#and he saw my sweaty frizzy face and went: this one

[ditch-lily]

jeff. did this to me

[cryley]

Petrichor - Part 3

matty healy x reader (fluff) word count: 3.3k warnings: mentions of alcohol and cigarettes A/N: (moved from @cryley-fics where it was originally posted) Hello Hello ♡ I am so grateful for all of the feedback and love so far for this mini-series! ▹ masterlist ▹ part 1 ▹ part 2 ▹ part 3 ▹ part 4 ▹ part 5

The cheers continued as the boys walked to the front of the stage and bowed in unison. They all looked so happy. It was very different watching the show from a new perspective. Before meeting Matty, he seemed almost not real. Untouchable and unobtainable. Now I just saw him as a soft, sweet, incredibly creative man that I wanted to learn more and more about. I could talk to him for as long as he’d let me. 

The boys exited the stage and the cheering only stopped once the venue lights came on over the crowd.

“How did you like the show?” 

I turned around to see Jamie smiling. He seemed to be rushing around with the crew most of the night. I doubt he got to catch a lot of the performance. 

“It was amazing! The new album sounds amazing live.” 

He checked his phone, “Would you like to go back to the green room with me? I can find some merch for you.”

I quickly nodded. I made it a habit to grab at least one hoodie from every show that I’ve been to. This definitely wouldn’t be an exception. 

Jamie smiled and waved for me to follow him to the backstage doors. 

I found myself stumbling ever so slightly from the glass of wine and vodka drinks I had tonight. We went back through the familiar hallway before finally reaching the green room. I could already hear the boys chatting. 

“Amazing show guys!” Jamie celebrated as we entered the room. 

The room was much messier than it was when I was last in here. Ross and Adam were huddled over the snack table picking at some crisps. George was laying down flat on the large couch while seemingly scrolling on his phone. 

My eyes turned to Matty. He was lying flat on the floor shirtless in the far corner of the room holding a bottle of wine in his hand. He hardly stood still the whole show. It was nice to see him healthier than other shows I’ve been to. He didn’t stop dancing or smiling. 

“I brought Y/N to grab some merch since she didn’t get to before the show. Lines were crazy!” 

Just as Jamie said my name, Matty sat up. 

His hair looked crazy. The curls were now somewhat frizzy and all over the place. He looked to still be pretty sweaty as well. 

“How did you like the show Y/N?” Ross turned to me with an incredibly large smile. 

“It was perfect! I think this newest album is one of my favorites live.”

George’s eyes moved from his phone as he sat up, “Mine too. Glad you enjoyed it.”

They all seemed to have grabbed drinks immediately upon leaving the stage. Matty got a headstart to the wine on the stage and was by far the drunkest out of the 4. 

Jamie checked his phone once more, “Do one of you mind taking Y/N to the merch trailer?”

“I can.” George stood up and slid his phone into his pocket, “I have to call Charli anyway.”

Matty took a sip of his wine in the corner. As soon as he caught my eye, he smiled and gave me a small wave. I’m sure he was insanely tired. 

“Thanks. I have to go talk to some people before we head out.” Jamie smiled as he headed out the door, “It was nice meeting you Y/N. If I don’t see you again, thank you for the drink.”                                                                                                                                                                                       

“You’re very welcome! Thank you for everything, Jamie.” 

“You ready?” George made his way over to me. 

His voice was low and soft. 

I nodded and started to follow him out of the room.

“Bring her back here when you’re done, George,” Matty called out and George nodded. 

I turned back to look at Matty before exiting. He had a huge smile on his face and raised his bottle toward me. I couldn’t help but smile back. 

George led me through the halls as the crew scattered around packing equipment. 

“He hasn’t shut up about you by the way.” George chuckled.

I tilted my head to the side and raised my eyebrow, “oh yeah?”

He nodded and smiled, “Doesn’t happen often with other birds.”

My heart felt like it was beating in my throat. There’s no way he could actually be interested in me. Could he?

“Get ready for fans by the way.” 

I could feel the heat rise to my face. I was still stuck on his previous comments. 

He opened the door and ushered me through. Immediately as he emerged from the door, many people behind the barricade started calling for George. 

He waved to them as we walked by, “I’ll be back in 15 minutes to come visit.”

He lead me over to the trailer behind the bus and opened up the door to reveal loads of boxes.

“Anything specific you wanted?” George hopped up into the trailer.

“Umm, maybe just a hoodie? Medium if you have it.”

George nodded and began his search. He seemed to disappear behind the large maze of boxes for some time before returning with a tote bag. 

“Thanks,” I smiled and searched my bag for my wallet, “How much do I owe you?”

He shook his head and closed the trailer, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll just bill it to Matty”

I laughed and started to blush again. 

“You guys are too nice.”

“Well seeing as Matty is obsessed with you, I guarantee we’ll see you again.” George pulled out his phone, “I’m going to call my girlfriend and have a smoke before heading back in. Do you remember how to get back to where the others are?”

“Yeah, I think so. Thank you again for everything, George.” I smiled as he pulled me into a hug. 

He was so incredibly tall and somehow smelled nice even after drumming for almost 2 hours. 

I slid the tote bag over my shoulder and made my way back to the venue doors. The small crowd behind the metal fence patiently waited for George’s return. 

As I made my way back to the room, I briefly looked at what was in the bag. It looked like there was a whole lot more than a hoodie in there. I’ll figure out how to secretly pay them back somehow. 

“Oh hey Y/N! Just in time.” Ross smiled at me immediately as I walked back into the room. 

Matty was closer to the door, this time standing. He was still shirtless and carrying his bottle of wine, but much less sweaty. 

“Will you go to the club with us darling?” Matty turned to me and flung his arm around my shoulders, “We have the day off tomorrow and wanted to grab some drinks.”

I looked at the clock on the wall - 11:45 pm

I’ve been awake for so long, but I really didn’t want this night to end. Who knows if I’d ever get to see any of them again. 

“I’ll go, but I’ll have to find a hotel nearby to stay at. I won’t be able to drive home.”

Ross sat down in the smaller chair with his beer, “We have a couple of rooms at the hotel next door to here. We decided to take a break from sleeping on the bus for our day off. Matty can stay with me in my room and you can take his room if you’d like.” 

“You sure?”

Ross nodded and sipped his bottle. 

“Yay!” Matty rocked us back and forth, almost spilling his wine. 

“Adam decided to get an early night, so he’s already at the hotel probably talking to Carly.” Ross mumbled while checking his phone, “We’ll probably leave here in a bit if you wanted to leave your stuff here, Jamie and the crew should be around soon to move everything to the bus.”

I nodded as Matty grabbed the tote bag and placed it carefully next to his own bag. He scanned the clothing rack to find a plain black button-down shirt. His arm muscles tensed as he maneuvered them into the sleeves. 

He wiggled his finger to signal me to come closer to him, “did you enjoy the show, love?”

His voice was low and soft. Not quite yet drunk enough to slur his words, but he was definitely soon reaching that point if he continued at the speed he was going. 

“Matty, I loved it so much. It was beautiful.”

His fingers rhythmically fastened each button of his shirt before tucking it into his pants. He didn’t button up the shirt all the way, leaving his chest tattoo still exposed. I couldn’t help but to stare. 

He accusingly raised his eyebrow. 

He noticed. 

I could feel my face starting to blush, so I quickly turned my head to pretend I was looking at the clock again. 

“Are we going?” George leaned against the doorframe, “there’s a couple of fans out there, but they’re all really sweet. I just went over and talked to them for a bit.”

“Yeah, let’s go.” Ross stood up and walked to join George at the door. 

Matty grabbed my hand in his and pulled me to the door. His eyes met mine and didn’t break contact. His hand was still very warm. 

Once the 4 of us left the room, Matty let go of my hand and transitioned to his arm around my shoulders. I’m glad he did because not only was he keeping me warm, but fulfilled my craving to be closer to him. 

We exited the doors and were immediately met with shouts and camera flashes. Matty didn’t seem to care that his arm was still around my shoulder for a good minute before removing it to go talk to fans. 

I stayed back near the bus entrance as the boys briefly chatted with fans, signed some things, and took some pictures. 

Soon enough, they all came back to join me as the security guards ushered away the formed crowd. 

“Let’s head over?” George asked as he pulled out a pack of cigarettes. 

He placed one between his lips and held out the pack to me and Matty. Both of us slid one out as George next passed us his lighter. 

The club we were going to was much closer than I thought it would be. It was truly next door to the venue and on the roof of the hotel we were staying at. As we walked, Matty draped his arm back over my shoulders and smiled down at me. I returned the smile and felt myself start to blush again. 

“The cool air is almost sobering me up.” 

“Then we need to get you another drink.” Matty lightly squeezed my shoulder. 

We huddled together as we entered the building and headed to the lift. George and Ross were chatting to each other about some ideas for drum parts in the corner of the lift while Matty was staying particularly close to me. He intermittently stared at his feet, over to me, and back to his feet again. He almost looked shy, but I don’t think would have associated that attribute with him before meeting him. 

The lift doors opened to reveal a hallway leading to a dimly lit club. There seemed to be a good amount of people here. 

George walked over to the bouncer and showed his ID to him. The large man nodded and ushered all of us to follow him inside. 

“We usually have someone call ahead for a VIP area.” Matty leaned over to me to explain. 

We were led to a smaller indentation to the outer perimeter of the floor that was roped off. The man removed a section of the rope and smiled before heading back to where he was originally posted. 

I’ve never been to one of these tables before. I’m glad they do this though since I’m sure some fans from the show follow them to afterparties from time to time. 

George flagged over the server for the VIP sections and ordered a round of shots for us all before we situated ourselves on the leather couches. Matty sat down and made sure to pat the seat next to him inviting me to join him. 

George’s eyes met mine and he raised his eyebrows tilting his head towards Matty in an ‘I told you so’ matter. I could feel the now familiar heat rise to my cheeks. 

Matty, already a little drunk, put his arm around me resting on the back of the couch, “so Y/N, what other music do you like other than us?”

“Uhm, there’s definitely a lot of variety.”

He raised his eyebrows at me. 

I thought for a little while to construct my answer a bit more to avoid spewing out an embarrassing answer, “primarily pre-90s goth, indie, alternative, punk, all that. I honestly appreciate all music to a point. Of course there’s some stuff I don’t like, but it’s rare.”

“I’ll have to share some music with you at some point.” He said with a smile. 

I smiled back at him as the server came back with a tray of shots. It looks like we all got 2 each. This was going to be quite the night for sure. 

“Cheers lads to a great show, great tour, and great new friends!” George raised his first shot up to ours. 

I tossed the mysterious liquid down my throat. Tequila. 

The 2nd shot was a smokier whiskey which I liked a lot more. Matty tossed them both back so fast before ordering a bottle of wine from the server. 

“Don’t go too hard, Matty. I don’t want to help carry you to bed again.” Ross chuckled before sipping his 2nd shot. 

I chuckled and smiled, “I’ll help you this time, Ross.” 

We drank a couple of bottles of wine while we chatted for some time. It was becoming a little difficult to talk clearly. Ross was the first one to tap out and suggest heading back to the hotel. I didn’t disagree. I’ve been up since I woke up to start my opening shift. It was now around 2 am. 

I stood up from the couch, a little dizzy, and offered my hand to Matty to help him up. He smiled a lazy smile and took the offer. He stumbled a little bit as we walked out of the club. He was definitely the drunkest out of the 4 of us, but I was a close 2nd. The 4 of us shuffled into the lift and stopped on a floor soon after where we got on. 

“I can show you the room you can stay in, Y/N.” Ross waved for me to follow him, “It’s next to where Matty and I are staying.” 

“Goodnight guys.” George smiled and nodded. 

He turned to a door not far from the lift exit and opened the room. 

“Goodnight George.” I tried not to stutter my speech. 

Ross led me and Matty a few doors down before pointing to two doors next to each other. 

“Matty, can you make sure she’s settled in the room, and then you can come over to ours? I’ll probably already be asleep before you come back.” He laughed, “Goodnight guys. “

“Goodnight, Ross. Thank you again for sharing your room.” 

He smiled and unlocked the door, eager to lie down. 

The hallway was suddenly very silent. Just me and Matty. 

“I’ll show you inside. I want to make sure you get to sleep okay.” Matty stumbled over his words a bit. 

I opened the door to reveal an extremely nice hotel room. There was a king-sized bed in the middle of the room with way too many pillows decorating the top. Off to the side, there was a small seating area and a desk. The bathroom to the left was quite large with a nicely sized standing shower. 

Matty walked over to the bed and sat down. His face was slightly red and his curls were still all over the place. He looked beautiful. His shirt was almost fully unbuttoned and his sleeves cuffed to his elbows. 

I smiled and joined him to sit next to him on the bed, “I don’t have any clothes or anything with me, so I guess I’ll just go to sleep. 

Matty looked down at his hands and picked at a hangnail, “Y/N…”

“Yes?”

“Can I maybe - ” his eyes met mine, “stay here with you tonight? No ill intent or anything, I just-”

He looked worried. 

“I’ve been having some trouble falling asleep lately and I think it would really help if I had someone close to me.” 

I nodded, “Of course. I have trouble sleeping too from time to time.”

A smile crept up to his face. 

“Let me get settled first and then I’ll come to bed.”

He continued to smile as his hands fumbled with his shirt buttons. 

I shuffled my way into the bathroom and closed the door behind me. This was definitely hitting dream territory now. Matty Healy sharing a bed with me.

I peered at myself in the mirror. Not as bad as I thought. I searched around for the hotel-provided toiletries and quickly washed my face with a facewash I was sure would make me break out. As long as it removed most of my makeup, I could manage. Thankfully there was also some toothpaste, but unfortunately no toothbrush. I remembered a trick I used to use in my teens when staying at friends’ houses and squeezed a bit of toothpaste on my finger. It was of course not the best scenario, but it still worked. 

I silently thanked myself for remembering a hair tie as I drunkenly managed to put my hair up in a messier than normal messy bun. 

After doing a once-over in the mirror one last time, I exited the bathroom. 

Matty was patiently waiting, sat up in bed resting against the headboard of the bed and under the covers. His shirt was completely off to reveal the tattoos decorating his skin. The clothes he was once wearing were neatly folded and placed on top of the dresser opposite the bed. I tried to stop myself from blushing when I saw that both his shirt and pants were folded in the pile. 

“Hey”

“Hey” I smiled and made my way over to the other side of the bed. 

He patted the spot for me to join him. He looked really tired already. 

I crawled under the covers and laid on my side to face him. He copied my movement and did the same. 

He looked really happy. The happiness I’ve only seen while he is on stage or with the rest of the boys. 

“Thank you for letting me stay with you.” He uttered without his eyes leaving mine. 

I smiled, “Anytime.”

He turned to lie on his back. His chest slowly rose and fell with his breath. His head turned once more to face me.

I watched as the arm closest to me moved outwards. 

“Come here.” He whispered. 

My breath jolted a bit before I scooted my body closer to him. As soon as I was close enough to his reach, he pulled me to his side so my head was resting on his chest. 

He still smelled of cologne. 

His heart was beating softly in my ear. I couldn’t help but smile as I wrapped my arm around him. 

His fingers sent chills throughout my body as he traced my spine. They continued for a while until the movement stopped and his breathing got slower and deeper. 

I closed my eyes and let the sound of his heart lull me to sleep.

[atwooozi]

Almost Perfect (Sebastian x Fem!Farmer) Chapter 5: A New Start

Warnings: Slow burn, personal struggles, anxiety, depression, eventual smut

Summary: Angeline struggles with her unruly hair while working on her farm. Frustrated, she seeks a haircut and turns to Haley, who directs her to Emily. Together, they give Angeline a haircut and makeover, which leaves her feeling refreshed and excited for her new life in the valley.

A/N: I think I'm going to try and post on Thursdays. I thought this mind you not realizing that Thursday was so close to my original post date. I was originally thinking Saturdays, but for now Thursday sounds good in my mind. It might change, so if anyone reads these little blurbs of mine I'll be sure to let you know.

READ ON AO3

Chapter 5: A New Start

Spring 12

Angeline groaned in frustration as she had to keep brushing her hair out of her face. All she wanted to do was till some soil so she could plant some seeds she got from one of the other farmers from Pelican Town, Clint, but his name could have also been Kurt. Or maybe it was Andy? Angeline was also finding it difficult to remember everyone’s names despite it being a small town. There was just too much happening for her in such a short time that her brain was having a hard time keeping up. 

“Focus, girl.” Angeline said to herself as she went back to clearing the soil. She was making some progress until she bent over a bit more and her annoying hair fell to the front of her face again. 

In frustration Angeline threw her hoe to the ground and tugged her work gloves off. She stomped into her cabin and got herself some water. The water was refreshing, but it didn’t deal with the problem of her annoying hair. She had tried to tie it up earlier but her last hair tie just had to snap as she tried to secure her ponytail. 

Angeline walked over to a mirror that she hung up near her bed and sighed as she looked at herself. She looked like a frizzy, dirty, sweaty mess. In Zuzu Angeline would keep herself looking pretty polished but that was hard to do when owning a farm if not just silly. She looked at her nails, uneven, her cuticles were so dry, and her fingers had a light dusting of dirt. Angeline’s shoulders slumped as she looked at her reflection in the mirror again, so long conditioning treatments and her monthly nail appointments. 

“Ew…” Angeline said in defeat. She grabbed her shower caddy and headed out the door. Maybe she needed a break from all the farming and should just soak in the baths by the mountains for a bit. She didn’t want to let a bad hair and nail day ruin her otherwise great progress that she'd been having on the farm. 

~*~

After the much needed soak Angeline made her way into town. Her hair was less frizzy but it was still such a pain for her. She didn’t want to think about what it would be like to have her hair making her even hotter while she worked under the unforgiving sun during Summer. 

Angeline walked into Pierre’s with some new determination. “Hey Pierre.”

“Hello farmer Angeline could I interest you in som-” “Do you sell shears?” Angeline had completely cut him off which took Pierre back a bit. 

“Shears? Like for animals? No you’d have to buy those from Marnie, bu-” Pierre tried to redirect the conversation back to seeds or wallpaper, or whatever else he was trying to shill at the moment. 

Angeline shook her head. “No, I need to cut my hair.” 

Pierre nodded in understanding. “Oh I see.” He thought for a moment or maybe pretended to and said. “I’m sorry I can’t be of more help. You can always purchase some seeds, though.”

Angeline wanted to scream. She did not want seeds. She understood that Pierre was in a tough position with Joja Mart here, but she wasn’t in the mood for the constant salesman act. “No, thanks for your help though, Pierre.” 

“Anytime.” Pierre called as Angeline left the store feeling a bit more frustrated than where she had started. She sighed and as she looked ahead she saw Haley and Alex standing near Dusty’s dog house. Maybe she could ask Haley? She always looked so put together maybe she would be able to help her. 

Angeline was a bit hesitant given her not so pleasant introductions with both Alex and Haley, but she was desperate. “Hey you guys.” She said awkwardly as she walked up to the pair. 

Alex gave a polite wave. “Hey farmgirl.” Angeline bit her tongue. She had more pressing matters than Alex refusing to learn her name in this instance. Haley only gave Angeline a bit of a skeptical look and crossed her arms over her chest. 

“Haley, I was wondering if you could help me.” Angeline was prepared to get on her knees if she needed. 

“What is it?” Haley kept her guard up as she listened. She didn’t seem particularly uninterested, but she didn’t look like she wanted to help in any way either. 

“I need a haircut.” Angeline sighed as she looked between the two for their reactions. Alex nodded as if he was assessing her hair and was agreeing with her on the need for a haircut. Haley ’s expression went from to surprise to actually happy to amused.    

“Well I don’t cut hair.” Haley said. Crap. Angeline embarrassed herself for nothing. “Buuuut, my sister is like the town’s hairdresser basically. She should still be at home, let’s go.” Haley said without waiting for a response from Angeline or even saying goodbye to Alex. 

“Later Hales, farmgirl.” Alex called before turning his attention to Dusty. 

Haley waved as she walked towards her house. “I’ll text you later.” 

Angeline followed behind Haley as she let her into the home. She was surprised at how nice the house was considering it was just Haley and Emily. She wondered what type of work Haley must’ve been doing to help pay for this place. 

“Em, the farmer needs a haircut.” Haley called out as she shooed Angeline towards the kitchen to sit. Angeline obediently made her way to the kitchen and sat down quietly feeling a bit nervous about the whole thing. She didn’t exactly know either of these girls that well. 

“Your aura is simply glowing, Angeline.” Emily said as she practically floated into the room. The woman was so whimsical that Angeline wouldn’t be surprised if Emily could levitate or something ethereal like that. 

“M-my aura?” Angeline looked down at herself as if she would be able to see what Emily was talking about. “That’s good, right?” 

Emily smiled brightly and nodded. “You’re going to have an awakening like no other.” 

Haley rolled her eyes, bored with the conversation. “Em, focus, she needs a haircut.” She scrolled through her phone and pulled up some different cuts to Emily and Angeline before settling on a certain picture. “I think this would look good.” 

Emily nodded as she looked at the blunt bob on Haley’s phone. “This would be good, but maybe some layers to take some of the weight off.” She said as she touched Angeline’s long dark hair. “What do you think?” 

Angeline nodded, intimidated by the two other women’s decisiveness about how she should cut her hair. “Yeah, I like it.” 

“I’ll go grab my things.” Emily said as she made her way back to what was presumably her room. 

Angeline looked down at her lap unsure of what to do or say. In all honesty, Haley made her feel nervous. She was so intimidating in a similar way to Sebastian. Angeline was sure that the both of them were nice, but their similar don’t-talk-to-me vibes made them difficult to approach, regardless, if they had different reasons for putting up that sort of front. 

“Hey.” Haley broke the silence causing Angeline to pull away from her thoughts. “Are you busy after this?” 

Angeline shook her head. “No.” 

Haley grinned, “Let me do your makeup after to like complete the look.” 

“O-okay.” 

Haley’s grin turned into a genuine smile. “Cool, we’re not the same skintone but your complexion is pretty clear, so maybe just some more feature enhancing stuff to compliment what you already have going on.” 

Angeline nodded, she was surprised by how excited she was. Something about making a change in Pelican Town felt much more impactful than any changes she made while she was in Zuzu. For some reason it felt like it meant more than just a decision she was making on a whim, despite this all starting out because of a whim. It was like as if she was letting go of her past life in the city and taking on a new life here and in the valley. It was a bit scary, but the excitement outweighed any negative feelings she had.   

Emily put a lot of care into her work. She made sure to check in with Angeline before making any drastic cute and would mix products together that she thought would work best for her hair and its needs. She hadn’t realized how little she had taken care of herself in the last year before moving out here. Angeline had been so overworked to meet end-of-year deadlines that after a while the constant unrelenting workload just started to seem par for the course.  

~*~

The girls spent the rest of the time chatting while Haley started to do Angeline’s makeup. Angeline had learned that people were constantly surprised that Emily and Haley were sisters and about how the house that they were currently living in belonged to their parents, who were currently traveling. While neither girl needed to work Emily thought it was good for the soul and Haley was thinking about applying to beauty school in Grampleton, but was just having some trouble figuring out how she would get there everyday. 

“Almost done.” Haley said softly as she swiped some gloss along Angeline’s lips. 

Haley gave a self-satisfied smile as she looked at Angeline. “Do you wanna see?” 

Angeline nodded and was given a mirror by Haley. “You guys are amazing.” She was shocked at her own reflection. Her hair that was once just below her shoulder blades now stopped right under her chin. Her makeup made her look refreshed and glowy. Haley had kept her makeup rather soft and natural. It was a stark contrast from how wild Angeline had looked this morning. 

“Yeah, we’re pretty great.” Haley said proudly. 

“Humble too.” Angeline joked as she put the mirror down. 

Haley giggled and rolled her eyes. “Very humble.” 

“How can I repay you guys?” Angeline asked as she stared up at the both of them. 

Haley almost looked offended and Emily was shaking her head. “You letting us help you is payment enough, Angeline.” Emily said. “Just continue to take care of your farm.”

“If you really do wanna give us something though…” Haley trailed off. “I really like pink cake.” 

Angeline smiled. “I can do that. 

Haley smiled back. “Sounds like we’re even then.” 

Angeline nodded and stood up. “Thank you so much you guys, really.” 

“Please come by anytime.” Emily said as she saw Angeline to the door. 

Angeline waved goodbye to the two girls before walking towards town square and stopping. She wasn’t really sure what else she could do. She didn’t want to ruin Haley and Emily’s amazing work by going back to the farm.

After some thought Angeline made her way up the mountain path. It might be a good time to discuss some farm upgrades with Robin. Angeline had a modest amount of money tucked away for a coop and hay silo, so it made sense to talk to her about it now instead of spending it all on seeds.   

Angeline hesitantly walked into the mountain cabin. She knew it was Robin’s place of business but it was also her home, so it felt odd for her to not knock. Before Angeline could make it past the threshold of the door Robin was already greeting her. 

“You cut your hair!” Robin said as she stepped out from behind the counter. 

“O-oh yeah.” Angeline smiled shyly. “Emily cut it.” 

“I like it.” Robin said as she placed her hands on Angeline’s shoulder to get a closer look at the younger woman. “You’re just so cute. Are you single?” 

“H-huh?” Angeline’s face flushed at the question. Why would Robin ask her something like that? She is married. What about Demetrius? She couldn’t just throw her whole life away trying to go after some stranger.      

“Well, you and Sebby are close in age.” Robin trailed off. 

Oh thank Yoba. Angeline wasn’t sure what she’d do if Robin was actually hitting on her. Thank Yoba she was just doing that awkward thing moms do. Angeline did not have enough money to just up and leave.

“Oh.” It was as if the spirits were laughing at Angeline, Sebastian was now standing in the entryway along with her and Robin. Robin still holding on to Angeline. “What are you guys doing?”

“Angeline cut her hair. Doesn’t she look cute, Sebby?” Robin asked as she turned Angeline around to face Sebastian. Angeline wanted to die. She was sure that in this moment she just might. Maybe she just should up and leave town so she doesn’t have to live with the embarrassment.  

“Mom” Sebastian groaned and stepped out of the way to put some distance between himself and Angeline. He had a light dusting of pink across his cheeks and he refused to look their way.   

“Oh sorry Sebastian, I know you don’t like when I call you that in front of people.” 

Sebastian shook his head and looked up at his mom with a pleading stare. As if silently asking her to put him out of this misery. “But doesn’t Angeline look nice?” She was a woman with no mercy. 

There was a beat of silence before Sebastian looked over at Angeline. Angeline was surprised that she didn’t disintegrate under his stare. Angeline thought that Sebastian had brown eyes from how dark they looked at the saloon, but close up she could see a hint of a blue almost purple color, like an indigo? His tense expression became a bit more relaxed and he sighed which broke Angeline’s focus. “It looks nice. I like it.” Sebastian mumbled before quickly escaping further into the house. 

Robin let go of Angeline’s shoulders with a satisfied look and stepped back behind the counter.”So what did you need, Angeline?” 

How was she acting so cool about this? Angeline felt like she could just die on the floor.

“Uhh..” Angeline was at a loss for words. And was Robin giggling to herself? What an evil woman. Here Angeline thought of Robin as a friend. “I-I was wondering if we could talk about building a coop and a silo.” Finally Angeline remembered what she came here for in the first place. 

“Oh sure!” Robin said. “I’ve got the blueprints ready.” 

Robin pulled out a large book full of different plans for farm buildings and furniture. “We can start tomorrow.” 

Angeline nodded and cried internally as she gave Robin the gold needed for the project. “Sounds good.” 

Robin nodded and smiled. “See you tomorrow.”  

Angeline nodded and quickly left the house before Robin tried anything else. That woman was sly. 

Angeline walked quietly along the wooded path that led to her farm from Robin’s house. She felt herself holding back a smile. She figured it was from all the excitement from the day: a new look and some more progress being made on the farm. 

As Angeline stepped foot on to her land she tucked some of her hair behind her ear. He liked it.

[pilothusband]

A lit torch to the woodpile high (part 3)

A Paz VIzsla Bartender!AU

Rating: M (this one gets spicy folks)

Pairing: Paz Vizsla x F!Reader

Warnings: Alcohol (they work in a bar), pining, death/grief mention, masturbation, fantasies of p in v sex, Paz puts himself in horny jail, light smut 

Word count: 3.1k

Description: This one is purely self-indulgent. You decide to up the ante and make Paz’s life (and other parts of him) hard. Harlow is a lil shit, but we love for for it.

Author’s note: I’m still not completely satisfied with this chapter, but I’ve been working on it for far too long. Lightly edited, unbeta’d. Please go here to be added to the taglist! This one goes out to my pal May. Missing you on my dash. Hope you see this update and enjoy it 🥰

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3

He couldn’t get you out of his head. It was maddening.

It had been a long time since anyone had stirred these kinds of feelings up for him, and he doesn’t recall it ever hitting him like a freight train.

He used to think of life in two absolutes: Before he lost everything and After, when he had to pick up the pieces. Now he was starting to think there was more to it, that those absolutes were just parts of him.

If only he wasn’t such a miserable bastard. You were the light in a dark sky. Not just for him, for everyone. He saw the delighted smile that was plastered on Rick’s face after you walked in every day and asked him how his grandchildren were doing, if his wife’s knee was feeling any better.

Paz noticed the change in Harlow’s demeanor now that she had a friend who could build her up when she talked about her dreams. Hell, Madge snuck you food every chance she got, and she only ever did that for him.

He found himself lying awake in bed tonight, as usual, trying to calm the stream of thought that entered his head. Before you, he only could ever think about the ghosts of his past. People he had loved and lost.

But now? Now as he closed his eyes, he saw your eyes, sparkling with delight. Your lips, in a pout, then stretched over a brilliant smile.

The delicate curve of your neck and shoulder. Your ass. He groaned out loud. God, your ass was out of this world. The way it moved when you bent over to grab a dish towel from the bottom shelf. He always had to look away before his thoughts got away from him, or else his mind would wander and he would imagine snaking his arms over yours and caging you to the bar, rolling his hips into yours. You would wiggle your ass against him and throw your head back to see his reaction.

Fuck. Now he was hard. Every time this happened, he would either watch some porn or force himself to think of a woman he didn’t know, someone who he dreamed up in his head.

But no faceless stranger or actress could quite do it for him like you would. He could feel his self control crumbling as he reached into his boxer briefs and fisted his aching cock, taking it out and letting it sit heavy against his stomach, straining with need.

He ran a finger up the underside, imagining it was you teasing him, getting acquainted with how hot and hard he was for you. He let himself picture you, naked and in between his legs, stroking him gently, watching him come apart underneath you. Ideally, he’d flip you over and dive face first into your cunt, lapping wide stripes at your slick folds with his tongue, then sucking your clit into his mouth. He would wait until you’re mewling under him, then he’d plunge a finger into you, stretching you around his finger and adding another. He’d wait until you came in his mouth at least twice before he fucked you. He’d have you begging for his cock, so slick with need it dripped down your thighs.

In this part of the fantasy, you’re so feral for him, your eyes bright and wide looking up at him with hunger, that he acquiesces, and you climb onto his lap and bounce up and down on his cock.

He was stroking himself faster now, feeling so close to the edge. He grit his teeth, growling your name as he came all over his fist, spurts reaching up his stomach, almost all the way to his chest.

As soon as he came to his senses, he sighed, feeling disgusted with himself.

There was a moment in the bed of his truck that night, where you had stared at him, your gaze flickering down to his mouth as you licked your bottom lip. It was just a small flash of your tongue– but it gave him hope for a moment. He had hope that someone as beautiful and kind as you could see through the darkness within him, see the guy he used to be before he lost everything.

But that part of Paz died, along with the family he cared so deeply for. The remaining ones scattered to the wind, unable to carry on pretending like everything hadn’t changed.

He sighed deeply, getting up to wash the shame off himself. At least he’d sleep soundly tonight and dream of a reality where he could hold you in his arms.

Paz seemed to be in higher spirits lately, following your chat in his office. It wasn’t like he skipped into the room and had birds fluttering around his head, like a Disney princess, but he didn’t snap at anyone who made eye contact with him, so it was a noticeable difference.

That was the hot topic conversation of the day, especially for Harlow. She couldn’t get over the 360 change that seemingly happened overnight.

“So, did you doink the grumpy out of him or what?” Harlow asked. She was leaning over the bar, looking at you expectantly with her hands under her chin.

“Of course not!” You said, a little too loudly. “There has not, and will not be any doinking, ever.”

“This sounds like work appropriate conversation,” a deep voice drawled. 

You both spun around, not expecting to see him standing in the doorway, his eyebrow arched. He was clearly unimpressed.

“I’m going to go clean the bathrooms,” Harlow said, dashing out back. Fucking traitor.

You prayed to the almighty maker that the floor would open up and swallow you whole, but there was no such luck in store for you today.

“Hey Paz,” you said, trying to sound casual, as if Harlow hadn’t been talking about your non-existent sex life.

“Hey you,” he said, mimicking your tone. “I actually came out here to ask you if you could swap a shift with Harlow next Friday. I fucked up and scheduled her on a day she requested off. You’d get Sunday off in return.”

“Sure,” you agreed, nodding. “I don’t have any plans.”

“You don’t have any plans to ‘doink’ anyone that night?” He teased.

You could feel your face heating up in embarrassment.

“Not unless you know any willing volunteers.” 

Paz barked out a laugh.

“I might know a guy,” he said, a smirk etched on his handsome face.

You both cursed and thanked the powers above that a customer decided to walk in right at that moment. Of course it was Bob. He usually was the first to come in and one of the last to leave.

Not wanting to lose whatever contest was going on (real or perceived), you gave Paz a coy smile and leaned over the bar to take Bob’s order, making sure you poked your ass out further than necessary.

You couldn’t see Paz’s reaction, but when he exited without so much of a goodbye, you gave yourself an internal fist pump.

In hindsight, maybe it wasn’t the best idea to (potentially) break a dress code at work, but in your defense it was hotter than the surface of the sun, and internal temperature of the bar only seemed to get higher as the night went on.

Also, maybe it would be an added bonus if you got to torture a giant, brooding bartender in the process.

You felt pretty proud of your decision to wear your thinnest bralette, squeeze into your smallest pair of shorts, paired with a t-shirt that was just a little too small.

Of course your car decided to stall 3 times on the way to work, and your AC was busted so you walked in 15 minutes late, already feeling like a frizzy, sweaty mess. Your entrance wasn’t as grand as you were hoping, feeling like your half-assed attempt at makeup had already melted off your face, and the black v-neck you wore was clinging to you in all the wrong places, mainly your sweaty back and right under your bra.

In your rush to clock in before the 20-minute mark, you crashed right into Paz, almost falling and landing on your ass. Paz, of course, barely moved a centimeter. His hand shot out, grabbing you by the shoulder to hold you steady.

“Woah there, small fry, be careful,” he murmured. His hand was large and warm. You had to take a deep breath to get a hold of yourself.

“Paz, I’m so sorry I’m late. My fucking car stalled out on the way and–” you started babbling, pushing your sweaty mane back, praying he couldn’t see the sweat stains on your shirt.

“It’s okay, shit happens. You need someone to look at your car? I know a guy.” He was leaning forwards to get a better look at you, looking concerned. You had trouble controlling how fast your heart was beating and your lungs felt like they couldn’t get enough air. It was plain bizarre, the affect this man had on you with a simple gesture.

I know a guy. Your cheeks felt warm remembering the last time he uttered that sentence.

You had expected him to get angry with you for being late. Hell, you remember the gruff tone he gave you on your first day when he said to show up on time.

“I- I um,” you were having a hard time coming up with words, too distracted by the sensation of Paz’s thumb rubbing soothing circles on your shoulder, brushing against your collar bone. Despite the heat, you felt goosebumps rise on your flesh and your nipples instantly pebbled. You stole a quick glance down to make sure it wasn’t obvious. Shit, it totally was.

“I’m fine, thank you.”

“Let me know if you change your mind,” he replied. Had his voice dropped a few octaves or were you just imagining it?  He removed his hand from your shoulder, much to your chagrin, and backed up a little, giving you a once-over.

“Go ahead and clock in and give yourself a couple minutes to get settled. It should be slow today,” he gave you a soft smile.

“Okay, thanks,” you said, giving him a shy smile in return.

It was about 3 hours into your 8 hour shift and it was dead. There wasn’t a single customer in sight. It wasn’t that surprising, given it was a Tuesday, but God were you bored. It was just you and Paz tonight, with Paz sending Madge home (with pay) and no one else being scheduled.

You didn’t really mind, though, figuring it was a good time to get to know Paz better. He was wiping the already clean bar down for the fifth time that night, really driving the bartender stereotype home.

“You’re going to start wearing the varnish down at this rate,” you laughed, gesturing at the rag in his hand.

He looked down, shaking his head in a playfully exasperated way and let out an embarrassed huff of laughter.

“Alright, how do you suggest we pass the time?”

“How about 20 questions?”

Paz immediately groaned in protest.

“Oh shut up, you big baby, I’ll answer first. Go ahead,” you cocked your chin at him. “Got any questions you’re dying to ask me?”

“Why did you apply for a job here?”

Your first instinct was to deflect, but you did suggest this game, and figured you just had to bite the bullet and answer honestly.

“To be honest, I still haven’t figured out what I want to do,” you explained. “I know, kind of pathetic for someone my age. I took a bartending class at the local adult learning center, got a certificate and just kind of walked in here and asked for an application on a whim.”

Paz could sense your discomfort, how you were ashamed that you hadn’t found your way yet. It was something he could identify with, in a way.

“That’s not pathetic at all,” he said, crossing his arms. “Plenty of people don’t know what they want to do at your age.”

You shrugged, not wanting to continue the subject.

“Boxers or briefs?”

Paz arched an eyebrow, his ever-present sign of judgement coming through.

“That’s what you’re dying to ask me?”

“No, but I figured I’d warm you up first,” you said, giving him a cheeky smile.

“Boxer briefs. Favorite color?”

“Blue. Where did you grow up?”

Paz’s casual expression faltered at the question. 

“Far away. I’d rather not get into it today, if you don’t mind.” The easy smile vanished from your face, replacing it with a nod of understanding.

“That’s totally fine, Paz. I’m sorry if I overstepped,” you sat down at a table, and gestured at the chair across from you, signaling him to sit down. You wanted him to feel at ease around you.

“You and your apologies,” Paz said, a look of fond disbelief on his face. “You have nothing to apologize for, mesh’la.”

A beat of silence passed, waiting for Paz to think of a question. You wanted to ask him what that word he had called you meant, but you had a feeling he would dodge the question.

“Who were you and Harlow talking about yesterday?” Paz rested his chin in his hand, giving you a shit-eating grin. He must have known the answer already, given the smug look on his face.

You felt the color drain out of your face. 

“Why do you want to know so badly?” You countered. In the back of your mind, you thought you probably shouldn’t have talked back to your boss, but his smile didn’t waver. In fact, it only got wider.

“That doesn’t answer my question, sweetheart,” he drawled, stretching his legs and crossing one over the other.

“Harlow,” you thought of a way to word this without incriminating yourself or your friend. But screw it, she had opened her big mouth in the first place. “Harlow thinks there’s something going on between you and me.”

You briefly wondered if his facial muscles were used to this kind of workout, with the grin that refused to let up.

“And your answer was basically, ‘ew no’, ouch,” he chuckled.

“It’s not like– ugh. Fuck you.” You hid your face in your hands. He laughed harder. You had to do something to flip this around, gain back a little power over the situation.

Oh. An evil thought entered your brain. You removed your hands from your face and smirked. Paz was still grinning, but you saw a hint of fear in his eyes.

“Pray tell, what would you have preferred I said?”

Paz leaned back in his chair and regarded you for a moment. It seemed you had thrown him through a loop. You couldn’t help but feel pleased with yourself.

But then he leaned forward, placing both of his large hands on the table, a hungry look in his eyes.

“You can say whatever you want to Harlow,” he said, his voice even but significantly huskier than usual. “But I’d prefer it if you didn’t lie to yourself.”

It felt like your heart was going to beat out of your chest any second now. You weren’t sure if he was being serious and it was making your head spin.

A sound came from the kitchen, snapping you both out of the moment. You sprung apart, despite having a table between your bodies.

“Okay lovebirds, I’m heading home.” It was Madge, standing by the kitchen doors, snickering at your antics.

“Night, Madge,” Paz called. 

You waved feebly and offered a weak “goodnight” at her retreating figure.

It had been too quiet since she had left. Paz seemed unwilling to continue the conversation, opting to brood silently. You muttered something about getting a head start on inventory and retreated into the dusty storage closet to pretend you were counting inventory. Though, you didn’t bring a pen and paper with you, so really you just went out back to stare at a bunch of kegs and liquor bottles, hoping they would miraculously answer all of the questions that were whirring through your brain.

You must have been staring at a bottle of Hennessy for at least a full 5 minutes when the door opened. Paz looked absolutely wrecked. His hair was mussed up, as if he had been running his fingers through it. His chest was heaving as if he had just sprinted a mile.

“Paz.” His name came out of your mouth like a prayer. You weren’t sure what you were asking of him, but you knew you needed him to act.

He stepped closer, slowly, as if he was afraid the floor would open up from under his feet.

“Tell me to stop.” Paz was just inches away now, caging you into the shelves behind you with his arms.

“What if I don’t want you to stop?” You asked, tipping your chin up to look at him.

He growled and tangled his fingers in your hair, kissing you with fervor.

Despite the ferocity of his kiss, his lips were so soft, so pliant. You moaned and licked into his mouth needing to taste him. Paz moaned, pushing you into the shelves further. 

“You drive me crazy,” he panted, pressing his forehead to yours. You responded by capturing his bottom lip between your teeth, pulling him back to your mouth. You were rewarded with a low groan and a push of his hips.

He was hard. That knowledge sent you into a haze. You needed him closer. Your arms went around his shoulders, kneading and pulling him in. He broke the kiss and peppered smaller kisses on your jaw, then down your neck.

“You wear these tiny little shorts and tight shirt to torture me?” He asked, already knowing the answer. He nibbled at your collar bone, hitting a spot that had you throwing your head back against the shelves.

“Yes,” you chuckled breathlessly.

“Mmm, knew it,” he answered, running his hands down your back, down to your ass, giving it a generous squeeze that had you mewling.

“I’ve been hard all fucking day, seeing you waltz around in those shorts, with your nipples hard, begging to be sucked.”

He rubbed his thumb over one of your nipples, causing it to pebble. Paz swallowed your gasp with his mouth, giving you another searing kiss.

Reality came rearing its ugly head in the form of the front door opening. Paz huffed and pressed his forehead to yours, hands coming around your hips to help you off the shelf.

“Duty calls,” he sighed, reaching his hand down into his jeans to adjust himself. Your mouth watered at the sight.

Paz exited the closet, strolling out and greeting the customer as if nothing had just happened, while you stole a few moments to yourself to get your bearings.

It was going to be a long night.

Taglist: @tenderclio @softdin @recklessworry @cannedsoupsucks @pocket-pudding @simping-for-clones @gallowsjoker @idiotonastar @seratoninforyouseratoninforme @devanthus @legally-a-bastard @my-awakened-ghost @comphersjost @princessxkenobi @sheresh0y​ @starlite41​

[ghostyearzero0]

Welcome To The Wild Side (Chapter 2)

Chapter Two: Working for Motley, but pay the price. A/N: I changed some things since the last chapter. I wanted to restart this thing, but I figured fuck it, and just start from here. I changed that Lucey is now Mick’s biological sister. Lucey now works for Motley after quitting her job at a pizzeria. The title is now “Welcome To The Wild Side”. I like the sound of it than just the name of one of their many hits. Okay, but I hope you guys like this series, and I don’t know how long it’ll go. I hadn’t had the time to go and make a chapter 2 til now. I’m sorry. My parents got into a bad motorcycle accident. My dad has a broken ankle and fractured spine (at the neck, now has to wear a neck brace and he can’t move his ankle anymore). My mom is bruised and scuffed up. BOTH are okay and home now, my dad just got home today. I may not be posting chapters often due to the fact I have to take care of my father for a few weeks. So, enjoy chapter two. 😉 Thank you for your patience and hope this gets a little bit attention. You’re welcome to give me any suggestions. My requests are open too. For now, enjoy this fanfic. Word Count: 2,748 Words. Warnings: Smut, Heavy smut, cursing, mentions of drugs and alcohol. A bit of abuse. 18+ only. Do not read if you don’t like any of the themes above. You have been warned. This is going to be DETAILED smut, as much as a I can. Enjoy and thank you.           Lucey looked at Johnny as he approached her with an impatient look on his face. “Well, bitch? What is it?” He tapped his foot, his hands on his hips. Brown eyes filled with fire looked her shimmering blue ones. “I think we should see other people.” She stood up and sighed. “Mmm.. I see. You don’t want me any more.” He rolled his eyes. “It’s not that. You treat me really badly and I feel like I shouldn’t be with you anymore.” She scratched the back of her head. Johnny nodded, “Whatever.” He walked out of the house and slammed the door. She heard the car door open, and then slamming shut. She then heard it start, and drove off.

          She sighed softly and nodded softly. “There he goes. You did the right thing, girl.” She told herself as she went to get ready for her little date with the Terror Twins. Who knows what they’ll do to her? The twins are usually well known for being destructive. Their veins filled with adrenalin after each show. Though, things may be different since it’s just a date. Though, they’re always drunk and high. Rarely ever sober. Especially Nikki. -time skip-         As if right on cue, there was a knock at the door right on 6PM. Lucey got up from the couch and opened the door to see Nikki dressed up in a black tank-top and black pants. His boots match his dark clothing and his hair was of course still fluffy as hell. His bangs covering his eyes. “Hey, babe. You look hot as usual.” He looked her over, surprisingly he can still see through his bangs. She wore a short black dress and some cute knee-length boots. Her hair was fully down and was straightened. “You are all ready? Or ya need a minute?” The bassist asked as he took out a hand for her to take.        “I think I am all set.” Lucey smiled and took his hand. Nikki smirked and took her hand into his, walking out to the car. Though, he did let Lucey lock up her home. After they got in, he made Tommy sit in the back, despite he had little to no leg room. Tommy was dressed in his biker gear. Black, sleeveless shirt, black vest, fingerless gloves, tight black leather pants, and his hair was a bit neater than Nikki’s. Though, his brunette curls are a little frizzy. His brown eyes lit up when he saw the beautiful, red headed goth got into the car with his best friend.     “Hey, baby.” He wolf whistled at her. She giggled softly and shut the door, buckling up. Nikki got in, shutting his door, buckling up, then starting the car up. He started to drive after he carefully back out from the drive way. Tommy smiled and looked over to talk to Lucey. “So, tonight’s a special night. We are treating you in a special way. Spoiling you!” Tommy was a hopeless romantic. He will do his best to treat his girl right. Even spoiling the fuck out of her. He wanted his girl to be very happy. “Yeah?” Lucey smiled and looked at Tommy. Tommy nodded softly and then leaned back. After Nikki pulled up at the restaurant, he made sure to help Lucey get out of the car and Tommy got out, stretching his long legs. The trio walked in and got a booth. Tommy and Nikki sat on each side of Lucey. They ordered their usual Jack and Coke while Lucey just ordered a coke. While they were looking at the menu, Tommy grew an idea. Nikki looked over at his twin, who was smirking. He got the clue and smirked back. “Hey, babe. Why don’t you go under the table for us?” He whispered at Lucey. She rose a brow. “Why?” She asked. “Just do it.” He chuckled.. She nodded and went under the table, as she was confused. Tommy looked around, making sure no one was looking. Once the coast was clear, he bent his head down. “You know what to do right? Just a quickie.” He whispered to her. Lucey looked up and blinked, “Here? Now?” She whispered. “Mhmm… Trust me nobody can see you, there’s a long ass table cloth on this table…” He whispered at her. She rose a brow, but she did expected this from Tommy. She sighed softly, moving her hands towards Tommy’s belt, unbuckling it. Then she started to unbutton his pants, unzipping them as well. She pulled them down, half away to his legs. He wasn’t wearing any underwear… Figures, it’s Tommy fucking Lee. What do you expect? Lucey looked at his dick, as she began to rub it, feeling it going hard. Luckily, there was a table cloth other wise she wouldn’t be doing this in the first place. Nikki looked at his twin, who was trying to look serious and not obvious that he was about to get a blow job. He held the menu tightly in his hands. The waitress came back. “Are you ready to order?” She smiled. Tommy blinked and looked at her with a smile, “We need a few more minutes, please. Our date isn’t back from the bathroom yet.” He said. She nodded and walked off. Nikki chuckled and looked down at Lucey. “Don’t forget about me, babe.” He reached his hands down to her, grabbing her hair a bit. Lucey nodded and she placed Tommy’s dick inside of her mouth, bopping her head back and forth. Nikki started to unzip and unbutton his pants, taking them half way off of his legs. He was already half way hard. Tommy sip at his drink ,letting out very soft grunts as he gripped onto the girl’s head. He bucked his hips a bit and face fucked her a bit. She sucked him faster, his tip hitting the back of her throat. She reached her hand to Nikki’s dick to stroke him. Nikki bit his bottom lip a bit as he bucked his hips into her hand. “Her hand feels so soft..” He whispered to Tommy. Tommy chuckled, “Her mouth feels more better than her hands.” He looked at his twin.                As Lucey kept sucking Tommy off and stroking Nikki, the boys were softly groaning, trying hard not to be loud. After a few minutes, Tommy had came inside of her mouth and Nikki had came into her hand. She swallowed most of the cum and licked her hand clean. She wiped her mouth off with the back of her hand. She moved back up to seat in between the twins. Tommy and Nikki fixed their pants, pulling them back up and buttoning them back up. Tommy wrapped his arm around Lucey’s shoulder and kissed her cheek. “You’re pretty good at that.” He complimented her. Nikki nodded in agreement.                They ordered their food and ate. After they left the restaurant, they decided to drop her back home. “We had a blast. We do have tour coming up though.” Nikki said as he looked down at her. “We did talked to Doc about you. I even convinced him about hiring you. SO! You get to work with us now.” He smirked. “Oh shit. Well, this day just keeps getting better and better!” She smiled widely. “Yeah. Babe. We’ll see you.” He leaned down and pecked her lips, as he left her home. She smiled widely and shut the door. She flopped down on the couch. “That was a good day.” She giggled. Though, she may regret working for Motley..                -Time skip-                1982 It was now the year of 1982, Motley Crue was getting more and more well known and popular. Of course, Tommy and Nikki was fucking every groupie they can get their hands on. Vince though, he was with multiple than just one. Mick had no interested in that shit. Lucey was working with them, helping with costumes and even going in music videos. She even gets to watch the show in the back stage. Though, this night was quite different. Lucey was backstage. She wanted to watch the show but she didn’t feel like it tonight. She walked over and saw one of Nikki’s books. She was interested in reading. She sat down on the couch and looked down. She shut her eyes for just a minute. Though, it was three hours before she woke up from her nap. She stretched out softly and heard the door open. She snapped her neck towards the sound. It was just Nikki who had came in.. Covered in sweat and smudgy make up. His black locks stuck to his sweaty skin. Nikki looked at the red head. “Did you enjoyed the show?” He asked with a smirk. Lucey scratched her head and giggled. “About that. I took a nap… But it was by accident.” She raised her hands in defense.

She heard the door being locked, thanks to Nikki. “That’s too bad. You missed our solos.” He pouted. “I’ll watch the next one. I promise.” She smiled and raised her hands in defense. “Fine, but that’s on you. I’ll take your word for it.” He chuckled, walking up to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. “Tommy and I have been thinking… You should be our girl.” He looked down at her. “Both of you having me?” She rose a brow. “Yeah. We can share.” He chuckled and kissed her forehead. “Besides, we can’t let a sexy girl like you go to another guy.” He glared, a hint of jealously was in his voice.

“I see. Well, Nikki… I’ll be honored to be your girl!” She nodded softly. “Good, Tommy will be happy to hear. But since it’s just us.. I want to have a little fun..” He leaned his head to her face. “Okay, fine. I’ll be down for that.” She nodded softly, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Mm. Good…” His wild side was starting show now, his hand roamed down to her ass, giving it a good squeeze. Luckily she was wearing a pair of shorts and a tour shirt. She let out a soft squeak as he pulled her closer. She felt his hard on through his tight, leather pants. “You’re eager, aren’t you?” She looked up at him. “Course I am… I need to relief myself…” He smirked.

Usually, he’d find a groupie and take her somewhere to fuck her. Though, he specifically wanted Lucey. Since he had her all to himself, he figured to have some fun with her. “I’m down for a round.. if you are…” His green eyes shimmered with lust as he looked into her bright blue’s. “Sure. Let’s do it..” She blushed softly. This made Nikki smirked as he leaned into her face, his lips latching onto hers. She softly moaned and kissed him back. She deepened the kiss, opening her mouth a bit, closing her eyes. He moaned softly, slipping his wet organ into her mouth. His hands groping her breasts, as she moaned loudly.

He pulled away, smirking softly. He chuckled and moved her to the couch. He laid her down. He took off her shirt and then shorts. He pulled off her bra and panties. She blushed softly and looked up at Nikki. He walked off towards a table. She got up and walked next to him. She saw him doing a line of coke as he turned around, left over coke all over his nose. His pupils now wide as he started to strip his clothes off. Eventually he got nude right in front of her. He roughly grabbed her and bent her down over the table. “I’m going to fuck you over this table, baby.” He growled.

She gasped once she felt him entered her. She moaned loudly, feeling him thrust quickly in and out of her. Her tits were moving back and forth a bit. He reached a hand over and grabbed one of them, squeezing it.

She moaned more louder, panting a bit. “Oh, Nikki~! Nikki!” She moaned out his name. He smirked, “That’s right, scream my name out.” He growled in a feral way as he kept thrusting quickly into her. He went harder as well, as he let go of her breast, both hands on her hips as he fucked her from behind. “You’re still tight. Mmm~” He growled as he leaned down and bit down on to her neck, but not hard enough to cause pain.

She moaned loudly and closed her eyes tightly. She bit down onto her lip, drawing blood. Nikki groaned a bit as he kept fucking her, hard and fast. She felt her orgasm coming soon, as she tightened around his dick. He moaned loudly, as he gripped onto her hair. She started to moan really loudly, anyone outside of the door would probably hear them. She eventually came onto his dick. However, Nikki wasn’t too far behind. He grabbed both of her tits, squeezing them as she was orgasming. She screamed out his name as she was orgasming.

He slammed his dick deep within her pussy. He came deep and hard into her, with a loud groan. Painting her inner walls with his cum. He panted and stayed in her for a few minutes. He pulled out slowly and helped her stood up. Her legs felt like jelly as she leaned against him, head on his chest. Both were now super sweaty and tired. “That was the best sex I ever had!” He exclaimed, his hand cupping her cheek. He looked down at her, pecking her lips. He heard a knock on the door, which made her jump a bit. He chuckled. “I got this babe.” He picked her up bridal style, carrying her to the couch and placing her gently down onto it.

He got dressed and opened the door. It was Doc, “Nikki. It’s time to go. Where’s Lucey? She’s in here with you?” He asked. “Yeah, she’s in here with me.” Nikki leaned against the door frame. Doc nodded and walked away. Nikki went back inside of the room, shutting the door. He looked over at Lucey with a smirk. “Looks like we gotta go, baby girl.” He went over to her. He helped her off of the couch and get dressed. She grabbed the bags and slug them over her shoulders. She took Nikki’s hand as they went out of the room and started to walk back towards the bus. Lucey giggled softly, being happy at the moment.

She greeted Tommy with a wave and Tommy happily waved back her. Nikki smirked at Tommy and winked at him. Tommy got the hint and smirked at him. He followed his twin with the red head. Working with Motley isn’t too bad, right? Dating the Terror Twins isn’t bad, right? Nothing bad will happen…

yet.

[lordseochangbin]

The1: Seo Changbin

FLUFF and ANGST

a/n: since its my one year on tumblr i really wanted to write a changbin fic hehe so @0325stay and i worked together on this beauty <3 thank you for helping me write this 

You were finally leaving. Your hard work paid off and now you were on your way to working with one of the biggest companies in the music industry, JYP. It was time to make a name for yourself as a producer.

The company was kind enough to pay for all of your expenses for this work trip and now you were seated in first class, wine glass in hand in your own private room on this flight. Making you even more excited to work for them and see what they have to offer.

9 hours later, you were woken up by the flight attendant to tell you that you were about to land and outside, you were welcomed by the thin clouds that separated the sky and the beautiful city down below.

Though it was night time, you were in awe at the sight of the colourful city lights, and the lit up buildings. You weren’t used to this. This was your first time flying alone internationally.

The plane landed smoothly and you grabbed your stuff and exited the aircraft. Making sure you thanked everyone on that flight and when you felt that Seoul air hit your face, you knew you made it. This was the start of your career.

It was a while before you could grab all your luggage and go through the gates, but when you did, it was packed and you had a hard time finding your ride.

You searched and searched, until you finally found the sign. A big poster that had your name on it with JYP Entertainment’s logo that was being held by a man that was just waving it around, hoping that someone would approach him.

“Hi! I’m Y/N… I’m guessing you’re my ride?”

The man looked at you up and down and then put the poster down. He gave you a warm smile and extended his hand out to you as he introduced himself.

“I’m Changbin and yeah I am. JYP sent me over to take you to the hotel and I brought you some dinner as well.”

Changbin took the heavy bags from your arms and guided you all the way to the car. You got in the front seat and whipped out your camera. Excited to see the views during this ride and capture every moment since you knew this was only temporary.

He started driving through the quiet roads then into the busy cities where you were surprised to see the city still so alive at 2am. People were singing, laughing, dancing, just hanging out with friends under the bright lights.

Click, click, click. That’s all Changbin heard throughout the ride. He was confused since he thought you were going to live here, but he didn’t want to bother you with all these questions. There was something about you that just immediately caught his attention, but he didn’t know what it was.

Maybe it was the way you found everything so fascinating, or maybe it was just because this was one of the very few times he was going to be around someone who was from a different country. He didn’t know just yet.

When you two finally reached the hotel, he hopped out and grabbed your bags. Checking you in under the company’s card and then bringing up your bags to your room. Also handing you your dinner and then saying his goodbyes.

“Good night. I’ll be back by lunch to pick you up for work… Sweet dreams”

But before he shut the door, he asked one more question.

“What’s your number? You know, so I can call or text you before I pick you up.”

You exchanged numbers and then he shot you a smile on his way out. You already knew you two were going to get along, there was just something about him.

The morning came and you slept like a baby because of how tired you felt from travelling. You were only awakened by the sound of your phone ringing. It was Changbin. You overslept and now you had a little less than an hour to freshen up.

You rushed yourself. All your clothes were already scattered, your bathroom was a mess, and you were starving at this point. You ended up hitting corners of furniture from trying to hurry your process up.

Knock knock, the door went. Your hair was a mess and you were only finished with half of your outfit. It was your banana pajama pants paired with some cute shirt you found. Along with one shoe on. You opened the door and you found Changbin just waiting there with coffee in his hand and a small breakfast bun he picked up along the way. 

“Well…good morning.”

He scoffed and rolled his eyes when he saw you rushing with your frizzy hair and half done outfit but, he sat down comfortably on the chair and just talked to you about your schedule today. From the meeting, to the company tour, then the meeting of the groups, and then to the actual work that was to be started.

You didn’t hear most of it though since you were too busy panicking about how you were going to present yourself today. You just started babbling about your thoughts and Changbin just listened. He found it cute how you babbled when you were nervous and the bed head hair just made his day.

He handed you the coffee and the breakfast bun, telling you to hurry up and then threw the company employee pass at you as you both drove off for work.

Once you both reached the company, Changbin introduced you to everyone, but they all seemed way too busy to notice you fully. You didn’t mind though, you knew they were all busy with promotions and they needed to perfect everything they did.

Changbin gave you a tour of the company, and little by little, you found himself opening up to you. At first, he seemed like a snob, but when you got to know him, he was like a bubbly little kid that was always trying to play. He went from trying to act tough and in charge to skipping down the halls of JYP saying hi to everyone he knew.

Then after a long day of meeting most people and looking through all the rooms, it was time to start work officially. Changbin opened the door to a dainty size studio, just enough room to fit one. You thought he was going to leave you once he dropped you off, but he pulled up a chair and sat down real close to you.

“Aren’t you going to leave?”

He rested his chin on his hand and shook his head. He just told you he was curious with how you do your work. So, you started setting up your program, linking all the pads, and finding the right channels to use. You worked fast for someone who didn’t have much experience working professionally and Changbin was impressed with you.

You just did your thing while he sat and vibed on the side. You barely noticed him while working, but Changbin noticed every small detail about you. From the way you found the rhythm and beat you wanted just by tapping your foot and fingers furiously, to the way you smiled to yourself after finding the right tones.

He sat back and enjoyed how you worked and was thinking about if he should ask the boss if he could work with you on this track. And to his luck, he got the boss’ approval to work with you and was assigned to be your guide for your whole stay.

From there, Changbin would come pick you up every morning, drop you off every night, bring you food whenever you asked, or just randomly throughout the day. Every single day, he’d bring a surprise. Whether it was a small treat from the street food vendors, or a little toy he thought you’d like. Changbin was always handing it over with a smile, and after a week, he was already giving you hugs like you two had been friends forever.

On your days off, he would still be there for you even when he didn’t need to be. He’d send you a good morning text then ask you what your plans were for the day because he wanted to personally take you around the cities. Sometimes even bringing his group along, but then telling them to leave because they got too annoying.

Changbin took you to see the regular tourist spots and paid for everything, even though you told him no. The man wouldn’t let you pay at all. Even when he took you to his favorite shopping mall, everything you touched, Changbin would pay for it. Not even looking at the price. You got kind of mad at that, but he would always say “It’s okay, we’re friends. Let me treat you.”

That’s how your first 3 weeks in South Korea went. You were with Changbin for almost 24 hours a day, just working side by side, and him not leaving your side at all. The only time he’d leave was for rehearsal, but then he’d come straight back to you. All sweaty and tired, but he kept his bubbly self around you and talked to you like you’ve been close all your life.

He’d tease you non-stop, he’d hug you whenever he got the chance or even just place his head on your shoulder while he watched you work. Changbin was slowly attaching himself to you, slowly taking a liking to you, but he wouldn’t admit it just yet. He just kept it quiet and tried to see if his feelings were real and if you felt the same way.

At the studio, Changbin stared at his phone while you worked on the last track of the album. The occasional deep breaths and sighs showed your tiredness, and he knew it was about time for a break. He knew how badly deadlines could get to a producer’s head, so he wanted to take you to the one place he always found himself on times like this.

“Y/N?” He said behind your ear, slowly taking off your headphones making you turn your head to face him. 

“What’s up?” You replied, but before you got an answer, Changbin heard nothing of your protests, grabbed your hand, turned off your computer, and dragged you out of the studio. 

“Changbin!! What are you doing? I just started-” 

“And we’ll finish it tonight...Right now, you need a break, and I know just where to take you” 

You simply rolled your eyes as a smirk grew on Changbin’s face. Of course he knew where to take you. At this point, it seemed like he knew everything about you. 

As Changbin drove you to the spot, you watched the city lights light up and took photos again. You wanted to keep everything in memory knowing that this was only temporary. The city, the studio, Changbin. All of it would be over soon. 

“Hey,” he said, grabbing your attention as his hand met yours. “Do you mind grabbing the bag from the back, we’re almost there” 

Your eyebrows furrowed in curiosity of Changbin’s plans. Where was he taking you? The guy was full of surprises. 

Outside, you heard the sounds of a peaceful river along with the sounds of jet skis rushing against the water. You turned your head to be welcomed by the calming sight of the Han River.

You weren’t able to take your eyes off the beautiful view and you just stood there in amazement while Changbin held your hand to lead you to the spot he was taking you to. You couldn’t help but admire the bright bridge that stretched out ahead of you leading to the beautiful city of Seoul. 

The night sky was filled with the large moon and clouds that had planes flying through. It casted over the two of you and as the perfect weather chilled in, you and Changbin set a blanket to sit on. 

“This is beautiful” You mentioned,  making Changbin smile as he watched you cherish the moment. Again, he heard the clicks of your camera and just giggled at every picture you took. 

“Changbin! 1 ,2, 3 Smile!”

He smiled as bright as he could and gave you multiple poses so you could remember him in every way. You probably took over 10 pictures of him and when you went to show him his pictures, Changbin scooted closer to you and threw an arm over your shoulder. He wasn’t looking at the pictures, he was only looking at you.

His heart raced just by sitting beside you and listening to you talk about something you were so passionate about. Everything you did now was just adorable in his eyes and he was hoping that this feeling would never stop.

“Changbin, aren’t these nice?”

Changbin heard nothing and kept looking over at you. He was finally admitting to himself that he was catching feelings for  you. There was no view- even in a place like this- that could top the beauty that he saw in you.

When you noticed he hadn’t responded, you turned and waved your hands in front of him.

“Changbin? Helloooo” You giggled as his eyes grew wider. “Yeah, yeah let me grab the drinks” He coughed out, grabbing the bag from the car. 

“Were you admiring the view?” You asked, propping yourself with your elbows as you laid back. 

“Yeah, yeah totally” Changbin replied, though the only view he found himself admiring was you. 

Handing you a drink, Changbin sat by you before asking “Are you still stressed about tomorrow? The evaluations?”

You sat up next to him before grabbing your drink and taking a sip. “A little, I mean everything’s still not finished and I only have tonight but I definitely needed some fresh air… thank you Changbin” 

“It’s no big deal I mean really-” 

“No Changbin, thank you for everything.” You interrupted, laying your head on his shoulder. 

Changbin must be crazy. Could you hear the constant thumping of his heart or was that just him? 

As you two finished the drinks, break time was over and the two of you made your way back to the studio. You were now filled with a sudden confidence and faith in the success of your album and Changbin was now a man that had a heart for you and only you now. 

Once the two of you were back at the studio, it was time to work again. Changbin stayed on his phone ready to help while you buried yourself in the unfinished tracks. 

Time passed by quickly as you got your tasks finished one by one, and the small snores heard from behind you made it evident that Changbin had fallen asleep, honestly you would’ve as well. Everyday, for the past few weeks, Changbin had stayed with you until he dropped you off at night, despite his busy schedule and you could never wrap your head around why. 

With a click of your mouse, everything was finally saved on a flash drive. Your first album was completed… You did it.

You squealed in excitement. Jumping up from your seat and shaking Changbin’s shoulders to wake him up. 

“Changbin! Changbin I finished it!” You exclaimed in excitement as Changbin got up. 

“You finished it!” Changbin repeated after you, also jumping up and down with you. You pulled Changbin into your arms and held him close to show him how grateful you were for all his support. 

“I seriously couldn’t have done this without you”

Changbin looked into your eyes full of joy. You seemed so happy in the moment and he was happy for you too, but then it was like his emotions took over his body. He couldn’t help but to smile, close his eyes, and lean in closer to you. 

You just watched him as he closed his eyes and watched  his lips only a few inches away from yours. In a panic, you whispered his name hoping to catch his attention but, he only leaned in closer and his lips slightly brushed against yours, but you stepped back in time. 

“Um..” You let out, the tension in the room increasing as Changbin opened his eyes. 

“Y/n I-”

“I have to go… prepare for tomorrow’s evaluation. I’ll see you tomorrow, get a good night’s sleep and all” You quickly said as you gathered your things and left the room. 

Changbin didn’t plan on getting a good night’s sleep. In fact, he couldn’t sleep at all. He couldn’t believe that he just tried to kiss you and now he was tossing and turning in bed.

The sound of your alarm made you leap out of bed and head to your closet. Today was the day. It was time to show off your hard work. Your muscles tensed at the fact that you were finally presenting your work to a line of producers and managers. 

After getting ready, you waited outside for Changbin. It seemed like the perfect day, as if nothing could go wrong. That was until Changbin showed up and you suddenly remembered last night. 

He pulled up in front and when you sat down inside, you both could feel the awkward tension between you two and to try to relieve that tension, you said hey, but he said hey at the same time too. Only making the awkwardness visible between you two.

You looked at him hoping he would say something more but he never did and that’s how it went the entire drive. Just pure awkward silence.

Once the two of you arrived, you got out of the car, hoping he would come along, but he didn’t. “You’re not coming?” You asked. 

“Nah, I’ll wait for you. Good luck” He said as he stopped the engine and started playing with his phone. 

You said thanks and took a deep breath as you saw Changbin go back on his phone. This was the only time Changbin wasn’t going to be beside you when you were playing music and you didn’t know how to feel except nervous and uneasy.

As you walked into the room, you felt multiple pairs of eyes follow you to the stage.With a press of a button, your new album started playing and to your surprise, everyone seemed to enjoy it and you finally got a pass to release it. Your hard work paid off and you felt like a huge weight was lifted off your shoulder.

But with that pass, you knew that it was the end of your stay. In the contract, it stated that when you got your pass to release your music, it was time to go home. The only problem was that you didn’t know how to tell Changbin since the flight was already booked and your stuff had to be packed by tonight. 

In a hurry, you ran to Changbin’s car, only to see that he had already fallen asleep, so you opened the door and woke him up. 

“Hey! They said my music was good and-” 

“Congrats!” Changbin said, already starting the car and getting ready to leave. 

“Wait why are we in such a hurry?” You asked. 

“I’m a little busy with promotions tomorrow so I have to practice tonight, is that okay?” He asked. 

You were hoping the two of you could celebrate tonight, but if he was busy with promotions he probably didn’t care about you leaving tomorrow anyways.

“Yeah.. that’s fine” You said before getting an email about your ticket home. 

“Alright, I promise to see you tomorrow, then we could celebrate. I knew you could do it, so tomorrow, just wait for me, okay?”

Changbin leaned over to give you a hug, not knowing that it was going to be the last one he would be able to give you for a while. He smiled and you two did your special handshake and then he drove off after dropping you off at the hotel.

You quickly went up and packed your things. Sort of wishing that your last night would’ve been spent with Changbin, but that was okay. You two spent so much time together during your stay, he almost forgot to go to rehearsals some days. 

Even though he wasn’t here, you were still pretty happy about your music being released soon. You couldn't wait to go home and see your friends and family because you knew they’d be proud of you. 

“Hey Mom,” You said on the phone. “Yeah! They said I can come back tomorrow… I can’t wait to see you too.. okay I’ll be safe.. bye” 

The next day, Changbin had coffee and a roll in hand. He felt bad that he couldn’t be with you yesterday so he wanted to make up for it even though he was busy with practice today, but once he got in your usual studio, he noticed that all of your things were gone. 

An employee passed by so Changbin decided to ask what happened and that’s when he found out. Your contract was done and you were already heading home and he could do nothing to stop you from leaving.

They mentioned that you were already at the airport, just waiting for your flight and when he heard that, his hands balled up in a fist and he felt his heart drop. He didn’t even get to celebrate with you let alone tell you about how he finally felt about you after these few weeks together.

Changbin quickly rushed through the hall to leave only to be stopped by his members. They were all getting ready to practice one more time so they could perfect everything, but he pushed them to the side because the only thing on his mind right now, was you.

“Yo Changbin where are you going?” The rest of the guys asked him.

“I have to go,” was all he said, nudging them aside.

“Hyung!” Felix called after him. It was no bother, Changbin was already out the door and nowhere to be seen. 

He frantically grabbed his phone from his pocket, wanting to call you and tell you everything that he wanted to say before, but he noticed an airplane fly above him. Changbin still tried calling you and texting you, hoping you were still seated in the airport, but then he noticed he had one unread message left in his notifications.

Y/N: Bye Changbin. Thank you for everything, I’ll see you soon :)

[khunfounded]

Got Me In Check

[This was done for the wonderful @tower-of-chess collab!]

It was the late afternoon, sunshine pouring in through the dorm’s cloudy windows, and Khun was pretending to pay attention to his online probabilistic graphic models lecture while actually watching BEST 2 HOUR LONG FUNNY CAT COMPILATION  in another browser. It didn’t matter anyways, he was already ahead in all of his work, and he could answer the professor’s questions without even paying attention.

Cats were a much more important endeavor anyways.

Suddenly, the door slammed open, and his roommate, Bam, came racing towards him. His golden eyes were filled with desperation, and he was panting as if he had just run a marathon. It was unfair how Bam could pull off the hot and sweaty look (with emphasis on the hot) whilst Khun was stuck with frizzy hair and blotchy cheeks anytime he went sprinting across campus.

“Khun, I’m in trouble!” Bam wailed, hands gripping the armrests of his roommate’s chair, “I need your help”.

Khun’s eyes widened with concern, “Are you okay? What’s wrong? What can I do?”

If this was another Rachel problem, Khun swore to god he was actually going to stab her this time. He couldn’t put up with how easily she manipulated his friend, leading him around by the ear. Bam insisted that she was a good person, but her actions showed the exact opposite. What kind of person constantly gaslit and negged their friends? Khun knew the answer. An absolute asshole, that’s who.

But instead of what he expected, what came out of his friend’s mouth was, “I need you to teach me how to play chess!”

What.

“What?” Khun asked incredulously. 

Bam must have realized how he sounded, because he pulled away and tilted his head down to hide a prominent blush. He bit his lip and mumbled something incoherent.

As adorable as that was, it really wasn’t helping Khun’s confusion, “I didn’t quite catch that”.

Bam looked back up and his face got even more red, the blush spreading to the tips of his ears. He fidgeted with the loose strand of his t-shirt and cleared his throat.

“You know how I’ve been wanting to make more friends?” Bam hedged.

Khun did. Bam was a social butterfly, he needed friends to thrive, but ever since they moved away for college, he had been having trouble making them. Khun’s heart ached whenever he saw Bam looking longingly at groups of people messing around and laughing on the campus green. He and Bam were best friends, and they spent almost all of their free time together, but Khun knew that that wasn’t enough. He had no idea why Bam wasn’t surrounded by people at all times, honestly. His natural charisma could fell even the most stoic man. Though maybe he was a little biased.

“Yeah?” He asked.

“And you know how you suggested that I join some clubs to meet people?” Bam didn’t stop to let him answer, voice going a mile a minute like it did whenever he was emotional, “Well I met a really cool group of people, and their club president invited me to join and I said yes”.

Khun could guess where this was going.

“But?”

Bam covered his face with his hands and groaned before answering, “I said yes without realizing that it was the chess club. I don’t know how to play chess! But I already agreed and I don’t wanna flake out and I really, really want to be friends with them”.

Bam lifted up his head and grabbed Khun’s hands, pulling them to his chest. Khun’s heart rate tripled. That probably wasn’t good. But, hey, he wasn’t a physio major, what would he know?

“I had no idea what to do but then I remembered that I know the smartest person ever, and if anyone would be able to help me it would be him”.

“You’re just saying that to butter me up,” Khun chuckled.

“Please?” Bam pouted, “For me?”

Oh god, how could he say no to that? Curse Bam for knowing that he was Khun’s ultimate weakness. He sighed.

“You’re lucky that I used to play chess with Ran, otherwise you’d be screwed”.

Bam let go of his hands, doing a fist pump in excitement, “Yes! Thank you so much!”

“But next time we go get pho, you’re footing the bill”.

They decided to get started later that evening, borrowing a chess board from the desk assistant and bringing it to their floor’s rec room. Luckily, the only other people there were Wangnan and Quaetro, who were busy trying to murder each other in Mario Kart, and Hwaryun, who was working on her laptop. Khun assumed that she was editing a video for her terrifyingly popular conspiracy theory youtube channel. He and Bam sat on the floor in the corner of the room, far enough away that Quaetro’s evil laughter was a bearable volume.

Khun took out the pieces and placed them on the chess board, explaining each of them as he went. Bam was looking at him intently, eyes full of interest. Khun had to avert his gaze just so he could be able to focus and not turn into an incoherent mess. He fondly reminisced about the days long past when he was able to pull off being aloof and cool. Bam had left his reputation in ruins.

When he got to the Queen, he said, “She can move in any straight direction as far as possible as long as she does not move through any of her own pieces. She is the most powerful piece of the game, so use her wisely”.

“So she’s like Khun!” Bam grinned brightly.

“What do you mean?” Khun asked, rubbing his thumb against the edge of the Black Queen.

Bam reached out and took the White Queen, cradling it in his palm and smiling softly, “You’re the most important, too”.

Khun felt his cheeks heat up. Was this flirting? Was Bam flirting with him? No, of course not, that wouldn’t make any sense. There was no way it could be possible, but how the hell else could he interpret that?

Khun had long accepted the fact that his crush on his best friend was hopeless and would never be reciprocated, but lately things kept happening that made it impossible for him to not get his hopes up. Bam had always been affectionate, but it had increased ten fold in the last few months. When they sat on Khun’s bed (which Bam always claimed was far superior to his own) and binged youtube videos together, Bam would cuddle right up against him like a content cat.

Once, when Bam had had a particularly long day at work, he had walked straight into Khun’s arms and just held him for several minutes, tears of exhaustion seeping into Khun’s shirt. Afterwards, they had sat close together on the dorm room floor and Bam spilled out all his frustration and anxiety, fidgeting with Khun’s hand the whole time.

Sometimes, when they were walking downtown together, Bam would just take Khun’s hand and intertwine their fingers, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. He wouldn’t even stop his excited rambling, just continuing on as if nothing had happened.

But something had happened between them, and Khun needed to find out what or he was going to go insane.

And in this moment, he decided that, fuck it, two could play at that game.

“So does that mean you’re my King?” He asked, smiling when Bam’s eyes widened and he ducked his head.

“If you’ll have me,” Bam murmured, biting his lip.

Were they still talking about chess? Khun wasn’t sure.

“How could I say no to that?” He said just as softly, before clearing his throat and picking up the White King, “Anyways, the King can only move one square in any direction, and he can never move himself into check”.

The moment was successfully derailed, but the electric charge of something was still in the air, even as Khun led Bam through some easy strategies.

“Now, you should make sure that you focus on the center four squares of the board,” he guided Bam, “Whoever dominates those dominates the game”.

Bam’s eyebrows scrunched up, and Jesus, why was he so cute? It should be illegal. Put him away for life.

“Okay,” he told Bam, “When you can get into a draw with me, that’s when you’re ready”.

And so began Bam’s week-long training, which he said was more intense than anything he’d ever done at Jinsung’s dojo. It was also much harder on Khun’s side, to hold himself back from absolutely decimating his friend in three moves, which Bam made sure to make fun of him for.

“I think it’s cute!” he said, “You’re trying so hard just to help me”.

“I’m not cute,” he grumbled as he took Bam’s Rook out of spite.

The entire thing was a learning experience for both of them. Bam was learning how to play chess, and Khun was learning that Bam had absolutely terrifying game rage. His eyes practically crackled with electricity and Khun heard him cuss more times in those few days than he had in his entire time of knowing him. Baby Khun would be distraught, but Adult Khun was kind of into it.

“Fuck!” Bam cursed when Khun got him in check, startling the sleeping burrito Laure, and making Khun burst out laughing. Bam stuck his tongue out and flicked Khun’s Queen, toppling her over. 

Khun moved the chess pieces back a few moves, and guided Bam’s hand to moving the Knight in a way that would have trapped him.

“This is where you went wrong,” he said, “Your instinct is good for your dancing, but you need to plan ahead with chess”.

But Bam didn’t seem to be paying attention. In fact, his eyes were glued to where their hands were touching. Khun jolted back when he realized what he had done, but Bam took his hand before he could move away, shifting so he was holding it. Khun died a little, but he was pretty sure he didn’t let it show. Relatively sure. Kind of.

They managed to play with their hands together, but Khun’s brain was mush. That was when Bam finally got a draw. Khun would have protested, but that would mean admitting why he was distracted.

As Bam was cheering and texting Isu that he was coming to the next meeting, Khun put away their pieces, trying not to feel loss. Bam didn’t need him anymore, at least not for this. He had always known it wasn’t permanent, but a part of him had hoped it would last a little longer. Khun bit his lip.

“Hey, Khun?” Bam said, voice still brimming with excitement.

“Yeah?” his voice sounded hollow. Damnit.

“I was wondering if you wanted to come, too? I just thought, you’re really good at it, and I think you’d like everyone there, and I want you to be friends with my friends”.

Khun blinked. He blurted out his answer before he could even think.

“Yeah. Yes, I would love that”.

Bam grinned, face lit up like the sun.

He reached over, hands gently cupping Khun’s face, and brought him in close. So close they were breathing the same air. Bam’s smile turned soft and he nuzzled their noses together before his sunshine eyes flickered down to Khun’s lips.

Oh god, was this happening? It was happening. Oh god. Khun’s brain stuttered and broke down. There was never a time in his short, short life where he thought that this would ever be possible, that Bam would ever think of him in this way. But Khun had always been a selfish person, he wasn’t going to take this gift for granted.

He leaned in, bridging the gap, and then they were kissing over the chess board and it was everything. Bam hummed into it, pecking Khun’s lips once, twice, three times. Khun tugged him in and kissed him for all he was worth, knocking the chess pieces over in the process. After one last kiss, Bam pulled away, giggling.

“You’re the best boyfriend ever, Khun!”

[burnedbyshoto]

Workout with Red Riot

Kinktober Day 18 ~ kink: shower sex

pairing: kirishima eijirou x fem!reader

warning: smut, cussing

word count: 3,000

a/n: im so tired,,,, im so sorry this is so late.... but its still october 18 and new episode tomorrow so thats all that matters right??? @lady-bakuhoe take him from me please.... I dont deserve to write for him anymore

✩✶✩❇✩✶✩

Kirishima could not keep his eyes off of you as you squatted yet again.

His fingers were wrapped around his own weights, but his eyes betrayed him as with every repetition you pulled, he watched. It did not help that everything you wore seemed to be turning him on either. The colorful yoga pants you wore that hugged your legs and accented your curves made Kirishima freeze the first time he saw you. The black sports bra hugging your chest and revealing your stomach had his jaw-dropping as you stripped off your jacket.

Kirishima’s work-out routine wasn’t even that bad. Most of his exercise coming in due to patrols and things, but he could never say no to going to the gym with you. Not at all. Especially when you looked like this.

His head shook, focusing back onto the camera, he grunted as he lifted the cold and heavy metal again. It was going okay so far, his face concentrated on his reflection as he made sure his form was correct. His technique was great, but at the corner of his eyes, he saw you squat. The curve of your ass almost sending Kirishima to the hospital as the weight left his fingers. Coming down crashing hard on his foot. It was okay, his quirk activated, but now your eyes were on his, focused, concerned.

Waving you off, he felt like his neck burned as he put away the weights, good lord, this was not going to be okay.

✩✶✩❇✩✶✩

Kirishima dodged a swift kick to his head. Your legs whizzing by his head and he smiled as he went to counter, but he stumbled onto his face as you kicked his legs out from underneath him. You grinned, your cheeks red, forehead sweaty as you laughed. “You’re still too predictable!” You say as you step back, your stance still on guard, your body ready to pounce any way.

Groaning, Kirishima raised to his feet again, his arms hardening over as he charged.

You were light on your feet, dodging and weaving through every single throw. Your hair was the only thing he managed to hit as your foot connected hard to his ribcage. He could not focus as your hands grabbed his arm. He stiffened as for a millisecond your ass brushed against his crotch. Only for you to toss him over your shoulder. Kirishima didn’t even activate his quirk as he lands hard. His jaw-dropping as you squeak, “Are you okay?” You immediately fret, your hands going over to his taut chest. “Why didn’t you activate your quirk, you dummy!” You exclaim your eyes wide. Desperate for some reaction from the man who could not respond back to you.

“I’m okay…” Kirishima gasped, pain shooting through his back. “You caught me off guard.”

You didn’t buy it, not a single bit, but you sigh falling onto your ass. “You’re an idiot, Ei,” you state for what feels like the millionth time today during this sparring session. “What’s got you distracted?”

“You.” Kirishima moaned, not even bothering to hide his increased arousal for you right now. It was too much, this was just becoming too sad for him to go through. “You’re so fucking hot in those clothes, and you don’t even know it.”

Your jaw drops, a fire igniting under your skin as you look at your very not attractive appearance right now. Your body drenched in sweat. Your hair frizzy and out of place, your skin red, and your outfit looking disgusting. “Aw, baby, you’re so cute!” You laugh as you pinch his cheek. “But if that’s how you’re feeling, let’s go home? I’ll give you a good time there.”

Your tone is very teasing, and Kirishima nods, fully wanting that outcome.

“Alright, I’m going to shower really quick though! Please get ready!” You say standing up and walking towards the locker rooms.

You didn’t like fucking while drenched with sweat. You felt as if you smelled horrible. You didn’t like feeling that way while trying to fuck your amazing boyfriend.

Kirishima, however, watched you leave, his eyes glued on your ass as you entered the locker room.

Like hell, he was going to wait until the two of you got home.

✩✶✩❇✩✶✩

You sighed as you entered the shower stall in the locker room. Your towel tightly around your body, your body was sore from the long workout you did. You turn on the shower water and let your hands touch the running warm water with a satisfied sigh. It was so nice being in an empty gym, especially because that meant the locker room was empty for you to shower.

Throwing your towel onto the hook, you stepped into the shower. Closing the plastic sheet behind you.

The warm water seemed to soak all the way through your skin. Satisfied moans leaving your lips as you tilted your head, letting the water soak your hair. You grabbed your shampoo, lathering your hair in the lemon-scented liquid. You hum a song as you wash your hair, the dirt of the day falling away with every sud. Your fingers scratch your scalp and you sigh at the sensation and your thoughts trail.

You groan as you press your head to the cool tile. The warm water felt so good against your gross skin.

Grabbing your conditioner, you pause at the sound of the locker room door opening and closing. Lathering your hair with the citrus fluid, you didn’t bother trying to figure out who it was. Most likely a stranger you would never see.

Shaking it off, you undo your hair and step back under the jets. A soft sigh leaving your lips at the feeling of the water cascading down your now clean body. But a pair of hands jolted you from your tranquil mindset. You screamed at the sight of Kirishima throwing open the shower door. A scowl on his face as your mouth opened in protest.

You didn’t get to say anything as his lips slam against yours, “I know you weren’t expecting me to do this.” Kirishima growls as he kisses your slick skin. Your hands tremble against his body as you laugh.

“You couldn’t wait until we were home?” You say against his lips, and his sweaty body presses against your clean one. He shakes his head and you moan at the feeling, arching into him completely.

You try getting your hands to his shoulders, you refused to let him fuck you in here so easily. Locker room showers weren’t always the cleanest after all.

You press your lips towards him. Ready to distract Kirishima with your sweet and innocent kisses. But he’s finally predicted your actions it seems. His fingers sink immediately into your cunt, not at all horny yet, you hiss slightly at the uncomfortable feeling as his finger wiggle within you. You gasped at the feeling of his curling fingers. His nail brushing against your walls. Your hands slamming against the tile walls as the small movements begin a fire within you. “You know, when you showed me what you were wearing, I wanted to claim you out there. I didn’t care who the hell saw!” Kirishima growls against your ear as he presses your heated body against the cold tile. You curse at the sensation, your body jerking against his fingers as you couldn’t move away from the tile. “I can’t lie, I fucking love when your pretty little ass clenches when you work out. You look so fucking sexy it turns me on.” He growls this into your neck, your hips bucking against his scissoring fingers.

“Then let me shower and I can show you a-at home, Ei.” You cry as he chuckles lowly, his teeth biting the skin on your neck.

“Fuck, I wish I could let you do that,” Kirishima admits, the heavy truth evident in his tone, but his fingers don’t stop. “You see,” his free hand trails from your waist to your clit, pressing down on your bundle of nerves as you sob softly. Your hands shooting out to him, desperate for more contact. “I want to fuck you right now though, and you’re so fucking gorgeous fucking yourself against my fingers.”

You snort, your head banging against the wall as the pressure in your stomach only grows, you can feel your arousal seeping onto his fingers. Your heated arousal turning the both of you as he curses your name. “I’m fucking myself against your fingers?” You ask as unaffected as you can, your teeth nibbling his ear. “What if this is me saying no?”

“Tell me to stop then, and I’ll stop. You know I will,” Kirishima groans as his fingers begin pumping into you, your back arching off the cool tile as you they rut against his moving fingers. “I think you want more all things considered.”

With his fingers pumping inside of you, and his fingers merciless against your clit. Your body was reaching its high. Your eyes scrunching together as you feel yourself flushing. “E-Ei!” You cry as waves of pressure shoot down your legs, your knees buckling as he continues increasing his pace, uncaring of your shouts. “I’m going to--fuck!” Your body shudders as your orgasm is threatening to spill over. Your cunt is clenching so hard Kirishima’s fingers have to shift in your wake.

But still, he doesn’t stop.

His pumping fingers continuing their conquest. His circling fingers continuing to press small circles into you. “Eijirou!” You scream, what feels like your orgasm hitting, but it isn't and you tremble even more so. Your hands shooting to his as you beg for him to let you release. His curling fingers were unable to give you your desperate release.

His fingers pull away from your throbbing cunt, and you mewl as your orgasm slams into you. It hits you hard. Your pussy clenching in his wake. Your knees almost giving out on you as you feel your arousal slicked against your thighs. But it’s what happens when you orgasm that has you crying. You squirted all over Kirishima’s hand.

“You’re so fucking hot when you squirt, my love.” Kirishima laughs against your lips, but you smack his chest. You were always embarrassed when you squirted, but goddamn was that the most intense thing you’ve ever felt.

You’re suddenly lifted up. Your hips roll against the tip of his head, and Kirishima curses.

Kirishima presses a capturing kiss to your lips, and he pushes you onto his dick without any problems. But your still clenching pussy has Kirishima cursing against your collarbone as you moan deeply. The feeling of his dick stretching you out in the most delicious of ways was mind-numbing. You huff as he begins to move his hips against yours.

“Eijirou!” You shriek as he ruthlessly slams into you. His hips coming down so fast your body bounces with every thrust. Your screams tumble out of your throat as your back drags against the cold tile, your back arching as you shake around his relentless hips.

“What’s that, princess?” Kirishima growls, his hips hammering into you at mind fogging speed. “Are you needing to come already?”

“NO!” You moan as your pussy clenches around his pounding cock. You’re able to barely keep your hips in rhythm with him, but you can’t keep your eyes open. You wrap your arms around his broad shoulders. Your breasts are achingly sweet against his own hard chest. You’re able to feel his cock entering you at toe-curling speeds, and all you can do is accept your fate. “Oh my god, FUCK you feel so good!”

“Yes, that’s it, baby, keep moving against my cock! Fuck you’re so damn good at this!” Kirishima grunts as he releases one hand from your waist and presses your stimulated nipples between his calloused fingers. Your head slams back, you’re uncaring of the pain the pleasure far greater, and so you scream again. Your pussy clenching with no remorse around his dick. “Your pussy is so fucking tight. Do you need to come now, princess?”

You can only nod your head as the pressure continues to build and build.

“Good,” Kirishima pants with a grin. “I want you to come.”

“Fuck me, I need to come so badly!” You sob out as your body trembles above his thrusting hips, you’re seeing stars now.

Kirishima growls as his hand slams near your head, his other hand gripping your waist tighter. Fuck he was so fucking strong.

That’s all it takes and you come hard around his dick, his name ripping through your abused body as he moans. Kirishima grins even more so as your chest heaves with your finished orgasm, but he drops you to the floor.

You’re pressed against the wall, your hands trembling. Kirishima’s dick pulls out of your spasming pussy to only reenter in less than two seconds from behind.

“Ei!” You mewl out in almost discomfort as your body has come hard two separate times within ten minutes.

“I’m going to make you feel the way you made me feel this entire time at the gym!,” Kirishima grunts as his hips thrust into yours. You cry as his hips slam against your ass, your body moving forward with it.

His hand reaches around your shaking thighs to press firmly against your aching clit. Your body tensing at the pressure. “You’re coming and thanking me,” Kirishima insists, the tip of his finger curling on your sensitive clit. “Do you understand?”

Your pussy clenches at those words. An uncomfortable pleasure shooting down your body as his fingers circle on your clit. Kirishima’s body then starts ramming into yours at such a delicious force your arms quivered as they held you up. You were desperate as you tried to keep from falling completely onto the wall. He clenches your hair, tugging it harshly as you cried out his name. Your spasming cunt was once again building in pressure.

You gasp as your hips continue to rock back into his, the rhythm of your fucking making you almost sob actual tears. Kirishima growls out your name as he moves his hands back to your waist. Slamming your body at a hot-blooded pace into his hard cock. Your burning face slammed against the cold tile for support.

“God, you’re so fucking, beautiful princess. Spread out with your pussy soaking for me?” Your head nods vigorously, your unsteady pants filling the shower. Your hips are no longer able to keep up with his mind fogging speed. “I want you to come one last time around my cock, can you do that for me?”

A pained mewl escapes your mouth as you nod your head again, “Yes! OH my god!!”

Your pussy clamps around his cock, unable to hold back your orgasm as you hope to hard around his moving dick. You moan out loudly as pleasure-filled waves shoot down every ligament in your body. But as before, it doesn’t happen, and you shriek as fire erupts within you. The sensation now familiar as you beg him to slip out.

“What do you say?” He growls.

“T-Thank you!” You sob, your legs trembling in his grasp.

Kirishima grunts, his hips never slowing down as he chases after your orgasm, unintentionally ignoring your pleas. His hips are merciless in his own quest for release. He chuckles at your moans. Your hips weakly shifting back into his until he moans loudly. His cock releasing his hot load into your throbbing and unreleased cunt.

Kirishima pulls away, and you once again squirt against his now softening cock. His alarm for midnight blares as your body slides to the floor.

Kirishima laughs in mirth at his victory, and you groan as he wraps you close.

“I can’t believe I let you do that to me in the locker room showers…” You exclaim as Kirishima pulls you into a hug.

“Well, it was either here or in the car. I couldn’t wait, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay! Just now I have to shower again!”

“Whoops, sorry…”

[midnightartemis]

One Night, Last Night

Chapter One

Explicit- See AO3 For Full Warnings

Out of all the months of the year, Rey hated August the most. The lines to the food truck always grew exponentially longer, the truck’s AC was long past the point of heat and humidity that the old beast could handle, and Hux and Rose always got into screaming matches this late in the season.

At least the nights were cool. The Free Movie Series in the park always brought a crowd, so service was constant with only a few short pauses in orders. The movie played in the background while Rose chatted with customers and barked orders and all Rey had to do was prep and handoff. It was second nature to her after years of working at Cantina Pho Sho.

Spanish-Vietnamese Fusion. It’s surprisingly damn delicious and all thanks to a drunken college night with Rose and Poe. Three years later, it’s still going strong.

No thanks to the arseholes in the truck beside them.

Though Rey was pretty sure the rivalry between the Cantina truck and the First Order truck was what kept both of them in business. Over the years there had been a bet for who could get the most Instagram followers (Rose won). Then who could serve the most specials in one night (Hux). Then there was the daily race to the best spots downtown for the lunch and post-lunch rushes. Rey was extremely surprised one of them hadn’t crashed yet, especially after bearing witness to Rose’s driving over the years.

She wouldn’t give it up for anything. Even if she was sweating profusely and had already soaked through three towels. The rush had her slaving over the grill for a solid three hours non-stop, but it was slowing up now that the movie had started. They had already sold out of one of their specials- Spicy Seafood Paella with a side of spring rolls, topped with Rose’s homemade sweet and sour sauce. Fried deliciousness. The other special was more Americanized, just to piss off the First Order boys. It was a burger topped with their pickled Bánh mì veggies, swiss cheese, chilies, and cilantro.

It was inevitable that at some point either Hux or Ben would come stomping over to the truck and make wild accusations that they were stealing their business. Even though their line was just as long. Rey swore that it was just so that Hux would have the excuse to talk to Rose, but Rose swore it was so that Ben could talk to Rey.

Which was a ridiculous idea.

Ben had never shown anything but utter contempt for either of them. And it had become something of a game to her find the best ways to piss him off.

Hence the Bahn mi burger.

“Rey!”

Rey jolted out of her reverie at the sound of Rose’s voice. The short Vietnamese woman was perched on the box that let her see outside the window. She was wearing that expression that she always wore when Rey got distracted on the job.

It’s not her fault- Rey couldn’t help if cooking was like meditation to her.

“Yeah?”

Rose sighed, though there was a little smile on her face as if she knew exactly what, or who, Rey had been thinking about. “How many burgers left?”

Rey made quick stock of their dwindling supplies. “Only five. Push the spring rolls and the empanadas.”

They had a large menu in reality, but since they operated only out of the truck, the menu rotated weekly and Rose and Poe were always coming up with new ideas and trying out new recipes. They hadn’t expected to sell out tonight, which meant that she’d spend most of tomorrow gathering and preparing supplies. She wasn’t complaining one bit as long as Rose and Poe were the ones that handled the finances (She was decent at math, but accounting made her brain hurt).

Not twenty minutes later, they had sold off the last of their specials and Rose had struck them off of their chalkboard menu. Distantly, she could hear the opening credits of Mama Mia! Rey could only wonder how long ABBA would be stuck in her head.

Orders slowed to their horchata chè drink and churros as people moved from dinner to desserts. Rey wrapped up the last order before there was a pause in the line and had only just stripped her gloves and wiped her hands when there was a rapid banging on the back door.

“Hey!”  Bang, bang, bang. “Hey!”

Rey sighed and rolled her eyes at Rose, though they both had smirks on their faces. Rey stripped off her apron and towels. “I’ll handle him.”

“Oh, handle him?” Rose wriggled her brows suggestively and Rey threw her dirty towel at the woman. “Take a break while you’re at it.”

“Okay, mom.” Rey laughed and plucked a freshly fried churro from the pile of them. She jumped as there were three more bangs on the back door. She pushed it open quickly, forcing the man behind them to jump back.

Ben crossed his arms and scowled at the sight of her.

“What do you want?” Rey jumped down from the truck and closed the door behind her.

“What do you mean what do I want? I want you to stop stealing our food.” Ben stood a good foot taller than her. His long dark hair had been braided back in three rows to form a bun on top of his head. Rey had never been a fan of man buns, but…

“We are not stealing anything. Stealing would imply that you have something worth taking.”

Oh, that got him. It satisfied Rey to no end to watch Ben Solo get riled up. She’d never met anyone as intense about food as he was. She took a bite out of her churro and started moving to the back of their truck. It faced away from the crowd towards the park’s pond, which was fairly dark and isolated.

“At least we don’t ruin them with whatever shit you put on them.” Ben hissed as he followed her around the truck’s corner.

“At least we don’t give people heart attacks on purpose.”

“Heart attacks are the American way. You know it and that’s why you’re stealing our burgers.”

“Hmm… Did you sell out tonight?” Rey raised her brows.

“We would have if you weren’t stealing our business!”

“We aren’t stealing your- You know what you are?”

“What?”

“You’re a difficult man, that’s what. You don’t own burgers, you know that right?” Churro forgotten, Rey put her hands on her hips, trying to match the giant man before her. It wasn’t fair that on top of being tall he was also ridiculously fit. She knew just by looking at him that he could pick her up and pin her against- she was getting off-topic.

“I’m a difficult- I’m difficult? You’re difficult. Maybe I wouldn’t be so “difficult” if you weren’t always taking our customers and stealing our food.”

“Oh my god, seriously? Are you mental? Are you really telling me that you think that someone who wanted bacon and eggs and cheese with a side of heart attack on their slab of frozen cow meat you dare call a burger would be so easily swayed from the dark side to have a gourmet burger with pickled veggies?”

“Our meat is fresh and you know it.”

“Fresh from where? McDonald’s?”

Ben’s jaw dropped. He looked almost as if Rey had just slapped him in the face or kicked his puppy. “Are you calling my burgers flat?”

“No, just wondering why you’re trying to murder your regulars.”

Ben looked capable of murder at that moment. The tips of his ears had gone beet red, his lips were pressed into a tight line and there was something dangerous in his eyes. So why the fuck did that completely turn her on?

“At least I don’t give my regulars food poisoning.”

“That was one time with a new cook and you fucking know it.” Rey stepped forward to jab her finger in his chest. “Maybe the reason everyone comes to our truck is because we’re not a bunch of arseholes.”

He huffed a laugh at that as he looked down at her. Gods he was so tall. Her heart raced when she realized how close together they were standing. He was close enough she could reach out and touch those muscular arms or run her fingers through his dark hair to pull out that ridiculous bun.

“You know what I think?”

Her heart stopped at the low rumble in his voice. She could feel herself getting wet and hated it. Her mouth went dry and she licked her lips with only made his eyes drop to them and everything worse. He looked back up at her with that stupid smirk on his face and Rey snarled. “What?”

“I think you like this.”

“If you think I like anything to do with you you’re sorely mistaken.” Lies. Big bloody lies.

His eyes dipped down to her lips as he stepped forward, forcing Rey to take a step back. “I think you sit around all day coming up with ways to piss me off. Just so you can see me.”

Another step forward. Another step back. Rey’s heart was beating so hard she could swear it was leaping out of her chest. He was close enough she could smell him- sweat and charcoal and fire and something heady, musty.

“You know I can take whatever I want.” His eyes flicked up to meet hers, dark and dilated. She’d forgotten how to speak.

Her back hit the truck jarring her enough to remember to be angry. “Fuck. You.”

He grinned and slowly leaned into her, bracing his hands on either side of her head. She was frozen beneath him, refusing to look at his bloody kissable lips. Refusing to acknowledge the heat between her thighs and the want in her gut. He held her eyes for a moment, heavy and hooded. He seemed to be trying to make a decision as he searched her face. He leaned in closer and her breath hitched, shaking at his nearing. His lips brushed against her cheek. “If I’m right…. I’ll be waiting for you.”

“And if you’re wrong?” She wasn’t sure how she found the words. Her voice shook as she said them.

Ben pulled back and grinned. His eyes slowly caressed over her lips to her eyes. “I’m not wrong, sweetheart.”

“We’ll see about that.” Rey pushed away from the truck and slipped out under his arm. He let her go, but she could feel him watching. Legs shaking, Rey broke into a half run towards the park bathrooms after she rounded the corner.

Fuck him.

That arsehole.

That complete pretentious prick.

Who the fuck did he think he was?

Who the fuck-

Rey ran cold water over her wrists and splashed her face. When she looked in the mirror all she saw was frizzy, greasy, sweaty hair peeking out from under her green bandanna, red hot cheeks, and sweaty skin. She sniffed her armpits and gagged. At least she had taken the time to shave yesterday.

At least?!?

No.

She was not going to meet him after work. She was not going to give that arsehole the time of the fucking day, no matter how good he smelled. No matter how wet just his voice made her. No matter that she had fantasized about those hands for months.

Fucker.

Rey dried her face off and left the bathroom. There was no line that she could see in front of her truck, so she took her time walking back, pausing to watch Donna, Rosie, and Tanya reunite. It had been years since she watched Mamma Mia.

Eventually hurried past the First Order trunk and jumped back into the back of Cantina Pho Sho food truck.

Rose looked utterly bored at the counter. “What’d he say?”

Rey froze before remembering that she wasn’t talking about Ben’s proposition. “He was pissed about the burger.” Rey rolled her eyes and tried to wave away any suspicion. “He literally said we were stealing his food.”

Rose snorted. “You can’t steal a burger.”

“That’s what I said! He’s such an arse.”

“He’s got a nice arse.” Rose winked. “They both do.”

“I can’t believe you think Hux is hot.” Rey grabbed her inventory sheets as she tried to steer the conversation away from Ben. If Rose ever found out what had actually happened behind the truck, the woman would never let it go.

“It’s just… something about gingers.” Rose stared wistfully out the window. “I could climb him like a tree.”

With Rose off in La La Land thinking about Hux, Rey settled into taking stock of all the items she’d need to get tomorrow.

The rest of the night went slowly with only a few people coming up during the movie to drinks or dessert. They usually left a little half-way through the movie to beat the crowds leaving. After fifteen minutes of no new customers, Rose shut the ordering windows and helped Rey pack up.

She wasn’t going to meet him.

She wasn’t.

She was going to walk straight to her car.

Rey closed up the back door of the truck and waved Rose off.

She knew Ben drove. She had seen him drive in. The First Order truck had already taken off.

She walked towards the park's parking lot and spied him instantly. It wasn’t hard to spot him leaning against his old Chevy impala, arms crossed, with a scowl on his face. He was looking over at the large movie screen, not at her. She could still make it to her car and take off.

So why did her feet turn towards him? Rey scowled at herself and cursed her vagina brain. Just because it wanted to get dicked down so bad, didn’t mean that she wanted to.

Okay. She wanted to.

Just not with the arsehole who would hold it over her head for as long as he could. No matter how much chemistry they may or may not have. No matter that it was always him in her fantasies.

Rey groaned inwardly as she walked through the parking lot towards him. His eyes were still on the movie. She could still turn around. She smelled. She’d have to somehow get from wherever he lived back to her car. And there’d be a walk of shame. Rose would wonder where she was when she’d got back to their apartment and Rey wasn’t there already. If she thought Ben would never let it go, Rose would never ever let it go.

Rey sighed and Ben finally looked away from the movie to see her standing at his car. His lips parted as confusion swept quickly over his features. He hadn’t expected her to actually show up.

To be fair, Rey hadn’t expected it either.

She kept her scowl on her face and walked to his passenger side door. He scrambled to unlock the car and it took everything in her to not smile at the little heart attack she had given him. So she wasn’t the only one affected. Good to know.

Rey climbed into the passenger seat and Ben into the driver's. He looked over at her like he couldn’t believe she was really there. Rey stared ahead. “Not a word.”

That seemed to snap him back to the arsehole she knew. “Wouldn’t dream of it, sweetheart.”

This was the part she hated. The awkward part of going to the apartment. The weird limbo phase where no one knew what to say but knew exactly what was going to happen. Granted, she hadn’t hooked up with anyone in a while. The last time had been a disaster, just like her last relationship had been a disaster.

Luckily his condo wasn’t far from the park, but it was in a nice area. New developments and little boutiques and coffee shops.  It was a far cry from her and Rose’s slightly shitty, slightly sketchy apartment complex near downtown.

Not just an asshole but a wealthy asshole at that. How the hell did he afford this place working at a food truck? She and Rose did well, but they still barely made enough to get through the slow winter months.

Ben hadn’t said a word since they started driving, but he kept glancing over at her like she wouldn’t notice. Part of her wondered if this was a horrible idea. The other part was looking at his grip on the steering wheel.

They turned into underground parking and Ben parked in the assigned parking spot closest to the elevator because of course, he had that. The car engine turned off and neither of them moved.

Ben looked over at her and she at him and the first thing out of her mouth was, “Can I use your shower?”

Ben gave her a strange look.

“I just- I’ve been sweating all day and I smell like a donkey’s arse. Don’t look at me like that. It’s not like you’re any better, but at least I don’t smell like a big mac.”

“At least I don’t smell like pickled cabbage.” Ben grinned. “You can use my shower if you tell me I was right.”

Oh, fuck off.

Rey stared him down trying to find the guts to admit it, but not wanting to give the arsehole the satisfaction. She bit her lip as she tried to figure a way out of it, watching as Ben’s eyes dipped to her lips as she did. She scoffed. “You’re one to make ultimatums. I think you like that I piss you off.”

A grin curled at his lips and Rey felt his satisfaction in her core. His eyes traveled slowly down her body then back up again. “I like the challenge. Now say it.”

Fuck.

Rey’s breath caught and the smirk he gave her at that only pissed her off more. She turned away from him, crossed her arms over her chest like a petulant, angry child, and grumbled, “I’m here, aren’t I?”

Ben turned away and pulled the keys from the ignition. “You can shower, sweetheart.”

“Wow. Thanks.”

“And after you shower I’m going to eat you out until you’re begging for me to fuck you.”

He said it so casually that Rey almost couldn’t process it. He unfolded himself from the driver’s seat. Rey stayed frozen in hers until the door slammed shut and jolted her out of her shock. She stepped out of the car, surprised that her legs were still stable enough to follow him to the elevator.

She was really doing this.

Fuck.

She really was.

Ben pressed the button for the top floor with a shit-eating grin on his face. He was enjoying this. The fucker. He raised a brow as he looked down at her and saw her glaring.“Is there a problem, princess?”

“No.” She said it a little too quickly, her face reddening.

The elevator doors slid open and Ben led her down the hall to an end unit. The door opened with a small fob on his keychain and Rey tried not to roll her eyes at how incredibly extra it was.

The door swung open and Ben turned on the lights as he stepped in. Rey followed, her mouth dropping as she took in the apartment. It looked like something out of a magazine. Two walls of windows looked out over the shopping and recreation area. There was a massive TV and a leather sectional couch in the giant living area. But the real jewel was the giant kitchen and a stove with one of those water taps over the stove for filling pots. Excessive and unnecessary and miles away from the tiny galley kitchen that she and Rose shared. Everything was dark and natural-toned in blues and blacks and dark browns and charcoal grey.

There was a small whine from the corner and Rey looked over to see a rather large blanket-covered kennel.

“Oh, that’s Kylo. He’s not great with strangers.” Ben had that little lost look on his face again. “I’m just going to take him out to the park for a bit. Ah… the shower is down the hall to the left.”

“Oh, okay. Thanks.”

Ben ran a hand over his braids as they stood awkwardly together. “Rey-”

“I should go shower. I’ll go do that now.” She took a step towards the hall. Something in his voice terrified her. The way he said her name… It wasn’t like when he called her ‘sweetheart’ or ‘princess’. It was all too real.

“Wait.” Ben reached for her and caught her hand, stalling her. Rey stared down at the place where their hands connected. She’d never touched him before. He waited until she was looking back up at him to continue. “We don’t have to do anything. I can take you back to your car or call you a cab or call Rose. If that’s what you want, at any time, just say the word and it will be done.”

He said it so earnestly that words were knocked out of her. In all of her flings and relationships, no one had ever said that to her. Rey nodded and Ben let go of her hand.

“I’ll be back in a couple of minutes. Remember what I said.”

The dark, dangerous look in his eye had returned. It took everything in her body not to flee to the bathroom. She shut and locked the door behind her, breathing hard as she took in the bathroom that was, no surprise, just as bougie as the rest of the condo. Marble tile flowed into a walk-in shower. There was a giant tub big enough for two people overlooking a window. The only signs of life she had seen so far in his place were the grooming products on the double vanity and the bottles of product in the shower. Rey stripped quickly and turned on the shower, waiting only a few seconds for the water to reach scalding temperatures and jumping in. Gods, the water pressure was amazing, too.

She soaked under the rain head for a while, letting the water take away the stress of the day and attempt to relax the knots in her shoulders. Surprisingly, the shower was full of products. There wasn’t a 4-in-1 bottle to be seen anywhere. She had never even heard of or seen most of the brands, so it took a while for her to find body wash and shampoo and conditioner. All three smelled like heaven. Like she was soaking in him.

And after you shower I’m going to eat you out until you’re begging for me to fuck you.

Rey gasped and dropped the conditioner bottle with a curse. She picked it up and put it back. Curiously she reached between her thighs and gaped at the slippery wetness she found there. She cleaned the area thoroughly with water and a little bit of unscented soap she had discovered. Each touch sent a jolt through her system as she pictured him between her thighs. The touch of his hands against her skin. Sheer torture.

And he was waiting for her right outside.

Rey shut off the water and stepped out of the shower. She found a cabinet full of huge, fluffy, white towels and wrapped one around herself, and used another to towel dry her hair. Her sad pile of clothes sat on the counter, but the last thing she wanted to do was put her grease-stained t-shirt and sweaty jean shorts back on. Could she just walk out there with the towel on? It might help speed things up. Cut to the chase, as Rose liked to say.

Fuck, Rose.

Rey found her phone in her pile of clothes and sent off a quick text with a little white lie about Kaydel and drinks and not to wait up. She was definitely going to hell for this one.

Nerves curled in her stomach to make a nest there and Rey took a deep breath. If he wasn’t back, she could sneak into his room and grab one of his t-shirts or something. And if he was back, the towel would do. It wasn’t like she was going to hide anything from him tonight.  

Rey left her clothes in the bathroom and stepped out into the hall. Her heart raced as a rustle in the kitchen told Rey that Ben was back already. His back was turned to her as she appeared. He had a glass of whiskey in one hand and was looking through a liquor cabinet with the other. “Do you want a drink?”

She didn’t want a drink, she decided. She wanted him to make due on his promise. She wanted to be fucked six ways to Sunday. Rey let her towel fall to the floor.

Ben turned at the sound to see her. “Fuck.”

“That’s the idea.” She quipped. “I seem to remember you making a promise earlier.”  

He downed the glass in one sip and set the glass on the counter. A cheeky smirk tugged at the corner of his full lips. His eyes unabashedly roamed over her skin and Rey fought against the urge to cover herself from his unadulterated gaze. “I did, didn’t I. Come here.”

She rolled her eyes at his command but stepped forward gingerly. The apartment’s AC chilled her skin as she moved and forced her nipples into hard points. “Are you always this demanding?”

Ben chuckled and the deep sound went straight to her cunt. All the wetness she had wiped away in the shower was back in full force. “You don’t know the half of it, sweetheart.”

He leaned back against the kitchen counter, watching as she slowly stepped closer. His intense gaze was taking every inch of her in. She looked away when it became too much for her, snapping, “Are we going to do this, or are you just going to stand there like an arse and-”

Ben’s lips crashed into hers, taking Rey by surprise. She was in his hands in seconds as he pushed her back against the kitchen island. His lips were warm and soft and salty and demanding against her own. When her brain finally kicked into gear, she kissed him back, letting him in when his tongue demanded entrance. His hands pulled her flush against him and wound through her hair to tip her head back.

He pulled away, leaving her gasping. “You drive me so fucking insane.”

Lips and teeth attacked her neck, leaving her breathless and unable to answer with anything except the little moans that escaped her lips. His fingers brushed against her nipple and she whimpered beneath him. She let her hands roam over his back and sides, feeling the strength beneath her fingertips. He was still completely dressed and she was completely naked and it wasn’t fair. Rey tugged at his shirt and he broke away from her with a smile.

“For someone who thinks I’m an asshole, you’re sure eager.”

Rey scowled. “Will you just shut up and fuck me.”

“Ask nicely and I might.”

Rey pressed her lips together, but Ben only grinned. “That’s okay. I’ll get it out of you eventually. I’m a patient man.”

He had her trapped between the counter and himself. Every time she took in a breath, her chest rose to touch him. She pressed her thighs together, trying to gain some sort of relief from the growing pressure between her legs. Ben leaned in, his lips brushing against her ear and sending a shiver down her spine. “Have you ever sat on someone’s face?”

Fuck.

Fuck fuck fuck.

She was so fucked. Rey shook her head.

“Use your words, sweetheart.”

“No.”

“Would you like to?”

She was trembling beneath his touch. Her whole body was on fire and drawn like a magnet into him. “Yes.”

“Yes…?”

“Yes, please.”

Ben nibbled at her ear, sending shockwaves of pleasure through her. “Good girl.”

Rey whimpered as his words went straight to her core.

He stepped away from her and Rey felt the loss of his body immediately. He took her hand and led her out of the kitchen and down the hall to the door on the right. She didn’t get to see much of his bedroom before he was pulling her back to him, his mouth devouring her hungrily as he took complete control of the situation and she handed it to him willingly.

This man. This man could do whatever he wanted to her. Gods, it had been so long since someone touched her. She couldn’t remember anyone ever touching her like this.

Two massive hands scooped under her thighs and suddenly she was in the air. Rey clung onto him, exploring his mouth with her tongue as he crossed the room and carried her into bed. He tossed her gently down and his mouth moved over her neck to her breasts to her stomach to-

Rey gasped as he knelt at the edge of the bed and pulled her swiftly towards him. His hot tongue traced lines against her thighs. Ben’s eyes locked with hers as he leaned forward and licked a soft line over her clit. Rey gasped loudly and let her head fall back as Ben buried his face between her legs. He was a quick learner and Rey wasn’t bashful about her wanton moans. A thick finger prodded at her entrance and Rey arched to accept it. A jolt raced through her body as Ben’s finger slowly moved inside her, hooking to gently caress over her G spot. His pace was bordering on torturous, but she was so close.

Rey came with a cry and Ben followed her through it. He pulled off of her with an embarrassingly wet pop. “Gods, you’re so fucking wet for me. You’re so fucking perfect, sweetheart. Such a good girl, coming for me.”

Rey whimpered as Ben buried his face into her again, licking and sucking at her clit until she was coming again. He came up to meet her this time, his mouth still wet with her and a soft smile on his face. He kissed her and she tasted herself on her lips and an aftershock exploded across her skin. He pressed his hips between her legs. She could feel him through his jeans, realizing with a moan that he was massive. His hips twitched, pressing his length harder against her. “Do you have something to say, sweetheart?”

Rey whimpered as he slowly ground against her with just enough friction to drive her insane. “Just fuck me.”

Ben chuckled. “I’m afraid that’s not quite what I’m looking for. Let’s try again. On your knees, grab the headboard.”

Rey raised her brow at his command.

“Now, Rey.” With a huff, she flipped over and crawled up the massive king-sized bed to grip the headboard. “Keep your eyes forward.”

Rey stared at the wall in front of her, trying to ignore how much her thighs were shaking from coming twice. She’d never done that before with someone. Her breath caught as she heard a zipper and the sound of clothes coming off. Part of her wanted to turn around to catch a glimpse, but there was another part of her, one she hadn’t really known that she had, that wanted to obey. That wanted him to call her a good girl again.

Rey took a deep steadying breath as the bed sank behind her with Ben’s weight. He moved closer and it took everything in her not to look back in curiosity. Her questions were answered when she felt him slowly shimmy between her thighs. Wordlessly, he gripped her thighs with massive hands and brought her down onto his face. Rey moaned at the new angle and control, She was scared for a moment until Ben pulled her down further to bury himself in her. A hand fell to his hair and her fingers tangled in his braids, pulling them loose as she rode him.

She came with a loud moan, her thighs quivering and struggling to stay up. But when she tried to pull away, Ben’s hands locked around her thighs. He didn’t let go until she was cumming again. He let go and Rey collapsed into the bed. Her thighs were unable to support her any longer. She was half in it, half in a daze as her cunt clenched around nothing. She wanted nothing more than to feel him in her. To take what he wanted from her. “Please.”

Ben appeared at the edges of her vision, blurry and ethereal. His hands gently moved her until he was hovering over top of her. A grin on his face. His bare chest was right there and Rey reached out to drag her fingers over it. He shuddered under her touch before catching her hands and bringing them to his lips. She watched in fascination as he sucked two of her fingers into his mouth. His beautiful, perfect, amazing, fuckable mouth. He released them with a pop. “Please, what, princess?”

Rey whined and arched beneath him, not wanting to say the words aloud. Frustrated that he had not had her yet.

“Use your words. What do you want?”

Gods, he was such an asshole. Rey groaned. His hand snuck between her thighs and swirled around her clit, causing another oversensitive shockwave to pass through her. “What do you want, Princess?”

He took one of her breasts in his mouth and sucked gently, rolling the nipple with her tongue. It was a slow, torturous movement. He wouldn't give in, not until she gave him what he wanted.

“Please… please, fuck me, Ben.” Rey arched beneath him, trying to pull him into her and find some relief. Ben cursed softly.

“You’re so perfect. So wet.” Ben sat back on his haunches and Rey got her first full view of him in the soft golden light of the room. His hair was utterly debauched by her fingertips. Black and wavy and messy and falling gently over his eyes. He ran his hands through it as he looked down at her with hungry eyes. Rey drank in his broad chest and the light flex of his abs down to- fuck. Rey’s eyes widened. Ben caught her surprise and grinned like the cocky asshole he was. “Don’t worry sweetheart, you’ll make it fit, I know you will.”

She hated him. She really did. Of course, she would. Of course, she would do anything to hear his gravelly praise that had her soaking his sheets.

Ben chuckled darkly as Rey rolled her eyes. He leaned over to pull a condom from his bedside table. In seconds he had it over his length and he was on her again nibbling and sucking over her collar bone, two fingers gently spreading her apart. She was so wet and warm and ready for him that she barely felt one finger, then two, stretching her. Rey whimpered under his slow and methodical touch. “Please. Please, d-”

Ben pulled away and Rey cursed her stupid brain. A slow grin spread across his lips. “What was that, sweetheart?”

Rey looked away, embarrassment creeping in. “Nothing.”

“Nothing?” An eyebrow raise, a crook of his fingers, a thumb grazing over her sensitive clit. Rey gasped as a wave of pain and pleasure rolled through her.

“Stop playing with me, please. Please fuck me. Please.” She was reduced to this, completely under his control but still fighting against it. She clawed at his skin, trying to pull him into her.

“Say it, princess.”

The finger on her clit sped up, making it nearly impossible to speak as her body tensed and chased a deep, rolling orgasm. It hit her like a freight train and her body tried to pull away from his fingers. He held on to her, finger fucking her through it.

“Please! Please, daddy.” Was she crying? She might be crying.

“Fuck.” Ben gasped and paused, taking a deep breath. His fingers slid from her and Rey gave a choking gasp. Her body had turned to jelly under his hands and tongue. His hands brushed away her hair from her face and Rey whimpered. “If you want me to stop, say red, okay sweetheart?”

Rey shook her head ‘no’. “M-mmm. Don’t stop.”

He was a hazy golden figure over her. His smile was enough to send shivers through her. “I’m going to fuck you now, princess. You’re going to take me so well. So warm and wet and ready for me.”

His head pressed against her entrance and slowly pushed in. His groan matched her own as Rey sank her nails into his back. Utter bliss washed over her as he lowered himself over her, slowly pressing in and stretching.

“So good. Such a good girl. Taking me so well.”

He was ruining her for anyone else. She would never be able to let go after this.

Ben bottomed out in her with a grunt. She squirmed beneath him, so full. So complete. If he didn’t start moving soon she was going to scream. She couldn’t hear herself anymore, only a steady roar in her ears and his words and moans echoing over her. Her lips moved and babbled and cursed until they found purchase against the soft skin of his neck.

He pulled out of her and sank back in and Rey cried out, already halfway to another orgasm. His slow pace steadily increased. His breath whispered sweet affirmations in her ear as she trembled and came beneath him. He pulled her close to him, his face buried in her neck as his hips snapped into her building to a brutal pace. She came again as his hips stuttered and he came with her.

He trailed gentle kisses over her skin as he pulled out of her. He left her, stepping out of the bed and tossing the used condom in the trash. Rey whimpered at the sudden loss of contact. Ben brushed the hair from her face. “I'll be back in a second, sweetheart.”

He left the room and an overwhelming feeling of loneliness and sadness crashed over her. By the time he came back she was curled up in his sheets, crying.

“Fuck, sweetheart.” Ben set something down on the nightstand and took her in his warm hands. “Is something wrong?”

Rey shook her head.

“Just a lot?”

She nodded frantically.

It was exactly what she needed. A huge release that she was coming down from. Ben wiped the tears gently from her eyes and pressed a kiss to her temple. “It’s okay to cry, sweetheart. Here, let me help you up. Drink some water.”

She let him help her sit up and took the water from him. The cool liquid brought here back closer to reality. Ben’s fingers drew soft circles against her thighs. He reached for a cloth and pressed it against her thighs gently cleaning her with the warm damp cloth. She watched him over the rim of her glass as he took care of her. Her own feelings were a jumbled compliant mess as she tried to merge the asshole she knew and the man before her into one. Sleep was slowly about to take over her. She’d never stayed the night before. She had never wanted to.

She almost felt high from his touch.

Ben set the cloth to the side and came back with a handful of hard pretzels. Rey giggled as he pressed one to her lips before opening her mouth and taking it from him.

“What are you doing?” She whispered.

Ben grinned softly. “Taking care of you.”

“No one's ever done this before.”

Ben pressed another pretzel to her lips and she took it dutifully. “They should.”

Something foreign and terrifying flipped in her chest. Rey swallowed it down and looked away from him. “I should use the restroom.”

Ben nodded and let her get out of bed. She made her way to the bathroom on shaky legs, peed, and looked at her clothes on the counter. Should she stay? She was falling asleep as she peed.

She should go.

Rey grabbed her clothes and waddled back to the bedroom.

Fuck him. She was going to be sore tomorrow.

Ben stood from the bed when she came back. He’d thrown on boxers and was checking through his phone. He looked up with that cheeky grin on his face. “My turn.”

He kissed her as he passed her. A moment later, she heard the shower water start. Rey set her clothes on the bed and popped a pretzel in her mouth. She found one of Ben’s black t-shirts in the closet and pulled it on. She felt like she was floating still. Maybe that’s why she laid down in the bed and curled up in his sheets. She would just close her eyes for a minute. Just a minute.

Just one minute.

Chapters 1-10 Up Now on AO3!

[andcontemplation]

I saw your pic of Winona and Helena and I was wondering if you could do a short ficlet of maybe young Joyce discussing her fling/friendzone/love with Hop with her older sister cause hell she's desperate about it

Like the sister could ask her out, give advice, tease her about it, they could talk about each other's experiences or Joyce could even ask her for advice cause she's afraid to fuck things up if it gets physical

I'm not a writer so I'm leaving all my ideas here, I'd love if you wrote this but don't worry if you're too busy or sth

Dear Anon -- I don’t normally take many fic requests because I’m such a slow writer, but this one just sprouted fully formed from my brain the moment I read your ask! It still took me a few days to get after since life got busy for me. It also turned out to be about 1400+ words so I’ve pasted below under the cut. I’ll be uploading it to Ao3 soon too when I get a chance :) I’d be happy to dedicate it to you if you feel comfortable dm-ing me your username on Ao3. Thank you for sending it along!

"Hey, you! What's wrong?"

Joyce nearly jumped out of her skin at the disembodied voice that called out from the empty bedroom -- or at least, the bedroom she thought was empty. She turned on a dime, clutching for her heart. Joyce might’ve been sixteen going on seventeen, but she was far too young for a heart attack.

"Jesus!" She gasped at the familiar figure sitting at the edge of the bed. "I didn't know you were home."

"Ma didn't tell you I was coming home for Thanksgiving?" Stella stopped unpacking the small duffle at her feet and raised an eyebrow at her sister.

Joyce sighed and leaned against the doorframe.

"Ma's not even here! She went to Chicago this morning with her new beau."

"Color me surprised," Stella deadpanned, throwing the pair of socks down on the bed in disgust. "Which one? Tom?"

Joyce shook her head.

"Randy. Tom was married."

Stella rolled her eyes and reached for another handful of clothes.

"Of course he was," she snapped. "How does she keep falling for that same old line?"

Joyce only shrugged and toed the door jamb, waiting for her sister to invite her into her room.

They hadn't seen much of each other since Stella ran off at sixteen to live with her boyfriend in Philadelphia, almost two years previous, and as the months and then the years passed by, Joyce felt more and more distant from the sister she grew up with. It was beginning to feel like eons had passed since they would spend all their days together, playing dolls and dress-up in that exact bedroom, performing plays for the neighborhood kids in the backyard or riding their bikes downtown to go try on perfume and makeup at the five and dime.

Joyce was still a little miffed at Stella for running off and leaving her behind with their mother and not taking Joyce with her when she left. It didn't seem fair that she had to stay when she was the baby -- the baby with the most responsibility -- the one who ended up making sure Ma didn't go completely off the rails, dependent on the bottle again or running off with a third husband. The resentment Joyce still carried always made her forget just how much she missed having her big sister around and how much she still needed her.

Stella looked up from her duffle bag and saw Joyce standing there, looking at her with big, red-rimmed eyes.

"Sorry Ma skipped town. I'm glad you're home," Joyce said, meaning it.

Stella's frown melted, and she dropped the clothes in a heap, patting the bed beside her.

"I am too. Now tell me what's wrong."

Joyce sighed deeply.

"Nothing. It's stupid."

"Boys?" Stella asked with a knowing grin.

Joyce sighed again, and her eyes fluttered up to the ceiling, embarrassed at the degree of stupidity she was feeling that very moment. She willed herself not to cry over him.

Stella pushed Joyce's bangs out of her eyes and off her cheeks, where they stuck to pale skin, and gave her little sister a look. But instead of imbibing confidence, it just made Joyce want to cry more.

She made a face and sucked in a breath before letting it all out.

"Karen and I saw Hop behind the bleachers with one of the cheerleaders today at lunch."

Stella's eyebrows shot up.

"Oh. Which cheerleader?"

"Chrissy Carpenter. That bottle blonde bubble-headed... bimbo!"

Joyce glared out the window and across the street at the edge of Hopper's front lawn, the only piece of his house she could see from that angle.

Stella choked back a giggle when she noticed how intensely Joyce was staring.

"Woah. That's some serious alliteration."

"Yeah, well," Joyce grumbled and shrugged. "I'm upset."

Stella went back to emptying out the rest of her bag, but not before throwing her sister a loving look.

"I can see that. But I thought you and Jimmy were just friends?"  

"We are!" Joyce finally dragged her eyes off his house and pouted at Stella before trailing off. "It's just that…"

"Oh come on," Stella said and ruffled Joyce's bangs. "You know you can tell me!"

There was another eye roll from Joyce.

"I just thought that something had changed between us this year. Maybe... Oh, I don't know anymore."

Then she clammed up.

Stella walked over to the window, took out a pack of Slims, and lit one up before opening the window a crack.

"Know what? Spit it out, sis!"

Joyce couldn't look at her older, prettier, more elegant sister, sitting there smoking at the windowsill like some french model who could have any man she wanted -- wrapped around her little finger. Joyce wished she could only look so mod and in charge.

Instead, she felt pathetic for pining after the boy across the street.

"Well," she started, flopping back on the bed, finding it easier to confess without having to worry about seeing the look of judgment cross Stella's face. "He'd been acting weird since we went camping this last summer. Then I realized by the second week of September that he was over here almost every night. At first, he said he needed help with his schoolwork because he really wanted to graduate, and since we're in all the same classes, it made sense, right? But by October, he was coming over for the dumbest reasons, and then I started to think he was gonna ask me to the homecoming dance. Like, I was so sure he was gonna do it. A few times, actually. But it was like he chickened out or something."

Stella held up a hand to pause Joyce there, even though Joyce couldn't see it.

"Waitaminute. Didn't you say on our last phone call that Lonnie Byers asked you out that night?"

"Yep, and what a date that was." Joyce rolled her head to the side and looked at her sister with a scowl.

Stella smirked, tapping the end of the cigarette out over the eaves.

"I warned you about him."

"Yeah yeah, I know: 'Lonnie Byers is scum.' But I'm pretty sure we're talking about Hop here?"

"Pardonne Moi! Please... continue."

"So, he seemed a bit distant after homecoming, but he'd still come over to study sometimes, and I'd catch him staring at me. It almost looked like he wanted to kiss me or something. And one day during gym, he told me I looked pretty when I knew for a fact I was a sweaty, frizzy mess. I guess it got in my head because I started to think, well maybe I want him to kiss me. And maybe I like him too? I was gonna tell him this weekend. I had it all planned out. But then he runs off and swaps spit with Chrissy, and now here I am, crying over a dumb boy. Stupid, stupid me."

Stella put the last bit of the cigarette out and moved back to the bed, pushing Joyce's legs out of the way.

"Not stupid," she said. "Just young and in love."

Joyce sat up on her elbows, nose turned up in protest.

"Gross. I am not!"

"You are." Stella chuckled.

Joyce frowned as she slowly realized her sister was right and succumbed to her lovesick fate.

"I am, aren't I?"

"'Fraid so, my dear."

"Cripes -- this sucks!”

"Oh, don't worry." Stella smiled. "I know just the thing to fix a broken heart! Ma might not be around but we can still have fun. What’s say we stay up late, paint our nails, eat our way through an entire tub of ice cream and I can give you some pointers for when you find yourself a real man. You'll be over that silly Hopper boy in no time."

"But what if I don't want to be over him?" Joyce whined, feeling sick for even thinking it let alone admitting it out loud. He was her best friend, since before they could walk, and those feelings had remained strictly platonic but lately, she couldn't imagine being without him, let alone sharing him with anyone else. Especially bottle blonde bubble-headed bimbos.

Stella held her hand out to Joyce and helped her sit up.

"Trust me, sis. It's for the best. Boys like Jim and Lonnie will ruin you for life. You belong with someone sweet and kind, who won't rush you before you're ready…"

Joyce scoffed.

"Boys like that don't exist!"

"Sure, they do!" Stella nodded. Then she had an idea. "Say -- isn't there a Sadie Hawkins soon?"

"Yeah, the Snowball," Joyce said, cluing in, trying not to look too excited. "You think I should ask Hop?"

"No!" Stella sighed. "I'm saying you should ask a nice boy to go with you."

"A what?"

"Think of the nicest, and well... let’s say the nerdiest guy in your class, and ask him to the Snowball. Not Lonnie or Hop! No more bad boys who play ping-pong with your heart."

"No, no way!" Joyce shook her head and dove headfirst into the pillows. "I am not asking Bob the Brain!"

Stella threw her hands up in the air.

"Fine, be miserable and alone forever then. See if I care!"

"Fine!" Joyce shouted, muffled by the pillows before dissolving into a fit of giggles as her sister beat her over the head with another frilly embroidered pillow.

"I'm glad you're home," Joyce said when she caught her breath.

"Me too, sis," Stella said. "Me too."

[nahimjustfeelingit-writes]

Creed Imagine:

Adonis Creed notices the reader in the gym because of how quick her hands are in the boxing ring

“Damn, you hella nice.”

She didn’t respond right away, helping her opponent off the ground.

“Thanks.” She gave him a tired smile, wiping sweat from her forehead and neck.

“No problem. I haven’t seen you around here before,” Adonis was impressed, “I mean I haven’t even heard about you either. With hands like that maybe I should have.”

Removing her gloves, she exits the ring, finally face to face with Adonis. At first glance, you would never think she was skilled like that. Her body looked so soft and round but her rage in that ring made you rethink the stereotype. Just because you don’t look like a boxer, doesn’t mean you aren’t one.

“I do it more so for hobby. And you haven’t seen me around because I’m not from Philly.”

He could tell as soon as he heard her voice.

“Boston?”

“Yes.”

“Why Philly?”

“School.”

Her eyes squinted when she noticed who she was talking to. That same glint that people got in their eyes was the same look she was giving him. He was a celebrity, he couldn’t complain.

“You’re Adonis Creed. Wow, I’m talking to a favorite of mine, hello, I’m Y/N.”

She held out her soft hand, nails painted black.

“Nice to meet you, sweetheart.”

Y/N fanned herself, laughing nervously afterward. She must have a crush on him.

“I’m...I’m shocked really that you are impressed with my skills. I mean, never would I think of running into Adonis Creed in Philly.”

“My Legacy is being fulfilled here, I ain’t going no where yet.”

“That’s good to hear, I would love to spar with you sometime. You could give me pointers.”

Adonis flashes his dimpled smile to make her blush. One things for sure, he enjoys teasing women.

“I don’t think you need my help, ma, you got that shit on lock already.”

Y/N waved him away, disbelieving that she was that good to not need his assistance.

“I’m being serious. Look, how about this...how about we just spar together just to do it? You seem like a challenge.”

Y/N’s tongue grazed the inside of her cheek to fight off a wide grin. She was adorable, the type of chick Adonis likes. A woman that can handle her own. Boxing isn’t easy, but the way she moved in that ring it was like a dance. Boxing with Y/N was art.

“We can do that, just as long as I’m working with you in some ways.”

No one could tell them to get out of the ring. Playful jabs turned into good conversation and showing off of skills. Adonis couldn’t help but to fall into the habit of showing Y/N some things. She took a few pointers and showed Adonis how she could do it. Cross, Jab, upper cut, hooks, all and everything. She had a style where she liked to focus on the body, much like Drago.

“Damn!” Adonis clutched his ribs, a little sore there from previous damage, “Aight, Aight. I think you’re tryna put me back in the hospital.”

“Can’t keep up, Creed?” She hopped from side to side, shaking out her fists. The stamina on this thick girl was something.

“Nah, I’m fucking beat. We been at this for two hours and that’s not even counting the few hours I was already here.”

Donnie gets out of the ring, his eyes finally noticing the emptiness of the gym minus the hushed voices of what appeared to be Rocky and his veteran crew of boxers having a chess game in his office.

“Rocky seems so chill.”

Her silky voice commanded him to turn around and meet her chocolate eyes.

“I’ve always wanted to ask for help but,” she shook her head, grabbing a towel to wipe her face and neck with.

“What’s stopping you?”

“Rejection.”

Adonis picked up on the nervous tone of her voice.

“You think he just jumped at the chance to work with me? Nah, he denied every offer I gave. Eventually, he changed his mind and I’m grateful for that but it could have been a continuous no. I didn’t back down though, I wanted my shot...needed my fucking shot.”

“And now you’re a weapon,” she looked up at him through her sweaty lashes, the side of her lips quirked showing off the tiny dimple she had on the side of her lip. Taking his time to admire her, Adonis noticed a light sprinkling of freckles over her hazelnut skin. Frizzy jet black hair and thick unruly brows made her skin and eyes pop. His mind tried to focus on how soft her hand looked instead of the obvious nipple piercings she had poking through her thin Nike pro fit sports bra.

“I remember when you said I’m Dangerous. You remember that? You said it before your first fight with Drago, during that interview. I saw the pain in your eyes. I’m not gonna ask how it was to see his father face to face. But I just...I know that pain.”

Adonis was curious to know what she meant by knowing. Did she loose someone too? Did that loss make her channel that anger in punching a bag or knocking her opponent down in the ring?

Y/N let’s out a tired sigh, “Look at me, ruining the chemistry.” She slaps her forehead, “I’m such a damn goof.”

“The pain ain’t something to hold onto, it doesn’t make the wounds heal in the end,” Donnie touches Y/N’s shoulder, stroking it gently to make her feel more at ease. Y/N shakes her head in embarrassment, using both of her hands to stroke her frizzy curls.

“Thanks for staying behind with me.” Y/N didn’t quite look at Adonis when she said that, feeling that she made herself look weak in front of him. Adonis saw the complete opposite. Whatever she went through she was strong enough to keep it caged. Whatever was caged, the tiny scar on her shoulder blade was the forbidden memories.

“Can we...do this again?” Adonis didn’t fuck around, he liked Y/N’s company. It wasn’t just her fighting skills, it was her entire energy. He hadn’t felt this way since Bianca and that was long finished.

“You really didn’t need to ask,” she finally let him see her chocolate eyes, “just let me know when and I’ll be here.”

“Or...we could be sitting in a carry out eating Philly cheesesteaks and sipping strawberry lemonade?”

He shrugs his shoulders, fighting a smile but nibbling on his pouty bottom lip. Y/N made an expression that showed she hadn’t expected that. Mouth opening and closing, she battled with her voice box to produce some form of a yes, of course, fuck yeah, I’m down.

She just settled for nodding her head like one of those cheap Hawaiian bobble dolls on dashboards, untamed curls falling over her eyebrows. He hadn’t meant to render her speechless but he wasn’t going to lie and say he didn’t enjoy it. She looked just as sexy Lost for words as she did in the ring all sweaty and breathless.

“You wanna go tonight? It’s only 8.”

He couldn’t just go home to his big industrial loft without getting to know this flame more. Maybe she would tell him why she decided to take up boxing as a hobby. If she said no the part of him that couldn’t take no for an answer would wait in his matte black mustang after she had a steamy shower, seeing that she made it to her car safely. He loved Philly but it wasn’t a wonderland. It was the real world, unfortunate things happen.

“Donnie,” she smiled up at him, “DUH.”

They both laughed. Catching the attention of Rocky in his office. He gave Adonis a look before grinning, returning to his game of chess.

“Okay, let me get cleaned up and we can go, okay?” She didn’t even look back as she jogged to the women’s locker room. Adonis felt that same butterfly effect in his stomach. He missed that feeling and to see that another woman could make him feel that gave him hope.

[elle-boll]

Backstage - John Deacon

A fic??? On this blog??? Pshhhhhh...

So uh, yeah, I am just making one. All my Roger content and all hopes of continuity are gone, whoopsie, appears I am just lazy. But this is a nightly post from yours truly, and I hope you enjoy some awkward Deaky!!!

Summary: A night at a Queen concert lands you and your best friend backstage, however only one of you is getting action...the other is left to some awkwardness backstage

Warnings: Mentions of sex (no explicit writing!) and some swearing :”)

Word Count: 2K 

---

It was a late Summer’s evening, in the back of the taxi was you and your best friend, Cindy, both chatting with excitement. You were both pulling out handheld mirrors to check your hair. Two pit tickets were nestled in your pocket and you both had a plan devised to make it to the barrier. In her words, she wanted to feel the spit on her face, graphic indeed. The pair of you could barely hold back your giggles as the taxi parked outside the venue, a wad of cash in your hand as you passed it into the front seat.

You both sweaty as you had ran to the barricade, pushing past people but not slow enough to be pushed back behind them. Your hands clasped around the fence as you both stared at one another in disbelief. You both laughed between deep breaths, trying to come back around to yourself, to prepare yourselves. The stage was almost in arm’s reach but your hands just grasped the barrier instead, determined not to be pushed behind the hoards of equally eager fans. The venue lights shone down on the audience as the lights on the stage turned on suddenly, you could practically feel your heart leaping from your chest. 

Throughout the night, you both clung onto each other and sang till your throats felt red raw and sore. Your legs felt weak from jumping around and your arms were tired trying to reach out to Freddie as he pranced around the stage. Your eyes had gone to the very back of the stage to see Roger, his eyes, while on his set, were also in your direction, but not at you. You turned to Cindy and made a comment along the lines of; “I think he likes you!” but you both just cackled at the idea of the drummer of Queen staring at your best friend, and so did she.

The concert had ended with a bang, you could feel your sweat dripping off your forehead and you saw Cindy had teary eyes, you just laughed and took her into your arms, still cheering. You both went to make it to the exit, exhilarated and slowly coming off the concert high when a hand had tapped Cindy’s shoulder. A large man in a suit like uniform had tapped her.

“Sorry ma’am but I’ve been asked to bring you backstage if you have the time?” He asked, holding out an ‘All Access’ pass to her. She turned her head to you with utter shock on her face, but you stared at the man instead. 

“I’m afraid she won’t be goin’ anywhere without her personal bodyguard' You smirked, hearing her snicker slightly. He turned slightly and spoke into a radio attached to his chest pocket, you noticed the logo of a security service embroidered onto his sleeve. He nodded, requesting you both follow him, opening the barrier to let you in. You overheard a few comments made by passersby, some rude, some intrigued.

The backstage was bustling with life, electricians, security, cleaners, all the sorts were rushing around after the concert. You walked down towards a hall in the venue, presumably to the dressing room. 

“Down that hall, no turns just straight on, there’s a communal area, make yourself comfy” He gestured down the hall as he stopped outside a door with the name, “Taylor, Roger” written in scrawly writing with a smiley face next to it on a small whiteboard. You gave Cindy a hug, fixing up her hair and the mascara that had trailed under her eyes, before wishing her luck.

“Pharmacies are open late, so we can grab Plan B” You winked, laughing as you walked down the hallway into the communal area. It was a few couches with a table of water bottles and some empty bowls on it. They must’ve gorged on the snacks before the show or directly after. There was also a large metal container with a label on it; “HOT WATER!!!” and a plastic jug of milk next to it, there was barely any milk left...but just enough for a cup of tea.

You walked over to the table, helping yourself, trying to down some of the water simultaneously to ease your aching throat. You carefully sipped the tea, careful not to scorch your tongue. You placed it back on the table, leaving it to cool, turning around and seeing someone walk in. You were frozen in place as the man looked to you. It was John Deacon, the real bloody John Deacon. You coughed and awkwardly stood yourself up a bit straighter.

“Uhh, if you’re here for Rog...his room’s down there?” He stated, a tone of confusion in his voice, standing just as awkwardly as you were. 

“Is Roger’s girly there!?” You heard someone yell down the hallway, you shook your head frantically and moved your hand over your neck, to say no. “Uh, no, Fred...just a girl, are you lost o- OH! You’re the friend that’s with the girl, ah right, right, well…” He clasped his hands together, the sound of shoes rushing down the hall became louder.

“Hello, love!” Freddie popped around the corner, making his way over, holding his arms out. He looked at you as though he’s known you for years, “I’m Freddie, Freddie Mercury, lovely to meet you!” He introduced. His smile was wide as he hugged you, placing a kiss on each of your cheeks before squeezing you. 

“I hope he’s not been bothering you too long...did you even say hello, John? God, so rude” He tutted, barely even waiting for John to reply.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost, dear, I do look dreadful right after a performance” He laughed, you tried to not look like a massive fan, trying to be casual. 

“Th-The show tonight...it was fantastic” You smiled, and smiled wider when he pouted gently, placing a hand on his chest. “You’re too sweet dearie, even after Brian’s slip-up,  hm?” He questioned.

“Will you ever shut up about that!” You heard a yell further down. You laughed, glancing over Freddie’s shoulder to see John still looking at you, but turning away when you both made eye contact. You took the styrofoam cup of tea and took a small sip. Freddie had walked to land himself on the couch, sighing loudly as he placed an arm over his eyes.

“I could sleep for a fucking eternity!” He announced, you were still going crazy inside. You looked to John and saw him trying to be subtle as he looked at you. You really regretted settling for one of your brother’s loose button-up shirts and a pair of old bell bottoms, ‘artistically’ stained with paint.

“John, your um, your performance was amazing, you were really good, I was actually like, directly by you, in the audience, I mean” You stammered, watching his head pipe up at the mention of his name. He laughed quietly, waving his hand dismissively. “Just doing what I do every night” He smiled, his face slightly red. He was probably just really warm.

“Why does my room have to be next to Rogers?! I just wanna change without hearing him shag!” A man yelled as he walked into the room, lanky legs carrying him in. It was Brian May. His hair looked great up close, was all you could think of when you saw him. “Fuckin’ disgusting, Deaky can get the room next to Roger and his birds next time” Brian muttered, barely even registering you were there, but when he did, you saw his face fall. 

“Ah, I am really sorry, I usually don’t burst out like that” He apologised, you heard the other two sniggering. He held his hand out, “Brian” He introduced, firmly shaking it. They all seemed so humble. 

“That bird is my friend, Cindy, she’s a big fan as well, she actually cried at the end of the concert,” You told them, going to sit down on the couch, watching as they awaited more from you. You decided to tell them about yourself for a few minutes.

John had sat next to you and Brian had pushed Freddie to the other end of the couch that he was hogging to himself. Freddie appeared half asleep but still intent on listening to you.

“I’ve been to a few concerts, and a lot of pub gigs, and most of the time, Cindy gets taken to the back, we do have a reputation for making it to the barricade...it’s a bit weird to be in the shadows while she takes the limelight, of course she’s gorgeous and I am so proud to call her my best friend, but yeah...I don’t know where I was going with this” You rubbed your temples, laughing a little to try to conceal the fact that you were a little disappointed or upset. 

“I think you’re gorgeous...and I don’t think you need a guitarist or a singer to validate that” John piped up, your head turning to see him, his hair tossed behind his shoulder. You smiled kindly at him, chuckling a little as your face went red. A small ‘thank you’ passed your lips, trying not to giggle. The room had gone silent and in that, there was a series of noises from the dressing rooms, everyone cringed a little. 

It was a few minutes later, Freddie had passed out, his legs sprawled onto Brian’s lap, who also seemed to have fallen asleep. John and you had just begun to talk, the more you talked, the less awkward it seemed to feel. You had sat on the couch in a way that your body faced John, and he had scooted slightly closer but kept his hands to himself. “How long’s it been?” You chuckled, he looked down at his sleeve. “Only forty minutes...you know, I’ve seen a lot of girls get taken backstage by a particular member at our shows, and I’ve never seen someone else tag along, I’m glad that it fills the silence” He smiled, but as he finished his sentence. His lips opened as though he was about to say something else but as he did, a door was unlocked and down the hall, Roger and Cindy walked out together. 

Her hair was frizzy and her cheeks were flushed, she walked slower than she usually did. Her mascara was all under her eyes and her clothes were dishevelled. His hair was a tangled mess and he had a slight smirk on his face, whispering things to her as they approached the communal area. 

“Need a trip to the pharmacy?” You raised a brow, watching her say ‘ha-ha’ before she came and held her hand out to you, to pick you up off the couch. You let her drag you up onto your feet and saw John suddenly stand up, looking at you. You turned to look at him and he cleared his throat.

“We’re in the area for the next few days...if you’re free?” He asked, his tone going back to that awkward one he had when he first saw you in that room. You smiled at him, “Do you have any paper? I’ll give you my number, in case you do have some free time”.

Cindy and you were escorted out by security, who held the shoulder of Cindy as she seemed a bit...weak. 

“Had fun?” You teased, laughing at her as you both made your way down to the pharmacy, which was still open. “Y/N, I’m never gonna have sex better than that...at least not for a bit” She pulled a piece of tissue paper out of her pocket, with a number scrawled on it in whiteboard marker. You both cheered and laughed, still giddy when you bought some over-the-counter Plan B.

[margoshansons]

The Killing Kind (17/17)

Part Seventeen. 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 

MASTERLIST

Final word count: 24.8k

Summary: The kids escape from the trip of hell and finally find some peace back home.

Warnings: Anger issues. Threats.

Notes: Man so this is it. This is the end and final chapter of this amazing series. Thank you all so much for commenting and liking and reblogging. Please remember that while she and Peter are the main ship, this is Y/N’s story. Without further ado, here is the final chapter of the Killing Kind. I hope you guys enjoy it.

Y/N ignored her limp wrist as she made her way to the hotel Mr. Harrington had decided to book last second. She didn’t want to think about how her mother might not be human. She didn’t want to think about her dad locked up in a high profile prison, legally dead to the rest of the world. She didn’t want to think about the fact that the board at her dad’s failing company needed her as the next CEO. 

She just wanted to collapse onto a fluffy bed and sleep off the pain that spun through her body. 

“Thank god you’re alright!” MJ’s body crashed into hers, the extra momentum sending her spinning. Y/N pulled away, meeting her friend’s red eyes. “I was so worried I would never see you again.”

Y/N stood there, staring at MJ. She was alive. She was here. She was safe. She was real. Y/N pulled her back in for a hug, tears escaping involuntarily.

“Oh my god you’re real” She whispered, voice breaking. “You’re here and you’re real and you’re safe.”

MJ sighed, a smile crawling across her face in relief. “I was worried you would leave me alone with that sweaty guy forever.”

The pair chuckled, pulling away to share a wide smile, tears mirroring each other on both girl’s cheeks. 

“Told you I’d be back” Y/N joked, laughter exploding from her chest. Ned gave her a small pat on her shoulder, reassurance. But she didn’t see the person she was worried about most. “Where’s Peter?”

Ned piped up with the answer, “He’s in his room. May called him, wanted to make sure he was okay after everything.”

Y/N nodded, making her way up the stairs. 

“Y/N wait!” MJ called, racing up after her. “I uh, I wanted to say that uh,”

Y/N smirked at her attempt to be more vulnerable. 

“I’m really grateful to have you as a friend,” MJ said, before turning to head toward her room, trying to hide the blush on her cheeks.

Y/N let out a breath, and she knocked on Peter’s door. The beaten-up boy stood there, phone in hand, EDITH on his face. 

“Hey” He breathed.

“Hey” Y/N replied. “Can I come in?” Peter nodded his head, stuttering out an invitation, hastily tidying up what little belongings he had left after the explosion. They stood there, hormones raging as the two tried to figure out their feelings internally. 

They had kissed on the plane.

He had given her a necklace. But what did it mean?

“Peter–” She was cut off with a quick kiss. Soft and awkward.

“That uh, that necklace means what you think it means,” Peter confessed bashfully. 

She fingered the small charm, placing a kiss near the corner of his mouth before wrapping her arms around him. They stayed that way the rest of the night, snuggling together on the bed, their shared trauma keeping them both awake, but the comfort of their embrace allowing them to fall asleep.

***

The plane ride back was going to be long if the way Betty and Flash were staring at her was any indication. She didn’t plan on accidentally revealing her powers to the two, but she seriously had no idea that they were going to be there with MJ and Ned.

“Everything okay?” Peter’s voice asked. 

Y/N stared at her now-boyfriend, grabbing his hand in earnest, plastering a smile on her face. Pretending like her dad wasn’t still alive. Pretending that SHIELD hadn’t just confirmed that everything her father had said was true after testing her DNA for any traces of Aliens. 

They couldn’t even pinpoint where she was from. Just that her energy signature matched Thor’s. 

“Yeah,” She lied, “Everything’s fine.”

She leaned into Peter’s shoulder, her eye-catching MJ shuffling in next to Mr. Harrington and the other chaperone who had been converted to witchcraft over the course of the trip. 

“I uh, I have to do something,” Y/N told Peter, who saw where her eyes were. 

“Go ahead,” Peter encouraged, “I’ll uh, I’ll take one for the team.”

Y/N smiled widely, pecking Peter’s cheek while she approached Mr. Harrington.

“Um, Mr. Harrington?” She nervously caught her teacher’s attention. 

“Y/N!” He replied, “Is everything okay?”

She shared an apologetic look with Peter. “Actually no, I think Peter’s perfume allergies are acting up around me and I was wondering if I could sit next to MJ”

“Say no more” Harrington stood up immediately, taking Y/N’s former seat, allowing the girl to sit next to her best friend.

“Trouble in paradise?” MJ asked, pulling her earbuds out. 

Y/N smirked, “Actually, I just can’t stand him. Needed an excuse to get out of there” She joked, grateful this trip hadn’t ruined the one relationship that mattered to her.

MJ chuckled at the sarcastic humor, offering her dual port to the girl as a peace offering. Y/N took it.

“So which true-crime documentary do you wanna watch today?” MJ asked, scrolling through the movie options.”We got Gacey, Lizzie Borden, Ted Bundy,”

“Oh Bundy for sure” Y/N replied, leaning into the taller girl’s shoulder. “His whole case just proves why assholes shouldn’t be allowed in our legal system.”

MJ clicked on the movie and the two girls snuggled in as the plane took off. 

“Hey” MJ nudged her friend’s shoulder, Y/N perked up.”Do you think Peter would be able to give me a ride one of these days?”

Y/N shoved her best friend’s shoulder playfully, the two giggling as they made their way home.

Mid Credits

“Hey MJ!” Peter called, meeting the girl in her neighborhood. “Y/N told me you wanted a ride?” They swung from the highest buildings in New York, MJ’s screams as she free fell ringing through the atmosphere, Peter almost sure that THor could hear her back on Asgard.

They landed in Times Square, MJ’s hair frazzled and her eyes wide in fear. 

“Yeah, that settles it” She announced, “I am never doing that again.”

Peter chuckled involuntarily at the blushing teen, her hair wild and frizzy like Y/N’s got every time they went for a swing.

“Where is Y/N?” MJ asked, “I thought she was meeting us here for coffee”

Peter rubbed the back of his neck at the question. “She’s uh, she’s dealing with her dad’s stuff.”

The relationship between the two of them was still a bit of a sore spot between Y/N and Peter, especially since Mysterio tried to kill him only a few days ago. It helped that his girlfriend felt the same way he did about Mysterio, but the relation was still there. She still had to go to the funeral. She was still a part of that fucked up family.

His reverie was broken by the screen lighting up behind him. He turned around to see Quentin Beck’s face.

“I managed to send the elemental back through the dimensional rift but I don’t think I’ll get off this bridge alive” Beck rambled, “Spiderman attacked me for some reason, he–he has an army of weaponized drones, Stark Technology”

Peter shared a look with MJ, wishing Y/N was here instead to soothe his rising nerves.

“He’s saying he’s the one who’s going to be the next Iron Man, no one else” Beck continued, before the video cut to a clearly altered video snippet.

“Are you sure you want to commence the drone attack?” EDITH”s clean voice came in over the speakers, “There will be significant casualties”

“Do It” Peter’s own voice startled him. “Execute them all”

No, no, no, no, no. That was taken out of context. All of it was!

“There you have it folks” J Jonah Jameson spat, “Undeniable proof that Spiderman was responsible for the brutal murder of Mysterio. An interdimensional warrior sent to protect our planet along with his daughter, who has now become an orphan thanks to this menace.”

Peter shook his head. Please let Y/N refute this, let her take care of this. 

“But that’s not all folks, brace yourselves you may want to sit down.”

Peter watched as Mysterio released the most valuable information of Peter’s. He watched as Mysterio tore his life apart with six words.

“Spiderman’s real name is Peter Parker!”

His picture was posted all across the square, everyone knew who he was. Everyone.

“We have an exclusive interview with Y/N Beck aka Stasis commenting on her father’s death and her relation to the masked menace.” Jameson continued.

Peter watched as Y/N stood behind a podium, lawyers on her left, publicist on her right. Her black mourning dress was covered by a green velvet jacket, but when Peter squinted, he saw the sunflower adorning her neck and he knew that she was on his side.

“My father loved creating illusions” Y/N admitted, addressing the crowds of reporters. “He loved them so much he somehow managed to create the biggest one after his death. Spiderman did not kill my father, in fact, he is the only reason I lived through that traumatic experience. My father’s death was caused by his own carelessness, and while I want someone to blame more than anyone, Spiderman is not that person. My father’s last words were about how people want to believe. So let’s believe. This child is not a menace, nor is he the hero you assume he is. Spiderman has saved our lives countless times, let’s believe in him rather than videos that can be easily doctored, thank you”

As she left reporters began to hound her once again, her publicist shooing them away while Peter watched his life and his girlfriend’s life fall apart.

Post Credits

The prison stank of sweat and testosterone but that didn’t deter Quentin as he was escorted from his solitary cell to the visiting room. His orange jumpsuit was hideous and hardly comfortable, but he could ignore all of that. 

After six months, he was finally going to see his daughter again.

She looked older. Like somehow she had aged several years in his absence. Maybe she was miserable without her dad. Maybe she was here to help him with his case. Maybe she was here to bail him out. 

Her sunken eyes hardened at the sight of him, his smile never leaving his face as he gazed upon the girl that was his light, his life, the only reason he never went mad in this dull excuse for a secure prison.

“New Jacket?” Quentin asked pointing toward the teal that enwrapped her shoulders. 

‘I know what you did Dad” was all Y/N said in response. “I know what you did to Peter”

Quentin went silent at the boy’s name. 

He deserved it. He had ruined everything. He deserved to have his life torn apart like Quentin’s was.

“It’s not just his life that has been ruined” Y/N urged, eyebrows creasing, “I have reporters daily knocking on our doors, asking all about you and Spiderman.”

“I didn’t mean for that to happen honey” Quentin leaned forward to grab her hand. She ripped it out again.

“Don’t call me that” Y/N spat. “You’ve interfered in my life long enough. Leave my friends alone or I will come in here and kill you myself.”

He scoffed. “You don’t have it in you. You said it yourself, You’ll never be like me. You can’t kill me”

His throat constricted, the blue energy surrounding his neck, squeezing his breath from his lungs.

“You forget,” Y/N threatened, anger lacing her eyes, “I inherited your temper. And we’re surrounded by SHIELD agents who wouldn’t care if I stole every last breath from you. So leave my friends alone, because love is like any other emotion daddy,” She taunted.

 “It. Fades.”

He regained his air back, breathing returning to his lungs like a drug addict to heroin. 

“Do we have an understanding?” Something dark swirled in the eyes of the girl he had raised. Something he had created. 

He nodded, the guards escorting him back to his cell, a new cellmate waiting for him.

“Hey, buddy” The grey-haired man offered his hand, “Adrian Toomes, nice to meet you.”

***

Y/N scanned the papers scattered across the table in her father’s old apartment. She officially got it in the ‘will’. It was hers now. Paid for and a home she can build for herself instead of the old musty church she had found months ago. 

She and her lawyers were currently working with Stark Industries to buildup her father’s company once again. It was all her idea. A great publicity stunt to show how much her father had respected the late hero, regardless of their rocky past. Unfortunately, that included hiring her as CEO, as well as repairing the shitshow that was their relationship with Spiderman.

Her chest constricted when she thought of Peter. Forced into hiding. Unable to even go to school. The last she had heard from him he was somewhere in Africa. Happy assured her that he was safe. But she would be lying if she said she didn’t miss him and Aunt May. 

She really only had MJ and Ned now. And while Flash was treating her better, she really only wanted Peter with her. 

The wind fluttered behind her and she sighed, upset at MJ for leaving the window open again. As she turned around her eyes met green.

A slender woman stood in her living room, dressed head to toe in a green dress that looked like it belonged at a gala instead of a run-down apartment in New York City. 

“Who the hell are you?” Y/N asked, crossing her arms in an attempt to look intimidating.

“The names Lorelei sweetpea” The woman’s silky voice uttered, taking in every bit of the teen before her. “But you can call me Mum.”

AHHHH! That’s it! Thank you all so much for your kind comments and follows and likes and reblogs. This was my first time trying something like this and I loved it! I hoped you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. 

Special thanks to:

@petersblake @editsbyjenny @kaylinfayezink @leilei-draws and @santa-feigh for being there since the beginning and commenting on almost every single post, reblogging always, and recommending me.

And a very special thanks to:

@thatsuperherosidekick for always liking my posts and never failing to enter my ask box and freak out with me about this story and everything about it.

For everyone who commented, liked, reblogged, or recommended, thank you so much and for everyone tagged, thank you. You guys kept me writing this and I’m so grateful to all of you. Hugs and kisses.

TAG LIST: CLOSED

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My next series will be a Steve Harrington x reader, but that won’t be out for a little while. If you want to be tagged in that, or if you want to request more Marvel imagines, please send me an ask or let me know! Once again, thank you all so much for your support. I couldn’t have done this without you guys.

[ohbillyboi]

Lost Boy (Post-S3 Billy Hargrove Redemption) - Ch 2

Summary: Post S3. Billy’s life has completely fallen apart after the events of July ‘85. He’s started drinking, lost his job, and gotten kicked out of the Hargrove/Mayfield house. Luckily for him, word gets around in Hawkins, and Chief Jim Hopper has a more generous heart than advertised.

A story in which Billy faces his demons with the help of a police chief – and the fourteen-year-old girl he fears most in the world.

Index:

Chapter 1: Hopper Makes An Offer Chapter 2: The Cabin Where My Mind Was Flayed Chapter 3: He’s Your Brother

Chapter Excerpt: Billy was the first to step inside. Moving slowly, he took in the space with sharp eyes. The place was fully furnished, as if its inhabitants could walk right in at any moment. No one had lived here for weeks, though - that much was obvious. The air was stale, the lights were off, and the furniture was covered in clear plastic. It felt strange. Depressing.

The damage was even more obvious from here. A huge chunk of the roof was missing, and the tarp covering the hole cast a weird blue tint over the space. The sound of it flapping in the breeze reminded him of sailcloth, which conjured up images of shipwrecks and desert islands.

Then he saw it: the girl’s room, empty and forlorn. His stomach turned. Fuck.

Chapter 2: The Cabin Where My Mind Was Flayed

Billy was half-asleep by the time they arrived. Hands still cuffed, his head lolled against the window as he drifted in half-formed dreams of sunshine and sheriff’s hats. When the truck stopped, the bounce of the suspension made his temple smack the glass.

“God fucking damn it!” he hissed. He tried to raise his hand to the spot, but encountered the hard metal of the cuffs instead. So he settled for scowling like he wanted to murder somebody. Which, by this point, he very much did.

The engine cut off. Keys jangled as they were removed from the ignition.

“We’re here,” Hop announced.

Blinking away an ache-induced haze, Billy looked out the windshield. Naturally, they were in the woods again. Just a short distance in front of them, a cabin crouched low to the ground, as if trying to hide.

Billy had never been here in his life. And yet, he recognized it.

Stalking slowly through the doorway.

Pinning her to the wall with his stare.

Threats dripping from his lips.

Tears streaming down her cheeks as she gasped, “No. No!”

“Hargrove!”

Hopper’s bark shattered the growing darkness around him. He jerked to attention, eyes on the chief.

“You with me?” the man said.

It took a second, but Billy nodded. Satisfied, Hopper jangled the keys in his hand. “Alright. Let’s do this.”

As the chief opened the squeaky driver’s door and stepped out, Billy turned his gaze back to the cabin. Its windows seemed to glare at him, hating him. Accusing him. His jaw clenched. Hey, I don’t fucking want me here either, so let’s just buckle down and get through this, alright?

Then the door opened, the chief pulled Billy from the truck, and together they walked toward the cabin.

Now that he was out in the open, Billy could see more of the damage. Tarps covered multiple spots on the siding like bright blue bandaids. Off to the left, a pile of debris sat rotting in the yard. On the roof, the largest tarp of all flapped gently in the breeze.

Hopper stopped, grabbing Billy’s elbow to hold him back. He pushed up his hat and gestured to the scene. “I, uh, haven’t been able to do much with it yet. The past few weeks have been… tough.”

Billy’s lips twitched. He knew exactly what the chief meant. There was no shortage of trauma in these parts - especially, Billy guessed, for the girl in Hopper’s care. Shoving away the image of her tear-stained face, he stared apathetically at the cabin, saying nothing.

Hopper took the hint. Clearing his throat, he led Billy to the front door and unlocked it with another key.

Billy was the first to step inside. Moving slowly, he took in the space with sharp eyes. The place was fully furnished, as if its inhabitants could walk right in at any moment. No one had lived here for weeks, though - that much was obvious. The air was stale, the lights were off, and the furniture was covered in clear plastic. It felt strange. Depressing.

The damage was even more obvious from here. A huge chunk of the roof was missing, and the tarp covering the hole cast a weird blue tint over the space. The sound of it flapping in the breeze reminded him of sailcloth, which conjured up images of shipwrecks and desert islands.

Then he saw it: the girl’s room, empty and forlorn. His stomach turned. Fuck.

“The whole roof needs to be reshingled anyway,” Hopper said from somewhere behind him. “Figured I’d take the time to do a quality job.”

Billy swallowed hard. “What--what do you need me to do?”

“Well, today you’ll be cleaning up debris outside. I’ll have to uncuff you, but don’t even think about running. I’ll catch you, and then our deal is off. Understand?”

When Billy didn’t respond, Hopper stepped up behind him. “Hey!” Billy whirled around. “I said do you understand?”

There it was, that steely look again. Billy’s mouth went dry, and he nodded.

“Good.” Producing a small key, Hopper unlocked and removed the cuffs. As soon as they were off, Billy shook out his hands, breathing a sigh of relief at the restored blood flow.

“You’ll need gloves,” Hopper said. He turned and disappeared outside, presumably to get gloves from a shed.

Billy started to follow him, but stopped. A tugging, a compulsion he didn't understand, made him glance up at the hole in the roof. Goosebumps cascaded down the back of his neck as he stared at the luminous blue of the tarp, watched it undulate slowly in a breeze that didn't seem to be there.

Tentacles ripping the roof open.

The girl screaming, holding onto her friends for dear life--

He jerked himself out of the memory with a gasp. Stumbling back, he looked wildly at the cabin around him, then hurried out the door into the sunlight.

Behind him, the shadows chittered and clicked like a monster.

--

Cleaning up debris wasn’t bad. The biggest pieces had already been gathered, and the rest didn’t take that long. After that, though, Hopper decided it would be great fun if he made Billy clear out brush - the long, thorny kind you can pull up with your (gloved) hands. Billy cussed him out for it, but he just smiled and rattled the cuffs hanging from his belt. I could always take you to jail, kid.

Billy shut up after that. Still, he hated every minute of it. The branches fucking whipped him if he wasn’t careful, he could feel his hair getting frizzy, and he’d never meant for this goddamn shirt to get so goddamn sweaty. Also he was pretty sure the thorns were stabbing holes in it, and... fuck.

About an hour in, Hopper disappeared inside. Couple minutes later, he appeared at a side window, phone to his ear, watching Billy work as he talked.

Billy scowled. He thought about giving him the one-finger salute, but decided he didn't have the energy and kept pulling up brush instead.

Eventually Hopper wandered away from the window. He was gone for way too long after that. As Billy took another armful of branches to the pile, he glared at the cabin.

What the fuck was the chief doing? Shooting the shit while Billy worked?

Anger swelled inside Billy like red hot magma. He threw the branches on the pile harder than necessary, then leaned back to crack his spine. Casting another dirty look at the cabin, he shook his head. Fuck you, pig. He took off his gloves, threw them on the ground, and dug in his pocket for his cigarettes.

But of course, of course, he'd only managed to get a couple good breaths in when the chief's voice boomed from the porch.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?”

Billy turned as lazily as possible to look at him. “Taking a break. What does it look like?”

Hopper stared at him. Billy could see the wheels spinning angrily in his head as he considered his options. Amazingly, he decided to let it go. Breathing in the fresh air, he leaned against the wall, reaching in his shirt pocket for a cigarette.

“Alright. We’ll smoke. I’ll talk.”

Billy rolled his eyes and turned back to his cig. He listened as Hopper lit one up and took a long, thoughtful draw of his own.

“I got you a job with a friend of mine.”

“You what?” Billy whirled around, eyes wide.

“Mm-hm.” The chief blew a cloud of smoke. “Local farmer. Needs some help this season.”

“You…” Billy could hardly breathe. “You... fucking asshole! That wasn’t part of the deal!”

Hopper glanced down at the cig in his hand. “Not in so many words, no.” Pushing off the wall, he left the porch and sauntered toward Billy. “But keeping you off the sauce was. And you and I both know that if you aren’t working your ass off till sundown every day…”

He stopped just a pace away from Billy. Glared at him.

“...you won’t stand a chance.”

Billy said nothing. Sticking the cig back in his mouth, Hopper grinned. Fucking grinned.

“What, did you think I’d drop my duties and stay here with you every day?” He shook his head. “No. This’ll be your weekend job.”

Billy could practically feel his blood boiling. He should've seen this coming. They always do this - ask for a little, then take fucking everything.

“Fuckin’... prick,” he spat.

Hopper chuckled, but it wasn't a nice sound. There was a sharp, rusty edge to it, like an old switchblade scraping against wood.  

“Feeling's mutual, pal.”

All hints of a grin vanished. He leaned forward.

“Now get back to work.”

Meeting the chief's stare head on, Billy squared his shoulders and stepped back. He flicked his lit cigarette onto the grass - let it start a fire, for all he cared - and grabbed his gloves off the ground.

As he headed into the brush, he could feel the chief's eyes boring into him.

Watching.

--

<---Previous Chapter

Next Chapter--->

[hufflepuffhollander]

Could you do number 14 and number 11 for Tom please? ❤️

yes yes! didn’t know if you wanted these separate or together so I just mushed em into one extra fun extra long blurb!

tom x fem costar!reader(contains language, but don’t they all)word count: 934enjoy!

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

14. “Would you just shut up and listen to me for a second?”

11. “Are you flirting with me?”-“You finally noticed?”

You pursed your lips together, adding the final touches of your liquid matte to your pout, looking at the rest of your makeup, feeling relatively unsatisfied with the result. You usually allowed an artist to do your makeup before a big live talk show interview, but for some reason, today was the day you decided to try doing it on your own - and what a mistake that was. Sure, you’d watched hours of makeup tutorials, perfecting the look you wanted to flaunt on the stage, but you could never let yourself have a win, always finding any flaw you could catch and doting on it forever.

To any objective viewer, you looked beautiful. To Tom, you looked like an angel. 

If only you thought so, too.

He walked into your dressing room, pausing at the door to take in your features, the overwhelming smell of your perfume may have given anyone else a headache; Tom inhaled as strongly as he could, hoping that fragrance would linger in his memory forever. 

You did another compulsive once over in the mirror.

 I look like a wide-eyed raccoon.

Tom walked into the room so he could see you in full.

God, she’s stunning.

He snuck up on you, making you jump, almost swiping a wand full of dark lipstick across your cheeks and over your nose. 

“Fuck, Tom! Don’t do that!” you laughed, taking a big, deep sigh of relief when you realized your look was still intact. 

“You look really, really, uh...nice,” he stuttered, kicking himself on the inside for giving you a compliment that would completely fly under your radar.

“Ugh, no, my hair is frizzy, my eyeliner keeps smudging under my eyes, and there’s powder caked in the creases,” you wholly ignored his attempt at flattering you, going on to reveal your little imperfections that he never would’ve noticed otherwise.

“Don’t talk like that, love, you’re gonna stun the whole crowd,” he said, placing a hand on your shoulder, looking at you through the mirror, enjoying the sight of you two posed together.

You continued on with the complaints, pointing out any mishap in your appearance that you could find, Tom continuously trying to settle your conscience about it, but each attempting ultimately failing.

At one point, he’d had enough of listening to you degrade yourself, especially when the only thing he saw on you was beautiful.

“Jesus, would you just shut up and listen to me for a second? You look absolutely gorgeous, and you’re the only one who doesn’t think so, and it’s killing me that you’re so hard on yourself, I just wish you saw what I see, and--” he stopped in his tracks, wide eyed, realizing he had easily started to spill too much.

When it rains, it pours.

You turned around in your chair, taking his hand in yours, a smile starting to creep up on your face.

He coughed out of sheer nerves, attempting to reconcile the ridiculous amount of genuine sweetness he had just let pour out of him. He has a reputation of being your annoying on-set brother to keep up, after all.

“Um, I mean, you’ve gotta keep up to a certain standard if you’re gonna be seen with me in public,” he laughed, playfully pushing your shoulder back, running an awkward hand through his curls, clearing his throat even though there was nothing stuck in it.

“Right, thanks, that makes me feel so much better,” you replied, silently appreciating his cute attempt at a cover up. You stood up and walked out of the room together, making your way down the halls to get ready to make your appearance. He placed a hand on the small of your back, leading you slightly in front of him, readying himself to make another comment that would hopefully grab your attention. He’d been trying for months to feel out your relationship, trying to decipher your unspoken code, not being able to tell you he was realizing that he had feelings for you that went beyond friendship; hoping that maybe the feeling was mutual.

The stage manager got you ready to go on, asking who was walking out on stage first.

“Well, Tom, if you need to keep up that standard of excellence, you should go first,” you said, reference his playful comment earlier, your wink making his palms sweaty.

“Yeah, you’re right, I should go first,” he started, causing a small sink in your chest.

“...I would hate to go on after you, looking like that, and have to come up with an excuse as to why you’re so much prettier than me.” he looked to the floor, and then to you, trying to gauge your reaction.

I’m trying to tell you that you’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

You caught a glint in his eye that told you he was trying to express this upwell of feelings he had for you in the only way he really knew how. You squinted your eyes and smirked at your co-star, one you thought only ever saw you as his annoying on-set sister, suddenly realizing you had it all wrong.

“Tom...are you flirting with me?”

“What, you finally noticed?”

The stage manager started to count down the seconds until you walked out together in front of thousands of your fans.

3...Tom took your hand in his and squeezed it lightly.

2...You squeezed back.

1...Could this really be happening?

[catgluue]

The Price of Life Chapter Three

So I’ve sent this to be Beta’d but I’m frankly too excited to wait so happy birthday to you, tumblr. I reserve the right to make changes, such as when I discover tumblr formatting has eaten all my italics. 

Anyway this was fun to write and I hope you all enjoy it.

Read on A03

----

“I'm bored.”

“Well that makes two of us,” Havoc deadpanned, scrubbing at his eyes with one hand. It was a little after three in the morning and they were situated outside Rebecca's hospital room. It was a fairly unconventional birth plan, with he and Riza taking it in turns to sit with Rebecca, ostensibly so they each could rest but realistically so they could switch out before she got too annoyed with either of them. Their five year old, Marcus, was at Mustang's for the night, but wherever Riza went her shadow was sure to follow. And her shadow happened to be twelve and mouthy.

“Did I take this long to be born?” Mae wanted to know, yawning hugely. She had, of course, been given the choice to stay home but true to form she wanted to be where the action was. Havoc loved the kid to death but he'd forgotten how abysmally obnoxious tweens could be. A while back he'd joked to Mustang that Mae was now the same age that Edward Elric has been when he'd been recruited into the military. Far from finding this funny, the General had gone white as a sheet and spent half an hour locked in his office on the phone with his head in his hands and Riza glaring daggers at Jean.

It had not been a pleasant afternoon.

“No idea,” he said. “I mean, I wasn't there. I know you also decided to show up sometime after midnight and your Aunt Rebecca was up all night waiting for you, so you definitely owe her one.”

“What about-” she began, sitting straighter in her chair, before pausing as though thinking through what she was about to say. “Was anyone else there apart from Aunt Becca?”

He grinned tiredly. “Oh I think someone else might have showed up,” he said, a hand on his chin. “What was that guy's name? Troy?”

“Ha ha.”

“I think you maybe met him once or twice. Dark-haired fellow, lots of stars on his jacket? Thinks you're cool for some reason?”

“Whatever,” she rolled her eyes. “Forget I asked.”

They were quiet for a moment under the fluorescent lights of the hallway. Havoc knew well that hospitals were places apart from time; the lights and people were unchanging. Well, mostly unchanging, he thought, as he spied Breda walking up the hall juggling three styrofoam cups.

“I told you to stay home,” Jean said, accepting the cup which turned out to be full of coffee.

“Yeah well,” Breda said with a shrug. “There was nothing good on the radio.” He handed a cup to Mae, who sniffed it suspiciously. “Black coffee's your drink, right?”

“Yeah but hot chocolate is fine too,” Mae told him, taking a sip. “Uncle Breda were you there when I was born?” Breda shook his head no, settling into a chair on her other side.

“Nah we missed the action. I got to see you a little while after though, you were all pink and tiny and cute. I wonder what happened?” Mae made a face at him, and he nudged her with an elbow playfully. She wasn’t spoiled exactly - Hawkeye would never let that happen - but she had grown up with an abundance of Uncles who were inclined to indulge her every whim until such a time as they’d been sat down by their commanding officer and ordered to desist. (Mae’s Aunt Becca flatly refused a similar order.)

Mustang, for all that he clearly loved the little girl, could be surprisingly stern when he had to, a surprising aspect of their odd arrangement that Jean found made him respect the man even more. It was easy to be a kid’s pal, to take them to the zoo and buy them gifts. It was harder to make them do their homework, or their chores, or  eat their vegetables.

“Uncle Breda was almost as afraid of you as he is of dogs,” Havoc confided. “Remember when we sat you down with a pillow and made you hold her?”

“One of the more terrifying experiences of my life, and I helped stage a coup,” Haymans remarked. “You hated me, wouldn't stop screaming until Havoc here took you back. Same thing with Fuery. I think babies can smell fear or something.”

“Maybe you just took some getting used to,” Mae remarked primly, setting her cup down and stretching. The door opened and a tired-looking Riza emerged, amid what sounded like Rebecca threatening the doctor with surprising vigor and creativity for a woman who had been in labor for something like six hours already.

“You're up, Jean,” Hawkeye told him, hauling him to his feet before he had the chance to process what she meant. “I think it's finally time for the big event.” he froze, unbelieving that their long wait was about to pay off and he was about to become a father for the second time. Hawkeye saw his dazed expression and chuckled softly.

“It helps if you open the door,” Mae supplied helpfully, reaching over to pluck the coffee from his hands before he spilled it.

“Can it, squirt,” he said without any real venom, and walked past Riza into the delivery room.

Rebecca looked beautiful: even sweaty and frizzy and tired as she was, Jean didn’t think he’d ever seen someone so radiant. Of course she was also screaming a string of curses so apart from being beautiful she was also terrifying . Like a vengeful goddess or something, he mused. She caught him looking and beckoned him over with the hand not clutching one of the nurses’ arms.

“JEAN HAVOC STOP STARING AT ME AND GET OVER HERE SO I CAN BREAK ALL THE BONES IN YOUR FING-AAAGH!!”

He did as he was told, offering a hand that she clung to painfully.

“You’re doing so well,” he said in what he hoped was a soothing voice.

“I,” she panted, “am doing a FANTASTIC job.”

“That’s what I meant to say,” he told her. “Can’t be long now right?” He directed this at the doctor, though Rebecca’s ensuing yell of expletives let him know she’d taken it personally.

“All right, Rebecca,” the nurse said after a glance under the sheet that covered her. “It’s time to push.” Havoc felt himself go clammy at the thought, and he brushed a hand across Rebecca’s forehead tenderly.

“You,” he told her, “Are the best baby-haver in history. Nobody pops em out like you can. You’re crushing it.” She grinned wearily, and despite her myriad of threats he could see the genuine affection in her eyes as she squeezed his hand more gently this time.  

“This kind of blind adoration is exactly why I keep you around. Now don’t you dare look away, if I have to witness this then so do you.”

It was a boy.

-x-

“Good boy, Taisa! Here, you throw it this time, Mae, you can throw further than I can.” The bushy-haired boy handed the frisbee to the dark-haired girl, who turned, aimed, and threw in one smooth motion.

Jean watched them fondly. He’d been out with Marcus, since Riza and Rebecca had a standing appointment to have lunch together on Saturday afternoons, and Becca had brought the baby. They’d gotten ice cream and were walking through the park when they’d run into Mustang and Mae, who coincidentally alsohad a standing appointment to have lunch together on Saturday afternoons. He’d just assumed she tagged along with her mom and Becca on those occasions but he had to admit it was the perfect opportunity for Mustang to have some quality time with his bodyguard’s kid. It had been Marcus to point them out first, and Havoc had looked to see the General seated on a park bench, chuckling at normally reserved Mae animatedly telling a story that seemed to involve an explosion.

Seeing them side by side really highlighted the passing of time; he remembered when Mae was seven and would play in this same park with Black Hayate, before he passed on to Good Boy Heaven. Mae and Riza had both been inconsolable, and the General had made sure that Hayate was promoted two ranks posthumously and given a proper sendoff befitting his station. Now Mae was fourteen, long-limbed and getting taller almost by the minute.

“I can't believe how big they're getting,” Havoc remarked, watching Mae and Marcus take turns throwing the frisbee for Taisa, one of the late great Black Hayate’s children.

“Do you know she came to me the other day and asked me how to get a boy in her class to notice her?” Roy said, pushing his hair off his face in an exasperated gesture while Havoc barked out a laugh.

“Oh man, I'm guessing you weren't ready for that kind of a talk, huh boss?”

“Yeah, no shit.”

“So what did you tell her?” Now he thought about it, Jean realized that even in his capacity as favorite uncle (or so he liked to believe) he wasn't ready for Mae to start dating either. She’d always been the bookish type, on the quiet side with people she didn’t know well. He had just assumed they wouldn’t have to worry about boys for years yet. Mustang shrugged.

“I was so surprised I just told her to be herself and that any boy who didn't notice her wasn't worth her time.”

“Well that seems like solid advice to me,” Jean told him. A little boring, but he doubted he’d have been able to come up with anything better when put on the spot like that.

“I'm glad you think so; Mae rolled her eyes and said never mind, she'd just go look through Aunt Becca's magazines for actual advice and thanks for nothing,” Roy said bitterly, though he was clearly amused.

Now that he thought about it, Havoc could recall a day last week when Mae had come over and talked to her aunt in hushed tones. At a certain point there had been a peal of laughter and his wife crowing that finally a Hawkeye wanted to look through trashy periodicals with her. He had avoided the kitchen after that and so didn’t hear anything else.

“Ouch. Did you tell Hawkeye?” Roy looked at him in surprise.

“Well no, Mae asked me not to.”

“So you're more afraid of the wrath of a teenage girl than the wrath of Riza Hawkeye, your trusted adjutant and infamous sharpshooter,” he said flatly. “Interesting perspective.”

“It's not like that. If I want Mae to continue trusting me, I need to prove myself worthy of that trust. She should be able to come to me with questions, or things she might not want to talk to her mother about. The Captain understands this.” Of course , Havoc thought. As usual, he was three steps and a nonverbal conversation behind Mustang and Hawkeye. They would have talked about this, probably years ago – probably before Mae herself was even able to talk. They were as much of one mind about Mae's upbringing as they were about anything else.

“Sounds like solid reasoning to me.”

“Besides, if I told Hawkeye there was a boy at school not giving her daughter the time of day you know she’d find a way to show up and ‘accidentally’ let slip how many guns she keeps on her person,” he said cheerfully and Havoc had to admit that he was probably not all that far from the truth.

-x-

The office was filled with the sound of last minute paperwork being gathered up, and Mae's soft begging at the General's desk. It was almost quitting time on a Friday and Hawkeye was delivering some documents while her daughter did her best to cajole her mother's senior officer.

“Please, please please please,

“I can't sign this; I'm not your legal guardian,” Mustang deadpanned, glancing at the final paper she had placed on his desk.

“But you're practically the most important man in Amestris, after the Fuhrer,” Mae reasoned, trying to hand him a pen as he crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow at her.

“Go try this on him, then: you'll probably have better luck.” Mae rolled her eyes at the suggestion.

“He'll make me play him for it and I can never beat him.”

“Well, I can't help you either. Have you even asked your mother?” the General asked with a shrug.

“You know she'll never say yes, she always changes the subject when I ask about alchemy. It's just a short term course and I'm doing really well in school this year,” she explained. “I thought you'd understand.” This child of the military really was getting to be a master manipulator, Havoc thought, watching as she batted large amber eyes at Mustang. Sure she lacked subtlety but she knew how to play Roy like a fiddle. She could ask for the moon and he'd find a way to bring it down for her.

“Look Mae,” he said slowly, as though choosing his words carefully, “I know you might think that alchemy is a glamorous profession, but it's not easy. It's a lot of hard work. Most alchemists aren't up to the task of working for the state and there's not much money without government funding.” This was, apparently, the wrong thing to say. Mae's eyes flashed and she squared her shoulders.

“I know I'm not some kind of prodigy like you or Uncle Ed but I don't want to do anything flashy. I want to go to Xing and study with Uncle Al and Aunt May,” she explained. “I've been reading through some of your books and medical alchemy is really cool.”

“When the hell did you read any of my books?” he demanded, and she shrugged, looking slightly guilty.

“Sometimes I borrow them. I always bring them back though. I've been looking through them for years, and I've done a few transmutations. Little ones,” she admitted. Mustang leaned his chin on his hand lazily, regarding Mae as he might look at a fascinating equation.

“Have you? That's actually pretty advanced, you know.”

She blinked, obviously not expecting praise. “Really?”

“You must have an aptitude for it.”

“I know,” she looked around before lowering her voice. “I know mom's father was an alchemist. I think that's maybe why she doesn't want me learning it.”

“Could be,” he said in his most bland, I-know-nothing-whatsoever-about-this-matter voice.

“But I thought you might understand why... why I'm so interested in it.”

“I can't sign the permission slip for you,” he repeated. “Do you know what would happen to me if your mom found out? Terrible things, unspeakable things. Remember the time I got you roller skates before she thought you were ready?” Havoc winced – he was sure none of them would ever forget the roller skate incident.

“Will you – will you talk to her then?”

“And what makes you think that would help?” Mae rolled her eyes.

“She listens to you, Sir. She might not act like it but you should hear her sometimes, it's all “General this” and “General that”, I think she really respects your opinion.” Flattery would get her everywhere, it seemed, as Mustang sat up straighter and ran a hand through his hair, as the Captain reentered the room.

“Follow my lead,” he muttered, and she nodded. “Evening Major, what do you have planned on this beautiful Friday night?” Riza lifted an eyebrow at his flowery tone, a smile playing around her mouth.

“Well it’s Mae’s turn to cook, so I thought I might do some reading,” she answered lightly.

“Oh that's unfortunate, you see I was planning on sweeping her off her feet for a night on the town. Since you seem to be delighted by the prospect of not cooking I suppose you could join us, if that's all right with you of course madam,” this was directed at Mae, who pretended to consider. Havoc started slowly gathering his things, interested to see how this would play out.

“I guess she can come, if she promises not to talk too much.”

“Yes of course, leave those chatterbox tendencies at home and we've got a deal,” Roy said, gazing at Riza evenly over his hands, steepled before him on the desk.

“I think I can agree to that,” Riza said, with another of her barely perceivable smiles that nonetheless seemed to light up her whole face.

“Great,” the General said. “It's a date.”

“Oh shoot!” Mae exclaimed, snatching up her school book - without the form, which she swept into the General's lap seemingly by accident. “I forgot I told Aunt Rebecca I would babysit for her tonight! Oh how terrible, I suppose you'll have to just go without me.” Jean thought that should he want to, he could have knocked Roy over with a feather, while Riza just gave her daughter a small wave, face almost suspiciously bland.

“Well if you promised. We'll miss you though.”

“You'll manage. By mom, bye Sir,” Mae chirped, turning to fall into step with Havoc, who had paused after donning his jacket.

“You realize we're not actually going anywhere,” he said quietly as she took one of his massive binders filled with cases he needed to review before Monday without being asked.

“Keep walking, Uncle Havoc,” she hissed.

“What's in it for me?”

“Free babysitting for a month.”

“Two.”

“One and I'll throw in an overnight trip.”

“Deal,” he said. They'd been wanting to take a weekend off to see Falman in Briggs for a while. “And well played,” he added with a nod.

“Thank you, I learn from the best. What's for dinner?” Hardened con artist and all, she was still a teenager who was somehow constantly hungry. He reached out and ruffled her shoulder length black hair and she responded by ducking away from him and smoothing it back down with a motion that he’d seen his superior officer make a million times.

-x-

BANG BANG BANG

Havoc almost jumped out of his seat at the knocking at the door. It was sometime after eight and dark outside. He picked up his sidearm off the mantle and inched towards the door carefully, before snatching the handle and wrenching it open. Springing back, he brought the gun up and then back down almost as quickly when he saw who it was. Mae Hawkeye, face red and wet with tears, was standing on his doorstep with wide eyes on his gun.

“You scared me,” he explained, dropping his weapon and clicking the safety back on. “What's up, kiddo? Everything ok?” Everything was clearly not okay but everything he knew about teenagers and this teenager in particularly told him to tread lightly. She looked like a frightened animal, and he kept his distance lest she bolt.

“Hey,” she sniffed, looking around him into the empty living room. “Is Aunt Rebecca here?” Great, he thought, girl stuff. Perfect. This was much better than the quiet hour alone with a book and a scotch he'd been anticipating. He poured the scotch anyway, thinking he'd need it.

“She took the boys for ice cream,” he said. “Can, uh, can I make you some tea?” Mae swept by him, dropping a suspiciously large bag on the floor near the coat rack with a thunk . Sounded like a couple changes of clothes and about five books, he estimated. This was serious.

“Sure,” she said, sinking into one of the armchairs and putting her head in her hands. Jean closed the door and headed to the kitchen to switch the kettle on, and by the time he came back she was sitting upright, having dried her face and smoothed her hair back. She looked young, and she was wearing an expression he knew all too well.

“You wanna talk about it?” he asked, and she gave him a withering stare that was ironically all Hawkeye, considering what she was probably mad about.

“I can't,” she said in a long-suffering tone. “I mean, I just, I had a fight with mom and I needed to get out.”

“Right,” he said, leaning back and taking a sip of scotch. “Let me guess, girl stuff?” Mae snorted.

“You couldn't even begin to imagine.”

“Right, of course not,” he said, rubbing the bridge of his nose in exasperation. When did she get so needlessly dramatic? She certainly didn't get that particular trait from her mother.

She sat on the edge of the couch, arms tightly crossed. He sat next to her and playfully bumped her elbow with one of his.

“Hey come on, you guys usually get along great. Whatever you were fighting about can’t have been that bad.”

“Oh yes it can,” Mae hissed.

“Did she return a book to the library you weren’t finished with yet?” He asked, recalling the source of a previous rift. Mae had a habit of not using bookmarks, claiming to always remember her page, and Riza had a habit of fastidiously following rules, such as the rule that library books could only be borrowed for a fortnight at a time. It was surprising the mistake didn’t happen more often, when you thought about it.

“She’s a liar,” Mae said softly and Havoc blinked at this. Riza Hawkeye was honest to the point of (always tactful) bluntness at times. Sure she could keep a secret when she had to but usually only … when she had to…

He kept his expression carefully neutral.

“It’s not my business,” he told her, hoping this would discourage her from fully revealing the cause of their argument, “But if you caught her in a fib it was probably for good reason.”

“It wasn’t a fib, she’s been lying to me since I was born,” Mae spat bitterly. “And I gave her the chance to finally come clean but she just kept up the lie, like I’m stupid —“

“No one could ever accuse you of being stupid,” he told her. And it was true, she had taken to her alchemy lessons like a fish to water. At fifteen she was at the top of her class and rapidly outpacing the curriculum available. He’d once heard Mustang quietly say to Hawkeye that he’d been looking into finding a private tutor in Central, but he had been immediately shut down by one of her withering stares that seemed to speak volumes to Roy. Havoc couldn’t see why - the girl was a natural, let her do the thing she was clearly great at. “You know how protective your mom can be. Maybe this lie, that I have no knowledge of and is not my business, was for your own good when you were younger. She doesn’t realize how fast you’ve grown up.”

“She still should tell me the truth.”

“You know, your mom’s a person too,” he told her gently, well aware that he was divulging one of the biggest secrets of parentkind. “Have you considered that maybe, uh, whatever it is, is a sensitive topic for her too? It’s probably not a fun secret to keep. I bet you she wishes she doesn’t have to.”

Mae scrubbed the back of her hand across her eyes.

“Thank you, Uncle Havoc. I’m gonna go wash my face.” She headed off down the hall and he breathed a sigh of relief, glad that playing dumb had worked. He reached for his scotch and took a long drink.

Another knock, and Havoc set down his glass in annoyance, before opening the door. It was Riza, of course, looking world-weary and almost like she'd been crying. Jean had known Riza for, geez, at least twenty years now. He didn't think he'd ever seen her cry.

“Hey. Is my daughter here?”

Wordlessly, Havoc opened the door and she walked past him, setting her purse on the coffee table heavily. The tea kettle started to sing in the kitchen and he hastened to take if off the heat, bringing Riza a cup of chamomile without asking.

“Just wait until yours are teenagers,” she said wryly, accepting the mug from him.

“Well when they are, and they run out during an argument, I'll know to go look for them at your place,” he said, and found that despite his joking tone he meant it. This earned him a sad little smile.

“It'll be nice to be the fun aunt for once,” she said softly. “People always say parenting is hard, but no one ever tells you it can be so heartbreaking.” She shook her head slowly. “I didn't mean that. Not exactly.”

“I know what you mean,” Havoc assured her. He hated having arguments with his kids, even if it was just little stuff right now, like whether or not one should jump on the bed. Mae hadn't come out with it, but he could guess what they'd been fighting about.

“I'm the one who ran out,” she confessed. Havoc inched closer to the couch and put what he hoped was a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Not now, but this morning. I was going in to work early and she kept asking me about – well it doesn't matter what. I owe her an answer but I brushed her off.”

“Whatever it is, I'm sure it's ...complicated,” Jean said delicately. Her hand came up briefly to rest on his.

“Thank you,” she said.

“Mom?” came a small voice from the hallway. It was of course Mae, face freshly scrubbed, looking remorseful, yet with a familiar glint of determination in her eyes. “Let's go home,” she said. Riza took a deep breath, and stood up.

“Good idea.”

He’d thought about using Rebecca as a go between to find out the result of this argument, but in the end decided against it. As he’d told Mae, it really wasn’t his business, even though he was desperately curious to find out whether she’d been told of her true parentage. But as it happened, there was no espionage necessary; Hawkeye approached him the next day while he was making coffee in the office.

“Thank you,” she said quietly. “For whatever you said to Mae about me.”

“Oh, it was nothing,” he said. “I just ah, told her that whatever it was, the situation isn’t ideal for you either.”

“She said that whenever I was ready to … discuss the subject we were arguing over, she would like to hear it.” Riza shrugged. “Sometimes being a parent is a wretch, but then they do something mature and it was all worth it.”

“She’s a great kid,” Jean told Riza solemnly. “You did a good job there.” She smiled a little sadly and he thought he saw her eyes flick to the front of the room, just for a second.

“Oh, you know,” she said softly. “It takes a village.”

-x-

With Grumman retiring and General Mustang moving into his old office, their team was all but disbanded. It meant promotions and pay raises all around, of course, and Havoc was pleased to finally be given his own unit, but this last afternoon lazily packing up the office was bittersweet. He, Breda, and Fuery lingered, chatting and arguing over pens, while Roy finished some paperwork. Colonel Hawkeye had been conspicuously absent, a fact none of them had mentioned due to the stormclouds that had immediately gathered over the Flame Alchemist’s head when one of the subordinates had asked.

The door flew open, and sixteen-year-old Mae stormed in and directly up to the large desk, the spitting image of her mother in a rage. Roy looked up, did a double take, and sighed.

“Oh hell,” he began. “Mae-”

“Don’t you even-” she spat, crossing her arms over her chest. “You fired my mother - how could you possibly-”

Jean exchanged panicked glances with Breda and Fuery. This was a situation he could never have foreseen - even in his paperwork-induced stress dreams he was the one being fired, never Hawkeye. He couldn’t say he really blamed Mae for being upset; he personally was going to be having a word with his superior officer the moment the kid left, insubordination be damned. Fire Hawkeye? Had the General lost his mind, he wouldn’t last two weeks without her watching his back! Mustang was massaging his temples as though he felt a headache coming on.

“She shouldn’t be telling you that kind of thing,” he muttered, which was of course the wrong thing to say.

“She didn’t tell me anything, I know what termination paperwork is, and I know your signature!”

Havoc found himself in the unique position of both wanting to stay and see the pending Fuhrer of Amestris be torn a new one by a teenaged girl and simultaneously wanting to be nowhere near the impending firestorm that was undoubtedly going to take place. From Fuery and Breda’s shell-shocked expressions they were also frozen to where they stood.

“You know believe it or not I do have my reasons,” the General said, voice quiet. “And I am planning to enlighten you, despite the fact that I do not have to, but this is neither the time nor the place.”

“Oh save it,” Mae snapped, though the shaking in her voice told Jean that she was close to tears. He had no idea how Roy was still staring at her levelly; he would have crumbled if she’d used that tone on him. “You’re just a snake - all this time you’ve been pretending to care about us but now you’re getting promoted you’re suddenly too good-”

Behind the desk, Mustang’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, young lady,” he said carefully.

“Well then tell me!” She demanded, fists clenched at her side. None of them had ever seen her this upset with Roy before, and Havoc suddenly recalled Mustang, holding a baby while Edward Elric angrily asked him what Mae would think of him when she was older. He had never given it a second thought, assuming that Mae’s affection for the General meant that she didn’t harbor any resentment.

The tears in her eyes told him he’d been wrong.

From across the room Havoc noticed a few MPs peering into the office, looking for the source of the yelling, and he locked eyes with Fuery, who casually picked up one of his boxes and headed for the door, closing it behind him. Neither of the two at the desk seemed to notice.

“Look,” he said, changing tacks, “I’m almost done here, go wait outside and I’ll-”

“You can’t tell me what to do,” Mae hissed, “You’re not my father, remember?” The dam broke. She dropped her head into her hands, shoulders shaking with sobs. Roy reached out in what seemed to be an automatic gesture, pulling her into a hug, rubbing small circles into her back while she cried on his epaulets. When she finally pulled away, sniffling, he handed her a handkerchief and regarded her seriously.

“There’s a set of rules the military has in place,” he began, and Havoc and Breda were suddenly both very busy placing stacks of documents and books into the boxes, “that forbids romantic relationships between officers.”

“Oh,” was all Mae said.

“If evidence of fraternization is discovered, then depending on the rank of the officers involved and the seriousness of the infraction, then at the very least those officers don’t remain stationed in the same city. At worst they could be court-martialed.”

“I didn’t think-“

“I meant to discuss this with you,” he told her, rifling around in his desk. “Clearly I didn’t think you would find out when you did.” Whatever he’d pulled out of his desk elicited a gasp from Mae, and her whole demeanor suddenly shifted. Havoc was too busy minding his own business to catch a glimpse of the object, but he had a guess at what it could be, and why it meant Hawkeye couldn’t continue to work in the military.

“You know most people would start by asking someone on a date first,” Mae told him shakily. “How do you even know if she likes you?” she teased. Mustang had the grace to keep his expression neutral.

“I think she does. I could be wrong.”

Mae had taken the small box and was turning it over in her hands. “She’s pretty upset right now. Even if she didn’t tell me why, I could tell she was mad.”

“I jumped the gun,” he explained. “I was supposed to wait until after the inauguration. She’ll forgive me though. Will you?” Havoc fought the strong urge to run out of the large office, but he couldn’t bring himself to move, or do anything else to break the spell of the moment. He just continued to crouch, rifling aimlessly through the open drawer of his desk. Roy was clearly not asking for forgiveness for what had happened today and Mae, ever the clever one, could tell. It was a tense few moments before she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, choking back a sob.

“Of course,” she murmured, and pulled away with a grin. “You know if mom says yes then you’ll be my stepfather.”

There’s a long moment where Havoc realized he’d somehow gotten dust in his eye and it was wildly uncomfortable.

“No,” Roy said, considering. “I’ll be your dad.”