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lavendertales · 5 months ago

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SEÑORITA: Chapter 10

pairing: Javier Peña x Murphy!f!reader

summary: Javier contemplates his future. Though he's uncertain of it, one thing he knows for sure: he wants you in it no matter what.

word count: 3.1k

series warnings: reluctant friends to lovers, lots of playful banter, mutual pining, slow burn, secret relationship, filthy smut.

A/N: here we are at long last, lovebugs! I am so thankful for everyone who's supported this series, it encouraged me to keep going especially this year when I've been struggling so badly. I hope you enjoy this drama-free finale❤️

series masterlist | AO3

Javier had made peace with the notion that he would remain forever haunted by Colombia. It wasn’t something that he willingly chose or even wanted, of course, but it remained a fact; he knew he’d never be able to fully escape the life he’d lived while over there, and he’d made his peace with it.

Turns out life had some pleasant surprises in store for him, too.

Saying yes to spending the holidays with the Murphys seemed like it would be something overwhelming for Javier. The mere thought of being introduced to the parents as your boyfriend was enough to make him want to chainsmoke and get drunk for three days and three nights. But as it turned out, the two weeks he’d spent at the Murphy residence had been blissful. Javier would even call himself happy for what feels like a premiere in his life. Ever since the two of you came forward with your relationship, everything else seemed to fall into place and it all became easier somehow. Javier was head over heels for you, he hadn’t smoked in a year, and cut his drinking almost to a drastic degree—yet one thing still loomed over his head, something he hadn’t told you about.

He’d grown to despise his job.

But, much like at his old job, he learned to swallow whatever thoughts and feelings he might have on the matter and do the mature thing and see things through. After all, he has a darn good salary, good apartment, great friends and a terrific girlfriend.

Seemed like the oldest habit Javier picked up, being able to dismantle anything remotely good in his life, would always cast a large shadow that follows him everywhere.

“What’s got you thinking so hard?”

Steve’s voice is tender, caring in a manner, and yet stern and curious all at the same time. It manages to interrupt Javier’s chaotic thoughts, and the latter is nothing if not grateful for it.

Even if he does not express it verbally.

“Not much,” Javier clears his throat.

“C’mon man, give me some credit. We’ve known each other for a few years now, been through some rough and insane shit. I like to think I know when something’s got you down.”

Javier exhales. It’s one of the few times he wishes he’d have a cigarette in his hand right about now; but the craving disappears as quickly as it had arrived, especially when he knows Steve is right. They have been partners through some of the most horrific things anyone could ever be cursed to see, and if there was ever a definition for a damn good friend, Steve would be it.

“It can’t be cause you’re still nervous about finally meeting my parents,” Steve chuckles, and surprisingly, so does Javier. “You passed the test, you’re officially the best boyfriend my sister’s ever brought home.”

“I’m flattered.”

“I’m surprised.”

The two of them chuckle again, the lighthearted sound followed by another moment of silence.

“Much as I’d hate to admit it,” Steve breaks the silence, “you are the best guy my sister’s ever dated. Compared to the parade of leeches that were around.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“Not that she ever brought any of them home to formally introduce them to the family, so it really is a big compliment.”

“Thanks again, I feel all tingly inside.”

“Seriously now, what’s the matter?”

With a final exhale, Javier decides to voice his thoughts for what feels like a premiere in his life. “I hate my job.”

Steve waits, searching his friend’s face for something that eventually fails to appear to him.

“That’s it?”

“Okay, not hate, hate, but… I don’t know, it’s not something I enjoy doing. Not anymore.”

Steve pats him on the back, then gestures him to sit down alongside him.

“First off, I’m a bit relieved,” he begins, much to Javier’s dismay. “I thought you were gonna say something really bad.”

“Like what?”

“Like… I don’t know, wanting to end things with my sister. In which case I would’ve had to kill you.”

“I’m not breaking up with her, fucking hell. Why would I—hang on. So I’m not allowed to break up with her?”

“Why would you break up?”

“I don’t know, sometimes things don’t work out. Constant fights, lies, affairs—“

“You better not be cheating on my sister. I swear to God Javi, if you so much as—“

“I’m not! Fucking Christ, can we stay on topic?!”

“I was just saying.”

“I am not cheating, I am not lying, I am not doing anything bad, okay? I love her, she loves me, and… I’d like for us to get married someday. I think.”

Steve’s jaw drops; the only thing he can do is stare at Javier in awe, trying his best to process the words he just heard.

“You—you wanna get married?” Steve blabbers.

Javier shrugs, then nods.

“With… my sister.”

“I feel like that was implied.”

“So when are you gonna—“

“I’m not saying now. We’ve been together for like half a year only, and… you know me. Takes me time to open up.”

“Wow, okay, this is a lot to process.”

“Good thing we’re sittin’ down, huh?”

Steve chuckles against his best wishes, staring into distance.

“Look, back to the job thing, if it makes you miserable, why don’t you quit? That’s why you left Colombia, isn’t it?”

“Partially.”

“Right. Point is, if you hate the job, quit it. You can find another one.”

“And do what? Do you see me as a barista?”

“A job is a job. It doesn’t define you. And your contributions in Colombia will always remain yours, but—what do you want to do?”

Javier exhales, shrugging again. “I was thinking of going back to Laredo, at least for a little while. Help my pops around the ranch. He’s not getting any younger, he needs some help.”

“Alright, that sounds great, do that!”

“And I was thinking… I’d ask her if she wants to come with me.”

“Hang on. You wanna move to Texas? Both of you?”

“I haven’t asked her yet.”

“What if she says no?”

“Then I guess we do long-distance.”

“Wow. What happened to you?”

Javier frowns.

“You’re—flexible, open-minded, considerate of other people’s feelings… she’s changing you. In a good way.”

The more Javier thinks about it, the more he’s inclined to agree with Steve. He has felt significantly better over the past few months, and even his nightmare frequency has decreased to the point where he’s barely having them. He didn’t want to be as cheesy as to say that you’re the reason he feels the best he’s ever felt since he was a teenager, but what if you are?

What if you are the very best thing that’s ever happened to him?

“So, to recap… you wanna quit your job, ask my sister to move with you to Texas so you can live on a ranch and then ask her to marry you,” Steve says in a monotone voice.

“Basically, yeah.”

“Just talk to her, alright? Talk to her about what you’re thinking, that’s all you gotta do. It’ll work out.”

“Thanks.”

After another moment of silence and a big gulp, Javier adds rather hesitantly, “Do you think she wants to get married? If I ask her… do you think she’ll say yes?”

“She’s the one who has to answer that question.”

“What question?”

Both Steve and Javier turn abruptly to their right, being met with your smiley face. You greet Javier first by briefly pecking his lips, then you nod in Steve’s direction.

“What question am I supposed to answer, you guys?” you ask again, chuckling.

Your smile fades when you see that neither one of them answers you, keeping silent.

“Did someone die?” you ask instead.

“No, no,” Steve fake-laughs to defuse the situation. “All’s good.”

“Okay, so then why do you both look constipated?”

Steve and Javier exchange a glare with one another, thus only reinforcing your suspicions.

“I don’t think I should be here for this,” Steve stands with an awkwardly wide smile. “Gonna give you lovebirds some space and uh… I’ll give you a ring later.”

Javier’s lips pucker and his eyes shoot up right at Steve, whereas you can only stare at them, brows furrowed in utter confusion.

“I mean, on the phone,” Steve laughs, half outside the apartment already. “See ya.”

“That was weird, right?” you ask Javier.

“Don’t look at me, he’s your brother.”

You nuzzle up to him, your hand intertwined with his and your head resting on his shoulder. God, he always smells so nice, of cologne and some musk that you like to think is particular to him and only him.

“So. Wanna tell me what’s going on?”

“Why do you assume something’s going on?”

“I see you acting like school girls with a big crush trying to keep it a secret. Feel like sharing?”

He can’t fight you; he failed to fight you since the beginning, when he was way too stubborn to even see what was right in front of him, so how could he possibly do it now, when your voice is so sweet and caring and you’re so soft and warm?

“I don’t like my job,” Javier finally says. “Haven’t liked it in a while, but I thought I have to see it through, at least till my contract expires, then I’ll figure it out, but… it’s hard.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. How long till your contract expires?”

“Another year, but I don’t think I can stand being around murder cases for that long.”

“I get that. Hits a bit too close to where it haunts you, doesn’t it?”

Javier is the one to meet your eyes first, nodding. Months have gone by since the two of you have become intimate in every possible way, and yet it still surprises him greatly that you are so familiar with the cues of his insecurities and fears, sometimes even when he himself isn’t.

“You should quit your job then,” you tell him, caressing the back of his hand. “You’ll find something else, no matter what that is.”

“What kind of job do you think I could do? Since I trained, this is… this is all that I know.”

“You can do anything you like, honey. You can sell tires, be a flight attendant, anything. That’s not what’s important.”

“What is, then?”

You cup his cheeks, thus bringing him closer to your face as you breathe, “What matters most is that you’re okay. It’s just a job.”

You peck his lips again, and Javier closes his eyes, exhaling a little softer this time. The way you manage to calm him down every time, without fail, is something he would’ve called insanity some years ago—that is, if he would’ve even believed this was possible.

“There’s something else,” Javier murmurs, his forehead pressed gently against yours.

“Tell me.”

“I’m… thinking of going back to Laredo.”

You slowly let go of Javier in order to get a better look at him. You’re not sure what you’re trying to accomplish with such a hilarious move, but it’s the only one your body can come up with for the time being.

It’s not that his news is shocking. Quite the contrary, it’s natural; you suspected at some point Javier might feel homesick, but it seems that actually hearing the words has managed to bring you into an unforeseen state of surprise.

“Okay,” you say after a while, your hands now in your lap as you rummage through his words. “Permanently?”

“I don’t know,” Javier admits. “Would be ironic since I couldn’t wait to get out of that town when I was a teenager.”

You chuckle. “It’s normal, you were a kid wanting to know more. Now you’re a grown man, having seen a lot of the world. Parts of it that could easily destroy someone and yet you—“

“I wasn’t exempt from that, baby. That job did destroy me in some ways.”

“You’re still here though.”

Javier smiles, reaching for your hand. “I’m still here.”

“Going back to your hometown isn’t a bad thing at all, by the way.”

“I know. It feels kinda strange though. But my dad needs help around the ranch, even if he’s too proud to admit it, to me at least, and… that way I could be useful and do things that I know how to do. I could get a job there.”

“Sounds like you have it figured out.”

“Almost.”

You raise your eyebrows, facing him fully again.

“Almost?” you tease with a smile, which prompts him to do the same. “What else are you thinking about?”

“What if you came with me?”

Your whole face lights up, and this time you can truly say you were taken by surprise.

“You’re asking me to go to Laredo with you?”

“I’m asking you if that’s something that you’d like. If not, that’s fine. We can go long distance, I think. Right? I mean, lots of people do it.”

“You wanna do long distance?”

“I’m saying that’s an option.”

“You do realize that’s mostly talking and no sex, right?”

You actually see Javier gulp and visibly reconsider his opinion, much to your personal delight.

“Some sex can be involved,” he pushes much to your amusement.

“Phone sex doesn’t really count.”

“Damn it.”

You chuckle. “But I wouldn’t worry about that, we’re gonna have some great sex, honey.”

“Wh—you mean you’re coming with me?”

“Hell yes. I want to see your roots, meet your family… I hope they like me.”

“Are you kidding me? They’re gonna fuckin’ adore you.”

You smile at him, kissing him again.

“Are you sure about it though?” he checks with you. “I don’t wanna uproot you or anything, and it’s a big change—“

“Do they have a library over there?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“Then it’s no problem.”

Utterly bewildered, Javier can only stare at you in awe. He still fears that he’ll forever lack the words to properly express to you how much you mean to him and how he truly feels about you. He’s always managed to avoid sappy conversations and to make up for what he lacks in words with actions, but with you, he feels like he needs to do more.

And there is something more he could do.

“What?” you ask amusedly when his eyes do not peel off of you.

“There is another thing I am thinking about.”

“Which is?”

A smirk graces Javier’s lips, and in that moment you come to realize that not only is it a mischievous smirk, but the reason behind it is something that genuinely excites Javier.

And that is in and of itself something incredible to witness.

“Have you ever thought about getting married?”

You raise your eyebrows and try to stifle a big smile. “About us getting married?”

“No, not necessarily us—well, actually, yes, a little us. A lot. Just—marriage in general. Have you ever… wanted to? Eventually?”

“If this really is how you’re proposing, sweetie, I feel like you can do better.”

Javier laughs out of sheer nervousness by now, but it’s probably for the first time in his adult life when he doesn’t feel embarrassed to be talking about his feelings out in the open.

“I do think about marriage,” you decide to ease his mind and stop teasing. “I don’t think it’s necessary for everyone, but I also don’t think it changes anything in a relationship. If it’s a strong relationship, marriage is only gonna strengthen it.”

“Dully noted.”

“My point is, I would like to get married, yes, since that seems to be the answer you’re after. Haven’t wanted to get married to any of my exes, so.”

“Now I’m flattered.”

“Ooh, so that’s why you and Steven were acting so weird when I got here!”

And then you gasp at the realization. “Oh my God, that’s the question I had to answer, isn’t it? If I want to marry you.”

Javier feels his cheeks flush in the slightest, so he clears his throat and looks away for a little while till he can organize his thoughts.

“Just to be clear, I wasn’t actually going to propose now,” he says. “It was a hypothetical, if I were to ask, would you say yes.”

“You can ask me and we’ll find out.”

Dumbfounded, Javier stares at you for what feels like an eternity. While he’s definitely gotten used to your humor and your bluntness, right now he can’t seem to tell whether you are serious or not.

“Are you serious?” Javier retorts, surprised to find out this is the only thing that he can ask, as silly as it sounds.

“You’re the one who brought up marriage.”

“Yeah but I didn’t mean—I’m not ready now. I don’t have a ring, I haven’t thought about a speech—“

You giggle, pulling him closer to you again. “Aw you’re nervous, it’s so cute.”

“I’m not—“

“It’s cute.”

You peck his lips and smile at him reassuringly. “Look, Javi, it’s great to know that you’re thinking about this too. Means we’re on the same page. But I do think we should give ourselves some more time before making things official. Maybe go to Laredo first, spend some time there with your dad and the rest of your family. Does that sound good?”

“It sounds like a dream honestly. The kind of dream I… didn’t think I could have. Or should have. For a long time there were only nightmares and pain and death, and now… there’s warmth and softness and light. And it’s all because of you.”

“Javi.”

“I mean it.”

“I know you do. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

There was no need for Javier to hide his smiles, or hide in general. If anyone would ask him now how he felt, he’d probably reply with “disgustingly happy” because that is the most accurate description of his feelings.

“Are you sure about Laredo?” he asks you, and you roll your eyes at him.

“One hundred percent. Are you sure about marriage?”

“Two hundred percent.”

You smile. “Okay. So when you have your speech prepared and bought a ring—even if you don’t have to, by the way—you can ask me.”

“What if it’s tomorrow?”

“Then I guess tomorrow’s the day you hear my answer to that question.”

Deep down, Javier knows already. He sees the answer all over your face, he feels it in the way you hold him, in the way you kiss him and in the way you ease his mind and cast the nightmares away. He knows your answer.

But it’d still be incredible to hear it spoken from your lips.

tags: @pedrostories @psychedelic-ink @milkymoon2483 @ifall4dilfs @casa-boiardi @fallenkitten @jenispunk

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royal-chandler · 1 month ago

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inspired by TZP's appearance at the premiere of Queer 💫

grammar and i really couldn't mesh well today, i'm sorry.

The car slows down and the bounce of Alex’s knee speeds up in the backseat. It’s stilled when Henry’s hand folds over it, easily stealing Alex’s attention from the reel of landmarks that lead to the DGA Theater Complex. Henry’s smile is a private and small curve that crowds out everything else.

Henry comments, “You look like you’re about to leap out of your skin, darling. We can still wait, if you’d like. There’s no pressure.”

Drifting a hand down, Alex threads his fingers through Henry’s and admires the warm and perfect fit of them. “I’m not having a record-scratch moment. And we’re not postponing or calling this off. Or, fuck even worse, appearing as friends to have the internet continually mislabel us as a bromance. It’s not nerves or cold feet, it’s anticipation.”

“An incredibly vibrant anticipation.”

“And your subdued energy, I should take that as?”

“Barely restrained excitement.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Of course,” Henry says with a mock-serious nod that he might as well have patented, "I'm going to be sharing the same space as Luca Guadagnino. As a massive fan, that thrills me to no end.”

Alex laughs out of surprise and plays along, leaning in. “Wow, he rates higher than Daniel Craig?”

“Alex, honestly. You think that I haven’t already met the most recent iteration of James Bond? Me, a son of Arthur Fox? We’re well acquainted, love. He’s been at my dinner table quite often,” Henry divulges.

“Huh.” Alex's curiosity is genuine now. Clearing his throat in an attempt to sidestep an embarrassing needy tone, his question still comes out clumsy, words tripping over gravel, “No, uh, farther than the dining room? Uh, just dinner.”

“He’s rather happy with his wife and I’ve never been...courted as a supernumerary,” Henry says thoughtfully. And then with his free hand, he’s carding Alex’s hair, pulling on an end in a way that makes Alex’s toes curl in his shoes. Showing off his cheekbones, Henry grins wide when Alex hisses between his teeth. He's generous with his touch, his fingers slipping down to Alex’s mouth and skipping over its opened seam, pausing at the pout of his bottom lip. Henry’s voice drops in volume as he adds with a sweet kiss, “Plus, he’s not my type whatsoever. Far removed from it and no one fills out a tux better than you. Even James Bond. So, there’s zero reason to be jealous.”

“What? Who’s jealous? I am not jealous.”

“I’d hope not. Soon enough, the whole world will know that I’m yours.”

To the left of his sternum, Alex's heart gallops. The same wild pick-up from weeks before when he’d first held the invite to the premiere, the title of the film brash and defiant across the top. Unapologetically Queer. Over the sloping script encouraging a plus-one, Alex had rubbed his thumb back and forth, like he could wear a patch into the parchment. He hadn’t been able to let it go until he had Henry on the phone, tears swelling and unsteady as the black and white of the invite blurred and the choice became clear.

“And that Henry fucking Fox calls me his boyfriend. Kind of insane,” Alex remarks, remembering the Melbourne Climate Conference and literally running into the Prince of England. Getting to his feet with a two-inch advantage and still feeling like he didn’t measure up and never would, gutted by Henry’s refusal to take his hand. Later, in a hospital closet, he’d find out that Henry had been hollow that day as well, pitted by fresh grief.

“Good insane?” Henry asks.

“Always. I like the kind of crazy you drive me to,” Alex admits and sees happiness light in Henry’s forest eyes. He sees forever. Alex wants it so badly, he has to dip his gaze lower before he loses himself there completely. He loiters at the necklace that hangs from Henry’s neck, its silver pendant resting against the notch of his collarbone like an ornament. A gift from Alex that the public has been speculating the origins of since it first appeared on a beach trip Henry had taken with Bea and Pez—noteworthy for the simple fact that the Prince never wore jewelry aside from his signet ring. “I mean, let’s get started on this fucking outfit, baby.”

“Alex, enough.”

“You’re in a cardigan that’s barely holding on! What am I supposed to do with that? I’m merely a man.”

Paired with dark grey pants, the cardigan is powder blue and delicately knitted with a lace pattern, see-through over a black tank and even softer than it looks. It’s a formal contrast to Alex’s dark denim jeans and wool workwear jacket but together, the intent behind the ensembles will be undeniable—that, like any other couple, they’re meant to match.

Fondly, Alex shakes his head. “When the big headline reads ‘Prince Henry, finally saved from drowning as First Son ACD yanks him out of oversized double-breasted suits’, I’ll get my gratification. You’ll see.”

“They are not oversized,” Henry argues, a blush across his face.

Alex tells him, “If you didn’t bare your chest every once in a while, your shoulders would be your best kept secret. Forget about me.”

“Not ever,” Henry answers.

As if cued, the car rolls to a stop and a silhouette appears outside the window. They’ve got thirty seconds and, in a deliberate callback to the moment he realized saying anything less than love to Henry felt like lying and asked him out on this date, Alex wonders, “Are you ready?”

“So fucking impatient,” Henry says with a laugh and Alex is head over heels for all of him.

When the door is opened, Alex doesn’t let go of Henry’s hand. He carefully waits for Henry to climb out behind him and then places his proud smile to the skin of Henry’s cheek—what he had wanted and wished to do at the charity polo match in London and every other public appearance that followed after.

Ahead of them is a long, loud line of press and chaotic bursts of blinding lights. A shit ton of questions and a sprawling red carpet that they won’t be able to walk back.

They move forward with purpose, together every step of the way.

i'd like to kindly thank @caressthosecheekbones for telling me that Henry should wear Nick's iconic cardigan 💛

and @mylucayathoughts , here you go! 🤍

#firstprince #rwrb #alex x henry #red white and royal blue #rwrb fic #firstprince fic #rwrb fanfiction #my fic

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graves4girls · 1 year ago

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Jealous johnny cage one shot?Preferably rock star fem reader

☆ chemical kids and mechanical brides | johnny cage

✮ wc. 1.01k ⚠︎ warning(s): fem!reader the hardest part of this was finding a good enough title i stg. i'm still iffy about it but wtvs ⟡ be sure to check out my work on ao3 → gravesforgirls !!

The adrenaline from the show is still running through your veins as you pack up your kit, humming to the song blasting from the stage as you brush away the hair sticking to your face. There were significantly more people in the stands than your last show, probably due to the leaked photos of you and Johnny cuddling up to each other at one of his movie premieres. It wasn't long after that people found out who you were, and your band's popularity sky-rocketed in the following weeks.

You shove the duffel bags and drums into the back of the van, a smile cracking your tired expression when your eyes fall on him.

"That was fuckin' amazing."

His hands encase your face, littering your face in kisses as you laugh quietly, weakly pushing at his chest.

"Don't, I'm all sweaty."

He sticks one more kiss to your lips, big grin plastered to his face as he looks at you. "Arguably hotter."

You roll your eyes, shoving his hands away and pushing the doors closed with a sigh. "I almost don't even want to go to the club. The excitement is wearing off and now I'm just exhausted."

He steps closer to pull you into his chest, hands grabbing at your hips to keep you in place as he presses another kiss to the corner of your mouth.

"You and I both know damn well they'll chew you out if you ditch 'em. Y'know, for a rockstar, you sure are a goody two-shoes."

You punch his chest lightly before slinking your arms around his neck, pouting a bit. "Am not. I just like to sleep."

You huff quietly when the van's horn blares, reluctantly pulling your arms away.

"Beat it, Cage! You're holding up our drummer!"

"Fine. She's all yours." He waves at the girl hanging out the passenger window, dropping one more soft kiss to your lips as he lets you go. "I'll meet you there. Don't have too much fun without me."

You're ushered toward the bar as soon as you step into the lounge, opting to sit on one of the stools and wait for Johnny while your friends disappear into the crowd. You busy yourself with your phone, and you fail to notice someone staring at you from across the room, slowly approaching you through the sea of people drunkenly dancing.

"Hey."

You jump a bit at the voice, eyes finding a man suddenly taking up the space in the previously empty seat beside you, but you shoot him a tight-lipped smile despite the spook.

"Hi."

"You're from that new punk-rock band right? The tough…tough something?"

You perk up a bit, eager at the opportunity to meet a fan. "Ruff puppies, yeah. Spelled r-u-f-f."

He nods with a small laugh. "Right. Not the best with band names. But yeah, I've heard a ton of your songs. Shit's sick."

"Thanks. We actually just came from a show a couple blocks down."

He hums, waving down the bartender. "What's your preference?"

You shake your head with a small smile, waving a hand in the air. "Oh, I'm not drinking tonight. I'm just here for moral support."

"Let me buy you something else then. How about a coke?"

You shrug. "Really, it's not necessary–"

He orders a beer and a coke, shooting you a warmer smile. "This is probably the only time I'll ever get to buy the pretty drummer from Ruff Puppies a drink. I'm gonna take it."

You flush the slightest at the compliment.

"Your latest album by the way? Best shit I've heard in the scene in a hot minute. And, from one drummer to another, you're insane."

You spend the next few minutes shooting band recommendations and techniques back and forth before his eyes wander behind you, mouth falling open a bit, and you follow his gaze to find Johnny ambling over to you, the traces of a scowl on his face.

"Holy shit. You're Johnny Cage, right? Man, I love your movies. Ninja Priest was so good."

"Yeah. I appreciate it." He turns to you, snaking a hand around your waist. "Can I talk to you real quick?"

You knit your brows together, but you nod all the same, excusing yourself and following him into a secluded corner of the club, tilting your head as you look at him.

"What's up?"

"Who was that?"

The wrinkle between your eyebrows deepens. "You're talking about the kid? He's a fan of the band. He was just asking about my drumming."

He huffs a bit. "If he's a fan, he should know you have a boyfriend."

"Johnny."

His eyes aren't on you, instead drifting over your shoulder to glare at the person in question. "He bought you a drink."

You roll your eyes, slipping your fingers into his belt loops and pulling him closer. "It's just a coke, Johnny. Don't be like that." You press a kiss to his chin, leaning against him.

"Be like what? I'm not being like anything. 'M just not crazy about random dudes flirting with my girlfriend."

You bite back a laugh, hooking a finger in the collar of his shirt to pull him closer, kissing him softly. "You're cute when you're jealous."

He grumbles as you draw back, hands resting on your waist as he continues to avoid your eyes. "I'm not jealous. And I definitely wouldn't be jealous of that little rat."

"Mhm…whatever you say, babe." He finally looks at you fully, softening a bit at your smile. "I think you need to loosen up a bit. On me?"

You drag him back to the bar, and you're about to sit back down when he lifts you from the stool, taking your spot and pulling you down into his lap instead, and you fight against his strong hold in a weak attempt to get away.

"You're so embarrassing. Let go."

His arms tighten around you, and any attempt to pry them from your waist is futile, hiding your flushed face in your hands as he chuckles.

"I just wanna make sure everyone here knows you're already spoken for."

#j.cage #johnny cage #johnny cage x reader #mortal kombat #mortal kombat 1 #mk #mk1

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bronx-bomber87 · 11 months ago

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Happy Saturday all :) We only have 5 eps left in this season. I can’t believe it. 17 days to the premiere. Well 18 for me since I don't have cable just Hulu but still. Ahhh the Dim and Juicy Ep. I remember the 3 week hiatus to get to it was the worst. Felt like we had a lot of extended breaks in S5. Drove me insane. But anything is better than the one we’re coming out of now ha I’ll take 3 weeks over 9 months any day heh.

I liked the parallel in this how unhealthy Jake/Sava were. And how solid Tim and Lucy are. I mean Dim And Juicy were a mess. My god the man cheated on her more than once. They are not relationship goals lol I enjoyed them nonetheless though. I know Eric and Melissa had a blast filming this. Did my best to get everything in. Content heavy one. Let us get started.

5x18 Double Trouble

We hit the ground running in this one. Sava is waiting for Jake outside of prison. He’s getting released due to overcrowding. Not because he was good LOL Even Sava makes a crack it wasn't that. Been serving about 6 months for the drug charge got in 4x22. It’s a trip to watch them. We get all the benefits of Melissa and Eric’s chemistry inside another couple. It's wild. Sava all but squee's when she see's Jake which is pretty cute.

They launch themselves at each other once he’s free. All kisses and hands. Saying how much they missed each other. All the chemistry and swaying cuteness that comes with them. This scene is pretty cute to watch. They do look like they are so in love which makes what Jake does later so confusing and awful tbh. He greets her friend Lisa with a hug and you can see Sava breaks it up pretty quickly.

Sava brings Jake back to her side. Asking what he wants to do first? Being the classy gentlemen he is saying she knows what. Ha Horny horn dogs. I do love it though. it’s like getting the most reckless AU version of Tim and Lucy. Although they wouldn’t cheat so it’s not entirely accurate lol Sava asking him if he wants to go straight? Jake replying 'Nah, screw that. Let's be bad.'

This leads us into the documentary. Shots of Jake and Sava during it. My god they are sex crazed af. I think that’s why everyone loved watching them though. heh They legit were gonna make a sex tape and got caught LOL I remember being so excited and confused as to what this episode was going to be ha. All I knew was going to be a documentary one and I always have a soft spot for these ones.

We start off with Lucy getting mic’d up. She looks way more nervous this time around. Why you ask? Her person isn’t with her. Her safe space and grounding force is missing. She even asks why she can’t be interviewed with him? They want their POV's to be separate this time. It’s so sweet she misses him and needs his presence to calm her nerves. This makes me so happy I cannot.

We watch her take a deep breathe knowing they have to be apart. They ask how Lucy knew of Jake Butler in the first place? Lucy goes on to explain about Tamara’s car and drugs they found in it. Which led them to Jake. They bring up the fact he and Tim look alike. Tim is already grumpy and hates these damn things. What happens when you remove him away from his sunshine human.

He’s extra grumpy. It shows in his very first shot. His body language screaming how much he doesn’t want to be here. The crossed arms (mmm hello biceps.) Tim defiantly saying how they don’t look the same at all. Refusing to believe they are anything alike. Other than looks Jake is the complete opposite of everything Tim is for sure. He’s so sassy and salty when the director says they’re identical. ‘Says you.’ Oh my love. I adore you.

They come at Lucy with both barrels about being Dim and Juicy for their OP in 'Double Down.' Knowing their ‘pretend’ intimacy was so much more than that. Lucy looks like she’s getting overwhelmed poor thing. She tries to divert it back to what they accomplished with their OP. Not the fact that they were UC together as a couple. The director presses more asking if that’s when her and Tim became intimate?

There’s a reason they pulled Tim from her for these questions. He would’ve knocked this guy out for them being so personal. Also for making her feel uncomfortable asking them. She can’t even look the man in the face when she says this BS line about pretending. Cause it’s utter crap and she knows it. Yeah they were in other relationships at the time. To quote Angela from 5x01 ‘All true. Not what I asked.’

Lucy defending them both. Saying they didn’t get together until they were both single. Which is true and I am eternally grateful for. Do love her making sure everyone knows this. That they didn’t do anything untoward during their OP. Cause they wouldn’t while in relationships. Not who they are. They were damn close but didn't. Why they are the opposite of Jake/Sava. The director says he wants to dial in on that. Lucy becoming agitated asking do we really have to?

These questions clearly getting under her skin. The director noting it’s astronomical they would even meet the both of them. Let alone have both Jake/Sava together and her and Tim as well in a relationship. Before she can answer Tim interrupts says interview is over. She asks what's wrong? He tells her not here.. Lucy thinking it’s linked to questions she’s being asked. I love him holding the door for her as they leave. Ever the gentlemen.

The closeness and height difference is glorious in this shot. You can tell when they’re alone by her body language Lucy goes into calm down Tim mode. Her hand reaching out for his and subtly touching it. Thinking she has to get him to settle down for hearing those questions. Before Lucy can talk Tim explains why he removed her. Has nothing to do with that. He pulled her over because Jake has gone missing. Doesn’t want to do police work in front of the cameras. Saying Nolan and Celia got missing persons call and it’s about Jake. Lucy is shocked saying 'What?'

Nolan and Celina show up and Sava is freaking out cause Jake is missing. The director asks why Jake and Sava are at a mansion in Beverley Hills? We find out they’ve been casing rich families. Taking over jobs like handy man, nanny etc so they can live in these fancy houses and steal their stuff. It’s pretty smart despite being awful LOL This last family needed a handy man. Jake beats the crap out of the current one. Strong arms his way into taking his job.

I do love seeing how tall he is in that camera shot. mmm. Tall drink of water that man. Jeans and a leather jacket? Yum. Gimme. Luckily this family needed a nanny as well. So they both fit right into this scenario. Angela saying Sava slid right in LMAO I’m dying at Wes’s reaction. They’re so cute I can’t stand it. I do love me some Wopez. He tells her that's a really descriptive way to say it HA These documentaries always produce the funniest little moments like this. Why I love these and have a soft spot for them.

We return to Nolan’s and Celina questioning Sava. She is still panicking. Saying this is why she didn't want to call the cops. Nolan noting because they're doing something illegal? She tries to defend their jobs there. That they're "straight" now. John gets her back on track by saying Jake disappeared? We cut to another video slash moment. Sava and her videos ha it is super cute how he looks at the camera. That smile we all love. Jake saying she needs to remind him to erase security footage. My god they’re sex bunnies LMFAO. He gets up to grab another beer and asks if she wants anything? She said lobster salad.

The ass tap he gives her on his way to get another beer. my goodness. I love it. Reeling over here. Don't worry about me. They must’ve had so much fun filming this. I mean Eric mentioned it was one of fav eps of the season. The BTS they did leading up to his showed how much they enjoyed it. Her little dance after he says he’ll get her lobster salad. Haha Sava just living her best life in this moment and it’s showing. Sadly this is the last time Jake is seen alive on camera.

We find out Jake took off and never told Sava where he was going. Which is heartbreaking. Because she clearly loved this man very much. Moral compass or not she loved Jake. That gets them on the topic of lying and secrets in a relationship. They ask her if Tim and her keep secrets? Lucy says nothing big.

That honesty is the most important thing in a relationship. Cutting to Tim and his reply I’m rolling. Eric killing it in this episode with his sarcasm. The king delivers once again. I mean he’s not wrong he is sitting there because of her secret. Well intentioned secret though LOL One born out of love. This one was funnier than the other two I thought. Just lots of funny/punchy bits like this one. I enjoyed it so much.

We return to station. Aaron’s calling in he found a body. That it’s Tim. The expressions in this scene are primo. First off Lucy and Celina's confusion is hysterical. Standing next to him and hearing this when he's very much not. Tim looks so annoyed Aaron couldn’t tell it wasn’t him LOL Also irritated at the thought of being dead. Like he's insulted he would ever be dead in a dumpster haha Oh Tim I love you so much.Like Aaron you’re all looking for Jake and your mind goes to Tim LMAO Never gonna live this down my dude....

Tim grabbing Lucy’s radio off her hip is doing things to me. I also adore the looks when he does. She just allows it only looking down. Such a deep level of comfortability in this action too. Lucy doesn’t react at all. Just used to Tim and his antics. It’s the little glances through out this portion love too. Tim's look into the camera cracking up as well. Like this friggin dope thinking i'm dead... His face the literal version of SMH ha I loved this mini moment so much.

They ask Tim if it was disconcerting he saw a version of himself dead in the dumpster? Being Tim he’s not going to show a documentary crew of all people his vulnerability. That’s reserved for one person and one person only. We shoot back to Lucy who says she has nightmares. God I can only imagine the nightmares seeing that produced for her though. Even though it wasn’t him you know she carried that with her when they left.

I bet you she had nightmares that night and Tim had to soothe her. Damn that would be good fic... LOL Anyways they ask Lucy if she thinks Tim has nightmares? Lucy tells them no but he’s been doing the job longer. I love her defending his high walls though. Saying why they’re in place. Not wanting them to judge him for it. Refusing to let anyone cast a negative light on him.

The director asks if she’s jealous he can turn it off like that? Lucy’s answer is great because it’s very her. Telling them No. Personally she needs to feel for people it’s who she is. I totally get that I am a massive empath. It’s how I connect with people as well. It has it's downsides it’s true but worth it in the end. When they ask her bout his walls being an issue? I LOVE her smile. Because those walls have never really been an issue. A challenge for Lucy yes in slowly breaking his down over the years. But never an obstacle for them.

We all know she saw behind his walls very early on in their relationship. Saw the man hiding behind that wall. Tim has been a soft marshmallow for her for YEARS. Legit years. Why she has zero hesitation in her reply. He was soft for her long before they got together. It’s just now he allows himself to fully be this way openly and he’s ok with it. Well when they’re alone he is. Of course he’s going to be rough and grumpy with the crew. They’re not his person. Nor would he ever tell them he was soft for her.

That's not Tim Bradford at all. But his actions speak louder than his words ever could. You have to earn that out of him though. Lucy earned it million times over. Why she is the only one who gets to see it. Does crack me up the way the director says. ‘No sir....’ After Tim asks him if he looks like a big softy? You know Tim loved instilling that fear in him. He may be super gone for his wife. But he’ll be damned if he doesn’t command fear and respect around everyone else. These two the epitome of Grumpy x Sunshine per usual. Tim is hard ass unless you’ve made past his wall. He loves Lucy most so she gets all the soft goodies haha

Sava shows the director a video she’s scared to share with the team after being questioned. Thinking they’re gonna use it against her. It’s a video of them driving around being all cute. Saying I love you to the camera and such. But then get run off the road in an attempt to kill them. Their car gets totaled and Jake has them bail completely. Car and everything they leave behind. They were able to locate the car for evidence after they see this.

They couldn’t get anything from the car scrapings unfortunately. Had the most common paint out there. So another layer was added to this mystery. Who was the driver? Sava then gets a text threatening her about an item she had no idea about. One that needed to be delivered. It was sent to her and Jake. The texts went on to be violent in nature toward Sava. So it was time for Lucy to go UC to figure this out. Meet up with this person threatening her.

Thanks to Lucy’s UC Op the SL finally has some answers. The guy contacting them was related to Jake they were cousins. He was into some shady stuff and was an international arms dealer. This where I really feel bad for Sava. She had no idea about these back ally dealings he was doing. Not only that but he was cutting her out of the deal on top of it. That Jake targeted this family for a specific reason and she had no idea. Makes me sad when she says she thought he loved her oof.

That she knew him. Pretty sad. We find out later through Sava. That Jake always had a burner phone. They were able to get that number through this whole thing with the shady cousin. It’s where we find out Jake was cheating on Sava. Again….Lucy calling him the Shakespeare of sexting LOL They ask her if she’ll read some of them? It’s adorable how flustered she gets. Saying she can’t her Nana would be watching this. HA

The director does the dumbest thing he could do. Asking Tim if he would read some? Like did you really think that was gonna happen bud? Like really? His reply of if Lucy wasn’t gonna he sure as hell wasn’t going to. Telling him to take that away from him. Have you not paid attention at all in these documentaries? Why would they think asking was a good idea? LMFAO Mess with the bull gonna get the horns people.

We find out the person Jake was cheating on Sava with was Lisa. Her best friend…Like damn it’s bad enough to cheat but with her best friend? God…As douchey as it gets on his part. Jake breaks up with her via text but Lisa can’t handle the fact he was choosing Sava. It’s when everything comes together. We find out she tried to run them off the road and kill them. When that failed she asks for Jake’s forgiveness. Wanting to meet up. When he showed up she killed him immediately and dumped his body. Shit….That's a seriously scorned women right there.

This next portion is the definition Grumpy x Sunshine. They ultimately decide not to charge Sava with anything. The director asking what Lucy thinks of this? She of course gives the softest, most empathetic, and hopeful answer. Because it’s Lucy Chen. She exudes all that in her decision making. It is her super power after all. Naturally her answer was geared towards a second chance. Thinking maybe this will put Sava on the right path.

We cut to Tim saying ‘Of course she said that.’ He knows his girl so well. What’s so great here is his expression as he says it. That smile of his when he says that line. We all know one of the reasons he fell for her is that sunshine. That empathy and her seeing the best in people. She charmed her way into his heart with it. He truly does admire her for it. You can see the fond affection his face and tone when he says this.

He may not agree with her but he loves that about her. The man loves her so much even when he’s being sassy it comes off as affectionate. It's the first time we see him smile this episode. Why? He’s talking about Lucy. She brings it out in him. She melts him even without even being present. Just the thought of her and he lights up. Her compassion is one of his fav things about her. Gah they cute.

They finally get to to be interviewed together. It’s the best part of the episode. Director not wasting any time with his first question. Asking them if they’re worried cause their doppelgänger relationship was so dysfunctional? Lucy once again seeing the best in them. Telling him it was an unfair characterization of them. That Jake cheated not only that but cut her out of a gun deal after that. Not healthy in the least but to her not dysfunctional.

I adore how riled up Tim is with his questions. Protective Tim has entered this conversation. Getting very agitated with what he’s implying. Look at how Lucy looks at Tim as he goes off on his rant. She loves this man sitting next to her. Grumpy rants and all. The amount of affection on her face as he continues his tangent. She could watch him go off all day. My heart. The director saying he thinks it's reasonable question. Tim doesn't agree and tells him off. Saying they’re working too hard. Ha I love him.

Tim continues on (very passionately might I add) about separating their relationship from Jake/Sava’s. Want's to make it VERY clear they are nothing like those two. That the only thing they share is looks. He is so offended he would even compare the two. I mean it’s true. They’re not on the same planet as Tim and Lucy. Lucy continues to look at her man with serious heart eyes. Her smile giving me all the feels.

She is loving his fierce defense of them as a couple. Saying Jake/Sava based their lives on deceit. Of course it infected their relationship. He’s not wrong…This next bit gets me all in my feels. The way he looks over at Lucy. A real genuine smile just for her. Look at his smile. I'm a puddle. He is the absolute softest for her. *heart clutch*

Saying they’re in a very different place. His passionate defense is of them is sexy if you ask me. Also look how different he is with her by his side. Sharing more than he's been doing in his previous interviews. Being a little vulnerable cause she’s there with him. More than he has the entire episode. I cannot. This makes my heart so happy.

The look on Lucy’s face when they ask what place they’re in? She is also ready to throw down with them. Incensed they would even ask that. Her reply is perfection. Saying ‘If you don’t know, then you haven’t been paying attention.’ I remember thinking this was a shot at anyone complaining this season. (and I LOVED it) Which blew my mind btw whenever I saw it. Cause if you could be negative in a season this good what makes you happy? I remember unfollowing some people cause I didn't want their tainted vision in my feed. If you could look at their relationship and not see the beautiful progression you weren't watching the same season as me.

To not see what they’ve built to this point in the season. You are like Lucy said clearly not paying attention. I remember seeing some posts about not enough PDA, kisses or intimacy. (there was lots of intimacy btw just not straight up making out) You’re missing the point of the realistic healthy adult relationship that's being portrayed. They're not teenagers who will be angsty over nothing. These are people in a stage of their life where that nonsense isn't going to happen. Any angst they've had has been productive. If you came out of this episode thinking they needed to be more like Jake/Sava you missed the point entirely. Of this season really. They are not them.

The beauty of Lucy and Tim is in the small tender moments. The little things that add up to so much. Yes I love kisses and such don't get me wrong. God I love them. Will lose my mind over any in S6 no doubt. But there is so much more to a relationship than just that. The emotional intimacy and how they’ve grown together since 5x10 is unreal. The massive shift in Tim alone is enough to tell you how well written they are. What a healthy adult relationship looks like. Had their bumps along the way but what couples doesn’t? I just loved that line from Lucy. S5 is a game changer in the best way for them. If you can’t see it or how they've both grown together you clearly haven’t been paying attention. That line was amazing and I loved her saying as such.

The director takes shot at what place they're in. Coming up with some buzz words. As generic as he could possibly be. Lucy calls him out for it. Because it no where near describes what these two have. Tim is simmering as this guy continues to try and rile them up. I adore him ready to go off and Lucy immediately calms him with a single touch. That’s all takes for him to go from raging bull to heart eye Tim in an instant for her.

Tim was ready to thrown the hell down. I love protective Tim. Lucy taking the wheel in this moment is everything. Her touch basically saying she's got this. Looking directly at her man when she says this next line above. Also don’t think I didn’t see your eyes move to his lips madam. I do adore how she is looking at him. Exuding every ounce of love in her body for him as she speaks. They’re so in love make my heart hurt in the best way. Her eyes so full of warmth and affection for the man sitting next to her. They really are in a beautiful place. Making my shipper heart so very happy.

Tim’s sweet smiles as she rubs her thumb up and down his wrist in a soothing manner. I love it so very much. Never be over how she make's sure to keep eye contact as she calms him down. Tim also doesn't break his eye contact with her as she does this. They're killing me with all the shipper feels in this moment.

Let’s not forget her necklace on full display here. In this beautiful moment. Happy looks so damn good on them everyone. Another thing I love so much is how Tim lets her take over. He was ready to shut this down. Kick them out. She places her hand on his arm and he’s at peace. Lets her direct them from here on out. Only Lucy has the power to soothe him this quickly and effectively.

She’s calmed Tim down enough to have him rejoin the convo. Saying as police officer your future is never certain. Lucy adding on anything can happen at any time. Tim rolling it into kicking them out is amazing. Telling them straight up they’ve overstayed their welcome at this point. I mean they really have LOL Cracks me up how she turns her head towards him. Not really shocked but realizing he's over this now. Her smile is the best.

I love him pointing his finger. The shots at his relationship with Lucy were his breaking point. That is the most precious thing in world to him. Something so sacred. Why Lucy had to stop him from eating them lol Lucy’s reaction is the best. She loves this insane man sitting next to her so much. Her pushing his arm down like 'Ok babe that’s enough.' lmao. Such a wifey move to do that but also she knows Tim is at his limit. Tells them it's time to go now....

I love them instantly going into couple time mode once it's over. Lucy asking if he wants sushi? Tim saying how it’s perfect. Then looks back at them glaringly. Saying this place better be spotless when they get back. I love her escorting him out of the apt. Hand on his back directing him towards the front door before he pops off more. Such a married move. God damn I love them so much everyone. Fantastic ep from start to finish. ❤️

~~~~

Side notes-non chenford

Grey’s picture and how happy it makes him I love it so much. It’s so cute I can’t stand it.

He was so distraught when it was destroyed lol They replace it and it’s so sweet hilarious adorable thing for Grey.

Thank you to all my readers you make my entire day when you like, comment and reblog. Tis been a joy for me. See you all in 5x19 :)

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its-time-to-write · 1 year ago

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Hello! I absolutely love your work. You’re a fantastic writer. Is it possible for you to do something based a bit off of the song London Boy by Taylor Swift? If not I understand. I just feel there’s some cool way to tie it with Jamie Tartt. Sorry if it’s a bit of a generic request

ALRIGHTY gotta preface this, I actually hate this song 😂 Lyrics aren’t bad, but the like accent thing she does makes me die a little bit. BUT. I saw what you were going for (I think)! So here it is, I suffered through listening to this song bc you asked for a fic and I am nothing if not eager to please.

This is also a response to two other requests. So if that was you, ✌️😗 y’all were on the same page, congratulations. This is also my first song-based fic, although all of my works are (very, very loosely) based on songs. That’s why they have such insane titles😅 ANYWAY that’s enough talking from me. Enjoy!

i fancy you

i love my hometown as much as Motown, i love So-Cal

Richmond in London is very different from your hometown in Southern California. It’s colder, for one. And older. Things in California don’t have the same extended history as they do in England. You’re here visiting family for a couple months, although your cousins are trying to convince you to stay longer.

“What do you really have waiting for you in California?” Holland asks.

“Uh, the beach. Sun. Great Mexican food.” you respond.

Holland isn’t buying it. “When else are you going to be able to live here? We can help you get a job and all that, not a huge problem.”

Holland is very convincing. You decide to stay for a year, single year, and see what happens.

Holland is four years older than you, and has always been the cousin you’re closest to. You’ve had a long-standing bond since being the two eldest sisters in your family. Holland takes you to clubs and introduces you to her friends, including a Miss Keeley Jones who thinks you are “abso-fuckin-lutely adorable.”

“You have to bring her to a Richmond match, babes,” Keeley says. “Lots of fit footballers.” She winks.

You ask Keeley of she’s dating a footballer.

“Oh god no,” she shudders. “A coach.”

You don’t really see the difference.

saw the dimples first and then i heard the accent

It was a good match, even you can tell. The Richmond team played seamlessly, passing the ball back and forth without letting the other team even touch it. Their conductor of sorts, the one mediating the passes, was crazy. He never seemed to get tired, anticipating his teammates’ moves and those of the opposing team. It seemed like he was always five steps ahead of everyone. Holland notices you watching him and pokes Keeley.

“You like Jamie?” Keeley laughs. “Makes sense. Anyone with eyes likes him. He’s right fit, too. Good in bed, shit with feelings. Well, used to be. Still fucking cocky.”

That’s interesting. “You’ve been with him?” you ask.

Keeley gives you a 50/50 hand motion. “Sort of. Don’t really count it, do I? Was with him at his fucking worst. That’s why Roy fucking hates him.”

“He’s much better now,” Holland chimes in. “Something happened last season and he stopped being such a dick.”

“Holland!” you reproach, laughing. “That’s not nice!”

She and Keeley shrug. “It’s true though, innit?”

You don’t know if it is, because when you first see Jamie up close in the club later that night, he seems perfectly fine. You see a flash of a smile, a dimple, then he says something (you don’t know what) but his accent is… something else. It’s not like Holland’s, or any of your family, but you know enough to pinpoint it to Manchester.

“The accent got you, didn’t it?” says a voice near your ear and you yelp as Holland slides her arm around your shoulder.

“Gets the best of us,” says Keeley, grabbing your hand. “C’mon, I’ll introduce you.”

She drags you over despite your protests.

he likes my American smile, like a child when our eyes meet, ‘darling i fancy you’

Regular dinner dates are scary, but dinner dates with a Premier League footballer are downright terrifying.

You made Holland help you figure out what to wear, and when she showed up at your aunt’s house she had Keeley in tow.

“Heard you’re in need of a bit of a makeover,” she grins. “Lucky for you, that’s my specialty.”

Keeley and Holland have brought some of Holland’s dresses and you’re in a dark green one that “does fucking wonders for your hair, babe.”

Keeley did your makeup while Holland curled your hair and just like that, you’re ready to go.

You groan, “God, I fucking hate first dates,” while shaking out your arms.

“It’ll be fine,” Holland promises, and she’s right.

It’s more than fine. It’s fucking fantastic.

“I like your smile,” Jamie says. “Fuckin’ American, it is.”

You laugh. “What does that even mean?”

Jamie shrugs. “It’s bigger. Brits are more reserved. Like Roy. You met Roy yet? Biggest fucking twat I ever saw,” but he says it with such affection that you’re sure he means something else.

His eyes are electric, blue and dazzling. They betray his every thought and feeling and right now you feel like if you hold his gaze any longer you’re going to say something completely stupid.

Turns out your not the one to say something stupid; he is.

You’re walking back to his car, holding hands and swinging them in between you when he stops and says, “Darling, I fancy you.”

You grin and he returns it. He asks, “Was that British enough for you? Feel like you got the whole experience?”

“Definitely,” you say. “Was I American enough for you?”

“Dunno,” he replies, “Got to test one more thing.”

His lips are very soft on yours.

met all of his best mates, so i guess all the rumors are true

“This is Isaac, Colin, Dani, and Sam.”

Jamie is introducing you to some of his team. You’ve been dating for a month now, and your first picture together just popped up in the papers the night before.

The boys of AFC Richmond were pretty sure Jamie was seeing someone, but they didn’t know who it was. Jamie had set up this dinner thing a while ago, it just so happened that the tabloids got to you first.

It’s not even that great a picture honestly, but you’d been around Nelson Road enough that the boys were able to recognize you.

It’s a little unnerving to meet them, what with Isaac’s intense stare and Dani’s wide, wide smile. You’re grateful Colin and Sam are acting normal.

“We have an American coach,” Colin says in an attempt to break the ice. It does, because you’re all laughing at the absurdity of his attempt.

“We have heard very much about you,” Dani says and you wonder if he ever stops smiling. It feels so weird and so normal to be at Jamie’s house with a pile of food and FIFA queued up on the TV, ready to go. You figure that if you’re meeting his friends, Jamie must be at least a little serious. He finds your hand and squeezes it under the table as Isaac cracks his first smile of the night. It’s weird dating a footballer, but you think you can get used to it.

babes, don’t threaten me with a good time

Jamie’s house is the largest you’ve ever been in, and it used to be strange that it was only just the two of you, clattering around that big home.

It’s a cool night after a warm day so you both decided to lay in his backyard under the stars.

It feels so much like something you’d do as a teenager, and you tell Jamie as much.

“Used to sneak on me mum’s roof,” he tells you. “Didn’t even do dumb shit, I’d just go to look.”

You lay there in silence for a few moments until you feel something tickle your side.

“Jamie!” you shriek.

“I didn’t do nothing!” he protests. “Must’ve been a bug.”

You don’t believe him, but you don’t push it until you feel another tickle.

“Babe!”

“Babe, it weren’t me, I swear,” he says and you really don’t believe him, especially when he tickles you again less than a minute later.

You laugh. “Fuck you, Jamie Tartt.”

He smirks. “Babe, don’t threaten me with a good time.”

“Hm, maybe I want a good time.”

Jamie’s grin widens and he sits up. “You know where the bedroom is, love.”

you know i love a London boy

“I don’t fucking get it,” Jamie says. You shrug.

“I literally don’t either,” you say. Your dad leans over to Jamie. “So basically…” he begins.

He’s halfway through his explanation when Jamie pokes you. “Babe,” he says, “can we switch seats so I can hear your dad better?” You chuckle then wiggle your way into Jamie’s seat while he gets into yours.

“Why the fuck is it called ‘football’ if it’s with their hands?” Jamie asks.

Your dad shrugs. “Not a clue, son, not a clue.”

The game progresses and one of the teams scores a touchdown.

“Hold the fuck up,” Jamie says. “Why did their score change that much?”

“I know this one!” you exclaim. “Different types of goals get different points. And there’s something called a lateral which has to do with moving backward I think?”

You dad just shakes his head with a grin and doesn’t attempt to clarify.

Your dad spends the second half explaining everything to a very focused Jamie, and he asks questions the entire car ride home. It’s funny have Jamie here in America, staying at your parents house and seeing where you grew up.

When you’re finally back home and in bed, you pull him as close as you can and whisper, “I love you very, very much. You know that, right?”

You can feel Jamie smile against your hair. “I love you too, very fucking much.”

#jamie tartt x reader #jamie tartt fanfiction #jamie tartt imagine #jamie tartt x y/n #jamie tartt x you #jamie tartt #ted lasso

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hibernaldream · 6 months ago

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Spoiler-free comments on RHRN world premiere

My partner and I joked that we’d get the worst seats, but we ended up in the third row.

18 has to be my lucky number. May 18th (my birthday), June 18th (the premiere), C18 (my seat).

He was so close to us during the Q&A and made eye contact with me twice. At the end he threw kisses at us, Copia style. I keep falling in love with this man and this band, and there’s no going back from here.

Contest winners didn’t get anything other than the tickets, and he evaporated pretty much afterwards, most likely with his family or to some kind of after party. There was at least a second contest (the guy next to me asked me if I won the HMV one and I was clueless). Anyway, I wish I could have taken a picture with him, but I can’t have it all. And I had a lot already.

I didn’t have time to prepare anything but I was showered with goodies from several ghesties and I want to try to find a way to give all this love back because this is insane. I’ve never experienced something like this with other bands.

It was a magical night, made even more special by the fact that so many other people got rewarded. All my friends, old and new, got in. From what I’ve gathered, security ended up giving a bulk of tickets to those waiting outside, and I instantly recognised a lot of faces from the crowd. They were waiting for a miracle to happen and it happened for them. My heart is full.

It’s impossible to give a spoiler-free review of this movie, I will just say that it’s a masterpiece of cinematography as far as live music is concerned, and I can’t wait for YOU to see it.

Now offline for a few days, a second screening on Saturday, and then we wait for their next move.

I love you, Ghost.

#rite here rite now #the band ghost #tobias forge #ghost fandom

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foreverjustaplace · 6 months ago

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The Bear, Season 3 PREDICTIONS

OKAY! So with The Bear premiering slightly earlier now, I wanted to go ahead and get my predictions (and maybe some delusional wishes) out on here because I just saw the still where Syd and Carmy are drinking tea after Carmy gets out of the fridge and I definitely had Syd being there when he got out of the walk-in. I never did get my fanfic out before the new season (although who knows. There’s still time!) so I hope I’ll still be in the headspace to finish it after I see the new episodes!

I would LOVE to see everyone’s predictions, too, so add them in the comments or create a post and tag me!

My Predictions:

Let’s start with Sydcarmy first. Oh, hell. This season is going to be one that drags us through all of the emotions. It’s already giving angst galore from all of the promos. A lot of us are worried about this ship, but I have to believe that while Storer may have not initially been on the sydcarmy train, we have a believer in Calo and loves love. We’ll be okay but it’s not going to always be pretty. We’re about to go through it, 100%, but I think the arduous emotional jouney will be worth it in the end (the end perhaps not being this season…).

As mentioned, I predicted to myself that Syd would be waiting for Carmy when he finally is freed the walk-in refrigerator before I saw the image. To add to this, I believe this will be a very tense moment. Syd is incredibly disappointed with Carmy, but we’re going to get a hellava moment between the two in the very first episode. This moment is going to show just how deep Syd’s love (and I actually do mean in the friendship sense here) runs for Carmy. Despite Carmy already fucking up by not get the fridge fixed, we will get to see Syd give Carmy more grace than he deserves. But she is going to be skeptical as hell of him. He is going to seemingly change overnight and ignore all healthy ways of coping and go straight into this maniacal version of himself.

They are about to put us through a Sydcarmy fight for the ages after Carmy does his whole partnership shit. But when I tell you this is going to remind us of the most dramatic romances we read on our Kindles, I mean it. Imagine this trope as one of those whole ass agreement list things that one or both of the romance leads (in a friends to lovers, especially) have. The agreement is done when the friends have an insane, amazing friendship and there’s more there, obviously, but they’re afraid to admit it. Sometimes they truly don’t even know that they like each other! In the case of Carmy, he is so avoidant of all of his feelings, he doesn’t even allow himself to think he likes her in this way. And even if he does recognize it, he certainly doesn’t know how to properly channel that into a romantic relationship with Sydney but he is 100% cognizant of the fact that he doesn’t want to lose her. That he CANNOT lose her. This agreement is done under the guide of a professional work agreement, but what he is proposing sounds more initamiate this just a work agreement. I honestly think it’s going to be jarring because on one hand Carmy believes this will lead to a star, but on the other hand what he’s trying to do starts to look and sound more like a non-platonic relationship.

There is going to be a DREAM sequence that will make sydcarmy shippers happy. I just have this feeling or maybe this is me in delululand. Look. There were one too many damn dream sequence jokes for me to not take it seriously. I’m always a big believer that dream sequences should go big or go home; in fact, I’m trying to go through all of the dream sequences I’ve watched before in my head right now. I can’t think of one that did not involve kissing OR the wake-up-right-before-they-kiss moment at least. Think back to last month’s Polin (Bridgerton). I hope we get the kiss but I’ll even take the latter. BUT I’m going to go big and say that this may not even be a all heated and sexy dream. Um. What if it’s a Sydcarmy wedding!!!

Syd and Carmy will sit next to each other at the funeral. There will be some comforting hand holding that is going to put us in a chokehold. I think Syd cries and Carmy comforts her.

Ya know how Carmy helped Claire move whatever the hell furniture last season? Yeah, we’re gonna see a parallel of the moving thing when he helps Syd. We’re gonna get a Sydcarmy moment inside Sydney’s apartment and they’re going to talk about the future. This will be a great scene and will be use in all the future edits for sureee. Fantasyland me wants Carmy to say some shit like, “Syd, I don’t even know why you didn’t just move in with me?” “Carmy, use your head. You have one bedroom ? ? ?” “I would’ve taken the couch, nbd.”

Carmy sees Syd’s tattoos. I hope!! Perhaps this is in the dream sequence? Or maybe they have an actual conversation. Carmy tells Syd what one of his tattoos means. She does the same. But, forreal, this is a headcanon for me.

To end the season, Syd and Carmy forreal do something that makes it hard to deny they are 100% in the platonic love category. They kiss and there is a conversation that rivals the under the table scene. Richie is the one who helps them get to this point.

Sydney makes the decision to step away from Carmy a bit. Does she go to Ever? God, I hope not. But I think her health problems are going to be crazier (PLEASE STORER do not make her sick!!! I beg you!) and she can’t deal with Carmy’s shit any longer. I honestly think we’re going to see the season span months and the angst will be rough. Hopefully it’s one of those, “Three Months Later” things so we don’t actually have to see it. LOL Just get me to the end.

Carmy is about to piss everyone off. I think we’re going to see Tina, Natalie, Richie, Sweeps, even Pete get into it with him.

There will be a good number of flashbacks this season:

*Mikey in his last few months, weeks, and/or days leading up to his death

*But also we’ll see some fun, sweet memories involving Mikey. Moments with Richie, Nat, and Carmy.

*Carmy as a chef before The Beef/The Bear. I’m so looking forward to these!

*We are finally going to see Syd’s mom in flashbacks!

Emanuael and Carmy meet. Syd’s dad will not like Carmy. He’s not gonna be impressed at all. They are going to talk and Carmy is going to do everything in his power to convince Emanuel he will be better for Syd and that she’s everything to him. Emanuel is going to give him some advice to win over Sydney.

Richie is going to start dating and at least semi-successful. I think his redemption arc is still happening and specifically related to his relationships. Not gonna lie, I do actually like the idea of Jess and Richie and so I’m going to keep that in the mix and say Richie is the one who sets up Syd with the Ever guy. Richie will attend Tiff and Frank’s wedding.

Syd and Marcus grow so much closer. Syd is going to serve as a supporting, loving friend to Marcus. They’re going to bond over the dead mom club. It’s going to be wonderful to see their friendship.

Donna is there for Nat. Perhaps she goes into labor and Donna is there to ease her nerves. It’s a wild moment for sure but a pretty poignant one.

Luca. Dude. I don’t even know. I LOVE his character. I want him to, like, I’d love for him and Marcus to hook up. That would be the absolute best. Hell, I’d really love for Luca to be Sydney and starting flirting with her and with get to see jealous!Carmy! (PLEASE!) but I’ll settle for some flashback scenes. I guessss. Perhaps Luca comes help out at The Bear? I’d love that.

I’ve seen a lot of people say that The Bear will struggle greatly and close. I cannot deal with this LOL. I don’t want this to happen so I’m not going to predict it, but I think there will be some struggling.

Tina’s story is gonna be emotional. Her journey into the kitchen is going to be one that happens because she desperately needs a job. We’re going to see her with Luis’ father. We are going to see her with Mikey. We’re going to see that she has always been bright and so capable.

Claire. Man. I don’t like that she is even in this season, but I appreciate a great story and don’t think we can fully wrap this whole thing up if the walk-in fridge breakup was it. Fak is starting to get on my last nerves with his matchmaking shit lol but I think we will see Claire in at least a slightly different and enhanced light. Chris Storer is intentional in everything he does and I don’t believe for one second this doctor can be so surface level. Carmy may have this guilt eating him up and his trauma keeping him from wanting anything good, but ultimately Carmy doesn’t actually want her. She’s meant to represent this nice person and serve merely as (physical) relief. But I don’t even know. I don’t think she and Carmy are endgame at all. I want Claire to tell Fak to stop his nonsense. I want her to understand her worth and not go back to Carmy after he said all of this shit about her (and not just because I love Sydcarmy but because I’m for the girlies knowing their worth!).

What I would really love to happen is Claire cursing Carmy tf out. I’d love for Claire and Syd to have a one-on-one conversation and Sydney says something that exposes how she feels about Carmy to Claire. Awkwardness ensues.

Okay. Damn. I started typing and I couldn’t stop. It was as if I was ten years old again and typing my predictions for the upcoming Harry Potter book. Dang. Take me back to those days! Those prediction threads were unreal. Tell me your predictions!

#sydcarmy #sydney x carmy #the bear fanfiction #the bear #the bear season 3 #predictions

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gazpachoandbooks · 2 years ago

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Why is no one talking about Dani and Jamie?? When Dani first showed up Jaime thought he'd be his foil but literally ONE BREATH LATER they were best friends. Dani's been Jaime's ride-or-die since day ONE!!! Jaime let him shoot the goal that got them back on the Premier League so Dani could fully move on from his trauma!!! He's "amigo Jaime"!!!! They adore each other!!!! And now Dani's Zava's shadow and Jaime's so left out!! So alone!! Roy's the only one on his corner!!! ROY!!!

I'm going insane over Dani and Jaime I can't wait for my son to realize the Zava way is hurting the team -and hurting JAIME!!!-

#i want this friendship back and i want it now #jaime and dani #jaime tartt #dani rojas #richmond himbos #ted lasso #ted lasso s3 #ted lasso season 3 #ted lasso spoilers

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mamawasatesttube · 4 months ago

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Okay I waited until you were done with WW87 to ask: please share your thoughts on Vanessa and the wild turns her story took? I’ve been really interested to hear your take as my dash’s premier DC Women Expert.

and GOD do i have thoughts on vanessa and the wild turns her story took!!!! i'm still sorting through them but MAN. it really just felt like they did NOT want to give her a break 😭😭😭

i really loved early vanessa's relationship with diana. i think one of the most striking things to me about perez's run was that he did really understand how to write a teenage girl who read like a teenage girl, and her preoccupation with things like comparing herself to her friends or struggling with school and juggling how it felt to be popular bc of her friendship with diana... it all struck a really nice contrast and balance to the supernatural and mythological and whatnot higher stakes stories going on with diana a lot of the time, and i thought the diana-julia-vanessa dynamic was overall really sweet. it's a little funny bc as i was reading, when i got to byrne's run i was actually like "i wonder if cassie and vanessa are ever going to meet, i bet they could have some fun interactions :)" and then. um. well.

overall i feel like silver swan vanessa was a) WHAT? and b) unfortunately rushed and never actually given space for the appropriate gravity and nuance it deserved. val's silver swan era got a lot better buildup and explanation than vanessa's imo. i think vanessa's silver swan era really suffered from having both major arcs with her coincide more or less with dc-wide crossover events starting up, first owaw and then identity crisis into omac stuff into infinite crisis.

because like - the shock of vanessa getting turned into the silver swan against her will could really have been something!!! however, pretty much all of it was offscreen and only really implicit. we see flashbacks and bits and pieces of ballesteros doing some insanely violating and horrifying shit to her, twice over even bc she gets kidnapped from the hospital and when she shows up again she's been horrifically altered with cybernetics grafted onto her body ? ? ?!? ?! ?!?! !! ! but at No Point in any of this do we actually get any more than a line or two about vanessa herself, how this happened to her, or how she's actually feeling under it all. i think that's partly because of the poor timing bc of the events, and partly also just her being used for shock value and more for diana's suffering (and to a lesser extent, julia's) instead of having her own consistent character arc.

i also think the fact that while brainwashed and tortured into being the silver swan, she did kill cassie's friend tammy, kind of got majorly glossed over, especially in her second appearance as the silver swan when people were going "she's a murderer????" and diana was like "well i'm granting her asylum anyways and taking care of her." like - don't get me wrong, i think that's very in character of diana, especially because she feels like she failed vanessa, but i think cassie in particular should've gotten to react to it more. i really liked the bit where cassie said to julia that if this worked out, she'd get her daughter back, but that tammy's mother would never get hers back. i wish cassie having those feelings got explored more - i didn't really like the parallel set up between vanessa vs cassie and ballesteros vs barbara minerva, re: themes of vengeance, because like... vanessa was a victim, but cassie shouldn't have to forgive her for killing her friend. these two concepts can coexist. (frankly, i would have LOVED an actual conversation between cassie and vanessa about this during/after vanessa's recovery.)

it's probably also due to timing stuff, but the plot threads with veronica cale being directly involved in torturing vanessa into the silver swan (and then threatening leslie about it) got Super dropped when identity crisis and the omacs stuff all started happening, and i think that's a shame because that plotline could've been the key to actually explaining what happened and why - it could've actually tied together the "vanessa got tormented by doctor psycho" and "vanessa ended up with ballesteros" bits because like. what. how. that feels like such a big deal to just leave to the background.

so i guess overall it's like... i don't hate it, i think it's a fascinating concept that has a lot of potential, but the execution was so rushed and so focused on diana and not on vanessa herself that it really just felt heavyhanded to me most of the time. (frankly i would also have loved to see val return as a civilian to confront and attempt to talk vanessa down, but that's probably also just personal taste.) i'm very curious what the original plans for her might've been before owaw and infinite crisis diverted them, though.

#answers #necer0s #diana #vanessa kapatelis

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redjadethewriter · 7 months ago

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My Take on Season 2 Episode 1 of Blank The Series: I Had Another Heart Attack Watching It

Hello there, Thai GL peeps! Welcome back to my ever-growing insanity revolving around Blank The Series. Season 2 Episode 1 premiered not too long ago, and, oh my gosh, my soul died and ascended into the spectrum of GL heaven. It’s the place I wanna be when I eventually meet the true death because of this show. Who would’ve thought how impressed I would become? I thought romance was dead in my heart, but now I’m like, “Shit, this is too good to pass up talking about.” So, now I’m back to writing my thoughts on the episode and not waiting for the series to finish.

Since I read the book, I had some speculation on what they would keep, alter, or discard, and I didn’t think my predictions would be spot on. However, they kept the delicious parts and amped up the pacing. Let me tell you, I didn’t expect them to compact so much into one episode, but they did it tastefully, and it was engaging. I even speculated correctly on why they introduced Folk early in the series, as opposed to the version of him in the novel. Because of that choice, it didn’t seem out of place when Nueng received the call from him. He was worried for Anueng because she was getting drunk around very sketchy dudes, to be honest. In my opinion, in a real-life scenario, that was a sexual assault waiting to happen with how drunk that baby girl was getting, and those guys were looking like they were waiting to take advantage of that. Therefore, I’m really glad that in the series they gave Folk more screen time and actually made him closer as a friend to Anueng, rather than just a stalker boy.

Just so everyone is aware, the entire scene in episode 6 where Nueng is being cruel only happened in the TV series. In the novel, it didn’t occur like that after they slept together. For those who haven’t read the novel, there are spoilers ahead. In the book, Nueng didn’t say all those things until the funeral. Actually, in the book, Anueng left happily but had to go to class, which is why her alarm was going off. In the TV series, they kept the alarm going off on the nightstand, but they changed it to Nueng saying those cruel things. Personally, I’m okay with those changes because in the new episode on Sunday, Nueng, looking for little Nueng at the funeral, added more drama. Despite the book taking a more subtle dramatic route, the series turned it up a notch, which got me hooked. It made the scene so cruel but also delicious to watch. I liked the little addition of Nueng telling that guy, “I’m her everything,” in the scene where she goes to save little Nueng from a lingering disaster. I have to say, the scene was funny as hell. Yoko portrayed Anueng’s drunkenness really well. I wonder if they gave the actress a few drinks to loosen her up for the scene, but regardless, it was hilarious. Now, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of things.

The scene where Nueng takes Anueng up to her bedroom for a one-on-one is incredibly tender, breaking my soul as I watch it unfold. I’m thrilled that they kept the unbuttoning of the shirt scene because it’s a crucial detail that sets the tone for the underlying theme of BDSM in this story. Although this is soft-core, the moment when Nueng takes control of the situation with Anueng, who doesn’t respond to her affection, is significant. To be honest, little Nueng has every right to be angry and upset, having been betrayed and used by the person she loves the most. Therefore, her refusal of the affection Nueng is giving her is her true self, despite being intoxicated. Nevertheless, her intoxicated state hinders her ability to comprehend the situation and make logical decisions, which is disgraceful on the part of adult Nueng for taking advantage of it. However, it is important to remember that this is a romantic drama. I keep trying to remind myself of that, but it doesn't work most of the time. The character is just a "bitch" simple as that. Don't get me wrong; I'm talking about the character in the story, not the actress. Faye is perfect, through and through, 150 percent, even though her energy in real life reminds me of the wolves from one of the Caribbean Isles ***cough...Puerto Rico***. Charm that is slicker than sly. Someone is bound to understand what I'm talking about. But that's a whole other thing I will not discuss whatsoever in this lifetime or the next. The point is, she's perfect... Done.

Back to the topic at hand.

The fact is, Nueng has a deep understanding of Anueng and is well aware that she won’t let go of the opportunity to grow closer, even though it’s clear to the audience that Anueng still loves Nueng despite the issues they have together. Therefore, the detail of Nueng counting while buttoning up her shirt again is essential because Nueng enjoys playing the dominant role and being in control, while Anueng enjoys being dominated. Even in the previous episodes, there were minor signs of this dynamic. Anueng allows Nueng to tell her what to do, especially regarding how she talks to her elders. Anueng may act cheeky about it, but she still follows Nueng’s lead, regardless. I even laughed when Nueng slapped Anueng on the lap during their outing with Chet because she wasn’t speaking correctly toward him. These little details hold significance. And now, we are witnessing this dynamic blossom into something even more intense.

Now, let’s talk about the scene where Anueng gets a bit of revenge on Nueng after their night of bliss. In the book, it happened similarly, so I had an idea of what was going to happen, but the performance in the episode scene was perfection. I know some people might view Anueng’s actions as bad, but personally, I thought it was fair, especially considering Nueng’s attempt to solve the issue with sex. Let me make this clear: nothing gets solved with sex, no matter what anyone says. It’s simply avoiding the problem and not addressing it.

Anueng was still hurt, not to mention she was drunk, trying to process everything that was going on. Even though Nueng apologized, that doesn’t mean Anueng has to forgive easily. Actually, I’m glad that in both the book and the series, Anueng didn’t forgive Nueng so quickly. The actions that Nueng took were unforgivable. I’ll say it, being treated in that manner at such a young age, it’s just not acceptable. So, Anueng replayed the same thing towards Nueng, acting like the night meant nothing and saying, “Let’s go back to zero.” I laughed and thought to myself, “You go, girl. Don’t let that woman off so easily.” Let’s face it, not being vengeful is easier said than done.

And when Anueng dished out the same treatment to Nueng, it was to make her understand and feel for herself what it’s like to be on the receiving end, to be used. I didn’t see this as bad, because it could have been much worse. Believe me, women have done worse things out of revenge, so this was relatively tame. However, Nueng’s response made me smack myself in the head, and I literally said, “You’re a fucking idiot.” Why did I react that way? It was because of the disappointed look on Anueng’s face when Nueng agreed and didn’t even bother to disagree, especially after the intimate experience they had just shared. This is how I know Nueng is emotionally stunted as an adult. Playing it cool doesn’t solve any issues; it only perpetuates the same cycle of pretending not to care when she really does.

I believe that accepting the consequence of having the same dish served back at me would be justified because Nueng deserved it. However, what Nueng did afterward contradicted her initial intentions. This led to an entire game of Anueng trying to make Nueng jealous in the series, hoping for an authentic reaction from her. Unfortunately for Anueng, this plan did not benefit her, as Nueng tactfully flirted with Yue, even knowing that Anueng would show up that evening to complain about it. It is clear that they know each other very well, but the problem lies in Nueng’s inability to express her true feelings and desires effectively. She always plays the cold card, and Anueng acknowledges she cannot win against Nueng. However, I am relieved they could finally reconcile in the last scene and end their constant attempts to outdo each other.

I have to admit, I already have an idea of what will happen, so I’m just going to say it. Despite sounding a bit sadistic, I’m actually looking forward to watching Nueng break. I’m curious to see how they will approach this in the rest of the show, especially when it comes to breaking our Ice Queen. In the novel, Nueng’s facade breaks, and I’m eager to see that portrayed on screen. I’m interested in seeing how the actress will bring the character to life, leading to Nueng finally experiencing true anguish. In the book, it was bittersweet but worth it, and I hope the series will deliver the same emotional impact. That’s all I wanted to say. Thank you.

#lgbtq community #thai gl #blank the series episode review #sapphic romance #gl series #gl drama

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idkanametoputhere · 1 year ago

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Lost Story

type: angst (slight comfort if you squint really hard)

pronouns: they/them

character: Vil Schoenheit × actor!reader

tw: death(²), reader is not yuu/the prefect, ghosts, mentions of shutting yourself away, the plot makes only SLIGHT sense (but idc), self-neglect, shitty news report

masterlist<3

two years..

it had been two years since vil schoenheit had died in a tragic accident while pursuing his passion, acting. it was an accident, really. a prop that was misplaced and not handled properly. a giant prop that ended up falling on him, delivering a fatal blow on his head, ending both his life and the production of the movie

everyone was devastated. his family, friends, schoolmates, fans, coworkers. especially that one coworker, another one in the acting buisness. another one who had been cursed by the bright, blinding stage lights of fame and the acting industry

they had worked with vil on so many projects, including his final one, the one that was left unfinished. an unfinished symphony. what was meant to be a movie of pure love and joy ended up as a story of grief and sadness

and in said grief, the young actor buried themself in work. they were busy, working in project after project, while avoiding the public eye unless it was for a premiere of a project they acted in. the dark veil of grief was too much for them to handle

and that is how they had ended up in a local theater, late at night, practicing their script. it was a small theater in their hometown, and the owners trusted them enough to give them a key of the theater so they could practice to their heart's content

and practice they did. they practiced until their eyes were burning with exhaustion, the lines on their script were getting blurry, and their voice was strained from repeating the same lines over and over

it was time for them to leave. they packed their backpack, gathered their script and phone, put on their jacket and started walking

until they heard it

"y/n"

a quiet whisper and an ice cold breath on their neck. a voice they had fought so hard not to forget, but they could recognize it amongst a sea of voices. it was him..

"vil?"

they asked and turned around. and there he was. the tall boy was in front of them. his blonde and purple hair neatly tied on a ponytail, wearing the same costume he wore on that final project and a soft smile decorating his face

shock could not begin to explain the emotion they were feeling. vil was there. vil was in front of them. vil, who had been hit in front of their very eyes, who they had visited in the hospital countless times, and on whose grave they had cried entire rivers of tears, was in front of them

"how..? I don't get it.." they whispered, staring at his ghastly form with wide eyes. "it doesn't matter. but I'm here, I'll stay here until the sunrise" replied the boy, a creepy cold breeze filling the room at the sound of his weirdly echo-y voice

"no, I'm just tired...I'm tired. I'm tired, or I'm going insane" they say with a nervous chuckle and look at him "you're dead, you can't be here" they continue, their voice sounding as if they're hanging onto their own words to prove that they haven't gone mental

instead of replying to them, ge embraced them, in an attempt to prove that he was there. the hug felt weird from their perspective. it was like hugging..cotton candy, or a bunch of strings. it was like hugging something that was there, but also wasn't

the two stayed in that hug for a while, clinging to eachother as if the other would disappear, maybe because they could..

it felt weird, so weird that they stopped questioning if that was reality or a trick of their mind. but they liked it. and so they made conversation with him, laughing and smiling, just like they did when he was alive. but time was passing, father chronos wasn't gonna wait for anyone, not even two hurt actors

and as sunrise was closer and closer, an..absurd question fell from the boy's lips

"may I have this dance, my lady"

he said with an air of confidence. it was a line he had told them many times before, not because of a liking to dancing, but because of a liking to practicing a certain scene

you see, the fatal final project of his, was a love story between two royals. two royals who were bound by the bond of a marriage arranged by their parents. but the two slowly fell in love, and the dance scene that the two actors loved was the moment that the two characters were confident that they were in love

so the two actors danced. they danced, and danced. they danced out the emotions of the two characters, and the emotions of their own selves, who were forced into separation, in contrast to the two characters they were playing. they danced until the young actor was exhausted, and the two ended up sitting in a corner of the stage

"you're gonna leave now..aren't you?" asked the actor that was physically alive, but their heart felt as if it wasn't beating, it had lost their passion. "yes..when the sun rises I'll disappear" answered vil, a melancholic tone decorating his voice. the other sighed, and rested their head on their semi-solid shoulder

"can we just stay like this for a while?"

"yeah"

and so they drifted off to sleep

"and now on to Erika, with a report about a recent tragedy that happened in the film industry"

"thank you Lionel. A true tragedy has hit the film industry, as the famous actor y/n l/n was found dead yesterday morning. according to the reports, the actor was found dead in a theater in their hometown, in which they used to practice. the doctors examination proves that the death was a result of a complication of l/n's health issues, as well as negligence of their own self.

after a brief interview with the actor's family and manager, all of them revealed that the negligence might have been a result of their grief over the famous actor vil schoenheit, who died two years ago and with whom l/n appeared to be very close with

now, Lionel, what makes this case truely mysterious and creepy even, is the camera footage from the theater. although the audio seems to be distorted, it's clear that l/n's is talking with someone, but they are alone in the theater. this goes on for hours until something even weirder happens

l/n stands up and starts performing a dance that many have recognized as a scene from the scrapped project that killed Schoenheit. it's even weirder that, without using magic, they pull of some steps that are impossible to do without a partner

whatever the case, this is a real tragedy. our hearts go out to the family and friends of l/n. may their soul rest in peace. back to you lionel"

and so the tale ends. a tale of unspoken love, separation, and reunion for all eternity..

a/n: OKAY MANY THINGS TO SAY. 1) I wrote this based off a scenario I made with a c.ai bot 2) IM BACK??? 3) my new phone's here AAAAAA 4) another fic with vil that includes dancing 5)I did this on c.ai 2 days ago, and I was expecting my period so I was emotional and almost made myself cry by writing it. now I'm on my period, so if I have ro suffer, all of you have to as well

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whositmcwhatsit · 2 years ago

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An Enjoyable Slide to Oblivion Chapter 2: A Right Regular Circus Act

Chapter 1 Summary: Like a lot of girls, Chancy Crawford had once been able to call herself one of Elvis's girlfriends, but that was long time ago. Now, she called herself his friend, or his 'cousin' if any of his girlfriends asked. It was just easier that way. And their relationship was all about being comfortable and easy. Until she gets asked to come and join a tour that seems endless and cursed. Warnings: swearing, drug use, angst, violence, temper tantrums, all the usual. Thank you to everyone who commented, messaged, or liked. I love to chat, so if you ever want to offer critique, ideas or even just chat about our man, I would forever be your slave.

Chapter 2 The very best thing about being around Elvis Presley was that no one paid you the blindest bit of attention unless you were at his side. So, when you were crouching next to a service elevator, peering anxiously through a crack in the outside door to check if the coast was clear and the limo had left, no one would stop and point. The janitor carrying trash to the dumpster out back might give you some side-eye though.

“I thought I dropped… Never mind,” Chancy mumbled, trudging out and down the concrete steps to the loading bay where the limo was still waiting. She had to get her mind right and regain her solid footing. That was who she was, the cool voice of reason, the comforting and unwavering presence amidst the chaos. Becoming part of the pieces flying around this tornado of insanity just was not an option.

Elvis was standing on the other side of the limo amidst a growing throng of admirers, signing pieces of paper and napkins and whatever else was shoved into his hands.

Sonny and Joe bookended him looking tense and watchful and Chancy, for the first time, worried about the fans rather than what they could do to Elvis. After last night, she had a glimpse of their perspective.

As Dick came forward to usher Chancy to the car, a woman plopped her baby into Elvis’s arms and he grappled with the infant and the book another fan was trying to show him at the same time.

“Hell no,” cried Lamar, who was sitting by the window when Chancy approached the door behind the driver’s seat. “I’m already one nut down, woman, you sit in the damn backseat!”

All the guys in earshot burst into raucous laughter and Chancy swallowed the bile in her throat at the thought of what happened last night becoming just another wild tale of ‘life on the road’.

Cheeks burning, she went to pull on the handle for the other door, but the driver was already there, opening it for her like she was a movie star leaving a glittering premiere.

Feeling far from glamorous, she slid into the back seat and paused. Lamar and Ricky were in front of her and the driver climbed back into his seat. She was otherwise alone on the long bench seat at the back.

“Where’s Gail?”

“Above my pay grade, “ Lamar shrugged. “Hopefully on the plane back to Godknowswhere, Ohio by now, where she can go back to fussing and scheming over the good ole boys there.”

There was a flurry of motion as doors opened and men climbed in from all directions. Joe appeared to Chancy’s left and she hesitated before sliding awkwardly across next to Elvis to give him room.

“… Well, you know, man, everything else crashes and burns, I still got prospects, that’s all I’m saying,” Elvis murmured dryly as the car pulled away from the parking area and the people outside started calling goodbyes and trying to chase the car.

“Boss just discovered he can juggle,” Sonny explained to the rest of the car, chuckling. “Which was lucky for that baby…”

“A right regular circus act we got going here,” Lamar quipped.

“Yeah, well, we already got enough clowns,” Elvis shot back, adjusting his sunglasses.

The car erupted into guffaws as expected and Chancy smiled faintly, feeling Elvis’s eyes on her. She watched as his bejewelled hand reached down and straightened the hem of his coat over his thigh, then moved slowly to her lap where she had her fingers tightly interlocked. He rested his hand palm-up on her leg and his long fingers flexed slightly. She glanced up to find he was looking out the window at the low, industrial buildings and highway. She didn’t know how he managed it or even how he thought to do it, but whenever she reached that precipice when she felt manipulated and small, he would do something so awkward and tender like he was a nervous boy going on his first date and her absolute devotion for that boy, that one that he had been, just came roaring back in and flooded out the fear and second-guessing.

Wordlessly, she untangled her fingers and placed her hand on top of his, inhaling shakily as his fingers slid between hers and clasped hold. As soon as he had her, his hand moved back to his own thigh, pulling her closer against him. She watched his lips tilt up at the corners as he stared out the window and her heart actually flip-flopped like she was fourteen again.

At the airport, there was a long line of fans waiting by some metal railings overseen by the local police. Chancy studied the faces of the cops, wondering if she would see the one she had tangled with the night before, hoping for both their sakes that she would not. Elvis looked over at the crowd too. She could almost see the cogs working, that constant need for connection and adoration that drove him, tugging at him.

“I’m gonna go say hi,” he said and, immediately, Dick, Red and Sonny were at his side though he hadn’t raised his voice. They all knew he couldn’t resist an audience whenever or wherever.

Chancy stepped back to let them pass by, but Elvis turned to her and gave her a sweet kiss on the lips, promising he’d meet her in a few minutes.

“Watch me, three babies and a puppy I’mma juggle this time,” he joked.

“C’mon then, Miss CC Rider,” Lamar intoned, dredging up an old nickname, one so ancient that it should have fallen apart in the daylight. It seemed like she was back in the gang.

Chancy stepped into the leased plane and found Charlie and Sandi looking worse for wear. Sandi slid her sunglasses down her nose and held out a commiserating hand.

“I heard you kicked a cop like you were Bruce Lee?” she said.

“Ha, no, I hit him with my shoe, which I wasn’t wearing at the time, and then I think he put me in some kind of chokehold. A promising start to my life of crime.”

“Well, I heard he ain’t gonna be a cop much longer,” Charlie commented, raising his eyebrows.

“Oh God, what?” Chancy snapped flatly.

Charlie shrugged and looked coy, which was just as infuriating as the news he had delivered. Half of them should have been arrested the previous night. In no way should they have the power to take away someone else’s livelihood for being overly zealous. It was lucky they were doing these one-night stands, Chancy could only imagine the destruction they would wreak if they stayed longer.

“I’m sorry I didn’t go up with you, Chance. Should’ve made sure you were okay.”

“Naw, Charlie honey, then it could’ve been you screaming and lashing out with your heels,” she replied. “And I’d sure hate to lose my awe and appreciation for how macho you are.”

Like the endlessly good sport he was, Charlie pretended to pat his imaginary bobbed hair and fluttered his eyelashes.

“Aw, hell no,” Elvis’s voice came booming down the plane. “Like hell am I gonna have you troublemakers together on a goddamn airplane!”

“I didn’t do nothin’!” Charlie protested with a loud laugh as he reached them.

“Son, from what I heard you were butchering the shit out of Hank Williams on the piano, that ain’t nothing in my book.”

So, the party had continued after Chancy had gone upstairs, she wasn’t surprised. And neither was she surprised that Elvis knew exactly what had gone on either. He always did somehow.

“Just got a bit homesick is all,” Charlie shrugged lightly.

“Yeah, well, remember when we’re out here, you- all of you- represent me and I don’t want my name connected with some fuckin' wasted backwoods bullshit, you hear?”

The plane fell silent and the mood switched like someone sliding a dial. When it was clear Elvis was waiting for a response, Charlie murmured:

“Sure thing, Boss. I’m sorry.”

Chancy tried to let her surroundings blur so that she didn’t see the discomfort of those around her; she had more than enough of her own to wallow in, but she caught sight of Sandi squirming and realised that this was the first time she had seen Elvis turn like this. Elvis evidently noticed too, because his mood changed on a dime.

“Aw, I ain’t talking about you, Sandi honey. C’mon over here and say hello properly, baby.”

Sandi did as she was told, her smile flickering as he drew her into his arms and gave her a firm, long peck on the lips.

“Ain’t your fault, baby. Ain’t your fault you’re dating a damn fool.”

It was all Chancy could do not to sing out praises like she was back in the Assembly of God when the pilot made his way along the aisle to say hello to his famous passenger.

Distracted, Elvis released Sandi and she half tumbled back into her seat looking dazed. Chancy looked to Charlie and, bless his heart, he just hitched up the side of his mouth as if to shrug it off.

After a few minutes playing the charming star, Elvis shook the pilot’s hand, called him ‘sir’, and sent him off with a smile. Chancy felt pressure on her shoulder and looked up to see him gazing down on her.

“Let’s go, darlin’.”

Chancy felt the eyes of every single person on the plane on her as she followed Elvis back to the private bedroom suite. Her brain helpfully wondered if they had changed the sheets since he and Gail had been in there.

Elvis dropped down into a space age looking chair with a sigh, dropped his glasses onto the table, and started removing his boots and his jacket. He glanced up at her through his brows and shot her a crooked smile.

“S’okay, honey, you don’t need to stand guard.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever been somewhere like this before,” she remarked, looking around at the vast bed and the inlaid television and stereo system.

“You have.”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Honey, yes, you have. You, Linda, and that hairdresser, what’s her name… Patti… decided to have a pyjama party that time coming home from Palm Springs. Half the guys were panting out on the other side of the door.”

“Huh, oh yeah. You wanted to join us, but you wouldn’t let us give you pigtails or braid your hair.”

“Baby, what I wanted had nothing to do with my hair,” he replied in a low voice.

“You wanted a manicure then?” she asked, playing dumb.

“Ha, get over here and I’ll show you, you tease.” She crossed to the other Star Trek chair as a seatbelt sign lit up and the engines roared into life.

The captain came over the intercom telling everyone in a lovely, soothing voice that they were preparing for take-off and they should all take their seats and fasten their belts. It was a three-hour flight to their destination and the weather was looking fine and clear.

Elvis grasped her hand when the roar ramped up and the plane started to jolt as it picked up speed on the runway. He didn’t look worried, but that didn’t really mean much. When they were together they used to always sleep with a light on and Elvis told everyone it was because she was afraid of the dark. She wasn’t.

Once the seatbelt sign flicked off, he rose and tugged her hand, leading her across to the fur covered bed and instructing her softly to take off her shoes. She resisted his nod for her to climb further onto the mattress.

“What is it?” he asked, and a smile touched his lips. “I swear to God if the next word out of your mouth is wait…”

“You sent Gail home,” she said, which she realised did not come out as a question or an opinion or anything that he could respond to. He evidently felt the same way. “I mean, I didn’t… expect that.” He studied her for a long time and she wondered what he was seeing.

“I don’t know what you want me to say,” he said finally.

She couldn’t tell him as she didn’t either. He seemed so far away, closed up behind dark eyes and an unsmiling mouth. He nodded to himself and scooted closer, awkwardly knocking knees with her. She registered that with a smile as he was reaching up and cupping her jaw. Then he was kissing her and she stopped noticing much of anything.

Elvis kissed much like he did most things he chose to do, wholeheartedly and instinctively, surging past insecurities and misgivings. He kissed as though the person he was kissing was the most beautiful, important, and delicious person he had ever met.

Every girl Chancy had seen him kiss, girlfriends, co-stars, and fans, there had been so many of them, had that same dazed, blessed aura afterwards. It added a bitter edge to her own glow knowing how she was just like so many others. She opened her eyes to find him staring down at her, his face all planes and curves of shadow and skin, lashes, and lips, none of the features sliding together into a full picture.

“W-“ She stopped herself self-consciously and put a hand to his chest. His heat radiated through her like he had lava just beneath the skin. He had that same blank, faraway expression on his face as she pushed, guiding him down onto his back.

Propping herself up with a palm on the mattress, she leant over him, her hair sliding from her shoulder and acting as a curtain against the left side of his face. She studied his black brows, then his grey-blue eyes that looked almost black in the shadows and the thick dark lashes that made them irresistible, the straight line of his nose, down to the almost feminine fullness of his lips. She watched them spread into a devilishly adorable smile and realised that she was smiling too. She dipped down further, sliding her hand around his neck, and pressed her lips against him. His arms were around her, filling her with warmth and burning away that icy bitterness that kept her from enjoying the moment. Heat was in fact filling all of her, pooling in her core and tingling in her legs. Elvis moaned softly into her mouth and it shocked her back into her body, finding herself draped half across him.

“No, no, no, don’t do that,” he mumbled in a hoarse whisper.

“Don’t do what?” she whispered back. Her swollen lips tingled.

“Hide out in there,” he replied, tapping her temple. “Always analysing and questioning.” She couldn’t exactly deny it. “You know, Mama used to say that the reason we’re so good together was that you have the mind for both of us and I have the heart.”

It sounded so simple and country and sweet and wise that Chancy knew that it was probably true. God, she missed that woman! Elvis trailed his finger from her temple and down the side of her face.

“Which I know means that I haven’t had a mind in a long time. And I guess a whole lot of people would agree with that,” he snorted quietly.

“And I haven’t had a heart?” she asked quietly.

“Naw, you’ve always had my heart, baby.” She had to kiss him again after a line like that. It deserved a reward, and she told him so. He was grinning as she leant down to press her lips to his.

“See, it’s ‘cause I got my mind back.” With a growl, he rolled over and tucked her underneath him.

The sun was streaming through the clouds as they disembarked and Chancy smiled at the way it pierced the sky like spotlights. Accompanied by a photographer, some men in business suits stood by a limo parked near the plane. She recognised one of the men as a long-time employee of Colonel Parker, Bitsy Mott. Elvis was at the front of their party and, at the bottom of the steps, Mott ushered him over.

“Damn politicians can’t even wait until we get to the hotel before they’re pumping him for photo ops and donations,” Lamar muttered at her shoulder.

“Who are they?” she asked.

“Lord knows. Governor, mayor, damn President, all the same.” He ushered her towards the car and she noticed he had a slight limp as he did so.

“How are you?” she asked, pausing before she climbed in. He waved her concern away with an ‘aw shucks’ motion. “You seemed pretty hurt last night.”

“You too,” he pointed out. “Never a dull minute, huh!”

Sitting alone in the car, she tried to enjoy the relative peace and quiet with just the distant sounds of conversation and camera shutters whirring from behind the car. She glanced down and realised that the top button of her blouse had come undone. Her cheeks heated as she fastened it quickly, trying to remember if she had been aware of Elvis undoing her buttons. Apparently his nimble fingers were not just good for playing guitar and piano. Even as she thought that her stomach flipped and the weight of what was happening came crashing back down on her chest.

It was like a strange fever dream without the relief of waking up and taking some Tylenol. What was she doing? Why was she doing it? How was this going to end? Because it most certainly would, if only because it was Elvis and his attention span and track record spoke for themselves. All of which she would have more authority disparaging if she had managed to endure a relationship for longer than a year. Endure, that wasn’t the right word! It was a symptom of her sickness! Lord, what had she begun? Why had she begun it when she knew that she didn’t have the heart or soul to see it through?

“Goddamn, he had a lot to say!” said Sonny as he opened the car door and Elvis climbed in beside her. Sonny followed, perching his large frame on the bucket seat.

“Politicians, man, they like to hear themselves talk,” Elvis sighed. He tossed a large box in her direction and she fumbled as she caught it. “There ya go, don’t say I never give you nothing.”

“What is it?” she questioned, lifting the lid. Inside was a gleaming ornate silver key sitting on light blue silk. There was a plaque screwed to the inside of the lid.

“Key to the city. Go nuts.” He grinned. “One night I’m gonna get them all together and go to town, man, rip off the whole country. Don’t count as a crime spree if they give you the keys, right?”

“That would be an interesting defence in court, that’s for sure,” she nodded, closing the box.

“Oh, I wouldn’t get caught, honey, I’m too smart for that. And who’s going to suspect me anyway?”

“I guess you’re right. Actually, you know what, I reckon you could probably get away with not even wearing a disguise. It’d be on the news.” She put on a nasal mid-Atlantic accent. “‘Downtown was hit by a one-man crime wave today. Police say that the offender was disguised as Elvis Presley. The public should be on the lookout for impersonators and avid fans.’”

This started the guys started riffing on Elvis’s newfound circus skills again, coming up with more and more outlandish circus-related additions to the show until they were breathless from laughter at the absurdity of it all.

Chancy enjoyed it, appreciating the break from the intensity of it being just the two of them. Elvis’s leg was pressed hard against the side of hers, she could feel his heat seeping through her pants. When he first got settled, she had mistaken that pressure and shifted away to give him more room, but he had given her a strange look that was half exasperation and half hurt and widened his legs, knocking his thigh into her knee.

For a man who spent most of his time being mauled and grabbed, manoeuvred, and physically guided places, he never seemed to tire of being touched. It both confused and moved her.

At the hotel, Chancy was given the room next to Elvis. The way Jerry smiled and winked at her as he handed over the key increased the acid in her stomach. She felt like she had just pulled a ticket at the deli counter. Number 20 in the queue.

Sighing, she dropped onto the bed and let her head fall against the pillow. She stayed that way as she called home and checked in with her sister.

Chancy thought about telling her what had happened, how she had found herself in a weird situation with no obvious exits, but she could not foresee how Alicia would react, which ties of loyalty would pull tightest, since like most people she thought Elvis rated somewhere between the President and God himself. It was a complete clusterfuck.

As she lay there, blinking into the peace and watching dust motes float across the blades of light that sliced through the window, there was a sudden thump on her wall, hard enough to make the generic painting of purple topped mountains jolt. She lifted an eyebrow and climbed off the bed, slapping her palm against the wallpaper.

Immediately, thunder erupted across the vista of her wall like a violent electric storm in the middle of summer. She had to wait for it to stop before she could respond with another slap. Some people just called on the telephone. How boring was that.

Clutching her fingers around the security pass that she was never leaving her room without again, she went to the neighbouring door and knocked. Red didn’t question her appearance at the door and opened it wider to let her through.

“Hi, sorry to bother y’all,” she called, lifting her voice an octave. “I’m Barbara from the Customer Service Desk and we’ve received a complaint about a maniac banging on the walls and upsetting our guests. A very disturbed woman just called.”

“Oh yeah, she’s disturbed all right that one,” said Elvis, grinning as he emerged through the door from the adjoining bedroom. His hair was falling all across his forehead from his impromptu drum solo on her wall and as he drew close, leaning heavy on her and smushing his lips against her cheek, she pushed it back.

“Hey, man, food’s here,” Sonny said, as Ricky bustled into the room with grease marked bags that he was clutching like they were his babies.

“Have you eaten?” Elvis asked, patting her stomach like her body was a country he had conquered and its boundaries no longer concerned him.

“No, I was calling home.”

“Come eat with us, honey, gotta keep your strength up. Lil Sister’ll kick my ass all over town if I don’t look after you properly.” He led her over to others in the seating area. Ricky was dishing out the food while the guys complained and heckled him.

“Don’t get comfy, kid, you gotta do another run,” Elvis said, taking his food. “Cha-Cha, what d'you wanna eat, baby?”

Ricky did a fantastic job of not looking put out, but he was gripping his own bag so hard that his knuckles were turning white.

“You know,” she said. “Thinking about it, I’m not so sure that I’m hungry right now. I think I’ll probably just grab some room service later.”

“Well, let us order room service for you now,” Sonny said. “Hey, kid, grab that menu by the phone there.”

“Really, there’s no-“

“Shit, don’t waste time with that,” Elvis interjected. “Just order one of everything, there’s bound to be something she likes.”

“Order me up some more fries while you’re there,” Charlie put in. “There’s something like four in here. You eat them on the way back, you little shit?”

Overwhelmed, Chancy’s eyes scanned the menu, but saw nothing, so she picked a club sandwich to stop everyone making suggestions.

“You guys are worse than Southern grandmas,” she muttered. “Forcing people to eat.”

“Did she just call us grandmas?” Sonny asked. “Man, I have been called a lot of things in my time, but I think that one cuts the deepest.”

“You know there ain’t no-one that can cut you off at the knees like a woman,” Charlie remarked.

“Is that what happened to you, Charlie? Bet you were six foot three before you started talking to women.” Ricky put in, finishing his call to order room service, and finally getting to sit with his food. Charlie muttered darkly under his breath.

“Kid, when you’re old enough for women to start noticing you, you know, if you ever grow into that pug-ugly face…”

Chancy tuned out as the insults got cruder and glanced towards Elvis, who was intently focussed on his meal. He had never been a picker of food, tackling his meals with concentration, enthusiasm, and firm idea of how he wanted things to be. She watched him packing his sandwich with what seemed to be a very specific order of pickles, meat, cheese, tomato, and mustard and then nod to himself as if in approval of his work before lifting it to his mouth. He stopped as he caught her staring.

“What? You want some?” He offered it out and then snatched it back just as quickly and took a huge bite, cheeks full like a hamster. His eyes twinkled playfully.

Chancy glanced round at the other men, checked that they were absorbed in their food and the television before dipping across and pressing her lips to the corner of his mouth, licking away the little dab of mustard there. She winked at him as she moved back to her seat. Her belly filled with warmth when his eyes crinkled at the corners. Mouth still full, he leant over and pressed his lips against her cheek, his hand squeezing her thigh.

By the time Chancy’s food arrived, the boys had finished their meals, and Elvis and Charlie were fooling around, singing songs as Charlie tuned his guitar. Chancy took her sandwich from Ricky with a smile and rose to go to the table, because she was raised right. She squeaked as Elvis grabbed her hips without even a pause in his singing and pulled her back down next to him.

“I get a free dinner show, huh,” she joked. He reached across and stole a potato chip from the side of her plate.

“Payment,” he explained. “I don’t work for free.”

She ate her sandwich, listening to Elvis and Charlie singing snatches of old country ballads, bits of gospel, and songs that either of them had heard on the radio and had thought about for the show. Sonny joined in a little when he knew the words. Meanwhile, Elvis also ate all of her chips and even took the pickle.

“Gotta say, the price of this dinner show was steep!” she commented, gesturing at her empty plate. “Did I have to pay the maître de for a ringside table too?” She regretted it as soon as she spoke, seeing his cheeks go pink. “Who am I kidding, I’d definitely spring for the ringside table.” She patted his knee and pecked his cheek, hoping that was enough to get them through the awkward moment.

Not long after that, Joe and some of the other guys arrived. There seemed to be more movement and activity and Chancy took that as her cue to get lost. Elvis was talking with a few of the guys and she didn’t want to interrupt, so she let Ricky know she was leaving before she slipped out of the room.

Back in her own room, she made her own preparations for the show. She changed into her favourite deep purple miniskirt and black see-through blouse with a black silk chemise underneath. Expertly wrapping the front of her hair in heated rollers, she addressed her face in the less than flattering light of the bathroom mirror. The swelling below her eye had subsided, leaving only a small red lump that was easily covered along with the dark circles that had appeared. She painted on the eyeliner and mascara like it was plaster of Paris to cover the cracks.

Checking that she looked presentable, she came out into the hallway and locked her door to be ready like she usually did. Sonny was hanging about outside Elvis’s room and gave her a nod and a smile.

“You coming in?” he asked, hand on the door handle. The question was unexpected and she considered her answer even as he was already opening the door and beckoning her.

“I guess so,” she murmured, clutching her purse like a shield.

The room was packed with people and every few seconds there was a flash from a camera. She spotted Ricky leaning casually against a wall talking to a woman wearing short shorts and knee-high boots, who was looking everywhere else except for at him. She felt a little sorry for him, but she wasn’t sure he had even noticed her disinterest from the animated way he was talking. She found Elvis almost instantly, of course, in the centre of the action if not the centre of the room, the sun that everyone else was orbiting. She could hear Joe talking loudly and then Elvis’s lower murmur before a burst of laughter from those around them.

“You should go over and let him know you’re here.” She started and whirled round, finding herself face to chest with Sonny, who had apparently followed her in.

“Sorry?”

“He’ll wanna know that you’re here. Go on over and say hi.”

“Uh, okay.” She wasn’t sure when she had acquired a manager, but she did what she was told since she felt out of her element and she figured that he probably knew what he was talking about.

The throng around Elvis was surprisingly tight and she had to sidestep her way through some people, murmuring ‘excuse me’ and ‘sorry’ as she did so. She got a disgusted side-eye from a brunette with incredibly thick fake eyelashes, and she was fairly sure that someone stood on her foot on purpose.

Elvis was evidently in a very upbeat mood, everyone around him was laughing and chattering away and he was talking to everyone and no one, his eyes flitting around and his attention not resting on anyone in particular for more than a second. She could have sworn that his gaze fell on her soon after she shimmied her way into the centre of the throng, but either he didn’t register her or he wanted to teach her some humility, because he didn’t acknowledge her.

It was Joe who noticed her first, saying hi and telling her that she looked good, which was sweet of him considering she was bookended by dozens of young, flawless looking young women.

As if hearing Joe’s comment, Elvis’s eyes finally flicked to her and gave her an appraising look from her feet upwards. She felt oddly both hot and cold as he gazed at her through his thick black lashes.

“Well, look who just appeared,” he remarked in an odd tone. “Keep an eye on her, folks, she’ll soon disappear in a flash.” And the people around him laughed uproariously as if it was an in-joke they all understood except for her.

Well, if this was supposed to humiliate her, they would all soon realise that, in order to humiliate someone, they had to consent to it. Chancy had spent her childhood moving around follow the coast and the river and had walked into dozens of schools where girls had tittered behind their hands at her clothes or her accent or her hair. She had survived that by pretending that she was an undercover spy or the Princess Anastasia, whom she had read about in a dime store romance, hiding from the Russian peasants who wanted to kill her. She had to endure the disdain in order to complete her mission or stay alive long enough to reclaim her throne.

“I never realised but, you’re right, making people disappear is another of your circus tricks,” Chancy returned loudly to be heard over the Greek chorus. “You’re so talented, Elvis.” She started to slip back out of the huddle, keeping her eyes on his. He paused and then a slow smile began to spread across his face.

“Where you going? Show’s not over,” he said, following her, the mob moving fluidly around him.

“Why, what’s next, you gonna cut me in half?”

He wrapped his hand around her throat, a move that was all for show since his fingers barely touched her skin, and pressed his pout to her cheek.

“I’ll save that for the finale,” he murmured.

“Looking forward to it.”

“Give me that sassy little mouth,” he mumbled, crushing her against him.

It felt strange playing with an audience, something that she would not have tolerated fifteen years ago when she would writhe and withdraw from his arms if anyone else was in the room, but times had changed. They had certainly changed, Elvis most of all. Anyone not happy with giving and receiving affection in public need not apply for the role of whatever she was, because to be with Elvis was to be public.

“You gotta be sweet to me first,” she teased, turning her face.

“Sweet?! Pssh, honey, I am always sweet to you. I get any sweeter and I’m gonna rot your teeth.” He tried following her mouth, but resigned himself to nuzzling her neck, nibbling, and then biting at the skin.

“Ow, okay, okay! Stop that!” She closed her eyes and pursed her lips, waiting. When nothing happened, she opened one eye and found him just staring at her, a small smile on his face. “What?”

“Nothing, just wanted to look at you.”

Too much, it was too much for her. If all the people in the room were staring at her (which they weren’t because they found her far less interesting than Elvis) it would not have been as overwhelming as his soft gaze.

“You’re right, you’re already sweet,” she commented quickly. She was relieved when someone else touched his arm and attracted his attention, releasing her from the pressure of being entertaining.

When they made their way to the show, Chancy found that being part of the comet was different to floating about in the tail. At first, Elvis had a tight hold of her hand and her biggest problem was keeping up with the long-legged strides of the men all around her. With the likes of Dick and Sonny forming a barricade, she could barely make out their surroundings and had to trust that they were not leading her straight into a wall or a hole in the ground. However, at the entrance of the hotel- something she only recognised because the air changed to chilly and slightly damp- Elvis paused to sign some autographs and she lost his hand as anchor.

The pressing and nudging around her was suffocating and acted like a current, drawing her further away from the group. She didn’t want to be the idiot that got lost or overwhelmed, distracting Elvis and the other guys from their jobs, so she kept quiet and tried to steer herself towards the car through jostling people calling out Elvis’s name with varying degrees of franticness. Right when she thought she might have to become one of them, Lamar shoved his way through the crowd like a grumpy, lumpy-looking superhero and took hold of her bicep.

“I got ya,” he murmured. “Don’t worry. Hey, let us through!”

Chancy had never been so glad to get into a car even with all the faces and camera lenses pushed up to the windows. She kept her head down and ignored the flashes.

“Hey, if you could, uh, neglect to mention I nearly lost you there I’d sure appreciate it,” Lamar called over his shoulder from the front seat.

“I’m not a liar,” she replied. “Why would I say that I got lost when it never happened?”

“Nice, thanks.”

The atmosphere in the car once it had set off for the arena was dense and strange. Elvis felt far away even as he was pressed against her. She could feel the vibrations from his jiggling leg and she watched as he flexed his hands repeatedly. She wondered what she could say to help soothe energy and anxiety that was powerful enough to show through his normally strong containment field, but finally realised that words were probably too much of a commitment and an imposition for him now. Instead, she put her hand on his thigh, unnerved by how tense the muscle was.

Without looking at her, his own hand dropped on top of hers and pushed it down. She understood, increasing the pressure until her arm started to ache.

Backstage at the arena, there was a contingent of fans from England who wanted to present Elvis with an award. They stared at him as if he was ten foot tall and glowing. Chancy found it endearing how he had the effect of turning adult men and women into awed believers. It de-aged them, making the cynical and jaded shell that people developed as they went through the machinations of life crack and flake away. She imagined their faces to be the same as they had been on Christmas morning when they were young and they rushed downstairs to see if Santa had been.

It was not one-sided though, because Elvis seemed affected too and became gentler and more considerate like he too could see the little children he had manifested.

One girl in particular got to Chancy’s heart. She stood at the edge of the group in silence, her eyes fixed on Elvis as he talked to her friends and signed autographs. When he moved along the line and came to her, she immediately bubbled over into overwhelmed tears.

Chancy’s own heart lurched and she was gratified to see Joe get the girl some Kleenex and pat her on the shoulder.

Elvis cupped the girl's chin so tenderly and gave her a peck on the cheek, all the while stroking her arm like he wasn’t the cause of her emotional overload. It was adorable to watch.

Afterwards, he came and stood by Chancy while Joe explained the stage set up and any hazards he had foreseen. Apparently, the stage was quite low, which meant that the acoustics would not be the best and security would be trickier because the audience would have easier access.

Elvis nodded, but then frowned, asking if the local cops providing security were going to be standing in their usual place at the foot of the stage, because he didn’t want them blocking the view of the front rows.

“I-I-If I can’t see them and they can’t see me, that’s gonna make it so much harder to… y’know.” He gave a wry little smile. “Do my thing. I mean, my job.”

“Yeah, best keep your thing out of it with that many cops around,” Jerry quipped. Some of the guys guffawed and Chancy rolled her eyes, feeling like she was back in High School.

“You want me to keep it out?” Elvis asked, looking perplexed before shrugging and pretending to reach for his belt. The rest of the guys howled and shouted about shutting the door in case of cameras and calling for the ambulance to the nut house for ‘Ole Crazy’.

Chancy wasn’t a prude, though she could play the prim Southern lady if necessary, but she didn’t like the energy in the room. Elvis had disappeared into the bathroom with a doctor for a few minutes before the English fans had arrived and the rest of the guys also seemed ‘over-excited’, eyes sparkling like glass and words coming too fast. There was no one with their foot poised over the brake. The kids were all going wild and Mom wasn’t home.

“Hey, fellas, cool it,” snapped Elvis, of all people. Chancy had been watching Sonny trying inexplicably to shove Lamar out of the dressing room and barricade him in the corridor, and she almost started when she felt arms wrap around her shoulders from behind. “You’re making the lady nervous acting like goddamn animals.” She reached up and gave his forearms a squeeze. “Don’t worry, baby, I’ll protect you from these degenerates. You want me to whoop their asses?” She didn’t have time to answer before he stuck his tongue in her ear and started laughing uproariously as she tried to wrestle herself away from his grip.

It was a relief when Lamar announced it was time for him to take her to her seat. She could see that he was feeling the same, having had to kick Sonny away from him several times. She moved towards him like he was her guardian angel.

“Wait a minute!” Elvis called, grabbing her by the arm and feinting a move towards her face with his tongue out. She ducked her head and squealed. “No, really, for real now.” His other hand caught the nape of her neck and he pressed a kiss to her temple. He was already glistening with sweat and she could feel his heart thundering against her shoulder as he leant in. At the last minute, he licked a strip up her cheek and cackled like a wicked witch.

“Good Lord!” she growled, wiping her cheek with her sleeve. “Y’all are worse than animals!”

“Hey, Lamar, don’t you lose her again, you big ole sonovabitch! Strike one, son!”

Walking down the hallway to the seating area, she raised her hands at the shadows.

“How in the heck did he know?!” she asked.

“Man, I stopped trying to figure out how he does things a long time ago,” Lamar muttered. “Supernatural bastard.”

The show was exhausting for everyone involved. For a start, Elvis would not stop talking and fooling around. He told the story of his rise to fame with a lot of embellishments and risqué jokes. Chancy got her own little mention:

“I was going with a chick, we were gonna be married, but, uh, it didn’t work out. Don’t think she and my other girlfriends got along… Wonder what she’s up to now, man.”

She rolled her eyes as those in the know chuckled and looked over at her. She saw pity in some of the women’s faces, which made her cheek burn, but mostly she just felt worried. It had been a long time since Elvis had been made to conform to normal social expectations and boundaries, but he tended to, or at least pretended to in public. Clearly, whatever he was taking had made him loosen the reins on himself and she didn’t know of anyone else strong enough to take over that duty.

Just before ‘Love Me Tender’, he ‘borrowed’ the hat of one of the police officers at the foot of the stage and swaggered around kissing the fans that had made it through the cordon while wearing it. She didn’t stop holding her breath until he returned the hat with a polite ‘Thank you, Sir.’ She had been just waiting for a crack about using the handcuffs.

Finally, they were back in the car, Elvis breathless and sweaty beside her, and the guys talking about a large woman who had tried to barrel her way down the aisle like a bowling ball to take out the cops like pins only to be toppled at the first hurdle by a well-placed foot. Chancy frowned at their unkindness, but they just seemed to find her annoyance funny too.

“I think I busted my suit,” Elvis remarked suddenly, groping the inside of his thigh, which was hidden from his view as he sat reclined, his belly bulging over his belt. “Goddamn it. Baby, can you see? Is it bad?”

Chancy leaned over cautiously, not trusting that this wasn’t one of his pranks, but he did seem genuinely concerned and annoyed. She confirmed that he had split his inseam, there was a tear about a couple of inches long. He unwound the towel from his neck and draped it across his lap.

“Fuckin’ lucky those cops were facing the other way,” he muttered. “Would’ve got myself arrested that time for sure.”

“Nah, they can’t arrest you for flashing your drawers,” Joe shrugged. His eyes widened. “Oh Jesus, you were wearing… you didn’t?!”

“Well, I don’t like the lines,” Elvis muttered diffidently. The guys guffawed, covering their faces with their hands.

“Can’t wait to see the review in the paper tomorrow, big old X-rated label across the picture,” Lamar quipped. “And to think they wanted to run you out of town in the early days just for wiggling your legs.”

Elvis didn’t laugh and the amusement rapidly faded out for the guys also, since they were well attuned to his moods. He spent the rest of the car ride with his hands clasped at his groin, his face turned to the window, frowning at the passing street lights.

Back at the hotel, Chancy watched him head back into his room, the guys following him in, but then nearly all of them exiting almost immediately afterwards. She went into her room and let out a sigh at the peace. She closed her curtains and stepped out of her heels, flexing the ache out of her feet. Even as she was considering whether to shower or get changed, there was a business-like knock on her door.

“I have been told to get your dinner order,” Jerry informed her.

It rankled her the way he kept saying it like that, to make it perfectly clear that he was only being civil and courteous because he was under orders. She wondered what she had done for him to only interact when forced.

“I have been told to ask for a salad,” she returned, to let him know she had caught the undertone. “Chicken or cheese or whatever is fine. I take it I’m eating it next door?” He nodded.

“Elvis is just getting washed up and then he’ll let you know when you can go in.” She scowled, couldn’t help herself. Maybe she could buy him a little bell to summon her.

The summons came in the form of Ricky, who beamed at her when she opened the door. She was tempted to ask him if he had a date with the girl she saw him trying to talk to before the show, but decided that was just misplaced irritation towards Jerry and Elvis.

Chancy tapped on the door to Elvis’s room, immediately wondering whether she should have knocked harder in case there was a party going on. Before she could reconsider, Elvis himself threw open the door. He was wearing pyjamas and a robe like he was all ready for bed and he looked her up and down.

“You didn’t get changed,” he commented with a bemused look.

“I didn’t know I had to,” she returned. “Should I… go do it now?”

“If you think I’m letting you disappear again, you’re crazy.” He reached out and took her hand, pulling her into the suite. It was empty, which was something of a revelation. Other than when he appeared in her room, Elvis always had someone with him. Who did he perform to when he was by himself?

“Now, let’s see.” She watched him open a drawer of the dresser in the bedroom and pull out something dark and silky. “Yeah, this’ll do.” He passed her one of his pyjama tops. “Go put this on, honey.” She looked over to the bathroom he was nodding towards.

“My room is just next door,” she reminded him. “I could be there and back in five minutes.”

“We’ve been through that,” he returned firmly. “Be a good girl and do as you’re told.” Her skin warmed and not in a pleasant way. She stalked towards the bathroom, mouthing words that ‘good girls’ would never have said.

“And quit with the sass too,” he called in his mystifying and infuriating all-knowing way.

Chancy eyed herself dubiously in the bathroom mirror, pulling at the bottom of the black silk jacket. It grazed the middle of her thighs, barely covering her underwear, a contrast to the sleeves that hung over her hands. She sighed, rolling them back up over her wrists and then poked her tongue out at her reflection.

Leaning into the ridiculousness, she opened the door and shuffled out like Harpo Marx. Elvis laughed like she knew he would, but as his smile faded it was very clear from the look in his narrowed eyes that he did not share her opinion that she looked foolish.

“Come sit down here, honey, dinner’s here.” He beckoned her over to the seating area and placed her on the couch beside the arm. Then he sat down next to her, close enough that she could feel the heat of him down her side.

The television was on and playing a movie, some spy thriller with people wearing trench coats and demanding to know the whereabouts of the ‘microfilm’ in Russian accents. Elvis watched intently, scooping food into his mouth like he had been told to eat up or there would be no dessert.

She sneaked peeks at his profile as she poked a fork listlessly at the salad. His nose looked like it was sculpted by a Renaissance artist, though she was well aware that in actuality the credit should go to a plastic surgeon in Los Angeles who had been part of the dying studio system back in the late 50s. She remembered crying when she first saw him back from filming his third movie, locking herself in the bathroom so that no one else could see.

It wasn’t that he had looked so different, which he hadn’t as the surgeon had done a refinement rather than an overhaul, but what it represented. It told her that Elvis was prepared to go to any lengths to alter and erase anything that he felt didn’t fit in with his new image, his new lifestyle, and his dreams. She had already known at that point that this included her.

As if sensing her gaze, Elvis dragged his eyes away from the screen and crossed them as he turned to her, wrinkling his nose.

“What you lookin’ at?”

“I don’t know, stranger,” she replied. “Anyone ever tell you that you look like that famous fella? That guy who sings and makes the girls scream? You know his name.”

“Engelbert Humperdinck?” he replied dubiously. She bit down her smile.

“No, not that one. He’s been famous for a little while now. Why, I heard he sold more records than The Beatles. Darn, why can’t I remember his name?”

A half-smile on his face, he put his empty plate on the coffee table and then slid hers off her lap too. When he leant in for a kiss, she reclined in equal measure.

“Well, Sir, you’re behaving very forward for a stranger, I must say. You’re not one of those disrespectful rock and roll musicians, are you? I was warned about them.”

“No, no, miss, I’m real respectful,” he murmured, sliding his hand up the inside of her thigh as he rose onto his knees, following her lips. She leant back until the back of her head met the corner of the back of the sofa.

“Oh good. I would hate to get myself caught up with one of those types,” she whispered. “Like that dreamy singer whose name I can’t remember.” He paused, his lips just barely touching hers. His arms bracketed her head, gripping the arm of the sofa on one side and the back on the other.

“Say it,” he murmured. She frowned, almost dropping her wide-eyed persona for a second. “Say my name.” She grinned then, not fooled by the dominant façade, hearing the need behind it.

“It’s on the tip of my tongue…” she stalled, giggling at his growl. He caught her bottom lip between his teeth and tugged slightly.

“Say it. I mean it, or you’re gonna be sorry.”

She rolled her eyes and gave him a look that told him exactly how silly she thought he was for making withholding even more delicious to her. He shook his head and poked his fingers into her waist, tickling in his own unique way, both playful and painful.

“Stop! Stop it!” she laughed helplessly, the dirty belly laugh her mother used to scold her about because a lady should always sound like she’s in control. He did, eventually, once he had stopped laughing at her. The look he gave her was prompting, eyebrows raised in expectation. She couldn’t resist.

“You are the rudest anonymous stranger I have ever met!” she announced, really clutching her pearls now. “I think you’re just as despicable as that nameless-“ She shrieked as he pinched her behind the knees, his head turned away from her face as his fingers crept up from her knees and began prodding and grazing over her thighs. “Elvis! Elvis, stop, I give! I give!” He paused, kneeling over her, and raised an eyebrow as he glanced back to her face.

It was a compulsion, she realised, some deep, unstoppable drive inside of him to make sure that everyone know who he was, his name. It made him first record a song when he was too scared to sing with the lights on, it shoved him on stage when his legs were so shaky that they fluttered like wings, and it made him still climb onto a different stage every night and sing the same songs he had been singing for years even when he was sick of them. Being recognised and seen was a need, something hungry and fierce inside of him that he had no control over. She wondered if he understood that himself.

“I- I remember now,” she said in her wide-eyed stranger voice. “Elvis Presley, that’s his name.” She switched back to her own voice to finish. “That’s your name, Elvis Presley.”

She was rewarded with a violent, fast kiss and then he gathered her up from the sofa so that he could lay down on it with a grunt before bringing her back down on top of him, smoothing the top of her hair under his chin.

“You’re a goddamn pain in the ass making me be all energetic just after I ate,” he muttered into the top of her head. She reached up to move his pendant from under her cheek and smooth the lapel of his pyjama top so that it didn’t obstruct her view of the television, before nuzzling against his warm chest. She could hear his heart thumping fast and felt a little guilty, rubbing his side soothingly.

The Russians were still looking for the microfilm and were now involved in a car chase through the streets of… It looked like it might be San Francisco, but Chancy wasn’t sure since she had only been there once and just remembered fog and hills.

“Remind me never to get into a car chase in San Francisco,” she murmured. “All those hills have gotta be tough on your suspension.”

“Since you always drive like you’re in a car chase it’s probably best just not to drive in San Francisco, period.”

“Hey!” she complained. “You can talk, Mister ‘I don’t believe in stop lights or speed limits’. And who was it that taught me how to drive in the first place, huh?”

“Biggest mistake of my life.”

Chancy thought about retorting or pretending to be offended, whipping up another role play/game, but the truth was that she was comfortable and warm and she could tell from the way his heartbeat had slowed and steadied that Elvis was relaxed too. She thought she could get used to this easy, calm domesticity even as she knew that she would never get the chance.

“Got no comeback, honey?” he murmured, drumming his fingertips on her waist. “You falling asleep on me?”

“I could,” she admitted. “This is very comfy and cosy.”

“Well, shit, can’t be having that. Sit up for me, honey.” She bit back a sigh and wriggled down a little so that she could rise up on her knees. “No, no, sit up on me, baby.” He gave her a wicked smile, raising his eyebrow in a way that got the women screaming and crying when he was on stage. His hands gripped her hips, before sliding round to her ass to manoeuvre her back up into place. She used his shoulders to push up so that she was straddling his hips.

“Is this what you wanted?” she asked, hearing herself sound more bewildered than enticing.

“Mhmm,” he murmured in a low voice, spreading his hands on her thighs on either side of him. “Oh hey, your underwear matches the shirt I picked!” She yanked on the bottom of the pyjama jacket as he gave a chuckle. “Too late, I already saw.” His hand slipped underneath the hem of the jacket, creeping towards the leg of the panties. “Did you wear these for me? You know that good girls don’t wear black down there, don’t ya?”

“Yes, they do. I do.”

“Well, I like white,” he said firmly. “But you look good in anything, baby. I swear, Cha-Cha, I-“ He shook his head and winced. “I need to think of a way to say this that ain’t corny…”

He tilted his head side to side, squinting at the ceiling and pouting like a little kid trying to remember their multiplication tables. It shouldn’t have been titillating, Chancy had seen her four-year-old niece do the same thing when she was trying to think up a lie for why one of the dogs was wrapped up in toilet paper, but somehow he made it erotic and endearing at the same time.

“What the hell, I’m just gonna be corny. You were a pretty little girl, honey, but you have just got more beautiful as you got older. No, you have. Hey now!” He pulled her hands away from her face, his fingers tapping a staccato into her palms. “I’m being a corny ass sumbitch right now, but it’s the truth, you know. I’m just telling it the way I see it. You are breath-takin’. And sexy too, which you would find out if you sat down instead of hovering over me like a little bird.”

It was too much, the words, the way that he was talking, him but not him. The Elvis she knew could be cheeky, could be sweet, could definitely make a girl blush and heat up, but all at once was too confusing and intense. Even his voice, his accent, wasn’t really him. It was stage Elvis, movie Elvis, smooth the edges and mute the twang Elvis. She was compelled to get up, almost catching her foot on his leg as she scrambled off him and the sofa.

“Sorry,” she gasped, trying to smile and reassure him that she hadn’t lost her mind. From the confused look on his face she wasn’t sure that she succeeded.

“I told you it was corny. Didn’t think it’d make you run away though.” He rolled onto his side, propping up his head with his hand. “Why’re you acting so bashful? I know guys have called you beautiful before, too many guys probably… I don’t wanna think about that.”

“None of them have been The Elvis Presley though.” She used the air quotes, then wondered if she had been too sharp. She could tell by the way his eyes narrowed that he caught her tone, but didn’t quite understand it.

“Honey, it’s just me,” he said, disconcerted enough that it actually did sound like him again.

“Is it?”

“I don’t think I get this game,” he admitted with a small frown.

“Me neither,” she relented, walking back to the sofa. “I’m just being silly.”

He sat up to allow her space to sit beside him and she sensed that he had pulled back because her reaction to his compliment had unsettled him. She thought about all the people who had his pictures on their walls, who daydreamed about being in her position, and wondered if they would believe her if she ever got to tell them about how insecure he was, their dream man, their superstar boyfriend. One sign of ambivalence and he would curl up into his shell. Outright indifference could crush him.

As he intently watched the final shootout of the movie, she tucked her legs up beneath her on the sofa to give herself a little more height and leant into him. His arm immediately wrapped around her waist, but he stayed focussed on the television. She considered the side of his face: the length of his eyelashes and the almost obscene plumpness of his lips. She brushed her finger against his sideburn, smoothing the hair in all the same direction, and she watched the line at the corner of his mouth twitch as he fought against smiling. When this tactic didn’t work, she used her first knuckle to graze slowly down his cheek and round his jaw, enjoying the way that the curves of his cheekbones deepened as he tightened his lips.

Finally, she played her last card, she stuck her finger into her mouth and sucked on it to make it nice and wet and then poked it into his ear. She leapt up as he reacted and scrambled over the back of the sofa before he had gotten to his feet.

“You sneaky little thing!” he cried, his words tripping over his laughter. “Get your ass back here now for your punishment!”

“That was payback!” she insisted, shaking her head. “For what you did to me earlier!”

“Oh, I’m gonna do so much worse now,” he promised, his eyes glittering. Her heart raced as she darted around the sofa, responding to his movements. “You’re only making it worse for yourself!”

“You’re not exactly encouraging me to surrender,” she pointed out, shrieking as he finally clambered over the sofa. She panicked, whirling around before racing into the bedroom.

“Christ, you’re fast!” he marvelled, a little out of breath but trying to hide it as he came to the bedroom doorway.

“I’m motivated,” she pointed out.

“Welp, I’m removing that motivation.” He flopped down onto the bed and pillowed his head on his arms. “Game’s over. Come and sit with me, baby.”

“Does… this mean I win?” Chancy asked slowly since that had never happened before.

“You know I can’t say that. I won’t say that.”

Elvis Presley didn’t lose. Mostly because of his many skills and talents and his relentless competitive spirit, but also because the temper tantrums and sulking afterwards were not worth it.

“So, a draw then?”

“Shit, it’s not like there’s a trophy. Get over here!”

“Well, I’m calling it a draw,” she said to herself, slowly crossing the room to the bed. She made it as far as putting her knee onto the mattress before he was up and wrestling her beneath him. She was completely unsurprised, but she still shrieked and fought, pretending that she was, because it was what he expected and wanted.

“Draw, my ass!” he crowed, tickling and licking everything he could reach.

“I surrender! You win!” she pleaded. He didn’t listen at first, but finally quietened down, breathless from his exertions.

Looking up at him straddling her, she didn’t have the most flattering view. Everything was bigger, his fuller face had a double chin as he stared down at her and his round belly heaved as he panted. She could see that the belt of his robe was barely long enough to tie once it had wrapped around his middle. She felt guilty even noticing, because she knew he would be embarrassed, no doubt was embarrassed by his weight. But it also made him human, vulnerable and fallible in a way that was reassuring for her. Perfection was beautiful and admirable, but it wasn’t loveable.

“You have made a grave mistake!” she warned him. “You have just revealed how deceitful you are. Now I’ll never trust you again!”

“Aw, no, say it ain’t so!” he teased, pouting and drawing up his eyebrows so sweetly that she would have forgiven him if she had really been mad.

“You are a cheat! A rotten cheat.”

Elvis had evidently had enough of the playing because he leant down and caught up her mouth with his own, swallowing her air before she could say any more. She smiled, wrapping her arms around his shoulders even as he was rearranging them both so that he was laying on the bed with her beside him. She had been distracted by his weight and had failed to notice something else about him that had become larger, but she felt it now as he pushed his groin against her hip, moaning a little into the kiss.

“Okay, I forgive you,” she mumbled into his mouth, moving her hands to his back. He huffed a laugh, mocking the length of time she could hold a grudge, but she didn’t respond. At least not verbally.

At first their kisses were sweet and unhurried. Elvis kept pausing and drawing back to just look at her before returning to her lips. She wondered if he was checking that she was still okay, or if he couldn’t believe what was happening between them, or if he just couldn’t remember who he was kissing.

“This should feel strange, shouldn’t it?” he said in a soft voice, squinting slightly at her like she had the answers he sought. “It should at least feel like we haven’t done this in years?”

“What does it feel like?” she couldn’t help but ask.

“Nice…” He rolled his eyes self-deprecatingly. “Yeah, that’s real sexy, Elvis, just keep talking, son. No, it feels… right. You know what I mean?” He barely gave her a second to respond, before he was shaking his head and smiling diffidently. “You have no idea what I’m talkin’ ‘bout, do you.”

“No, no, I do!” She rushed to reassure him, because the need that emanated from him was overwhelming and, like most other women he encountered, she was helpless against it. It didn’t matter that she knew he had learnt to harness and weaponize that distilled little boy quality, that desperate need to be adored and loved, she was just as susceptible to it even knowing she was being played.

Was he right? Should it have felt strange to be doing this again? She thought perhaps that she had always known this would happen. It had always lingered as a possibility in some liminal pocket during moments they spent together. There had been times when she felt sure he might try to kiss her and times when all she wanted to do was press her lips against his and surrender to the urge once and for all. It was exhausting to keep fighting the impulse and after so many years it made sense they were too weary to continue.

As she was musing on this exhaustion, her body was flooding with electricity and energy. She could feel her skin buzzing and her muscles stretching and tensing with anticipation.

Elvis’s hand had slid progressively further down from her waist to her hip and now to the top of her thigh. With a low hum, he drew up her leg and slid closer to her, pushing himself against her groin. She responded with a pleased smile, tucking her legs around him to hold him in place. She could feel his hard length kneading against her folds, pressing them into the button of nerves that was already tingling.

They had slipped through a doorway in time, which was no longer measured in minutes, but breaths and the tingling and sensitivity of their skin and lips. Chancy’s hands slid round to his front and she toyed with the first button on his pyjama shirt, not consciously unfastening it but filled with the need to get her hands on his skin.

Without a word, Elvis took her hands and moved them to his shoulders, nuzzling into her neck so that his chest was pressed tightly against her.

It felt like they were teenyboppers on their first date and she was the pushy quarterback trying to get his sweet virginal girlfriend to agree to second base. Elvis kissed her with delicious enthusiasm and seemed to have no compunction about rolling his hips and pressing his erection into her, but the minute she tried to take the next step, he pulled back.

“Do you want to stop?” she asked finally, out of frustration and confusion.

“Hell no,” he murmured, nibbling on her neck. He did stop though suddenly. “Do you wanna stop?”

She shook her head and relinquished control to him. If he wanted to play it PG, she was confused but accepting. It was sweetly nostalgic in a way, reminding her of when they would park after going to the movies back when they dated. Back then, they would take it in turns to play the responsible one to make sure nothing went too far.

Gradually Elvis’s writhing became more focussed and intent, his hands grabbed hold of her ass and pulled her in against him. Flutters began between her legs as she listened to his grunts and panting and felt the urgency building in him. She could feel him speaking or singing, vibrations tingling through his chest and into hers, but so quietly that she couldn’t make out the words.

Finally, he groaned and shuddered, pulling her in so tightly that her bones creaked. There was a long pause before he gave a quiet, self-conscious laugh.

“Ah… shit. Been a long while since that happened.”

Chancy glanced down at his pants and carefully schooled her face. Elvis could be an iceberg, showing only a glimpse of what was beneath the surface. That was how people were often caught off-guard when he erupted, having not appreciated what he was experiencing beforehand. The fact that he seemed a little embarrassed might mean just that, or it could mean he was mortified and trying to hide it.

“I’ll take it as a compliment,” she said with a small smile and a shrug.

In answer, he cupped her cheeks and gave her a long kiss.

“You’re perfect,” he informed her intensely. She felt goosebumps break out across her skin as a shiver went down her spine. He spoke with such conviction and authority like he was making it so even as he spoke. It made her feel indestructible.

When he went into the bathroom to get changed, she played his words over and pictured the fire that glowed in his dark blue eyes as he spoke, trying to understand how he did it, the secret to his magic. Was it power imbued by others, the cumulative effect of thousands of people believing in him? Or was it something intrinsic, a supernatural ability that he had been born with?

Over the years, she had swung between the two explanations over and over. There had always been something, even back when he was a shy teenager cursed with acne and a stammer that had not yet been declared charming. The intensity had always been there, his mama had it too, but no one else had the ability to speak things into being the way that Elvis did. No one could entrance and bewitch like him.

“What?” He stood in the doorway of the bathroom, a strange, shy smile on his face as he looked at her and whatever odd expression she was wearing. She shook her head and lowered her eyes, embarrassed to be caught being dreamy. Grandma was always urging her to stop living in her head and start trying it out in the world instead. Chancy knew that she was right, but old habits were hard to break.

“Nothing.”

“Come get ready for bed then, darlin’.”

“Uh… all my things are next door.” She watched him sigh with frustration and physically shrug it off.

“Let’s go then.” He took her hand and they went to the door. Elvis peered out first, checking that the coast was clear, presumably for Chancy’s sake since everyone and their neighbour in the group had seen him in pyjamas and a robe countless times.

There was a security guard posted near the elevator at the far end of the corridor and he turned as he caught a glimpse of them from the corner of his eye. Elvis raised his hand in greeting, the other hand pushing Chancy behind him like she was naked. Such an peculiarly old-fashioned attitude to have for someone who had regularly held naked pool parties in his Hollywood home throughout the past decade.

“Huh, you a bit of a slob, Cha-Cha?” he remarked when they walked into her room, as though this was a clue in a mystery he was solving. “You didn’t used to be.”

“I’m not usually,” she returned quickly, cheeks a little pink. It was a small lie.

She hurried across and shoved some clothes back into the suitcase laying open on the floor, scooping up some underwear on the way. She could feel his amusement even before she turned and saw the smile drawing out his cheekbones.

“I wasn’t expecting company,” she muttered.

“Mmhmm.” She smacked him with the back of her hand as she moved across to the bathroom.

“Not all of us have maids and valets and cleaners following our every move you know.”

“Hey, I’m just enjoying how shook up you are about me finding out your messy, messy secret.” He had followed her to the bathroom door and leant against the frame now, showing no signs of feeling inclined to give her privacy.

“Well, make yourself at home.” She flapped her hand. “I won’t be a minute.”

“I’m fine right here, darlin’.” She frowned at his reflection, but he seemed to be serious.

Feeling self-conscious, she picked up her toothbrush and squeezed out the toothpaste. It was the first time she had ever been so aware of each movement required to brush her teeth. She was suddenly mindful of the noise of the bristles against her teeth, the goofy way she looked with toothpaste foaming at the corners of her mouth, and she was so horrified of the idea of spitting it out that she considered swallowing it instead.

For his part, Elvis behaved like it was perfectly natural to stand and observe someone brushing their teeth. After he fixed his hair and straightened the lapels of his robe in the mirror, he hummed to himself as he fidgeted behind her, picking up her hairbrush and examining it before putting it down. Her perfume bottles clinked as he fiddled with them, eyes narrowing in a slight squint as he read the labels and then picked up each one in turn to sniff them. By the time he was rifling through her make-up bag, she had almost let him fade into the background, the way she did when her niece Faye was pottering about. It was the same energy, she decided, the childlike need to investigate unfamiliar surroundings, much more socially accepted in a four-year-old than a grown man. She washed her face and brushed her hair through, then turned to him, slightly exasperated.

“I need to get changed, honey. Can I have a little privacy?”

“Uh uh, don’t get changed,” he murmured, shaking his head as he twisted her lipstick back down and replaced the lid. “You look perfect the way you are.”

“Okay, well, I’d like to use the bathroom then, please.” She put her hands on his chest and gave him a gentle push.

“Don’t take too long,” he returned sharply, sounding like someone used to bossing around everyone around him. “Or I’m gonna fall asleep out here.”

As soon as she got the door shut, she rushed back to the sink to give herself a hurried sponge bath. She reapplied her perfume and considered putting some make-up back on before telling herself that she was stupid and that she better get back out into the room or she would find Elvis rifling through her suitcase.

Rushing into the room, she glanced round and saw him sitting on her bed, leaning sideways to rest his head on her pillows. At first she thought he was fooling around, thinking back to what he had said when she closed the door on him.

“I wasn’t that long!” she commented, rolling her eyes. When he didn’t respond, she stepped closer and poked him in the shoulder to let him know that the joke was over. It was when he started and squinted up at her with bleary eyes that she realised it was real.

“Oh honey!” Instinctively, she reached for his face to soothe his lost, groggy expression. “You shouldn’t have waited on me if you were this tired!”

“Wanna be with you,” he mumbled, gripping her forearms. He shook his head like he could shake himself awake, but it only dislodged her hands, making him lurch as he refused to release her arms. “Where’re you goin’?”

It didn’t make any sense, she had only been in the bathroom for ten minutes at most and he had been perfectly fine when she had closed the door. It was pills obviously, but she had never seen them take him so quickly and completely. That was new.

“C’mon, sweetheart, let’s go back to your room.”

“Stay, Cha-Cha,” he pleaded in a soft, slurred voice. ”Please stay with me.” Her heart flip flopped and she couldn’t answer right away, just kept on trying to pull him up. He finally seemed to grasp what she was trying to do and helped her out, stumbling onto his feet as she used her body to buffer him while still trying to break his grip on her arms.

“I’m staying,” she promised loudly. “Baby, I’m staying, but we need to go to your room.”

He didn’t remain on his feet long, almost pulling her over as he dropped back down heavily onto the bed. She looked at him, sitting at least, but with his head hanging as he drifted back off, and then at the hotel room door. She knew he would prefer to be in his own bed and could only imagine the chaos that would ensue when someone knocked on his door and found him missing at some point.

Using a manoeuvre that he had once taught her, she clasped her hands together and yanked them down and over, breaking his grip on her and rousing him again.

“Wait!” he snapped, like they were in the middle of an argument. She hurried to the door and threw it open, finding Sonny sitting outside Elvis’s room. She had never been so glad to see him.

“I need help!” she called.

He jumped up, shooting an alarmed look at Elvis’s door where he had presumably thought she was with him. The shutters dropped on his face when he came to her threshold and saw Elvis on the bed. Chancy could almost hear the metallic clang as he slipped into his professional role as fixer, bodyguard, cleaner of messes. Her stomach cramped at how not shocked he seemed.

“He fell asleep while I was in the bathroom,” she explained. “We need to get him to his bed.”

“All right. C’mon then, Boss, let’s get you up.” He stooped and hooked Elvis’s arm around his broad shoulders, grabbing his waist with his other arm. Chancy rushed to Elvis’s other side and gripped his other arm, pulling with all her might.

Together, they got him to his feet and Chancy felt him wake again, fighting them a little as he tried to pull his arms away.

“Settle down,” Sonny soothed in a gentle, for him, voice. “Just putting you to bed, man.”

“Sonny? s’goin’ on? Where’s Cha-Cha?” He turned his head and gave a little absent-minded laugh. “There’s Cha-Cha!”

Having tried to keep Elvis upright by herself, Chancy could fully appreciate how strong Sonny was as they made their way out of her room. She paused to lock her door and Elvis’s arm almost throttled her as he tightened his grip to avoid losing her and Sonny didn’t know to pause.

“Ain’t she pretty?” Elvis mumbled, dragging her back to him and burying his nose into her hair. “Ain’t she pretty, Sonny?”

“Sure thing, Boss,” Sonny grunted, nodding at Chancy to open the door to Elvis’s room.

“You’re so pretty, honey.”

“Thank you,” she replied quietly, patting his back, and wishing he would fall asleep again. Who knew what he would say in this state and she wanted to be able to look both him and Sonny in the eye again after that night.

Finally, they made it to the bed and Sonny disentangled himself slowly, letting Elvis drop gently onto the mattress.

“You gonna be okay?” he asked, meeting Chancy’s eye. She nodded and thanked him. “I’m right outside if you need anything.” She watched him close the bedroom door behind him and then turned back to the man trying and somehow failing to climb beneath the covers.

“Baby, you’re kneeling on… Oh lord, we are a real mess right now!” she sighed.

Elvis giggled like a kid and dropped onto his back, pulling at the bedclothes with his heels as he lifted his hips and finally succeeding at freeing them.

“Cha-Cha!” He made the grabby hands gesture, beckoning her to him. She sighed again and climbed onto the bed, letting him draw her in.

“We made it!” she mused in disbelief, snuggling up to him. She waited for him to drift off again, but he seemed to have gained a second wind and was more interested in kissing, stroking and patting her. Then he said he was thirsty and she fetched him a drink of water. Then he said he was hungry. Again, he reminded her of Faye, fighting sleep and trying to stay up late with the grown-ups, coming up with every excuse possible to avoid going to bed.

“Look, sweetheart,” she began, her tone exactly the same as when she was talking to the four-year-old, “it’s not time to eat now. It’s time to sleep. But if you go straight to sleep, it’ll be breakfast when you wake up, okay?”

He stared at her, his intense expression not giving anything away. She wondered if he was going to snap at her for talking to him like a child, for treating him like a child essentially, and held her breath.

“Okay, Mommy,” he sighed eventually, his voice soft and babyish. “I’ll go to sleep if you give me a kiss.” She dutifully pressed her lips to his pout and smiled as he stroked his fingers down the side of her face. “Stay, okay? Stay until I wake up.”

“I’ll stay,” she assured him.

“Promise me now.”

“I promise. I’ll stay.”

Finally, eventually, his eyelids began to droop and his breathing deepened.

After what felt like hours, still wide awake from her exertions, she decided to go back to her room to fetch a book to read, thinking it would help her relax and fall asleep. She got as far as turning away from Elvis before the pyjama top she was wearing stretched taut and went tight around her neck. Throwing back the blankets, she found that he had a handful of the shirt squeezed tightly in his fist, evidently not trusting that she would keep her promise.

What would it be like to be so fearful of being alone? He always seemed to her to be so strong, such a force, and it was difficult to reconcile that with this overwhelming need for companionship. How strong could someone really be if they couldn’t face spending any time in a room alone? She was drifting off finally, contemplating this, when Elvis jerked, his arms and legs flailing, and he came to in a roar of garbled fragments of words and sounds. She was clutching her leg where he had got a good kick in, finally able to roll out of the danger zone now that he had released her top.

“Are they safe?” he said hurriedly, his voice cracked and thick. “Why won’t anyone tell me?”

“Elvis,” she said softly, giving her shin a final pained rub, “it was a dream, honey. Everyone is safe.”

“I heard her crying,” he insisted. “She’s calling for me.”

“Who was crying, sweetie?”

“My baby,” he snapped. “I’m her daddy. I gotta protect her. I gotta- I gotta… It’s my fault.” She tried to stroke his hair, his face, anything to soothe him, but he batted away her hands.

“Your baby is safe,” she promised. “She’s fast asleep in her bed. She knows her daddy keeps her safe.”

She was looking into his eyes and yet not. It was eerie, like Elvis was not behind them at all and his body was being animated and controlled by someone else who didn’t know how he moved, or how animated his face usually was, how he manipulated emotions with just a tiny lift of a playful eyebrow.

“He’s gonna hurt ‘em, he’ll kill us all,” he insisted, sending a chill down her spine.

“Who?!”

“E- Elvis… Elvis.” Chancy had to swallow down the bile that had risen up into her throat as he whispered his own name, sounding so scared.

“Okay, that’s enough now,” she snapped, wiping away beads of cold sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. “That is enough! Wake up now, Elvis. Wake! Up!” She shoved at his shoulder, jolting the whole of his body on the mattress. She didn’t care if it startled him or if he lashed out and hit her (again). She needed him to be awake and not terrifying.

“What?! What are you doin’? Stop! What’s goin’ on?”

“Are you awake?” she demanded, kneeling over him.

“What?” He rubbed at his bloodshot eyes and let his hand slide down his face. “You-You woke me up, ‘course I’m fuckin’ awake!”

“You were having a bad dream. A really bad one.”

“Shit- I- I need to sleep, Chancy, you know I gotta be strong to do my job. You can’t- You can’t mess with me like this!”

“I’m sorry, you were scaring me.” He muttered something under his breath, but relented, pulling her down by her arm and wrapping his arms around her. She half hoped he wouldn’t be able to go back to the sleep, but, again, his breathing deepened and she felt his body relax into the mattress. She lay poised in preparation for something creepy.

At one point, he gave a soft murmur and she jolted like someone had fired a starting pistol, but there were no more nightmares that night. At least not sleeping ones. Thank you to @thatbanditqueen for listening to me ramble and @be-my-ally and @ellie-24 for getting me in the mood with their lovely big daddy elvis fics

#elvis fanfic #elvis fanfiction #elvis presley fanfiction #elvis x oc #1970s elvis #an enjoyable slide to oblivion

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