#ava: i said don’t worry about it!

[the-darkness-does-not-bargain]

Avatrice as the It Couple of Yharnam. Hunting beasts together... Seeking out the eldritch truth of the divine together... If you know, you know. Someone should write that *looks around the room to throw attention off myself* someone really cool should write that.

[agendabymooner]

SOMETHING FULFILLED !!! MARK W. X FEM!READER X FERNANDO A. (18+)

summary: after struggling to figure out what to get, mark and fernando decided that they should just simply fulfill their daughter's wish with the help of their wife, y/n.

content warning: smut under the cut (minors dni!), holiday special, dilf!fernando and dilf!mark (and milf!reader), threesome (mfm), unprotected sex, fingering, breeding/impregnation kink, mentions of pregnancy, double penetration (i'll let you use ur imaginations), established poly relationship, i did not edit this.

note: what if i fell into a writer's block but god said "you've written a jenson and seb threeway smut but not webbonso smut yet?" (on my grid sluts shit) enjoy and happy holidays xx

something sinful (smut) masterlist

a - n masterlist // o - z masterlist

if you’d like to get on one of my taglists, check this post out

mark and fernando would go through the lengths of fulfilling their kid’s christmas wishes. they would always do anything for their little girl.

it was cute, really but oftentimes, even y/n found that they had spoiled her a little too much. 

the parents had been wondering what to get their little daughter, ava alonso-webber, as she continued to grow as her independent self. her mother had decided that she was big enough to decide what she would like for holidays.

meanwhile, the fathers had decided that ava was not old enough to not be spoiled. after all, mark and fernando only had one child with their wife and little ava was only six. 

y/n merely hissed at them when they gave ava a go ahead on her request and said, “don’t go overboard with her gift this year. no puppies anymore.” 

both mark and fernando shrugged before ava exclaimed, “i want a baby sibling, papì and daddy!” 

now, their wife wasn’t a miracle worker— but to try and change ava’s mind about her gift for christmas was something she shouldn’t have done. 

mark and fernando were quick to frown at this before their wife continued to avoid that conversation for the next month all while attempting to convince ava into getting something more… manageable. 

ava had eventually decided that dolls and more karting time with her dads were enough. ava’s mother was more than relieved that the little girl had relented and moved on.

the dads, the brooding fathers, were a different story. in fact, when y/n arrived from work a week before christmas, she was surprised to find the house quiet. the only thing she could hear was soft music playing in the background. she was really worried she had to sneak the toys into the bedroom without ava noticing.

but the little girl wasn’t there. instead, both mark and fernando were sitting in the living room with the recorded premier league game on.

y/n’s eyes narrowed at the sight of her husbands and asked, “uh, did we just magically lose a child before we’ve spent hours and money on her gifts or…?”

mark and fernando looked at her. then the australian spoke, “oh, hey babe. ava’s staying overnight with her cousins.” 

“and we agreed on this when…?” she raised a brow in return, walking over the two nonetheless to press kisses on their lips. fernando pulled her into his lap as mark moved closer. 

“now,” fernando murmured, his lips opting to attack her neck as she let out a soft sigh. 

mark tipped her head towards his direction before kissing her, his tongue allowing itself to tangle with hers as he hummed in satisfaction. he nearly smirked at the feeling of her breath running out as she moaned.

“we’ve been trying to get you to talk to us about something,” fernando started, his breath fanning her ear as goosebumps broke out her skin in both nervousness and excitement. 

“about…” she murmured, eventually pouting when mark tugged her hair back as she got eager to make out with him. mark gave her a stern look. 

fernando then nipped at her ear as she let out a gasp before he answered with, “what our little princess wanted.” 

it was as if the floodgates were opened, her arousal making her squirm in their hold as mark crooned, “you were so adamant about not giving her what she really wanted, baby. why’s that?” 

“i- i,” she gulped. she really wasn’t able to answer especially now that she was being tossed back and forth between the two.

she could feel their hands roaming and touching her, gasping at the feeling of fernando’s fingers as they slowly snaked their way down into her lace panties. fernando then cooed mockingly, “you’re so fucking wet, cariño. you know what we think?” 

“h- ngh,” she whimpered, unable to utter any more words as her husbands chuckled darkly. 

“we think,” fernando’s tongue glided down her throat and sucked her skin, leaving a mark on her neck as he continued, “that you want to give us a baby too. a baby sibling for our little girl.” 

“and you don’t want to tell us,” mark added, smirking at the sight of their wife writhing. y/n was already long gone, feeling extremely aroused just by having her husbands work her up like this.

y/n gasped aloud, hearing her cunt making squelching noises as fernando slid his fingers in and curled up against her sensitive spot. 

“how about we give you more babies to grow, hm?” mark murmured, kissing her hard as he slid her shirt off and tossed it someplace else. “we’re gonna fuck more babies into you until you’re full of them.” 

she nodded eagerly, writhing against the two of them as she begged wordlessly.

fernando and mark smirked and looked at each other, as if they had every intention to fulfill their goal with the help of their perfect pretty wife. 

their cocks had been doing their back and forths in her cunt, her walls stretched out due to its familiarity with their lengths as she whined loudly, sinking repeatedly as she kept her hands resting on fernando’s chest. 

the two men groaned aloud, mark grabbing a handful of her hair and tugging it lightly as his hips snapped behind her. “oh fuck,” he uttered, fucking his cock into her as she babbled incoherently.

“te ves tan bonita como siempre, cariño,” you look so pretty as always, darling. fernando cursed out as he thrusted his hips up. he muttered, “tan guapa, tan jodida así.” so pretty looking so fucked out like this. 

“mm— fuck, please,” y/n flinched at the feeling of mark’s fingers pinching on her nipple and fernando’s thumb rubbing her clit simultaneously. she yelped in pleasure, her eyes tearing up as she wailed, “want you two to cum in me— fuck, nando- mark!” 

“want us to cum inside you, yeah?” mark spoke breathlessly, the two men increasing their pace and intensity as she nodded against his chest. “can’t wait to see you full of me and fernando again, sweetheart.” 

“and these tits, fuck, hermosa,” fernando groaned, “can’t wait to see it full of milk again. you’re gonna look so fucking hot when you’re pregnant.” 

“like she did before when she had our little girl,” mark added with a chuckle, eventually groaning as he said, “you’re gonna make us so happy- you’re gonna make our little girl happy, baby.” 

“m- i want your cum, please,” she pleaded, her walls clenching as the men both groaned in pleasure. “fuck me harder! shit~ fill me up-“

“you want us to fuck you full, hm?” fernando moaned, now fucking her harder from the bottom as he continued, “fuck- i’m cumming, hermosa. hah~ fuck!” 

“oh~ hah,” mark groaned in her ear as he shot his load inside her. fernando did too, slowly thrusting and coating her cunt white like mark did. 

y/n whimpered, her body limping against fernando as the three of them eased off their orgasms. her body shook violently between the two of them before she took a deep breath and wiped her sweat off her forehead. 

she then looked at fernando and chuckled, pressing a kiss on his lips once more before moving to his side. mark had returned from the bathroom to clean her off.

she pursed her lips as she said, “would it be too late if i say that we didn’t need fuck like rabbits to get pregnant?” 

mark nearly dropped the damp towel and looked at fernando with widened eyes. fernando returned the surprised look as y/n laughed quietly.

“oh you are horny, baby,” mark laughed with her, pressing a kiss on her lips, his hands hovering on her stomach before he pressed a kiss on it.

fernando shared a kiss with her too before asking, “are you really?” 

“i am,” she grinned. “i was going to show you two when i got home but you got excited. i couldn’t tell you two i was pregnant because you two were all over me.” 

“oh fuck! finally,” mark exclaimed, grinning at fernando and their wife.

“that’s one christmas gift ticked off the list for ava,” fernando laughed. “someone’s gonna be happy that her christmas is fulfilled.”

oh, the lengths that they’d go through just to spoil their kid. 

♡ moony’s reminder 🅶 (general): @hiraethrhapsody @avaleineandafryingpan @topguncultleader @enhacolor @roseandtulips @woweewoowa @magnummagnussen @happy-nico @architect-2015

♡   moony’s reminder 🅴 (explicit edition): @glitterf1 @savrose129

[doomhands-jr]

The Devil's Advocate - Chapter 9

Pairing: Delinquent!Noah Sebastian X Pastor's Daughter!Reader

Summary: Noah is a delinquent with a lot of anger at the church. You're a pastor's daughter plagued by moral perfectionism, charged with overseeing the community service he's been sentenced to complete. You've never encountered true temptation before. How will you fare up against Noah, who not only isn't bound by the same rules of purity as you, but actively scoffs at them?

Rating: 18+ Minors DNI

Warnings: Underage drinking, partying,

Masterlist

Thanks to @throughwoodsanddirt for the beta

Thanks to @flowerynerds for the banner!

____________

“I don’t know about this,” you said as you attempted to close the clasp on the brown tweed miniskirt Ava insisted on dressing you in. Ava was about a full size smaller than you, so you were rightfully skeptical when she suggested (demanded) you let her pick out an outfit from her wardrobe. 

“Why not?” She asked in her whiney sing-song voice. “It’ll look so good!” 

“Because I can barely breathe,” you grunted, finally getting the clasp to close after laying on her bed and sucking in your gut.  

Ava crossed her arms, regarding the full outfit for a moment and then squinted. “Tough. You look amazing.” 

You sat up, feeling the slight pudge of your belly folding uncomfortably over the waistband of the skirt. The material had little give to it, cutting into your sides in a way you weren’t overly enthusiastic about. 

“Don’t worry, you can wear this over it,” she said, tossing an oversized black shirt your way. You swapped the one you were currently wearing for it, noticing it had a logo and artwork for a band you’d never heard of. It was cut wide at the neck so that it fell over one shoulder and showcased your sternum, plus a tiny bit of cleavage. Definitely more than you were used to showing. 

“Tuck it in,” she said. 

You rolled your eyes. “I just got this thing buttoned.” 

She didn’t respond, and you knew she wasn’t going to budge, so you huffed a sigh and fell back onto the bed, wrestling once again with the clasp. 

Ava stood next to the mirror on the door of her wardrobe, applying lipgloss and studying her own features to determine whether she was happy with her makeup before her maybe-date with Hera. 

“Are you planning on drinking tonight?” she asked, not looking up at you. 

“I don’t know,” you said, stuffing the hem of the shirt into your waistband. “I hadn’t really considered it.” 

“Do you think you’d be open to it if Nick offered you a drink?” She turned from the mirror to face you. 

You sucked in a deep breath and pulled the clasp of the skirt together, effectively hooking it. Sitting up, you found that the shirt was oversized enough to hide any belly rolls that poked out over top of your waistband. 

“Part of me is thinking about it,” you confessed. It was true. Throughout your life, you’d been staunchly against the idea of underage drinking, but you were about to turn 21 at the end of the month, and didn’t see much of a point to waiting. “Nick said he’d be by my side all night, and I trust him to take care of me.” 

Ava smiled softly. “Good. He’s a good guy. You deserve some fun. Oh!” she exclaimed, setting down the tube of lip gloss on her desk and rifling through one of her drawers. “That reminds me. I wanted to give you these.” 

She took out a small handful of foil packets and slipped them your purse. 

“Are those…condoms?” you asked. 

“Yes,” she said, “and I don’t want to hear anything about it. You never know when something might happen. I trust Folio to not take advantage of you, but you still need to be prepared.” 

You sat for a moment, blinking stupidly at Ava. 

Twenty-four hours ago, you were singing in a church. Today, you were considering underage drinking and accepting condoms from your best friend. 

It seemed like your life was shifting from one extreme to the next rapidly—literally overnight. But then again, the changes had been happening inside of you for a long time now. Perhaps this was just the manifestation of those changes? 

“Okay,” you said, nodding once to Ava, who flashed a self-satisfied smile before going back to the mirror to once-again tweak her makeup. 

“When did you buy these?” you asked. 

“Before the semester started,” she said, adding another coat of mascara to her naturally long lashes. 

That long ago? You’d half-expected her to say that she purchased them after the Halloween party, when she lost her virginity. The fact that she’d done it before meant Ava, too, had been going through a sort of religious deconstruction for a while now, and you were only beginning to see the effects of it. 

For some reason, you were comforted by the fact. It let you know that she had been prepared to lose her virginity that night with Nick, and it wasn’t just an impulsive decision, but one she had been thinking about for a while. 

“You think you’ll do anything with Hera if she asks?” 

Ava flushed, offering one of the most timid smiles you’d ever seen from her. “Honestly? I’d let that woman run me over with a truck if she wanted.” 

“You’re down pretty bad, huh?” you asked, finding immense joy in how much your friend was crushing. If you couldn’t find success in your own love life, at least you could live vicariously through her. 

Ava said nothing, but clutched at her chest with both hands and stared dreamily out the window, face slackened by a rather love-drunk smile. 

It was hard to be upset by all the events in your life when things were going so right for Ava. She so deserved this happiness, and her joy was easily rubbing off on you. 

“Oh, crap! What time is it?” she asked, breaking out of her stupor. 

You looked at your phone. “Seven fifty-six.” 

“Okay,” she said, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ears. “She said she’ll be here at eight fifteen. What time is Nick picking you up?” 

“Not sure yet,” you said, hopping off her bed and into the pair of black combat boots she was letting you borrow for the night. As if on cue, your phone vibrated. It was Nick. 

“He’s asking if he should come to my room.” 

“Tell him to just meet you here,” she said. “It’s closer.”  ________

It didn’t take Nick long before he arrived at Ava’s door. He greeted her with a warm hug and kiss on the cheek as if they were old friends. 

“Good to see you again,” he said, smiling. 

“Promise to take care of our girl?” she asked, teasing lilt coating her normal voice. 

Nick scoffed, hand splaying over his chest. “You should have more faith in me by now.” 

Ava chuckled, batting lightly at his shoulder. “She’s my best friend. I have to give you at least a little bit of shit, just to keep you on your toes.” 

He smiled, wrinkling his nose at her. “I guess I should be honored then, that you’re even allowing me to take this fine woman out on the town.” 

He gestured to you without looking away from Ava. You watched their interaction with amusement. They reminded you of an old married couple, or perhaps a father grilling his daughter’s new boyfriend before their first date—with Ava playing the role of the father. 

“You sure I can’t convince you to come out?” he asked, grabbing her hand and bringing it up to his lips to kiss. He was indeed charming, you’d give him that. 

Ava flicked her hand out of his grasp and patted him affectionately on the cheek. “You know I would, but I’ve got bigger and better things in store tonight.” 

Nick winced playfully, clutching his hands to his chest. “You’re breaking my heart, Ava.” She smiled at him affectionately. 

It was easy to see why things between the two of them had progressed so quickly. They were two sides of the same coin—both dramatic, whimsical, and charismatic. You also saw why you got along with both of them so well. 

A knock sounded at your door, breaking the comfortable silence that had fallen. Ava immediately grew nervous, bouncing once on her heels before rushing over to the door to answer it. 

Nick finally turned his attention to you, eyebrows shooting up towards his forehead. That was all the time he had to react, however, before Ava pulled her date into the room to introduce her. 

Hera was one of the most beautiful women you’d ever seen. She wore a cropped white shirt under a set of green cotton overalls. Her gold jewelry complemented the deep complexion of her skin, which was decorated by tattoos that ran like vines down her arms and around her fingers. 

She smiled wide, displaying a set of perfectly white teeth. Her thick, tightly-coiled hair was worn naturally, fanning out around her face in a large dome with a silk scarf around the base. 

“I’m Hera,” she said extending her hand out to yours and you grasped it firmly while you introduced yourself. 

She turned to introduce herself to Nick and you locked eyes with Ava. ‘Oh my God,’ you mouthed. 

‘I know, right?’ she mouthed back. 

Hera didn’t stay long. She and Ava were quick to leave, wanting to get to their event on time, but she looked genuinely sorry she couldn’t stay and get to know you better. 

“Well,” said Nick after the two of you had followed their lead and exited the building, “I’d say I’m jealous, but I’m mostly just impressed. Who knew Ava could pull a ten like that?” 

“Ava’s already a ten,” you said, “but yeah, I really hope it works out for her. She seems to really like her.” 

“Speaking of tens,” Nick said, taking you by the hand and twirling you around on the empty sidewalk. 

You chuckled. “Ava insisted on dressing me.” 

“She has good taste,” he said, letting his eyes drift down your body and back up. He held out his arm for you to grab and led you down the sidewalk. 

“I should have guessed. I didn’t take you for a Norma Jean fan,” he said. 

“Who?” 

He let out a laugh. “Your shirt. The band on it is Norma Jean. They’re metalcore.” 

“Oh,” you said, flushing. You probably should have asked Ava more about the band in case anyone recognized them. 

“The fishnets are a nice touch, I have to say,” he continued, looking down at your legs. 

“I was skeptical about them, but I really like how they look,” you admitted, following his gaze down.  You’d protested the fishnets at first, but once you saw the finished look in Ava’s full-length mirror, you were surprised by just how much you were into it. It was sexier than you’d ever dressed before, but in a welcome way (though you had insisted on wearing yoga shorts under the skirt just for safety). 

“I like the new look,” he said. “You should keep it.” 

“Yeah?” you said, flattered by his honesty. “I might.” 

“Good.” 

It didn’t take long for the two of you to arrive at Jolly’s house. Technically, his party didn’t start for another hour or so, but several people were already there helping set up. 

“I thought we could pre-game here,” Nick said, turning to face you and walking backwards as he led you across the front porch. He opened the screen door for you and gestured for you to make your way through. 

Several men crowded around a kitchen island. One—you recognized as Jolly—poured out several shot glasses’ worth of clear liquor. 

“Are you drinking?” Nick asked, guiding you towards the kitchen with a gentle hand on your back. The floor was just as sticky as last time, and you wondered if it had ever seen a mop, but tried not to focus on that because you’d rather not start the party off by being critical. 

“I was thinking about it,” you admitted meekly, looking up to him for guidance. You were already feeling shy and none of the other guests had even looked at you. 

“Have you drank before?” he asked. You shook your head no. “Okay, so my recommendation is to start off with something weak. One shot, watered down with a lot of mixer. Most people start with vodka. Is that something you’d like to try?” 

You said nothing but nodded to him. 

“Want me to make it for you?” he asked. 

“Yes please,” you said, moving closer to the table to observe how everyone else was behaving. Nick squeezed your shoulder before heading over to the fridge and pulling out a two-liter of cola. 

“Jolly, mind if I steal some mixers?” he called over his shoulder. 

“Take whatever you want,” said Jolly, passing out the shots he’d just poured to the guys around the table. “We’re doing shots. You in?” 

“Yeah if you’ve got one to spare.” 

Jolly smiled, pouring out one more shot and handing it over to Nick, who kicked the fridge door shut behind him and took the shot from Jolly. 

“Here’s to a good party!” Jolly said, and the rest of the men echoed the sentiment, raising their shot glasses to the ceiling before tapping them on the table and finally downing them. 

Nick winced only a little, recovering quickly and grabbing the bottle of Vodka from where it sat beside Jolly. He busied himself making you a drink and returned shortly after.

“Try that,” he said, handing you the red solo cup. You took a tentative sip, unsure of what to expect, but you were pleased to find it tasted mostly like regular cola, only with a hint of something sharper. 

“Will this get me drunk?” you asked after you’d swallowed the first mouthful. 

He smiled, chuckling at you and you got the sense that you’d asked a stupid question. 

“Not if you stick to just that. Maybe three of those would, but I’m not gonna let you get drunk at your first party.” 

“Thanks,” you said, trying to convey your gratitude without seeming overly needy or like you wanted your hand held—even though you did. 

You smiled while Nick introduced you to the other men at the table—two of which you already knew as Jolly and Ruffilo, but it was nice to meet them again. The other two, Matt and Bryan, looked very similar to the rest of them in style. Long hair, black oversized band shirts, and tattoos decorating their limbs. 

As other people began to arrive, you started to recognize this as a sort of uniform for the men. Each had their own version of the same style and you wondered whether it was a sort of status symbol—who could fit the most ink on their bodies and grow their hair out the longest. 

Most of the women also sported a number of tattoos, though usually not as many as the men. Many flaunted intricate sternum tattoos, displayed under cropped tank tops and bralettes and paired with high-waisted black shorts. 

Looking down at your own outfit, you acknowledged that Ava was right to dress you the way that she did. Her outfit helped you blend into the crowd much better than you would have if you’d gone with your normal clothes—despite the lack of ink. 

Nick nudged his elbow into your side. You looked to find him smiling down at you. “Wanna play beer pong?” 

“What is that?” you asked. His close-lipped smile morphed into a toothy grin and he grabbed your hand to lead you through the throng of people to the back deck, where a card table was set up and several red plastic cups were arranged in two triangles on either end. The crowd had not yet spilled out onto the deck, so the two of you were the only ones there, save for a few people smoking around the fire pit in the back yard. 

Briefly, you glanced over at the shed that housed Noah’s studio, wondering if he’d been in there at all lately. 

“Normally,” Nick began, brining your attention back to the table in front of you, “you’d play this in teams, but since we’re the only ones here, we’ll play against each other.” 

“Okay,” you said, nodding. “What do we do?” 

“See that ping pong ball over there?” he said, pointing to one of the cups, where an orange ball floated atop a small amount of water. “Your goal is to get that in one of my cups. We take turns. A lot of the time, people will fill the cups with beer, and say I get a ball in one of your cups, you’d have to drink the beer in it.” 

“Oh,” you said, starting to understand the rules. 

“But since it’s just water in these, the rule is you have to take a sip of your drink whenever I get it in the cup.” 

“It’s a good thing we aren’t playing with beer then,” you said. He laughed and agreed. 

“Want to go first?” he asked, smile still lighting up his face. 

“Sure,” you laughed. You’d never have described yourself as coordinated. Your high school hadn’t focused much on teaching physical fitness. They were more concerned with drilling Bible verses into your heads. On top of that, there weren’t enough students for any sort of competitive team sport. Still, you were willing to go out of your comfort zone tonight and actually participate. 

You tossed the ball towards his end. It bounced off the edge of the table, and Nick caught it in his hand. “Whoops!” you said. 

“No worries,” he replied, holding the ball up and aiming it for your end of the table. He tossed it and it sank easily into one of the center cups. “Now you gotta drink.” 

You smiled, already anticipating how the rest of this game was about to go, but sipped your drink nonetheless in preparation for your turn. 

Your intuition was correct after all. You’d managed to get exactly two of his cups before he’d hit all of yours, thus ending the game. By that point, you’d had enough of your drink to start feeling the effects. 

“What are you giggling about?” Nick asked from across the table, where he stood repositioning the cups back into their pyramid shape.

“Nothing,” you said, trying to suppress a smile. 

“You’re tipsy, aren’t you?” he said, and you tucked your lips between your teeth and nodded at him. He walked around to your side of the table and helped you reset the cups on your end. “How’s it feel?” 

“Nice,” you admitted. “I wasn’t sure what to think, but I can see why people like it.” 

Nick turned, clapping both your shoulders with his hands, regarding your state. Your giggles returned under his gaze and the bright lights of the porch began to grow softer. A pleasant warmth washed over you. 

“That’s the danger of it,” he said, thumbs rubbing soft circles into your skin. “People get too invested in that feeling and end up letting it take over. Promise me you’ll pace yourself?” 

You got the sense he’d seen it happen firsthand and that it hadn’t ended well, so you nodded, even though you didn’t feel like you were in danger of losing control. His concern was touching and it was probably a good idea to listen to his advice. 

“How about drinking a glass of water first before you have another drink?” he asked. “Alcohol dehydrates you.” 

“Thanks,” you said, and allowed him to lead you by the hand back into the house, towards the kitchen. His hand was warm and comforting, and necessary because the alcohol was affecting your balance in ways that were unfamiliar to you. You were overcome by your gratitude for him, recognizing that you’d be absolutely lost on how to enjoy the party if he weren’t there to guide you. Perhaps it was the alcohol affecting you, but you reckoned you’d still feel that way, even if you were completely sober. 

It wasn’t long before he was called over by a group of friends to play a game of flip cup. You’d never heard of it before, but he invited you to watch and explained the rules for you to understand, even though it was straightforward and you probably would have picked it up just by watching. 

He was third out of the four people that line his side of the table. It took him three tries to get his cup to land, and when it did, you cheered along with the rest of his team, who ended up losing by a few seconds. 

It quickly became clear that with all these drinking games, nobody actually cared who won or lost. The goal was just to bond, drink, and have something to do. That made you feel more at ease when someone at the table—Bryan you thought his name was—proposed a second game and asked if you wanted to play. 

Recognizing that this was an opportunity for you to be included, not just in the game but as a peripheral member of the friend group, you agreed. 

“Okay, so all you gotta do is wait for your turn, chug as fast as you can, set the cup facedown on the edge of the table and get it to land,” Nick whispered in your ear from where he stood behind you as Bryan began filling the cups for the next round. Your ear tingled where his breath fanned across it. He was so close you could feel the heat radiating off him. You wanted to lean into it, and for once, rather than second guess yourself, you follow the urge. He reciprocated by placing his hands on your elbows. “Focus on chugging and getting it in position for the flip. The rest is up to you.” 

His chin rested on your shoulder as he spoke, and though you didn’t actually need his advice, his presence was more than welcome because you were still nervous. His fingertips braced either side of you, holding you in a starting position as if he were a coach, which he may as well have been. 

“Go!” Bryan shouted and the first person was up—a woman with black hair, several tattoos, and a septum ring. She easily downed her drink and got her cup to flip on the first try. Up next was Ruffilo, who was already a little tipsy and like Nick, took three tries for the cup to stick the landing. When it was your turn, Nick pushed you forward by the hips, chanting ‘go, go, go,’ as you attempted to chug the drink. 

You’d never tasted beer before, and you chugged it so fast you could barely register what it tasted like before it was gone and you had to focus on flipping it. You set it on the edge of the table and flipped it with the ends of your fingers, but miscalculated how much force you’d need and overshot it. 

The cup clattered across the table, but you didn’t have time to be embarrassed. You reset it on the edge, adjusting your approach and used less force this time. It landed. Nick cheered as you backed away from the table. He wrapped his arms around you from behind and hoisted you up into the air, celebrating the small success. You yelped, feeling quite accomplished and grateful for his enthusiasm, but also quite uncomfortable considering the beer you’d just chugged and the pressure he was putting on your swollen stomach. You let out a loud belch as soon as he let you down, and both laughed about it after. 

The person after you, Matt, chugged his and got it in two tries as well, and this time, your team won. Matt offered you a firm high-five, grasping your hand in triumph for a brief second, before turning to Bryan and asking him if he wanted to play another round. 

They invited you to play a second time, but you declined, thanking them for the offer. The aftertaste of the beer had finally caught up to you now that the adrenaline of competition wore off and you realized that it wasn’t your drink of choice. 

“You finish your water?” Nick said, leaning in towards you now that the party was in full swing and the music was too loud to talk casually over. 

“Yep,” you said, nodding proudly. 

He flashed a grin. “Good. Want another drink?” 

“Please,” you said and stepped aside to the counter where the liquor had been moved. 

“Want to try coconut rum?” he asked after perusing the available option, and you agreed because it sounded yummy. As he mixed the drink, you observed the rest of the party. The house was full of people by that point. Another game of flip cup had started in the kitchen, and the living room had been converted into a makeshift dance floor. 

A pungent aroma wafted up from the stairs leading to the basement, and if you had to guess, you’d say that’s where people went to smoke weed. 

“Here,” Nick said, and held out a cup for you. You took it gratefully and sipped.

“I like this one better than the last,” you admitted, savoring the taste of coconut. 

“What?” he shouted over the music. 

“I said I like this one better,” you shouted back. He smiled and shook his head, indicating he still couldn’t hear you. 

He yelled something that sounded like ‘come with me,’ and grabbed your had once again, this time leading you up the stairs and into one of the bedrooms. It was still loud, but more isolated from the rest of the party. 

He sat his drink down on a desk and strolled over to the window, shoving the bottom pane up so it was open to the night air before picking his drink back up and holding out his hand. 

“Care to join?” 

You stepped forward tentatively, peering out of the window to see that it opened up onto the roof of the front porch. 

You took his hand, allowing him to guide you through the open window first before he crawled through. It was a bit of a tight squeeze, but once you were outside, the chill of the cold December night was welcome, considering how stuffy the house had become. 

It was a dry cold. There was no snow on the ground and only a light breeze, but already your legs began to feel the sting of chill. 

“So, how’s your first party experience?” he asked, sitting beside you on the asphalt shingles. 

“Technically, this is my second,” you reminded him. 

He chuckled, taking a sip from his drink and savoring it before replying. “That first one doesn’t count.” 

“Why not?” you asked, sipping from your own drink. 

“Because you didn’t actually get introduced to the party scene. I partly blame myself, because I was hanging out with Ava. But I also blame Noah.” 

This was the first time Noah’s name had been mentioned between the two of you since everything had gone down two weeks ago. It still stung, but the alcohol softened the pain. 

“Why’s that?” you asked, turning to face him more. 

“Because he should have helped you get your bearings,” he said, drunkenly gesturing with his hands as he spoke. “He knew you hadn’t been to a party before. And yeah, I know that he was busy getting ready for the show, but I still think he could have taken a little more time for you.” 

You hadn’t thought of it that way. Both Nick and Noah were to blame. Nick, because he’d invited you in the first place, but also Noah, because you’d been closer with him. At least Nick was taking steps to make up for it. 

Truthfully, nobody had ever helped you assimilate into a group of people the way Nick had that night. You’d always been left alone to fend for yourself and figure out your own way to fit in. 

Not that you’d ever truly fit in, except perhaps at church camp. But that was far behind you now. You’d already changed enough that you knew if you went back, you’d no longer fit in with the rest of them. Nor would you fit in at church anymore. 

And perhaps you’d struggled so much because you’d never had anyone to show you the ropes. 

You shook your head, ridding yourself of the negative thoughts. You didn’t want to dwell on the past. It was better to be grateful for what you had in front of you at the moment. 

You took another sip of your drink while Nick took another sip of his. 

“I don’t know how you can drink beer,” you commented. “It’s disgusting.” 

He smiled, swallowing his drink and then let out a soft chuckle. “You get used to it after a while,” he said. “I didn’t like it when I first tried it, but now I do.” 

“I guess it’s an acquired taste, then,” you commented. 

He nodded, taking another sip. “This isn’t beer though,” he said once he’d swallowed. 

“Oh?” you asked, looking away from him and onto the street below, where a couple of people stood near the sidewalk smoking cigarettes and chatting. “What is it?” 

“Jungle juice,” he answered. You looked back to him. 

“What’s that?” you asked. 

He held out his cup to you. “Want to taste?” 

You took it, cold fingers brushing over his warm ones as he passed the cup to you. You peered inside first to see a greenish liquid with bits of fruit floating in it. You sniffed, noting that it smelled like sprite, something fruity, and something else that stung at your nostrils. 

Tentatively, you sipped, taste buds immediately lighting up at the onslaught of flavor. 

“That’s delicious. What’s in that?” you asked. “And can I have some?” 

Nick laughed. Not just a chuckle but a big belly laugh. “No, I’m not giving you jungle juice for your first drink,” he said. 

You pouted. 

“Don’t give me that look. This is way stronger than it tastes. That cup alone probably has four shots of liquor in it. Jolly makes his extra strong.” 

“What all does he put in it?” you asked, taking another sip of your own drink. You were definitely feeling the effects of the alcohol and it made your skin tingle pleasantly while a warm feeling crept up your neck. 

“I think it’s sprite, Hawaiian punch, a bunch of different fruit juices, and then vodka, rum, and I think he does triple sec too.” 

You blinked at him, tempted to ask what triple sec was because you’d never heard of it, but thought better. You were tired of outing yourself as not knowing anything, so instead you took another gulp of your drink. 

“Slow down,” he cautioned. You pursed your lips and side-eyed him. “I’m not trying to be a buzz kill,” he said clinking his cup with yours and downing another gulp. “I just want to make sure it doesn’t hit you all at once.” 

“What happens then?” you asked, taking another small sip. Perhaps he was right, considering you’d downed two-thirds of your drink during your short conversation. 

“You probably won’t get the spins, since there still isn’t a ton of alcohol in your drink,” he said. “But pacing yourself is a good habit to get into anyway.” 

“Why’d you invite me tonight?” you asked, surprising yourself with the question. 

He didn’t answer right away, just pressed his lips together in a smile and looked down at his drink.  

“I don’t approve of Noah’s actions,” he admitted. “I mean, I’m no saint by any means. I’m probably worse than him, but I feel like you deserved better than what he gave you.” 

You didn’t expect him to be so forthcoming, and when the moment became unexpectedly heavy, you had to look away from him and back to the street below, noticing how the streetlights reflected off the cars lining the curb. Everything was a little hazy, tempered by the alcohol. 

“I thought he’d treat me differently, too,” you confessed. You didn’t want to say too much more than that, because you knew if you talked about your feelings, you’d end up crying, and that’s the last thing you wanted to do at the moment, especially with how much effort Ava had put into your makeup. 

“I wanted to give you a fun night. Introduce you to our crowd so you can get a better idea of what life is like outside of Sunday school. Show you that it’s not all hellfire and brimstone like you were taught.” 

“Thank you, Nick,” you said, nudging his elbow with yours. “That means a lot.” 

You wanted to say more, but knew that if you got too much deeper, it would ruin the party vibe the two of you had worked hard to build. 

“Noah will come around eventually,” he said, apparently not quite ready to let the subject go, even though you thought you were doing him a favor by giving him an easy out and cutting it short. 

Not having anything much else to say, you simply shrugged. “Even if he doesn’t, I’ll be okay.” 

Nick smiled. “That’s the spirit,” he said, holding out his cup to cheers. You tapped yours against it and he chugged the rest of his drink. You followed his lead, in direct contradiction to his previous advice and let out another burp as soon as you finished. He chuckled at that. 

“Want the fruit?” he asked, offering his cup to you. There was a small pile of strawberries, blueberries, and pineapple at the bottom. “It soaks up the alcohol and gets you drunker.” 

“I thought you said you weren’t gonna let me get drunk,” you said. 

He shrugged. “It’s your first party. I’ll make sure you sober up before the end of the night.” 

You thanked him, taking the glass and dumping the contents into your mouth. You could barely taste the alcohol in them as you chewed, but you hadn’t been tasting alcohol since partway through your last drink. 

Nick stood up, brushing dirt off the back of his pants, and held out a hand to you. You did the same, stumbling only slightly as you climbed back through the window and landed in the bedroom. Nick followed, shutting the window behind the two of you. 

“Wanna dance?” he asked.  ________

The alcohol fully hit while you were on the dance floor. It was a difficult sensation to describe, but it had you feeling alive. Sweat-soaked bodies pressed up against you from all sides, and you writhed to the music freely in the knowledge that nobody was paying attention to you. You weren’t an individual anymore, but part of a whole. One drop in a sea of moving bodies. 

Hands gripped your hips. You glanced over your shoulder and found Nick’s face hovering near yours. 

“This okay?” he whispered into your ear. “Yeah.” 

His fingers dug lightly into your side, pressing you into him. Briefly, you registered that this was the most physical contact you’d had with a man. 

His chest rested against your back, and with his hands, he guided your hips to sway to the music, moving his body to match yours. 

“Have you danced like this before?” he asked, lips nearly brushing your ear. You shook your head no, nerves sparking to life underneath your skin and ricocheting around your system. Your stomach twisted in a knot, but you chose not to focus on that and instead keep your mind trained on the steady bass pounding through the speakers. You wanted more, so you leaned into him. He reciprocated by clutching harder at your hips. 

Half of you was present in your body, registering his fingertips, his body pressed tightly against yours, the sweat dripping down your sternum. The other half of you existed in a separate plane above the dance floor, somewhere between the heavy house music and the flashing neon lights. 

Nick grabbed your waist, spinning you around to face him and slotted a thigh between yours. He wrapped his arm around your lower back and pressed you tightly into him and this was now the closest you’d ever been to a man. 

Feeling for the first time like you had finally tapped into your own sexual energy, you allowed and welcomed it to course through you uninhibited, swiveling your hips on your own accord against him and surrendering entirely to your body and however it wanted to move in the moment. 

A thread connected you and Nick. You were on the same wavelength, and whatever energy guided you also guided him. You moved as one, rolling against each other to the music, your sweat mixing with his. 

You threw your head back, closing your eyes and inhaling the sensations of the party. 

You’d lost yourself like this before, but it had always been in a religious setting, losing yourself in what you perceived as the divine energy of God, during a particularly moving prayer or worship song. Often in a group setting. 

Now, you were losing yourself in what you could the divine energy of the collective. The book of Romans, chapter 12 verse 2 stated to not conform to this world, and that verse was pounded into your head over and over again by the church. 

But what if the book of Romans got it wrong? What if this world was Holy too, and it was necessary to fully experience it? Why reject God’s creation? Why not rejoice in it? 

A hand on the back of your neck brought you back to reality. 

“We’re just friends, right?” said Nick, eyes blown wide as he looked at you. “You don’t have any feelings for me?” 

“Yeah,” you said, trying to adjust to how close his face was. “Just friends. Why?” 

He nodded. “Good. Just wanted to make sure we’re on the same page for this.” 

And then his lips were on yours.  ________ Next chapter coming soon! Taglist: @collisionofyourkissmakesitsohard @hoe-for-daddywise @concretejungle420 @sleep-worship @cncohshit @adenobabe @guacinyourarea @escapingourexistence @livingdeceasedgirl @chxrryxox @dem11 @starcrossedwasteland @alm0std3add @reyadawn @karenfranco @glam-cherry-bomb @simpingforniragi @koalakoala8 @themorticians-world @sleepytoken99 @magdalenaxbrenaxorestes. @fuck-me-muke @xmads-omensx @just-randomm-stuff @spookychaosstranger @gravitysembrace @somebodyels3 @klutzy-kay24 @sundamariis @noahsebastions @cyber-tiny @xxkittenkissesxx @treacheryinblue @flowerynerds @1toreyouapart @badomensls @rain-down-on-me @ilovemewwwww75 @poisongirl616 @adenobabe

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[rebouks]

Previous // Next

Hi Alex!

I don’t think it’s stupid or cheesy to miss someone, I miss you too! Going back to normal after being on holiday is always horrible, especially after this one, and especially having to go back to school, I’m not a big fan! Do you go to school too? I wanted to ask if you did but I couldn’t… it’s nothing personal, by the way, sometimes I just can’t speak to people and I don’t really know why. I thought it was my decision if I did or didn’t before I met you but maybe not. My parents n’ the teachers at school call it selective mutism but I won’t bore you with all that crap.

I can’t see your new teeth but they grow fast so maybe next time! If they don’t maybe you could get some gold one’s like your dad has, unless you don’t wanna look like a pirate lol.. my littlest sister has four teeth now, and I have all my big teeth! I haven’t counted the twins though cos they’d probably bite me if I tried haha!!

Ava is the tiny one with the blonde pigtails! She’s cute but she still sleeps and poops a lot haha, she’s sorta chill though and definitely doesn’t cry as much as Wren and Byrd used to (have you noticed we’re all named after birds yet? I guess my parents thought it was cute since our last name is Finch) Wren’s the ginger one with plaits! She’s pretty funny but she’s super grumpy sometimes and likes to bite and kick (not me though, she loves me) I think it’s cos she’s tired a lot cos she never sleeps at night, kinda like dad.. they’re twins but Byrd is way different, I couldn’t get a picture of him cos he kept running off, he’s crazy like that but he’s super snuggly and loves playing doctor! He likes to pretend to break my legs so I can’t go anywhere then fix them for me haha. Brothers and sisters are fun but they can be a pain in the butt sometimes! We have a cat called Lou too, his full name is Toulouse and he likes to bring us leaves from the garden and scream about ‘em, and he loves stealing food when you’re not looking.

Dad’s been teaching mom how to cook cos she sucks at it (don’t tell her I said that though cos I always pretend it’s not THAT bad) she’s sorta getting better though so I suppose the whole practice makes perfect thing pays off eventually. I got a school project to make a lame volcano that I didn’t wanna do as well, but my parents made me do it anyway.. we all know that real volcanoes aren’t full of baking powder and vinegar though so I dunno if there was much point to it but they seemed to think it was important so I did it anyway, at least I got a picture of it “going off” I guess. No one likes homework, even if it’s supposed to be fun, right?!

It’s cool you set Amber free!! I’m sure she’s happier wherever she is now so I guess you could just think of that when you miss her? The rocks are way cooler anyway! My aunt Aspen has loads of crystals too, sometimes she even charges them in the sun or the full moon.. I keep forgetting to ask her why but I’ll try and remember so I can tell you next time!

Hahaa your poor dad with those birds! I’ll definitely keep the picture cos it’s hilarious, Wren found it the funniest but don’t worry, I’ll keep the picture safe from her sticky hands! I have a hiding spot in the attic for all the stuff I don’t want them touching. I guess birdwatching is sorta fun sometimes but you’ve gotta be quiet (easy for me I guess.. hah!) I’m not sure there’s any other birds round here other than seagulls since we live right next to the sea, those are the ones you can hear the most anyway cos they never shut up! My dad jokes that he used to be a seagull in a past life cos he’s loud and greedy like they are lol.. he’s been building me a treehouse too, I bet that’d be good for birdwatching!! It’ll be super cool once he’s finished but it’s taking ages cos he mostly does it all by himself, I try n’ help sometimes but I’m still too small to carry or lift most things.. I wanna be as strong as him one day, he can build and fix almost anything (he swears a lot during it though haha!) Do you ever think about what you wanna be when you grow up? I don’t really think about that sorta stuff cos working sounds boring, especially if it’s as lame as school!!

I’m ten, by the way! How old are you and when’s your birthday? Mine’s February 22nd. I don’t think I have a favourite food, anything my dad makes is amazing cos he’s a good cook and my mom makes the BEST pancakes! We’re always stuffed after dinner but dad says (lies) that pudding goes in a different part of your stomach so there’s always room for cake haha.. I think I like it best when he makes spicy food but Wren and Byrd hate it so he doesn’t make stuff like that too often. It’s fun to see how much you can eat before your mouth feels like it’s on fire and I’ve decided I’m gonna beat him one day so he better watch out!!!

I didn’t know what to write at first but I guess I sorta ended up writing quite a lot since I had some catching up to do! Are you and your dad on holiday in the tower or are you living there for now? It sorta sounded like you’ve been there a long time, where do you usually live? What kinda stuff does your dad dig up for work? It’d be cool if he dug up dinosaur bones!! I watched something like that recently and they were HUGE!

It’s hard to think of questions on the spot but you can talk about anything you want too! I probably owe you a million answers as well so you can ask anything you want too! I had fun reading your letter and I’m glad we can be pen-pals even if we don’t get to see each other! Maybe next time we meet in person I’ll be able to say something, but writing would still be fun too so I guess it doesn’t really matter, right?

Love Robin c:

ps. I’m keeping the funny photo of you yelling at your dad and there’s nothing you can do about it!!

pps!! I don’t have a way to print out photos yet otherwise I’d have sent some new ones. Dad gave me an old polaroid ages ago but it’s still broken, his friend said he might be able to fix it though so hopefully I can use that next time. Mom said you can have some of our old ones and the ones from her disposable camera whilst we were on holiday for now though so I’ll send those to you as soon as they come back!

[celiastjamesoscar]

No Hard Feelings pt 3

Pairings: Sam Carpenter x fem!reader

Summary: Sam ran. But for the first time, someone chased after her.

Part 1 Part 2

Warnings: light swearing, insecure Sam, extremely fluffy

AN: This is the last part of the series :( but I will probably continue it will small one-shots every now and again!

My Masterlist

Word Count: 3.59K (a little shorter than normal 😬)

“Oh! Ava, this is my-” You weren’t quite sure what Sam was to you at this point, “Yeah, this is my Sam,” you finished with a giant smile. “It’s so nice to finally meet you!” Ava announced as she stuck out her hand.

Sam gave the girl a tight-lipped smile as she climbed out of the truck and walked toward you. She felt sick to her stomach as she watched you talk to the girl; she knew she had to leave. “Sam? Is everything alright?” You asked with worry laced in your voice, and Sam couldn’t take it anymore. When Sam felt your hand grab her hand and turn her to you, she quietly whispered, “I’m fine,” before walking away from you.

You watched as Sam walked further away from you when you felt someone violently shove you. Your back collided with Sam’s truck, “what the fuck, Ava?”

The more petite girl pointed a finger at your face, “You are going to go after Sam right now, okay? Right now!” Ava exclaimed before pulling you off the truck and pushing you in the direction Sam walked off to. You gave Ava a confused look before you followed after Sam.

You weren’t quite sure why she would take off and leave, but you had a feeling her insecurities got the best of her. Sometimes, Sam would get quiet when you two were out in public together, and she saw someone take an interest in you. You would politely shut down their attempt to flirt with you, but Sam still couldn’t shake the feeling of being enough, and after thinking about it, you knew that was bothering her.

“Sam?” You called out as you entered the bathroom, and you rounded the corner and saw Sam leaning with her hands on the edge of the sink as she stared down at it. “Sam,” you whispered as you approached her and gently placed your hand on her back and rubbed small, comforting circles, “Talk to me, please.”

With a shuddering breath, Sam pushed off the sink and turned to face you as she crossed her arms over her chest, and you knew her defenses were up. “There’s nothing to talk about,” Sam muttered as her eyes stared down at the floor, refusing to meet your gaze. “Yes, there is. What’s wrong?” You questioned with a soft, caring voice, and Sam looked up to meet your worried gaze, and her heart couldn’t take it. She pushed past you and made for the door, but you got to the door before her and locked it. “No, you don’t get to leave until you talk to me,” you stated as you walked toward Sam, and she walked backward until her back hit the edge of the sink, “What is wrong?”

You stared at Sam in tension-filled silence while her eyes burned holes in the floor and her mind ran rampant with thoughts of insecurity. The sound of a toilet flushing pulled your attention away from the woman before you, and you watched as an older woman left the stall and washed her hands. The woman dried her hands off as you and Sam stayed in awkward silence, and only when she tried to open the door did you speak up. “Oh, sorry about that,” you said as you walked to the door and unlocked it for the lady, “This is a consensual kidnapping.”

A small, dry laugh left Sam’s lips when she saw the face the woman gave you before quickly leaving the bathroom. “You know, you always make me smile or laugh when I need some happiness,” Sam admitted with a small frown, and you reached out and carefully took her hands in yours, “You always cheer me up.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?” You questioned with an eyebrow raised as you interlaced your fingers with Sam's and pulled yourself closer to the woman. “It is,” Sam replied with a smile as her eyes quickly locked with yours before darting away again, “But it’s just hard. For me, at least.”

You were confused by what Sam meant, but you would wait a millennium for Sam to open up about her feelings. “What is?” You asked with a loving tone. Sam just shrugged her shoulders in response; she wasn’t ready to completely open up to you just yet, but she wanted to let you know that she was getting there.

“It’s nothing I want to talk about,” Sam admitted with a small frown, and you gave her hands a gentle squeeze before you let go and pulled her into a loving embrace. “It’s okay, Sam. Take as much time as you need,” you stated as you rubbed Sam’s back, and you physically felt the older woman melt into you, “But not too long! I have hoes wrapped around the block, waiting to get a piece of me!”

Sam chuckled at your words and felt the anxiety in her chest loosen up. You always had that effect on her, and she needed that in her life: someone who could make her forget about all her troubles and the skeletons in her closet. “Oh yeah? Like who?” Sam asked.

“It’s top secret. Names are extremely confidential when it comes to me.”

The older woman smiled at your response; then she took a deep breath before she finally asked the question that made her nauseous. “Are you talking about Ava?”

It was almost at lightning speed the way you pulled apart from San and stared into her eyes. The look on your face was mixed between bewilderment, shock, and a little bit of disgust. You pretended to fake-gag before you answered the question. “Oh my god, that street rat?! I’d rather die than give her a chance. And besides, she already has a girlfriend, and she wanted to introduce you to her. She thought we could go on a double date sometime,” you finished as you started to trail off toward the end, in fear that offering the double date was too much and it might scare Sam even more.

But to your surprise, a smile grew on Sam’s face as her eyes sparkled with a hint of hope. “That sounds nice,” she replied.

“Good. Good!” You excitedly said with a love-struck grin that made Sam’s heart flutter. She couldn’t believe it, but you had somehow made her fall for you. “But seriously though, Sam. We need to talk at some point about this, about us. But if you aren’t ready for that, then I will wait for you,” you explained, and even though Sam was terrified of this talk, she knew there were some things she needed to get off her chest.

“Okay. We can talk, just not in some sketchy ass bathroom,” Sam joked with a small laugh, and you quickly looked around. “Really? This place seems like it’d be the perfect place for a romantical date,” you remarked with a sly tone.

Sam pushed off the sink counter, grabbed your hand, and pulled you toward the door. “Come on, we have a movie to watch,” Sam said as she opened the door and held it for you, “And just so you know, I did not consent to that kidnapping.”

“Oh, whatever! It made you laugh!” You observed as gently bumped your shoulder against Sam’s while you two walked back to her truck. “I was laughing at the old woman’s face, not you!” She defended.

“Mhmmmm. If you say so,” you replied with a soft smile as you looked over your shoulder at Sam, and you couldn’t help it when your eyes drifted down to her lips. They seemed so soft despite being slightly chapped, and you wondered if they would fit perfectly with yours.

“Stop staring at me,” Sam said when she felt your gaze, and she bit back a laugh when she saw your pupil blown eyes staring at her lips as your mouth was slightly parted. If she were at home alone with you, she would have kissed that look off your face.

“Sorry,” you muttered while embarrassment crept up your neck, and you looked down at the ground. When you reached the trunk, Sam climbed into the bed and got comfortable while you gave Ava a thumbs up. Your best friend was with the truck in front of you and was with her girlfriend. You just hoped you would leave this night with a girlfriend of your own.

You sent Mindy a glance once Ava turned away, and the film geek made eye contact with you while she did the cutthroat motion. The look on your face was priceless as you gave Mindy a look of fear and disbelief before you quickly climbed into the truck bed to join Sam and sat down next to her.

The woman was sitting with her back against the rear panel, and you wanted to take things to the next level with her. Not in a sexual way, just a comforting way. You couldn’t help how your mind was filled with dirty thoughts as you stared at Sam’s veiny hands and the tight shirt that hugged her muscular arms so well. You wanted Sam to wrap her arms around you and never leave, and before you could even think, your lips spoke for you. “Can I sit between your legs?”

The question left your lips in record time, and you couldn’t even look up at Sam when you spoke. You were getting ready to apologize when Sam stretched out her legs and opened up her legs, silently telling you that it was okay. You gave Sam that soft smile you only reserved for her as you settled in between Sam’s legs with your back against her front, and to your surprise, Sam wrapped her arms around your torso and pulled you into her. She then kissed your clothed shoulder and placed her open hands on your leg, and you interlaced your hands with hers.

The movie began to play on the screen while you relaxed into Sam’s hold. She was glad you were here with her and no one else. You chose to spend your time with her, making her feel loved in a way she didn’t know existed.

Throughout the movie, there were times when Sam would run her hands up and down your thighs, place a kiss on your cheek or even your neck if she was feeling bold and you were soaking up the attention. You also noticed that Sam would pull you closer to her and kiss your neck only when Ava would walk by, and you could practically feel the anger radiating off of Sam. You had told her not to worry about Ava, but the poor woman couldn’t help the anger she felt rise in her chest whenever your best friend would walk by. However, Sam didn’t know that you had texted Ava and told her to walk by a few times, so that Sam would give you some more attention and love.

As the movie continued, you fully relaxed against Sam’s front and never felt safer. There was a feeling of comfort that no walls or defenses could ever give you, and it was all coming from the feeling of being in Sam’s arms. When she wrapped her muscular arms around your body and pulled you close, there were no words you could use to describe the comfort and love you felt. Even though you two weren’t official, Sam was your home, and you would never let her go.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Thank you for inviting me to the movies. I had a perfect time. You know, apart from you freaking out and trying to leave me, of course,” you joked with a giant smile. Sam had taken you back to your apartment and helped you carry up the blankets you brought with you. You two were in your bedroom as you placed the blankets back in your closet.

“I didn’t freak out,” Sam grumbled while standing awkwardly in the doorway. She had never been inside your room before, and she felt like she was invading your privacy. “Um, the fuck you mean by ‘I didn’t freak out?’ If I recall correctly, you punched me in the face, and screamed ‘I’m married!’ And took off running,” you retorted.

“Okay, now you’re just being dramatic. And stop stealing lines from ‘Peal,’” Sam defended while crossing her arms and sulking.

“You’ve seen that movie? I didn’t know that you liked horror movies.”

“Have you met my sister? The little shit would probably combust if I didn’t watch a scary movie with her at least once a month.”

“Ohhhh, so you’ll watch a scary movie with Tara but not with me? I see how it is,” you snarked with sass in your voice. You had finished putting up the blankets and sat on the edge of your bed and stared up at Sam. Part of you was hoping that Sam would push you down onto the bed and take you right then and there, but you knew the woman wouldn’t. Damn her stupid morals.

“Don’t even pull that card. I just watched a movie with you tonight, so you should be grateful,” Sam reasoned with a playful smile. She loved the banter you two had, and she wouldn’t trade it for anything.

“We watched ‘Corpse Bride!’ That’s not a scary movie!” You exclaimed. “All romantic movies are scary movies,” Sam mumbled her breath, and you scoffed at her words.

“Whatever,” you responded with a fake eye roll as you stood up from your bed and, walked to your door, and opened it. “Are you kicking me out already?” Sam playfully asked.

“Yes, because apparently, I’m not good enough for you to watch scary movies with,” you replied sternly as you went to your front door and opened it, “Now go on! Get!”

“You’re an asshole, you know that?” Sam stated with a smile, and that single smile made your knees weak and your chest fill up with butterflies. “Yeah, but I’m your asshole,” you replied with a love-struck grin.

“You better be. Can’t have you cheating on me already,” Sam joked with a smile, “So what are you going to do the rest of the night?”

“Why? So you can try and make a move on me? You disgusting pervert! But I’ll probably watch ‘X’ or something. Lorraine is so fine. God, the things I would let that woman do to me. She is,” You made a chef’s kiss motion with your hands, and Sam quickly grabbed that hand and forced it down to your side.

“Alright, that’s enough. She looks like my sister,” Sam coldly stated as she fought off the jealousy and insecurities in her chest. She already knew that she was not the best for you, and the fact that you were attracted to someone who looked like her sister didn’t help at all.

“Exactly! If I can’t have the Carpenter sister I want, I’ll just go after-” Sam couldn’t handle listening to you anymore, so she grabbed your cheeks and forced her lips into yours, shutting you up. The kiss wasn’t pretty, but you would be damned if it wasn’t perfect. It was rushed and sloppy as your lips continued clashing with each other, but that’s all Sam has ever known. She has never known what it’s like to be treated with gentleness, and you wanted to be the first to show her.

You reached up and gently cupped Sam’s cheeks and pulled her away from your lips, and you swore you heard the faintest whimper. The look on Sam’s face was something you would never forget: eyes that were completely black and filled with a mix between love and lust, her swollen lips that were slightly parted as she panting. Before Sam could question you, you pulled her into a loving and gentle kiss, and Sam sighed. Your lips danced together while you two would occasionally take in a breath whenever you could. The soft feeling of Sam’s lips against yours was heaven as you tasted them, and you were sure you could get drunk off them. Only when oxygen became a problem did you two separate.

“I’ve been wanting to do that for so long,” you mumbled against Sam’s lips and quickly pecked her lips, “I can’t believe all I had to do was hit on your sister.”

“Yeah, let’s not talk about that,” Sam replied before clearing her throat and opening your front door, but you quickly shut it. “Don’t leave. Please,” you pleaded with beady eyes, and Sam knew she could never say no to you.

You pulled Sam back into your room, and you dropped her hand while you went to brush your teeth. You gave Sam a spare one, and for the first time, you two brushed your teeth together. “We need to get a double sink,” you declared while rinsing your mouth out. “Why?” Sam asked while doing the same thing. “So we do normal things together. Obviously,” you dryly replied.

“Y/N, we kissed once, and you are already planning our future together,” Sam acknowledged as she leaned against the bathroom door frame, and you pushed past her and got in bed. “Are you saying you don’t want to be with me?” You weakly asked, and Sam felt her heart rip out of her chest at your words. You weren’t ordinarily insecure, but when it came to your Sammy, you wanted to be perfect for her.

She moved from the doorframe and sat down next to you. She took your hands into hers as she spoke, “Y/N, I would be the biggest liar on this planet if I said I didn’t want to be with you. You make me feel things I didn’t know existed, and all I want to do is wake up with you in my arms every morning. There’s just things I wish were different about me.”

“Like what?” You asked with a disbelief laugh. Sam was perfect in your eyes, and you wouldn’t change anything about her.

Sam took a deep breath before she finally admitted the insecurities that have been plaguing her since her first date with you. “I’m worried, Y/N. And I’m terrified that I’m not good enough for you. I mean, you are young, and you still have your entire life ahead of you; you can do so much better than me,” Sam admitted in a broken voice as tears welled in her eyes, and you felt your heart shatter at her confession.

“Oh, Sam,” you whispered as you pulled the older woman into a bone-crushing hug while you rubbed her back. Sam gripped your back and held you close to her body, afraid that if she let off just a little bit, you would disappear forever. “I wish I was better. For you,” Sam choked into your neck. She hated being this vulnerable, especially in front of you, but she needed some comfort from you. She needed to know that you would be with her and not give up on her, even though you two just got back from your second date.

You pulled back from the hug after a few moments, and your heart broke at the broken look on Sam’s face. You had never seen her this vulnerable before, and you planned to shower her with love and affection. “Sam, I don’t care about your past or who your father is. I only care about you and your well-being. I want to be there with you on all your bad days, whether you have a cold or saw your father. Hell, I’ll even be there for you when you murder someone,” you joked, and you felt your heart swell when you pulled a small laugh from Sam, “The point is, I’m always going to be here for you, whether you want me to or not.”

The only thing going through Sam’s mind was her thinking about what she did to deserve you. She wasn’t a saint by any means, but she didn’t deserve all this love.

As if you were reading her mind, you leaned in and kissed Sam again, and Sam sighed against your lips as she felt all her worries disappear.

“Will you be my girlfriend?” She mumbled against your lips. “You just had your tongue down my throat, and you’re seriously asking me that?” You joked with a small laugh while Sam refused to meet your gaze.

“I don’t know, I just thought it would be nice to ask you,” Sam embarrassedly stated, “But you don’t have to give me an answer just yet; you can think about it.”

A small laugh left your lips as you pulled Sam on top of you and into your bed. “Of course, I want to be your girlfriend,” you said before kissing her lips.

“Good,” Sam whispered as she kissed you again before getting off of you and laying down next to you. You were quick to move your head onto Sam’s chest, and you made yourself comfortable while Sam ran her fingers through your hair.

“I’m so fucking happy I have you,” Sam stated while she placed a kiss on your forehead, “You make me so happy.”

“You make me happy too, Sam. Thank you for letting me love you,” you mumbled into your girlfriend’s chest. “How could I not let you?” Sam responded as she placed a final kiss on your head, and sleep consumed the both of you.

You finally had your Sam, and there were no hard feelings left between you two.

[theworldofotps]

Daddy's Biggest Fan (Drabble)

Pairing: Hook x Reader Word Count: 574 Description: Y/n takes their child to see Hook wrestle for the first time

Requested by: @sunrise28sblog I loved writing this and really hoped you enjoy it. ________ Tag list: @omg-im-such-a-masochist​ @melissahausen​ @new-zealand-chic @writtingrose​ @99hook @madhatterbri @sjwrites22​ @sassymox @mrsacklesevansmgk​ @xladyxfatex​ @adamcolesbaybay @irish-newzealand-idian-dutch​ @demonqueen29​ @itsicantbelievethis666​ @lilred91​ @rebellious-desires​ @claymorexpunisher @letsgivethisonemoreshot @ava-valerie @shortyiceheart @serpantscorpio8497​ @thatpanpal​ @thatnerdwriter @wrestlersownmyheart​ @vebner37 @auburnwrites​ @aews-four-pillars @seeingstarks​ @whenimakeitshine1234 @legit9thlunaticwarrior​ @blaquekitty​ @ironshamelessyouth​ @unoficialy-married-to-ace-austin​ @ripleyswhore @moonrosekk @xbreezymeadowsx @alyyaana  @elevennbloom @melblacc @alliwant456  @mcreignsera  If you wanna be added to the list lemme know. Hook Taglist: @wickedval __________

Y/n smiled as she walked slowly down the hallway her hand gently holding that of her three year old son, they made their way through the backstage area. “Daddy?” The small boy called out craning his neck to try and see which wasn’t easy given he was so small. Y/n scoops him up so he could see better as they made their way in the direction of Tyler’s locker room. “Don’t worry my love we’ll find him we just have a few more turns and we’ll be there.” Pressing a kiss to his cheek they walked a little longer and y/n stops gently setting her son on the ground.

“Look who it is bubs.” She pointed up the hallway smiling when her son’s eyes landed on the man, he loved more than anyone apart from her.

“Daddy!” His squeal caused heads to turn light chuckles hitting her ears as Tyler quickly turned around and gasped bending down. Y/n let their son’s hand go watching as he quickly toddled down the hallway towards his dad.

“Hey buddy you excited to see daddy wrestle for the first time?”| Tyler asked holding his son close smiling into a face so similar to his own chuckling as the small boy cheered nodding his head and hugging him. Y/n walked over joining them and smiled when Tyler wrapped an arm around her waist kissing her softly. “Hello gorgeous I thought you two were supposed to be here fifteen minutes ago?” “Sorry babe we ran into your dad, and you know he can’t resist spending a few minutes with his grandson.” Y/n smiled listening as their son excitedly chattered away to Tyler about well she couldn’t really understand what but they both seemed to be having fun. Making your way into the locker room you sat down on the couch. “And you’ve already seen daddy’s title but I’m defending it tonight.”

Pulling your phone out you snap a couple pictures of them and a small video, the video would be something for yourselves. Despite sharing some things Tyler was still a private person when it came to his life and your child.

“Are you guys going to be ringside or stay in the gorilla?”

“I figured the gorilla since he’s still so little and I don’t want the crowd to be overwhelming for him. But uncle Dan said that he had a nice quiet spot all set up for us.”

Tyler smiled nodding his head as he sat down beside his fiancée and their son crawled over onto her lap, he’d been dreaming of this day for the last three years and it was finally here. He couldn’t want to see what his son thought of seeing daddy wrestle in real time. When a knock sounded on the door the trio made their way from the room making their way to the gorilla. “Okay I have to go out now, but I’ll be back when I’m finished.” He kissed the small boy’s head then stood up and kissed y/n with a soft smile as he moved the hair out of his eyes.

“You’re going to do great we’ll be here when you’re finished.”

“Thank you I’ll see you in a few I love you both.”

“We love you too.”

“Love you daddy.” Tyler’s smile widened more as he ruffled his son’s hair, and his music began sending them both a wink he walked out feeling on top of the world.

[cosmichahn]

BEWITCHED

Melissa Schemmenti x Fem!Reader —☆

about: melissa only expected for her friday evening to go as always, but plans change when she sees you crying on the sidewalk

warning/s: mild cursing

word count: 4.7k

note/s: first time writing for mel, might be a bit rusty but i really enjoyed writing this and hope you guys enjoy reading! lyrics from bewitched and from the start by laufey mentioned. (i also have not watched the new episodes yet so yeah)

The parent evening at Abbott Elementary just ended, as every teacher and every parent went their separate ways. Everyone but you who left about an hour earlier than everyone. No one knows why, no one dared to ask when you rushed out of the building after cleaning up your classroom and grabbing your bag. Not even a goodbye like you always do, especially to Melissa who grew worried because of this; but she decided not to call you, especially how it seemed as though you wanted some time alone.

Your movement wasn’t harsh, nor was it rough. It was more of a quiet rush that might as well be considered worse than an angry one.

Melissa says her goodbyes to her co-workers before setting off to go home. She looks at her phone set up on the side with an attached stand to it, pondering on whether she should call you and ask how you are or perhaps not. You’ve only been at Abbott for a year, and in that year, Melissa grew very fond of you. There was just something about you she couldn’t pinpoint in the beginning, not until one of her kids came rushing to her crying and asking for you, for some reason. You started as an aide just to see if the teaching position would fit you at Abbott after about four years of teaching experience in a different state.

When you were Melissa’s aide, her days never ended up being exhausting. You were a breath of fresh air and really helped her around the classroom; with managing two classes at once, it’s not an uncommon occurrence for Melissa to stress herself out. Eventually, you’ve come to apply for an official teaching role at Abbott to teach 6th grade Biology after 2 and a half months of being an aide. It was perfect since the last Biology teacher just straight up gave up and signed up for a resignation; which is a bad image given that it kind of shows the students a message that they may not be worthy enough to stay for since that said teacher left to go to Addington. It’s great that you’re qualified for the teaching role and Ava, especially, was thankful for that.

The redhead drives over the street, her mind only occupied with next week's lesson plans that she should finish on Sunday. Thankfully she’s already done with grading papers. As her mind wanders, she comes across someone familiar on the street, tears pouring down. She stops her car immediately near the familiar broken down car whose owner is the person crying in front of her. You.

Upon noticing the sudden warmth of someone’s presence, you look up only to feel embarrassed, so you quickly wipe off the tears that already stained the bottom of your shirt used for wiping them off. You have the mascara stained from all the tears, and the lipstick that smudged just right on the side of your lips. This is an ugly cry that you never want anyone to see, but Melissa is the exception. You don’t mind her.

She looks at you with not pity, but worry. Wiping off the dust and small grains of dirt she can get off beside where you are, Melissa takes a seat, trying not to be too close to you so you can have enough space to be comfortable or not feel too crowded. “Hon, what happened?” Her voice is so smooth that it sounds like the only symphony you can listen to for the rest of your existence. She looks at you, her eyes speaking more emotion than her words, as always.

“It’s nothing, really.” You sniffle your runny nose in between words that shake your voice and tone. “Just a mishap, but thanks.” Your eyes meet hers, giving her a light chuckle which makes her raise her eyebrow.

“You know me enough not to believe this stunt.” She slightly tilts her head towards you, crossing her arms. Melissa knows you too well upon the year she spent with you at Abbott. She knows when you’re being all bullshit. This is one of those times.

You look at your lap, then your hands that had small stains of black from that mascara that you wore today. “Fine, it’s something. But it’s not really that big of a deal, Mel.” Your gaze turns to her. “It’s just a parent being a parent.”

“Seeing you like this doesn’t make it feel like it’s a small deal.” Melissa isn’t always one for being interested so quickly towards someone, but you just managed to intrigue her the more she knew about you.

In defeat, you tell her what happened; but you feel guilty upon telling her all of this. For whoever up there’s sake, this is only your second year at Abbott and you’re already dropping a bucket worth of tears over one comment a parent made for the first time in your whole career. “One of the parents, um, she called me a terrible teacher because her son was struggling with something and all I really did was help her son out but she wasn’t listening to what I was saying and blamed it all on me.” Talking about your problems really has always been the catapult to a breakdown that you can never find a way to stop. “She blamed it all on me that her son’s grades weren’t high enough, when he has always excelled in all of his subjects. He’s on the verge of burning out, and I’m just trying to help him, Mel.”

“She thinks her son’s grades aren’t enough, when they’re high and he already reached his goal. The mother is so strict but I can’t speak on it because I am not the parent, I am only the one who teaches and calculates the grades. I don’t make the grades, I just help the students achieve the grade they want. She called me terrible. A terrible teacher. I have never been called that and I feel so bad, so guilty, and sensitive, for feeling this way about it. About what she said. And I’m sorry for dumping all of this on you when you’re handling two classes at once, you’re incredible, and I know how stressed you are at times. I care about you a lot.”

Melissa thinks before she speaks, signaling if she can touch you and you nod in response; and so she places her arm around your shoulder, pulling you in with a small apologetic smile. “Some parents really are like that, and unfortunately we can’t exactly do anything about it other than have a quiet and listening conversation with our student.” You hold onto her other hand, feeling her squeeze yours in comfort. “And you don’t have to apologize for feeling this way. No apologies to me, we all have our own experiences, hon.” Melissa removes her arm around you, where she is now holding both of your hands in hers. You melt under her touch, she brings you warmth. She’s the beaming sun that lifts up your glow. “Your feelings aren’t any less. I care about you too, I care a lot.”

You only mumble a quiet thank you to her, letting go of her hands before moving closer and burying your face on her neck, feeling the warmth she had to offer. The comfort her presence gave you was enough to recharge from a tiring day. “Thank you so so much, Mel.” The warmth Melissa gave not only came from her natural body temperature, but also the sudden contact of you leaning into her this close that sent up sparks in her mind and caused her to grow a blush she couldn’t take away.

Melissa places her right hand on your back, leaning her head on yours, before whispering “Anything for you, cara.”

“You’re so nice to me, Mel.” You whisper with a small chuckle, feeling her heart beating, feeling it speed up. “I never knew that something I would say is enough to make your heart crazy.”

“Great assumption you got there.” Melissa jokes, lifting your face off her shoulder. You looked a mess with your smudged makeup, and yet still she was enchanted by you; to her you were still beautiful as always, and she was glad that you felt comfortable being in states like this around her. She keeps your trust the way you take care of hers.

“No use in lying to me when I look like a mess.” You shrug your shoulders, feeling the tension of your feelings cool down and feel lighter. She only playfully rolls her eyes and chuckles at you.

You never denied your attraction towards Melissa, but that’s something she doesn’t know. Something you never had the guts to tell her; you were just scared, confused as to how and why would she date someone like you. Someone younger, obsessed with movies, and could talk about anything and everything within every second of the day. You’ve seen how Melissa acts when Jacob starts yapping about something, but then if you’re the one doing it, she never scolds or avoids you when you talk about your interests even though she doesn’t get most of them. Melissa could just be really friendly to a selected number of people, and you’re lucky enough to be one of those people; that’s one of the main reasons as to why you’d rather not express your romantic feelings for her.

Melissa is too important to you. She’s your friend first before all.

“Why are you even stopped here anyway?” Melissa questions, looking at your car parked on the side near hers.

Embarrassed, you answer her with a small hint of nervousness “Well, you see, I ran out of gas.” You also realize your inability to head home because you remember now that you left your house keys on the desk right before you rushed out of the school a while ago. “Shit! I left my house keys in the school. Son of a bitch.”

Your evening after that parent situation really isn’t going how you want it to. First, you forget your apartment keys in a school that’s already locked, and second, your car is out of gas. You have nowhere to go and nowhere to sleep in, until an idea pops up in mind, but Melissa had another idea. “You can always stay at my-”

“I can call Janine and ask her if I can stay.” You say in full confidence, remembering how Janine once offered for you to stay at her place if ever that there were any cases of unfortunate occurrences. But instead of Melissa agreeing and knowing it’s better for you to stay at Janine’s, she reacts differently.

“No! I meant you can stay at my place.” This peaks the curiosity in you. A year of being friends with Melissa, and yet you’ve never been to her house before, surprisingly.

“As tempting as that offer is, I don’t want to be in the way of your weekend.” You say. Melissa only scoffed and shook her head with endearment. “And I do know how much you cherish your privacy.”

“That’s nonsense, sweetheart. You’re an exception.” Before you can say anything, Melissa stands up to open her car, making sure that you follow. “I’m not taking ‘no’ for an answer, by the way.” She’s pretty persuasive. Pretty and persuasive. She smirks at you as she waits for your approach; she leans on the car and crosses her arms with the keys dangling on her finger. “We both had a tiring day, so a little wine wouldn’t hurt too, right?”

You nod with excitement, looking back at your car while approaching Melissa’s. “Don’t worry, we can get back tomorrow. I have a guy that can help with your car without hassle.” Thankfully, the area where you stopped your car when it ran out of gas was a safe space. Knowing this part of Philly, it surely is more peaceful. Melissa is so thoughtful and just the sweetest, when what she always does, at least to you, is what you think of as something like the bare minimum or just something she does to her close friends. You’re not that special to her, as to what you think; but to her, you’re more than that.

Before leaving off with Melissa, you first check over your car just to grab your things. “Let me just get some stuff from my car. I don’t want any important things gone.” She nods as you head off, unlocking the back of the vehicle and grabbing some things. You take your files filled with student papers you need to check off and grade, then in front of the car is your bag with all of the pens you use and essentials. You double check to lock the door then look over to Melissa. “Well, it seems like we’re both gonna be occupied.” You say, showing her the very thick file folder you have.

“We can grade papers and drink wine.” She suggests, and all you can imagine is grading papers on the table together with Melissa’s glasses sitting on the bridge of her nose, hair up in a loose bun with a wine glass in hand and the smell of her lingering in her home. She holds your hand every so often after taking a sip of her wine and you brush a strand of hair off her face while she smiles at you and thanks you. That is all an image in your head.

“Sounds like a fun evening.” Is all you can say in reply.

As you approach her car, Melissa opens the door for you and you quickly thank her for it. The car ride was comfortable and quite fun. It’s not your first time riding in Melissa’s car, and usually she leads playing music in the car, but she actually lends you the aux cord from time to time. You connect your device to the speaker and radio in her car, where you then blast one of Laufey’s songs; a fairly recent artist that Melissa denied when you first played it around her, but she soon grew fond of the artist knowing that you loved listening to her music a lot.

Melissa would always find herself looking the artist up just so she could be reminded of you when she listens to it. It just for some reason makes her feel closer to you whenever she engages with things you love.

“You bewitched me.” You sing along the rhythm, slightly bopping your head to the light and magical tone of the song. Melissa quietly glances at you, a smile growing on her lips upon adoring the sight, before looking back on the street. “From the first time that you kissed me.” The lyrics catch Melissa, causing her to swallow the invisible lump in her throat. “To experience this song is to make my life complete.” You joke, not imagining anyone to dance to this song with other than Melissa.

Upon hearing this, Melissa wanted you to kiss her under the bustling lights of an evening in Philly. She wanted to lean in and whisper how much she wanted to keep you in her heart. She wanted to be the one who makes you bewildered, bewitched.

“Well, if I ever get the time to buy her vinyl, that would also be an alternate way to complete my life.” You shrug, chuckling.

But I’m falling so badly, I’m coming apart. The song continues. You cast me a note, cast a spell on my heart.

Melissa takes a quick glance over the radio. Well, you’re right about that. She thinks to herself, indulging the lyrics of the sweet yet whimsical song.

“Not the first time you’ve talked about the artist.” She looks over to you through the front mirror, noticing the embarrassed chuckling you let out. “I didn’t mean it in a bad way. I think it’s cute.”

“Thanks, Mel. People don’t really engage with me when I talk about things I love.” You look over at her with an endearing smile. “But thankfully I have you, don’t I?”

“I talk about firefighters to you a lot, hon. I think we’re even.” She laughed quietly. “And you really love the food I make.” In all honesty, there’s a mix of excitement and nervousness in Melissa right now. It’s your first time both going to her house and staying over there for the weekend. Is the sink cleared? Will there be time to whip up a quick meal? Is her bedroom clean? Wait, you’re sleeping in her bedroom? On the same bed as her? Unless you don’t want to, she’ll just sleep on the couch. Melissa’s mind just shuffled.

You notice that Melissa kind of dozes off, so you try to catch her attention. “Mel, you good?” Waving off your hand beside her, until you catch her attention.

“I’m good. Just thinking of something.” You quirk an eyebrow making an attempt to guess, but trying not to push it much as for Melissa to not get frustrated.

You remember the vending machine guy that the Abbott crew would always mention to Melissa. Given that he leaves hints that he likes her. This happens way after they forget to tease you and Melissa for being close. Although there’s some sort of jealousy that flows through you whenever this happens, it’s not really something you can do anything about, given that perhaps Melissa feels the same for him too. “Ooo, is it Gary?” You tease.

Melissa shakes her head quickly. “No, that’s not- he’s not-”

“Oh! My bad, sorry.” You apologize but she denies this apology, saying that there’s nothing to apologize for.

The next moments were filled with comfortable silence, as you then start humming to the next song playing.

Don’t you dare look at me that way; I don’t need reminders of how you don’t feel the same.

─────────

Shortly afterwards, you arrived at Melissa’s place, seeing the beautiful interior displayed right in front of you. She looks at you adoring her house, with only the luminescence of the neighboring houses and the moon lighting up your face. “Beautiful.” Melissa compliments.

She leads you to the door, unlocking it while you stand behind her, carrying the file folder and your bag. You’re greeted by a well decorated living room and several photo frames across the walls and the side tables. “You can just place your things on the couch and I’ll whip us up something to eat for dinner and maybe a snack while grading. That sound good?”

You nod in response, carefully placing your things on the couch that’s still covered by plastic, but that’s okay. It’s very Melissa, quite as you think.

“You know, Schemmenti, you’re all heart and passion.” You say, following her to the kitchen. Melissa manages to short circuit after what you just said, trying to mentally fix her composure.

“Flattery doesn’t work around here. Sorry, Sweetheart.” She shakes her head with a soft chuckle before turning to you and leaning on the counter. “And besides, you’re not helping in the kitchen, but you can sit there and look pretty.”

Compliments like these are common between you and Melissa. Both of you appreciate and care for each other’s everything; even when Melissa’s stress and temper gets a hold of herself, or when you go quiet from being too overwhelmed. “Funny, but I do need to fix this face.” You point at the several faded marks of makeup on your face, making Melissa walk towards you and offer to take you upstairs where the bathroom is.

She points to the bathroom then leaves you there, with the idea going across her mind that you probably don’t have any spare clothes to change into to be able to sleep comfortably. Due to this, while you’re getting yourself clean in the bathroom, Melissa gets an old Eagles shirt that she found in her closet and a pair of sweats she never uses. She knocks on the bathroom door with the clothes hanging on one of her arms. “I got you some clothes, hon.” She says, and you reply to her with thanks. “Just let me know if you need anything.”

“Thank you so much, Mel.” You open the door and thank her, carefully taking the neatly folded clothes from her arm.

You soon finish freshening up, looking at yourself all fixed up in the mirror with the change of clothes on. The Eagles shirt smells exactly the way Melissa does, and you take it in, feeling as though she’s with you right now. The scent fills you with comfort and warmth you don’t want to stop feeling.

Upon arriving at the kitchen, you’re greeted with a quick meal that Melissa made that’ll surely fill you up for the evening. You wonder how long you took in the bathroom because Melissa is already in a different set of clothes with, just as you thought, her hair in a loose bun. She sees you and the only thought that comes across her mind is ‘Damn’ There was just something about seeing you in her clothes, in her kitchen, even in her car, that felt so domestic. It’s the same thing she feels every time she offers to pick you up from somewhere or when you have lunch ‘dates’ where it’s just the two of you; or when sometimes she asks you to go to the farmer’s market with her, and you ask her to go to music stores and bookstores with her.

Now, you’re here in her house. You’re staying over for the weekend, and she can’t help but just keep herself from getting too attached to the idea of a domestic life with you.

“That looks delicious!” You exclaim, walking towards the counter where Melissa had already set up two stools and two sets of plates.

“You look delicious.” She blurts out which makes you burst out laughing, in mind that she was probably just joking around like always. You playfully punch Melissa’s shoulder, and if anyone were to ever do that to her, she would probably punch them harder, but she only looks at you with her brows furrowed.

You shake your head, “I thought flattery doesn’t work around here.” You sit across Melissa from the counter where you both prepare to eat. It’s filled with silence, before she clears her throat and tells you.

“Delicious doesn’t say it all.” Melissa shrugs, wanting you to take the flirty compliment.

After exchanging a few laughs with each other over dinner, you stop to look at Melissa who just finished laughing at something you said. “I like this side of Melissa Ann Schemmenti.” You rest your chin on your palm, elbow flat on the table with your eyes only to hers. “Anyone who would have the chance to be with you is lucky enough to experience what it feels to have a domestic life with you.” You say without thinking of what this might cause to the aura in the room.

“Well, um, not that it matters when I say it.” You say, feeling your palms grow sweaty by the clock. “I think a domestic and simple life with a partner I love is just a really incredible thing, I mean, I would want that kind of life to be mine. Not that I’m assuming that it’s the same thing you want, of course.” You smile apologetically.

“You think about it a lot?” Melissa asks, intrigued to know more and yet still going back to what you previously said about her. Even though she knows she has feelings for you, it still sits in the back of her mind that she may not be fond of marriage. Especially with things during and after Joe, she’s not sure when, but she knows she’s not ready for anything other than a relationship. No marriage, no union or anything.

But why is it that when she thinks of you, she thinks of marriage? She thinks of a life where she wakes up with you on her side. She gets ready in front of her vanity with your reflection in the mirror adoring her from behind. Walking hand in hand around every corner of town. Giving each other flowers just because you felt like it. Taking care of each other when one’s sick. Talking about everything and nothing at night.

“Marriage? Not a lot, but settling with someone I love? Of course.” You like the topic of it all. You love love; how it’s always there, how it doesn’t always have to be a person, that it can grow in places or on people you don’t expect. To love and be loved is what you want, and have always wanted. “I want to one day be loved. To be held, heard. Be sappy and all. To wake up and do the littlest of things. It doesn’t matter if it’s only a quiet day at home or looking through the grocery list while the sounds of the washing machine bustle in the background.” After that brief monologue, you catch Melissa’s eyes.

“You never know.” She gives you that reassuring and hopeful smile. “That person might just be the one in front of you after all.” Melissa sees the way your expression changes from sentimental to a confused furrowed look that made her eyes widen upon realizing what she had just said.

This makes you think for a bit, your brain split in half. Is she just being helpful with the conversation or is she confessing something. She waits for a response quietly as the two of you silently sit across each other. Does she regret saying this? Is she overthinking things?

“I hope so.” You respond nervously. “Are you saying what I hope you’re saying?” She takes her hand out on the table, hoping for yours to hold hers and you do so.

“I want it to be me.” She holds your hand softly.

“Oh.” The only word that came out of you, not being able to process things immediately. Until this registers in mind. “Oh.” You’re clueless as to how to respond. “I need to pinch myself.” You say before standing up, in which Melissa lets out a soft laugh. “Jesus Christ.” You mumble to yourself.

Melissa stands up to tidy the table, but all you can do is freeze in place. Perhaps this is what really happens when your mind short circuits. She puts the used dishes properly in the sink, before wiping her hands clean where she then walks to stand near you, the counter facing your back as she is now standing in front of you. Only the surface of the counter and Melissa in between your body, with only a shorter distance between herself and you. She walks closer, making you walk back, but the edge of the counter is now sticking to your lower back. Both of her hands are placed on either side of the counter behind you.

You clear your throat, only able to look her right in the eyes. Her lips were right there, ready for you to lean in closer just to feel what you’ve always wanted to feel. Her. The risk is for you to take. No, for the both of you to take.

“May I kiss you?” Before you could receive a vocal response, you feel her lips coming in closer onto yours. With closed eyes, Melissa’s hands make their way up to your hips, then to your waist, which slightly lifts up the shirt you were wearing; and so the coolness of your untouched waist was cooled from her fingertips.

A smile grows from your lips, returning it. The world feels as though it froze around the two of you. She pulls away only to look at you and your stunned and lovesick reaction, not wanting the moment to end before kissing you again. A groan escapes her lips, relief and excitement. “You don’t know how long I’ve wanted this.” Melissa mumbles in between kisses.

You swoop in and place both of your hands on her cheeks, feeling the warmth of her face on your palms. She takes a short step back as you lean more into the kiss, giving a light bite on her lower lip where she then smiles softly. “You’re the most beautiful person I have ever seen.” You whisper close to her, feeling her pull you closer by the waist. You’re smitten, and finally, she knows.

Your hands find themselves on Melissa’s shoulders as she pulls you in for a tight hug, her arms snaking around your waist as you rest your head on the crook of her neck.

The world froze around us, you kissed me good night.

[marionluth]

What if Peter learned about Harley's existence through a phone call Tony answered in front of him? Excerpt from my Irondad longfic that serves as an adorable stand-alone of Harley-Tony goodness!

Wordcount: 887

* Peter and Tony were discussing something, when Tony's phone rang and he asked Peter if he minded answering. Peter said it was fine. He didn't regret it. *

“After a whole week of dodging my calls, sending me texts with barely-readable Gen Z slang and abbreviations, I'm borderline worried—nevertheless, happy to finally hear your voice, terrorist,” Tony sent into the phone, causing Peter to look up at him with surprised and confused eyes.

“You know what? I’m just gonna say this, and you make what you want out of it… Black bears simply aren’t eating enough people.”

Closing his eyes and letting out a breath through his nose, Tony prayed for strength and sanity, while Peter couldn’t help but snicker at the words his super hearing easily caught. He watched his mentor waiting for his answer, curiosity peaked.

“What did you do, Harley?”

“I mean… I know Rosehill is a town and all, but, dude! Climate change! Shouldn’t they, like, come down from the mountains and look for food and stuff in towns? Desperately rummaging through trash, finding nothing but our civilization's gloriously gross junk food - that even a hungry black bear wouldn’t touch - and then randomly eating a passerby?”

Peter snorted, trying to keep his amused vocalizations at the random tirade quiet, causing Tony to shake his head in terrified resignation at the inevitability of these two eventually meeting each other.

“And when I say randomly, I may or may not mean my English teacher,” Harley continued.

“What have I told you about applying yourself, Harley?” Tony asked, his resigned tone gaining an edge.

“Something that directly contradicts what you've told me about wasting my potential on frivolous things that won't matter in my future.”

“You see, Harley... The English language we're all jabbering away in, especially in those fancy colleges you're drooling over, doesn't fall into the category of frivolous things that won't matter for your future,” Tony stated.

“It's freaking Shakespeare, mech’!” Harley's voice was a whine now. “The man was crazy! A donkey-headed guy getting it on with fairy queens… I mean, come on!”

Biting his lower lip in an effort to keep himself from laughing, Tony took a deep breath, avoiding eye contact entirely with Peter, who was chuckling and shamelessly listening in to the conversation.

"Harley, we've had this chat before. You can't just bail on everything you don't like. You can’t expect you'll just breeze through school without breaking a sweat. You think MIT or Columbia will roll out the red carpet for you if you flunk everything except math, chem, and science?"

“I already got the lecture from Ava, man. Give me a break, here.”

“I'll give you a break when you give me one, terrorist. But until then, park yourself and hit the books. It's not rocket science; we're talking about fairy tales and donkey-faced characters here. If you can crack quadratic equations without even bothering with homework, I'm pretty sure you can handle Shakespeare.”

“That's torture!”

“No, Hamlet is torture. And you know what else will be torture? Whatever your mom and I come up with if you don’t start putting in some serious effort! You got a week to start straightening things out, Harl, or Ava and I will straighten you out instead. Capiche?”

“But wouldn’t it be a lot more cost-effective if you called school -all Tony Stark and shit - and demanded that I be excused from Shakespeare altogether? Oh, I know! We can make it a religious thing… Like studying Shakespeare goes against my religious dogma! That’s dope! They won’t be able to fight that if it comes from you…”

"Alright, kid, first things first: lay off the Red Bull. Second, if you put half as much effort into hitting the books as you do trying to wriggle out of this, we wouldn't even be having this chat. There's no shortcut around it. Buckle down and get to work."

“So that’s a no to my against-my-religion master plan?”

“That’s a no!”

“I hate you more than Shakespeare hated sanity,” came the resigned answer from the other line.

“Study, donkey-head,” Tony emphasized with a roll of his eyes before hanging up.

“I knew you had a kid hidden somewhere,” Peter said with a smirk.

Letting out a snort, Tony shook his head. "Harley isn't my kid, Pete. We bumped into each other a few years ago, and we've stayed in touch since then."

“That sounded like more than just staying in touch,” Peter commented, eyeing the man. “That’s how you roast me, too."

"Smooth talk, as always, Pete," Tony smirked. "I do lend a hand with Harley, but it's a bit of a different ball game. He's down in Tennessee, so it's more of a long-distance gig. The universe is not done testing me, though, and you two will get to meet. He spends some of his school breaks and a couple of weeks in summer here.”

“So you just habitually collect kids to part-time parent?” Peter asked with a small smile and a raised eyebrow.

Tony gaped at Peter as the kid’s deadpan statement registered. “I… don't have a retort to that.

[thesapphictimelady]

Ad Astra Per Aspera Chapter 2

Word Count: 2.2K

TW: Implied previous domestic abuse, references to alcohol

A/N: I’d like to point out I am NOT a plumber, the plumbing mentioned in this chapter is something that worked in my old classroom. It is not meant to be a solution for everything! Anyways, this is not proofread but I hope you enjoy it! Comments are always appreciated!

“New kid, time to wake up,”

Cassie groaned and rolled over on the couch, throwing her arm over her eyes, “Go away, Jenny, I’m not going anywhere.”

“Jenny? Geez kid, how much did you drink last night?” Melissa chuckled, “It’s me. Ms. Schemmenti?”

Cassie sat up, “Oh my god, Ms. Schemmenti I’m so sorry! I-I thought you were…”

“Don’t worry about it kid, get dressed. We gotta get to school.”

Cassie hastily grabbed a dress out of one of the boxes that were strewn around the small space and headed into the bathroom to change. Once she had pulled her dress on, she set to work removing the makeup from last night and reapplying. She winced when she saw the bruising on her neck was still a sickly green color but she made quick work of covering it up and then applying some mascara and lip gloss.

When she left the bathroom, she saw Melissa had settled herself on the couch.

“I’m really sorry about the mess,” Cassie said, “This was all I could find on such short notice and it’s…it’s really small.”

Melissa snorted, “Really small is certainly one way to put it.”

Cassie flushed and started digging through a box until she produced a thin gray sweater to layer over her pink dress.

“Ms. Schemmenti, you don’t have to wait for me. I know you drove here last night,”

“Nah, I’m giving you a ride. I might as well. Plus the parking might be limited today,”

“Why would the parking be limited?” Cassie asked, pulling on her shoes, “There were tons of empty spots yesterday,”

“The Eagles are playing and Ava rents out parking spaces,” Melissa said, twirling her car keys around one finger.

“Is she allowed to do that?”

“Ava just does whatever she wants. Besides, sometimes you gotta bend some rules”

Cassie opened the front door and the two stepped outside. Despite the time, it was already hot out and Cassie was glad she had chosen a thin sweater.

“Come on,” Melissa said, opening the car door, “I want to make sure we get seats with Barb.”

Cassie got into the car and set her bag by her seat. Melissa’s car smelled like vanilla but there was a lingering scent of menthol. The drive over to the school was quiet, and Cassie rested her head on the cool window. Before she knew it, they had pulled into the school parking lot. It was already crowded and the smell of barbecue filled the air.

“Barbeque? It’s 7 in the morning!”

Melissa shrugged, “They get started early. Now let’s get inside.”

Just like Melissa had said, Ava was hungover as hell. The lights in the gym were dim and the principal was wearing sunglasses and sipping gatorade.

“Hi,” Cassie said, going to introduce herself, “I’m Cassiopeia. I started yesterday.”

Ava waved her away, “Girl, it’s too early for this,”

Melissa snorted and pulled Cassie over to where the folding chairs were set up, setting her bag on a third seat for Barb.

“I’ll be right back,” Melissa whispered, before going back to where Ava was and whispering something to her. Ava pulled her sunglasses down to eye Cassie before handing Melissa a gatorade.

The redhead handed the gatorade to the younger teacher, and then produced a bottle of aspirin, “Here, you’re gonna need these. That hangover is gonna hit you. Plus it’ll help hold up the fact that I told everyone that you went home sick yesterday”

Cassie took the aspirin and settled into the cold metal chair, closing her eyes.

“Cassiopeia!” Jacob called.

Cassie smiled and waved at him, “Hi Jacob,”

“I’m so glad you’re still here!” he said, “I was worried something might have happened when Melissa said you went home sick!”

“Something did happen,” Melissa cut in, “She got tsick.”

Jacob flushed, “I know that! I just meant…well, Melissa you don’t have a great track record with aides and teachers,”

Cassie held up a hand to stop him, “I’m fine. I feel much better today.”

“Well that’s good! I want you to meet Gregory and Janine,” Jacob said, gesturing at the pair behind him, “They weren’t here yesterday so they didn’t get to meet you. Guys this is Cassiopeia. Did you know…”

Cassie closed her eyes again, shutting out Jacob’s explanation of her name.

“I’m glad you’re here Cassie,” Barb said softly, taking her seat next to them, “Melissa told me you weren’t feeling well. How are you feeling this morning? You look a bit pale.”

“I’m okay, Mrs. Howard, thank you. Ms. Schemmenti brought me some aspirin and Ava gave me a gatorade.”

“If you need anything, don’t be afraid to ask. They aren’t comfortable, but if you need to take a nap I can get out the mats my kindergartners use.”

Cassie smiled softly, “Thank you, Mrs. Howard,”

“Alright nerds, find your seats,” Ava said, “Let’s get this started so I can go take a nap. I mean, run the school”

Melissa rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

“First things first, we have a new teacher,” Ava said, “Her name is…Princess Leia or something,”

“Cassiopeia!” Jacob corrected her.

“Yeah that. She’s in Ms Schemmenti’s classroom until we can open up a classroom for her. Next, the sinks in the 1st floor bathrooms are backed up so until Mr. Johnson gets back or the city sends someone, I’m putting hand sanitizer in the bathrooms,”

Cassiopeia raised her hand, “Do the sinks share pipes?”

“Girl, how am I supposed to know? What do you think I am, the city?”

”Yes,” Melissa cut in, “the sinks share pipes and a wall.”

“I can fix it then,”

“No!” Barbara said quickly, “No, these things are best left to the experts. Do you all remember when Janine tried to fix the electricity?”

“No, I really can fix it. It’s super simple to temporarily fix it, at least until a professional can take a look. I just need two plungers and someone to help me.”

“Fine,” Ava said, rolling her eyes, “Schemmenti, you can help Peia,”

Cassie wrinkled her nose at the nickname, “Peia? Really?”

“Told ya someone would give you a weird nickname,” Melissa whispered.

“Janine has some team building activities this afternoon,” Ava continued, “And Gregory and Jacob have worked together to cook some of the produce from the garden for lunch. Now get to your classrooms and do…whatever it is you people do.”

“Come on,” Melissa said, grabbing their bags, “Let’s put our stuff away and I’ll find the plungers,”

Once they got to the classroom, Melissa set their bags on her desk and dragged a second chair over to it.

“Sidown kid,”

“Don’t we need to get the plungers?” Cassie asked, tugging on her sleeves.

“That can wait,” Melissa said, closing the classroom door, “I wanna talk to you,”

“Ms. Schemmenti, I already told you-”

“No, ya didn’t. Lemme finish. I wanna talk to ya about what you said this morning.”

“This morning?”

“Ya called me Jenny.”

Cassie groaned and put her head in her hands, “Ms. Schemmenti, I was half asleep!”

“Did Jenny do that to ya?” Melissa gestured to her arms.

“Ms. Schemmenti, I-”

“S’okay,” the redhead said, “I get it. Let’s just go get the plungers.”

“I got ‘em,” Melissa said, her cheeks slightly pink from running around the school.

”Perfect, you take the boys, I’ll take the girls. We’ll probably need to call each other to be able to hear.”

Melissa nodded and Cassiopeia went into the girls bathroom, locking the door behind her and taking her sweater off. She quickly dialed the redheads number.

“Hey, okay, so when I say go, put the plunger over the drain and start plunging,”

“And you’re sure this will work?” Melissa asked.

Cassie bit her lip, “Well…no. But it worked at my old school! It’s worth a shot.”

“If you say so, kid.”

“Okay,” Cassie cradled her phone between her shoulder and her cheek while she got the plunger into position, “Go,”

Within a couple minutes of plunging, the dirty water that was in the sink started to drain.

“I’m impressed kid,” Melissa said through the phone, “I didn’t expect that to work,”

Cassie grinned as she set the plunger down, “I told you I could do it! At my old school, this happened every other week.”

“What did the plumbers say?”

“Oh, we never had anyone come out to look at it! The district said it wasn’t necessary,”

“That’s ridiculous. Alright, I should get these plungers back to the closet.”

“Hang on, I gotta unlock the door,” Cassie hung up and tugged her sweater back on. Melissa knocked on the door and Cassie unlocked it.

“Geez kid, you look like you need some fresh air. Lemme put these away. You head back to the classroom.”

Cassiopeia made her way back to the classroom, collapsing into a chair and chugging her gatorade. She tossed the empty bottle into the trash can and reached into her bag, pulling out a folder of paperwork.

“Hey,” Janine said, poking her head into the room, “We didn’t get a chance to talk this morning. I’m Janine, I’m the other second grade teacher!”

“Hi,” Cassie said, “It’s nice to meet you.”

“I’m glad you’re here! I see you met Melissa already.”

“Ya, she did,” Melissa said from behind Janine, “Whatdya need Janine.”

“Nothing! Just wanted to introduce myself! Actually, I’m trying to get some clocks to teach time…”

“Did you check the teacher supply closet?”

“Yeah but those clocks are made of cardboard and they’re falling apart!”

Melissa sighed, “Okay okay, I’ll see what I can do.”

Janine squealed, “Thank you! Cassiopeia, you are working with the best teacher!”

Cassie laughed as Janine danced out of the room.

“She sure is…energetic,”

“That’s one word for her,” Melissa said, wrestling one of the windows open, “Want me to close the door so you can take off that sweater?”

“You don’t have to! What if one of the teachers need you?”

“They can email me,” Melissa said, closing and locking the door, “Ya look…actually you look pale. Your cheeks are pink but the rest of you looks…” The redhead held her wrist to Cassie’s forehead, “You’re not running a fever. Do you need to go see the nurse?”

“No, I’m fine, Ms. Schemmenti. I’m not sick. I-it’s makeup. I probably put too much concealer on my neck this morning.”

Melissa dropped her hand, “I’m sorry kid, I thought-”

“It’s okay,” Cassie cut her off, “I’m fine. I just…want to get to work.”

“Ya know, if you need someone to talk to…”

“Thanks, but I’d like to grade some of these math tests right now.”

“Okay kid,” Melissa handed her a red pen and a stack of papers, “Make yourself at home wherever.”

Cassiopeia tossed her sweater on one of the desks and went to sit on one of the beanbags in the back. Once she had found a comfortable position to sit in, she pulled out her earbuds, putting one in and starting her playlist while she started grading.

Melissa sat at her desk, glasses perched on her nose as she tried to focus on the papers in front of her. She couldn’t get the girl in her classroom out of her head. She set her pen down and put her head in her hands, thinking back to that morning.

After Cassie had fallen asleep on the couch, Melissa had set to work making the pizza dough. She preferred making it from scratch. The young woman had been curled into a ball and Melissa knew she wasn’t sleeping well. She would whimper or cry out every few minutes but Melissa couldn’t bear to wake her. She had looked exhausted, like she hadn’t slept in months.

Once the dough was finished, she had knelt on the floor and stroked Cassiopeia’s hair until she settled. She had wiped tears from the sleeping girls face and sung softly to her.

“Ms. Schemmenti?” Cassie said, breaking Melissa from her memories.

“What’s up kid?”

“Do you want me to grade those? You look a little distracted.”

“No, I’m fine. Just a little distracted.”

Cassie nodded and put her earbud back in.

“Melissa,” the door handle jiggled and the redhead jumped up and threw Cassie’s sweater at her.

“I’m coming!”

Cassie tugged her sweater on and Melissa unlocked the door, letting a confused Barbara into the room.

“Hey Barb!” Melissa said.

Barbara looked back and forth between the two, “Is everything okay in here?”

“Of course, Mrs. Howard!” Cassiopeia said, standing up. The second she stood, however, the room began to spin and she swayed slightly.

“Cassiopeia?” Barbara said, rushing across the classroom, “Sweetheart are you okay?”

“Yeah,” she said, sitting back down, “It’s just…it’s just hot in here.”

Barb glanced over at Melissa, who was already rummaging in her mini fridge to get a bottle of water.

“Here kid,” she said, “drink this.”

“Why don’t we take this off…” Barb reached for Cassie’s sweater.

“No!” Cassie and Melissa said at the same time.

“I need my sweater, Mrs. Howard,” Cassie whispered.

“If you say so…” Barb said.

“Kid, you didn’t eat breakfast this morning did you?”

“No…we were in a hurry…”

“Melissa, go get Cassiopeia the apple off my desk,” Barb said.

“I can’t take your food!” Cassie argued.

“You aren’t taking, I am giving it to you. And you will eat it. Stay here. I’m going to see if Ava has a fan we can use to cool you down.”

[starsandhughes]

If You Love Her— Jack Hughes x Zegras!Reader

this fic is inspired by “if you love her” by forrest blakk!

word count: 2.2k

warnings: none that i can think of!

MASTERLIST

Jack had never felt something like this about somebody ever. He had never been completely enamored by someone. He had never experienced butterflies. He had never smiled so much that it hurt over somebody’s laugh.

Until he met Trevor, and by extension, you. The day he met you, he knew you were special. He knew he wanted to be more than friends, and that he didn’t want to rush. He knew that he didn’t want a “fling.” He knew that he wanted you to be his, really his.

Trevor had a feeling about this. He saw the way you two looked at each other. He saw how much you two couldn’t take your eyes off one another. He saw that his twin sister was helplessly falling for one of his friends, and that Jack was falling harder.

“She likes you, too, you know,” Trevor said as he plopped himself down next to Jack to be partners for their English project.

Jack’s eyes widened. Was he that obvious?

“How did- how did you… I mean— I don’t like your sister! Where did you get that idea?” Jack stumbled out in a panic.

“Relax!” Trevor laughed. He patted Jack on the back, “I don’t mind it.”

“You don’t?!” Jack blurted out, a bit too loud as he got a stern look from their teacher.

“You don’t?” he said, quieter this time.

“Not at all,” Trevor assured him. “I trust you. But if she gives you her heart, all I ask is that you don’t break it. She’s had some rough boyfriends in the past, so let her feel safe with you. And I might be biased, but she’s the best thing that you’ll ever have.”

“I don’t think you’re biased. I think you’re right,” Jack said, sounding absolutely smitten. “I’m going to take my time with her, then. So she knows I’m safe.”

Trevor broke out into a big grin, “Thank you.”

——

It was spring break at the Hughes lake house when you and Jack got really close. It was you, your brother, Jack, his brothers, Cole, and Alex all together with Jack’s parents. Jim and Ellen were super welcoming and are making sure you all feel at home.

Seeing Jack interact with his family, especially his brothers, really made you miss Griffin and Ava. You walked over in front of Trevor and leaned back, slamming yourself against Trevor’s chest. Trevor stumbled back a bit at the sudden weight against him but quickly stabled and wrapped his arms around you and places his head on top of yours.

“I know,” Trevor sighed, reading your mind. “I miss them, too.”

“I never thought I’d miss Griffin waking me up by throwing a pillow at me full force until he wasn’t around to do it,” you laughed.

“I’ll be happy to take that job,” Trevor said.

“Hard pass,” you rolled your eyes.

“You sure? I can wake you up in other ways. Like this,” Trevor put his hands on your shoulders and started shaking you. “Or this,” he yanked at your hair. “Or I could jump on top of you and start licking you like a dog like this!”

You broke out of his grasp and ran straight to Jack, interrupting whatever conversation he was having with his older brother, Quinn.

“Jack! He’s trying to lick me!”

You wrapped your arms around his waist and tucked into his side.

“Why are you trying to lick her?” Jack asked laughing.

“She misses Grif!” Trevor replied as if that was an obvious answer.

“Griffin doesn’t lick me!”

“Yeah, so I will for him!”

“That doesn’t make any sense!”

“Keep your tongue in your mouth, Zegras!” Jack said laughing. He moved you to the front side of his body and wrapped both arms around you. “Don’t worry, Y/N. I’ll protect you.”

You weren’t completely sure if you saw what you think you saw, but you could’ve sworn you saw Trevor wink.

The longer you stayed put, the more you noticed what you were doing. You were hugging— no, you were attached to Jack. For a while now. Your heart was racing, but you felt a wave of calm when Jack’s grip on you got tighter.

——

That night while around the bomb fire, you were goofing around with Alex and Quinn while Trevor parked himself next to Jack.

“She doesn’t do that with everybody,” Trevor leaned into him as he spoke.

“Do what?”

“Hug you for that long. I’ve never seen her hold onto somebody for that long, actually. She probably would’ve stayed there until she died if she didn’t have to pee twenty minutes in,” Trevor joked.

“Tell me more,” Jack said low.

“More what?” Trevor asked, confused.

“Her little quirks. Things I should know,” Jack shrugged. “Really anything.”

Trevor looked over at you and pondered for a minute, trying to decide what things would be good for Jack to know.

“She doesn’t do it anymore, at least not to me, but she’s always had trouble falling asleep. She used to come into my room and lay with me. She’d have to cuddle under the sheets, but after a while, she’d finally fall asleep and I’d carry her to bed.”

“That’s sweet,” Jack said, also looking at you.

“Annoying is what it was,” Trevor said. “She stopped when I started to get up really early for hockey.”

“Keep going,” Jack said.

“She basically only listens to pop music, and she loves dancing to it. She’ll make anyone dance with her. Dad used to spin her all around the living room and she hasn’t stopped since,” Trevor told him.

That sparked an idea in Jack. He ran inside to get his speaker and shouted at you to see if you wanted to connect to it. As soon as you connected, Trevor ran up behind you and snatched your phone.

“Trevor!” you shouted.

“This song’s been in my head all day! You love it, trust me,” he said, holding your phone up high and out of reach.

Trevor was right, you do love this song. Trevor put on Slow Hands by Niall Horan, your current favorite song that you’ve been listening to over and over since it was released. Your eyes lit up and you gasped, throwing your hands up in the air and spinning around.

“Trevy! Dance with me!” you declared.

Trevor pretended to trip backwards and grabbed onto Jack for dear life. Jack caught him and pulled him up straight, but Trevor was acting like he hurt himself.

“Ow! Oh no!” Trevor said in the fakest tone. “I tripped and sprained my ankle! I fear I can never dance again!” He pushed Jack forward, “Good thing Jack can!”

Trevor shoved Jack towards you. He was blushing, but you were smiling. You knew exactly what your twin brother was up to.

“I uh… Can’t really dance,” Jack said sheepishly. You smiled at him, “I can’t really dance, either. Just go with my flow.”

“Your flow?” Jack laughed.

“Yep!”

You really couldn’t dance, but you could have Jack spin you around and twirl you under his arm. You had him in the position a couple would slow dance in but you were moving faster to the beat of the song. You had him extend his arm and yours and you twirled into him, landing with your back to his chest and your arms tangled together. You looked up and sent him a smile so big that it took over half your face, and to your delight, he was, too.

You removed yourself from his hold, “See? That wasn’t that bad!”

“It was fun. I could get used to that,” Jack said.

“That’s good, because apparently Trevor can never dance again,” you laughed. “What a dork.”

Trevor called Jack over to him, and told you it was a “secret conversation” that you could not snoop on, so you went back over to Quinn, Alex, and now Cole and Luke.

“See!” Trevor said, nudging Jack with his elbow. “I told you she loves it!”

“What else does she love?”

“She loves love notes and babies and giving gifts. Not even just for birthdays and Christmas! If she sees something that reminds her of you, she tends to get it and smack a little bow on it,” Trevor said. “She says it’s her main love language and she’ll tell you all about the love languages if you ask. She loves that stuff. She loses her mind and gets really happy if I pick her up something as simple as candy. She loves her whole family and all of her friends, but she’s more reserved now in the dating department. So if you’re the one she lets in, that’s big.”

“What does she not love?”

“That’s a weird question, but okay,” Trevor teased. “She has a hard time accepting a good compliment, but she’s getting better. She can be really insecure, so if she doesn’t notice how pretty she is, tell her over and over so she never forgets. She’ll get flustered, but she needs it. Her past boyfriends weren’t too good at that, and Griffin and I don’t help much getting the message across.”

“I don’t understand that. She’s so beautiful,” Jack said, looking over at you admirably.

“Don’t tell me that! Tell her.”

So he did. Every chance Jack got for the next week he told you over and over how pretty you are, how beautiful you are, how much he adored your laugh. He’d dance with you around the kitchen, even if it was just a little twirl under his arm as you passed by. He’d hug you as tight as he could if he saw you getting stressed. He helped you into and out of the boat. He was a perfect gentleman that you were falling harder and harder for every second you existed with him.

On the last night before you all had to go back to school, Jack went into Trevor’s room one last time.

“I want to officially ask Y/N out on a date,” Jack said immediately when he walked through the bedroom door.

“It’s about time!” Trevor celebrated.

“Is there anything else I should know? I want to treat her right,” Jack said.

“This is the big one. On days when she feels like the whole world might cave in, stand side by side and you’ll make it. Run your fingers through her hair whenever she’s sad; it’s calming for her. If you want to treat her right, you have to treat her right on the bad days, too.”

“Anything else?”

“She’ll love you if you love her like that,” Trevor smiled. “And I know you will. Now go! Take the chance while you have it! Just knock on her door; she’s awake.”

“And Griffin is okay with this, too? I know he’s important to her.”

“Trust me, he’s been waiting on this day longer than I have. Now go!”

Jack practically sprinted out of the room. He quickly stopped by his room to get his laptop and then knocked on your door.

“Come in!” you called out.

Jack slowly opened the door. You sat up and greeted him with a smile, “Jack! What are you doing here?”

“I’ve come to ask you out on a date,” Jack said. He was quite proud of himself for not stumbling over his words. He felt a lot more confident now.

“When and where, Hughesy?” you asked. You were blushing madly.

“Right now, and the boat dock.”

“Right now?! I’m not dressed!”

“And you still look beautiful,” Jack complimented. You didn’t think you could blush even harder until he said that.

“Smooth,” you said.

“I try,” Jack joked.

You tossed off the covers and got out of bed, “Lead the way.”

Jack held out his hand for you to take. You only let go to put some shoes on, but grabbed it right back when you were ready. You two quietly crept out of the house and walked to the dock. Jack stepped into the boat and held out his hand to help you in. He had laid out a blanket and some throw pillows before he even asked Trevor.

“What’s this?” you asked.

“I know you like Disney movies, so what better place to watch Moana than on a boat? We can pretend this is an ocean.”

You laid down on the blankets immediately, full of excitement. You patted the spot next to you, and Jack laid down and propped his laptop, already ready to go, on a seat and sat back. You cuddled up close to him, and he put his arm around you. His heart was racing at the sudden closeness. Throughout the movie, you slowly got closer and closer to him until your arms were wrapped around his waist and your head was on his chest.

“Your heart is beating really fast,” you whispered. “Are you okay?”

“I am. I’d be better if you let me kiss you,” Jack told you. He was feeling bold.

You sat up and looked at him, “Smooth.”

“Is that a yes?”

“Just kiss me!”

Jack placed a hand on your cheek and leaned in. It was soft, slow, and passionate. It was perfect. You didn’t want to stop, but you had to pull apart for air.

“Was that–”

“It was dreamlike.”

“Can I do it again?”

“If you don’t, I will.”

[feyhunter78]

Pink Pastels Pt 30

Description: You and Miguel have a talk about what happened with his mother. Pt 31

If someone asked you what happened, you really couldn’t tell them. One moment you’re listening to Connie talk about how inadequate you are and how much better Ava is…or was, but she doesn’t seem to know that? Then you heard her say that you would never be Gabi’s mother, and you lost it. You saw red, lost all your marbles, let go of the reins, every saying, every comparison, they’re all true.

You look around the room with tears in your eyes. Miguel has taken you to some side room in the hotel. It’s beautiful, and the heavy mahogany door cut off all sound from the party.

Your hand is bleeding, cut open by the glass you broke in your anger. It stains Miguel’s suit jacket, and you want to curl up and die. You’re just happy Brett had the sense to take Gabi back outside, so she didn’t see you go absolutely insane.

Miguel is kneeling in front of you, removing the glass from your palm, he’s so gentle, so kind, and you… You’re just a girl with a shitty dating record and jealousy? Protectiveness? Issues you definitely thought you had worked through. But apparently not.

Maybe you need to make another appointment with your therapist.

“Miguel, I’m so sorry, I can’t believe I did that. I didn’t mean to embarrass you, I just lost my temper and I swear this doesn’t happen often, and it’ll never happen again, and I’m just so, so, sorry, and so embarrassed.” You ramble, the apologies continuing to flow until Miguel presses his lips to yours.

“You were incredible. Mi ángel vicioso.” He breathes, cupping your face in his hands as he admires you. Trsl: my vicious angel.

You bite your lip, but the tears start falling, and soon any lingering rage has been washed away by the familiar waters of grief. “I didn’t mean to, really, she’s your mother and I should’ve been able to control myself, but she was so cruel and I—”

“She was out of line, you had a right to defend yourself, you are Gabi’s mother. What my mother says doesn’t matter. She doesn’t even know the truth, but we do.” Miguel’s voice drops to a whisper, and you immediately know what he’s talking about.

“She doesn’t know?”

He shakes his head, a sly grin on his face. “No, but she may soon enough.”

You furrow your brows. “What do you mean?”

Miguel smooths his thumbs across the skin under your eyes. “Don’t worry about it, I’ve got it taken care of.”

Part of you screams that you should ask questions, that you should worry and wonder about these things when Miguel gives you vague answers. But another part of you, the one that’s tired and just wants to be taken care of wins out, over and over again, and you just leave it be, content to trust Miguel. He’s Spiderman for crying out loud, the city’s hero, the man who saved you from that thug, and your shitty ex-boyfriend.

“You’re not mad?” You ask tearfully, meeting Miguel’s eyes.

He chuckles. “What did I tell you? I could never be angry with you, never.”

You sniffle but nod. “Okay, but I’m still sorry I embarrassed you in front of the whole gala.”

“I don’t care about them; all I care about is you and Gabi.” He reassures you.

You fiddle with the fabric of your dress, your mind swirling with memories. This wasn’t like you, not anymore, but ever since the Ava incident—no, ever since that text from your mother, you’ve been feeling off.

Miguel senses your sadness, like he always does. He can read you so well it’s almost intimidating, like he’s in your head or something.

He tilts your chin up, warm brown eyes searching your face. “What’s wrong?”

“I—it’s just…my mother texted me a few weeks ago, she wants to see me, said she’s been seeing someone that’s been really helping her, and she wants to make amends. I just—I don’t know, I’ve begged her to go to therapy time and time again, but now…” You wipe the tears from under your eyes, trying to salvage your makeup.

“But now you’re worried that it won’t be enough? That she’ll just want to move on as if nothing happened?” Miguel asks gently, pulling a handkerchief out of his suit pocket and using it to pat your cheeks dry, preventing your mascara from smudging even more.

How did he know that? How could he just pull your thoughts from your head and voice them so easily?

“Yeah, exactly.” You say, taking the handkerchief from him, needing something to hold in your hands.

“Well, you don’t have to go, you owe her nothing.” He tells you.

You shrug your shoulders helplessly. “She’s my mother, even if I can’t stand her most of the time, she still tried? I guess?”

Miguel nods, waiting for you to continue.

“And it’s not like she was a drug addict or a criminal, she’s successful, and people like her, my friends would never believe that she could be so mean because she was always so kind to them.”

“But to you? It seems that wasn’t the case?” Miguel asks, his hand settling on your knee, the weight of it a comfort.

“It’s just, she was my first hater, so to speaks. No matter what I did it wasn’t right, what I said, wore, accomplished, nothing, nothing was ever good enough. She always had a better way to do things, and if I didn’t do them her way, she would lose it.” You laugh bitterly, burying your face in your hands. “And she could never take what she dished out, if I got upset or angry, she’d act as if I was the villain. As if I was this horrid daughter who just took things too personally and had emotions only to guilt-trip and hurt her. It was so frustrating.”

Miguel hums sympathetically.

“So, I learned to keep everything bottled up, to smother my emotions before they appeared, so I wouldn’t inconvenience her. I was miserable, faking contentment as if I’d get an Oscar for it. Luckily my parents saw what was going on, and they intervened, but it was too late, the damage was already done.” Your voice goes quiet, those same walls you remember so well falling into place around your heart. Your sadness is gone, replaced by a chilling numbness. The cold is familiar, though, you welcome it.

“Y/N…I’m—I’m so sorry.” Miguel says, his tone colored with sadness.

You feel that same stab of guilt, the one that your mother drove into your heart each time your emotions disrupted her day, her good mood, her life. You were the one who caused a scene, not Miguel, he shouldn’t feel sorry for you. You messed the whole night up.

You remove your hands from your face, wiping away any remaining tears and sitting up straight, shoving down every emotion until you could give him a perfectly pleasant smile. “So that’s my sob story. But anyways we should go get Gabi, it’s getting late.”

Miguel, like always, reads you like a book, and sees what you’re doing. “You don’t need to hide from me, cariño, I want to see you, I want to feel the full force of your emotions, good or bad.”

You shake your head, already moving to stand from the ornate chair you’re sitting in. “It’s too much, I couldn’t ask you to do that.”

“I want to y/n. You could never be too much, I want every part of you, every fiber of your being, every flaw and perfections, mi vida, there is nothing you could say or do that would turn me from you.” Miguel ties his handkerchief around your hand, all the glass now removed.

“Miguel…” You whisper sadly, not able to meet his eyes.

“I want you, whether you’re sweet, and loving, panicked and trembling, seductive and feisty, or even vicious and bloodthirsty. Every aspect of you I desire, every moment of every day, I desire you. In your entirety.” Miguel professes, holding your hands to his heart, his eyes finding yours.

You love him, you love him, you love him, you love him.

“Mi amor…” You breathe, blinking away happy tears.

“I have always desired to know you wholly, to see every part of you, and I’m grateful you’ve shown me this part, though I’m sorry my crazy mother brought it out of you.”

You both laugh at that, and it breaks you out of that icy numbness, bringing you back to the full warmth of Miguel.

“You’re too sweet to me.” You say, smiling up at Miguel.

He chuckles. “I don’t think that’s possible. Now, should we go get our daughter?”

Tag list: @miggyoharaswife, @badbishsblog, @imisshim2much, @wanderlustingcastaway, @lynn-9703, @sleepyamaya, @erensbbg, @sweetea85, @ilovemiguelohara, @natthernandez, @stxrrielle, @ihateuguys, @jenniferdixon05207, @blep-23, @luvisaaxoxo, @minimari415, @emerald-09, @violet-19999, @kenchosaikuo, @groovycass, @youcantseem3, @lovefks, @nightshxdex, @dusstory, @aesniri, @munsonssecretblog, @kirke-is-my-name, @starbearieee, @chatoicboy, @act1839, @needsleep3000, @totally-not-georgia, @witchy-lizard, @cxmeiloorun7, @justrandomlolidk, @chimpkinnuggies, @alicefallsintotherabbithole, @loser-alert, @wwwellacom, @ryantryan6969, @lollipopin, @blakeaha, @youcantseem3, @a-cult-leader, @verexi, @purpleskiesandroses, @they2luv1naia, @sophiaj650, @idolautism, @rheannajrs, @merakiq, @rexs-wife, @sukaretto-n, @twilight-loveer, @f1shb0nez, @callsign-blue, @marcelineormars

Pt 2: @sxnasbitch, @111gltzpzy, @lucilavenxoxo, @ray-rook, @elizamelody, @soapbar99, @trashieboii, @erissco, @gardenof-venus, @vlads-dracula3 , @yaoisenpaiii, @the-occasional-artist1125, @polireader, @mvchmp, @shadowxfheaven, @hxlytrin, @melomichuwu, @weirdothatwritess, @ash-aragami, @deguzu, @angelarcheangel, @nekotaetae, @milohatesspit, @lollipop974, @miggyyyyohara, @itzsab, @namjooningera, @hana-1235, @amberpanda99, @joceymoo, @tfamidoingwithmylife, @itsashree, @battinsonwhore05, @namjooningera, @tortilla-chips-and-allioli, @fluffy-koalala, @fandom-ash, @angelarcheangel, @yuuotosaka3, @latersgaters-steven, @ariparri, @wanda-maximoff-enthusiast, @lycaninelizard, @angelarcheangel, @yuuotosaka3, @allysunny, @lollipopin, @allysunny, @loves0phelia, @caslistener, @tayleighuh, @namtaeh, @freehentai, @hellomrstikbot, @comeonatmebruh, @jacejawp

[msschemmenti]

To Be Near You

Melissa Schemmenti x reader

Prompt: Ava decided to do some staff bonding (and content gathering) and forces the teachers to have a sleepover in the school. Melissa and the reader are in a secret established relationship and get caught together.

a/n: this idea came to me before bed yesterday because I was thinking about what barbara howard would wear to sleep

“Maybe I should go get my air mattress out of my storage unit. I don’t really wanna sleep on my rug.” Y/n mumbled as she dropped onto the plastic-covered couch next to Melissa. The TV was playing some game and it currently had all of the older woman’s attention. It was a Thursday and Y/n honestly couldn’t keep up with what sport Melissa watched on Thursdays but she was really only there for the company. 

Melissa shifted as the words Y/n uttered finally broke through her focus. “Barb and Gerald are letting me borrow their spare, you won’t need yours.”

Y/n eyed the woman curiously, trying to figure out if she’d missed something within the past 6 months that would make Melissa’s response a logical solution to her problem. “Mel darling, you do understand what a lock-in is right?”

Ava’s latest fixation has been on team bonding (apparently that’s where the money is this week). And she had the brilliant idea to have the teachers spend a night in Abbott. Obviously, no one wanted to do that, but after a few threats and incentives, the woman rallied enough teachers to participate. Everyone had discussed their sleeping plans earlier over lunch and had established that they’d all be sleeping in their own classrooms, much to Janine’s dismay. Y/n couldn’t help but feel bad for the woman as she tried to convince everyone to set up their sleeping bags in the gym for an actual sleepover. She’d been shot down faster than Y/n’d ever seen before. Between Barb and Melissa, there was no chance in hell either of the women would be participating more than necessary. 

“Of course, I know what a lock-in is. What’s the issue? You haven’t ever complained about sharing a bed before now.” Melissa grumbled turning to face Y/n as the game came to an end. 

“And I’m not complaining now. I just must have missed the part where you told our co-workers you were banging the new fifth grade teacher.” Y/n replied wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. 

“I think I’m doing more than banging you,” Melissa wiggled her brows back causing Y/n to blush in the truth of the tease. 

“Even if that is true, how do you plan to explain me sleeping in your classroom to anyone without outing us?” 

Melissa shrugged, “I think you’re giving them all too much credit. It’ll be fine. Once everyone retires to their own classrooms, you can just come down to my room. By morning everyone will just be worried about getting out of there so the sneaking out won’t be an issue. Piece of cake.” 

“Says you, you’re not doing any of the sneaking.” Y/n rolled her eyes, she’d do anything for Melissa so her complaints were only for show. “But alright, that crosses at least one thing off of my list of things I need to pack tonight when I leave here.” 

“I’ll just take my stuff we can stay at your place.” Melissa said rising from the couch to go collect her things. “Give me like 20 mins and we can leave.” Y/n went to tell Melissa it wasn’t necessary but she was already gathering all of her things to tag along. As she watched the older woman buzz around the house readying for their own little sleepover she couldn’t help but to smile at how readily Melissa was to come home with her. 

-

“This might’ve been Ava’s best idea yet.” Janine grinned as everyone gathered in the teacher’s lounge to wait for Ava to bring dinner. “I already feel so much closer to you guys. You know I’d actually feel even closer if we all put our sleeping bags in the-” 

“Shut up Janine, dinner is served.” Ava said as she hip-checked Janine out of the doorway carrying a box of takeout orders. She brought the box to the table in front of the couch and quickly grabbed her things, “Back you filthy animals. Everyone’s orders should have their name on it.” 

Y/n rose from her seat at the table by the wall and waded through the throng of teachers to retrieve her meal. Sliding under someone’s arm she was able to get her box but saw both Barb’s and Melissa’s still sitting there. Without much thought, she grabbed them both and ducked back out of the crowd and headed for their table. She slid the boxes to each woman with a smile and turned to head back for her seat at the other table. Before she could get too far, Melissa’s hand reached for her wrist and pulled her back. “Thanks hon, why don’t you eat with us?” 

Y/n eyed Melissa hesitantly, they normally kept their in school interaction to a minimum and Y/n hardly ever sat near Melissa for to long. They’d learned that one of them had a hard time keeping her hands to herself. So the invitation was like playing with fire, especially if Y/n was meant to sneak into Melissa’s classroom to cuddle later that night. She gazed at Barb briefly before letting her eyes fall onto Melissa again and seeing the silent plea behind her eyes. 

“We won’t bite sweetheart.” Barb smiled as she hit Melissa’s shoulder in a sort of scold for still holding onto Y/n’s wrist. Y/n nodded and moved to have a seat and when Barbara returned her attention to her food she shot Melissa a warning glare, nonverbally telling her to behave. The redhead grinned mischieviously and nodded. “How was your day Y/n? I didn’t see you at lunch.” Barbara asked making polite conversation like the Godly woman she is.

“Oh it was okay, I left something at home so I ran back to get it before I had to pick the kids up. How about you?” Y/n replied gazing toward the woman kindly. That morning Melissa had been on her ass about bringing her sleeping bag and she’d planned to slide it in the car without her noticing but they’d practically been joined at the hip since they’d made it to the apartment the night before. After leaving it at home, she went back to grab it and tucked it in her classroom for the day. Of course she wouldn’t be using it, but it would be nice to have some sort of cover if anyone was to look in on her that night. Melissa didn’t see it that way, but it would come in handy this evening.

“Well I woke up this morning, so I can’t complain. But I know I’ll be complaining tomorrow after sleeping on an Air Mattress.” Barbara groaned.

“Oh I know what you mean, I’ll be lucky if I can move my back after sleeping in my sleeping bag. I’m not sure this was the best idea after all.”

“Exactly, forgive me but I do not want to see any of your faces after 3:30-” As Barbara talked Y/n startled at the feeling of a hand inching up her thigh underneath the table. She kept her gaze on Barbara but her nods in agreement became more aggressive as she tried to listen. She didn’t even have to turn to know that Melissa was sporting a proud smirk as she tease her girlfriend. Y/n knew it was around the time they were alone and free to be themselves, but the location was not ideal for this kind of teasing especially if Melissa wanted to keep their secret. “But I’ll be glad when morning comes. I just hope Gerald can make it through the night. He always says he sleeps better when I’m there. He’ll probably be wide awake tonight.” 

Y/n swatted Melissa’s hand away under the table as discreetly as possible before pouting at Barbara’s words, “That’s so romantic. I guess that makes sense though, especially since you’ve been married for so long. I hope someone feels that way about me someday.” 

“I’m sure they will hon.” Melissa said finally adding something to the conversation. Y/n let her eyes fall to the red-head and tried fight the hopeful look that she knew was on her face. Melissa winked quickly and then both women turned back to their dinner. 

-

Mel <3: Coast is clear. Everyone is asleep.

With a pillow under her arm, Y/n made her great escape through the halls of the school. She was only going down one set of stair, but she’d have to tip-toe her way passed Janine’s classroom and that would be the ultimate test of her spy skills. Once she made it down the stairs she could see Melissa peaking out of her door, looking down each side of the hallway. When their eyes met, she threw her head back in a ‘come on’ motion and reached toward Y/n making grabbing motions. 

Once in the safety of the classroom Melissa seemed to pounce on the younger woman. Their lips met languidly, dancing an all too familiar dance, before they finally broke apart when air became a necessity. “God, I’ve been waiting to do that all day. We’re never doing this again.” Melissa groaned before pulling Y/n toward the airmattress in the corner of the room. 

“Can’t argue with that. I’m gonna set an alarm to head back to my room at 7. I figure, no one will be up by then.” 

“Set it for 8. I don’t want to wake up before 8.” 

“Well baby, I’ll just be quiet. You don’t have to get up with me.” Y/n said nestling into the air mattress and Melissa’s side. 

“I know I don’t have to but if you get up, I will. It’s already hard enough falling asleep the first time. If you leave I’ll never get back to sleep, even if it is for just an hour.” Melissa confessed quietly as she pulled Y/n closer.

“Are you saying you have a hard time sleeping without me? Because that would explain a lot, but also be so romantic.” Y/n asked with a slight tease in her voice. 

“I just like being near you. I feel…I don’t know. At peace or something.” Melissa said bashfully.

“Well, I like being near you too. So I guess we both win, hm?”

“I guess you’re right.” 

“I’ll set my alarm for 8. Now let’s get some sort of sleep on this thing.” 

“Alright, goodnight hon.” Melissa said placing a kiss on Y/n’s hair.

“G’night Mel.” Y/n whispered, closing her eyes in bliss.

-

Morning came and Melissa had been right, everyone was really was just trying to get out of the building as quickly as possible. The couple had shifted position a little but were still tangled in each others arms. With Y/n’s alarm vibrating away on the floor of the classroom, the women continued to sleep in ignorant bliss. As the other teachers escaped the school for the weekend, Barbara stood outside of her best friend’s classroom hoping to catch her before she left. She figured she could get the air mattress back now to solve that problem and figured her friend would be awake by now. She opened the door and entered as she normally did, but came to a stop as she saw the two bodies tangled together on the bed. The shock didn’t last long before the smile took over at the sight of the two. Despite being on an air mattress in the middle of a classroom, both women seemed to be as comfortable as comfort could get. Y/n’s mouth wide open, a bit of drool hanging from her chin. Melissa’s arms wrapped tightly around the younger woman, as if to keep her from falling off of the bed. This was a couple that was comfortable with each other and that loved each other deeply and Barbara could see it all now. 

Making her way to the side of the bed, she picked up the vibrating phone and stopped the alarm. With great displeasure she reached down to shake her friend awake gently. As Melissa’s eyes creeked open, her gaze first fell to Y/n. She seemed to mentally and physically check to make sure she was alright before she let her eyes wander the room. They quickly landed on Barb and her cheeks flamed as bright as her hair. 

“Good morning.” Barbara smiled down at the woman. 

“Morning.” Melissa answered sheepishly. She waited for Barbara admonishment or warning, but it never came. The woman smiled softly before nodding down to the mattress. 

“I’m heading home, but you can just give the mattress to me Monday. I’ll tell everyone you’ve already left on my way out.” 

Melissa nodded gratefully before watching the older woman head for the door. Barbara paused before leaving turning back to Melissa, “I’m expecting a call sometime before then to hear about all of this.” 

“I’d expect nothing less. I’ll call you tonight.” Melissa promised, causing Barbara to nod with a grin before heading out of the school.

It wasn’t long before the snoozed alarm went off again and Y/n stirred away, as her eyes adjusted to the sun peaking through the windows she looked up at Melissa with a lazy smile. “What are you doing up? What time is it?” 

“After 8 and Barb knows.” Melissa shrugged snuggling further into the covers now that they had a bit of downtime before they had to get up.

“Well, better her than Janine.” Y/n said following Melissa back to comfort.

“Yes, anyone would be better than Janine.” Melissa agreed with a smile placing a goodmorning kiss to Y/n’s forehead. “Good morning.” 

“A good morning indeed.” Y/n smiled leaning up to plant a kiss of her own on Melissa’s waiting lips.

[copias-girl]

To Catch a Cardinal: Chapter V

Song recommendation for this fic!

Chapter I, Chapter II, Chapter III, Chapter IV

A/N: Here’s another one for you guys! This is sooo high school cafeteria vibes 💀

•♥︎𖤐♥︎•

“He’s such a disgusting little rat.” Sister Emily growled, poking her spoon into her food, seemingly annoyed by the Cardinal’s mere existence.

“He’s such a disgusting little rat.” Sister Emily growled, poking her spoon into her food, seemingly annoyed by the Cardinal’s mere existence.

“I know right? He’s just… such a pathetic dork.” Lilith agreed.

You felt a scowl growing on your face as you took another bite of cream-of-whatever soup. Celery, you think it was. But who could pay attention to the soup with the vile conversation around you?

“Kinda creepy too. He seems like a weirdo, ya know?” Mable added, gesturing with her spoon.

“Yeah I totally get that vibe too! I mean, anyone who keeps rats as pets must be kind of weird, right? He’s like… one of those creepy loners.” Ava giggled.

“Exactly! I bet those rats are his only friends.” Emily laughed. “You know, he’s kind of like a car crash. Awful to watch but you just can’t seem to look away.”

“Why do you guys hate him so much? I don’t get it.” You interjected, setting your spoon down and looking at your friends expectantly.

They stopped talking, glancing over to you before their eyes flicked to one another.

“What, like you don’t? I mean.. come on.” Mable scoffed.

“No, I don’t hate him at all, Mable. He hasn’t done anything to make anyone hate him.” You responded. “I actually think he’s really sweet.” You added, earning a barrage of incredulous scoffs from the other sisters.

“Ew, don’t even say that! He’s disgusting and stupid!” Emily shook her head indignantly. “He’s so clumsy and honestly he’s just painful to be around, always dropping things and st-st-st-stuttering like a f-f-fucking idiot.” She scoffed. “I can’t believe you’re wasting your time being nice to him when you could be spending time with Rob. He really likes you, y’know.”

“Ugh, I know! You’re so lucky. Satan only knows what we’d do to be in your position. Rob is so hot!” Ava sighed dreamily.

“I’m not wasting my time being nice to Copia…” You scoffed, not even knowing what the reasoning was behind that. “And honestly? Rob is just a-“

“Hey, girls!” Rob’s flirtatious tone sounded above the chatter in the dining hall, causing you to roll your eyes as you cut yourself off.

He tried to pull out the chair next to you, but you placed your hand on the seat to stop him from sitting. “Sorry, I’m saving this seat.” You stated simply. Rob only shrugged, walking to the other side of the long table to sit across from you.

“Who are you saving it for? Seems like the gang’s all here.” He asked, not even hiding the fact that he was checking you out.

“Cardinal Copia.” You responded casually, causing Rob to chuckle, as if it was some sort of joke.

“Is something funny?” You asked, growing irritated.

“Oh, you’re actually serious??” He snorted. “You know, between you and me, I don’t think Copia needs a chair. More like a giant rat trap.” He said, causing your friends to burst out laughing.

“That’s a rotten thing to say.” You frowned.

“Aw, come on, sweet cheeks, don’t be mad. Rob smiled. “Hey, when are you gonna hang out with me, by the way? I’d like to get to know you better.”

“Um, we should all hang out!” Lilith suggested eagerly, the other sisters nodding rapidly in agreement.

“Don’t worry, ladies, there’s enough of me to go around! How about after lunch?” Rob grinned, but you only protested.

“No no, I’ll be busy, I have to work on Latin translations!” You made up an excuse. You were so preoccupied trying to avoid getting roped into hanging out with Rob, that you didn’t even notice Copia meandering into the dining hall with his little tray of soup.

He didn’t see you, instead going around to various tables to try to find a place to sit, but getting denied at all of them. Some of the siblings made up excuses like saving the seat for someone else, but others only gave him a dirty look and blatantly told him to go elsewhere.

“Sorry, no losers allowed.” A sister snapped, her whole table stifling laughter at Copia’s embarrassed expression.

“O-okay, eh, sorry..” He nodded timidly.

Your eyes widened as you recognized that pitiful little accent, immediately turning and spotting him.

“Cardinal!” You shouted, waving him over. “I saved you a seat!”

Almost everyone in the dining hall looked shocked that you wanted Copia to sit next to you, muttering amongst themselves about what someone like you could possibly want with someone like him.

A shy yet grateful smile found its way onto the Cardinal’s face as he began making his way to you. You sighed dreamily, gazing at him so fondly that you didn’t even catch what Rob was murmuring to Emily.

Just as Copia was passing Emily, she turned and stuck her foot out, tripping the man and causing him to fall forward, landing hard on the cold marble floor, soup spilling everywhere.

The poor man was stunned, barely registering what had even happened. After a few moments, he slowly picked himself up to sit on his knees, his gloved hands still firmly planted on the floor in front of him as his eyes were trained down at the spilled soup.

The whole dining room grew silent, except for judgemental whispers and hushed laughter.

The Cardinal felt tears welling heavy in his eyes at the humiliation, his heart aching as he heard the cruel comments and jokes from Rob and your friends. He always tried to remain positive and unfazed by the way he was treated, but in this moment he realized how much he was truly hated by everyone.

You were appalled; standing up so fast that your chair fell backwards as you knelt down next to Copia.

“Cardinal! Cardinal are you alright?” You asked, placing a hand on his shoulder, but he was unresponsive, still in shock.

You scowled at your friends with hellfire in your eyes. “He could be Papa one day, you know!” You shouted.

They looked surprised at your anger, but didn’t show one ounce of remorse.

“Yeah, I really don’t think so.” Emily replied, seemingly amused.

You shook Copia gently, trying to get him to snap out of it. He blinked a few times, swallowing hard as you brought him out of his daze. But instead of responding to you, he only rushed to his feet and began scurrying out of the dining hall as quickly as he could, shoulders hunched in shame, cheeks reddened from humiliation as tears glittered in his mismatched eyes.

“Cardinal!” You called after him, ready to chase him down before turning to your friends.

“How could you?” You spat, not waiting for a response as you ran after Copia.

You caught up with him just as he turned the corner, his steps growing faster and faster.

“Cardinal, wait!” You caught his sleeve, pulling him to slow down. He stopped just enough for you to push him up against the wall, caging him in so he couldn’t run away from you. It broke your heart, the way he refused to meet your gaze, the way slow tears began rolling down his flushed cheeks as his lower lip quivered.

“Cardinal..” You pressed yourself against him, getting soup all over yourself too but you could hardly care, not when you were pulling his trembling form into you, cradling the back of his head with your hand.

He sniffled into your shoulder, weakly trying to escape your grasp so you wouldn’t have to see him like this; a broken man.

“Please don’t cry, Cardinal. Just- Look at me. Please.” You cupped his face in your hands, caressing his tear-stained cheeks. He finally did, then, pulling away just enough to look you in the eyes.

“Everything’s alright, Cardinal. Are- are you hurt?” Your voice soothed him.

The poor man shook his head no, his gaze flicking down to where your bodies were touching one another.

“Oh no, I… M-mi dispiace, I… I got soup all over you too.” He sighed in deep disappointment, as if it was his own fault; the lines on his forehead deepening with guilt and worry.

You lifted his chin with a gentle finger, shaking your head. “It doesn’t matter, I don’t care.”

“Leave me, Sorella, go back to your amici.” Copia leaned his head back against the wall, staring up at the ceiling before closing his eyes as more tears threatened to spill.

“Not a chance.” You shook him softly, getting the man to look at you once more.

“But-”

“Listen to me, Cardinal.” You brought your hands up to his face once more, wiping his tears away with your thumbs before they could streak his eye paint too horribly. “We’re going to go upstairs, get cleaned up, and change. And then we’re going to come back down here in time for dessert, alright?”

Panic flashed on Copia’s face as he began shaking his head and stuttering. “N-no, I… I-I can’t face them, Sorella.”

“I’ll be with you. I won’t leave your side, Cardinal, and we’ll act like nothing happened. You’ll see, it’ll be okay, I promise.” You reassured him, pulling him into a comforting hug as you pressed your cheek against his.

“Sorella, they-” He sighed, worrying his lower lip between his teeth. “Maybe they are right about me…” He pulled away just enough to look into your eyes, shrugging hopelessly before averting his gaze.

“Well, my opinion of you is very favourable, Cardinal. So you shouldn’t believe a word they say.” Your hands smoothed up up up his chest, finding purchase on his shoulders and causing his breath to hitch at your touch and your words. He almost couldn’t believe his ears, that you of all people would think kindly of him. You were such a wonderfully nice girl, so he heavily suspected you were just trying to cheer him up, too sweet to admit out loud that he really was just a pathetic loser.

But that’s where Copia was wrong; you did acknowledge the fact that he was a pitiful, unloved, strange little rat man. But that’s exactly what got you going. That’s exactly the thing that kept you up at night, writhing around in your bed with your hand between your legs as you quietly mewled out his name.

“So, what do you say? Dessert?” You prompted him, softly rubbing the tension out of his shoulders.

The poor thing only nodded, eyes wide and lower lip flushed from biting it too much. Now that he had calmed down, Copia was suddenly shy and overwhelmed at the close proximity between the two of you.

“Good.” You nodded, satisfied with his decision, taking his hand in yours as you walked towards the stairs together.

You refused to let the other siblings win. You refused to let them drive Copia out with their cruelty. If he gave in, letting their bullying chase him off, he would let them have their victory.

But you, well, you had your own brand of cruelty that you enjoyed inflicting on the man. You loved watching him squirm, looking like a deer in the headlights as you subtly drove him deeper into insanity. Satan, the more everyone made fun of Copia, the more you wanted him; his woeful paltriness igniting such a strong desire deep in your core. It made you want to fuck him in front of everyone; right in front of everyone who had ever called him names and laughed at him. Maybe you would. Maybe you’d beg him to bend you over the dessert table and fuck you dumb, taking his cock until you forgot your own name.

Deep in thought, the two of you silently made your way up the stairs, stopping when you came to Copia’s quarters.

“I’m gonna go change and I’ll meet you back here, okay? My room isn’t far.” You told him, earning a nervous nod and a timid “Okie dokie…”

•𖤐•

You stripped down, tossing your habit in the hamper before looking through your closet for another one to wear. Humming to yourself, you selected one that you had been meaning to wear more often, pulling it out and slipping it on.

It was tight, fitting you like a glove. The skirt was floor-length, flaring out slightly, with a ridiculously high slit on both legs. The habit itself had long sleeves and was low cut, but it had a crimson nun’s bib collar which covered your shoulders and neck, almost making it look like you had a peekaboo hole to show off your cleavage. On the neckpiece sat a diamond-encrusted grucifix, dangling from the collar. Also, this habit had red trim everywhere: lining the two leg slits, the hem, the cuffs on your wrists. Also, the whole inside of the skirt was red, so whenever you walked, the flowing fabric showed off the shock of gorgeous rich crimson.

It even had its own matching habit with red trim, and a red grucifix embroidered on the back, so you swapped yours out for that. It looked absolutely exquisite, you were a vision in black and red. You smirked in the mirror, almost fearing that poor Copia would suffer a heart attack at the mere sight of you.

Once you were finished dressing, you hurried back to his room, hoping he hadn’t changed his mind.

As if on cue, the Cardinal stepped out of the room, wearing his red cassock and biretta. A quiet little gasp tumbled from your lips. You had only ever seen him in his black cassock, so this was a real treat.

“Cardinal…” You greeted him, a lilt of flirtatiousness in your tone as you sauntered up to him.

He looked at you, mismatched eyes widening as he did a double take.

“S-S-Sorella..!” Copia gasped, his gaze darting all around, desperately trying not to gawk at you. But Lucifer knows it was hard; you were sex on legs. Looking at you without thinking sinful thoughts was an impossible task.

“Is something wrong, Cardinal? Do I look bad?” You feigned worry, batting your thick eyelashes innocently as you approached him.

“N-no, not at all…! You, eh, y-you look… very, very nice, Sorella…” He stammered, wringing his hands in front of him, heart hammering in his chest as you placed a dainty little hand on his arm.

“Thank you, Cardinal.” You were so coy, twirling a lock of hair around your finger. “You look quite… ravishing in red.” You bit your lip, looking him up and down while toying with the hem of his pellegrina.

“T-thank you…” Copia swallowed nervously as he couldn’t help staring at you, his burning cheeks deeply flushed to match his cassock.

“Ready?” You asked, taking his arm.

The Cardinal nodded, and together you made your way back to the dining hall.

•𖤐•

Before turning the corner to enter the hall, you felt Copia slowing down beside you, his anxiousness growing at the thought of facing the siblings once more. He felt like a rat reentering the serpents’ den.

You gave his arm a comforting squeeze, turning to look at him. “I’m right here.” You assured him.

Those beautifully odd eyes were so big sorrowful as they stared back at you. He was biting his lip again, looking like he had something to say to you.

“Sorella… Ehm.. You said that… You said that I could be Papa one day? What did you mean by that?” Copia asked, confused.

“You never know, Cardinal. I believe in you.” You replied, eyes soft and dreamy as you gazed at him.

After a moment of soaking in your words, Copia nodded, still not quite understanding why you were being so nice to him. However, he trusted you fully as the both of you finally entered the dining room once more, just in time for dessert like you had planned.

Every head in that whole damn dining hall whipped towards you, mouths falling open and eyes widening as they took in the stunning sight of you and your Cardinal. You hadn’t even coordinated your habit to match his cassock, but Lucifer below, the two of you looked like you stepped out of a delicious cherry and black liquorice dream.

The hall was silent, the clicking of your heels echoing as you strolled over to your seat. You could tell Copia was extremely nervous with the way everyone was staring, but you allowed your confidence to encompass the both of you, giving his arm another little reassuring squeeze to remind him that you weren’t going to let him drown.

The Cardinal may have been painfully awkward, but he was still a gentleman, pulling your chair out for you before sitting next to you.

“Well, don’t stop on our accord.” You looked to your friends, who were still in awe of you in that habit, and also surprised to see Copia having returned.

“Where… Um, where did you get that habit? I don’t think those are issued out by the ministry.” Emily asked. It looked like she wanted to be angry about how spectacular it looked on you, but she was just too surprised.

“Oh this? It was a gift, from Papa. He had it made for me.” You shrugged nonchalantly, grabbing two coffee cups for you and Copia.

Emily’s mouth opened to speak but no words came out at first. “R-really? He… had it made especially for you?”

“Yeah, isn’t that so sweet of him? He came into my room and even took my measurements himself.” You casually wove the image into her mind, leaving out certain details that would no doubt drive her mad later. Did he order you to strip so he could wrap that tape measure around you? And you know what they say about measuring the bust; nipple to nipple. Exactly how high did his hand go when he was measuring your inseam?

You hid your smirk, knowing these questions would surely plague her every time she looked at Terzo.

“Cream?” You turned to Copia.

“S-si, please.” He nodded.

“Say when.” You told him, beginning to pour.

And pour.

And pour.

“Eh… When.”

Sweet Satan, this man didn’t like cream with his coffee, he liked coffee with his cream.

“Sugar?” You questioned, to which Copia asked for two.

You popped two sugar cubes into his cup, giving it a stir and pushing it to him.

“Grazie, Sorella.” He shyly thanked you, taking a small sip while you fixed your own cup.

You could feel Rob’s eyes on you as you looked over the numerous tiered dessert trays, placing some little pastries onto your plate.

Knowing that he was watching intently, you just couldn’t help your next move.

“Mm, Cardinal, you need to try this, it’s one of my favourites!” You chirped, holding a little cream-filled peach pastry up to his lips.

The poor man’s blush was creeping to the tips of his ears as he leaned in and cautiously took a bite, accidentally brushing his lips against your fingers. Once he pulled away, you popped the other half into your mouth, humming at the taste as you licked your fingers.

The Cardinal felt weak, so dizzyingly weak from you; a shock coursing through him as you placed a hand on his thigh, leaning forward towards the table and reaching for another pastry. It didn’t help that you kept carelessly kicking your leg back and forth under the table, your foot brushing up against Copia’s leg each time. Any sort of contact with you flustered him to the point that it was nearly painful.

Soon enough, your group of friends began talking normally once more, neither being mean to Copia nor acknowledging him at all.

Rob was right in the middle of trying to be ‘smooth’ and flirt with you when your eyes drifted to Copia, grinning endearingly as he shoved another pastry into his mouth. He looked a bit sad, his kissable lips pulled into a frown, eyes flicking to Rob and the way he was so obviously trying to pick you up. Satan, the Cardinal didn’t think you actually liked Rob back, did he?

“So, since we learned all about lust and rituals in class, I thought that maybe we could-” Rob just wouldn’t shut up, despite you looking uninterested in his loathsome advances.

You bit your lip, eyes locking on the thick smudge of frosting gracing the corner of Copia’s mouth. Scooting your chair closer until your leg was brushing against his, he looked towards you just as you reached up to wipe it away, bringing your hand to your lips and sucking the sweet, creamy frosting off your finger.

Poor sweet little Cardinal. His breath hitched in his throat, the hot blush on his cheeks nearly glowing by this point. You could practically feel the scorching heat radiating off him.

“Yum.” You licked your lips coquettishly; your hand trailing from his shoulder, down his arm, and mindlessly settling on his thigh once more.

“Sorry, you were saying?” You asked, turning back to Rob and noticing the other sisters’ wide eyes on you.

“Uh.. well- nevermind…” Rob sniffed, trying to play it cool as he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.

“Cardinal, are you feeling okay?” You cooed, returning your attention to the man and inching even closer. He was stunned, lips still parted in shock at your little stunt.

“Your face is the same colour as your cassock.” You giggled, brushing the back of your finger against his face. Your hands were always cold, so the sensation gave him some relief. However, the all-consuming fire of nervousness continued to torment him ruthlessly as you gently doted on him in front of everyone.

“O-oh..! Eh.. ehm- I-I’m okay, si…” Copia nodded, not quite convinced that he even was okay. How mortifying, that everyone could see the blush on his face.

“You’re so hot, Cardinal.” You remarked, biting your lip and pressing your cool hands against his cheeks, forehead, even lightly tugging at his collar for him. The poor timorous little mouse didn’t even realize that you meant it in both senses of the word.

“Enjoy this moment, Cardinal. Probably the only time you’ll ever hear those words being spoken to you.” Emily sneered, causing Rob to let out an amused snort, the other sisters covering their mouths to stifle a cacophony of laughter.

Copia flinched, looking meek as ever, her words cutting deeply into his gentle heart. But then you were looping your arms around his shoulders, giving him a squeeze as you looked toward Emily.

“Hm, I wouldn’t be so sure about that. He’s kinda cute.” You teased. The Cardinal’s eyes widened as he stiffened, looking so pitifully astounded that he almost seemed fearful.

“Well, if you think rats are cute then sure!” She retorted, words dripping in passive aggression.

“I actually think rats are very cute.” You responded simply, taking everyone- including Copia- by surprise. “With their big eyes,” your gaze flitted to the Cardinal’s eyes. “their pointy noses,” your eyes flicked to his nose, “their cute little whiskers.” you grinned dreamily, looking at his moustache.

Copia thought he was going to pass out. Were you trying to convey what he thought you were trying to convey, or was it just pure coincidence? No, no, it had to be a coincidence. No one as beautiful as you would ever be attracted to him, it would be impossible. Illogical. Nonsensical. Completely and utterly mad.

The Cardinal shuddered out a tense little exhale, his chest tight with anxiety as he inwardly scolded himself. He was going crazy, he just had to be. Satan below, he felt like such a dirty old man for even thinking of the mere possibility of you meaning anything by that. He was unlovable; he always had been and he always would be.

“Whatever you say, Sister. Perhaps you should schedule an appointment with the eye doctor.” Emily sighed, feigning concern for you.

“Yeah maybe you should, babe. How many fingers am I holding up?” Rob asked, holding up two fingers.

“My eyes are fine, thanks. How many fingers am I holding up?” You shot back with an amused smirk, flipping Rob off.

Your friends gasped at your actions before giggling, not taking it to heart as they found your quick wit and sassiness quite amusing, even when you were using it against them.

The Cardinal was absolutely shocked by your brazenness. You were this gorgeous goddess of a girl, so graceful and poised, yet borderline presumptuous in the way you kept people in line. And Copia greatly admired you for it; the way you were the exact opposite of him. Where he had no self esteem, you were bursting with confidence; where he was shy, you were bold. He always felt himself drowning in anxiety, being reduced to nothing more than a shy, stuttering idiot. It was a mystery how you always kept yourself so effortlessly cool.

“Anyway, I’ll have to remember how warm you are next time the heating gives out, maybe you can keep me from freezing all night.” You hummed thoughtfully, finally pulling away from Copia. You kept your voice casual and innocent as could be, as if you didn’t quite understand how inappropriate it would be to have him sleeping in your bed.

The Cardinal- who had relaxed considerably once you pulled away from him- stiffened sharply once more. It didn’t go unnoticed, the way his head shot up, mismatched eyes widening, mouth opening and closing as he tried and failed to speak.

“S-si, eh.. P-perhaps.” He bit his lip, staring down into his cup of coffee. It was ironic, usually the Cardinal was always a bit cold; it was just you who got him all hot and bothered.

You smirked at his torment, twirling a lock of hair around your little finger. But your hair wasn’t the only thing wrapped around your little finger. You had Copia all wound up too.

𖤐 to be continued 𖤐

Taglist: @sucharide @the-hole-in-terzos-shoe @rightintheghoulies @copiaswifey @youhaveahomeinmyheart @mister-girl @faeeeeh @rubyserpentine @ramblingoak @tuttifuckinfruttifriday @angelconservation @yourlocalghouleh @gh0sty6 @nikolaiology @thenick100 @mothsdraw @ivyanddaisies @gothdaddyissues @moonlight-fern @copiaslittleratty @nocturnal-birb @creepyalbatross @lightbluuestars @delta-is-here @1kirby1 @dawnghoul @kyberj @esmiephan @not-ya-girl @notmanagingmymischief

[fanfictionismyaddiction]

Falling Into Place

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8 / Part 9 / Part 10

Word count: 816

Pairning: Aaron Hotchner x Agent!reader

Summary: Y/n navigates her new role at the BAU while witnessing a softer side of her boss

______________________________________________________________

The day carried on with a surprising quietness. You found yourself glancing toward Hotch’s office more than once, a little nervous about how Ava was holding up. But every time you checked, she was lying peacefully on the couch, occasionally curling up with the small blanket you had brought from home. A small part of you couldn't help but feel touched by Hotch's gesture—letting your daughter rest in his space.

As you sat back at your desk, trying to focus on the case in front of you, Spencer Reid sidled up to you, a soft smile on his face. "So, you have a daughter?" His tone was friendly but curious.

You nodded, smiling back. "I do. Ava. She’s four, but you wouldn’t know it from how mature she can be." There was pride in your voice, despite the lingering exhaustion that came from single motherhood. "She’s smart, just like her uncle Spencer," you added, teasing him lightly.

Reid blushed, ducking his head. “I’m sure she is.”

"She's lucky to have you as a mom," JJ chimed in, leaning on the edge of her desk. "And don’t worry about her being here. We’ve all had to bring our kids in at some point."

A weight lifted slightly from your shoulders at JJ’s reassurance. The team didn’t seem to mind, and that was a relief. But you couldn’t stop wondering what Hotch really thought. Despite his unexpectedly kind gesture, his earlier coldness still hung in the back of your mind.

Later, as the afternoon wore on, you noticed Hotch making his way toward his office. You braced yourself, expecting him to maybe check on Ava and then return to his usual aloof self. Instead, he paused outside the door, glancing at you briefly.

"I was just going to check on your daughter," he said, as though reading your thoughts. His voice was neutral, but something about the way he said it felt… warmer. It was subtle, but you could hear it.

"Thank you," you replied softly, watching as he disappeared into the office.

A few minutes passed, and then you saw Hotch stepping back into the bullpen, holding Ava in his arms. Your heart skipped a beat—seeing the stern, serious Aaron Hotchner cradling your little girl was enough to send your mind spinning. Ava’s large brown eyes were half-open, her cheek pressed against his shoulder, and Hotch’s expression had softened considerably.

“She woke up,” Hotch said quietly as he approached your desk. “She’s still not feeling great, but I think she just wanted to see you.”

You quickly stood, gently taking Ava from him. She clung to you, her little arms wrapping around your neck.

"Thanks," you murmured, meeting his gaze.

Hotch nodded, his eyes lingering on you and Ava for a moment longer. “If you need to leave early, go ahead. We’ll manage.”

You were caught off guard. The gruff, seemingly unfeeling Hotchner was showing understanding, maybe even concern. It made you see him in a new light—one that you hadn't expected.

"I’ll be fine," you replied, bouncing Ava gently as she rested her head against your shoulder. "But... thank you."

Before Hotch could respond, Rossi strolled by, a knowing smirk on his face. “I see we have a future profiler in training here,” he teased, glancing at Ava.

Hotch’s lips twitched, and you swore you saw the faintest trace of a smile.

“She certainly has the eyes for it,” Hotch added, surprising you further. His words were gentle, almost affectionate, as he looked at your daughter.

Later, as the day came to a close, and the team began packing up, you were still struck by how different Hotch had been with Ava. He wasn’t the cold, distant boss you had initially pegged him for. And though he still carried that air of authority, there was something underneath—a warmth you hadn’t expected.

As you prepared to leave, Ava clinging to your side, Hotch approached you one last time.

"If you ever need help with her, don’t hesitate to ask," he said, his voice lower than usual. There was something about the way he looked at you—a subtle shift in the way he saw you now, perhaps not just as an agent, but as a mother.

For the first time since joining the BAU, you felt a connection with him. Maybe he wasn’t just the rigid boss who didn’t like you. Maybe there was more to him than the stoic exterior. And maybe, just maybe, you could trust him with more than just your work.

"Thank you, Aaron," you replied softly, using his first name for the first time.

He nodded, his eyes flicking down to Ava once more before turning away. You watched him go, feeling a strange mix of emotions bubbling inside you. Maybe this transfer wasn’t just about a change of scenery. Maybe it was the beginning of something more—for both you and your daughter.

[jeridandridge]

Hi! Idk if your asks are open but I thought I'd give it a shot!

Melissa has the flu or a cold and reader is taking care of her. And she's being both "melissa" and a big ole baby about it. 😁😁

Also Drunk is so gooood! You are 1000000% right, soft melissa is EVERYTHING! Thank you for writing!!

👻

Hi 👻! Thank you for the request! 🩷

Tea and Hot Nurses

On Monday when you don’t see your girlfriend in the lunch room you give Barb a look. “Where’s Mel?”

“I was wondering the same thing. She still may be in her room.”

You nod tapping the doorframe with your fingers on the way out. You walk down the hall with a smile giving one or your students a high five before you get to Melissa’s classroom. Through the small bit of glass on the closed door you see the lights are off and that signals warning bells to go off in your head.

Opening the door you step in to see your girlfriend with her head on her jacket as a makeshift pillow.

“Baby, are you okay?” You ask gently rubbing her back.

The red head turns to look at you, her nose red and her eyes bloodshot, Kleenex balled up in her hand.

“What happened? Did someone do something? I’ll find them right now.” You stand on guard ready to move, thinking she’d been crying.

Melissa lets out a shaky laugh before coughing hard into her arm. “No one did anything, hon. I think I caught what the kids were passing around so I’m gonna try to nap before they come back.”

You let out a sigh rubbing her back. She sounded congested and she looked miserable.

“Mel, you should really go home. I can go talk to Ava and cover your class during my prep period.” You tell her.

Melissa gives you a soft smile shaking her head. “I’m fine, hon.” She lets out just before she starts coughing again.

“Yeah you sound great.” You roll your eyes. “Come on, baby, I don’t wanna worry about you the rest of the day.”

“Y/n, Im fine. You think a little cold can knock me out?”

You huff putting your hands on your hips eyeing all the Kleenex in the trash before meeting her eyes with a quirked brow.

“Fine, but after school I’m taking you home and making sure you take care of yourself.”

Sure enough when the bell rings two hours later you’re downstairs at Melissa’s door with your bags ready to go. “I’m gonna follow you back to your place but make a stop on the way to get some supplies.” You tell her.

“Hon, I have stuff at the house.” She says coming out of the doorway.

“Okay but you need other things. Just go home and get comfy I’ll be there in a few.”

“So bossy.” She teases you with a smirk.

When you get in your car you stop by the pharmacy closest to Melissa’s house before heading there. After you get everything you need you head to your girlfriends using your key to get in. When you set everything down on the kitchen counter you hear the shower running upstairs and take the time to get tea going on the stove and unpack everything else you bought.

“What did you do buy the entire pharmacy?”

Putting a Gatorade in the fridge you close the door turning to see your girlfriend with her hair up and in her sweats with her favorite hoodie of yours.

“Very funny. I got tea and honey, Gatorade, Kleenex, nasal spray, halls for your throat, a new thermometer, and, your favorite.” You smile handing her a bag of chocolates.

Melissa smiles taking the bag and squeezing your hand.

“Thank you, Tesoro.”

“Of course.” You beam sliding the large mug of tea to her. “This should open up your sinuses according to the box.”

“Ya know you don’t have to stay here, hon. I don’t wanna get you sick.”

“Mel I had my tongue down your throat last night. I probably already have whatever you have. Besides, I’m not leaving you alone.” You reason as you migrate everything to the couch.

Melissa stands with her hands in your, her hoodie watching you with a smile before she joins you on the couch cuddling into your side.

She takes the mug sipping the warm drink with a hum, your phone chime and laugh capturing her attention.

“Ava said, and I quote ‘Melissa’s covered for tomorrow. Make sure she stays home and recovers I can’t be the only baddie around here it’s too much responsibility.’ “

Melissa lets out a breathy laugh keeping her head on your shoulder.

“I should admit I’m sick more often, eh? I get compliments from Ava and a hot nurse.” She grins up at you.

You can’t help but lean in and kiss her forehead.

[theworldofotps]

Eight Months Ago

Pairing: HOOK x Reader Word Counter: 5242 Description: Eight months ago Tyler did one of the hardest things he’s ever done.

Slight angst(?), fluff, little hints of smut and some sad (sorta?)

A massive thank you @omg-im-such-a-masochist babes your support, ideas and just everything is always so appreciated. This wouldn’t have been possible or turned out the way it did without your help. Love youuu xx

I really hope you guys enjoy this it’s a little long x (I also hope it makes sense because I’ve edited it so many damn times) _________ Tag list:

@omg-im-such-a-masochist @melissahausen @new-zealand-chic @writtingrose @sjwrites22 @sassymox @mrsacklesevansmgk @xladyxfatex @biforrollynch @irish-newzealand-idian-dutch @demonqueen29 @itsicantbelievethis666 @lilred91 @rebellious-desires @claymorexpunisher @letsgivethisonemoreshot @ava-valerie @shortyiceheart @serpantscorpio8497 @thatpanpal @thatnerdwriter @wrestlersownmyheart @vebner37 @auburnwrites @aews-four-pillars @seeingstarks @whenimakeitshine1234 @legit9thlunaticwarrior @blaquekitty @ironshamelessyouth @unoficialy-married-to-ace-austin @ripleyswhore @melblacc @alliwant456 @elevennbloom @xbreezymeadowsx @mcreignsera If you wanna be added to the list lemme know. _________ Taz hesitated outside his son’s locker room, normally he wouldn’t think twice about knocking but lately Tyler seemed like he was on the edge. He wasn’t sure when it had all started, but he had a few faint ideas, one he could for sure almost bet was a big part of the reason. After another brief pause, he knocked and waited for the okay to step inside.

“Who is it?”

“Your father.”

“..Come on in.”

Pushing the door open, Taz closed it behind him and leaned against the wall his arms crossed as he eyed his son. Tyler was laid out on the couch, an arm covering his eyes and the other lying across his stomach, he hadn’t even changed out of his gear yet.

“Sit up we need to have a talk.”

“Can’t this wait till later?”

“No, no it can’t.”

Waiting until he was sat up and his attention was focused on his dad, Taz sat on the only other chair in the room. Rubbing his hand over his chin he took the time to really look at his kid, he had dark circles under his eyes. His hair was even wilder than usual and not because of having just finished a match. Taz had started to notice the slight differences in him, and to be frank he was getting worried.

“Look son.”

Taz started slowly trying to figure out the best way to go about this situation, he figured coming right out was best.

“I don’t know what’s been going on lately, but we really need to discuss whatever it is that has you feeling or acting the way you’ve been.”

“Nothing is going on I’m just a little tired.”

“That’s bullshit and we both know it come on Ty I wasn’t born yesterday; you know you can talk to me about anything. But for the last couple of months, you haven’t been yourself. You show up late for training, you hardly return any calls to anybody or when the guys invite you out you always decline. Your matches are still amazing, it seems the only time you’re really yourself is when you’re in the ring. Maybe it’s because it comes like second nature I don’t know. But what I do know is something ain’t right and it seems like it hasn’t been for a while.”

“I’m fine dad really just a lot on my mind but it’s nothing. We’ve been traveling a lot and it’s finally catching up.”

Taz eyed him for a few minutes then spoke once again this time with more caution.

“How long has it been since Double or Nothing?”

“Eight months give or take.”

Nodding, he stood and walked over patting his shoulder then made his way over to the door Taz knew his gut feeling was probably right.

“Well, if you do want to talk, I’m here remember that please.”

“I will dad thanks.”

Tyler said and flopped back down on the couch resuming his previous position, Taz watched him for another moment before leaving the room. Pulling out his phone he scrolled to the bottom of his contacts and hovered over the call button before clicking dial. Listening to it ring he walked away from Tyler’s locker room and headed for the parking lot. This was a long shot but like he’d told Tyler, he knew his kid and he’d bet money that the thing making him behave this way would be on the other end of the phone call.

“Taz?”

“Hey firefly it’s good to hear from you again, listen I know it’s been a while since we chatted last, but I really need your help.?

*Eight months ago*

“Ty wait stop you’re going to drop me!”

Taz followed the sound of laughter and made his way to where the ring was being set up. Chuckling, he crossed his arms watching as Tyler carried Y/n around the barricade that was set up.

“Oh, come on you know I’d never drop you baby just hold on tight.”

Tyler chuckled back to her as he walked around a barricade and then started jumping up the stairs. The sound of Y/n’s screams being muffled as she pressed her face against his shoulder. 

“Be careful Tyler you have a match tomorrow last thing we need is you getting injured because you tripped going up the stairs. And we don’t want y/n getting hurt either.”

Taz called out and made his way down the ramp towards the ring, Tyler huffed but turned and walked back down the steps. Y/n still held tightly on his back as they made their way over to stand with him.

“I wouldn’t drop my girl she’s safe as could be.”

“Not the point son.”

“Thank you, Taz.”

Y/n said slipping off Tyler’s back and adjusting the HOOK shirt she was wearing a grin on her face.

“You’re welcome, you two look just the way you did when you were fifteen and making your way around the arenas waiting for me to finish a match.”

“Except this time, she’s mine and I don’t have to worry about her leaving me for an older man.”

Tyler teased causing Y/n to gasp shoving his shoulder as she crossed her arms.

“I didn’t leave you for another man I just wanted an autograph from Stone Cold and you were busy munching your chips while sucking your juice box.”

Y/n said as Tyler took her hand kissing the back of it lightly then kissed her lips chuckling afterwards.

“When I found her, she was busy drooling over him clutching the photo to her chest listening to him ramble about whatever.”

“I was not drooling!”

“Okay children okay it’s getting late Tyler needs to get some rest for the show tomorrow you can argue about this another time. Head back to the hotel and no funny business I mean it he needs to get a good night sleep.”

“Yes dad.”

Taz watched as the two walked off whispering and giggling as they went, he loved seeing his son so happy and the fact it was with someone who was already treated like family because of his connection with her uncle was just the cherry on top.

*Present* Pushing the hotel room door open Tyler threw his bag on the floor and made his way over for a quick shower. He was ready to just get clean and lay in his bed the exhaustion from his match was finally settling in. He was more than glad he didn’t have anything to do tomorrow so he could just keep to himself. Digging through his bag for a clean pair of pajama bottoms he walked into the bathroom showering and getting ready for bed. Plugging his phone in, he shut the light off, laying down on the bed and waited for his vision to get adjusted to the dark.

He still wasn’t completely used to sleeping by himself even after eight months alone, the bed always seemed much colder without her there. Tyler couldn’t help but shut his eyes tightly, the image of her drifted through his mind as it did almost every night. He couldn’t help playing that last scene back repeatedly like he always did. Sure, he may have been the one to bring this all upon himself, sure he knew that he could have gone about things a different way. But it was too late to try and change the past, now all he could do was unwillingly dwell on it.

*Eight months ago* Tyler rubbed a hand over his face as he sat on the bed, he was supposed to be resting up but he couldn’t help it. What he was about to do was making it impossible for him to go to sleep. Hopefully once it was finished, he’d be able to just push everything off and maybe things would go back to semi normal.

“Hi babe, I’m back sorry it took so long but Renee wanted help deciding on some outfits for the show next week.”

Y/n called out as she closed the hotel door behind her, making her way to the bedroom after removing her coat and shoes. Spotting Tyler she frowned softly and made her way over to the bed slowly.

“Hey are you okay?”

Tyler shook his head and got off the bed. He needed to have a little space between them before he did this. Swallowing back the nervousness he took a moment to collect himself, letting a neutral bored look settle on his features then turned back to her. Y/n the girl who meant more to him then anyone else, his light in this fucked world. They’d known each other all their lives and yet over the course of the time they were dating, his feelings hit fast.

“Look I know this is sudden and out of nowhere but I just I don’t think this is going to work out anymore. And by this, I mean us. I’ve given it some thought and there’s not really any point in letting it drag on. It’s better if we just end on good terms as friends or whatever.”

Tyler glanced over, seeing the shock on her face and the tears welling up in her eyes as he spoke. He knew this was going to devastate her, but he needed out. He couldn’t handle all this emotion and feeling, everything else that came with having a serious stable relationship.

Y/n stared at him and swallowed the lump in her throat as she tried to process everything he was saying. He was right this had come out of nowhere, she thought that they were doing amazing at the present time in their relationship. Sure, they had spats like every couple, but they always managed to work through them in the end.

“Where is this coming from? We’ve been together for nearly eight months. What changed, what went wrong? What did I do to make you feel like you needed to end this?”

“You didn’t do anything there’s no point trying to explain it I just know that it’s best to end things where they are before one of us ends up getting hurt…worse.”

“I thought you loved me. How can you say you love someone then go and do this without giving me a real reason as to why. I don’t want to lose you Ty please baby there has to be something we can do to work this out.”

“We’ll always be friends you won’t lose me completely this is just for the best; I do love you Y/n..in a way but I just know we can’t continue this it has to be over. I got you another room, so you don’t have to go to the airport this late.”

Grabbing the new key, he held it out looking at the wall to avoid watching the tears that were sliding down her cheeks. Tyler knew she was hurting but he couldn’t let this relationship go on and it was best that she hated him for now then for things to continue as they were. In the end he was worried about breaking her even worse.

Sniffling Y/n stood up and quickly went about gathering her stuff, Tyler watched her pack everything. His heart felt like it was going to pound out of his chest. He wanted more than anything to stop her, but he knew he couldn’t. When she had everything, she went to the door stopping with her hand on the knob just hoping he would change his mind. Sure, she could yell and scream but the thing she wanted most was for him to be happy. And if ending their relationship was going to make him happy then she wasn’t going to stop that. Walking out she closed the door behind her, leaving Tyler alone with the memories and a empty feeling in his chest.

*Present* Y/n stared at the tickets that laid on the table in front of her in an envelope. After the call she received from Taz a few days ago she was dumbfounded. She couldn’t understand why he would want her to fly all the way out to Chicago because Tyler wasn’t acting himself. She hadn’t seen or spoken to him since the night she left his hotel room. After having her cousin grab the few things, she had at his apartment she hadn’t had any contact with him. Of course, she had asked after him and even tried to send a text, but it failed to deliver.

Taz had told her he couldn’t figure out what else to do, Tyler wasn’t talking to him like he normally would. He wasn’t talking to anyone or being himself, and this was the last thing Taz could think of. Tyler and Y/n had been close as could be even before they dated so he was hoping that she could help. 

Honestly as much as she loved Taz and wanted to do this for him, she couldn’t just forget about all the hurt and anger she had felt at the way Tyler ended things between them. He couldn’t even be decent enough to give her a straight answer as to why he was breaking up with her. She’d spent weeks and months afterwards trying to think of what could have gone wrong and she kept coming up blank. 

“Tyler made his choice he obviously didn’t want me there anymore, he ended things between us why should I care if he isn’t acting right?”

Standing she felt all that old anger coming back to the surface as she stared down at those tickets.  “I really think he needs you Y/n”

Taz had told her; she had never heard that desperate tone in his voice before and knew that he must be really worried about Tyler.

“If he really needed me then he never should have left.”

Y/n turned her back on the envelope and made her way into the bathroom to have a hot bath. Maybe she would know what to tell Taz after spending some more time thinking. The flight was for tomorrow evening. Slipping into the hot bath y/n rested her head back on a towel, her eyes closing as the water gently swirled around her. She couldn’t help her mind wandering when she closed her eyes, thinking about Tyler brought back memories that she tried her hardest to keep buried in the back of her mind.

*A year ago* “Ty what if we get caught by someone?”

“We won’t baby, nobody ever comes down this it’s too far in the arena so we’re safe.”

Tyler whispered holding Y/n’s hand as they made their way down a dark hallway. He had just finished a match and despite still being in the arena; Tyler needed her now. He just couldn’t wait until they got back to the hotel. Stopping short Tyler turned pressing her against the wall, Y/n gasped at the contact of cold cement seeping through her shirt making her shiver as his warm body covered hers. Tyler’s lips met hers in a hungry kiss, his fingers pressing into the skin of her hips, Y/n let out a soft moan as he rocked into her. 

“Been thinking of doing this all-day angel ever since we got out of bed this morning.”

“Ty please I need.”

“Shh I know baby just be a good girl and wait. I’ll give you just what you need.”

He kissed across her jaw and down her neck, his hands slipping under her shirt touching as much skin as he could. Her nipples pebbled under his touch and soft moans fell from her lips as he worked them between his fingers. Tyler couldn’t help the smirk that covered his lips at the sounds she was making.

“As much as I love playing with your tits my dad will be looking for us soon.”

He chuckled softly before yanking her pants down to her knees a soft gasp falling from her.

“Fuck you’re already wet for me and I’ve barely done anything.”

He whispered in her ear as he rubbed her core through the new panties he just bought her. Y/n whimpered and whined as he pushed the fabric to the side. Pulling his own shorts down he fisted his cock stroking it a few times before slowly sliding into her. Y/n moaned head falling back as he laced their fingers together, rocking his hips forward.

“So, fucking tight.”

He hissed giving her just a few moments to adjust to his size before he pulled out thrusting back in.

“I love you Ty baby so much.”

Y/n cried out her legs wrapping around his waist as he moved in and out of her, Tyler’s eyes met hers a gleam of happiness in them.

“I love you too starfish, forever.”

*Present day* Wiping the tears away Y/n huffed and reached over grabbing her phone sending a quick message to Taz.

‘I’ll be there tomorrow evening.’ ~ Taz watched the flights flash across the board, she should be off the plane and walking over to the baggage claim any moment now.  Looking around Taz smiled mover making his way over when he finally spotted her, waiting till she grabbed her suitcase and turned around.

“Taz!”

“Hey firefly it’s so good to see you kiddo!”

Hugging her tightly he kissed the top of her head and grabbed her suitcase offering his arm for her as they made their way through the airport.

“Thanks again for coming Y/n I know that things haven’t been good between you twos but I’m worried and nothing else is working.”

“Are you sure he’s going to want to see me?”

“Honestly yes I do. You should have seen the way he was after you left, I don’t know why he ended things, but he was a mess afterwards. He doesn’t know that I heard him every time I passed his room or went to his door. I’ve told him more than once that breaking it off with you was stupid but he’s a grown ass adult. Here we go let’s get in and head for the arena he has a match tonight, so we’ll keep you hidden until afterwards.” 

“What are we going to do if he gets mad and tells me to leave?”

“If you knew how miserable he’s been for the last eight months or so especially these the last few weeks even. I think seeing you would be more than good for him even if he doesn’t want to admit it. Maybe the two of you could finally talk and you can find out why things ended the way they did. If he really doesn’t, well then you can explore Chicago for a few days before going home. Or there is a ticket for tomorrow.”

“Yeah, having some closure would be really nice if I’m honest.”

“Closure yeah.”

Taz nodded holding the door for her to get in the car and walked around getting in the driver side.  Nodding y/n went silent for a moment she had tried to figure out once again why he had left but she couldn’t and unless Tyler told her she would never know. That was another reason why she had eventually agreed to come all the way out here.

Taz really was hoping that this would be good on both ends for the two of them. Making the drive to the arena they talked about a bunch of different topics, the closer they got the more nervous Y/n became. Yes, she had always hoped to see Tyler again, but didn’t think she would. Y/n also hoped she’d be able to keep her cool when she seen him. But part of her couldn’t help arguing that he deserved her anger after all. 

Parking the car, they slipped in through a back door and made their way down a couple hallways. Opening a door that was labeled HOOK, Taz stepped inside setting her case down and stepped to the side so she could enter. 

“I have Tyler in my locker room for now he won’t be in here until after his match if you need me at all just send me a text. Here’s the remote, and this is the wifi password I’ll talk with you soon, sorry to rush but I need to get to commentary.”

Watching him leave, y/n looked around and sat down she couldn’t believe she was here again. Turning the tv on she searched for the channel that would play Dynamite. She hadn’t seen one of Tyler’s matches in a few months, so she was intrigued to see where his storyline was... 

When his music hit Y/n’s breath hitched as she waited and then there he was, Taz was right he wasn’t himself. The rest of the world may not be able to tell very well but she could she knew Tyler better than she did anyone. Or at least she had, that’s why she was hoping he would be willing to see her tonight. The expression on his face and the lifelessness in his eyes. Shaking her head Y/n focused her attention on the screen watching as the match played out he was still just as fantastic as he’d always been. 

“Come on Tyler.”

She whispered and smiled when he got the pin, Tyler stood up lifting his title then slipped out of the ring. 

‘He’s on his way back just give it a few moments, good luck kiddo text if you need something’

‘Okay thank you’

Putting her phone on silent Y/n stood up and took a few breaths to calm herself down as she waited. When the door handle turned, she prepared herself and watched the door swing inward. His head was down so he didn’t see her right away until she spoke.

“Hello Tyler.”

Tyler’s head shot up quickly, he blinked rubbing the back of his head okay he must have been hit in the head too many times. Either he was hallucinating or Y/n was actually right in front of him.

“Y/n? What are you? Is it really you? How are you in my dressing room? What are you doing here?”

“Your father got ahold of me he said you haven’t been yourself lately and was hoping I could help somehow.”

Y/n shrugged her shoulders biting her lip as she watched him the door finally shut closing them in together. 

“And you came here just for that? I didn’t think..I mean after everything I wouldn’t have expected you too.”

“Well, I hadn’t really planned on it at first but I was hoping for some closure but yeah, he said he thought you really needed me. And well I have some of my own reasons.”

Of course, it was his dad that got ahold of her, the thing he’d wanted to do for weeks and couldn’t bring himself to.

“What’s going on Ty, what’s the matter with you?”

Hearing that nickname sent a wave of sadness over him and a lump in his throat he had to swallow around. Tyler ran a hand through his hair, an action that was all too familiar to y/n he walked over until she was in arms reach. 

“Feels like everything is crumbling around me I can barely sleep; I just feel so lost and I can’t seem to catch a break mentally.”

He mumbled as his eyes ran over her features, he couldn’t believe that she was actually in front of him right now.

“Have you ever felt like everything around you was just fine? The world in your immediate vicinity is doing rather well.  But for you internally, mentally whatever it feels like nothing will ever be right again, and you can’t block out the world completely, so you just try to ignore it.”

Nodding her head slowly as she listened to him speak Y/n watched his expression.

“Yeah honestly I have, still do at times. How long has it been like this?”

“The night after Double or Nothing, when I…broke things off between us it was hard for a while then I thought it was getting better. But it wasn’t nothing has been good since that night and it’s just getting to be too much at this point.”

Y/n felt her heart break at the vulnerability in his voice. If there was one thing that never changed it was the way she always responded to his emotions. She wanted so badly to reach out and hug him, but she couldn’t bring herself to. The feelings of hurt and anger were still welling up inside of her.

“Before I do my best to try and help you, I need to know something. Why did you end things Tyler? If things are so bad, why did you end it between us? And I want the real reason because after talking to your dad I’m starting to believe what you were spewing before wasn’t the whole reason. We were doing amazing at least I thought we were, and even the six months before that when you were training a lot. But then suddenly, it’s not working? I want the truth. I at least deserve that.”

Y/n said and searched his face she wanted to know, she needed to know the real reason. Needed to know the reason that caused her to lay awake at night, her tears falling on her pillow as she tried to think of what she did or said that made him leave.

“I told you already we just couldn’t-.”

“Don’t lie to me Tyler and tell me the truth and I mean the whole truth!”

Y/n snapped and cupped his face making him look at her and not allowing him to break eye contact. The feeling of his skin against hers still sent a spark through her but she ignored it.

“Before I was your girlfriend, I was one of your best friends, we knew each other better than we knew ourselves. And we almost always knew when the other was lying and that is what you’re doing. Now why did you leave me? Why did you end things between us when they were going so well? You just dropped me, Tyler. Like I was nothing. Like our whole relationship was nothing.”

She said letting him go and paced the floor in front of him she didn’t mean to snap but she couldn’t help herself. She was pissed, and still hurt. Swallowing she blinked back the tears and continued.

“Instead of being a man and talking to me about whatever was wrong you just tossed me to the side and didn’t even have the decency to try and fight for what we had. You may not have cared or thought I deserved a reason, but I do. I just want to know.”

“Because I was scared Y/n. You’re right, you know me better than anyone and you know that fear is not something I feel too often but when it came to our relationship, I was scared shitless. My feelings got too real, too intense so fast and I didn’t know how to handle it, so I just swept it all under the rug and ran.”

Tyler admitted, his head dropping, he didn’t know what else to say but he knew she had every right to know. It felt good being able to admit this to her and he didn’t know why the hell he hadn’t done it sooner. Then again, he’d grown up a lot during their time apart and realized that just because his feelings seemed to be too much too fast that it was okay.

“I’m sorry, I truly am I wanted to reach out to you a couple months after I wanted to make things better, but I couldn’t bring myself to. I know it doesn’t seem like I cared, especially with the way I went about everything, but I did. I loved you more than I ever had another person. You were everything to me. I wasn’t emotionally mature enough to handled everything. I know that’s not an excuse either but I’m laying it all out like you want.”

He was not used to being vulnerable and hated how it made him feel but maybe letting this all out would be the start of him getting back to normal. He knew that Y/n didn’t owe him anything so to say he was completely surprised when she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly was an understatement. Tyler’s arms wound around her waist and held her just as tightly to him and felt like he could finally breathe for the first time in a long time. 

Y/n wasn’t sure how long they stood together like that just the two of them holding each other tightly but it felt good. Tears slid down her cheeks as she held onto him, this was something she’d been dreaming of. The relief of finally knowing it wasn’t anything she did, the anger knowing if he would have just come to her about everything they could of worked on it together. The sadness of all the time they had lost whirled around inside her. But for the time being she pushed it away and just focused on the fact she was getting to hold him again. 

“You have no idea how badly I’ve wanted to do this again.”

Tyler mumbled into her neck and reluctantly loosened his grip so he could look at her.

“Probably as badly as I’ve wanted to, I can’t believe that all this time.”

“I know I’m really sorry.”

Taking his hand Y/n pulled him to sit beside her on the couch and rubbed his hand that was still clasped between hers. Tyler shook his head and leaned back against the cushions a soft smile on his face.

“I can’t believe you’re actually here, how long for?”

“Well, we weren’t sure how this was going to go so I have two tickets one for tomorrow and the other is four days from tomorrow.”

“Would you be willing to keep the second one, I really think we need to sit down and talk all of this out more.”

“I wouldn’t have come all this way if I didn’t think that we could talk afterwards if you were willing. So yes lets get your stuff together and head somewhere maybe we could get some food because you really look like you need something to eat after that match.”

“You watched?”

“Yes, I always used to love watching your matches and I haven’t seen any in a while, so you have a lot to catch me up on.”

Tyler’s smile widened as he pressed a soft kiss to her cheek, he knew this didn’t fix anything, but he still couldn’t help himself. They gathered their suitcases and made their way out of the arena to the parking lot where his rental car was. While putting their suitcases in the backseat Y/n sent a quick text to Taz then climbed in the passenger seat.

‘Going to get something to eat and then talk with him we have a lot we need to deal with’

Taz pulled his phone out since it was a commercial break and smiled as he read over the message sending a reply wishing her the best of luck and then sent one to Tyler.

‘If it works out treat her right this time boy don’t let your fear get in the way of what or rather who you love most.’

*Seen*