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yunhoszn · 4 months ago

Text

but i like u

pairing kim minjae x f!reader word count 2.8k genre fluff﹒slight angst warnings mature language, camp counselor au, forced proximity lol, enemies to lovers (?), a cliffhanger bc im evil like that

summary despite being calm and collected most of the time, minjae’s patience can’t help being tested when you’re around. what’s he to do when unforeseen circumstances have you stuck bunking together for the rest of camp?

more omg fawn comeback??? and with a xikers fic??? who are they 🫢 LMFAOOOO anyway i had a lot of fun writing this and i have few things planned for the future so pls stick around <3 i would like to once again thank @/bro-atz for enabling my journey into roadyism and also beta’ing this fic and helping me with its development,,, ily the mostest <3

@bro-atz @yessa-vie

as a kid, minjae couldn’t give less of a fuck what others thought of him.

sure, he appreciated the validation here and there— especially when it was very well deserved— but for the most part, he was content as long as he was happy with himself. if he came in second place for anything, it honestly wasn’t a big deal. if he couldn’t get the hang of something, he’d move on without dwelling on it. he was the definition of nonchalant and carefree; with his picture right next to the word in the dictionary.

but then he grew up, and he learned that the saint-like patience he wore was actually pretty thin.

at least that was the case when it came to you, the one person who always seemed to get right under his skin. you didn’t even have to try, you just knew exactly what ways you could irritate minjae— unintentional or not.

the two of you had been camp counselors together for the past three summers, and you were reaching the end of your fourth and final. saying that it was an experience for him was an understatement. he’d spent most of that time competing with you during activities that were hosted and the kids you were tasked with looking over teased you both for your silly rivalry. but he just couldn’t lose to you, especially not this year. he had to go out with a bang.

“what the hell do you mean i have to share a cabin with her?”

minjae gapes at the camp director, who didn’t seem to see a problem with this unexpected arrangement. she wraps her hair into a bun and sticks her pen through it to hold it in place, shrugging and not at all phased by his reaction. “sorry minjae, but y/n’s was flooded during the storm last weekend and with the amount of campers, we can’t afford to only have one counselor.”

the weekend before, there was a pretty nasty storm and for the safety of the campers, everyone got sent home. today was the first day back. kim minjae didn’t consider himself a bitter person, but the sight of the camp director and her stupid coveralls was pissing him off. why did he have to share his personal space with you? she could’ve easily put you elsewhere, like any of the other ten cabins on the campgrounds.

“does she know that we have to bunk together?” he breathes, jaw clenching to keep his composure. you were running late, again, so it was just him and the director in her office before the campers arrived. he feels his blood pressure skyrocket when she shakes her head ‘no’.

“i was hoping you’d break the news to her. what better way to bond with your new bunkmate?” she smiles and ruffles his hair, side-stepping so she can head out to the main part of the campgrounds. minjae stands like a fish out of water for a few seconds, taken aback by the director’s obvious attempt to kill him.

she knew that you didn’t get along with one another, mainly because your competition was so over the top that even the most oblivious person could tell. you were essentially the human equivalent of fire and gasoline, interchangeable.

minjae thinks his hair is about to fall out from how stressed he is, walking out to the central area where a good amount of campers have begun to congregate. as much as he dreaded working alongside you during the summer, he felt like he was actually going to miss being a counselor here. he has a lot of pleasant memories at this place, some including you.

almost as if he summoned you with his mind, you come jogging towards him, your bags practically weighing you down. he doesn’t know why, but he examines your figure as you do; noting how you’re dressed in jean shorts and a t-shirt that looks oddly familiar. it’s a little big on you, so you have it tied into a knot in front of you. his eyes narrow as he tries to figure out why it feels like he’s seen the shirt before.

you pause beside him, out of breath and winded from what he assumes was the run from the parking lot to here. your hands rest on your knees as you hunch over to regain your sanity. “fuck, i should’ve— i shouldn’t have skipped out during p.e. in high school.”

“you’re late every time, y/n. i don’t know why you’re so surprised,” minjae sighs, shoving his hands into his shorts’ pockets. “anyway, i have to tell you something and i don’t think you’re gonna like it.”

“okay, but do i like anything that comes out of your mouth?” you raise an eyebrow, finally standing upright. he hates that you’re right, but he’ll give credit where it’s due.

“touché,” his lips purse and he turns away so he’s not making eye contact as he relays the awful update. “basically, your cabin got flooded over the weekend and there was a lot of water damage, so now they’re sticking you in mine… with me.”

you blink at him, as if the words he’s saying are so unbelievable that doing anything else would wake you up from a dream. (nightmare? same thing.) his expression remains stoic to prove that he’s not lying, and that he’s just as ticked off by the situation, if not more. you open your mouth to respond, but nothing comes out. minjae can’t help but feel confused, head cocking to the side like a puppy.

“w-we can’t do something else? do i have to share a cabin with you?” the desperation in your voice is a little bit heavier than he would’ve expected.

“do you really think i didn’t try to argue my way out? it’s non-negotiable apparently.”

you both leave it at that and head into the mess hall where the campers have all gathered. the camp director is standing on her soap box spieling about how excited she is for the duration of the retreat. she reminds everyone of the areas that are off limits and then sends everyone on their way. for the second opening night, it wasn’t as eventful as the first. minjae could only hope that the rest of his time here is the same, relaxed.

because he was so punctual, minjae had arrived an hour early and already put away all of his things. since you were late, he had to make a few new accommodations. the cabins were actually supposed to house two people anyway, and usually there were four total counselors each summer. however, this year only yourself and minjae came back, which is why you had your own cabins. this would be worse if he had to share a bed with you.

he grunts as he drops your heaviest bag on the bed he hadn’t claimed. there were only a couple weeks of camp left, what could you have possibly brought with you? he truly didn’t understand girls and their need to overpack for everything. he stumbles towards his bed and collapses onto it, throwing a hand over his forehead. the back of his mind is still itching to figure out why the shirt you’re wearing seems so recognizable.

”thanks for that. i could’ve carried them all myself.”

“you may annoy the fuck out of me, but i’m still a gentleman.”

you snort at that, beginning to put some of your clothes away. “that’s not what yunhee told me last year.”

that has him sitting up quick. he had a very brief fling with one of the other counselors last summer, but it didn’t work out. while it was fun, he just couldn’t keep seeing her knowing that he held almost no romantic feelings for her. isn’t it better of him to call things off rather than string her along?

”what did she say?” he’s curious. he didn’t even know you and yunhee were close aside from sharing a cabin last year. what could she have possibly told you that potentially villainized him? you turn to him with an unreadable look in your eyes.

”that you ended it with her because you didn’t really like her like that. there wasn’t a nicer way to phrase it?”

”no, there wasn’t,” he deadpans. “if i was an asshole, i would’ve kept fooling around with her despite the fact. that’s not who i am, so i was honest with her instead.”

“i don’t know, if that’s really true, wouldn’t she have come back this summer? think about it, minjae, if she thought you were this sweet, thoughtful gentleman, she wouldn’t be avoiding you like the plague.” you go back to your clothes and miss the way he all but twitches out of aggravation.

“i wasn’t aware that you were suddenly best friends. and what does it matter what happened between me and her? you’re in no position to be judging when you did the exact same thing to junmin.” he states matter-of-factly. he wasn’t making things up, you really did pull practically the same stunt on the former counselor. the only difference is that they actually were friends.

“i’m not the reason why junmin didn’t return, though. we ended things mutually. you and i are not the same.” you stop unpacking, whipping around to glare at him.

“that’s not what he told me,” minjae uses your own words against you, a small smirk of satisfaction pulling across his lips. “apparently you really broke his heart.”

“you know what, fine. i’ll tell you why i ended it with him. it’s actually because—” you’re about to minimize the space between you, but you’re interrupted.

your mouth snaps shut before either of you could continue the petty argument, minjae’s walkie talkie going off. he grabs it and calls out to whoever’s on the other line, which happens to be the camp director. she sounds distressed, and that’s a shocker considering she was one of the most calm people he knew.

”one of the campers is missing! i need you two to help me find him!”

”shit,” minjae curses under his breath. “we’re on it.”

this wouldn’t be the first time this has happened. at least once a year, one of the campers decides they’re brave and wants to impress their friends by venturing off into the woods— an off limits area. you put a pin in your conversation for the time being, traversing to the suspected spot. the sun was beginning to set and with the canopy of trees blocking out most of the remaining sunlight, all either of you could rely on was your knowledge of the campgrounds.

“shouldn’t we have brought a flashlight?” you ask, eyes trained on the ground to avoid tripping over a tree branch or a root.

“why didn’t you grab it? it was on your side of the cabin.” minjae throws over his shoulder, not really in the mood to argue when you have more pressing issues right now.

“well sorry if i’m not familiar with your cabin, wise guy. it’s almost like i just got here!” the sarcasm in your tone is enough to wear down his already weak restraint, but even then, you have to keep adding onto it. “you know, i’m starting to get real sick of your attitude, minjae.”

this has him halting his steps, spinning around to face you. caught slightly off guard, you nearly walk right into him. “you’re sick of my attitude? how do you think i fucking feel? all you do is test my patience, starting problems for no reason. like bringing up yunhee.”

“you brought up junmin!” you exclaim. minjae can’t help but scoff.

”again, because you brought up yunhee,” he crosses his arms over his chest. “this entire thing wouldn’t have happened had you just kept your thoughts and opinions to yourself.”

“i brought it up for a reason,” you frown, the conversation steering off the original path. “i actually had something i wanted to tell you about the whole situation.”

“like what? y/n, i’m tired of this cat and dog game. i’ve spent the past few years fighting with you more than anything else and for what, some personal vendetta you have against me? i don’t even know what i did for you to—“

”god, minjae, you’re so fucking stupid.” you laugh to yourself, the heel of your palm coming up to the space between your eyes. his brows furrow together, thoroughly puzzled by your comment. he knows you aren’t necessarily the fondest of each other, but damn, did it warrant such a mean response?

“i’m— what?”

“i don’t have a personal vendetta against you,” you start, hands resting on your hips as you look away to hide the embarrassment flooding your features. “this whole rivalry or whatever we have going on has never been serious for me. sure, competing with you is fun, but that’s not why i do it. the truth is i’ve had the biggest crush on you since we first became counselors together. that’s why i broke it off with junmin. i couldn’t tell you, because it was just easier for me to be irritating than to be upfront with my feelings. bullying is one of my love languages, i guess.”

okay. so maybe minjae is so fucking stupid, because his brain is not comprehending a single thing you just told him.

he’s staring. he knows he’s staring, but he can’t think clearly. words aren’t wording. how does he respond to that? you start fiddling with your fingers and he realizes this is the shyest he’s ever seen you in the four years he’s known you. he nudges himself out of his shellshock when he notices you kicking at some rocks.

”can— can you please say something?” you ask as if you were shrinking in on yourself.

“y/n,” he says, taking a step closer to you and putting his hand on top of yours, pausing your fiddling. “do you know how much time and energy could’ve been saved if you told me this so long ago?”

“i know, i know,” you sigh. “i was just scared? if you rejected me, it would make things awkward. it was just simpler to have you hate me instead.”

“i don’t hate you,” minjae shakes his head. “i’ve never hated you. yeah, you made me want to ram my head through a brick wall every now and then, but i’ve never hated you.”

the small smile that graces your lips has his heart rate increasing. and then you make it worse.

“this is your shirt, by the way. i may have stolen it last summer, but only because you forgot it here and i had to do a cabin sweep after everyone left.” you admit sheepishly. well, that explains it. it drives him a little insane, actually; the sight of you in his clothes. he doesn’t know why, especially because up until right now, you’ve been the object of his aggravation.

“can i ask you a question,” minjae swallows, a breathless laugh escaping him when you nod. “is it weird that i kinda wanna kiss you?”

he watches as your eyes widen, and suddenly he can see the stars they hold. he’s never paid close enough attention to notice them before, always too mad to examine each and every detail of your face. you were right. he is fucking stupid. you’re the most beautiful girl he thinks he’s ever laid eyes on, and he can’t believe he’s spent all this time ignoring that.

“not at all,” your fingers slip from his grasp, tip toe along his arm and then bury in his hair. “i kinda wanna kiss you, too.”

minjae takes that as his cue to lean in, nose just about to brush your own when—

“ew! what are you guys doing?!”

you pull back from each other swiftly, nearly dying from cardiac arrest after the jump scare. the kid who had gone missing earlier that evening is peeking from behind a tree trunk, the most appalled look on his face. minjae’s ears tint a deep shade of red and you stare at your feet to maintain your own sanity.

oh yeah. the whole reason you were out here in the first place.

minjae collects himself before assuming his role as a counselor once again. “you almost scared us half to death, kid. c’mon let’s get you back to your cabin before the director calls your parents.”

the little boy’s shoulders sag in disappointment when he realizes he’s been caught, but he follows you nonetheless. he pushes him along towards the main campgrounds and you walk beside him, hands laced behind your back. you glance over at him, lip between your teeth. “well, this sucks.”

he hums, sending you an unfamiliar smile. “we can continue this later.”

#xikers #xikers x reader #xikers minjae #kim minjae #kim minjae x reader #minjae #minjae x reader #yunhoszn

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snowyaika · 6 months ago

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Say, can we get Agent Texas with prompt 9? Reader can be a freelancer if you want!

prompt: “what are you going to do, shoot me? do it.”

pairing: agent texas x gn!freelancer!reader

word count: 1.02k

warnings: season 10 spoilers, all lowercase, swearing, gun violence, south violence, reader is kind of pathetic, some angst, no use of y/n

notes: this is mostly crack, got more serious in the end though! this is more so just to help me get back into writing for rvb !!! sorry if it’s so rushed, there is literally no plot to this one. more coming soon! 🫀

—

ever since becoming a freelancer, there are some things you’ve just come to never forget.

for starters, never offer to spar with carolina when she’s in a bad mood (or good, either way you get a free ticket to the infirmary).

don’t play along with wyoming’s knock-knock jokes, they’re never good and they just leave you questioning why you still speak with him.

drinking with york always ends up with you waking up to an empty wallet, especially when he and north team up on you.

and lastly, the most important of them all, the sound of kicking ass always means agent texas is nearby.

so when you hear the ship's alarm systems go off, tanks bombing the docks, and the gravity getting powered off? you wish you had york with you to make a bet that it was all because of her.

you had been on your day off when everything started going to shit.

heading to the training grounds (because apparently exercise helps when you’re out on missions) was when the alarms started to go off.

assuming it was the run of the mill invasion from some small organization that had issues with our immoral ways of life, you started to make your way to the shipping docks to make quick work of it, if carolina hadn’t already.

halfway, the ship's gravity goes haywire and you have to float your way there? okay, not as normal.

arriving to see tex absolutely rock a floating tank trying to kill her? what the fuck was going on?

not one to barge into conversations, you happily take your time making yourself known, instead staying at the sidelines watching while the poor tank gets thrown around like a ragdoll.

after witnessing the tank basically bomb itself, you finally decide to get involved (of course, only when you saw tex look your way).

“hey there,” you awkwardly wave, not quite sure how to deal with the raging man-eating woman in front of you. for starters, maybe get on your knees and beg for her not to kill you?

looking down at her gun, your mouth moves before your brain can even catch up, “what are you going to do, shoot me?”

“...”

it’s as if you can hear the confused face she’s making. you and tex never had any problems. sure, she’d kick your ass in training more than you could count, but there was no bad blood between the two of you.

sadly given the circumstances, and all the weird shit happening on the ship, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

“i’m not.. going to shoot you? you’re on my side.” her words sound like a question, like she can’t believe you had said something so stupid.

“oh… right.”

it’s almost as if you forgot the talk you, her and york had prior to this. about how the immoral things your group did was actually worse than you thought it was, and how you were planning to put an end to it all.

it’s not like you were in the wrong though, tex is scary when she fights (and maybe more attractive than you’d like to admit).

“dumbass,” she muttered under her breath as she put her gun back, walking over to you.

“where’s york?” you ask, not out of concern, but out of fear of being alone with tex for any moment longer than you need to be.

how would you know if she decided she didn’t like you anymore and cut off your head? put a bullet straight through your brain? push you against the wall and make out with you?

“making things harder than he needs to be.” as if on cue, the lights flicker and the ship jostles.

you let out a small gasp, stumbling towards tex and grabbing onto her wrist for support. her hand flies to your shoulder to stabilize you, and you can feel your body burn where her hand is.

“hey,” she whispers, her face (helmet?) leaning down to yours.

you gulp.

“y-yeah?” you clear your throat, breathless. oh my god ohmy god ohmygod. are we about to kiss?

“the gate is opening. more men are probably coming to stop us.”

oh.

you tilt your head to look behind her, and just like she said, the gate opens to reveal–

not men, south.

“son of a bitch,” you whisper, letting go of tex and standing straight, your hand hovering over your hollister in reflex.

south looks pissed, more than usual. you follow tex’s lead, walking side by side to confront the raging freelancer.

you notice too late that she has a fucking grenade launcher, and you’re sent flying as you try to dodge her oncoming attacks.

thank god, or maybe, thank north for stepping in at the time that he did.

once tex leaves, probably on her way to the director, things escalate. south goes batshit with the grenades, and north does his best to counter her.

not wanting to interrupt the family reunion (you really need to know what their family holidays were like), you decide to branch off to find york.

when you find maine making his way to where tex just left, you inwardly curse. of course you got stuck with the brute.

you don’t even bother putting up that much of a fight, knowing whatever you do is pointless and a waste of energy against someone like him. you’ve never won against him, so what’s this fight going to change? you figured that after he slammed you into the wall, nearly knocking you unconscious, he’d leave you alone to continue whatever he was set out to do.

no, life never worked out that way for you. when he ripped off your helmet, you had already accepted your fate. if the searing pain of your AI being taken from your nape wasn’t enough to make you want to die, him pulling out his gun and aiming it at your head did.

apparently, there is one thing you’ve forgotten since becoming a freelancer.

your love for allison, your will to live for her, will never amount to maine’s thirst for power.

—

#rvb x reader #agent texas #agent texas x reader #allison church #allison church x reader #red vs blue #red vs blue x reader #freelancer x reader

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iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia · 2 years ago

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The Arcana HCs: M6 with an extroverted MC

Julian

Him too! This is great!

He already struggles with feeling like a burden to other people, so having a partner who is actually energized from being around him is amazing

He is well known through the whole South End, now he can introduce you to everyone

Even if making friends is tricky for you, it's not for him, your home always has visitors

One of his biggest struggles in seeking community has been his tendency to feel like an outsider

Knowing that he belongs with you helps get rid of that feeling, because you can build bridges with people when he feels like he can't

It's also a really nice change for you too, because people around the shop knew you before the plague and they haven't treated you the same since

Now you get to walk hand in hand with him every day, saying hello to almost every person you bump into

Asra

Things were a little tricky at first, because he is an introvert and deeply values his space

Especially when you had just been revived and they were your go to person for all of your needs

He was so dedicated to meeting all of those needs that it would contribute to his burnout, and that didn't help with his habit of running away from uncomfortable situations

Getting to journey through the realms together really helped, because you were able to spend enough time together to get back on the same page

Now they're a lot better about communicating when they want alone time

And when they do, you have a whole new group of friends to get to know, whether that be hanging out at the Palace or visiting the Rowdy Raven or getting to know Aisha and Salim

Most importantly, neither you nor Asra are trying to do things by yourselves anymore, so you know that whatever happens, you're not alone

Whatever you two got up to while he recharged, he will always be waiting back at the shop for you with a hot cup of tea and a thousand questions about your day

Nadia

She is very much an introvert, and it got a little perplexing at first when she would just ~disappear~ for a few hours with no warning

She's not stupid though, as soon as you commented on it she put two and two together

She could tell right away that you were an extrovert, and it's a quality that she admires in you

She sees your ability to be energized from social activity as a strength that she doesn't have, and she values that

She also likes her space when she needs it though

Now she leaves Chandra with you to send any messages you want to when she's taking her space

And hey, the palace is packed with people. If you want someone to hang out with all you have to do is walk down a hallway

It also gives you the chance to chat with any visiting family members, many of which are extroverted like you

They adore you, and you have more family now than you know what to do with

Muriel

You two are so good for each other

Normally he runs in the opposite direction of anything remotely social, but you two got to know each other under unusual circumstances

Your ability to connect him to other people is what pulled him out of survival mode, and his steadfastness in return is what gave you the confidence to grow

He's still very introverted though, and once a week or so he just needs to spend a day by himself

Here's the fun part: half of Vesuvia camped out in the woods with you for over a month.

Half of Vesuvia sees you as a wonderful friend

On days like that, you'll have breakfast together, and then he'll take off into the woods with Inanna and you'll saunter through town

You'll probably get pulled into any and every social activity happening that day

By the time the sun is setting he'll be meeting you at the edge of the woods to walk you back to the hut, because he loves you and he enjoys being around you

Portia

She is friends with every single person in the palace, and now that you're her special person, you are too

She's probably been told before that she's "too much" sometimes, so seeing the way you plunge right in to the community she works so hard for means the world to her

She carries joy with her wherever she goes, and now she has someone by her side who is only strengthened by that

Between her competence and your useful magic skills, you two become the palace power couple

Nadia quickly learns to make time for daily catch ups, if only to keep tabs on the insane amount of intelligence you both have on the palace's inner workings

It gets even better when you go on ambassador trips together, your job is literally to make friends with all the new people you meet

When you really just want to let loose, you two head down to the South End and pay a visit to Mazelinka and have Ilya stop by for a couple of drinks

Your face is going to hurt the next day from all the laughing

Lucio

You mean you're not going to shut him down every time he wants to plan a party?

Hell yes!

He already knows he loves you, but now he really knows

The best part is that the parties you plan together are better than anything he ever cooked up

He never developed very good interpersonal skills, so as much as he craved interaction he only received it from self-preserving underlings

You, on the other hand, have an incredible capacity to build bridges between him and the people around you

So the parties aren't as grossly excessive as they used to be, but the company is way way better, and that's what he really wanted all along

It also never ceases to amaze him that you genuinely like him for who he is, and don't have to struggle to stay around him

You two feed off of each other's energy, and that makes you an unstoppable duo

#the arcana headcanons #the arcana hc #the arcana #asra the arcana #julian the arcana #nadia the arcana #muriel the arcana #portia the arcana #lucio the arcana #the arcana shitpost #the arcana game #asra alnazar #julian devorak #nadia satrinava #portia devorak #muriel of the kokhuri #lucio morgasson

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sanvirtheobserver · 5 months ago

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Taking Flight, Chapter 27: Family Matters

The morning sun glows pink over the rocky roads. Over at the Crew's base camp, Luigi and Pomni are tending to the rig while Meggy and Uzi guard the Gator Brothers. Ragatha and Saturday arrive on the scene and begin their interrogation.

Ragatha: Alright Mister Gummigoo, let's start from the beginning. What brought you into the Outlaw Business?

Gummigoo: It's just a matter of circumstance. Times tend to get tough when you live so far from the capital, especially in the dry season.

Ragatha: And that's why you've become friends with Chewmaw?

Gummigoo is silent for a moment as he shoots a scathing glare at Ragatha.

Gummigoo: We're NOT friends. If I could I'd have nothing to do with the bastard.

Saturday: Then why help him? You may be a ruffian, but you always do it your way.

Gummigoo: I did....... until our town's stores got snagged by some Honeypotters.

Chad: Mum tried to help bug em off and got her leg gnarled. Others got it worse.

Max: Yeah. We started Syrup Running for Chewmaw so we could take a little extra for her and the town.

Gummigoo: It's also to keep Chewmaw from targeting the town. With the state it's in, a small band would be more than enough to wipe it off the map. Bandits are less likely to attack a town they think is already under their control.

Ragatha begins to show a little pity, but Saturday is a bit cautious. She's seen first hand how effective he is at crafting a good story to help get his way, true or otherwise.

Saturday: Where is this hometown of yours?

Max: Just north of here. Straight shot.

Chad: We can get there by noon with your rig.

Saturday: Alright........ here's what we're gonna do. We'll escort you and the tanker to this town of yours and see if your claims are true.

Gummigoo: Fine by me. Keep in mind that Chewmaw likely knows you're back by now, and he'll have his men on the lookout for your rig. Best you take the tanker when you head into town.

Saturday: Hm............

Crocodile: Croc's honor, I am telling you the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

A tense silence hangs in the air as the two stare each other down.

Saturday: ..........Fine. We'll escort you in the tanker.

Tari had just exited the trailer as Saturday points to her.

Saturday: Tari, you'll drive the tanker into town. Spletzer and Emo Girl will be your lookout.

Uzi: I have a name, you know.

Saturday: Ragatha, you stay with the others and keep the rig out of sight, but make sure you're still close by in case you're needed.

Ragatha: Yes Ma'am.

Saturday: Germaine.......

Gummigoo looks up with a smirk. He didn't expect her to use his first name like that.

Saturday: Don't do anything stupid.

Gummigoo: Heh......... will do, Loo.

A few hours later and the high noon sun hangs above a local shanty town. The tanker enters through the front gates and Tari maneuvers the tanker between the buildings as the group gets a good look at the place........ which has clearly seen better days. Many of the buildings are riddled with scratch and claw marks, and the local woodwork shop is still busy making caskets. Every now and then you can see an insectoid husk with a fractured opalescent abdomen. It looks like Gummigoo's story rang true.

Gummigoo: Park the tanker outside the hospital.

The tanker pulls in front of a weathered hospital building. Through the front doors comes an Orange-Blue octopus with a doctor's stethoscope and a pair of glasses. Loolilalu steps down from the tanker, along with Gummigoo who still has his hands tied.

Gummigoo: Good afternoon, Otto.

Otto: Mr. Gummigoo, fancy seeing you with.........Lady Bonbon! I was not aware of your return to the Sweetlands. Welcome to Saint Marzipan!

He scuttles over to the two and wipes some sweat from his scalp.

Otto: Excuse me, where are my manners? I am Dr. Octavius McBrickles. The folks here usually call me Otto. Though, may I ask why you have Mr. Gummigoo all tied up?

Saturday: Oh, I caught him and his brothers commandeering a tanker with illegal modifications. Then he told me about the incident in this town and I wished to verify this claim.

Otto: Oh dear. Lady Bonbon, I am TERRIBLY sorry about this. Please understand that Mr. Gummigoo was only trying to help after the Honeypotter attacks. Our syrup supplies have been spread thin and-

Saturday: At ease, doctor. I will not report this to the authorities. This did technically occur beyond our jurisdiction, after all.

Gummigoo and Otto were both shocked at Saturday's sudden act of charity. It looks like she realized that Gummigoo was telling the truth. She unties him and Otto calls for some nurses to help empty the tanker.

Otto: You are too kind, M'lady. And your timing is impeccable. I don't think we would've lasted the rest of the week otherwise.

Saturday: Oh, don't thank me. Thank the bloke who managed to snag it.

Gummigoo: D'aw, now you're just trying to butter me up.

Some time later, we arrive at Gummigoo's homestead. Saturday, Meggy, Uzi, Max, and Chad are all chilling in the living room as a big, gruff, Green and Purple Gator wearing some overalls comes in with a pot of tea. His name is Gerald.

Gerald: I'm sorry ya'll got caught up in my son's hairbrained schemes. I warned him about the kind of trouble it would cause.

Meggy: No worries. We deal with stuff like this all the time.

Uzi is quiet as she holds her mug of tea. It's been a while since anyone has treated her with such hospitality. Gerald takes a seat and lets out an exhausted sigh.

Gerald: Miss Bonbon, I know my son isn't exactly a stickler for the rules.

Saturday: I believe that's quite the understatement.

Gerald: I warned him about associating himself with bandits and the kind of troubles it would cause, even if he's doing it to help us. Unfortunately, he's got his Pop's stubbornness along with his Mum's moxxie.

Saturday: Well, your son's "hairbrained schemes" may have given us a lead on how we can take on Chewmaw.

Gerald: Yeah. I heard he's got something big planned. Something that can only lead to disaster.

We see Gummigoo and Tari enter the parents room. In the bed lies a plump Yellow and Red Gator with a bonnet and a pair of reading glasses. This is Maple, and she's more than happy to see her little troublemaker again.

Maple: Germaine! How's my little lad on the lamb doin'?

Gummigoo: Great as gravy, mum.

She gently holds Tari's metal arm.

Maple: And you must be one of his new friends. It's a pleasure to meet you, luv.

Tari: It's a pleasure to meet you too, Mrs. Gummigoo.

Maple: Oh please, call me Maple. A friend of my son is a friend of mine.

Gummigoo: How's the leg coming along? Otto told me he just started your treatment.

Maple: It's feeling much better now, Germaine. That syrup you brought back is working WONDERS. Otto says I'll be right as rain before Harvest Season. Good thing too, because me and Gerald still have a winning streak to keep up!

She gestures to a series of trophies on the top shelf. Each one is engraved with the date of previous "Harvest Festival Dance-off" events.

Tari: Wow, you really like your dancing, don't you.

Maple: Ever since me and Gerald first met on the dance floor. Why do you think my boy was able to dance with the princess?

Saturday: *ahem*

Speaking of which, we see Saturday standing in the doorway starring daggers at Gummigoo.

Gummigoo: Anyways, um........ we should get going. Gotta go topple ourselves a Warlord and all that.

He quickly makes his leave, ushering Tari and Saturday out of the room.

Maple: You kids have fun!

He quickly closes the door behind him. He sees a bemused smirk.

Tari: So........... you two danced?

Gummigoo chuckles nervously at the recollection of that event.

Gummigoo: It was just a one time thing.

Saturday: He and his brothers snuck into a family paryt uninvited. I'm pretty sure he tried to take my crown.

Gummigoo: I mean, I gave it back, didn't I?

Saturday: Was that before or after you crashed your wagon into the bakery?

Tari leaves the two to their little chat. Seeing Gummigoo, or Germaine rather, meeting up with his mum made her feel all cozy inside......... but also kinda sad. Like something's missing.

Clench: You good?

Tari: Yeah....... just thinking, is all.

#smg4 #smg4 fanfic #smg4 tari #smg4 au #tadc #murder drones

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anneangel · 11 months ago

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About Bilbo and Hobbits!

Tolkien Canon and Movieverse!

What is a hobbit? "I suppose hobbits need some description nowadays, since they have become rare and shy of the Big People, as they call us. They are (or were) a little people, about half our height, and smaller than the bearded Dwarves. Hobbits have no beards. There is little or no magic about them, except the ordinary everyday sort which helps them to disappear quietly and quickly when large stupid folk like you and me come blundering along, making a noise like elephants which they can hear a mile off. They are inclined to be fat in the stomach; they dress in bright colours (chiefly green and yellow); wear no shoes, because their feet grow natural leathery soles and thick warm brown hair like the stuff on their heads (which is curly); have long clever brown fingers, good-natured faces, and laugh deep fruity laughs (especially after dinner, which they have twice a day when they can get it). Now you know enough to go on with". Reference: The Hobbit.

More about Hobbit: "Hobbits as between two and four feet (0.6–1.2 m) tall, with the average height being three feet six inches (1.1 m). They are usually peaceful, but are nevertheless capable of great courage and amazing feats under the proper circumstances. They are adept at Pipe-weed. Hobbits are not quite as stocky as the similarly sized dwarves, but still tend to be stout, with slightly pointed ears. (...). (...) Some undetermined time, the Hobbits regressed as a people and lost their arts due to the Big Folk (Big People) becoming increasingly numerous and usurping the fertile lands of the Shire. They regressed into 'pygmies' and were hunted by cruel men for sport, as if they were animals". (p.s: then the hobbits would have gone through a process of Insular dwarfism, having been named 'pygmy' in the original Greek sense, as "13 inches (30 centimeters). Reference: The nature of Middle-Earth.

About Bilbo, Tolkien said; "I picture a fairly human figure, not a kind of ‘fairy’ rabbit as some of my British reviewers seem to fancy: fattish in the stomach, shortish in the leg. A round, jovial face; ears only slightly pointed and ‘elvish’; hair short and curling (brown). The feet from the ankles down, covered with brown hairy fur. Actual size – only important if other objects are in picture – say about three feet or three feet six inches (91 cm or a little bigger than a 1.1m). There is in the text no mention of his acquiring of boots. There should be! It has dropped out somehow or other in the various revisions – the bootings occurred at Rivendell; and he was again bootless after leaving Rivendell on the way home. But since leathery soles, and well-brushed furry feet are a feature of essential hobbitness, he ought really to appear unbooted (...)”. Reference: Tolkien, Letter 27.

#the hobbit #bilbo baggins #jrr tolkien #tolkien books #the size of the hobbits #lord of the rings #lotr #the hobbit movies #the hobbit trilogy #martin freeman #the nature of middle earth

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silver-blooded-synthetics · 2 years ago

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@theholysoldier asked:

What memory would your OC rather just forget? What's something about your OC that people wouldn't expect just from looking at them? What is your OC's fatal flaw? Are they aware of this flaw? Is your OC self-destructive? In what ways? If you met your OC, would the two of you get along? How does your OC behave when enraged? Does your OC have a tendency to get jealous? If so, how does this manifest? {Alma, Arda, Errol} ✨

(Going with human verses on this since it's what we normally write between us.)

What memory would your OC rather just forget?

Alma: Those traumatic few days of hell when his father kidnapped him.

Arda: Any suffering she's ever seen other people go through, especially seeing Alma in the hospital after the police found and rescued him.

Errol: Finding out his diagnosis of clinical psychopathy. He wishes no one had ever found out and does his best to pretend the diagnosis doesn't exist.

What's something about your OC that people wouldn't expect just from looking at them?

Alma: That he'd ever experienced any kind of serious trauma before. They assume he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and never once had to experience anything bad just because he's wealthy.

Arda: That she's going to school to be a doctor and is actually very good at it. Most people assume she's too much of a daydreamer with her head in the clouds to be that dedicated to her studies.

Errol: That he struggles to feel empathy for most people. He is good at pretending he does so people will like him, but he rarely actually feels any sort of emotional connection with people and just sees them as pawns. People think he's too nice to be like that, but it's all just an act... usually.

What is your OC's fatal flaw? Are they aware of this flaw?

Alma: His anxiety, and yes he's very well aware of it. He's too insecure and worries about everything too much. Aside from this, he's also too curious for his own good and sometimes pursues knowledge that would be better left unknown to him.

Arda: She's a pacifist, which some might call admirable, but it means she would never hurt another person or animal, even if she had to in order to save her own life or someone else's. She simply can't bring herself to even defend herself or others if it means physical violence. She's aware of this flaw, but refuses to change.

Errol: He has many, but a big one is his ego. He has too much confidence in his own abilities and sometimes this makes him reckless or impulsive, thinking he can't fail. He also can be extremely violent and isn't above murdering someone if angered enough. Errol Is aware of these flaws on a subconscious level, but chooses to actively ignore them and is in denial about them.

Is your OC self-destructive? In what ways?

Alma: Not normally, but he can become self destructive under certain circumstances, if put under enough stress or stricken with grief over losing someone he loves. Everyone has a breaking point, and when Alma reaches his, he becomes the type of person that is determined to destroy his pain, even if it means destroying everything around him and himself.

Arda: She doesn't have any self destructive tendencies besides not being willing to defend herself physically if in danger. She'd rather die than hurt someone else. Besides that, she's relatively healthy mentally and isn't a toxic person to herself or others.

Errol: Plenty. He smokes, he is a reckless driver, he lives a dangerous lifestyle by hacking rich, corrupt people and stealing their money, he plays mind games with people that could result in him getting the shit beat out of him (or worse), if he makes one misstep. Errol likes to live life on the edge and has only managed to survive this long because of luck that he doesn't believe in.

If you met your OC, would the two of you get along?

Alma: I think I'd get along well with Alma, though I would feel kind of stupid next to him because he's a lot smarter than I as the mun am.

Arda: We'd get along great, but the same could be said of anyone who Arda meets. She makes friends with everyone, even people who consider her an enemy.

Errol: No, I would punch this fucker right in the face if I met him. I love him in my writing, but if I had to put up with him in person, we would not get along. I think we could tolerate each other after a while, but I'd have to set some ground rules and enforce them early on to make sure he doesn't cross my boundaries. I could never fully trust him.

How does your OC behave when enraged?

Alma: He usually bottles up his emotions most of the time, so when he loses his temper, it can be pretty explosive. Yelling, crying, frantic movements, and even sometimes violence depending on circumstances. Though he would never hurt someone he loves, if he was angry because someone he loved was being put in danger, he would absolutely get violent with the person causing them harm. After any angry outburst though, he'd be a mess. Shaking, flinching, crying, apologizing profusely, curling in on himself... He doesn't like being enraged because it takes a lot out of him emotionally and physically.

Arda: Arda can get angry at injustices, but she simply argues and fights with her words. The most you'll see from her physically is a frown and maybe clenching her fists and jaw. If you really upset her, she might stomp her foot a few times. But when she's enraged, it's not very intimidating at all.

Errol: You piss him off enough, and he'll straight up kill you. He's smart enough to get away with it too, because his rage is cold and calculated. He doesn't just react, he meticulously plans out revenge. Granted, death isn't always the revenge he wants, sometimes he'll just find a way to ruin your life in another way, maybe by making sure you get fired and can never work in your field of work again, or maybe by spreading rumors about you that darken everyone's perception of you even if they aren't true. Either way, he always gets his revenge.

Does your OC have a tendency to get jealous? If so, how does this manifest?

Alma: Yes, he can. He usually starts to feel inferior and turns his jealousy on himself rather than outwards towards anyone else though. He blames himself, or his insecurities rise to the surface, and he just gets very depressed. Sometimes he'll lash out with anger, but usually when it's caused by jealousy, it's very short bursts, like snapping something hurtful towards the person he's jealous of. But then he will usually leave the situation before it can get worse and start blaming himself again.

Arda: She doesn't seem to get jealous much, and if she does, she usually approaches it in a healthy manner, speaking to the person she's jealous of and making her feelings known so she can ask for a way to resolve the problem, without hurting anyone's feelings if possible.

Errol: He can get jealous at times, especially when he's possessive over someone. He's not opposed to open relationships or polyamory, but it has to be discussed beforehand, or he'll assume you are his and anyone that tries to take you away from him is going to face his wrath. He'll also get angry at his partner if they are the one to initiate any acts that would cause him to get jealous, such as flirting with someone else. He will start saying hurtful things and threaten to leave. This is due to his abandonment issues, thinking if he leaves first it will hurt him less, and will also hurt his partner more. He's petty like that.

#answered ask #oc alma #oc arda #oc errol #(sorry it took so long to get to)

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yoramkelmer · 6 months ago

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Hogwarts Overexposed Chapter 13: Day of Reckoning

Hello everybody, it´s been a little while since the last sporking, but here we are. And I hope to get through this chapter in one setting.

As a preparation, since the last chapters sporking, I read ahead the chapters after chapter 12, and believe, reading these unsporked was really a test of patience.

I might as well add that there will be large sections of this chapter I will leave unsporked, as it really is so stupid one has to read it to believe.

"Harry, I feel as if we've failed the girls," Hermione said, her melancholy mood apparent in her voice.

"I know, but we've done everything within our power," he said, caressing her absentmindedly.

"But it wasn't enough. The girls still have to spend the next eight months parading about appearing to be dressed in those appalling costumes. How could Severus agree to Hogwarts participating in this debacle? What was he thinking?" she asked.

"I wouldn't be too hard on Severus," Harry replied. "His intentions were honorable. All the reports he received concerning previous games were positive. When Minister Wrong approached him last year concerning Hogwarts competing against the Americans, he only visualized positive results from the meeting. Like us, he was not aware that greed had tarnished the games and turned them into an adolescent peek show."

And this, Ladies and Gentlemen, is the last ever time Emma Wrong is mentioned, and it is mentioned in a way that is so nonchalant and without any mentions of her running an empire of terror attacks, abductions and nipple eating.

"When did we catch up with and pass the Muggles?" Hermione asked. "I always thought the magical world was rather prudish and behind the times and now this happens. Even in the most liberal of Muggle schools, students would never be allowed to parade around in such outfits, let alone be forced to do so."

Hermione, you´re in Hogwarts Exposed.

"It isn't our world or the schools that are to blame, it is government corruption and the greed of individuals like Simone," Harry insisted. "I'm not at all happy with the situation, but for now I'm afraid the best we can do is prevent it from escalating. The concealment charm is going to frustrate Rishard to no end. He's looking forward to the girls, especially Jamie, putting on a revealingly good show."

The social commentary is truly subtle.

And the way Harry talks of Jamie giving a "revealingly good show" is rather creepy as well.

Hermione nodded her head in agreement to Harry's comments, but they had done little to abate her frustration. "Even without any accidents, I feel like he's still winning. The vision of the girls in those costumes alone is enough to cause most men to puff up; their various parts popping out was just an added bonus."

"At least the girls should be able to cope with the situation," said Harry, sighing deeply. "They might not be happy with the sexually explicit nature of the costumes, but being nudists, they aren't ashamed for their various body parts to be seen. I can't imagine how Nora and the boys will react. Nora, especially; she is so shy and modest."

Don´t worry, Harry, Nora is gonna be brainwashed into accepting the dogma of naturism soon enough.

"I suggested to Jamie that she should try to convince the others to also use the charm, but I doubt that she'll have much success. The boys will likely be thrilled about the girls being nude, but I doubt they'll be willing to follow suit. Then, like you said, there is poor Nora. I doubt she'll have the courage to even leave her dormitory tomorrow."

"Hermione, what would you do?" Harry asked. "I mean under the same circumstances, would you wear the costume or go naked with only the charm?"

Hermione thought for a while. "That depends on what period in my life we're talking about. Now, I wouldn't hesitate in the slightest to use the charm; I'd have absolutely no problem with my teammates seeing me nude. However, back when I was a young girl in school, it would be a completely different question because I was an entirely different person. As a first and second year, I would definitely have opted for the costume. I can't picture me letting anyone see me nude, even though there wasn't anything much really to see. Even as a third, fourth and fifth year my body still wasn't exactly bursting forth. I would have probably still taken my chances with the costume rather than have anyone see me totally naked."

Does this sound like something the actual canon Hermione would ever say?

Hermione blushed. "In my sixth and seventh year, my breasts would have never been content to stay confined in that costume. I would have had to use the charm out of necessity although I would have died of embarrassment being naked unless you and Ron were my teammates. We were such good friends that I don't think I would have been nearly as embarrassed to be seen by either of you."

Such natural sounding dialogue. I´m so stunned.

Hermione laughed. "Maybe I should have let you guys see me naked in second or third year," she said. "Then at least it would have been evident to you that your one mate was a girl."

"That was Ron," Harry said defensively. "I always knew you were a girl. I just never realized that you were the girl I was destined to love. Speaking of which. You're upset tonight. Would you rather we forgo our normal pleasure?"

B O N K

"Harry, I don't think I could sleep a wink if we didn't make love. Being joined with you, as one, completes my day." Hermione paused. "There is something else we must discuss first, however. What are we going to do about Emily?"

"I don't feel anything needs to be done," Harry said, acting in Emily's defense. "Sure, she's more irrational than the other girls, but her heart is in the right place. Emily's a good girl."

Show, don´t tell.

Emily is by far the worst behaving of all the Sues, and yet Neil wants us to believe that she´s a good girl.

I hate her.

"I wasn't talking about punishing her," Hermione clarified. "I'd prefer she let it out rather than hiding her true emotions and feelings. I was more concerned with the concealment charm. Emily, as you well know, is the radical nudist in this family. Since she was taught the charm, not a week has gone by that she hasn't asked about the possibility of her using it instead of wearing clothes to attend classes. Now Caitlin, Jamie and Kim are about to do it, not for a day, but for eight months. Emily didn't make the team with them and now they are about to do something she's been begging to do for what seems like forever."

"Are you suggesting that we also let her use the charm?"

Well, of course!

Is anyone really surprised at this point?

Hermione nodded her head, a guilty expression on her face. "Harry, I must be the worst mother in the world. Yes, you are! Tomorrow morning I intend to send my two young daughters, their best friend and Jamie off to classes, all totally starkers." "Then I'm the world's worst father because I back your decision one hundred percent," Harry said. "But they won't actually be naked. They'll have on their socks and trainers."

OMG DATS LIKE SO FUNNY OMG OMG Hermione stared at Harry momentarily, and then broke into laughter. "Men," she said, before nestling back in his arms.

* * * * * *

Tuesday, November 1, 2005 "Girls, hurry!" Hermione yelled. "You're not going to have time for breakfast if you don't get a move on." "I think I've lost my appetite," Kim said, as she led the other girls into the room. "This is going to be harder than going nude on the cruise was."

Oh, the conflict! Can´t you feel the suspense in this scene? "You'll be fine," Hermione lied as she inspected the girls. The short walk from the bedroom to the sitting room had been enough to cause Jamie's breasts to burst out of her top. Kim's slit looked like it was trying to devour her tiny triangular bottom. Only Caitlin remained at least minimally covered.

This whole "Caitlin has flat breasts" gag is both really annoying, cringe and reeks of unfortunate implications. Harry and Hermione exchanged perplexed looks. "Is this going to work?" Harry asked, as he held a sleeping Ben. "Doesn't the charm simply replace the clothing? What is going to prevent their goodies from still popping out?"

Harry, you calling them "goodies" makes you seem like a pervert. "The difference is that unlike an article of clothing, the charm isn't actually worn. It is more like a three dimensional projection that appears solid. Clothing can shift position, the projection can't. It will always cover what it initially covered." Hermione paused. "You can even feel as if you are grabbing onto it, but when you pull, nothing happens because there is actually nothing there. You can't touch, rip or tear something that doesn't exist."

How convenient that such spells exist. Occasionally one truly forgets that this is supposed to be a Harry Potter fanfic. "Mum, does that mean that it can't get wet or dirty?" Caitlin asked. "Exactly! If you fell in mud, your body would be covered from head to foot. The charmed article would appear completely clean, while in reality you would be covered in mud underneath it. Now, what we want to do is have each of you adjust your costume before I perform the charm on you. You want to cover your breasts on the side as best as you can and also make sure that the triangular patch at your crotch is smooth and covering as much as possible.

The latter part is where I´m asking - why all these details?

Though it´s rather obvious why. "So then once they are covered with the charm, they can't get a camel toe or expose a nipple?" Harry asked.

Well, considering how Madam Hooch is out of the way now, I doubt they need to be afraid of her showing up and attempting to eat their nipples. "No, no accidents," Hermione said, "but unfortunately that still leaves an awful lot exposed."

One might even say Overexposed, am I right? "An awful lot!" Harry repeated, wondering what his reaction would have been at 15 seeing Hermione, Cho or Parvati in a costume such as this. B O N K Suddenly he was having second thoughts about the girls leaving the sanctuary of their quarters. "They're required to go about their normal activities," Hermione said, as if reading Harry's mind. "We have no choice." Harry and Emily stood watching as Hermione did the charm on each girl individually and then as they in turn slipped out of their costume.

I still find it baffling how the main conflict and actual plot of this fic is angsting about these stripperific outfits and that the main villain is a flamboyant camp gay stereotype. They all appeared to be still dressed, but Emily knew from personal experience that they were actually nude. As the girls slipped on their socks and trainers, Hermione gave some additional advice. "I didn't charm the capes because I didn't know whether you wanted to wear them or not. They don't really cover anything; they just draw attention and make you look more ludicrous. Also, be careful how you bend, do a lady-like squat. The front and back of that outfit is only connected by a quarter inch string; it won't hide anything if you bend improperly."

This is the last time the capes are mentioned as part of the outfit, afterwards, they´re never mentioned again.

Like so many other things in this series. Emily had watched, a gloomy expression on her face, as Hermione performed the charm on Jamie, Caitlin and Kim in succession. "I'm afraid that's about all I can do to help you," Hermione said dolefully. "I hope the other students understand. After all, anyone of them could be in your shoes. Speaking of shoes; Emily, quickly slip out of your shoes and socks." "Why?" Emily said staring at her mum questioningly. Then she suddenly realized why. "Are you going to put me under the charm, too?" she asked elatedly. Hermione nodded her head and gave her youngest daughter a weak smile. Emily was euphoric.

I hate Emily.

* * * * * *

"So far, so good," Caitlin said, as they neared the Great Hall. "Caitlin, we used the private stairs from the staff quarters to the Great Hall; no one has even seen you yet," Emily reminded her.

In this fic, you never know though. "I know. I wish we could keep it that way," she said. "I realize this sounds crazy, but I'd prefer if everyone were about to see me nude rather than in this sluttish outfit."

This is going to be a running gag in this fic from now on. "It's not crazy," Jamie assured her. "Kim and I feel the same way." Kim nodded her head. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but let's get this over with." The others agreed as they hurried from the refuge of the tapestry-covered passageway to the Great Hall, bursting with students. As they entered, every eye turned in their direction, but they weren't greeted with the expected wolf whistles or obscene remarks. In fact the relative quiet was unsettling, considering the display they were affording the other students. Quickly, they split. That sounds rather impractical in this fic though. Caitlin and Jamie heading to the Gryffindor table, Emily and Kim to Slytherin. "That went better than I expected," Jamie said as she took a seat next to Amanda. "I thought we'd be greeted with all sorts of obnoxious comments." "That's because Snape chewed out the entire hall just before you got here," Amanda responded.

Yes, the one time Snape shows some spine, it´s off screen! "What happened?" Jamie asked inquiringly. "When the Americans walked in they were given the type of reception I imagine you were expecting. The pretty blonde -- didn't you say her name was Debby? Yes, this one of the few times we get a description -- became quite flustered and actually tripped over her own feet. Brian prevented her from actually falling to the floor, but in the process, both her boobs popped out. The Hall went wild and she's been crying ever since." Jamie glanced toward the Hufflepuff table and saw Debby crying her heart out, her head buried in Brian's chest. "Snape saw the whole thing and literally blew his top," Amanda explained. "He went into a tirade for about ten minutes about how wrong it was that the contenders were forced to wear such provocative costumes and that he was ashamed to be associated with the event. Bottom line is that if anyone treats any contestant with anything but the utmost respect, that person will be packing their bags and leaving Hogwarts."

Oh well. "That should put an end to obscene remarks," Caitlin said, "but I doubt it will have much effect on the lustful stares." "Especially in your case, Jamie. How in the world are you managing to make your breasts behave?" Amanda inquired.

Would you ever have expected to read a sentence like this in what is supposed to be a Harry Potter fanfic? "The concealment charm," Jamie whispered in Amanda's ear. "Caitlin and I are actually sitting here nude."

How lucky that no one outside the table hears it, considerng that everyone around them stares at them. Amanda stared at Jamie in total disbelief, before saying, "May I?" Once she touched Jamie, she just sat there speechless, a confounded expression on her face.

Seriously? "Good morning, everybody," Alex said, giving Jamie a light kiss on the cheek and sliding in next to her. "I wanted to be here before you guys," Alex said apologetically, "but I overslept. I hope you and the others weren't given any grief." Without thinking he laid his hand comfortingly on Jamie's. He had momentarily forgotten about the concealment charm, but in a few seconds he was reminded and quickly removed his hand. "Alex, you're the only one that can see me," Jamie said, reaching for his hand. "I don't want this charm changing anything between us." "It won't," he said, resisting a compelling urge to reach out and touch Jamie's tempting breasts.

So much for nudity being completely nonsexual.

* * * * * *

I have no idea why Neil added a break when it´s not even a scene transition.

"How does it feel to actually finally walk the corridors of Hogwarts nude?" Alex asked. "I know its something you've always wanted to do." "Yes, but not like this," Jamie answered disconsolately. "Although I'm nude, it looks to everyone as if I'm wearing a scandalous outfit. I'd much prefer they see me as I actually am. "Truthfully, I imagine what I really want is a Utopian dream," Jamie continued. "I'd like to live in a world where people just saw me simply as Jamie Zacherley, a world in which I wasn't judged by my clothes or lack of same or by my physical appearance, but rather only by the type of human being I am."

This mega melodramatic monologue just reeks of Ebonys "Why couldnt Satan have made me less beautiful?" speech from My Immortal. "Do you really think the world could ever evolve to the point that people would ignore nude individuals around them?" Alex asked. "No," Jamie answered honestly. "Not unless everyone suddenly started running about starkers and I doubt that is about to happen. For now I'd be happy if people would just stop equating nudity with sex."

Oh well. Alex nodded in agreement. "Oh! Alex!" Jamie cried out. "We have to help her." At first Alex had no idea what Jamie was going on about, and then he saw Nora. She was sitting on the floor in the doorway of an unused classroom. She had her knees pulled up to her chest, her cape pulled tightly around her. The girl was shaking uncontrollably as tears streamed down her face.

Yes, this is the actual first time we actually meet Nora.

While she as an alternate was present in the previous chapter, we still had virtually no introduction to her and she said nothing.

So she was essentially a non-entity.

Without thought, Alex removed his robes and draped them over the emotionally distraught girl. "I'm not allowed to cover myself," she cried, but made no movement to remove the comforting robes. "This is a lot of bull," Alex shouted, "and it's not going on for a minute longer. Jamie, I'm taking Nora to the headmaster's office. I'm going to need the rest of the team. It would help if we had the Americans' support, too. Do you think Professor Granger or Potter could get them?" "Alex, what are you going to do?" Jamie asked.

Jamie, he pretty much already stated it. "That depends on your fellow competitors," Alex answered, as without explanation he picked up Nora in his arms.

How realistic.

* * * * * *

"Professor Snape, what is so urgent that it necessitated my being dragged from my warm bed?" Rishard asked, as he entered the headmaster's office.

"I'm not quite sure myself," Snape responded, frostily. "I did not initiate this get-together; therefore I'm also extremely anxious to learn its purpose. Now that Mr. Simone has arrived, could you kindly explain why we are here Mr. Ward?"

This sounds as if canon!Snape is trying to get out of Exposed!Woobie!Snape. "Yes sir," Alex responded, "but first may I please beg your indulgence as I ask a few questions of those gathered here." "A few questions," Snape agreed, "but be quick about it. This is disrupting the school day."

Wait, they actually go to classes at Exposed!Hogwarts? "These are general questions I'd like to ask of all members of both the American and Hogwarts teams," Alex said. "Please respond by raising your hand when appropriate." "How many of you like the costumes you have been issued to wear for the competition?" Those assembled all watched apprehensively as not one hand was raised. "It doesn't matter whether or not they like the uniforms," Simone shouted huffily. "They have a magical contract."

Which works how?

Do their heads explode when they decide not to wear these costumes? "Yes, we're all well aware of that," Snape replied. "Please allow Mr. Ward to continue his questioning. I would like to see where this is all heading." "How many of you would have not even considered being a part of the competition if you had known before hand that you'd be required to wear such a revealing costume as practically your only clothing for the next eight months?" Alex asked. This time all hands went up.

THE MAIN CONFLICT OF THE FIC EVERYBODY "I'm sorry Severus, but this is a waste of my time," Rishard said haughtily. "Mr. Simone, would you rather waste a few minutes now or a few days later in court?" Alex asked. "What are you going on about boy? Rishard asked angrily. "No barrister would consider taking such a case. Magical contracts can not be broken." "You're wrong," Alex declared. "Legal magical contracts can not be broken. Each of these students is obliged to compete in your tasks, but they are not required to wear your costumes, most certainly not everyday for the next eight months." Rishard shook his head in frustration. "Okay, junior barrister, suppose you tell me just why they don't have to wear the costumes." Alex smiled. "I wanted to be sure, so I stopped and got this book from the library on my way here." He turned to page 169 Get it? and read out loud. "Magical contracts are no different than paper contracts with the exception that there is no printed copy. All the same rules apply. Both parties must be made aware of all the particulars prior to completion of the contract. Noncompliance with items not disclosed will not negate the remainder of the contract." "Very interesting, Mr. Ward," Snape said, "twenty-five points to Gryffindor. This is so in character for Snape. Oy vey. "You might want to consider a job in the legal profession. Mr. Simone, do you still feel that no barrister would consider taking this case?" "This is preposterous, he's just a boy," Simone argued. "Certainly you people can't place any merit in the dribble he's spewing. It has been the authority of the games committee to select participation uniforms for over a thousand years."

"And how long has it been policy to insist that they be worn on a daily basis for eight straight months?" Severus questioned. Rishard hemmed and hawed before saying, "That would be new policy, but it is still part of the magical contract." "Only if disclosed to the participants before they became bond," Severus declared. "I know my students were not aware of your new policy, were you?" Severus directed his eyes to the group of Americans who quickly shook their heads no. "Before returning to your classes, you might want to all slip into something more appropriate for a wizarding school," Snape announced. "You're overstepping your authority, Snape," Rishard warned in his anxious high-pitched voice.

This is the Main Villain, everyone. "I might well be," Severus said. "Sue me if you can find a barrister willing to take the case." Rishard literally shook with anger. "This doesn't change the training or actual competition," Rishard warned. "They must dress as directed for those events."

I have the feeling that if this was set in a more logical setting rather than Bizarro!Dark!Edgy!Potterverse, then I think that if the parents saw their mostly underage children wear these outfits for the events that they immediately would protest and that the events would be cancelled as a consequence to that. "If that indeed proves to be correct, they will," Severus agreed. "Humiliation is always difficult to bear, but rather five days than over two hundred." Severus turned to the assembled students. "Is there anything anyone wants to add?" "Sir, would it be all right if Jamie and I talked with all the contestants for a moment before they went about their business?" Alex asked. "Certainly," Snape said motioning to a corner of the room. Rishard watched suspiciously as everyone gathered around Jamie and Alex. Before Alex could speak, Debby threw her arms around him and kissed him soundly. "I'm sorry," she said looking first at Alex and then toward Jamie. "Brian told me that you were engaged, but I had to kiss him. You cannot imagine how good it will feel to get some clothes on and not be the center of attention for a change."

Oh well, Debby, regarding clothes, I´m afraid to tell you.... "Just don't make a habit of it," Jamie warned before giving Debby a friendly hug. I can´t help but imagine Jamie having a huge slasher smile in this scene and context. "Look, we can't talk here, too much chance of being overheard. Can everyone meet me Friday night at eight o'clock outside the entrance to the Great Hall? It's about these costumes and it's important."

* * * * * *

Cut for a boring scene about Emily and Caitlins relationship dramas, and another boring scene about prom dates.

"You can't imagine how good it feels to wear clothes again," Debby said as she and the other members of the American team approached Jamie and Alex. "I hate that ludicrous outfit. Words can never express my gratitude."

Yes, Debby, and by the end of the fic you will hate clothes alltogether. "Words will have to do," Jamie said with a warning laugh. "You've already exceeded your yearly limit of kissing Alex." Jamie looked around and counted heads. "I think that's everybody then, please follow me," she said. "Where are we going?" Dick bellowed. "And where are Thatcher and Potter?" "I don't want to talk here," Jamie answered. "Kim and Caitlin are preparing a place where we won't be disturbed." "I don't have all night to be traipsing around the castle," Dick complained. "Furthermore, what is Ward doing here? He isn't a member of either team."

Dick is only saying this because the scene needs a contrarian. "He's my boyfriend and he's How hard was it just to write "he is here"? here at my request," Jamie replied. "I might need his help to stick your head in a chamber pot if you don't shut up and stop bellyaching." Debby smiled. She definitely liked Jamie and Alex. Something about them just sparked trust. On the other hand, Bancroft had easily won her disdain.

Like other sporkers have noted in this scene, it would have been way more interesting if Debby found herself more drawn to Bancroft than the way too perfect Jamie Sue. Jamie looked about nervously as the group followed her and Alex as they made their way toward the seventh floor. "Harry offered me his map," Jamie whispered to Alex, "but I was fearful someone else might see it."

And then this is promptly forgotten about. "I don't imagine it's necessary to name names," Alex said squeezing her hand. "I'm disappointed," he moaned. "Your robes are real."

Alex, you pervert!

"Yes, but what's under them isn't. That's another reason I wanted you with me." "Why are you bringing us up to the seventh floor?" Bancroft complained. "There's nothing up here." "Do you call that nothing?" Jamie asked, as they approached a highly polished door with a brass handle. Alex seized the handle, pulled open the door, and led the way in. The room was spacious, and illuminated with flickering torches. The walls were lined with wooden bookcases containing every manner of law book imaginable. How convenient. There were also seventeen extremely comfortable chairs. "I've been on this floor numerous times before and I've never seen this room," Dick complained. "Maybe you weren't looking for it," Caitlin said with a chuckle.

OMG THIS IS SO FUNNY LOOK HOW SMART CAITLIN IS LETS ALL CLAP FOR HER "If everyone will please take a seat, I'd like to get started," Jamie said. Caitlin and Kim remained standing uneasily on either side of Jamie as the others all were seated. "Prior to you getting started, may I ask why the three of you are wearing robes inside on a Friday evening?" Jeff questioned. "What we want to talk about tonight involves a little show and tell," But mostly tell! Jamie explained. "Bear with me and you'll understand in a few minutes. "First I'd like to properly introduce Alex Ward, my wonderful boyfriend, who found the flaw in the contract that allowed us to get out of wearing those hideous costumes nearly every waking moment for the next eight months." Everyone applauded and either kissed Alex or patted him on the back. Surprisingly even Dick Bancroft shook Alex's hand and murmured what sounded like, thanks mate. "Unfortunately, thus far, Alex hasn't found any loophole that will get us out of wearing those atrocities for training or the actual contests," Jamie remarked. "I don't understand," said Nora nervously. "What is the difference?" "Tradition and over a thousand years of precedence," Jamie answered. "Having us wear his awful costumes on a daily basis was Simone's original idea. The concept was totally new to wizard competition and therefore needed to be explained in full before it could become part of the magical contract. It not only wasn't explained, but it wasn't even revealed, therefore it can't be part of the contract."

As was clearly stated earlier that day.

Why is this repeated again if we all already know? "I'm confused," Jeff admitted. "If the costumes are considered to be indecent for us to wear daily, why is it okay for us to wear them for training and in the actual events?" "You've jumped to an erroneous conclusion," Alex interjected. It´s not an interjection when he´s answering the question, Suethor! "The fact that you don't have to wear the outfits on a daily basis has nothing to do with whether they are indecent or not. You don't have to wear them because being required to do so on a daily basis was a change from tradition that was not properly explained before the magical contract was initiated." "You mean that we still have to wear them for training and the actual competition?" Nora asked, devastated. "They're still ghastly and indecent." "That, they are," Jamie agreed, "but unfortunately it has been traditional for event holders to issue uniforms for the games. It was not necessary for this to be explained to us because it has been the accepted policy since the origin of the games." "But certainly not such revealing outfits," Nora pleaded. Alex nodded his head. "I was hoping that we could use that against Rishard, but it seems history is on his side. For a period of over two hundred years, wizards and witches actually competed in the same attire as the original Muggle Olympians." "Didn't those dudes contend starkers?" Brian questioned. "Exactly," Alex answered. "I'm sure Rishard has pointed this out on numerous occasions to those opposing him." "Let me get this straight," Bancroft fumed. "We don't have to wear mini Speedos on a daily basis, but we do have to wear them for the two training sessions and the three actual events when the entire wizarding world will be watching. I was expecting good news. Why are you wasting our time if you don't have any worthwhile to tell us?" "We do have something meaningful to say," Jamie responded. "I'm sorry, I wish we had a way of getting us all out of wearing Rishard's debauched creations, but we don't. We do, however, have a way of preventing body parts from popping out while participating." Jamie removed her robes; Caitlin and Kim followed suit. Kim's face glowed a bright pink as all the competitors from both teams stared at the trio.

This is so dumb.

"The way you're staring at us now, is exactly the way the spectators will be looking at all of us during the competition," Jamie said, disgust evident in her voice. "But as provocative and revealing as these costumes might be on their own, Rishard is expecting us to deliver much more to his audience. He is counting on us to have numerous 'accidents' throughout the course of the contests."

Jamie looked pointedly at Bancroft. "And it's not just boobs that he's hoping will pop out. He wants both male and female privates on display, too." For the next few minutes, members of the American team related stories of the numerous embarrassing moments they had endured during the US competition wearing a less revealing costume than now required. After Debby finished telling the story of how she had spent ten agonizing minutes as part of a human ladder with her vagina completely exposed, everyone sat in silence for a few moments.

That does sound rather unpleasant.

But still strange how no one dared to bring this up while still in the US. Debby looked intently at Jamie, tears filling her eyes. "These contests are going to be seen world wide on wizard cam. I don't want my pussy bared to the entire wizarding world." "We have a way out," Jamie said hesitantly. "It has its draw backs, but it's better than the alternative." Jamie gave Caitlin and Kim a smile. "Are you ready?" Both girls gave Jamie a nervous smile as she began counting. First the three girls did ten toe touches. They followed this with ten sit ups, ten pushups and ten jumping jacks. To finish everything off, Caitlin did a handstand with a full split.

This whole plot is so ridicculous. Everyone watched with amazement, particularly the Americans. "How did you do that?" Brian asked, looking totally flabbergasted. "Wearing those outfits, your breasts should be exposed." He stared at the spot where Caitlin's legs met. "You don't even have a hint of a camel toe. I hate this fic. By rights you should be totally showing off." Debby and the remainder Not balance? of the American team nodded their heads in agreement. "It's impossible. How did you manage to stay in your uniforms?" Debby asked. Jamie took a deep breath. "It was easy," she said. "You see, we aren't really wearing Rishard's costumes. We are covered with a concealment charm. In reality, except for our trainers and socks, we're nude." "What do you take us for?" Bancroft yelled. "Do you actually expect us to believe that blarney?"

Why would a pureblood wizard like him be surprised over that a spell like that exists?

Oh, I forgot - this scene needs a contrarian! "In your case, I'm surprised that you've accepted the principle that the world is round," Jamie said, frustration evident in her voice. She reached out her arm. "Touch my hand." Alex cringed as Dick Bancroft reached out and touched Jamie's hand. Bancroft barely made contact when his mouth open and his chin dropped. He didn't speak, but he did seem on the verge of drooling. Jamie withdrew her hand, but Dick's eyes remained fixed on her body.

This isnt the first time where we have seen Dick gushing over Jamies oh so hot body.

Despite all these scenes, nothing ever comes of it.

Strangely enough, Jamie and Dick actually have more of a dynamic and even somewhat of a chemistry than Jamie has with Alex, who we still essentially know nothing about. "I don't understand how you can consider being nude better than wearing that depraved costume. Either way your private parts are seen," Nora pleaded. "It's extremely different," Debby said. "One way, you're exposed to the entire world. I expect that my pictures will float about on the Muggle Internet How strange how she suddenly mentions the Muggle Internet, considering that they before and after this scene keep mentioning the Wizard Net. for the rest of my life. The other way, you might be seen totally nude, but only by a few people that you intimately trust." Her eyes rested on Brian. "Jamie, would you please teach me that charm?" "I'm in too," said Brian. A couple of the other Americans also agreed, but one girl and the other three boys declined. None of the Hogwarts competitors seemed willing to take the plunge. "Why can't we wear both the costume and the charm?" Nora asked. "We thought about that but it causes numerous problems. The charm is meant to hide flesh, so parts of the real costume sometimes stick out from under the charm. Plus if the actual costume becomes out of place, which it will, there is no way to adjust it. We need to be careful that Rishard doesn't catch on to what we're doing.

I said it before, but my G-d is this plot ridicculous!

So an ancient dark lord returns from the death, and yet this is supposed to be the main conflict of the fic?! "If there are no other questions, I'm willing to show anyone that's interested how to apply the charm." After Jamie had showed the interested Americans how to use the charm, the students separated into teams so that members could become accustomed to seeing their teammates nude.

This is part of the cultish brainwashing for the wonders of naturism.

* * * * * *

Saturday, November 5, 2005 "What do you think practice will be like?" Caitlin asked Jamie as they both nervously nibbled I almost read that as Nipples! at their breakfast. "I've no idea," she said. "I'm just glad that Harry is going to coach and be present at the training sessions. That Rishard is creepy; he makes me uneasy." "I don't like him either. He's most definitely a pervert," Caitlin declared. "Although he seems more interested in watching the boys than he does the girls."

Which in Neils eyes makes him even more evil. "Yeah! His only interest in us is that we expose ourselves enough to satisfy his paying clientele," Jamie replied. "I heard that these training sessions are even open to the public. I wish Nora and the guys had decided to use the charm." "Especially Nora," Caitlin said. "She's so shy. I'm afraid she'll be a basket case before the day is over. She must be assimilated!" Jamie nodded her head in agreement. "You don't mind if I come watch the practice, do you?" Alex said placing a hand on both Jamie and Caitlin's shoulders. "I kind of want to keep an eye on Bancroft." "We'd be disappointed if you didn't come," Jamie answered candidly. "Okay, see you in a bit then," Alex said, leaning down and kissing both girls on the cheek before starting away. "Wait up," Jamie shouted. "We're done eating. You can escort us both down to the Quidditch Pitch." "Now that's an offer I can't refuse," Alex said gleefully. "It's not often I get to escort the two prettiest girls in Hogwarts." He put an arm around each girl's waist. "Do you realize how envious all the other guys are right now and they can't even see what I can?"

This is clearly Neil speaking through Alex. "Just make sure that hand stays on my waist," Jamie warned. "No grabbing a feel of my butt."

I´m surprised Jamie has any boundaries at all. Caitlin giggled. "You can squeeze mine if you want, Alex. I think it would feel neat."

-_- Jamie, Caitlin and Alex all exchanged impish looks and then burst into laughter.

* * * * * *

Cut for a boring scene with Emily and Tyler.

"Good morning," Rishard said, surveying both groups of players. "You certainly all look divine today."

He glanced at Harry and gave him a wink. "This is our first of two 'Get to Know You' sessions. To be successful in these games you must know your teammates and trust them intimately."

"What we're going to do first is a humorous little ice breaking drill using a simple little beanbag. Would both teams please form circles?"

Harry and Buddy had their teams comply, spacing the members about three meters apart in two separate circles. After the teams were positioned, Rishard handed Harry and Bud each two beanbags and instructed them to hold on to them until later. He then walked over to the team from Salem. He handed Debby a beanbag and then whispered something in her ear.

"I wonder what he told her?" Emily asked.

"I'm not sure," Tyler replied, "but I wouldn't want her looking at me like that."

Debby's face was flushed, but she was staring livid daggers at Mr. Simone.

Rishard next walked over to the Hogwarts contingent and handed a beanbag to Jamie. "My, but doesn't that costume display your attributes nicely," he whispered. "Your tits look like they're just begging to be unleashed."

This sounds like completely natural dialogue.

Jamie just glared at Rishard. She couldn't believe that he was talking to her in such an improper way.

I´m surprised that she is surprised at this point.

"I should warn you," Rishard continued, "that costume might not be able to restrain those beauties of yours, but don't worry. You have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of and I'm sure the sight will be greatly appreciated by all those watching."

I don´t know why, but it seems that Neil wants to show that he´s a pervert.

"Now then, each team has a beanbag," Rishard announced loudly. "Introduce yourself to your teammates. Tell something unique about yourself and then toss the bag to the player on your right. Take your time; it is more important you get to know your teammates than it is to rush."

Debby and Jamie both began to speak, but since Tyler and Emily were sitting nearer to the Hogwarts team and could hear them better; they concentrated more on their introductions.

"I'm Jamie Sue Zacherley, a seventh year Gryffindor," Jamie announced. "Most of you are probably by now aware of my uniqueness; I'm a Mary Sue naturist."

Jamie then passed the bag to Caitlin. Each player introduced him or herself and then passed the bag on until it reached Nora who was standing on Jamie's left. Nora had a difficult time reaching for the bag. Her left hand was busy covering her crotch, while she tried to cover her chest with her right arm.

"I'm Nora Jordan, vice president of the Gobstones Club," she said timidly.

No idea what that is.

Mr. Simone had been watching both groups waiting for them to complete their introductions. "Now what I want you to do is call out any teammates name and toss the beanbag to that person. Try to do it as quickly as possible, but make sure your throws are accurate. Begin!"

Nora called Jeff's name and then without moving her arm, made a pathetic one hand toss to the boy on her immediate left.

"She's going to need to loosen up," Alex said to Amanda, who was now sitting with him. "She must be assimilated!"

"That's easier said then done," Amanda answered back. "The poor girl is embarrassed to be seen in public in that outrageous getup and I don't blame her. Worse yet, she's scared stiff to move for fear of becoming even more exposed."

Alex was sympathetic to how Nora felt, but at the same time realized that her inhibition might well eventually be the downfall of the Hogwarts team.

Both teams seemed to be having fun tossing the beanbag about; only a few players had dropped it. After getting their attention, Simone gave Harry and Bud the signal and they both called a name tossing a second beanbag into the circle. After a few more minutes the third bag was added. Nora stood apprehensively; she knew sooner or later one of the bags would come in her direction. She was amazed that no one had thus far thrown to her. Obviously all her teammates, Bancroft included, had decided it was best to avoid throwing to the timorous girl.

Oh well. Seems that someone is trying to take Caitlins title of being the Queen of Angst.

Anyway, we now come to another one of the most infamous scenes of the series:

Then without warning, it happened. Three people called his name at the same time and Bancroft found three beanbags zinging his direction. He leaned to his left, stretched to the right and then jumped skyward. Unbelievably he had caught all three bags. He started to send them off in different directions when Jamie flung her arms around him and held him in a tight embrace.

"What the ...?" Dick started to say.

"Your penis decided it wanted some fresh air," Jamie quickly explained. "I'll keep you shielded while you adjust yourself."

I laughed so hard when I read that the first time.

Jamie held on just long enough for Bancroft to put things back where they belonged, and then she hurried back to her position in the circle. Dick just stared as she walked away. That had almost been worth being exposed.

Or even Overexposed.

"I hope she doesn't have to do anything like that too often during the competition," Amanda said.

"You hope!?" Alex said, his face turning a sickly green. "If she ever has to hug him again, I'm going to end up tossing my breakfast."

"That's enough," Simone said. He was still trying to act jaunty, but disappointment seemed to etch each word.

"I wonder what's wrong with him?" Tyler asked. "He seems disappointed about something."

"He is," Emily responded. "Rishard was expecting a tit show and he's not getting it. So far, at least on the Hogwarts team, Bancroft was the only one to have an accident. I know for a fact that he was hoping for Jamie to be out of her costume more than in it."

"I get it," Tyler said. "Jamie, Caitlin and Kim are wearing the charm too. That's how they are able to jump around without Overexposing themselves."

"Our next getting to know you exercise is called 'Reach Out and Hug Someone'," Simone announced.

Alex just looked at Amanda and shook his head. This wasn't his day.

One of the few times something that is meant to be funny where it actually works.

"For this exercise the groups will once again stand in circles. When your coach yells, 'go' you run across and hug someone. On each 'go' you switch partners and hug someone different until each person has hugged everybody in the group. Yes, I mean everybody," Mr. Simone emphasized as a number of hands had ventured into the air.

When Harry hollered 'go' for the first time, neither Dick Bancroft nor Nora initially moved. Nora was simply afraid to move whereas Bancroft found the whole idea of hugging extremely uncomfortable. Once everyone else had paired, with Harry's encouragement, Dick finally moved toward Nora and only just placed his arms around her.

On the first switch, Bancroft ended up with Caitlin. Caitlin hadn't seemed to mind hugging Jeff, but seemed exceedingly hesitant to put her arms around the Dick.

"I wouldn't want to hug that slime ball either," Emily said, commenting on Caitlin's lack of enthusiasm. Then she remembered that Dick was Tyler's brother. "Sorry! I'm sure he's okay once you get to know him."

Cut for more boring Emily/Tyler stuff.

As the pairings continued to change on the field, so did the arousal level of the Hogwarts male participants. Most of the boys had never experienced seeing a naked girl before the previous night, now they were in turn hugging three of them. Their swelling quickly subsided, however, when the boys began hugging each other.

So it seems none of them are gay.

Finally after the members of both teams had exchanged hugs with all their counterparts, Rishard called an end to the exercise. Although his voice still maintained a buoyant air, his face gave away his disappointment. He glanced one by one at the Hogwarts players, maintaining eye contact with the girls longer than the boys. Finally his eyes came to rest on Jamie Zacherley. The girls all looked extremely provocative, especially Jamie. The costumes left little to the imagination, but he had promised his colleagues that no imagination would be necessary. He had guaranteed accidental nudity. With the exception of Nora, the Hogwarts girls seemed to be running and jumping about without a care, yet there had been absolutely no Overexposure. Why weren't Zacherley's tits popping out?

"It looks like it is about to rain," Rishard said, glancing at the darkening skies. "This will be our last exercise of the day. Next Saturday we will concentrate on developing team trust."

Oh well.

Cut for more boring Emily/Tyler stuff.

"Harry! I'm so glad you're back!" Hermione cried, as he entered their quarters. "I was just about to send Hedwig to search you out."

Ah yeah, I totally forgot that Hedwig still is a thing here, given that this was written before the final book came and used another fanfics continuity while then using the canon that was revealed afterwards at the same time.

"What's the matter?" Harry asked, seeing grave concern etched on Hermione's face.

"I'm not sure," Hermione answered tensely. "Severus just stuck his head in the fire and asked that you and I come to his office immediately. Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt are on their way." Hermione bit her lips. "I don't think it's a social visit. Severus looked distraught."

Oh well.

It´s rather easy to guess what´s coming next, considering what the last chapter ended with.

End of Chapter 13

Finally.

#hogwarts exposed #harry potter #bad fanfiction #jamie zacherley #neil #caitlin garrison #hogwarts exposed sporking #emily zacherley #naturism #kim thatcher #Mary Sue #Hogwarts Overexposed #Rose Potter #Keiran Halcyon #Hermione Granger #Rishard Simone #Emma Wrong

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notalexhorne · 2 years ago

Photo

One thing that doesn't get talked about often enough is how every part of the house, including the garden, has been designed to make people stupid. The house itself attacks the senses to the point that it's impossible to think. The lab has been repeatedly compared to one of two things: it's either where you go to get chopped up, or where you go to film a weird porno. Either way, there's a man in an ill-fitting suit holding a clipboard staring at you in relative silence as you struggle to do as you're told under impossible circumstances, to please someone who isn't even there.

The living room is an over-stimulating nightmare, and each series only gets worse in this regard. The first few series were fairly sparse, but as the show's gone on, they've crammed more and more shit into this room to the point that people have started tripping over things when they come through the door.

The kitchen has always been a disaster, but that's just a quirk of British kitchens. Still, they make it worse by stuffing it full of nonsense (like a drawer full of quavers in one task, which nobody even found), and a very penis-like copper lobster on the wall. But nobody goes into that kitchen and has a good time in there. It almost never has anything you need it in it, and is instead filled with random nonsense it seems like. One of these days I half expect someone to open the fridge and just get buried in an avalanche of lemons or some shit.

The garden has slowly got worse over time as well. What started off as a bath and a shed has become a fairly iconic hellscape that includes a caravan, a phone box, a rotten piano, a deck of some sort, a giant statue of Greg, and a fucking bio dome, amongst various other odds and ends that have moved about over the years. There's a giant fiberglass cow. There's a suit of armour. At one point there was a "Banksy" on the wall, which was my favourite little addition to the garden, and it makes me so sad that it's one of the rare set pieces that's gone away, as most seem to stick around once added (the rainbow bunting added in series 14 is another one I was really disappointed to see gone as well).

It's all very whimsical and fun, especially for the viewer, but it's also part of the psychological aspect. Because the set dressing and the contents of the shed started off as just random shit from Alex's own shed and whatever else they could gather up to decorate the house with. Occasionally, something would be added because it would be useful, but mostly they were just given junk.

Over time, the shed became stuffed with broken odds and ends and leftovers from 14 series of tasks, so now when contestants see a broken bicycle pedal, they wind up second-guessing themselves. There's the thought that it might have been put there for the task, but in reality it's just there because someone fucked up a bicycle three series before and nobody bothered to throw any of it away. There's still the POTS/SPOT signs from series 5 crammed in there.

The whole show is this bizarre psychological experiment which, if a university were doing it, would probably be criticised for being horribly unethical and cruel. But because it's on television, we watch these people say and do some of the most ridiculously moronic things and have a good laugh because it's all just a light entertainment show for fun, and where's the harm in that? But that doesn't change the fact that some of these people have later admitted to having nightmares about their experience on this show after the fact. Some of them have gone on the podcast seemingly just to have another chance to argue some points back, knowing it's futile to do so. And some of them will look straight at a keyboard and ask the man standing behind it what instrument he plays, because every ounce of trust he ever had has been destroyed, and he can't take anything for granted ever again.

This show would have 100% failed if they had done it as originally intended, in the celebrities' own homes. It would have been far too cosy and comfortable. Putting it in this horrible nightmare clown house was exactly what it needed, not just for consistency between contestants. It set the entire vibe and makes the whole show feel like this weird fever dream, and that's such a big part of why it works I think.

[ID: Three screencaps from Taskmaster. Kiell Smith-Bynoe reads from a piece of paper, “Compose a solo for this musician.” He turns to where Ed Sheldrake of The Horne Section is watching from the corner of the room, and asks, “What instrument do you play?” Ed, who is unmistakably standing behind a keyboard, raises his eyebrows slightly. End ID.]

#taskmaster spoilers

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watchmegetobsessed · 3 years ago

Text

THE DEAL

a/n: i literally wrote it in less than a day because i was inspired by a movie... of god, i have issues, but ANYWAYS! this one is a classic friends with benefits to lovers story with so much angst and a grandiose love confession at the end so buckle up, you are in for a treat!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEEEEASE give feedback if you enjoyed it!!

pairing: Harry X Reader

warnings: some, drinking, sexual content, a hell lot of it, angst and messy emotions, it’s a lot!!

word count: 11.8k

masterlist

If your life was some romantic comedy his would be the moment where the camera would zoom on you, your eyes blankly glued to the ceiling, makeup from last night smudged under them as a muscular, inked arm gets thrown across your chest, a snoozing man beside you as you have the internal little monologue.

“You’re wondering how I got into this situation, right? Completely naked with one of my best friends after a night spent with heavy drinking and ending up fucking in his apartment until we both fell asleep.”

Yeah, this is probably what the voiceover would say as the camera would slowly get farther from you, Harry’s sleeping figure coming into the frame while you’re still lying like a damn statue. This was not supposed to happen. Not that it was bad, because oh God! Harry really is as good as his ex-girlfriends gushed to you when you met them on night outs. You could never blame the women for falling for him, he has the charm, the personality, the humor and definitely the looks. If you weren’t you, you’d be one of those girls who would do anything to get his attention just for a split second. But you’re not.

Growing up with a single mother that was repeatedly fucked over by several men, you were taught to be the kind of independent woman who needs no man. Who only uses them for whatever reason and throws them away before they could even realize what’s happening. Feelings could never be involved in the equations, those are just not for you.

For a while you thought you weren’t even capable of feeling anything at all. But the way you cried when your hamster you got for your sixteenth birthday died changed your mind and you realized that you are just saving yourself the time of allowing people to make you develop feelings for them and then give them the chance to break your heart. You’ve seen that happen to your mother enough times to know that you don’t want to go through that. It’s not worth it and why would you risk it all when you could easily get what you need and move on to the next one?

Your friends always joked how you’re gonna be the single aunt to their children later who would take them to clubs and honestly? You’re just fine with that. Because you always thought that while your married friends will be busy with keeping their marriage together with whatever pathetic man they chose to marry, you’ll be living your best life without a worry on the world. That sounds pretty good for you.

There’s no need to make it prettier than what it is, you’ve had a lot of hookups the past years but you always tried to keep yourself in check, have some kind of rules to follow so you don’t hurt yourself or anyone else in the process. One of those were that under no circumstances would you ever sleep with a friend. No matter how badly you want to, no matter if they are begging, it can never happen.

But you broke that rule.

Turning your head to the side you look at Harry’s sleeping face squished into the pillow and you almost wince, because you know that when he wakes up, this gonna hurt like a bitch. He’s gonna freak out, or what’s worse, he’ll want to take it further, take you out on a date… be in a relationship with you! And you’ll have to break his heart because none of those will ever happen.

You and Harry went to high school together and he is one of the very few people you stayed in touch after graduation. Though you grew a little apart when you went to different universities, later on you both somehow ended up in New York and while you’re working as a graphic designer at a magazine, Harry is making good money from writing music for other artists. He’s been one of your closest friends these past years and while you’ve always found him attractive, you should have never let this happen, because it will mess everything up and you didn’t want to lose such a good friend.

Harry stirs in his sleep next to you, his hand squeezing your side before his eyes blink open, green irises finding your wide eyes. He stops for a moment, looking around, taking in his surroundings before his eyes fall closed again.

“Wow, must have been one wild night?” he mumbles into the pillow before a raspy chuckle falls from his lips.

Last night, the two of you and a couple of your mutual friends celebrated that Harry has gotten his biggest deal so far, having to write an entire album for an up-and-coming artist, so you all got pretty wasted, especially you and him. It’s a little blurry how the two of you ended up like this, but you do remember wildly making out hidden somewhere behind the bar before he asked if you wanted to come to his place. You stupid little thing, should have said no…

Groaning, Harry rolls to his back, his arm falling from you as he lies sprawled out next to you.

“The tequila shots. Shouldn’t have had them,” you rasp out, a smirk tugging on his lips at your words. “So, um… we both can agree this was a one time thing, right?”

Harry peeks at you, pushing himself up a bit so his head rests against the headboard. The sheets slide down a bit lower on his body, revealing his toned chest and his several tattoos. Memories of you kissing them eagerly last night flash into your mind and you can only hope you’re not blushing like a school girl.

“What if I don’t agree?” Harry cocks an eyebrow and you almost groan. You knew this was going to happen!

“Harry, I’m not going out with you. You know me, I don’t do that. It’s nice that you think that it could work between us, but I don’t do relationships and I’m not changing my rules, not even for you.”

Harry starts laughing, as if you just said the best joke of the century, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. You give him a puzzled look as you sit up, holding the sheets to your chest.

“Who talked about dating, Y/N?” he then asks. “You said last night was a one time thing. We fucked last night. What if that wasn’t the only time we did that?”

You start to put the pieces together, though you’d definitely be sharper if you already had your first coffee of the day.

“Are you trying to start a… friends with benefits thing with me?”

“I mean, you could call it whatever you want. I personally really enjoyed last night and judging from the way you were screaming my name, you did too.” Now you’re for sure blushing. “Why not do it again?”

“This is not a movie, H. I don’t think it’s manageable without ruining our friendship.”

“Have you ever tried something like this?” You shake your head no. “Then how could you know?”

“Have you tried it?”

“Never,” he chuckles. “But that doesn’t mean I’m wrong. We are both cool, smart people. I think we can give it a try and whenever someone is feeling like they had enough, we’re just gonna stop.”

“What if you catch feelings?” you ask, raising eyebrows at him.

“Oh, but what if you fall for me?” he throws the question back with a cocky smirk and you smack his naked chest.

“You know I never do that!”

“I don’t think you can just decide that, but alright,” he chuckles, holding his hands up in defense. “I promise you I won’t catch feelings for you, Y/N. I swear on my…”

“Your mom’s and sister’s life!” you point at him. It’s clear that he thinks it’s silly, but you just keep staring at him until he gives in.

“I swear on my mum’s and my sister’s life that I will not catch feelings for you, Y/N.”

“Alright. And we can end it anytime?”

“Whenever you’ve had enough of me,” he smirks back, so pleased with himself that it’s clear he doesn’t think that could ever happen.

“If you keep that cocky look on your face it’s gonna be a very short deal, Styles,” you warn him, but he just laughs before he quickly pulls you back down to bed, getting on top of you, his hips sinking between your legs and you gasp when you feel that he is already semi-hard.

“Why don’t we get a head start on it then?” he offers, his lips crashing against yours before they travel down your body and soon enough he gives you something that’s a thousand times better than a coffee in the morning.

At first you’re clearly hesitant about it. Not sure if it was a good idea or you just ruined everything between you and Harry, but soon enough you realize that it wasn’t as bad of a decision as you thought it to be.

Harry is the one to call you for the first time, two days after the night you drunkenly hooked up. You’re just leaving the office when he hits you up, asking if you have plans for the night or you’re free to go over to his place. An hour later you find yourself pressed up against the wall of his apartment’s hallway, both of you eager to get each other out of your clothes. Now that it all happens without either of you being drunk, you actually have the chance to think about how good it is with him. He is just the perfect mixture of dominant and soft, knows when to be the boss and when he has to slow down a bit.

He makes you cum three times. Three mind-blowing times, and you also give him two orgasms. You try to make it equal and make it three, but he respectfully says no.

“If you touched my dick again I think I would start crying,” he chuckles jokingly, so you don’t even think about pushing it.

Instead, the two of you order Chinese, have dinner together, talking like you always used to before the deal and then you go home. There’s no awkwardness, no weird situations, not even when you leave. Harry leans closer and for a moment you think he is gonna be corny and kiss you goodbye, but then you feel him smack your ass before pushing you out the door, just like he always did before, joking about how he is gonna charge you rent if you stay any longer.

Nothing has changed, only that you now spend a good chunk of your time together naked, moaning each other’s name before you get back to your usual.

So after that you don’t shy away from reaching out to Harry as well. It becomes a regular thing, the two of you meeting up about two of three times a week. You fuck, hang out a bit and go your separate ways. Slowly, you start to forget about times when you stayed dressed up for more than ten minutes after meeting Harry.

You keep switching between your and his place, but sometimes meet somewhere in the middle. You’ve had sex in a restaurant bathroom, in his car in a parking garage and even in his cousin’s place in Brooklyn. That was a bit odd but still quite pleasing.

Tonight is going to be the first time you’re gonna be out with all your friends and Harry since the deal was made. No one knows about it and you intend to keep it that way.

Once you’re done at work you head home, texting Leticia, another friend from high school to meet you at your place to get ready together. She was Harry’s friend at first, what’s better, she openly hated you at first for some reason.

“You just had a punchable face at fifteen, you can’t blame me,” she used to tell you. It was actually Harry who made the two of you friends and you’ve been close ever since.

You get to your apartment almost at the same time. Leticia starts rambling about her asshole of a boss at the law firm where she works at as you open a bottle of wine to start the evening while you roam through your wardrobe for an outfit.

“Is Leo coming? I owe him a few bucks from last time,” Leticia wonders, digging into your dresser for a pair of tights she can borrow to pair with her leather skirt.

“I think he is, but he is going to be late. He is coming from Staten Island from his dad’s,” you muse, checking yourself out in the red dress you just tried on, not quite pleased with the look, so you quickly work down the zipper and look for something else.

“Um, whose is this?”

Turning around you see that Leticia is holding up a shirt Harry left at yours a few days ago. She is clearly confused about the men’s clothing between your stuff, because you are not one to steal them from the men you sleep with since you don’t really want anything from them to remind you of them.

“Oh, um, that’s… That’s Harry’s. He left it here a few days ago,” you shrug, not making a big deal out of it, but Leticia is nosier than that.

“And why is Harry leaving his clothes around your place?”

“Is that a crime?” you snort, trying to play it cool.

“No, but in what kind of situation did this shirt come off of Harry and end up in your dresser?”

You can’t think of a good answer that would stop her from interrogating you, and the way you’ve just gotten silent is telling her more than words could. She drops the shirt, eyes widening at you and it’s clear that she put two and two together.

“Oh my God! You’re sleeping with Harry!”

“No! I’m… I just—We…”

“You two are totally fucking! What the fuck!” she gasps in complete shock as you pinch the bridge of your nose.

“Let me explain it, alright? W-We hooked up on the night when we went out to celebrate his big album deal.”

“When I couldn’t go, right?”

“Yeah. So we were both very drunk and it just happened. And I really thought it would ruin everything but we somehow ended up making a deal.”

“Jesus, you guys are acting out the Friends With Benefits movie? Who are you, Mila fucking Kunis?”

“It’s not like that!” you defend yourself quickly, but then you realize that it’s just like that so far. “Well, it kind of is, but the ending won’t be like that.”

“Do you really think you can just do it with absolutely no strings?” Leticia sighs, her hands coming to her hips as she stares back at you.

“It’s been going great, so I really think it’s doable. And if any of us decides they had enough, we’ll just call it quits.”

“Yeah, because it’s that easy,” she rolls her eyes. “One of you will catch feelings and someone is gonna end up crying, Y/N.”

“No, that’s not gonna happen,” you shake your head stubbornly. “He promised it won’t happen.”

“Feelings don’t give a shit about promises! I hope you really know what you’re doing, because I don’t want to have to choose between the two of you,” she grumbles before throwing Harry’s shirt back into the drawer, grabbing the tights she’s been looking for.

Leticia doesn’t hold a grudge for the news she just found out, but she surely has gotten you thinking. Is it really gonna end bad? Why can’t there be a scenario where it goes perfectly fine and no one gets hurt? Harry promised it’s gonna be alright and he has been proven right so far, so why are you having second guesses now?

Arriving at the bar the majority of your friend group is already there, including Harry. You sit across him in the small booth, just exchanging a quick smile before the first round arrives and the evening starts. You allow yourself to take a better look at him while he listens to Mitch’s story and you can’t say that you don’t find him hot. He is wearing a vintage, floral printed shirt, the first few buttons left undone, so you have a nice view of his chest and his necklace you’ve felt under your lips so many times before when you were kissing down his body. He keeps twisting and playing with his several rings and it makes you stare at his hands for a tad bit longer than you intended to. God, he looks so damn good, you really just want to fuck him here and now.

You keep changing who goes up to the bar to order and the third round is yours, so sliding out of the booth you go to the bar and wait for your turn. A young, handsome guy is making the drinks and you clearly catch his eyes.

“And what can I get for you, beautiful?” he smirks at you when it’s finally your turn.

“Two vodka sodas, a martini and three vodka cranberries,” you smile back at him with a hint of flirting in your tone.

It’s kind of second nature to you, a few charming smiles and winks have gotten a lot of free things for you in your life and you never miss a chance to use your advances.

“All that for one pretty girl?” he teases you.

“I would be all over the floor if I drank all of it,” you chuckle, pulling your card out of your wallet, tapping it on the terminal as he finishes up the drinks, kindly putting them on a tray so you can easily bring them over to the booth.

“Don’t worry, I would surely pick you up then,” he winks at you, placing the last drink to the tray before you thank him and head back.

As you take your previous seat you notice that Harry is watching you intently.

“What?” you mouth him over the conversation at the table.

“Nothing,” he shakes his head, turning his gaze away, grabbing his drink and focusing back on everyone else.

You go up to the bar two more times, once to ask for some chips and once for some napkins after a drink has gotten spilt onto the table. Every time you exchange a few words with the bartender and you have to admit, he has a great sense of humor paired with his looks.

Sometime later in the evening you decide to switch to water, so you go up to the bar a fourth time, the bartender coming to you right away at this point. As you wait for him to grab you your drink you feel a hand on your lower back. Turning to the side you see Harry standing next to you.

“Hey, want to come to my place after this?” he asks, leaning closer to your ear. His hot breath hits your exposed skin on your neck and a shudder runs down your spine, especially with his hand still on the small of your back.

“You want a rerun of your first time?” you smirk back at him, referring to the drinks you both have had, though it’s definitely not as wild as that night was.

“No, but this dress is making it hard not to want to rip it off,” he bluntly tells you as you glance down at yourself. At last you decided to wear a black bodycon dress that surely shows every dip and curve of your body and apparently Harry has been enjoying the show.

The bartender arrives with your water, his eyes falling on Harry and you see that he is a little taken aback by his presence.

“Hey man, can you get me another one as well? I’ll pay for both,” Harry nods at him and there’s something foreign in his tone that you can’t really put your finger on. The bartender just nods back and goes to grab another water.

“What if I wasn’t in the mood?” you tease him, continuing the discussion where you left it a moment ago.

“Oh, please!” he chuckles smugly. “I saw you eyeing me from across the table, Y/N. I know you are definitely in the mood.”

He is right. So damn right. You’ve been crossing your legs under the table for a while now, feeling your arousal growing every time you saw him run his tongue over his lips or whenever his finger played with the lip of his glass, imagining him doing the same with your body.

Biting into your bottom lip you need to take a deep breath, but when Harry sees your teeth digging into your lip, he loses his patience.

“Or we can just do it now,” he growls lowly, grabbing your hand before he starts pulling you towards the restrooms. You don’t even have the chance to protest, not that you want to.

He is quick to pull you into an empty restroom, locking the door behind the two of you before his lips attack yours, pushing you against the door with vigor and hunger. His hands are already bunching your dress up around your waist and you moan his name when your hips meet and you feel his hard length through his jeans.

“We have to be quick, so no one notices we disappeared,” he pants as he helps you up to the counter, your back hitting the cold mirror behind you.

“Then shut up and just fuck me,” you challenge him and it makes him absolutely feral.

You don’t have time to enjoy it the way you usually do in bed, but the excitement of the situation alone has gotten you so wet that you’re already dripping when he pushes your panties to the side with one hand while his other works on his own pants.

“Fuck, already so wet for me, huh?” he breathes out, his lips brushing against yours before they kiss you fully.

“Just like how you’re rock hard for me,” you grin against his lips, a hand wandering down to his cock as you pull it out of his boxers, stroking it a few times before he pulls a condom out of his back pocket and wraps himself up. “Were you counting on this quickie, Styles?” you ask when you realize that he just had a condom ready on him.

“I knew for sure I’m gonna fuck you tonight, but wasn’t sure how long I’m gonna last,” he grins, capturing your lips again before he pushes himself inside you with no warning, making you both gasp.

“Fuck! Harry!” you moan as he starts moving rapidly, definitely not taking his time like he usually does. He is pounding into you without mercy, panting against your lips as his ring clad fingers are digging into the flesh of your thighs.

“You like that? Like it when I fuck you somewhere public?” he growls, making your legs curl around his hips.

Your hands move up his chest and neck, fingers tangling into his curls and you give them a tug, earning an animalistic grunt from him as he starts going even harder and faster. You’re rapidly getting closer to your orgasm.

“You close?” he pants and you nod. “Come on, cum all over my cock, Y/N.”

A few more thrusts and your walls tighten around his dick, squeezing him as you gasp, riding your high, your head falling backwards, meeting with the mirror behind you. Harry follows you a few pushes later, moaning your name repeatedly before his movements come to a halt and you both take a moment to catch your breath.

When he pulls out you both just quietly clean yourselves up, fixing your clothes and hair so you don’t entirely scream sex with your appearances.

“My offer to come to mine after still stands,” he smirks, running a hand through his hair before you head out.

“Tempting, but I have some work to do in the morning, so no,” you turn him down, stepping out to the dark hallway that leads back to the bar. Harry grabs your hand and pulls you back, his lips smashing against yours, surprising you with his move. He kisses you deeply, sucking on your bottom lip hard before he pulls back.

“What was that for?” you ask out of breath.

“If you’re not coming over, I needed something to have a good night,” he shrugs with a smug smirk before you return to the bar.

You catch the bartender’s look as you finally get your waters and Harry pays for them. You catch the two men eyeing each other for a moment before you and Harry return to the table and you forget about the whole thing.

A Sunday afternoon you’re lounging at Harry’s. You jumped at each other’s bones when you arrived, but now you’re chilling on his couch, watching a series you both wanted to start so you decided to give it a go together. Your leg is lying across Harry’s lap, his hands absentmindedly kneading your thighs. It feels nice, like a massage, especially after how sore he made you earlier, stretching you out more than he usually does with a new pose you tried out.

Your phone chimes next to you and tearing your gaze away from the TV you check to see who just sent you a text. It was one of your coworkers, Anthony, he sent you a raging text about how he still has no idea what to wear to the company party that’s gonna be next Saturday and you realize that you totally forgot about it.

“Shit!” you curse under your breath.

“What?” Harry asks, pausing the show.

“I have this stupid work party next weekend and I totally forgot about it,” you growl, checking your calendar quickly if you can squeeze in a quick shopping spree before Saturday or you’ll have to find something in your closet.

“Aren’t those things nice with a lot of free food and drinks?” Harry wonders.

“Yeah, but I don’t like it, because all my colleagues bring their partners and I’m usually the only single one and they keep trying to set me up with someone,” you roll your eyes even at the thought of having to suffer through another one of those awkward conversations about your love life. Like it’s any of their concern!

“I can go with you if that helps,” he offers and you give him a look over your phone. “What? I’m sure if you brought someone they wouldn’t bug you.”

“But we are not together,” you remind him narrowing your eyes at him.

“They don’t have to know that. It’s a win-win, Y/N. Your colleagues would stop nagging you and I can eat and drink for free,” he smirks, clearly pleased with his little plan.

“I mean… you’re not wrong,” you sigh.

“See? Then it’s settled,” he pats your legs, smirking widely at you, but you’re still not entirely convinced. “Come on, Y/N. It’s gonna be fun!”

“This is so cliché, Harry!” you groan, your head falling back against the arm of the couch. “Pretending to be a couple? Straight out of a damn movie.”

Harry lifts your legs up so he can get out from under them, placing them back to the cushion before he climbs over to you, half of his body pressing onto yours as he squints his eyes at you.

“We can fuck in the bathroom, if you want,” he bluntly offers and you just start laughing at his dirty mind and technique of convincing you. “What? There’s literally no better offer out there. Free food, free drinks and free sex. Really good sex, if I may add,” he points out and you smack his chest lightly.

“Didn’t know you were thinking about charging me for the sex,” you joke.

“Might as well do, baby. Especially if it’s the best you can get,” he smugly huffs and you’d retort something funny, but you get caught up on the name.

“Baby? Since when are you calling me baby?”

“Since we are gonna be a couple next week. Gotta rehearse, baby,” he repeats the nickname and a foreign feeling bubbles in the pit of your stomach. Why is this one little word making you feel things you haven’t before? “And you know what else we can rehearse?” he continues, oblivious to your inner dialogue.

You don’t get to answer upon feeling his hand slide between your legs, fingers gently pressing onto your clothed clit and though you can’t stop a moan from slipping through your lips, you still grab his wrist and pull him away.

“My legs are too sore, I wouldn’t enjoy another round of you pounding into me,” you tell him and you can see the proud glimmer in his eyes that he was the one who got you into this state, though he luckily doesn’t comment on it.

“It doesn’t have to be pounding, then,” he smirks and leaning down he kisses you, taking his time as his hand frees itself from your grip and slides under your shorts and panties, fingers meeting your already throbbing bud.

He repositions himself so one of his thighs are between your legs, his lips never leaving yours as his fingers start drawing circles on your clit, sending pleasure down your body in waves.

“Fuck,” you breathe out against his lips when two of his fingers tease your entrance before pushing all the way inside, curling them between your clenching, wet walls.

“No, we are not fucking right now,” he smirks, never missing a chance to joke around and you want to retort to his comment, but words get caught in your throat when his thumb starts playing with your clit, fingers sliding in and out of you in a steady rhythm.

“So, are we on for Saturday? It’s gonna be fun, hm?”

The little shit is using his fingers to convince you and he has the audacity to ask you questions when you are about to see stars. Sometimes you really do hate how big of a smug fucker Harry is, but it’s hard to feel hatred for him when he is about to make you cum again.

“I-I don’t… Harry!” you gasp when he abruptly pulls his fingers out of you, right when you were so close. “I was about to fucking cum!” you growl, raging eyes meeting his green irises.

“I know,” he chuckles. “Say that you’re in and I’ll make you cum.”

“You motherfu—“

You don’t get to finish, his lips smashing against yours as his fingers return, moving faster than before, quickly pushing you towards the edge again.

“Say it. Say it, Y/N,” he mumbles against your lips as your chest is heaving and you start buckling your hips to meet his movements.

“Fuck… Okay! I’m in, just please make me cum!” you whine, hands gripping his shoulders like your life depends on it.

“Good girl,” he smirks and finishes you off without any more teasing.

You cry out his name, fingers digging into his muscles as you push your thighs together, trapping his hand between them while he keeps fingering you oh so perfectly. He makes sure you ride out the last waves of your orgasm before he pulls his fingers out and without batting an eye, he just licks them and fixes your panties and shorts before returning to his previous position with your legs across his lap, starting the show like nothing really happened.

Saturday morning you’re able to quickly get your nails done and Leticia comes with you, the two of you having brunch together afterwards. You go to a new place near the nail salon and as the waiter arrives with your orders, you notice that he slides a napkin onto the table with a small smile.

Grabbing it you see a phone number scribbled onto it. Normally, you send back a smile and tug the napkin into your purse, but this time you just leave it on the table and decide to ignore it.

“What the hell is up with you?” Leticia asks and glancing up at her you see her gesturing towards the napkin. “You don’t seem too thrilled about the approach which is very unlike you.”

“Yeah, I don’t know. I’m just… not interested,” you shrug, reaching for your fork.

“Not interested? The dude looks like the lovechild of Chris Hemsworth and Johnny Depp. He is exactly your type, what the fuck is wrong with you?”

“I’m just not seeking another hookup right now, that’s it.”

“Oh my God!” Leticia gasps and you give her a puzzled look.

“What?”

“You don’t want other men because of Harry!”

“What? That’s crazy,” you laugh, because she has clearly left her mind at the salon for even thinking that.

“Have you hooked up with anyone else than Harry since you’ve made your little deal?”

“I, uhh… Flirted with the bartender when we were out together.”

“Flirting doesn’t count, not even in relationships.”

“I don’t think many would agree with that, Tish,” you huff.

“Okay, but did you have any interest in fucking someone else?”

“I don’t get it why you are making a big deal out of it. Why would I seek anyone else if I’m perfectly pleased by him?”

“Honey, that’s like… how relationships work.”

“That’s not true,” you shake your head, though what would you know about relationships? Your first and only one was when you were seventeen and it lasted twenty-one pathetic days.

“Are you fucking with anyone else?” She asks, eyebrows raised at you as you shake your head no. “Are you fucking him?”

“Obviously,” you scoff.

“Do you spend time together that doesn’t include sex?”

You are almost quick to say no, but then you realize that would be a big ass lie. Every time he comes over to your place or you’re at his, it’s never just the sex. That’s always primary, but not everything you do. All the dinners, the movies and shows you’ve watched together, when you sit on your tiny balcony with a bottle of wine, talking and laughing like you always did before the deal, something always happens after the sex.

Your silence once again answers Leticia’s question. Reaching over the table she takes your hand in hers, giving it a soft squeeze.

“Girl, you are totally dating Harry.”

Leticia once again manages to put a flea in your ear about this whole Harry thing. You wish she didn’t say a thing, because now you can’t think of anything else than the fact that you really are doing all the things with Harry that people who are dating do.

You get so riled up that you almost cancel on the evening, but you’d hate to have to sit through the evening with your colleagues alone when you said you’d be bringing someone. That would make their usual nagging a hundred times worse. So instead, you suck it up and decide to ignore the issue just for the time being and you get ready.

You were able to find a new dress beforehand, the yellow dress is truly a sight to the sore eyes with the corset-like top and very subtle lace details here and there. It’s a little daring, but everyone goes all out for these parties usually and you definitely don’t want to be underdressed.

Harry texts you that he is in front of the building a little before seven, holding up the taxi he came with so you quickly grab everything you need and head out.

You’re the first one to see him through the glass entrance doors of your building, he is standing next to the car in a simple black suit and a soft yellow shirt underneath. It was actually your idea to match your outfits and he surely understood the assignment, especially seeing his also yellow nails.

Part of you is still hung up on what Leticia told you, but a bigger one is so excited to see him and also very into his look for the evening, that you push your doubts to the back of your mind and step out of the building with a shy smile on your lips as his eyes fall on you and you see his lips part.

“Wow! This dress is… wow!” he breathes out, his eyes raking your frame up and down shamelessly as you walk closer.

“Do you know any other words than wow?” you tease him, biting into your bottom lip.

“Yeah. How about: I would love to bend you over this taxi and take you here and now in this dress?”

Your face heats up immediately, slapping his arm, but then you leave your hand on his bicep and give it a squeeze as your answer: you’d definitely love that if it wasn’t kind of illegal to have sex out on a busy street.

The ignorance in you is so high that you don’t even mind how Harry keeps a hand on your thigh in the car, what’s more, you’re quite liking the warmth of his touch on you. His fingers are gently tapping against the music the driver is playing and he even hums a little along the songs.

“Hey, how is the album writing going?” you ask to break the silence a little.

“Great! They asked for fifteen songs until the end of August, so I have plenty of time, but I’m already done with six,” he beams, and you smile back at him proudly.

“That’s amazing. Can I hear any of them sometime?”

“I mean… if you buy the album?” he chuckles, making you roll your eyes at him. “I’ll see what I can do about that,” he then adds, giving your leg another squeeze before turning towards the window.

The party is just the same as it always is. A luxurious evening to celebrate the company’s success in the past six months, a way to give back to the employees and make them feel appreciated with all the free stuff. It’s nice, but you don’t feel like it’s necessary, people would be happier with a raise after all, than one night of free food and drinks.

Harry holds your hand as you walk in, the majority of the guests already present, music playing and there are several open buffet tables and bars in the gigantic ballroom that was decorated in a forest-like theme just for tonight.

“So you did not lie about bringing a date!” Anthony beams as soon as he sees you, his boyfriend, Pete following him right behind, both of them wearing matching burgundy suits.

“Have I lied to you about anything?” you chuckle awkwardly.

“Plenty of times,” he points out before turning towards Harry. “Hello handsome, I’m Anthony, Y/N’s favorite coworker, and this is my boyfriend, Pete.” They all shake hands, Harry smiling back at them warmly before his hand finds yours again, his fingers lacing together with yours in an instant.

“Nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you, I’m Harry.”

“Oh my! The accent!” Anthony gushes, clearly already a fan of Harry’s. “I was really afraid Y/N just said that she is bringing someone so we would get out of her hair this time.”

“I feel offended,” you give him a look, but he just shrugs it off, even though he is more right than he knows.

“Come on, let’s get you guys a drink, we are all sitting over there!”

Joining all your coworkers at the table, you get a head start on the food and drinks, not shying away from stacking everything you like onto your plate. Talking, mixing and mingling, Harry stays right next to you, charming everyone the two of you meet, earning you some approving looks from your colleagues that usually try to set you up with someone they know. This time, you’re left in peace the moment they see Harry with you, his hand always somewhere on you, holding your hand, the small of your back, your hips or waist or, your personal favorite, the back of your neck under your hair. His presence is uplifting already, but his tiny touches just warm you even more on the inside.

“I have to say, Y/N, you are absolutely glowing!” Dianne, one of the editors compliment you when the two of you are at the bar waiting for your drinks to be refilled. Harry stayed back at the table, deep in conversation with Pete about guitars, from what you could understand from their conversation.

“Oh, thank you!” you chuckle softly.

“This man is for sure treating you well. It’s so great to see you finally finding your person.”

She meant well with her comment, but it’s what brings everything you kept hidden in the back of your head out to the front. Tonight was supposed to be all pretending, making everyone believe something that’s not even there, but then why do you feel like it’s real? Like you fooled yourself with everyone else as well?

Your eyes fall back to Harry at the table, who is intently listening to something Pete is telling him and as if he had a sixth sense, his eyes snap at you, a smile stretching across his pretty face at an instant that makes you stomach dance again, heart beating oddly fast.

What is happening to you? This cannot be real, you can’t be having feelings, especially not for Harry. No, you do not allow that for yourself, emotions are off limits for you, because if you fall for someone that gives them the chance to leave you and break you and you’ve seen what it does to a woman. You got enough of the suffering through your mother and you vowed not to let it happen to you. And not even Harry Styles will change that. This is about sex and nothing else, no feelings are involved and that will not change. You won’t let it.

Excusing yourself from Dianne you quickly go back to the table, the refills long forgotten as you take your seat next to Harry. His hand instantly finds your leg as he looks at you with a sweet smile at first that turns into slight confusion.

“Thought you went for a refill?”

“Forget the drinks,” you shake your head, leaning closer to his ear. “You promised me bathroom sex.”

You feel the shift in him right away, how he bites into his bottom lip, his bright green irises darkening at your words, his hold on your leg tightening. His gaze flickers to your eyes and you want to devour him, you want him to take you here and there to prove you that this is all it’s about: sex.

Clearing his throat he mumbles a lame excuse as he pulls you from your chair, tugging you towards the restrooms, you try to keep up with his pace in your heels, but you also can’t wait for him to slam you against the door and fuck you quick and hard.

As soon as you’re locked away from the party in one of the bathrooms, your lips collide with his as he pushes you up against the door, a leg coming between your thighs and you can’t stop yourself from grinding on him.

“Fuck,” he rasps out, hands cupping your jaw as he angles your head just right while your hands are already traveling down his body to reach his pants, eager to get them undone as fast as possible.

However the sudden rush and desperation catches Harry’s eyes and he grabs your hands, stopping you mid-action.

“Hey, everything alright?” he asks, out of breath, concern filling his eyes.

“I just need you to fuck me,” you bluntly reply, but he doesn’t move.

“Okay, but why do you look so shaken up? Did something happen?”

“Harry, stop babying me! I said I’m fine, I just want you to fuck me!” you snap, losing your patience. Not sure if it’s with him or with yourself though.

“You’re obviously not fine! You are snapping at me for being decent and making sure you’re okay!” Harry steps away from you, the moment completely ruined as all physical contact ends with him, his eyes staring back at you in disbelief and you feel like a ticking bomb that’s about to explode.

“It’s not your concern if I’m okay or not. We have a deal, just go with that and leave the rest to me!”

“But above the deal we are friends too. I’m not gonna just… fuck you senseless when you’re obviously upset about something. You’re not in the right mindset.”

“Oh my God, stop being so fucking nice! Stop making these grand gestures and stop pretending like you give a fuck!” You raise your voice and it surely surprises him, but he is still more concerned than angry at your outburst.

“What do you mean pretending? I do care about you! Is that a fucking crime now?!”

“It is because it is for the wrong reasons!” you retort, feeling your throat closing up at the same time. Oh God, you hope you won’t start crying, that will make it even worse. “I think you are taking this pretending a little too far tonight. We are not a couple, this is not real, Harry,” you remind him.

He stares back at you for what feels like eternity and you wish you could read his mind, because you can’t read anything from his eyes, he just stands there like a statue and you feel panic crawling up your spine, slowly digging its claws into your flesh.

And then he finally breaks his silence.

“And would it be so bad if it was real?”

You can’t help a sob that emits from you, feeling like your guts are in a tight grip by his words. This is exactly what you didn’t want to happen.

“No, take that back!” you whine.

“I’m not taking it back! Y/N, what we’ve been doing these past weeks is exactly what a relationship is like and you didn’t seem to have a problem with it until a label was put on it. It doesn’t have to change anything!”

“But it is! And you know I don’t do this!”

“Don’t do what? Feelings? You don’t get to choose that!” he chuckles bitterly.

“I do! I fucking do! And I chose not to have them so… this is ending here, because you clearly caught feelings,” you pant in desperate need of getting out of the bathroom, but when you are about to open the door Harry’s hand snaps against it, keeping it closed. You rest your forehead against the cool surface of it, feeling Harry stand so close to you behind, his chest is touching your back.

“Don’t just walk away, we are in the middle of a conversation,” he growls, his voice filled with anger and warning.

“I don’t have anything to say to you,” you whisper, shaking your head as you turn around and face him, your back pressing against the door.

“But I do,” he simply replies. “Why do you think you can just run away from feeling anything for the rest of your life? Why would it be so bad if you fell for someone, huh? I know you do have feelings, I know you well, Y/N. You’re not some cold hearted jerk, you are a caring and loving person, so why won’t you let yourself be happy?”

“I am happy the way I am, have you thought about that?”

“No, you’re not. I’ve known you half my life, I know that you want to be cared for, you want to be loved and cherished, yet you push away everyone who wants to give you that.”

“Because it’s not that easy, Harry!” you snap at him. “It’s never just the lovey-dovey shit! Feelings come with hurt and pain and heartbreaks and I don’t need that! I can’t handle that!”

“It’s not always the case! But if you never put yourself out there, you’ll never find the happiness you’re seeking!”

“Well, for me, it doesn’t worth it! I don’t want to fall for someone, plan my future with them and open up to them completely only for them to fall out of love with me one day and decide they don’t want anything to do with me! I don’t want to give anyone the chance to hurt me like that, because I’ve seen what it does to a person! I witnessed it all, Harry! I will not be a victim to that!”

You’re full on shouting, tears rolling down your cheeks at this point. You are letting everything out that’s been bottled up deep inside of you all this time. Nothing can make you believe in the fairytale that will never become your reality and you rather save the time and pain than experiment with it.

What really hurts is that now you are losing your friend. Your best friend. Because the way Harry is looking at you makes it obvious that you’ll never be like before the deal. The hurt, the shock, the panic and the anger, it all mixes in his wide-eyed gaze and it’s like a knife into your chest.

“You promised me, Harry,” you sob, voice now barely more than just a whisper. “You swore you wouldn’t catch feelings but you lied!”

“I didn’t lie,” he simply answers clenching his jaw. “I said I wouldn’t catch feelings for you, but truth is… I already had them. I was already in love with you, have been for a while. And you know what? I think you love me too, but you’re just too afraid to admit it. I know it because I can feel it. The way you touch me, look at me, the way you talk to me, it’s written all over you, but you choose to ignore it.”

“You don’t know shit,” you shake your head vigorously. “You think you know it, but you don’t.”

“Stop denying it, Y/N! You can’t just switch it off! Loving is not as horrendous as you think it is! Yes, it comes with pain too, but the good is always there to make you forget about it. You have to give it… you have to give yourself a chance!”

“I don’t have to do anything, Harry,” you sass back, pushing him away so you have the chance to sneak out of the room before he could stop you. But he doesn’t let it end that easily. Running after you he catches your wrist before you could get out of the hallway, pulling you back.

“Don’t just fucking walk away, Y/N! We need to talk about this!”

“No, we don’t. And I’m done with this. Done with… you.”

It hurts. The words rolling off of your tongue hurt, but you choose to ignore it once again as you shake his hand off of yourself, marching back to your table to grab your bag and leave.

“What do you mean you’re done with me? Don’t do this, Y/N! Let’s just fucking talk!”

Harry keeps trying to stop you, but you’re determined to leave. Your coworkers notice the little scene, but you don’t pay it any attention as you head out of the room, knowing well they’ll talk shit about you behind your back as soon as you’re out of the building.

“Y/N for fuck’s sake just stop already!” Harry snaps, grabbing your arm once again when you’re outside, pulling you back, but you’ve had enough.

“No! I’m not stopping, you need to stop! Stop trying to make yourself believe this is anything more than just the deal we made! It’s not and it will never be, because you don’t get to have the privilege of hurting me, nobody gets to do that!”

“Who said I want to hurt you?! That’s the last thing I would want to do! It’s not as cruel as you imagine it, Y/N. I know that your mum had a terrible love life when you were younger, but that’s not the only side to love! There are so much good about it, so much to fight for and endure with the bad sides, you can’t just throw all of it out the window because you decided love is just not for you!”

“I can and I will. Watch me!” you bite back, tearing your arm out of his hold as you step to the side of the pavement and wave a taxi down.

“Please don’t get into that car, Y/N, let’s talk!”

“We talked enough,” you huff as the car stops in front of you and you hop inside, but just as you are about to close the door Harry once again stops you.

“Y/N, I love you. Please don’t do this!” he begs, so much sorrow and pain radiating from his face and for a moment you fall weak. You almost reach out to him, because part of you hates seeing him like this, especially knowing that it’s because of you. You just want him to be happy, but you know it’s not gonna be with you. You can never give him what he wants and needs. He’ll be better off without you.

“I’m sorry,” you choke out before pulling the door closed and the car drives away. Turning around you see him stand on the pavement, completely broken and shaken, his hands tangling into his hair as he angrily kicks at the dirt before the car melts into the traffic and he falls out of your sight.

You did it for your and Harry’s sake. It had to be done and you are both better off this way. At least that’s what you’ve been trying to convince you to believe.

But why does it hurt so badly then?

Harry tried you calling a million times after you left him at the party, he even came after you and banged on your door for thirty minutes straight, begging you to let him in and just talk, but you didn’t even answer him. Just waited until he left before you curled up in the shower and cried for about an hour.

The calls and texts kept coming in the next few days, but after a while he gave up. He got nothing but silence from your side and one last, long ass text that you didn’t even read because you knew you’d just start crying again, he finally gave up.

You were left alone with all the pain and emptiness and you realized how big part of your life Harry played before. Somehow, everything reminded you of him and you couldn’t do anything without wishing he was with you.

You truly believed that time will heal you, that soon you’ll realize that you made the right decision, but days turned into weeks and nothing changed, you just learned to live with the pain. You stopped going out with your friends and not just because you were afraid of seeing Harry, but because you genuinely couldn’t get yourself to leave the house. Your evenings consisted of binge eating all the ice-cream you could find in your freezer and watching reruns of your favorite shows, but nothing could really take your mind off of Harry.

Day after day you cancelled on Leticia as well until she had enough of your hermit life. She got fed up watching you sink into your pit of sorrow and decided to take things into her own hands and not let you run away from her.

A Friday evening you’re doing what you’ve been doing for weeks now, lying on your couch in sweatpants, scrolling through Netflix when there’s a knock on your door. You wait, hoping whoever it is will think you’re not home and go away, but another obnoxious knock rips through the apartment and you growl.

“I know you’re in there bitch, open the fucking door!” Leticia shouts from outside and you curse the day you became friends with her. Maybe you would have been better off as enemies.

“I’m busy!” you call out, but make your way to the front door anyway, opening it to reveal her.

“Yeah, I can see that. Busy with being a bag of trash,” she comments on your appearance, walking inside without an invitation.

“Jeez, you really did wake up today and chose violence,” you mutter under your breath as you shut the door closed.

Leticia is quick to turn the TV off and open up the windows as you just stand there, not sure what she is doing here.

“When did you clean this place? And when was the last time you took a shower?” she asks, her nose scrunching when she takes a better look at you.

“Okay, did you come here to offend me? Because I don’t need that so please leave.”

“No, I’m here to beat some sense into you.”

“Good luck with that,” you scoff, taking your spot on the couch once again. You reach for the remote with the intention of turning the TV back on, but Leticia stands in front of the screen, blocking the device completely as she stares down at you with a disapproving look, arms folded on her chest.

“You’re acting like a child, Y/N. Avoiding everyone and being mad at the whole world, are you an emo teenager now or what?”

“I’m not mad at the whole world!”

“Okay, then you’re mad at just Harry, still, it’s a mistake.”

“I’m not mad at only Harry either,” you admit truthfully.

“Who else then?”

“Myself?” you mumble, eyes falling closed as you slide lower down on the couch.

“That makes the two of us, but why are you mad at yourself?” she asks, finally moving from her spot in front of the TV as she sits next to you on the couch, crossing her legs as she waits for your answer.

“Because…” you start with a sigh, opening your eyes, but you avoid looking at her, instead, you stare at the wall across you. “Because I can’t fucking stop thinking about him,” you admit and your lips start trembling instantly, just like every time you think about him. “I miss him so fucking badly, Tish! I miss our conversations, I miss his stupid jokes, I miss him raiding my fucking fridge and I miss…”

You bite your tongue, not wanting to admit the next thoughts loudly. Because you miss kissing him, you miss holding him and be held by him. You miss sex too, but you miss the tiny things even more, the way his lips feel against yours, how he smiles against them when you whimper his name and you miss the awkward little things the most. When he accidentally bumps his head against yours or when say random shit right before he pushes into you just to make you laugh, or when he leans in for a kiss but misses it and ends up kissing your nose or just the corner of your mouth. You miss everything about him and you hate him for that, but you hate yourself even more. It feels like your own conscious has betrayed you.

Shutting your eyes closed you let the tears roll down your cheeks as Leticia scoots closer and wraps her arms around you, cooing soothingly at you.

“It’s alright. It’s totally normal, Y/N.”

“It is not! Not for me at least!” you protest pulling back, wiping your cheeks with the back of your hands.

“Stop with the bullshit already!” she growls in annoyance. “You are not some kind of ice queen who is incapable of loving! You love me, right?”

“Yeah, but that’s different,” you roll your eyes.

“Not really. You love your other friends as well, right?” You nod. “And you love your mom,” she adds and you nod again. “Would you do anything for these people?”

“Of course.”

“Do you like spending time with them? Do you care about them in all kinds of ways?”

“Yes,” you sigh, fumbling with the hem of your shirt.

“Do you feel the same way about Harry? Do you care about him, would you do anything for him to make him happy?”

“Yes,” you whisper truthfully.

“Then don’t complicate it. You love him, no big deal! And he surely loves you back, because he told you, right?” You nod. “Then pull your head out of your ass and just let yourself be happy for once.”

“Why are you coming with this too? I was happy on my own too!”

“No, you were getting by,” she points it out. “You were doing good, but you weren’t… a whole. Harry gave you everything you missed, but for some fucked up reason you think it’s the end of the world to depend on someone else partially when it comes to your happiness. Which can be a smart thing, it’s important to be your own person and be independent, but sometimes we need some help from others. From people that love us and we love them back. It’s not a crime, Y/N.”

“No, but it’s gonna end up with me being heartbroken.”

“You already are,” she ruthlessly replies, bringing your attention to what you’ve been trying to ignore all this time. “Hate to break it to you, but this is what that feels like. So why not just go with it, you already felt the pain, now you could go for the good parts as well.”

“I don’t know if I can do it, Tish,” you breathe out, resting your head against the back of the couch. “Even if I did it, I know I would mess it up and hurt him or maybe he’ll do something stupid and hurt me and I don’t think I can handle that.”

“So what? It’s part of the deal. And besides, you’re already hurting each other, so you better get your shit together,” she scoffs, poking your side playfully.

It’s part of the deal. Are you ready to make a new deal? One that you’ve been avoiding your whole life? Are you ready to cut yourself open for someone else and just hope for the best?

Probably not. And probably you’ll never be. But your tactics didn’t succeed so far, you still ended up in pain so why not give it a chance? Even if it’s gonna be the hardest thing you’ve ever done?

“Do you think he hates me now?” you ask quietly, peeking at her scared of her answer.

“He is a bit mad at you for shutting him out, but he could never hate you. That man loves you so much, it’s almost disgusting,” she admits, making you chuckle. “Just… be honest with him and talk to him. You need it. You both need it.”

Harry’s fingers strum against the chords again, trying to get the tune right, but he fails again, a frustrated growl leaving his lips as he lets his head fall forwards. He’s been trying to finish the song for hours, but it still hasn’t come together the way he imagined and his patience is running short.

It’s been hard for him to focus on writing, with you on his mind all the time, everything seems like a hard task. He has written plenty of songs since the night at the party, but he could never use them for his job. One, because they are so fucking sad and depressive and they asked for upbeat hits from him, and two, because they are all so personal, he could never give them to someone else. He can’t let anyone else sing the lines he wrote to you, but you’ll probably never hear them.

Giving up on finishing the song today, he puts the guitar aside and calls it a day. Walking into the kitchen he opens the fridge and realizes that it’s completely empty aside from a bottle of ketchup and a single banana. He’s been such a mess lately, he forgot to go grocery shopping yesterday. Huffing to himself he grabs the banana and reaches for his phone to order something right when his doorbell rings. He is not expecting anyone, but Mitch has been popping in every few days to check in on him since everything that went down with you, so Harry is convinced it’s him again.

“Great timing, do you want Italian or Chinese?” he asks, walking up to the door, but as he swings it open he freezes when he sees you standing on the doormat. “Y/N…” he breathes out as if he was seeing a ghost.

“Hi! I-I hope I’m not bothering you o-or anything…” you ramble nervously.

“No! No, come on in!” He snaps out of his trance and steps aside, letting you walk inside. A feeling of nostalgia hits you right away as you think back at the last time you were here. Just a few days before the party, when everything was different.

“I’m sorry I came without asking, I just… I would say I was nearby, but that’s not true,” you chuckle anxiously as the two of you walk into the living room. You notice that his place is a little messier than usually, but it’s not nearly as bad as yours was before you did a deep cleaning yesterday after Leticia’s comments on it.

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it. What… What brought you here?”

“I, uhh… I’ve been thinking. A lot. And I have a few things I need to tell you.”

For a moment Harry’s stomach drops, because he thinks you came here to tell him off one more time for breaking your deal, for everything that happened at the party. He is already bracing himself to just let you lash out on him, but it never comes. And when you speak up again, he nearly faints.

“I love you.”

It’s a strong start, definitely a surprising one. Harry’s lips part and his eyes widen, his look almost comical, but you’re not laughing, not now. You have a lot to tell him and you can only hope he won’t throw you out after everything is said.

“I love you and I’m sorry it took me so long to stop ignoring it, but I promise you I’m done with that. And I’m sorry for everything I said to you that night, I was… mad and confused and I didn’t know how to deal with everything at once. I was delusional and ignorant and… a fool for thinking that I could just choose to never have feelings, especially for you,” you add with a tiny, nervous chuckle. “You were right. About everything. That I can’t live without ever putting myself out there and risking it. And I think deep down I knew that, but I was so afraid of getting hurt that I made myself believe I’m good on my own, but I’m not. Not entirely, to be precise. Because sometimes it is worth risking it and… and I realized that you are the person for me who is worth this risk.”

The tears are already blurring your vision, for the millionth time these past weeks, but it feels right now. Opening up to Harry and telling him all of this is hard, but with every spoken word you feel lighter and more relieved.

“I’m sorry if I made you think that I don’t love you, because I do. I really do. You are my best friend and these past weeks have been hell for me without you. I was so keen on avoiding a heart break that I ended up breaking my own heart,” you chuckle bitterly, the first tear running down your cheek.

Harry reaches out and wipes it away with his thumb and you involuntarily melt into his touch. You’ve been starved for it and now it feels like home. When you look up and your eyes meet his, you see that they are red too and it just makes you want to cry even more.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you, I just thought that I was doing the right thing, but I was so far from that. So I’m really sorry and I understand if you don’t want to see me again for the way I acted. I was… a horrible friend and… an even worse girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend?” he asks quietly.

“Yeah. Because you were right, we were more than just the deal and… if you choose not to throw me out after this, I would… I would love to give it a try with you. I want to be the girlfriend you deserve and though I’m sure I’ll mess it up a lot of times, I promise I’ll try my best, becau—“

He makes your rambling stop in the best way possible, lips smashing against yours as he cups your tear-soaked cheeks in his warm palms, pulling you close to him, your arms curling around his waist immediately.

Harry has kissed you several times before, but none of them compares to this. It’s messy and salty from both your tears, but you wouldn’t change a thing about it, the way his lips move against yours, tongues meeting, devouring each other, making up for the lost time and full of promises for the future. You hold onto his shirt at his back for dear life as he just keeps kissing you over and over again until you both run out of breath.

“So, does this mean you’re not throwing me out?” you joke, breaking the silence once you’ve pulled back.

“Fuck no,” he laughs, pecking your lips a few more times before his lips meet your forehead. “You are not leaving this place, ever. You’re trapped,” he adds to the joke and you break out in a relieved laughter.

“Wait, so I’m stuck with you now?” you whine playfully, but all you get is another kiss on the lips, hard and demanding.

“Yeah, forever, baby. You won’t get rid of me now, not after the speech you just gave me,” he smirks down at you, his arms coming to curl around your shoulders as he keeps you pressed against him tightly. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” you reply, your heart soaring as you hear those words again from him, this time, not even trying to dodge them in any way. In fact, you just want to hear him say it every minute over and over again for the rest of your life. “And I’m happy to be stuck with you,” you add with a shy smile as his grin widens at your words.

“Yeah? So we have a new deal then?” he teases, kissing the corner of your mouth.

“Absolutely.”

Thank you for reading, please like and reblog if you enjoyed it!

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