#alex do you realise exactly how much she has you wrapped around her little finger?

[ghostlyarchaeologist]

"My Dad, he used to look at pictures of Ferraris in car magazines. I know he's a restless, hungry ghost."

Almost Paradise S02E06 Ghost Month.

[if-mirrormine]

where's my love?

summary: rowan finally manages to work up the courage to tell grayson how she feels about him but when she accidentally overhears a conversation between grayson and kelsey, everything comes crashing down.

pairing: grayson x rowan (f!oc)

word count: 1992

this drabble is for the lovely @falon-fen! she asked for angst in the form of a love confession gone wrong and i went a little overboard but as the resident angst gremlin, who am i to say no? i really hope you enjoy bestie!

also a big shout out to @softfairies for proofreading this for me. ily bestie <3

rowan paces the length of her bedroom, her stomach in knots and anxiety crowding her chest, making it near impossible to breathe normally. gralex watches her curiously from her perch on the bed, her head tilted to the side and following her owner's movements in a way that's almost comical. she'd locked herself and the cat in here almost an hour ago with the intention of building up her courage, but all she's done since then is worry. her feelings for grayson are all she's been able to think about for days, having grown exponentially despite there being no real reason. nothing has changed, she's still rowan and he's still grayson, but there's something distinctly different about their relationship that she can't quite put her finger on. she knows she needs to tell him, and yet she doesn't know if she's willing to risk losing him altogether.

gralex lets out a long, drawn-out meow and rowan stops to look at her pet. "i'm trying, okay!" she says, settling her hands on her hips. "it's really nerve-wracking. what if he doesn't feel the same way?" the cat meows again, dispassionately, and she sighs, burying her face in her hands. "fine, i'm going!" she walks over to the door and wraps her fingers around the handle before stopping to look over her shoulder. "but if it doesn't work out, no more catnip." gralex does nothing but stare at her and she wilts slightly under the intensity in her big, yellow eyes. "i don't mean that," she adds quietly, slipping out of the room before she can talk herself out of it.

grayson's room is just down the hall, only eight steps away from hers. eight simple steps that she’s taken too many times to count, every day throughout this week, in the dead of night when the world is quiet and she feels confident enough to make her move. her confidence typically dwindles by the time she raises a hand to knock on the door and then she chickens out altogether, running back to the safety of her room before she can be caught. but not this time, she tells herself. this time she really is going to do it.

she comes to a stop in front of his room and takes a deep breath to calm her nerves. you can do this, she thinks as she flexes her fingers. the door is slightly ajar, and she can see him through the sliver of space, standing with his back to her and a hand in his hair. she realises then that he’s on the phone and she stops to listen to the conversation. she knows it’s wrong, but she just can’t seem to stop herself.

“there’s something i need to tell you,” he says, clearing his throat and ducking his head to look at his feet. “it’s important.”

rowan wracks her brain as she tries to think of who he might be talking to. besides herself, he doesn’t exactly have friends, and despite all the time he’s spent with kennedy and alex, they’re more her friends than his. she doubts he’d be talking to her mother or callie, and neither of his parents speak english. that only leaves kelsey; the only person he spends just as much time with as he does with her. but despite that, she can’t imagine what he might have to say to her.

“this isn’t easy for me --” he says, sighing as the woman on the other line cuts him off. after a moment, he nods, and rowan waits with bated breath to hear what he has to say. “okay, here goes...” he pauses momentarily and when he speaks next, the words tumble out of his mouth in a rush. “i love you! i’m in love with you, have been for a really, really long time. and i know i should've said something sooner but i've just been so afraid of ruining what we have.”

rowan sucks in a sharp breath, stumbling backwards and she feels as if her heart has just shattered in her chest. of course he’s in love with someone else, with the detective. she'd been an idiot to think she ever stood a chance in comparison, not when the detective is everything she’s not. confident and beautiful, she does and says whatever she wants, not caring what anyone else thinks. it's only natural that grayson would want to be with her instead.

silent tears begin to stream down her face as she rushes back to her bedroom, desperate for the safety that it provides. but as she presses her back against the door, struggling to breath, it feels all wrong. instead of feeling safe and protected, it just feels as though the walls are closing in on her, sucking all the air out of the room and suffocating her. gralex chirps softly at her from the bed and she rushes over to scoop the feline in her arms. cradling her, rowan buries her face in the soft, brown fur and attempts to stop crying. the tears don’t stop however and, in that moment, she realises she can't stay in the apartment any longer.

with gralex still clutched tight in her arms, she bolts out of her room and out the front door, desperately hoping to outrun the heartbreak that threatens to swallow her whole.

grayson stands idly in the middle of his room, his phone pressed to his ear and his free hand on his hip. the silence is almost deafening and as the seconds tick by, he clears his throat. “okay,” he says, his voice clipped. “your turn to say something.”

“i don’t know,” kelsey says and he rolls his eyes at her bored tone. “how do you really feel about rowan?”

“you’re not helping,” he grumbles, shifting on his feet before going to sit on the edge of his bed. he'd only asked the woman to help with finding a way to admit his feelings since she’s the only other person who knew him best, but he’s beginning to regret it now. at this point, it would be easier to just send his best friend an email confessing his love for her instead.

kelsey scoffs, though it’s evident she finds the whole thing amusing. “i’m just teasing you, gray,” she says. “it’s good; you’ve got this.”

“really?” he asks, dubious that the detective truly has that much faith in him. “you don’t think i'm gonna make a big fool of myself?”

“no, grayson,” she says, her tone dry. “honestly, it doesn’t matter what you say, just as long as you say it.”

he sighs again but nods nonetheless. “okay.”

“now go tell her and do not call me again unless it’s to tell me that you two are getting married.”

he laughs at that, letting himself hope for a moment. “might be a little early for a wedding, don’t you think?”

“whatever,” she says and despite not being able to see her, he can tell she’s rolling her eyes. “i mean it though; i’m picking emerson up from her dad’s in twenty minutes so i only want to hear from you if it’s good news.”

“you got it. tell em I said hi.”

after promising to do so, she hangs up and he stares down at his phone as if it holds more power than it really does. kelsey may have boosted his confidence somewhat but that doesn’t make it any less difficult. he's been carrying the fear of losing rowan for sixteen years; there’s no easy way to just put those feelings aside no matter how ready he feels to do so.

but then again, it’s been sixteen years. it’s time to be honest.

he stands tall, his head held high and his shoulders back, and struts out of his room with as much of kelsey's imparted confidence as he can muster. he walks straight towards rowan’s bedroom, knocking on the door before he can convince himself otherwise. he waits patiently, taking calm and measured breaths, but as the seconds tick by, he gets more anxious. when the seconds turn to minutes, he frowns and knocks again only to be met by stony silence.

“rowan?” he calls tentatively as he pushes open the door. the room is empty and he stands in the doorway in confusion. the last he’d seen her was an hour ago, when she rushed in here with gralex like her life depended on it. he hadn’t questioned it then but maybe he should’ve.

stepping back, he calls for her again, louder this time, as he walks through the apartment in search of her. when he finally stops in the living room, neither his best friend nor her cat to be found, his heart begins to race. he’s transported back ten years, reliving his worst nightmare where he lost the only person he’s ever been able to love. he rushes to find his phone and dials her number with shaking hands, praying that she’ll pick up to any god that will listen.

she picks up on the fifth ring, a disheartened “yeah?” filtering through the speaker and grayson breathes a sigh of relief. thank god she’s okay.

“hey,” he says, trying and failing to keep his voice steady. he shuts his eyes and drags a hand down his face. he needs to get it together. “where are you? and gralex?”

rowan takes a deep breath and he frowns at her hesitance, palpable even through the phone. “she’s with me,” she replies eventually. “i just... i went out for a walk.”

“do you know when you’ll be back?” he tries not sound desperate, like he needs her by his side at every waking moment, but it’s difficult not to when it’s the truth. “there’s something i need to talk to you about it.”

she inhales sharply, the sound freezing him in place and causing his worry to return tenfold. “i don’t know, grayson... not for a while.”

her words come out strained, almost as if she’s trying not to cry and grayson feels a fire light inside of him, his heart and lungs consumed by the flames. “what’s wrong?” he asks quickly, his tone pleading and if he weren’t so worried, he might’ve cringed at the sound.

“can we not do this right now?”

don’t say it, he thinks as he squeezes his eyes shut. please don’t say it. “do what, ro?”

something of a strangled sob crackles through the speaker and he feels his chest tighten painfully. “i just don’t want to speak to you right now,” she says through gritted teeth and he sinks down on the couch, his legs no longer willing to support him.

there it is.

“did –” he stops himself when his voice breaks and he clears his throat in hopes that it’ll conceal his hurt feelings. “did i do something wrong?”

she doesn’t answer for a long moment and he can picture the pain in her brown eyes, the quivering of her bottom lip, the tears streaking down her rosy cheeks. and he feels his own eyes start to well up. “i’ll see you later, gray,” she says quietly and there’s no mistaking the shake in her voice. a tell tale sign she’s begun to cry.

he begins to panic again, crying out an urgent “rowan, wait!” but she’s already hung up before he can even finish. he stares at his phone in shock as his emotions well up inside of him, his hurt and his anger and his worry all melting together into something new and indescribable and before he knows what he’s doing, he hurls his phone across the room with a roar.

after a moment, he sinks back down on the couch, his chest heaving and his face wet with tears. and as he sits by himself, the silence weighing heavy on his shoulders, he can’t help but feel like he’s lost her all over again.

[kiwiana-writes]

Kiwiana's Christmas Fics

@stereopticons tagged me to share my Christmas/holiday fics and uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I'm not sure how I feel about this list 🤣 I am a HUGE Christmas person... in the southern hemisphere, so I’m super out of my depth writing Christmas fics for most fandoms because winter Christmas just feels so fundamentally wrong to me. (I've done it exactly once, in 2019 with family, and I felt like I was in a Hallmark film.) Which does result in the Schitt's Creek list being... well, interesting.

Let's go.

Red, White & Royal Blue

All Those Christmas Clichés [Alex/Henry; rated M (subject to change); WIP (advent fic, daily triple drabbles Dec 1-25)]

Daily triple drabbles: snapshots of the lead-up to Christmas 2023.

Schitt's Creek

I see every part of you [David/Patrick; rated M; 1,514 words]

Patrick is a straight-up aficionado when it comes to giving gifts. David has known this from literally day one of their relationship, when he pulled a bunch of tissue paper out of a blue gift bag, looked away from a sentimental receipt in a solid frame and into a pair of earnest eyes, and thought, 'I hate it when Stevie’s right.'

How the reindeer loved him [David/Patrick; rated E; 2,178 words]

David wraps an arm around him, hand splayed across his chest to pull him close. “Tell me,” he says quietly. “I want you to dress up as Santa,” Patrick rushes out in one quick breath.

This is all I'm asking for [David/Patrick; rated E; 3,957 words]

But by the time they clean up after the party, and Patrick tactfully offers to take the garbage bags out to the shed to give the Roses a bit of family time, it’s well after eleven and David can only assume all their plans for the evening are out the window. That is, until they turn out of the motel parking lot and instead of Patrick putting his hand on David’s knee like usual it lands halfway up his thigh, fingers tracing absent circles around his inseam, and David realises that at least one part of the plan is still very much on the table.

Dear Santa... [Gen: David, Alexis, Patrick; rated G; 2,191 words]

Letters to Santa, 1987-1997

Do you wanna fuck a snowman? [David/Patrick; rated E; 7,216 words; co-write with @ships-to-sail]

David mimics her stance — and he has to admit, she’s not entirely wrong. In the quickly disappearing light, already blurred a little bit by the still-fallen snow, the snowman does look a little like he has tree trunk thighs and a well-formed ass, rather than being Frosty-shaped. But it’s the best they’re going to do, and David’s toes are officially cold.

I need some Christmas spirit [David/Patrick; rated T; 626 words]

David can handle his alcohol, is the thing. So no, it doesn’t occur to Patrick to warn him.

It probably should have.

Happiest Season

We always walked a very thin line [Abby/Riley, Harper/Abby; rated T; 2,775 words]

The girlfriend — Abby — stumbles over a lie about being Harper's orphan roommate, which… wow. Girl is a bad liar. Riley kind of wants to take her by the hand and tell her she’s going to have to get a lot better at that particular skill if she’s going to be in a relationship with Harper Caldwell. She doesn’t though, because it’s not her place and because who knows what, if anything, Harper has told Abby about her?

[owl-with-a-pen]

brainy or nia try on karas glasses one day and kara realizes that they were brenda/brandon?

- Oh my god, yes! Thank you for the prompt. x

“No, no,” Alex said decisively. “It’s been years and I still don’t get it. How the hell do glasses make it impossible for people to recognise you? I’d know you from anywhere.”

Nia grinned from across the table, lifting her drink to her lips as Alex pinched Kara’s cheek, only to be batted away by her little sister a second later.

“Okay,” Kara said with a snort. “Your next round is gonna be water shots.” She turned her head from the table, making a show of searching the bar. “Where’s Al?”

“Oh, you know he heads out back the second this party rolls in,” Kelly said with an impish smile, raising her own glass. She took Alex’s hand before she could pester Kara any further, winding their fingers firmly together. “Although, I have to agree with the water.”

“Hydration would appear useful at this stage,” Brainy added with a sage nod. “She may also benefit from lining her stomach with something a little more substantial.”

Nia grinned, leaning back against Brainy’s chest. “Is that your not-so-subtle hint that you want more onion rings?”

She’d perched herself on the edge of Brainy’s stool some time into the evening; her smile widened when she felt his hands link around her front in response. “Sometimes, multiple issues can call for a single solution,” Brainy pointed out, tucking his face into her hair. “What is the saying? Two birds, one stone?” Nia's face warmed when Brainy’s lips traced idly along the side of her jaw.

Kara grinned. “Well, hey, I’m not gonna say no to more onion rings.”

It was fair to say that they’d all had a few drinks between them by now, although Kelly and Alex were strictly drinking from the human menu. Things always got a little whacky with alien grade alcohol, and despite her half-Naltorian genetics, Nia had barely been able to stomach a single sip of Brainy’s drink of choice. It suited his tolerance level far better, and made for a slower automatic response for his body to factor out the alcohol and sober him up. If his sudden confidence with intimacy in a public environment was anything to go by, Nia figured it was definitely working.

Nia knew Kara was drinking something similar to Brainy, although her Kryptonian biology made her far more resilient against its contents. She wasn’t even slurring.

Meanwhile, Nia was feeling all kinds of warm inside. Although, Brainy’s hold on her was probably a major factor in that.

It had felt like forever since they’d last gone out like this, and from the recent stress they’d all been under, it wasn’t exactly surprising that they’d found their way to Al’s bar. Plus, after the number of times they’d saved this place from one catastrophe or another, they got some incredibly generous discounts even on some of the rarer beverages. It was just unfortunate that Alex’s human tolerance really wasn’t matching up. And, considering Kelly was still on her first drink, she was currently the only person everyone was sorely worried about getting home safely that night.

With that in mind, Nia was just about to suggest heading up to the bar to go order, when Alex made her move, whipping her hand out quick enough to snatch Kara’s glasses straight from her face, balancing them across her nose.

She turned to Kelly immediately, staring at her levelly. “Well?” she asked expectantly. "How do I look?”

“It’s like looking at a total stranger,” Kelly deadpanned. She smirked, leaning in closer. “Although, they do make you kinda mysterious.”

Alex’s smile broadened. “Oh really?”

“My turn!” Nia chirped, plucking the glasses from Alex’s face. She rested her elbows on the table, propping her chin up with her hands the moment she had the glasses on. She narrowed her eyes, testing out her new perspective. As anticlimactic as it was, nothing really changed. It was just like staring through two pieces of clear glass. Nia pouted. She supposed it wasn't unexpected - that was exactly what she was doing, after all.

“It’s weird being able to see clearly while wearing someone’s else’s glasses,” Nia mused, playing around with the glasses’ temples, wiggling them up and down in front of her face. “Has anyone who didn’t know your secret ever done this before?” She jerked her head up, snapping her fingers. “Ooh, I know, I bet you just tell them you both need the same prescriptions. Am I right, or am I right?”

Kara didn’t answer.

“...Kara?”

When Nia turned, she realised that Kara was staring directly at her, a half-stunned daze in her eyes.

“What, did the alcohol finally kick in?” Nia prodded good-naturedly, only for Kara to reach out suddenly, taking the glasses away from her. “Hey! I was using those!”

Kara remained silent. Instead, with unnerving intensity, she came forward, slipping the glasses onto Brainy’s face. Brainy jerked from the unexpected contact, lifting them away from his nose as though they'd burned. He blinked quickly in affront, eyeing Kara suspiciously. “What was that for?” he asked.

“It was you two,” Kara said mildly; her voice sounded far too calm for comfort, like she was on the verge of a full-blown freak out. “All those years ago, in Midvale. It was you.”

Nia spluttered at the exact same moment as Brainy. She snapped her head towards him desperately. “What?” she asked, registering the panic in Brainy’s eyes that she knew was reflected identically in her own. “No—what—no?” She dug her hand into her boyfriend’s shoulder, squeezing tight. “Do you know what she’s talking about?”

“I have no idea what you are- what she’s talking about-” Brainy snorted defensively. “Do-do you?”

Nia nudged him nervously, eyes wide. “I just said I didn’t, genius.”

“...Right,” Brainy said quickly, clearing his throat. He raised his voice, turning back to Kara. “Two admissions though! Thus further proving that we have no idea what you are talking—”

But, Kara was still staring, a cold glare of certainty in her eyes. “I’d know that scrambling for an excuse anywhere,” she said, taking Brainy’s hands and guiding the glasses back into place over the bridge of his nose. She met no resistance this time, Brainy was far too busy gaping at her. “Brendan.” She turned to Nia accusingly. “Brenda.” Her lips split into a pained smile. “Rao- I thought you two were hiding something, but I was willing to accept it, because... I thought you were lost.”

“In our defence, we sorta were,” Nia admitted sheepishly. “The crash wasn’t part of the plan.”

It was Brainy’s turn to nudge her. “Nia.”

“Give it up, Brainy.” Nia cringed. “We’re caught.”

Kara ran her hands through her hair, shaking her head in bewilderment. “What were you guys even doing there? When did this even happen for you?”

“When you were in the Phantom Zone,” Nia said slowly, ducking her head.

“We needed your DNA,” Alex said softly. It sounded as though the recent commotion had done a good job at sobering her up. “To track you down.”

“It was thanks to these two that we were able to save you at all,” Kelly added.

Something crossed Kara’s expression then, but it was so quick that Nia barely caught it. All she knew was that in that moment, Kara looked entirely vulnerable. “Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked weakly.

Brainy swallowed hastily. “Had you known our true identities in 2009, it would have caused ramifications in the timeline that could have irrevocably changed the future.”

“I don’t mean then,” Kara said sharply, attention snapping to Brainy. Her expression fell. “Why not when I came back?”

“It didn’t seem… necessary,” Brainy said uncomfortably. Nia felt his grip tighten back around her and ran her hand across his arm, squeezing gently.

Kara scoffed, folding her arms. “Not necessary? You guys were in my past—you saved my life, and you didn’t think to tell me?”

“So much happened,” Nia said carefully. “Kara, we didn’t want to stress you out any more than you already had been.”

“Come here,” Kara said suddenly.

Nia blinked her surprise, catching Brainy’s eyes quickly for confirmation. Hesitantly, Brainy nodded, unlocking his arms from around Nia’s waist. Nia slipped from the stool, stepping towards her alongside Brainy.

They stared at her unsurely for all of two seconds before Kara came forward, swooping them both into the most intense super hug Nia thought either of them had ever experienced.

Nia gasped for breath, wrapping her free arm automatically around Kara’s back. The brush of Brainy’s fingers confirmed to her that he had done just the same.

“I never thought I’d get a chance to say this,” Kara murmured into the space between them. “But, thank you. Both of you, for everything that you did.”

“For... saving your life?” Brainy asked, voice muffled with confusion. “You’re... very welcome?”

Kara laughed, pressing her face into his hair. “Not that. Okay, well, of course that. But,” She sighed, drawing away again, her hands still locked tightly against each of their arms, “you both came to me at a time where I was questioning so much. My future, my identity, my place on Earth. I was hurting, in more ways I ever let on. And without you two—I don’t know what I might have done differently.”

Nia smirked. “Wait…” She turned her head towards Brainy. “Does that mean we were always meant to travel back to 2009?”

“Pre-destined time travel.” Brainy pondered on that thought for a long moment, his lips twitching into a smile of his own. He shrugged. “I suppose stranger things have happened.”

“You did crash, though,” Alex pointed out from across the table.

Brainy shot her a glare.

“Destiny,” Kelly cut in, sighing dreamily. “I like that, though.”

Nia knocked Brainy’s arm playfully. “Just like how you coming to this time gave you the chance to live freely. With us.” Nia squeezed her boyfriend's hand secretively before she turned back to Kara, smile softening. “Maybe we gave that same chance to you, too.”

“Thank you,” Kara said again. She blinked, wiping quickly at her face where tears were near approaching. “I- I don’t even think just saying that cuts it.”

Nia's smile widened mischievously. “Hey, does that mean the next round isn’t on us?”

Brainy raised a finger in consideration. “I believe tap water is on the house, anyway.”

“Hey, no water,” Alex shot back. “And you guys are not getting out of shots that easily.”

They all laughed at that. And, just like that, Nia felt as though an invisible tension that had been tethering them together had finally loosened.

She smiled as she re-joined her family back at the table, hand-in-hand with Brainy.

For the first time in a long time, it really felt like everything was going to be okay.

[littlemissaddict]

A twist of fate

Summary: It’s the big night where Luke, Alex and Reggie get to make their final wish come true and hopefully cross over. Caleb had other plans to get the boys into his house plans that involve y/n, Julie’s friend and the girl that Luke likes. Or a retelling of 01x09 that involves the reader. (Requested)

Word Count: 3.3K

A/n: Anon I hope you enjoy because this is the longest fic I’ve wrote to date but I’ve really enjoyed writing this so thank you.

“Julie, you need to calm down, I’m sure everything is fine” Y/n says watching Julie from her place on the couch. She had been pacing around the studio ever since the boys had left to go to the Orpheum to try and get them on the bill for tonight, it was like being with Alex when he had one of his anxiety flare ups. That was another thing, y/n could see the boys just like Julie, they weren’t sure how or why but it had been a surprise when she had first walked in on them in the studio when she still believed that they were holograms.

“Yeah but what if-” Julie didn’t get to finish as the three boys in question poofed back into the studio with big smiles on their faces.

“Oh my gosh! What took you guys so long? Did Willie do it? Did you talk to them? Did they watch? Did they like us? Are we playing? Can someone answer me? Why is no one saying anything?” Julie rambled bombarding the three boys with questions. Luke glanced over at where y/n had now stood up to join Julie, an amused look on his face as Julie rambled, she shook her head at the boy as a warning not to interrupt to let her finish which he did.

“Whoa. That’s a lot of questions” Reggie chuckled before asking Luke to take the lead on this one.

“Take a seat” he instructed, waiting for the two girls to be seated before he began. “It’s fine. Everything is fine” he reassured seeing the nervous looks on their faces

“Yeah you should be getting a call right now” Alex says excitedly and they all look at Julie's phone expectedly, but no call comes. Alex clears his throat and tries again. “Right now” and this time the call comes through. Julie and y/n cheer hugging each other excitedly before they remember about the phone call and Julie answers.

“Hi….Yes it is….Yeah totally” she smiles as she joins y/n and the boys jumping about excitedly “We’re playing the Orpheum baby” she cheers as they watch the boys lift Alex. It takes them a full ten minutes for it to really sink in that this was happening, they were playing the Orpheum, the boys were getting their second chance.

“Oh my god, I have to go tell my dad” Julie gasps letting them know that she’ll be back shortly. Reggie and Alex carried on chatting excitedly but Luke took a seat next to y/n, since she had found out that they boys were ghosts she had actually become quite close to them all but more so Luke. 

“This is amazing I’m so happy for you guys” she gushes and honestly if they could touch she thinks she’d hug him right now but that’s out of the question so she settles for giving him the biggest smile she can. 

“You’re coming to watch us right?” he asks, giving her puppy dog eyes as if she would say no.

“Of course I wouldn’t miss it for the world” she says “besides it maybe the last time I see you” her smile fading, she doesn’t want to bring the mood down but she can’t help it, the thought has been lingering in the back of her mind ever since Julie had told her about the curse and their only options.

“Whatever happens tonight y/n, just know that I’m so happy that I got to meet you that I got the chance to get to know you and I know that I’ll not forget you” he says a small smile on his face and y/n finds herself tearing up she wishes so much that she could hug him right now. She settles for wrapping her arms around herself instead.

“I’ll never forget you either or the boys” she says, glancing over at them, they’re still completely wrapped up in their own conversation oblivious to her and Luke. Julie comes back not long after, she’s smiling widely telling them how excited her dad and Carlos are for tonight.

“Well I better be off, you guys have got to plan for tonight and I have got to get ready” y/n smiles giving her friend a hug on her way past and waving to the boys.

She makes it to the front yard of the Molina house when a male figure steps out blocking her path, she looks up not expecting to see an older male dressed in an over the top suit and matching top hat, she starts to apologise when he says her name.

“I’m sorry do I know you” she asks not wanting to seem rude but she is pretty sure that she would have remembered him if she had met him before. He smiles back at her seemingly unaffected by her question .

“I don’t think so darling but I’m a friend of the band just stopped by to wish them luck for tonight, it’s pretty exciting right” he smiles at her and she’s not sure why but she doesn’t trust him. Something about him seems off and she’s feeling uneasy in his presence. 

“Yes very but if you’ll excuse me I have to be going” she says dropping all pleasantries and trying to move past him but he blocked her way again. 

“I don’t think so my dear, I have something that you can help me with” he says smugly, his character changing completely and she goes to protest but before she can the world is spinning around her and she finds herself alone in a dark room,

------

“Ughhh” the boys groan as another jolt fills them with pain, they were in the studio going over the last few things before the show tonight. Julie and her family had left about five minutes ago and the boys were due to head over shortly, they just wanted to make sure they were ready for what would happen after the show. That got interrupted however by the last person they were hoping to see.

“What are you doing here?” Luke asks accusingly, the first of the boys to recover from the shock and he stands between the other two boys and Caleb.

“Such hostility” Caleb gasps, feigning shock “I’m just here to congratulate you on your big night. Not everyone gets to play the Orpheum” he says as if he’s happy for them nut the boys don’t believe him for a second.

“No. Ok, we know that it’s your stamp that’s hurting us” Luke states, stepping forward and pulling up his sleeve to prove his point, to which Caleb looks knowingly seeming to know exactly where they got the information from. “We already told you, we have a band. We don’t want to join your little club” Luke says forcefully.

“Yeah and you can’t make us either,” Alex adds stepping forward but backtracking a little at the glare Caleb gives him “sir”

“Oh I doubt that very much” he replies threateningly “You see I have someone that means an awful lot to you and if you want her back then there’s only one way that is going to happen” he chuckles smugly watching the boys as they give each other confused looks.

“You’re lying” Luke accuses “Julie just left there’s no way you have her”

“Oh it’s not Julie” he smiles as the realisation crosses the boys faces as Caleb clicks his fingers and y/n appears before their eyes.

“Y/n” Reggie gasps, it’s the first time he’s spoken since Caleb appeared, he tries to go to her but Caleb clicks his tongue stopping him in his tracks. Luke hasn’t moved or said a word since she appeared but his eyes have been locked on hers, she’s frightened he can tell, not that she would admit it and she’s shaking her head at him, eyes pleading with him not to go with Caleb. As much as he loves Julie and their band, how he promised that they would never stand her up again, the feeling of losing y/n to Caleb is too much to bear. He gives one last look to her before his eyes find the boys, they’re nodding at him, knowing what they have to do and that’s when he finally faces Caleb.

“Fine we’ll join your band but you have to let y/n go” he says defeatedly, hopefully Julie can forgive them.

“Oh I know you will but do you really think I’d be stupid enough to let her go that easily” he chuckles, snapping his fingers again poofing them all out, leaving the studio empty.

----

“I made friends with the tech crew, you’re going to love what we have planned” Flynn smiles excitedly after the stage manager had let her into the dressing room after “the guys are here right” she asks, eyes darting around the room.

“I haven’t seen them or y/n for that matter, I was hoping she was with you” Julie admits

“No I thought she was with you but the boys, you don’t think they changed their minds do you and took Calebs’ offer” Flynn says worriedly 

“No. No, that’s the last thing that they wanted” she says quickly, wanting to believe it “Somethings wrong it has to be” says thinking about the boys.

----

When y/n could see again she found herself back in the dark room where she had been before. She was so frustrated. She had let herself be taken by the one person who had it out for the boys, not that she had much choice in the matter she reminded herself, there was nothing she could do against Caleb’s magic. That didn’t stop her from feeling like it was her fault that they boys ended up under his control though. She wanted to scream but she stopped herself knowing that it would do nothing to help the situation, what she had to do was find a way out so that she could get to Julie or warn her somehow. She found herself pacing, something she had gotten annoyed at Julie for only hours earlier, if only she could find a door or an opening, anything that she could get out through. She started walking around with her arms out in front of her, feeling blindly for any hard surface that she could use as a guide but she found nothing, as if the room was never ending and she was starting to give up when she felt a cold sensation on her shoulders as if there was someone there holding onto her, guiding her. 

That was when she felt the world begin to spin again and she prepared herself to end up face to face with Caleb again but that didn’t happen. Instead she came face to face with someone else. He looked young, more around the boys age, wearing an oversized hoodie, blue ripped jeans and he was carrying a skateboard.

“Willie?” she asked quietly not certain that it was him but he fit the description Alex had given them.

“You can see me” he says, shocked and y/n nods not entirely sure why she could but there he was. “Listen I haven’t got long before he realises I’m gone but you have to go, get to Julie and tell her what happened” he says pointing her in the direction of the exit and encouraging her to hurry.

“Thank you” she whispers to him before running out.

----

“Signs” Julie says marching past Flynn showing her the dahlia as she goes and up onto the stage.

“Wait, where are you going?” Flynn calls after her, amazed at the change in her friend, how determined she seems to be. “She’s going on stage” Flynn yells excitedly watching her best friend, the stage manager alerts the crew just as Flynn’s phone rings.

“Y/n, where are you?” she asks surprised that she’s called 

“I’m outside they won’t let me in because Julie still has my ticket and pass but somethings happened, it’s important that Julie knows” she says quickly and Flynn just about manages to catch what she said.

“Hold on I’m coming” Flynn says, ending the call and rushing off through the maze of backstage corridors to get y/n. When they do manage to get y/n backstage the first thing she does is ask her where Julie is.

“Something has happened with the boys, Caleb has them” she says watching the look on Flynn’s face “he used me as bait to get to the boys and they went with him to save me only it didn’t exactly go to plan. Caleb took me as well but I managed to escape with a little help but we really need to tell Julie” She finishes taking a deep breath.

“We can’t tell her now she’s on stage but she thinks that they boys are gone, that they ran out of time” Flynn tells her “She’s also really worried about you” she tells her as they get back to the side of the stage, Julie has just started to sing and y/n is so proud of her for going up there by herself because she never thought she see that confidence in her friend again after losing her mom. Julie gets to the chorus and everyone gets a surprise when a certain drummer appears on the stage closely followed Reggie both smiling widely at Julie.

“Oh my gosh Flynn they did it they escaped but where’s Luke?” she asks looking worriedly at Flynn, who mirrors her look. A few seconds later Luke appears on the stage but he’s flickering and he disappears a few times before he finally appears fully, belting out the next line in the song and the girls cheer along from the side of the stage. When the song ends they all take a bow, the boys disappearing and for once neither Julie or y/n can see them. After taking in the praise and applause that she rightfully deserves, Julie finds both girls at the side of the stage and the head back to the dressing room. 

“Y/n you made it, we thought you weren’t coming” Julie smiles 

“Yeah about that…” y/n replies not wanting to bring the mood down after that amazing performance but Julie needs to know what happened, she tells her everything about Caleb, about the boys offering to go with him to save y/n and finally about Willie.

“Y/n,” Julie gasps when she finishes pulling her friend in for a hug “are you okay?” she asks when she pulls away.

“I’ll be okay but the boys escaped and now-now they’ve crossed over” she shrugs a small smile on her face that Julie mirrors she knows how she feels, the boys have crossed over they should be happy but it hurts knowing that they’ve lost their friends.

----

“You guys think we could try that hug thing one more time?” Alex asks with a smile making Julie chuckle, she was so relieved to have the boys back. After she had said goodbye to Flynn and y/n at the Orpheum she had come home and gone straight out to the studio wanting to say her last goodbyes to the boys. Although it hadn’t gone exactly to plan, she had found them all laid on the floor, bodies shaking from the force of the jolts and that had Julie almost breaking down. Pleading with them to save themselves and join Caleb but they wouldn’t go and without thinking she flung her arms around them wanting to give them a proper goodbye. It had surprised them all when her arms didn’t go through them like they usually would, she could actually touch them, they seemed to glow then a bright aura surrounding them as they all gripped their wrists wincing slightly as Caleb’s stamp lifted. That had led them to their current situation with Alex asking for more to which they all obliged, laughing excitedly as they pulled away.

“Wait what about y/n?” Luke asks, suddenly drawing the attention of the other three and Julie gives him a confused look until she remembers that they still think Caleb has her, she goes to tell them but Alex speaks first.

“Julie, Caleb has y/n he’s the reason why we were late” he says, the smile dropping from his face but Julie shakes her head at him looking between the three of them.

“No, she escaped she made it to the Orpheum she saw you guys play and now she thinks you’ve crossed over” Julie explains

“What? How?” Alex asks

“Willie” she smiles over at Alex “He knew he couldn’t do anything to save you guys from Caleb so he snuck away while you were being controlled by Caleb and helped her” Julie says watching as a fond smile made its way onto his face.

“Wait y/n could she Willie” Reggie asks surprised and Julie nods

“We have to go to her, tell her that we’re okay” Luke says looking to the other three, they know how Luke feels about y/n even if he’s never said anything. They can see it in the way he acts around her, the way he looks at her and how he talks about her so it’s only fair that she would be the first thing on his mind now.

“She’s at home” Julie says simply, knowing that it’s all he needs to hear before he poofs out. Alex and Reggie stay where they are leaving Luke alone for this.

----

Y/n’s curled up under the duvet arms wrapped around herself, she’s been there since she got home from the show, her eyes are red and she’s still sniffling from the crying that she did when she got back. She’s happy for the boys that they got to fulfil their final dying wish but that doesn’t stop the pain of losing them.

“Y/n” a voice says quietly but she doesn’t move, it sounds like Luke but it can’t be he crossed over she must be imagining it until she hears it again, louder this time. Sitting up and looking at the door, that's where she sees him.

“Luke” she gasps “What-how-I thought you were gone” she stutters watching him closely as he makes his way over to the bed and sits on the edge.

“It’s a long story but Julie, she saved us somehow, the curse is gone” he smiles, showing her his arm where the stamp used to be.

“How did you know I’d be here” y/n asks quietly, knowing the last time he saw her she was Caleb’s prisoner

“Julie told us you’d escaped and that Willie had helped. We were so worried about you” he says softly, reaching over to wipe a tear that had started to fall but she pulled back knowing that they couldn’t touch, not wanting to feel the disappointment when his hand ghosted through her face.

“Just trust me, okay?” he asks, reaching his hand over to her again, this time she didn’t move. She let him come to her and she let out a small gasp when she felt his palm against her cheek.

“How-how are you doing that” she asks, shock clear on her face but she leans into his touch anyway, he doesn’t answer just smiles fondly at her. She pulls away first moving slightly to make room for him to sit on the bed next to her, letting him wrap her up in his arms as she holds on to him tightly, scared that if she lets go she’ll lose him again.

“I thought I’d lost you” she whispers, face filled with emotion as she looks up to him.

“I know but I’m here now,” he smiles down at her, his arms tightening their grip around her “and I’m never letting you go again”

[scottfuckingreed]

Love Drug - Jeff Atkins

-

@anisiamoisa SAID: ‘I wanted to request a Jeff Atkins imagine where they take the love drug (season two episode 7 I think) with Clay, Hannah, Alex and Sheri. Maybe some smut too’

-

Warnings!: Just some cute smutty shit really, and mentions of drug use!

-

Sometimes when being around someone, you start to feel exactly how they feel. In this case, being with Clay makes me anxious as hell. He’s walking with his hands twiddling through each other, and he’s made his body look incredibly small. “Are you alright Clay?” I giggle. By the look on his face, I’d say no. “I’m fine,” I look across to Hannah, who was walking the other side of him. She shrugs, which makes me laugh. “It’s okay to be nerv-” “it’s just that we don’t know where these drugs have come from. We could die!” He explodes as we get outside Jeff’s house. “I don’t think Jeff is tryna kill us Clay,” me and Hannah laugh along together. “If you die, at least you can haunt him,” I add, nudging him on the shoulder. “You are NOT helping!”

“There she is!” Jeff woo’s as I walk in. The ‘pointing’ makes me blush massively. Huge arms wrap themselves around my waist, pulling me in as close as he can. About three or four kisses get placed in several places on my face, before turning to Clay and Hannah. “Hey guys, welcome,” he says ‘normally’. “I see how it is; favouritism,” Clay mutters, which makes me laugh too much. “Oh Clay’s jealous!” The grip is removed from me, and I witness his arms wrap around Clay, lifting him up slightly. “Do you want one, Hannah?” He offers once he lets Clay’s feet touch the ground again. “I’m good, but thank you,” Jeff doesn’t care, and gives Hannah a hug anyway. I swear my boy is too pure for this world.

Once Sheri and Alex arrive, we sit in a circle-ish. Hannah sits next to Clay, then Alex, then Sheri, and Jeff sits between my legs. Playing with Jeff’s hair is honestly one of my favourite things. Once again, Clay is twiddling his thumbs. “Clay-” “isn’t sugar and caffeine a kind of high, right?” he blurts out. I watch Hannah out her hand over Clay’s, which makes his eyes widen. Seeing Clay all caught up with Hannah is so cute. He should honestly just go for it. But then again, this is Clay we’re on about. Never gonna happen. “Jenson, would I ever lead you astray?” I lock hands with Jeff, intertwining our fingers tightly together. He raises them. My heart melts more as he places a kiss on each of the backs of my hands. One on each. I smile to myself. He loosens his grip, letting my hand slid away as he stands up. Reaching into his pocket, he takes out a small clear bag with white pills in there. He passes on to each of us, leaving Clay till last. “This peer pressure.” He shakes his head. He takes the pill anyway, but you can see the clear uncertainty in his face. And his voice. And his everything really. “I’m not gonna force you Jenson,” Jeff sits back with me, but hints me to shuffle forwards instead. Once he places himself behind me, I decide this is my chance to take the comfiest seat there is... Jeff Atkins’ lap. “But it’ll be good for you.” In no more - or less - than a ‘three, two, one’, each of us had swallowed our drug. Clay hesitated, as if he was seeing if we were all gonna take it, but he took it nevertheless. And now we wait.

It was a fast turn around this time. I almost felt it as soon as I gulped it down. And now we sit laughing and giggling about shit that isn’t really funny. “You’re friends,” pause, “with Justin Foley.” Jeff cries in laughter to Alex. I’m not sure why it’s funny, but we all laugh along anyway. “He’s an asshole,” Alex shakes his head with a massive smile. “He is...” I look over to Sheri, who you can tell is thinking. “He’s kinda hot though?” I shake my head, which makes Jeff nudge me in the side. “You don’t think Foley’s hot?!” He gasps. I turn to him, locking eyes. I put each hand on either side of his face. Pause. And... “nope.” I say simply. He raises his eyebrows, as if it’s totally unbelievable that I don’t find him attractive. “But, no one compares to you, my love,” I cringily whisper into his ear. I feel his smile widen across his face. I turn to gaze into his eyes, face to face. “You two are disgustingly adorable,” Hannah throws a pillow our way.

We continue to laugh for what seems like a long time, but it’s actually only 10/15 minutes. The drug makes you just feel entirely positive. Like this is where you’re meant to be, right in this moment. I am with the right people in this basement. And I’ve hardly ever hung out with Sheri, or Alex, or Hannah. Clay though, Clay’s around a little bit. I get pulled out of my trance with a poke in my back. Fiercely, I snap my head around to face Jeff. “What are you thinking about?” He whispers, touching my face with his nose. Feeling his breath against my face sends my body in a whole other place. Somehow, even in my high state of mind, I swivel myself a bit too smoothly so I’m facing him. Now I’m straddled against his body. “About how cute your’s and Clay’s friendship is,” giggling, I bury my head into his shoulder. When he moves his hands across my body I feel the enhancement of that happy little pill. They cross from my thighs, to my hips, to waist in one very swift movement. That’s all. And it feels incredible. “He’s obsessed with me,” Clay’s voice sounds distant, although he’s just over 2 metres away. All I’m focussed on is the way Jeff’s hands feel on my body. I just want him close. Closer. “You love me though Jenson,” Jeff turns his head back to mine, and they are instantly practically touching. All I can seem to do is gaze into those beautiful eyes. If I was sober, I’d be cringing at myself. But I love this guy. “What are you thinking about now?” Shivers get sent down my spine by the whispers that flowed into my ear. A small smirk appears and disappears off his face. “You,” I smile, and blush, and try not to go into a giggle mess. “Me?” I bite my lip slightly and nod. “You’re too cute,” he kisses my cheek, then on my jawline, then once on my neck. And that’s all I needed. When our eyes lock once again, and our noses touch ever so slightly, I just can’t take it no more. I’m so in love with this guy. “I think we should-” is all I can say before he hops up, takes my hands, and we start walking upstairs.

Jeff walks into his bedroom first. I follow, pushing my entire body weight onto the door for it to close. It’s not heavy or anything. When I turn I see my beautiful boyfriend sat on the bed. I watch as his eyes scan my body from top to toe. My body sways as I walk towards him, and his gaze doesn’t change. “Stop! You’re making me embarrassed!” I push him on the shoulder. Soft hands embrace my still clothed hips. “You’re so beautiful,” whispering, he guides my body onto his, into a straddling position once again. My index finger goes to his lips, shushing him. The problem with pretty boy over here is he doesn’t shut up. So even when I shush him, he continues being absolutely fucking adorable. “I could look at you all day,” he shrugs. “Oh you could?” I question, pushing his chest down so he’s with his back against the bed. His hands proceed to smooth up and down my thighs as I’m leant over his with my clothes crotch on top of his. When they connect, Jeff’s face looks almost pleasured already. “You’re literally like a work of art,” he leans up to mutter into my ear. Before I can even reply, he rotates us so he’s on top. A kiss gets placed on my cheek. Another on my jawline. And another on my neck. A shockwave of pleasure gets sent through my body as I feel his tongue press against a very nice spot. Jeff knows my body better than I do. My hands go to the back of his neck. And then I realise that this isn’t what I want. Gently lifting his head, our eyes meet once again. Then I attach my lips onto his... finally.

Sometimes foreplay is a bit long. Sometimes it feels a little dirty. Sometimes you just wanna actually have a sensual moment. I wanna make love to my boyfriend. Especially in my cloud 9 state. His tongue glides along mine effortlessly. His hands smoothing from my waist to my hips to my thighs feels better than it ever has. Euphoria x100. In motion, he slips a hand to the front of my jeans, unbuttoning them and throwing them off. I giggle against his lips as they launch onto the floor. In a minuscule moment where his lips aren’t fix onto mine, I tug at the end of his tee. My hands magnetise onto the abs on his stomach with haste. The smile on Jeff’s face grows, but he presses his lips together in attempt to contain it. “What?” I whisper. “That kinda tickles,” my face: crimson.

In another supersonic action, my thong was on the floor. As was his joggers. All that remained between us was his boxers. And within seconds they had vanished too. “I love you,” I kiss him once. “So much,” I add, placing my lips against his in a lengthy kiss. You could hear it scream with passion and desire. Excitement rushed through my body as I finally feel his penis start to go inside me. My mouth widens to inhale a slightly deep breath of air. Having Jeff this close... I just know he’s mine. The pining kiss continued until he was fully inside. Eye to eye, nose to nose, I gaze up to him and smile. I get lost in the moment. This. This is perfection. There’s no place I’d rather be. No person I’d rather be with. This is it. Before anything, he stamps my forehead with a kiss. One, two, three. “You are so enthralling,” I look at him and frown with the biggest smile. “Enthral- what?” When I begin to giggle, he actually begins to blush. “Clay taught me it. It means, like, fascinating,” he explains. Which just makes my heart melt. I stick my bottom lip out in a sad motion. “What?” He nudges his nose against mine. “You’re just so cute,” I pin my lips back against his. Deep feelings of just pining for the godly specimen on top of me oozes through between the connection of our tongues.

My mouth widens as he begins to thrust himself out, and back in. He proceeds to place wet kisses against and around my lips. The heaviness of my breath correlates with the hand sliding up and down my thigh. Every touch sends an unexplainable feeling through my body. It must be the perfect blend of adrenaline, that love hormone and whatever the fuck drug I’m on. But I can’t focus on that. I can’t focus on anything but the fact that I’m in love with this boy. I’m making love to the boy that I love. The way he squeezes my thigh and my waist. I almost completely come undone when he lifts my right leg up slightly. “Fuck,” I moan against his tender lips. My fingers spread through his hair, pulling slightly more at every inch of pleasure pumping through my body. I know that I’m completely under his spell. I like it here.

I wrap my legs around his body more and more. Even though he’s as close as he can get, I’d try anything to get him closer. With every thrust I find myself not only a moaning mess, but falling for a boy that I’ve already fallen hard for. It’s like that excitement you get when you see a boy for the first time. And I don’t know what comes over me, but I flip us around so I end up being on top. My chest: flat against his. All I can do is smile cheekily. The thing with us is, we know each other. So I begin moving up and down on his manhood. Both of his hands go to my waist, guiding me at a steady pace. “Oh my god,” he rolls his eyes back. It’s nice to know I have some sort of hold on him, as back as that probably sounds. “You’re so beautiful,” kisses are placed all over my face, but mainly on my lips. Our tongues dance to the rhythm of our own beat. “Fuck Y/N,” this does it for me. His words send my body over the edge, pushing my insides to climax. As if it was in sync, Jeff reaches his too. I ride out both of our highs.

I throw myself down next to him. “You’re incredible, you know that?” He presses my body close to his. He feels like a dream. Or maybe it’s the very slightly delay of these drugs. Everything is just... more. “I think I just fell in love with you more,” he whisper into my ear. Every breath I cherish. “You’re so fucking cute, you know that?” Is what I find to respond with. I look up to him and see him thinking. The concentration on his face was quite full on. “I don’t think we should go back to the others,” when he turns his head, our eyes immediately lock. “Whyyyyyy?” I cock my leg up onto his abdomen, turning to face him fully. “I just wanna cuddle.” The beautiful Jeff Atkins.

[nooneactuallyasked]

Diner Gal - Reggie x Reader Part 9

Requested: It’s a series, there are no requests here!

Word count: 1,877

Warnings: Cursing

Summary: Julie and the Phantoms ( + Flynn ) go to a musical diner/café/restaurant for inspiration and hopefully a future gig but they end up meeting a very special waitress.

Note: We love Reggie moments- Love our himbo the most! Told you I’d do it today lol

Oop, just remembered I forgot the taglist for the last part so Imma add that in a sec lol

---

Part 1 here   Part 2 here   Part 3 here   Part 4 here

Part 5 here   Part 6 here   Part 6.5 here   Part 7 here

Part 8 here

---

Y/N sat on a table, writing out the setlist for the next day, another job Cal had left for her to do and it pissed her off to no end. She understood having a bad day, sure it sucked but don’t take it out on your employees! She let out a breath she didn’t realise she had been holding and decided that as long as she got paid properly she would put up with pretty much anything.

She still needed to practice her duet with one of the guys, Josh, but of course, he couldn’t be here, just her luck. Obviously, she didn’t blame him, things happened, but everything seemed to be going wonky lately and all Y/N was some stability in her life, Cal was a different person all of a sudden, she more work than she could handle and top it all off she was developing feelings for a ghost. Scratch that, she has feelings for a ghost that she could touch but no one else could see and it honestly kind of scared her.

Y/N huffed, placing her notebook next to her before hopping off the table, it was clear to see that she wouldn’t get anything done any time soon.

“Hey, Diner Gal! It’s your favourite phantom, me!” Y/N jumped a bit before turning around, an exasperated smile on her face, “Hello, Leather Boy, nice seeing you again.” Reggie grinned, he loved hearing her voice, it comforted him and made him feel wanted, “So, what are we doing?” Y/N sighed, turning back to her notebook, “I’m stressing over a setlist and a duet I’m supposed to be practising for, but I don’t expect you to do the same.” Y/N grinned at him over her shoulder. A worried puppy expression clouded over Reggie’s face, then he thought of an idea that brought a bright smile onto his face, “How about I help you practice? I mean, I could sing the other part, girl or guy. I’ve been told I have an excellent Sandy impression, I’m especially good at Summer Lovin’ in case you were wondering.” He winked at her causing her to burst into laughter, a warm smile lighting up her face.

“Um, sure, you heard and Dear Evan Hansen?”

“Have I? Julie showed 1 song to Alex and he wouldn’t shut up about it, he kept making Julie play us those songs over and over and over again, I think I know literally every line by now. Alex swears that he is Evan but instead of Connor it’s Zoe who’s dead and that him and Connor are happily married with a puppy.” Reggie widened his eyes to emphasize his point, Y/N snickered, “What a terrible fate you’ve been succumbed to.” Reggie rolled his eyes, secretly admiring how carefree the girl before him looked, “I’m serious! My ears can recognize any song from 3 miles away!”

“Okay, so, do you know Only Us?” Reggie nodded, he knew that one especially well, not just because of Alex but because it was his personal favourite, it’s how he always imagined love would feel like, carefree, a little awkward but completely accepting and unconditional. It wasn’t something he had experienced very much of and certainly not in the way the song presented it but he hoped maybe one day he could experience it exactly how the song said, with Y/N. “Yeah, I do. Is that the song?”

“Yep. I’ll just put the backing on, thanks for this.” Y/N smiled before making her way towards the counter where the kept the tech stuff. Soon the familiar melody drifted out of the speakers in the room and Y/N made her way back to Reggie.

I don't need you to sell me on reasons to want you

I don't need you to search for the proof that I should

You don't have to convince me

You don't have to be scared you're not enough

'Cause what we've got going is good

Y/N was looking right into Reggie’s eyes and it honestly made his heart skip a good thousand beats, he felt like she singing directly to him, like he was the only person that mattered. She made him feel alive.

I don't need more reminders of all that's been broken

I don't need you to fix what I'd rather forget

Clear the slate and start over

Try to quiet the noises in your head

We can't compete with all that

She moved closer to him, raising a hand to push away a strand of hair from his eyes, a soft smile forming on both of their faces. She stepped back, wringing her hands in front of her.

So what if it's us?

What if it's us

And only us

And what came before won't count anymore or matter?

Can we try that?

She took his hand and raised it up to meet her own before intertwining their fingers, she smiled down at them before meeting his eyes, the awe in them shining through causing her to smile bashfully and look back down.

What if it's you

And what if it's me

And what if that's all that we need it to be

And the rest of the world falls away?

 What do you say?

Reggie unlinked their fingers and poofed onto a nearby table causing Y/N to snicker as her nearly kicked a ketchup bottle.

I never thought there'd be someone like you who would want me

 Well...

Y/N looked away, feeling more than slightly flustered, why was a song so much better at deciphering her feelings than her own mind!

So I give you ten thousand reasons to not let me go

But if you really see me

If you like me for me and nothing else

Well, that's all that I've wanted for longer than you could possibly know

Reggie poofed back down and held both of her hands, looking into her eyes. It felt like they were promising to be with each other forever, no matter what, just like in the song.

So it can be us

It can be us

And only us

And what came before won't count anymore or matter

We can try that

He pulled her into a hug, singing into her ear, she’d never been serenaded before and this was probably the closest she’d ever come to a real experience but Y/N swore that no one would ever understand how she felt. It was perfect, even though it was all just practice for a duet she was doing with some else.

It's not so impossible

Nobody else but the two of us here

'Cause you're saying it's possible

We can just watch the whole world disappear

'Til you're the only one

I still know how to see

Y/N sat on a nearby table, Reggie standing in front of her holding her hands tightly, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles.

It's just you and me

It'll be us

It'll be us

Heat pooled in both of their cheeks, this moment was special, no matter what happened after they both knew this had connected them. Y/N brought a hand up to his cheek and brushed her thumb over it, delicately as if it were a petal.

And only us

And what came before won't count anymore

Y/N got off of the table, letting go of Reggie’s hands causing him to feel slightly disappointed, he enjoyed the warmth that radiated from her like she was the sun. She was the sun that brought light to his world. She belted out the note and Reggie just stared in awe.

We can try that

You and me

That's all that we need it to be

And the rest of the world falls away

And the rest of the world falls away

She went back over to him, once again intertwining their fingers before Reggie looped his arms around her waist and she wrapped her around his neck.

The world falls away

The world falls away

And it's only us

They stared at each other for a few more seconds before Y/N buried her head into his neck and Reggie squeezed her tighter. He was afraid, what if this didn’t work? What if they turned into his parents? But then again, what if they clicked and everything was perfect. That was a risk he wasn’t sure he could take but he was starting to come to the conclusion that it might be worth it.

Neither of them knew how long they stayed like that but eventually, Y/N moved away, “So, uh, I should get back to work, you know, things to do and, uh, people to please.” She chuckled awkwardly, how do you follow that up with casual conversation? “Oh, yeah, Julie and the guys are probably wondering where I am.”

“Right.”

“Right.”

“So, bye.” It came out more unsure and more of a question than Y/N had hoped it would but Reggie didn’t seem to notice, “Yeah, um, bye.” She stepped back and sent him a small wave and smile which he returned before poofing out.

.

.

.

“Well, wasn’t that just sickeningly sweet, I do so love it when romantic drama is added to the mix.” Y/N whipped around and was met with the same guy in purple she had seen just the day before. “Who are you and what are you doing here?” The man mockingly gasped, “How rude of me, the name’s Caleb, I’m a very special…friend of Cal’s” Y/N raised a brow in disbelief, “Oh really? How do you know him?” Caleb rolled his eyes, “Cal, are we friends?” Y/N frowned before spotting Cal walk out of the shadows, what the fuck was happening and why was it kinda terrifying. “Yes, we are.”  

“Cal, what the fuck is up with you?” But Cal didn’t answer, he just stared, he stared into nothing, as if anything and everything didn’t exist and he was the only one there. She glared at this Caleb guy, “What did you do to him?” Caleb smirked and chuckled? Deep, scary laughed? Whatever it was it made Y/N’s skin crawl, no one should laugh like that and not get thrown into a bin. “I just gave Cal a little ultimatum and he chose well, so now I have a little, how do I put this, control over him.”

“Now I have an ultimatum for you too, you see, I’ve been giving you a gift, a present shall we say, but everything comes with a cost and so now I’ve come to collect.” Y/N shook her head in confusion, “What’re you talking about? What gift and what price?” Caleb did another weird chuckles thing that made Y/N roll her eyes. “Sweetheart, how do you think you can see those boys? Why have you never seen any other ghosts beforehand?” Y/N stuttered, it made sense but it still kinda hurt. “What’s your price?” Caleb smirk, “That’s exactly what I wanted to hear, and it’s simple really, I want the boys. And you’re gonna help me get them.”

That was not what Y/N expected, “What happens if I don’t?” Caleb’s expression darkened, “Well, you’ll have to get used to a life without your precious ‘Leather Boy’” He pulled a face at the nickname whilst Y/N stood there frozen in shock.

Well shit.

---

Taglist:

@hereforthejatp​

@slutforjjmaybank​   @morganayennefertyrell​

@dxestars​   @dcnerd98​

@ultraworthlessbitch​   @revolutionary-werewolf-ghosts 

@underc0vercryptid-reads​   @miisacore​

[tangledstarlight]

work in progress wednesday 

hello hi! okay so i’m working on a few different things right now because i have no self control but i’d thought i’d show you the rough outline i have worked out for my reincarnation au since i just gotta super excited about the idea of it again. and also part of this juke fake dating au i have because i feel like if i post it somewhere it might make me actually finish it

reincarnation au

i work in a really annoying way in which i have to physically write stuff out first, so i’ve basically got all this on flashcards with extra information/plot details about each decade/century. and also a flashcard for each of the main characters, colour coded, with things that stay the same in each life, and points that tie them all together (i’m literally so close to ordering red string and creating a crime scene murder board for organisation hfj). 

i’m sticking with the greek gods vibe, mostly because i love a bit of greek mythology, which means rose is Hestia because the home, hearth & family vibes are strong in the molina household if you ask me. i havent settled on a god for caleb yet but i’m leaning towards one who deals with chaos? it’s still a little up in the air.

i’m still trying to figure out what’s going to happen between 300bc and the 1300′s because there’s gotta be at least one life in there somewhere yknow?

i have to say i’m most excited about writing the willie interlude chapter and boys as cowboys, they just feel like they’re gonna be fun. 

juke fake dating au

i really like what i have, and i love a fake dating au but i just...idk the motivation to actually finish it seems to have vanished and that makes me sad

“So. I’ve got a... proposition for you. Or a request I guess. A deal? An idea of mutual beneficial rewards?” Julie frowned, head tilted to the side as she thought about it. During all her rehearsing of this moment she had completely forgotten to think about how to actually approach the topic. 

Now she was just sounding crazy if the raised eyebrows Luke was shooting her way were any indication. 

“I’m listening. Unless you’re about to ask me to help you commit some kind of crime, then we might have to do this somewhere a little less,” he twirled a finger in the air and leaned in a little closer, lowering his voice to a whisper “public. Don’t wanna get caught.” 

He said it all with such an easy smile, calming her racing nerves without even realising that’s what he was doing. Or maybe he did know. Everyone always joked about how Luke was constantly wrapped up in his music, he didn’t notice much going on around him, but he could be surprisingly in tune with his friends' emotions when he wanted to be. Which is part of the reason why Julie was doing this, she reminded herself. There was a reason it was Luke she was asking. 

“I think we should fake date.”

The words hung in the air between them. And, now they were out in the open, Julie realised just how mad the whole idea sounded. The sight of Luke’s smile freezing, eyebrows rising higher as his eyes grew wider (a look that, under other circumstances would have made her laugh) had Julie rushing to get out her explanation before he could completely say no. She had put a lot of thought into this! 

“No, no, listen! I know it sounds weird and silly and completely crazy. But it makes sense! Dad and Carlos have been worrying and Tia is convinced I’ve sworn off relationships because I’m scared of getting hurt because of mom and what happened with Nick and Flynn is constantly trying to set me up on dates. Even though I’ve told them all I’m perfectly fine! There’s nothing wrong with being single and alone, and it’s not even like I’m alone-alone. I have friends. I’m not some kind of crazy recluse.” Julie felt herself spiralling into a rant and had to take a deep breath to pull herself back. Luke still hadn’t moved since she’d started speaking, though she could swear his lips twitched in an almost smile. 

“And! You’re always saying how your mom drives you mad about how you’ve never brought someone home to meet them. And Alex and Reggie are always teasing you about not being able to keep a date because you’re always scaring people away with your crazy intense music obsession and how you’re going to be forever alone surrounded by guitars instead of cats.” Reggie had gone into scary details about how he thought Luke’s life was going to play out, it was both terrifying and hilarious. 

“If we pretend to date for a few weeks it will get them all off our backs, we wouldn’t even have to change all that much about what we do now. Maybe just, dinner or something, hold hands. You already spend all your time here anyway. And then in a month or something we can have an amicable break up. Everyone wins.” She ended her speech a little out of breath, having rushed through all her thoughts. Luke is still looking at her, his eyes still wide and his smile frozen in place. But he was still sitting at the counter, which Julie was going to take as a good sign. 

“So? What do you think?” She chewed on her lip, casting her eyes down and trying - and failing - to not fidget with her fingers. Luke still hadn’t responded, hadn’t moved. Oh god, he thought it was a terrible plan didn’t he? 

Now he was never going to want to hang out with her again, he’d avoid coming to the cafe and stop inviting her to their gigs and she’d be down to only Flynn as a friend and she really would be a recluse. 

Was there a limit on how many cats you could adopt at once? She didn’t think her apartment building even allowed cats. Great, now she was going to have to move as well!

“Hey,” Luke’s voice was gentle as it pulled her out of her spiraling thoughts, and he must have been trying to get her attention for a while, she thinks, because one of his hands is reaching out to settle on top of hers that had started tapping insistently on the counter top. Julie hadn’t even realised she was doing that. 

“You put a lot of thought into this whole, fake dating thing, huh?” He says the words ‘fake dating’ carefully, slowly, like he’s worried about something. But Julie doesn’t know what. She nods her head though, blowing out a breath and raising her eyes again until they land on Luke’s own. 

“Even made a powerpoint. There were pictures and graphs.” 

Luke laughed at that and Julie felt all the sudden tension leave her shoulders. She’s reminded, again, that this is Luke and there is a reason why she’s asking him to part-take in her crazy plan. 

“I mean-” He pauses, tilting his head a little to the side, his eyes unfocused as he seems to think something over. Julie waits, forces her hand, that is still underneath his, to be still lest she seem impatient for his answer. Which she is, but Luke doesn’t need to know that. It feels like an eternity has passed before he’s blinking, eyes focusing on hers and a wide grin breaking across his face. Julie can’t help but smile back reflectively. 

“I guess it wouldn’t really change all that much about our lives, huh? We’d just get to hang out more. And it would be nice for my parents and the guys to get off my back about never going out on dates.”

It takes Juile a moment to realise what exactly Luke is saying. 

“Wait, you mean you’ll do it?” She had hoped he would agree, but actually hearing him say it is a whole other thing. 

“Yeah, of course I’ll do it. And hey, it could be kinda fun!” There’s an infectious excitement in Luke’s voice and Julie grins, impulsively turns her hand over on the counter top so she can link their fingers together and squeeze his hand.

[unsaidjulie]

17/100 WAYS TO SAY ‘I LOVE YOU.’ ↳ i need you by my side.

Even in dreams, the boys don’t leave her. Julie thinks this is a dream - the lights are a little hazy, a little blurred, and everything feels just a little off. Maybe it’s the way how they’re all in the living room, and Reggie is stretched over the couch, with Ray talking to him about his plans for the day. Alex isn’t here, but Julie knows he’s somewhere that he likes to be, because he told her where he was going, where he’s been spending most of his time now, she just can’t recall. 

It seems almost as if Julie is watching the scene unfold over her own shoulder; Luke walks in through the front door and his eyes set on her, blotchy and bloodshot. 

‘I need to do something,’ he tells her. 

Julie looks around; neither Ray nor Reggie are paying attention to either of them. She nods, stepping closer. ‘Okay.’

‘I need you by my side.’

Julie takes another step, another nod, another okay, except her lips don’t move when she says it. His hand is outstretched, palm facing upwards, until she covers it with his own. 

(Even in her dream, she can’t quite feel her hand in his. It’s a slight touch, the brushing of air between her skin and his, but she knows he’s holding her hand.)

They go to the garage, and Julie realises this is quite vivid for a dream like this. Luke belongs here as much as she does; she used to think it was her mum’s studio, but now it’s theirs, just the way it was the boys’ before it was her mum’s. 

She watches him go through his backpack and rip out a paper; there is a pain in Julie’s chest, and a howl of wind, when the page is torn. ‘Are you sure you want to do this?’

Luke nods. ‘I need to do this.’

He takes her hand in his again, and they step on his parents’ porch. It’s chilly and she can tell his hand is colder, too, so her wraps her fingers around it as much as she can. She’s holding him, but she isn’t, because her brain can’t replicate a sensation it hasn’t felt. 

He rings the bell. Julie tells him everything is going to be fine. His hand gets a little warmer. 

When Emily opens the door, she lets them in without a question. They go into the kitchen and there’s a black dahlia on the table, adorning the place. The sun coming through the windows is muted, basking Luke’s in a pale yellow light. She should only be able to see his silhouette, but she sees him more clearly than she ever has. 

Emily doesn’t say anything. Mitch doesn’t, either - everybody is waiting for something. 

Julie squeezes Luke’s hand, which she hasn’t let go of this entire time. 

Luke begins to sing. 

Music surrounds them, and Julie hears the lyrics she only looked at once before. It wasn’t her right to look at them, but she needed to understand and she did it for him, just like he did the Flying Solo for her. She shouldn’t know the music, but it’s clear as day, because she knows Luke better than she thought she did - she knows what the song he wrote to his mum would sound like. Even with the chords and notes of the melody, it seemed to be enough for Julie’s brain to replicate it. 

She doesn’t cry. Nobody does. But Luke’s hand grows warmer in his and when he finishes, she watches his parents wrap them in his arms, yet he doesn’t let go. 

That’s when they start crying, and Julie is out on the porch, giving them privacy. 

When Luke comes, his eyes are red, and he takes hold of her hand again - it fits like a puzzle. It fits like the white cloud on the blue sky. It fits like the harmony of their voices. 

‘Are you okay?’ she asks.

He looks at her with a drowsy smile. ‘Yeah, Jules.’ He says something else, but it gets lost in Julie’s hazy, awakening brain. 

She holds his hand and can feel the ghost of his touch when she opens her eyes, in her bed, knowing exactly what she needs to do to help him.

[whatareyousearchingfordean]

Happiness Begins

Part 19

Chapter Summary: Jared needs some time to come around to the idea of his best friend and his sister, but will he be able to get over all the lies? 

Warnings: Language, angst, descriptions of anxiety, a mild physical altercation

Word Count: 2.1K+

Author’s Note: Hey guys! Happy Sunday! First, I’d like to say a huge thank you to all of you still here with me. This past semester was a difficult one for a number of reasons. Until I started writing again, I hadn’t realized how much I truly missed these two and being in this little world I created. It was a truly therapeutic experience to get back to it. Also, I already have our sequel all outlined and ready to start. xoxo Alex

Catch up with the series masterlist and check out Alexandra’s Library for more works by yours truly!

Jared was gone before she woke on Monday. Well, not technically before she woke as she didn’t actually sleep. The sound of the front door startled her before her alarm for the morning had gotten the chance to. She wasn’t surprised. Jared didn’t come out of his room the rest of the weekend. Only once for food and even then he just stockpiled what he could into his room.

This wasn’t exactly what she had expected, but again, it didn’t surprise her. After he had stormed out, she rolled out of bed and decided then to start her day. What difference did it make whether she got up now or stared at her ceiling for another half hour anyway? 

When Clif showed up with the car at his normal time, Jensen was already in the back seat. He smiled at her as she climbed in next to him, the corner of his mouth dropping when she shook her head at him. Jensen nodded his understanding.

Y/n stared out the window as the lights of the city flashed passed them, one hand on her chin as she chewed on the nail of her thumb. Jensen’s fingers wrapped around her wrist and pulled her hand to his face, kissing the back of her knuckles. She turned to face him, a weak smile on her lips.

“Take a breath.” Y/n did as she was told, breathing in deeply and holding it for a beat before letting it back out. A move she had perfected years ago when her anxiety first started to go from bad to worse.  She repeated the deep breath a few more times, allowing the action to help the stuttering in her chest slow down to a more bearable rate.

“It’s gonna be a long day.” She noted. Jensen nodded at her and linked his fingers with hers. There wasn’t much else to say between them. She had kept him up to date via text all weekend, so they were on the same page when it came to Jared. 

Friday, she had said all she could to her brother. If he couldn’t accept her apology, what else was she to do? They both knew they had messed up and the guilt that has settled in her chest was suffocating. At this point though, she wouldn’t take any of it back. Jensen was the light she hadn’t known she was missing. He was her safe place, the one person that somehow knew her better than she knew herself. There was nothing that could persuade her from giving that up. Maybe it was selfish, but after everything she figured it was her turn to be a little selfish. If Jared had been there to peer over their shoulders, who’s to say they would have been able to truly find each other. No, that was a risk she couldn’t take. 

They spent the rest of the ride in silence, neither knowing what would greet them when they reached set. With the tension in all of their relationships sure to be noticeable by everyone else, it was best that her and Jensen kept up their facade. The last thing either of them wanted was all their dirty laundry out for everyone to see, something they had come to an agreement on during their many conversations over the weekend. 

Jensen led her towards the makeup trailer as she trailed behind a step. Crew greeted them on their way like usual, a ‘good morning’ here and a nod of a head there. Y/n noted as they walked past the trailers that Jared’s was dark. This didn’t mean much as the set was a large space, and he could still be anywhere. She knew what time he left the apartment, but she couldn’t be sure when he actually arrived on the set, if he had yet done so at all.

Jensen stepped up and pulled open the door to the makeup trailer, allowing her to enter first. She was greeted by a warm smile from Trish as she peeked over Jared’s head. Jared’s body stiffened as he caught his sister's eye in the mirror. Neither of them said a thing, allowing a heaviness to blanket the inside of the trailer. Neither looked away from each other either, their looks of longing and sadness literally mirroring each other’s. They stayed that way for what felt like minutes when in reality it was less than thirty seconds. Just enough time for Jensen to enter behind her, his visage in the mirror stealing Jared’s attention. 

“Morning.” Trish broke the silence in the trailer as the door shut behind Jensen, who muttered a noncommittal response along with Y/n. Trish’s brow furrowed slightly, now picking up on the energy in the room, though she chose not to say anything. 

“It seems like the sun might actually be on our side today.” Y/n noted, trying to break the tension and pull Trish’s focus. They had an outside shoot, and originally the forecast had called for rain, switching at the last minute to partly cloudy. 

“As long as Jared here doesn’t sweat off all my hard work.” Trish teased as she leaned back to inspect her work. Jared’s clipped voice cut through the light conversation.

“Am I done?” Trish nodded, a soft ‘of course’ leaving her mouth. The poor woman had no idea what to make of the sudden mood shift in Jared. He jumped up from his chair and exited the trailer, the door slamming behind him. Y/n flinched at the noise and shared a quick, tense look with Jensen before Trish rounded on them, the furrow in her brow insisting on some answers.

“What’s up with him?” 

“I’m not exactly sure.” Y/n lied, the words tumbling out of her mouth like vomit. “I haven’t spoken to him at all today.” That part wasn't a lie, though she didn’t feel any better about it. The purse in Trish’s lips had Y/n’s heart rate picking up for a moment as she tried to assess if the woman believed her. Trish hummed under her breath, content for now not to ask anymore questions. She collected her things in silence, bidding Jensen and Y/n a goodbye in no time. Y/n let out the breath she hadn’t realised she was holding. 

“I can’t do this.” She hung her head as the tears returned. Never before did she think she could cry this much, and she already admits to being a crier. She had been so sure that her tear ducts would have run dry from how much they were being used. A sob shook her chest as she just let go in the presence of just Jensen.

“Hey, come here.” Jensen’s hands found her waist and pulled her to sit in his lap, her legs laying across his own. “Please, don’t cry. Jared just needs more time.” His thumbs wiped the streams flowing down her cheeks away, the action in vain as the salty liquid just kept coming. 

“I know, but I’m not sure how much longer I can handle this. I’ve never seen my brother like this and I just feel so damn guilty.” 

“I get it, I do. But honey, you’ve said your peace. What else can you do?” Jensen placed a soft kiss to her forehead. Her breathing was beginning to even out as she got control of her emotions, allowing the proximity of Jensen to ease her mind. At least, she knew that she was not alone in all of this. There was one person that could understand this feeling in her gut. A soft hiccup fell from her lips before she spoke again. 

“Beg for his forgiveness.” She suggested.

“If that’s really what you want to do, I’m here for you.” Jensen promised her, his eyes intent on hers as he made his promise known. A hint of a smirk appeared at the corner of his lips, offering her a view of her favorite dimple. He understood the hyperbole in her statement, something that she could never repay him for. Even still, she wasn’t completely opposed to the idea. It was just something to add to her list of the ways he had changed her life and view on the world.

****

The rest of their day consisted of much of the same. Jared was absent when he absolutely was not needed on the set. Though both of them still delivered Sam and Dean like they have been for the past fifteen years. Not that she doubted either of them. They were still professionals after all. The one big difference became their demeanor in between takes. 

Y/n could tell people were clearly suspicious of both of the men’s activity, it was written all over their faces. Though, not one of them chose to comment, much like their dear Trish. She wasn’t sure it would last. Someone was bound to open their mouth sooner or later. She was just surprised it came almost a week and a half later. 

Things had not gotten better in any sense of the word. Jared hadn’t said anything to either of them since the incident. Only interacting with Jensen when the script dictated so. It was the director who opened his mouth after the two men were struggling to connect for the first time in fifteen years. 

“Okay, what is up with you two?” The man came out from behind the camera, his ball cap low on his head as he yelled cut. He hadn’t been getting the performance out of the boys for the dramatic brother scene they were filming today, and he knew something was up. 

“Nothing.” Jared’s nostrils flared as he spoke, one of his little indicators that Y/n had picked up on growing up. He was annoyed and trying desperately to hide it. 

“Bullshit. You guys haven’t so much as said two words to each other this whole episode.” 

“It’s just stress. We are coming up on the end here and I think we are all getting a little emotional.” Jensen stepped up to offer an explanation. 

“I’ve known you both for years. I’ve seen you go through all sorts of things, and never before have I seen this coldness between the two of you.” 

“It’s nothing. I’m sorry. We will get it right.” Jensen promised. Though he didn’t seem convinced, the director left the two standing on stage and returned to his seat behind the camera. 

“I’m so sick of you.” Jared’s voice was soft, but Jensen heard it. 

“Excuse me?” He rounded on Jared.

“You heard me. You always think you know best. Nice cover story for Bill, didn’t want to tell him the real reason why I can’t even look at you?” Jared hissed. Jensen had no idea where this was coming from. Sure, he knew Jared was pissed, but he had never seen him act out like this. It was scaring him to be completely honest.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think you would want our business spreading around the set. You know how gossip can travel, especially when it involves the leads.” Jensen shot back. Trish nudged Y/n’s shoulder when she noticed the heated exchange between the actors. Y/n whipped around to where she had indicated. From her spot, she couldn’t hear exactly what was happening, but it was a safe bet that it had to do with her.  

“I’m not the one that has anything to be ashamed about. I’m the victim here.” Jared shoved Jensen. The force wasn’t anything that the man could’ve done at his full strength, but it was enough for Jensen to stumble backwards on his feet. Jensen made no move to react, instead simply accepting the punishment that Jared was dealing out for him. 

It was what happened next that was a blur. Jensen’s lack of a reaction seemed to only piss Jared off more, and he moved to push Jensen harder this time. Jensen dodged the movement, ready this time, only for a swarm of crew members to step between them before things could escalate even further.

Y/n couldn’t focus on anything but the sound of her heart thrumming in her ears as the tears threatened to fall once again. The sounds of grumbled shouts from the director for everyone to take a thirty minute break sounded like she was underwater. Jared was pushed back from the set by someone with their hand against his shoulder. Jensen walked off on his own in the opposite direction. 

What did it feel like to be kicked in the gut? Right now she was sure the feeling in her abdomen was a close approximation. The two men she loved most in this world were at odds because of her. Panic, guilt and fear all swirled into one nauseating sensation. She just wanted the world to stop, if only for a few hours, so she could get her shit together. So she could figure out a way to fix all of this. She had to fix this.

Part 20

Forevers: @spn-impala​​ @22sarah08​​ @turtlepad​​ @callmekda​​ @chaldei​​ @hobby27​​ @cowboysnwinchesters​​ @tranquility-or-chaos​​ @pikabootoyouchu​​ @dawnie1988​​ @grease222​​ @awesome-badass-cafeteria-sauce​​ @polina-93​​ @clarinette07​​ @moonlight-babeh​​ @suckerforfanfics​​ @witandnargles​​ @sleepylunarwolf​ @stiles-stilinski-24-dylan​ @geeksareunique​ @akshi8278​

Et Cetera: @jbbarnesgirl​ @hillface89​ @arses21434​ @thevelvetseries​ @sslater34​ @mrsirishboru​ @smoothdogsgirl​ @spnfamily-j2​ @encounterthepast​ @facadeformyrealblog  @supernatural-bellawinchester​ @screechingartisancashbailiff​​ @rebeccathefangirl​ @squirrelnotsam​ @heartinmyhead1​ @1d-killed-me​ @samsgirl93​ @deans-baby-momma​ @deanmonandnegansbitch​ @woodworthti666​ @supraveng​ @onethirstyunicorn​ @heartsaved​ @know2grow​ @littlewhiterose​ @surprisinglysarah​ @stoneyggirl​ @carryon-doctor-lock​ @thebookisbtr​ @youaremyfiveever​ @kalesrebellion​ @lilulo-12​ @winchester-fantasies​ @vicmc624​ @supernatural3002​ @winchester-writes​ 

[artyandink]

euphoria | charles xavier

2

Ash was sitting in the corner of the room, where the others were sharing their powers with each other. She got up, excusing herself and taking a short walk, immersed in her thoughts. Pain. Anger. Regret. “Ah! Oh, dear lord.” She clutched her forehead after feeling the collision of bodies, stumbling backwards. Her vision split in two, a figure with sharp blue eyes steadying her by her shoulders. “Are you alright, Miss Cyrus?” His eyes, as her vision cleared, were riddled with concern. They were so close, their noses so close to touching, breath hitting each other’s lips in gentle puffs. “Never better.” The blurry surroundings snapped back into HD as she stepped back, massaging the side of her forehead with her middle three fingers, grinning a little, “I’m sorry, I was just so immersed in my own thoughts, I probably wasn’t looking where I was going. Are you-” “I’m fine.” He beckoned her to walk with him, admiring her serenity in the moment. She truly was an extraordinary woman on the outside. The inside, he knew, would be even more fascinating. “How did you know my name, that night in your house? And what I had come to ask you?” He blurted, turning to face her. She gave a small smile, her fingers playing delicately with the hem of her sleeve. Charles caught it all, his senses heightened somehow when he was around her. “You told me.” “How so?” “One of my mutations are advanced hypnosis. I can bend anyone to my will with just a snap of my fingers. The first time I did it was when I was four, when I told a bully to stop beating someone up and walk away. They did exactly as I asked, but they went too far. They escaped school and were never seen again. Over time I learned how to control it, but I only used it in self defence. Until…” She fell silent, turning away to hide her tears. “Miss Cyrus.” He gently guided her to face him, “I assure you, you are safe here.” His arms twitched a little, “May I?” As she nodded, he wrapped his arms around her, startled at how warm she was. ‘You freak!’ ‘No, please, no…’ He was horrified at what he heard, realising the reason for Ash’s introvert-like manner. Letting go of her, he heard a whoosh coming from nowhere, and so did she, forcing each other to the ground as a red circle emerged out of nowhere, nearly decapitating them both. “The kids.” They sprinted over to where the children were meant to be kept, finding them all messing around. “What are you doing?!” Moira yelled, having clearly just arrived on the scene. “Who destroyed the statue?” “Alex did.” “It’s Havok. We call him Havok, that’s his name now. And we think you should be Professor X, and he should be Magneto.” “Exceptional.” “I expected more from you.” Charles tutted, walking away in disappointment. Ash followed, stopping in front of him. “What?” He snapped impatiently, running a hand through his hair. “Look, I know that they were horsing around a second ago, but they have extreme potential. They’re inexperienced in the field and you have to accept that. The only thing you have to do is put faith in them and their potential is limitless.” She vouched, gesturing to them. “How are we supposed to do that? They’re acting like monkeys!” “You listen to me!” Ash’s eyes turned a fiery red, a tongue of flame circling her right wrist, much to Charles’ surprise and awe, “We are the best chance humanity has got in order to save the human race and you know it! So stop being so damn pessimistic and believe in them! Do you know what my sister once said to me? A little bit of faith can work wonders. And now you refuse to put a little faith into our only chance of survival!” Charles had never seen this type of burning fire in Ash before. Unfortunately, it was close to burning his face off. “Miss Cyrus…” He stepped back just as the flame shot at his stomach, tripping over. He groaned as his head hit the floor, a gasp eliciting from Ash’s mouth as she bent down beside him, shaking him. “I’m fine.” He looked up towards her, “Why didn’t you tell me?” “I’m too dangerous, Charles. I always have been, and now I hurt you. I’m

so sorry.” Charles smiled as he stared into her eyes, sitting up and gently tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. He didn’t know how, but he felt that out of the many complicated minds he’d ever met, Ash… she was fascinating. An enigma that he craved to unravel under his fingertips. The more he craved it the more he felt himself falling into the spiral of feelings he never truly felt before. But what was it he felt?

[ofendlesswonder]

omg can you do “We could get arrested for this.” for supercat pls? and thank you very much! hope you stay safe and have an awesome day! xo

11. “We could get arrested for this.”

Kara crashes through the ceiling of the abandoned warehouse with an almighty crash, landing in a crouch on the ground so hard that she makes a dent in the concrete.

It sends the men within scattering, and it’s reallyeasier than it ought to be, to dispatch the lot of them, fighting with a fury that she doesn’t even know she’s capable of, her laser vision leaving burnt streaks on the walls.

In the centre of the warehouse, a woman is tied to achair, blindfolded, and as Kara approaches, she begins to tremble, doesn’t stop even when Kara pulls the blindfold from her head, kneeling in-front of her and carefully releasing her from the ropes that tie her hands to the back of the chair.

“Ms Grant?” Kara asks, gently rubbing the red weltsaround Cat’s wrists from where she’d struggled against her restraints. “Ms Grant, are you okay?” As she waits for an answer, Kara gives Cat a cursory once-over with her x-ray vision to check that there are no broken bones.

“I’m much better now.” Cat’s voice is quiet, shaky, and her face is streaked with dirt, her eyes a little dazed as they focus on Kara’s face. “Tell me, does Supergirl usually lower herself to search and rescuemissions?”

“She does when it’s someone she cares about.”

Cat had been kidnapped whilst on her way to apolitical rally in National City, and Kara has no idea what the motive of the attack had been beside a high ransom demand, but she knows she won’t rest untilshe finds out.

“Let’s get you out of here,” Kara murmurs, keeping her voice low because Cat still looks very shaken, and Kara hates that it had been three days before she’d found out Cat was missing, because if she’d knownsooner, she wouldn’t have spent so long fearing for her life. “Do you trust me?”

“It’s very hard not to trust the person who just savedyour life,” Cat replies, allowing Kara to help her up and guide Cat’s arms around her neck.

Pressed against her front, Cat is warm, but she’sstill shaking, and Kara can both feel and hear her heart, hammering against her ribcage. She feels so fragile, as Kara scoops her up, making sure to hold onto her tight as she pushes them off the floor, and Cat flinches as below them, the warehouse door crashes open as police file in to arrest the perpetrators that Kara has helpfully left scattered across the floor.

She leaves the clean-up in the NCPD’s capable hands, shooting back through the hole she’d made in the roof, and taking Cat straight to another pair of capable hands, landing them on the balcony of the DEO that she favours whenever she flies into the building.

She doesn’t let go on Cat’s hand until she’s got herinto a treatment room, Alex already waiting for them, and Kara is tense the whole time Alex is checking her over, sagging with relief when her sister assures her that there is no lasting damage.

“Does Carter know I’m safe?” Cat asks, jumping out of the bed as soon as Alex gives her the all-clear, and gratefully shrugging into the DEO hoodie that Kara hands her, noticing she’s still shivering.

“Yes, he’s been staying with his father while you were… gone,” Kara answers, “but I called him when we found you, and he should be here in a couple of hours.”

“Good.” Cat’s face floods with relief. “Can you… canyou get me out of here, please?” She asks, turning on Kara with pleading eyes. “I hate hospital rooms.”

“Where do you want to go?”

“Anywhere,” Cat answers, stepping close to Kara andwrapping her arms around her neck without being prompted, her breathing still shaky, her mouth pressing against Kara’s collarbone, breath hot against her skin. “As long as you stay with me.” She says that quietly, but Kara still hears it, her breath catching as she holds Cat close, and if she makes Cat feels safer, then she won’t ever let her go.

She flies out of the window and hovers high in the sky for a moment, debating where to go, and, deciding that Cat would probably prefer to go somewhere secluded, drops somewhere where she knows no-one will bother them.

“You can open your eyes, now,” Kara murmurs, knowing that Cat hates heights – probably even more so since Kara had launched her offher balcony.

“Are we standing on what I think we’re standing on?”Cat asks, dropping her arms from Kara’s neck but not stepping away as she takes in her new surroundings. “Kara, we could get arrested for this.”

Kara doesn’t acknowledge Cat’s slip, and instead flops down so that she’s seated, her legs swinging over the side of one of the Hollywood sign’s O’s.

“If anyone comes, I can fly us away,” Kara assuresher, patting the space beside her.

“Everyone would still know it was you,” Cat pointsout, but she folds herself down beside Kara all the same, huddling into her side. “Your cape isn’t exactly subtle.”

“Pretty sure no-one would try to arrest me,” Karareplies, enjoying the view that this vantage point offers them. “Are you okay, Ms Grant?”

“No.” Cat turns towards her, eyes more than a littlehaunted. “But I will be – nothing that a bottle of scotch or sleeping pills won’t fix.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t find you sooner.”

“You don’t need to be sorry, Kara.” Cat reaches out tosqueeze the back of Kara’s hand, and Kara can’t help but grab it before Cat can move away, tangling their fingers together. “You did find me, and that’s all that matters. Although I do wish we weremeeting again under better circumstances.” Cat manages to crack a smile, and Kara matches it with one of her own.

“Me too.” It’s been years since Cat left forWashington, and they haven’t spoken since, but when she’d seen the footage of Cat being taken, Kara had seen red, and it had felt like no time had passed at all. “I’d ask how you’ve been, but…”

“Wonderful, until two days ago,” Cat quips, alreadysounding more like her old self. “Who’d have thought that working for the President would have put a target on my back?”

“Maybe you should think about another career change,” Kara suggests, gently nudging Cat’s shoulder with her own. “Come back to CatCo.”

“CatCo is thriving without me,” Cat replies, “as are you, Pulitzer prize winning journalist.” Cat meets Kara’s eyes, her smile fond. “I never reached out to congratulate you, and I should have done, I’m sorry.”

“Oh, that’s okay,” Kara shrugs, more touched than Cat will ever know to realise that she’s kept up with her career even though she’s long gone. “But thank you.”

“I always knew you had it in you.” Cat runs her thumbalong the bumps of Kara’s knuckles, and Kara tries very hard to remember how to breathe – if she’d thought for one moment that any of those feelings she’d had for Cat all those years ago had ever faded, she’s finding that she’s sorely mistaken, now that Cat is back by her side.

“Always?” Kara asks, raising a sceptical eyebrow. “What about when you were waxing poetic about millennials the day I walked into your office? Or yelling at me for not getting your lunch order right, or your latte being too cold, or - ”

“Watch it,” Cat grumbles, though there’s a sparkle inher eye, “you’re starting to make me sound like a terrible boss.”

“You weren’t,” Kara assures her, and Cat shoots her alook that suggests she thinks that Kara is lying. “You weren’t! Sure, you were a hardass, sometimes,” she grins as Cat’s eyes narrow into a glare, “but you were a lot of other things, too. Kind and compassionate and always trying to push me to better myself. I learned a lot from you. I never would have won that Pulitzer without you shaping me into thejournalist I am today.”

“Thank you, Kara.” Cat looks touched, and Kara doesn’t know if she should acknowledge the casual way that they’re talking about working together whilst Kara is wearing her cape – she’s known that Cat’s known for a long time, but they’ve never acknowledged it, had always let it be the elephant in the room, until today.

Not that she’s complaining – it feels freeing, to nolonger have to hide a part of herself from Cat.

“For being kind to me, and for saving me. I can’t tellyou how relieved I was to have you be my saviour, and not one of those insufferable secret service agents – you are much nicer to look at.”

“It was really no problem, Ms Grant.” She’s blushing,which only seems to amuse Cat further, her eyes sparkling with mirth.

“Surely we’re past such formalities at this point, hm?” Cat’s eyes are still on her face, her gaze so intense that Kara struggles to remember how to breathe. “If you’re letting me call you Kara without any protest, I think it’s only fair that you call me Cat.”

“Okay,” Kara nods, “Cat.” Kara feels her phone buzz in her pocket, and she sees a text from Alex on her screen when she glances at it. “Carter’s just arrived at the DEO,” Kara reads. “Are you ready to go back yet?”

“Only for my son,” Cat decides, climbing to her feetwith Kara’s help. “Thank you for keeping me company.”

“It’s no trouble at all,” Kara replies. “It’s beennice to see you again – even if I wish it was under better circumstances.”

“Yes, it has,” Cat agrees, her hand still claspingKara’s tightly, and Kara never wants her to let go. “I’ll probably be staying in the city for a few days, recuperating – feel free to fly by and check I haven’t been kidnapped again?”

“No-one will get close to you on my watch, Cat,” Karapromises, and she’ll station a DEO agent at every entrance and exit to Cat’s hotel of choice if it will make her sleep better at night.

“Oh yeah?” Cat’s voice, unless Kara is very muchmistaken, has turned flirtatious, and it leaves her shaken. “And how are you going to make sure of that, hm?” She lets go of Kara’s hand to slide them towards her neck, dragging her palms over Kara’s collarbones and up and over her shoulders, touch deliberate enough to make Kara’s knees weak. “By staying the night?”

“I-if that would make you feel safe,” Kara says,amazed that she can speak at all with Cat so close. “Then yes.”

“Do you mean to tell me that if I wanted to getSupergirl into my bed, I merely had to ask?” Cat asks, and she’s arching a playful eyebrow but there’s a vulnerability in her eyes, and Kara’s hands are gentle as they slide down to rest on Cat’s hips.  

“Did you hit your head when you were held captive?”Kara queries, her voice so soft it’s almost carried away by the wind. “Do we need to get you a brain scan? Because the Cat I used to know definitely didn’t want little old me.”

“Oh, but she did,” Cat says, and Kara’s heart nearlystops. “I wanted you very much, but there was a very long list of reasons why it would be a terrible idea.”

“So what changed?”

“I thought I was going to die,” Cat murmurs, and Kara’s jaw clenches at the mere thought. “And all I could think about, stuck in that damn chair, was all the mistakes I’ve made in my long, long life, and through it all, my biggest regret has been letting you slip away, even though I’d convinced myself that leaving CatCo was the best thing for the both of us.”

“I… I didn’t know you felt that way.”

“I never wanted you to know,” Cat replies, “but now, I… I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t at least try, and if you don’t feel the same way, then that’s fine, because it’s been years and I’m twice your age, and - ”

Kara cuts her off with a kiss, soft and chaste,because she doesn’t want to hear another second of Cat putting herself down. Cat gasps against her lips before she’s kissing her back, and Kara sighs as shepulls her closer, because as far as first kisses go, it’s pretty damn perfect.

“Come over tonight?” Cat asks when they part, the both of them hyper-aware of the fact that time isn’t on their side, with Carter waiting for them back in National City. “And we can talk about everything?”

“Just let me know when and where.”

Cat kisses her again before they take off,open-mouthed and messy, and Kara’s head is spinning so much that it’s a miracle that she doesn’t crash into any buildings on their way back to the DEO.

[abundanceofsoph]

SkyFire 2: Chapter 3

Another surgery & Harry gets back in the studio: Feb/March 2016

Word count: 1.5k

PART 1

SkyFire 2 MASTERLIST

They flew back to New York at the end of the week and Aurora went back to the hospital for her fourth surgery on her hand, as well as getting the skin grafts on her shoulder. When she returned home to the tower the following day she curled up in bed with Harry and they spent the evening watching movies.

“Hey babe?” Harry said during a lull in the film. Aurora hummed in reply, her head resting on his chest while his hands carded through her hair. “I asked Jeff to find me a few musicians to start working with and to find a studio for me to rent. I’m feeling ready to get back to work.”

“Why are you renting a studio when we have a commercial grade studio downstairs?” she asked, not lifting her head.

“That’s your space,” Harry said. “I don’t want to just take over.”

“Harry,” Rori sighed, lifting herself up to look him in eyes. “I don’t know if you noticed, but I’m not exactly using it right now.” Her gaze flicked down to her hand before she looked back at his face. “Besides, I’ll be wherever you are, so it makes more sense for you to get set up here. We can even offer up the spare rooms the lads used last time they visited.”

“You sure?” Harry asked softly.

“Just because I can’t get back to making music yet doesn’t mean you shouldn’t.”

“You don’t need to use your hand to sing,” Harry reminded her, “or to write a song. Why don’t you join me? Always work better when you’re involved.”

“Let’s just see who Jeff finds for you and I’ll think about it,” Rori said. “It’s hard to be in there and not be able to play.”

“I know, love,” Harry murmured, pulling her close to kiss her. “Promise it’ll get better. Just gotta give it time.”

xXx

Jeff arrived at the tower the following week with a producer that Harry had worked with before as well as a drummer, bassist, and guitarist. Aurora didn’t join them, instead letting Harry get settled in with the new team. At the end of their first week working together, Rori had JARVIS order a heap of Chinese food and when it arrived, she headed downstairs to delivery it. She knocked on the door softly before walking in. One of the men stood up quickly to help her with all the bags she was trying to carry one handed for which she was grateful.

“Thought you all might be hungry,” she said. “Wasn’t sure what you liked so I got a bit of everything so help yourselves.”

“Hey love,” Harry said, sauntering over to her side and wrapping her up in his arms. “Thanks for the food.”

“Your welcome, noticed it was getting a little late and JARVIS said it didn’t seem like anyone was going anywhere anytime soon.”

“Yeah we just clicked and everything’s working,” Harry replied. “Everyone, this is Aurora,” he announced to the room. “Rors this is Sarah, Adam, Alex and Mitch.”

“Nice to meet you all,” Rori said with a warm smile. “Didn’t you say there was a guitarist called Tim or Tom or something?”

“Tim,” Harry replied. “He couldn’t make it back after the first day, so Alex called Mitch and thankfully he was available. Bloody incredible too.”

Aurora nodded and went to grab some honey soy chicken from the table. Harry grabbed his own food and then joined her on the sofa. She stayed for a while after the food was finished, enjoying getting to know the odd assortment of musicians. Before it got too late, everyone headed out for the night and Aurora agreed to join them when they all came back in on Monday.

They spent the rest of February in the studio and Aurora found herself starting to find her grove again. Most of the time she just spent chatting with everyone and getting to know them but every so often she would butt in to suggest something or to change some of Harry’s lyrics and every time she did, his face would light up with a huge grin.  

xXx

As March rolled around, Aurora went back to her surgeon for her regular post-surgery check up and as promised Sam joined her. After introducing him to Dr Walker and having her hand assessed once again, the three settled into their seats to discuss.

“I think what I’m looking for is a clearer picture of what we’re trying to accomplish with all of these surgeries,” Aurora said.  “Like, we’ve been doing one every month or so and I’m not seeing much improvement so I’m just hoping you can explain a little more about what your goals are?”

“Well I would like to continue operating every 4-6 weeks as that provides your body with enough time to recover without dragging this out longer than it needs to be. In terms of what the goals are I’m hoping that after the next 2 procedures, we can get you started in physical therapy. I’d say by the end of the year you should be able to bend your fingers; grasp objects and your hand should be weight bearing to an extent.” Aurora froze in her seat. Dr Walkers tone made it clear that she thought this would be incredible progress and Aurora instantly realised that she had been horribly mistaken in her own expectations.

Sam quickly noticed how she deflated and stepped in. “I think we were under the assumption that we were working towards Rori being able to play piano again. In your opinion what kind of time frame would we be looking at and what work would need to be done to achieve that goal?”

“I know this isn’t what you want to hear Aurora,” Dr Walker replied softly. “But given the extent of your injuries, I just don’t see it being a realistic goal for you to aim for. The level of dexterity needed to play any instrument will most likely be beyond what you will be capable of, even with another dozen surgeries and years of therapy. I’m very sorry, but I don’t want to give you false hope. For now, I think it’s better to be focusing on getting you back to being able to accomplish simple everyday tasks.”

Rori nodded in understanding, not really trusting herself to speak as she felt her heart breaking. She had gone through so much pain and discomfort in the months since the shooting and she had been willing to go through it all so that she could play again, but now she was wondering if it was even worth continuing with the surgeries at all. Sam continued the conversation without her, seeking clarifications on the half a dozen surgeries Dr Walker already had planned. He asked about the purpose and intended outcome of each operation and Aurora was only half paying attention as she spiralled.

“What about the pain?” she finally asked. “It always hurts. When will that stop?”

“There will always be some discomfort,” Dr Walker explained. “Most likely when it’s cold you will feel an ache, similar to what you’ve experienced with your shoulder, but once the plates and screws are removed the more intense pain should lessen.”

“And you were planning to remove those around November?” Sam clarified, somehow aware that she had not been paying attention earlier. Dr Walker nodded, causing the colour to run from Rori’s face.

“I’m going to be in this much pain until November?” she asked.

“If your current prescription isn’t helping, we can look to change that,” Dr Walker replied.

“They make me dizzy,” Rori admitted. “I haven’t really been taking them much.”

“How about I write you a different a prescription and we try something else?”

Aurora agreed, once again falling silent while Sam clarified further points until eventually, they left and headed home.

“I know its not what you wanted to hear,” Sam said as they stepped out of the elevator and into the penthouse. “But we’ll get through this.”

“Sam, I appreciate that, but I think I just need to wallow in this today,” she admitted. “Can we save the pep talk for tomorrow?”

Sam nodded and Aurora quickly hustled her way down the hall towards her room before she ran into either of her fathers. She knew she couldn’t fake a smile for them with the tears she could feel building in her eyes. As soon has her bedroom door closed behind her, the first sob broke from her chest, ripping her apart. She didn’t even notice when Harry joined her on the bed 20 minutes later. He didn’t speak, instead crawling to her side and holding her tightly as she sobbed into his chest.

NEXT CHAPTER

OR CONTINUE READING ON AO3

[littlemissaddict]

5 times Luke gets sick and 1 time Julie does

Summary: College AU 5+1 where Luke gets sick a lot and Julie takes care/comforts him and one time Julie gets sick and Luke returns the favour. (Requested)

Work Count: 2085

1

Luke called out to Julie, his throat was sore and his voice croaky but a smile lit up his face when he saw her head peek around his dorm room door. She didn’t look all that surprised to see him wrapped up in a cocoon of blankets in the middle of his bed as she made her way over to him. On her way to the bed she gingerly picked up a couple of scrunched up tissues that had missed the bin as she raised her eyebrows at him when she dropped them in the bin. Luke just shrugged watching as she sat on the bed next to him and reached out her hand to rest against his forehead. 

“Well you don’t feel like you’ve got a fever so that's good I guess” she sighs pulling her hand away and looking down at the boy beside her.

“No, just a cold” he managed to croak out, coughing slightly as he spoke. Julie’s expression softened as she stood up telling him that she’d be back and with that she left the room leaving Luke confused. She had been gone about ten minutes and he was beginning to wonder if she really was coming back but he wasn’t waiting much longer when she reentered the room holding a steaming cup, a bottle of what he guessed was water and some painkillers, that was when he realises she had been down to the kitchen area at the end of their corridor.

“Sorry I’d have been back sooner but I bumped into Alex, he asked how you were and asked me to tell you that he was going to be staying at Willie’s dorm tonight” she explained placing the mug down on the small bedside table and handing Luke the water and painkillers. 

“Oh is he now” Luke joked after he’d taken a drink of the water, his voice was still hoarse but his throat didn’t feel as scratchy anymore.

“Yeah something about his room mate being away for the night” Julie laughs, mainly at the expression on Luke's face, she knew his mind was working and exactly what thoughts he was coming up with as he shifted on the bed. Julie just shook her head at him as she climbed onto the bed next to him in the space he’d created for her, letting him cuddle into her side while she ran a comforting hand through his hair as he let out a content hum.

“Thank you Julie,” he said softly.

“Anytime” she smiles down at him.

2

“Hey Alex, where’s Luke and Reggie?” Julie asks taking a seat across from him, usually he would be sat with the boys for lunch but today he was by himself.

“Oh they’re back at the dorm, yeah they both went out last night and I found them both this morning, heads over the toilet” he says pulling a face at the memory “turns out they both ate some bad hotdogs” he clarifies seeing the look of confusion on Julie’s face. Julie shakes her head, she’s not surprised they both ended up sick considering some of the things they eat but for hot dogs to be the cause is just ridiculous. 

Julie heads up to the dorms after her last class of the day, she’s not sure what she’s expecting when she gets there but she isn’t expecting both Luke and Reggie to look as pale as they do. Yes she knows that they’re ill but to be honest they look like they’re minutes away from death. She finds them both lying on Luke’s bed staring up at the ceiling.

“I’d ask how you're feeling but I think this says it all” she says sitting on the foot of the bed and startling both boys.

“Julie” Luke tries to shout but it comes out as a mumble with the little energy that he has but Reggie just lifts his hand in an unsuccessful attempt to wave. Those hotdogs really did a number on the two boys, she thinks.

“So I’ve brought water because you need to keep yourselves hydrated. I didn’t bring any food though because I wasn’t sure if you would want anything with you know but I can go get you guys something if you want” Julie states handing each boy a bottle

“No food though” Reggie pouts 

“No,” Luke agrees “But cuddles would be nice” he says giving her puppy dog eyes and Reggie hums in agreement as they move to let Julie climb in between them on the bed. It’s a tight fit for all three of them but both boys turn onto their sides to give them a bit more room but it’s not long before Reggie’s running to the bathroom. Julie sighs, it’s going to be a long afternoon.

3

“Don’t tell me Luke’s ill again” Julie asks as she joins Alex, Reggie and Flynn for lunch, her last class she usually shared with Luke but he had never shown up. 

“Yeah, he said he had a headache and he was cold” Alex said with a small smile “He also told me that if I saw you I was to ask you if you would go see him but then he snapped at me when I told him to message you, so you know fair warning if you do go” Alex says with a shake of his head.

“I guess I could after lunch” Julie sighs. Luke asking for Julie when he was ill was starting to become a regular occurance and she wasn’t certain as to why but it probably had something to with the fact that she had the most patience out of their group as Luke tended to be really needy when he was ill. They chatted about their plans for the weekend while they ate and soon enough they others were getting ready to leave for their next class while Julie had a free period. They left her with goodbyes and good luck from Alex. She decided to grab a sandwich and a drink for Luke before she left as she sent him a message telling him she was on her way over and it didn’t take him long to reply. 

About five minutes later she knocked on Luke’s dorm room door letting him know she was there before she let herself in, the room was dark but she could see Luke’s form in the bed from the light that filtered through the door. He sat up when he heard the door open and reached over to turn the bedside light on before pulling the covers tighter around himself.

“How are you feeling?” she asked coming further into the room “I also brought some food because I didn’t know if you’d eaten yet” she says holding up the bag in her hand.

“No not yet but I’m not hungry” Luke responds and Julie looks at him closely, never in all the years that she had known him had he turned down food so she knew something was up. 

“Okay well I’ll just leave it here for later” Julie sighs, placing it down on his desk.

4

Julie had spent her last two free periods in the library with her books spread out in front of her on the table, it was getting towards their final exams of the year and she thought that by studying in the library she would get away from distractions especially her roommate. She was wrong. Luke had turned up about half an hour ago wanting to chat until she’d kindly reminded him that she was trying to study which left him looking a little hurt. He did stop talking though and even got his own books out to study and they worked together in comfortable silence for a while until Luke Groaned, leaning forward to rest his head on his arms.

“Luke, you alright buddy” Julie asks, closing her book and turning in her seat to face Luke.

“Headache” he mumbles and Julie just to say catches it from where his head is buried in his arms. Julie leans forward in her seat nudging Luke’s arm until he lifts his head up and gifts her a confused look. She reaches forward taking Luke’s face in her hands and begins to rub circles on his temples as he lets out a sigh.

“I heard this helps with headaches” Julie comments getting a hum from Luke but she doesn’t think he’s really listening, she carries on talking anyway “have you drunk much today because that’s maybe what’s caused it” she asks and he shakes his head. She sighs pulling her hands away, earning a groan from Luke until he sees that she’s putting her books away and he does the same.

“Come on let’s get you sorted” she smiles standing up and offering a hand to Luke who takes it and follows her back to the dorms.

5

Julie was about half way through her essay when a knock on the door startled her. She wasn’t expecting anyone and her roommate had gone home for the weekend so she was sure it wasn’t anyone calling for her. She stretched as she stood up from the desk, loosening her muscles from where she’d been sat far about two hours and crossed the room to see who was at the door. She opened it to find Luke.

“Alex kicked me out because I was disturbing his revision,” Luke simply said as Julie let him into her room “Like I can’t help having another cold” he moans, flopping down onto Julie’s bed and making himself at home. Julie sighed, she’d know Alex long enough to know that when he got stressed any little thing would annoy him and since he was sharing a room with Luke it was usually him that got kicked out. That then meant that he would end up coming to Julie as her room was on the same floor as his.

“Again? How are you always sick?” Julie asks, sitting back down at her desk and closing her laptop knowing she wouldn’t be getting anymore work done while Luke was here.

Luke sits up to answer her question but before he gets the chance he sneezes and Julie can’t help but giggle as a look of shock works its way onto his face as if wasn’t expecting it. She reaches down to pull a packet of tissues out of her bag and throws them in his direction, as he catches them he flashes a thankful smile in her direction.

“Do you think we could watch a movie?” Luke pouts and Julie nods standing up and brings her laptop over to the bed with her as she sits next to Luke.

“You know, you’re like a needy child when you're sick” she comments as Luke cuddles into her side as they settle down to watch a movie.

+1

Julie wakes up Monday morning with a sore throat, a stuffy nose and her chest feels tight when she breathes. She groans as she gets up to get ready for her first class, boy was she going to kill Luke. It takes her longer than anticipated to get to class but when she slides into her seat next to Luke he gives her a sympathetic smile clearly noticing that she wasn’t feeling well.

“This is your fault,” she says pointing an accusing finger at him.

“Hey if you want to blame anyone, blame Alex he’s the one that kicked me out of the dorm” he reasons with her and she sighs, maybe he did have a point “but maybe now I can look after you, you know return the favour of you looking after me on the countless occasions that I’ve been sick” he suggests and Julie can feel resolve to blame Luke crumble.

“Yeah, okay” she agrees just as the teacher begins the class.

True to his word, Luke meets her after her last class. Julie notices he’s got a take away cup in his hand which means he’s been to the cafe just off campus and he hands her it as he takes her backpack, putting it over her shoulder as he takes her hand as they walk back to the dorms. 

“You’re taking this looking after business seriously” Julie teases after a sip of the tea, feeling it soothes her throat and warm her body as she does.

“Well I have to repay you somehow” he smiles as they head through the door to the dorms.

[sunaddicted]

The Perfect Gift (00qad, fluff)

Birthdays had always been quite tricky in Q's mind - any kind of festivity that contemplated the exchanging of gifts was, really. Unlike Danny, Q didn't get any kind of excitement out of browsing around for the perfect present: the only things he felt were nerves and anxiety as his mind perfectly painted in wide strokes just how disappointed the intended receiver would look once the wrapping paper was ripped away, revealing what he had hoped it would make the other person smile.

Maybe it was just the consequence of his parents never really showing much excitement for his gifts - they either were useless or too useful; they were in the wrong size, in the wrong colour, in the wrong fabric; they were just that tiny bit off of the mark that ruined them completely.

Q had learnt the art of aggregating himself to other people when it came to buying presents, the extent of his involvement mostly being handing out his quota and signing whatever birthday card had been selected as the most appropriate - he didn't give advice, he didn't get involved in the choices, he said yes to absolutely everything that got proposed on various email threads or WhatsApp groups: as long as he didn't have to endure the disappointment alone, he was fine with it.

However, it wasn't exactly something he could do when it came to his lovers.

Not that James, Alex and Danny had ever reacted with anything less than enthusiasm at every single one of his gifts but still, there was a part of him always on the lookout for a shadow in their eyes; a slump in their shoulders; a crookedness in their smiles.

He really, really hated giving presents - and receiving them.

"You could build him a car"

"We both know that wouldn't last long"

Alex tilted his head to the side "It doesn't matter how long it would last, just that he likes it and if he destroys it, it's on him"

"And then it's a problem for me when he comes begging for me to rebuild it" Q pointed out, sighing into his tea under the guise of blowing on it.

"Fair" Danny said with a shrug that earned him a warning growl from Pampuria, bothered by the fact he had dared to move so much when she had graced his lap with her presence for her nap "I would suggest some kind of weapon but you already said no"

"I give him weapons all the time!"

"There's always those exploding pens he never shuts up about..."

"Oh no, he will never get one of those" it was just... an inside joke between them, he supposed - part of a banter they had been throwing back and forth ever since day one; somehow, giving in and handing James an exploding pen woidl feel like letting go of a part of them that had been there ever since their first meeting at the National Gallery.

It would feel like moving on.

Q never wanted to move on from James.

He sighed again, this time not even trying to disguise it at all, and let his head drop on Alex's shoulder, looking for the comfort of the other's solid and calming presence "Sorry, I know you just want to help"

"It's okay" it had been a long time since Alex had really been bothered by Q's snappish nature, he knew his partner well enough to realise that it just was the way he reacted to stressful situations - and if there was something that put Q on the edge, it was any kind of gift giving "What other ideas do you have?" He inquired, reaching up to bury his fingers in the other's curls in what he hoped to be a soothing manner.

"I don't know, what do you get to the man who has everything?"

Arguably, nobody could ever have everything in the world but Alex decided it was better to keep his observation to himself and just hum "It doesn't have to be something big"

"It's his fiftieth birthday!"

"So what?" Danny inquired, resisting the urge to shrug again: he didn't exactly want Pampuria's sharp claws digging into his thigh, especially since she had been in a rather foul mood recently and none of them had managed to settle her down long enough to cut them shorter "The important thing is that it makes him smile, not how big or shiny or how expensive it is"

"I hate that you're right"

"No, you love it" Danny grinned, carefully moving his foot to nudge Q's "You'll find the perfect one, I have faith in you"

"Maybe it's misplaced in this case"

"Faith in you is never misplaced" James retorted without losing a beat as he entered the kitchen, grinning at the way his partners all jumped a little "Talking behind my back, uh?"

"Oh, shut up you bastard"

James bent down over Q, his hand skimming along Alex's shoulders "Why don't you do it, my dear Quartermaster?"

[scottfuckingreed]

Better with you - Montgomery De La Cruz

-

ANONYMOUS SAID: ‘I have an idea for a possible future Monty story. I don’t know how to say it without it coming out the wrong way so I’m just gonna go ahead anyway lol, something where the reader cheats on her boyfriend with Monty and they have their own little thing on the side because Monty just makes her feel so good like not just in a sexual way but in other ways too. Kind of like how Jess loves Alex, but it’ll never compare to Justin’

-

Warnings!: quite a bit of swearing and those sexual things (also Bryce is mentioned but not in much detail)

“Hey!” Y/BF/N says as his arms wrap themselves around me and kisses me on the forehead. “How’s it going?” I somewhat force a smile up to him. It’s not that I’m not happy to see him, it’s just hard to smile in such a shit place. School of course. “Pretty good actually. I just finished some things up with Tyler. It’s finally getting somewhere.” Y/BF/N is friends does photography with him, so they’re pretty much best friends. Which is nice - I love Tyler - but drama seams to follow Tyler. So it follows Y/BF/N. And so it passes me too. “You have a free period next, right?” I nod at his question. “Lucky! I’ll meet you in our usual spot afterwards?” A quick peck lands on my lips, and then he’s suddenly walking away.

I sit in the cafeteria. It’s usually overcrowded and too loud, but there’s only a handful of people not in class right now. Which is a relief. Starting to peel my orange, I glance up to notice a certain ‘Montgomery’ walking my way. “Y/N! Fancy seeing you here,” he places himself on the opposite side of the table. I shake my head, a smile slowly cracking. “Wow Cruz, you say that as if you don’t sit your ass in that seats pretty much daily at this time,” his eyebrows raise. “Alright Y/N. I just wanted to say hi to my best friend jeez.” I shove a segment in my mouth, pushing it to the side of my mouth for a second. “Aren’t you meant to be in some Literatue class or something right now?” His eyes light up. Sometimes I think I should just not say anything to Monty, but I like Monty. “See, I knew you cared-” he pauses, grabbing the other half of my orange from the table. “And I ain’t gonna use it, so what’s the point?” I look at him in somewhat amazement as he casually eats my food. “I mean, fair enough,” I shrug. I should be used to this. This has happened almost every day for a few months now. Why? I don’t know. It just did one day, and then it was almost like a routine. “Thanks for that, I’ll see you later?” I nod at him, although I know I shouldn’t.

“Are we hanging out later?” I ask my boyfriend. “Sorry Y/N, my mum needs me,” I nod slightly. Internally sighing, the answer is everything I expected. Don’t get me wrong, I love him for being close to his family, but I get that response every time I ask. We’ve had sex twice. You may think, what’s wrong with that? We’ve been dating for a year. It’s fine though. I can’t exactly say ‘leave your mum’ can I? Unfortunately not.

Instead I go to Jessica’s. The fact that Y/BF/N doesn’t make *that much* of an effort does kinda get me down, and Jess always knows how to snap me out of those thoughts. So I can’t help but get excited as I pull up to her house. Hardly parking, I see her body rush towards my car and throw herself into the passenger’s seat. “Perfect timing, let go!” She smiles way too massively at me. “Where are we going?” I laugh nervously. “Bryce is having a small get together.” I can guarantee it won’t be a ‘small get together’. Bryce does parties, and they’re always PARTIES. “I thought-“ “Nah, now drive girl!”

We walk in, and it’s exactly what I expected. This ‘small get together’ is at least 50 people. “Welcome ladies!” Scott smiles and runs up to us with a red cup in each hand. My automatic reaction to this gesture is to smell the cup, and let’s just say I didn’t have to get my nose too close to smell the thickness of the alcohol. “Jesus, what’s in this?” I ask, making Jess laugh. “I’m not sure. Monty made it,” he shrugs and gets lost in a crowd of people. “Drink up Y/N,” Jess taps the bottom of my cup. “I’m driving, and I can’t image how many units is in this one cup.” Her eyes roll. “Suit yourself, I’m finding Justin!” I doubt I’ll see Jess again tonight.

Drinking this - whatever he wants to call it - is a bad idea for me, so I go into the kitchen and find myself a drink. Just as I sip my water, I get a text.

Hey! Xx - Y/BF/N ❤️

I almost immediately respond.

Are you able to get away?x - Y/N

I see those 3 dots pop up, meaning he’s typing. Just as I thought I could escape, his response was exactly what I didn’t need to hear.

Sorry Y/N, it’s a bit late. I’ll call you in a bit though?xx - Y/BF/N ❤️

‘Call me in a bit’? Is he taking the piss? Damn I feel special. ITS ALSO 8:30 LIKE WHAT? I roll my eyes, which make them land on the back of Monty’s head. I shake my head as his eyes meet mine, and can’t help but smile. “Montgomery! I heard you’ve supplied the drinks tonight,” he shrugs and raises his eyes with a beaming smile. “You know me Y/N, it’s nice right?” As I press my lips together, his face forms a shocked expression. “I’m offended, have a sip,” he passes me his drink. I know I shouldn’t drink tonight, but honestly I just wanna have a some fun. My hand wraps the cup - leading Monty to nod at me with a devilish grin. It’s hard to even put the drink in my mouth with the stench, but I chug it anyway. “Shit,” he laughs ‘impressed’. “Fuck that’s so gross,” I cover my mouth with my hand trying not to urge. “I’ll take another one,” I add.

After the first cup, I was already tipsy. And that shit was like half full. So after my next full cup I was pretty drunk already. Which is exactly what I needed. “I thought it was gross?” He laughs as he notices me going through my fresh cup quite fast. I respond with a shrug. “It’s growing on me,” I go to grab him on the shoulder, but I miss, making me stumble forwards. Two hands latch on under my forearm steadying me upright. “Shit,” his chuckle is quite cute- NO. I don’t mean that. I don’t know why that just popped into my head. My finger begin to stroke his arms. That needs to stop. Apart from the music and the screaming and the ‘fun’ going on around us, it was silent. It was the first time I looked into his eyes for more than a quick glance. And unfortunately I’ve just finished another cup of strong ass liquor. “I feel like I wanna kiss you,” I blurt out, my hands immediately cover my mouth. Nothing else can slip out. “Sorry,” I giggle. “I’m just lonely,” oh my god Y/N SHUT UP! “You’re not lonely Y/N, you have a boyfriend.” My mind and mouth start working faster. “Boyfriend? Y/BF/N doesn’t even fucking touch me- shit,” I hush myself.

Next thing I know is I’m being guided out of Bryce’s house. “I’ll take you home,” he breathes. I frown at him. “Driving drunk is dangerous Montgomery don’t you know this.” The smile on his face appears so faintly, and it’s unreadable. Especially in my current state. “You pinched my drink. Did you see me have another one?” No. No I didn’t. Why didn’t he? “Take my car then, and I can’t go home.”

We get to Monty’s, but I don’t realise where I am until I’m inside. “This isn’t what I meant...” I huff. He throws off his Liberty jacket and kicks his shoes in a corner. “You can sleep in my bed,” he hooks his arm under mine to walk me to the bedroom. Hang on. “I have a boyfriend Monty, so no sex,” my hand goes on his chest as a warning. “I’ll try not to fuck you.” At this time, that was good enough for me. It shouldn’t be. Ever. “I appreciate that,” I fall into his bed - which was automatically the comfiest bed I’ve ever laid on. Suddenly my shoes are off and I’m pretty much tucked in. “It’s just hit me,” I sit up too fast, making my head spin. “I don’t know what’s gone on in this bed,” my stomach starts to turn. “You can only imagine,” he shrugs. And suddenly I’m offended? Just go to sleep Y/N.

The next morning

I wake up fully aware of what went on last night, and frankly embarrassed. Not embarrassed that I flirted with Monty. Not even that I’ve ended up at his place in his bed. I just feel guilty. Like I cheated? But I know I didn’t. I shouldn’t of done what I did, but I didn’t do anything wrong. Did I? I walk out of the bedroom, and notice Monty in the kitchen boiling the kettle. “Good morning, coffee?” I shake my head at him with a smile. “Thank you, for last night by the way. My parents would’ve killed me,” I let out a small laugh before tying my hair up in a ponytail with a spare hairband on my wrist. Glancing up to the clock on the wall, I sigh massively. “Shit, I should probably get home. I can drop you to Bryce’s to get your car if you’d like?” I offer. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll see you later.”

Getting myself to school on time was no problem, but as soon as I entered the building it felt as if everything was moving in slow motion. Until I see him. “Hey! How was your night?” Y/BF/N kisses my forehead, not my lips. “It was alright, I drank a little too much to be honest,” we begin walking down the corridor. As cringe as it sounds, all I wanted was him to hold my hand. Is it that hard? Really? “I bet your parents flipped then,” he chuckles. This is it. I have no reason to lie - really. I didn’t do anything wrong. But it sounds wrong. “Actually, I-“ I pause. “I stayed at Jess’ so they don’t know,” I watch as he nods. His facial expression immediately looks relieved. “Jess told me, I just wanted to make sure.” My heart stops at his response. What the fuck does that mean? He asked Jess before asking me? That’s not right? Yet I say nothing... because I can’t find a reason to.

It’s that time again. That one free period. I’m expecting Monty at any moment now. I hate to say it but I quite look forward to it. It’s somewhat a breath of fresh air. “I was wondering when you’d appear,” I smile as he sits himself in his seat. Going quiet, I swirl my fruit around the pot with a fork. “Are you okay?” His face serious. I take a breath. “I wanted to apologise for last night actually. I shouldn’t of said what I said,” I dodge his gaze, which is extremely hard. The silence remains, but only for a second. “Did you mean it?” I could play dumb and be like ‘mean what’ but I know. It’s been running on loop for the past 16 hours. “It doesn’t matter whether I meant it or not. I have a boyfriend.” “So you did?” He smirks. I’m not gonna mention the effect of the smirk. I guess you can imagine. I let a small smile appear at the side of my face. “Maybe...” sober flirting is NOT okay Y/N! I try to remind myself over and over but it’s so tempting. My heart suddenly sinks. “Can I ask you something? I want a serious answer,” his eyes widen, yet he still nods. “Is it odd that my boyfriend asked Jess where I was last night, then asked me to double check?” His eyebrows raise. “He was trying to catch you out. That’s a bit-“ “I know.” Control your breathing Y/N. I start to feel extra heavy on my heart, which means I’m probably about 30 seconds away from breaking down. “He’s never been like that before,” I mutter. “Y/N. You need to realise that I’m probably more in love with you than he is,” my head shoots up, making him cough. I’d be lying if I said my heart didn’t skip a beat; it actually skipped about 17. “Don’t say shit like that Montgomery- he’s never even said it,” I laugh to break the awkwardness. “You’ve been dating for ages Y/N. You deserve better than that, always.” I watch as he lifts himself out of his seat. “Monty-“ I try and stop him. “I need to go, I’ll text you.”

Several sentences run on loop through my head for the rest of the day. Every breath that exited Monty’s mouth was just - confusing. Shoving my head in my locker, a lot like I see Clay doing a lot, seems just like the escape I need. Except it’s not an escape. I’m still in this shit hole. “Hey!” I get poked in my side gently by Y/BF/N. It’s been about an hour and a half since I spoke to Monty. So it’s been an hour and a half of me working myself. And right now I’m pretty fucking angry. He catches me roll my eyes. “Honestly, Y/BF/N, I wouldn’t wanna talk to me right now,” I warn him, as my heart starts to race faster and faster the more I look up at him. “What’s this about then?” A chuckle leaves his lips, and I contain as much as I can. “Maybe the fact that you don’t fucking trust me,” although I don’t think he should trust me, he has no reason to not. “Who said that?” He’s such a nice guy. I swear he is. I don’t wanna hurt him. “You!” I raise my voice but take a breath before continuing. ‘When you asked Jess where I stayed last night,” it’s almost a whisper. He lets out a big sigh. “I know what those guys are like.” Those guys. Everyone knows what most of those guys are like. Some of those guys are nice, to me at least. And some of those guys are Scott and Monty. That’s pretty much it. “And me? You don’t know what I’m like?” In the corner of my eye I see Monty laughing with Bryce, Zach, and Scott. A sudden urge comes over me to end this conversation. “Look, maybe we need some space,” I lie. As if we need more space. “Y/N,” his arm wraps around my forearm. The sad truth is that’s the most action I’ve got in a long ass time. “I’ll ring you tonight, I need to go.” So I close my locker, turn around, and catch Monty’s eye before walking out of school.

Refusing Jess’ offer to drive me home, I just think and pretty much talk to myself all the way to my house. I’m lost. Not actually physically lost, but I am lost. I’m only bought back to reality when my phone dings.

‘Really Y/N?’ - Y/BF/N ❤️

I can’t help but roll my eyes. This is what I have to do to get attention from my own boyfriend? No apology, because he hasn’t done anything wrong. He could say ‘let’s talk about it’. Why would he say that though? I go to text him back but my phone starts to ring.

“And what do you want Monty?” I smile down the phone. I’m very glad I’m on my own right now. “I was just seeing if you’re alright.” I sigh at his words. To think that’s all I want Y/BF/N to say. To show some affection! That would be nice. But Y/BF/N isn’t Monty. “I guess so. I’ve just got home.” He begins to talk about some random ass shit - stuff we wouldn’t usually talk about - while I unlock the front door to my house. Throwing my bag down on my bedroom floor, I get a text. Damn. Why am I so popular today? “Why has Bryce just texted me?” I laugh, mostly to myself. “He’s probably trying to get you to come to his house party tonight.” I freeze. “Wasn’t there-“ “Yeah, but his parents are out of town for a few days I think,” he sounds unimpressed. Monty? Bryce’s best friend? Is sounding unimpressed with Bryce’s actions? That’s a first. “Why’d you sound like that?” “I told him not to text you. Don’t let him pressure you into it,” it’s as if Monty knew every word that would make me like him more, more than I should. “I really enjoyed myself you know, I don’t think I mentioned that,” I admit, and silence falls across the line for seconds that feel like minutes. Then appears a cough. “Well, in that case, I’ll pick you up. If you want that is.” I can only read Monty’s face at the best of times, so trying to judge his voice is a fat ass struggle. “It’s-“ My body wanted to use the ‘it’s a date’ line. THAT would be embarrassing. “Okay then.”

Clothing. Such a funny thing. When it comes to Y/BF/N I find myself not really caring what I wear, so I feel somewhat guilty for caring now. ‘It’s a party’ is an excuse, but I’d be lying. He’s never shown much interest unfortunately. So here I am, rummaging frantically through my wardrobe and drawers to find something cute. I find a dress, that is probably a bit short, but ‘it’s a party’. Should I curl my hair? No. That looks like too much effort. But... no. I decide just to brush it. With a knock on the door, my head shoots to the clock on my wall. 8pm?! Shit. My legs and my heart speed up drastically and I hear my mum answer the door. Fuck no.

I walk downstairs and witness the embrace between Monty and my mother. “Ah Y/N, I was just meeting...” my mum pauses and gazed at me in hint of ‘what’s this guy’s name?’ “Monty,” I sigh. I press my lips together to smile towards them both. “It’s so nice to meet you,” if there’s one thing you should know about my mum is that she’s very touchy. I would’ve warned Monty, but I hadn’t quite imagined them meeting yet - or at all really. She shakes his hand. I cough while I slip my shoes on, which are trainers so I guess they kill the dress vibe. I don’t care. Once they’re on, my mission is to leave. I need to. I know what she’s like. “Alright, I’ll see you later!” I give my mum a hug and open the front door as fast as I can. “Please come in quietly. It was nice to finally meet you Monty! I’ve been waiting to meet Y/N boyfriend for a long time now.” “Alright bye!” I rush. Fuck.

“I’m sorry about that,” I laugh as I throw myself in the passenger seat. The smile on his face is very comforting. “Nah it’s cool, I’d love to have a mum like that,” my heart sinks slightly. I’m not 100% sure what that means, but it’s definitely not positive. “Y/N.” Is all he says. “About Y/BF/N-“ “I know.” I stop him. Thanks mum. The engine finally starts, and we’re off, and I realise that I’m off to a party with Monty. I don’t think this looks very good.

A drink is pretty much thrown at me as soon as I walk in the house. It’s a lot like deja vu, except I’ve appeared with Monty today. Shit. I shouldn’t be here. My eyes lay on Jess. “Give me a sec,” I say, and wonder over to my best friend. Her arms wrap around me, squeezing me as if we haven’t seen each other in weeks. We chat about some random shit until it must sink in. “Wait... did you come with Monty?” She asks thick with confusion. “I did...” I say slowly. “Does it look bad?” I ask. I ask only because I know she’ll be honest. “A little, but honestly fuck Y/BF/N!” My jaw drops with a smile. “I mean it! He’s a nice guy and all, but he’s pretty shit to you,” she shrugs and chugs the rest of her drink. “At least Monty is shit to everyone but you.”

Wishing Jess never said those words, I find myself hung up on them as I hang out with the guy. I know Monty isn’t the nicest person to everyone, but when I speak to him I don’t care. Should I? I feel like I should. I take a sip of my drink, which isn’t a mix of everything this time, while I listen to Scott. He’s one of those guys that you just want as your best friend. I laugh at the funny thing he said. I’d mention it, but I don’t remember as I notice Monty calling me over to him with his hand.

Finishing up my conversation with Scott, I follow Monty outside. The sky beams clear. Not a star in sight. “Are you cold?” He asks. It’s also not warm, but it isn’t cold either. I say no, slightly afraid of how I’d have to act if he offered his jacket. “I haven’t seen much of you,” I’m unsure of what to say so I say that. It’s never awkward with us, but I don’t trust myself anymore. Why should Y/BF/N trust me when I don’t even trust me? “Awe did you miss me?” He nudges me with a gleaming smile. I stop myself from smiling as the guilt starts to flood in. “Y/N-“ “I’m fine. It’s just...” “Y/BF/N,” he interrupts. I let out a short awkward laugh. Sigh. “I feel like talking about him with you will make things odd between us,” I gesture Monty and I. “And that’s wrong.” “It’s okay-“ “it’s not though,” tears - for some weird reason - start to form in my eyes. Blinking reduces the watering. That would be embarrassing. “He’s my boyfriend,” I let out in a whisper. “He’s a shit boyfriend if you ask me,” Monty huffs. Although I somewhat agree, Monty’s words stress me out a little. The truth hurts, and the fact that Monty is the only person to tell me that (other than Jess) is annoying. “Well I didn’t ask,” I didn’t want to snap at him, and my tone was too soft for it to. If anything I sounded pathetic. “I’m gonna kiss you now,” he says OUT OF NOWHERE. “Wha-“ I’m stopped by his lips. Lips so soft and sweet and just... perfect. His lips on mine, his fingers on his right hand tilting my chin up slightly. I’m truly swept away. My right hand goes up to the side of his face to keep his lips on mine for a little longer - and then I realise what I’m doing. Shit. I’m unsure of what to do as I pull away, so I just become completely speechless. Our eyes lock for 5 seconds at the most. Then I find myself running away.

“Woah, are you okay?” Hands go on my shoulder. More specifically, Scott’s hands, when he stops me in my tracks. “Fuck,” I let out in a breath. “Is there anywhere I can just go to breathe a second?” He walks me to a spare bedroom which is very clearly one of a few. I’m prepared to be by myself, but Scott takes a seat on the bed. My own fingers spread through my hair in a stressed motion. “I just kissed Monty,” Scott’s facial expression doesn’t change. I realise that this is Scott, and I shouldn’t be talking to him about this, but it’s also Scott - the actual nice guy. “And..?” He shrugs, shoving some small snack food in his mouth. “And I shouldn’t have.” “Do you have a boyfriend or something?” I snap my head to Scott after his words. “Y/BF/N..?” I ask slowly, and his eyes widen. “What, really? I thought he was gay,” I can’t help but crack a smile for a very short second. “Scott...” I shake my head. Honestly I’m just thankful Scott’s the way he is. How did he just lighten the mood with that? “I know I shouldn’t pry but he doesn’t really treat you in that way,” he pauses. “From what I’ve seen of course.” Oh of course. “Look Scott, I appreciate this but can you give me a second to be by myself?” I ask as nicely as I can. “Oh shit, yeah of course. Sorry,” he chuckles, and stands. “What do you want me to tell Monty?” He turns before he leaves the room. “Anything, but don’t tell him I’m up here please.” He closes the door behind him.

I pace the floor up and down approximately 50 times before Monty walks through the door. My heart stops. “I told Scott-“ “I know, but he’s my best friend Y/N,” he closes the door gently behind him, but he doesn’t enter the room fully. Only staying by the door. As if waiting for some sort of permission, I watch as he twiddles his fingers. “You shouldn’t of kissed me Monty,” I sigh. A step forward is taken by the boy in front of me. “I’m really sorry,” to be able to feel the apology from Montgomery De La Cruz is truly something. I’ve never seen him like this. I hate how much I like it. “You know I have a boyfriend, and you did it anyway,” Monty avoids my gaze at him, looking at the ground instead. Or the ceiling. Or the wall. “I just thought-“ “I know what you thought.” I stop him. I want him him to leave, but the thought of him leaving me right now was just heartbreaking. A few more steps are taken. “It’s unfair. It’s unfair on Y/BF/N, and you. And me.” When his eyes finally look at me - not at anything but - I just knew. The feeling of needing someone has never felt so prominent to me. So I act on it. My hands reach up to his head, I lift myself onto my tip toes, and pull his lips down to mine. His hands are gently caressing my waist within seconds. My legs lead us towards the bed. The feeling of his body slowly sitting down shouldn’t of been a cue for my body to straddle him, but I do. And then the make out becomes a bit more full on. I feel guilty for not feeling guilty. I should be regretting this, but it’s actually perfect. The way he slides his tongue into my mouth, and the way his hands are slowly making their way lower down my body, it’s a different feeling. In this moment, I’m starting to realise how full I feel around him, and how almost utterly empty I feel otherwise. I let out a light moan as his hand reach my ass and move me - creating that friction feeling I’ve been missing. The smirk I felt under our kiss was adorable. I didn’t even need to see it, although I’m thankful I didn’t. This boy doesn’t need to wrap me around his finger any tighter.

My hands move themselves to the bottom of his tee, and that’s when I freeze. I break our lips and balance my forehead on his. Heavy breathes leave my mouth. “I’m sorry, I just-“ I pause to breathe and think carefully about my words. “I don’t wanna stop but I think I need to sort some shit out,” he nods underneath me, but he says absolutely nothing. This is not where my guilt should be. “I’m just a bad enough person already as it is,” I let out a chuckle once I see the side of his mouth turn up slightly. “Want me to drive you home?” I smile sympathetically at his words. His voice so soft. I hold the sides of his face and smooth his cheeks for a few seconds. His hand holds over mine, takes it, and kisses it. Blush. “Okay, let’s leave now,” I laugh, embarrassed of the hold he has over me.

Midday the next day

Since there was almost no drinking and definitely no drugs taken on my part, my head should be fine. But my head is FUCKED. Do I feel guilty? I feel guilty about leaving Monty last night, not Y/BF/N. And that’s making me feel guilty. So it’s about 7am and I’m walking to school. I hardly slept, I just thought the rest of the night. When I did finally fall asleep, I dreamt about Monty and how perfect last night was despite everything. I’m only walking to pass time. Driving would be way too quick. Although, my plan to have my mission planned by the time I get there, is a mission failed already. A 30 minute walk and nothing. Fuck.

In a crowd of people, I automatically spot 4 people. Monty and Scott are the first two, then Jess, and then Y/BF/N. My paranoia goes straight to ‘Monty’s told Scott and Scott’s told everyone else’, but I’ve never seen Scott or Monty like that. I know they’ve done it though. That makes me nervous. I go straight to Jess. She always knows what to say. “Hey... Jess,” I sigh. Usually me and Jess get lost in ourselves and ignore a lot of the noise around us, but not today. Not for me. Eyes were on me, even if they weren’t actually. “Are you- oh Y/N,” her eyes hint to my left. Y/BF/N. “That’s my cue to leave,” her words leave as does she. Thanks a lot. “We need to talk.” He knows.

We walk outside just around the corner. It’s not as if we’re in private. Nothing is private here. “We need to talk about yesterday,” he looks me dead in the eyes, which is quite intimidating. I’m such a shitty person. “I thought about it, and I understand why you acted the way you did.” His words sting. There’s nothing I can do. Admitting it out loud is so frightening so I say nothing still. He sighs. “The silent treatment? Really? You overreacted about me asking Jess,” he rolls his eyes at me. My gut goes from feeling sick, to really fucking angry. “Wow okay,” I let out in an angry mumble. “But I am sorry. I should’ve just asked you, and not Jess,” my eyebrows raise at his apology. “You’re a dickhead,” is all I can get out. My legs try to walk me away, but his hand clutch my wrist. “I’m trying to fix this,” his words, although exactly what I wanted to hear, were quite harshly spat at me as his grip grows tighter. “I think we need to be done.” Did I actually just say that? I’ve kept that to myself for too long. He lets my arm fall from his grip. I’ve never seen him like this. “You’re not breaking up with me, you’re gonna regret that.” The guy I watch strop away is not the guy I know? Who is that?

The bell rang about 10 minutes after Y/BF/N walked away, but I only just walk myself into the building. I find the guy I actually don’t mind bumping into leaning again my locker. “Hey Monty,” his smile makes me smile, which is so gross I know. “Are you okay?” He asks, nodding towards outside. “Yeah, I just, I’m so confused,” when I light my hand up to cup my forehead, I notice - as does Monty - the finger marks around my wrist. They’re ever so faint, but they’re there. “He tried to stop me walking away, it’s no big deal,” I say to his eyes. The facial expression was nothing I’d seen before. “Honestly, it’s nothing,” my right hand reaches up to his face to cup his cheek, then I realise where we are. “What did he say?” He asks. I wonder why he cares so much. It’s really attractive. “Can we talk about it later?” I ask, and his slow nod is extremely comforting. “Do you wanna ditch?” A wide smile spread across his face. “Monty...” I whisper, reciprocating the same expression. My back slowly flattens against the lockers neighbouring mine as his body gets closer to mine. “I think we should ditch,” he says again once his body is gently touching mine. Imagine just one person comes out of class right now. We definitely shouldn’t, but I really want to. “Okay,” I whisper, nibbling the inside of my lip. His hand slips gently into mine and he pulls me out of the shitty school. I’m a terrible person.

It’s as if it’s a whole other world with Monty. I can’t describe it fully, because I don’t fully understand it myself, but I got lost in him. “Where are we going then?” He asks about 5 minutes into driving. I raise my eyebrows towards him with a fat smile on my face. “You’re the one who said we should ditch!” He just shrugs. I face forwards, but I catch him smirk at me in the corner of my eye whilst scanning me briefly up and down. This guy is too attractive. “I guess we can go to mine, it should be empty.”

I unlock the door to an empty house. Like the gentleman he is, he slips his shoes off just to the side. “What shall we do?” He asks with bright eyes. “Hungry?” His response is obviously.

We decide to make some cakes - which isn’t exactly what I mean by food but it’s a lot nicer anyway. By ‘we’ I mean me. I weigh out all the ingredients while he just observes. “Are you gonna help?” I ask with a slight chuckle. “I’m actually alright just watching you,” he bites his lip after his words. “That’s creepy Montgomery.” “Hearing you say my full name turns me on,” my face goes from normal to very red. His face remains serious too, other than a smirk forming slowly. I ignore him (as much as I can) and go back to pouring the ingredient into one bowl and mixing. It only takes seconds before I feel his body directly behind mine. I feel as his fingers creep towards my waist, and his head slowly sinking to my level. I refuse to get distracted by him and continue mixing, and his lips proceed to my neck. Holy shit. He kisses it once, then twice, then an open mouth one. As he begins sucking and nibbling, my hand (as if a reflex) goes to the back of his head. I spin myself to face him. My eyes scan him as I breathe slightly heavier than usual. A few seconds of silence. “Fuck you,” is all I can whisper before wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing him passionately. He slides the bowl from behind me and lifts me onto the counter. Although his body is as close as it can be right now, it remains not close enough. Our tongues battle and glide through each other’s mouths. It takes no time for me to realise how much I need him. I’ve been fooling myself all this time. When I grab the bottom of his shirt, this time I remove it as fast as I can. Wow. I take a second to absorb it all it. “It’s rude to stare,” he grunts, his hands smoothing my thighs up and down slowly. I look down at them, and look back up to his eyes. The sensation going through my body was phenomenal. He hasn’t even touched me yet. I grab the top of his trousers and pull him closer to me. Starting from his lips, I lay kisses down. Across to his cheek, down to his neck, and a few down his chest. I feel his heartbeat become irregular. The most attractive thing in the moment was the very apparent wait for the okay. His eyes scan my body, just like I did, except he has nothing to admire. Me on the other hand? Wow. The only signal I can send him is by unbuckling his belt. A sort-of glow forms in his eyes before finally moving.

My thong gets dropped on the floor near by. The guilt comes from me wearing my favourite underwear today, but I now have nothing to feel guilty about. Well... not this. I want to be here. I watch as he kneels down to floor, his face opposite my heat. Desperate for his touch. The breath that left his mouth became more and more fierce as he came close and closer, before finally making contact. His mouth wraps around my clit. I send my head back and my hand pushes to the back of his head once again. “Oh shit,” I breathe out in a moan. His hands wrap around my thighs, pulling my body closer to his mouth. My moans try to remain retained, which was a lot harder than I imagined. I just moan louder and louder ad he continues eating me out. As his tongue laps all over, I already feel like letting go. Not yet. I pull him up, shutting his confused look up with my mouth on his. My hands fumble at his belt again, but his large hands stop mine in their tracks. He pulls his lips off mine, our noses still keeping contact. “I need you,” I whisper. I feel as a deep breath leaves his mouth onto mine. “Trust me, I need you. But not here,” and with that he picks me up with one arm under my knees and the other hooked under my arms. As he somehow starts carrying me up the stairs, I get caught up in the moment. “Shit it’s like we just got married,” I smile and chuckle to show I’m joking. The smirk, the eyes, the everything on his face. “I’ll marry you,” I collapse my head on his shoulder, shaking it slightly. “Fuck,” I whisper, lifting my head and pushing my lips on his when we get to the top.

Being thrown on my own bed is the single most attractive thing I’ve ever experienced. He kneels between my slightly spread legs. Sitting up, I attach my lips to his chest, kissing ball the way up to finally being back on his lips. The kiss pulls his body down onto mine. The stupid belt is finally removed and I start to pull his trousers down and off. Naked. Montgomery De La Cruz is knelt slightly in front of me putting a condom on his dick while I shuffle in under my covers. I didn’t think we’d get here. Well... not this soon. “I thought staring was creepy,” his voice speaks, low and sexy. I wish the smirk wasn’t so natural to him. Most guys do it and it’s not it at all. He does it and... “No. Saying you were fine watching me was creepy. I’m just- admiring?” I suck in my bottom lip, nibbling at it just a little for him to notice. “Okay I’ll let you off,” he throws the covers over him, his face coming extremely close to mine yet not touching. My legs, as if by reflex, spread a little more when his tip brushes against the inside of my thigh. My heart races more. “If you wanna stop just tell me,” is the only thing he could’ve said to both calm me and get me more flustered inside. I nod. He starts to enter himself inside me - quite slowly and carefully - stopping until I give him another nod. Although I’m not a virgin, the discomfort was still there a bit. I cup his face with my hand, stroking his cheek with my thumb. I trail it down to his lips where he kisses it once. He freezes inside me for a few seconds once his length is fully inside me. “Okay,” I nod, pulling his face down onto mine before he pulls out slowly to push back in. I try not to moan already. He slips his tongue into my mouth, swirling and crashing it with mine mid moan. His lips kiss down to my chin, which is when his hand lifts my leg up and out. As my breathing hitches more, nibbles go across my neck to my ear. Woah. He takes my ear lobe between his teeth, pulling it down. That’s something I’ve never felt before. “Moan for me,” pillow talk is another thing I’ve never experienced, which leads me to grunt rather loudly. Mid-moan his lips reattach themselves to mine. I let my hands grip his back. My aim was to pull him closer to me, but all I do is scratch down his back. At first I feel bad, then I hear the moan from Monty that followed. That was me done. “Fuck,” I let out in his mouth. The pace is increased more, my arms wrap around his neck - almost hugging him into me. A hand grips my waist as if to say ‘I know you’re close’. I am. I so am. Holding back was in my plans. I spread my fingers through his hair as I begin to let go. “Monty,” I squeak between our lips. A release I’ve been waiting for, with the guy I think I’ve been needing. Once again, Monty’s thrusts increase one last time, this time for his own climax. The twitch inside me finished my frenzy around him. All that was left between us was sweat and heavy breathing.

I lay, my head on his chest, with his arm thrown around me like in the movies. The fingers on our hands intertwined together in an unsolvable puzzle. Chatting as if it was normal what we just did. It is normal. It feels normal. Which is the weird thing. “When’s your mum coming home?” He asks, placing a kiss on the back of my hand. “She’s working a night shift tonight, so you can stay if you’d like,” those aren’t exactly the words I wanted to say. “I should probably go home, my dad-“ “Please stay. I want you to stay,” I stop him with the words I truly meant to stay. Imagine staying overnight with a boy? True heaven I imagine. Especially since that guy is Monty. I tilt my head up to look him in the eyes. His lips, still soft and kind, place themselves on my lips again after letting out an ‘okay’. And suddenly it’s another makeout session. I know exactly where this is going to go. I’m gonna - if I’m not already - fall too hard for Montgomery De La Cruz.