carrie, smiling widely as she snapped a photo of me. I figured it would be posted on her instagram later but I couldn't care less right now. I'm still just so glad she's here.

I pushed myself back into my game mode as the whistle blew for the second half. Our team managed to hold on, scoring another goal and bringing the score to 3-2. We might have a chance to tie at least.

Ten minutes left in the second half the other team got a breakaway.

I readied myself as they charged up the field. My teammates were too far behind to catch up and I realized I had to charge them. I sprinted as fast as I could, trying to slide and tackle the ball but the players were too fast. One pass to the outside teammate led to the final goal of the game. The slide I took left an aching pain in my shoulder that didn't go away, even as I walked off the field to the locker room. Tears fell down my face as I tried to take off my goalie gear and into my sweats.

"(Y/l/n)? You okay?" my coach asked.

"I think so, just pulled something in my shoulder on the last slide."

"Oh," he said, "Get some ice on it and rest up, go to the doctor if you have to. If you can't be at practice just let me know."

"Thanks," I shouldered my gym bag and walked out.

"(Y/n)! Over here!"

I looked out over the crowd of people to see the red head standing over to the left near the gate. She knew I was upset, but didn't say anything as she wrapped her arms around me and let my face hide in her shoulder, "You look good in my jersey."

"It's really warm and it smells like that good body spray you wear all the time. You did so good tonight," she whispered.

"Not really, my shoulder hurts."

She sighed, "Stop being so hard on yourself. I heard the other goalie complimenting your skill. And where does it hurt?"

I pointed to the spot on my shoulder where the pain was emanating from and she looked at it with a concerned look on her face, "I think you just pulled a muscle, lets get you back to my place and we'll put something on it okay?"

"Can we get some food somewhere?"

She smiled and pushed some hair out of my face, "Of course baby."

She grabbed my hand and lead me out to the car.

"I'm really glad you came," I said as I kissed the back of her hand.

"The performance got canceled so I got here as early as I could. I even got to sit with some of the other dates that were here for the team. Why didn't you tell me the games where more fun with them?" she giggled.

I chuckled, "You wouldn't have known if you hadn't come."

"I guess so," she said, "Where do you wanna eat?"

"You pick," I said as I leaned the seat back.

I felt my phone buzz and saw I was getting tagged in comments on instagram.

My wonderful s/o played amazing tonight. Say good job (Y/n)!

I giggled and liked the photo and a few comments that popped up on the post, mostly from her band's fans.

"Remind me to get a good photo of us together after a game next time," Carrie said.

"Yeah baby."

Carrie pulled through the drive through before starting the drive back to her place. I must've fallen asleep at some point cause when I woke up Carrie was beside me slightly shaking me awake, "Let's go sleepyhead."

I trudged up the stairs to her room.

"Nope, get in the shower first. You kinda stink."

I smirked and pulled the sweatshirt over my head and threw it at her causing her to giggle.

I was a little more awake after the shower and when I walked out with wet hair Carrie had sat my food on the coffee table.

"I'm proud of you."

"Thank you," I whispered.

"You ready for bed?" she said, rubbing my arm lightly.

"Yes please," I groaned as I climbed into her bed, "I swear this is the softest bed ever."

She giggled, "It's better when we're both in it."

I wiggled my eyebrows at the comment and she hit my shoulder, "Not like that!"

"You made it like that," I smirked.

"I did not! You made it like that."

I shook my head as I pulled her closer and felt Carrie kiss the top of my head.

"Goodnight soccer star."

"Goodnight popstar."

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

*If you signed up for my taglist but don’t see your name please message me!

Taglist: @thebookwormlife2 @talksoprettyjjx  @coolreallyfuzzystudentuniverse  @igotabadfeelingabouteverything @larrystylinson-sus @lovesanimals @aunicornmademedoit @thexhotmess @ssprayberrythings @registerednursejackie @nicolewithasoul @homealone200 @hemmingsness @persephonequeenofthedead @bookfrog242 @peachyxdream @catieiscute2001 @julieandthephantomsblogduh @fangirling-allday @ashleyleblancx @alltimekp @wcnderwoo @unipanda1006 @disgustedchild @aberette13 @dpaccione @whyworry27 @number-0-iz @musicconversedance @owlgirl1209 @angelxfics @hamdehlesmis ​ @marinettepotterandplagg @idkanymoremansstuff @spooky-season-bitch @chenellearose @voguesir @thegirlwholikestomanythings @mandiscadelinha @crybabyddl @jasm1nesdragons  @daisiesforlacey @khiaraaa-in-spacee @harrys-bitch @bookdealer5 @blue21727 @echocharm17618 @actually-luke-patterson

[heavenlymisa]

his lil’ secret.

Erik “Killmonger” Stevens x Black!reader

warnings; this is f l u f f y- like, i got butterflies from reading my own stuff-

summary; “Killmonger” is a famous rapper that is known all around the world with a large fanbase. Almost everyone in his fanbase knows that he has a girlfriend, but doesn’t know what she looks like... until... 

an; this is my 100 followers special! whew chilleee- i didn’t think i would come this far, this fasstt- but enjoy!! <3

Erik Stevens, known as “Killmonger” is a famous rapper in the music industry. Not talking about the small ass concerts and shit like that. I’m talking about having concerts and being featured in songs with the biggest artists in the world. If you didn’t know who Killmonger was, you were either lying or smoking crack. His name was in everyone’s mouth and his songs were coming up in Top 10 lists.

You knew Erik right when he was getting his name up there. You met him at a cafe he went to for a meeting (he bumped into you and made some hot ass coffee spill on your white shirt. yes you were PISSED, but he took you on a shopping spree and spoiled your ass.). Since then, you two became the best of friends and turned into a cute ass couple. But just one tiny thing...

His fans didn’t know about you.

Throughout your relationship with you, not one photo containing you got to the public. No one in the base knew who you were, so they labeled you as, “Monger’s Girl.” 

Currently, you were laying down in both you and Erik’s bed and scrolled through instagram. You continued to scroll until you saw a notification pop up,

killmonger started a live video. Watch it before it ends!

So you clicked on it, and lo and behold, your fine ass boyfriend was in the living room, with his phone propped up against something and looking at the phone.

“Hey guys!” He said with a smile. ‘Gahh lee. That fine ass smile...’

“I’m just on here for a little bit.... I was bored so i figured, why not?” He started to look through the comments on his live.

“Now, you know good and well you finna be on here for like 3 hours. Aight, what you not finna do is come for me.” He said with a stifled laugh. Of course you could’ve just went downstairs, sat behind his phone and watched, but your body didn’t like that idea.

“Erik, where’s your girl? She’s just chillin’ in our bedroom. She might be sleep.. God, i hope she sleep. I’m ‘supposed’ to cook dinner tonight buuuttt.... my baby’s sleep.” He said with a toothy grin that was showing his grills.

You decided that you wanted to surprise Erik, since you were the one who wanted to keep your relationship a secret from the world, and comment something on the live.

‘aht, aht! i’m not going to sleep unless you cook me them damn mozzarella sticks, nigga.’

You waited a couple of seconds until you see Erik on the live, wide eyed. By then, everyone was in the comments freaking out.

‘is that her??’

‘that’s erik’s girl?’

‘omg, plz tell me thats mongers girl.’

Erik laughed a little before responding, “Baybeee.. you know i don’t know how to make them...”

you responded back in the comments;

‘nigga if you don’t take your scrawny ass to that damn kitchen, read the instructions, and make them mozzarella sticks-’

Erik replied, “I know you didn’t just call me scrawny, ma.”

Right now, the chat was screaming now that they just found out who the mystery girl was.

“Ma, didn’t you say that you didn’t want people to find out about our relationship?”

‘i don’t want to be your secret no more, baby.’

After thirty seconds, Erik started grinning like his momma told him that he would get an ass whooping if he didn’t smile in the family photo. A couple of seconds later, you heard footsteps coming towards you fast. At first, your black instincts almost kicked in and you almost started running, but you realized that it was just your heavy footed boyfriend.

Erik sprinted into the room with his phone in his hand and still on insta-live. Erik tackled you on the bed and peppered your face with lots of short kisses. you giggled softly as you put your hands on his bare chest and pushed him away softly. Erik tumbled off of you and plopped on the bed, laying on his back with his phone facing himself, without you on the live video’s view.

“I finally get to show you who I’ve been spoiling for almost a year!” He said with a toothy grin on his face. “You guys don’t know how long this lil’ girl over here kept on saying how she doesn’t want to be in drama and shit like that, but now...”

He looked over to you, grinning with the camera still on only his face.

“I can show my babygirl off.” He said with his grin still glued on his face.

“Aww... Baby that’s so sweet..” You said with a similar gin as his.

You wrapped your left arm around him and burried your head into his neck so the camera wouldn’t see your face. You still had the live playing on your phone on a low volume, so you picked up your phone and took a peek at the comments.

‘her voice is sooo preetttyyy.’

‘damn, her side profile is f l a w l e s s df- 😳😳

‘damn, ma look like she be taking some good dick 💦’

‘wayamenet.... almost a year?! you’ve been hiding a goddess for almost a whole year from us?? niggas really aint shit 🙄’

‘damn, monger got a girl?? 😞’

‘this nigga knows how to keep a secret secret, damn. 👁-’

“okay, okay, okay i’ll show you guys her. Baby, you ready?”

You nodded in his neck while putting your phone on his nightstand which was oddly clean for some reason.

You turned your whole body towards the camera which was showing all of your face, and within fifteen seconds, the chat blew uP-

‘OMG SHES SO PRETTY WTF-’

‘LKNSAIOADIADAND GOD IS PICKING FAVORITES-’

‘GOD JUST GAVE ALL OF THE PRETTY TO HER- IT’S NOT FAIR-’

‘IF I HAD HER EYYYEESSSS-’

‘DROP THE SKIN CARE ROUTINE SUS-’ (cause 2020 is the year of cLEAR SKIN-)

‘I SWEAR TO GOD ERIK IF YOU BREAK UP WITH HER IM FIGHT YOUUU’

“Don’t worry, she isn’t going nowhere, and if she tried to leave, she knows that she’s coming riighhhtt back to her da-”

“ERIK-” You said while popping the side of his head.

“Sorry, ma...” Erik kissed your cheek. 

You rolled your eyes and got up to go downstairs to start on the mozzarella sticks that you told Erik to start cooking. 

“Ma, where you going?” Erik shouting from the bedroom.

“I’m cooking what I been told you to cook for a long ass time!” You replied as you took out the frozen mozzarella sticks.

“Awh, i’m sorry mamas!”

“You’re fine, baby!” Lies. You were gonna get his ass later. 

You preheated the oven to 450 degrees and placed the frozen mozzarella sticks on a oven safe container. While the oven was heating up, you decided to go back on Erik’s live and look at the comments.

“erik, she’s lying. she’s gonna whoop your ass when you stop the live 😭😭’

Damn, why do they gotta read you like a book like that??

‘bring her bacckkkk 😞’

‘if only you made them damn mozzarella sticks-’

‘lazy ass’

‘niggas these days 😣’

 After reading the comments, you smiled to yourself. Erik’s community really made you feel loved and accepted, which you didn’t really expect. But just as Erik told you when you two just started dating;

“My fans will love you! Mama, you just gotta be you and they will love you just as much as I do.”

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

damn, i think that this should be a series!

i really enjoyed writing this and low-key wanna write more-

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

taglist: @mccrps​ @dr-haze​ @imadreamysoul​ @teehjayy​ @pastelastronomy24​ @regulartuan​ @enigmaticaphrodite​ @srirachibi​ @queen-with-the-queen-shirt​ @disorganized-mess-xxx​ @fd-writes​ @iamrheaspeaks​ @destinio1​ @keiva1000​ @itsqu33n​ @raysunshine78​ @bugngiz​

Let me know if you want to be added to my taglist! <3

[devilatmydoor]

Anna, my dear, queen of spooky season🍂✨ for the Halloween celebration I need a bonfire/telling ghosts sories with the boys 4/4 where the reader is in a relationship with Calum and he tires to be brave for the reader but low key is scared af as well ❤️❤️

hello my dear! you are too sweet angel 🥺🥺this was so fun to write! 

____________

The moon shining bright above you as the fire crackled, bursts of deep red and orange flames in front of you. Calum's strong arms held you close to him in an effort to keep you warm, you draped your fuzzy on top of the both of you. Ashton, Luke, and Michael with their partners gathered around the bonfire accompanied by a plethora of blankets. Ashton leaned over the fire as he roasted marshmallows for everyone craving s' mores; you watched as Luke attempted to help Ashton with opening the package to graham crackers.

Within seconds Luke had broken 3 crackers in a row cueing a roar of laughter from everyone, his cheeks flushed pink as Micheal commented "Thank god we have more crackers in the house!"

"I'll go get more.” Crystal smiled getting up and walking towards the back door.

“Perfect, who wants to start?” Michael asked as he sipped his drink.

“Start what?” You asked confused, unsure of what he meant.

“Scary stories, duh! I’ll start” Ashton said excitedly as he grabbed his flashlight, turning it on and putting it under his chin like in the movies. “Did you guys hear about the father who showed his 4-year-old daughter a photo of herself? She told him she didn’t look like that in the mirror. He asked her how she looked in the mirror and she described his little sister who drowned in the river?”

Calum snickered at the story, “Was that supposed to be scary? Psht, next.” You gave Calum a look and he chuckled, “What? It wasn’t even scary!”

“Mhmm, shush.” You giggled as he pulled you closer to him which you thought was impossible.

“What about the children’s playground in Alabama?” Ashton mentioned and everyone shook their heads, “That’s what I thought. People have reported hearing children giggling and voices of them calling out when there were no children around the premises. People have taken photos and there were rumors of orbs of lights that are believed to be children’s spirits passed on. Most of the sightings are from 10pm to 3am which is obviously too late for children to be playing.”

You shivered against Calum as a gust of wind blew, “Are you scared bub?”

You giggle at Calum’s comment, “No, are you?”

“I have no reason to be.” He smiled kissing your cheek softly. Crystal walked back outside with crackers in hand. Ashton put his flashlight away to finish making smores for anyone who was still hungry for one.

“In 1976,  a small town in Ireland there was an unusual fog that scared people enough to lock themselves in their homes. There were over 60 reports of sightings of the undead, the police found the local graveyard had all of the graves dug up, it’s one of the biggest mysteries.” Michael told as Crystal sat down next to him.

Calum gripped you tighter, you quickly turned around to face him as he gave you an unrecognizable facial expression, “You okay?”

He nodded kissing your cheek, “Mhmm, just cold baby.” You knew he wasn’t being completely honest but nonetheless, he held you close as he nuzzled his head on your shoulder while you wrapped your arms around his neck. Luke started to tell a story as your focus was shifted to Calum who was holding you as tight as he could. When Luke finished his story Crystal changed the subject entirely and played music so people could dance to her playlist they made.

Calum’s grip loosened as you took off the blanket and got off of his lap, he followed as he stood up behind you. He wrapped his arms around your waist, “Let’s go home, yeah?”

“Good idea, maybe we can warm up by drinking hot cocoa or take a hot bath?”  You smirked with a wink causing him to chuckle in response.

“Or we could do both?” He smiled as he walked with you towards his car.

“We could drink hot cocoa and then take a hot bath to relax.” You mentioned as he held on to you tight.

“Good point,” He kissed your cheek before stepping ahead of you so he could stand in front of you. He cupped your face with his hands, “Thanks for tonight, your the best.”

“Of course, I’m always here for you.” You smiled kissing his lips softly.

“I’ll always be here for you, someone's gotta protect you from the monsters.” He commented as he continued to walk with you.

“Someone has to protect you from the ghosts.” You teased winking at him, he laughed before shaking his head.

“Mhm, I’m never going to live that down am I?” He blushed while he got his car keys out before unlocking the car.

“Don’t think so bub, your secret is safe with me.” You smiled pretending to zip your lips and throw away the key.

“Thank god, everyone already knows my kryptonite is you.” He winked as he opened the car door for you, he kissed your forehead before helping you in the car.

“We have that in common, you’re definitely my weakness.” You smiled putting your seatbelt on smiling at him; knowing your night was far from over in the best way possible. You loved being with his bandmates and friends but alone time with Calum was your favorite pastime.

tagging my hood girls- @himbocalum @wastelandcth @blackheartedcal @blackbutterfliescal @i-like-5sos @notinthesameguey @honeybunchcalum @talkfastcal @calumrose @spicycal @tpwkatsumu @calumswildflowerz @esbisos

halloween celebration - request here! 

[twistinghearts]

‘Not a Request’ Part 2

Since I have been writing this as gender-neutral as possible the paragraph that applies to ‘female’ only characters is in brackets and can be skipped if so wished. I  just thought it was funny. Also note that the cut is there imply to shorten the post on the dash, it doesn’t signify spicy things staring to happen, that’s next chapter c;  

Thank you for reading!! Part 1 || Part 3

Translations: au revoir = goodbye | souris = mouse | bonne nuit = good night 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You were lead inside the castle dorm you had been working in front of, down many hallways and up many staircases.  It was a beautiful building; gold and white decorations with hints of purple. Everything was very regal, and orderly. “Beautiful, non?” Rook commented as he noticed you looking around in awe. “Admiring something does not mean your mouth needs to hang open like a codfish.” Vil scolded, without even looking at you. You closed your mouth as soon as it was pointed out. 

Eventually you reached a bedroom that was just as extravagant as the halls that lead you here.

“Don’t touch anything, and don’t sit on anything.” Vil ordered you before turning to his dorm mates. They began to chat as you headed over to look out the large window. You were so high up... you could practically see the entire east side of the campus from here. It was a beautiful view, but also a bit unsettling as it seemed you were so far away from everything. Rook’s voice broke you from your thoughts. “Au revoir petite souris~” “Do your best~” Epel waved, before they both left.

“They’re not staying?” You questioned, unsure if you felt better or worse being left alone with Vil. 

“They have other things to attend to, they’ll return later.” Vil locked the door before heading through a curtained doorway on the opposite side of the room.  “Take off your clothes.”

You froze at the request, afraid of saying no, but not eager to undress in front of him. Then again with the way things had been going he likely wasn’t going to let it be a choice.

He walked out and took note of you still standing full clothed, “Are you shy? There is no need to feel embarrassed, my physic is far superior to yours there is no need to compare.”  He disappeared again and you heard the sounds of running water. Was he drawing you a bath? If that was a bathroom maybe you could convince him that you should just undress in there. He wasn’t going to join you was he? What was this guy planning?

 At the very least you took off your shoes, but that wasn’t enough. Vil reappeared clearly displeased at seeing you still fully clothed. “Honestly, what do you have against listening to people?” He marched over to you and grabbed your shirt and began to unbutton it. You wiggled trying to pull away but he ignored your movement only pulling you closer to him and strengthening his grip on your clothes.

[If your character has breasts] Vill made it three buttons down before noticing something different about what was underneath your shirt. “Oh~ Were you trying to hide these?” Your face started turning red. “There is still no reason to be embarrassed, they’re just another part of the body.” Yet he held a koi smirk. ]

“Can’t I just undress in there? It’s not like you were going to join me right?” You asked, a bit afraid of his response to the second question. With a sigh Vil seemed to agreed, letting go and stepping back. “Fine. If you’re so insistent on keeping private for now... Just set your clothes outside the door so I can send them to the wash.” His arms crossed. “I assumed you’d be capable of bathing by yourself. Is that correct? I’ve laid out everything for you to use.” He raised one finger to the side of his lips. “Do a thorough job or I will join you and clean you myself.” 

“Y-yes. Thank you.” You gave a nod and disappeared into the other room. You weren’t sure why you had thanked him. You didn’t want to come here, he tried to undress you and was consistently belittling you, but none of the other dorms had ever taken this much interest in you. Whether he knew it or not a hot bath was pretty luxurious to you right now considering Ramshackle’s iffy state, so it was still a nice gesture.  Maybe he was trying to pamper you and just had a bit of a forceful personality, you hadn’t exactly been the nicest or cooperative since meeting him.  After your bath you’d try and be more reasonable, so long as it seemed he was doing the same

You weren’t bothered as you took time to clean yourself with all kinds of nice smelling products that left you feeling soft and refreshed. Finally once you were all finished, and starting to get a little pruney you forced yourself out of the tub, knowing you couldn’t avoid Vil forever. But now that you were clean what were you going to wear? You couldn’t go back to the dirty clothes, and there was no way they were clean yet. 

“Vil?” You poked your head out from behind the bathroom curtain, “I’m done.” Before you could even ask your question you spotted a robe laid across the bed.

“Put that on. I’m not looking.” He answered from his desk not even turning his head. You quickly slipped out and grabbed the robe before slinking back into the bathroom to put it on. 

Once you felt secure in the robe you walked back out into the main room. “I’m dressed.” You stated, unsure of what to do now. 

“Are you feeling better? Calmed down?” Vil asked setting down his pen and heading over to you. You noticed he had changed into a robe of his own; it looked quite elegant on him.  Your eyebrow twitched. Seriously?  He went straight to being patronizing?  But you told yourself that you would try and be less aggressive. “Yes... It was nice to relax.”

Your eyes followed him as he circled you, examining you like a predator. “Yes, this is much better. Now the fun part begins.” He gently took both your hands and led you over to take a seat at his vanity. “Sit up straight, and try to relax.” He picked up a hair brush, and began running it through your hair. His touch was gentle and the accompanied feeling of the brush was really nice. Despite his harsh words, he couldn’t really be all that bad if he was treating you like this could he? 

After a while of silence he began asking you questions. Wondering about how you had come here, what would do if you were a student, and if you liked anything about working at the school. He asked about your interests, and your home world. Of course he gave his comments and opinions on everything but when you talked it felt like he was really listening. It was nice to vent about everything you had been going through and get sympathy, not just brushed off like with the headmaster. Time slipped away as you two chatted and he dolled you up, styling your hair and face. The stars were just starting come out when he spritzed you with a final setting spray. 

“Finished~” Vil stepped out of your way so you could look into the mirror. It was a bit shocking actually. You almost didn’t recognize yourself. You looked the same but so much better, like the face you always want to see yourself with. “Vil... this is...” You were at a loss for words. 

“I just brought out the beauty that was in you all along.”  

“Thank you.” You turned around and gave him a hug. “There there.” He gently pat your head and pushed you off. It was a bit endearing that you were so happy you were crying but the tears would get on his robe if he let you do that, gross. “Don’t ruin it before I get to take pictures.” He pulled out his phone and began to photograph you, telling you expressions to make and which angle to turn your head and such. Nothing strange was ever spoken, but something about Vil’s expression soured as the photo shoot went on. 

“Hou la la~ You have outdone yourself this time! You can ‘ardly recognize the sourie now.”

“I knew it would be a transformation but will all this they’re fairer than-” Epel silenced himself before finishing the statement, but the meaning had already registered with Vil. “Forgive me. I’m still working on making my comments more eloquent.” 

Rooke interjected again before the tension set in too heavily. “I’m envious, truly, you are so fortunate to be so precious to Vil. I take it you will be eating together tonight? I shall bring up dinner then.”

 “Actually I should be leaving soon, so you don’t need to change your plans for me. I’ll just get something at the cafeteria.” You were ignored and the two left as quickly as they arrived. 

“It’s not a request.” Vil stated. He seemed colder again, like how he was when you were being rude to him. “How dare you even bring up the idea of the cafeteria, their food is too unhealthy. The food Rooke prepares tastes fresher and is better for you. It’s especially important for you considering the size of your pores. Besides, it gives me a chance to admire you longer.” His fingers gently brushed along your cheek. He gazed at you for a long moment, and seemed to soften once again. Maybe it was just the food thing that annoyed him? Food was needed anyway so why not stay since it really wasn’t so bad here. Eventually you gave a nod. “Alright, I’ll stay for dinner.” 

While you waited, you now talked about fashion. He asked you what clothes you liked to wear, what colors, types of shoes and things like that. He, of course mentioned what he thought you would look best in.  You both lamented about how there were not enough opportunities to wear more unique outfits at the school. “An outfit should never be the focus. Your clothes are the frame and you are the art.” 

This time you heard a soft knock before Rooke entered, pushing a tea cart. Epel wasn’t with him this time. “Dinner is served.” He lifted the platter topper to reveal two serving of some mixed vegetable looking thing. It smelled alright, but didn’t seem to have much seasoning. However it would be rude not to give it a try.  “I will see you again in the morning, bonne nuit sourie~” Rook blew you a kiss before leaving. If you had been listening, you would have heard the lock on the door click closed behind him.

However you were a little more distracted by his words. See you in the morning? What did that mean? Was he going to show up at your dorm in the morning? There would be no real reason for that considering you didn’t have classes to go too and he wasn’t the type to help you with Crowley’s tasks. Could he have meant it as thinking you were staying? That wasn’t-

“Are you worried it’s poisoned?” Vil teased, pulling you back to reality. “You’ve been staring at your food far too long. I’d rather you be staring at me. Go on, eat. Or do you need me to feed you?”

“Huh?” You had been so lost in your thoughts that you weren’t quite able to process what Vil said. And now suddenly he was leaning over you, one hand on the back of the chair behind you the other holding a fork full of food too your lips. “Come now darling, try a bite.” You weren’t sure if it was the smell of the food or the way he called you darling but your stomach began to twist. Still, you ate the bite he held for you. It wasn’t as bad as you thought it was going to be, but far from the best thing you’ve ever had.

Once you swallowed, Vil gave a small smile and sat back down, returning to his own meal. To make small talk you asked about Rook and Epel, considering you learned a lot about Vil himself in earlier conversations. Vil gave a slight sigh before answering, as if he was displeased you would ask about his friends rather than him but he still answered. You made sure to finish your plate before Vil so you had the opportunity to bring up leaving before he forced more activities on you.

“Dinner was interesting; it’s been a while since I’ve eaten with someone else.” And not been bothered during the meal either, “But it’s late and I really need to be going, could I return this robe to you tomorrow?”

“Darling, where ever did you get the idea that you could leave?” Vil looked up at you, his cheek resting on his hand as casual as could be, “And why would you want to?”

“It…” It should be a given that you could leave but looking back it was never mentioned that this was a visit. It’s not like you were invited over either, more so dragged here like a prisoner.

“Why would you even want to leave? You said yourself, no one at this school has been nice to you, or even cared whether you exist or not. Why go back to rotting out there when you could be appreciated in here?” He moved over to you, “Haven’t we treated you well today?”

You flinched a little when his hand moved towards your cheek, though his touch was eerily soft. He wasn’t wrong… It made your stomach twist tighter to know he actually might have had a point. “I want to leave.” You were in the process of stepping back when his hand firmly grabbed your jaw and pulled you back.

“Why do you keep insisting that these things I tell you are optional? It’s not a request, it is an order. You’re not leaving.”

[country-club]

Games #3

#1 / #2

*gif not mine* Warnings: mentions of puke and embarassment Wordcount: 1.959

> Remember Rafe owing you a tour?

Yesterday you hung out with Sarah and her friends. It was fun, though you were left with a headache. Thanks to JJ. The day went by rather quickly and around 8pm you called your friends to play a game of skribbl, an online drawing game. They updated you on what’s going on at home and your ‘ex’. Were you technically dating? You can’t say for sure. But it felt like you did. He quit talking to you a week before you left. In return, you told your friends about your newly made friends and Rafe. Do you like him? It’s too early to say. Is he cute? Yes. Picture? Haven’t got one. How old is he? He looks 18/19. Does he have any cute friends? Well, there’s Topper.

“Oooh, I can be his bottom!” One of your friends cheered.

“I’ll let him know, hon.” You replied.

“Yall I’m beating your asses. Do you want to play or talk about y/n’s boyhunt?” One of the guys asks. You finished the game and continued talking. One of your friends sent you a link over chat.

“Is this him, y/n?” She asks. You clicked it and found Rafe’s Instagram page. It only had a few pictures, the latest being one of him, Topper and another boy, tagged as Kelce.

“Yep, that’s him.” You scrolled through his pictures. Sarah had commented on one of his pictures. You tapped her name and looked through her feed as well. Not much here either. What about the other Pogues? Kiara was the only one you could find. The boys probably didn’t care much about social media. Kiara had some photos of baby turtles on the beach, a few of her looking stunning in every outfit she wore and 2 pictures with the boys. You sent the pictures to your friends.

“Ok, so Kiara is the girl, the boy on her left is John B, the one behind her is Pope and the blonde one is JJ.”

“Y/n, you have been blessed, you know that?”

“Are all the boys in Outer Banks this attractive?” Your friends asked. You nodded.

“Most of them are.”

“So, will you leave any for us?”

“I think John B and Sarah are dating, and Pope looked like he has a thing for Kiara. But I’ll introduce you for sure.”

“What’s JJ short for?”

“Yeah, and why is it John B? How many John’s can there be on an island?” You weren’t sure. You discussed possible names and theories. It was about 11pm when you said goodbye and hung up.

You walked downstairs to stretch your legs, debating whether or not you should go for a walk. Hmm, yes. You grabbed a hoodie, put on some sneakers and out you went. Putting on some music and shuffling through your playlist. The sky was clear, and you could see the moon and stars above you. Your guilty pleasure started playing and you almost bumped into a lamppost, trying not to make dance moves whilst walking. You walked past Sarah’s house and got caught in the headlights of a car on their driveway. You almost had a heart attack. Taking out the earpiece your shyly waved at whoever was inside. They turned the lights off. You saw a tall figure getting out of the car. Rafe.

“Hey, y/n. What are you doing out?”

“Hey, Rafe. What are you doing alone inside your car, on the driveway, at 11:30 at night?”

“I asked you first.” He said playfully.

“Just taking a walk.”

“I was about to head over to Kelce.” Kelce was the guy from his Instagram picture.

“Was?” Rafe laughed. You walked closer to him, so you could actually see his face and stop talking loudly outside.

“Didn’t think I would run into you.” What did he mean by that? Is he not going to go to Kelce because of you or does he-. Your thoughts were interrupted by Rafe’s voice. He must have noticed your confusion. “I believe I promised you a tour.” It took you a second to realize what he was talking about. You had asked him to show you around Outer Banks yesterday.

“Right, you owed me one.” Rafe nodded to his car and opened the door for you. You got in and pulled the door close. Rafe got in behind the wheel. He looked extremely good tonight. His hair wasn’t as slicked back as usual. It made him look softer. It wasn’t hot at all outside, yet he was still wearing shorts. What is it with boys and shorts even though it’s cold?

The two of you drove around Figure 8 for a while and continued on The Cut. Rafe didn’t talk much, so it was up to you. “Do you want to play 20 questions?” Rafe looked over to you.

“Only if we can take turns.” He said. Alright now you just had to think of a question. You still wanted to know what happened two nights ago. Who he had fought and why. It’s too forward.

“What was your favorite dinosaur as a child?” Rafe didn’t have to think about it.

“Triceratops.” He said.

“Still is, am I right?” You didn’t really ask. They are simply the best. Rafe took his time to come up with a question.

“Alright, if you could find out how you were going to die, would you want to know?” Well goodbye dinosaur talk.

“I don’t think I would. No matter how much I hate surprises, I’d rather not be scared of cars or bathrooms for the rest of my life, you know?”

“Why would you be scared of bathrooms?”

“I don’t know I once read that a ton of people have died in bathrooms. It’s where a lot of accidents happen you know.” He looked at you, a bit confused, amused and impressed.

“If you could go back in time to change something, what would it be?” Rafe sighed.

“Not using my dad’s money to buy a bike.” You wanted to ask more questions, but he wouldn’t let you. “I don’t want to talk about that.” Rafe added. He stopped the car. “Can I show the around the boneyard?” This is starting to sound like The Lion King. Elephant graveyard? You opened the car door and got outside, as did Rafe. Rafe locked the car and led you to the beach. There were tree trucks and branches around the beach. It does kind of look like a boneyard.

“What do you think is the ugliest animal in the world?” Rafe asked. Right 20 questions. Truth or dare, without the dare part. You had to think for a minute. What is the ugliest animal?

“Those birds from the Jungle Book. They scream so loud.”

“Vultures?” Yep those, you nodded. You were walking on the boneyard and couldn’t see much. You tried to be careful enough to not trip and make yourself look like a fool. The stars were still very pretty. You could see the Little Bear, it kind of looks like a saucepan. And there you go. Your foot got stuck on a tree branch. However, before you could hit the ground you could feel two arms holding you up. You stood up straight again.

“You alright?” He asked. To which you nodded.

“Yeah, just got distracted for a second. Can we sit down for a minute?” You asked. Rafe dusted away some sand off a trunk and sat down. You sat down next to him. “What is something you wish you were better at?”

Rafe looked up at the night sky. “Making my dad proud.” Why wouldn’t Ward be proud of him? “I just feel like sometimes I can’t do anything right, you know?” You nodded. Was this his soft spot, his dad? You didn’t ask any further questions, seeing as you barely knew him and the subject sounds personal. You looked up again as well. Seeing his face turning your way in the corner of your eye. You could feel his eyes on you. The moonlight was bright enough for him to see your features.

“Is there any memory you would like to erase from your mind?” You couldn’t help but laugh nervously and feel embarrassed already. “What’s so funny?” You looked at him and your eyes met. His blonde hair was getting slightly pushed around by the wind.

“What I’m about to tell you. Promise to keep it between us?” He promised. “Okay, so before moving to Outer Banks I had a boyfriend situation going on. And we were at my place after a party, where he had maybe a drink or two too many.” You sighed, feeling the redness on your face appear. “And we were about to..you know. But he couldn’t, because of the alcohol and then he threw up in my bed.” Rafe tried his best not to burst out in laughter, instead he put an arm around you. “He left after that. So, there I was, cleaning my barf-covered bed and desperately spraying deodorant through my room. We haven’t talked since and I’m not counting on it anymore either.” Rafe started rubbing your back.

“That really sucks man, I’m sorry that happened.” Did he just call you ‘man’? “It wasn’t supposed to be your first time, right?” You must look like a tomato right now.

“I believe it is my turn.” You switched the conversation. “What was your first crush like?” When the word left your mouth you felt like a 12 year old again. Rafe blew out some air.

“I think it was the babysitter we had as kids. She was really sweet and artsy, and stuff. Also really pretty, like you.” You couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah, I invited her into my pillow fort to eat Cheez-its with me.”

“And?”

“She friendly declined my offer.” You burst out in laughing. “Hey, I didn’t laugh at your story.” He angrily joked, punching your arm.

“Mine was worse.”

“True.”

You softly punched him back. “Hey!” Rafe fake moaned, pretending you had hurt him.

“Aw, I’m sorry. Kiss to make it better?” Rafe pouted and nodded to you. As you were debating whether or not to kiss his arm, your phone started vibrating. It was your stepdad. “Shit.” It was already 12:30. He must’ve realized you weren’t home and you didn’t leave a note.

“What’s up?”

“It’s my stepdad, I really have to go home like right now.” You mumbled as you got up and started heading to the car.

“You gonna get into trouble?” He sounded the tiniest bit worried. Maybe you would. You had been staying out late the past three days and didn’t pick up the phone when your stepdad called. As Rafe pulled up a couple of houses before yours, you thanked him and got out. “I should walk with you, so your dad knows you weren’t out alone.” That somehow makes sense. He got out of the car as well and you speed walked to the front door. You unlocked it and walked inside. As if shot for a horror movie, your stepdad put on the living room lights.

“Y/n? Where have you been and why didn’t you answer my calls?”

“Steve, I’m sorry if I made you worry. I was taking a walk and bumped into Rafe, Ward Cameron’s son-“

“I remember who Rafe is. So, he just left you to walk home on your own? Do you know what time-”

This time it was Rafe who cut your stepfather short. He had waited outside and stepped in. “I would never let y/n walk alone, sir.” Your stepdad nodded.

“Bedtime, y/n. Goodnight Rafe.”

“Goodnight.” You gave Rafe a hug, to which he wrapped his arms around your middle.

“Goodnight, y/n.”

You walked up the stairs and called it a day.

#4

~Taglist~

@emmalvei-blog​

[gabriel-agreste-has-no-rights]

Rating: G

Summary: Kagami and Adrien skate together, and the special guest arrives.

Word Count: 2644 | Chapter 2/3

XXX

“Woah, it’s pretty dark in here.  Are you sure Phillipe said it was okay to come?”  Adrien asked as the doors creaked open.

It was black as pitch inside.  If Nino hadn’t shown her the process photos of their decorations, she might have believed the rink was deserted.

“I’ve never lied to you,” Kagami replied.  Her ice skates clinked where they hung over her shoulder.  “Come on, let’s get that ridiculous wig off.”

“What? Is blue not my color?”  He grinned.  It was insufferably cute, even if Kagami now knew the affection she felt for him wasn’t romantic.

She pulled the wig off and tossed it aside.  That was the signal she and Nino had agreed upon.

Suddenly the rink bust into light.  Lasers of red and green glinted off the giant disco ball Wayhem had managed to hang at the top of the dome.  Normal fluorescent bulbs flashed to life as well, illuminating the crowd that had gathered in the stands around the rink.

“Happy birthday, Adrien!”  All of his friends shouted in echoing cacophony.

Kagami’s focus stayed trained on Adrien as realization dawned over him.  His wide eyes took in everyone grinning at him—Nino in the back by his DJ equipment, Alya waving from closer by, Wayhem charging up to be the first to greet him.

“You… you guys threw me a birthday party?”

“It is your birthday, isn’t it?”  Kagami laughed before taking his skates.  “I’ll hold on to these for now.  Go say hello to everyone.”

Before she knew it, Adrien’s arms were flinging around her.

“Thank you, Kagami.  I know how much work this must have taken to put together.”

She relaxed in his embrace, hugging him back.

“You know you’re precious to us.  If you want to thank anyone, it’s Nino who’s the mastermind.”

“I’m not surprised.  He’s brilliant.”  Adrien pulled back, only to give her a quick bisous.  “I know you were involved too.  Please, let me thank you.”

“O-of course, Adrien.”

They shared one last smile before Wayhem practically tackled him.  

“Adrien!  It’s so good to see you, man!”

Kagami backed away as the crowd advanced.  Even after all this time, large groups were difficult for her to navigate.  It was more than worth it to see Adrien so happy, though.

After hugs and bisous were exchanged all around, Nino kicked on the stereo.

“Alright, homies!  Who’s ready to get out there and break the ice?”

He played Friday I’m in Love—one of Adrien’s favorite songs—as everyone who wanted to laced up their skates and filed onto the rink.

“Please, you won’t catch me down in that cesspit.”  Chloé tossed her ponytail.  

“Aww, but it would be fun, Chloé!”  Her red-haired friend—Sabrina, if Kagami recalled correctly—smiled up at her pleadingly.  She already had a pair of turquoise skates on.  “If you fall, I’ll catch you!”

“Quiet!” Chloé pressed a hand to her mouth.  “Do you want everyone to know I can’t skate?”

“Considering you just announced it, I doubt you will keep it a secret.”  Kagami’s eyes narrowed.  Nino might trust Chloé now, but it was difficult to forgive someone who had abused Adrien’s friendship for so long.

“I bet you’re a professional figure skater, aren’t you,” Chloé muttered.

“No.  Skating is just a hobby.  But I could help teach you, if you would like.”

Kagami might not trust Chloé, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t be civil.  Besides, she’d been wrong about a few of Adrien’s friends before.

Chloé blinked a few times.  “You would—?  I mean, thanks, but no.  I need to make sure the media doesn’t catch us here, anyway.  It’s the most important job, you know.”

“Of course.  Perhaps another time then.”  She dipped her head.

“That would be… nice.”

That settled, Kagami sat a little ways off to put on her skates.

“Kagami!”  Adrien plopped down in the chair beside her, looking brighter than ever.  “Did you see the cake Marinette made?  Alya says it’s got passionfruit icing!”

“I didn’t,” she replied honestly.  “Knowing Marinette, I trust it’s amazing.”

“She’s so thoughtful.”  He smiled while accepting his skates back from her.  “Do you know when she’s coming?  I want to thank her, but I haven’t seen her yet.”

Kagami’s brow furrowed.  “Alya didn’t tell you?  Marinette isn’t coming.”

“She’s… she’s not?”  Adrien’s head hung.  “Do you know why?  Did I do something to upset her?”

“I’m sure it’s not that.”  Unless it was because she’d learned of Adrien’s crush on Ladybug.  Marinette was always touchy when it came to competing for Adrien’s affections, even if she’d eventually put aside her rivalry with Kagami.

“She didn’t explain why she couldn’t come.  But she did say that you mean the world to her, and that she will make it up to you.”

“She really said that?”  His hand hovered over his heart, his face hopeful.

Kagami wondered why Nino thought it so important to bring Ladybug to the party.  Adrien looked just as thrilled at the idea of seeing Marinette.

“Yes.  Now until then, let’s make the most of tonight.”  

“Right.  Thank you.”

He swapped out his orange sneakers for white ice skates, and she caught a glimpse of the dragon sticker she’d stuck on his left blade back when they were dating.  It left a bittersweet taste in her mouth, but more sweet than bitter.  He was a dear friend.  He’d shown that nothing would change that.

“Dance with me?”  He asked while pulling her towards the rink.

“On the ice?”

“Why not?  I know you’re skilled enough.”

She had no doubt of that.  Adrien had always been a little less steady in his skates than her, though.

“Alright.”  She smiled.  “If you think you can keep up with me.”

“You know I never back down from a challenge!”

Nino was playing Don’t Think Twice as they glided out onto the ice.  She had to weave between other skaters—the arena had never been this crowded when she and Adrien escaped here before.  Phillipe must have been thrilled to admit so many patrons.

“Woah!”  Adrien skidded back when a young man with tall blond hair came barreling through.

“Sorry!”  Luka called, skating quickly behind him.  “This is XY’s first time on the ice.”

“Lu!  Look, I think I’m getting the hang of it!”

Kagami hid a laugh behind her hand as XY wiped out, “starfishing” (as Nino would have called it) across the ice.

“Nice moves,” Juleka deadpanned before gliding on with Rose.

“You have some interesting friends,” Kagami noted as she and Adrien started moving again.

“I’m not sure if XY counts as a friend, exactly.”  He rubbed the back of his neck.  “He’s more like… an acquaintance, or a weird family member you have to invite to reunions.”

Kagami raised an eyebrow.  “You have a lot of family members like that?”  She had some odd relatives, but they tended to be excluded from family gatherings.

“Er… well, Nino says his family does.  I think all of my family is weird, but a different kind of weird, if you know what I mean.”

Kagami nodded, remembering the few times she’d met Adrien’s cousin Felix.  Not to mention the austere Gabriel himself.

Once they got to a clearer area, Adrien took both of her hands and began skating backwards.

“You’ve gotten better,” she noted.  “I still think you should let me take the male part, though.  I’m more used to skating backwards than you.”

“Fair enough.”  He effortlessly switched positions with her.  

At times like this, she remembered why she’d dated Adrien in the first place.  Not only was he sweet, respectful, and talented, but they were so alike.  They could glide in near-perfect sync from hours of easy practice.  He’d been the first one to take her routine hobbies and add a spark to them, make them truly fun.

Thankfully, those were all things that hadn’t changed.  It had hurt when he’d first admitted that he was still in love with someone else, that he didn’t feel it was fair to treat her as a second choice.  But she respected that now.  He’d made his decision, and she’d learned much more about herself since then, too.

Such as the fact that she might not desire romantic affections at all.

“New song,” Adrien said when Don’t Think Twice stopped playing and Wannabe by the Spice Girls began.  “This one’s not in three-four time.  You’ll have to give me something harder than a box step waltz.”

“Okay, I’ll stop going easy on you!”  

She let go of one of his hands, spinning him out and back in.  He almost skidded on the second spin, but she caught him and turned it into a dip.

“Looks like someone was getting cocky.”  She smirked.

“Nah.  I just knew you would catch me.”  He winked.

She laughed, pulling him back upright and beginning a simpler dance that Alya had taught her.  Something called a foxtrot, if she remembered correctly.

“Shouldn’t you be saving that kind of flirting for your girlfriend?”  

It was satisfying to watch the blush spread across his cheeks.  “My—?  I don’t have a girlfriend.  But if I’m making you uncomfortable, I’m sorry, I really should have—”

“Relax, Adrien.  I was only teasing.”  She squeezed his hand.  They continued gliding hand in hand, not pulling off any fancy tricks this time.

“Still.  I should be more considerate of your feelings.”

“I’ve assured you, you have nothing to worry about.”  She hoped her honest smile showed that.

“But—”

“I’m asexual, Adrien.”

He went silent.  Kagami tried to keep her strides even.  She’d realized this about herself for a while now—since shortly after they broke up—but she’d yet to voice it even to her closest friend.  What if he didn’t believe her?  Or worse, what if he believed she’d led him on in their relationship?  She hadn’t realized that the strong friendship she’d felt for him wasn’t romantic or sexual attraction at the time.

“Like Max?” He replied after a moment.

The response threw her for such a loop that she almost stumbled.  “Like—who?”

“Max Kanté.  From my class?  I can introduce you if you’d like; I saw him when we came in.  If you’re aro too, you might want to talk to Alix, she’s—”

A pink blur blew past them.

“—right there, actually.”  He laughed.  “You might want to catch her off of the rink, though.  She’s even more competitive than you.  It’ll be hard to get her to slow down.”

Something swelled in Kagami’s chest.  She’d felt fairly secure in her identity, but still very much alone.  Distant strangers on the internet could only provide so much comfort.  But if Adrien knew not one, but two people like her…

“Thank you,” she said, her voice thick with emotion.  “That would mean so much to me.”

“No problem!  And I really hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable while we were dating.  Relationships are pretty new to me; I never even thought to ask.”

He was worried about making her uncomfortable?  He really was twice the gentleman she’d assumed.

“No need to worry.  I didn’t know I was ace at the time.  If I was uncomfortable, I would have told you.”  It had been a long road in realizing, and an even longer road in accepting her asexuality.  But there was no point in trying to deny who she was.  Seeing Adrien take it in stride was more of a relief than he could know.  “Thank you for your thoughtfulness.”

“Of course!  You’re my friend, Kagami.  I would never want to hurt a friend.”

Tears threatened to prick her eyes when he flashed her his brightest smile.  Before she could look like a complete fool, though, Nino skated up behind Adrien and tapped his shoulder.

“Hey, bro!  Hey, lady bro!  You mind if I borrow Adrien for a bit?  I want to show off my sick skate moves!”

Kagami laughed.  She could always count on Nino to keep things light.  

“Nino?”  Adrien looked shocked.  “Since when do you skate?”

“Since Kagami taught me!  Thanks again for that, by the way.”  He tipped his cap at her. 

“Why don’t we all skate together for a while?  It’ll be more fun that way,” Adrien suggested.

“Whatever my best bro wants.  XY took over the music, so I’m free for the next few songs.”

Adrien took both of their hands, and they glided in sync.  It was a bit more difficult with Nino, since he was still a beginner, but it was no less fun.  They even managed to dance a bit to the upbeat music.  

“This party is everything I could ask for,” Adrien said in the quiet between two songs.  “I can’t thank you guys enough.”

“We’re just happy to see you happy, dude.”  Nino clapped his shoulder.  “I don’t think this party has everything yet, though.”

Adrien’s brow scrunched.  “What do you mean?”

That was when Kagami noticed a figure in red skating towards them.  The crowd parted before her slow but steady strides.  

“I believe he means her.”  Kagami pointed to the red skater.

It was worth everything to see Adrien’s eyes widen, his cheeks turn pink, an expression of utter elation wash over him.  His grip on Kagami’s hand loosened as he clasped his hands in front of his chest.

“No way.  No way!  You got Ladybug to come to my party?”  He looked between Kagami and Nino, as if trying to figure out who to thank for it.

“It was all Nino.”  Kagami dipped her head.

“It was nothing.”  Nino rubbed the back of his neck.  “Alya did all the heavy lifting.  Her Ladyblog connections, ya know?”

Adrien looked like he was about ready to throw his arms around both of them, but that was when Ladybug reached their group.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” she said, sounding shyer than Kagami remembered her.  A frozen tiara glimmered in her dark hair, reflecting the laser lights that flashed across the rink.  “I heard it was someone’s birthday?”

“Me!”  Adrien practically shouted.  “I mean—uh, thank you so much for coming to my party, Ladybug.  I’m honored.”

He bowed so deeply, his skates nearly slid out from under him.  Ladybug hid a giggle behind her hand.

“You’re so cute—I mean—it’s super cute—COOL of you to invite me.”  She flashed finger guns at him.  

Kagami’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully.  Was Ladybug always so awkward in social situations?  

“It was super cool of you to come!”  Adrien held her shoulders to steady himself as he gave the traditional bisous.  Ladybug’s face was bright red afterwards.

“Should we give them some space?”  Nino whispered to Kagami behind his hand.

“It would defeat the purpose if we didn’t, wouldn’t it?”

“You’re leaving?”  Adrien asked when he tore his eyes away from Ladybug long enough to notice.  “You don’t have to!”

“No worries, dude!  We’ve got to check on Chloé and make sure we’re still not on your babysitter’s radar.  We’ll catch up with you later!”

Nino dragged Kagami away, nearly sending them both to the ice until she steadied them.

“Do you really think Chloé is shirking her responsibilities?”  She asked.

“Nah, she seemed pretty serious about that.  I just needed an excuse to leave them alone.  Adrien would be too nice to leave us otherwise.”

“Oh.”  Kagami leaned back against the railing, watching Adrien take Ladybug’s hand.  They seemed well suited for each other.  Kagami had heard Adrien wax poetic about Ladybug enough to tell his affections were genuine, and Ladybug could protect Adrien from anyone who wanted to hurt him.  

Unless she was the one who ended up hurting him, in which case Kagami would have to test her sabre skills against the superhero.  

That shouldn’t be necessary. Kagami hoped they would find happiness together for at least one evening.

[janetbrown711]

"Ah yes, i remember it so well! Uncle Yves was from Moscow, and Aunt Odessa too, and every spring-"

"-every spring, we would take picnics by the shore on sundays. Haven't you anything better to do?" The Dowager Empress Bentina Beakly waved off another phony girl pretending to be her beloved granddaughter.

"Oh my- alrighty dear. It's time to go now," Daisy gave an apologetic smile to the Empress and escorted the girl out of the room before closing the doors.

"No more," the empress whispered to herself.

"I must say, i am so incredibly sorry! I thought for sure she was real," Daisy apologized. "But rest assured, next time I will think of some really hard questions-"

"No." Beakly protested. Daisy sat down as Beakly stood up.

"My heart cannot take it anymore. I will not see any more girls pretending to be my Webbigail," she looked at a framed photo of the young girl and turned it down. Daisy went up to her.

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"Of course. She is probably long lost by now. No need to keep hopes up."

.o0o.

"What if Daisy doesn't recognize me?" Webby asked while riding in a car with Donald, Lena, and Louie.

"Of course she will- you're Webbigail," Louie blew it off.

"It's just that-"

"What?"

"Three days ago, i didn't have any past at all and now im trying to remember an entire lifetime," Webby groaned.

"That's why you got me," he winked as the car came to a stop. He got out and helped her on her way out too.

"Now stand up straight and remember your training," Louie reminded. Donald gave him a glance before knocking on the door of Daisy's house. A maid answered but a woman in a large pink dress moved her and hugged him tightly.

"Daisy!" Donald laughed and embraced her.

"My donnie! This is most unexpected," she smiled as she stepped back and gave him her hand to kiss. "Oh but do come in!" She led them all inside.

"May I present, her royal highness, the Grand Duchess Webbigail Nicolia Vanderquack," Donald presented her. Daisy examined her.

"She certainly does look like Webbigail..." she circled. "But so did many of the others."

"Where were you born?" She interrogated.

"At the Canard Palace," Webby answered without hesitation.

"How does Webbigail like her tea?"

"Oh, i don't like tea. Just hot water and lemon."

It went on like this for hours. Daisy asking an endless list of questions. Some were easier than others but Webby did get them all correct.

"Now... i know this question will like be impertinent but indulge me," Daisy said. Webby scooted to the very edge of her seat.

"How did you escape during the seige on the palace?"

Louie felt like his heart stopped. It was over. He resigned himself to the mantle of Daisy's fireplace. He never tested Webby on-

"There... there was a boy. A boy that worked in the palace. He opened a wall..."

Louie slowly lifted his head.

"Oh but that sounds silly. Walls opening," she laughed.

Louie looked at her. At Webby. At Webbigail.

"So... is she a Vanderquack?" Donald asked.

"Well, she answered every question," Daisy smiled.

"Haha! You hear that child?! You did it!!!" Donald hugged Webby, Daisy laughing and Lena barking in the corner as Louie slow excused himself from the room.

"So... when do we go and see the Empress?" Donald asked.

"Oh... i am afraid you can't," Daisy's smile fell.

"Come again?" Donald blinked.

"The Empress simply won't allow it," Daisy explained.

"Now Daisy, mi amore, surely you can think of something," Donald gave a smile. Daisy huffed.

"Please?" Donald begged.

"Do you like the Russian Ballet?" Daisy asked Webby. She nodded, feeling like a Grand Duchess would. "I believe they are performing in Paris tonight. The Dowager Empress and I love the Russian Ballet. We never miss it," she winked at Donald.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you Daisy," Donald kissed her.

"Anything for you my Donnie," she winked.

"I'll go tell Louie the fabulous news," Donald nodded and left, going outside and finding Louie looking troubled in Daisy's garden.

"Louie!! We did it!!" He cheered, "We are going to see the Imperial Highness tonight!!" He hugged his nephew and spun him around. Louie pushed his way free.

"We are going to get the 10 million dollars!!"

"Uncle Don-"

"We are going to be off!"

"Uncle Donald-"

"We are going to be rid of all of it!!" He exploaded into laughter which faded into a sense of freedom and relief.

"Uncle Donald... she is the princess," Louie half whispered.

"Webby was so extraordinary! I almost believed her! And Daisy!" Donald wasn't listening. Just then, Webby came out.

"Daisy wants to take us shopping for the ballet!! Shopping in Paris!!" she was excited.

"Ah... yes. Wonderful," Louie nodded.

"C'mon it'll be so fun!!" Webby grabbed his arms and dragged him off.

They spent the whole day in and out of shops, seeing the sights of Paris, and even going to see the dancers at the Moulin Rouge. The whole time Webby clung to Louie's arm like an excited puppy. But all Louie could do was look at her fondly yet sadly.

He knew she was the princess because he was the boy with the wall. He saved her life and was now returning her to her grandmother. Forever.

He would probably never see her again after that.

And dammit.

He was just starting to fall deeply in love.

"I'm telling you, we have nothing to worry about," Louie said to his anxious uncle as he paced outside the theater house. "She's the princess."

"I know, i know-"

"No. You don't." Louie snapped, standing up from his place on the steps. Donald looked at him.

"I was the boy. From the palace. Who opened the wall," Louie explained. Donald gasped.

"That's why you were the only one who..."

Survived

But Donald didn't have the heart to finish his sentence.

"And that's also why I know it's her," Louie grimaced.

"That means our Webby... has found her family," Donald smiled softly. "We have found the heir to the Russian throne." He placed a hand on his nephew's back.

"And... you..." his smile saddened.

"Will walk away, cut out of her life forever," Louie walked away, stone cold.

"But-"

"Princesses don't marry kitchen boys," Louie stopped his uncle from trying.

"I know but-"

"We are going to go through this like nothing has changed. Got it?" his voice was dark. Donald sighed.

"You have to tell her," Donald said.

"Tell me what?" Webby suddenly appeared behind them, wrapped up in a large and expensive coat, her eyes sparkling as much as the jewels on her neck. Louie removed his hat.

"How- uh- h-how... how beautiful you look," Louie couldn't hold back.

"Well... thank you," she smiled and held her arm out. Louie nodded and took it, escorting her in. Daisy followed not long after Webby and Donald escorted her in.

Once inside, Webby went up the stairs after giving a gentleman her coat when Louie finally caught a glimpse of her without the big coat.

The dress was dark blue, and shimmered like the night sky. Her gloves were long and silky, framing her arms in a near perfect way. Her choker necklace shone more than the dress, and the pearl earrings she wore made her look heavenly, and her long hair was wrapped perfectly in a bun. Boy, if he wasn't in love already...

"Louie?" She asked. Just then he realized his jaw was wide open and he shook himself out of it, running up the stairs to accompany her to her seat.

And soon, the ballet began.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9

[calpalirwin]

Night Out

A/N: Remember my post about the high-heeled princess vs the muddy sneakers tomboy? Yeah, this is that blurb.

And away, and away we go!

~~~

“Just a Friday night with the boys,” I told my reflection, my hands gripping the bathroom counter as I tried to slow my breathing.

If it’s just a night out with the boys why are you so nervous?

Because you’ve had a crush on Ashton since you met and now you’re both finally single?

Shut up!

These are your thoughts, you know that right?

I said shut up!

“Just a Friday night with the boys,” I repeated to myself.

Oh, if only that were true.

~~~

I had first met Ashton and the rest of 5SOS at a photoshoot after my friend had called me up asking for extra help when a colleague bailed on her at the last minute.

“Please Y/N?” Katie begged me over the phone. “You know I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”

“And you know I’m not like you. I take photos on my phone for fun.”

“Good photos!”

“I’m not a professional like you are, okay? I’ll ruin your business.”

“No you won’t. C’mon, at least let me tell you who the photoshoot is for.”

“Who?”

“5SOS!”

I sighed. She knew that band was my weakness. “Damn it, alright. I’m in.”

“Yay! You won’t regret this Y/N!”

~~~

“So, did Katie just hire you?” the tall man with brown hair and hazel eyes asked me. He had on a white button up shirt with short sleeves and roses on it tucked into fitted black slacks.

“What?” I sputtered, looking around to see who he was talking to, because it certainly couldn’t be me. Only it had to be because it was just us in the room. “Me?” I asked stupidly, pointing at myself.

He giggled. The real-life, not from a video clip, giggle. “Yes, you. Who else?”

“Casper?”

He giggled again. “You’re funny, you know that? Name’s Ashton,” he said, offering me his- very large- hand.

“Y/N,” I choked out, shaking his hand, trying not to drool over how warm and soft it felt despite his rugged looks. The man looked like a god, not a drummer.

“Funny girl with a cute name,” he noted. “So, how do you know Katie?”

“How do you know Katie?” I challenged, my brain forgetting how to work.

“She’s my photographer…?”

“Right… um…”

“Jesus, you are new,” he giggled a third time. “Relax. Loosen up a bit.”

“I am not new. I’ve just never done this before.”

“Think that makes ya new, gorgeous,” he winked.

Oh, God… I was gonna pass out. I reached past him for the water bottles on the table, busying myself with taking a sip, trying to ignore his presence.

“Wow, you are impossible to get to know. I asked a simple question. It wasn’t a rude one, was it?”

“She’s my best friend. I’m just here to help her out,” I said, trying to appear more confident than I actually was.

“Oh, so you’re not like a real photographer?”

“Nope,” I said, popping the “p” loudly. “I’m a writer. Well, I work for a publishing company anyway.”

“Oh, that’s cool. You do know how to use a camera though, right?”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m not an idiot.”

He held his hands up in surrender. “Hey, just checking. My livelihood depends on you and Katie not making me and my bandmates look like shit.”

“My bandmates and me,” I corrected under my breath.

“What was that?” he asked, leaning down to hear me better. “Sorry, my hearing’s shit.”

“I said that’s impossible!” I blurted, my cheeks flushing as I realized I had just more or less confessed that I found him attractive.

He just giggled again.

~~~

What I thought was just a one time occurrence quickly spiraled into more. The next time Katie called me to help with a photoshoot, she jumped straight to what I needed to hear.

“It’s another 5SOS one!”

“Great, so you want me to make a fool of myself again?” I asked, even though we both knew I was going to say yes.

“Oh, c’mon! Your pictures came out great, Y/N. And the boys liked you.”

“I tripped him!” I said, meaning Ashton. It had been unintentional. I was sitting with my legs kicked out when he had walked backwards into me. He had fallen, then did a weird backwards sort of skip to get his other foot out behind his falling weight to catch himself. “Make all the men fall for you like that?” he had winked.

“Oh, please! It was an accident! That man needs to watch where he’s walking.”

“That man needs to do a lot of things…” I mumbled under my breath.

“I heard that!”

~~~

“You’re not gonna trip me again, are ya?” Ashton’s voice sounded from behind me.

I whirled to see the man sporting short sleeved white collared shirt, similar to the one he wore at our first meeting, only without the roses decorating it. “You should watch where you’re walking,” I said, using Katie’s words as I scrambled to find my own.

“You this flustered with everyone, or am I just special?”

“Don’t flatter yourself.”

This time, instead of giggling, he smirked.

~~~

“Y/N, I gotta another 5-” Katie started.

“I’m in,” I responded.

This time, Ashton Irwin would not fluster me.

~~~

“I think you were stalking me if I didn’t know any better.”

I narrowed my eyes at the man, whose leather jacket and slicked back hair made him look like a modern-day James Dean. No! His antics of riling me up ended here and now!

“Trust me, I’d rather be anywhere else,” I lied. Well, it was half a lie at least. I would rather be somewhere else- a somewhere else that included him in a bed with our clothes on the floor. But, he didn’t need to know that.

His face fell at my words. “Oh… sorry if I made you uncomfortable…” Long gone was the usual giggle and smirk of a man who knew he made heads turn. In its place was a sincere apology that he had crossed some imaginary line. Even his hazel eyes, which usually danced with mischief were sorrowful.

“Oh, no!” I rushed, feeling guilty my words gave him the impression that he had done something wrong. “I’m sorry. I just… you… friends?” I asked, biting my lower lip. Friends? Really? That was the best I could come up with?

“Friends,” he nodded, a small smile coming back to his features. “You know me and the guys really like it when you work with Katie. We, uh… might have requested you this time?” he admitted, a hand coming to rest at the back of his neck as he dodged my gaze.

“You requested me? I’m not even a photographer…”

“You do good work. Plus, you’re like really chill and easygoing. Now that we’re friends, you should hang out with us sometime.”

“Yeah, that’d be cool.”

~~~

That was when our friendship really took off. 

Ashton quickly became one of my best friends and I got along really well with the other 3. They were my boys and I was their girl. I quickly earned the title of honorary bro, a role that I took seriously, suddenly grateful for a lifetime of being a tomboy.

That being said, I was still jealous as hell when I had to play his wingman, wishing that one day he would see me as one of the girls he flirted with instead of the girl-bro who helped him seal the deal.

To take the sting out of the wound, I dated around myself.

But tonight? Well, tonight Ashton and I were both single at the same time. And I was determined to get my man.

~~~

The night out had been my idea. A lie that I needed a bros night out after a hard week. In truth, I just wanted a night out with Ashton, but was too nervous to blatantly ask him out. So, I was going to hide under the guise of a harmless boys night out, and pray I blew him out of the water.

I took one last look at myself in the mirror: my hair curled, bright red lipstick drawing attention to my lips, my black dress drawing attention to my curves, and my heels giving me just enough height to hopefully reach Ashton’s lips.

“Just a Friday night with the boys,” I said one last time before heading out.

~~~

Calum let out a long, low whistle when I walked in. “You said guys night, not girls night,” he said, wrapping me in a hug.

“I take it I look good?”

“Stunning. Is this for-?” He let his question hang between us. He knew I had a crush on Ashton. They all knew. All but Ashton.

“Damn,” Mike choked from behind me. “Keep me out of your selfies, please.”

“Too much?” I asked, biting my lip, suddenly feeling very nervous I was overdoing it.

“Oh…” Mike said with realization. “Operation Get Yo Man?”

I nodded my head fast, biting further down on my lip.

“Stop, you’ll ruin the lipstick,” both men scolded me.

“Whoa, Cal got a girl already?” Luke asked, rounding the corner. “Y/N?” he gasped once he realized it was me, his blue eyes wide in shock. “I can’t… you look… wow…”

“It’s Operation Get Yo Man,” Mike told Luke.

“Yeah, I can see that. Has Ash seen her yet?”

“He’s not here!” I said worriedly, twisting my hands. “Oh, this was so stupid!”

“Relax,” Calum said, his hands coming down on my shoulders, turning me to look at him. “Ash is gonna flip when he sees you. This is gonna work.”

“Really?”

“You look like a fuckin model,” Mike said.

“Says the one engaged to a model…”

“So, who better to judge?” he asked, his green eyes twinkling.

“Okay, picture!” I said, feeling excited again as I pulled out my phone. “C’mon, you two,” I said when Luke and Mike hung back. “Crystal and Sierra are both well aware of my feelings.”

“Alright,” Luke shrugged, throwing an arm around me, while Mike came to stand behind me, and Calum threw his arm around me from the other side of Luke. “Say Operation Get Yo Man!” Luke teased, my phone in his hand as he had the longest reach.

“Operation Get Yo Man!” we grinned at the camera as Luke snapped a series of pictures.

“Oh, post that one!” Calum said, once we let go and looked at our selfies.

I quickly put the photo on my Insta-

thefaby/n: Operation Get Yo Man with the best wingmen a girl could ask for! #boysnight #operationgetyoman #myboys

~~~

“Really? You took the selfie without me?” Ashton’s voice said as he slid in the booth.

“Sorry,” I shrugged.

His hazel eyes locked with mine, before scanning my body. “Whoa…” he breathed.

“Mate, you knew what she was wearing. You saw the post,” Calum smirked.

“No, I didn’t. I saw that Y/N posted, and i just assumed… whoa…” he said again.

From across the table I could see his Adam’s apple moving as he struggled to come to terms with the girl I normally was in comparison to the girl across from him. Good. He could be the flustered one for once. “Problem?” I smiled.

“No, no problem,” he said, shaking his head, going back to being unbothered. “You look good.”

“I know,” I smirked, taking a sip from my drink, making sure he was watching as my red lips wrapped around the straw.

“So, what’s the plan for tonight, boys?” Ashton asked, drumming his hands on the table and avoiding my eye.

“It’s Operation Get Yo Man,” Mike said, throwing his arm around me.

“Oh, so we’re her wingmen tonight? Alright,” Ashton said, licking his lips and looking around the rest of the bar. “See anything you like so far?” he asked, as simply as if he was asking if I wanted him to pass over the fries.

I drummed my fingers against my chin, drawing his attention to my lips again. “You know what? As a matter of fact, I do. Cal, care to dance?” I said, offering my hand out to Calum who sat on the other side of the booth with Ashton.

To his credit, he kept his face calm as Ashton got out to allow Calum to pass as Luke moved to let me out on our side. “What are you doing?” Calum whispered, wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

“Trust me. Now put your hand on my lower back. Touch my ass if you have to.”

His arm slid down my back, giving my ass a small squeeze before resting his hand on it as we walked off. I could swear I heard Ashton mutter a “Motherfucker.”

“You know, a lesser man would be mad you’re using him like this,” Calum said.

“You’re not mad, are you?” I asked, turning and wrapping my arms around his neck as he swayed me in time to the music.

His cheeks crinkled with his smile. “Nah. You help me get laid all the time. Glad to repay the favor.”

“Thank you,” I smiled, lifting my heels up to peck his cheek. “Think it’s working?”

“If it doesn’t, he’s an idiot. So, out of curiosity, why Ash?”

“Aw, Cal, are you jealous?”

“I’d be lying if I said you weren’t turning me on right now. But, I’m more than fine with our friendship staying a friendship. If you ever wanna fool around though…”

I placed my hand on his chest and laughed, feeling him rumble with his own laughter. “I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it. But…”

“But, Ash.”

“But, Ash,” I nodded. “He just… he went out of his way to make me feel welcome. You all have. But, he did it first. And I thought he was actually flirting with me whereas you guys were just being nice to me. And just…” I sighed, closing my eyes as I collected my thoughts. “Did I misread everything? Am I only friends with you guys to get close to him? Am I only friends with him because I want something more?”

“Hey, stop,” Cal said firmly. “Whatever the original intentions were, you’re one of us now. That’s not gonna change. Yes, we all know you’re closest with Ash. But our friendships are still real friendships. This doesn’t go away if things with you and Ash go wrong. You know that right? We’re your boys and you’re our girl. End of discussion. Case closed.”

“Thanks, Cal,” I said, resting my head against his chest.

“Anytime, Y/N, anytime,” he murmured against my hair. “Oh, looks like my work here is done,” he said, his chin rubbing at my head as he nodded at Ashton walking towards us. “Hey, mate.”

Ashton nodded his head curtly, his lips pressed tightly together. He was mad. But why? I liked him, but that didn’t mean my feelings were reciprocated.

“Need something?” I asked. I wanted him to want me. But I wanted him to want the real me. Not the girl dressed up who was dancing and flirting with his best mate. 

“Yeah, can we talk? In private?” His gaze shifted from mine to Calum as he asked his second question. 

“She’s all yours, mate,” Calum said, stepping away from me. But not before he placed a kiss on my cheek and whispered, “Get yo man, girl.”

I mouthed a thank you as the darker man strolled off back to our booth, leaving me alone with Ashton. “So what’s up?”

“Stop playing innocent,” he snapped. 

“Excuse me?”

“This act you’re playing. It’s not cute.”

“What act?”

“This!” His hand waved about my whole body.

“I can’t dress nice for a night out with my boys? You’re not my father, Ashton.”

“No, but you’re like a sister to me. And I would hope my sister’s friends would have enough sense to call her out for acting like a… like a…”

“Like a what, Ash? Like a girl?” I challenged. I knew what he was trying to say, but I also knew he respected women too much to ever say they were acting like a tramp. He was all about women being unapologetically themselves. Why was he on my case about it?

“You know what I mean. This isn’t you.”

“Spoiler alert: I can be a lot more than the girl-bro. I can be the girl-girl too.”

“Yeah. But are you doing this because you want to? Or are you doing it to impress someone?”

“What does it matter?” I continued to challenge, even though part of me knew he was right. Either he liked me for me or he didn’t. So why had I dressed up for him?

“Would you quit dodging the question and answer? Is this really a night out with your boys, or is there something more? Operation Get Yo Man? Really, Y/N? Is it Cal?”

“What? No, it’s not Cal. God. You really don’t see it. do you?”

“See what? That you’re crazy?”

“I like you, dumbass!” I blurted. “I liked you the whole time!”

“Oh.”

“Look, I get it, okay? I’m not some tight-skirt, high-heeled princess. I’m the blue jeans and muddy sneakers tomboy.  Both are beautiful. Both are dangerous.”

“Both are you,” he cut me off.

My face flushed. “Both are not me. Look, I get it. I’m not the conventional beauty you normally date. But, I’m tired of hiding. So, I’m putting myself out there. Ball’s in your court, now,” I said. 

“Jesus, took ya long enough…”

“What?”

“Y/N, I’ve liked you since I met you. You’ve got spunk. You’re unapologetically yourself 100 percent of the time. More than that, you’re my best friend. You see me for me. And I see you for you.”

“You like me?”

“Of course I do! God, I was so nervous around you, I literally tripped.”

“You played it off well…”

“That’s because while you make me a nervous wreck, you also instill a level of confidence in me I never knew I had.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“So… where does that leave us?”

“I think it leaves us right about here,” he said before ducking his head down to kiss me. It was soft. It was sweet. It was fierce. It was everything I dreamed it was.

“Here’s good,” I smiled, breathless once we pulled apart.

~~~

The next morning, I woke up in a bed that was not mine in a shirt that was also not mine. “Oh, fuck… what happened last night?”

“You got rip roaring drunk, and ended up in my bed,” Ashton’s voice sounded from where he was lying next to me in bed, shirtless and scrolling through his phone. “Aspirin and water’s right there for ya.”

“Thanks,” I said, quickly swallowing the two small pills with a swig of water. Waking up in his bed with him next to me was nothing new. But, given what I thought I remembered about last night…  “Ash, did we… ?” I asked, both afraid of what I had done last night and what we had done.

His phone clattered on his bedside table and he rolled over to face me. “What’s the last thing you remember, Y/N?”

“Let’s see… dancing with Cal. You and me arguing. Did we kiss?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. Then what?”

“Then nothing. You continued to dance and drink, saying that it was the best night of your life. Then you asked me to take you home. You’re a very needy drunk, Y/N.”

I leaned my head in one of my hands and shut my eyes in a wince. “Oh, God… Sorry… So we didn’t… ?”

“Have sex? No,” he shook his head.

“Thanks for not taking advantage.”

“Ew, don’t thank me for doing the right thing…”

I sighed. “We don’t go back to normal after this, huh?”

“Oh, you mean back to before we confessed our feelings for each other, and you ended up safely in my bed, untouched?”

I let out a weak laugh. “Yeah, that.”

“We don’t.”

“Oh, cool,” I fake-smiled. “I’m gonna get an Uber. See ya around, I guess,” I said, offering a small two-finger wave and throwing back the covers.

“Y/N.”

“What?” I asked, the room spinning.

“You can’t just leave.”

“Yes, I can, Ash. I’ve already made enough of a fool of myself. Let me go nurse this hangover in peace.”

He scoffed. “You can barely walk. Get back in bed.”

“You’re not the boss of me,” I said, taking a few unsteady steps forward before falling on the floor. “Ow… Ash…”

I heard his giggle as he got out of bed. “Told ya,” he smirked before scooping me up like a small child and placing me back in his bed.

“Shut up…”

“You’re ridiculous, you know that? Do you know why we kissed?”

“Because I’ve been wanting to kiss you for the past year and a half?”

“Well… maybe. But, it’s because I kissed you. Because I like you.”

“Well, that’s dumb of you.”

“Hey. Be proud of yourself. Operation Get Yo Man was a success. You got him.”

“I do?”

“Honestly, woman. Am I gonna spend the rest of my life reassuring you that I’m into you?”

“Maybe?”

“Alright then. Victory selfie for my hungover girlfriend?”

“You know me too well, Ashton Irwin.”

“Get over here,” he giggled, pulling me to lay against his shoulder, phone already posed for the shot.

I closed my eyes against him, grinning and breathing in his scent, feeling his lips kiss my hair as the camera shutter clicked rapidly. “Perfect,” I said, looking at the picture of us before putting it up on my Insta.

thefaby/n: Status Report- Operation Get Yo Man: successful. #operationgetyoman #successfulmission #myman

[thebiasrekkers]

Make It Right [BTS Mafia!AU]

Pairings: Jin x OC | Taehyung/Hoseok x OC | Yoongi/Jungkook x OC Genre: BTS Mafia!AU Warnings: Graphic Violence, Heavy Language, Angst, Smut, Slow Burn WC: 2,494 Prologue 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 “It’s always darkest before the dawn…” It’s a dog-eat-dog world in Seoul, South Korea. One has to dwell in the shadows in order to reach for the light. What are you willing to sacrifice in order to feel the sunlight on your face? What will it take to drag you back into darkness? How long will the journey be to make it right?

AO3 | WP

Chapter 18: Magic Shop

"I won’t say clichéd things like 'have strength'. I’ll just listen to you, listen..."

Busan - Marine City; Haeundae District South Korea

The trip to Busan yielded much fruit.

Seokjin expected no less, however, when it came to Anastasia.

While she already submitted her letter of resignation to her own company, holding true to her word, Seokjin decided it was best that he kept his as well. He would give her time to bid her co-workers farewell and to get her affairs in order. When she brought the contract, it was signed and he also put his own signature on it as well – completing the deal with his sealing stamp. It didn’t surprise him that she was anxiously waiting for anything to change; for the final nail to sink into her coffin.

But no, this was the beginning of a very beautiful relationship. He would make sure of that.

And he did. Not wanting to waste anymore time, Seokjin informed her that she needed to pack a suitcase so they could go on a business trip. He wanted to take the time to properly get to know her in the business aspect. He knew what she was like personally, at least from what the younger ones often mentioned. She was funny, loyal, and fair. But she also had self-esteem issues, mostly stemming from attempting to claim a dream and failing in said endeavor.

He didn’t want her to feel she couldn’t take anymore risks. Certain risks could bring the greatest rewards. But some gambles left a person completely destitute. Seokjin wanted to make sure that she was capable of discerning which types of deals she would be willing to take to bring more profit to the company, as well as reassure her that it was okay to make mistakes.

They took the train to Busan. There was no need to rush. They had three days of work ahead of them, all paid for and then some. Seokjin explained the details of what they were to do while they were out and about. It was also a chance for her to explore and get some downtime away from the cramped office space of a corporate building. Most of her work would involve being at his side as he conducted business deals and attended corporate meetings. Again, something she was used to, but not in such an intimate fashion.

Anastasia enjoyed taking photos and would do so every time they stopped. She had a keen eye for location and architecture, as well as for anything that looked aesthetically pleasing or what sorts of things could use improvement. It was a little difficult to get her to talk about herself, but when she did, the American woman did not hold back and it was something Seokjin appreciated. Her honesty made her human and being more human meant being more empathetic to the ideas and understandings of others. It was a necessary skill when it came to being an investment company. Sometimes it wasn’t always about turning a profit.

He took her to various shopping centers, allowing her to take notes on a variety of stores. They tried different foods and tested out a plethora of products. Everything from electronics to makeup and skincare items. She seemed a little surprised at how her complexion looked after having a makeup artist provided her with a color palette to suit her skin tone. Seokjin purchased the kit, as well as the skincare lineup that accompanied the makeup. Anastasia protested, of course, but he simply told her that it was work-related and to let it be. She couldn’t properly help to advise him on what to do with his finances if she didn’t know what they were investing in.

The first day blew by faster than either anticipated. They enjoyed a nice meal at a high-end restaurant where he offered up suggestions. She listened and even asked the servers what they recommended for the evening. Again, Anastasia took notes even while they ate, which amused Seokjin.

The second day was much more productive and they visited more stores. A few of them offered sales pitches to which Seokjin listened politely. He offered his ear to Anastasia, wanting to hear what her thoughts were on a few of the companies. Practical and fair, she agreed that some needed to be reworked before they could be given investment funds to continue their ventures. She even reached as far back to the factory workers who would be producing some of the items that were being pitched to them. This was something most people failed to consider or would completely disregard the workers’ financial needs in the production line. Could they afford to give compensation and pay their people overtime? Would they have paid holidays off and was there a rollover system for PTO?

Every single detail was not overlooked by Anastasia and she gave advice even when they looked to Seokjin since he rarely spoke in these instances. In actual board meetings with a few of the companies he’d invested in, he made sure that she was right beside him to hear and comprehend everything that was going on. She didn’t have very many questions and when she did, she did not hesitate to ask them to the other board members. There were whispers about her being disrespectful for speaking for Seokjin, but he quickly squashed those comments when he explained her position on his staffing team.

They took breaks often, which he insisted. She didn’t complain but he could tell that she was averse to the idea of breaking her momentum. But after the eighth meeting scheduled for the day, he could tell that Anastasia needed a break.

Seokjin took her to a variety of places, explaining the reasoning behind wanting to invest all the way out in Busan. The Golden Jackals weren’t planning on working the underground circuit forever. Assimilating their assets, selling off those they didn’t need, was all part of the plan to legalize themselves. Golden Star was just the beginning. With Jimin working Jeju and Taehyung dipping into the entertainment industry alongside Namjoon, eventually they would be able to build from those foundations and focus on key aspects of their company that they wanted to shine the most. Even Jungkook’s eyes were turned toward industrialization and Yoongi’s foreign relations were key to solidifying their own need for investment overseas.

And Hoseok would be the figurehead over it all.

Their final night in Busan was a celebratory one. He wanted to reward Anastasia for all her hard work. She agreed to the reward, but only accepted it on the terms and conditions that it would be a casual night. Nothing fancy and nothing that involved her having to walk around in high heels all night. Seokjin laughed, obliging.

They agreed on dinner and a movie. Anastasia preferred actions or thrillers to horror films and Seokjin wasn’t really a fan of romantic comedies. They came to a happy medium, settling for a murder mystery film instead. After it finished, they discussed when they were able to conclude who the actual killer was at the family estate.

Seokjin liked it when Anastasia laughed. He enjoyed seeing her nose wrinkle up when she blew her food and how freely she smiled when something tasted good or if she saw something amusing. There were times when she seemed to have a faraway look in her eye, but then he’d have to catch her as she tripped over her own feet. As organized as she was, he found it a little humanizing that she was also a bit of a klutz.

“I want to shoot fireworks on the beach,” she said suddenly as they walked and ate Bungeoppang.

He chewed, the sweet red bean paste thick on his tongue as he looked down at her. “What?” Seokjin laughed. “Do you know how cold it gets at the beaches here during this time of year?”

She took another bite of the fish-shaped bread, blowing around her teeth to cool the snack. “So?” Anastasia swallowed, puffing one of her cheeks out at him as he scrutinized her. “I’ve never done it before. Get off me.”

He sighed, shaking his head. “And you want to do it now?”

Anastasia shrugged. “I don’t know when I’ll be able to come back out here just for fun.”

Seokjin grinned, nudging her shoulder just a bit. “Don’t worry,” he said gently, “you’ll be able to come out here when you have time off and enjoy yourself. I promise.”

She rolled her eyes. “You and your promises.”

“I haven’t broken one yet, have I?”

Anastasia raised her brows at him. “Well, no…but—”

He shook his head. “Then trust me when I tell you that you’ll be able to come out here again.” He leaned in toward her as they continued walking. “…when it’s warmer.”

“I’m holding you to that,” she said while pointing at him.

“Feel free,” Seokjin replied easily, polishing off the rest of the fish-shaped bread. He watched her do the same. “Tired?”

Anastasia gave a nod while attempting to stifle a yawn. “Yeah, a little bit.” She stretched her arms over her head. “Are we still scheduled to leave in the morning?”

He nodded. “We are. Unless you’d prefer we leave tonight.”

“Getting train tickets this last minute is expensive.” She frowned up at him and he did his best not to smirk. He merely arched a brow with mild curiosity. They began walking down the street to head back to their hotel. “Besides, we haven’t even packed our things or checked out of the hotel yet. Don’t be unreasonable.”

“Who’s being unreasonable?”

“You are,” she clipped while rolling her eyes, “knowing you, you’d make the staff work double time just so they wouldn’t get a bad review.”

Seokjin laughed outright as they turned the street corner, his hands slipping into his coat pockets. “So harsh. Last minute checkouts aren’t unheard of, nor are they unreasonable.”

“No, they’re not. But in this case, it’s completely unnecessary. Don’t make those people sweat for no reason.”

He laughed at the reprimanding expression painted over her face and nodded, making sure that she walked on the inside of the sidewalk and away from the street. It was a little late, but Seokjin knew that they would have enough time to pack and get everything together tonight before leaving first thing in the morning. As soon as they arrived back in Seoul, it would be business as usual. He’d already received the reports from Namjoon and the others. Taehyung was out of the hospital and Hoseok was uneasy after his meeting with Changkyun.

He knew that Hoseok would never say it out loud, but Namjoon conveyed his worries over the phone. Things were moving faster than they anticipated and Seokjin couldn’t help but wonder if The Jade Fangs were in the process of making another move to expand their reach.

“Seokjin-ssi?”

Seokjin looked at Anastasia, blinking a few times when he realized she had a concerned look on her face.

“I’m sorry, did you say something?”

“No, you just looked like you were deep in thought.”

His smile fell a margin. “Did I worry you?”

She nodded and, again, he appreciated her honesty.

Seokjin reached out to press his hand to her lower back, ushering her toward their hotel just as a sleek gunmetal sedan pulled up by the entrance. He took note that her brows were furrowed and he tried to give her his best smile. He didn’t like that he even had such a look on his face.

Strange, he thought, I normally don’t let people read me like that.

As they made their way toward the front entrance, Seokjin’s eyes narrowed when he saw a familiar figure exit the vehicle. He leaned toward Anastasia so he could whisper into her ear.

“Go ahead and get some rest.”

She seemed to take note of the situation, reading it quicker than he’d anticipated. Her brows furrowed with concern as she tried her best not to bring any attention to herself. He really did appreciate her care.

“Are you sure?”

He nodded, an attempt to reassure her. “Yes, I’ll be inside soon.” Seokjin met her gaze, smiling to alleviate any worries she may have had. “I promise.”

Anastasia bit her lower lip before nodding and entering the hotel. Once inside, Seokjin waited until she entered the elevator. Once the doors closed, he turned and glanced over his shoulder as the person approached him. His lip piercing was connected to a chain that was attached to his right earring. Seokjin saw him grin widely at him, however he didn’t return the smile.

“Well, this is certainly a pleasant surprise. I didn’t expect to see you here of all places, Jin Hyung.”

“Wonho-yah,” came Seokjin’s even tone, a soft lilt toward the end of it, “I didn’t expect to see you here either.”

Wonho shrugged. “Oh, you know, business meetings and the like.” Seokjin watched his eyes dart toward the hotel lobby where, thankfully, Anastasia was no longer located. “Was that your personal assistant?” Their eyes met once more. “She’s kinda cute.”

“Don’t even dream about it,” he said while grinning, “you wouldn’t be able to keep up with her.”

He saw Wonho’s lips form into an “O” shape before it melted into a smirk, his eyes narrowing deviously. “Is that a challenge?”

Seokjin scoffed while tilting his head to the side. “She’d eat you alive. Salvage your pride a little, will you?”

Wonho belted out a full laugh, his eyes almost disappearing as he did so. Seokjin grinned but there was no warmth behind his eyes. The younger male held his hands up in mock surrender while shaking his head. After a while, the two just stood shoulder to shoulder, faces in opposing directions.

“You know, Jin Hyung, I heard an interesting little rumor.”

“Do I want to know?”

Wonho shrugged, his head lifting to the sky. “If it’s true, it’s a shame.”

Seokjin cast a sidelong glance to him. “Yeah, I don’t think I want to know.”

He pivoted on his heels to head back into the hotel. Just as the sliding glass doors opened, he heard Wonho shifting behind him.

“When you’re gone, Jin Hyung, I want to see just who is going to be able to stop us…”

Seokjin paused, craning his neck slowly to look back at Wonho, whose smirk was still firmly in place.

“…when we decide to completely take over.”

He narrowed his eyes at Wonho as the younger man stuffed one hand into the pocket of his leather jacket.

“It’s not smart to aim for the sun, Wonho-yah.” Seokjin smirked, scoffing soon after. “Icarus died when he tried.”

Then he went inside the hotel lobby and made his way toward the elevator. A soft buzzing reverberated in his pocket and he pulled out his phone to see a text from Namjoon.

Namjoon: Hyung, it’s almost time.

Seokjin’s eyes narrowed.

We’re almost there, my brothers. I promise it’ll all be over soon.

[kaspbrak-tozier-reddie]

#1 & #30

#1 - “I’m cold” “take my jacket” & #30 - “Oh my gosh, you’re so annoying!”

Pairing: Reddie

Warnings: Sonia’s parenting, swearing, underage drinking

Masterlist + Prompt List + Asks

———————————————————————

Eddie and Richie have been struggling for the past year with their newly found long distant relationship. Sure they had started dating only a couple of weeks before graduation but they had to split for college. Eddie had left sooner as Sonia had wanted to move to New York to be with Eddie since he didn’t want to go to a community college. It had been had at first but considering the technology, ie. Skype and phone apps like Snapchat and Messenger, it was a little easier. 

Since there is a couple weeks break for Christmas and New Years, Richie and Eddie decided to meet back in Derry. Only for the sole purpose of introducing Eddie to Richie’s parents, well as his boyfriend instead of his best friend. 

So that’s where they’re at now, standing on the 2-inch high, snow-covered pavement in front of Richie’s childhood home. “Does it feel weird?” Eddie asks Richie. “I mean, you haven’t been home for a whole year.”

“It is a little,” Richie admits. “It should go well this time, hopefully.”

Sonia Kaspbrak was an easy trip, Richie was already in New York for July so Eddie thought it’d be best to tell Sonia. Of course in good Sonia fashion, she blew a casket at Richie, claiming him to be dirty and had also corrupted her saint of a son. After leaving in a huff, Eddie was apologising to Richie on the subway back to his off-campus apartment.

“Well, let’s go. It’s chilly.” Eddie says, shivering a little. Richie pushed open the gate and led Eddie up to the front door and knocking.

Richie makes a note that the house exterior has not changed within the past year, except for a new paint job. There is no more chipping paint on the exterior walls and the front door is now stained timber instead of painted red. 

“Eddie!” Maggie exclaims as soon as the front door swings open, pulling him into a hug. Once she releases Eddie, she brings her son in for a bone-crushing hug. “When you said you were bringing someone over, I was hoping that it was - ” Maggie cut herself off and looks between the two boys.

Richie isn’t sure if she cut herself short because she’s happy or if she thinks it’s a stupid idea. A stupid idea that will tear their whole friendship and friend group apart if they ever break up.

“About fucking time you two! So when did this happen? how long have you been hiding this from me?” Maggie says with far too much joy laced in her voice, for Richie’s liking at least.

“Ma, can we go inside? It’s cold!” Richie whines.

“Oh crap! Yes of course.” Maggie steps aside to let Eddie and Richie into the house.

****

The house is like an oven compared to outside. The Toziers have their fireplace crackling away and a couple of heaters. Richie and Eddie remove their boots and socks and quickly changing into the spare shoes they had packed, in case of this kind of weather. Eddie can blissfully smell the roast that Wentworth and Maggie have prepared as well as the strong scent of cinnamon. 

“Oh Eddie, this is a pleasant surprise,” Wentworth exclaims stepping from the kitchen to greet him. He extends his right hand outwards to Eddie, which Eddie politely shakes. “When Richie said he was bringing a boy over, I didn’t expect - “ Went pauses. “Oh my goodness!”

Eddie swears he sees Richie blush, through his peripheral vision. “So Eddie is this mysterious boy that you’ve been gushing about for the past year?” Maggie questions her son.

“’Mystery boy’?” Eddie asks Richie. Richie’s already pink-tinged face, starts to get darker before resting on a crimson.

“Well, we were keeping it a secret until we knew how serious it was,” Richie admits. “So, mystery.”

“Oh, so this is serious?” Went asks.

“Yeah,” Eddie replies.

Went and Maggie smile at each other, joyously, and quickly bring the food out of the kitchen and a bottle of white wine, while Richie and Eddie take their seats. 

“I know that you’re both underage but one glass won’t kill you,” Maggie says. 

Eddie could think of a whole damned list but doesn’t say anything because he knows that she’s right. If they, however, drink a whole bottle or two, they’d be in strife. He watches as Maggie pours both him and Richie half a glass of the wine, being the responsible but fun adult that she is. 

Richie starts to load up Eddie’s plate with the chicken that Went made, it sort of became a habit. When they were kids Eddie was shy and scared to eat a lot of the junk food that the losers had. Only taking minuscule amounts of chips, candy, chocolate, pizza etc. Eddie never touched any soda, opting to only drink water or freshly juiced oranges that can from Mike’s farm. It was also because Sonia used to pile food onto Eddie’s plate, so Richie often did it for Eddie even though Eddie always says he could do it himself.

“This is so nice Mr Tozier,” Eddie says after a few mouthfuls of food.

“Please, Edward you’ve earnt first name privileges,” Wentworth says, “and thank you.” Eddie smiles and takes another forkful to his mouth.

****

“If you two are going up to your room, Richard, I want that door open,” Maggie says sternly.

“Okay mom,” Richie replies and leads Eddie upstairs to Richie’s bedroom. 

The room’s bare except for a few posters, here and there, ones that are tattered or aren’t one of Richie’s favourite bands anymore. There aren’t any photos stuck to the edges of his mirror or framed photos on the nightstands. The sheets were still black as were the 3 blankets that Maggie must’ve put on the bed. 

“I guess you aren’t allowed in my bed tonight,” Richie jokes, noting the mattress on the floor beside his bed.

“Do you want me to?” Eddie asks jokingly, the two laugh nervously, unsure of the new protocols that have just been placed in the Tozier household. It’s no secret that Richie and Eddie use to sleep in the same bed, or that both would sneak into each other’s houses in the middle of the night when they were younger. But now that they are dating? 

“Screw my parents,” Richie says in his British accent.

“Not the British guy,” Eddie groans. 

Richie opens his window and sits on the ledge, letting his long legs dangle over the side of the house, Eddie joins him and rests his head on Richie’s shoulder. They used to sit on the window frame for hours, looking up at the sky. If it was Summer/Spring, they’d climb up to the roof and lie on the metal sheets. Since the roof was probably covered in snow, the two sit on the frame looking aimlessly at the sky, making shapes with the stars.

“Want to drive around town for a bit and maybe go to the fields?” Richie asks.

“Just like old times, eh Rich?” Eddie chuckles, the pair climbs down the tree and make their way to the beat-up truck that never made it to Seattle. Richie didn’t want to take the truck to Seattle because everything he’d need was within walking distance or he’d use his bike. 

*

As they got into the car, Eddie shivers, regretting not grabbing his coat on the way out. “I’m cold” Eddie whispers.

“Here, take my jacket.” Richie shrugs off his worn-out denim jacket and passes it to Eddie. Almost immediately, Eddie pulls it over his arms and wraps himself in it, enjoying the strong scent of Richie’s cologne and washing detergent. 

They drove around town, taking in the breathtaking view of the retro buildings. You ever get that in big cities, the whole modernisation thing didn’t sit well with Richie and Eddie, it took a couple of months for them to get truly get used to the idea of everything. Especially with public transport. 

Driving through town then to the fields on the outskirts of the town had become their thing. When Richie got his truck, he took Eddie out to celebrate. He had asked him to stay the night, in case they got back late. They went to the diner that the losers always went to and then drove around before stopping on the side of the road before the big-ass sign saying “WELCOME TO DERRY”. 

Tonight was no different, except they didn’t go to the diner, they went to the 24/7 corner store for Slurpees (even though it is freezing out) and continued their drive around Derry. Richie pulls up on the side of the road and pulls out an old cassette tape that Eddie had made him a few years ago. The soft tune of ‘Tiny Dancer’ by Elton John played through the speakers. “Oh my goodness I forgot I made this!” Eddie squeaks, covering his face with his hands. 

“I haven’t listened to it in years,” Richie says and takes a slurp, finishing off his Slurpee. 

“I made this to express my love for you but um, I thought you didn’t feel the same way.”

“You kidding?! I kept chickening out until Stan basically pushed me to ask you out! If he didn’t I wouldn’t be with you now.”

“I’ve got to thank Stan.” 

Richie shoves Eddie slightly and Eddie shoves him back. They sit in silence watching the twinkling stars and enjoying each other’s company. Eddie found himself drifting off to sleep listening to ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ by Elvis Presley. Richie puts the car in drive and drives back to his house.

****

Richie struggles to carry Eddie’s sleeping body up the stairs to his bedroom while trying to not wake his parent. “Rich?” Maggie asks standing at the top of the stairs.

“Sorry, we went out and Eddie fell asleep,” Richie explains, whispering, and almost trips on the last stair, thankfully Maggie stops him and helps get Eddie into bed. “I’ll take the floor tonight.”

“Okay sweetheart, night.” 

“Night.” 

Richie partially closes the door and slides in beside Eddie. The boy beside him stirs a little before sitting up slightly. “Thanks for tonight, Rich,” Eddie slurs out.

“You’re welcome Eds. Do you want me to grab you something a little more comfy?”

“Yeah.”

Richie makes his way over to his dresser to get an old shirt, that he didn’t want to take but left in case he didn’t have clothes; and a pair of old sweatpants that had dozens of holes in them and hands them to Eddie. Eddie’s quick to kick off his jeans and rip off his T-Shirt and quickly slides on the items of clothing that Richie has just handed him.

“Checking me out Tozier?” Eddie chuckles.

“You know it Kaspbrak,” Richie replies and starts tickling Eddie’s sides.

“Oh my gosh, you’re so annoying.” Eddie groans out, hitting Richie’s hands away. “Just go to sleep asshole.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.” Richie cuddles into Eddie and listens to the sound of Eddie’s slow and steady breath and the sound of his heart beating, before finally allowing himself to drift to sleep.

[allmidaddies]

goodnight and go.

Hooking up with Mat happened by accident.

  While you had met him through mutual friends a while back the two of you were never close by any means. You did consider yourself to be well acquainted, it helped that your roommate Anastasia was dating his best friend Tito so you saw quite a lot of each other.

He never forgot your birthday and always gave you that bright smile and a hug when he saw you, but it was a rarity that you found yourself in his presence alone. You never thought the two of you would ever become a thing and you were sure he thought the same.

 Apparently one night was all it took to change everything.

 I.

You had gone out with a few of your work friends, celebrating the completion of a long term project that your team had been working on. Mat happened to be at the same bar that night, joined by a few friends that were visiting from Vancouver. Without the presence of your usual group of friends you had a desire to take this opportunity for what it was worth.

 There was no denying that Mat was attractive. You had teased him for his pretty boy looks more than once but he never took it to heart, only letting out one of those glorious laughs of his before dishing something back to you. When you caught his eye across the bar that night you found yourself wondering why you had never pursued him in the past. And when he excused himself from the group he was with, undoubtedly making his way across the bar to get to you, you knew he was thinking the same thing.

 “What are you doing out here in the wild?” He asked, that boyish grin on his face as his hand pressed against the small of your back. He rested his elbow against the countertop, bringing you into him ever so subtly so as to close the distance between the two of you.

 “Could ask you the same thing,” you teased, “I almost didn’t recognize you without Tito hanging over your shoulder.”

 Mat let out a loud laugh, drawing a smile from you.

 “He gave me the night off,” Mat said easily. You hummed in response, taking that moment to give him a good look. You had been waiting for the bartender to become available, wanting to order yourself another drink to help get you through the night with your rowdy coworkers, but now you were far more interested in the man in front of you.

 He always looked good, in that effortless way that made you believe he could wear a rain poncho with slippers and still make it work. That night, however, he looked especially appetizing. The grey t-shirt he was wearing stretched across his chest and the way the dark flannel he was wearing hung off of his shoulders made you want to run your hands across his body and push it to the floor.

 Mat might have chirped you for staring but he was busy doing the exact same thing to you. You were only wearing a pair of jeans and an off the shoulder top, nothing fancy in comparison to some of the outfits he had seen you in before, but his gaze lingered on your bare shoulders.

 “Well,” you said, wetting your lips, “I’m glad.”

 Your comment opened the door for Mat. It was suggestive enough to inspire him to make the next move but just friendly enough that he could brush it off if he had no intentions other than giving you a warm greeting. Mat raised his eyebrows slightly, his eyes seeming to sparkle with mischief. It took everything in you to fight the smirk that dared to spread across your lips.

 “Me too,” Mat said with a smile, “Let me get you a drink.”

 That drink gave you the final push of confidence you needed to invite Mat back to your place later in the night. The way his hands never left your waist, fingers dipped just beneath the hem of your top, had you leaning into him as the two of you caught up.

 Where you had always figured things would be forced if you were ever one on one with him, you found easy conversation. It made sense, seeing as how long you had known each other, but you were never sure which way the pendulum might have swung. At least that night it seemed to be in your favor.

 When you got back to your apartment you wasted no time pulling him into your bedroom. It was as though three years of pent up sexual desire for Mat had all come to a head. Lucky for you he was experiencing the very same thing.

 He had you out of your clothes and spread out on the bed within a matter of minutes, lips already swollen from when he’d pressed you up against your bedroom door and crashed his lips against yours.

 Each stroke of his tongue had you whimpering his name, fingers tangled in his hair. He certainly knew what he was doing as he gripped your thighs. You couldn’t help but grind your hips against his tongue, needing as much friction, as much of him, as you could get.

 By the time he was kicking his boxers off your body was vibrating with the two orgasms he’d coaxed out of you with his fingers and tongue yet you were still aching for more. And when he finally sank into you, stretching you out and filling you up, you let out a contented sigh, pulling him closer.

 His lips were on yours again, swallowing each other’s moans as he found a steady pace, stroking along your g-spot with each thrust. With one hand around the back of his neck you reached the other down to rub your clit. Mat dragged his lips down the skin of your neck, leaving marks in his wake to match the ones you’d left on his throat in the Uber back to your place.

 Finally, he knocked your hand away to replace it with his own, feeling you clench around him.

 “Fuck, Mat,” you whined, nails digging into his bicep. His chain hung over your face as he brought you to your third orgasm, chasing his own high as your pussy fluttered around his cock.

 “Yeah baby, gonna cum for me?” He groaned, voice raspy and fucked out as you gave a high pitched moan, head falling back against the pillows as you came. Mat buried his head in your neck, the cool metal of his chain in contrast with your hot skin.

 The room was filled with the sound of you both catching your breath. Mat pulled out of you slowly, cringing when you whined at the loss of contact.

 “Sorry pretty girl,” he murmured, pressing a kiss against your forehead before moving into your bathroom to get something to clean up. He never fully got back into bed but you hadn’t expected him to. It had crossed your mind several times that night how this would change the course of your friendship.

 You tossed the towel into the laundry and reached for a t-shirt to sleep in along with a clean pair of panties. Mat had pulled his boxers back on and was sitting on the edge of the bed by the time you came out of the bathroom.

 “Why have we never done that before?” he asked with a laugh.

 “Beats me,” you laughed, kneeling on the bed across from him. Mat ran his fingers through his hair, choosing his next words carefully.

 “I really hate to be that guy…” Mat trailed off, a guilty expression on his face as he looked over at you. You gave a playful eye roll,

 “I know you have practice tomorrow Barz, you don’t have to give me the line.”

 Mat laughed quietly, shaking his head at you with a smile.

 “We should do that again,” he said, “I had a good time.”

 You had to bite down on your bottom lip, still slightly swollen from having them pressed against his for the past two hours, to keep from smiling.

 “Yeah, definitely. Casual thing, yeah?”

 “Is that your way of telling me I’m not allowed to tell Tito?” Mat teased.

 “Yes,” you laughed, sitting up on your knees.

 “Lips are sealed,” Mat pretended to zip his lips as he stood and shrugged back into his clothes. You shamelessly checked him out as his muscles flexed with each movement. How you had managed to resist him for so long blew your mind.

 “How do you plan on explaining those?” You asked, ghosting your fingers over the marks you’d left on his chest before he slipped his t-shirt over his head. Mat turned to look at his reflection in the mirror. For a brief moment he was distracted by your reflection, the big t-shirt hanging over your frame just enough to cover your ass.

 “I can tell them I just got really, really lucky tonight,” Mat smirked at you in the mirror. You gave a gentle shove to his chest. He laughed as he leaned down to pick up his t-shirt.

 You leaned against the door frame as Mat stepped out into the hallway, tucking his phone in his back pocket.

 “I’ll talk to you tomorrow?” Mat said, though he sounded unsure. You fought the grin on your face as you looked up at him,

 “You don’t have to say that.”

 “I know,” Mat smiled, “But, unless you don’t want me to, I’ll text you tomorrow.”

 You felt heat in your face as you glanced down at your bare feet.

 “Okay.”

 “Have a good night, Y/N,” Mat said, giving you a nod and turning on his heel.

 “Have fun at practice tomorrow Barz,” you said, a teasing smile on your lips. Mat gave you a mock salute before heading down the hall.

 II.

While you were talking more regularly since that night than you had in the past it took almost 3 weeks for it to happen again. You had seen him a handful of times but not in a setting that allowed the two of you to slip off again.

 And the next time Mat ended up between your sheets, it happened without the assistance of alcohol.

 You had been feeling particularly needy that night so you did what you had to do. You slipped into an oversized t-shirt and perched yourself on the foot of your bed for an all too inviting mirror selfie to post on your instagram story. It wasn’t often that you posted thirst traps and you weren’t exactly posting it for one specific person but if it worked...it worked. And the photo you got out of it was some of your best work, if you were being honest. And it just so happened that the shirt you were wearing was an old Islanders shirt.

 With the late hour it didn’t take long for a few people to reply to your story. A mix of friends and a few guys you’d talked to in the past. Just as you were contemplating taking it down and replying to one of your old roster numbers, the one person you’d secretly hoped to see it, replied to it.

 barzal97 replied to your story: you could have just invited me over you know

If he’d been any other guy you would have just rolled your eyes and left him on read but somehow it worked for Mat.

 yourusername: this seemed to work just fine though

barzal97: is this an open invitation?

yourusername: if you want it to be...

barzal97: i think i need to come get that shirt off of you

yourusername: you’ll just have to be quiet, Stas is home

Within the hour Mat was texting you that he was there. While Anastasia was in the shower you managed to sneak him into your apartment.

 “You know you can’t laugh, right,” you said as you pressed your hand against his back, gently guiding him down the hall.

 “Why not?” Mat chuckled, already breaking your rule.

 “I don’t know if you’ve noticed,” you said, tone teasing, “But you have a very distinguishable laugh.”

 It took everything in him to stifle the laugh that erupted from that comment alone. You smack his arm lightly, only making his body vibrate with laughter even more.

 “She’s going to hear you!” You hissed, though your own laughter slipped out as you pushed him onto the bed.

 “Would that be so bad?” Mat asked, pulling you into his lap.

 “She’s not exactly the best at keeping secrets,” you said, “Remember how everyone found out that Tito fucked with socks on…”

 “Oh right…” Mat trailed off. You nodded with a minor eye roll.

 “Well…” Mat said slowly, “I’ll just have to find a way to occupy my mouth...and then I’ll sneak out after she goes to bed.”

 His words had you wanting to squeeze your legs together but because he had you straddling his thighs you couldn’t. So, instead, you rocked your hips against his gently,

 “I can think of a few ways.”

 ~

 A few hours later, once your legs were aching and his hair was drooping over his forehead, Mat quietly slipped on his shoes. You pressed your ear against the bedroom door, listening for any signs that your roommate might still be awake.

 “It’s like almost 1 am,” Mat whispered, hovering over your shoulder.

 “You’d be surprised at how late she stays up on a regular basis,” you sighed.

 “That’s like...really unhealthy,” Mat said.

 “Maybe you should take it up with Tito, usually it’s his fault,” you wiggled your eyebrows at him, earning a quiet chuckle. He clamped his hand over his mouth as you narrowed your eyes at him.

 “Sorry,” he whispered, words muffled from his palm, “I forgot.”

 “I have to say,” you whispered, “I’m impressed with your self restraint.”

 “Yeah?” Mat grinned, “Well, it’s not as hard when I had a pleasant distraction.”

 You raised your eyebrows at him,

 “Pleasant? That’s how you’d describe that? Pleasant? Barz, I did not do the equivalent of 300 squats on your dick for you to describe it as pleasant.”

 Mat slid his arm around your waist, pressing his chest to your back while he buried his face in your neck. His laughter was vibrating against your throat,

 “It was better than pleasant, pretty girl.”

 “Mmm?” You hummed, unimpressed.

 “It was really fucking good,” Mat murmured, “And I’m definitely going to be thinking about it on our next roadie.”

 “Yeah?” You smiled, twisting in his arms to look up at him. Mat nodded.

 “Definitely. And, ya know, if you wanna send me visual inspiration I wouldn’t be opposed.”

 It was your turn to stifle laughter,

 “You can just call them nudes, Barzy.”

 “That makes me sound like a tool,” he pouted. You rolled your eyes at his antic, brushing his hair off of his forehead,

 “If you’re good, I’ll think about it.”

 Mat grinned, leaning down to press his lips against yours, hands sliding to your ass beneath your t-shirt. You were first to pull back, giving him a gentle shove to the chest so you could open the door.

 “Now get out of here before she decides to make a midnight trip to the fridge.”

 Mat laughed, stumbling out into the hall.

 “I’m going, I’m going,” he surrendered, “Goodnight.”

 III.

Mat was stuck in a limbo. The longer the two of you were hooking up the harder it was for him to hide his feelings from you. And the harder it was for the both of you to hide it from your friends.

 He wanted to tell you that his position on this “friends with benefits” situation had changed since it all started nearly two months ago now, but he was afraid to ruin the relationship that you had developed over that time.

 It was obvious to everyone that you were closer than you had been in years past but it was subtle enough that nobody questioned anything. They chalked it up to being that Anastasia and Tito were dating so you and Mat were seeing more of each other than before but the reality was that the times without them were the times you were taking advantage of.

 Before, Mat would text you less than three times a month. It was more likely he sent you a stupid meme on Instagram than anything. But now he was FaceTiming you on the road and coming by your apartment as soon as he was back in town. You told yourself it was because he knew Anastasia would be heading over to Tito’s place to hang out, unwilling to let yourself fall down that rabbit hole.

 He was also far more affectionate on nights out than normal. He was a pretty handsy guy as it was but now it was rare that you spent a night out without him draping his arm around the back of the booth, leaning just a little closer to talk to you than necessary. He couldn’t help himself.

 Everything about you drew him to you. Your smile, your laugh, the way you played with your hair when you got nervous, or talked with your hands when you got excited.

 You also shared a growing number of inside jokes. From when Mat drunkenly slammed his fingers in your bedroom door or the time you accidentally kneed yourself in the face during missionary.

 When he’d entered into the agreement of friends with benefits he was sure he would be able to avoid catching feelings. You’d been friends for years and never before had he had any sort of romantic feelings towards you. Sure he thought you were pretty and your sense of humor complimented his, but the desire to call you his girl had never crossed his mind before.

 He wanted to blame it on the sexual chemistry that the two of you shared but the more time that passed the less he could excuse it. You were the first person he thought to text when something good happened, the one he wanted to call when he was having a bad day. Each game day he found himself picturing you in a wag jacket with his last name on it or a jersey with his number.

 And while Mat was usually pretty forward he couldn’t bring himself to tell you the truth. So he didn’t. And he continued to end every hookup with a goodnight and go.

 Mat rolled onto his back, hands tucked behind his head as he caught his breath. His chest was glistening in the dim lighting of your room, his body spent from a long night between the sheets. Anastasia had told you she was staying the night with Tito so as soon as the door shut behind her you were texting Mat, asking if he was free to come over. Which, to no surprise considering his best friend was occupied, he was.

 You stumbled into the bathroom, legs feeling like jello to the point you gripped the countertop for support. You could hear Mat get up off the bed, getting dressed once again. A heavy sigh slipped from your lips at the thought of him leaving before even giving himself a chance to catch his breath.

 It was nothing new. It happened every time. Whether you were at his place or at your place, as soon as both of you were sexually satisfied and exhausted the clothes were thrown back on and one of you was half way out the door.

 You wanted something to budge. As much as you cherished your friendship with him and the fact that you were closer now than ever, you wanted more. It felt selfish and stupid, seeing as he could have any girl he wanted so why would he want to be tied down at a young age?

 You did your best to push the feelings back, washing your face to buy yourself time before having to face him once again.

 Mat sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for you to rejoin him in the bedroom before he dipped. It was getting harder to leave every time. How badly he wanted to pull you into his chest and fall asleep with you.

 The bathroom door opened, light pouring in for a moment before you flicked it off and made your way back over to the bed. You made yourself comfortable, reaching for your water and taking a long drink. Mat was buying himself time, checking his phone and answering Jordan’s text before finally standing up and stretching his arms over his head.

 You hated the way he made it seem like such a dramatic thing every time he left. Like you didn’t expect it. Like he needed to apologize every time. You understood that this was just sex for him.

 Mat caught the way you dropped your gaze to your lap, picking at your nails as he put on his slides and reached for his keys. If he wasn’t mistaken he could trace pain in your expression. For a moment he wondered if you wanted him to stay. But he couldn’t ask you that. It would be making himself incredibly vulnerable and he wasn’t ready for the rejection.

 “Are you coming to dinner tomorrow?” He asked, breaking the silence. It was Jordan’s birthday and everyone was invited to get dinner in the city, you included of course. Mat wanted to see you in a pretty dress, laughing with your friends. Even if he couldn’t have you.

 “Yeah,” you breathed, “Yeah, I’ll be there.”

 He nodded, unable to find any other words to say. He needed to rip off the bandaid and go. Your eyes were heavy on him as he crossed the room to the door. Just as he opened it he heard you shuffle in bed, tucking yourself in. His heart ached in his chest at the thought of you having to be in an empty apartment that night.

 He padded across the room, taking you by surprise. You stared up at him curiously as he reached you. He took your chin in his forefinger and thumb, tilting it up to look at him.

 Before you could ask him what was going through his mind he pressed one more kiss against your lips. And then one against your forehead.

 “Goodnight pretty girl.”

 IV.

You should not have been jealous. Not even a little bit. However, that little green monster appeared on your shoulder as you sat in the booth and watched Mat lean over the counter and order a drink for the pretty girl on his left.

 He was young, attractive, and very much single so he was allowed to do whatever he wanted. He could flirt with whoever and have sex with whoever but something felt so wrong about watching him with someone who wasn’t you.

 When you’d gotten ready for the night out earlier in the evening you had dressed yourself in one of your favorite outfits, hoping that it might catch Mat’s eye. The two of you had never gone home together after a night out with your friends, fearing that they might catch on to the new situationship that had developed. You couldn’t help it, though. You had caught feelings and as much as you denied it to yourself you knew exactly why that little green monster had shown up that night.

 You reached the bottom of your drink, mindlessly swirling the ice around as you listened to Jordan and Tito talk about something that you’d missed half of. A body dropped into the space beside you, pushing your empty drink out of your hand and replacing it with a new one. Out of the corner of your eye you caught a glimpse of Mat’s hands, those familiar bracelets against his pale skin.

 “Thank you,” you said quietly, not bothering to make sure he heard you. Mat scrunched his eyebrows together, noticing your quiet demeanor and the crease between your brows.

 “What’s up pretty girl?” he asked, leaning into you and squeezing your thigh underneath the table. You gave him a half second glance before staring down at your drink once again.

 “Nothing.”

 Mat ran his fingers through his hair, looking back over his shoulder to see the frown on the face of the girl he’d just ditched at the bar.

 “Am I supposed to believe that?” Mat asked, a teasing tone in his voice.

 “Believe whatever you want,” you shrugged, finally looking up at him properly. Mat caught your gaze, his eyes searching yours for any kind of hint that you were feeling exactly what he thought you might be feeling.

 “Do you want to get out of here?” He asked lowly, eyes shifting towards the door. You turned your attention to the rest of the group. They were all engrossed in conversations amongst themselves, unaware of the invitation Mat had just extended to you.

 “Only if you’re coming with me,” you said, finally a small smile tugging at your lips. Mat felt like breathing a sigh of relief but he chuckled instead,

 “Of course I am. It appears I need to make you feel better babygirl.”

 Mat slid from the booth, announcing to everyone that he was taking you home. Anastasia gave you a look that asked a million questions but you gave her your best poker face and a shrug of your shoulders. After a chorus of “have a good night” and “see you tomorrow” Mat guided you out the door and onto the streets of New York.

 ~

 That night you lingered a little longer after both of you came down from your orgasms.

 Mat had pulled you closer than before, his arm around your back to hold your chest against his as he thrust into you, making your toes curl. He more than made up for flirting with that other girl at the bar. Not that he knew that.

 He stayed deep inside you for a moment, both of your bodies glistening with sweat in the moonlight. It seemed as though you were both thinking the same thing. Was this enough anymore?

 Finally you pushed his shoulder so that he would pull out, rolling onto his back so you could get up. The air in his bedroom felt thick with tension and unspoken words as you got dressed. Mat broke the silence first as he sat up.

 “Do you want to stay?”

 The words sounded strange coming off of his tongue. Awkward and unsure. He watched in anticipation as your body stiffened at his request. He already knew your answer but he couldn’t help but ask the question.

 Did you want to stay? Yes. Of course you did. You always wanted to stay and you always wanted him to stay. The friendship that you’d had before hooking up had paved the way for the newfound feelings you’d developed and suddenly you were falling for the guy that you never thought you’d be with. The guy you had watched flirt through countless bars and afterparties, who could have any girl he wanted. The fact that you had been stupid enough to let yourself get attached terrified you. And now he was asking you to stay.

 “Is that a good idea, Barzy?” You asked. Mat rolled his eyes at the nickname. His name always sounded so nice coming off of your lips whenever he was inside you but as soon as it was over it was like he was another one of the boys to you.

 “I don’t know,” Mat sighed, “Is it?”

 “I think we both know the answer to that,” you said softly, pushing yourself to stand. If you’d been paying closer attention you would have seen the way his face twisted in pain at your rejection. But, with your back to him, you were hiding your own.

 “But it’s late,” Mat said gently.

 “You’ve let me go home late before,” you said, watching him closely as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and reached for his boxers.

 “Well,” he shrugged, “That was before.”

 “Before what?”

 “Before I knew better.”

 You wanted to ask him what he meant by that but decided against it. Not tonight. You were tired and feeling frustrated at yourself for falling this far.

 “Let me drive you home, at least,” Mat said. He was standing now, sweats hanging low on his hips as he ran his hands down your arms.

 You looked up at him, scanning his face. You wanted some hint of emotion but he was so good at keeping a poker face. For a moment you thought you might have seen a glimpse of sadness in his pretty eyes but it was gone before you could really question it. He gave your arms a gentle squeeze before stepping around you to grab a sweatshirt.

 The car ride was quiet, but not in a way that it felt uncomfortable. Mat had the radio playing quietly so you could tell he was deep inside his own head.

 “Are you watching the road?” You asked, leaning your elbow on the center console. Mat laughed,

 “I am looking at the road. Why?”

 You shrugged,

 “You seem a bit like a space cadet tonight.”

 Mat furrowed his brows, the smile on his face dropping. You immediately regretted bringing it up. Maybe you weren’t close enough yet to talk about things like this yet.

 “I’m okay,” Mat said. He let his gaze drift to you for a moment,

 “You don’t believe me.”

 It wasn’t a question. It was a statement.

 “You didn’t believe me earlier,” you countered. Mat pulled up in front of your building, putting his car into park before he turned to look at you properly.

 “I’m okay, I promise.”

 “Promise you’d tell me if you weren’t?” You asked. He looked tired. The smile he’d had when he greeted you with a hug at the pre-game was no longer reaching his eyes.

 “Yes,” he said. You stared at him a moment longer.

 “Okay,” you said quietly, “Because I care about you, Mat. Maybe more than I should but for good reason.”

 Mat nodded. God he wanted to tell you how he felt so bad but he couldn’t work up the courage to push it past the tip of his tongue.

 “Goodnight Barzy,” you said, leaning over the console and pressing a kiss against his pouted lips. Before he could get another word in you were gone.

 + one

The expression on Mat’s face told you everything as he skated off the ice after a crushing loss at home. You hadn’t even noticed you were chewing on your bottom lip until you tasted a bit of blood from the broken skin.

 Mat had invited you to come over after the game earlier in the day but now you weren’t so sure if he’d want company. You had experienced losses with the team before but this was different. Mat hadn’t had a good game at all and while watching him break his stick against the glass in the third period was making you squeeze your legs together, you figured he’d want to be alone.

 All you really wanted was to make him feel better, as best you could, but it wasn’t exactly your place. That wasn’t in your agreement.

 iMessage: Mat Barzal (2)

i want you naked

meet me by my car in 20 minutes

You nearly choked when your phone buzzed in your hand and you read the messages Mat had sent you. You tried to ignore the fact that even after a tough loss you were the first person he was thinking of. And even better, he wanted to see you.

 You had seen Mat angry during games and while he was most definitely dominating in bed, you were about to experience a side of him you’d never seen before.

 He’d been brooding the entire ride back to your apartment, the black eye he was sporting only added to the dark look in his expression. Once the door was shut behind you he was ordering you to the bedroom, but not before crashing his lips against yours in a heated kiss. Like he’d been waiting all night.

 “Go get on the bed,” Mat said, his voice low and rough as he kicked off his shoes. Where you might have typically given him an attitude, seeing just how far you could push his buttons, you nodded submissively and stripped yourself on your way to your room, leaving a trail of discarded clothes in your wake.

 Mat waited in the kitchen a moment, running his hands over his face and through his still damp hair. He took a deep breath, calming himself down from the game he’d just had. It was okay. You were here now. And you were waiting for him in the bedroom.

 Mat left his suit jacket draped over the back of one of your barstools, loosening his tie as he headed towards the bedroom.

 His breath caught in his throat when he saw you sitting on your knees for him, in just your bra and panties. There was an innocent expression on your face, wondering what he had in store for you. His fingers worked on the buttons of his dress shirt, needing the material off of his body so that he could feel your skin against his.

 “Fuck babygirl,” he said, running his thumb over your bottom lip as he towered over you, “You make me feel so much better.”

 You pressed your hands against his abdomen, trailing down to his belt and moving to undo it.

 “Ah ah ah,” Mat caught your wrists, “Give me a taste first. That’s all I want right now.”

 Though he was in charge there was a sort of pleading in his voice as he laid you out on the bed, making himself comfortable between your legs.

 “I’ve been thinking about this since the second period,” he hummed, lips moving against the inside of your thighs.

 “Me too,” you sighed. His hands slid up your legs, hooking on your panties and tugging them down.

 “God you’re incredible,” Mat spoke softly, more to himself than to you as he admired your wet pussy now bare before him.

 “Please Mat,” you whined, carding your fingers through his hair. He lifted his gaze to meet yours,

 “Just lay back, baby, enjoy the show.”

 He licked a bold strip up your pussy, collecting your juices on his tongue before wrapping his lips around your clit. He moaned against you, the vibration making your head fall against the pillows and your eyes roll back.

 Mat was clearly getting some of his frustration of the game out, letting his mind become distracted as he fucked you with his tongue. He always knew how to make you cum within minutes with his tongue alone but that night he was so focused, only wanting to draw more and more of those sweet moans from your lips. The way his name sounded in your mouth was making him hard. He couldn’t help but rut his hips against the bed as your whimpers and whines filled his ears.

 Even when he was done bringing you to orgasm he didn’t let up. He pushed his pants and boxers to the floor, bringing your knee to your chest to spread you open as he leaned down so his face was even with your core once again. His eyes locked with yours as he spit onto your pussy.

 You sucked in a sharp gasp at the sensation, a sinister smile on his face as he slid into you. He loved watching you fall apart for him.

 He had barely let you catch your breath but you wanted it. You were loving the feeling of his desperation, just needing release. If you could offer him escape that’s what you would give him.

 Mat pulled out briefly, only long enough so he could flip you onto your knees and run his hand down your back before pushing into you again.

 “You’re so good for me baby,” he groaned.

 “Fuck,” you cried, fisting the sheets as he picked up his pace again.

 “This pussy is all mine, yeah baby? All mine,” Mat said. You moaned in agreement, senses too overwhelmed to give any other response. It was his. He was the only person who could make you feel this good. Mat reached down and pressed his fingers against your clit, feeling you clench around him.

 “Close, eh?” he asked.

 “Yes Mat, yes yes yes.”

 He flipped you back onto your back, legs spread open for him once again. He pulled out, his hard cock resting against his lower stomach as he pushed his fingers into you, thumb rubbing against your clit in tight circles.

 “C’mon baby, come on,” Mat encouraged you, knowing you were so close. His other hand stroked his cock in pace with his fingers that were pumping in and out of you. As you came, he was finishing on your stomach with a low groan and a string over curse words. Your nails dug into his forearm. He coaxed you through your orgasm, lazily rubbing his fingers over your clit and spreading around your cum as he watched your body relax into the mattress.

 “Good job pretty girl,” he praised, pulling his fingers away and bringing them to his mouth. Your jaw dropped open slightly, staring up at him as he sucked them clean, the sound filling the room.

 Mat moved into the bathroom, grabbing a wet towel to clean you off. As soon as he was done he hovered over top of you again, pressing a few kisses against your lips,

 “You did so good baby. You make me feel so much better.”

 ~

 Mat didn’t mean to fall asleep. He hadn’t exactly wanted to leave like he usually did but he wasn’t planning on crossing the line that night. However, he’d been so exhausted from the night that his body betrayed him and he found himself waking up in your bed.

 Neither one of you had gotten dressed, the thin sheets the only thing covering your frames as your legs tangled together. Your head rested on his chest, fingers loosely curled around the chain that was hanging from his neck. He could feel your heartbeat against his ribcage and it was taking everything in him to keep his own steady.

 Your other hand was looped around the back of his neck, fingers tangled in his hair. Mat let his hand ghost over the bare skin of your back, mindlessly drawing shapes as he reveled in the moment. If it had been anyone else he might have slipped from the bed and made a quiet exit. But it was you.

 And he wanted to hang onto this moment as long as you’d let him. He was afraid to move, for fear of waking you up from the peaceful dream you seemed to be having. The way your nose scrunched and lips pouted had his heart tugging in his chest.

 All too quickly your eyes were fluttering open, adjusting to the light of your room after being pulled from your deep sleep by the warm body beside you. The metal between your fingers brought you back to earth, grounding you in the reality that you were waking up in your own room with Mat tucking you into his side.

 “Hi,” he said, voice rough with sleep.

 “Hi,” you breathed, running your palm down his bare chest. God you could get used to this. The number of times you thought about what it would be like to wake up in his arms, to not have him leave you with a goodnight, had nearly broken you down. You just hoped he wanted this as badly as you did.

 If it weren’t for your bladder you would have laid there all morning and well into the afternoon. Unwillingly, you pushed yourself up onto your elbows. Gently you reached out and brushed his hair off of his forehead. You contemplated leaning down and pressing your lips against his but decided not to push your luck.

 Mat watched as you slipped out from the sheets, grabbing a t-shirt from the floor to throw on before making your way into the bathroom. You glanced at him over your shoulder just before shutting the door, taking in his appearance with the bedsheet low on his hips and his hair messy. His arm was draping over his eyes now, bottom lip between his teeth. He looked so...pretty.

 His praises from the night before were stirring around in your head.

 “You make me feel so much better.”

 “All mine.”

 When you emerged from the bathroom he was sitting up, feet planted on the floor, with his boxers back on. He was running his fingers through his hair, staring out the window with an expression you couldn’t read on his pretty features.

 “I’m going to make breakfast…” you said, breaking his attention, “If you want some.”

 Mat turned to look at you, the light from the bathroom acting as a halo around you. You had washed your face and all the traces of the night before were gone and he was left staring at the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen.

 “Yeah,” he breathed, “Yeah, sounds good.”

 You pulled out a pair of clean panties to put on as Mat took his turn in the bathroom.

 When he joined you in the kitchen he made himself busy making coffee while you tried to ignore the looming question that hung over both of you.

 “So apparently I left a huge crack in the glass last night at the arena,” Mat said.

 “I’m not surprised,” you laughed, “You were swinging your stick like it was a baseball bat.”

 “Yeah I’m thinking of taking up a new sport,” Mat laughed, stepping up beside you as you finished up the eggs.

 “Mmm,” you hummed, “I think you should stick to hockey.”

 “Even after last night?” Mat chuckled, a hint of disappointment in his voice. You smiled softly, looking up at him over your shoulder,

 “Even after last night.”

 Mat pressed a kiss on your shoulder and you could feel his smile through your t-shirt. He pulled down two plates and two mugs, setting them side by side on the counter. You were about to ask him to put some oat milk in your coffee but he was already pressing a warm mug into your hand. He had a proud smile on his face as he watched your words die on your lips.

 “Don’t think I’d forget how you take your coffee,” he teased before launching into a story about the previous day. You watched him closely, noting all his typical nervous habits. Cracking his knuckles, folding his hands together, fixing his hair. Check. Check. Check.

 “Mat,” you said finally, interrupting his monologue.

 “Yeah?” he asked, clearing the now empty plates.

 “Are we gonna talk about it?”

 “What?” He asked, playing dumb.

 “Mathew,” you said slowly. Mat laughed nervously, averting his eyes. You chewed the inside of your cheek, moving to the sink to start filling it with water so you could wash some dishes.

 Mat was quiet, gathering his thoughts as he watched you. He could do mornings like this every morning. It was so domestic and comfortable. Everything he had hoped it would be and more.

 Mat stood behind you, gently taking the sponge from your hands and turning you so you were facing him, your back against the counter.

 “Look,” he said, “I know I don’t typically spend the night…”

 You nodded, busying yourself with a loose string on his boxers.

 “But I’m really, really into you and I hate leaving every night,” he admitted. That one sentence and it felt like the weight of the world was off his shoulders.

 “I don’t like it when you leave,” you confessed, voice barely a whisper. Mat’s lips spread out in a wide grin,

 “Yeah?”

 He caught your chin between his forefinger and thumb, tilting it to look up at him. You nodded, best you could with him holding your face.

 “And I’m really really into you too.”

 Your hands flattened against his stomach and you slid your arms around his waist.

 “So I can, like, totally spend the night again?” Mat asked. You laughed, nodding again.

 “Please do.”

 “I plan on it.”

 You smiled as he leaned down and pressed his lips against yours. His lips ghosted over yours as he spoke again,

 “I also plan on taking you on a date.”

 “Oh?”

 “Mhm. Free tomorrow night?”

 “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, Barzy, but I’m always free for you.”

 Mat laughed, reaching down to hoist your legs up around his waist. You gripped the back of his neck, letting out a loud laugh when he teasingly bit down on your neck. He set you on the counter, hands running over your bare legs.

 “Oh and by the way,” he said, that boyish grin on his face.

 “Hmm?”

 “Good morning.”

[kaffeinic]

Caffeinic | Bang Chan

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Epilogue

Pairing: Reader x Barista!Bang Chan

Genre: Fluff // Romance

Warnings: Fem!Reader

Preamble: You’ve been going to the same coffee shop for the past four years. You’ve ordered the same thing almost every single day, and you never, ever skip on that part of your morning. So, when Mrs. Park hired a new barista and the once serene café was suddenly flooded with people every second of the day, you were less than thrilled.

You continued your routine as usual throughout the next few months. The café was still just as crowded as it had always been in the morning, so you opted to visit during the evening. You and Chan had become well-acquainted before you switched the timing of your coffee breaks.

It was late autumn, - possibly early winter - and you hugged your black trench coat close to your body, nuzzling your nose into your oversized brown scarf. The café was relatively calm at this time. You deduced it was because of the absence of a certain blonde haired gentleman. Part of you missed his unapologetically flirty attitude that you’d come to enjoy, but your priorities chose a calming atmosphere over a cute, dimply smile.

Midterms were coming up and your book bag was ripping at the seams from the weight of your textbooks. You figured you would do what you always did this time of year and sip on some coffee while you studied. When you walked through the door, you were greeted by the Park family, and - though you didn’t expect it - Chan.

“Hey there, Y/n! Are you here for some coffee?” Mrs. Park asked. You nodded and held up your book bag.

“I’m in for a long night.” You laughed at the end of your reply, but you were anything but happy to be studying tonight. Mrs. Park frowned.

“Oh, that’s a shame. I was going to ask if you’d like to join Junyoung and I. It’s his birthday today.” You looked at her son. He smiled sheepishly.

“Happy birthday! I almost forgot- I got this for you.” You dug through your book bag and handed him a small, wrapped gift. He took it and inspected the outside. “Open it!” You exclaimed. He smiled excitedly and did as you asked.

His eyes widened a little as he looked at the tiny Rilakkuma figurine. It was something you had held onto for a few months after seeing it in the store. It screamed his name. The boy was constantly decorating his bags, clothes, and laptop with the character. He shot you a genuine smile and gave you a hug.

“Thank you so much, Y/n! It’s perfect!” He admired it again and ran upstairs to put it away.

“Are you sure you can’t join us?” Mrs. Park pleaded. You smiled, but shook your head.

“I’m sorry, midterms are coming up.” You explained. She nodded in understanding and waved as Junyoung rushed down the stairs. You all said your goodbyes, Mr. Park went upstairs to his office, and you took your seat at the bar.

“It’s been a while.” You heard a familiar Australian accent. You looked up at Chan and smiled.

“Yeah, it has. How’ve you been?” You inquired. He shrugged his shoulders. You placed your book bag on the counter next to you.

“Same old, same old.” He paused. “Missing you, of course.” One side of his lips pulled up into a smirk as he laughed at his own joke.

“Yeah, yeah.” You shooed him away.

“The usual?” He asked. He had a towel in his hand as he dried a light brown coffee mug. You couldn’t help but notice how attractive the man looked in his black dress shirt with its two top buttons undone. A thick silver chain hung from his neck and a gleam of white light poked through between a gap in the fabric.

You shook your head. “Surprise me.” With that, he smiled brightly.

“Alright. I will.” He shot you that smirk of his again and got to work. You loved the smell of the café; It was always so sweet and warm. You also had become accustomed to the faint scent of Chan’s cologne. Those two scents mixed together made your heart flutter, and was why you had changed your seating choice from the corner table to the center of the bar. You hated to admit it, but it was true. “Are you going to study at home?”

You looked up with thought. “I’m not sure. The heater isn’t working, so I’ve been avoiding staying there.” You replied. Chan’s face fell.

“That’s not good. You should get it looked at.” He had genuine concern is his voice, and you saw no indication that he was trying to mock you. You nodded.

“Of course.”

“You could study here. I’m closing.” He said. You raised an eyebrow.

“Your offer is suddenly less tempting with that information.” You retorted. He feigned offense, placing his large hand on his chest. You noticed his thick silver rings.

“Well, fine then.” He said, turning back to the coffee machine.

“I’m kidding, you big baby. I think I’ll stay. I’d rather work here, where it’s warm.” You said. You could faintly see the edges of his mouth curl up at your words.

You immersed yourself into your work, flipping through pages in your biology textbook as you scribbled notes onto some college ruled paper. You would occasionally feel a pair of brown eyes on you, but you didn’t dare look up. Little did you know, Chan was staring intently at your face. At your lips, in particular. He especially liked it when you bit your bottom lip in thought.

It took him an astonishingly long time, but he finally placed a cup of hot coffee in front of you. The aroma flooded your senses and you perked up instantly.

“What is it?” You inquired.

“Your coffee.” He said. You shot him a look.

“You don’t say?” He laughed at your remark and urged you to take a sip.

“Try it.” He said.

“What’s in it?”

“Coffee, water...”

“If I drink it, will you stop?” Your fingers wrapped around the handle of the mug.

“Maybe.” You rolled your eyes, lifting the cup to your lips. “Blow on it first.” You looked up at him over the rim of the mug.

“Uh- Why?”

“I don’t want you to burn your lips.” He replied.

“Don’t you mean, ‘burn your tongue?’” You asked.

“No.” He waited, but you didn’t move. “I mean, if you want, I can blow on it for you.” He offered, smiling. You rolled your eyes for the umpteenth time, but suddenly tensed up when his face came close to yours. He blew softly on the surface of the steaming coffee, eyes slowly finding yours. You looked down.

“I’ve got it, thanks Dad.” You said, moving away. He laughed at your reaction.

“No problem, Babygirl™.” Sorry. You choked on your coffee and Chan lost it. He began laughing uncontrollably, holding onto his abdomen. You would have rolled your eyes at another one of his flirty lines, but you were caught so off-guard that you just sat there with coffee dribbling down your chin. After a moment, you wailed.

“It got in my nose!”

After a few colourful words from you and mischievous giggles from him, you were back to work. At that moment, someone new walked into the café. The bell hanging above the door chimed and both you and Chan turned your attention to the entrance.

“Welcome, sir. What can I get you?” Chan walked to the side of the counter closer to the door. The man looked at Chan, then you.

“Americano. Make it quick.” He said.

Now, what happened next really ticked you off.

The bar of the café was very large, and there were at least five extra seats on either side of you, away from your bags and yourself, not to mention the twenty or so empty tables behind you. This man, however, seemed to have never touched on the topic of personal space. He slid into the chair to your left, staring at your textbooks as if to say, “Move them.”

You internally cursed at him and slid everything you had to the right. Chan was busy making the americano the man had asked for, the sound of a coffee grinder echoing in the otherwise silent room.

“College?” The man beside you asked. You didn’t look at him, nor did you answer. You scribbled more notes in your notebook and took a sip of your coffee. He huffed.

“Don’t you know that pretty girls should smile a bit more?” He craned his head to look at your face. “Don’t be rude.”

“I’m sorry, sir, but have we met?” You raised an eyebrow. He smiled. His teeth were riddled with cavities.

“In your dreams, maybe.”

In my nightmares, is more like it. You thought.

You began packing up your bags in an attempt to be rid of this man and his foul stench, but when his hand found its way to your waist, you nearly jumped out of your skin. You wondered if Chan knew what was happening. You looked up at him to see another wet mug in his hands. He was working, not paying you two any attention. He walked behind you to scrub on the tables before closing for the night.

You pushed the man’s hand away and shoved more items into your bag. He scooted his stool closer, this time, his arm snaking around your waist. He whispered in your ear.

“Why don’t you be a good girl?” He seethed. Your eyes widened and you wondered how far this man was willing to go. There’s was no alcohol on his breath. You had hoped there was, to give him the benefit of the doubt. He was fully aware of what he was doing, and that made it even worse.

While you were caught up in your thoughts, you felt a strong hand pull the man’s off of your waist.

“She’s clearly not interested, mate.” Chan said. At that moment, you had never been so happy to have him there.

“What do you know? It’s none of your business, mate.” The man challenged him, smirking as he ripped his hand away from Chan.

The blonde boy whose eyes were usually so playful and happy were now stoic and cold.

“Get out.” Chan said. The man beside you didn’t budge.

“No. You don’t own the place.” The man’s knees brushed against your outer thigh, and you shivered, not daring to move.

“Get. Out.” Chan repeated himself, so much more malice in his tone than before. You shifted your weight on the stool, afraid of what might happen next.

~

Posted a few hours early because I couldn’t wait lol. How’s that for a cliffhanger? Sorry not sorry for that Babygirl reference lol. Smash that like button if you enjoyed~ Have a nice day!

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🏷 @a-toxic-galaxy • @hoshithehamster