#and then i remembered that he had other injuries

[lolab4t]

safe together - fluff, angst

pairing: bob reynolds x thunderbolt!gn!reader summary: you’re benched with a broken ankle, stuck in the tower while the rest of the team is out on a mission. the only one left behind with you is bob. what starts as awkward company and bob acting like your nurse slowly turns into something deeper, safe, and comforting. word count: 5.8k warning(s): light thunderbolts* spoilers, angst, fluff, brief nightmare , implied trauma, mentions of the void and past trauma related to him, injury (broken ankle), mutual pining, emotional vulnerability, awkwardness, reader likes to read (lol) a/n: finally wrote for my sweet boy! yelena fic is prob coming next... i really hope you enjoy :) and if you do, please feel free to like, comment, or reblog! <3 also, requests are open!

chihiro - billie eilish

you hated it. sitting on the sofa, wrapped up in a blanket, leg propped up on a pillow. you felt guilty for feeling so comfy. you felt lazy. like you were wasting time.

you had broken your ankle, and found yourself in a boot, unable to walk. so of course, you were forced to sit out of a mission.

bob, who was used to staying back, was clearly excited to have some company for once. he didn't admit to it, but it was obvious. the tower always felt so cold and lonely to him when the team was gone. he always tried to distract himself with books and chores, but none of it compared to having you there with him.

now, he seemed to be glued to your side, staying near you on the couch. still shy, still quiet, still careful not to hover too obviously. he didn’t say much, only asked how your pain was doing or what you needed. every now and then he'd glance over at you, like he was checking to make sure you were still okay. he was acting a little like your nurse. it was sweet.

"do you, uh… need some water or anything?" he looked at you for only a second, before directing his gaze back to the tv. his voice was quiet and hesitant.

you looked up for your book and smiled. "no, i'm fine. thank you though, bobby."

bobby.

he originally hated the nickname when walker called him that. but when you started using it… he grew to love it. maybe he just didn't like walker.

he didn’t respond, and just gave a tiny nod, the corner of his mouth twitching like he was trying not to smile.

you adjusted your blanket again and looked back down at the book in your lap. it was your favorite, one you'd read a million times. but this time, you found yourself rereading the same lines over in your head… your thoughts kept wandering. to your ankle. to the mission the others were on. and to him. quiet, careful, sweet bob, sitting beside you like your own personal shadow.

he watched you like you were something fragile. something important. it made you feel… safe. which was ironic, considering the darkness that everyone knew was hidden inside him.

the void.

he sat there, still as ever, arms folded loosely in his lap. he glanced over at the book that seemed to be stealing all of your attention.

his voice was quiet again, cracking a little at the end. “what book, uhm— what book are you reading?”

you looked up and closed it gently, turning it to show him the cover. “it’s my favorite.”

he blinked, leaning in a little. “really?”

you nodded, watching the way he scanned the cover. he seemed interested in it. he was interested in it because you liked it.

"do you wanna borrow it?" you asked, not sure if he would want to.

his eyes lifted from the cover to your face, surprised.

"are you sure? i don't want to take it if you're reading it…" he rubbed the back of his neck shyly.

"i've read it a dozen times. take it. i think you'd like it." you smiled as he finally accepted it, holding it in his lap like it was something precious.

you don’t remember much after that. you must’ve dozed off, giving into the sense of comfort and safety you were feeling.

what you do remember is the nightmare you had. it was painful, full of the memories and wounds that had been reopened when you went into the void about a year before.

when you blinked awake, you were sitting up, sweating and panicked. the room was dimmer now. it had likely only been a few hours.

and bob was still there. he was already leaning forward, not crowding you, just close enough that you could see the worry in his face.

"you okay?" he asked gently, scanning your face for any answers.

you swallowed hard, finally catching your breath. you wanted to say yes. you wanted to pretend it was nothing.

“nightmare?” he asked before you could speak, "i get those too."

you nodded slowly. “yeah. probably the painkillers.” you let out a half-hearted chuckle.

he hesitated for a second, then reached out, lightly brushing your hand where it lay on your lap.

“can i…?”

you didn’t know what exactly he was offering but you nodded anyway. he carefully took your hand in both of his. his palms were warm. steady.

"sometimes just knowing you're not alone can help." he smiled softly.

for a moment, comfortable silence stretched between you. then he gave a small, awkward laugh, pulling away slightly.

“sorry. i’m... probably making this worse, huh?”

you shook your head, managing a tired smile. “no, it’s… nice. thanks, bobby.”

he looked down at your hands, squeezing gently. “nightmares suck.”

“yeah,” you whispered, “but having you here is making it a little less… bad.” you giggled quietly.

he glanced up, eyes soft. “i’m glad i could help.”

you took a deep breath, letting the tension ease out of your shoulders. your eye caught sight of the book, sitting behind him on the couch.

“so,” you gestured to it, trying to lighten the mood, “have you started reading it?"

he looked surprised, then grinned sheepishly, letting go of your hands to grab it. “i, uh, already finished it." he held it out to you.

you blinked in shock, taking it, "finished it?" you opened the book, flipping through the pages.

bob had left pieces of post-its on almost every page, full of handwritten notes. you stared at them in a stunned silence for a second, then let out a soft laugh. “you annotated it?” you asked, shocked... but touched.

he looked flustered, cheeks turning just a little pink. “i—yeah. sorry, i should’ve asked first. i just… i kept thinking about how you loved it so much, and i wanted to understand why… i wanted to remember what stood out. i’ll take them out if—”

“no,” you interrupted, clutching the book a little closer. “don’t. i think i love it even more now.”

he blinked, clearly surprised by your reaction. then smiled, just barely.

for the first time in a while, you both felt comfortable and safe. with each other.

thanks so much for reading <3 as always, requests are open

[lilhughesy]

Yours Truly | Luke Hughes x Fem!Reader

warnings! childhood friends to lovers trope, slowest of slow burns, descriptions of injury, slight angst with reader and Luke both avoiding their feelings lol, mentions of partying, drinking, and hint of drug use and vapes. word count: 27.3k! (oops!!)

summary: You and Luke were meant to be live long friends with being raised together since you were both in diapers. You experience every part of life with him, whether it be hockey or school. When the two of you enter your late teen years, you start to realize that you no longer saw each other as just friends but are too scared to address it.

a/n: oh my goodness, here she is!! I spent a while working on this one and I'm so sorry for getting away with the word count. I hope you enjoy it!

There were two things that Luke Hughes knew very well in life: hockey, with being given a mini stick practically at birth by his brothers and well, you.

Luke knew Quinn and Jack inside and out. As his older brothers, they were like an extension of him. But at the same time, he knew you at the same level as his brothers. You were also an extension of him and he knew you like the back of his hand.

You had been in Luke's life since basically the very beginning. He couldn't remember a point in his life where you weren't there or more accurately, when he didn't know who you were. Given the close nature of both of your parents, they were beyond thrilled when discovering that the third Hughes and you were going to be born just a week apart.

Ellen and your mother, Mandy, were glued to the hip the second Luke and you were born. You entering the world just six days after he did, which he never seemed to let go of the fact that he was older than you.

It worked out beautifully for the Mothers, as you and Luke had grown to call them. If Ellen and Mandy were not in the same room with both baby you and baby Luke, then it was likely that they were doing "baby-share"; which was essentially taking shifts to watch over the babies.

You and Luke were raised together. You two would be given your bottles at the same times, be put down for your naps at the same time and even sharing a bed together. You and Luke shared toys, to the point where even the Mothers couldn't remember who bought what.

The Mothers loved to coordinate your outfits, essentially treating the two of you like twins that they had together. It was fun for them to dress you and Luke in the same blue onesies or have the world's smallest bow in your hair be the same colour to his little t-shirt. It was absolutely adorable.

Luckily, the two of you were easygoing babies. Neither of you cried much nor made a fuss, more typically being found babbling or playing with your matching Jellycats. Luke having a lamb while you had a bear stuffed animal. Mandy had told her husband, Steven, as well as Ellen and Jim, that it was likely due to you and Luke being able to keep each other company. That the two of you are simply happy when the other is around.

The transition from infants to toddlers was smooth(ish). You and Luke were still the same happy children, constantly giggling with each other and in your own world of Luke and Y/N. You were quick to start forming words and short sentences while Luke was standing and walking.

In the Hughes household, it was louder with a four-year-old Jack yelling at the top of his lungs while chasing after Quinn. Their footsteps cladding against the hardwood while Luke's little head of blonde curls waddled around the legs of the Mothers, and you were tugging at Jim's pant leg and asking for a snack.

"Quinn! Give it back!" Jack's high pitched voice screamed, "Mommy said it's my turn with the red mini stick!"

"Come and get it then!" Quinn taunted his brother, his hand gripping onto the plastic hockey stick.

Jack stomped his foot and huffed, "Mommy!" He cried out at the top of his lungs, which caused Ellen to groan in reaction,

"What is it, Jack?" She called out to her middle son, who was grumbling as he entered the kitchen.

He climbed onto the taller seats by the kitchen counter next to Jim and Steven, who were in midst of talking about hockey.

"Quinny took my mini stick and he's be big stupid head," Jack said to his mom, slouching further into his chair, "Mommy, tell him to go time out, s’not fair."

Ellen opened her mouth to scold Jack for his rude language when a small voice approached her, "Mama!"

Little Luke hugged onto her leg, making her heart melt. She scooped up the youngest Hughes in her arms and Luke was quick to cuddle into his mom. Ellen glanced over at her husband, silently nudging him to handle Jack's situation. However, Jim seemed to be distracted at whatever words you were saying to him and your dad.

"How about, you and Quinny play mini sticks against me and your dad?" Steven suggested to the boy, who's eyes lit up immediately.

"Really?" Jack exclaimed, practically bouncing in his seat, "Dad, we're going to win so hard versus you and Stevey!"

Mandy gave the dads a thankful smile before taking little you out of Jim's arms, "You boys have fun now!"

"Do you wanna play, Mandy?" Jack questioned, hopping out of his seat and coming to stand next to Mandy. She laughed and ruffled the boy’s hair,

“Oh, honey. I think it’ll be better if you play with your dad and Steve.”

Jack shrugged, not too bothered nor didn’t seem to dwell too much, he was far more interested in toddler in Mandy’s arm. Your small hand reaching out towards him, which Jack knew meant that you wanted to grab his hand.

Your small hand wrapped around his finger, "Jacky!"

"I wish you could play mini sticks too, Bear... But you're too little," He explained to you, using the nickname that you were given from having a teddy bear that you loved dearly, "One day though! When you and Lukey are bigger, then you can play! I promise!"

With that Jack ran towards Quinn's room to get him to play mini sticks against the Dads. Leaving Ellen and Mandy in the kitchen with their toddlers in their arms.

"Is Lukey!" You pointed towards him while looking at your mom, "Lukey!"

"Bear!" He giggled, his small hand waving at you and you were more than happy to wave back at your friend.

₊˚ˑ༄ؘ

Eventually, you and Luke got a strong hang of walking with your little legs, although trips and falls occurred pretty often. The second you and Luke were running, best believe that Steven and Jim were quick to put the two of you in skates and onto the ice. Luke was a natural skater, while your dad held your hand and helped you go from waddling on the ice to gliding around.

“Daddy, look!” Luke exclaimed as he followed his brothers around the outdoor rink, “I doin’ it!”

“Look at you, Lukey!” Jim laughed, watching his boys skate around the rink. Quinn and Jack were much more fluid with their movements but Luke was getting the hang of it for a two and a half year old.

Steven and Jim were on either side of you, holding onto your pink mittens as they helped you move around. You were capable of shuffling your feet while holding their hands, but the second they let go, you were on your bum on the ice.

“How’s Bear doing?” Quinn asked as he skated over to you, “You’re doing so good!”

You beamed at the eldest Hughes brother, “I no skate Daddy lets me go.”

Quinn chuckled, “Come on, I’ll help you!”

He took both of your hands from your dad and his before he started to pull you along the ice. Quinn skated backwards, constantly checking over his shoulder to make sure he wasn’t going to run into Jack, Luke, or a snow bank. Giggles left your mouth as you glided across the ice with Quinn.

“Okay, I’m gonna let go of one hand now…” He told you, carefully releasing your left hand, “You can do this, Bear!”

Your eyes widened for a moment before Quinn started to slowly skate, and you stayed on your feet as they waddled to match his movement. He grinned at you while Jack whooped in celebration for you from behind, what you didn’t realize is that Quinn had let go of both of your hands and you were officially skating all my yourself.

“Go Bear!” Jack cheered before skating towards you and hugging you, “You did it!”

Luke joined soon after, his little skates only being able to carry him so fast before his arms embraced you, “We dids it!”

“Yay!” You giggled, hugging your best friend tightly.

₊˚ˑ༄ؘ

The Mothers wanted nothing more than to dress you up in cute pink ruffled dresses with flowers, but there was never a point to when they knew you would be in the backyard chasing Quinn around with Luke. Quinn did his best for his young age to make sure that you and Luke were safe. Reminding you two constantly to watch out for the corner of the table or for ledges, or to slow down. There was constant laughter when the four of you kids were together, along with earfuls of arguing.

The moment Jack and Quinn deemed you and Luke to be big enough, they put hockey sticks into your hands. Luke, by default, was able to maneuver the stick around the foam puck very quickly. You, on the other hand, had a bit more difficulty. Jack was jumping foot to foot, while Luke got the hang of the game while Quinn kneeled near you. He taught you how to play, the same way he taught Jack except now that he was older, he was better at explaining things.

Soon, when the four of you weren't in the basement playing knee hockey, you were outside playing road hockey. During the summer, at the Hughes lake house, the four of you would spend your rainy days playing hockey in the living room. If it wasn't one of the warmer months, then you would be playing hockey on the ice with the Hughes brothers.

A laugh escaped your lips as you chased after the puck with Jack right behind you, Quinn was skating backwards while facing you as he protected the net.

“Me! Me!” Luke shouted with the smack of his stick against the ice echoing slightly. You looked up at him, and you pushed the puck with the blade of your stick towards him before falling forward while doing so.

“Oof!” You huffed, fully on your stomach. Although you wore one of Quinn’s smaller jerseys over your coat, you could still feel the coolness of the ice.

Luke shot the puck towards the net, the sharp ping! being heard before he started cheering, “Did you see that?!” He exclaimed, waving his arms around as he looked at his oldest brother.

“Good job, Lukey!” He grinned, hugging Luke’s smaller body.

“Bear!” Luke shouted, turning away from Quinn to look for your reaction — only to see you slowly getting up from your fall and Jack standing next to you, attempting to help you. He immediately skated over, “Are yous okay?” Luke asked you, before also tripping over his own skate and falling down next to you.

You had also fallen back as he collapsed, which only made you start laughing. Jack was standing with his neck extended backwards as he howled out at the scene,

“That’s a bad celly, Lukey! You can’t fall over after you score!” Jack explained to him between laughs.

Quinn skated over to help you get back to your feet while Luke was successful on getting back up by himself. Quinn’s bigger arms pulled the three of you in an embrace, “Teammates hug after one of them scores, like this.”

“He’s right,” Jack nodded, patting on Luke’s back, “But Lukey and Bear aren’t our teammates.” He told Quinn, his eyebrows furrowed as he pulled away ever so slightly.

Quinn lowly shook his head at his five year old brother, “Lukey is our brother and Bear is like our baby sister, Jack. We’re always gonna be a team, the four of us are always a team. No matter what.”

Jack seemed to accept and understand that answer, he nodded before hugging his brothers and you a little tighter, “We’re the best team!”

That was what it was like growing up with them. You would be constantly dragged into playing some variation of hockey when the sun was still out, then rushing into either your or their home for dinner. Then the four of you curled up on the couch to watch a movie or to play boardgames.

When school started for both you and Luke, you were ecstatic about meeting new friends. In fact, you told Luke, Quinn, and Jack all about how excited you were as the four of you walked to school. Ellen and Mandy were sure to take a photo of the four of you on the sidewalk, each with a comically large backpack on your backs.

Luke was a bit more nervous about it, but Ellen reminded him multiple times that you and him were in the same class. If he was scared then at least he had you. But in classic Hughes nature, Luke's friendly and happy-go-lucky personality and your bubbly one had the two of you making so many friends on your first day. Though, you and Luke would stay stuck to each other's sides the entire time.

"You can't be friends with her!" A boy told Luke after he opted to sit next to you on the classroom carpet, "She's a girl!"

Luke only shrugged, "So what? She's my best friend!'

You grinned at the blonde boy, "You’re my best friend too!"

₊˚ˑ༄ؘ

After school resulted in Ellen taking you to the boys' hockey practices since both of your parents were at work. You and Ellen would sit together in the stands with a blanket draped across your laps as you watched the boys skate. Ellen always bought you a hot chocolate to sip on while you told her about your day at school or about wanting to start reading chapter books.

This routine stayed the same as you grew up. During middle school, you and Ellen would sit and watch the boys practice while sipping on your hot chocolate to keep you warm from the cold air of the arena. Though your conversations slowly changed into new books you wanted to read, news clothes you wanted to buy, or the girls who keep telling Luke that Jack is hot. Which always caused you and Ellen to burst into a fit of giggles.

"I was so confused," You laughed out as you held the warm cup closer to your chest, "Jessica and Megan kept telling me and Luke how hot Jack is and how they wanted to marry him! How weird is that? Plus, what are we supposed to do?"

Ellen chuckled, patting her hand on your thigh in a loving manner, "I suppose you are getting closer to that age where people want to start dating. Jack got his first girlfriend when he was in the seventh grade, remember her?"

You lowly shook your head in disbelief, "Yeah, I kinda remember... I forgot her name but I don't remember them staying together very long."

"Oh, it was definitely a middle school relationship," Ellen said, taking a sip of her hot drink, "I think they dated for 3 days before Jack told her that he wasn't ready for something serious."

Luke would always hear the sound of your laughter, glancing to the stands to see you and his mom snuggled under the 'arena' blanket. It would always bring a small smile to his face, knowing that you were enjoying your time at the arena despite knowing how boring it could be for you.

When practice ended, you and Ellen waited for Luke in the lobby area. You had your hands buried in the front pocket of your hoodie, slightly yawning as you watched Luke's different teammates slowly filter out of the change rooms. You saw his blonde curls emerge from the hallway, his shoulders slumped with exhaustion as he dragged his hockey bag behind him.

"You looked great on the ice tonight, honey," Ellen told her youngest as he gave them a small smile, "Ready to head home?"

"Hi, Mom. Hi, Bear," He sighed, adjusting his grip on his bag, "I'm starving."

Ellen laughed in response to her son before heading towards the automatic glass doors of the arena building. You and Luke followed her towards the car. With Luke placing the hat he initially wore to practice, onto your head.

"Ew Luke," You grimace, pulling the hat off your head, "You sweat in this!"

"It's dry," He said to you with a shrug, watching your hands fumble with his hat, "What did you and Mom talk about during my practice?"

You rolled your eyes at him, "Nothing really, just about how Jessica and Megan are in love with Jack."

"Yeah, no. That's weird." Luke scoffed, while putting his hockey bag into the trunk of the car, "If they spent a day with him, they'll realize how weird Jack is."

You nodded, sliding into the back seat of Ellen's car, "Or they would make bigger heart eyes at him."

"Gross."

Luke sat in the seat next to you in the car, just like always so that you two could talk easily without him needing to crane his neck to see your reactions. Ellen glanced briefly at the rearview mirror to see how you and Luke smiled and laughed with each other, both of you having the same sparkle in your eyes since you were just kids.

The Mothers along with their husbands had a secret bet on you and Luke, with the Mothers rooting for you two to one day end up together like some sort of cheesy childhood friends to lovers romance movie. Jim put his bets on you and Jack, considering how much the two of you bonded as kids and how he never failed to brighten your mood. Your own dad though, he had his bet on you ending up with someone completely different.

Luke led you into his house after Ellen parked in the garage, she commented how Mandy was already inside likely with dinner for Luke.

You walked into the kitchen to see Jack and Quinn at the dining table, quietly conversing over something related to hockey. Ellen was right, as you saw your mom making multiple plates of dinner.

"Hi Mom!" You greeted her, you stood next to her and watched as he placed the cooked chicken on the different plates, "I didn't think you would be here."

She chuckled, kissing your temple, "I got off of work early sweetheart and decided to help out Ellen by cooking"

"Hey Mandy," Luke said casually, grabbing a water bottle from the fridge, "Smells good."

Mandy smiled at the youngest Hughes brother, "You can grab a plate honey, I'm sure you're starving from hockey and because you've been growing so much!"

He was. He seemed to be getting taller and taller every time you saw him, even though it was every day. You had always been similar heights with your best friend, but it was now quickly changing. You saw it with Quinn and Jack, how they both seemed to grow tall overnight.

You and Luke had both grabbed plates for yourselves and for Jack and Quinn as you joined them at the table. It was like any other evening where the four of you would catch up from your day’s activities — whether it be about your boring history lesson, drama in amongst classmates, or typically hockey.

It was like routine now, if not your life. Spending time with the Hughes family. The only times you weren’t with them were on the weekend where they would go out of town for a hockey tournament. If you were lucky, you got to watch their tournaments when they played at home. In which those games were always fun to attend.

When you were younger, you always tagged along to their weekend games. It didn’t matter which Hughes brother was playing, because either way you would still sit in the stands and be their loudest cheerleader. Your parents would attend a game here and there, but often opted out to run their weekend errands instead. You still tried to attend as many games as possible — however with Jack, Quinn, and Luke getting progressively more competitive and involved in the hockey world, it was hard to keep up with the multiple games each week.

“We should take advantage of the long weekend,” Jack told the three of you, as he took another bite of his food, “We should go to the ODR and play hockey like how we used to.”

Luke’s eyes lit up at the proposal, “Heck yeah! It’s been forever since we played with Bear.”

“That sounds fun,” You slowly nodded, but inside, you were unsure considering the high intensity that they played. Quinn seemed to have noticed your hesitance by simply reading your body language, “Or we could chill and keep watching friends.”

“Dude, that’s so boring,” Luke whined, “Plus don’t you want extra practice? You’re tryna get into the big leagues aren’t you?”

Quinn scoffed at his youngest brother, “I’m already committed to UMich, you know that.”

“What if we just do both?” You suggested, still poking at your food, “Just don’t be surprised when you guys realize I’m better than you at hockey.”

“Oh yeah?” Jack chuckled, giving you a smirk, “Bet you’ve been getting extra practice this entire time.”

“Mhm, absolutely and I have Jim Hughes as my personal coach,” You grinned, “He loves me more than any of you.”

Quinn laughed at your comments, “Yeah, we’re well aware that you’re the adults’ favourite.”

“No way, Mandy loves me.” Luke interjected with an insulted expression for extra dramatics, “She complimented my height today.”

You only shook your head in disagreement, “She said you’re a growing boy, Lukey. Two different things.”

“You’re just jealous that your mom loves me.” He stated, placing his hands on his hips.

The teasing and banter went on between you and the Hughes brother on a regular basis. Quinn and Jack really did treat you like the little sister they always wanted. The two were always very supportive of you, always put effort into talking with you despite their hectic schedules, and they were protective of you — just like any other older brothers. You and Quinn were close, considering how you would often go to him for advice or input on different issues. Especially on things that Luke just didn’t seem to care too much for, not yet at least. You would go to Jack when you need encouragement, he was the best person when it came to hyping you up.

You held your friendships with Quinn and Jack very close to your heart, however they would never takeover Luke’s spot. He was your ride-or-die, twin flame, and your soulmate. You were convinced of it. You two knew exactly what the other was thinking, only requiring to take a millisecond of a glance at one another to understand. You and Luke could basically communicate telepathically, like when you didn’t like your ice cream flavour and he offered to switch with you… and you didn’t even say a thing.

You walked with Quinn to the ODR, following Jack and Luke as they were both very energized and eager to play with the four of you. “like the old times!” Jack said, as if you four didn’t play together a few weeks ago. Quinn held the two shovels and made Luke carry the different hockey sticks while Jack lugged the bag of skates and pucks. All you were responsible for was holding the bag of hockey gloves.

The four of you plopped down on the cold wooden benches, thankful that they were covered in snow so at least your pants can stay relatively dry. Jack handed out the skates and you four quickly got laced up, however you taking slightly longer in comparison to the brothers who could tie their skates in their sleep.

Quinn and Jack were first to get onto the ice, each with a shovel to clean up some of the snow. You and Luke were soon to join them, both of you with sticks in hand. Once the ice was cleared of snow, each of you skated around for a few minutes.

You enjoyed how the ice felt as you glided around, you loved hearing the sounds of the skate against the ice. The crisp sound of the blade of your stick and the sounds of pucks moving around with it. The soft thuds of each time the blade contacted the puck and the skates carving thin lines against the ice — it was soothing.

“What are the teams?” Jack asked, looking away from the net where he was aiming his pucks at while Quinn was on net duty.

“I call dibs on Bear!” Luke hollered as he maneuvered the puck around on the ice, before passing it to you. You grinned at you received the puck, stick handling a bit before passing it back to him.

Quinn rolled his eyes at Luke’s answer, “You always do.”

Luke shrugged, not bothering to look over at Quinn, “Don’t act surprised. She’s my best friend.”

“Okay, so Jack and Quinn versus me and Lukey,” You said, skating up to Jack with speed before stopping to snow spray him.

Jack looked at you with his jaw dropped and a dramatic expression of hurt on his face, “How dare you. Now my ankles are gonna be wet.”

You raised your hands in surrender, “Not my issue.”

“You got pretty good at that, Bear,” Luke told you as he skated by as he moved away the pucks that wouldn’t be used in your game.

You smiled, “Thanks, I learned from the best.”

“I didn’t teach you that.” Jack scoffed, passing the pucks he received from Quinn to Luke.

You used your stick to lightly cross check him, barely causing him to move, “Not you, dumbass. Mrs. Ellen Hughes taught me.”

“Alright, alright,” Quinn spoke up, motioning for you, Jack and Luke to come closer, “It’s a two v. two, first to five goals wins, best out of three.”

“Prepared to get absolutely smoked!” Jack exclaimed, pointing the end of his stick to you and Luke.

“Yeah right,” Luke replied, shaking his head, “You’re about to get your ass beat!”

Quinn and Luke played defence and goalie while you and Jack mainly played offence. With Jack being significantly more skilled and better than you, but the boys never played to their full effort on days like this. Luke had intercepted a pass between Quinn to Jack, he immediately looking for you.

You tapped your stick against the ice before receiving the puck. You moved your legs to skate past Jack, doing a quick spin move that you learned from watching Quinn play, which made Jack fall over. A laugh escaped your lips as you quickly glanced backwards to see Jack getting up. Quinn was in front of you, wavering his stick in attempts to steal the puck from you before you shot the puck in the direction of the net.

ping!

“That’s in!” Luke yelled out, immediately making his way to pull you into a hug, “Good shit!”

You grinned, your arms wrapping around him as you laughed. Jack and Quinn had also made their way to hug you,

“I can’t believe you broke my ankles!” Jack exclaimed, his eyes widened, “Where did you learn how to do that?”

You shrugged, “I watched Quinn play enough times.”

Quinn beamed, his gloved hand ruffling your hair, “I’m proud. That was impressive.”

“Okay, 1-0 for us!” Luke announced, “We start with the puck now.”

The four of you continued to play, slowly adding a bit more banter and play fighting into the mix. Mainly the boys shoving each other or causing the other to trip. You and Jack were at the corner of the boards, fighting for the puck before you decided to shove him using your shoulder with some force. He moved backwards slightly, giving you the opportunity to take the puck, “Oh it’s so on Bear!” He challenged as you grinned at him.

You skated away with the puck, passing it to Luke, he shot the puck but Quinn blocked it with his stick. Luke retrieved it before giving it back to you. You skated towards the net with Jack right behind you, you didn’t see him poke his stick at an angle in attempts to take the puck. But rather causing you to trip over his hockey stick, you fell forwards as you tried to catch yourself before you crashed into the board.

Pain immediately shot up your left arm as you laid against the ice. Your right hand went to your left shoulder, holding it as heat flooded through the entire area.

“Holy shit!” Luke breathed out, already next to you and kneeling beside your crumbled body, “Are you okay?!”

You let out mix of a strangled sob and a cry of pain as you clutched your shoulder. Tears already streaming down your face from the searing sensation, Luke’s eyes glassed over as Quinn pushed him out of the way,

“You’re okay, Y/N,” Quinn told you, as his eyes scanned over you, “What hurts? Is it your shoulder?”

You nodded as another sob came out, “It hurts so bad, Quinn!”

He let out a shaky breath before sticking his hand out to you, “I know it does, Bear… but I need you to get up, okay? Can you do that?”

You sniffled, “Yeah, I think so.”

“Okay, use my hand if you need.”

You slowly sat up, your hand still holding onto your shoulder. You attempted to get onto your skates with struggles before Luke had his hands on your waist, helping you to your feet, “I got you.” He said in a soft voice.

You gave him a weak smile as you hunched over, cradling your left arm.

Quinn had his phone out, calling Mandy, as Luke guided you off the ice with a gentle hand on your back. Jack stood in his spot, still in shock of what had happened. His eyes were wide and watery, and his heart and stomach felt like the pummelled to the bottom of his gut. His heading replaying the moment you crashed into the boards from him tripping you with his stick.

“Yeah, Luke’s got her now… Okay… Yeah, I can do that… No problem… Okay, see you soon Mandy.” Quinn pocketed his phone, his hand running through his hair before noticing Jack, “I just told Mandy what happened and she’s going to meet us at the emergency room.”

Jack slowly nodded, “I- I just… You know I didn’t mean for that to happen right? I was- She just- I don’t even-”

Quinn frowned, putting an arm around his brother’s shoulder as they skated to the rink door, “Obviously it was an accident, Jack. She knows that. Don’t worry.”

“I feel so bad, Q,” Jack choked out, “I shouldn’t have done that. Did you see her face? She’s never going to forgive me.”

“She will,” Quinn reassured him, giving his bicep a light squeeze, “Bear is going to be fine and she’ll definitely forgive you. She knows you weren’t trying to injure her on purpose.”

Jack hesitated before nodding, “So, we’re going to the hospital?”

“Yeah, Mandy says she wants to know if it’s serious or not,” Quinn said as he popped open the rink door and stepped off the ice.

Luke was kneeling at your feet, taking off your skates and helping you put on your snow boots, “Does it still hurt?”

“Yeah, like a bitch,” You mumbled as he sat in the space next to you to take off his own skates. You rested your head on his shoulder, “I think I broke my shoulder.”

He frowned, moving carefully to make sure you didn’t hurt more while using him as a pillow, “I don’t think you can break a shoulder… You’ll be okay.”

“Yeah, I know… It just hurts a lot.” You sniffled, and occasional tear falling from your eye as you looked up to see Jack and Quinn there.

“I called your mom, she said that she wants you to go to the ER to get it checked out,” Quinn explained to you and he undid his skates, “She’ll meet us there.”

You gave him a small nod, “Okay.”

“I’m so sorry, Y/N. I didn’t mean to hurt you at all.” Jack apologized, concern was written all over his face with his eyes glassy and his mouth in a frown.

“I know, Jack. It was an accident.” You said to him with a small smile, “Can you buy me ice cream as an apology though?”

He chuckled, “Yeah, I can definitely do that.”

It turned out to be a minor tear in your acromioclavicular ligament, but it didn’t need surgery which you were relieved about. Jack spent the entire time at the hospital apologizing to you profusely. The doctor told you to keep your sling for six to eight weeks and not do anything that required you to use your bad arm. Your mom took you and Luke home while Quinn and Jack went back to their home.

Luke kept you company as much as he could during your recovery. If he wasn’t at hockey, then he was definitely next to you whether it be watching a new episode of Friends together or playing chess. He made sure to carry your books for you at school, always carried your backpack to and from school, and did everything he could to make your life easier.

Kids at school started to assume the two of you were dating yet again, despite you and Luke having to tell them that you were friends just a few months before. But with Luke being next to you at all times and helping you while you were in your sling, it was hard to imagine that you two were just friends.

And Luke wouldn’t admit it to anyone, not a single person, but part of him didn’t mind that your classmates assumed that you were dating. He knew he couldn’t let a soul know that he thought of this, because it felt wrong. You were you, you were Bear, the same Bear he grew up with his entire life. But for once in his life, he saw you slightly differently than just Bear. He saw a glimpse of what everyone else saw when they looked at you. How much he loved to see you smile or how much he wanted to hear you laugh. He didn’t know what changed, but something did.

And for once, Luke finally started to understand what Jack and Quinn meant to all the times Luke had caught them talking about girls together. How Jack wanted to catch the attention of this girl he met in his math class, or how Quinn was planning on asking a girl to the movies. He understood why Jack liked going to the store to buy a girl a bag of candy or a box of chocolate, it felt nice to do something for you. Even if it was as simple as helping you pack up your bag.

Luke didn’t know what his new feelings meant, the weight that they would hold, or what the future could hold. All he knew that he didn’t see you the same way that he used to, and that you absolutely could not know about how he felt. Not after being each other’s best friend since literal birth.

₊˚ˑ༄ؘ

Senior year of high school was the year everyone dreamed about. You get to have homecoming, winter formal, spring fling, senior prom, and graduation. You finally get to see where life may take you, which college you will attend and the program that will take you to your future career. It’s so exciting.

But somewhat sad since Luke didn’t go to your high school anymore. Once he joined USNTDP, he began doing his schooling online starting your junior year. You had to learn how to get used to not seeing him in the hallways every day and not having someone to talk to on your drive to and from school. You’d always imagine that you and Luke would graduate together, but at least you could both attend each other’s graduation. Even if his is virtual.

Regardless, you and Luke were the same as always, despite having a hiccup in your friendship at the start of sophomore year with clashing friend groups. Turns out, it was a lot easier if you both acted like yourselves rather than trying to fit in with groups you didn’t exactly belong to. That was the only time where you and Luke went nearly four months without speaking, but you had sworn to never do that again once rekindled your friendship.

Obviously you and Luke had small arguments on conflicting views on certain situations, you both being too stubborn to admit you were wrong. But again, you both were able to move past those pretty quickly once the Mothers explained to you both how important it is to communicate, instead of shutting down.

Luke had grown up significantly during the course of high school, he’d grown taller… a lot taller, his hair had become darker naturally and lost its blonde he had as a child, and he became more comfortable with himself. He’d always been a bit more awkward growing up, often relying on you to break any kind of tension in conversation with others. But the more Luke got older, the more confident he became. Not in the cocky sense but rather a quiet confidence. You could tell in the way he carried himself, how he talked to others, and how he stopped searching for validation from people.

Despite you two not attending the same school anymore, you often found yourself driving to his house after classes to hang out with him if he was available. With both Quinn and Jack playing in the NHL, the Hughes household was rather vacant. Luke was now constantly busy with hockey, whether it be practices, team lifts, training, games, or tournaments, his schedule was packed. However, he always managed to make time for you. Granted that time was limited so it was only for an hour or two, but regardless you always appreciated it.

“Hey!” You called out, your backpack slung over your shoulder.

“In my room!” You heard him shout back. You made sure to poke your head in the living room to see if Jim or Ellen were home by any chance.

Seeing that it was only Luke who was home, you quickly made your way to his room. You pushed open his door to see him laying in bed with a cap on his head and his laptop propped up on his chest,

“Hey, how was school?” He asked you as he adjusted his position to make more room on the bed. You slid down into the empty space next to him, resting your head on his bicep,

You shrugged, “Boring as usual, everyone is talking about prom and accepting their college offers.”

“Sounds exciting,” Luke chuckled, pressing the key on his MacBook to lower the volume of his lesson, “Have you accepted any college yet?”

“No, I can’t decide between two schools.” You replied, even though you made your decision a few weeks ago when the school you’d been waiting for had offered you admission.

Luke clicked his tongue, resting his cheek against your head, “You’ll figure it out, don’t stress.”

It became normal for the two of you to cuddle like this. You and Luke loved to snuggle with each other as little kids but during the ages of eight to about fifteen, you both deemed it be weird. But after your boyfriend broke up with you at the end of sophomore year, Luke had stayed over that night to watch Disney movies with you and eat ice cream. With Luke trying to comfort you as you cried that night and your hand holding onto his shirt, he pulled you closer to his chest and you ended up cuddling for the rest of the night.

You told yourself it was strictly platonic, because there is no way that you and Luke could catch feelings for each other. You literally knew each other since you were in diapers. It’d be really weird… right?

Since your sophomore boyfriend broke up with you, you had your fair share of flings and talking-stages. Yet none of these guys seemed to last — they didn’t meet your standards. There was always something off about them and you couldn’t quite figure it out. You didn’t let it bother you too much because you had Luke, who was always there for you. Even if it meant he had to go to your school dances.

You currently stood in front of your mirror, smoothing out the front of your prom dress. A small smile adorned your face as you were finally about to experience your senior prom, a benchmark that you’ve been dreaming of since freshman year. The hundreds of photos you have saved on your Pinterest board of different dresses, hairstyles, nails, and make up looks — all led to this moment.

“Hi sweetheart,” Your mom said as she poked her head in, “Luke’s downstairs, but take your time- Oh, honey, you look absolutely gorgeous!”

Mandy walked up behind you, smiling at you in the mirror as she adjusted your necklace, “You look beautiful.”

“Thanks Mom,” You replied while playing with the ends of your hair, “I think I’m ready to head down.”

She nodded, “Ellen and I will need to take so many photos of you two!”

You rolled your eyes in amusement before following her towards the stairs, “She’s ready!”

There were shuffling of feet as you carefully walked down the stairs of your house, cautious not to trip on a step. You made it to the bottom when you looked up from the floor to see Luke standing in front of you in his navy suit with a tie that matched with your dress.

His hair looked perfect, with its curls fluffy and soft. His suit fitted him perfectly, extenuating his broad shoulders and strong arms. Luke’s cheeks were dusted pink, the tips of his ears were flushed as he looked at you.

”You look- uh, good. You look good.” Luke stammered, trying to stay his confident self while complimenting you.

“Just good?” You teased, taking in his flustered state as he cleared his voice. He brushed his hand against your arm,

“You look stunning, Bear,” He told you, this time with better composure and less stutters.

It was your turn to blush as you didn’t expect his words to cause such a reaction in your chest. You felt your heart racing and butterflies fluttering in your stomach, “Really?”

He nodded, “Truly.”

You smiled at him, the edges of your lips reaching your eyes as Luke presented to you your corsage, “This is for you, by the way.”

“It’s so pretty,” You said, your voice light as he adjusted the flower piece on your wrist, “Did Ellen choose this?”

Luke rolled his eyes, “Is it that obvious?”

You laughed, “I kept yours in the fridge, hold on.”

Luke watched as you quickly made your way to the kitchen, his eyes tearing away from the direction you left in once you turned the corner. He looked to see Mandy and Ellen both having their hand over their hearts,

“This is so sweet.” Ellen said to Mandy, who was patting away the tears at the corner of her eyes,

“So adorable,” Mandy agreed, “Our babies are so grown up.”

You returned, holding a similar flower piece in your hands, “Your boutonnière.”

Luke let out a shaky breath as you focused on attaching it to his chest. He was hyper aware of the close proximity, and concerned that you could hear how fast his heart was beating.

“Gorgeous! Now pictures, Mom needs her pictures!” Mandy ushered, using her hands to move you around to stand next to Luke, “Smile!”

Ellen and Mandy must have taken over a thousand photos, constantly changing your positions or changing the angle for better lighting — even eventually telling you two to go outside so Mandy’s garden could also be in the background. Your cheeks started to hurt from wearing the constant smile as you posed next to Luke. You prayed that your face wasn’t noticeably red from Luke having an arm around your waist, or the placement on his large hands in some of the pictures. But it was worth it because Mandy and Ellen took amazing photos that you knew you would be showing your future children one day.

And honestly, you thought that taking photos with Luke and your families was much better than the actual prom itself. Just you and Luke.

₊˚ˑ༄ؘ

Ellen, Jim, Quinn, Jack, and Luke all sat excitedly in your kitchen, patiently waiting alongside your parents, all of them wearing semi formal clothes. They waited to see which college you decided on right before heading to your high school graduation. You told them to stay in the kitchen as you planned on walking out with your future university’s displayed on the top of your graduation cap.

“I think she’s going to UNC,” Steven told Jim, his fingers drumming against the marble counter, “Maybe Florida.”

Jim hummed, “Lukey, you have any idea where she’s going?”

Luke only shrugged while fiddling with the sleeve of his light blue dress shirt, “I have no idea. She didn’t tell me where she was applying.”

“Any chance she’ll go to UMich with Luke?” Ellen asked to Mandy, who was ironing your grad gown.

“UMich is the best school,” Jack nodded to his mom,

Quinn lightly hit his arm, “Shut up, you never even went to college.”

“Hey, I’m just saying!” Jack laughed, “I’m kidding, wherever she wants to go will be great.”

Mandy smiled, picturing her and Ellen’s babies going from diapers all the way to college together, “It would definitely make our lives easier, but I don’t think she wants to stay in Michigan.”

Ellen sighed, her finger tracing the rim of her glass, “Understandable. As long as our girl is happy!”

“Ready?” You called out, feeling absolutely giddy as you adjusted your white graduation dress and fiddled with the edges of your graduation cap. You heard series of yeses before you took a deep breath. You turned the corner and stepped foot into the kitchen, holding out the cap with your university logo bedazzled on top, when loud cheers broke out.

Luke was first to tackle you into a hug, his arms squeezing around you while he lifted you off your feet, “No fucking way!”

You laughed as you put your arms around him, “Are you surprised?”

“Hell yeah I am!” Luke grinned as he lowered you to your feet. His eyes looking at your chosen university logo again, Luke laughing in disbelief as he took hold of your cap and admired the large M bedazzled in maize and navy gemstones filling the rest of the empty space.

“This is so exciting!” Ellen gushed as she pushed her youngest son out of the way, “Oh my babies are going to college together!”

“Good for you, Bear!” Quinn congratulated you with a big hug with Luke and Jack joining in, “Michigan is lucky to have you.”

“Oh honey, I am so proud of you!” Mandy said with a hand on her jaw, “And you won’t be too far from home! You can visit whenever you’d like! This is so fantastic!”

Your dad hugged you tightly, “My babygirl is all grown up! It’s time to head out so you can graduate!”

The crowd was loud when it was your turn to walk the stage. You could hear Jack, Quinn, and Luke hollering and cheering when your name was announced. You smiled and gave a small wave before shaking hands with your principal and accepting your high school diploma. Your parents and the entire Hughes family were on their feet as they clapped loudly as you walked off the stage.

You met them outside once the ceremony ended, hugging your parents both right when you saw them. Mandy pressing multiple kisses to your head and cheeks as she gushed how proud she was of you.

“Congrats Bear!” Jack exclaimed, giving you a single arm hugged, “Super glad you have two working shoulders when you crossed that stage!”

You rolled your eyes playfully at the mention of your previous injury, “Oh shut up.”

“I’m so proud of you!” Luke said to you as you approached him and he greeted you with open arms. You embraced him, your cheek against his chest,

“Thank you Lukey”

Ellen fished out her phone and pointed at the two of you, “I need my two little graduates to take a photo! Both of you hold up the cap, show off UMich!”

You smiled, holding up one side of your cap as Luke took hold of the other. You were still tucked into his side with his left arm around your waist as the two of you smiled brightly at the camera. You tried to ignore the electric feel of his hand holding your waist while posing for pictures. He never moved that hand as Jack and Quinn hopped in for a few pictures, then the Mothers, and then the Dads.

The Hughes hosted the graduation party in their backyard, lots of the Hughes brothers’ friends attending, many which you were familiar with and a few of your close friends joining too. Ellen went full out with getting large balloons and setting up tables with various snacks and drinks for people to enjoy.

Happiness filled the air, with celebration of achieving a milestone with all of your friends and the buzz of summer without any responsibilities being right around the corner. You were currently catching up with Jack’s friends Alex, Trevor, and Cole — who you were more than familiar with after spending multiple summers at the lake house together.

Luke stood between Quinn and Jack, as they talked about their plans for the summer. But Luke’s attention was elsewhere. He was admiring the relaxed and friendly nature that you held while chatting with the three hockey players. He could see the relief of finishing high school written all over your face, the many nights you spent studying for tests or completing assignments which all paid off. Luke was there with you on those nights whether it be on FaceTime as he kept you company while laying in bed as you flipped through pages, or when you spent the night at his house. Where you sat at his desk, typing away at your computer while Luke rewatched his performance from his previous game and studied how to improve his game.

You were happy, and he swore you were glowing with how the sunlight shined on you.

“When are you going to tell her?” Quinn nudged Luke’s side, breaking his trance. Luke’s eyes widened slightly as he turned to look at Quinn,

“Huh?”

Quinn chuckled, “Oh c’mon dude, you’ve been in love with her for years.”

Luke’s face flushed red, “I have not!”

His palms got clammy the second Quinn called him out. Luke knew he caught feelings for you ages ago, although he didn’t exactly know when. But he told himself that you would never see him the same. He buried his feelings for you to make sure that you or anyone else would never find out. Because as much as he loved you, he would rather just be your friend than to lose you.

“You don’t have to deny it,” Jack snickered at Luke’s obvious embarrassment, “We’ve known for the longest time.”

“And you two are both going to the same college, like bro you’re literally set.” Quinn added, while sipping his drink, “She loves you too if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Luke’s eyes widened even more, “She told you that?!”

Quinn shook his head, laughing under his breath, “No, but I- we can all tell.”

“I just don’t wanna make things weird or mess anything up,” Luke mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck before glancing over to you, “We’ve known each other for years and I can’t lose her.”

“You’re being so dramatic,” Jack groaned, “You’re never going to lose her unless you do something royally fucked up because you matter just as much to her.”

“You know her just as well as you know us,” Quinn told Luke, “You’ve got to feel something when you’re around her that tells you how she’s feeling.”

Luke sighed, looking back at you. Your eyes met his and you gave him a small look that was a silent message for, ‘my social battery is going and I need to take a breather’. Luke offered a small nod and his eyes flickered to the glass sliding door, “Sorry guys, hold on.” He quickly apologized to his brothers before leaving them.

“Whipped.” Jack laughed as he lowly shook his head with a small knowing smile on his face.

You had also excused yourself from Trevor’s conversation before meeting Luke by the door. He slid it opened and motioned you to go in, him following you.

“You okay?” Luke asked you softly with an hand on your lower back as the two of you walked towards the living room.

You let out a breath of relief, “Yeah, I’m okay! It’s just hot and lots of talking. I just needed to get away for a little bit.”

He wore a small smile, “Yeah I get that. Good turn out though, eh?”

You nodded, settling onto the couch, “Mhm, I’m happy everyone was able to come. I just can’t believe I’m officially done high school, like, that’s crazy to me!”

“Next stop is UMich,” Luke told you, his arm resting on the cushion behind your back as you laid your head on his shoulder, “Well, lake house summer first then we’re off to college.”

“Another adventure for us,” You sighed, relaxing into his side, “It’s going to be good, Lukey, I can feel it.”

₊˚ˑ༄ؘ

Cardboard boxes bumped against your knees as you shift your weight, balancing a duffel bag over one shoulder and clutching your welcome packet between your teeth. It was move-in day which meant it was hot, chaotic, and full of stressed-out parents and RAs with clipboards.

As you finally get the door to your dorm open and drop your stuff inside, a voice behind you called out.

“Need help, Bear?”

You don’t even have to turn around. You already know exactly who that voice belongs to.

“What are you doing here?” You said, glancing over your shoulder to look at him. You and Luke didn’t know which rooms you’d be in prior to move in day, so you were pleasantly surprised to see him.

Luke is standing in the doorway across the hall, holding a mini fridge like it weighed nothing. His curls were a sweaty mess from hauling his boxes upstairs, and there’s a little smile on his face, the same one he’s had since grade three when you two discovered that you would be in the same class together.

“I think we’re living across the hall from each other,” Luke said to you before he kicked his door open with his heel and disappeared into his room for a second before popping back out.

“You need any help?” Luke asked, “You know, since I have strong arms that can carry things for you.”

You wiped away some of the sweat on your forehead, “Oh shush, just because you were at the gym every day this summer doesn’t mean anything.”

Luke nodded, “Okay, let me know if you need any help though.”

“This is going to be so fun, Lukey. Living across the hall from each other.” You laughed, “We should get dinner tonight.”

“Yeah, for sure.” He nodded while shoving the doorstop under his door, keeping it open while he started to settle into his dorm.

You spent the next hour getting your half of the dorm room set up. Your roommate, Lexie, arrived halfway through unpacking with three suitcases, multiple tote bags filled with decor and multiple posters.

“I already stalked the floor on the group chat,” She confessed to you, fanning herself with a laminated packing list, “I think we’re across from some of the players of the hockey team. You know any of them?”

You hesitated slightly while halfway through folding your comforter, “Yeah, one of them.”

“Oh?” She raised an eyebrow, “Know him how?”

You shrugged, “We grew up together.”

Lexie paused, then peeked out the open door and immediately spotted Luke across the hall, UMich hockey shirt sticking to his back as he dragged a mattress topper into place.

“That’s Luke Hughes?” She whispered like he’s already a campus celebrity, “He’s on the varsity team. The girls have already been talking about him! Did you know his brothers are in the NHL, they’re like super hot!”

You snorted, shaking your heading slightly, “Gross.”

Lexie glanced between the two of you again, noticing how he gave you a small crooked smile when your eyes met, “You two have that energy, though.”

You put down your comforter and gave her a look, “What energy?”

“You know… the will they finally get together or friends to lovers but haven’t reached the lovers stage yet, kind.”

“We’re just friends,” You laughed as you turned your focus back to your bedding.

Lexie smirked, noticing how your cheeks were slightly pinker than before, “Sure, you keep telling yourself that, and I’ll keep your delusions safe under my pillow.”

Across the hall, Luke tossed a pack of protein bars that Ellen packed him into his desk drawer when his own roommate, Ethan Edwards, walked in. They met each other briefly at the hockey team’s orientation that same morning and they kicked it off.

“She’s hella cute,” Ethan said immediately, dropping his duffel bag and glancing across the hall to your door.

Luke doesn’t even have to ask who Ethan was referring to, “Shut up.”

“No, seriously,” Ethan told him, “Girl next door vibes, have you met her yet?”

Ethan chuckled to himself after, realizing the unintended pun that he had just said. 

“Yeah.” Luke replied with his voice trying to stay casual, “She’s… Y/N, we’ve known each other forever.”

Ethan eyed him carefully before looking back towards your room, “Forever like ‘same elementary school,’ or forever like ‘you were in love with her before you knew what love was’?”

Luke rolled his eyes at him, “We’re friends.”

Ethan raised both of his hands in surrender, “Dude, no judgment. I’m just saying, you keep looking at her like she’s your favourite highlight reel.”

Luke scoffed and tossed a hoodie onto his bed. But he doesn’t deny it, because Ethan’s not wrong.

Later that day after hours of setting up your rooms, you and Luke ended up in the hallway again. The both of you trying to order pizza while standing on opposite sides of the hall with your doors open.

“What are you getting?” He asked, leaning against his doorframe, with his phone in hand. Luke had his hood over his head like he typically did when he was tired.

“Pepperoni for you and I got veggie, don’t judge. I don’t want to hear your slander.” You mumbled before crossing the short distance to stand next to him. He put his arm around your shoulders as you peered over to look at his phone screen.

“I’m judging a little,” Luke chuckled as he scrolled through his reels, “That’s not real pizza.”

“Says the guy who puts pineapple on his,” You shot back, referring to the night he had requested Hawaiian pizza at the lake house before everyone started to flame him.

“Oh shut up,” He said, drumming his fingers against your shoulder, “That was one time, plus it’s really not that bad. You gotta give it a chance.”

“You’re insane.” You smiled up at him which he returned. Somewhere in the middle of the light and playful teasing, a silence settled, not necessarily awkward. More so the realization that you and Luke were officially living alone and outside of the protection of Jim, Steven, Ellen, and Mandy. You were adults now. You could do whatever you wanted, no one else really knew you two or the history the two of you had. You were just Y/N and he was just Luke. You both felt it, even if you won’t say anything about it. 

You stay relaxed at his side, “Is your roommate nice?”

Luke nodded, “Yeah, his name is Ethan. He’s from Canada and he’s really cool, I think you’d get along.”

You hummed, “I’m so hungry.”

“It’ll be here soon, Bear,” Luke reassured you.

You and Luke were quick to fall into a comfortable routine that involved going to classes, him going to practice and team lifts, while you went to study at the library. College has been great, you loved your campus and all of your classes. You loved how you and Luke got to experience it together. He had introduced you to his teammates, Ethan, who you met already, Mark, Dylan, and Mackie. You got along great with them, given how you were used to hockey players from growing up with the Hughes and meeting all their friends. You would study together, attend his games, go to frat parties on the weekends, and grab meals together. It was different in comparison to high school, but a good different. You liked being able to spend so much time with Luke, he was your person after all. Around him, you could be yourself completely.

The late-night quiet of the dorm was comforting and peaceful, if you could ignore the muffled sounds of people laughing and talking down the hall. The clock on the wall ticked softly as you sat at the desk in Luke’s dorm room, your laptop open on one end of his desk, the glow of the screen lighting up the mess of papers and pens across the desk.

It was a familiar scene, one that you encountered on a regular basis. Luke, leaning back in his chair, looking over notes with an expression that could be described as borderline failing miserably but I’m drafted to NHL so my grades don’t really matter. You, on the other hand, are buried in your textbooks, trying to keep your concentration intact while you explain concepts for the tenth time. 

You were used to this role, the one where you’re always the one to hold things together academically. But something about this time feels different. Maybe it’s because the room is so quiet, or maybe it’s because of the way his gaze drifts toward you, like he’s waiting for the right moment to say something more than ‘help me with this’.

You glanced over at him, and he caught your eye. His lips quirked up into a lazy smile, the one that always managed to make you forget what you were thinking about.

“You look like you’re prepping to solve cancer or something,” He teased, his voice low but playful, as though the joke is the only thing keeping him from drowning in the pile of chemistry notes in front of him.

“Prepping for not failing,” You corrected him with a shrug, before writing down the answer to a problem in your notebook, “Which is more than I can say for someone whose flashcards say ‘thingy that explodes’ instead of ‘combustion reaction.’” You tried to keep your tone casual, but the playful jab has an edge of affection to it.

Luke looked down at his flashcards and groaned, “Hey, it works for me. You don’t see me freaking out over these equations.”

He picked up one of his cards, glancing at it with a concentrated expression, “Okay, so what’s this one again? The thing that goes boom?”

You suppressed a smile, rolling your eyes as you leaned closer to his side of the desk. “You’re hopeless,” You said, taking the card from his hand and flipping it around to show him the correct answer.

“I’m not hopeless,” He replied, dragging his hands down his face and across his jaw in an exaggerated motion. You gave him a small look while lowly shaking your head.

“I’m just… misdirected.” Luke told you while he held up his hands in surrender, mock-pleading, “Come on, save me from myself. Teach me how to actually learn this.”

You can’t help the smile that tugged at your lips. Despite the fact that he’s one of the most athletically gifted people you’ve ever met, the way he struggled with academics was almost endearing.

“You know,” You started slowly, inching your chair closer to him, “You could probably ace this stuff if you paid attention to class and not only focused on hockey. I mean, you’re not stupid, Lukey.”

He raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying your words, “Yeah? Try telling my chem professor that.”

“Your professor is a walking disaster,” You told him with a light chuckle, “And we both know that.”

Luke laughed, shaking his head as he leaned back in his chair again, “Yeah, she does tend to go on tangents in lecture. But you’re the one who actually gets this stuff. Seriously, though, how do you do it?”

You blinked at him, unsure of what he meant, “How do I- do what?”

“Get it all,” Luke repeated, waving his hand around the room as if the entire weight of your life hangs in the air. “School. Your friends. Family. Everything. You make it look easy.”

Your heart tugged at the sincerity in his voice. You knew Luke admired you in some way, but hearing it spoken out loud is different. It makes you want to say something, anything, because for a brief moment, you forget about the textbooks and the flashcards. All you can think about is him, sitting across from you like he’s waiting for some grand answer to his question.

You shifted uncomfortably in your seat, “I don’t make it look easy,” You told him softly, “I just… I don’t let myself think about it too much. I just do it.”

Luke studied you carefully for a moment. You catch the way his eyes lingered on your face, just a fraction too long for it to be a casual glance. He looks like he’s weighing his options for next words, unsure if he should continue this line of conversation or pull back into the comfortable space the two of you built over the years.

Before you can speak again, Luke cleared his throat and straightened his posture, his playful grin returning, “Well, at least someone here has their life together.”

You can’t help but roll your eyes, “Okay, Mr. 4th overall NHL draft pick.”

His eyes had an unfamiliar glint in them when he looked back at you, his eyes flickered over your features before he turned back to his notes. Your breath caught in your throat as you tried to focus on the study materials in front of you. You’re both avoiding the unspoken tension that’s been building between you for weeks now, maybe since the lake house. The tension that’s simmered under your friendly interactions, the flirty banter that’s lingered just a bit too long in the air, the subtle touches that became normal between the two of you.

You glanced at him, and he caught you again. This time, his gaze softened for just a second before he stood abruptly, breaking the moment. “Alright, alright, I need a break. Let’s go get something to eat or something, does ice cream sound good?”

You blinked, surprised at the abrupt change in his energy, but you nodded, “Yeah, sure. Ice cream sounds good.”

Luke pushed himself out of his chair, stretching out his limbs from sitting too long before he grabbed his hat and placed it over his curls that have grown since the start of the school term. He goes to the door and holds it open for you. You follow, but your mind was still tangled in the brief flicker of vulnerability that passed between you just seconds before. You wonder if he felt it too, or if it’s just you. But either way, you’re both pretending it doesn’t matter.

₊˚ˑ༄ؘ

The music is too loud, the kind of bass-heavy, thumping beats that vibrated through your chest. The floor is sticky beneath your shoes, and the air smells like spilled drinks and sweaty bodies. It's the usual college frat party vibe, fun, chaotic, a little messy, and everyone trying to forget about the homework that hung over them like an invisible blanket.

But you don't want to be here. Not really. The only reason you're even at this party is because Lexie convinced you to go, “Loosen up," She said to you while getting ready in your shared bathroom, "Get a little wild, do it for the plot, and it's the weekend."

She’d been pulling at you like that lately, trying to get you to flirt, to have fun. Especially after you told her that you and Luke are strictly friends and will never be more than that. Lexie could see how the built up tension between you and Luke recently has been bothering you, even though you refuse to do anything about it. Every time you spend time with it, the tension thickened where the two of you are both walking on a fine line between staying the same way you’d always been since babies, or maybe exploring something more. At least, that’s how you felt, no matter how much you tried to shove down your feelings. 

And tonight, it’s not just that your gaze was drawn to him. It was something else, a sense of jealousy that settled in your chest when you saw him with her.

Luke.

And her.

The blonde. You don’t even know her name. But it didn’t matter. She’s the one hanging off his arm, where you usually stood, she was laughing way too loud at something he barely said. The way she leaned in close, fingers grazing his chest, tilted her head in that practiced way that’s designed to pull guys. You feel like you’re watching something that shouldn’t be happening.

Your stomach tightened as you forced yourself to focus on Dylan and Ethan, the guys from Luke’s hockey team, who were currently talking to you. They were talking, but you’re not really listening. Dylan’s words are a blur, the sounds of his voice blending into the background of your thoughts. All you can think about is Luke being across the room, standing too close to that blonde, his body language open, laughing at something she’s said. 

Ethan frowned as he noticed the change in your behaviour. He’d become a close friend while being Luke’s roommate and teammate, meaning that you two had spent decent time together, “You okay?” He asked you over the loud music, his eyes flickered towards Luke’s direction.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” You shrugged, attempting to stay unbothered by Luke and the girl but ultimately failing to hide that from Ethan.

You’re aware that it’s petty and that you shouldn’t really care. He’s allowed to have a life, to talk to whoever he wants. But a part of you, the part that’s been pretending for weeks that you’re okay with just being friends, wanted to scream. Part of you wanted to make him notice you, wanted to pull him away and show him how ridiculous this all feels.

You don’t. Instead, you shift uncomfortably, nodding along with Dylan’s joke, but it’s hollow. You laughed only because it feels like the right thing to do while you tried to distract yourself. It was obvious you’re not really paying attention to anything around you.

And then, of course, you met his eyes. His blue eyes.

Across the crowded room, through the colourful lights and the haze of smoke from people’s vapes and pens, your eyes locked. For a split second, time seemed to slow down. It’s just Luke. Just you. And the rest of the world is a blur. You swallowed hard, unsure of what he was thinking. His face doesn’t show surprise, but there’s a flicker of something in his eyes.

Then the moment’s over, Luke doesn’t look back at you again. Instead, he turned his attention back to the blonde, who laughed louder than before, and you feel something sharp twist in your gut. You forced yourself to look away, forcing yourself to stop thinking about how things used to be so simple between the two of you. How his attention used to be yours, how you didn’t have to share him with anyone other than his brothers and your parents.

Later into the night, when you’re getting another drink, you spot him across the room again. This time, he’s watching you. There’s no mistaking it, you could feel his eyes following your movements. His gaze is fixed on you, his expression was unreadable, but you can feel the weight of it on your skin. But you don’t go over to him and you don’t approach. You just stand there for a moment, breath caught in your throat, before you walked away.

You’re not sure how to feel, a part of you wanted to scream at him for even looking at her the way he does. For laughing with her and ditching you at a party. For acting like the last few months when it was just the two of you, sitting together in dorm rooms or late nights at the library, talking about everything and nothing, hadn’t been real. But another part of you, the one that really knows him, tells you it doesn’t mean anything. He’s just doing what he’s always done: being Luke. Being charming. Being the guy who has the drawing confidence that pulls people towards him without him even trying.

But then why was it hurting so much?

You hated the part of you that feels possessive, the part that wants him all to yourself. You never felt this way before, you always knew that he was there for you no matter what. You never had to worry that he would put someone else before you, because it had always just been you and Luke. Disregarding your previous boyfriends, Luke was always there to support you, keep you company, and to comfort you.

Does he even see you the way you see him?

You’ve never been good at saying what you feel, not when it matters or when it comes to big emotions like the ones you’ve been feeling. Maybe it’s better that way. Because if you let yourself admit what’s been building inside you for months, maybe it would destroy everything. Or maybe it’s already too late for that. Now, more than ever, you really wished that you could sit down with your mom or even Quinn to get their advice. 

The week after the party feels like walking through fog. Everything is there, but it’s hazy, unclear, the edges softened by an almost unbearable sense of distance. You told yourself that it’s just because you’re both busy studying, he had hockey practices, socials that you don’t really want to go to, but feel obligated to attend. But the truth, buried beneath all the distractions, is that the distance is because of him. You’d been pushing him away because you were scared, after feeling the strong jealousy at the party and seeing him with another girl in his arms, you were scared. You still spent time with him but you kept a small distance, shorter responses, calculated laughs, and avoiding any intimate moments with him. 

Luckily, Luke knew you and he kept his distance from you. He knew that you must’ve been going through something, but he wouldn’t pressure you into telling him. He knew you would come around eventually, so he let the distance between you two grow.  

Every time you pass him in the hall, the hollow ache in your chest grows stronger, and no matter how much you try to bury it, the jealousy, the longing, it’s always there, just lurking beneath the surface. You see him in the distance, talking to a group of his teammates, laughing too easily with them, and for a moment, you can almost convince yourself that it’s just a harmless crush and how it’s just a phase that will pass. But you know better.

The sharp pangs of something more make it hard to breathe.

He’s so close, and yet, he's always so far away.

You can’t pinpoint exactly when it happened, when your feelings started shifting, when the walls you’d built to protect yourself started to crumble. Was it that first time he looked at you, really looked at you, like he saw you as something more than just his friend that he grew up with? Or was it the countless nights, sitting together in his dorm room, laughing over different stupid things, sharing moments you never let anyone else see? Maybe it’s the way his hand brushed against yours, a casual touches that sent your heart into overdrive, or the way his gaze lingered on you just a second too long when he thinks you aren’t looking that made your skin heat up.

The worst part of all of it, was that he seemed so unaware of it and of you. Of the way you’ve been falling for him, little by little, while he remained oblivious to the quiet chaos building inside you. And now, for the first time in your life, you’re not too sure how to act around him. You couldn’t just go back to being the friend you’ve always been, treating him as the same little blonde Lukey that you knew since you were in diapers, because he wasn’t the same as back then. You both grew up, with him becoming an elite hockey player that everyone knew on campus and you were just his childhood friend. But the thought of telling him what had been slowly eating away at you, felt like the most dangerous thing you could do. The risk of losing him completely terrified you.

Tonight was no different, you’re sitting in the library, the soft hum of the fluorescent lights overhead barely enough to drown out the thoughts that were racing through your mind. The place is nearly empty, except for a few scattered students, their heads buried deep in their textbooks. You’re across from Luke again, his hockey gear bag sprawled carelessly beside his chair, his legs stretched out under the table as he typed away at his phone.

You hated how easily he could just turn off everything. He has this ability to compartmentalize, to separate the world from what’s happening in his head. He’d been like this for a while now, confident, composed, a natural at deflecting whatever chaos might be around him.

And you... you’re sitting here, fully aware that the only thing you can focus on was him. How his hair falls over his forehead, how he had been letting his curls grow out, how his shoulders slumped slightly in the chair, how he seemed so at ease even when everything feels like it’s falling apart for you.

Your eyes drifted over to him as he put down his phone, leaning back in his chair with a small sighing exhale. His blue eyes meet yours, and for a brief moment, you wondered if he could see what you were feeling. But he just smiled at you, that easy, carefree crooked grin that he’s always had since he was a toddler. The one that makes your heart stutter and skip a couple of beats.

“You’re awfully quiet today, Bear,” Luke said, his voice low, but playful. He doesn’t seem to notice how much his words sting, how much it hurts to hear him act like everything is fine when it’s anything but.

You nodded, forcing a smile, “Just trying to get through this stupid twenty page reading, you know how it is.”

He laughed softly, the sound was familiar and comforting. However, there’s a sense of something off in his tone, a subtle edge to it that caught your attention, “I don’t know how you do it, with studying all the time and putting your life into school.”

Your chest tightened at the words, you wonder if he even saw what you’re really struggling with. How much you’re holding back just to keep up the act and how your recent hyperfixation on studying was only a way to avoid confronting your feelings. 

“You’ve got other things to worry about,” You told him, forcing the words past the ball in your throat, “I mean, like being the best hockey player on campus?”

Luke smirked, a glimmer of pride flashed in his eyes, “I guess so, but I’m pretty sure that doesn’t count as an academic achievement. I’m lucky that my best friend is also my personal tutor.”

You raised an eyebrow, trying to match his playful energy, but inside, you’re a mess. You wanted to tell him that it’s more than that, that you’re not just his best friend. But you don’t. You can’t. Not yet.

Instead, you settled into the silence between you, putting your focus back to your textbook, since it’s all you can do to keep your hands from shaking. He’s sitting there, so close, but it feels like miles of space is between you.

As if by some cruel twist of fate, you saw her again, the blonde. The same one from the party. She walked into the library, head held high, and as she passed your table, not even glancing at you as she offered him a flirtatious smile. He grinned back, a little too easily.

Your stomach clenched with the kind of discomfort you can’t ignore bubbling up, an unspoken reminder of everything you had been avoiding. You tell yourself it shouldn’t matter, that he’s allowed to talk to whoever he wanted, that you don’t have a claim over him. But the jealousy still crawled up your throat, and it was thick and suffocating.

You looked away, pretending to focus on your MacBook, but all you could think about is how easily she can just walked into his world, how easily she could claim a piece of him, a piece of the person you’ve always tried to protect.

For a moment, you hated her. You hated how effortlessly she fits into this world that’s always felt just out of reach for you. How she didn’t have to worry about ruining a lifelong friendship and being able to have him as something more. You hated that you wanted to be the one who gets to talk to him like that. To have him look at you, like you were the only girl to walk the Earth. 

The walls you had been building this time were crumbling, and the worst part was that you told yourself that it was all your fault. That you let yourself get this attached and that you let yourself care. But the more you saw him with other people, the more you realized that you didn’t even know who you were when you’re not with him. You didn’t know how to be just his friend anymore.

You wanted to say something, and you wanted to reach across the table and tell him everything you had been holding inside. You wanted to tell him how much it was hurting you and how it was slowly breaking you to pretend like you don’t care. But you couldn’t, not when you’re on the edge of something that could ruin everything.

You and Luke walked back to your dorms that night, in a comfortable silence. The February snow falling slowly and landing on your hair, “You okay?” Luke asked you, even though he knew you wouldn’t give him a truthful answer.

“Yeah,” You mumbled, “Just been tired lately.”

He nodded slowly, “You’ve been a bit distant lately, you sure you’re okay?”

You hummed, “Just midterm stress getting to me, you know.”

Luke sighed, running a hand through the mess of his curls, “Okay, just cut yourself some slack and don’t overstres yourself, Bear” 

“I know, Lukey.”

You said your goodnights before entering your dorm, you relaxed into your bed after getting ready for the night as you pulled out your phone and dialling the number to the person you’d been meaning to talk to, he picked up after the second ring.

“Hey, Quinn,” You mumbled, “I hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time.”

He chuckled, “No, you’re good. I’m just making dinner right now, what’s up?”

You sunk further into your mattress, holding the phone to your ear, “Just need to talk to someone with emotional intelligence.”

“You okay?” He asked you, you could hear the tinge of concern in his voice, “Is this about Lukey? Or is there some other guy that I don’t know about”

“It’s about Luke,” You said, almost a wave of relief in your voice from finally being able to talk to Quinn, “I think I’m falling hard for him, and he’s been kind of seeing this other girl that he met at some party. And it’s been kinda killing me.”

You could basically hear the frown in his voice, “Lukey’s been talking to another girl?”

You hummed a small response, “She’s really pretty.”

“That doesn’t sound right,” Quinn told you with amusement laced in his voice, “There’s no way Luke is actually talking to a girl who isn’t you.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“I’m not supposed to tell you this but he’s had the biggest crush on you for years, he’s just been too scared to do anything about it,” Quinn chuckled, “I promise you that you have nothing to worry about, Bear, you both need to just take the leap of faith.”

“I just don’t want to lose him, Quinn,” You confessed to him, “He’s literally my other half, I don’t know who I would be without him.”

“And he feels the exact same way about you,” He reassured you with the same comfort in his tone that he always had when talking to you, “It will work out, Bear. Don’t stress yourself too much over it.”

₊˚ˑ༄ؘ

The night air was crisp, a slight chill that bit at your skin, but it’s not uncomfortable. Not when you’re wrapped in Luke’s UMich hockey hoodie that was a few sizes too big for you, the sleeves swallowing your hands, the faint scent of ice and detergent still lingered on the fabric. You sat on the same bench outside the Yost Arena, the one under the flickering streetlight. It’s always a little unreliable, flashing once before settling into its usual steady glow. The rink itself is quiet now, save for the hum of campus around you, like the calm after the storm of the game.

You spotted Luke before he saw you, his large duffel bag slung over his shoulder, curls damp from the shower, cheeks flushed from the adrenaline of the game. There’s always an energy about him after a game, restless, electric, but tonight it’s different. Something else is weighing on him, and you could feel it, even from where you sat.

He didn’t notice you right away. His eyes scanned the area, distant, lost in his thoughts, until they finally landed on you. He hesitated for a second before his usual crooked half-smile appeared, but it didn't quite reach his eyes this time.

“You made it,” He breathed out, his voice softer than usual.

You nodded with a small teasing grin, “Did you think I wouldn’t? I always come to your game, Lukey. I have to come support my favorite idiot.”

He chuckled, dropping his bag beside the bench near your feet, “Yeah, but I wasn’t sure you’d come with the stress you’d been going through,” His eyes glanced to the ground for a moment, then back up to you, something in his gaze shifted, “You know, with midterms and being distant lately,”

You feel your chest tightened at his words, you’ve wondered for a while now if Luke’s had noticed you pulling away. How you were like a thousand miles away and lost in your own thoughts, even when he’s sitting right next to you. 

He tried to ignore it, but it’s been hard. It’s like you have been retreating into yourself, and he didn’t know how to reach you. He worried that it was something that he did to you even though he couldn’t exactly put a finger on it… Until it sunk in, how he had been hanging out with that blonde since the party and how he caught your eyes from across the room and how he saw the wave of hurt wash over your face. How he had been spending time with that girl while you buried yourself in studying, just so that you could help him understand the class material better. 

“I came because I still care,” You said quietly, the words spilling out before you can stop them. 

You’re not sure what you expected, but this didn’t feel like the conversation you had in mind when you showed up tonight, only expecting the typical small conversation about his game as the two of you walked back to your dorms like normal. The nervous energy that hung between you both is palpable, and you wonder if he could feel it too.

He ran his hand through his curls while he looked away, his jaw tightened, “I don’t know what’s going on with me and you lately,” He admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. 

You nodded slowly, the knot in your stomach tightening at his words, “I’m not sure if you felt it too but things between us have been changing,”

Luke looked at you again, his expression was unreadable, “I never meant to push you away or hurt you by talking to that girl, I just-” He hesitated, as if he’s weighing his next words in his head, “I didn’t know how to deal with everything I’ve been feeling and I didn’t want to risk hurting you or anything or losing our friendship.”

His words left you breathless, you knew that you had been distant because of your own feelings and you remembered what Quinn had told you over the phone but hearing him say it out loud makes the weight of it sink in.

You tried to shake off the sudden rush of emotions in your chest, “For whatever it’s worth, I’m still here and been next to you since we were born,”

Luke’s eyes softened, and he gave you that small smile that had always been reserved for you, the one that has always made your heart race. He sat down beside you on the bench, close but not quite touching..

“Thanks for being here,” He murmured, “I don’t deserve it, not after putting you through that.”

You smiled, pulling the sleeves of his hoodie further over your hands for extra warmth from the chills of March, “You don’t have to deserve it, I’m here because I want to be.”

For a long moment, the two of you sit in silence, the only sound is the soft rustling of branches in the breeze. You tried to ignore the tension between you, but it’s hard to shake. Luke seemed lost in his own thoughts, his gaze fixed on the stone path ahead of you two.

Out of nowhere he spoke up again, his voice low but steady, “There’s this moment, right before a face-off,” He said, the familiar intensity in his voice, “Everything goes still. The crowd, the pressure, even your own thoughts. It all just kinda… locks in. You know something big is about to happen, like you can feel it.”

You looked back at him, your heart suddenly racing. His blue eyes are intense, focused, but there’s something vulnerable about him tonight. He’s not the confident hockey player you’ve always known. Tonight, he’s just Luke, the same Luke that carried your  backpack every day when you injured your shoulder, the same Luke that held you while you cried after being broken up with, and the same Luke that saw you for the first time in your prom dress.

“That’s how I feel right now,” Luke continued as his voice was soft and barely above a whisper.

The words hit you harder than you expected, you’ve never seen him this serious, you don’t breathe while you held the air in your throat.

He shifted, turning to face you fully, “We’ve been in each other’s lives forever, like since literal birth. You were there before the skates, before the first team tryout, before I ever touched a puck. You've seen every part of me, even the parts I wanted no one else to see,” He hesitated, his eyes never left yours, “And somehow, you stayed.”

Your heart was pounding, but it’s not from confusion or fear. It’s from something else, something you’re not sure you’re ready for, but it’s here, it’s real.

“I don’t know when exactly it changed,” Luke told you before taking a deep breath, “But I know what it is now and I think I’ve known for a while and I can’t keep pretending it’s not there. I love you, Bear. And not like a best friend, not like someone who’s always been around. I love you in the way that terrifies me, but also makes complete sense in my head. Like it is what I was made for.”

You opened your mouth, but nothing came out. His words leave you breathless, and the world around you seemed to stand still. You’ve known Luke for so long, but at this moment, everything became so real. All the emotions and feelings that you had been running away from, shoving down, all of it came surging at once.

As if the words aren’t enough, he leaned in closer to you with his voice barely above a whisper, “I’m yours. Always have been, yours truly.”

The moment hangs in the air, and for a second, you didn’t know what to say. The weight of everything he’s said, the vulnerability, the emotions, and the truth pressed in on you. You finally found your voice, your words soft and filled with a mix of affection and disbelief,

 “You really are an idiot,” You said with slight amusement in your tone. Luke furrowed his brows in confusion, and you laughed, a soft and relieved sound, “I’ve been in love with you since you let me wear your jersey in freshman year of highschool and then acted like it didn’t mean anything,” 

His eyes widened in disbelief, “Wait, what?”

“You thought you were the only one feeling like this?” You grinned, leaning closer to him and wrapped your arms around his neck, “I’ve been waiting for this moment for years.”

Before he could respond, you kissed him.

It’s slow at first, like both of you are testing the waters, unsure but sure at the same time. Luke’s hand curled around the back of your neck, pulling you closer, like he’s afraid to let you go. The kiss deepened and it’s messy, but it’s everything.

When you pulled away, your head spinned from the intensity of it. You rested against his shoulder, his arm easily slipping around your waist.

“Took you long enough, Lukey,” You teased but with affection.

He chuckled softly, his face buried in your hair, “Yeah, but I figured it out, didn’t I?”

And just like that, the world falls into place. The quiet is no longer waiting. It’s where you were always meant to be. The cold still lingers in the air, but it no longer matters. You’re wrapped in the warmth of Luke’s arms, his presence filling the space between you both in a way that makes everything else feel irrelevant. For a few moments, you simply sit there, letting the silence wrap around you like a blanket. The world feels far away and quieter now that the uncertainty that had been chewing away at you had been stripped away.

Luke’s arm is loosely around your waist, his thumb tracing slow, steady circles on your side. His warmth radiating onto you, and you wonder if you’ll ever be able to pull away. The rush of everything that’s just happened is still swirling in your chest, but there’s something calming about being here with him now, like this was the only place you were meant to be all along.

“You’re quiet,” Luke mumbled after a while, his voice low and a little rough, like he’s still processing everything too, “I didn’t expect you to- well, I didn’t expect that after my game.”

You chuckled softly, your head still resting against his shoulder, your heart fluttering at the realization that he’s with you like this, “What? You thought I’d just sit here and let you confess your undying love without me saying anything?” You joked, but the words feel different now. More genuine and more real.

Luke shifted slightly, his face turning toward yours. The seriousness in his gaze hasn’t gone away, but there’s something softer in it now, 

“I don’t know. I didn’t think you’d feel the same way. I didn’t think you’d ever feel the same way.”

You pulled back just enough to meet his eyes and your hands found his, intertwining your fingers together. His touch grounded you like always, even when everything around you is shifting.

“Of course I do, Luke,” You replied, “I always have.”

He looked at you like he’s seeing you for the first time, like he’s trying to make sense of it all. There’s a quiet relief settling on his features, and it makes your heart ache in the best way possible.

“I’m not gonna lie,” He said after a long pause, his thumb lightly stroking the back of your hand, “I’m scared. I’ve always been scared that if I let myself get too close, I’d screw it all up.”

You smiled, the warmth spreading through your chest as you squeezed his hand, “You’re not the only one. I literally had to call Quinn about this, I’ve been terrified of this too, Lukey. But I think… maybe we’ve been scared of the wrong things all along.”

His brows furrowed in confusion, “What do you mean?”

“I mean, we’ve been so afraid of messing things up that we’ve missed what’s been right in front of us. We’ve had all this time together,” You chewed the inside of your cheek as you tried to find the right words, “And yet, somehow, we’ve always been too afraid to take the next step.”

Luke’s gaze softened, and he pulled you closer, wrapping both arms around you, “I don’t want to mess this up, either. I don’t want to lose you.”

You rested your forehead against his, the closeness, the rawness of the moment pulling at something deep inside you, “You won’t lose me, Luke. You’re not going to. But we can’t keep pretending this thing between us isn’t real. It’s been real all along. Even when we’ve been scared. Even when we’ve been apart.”

He let out a long breath that seemed to release some of the tension he’d been holding. He kissed the top of your hair, “I’ve been such an idiot,” Luke mumbled.

You laughed quietly, looking up at him again, “Better late than never, right?”

Luke chuckled, the sound light and easy. It’s the first time in what feels like forever that you’ve heard him laugh without the weight of everything else hanging over him, “Yeah. Better late than never.”

But then, his expression grew serious again, and he pulled back slightly, still holding you but looking at you with that intensity that you’ve come to recognized as the Luke who can’t hide his emotions, even when he tried.

“I’ve been thinking about going home this weekend,” He said, almost hesitantly, “I don’t know if it’s a good idea, but I need to get away for a bit. Just to clear my head. But I want to be honest with you, more than I’ve been in a long time.”

You nodded, understanding where this is going, “You’re planning on leaving?”

He bit his lip, clearly conflicted, “I think I need to. But I want you to know, this… like us, it’s not going anywhere. I don’t want to go home and leave things unsaid between us. I need to figure out… well, a lot of things. But not because I want to walk away, I just- I don’t want to mess this up, not when it’s finally real, I just need time.”

You reached up, cupping his face in your hands to urge him to look at you, “You won’t mess this up, Luke. Not with me. I know it’s scary, but we’ll figure it out. We always have. And if you need to go home, then go. But I hope you know that I’m here for all of it.”

Luke glanced at you for a moment, his eyes searching yours, and then he nodded, the weight of the conversation settling in. He pulled you into another hug, it’s firm and comforting. The embrace is a promise of things unspoken, of a future you both want to build. When you pulled back, your faces are still close, your breath dancing in the cold night air. 

“Just come back to me,” You whispered, your voice barely above your breath.

“I will,” He promised, his forehead resting against yours, “I’ll always come back to you.”

The days after Luke’s confession feels like a quiet storm brewing. You’ve spent days texting back and forth, trying to find a rhythm again, but the distance he’s always hinted at is still there of being scared to commit to the full thing. He’d gone home for the weekend, as he said he would, and though you’re not surprised, it still feels like a void where his presence used to be.

You think about him often, about the way he held you under the dim glow of that streetlight, his words raw and honest in a way that shook you to your core, “I’m yours. Always have been. Yours truly.” You catch yourself grinning at the memory of it as his confession has been playing on a loop in your head since that night.

You sat in the small study area of your dorm, trying to focus on your biology textbook but found your mind wandering instead. It had been a few days off since the game. Your notes feel like a blur, and every text from Luke feels like a thread pulling you both back into a tangled mess of uncertainty. He’d become distant again, but this time, it felt different. He was holding back, not because of fear, but because he’s not sure how to navigate this new version of the two of you together. It bothered you a bit of how you two finally confronted your feelings but how Luke was so quick to run away from facing the future.

The door to your dorm opened and you looked up to see Lexie, your roommate, standing there, leaning against the frame with a look of amusement on her face.

“You okay?” She asked you, her arms crossed over her chest.

You forced a small smile, “Yeah, just studying.”

She raised an eyebrow, a small smirk playing on her lips, “Are you really studying? Or are you staring at your phone and thinking about someone in particular?”

You laughed softly, your cheeks flushing. “Okay, maybe a little of both.”

Lexie stepped fully into the room and letting the door shut behind her, she sat across from you at the small desk.

“I hate to be the one to say it, but you’re both really not being subtle right now.”

“I’m just…” You trailed off, trying to find the right words, “I’m trying to figure out what this is, you know? I mean, we’ve been friends for literally forever and now things are different, but it’s not like I can just jump into a relationship. Not with everything that’s already happened.”

Lexie watched you closely as her eyes softened, “You’re both clearly so in love with each other, it’s almost painful to watch. Seriously, you said you’ve felt this way towards Luke since high school, and you two have been all flirty since we moved in. I don’t even know how many times he’s been here or you being in his dorm. What’s the hold-up?”

You sighed, running a hand through your hair, “I don’t know. I think we’re both still scared, Lexie. I mean, Luke’s been distant again and even though I get it, it’s hard. We’ve never been in this territory before.”

“I get it,” She told you, “But listen, don’t waste time. I can tell you this from watching you two since September, it’s been like eight months now: you are each other’s person. And sometimes the right person doesn’t make it easy, but they’re worth fighting for.”

The weekend passed slowly, Luke texted you a couple of times, letting you know he’s just spent time with Ellen and Jim, and how Mandy had stopped by to visit for a bit. He seemed distracted, but he assured you he was coming back soon. You responded, but each message feels like it’s adding more distance instead of closing the gap.

When Monday finally rolled around, you found yourself walking to Yost almost on autopilot. Your heart beated quicker with each step, you knew he was back today, but you’re not sure what to expect. What do you say after all the unspoken things that hang between you both? 

You saw him before he saw you, like always. Luke stood by the rink, talking to one of his Mark and Mackie with his hands shoved into the pockets of his hoodie. The moment your eyes met, something shifted. His posture straightened, and his expression softened, but there’s a hesitance in his movements. Like he’s unsure whether to close the distance between you or keep his distance just a little longer.

When you walked up to him, he greeted you with a small smile, his voice laced with a little bit of uncertainty, “Hey, Bear.”

“Hey,” You replied, you paused for a moment, unsure of where to go from here. It felt like you’re both treading carefully, afraid of stepping on the wrong thing, “How was home? How are Ellen and Jim?”

“It was good, they’re good and said they missed you,” He said with his tone flat, “Just needed some time, you know?”

You nodded, a knot forming in your stomach, “I was worried about you.”

Luke looked at you, there’s a flicker of something in his eyes which you couldn’t quite read, “I didn’t mean to make you feel like I was pushing you away,” He admitted quietly, his hands now out of his pockets, rubbing the back of his jaw awkwardly, “I just… I needed some space to think about everything, about us.”

You swallowed hard as you tried to steady the storm of emotions rising inside of your chest, “Luke… I get it, but you can’t keep pulling away like that. We both know we can’t hide from this anymore.”

He hesitated, then stepped closer to you, his eyes searching yours, “I don’t know how to make it right. I don’t know how to fix everything I’ve screwed up.”

You reached out to him and placed a hand on his arm, mainly to ground him and maybe to ground yourself,  “We don’t have to fix everything right away. But we can start with being honest with each other. No more hiding. No more pretending we’re not scared.”

Luke exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair in frustration, but there’s a shift in him, something opens up in the way he looks at you, “I don’t want to mess this up again. I don’t want to lose you.”

“You’re not going to lose me, I’ve said this to you before,” You told him, your voice firm and steady now, “But you can’t keep pushing me away, Luke. We’re both here. We’ve always been here.”

He stepped closer, the space between you both shrinking until his breath mingled with yours.

“I’m scared,” He said to you with raw honesty in his voice striking you in a way that makes your heart squeeze, “But I’m willing to figure it out. I’m willing to try, if you are.”

You smiled softly, your chest fluttered at his words, “I’m always going to be here for you, you know this.”

And for the first time in a long while, you feel like you’re finally both on the same page, facing the unknown together. Whatever happens next, you know this, this is real. The days after that conversation feel different and almost lighter. The weight of everything unspoken seems to have shifted off your shoulders, and though the air between you and Luke is still thick with emotions, it’s a good kind of tension now. No longer is it the uncertainty of what could be; it’s the anticipation of what will be.

You saw him more now around campus, on the rink, in the dining hall and every interaction, no matter how small, felt charged with something new. Every glance lingered just a little longer, every smile felt a little deeper. Luke was trying, and you’re starting to believe in him again. 

It was a Saturday afternoon when it finally happened. The weather is crisp, with the kind of chill that bites at your cheeks but feels refreshing on the skin. You sat on a bench near the Yost arena, waiting for Luke to finish practice. Your phone buzzed in your hand, and you glanced at the screen to see a text from him.

Lukey: Meet me outside in 10? I have something to say.

Your stomach fluttered with the sudden nervous excitement that you’ve been trying to suppress all day. You typed a quick response,

Bear 🧸: is this a “big talk” or more of a “let’s just hang out” thing?

You don’t expect him to reply fast, but less than a minute later, another message from him popped up.

Lukey: It’s big. So I guess we’ll see if you’re still willing to hang out with me after I say it.

Your heart skipped a couple of beats. You tossed your phone in your tote bag, standing up as you tried to shake off the nerves. A part of you wants to believe it’s going to be something good, but you can’t shake the uncertainty creeping in. What if it’s not what you think?

You don’t have to wait too long before you spot him walking towards you. Luke’s dressed in a sweatshirt, his hockey bag still clinging to him, his eyes locked on you like he’s been waiting for this moment too. When he reached you, there’s no hesitation in his movements. He stepped forward and pulled you into a tight embrace before you could even speak.

“Hey Bear,” He said, his voice softer than usual, “Are you by any chance still mad at me?”

You chuckled and shook your head, “I’m not mad at you.”

“You sure?” He questioned and pulled back just enough to look you in the eyes, his brow furrowed in that worried way.

“Yeah,” You replied as you smiled at him, “Just trying to figure us out.”

He nodded, exhaling like he’s been holding his breath. There’s a pause, a moment of silence that feels like it stretched for just a little too long, before Luke took your hands in his, holding them firmly, like he’s not going to let go until he’s said everything that’s been weighing on him.

“I’ve been thinking a lot lately,” He begins, his voice steady but quiet, “About us. About what happened before I left. And I’ve realized that, all this time, I’ve been too scared to admit it,” He hesitated, swallowing hard before looking at you, “That I want you. I want this with you. No more pretending.”

You could feel your heartbeat against your chest, the words you’ve been waiting for, hoping for, finally spilled from him. You tried to meet his gaze, but it’s hard with your heart pounding so loudly you felt like he could hear it.

“I don’t want to hide anymore,” Luke continued, his hands squeezing around yours, “I want to be with you, for real,” He finished, the words slipping out with a kind of finality that makes your heart soar, “No more playing games or playing it safe, no more holding back.”

You blinked a couple of times as his words sank in, your chest full of emotions you can’t name. Your heart swells with relief, with joy, and with a kind of peaceful certainty that you never thought you’d get.

He stepped closer to you with his face inches from yours now. He paused, looking at you with a softness that’s unlike anything you’ve seen in him before.

“So,” He said with a slow smile forming, “Will you be my girlfriend? I know it’s a big question, but I’m hoping you’ll say yes.”

Your heart skipped a beat. The word you’ve been waiting to hear. The official title. And all you can do is smile because, in that moment, nothing else matters.

“I’ll say yes,” You answered with a firm voice but filled with all the joy you can’t contain, “Since it seems to matter a lot to you.”

Luke grinned and rolled his eyes playfully, his hands slipped to your waist as he pulled you into a kiss for the first time since the two of you had initially confessed your feelings. It’s soft at first but then, as if something inside both of you clicked into place, it deepens, the kiss becoming more urgent, more sure, like this is the moment everything shifted. You’ve both crossed that line, the one between friendship and an official relationship, and neither of you were planning on looking back.

When you pulled away, breathless, Luke rested his forehead against yours, “I can’t believe we’re finally doing this, after everything.”

“You’re not the only one,” You mumbled, your hand resting on his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart, “But I’m glad we are.”

The weeks after you and Luke officially got together are nothing short of magical. Every day feels like you’re discovering a new piece of him, and he’s doing the same with you. It’s not the whirlwind passion that you see in movies, it’s more like two best friends who’ve found their way back to each other in the most perfect of ways. It’s soft, slow, and steady.

On a lazy Sunday afternoon, you find yourselves in his dorm room. You’re sprawled across his bed, watching some random movie that neither of you really cared about. His arm is wrapped loosely around your waist, and every now and then, his fingers lightly brushed against the bare skin of your side. It’s a touch so gentle it could’ve been accidental, but it sends a shiver of warmth through you every time.

Luke’s got a half-grin on his face, eyes flickering back and forth between the screen of his laptop and you, “You’re not even paying attention,” he teased.

You rolled your eyes but didn't move to correct him, “I’m watching, I swear.”

“You’re really not,” He paused the movie and turned to face you, his hand resting on your hip, pulling you just a little closer, “What’s your favorite movie then, and why are we not watching it?”

You laughed, glancing at him, half-cocked in mock exasperation, “You know that my favourite movie is Tangled, but we’ve already watched it this week. We’re not doing that again.”

He narrowed his eyes, “We could watch it again. I wouldn’t mind seeing you quote all the lines before the characters do.”

You raised an eyebrow, “Are you implying that I’m predictable?”

“No,” He replied, grinning wider now, “I’m saying you’re adorable.”

You felt a warmth spread through your chest at his words, and without thinking, you moved closer, your lips brushing lightly against his. It’s a soft, quick kiss, the kind that doesn’t need words. Just the closeness, the quiet moment between two people who’ve found their way to each other and are content in this simple intimacy.

He pulled away just barely, his smile never fading, “You know, I’ve been thinking…”

“Uh-oh. That’s never good,” You teased before you laughed.

“Very funny,” He deadpanned, “No, seriously. I think I’m falling for you all over again.”

Your stomach did a few flips in your gut, “What do you mean ‘all over again’?”

He chuckled softly, brushing a strand of hair behind your ear, “I mean, I’ve been in love with you since high school, but somehow, even though we’re finally together, every day with you feels like the first time I’m falling for you all over again.”

You smiled softly. “You’re really something, you know that?”

“I try,” He said before a sudden burst of confidence he added, “But seriously, I’m falling in love with you every single day, whether you notice it or not.”

You laughed softly, leaning your head on his shoulder, “I think I notice. In every little thing you do.”

Luke pressed play on his movie, his fingers skimming your sides but he could feel your gaze on him,

“You’re staring at me,” He told you, not even looking up away from his screen. He doesn’t need to, he knows you too well. 

“I’m not staring,” You replied, trying to hide your smile, “I’m just… admiring.”

His eyes flickered down to meet yours, “Admiring what, exactly?”

“You,” You said with your voice quieter now, “Everything about you and how easy it is to love you.”

His expression softened and for a moment, he looked a little caught off guard. But then the corner of his mouth curls up in that signature crooked grin, “You’re gonna make me blush,” He teased, though there’s a glint of emotion in his eyes that you don’t miss.

“I’m just being honest.”

“I like when you’re honest,” He mumbled, “You’re the only one who really gets me. And it feels like you always have.”

You stared at him, taking in his curls that were once blonde fall over his forehead, his blue eyes that felt like home to you.

“God, I’m so in love with you,” He whispered and in this moment, with him holding you close, you know that love is made of the smallest, sweetest things.

₊˚ˑ༄ؘ

You’ve never seen Luke look so relaxed.

One hand is loosely resting on the steering wheel, the other draped over the center console, fingers gently tangled with yours. The road stretched ahead in long, lazy lines of sun-drenched pavement, the kind of empty two-lane highway that hums like summer itself. His truck windows are rolled down, the breeze warm against your skin, carrying the scent of pine and wildflowers.

Your feet are tucked up on the seat, his hoodie wrapped around you despite the heat. You’re not cold, you just like how it smells like him. His cologne, the faint trace of detergent, the lingering scent of the rink, even now.

“You know we still have two more hours of this, right?” He said as he glanced over at you with that slow grin that made your stomach flip in the best way, “You’re gonna be sick of me before we even get to the lake house”

You scoffed, leaning your head against the window, still holding his hand, “Impossible. I have life long experience with putting up with you.”

“Putting up with me?” He faked offense, “I’ll have you know I’m a delight.”

“You snore.”

“You drool.”

You narrowed your eyes at him, “That’s a low blow.”

He squeezed your hand gently, “Just keeping us humble.”

You laughed as you settled deeper into the seat. The playlist you made together is shuffling through songs, some throwbacks from high school, some new favourites, and a handful that make both of you smile because they only make sense to the two of you. You hummed along to one of them, and Luke started to tap the steering wheel in rhythm, occasionally stealing glances at you like he can’t believe you’re real.

It’s been three months since you got together, even though it has felt so much longer. Since that night under the flickering streetlight outside the Yost, where he finally told you he was yours. And somehow, things haven’t just stayed good. They’ve grown. You’ve grown together. The rhythm you’ve fallen into felt easy now, almost natural. Like every version of your friendship would always just lead to this.

“So,” You started, glancing sideways at him, “You think the Mothers are going to be weird about us sharing a room?”

He raised a brow, “Jim let me start using the truck when I was sixteen. I think they trust us.”

You smirked, “They shouldn’t.”

He laughed with his tone being deep and genuine, the kind of sound that makes your chest feel lighter,  “You’re a menace.”

“I’m your menace,” You replied.

That shuts him up in the best way. His smile lingered but his eyes softened, and his hand tightened around yours again. You don’t need him to say it, you could feel it.

The miles roll on like memories stitched together, stopping for gas at some random station with sticky floors and surprisingly good coffee, singing loudly and terribly to the songs on your playlists, and debates on whether hot dogs count as sandwiches. He tried to distract you each time you attempted to read the GPS on his phone, and you retaliated by playfully swatting his exploring hands away. At one point on the drive, he pulled over on a scenic overlook just so he could kiss you under the blue summer sky.

Eventually, the trees start to thicken, the air shifting from sun-warmed highways to something cooler, quieter. The lake isn’t in sight yet, but you can feel it and smell it in the pine needles and the earthy scent of the woods. It feels like the world is exhaling, and you’re part of that breath.

You looked over at him again, and for a moment, you didn't say anything. You just look. He has a faint sunburn along the bridge of his nose. His curls are messy from the wind but tucked away under his cap that he always wore. His t-shirt fitted his muscular chest and arms deliciously, and his mouth was curved in a quiet, content line. He looks so perfectly Luke.

“What?” He asked as he glanced at you.

You shook your head, “Nothing. Just… happy.”

His thumb brushes over your knuckles, “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Luke doesn’t look away, “Me too.”

There’s a long, warm silence that follows, the full and comfortable kind that only exists between people who know each other’s rhythms down to the pause between words. You reached over and pressed a kiss to his shoulder, then rested your head there, letting the hum of the road and the quiet promise in his voice settled around you like a blanket.

Luke’s truck rolled slowly up the winding driveway, tires crunching over the familiar gravel path that leads to the lake house tucked deep in the woods of northern Michigan. The air smells like pine needles and sun-warmed water, like every summer memory you’ve ever had stitched into one quiet, golden moment.

You spotted the house just beyond the clearing, same soft blue siding, same sagging porch swing, same wind chimes dancing in the window. But today, everything feels more alive, because this time, you’re showing up not just as his childhood best friend.

This time, you’re coming as his girlfriend.

And both your families already know it, they saw the pictures you had posted on your Instagram.

The truck came to a gentle stop, and Luke killed the engine. He glanced sideways at you with that half-crooked grin that still makes your stomach flutter.

“You ready?” He asked you softly.

You nodded, “Are you?”

He exhaled, then smiled wider, “Yeah. Kind of feels like the end of one story and the start of the one we were always meant to be in.”

Before either of you can open your doors, the front screen door slammed open with a bang.

“They’re here!” Ellen called out with her voice familiar, warm, and joyful.

She’s already moving across the porch with her arms wide, your mom just a few steps behind her, equally glowing.

“My girl!” Ellen beamed as she pulled you into a tight hug that smells like lilacs and lemon and like the childhood you’ve known, “You finally made it.”

“You act like I haven’t been here every year since I was five,” You laughed, burying your face in her shoulder.

“But this is the first time you’re showing up with my Lukey’s hand in yours,” She whispered, pulling back just enough to look at you, “It’s about time, sweetheart.”

“I’m not crying,” Mandy said behind Ellen, “I’m just so happy.”

You turned to hug her too, both of you laughing through the swell of emotion.

Jim and Steven come down the steps next, grinning like they’ve already had money on this (which all the parents did). They shook Luke’s hand, clapped him on the back, and pulled you both into what can only be described as a team huddle.

“Welcome back, Bear,” Jim said to you, “Your room’s still upstairs unless, of course, you two are bunking together now?”

“Dad!” Luke choked out which made everyone laugh at his bright red cheeks and ears.

“Don’t worry,” Your dad added, “We all knew this was coming. Your mothers started planning your wedding back in grade ten.”

You groaned and hid your face in Luke’s shoulder while he muttered, “We should’ve eloped.”

The door bursted open yet again and Luke’s brothers came storming out, both already shirtless and halfway through their beers.

“Look who finally figured it out!” Jack yelled, arms wide as he pulled you into a hug.

Quinn fist bumped Luke and then pulled you into a hug, “Happy for you guys.”

“Seriously,” Jack grinned, “The entire family knew this was coming before you two did.”

You glanced at Luke, who was just standing there, hand in yours, cheeks still flushed, watching everyone welcome you like they always have, but now with a tinge of celebration. Because this has always been the hope. The quiet, patient maybe someday that lived in the hearts of everyone who watched the two of you grow up side by side.

By the time the sun was low on the lake and dinner’s sizzling on the grill, you were barefoot on the back deck with a glass of lemonade in one hand and Luke’s fingers loosely twined through your other. Both families are mixed around the kitchen and patio, all joking, retelling old stories, stealing glances at the two of you that are so full of affection it almost knocked the air out of your lungs.

Later, when the stars came out and the lake smoothed over like glass, you and Luke sneaked away down to the dock. The same dock you’ve both jumped off a thousand times as kids. The same one where, last summer before the two of you moved to UMich, he nearly told you how he felt before backing out.

He sat beside you with an arm around your shoulders, the night humming soft and easy.

“Feels like this was always waiting,” He said quietly, pressing a kiss to your temple.

You nodded while resting your head against him, “Feels like home.”

And from the porch behind the two of you, your parents and his, laughing over glasses of wine, watching the stars and admiring how the two of you sat on the dock together, they always knew the ending.

₊˚ˑ༄ؘ

The atmosphere is electric. The crowd’s energy is a living thing, a pulsing mass of anticipation, and you can hardly believe you're standing here. The sound of the crowd, the flashing lights, the energy in the arena, it’s all so much bigger than you imagined. It’s real, and you’re here for it. For Luke.

It’s his first game in the NHL, and you’ve never been more proud of him. The guy you’ve known since birth, who had always dreamed of this moment, was finally living it. You still couldn’t quite wrap your mind around it. Luke, in the big leagues even though Jack and Quinn were already in the NHL. It felt like only yesterday you were with him as he practiced on the ice in his backyard with Quinn and Jack, where they were dreaming of this exact moment.

Your heart beated faster as you glance around the arena of the Prudential Center, the excitement practically buzzing through the air. The rink is perfectly lit, the ice shining beneath the lights, the players skating in warm-ups as the crowd cheers, eager to see the first puck drop.

You spotted Luke on the ice, skating effortlessly, with his new red jersey rather than the maize coloured one that you grew used to. His number, forty-three, stood out proudly on his back. You couldn’t help but smile, a deep sense of pride swelling inside you.

“You okay?” Ellen asked you, giving you a nudge as she watched you watch him.

You blinked and laughed softly, still a little in awe of the scene, “Yeah, just trying to believe this is real.”

She grinned, “I bet, he looks like he’s in his element.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so focused,” You admitted with your eyes never leaving him. There’s something about seeing him out there, doing what he’s always loved, that makes you feel like your chest might burst with pride, “He’s been working his whole life for this.”

“I bet it’s a little surreal for you, huh? Seeing him in the NHL after everything you’ve been through?”

You glanced at her, trying to find the right words, but all you could do was nod. It is surreal. But there’s also something comforting about it. This is Luke. The same person who used to steal your snacks and drag you into late-night study sessions. Now he’s here, in the NHL, and he’s still your Luke.

Before you can say anything more, the arena erupted into cheers, signaling the start of the game. The lights dimmed, and the announcer’s voice rings through the speakers, introducing the teams. You stand at the edge of your seat, trying to steady your breathing as the players line up. Your stomach flips with nerves on his behalf.

“Number forty-three, Luuuuuke Hughes!” The announcer called out, and the roar of the crowd was deafening.

Your heart skipped a beat, your hands instinctively clasping together as you cheered with everyone else. Luke skated onto the ice, looking confident in his gear, but his eyes were searching the crowd. And when he found you, your heart stopped.

He gives you a small, almost imperceptible smile, his eyes locking with yours across the rink. In that instant, the whole arena fades away, and it’s just the two of you. He’s here, doing what he loves, and you’re here, cheering him on like you always promised you would.

You couldn’t help the overwhelming wave of emotion that crashed over you. This is his dream, and you’re living it with him.

The game begins, and the action is intense. The sound of skates carving across the ice, the thud of sticks on the puck, the roar of the crowd, it’s all part of the symphony of professional hockey, and you’re right in the middle of it. The energy in the arena is electric, and yet, you find yourself focused solely on Luke.

Every time he touches the puck, your heart sped up. Every time he makes a good play, you can’t help but cheer louder. And every time he glances over to where you’re sitting, a little smile creeping onto his face, you feel a warmth spread through your chest, a reminder that no matter how far he’s come, he’s still your Luke.

It’s nearing the third period, and the game is close. The tension could be cut with a knife, and you’re on the edge of your seat. The Devils are ahead by one goal, but the other team is pushing hard. You can see the sweat on his forehead as he skated up the ice, determination in his eyes. He’s everywhere on the rink, fast, sharp, and focused. He’s in his element, and it’s breathtaking.

And then, with a swift pass, the puck lands right on Luke’s stick. There’s a fraction of a second where everything feels suspended. Time slowed down, and all you could do was watch him. You knew he’s about to make something happen. You knew he’s about to score.

The crowd goes silent in that split second. Then, as if on cue, Luke releases the puck with a clean shot, sending it sailing past the goalie and into the back of the net. The arena exploded in cheers.

You jump out of your seat, your hands clapping and your throat screaming with excitement. The announcer’s voice echoes through the speakers, “Goal by number forty-three, Luke Hughes!”

You watched as Luke skated back to his teammates, his eyes searching for you again. When he sees you, he gives a small wave, his smile widening. It’s like he’s found you in the chaos of the game, and that makes your heart swelled with happiness.

The game ended with the New Jersey Devils winning, and the crowd was on their feet, applauding the team’s victory. You feel like you’re floating, the adrenaline from the game mixing with the joy of seeing Luke’s hard work come to life.

After the game, you managed to get down to the lower level, waiting for him just outside the locker room. You’re still buzzing with excitement when the door swings open, and there he was sweaty, tired, and but grinning from ear to ear.

He spotted you almost immediately and, ignoring the stream of reporters and fans, made his way toward you.

“You were amazing,” You breathed out, your voice catching in your throat as you took him in.

“Couldn’t have done it without you here,” He told you as he pulled you into a hug, his arms strong around you as he lifted you off the ground in a moment of pure joy, “You know how much this means to me, right?”

You nodded against his chest, not trusting yourself to speak for a moment. His success was your success. This victory isn’t just his, it was yours too. The years of support, the quiet moments, the late-night phone calls. You had been with him every step of the way, and now, you get to see him standing here, living his dream.

Finally, you pulled back to look at him, grinning up at him through happy tears. “I’m so proud of you.”

Luke’s eyes softened, and he brushed a strand of hair out of your face, “You’ve always believed in me.”

“Of course I have,” You said with your voice thick with emotion, “And I always will.”

He leaned down, kissing you softly, the taste of victory still fresh on his lips. In this moment, with the roar of the crowd still echoing in your ears and the world around you seemingly quiet, this was exactly what you waited for in life and Luke Hughes was yours truly.

[merchantziro]

(Sigh) I know what I have to do now...

I clutched my heart as I took a few steps back.

The mysterious masked hero who fought to protect this world in Flordia alongside other heroes was no so-called "Superman". No... To call them that would be to imply THAT THING was human, when it stopped being human so long ago if it even remembered.

I looked back to get a better look as I took out my phone to take a snapshot and-

"Hmph. I know you're watching me, Detective."

The charismatic individual suddenly looked back up at me as it's golden orange eyes glowed to become a sinister bloody red while their golden blonde hair flowing in the breeze, barely revealing the Star shaped birthmark on the neck.

The face of a monster who should have died years ago according to the Speedwagon Foundation's record looked back.

"DIO..."

I turned and ran, as fast as I could... The city had plenty of open routes.

I took a turn to a backstreet between some buildings and was looking for anyone to help me.

Only to be met with the "hero" I ran from.

"Tell me detective, do you believe in gravity? Do you believe fate itself is guaranteed no matter how much we fight against it?"

They were suddenly there, his back to me as he looked over his shoulder with a pose. DIO was taunting me, knowing I was helpless to fight.

"Because I did, once... In a different universe so long ago, until I got a glimpse of my future. And foresaw my death at the hands of Jotaro in Cairo..."

"But then how are you alive? Your brain was supposedly destroyed and later turned to dust in sunlight hours later?"

I was buying time. I knew that. It knew that. But... They were amused by it and humored me regardless.

"Heh. Fate is an interesting thing, for as a loyal underling has proven to me... For Boingo's Tohth may show the future and it's always guaranteed to occur as shown, but things were never as they appear as I learned from Oingo's defeat."

I glared back as the vampire walked closer a bit as he held his arms out. Using the chance to dig my hands into my cost pocket, silently searching through it before feeling my hand wrap comfortably around something.

"For when I saw my destiny I knew how to trick it, as it was as simple as tearing my soul in half to create a body double that carried The World and let the fake fight and die in my place, a sacrificial lamb to be used to achieve my goals."

I gripped a fist with my other hand as I attempted to throw it when he got too close.

"You sick demented fuck!"

"Muda!"

But my fist didn't even connect as they were already standing behind me as I was knocked into a wall by a force I couldn't see, causing a rush of blood to explode from my back as I screamed while feeling something in my pocket stab through my hand at the same time.

"It's no use, soon I will achieve Heaven alongside Pucci... Just as we had planned together."

I got up and felt my heart racing, but I refused to give it the satisfaction of seeing me afraid. My trenchcoat was soaked from the inside from my own injuries as I growled.

"But then why become a superhero? Why risk your identity like this?"

"What would be an easier way to gather a following in this world and be worshipped by mortals like a God, in plain sight with nobody being wiser to my plan."

I growled as I felt the blood rushing through my body, I looked at DIO.

"Tt. No use fighting, we both know you are outmatched. And there's no point telling my 'colleagues' either, I long since planted Flesh Buds on them."

Suddenly I saw him and the golden figure floating right behind the vampire.

"Farewell... Muda!*

However I dodged the strike, aimed at my gut, by jumping back...

"Nani! You couldn't see my Stand before! How did you-"

They looked surprised before glaring at my pocket as the vampire saw something before I pulled it out.

A Stand Arrow.

"So... That was your gambit. When I hit you earlier..."

"It let me gain a stand by stabbing my hand without giving away my ace."

As I spoke, I stood upright... Ignoring the pain as I summoned my newly acquired Stand. A pair of red goggles appeared on my head as I looked surprised, before instinctively drawing my pistol from my pocket.

"Hmph. An object Stand. Not fit for fighting itself... This will be fun."

However when I fired the gun, he immediately teleported to the side.

"Did you really expect that to work. You should know my Stand's ability is-"

"Wasn't aiming for you asshole..."

"Hmm? ...!"

Suddenly he noticed the wall to the side falling down towards them, collapsed by the precise shot to a weak point.

They barely had enough time to react, as he was unable to stop time due to already using it to dodge the bullet before they could do it again, as their leg was pinned under the rubble.

Meanwhile some civilian woman who saw the commotion was rushing towards the "hero".

"Superman! Are you- AHHH!!?"

The fingers pierced her leg as "Superman" drained her blood to heal, I tried to fire a bullet to stop the process but they vanished as only her corpse fell behind me.

"Shit..."

I turned to see DIO, far above me on a vantage point with his back to the moon above. The monster's face was obscured by shadows beyond the glowing red of their eyes."

"I see... So your Stand allows you to see so much better than before, seeing any flaws or weaknesses in the area around you and also functions as a sniper scope to help aim your shots... How interesting...."

They then extend a hand towards me...

"You have potential then Detective, perhaps you shall serve me well... If you care about surviving at this point."

I faltered with surprise before pointing the gun at him, my resolve refusing to waiver for more than that moment.

"I'd rather die than join you scum."

The Brando chuckled sinisterly as their Stand floated behind them. I meanwhile grabbed the goggles that were my Stand, already deciding on it's name.

"The World!"

"Somebody's Watching Me!"

You're the detective looking into the elusive superhero who's saved the city, and the world, several times over. You know who they are, now, and it breaks your heart.

[swearimnevergivingup]

HOLD ME GENTLY WHILE I FALL - suguru x reader (nsfw)

sypnosis: you should close the door. you know you should. but it’s late at night, your bones ache, your eyes weary, and you’ve just buried another colleague last weekend. another loss. another closed casket funeral, with no body to even mourn. harder missions that take everything from you and still demand more. and through it all, the emptiness that gnaws at you seems to only grow with each passing day.  so when the ghost of the boy you loved and lost appears in front of you for the first time in years, you can’t find it in you to shut the door on him. 

content: suguru geto/reader, porn with plot, smut, explicit content, mentions of suicidal ideation, angst with happy ending, tw: themes of grief and loss, the jujutsu world is fucked up!!! and dear reader is at her breaking point (4.3k words)

a/n: okay i disappeared from this site for a long time but i came back to drop this. i'm pretty happy with how it turned out, please do let me know what you think! <3

You’re just about to turn off the kitchen light when you feel it.

A flicker of cursed energy. Unmistakable.

Your heart stalls.

You wouldn’t have believed your senses at first, but it’s a signature you know as intimately as your own. Deep and familiar, like the ache carved in your bones after he left.

Geto Suguru is at your door.

You’ve had nightmares about it before. That he’d only turn up at your door, bloody and bruised, collapsing at your feet. Afraid that the only way you’d get to see him again is when he’s nothing but a cold body.

You’re walking towards his presence before you can stop yourself, fingers already reaching for the handle. All rational thought dissolves, commandeered by a rush of pure instinct – fear, dread, worry, longing. Tangled together, and pulling you forward.

You yank open the door without thinking, wide-eyed and bracing yourself for whatever might be on the other side. There’s no plan and no restraint, consumed only by the fear that he might be dying at your doorstep.

Instantly, you scan his body for signs of injury. 

But he’s completely fine. He’s fine. 

Suguru's hair is longer now, loosely tied up in a half bun. His boyish features certainly hardened up over the years, standing a little taller than you remembered, his shoulders broader and his muscles more defined. There’s an air of something heavy about him, but it’s undeniably still him. 

Relief washes over you just as the reality of what you're doing dawns upon you. Alive and breathing, and you’ve just opened your door for the most wanted man in the Jujutsu world. 

 “Y-you aren’t supposed to be here,” you warn, though your voice trembles. Small, fragile, like it belongs to a timid little girl, brandishing a weapon she’s too afraid to use. 

“I know.” Suguru’s voice is soft as he studies you. “I wanted to see you, though.”

Your throat feels tight, and your stomach churns. 

Geto Suguru is a danger to society. If seen, he is to be executed on sight.

You should fight. That’s what they would want. Or maybe you should run. At the very least, you should shut your door. But you simply stand frozen. 

He inches a step closer. 

Instantly, your cursed energy crackles and roars, like oil set aflame, betraying your emotions. Your fingers twitch. Your heart thumps wildly in your chest. You clutch the door tighter, and tighter yet, trying to steady yourself.

“Are you afraid of me?” he asks quietly.

For a moment, he almost sounds… hurt.

“I don’t know, Suguru.” Your voice is barely a whisper now. “Should I be?”

His face twists into something pained, something raw. Then he looks away, exhaling softly. 

“I would never hurt you. Surely you know that. I just want to talk.”

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

You should close the door. You know you should. But it’s late at night, your bones ache, your eyes weary, and you’ve just buried another colleague last weekend. 

Another loss. Another closed casket funeral, with no body to even mourn. Harder missions that take everything from you and still demand more. And through it all, the emptiness that gnaws at you seems to only grow with each passing day. 

So when the ghost of the boy you loved and lost appears in front of you for the first time in years, you can’t find it in you to shut the door on him. 

(— Sometimes, you desperately wanted to be 16 again, to be standing at the beginning of something blooming between the two of you. Futures unwritten, at the edge of something you would only recognise later as love.

You remember the girl you were back then, your voice quivering, thin and high, stammering a confession into the dark, wild heartbeat only stilled by the feeling of his warm lips pressing a kiss to your cheek.  

Fooling around in empty classrooms and after missions, his hand up your skirt, your fingers tangled in his hair. Practising sparring only to end up pinned under him, all rough and wild as you moaned into his mouth. The stumbling beginnings of young love neither of you knew how to name.

It was messy too, as often happens when the threads of friendship and romantic relationships intertwine. You would flirt with Satoru, teasing touches and laughing too loudly at his jokes, just to revel in the way Suguru’s jaw would tighten at the sight. He would retaliate in kind too, letting girls hang off his shoulder at school, glancing over to watch the poorly concealed jealousy on your face.

Back when grief wasn’t a familiar friend, when it didn’t linger around the hallways of the morgue with its ashy hands around your throat. You hadn’t been acquainted with loss then, when your reverse cursed technique was for healing up scraps and bruises and not broken bones and limbs barely hanging from their bodies.)

Your hands tremble when you shut the door behind you. There’s no comprehending this situation. 

For years, you had pretended he was dead. It was far simpler that way — to grieve a dead man rather than accept the reality.

It became easier after some time. You’d only seen his face, or the blurry outline of it, through grainy surveillance footage and hastily snapped shots from informants over the years. It became easier to pretend that such a man, a figure cloaked in monk robes, with hair far longer than your Suguru, was someone different. A stranger.

(—It was some time ago that you realised you had forgotten the sound of his voice. You didn’t think that much time had passed at all, but you couldn’t summon it, couldn’t recall the fondness in his voice when he said your name or the cadence of his laugh, no matter how hard you tried.

The grief hit harder than any curse. Your body wracked with sobs as you sat on the bathroom floor, clutching your chest as you mourned him all over again.)

“It’s a nice place,” Suguru comments quietly. He’s stepping further into your space, fingers trailing over the photo frames lining the wall as he looks around your small apartment. “Cosy. I like it.”

“You shouldn’t be here,” you say again breathily, as if repeating yourself could somehow undo your decision.

You watch as he takes a seat on your couch. You stay rooted to the door, back straight, mouth dry. Almost transfixed at the sight of him. 

Alive. 

“How have you been?” 

“I’m fine,” you reply curtly. You have your guard up. He can’t fault you for that.

“You don’t seem fine. When’s the last time you had a full night's sleep?”

You scoff lightly at that. “Do any of us sleep well anymore?” 

Suguru shifts forward slightly, resting his forearms on his knees. He watches you for a long, quiet moment before he speaks again. 

“I’m asking about you.”

“Suguru- I- What?” you ask in exasperation. “What do you want? Why are you here?”

There’s an unreadable expression on his face when he looks back up at you. 

When he doesn’t reply immediately, you continue. “You can’t just- just show up here- when I haven’t seen you in two years- and ask me how i’m doing like nothing happened-”

“…I saw you on that bridge last night.”

A tightness grips your chest. 

“What?” you breathe, fast and sharp. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” 

There’s really no point denying it, the pure shock on your face being admittance enough, but you pull away, crossing your arms in front of you defensively.

“I was out trying to absorb a curse,” he says slowly, eyeing you knowingly. “A little close to Jujutsu Tech for my liking, but eh, a special grade curse like that one was worth the risk. I thought my eyes were deceiving me at first, but your cursed energy was unmistakable.”

You swallow hard, refusing to meet his gaze. 

“You were sitting there, on the edge of that bridge. Crying and looking like you had given up on everything,” he continues, voice strained. “For one fucking moment I thought you were going to j—”

“I don’t know what you saw,” you cut him off harshly, eyes narrowed. “But it’s not what you’re thinking. If you’ve come here because of some misguided sense of obligation, or guilt, or whatever— just don’t. I don’t need it.”

“Obligation?” Suguru repeats incredulously, furrowing his eyebrows like you’ve just said something ridiculous. “You don’t know how worried I was. You really think I only came because of-” he stops himself and lets out a tight exhale. 

He says nothing, just quietly studies the look on your face. The silence stretches on, and you shift under the weight of his gaze. You wish there were somewhere to run.

“It doesn’t matter what it was. I don’t need an explanation,” he says finally. “You don’t owe me one, either.”

“Then- then what?”

“I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” Suguru says softly. “That’s why I came.”

“So? he asks. Gently, patiently. “Are you?” 

You’re taken aback by his unexpected question. No one has asked you that in a long time. You don’t know what to say.

That’s one thing about Suguru you’ve always liked. A quiet observer. Eyes that always saw too much, and yet he always knew when to push back and when to stay still. Someone who never demanded anything more than what you were ready to give.

You could lie to him, then maybe he would go away, and you could pretend this was all part of a bad dream. But there’s something so disarming about the way he’s looking at you - you’ve found yourself at the receiving end of his sensitivity again, and perhaps it cracks open something raw inside of you. Some part of you that’s been dying to be honest with someone, desperate to be seen and heard.

Some part of you thinks he might be the only one who understands.

“...I don’t know.” 

Lately, you’ve started feeling like you’re the problem. Too emotional for a Jujutsu sorcerer. Too soft, unable to simply swallow down your grief, unable to detach from the misery of it all. 

You didn’t know what you were doing on that bridge last night either. You had found yourself there after a difficult mission, feeling emptier than ever before. Your legs had carried you to that spot before you were even fully aware of it. And then you were climbing the railing, staring down below at the vastness of the water, illuminated only by the moonlight. 

“I wasn’t planning to jump, alright? I’m not- I didn’t- that wasn’t it.”

He nods once, but stays silent. Listening.

“I was just tired,” you mutter defeatedly. “Tired, and looking for a way out.”

You’ve always thought it was silly to call this a job. Being a sorcerer, taking down curses, the Jujutsu world - it’s all you’ve ever known. There’s no clocking out, no weekends off. Instead, there are violent fates and grisly ends. Names too young to be carved on tombstones.

The guilt you feel is unfathomable.

The future laid out for you is inescapable.

The cursed technique you wield isn’t a gift. It’s a life sentence.

If you can’t see an out, it’s only because you’ve never known anything else.

“Sometimes… I just wish I could run away from it all,” you whisper. You taste the words on your tongue, and it feels like a sin to have spoken at all. “Turn my back on this stupid Jujutsu world.”

You let out a shaky exhale. You’ve never admitted that to anyone out loud before. You hadn’t meant for the words to spill out of your mouth, but you find yourself unable to stop yourself now.

All this time, not a word or whisper from him and yet you’d somehow found yourself thinking that maybe you finally understood what it felt like to be in his shoes. To make the choices he did. To be familiar with the darkness that festers in the pit of your stomach, an all-consuming rot. To hold the kind of grief that turns to indescribable rage when no one’s looking.

Back when Suguru defected, you yearned to make sense of why it all happened. Why things unfolded the way they did. You couldn’t fathom the choices he had made. Now, you think you face the same desperation he must have felt back then. Somewhere along the way, that longing for Suguru had grown into something that looked like understanding.

“Suguru,” your voice cracks, and your eyes burn. “It’s just- It’s just– There’s only one of me. There’s only so many of us.”

Giving up your lives for a completely fruitless sacrifice. Like trying to stop the sun from rising or the world from spinning.

There’s a brief flash of surprise across Suguru’s features, like he hadn’t expected you to say that. 

He doesn’t say anything at first. Then, he rises from his seat, crossing the distance in your tiny apartment towards where you’re standing. Gingerly, his hand comes to rest against your cheek, brushing away a stray tear you hadn’t realised had fallen. 

“Is that- Is that… what it felt like for you? Back then.” You say it like it’s a plea.

Tell me I'm not going crazy. 

Tell me you understand. 

“I think so, yeah.” He laughs quietly, looking away. “It felt like I was drowning. I was tired of fighting a losing battle. Of feeling like sorcerers like me and you are—”

“—Expendable,” you finish for him.

“Yeah,” he says bitterly. “And what’s the purpose in that?”

“I’m sorry,” you say. You don’t know how else to reply. You hate that he felt that way, all alone. You hate that you’ve come to empathise with the same decisions you would’ve once been horrified at.

“Don’t be. It isn’t your fault. None of it was.”

There’s hesitation before he speaks again. “I should be the one saying sorry… for everything. For leaving you like that.”

(— You think back to the last kiss you pressed to his lips before he left for that fateful mission. There were three heavy words hanging off the tip of your tongue, but you had been way too shy back then. You hadn’t wanted to be the first one who said it. Suguru was drifting away then, and you had seen it. You thought maybe that would have been enough to get him to let you in.

“Hm? Did you say something?”

“It’s nothing. Come back soon.”)

I love you.

But love wouldn’t have been enough to change anything. You know that more than ever now.

More tears reach your eyes, and you raise your hand to rub at your face, flustered. Even though you knew you would have been powerless to stop him from leaving, the guilt had still consumed you for a long time. You hadn’t realised how badly you needed to hear that. How badly you wanted to see him again.

There’s silence for a few minutes as he soothes you, letting you wet his shirt sleeves with your tears. He only pulls you in tighter when you sniffle loudly, the overwhelming sense of helplessness biting at you. His presence is the only thing that drowns it all out. 

You can’t help but think about all the time lost. All the time you could’ve been spending with him, instead of just missing him. 

“Thank you,” Suguru murmurs after a while. “For letting me in. I didn’t think you would have wanted to see me, but I was trying my luck”

“How could I not have wanted to see you?”

I waited for you every day. 

I searched for you in my dreams. 

“I don’t know,” he sighs. “I wouldn’t blame you either. Besides, your place wasn’t exactly easy to find.”

It’s true - in the weeks and months after Suguru’s defection, the higher-ups had been in uproar, afraid he would somehow come and convince you to join him. A special-grade and a promising first-grade sorcerer joining hands was a possibility they had to shut down at all costs. They had you moving from place to place every so often, calling it a “precautionary measure”.

“That wasn’t by choice,” you mutter. In 2 years alone, you’ve been sent to countless cities and made to move apartments 9 times. Never allowed to stay in one place for too long. Someone’s watchful eyes always on you. 

“I did try to keep my eye on you here and there, though.” He gives you a teasing grin. Trying to lighten the mood. “Saw you on your birthday last year. Pretty dress. You looked cute.”

“What?” You splutter incredulously.

He shrugs. “I just figured you’d be celebrating it at that old izakaya you like. And I was right.”

And then more quietly this time, he adds, “I just missed you. Wanted to see how you were doing. You looked happy. I was glad.”

You blink rapidly and look away, feeling your face heat up. He‘s been looking for you? 

Your last birthday was the most miserable one ever, but you don’t tell him that. You had come home and cried your eyes out on the couch, feeling like you’d never be able to get over the pain of losing him. You only liked that izakaya place because of him, anyway.

“You missed me?” you repeat, hanging onto that word.

“I miss you,” he corrects, his voice low. “Present tense.” He’s looking at you with those eyes again, scanning your face for your reaction. 

You feel your heart pounding faster than it did when you saw him at your door.

As teenagers, you were a timid thing. Too restrained, a little insecure of yourself, and always waiting for Suguru to initiate something instead. He’d steal you away to make out with you, or sneak into your dorm room at night, and you would gladly let yourself get swept up by it. But you were always waiting for him to make a move first, far too doubtful of yourself and of whatever existed between the two of you.

When Suguru left, you regretted everything. Regretted not telling him you love him, as if that would have been enough to hold him from breaking. Regretted not being more forward with your feelings, for not having the courage to try and peel back his layers. 

This time, you don’t hold back when you lean in to kiss him. 

Suguru’s response is instantaneous, hands moving to the back of your neck as he kisses you back fervently. You’re unsteady at first, but quickly find yourself desperate as you moan into his mouth, pawing at his shirt, his arms, then his abs, as his fingers tangle in your hair. 

How is he here? You can’t believe you’re touching him. That he’s even in front of you at all. 

“You’re really here,” you whisper. Relief washes over you as you take him in again. Relishing the feeling of his lips on yours. The warmth of his touch and the smell of his skin. “I missed you, I missed you so fucking much.”

 “I- I- I had to pretend you were dead. I couldn’t take the uncertainty. I couldn’t take not knowing who you were anymore, not knowing if you were hurt, if you were okay—” you ramble. You find yourself tearing up again as Suguru pulls away to look at you.

“You know me,” he replies, with certainty in his eyes. He kisses your forehead. “Only you know me.”

You know me. 

You know me. 

Your heart sings with the joy of being next to him again. 

You stumble towards the couch together, exchange messy, desperate kisses. Suguru pulls you onto his lap so you’re straddling him, another hand settling on your waist as you grind down on him. He’s intentionally letting you set the pace, slowing down so you can take charge.

“This is- ah- all very unlike you.”

“I’ve changed,” you whisper back resolutely.

“Is that so?” he teases. “I’ll have to take my time and find out how.” 

Suguru’s hand finds its way up under your shirt, and your breath hitches when he unhooks your bra easily. It’s hard to contain your sounds as he cups your breasts, brushing his fingers over your hardened nipples. It’s been so long since you’ve been touched that you find yourself practically shaking from the stimulation, your movements stilled.

“You’re so sensitive,” he groans, “my pretty girl.”

It’s all a bit of a blur from there. The next moment, Suguru has you spread out on the couch, his hands holding your thighs apart while he dips his tongue into your dripping core. When he adds a finger in, you whine and buck your hips hard, earning a gentle nibble on your inner thigh.

“Stay still for me, baby.”

“Can’t, can’t, s’ too much—”

You’re naked except for your panties, tugged to the side as he hungirly laps at your pussy. It’s a filthy sight. The way Suguru’s lips shine with your slick in the darkened room, his pupils blown wide with pure desire. His hair slipped out of its bun some time ago, now a mess from your hands running through it. 

You pull him up to kiss him just as he sinks another finger inside you. You moan into his mouth, raw and unrestrained as he grazes your sensitive walls. 

“Want you- want you inside me, fuck. Please, please.”

“Okay, baby, okay—” you’re pulling off his shirt before he can even finish, tossing it across the room.

The light in the living room is dim, but even then it’s clear that he’s all broad shoulders and hardened muscle. He’s so different, and yet… entirely the same. Still feels like your Suguru. You were touching him earlier, but seeing him standing shirtless as he undoes his belt makes you dizzy with want.

He bends down and picks you up like it’s nothing, scooping you up in his arms and carrying you down the hallway to your bedroom.

You giggle into his neck, pretending to resist. “A big, bad man’s kidnapping me.” Your chest feels light in a way it hasn’t felt in months.

“That’s right,” Suguru laughs as he gently sets you down on the bed. “And I’ll eat you up if you don’t behave.”

The crinkling of his eyes and the genuine smile on his face are something you thought you would never see again. You hold his gaze for a moment, trying to capture it in your memory. 

“Lie back,” he murmurs. “Let me look at you.”

You flush as you lie back down on the bed, heart thudding as you slowly spread your legs. He settles between your parted thighs before lowering down to kiss you. 

It’s a mess - his fingers wet with your slick, his cock leaking precum as he taps it once, twice against your clit. It catches against your hole, making you gasp, before he eases himself in.

You both groan from the sensation. It’s so much, you feel him up to your stomach, and he’s pressing against your walls in a way that makes you breathless. 

“I- hngh- it’s a lot. I haven’t- I haven’t-”

“Doing so good.”’He soothes you with another kiss. “My pretty girl.”

Your head spins as he fucks you, mewling as you throb and clench around him. He pushes your legs up to your chest, and the new angle has him pushing into your deeper than before, the dizzying feeling of intrusion in your lower belly unrelenting as his cock kisses your most sensitive spots. You can only look at him helplessly, with half-lidded eyes and flushed cheeks, as he fucks you. 

You’re like a tied knot coming undone underneath him. Waves and waves of pleasure crash over you, leaving you unable to tell when one orgasm ends and another one starts. Suguru sings praises in your hair, and you grip onto him harder, wishing the moment would never end. 

He flips you over so you’re on all fours, pushing down on your back so you arch for him. You start whining again, thighs quivering from your orgasm. 

“That’s it,” he rasps. “You’re—” he grabs the meat of your ass and spreads you apart, “—so fucking hot like this.” 

You grip and pull at the sheets, practically sobbing from the overstimulation. It’s so much all at once, the heavy pressure of his cock dragging along your walls, and you’re struggling to stay in place as he ruts into you. 

You’re a shaking, mewling mess when Suguru finally finishes inside you, his warm cum filling you up and trickling down your thighs. 

He collapses down beside you with a groan. You’re barely coherent, too caught up in the residual pleasure still washing over you.

You feel his arms wrap around you, a hand moving to stroke your hair. “Pretty girl,” he murmurs. “Angel. You okay?”

You nod faintly into his chest, still catching your breath. You think about all the times spent just like this; curled up next to him in a bed too small for the both of you. Your first kiss, your first time, your first love — it's been him from the very start.

If you could have just one thing; one selfish desire - it would be to keep this moment forever.

You turn towards Suguru, and he’s already looking at you, that same gentle affection on his face. His lips part, as if to say something. 

That's when it hits you.

Sudden, sharp, and clear as day. 

The real reason, that despite the yearning in your chest, you were so afraid of seeing him again.

Terrified, not of who they say he is now, and not even of the blood on his hands.

You were terrified he would appear at your door in the dead of night, looking at you with the same quiet fondness in his eyes. Terrified that with an outstretched hand, an open invitation, he’d undo everything you’ve tried to run away from with three simple words.

“Come with me.”

Terrified because you knew you would say yes.

The world wouldn’t be any kinder, your futures not any less uncertain. 

But he’s here.

It would be enough for now.

a/n: this was a dynamic i really wanted to explore - someone who could meet suguru with a shared sense of understanding. where he won’t have to explain or justify his beliefs or traumatic experiences. thinking about the comfort they would probably find in each other... in some ways i wanted this to be a mirror of the grief and loss many of us feel at some point in our lives… and the feeling of wanting to be heard and held by someone!! anyways please do let me know what you think! your likes, comments, and reblogs would mean so much to meeee <3

[baskinbucky]

come back, be here.

pairing: avenger!bucky x fem!avenger reader

blurb: a mission failed, and a broken heart returned back at the headquarters, and despite having to save almost everyone, Bucky blames himself for it.

wc: 1.1k

a/n: i wrote this when i suddenly felt gloomy on a random thursday. this might be narrative heavy.

warnings: angst no comfort. mentions of death. reader left bucky some mementos to remember by. pre-established relationship between reader and bucky! oh, and reader is an honorary sister to bruce and tony.

The crisp walls, silence of the hospital wing, and a heartbeat monitor was home to Bucky for a while now. His features even more ragged and exhaustion evident in his physique. If one were to ask how was his sleep, he’d say he did not have one, not even a blink.

Every time that the doctors walked in to check your vitals, Bucky’s had that particular glimmer in his eyes, hope, that seems to be fading at every visit and at his every breath. It had been at least two birthdays that you’ve missed, and everyone still celebrated it within the hospital wing you’re confined on, and not back at the Avengers Tower.

As much as Clint, Steve, and Nat visited you so often, Bucky never left. It was as if he’d only bathe himself in sunlight if he goes out to buy a can of coke when the vending machines run out of them. Tony and Bruce, on the other hand, finds another way to bring you back home at the tower. They’ve completed a portion of the monitor, but it dramatically fails at any demonstration—yet they never gave up to bring it closer to perfection, so they can bring you back home.

There came a time when Bucky finally caved in and let Bruce, Natasha, and Tony stay by your side—pleading promises to them that even a slightest twitch of your finger, they must call him. There was a heavy, deafening silence within the room that none of the three decided to speak, and they knew how much you mean to Bucky and how Bucky meant to you—and seeing you both struggle so much after everything you both have been through, it aches them in such a way that even the slightest whisper of your name hurts their heart in ways imaginable.

The severe injuries you sustained upon saving civilians from ground zero has placed you in a position that made you choose between your life or theirs, and for you, it’s better to try and save everyone than sleep a wink knowing you did not even try, and that terrified you, because you know what its like to live a life that’s been in imminent danger and have no idea how to seek help.

Bruce moved closer to your bed and so did Tony, they were the closest to you simply because you three were tech geniuses and often times bonded through a game of golf and charity works when time allows. Tony felt like it was partly his fault because he was not able to find you under the rubble, but Bruce blames himself because he was not able to catch you from falling after one of your suits failed to operate, and Nat? Nat could only think of her sadness in the confinements of her room and ask herself why didn’t she just took the fall instead of you.

Yet no one dared to speak just yet.

because in their head, they knew they had to do something, but they knew in their heart, you wouldn’t blame them for it and coax them that whatever happened to you, is your choice alone and none of it reflects them.

“please, sweetheart, come home to us.”

was the words Tony could only muster, taking a seat at the edge of your bed while his hand holds yours.

“pepper misses you so much, you know? she asked me to tell you that as soon as you wake up, you both are going to Bali.” Tony pauses.

“I know you can hear me, sweetheart, I know you’re in there, just–just let us know you’re still here with us too.”

nothing—not even a twitch of finger gives them a sign that you’re there.

and it broke their hearts to see you all tangled up with a multitude of wires, replenishing of IV bags, and hell, even drawing out your blood for testing again and again just to make sure you have not suffered internal damage.

The three were pulled out of the reverie when Bucky returns with cups of coffee and sandwiches for them, he shaved and had his hair trimmed after Clint and Steve successfully convinced him. Sam came with him to visit and much to his surprise, he watches how Bruce and Tony took care of you like you’re their younger sister—their eyes bore into you with such longing.

“Tony, do you think she’ll wake up?”

“I don’t know anymore. All I could do is hope and wish that she will.”

Bucky stood silent, quietly placing down the paper bags on the table as he watches Bruce and Tony look at you ever so gently, Tony’s hands gently cup your cheeks, while Bruce’s gently threads his fingers through your hair.

All Natasha could do was watch and smile sadly as she watches the pair, not noticing the a bead of tear falling down to her cheeks. Sam notices how Natasha tries to keep her composure and moves towards her, handing her his handkerchief while Bucky stood idle—trying not to burst into tears as well.

and until now, Bucky blames himself for it.

He blames himself because he did not make it on time—he was already too late when he got to you. You were all bloodied up and to brink of unconsciousness, the only thing that’s keeping him to believe that you’re still with him during that time was your breathing slowing down, taking in air felt such a huge pain in your chest.

“I can’t breathe, it hurts.”

Everyone turned around to face Bucky, their expressions looked like they’ve seen a ghost—because they knew that he was the last person that held you and was able to talk to you before ultimately passing out.

“t-that’s what she said before she went into coma, she.. I.. we planned on making dinner for everyone that day,” Bucky says, his breathing hitch like everything that had happened that day two years ago come back haunting him like a ghost of time.

and on that day, he could recall the ghosts of his past and his future haunting him for something he never expected to happen, and that scared him.

Every memory with you aches his heart with yearning for your warmth, your smile, your kisses, that he believes he doesn’t deserve yet he got to feel with you anyway, it felt like it’s his karmic residues coming to take everything away from him, and that includes you, slipping away from his grasp the longer you laid on the hospital bed—slowly being wilted in time that stopped two years ago.

“If… If I could turn back time, I’d rather have me in that bed than she.”

and with that, Bucky burst to tears, and everyone in the room engulfed themselves in a hug that could only be mended with time, hoping that whoever is up there that is listening, could grant them even a short period of time to be with you.

and until then, it’s through wet pillow cases and eventual hugs from the people you love could help them hold each other this time, even in uncertainties of what the future holds for them, and for you.

end of part one! :)

[shimmerandink]

Arcane characters reacting to you coming home drunk

Tags: mention of alkohol, mention of drinking, 18+

Jayce/Viktor/Vi/Caitlyn/Jinx/Ekko/Silco/sevika

Jayce

It was past midnight when Jayce heard the apartment door creak open.

Odd. You were supposed to be out with friends, just a casual drink or two, but you never came home this late without texting him.

He stood from the couch, already halfway through unbuttoning his dress shirt from a long day at the Council Hall. A flicker of worry tensed in his chest as he moved toward the hallway, just in time to hear something crash against the wall.

“…I meant to do that,” came your voice, a little too loud. “Totally intentional.”

Jayce blinked as you appeared around the corner, one shoe missing, jacket half off your shoulders, cheeks flushed bright pink. Your eyes lit up when you saw him.

“Jayyyce!” you grinned, arms thrown wide like he was a prize you’d just won. “You’re home!”

“You’re home,” he said slowly, eyebrows raised. “Very… ungracefully.”

You stumbled a little, tripped over absolutely nothing, and then caught yourself on the wall with a dramatic gasp.

“These floors are slippery. You should talk to whoever designed them.” You squinted. “Wait. Was that you?”

Jayce bit back a laugh, scrubbing a hand down his face. “Gods, how much did you drink?”

“I don’t remember,” you sang. “But there was a shot called The Firelight. It tasted like betrayal and cinnamon.”

He reached for you instinctively as you took another wobbly step, gently wrapping his arms around your waist to steady you. You melted against him like a satisfied puddle.

“You’re warm,” you mumbled into his shirt. “And very shiny.”

“Shiny?”

You blinked up at him, poking his chest like you’d discovered a new species. “Councilman muscles.”

Jayce snorted. “Okay, time for water. Lots of water. And maybe food.”

“What I want is you, a blanket, and maybe, hear me out, a bathtub full of mashed potatoes.”

He sighed, fond, exasperated, and a little bit in awe of how adorable you could be while clearly obliterated. “You’re going to hate yourself tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow Me can fight me.”

Jayce guided you gently to the couch, helping you sit down while kicking off your other shoe for you. He tucked a throw blanket over your shoulders and disappeared to grab a glass of water and some crackers. When he returned, you were already dozing, head tipped back, mouth parted slightly.

He sat beside you, brushing your hair gently from your face, heart softening. You always brought chaos into his order, light into his seriousness, and even drunk out of your mind, you still somehow made his world better.

“Sleep, Firelight,” he murmured. “I’ve got you.”

Viktor

Viktor wasn’t expecting you to come home that late. He had stayed in the lab longer than planned, lost in a maze of notes and calculations, but the moment the clock crept past 1:00 AM and you still hadn’t messaged him, he began to worry.

So when he finally heard the front door click open, followed by a loud, clumsy thud and a muffled groan, he pushed back from his desk with a sigh, and his cane, already expecting the worst.

“I’m fine!” you called out before he even entered the hallway. “Totally fine. No injuries. I only fell… twice. Maybe three times.”

“Ah. So a record-breaking night,” Viktor said dryly, stepping into the dimly lit hallway to find you crouched on the floor, wrestling with your boots like they had personally wronged you.

You looked up at him with wide eyes and a dramatic gasp. “Viktor!”

Your whole face lit up in that way it only did when you were drunk and thrilled to see him.

“You’re here. You’re so smart. And handsome. And you smell like ink and genius.”

He blinked. “That’s… oddly specific.”

You stumbled toward him with open arms, nearly taking him out as you hugged him tight. “I missed you all night. Everyone kept talking and laughing and the drinks kept… multiplying.”

He steadied you with one arm around your back and one hand gently gripping your forearm, guiding you toward the couch. “Drinks cannot multiply, dear. That’s not how alcohol works.”

“That’s what you think. You haven’t met the tequila fairy.”

He let out a quiet laugh, sitting you down with practiced care. His touch was gentle, his voice low, soothing.

“Did gravity offend you tonight, or were you simply trying to challenge it?”

You giggled as he helped remove your jacket, your fingers flopping uselessly. “It started it.”

“I’m sure.”

He disappeared for a moment and came back with a glass of water, kneeling beside you as he handed it over. You stared at it like it was an ancient artifact.

“What’s this?”

“Life-saving hydration,” he said patiently. “Drink, or tomorrow you’ll regret your life choices.”

You downed half of it and then immediately burrowed into his shoulder with a content sigh. “You’re so soft.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Soft?”

“Emotionally.”

He smiled, just faintly, just for you.

“Only with you.”

You nuzzled against him sleepily. “I’m never drinking again.”

“You said that last time. And the time before.”

“Well now I mean it.”

Viktor stroked your hair gently, his voice dipping into something warm and steady. “Then I’ll be here next time too, ready with water and soft judgment.”

“You love me.”

“I do,” he said simply, resting his cheek against the top of your head. “Even when you bring home tequila fairies.”

Vi

The door slammed open with the kind of dramatic flair only someone very drunk could manage.

Vi, who had been lying on the couch with one leg draped over the backrest and a magazine she wasn’t really reading, shot upright.

“What the—”

“Baaaaaaabe,” your voice sang from the hallway, slurred and breathy like you were trying to seduce the air. “I live here now.”

“You already live here, dumbass,” Vi called back, rising from the couch with a grin pulling at her lips. “What the hell happened to one drink and then home?”

“They were very persuasive,” you said, stumbling into the room dramatically with your arms wide like a very friendly zombie. “They said I needed to have a good time. And I did. I’m like, 87% good time right now.”

Vi crossed her arms and arched a brow, trying to keep her cool, but the sight of you, with your hair slightly wild, eyeliner smudged from laughing too hard, and your shirt half untucked, made it really hard not to smile.

“Did anyone mess with you?” she asked, eyes narrowing slightly. “Anyone touch you weird? Say something they shouldn’t?”

You squinted at her. “Why? Are you gonna punch them?”

“That depends on how much they deserve it.”

You staggered closer and flopped against her, nearly knocking both of you over. She caught you with a grunt, steadying your swaying form and looping her arms around your waist.

“You smell like alcohol and bad decisions,” she muttered against your neck.

“You smell like heaven, punchy goddess of my heart,” you slurred, dramatically cupping her cheeks like you were proposing.

Vi let out a breathy laugh, grabbing your hands gently and pulling you down onto the couch with her.

“Alright, alright, lightweight. Let’s sit before you crack your head open trying to serenade me again.”

“You loved that serenade.”

“You were singing the Zaunite anthem to a breadstick,” she deadpanned.

You leaned into her with a proud little hum. “It was very moving.”

Vi chuckled again, pulling the throw blanket over you both and letting you rest your head against her shoulder. You were already starting to drift off, limbs heavy and thoughts slower by the second.

“You gonna take care of me tomorrow when I’m dying?” you mumbled.

Vi kissed your forehead. “Of course. I’ll even make you greasy breakfast and pretend not to say ‘I told you so.’”

“You’re perfect,” you sighed.

“Damn right I am,” she whispered, tucking you closer. “Now sleep before you throw up on my boots.”

Caitlyn

It was almost 2:00 AM when Caitlyn heard the front door click open with an unmistakably loud thud.

She had been reading by the fireplace, a cup of half-cold tea beside her and your text from earlier replaying in her mind: “just one drink!”

“Darling?” she called, her voice calm but sharp.

“Shhhh…” came your delayed reply. “I’m being… sneaky.”

Thud.

Caitlyn sighed deeply, already rising to her feet, heels clicking softly as she rounded the corner, only to find you trying (and failing) to kick your boots off without using your hands.

You looked up with an exaggerated gasp, eyes wide. “My lady of House Kiramman,” you slurred dramatically, “you are as radiant as ever.”

“And you are as intoxicated as I feared,” she said coolly, folding her arms. “You smell like… spiced rum and bad judgment.”

You wobbled toward her, arms open and entirely unapologetic. “Come here, my beautiful enforcer. Arrest me with your love.”

Caitlyn rolled her eyes, but she caught you nonetheless, steadying your balance with her hands on your hips. “You are absolutely insufferable when drunk.”

“You adore me.”

“That is tragically true.”

She guided you gently to the couch, helping you sit without collapsing entirely. You immediately flopped over, resting your head in her lap with a dramatic groan.

“Why are pillows illegal?” you mumbled into her thigh.

“They’re not,” she said dryly. “You’re simply too drunk to find one.”

She began undoing your coat buttons, careful and meticulous, her movements soft despite her mildly irritated expression.

“You’re lucky no one tried to take advantage of you,” she murmured, brushing hair from your face. “Zaun is one thing, but Piltover’s upper bars can be just as dangerous when you’re not paying attention.”

You peeked up at her. “Aww. Were you worried about me?”

“I always worry about you,” she said, finally letting her guard drop a little. “Because I love you. And because you have a tendency to get loud, flirty, and somewhat belligerent after two drinks.”

“I was charming.”

“You tried to flirt with a waiter by quoting a hextech patent,” she replied flatly.

You groaned and buried your face in her lap. “Kill me.”

Caitlyn chuckled softly and leaned down to kiss the top of your head. “Not tonight. But I am making you drink two glasses of water before bed and I’ll be waking you at 7 a.m. for a proper hangover lecture.”

“You’re such a cop.”

“And you love it.”

“Ugh. I do.”

She smiled, brushing her fingers along your jaw.

“Next time, you’re taking me with you. I’ll keep you out of trouble.”

“…But where’s the fun in that?”

Caitlyn sighed fondly. “You are the trouble.”

Jinx

The second you stumbled through the door, giggling to yourself and talking to your keys like they were alive, Jinx knew something was up.

She was upside down on the couch, literally, legs over the back, blue hair spilling onto the floor, when she spotted you swaying into the hallway.

“Oooooh no,” she grinned, flipping upright in one fluid motion. “Who let you get this messed up without me?”

You blinked at her, glassy eyed and beaming. “Jinx!”

“The one and only, baby,” she laughed, already walking over to you. “And look at you, all floppy and flushed. Were you partying without me?”

“Maaaaybe,” you slurred. “But it wasn’t fun without you. They didn’t throw any explosives.”

“Ugh, amateurs.”

You leaned into her, arms loose around her shoulders, clinging more for balance than affection, but she held you tight anyway, grinning against your cheek.

“You smell like someone spilled a distillery on you,” she teased.

“They might have.”

“I should be mad, but honestly? This is hilarious.”

She dragged you toward the couch and tossed you down like a sack of potatoes, then flopped beside you, bouncing your leg with hers.

“Tell me everything. Who danced on a table? Who cried in the bathroom? Who did you threaten to fight?”

You slurred something incoherent, which made her snort.

“Okay, new plan. You talk later. Water now.”

She disappeared and came back with a huge glass and a straw, because, in her words, “sippy cups are for cowards, and straws are sexy.” She handed it to you with a mischievous wink.

“Drink up, buttercup. If you puke on my boots, I’ll never let you live it down.”

“You’d still kiss me after.”

“Debatable,” she smirked. “Depends on how cute you look mid vomit.”

You took a sip and laid your head on her shoulder. Jinx quieted just a little, her fingers tapping gently along your knee.

“Y’know,” she said after a beat, “I kinda hate when you’re out without me.”

“Jealous?”

“Maaaybe,” she hummed. “But also, if anyone messed with you, I will blow up their mailbox. Just say the word.”

“You’re the best.”

“Duh,” she smirked, pulling a blanket over you both. “Now sleep, drunkie. You’ll need your energy for tomorrow.”

“For what?”

“For me. Payback party. I’m bringing fireworks and slingshots.”

“…oh no.”

“Oh yes.”

Ekko

You stumble through the door of Ekko’s hideout in the Undercity, giggling at nothing and clearly out of it. Your eyes are glassy, and your coat is only half on as you fumble with the zipper, completely unaware of the figure watching you from the corner with crossed arms.

Ekko raises a brow, stepping out of the shadows.

“Well damn… Look who decided to show up lookin’ like they fought gravity and lost.”

His voice is casual, teasing even, but the tightness in his jaw betrays his concern.

You blink, swaying.

“Ekko! You’re so pretty… like, like a clock… no, a time wizard. A sexy time wizard.”

He snorts. “Okay, you’re definitely drunk.”

Ekko steps forward and gently catches you as you nearly trip over your own feet, steadying you by the waist. You lean into him with a dramatic sigh, your forehead dropping to his shoulder.

“Didn’t mean to worry you,” you mumble.

He doesn’t answer right away. Instead, he walks you to the beat up couch, helping you sit before crouching in front of you.

“You didn’t answer your comm,” he says, voice lower now. “You go topside and come back smelling like glitter and regret, and you think I’m not gonna worry?”

You blink slowly.

“Glitter and regret smell good…”

He can’t help the laugh that escapes him. Despite himself, he presses a quick kiss to your forehead.

“We’re talkin’ about this tomorrow. And you’re drinkin’ water. Like, a lot.”

You groan and fall back onto the couch, throwing an arm over your eyes.

“You love me.”

Ekko chuckles as he places a glass of water in your hand.

“Yeah, yeah. But if you puke on my jacket, we’re fighting.”

Silco

You barely manage to unlock the door to Silco’s office. The metal creaks louder than usual as you stagger in, clumsy and giggling to yourself.

He’s at his desk, of course, pen in hand, papers spread out, always working, always composed. His single visible eye lifts slowly. He doesn’t speak, but his expression tightens.

“You’re late.”

His voice is cold, measured. But his hands have stilled.

You sway, offering a crooked smile.

“Time’s fake anyway.”

He sets his pen down with a soft click.

“Are you drunk?”

“Only a little. Maybe a lot. Depends on how you define drunk.”

You hiccup and laugh, and for a second, it looks like he might sigh.

He stands and crosses the room in calm, deliberate steps. You don’t notice the slight tremor in his hand until he reaches out to steady you.

“I told you to send a message if you were going topside.”

“I didn’t forget,” you lie, wrapping your arms lazily around his waist.

“I just got distracted. With… you know. Shots.”

He huffs through his nose, a sound that could almost be called amused if you didn’t know him better.

“And who exactly let you stumble through the Lanes like this? Alone?”

You shrug. “Some guy tried to flirt with me. I told him I belonged to the Eye of Zaun.”

That catches his attention. His brow lifts.

“Did you?”

You nod, proud. “Told him if he touched me, you’d drown him in shimmer.”

There’s a long pause.

Then, quietly, so softly only you would hear it:

“…Good girl.”

He helps you sit down gently on the couch in the corner of his office, removing your coat with surprising care.

“Drink this,” he says, placing a glass of water in your hand.

“And don’t ever make me wonder if something’s happened to you again.”

You blink at him, lips curling into a lazy smile.

“You were worried.”

He leans in, brushing his lips against your temple.

“Of course I was. You’re the only thing in this city I can’t replace.”

Sevika

You stumble through the back door of the Last Drop, coat half off and shoes in your hands, trying (and failing) to sneak in unnoticed.

Sevika’s sitting at the bar, cigar between her lips, eyes narrowed. She doesn’t move, just watches you, unimpressed.

“Seriously?”

Her voice cuts through the quiet like a blade.

“You’re walkin’ around the Undercity barefoot, drunk, and lookin’ like a half dead pigeon.”

You hiccup. “Helloooooo, gorgeous…”

She sighs, slouching back against the bar and flicking some ash off her cigar.

“You got a death wish or somethin’? What were you even drinkin’?”

“Everything.”

That earns a short, dry laugh. She stands up slowly and walks toward you, boots heavy on the wooden floor. One arm snakes around your waist before you tip over, pulling you upright with an ease that’s equal parts frustrating and hot.

“Of course. You’d go out gettin’ plastered without backup. Fuckin’ brilliant.”

You lean your head on her shoulder, giggling.

“But I came back to youuu…”

Sevika rolls her eyes, but her grip on you tightens.

“Yeah, yeah. Lucky for you, I don’t let people I like get shanked in alleys.”

She steers you toward the back room, muttering curses under her breath the whole way. You nearly trip on the doorway, but she catches you with her prosthetic arm like it’s nothing. It’s warm, buzzing faintly with a low hum, and it steadies you more than you care to admit.

“Sit. Drink water. And if you puke on my bed, you’re cleanin’ it with your damn teeth.”

You flop down dramatically. “You careeee…”

She growls, dragging a blanket over you as she tosses the cigar out.

“Shut up and sleep it off. You can be annoying when you’re sober too, don’t make this a habit.”

But later, when you’ve dozed off, Sevika pulls the blanket higher, brushing your hair from your face with her human hand. She watches your breathing settle, then mutters so quietly it’s barely audible,

“…Dumbass. Should’ve known you’d find a way under my skin.”

[lillaydee]

I'm Right Here Part 10

BFF!Joel Miller / F Reader

Sometimes the person we've been looking for has been right there all along.

@copperhalfcent, @demonsasss, @bergamote-catsandbooks, @peelieblue @liciafonseca @ultra-nina-bella @joelmillerpascal @kirsteng42 @heartpatch @capnjaket

Let me know if you want to be tagged or removed from the tag list

WARNINGS: BFF Joel Miller, Protective Joel (The Last of Us), Joel is Bad at Feelings (The Last of Us), Good Parent Joel (The Last of Us), Angst, Love Triangles, Miscommunication, Past Child Abuse, Alternate Universe - No Cordyceps Outbreak (The Last of Us), Joel Needs a Hug (The Last of Us), Joel is a Clueless Idiot, Jealousy, Minor Character Death, Implied/Referenced/Supposed Sexual Assault, SEXUAL ASSAULT, SELF HARM, Joel has PTSD

SERIES MASTER LIST

Part 9

Joel pushed the door to your room softly, playfully saying ‘knock-knock’ when he saw his wife look up from her phone. He walked over to her, greeting her with a peck on the cheek, asking her how you were doing.

“Still asleep. She did wake up in recovery, apparently, but fell asleep again. They told me to call someone when she does. She might be in a bit of pain for a while, they said. But she should be okay.”

Joel placed the paper bag he was carrying on the table next to the couch, taking the ice pack he had brought with him out. He went over to the minibar and placed it in the little freezer.

“For her shoulder when she wakes up. She needs to ice it,” he told Annie.

“You know a lot about shoulder injuries,” she teased.

“Been around long enough to see it happen. Eddie used to keep one in the freezer just for her, even when she hadn’t been back in years. Had to throw one away from freezer burn once.”

Annie gave a refrained laugh, worried that she might wake you. She got up from her seat next to your bed and joined him on the couch. He got the sandwich he had brought for her out of the bag and passed it to her.

“So,” she began, taking a bite out of the sandwich, “This is the infamous Daze.”

Joel nodded slowly, his lips pursed into a pout. You hadn’t changed much, he thought. Your hair was different, but other than that, you were basically the same person he saw at the airport all those years ago.

“She’s much prettier up front. Taller than I thought she would be.”

Joel nodded again, a bit lost for words, not really knowing how to answer.

“You know,” Annie continued, “I’ve always been a bit jealous of her. Everyone loves her, she sounded perfect. Made me feel inadequate, to be honest, but that was okay since she wasn’t around. Well, she is now, and the first time I met her, she was in the ER, injured from saving my daughter’s life. As far as I’m concerned she’s literally an angel. I might hate her now,” she quipped, smiling at Joel.

He turned to meet her eyes, his face riddled with guilt.

“Annie…”

She patted his knee, shaking her head, telling him “I’m just kidding,” she assured him. “She seems lovely. And she’s here. She’s back.”

“Annie…”

Their conversation was interrupted by a quiet moan from you. Annie quickly passed the sandwich back to Joel, going over to you. You were groggy to say the least. Annie pushed the call button, gently placing her hand on your shoulder when you tried to get up.

“No Daze, you should lie back down. Your shoulder, honey. Stitches.”

You sort of froze for a bit, looking around the room, confused as fuck.

“You were in an accident, remember? You just had surgery. You are in the hospital,” she gently told you, her hand still on your good shoulder, trying to prevent you from getting up again.

Recognition and recall came to your eyes, and you slumped back into the pillow, your body relaxing. A nurse came in, checking your vitals. A doctor came in after, asking you some questions, smiling at your loopy answers.

“How’s your pain Miss Stevens?” he asked.

“Oh, my pain is amazing. Fire.”

He gave you a small laugh, telling the nurse to administer some pain meds to manage your pain. He turned to Annie and Joel, reminding them to keep your shoulder rested on the pillow for a while longer before leaving.

Annie quickly went to your bad shoulder as soon as they left, making sure the pillow propped behind you was fluffed up and comfy for you. When she tried to give you some water, you shrunk back as if she had just materialized out of thin air in front of you. You stopped when she held the straw to your lips, opening your mouth just enough for her to insert the straw in, taking sips of water, all the while eyeing her. You stopped taking sips at one point, but bit into the straw when she tried to pull the cup away from you. You continued drinking after a few beats, eyes unblinking, just staring at her, memory searching for recognition. You finally stopped drinking when the glass emptied. Annie filled it up and offered it back to you. This time, you looked at the cup warily before looking at her, suspicion in your eyes.

“Who are you? Why are you making me drink? Are you trying to poison me?”

She laughed. “You just drank a whole cup, and now you are asking if I’m trying to poison you?”

“I did?”

“Yeah, honey, you did.”

“Why are you calling me honey? Do I know you?”

“Hmm… technically no, but we’ve met. I’m Annie, remember? Sarah’s Mom? Joel’s wife?”

Your eyebrows scrunched. “Joel?”

“Yeah, Joel. Your childhood friend?”

Your bottom lip jutted out and you shrugged, before hissing in pain.

“No, honey, don’t move your shoulder yet,” Annie cooed, fixing your pillow again.

Joel sat up upon hearing your painful gasp. You turned your head towards him, as if only clocking his presence just then. Your eyes met his. He froze.

“Hey,” you whispered too Annie, far too loudly, tilting your head her way, eyes still on Joel, making Annie choke down a laugh. “Can you see him?” you asked, surreptitiously pointing at him with your head.

Annie played along, discreetly glancing at Joel from her seat before nodding at you.

“Who’s that?” you asked, looking conspiratorial, as if he wouldn’t be able to hear you. “He looks familiar.”

“Yeah?” she asked, “Where do you think you know him from?”

You appeared to be thinking hard, seemingly failing at any form of recollection. The nurse from before came back in, a syringe in her hand, emptying it into your cannula.

Your body relaxed immediately, but you were fighting to stay awake, eyes still on Joel.

“He looks like that guy…” you managed to mumble.

“What guy?”

“The guy who liked me and then didn’t. He was mean to me. He hurt me with his words.”

Annie’s heart sank. She turned to look at her husband, whose face was now the definition of heartbreak.

“Maybe he will make up for his words now,” she coaxed, taking your hand in hers, squeezing it a little. You squeezed back.

You blinked at her, slow, deliberate, drugged. Your next words came out slurred, drawn out.

“Nah. He’ll yell at me again. And then he’ll leave. Or he’ll make me leave.”

“Maybe he’s changed. Maybe he’ll come after you this time,” she tried again, her heart clenching at how heartbroken you seemed, despite your high.

You took a slow, deep, dragging breath. “No he won’t. He never did. I waited. He didn’t come after me. He never will.”

Annie was still struggling with what to say next when your eyes closed, your breathing relaxed, your grasp on her hand softened.

By the time Annie turned to look at Joel, he was gone, the door slowly closing behind him.

You woke up the next morning to whispering people. Olivia silently shrieked when she saw you were awake, coming over to give you a light hug. Eric and Benny kissed you on the forehead, all three somehow finding a place to sit on one side of your bed without overwhelming you. Will walked in a bit later with breakfast for everyone. Aunt Tina, Anita and Jake arrived just as your breakfast was brought to you. Breakfast was a merry event, so much laughter and joy shared, the nurse had to pop her head in a few times to get everyone to be a bit quiet. It was the hospital after all.

“Sorry we couldn’t visit yesterday babe,” Eric said. “But Annie said you were asleep anyway, and we thought we should let you rest.”

“I did drop by with Annie at first, but I had to go back to work. By the time I got off Annie said you were down for the day, they gave you something for the pain,” Olivia added.

“It’s okay guys. I’m fine. The nurses’ station is right outside my door.”

“Annie kept us updated though. Apparently you woke up for a few minutes but went back to sleep.”

“So… Annie was here?” you asked.

Everyone looked at each other awkwardly. “Uh… yeah,” Will said, “Are you okay with that? She was the only one available.”

“No, of course it’s okay.”

“Honey, we wanted to tell you about her and Sarah. But…” Anita began.

“No, it’s okay, I never wanted to know.”

The room was quiet again. You ate your pancake, quite aware of the eyes that were boring on you.

“You can ask, babe, we’ll answer,” Eric finally said.

“Sarah…”

“She’s Joel and Annie’s, not Jen’s,” Aunt Tina quickly answered.

You nodded. You didn’t quite know how to respond to that.

“What happened to Jen’s baby?”

“I think we should let Joel answer that, sweetie,” Anita said. “It’s better that way.”

You nodded, biting into another piece of pancake.

Anita got up from her seat and sat next to you on the bed. She placed her hand on your knee.

“Sweetie, are you okay?”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

“She’s a wonderful woman, Daisy, she helped him out a lot. She’s the reason he hasn’t gone off the rails,” Anita continued.

You nodded, swallowing your pancake with an audible gulp. “I’m sure she is. She seems nice. And Sarah seems like a wonderful girl.”

“She’s the light of our lives,” Anita told you, smiling, patting your knee once more before getting up and going back to her seat.

The door opened again, and Annie and Sarah popped their heads in. The silence roared back into a buzz of activities.

Annie came to your bedside, asking you if you remember who she was.

“Annie, right? Joel’s wife?” you asked, trying to keep the bitter bile you were tasting as you said those words from surfacing.

“Yeah, that’s me,” she said, “I take it the drugs have gone out of your system now?” she asked, smiling cheekily at you.

Your eyes widened. “Why? What happened? Oh God did I make an absolute fool of myself? Shoot, tell me you don’t have me on your phone saying stupid things,” you begged.

She laughed, patting her purse, “Oh, I just might. I’m gonna save it for when I really need a big favour from you though.”

You smiled. Great. She’s funny. And friendly. And pretty. And sweet. And married to Joel. And the family loved her. And she gave them all Sarah. Wonderful.

Just excellent.

“Listen,” she said, sitting down next to your bed. “I just wanted to thank you again, for saving Sarah. That girl is my life, Joel’s life. I don’t know how we could’ve survived if you didn’t…” she had to stop talking, choking a little, trying to hold back tears. “So… thank you. As far as I’m concerned, you are my hero, I owe you a life, and if you ever need anything… just ask.”

You just smiled. You didn’t know what to say, so you patted her hand awkwardly with your good hand reaching across your body.

“Auntie Daze?” a sweet voice called out to you. Your turned around to see Sarah standing on the other side of your bed, a cuddly-looking stuffed lamb in her hand. “I got this for you. It doesn’t make up for anything, but I want to say thank you again for saving me.”

“Oh,” you took it from her hand, “It’s lovely Sarah. Thank you. And please stop thanking me. I did what anyone would’ve done. I’m glad you’re okay. How’s your wrist?”

She lifted her wrapped hand slightly, telling you it hurt just a little bit, but she’ll live, thanks to you.

The door opened again, and Joel came in. The room went deadly quiet. Joel shuffled on his feet awkwardly for a few seconds before relaxing when Annie got up to take the paper bags full of breakfast he was holding off his hands, calling for Sarah to come have her breakfast.

“Can I have the last doughnut?” Benny piped up, making everyone roll their eyes. “Sorry,” Benny whispered to Eric. “The silence was awkward as fuck, okay?”

You busied yourself looking at the stuffed lamb Sarah brought you, smiling a little when you saw that it had a ribbon around it’s neck, ‘Eddie’ written in Sharpie on it.

Your stomach rumbled. Benny stopped bringing the last doughnut to his mouth, looking at you with his mouth open. “Fuck Daze, was that your stomach?”

You covered your face with your good hand, “Sorry! I hadn’t eaten anything since lunch yesterday! I guess I’m still a bit hungry,” you sheepishly said.

Benny looked at the doughnut in his hand, “You want the doughnut? I’ll go get you something from the café,” he offered.

Joel got up, taking one of the bags he brought with him to your bed. He placed a breakfast burrito and an orange juice on your tray, crumpling the bag.

“No, you have it, I’m okay. I can ask for more food,” you said, not looking at him.

“Eat, Daze. I got it for you,” he picked up the burrito and unwrapped it, handing it to you. He unscrewed the orange juice bottle and placed it back on your tray before going back to eat his breakfast with his family, Annie smiling warmly at you as her husband took his place next to her.

You placed the burrito back on the tray, biting your lips, trying hard not to let anyone see them tremble. You laughed at some joke Jake made, quipping something back just to stop yourself from tearing up. For some reason, you couldn’t eat his offering. You couldn’t look at the burrito, you couldn’t look at him. But you could feel his eyes on you.

Benny sat next to you and began feeding you the doughnut bit by bit, making dumb jokes until you laughed.

You loved seeing them all again. It felt right. You’ve missed this, spending time with all of them. They were the closest thing you had to a family. And you couldn’t blame them for not telling you about Annie and Sarah. You deliberately changed the subject every time they tried. You didn’t want to know. You were trying to move on. Hard. It’s been 15 years, and you really thought you had succeeded. But seeing him again, happily married to an obviously nice and beloved woman, one who was responsible for pulling him back from the abyss he was facing then at that, it hit you like a fucking brick in the face.

You left. You had to keep reminding yourself that. You left. You deliberately asked for an overseas assignment so that you could get away from him. You wanted to move on, make a life for yourself, one where no one was accusing you of possibly assaulting them and leaving you alone after begging you to stay. You were lost yourself, losing Eddie literally meant you were all alone. You remembered thinking to yourself – you were alone, might as well be alone. Really alone.

And now, what was it that you have, really? A great job, a great condo, great friends, and quite a few broken hearts. And the man who drove you to dump everything and leave? He’s married. Happy. With his Annie. And his Sarah.

It’s okay, you coaxed yourself. It’s only a few weeks. You’ll go back home soon. And once you got out of here, you’ll be busy sorting your aunt’s house, so that’ll take your mind off the Joel and the Annie and the Sarah. And then you could leave and go back to your lonesome life. It’s sad, to think of the loneliness that await, but at least you wouldn’t have to watch him play happy family with someone else.

It's stupid really. You chose to leave. You don’t get to boo-hoo that he moved on. Lay on the bed you made.

“Knock-knock!” a playful voice chirped as the door to your room opened. A huge bouquet of daisies made it’s way into your room, followed by Mike, looking slightly taken aback by the amount of people in the room.

“Mr Parks!” Sarah cheered. “Everyone, this is my art teacher, Mr. Parks. He brought me and Auntie Daze to the ER yesterday.”

Everyone got on their feet, except for Joel, Sarah and Annie – they’d met before. Anita and Aunt Tina gave him a hug, thanking him for taking you and their granddaughter to the ER. The poor man got overwhelmed, looking flustered at all the attention. He finally broke free from everyone, coming to your bedside, placing the huge bouquet of flowers by your bed.

“Sorry if it’s cheesy,” he said, scratching his head a little bit, “But your name is Daisy, and when I got to the florist all I could think of was to get you daisies. A bit of lazy thinking on my part.”

“It’s okay, I do love them, because of my name. So, hi Cheesy, I’m Cheesier.”

He laughed, sitting on the chair next to your bed. “How are you doing? They operated?”

You nodded.

“Does it still hurt? Do you need anything?”

“She needs ice packs for the swelling, Joel brought her one. It’s in the freezer,” Will quipped, going to the freezer to take it, handing it to Mike. “About 20 minutes every hour until the swelling is gone, or if it starts to hurt again,” he told him. He nodded.

It was then that you noticed how quiet the room had gotten. The whole room was just staring at you and Mike as he gently placed the ice pack on your shoulder, timing 20 minutes onto his phone.

“Well,” Eric said, picking up the bag that contained his and Benny’s breakfast, now filled with trash, “We should leave them to it. I’ll be back at dinnertime babe, you want anything?” he asked, breaking the others’ stupor. Everyone started cleaning up after themselves, getting ready to leave. Sarah came to hug you goodbye, waving goodbye to Mike, telling him she would see him Monday. She looked at you and Mike together for a while, a strange look on her face, before snapping out of it and leaving.

They all kissed you goodbye, save for Joel, Olivia telling you she would be back with extra lunch for you. Annie came to say goodbye, the same strange look on her face as she looked at you and Mike, before smiling sweetly at you and saying goodbye again. Joel stood by the door, the only one who did not come over to say goodbye to you. He stayed rooted where he was for a few seconds, looking at you and Mike, before nodding at you, giving you a sad smile, finally closing the door behind him as he left.

Mike stayed for quite a while, talking about nothing in particular. It was nice, talking to him. You asked him about his job, his family, and he in return asked about yours. It was just… easy. He even joked about your rumbling stomach, practically feeding you the burrito so you wouldn’t go hungry until noon. He bought you a selection of vending machine snacks, “Gotta make sure that tummy of yours stay full until your friend gets back here with lunch, I have a feeling you could get… uhm… challenging… if hangry,” he teased, placing the alarming assortment of chips and pretzels onto your lap, earning him a smack on the arm from you.

The two of you ended up hanging out, watching half a season of some National Geographic thing on TV together, his socked feet by your legs on your bed, half the snacks gone by the time you were done.

The door to your room opened, and Olivia walked in. She was failing miserably at hiding a smile off her face to see Mike still there, all comfortable next to you, feeding you pretzel sticks. “Oh, sorry!” she said, not looking sorry at all. She placed the bag of take out she had brought on the coffee table, “I’ll come back? Give you two some privacy?”

Mike looked at his watch, “Shit, is it noon already?” he flustered, looking embarrassed to have spent such a long time with you. “Sorry, I got carried away. You’re supposed to be resting,” he said, getting up.

“I don’t mind, you’re good company,” you quickly said, trying to sit up. He immediately helped you, propping the support pillow back in its place after plumping it a bit for you.

“Uhm, listen, do you mind if I come back tomorrow? We could watch the rest of that show?” he asked, his cheeks reddening a little.

For the first time in a long time, you could feel your face get hot. “Yeah, I’d really like that,” you nodded, giving him your phone for him to key in his number. He called his own phone from yours, asking if it’s okay to text you later today? You should be ashamed of how fast you said yes, your heart doubling in size at how happy he looked to hear your answer.

He put his jacket back on, “Well, ‘til then?” he asked. “Til then,” you nodded. He turned to look at Olivia, who suddenly seemed very interested at the painting of a cat on the wall behind the couch, before quickly bending down to give you a quick kiss on the cheek. He said goodbye to Olivia, who said goodbye back, an overly drawn and flirty one at that, complete with hair tossing and exaggerated head tilt.

You pretended to be studying the TV remote control when she turned to look back at you, her mouth hanging open in an excited smile. “Are you serious? He is so hot!”

“You’re married,” you reminded her, throwing an empty pack of pretzel sticks at her.

“You are not. Girl, get him!”

“I’m leaving in a few weeks.”

“So? Plans can change! Or, if not, at least you wouldn’t be lonely the next few weeks!”

You rolled your eyes as she plopped herself on the seat next to your bed, assuming Mike’s sitting position before interrogating you about the man for the next half an hour.

You fell asleep after Olivia left, waking up just as they sent you your evening tea. You went to the bathroom and took a long, wipe down shower, getting yourself as clean and fresh as you could after the whole travesty that was yesterday. Took you a while to clean your hair, chastising yourself for not thinking of it when Olivia was still around. After what felt like hours, you walked back into your room, feeling much more refreshed, albeit maybe regretting the hair wash as your shoulder was starting to hurt again. You got the ice pack out of the freezer, wanting to ice your shoulder again, when someone knocked on the door.

“Come in,” you called out distractedly, walking back to your bed. The door opened, a familiar looking lady standing just outside the door, hesitating to come in.

“Daisy,” she gently called out your name.

You turned around, your entire body going ice cold upon realizing who it was, and not from the ice pack.

“Jen.”

Part 11

[chaoscreaturewrites]

Call of duty, Captain Price, fluff, lil hurt/ comfort ish, domestic, injured reader

Walked right into him

Summary: y/n gets injured and blinded in a work accident. She keeps running into(literally) a kind man at the hospital who gives her his number. It's her first storm alone and the powers gone out and she's panicking. She calls him for help and he solves everything.

Notes: tw for injuries

WC: 2.9k

She always knew her job was dangerous, but more in a hypothetical way, only if you're an idiot way but today she learned it really is dangerous and things can go wrong no matter how many safety measures are put in place.

A hundred safety measures were put in place, a long ass protocol just to enter the lab but it wasn't prepared for what happened today. She was working on making a new compound, and she did, but it was extremely unstable causing an explosion the lab wasn't prepared for.

She was rushed to the hospital with shattered safety glass embedded in her body, she didn't miss the irony of ‘safety glass’.

Glass was embedded all over her with a large shard in her left eye and microscopic glass in her right. They tried to save her left eye in surgery but were unsuccessful. She's now almost fully blind.

Her boyfriend takes her home after being laid up in bed for 2 weeks. As they are walking through the lobby she walks into someone's shoulder and starts apologizing, emotion building in her voice, she's so embarrassed and feels horrible that she'll have to get used to this.

“ don't worry a thing darling, it's alright”

Her boyfriend also apologizes to the man and takes her arm leading her away.

Price makes his way upstairs to meet the others to visit Simon. Johnny asks why he's got that stupid smirk plastered on his face, but he only shrugs in response. It was only just a run in with that cute woman, who's obviously already taken, but still she made him smile like a fool.

3 weeks later she's at the hospital for a check up, but this time she's all alone. The check up goes well and she gets fitted for a prosthetic and decides to get a glittery eye, cause why not.

Her doctor offers to walk her out but she declines, she makes it up with minimal help and the hospital is pretty much the only place she can wander around safely with lots around who can help.

So she goes to try and make her way to the elevator but as she turns a corner she walks right into someone and drops her cane. Again she starts apologizing but is met with that deep voice again.

“I'm all good, are you alright darling”

“I'm okay, just dropped my cane”

“ oh let me get that for ya”

Next thing she knows her cane's being placed back in her hand and she feels a light brush of his warm rough hand against hers.

“your the man from last time, the one who smelled so good”

“ What exactly do I smell like?”

He's thrilled she remembers him, he didn't want to come across as a creep saying he remembered her, but is very glad she remembered him.

“ Smokey, warm, sweetness like caramel, maybe a lil motor grease, makes me picture a log cabin with a cozy fire, a glass of something dark and an old car that's a passion project… oh umm eh sorry that was way to much”

“ that's lovely and impressive”

He can see by the redness of her cheeks she's embarrassed by getting overly personal with a stranger but that moment, her description won him over. He already had a spark of interest for her within him but her words have added kindling forming a flame.

“ do you need a hand”

“I'm trying to find the elevator. I'm pretty sure it's this way, right?”

“ im afraid its behind you”

“ i always took for granted being able to remember floor plans but once there are no visual landmarks you realize how little you remember, but yes i could use a hand”

She reaches out and he works with her moving so she can grab onto his forearm. He's amused as she gives him a little test squeeze, he doesn't miss her tiny quick smile.

He walks them to the elevator and leads her in, he notes how she's forgone her cane in favor of trusting his lead.

“Would it be inappropriate of me to ask what happened?”

“ I don't mind, there was an accident at my lab, I accident discovered a very, very unstable compound and was pretty much sprayed with glass shards at a high velocity”

“ like a frag grenade, it explodes and sends shards of shrapnel, does devastating damage”

“ Yeah, doctors said I got luckily the big shard could have went into my heart instead of face”

“ luckily indeed”

“But enough about him,how come i've run into you twice here, that's not in the odds”

“ my friend, coworker was in an accident and he's a bit of a stubborn pain to put it nicely, so we come and visits him, bring him his favorite tea and give the nurses a break”

“ Even though he's like that, you're still doing all that for him?”

“ he's very rough on the outside and most can't understand what's in him but we've got eachothers backs, when ones down we're there”

“ that's amazing, truly”

“ Do you have someone helping you out?”

“ not anymore, once my boyfriend saw i could microwave food and get around the house okay he left me”

“ i don't mean to offend but he sounds like an immature selfish ass”

“ yeah wasn't too much a loss really”

“ So how are you getting home?”

“Oh the hospital has a service, there's a van that will take me home”

Following the hospital's signs he's able to find the right place to leave her but he doesn't want to. He doesn't want to leave it to chance that she will run into him again. He pulls out a business card hoping to give her his number.

Her vision is very very low meaning she can make out colored blurry shapes but can't really define what the shapes are, or are doing. So she sees him doing something but can't logically narrow down his actions.

“ what are you doing?”

“ oh, well I was going to give you my card but”

“ I have an app that reads things to me”

She reaches her hand out making a grabbing motion a child would do for more snacks, then lays her palm out flat waiting. He hands over his card, amused by her dramics.

3 weeks later the first big storm since she's lost her sight hits and everything goes to crap. Her power has gone out but she sees her neighbors still have light, the solution is to flip the fuse but she can't read it and her app won't recognize the chicken scratch. Her big flashlight died and her phone flashlights didn't do shit for her. She walked into something sharp and might be bleeding but is panicked too much to know.

She's sitting on the floor leaning against the wall crying, panicking and needs help. She's about to call her ex and beg for help but then remember the good smelling man who called her darling and offered her help.

“ this is Captain Price”

“ its y/n, i.. i need help”

That's all he needed to hear, instantly he got in his truck and headed to her place. He could hear the raw emotion in her voice and knew she had tried to deal on her own but had broken down to the point she was stuck and needed someone else, he's just glad she turned to him.

She hears the knock at her door and does her best to make it there without another injury.

“Hello darling”

“ hi”

He steps into the room and closes the door behind him. He heard her distress but now seeing it is a different thing. He can see she's been crying and looks like she's scraped her knee.

“ tell me the problem I'll fix it”

“ i can't read the fuse box, my flashlight died and I can't see shit in the dark and I walked into something sharp”

“ where's the fuse box”

“ laundry room off the kitchen”

“ You stay here, I'll be right back, okay?”

“Okay”

The house sparks back to life and her small field of vision now returns. She wipes away her stray tears as she notes the tall spot of color coming towards her.

“Take my hand and I'll get you patched up”

She reaches out and feels that familiar rough warmth, but this time it's not a passing brush but a full enclosing grip over her hand. She follows his light tug and they make their way to the couch, she recognizes the feeling of the couch cushions feel behind her legs and sits down.

“ where's your medicine kit”

“ under bathroom sink”

They reluctantly release their hand hold as he goes to get the kit. He's glad to find she has a property stocked first Aid kit instead of just a pack of bandaids.

“ okay let's see what we got here”

He goes to lift her pant leg but finds the cuff of her sweatpants won't go up high enough. He doesn't want to make her feel awkward but she'll need to remove her pants. To him it's not a big deal, in the military you get used to just stripping but he's not sure how to approach this with her. Luckily for him she broaches the subject first.

“Do i need to take them off”

“ Yes”

He can't muster any other response than a one word answer.

“ so much time in the hospital I've gotten used to stripping”

“ same thing for me but from military”

“ so I guessed right”

“ huh”

“ with your knowledge of frag grenades, and they way you described your coworkers and well I've felt your arm so”

While she removed her sweatpants he kept his gaze up but now that she's seated again he looks and his heart skipped a beat, her legs are covered in bruises.

“ y/n… how did this happen”

“ I walked into so-”

“ not that, the bruises”

“ it's been rough learning to get around, I didn't think it was that bad though”

“ No, no it's alright I just, just thought-”

“ you thought I was being hurt by someone”

“ at first glance it looks that way”

She reaches out her hand hoping her aim is towards his shoulder or the side of his face, in hopes of connecting and comforting him. By the soft bristle she feels under her fingertips she learns 2 things about him, he has a beard and takes very good care of it. Ever so lightly she strokes his beard, pausing when she feels the slight weight of him resting his cheek in her palm.

This man who she barely knows, in all their encounters he has shown her such kindness, compassion and he's never treated her as anything less than capable. He offers help but he never demens her or makes her feel less than like others.

He gets a bit lost in the tender moment, the feeling of her soft touch, the flame within roaming into a bonfire. His eyes drifted shut as he relaxed into her palm. As he blinked he saw another glimpse of her legs and remembered how they got here.

“ let me get you patched up”

“ oh yes, that”

Her hand goes back to her lap, resting with the other as she lazily taps her fingers. Her face only twitches a little bit as he uses the alcohol wipe, he's amused by her stoicism, just like Simon the grin and bare it type.

“ There you go all done”

“ thank you, Captain Price”

He notes her playful tone as his name rolls off her tongue and is very amused by her teasing. He knows she's referencing how he answered the phone, and now that all her problems have been solved she's having some fun with him. He's glad to see the change from her distressed crying state when he arrived.

“ that's my name don't wear it out”

His cheesy joke for the win, he made her laugh and oh he's gonna try forever to hear that again.

“ any other problems for me to solve”

“ no you've done it all”

“ you sure?”

“Well i guess we could use some dinner”

“ on it”

Like a man on a mission he heads to the kitchen ready to ace one of the most crucial tests of building a relationship: can you serve them a good meal?

“ wait, we should order something I barely have anything”

“ I'm sure I can scrounge something up Darling, don't you worry”

“ You're a stubborn man aren't you?”

It's true he is stubborn and has been told so in many very creative and less polite ways. On any task or mission he does, he sets out to succeed. He makes that his only option in mind, he calls this a good successful mindset others call it stubborn and pigheaded, but so be it his track record shows the truth.

Surely enough he finds what he needs and prepares some grilled chicken breast and rich, creamy cheese pasta. Using someone's kitchen can tell you a lot about them, he learns a few things; she's a baker or was, everything has a place organized ,it's all cute and stylized, and this girl likes cheese.

“ whatcha making?”

“ grilled chicken and cheese pasta”

“ ahh so you found the cheese drawer”

He can't help the chuckle that escapes him and just hopes he doesn't hurt her feelings. He's in no way judging, his kitchen tells a story as well, one of living alone and drinking whiskey with lots of sandwiches.

“ yes quite a variety”

“ cheesy, buttery pasta is one of my favorite foods, probably the favorite”

“ perfect that's one of my specialties”

“ i'll set the table, or try, i've been working on relearning things, only broken a few dishes”

“ failure is the road to success just gotta keep at it”

“ exactly, keep trying”

It takes multiple trips back and forth but she does get the table set. Her initial error was trying to do things like she used to, like carrying all things at once then laying them out. Now it takes a few trips but it still gets done and no broken shards on the floor she can't find till it's so late.

He brings over the food and plates it for them both. He waits watching to see her reaction, breath held, this is the moment, will he win her heart with his food or crush his chances.

She takes a bite of the pasta and immediately goes for more, he takes that as a good sign that he's hopefully winning her over with his cheesy food and cheesy jokes.

She over ate a bit but it was just too good, cheesy pasta is her kryptonite and now the food coma is hitting.

“ can you get the dishes, food coma is hitting, that was so good”

“ of course, go sit”

After washing up he joins her on the couch, his own food coma hitting as well. He may have made the food just a bit too rich but not complaints.

She reaches into the couch cushions between them and pulls out a remote, he finds that a rather clever place to keep the remote. He waits to see what happens as she presses buttons and seconds later music starts to play from a really good sound system he can't seem to locate.

“ where are they speakers the sounds great”

“ when got the place I did some renovations, look around you see the extra air vents”

“ there in the walls?”

“Yep”

“That's genius”

They lounge on the couch together, listening to surround sound music. Neither of them could say when it happened,but they ended up holding hands. First subconsciously seeking out the other, then their fingertips touched and now they have ended up with his hand enclosed around hers as her thumb stoke against his palm.

“ I used to believe in fate but when I woke up in that bed and they told me the damage, it broke everything I believed in but slowly I'm rebuilding, your a big contributor to that Price, thank you”

“ you've done it all on your own”

“ yeah but you helped so accept the thanks or you'll learn I'm stubborn too”

“ alright Darling I accept”

[A different time, week later maybe]

He came over unannounced with a bag of groceries and told her they were going to bake. He watched the biggest smile light up her face and he knew he made the right call.

They both got a bit messy with the flour but had a grand time baking. They make a tray of chocolate chip cookies and an apple pie.

She even started to cry as she thanked him, baking was one of her big passions, a hobbie she always did and was so proud of and it was a loss that really hurt. He wipes away her tears and assures he's always up to come over and bake, put his muscles to use hand whisking and kneading dough.

He's reluctant to share his secret with the guys but they keep asking about his foolish smile, abundance of texts and voice messages, and the baked goods he brings for lunch.

He talks to her, making sure she's okay with it first because he knows once they know about her they will want to meet her. His secret little gem.

They all adore her and she loves her new social circle. She'd lost most of friends after her accident; they either distanced themselves or treated her weird and she left them. The guys welcome her and include her, they don't treat her like she's any different and they all love her baked goods and killer sound system.

Can also check out my cod master list and see if you'd like to be tagged for future works about specific characters

[alextydaisuda123]

Steamraces Tower Facts: (yes, Emi and I decided to make facts for our joint AU, unfortunately, the Facts for Pizza Fortress are not ready yet)

1. "Sheriff" / Criminal.

Both Johns, who are grandfathers for both Vigilantes, were like that same duet. John (mine) was a respected city officer, and Joe (Emi's) was an ordinary banker, but out of boredom he played the role of a criminal. And it so happened that John first saw him as a banker, and only then as a criminal (and he immediately guessed who was under the mask, as soon as he said the familiar words). Do I need to say that their chase was epic? And it all ended peacefully. Joe "died in this role", and John "proved" that he caught the criminal. Both lived peacefully.

2. The merging of 2 worlds and how to recognize your double.

Many years ago, one fine day, both worlds merged into one, and a world of races in the steampunk era was created. Nobody (except Pizzaheads) still doesn't know how it happened. But now, in addition to new opportunities, doubles were announced. It was quite easy to recognize them. Some had their marks glowing, and others had eyes. But it is important to remember that not everyone had their own doubles.

3. The first meeting of Agnes and Harry.

Their meeting happened quite by chance, in their youth, but due to the war that lasted for several years, they separated and met in old age only when they were looking for their missing grandson and nephew.

4. It is better not to remember the war.

Pep (elf), unlike the usual Peppino, participated in the war. After that event, he developed an injury, after which everything that reminded him of it made him fall into a state of panic, stress and fear. Regular Peppino didn't know about it, but despite this fact, every time this happened to Pep, he calmed him down, without going into memories, knowing full well that it's better not to remember such things once again.

5. Down with the old prostheses!

After the tower collapsed, many guys (almost all) who had prostheses, changed them for others. There were 2 reasons for this: after the battle with both Pizzaheads, they became unusable (some were even lost during the collapse of the tower); so that they would not serve as a memory of these two and the tower in general. All this felt like a new start.

6. Sequence of acquaintances.

2 Vigi, 2 PMs, 2 Peps, 2 Gus, 2 Noises + 2 Noisette, 2 Pizzaheads, 2 Fakes, 2 Bricks.

7. Curious cute Fakes.

Fakes are always happy to study each other, like kittens 🌘w🌒✨ Even when they know the secrets of their "insides" they are still not afraid of each other. Plus they also rest/sleep together :3 Type Fake climbs on top of Bruno, curls up on him and sleeps <3✨ (these are all Emi's words).

Mini bonus fact: This is our first joint AU, in which the Pizzaheads fell in love with each other.

@creat0rstudi0

[therobbycuepitt]

Can you write a Frank Langdon blurb? I feel like he would be the type that if you worked together(like a nurse or Dr) and had a bad shift, the minute he had a chance he'd check on you even though he'd know you could handle it.

A bad shift and Frank comes in to save the day...

warnings: slight angst, death (not MCs), Frank trying to be cute and slightly cringe lol, no proofreading

A/N: I hope this was okay anon! I know its not exactly what you requested but hopefully its close enough. hehe sorry! 🙇🙇

The ground feels like sandpaper, the more you move over it, the more it grinds down a piece of you. It's like you actually see pieces of you crumble from your physical body and scatter like dust to every corner of the room. Sitting infront of the computer to start charting might help preoccupy your brain for a couple of minutes.

“You eaten yet?” a voice beside you brings you out of your daze. The thought of food shoots an uncomfortable feeling on your empty stomach. Seven hours in your shift and all you remember consuming was an apple smaller than your fist and two cups of shitty break room coffee.

“No, not really,” you mumble, reaching over the desk to drink from your insulated water bottle. Frank hums and looks back up at the boards above you before walking away.

You sigh and try to focus on the screen to type out your reports. The document stays blank for a few more minutes when a hand gently takes yours that was settled on top of the mouse, unmoving.

Your eyes slowly follow up the hand to Frank’s face who was holding sandwiches and juice boxes in his other hand. He nudges his head to the side for you to follow him. Your legs move on autopilot, trying not to drag your feet entering the stairwell. His hand never leaves yours, only letting it go once you’ve settled on the third step of the stairs.

“Thank you,” you say, accepting the sandwich from him and immediately unwrapping it to take a bite.

“Still thinking about them?” your last bite goes down a bit difficult down your throat. Frank is already passing you a juice box, straw already in before you could ask.

Your mind goes back to the two back to back codes that happened at the start of your shift. One of them was a young girl, still in. high school. A terrible victim of a hit and run. The next one was a single father who suffered a head injury trying to protect his daughter from falling debris when they were walking past a construction site.

Both of them coded in your care and anything you did couldn't bring them back. Robby tried to give you one of his encouraging talks, which you did appreciate but nothing could beat your mind when it went to dark places after a loss.

“Thanks… and uh, no. Why'd you ask?“ You could've lied better, but Frank already knew the truth.

“You're a terrible liar. You do know that, right?”

“And you're the worst at pep talks,” you chime back. Frank shakes his head as he chuckles and flashes you that dimpled smile, bumping your shoulder.

“Finish your sandwich, champ. We've got to get back on the court,” He stuffs his face and finishes his sandwich in four bites. He crumpled the foil wrapping and shot it towards a trash bin, sinking the shot clean.

“Nothin’ but air!” His ‘whoop!’ echoes through the stairwell along with your laughter. He cups his hands around his mouth to imitate a crowd cheering, making you laugh harder.

[saturnniidae]

Modern au with a strong theme of Hiccup coping with his leg better than all the people around him and it's low key pissing him off

[giantkillerjack]

Anastasia the Musical sucks so bad. They really said "We're gonna cut the best song from the movie - just axe the absolute banger that is 'In the Dark of the Night' - because we are being SERIOUS and GROWN-UP now. We are A Big Historical Realism Musical Now. This is FOR REAL, okay!? We don't have a SILLY villain like Rasputin! We have Gleb! [Please Just Clap.] We are HISTORICALLY GROUNDED. -- Anyway, here's a musical unironically glorifying the Russian monarchy~~ 💖😌💖😌💖😌💖"

[rr-shattered-memory]

Added a little bit of information and some links of other fun stuffs

Art.

Fanart from @creativitwincest - And my phone wallpaper edit of that.

Loop Three end drawing.

Picrews.

What we currently know.

Remus -in Roman's words- was 'out of it' when he brought him home the night before.

Janus is Remus' best friend and roommate.

Remus plays pranks often enough that Janus is skeptical about some things.

Pain doesn't seem to register as much for Remus.

Roman and Remus were together the night before this started - they were celebrating their birthday together.

Remus knew Logan and Patton before this - Roman's words make it seem like they're not on easy terms.

Remus (as Reem-i do) has a very messy living space.

Remus is working(?) on some kind of Roman inspired project.

Roman remembers the deaths through nightmares.

Remus retains the injuries he gets in previous loops.

Roman gets very flustered when Remus makes any kind of innuendo or flirtation towards him.

Roman said in Loop Two that the only time they haven't been together for a while was when they were 'really young'.

Remus remembers how his deaths felt in the moment but nothing hurts when the day re-starts.

In Loop Three Roman says their situation is 'complicated'.

The exacto knife dropped in Loop Two didn't reset.

Remus and Roman came home inebriated the night before The Loop - Roman put Remus to bed.

Roman lives two streets down.

Janus and Roman don't have a good relationship.

In Loop Three Janus says 'at least you're here' to Roman implying Roman hasn't always been there.

Roman and Janus has had conversations about it before - Janus doesn't have all the information.

Janus uses romantic pet names pointedly for Remus even though he's not interested.

Janus doesn't remember anything from previous loops.

Remus made Janus promise to believe him if he ever got time looped.

Something happened with them that Roman feels immense guilt over even though Remus has already forgiven him.

Hunger seems to follow through loops.

Wounds.

Right hand stab. (L1)

Neck scarred in weird pattern. (L2)

Left knee and wrist. (L2)

Right behind left ear. (L2)

Gash on forehead. (L3)

Cracked skull. (L3)

Remus and Roman Konoe.

Half Japanese on their mothers side, they don't know their father.

Their mother is a very sweet and supportive lady, single mother of two eccentric children and she would have them no other way.

They were born, raised and currently live in Canada.

[fideidefenswhore]

"On leaving the company I took Cromwell apart, who assured me that the King was very well disposed to listen to the matters of which we had treated, and as to the Princess, the King had lately told him that he felt himself already growing old, and doubted whether he should have any child by the Queen; for which reason he intended, in a few days, to declare the Princess heir of the kingdom..."

I've been doing research on Thomas Cromwell for my novel, set in 1537, and found this. Do you think Cromwell was lying here? And why? I know it's all conjecture but I'm curious what you think. Love your blog btw <3

you're doing background, i assume? since that quote is from 1536?

i think you can assume that angle wrt to mary, since obviously henry never did actually do that (i mean, sort of and conditionally, in 1543, behind prince edward and his heirs). there's certainly the possibility that he did say or plan this, and then just reneged (ie, cromwell was giving chapuys 'temporarily' accurate intel, just unbeknowst to him), but i don't think that's likely. likelier is that cromwell is lying (er...'misrepresenting'), or chapuys is (perhaps, willfully) misrepresenting or misinterpreting what he has told him.

as far as the 'by the [present] queen' aspect goes...well, that's interesting. despite the recent popularity of weir's claims that jane became pregnant mid-1536 and miscarried later, there is just no evidence for this, beyond a "colourful but secondhand story" printed by thomas colwell, in the elizabethan era, in which henry suggests she's with child late in 1536 at a public court event, and some gossip by a faraway source (which doesn't really corroborate the former, bcus if the latter were true, then jane would likely have had a child by october 1536, not *still* be with child in late december 1536, as the former implies). his former two wives both became pregnant within months of their respective marriages. he possibly was feeling/fearing that he was without hope of future issue, and expressing this, based on precedent, which cromwell might've used to suggest or imply to chapuys that mary's chances of being declared heiress were still strong, to maintain warmer anglo-imperial relations and balance that diplomatic tightrope, leave options of alliances open etc.

it was unusual (possibly unprecedented?), for example, for quickenings to be celebrated as jane's was in 1537--

"as it was not customary in england for public announcements to be made about the pregnancies of the royal family, physical signs and hints in conversation provided courtiers with the only evidence of the queen's secret" (retha warnicke)

so...why was it? distraction from the reprisals of the pilgrimage of grace? or was henry making a point of having it known and dated as an...overcompensation, of sorts? there were large gaps between his surviving children, henry the nyp in 1511, princess mary in 1516, fitzroy in 1519, princess elizabeth in 1533. the last long-term pregnancy of a wife resulting in a living child had, by 1537, been four years prior (and so had celebration relating to that, which might be why bonfires and free wine were provided here, as they were in 1533 to celebrate princess elizabeth's christening) and 'vigour nor virtue' lived in infamy, he was likely at pains to 'prove' it was untrue.

[oetscop]

i hate how i Sound at work lately like i hate it there. but i cant even mask anymore so i come off as really mean to customers who dont deserve it. if someones being rude or a creep i tend to drop the mask very unintentionally. but people will try to make small talk and i just sound so flat and pissed and ushsjshejsbs

[letsgofoletsgo]

Ho boy

Dream time