#also one of the drinks i had was a watermelon margarita and it was so good i am so ready for summer man

[bbyurnogoodforme]

Some of my safe foods/meals just for myself to keep track of!

Popcorn! Air popped without any butter or salt is around 30 cals per cup! unseasoned popcorn just tastes better than popcorn with butter imo <3

Sugar free gum bc duh! I really like the watermelon flavored gums cuz they taste soso good and they fill my sweet tooth!

These low cal cookies! 50 cals each, love baking these and pairing them with black coffee <3

Cauliflower rice! 27 cals per cup, and super filling! I dont usually eat it by itself, I like to mix it with some protein or veggies!

Rice cakes bc you know the drill, 35 cals each yum yum, I usually pair plain rice cakes with greek yogurt and a few of these stevia-sweetened dark chocolate chips!

Diet Arizona Green Tea! Tbh just any diet drinks, but this ones a personal fan fav! 0 cals, as all drinks should be <3

Shirataki noodles! Tons of fiber, only 5 cals, and filling! Make sure to look up a good way to prep them! I usually boil and stir fry them before eating them!

Boiled eggs! 78 cals each, but still super good for you <3

Teas, teas, and more teas! Theres a tea for everything from metabolism speeding to sleep aid, drink some tea!

Greek Yogurt! This isn't a revelation I've figured out by myself ofc but still! 100 cals per cup, and super healthy! Plus its a great substitute in a lot of cooking!!!!

Canaloupe! 19 calories for a WHOLE wedge! A whole medium sized canaloupe is 180 cals!

Pickles! 7 cals each and suuuuper yummy imo <3 cucumbers are also a major safe food of mine I have them almost every day for a snack!

Soup!!!!! Tomato soup has around 80-100 cals for a whole bowl and its so yummy imo!!!!

Casabella peppers! (yall know those little peppers at in-n-out?) 10 cals each, literally any peppers are my favs, but my friends love to go to in-n-out together with me and I always love getting a diet coke and some casabellas to munch on <3

Chicken! Just in general! 120 for a whole chicken breast is the best thing ever <3

Almond milk! I've always been lactose sensitive so I've never genuinely had regular milk, plus almond milk is 30 cals per cup and full of calcium which is super important for hair and nails!

Miso Soup! My dad's made this stuff for me since I was a wee little kid, its just one of my favorite foods, period! When i found out it was only 50 cals per cup I was absolutely THRILLED

Healthy Choice power bowl microwaved meals. Oh my goodness absolute godsend! 170 for a whole DINNER!!!! Super filling, high protein, literally just put it in the microwave and bam omgggg its so nice to have these when I need them <3

Strawberries, Watermelon, blueberries! Oh my! <3

Low cal versions of my favorite meals! I've been experimenting with a bunch of low calorie recipes of different stuff and they've all been great! If you like cooking, it can be a great way to keep busy and keep with your goals! My favs so far are low cal pancakes, low cal tortilla wraps, low cal margarita pizza, etc!

I'll add more as I discover more! Stay safe <3

[askinkiskarma]

alright, let me share all the details of my day with you but I have to admit, it wasn't anything extraordinary, it was just packed rip to my social battery. I was constantly on the move since 7 in the morning, doing so much paperwork and interacting with different people, which left me feeling a bit exhausted haha now I’m very happy to be home in my room in cozy pj’s 😇

the weather today was SOO hot and sunny, normally, I enjoy the sunshine, but being under it makes me stressed about my skin aging with every passing second thank goodness for sunscreen

under the sun, my sister’s friends and I managed to plan a surprise party for her upcoming birthday the upcoming week. let’s see how that will go. later, I met up with my friends to barbecue while watching the champions league. oh, and I learned something new today: one of my friends made a "salad" using grilled watermelon (specifically the white part, I know, sounds weird) but it surprisingly tasted good (I was very skeptical at first) for anyone curious, I recommend giving it a try, it's like a combination of the taste of cucumber and grilled zucchini/eggplant (don't forget to add a bunch of seasoning)

and yeah, that’s it. now your turn, how was your day? what did you eat? what did you drink? 💕I hope no one got on my andra bb's nerves today 😒 

under the cut cause this is longggg hahaha

omg that sounds like a very busy day, i'm so proud of you, but also feel for your social battery cause mine drains really quickly irl and then i need 3-5 business days to recover. the weather in the uk is also horrendously hot for the uk and the houses here (and the rest of the uk) don't do well with heat, so i'm in pain, sipping on frozen margaritas hahahha.

the surprise party plans sound sooo nice, i'm so excited to hear how that will go, so keep me updated <3 also i'm cravinggg a barbeque, i haven't had a proper one in so long, back home my dad used to always make me bbq when i visited my grandma, but i haven't been home for summer in a long time unfortunately :( i've heard about the watermelon thing before, but haven't tried it, and now am vv curious and will let you know as soon as i try ittt

my day started with me going to university on a saturday, which i hate. there's one more week of the study that basically has basically ruined every aspect of my life lol, and until then i'm under constant stress bc of it. fortunately, i finished my job in about 2 stressful hours, and then i went to the cafe i always go to and wrote for a few hours, which was really nice. i had a normal latte, 2 ice lattes, an iced tea from starbucks, three frozen margaritas, and a lot of water hahahah. i ate a smoked salmon bagel for breakfast, and this thai chicken/broccoli stirfry we make with peanut butter sauce which is delishhh for lunch/dinner. i also went swimming today and broke my record for most calories burned swimming, which was a nice surprise.

that was my day my love xx thank you for asking <3 ilysmmm

[superblysubpar]

I'm still a newbie with sauces, it's always more seasoning than you think it seems? I really get the concert thing. I make mine go with me, but it is so not fun when I know every song and I wanna scream and dance the whole time and he's wonderful but just not the energy and vibe to match his crazy woman most times. ROASTED BROWN SUGAR GRAPEFRUIT MARGARITA EXCUSE ME?! We just got another watermelon from our garden and I'll be making jalapeño watermelon ones this week 😈 Also, I absolutely understand. Blueberry muffin is my second choice and if I can't have my first or that, I usually don't want the muffin. ALSO Blueberry beer, have you had Grainbelt BLU? That is my summer drink and our state fair has a slushie version that is 🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻

I think we need to cook spaghetti together at sunset during autumn. Then we need to go to a concert and drink tequila 💛 we can agree to disagree on the cherry and blueberry nonsense

BABE. Babe.

I make a mean homemade pasta sauce, ya know? My other half doesn't go to shows with me anymore so im literally constantly weighing if I should go to shows solo or not because - being a solo female is risky lol (but not lol because it's not really funny). I also like tequila more than it likes me but lemme just tell you about this roasted brown sugar grapefruit margarita I whip up.... And the thing about cherry is.... I like it (best blow pops TBH) but I'm on a blueberry beer, blueberry muffins kick right now and I'm fixated. So please forgive.

[jordankennedy]

every avatar i can think of and their relationship to recreational drugs and alcohol

jon sims: only drinks those fruity cocktails that don’t taste like alcohol. seems like someone who has never done drugs but has absolutely snorted speed in university and only georgie knows about it

martin blackwood: doesn’t drink. has smoked weed before but has justified concern for his own health and doesn’t make a habit of it

tim stoker: likes and hates drinking beer in equal measure. seems like someone who does drugs but never actually has

sasha james: academically enjoys edibles but prefers to just drink anything blue

not-sasha james: drinks straight tonic water or margarita mix and inhales the fumes off of sharpie markers

gertrude robinson: smokes menthols and puts whiskey in her coffee. doesn’t do drugs and if you ask she’ll just squint at you in that old lady way. has allowed gerard keay to smoke weed in her office before

elias bouchard: still smokes but it makes him cough a lot so he only does it in private. used to drink laudanum but can’t find it anywhere anymore so now he just makes do with weed and really expensive gin

melanie king: likes daiquiris but only if they’re a flavor other than strawberry. vapes exclusively blue raspberry and watermelon flavors

basira hussain: only ever drinks just enough to avoid getting drunk. has never been on drugs and doesn’t want to. would pick up a joint with her thumb and pointer fingers like it was toxic waste

daisy tonner: has only been drunk once and hated it. has never done drugs but kind of wants to just so she can say she has. hates vapes and stares at melanie directly in the eye until she leaves whenever she does it within six feet of her

georgie barker: hates the taste of all alcohol. owns many novelty souvenir bongs purchased from various tourist attractions around europe. her favorite is the one that looks like a bottle of honey shaped like a bear

peter lukas: likes a lot of weird craft beer and thinks he’s oppressed for it. vapes also but only gross old man flavors like mint and butterscotch

jane prentiss: likes red wine. would smoke weed if offered it but has no idea how to go about acquiring it herself

timothy hodge: drinks fucked up cocktails that would kill anyone over the age of thirty-five. will do molly at parties and then go home and sleep for fifteen straight hours and he does this every friday

raymond fielding: drinks brandy out of a crystal glass like people do in the movies. extremely catholic but was also twenty years old in the 1960s. tried lsd one time and the web told him to stop throwing away his bright future so he never did it again

agnes montague: doesn’t drink because diego molina told her when she was like eight that she would explode if she did. would vape if she had ever heard of it but tragically hasn’t

julia montauk: astronomical tolerance for everything so she usually doesn’t even bother. drinks a lot of whiskey bc she likes how it tastes

maxwell rayner: drinks laudanum

trevor herbert: canonically has done heroin. has since kicked his addiction and doesn’t do or drink anything anymore

oliver banks: does xanax but he technically has a prescription. says he smokes weed for his anxiety but it actually just makes it worse

jared hopworth: advocates for allowing safe steroid use but would rather die than do it himself. refuses to drink on principle but when he was still a normal human he drank natty light

gerard keay: drinks one shot of everclear every morning. also says he smokes for his anxiety but it actually just makes it worse. prefers regular cigarettes

simon fairchild: also drinks laudanum

natalie ennis: drinks one (1) glass of champagne every new year’s eve. calls all mind-altering substances “temptations from the mouth of the devil”

michael the stortion: never got the chance to do drugs before getting spiralized and now they don’t do anything to him so he’s super pissed off about it

sarah baldwin: likes fruity rum. smokes a lot of weed

daniel rawlings: smokes weed as well. makes sarah roll his joints for him

john amherst: refuses to exist within ten feet of people smoking anything. thinks penicillin is a mind-altering substance and is mildly scared of it. doesn’t bother with alcohol but would drink bong water if he knew what it was

callum brodie: has never drunk alcohol or done drugs due to being thirteen. has yet to grow out of his “smoking cigarettes is badass” phase

nikola orsinov: made of plastic and therefore can’t drink or do drugs but would be on acid literally constantly if she was able

helen the stortion: puts ketamine in her own drinks for flavor

jordan kennedy: went to liberal arts college and lived off of tequila and mdma for six months. has since stopped doing drugs altogether because his job involves driving and he doesn’t trust himself to do that while high but still holds alcohol like a monster

annabelle cane: drinks peach white claws and smokes her joints through a 1920s cigarette holder

karolina gorka: drinks stoli out of the bottle. too cool to do drugs but has eaten a weed brownie by accident before

jude perry: drinks fireball whiskey if she feels like being normal and unleaded gasoline if she doesn’t. canonically does coke but freaks out around needles

mike crew: doesn’t drink. forgoes weed in favor of doing coke in public bathrooms with jude. complains that adderall doesn’t do anything but he just has undiagnosed adhd

jan kilbride: doesn’t drink or do drugs anymore because astronauts aren’t supposed to but he did acid one time in college and it almost gave him an anxiety induced heart attack

eugene vanderstock: also does coke with jude but in a significantly less companionable manner. its more of a competition but nobody knows what they’re competing against each other for, least of all the two of them

manuela dominguez: will spit at you if you offer her anything but drinks a lot of wine and keeps a box of oxy in a drawer

hezekiah wakely: smokes opium

tova mchugh: somehow a facebook wine mom without having kids. outwardly condemns drugs of any kind in a very holier-than-thou way but has also done coke more than once

emma harvey: drinks vodka out of water bottles. rolls her own joints, puts just enough regular tobacco in them to mask the weed smell, and tells people they’re regular cigarettes

adelard dekker: has never done drugs in his life but is not morally opposed to the idea, he just doesn’t feel like it

[reflections-in-a-critical-eye]

I think I've gone through the majority if not all of your masterlist. I have two rapid fire questions :)

1. What is your favorite post you've made about BTS? (Or I guess another way to phrase it would be which song/event/clip/topic excited you the most to write about)

2. When is the last time you've been excited about BTS content and what was it?

I'm enjoying a delicious watermelon margarita while reading through the asks.

You went through all the posts? Wow. And watermelon margarita sound delicious. I'm drinking apple cider tonight.

I have a few favorite posts actually. On the top of the list would be my analysis of Filter and My Time because I worked a lot on that post. I used the current research I was doing at that time and it worked perfectly on those two performances. It was an article for which I read on an off throughout more or less a year until I decided it's time to stop and just write. So after one week of looking through all the notes, I finally opened the page and wrote the text in 5h with only some smoke breaks in between. I felt really good after I posted that. I also liked how the post on In The Soop turned out because it was an idea that just came to me and I had to get it out. So I did the research, reading and writing all in one go in one afternoon. And connected to that would be another post, the most recent one on the surveillance, which I should add to my pinned post. It's something that really interests me now and I want to dig deeper into that topic because there is a lot of material out there.

I don't have the particular type of excitement I used to have for BTS as I used to have in the past. But I still couldn't wait for the new Run episode because that's one BTS content that I always liked and I think they do a really good job mostly, in terms of entertainment. And when that one photo teaser of Jungkook for his photo-folio dropped, I admit, it really spiked my interest.

[ultimateaclrecovery]

Belize Day 7

More snorkeling and resort life

This video brought to you by a waterproof case and a waterproof bag

The snorkeling was a bit of a hot mess with going to the wrong place and wasting two hours and subpar equipment that led to inhaling a lot of salt water but still had a lot of fun being in the water and getting to see cool animals.

And then we got to drink on the beach and continue to enjoy the great views of the resort so alls well that ends well

I loved hanging out on the beach in the evening, even tho it was so windy on the beach, look at the 90 degree hammock 😳

Overly long travel diary:

Snorkeling round two!

Unfortunately our day started with us going to the complete wrong location that was an hour out of our way. And then we had to drive an hour back and then the actual half hour to our snorkeling activity. Just a casual extra two hours gone from our day spent needlessly on the bus. But we did eventually get there!

It was very unclear if we actually needed life jackets or not and it took a while to get them sorted and somehow I ended up with the slow struggle group. And then I also struggled with my snorkel. The pressure valve wasn’t very good and then kept sucking in water every five breaths. And the mouth piece didn’t fit very well on the snorkel either. Plus there were bigger waves then the last time so sometimes they would come up over the snorkel and you’d inhale salt water from that too. Overall I inhaled a lot of salt water.

These guides tho had a big focus on animals and let us touch all sorts of things which was really cool. I got to hold a sea cucumber which was way squishier than I expected and very much so not all the way rigid. And then a star fish which was way harder and pointier than I expected. I got to poke a jelly fish which was super cool and hold an arrow head crab that looked like a giant spindly spider.

We also got to see two kinds of sting ray including a yellow spotted one.

We got to do two snorkeling excursions on this one boat ride. A girl decided she didn’t want to do the second one and let me use her snorkel and it worked much better. I also took my phone this time and got some absurd videos. It was hard to manage it but I’m glad I tried.

Over all I liked the second snorkeling and it was different enough from the first that I’m glad I did both but the first one was my favorite.

After snorkeling my flip flop broke.... and then we had to walk to our lunch place because the bus couldn’t park there. Luckily I was able to mostly fix it with a spare mask.

And then I didn’t have my wallet because we were not told we’d be going to lunch after but my roommate offered to spot me.

To make up for the chaos of the morning we decided to lean into the day drinking and our whole table started lunch with tequila shots. I also got a “beliziean sunrise” which was delicious. And a watermelon margarita. And then me and my roommates did a belize bitta shot which was two dollars and delicious.

By the time we got back to the hotel it was after five which was disappointing because we were supposed to be back by like 12 and have time to use the paddle boards and kayaks. But we still chilled by the pool for a bit and then played games in some ones room for the evening. It’s weird hanging out with people you just met and will probably never seen again. They were nice but I definitely felt older than most and just sort of on a different page.

[berrynarrybanana]

i want more berries

A/N: She’s a long one. I used that gif on purpose, as well. I hope you enjoy this smut and fluff filled chapter. Please let me know what you all think so far :)

Word count: 13.3k+

Warnings: Smut, alcohol, mentions of death and loss

P.S tell me if there’s something specific you’d like to see in the next few chapters!

Bea’s POV

I had a dream about Harry. 

I dreamt that after our steamy rooftop kiss, he swept me away to his beautiful home in Malibu. I dreamt that we kissed for hours, his hands sliding under the hem of my dress to grip at my bum as I pressed my palms against his face. He treated me so well in my dream, letting me roll my hips against his for a little while before he slipped a hand around to my front. In my dream, his fingers stretched me out, bringing me right to the brink of an earth shattering orgasm. 

And just as things were about to get good, my phone alarm pulled me from my dream; like a bucket of ice water being dumped over my head. It was the worst way to wake up, the sun blaring through the window as I tried to open my eyes. I hissed out, turning my face into the pillow below me before reaching for my phone. I let out a sigh of relief as I turned the intrusive noise off, closing my eyes 

I had plans to be punctual for. 

A hazy memory of coordinating a birthday brunch with Gemma Styles came to memory as I sat up in bed, brushing my hands through my hair to get it out of my face. We made plans for twelve-thirty at a cafe just a few miles from our rental home and Harry’s Malibu Mansion. I set my alarm for eight in the morning, hoping that my hangover wouldn’t be that bad so I could indulge in a solo walk.

It was something I picked up on after moving out of my parents house, a habit that helped keep my mind clear and my calves toned. California had so many beautiful parks that I wanted to branch out and see a few of them, without the group tagging along. As I turned back, grabbing the water bottle I set on my bedside table last night, my bedroom door opened. 

Tara poked her head in, a mess of brown curls piled on her head and a gentle smile on her face. I smiled back at her, reaching for my two pain killers to help ease the ache behind my forehead, as a gesture for her to come in. She shut the door quietly behind her, plopping down with her legs crossed at the end of my bed. I took my painkillers, resting my water bottle between my legs as she moved around a little, trying to find a comfortable position where the sun wasn’t shining in her eyes. 

“Good morning,” I chuckled, handing her my bottle. “How are you feeling?” 

“Good.” She nodded. “I stopped drinking at bar four.” 

“Smart move,” I laughed. “What are you doing up so early?” 

“I heard your alarm.” She shrugged. “I just wanted to see what you were up to so early in the morning.” 

“Gonna go for a walk at Solstice Canyon.” I said softly. “Why?” 

“I just...didn’t know if you had plans with Harry this morning.” She said slowly, avoiding my raised brows. “You two were pretty cozy last night.”

“Not that I know of.” I said slowly. “Just brunch with everyone later. Why?” 

“I just think you should be careful with him.” She said like the words were burning her throat, spitting them out quickly before she snapped her mouth shut. 

“Tara,” I said softly, confused by her warning. “Why do you think that?” 

“Because he’s Harry fucking Styles.” She whisper yelled, leaning forward. “You made out with him on a rooftop bar last night like you were high-school sweethearts! You looked like Matt and Chloe, making out like the rest of us didn’t exist. I’ve never seen you kiss someone like that.”

“That’s not true.” I groaned, rolling my head back as I tried to find the right words to say. “You’ve seen me kiss people before, T.” 

“Not like that.” She repeated. 

I didn’t blame her for warning me about Harry. 

I was a little skeptical of the entire thing myself.

But I really liked him. 

My whole life, I had been looking for that spark you hear about in movies and read about in books. And I hadn’t really dated that much, but I had never felt that spark with anyone else besides Harry. Something about the way he looked at me, like I was the only person there, made my insides turn to mush and my heart pound in my chest. I rolled my head forward, looking at Claire as she started peeling the label off of the water bottle in her hands. 

“I really like Harry.” I said softly. “And you know how hard that is for me, T. I know I should be skeptical because he’s Harry Fucking Styles, but I don’t want to be! I want to actually try this time, to get lost in someone just because I’m young and I can. I want to be myself around him without worrying or feeling judged. I feel like I can do that with him, Tara.” 

“I want that for you too.” She whispered. “But his track record puts me on edge, Beatrice.” 

“Because I’m not a model, like the other ones?” I asked. “Or a singer, or an actress, or a famous daughter...I’m just me, right? I can’t help that, Tara. And I’m insecure about that on my own, you don’t need to remind me.” 

“That’s not what I mean, Beatrice.” She groaned as I got out of bed, walking towards the ensuite bathroom. “I just don’t want you to get hurt.” 

“I don’t care if he ends up hurting me, Tara!” I exclaimed, walking over to the sink as she rested her hip against the door frame. “It’s too early for this conversation. I haven’t even had time to process it all myself and I just….I just need to go on my walk.” 

“Okay.” She said. “I love you to death, Bea. You’re an amazing friend and you always look out for us. I’m just looking out for you this time.” 

“Thank you.” I said softly. “It’s a nice gesture, but I’m a little hungover and extremely overwhelmed. Maybe we can talk after brunch?” 

“I’d like that.” She said. “Have a good walk. Text me your location so I know where you are, just in case someone decides to kidnap you.” 

“I will.” I let out a soft chuckle, watching as she retreated. 

As I turned the water on in the sink, I heard my phone ringing from the bedroom. 

I quickly rushed over, not wanting the sound to wake anyone else. One concerned friend was enough for me this morning. I answered the call without checking the i.d, holding it up to my ear. 

“Hello?” I said, walking back to the bathroom. 

“Good morning.” 

My heart stopped in my chest at the sound of Harry’s voice. 

It was a deep, gravelly tone coated in honey and I wondered if he was still curled up in his california king bed. I rolled my lips in, trying to hold back a squeal as I waited for him to speak again. 

“How are you, honey?” 

“I’m good.” I said softly, crossing my right arm over my chest as I glanced down at my cobalt blue painted toenails. I wiggled them, trying not to giggle like a schoolgirl. “Are you still in bed? 

“Are you not?” His voice rose in pitch and I heard the rustling of sheets from the other end of the line. I failed at holding back a giggle that time, looking up towards the ceiling as I heard him mumble a curse under his breath. “It’s bloody eight in the morning and I know for a fact you drank your weight in tequila last night.” 

“Don’t be a hypocrite.” I laughed, rolling my eyes at his offended huff. “You drank the same amount and you had yours straight. The only reason I feel even slightly hungover and queasy is because of the champagne we toasted with last night.” 

“Y’had at least five watermelon margaritas in the time we spent together and one glass of champagne has done you in?” He let out a squeaky laugh and I felt like I could collapse on the bathroom floor then and there. “You’re a strange one, Beatrice.”

“I don’t know what it is in champagne that fucks with me, but I don’t like it.” I scrunched up my nose as I thought of the bubbly liquid. I was actually surprised that I wasn’t crouched in front of the toilet right now. “How are you feeling this morning?” 

“A little tired. I couldn’t really sleep.” He sighed. “I kept dreaming about you last night.” 

“Is that so?” I nibbled at the inside of my cheek. “What was your dream about?” 

“We were cuddling.” He said. “We were on the beach, at sunset, snuggled up together on a blanket. I could smell your perfume and everything. I swore for a moment when I woke up that you were right here next to me. But instead, I woke up cuddling a pillow.” 

“That sounds like a bummer.” I chuckled. “I hate to admit it after hearing about that Nicholas Sparks worthy dream of yours, but I also had a dream.” 

“Oh?” He asked, a curious lilt to his voice. “What about?” 

“Far less romantic things.” I felt my cheeks grow hot, nerves bubbling up in my stomach as I awaited his response.

“Beatrice Noelle Murphy,” He was mocking Claire’s tone from last night when she found me, his voice going up a few octaves as he feigned shock. “You had a naughty dream about me?” 

“I knew I should have kept that to myself.” I groaned playfully, stomping my foot against the tile for good measure. “If it’s any consolation, darling, you were very good to me in my dream, until my alarm woke me up, that is.” 

“I expect to hear all about this dream later tonight.” He hummed out. “So, why are you up so early? Should I be worried about any other men knocking at your door?” 

“Not at all.” I snorted out a laugh. “I was actually getting ready to go out for a little walk. It’s something I do at home and before we came here, I found this place called Solstice Canyon that isn’t too far. I figured I would go and take a look.” 

“I know that place.” He said. “It’s gorgeous.” 

The conversation died for a moment, both of us waiting for the other to say it first.

“Harry?” I asked softly. 

“Yeah?”

“Would you like to go with me?” I mumbled. “We can go for a walk and maybe get coffee after? And while we’re walking, maybe we can talk about whatever...this is?”

“I would really like that.” His voice was soft, back to that honey-tone that made my insides melt and my heart thump. “I can come pick you up.” 

“Okay.” I said. “I’ll send you the address.” 

“I’ll see you soon, then.” I could hear the smile in his tone, as if he were standing right in front of me. “I’ll text you when I’m on my way.” 

“That’s perfect.” I took a deep breath. “Goodbye, Harry.” 

“Goodbye, honey.” 

He was making it so hard not to fall in love with him. 

Harry’s POV 

Beatrice Noelle Murphy was going to be the death of me. 

When I pulled into the driveway of her airbnb, she was already standing outside. Her phone was pressed to her ear, a reusable water bottle in her hand as she paced back and forth. My mouth went dry when I started to pay attention to her outfit. She was wearing black leggings, a tight black tank top, and a pair of black sneakers to tie it all together. The stretchy material of her leggings hugged her curves in a way that would put regular pants to shame. I adjusted in my seat, clearing my throat as she looked up at me with that gorgeous smile. 

“Fucks sake,” I groaned, feeling all of the blood in my body rushing down to my cock. “I really don’t need this to happen to me right now.” 

When I put the car in park, I took a deep breath as she finished her phone call. 

I unbuckled my seatbelt, opening my door as she walked over. 

“Hello,” I leaned down, kissing her cheek before pulling back. “You look amazing this morning.” 

“Oh, this old thing.” She teased, glancing down at her outfit before looking back up at me. “Look at you, H. You don’t even look like you have a hangover.” 

“The magic of under eye cream.” I chuckled. “Shall we head on?” 

“Yeah.”

I pressed my hand to the small of her back, guiding her to the passenger seat of my car. 

Like a true gentleman, I opened the door for her. 

Like a true guy, I stared at her ass while she climbed in. 

When I walked back around to the driver’s seat, I cursed at myself under my breath for being such an asshole. She was a sweet girl and she deserved better than me ogling her five seconds into our walking date...if that’s what this was. I pressed the start engine button as Beatrice buckled in, sitting her water bottle in the cup holder with a soft giggle. 

“What?” I glanced over at her before putting the car in reverse. 

“I’ve just…” She started, struggling to find the words. “I’ve always wanted to ride in a Tesla because they’re so cool. And they’re environmentally conscious too, which is so awesome.” 

“You’re adorable.” I chuckled, glancing at my rear-view camera to check for oncoming traffic. I pulled out on the street before turning my head towards her with an amused grin. “Maybe you can give it a test drive before you go home?”

“I would love that.” She nodded. “So, do you know where the park is?” 

“Yeah, I’ve been a few times before.” I nodded. “There’s a gorgeous waterfall at the top and everything.” 

“I saw that online.” She hummed out. “I figured I would go by myself this morning and then later on I’ll take everyone else so we can go for a dip. They’re all still passed out.”  

“Smart idea.” I laughed. “When I left the house this morning, Michael and Gemma were passed out on the couch.” 

“Ah, to live the life of luxury.” Beatrice sighed, giggling right after. “I’m really glad that we’re doing this.”

“Me too.” I glanced at her, offering her a soft smile before I held my hand out. She wasted no time lacing our fingers together, settling our hands on her thigh as I continued to drive. “As a guest in the Tesla, you have complete control over the radio. I have Spotify or apple music, use whatever you want. The code for my phone is 020194.” 

“Your birthday, how original.” She chuckled, taking my phone. 

“How did you know that was my birthday?” I smirked, glancing over at her. 

“Fuck.” Her cheeks turned pink again and she cleared her throat. “Shut up.” 

“Might as well put on One Direction and prove how big of a fan you are.” I mumbled, flipping my turn signal on as she groaned. “I mean it, I would love to see you lose your mind.” 

“Not today,” She mumbled. “I have songs in mind.” 

I spent the drive listening to her playlist with inquisitive ears. 

Music was important to Beatrice, a small fact she’d shared about herself the night before. If she was playing songs for me to hear, I wanted to take them all in. The playlist was a good mix between Indie and Pop, a playlist that she named Iced Coffee because it was what helped her wake up in the morning. I made a mental note for every thing she said as she spoke, wanting to treasure every moment we had together. At every stoplight, she squeezed my fingers gently and I would smile over at her, resisting the urge to kiss her. 

At the last stoplight, she kissed me. I didn’t stop smiling for the rest of the drive, not even when I parked and walked around to open her door for her again. She blushed, ducking her head down as I kissed her forehead softly. I wasn’t usually so affectionate in the beginning of a relationship, but Beatrice was different. The physical pull I felt towards her was almost impossible to ignore. 

“Okay,” I said as we approached the start of the path. “This way is like, two miles, I think. If we go that way, it’s about five or six miles with a lot of hills and stuff. Which way do you prefer?” 

“Two miles.” She said. “I don’t want to tire you out if you’ve got a show tonight.” 

“How thoughtful of you, honey. I like that.” When she laced our fingers together again, my heart skipped a beat in my chest. It was a small gesture, but it meant a lot to me. She wasn’t afraid to be seen with me like most girls were. “Let’s get our hike on, yeah?” 

There was nothing but the sound of our feet crunching against twigs and scattered gravel for a while. I took her water bottle from her hand, holding it in my own as we walked up the small path towards the woods. The birds were chirping and the morning air was a little chilly as the wind rustled the trees around us. There wasn’t anyone else on the path, just Beatrice and myself. 

“This place is gorgeous.” She said softly. “Do you go walking a lot?” 

“I do.” I nodded. “I usually go running with my friend Jeff, you met him last night.” 

“Kind of.” She giggled. “I think I met everyone, but I really only talked to you.” 

“If I remember correctly, that’s all my fault.” I laughed my cheeks heating up as she squeezed my fingers. “I wasn’t exactly keen on sharing you with anyone else last night.” 

“I didn’t mind it.” She bumped her shoulder against my bicep. “I don’t know if it was just me, but last night felt….magical.” 

“I felt it too.” I glanced over at her, licking over my bottom lip. “I’ve...I’ve dated people. Like, I’m hesitant to say a lot, but I’ve been told I had a ho phase in 2015.” 

“Oh, you did.” She teased, looking up at me. “I’ve seen the gifs, I know how you acted on stage, Styles.” 

I rolled my eyes, laughing softly as she bumped her shoulder into my bicep.

“The point I’m trying to make is that I’ve never felt that way about anyone before. I couldn’t keep my eyes off of you the entire time we were together. It felt wrong not touching you in some way or another, even if it was just my hand on your leg or your arm pressed against me. It was like I needed you to breathe.” 

“I felt the same way.” She said. “And when I looked into your eyes, it was almost like I could hear exactly what you were thinking. You didn’t even have to say anything to me.”

“And that’s...that’s something, Beatrice.” I turned back to look at the path. “Does that scare you?” 

“Yes.” She admitted. “Because I’ve never been in love, Harry. I’ve dated maybe...two people, I think. And I always chicken out because I just never feel that spark that you hear about in movies or read about in books. Then last night I met you and that changed, I felt it for the first time and it shocked me.” 

“I’m scared, too.” I whispered. “Because I felt the same way and that means something big to me, you know? I’ve been all around the world and I’ve met thousands of people, but the moment I lay eyes on you it all changes? It’s just...monumental for me.” 

“Harry,” She whispered. “What does this mean for us?” 

“It means that I would gladly be your boyfriend right now if you asked.” I stopped in my tracks, looking at her in awe. Her cheeks were a soft pink, her freckles out as the California sun shone down on her like a spotlight. “It means that I want something with you, something serious.” 

“Just like that?” The corners of her lips twitched, but she didn’t smile. “You want me?” 

“I want you.” I nodded. “However I can have you.” 

“Then I’m yours.” She shuffled forward. “But you’re going to have to be patient with me, Harry. I’ve never done this before and I don’t know how to...be a girlfriend.” 

“It’s not very hard.” I hummed out, pursing my lips as I tilted my head to the side. “Feed me, water me three times a day, and tuck me in with a song at bedtime-” 

“Oh my goodness,” Beatrice tossed her head back, letting out a loud laugh. “You’re ridiculous.” 

“I’m just trying to give you instructions, honey.” I pulled her close to me by our connected hands as she tilted her head forward. “Gonna teach you how to be a proper girlfriend, yeah?”

“You’re so British.” Her giggle faded as I moved closer to her lips. 

When I finally pressed a kiss to her soft lips, everything changed. 

I let go of her hand, pressing my palm against her cheek as I moved my mouth against hers. I felt my insides catch fire as she licked over my bottom lip. Her hands gripped my hoodie, pulling herself closer to me as her water bottle fell from my hand. I wrapped myself around her and for a brief second, I was worried about being caught kissing her. But as my tongue slipped over hers, my fears faded. My thoughts revolved around the soft noises she made when we kissed and the way her hands slipped up my back. She tasted like mint and she smelled like roses. 

“Harry,” She pulled back, gasping softly as I kissed over her cheek and towards her jaw. “Hey, Harry. We’re in public, darling.” 

“I don’t care.” I mumbled, pressing a soft kiss to the skin just below her ear. “I can’t stop kissing you.” 

“The quicker we finish this hike, the quicker we get back to the car,” She said, clearing her throat. “That means we’ll get to make out in private, without a small, tourist family staring at us.” 

My blood ran cold as I realized what she was saying. 

I pulled back, looking to my left as the family watched us. 

“Sorry.” I cleared my throat, leaning down to grab the bottle I dropped. “Let’s go.” 

Beatrice burst into loud laughter as we passed the family, leaning against me as we stumbled along the path. My face grew hot as she patted my stomach softly, cooing up at me. 

“It was nice for a minute, wasn’t it?” She said softly. “Thank you for kissing the breath right out of my lungs. It was a nice moment.” 

“You’re welcome,” I turned my head, pecking her lips. “Let’s finish this hike, girlfriend. I’m in need of more kisses and I’m not wasting anymore time.”

Beatrice’s POV 

When Harry and I made it to the top of the path, the view was stunning. 

We sat at the edge of the pool, our feet in the water as we continued our talk from earlier. My friends were most definitely going to kill me for acquiring a boyfriend before noon, but I didn’t care. I was riding cloud nine as Harry kept me tucked under his arm. I learned about his family back at home in England as we sat, his voice full of excitement as he told me about his school friends and his Mum. He told me that he had a flight leaving on Tuesday to Heathrow and that he was planning to spend two weeks with his Mum in Manchester. I was excited that he was going to have time to spend with her after such a long tour, but part of me was sad that we would have to part at some point. I didn’t say anything, smiling as he talked about the intense games that he would play with his Mum and Gemma at home. 

“What about your family?” He asked, brushing his hand over my arm. “Do they all still live in Virginia?” 

“Yeah.” I said slowly, clearing my throat. “We don’t have...the best relationship. It’s not awful, but it’s not exactly normal.” 

“Do you have any siblings?” He sounded completely unfazed by my statement.

“Yeah, brothers.” I mumbled, my finger dragging over the spot on my arm where my honeybee was tattooed. “If I tell you something, promise you won’t apologize or freak out.” 

“Beatrice, you can tell me anything.” His brows pulled together as I looked up at him, giving him a soft smile.

“The honeybee that I have on my arm,” I started. “That’s in honor of my brother, kind of. He used to call me honeybee all the time because of my name, you know? My mom would call me honey and he picked up on that, but then he started adding the bee on later. Beatrice is kind of hard for a five year old to say.” 

“I can imagine.” Harry chuckled. “Why shouldn’t I apologize?” 

“Because he’s dead.” I cleared my throat, looking back to the waterfall as I took a deep breath. I wasn’t sad or upset as I spoke. I had told the story so many times, it was almost like it belonged to someone else. “We don’t have to go into the details if it makes you uncomfortable. I know not everyone is as cavalier about death and loss as I am.” 

“I want to know what happened.” He said softly. “If you want to share, I’m here to listen.” 

“We knew that he was going to die because he was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy when he was about five or six. Most kids don’t live that long with the disease, so we always knew. The way that I used to explain it as a kid was ‘it’s a disease that melts your muscles’ and while that’s not far off, it’s not exactly accurate. It’s a disease that deteriorates your muscles and it started at his feet and then worked its way up. And your heart is a muscle, so naturally, that was the last thing to go.” I turned back to look at Harry, his mouth shut and his brows knitted together in the center. “How are you hanging over there?” 

“I’m...taking it all in.” He said slowly. “I’m also trying really hard not to apologize to you right now.” 

“It’s a reflex for some people.” I chuckled, squeezing his fingers. “I know that hearing that is a lot to deal with for a first date, but it’s better that you know now.” 

“I call you honeybee.” He said softly. “Does that bother you?” 

“Not at all.” I shook my head. “You just...naturally started calling me that. I used to hate when my Mom or family would try to call me that because it was his name for me, but I like hearing it from you. It almost felt like a sign in some way, like...he was approving of it somehow. I know that sounds insane, but I have a gut feeling that you two would get along swimmingly.” 

“It doesn’t sound insane.” He pulled me tighter against his side. “And you’re okay?”

“I’m fine.” I nodded. “I’ve been telling that story to people for twelve years and if I’m being honest, it’s kind of just...an extremely distant memory. It’s sad and you probably think I’m heartless for being so casual about it, but I spent a lot of time blocking out memories with him as a coping mechanism and now I’m just...well, whatever this is.” 

“That is sad.” He whispered. “If you ever want to talk to me about him or anything, I’m here for you.” 

“Thank you.” I let out a heavy sigh. “So, now that we’ve had that talk, I have another brother named Jack. He’s younger than me and quite possibly the funniest human being I’ve ever met. He’s my first drunk call when I’m out because he’s the first person I want to share things with after they happen.” 

“Is that who you were on the phone with earlier?” He asked. “When I pulled up?” 

“Yes.” I nodded. “He was bugging me about being in California. He’s never been and he’s always wanted to see Los Angeles.” 

“Well, next time you want to visit, let me know.” He said. “You can stay with me instead of renting out an airbnb.” 

“If I let Jack anywhere near you, he’s going to want to talk music.” I snorted out a laugh. “He has FL Studio and he’s really into making beats which is something I don’t understand, but he loves to death. He’s really into producing and stuff.” 

“I wouldn’t mind talking music with him.” Harry chuckled. “I would love to meet him someday.” 

We decided to make our way back after talking a little more about my dysfunctional family. We were nearly to the car when I remembered that tonight was Harry’s last show on his first solo tour. When I looked over at him, he was deep in thought. His brows were knitted together and he was staring at the ground as we walked. 

“So, are you excited for tonight?” I asked. 

“Hmm?” He asked. 

“Tonight,” I said softly. “I was just asking if you were excited?” 

“I am.” He gave me a half smile. “Lots of people are coming though. I know Hannah, the girl from last night will be there. Kendall will probably be there, Niall is definitely coming, Louis and Liam are still a little on the fence about it so I don’t know if they’ll be there.” 

“Holy shit,” I breathed out. “Niall Horan.” 

“Oi,” He pouted, stopping in his tracks. “I’ll be the one on stage, honey.” 

“I know.” I laughed at his childish pout. “It’s just...Niall was kind of my favorite member of the band, darling.” 

“What?” He screeched out, his eyebrows shooting up. “Bloody Niall?” 

“He was cute!” I exclaimed, trying not to laugh at his distress. “You can’t deny the Irish charm, Harry!” 

“I can, Beatrice!” He groaned. “I’m British.” 

“Oh, I’ve noticed.” I let out a laugh as Harry pulled me closer to him. “Don’t be so pouty about it, darling.” 

“I’m jealous.” He said softly, squeezing my fingers.

“Is that so?” I asked, my breath catching in my throat as he rubbed the tip of his nose over mine gently. “What are you going to do about that?” 

“There’s my naughty girl.” He hummed out. “When we get to the car, maybe you’ll find out.” 

My feet moved faster than they ever had before. 

When we made it to the car, Harry opened the door, ushering me inside the back seat with gentle hands. He climbed in after me, shutting the door before locking it behind us. I wasted no time straddling his lap, pressing my lips to his in a heated kiss. Something in me took over my actions, any prior fears about being sexual with someone else long gone. I hadn’t done much in lieu of sexual encounters with other people, but I had done a few things. Getting fingered outside of a bar after Valentine’s day before delivering a stellar blowjob was one of those things, but I really had the alcohol to thank for diminishing my fears that night. 

Harry’s hands landed on my bum, his fingers digging into the flesh there as I dug my fingers into the soft strands of hair at the back of his head. I tugged softly, moaning as my hips rolled forward against Harry’s. This was new for me and though it was a little nerve wracking, I wasn’t worried. My body knew what it was doing, moving against Harry with soft little rolls of my hips. He seemed to be enjoying it, if the bulge in his pants had anything to say about it. I whimpered when he pulled back, gently tugging at my lower lip with his teeth when he did. His lips weren’t gone for long, his tongue joining in on the fun when he pressed them back to mine. My toes felt numb and my body felt like it was on fire from just his kiss. 

“Harry?” I asked, tilting my head back as I tried to catch my breath. He kissed down the column of my throat greedily, suckling at the sensitive parts as I grinded harder against him. “I need more.” 

“What do you need from me?” He whispered in my ear, his voice husky and raspy. “Tell me what you want.” 

“Fingers.” I moaned when he pushed my jacket off of my shoulders, leaning into kiss at my collarbones. “I need your fingers.” 

“Dirty girl.” He cooed, sliding his palm from my side to my front. I clenched my eyes shut when he started to rub his fingers over my core through my leggings. “You need them like this?” 

“No.” I cried out. “I want them in me.” 

“Fuck,” He gasped, lifting his hand to squeeze gently at my breast as the other hand tilted my chin down. He kissed me fervently, pulling back as he rested his forehead against mine. “Are you sure?” 

“Yes.” I nodded. “I’m so sure.” 

“Have you…” He stopped. “Is this something you’ve done before?” 

“Are you asking me if I’ve been fingered?” I tried to fight off my smirk, rolling my lips in as he nodded. “I have, actually. It wasn’t the best experience of my life and I didn’t cum, but I have a feeling that you know what to do with your hands.” 

“Fuck me.” He groaned, “just...tell me exactly what you need and I’ll make it happen for you. I’m gonna make sure you cum on my fingers, honey.” 

I nodded, licking over my bottom lip as he awaited instruction. 

“You can put your hand down my pants.” I said softly. “If you want to, that is.” 

“I really, really want to.” 

He glanced between us as he trailed his fingertips down my stomach to the band of my leggings. He gripped the fabric between his fingers, letting it pop back against my skin as I groaned out. He chuckled softly, kissing my chin before he dipped his fingers past the waist. I held my breath, waiting for him to touch my clit, but he didn’t. Instead, his fingers dipped past my clit, rubbing over my lips slowly as he used his free hand to guide my eyes to his. His eyes were a darker shade of green, one that matched the shade that I saw last night after I was knocked over. 

“You’re fucking soaked, Beatrice.” He let out a shaky breath. “Who did this to you?” 

“Maybe it was Niall.” 

Harry looked up at me, his stare going blank as he stopped the movement of his fingers. 

I tried not to break composure, watching him unravel before my very eyes. I’d heard Woman before, I knew how jealous he could get and what it did to him. I wanted that Harry right now. 

“What did you just say to me?” He asked softly, tilting his head to the side.

“I said, maybe it was Niall.” I hummed out, moving my hips. He stopped them, gripping my side tight with his free hand. “We were talking about him earlier, weren’t we? Maybe that’s why I’m so wet.” 

“Beatrice.” His voice nearly came out in a growl, his nails digging into my plush sides. “You’re playing a dangerous game, angel.” 

“What game is that?” I inquired, a smug smirk painting over my lips. 

In a flurry of movements, I ended up on my back beneath Harry.

He pulled my leggings over my thighs, pressing his fingers flat against my entrance as he knelt to the ground beside the car seat. Tesla’s had a lot of legroom to offer and I was suddenly a major fan of that. Harry pressed a quick kiss to my lips as he dipped his pointer finger into me. I let out a shaky breath when he curled up, massaging that spot inside of me gently. 

“Are you okay with this?” Soft Harry was back, but I assured him with a quick nod. “Tell me if it’s too much, okay?” 

“I will.” I mumbled. “I quite liked ‘Angry Harry’ from before.” 

“Oh, he hasn’t gone anywhere.” He let out a dark chuckle, pulling his pointer finger out before sliding it back in. This time, it was accompanied by his middle finger. His thumb ghosted over my clit and I let out a soft string of curses as he grinned. “Not so smug now, are you?” 

“That feels really good.” I whimpered, lifting my hips up. “Harry-” 

“So now it’s me that’s made you this way, eh?” He brushed his nose over mine, his breath washing over my face as he started to move his fingers faster. “I thought Niall made you this wet, angel?” 

“You.” I whined, shaking my head. “Just you, Harry.” 

“That’s my girl.” He cooed, pressing the pad of his thumb to my clit. He moved it in soft circles as his fingers worked in and out of me. “S’that good?” 

“Move your thumb the other way.” I let my eyes slip shut, a small ball of pleasure accumulating in my lower belly, tightening with each stroke of his thumb and thrust of his fingers. “Just like that, H. Fuck.” 

“You’re so tight.” He let his lips brush over mine. “So tight and wet, just for me.” 

“Yes.” I whispered. “Just for you.” 

“You’re so beautiful like this.” He mumbled. “The little wrinkle between your brow as you clench down on my fingers. You’re so desperate to cum, aren’t you?” 

“Yes.” I repeated. “Yes, please.” 

“Are you close?” He hummed out. “Are you going to cum on my fingers for me, angel?” 

I nodded again, a low whine in my throat as my hips and thighs tensed up. 

I was right there on the edge, ready to explode underneath him. 

“Cum for me.” He stamped a quick kiss to my lips. “Cum on my fingers, Beatrice.” 

I bit my lower lip, reaching out with my left hand to grip Harry’s hoodie as he worked me through my orgasm. My whole body tensed up before falling lax against his back seat. That little whine that was caught in my throat escaped, a few moans following after as Harry really worked me though with his fingers. I opened my eyes slowly when he pulled them out, lifting them up to his lip before he rested them on his tongue. I cursed as he licked my arousal from his digits, grinning when he was finally done savoring my taste. 

“Taste like berries.” He leaned down, pressing his lips to mine. “Do you taste it?” 

I whimpered, nodding as he lifted his head up. 

“That was amazing.” I said softly, sitting up before I adjusted the waistband of my leggings over my stomach.  “You are amazing.” 

“Hm, I told you I was the jealous kind.” He giggled, kissing me softly as I brushed my fingers through his hair. 

“I’m glad that added to the moment.” I said, my cheeks hot under his gaze. “It was a shot in the dark, but fuck are you hot when you’re jealous.” 

“Normally, it would bother me,” He said. “But something about you doing made it feel fun and exciting.”

“Good.” I kissed his forehead. “Trade spots with me.” 

“You don’t have to-” 

“Plant your ass on the seat, Styles.” I patted the empty space next to me, watching as he hesitantly climbed up. “Are you okay with this?” 

“Yes.” He nodded. “Only if you are.” 

“I’m going to warn you,” I placed my palms on his thighs. “I’ve only given one blowjob and I was drunk. So I’m going to need a lot of feedback here.” 

“Noted.” He nodded, glancing down at my hands as they slid up to the waistband of his athletic shorts. “This is a good start.” 

“Thanks.” I giggled, rolling my eyes at him. He lifted his hips as I pulled his shorts past his bum and down to his thighs. I left them just above his knees, my eyes immediately zeroing in on his cock. “Fucking hell, it’s beautiful.” 

“Beatrice.” Harry whispered, a pained lilt to his tone. “You’re killing me.” 

“I’m admiring it.” I mumbled, brushing my fingers over the veiny shaft. I took a deep breath before I swallowed around the lump in my throat. “So beautiful.” 

I brushed my thumb under the head, a small stream of pre-cum drizzling out from the slit. I had heard on the internet that the head of a man’s cock often matched the color of his lips. Whoever made that observation was a genius. The tip of Harry’s cock was raspberry red, coated in a light glaze of pre-cum. 

I had never wanted to suck a man off so badly before, my tongue practically aching at the phantom weight. I leaned down, taking a deep breath as I guided his cock up. The tip pointed towards his stomach as I leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to the underside of its head. Harry hissed in a sharp breath, shifting beneath me as I looked up at him. 

“I’m not going to last long.” He whimpered. “I don’t think I can do it.” 

“S’alright.” I whispered. “Just tell me when you’re close and I’ll swallow.” 

“Fuck.” 

I pressed a few kisses against the veiny skin, my lips closed as I pecked over it gently. When I had made my way all the way up to the top, I started back down again. This time, I incorporated open mouth kisses, trailing my tongue over the veins every few seconds or so to keep him on his toes. When I made it to the base, I pushed his hoodie up, trailing my lips up to his ferns as I felt his hands fall on my shoulders.

After I felt his fingers digging into my shoulder blades, I lifted my hand, pulling at my hair elastic. My hair fell around my shoulder and face like a curtain. Harry didn’t waste a lot of time, threading the fingers of his left hand through the strands at the nape of my neck while his right fingers brushed my hair back from my face. 

“You’re stunning.” He whimpered, causing me to glance up at him as I flattened my tongue. I slowly licked up the underside of his shaft from the base to the tip. I pressed a kiss to the tip, glancing up at him. “Just like that, angel. You’re doing so well.” 

It was hard trying not to smile as I wrapped my lips around the head of his cock. 

I brushed my tongue over the spongy head before suckling softly and pulling off. I pressed a quick kiss to the top before I repeated the previous move. It wasn’t long before I was lowering my mouth, pulling back up as I tried to master sucking without teeth. Harry didn’t seem to mind that I wasn’t looking at him while I tried to take care of him. I could tell that he felt good by the string of curses falling from his mouth every time I took my mouth off of him.

It was kind of hot, feeling his fingers slowly guiding me back towards his cock as he tried to refrain from bucking his hips up. My fingers found purchase in his thighs, trying to steady myself as I pushed farther than I had before. Harry was big in my mouth, his cock heavy on my tongue and his tip poking against the back of my tongue. Now, he was pressing against the back of my throat. 

“I’m gonna cum.” His voice was higher in pitch, a desperate whine pulling from his throat as I pulled back up and suckled on the head of his cock. I took a few deep breaths, glancing up to see his eyes glued to my face. He was watching my every move. “I’m so close, Beatrice.”

“What do you need me to do?” I asked, replacing my mouth with soft strokes of my hand while I looked up at him. “Tell me what to do, darling.” 

“Don’t have to take me all the way again, that was…” He let out a breathy chuckle, brushing his thumb over the apple of my cheek. “Just put your lips around the head like you were doing. Suck on me while you’re looking up at me.” 

“Okay.” I smiled softly, lowering my mouth to his cock again.

I wrapped my lips around the bulbous and leaking head of his cock, sucking softly like I had done moments before. I kept stroking his shaft with my hand, keeping my eyes on his as I did so. He took in a few shallow breaths, his brows knitting together and his lips parting. His eyes started to flutter as he tightened his fingers in my hair. When his hips lifted just a little off the seat, I knew that was it for him. Seconds later, I felt a few spurts of warm cum coating my tongue. I didn’t think too hard on it, swallowing it down as I stroked him through his orgasm. 

“Beatrice,” He whimpered, dropping his hands to my arms with a grabby motion as I shifted. “Come up.” 

I obliged, climbing into his lap as our lips collided. 

He wrapped me in his arms, slipping his tongue over mine as I whimpered. 

When he pulled back from me, he had a blissed out smile on his lips and wide eyes. 

“You’ve...you’ve only given one other blow job besides that?” He asked, his chest heaving just a little as I nodded. “Your mouth is a daydream.” 

“Harry.” I groaned, swatting his shoulder. 

“I mean it.” He leaned forward for a quick peck, brushing my hair over my shoulders. “That was amazing, Beatrice. I really loved it.” 

“I’m glad.” I brushed my nose over his. 

“Can I ask you something?” He said softly, reaching up to scratch the side of his nose. “I don’t want to sound like a dick for asking, but I kind of have a feeling and I just...it doesn’t matter one way or the other, I just want to know.” 

“Ask away.” I said. “You can always talk to me too, you know? It’s a two-way street.” 

“I appreciate that more than you know.” He hummed out. “But I’m just curious about...are you a virgin?” 

“Yeah.” I nodded without hesitation. “It’s not something I try to hide from people, so I don’t mind sharing that with you.” 

“Is that just a personal choice you’ve made for yourself?” He asked. “Because I don’t want to push you or make you feel like you have to do things like that with me if you’re not ready. I can wait.” 

“If I’m going to be honest with you,” I said softly. “I’ve not had sex yet because there’s no one that’s really tried to have sex with me. I haven’t been holding out for any one reason.”

“No one has ever tried to have sex with you?” He asked, his brows shooting up to his hairline. “I find that so hard to believe.” 

“Harry,” I laughed, tossing my head back. “Stop it.” 

“I mean it.” He exclaimed, pressing his hands to my hips. “When I pulled into the driveway this morning and saw you standing there, I got hard just like that.” 

“No!” I exclaimed, pressing my hands to his chest with a breathless laugh. “You didn’t?” 

“I did.” He nodded. “I was very upset with myself for it, honestly. Felt like a proper dick.” 

“I’m going to take a shot every time you say the word proper.” I reached up, tapping the pad of my finger against his nose. “And I really love this moment we’re having, but I desperately need coffee or a nap….or both.” 

“You can have both?” He asked. “You can have a coffee and then go to bed?” 

“Yeah.” I shrugged. “I drink a lot of coffee in a day, the first cup is like a small kick starter, but cups three through five are what really rev me up.” 

“Oh my,” Harry shook his head. “I’m going to have to keep an eye on you.” 

“Absolutely.” I nodded. 

Harry’s POV 

Beatrice and I stopped at Starbucks on the way back to her airbnb. 

On the way there, it was decided that I was staying to take a nap with her. She texted Gemma from my phone, asking if she could bring an outfit to the airbnb with one of my cars so we could all fit in two vehicles on the way to brunch. When we made it back to her airbnb, everyone was still sleeping soundly. Claire was curled up on the couch with Chloe just below her. Matt was tucked into Chloe’s side and Jackson and Tara were nowhere to be seen. 

When we walked in, I wasn’t surprised that Beatrice had chosen this as the airbnb they stayed in. It was extremely cute, little vintage touches splashed in here and there. There was a small acoustic guitar tucked in the corner of the living room and a light blue record player with a record collection on a console table in front of the window by the front door. Beatrice guided me past the kitchen and down the hall towards her room in the house. She explained that she got the room with an ensuite bathroom that I could use it while she snuck off to Claire’s. 

Showering together was slightly different than sharing a steamy moment in the back of my car. There was nothing to hide behind and I could tell the thought of that made her uncomfortable. I gladly accepted her offer and over-sized band shirt and soft sweatpants before going into the restroom. There were a few products scattered around on the small sink that made me smile. We shared the same face wash, which was a good thing for my skin. During my shower, I started to get lost in my own head. Beatrice was at the forefront of my mind, her face plastered on the big screen as I replayed our moment by the waterfall. 

I could tell there was so much more to her family problems than just the loss of her brother, but I didn’t want to push. She had already shared so much with me today and I knew that we would have plenty of time to share more in the future if she wanted. I could tell that she was already back in the bedroom connected to her bathroom as I stepped out of the shower and I wasted no time slipping into the clothes she lent me. The sweatpants were a little short, but they fit me perfectly around the waist and legs. The shirt she lent me was soft and it smelled like her, her perfume permanently weaved through the fabric. 

“Man does it feel good to wash away a hangover.” I let out a heavy sigh as I walked out. 

It was slightly darker in the room, the curtains pulled shut and the door closed. Beatrice looked over her shoulder at me, smiling brightly as I walked forward. I placed my hands on her hips, giving them a soft squeeze before I stole a few kisses from her. 

“Have you picked a side?” I asked, nuzzling my nose against the shell of her ear. 

“No.” She said softly, resting her hands on my forearms. “Which side do you want?” 

“The right.” I said. “I like sleeping closest to the door.” 

“I like sleeping away from it. Look at us, like peanut butter and jelly.” She giggled. “It’s about nine forty-five and we aren’t leaving for brunch until twelve-thirty. Gemma and I made reservations for a small cafe and they’ve closed their back patio off for us.” 

“That was nice of them.” I squeezed Beatrice with a soft hum before I let go of her. I climbed over the foot of the bed, tucking my legs under the covers. She smiled at me before tucking herself in “Do you like to cuddle?” 

“I always sleep on my front with my leg and arm tossed over a pillow.” She chuckled. “I have a body pillow at home that I snuggle with, but I’ve never cuddled with an actual person....besides Claire, at least.”  

“Well, I love to cuddle.” I tapped my tummy with my palm, smiling as she shuffled closer to me. She rested her head on my shoulder, but that was all. “Don’t be shy, honey. I don’t bite...well not when I’m cuddling, at least.” 

“You have jokes, Styles.” She mumbled, hooking her leg over mine as she rested her arm against my stomach. I kissed the top of her head, smiling as she let out a happy sigh. “You smell good.” 

“I smell like you.” I tried not to laugh, afraid to jostle her. “I used all of your stuff.” 

“Good.” She said. “You’re saving the planet at least. I like no waste, vegan products that come in bottles made of recycled material.” 

“Look at you,” I hummed out, rubbing my palm over her back as she tucked her arm under my back. “Responsible and ethical. Gemma will love that.” 

“Harry?” She sounded far off, her voice fading with each word. “M’falling asleep.” 

“Go on then.” I whispered. “I’m right behind you.” 

I didn’t get a response, my heart fluttering in my chest. 

The warmth of her body had me slowly falling asleep, my eyes fluttering shut as she gripped onto my borrowed shirt with her fingers. 

Falling in love with Beatrice was the easiest thing to do. 

Claire’s POV 

When I woke up, I felt like death. 

My mouth was dry and my eyes felt glued together with the makeup left on. I refused to take it off last night, despite Bea and Tara’s arguments and attempts to wipe it off themselves. Chloe and I were definitely the lightweights out of the group, a few drinks knocked back and we were two sheets to the wind. I sat up, brushing my hand over my face as I groaned loudly. If I remembered correctly, Chloe was just beneath me on the floor, sleeping on a pallet of blankets and couch cushions. That girl could sleep anywhere if she wanted. 

I glanced down to see Matt with her, his head tucked under her chin and his body wrapped around her like a koala. I smiled even though it hurt to see them so happy together. Chloe and Matt were the classic definition of highschool sweethearts. They had been together through everything and I was often envious of the love they shared. There was one other couple in our friend group, but they were different.

I carefully stepped over Matt and Chloe, walking towards the master bedroom of our airbnb. Before I made it there, I stopped at the door next to mine. I wondered how my best friend was doing after last night. She, much like every other girl I knew, always had a crush on Harry Styles. Last night, she lived out the ultimate dream of every fangirl. I twisted the doorknob, carefully sliding in before I shut the door behind me.

 Before I even stepped into the room, I realized that she wasn’t alone. She was curled into Harry’s side, her head on his chest and his lips pressed into her forehead. My heart ached at the sight, the soft look on Bea’s face an expression I hadn’t seen on her in a while. As I was slowly retreating backwards, Harry spoke. 

“I see you over there.” His morning voice was deep and my eyes widened in shock. “I’m sorry I stole your best friend this morning.” 

“Don’t be.” I said softly. “I didn’t even notice.” 

“What time is it?” He lifted his head, rubbing at his eyes with his free hand. 

“Um, eleven, I think.” I rolled my lips in, glancing around the room as he nodded. I felt like I was invading an extremely private moment “You guys can sleep a little longer. I just thought I would pop in to check on her.” 

“I can make myself scarce if you want to take over?” Harry chuckled, glancing over at Beatrice and then back at me. “I can start up some coffee for everyone.” 

“No, don’t do that.” I shook my head. “Beatrice is horrible when she’s been woken up by someone else. She’ll bite your head off.” 

“I’m awake now.” She groaned, turning her head into Harry’s chest. “You’re so loud.”

“We’re not that loud.” I snorted out a laugh. “I’m going to shower and get ready for brunch.” 

“We’re leaving at twelve.” Beatrice sat up, a grumpy pout on her lips. “How do you feel?” 

“I’m okay.” Beatrice patted the end of her bed and I glanced back at Harry before slowly moving forward. I sat on the edge, the foot of the wrought iron bed-frame pressing into my back. 

“I made you a birthday hangover kit.” Bea said softly. “It’s on your bed.” 

“Thank you, Bea.” I said. “But I’m actually not feeling that bad.” 

“I think In N Out at three in the morning might have helped.” She giggled, leaning back into Harry as he rubbed his hand over her back. “Did you have fun, birthday girl.” 

“Loads.” I smiled. “But I’m excited for brunch today. Harry, your sister is so nice!” 

“I think you met the wrong sister,” He hummed out, shaking his head. “My sister is a pest.” 

“Your sister is a saint.” I gasped. “I’m excited for tonight, as well.” 

“You know?” Beatrice asked. “Did I tell you last night?” 

“No, but Harry asked if it was okay.” I shrugged. “I told him that I’ve been dying to see him live, so we’re going, per the birthday girl’s wishes.” 

Beatrice wouldn’t willingly go to a concert on my birthday weekend if I didn’t convince her that I wanted to go just as bad. She stared me down, trying to gauge whether or not I was telling the truth to her. I rolled my eyes, pushing her shoulder before I stood up from the foot of her bed. 

“It was nice talking to you losers, but I need to go take a very long shower to wash away the hangover that is still lingering.” I held up a peace sign. “I’ll see you at twelve.”

“You’ll see me before twelve, I need help picking what to wear.” Beatrice called out as I shut the door behind me. 

It made me happy to see her so comfortable with a man. 

As I walked into the master bedroom, I rolled my eyes at the sight of Tara and Jackson curled up on my bed. 

Friends.

Bea’s POV 

When Claire walked out, I turned back to smile at Harry. 

He’d slipped his hand up my shirt, brushing his fingers over my back while I talked to Claire. It was comforting, the feeling of him reassuring me when he knew I was in distress. I was worried that Claire would be mad at me for bringing Harry back. He had already taken over an entire day of our vacation. He must have felt the relieved sigh I let out when Claire told me she was excited for today’s activities. I wanted this vacation to be nothing short of perfect. 

“Did you have a good nap?” I asked, leaning back into his arms as he nodded. “Good, you deserved some sleep.” 

“You were very sweet to me in my sleep.” He pressed a few soft kiss against my temple. “No kicking or pushing, just sweet cuddles and a tiny bit of drool.” 

“I do not drool.” I turned my head, glaring at him. “Take that back.” 

“Oh, you do.” He giggled, shaking his head. “I won’t take back the truth.” 

“That’s awful.” I groaned, pressing my hands to my face. “We’re spooning from now on.” 

“I don’t mind that at all.” He hummed out, kissing at the skin of my neck now. “Being pressed against you while I sleep sounds like a great plan.” 

“Oh, yeah?” I giggled, turning my body around before I straddled him. “Well, you’re not the only one who’s awake, are you?” 

I glanced between our bodies, my cheeks growing warm as I felt Harry’s cock pressing into my core. I tried not to move, looking back up at him with a smug smile. He gulped, sliding both hands up my shirt as he leaned forward to press our lips together. I smiled into the kiss, pressing my hands to his shoulders as he bucked his hips up. A soft whine pulled from my throat as he did, a shockwave of pleasure shooting from head to toe. Harry broke the kiss, ducking his head down to continue his earlier path of kisses on my neck. 

“Harry.” I tilted my head back, letting out a soft sigh as he moved one hand around to my front. He let his fingers trail up, sliding over my breast before he pinched my nipple. “Oh.” 

“S’that good?” He breathed in my ear, tugging at the lobe as his finger continued to tug gently at my nipple. I nodded, feeling Harry smile against my neck. “Want it to feel better?” 

“Yes.” I nodded, gulping around the lump in my throat. I was so turned on by Harry, the tension in the room so thick I could feel it. “Please.” 

“Lift your arms up.” He whispered, removing his hands from my skin. I groaned at the loss of contact, but I did as I was told. “Good girl.” 

He pulled my shirt over my head, tossing it to the end of the bed. 

Harry’s eyes trailed over my skin, the look on his face almost unreadable. I felt nervous, being so exposed in front of Harry so early. But when he leaned forward to press a few scattered kisses over my collarbone, I didn’t feel so afraid. He kissed a trail down towards my right breast, kissing around my nipple as I rested my hands on his shoulders. 

“You’re so beautiful.” He whispered. “Can I?” 

His breath ghosted my nipple and I knew what he was asking. 

“Please.” I whispered. 

When his tongue licked over my nipple, I nearly lost it. Seconds later, his lip was wrapped around my nipple and my body was moving on its own. I rolled over his hard cock, whining as he suckled softly on the hardening bud of my nipple. 

“Hey, Bea,” The door to my room opened before I could process what was happening. “Can I borrow- holy fuck!” 

“Jackson!” I cried out, my whole body flushing cold as I realized what was happening. “Get out!” 

“Sorry!” He called back, bumping into the doorway as Harry lifted the blankets around my body. He let me bury my face into his neck as Jackson fumbled. “I didn’t see anything.” 

“Oh my god.” I groaned, gripping at Harry’s t-shirt. “That was mortifying.” 

“Don’t be upset.” He said softly. “He didn’t see anything.”

“I can’t believe he caught us doing that.” I lifted my head, pouting my lip out. “I can’t even imagine if we were doing more.” 

“It would be okay,” Harry smiled, reaching up to brush a stray strand of hair from my face. “It’s a natural thing.” 

“Why are you so cute?” I sighed out. “You’re fucking precious, Harry.” 

“I love when you call me that.” He said softly. “Everyone always calls me H because I ask them to, but I like when you call me Harry.” 

“I’ll keep doing it then.” I smiled. “Well, on that note, I’m not feeling so sexy anymore. I think I should get up and start getting ready.” 

“You are still very sexy.” He kissed my lips. “And I hope that you enjoyed what was happening before we were so rudely interrupted.”

“I definitely was.” I whispered. “I wouldn’t mind a repeat of that some other time.” 

“It’s a date.” Harry laughed, wrapping his arms around me. 

We climbed out of bed, making ourselves decent before we decided to go to the kitchen for coffee. I hoped that someone had started brewing the coffee that I prepped the day before. When I opened the bedroom door, Harry right behind me, I smelled it down the hall. Harry pressed his hand to my hip as we shuffled into the kitchen. Jackson’s face went red when he saw us and Tara watched Harry with a smirk as we walked towards the cupboard. 

“Good morning everyone.” I said, reaching for two mugs. 

“Where’s the coffee creamer?” Harry asked softly. 

“You drink your coffee black.” I said, my brows furrowing as I started to pour the coffee. 

“You don’t though.” He said. “Do you have some in the fridge?” 

“I can get it-” Harry cut me off with a peck to my lips. He walked towards the fridge, opening it up as I turned back to look at everyone. 

“Vanilla or White Chocolate Raspberry?”

“White Chocolate.” I said, narrowing my eyes at Tara and Jackson. “Don’t you two start.”

“We’re not doing anything!” Jackson exclaimed. 

“You’re looking at me like I have three heads.” I groaned, putting the coffee pot back as Harry poured creamer in one of the mugs for me. 

“No, I’m looking at you like I just saw you getting-” 

“Lalalala.” I said, holding my hands over my ears. “We’re not talking about it.” 

“I’m just glad you finally got laid, sister.” Jackson snorted out a laugh and I turned on my feet to glare at him. “It’s about damn time.”

“Jackson!” I exclaimed. 

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding.” He held a hand up. “I just wanted to make you do that thing with your face.” 

“It is a cute expression.” Harry hummed out. “Are you calm enough to hold your mug or do I need to keep it.” 

“I can take my mug.” I grumbled. “I don’t like the level of abuse in this house right now.” 

“It’s all out of love, Bea.” Jackson chuckled. “Now that you’re done fucking, can I borrow your shampoo?” 

“Jackson!” 

Harry’s POV 

The peanut gallery nearly had Beatrice permanently red. 

It was adorable the first few times, but after that, I was starting to get annoyed for her. I could tell that she was a little embarrassed by their constant teasing, her body sinking with every comment made. There was an art to teasing your friends, and I felt like they were beating a dead horse. I kept my hand on her thigh the entire drive, squeezing it softly as she looked out the window. Every now and again she would join in on the conversation, but her voice wasn’t as confident and bubbly as it normally was. I also noticed that she’d started nibbling at her nails, her knee bouncing up and down nervously as she mentally spiraled, lost in her own head. I let out a heavy sigh, reaching for her hand with my own to keep her from biting at her nails. We pulled up to a stoplight and I turned my head towards her with a soft smile. 

“Kiss?” I asked softly, puckering my lips out. 

She leaned over the console, giving me a quick peck and a soft smile. 

“Oh, god,” Tara groaned from the backseat. “They’re at it again.” 

“Okay, that’s enough teasing.” Claire spoke up, a stern edge to her voice masked behind a thin veil of politeness.  “The poor girl can only handle so much in a day, let’s not push it.” “We’re just having fun-” 

“Well, it’s not fun for me.” Beatrice grumbled, sinking further in her seat. 

“We’ll stop.” Jackson said. “I’d much rather tease Claire for trying to use a street lamp as a pole last night.” 

“That was iconic, Jackson.” Claire said. “You wish you had my skills.” 

Gemma and Michael were lucky enough to get an empty car, everyone piling into the Tesla when it was time to go. I secretly wished that I had given Gemma the Tesla so Bea and I could go off on our own. When we pulled into the restaurant, everyone piled out except for Beatrice, Claire, and I. I looked in the rearview mirror, catching Claire’s sympathetic look. 

“Bea.” She turned towards her friend. “Why are they bothering you?” 

“They’re not.” She mumbled, turning her head back towards Claire. “It’s just...I never tease them for stuff like this. And Tara might have come into my room this morning to talk with me about everything and it was just….she meant well, but it made me mad.” 

“What did she say?” I asked, squeezing her fingers. “Was it about me?” 

“It was about both of us.” She cleared her throat. “But this is brunch and we’re gonna have fun. It’s not that serious, I’m just a little nervous because we’re all stuck together and this will be my first time really talking to Gemma. I don’t want it to go bad.” 

“It won’t.” Claire said. “And I’ll take care of the Tara thing.” 

“Don’t, Claire-” 

She cut Beatrice off. 

“I’m taking care of the Tara thing.” She said sternly. “Everyone else does it all the time and you never get to let loose and have fun. So fuck ‘em, babe.” 

“Thanks, Claire.” She smiled at her friend, a genuine Beatrice smile. 

My heart felt a little lighter when Claire slipped out of the car to catch up with everyone. 

“I’m sorry.” Beatrice mumbled. “I didn’t know everyone would be so….annoying about this whole thing.”

“It’s not your fault.” I whispered. “I think they’re just excited about the whole thing. Just listen to Claire and ignore them. You’ve got blessings from the birthday girl.” ‘

“She’s amazing, isn’t she.” Beatrice chuckled. “I love her.” 

“I’m starting to as well.” I snorted out a laugh. “She’s most definitely my favorite.” 

“Good.” She smiled. “I’m ready to go in if you are.” 

“Let’s just take a few more minutes to ourselves.” I said. “I want to make sure we go in with positive attitudes.” 

I told Beatrice at least twenty jokes, her hand pressed to her stomach when I opened her car door for her. There weren’t too many people out and about today, but there were a few lingering gazes as we walked hand in hand to the cafe. She didn’t seem fazed by the staring, but I was a little worried that word would spread. The last thing I wanted was to involve Beatrice and her friends in a swarm of paparazzi and fans. When we made it to the back patio, Claire saved two seats next to her at the end of the table. We sat down right across from Gemma and Michael who were lost in their own little world. 

“Good morning, sister.” I nudged her foot under the table. “Michael.” 

“Good morning.” They both parroted back to us. 

“I see you snuck out quite early this morning, Harry.” Gemma noted, looking up at me with a smug smirk. “Where did you go?” 

“We went on a walk.” I bumped Bea’s shoulder with my own, winking at her when she looked up at me. A soft blush blossomed on her freckled cheeks “We just went to Solstice Canyon.” 

“Oh, that’s a lovely park.” Gemma nodded. “Did you enjoy it, Bea?” 

“Yeah, I did.” She nodded back at my sister. “I’m sorry I hijacked your brother from you this morning.” 

“You can keep him.” Gemma snorted out a laugh. “Beatrice, has Harry told you about the time he played church mouse in a Christmas Play? He was about five or six then.” 

“No, he hasn’t.” Beatrice looked up at me as my face went bright red. 

“He wee’d himself on stage he was nervous.” She giggled, looking over at me. “But he was a proper cute mouse. I have pictures if you’d like to see.” 

“Why do you still have pictures?” I groaned. 

“Because you were an adorable little rat.” She smiled up at me. “Still are.”

Bea’s POV 

Tara and Jackson had never acted so rude before. 

I was so annoyed by their constant teasing in the car about Harry and I that I couldn’t even stand to look at them during brunch. Instead, I kept my focus on Gemma, Michael, Harry, and Claire. They were the highlight of my day so far, joking around with good intentions as we waited for the waitress to come take our drink orders. Chloe and Matt were lost in their own world, whispering down at their end of the table without so much as a second glance at everyone else. I never understood their ‘attached at the hip’ deal until Harry. I would gladly sit in a corner and talk to only him while everyone else dicked around. But I had a sister to impress. 

“So hotel sales sounds interesting.” Gemma said, taking a sip of her water. “How did you get into that?” 

“I fell into it really.” I shrugged my shoulders. “My mom works in hotels and I started helping her out when she needed an extra hand. Eventually, I caught the attention of one of our sales managers and she took me under her wing.” 

“And what exactly do you do?” Gemma asked. 

“So I do more event planning than anything, but I essentially set and build rate plans with our accounting team and I make sure that groups and stuff have the right rate. I do a lot of networking with people to bring in revenue for our catering and front desk team.” 

“That’s really cool.” Gemma said. “I would love to plan parties.” 

“It’s fun, but it can definitely be challenging from time to time.” I laughed. 

“Hello, everyone!” Our waitress bound up to the table, standing right next to Claire with a notepad in hand. “Are you guys ready to order drinks?” 

“Yes.” Claire nodded. “Can we do two pitchers of the O.G Mimosa’s and then two pitchers of the blood orange mimosas?”

“Absolutely.” The waitress jotted down the order, but my stomach churned at the thought of champagne. “Anything else?” 

“Yes, actually,” Harry said. “Is there any other alternative to champagne? I read somewhere that people substitute it with hard sparkling cider.” 

“Oh, yeah!” She nodded. “That’s actually how I drink it. What I suggest is getting the ‘orange juice bar’ which is just a few different flavors of orange juice and then two cans of cider per person. You mix it up yourself in a champagne flute so you’re in control of the amount.” 

“The two of us will do that.” Harry gestured towards me with a soft smile. “And two orders of the waffle bar as an appetizer for the table.” 

“Perfect!” The waitress nodded. “I’ll be right back with all of that for you guys.” 

“Thank you.” We all said in unison. 

“Hard cider?” Claire asked Harry, a knowing smirk on her lips as she sipped at her water.

“Beatrice doesn’t like champagne.” Harry shrugged, squeezing my shoulder softly. He’d slung his arm around the back of my chair earlier and I was grateful that I could lean into his side as we all chatted. “Figured we’d save her the hassle of a nasty hangover.” 

“That’s really sweet, Harry.” Claire cooed. 

“It really is.” I squeezed his thigh, smiling up at him as a warm feeling flooded my chest. “I really appreciate that, Harry. Thank you.” 

“Of course.” He hummed out, leaning forward. He gave me a soft kiss on the lips before kissing my nose. “I know you’re excited about the waffle bar, too.” 

“Extremely.” I nodded. “I can’t wait to try the blueberry syrup and the chocolate waffle.” 

“That sounds perfect.” Claire groaned. 

“What should I get for food though?” He hummed softly. “I’m really torn between the avocado toast and the french toast.” 

“I had a feeling that you would be an avocado man.” I scrunched up my nose, glancing over at him as he rested his chin on my shoulder. “I think I’m going for the french toast. I can’t stop thinking about how good that triple berry trifle was and now I just want berries.” 

“Yeah?” He chuckled. “Maybe I’ll join you.” 

“Or you could get something different and we can split and share.” I suggested, glancing back at him. “That way, if you don’t like yours or I don’t like mine, we can swap.” 

“You’re so bloody brilliant, you know that?” Harry smirked, leaning forward to kiss me again. “I like the way you think.” 

Gemma fake gagged from across the table and I rolled my eyes playfully as Harry groaned at her response. He stuck his tongue out at her and she mimicked the action. I laughed at the two of them as they continued to bicker back and forth as if they were all still five years old. 

“Think I’m going to get the calamari, Gem. What do you think?” Michael asked. 

It was my turn to let out a fake gagging noise similar to the one Gemma made, scrunching up my nose.

“Is that what you consider brunch food, Michael?” She laughed before leaning over to kiss his cheek as he blushed. “Whatever makes you happy.” 

“Squid makes me happy.” 

“Gross,” I mumbled under my breath. “Squid?” 

“Not a fan of squid, I take it?” Harry squeezed my thigh and I shook my head in response. 

“Not a fan of seafood either, squid.” I glanced over at him, a small shiver of disgust racking down my spine. 

“And to think, I almost ordered the calamari.” He hummed, a teasing glint in his eyes. “Guess it’s a good thing that I didn’t.” 

“Yeah, it is.” I said playfully. “There would be no more kisses for you after that.” 

“Well, no more squid for me then.” He leaned over, pressing his lips to mine. “Wouldn’t want to miss out on any of these sweet kisses, would I?” 

“I suppose not.” I giggled when Harry kissed me again, only pulling away because the waitress returned to the table. 

Our cider and orange juices were sat down in front of us before the pitchers were brought to the table. Claire wasted no time pouring herself a glass while the waffle bar was brought out. I was so excited to try my new form of mimosa that I didn’t even worry about the waffles. Harry noticed my excitement, grabbing a can of the hard cider. I watched him pop the top with his nimble fingers, my eyes glued to every movement of his hand as he poured the cider into the glass. 

“Which do you want?” He asked me, putting the can down. “I didn’t even know there was more than one flavor of orange juice.” 

“Do the dark orange one there,” I suggested, pointing at the carafe. “It’s blood orange, just like the seltzer.” 

“That sounds delightful.” He hummed, wrapping his fingers around the carafe. My mouth watered as I watched his hands work again, pouting and shuffling things around effortlessly. “Something on your mind, Beatrice?” 

“Hmmm?” I asked, snapping my eyes up to his. 

He was smirking at me, the carafe of blood orange juice still in his hands. 

“You seem a little distracted.” He said softly. “Care to tell me what’s on your mind?” 

“I’d rather not while your sister is at the table.” I whispered. “Thank you so much for this, darling. I really appreciate it.” 

“Of course.” He held his glass up to mine. “Drink up.” 

[cali-holland]

Watermelon Sugar- Harrison Osterfield One Shot

Pairing: Harrison Osterfield X Reader

Requested by anonymous: can i have a request? imagine with Haz inspired by harry styles song watermelon sugar? it can be anything..love your writing (but all i think in my head is that lyric "Tastes like strawberries on a summer evenin"^^)

Prompt: Harrison loves strawberries, watermelon, and you.

Word Count: 1000

Based on: Watermelon Sugar by Harry Styles

Warnings: so much alcohol (i swear im not an alcoholic), sexual themes

Masterlist   Harrison Osterfield Masterlist

*Gif is not mine*

~~~

Summer was Harrison’s favorite time of year. Why? Because summer was the time of strawberries, sunshine, watermelon, and you. Sure, you were his girlfriend of two years now, but there was something about summertime with you that just made the season incredible.

Harrison could still remember the first time he laid eyes on you. It was a warm, sunny day at the end of June, and he had just surfaced from diving into his friend’s pool during a summer party. You were sipping on a red cocktail by the poolside, laughing at something your friend had said. In nothing but a white bikini scattered with a watermelon print, you were captivating him. He didn’t know how he didn’t notice your intoxicating presence before. He shook some water from his hair before swimming over to the step, right beside you.

“Hey, I’m Harrison.” He said with a charming smile.

“Y/N.” You smiled back. He smirked as he noticed you start to check him out.

“What you drinking there?” He asked, nodding toward your drink. You held out your drink to him, offering him a sip. Harrison wrapped his lips around the light green straw and smiled when the taste of strawberries hit his tongue. “Strawberry daiquiri?”

“Mhm,” You nodded, taking a sip of your drink, never breaking eye contact with him as you did so.

“I should get myself one.”

That party ended with you and Harrison making out in a reserved corner, strawberry daiquiris forgotten at the poolside. As you gave him your number before you left, he swore he was in love with the sweet taste of strawberries.

A few days later, he took you on your first official date to a quiet breakfast place. As much as he would’ve liked to take you out to dinner first, he had work that afternoon and your schedule wasn’t super open, so breakfast would have to do- not that he was going to complain. The moment you walked into the restaurant with strawberry-red lipstick wearing a watermelon-patterned summer dress, he felt like he was on a new found fruit high.

“Would you like anything to drink?” The waiter asked, stopping at your table.

“Is it too much if I order a mimosa?” You looked to Harrison, biting your lip nervously.

“Order whatever you’d like.” He insisted. You smiled before turning to the waiter.

“Strawberry mimosa, please.” You said, making Harrison’s heart skip a beat. If he didn’t like strawberries before he met you, by god, he loved them now.

“I’ll take one too.” He added. The waiter wrote down your orders, before disappearing for the kitchen.

“I didn’t know if it’d be alright for me to order alcohol on the first date.” You laughed, “I don’t want you thinking I’m an alcoholic.”

“Don’t worry, I don’t think that.” Harrison reassured you. “What are you thinking of ordering?”

“I’ll probably get the berry pancakes.”

“You love your berries.” He commented with a cheeky smile. The waiter came back with your drinks, saying he’ll be back in a bit for your food orders.

“They remind me of summertime.” You insisted, taking a sip of your mimosa. “I don’t think you were complaining about that strawberry daiquiri last time.”

“I definitely was not.”

When the date ended with a few heated kisses outside of your car, Harrison definitely wasn’t complaining about the taste of strawberries, among other berries, on your lips.

Harrison didn’t fall in love with the taste of watermelon until a couple months later. It was the last night of his summer, the last night of having you by his side before he left to go film in America. It also happened to be an unbearably hot night in London. You two had gone out to a club, and you had decided to cool off with a watermelon margarita as he had his standard drink. 

“I love this song! Let’s go dance!” You smiled, pulling Harrison onto the dance floor with you. You were a bit tipsy from your sugary cocktail, but no worse than him. He danced along with you to the beat of the song.

It wasn’t until he took you back to his place that night- a routine which the two of you had fallen into, when he finally savored the taste of that watermelon margarita. He had you pushed up against his wall, just barely inside of the front door, with your legs wrapped around his waist. Your hands threaded into his blonde hair and tugged lightly on his curls. He moaned into the steamy kiss at the feeling. He pulled away after another moment, his lips just barely touching yours as you two caught your breath.

“Watermelon’s my new favorite.” He panted, still out of breath.

“Hm, what happened to strawberries?” You asked, teasingly nipping his bottom lip.

“It’s definitely watermelon right now.” Harrison nodded before kissing you passionately again. With his arms wrapped tightly around you to keep you supported, he carried you away to his room.

“What you thinking about?” Your voice snapped Harrison away from his thoughts of your sweet summertime memories together. You walked up behind him, wrapping your arms around his waist and planting a chaste kiss to his bare back.

“Just thinking about how we met.” He replied with a smile, continuing his work on cutting up a watermelon.

“Strawberry daiquiris.” You hummed.

“I’ve never made a drunken watermelon before.” He told you. You dropped your arms to stand beside him.

“It’s going to make you fall even more in love with watermelon.” You teased, taking a bite out of a pre-cut slice. You held the rest of it out to Harrison, who bit into it happily. His eyebrows raised in surprise as the taste of vodka and watermelon hit his tongue.

“You’re right.” Harrison leaned over to kiss you, taking in the intoxicating taste. He was in love with you and the watermelon sugar high you gave him.

[techmomma]

So! You not really an alcohol drinker, or maybe you don’t like the stuff, but you’re out somewhere and trying to decide how to have some and not absolutely hate your drink either. Maybe you’d like to actually enjoy the taste of your drink! Even if you’re not looking to get drunk or even tipsy. Maybe you’re just social drinking once in a blue moon.

But being a newbie, or having only had terrible-tasting alcohol, you have NO idea what to get. Steph is here to help for newbies! Or people who don’t give a damn and just want to have a nice drink that actually tastes good for once, and not in a “oh this very bitter and tart wine is so sweet” way. I am myself now very sensitive to alcohol as a flavor, so the majority of these have Steph’s seal of “shouldn’t taste like trying to stomach down cold medicine and should actually be tasty to normal people who don’t drink alcohol”. 

Please note to use this advice responsibly. This is not to help you get drunk, only to help you find a drink you probably won’t have to gag down and can thus enjoy the rest of your night if you’re choosing to partake in alcohol. Imbibing alcohol is a responsibility, and not one to take lightly.

“Girly drinks” are your friends. If you’re young or you don’t drink very much, your tastebuds are probably going to be oriented more toward sweet flavors and less toward bitter flavors. You’re looking for high sugar content baby. (And if you ARE looking to get drunk, this will get you drunk much faster than a whiskey, no matter what your hillbilly uncle says otherwise. that is the entire point of “girly drinks.”)

Most bars, pubs, restaurants and other places often have house drinks or cocktails in their drink menu that they make most often. You’re looking for drinks with ingredients like sweet fruits, like cherries, apricots, watermelon, mango, blue raspberry, lemonade, or novelty things like chocolate or butterscotch or cake or whatever. If anything, just ask the bartender or server if they’re not busy! The bartender will for sure know if it’s sweet, and can probably point you in the right direction if you tell them the flavors you usually like, or what you’re looking for. Yes, you’ll look like a newbie. That’s not the point. The point is to get a drink you’re not gonna gag on and that’s the price you pay.

Only somewhat related, but if you’ve never ordered drinks from a place with a bar, they’ll ask if you want to put it on a tab. That just means, “Do you want me to keep your order open so you can add more drinks later, or is this a one-time deal?” They’ll probably ask for a name then. If your friend’s paying, you give their name.

Typically, stay away from beer. Some rare people enjoy the taste of beer from the start, most do not. If you smell a glass and it smells putrid, steer clear of it. You ain’t gonna like it no matter what you put in it.

Most wines will also not be your friend. To those who do not regularly drink wine, it’s going to be impossibly bitter and feel like it’s drying your throat out despite being a liquid. (That’s the “dry” quality they talk about.)

On the contrary, however, wine spritzers, mixers, and punches? Those are your FRIENDS. These are legit going to taste like juice or soda or punch. They also tend to be lighter on alcoholic content (hence why commonly used for parties), and big on sugar. Spritzers are wine and soda, mixers are wine and some kind of liquor (usually a very sweet or fruity kind like a lemon or strawberry vodka), and wine punches can be as sweet or sour or fruity or tropical as you want. You’ll usually see them referred to as white or red sangrias.

Note: this is sort of why these can actually be MORE dangerous than like having straight-up liquor. These types of drinks with low alcohol and heavy sugar make it very, very easy to drink a lot of them, and have some extra surprise drunk times sneak up on you later because you drank more than you realized. 

My rule for safe drinking? One drink per hour, follow with water. You will typically not get more than buzzed, and will stay sufficiently hydrated.

Spritzers, mixers, and punches are part of a larger group called cocktails. Cocktails being just “non-alcoholic drink + alcohol of some kind.” Rum and coke? Cocktail. Bellini? Cocktail.

Champagne cocktails are very often sweet, bubbly drinks. They are Steph’s fave for a reason. Mimosas are perhaps the most famous champagne cocktail. Those are made with orange juice and champagne. Can be surprisingly potent.

When getting cocktails with liquors/spirits, like vodka, rum, and so forth, you will want to stay away from particular ones that are known for very bitter tastes and hard kicks. A bunch also uh, in general taste like the inside of a barrel. 

Typically, whiskey, gin, and tequilas are going to be very bitter and gross, and overpower whatever they’re put in. If you like really sour though, tequila goes well with margaritas, which are a lime drink that mostly covers the tequila taste. 

Vodka and Rum are typically going to be stomached better, vodka usually being the easiest of all. Both tend to mix well with fruity girly drinks, the kind you’re looking for. Very potent, so imbibe carefully. In most drinks though, you’re still going to get that “cold medicine aftertaste” that clears your sinuses and sometimes it’s just too powerful for the drink. You can usually smell these pretty strongly before you actually drink, and that’ll give you a pretty good idea of the burn you’re gonna feel in a moment. Both are also good in sweet minty drinks, if you like those. 

Surprisingly good drink for newbies: mead. It can be a little difficult to get a hold of, but it’s getting more popular. It’s made from honey, so it’s gonna be sweet usually by default. Peach mead? Hell yeah. Peach and honey taste.

Absinthe is actually very tasty, and no it will not make you hallucinate. It actually tastes a lot like licorice candy. Comes in fun colors, and with a sugar cube you dissolve into it on a special spoon. VERY hard to get in the US though, only a few bars sell it as a drink. Like I think it’s literally just a handful of bars across the entire fifty states that have absinthe and absinthe cocktails. If you’ve already tasted Jaegermeister, it tastes like that. I wouldn’t call it a newbie drink, but imo you’ll still enjoy your drink if George just feel like being special today.

Hard ciders have also been hailed as great for newbies, and usually very sweet. They’ve always been hit or miss with me; sometimes, yeah, they’re delicious, and other times they just taste like vaguely-fruity beer. Which is not great.

Beer, to me, tastes like old socks. So y’know, vaguely fruity old socks.

Stay away from most shots. This is usually pure liquor, and it is not pleasant. Especially if you have a small mouth like mine and sometimes can’t do shots in one go. Exceptions are novelty mixers, like those weird cake shots. 

Cake-flavored vodka is not as good as you think it sounds.

So here’s some drinks that, as someone who’s tasted a bunch, I can tell you they’ll probably be easier to stomach. Some I actually enjoy as drinks.

Rumchata is horchata with rum in it, so a milky, cinnamon-y kind of drink. Good for newbies. 

Kahlua & cream: coffee and cream drink

Mudslide: coffee and cream and irish liqueur; honestly best as a mudslide milkshake. holy shit. that’s heaven.

Bourbon milkshake: honestly if any place sells milkshakes and has a bar, you can ask to get a shot of bourbon added to your milkshake. VERY yummy flavor pair, especially vanilla milkshakes with bourbon.

White russian: kahlua and cream and add vodka

Red russian: vodka with cherry liquor

Dirty Shirley: grenadine (if this is listed as an ingredient that usually means a very sweet drink), soda, maraschino cherries, vodka

Bellini (bars that know what this is are sort of rare, you’ll probably have to explain it): peach juice and champagne

Mimosa: orange juice and champagne (acceptable for breakfast parties!)

Sangria (you usually can’t order this one from bars unless it’s like a special sangria night; this drink is usually found more at parties and social functions): fruit punch + wine + soda if the hosts are younger

Strawberry lemonade vodka: strawberry lemonade and vodka

Malibu cocktail: rum (usually Malibu Rum, hence the name), cranberry juice, pineapple juice.

Blue hawaiian: coconut creme liqueur, pineapple juice, white rum, blue curacao (blue-colored orange liqueur; it’s very fun to mix and also usually means a very sweet drink).

Mojito: rum, soda, lime juice, mint

Mai tai: pineapple juice, lime juice, orange juice, grenadine, white and dark rum

Lemon drop martini: vodka, triple sec (another orange liqueur), sugar and fresh lemon juice

Pina Colada: blended slushy drink made with creme de coconut, rum, and ice

Chocolate martinis: irish cream liqueur, chocolate liqueur, and vodka

Frozen daiquiris: slushy frozen drinks made with fruit juice and rum

Irish coffee: the one place where you actually might enjoy whiskey for those who don’t like it. It’s just that: coffee and usually a whiskey liqueur, like baileys. Creamy, warm, good for cold nights.

Peppermint schnapps hot chocolate: hot chocolate with a peppermint zip. If making yourself, make a big mug first and only add like a capful of peppermint schnapps, it can very easily overpower the chocolate taste. Also creamy and yummy for cold nights. 

Hot buttered rum: an intensive recipe, but a very yummy, creamy, warm, butterscotchy drink that you stick a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of. Hard to get tastier than that. I’m very certain Butterbeer was originally based off of this.

There were a bunch of drinks that are typically considered “girly” for high sugar contents, but having had them before, they were just not sweet. Martinis are usually very dry and bitter no matter the fruit, long island iced teas only taste good if you like iced tea, cosmopolitans (cosmos) are heavy on the vodka flavor, as are watermelon vodkas and alcohol-infused watermelons, and a number of colorful, blended ice drinks that are usually listed are heavy on the alcohol burn, enough to drown out the flavor.

Hope this was helpful! Remember, yes, you might look like a newbie, but the bartender wants to help you find a drink just for you! Ask them questions (when they’re not busy), and they can totally help you out (most just like to help, but at the very least, helping you might mean some extra money at the end of the night). And if they’re real nice they might give you little samples so that you can have a taste for yourself before buying the whole drink.

[gingerwritess]

hEY can u do a drunk reader thingie + loki where he takes her home after worrying and reader accidentally confesses?? morning aftermath as well sorry if this is too close to the drunk!loki one and if its too unoriginal kjaksjskjs

Summary: you have a little too much to drink and set your sights on a certain god, and loads of chaos and perfectly awkward situations ensue.

Warnings: tooth rotting fluff? bad words?

A/N: this is my first time besides Heat Wave writing for not-yet-dating Loki x reader, and i loved it sm, and got a little carried away. so enjoy this one shot!

also i didn’t proof-read or edit so i apologise in advance have a nice cute gif of loki’s murder strut instead

You and alcohol don’t exactly make the greatest pair.

You and alcohol and an extremely attractive god don’t exactly make the greatest trio, either.

But here you are, strutting over to Loki like you own the place; you’re only a couple drinks in and already have made up your mind that this one, this crazily beautiful god isn’t going to slip out of your grasp. You’ve been chasing after him for too long, and it’s too obvious how he’s chasing you too, right? Right?

Your ankles have decided otherwise.

The moment you shout his name and he glances over at you, you’re flat on your ass and there’s a watermelon margarita dripping down your front—and the Asgardian is laughing.

He laughs but walks over to help you up, extending a hand you too eagerly take. Oh…his hands are something out of a dream. It’s just a simple hand to help you up, but his long fingers curl around your wrist and they’re cold, wonderfully cold against your heated skin.

Good god, if you don’t want to hold that hand for the rest of eternity…

“I…I think I just fell for you,” you giggle breathlessly when he pulls you to your feet. “Get it? Cause I fell? I fell for y—”

“Yes, yes, I get it,” he laughs, steering you back to the bar and helping you into a seat. You immediately reach for a menu to order another drink, but Loki places a gentle hand on yours to stop you; your heart nearly stops. “Might you consider something non-alcoholic? Some water, perhaps?”

“No thank you, sir.” You shake your head and cross one leg over the other, trying your best to look put together. “I feel great. Another marrrr-grita please!”

“Absolutely not. We’ll have water, thank you,” he tells the bartender, catching you with a hand on your waist when you nearly fall out of your chair from whirling around to glare at the god for ordering for you. “This is for your own good, trust me.”

“M’not drunk! I only had…had…” you try to count on your fingers, furrowing your brow when you can’t seem to remember what comes after three.

“I believe the number you’re looking for is four,” Loki chuckles and hands you a glass of water, making sure your grip on it is tight before he lets go. “Drink up—no, don’t you dare dump it out—you’ll feel better after this.”

“But I feel great,” you slur and take a messy gulp of water, trying to talk with your mouth full and only dribbling water all down your chin. “I feel like I could take on the world, and—and—ooo Loki, you’re wearing a white shirt!!”

The god raises a confused eyebrow at you and nods, glancing down at the white button up he had chosen to wear to this little gathering, something different from the dark and most likely leather he generally finds himself wearing. He hadn’t thought much of the choice, but the fact that you noticed him doing something differently sends a funny feeling to the pit of his stomach—maybe he should change things up more often.

“Yes, I am, wonderful observation. Here.” He hands you a napkin to dry off your face, an amused smile tugging at his lips. “You should be getting home, don’t you th—what in sweet Valhalla are you doing?!”

You’ve just reached over to his seat and dumped your entire cup of water onto his chest. “Makin’ you sexy, that’s what,” you declare, rubbing the water around his shirt to make sure it covers every inch of his torso. “See? Now it’s see-through.”

Loki’s heart is beating a little too fast for his liking at the feeling of your curious hands all over his chest. It was completely out of the blue, what you’ve just done, and extremely inappropriate…right?

But now you’re staring, because his shirt is see-through, and things are looking incredible.

“I didn’t know you have abs, Loki!”

Yes, you’re staring shamelessly and he wants to shrink under the wonder filling your gaze as you take in his much too exposed stomach, raking your eyes from his perfect collarbone down to the little dips on his hips forming a beautiful ‘v’ and he can tell your gaze is only getting lower—

“You should take me home, big boy.”

He almost spits out his water at your blatant request, already feeling much too open to your, ah…interest than he’s used to. To take you home, in this state? Even though you had literally just asked him, and even with how…tempting you look in this elegantly disheveled state, he pushes the very thought out of his mind and shakes his head.

“No, no, that’s not a good idea,” he laughs nervously, quickly turning away from you so you can’t stare at his chest any longer. “You’re not yourself, and I couldn’t possibly take advantage of you like this.”

“But I asked!”

“Yes, but—no. You’ll only regret it, trust me.” He looks around for whoever is responsible for you, whoever let you reach this state of drunkenness and left you alone like an idiot, but he can’t find anyone.

“I just wanna go home,” you whine softly, dropping your head onto the bar top. “If you won’t take me home, can you call me an Uber?”

Loki freezes, heat rushing to his face as he realises he might have misunderstood your previous question. “Wait…you want me to take you home?”

“Yes please. I’m startin’ to get dizzy.”

“Just…just to see you home safely?”

You give him a puzzled look and hop off your barstool, wobbling slightly and grabbing his arm to steady yourself. “Yeah…? What else would you do?”

Then you see his blushing face staring at you and your drunken mind fills in the gaps.

“OH! Ew, Loki, no, I don’t want you to ‘take me home’ and like, sleep with me or somethin’.” You shake your head and burst into a fit of giggles just at the thought—nervous, drunk giggles.

Nervous? Terrified, really, because the thought of him ‘taking you home’ is definitely appealing—and you can’t imagine what you would do if he ever discovered that.

Relief floods Loki’s mind, but there’s also a hint of embarrassment and—oh god—that’s not…disappointment, is it?

If he hadn’t just signed himself up to take care of you, he‘d get himself a drink too; gods know he needs it if these are the thoughts that a drunk mortal can put in his head.

“Let’s get you home, then,” he chuckles nervously and puts a tentative hand on the small of your back to lead you to the door—you immediately tense up when his hand touches you and he feels it.

He yanks his hand away and it drops to his side, and he can’t bring himself to look you in the eye. “Let’s just get outside,” he mutters, cursing himself for even thinking to touch you. “Then I can get you to your place in seconds.”

“No! Nooo, Loki, no magic portal thingys.” You shake your head and twirl your fingers around your ears, making the god give you a strange look. “Makes me feel a little loco. I might puke if we travel through space.”

He wants to disagree and insist on using the “magic portal thingys” to get you home and away from him as fast as possible. He needs you out of his hands now, because for some horrifying reason, the way you spun your fingers around your head and stuck your tongue out to mime “crazy”…was strangely adorable.

His heart, the cursed thing, needs to stop this right now.

“That way. Quickly, now, let’s go.” He points to the door and starts to walk away from you, trusting you to follow on your own. But the first step has your head spinning and you shout his name and grab his arm, looking around wildly until the seven Lokis you were seeing become one again.

He’s reaching for you right away, giving you his arm and steadying you with his other hand on you waist. “Easy, darling, walk slowly,” he says, worried eyes meeting yours. “You may be in a worse condition than I thought.”

“Darling?” You giggle, squeezing his bicep lightly—oooh, nice—and slipping into a revoltingly awful, exaggerated royal accent. “Ah, my prince, please do escort me to thy carriage! I, your darling, have consumed too much alcohol—” you’re overcome by a fit of hysterical, breathless giggles as you hang on to Loki’s arm, hiccuping and following him out the door. “—way too much booze and…and…wow, Loki! Stand right there!”

He looks like something straight out of a dream.

Minus the confused look on his face, of course. You tug his arm to get him to stop walking, then step away from him to take in the view. Your jaw is practically on the ground, but you really don’t care; the way the moon is hitting his jawline is the most beautiful masterpiece you’ve ever seen, and his shirt is still wet and thankfully see-through.

That was a good decision, tequila brain.

“You’re so…so pretty,” you sigh dreamily, holding up your hands to frame his shocked and confused and beautiful face. “I kinda really wanna kiss you.”

Whoops.

Maybe tequila brain needs to put a lid on it.

Loki just smiles at you, almost sadly, and points to the waiting car. “No, you don’t. Now get in the car, I won’t make you go through any ‘magic portal thingys’ tonight.”

“And you’re such a gentleman, too,” you giggle and run back to him, grabbing his arm and pulling him to the car. “The whooooole package.”

This is getting ridiculous—and extremely painful for the god being pulled in the backseat of a little silver car by your much too bold and delightfully warm hands. His heart hasn’t stopped pounding since you had grabbed hold of his arm, holding onto him for dear life, as if he can protect you, as if you trust him.

Just the thought of that is terrifying.

But you sidle up next to him in the backseat as the car starts moving, because it just feels like the right thing to do, and his damp shirt and cool skin is so perfectly refreshing…you lay your head on his shoulder and scoot closer, your knees knocking together.

You’re not talking, surprisingly, and Loki can’t breathe. Your head is laying so gently against his shoulder, so close he can feel you moving with every breath, every blink. He can’t move a muscle; he needs you to stay there as long as possible. You’ve chosen him, regardless of your state of being, and he’s terrified that the slightest movement might make you lift your head and sit up.

When you reach for his hand, he almost screams. You don’t hold it, necessarily, rather you just take his hand in yours and start studying it, running a finger over the lines in his palm.

“Why’re you shaking?”

“Nervous habit,” he answers curtly. Pulling his hand away might be the best idea, because you’ve begun to place your hand against his to compare sizes and your hand is just so warm, too warm.

“Well, y’got nice hands, Loki,” you mumble, and suddenly the car is much too comfortable. Eyelids drifting shut in a matter of seconds, you barely realise that you’ve slipped your fingers between his and tightly closed them around his hand.

You seem to be quite comfortable, but for Loki, the rest of the car ride is pure agony. His hand is still wide open, palm to the ceiling and refusing to curl his fingers back around your fist—but he’s itching to. He wants to hold your hand, desperately, to run his thumb across your knuckles as you drift into a content, alcohol-induced sleep on his shoulder, but he keeps his hand flat and just lets you hold his hand.

You’re drunk, he reminds himself over and over again, you’re drunk and not thinking in any way intelligently. You won’t remember this, and you probably don’t even realise what you’re saying or doing or for that matter, who’s hand you are clinging to for dear life.

Loki breathes a chuckle, a quiet, disbelieving laugh at his own stupidity. Really? A mortal? And an inebriated one, at that?

His chest lifts with the chuckle and rouses you from your sleep, your mind just as foggy as before. You sit up and blink to clear your eyes, and Loki’s heart falls—Norns, this is getting out of control.

“Wait a minute…” you gasp and stare at your still connected hands, the many drinks from earlier making your mind fill with dreams of holding his hand and what that could possibly mean, the thought getting you waaay too excited. “Are we a thing now?! Oh my god, Loki…what are we?! Are you my boyfriend now?”

“I consider us acquaintances,” he blurts out too quickly, trying to change the subject. “Some would go far enough to say even friends.”

“What’s wrong with friends? I like being friends! Let’s be friends, Loki!” You’re beaming at him, the prospect of actually being with him obviously exciting you, and he pries his hand from your grip.

Trying to ignore the hurt confusion on your face and how you reach for his hand again, he moves away from you to lean against the car door. “I’m not particularly fond of the term.”

“Why? You don’t have friends?” You scoot closer to him and try to grab his hand, but he crosses his arms and glances out the window.

“‘Friendship’ is only something for me to lose.”

“So dramatic,” you giggle and wrap your arms around his neck, practically laying on him. “Chin up, buttercup, you look like you need a hug.”

The nonsense spilling from your mouth has another amused smile tugging painfully at his lips, one he fights along with the desire to wrap his arms around you and just hold you close. You’re already too close, with your arms around his neck and leaning against his chest, and you’re right—he would love nothing more than to hug you back.

Thankfully the Uber pulls into your driveway and Loki can finally be rid of you to clear his head of these insane…feelings. But you jump out of the car and grab his hand, pulling him out after you and begging him to come inside, and he finds it impossible to refuse.

“Just for a minute,” you promise, fumbling with your keys. “You don’t have to stay long—oh, but I’ve got ice cream! Have you tried ice cream? Let’s have ice cream—”

“Give me those.” He laughs and takes the keys from your distracted hand, putting a hand on the doorknob and it promptly clicks open. This is for the better, for your safety, he tells himself as he follows your happy skipping into your apartment.

“Chocolate or vanilla?” You yell and immediately rush to the freezer, bringing out two cartons of ice cream and grabbing a spoon. “Never mind. Both.”

Loki’s standing uncomfortably by the front door, looking around at your little home and picking at his hands. He looks a little nervous—nothing ice cream can’t fix.

“Over here,” you call and wave him over, flopping down criss-cross on the couch and digging in to the first carton of ice cream. “Hurry up,” you slur around a mouthful, “m’gonna eat it all before you get any.”

“Are you sure that is the best idea…?” He reluctantly sits down next to you, concern in his eyes as he watches you shovel down spoonful after spoonful. “You’re going to make yourself sick.”

“But it’s so good,” you practically moan, and the god’s cheeks turn bright red; the last thing he needs right now is a sound like that coming from your beautiful mouth and ingraining itself in his imagination.

“Try it.” Now you’re shoving the spoon up against his tightly pressed together lips, smearing the cold ice cream across his face. “Try it, just tryyy it, Loki. Open your mouth.”

He just stares at you, not moving, keeping his mouth firmly shut. That is your spoon, it was just in your mouth, and now you want to feed him with the same utensil? You just keep grinning and trying to slip the spoon between his lips, completely oblivious to the suggested intimacy of your actions.

It’s clear you have no intention of stopping until he eats the ice cream, so Loki takes the spoon from you with a sigh and quickly eats the ice cream off of it, trying his hardest not to think about the fact that he just shared a spoon with a mortal—and didn’t really mind.

“Yay!” You squeal and grab the spoon back out of his hands to get yourself another heaping bite. “It’s good, right?”

“Exquisite,” Loki halfheartedly agrees, his stomach churning at the sickly sweet and cold taste lingering in his mouth. His eyes are trained on your face, specifically your lips; despite all his attempts to distract himself, the only coherent thought running through his mind is how divine you must taste, with the ice cream still fresh on your lips and your tongue—

“Stop that,” he growls, ripping his gaze from your mouth.

But you don’t even hear him talking to himself, because your drunken mind is too busy with the exact same train of thought. The spoon falls limply out of your hand as you slip into a trance watching his tongue dart out over his lips, his Adam’s apple bobbing when he swallows, the way his jaw tightens for a moment when he notices you staring.

Were you supposed to not kiss him? To not fling the carton of ice cream to the floor and pounce on him, knocking him onto his back and crashing your lips into his? I mean…you had to. And yes, he does taste incredible.

The only problem is that he’s not kissing you back. Even though it’s taking every ounce of self control for him to not pull you into his lap and lose himself completely in your drunken lips, and you do taste divine, so sweet, so warm…

“Stop, please stop,” he murmurs and gently pushes you away from him, resisting the urge to lick his lips just to taste you again. You pull away with a quiet gasp, your eyes still closed and lips pursed, slowly growing into the happiest smile he’s ever seen on your face. “Darling, you just kissed me.”

“Hell yeah.”

Loki laughs at that, tipping your chin up to look at him as you open your bright eyes. “No, you just kissed me. Loki.”

“Perrrrrfect,” you slur, leaning towards him again and closing your eyes. A cold finger on your lips shakes you from the trance of that first half-kiss and you open your eyes with a quiet noise of protest.

“I wouldn’t do that,” he tells you gently, a sad smile on his perfect lips. “You don’t want this. You’re drunk, you’re not thinking correctly.”

“Nuh uh. I want you,” you whisper, fumbling around in his lap for his hand. He can’t bring himself to pull his hand away when you lift it up and press your palm flat against his, placing each of your fingers to his. “I wanna kiss you forever, and hold your hand all the time, and hug you whenever I want, and—”

“That’s enough.” He puts his hands on your shoulders and shushes you, wishing you would stop talking. These ideas are just too painful to hear. “It’s me. You’re talking to me, I’m Loki. I don’t think you realise what you are saying.”

“I know that, genius,” you giggle, reaching for him. “You’re Loki and I’m me, and together we’re perrrfect.”

“No, we’re not. You don’t want any part of me, trust me.” The god can’t bear to look at you anymore, because your eyes are too enchanting and your smile is too addicting, even with these alcohol-induced lies spilling from your mouth. He gives you a reassuring smile and stands up, picking up the ice cream carton and spoon you had thrown to the side before kissing him. “I should leave soon, can you get yourself cleaned up?”

“Good idea, I wanna put my comfy sweats on! Just need to take this off…” you reach behind you to unzip your dress, your face scrunched up in concentration as you rearrange your arms to try and reach it. “I can’t—reach—Lokiiiii, help me.”

You throw your hands in the air with a groan and turn around, presenting Loki with your back, and he swallows hard at the sight. The zipper reaches from your shoulder bones all the way down to just above your ass, stopping in the curve of your spine. He can’t do this, hell no, his heart is pounding just looking at the task you asked him to do.

“Your hands are shakin’ again.”

Loki curses and the zipper slips out of his hands, which are most definitely shaking, because he’s trying so hard to get this over with but the zipper just caught on something underneath your dress.

Something black and lacy.

“Oh for the love of…” he promptly rips the zipper the rest of the way down, cursing under his breath and immediately shooting his gaze to the ceiling. This is getting out of hand, and he needs to leave you now, for your own good more than anything.

Luckily you thank him and bounce off to your room, the unzipped dress flapping open as you run. Loki runs a hand over his face with a groan, glad the worst of it is over—then you start lifting the dress over your head with the door wide open.

He flings a hand towards your door and it slams shut, only to be followed by your amazed “wow! More magic thingys!” and he drops onto the couch, head in his hands. This whole night has taken a turn for the worse, and despite his best efforts otherwise, he finds himself undeniably attracted to this weak, stupid, drunk mortal.

For the first time in his life there’s something disgustingly warm spreading through his chest as his mind wanders back to how you had kissed him, even under a layer of alcohol, how you had said so honestly that you wanted to hold his hand?

He’s overstayed his welcome. Standing near the door, he can hear you humming quietly to yourself as you shuffle around the room, reassuring him that you’re okay. He sets the dirty spoon in the sink and puts the ice cream back in your freezer, straightening the grocery list stuck to the metal door. There’s blank sheets behind the list and a pen connected to it, and Loki takes them down and writes you a quick note.

By the time he’s finished, there’s only silence coming from your room and he carefully opens the door to peek inside; you’re fast asleep, thankfully wearing pants—the hem of your t shirt has ridden up and Loki quickly tugs it down to cover your skin. You don’t exactly look comfortable, one leg bent and hanging off the side of your bed, with an arm crossed over your face as you snore.

How in all the nine realms do you still look so ethereal?

Loki can’t help but smile at you. You are, for lack of a better word, adorable, and he subconsciously brings his finger up to brush over his lip—you had felt so right against his lips and he almost wants to…no. No, no, no.

He lifts your leg onto the bed and pulls the covers over you, hanging up your discarded dress and setting his little note under the glass of water on you bedstand, refilling the cup with a wave of his hand.

“Goodnight, little mortal,” he whispers, hesitantly hovering a hand over yours. “I hope you don’t remember any of this.”

Then he gives your hand a light squeeze and is gone, leaving only a faint green glow settling around your room.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Okay…at least you wake up in bed alone, thank all that is holy.

Alone save for a million regrets and a pounding headache. Somehow you had gotten home safely last night, Tony must have called you a cab or something. Sitting up with a groan, you stretch and—wait a minute.

Loki. 

Oh my god. Flashes of last night flood your mind and there are a million scenarios that you aren’t sure really happened or were just dreamed up by your drunk mind…you’re never drinking tequila again.

Your dress is hanging neatly on the back of your closet door, and you definitely were not the one to have done that. You’re wearing your sweats and an old t shirt…oh hell no. Did Loki change you??

That was not the way you would have ever wanted him to see you half-naked for the first time. Not drunk and messy and doing god knows what, saying who knows what, but there’s no going back now…

At least he’s not laying naked in your bed.

Actually…maybe that wouldn’t be the worst thing. Wait, no, no thinking things like that!

You fall back onto the pillows, rubbing your throbbing temples and trying desperately to remember what happened. Besides the headache, you don’t feel too terrible; a little parched, maybe, and your lips feel kinda funny.

Reaching for the cup of water you keep by your bedside, you notice a piece of paper tucked underneath—the cup has been refilled as well, the water still cold. The writing on the note is frankly beautiful; small, tight loops in the lettering give it that perfect touch of messiness for added character. You check the bottom of the slip and—oh god—it’s from Loki.

“Good morning, mortal,” it reads, “don’t worry. You dressed yourself behind a closed door and I sat in a different room.”

Oh thank goodness.

You requested that I see you home safely, and we took a car (we had a third driver, neither of us were—are—fit to drive) to your home. You begged me to stay and try what you call “ice cream,” which we then sat on the couch and ate to our heart’s content.

Fantastic. You had a drunk date with a god and ate ice cream.

You thankfully fell asleep on your bed, so I left you there, made sure your doors were locked, put the ice cream away, and left. Thank you for the ice cream; that is an incredible midgardian creation and I hope someday you will show me where I can find some of my own.

I left you breakfast on the table. Take the day, rest, and I’ll be back to check on you soon. Thank you for the…entertaining night, and call for me if you need anything at all.

If there is anything you remember from last night that you wish for me to forget, say the word and I will have no memory of it.

-Loki

Anything you want him to forget?

It all comes back to you at once. The water, that disgustingly attractive white shirt, the car ride—the car ride?! For some reason, you remember just being close to him, and you rack your brain to try and remember what happened.

You held his hand. Oh no, no no no. He’s not supposed to know any of that, anything about how you might feel for him. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Loki’s note clutched tight in your hand, you drag yourself out of bed and into the kitchen. Sure enough, there’s a plate of some kind of sliced bread sitting on your counter. It smells delicious, crumbly and sweet and unlike anything you’ve ever eaten before—it must be Asgardian. You scarf all of it down without hesitation, and immediately your throbbing headache subsides, your head clears, and memories start to trickle back into your mind.

You glance around the kitchen and see a dirty spoon in the sink, and suddenly there’s the weirdest tingling sensation in your lips as your head starts spinning. Bringing a hand up to gingerly feel your lips, your heart starts pounding and it all clicks: you kissed him.

No idea what the deal is with that spoon, but oh my god, you definitely kissed Loki last night.

“If there is anything you remember from last night that you wish for me to forget…”

The thought has barely processed through your panicked mind when you hear a gentle knock on the door, rattling you from your thoughts. You rush to the door and crack it open to see the last person in the world you want to see right now standing on your porch: the god you kissed and ate ice cream with while you were drunk off your ass.

“Good morning,” he says, a little too cheerfully. And oh my god, he’s wearing another white shirt, his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows. “May I come in?”

“Um…no.” You push the door almost completely closed, just barely peeking out at him from behind the door. Like hell he can come in, looking like that?! “Sorry, I’m like, really sick.”

Loki raises an eyebrow and puts a hand on the door. “I’m nearly certain that’s impossible. Did you eat what I left you?”

“…maybe.”

“Then it is impossible for you to be sick.” He smiles at you and your hand slips off the doorknob. “That particular grain can cure the simplest of ailments, the most common of which would be those caused by…a certain level of drunkenness.”

“Loki, I’m so sorry,” you start rambling, opening the door and stepping back to let him in. “Thank you for taking care of me, um, I’m really, really so sorry you had to deal with my drunk ass—”

“Oh, hush. I’ve dealt with worse.” He steps inside and closes the door behind him, turning around only to find you right in front of his chest, much too close. “I—sorry.”

You both immediately back away from each other, casting your gazes anywhere but at one another, and you notice Loki has a plastic bag one hand partially hidden behind his back. “Um…whatcha got there?”

Loki blinks and glances at the bag, then gives you a sheepish grin. “It’s, uh, ice cream. You seemed to enjoy it last night, and I thought it might make you feel better?”

Crap, there goes your heart again.

“Wow. Thank you, Loki, that’s-that’s super sweet.” Words don’t seem to be working very well for you right now, so you just wrap your arms around yourself and wave him inside to the kitchen, unable to bring yourself to look at him.

You kissed this guy.

He follows you as you pad into the kitchen, bare feet shuffling across the floor to drop you into a chair at the little table in the corner, and you carefully start sipping your water to try to get some moisture back in your dry throat.

Loki stands uncomfortably in the middle of the kitchen for a moment, holding the bag of ice cream and looking around in confusion. “Where would you like me to put this?”

“Break that baby out, I’m hungry,” you mumble over the rim of your cup, eyes squeezed shut in exhausted pain and you wave a hand at a top shelf in one of the cabinets. “Bowls’re up there.”

He doesn’t move and just stares at you for a bit, opening and closing his mouth as if he’s about to say something. You can only imagine what he has to say to you after last night, and you’d rather just get it out of the way. “Come on, get it out. I can handle it,” you sigh.

He’s so cute when he plays oblivious. “What?”

“We kissed, didn’t we?” You set down your cup with a bang and risk a glance at his face, only to find his face a little more flushed than usual. “Well, I kissed you, right?”

“…you did.”

“Oh my god, Loki, I’m so sorry.” You drop your face into your hands with a groan. “That’s so terrible of me to put you in a position like that, and-and you were so nice to me and took such good care of me and—why are you smiling?”

He’s just standing there, smiling softly at you, in that damned white shirt, and you swear you couldn’t possibly fall any further in love with this guy, this god.

“Maybe,” he begins thoughtfully, putting the ice cream on the counter and rifling through a drawer for two spoons. “Maybe it wasn’t all that terrible.”

He flashes your stunned face a sideways grin, waiting to see your reaction and falling silent. You’ve completely lost the ability to speak in complete sentences after that and fall silent as well, and the two of you just sit there in each other’s heavy silence, waiting to see who will cave first.

Oh, fuck it. This one isn’t getting away.

“Hey, Loki?”

The god pauses and glances down at you, an arm frozen in midair reaching for the bowls on the top shelf. “Hm?”

“…nice shirt.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

hope you enjoyed, feel free to send me ideas!

loki tags: @bluediamond007 @himitoshi @drakesfiance @destiel1597@dangertoozmanykids101 @archy3001 @jcalpha1 @yzssie @skullvieplu@forthesnakeofdragons @skulliebythesea @wegingerangelica@storiesfrommirkwood @agarwaeneth @adaliamalfoy @laurfangirl424@paradisaicsam @fitzsimmons-is-forever @ladylokimischief @katelinwrites@tarynkauai @polaristrange @loavesofmeat @canadian-ravenpuff-multishipper @lou-makes-me-strong @holyn0vak @chocolatealmondmillk @swtnrholland@kenzieam @jessiejunebug @catticas @the-republic-and-face-of-texas@doralupin01 @whitewitchdown @atomiccharmer @falconfeather23435  @babygirlicecream @avengrcs @vethrvolnir2 @bookgirlunicorn @wabisabigrl @myhealingstar @khaleesi-marvel @ei77777 @spacecrumbs

[natrogersfics]

PREVIEW - Never Be the Same (new fic alert!)

AN: Could I BE more excited for this upcoming fic? Nope, I really couldn’t. Sooo... here’s the ENTIRE opening scene. Happy reading! :-)

Steve’s eyes scan the expanse of the room as he stands behind the bar, working a dish towel over the freshly washed martini glass. At nearly midnight on a Monday, Shield is empty save for a few patrons finishing the last of their libations. It’s the eclectic mix of people you’d expect to find in the West Village, ranging from professionals nursing glasses of Merlot to a pair of buddies indulging in a few house brews. And yet, as different as all these people are, between these four walls, they’re all committed to the same cause of unwinding from their day.

On the list of things bars are good for, being a prime space to observe human behavior ranks high. That’s not an opinion, but a fact he’s deduced in his years of owning one. And based on the number of breakthroughs in friendships and relationships he’s witnessed in this bar alone – likely a product of an honest conversation taking place under the warm lights – it’s safe to say that alcohol is a pretty potent social lubricant, ridding people of their inhibitions and revealing them at their rawest.  

That’s not to say that people and alcohol are an exact science, though. Maybe tequila is straight up courage in a glass, granting someone confidence they may not normally have, but it is also a champion at nullifying discretion and making bad ideas seem like really, really good ones.

Just as it’s doing to the guy by the far wall right now.

From his vantage point, Steve has to resist the urge to roll his eyes as he watches the guy down the last of his gin and tonic before hopping off the stool. The man stalks towards the window, where a young woman with chestnut hair is quietly enjoying her watermelon margarita, before plopping down on the opposite side of the booth unprompted. The woman looks up at the intrusion, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion as the man puts his hand out to shake.

“Dead in the water, bud,” he mutters to himself, shaking his head as the guy serves up what he can only assume is a cheesy pickup line based on the scowl that forms on the woman’s face.

“The man hasn’t a clue, huh?”

The comment causes him to turn, and he smiles when sees one of their regulars, Sam, seated before him with his tie already loosened and his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. “Not a single one,” he says, walking over. “The usual?”  

“Oh, no,” Sam says, emphasizing the last word. “Whiskey, neat. Make it a double.”

“That bad, huh?” he says, turning to grab the bottle of Macallan off the top shelf.  

“You have no idea,” Sam says exasperatedly. “Just got told I have to be in the West Coast tomorrow morning and I’m pretty sure the only seat available on my flight is right smack next to the lavatory.”

He cringes as he places a crystal tumbler down on the counter. “That’s how it is, huh?”

“That’s how it is,” Sam confirms.

“I’m sorry, Sam,” he says. “I’d be lying if I said that doesn’t absolutely suck. But hopefully this makes it slightly better.” He sets the drink down in front of Sam. “On the house.”

“I knew I liked you, man,” Sam says, pointing at him as the corners of his mouth quirk up. He reaches into his back pocket, pulling out his wallet before sliding a crisp five down the counter. “I just knew it.”

“Safe flight tomorrow, all right?” he says, putting a fist out for Sam to bump. He takes the bill, placing it in the tip jar before he returns to the sink to finish drying the rest of the glasses. As far as tips for a single drink go, a five is generous, and he’s certain Wanda, the regular bartender he’s covering for, will appreciate it come tomorrow. Wanda is a Senior down at NYU, and with the end of the semester coming up, he and his business partner, Natasha, had told her to take the night off to study.

As he picks up another glass, he turns his attention back across the room where the woman is looking less than impressed with her intruder. He’s never been one to look the other way when he senses another person is uncomfortable with someone else’s advances, especially in the confines of his own bar. But the woman looks like she can hold her own, so he keeps his distance and finds himself infinitely glad when she picks up her tablet and bids the guy a sharp goodnight, leaving the man to ponder where he had gone wrong.

He shakes his head, because that’s another thing about him – he’s incredibly adept at reading other people. Sure, Psychology was one of his majors, but it truly should not take a genius to notice that the woman has been tense the second you took a seat and is painfully aware that your eyes are about a foot South of where her eyes are as you talk to her. It’s all in the body language and facial expressions, visual cues and hints that are supposed to be impossible to miss.

Or, so one would think.

The guy at the booth turns his head towards the other side of the room, his eyes lighting up like Christmas morning, and Steve doesn’t even have to follow the man’s gaze to know who he has spotted. Over at the other end of the counter, Natasha sits in front of her laptop with her forehead scrunched as her fingers dance across the keyboard. The expression on her face is one of deep concentration. It is the universal Do Not Bother Me face. The Talk-To-Me-And-I’ll-Kick-You-In-The-Face face. But as Sam had said, this guy hasn’t a clue as he makes his way towards her, his chest puffed out with renewed vigor.  

There isn’t a single doubt in his mind why this bozo (he’s certain of it now that he’s seen the guy interact with other humans) has zeroed in on his best friend. Natasha is gorgeous with eyes the shade of shining emeralds and scarlet tresses cascading down her back, its tips still platinum from when she had gone blonde. But more importantly, she’s devastatingly smart and witty – just ask everyone she’s obliterated in the courtroom once upon a time – and her sense of humor is absolutely top notch.

But there’s no way this bozo could know any of that. The only thing he recognizes is that Natasha’s dazzling as he perches on the stool next to her, leaning an elbow on the table and nearly knocking over her glass of water. Natasha’s reflexes are fast, though, and she pushes her laptop out of the way just as water sloshes over the top and onto the counter. She looks to the culprit, her eyes squinting into a death stare when she does not recognize the person next to her, and from where he’s watching the scene unfold, Steve laughs quietly, throwing the towel into the sink before making his way over.

“The name’s Brett,” he hears the guy say as he nears. “What’s yours, beautiful?”

“Nice to meet you, Brett,” he says, intercepting the guy’s hand just as he wraps his other around Natasha from behind, pulling her closer to him and dusting a kiss to the crown of her head. “Her name’s Natasha,” he informs him with a huge grin as Natasha relaxes into his touch. “And I’m Steve. Though I much prefer to be called her fiancé.”

Brett’s expression crumbles at his words, and he utters a quiet apology and then a farewell before exiting the bar defeatedly like a dog with its tail tucked between its legs.

“Fiancé, huh?” Natasha says, swiveling her chair around once Brett is out of sight. “We’ve certainly upgraded from fake boyfriend.”

He smirks. Since they become good friends in college, they made an agreement that when one of them got into a situation with unwanted advances, the other would step in as a rescue. It offered a painless out for the both of them at parties when they weren’t particularly interested in a person back then, and now it’s become a nightly rouse to fend off enthusiastic patrons.

“Seemed like the type who wouldn’t be deterred by the notion of a boyfriend,” he says with a shrug.

She raises an eyebrow in challenge. “A bit of a hard sell without a ring, don’t you think?”  

“He didn’t even notice that you wanted to be left alone,” he argues. “Doubt he has half a mind to look at your left hand.” She shrugs in concession just as a yawn falls from her lips, and he eyes the time on his watch. “Go home,” he says before smirking. “Before you attract more clowns.”

She rolls her eyes. “You should head home, too,” she counters. “Or are you and Tony painting the town red or whatever it is you two do?”

“Nope,” he says. “I have a meeting with my Dad and a potential buyer for Sarah’s in the morning, so no outrageously late nights for me. In the name of putting my best foot forward and all that.”

“You say that like you don’t always.”

“Tell the press that,” he deadpans. She shoots him a sympathetic look, but he’s quick to dismiss it with a shake of his head.

“Wanda and Peter are receiving deliveries tomorrow, so I don’t have to be here early,” she says, pointing a thumb over her shoulder. “You go, I’ll lock up.”

“Nope, not happening,” he says. “Go get your stuff and I’ll order you an Uber.” He puts a finger up just as her lips part to speak, effectively cutting her off. “And yes, I know you’re very well capable of roundhouse kicking someone’s teeth out, but I’m doing it anyway.” With Natasha’s years of practice in both gymnastics and mixed martial arts, he has no doubt in his mind that she can handle herself, but better safe than sorry late at night on the streets of New York. “It’s late. Go home, get some sleep.”

“Yeah, because I’m just dying to get home,” she mutters as she slips her laptop into her bag.

His expression hardens at her words. “Johnny still bothering you?”

“No more than living in the same building with only so many elevators as your determined ex fiancé does,” she says, her smile a little too sweet for his liking.

To any other person, Natasha’s response is convincing. But he knows his best friend well, knows how much the situation still eats at her. He isn’t a proponent for violence, but he’d be lying if he said he hadn’t had thoughts of throwing Johnny Storm off Natasha’s tenth floor balcony once or twice for what he did to her.  

“You know, the unit next to mine just opened up,” he says. “We’d rock being neighbors. It’ll be like we’re in college all over again, except this time, we’ll be borrowing grown up things like salt and sugar instead of cans of Red Bull.”

“No one actually believes that you eat sugar, Rogers,” she says teases, drawing a slim outline of his figure in the air. He rolls his eyes at her, making her laugh. “Look, I finally got the apartment I wanted after all these years.” She shakes her head. “He can move if he wants. As for me, I am a tree.”

“Well, tree, your Uber is around the corner,” he says, looking at his phone. “I’ll walk you out.”

“Oh great,” she says as they walk out the door. “For a second there, I thought I was going to have to walk the eight feet between this door and the car without an escort.” He shoots her a withering look, and she chuckles before leaning in to peck his cheek. “I’m kidding. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” he says, opening the car door for her to get in. He waits for the car to drive off, but he finds himself confused when the window rolls down instead.  

“One last thing,” she says before gesturing to his face. “Trim a little. Don’t shave it off, but you know… tidy up a bit. You’ll have your dad’s buyer eating out of the palm of your hand in no time.”

He scoffs. “Thanks. Don’t know how I could ever function without you.”

“You don’t,” she says, smiling.

“Go home, you goof,” he says, shaking his head as she gives him a wink and rolls the window back up. This time, the car drives off, and he waits until its taillights are out of sight before closing up for the night.

Update 12/02/19: CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL CHAPTER ON AO3

My sincere gratitude, as always, to @faith2nyc for the beautiful teaser art. If you’re not already following her on Instagram, please do! 

DISCLAIMER: Final version may differ as the chapter enters the editing stage. Also I totally did not proofread this for typos and/or run-ons. 

[folkpunkrock-littlewing-blog]

Questions Tag ✨

Thank you so much, @junghelioseok for tagging me! I’m so sorry this took so long, but tumblr hates me and refused to post it, but I adore this! (Not gonna lie, I got so excited thinking I was going to answer that “best pick-up line” question I had my story to go! But this is better ☺)

I’m going to taaaagggggg... @vanaera, @antihirohamada, @minflix, @readyplayerhobi, @dreamingofkoo, @missalathea, @hoseoksyn, @ddaenggtan, @v-hope, @flowerymoonlight, @cutaepatootie and whomever else wishes to do this. You don’t have to, by any means! I just hope you know I’m thinking of you and would love to learn more (except @antihirohamada; I do this purely to torture you--because I love you!)

rules: answer ten questions, then write your own and tag ten people.

.:.

➵ what would you want as your last meal on earth?

oh shizz, it got real REAL quick. Um, I think I’d want like a platter of food. Like, if I knew I was going to die I’d stuff my face until I’m puking with all of my favorite foods. crab, lobster, pizza, green chile mac and cheese, wine, noodles, muffins, quesadillas, tacos, cereal, white chocolate coconut truffles, chocolate milk, huevos rancheros, etc

➵ what is your favorite personality trait that you possess?

mental acuity/ingenuity. lmbo, jk. I don’t know her. Um, I’d have to probably say the fact that I’m genuinely a random card. Like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.

➵ a favorite quote?

of mine: “sometimes the ones who do the most saving need saving the most”

Oscar Wilde, “Always forgive your enemies - nothing annoys them so much”

Danny Kay, White Christmas, “When what’s left of you gets around to what’s left to be gotten, what’s left to be gotten won’t be worth getting whatever is you’ve gotten left.”

Hugh Grant, Love Actually, “General opinion is starting to make out that we live in a world full of hatred and greed, but I don’t see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often, it’s not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it’s always there -- fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge -- they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I’ve got a sneaking suspicion you’ll find that love actually... is all around.”

Let’s be real, this was unfair. There are so many inspirational and thought-provoking quotes out there that just stick with you.

➵ if you could suddenly become really good at a sport, what would it be?

Um, of all the sports I’ve played, and also have not partaken in, I’d want to excel at Tae-kwon-do, or Mixed Martial Arts. Ooo, or hurdling/running. I was in track and field when I was younger but over the years my hurdling skills have diminished quite substantially. Also, I’ve just never been good at running--asthma is a b**ch.

➵ favorite drink?

boba tea, chocolate milk, wine, strawberry peach juice, orange juice, apple juice, martinis, watermelon juice, hot chocolate, macchiatos, tequila, margaritas. Again, the list goes onnnnnnn

➵ do you have any pets? (pictures encouraged)

I have my weenie! Her name is Coco :3 I got her as a high school graduation present -- she’s now 10 years old! 😭 She only loves me when I have food, or when I come home, but I swear she knows when I have food at ALL times. She’ll be asleep on the other side of the house and I’ll get food and she’ll come out of nowhere like “you need help with that? you need help with that. Let me take that off your hands for you.” She has anxiety, but I adore her all the more for it. Like, you’re just like your mother.

Then there’s my rescue, Bagheera. We found her down at my ex’s river house a few fourth of July weekends ago after having travelled over 200 miles on the engine block of a family friend’s truck. Her poor fur was mangey and burned off in most places, but she was like a generator from the moment we found her--constantly purring and sleeping in our arms. I hadn’t expected to keep her, rather transport her for someone else, but I ended buying her things and she was here to stay. She’s a brat, but she is genuinely just like me--only wanting attention when SHE wants it, but she’ll give you all the love and even show you her butt if you’re having a hard time. Yes, just like me. lmfbo

➵ who is your favorite superhero?

Spider Gwen, Black Widow, Scarlett Witch, Raven, Storm, Wolverine, Deadpool, Spider-Man, Nightcrawler, Wonder Twins; (villains) The Riddler, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, The Joker, Two-Face, Catwoman (depending on the series), Loki

➵ what scent is the soap in your bathroom?

um, soapy? I have two; the other one is honey and chamomile

➵ tell me about your favorite childhood stuffed animal/toy.

His name is Flopper, he’s a dog, and he’s gender confused. When I first got him I insisted that he was a girl (I was in 3rd grade), but as I grew older it became more evident that Flopper is actually male. lol. My eldest brother bought Flopper for me one afternoon we spent together at the local mall, and he’s stuck by me ever since. He was even in my 3rd grade school photo XD

➵ what was the last movie you watched?

A Whisker Away, a Japanese animated film on Netflix. *heavy sigh* 😐 That’s all I have to say about that...

my questions:

-> if you were any sailor scout which one do you think you’d be? (Or want to be.)

-> who are your top three favorite Disney characters?

-> what’s your favorite video game(s)/series?

-> if you were a mythological entity, what would you be?

-> what sports, if any, do you enjoy?

-> what’s your favorite drink during the summer?

-> who is your favorite poet?

-> do you play any instruments?

-> which hogwarts house do you belong to? if unknown, which one do you believe you belong in?

-> what was the last show you watched?

-> tell me about a dream you’ve had (literally and metaphorically).

-> who is your favorite Sanrio character?

-> who do you look up to?

-> what’s a book you’ve always wanted to read but have yet to get around to it?

-> favorite genre of book, movie and tv show?

[alinawritesforyou]

Harry Styles Watermelon Heartbreak (Part 1)

Hello guys, I am a quite new to the scene, and this is my first oneshot, so please please let me know what you think and share if you enjoyed it. Also please let me know if you want a Part 2. 

You officially met each other on the set of the Watermelon Sugar video, however, you definitely knew who he was and enjoyed his music a lot. You arrived on set and greeted the casting director and the director of the video that you knew. You saw that a group of other gorgeous models were further down the beach and you decided to say hello. As you were walking down the beach, the warm sand under your feet made you feel grounded and less nervous. You joined the group of girls and saw that some of them were talking to who you assumed was Harry. There was no denying he was a handsome man, but you were not prepared for seeing him in person. You took a deep breath to calm yourself down a little and listened in on the conversation.

But Harry noticed you, in fact, he noticed you a few minutes ago, as you were walking along the beach and instantly thought that you looked like a goddess, so peaceful and divine. He made a mental note to thank the casting director later for choosing you to be in the video. Every single woman that was invited to take part was stunning, there was no denying that, but it was more than your beauty that took his breath away, even though he has not said a single word to you yet. Somehow he felt an affinity towards you. He collected himself for a moment, suddenly very concerned with the first impression, turned around and was taken aback by how close to him you were suddenly standing. 

You were looking at him with you beautiful big brown eyes with long lashes. It looked like you were barely wearing any make up, but your rosy cheeks and plump raspberry stained lips were standing out. He forgot to speak as he was admiring your radiant face, so he just stood there silently. The silence went on for a few seconds, but to him it felt like hours, when he finally was drawn out of his daydream by your words.

“Hi, I’m Y/N.” You introduced yourself after a few moments, a little uncomfortable by the silence.

“Oh of course, I’m Harry, nice to meet you! Sorry, I zoned out for a second, must be the heat” he said mentally kicking himself for already making it so awkward.

“Good to meet you too” you said, smiling. Harry noticed as your smile got bigger, clearly becoming less nervous by the moment. He wanted to make you feel comfortable and relaxed, but he suddenly felt so aware of himself and his surroundings. Luckily, before he had the time to overthink the situation any further the director announced they were finally ready to shoot. Harry was proud of the song and had a clear vision for the video, he wanted a fun summer vibe and looked forward to what will be a long but exciting day of shooting.

As the shooting went on Harry relaxed, he got into the groove, everyone seemed to have enjoy themselves and have a good time. As he was watching the clips that have been shot, however, he noticed that his gaze kept drifting towards you. Watching you smile, laugh and dance to his song made him proud. He was ecstatic to be spending this time with you even though you have not spoken since the awkward introduction. He did not want the shooting to end and he most definitely did not want you to leave.

Luckily for Harry after the shoot was wrapped and everyone was happy with the end product, someone suggested an afterparty to celebrate the end of the day. Everyone moved to the nearby bar by the beach that was only half full with people. It was not a fancy place by any means, but it had character, which was perfect, because most of the people involved in the video were underdressed.

As everyone gets settled in and orders their drinks, Harry spends time with each of the models and chats with the crew, he wants to make sure that everyone feels comfortable and having a good time. He notices you by the bar waiting to order a drink and approaches you. Harry realizes he has not prepared anything and just hopes that by the time you start talking he has come up with something to keep the conversation going.

“Hey! Are you waiting to order?” he isn’t proud of that conversation starter but it could have been worse.

“Oh, yeah. Just want an extra spicy margarita, it feels like the perfect weather for one, you know?”

“Yeah, I completely get you, I’ll have one with you if you don’t mind?” he plays it off cool but he’s nervous asking this, he knows you’re too nice to tell him to leave you alone but its an irrational fear.

“Of course.” you smile at him with that perfect warm smile and he feels a little more confident

“So did you enjoy the shoot?” he asks

“Yes, it was so fun, probably one of the most relaxed shoots I have been on, felt kind of like hanging out with friends” she said sipping her drink

“Yeah, definitely a great group of people, I am glad you enjoyed it, really. So how did you get into modeling?” he smiles and he hopes she knows he is not just saying this, he really means it.

“Honestly, I have only recently been doing it, I just started posting pictures of myself of Instagram and people kept liking them. That’s how your casting director found me too, through IG. I’m not sure it is a definite career path for me yet, but I am enjoying it so far.”

“Yeah, I actually want to thank him for doing such a good job, I’m glad he picked you.” he meant it genuinely, not even trying to flirt, but realized it came across as such.

“I am really glad he chose me too, it has been a pleasure. But I should probably head out, it has been a long day. It was good to meet you, Harry, again, thanks for everything” you said, as you smiled and stood up from a barstool, grabbing your bag.

Harry instantly started to panic, he was only just starting to get to know you and he was not ready for your conversation to end so abruptly. He realized he had two options, either to play the long game and let you leave, follow you on Instagram and hope that you will continue talking to him. Or just go for it. He was never one for patience, so he stood up with you and before you could leave, he took a breath and asked

“Y/N, I want to see you again, can I take you out?” He was almost too nervous to look at you. This was all quite new to him, he was usually the confident one but you made him feel the emotions he thought he would never feel again. He felt like the pause went on for minutes.

“Harry, I have a boyfriend.”

[dwindledglow]

001. MEET ISLA

FULL NAME: isla renee monroe. PREFERRED NAME: isla. NICKNAME/S: is. DATE OF BIRTH: may 15th, 1993. GENDER & PRONOUNS: cis female & she/her. ORIENTATION: hetero. RELIGION: agnostic. RELATIONSHIP STATUS: engaged to kendrick parker. OCCUPATION: sports agent, ceo of monroe corporation and actress. RESIDENCE: montauk, east hampton.

002. CHECK ISLA’S BACKGROUND

HOMETOWN: quebec, canada. NATIONALITY: canadian and american. ETHNIC BACKGROUND: hungarian and canadian. LINGUISTICS: french and english which are her native languages, spanish, german, portuguese and italian in a fluent level and she can lead a conversation in japanese. EDUCATION: she attended university of birmingham where she got her BSc in physiotherapy and, later, she attended queen mary university of london where she got her MSc in sports and exercise medicine. CRIMINAL RECORD: despite some mishaps along the way and almost being charged for public lewdness and, later, having allegedly assaulted a paparazzo — which was settled in a deal, isla has a clean record. BIRTH ORDER: first. FATHER: lawrence jude monroe, born on may 19th, 1966 in toronto, canada, passed away on august 11th, 2006 in los angeles, california. lawrence was a high-profile hockey player and the founder of monroe corporation. MOTHER: audrey gabrielle kelly, née jones, born on october 29th, 1968 in montecito, california, residing in los angeles, california and working as a communication and media teacher at the university of southern california though she used to be a successful sports reporter. SISTER/S: elizabeth sophia kelly, born on june 8th, 2002 in malibu, california, residing in los angeles, california where she also studies. she’s one of two children audrey had in a second marriage, making her isla’s half-sister. BROTHER/S: anthony dean kelly, born on april 7th, 2000 in malibu, california, residing in los angeles, california where he also studies. he’s the first born of audrey’s second marriage and, thus, isla’s half-brother. SIGNIFICANT OTHER: kendrick parker. CHILDREN: bella nicole parker, born on june 9th, 2018 in montauk, new york. zoe eliza parker, born on june 9th, 2018 in montauk, new york. kyd lawrence parker, born on january 14th, 2020 in montauk, new york. OTHER RELEVANT FAMILY: none. EX/ES: joseph taylor. PETS: gliss and qana, two french bulldogs and brooklyn, an english bulldog.

003. GET UP CLOSE & PERSONAL

HEIGHT: 5′5″ or 168 cm. WEIGHT: between 117 lbs or 53 kg and 125 lbs or 57 kg. BODY BUILD: isla has a naturally willowy and curvy frame, something in between a hourglass shape and the classic supermodel-rectangle one — leaning more towards the first. she's not overly slim but she has the average weight for her height, and she has curves in the right places. her body isn't the most defined but she has a toned frame and she has more lean muscle than fat. isla has a big bust — 32C —, a flat stomach and long legs. EYE COLOR: she has cerulean blue eyes but, on occasion and depending on the light, they might look a grey-ish blue. EYESIGHT: whereas isla doesn't have any kind of issue like miopia or astigmatism, she has severe eye fatigue. she can get away without wearing anything but for activities that demand a lot of focus, such as reading, and when it comes to spending time in front of a laptop, as well as reading or watching television at night or in places where the light isn't the best, she needs glasses to stop her vision from going blurry. HAIR COLOR & STYLE: naturally, her hair is more of a caramel brown shade but, currently, it’s more of a chocolate brown shade. appearance and the way she portrays herself is very important for isla due to her career both as a sports agent / ceo of a world renown company and as an actress. naturally, her hair is straight and when the girl is in a rush, she opts for keeping it that way, using few products and a straightener to sleek it back. when she has the time, she prefers to spend some time making loose, beach waves or a few loose ringlets so there's some volume to her hair. if she's home or off-duty, she'll not waste much time on it and will often try to get her hair out of the way by throwing it on a ponytail or some kind of messy bun. if she has events, she likes to mix it up and often leaves the more elaborate hair styles to a trusty stylist. DOMINANT HAND: right. NOTABLE PHYSICAL TRAITS: her electric blue eyes paired with her angular facial features and plump lips are, perhaps, the most notable characteristic when it regards isla. there's almost a vintage quality to her features, something outstanding and that distinguishes her from other girls — and most people, in general — out there. likewise, her willowy figure is one of her most obvious, notable appearance features. SCARS AND MARKS: she has a few scars here and there, courtesy of her clumsy moments, but it’s nothing major or particularly noticeable. other than that, she has a few notable moles spread out on her tummy. TATTOOS: she has a small knife with a rose lying atop of it on her left hip — reference —, she has nineteen tattooed in cursive on the side of her left hand, her dad's favorite number, and she has I of III on her right ankle — a matching tattoo she's got with her two siblings. she has a b behind her right ear and a z behind her left ear, respectively representing her and kendrick’s daughter’s bella and zoe.  PIERCINGS: she has her regular lobes pierced. VOICECLAIM: barbara palvin. ACCENT & INTENSITY: to this day, and in spite of having lived a good portion of her life between los angeles, new york and england, isla still has her quebec accent intact and it's still as distinctive and as intense as it has always been. ALLERGIES: lactose intolerant, white chocolate, vanilla. PHOBIAS & FEARS: solitude and oblivion. MENTAL & PHYSICAL ILLNESSES: she has rhinitis. ALCOHOL USE: in social situations, she does drink. SMOKING: she stopped smoking ever since she started trying to get pregnant. NARCOTICS USE: not anymore. when she was younger ( read from fourteen to sixteen ) she did heavier drugs such as heroin, ecstasy, shrooms and cocaine and she used to smoke weed and, occasionally, do adderall to focus during college. INDULGENT FOOD: occasionally, when she’s down in the slumps or having major cravings. SPLURGE SPENDING: it doesn’t happen often, it’s rare for isla to lose her mind and splurge. GAMBLING: no, never.

004. DIG DEEPER

CAN THEY DRIVE? yes, she can drive. CAN THEY COOK & BAKE? yes and ish. CAN THEY CHANGE A FLAT TIRE? yes. CAN THEY TIE A TIE? yes. CAN THEY SWIM? yes. CAN THEY RIDE A BICYCLE? yes. CAN THEY JUMP START A CAR? yes. CAN THEY BRAID HAIR? yes. CAN THEY PICK A LOCK? yes. EXTROVERTED OR INTROVERTED? extroverted. DISORGANIZED OR ORGANIZED? organized. CLOSE OR OPEN MINDED? open minded. CALM OR ANXIOUS? calm. PATIENT OR IMPATIENT? in-between. OUTSPOKEN OR RESERVED? outspoken. LEADER OR FOLLOWER? leader. OPTIMISTIC OR PESSIMISTIC? a balance of both. TRADITIONAL OR MODERN? modern. HARD-WORKING OR LAZY? hard-working. CULTURED OR UNCULTURED? cultured. LOYAL OR DISLOYAL? loyal. FAITHFUL OR UNFAITHFUL? faithful. NIGHT OWL OR EARLY BIRD? a balance of both, leaning more towards night owl. HEAVY OR LIGHT SLEEPER? not heavy, nor light. an in-between. COFFEE OR TEA? coffee. DAY OR NIGHT? night. TAKING BATHS OR SHOWERS? showers. COCA COLA OR PEPSI? neither. CATS OR DOGS? dogs. NETFLIX OR CINEMA? cinema. SHOWS OR MOVIES? movies. LAPTOP OR GAMING CONSOLE? laptop. HEALTHY OR JUNK FOOD? healthy food. ICE CREAM OR FROZEN YOGURT? frozen yogurt. PIZZA OR HAMBURGER? hamburger. LOLLIPOPS OR GUMMY WORMS? neither. BEACH OR POOL? beach. SNOWBALLS FIGHTING OR ICESKATING? both. LITERATURE OR SCIENCE? science. HISTORY OR ART? art. CHOCOLATE BARS OR COTTON CANDY? chocolate bars. XBOX OR PLAYSTATION? playstation. FACE-TO-FACE OR PHONE INTERACTIONS? face-to-face interactions. DRAMA OR SCI-FI? drama. HORROR OR COMEDY? horror.

005. ISLA’S FAVORITES

FAVORITE ACTIVITY: working out. FAVORITE ANIMAL: caracal. FAVORITE BOOK: requiem for a dream by hubert shelby jr. FAVORITE COLOR/S: black and red. FAVORITE CUISINE: mexican and spanish cuisines. FAVORITE DISH/ES: poutine, nachos, tacos, huevos rancheros, chili, paella, gazpacho and fideuà. FAVORITE DRINK/S: watermelon lemonade, caipirinha and margarita. FAVORITE FLOWER/S: lotus, yellow hibiscus and plumerias. FAVORITE GEM: ruby. FAVORITE MOVIE: it’s only the end of the world, although she loves anything by xavier dolan. FAVORITE SONG: sleep on it by gallant. FAVORITE SCENT/S: peaches, the scent of the earth after it rained, lavender and leather. FAVORITE SHOW/S: how to get away with murder and scandal. FAVORITE SPORT/S & TEAM THEY SUPPORT: basketball, american football, hockey, baseball, soccer and volleyball. FAVORITE SEASON OF THE YEAR: summer. VACATION DESTINATION: vaadhoo, maldives.

[ofstarsandvibranium]

Truth Set Free: Part 1

Fandom: Marvel (Mob Boss AU)

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

As requested by @elivanah : Hey i have an idea for a request, if you like. Maybe one of seb's character is a mob boss who also owns a strip club. He and reader are dating but she doesn't know what he does. One day she finds out the hard way. Angst ending with a happy ending and maybe smut.

A/N: I decided to write this for Bucky cause I seriously love Mob Boss!Bucky. Also, this is became so unnecessarily long that I’m just gonna make it into a two part story.

You were sound asleep being spooned by your boyfriend, Bucky. Your face started to crinkle when you felt kisses being pressed to your back, making their way to your shoulder, then neck. You giggled when the pair of lips hit your tickle spot. A low chuckle reverberating behind you. 

“Good mornin’, doll.” the low husky voice causing arousal between your legs. 

You turned around to face your husband. Your hands grazing over the stubble along his face, “Mornin’ handsome,” you leaned in and pecked his lips. His arms wrapped around you and pulled you on top of him, “Bucky!” you squealed and he just laughed.

You sat at the kitchen island, going through your emails on your laptop as Bucky worked on cooking breakfast whilst on the phone with his best friend and business partner, Steve.

“Steve, this-” he glances over your shoulder to check to see if you were still there. He clears his throat, “This has to go as smoothly as possible. Nothing can go wrong. You hear me? Make sure everyone is up to speed and get the job done. Bye.” he hangs up the phone and sighs.

“Another business deal?” you ask, your attention no longer on your computer, but on him.

“Yeah. There’s this rival company trying to swoop in on my potential partners. It’s...frustrating.”

“You and Steve will be able to reel ‘em in. You got that authority and charm that no one can say no to.”

He snorted, “Baby, you’d be surprised by how many people have said no to me.”

“I’m sure they end up regretting it in the end.”

“Yes they do..” the way Bucky said those words seemed like there was some underlying meaning to it. But you shrugged it off. Bucky can be weird sometimes You just accepted it. 

After breakfast and a very heated shower, you and Bucky dressed and got ready for work. You and he hopped into his town car and was brought to central Manhattan where you were you worked at the courthouse as a secretary for ADA Tony Stark. 

Before stepping out of the car, Bucky gave you a passionate kiss, “I love you, doll. I’ll see you later.”

You smiled at him, “Love you too. See ya!” Bucky watched as you climbed the steps of the courthouse, a fond smile on his face until you stepped into the building. Once you were out of sight, Bucky’s face changed. 

There was no warmth or love seen. Instead, there was a hard, stern, cold look, “To the club,” he said firmly and car began its journey to the east side of Brooklyn where Bucky’s strip club Winter’s Fair was located. 

Bucky walked into the place with determination, confidence, and intimidation in his eyes, “What’s the status of Rumlow’s partnership with Pym?” he asked as he approached his awaiting men. 

Steve spoke up, “Non-existent...for now. There’s been talk that Rumlow’s trying to get cozy with Pym’s new boss Hope.”

Bucky was confused, “His daughter? What happened to the old man?”

“Stepped down. He’s gettin’ old. His daughter took his place.”

Bucky nodded in approval, “Good for her, but I don’t want her getting tangled in Rumlow’s shit. She may have watched her pops but it’s different from observing to actually doing. Sam,” Bucky pointed to another friend of his. 

The dark skinned man stepped forward, dressed in a dark grey suit, “Yeah?”

“Send flowers to Hank Pym along with a nice note. Something along the lines of Happy Retirement and that if his daughter needs any help, that she could come to us. That will give us a leeway to teaming up with them.”

Steve nodded with a smirk, “Clever.” he then followed Bucky to his office, leaving the rest of the men to their tasks, “So, how’s your girl?”

“Fine. Stark’s really stressin’ her out though.”

“No news on how close he is to catchin’ ya?”

He shakes his head, “Not from what I heard from Y/N. All she says is that Stark’s been working hard on a case for the mob boss, White Wolf,” he snorted, “White Wolf. Not really sure why they call me that.”

“What’re you gonna do when Y/N finds out the White Wolf is you?”

Bucky clenched his jaw, “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there, Stevie.” he then sat down at his desk, ready to work.

When you arrived to your desk, your redhead coworker, Cheryl marched up to you looking in distress.

“Cher, what’s wrong?”

“Jo-Josie broke up with me.”

You immediately hugged her, “Oh, honey!”

“I-I thought everything was going okay! And then she says that I’ve become too possessive and she just dumped me! Then I see a picture of her and Reggie two days later!”

You rubbed soothing circles on her back, “Sssshhh. It’s okay. You’ll be okay.” you pulled back to wipe her tears away, “How about this? I take you to a strip club to help get your mind off her. That sound okay?”

Cheryl shrugged, “I don’t know...”

“Toni told me about Winter’s Fair down in Brooklyn. She says it’s really great, even if you’re not there for the strippers.”

The redhead sighed, “Okay.”

“Perfect!” 

You: Won’t be home until later tonight. Gonna comfort a friend after a bad break up. Love you! 

Bucky smiled whenever he received a text from you. He pocketed your phone and looked up to Steve, “Guess I’ll be working the club tonight. Y/N’s not gonna be home until later.”

Five o’clock was when the club opened. A few men and women came spilling in. Business was slow. However, once seven and eight o’clock hit, that’s when the place really came alive. People were getting off work and needed to let off some steam. So they came in for either the booze or the strippers or both. 

Bucky sat at the back of the club where the VIP section is. Him and his men all sat in a booth drinking beer, talking, laughing, and watching the stripper, Melody, dance for them. 

The mob boss’ attention was occasionally taken by you as you updated him on your location and activity. The last thing you sent was a picture of yourself in a more club worth dress. The fabric clinging onto your body, showing all your assets. He licked his lips as he typed out his response:

Bucky: damn! my baby doll lookin’ sexy as Hell!

You simply replied with a kissing emoji and Bucky went back to conversing with his friends.

After stopping by yours and Chery’s apartment to change, you both were dressed and ready to his the club. You and Cheryl sat in the uber, her head resting on your shoulder. When you arrived, you hopped out of the vehicle and waited to get inside. 

Once you entered, the place was booming with music, lights, and the occasional cheers from the audience in front of the stage. You gripped Cheryl’s hand and pulled her to the bar where you bought four tequila shots: two for you and two for Cheryl. 

“Any place you wanna sit?” 

She shook her head, “No. I’m fine here.”

You shrugged, “That’s fine.” after downing your shots, you ordered two watermelon margaritas. You two sat there, drinking and talking, Cheryl’s attention often swaying to the dancers on stage. You were impressed by them, honestly. They must’ve trained a lot for them to use all that upper body strength and make it seem so graceful.

After about an hour, you had to use the bathroom. You excused yourself and walked over to the corner where the bathroom was held. After doing your business, you exited and began to walk back to Cheryl. That is, until you heard an all too familiar laugh. 

You froze and began to look all over the place for your boyfriend. Then you spotted him in the VIP section sitting in a booth with some men and..Steve?

Feeling eyes on him, Bucky looked in your direction. His smile immediately fading. He moves to stand and you’re swiftly walking back to Cheryl, who seems to be in a pleasant conversation with a very attractive woman.

“Hey, Cher, I’m gonna be right back. Just gotta step out. The alcohol is making me feel a bit warm.”

“Oh, you want me to come with?”

You glance over to see Bucky starting to approach you, “No, that’s fine! I’ll be right back!” You then rush past the bar and out the door. The cool New York air hitting your face.

“Y/N!” you hear Bucky call out. 

You briskly walk and head into an alleyway, hoping to lose Bucky. Unfortunately, you don’t and he grabs your wrist, “Baby! Wait!”

You yank your arm from him, “What?!”

“I can explain why I was there!”

You scoffed, “Oh, I’m sure you can understand why and your buddies were drinking and staring at strippers while you’re supposed to be home!”

“This is my job!”

You looked at him confused, “What?! No, it’s not! You work at a business firm!”

“I used to. Not anymore. I-” he nervously rubs the back of his neck, “I own the club, many clubs, actually.”

“I don’t-I don’t get it. Why-Why would you lie to me about that?”

“Well-” Bucky’s explanation was cut off after hearing gunshots. He immediately peered around the corner to see Rumlow and his men waltzing into his strip club, “Shit!” he pulls out his gun from his waistband, “Stay here.”

You stop him before he rushes off, “Wait! No! What the hell! I’m not letting you get yourself killed!”

“Y/N, baby, I love you and I swear I’ll explain everything. But right now, just stay here and be safe. Okay?” he kisses your forehead and runs back to his club, gun in hand.

Part 2

[hcwlingccmmandcs]

Drunk Girl

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Female Reader

Word Count: 1,726 (oof it’s a long one)

Warnings: Drunk women, bar scene, nothing else really

A/N: It’s not really a relationship fic, and doesn’t have any fluff or anything, but it’s Bucky being a gentleman and I thought it was cute. Also, this fic is inspired by Chris Janson’s “Drunk Girl”. 

Tags: (IDK man I’m just tagging a couple of my favorite people. If any of you are not comfortable reading this material, please don’t feel obligated to. Also, if you never wanna be tagged by me again, let me know. No hard feelings.) @captainrogerss @bionic-buckyb @bucky-plums-barnes @buckyforbreakfast

The small dive bar nestled into the red brick buildings of New York was flooded with music and people of all levels of sobriety. Some people were… more inebriated than others, like the bachelorette party that rented out a whole two booths to fit all the scantily clad women in the group. There was another group of girls giggling along the bar counter, close to the small makeshift stage that was usually reserved for karaoke and open mic nights.

On the other side of the sobriety spectrum, and also on the other end of the bar, was Bucky. Thanks to his enhanced cells, he couldn’t get drunk. Much to his dismay, since encounters with a certain (and occasionally ant-sized) coworker would be better if he was drunk enough to forget about the man altogether. Whatever serum ran through his veins was a different one than whatever Steve had, but the inability to get drunk was certainly a common side effect.

The girls giggling at the other end of the bar had been eyeing him all night, their drunken conversations with each other somehow involving Bucky. They, too, all varied stages of sobriety. Some of them enthusiastically nodded while a few others shook their heads warily. One of the drunker women picked up her handbag and strutted towards Bucky, her steps swaying.

“Hi,” she says as she nearly plops into the barstool next to him, smiling like a fool. Bucky found it contagious and smiled back.

“Hey,” he returns, his eyes quickly glancing over her before returning to her eyes. Her black dress was a few inches above knee-length, and the neckline collared around her neck. From what he could tell in the brief glance, it complimented her form. She looked beautiful, when she just sat there, staring up at him expectantly.

“I’m Y/N,” she blurts, almost as if she'd grown impatient waiting for him to announce his name first.

“Bucky. It's nice to meet you, doll,” he says, letting her shake his right hand curtly.

“You too,” she beamed, her eyes cloudy. “So, are you gonna buy me a drink?”

Bucky snorts at her bluntness, making her giggle. “What kind of drink would you like?” he asks, lazily waving his hand through the air to get the bartender’s attention.

“A daiquiri. Strawberry watermelon,” she answers before giggling again. “I'm kidding. I want tequila!” She lifts her arms up and cheers for the alcohol.

Once the bartender comes over, Bucky asks how many drinks she's had. The bartender shrugs slightly and says that Y/N is close to be cut off. Bucky orders and pays for her last drink, a blended margarita.

“I said tequila,” Y/N pouts, poking his chest.

“Margaritas are tequila,” Bucky reasons, chuckling a little. “I figured you should have a little bit more substance than a shot, especially if I’m buying.”

“Fine… I forgive you… if only because you're cute with your whole mysterious look,” she murmurs, slightly leaning her shoulder towards him. She rests her other elbow on the bar and props her head on it, waiting for her drink.

“My whole mysterious look? I wasn't aware I had that sort of thing going on,” he laughs a little, watching her.

“Well, you do. With your long hair all tied back, your dark clothes, the glove you haven't taken off your left hand yet.” Bucky stiffens slightly at the mention of his left hand, but she doesn't notice it. “You totally have this mysterious guy look down.”

“Is that what brought you over here?” he asks, tilting his head slightly.

“Sorta. My friends dared me to come over here to try to get your number. And I took the challenge,” she admits, placing her cheek in her hand to look at him. “Also, yeah you're cute.”

“Well, thank you,” he says just as the bartender sets a margarita in front of Y/N.

“So,” she starts, turning fully to him and sipping on the frozen drink. “Who are you, really? You're alone at a bar, looking gothic and sad, and you have yet to order another drink for yourself.” She points to the empty Scotch glass in front of him, proving her own point. “Why are you here?”

“Getting real philosophical in the bar, aren't we?” he chuckles and she pushes him slightly while giggling. “If you mean ‘here’ as in the bar, I'm trying to forget about some stuff,” he answers, not totally lying but also not completely telling the truth either.

“Me too,” she admits sluggishly, pulling his hand up with one of hers, just to high-five it with the other. He chuckles again. “Exes, I'm telling you. The reason to get this drunk.”

“Really? I thought a pretty woman like you would be hard to give up,” he tells her, not really processing his own thoughts.

“Oh, he tried not to, but also got another woman because I want enough, I guess,” she says mindlessly, sipping her drink. “You think I'm pretty?”

Bucky nods slightly. “I do, but I also think you might be obscenely drunk and won’t remember most of this encounter, if not all.”

“I probably won't, but I can try, Blue Eyes,” she giggles.

The rest of the night, it’s Y/N talking on and on about whatever her mind comes up with and Bucky listening intently. She nurses her margarita, knowing full well it’s her last for the night.

She doesn't see the little smile on his lips when her face lights up at a topic she’s passionate about, or the way his eyes seem to lock only on hers, as if he was forgetting the world around them.

That little smile fades when the bartender announces that it's closing time. Y/N pouts a little as Bucky stands up and offers her help out of her barstool. She takes his hand and lets him pull her up, then she tugs his arm over her shoulder when she feels unbalanced in her heels. He chuckles softly and leads her out of the bar, keeping her from toppling over.

“So… where to next?” she giggles, looking up at him with a sort of gleam in her eye. Bucky smiles softly.

“You're too drunk to drive yourself home, so... “ he says, looking down at her and thinking of what to do. “Let's get you home, yeah? Where's your car?”

She points to it, one of the last cars in the parking lot. “Why my car?” she asks.

“Because drunk women and motorcycles don't work out,” he reasons with her, watching as she nods.

“Yep, you're totally dark and mysterious.” Bucky snorts and helps her into the passenger seat and buckles her in. He gets into the driver’s and starts up the car before heading out of the parking lot.

She lazily points him towards her place, yawning as she reclines her seat.

“Here, tell me your address so you can sleep,” he says, glancing at her before quickly looking back at the road. Her dress was starting to ride higher on her thigh, but Bucky made a point not to stare at her legs, keeping his eyes forward.

“The… Mercer apartments… unit 8B,” she slurs before yawning again and turning into her side, facing him as she fell asleep in her seat.

Bucky smiled a little bit at her little snores as he drove to the apartment building he’s passed a couple times on his trips around the town, knowing where it was. He drove around the parking lot, searching for the best way to get to her apartment before finally parking and shutting the car off. Quietly, he made his way around the car to her side, careful not to wake her up as he closed and opened doors.

Gently scooping her into his arms, he keeps her clutch resting on her stomach as he carries her inside the building and up the stairs. He uses the hand looped under her knees to unlock and open her door before making his way through her small and cozy apartment.

The kitchen and dining room bled into the living area, though the dining table looked like it wasn't used for much except stacking mail. It was almost completely dark, except for the city lights seeping in through the big windows near the couch and television set.

The door to her bedroom was left open, luckily, and Bucky placed her on her queen-sized bed. He took off her shoes and set them on the floor before setting her clutch on her nightstand.

Bucky tucked a blanket over her sleeping form, his gaze soft as he looks at her. She was a beautiful woman, but he's glad that he was the one to make sure she got home safely. The night could've gone a lot worse for her if she had met a different guy, one that wasn't such a gentleman. He sighed softly and wrote her a note from the sticky note pad on her dresser.

‘Y/N,

I had a great time with you tonight. At the end of it, you were very drunk, and I worried about how you would get home. I hope you don't mind that I drove you home and made sure you slept in your own bed. When you wake up, text me to let me know you're okay, alright?

Bucky - (xxx) xxx-xxxx’

Leaving the note next to her handbag, he walked out of her apartment, locked the door, and dropped her keys through the metal mail slot in the door. He sighed again, smiling a little to himself as he pulled out his phone and called his best friend Steve to pick him up.

“What are you doing out so late? And why are you at an apartment?” Steve questions him, footsteps in the background.

“I had to make sure this dame got home alright. Just get here,” Bucky explains briefly before hanging up on his friend. Soon enough, Steve pulls up to the parking lot and takes Bucky back to the tower, leaving his bike at the bar for the night. Within minutes of being in his own bed, the brunet passes out.

The next morning, Bucky woke up to a text from an unknown number.

‘Thank you, Bucky. For everything you did last night. It was really sweet of you. Also, I'm okay, just nursing a killer headache.’

He couldn’t keep the answering smile off his face for the rest of the day.