#adding another couple more minutes in the towel drama

[selamat-linting]

its not my job desk but i'll do it but dont be mad when i can't do it properly lol.

[brokestminimalist]

Broke Laundry: updated 2021

For the time being, let's skip talking about how almost all of us have too many clothes.   The clothes that you have get dirty, and must be washed.  I am going to assume you have access to a modern washing machine, either at your house or a laundromat. We'll call step one sorting:

Sorting: Ain’t nobody got time for this.  This is an extra chore that is 99% not necessary.  Unless you have specialty fabrics or are particular about how white your whites are, it’s just added  stress and a waste of time.  I don't actually own any white clothes anymore, but if I did I'd run a load of whites with a cup of bleach once a month. I do not own things that can’t survive the washing machine, either.  No delicates, no dry cleaning.  I wash towels with clothes, and sheets together with bedspreads. Cleaning rags and towels have their own basket and get washed when it gets full.

Laundry Detergent: Avoid the very cheapest for the sake of your darks, but there is no need to spring for the most expensive thing on the shelf.  In fact, I make laundry detergent from one part washing soda, one part Borax, and one part soap. A double batch is enough detergent to last three months for a single person. Good recipes can be had all over the internet, so go forth and find yourself one.  If you’re washing in cold water and your tap water is very cold, such as in the winter, you may find it necessary to stir your homemade detergent into a cup of hot water before putting it into the machine. Out of detergent?  A spoonful of dish soap will do in a pinch.  Regardless of whether you’re using store bought or homemade, don’t use too much detergent; it’s bad for the machine, the environment, and your clothes.  We do not want to buy new clothes until we absolutely have to, right?  Right.

Fabric Softener: I recently saw a headline about how Millennials are killing the fabric softener industry.  The truth is, they are prioritizing groceries and lights over luxuries like Downy.  If you must have it and can afford it, go ahead.  Measure carefully but don’t dilute unless the package says so.  Fabric softener sheets are a good alternative, if you are using a dryer.  Here at Brokest Minimalist, we use a Downy ball with white vinegar in it.  The vinegar cuts soap residue, softens most fabrics, and is much cheaper.  Plus it’s versatile enough to be used for cleaning as well.  An added bonus is that it doesn’t reduce the absorbency of your towels like regular fabric softener does.

Water:  Set your washer on Tap Cold. Yes, really.  Unless your clothes are very greasy, almost anything can be washed in cold water and will get just as clean.  It isn’t so much the temperature of the water or even the detergent that does the washing, as much as it is the action of the clothes rubbing against each other inside the machine.  Anything that’s machine washable can be washed in cold water, period.

Settings: On our machine at home, clothes go on “casual” and sheets/bedspreads on “heavy duty”. Don’t stress too much about this.  Choose a water level that is appropriate to how full the machine is, add your stuff, and go ahead.

Drying:  Here at Brokest Minimalist, we don’t dry anything in the dryer.  Why?  Because air dries stuff for free, that’s why.  Clothes dryers are one of the most frivolous uses of electricity in the modern world.  They are also one of the number one causes of fire in the United States, after candles and cooking fires.  Unless you are in a huge hurry, hang your clothes to dry. Outdoors if possible, as sun dried clothing smells much better than any fabric softener does.  You don’t even have to spend all afternoon pinning stuff to a clothesline like your great-grandma did, either! Our system is beautiful in its simplicity.  We take our clothes out of the washing machine, hang them on clothes hangers, and then hang the hangers on the clothesline.  If you have a smooth line, tie knots in it or use clothespins to keep stuff from sliding back and forth in the breeze.  If you don’t have a line, put one up or buy a portable or retractable one. In summer your clothes will be dry within an hour in direct sunlight, which is a comparable time to many dryers.  If it’s raining, you can hang them indoors over curtain rods, from your mantel, or on your shower curtain rod.  Even if it’s freezing outside, in direct sunlight your clothes will dry within a few hours. For free.  No kidding.  And UV light is a great sanitizer if you’re worried about germs! Here we hang our and towels and unmentionables on racks purchased from Amazon, such as this and this.  Another tidbit we have figured out, is that there is no need to wait until daylight to hang your clothes. In the old days it was nigh unheard of, but there’s no harm.  The morning dew won’t make your wet clothes wetter.   Do you work nights?  Do a load of laundry after you get home from work and hang it out to dry, even if it’s midnight.  It will be dry by lunchtime tomorrow.   This saves wear and tear on your clothes, it saves electricity, it won’t create extra static like the dryer, and hanging stuff is kind of a nice, meditative way to spend a few minutes. Take some deep breaths of fresh air, reflect on your day, let go of some anxiety.

Does all of this sound too complicated? Written down it’s a lot, but let us take you through a load of laundry we just did.  For the record, it is currently one o'clock in the morning.  It’s 31 degrees outside.

1) Put clothes in washer.  Not sorted, just all the clothes in the hamper or off your floordrobe, dumped into the washing machine.

2) It’s cold out, so put a tablespoon of detergent into a cup of hot water and stir.  Pour in washer. Put white vinegar in Downy ball, toss in washer.

3) Push start button and go do something else.  Read, take a nap, cook, clean bathroom. Write a long-winded Tumblr post.  Whatever.

4) When load is done, hang everything on hangers/racks still wet.  This is the longest part, and it takes 5-7 minutes, max. You can do it while watching tv or listening to music.

5) Carry your hung up clothes outdoors to the clothesline and hang them up, or to whatever indoor location you have deemed fit if it is raining.

These will be dry in a few hours except for very heavy things like thing hoodies or jeans, those may take longer.  Yes, even if it’s cool outside.  As long as there is direct sunlight, they will dry.  When you’re ready, bring them in. All the clothes are already on hangers, so just stick them in your closet.

Once upon a time we had a lot of drama about laundry.  We had fights over whose turn it was, how much Tide to put in, and who was going to clean the lint trap.  When the dryer broke, I absolutely agonized over the three hundred dollars it would take to buy a new one.  That three hundred dollars meant going without cable for two months, it meant scrimping for groceries and paying a late fee on the phone bill.  It was more than an entire paycheck, just to dry clothes!

Today that same dryer is sitting in our laundry room in disuse.  We have it, for emergencies.  A drink spilled on a work shirt, perhaps, that needs to be worn in 30 minutes.  It’s good for fluffing up pillows, on the no-heat setting. It wasn’t worth the stress or the tears or the three hundred dollars we put into it all those years ago.  It’s basically a glorified shelf for our detergent now:

So today, I challenge you, broke person.  Don’t wear those grungy jeans for one more day.   Do a load of laundry, as frugally as you can.  Measure your detergent carefully, hang your clothes to dry.  Your clothes will last longer, your utility bill will be lower, and you will have a few minutes of peace and quiet outside.  It’s less wear and tear, less electricity, and less stress, and that’s a minimalist win.

If you do choose to dry your clothes in a dryer, beware of over-drying as that can cause static and extra wear and tear on your clothes.  Clean out your lint trap, it will make your clothes dry faster and reduce the risk of fire.  If you are too broke to have dryer sheets, wool dryer balls are pretty cheap and effective for fabric softening and reducing static.  We have also heard that you could use tennis balls or a couple balls of wadded up aluminum foil for this purpose.

Happy washing!

Some links: homemade detergent at TSD, and Mr. Electricity’s opinion on dryers.

[writingoneshots]

Hello :D I really liked your last story with Law and the other with Killer!! I would also like to request something and if you don't wanna write it that's fine too. Idc about the scenario in general but how about Kid and reader fighting about almost everything daily and Kid gets pissed off and breaks up with reader. Then he finds out that she's pregnant and suddenly feels bad. You decide if they get back together or not :D

Hormones

Hi :) ! I had way too many ideas with this, which is why I randomly decided to just let my brain write what comes to its mind first. This is the result. I really hope you like it! Also.. I got a little carried away. Let me know if you don't like it, I can re-write it any time (for example: if you want a bad ending).

Ps: I tend to use names from my personal FF's because it's sometimes too strenuous to write 'Killer's girlfriend' or 'xy's partner'.. might happen in future stories as well but I will always announce it in the description first!

Have a nice day!

- Kid x reader (I also added 'Bella', who is Killer's girlfriend - I needed a name, sorry) - 2,492 words - drama, fighting, swearing, lots of thinking, SFW

The nights were almost as painful as the rest of the day lately. Kid couldn't stand not talking to you and for more than two weeks, you two have been barely speaking. The only sort of communication you two have is screaming and make-up sex, followed by another fight in the morning after. Kid loved you with his whole existence but he just couldn't take it any longer. If there was nothing fixing it tomorrow, then he would have to end it since even his crew has been in constant fear of getting killed by their own captain because he has been in a bad mood since your first fight. In the next morning, you took a quick shower and put on some clothes for breakfast. You tried your best not to think of Kid, even though you didn't know why. When you arrived at the restaurant, where the crew had been meeting up in the last couple of days, the ship's doctor patted at the empty seat next to him to offer you a seat.

He immediately used that chance and handed you some fresh fruits, "(Y/N) we really need to talk about your blood results from last week." "I know it's bad. I barely had any sleep in the last few weeks and I also have constant pain in my stomach.. could be because your captain is pissing me off lately. Stress and blah blah..", you rolled your eyes and grabbed the food before he could continue talking. "Oh, I see. This is my fault now too?", Kid came out of the bathroom and dried his hands on his little towel, which he carried around tied on his belt. You looked at him startled and didn't expect him to be here already. With a soft headshake, you just began eating the fruits, which the doctor handed you and sighed a bit. The table was quiet when Kid sat down, which was unusual. Kid ate his breakfast slowly, trying to figure out what to do or say. He looked at you, watched you eating silently and got lost in his thoughts. Should I give her a compliment? She looks good today.. But she doesn't deserve it. She didn't even want to have sex yesterday. Not even cuddling or making out.. Bitch. But if I don't say anything, she'll be mad as well. I really don't want her to leave. Fuck. Stupid woman. Suddenly a burst of loud laughter appeared from a table nearby and Kid couldn't help but take a look. A group of women was laughing about something funny that a guy has said, who was sitting with them. They were all having a good time. Kid was jealous. His table was usually the loudest one and now nobody was speaking at all. Again. His eyes wandered to the woman, who had a similar outfit as you when you once roleplayed in bed. This whole night suddenly played like a recording in his head and he couldn't help but spark a little interest again. You realized that Kid had stopped eating and when you looked at him, you realized that he was completely lost into something. Following his gaze, you didn't need too long to figure out what it was. Another woman. Kid was never interested in anyone else but you and didn't even dare to stare at someone else. But this was more than just staring. He was longing for her. "Why don't you just go and ask her to spend the night with you?", you looked at him angrily and pushed your plate aside. Kid frowned at that statement and looked confused at you. "What?" "So now you're also staring at other women? Why are you even with me? Always fighting with me, not having sex with me, staring at other women, and just being a complete idiot!", you tried to hide the tears in your eyes but it was all just too much for you. His eyes widened. He was really about to lose his mind and he had no idea how he managed to control his inner self from not exploding. "Are you fucking kidding me?", he whispered and his knuckles turned white as snow because of how hard he made a fist. "I have no fucking clue, why you're fucking mad at me. So you better shut the fuck up, before I do something that I will regret." "Oh really? And what would that be?", you crossed your arms at your chest and leaned back into the chair. "(Y/N), I am asking you now for the last fucking time. Shut. The Fuck. Up.", Kid looked down at his plate and closed his eyes right after. The metal around him began to vibrate and you raised an eyebrow at this reaction. "Guys.. please.. I can help with-" The doctor didn't have a chance to explain himself. "No, come on. Say it, Kid. What is going on in that mind of yours? Are you going to fight me again? Ignore me again? Hm?", you wiped your tears away and took a deep breath to prepare yourself for whatever he would say. "We're over." Silence. No one in this crew dared to say a word. Even Killer froze and hated himself for not interfering. You couldn't comprehend what he just said but your brain somehow understood. After taking a deep breath, you stood up without saying a word and left the restaurant. A few minutes have passed before the first one spoke up. Killer waited for the metal to stop vibrating and gave Kid a few more seconds to breathe. "You know what you just did, right?", he talked in a soft tone

and watched how Kid was slightly shaking. He could see the regret in his eyes but had no idea how to help him. "I couldn't stand this any longer.", was the only thing that Kid has said that day. He disappeared until the night has covered the skies and came back to the crew helping to carry a few things into a different cabin. Apparently, a few arrangements have been made while Kid was gone. His head was completely empty and he couldn't care less about what has happened during his absence. He just wanted to lay down and wasn't even sure if he wanted to be alone or not. Bella, Killer's girlfriend, carried your things into the girls' sleeping room where she had already spend her nights with Heat's girlfriend as well. Kid couldn't help but think of the good times when the ship only had men on board. Life was much simpler back then he would do anything to get back to it. Killer approached Kid slowly and eyed him carefully. "You seem.. calm?" Kid gave him a short side-eye and turned his attention back to the crew re-decorating his ship. "She's going to leave the ship on the next island.", Killer commented and took a deep breath. "Are you still sure about this? That you don't want to be with her?" He wasn't. But he also didn't know how to work this out. This was the first time in his life that Kid had no idea what to do. "C-captain.. I tried talking to (Y/N) but she keeps avoiding me. May I talk to you instead?", the doctor of the ship was holding some papers tight in his hands, dithering slightly. "You really think that now is a good time to talk?", Killer scratched his head and wasn't sure if this doctor was smart or stupid as hell. "Get out of my sight, man. I don't have time for bullshit right now.", Kid pushed the doctor away and walked right past him. The doctor couldn't take it any longer. "IF AT LEAST ONE OF YOU WOULD LISTEN TO ME, NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED!", he screamed out of his lungs. When he suddenly realized what he just did, he wanted to jump off the ship. The whole crew went silent and stopped in their current motion. Even Killer went a step back and someone in the background started praying. Kid turned around and made two large steps towards the doctor, grabbing him by his shirt and lifting him without any struggles. His eyes were glowing in anger and his muscles were tensed, focused not to kill him within two seconds. "You have only one sentence to save your life, asshole." "(Y/N) is pregnant!" The doctor spitted that out, faster than a gun's shot. Kid froze. His grip on the doctor's shirt loosened and he stood still like a statue. The doctor got pushed to the side and Killer asked him several times if he was sure about this. The doctor nodded and showed him the results. "The mood swings, the pain in her stomach, her sex drive and the morning sickness. The blood results are proof enough.", the doctor showed it to Killer but it was worthless because Killer didn't understand any of these things. Kid let his arm slowly down and turned around, facing the corridor to the cabins. She is pregnant.. That's why she was behaving like a bitch and hated the fact that I was existing. Pregnant.. Shit. I am going to be a father? I am going to have kids.. A Kid having kids.. I can already hear the jokes. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. Why am I so shocked? I never used any condoms with that woman. It's my fault. But also hers. Just because I stopped asking her to swallow.. For fucks sake. Is that bad? Can't we get rid of that? I could just leave it on an island.. but then (Y/N) would kill me or even leave me to be with that child and- Wait.. no.. nonono.. she's not even mine.. she can't leave me because I- I- .. I broke up. "Killer.. I have never seen Kid like this.", Heat looked more sad than usual and didn't know what to say. "Is he broken?" "No, he's probably just trying to think. You know.. he's barely doing that, which is why he is in this situation right now.", Killer shrugged and didn't let Kid out of his sight. This stance always meant that Kid was battling his inner self and Killer knew that his best

friend could have a mental breakdown right afterwards, which usually ends up in a killing spree every time. But this time, Kid just shook his head and went straight to the ship's corridor. He pushed away other crew members and entered the women's cabin without knocking. Heat's girlfriend was unpacking your things, while you were in the bathroom throwing up. Kid took a deep breath and approached the bathroom, now knocking softly. "Give us a second!", Killers girlfriend screamed and opened the door right after. She shrieked at the sight of Kid, not expecting to see him here. "She's not feeling well, Kid.", Bella explained carefully and blocked the sight to you. "I know. Let me talk to her." "I don't think-" "It's alright..", you sighed and washed your face right after cleaning your mouth. Bella looked at you to make sure you're okay and nodded before leaving you two alone. Kid entered the bathroom and locked the door afterwards. He wasn't sure how to start this conversation but he couldn't stop looking at you. The thought of not being the one, to own you and actually being the reason why you're feeling sick, made him feel uneasy. "If it's about me being here then I-" "Shut up." You looked at him confused and didn't know what to do now. After drying your face with a towel, you watched Kid carefully as he approached you. "What are you doing?" "Stop talking.", he commanded and took a deep breath when he stopped right in front of you. His arms wrapped around you as well as his one metal arm allowed. But his flesh arm pulled you closer to him and kissed your head. "I am sorry for causing you pain. This is all my fault.. A little bit of yours too but mostly mine.", he whispered because he was more than just sure that Bella and Heat's girlfriend were listening on the other side of the door. "What has gotten into you? Are you drunk? You do remember that you broke up, right?", you frowned but didn't move away. Your cheek rested on his chest but you didn't hug him back. "(Y/N).. please forgive me. I was a dick. You can do anything to me.. hit me, scream at me, I don't care. Just please be mine again.", he mumbled against your skin, hiding his face in the crook of your neck. Tears were building up in your eyes and you hated yourself for it because you didn't know why you became such a crybaby. "Are you sure about that? I don't want you to hate me!" "I could never hate you.." "But something is going on with us and I don't want this.. I want it to be like before.", tears were running down your cheek and you tried to wipe them away but new ones were rolling down right after.

"It will be.. after our child is born.", he kissed your head once more and waited for your reaction. "Wait... what?", you froze and sniffed against his chest. When you looked up, your eyes met his' and you didn't talk for a few minutes. Then it hit you. It suddenly all made sense. "I.. I am pregnant..", you took a deep breath and couldn't believe it. There was nothing in this world that could have prepared you for this moment. But you and Kid are going to be parents. You two didn't have a bad relationship. You were just too emotional and Kid wasn't used to it, which is why you both started fighting all the time. You weren't quite sure if knowing this fact would change anything in the next few months but you felt better. "We are going to have a child..", tears were rolling down your cheeks again and your heart was beating fast because of how excited you were. "Yea.. I would celebrate this with a kiss but you just threw up.. Disgusting.", Kid shook his head and pulled you tight to him again, lifting you up softly. "Also, I won't change a single diaper. Telling you right away." "I will squeeze a giant baby out of your favorite part of me. You don't have a say in that.", you chuckled and shook your head.

"Did you just laugh? I haven't heard that in weeks. Sounds like make-up sex to me.", Kid smirked and let you down on the bathroom sink, already ripping off your clothes. "I guess Daddy has a new meaning for you now?", you teased him a little and had to laugh at how he suddenly cringed. "Add this to the forbidden words in the bedroom."

[latte-fairytaekwoon]

Ateez: Going On We Got Married

Kim Hongjoong:

Anxious was the word to describe Hongjoong when he was about to meet his 'wife'. He kept looking over at the camera man, waiting for the signal that would allow him to open the door to the room where you were already waiting in, another camera crew capturing your reaction as well.

"I can go in now?"

Getting the ok, Hongjoong took a deep breath and opened the door. He peeked his head in and burst into a nervous giggle when he saw you. You in turn, covered your face to hide your blushing cheeks. The situation was just so funny and new to both of you rookie idols that you couldn't help but be shy.

"I guess I'll introduce myself. Hi, I'm Ateez's leader, Kim Hongjoong." He bowed to you.

"Hi, I'm [insert group name and position], L/N Y/N." You responded awkwardly.

The staff couldn't help but chuckle and 'aww' at your cute interactions.

"We're already like a newlywed couple. Can't even look at each other in the eyes." You pointed out.

"I'm sorry, it's just....... it makes me more nervous knowing I got such a pretty wife." Hongjoong confessed.

His comment made you cover your face once again.

"Oh thank you. You're very handsome as well." You complimented him, and Hongjoong swore his heart stopped for a minute.

"Can we get you two to pose together for a few pictures for the fans and viewers?" The director asked.

It was awkward at first, trying to figure out how to position yourselves.

"Is it ok if I touch you?" Hongjoong wanted permission before laying any finger on you.

You nodded and he instantly wrapped his arm around your waist, pulling you close to him. Both of you could feel your hearts pounding against your chests, you wondered if the other could hear it. But the awkwardness was soon gone and you both got very comfortable with each other, capturing some very cute and adorable photos that the viewers were going to eat up. In no time, were you guys about to become the most popular couple, both on and outside the show.

Park Seonghwa:

It had been a month into your 'married' life and it was time for a new challenge chosen specifically by your fans. Seonghwa and you entered into the location given to you and were confused when you guys saw it was a daycare center. You both looked at the director for an explanation.

"The challenge fans wanted to see you do was the daycare challenge. For the day, you'll transform into caregivers and take care of the kids here."

Both you and Seonghwa looked dumbfounded.

"What is this?" You laughed slightly at the situation your fans decided to put you in.

"Ahh really Atiny?" Seonghwa shook his head.

Soon you both changed into the proper attire and after going through a quick tutorial with the women in charge, you guys proceeded to go meet the kids. It actually proved to not be so hard and both of you were having fun with them. It surprised both of you to see you were actually good with kids.

"I had so much fun." You told Seonghwa when you went back to your 'home.'

"You were so good with the kids. They really loved you." Seonghwa said as he picked at his plate of food.

"You were not bad yourself. Remember the baby that wouldn't stop crying until you held him? I bet Atinys will love it." You smiled at the memory.

Seonghwa blushed and was hesitant to ask, but he really wanted to know.

"Do you think you'd ever want kids?"

You instantly lit up at the question.

"Of course I do! I'd love to have a family of my own one day."

Seonghwa wasn't surprised, he knew you were the mom in your group, just like him. It was something you two bonded over when you first met. You looked up from your food to see him staring intently at you.

"What?" You asked.

He only smirked before saying "I bet we'd make really cute babies" and winking at you.

You almost choked on your food, causing Seonghwa to laugh at your flustered state. You blushed intensely and threw a towel at him.

"Yah Park Seonghwa!" You nagged at him.

Jeong Yunho:

Yunho and you looked at the place you were staying at during the duration of your 'marriage'. It is definitely cute and had a lot of room. You two looked around the place like little kids, excitedly pointing out so many things. It was when you both looked at your bedroom that reality hit: you were going to be sleeping with a total stranger cause room only had 1 bed.

Yunho looked over at you and could sense how tense you got. Quickly, he nudged you with his elbow.

"If you want, I'll do something to really annoy you and we get in a fight." He suggested

"Why would we do that?" You asked, completely baffled by his suggestion.

"So you can send me to sleep on the couch and you sleep here. You know, like an actual married couple." He actually held two thumbs up and had a goofy smile on his face.

You burst out laughing at him. He never failed to make you laugh.

"No, I'd feel bad. Besides, your long limbs wouldn't fit in the couch."

Soon nighttime came and both of you were getting ready to go to bed. Yunho was currently in the king sized bed, playing around on his phone when you came out of the bathroom, face clean and makeup free. Yunho dropped his phone and just stared in awe.

"Stop looking at me like that! I'm already self conscious about being bare faced in the camera." You exclaimed.

Yunho only smiled lovingly at you. "Trust me, you have nothing to be self conscious about. You're absolutely beautiful."

You blushed but quickly got over it and got into bed with him.

"You better not kick me in your sleep." You warned him.

"I won't. I'll just do this."

With no warning, Yunho tangled his long arms and legs around you, encapsulating you into a giant embrace.

"No! Stop! I don't like it!" You shouted half heartedly.

"Don't lie, you know you love it. And if you don't, get used to it. You're stuck with me for a long time.... wifey." He teased you.

Kang Yeosang:

"Eek! I'm going to fall!"

You squealed as you tried to balance yourself on Yeosang's skateboard. It was the challenge set for you: you two had to share with each other your favorite hobbies and experience them together. The day before, you already had Yeosang try out [insert hobby here] and you two had lots of fun.

Now it was his turn and he was already excited about showing you his skateboarding skills, but nothing made him happier than teaching you a few things.

"No no no. It's ok. I got you ok?"

Yeosang carefully held your hands, slowly pulling you forward as you kept both feet on the board, trying not to think about losing your balance.

"What if I fall and mess up my face? I'll lose my source of income!"

Yeosang chuckled. It was one of the things he loved about you: your sense of humor even when you were scared to death.

"Don't worry. I won't let you fall, I'll catch you."

You and Yeosang shared a heartfelt smile and continued on with him pulling you. Everything was going great, until a dog suddenly rushed past both of you, making you lose your balance and almost toppling to the ground. Luckily, true to his word, Yeosang stopped you from getting hurt, locking you in a tight embrace. You both stood still for a moment, getting over the shock of what could have happened.

"Are you ok?" Yeosang asked, looking you up and down to make sure nothing was damaged.

"Yeah.... I'm fine. Thank you."

Neither of you let go for a while, you just stared into each other's eyes, simultaneously leaning on closer and closer before one of the staff following you two accidentally sneezed, making you two remember where you were.

"Are you going to add special effects and a drama ost in the background when this airs?" You asked so casually causing the entire staff to burst out laughing.

"Please play either the Goblin soundtrack or Boys Over Flowers, make it more sentimental." Yeosang added.

He picked up his skateboard.

"I think we've had enough for today."

"Yeah. I don't want to have my life threatened once again." You agreed.

"I told you I'd catch you didn't I? And I did. But now you need to catch something..." Yeosang paused and looked at you.

"What?" You tilted your head.

He hesitated before reaching into his sweater and then pulling out a finger heart.

"My heart!" He exclaimed in a cute voice.

Choi San:

From the start, you two were viewer's favorite couple. Your interactions were just so cute and adorable they couldn't help but eat them up. San was especially happy when he found out you were to be his 'wife', he already admired you since you debuted, but with this new experience, he knew for sure he had fallen for you.

It was more than a month into your marriage and you two had yet to share your first kiss. Everyone else already had theirs but you two. It just seemed you two never had the perfect opportunity to do it. But San was determined to make the moment, not for the fans or viewers but for himself. That's how you two ended up on a late night picnic date.

"Oh my God San!" You almost cried at how beautiful the scene was.

There were lights decorating the nearby trees, flower arrangements at every corner and fake candles around the blanket for your picnic.

"I hope I like it." He said shyly.

"I love it! Oh my God! It's beautiful." You couldn't help but hug him tightly.

You spent most of the date eating the delicious food he prepared and overall talking, with music playing from his phone. When a certain slow song came up, he stood up and held his hand out to you.

"May I have this dance?"

Of course you couldn't refuse him. Not when he smiled at you with his pure and sweet smile. You stood up and allowed him to wrap his arms around your waist, you in turn put them on his shoulders. You two just swayed to the music. You could hardly look at him in the face, you were still too shy around him.

San, however, took his chance and proceeded to dip you like in the movies, catching you by surprise. You looked at him and saw something different in his eyes.

"Can I...?" He asked you.

You smiled and nodded, knowing full well what he wanted. San leaned down and softly pressed his lips against yours. You returned the kiss, your hands going to to the back of his head. Even when he lifted you back up, San never broke the kiss, he simply deepened it and pulled you closer like his life depended on it. He completely forgot about the cameras and didn't care at that moment.

When he finally pulled back, he scanned your face to see your reaction. You were blushing and smiling widely at him.

"Was it ok?" He asked.

"It was perfect. You're perfect." You assured him, pecking his lips once more before laying your head on his chest.

San released a breath he didn't know he was holding. He felt truly happy having you in his arms. He simply grinned like a fool in love.

Song Mingi:

"Everyone, today as you can see, my lovely wife and I are going to cook breakfast together. As you all know, I'm actually an expert in pancakes."

You only rolled your eyes at Mingi's comments towards the camera, knowing full well he can't boil water to save his life. You were so focused on mixing the batter, you didn't notice he took one of the cameras and started coming closer to you with it.

"Here we see our pretty Y/N barefaced. She looks even more beautiful than she usually does today."

You looked over to see a camera all over your face, flustering you.

"Stop." You told him, trying to hide your face.

"I'm only trying to share your beauty to the world! Let me finish!" He protested, trying to film more of your face.

You responded by holding up a wooden spoon and threatening to swat him with it, making him quickly run away.

"This should count as domestic abuse!" He exclaimed.

You had Mingi watched the pancakes while you tried to set up the table. You took your time trying to make everything look as pretty as possible when a high pitched scream made you run back into the kitchen.

"What did you do?!" You shouted as you took in the smoke emanating from the pan.

"I swear I didn't do anything!" Mingi shouted.

"Yeah I can see that!"

You proceeded to put out the smoke that was now causing the smoke detector to go off. You thanked god none of the staffs were there with you at the moment cause they would have been losing their minds.

Once you got the situation under control, you looked at the completely burnt pancakes, your hard work gone to waste. You blinked slowly, trying to process what happened.

"I'm sorry Y/N....I really didn't mean- Oh god. You're mad aren't you?"

You looked over at poor Mingi, who looked so guilty and afraid of your reaction. You couldn't find it in yourself to stay mad at him.

"It's ok. I'm glad no one got hurt."

Mingi was taken aback when you hugged him, laughing softly at the situation. He started laughing with you.

"Does that mean you'll allow me to help you again?" He asked with hope in his eyes.

"Not a chance."

Jung Wooyoung:

It was finally the part of the show where you two had to meet your parents. Wooyoung and you were very much nervous even if it was just for fun and entertainment. You all met up at a restaurant and introduced everyone. It was difficult at first, your families trying to get used to being filmed and you two trying to make sure everyone was comfortable. But soon both your parents were having a good time poking fun at your expense.

"Honestly mom, what was your reaction when you found out who I was marrying?" Wooyoung had a smile plastered on his face.

"Truthfully.....I'm still not sure how she puts up with you and your loud mouth." His mom spoke honestly, causing everyone to erupt in laughter.

Wooyoung simply poked his cheek with his tongue, not very amused by the comment.

"If you ask me, I thought he'd get annoyed with Y/N." Your dad piped in.

"Why me?! What did I do?!" You exclaimed at your father's comment.

"You hardly talk and when you do, you tend to nag like an old lady."

Now it was Wooyoung's turn to laugh at you, and you simply glared at him.

"I do not!" You protested.

"Yes you do!" Wooyoung said.

The conversation soon took a better turn.

"In all seriousness sir, what kind of guy would you prefer your daughter to marry?" Wooyoung couldn't help his curiosity.

"Well I...."

All of you looked forward to his answer.

He turned to look at Wooyoung and patted his back.

"I actually like you for her very much."

Everyone was surprised by that, even Wooyoung himself.

"Right? I feel like they have such good chemistry together. I'd want Y/N as my actual daughter in law."

You blushed when his mother added her opinion.

"Would you guys consider dating for real?"

You and Wooyoung looked at each other. Sure things started off rocky with you, but over time you learned to put up with each other and found out you actually complimented each other. Wooyoung's extroverted personality helped you become less shy and not worry too much about things, whereas your calm nature helped Wooyoung to have more patience and self control. You actually couldn't imagine what it'd be like without each other in your lives anymore.

"Well I mean.....our parents approve, our fans ship it and we definitely are cute together....what do you say?" Wooyoung winked at you.

Choi Jongho:

It was the final filming of the show. Jongho and you were supposed to sit down and look back at all the fan favorite moments you had together and also answer a few questions they left for you.

"Is there any clip you hope made it into the top 5 moments?" The director asked.

"For me it's when I serenaded Y/N on our first date." Jongho answered.

You smiled at the memory. "That was cute."

"Were you surprised by my beautiful voice?" He asked you.

"I was more surprised by the fact you split my apple in half." You responded.

"I see how it is. You only like me for my strength, not my talent." He fake pouted, causing you to laugh.

You guys had your eyes fixed on the screen, watching the clip of when you first met and the reactions you had backstage without the other knowing, now watching what each of you really thought.

"Wow! You seriously thought I was going to be a boring stick in the mud!" Jongho was offended when he saw your interview when you said you thought your marriage would be boring.

"I'm sorry! You came in all intimidating onto the set! I was scared of you!" You explained why you thought that way then.

"You were scared?! You were wearing all black when I saw you! I thought you were planning to hex me or something with your creepy aura!" Jongho exclaimed.

"My stylist picked that outfit!" You said.

"Is her stylist here? I want a word with them."

The rest of the filming spent in laughs and reminiscing about the past weeks between you two and eventually the cameras stopped rolling and it was officially over............

It was over on the show, but not for you two.

"I'll pick you up after we're done with recording ok? I love you Y/N." Jongho smiled and pressed a kiss to your lips.

Gifs not mine. Credit goes to their respective owners.

[nose-bandaid]

그해 그 달 그날  (that year, that month, that day)

i Need a yanan fluff please! how about fluffy/angst one of him being really tired because hes recently just rejoined the group but loving being back and just needing some comfort and cuddles 🙁🙁

Yanan x (Gender Neutral) Reader fluff (with some angst) | 2.1k words

synopsis: yanan has finally returned to his group for promotions — and he’s elated, the happiest he’s ever been — yet he feels so tired. so, so tired. and so he comes to you for some comfort, and maybe some cuddles and sweet reassurances along the way.

a/n: hi yanon anon !! i hope that i got what you were going for with your prompt! i really like writing this i didn’t know how much i needed this yanan comfort + fluff until i finished it. i hope you enjoy reading it! :)

=====

You were just finishing up some of the last chores on your to-do list when your phone rang from the other side of the room. Skipping over the objects littered all over the floor (it’s funny how in order to clean, you sometimes had to make a mess first), you glanced at the screen and titled your head a little out of confusion when the caller ID read Yanannie. Not that it was unusual for your boyfriend to contact you throughout the day — you guys would text each other whenever you had the time to — but he rarely called unless it was something serious. He’d already established the fact that he preferred texting over calling, so a hint of worry laced your voice when you picked up.

“Hello?”

Yanan didn’t hesitate to get straight to the point. “Are you free tonight?”

“Huh? Yeah, why?”

There was some distant chatter on his side of the line and it sounded like he was trying to move away from it. “Can I come over? At like 7?”

“Sure,” The conversation stalled for a moment before you spoke again. “Is everything alright?”

Just like last time, he answered without missing a beat. “Yeah, I just want to come over.”

“Okay… Then I’ll see you at 7. I love you.”

You heard him mutter a soft “I love you” back before the mumbling near him grew louder and he quickly hung up, leaving you all alone.

You reasoned that the conversation was so awkward and rushed because he was busy — the group was in the middle of their promotions after all. But despite his words, all that call told you was that everything was in fact, not alright. The clock on your wall told you that you still had a couple hours to get all your work done and you sped through the tasks as fast as you could. 

By the time it was 6:00 (5:56 if you wanted to be really exact) everything was complete and you scrolled through your phone in search of a recipe you could follow. You weren’t the most amazing cook out there, but you could definitely make a few basic dishes, and hopefully, you’ll be able to make some sort of comfort food for him. Your eyes caught a familiar name and you looked through the recipe. If you recalled correctly, he really liked that dish, and the process didn’t seem to be that difficult either.

And so, you got up from the warmth of the blanket you had wrapped around you and headed to the kitchen to chop up the ingredients. Not too long after you began doing so, you heard the door knock and you panicked. Yanan wasn’t supposed to be here for another hour, and you were definitely nowhere near finishing the dish. You abandoned your little workstation and made your way to the door, in which you opened to come face to face with your boyfriend. 

Though the man in front of you looked nothing like the Yanan you were used to seeing. 

The last time you got to meet with him in person was about a week ago, when you joined his group for a company dinner. Back then, he seemed perfectly fine, laughing along with the others, looking absolutely stunning in the outfit he had on. But now, even the hat he had on refused to hide the messy strands of hair poking in all sorts of directions, and his posture was hunched, as if the weight of his backpack was far more than he could handle. He had his cute round glasses perched on the bridge of his nose, but that didn’t hide the dark bags underneath his eyes, which lacked the mischievous glint he usually had when he was with you.

“Yanan… You look like a mess.” You pointed out meekly, as if he hadn’t realized that himself.

He let out a small pitiful laugh and took off his hat to run a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I do, don’t I?”

You stepped back to allow him into your house and waited for him to take off his coat and set his bag down before engulfing him into a warm hug. The two of you stayed like that for a while, until you spoke up. “I was going to make you some food, but you came a little earlier than expected so I’ve just barely started.”

“Let’s just order takeout, don’t worry about cooking.” He muttered tiredly into the crook of your neck, his lips cold from the weather outside. “And I’m sorry, I know I came earlier than I said I would, I just really wanted to see you.”

You chuckled as you pulled apart, leaving a hand resting on his chest. “And I’ve missed you too. How about you take a shower while I’ll prepare some things to help you calm down?” You suggested.

He nodded silently and disappeared to your room. He’d stayed over enough times for you to have some of his spare clothes tucked in your closet, in case of any impromptu visits, like right now. As you heard the shower start to run, you returned to your kitchen and packed away all the ingredients you had prepared — you could always just use those later in some other dish — and then picked up your phone to dial his favourite Chinese restaurant. It was a small shop near your house that you first visited together a year ago and it quickly became a hidden treasure to Yanan. He loved the fact that it was always bustling with locals who respected his privacy and had some of the best food that reminded him of home. The owner laughed when she recognized your voice and order.

“I have some extra desserts that I don’t think we’ll be selling tonight, I’ll add them in there for Yanan. I know he likes them.” She added sweetly. She was like any generic auntie down the street, always taking care of the people she met, but you loved for that and smiled through the receiver. 

“Sure, that sounds great. Thank you so much”

You spent the next few minutes cozy-ing up the couch a little bit, grabbing a blanket from your room, and preparing a laptop so that you could watch the latest episodes of your favourite drama that aired a few days ago. You were in the midst of grabbing yourself a glass of water when Yanan walked out of the bathroom, towel resting on his matted wet hair as he dried himself off.

“Feeling any better?” You asked gently and he made his way over to the couch to join you under the blanket.

“A little, yeah.” He replied, nestling into the comfort of the cushions.

“I ordered the food, it should be here in about half an hour,” You continued. “And we’ve got some episodes we gotta catch up on so we can watch those while we wait.”

He simply nodded at your words, humming just the slightest bit. His eyes were glazed over as he stared at your finger hovering over the laptop. You pursed your lips at his reaction and drew back into yourself, daring to ask him the question that’s been on your mind since he called you. 

“Yanan… are you sure everything’s alright?”

He sighed and rubbed his face, you could practically feel the fatigue radiating off of him. Before he answered, he snuggled closer into your body. “Everything is alright, like I’m finally back with the boys and we’re all together again and promotions are going well, so how can things not be alright? Everything’s perfect…” His voice trailed off and he averted his gaze from yours.

“And yet I find it so hard to wake up everyday, I’m just so tired. I love doing this, I love seeing the fans and going to practice and sharing our new songs, but I’m so tired that I’m starting to get sick of this. Sure, everyone else is tired too, I know they are, but no one else seems to have it as bad as I am… I don’t know if I’m fit for being an idol anymore.” He paused again, and then added quietly.

“I don’t want to have to leave again, I want to keep on going.”

At a loss for what to say, you simply kissed him on the forehead and pulled him closer. “It’s okay to be tired, you know that right? That doesn’t make you any less of an idol, or a person, even. You wanna talk more about anything?”

For the next while, you listened to him talk about the good and the bad of his return, commenting here and there to reassure his thoughts. The toll, not just physical, but emotional as well, his recent return had on him was evident and your heart clenched at his tired state. 

The food came not much later and you spent the time eating as if you were in another world. Worries were pushed aside as you told each other silly stories and jokes about your friends, and you couldn’t help but smile when you saw his mood lift and his eyes sparkle once again. Even if it was just a little bit. You loved all sides of Yanan, but this was by far your favourite, and you wanted to keep him in this happy mood for as long as you possibly could.

One episode of your drama and many mouthfuls of the delicious food later, you found the two of you settling on the comfy couch once again. He rested his head on your lap, body stretched across the length of the couch and dangling on the other end a little bit. His hair had finally dried off and now its platinum strands were fluffy, enticing you to to run a hand through them. You giggled when they flopped back onto his forehead and continued doing so lovingly.

“Sorry to come over all of a sudden and be all needy.” He apologized. “I didn’t even ask how your day was.”

You shook your head in disagreement. “There is absolutely no reason for you to be sorry about something like this. I understand you’re tired, and like I said, it’s okay to be tired, you’re only human, Yanan. If you’re concerned about my day, it was fine, nothing special honestly, but today is all about you, okay?”

He let you gently pinch his cheek to make your point.

You pulled back the sleeve of your sweater to reveal the simple string bracelet that wrapped around your wrist over and over again. “You remember that day?” 

He smirked softly. “How could I forget?” He pulled up his own sleeve to reveal a matching bracelet in a different colour. “I asked the stylists to incorporate it into my outfit today so I could wear it on the stage and think of you.”

“You’re so cute.” You smiled. “Do you remember what we promised each other on that day?”

There was a short moment of silence as he recalled his memories. “That we wouldn’t give up?”

“That we wouldn’t give up.” You echoed. “No matter how hard it got, we’ll push through it.”

Life sucked at times. You both knew that. And sometimes it just sucked so bad and you aren’t able to do much about it. Especially with your busy schedules, moreso his busy schedule, seeing each other was difficult and chances to comfort each other physically was scarce. You could understand how the recent events would’ve affected him.

“You’re really strong, you know that?” You added in a whisper, and he sighed.

“I do… I’m just not feeling it today.”

“And that’s fine, it’ll come back to you soon.”

He nodded at your words. “Can I spend the night?” He then asked softly.

“Of course,” You answered, you were still playing with his hair, although your actions were a little more absentminded now. “You know you’re always welcomed here.”

“Mm, I wasn’t planning on sleeping over, but I’ve never felt this relaxed in so long.” He apologized anyways, as he stretched in your lap, looking almost like a cat with his long body, and his eyes stared up into yours. “I love you.”

You just smiled back, and it didn’t take long for him to fall asleep on your lap, eyelids fluttering every so often as he entered a deep slumber. Eventually your legs began to feel a little numb from the weight of his body on yours, but you didn’t do anything about it. Not when he was finally able to rest for the first time in a while. Soon enough, you also fell asleep on the couch, not in the very best position, admittedly, though that was a problem to deal with in the morning. Things like that could wait.

So yeah, life did suck at times. But if you had each other by your sides, you both knew you could get through it. And that “getting through it” could also mean taking a break, taking a moment to recollect yourself, before continuing that long run ahead of you.

And it’s okay if you need to take a break.

[sammysdewysensitiveeyes]

"Hand me that loofah."

Keeping his face carefully averted, Pyro picked up the sponge, and tossed in Fabian’s general direction.

An angry “Watch it, you idiot!” indicated that the loofah had struck it’s intended target. Then there was a low chuckle.

“I get it. You’re a married man, after all. You can’t bear to look upon me, lest you completely lose your self-control. Don’t feel bad, you’re hardly the first.”

Pyro was, in fact, struggling not to lose his self-control, but was fighting the urge to vomit.

“You should have invited me to the wedding,” Fabian continued, accompanied by splashing sounds as he apparently flopped around in the tub. “Are we not friends?”

That sentence was technically true the way Fabian had phrased it.

“Yes,” Pyro responded simply.

“But I can understand that, too,” Fabian continued. “You didn’t want to be upstaged at your own nuptials, and my presence certainly would have captured all the attention.”

“Dominic and I thought you might be a bit too busy,” Pyro said, although the truth was less “thought” and more “hoped.” “We didn’t want to intrude on your valuable time.” He was absolutely going to relay this whole horrible conversation to Avalanche tonight over drinks, with a very exaggerated impression of Cortez.

“Well, I always make time for the little people!” Fabian exclaimed magnanimously. “Hand me that towel.” Water sloshed and Pyro was hit with a fine spray as Cortez stood up in the tub. At least it sounded like he was standing up, Pyro wasn’t going to look. He grabbed the nearest towel and thrust it blindly at the demanding voice.

A hand grabbed his wrist and yanked Pyro around, so that he was face to face with a dripping, naked Fabian Cortez, with soap suds sloughing off his glistening body. It was actually a very nice body, that was the worst part, with with a “package” that partially explained the man’s unearned confidence. But the smarmy, arrogant smile completely ruined the picture.

“Looking’s free, you know,” Fabian grinned.

Directing credit, Pyro thought fiercely to himself. Executive producer.

“Why don’t I give you some privacy to get dressed?” He said aloud, plastering a fake smile on his face. This would all be worth it when show’s profits started coming in, and then Pyro would get himself and Dominic matching His and His jet-skis.

He still wasn’t entirely sure how he wound up in this position. It had started with Shinobi pitching a reality show to the Council, which had somehow, inexiplicably, gotten a majority approval vote, possibly because Krakoa hadn’t been attacked in the last few weeks and the Council was bored. It was Survivor meets the Bachelor, in which groups of male and female mutants competed to win the hand of the handsome, debonair, and, most importantly, ridiculously wealthy Shinobi Shaw, through date nights and dinners and pointless jungle challenges of strength and skill.

Pyro had just made a few innocent comments, that was all. Just a couple of suggestions to Emma, who had wound up saddled with the bulk of the responsibility, about story arcs and pairings and how to arrange scenes for maximum drama and pathos. He understood that stuff, after all, as a romance novelist it was his bread and butter. (And he was a bit of a soap opera fanatic, but he wasn’t going to admit that freely.) Emma had listened with an eager, almost hungry glint in her eyes, and there had been a short conversation that had somehow ended with Pyro agreeing to serve as a writer, director and general creative supervisor, in exchange for a percentage of the profits and fairly massive salary. (Massive to Pyro, anyway, probably a drop in the bucket to Emma “Swimming in the money bin” Frost.)

And it actually had been kind of fun. “Reality” TV presented a unique challenge, in that he wasn’t allowed to directly tell the “performers” what to say, but he could do absolutely anything else to construct his creative vision. He could ask leading questions in the talking head interviews, edit scenes by splicing completely unrelated shots together, and put volatile contestants in a room with plenty of alcohol, then poke at them until they exploded.

Unfortunately, his duties had somehow gradually expanded to include talent-wrangling both on and off-set, which left him stuck making nice with Fabian Cortez, the most “colorful” (obnoxious) and, unfortunately, most popular, of all the contestants. Iceman would probably win the show as the nice, relatable, boy-next-door type, but Fabian was what kept viewers tuning in.

“Oh, that’s quite all right,” Fabian purred. He contorted his body as he toweled himself off, appearing to pose for nonexistant cameras. “I’m a generous man, I can spare you a bit of eye candy, even if our relationship must remain professional.”

“Yes, that would be best. Listen, we need you to do another challenge with Sienna Blaze.”

Fabian’s “generosity” quickly withered away.

“I will NOT get in front of a camera with that maniac! Such an uptight, ill-mannered, man-hating – well, I’m too much of a gentleman to use the word that she so richly deserves! She nearly killed me last time! Over a simple compliment!”

Yes, Pyro remembered it well. Fabian’s near barbeque had garnered record-high ratings. And hopefully tossing them into a mud-pit together in bathing suits would produce similarly explosive results.

“Oh yes, I know, Fabian,” Pyro cooed, hating himself a little. “She’s very difficult, and you’ve been such a professional about it.” He pulled up comforting mental images as he spoke. Jet-skis. Wagyu steak. Insanely expensive whiskey. Him and Dominic having a long honeymoon in Bali, Sydney, Seoul and Tokyo. All those zeros at the end of the check that Emma had given him.

“Well, a professional shouldn’t have to put up with this kind of shabby treatment!” Fabian said haughtily. He was finally wrapping the towel around his waist, to Pyro’s great relief. “I asked for Norwegian strawberries in my dressing room, and that idiot assistant brought me French!”

“I’ll look into it,” Pyro assured him, fully intending to send Fabian the exact same strawberries (which were, in fact, grown on Krakoa) with his apologies and a fake Norweigian label.

He had a vague notion in the back of his head that Emma should be handling this, Emma was supposed to be in charge! And yet she’d gradually eased the responsibility into Pyro’s arms, only sashaying onto set once every few weeks for a “status report,” and spending the rest of the time off performing mysterious and supposedly very important duties for the Hellfire Trading Company and the Council. She never picked up her phone or responded to voice mails.

It was okay, though. Pyro could handle this. He was a damn writer, and he was good at it, and he would poke and prod his stars through the storyline he had planned, because he was absolutely brilliant. Even Emma had said so.

“Anyway, don’t worry about Blaze,” Pyro insisted, his voice dripping with sticky-sweet honey. “We’ve given her a talking to about her behavior.” He had done no such thing. “I’m sure she’ll be much nicer to work with. In fact, we think the audience will really enjoy you putting her in her place. Really demonstrate your masculine superiority.” Was that too much? They couldn’t have Fabian dying on camera, after all, even though it would be hilarious.

“Well, I should hope so!” Fabian said, rubbing lotion carefully across his pecs. “I’m obviously carrying this entire show, and I will be treated with the respect I deserve.”

“You know,” Pyro added slyly, “I think she’s actually got a bit of a crush on you. You know how some women are.” No, this was definitely too much. Oh well, they could edit around Fabian’s inevitable death and resurrection, and in the mean time they’d get some amazing footage.

“Oh, of course,” Fabian said, with a leering understanding creeping across his face. “I suspected from the very beginning. She couldn’t handle my raw sensuality.”

“Who can, really?” Pyro hated this, he really hated every second of having to pull on the polite mask of social niceties and insincere compliments. It always seemed almost obscene. May as well just flip the other fellow over and start tongueing his arsehole, right? Except that was actually fun in the right circumstances.

But he’d done it before, as a journalist dealing with self-important sources, as a novelist schmoozing with publishers and book sellers. He could do it now, for the astronomical salary that Emma was paying him, and for the Prime Time Emmy Award for Outstanding Competition Program that was hovering in his sights. Emma had assured him that it was a strong possibility. Just imagine rubbing that in the faces of all the critics who had called him a talentless hack! They’d say…well, they’d probably say that an Emmy for trashy reality TV was the highest possible honor for a hack like him, but Pyro wouldn’t give a fuck, because he’d have an Emmy and they wouldn’t.

“C’mon, then, we’ll give you a quick touch-up with bronzer. We’re shooting the scene in fifteen minutes.” Pyro began to guide Fabian, still clad in only a towel, towards the bathroom door.

“We’ll shoot the scene when I’m ready, and not a second before!” Fabian insisted. It would probably be another hour of Fabian demanding and sending back expensive snacks before they could even get him to the set. Luckily, they were actually scheduled to shoot the scene in two hours.

“Yes, of course, whatever you want,” Pyro wheedled, imagining the satisfying explosion of flesh and blood that would very likely occur when Fabian and Sienna Blaze came into contact. And Fabian was going to do it, that much was clear now. “I know you’ll do a fantastic job. You’re brilliant you know, absolutely brilliant……”

For a moment, Pyro trailed off as a crack opened in his mental wall, and memories slipped out into the light. Emma pouring more wine into his glass during their monthly meetings, assuring him again and again that he was absolutely brilliant, a true artist, that the show would thrive in his capable hands.

“No, that’s completely different,” Pyro muttered to himself, shaking his head.

“What was that?” Fabian twisted around, the towel slipping dangerously low on his hips.

“Oh, nothing,” Pyro exclaimed brightly, slamming the mental wall shut again. “Now, let’s get you into make-up, ya big handsome star!”

[honney-boy]

Wonder (Part 1)

Rudy Pankow x Oc!Reader

gif by → @riobeth​

Wonder Series Masterlist | Wonder Playlist

Chapter summary:  Rudy and Nevaeh meet in person for the first time and things aren’t awkward. Yougurt cups, bananas and ice blended in a cup and maple syrup.

Full Summary and Story Concept

Warning(s): language, shenanigans, jet laggness, social media zombies, teenage girls

Words: 5k+

A/N:  This is my first attempt at a Rudy fic. My first series too! But if this flops, let's pretend it never happened, okay? :) But If you guys want to read more, please do let me know. Your love and support is the encouragement I need. I got the concept from tik tok haha. Fair warning, I am handwriting out chapters with a pen and paper before converting it digitally, so updates with be spread out. THERE WILL BE GRAMMAR MISTAKES! I'm human, and Tumblr is my test run for this series. Anywho, hope you enjoy :)

taglist

One | “Social Zombies”

            In Nevaeh's opinion, airports were the worst. It wasn't due to the 38,000 feet in the air flying ride or the nothingness in the sky you see your whole flight; it was the people, the airports themselves, and the limited space.

Airports were much worse than flying - especially the San Francisco International Airport. Also known as SFO Airport. The few times, literally very few times, Nevaeh has been to the airport, she had poor experiences. Now, SFO Airport is definitely smaller than LAX and not as busy - it's a nightmare. You would think with a much smaller airport, there would be fewer crowds, but no, it's like a family reunion every day but with strangers. If you bump into the wrong person, your day on the off chance will get ruined.

Along with the busy crowds, there are many places to eat. From pizza to Italian to pie, your choices are endless. That's until half or more restaurants are closed or have long lines. Nevaeh never ate airport food, so she couldn't give her opinion on it. She'll leave that to the professional reviews. She wasn't at SFO Airport to judge the food or traffic flow, not even the staff's attitude - except she already gave a flight attendant a glare. The flight attendant took a bathroom break before their next flight and griped at Nevaeh because she used the last paper towel so they couldn't dry their hands. Air drying is a thing, and it works well, she thought to herself while leaving the restroom. She was not going to let one grumpy flight attendant ruin her great mood. She was going to meet someone who she hopes is special today.

Over the past two months, Nevaeh and this person had gotten to know each other well, virtually, that is. They met online, and Nevaeh lived in San Francisco while they lived in Alaska. Countless messages, facetime calls, photos, and videos were exchanged, and a bond was formed. Who would have thought that two people could meet through a video sharing social media app and hit it off? Most people start with dating apps, meet and get to know different people, but Nevaeh met them all because a video of hers popped up on their for you page.

Nevaeh created and shared a variety of things on the app. From cooking to creating and her little hobby of disco skating. She wanted to keep her followers and supporters entertained and herself; she didn’t want to be stuck, making the same content, so she did many things. Nevaeh thought maybe one of her disco skating, videography, or cooking videos drew them in, but it was one of her mini vlogs. In the video, she showed how she would scout places before spending the day getting footage for a short montage film or scenes for a movie she is working on. Not long after the discovery, they - he sent her a message asking about a more in-depth explanation of her process, and it went up from there.

Now, after all this time of them chatting back and forth, they get to meet. Nevaeh gets to meet him. 

Standing by the arrival gate, her eyes bouncing around the room at different things just to keep her mind centered and not all over the place. She wanted to pick at her nails, or hold her hands to her chest but she couldn’t hold them in place for long; she opted for playing with the white beaded bracelet he bought and sent to her in a box full of other things. It was so sweet of him; just thinking about the box she received makes her smile and her heart swell. Just last week she received a box full of thoughtful gifts. Inside were some of her favorite snacks, a movie she loved, one of his hoodies - it was the hoodie he wore the first time they facetimed. The hoodie was one of his favorites, but he had the urge to send it to her, he just wanted her to have it. And finally was the white beaded bracelet with a single aqua blue bead on it - he had the matching one with all aqua beads and one single black bead. She was having an uncreative and pretty shitty day until that box arrived on the front door step of her shared apartment.

“I wanted to surprise you, so I messaged Birdie asking her for your favorite snacks, I added the hoodie and got the two of us distance bracelets. You know, because we are long distance.” He told her later that day when they talked on the phone.

“Until you come here, or I go there,” she replied. She hasn’t stopped wearing the hoodies since and she has had the bracelet on since the moment she got it.

Nevaeh watched different people walk past her; none of them were him yet. The dirty blond mess he sported for hair shouldn't be that hard to miss, but the longer she searched, the more she doubted her assumption. 

It was another couple of minutes that went by, and she didn't see him, so she pulled her phone out to see if he had sent something. Maybe he has to catch a different flight, and he forgot to tell her, or perhaps he didn't want to meet after all. Her fingers type out a message to send, but a figure stands in front of her before she hits the send button. Nevaeh could see the shadow of their body from her peripheral vision, but she did not look up, hoping they would go away - but they didn't. Sending her message, the woman was preparing to turn away until she heard the stranger's phone go off. It's just a coincidence that their phone went off a couple of seconds after I sent a message. She said to herself, then she looked up and there he was. Dirty blond hair - a little long all over, but instead of it being in his face like it always is, it was pushed back and tucked underneath a red cap. His eyes were more lovely in person. The pair ranged from a light blue to gray, depending on the day. Today they were light blue. He sported stubble across his chin and cheeks with a blond mustache above his top lip. He wore nothing flashy, just a simple red ACDC sweatshirt, cargo shorts, and a pair of vans. He looked tired, but that didn't throw off the good vibes and smile he had going on. She couldn't help but smile back. He's here in the flesh. Rudy.

"Hi," he said light-heartedly, breaking the silence.

"Hi," she echoed; the smile on her face grew some more. "Wow, you're really here in the flesh."

He chuckled, and the sound woke up the butterflies in her stomach. "Yeah, I am. And you...the pictures and videos don't do enough justice for the actual thing." His eyes scan over her, noticing the navy blue Hilfiger sweatshirt he sent to her. Nevaeh couldn't help the dust of blush that appeared on her cheek.

“Talk about me, what about you? Who knew those Snapchat filters were hiding such a god-like person.”

“Oh, stop, you’re making me blush,” he joked while bashful. No matter online or in person, Nevaeh was still able to get him flushed; it was something he didn’t want to admit, not while he was flying blind with this.

Nevaeh smiled and had a tiny giggle; the full laugh was muffled by the hand she brought up to her mouth in an attempt to hold the sound back. He could watch her smile for a while. Is that weird? “How was your flight? I hope it wasn’t too horrible.”

“It wasn’t too bad,” he admitted. “Definitely long, but nothing a pair of earbuds, music, and a couple of movies couldn’t fix.” The two quickly began walking toward the direction of baggage claim. More of Rudy just following whichever direction Nevaeh was going. She did know the airport better anyway.

“Which movies did you watch?” she asked.

“Since I had six hours to waste - Joker, 1917 and Pride & Prejudice.”

“Oh, I see you listened to my suggestions; not surprised you watched Joker again,” Rudy shrugged his shoulders with a hum. “I’m surprised you didn’t watch the Harry Potter movies.”

Rudy rolled his eyes and scoffed. “Actually, I already watched them a couple of days ago,” Nevaeh hummed as if she were to say, ‘of course’ “You can judge me all you want. I won’t pay you any mind. Just the same as I did with the guy that had the aisle seat in my row. I guess other guys find it weird that a guy decided to watch a period drama on a flight.”

“He was just jealous he didn’t think of it first. Mr. Darcy’s pinning for Miss. Bennett and the film’s  overarching theme is too good not to watch.”

“That it is, who would want to miss the warnings heeded against trusting one’s first impression or prejudices?”

“Or the character arcs that grow throughout the storyline. I pity that aisle sitting man.”

“I do too,” Rudy agreed. “He missed out on a classic and had to get up to let the other person and me out to take a tinkle.” He did it again. He made her laugh genuinely. The conversation between them flowed. The small worry Nevaeh had earlier about the two of them not being able to continue the light-hearted and enjoyable nature they had over text had diminished. He seemed just the same - goofy, charismatic, charming, and caring - as he was over the phone the past month and a half. She, too, was still kind, compassionate, and sarcastic as before. Yet both of them had their own doubts about the thing they were doing; they didn’t know what it was or where it was headed, but they were willing to find out.

           In the car, Nevaeh drove the route she knew from the airport to her shared apartment. Rudy sat in the passenger seat; his gaze focused out the window, watching the San Francisco scenery appear, disappear and morph as they passed by the window. The radio played while they sat in a comfortable silence - it impressed her how easily they fell into it. Wasn't it common for an uncomfortable silence? Two people who just met for the first time should struggle in an attempt to make a conversation, but not them.

To Rudy, the comfortable silence was almost expected. Granted, he did expect one of them to talk the other's ear off - he's glad neither of them was. The six-hour flight took its effect on the man, but he wasn't going to let his fatigue ruin the time they had together. He'll rest later. Spend time with her now, sleep later.

The car rolled to a stop, a red light shined on the traffic light hanging in front of them. Rudy's eyes watch a girl across the street riding down the sidewalk on a skateboard. Her stance relaxed, feet planted in a way that helped her ride easily; she was experienced, probably skated regularly. Watching her skate triggered a longing in Rudy for his board back at home. He rides on concrete and in the snow, but he was missing snowboarding the most. It was beginning to be summer, so the temperatures in Alaska were warmer. To warm for snow but warm enough for the evergreen to take over. Now he was in California, the state that was sunny all the time. The state that thrived in the summer and its soil hardly ever to never had the chilled touch of snow. His longing grew more for the chilly weather and white flakes.

The woman sitting next to him took the next couple of seconds between the light change to look at him. Catching the moment of his gaze out the window of her jeep. "I know you're probably tired from your flight. I had some ideas about the things we could do, but we don't have to do anything today." She spoke and after, glanced at the traffic light only to see it was still red.

Rudy tore his gaze from the distant image of the skater and met Nevaeh's. "I am, but if you want to do something, we can. I'm more than happy to hang out." He said.

Trying to reason, she said, "I know, but you just got off a six-hour flight." 

"Nevaeh, it's fine. I'm not that burned out. Time zones are an hour apart, and seven am isn't that bad." she begins to give him a skeptical look. She heard his words but feels as if he was only saying that to make her happy. He sat by her, leaned back, and relaxed. His head sat lazily against the headrest, and the smile he was giving her was light but tiresome. She switched her gaze from him to the traffic light, which turned green, and she didn't know when. Nevaeh eased her foot off the brake and to the gas pedal. "Seriously, we can do something."

“Fine,” She says after a moment. “I won’t wear you out too much more.” Flicking her left turn signal on after checking her mirror, she merges into the lane beside her. “There’s somewhere I wanna take you - well, maybe two places, but we’re going to the apartment first.”

“Alright, sounds good to me.” Nevaeh drove them to the apartment she shared with her long term friend. Rudy followed behind her as she led the way; they only spent a few minutes there. After a short tour, a bathroom break, and dropping off a couple of suitcases later, Rudy and Nevaeh left the place. They began a walk along the San Francisco hills to the mysterious place Nevaeh had in mind.

“This place is somewhere I walk to every other day. It’s Birdie’s and my favorite place.” It was a short six to eight-minute walk. Nevaeh reassured him before briefly going into a conversation about the impressive things you see in the city. Just like Nevaeh told him, they both come up upon a corner shop with a couple of large windows to see inside and out, a brown exterior with outside tables with green umbrellas and foldable outdoor chairs. The corner shop was known as the Nasik Cafe. For a small cafe, the place was doing well. There were a handful of people inside sitting, chatting, or ordering and quite a few sitting outside.

“This place is pretty health-oriented, and like Starbucks, it has things you could make at home for free, but their stuff is great,” Nevaeh explained to the man.

"So you spend way too much on yogurt cups, fruit drinks, toast, and other food you can make at home?" She nods her head like it was evident at what he said. Rudy shook his head. "Couldn't you just spend ten dollars on a yogurt cup?"

"Oh my goodness, they don't have yogurt cups, Rudy." She shook her head in disbelief.

"Okay, so ten dollars for a banana blended with ice in a cup - still sounds ridiculous to me."

"I can't with you," She tilted her head back, but she wasn't annoyed. She found his witticism amusing. At this rate, Nevaeh should prepare to always smile all the time around him. "You should find a table out here, and I can grab us something - wait, do you want to sit out here?"

Rudy nodded, then began to scan the area but only briefly seeing a couple of empty tables. "Yeah, it's nice out, let's enjoy it. Out here is great."

"Great," she says, pleased. "I'll grab something; I wanna surprise you. I'll be back." Nevaeh turns to walk inside. The smell of strawberries, oranges, and granola invaded her nose. It wasn't a new smell to her, but a new one for the day. She would always smell fruit and granola wherever she would walk into Basik. Some days it smelt like bananas and chocolate, or honey, peanut butter, and coconut. The smells varied, but the most prominent one was the tropical smell. To her left at a table was a couple enjoying smoothies. Both cops were a little under half full. A person sat at another table, invested in their laptop. To her right, more people sat. Art adorns the walls as realism paintings along with abstract images. There was a line at the counter; no more than four people stood waiting. She took the time to look up at the big and wide wood board hanging from the ceiling. When Nevaeh told Rudy she wanted to surprise him with something, she knew what she was getting for the both of them. The colorful and fruitful acai bowls.

Nevaeh and her roommate Birdie loved acai bowls. Birdie was the one to introduce her friend to the fantastic bowls she grew to love. Now it was her turn to turn another friend onto them.

The line moved along smoothly and grew smaller by the minutes. Once Nevaeh got closer, her lips stretched into a grin as her eyes caught sight of the barista.

"Hi, what can I get you? Could I interest you in our new fall to-Vae! Hey." the blonde barista's mood brightened significantly when she realized she was taking Nevaeh's order. She leaned across the counter and grabbed hold of Nevaeh's hand, and laced their fingers together. "What are you doing here? I thought you had to pick up your friend." She said, then making finger quotations. The barista was her roommate, Birdie. Birdie was a full-time college student and full-time barista to get by. She was more than happy to talk to her friend now that she wasn't as busy - Nevaeh was the only person in line for now.

"I was - I did pick up my friend. No air quotes, we're friends."

"For now."

"Whatever," she rolled her eyes at the blonde. "He's here with me, just outside." Birdie looked past Nevaeh and out the window in search of this guy. Nevaeh looked around for him, too; she didn't get to see where he chose to sit. "He's...the one with the red cap, right there." She pointed out once she spotted him. Birdie hummed and squinted her eyes to get a better look, which was difficult with the angle he sat at.

"He looks nice...from here," Birdie leaned back, so her fingers could let go of Nevaeh's and tap the terminal screen as she put her friend's usual order in. While Birdie did that, Nevaeh nodded in agreement but kept her gaze on him. "Lemme guess, the usual?"

"Kilauea; everything but-"

"No pollen and extra honey." Birdie finished with assuredness and not a drop of doubt in her answer. Her friend smiled, her eyes looking to Birdie with amazement.

"You know me too well."

"Well, you order the same thing almost every time."

"Touche," she couldn't argue with that. When it came to her acai bowl, she liked the Kilauea - made with mango juice, granola, berries, papaya, honey, and acai - the best. "And water, of course - make that two." She stepped back to look over the menu. Rudy wasn't familiar with the place, and he didn't know what they served, so Nevaeh wanted to get him something he hopefully liked. She decided to go with something not too fancy - directing her attention back to her barista friend. She went ahead and finished her order. "And...let me get the Islander acai bowl." That one was made with hemp mylk, granola, banana, berries, cocoa shavings, and honey.

Birdie rang up the rest of the order for Nevaeh. After catching a glimpse at the total, Nevaeh reached in the little card pocket of her wallet and grabbed her card. Unbeknownst to her, while she was getting her card, Birdie took her name tag and gave her friend her employee discount - she got it for half the price.

“I know you’re an independent woman and paying for the first date, the least I could do is give you a discount. Just don’t tell Daniel.” She winked, and Nevaeh gave her a thumbs up with one hand, and with the other, she made a zipping and locking motion over her mouth before throwing the key.

Outside, Rudy sat at the table he picked out for the two of them while waiting. While Nevaeh ran inside to get their order, he observed the small San Francisco scenery around him. California weather was sunshine with fluffy clouds. Just about everyone was either in shorts, a tank, and a cut-off shirt or any other summer clothing that provided them some comfort in the blazing sun. He dressed just right for the weather, though in Alaska, it was more on the chill side, causing him to wear a sweatshirt while he left. Now that he was basking in the California weather, he took off the warm sweatshirt and left it at Nevaeh’s apartment.

There were other people outside along with him. A group of girls sat a few feet away at a table in front of him, trying not to giggle as they attempted to make a video. At another table, there were two guys, perhaps brothers. They were eating something colorful from a bowl - it looked like yogurt to Rudy - and having a conversation with one another.

Rudy shook his head at the drastic difference between the two tables. Maybe it was just him, but it was amazing how much the world - more specifically America- was wrapped up in technology and social media. Sure the brothers at the one table had digital watches that told them the time and lit up, catching their attention with a vibrate when a text or notification went to their phone. But at least they could carry on a conversation without having their phone in their hands. On the other hand, those girls haven’t put their phones down longer than a few seconds. After those seconds, they tap away or show the other something they thought was worthy enough to gauge a reaction out of them.

Rudy wasn't one to judge. He didn't have much right to because while watching them and waiting for Nevaeh, he had the urge to pull out his phone. It was almost like a habit, but he chooses not to feed the temptation. He wanted to enjoy the day with Nevaeh; notice the burn on his skin from the sun, get to know her, have fun, pick up on little cues she has, and find out what he likes the most about her. And though it was kind of ironic that the two of them met through social media, he hopes Nevaeh is not one of those social zombies. Then this trip would be a waste of time and effort.

Ruby pulled his sunglasses down due to the sun starting to bother his eyes. Then he also wanted to cover his eyes and focus on something else while he waited. A minute later, Nevaeh walked out of the cafe's door backward with her back pushing the door open. In her hands, she had what she ordered; he wondered what she got. Rudy briskly stood up out of his seat to help her out.

"Hey, let me help you out," he walks around the table towards her, but she only nods him off.

"I got it, you sit."

"You have all the food and drinks in your hands; it's the least I can do." he stood off to the side, not interfering but reading despite what she said. He watches her struggle a bit and almost drops the stuff. Rudy immediately reached out, but Nevaeh had already saved herself and looked at him with a smile.

"I got it, Rudy. I was just pulling your leg." He picked up on the playfulness in her eyes, which made him pull his lips into a smile matching hers; her smile is definitely contagious.

“Alright, alright,” he raised his hands, backing away and then taking his seat. Nevaeh took her seat across from him, sat everything down before passing him the items she got him. “What’d you get us?”

“Well, I don’t know if you have had this before, but it’s my go-to thing to get here. It’s an acai bowl,” Nevaeh’s eyes caught his confused expression before he tried to cover it up with an understanding.  She laughed softly and explained further. “It’s like a smoothie bowl with other things in it.”

“Smoothie bowl…” he murmured more to himself, but she still heard it.

Shaking her head, she continued. “Acai palm is the main ingredient along with bananas and granola, but you can add other fruits or peanut butter and syrups. Or take things off.”

“Like maple syrup?” he asked, looking at the acai bowl she got him.

Her face begins to twist in disgust until she covers it with a shrug and looks down at her bowl, ready to dig in. “Uh, I guess if that’s what you want, then yeah.” She answered, and Rudy nodded his head and grabbed his spoon to take a taste. Before Nevaeh tasted her own, she watched Rudy, waiting for his reaction. He took a bite, letting the flavor invade his taste buds.

“Wow, this is good,” He says after swallowing. He glanced up, catching Nevaeh already looking at him. She quickly looked away and stirred her bowl.

“I’m glad you like it; it’s my second favorite one,” she peeked back up, and Rudy was still looking at her. Laughing softly to herself, then shaking her head, she takes a bite of her own, almost moaning at the taste. “I’m surprised you haven’t had one before.”

“ I have wanted to try one, but never really went with actually going out to get one.”

“Well, maybe now you will get them more often,” She says but stops herself before taking another bite. “Wait...you aren’t allergic to any fruit, are you? Or granola?”

He lifted a brow while getting another scoop. “Oh, only bananas,” He replies. Nevaeh watches him as he lifts the spoon to his mouth and takes another bite that includes bananas before she could reach across the table and stop him in time. “What?” he looked at her. Her eyes were wide with shock and fear, her mouth opening to say something but closed when nothing came out. “Is there something wrong?”

Nodding her head slowly, she sat down her spoon and reached for her phone in her pocket just in case. "You ate a banana, and you just told me you were allergic to them." Nevaeh wanted to yell at him for being so careless, but that would mean she was too for not asking before ordering something random for him. She pretended to remain calm but was internally panicking.

"I actually eat them all the time," he held back the smile easing its way into his features. "I eat them quite often. They're a great source of potassium and vitamin C."

"So you aren't allergic to bananas?" she noted, and Rudy shook his head. His mouth broke out into the smile he managed to hold back for a few seconds. Nevaeh relaxed a bit, her shoulders dropping as she was no longer tense. "You're an asshole, you know that, right?" Rudy gasped softly, a hand placed on his chest as he looked at her, offended at her comment.

"What, me, an asshole? That can't be right, I'm really nice," he said and made Nevaeh huffed. "What do you not believe me?"

The woman shrugged, the smile still on her face when she looked down at her food. "Well, you did play a mean joke just now; I thought I almost killed you." She reminded him and picked at her bowl.

"I wanted to see how caring you were, and you passed the test. Now you love me, don't you?"

"You wish," she said, taking a bite then pointing at him with her spoon. "We're going on a road trip together, let's see if I survive that, then I'll let you know if I like you enough to be your friend or jump out of a moving car because you're an annoying little shit."

Rudy raised his eyebrows, smirking at her now. "Me being an annoying little...alright. Let's make a deal," he starts; Nevaeh gestures for him to continue. "If you survive this road trip, meaning - if you have a great time - I get to take you to my home town in Alaska. Ah, ah. I'm not finished." he held his finger up to stop her from making a comment. She rolled her eyes and sat back in her chair, attempting to hide a simple, but you could see the amusement on her face. "If you don't have a great time, I'll do whatever you want."

"So, If I understand right, If you win, you get to take me to Alaska - assuming I haven't been there already,"

“Wait, you’ve been to Alaska?” Nevaeh held her finger up, echoing his movements moments before.

“If you win, you take me to Alaska, and if I win, you do whatever I want, correct?”

“Yeah, as long as it’s not too inappropriate or impossible,” He says, already finished with his acai bowl, which Nevaeh didn’t remember seeing him eat the rest. It didn’t matter when he ate it, she didn’t care, but that was quick. Looking down at her own, she wasn’t more than halfway done. “So, so we have a deal?”

Nevaeh looked up from her food, meeting his ocean-like eyes. The pair were becoming more familiar over the past few weeks from countless photos and videos the two have shared over Snapchat. Messages over text and facetime calls. They got to know each other digitally, and now they have to learn more in person. 

“We have a deal.” She says, and Rudy sticks his hand out, which she gladly took. They shook hands. While doing so, Rudy thought of a million possibilities to get the woman across from him to a great time and not just so he could take her to Alaska, his home. He found her intriguing, and he wants to take the time to get to know her better and maybe have a solid standing friendship at the end of it all. If the cosmos had a say, perhaps something more would blossom.

➣ End Note:

So, I honestly don’t know how the next few or future chapters will go but hopefully they turn out well. Here are the Revaeh interactions we all needed and plenty more to come so just you wait. ;)

AGAIN IF YOU WANT ME TO CONTINUE THE SERIES I WILL, JUST LET ME KNOW.

Wonder Taglist:

@Scooby6, @ifilwtmfc​, @rudypankowswife​, @themaddies-obx​

[If your username is bold and slashed out it means i can’t tag you. If you want to be added to the taglist add yourself here! If you no longer want to be on it let me know. :) ]

[leggomylino]

S&M Act I, Scene I | Windstorm ༄

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Genre: Adventure, Drama, Comedy, Fluff, Angst

Pairing(s): Lee Minho x fem!reader x Kim Seungmin

Au: Wizard of Oz au

Word Count: ~2.6k

Warning(s): Minorly to moderately dark themes of suppression, depression, panic, and insanity. Mentioning of blood, dark magic, violence, and (censored) language. 

A/n: I’m so happy this story is finally coming to light! <3 Thank you to everyone behind the scenes who has supported me on the creation of this series, and to anyone who has ever supported my writing ever. ^^ I hope you enjoy!!! | Inspired by the events of Dorothy Must Die, by Danielle Paige.

Tag List: @hanniiesuckle17​ @distrikt9​ @hanstagrams​ @hyunsunq​ @smolboiseavey​ @jisungsjheekies​ @iluvlix​ @moonlit-han​ @stay-nctzen​ @yangomangos​ @stayndays​ @cotccotc​ @skzctnightnight​ @multi-stan-present​ @dreamy-dreamies​ @yunhoesss​ (Please let me know if you’d like to be added! Comment, ask, or DM me!!!)

ღ S&M M.List | Stray Kids M.List | M.List ღ

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The dreams had been plaguing you for a while now.

“Y/n,” a boy’s voice spoke. “Y/n, always remember, and never forget. You must forgive, and never forget.”

“Remember what?” You’d cry out into the empty space. “Always remember what? What is it I’ve forgotten? Who is it I’m supposed to forgive?”

Alas, the empty space never told you anything. It was just a soft chuckle, the feeling of eyes lovingly watching you from somewhere far away, cloying and envious, and then, in the blink of an eye, it was gone.

~ ♕ ~

The rain pelting against your bedroom window that night had been harsh. You listened to the uproarious melody, now awake, lying in a pool of your own sweat, heart racing, wondering where you had come to and where you’d just been. It was always this way, taking time to cool down from such a feverishly swift and spiraling dream; although you were theoretically standing still in a vacant space, you felt the effects of falling as you arose.

The rain calmed you. Despite its intensity it was the one thing that gave you peace, something mentally stabilizing to cling onto and give full focus to as the echoes of a dream deferred vanished into the far recesses of your mind, where they’d be all but forgotten until the next evening. You didn’t know what you’d do when the stormy season was over-- it had already been unusual to have such a large mass of wacky weather one after the other this time of year-- and sure a ferrying rain shower or two was normal-- but you’d grown accustomed to running to the storm’s ferocity for guidance, a child’s blanket, a figurative teddy bear that you could squeeze against your thoughts when escaping the dream realm. The heavy downpour washed all of your fears and anxiety away. What would you do when it was all over, and Fall returned?

It had been so odd; with all the rain and fluctuating humidity, the flowers and Spring-Summer crops were in full bloom. You’d never experienced seasonal allergies in the Fall until now. Neither had your best friend, Hyunjin, and...speaking of… 

You hadn’t realized it was morning until Hyunjin came bursting into your room with one of your uncle’s chickens in his arm. It was still raining, hard, the droplets sounding like tiny fists pounding to come inside. Doubtful to let up anytime soon. “Y/n! Are you still auditioning for the role of Sleeping Beauty up here? ‘Cause I’m pretty sure Mia Harper’s got it covered, and Aunt Em’s gonna slide me your stack of pancakes in the next ten minutes if you don’t get your share of the chores done.”

A yawn escaped you. Hyunjin and his sidekick Kkami had been coming over to assist in your busy-hermit lifestyle ever since you could remember. He was your neighbor, after all, but...more on that later. The moment Hyunjin’s words soared beneath the backlash of bad weather, you’d completely forgotten what it was you’d just been thinking about, before the rain, what it was you’d dreamed. (Ever ironic how the dream had instructed you to remember, and yet, here you were, doomed to forget.) “Yeah, okay…” You yawned, stretching and easing yourself into the usual morning (sometimes afternoon) routine. You glanced at the chicken in his arms, and his subtle goofy smile in the doorway. “Is this your way of saying you’d rather have Pluckers as your lab partner instead of me?”

He shifted his eyes thoughtfully to Pluckers, watching him twitch and litter feathers like drops of rain before giving you his answer. “...I mean, that’s not a bad idea, actually. Have you even started your half of the worksheet yet?”

Ugh. Always about school. You wanted to tell him yes, but in all honesty you’d been spending your free time and late nights with your nose lodged between Harry Potter pages or your eyes plugged and gasping over YouTube storytimes. So you clamped your mouth shut.

And now, the backstory: Hyunjin had been your best friend for years. The two of you grew up next door to each other, which for country living was pretty dang far; having someone as your neighbor here was the same thing as having them live down the block. You’d never known your parents; you were adopted at a young age by your Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, who weren’t biologically related to you in any sense and just as good as any biological pair of adults. The details surrounding your DNA relatives-- and the year you’d come to live here-- were all unknown to you. The only story you’d ever gotten out of Aunt Em was that they’d had you from “knee-high” and that you couldn’t remember because of a nasty fall from one of Uncle Henry’s apple trees; Uncle Henry himself refused to speak of the subject at all, either pretending he needed hearing aids or choosing to run into the next room.

Hyunjin was your only friend in school. You’d never been very good in the communication department; growing up in a small town made your comfort zone the same. But not Hyunjin. He was popular and kind and got along with everyone. He had a gift for catching people’s eyes: every boy envied him, every girl drooled over him, and all your teachers and professors fawned and smiled and patted him on the back, even when he’d blurted out the “dog ate my homework” excuse in eighth grade and you proudly stood up and announced that he didn’t have a dog, disregarding Kkami, just for the amusement of finally seeing him choke and get scolded for once in his life. Instead you found yourself pouting with the Cone of Shame in silence while Hyunjin outrageously was given a star on the Good Noodle chart. It’d been the one moment to ruin your friendship for the remainder of class...until he gave you his Free Ice Cream ticket for PeachyKeen’s ice cream parlor downtown. Then, you were okay.

Even now, in your town’s small local college, he was applauded by all. The only person you’d ever seen frown his way was Uncle Henry, who often argued that a boy of his age shouldn’t be barging into a young lady’s room anymore. But Aunt Em always shrugged him off, quoting her famous “times change” saying and shoved a slice of pie before him, and he was back to watching TV.

A flash of lighting lit up the dim clouded sky, followed by the roar of thunder, and with a panicked squawk Pluckers shot out of Hyunjin’s arms, leaving a trail of feathers to follow down the hall. With a nervous look the two of you exchanged a nod before Hyun gave chase, closing the door behind him, and you got right to work getting ready for the day. It was Saturday, meaning no school, however there was still plenty of farmwork to do and the crops in the field weren’t going to protect themselves. Not from yesterday’s shower, and not from today’s.

You hustled downstairs with toothbrush hanging from your lips, dawned in your favorite plaid skirt and lime-green raincoat, the one with the little frog face over the left breast. Ruffling Kkami awake, Hyunjin’s “beloved baby,” you tossed her a treat from the clay jar you and Hyunjin had made together for her in sixth grade art, spinning and spitting in the kitchen sink. 

Aunt Em gave you a nervous look as you tossed the brush in the dishwasher and started aggressively inhaling cinnamon apple pancakes like a beloved Nintendo character. “...And how is my favorite girl this afternoon?” She asked. Her whimsical tone made your neck blush. 

“Sorry, I stayed up late studying again.”

“Studying the wizarding world of Hogwarts, you mean?”

“...Perhaps?”

You smiled apple bits and maple syrup, and she laughed, waving a dish towel at you and squinting the other way. “Keep your mouth closed until you're done. Didn’t I teach you better manners than that?”

“I dunno, did you?”

Her eyes bore into yours in warning and you laughed harder, nearly choking on the last bite of spiced apple goodness. Aunt Em sighed, shaking her head while wiping her hands clean. “I suppose I walked right into that one.” She nodded toward the side door, leading to the barn. “Hurry before the storm picks up. It’s gonna be another bad one, they say, so if the wind picks up anymore or it starts hailing or God forbid you see a giant funnel in the sky, I want the two of you right back inside, you hear?”

“Funnel cake?!” Uncle Henry called. He was glued to his usual pleather chair when he wasn’t out tending to the garden or the farm animals or fixing a leaky faucet. He was also in need of a hearing aid; working eight hours a day around screeching metals and brazen farm animals had left his eardrums in shambles. Aunt Em rolled her eyes, cupping her hands around her mouth. 

“Not cake, I’m talking about the weather!”

“It’s raining cake?!?”

She groaned, earning a chuckle from the two of you. It was cut short when Hyunjin came stumbling past, spitting out feathers and just in arms reach of a couple hens, Pluckers in the lead, signaling that brunch was over. “Thanks for the meal!” you said, shoving the plate forward. 

“Be careful!” Em’s voice bridged across the living room. “You two look out for one another! And hurry!”

“We will!” You shouted back. The sound of the door clicking shut was barely audible beneath the heavy thunks of raindrops slamming against the tin roof as the two (five?) of you ventured out into the stormy play. 

You wished then you would have taken just the sliver of a moment to look back.

~ ♕ ~

You’d never seen a flourishing of colors much like the one taking place outside. Turnips turning upwards, tulips banging heads, carrots and corn stalks exchanging blows before ending up on opposite sides of the field. Sunflowers having the sun beat out of them. It was something out of the rising action of a thriller movie. You’d seen similar scenes in nearly half the Harry Potter movies; the only thing missing were wizards and wands and perhaps a giant dragon.

“You round up Maribelle!” Hyunjin yelled over the storm. His arms were spread wide as he squinted and squatted through the blinding rain, ushering the rest of the chickens and hens inside the barn. “I’ll get the horses next!”

Nodding you ran through sloshing mud puddles and drowning fields of grain towards the feeding pasture, where dear old Maribelle the could be found, often grazing on weeds or spreading out for an afternoon sunbath. The lone cow of SunnySkies pastures for fifteen years, and the first to join the farm. Instead you found her darting bug eyes around wildly, her knobby limbs quivering beneath a willow tree that provided little protection, the willows only adding to the streams of precipitation pouring over her stiff brown fur. She gave you a frantic moo and bobbed her head in relief to see you. 

“There, there,” you soothed, whipping the grass and water from her eyes. “Quickly now, let’s get you into the barn before this picks up anymore.”

She moo-ed again, lower this time, giving you an argueless agreement.

You sledged hard against the rising winds, the blades of greenery that cut surprisingly sharp like razor blades, leaving a small mark upon your cheek. You winced, annoyed at the slight sting, the small drops of crimson that came up against your fingertips only to be washed away just as quickly. It began to rain harder, faster, the wind practically howling in your ears. The faint sounds of a freight train or some sort of heavy machinery filled the distance.

“Let’s hurry, now,” you encouraged your steed, pulling her along beside you. She was reluctant to move, frightened by the spiraling commotion around her. It didn’t help when something snapped beneath your feet, a twig, maybe, or some glass. As if on cue the willow tree came crashing down with a thud. 

You braced yourself, sucking in a sharp breath; you needed to get inside; but Maribelle had other plans. Startled, she ran a wayward direction, disappearing in the fog that was beginning to settle over the pasture. “Mari--!” you began to call, taking two steps forward-- ‘til the cries of another all but took your breath away, making you forget about Maribelle, making you forget about everything.

You stood, jaw slacked, slit-eyed, watching Hyunjin blow away. He wiggled in the fierce storm breeze like a flag pitched on the roof. “Y/N!!!” He screamed, clinging to the roof’s edge for dear life. “Y/N, GET INSIDE!!! CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT!!!”

“HYUNJIN!” You bleated back. “HYUNJIN, HANG ON!!! I’M COMING!!!”

“NO, IT’S TOO DANGEROUS, GO-- AHHH!” He shrieked and ducked his head beneath a flying branch. “...GO INSIDE!!! CALL THE PRESIDENT!!!”

“I’m not calling the President,” you huffed, fighting your way across sideways weather and flyaway hairs to latch yourself onto the barn ladder. Of all the times to crack jokes, only Hyunjin would choose a raging level eight storm. “Hang on I’m coming…!”

...Your voice trailed off as your head listed aside, something bouncing in the corner of your eye. There, rounding the side of the barnhouse, was Kkami, frolicking like a happy-go-lucky lamb to Hyunjin’s side.

“Arf! Rwarf!”

“KKAMI?!?”

Your blood went cold. If Hyunjin caught wind of Kkami, it was all over. “Kkami!” you hissed, or at least tried to over the roaring ninety-miles-per-hour winds. “Go back inside! Go! Shoo!”

“IS THAT MY BABY DOWN THERE?!?!”

Oi. “N-NO, IT ISN’T! JUST A BRANCH!!!”

Ushering Kkami with a branch at least beneath the safety of the barn roof, you hustled back to the side of the building. The rain made it slick and hard to hold onto, but you scaled the side of the barnhouse as fast as possible, avoiding loose vegetation and swatting at leaves and smaller branches and once a lemon wedge that the storm must have torn in two somehow, crawling up loose shingles and various askew obstacles and then...then…

This was the hardest part to remember, a part you wish you didn’t have to remember. Face wet, hair whipping in the tempest breeze, you reached for Hyun’s hand, kneeling, pleading, focusing thoughts on hot cocoa and warm lemon pie inside, an Aunt Em specialty. The reality you were so certain in. A reality that would never come.

“Gotcha...!”

Your hands met, fingers touched, smiles of relief shared. But it only lasted a moment before the rainstorm ripped him away, your cries drowning in the funnel that appeared in the sky...or at least that’s how you wished to remember it: in reality there was a soft, whimpering arf!, followed by your best friend’s gasp as he relinquished your grasp to adhere himself to the skies after Kkami, now paddling against the storm’s current, cries of “My baby!” and anguished “AAAAH”s lost on the wind. 

And you could only watch him go, just seeing him manage to latch onto his beloved pet of nine-odd years before disappearing from sight, sucked into the giant magnetizing center of it all you’d completely failed to notice, the last thing from his lips a cry to your name. It’d appeared out of nowhere, substantial and vigorous. Pulling into the station, the train had arrived, uprooting and tearing apart everything in its path. A giant, swirling cloud of gray and gravel and doom.

Oddly enough, in that paralyzing moment, something clicked in the back of your mind: a cursory afterthought at the eye of the storm. 

“Always remember, and never forget. You must forgive, and never forget.”

You stared into the eye harder.

“Come home, Y/n. Come home.”

“Y/N!!!” Aunt Em’s frantic voice screeched below. “Y/N, HYUNJIN!!! Y/N?!?”

You couldn’t look. Couldn’t move. Horror froze you to the barn, eyes locked on the exact spot you last saw Hyunjin disappear, the trance calling you deeper and deeper into a strange petrifying submission, until the tornado whorled to your doorstep and swept you away; the pasture, the barn, your home. Everything.

༻✦༺ ༻✧༺ ༻✦༺ ༻✧༺ ༻✦༺

ღ S&M M.List | Stray Kids M.List | M.List ღ 

Smoke & Mirrors. Copyright © 2020 - 2021 poeticallyspaghetti.tumblr.com. Unauthorized use or reproduction of works is expressly prohibited. Do not repost, plagiarize, claim as your own, or translate my works. Thank you. <3

[garyunwinimagines]

Definition (Ransom Drysdale x Reader)

Pairing: Ransom Drysdale x Reader

Warnings: Language, Angst, Angst with a happy ending

Author: @garyunwinimagines (Cross posted on AO3 - Lady_avenger37)

Word Count: 1,758 words

Description: After a drunken hookup with your childhood best friend, you find yourself pregnant. What happens when Ransom tells his family and words are exchanged?

Note: It’s been awhile. This is just word vomit that came out of my depressed ass. I hope it’s alright. I’m kinda rusty with this.

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

Another blowout level fight with Ransom happened again today. One that was for the record books, and one that could guarantee the ending of your friendship. You just found out that you were pregnant, and you made the mistake of telling him right before you went to his Grandfather’s house for a family gathering. Like normal, Ransom was stoking the fire with his family and Walt remarked something about having dozens of kids without him knowing. Ransom then spilled the beans on your pregnancy. Congratulations were given and then the snide comments began.

The one that really set you off was “Well I’m not at fault here,”

“Jesus fuck Ransom! Who the fuck do you think knocked me up?” You said and stormed out. Grabbing the keys to his beamer in the process. You drove off before he or anyone in his family could say anything.

You didn’t even know where you were driving to, but you just drove. Drove to forget what happened. Drove to forget what was happening. All while ignoring the constant calls from Ransom and the rest of his family. After an hour or so your stomach growled. So, you decided to just go to a gas station and pick up some food before going back on the road. Now with a destination in mind.

Your parents’ old cabin. One which they rarely visited this time of the year, and lucky for you it wasn’t too far from your current location. It was someplace that you used to go to all the time during the summer. Now since it was mid fall it wasn’t on the top of their lists for places to go. They even said that you could go and use it whenever you wanted to have some peace and quiet. Which reminded you to turn off your phone to stop its constant ringing. Turning it off was a wonderful idea as you began to relax slightly as you made your way to the cabin. Your only thoughts being to get to the cabin and take a nice hot bath.

After another 45 minutes, you arrived at the cabin. You couldn’t get in there fast enough. Taking the trash and extra food inside. Throwing it on the counter as you made your way to the bathroom. Right in front of you stood a porcelain claw foot heavenly looking tub that you could just about drown in, and it was calling your name. You grabbed a towel after you turned on the hot water. Which to your dismay took a while to heat up. During that time, you looked around to see if there was any bath salts or oils that you could add to it. After opening drawer after drawer, you did find a bottle of lavender scented bubble bath. That would have to do.

Adding that was probably your smartest idea of the day. As the water was hot and the scent wafted around the room. Taking off your clothes, you finally stepped into the tub and it was so worth the wait. Not only did the heat help take away some of the stress, but the lavender helped soothe your frazzled nerves. Your body started to get so relaxed that you started to fall asleep. Before anything bad could happen, you got out of the tub.

Drying yourself off, you wrapped the towel tightly around you. Going over to where you left all your clothes to carry them to your room. Picking them up you walked across the cabin to where your room was. Praying that you had some clothes there so you didn’t have to put back on your dirty clothes.

Opening up the door, you can tell that it hasn’t changed since you last used it. You smiled. As on the dresser to the right of the door, there was a handful of pictures of you and your family and friends. A couple including Ransom.

You picked up the photo as it was one of your favorites of the two of you. You were both smiling and looking at you mom who was taking the picture. It was a couple summers ago when Ransom decided he needed a break from the world. Aka his family. So, you invited him to spend a few days with you and your family at the cabin. That picture was taken only a couple minutes after he arrived. Your mom joked that she had never seen either of you more relaxed or happy then when the two of you were out here together.

She was right. Out here was your happy place, and having your best friend/love of your life with you only made it better.

But right now it was your hiding place. A place to forget, and a place to be in peace.

And that’s what it was for the next week.

You relaxed and tried to figure out what you were going to do. You knew that unless if it would kill you, you were going to go through with the pregnancy. You thought about aborting it, but a part of you loved Ransom so much that you couldn’t kill any part of him.

Then you thought about how you were going to raise your child. Where would you be? Would you tell them about Ransom? About his family?

Most importantly, you thought would Ransom be involved?

If he was, would you be a family, or would he still sleep around? Would he get sick of you?

That night, you couldn’t sleep. Just like most nights in the past week. Except this time, you were awoken by someone’s arms wrapped around you. Turning your head, you were met with a familiar face.

“Ransom?” You said, and in the blink of an eye his eyes met yours.

His eyes were swollen and red, with the left one surrounded by a faint bruise. You felt a slight change in the pressure around you.

“You look like shit,” You said.

“I’m sorry,” He said and he buried his face into your neck.

With him here, you didn’t know what to say. Especially since he apologized. Turning around, you forced him to look into your eyes.

“I’m sorry. I let those fuckers get to me. I didn’t mean it-” He said.

“They always get to you Hugh. Every single time.” You said. He was about to talk again, but you put a finger to his lips. “You don’t think of the consequences of your words, or your actions.”

His grip loosened around you as he began to close off.

“I’m not just thinking about myself here. I’m thinking about OUR child. As whether you like it or not, you were the one to knock me up. If you want to take responsibility or not is your choice. As if you don’t, you might as well be dead to me,” You said meeting his blank stare, which seemed to aggravate you more than you thought it would. “Cause I probably was too damn foolish to think that you’d still be my best friend, even after a drunken mishap. But apparently I’m just one of your little playthings that you’ll just throw away-”

His eyes flashed with unbridled anger when he cut you off and got out of the bed.

“How could you EVER think that you’re disposable to me? After everything we’ve been through!” He said and you got out of the bed and stood right in front of him.

“How could I not! Not after you said it was MY fault that I’m pregnant! When that happens to also be the fault of the goddamn dumbass that knocked me up in the first place!” You yelled and jabbed your finger in his chest. He grabbed your wrist and pulled you as close as humanly possible.

“I maybe the dumbass for ever trusting you in the first place. To ever think that we were friends,” He damn near growled at you. “I’m more of a fool to ever think that you could love me the way I love you,” He said and pushed you away and towards the bed.

Your heart shattered. You have loved him for a long time, and figured that he only saw you as a friend. Tears began to sting in your eyes as you looked away from him.

It was silent for the next couple minutes while you kept yourself from sobbing. Once you felt that you would be able to confront him, you looked at him. You noticed that he was tenser than earlier but more nervous.

“Ransom,” Your voice broke. His head snapped right to you. “I’ve loved you for years, and have trusted you even longer.”

He took a step closer to you. You stuck your arm out, signaling for him to stop.

“At the same time, you’ve hurt me more than any one ever has. I understand that you don’t get along with your family. That you constantly stoke up drama and other shit with them. You’ve even brought me into it before. You went too damn far this time.” His jaw clenched at the statement.

“Did you even think about how terrified I was to tell you that I was pregnant? How worried I was? Wondering if we’d ever be friends after this? How we would raise a child? The worst one that is still constantly going through my head is, will he stay?” That’s the moment your resolve broke and you were visibly crying with tear tracks falling down your face at an increasing pace.

Ransom took the couple steps to get to you before you could say anything else. Before you knew it, he wrapped his arms around you and held you to his chest. Your tears wetting his shirt. His hot breath fanned across the top of your head, and you could tell that he was saying something but not what he was saying. All you could really focus on was the warmth and strength of his embrace, and the way his hand was rubbing up and down the length of your back as he was trying to soothe you.

“I’m scared too,” Ransom said once you stoped crying. You looked up at him.

“Then let’s be scared together,” You said reaching up to cup his cheek. His mouth curved up into a smile that melted your heart.

The two of you stayed like that for a few minutes, basking in the other’s presence. Silent promises exchanged between the two of you that helped ease the pain of the past week.

[ichliebeanimalcrackers]

Secret Love Affair

Yes, I’ve watched another Kdrama and this one is definitely getting added to the “My Favorites” list. I’d describe it like this: if the Palme d’Or could be awarded to a television show, then this one would definitely be in the running (and it would most likely win it). There are 16 episodes but it feels more like a movie and that’s one of the things that makes this drama stand out. I’m not sure where to begin, so I’d like to apologize in advance if this particular opinion piece is all over the place and has no respect for proper punctuation. I had a lot of feelings after watching this drama, and one simply needs to let all of that energy out. With that said, I’m just going to do bullet points because that seems to make sense in this situation lol

Since music is always an essential part of any show/ movie (especially in this case), I have to start with the soundtrack because it’s magnificent. It really is. It fits well with the theme and constantly adds an extra layer of emotion to what’s already happening on the screen. Whenever you hear the end credits waltz, you know something is about to happen and it makes you feel a bit uneasy. “Four Hands” is full of longing and “Affair” is cautious but steady. More often than not, this show uses music to convey emotion in place of a dialogue. One needs to simply listen and look at the characters expressions to understand what’s happening. One of the great things about music is that on some awesome, cosmic level it’s alive and has the power to make us feel and understand things without any words. 

Whenever I watch a show, I like to read the comment section because there are always interesting opinions out there. I was surprised to see that some people thought that the pace of the show was too slow. I certainly respect other people’s opinions, but I personally think that it wouldn’t have made sense if the story kept on jumping from one thing to the next. There was plenty of intrigue throughout the entire series, and I was already feeling nervous 10 minutes into the first episode. It’s a difficult situation to be in, but Sun Jae/ Hye Won met their soulmate. They have finally met their match. They both see each other for who they are and that’s more than enough to fall in love. What’s even more awesome is that something was already there even before they officially met. He briefly saw her at the concert hall and she saw a video of him playing piano (just his hands). Talent recognized talent and the rest is history.

Honestly, I was surprised with her friends. Pleasantly surprised. They already seemed like pretty cool people from the beginning and it was made even more evident as the show progressed. I expected them to scold and alienate her, but they didn’t. They were there for her and even comforted Lee Sun Jae when he had no one else to turn to. I bet they were shocked to learn about the relationship between the two (and the other stuff), but they tried to understand the situation from her point of view and didn’t leave her side when things really went downhill. We can only guess what happened after the events in episode 16, but I really hope that Professor Jo got appointed as the next Dean instead of Oh Hye Won’s husband (Professor Kang)...The man is obviously more qualified, has a good personality, the students respect him and he’s simply a chill guy. 

Speaking of Oh Hye Won’s husband...I feel bad for saying this but that man is just pathetic. Don’t get me wrong, they all have their own flaws but in this case there was nothing that set him apart other than him being totally indifferent unless it had to do with his position in the school hierarchy. He, along with the others, was ready to throw her under the bus for the “greater good” if the situation called for it. At some point in the show, I believe they do mention that they didn’t marry for love and that it was more of a comradeship. This means that they’ve been married for at least 10 or more years and you would think that during that time people would become each other’s support system. Nope, not in this case because the man never cared to begin with and it seems that she’s the one who has always carried the relationship. She definitely works more, she’s a better musician and she’s kind of a legend in this school/ foundation and perhaps that’s why (subconsciously) her husband always felt inferior. Yes, it must hurt to find out that your spouse is having an affair, BUT I don’t think that’s what bothered him so much. I think he was more scared of losing his chance of becoming the next Dean and not being able to mentor Sun Jae (who would definitely further solidify his credibility as a professor). I might be wrong, however, that’s how it seemed to me. There were a couple of other instances when he should’ve taken her side. For example, that scene when she comes back home with a bandaid on her forehead because the psycho lady threw game pieces at her and it cut her skin. A normal person would've been concerned that someone would do that, but he simply brushed it off as if it’s OK that they treated her like that. Ugh, just thinking about it annoys me. 

The cinematography was great. It’s a different style and it stands out from the ones that one would normally see in other dramas. It fits well with the mood of the show. The camera shots from different perspectives, the color and how some of the angles repeat but at different pivotal moments throughout the show added an extra oomph to the overall viewing experience. 

If anything, this show should give people an appreciation for classical music or at least they’ll be able to recognize it whenever they hear it again. I was listening to songs on YouTube Music the other day and a song popped up in the “recommended” category and it was the Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody On A Theme of Paganini, and I immediately thought “Omg! That’s the piece that he plays during the recital!” If it wasn't for this show, I would’ve never known the title of this piece.

The way Sun Jae treats Oh Hye Won. We really do need to take a minute to talk about this because certain details were too precious. Everything was always done with sincerity and without trying to show off in front of the person that he loves. First of all, the way he started mopping the floor when she came to his apartment for the first time. He didn’t let her step onto the floor until it was clean (it already looked pretty clean) and he gave her a towel to clean her hands after she touched the staircase railing that leads to his apartment. How he makes sure that her head doesn’t hit the pipe when they are walking through a construction site/ abandoned building. How he went on a full cleaning/ home improvement mode when she sent him her confession because he wanted this to be a safe place. He changed the lightbulb outside, so it wouldn’t be as dark in the stairwell and he power-washed the concrete stairs. He treats her like she’s the most treasured being he’s ever encountered in his entire life. These actions might not be heroic or grand, but there’s a lot of warmth/ love within them. Oh, I almost forgot to mention the shoes. They way he constantly places and rearranges her shoes. Bonus: the fact that Oh Hye Won listed him in her phone as “Home” and when he sees that...Ahhh! My heart is so full! 

All of the actors were great. The age difference between the two main lead actors is similar to the one of their characters and it made this story more authentic/ believable. I don’t think it would’ve been the same if the actors in real life were the same age but one of them tried to play someone younger/ older. Their chemistry was on point too and they simply look great together.

The fact that they both knew the severity of the situation and the repercussions that might come with it will surely send chills down your spine. It is an extremely risky situation and perhaps more for her than for him but it’s still dangerous. I’ve read a comment where someone mentioned that up until 2015 adultery was punishable by law in SK. After reading that, it certainly put things in perspective. I think they both felt the spark from the very beginning, but Sun Jae was bold enough to be the first one to say that he has feelings for Oh Hye Won. And how difficult it must have been for her to take a chance on something that she wasn’t expecting. The characters know and we as the audience know that there’s no turning back once they take this leap of faith. I mean *shivers* it’s impossible not to feel nervous for these two! Bonus: their first night together. Great choice by the director to only let us hear their conversation while showing spaces in the apartment. It’s their moment and theirs alone.

Something else that I like about this show is that Sun Jae never let others influence his opinion/ stance on the matter at hand. For the most part, he based his opinions on what he was experiencing and what he was able to observe. Of course there were things that he didn’t understand due to his age and perhaps in certain aspects it’s good that he didn’t fully understand, but he certainly wasn’t oblivious. Also, I like that Oh Hye Won  didn’t treat him like a child. She’s older, that’s true, but she wasn’t constantly reminding him of it. Even with the age difference, they are equals and understand each other in a way that’s unique to them. When they had moments of frustration, it wasn’t because one of them felt inferior. It was because they saw the other person hurting and felt helpless for not being able to make it better.

The horrible people that she had to work for. Oh Hye Won is a smart individual, and I’m sure she knew exactly who she was dealing with and the things that they were capable of. Nevertheless, she carried on while keeping her head high without letting things get to her. The thing that frustrates me the most is that this diligent, intelligent, talented person took most of the beating for something that the other party was equally guilty of but most of them were able to walk away unharmed. At the end of the day, they regarded her as a disposable tool and didn’t think anything of it. It’s just unfair. I was glad that at least some of the others who were involved got what they deserved. One must have nerves of steel in order to endure what her character had to go through and not lose one’s dignity in the process. You can’t help but have respect for someone like that. 

As much as I wanted a more Hollywood type ending, I think the writers gave us the most realistic and logical ending. Even though she had to go through all these hardships, she’s finally free from the grasp of those who have never truly valued her. There are still challenges to conquer, but at least she will be in control of her life and all future decisions will be hers. I suppose that in the end she was indeed the true winner.

Sun Jae’s soliloquy at the end *sigh* If that’s not one of the most romantic and heartfelt speeches of all time, then I don’t even know anymore. They’ve always had their own way of communicating, especially through music/ music references, and this one is perfect. I can’t figure out if it’s the same piece that he wrote about in his journal as a kid or if it’s the one that Professor Jo recommends to him or could it be the one that’s listed by Oh Hye Won’s name in the program? In any case, it’s extremely fitting that he would compare her to a classical piece of music. She’s the physical embodiment of that music. He will play it every day regardless of the weather or his mood. They have to be apart for the time being, but this will be his way of keeping her close. Once again, I think this goes to show that their connection goes beyond the ordinary. It’s on a cosmic level and just like music it has no boundaries.  

The show has an open ending and I truly like to believe that everything turned out OK. I’d like to believe that he did win the competition. I’d like to believe that she was released sooner than expected. I’d like to believe that they lived a long and happy life together. That’s what I believe and I’m going to stick with it.  

Moral of this long post: this is a great show and it’s worth it. 

[j0hn-deacons-perm]

Bizarre Love Triangle

‘86 John x Reader, tail end of the Magic Tour. 

word count: ~3.7k

Based off Bizarre Love Triangle by New Order (I recommend listening to it while reading) also the song just slaps

Also a quick author’s note. Did I write this until about 6 AM because I couldn’t sleep? Yeah, my dudes. There might still be a few mistakes and will fix them when found but hey, I hope you enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~

Last show. The bloody last show of this summer. Tour life has been nothing but stressful but to your surprise, even more rewarding simply with the audience reception. Every show packed with fans, many singing and bopping about like you were on the side lines. Despite being there for nearly every show, the anticipation never ceases to creep up on you. Shivers can be felt in your bones, ready for whatever is to come and you're not even the one on stage in half an hour. 

Standing and grabbing drinks, you sit next to John. His knee bouncing as he reads the paper, spotting he's on the current events. Sighing gently, you roam your eyes around the space around you. Brian is tuning his guitar with Fred and Roger sitting next to him. You spot a scrabble board on the table and Roger looking frustrated as he picks letters from the box's top. Most people on your team are racing around, making sure everything is where it should be and in working order. Hearing a sound from John, you look over and watch him skip over the obituaries. However, seeing a name that surely sounds phallic encites a laugh on your end. He raises an eyebrow in your direction.

"Dark comedy your thing, eh?"

"More like potty humor. I see a name like Medick and it's reflex to chuckle."

He scans the page and you laugh again.

"Damn it John, you're looking at Medick."

You determine the laugh he gives you is one out of pity with how bad your Scottish accent was. After apologizing for assaulting his senses, he gives you a smile and asks the time. Looking at your watch, your co-worker announced to everyone the fifteen minute mark before they were expected on stage.

"I hope that answers your question."

His eyes crinkle around the corners and your heart melts at the sight. Answering you with "It does, yeah", he folds the paper up and places it on the empty seat next to him. Attention now on you.

"Any plans post tour Y/N?"

"Besides catch up on nearly a month of lost sleep and time with Tom, probably nothing for a few days. At least that's the hope."

You can see his face shift into a slight discomfort but it might be out of reflex. Two weeks in you began missing your boyfriend back home and requested no one bring him up in conversation, even yourself. Knowing you slipping his name must have been reflex for him. Right?

"Can't imagine what you'd be losing sleep over besides trying to keep track of four old ladies."

"You guys are a lot. Especially you, Deacon. I swear sometimes it's easier looking after a toddler."

He fakes hurt, hand on his chest and a pronounced distressed face paints his features. The rest of the time passes far too quickly for your liking as the boys are rushed off to play their show. You follow behind, overseeing things go smoothy. Grabbing things they may need between songs and making your way off to the side, you nearly jump as the rise in audience volume increases. The floor beneath you shaking as the first few notes play. Hearing the opening lines to One Vision, you calculate the time to sing along but with the lyrics you happened to hear when bringing them their copious amounts of coffee into the recording room. What you didn't expect is John looking over to see you sing 'one dump, one turd, two tits, John Deacon' followed by 'chicken feet, babe' in his direction. You can see him smile when he looks down at his bass.

As the songs pass, your dancing picks up as well as his. You thought John was called Disco Deacy due to his taste in tunes but turns out he's a regular Belle of the ball. His spins and hops always melted your heart, watching him enjoy the music and play. You bop along with him more often than not, enjoying the beats you've heard now countless amounts of times. When I Want To Break Free ends and Brian's solo begins, he heads over in your direction. Grabbing a towel and a vodka tonic, he pats himself dry while watching from your usual view.

"I swear, this solos get longer with every tour."

"And I swear your hair gets bigger with every tour."

"Optical illusion, my dear. Brian's been getting smaller."

He winks and finishes off his drink. His company is gone as quick as it came, or at least it feels that way. The last half of the show plays out along with two encores. Fatigue dampens down on everyone as the crowd starts to disperse and the roadies begin taking apart set ups. Walking back with the boys, you hand them their normal robes and towels as they head to the dressing room. Making your way back to your post and sitting down, the realization of this is the end dawns on you. A month of tours finished. A month of pain, suffering, blood, sweat, and many tears but also a month of pure bliss. A month of becoming even closer with the band that you've come to know the much more this past year. Seeing them outside of the studio was a shock at first but tour life seems to mellow them out in ways. Less ego if that was even possible knowing them in the first place.

Knowing you probably should attend the after party the hotel Freddie booked, your feet ache as you rise up. Feeling the ripe ol' age of 87 at 29 is a sensation you've grown used to but hearing your joints crack as you rise really made you feel ancient.

"Here I thought I was the old one. I heard that all the way over here!"

John laughs at your cracky joints, walking over to give you an arm to support you. A bird is flipped in his direction and he smiles wider. You can tell someone's got more alcohol in their system.

"Now, Y/N, you ready for one last hurrah before a hangover and drive back home?"

"You're speaking my language, Deacy. I'll meet you at the ballroom, okay? Not really digging the uniform look at the minute, you know?"

"Don't be too late, I might be a goner by the time you arrive."

Following his lead to the bus, you and the rest of the group pile in. John walking up the steps in front of you gave you a view you didn't expect to enjoy so much. Those pants really doing him some favors. Shaking your head, you walk the few steps up and look around for a seat. Taking the only empty one next to Freddie, you lean over to congratulate a job well done and yet another successful tour on their end. Feeling eyes on you, a look over shows a poofy haired bassist waving at you once he has your attention. Waving back and turning back to Freddie, you can tell he has a question burning his tongue.

"You and John sure have gotten close over this tour."

"I guess so, yeah."

"Playing favorites? I see how it is, dear."

You slap his shouder with a 'piss off' and a cackle on his end.

"Are you still mad about the scrabble match the other week, Fred? Don't break up the Y/LN and Deacon dream team."

The last night in France ended with drama and an almost scratched cornea as scrabble pieces went flying. Deciding since Jim was present that night, even teams could be made. Brian and Roger, Fred and Jim, then you and John teamed up and no one's surprise, Freddie's normal strategy of adding one tile to make a bigger word didn't work out in his favor. What did come as a surprise was Brian and Roger not taking the win that night. Tempers flared as you and John danced about. When turned, you couldn't see the rogue piece flying your way. Luckily you blinked in time to save you from a more serious injury. 

"Please, I'm not mad over a silly fucking game."

"Yeah, one that nearly took out my eye!"

He rolled his eyes but smiled regardless of what he's trying to front. Pulling up to the hotel, you grab your luggage and is soon presented the key to your room. Not wanting to deal with an overly drunk John Deacon, you slightly rush to get ready. After party outfits normally consisted of a tank top, shorts and sneakers but considering it's the last one, you go more formal. Feeling very gussied up in heels you never thought you would wear at all this tour and a dress, you turn to the bathroom with your makeup bag is tow. What you already had on was fine but needed a touch up. Looking over your appearance and adjusting oddly fitting sections, you deem yourself offically ready. However feeling slightly over dressed and maybe showing more than what you're used to but hell, it's August. Realizing that it wasn't too late to call Tom, you dial the number that's branded in your brain at this point and wait for the phone to pick up. 

"Hello?"

He sounds slightly tired but the call was quick so you didn't feel too bad about it.

"Hey, just wanted to call and say I'll be home in the next couple days!"

"Oh shit, that time already? I've already got so used to you being gone!"

You couldn't help but laugh along with him.

"We're throwing one last bash before this ends for good. Freddie's doing of course."

"Well don't let me stop you, go and have fun!"

"Love ya, Tom."

"Love ya too, Y/N."

Hanging up and taking a breath, your chest feels odd. Putting it up to just this being nearly over, you stuff your keycard in your bra, spray on one more mist of perfume. The feeling in your chest worsens as you walk into the ballroom crowded with people, nearly completely naked women servers and the sight of John sitting back and flirting with one of them while talking with Brian. Grabbing one off the nearest tray, you down it then grab another immediately. Shaking your head and walking over to the two men in question, they greet you with side hugs. 

"Where are the other two?"

"Around somewhere."

"You know I'll hear it from both of them if I don't come say hi during the party."

Brian smiles, knowing far too well how they get with you at times. 

"Regardless, cheers! Cheers to a successful tour and good friends!"

You three clink your glasses together and conversation flows. Brian talks about his plans when arriving home to the wife and kids along with possibly making plans with some actress he's a fan of. Spacing out and looking at your surroundings, the music is pulsing through your lungs with the bass pumping through the speakers. You recognize the song easily, Blue Monday filling your ears and the bass matches your heartbeat once you turn back to your friends and hear John conversing with one of the women attending the party. Watching him shift so she can sit next to him, her body pressing against his while he whispers in her ear, you're in need of a change of scenery. You finally figured out what the sinking feeling in your chest was.

"Hey Bri, care you dance?"

"Not really. Not really my kind of music, Y/N."

"Please?"

Batting your eyelashes in hopes of hiding how uncomfortable you are, it fails and he picks up on your body language. 

"I guess you caught me in a good mood."

Sitting up, you two walk over to the other dancing party goers and while stiff as a board, Brian tries to do something with his body.

"Is everything okay? You seemed a bit off when you came in but now I know something's up. Did you call Tom?"

"How dare you say his name?!"

"Figured it'd be safe when you see him in, what, two days?"

"I'm taking the piss and I did. He seems happy to have me back but I think something's happened."

"He's not cheating on you, is he?!"

"Oh god no! I.....I think I've developed feelings for John."

You're pretty sure if he had a drink in his hand, it would've crashed all over the floor. 

"Want to head somewhere else and talk about it?"

"Please."

Taking your arm and leading you through the crowd, Brian leads you two outside. A handful of people occupy the space but mostly to get a smoke in quick before heading back in. Spacing yourself away from the others as far as possible, you and Brian sit on one of the benches. Your breathing is unsteady and worsens as you try to calm it down. He puts a hand on your knee and rubs gentle circles in hopes of doing something for your nerves.

"I'm not going to lie, Y/N, can't say I didn't exactly see it coming."

"Gee, thanks Bri. Exactly what I want to hear."

"Is this a recent development?"

Thinking back, it started in the studio. It was around the time they started recording the album and you started just watching them play behind the producer. Wasn't until you watched John lick his fingers before playing the strings on his bass again where something flickered in you.

"....Shit."

That was almost a year ago. 

"Well, around the time you guys started recording the new album."

His eyes widened. Blinking slightly resembling that of a reptile in its speed.

"Your 'shit' is valid."

"I know! The more time I spend with him, the more I realize I really care for the guy. But I can't just up and leave Tom. I can't just...hurt him like that. He doesn't deserve it in the slightest."

You sigh, feeling tears wanting to trickle out of your eyes any second.

"But I've been finding my feelings for him fading the more I'm with John. What if I leave Tom, then what? Just go up to John and be like 'oh hey, I have some strong feelings for you. Wanna do something?'"

Brian wraps a curl around his finger, pulling as he thinks. He lets out a sigh of his own.

"Honestly, I'm going through the same thing right now with Chrissie. That actress, Anita...we've been talking and I've developed some feelings for her. Ones I haven't had with Chrissie in a while, now. I have a wife and kids but should I persue this?"

You give him a sympathetic look.

"We're fucked, aren't we?"

"Maybe a little bit. But at least you're not married."

You look at each other in solidarity. Knowing each other's struggles far too well. He brings up the fair point that you aren't married. You also think back to how things were before you left for tour and it wasn't the best. You missed Tom, you really did. But was the passion there like it was previously? Not especially. Sometimes it just felt more like a friends with benefits situation rather than a full blown relationship lasting three years. 

"You know what? I'm going for it."

"Positive, love?"

"I think so." 

Sitting up and brushing off your dress, Brian stands with you.

"I think I might have a talk with Anita and go from there on how to do this. Chrissie doesn't deserve being left for another woman but sometimes people outgrow each other. Relationships evolves and sometimes they become stagnant."

Walking back to your previous place inside, you're greeted with the sight of the woman gone and replaced with Freddie and Roger. Bending down and asking a quick 'Can we talk?' to John, you two head over to the hallway. You're shaking and can't look him in the eye. Trying to get your sights on him, he lifts a hand to your chin, using a few fingers to guide your sights towards him.

"You're scaring me a bit. Did something happen, love?"

There is not enough alcohol in your system to make this easier.

"I was talking with Brian and came to some conclusions that have been....cloudy for a little while now."

His eyebrows are furrowed together in concern, he's never seen you like this. Nervous was normal in aspects of your job but like this is completely uncharted territory for him. Not knowing how to tread the waters, he takes the hand that was on your chin and rubs your upper arm. 

"You can talk to me. You know that, right?"

You swallow, feeling like you're nearly choking on air. 

"John I...god..."

Before you could mutter even something resembling a syllable, you hear John's name being called. Turning your head slightly to see it's the woman he was flirting with earlier, danging her bag in front of her.

"Finally remembered where I put the damned thing. You ready to go, Johnny?"

You want to vomit on the spot but knowing if you would, it would be Exorcist levels in the amount purged. Your eyes threaten to release the waterworks and you look up to put the tears back in their place. Beginning to walk away, you feel a grip on your shoulder.

"Sorry but my friend here is going through something. Raincheck, yeah?"

Obviously very annoyed, her eye roll was puntuated with her heels clicking away. He looks over at you and immediately notices tears running down your cheeks. Wiping them away, he leads you out of this area of the hotel and back to his room. Turning the key, your heart beats to the point where it leaves you breathless. He leads you inside and onto the bed but before you get to talk, he doesn't sit quite yet. Grabbing the unwrapped toilet paper roll from the bathroom, he hands it to you then sits down at your side. 

"What's going on, Y/N?"

As he rubs your arm again like he did in the hallway, your brain struggles but comes up with some sort of coherent sentence to present.

"I think Tom and I might be over."

He blinks at you, much in the same fashion as Brian had. But before you knew it, he wrapped you in a hug. His head on your shoulders and hand smoothing over your back. He says your name softly followed by an 'I'm so sorry'. Staying like until the tears stop flowing, he peels away from you. You wipe away your tears, noticing your mascara has somehow held up. 

"I...I don't mean to pry but, well, what happened?"

The question you were dreading but this band-aid needs to be ripped off.

"I realized we've sort of...grown apart. Also..damn, not again.." as you rip off a piece of toilet paper and dab your eyes. Catching your breath took a minute but you finally get their in due time. With a sigh, you finally let it out.

"I've developed feelings for another person."

Watching him with blurry eyes didn't give you the opportunity to see his shoulders drop slightly or lips tighten.

"They're incredibly lucky to have caught your attention, Y/N."

"I think I'm lucky to have met them is a better statement. He's really great."

You sigh again and finally clear your vision. His expression is hard to read. Almost, seeming disappointed but that's probably your imagination trying to cope with rejection. Rejection that hasn't happened yet.

"I'm sure he is."

He moves away from you and grabs the television remote, flipping through channels until one catches his eye. Sitting back beside you, he looks back at you.

"Sorry, felt like background noise might've been welcome."

"Maybe a bit, yeah. Do you want to hear about him?"

"Am I going to have a choice in the matter? You're destined to bring him up."

"Guess you're right. But you're...already quite familiar with him already."

"It's not Brian, is it? I know you two talk or maybe.." This time putting in air quotes around "Talk". 

This time it's your turn to be stunned.

"No! I asked him advice about this guy. So, well...he's a bass player for a pretty well known group, I'm a pretty big fan of his work and writes some absolutely amazing tracks. Some may say he's had some questionable hair choices but I'm a big fan. Also he has these...gorgeous green eyes."

"Is it Paul McCartney?! I know you met him during Live Aid but damn, Y/N. Linda would kick your ass."

"It's not Paul McCartney you dumbass!"

A laugh erupts from you, making him laugh along with you. He dodges the slap on his arm but moving up the bed, sitting up against the headboard. You mirror him, eyes on the television screen. A comfortable silence washes over the room, the soft hum of the air conditioner adds background noise with the show playing before you. Seconds turn into minutes. Minutes turn into almost an hour of contemplation. Should you say something? You've grown close to him this past year, even closer this past month. He's one of your few confidants, a dear source of comfort. Possibly never seeing his smile again gives you literal heartbreak. But what if the risk is worth the reward? What if he views you in that way as well and you're just overreacting? Doubtful but not completely out of the realm of possibility.

It's when it turns into an hour and fifteen minutes when John starts yawning. If you wait, you'll never do it. You'll lose all nerve. You mutter a 'fuck it' under your breath.

"It's you."

He slowly turns his head in your direction. 

"What was that? I was zoned out for a while, there."

"The guy I was talking about....it's, well...."

You can do this, you just did it. Come on.

"It's you, John Richard Deacon."

You've never seen someone's eyes go that big in your life. His jaw goes slightly slack as he just looks at you. You see his eyes dart around every point on your face. Before you can even start registering what's happening, His lips assault you. Kisses on your forehead, kisses on your nose, kisses on your cheeks, kisses on your jaw but finally he reaches your lips. One hand laces its fingers in your hair, the other placed just below your jaw. Your breath is completely and utterly taken away and when he pulls away, lips swollen, your chest fills. What fills your heart to capacity is him whispering.

"I've been waiting, Y/N....I've been waiting for that moment when you say the words I couldn't say."

~~~~~~~~~~

May formatting it to be tumblr friendly to read pay off and if you read this, you are a sweet cherub angel and I love you a little bit. Also damn, my first fic published on Tumblr, they grow up so fast. 

[barnesandrogersfanfics]

Home - Part 11

While Bucky was bathing the girls and getting them ready for bed Steve and I were cleaning up the kitchen. I was stood at the sink arms buried in soapy water as i scrubbed the pans before passing them to Steve to dry.

"So things with you and Bucky must be good?" Steve said smirking.

"Yeah things are great actually Steve"

"Im glad, i like seeing him happy again. You know your the first woman his been with since Olivia"

"Olivia was his wife right?"

"Yeah, you guys spoken about her?"

I shook my head at Steves question.

"Not really. He doesn't like to talk about her, his mentioned her a handful of times but nothing major"

"They were going through a rough patch when she fell pregnant with Rosie, they hadn't planned on having her.... Buck had even said they were considering a divorce. But once they found out about Rosie they agreed to try again"

"I didn't know that, all i really know is she passed while having Rosie"

"Yeah it was an awful time. Since Olivia though Bucky hasn't dated at all. All his time goes into work and the girls. I'm glad he has you in his life. His been more like the Bucky i used to know and I've missed him" Steve said with a smile "you've been amazing to all of them Y/N"

"I haven't really done anything Steve..."

"You've done more than you know"

"I'll take your word on that" i chuckled quietly passing him the last of the pots to dry "i feel like I've brought nothing but drama to his life, Ms Harper acting up because she's a jealous bitch, my asshole of an ex husband showing up and now Chloe....." i sigh "i cant help but think he'd be better off with me out of the picture"

"You kidding?? He'd be devastated if he lost you"

"Don't worry I'm not planning on going anywhere. There's no way id be able to leave him and the girls.... or you" i added smiling at him "but it doesn't stop me wondering"

"Things will calm down sweetheart, i promise".

A knock at the door made us both look towards the front door, it was just after 8pm and we wasn't expecting visitors.

"Stay here, i'll get it" Steve said before making his way to the front door.

He reappeared moments later with another man walking behind him.

"Y/N this is Sam Wilson, his the one who's been looking for Jack. Sam this is our lovely Y/N" Steve introduced us.

"Its real nice to meet you Y/N, i just wish it was under better circumstances"

"You too Sam, thank you for helping with this Jack thing"

"Hey anything i can do to get this scum bag, i'll do it. Bucky told me all about everything that happened, i can't believe no one would help you before"

"No one seemed to care" i shrugged "Jack's got friends in high places"

"Don't worry, when we find him he wont stand a chance by the time we're done with him"

"Still can't find him then huh?"

"Not yet, but we will"

"Rosie! Rosie get your butt back in here" Bucky was suddenly shouting before a naked wet Rosie came running through the living room and diving at me.

"Well hello to you too Miss Rosie" i laughed picking her up "Be right back" i told Steve and Sam before taking Rosie back upstairs.

"Returning one naked child" i laughed grabbing a towel and wrapping it around Rosie. Looking around i noticed the bathroom was soaked and so was Bucky "What the hell happened in here?" I laughed looking down at Bucky who looked exhausted.

"I forgot how chaotic it is bathing 3 children is what happened here. Brooklyn insisted on wearing her bathing suit, Allie and Rosie just kept fighting and splashing..... Brooke has gone to get herself ready for bed, i got Rosie out the tub.... by the time i had Allie out Rosie had done a runner!!"

"Yeah you gotta be quick Buck" i couldnt help but laugh at the look on his face.

"It never used to be this difficult"

"Awww poor baby" i cooed at him "go get changed i'll sort Rosie and Allie out and check on Brooke"

"No its fine i can do it...."

"I know you can, but Steve's downstairs with Sam you should go down"

"Has he found Jack?"

"Not yet. Go get changed we wont be too long".

As Bucky passed he leant down to press a quick kiss to my lips "your the best".

Once the girls were dried and dressed in their pyjamas i quickly dried their hair and braided it to keep it as neat as possible.

"Lets go downstairs and say goodnight"

Brooke and Allie ran downstairs (still too lively for this time of night) while Rosie was already cuddled up in my arms falling asleep.

"Their they are!" I heard Sam say before the girls started shouting excitedly for their Uncle Sam.

"One down, two to go" Bucky said smiling at Rosie asleep in my arms.

"She's always the first down" i smiled stroking my hand up and down her back. Bucky reached for my hand and pulled me and Rosie down into his lap.

"Hey Buck you gonna get the beers or what?" Steve said from one of the sofa's where Allie was now jumping on him.

"Ive got my hands full here you punk"

"Oh i see that" Steve smirked like the little shit he was.

"go get it yourself you normally do" Bucky laughed at his friend.

"Fine! I'll get them".

Bucky's POV

Y/N was fast asleep in my lap still holding onto Rosie, i couldn't help but smile down at the woman in my arms.

It was crazy how easily she fit into our lives, it felt like she'd always been here with us.

"Look at him Sam, have you ever seen him so loved up?" Steve teased nudging Sam making him laugh.

"Honestly? No!" He shook his head smiling over at me and Y/N.

"Shut up!" I mumbled at my friends rolling my eyes feeling myself blush.

"Its nothing to be embarrassed about Buck, its a good look on you. You look happy, truly happy"

"I am, i forgot what it felt like to have someone in my life like this. I can't even remember it ever feeling like this with Olivia. I mean, i loved her of course i did... we had the girls.... but it was never this easy" i said looking down at Y/N again "its just so natural with her, even before we admitted how we felt about eachother"

"Just dont mess it up Buck, she's one of the good ones" Steve said shifting in his seat before he started picking the label on his beer bottle.

"I won't"

"Now we just gotta find her dick of an ex husband" Steve grumbled.

"You got that right. Sam, you haven't found anything?"

"Well he had been staying at the Palmdale Hotel but he stopped showing up there after the incident at the store. So he must know we're looking for him, maybe he left town.... we haven't found any trace of him still being here Buck"

"Maybe, he wont stay gone for long though. The guy is hellbent on getting her back"

"He won't get near her dont worry, even if it means one of us is with her at all times" Steve added finishing the rest of his beer and putting the empty bottle on the table.

"Yeah I'm sure she'll love that" i shook my head, i could just imagine how she would react to having one of us 'babysitting' her 24/7 until Jack was dealt with.

"Well she'll just have to deal with it"

"I'll keep looking too, any sign i'll let you know" Sam nodded "she gonna be staying here with you until we find Jack?"

"Yeah, i wanna make sure she's safe".

"Thats probably best, well i should get home before Wanda starts calling me wondering where i am" Sam laughed as he got up from the sofa "you need anything call me"

"Thanks Sam, you and Wanda should come by for dinner this weekend if your free?"

"Yeah sounds good Buck"

"I'll walk you out" Steve told him following him to the front door leaving me alone with my sleeping girls.

"Hey doll" i said quietly stroking her arm "wake up, lets get you to bed".

Her eyes fluttered open and she just stared at me as a smile spread on her face.

"Hey"

"Hey baby, you ready for bed?"

"Mmmmm, best get the girls to bed first though. Steve and Sam gone?"

"Steve's just seeing Sam out, he'll probably crash in the guest room its getting late and his had a couple of beers"

"Okay" she leant forward and pressed a kiss to my lips before getting up from my lap with Rosie.

"I'll take Rosie up, you okay with Brooke and Allie?"

"Yeah, i'll be up in a minute" i smiled as i watched her leave the room.

"You need a hand with the girls?" Steve offered coming back in.

"Yeah thanks, you take one i'll get the other. You staying?"

"If thats okay"

"Of course it is" i nodded with a smile to Steve as he picked up Allie who was closest to him and took her up, i picked up Brooke and headed towards the stairs turning off the lights as i went, setting the alarm and making sure the front door was locked before i went up. After putting the girls in their beds i said goodnight to Steve and headed for my room where i knew Y/N would be waiting for me and i couldn't wait to have her in my arms.

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[leviathanlazarus]

Bossy Brat

Pairing: Rick Savage x Joe Elliott

Word Count: ~5000

Warnings: dom!Sav x sub!Joe; oral sex; fingering; rimming; unprotected penetrative sex. 18+ 

Written as a gift for whitelightning625, as part of 2020's A Very Kinky Rockfic Ficmas Fest. The prompt was 'Joe Elliott,Rick Savage (Def Leppard,Def Leppard): Joe is being a little bitch and Sav makes him pay (pyromania era please).'

Thanks to @cominunderfire​ for the gif! 

---

Joe’s hair, which was getting perpetually lighter with each passing day, or so it seemed, shook and caught the light as he tossed his head and started to saunter away. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore, Sav.” He turned his cheek to shoot a look back, tourmaline-green eyes narrowed slightly: “Let’s just move on, alright?”

Sav wasn’t so willing to give up the fight that easily. Fight was maybe more of an overstatement but, whatever it was, he was pissed. What had started as a tiny tiff had morphed into Joe being passive-aggressive and arrogant, then Joe literally turning his back on him. It was such a stupid thing, Joe and him arguing about changing the set-list for the next night. Sav didn’t want to, but Joe did, and they couldn’t come to an agreement--usually one or the other would relent willingly and arms would be thrown around one another, and they’d laugh at their mutual stubbornness. Not today, and Sav was chalking it up to the full moon maybe, or exhaustion, or maybe Joe just needed to eat something. But he was tired of the bickering and even more tired of Joe acting like a prissy brat about it. 

Sav had hoped that things would change after dinner, with at least Joe being satiated to some extent by a good meal, but back in their shared room he was only met with the same attitude and passive-aggressiveness that he’d been dealing with all afternoon and evening. All over Sav wanting to keep the set-list the same--it was a joke! God forbid anyone but Joe be the one to call the shots. Sav thought, quite defiantly, that they were way too young to be bickering like an old married couple. 

“How long are you going to take, Joe?” Sav asked, rapping on the bathroom door. The shower wasn’t running anymore--Joe was probably standing stark naked in front of the mirror, inspecting himself, towel-drying his hair, and Sav wanted to use whatever hot water was left and get 10 minutes to himself. He was starting to regret sharing a room.

The door suddenly swung open and Sav nearly fell forward into Joe’s glistening half-naked body. The white towel low on his hips was the only covering and it was then, bare-chested and underneath the stark white bathroom lights, that Sav could see the slight tan lines around his shoulders, although his skin was almost uniform in its pale honey color, no doubt mostly owed to that well-loved Union Jack tank top that never seemed to come off these days. Despite Sav’s irritation, his gaze was slowly trailing up Joe’s body, starting at the slim hips and taut stomach, eyes moving up along the slight vertical indent of his torso, across his chest with the smattering of hair to those shoulders, more defined and visibly stronger than they’d been even a year prior. 

Joe was growing up--they all were--but the snarky sneer on his face as Sav’s eyes met his was so impetuous that Sav was tempted to grab him by the hair and toss him out of the way.

Instead, Joe bowed out of the way himself and swept an arm toward the free bathroom. “It’s all yours, your majesty.”

Oh, Sav was starting to fume. He gritted his teeth but couldn’t stop what quickly came out of his mouth, though he realized it could have been far worse: “You’re joking, right? You’re the one who’s been acting like a royal bitch all day.”

Joe scoffed, tossing his head back. “I already told you we can do it your way, Sav, since you won’t let it go. What else do you want me to say?”

“Oh, because clearly that’s what you really want, is it? My way?” Sav stepped forward, the idea of taking a relaxing shower thrown out the window. “And yet you’ve been giving me an attitude all day, ignoring me, acting like a spoiled brat.” When Joe turned back to face him, Sav threw his hands up, exasperated, but stared him down as best he could. “Fine, let’s change it for tomorrow night. Even though you know I’m not the only one who doesn’t want to.” 

Joe stood his ground, crossing his arms over his chest. “No. We’ll keep it, seeing as how hell-bent you are on that. He dropped his arms and sighed, turning away again to move toward his luggage at the foot of his bed. "It’s not a big thing, Sav.”

Sav wouldn’t relent. He was too pissed off then, the irritation prickling through his veins like thorns. He strutted over and grabbed Joe’s arm before he could unzip the bag: “Really?” he hissed, making Joe look at him. Even with Sav needing to peer up at him, Sav wasn’t going to go down like that. Quite the contrary. “Because you’re making it seem like quite a ‘big thing,’ Joe.” 

“Jesus, Sav, will you give it a rest?” Joe nearly shouted, tearing his arm away. 

Sav grabbed both of his arms that time, sliding his hands down to his wrists and holding on firm. “Not until you apologize,” he said, and started to shove Joe back against the wall. Even with the added height and weight, it didn’t take all that much to move him, and even realizing just that made Sav more determined to get some payback. It’d been a while since they fooled around, and maybe that’s what he needed in order to put out the fire, not a hot shower.

Joe snorted and turned his nose up at him even as he was backed up flush against the white wall. “Apologize?”

“I’m not going to say it again,” Sav warned, quickly pinning Joe’s wrists up above his head before he could successfully wiggle away. He leaned in close, the tip of his nose nearly brushing over Joe’s cheek, breathing in the scent of clean, fresh soap. “And I don’t think words will be enough.” 

“Drama queen.” Joe tried to tug his wrists down but Sav held them up and pressed them back against the wall harder, then shoved his knee between Joe’s legs, brushing up against his groin only protected by the white cotton towel. 

Sav took his knee back down as quickly as he’d put it up. “Why am I giving you more attention?” he mused, looking at him head-on again. “Don’t you get enough? Didn’t you get enough today with all of your bloody attitude?” 

“Sav, you’re acting deranged,” Joe said matter-of-factly, almost looking bored despite being pinned to the wall. 

Sav yanked Joe’s wrists down and tugged him forward, backing himself up against the edge of Joe’s bed. When he freed Joe’s wrists to start to unbutton and unzip his jeans, Joe finally looked caught off guard. “I said words wouldn’t be enough, didn’t I?” Sav reminded him and grabbed Joe’s hands to replace his own. Joe’s fingers remained still at Sav’s open fly, but Sav saw the faintest twitch in both Joe’s thumbs, just barely brushing over the teeth of the undone zipper. 

Joe grimaced, looking at Sav’s crotch and not his eyes, but pulled Sav’s jeans down to the middle of his thighs nonetheless. “Fine. Have it your way, Sav.” He pressed one palm against Sav’s hip. “Sit down.”

Sav gripped Joe’s shoulder and shoved him down, successfully making him falter for a moment, one knee buckling. “No, Joe. You get down,” he commanded, and saw Joe grimace again but still, he complied. Sav exhaled slowly as he watched Joe sink down to his knees, his hands gripping Sav’s thighs for support, green eyes flashing up at him as a watercolor hue of rose flushed over his cheeks. 

“Good,” Sav affirmed, heat rising from his groin, up through his torso and into his own cheeks, and reached down to run his fingers through Joe’s damp hair. Joe glared up at him, easing down the waistband of Sav’s briefs, and Sav smirked triumphantly. “In fact, this is the best you’ve been all day. Is it so hard to be compliant?” 

“Just watch out, Sav,” Joe said as Sav’s half-hard dick sprang free. “I have teeth.”

Sav curled his fingers in Joe’s hair and yanked upward. “You’d be smart not to even try that.” At Joe’s wince, he relinquished his tight grip but added, a little more delicately, “I’m serious--you owe me.”

“Whatever you say, your majesty,” Joe sneered back but Sav let that fly because then Joe’s soft lips were wrapping around the head of his cock and his balls were being gently fondled. Sav staggered back a bit and wrapped his fingers tighter in Joe’s hair for leverage, and he got a soft grunt of a response from down below; Joe’s tongue slid over Sav’s tiny, wet slit and then he was fully erect and pulsing, and Sav let his hips jolt forward an inch into Joe’s face.

“Actions, not words, Joe,” Sav gritted out, yanking on Joe’s hair again, making him take half of his cock at once. Joe could play it like he didn’t like sucking Sav off all that much, or maybe he actually lacked confidence (if only), but whenever Joe actually got to his knees or pivoted himself between Sav’s legs, he took that dick down like it was the only job he had, like it was the only job he ever wanted to have. What pissed Sav off about it, really was that it was like Joe didn’t even need to try--he just loosened his jaw, suctioned his tongue against the warm skin, and sucked, slurped and drooled like his life depended on it.

Even when he was acting pissy, like right now, and giving Sav a sour look from below with just his eyes. Sav didn’t need Joe to show that he was into it--after all, this was a punishment of sorts--and Joe’s livid technique revealed all anyway. 

His hand cupping Sav’s balls shot to the side, gripping his thigh tight as he was pushed down even further; Joe choked and Sav felt the wave of saliva inside his mouth, coating his cock and slicking Joe’s lips, but held steady. Joe allowed Sav’s hold in his hair to tighten and allowed his cock to slide further and further back against his tongue, teasing his throat, but his eyes dropped down, closing as Sav thrust forward once.

Sav threaded his fingers through Joe’s hair, pushing it back, yanking it in the process. “Look up,” he said and Joe did, the hand clamped around Sav’s thigh like a vice. Sav’s heart was thumping hard and fast--Joe really did look great like that, all flushed and finally dismantled, no longer the picture of macho stoicism. It felt amazing too, all that wetness and heat tight around him, and Joe didn’t stop sliding his tongue around him and sucking as Sav addressed him again: “Are you going to stop being a brat?”

Joe grabbed the base of Sav’s cock and started to remove himself, but Sav shoved him back on it: “Like I said, ‘actions not words.’”

Joe exhaled and made to roll his eyes but stopped himself. He twisted the base and sucked on the head, then nodded as he slid himself forward, swallowing as Sav’s cock went deeper and deeper. 

“Good,” Sav affirmed, letting out a long breath, both hands landing gently on the crown of Joe’s head, fingers toying and messing with his hair as he got worked over. When Joe reached one of his hands down and started to loosen the towel still around his hips, Sav pulled him back by his hair, making him yelp quietly. “No, none of that--this isn’t about what you want, remember?” 

Joe nodded again and took Sav back into his mouth, slow and concentrated. Sav held on and started to gently buck his hips, courteous enough to let Joe get used to the jolting back and forth and the cock in his mouth jutting into the back of his throat, Sav gradually giving more momentum and less care. Normally, when Joe would go down on him, he’d let him do whatever he wanted which was, much to Sav’s delight, sloppy and delicious. Now, however, Sav was way past letting Joe get his way--again. 

It was only when saliva started to dribble down Joe’s chin, Sav’s balls and onto the floor, and only when Joe gagged squeezed his eyes shut, that Sav started to wind back down. He pet Joe’s hair and slowed his hips, groaned quietly as all that saliva coated and soaked his erection and Joe was bold enough to pull back, drag his tongue along the shaft and then suck viciously on the head; he prodded his tongue into Sav’s slit again and, when his mouth popped off, more blood swelled in Sav’s groin and his heart skipped at the sight of his shiny precum all over Joe’s lips and the tip of his tongue.

“Come on,” Sav said, reaching underneath Joe’s armpits and hoisting him up. He crashed their bodies together, nearly falling back onto the bed, and held the sides of Joe’s face as he ravaged those slick lips. Joe moaned softly when Sav slid his tongue into his mouth and his hands gripped Sav’s bare hips, one hand inching around to squeeze and caress. Sav grabbed his wrist and moved his hand to his abdomen: “You gonna help me out of these clothes?”

Joe lifted the hem of Sav’s shirt and started to bring it over his head. “You’re almost asking politely.” He tossed it aside and crouched down to pull Sav’s jeans and underwear the rest of the way off. “I think I deserve that.” 

Sav kicked his jeans away, then pulled the towel away from Joe’s body before he moved behind him and shoved him onto the bed. With a knee between his legs, Sav pushed Joe up until he was in the middle of the mattress, already trying to turn over onto his back; Sav straddled his thighs and pressed one palm between his shoulder blades to shove him down, then slapped his ass with the other hand. 

“Being bratty again, are you?” Sav said, a growl swelling in his throat. “I thought we talked about this.” 

Joe snickered. “You like it.”

 Sav slapped his ass again, hard enough to make the fair cheek strawberry-red. “Jesus, when will you ever learn to be quiet?” 

Joe grunted but otherwise gave no reaction to the slap, making Sav’s blood even hotter. “I suppose when you learn to actually give it to me like a man.”

Sav’s mouth actually fell open in shock at the remark, but his wave of insecurity was superseded by genuine frustration and he shoved Joe harder down into the mattress. He leaned down, bare torso flush with Joe’s naked back, and hissed in his ear: “You’d like that? You should have said something earlier.” He leaned back and smacked the other cheek, harder still, and Joe winced and hissed back. “Whatever--this still isn’t about what you want.”

Which was, at least partially, a lie. Sav still got even more enjoyment out of seeing Joe wiggle beneath him as he bit his lip and moaned--it was a little hard to be punitive when Joe just looked so good enjoying it. Nevertheless, it wasn’t all that often that Sav got to have the reins, and he was going to do his best to make the most of it for himself. 

With his erection planted in the gap between Joe’s spread legs, the head of Sav’s cock nudged against his taint as he hunkered down and brushed Joe’s hair away; he kissed the side of his neck before biting it. Still, Joe didn’t make a sound other than a little “mmph,” so Sav did it again, harder, until he was sure if he did it with any more vigor he’d break skin. Truthfully, Sav wanted to hear Joe back-talk, curse and get loud. Attitude or not, it was always exciting to be in bed with him (or the shower, or the tour bus, or the men’s stall) and he was so warm and inviting underneath Sav that he was already starting to forgive him. 

Sav couldn’t let Joe know that, though.

He dragged his teeth sideways along Joe’s shoulder, biting down when he finally heard the slightest whimper from him, his face buried in the comforter. Sav slowly laced his fingers through Joe’s hair at the back of his head and pulled him back, craning his neck, and watched his Adam’s apple tremble. 

“Do you think I should treat you nicely?” Sav asked, holding onto Joe’s hair as he moved down his back, running his tongue down his spine. “Despite you being such a bloody tosser today?” Joe couldn’t even answer, because Sav was already spreading his cheeks and pushing his ass up into the air; he groaned when Sav’s tongue ran up his crack, teasing enough to make him actually moan and start gripping the comforter tight. Sav dug his fingertips into Joe’s flesh--that delightful, dense combination of muscle and fat--and licked up his taint, then to what he’d found to be one of the most sensitive spots on Joe’s entire body. Joe bucked back into his face; Sav smacked his ass again but continued, warming him up with as much saliva as his tongue would allow. 

Now Joe was panting and moaning breathlessly--Sav even heard his name uttered, muffled by Joe pressing his face back into the mattress. Sav’s cock twitched at that; he reached out and grabbed Joe’s wrist, pulling him back as best he could. “Come on, I wanna hear you,” Sav said, holding that shoulder up as Joe propped himself up on his elbows. “You were ignoring me and now you can’t get enough.”

“Can never get enough of you,” Joe replied quietly, tossing his hair back. “Even when you get wicked.”

“Oh, please,” Sav said and moved his face back down, biting down into Joe’s inner thigh, teeth dangerously close to his balls. He grazed his teeth over the sac and felt Joe freeze. “It’s always your way, Joe. Always what you want. You’re always the one commandeering.” He licked through his crack again and Joe sighed. “Not now.” 

Sav kept his fingertips taut, digging in and keeping Joe spread, as the deliberate movements of his tongue made him tremble and moan. The lack of attention to Sav himself was starting to become physically torturous but mentally, he was invested in making Joe beg for mercy--to beg Sav to finally fuck him, and apparently fuck him “like a man.” 

So he kept lapping his tongue over him, kept kneading his cheeks, and eventually Joe huffed out: “You really are such a bitch sometimes.”

Immediately, Sav stopped. Ignoring the dire need to slam into Joe right then, he crawled up his backside, making him press himself back down into the bed. “Oh, really?” Sav reached around and cradled his throat in his left hand, the right cupping his jaw, tilting his head back. He slid two fingers into Joe’s mouth and felt him swallow as he slicked them over with his tongue. “Doesn’t matter, because you’re my bitch right now.”

Once again, Sav stole away Joe’s possible rebuttal when he reached down and slid one of those slick fingers inside; Joe’s back arched beneath him and he swallowed again, and Sav held his neck up when he tried to let his head drop forward. 

“I’m being nice and getting you ready,” Sav said in Joe’s ear, nipping at the lobe, and pulling out just to slide two fingers back inside, the feeling of those impossibly tight, velvety walls so unnervingly alluring. “You should be thanking me.” 

Joe only gasped in response; Sav smirked to himself and rubbed his crotch into his lower back, then wiggled the tip of his fingers again. He pulled himself back, freeing Joe’s neck and moving that hand down to grasp his hip, watching his own actions and listening to Joe try and stifle his moans. When Joe pushed back on his fingers, Sav pulled them out and smacked his ass again, both cheeks flush and warm to the touch. 

“Turn over,” he ordered, and got off the bed, his weeping, impatient erection jutting straight out. He watched Joe roll over onto his back, hook his arms behind his head and bring one knee up; too casual, Sav thought, but went into Joe’s bag to get the bottle of lube anyway, and way too comfortable. 

Lube in hand, Sav crawled over Joe and went straight for his cock, still only half-hard. “I suppose I should’ve given this more attention, hm?” he taunted, stroking it, nudging Joe’s knee down with his elbow. Joe’s arms moved from behind his head to encircle Sav’s shoulders, his lips parted as he tried to pull Sav down into a kiss. Sav allowed Joe to bring him down but kept their mouths apart, the tips of their noses only half an inch from touching; he ran his thumb over Joe’s slit as he twisted his hand and Joe let out a little grunt from the base of his throat. 

“You want me to kiss you?” Sav asked, feeling tempted himself. Joe’s cupid’s bow was shining with saliva and his lips were plush and pink, and those waiting, silently eager green eyes above were a perpetual taunt in Sav’s vision.

Joe gently held onto Sav’s nape, fingertips brushing over his hairline. “Yes, Sav, Jesus,” he huffed, tilting his head and licking his lips.

He was too hard and needy, shoved up against Joe’s right hip, and Joe was rock-solid in Sav’s palm; Sav gave in and ducked down through the last half-inch of air, pressing his lips to Joe’s softly at first, just softly enough to elicit a little, almost dainty moan from Joe. When Joe tried to take the lead, Sav fought it--he scraped the tips of his teeth down Joe’s tongue and then caught his bottom lip, nibbling on it before pulling it, even more turned on by Joe wincing and grabbing at Sav’s hair. 

Sav shook his head and retreated when Joe’s teeth managed to bite into his lip. “Mm-mm--no,” he warned, opening his eyes again to see the green of Joe’s irises as clear and as blazing as ever. Sav leaned back and grabbed Joe’s right leg, hooking it around his waist, the firmness of his inner thigh pressed against Sav’s sharp hip bone; he grabbed the lube and squeezed it right over his erection, wrapping his hand around it to get it slick and ready. Joe pulled Sav in with his leg, Sav’s lubed up dick rubbing all over his own crotch until Sav dug his fingers into Joe’s thigh and pushed it back, lined himself up, and started to inch his way inside.

So tight--Sav couldn’t stop himself from closing his eyes and just reveling in the heat all around him, Joe’s warm body snug around his cock and around his entire frame, those long, strong legs wrapping themselves around Sav’s waist and his normally commanding hands gripping Sav’s upper arms desperately. Stamina was what Sav needed--and what he usually had plenty of--but Joe inviting Sav, begging him, really, in like that already had his cock pounding inside him. He felt frozen for a moment, eyes still closed as he tried to get his bearings, and then Joe spoke:

“Am I gonna get it anytime soon or what?”

His tone was a little gruff but there was still an underlying neediness to it, something Joe was, apparently, incapable of covering up because he wanted Sav THAT bad. Flattered but unwilling to take anymore of that brattiness, Sav shoved all the way in fast, folded Joe’s legs on either side of himself and leaned over him; he covered Joe’s mouth with his palm and watched the green eyes widen, and felt the slight bit of warm sweat on Joe’s upper lip.

“You really need to learn when it’s time to stop talking,” Sav said. He held tight onto Joe’s leg as he started to thrust and held his palm firm over his mouth, Joe breathing heavily beneath him. He wasn’t given much time to acclimate before Sav was pushing in as hard as he could, lifting Joe’s ass right up and drilling into him fast and steady.

Joe whimpered beneath his palm; Sav slid his hand to the side of his jaw, slipping two fingers into his mouth and, without any instigation, Joe licked at and sucked on them while his cheeks grew nearly as hot as Sav’s lust. 

“You never let me do this,” Sav panted out, tearing his fingers from Joe’s mouth to grab his jaw and hold him steady, make Joe keep his eyes on him. “But I bet you’re enjoying it so much, you’ll be begging for it again and again.”

The flicker in Joe’s eyes looked as though he’d try to refute that, but Sav’s hand moving down to his throat only made him whine. He squeezed Sav’s biceps; Sav dug his nails into the thigh he was fastened against, then hooked his arm through the other and pushed them back, folding himself into Joe and shoving his face through the long, dirty blonde hair and against his neck. 

Joe’s fingers gripped Sav’s hair and he let out a low “fuck” as Sav bit his neck, merciless and unhinged. Sav bit and licked, then moved his lips along just to do it in a new spot, not conscious of his wanting to mark Joe for days on end but, inside, something more primal had laid in wait for so long that it was surging out of him finally. The noises they were both making--Sav growling as he bit and sucked on Joe’s sensitive skin, Joe’s moans sounding from deep in his chest and then high in his throat--were animalistic and no doubt creeping through the walls of their room. Sav was, on some level, proud of that.

He felt Joe’s cock hard and hot against his belly, the precum warm and slippery as it leaked over his skin, and Sav’s own cock inside Joe was so close to giving in, but Sav refused to be the first. He planted a sloppy kiss on Joe’s mouth and then shot straight back, grabbing Joe’s cock before he even had time to blink.

“Gonna give it to me?” Sav asked, his tone more urgent than he would have liked, but if Joe could tell he was about to fall apart, he didn’t show it--he looked at Sav like he was marveling at the entire universe, eyes wide and never breaking away, his hands reaching out to grope at him again. Sav gave another hard, dense shove between Joe’s thighs: “Gonna come all over yourself?” He twisted his hand, felt the vines pulsing in his palm and beneath his fingers, and rocked into Joe again. “Or should I make you beg for it first?”

Joe arched his back and grabbed onto the hand that had returned to his thigh. “No.”

Sav felt he couldn’t take much more, but he was going to try. “No? Well then.” He took his hand away from Joe’s cock and was met with furious, desperate hands clawing at him, trying to pull him down, trying to get Sav to start stroking him again. There was hope in Joe’s eyes when one of Sav’s hands moved toward him again, but he only wrapped it around his throat again, Joe’s pulse against his thumb and his Adam’s apple against his palm. 

“Fuck--” Joe groaned, and Sav really thought the next word out of his mouth would be “you” but instead it was a shockingly pitiful “please.” 

Fuck, alright. Sav dutifully returned his attention to Joe’s cock--he honed in on the fluttering and pulsing, the impossible heat rising from the base to the tip, and felt his own orgasm growing in sync. Joe cursed again and threw one arm out, fingers clutching at the sheets, and shot all over his own abdomen; Sav was right on his heels, pounding into him in such a way he thought he might find bruises on his own hips later on, and released right into Joe’s quivering, wanton body. 

Sav let himself collapse on top of him and grabbed Joe’s jaw again, turning him to face each other, and kissed him. Joe’s arms cradled him and one leg wrapped around the backs of Sav’s thighs and, upon their making out, Sav really realized how much he just loved kissing Joe like that--right after orgasm, when they were both cloudy-headed and open and as close as two people could be with one another, literally. 

Slowly Sav pulled out and flopped onto his side. He reached an arm over Joe’s chest and brought their mouths together again, the kisses slow, deep and wet; Joe caressed the side of Sav’s face, fingertips tracing his eyebrow, his cheekbone, the corner of his mouth. 

When they broke apart, Joe blinked slowly and continued to stroke Sav’s face. “You really don’t want to change the setlist?”

“No.” Sav took in the sight of the cherry and plum colored bruises already painted over Joe’s neck. “You didn’t learn your lesson?”

Joe bit his lip, smirked. “It was a fine lesson, Sav. And alright, for fuck’s sake--we won’t change it.”

Sav gave him a quick kiss and started to move off the bed. “Good.”

Joe lunged across the mattress and pulled him back. “Where do you think you’re going? You’re gonna sleep in my bed with me after a pounding like that.” Sav smiled as Joe got on his knees beside him and wrapped his arms around his shoulders, ducked his head to nuzzle his shoulder. “I won’t beg for it,” he said. “Just do it.”

Sav rolled his eyes. “You really are bossy, Joe.”

Joe nipped his shoulder. “You should be used to it by now.” 

He may have been forever bossy, but Joe was also the only person Sav would let completely swaddle him; all their long limbs woven together, Joe’s warm chest pressed against Sav’s back with neither one caring about the drying jizz between them. On the verge of sleep, Sav hoped he didn’t actually smack Joe’s ass too hard or bite him too mercilessly, but then Joe brushed his lips against the back of his neck. “I’ll tell you right now, Sav,” he whispered. “I’ll be asking for that again sometime.”

[elisaphoenix13]

(Your) Light In The Dark (Ch. 1)

Well, by a few requests, here is the start of Against All Odds in Quill's POV. There was a vote between this and a different high school story but after all the good ideas thrown at me, nothing clicked. So I decided to start with this for now.

It was almost disgusting. He almost didn't want to look around his classroom while his teacher spoke, just so he wouldn't have to see another girl bat her eyelashes at him again. Not that he didn't appreciate them...but that was usually from a distance. There was a reason he tried to keep his distance from the more popular girls. Ninety percent of the time they had one goal, and that was to get into his pants. He was pretty sure it was supposed to be the other way around, but it felt relentless. It was bad enough Rachel had her eyes on him. She was already spreading rumors that she and him were an item and it sent shivers up his spine.

Was it too much to ask that someone wanted him for him? To not care about bragging rights (something his friends said was actually a thing)? The part of the school that cared about high school drama (and didn't listen to Rachel) wondered why Quill wasn't in a relationship, and the answer was simple.

He wanted more than a simple fuck. He wanted to get to know someone. Then again, this was high school so that probably really was too much to ask. It was rare for high school couples to keep going with a relationship after graduation anyway. A guy could hope though.

Quill sighs with a mixture of relief and trepidation when the lunch bell rings, and takes his time throwing his books into his backpack. He brought lunch from home so he wasn't in any rush to get to the cafeteria, and while he liked taco day, he liked his grandfather's leftover beef stew way better. It was so good he'd eat it cold...but he wasn't going to. He would be able to heat it up if he asked the lunch lady nicely.

"Hey Quill! Are you stuck or something? Come on!" One of his friends calls when he sticks his head into the classroom.

"Hilarious." The senior retorts sarcastically as he looks around the now empty classroom. He had taken longer than he thought.

He gets up from his desk and slings his bag over his shoulder, following his friend to their lockers where Quill switched out books and got his lunch. They join up with more of their football friends outside of the cafeteria, and after they walk in and over to their usual table, Quill throws his backpack onto his spot. It hardly took a minute to coax the lunch lady to heat up his lunch with some added charm, and a few minutes later, he was back at his seat and eating his stew.

"Hey! I heard Coach was going to cut practice short today." Eric says to him as Quill shoves another spoonful of food into his mouth. "Something about his kid's play."

"Thank god." He replies after swallowing. "I could use a breather."

"Pfft... he'll probably work us twice as hard to make up for it." One of the other guys says as Quill stops eating to look around.

He had been feeling eyes on him since he sat down but when he finally looked around, the feeling went away and nobody seemed to be paying him any mind. Not even Rachel. One more glance around the room just gave him a glimpse of a student hitting another boy upside the head with a paperback but it was otherwise normal. No one was staring at him, so he shrugged it off and turned his attention back to lunch and divided a small amount of that attention to the conversation his friends were having. About football practice. Nothing new there. It was almost white noise at this point because it was the same thing every day. Go to school, die a little inside from boredom for eight hours, then spend two more hours getting his ass sacked in practice because his defense wasn't doing their job. Shower the muscle aches away, go home and do his homework, eat dinner, go to bed. Rinse and repeat.

Maybe add a couple hours of watching TV or listening to music in there somewhere. It depended on how he was feeling and if he had the time or energy. It was all a boring routine. He wanted something new in his life. To mix it up. It was another reason why he wanted an actual relationship.

His routine played out for the rest of the day as expected. The only difference being that the football coach was indeed going to cut practice short, and that his friend was right that they were going to be working twice as hard to make up for it. By the time practice was finally over, Quill was pretty sure he had more bruises than ever. He had never looked forward to a shower as much as he did today, and made sure he beat his teammates to one of the showers where he made quick work of washing up so he could enjoy the hot spray of the water massaging his sore muscles.

"Damn Quill, put that away." One of the guys jest and the captain rolls his eyes as he turns off the shower.

"No one asked you to look." He wraps a towel around his waist before making his way over to the locker his clothes were in.

"Kind of hard not to when it's there." Eric adds.

"You're just jealous."

"...yeah. Kind of. You've got girls dying to get in your pants!"

Quill snorts. "Guess it sucks they have to settle for you. Do they ask you if it's in yet?"

Eric scowls. "You're a dick Quill."

"You all made that clear three seconds ago." Quill says with a grin over the team's howling laughter.

They all knew it was in good fun. No one actually took any offense to jokes like that because they all took some kind of shot at each other, and even Quill had a few of his friends take a few stabs at him.

"Anyway, we're thinking of going to get pizza. Want to join?" Eric asks as they get dressed.

"Sure. I was just going to head home, but I wouldn't mind a slice."

"You mean a whole damn pizza?"

"I pay for my own food. Shut up."

Quill closes his locker before throwing on his sweater and he curses when he remembers that he left his wallet in his regular locker. He shouts to his friends that he'll meet them at the restaurant as he throws his backpack over his shoulder and runs out of the locker room. There was no one besides the team and maybe some stragglers in the library on campus, so Quill didn't bother slowing down on his way to his locker. He came to regret it thirty seconds later though when he rounded a corner and barreled into a student that was innocently putting his books away. The poor guy was smaller than the senior though so while Quill only stumbled in surprise, the other boy was sent straight to the ground and his books tumbled to the floor.

"Holy shit! I'm sorry!" He exclaims as he crouches down to help gather the strewn books. "I wasn't paying attention. My bad."

Quill looked over at his unfortunate victim to hand his belongings over and his heart skipped a beat. He found himself looking into the most beautifully colored eyes he had ever seen.

His eyes are gold.

The younger teen looked as if he were caught doing something naughty.

"The one time I don't pay attention to where I'm going." He jokes as he helps the teen to his feet and brushes him off. "Are you okay? I didn't hurt you, did I?"

It was a plausible concern. The other boy was much smaller than Quill, and somewhere in the back of his mind he wanted to roll him up in bubble wrap and protect him from the harsh, unforgiving world. He wore a sweater that had definitely seen some usage, tight jeans that very pleasantly hugged every bit of his legs that Quill made sure to take a look at the back when he could, and then had the tiniest cowlick in his hair that he almost reached out to try and fix. He resisted though since he was pretty sure that wouldn't be well received.

Not a single word passed the younger's lips. He only continued to stare and Quill began to wonder if the guy could speak at all. Maybe he was mute? Quill's concern grows as the other turns back toward his locker to fumble his books back into it, but just when he turns back and finally opens his mouth to possibly say something, Quill was distracted by golden eyes again. His brain to mouth filter failed spectacularly on him in the next moment.

"Damn. You have some really pretty eyes for a guy." He blurts.

The blush that grew rapidly on the younger's face was just the icing on the cake. Quill did manage to take a look at what tight jeans were accenting when the other teen had turned to put away his books, and the senior was given an eyeful of hot damn. The smaller teen opened and closed his mouth like a fish, and just as Quill was about to ask him if he was okay again, the younger shut his mouth so hard he could hear his teeth clack together, made the most adorable squeak...and then hauled ass. By the time the senior processed what had happened, the other boy was already halfway around the corner (and his attempt to call out to him was all for naught), and Quill was intrigued. Most students either flirted with him or looked at him with obvious disdain (usually the students that despised the popular kids even though Quill was nice to everyone.), but that student? He did neither.

It was refreshing.

Who was that guy and why had Quill never noticed him before? He liked to think that he knew all of the students (at least almost all of them), especially someone as cute as that guy was, but he didn't recognize him. Maybe he was new? A transfer student? No. Even transfer students got some attention even if it was just for a couple of days, and Quill hadn't heard anything about one.

The only explanation at the time was that he was a guy that just wanted to get through high school with as little drama as possible, and Quill couldn't say he could blame him. High school sucked sometimes. Cliques didn't help.

He would have to figure it out later. Right now he needed to get his wallet and meet up with his friends at the pizza parlor so he could eat and hang out before he was expected home. He had all weekend to ponder about the mystery teen and how the everloving fuck he's never seen him before. Quill sighs and finishes his trek to his locker to grab his wallet, and then jogs a little slower (so not to accidentally bulldoze anyone else down) out of the building and to the parking lot to his car. He tosses his bag into the passenger seat as he gets in and then drives away after buckling in and starting the car.

It was on the short drive to the pizza parlor that Quill wondered a little more about the walking visible tease...and what he was going to do about getting rid of the sadness that was lurking behind honey-gold eyes. Sadness and loneliness that even Quill couldn't have missed. It wasn't the normal kind of thing he saw around school either. It was a cry for attention from someone that didn't seem to want it in the first place.

Damn.

This guy was already a walking conundrum and Quill didn't even know his name.

[just-dreaming-about]

First Impressions #4

I WAS JUST UP FOR DRAMA OK? So things are getting intense and dramatic this time for Thalia. I kinda like the final angst. #Sorrynotsorry? Enjoy!

She didn't know how things had gotten out of control so quickly. The plan was simple, wait until she received a code message from a hidden number and that would be herr signal to get out of the building as quickly as possible before S.H.I.E.L.D's agents took action. If she didn't do it in time, she would have problems since these agents would take her as one of Hammerhead's thugs. The signal she was waiting for came two weeks after she sealed the deal with Spider-Man. During those days she had kept busy training and helping thugs clean up weapons, her normal daily routine except that she hadn’t visited her father. Spider-Man told her that it would be best if she did so, S.H.I.E.L.D would make sure to put him safe before taking action and if she were to visit him perhaps Hammerhead would realize what was going on and that would spoil the plan. The plan was ruined from the start. She also hadn't had time to see Peter and return the jacket to him. When she received the message she was busy training hand-to-hand combat, this time with the surprise that Hammerhead's right hand was her partner. He fought well, she had to admit it. Behind his extremely slicked-back blonde hair, the jacket suit and his bored face, he knew how to move. She began to enjoy the fight between the biting comments that were thrown between them from time to time to anger the other and to attack with more force so she didn’t see the screen of her phone shine with the coded message and the hidden number. When they both ended training, she didn't give her phone much importance either as she slipped it into her training pants pocket.

-I didn't expect you to really know how to fight -she teased. -I'm not where I am because of my pretty face, you know? -he denied with his head but there was a funny smile on his face.

She looked at him feigning surprise and gestured with her hands as if her head had just exploded.

-You're a dork, you know? -he threw her the towel with which he had wiped the sweat from his face and neck.

When she reached out to return the towel, he was looking at his own phone, which he had taken out of his training bag, with a worried face.

-Bad news? -she asked pretending a carefree tone.

He turned to her as if wanting to say something but just then they heard a strange noise.

-I'm on my way! -yelled a voice that Thalia knew too well.

And then the cover of the ventilation duct crashed to the ground a few meters from where they were, a blue and red figure landed just after and Thalia thought she would rather be dead right now.

-Okay, I'm in. Where do I have to go? -he waited silently before speaking again- I'll be there in a minute.

Ready to run, it was at that moment that Spider-Man noticed the two people who were there with him. His first reaction was to look at her and then at him, where the mask made the shape of her eyes they widened with what she thought was a grimace, but then his right hand went to the right side of his face where his ear should be.

-I'm going to take a little longer.

She barely had a second to think, Hammerhead's right hand was there so she would have to pretend the situation caught her by surprise as well and try to fight Spider-Man alongside him. The surprise part didn't have to strain to fake it. So she took a defensive stance, ready to spring into action, and Spider-Man seemed to read her mind because he was also preparing to go into combat but he stopped them.

-Are you that stupid or is it just that we're lucky? -he asked to the masked hero with an expression of disbelief- Do you not think before acting? Didn't it occur to you to scan the place BEFORE entering? You're lucky it's just me and Thalia, what would have happened if it had been someone else? -Wait, are you Jerry? The person agent Shaw said he had inside? -asked Spider-Man now. -Obviously! I would have shot you already, although the truth is that I am wanting. Who let you be part of this mission? -Agent Simmons thought I could use some more experience -his voice sounded somewhat embarrassed but Thalia had to interrupt them because she was so lost. -I don't get it. Who are you and why aren't you surprised to see Spider-Man here?

In a quick recap Jerry explained that he was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, that he had been infiltrating the ranks of Hammerhead for months and that he reported on all the illegal activities that took place there. He also told her that he had convinced Hammerhead to keep his father alive to use it and this would give him time to find a way out of there. So S.H.I.E.L.D. was actually taking care of her way Thalia was very surprised but had no time to process the new information, Spider-Man explained to them that there were detonators in the building in the places where Jerry had told them that there would be no one: his mission was to find the Hammerhead security room and download all the information on their computers before they detonated. Both Jerry and Spider-Man insisted that she should leave the building right now, but Thalia refused, wanted to help and be helpful, and Jerry argued with her as if he were some kind of self-proclaimed overprotective older brother. That bothered her. And it bothered her even more that Spider-Man agreed with him! Sorry? She had fought Spider-Man and had defended herself well! Well, maybe the hero kicked her off in their first encounter, but she had taken the hit and got up again. That had to serve as sufficient proof that she was able to keep up with them. But neither the infiltrated agent nor the hero-in-training seemed to see him as she did. So the three of them ran to the exit carefully taking the empty corridors since at that time there would not be many people in the building.

-Why are you coming with us? Spider-Man asked, skidding to the left, almost falling in the process. -The exit is in the same direction, idiot!

For a second Peter thought that Thalia was lying to him and that he was actually going to go with them all the way so he was relieved to see that she was turning right when they were turning left. He hoped that she could get to the exit well but, although her instinct told her to turn around and accompany her to a safe place, she kept running because this mission was very important and S.H.I.E.L.D. expected a lot from him and Happy also expected a lot from him and there were many outstanding eyes looking at him during this mission in principle simple but in which so many things could go wrong... Since that night two weeks ago he hadn't stopped thinking about her. There was a part of him that scolded himself for allowing the thing to go so far, now there were feelings involved and it was very difficult to explain to anyone related to this mission why he jumped to the slightest mention of Thalia. No one knew that he had come to know her as Peter, he was struggling to pretend that he only knew her as Spider-Man and that it was only a strong sense of justice that drove him. But he was looking forward to the mission being over to go see her and check that she was okay. On the one hand he wanted all this to end for her but on the other he wondered if when it was all over he would ever see her again. The times he had seen her as Peter had been entirely by luck and he had never found the courage or the words to ask for her phone number. The time was never appropriate Jerri was in charge of opening the door to the computer room and he flew with the pendrive to download all the information he could find. It was very fast actually. Just in and out. Jerri warned Peter that the detonators were about to explode, they should leave as soon as possible. He was guided by him to a large open window from which Peter could escape, Jerri had to keep his cover so he could find work for another great objective than S.H.I.E.L.D. was targeting from Hell's Kitchen. Peter threw his webs at the nearest building and swayed easily before hearing gunshots coming from the back of the building that faced a small private harbor. Something inside him told him that it would be better to check the origin of those shots even though his brain and the plan he knew he had to follow told him otherwise. And damn it this time he listened to his instincts because Thalia was there. Two thugs were holding her by the arms, a third was holding a gun pointed at the sky and threatened that the next shot would go to her leg if she didn't respond. In a couple of seconds he heard the man with the gun yell at the girl who was clenching and her jaw preparing for another blow. This was nothing that Thalia hadn’t felt before. The pain, the beatings, the threats... When the dirty work for Hammerhead began, her training also began and her training went through torture and interrogation. But this time they were going over. A gun? Really? She could barely open her left eye without pain, her nose was burning like it was broken and a second ago she had spat blood. The way the thugs held her by the arms assured her that they would leave bruises for a while because the bruises were slow to fade away from her. They had been hitting her in the stomach and before the gun they had taken out a knife with which they had made a rather deep wound in the left leg. When she refused to answer again, she received a blow to the right side of her face, close to her ear, with the butt of the pistol to intensify the blow, which, added to the weak state she was in, she practically made her pass out right there. Between painful blinks she saw a red and blue shadow attack the guy with the gun. She felt something hard hitting her all over her left side and only when she opened her eye a little she could see that she was on the ground and a mess of feet in front of her were fighting fiercely. Someone stepped on her left leg but didn’t know if had been wanting or not. At some point someone started shouting her name. In her semi-conscious state and for a brief second she thought it was Peter who was calling her. Would he have come to ask him to return the jacket? Because she didn't want to return it, it was her favorite.

-Peter? -she mumbled.

Then she saw herself with enough force to open the only eye that didn’t hurt and saw the masked face of Spider-Man. It was he who called her.

-Come on, you can't pass out here! -he insisted and seemed worried, but she was very tired and closed her eye again- You can't do this to me, hold on! Cute Boy is waiting for you.

The next time she was mildly aware of her surroundings, she was still unable to open her eyes. There were many voices around her and she felt as if whatever she was lying on radiated heat. Someone -a woman- spoke very quickly and another person -Cute Boy?- answered in a vague and confused way. The woman's voice sounded very close to her, more relaxed as if trying to calm her, just before she felt a puncture in her forearm. Only before she lost consciousness again did she realize that someone was holding her hand tightly. After that she felt another surge of energy envelop her but she still couldn't open her eyes and an horrible pain ran through her face and body. This time, she didn't have time to notice if anyone was talking around her before passing out again. The time she did find herself able to open her eyes, she didn't open them either because someone was speaking to her in a very sweet and reassuring way and she didn't want to interrupt. She vaguely remembered that the last time she heard that voice she thought it was Peter but it was Spider-Man who was trying to help her.

-Hey. It's me. Again.

Silence and then an attempt to laugh as if to try to calm himself.

-If you woke up now I wouldn't know how to explain why I'm here... and agent Johnson would probably kill me.

He was silent again and then a deep defeated sigh.

-But Simmons says that your brain response is good and that you surely hear everything they tell you, but your physical exhaustion beats your brain activity and that's why you still can't wake up.

Once again, silence, and then a hand grabbed her own and began to draw circles with his thumb. It was nice.

-I'm sorry I wasn't fast enough. I should have listened to you and let you come with us.

Again silence but this time longer than the previous ones.

-I miss you -he whispered- I-I know we barely know each other, that I only know about you how little you've told to-to Spider-Man and how little you've shown to-to Peter. But I-I... I miss meeting you on the roof of a building -he stopped to laugh nervously- I like how you called me. Cute boy. I-I'm a little embarrassed that-that y-you see me like that but I like it... When you wake up I would like you to call me that again -another pause for a nervous laugh- and to give me back my jacket although it looks much better on you.

The silence that followed was so long this time that Thalia thought she had lost consciousness again. Then he coughed before starting to speak again.

-You know? I'm not the only one waiting for you to wake up. Thanks to S.H.I.E.L.D. your father is recovering his health and has started doing leg movement exercises to regain strength. He really wants to see you... And agent Johnson is impressed with your work, Jerri has done a full report on everything you have done while he was there with you, says you could enter the S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy... I-If you want of course! It is not mandatory... Although they would let you choose the specialty and they would not force you to be a field agent if you don’t want to. There are many people wishing that you wake up... Me to... I am wishing that you wake up... -Parker? You don't have permission to be here. If Simmons catches you, you're a dead man -it was a voice that she had never heard but seemed like a young boy. -I know-I'm sorry, agent Fitz-sir. I-I was leaving. -Quickly and without being seen -I hope you're at least having a nice dream, Thalia -he whispered suddenly very close and then she felt the warm brush of lips on her forehead.

[odinsonsobsessed]

Beautifully Complicated || Chapter 14: Broken

A Tom Hiddleston x OFC Matchmaker AU series by @odinsonsobsessed and @mrshiddleston-uk

Kate Rees just wants some romance in her life, but she hasn’t had the most pleasant dating history. After yet another date gone wrong, she nearly gives up until her work colleague mentions a matchmaking website she’d seen an ad for. Little does she know, the mystery man she’s been matched with is handsome, rising star, Tom Hiddleston. And that’s when things get complicated.

Rated M (18+) || Word Count: 5.4k || Warnings: Swearing, NSFW

A/N: It's finally here!!! Chapter 14, which deals with post break-up feels on Kate's end. It's not going to be pretty, but wasn't that to be expected? As always, we appreciate your patience and we hope you enjoy!

You can also find us on AO3:

@odinsonsobsessed - Mischievousbellerina

@mrshiddleston-uk - Crimson_peak

Likes, Comments and Reblogs are always encouraged and appreciated! Enjoy!

Series Masterlist

Kate walked away from Tom’s house, trying to hold in the large sob that was threatening to escape from her chest at any moment. She desperately fought the urge to turn around to see if he was watching her, but she knew that if he was, she wouldn't be strong enough to not run back to him. Back into his arms, back to the man she loved more than she’d ever loved anyone in her life. But Kate had to remain strong and stick with her decision, even though it already made her sick with regret. It's for the best.

She quickened her pace as she emerged onto the main road back to her flat, tears blurring her vision. It was then that she realised she was holding her breath. She exhaled a heavy, shaky breath, keeping her head down and blinking a few times to try and clear her sight. Perhaps she should have thought ahead and had a taxi on standby to take her home. She knew she was going to be a mess, but maybe she'd hoped to have it a bit more together than this. 

A whole new wave of tears started to fall as Kate finally reached home and unlocked the main door to her building, beginning to climb the stairs. As she took the last few steps she scrubbed at her eyes, throwing herself off balance. She stumbled forwards, her knees and forearms hitting the hard concrete floor on the landing as she fell.

“For fuck's sake!” She hissed in pain as she picked herself up again, reaching across the floor for her keys which she’d dropped as she fell. Snatching them off the ground, she sat back on her heels and looked at her arms which were dirty and scuffed. Sighing, she sat down against the wall. “I’m such a fucking mess.” Kate stuttered, dropping her head back against the wall and closing her eyes, finally allowing herself to let go of all the emotions she’d been holding in over the last hour or so, as her cries echoed around the empty hallway.

Fourteen hours and thirty eight minutes. Fourteen heartbreaking hours and thirty eight miserable minutes ago, Kate had walked away from Tom and for most of the time since then she had been laying on her sofa. She had the same Spotify love song playlist on repeat, every song making her cry even more than the last time. She couldn’t sleep, she couldn’t eat - damn, she didn’t even want alcohol. She just wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole, putting her out of this misery that she only had herself to blame for. 

What had she done? She'd just thrown away one of the best things she'd ever had - and for what? Charlotte. She let that nasty, selfish woman wedge herself between her and Tom, and she won.

It's not just Charlotte. She told herself, It's the schedule, too. The constant disappointment and longing when he was away or busy. The loneliness.

God, she was needy. It was a wonder he hadn't broken up with her first for that alone. Maybe she did him a favor. Maybe once he got past the initial shock and sadness that overtook those beautiful features when she had left him, he'd feel relieved. Free.

Her google search history ranged from Can you die from a broken heart? to Is it really possible to cry your eyes dry? and the answer to both was yes. So she was pretty sure that in a couple of days someone would find her dead on her sofa with big, bulgy dried out eyeballs.

Suddenly her phone alarm started chirping, scaring the life out of her and making her jump so hard that she fell off the sofa. “Jesus!" she cursed, grabbing blindly for her phone on the table as she still lay where she’d landed. Finally getting hold of the device, she held it at arms length in front of her as she tried to swipe the screen across to silence the infuriatingly annoying chimes. Losing her one handed grip on it, it slipped from her hand and hit her square on the forehead. 

“Give me a fucking break!” She hissed, snatching it from her face and finally managing to make the noise stop. Yep, she was cranky. Sighing, she realised that her alarm meant she’d been awake all night and now she should be getting up to get ready for work. Crawling back into the sofa, she scrolled through her phone book and dialed Roxy's number. It rang quite a few times and Kate was about to give up when finally her friend picked up.

“Hey lady! I’m guessing you wanna grab breakfast before work? That’s the only reason you ever call me this early.”

“I can’t come in today, Rox." Kate's voice came out hoarse, her throat hurt from crying.

“Are you okay? Are you sick? You sound horrible.”

Kate had to take a breath and steady herself before she answered. Clearing her throat, she ignored the burning pain that lit the insides of her throat up. “I broke up with Tom.”

The line went silent and Kate pulled it away from her ear to check that the call was still connected.

“Roxy?” She questioned, wondering if she was still there.

“I’m here, I just… shit, Kate. What happened?" She paused, "This wasn't because of what I said, was it?" She could hear the guilt in Roxy's tone and she sighed.

“I… I can’t talk about it right now. I’m sorry Roxy. Not yet… and I can’t come to work today.”

“Are you okay though? I can come over after work?” Kate knew her friend was worried about her, but the thought of seeing anyone and having to talk about what had happened made her stomach turn. She just wasn't ready to face anyone yet.

“I’ll be okay, thanks. I just wanna be alone I think. I need to get my head together so I'm not a basket case during work.”

“Alright, well.. if you’re sure? Call me if you want anything, okay? And don’t worry about work, I’ll take care of it.

"Thanks Roxy.”

“Just promise you’ll call me if you need me, okay?”

“I promise. I’ll see you soon."

Kate hung up and stared blankly at her phone as she realised her screensaver was still the picture of her and Tom. Meaning to change it, she scrolled through her pictures, skipping quickly over any of Tom until she found one of her and Roxy making stupid faces into the camera. She saved it as her background picture and went back to Tom's. She lingered her gaze on her favorite picture of them, reminiscing over the memory of that particular day. Pain pierced through her heart and she went through, frantically selecting each of the pictures with Tom in them, with the intention of getting rid of them. Once they were all queued, her fingers hovered over the ‘delete’ button... but she couldn’t bring herself to do it, to erase another part of Tom from her life. She locked her phone and threw it down on the sofa next to her, as she lay back against the cushions and closed her eyes after throwing her arm over them. 

Tom had loved her sofa. It was years old and pretty worn but every time he’d sat on it he would always make some sort of comment about how cozy and comfortable it was. Kate remembered how he used to stretch his legs out across it, taking up all the space so she would have to sit on his lap. Of course, she didn’t mind. But none of that mattered now, Tom would never sit on her sofa again, infact Tom would never be in her flat again. Her heart ached as the memories came flooding back. Their first kiss at her door step, their risky business in the taxi, their first time having sex… 

Kate was sure she had cried her eyes dry, but more tears escaped, pouring out of the side of her eyes as she thought about the man that she loved. She had never loved anyone as much as she loved Tom and yet she had broken up with him. God, she missed him already and it hadn’t even been a whole day yet. 

Kate didn't move much the entire day. She made herself eat a little bit and she tried watching some of her shows. She wanted to get lost in their drama instead of hers, but it only worked for so long. Finally about halfway through the day, she passed out from exhaustion, but she dreamed of Tom. She dreamt of him lying next to her in bed, his fingertips grazing her back as he gazed into her eyes. Sunlight shone across his cheekbones, highlighting their beautiful structure. His blue eyes were warm and full of love, her dream self felt so happy.

The doorbell ringing pulled her from her dream and she desperately fought to hold onto it. But she was unsuccessful, her eyes opening as she groaned. Who the hell was coming over unannounced? When she shook the fogginess from her head,  her heart raced and she wondered if Tom had come. Was he here to beg her to change her mind? To tell her he couldn't live without her?

Kate got up and checked her appearance in the bathroom, gasping as she took in her red, puffy eyes and her extra messy messy-bun. She quickly threw water on her face, washing it and patting it with a towel. She brushed out her hair to make it more presentable before throwing it back up a bit neater this time. Kate made her way to the door and exhaled, mentally preparing herself. She flung the door open hopefully, but the person standing there wasn’t Tom.

“Zack?”

“Hey doll.” He smiled at her sympathetically, his tone soft and vigilant as he eyed her appearance. ”Roxy called me and told me what happened… She was worried about you and I’ve been trying to reach you all day."

She blinked, surprised to see him standing there. "I… my phone must've died…" She mumbled, trying to sort through her thoughts.

His voice was so calming and she felt a comfortable warmth envelope her as her best friend stood before her. Kate burst into tears again, relief, disappointment and sadness all mixing together. Zack stepped forwards and scooped her up into a hug, squeezing her tightly, closing the door behind him.

"Oh Zack…" Her voice came out in a squeaky tone as she tried to speak through her tears.

"Shhh, it's okay." Zack hushed her, stroking her hair and letting her cry for a few moments before pulling back. When his fingers ran over her arms, he looked down with wide eyes. "What happened to you, Kate?"

"I… fell yesterday on my way home…" Heat rushed through her cheeks and Zack frowned. 

"And you didn't clean yourself up? Jesus Kate, come sit down." He guided her over to the couch and left the room, returning with a first aid kit and a wet cloth. He bent down on his knees and studied her arm, taking the washcloth and cleaning her up. "Always making me take care of you…" He held back a smile, shaking his head. The nurse in him was kicking in, he always did this when something happened. Always scolded her when she didn’t properly take care of a wound or did something dangerous to her health, like the time when she briefly picked up smoking. She tried to hide it from him because she knew what he’d say, but he caught her in the end and made her give it up.

"S-Sorry…" She sniffled, wiping her eyes with her free hand.

"And stop doing that or you're not gonna be able to see soon. They're so swollen." He lightly pressed the skin around her eyes. “I wish you’d take better care of yourself.” He murmured took his hand away, shifting to get some ointment and a bandage. 

“Why didn’t you call me?” He asked, busy at work with applying the cream to her scrapes.

Kate shrugged as she stared into her lap, “I needed some time and…” She sighed, “I’m okay.”

He paused, looking up at her. “No you’re not.”

After considering his words, she decided she couldn't fool him. He knew her too well. Kate shook her head “No, I’m not. I’m not okay and none of this is okay.”

Zack stared at her for a moment before looking back down at her arm and resumed fixing her up. “Do you want to tell me what happened?” He placed the bandages on and set her arm down, looking back up at her. Avoiding eye contact, Kate picked absentmindedly at the bandages.

“Hey…” Zack encouraged.

She sighed again and finally met his eyes, “Charlotte won.”

Zack sat back on his knees and opened his mouth to say something but Kate held a hand up to silence him, “Don’t say it, ok? Don’t tell me I should have fought for him, because I couldn't fight anymore! I’m tired, Zack. I’m tired of this whole situation and I have no fight left. So yeah, Charlotte won. She got what she wanted and I lost the man I loved more than I’ve ever loved anyone or anything. It’s done, it’s over. It’s all gone.”

Abruptly, she got to her feet and stormed away to the kitchen, getting a glass from the cupboard and opening the fridge to take out a bottle of wine. As she reached for it, she hesitated and withdrew her hand, closing the door and going back to the other side of the kitchen where a bottle of whiskey stood on the side. Tom’s bottle of whiskey. She glared at it for a few seconds before quickly undoing the lid. Opening the cupboard, she replaced her wine glass for a smaller tumbler style glass and poured a shot of Whiskey into it, immediately downing it and exhaling as she refilled her glass. 

“Kate.” Zack's voice came from the doorway

Without turning to face him she shook her head, “I’m exhausted, Zack. Emotionally and physically fucking exhausted. I just couldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t…” She trailed off as her voice broke and she started to cry again. Zack crossed the room quickly and turned her around, hugging her as she started to sob heavily,

“It’s okay, doll. Everything’s going to be alright, I promise."

“Is it?” Kate stuttered into his chest, “Because at the moment it doesn’t feel like it. It just hurts. It hurts so much that I can’t even think straight!"

Zack released her, gripping her shoulder gently so that he could look at her. “It’s gonna hurt for a while. And you’re gonna scream and shout and cry a whole lot more. But I’ll be here with you, and in between all that stuff, we can eat our body weight in junk food, drink alcohol, watch hours of Netflix and be social recluses until you’re ready to face the world again.”

He bent his knees so he was the same height as Kate and smiled at her “How does that sound?”

Biting her lip, Kate smiled back at him weakly and nodded “Thank you.”

Aside from running home to pack an overnight bag with a few needed essentials, Zack vowed to not leave her side the entire weekend. He was there through every break down, sat through every sappy movie Kate wanted to watch and he listened to her when she was finally ready to go into detail about what had happened the night that Kate decided to end things with Tom.

By Monday morning, Kate was up and showered, preparing to go to work. She had thought about taking an extra day off, but what was the point? She had her couple of days to get her head straight and she didn't really want to miss another day of work, since she had taken quite a bit of time off earlier in the year for her holiday with Tom.

It was all thanks to Zack for keeping her sane through this and she felt like she could get through her day without breaking down again. 

He insisted on walking her to work, so they left a little early to grab some coffee from her favorite shop to perk herself up a little more. Kate grabbed one for Roxy and as she did, she began to feel anxious to see her. She needed her friends now more than ever and she felt really lucky to have one so dependable and another to be able to work with and see every day.

"Are you sure you're going to be alright? You're not going to call me from Pizza Express again, are you?" He hadn't meant that as a jab at Kate, and she knew that. His look of concern was genuine and she appreciated how accommodating he was being, having moved his work schedule around for her without her even having to ask.

She gave him a smile after she finished a sip of her coffee as they walked along the sidewalk, approaching the museum. "I'll be fine."

"I can come see you at lunch?"

She chuckled, shaking her head. "I'll be okay Zack, I'm going to have lunch with Roxy. I'm sure she'll want to chat about everything. I've barely talked to her all weekend and I feel awful, I know she was just trying to look out for me."

"Alright, if you're sure… but I'm only a phone call or text away!"

Kate turned toward him, throwing an arm around him, "Thank you for everything this weekend. Really, I appreciate it."

Zack nodded and returned her hug. "I'd do anything for you, Kate, you know that."

Kate smiled, "Will you come over tonight for dinner? I'll make you something."

He squinted his eyes, "No more sappy kissing movies and we have a deal."

She laughed, "Deal."

Kate walked into the museum with her head held high after she'd parted ways with Zack outside. She was determined in trying to have a decent day at work and not think about Tom. Well, aside from the talk Roxy was going to want to have and she couldn't blame her, she'd given her hardly anything when they'd spoke the day Kate had called off.

When she walked into the office, she found Roxy already hard at work on her computer, so she simply dropped the cup off on her desk and went to go sit down at her own.

"Hey." Roxy stopped typing and cautiously watched her sit.

"Hey Rox." Kate set her bag down and booted up her computer.

"How's it going?"

Kate swallowed back the lump forming in her throat and she sighed, realizing she was already beginning to get emotional. "It's going… I feel a little better than I did the other day, but not much." 

Roxy shot her a sympathetic look. "It's going to take time. Time and… lots of wine."

Kate let out a shaky laugh, trying to hold herself together. "Already got that covered." She forced a grin and Roxy laughed along with her.

"But seriously though, you're going to get through this. Especially when you have friends like me and Zack. There will be other guys, Kate. I know it sucks now, but you'll find someone even better than Tom and you won't even think twice about him!"

Kate's chest tightened at the thought of having to date again, to move on from Tom and be with somebody else. "I highly doubt that… I-" She shook her head, holding back the tears that were pricking her eyes. "I don't know if I'll ever get over him. I just… I know that it was only a few months, but it felt real Rox. Like sure, we had a lot of amazing sex and it was fun, but it was more than that, it was special, like nothing I’ve ever had with anyone else before. He was the first person I’ve ever imagined a future with." She paused to sigh before continuing “Maybe if we’d met in a different time and place, under different circumstances, we could have had a future. But here and now, no matter how much I loved him, it was too complicated. I couldn’t be the person he needed and deserved."

Roxy reached across her desk and put her hand on Kate's. "It's still early, Kate. I know that it hurts and I can understand you're feeling that way, but it'll be okay."

"I know…" Kate grabbed a tissue and dabbed at her eyes that were damp with unshed tears. "Right now, I just miss him so much. At times like these, whenever I was feeling down or upset about something, I could just call him and it's like his voice alone made everything better."

Roxy stroked the back of her hand comfortingly as she listened, nodding in acknowledgement. "It's okay. You have me and Zack, okay? I know we're not Tom, but we're here for you Kate. Any time."

Kate nodded, sniffling. God, this is exactly what she wanted to avoid. She did not plan on crying over this today. "I know Roxy and I appreciate it."

Roxy proceeded to calm her down for a few more minutes before they had to get to work on their upcoming project. It was just what Kate needed, to throw herself into something to be able to forget about Tom even for just a little while. Work ran late and she quickly texted Zack to let him know she was on her way home as she headed out of the office, but he was already standing outside of the museum waiting for her. 

For the next two weeks Zack stayed with Kate at her flat, and every morning he would walk her to work on his way to his shift at the hospital, and every night when he finished he would come back to the museum and meet her so they could travel home together. Kate didn’t think she could ever thank him enough for how much he’d done for her and how he’s been there for her since she’d split up with Tom, and she was pretty sure she would have gone crazy if she’d been in her flat alone for the last couple of weeks. Some evenings her and Zack barely spoke, they just chilled on the sofa watching tv, but just knowing Zack was there if she needed him was reassuring enough, like he was her safety blanket. 

There was one evening that Zack had some errands to run on his way home and wouldn’t be passing the museum to meet Kate after work, so he told her not to wait up and he'd meet her at her flat.

“You gonna be okay getting home without Zack?” Roxy asked as Kate pulled on her jacket and switched her computer monitor off.

“I’ll be fine, Rox." Kate reassured her with a smile.

She gave her a casual wave goodbye and made her way down the corridors and out of the museum onto the street. She stopped briefly to pull her EarPods out of her bag, sliding them into her ears and starting one of her more upbeat playlists for the walk to the tube. 

As she got on, she thought about what her and Zack could have for dinner later on. She'd forgotten to check what she had back at the flat to make, so she might need to run to the store if she didn't have anything sufficient. Deep in thought, Kate stepped off when the tube reached her stop after nearly missing it. There were a lot of people getting on and off, which was normal for rush hour, so she just weaved in and out of people.

Suddenly, she caught sight of the back of someone extremely familiar. Her heart quickened in her chest and before she knew it, she was rushing after them, shoving past the crowds of people to catch up.

"Tom!"

How could he be here? Of all the places and times, he was-

Kate reached her hand up to touch his arm, but when he turned to look at her with confusion on his features, her stomach dropped. It wasn't Tom.

"Sorry, I-I thought you were…" She stuttered and ran past him, cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Was she really expecting it to be Tom? She felt so silly for even thinking that it was him, that she was hoping it was. It was for the best that it wasn't him... So why was she so disappointed?

Once Kate left the station, she rounded a corner and collapsed onto a nearby bench. She hunched over and dropped her head in her hands while taking a couple of deep breaths. She could not break down here. After taking a few minutes to compose herself, she started for her flat. Tears slipped down her cheeks the entire way home, unable to do anything but cry as her heart ached for Tom. Would it always hurt like this? Would it ever get any easier? 

She shoved her key into the lock when she arrived at her flat and let herself in. When she shut the door, she began to take off her shoes and heard footsteps approaching. As Kate slipped off both shoes, she looked up to see a concerned Zack.

"Kate? What's the matter?"

Instead of answering, she just shook her head and stepped forward, burying her face into his chest and wrapping her arms around him. She began to cry, both out of relief to see him here already and out of sadness.

Without hesitation, Zack slid his arms around her and stroked her hair soothingly until she began to calm down. He pulled back and swiped his thumbs across her cheeks to rid of the tears on her face. "C'mon."

He slid his arm around her shoulders and guided her over to the couch, urging her to sit. He draped his arm over the back of the couch and waited for her to start talking. 

"I thought I saw him." She began, unable to look at him as she confessed what she'd just done. "There was a crowd of people at the station, I thought Tom was there and I just… I went for it. Without even thinking, I rushed after him. Only it wasn't him." She sighed and rubbed her hands over her face. "What did I think was going to happen if it were? I…" Her voice cracked.

"It's okay…" Zack reached over to rub her arm comfortingly as he gazed at her with sympathy.

Kate shook her head, "It's not. It's not okay. I'm not okay."

Zack pulled her into another hug and Kate wrapped her arms around him, welcoming the embrace. It felt so good to be in his arms, it was so soothing and she felt so safe. He was always there for her no matter what.

"I was so stupid, Zack." She mumbled into his chest as he stroked her back.

He pulled back slightly with a soft expression, "You're not stupid. You're so smart, Kate. I think you're sweet and genuine, and you've got a big heart." 

"Then why hasn't he called, Zack? I tried not to let it bother me, but it's been two weeks since I walked out that door and he hasn't once tried to reach me! I mean, I'm not expecting him to come and sweep me off my feet, but… doesn't he want me back? Doesn't he care?" Her eyes were watering again and she desperately tried holding it in. Her chest tightened up again at the thought that Tom didn't care enough to at least try to talk to her. She was torn between not wanting to be swayed into getting back together with him and being disappointed that he didn't even try. Kate thought she would go crazy, her mind tugging her in both directions until Zack brushed her hair back from her face, the sudden tender gesture distracting her from the torment going on inside.

"I can't speak for him, I don't know what he's thinking. But what I do know, is that he's an idiot for letting you go so easily."

For a brief moment, Zack's words melted her heart and caused a temporary lack of judgment. It felt so nice to have someone care for her that it tugged on her heartstrings and before she knew it, she found herself stepping over a line she had no business crossing.

Kate closed the distance between them, her lips brushing over his. It was light, tentative at first, until Zack cupped her face and began to kiss her more firmly. His lips were soft and warm, his breath hot and pulling her in further. She was getting lost in kissing him as his tongue demanded entrance, sweeping across her bottom lip. Kate parted them, allowing him to explore her mouth, to brush his tongue against hers. Zack slid a hand to her back and she snaked her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. Her hands rubbed just underneath the collar of his shirt while he ventured his own under the hem of her top, sliding them up and down her back.

While kissing Zack felt good, it didn’t feel right. His touch didn’t light her body on fire like Tom’s did. She didn’t ache for him like she ached for Tom the moment his lips collided with hers. He wasn’t Tom.

“Kate…” Zack’s breathless utter of her name between kisses brought her back to reality. “I-...”

Kate pulled back with a gasp once she realized what she was doing. Zack was her best friend! She should not be sitting here right now with his tongue halfway down her throat! She looked at him with wide eyes, mortified that she even went down this path. Oh god, what he must think of her, suddenly attacking him like that!

“Zack, I…” She placed her hand over her mouth to steady her thoughts. When she pulled it away, she started spewing out her apologies. “I’m sorry, I don’t know why I did that.” She scooted backward to give them space and Zack stared at her, his chest heaving. “I’m sorry.”

“Kate, Kate… It’s okay.” He grabbed for her hands, but she pulled them away as she shook her head.

“I shouldn’t have done that. I lost my head for a moment and I guess I was craving closeness with someone and I just…” She exhaled deeply and gave him an awkward laugh. “I just miss Tom so much, you know? It was stupid of me and I totally regret it. Forgive me?”

Zack studied her face with an unreadable expression before looking down and rubbing the back of his neck. “You don’t have to apologize. It’s okay, really.” His eyes met hers once more and he forced a smile. “We can just forget about it…” Suddenly he grinned, any trace of discomfort gone from his face. “Although, I thought it was pretty great.” His tone sounded a bit off, but Kate brushed it off.

She cracked a smile, “It was, wasn’t it?”

Zack laughed for a moment before clearing his throat. “Anyway, um… If we’re going to eat, I should run to the store, because you have like, no food.”

Kate frowned, “I don’t? Shoot, I can go, I-”

“Don’t worry about it. I have to grab a couple of things for myself anyway. I’ll go.” Zack jumped up and grabbed his keys off of the table. “Be back soon!” He called, making his way out of the flat.

The moment the door closed behind him, Kate blew out a breath and flopped onto her back. What the hell was that? Kissing Zack? What was wrong with her? She almost just wrecked her long time friendship with her best friend all because she missed her ex-boyfriend. 

He’d been spending so much time with her lately and taking such good care of her, she just… She thought that’s what she needed, but it was only confusing her. Zack being there all of the time was making her much too dependent on him and maybe it was time for him to take a step back and go home. He’d picked up all of the pieces of her broken heart, now it was time for her to begin to glue them back together. That was not his job and she couldn’t believe she let it go this far.

God, what a mess.

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