#boutique guitar picks

[sixstringers]

Studio Rats introduce SixStringers Wild Plectrums to their audience

[junislqve]

ᯓ million dollar — ot7

syn when the members spend their (unlimited) money on you. (1770 words)

pairs richboy!members + reader | cw mentions of money petnames — mlist navi

notes richboy members are having a chokehold on me lately

LEE HEESEUNG

“take as much time as you want, love”

earlier that day, you were scouring your closet for a decent dress. flipping through the same five for the past hour.

your boyfriend, grumbling about how you should get back to bed, watched as you pick up the same clothes. his eyes never leaving your figure, staring up at you through the mirror you were using to look at the picks.

heeseung slowly got up and hugged you from behind, burying his head on your neck. kissing your shoulder blades up to the back of your ear.

“do you need a new dress, love?”

after very few talking from heeseung and much more complaints from you, he somehow convinced you to get ready.

and that is how you’ve ended up in one of the famous streets in your city. lined up with the prettiest boutiques and malls.

heeseung wrapped his hands around yours and walked to a favorite store of yours. remembering how you’ve ever mentioned how badly you wanted to go back and buy something from it, months ago.

walking in, your small pout turned into the biggest, heart-pounding grin he’s ever seen. he bit his lip containing his own smile and dug out his wallet.

“spend it all on anything you want, baby”

PARK JONGSEONG

as a musician, looking at instruments is like strolling through heaven. admiring all the small intricate details engraved.

jay loved his guitars like it was his own child, he understands what it’s like to spend thousand and even more on just a single guitar. not that it would do anything to his bank.

you’ve never really asked jay for anything for as long as you’ve been dating. rather using your own money to buy whatever you want than letting your boyfriend buy it for you.

it wasn’t like jay didn’t want you to buy things using his card, he actually offers it most times than not. it was you who never lets him buy anything for you.

“use my card to buy the groceries, babe”

you refused to take his card whenever you could. because of this, jay has learned to pay without you knowing. usually when your back is turned or when you excuse yourself to go to the bathroom.

right now, your boyfriend is tagging along with you as you browse through the island of pianos; ranging from yamaha to bluthner.

you stopped abruptly as your eyes fell on a piano that had you immediately captivated, from the design of the lid to the shape of the pedals, you thought it was the most beautiful piano you’ve ever seen.

when you were admiring the piano, trying out the keys and sitting on the soft cushion of the chair. you failed to realize your boyfriend had silently called the seller and slid his card. smiling down at your frowning figure.

“it’ll arrive by tomorrow morning, love”

SIM JAEYUN

“but you look so good in these, babe”

opening your apartment door with a click, the lights turned on to greet you with the copious amounts of packages laid on your living room.

the packages were of different sizes and stacked side by side. what’s worse is that you can’t remember buying all of the things you did, having to open up each package to know what and when you bought them.

you called up your boyfriend, who had brought in all of your packages earlier in the day when he paid a visit to your unit to pick up a small bag you forgot to bring.

“i seriously need to go on a ban”

“no you don’t baby, besides, you use my card when you buy anything” jake says, laying his head atop yours as he turned on a movie an hour ago to stop your fussing.

“that’s not the point, jake. i need to stop buying random things online. i can’t keep flooding my bedroom” you sigh.

“then just put the things you don’t like anymore in my apartment, you’ll have more space that way” jake smiles down at you, kissing your temples.

that was one week ago. somehow, he had convinced you to ‘accompany’ him on a late night rendezvous to prada. it was all fine at first when he was just looking at the suits. but now, he’s trying to convince you to buy two pairs of their new summer series glasses.

“i can buy this next time, babe” you finally say, sighing, after letting him talk about all the new luxury pieces of the summer set, desperately trying to talk his way into letting him buy you one.

“oh” he trails off, a sheepish grin creeping up on his face “about that, i’ve already paid”

PARK SUNGHOON

as a person who always loved the mountains, you find yourself spending weekends driving up one usually catching the sunset. this was already a routine even before you met sunghoon.

and now, you still kept up that routine whenever you weren’t too busy, your boyfriend always opting to tag along despite his complaints about being too tired. he wouldn’t actually pass up an opportunity to be with you.

you always loved traveling, within the city and during long holidays, out. liking the feeling of driving past the roads and seeing the scenery once the mountains come into view.

when sunghoon found out about this interest of yours, he started searching up for places with the most beautiful mountain sceneries. over the past years, he’s taken you to numerous countrysides and mountaintops inside and outside of the country.

even when you say it was fine if you were to only travel within the country, he loves seeing the way your eyes widen adorably during a gorgeous sunset that would rarely happen in-country. that’s why, the moment he tracks down a specific date that you both were going to be free for at least three days, sunghoon would immediately book a ticket to whatever country he’s been searching up.

on a random afternoon, sunghoon knocks on your bedroom door, walking in your apartment. as you open the door, there he stood with a big suitcase and that sweet smile of his.

“better pack up now, baby. we’re leaving in a few hours”

KIM SUNOO

sunoo knows you more than you know yourself, he’s quick to learn your body language and certain expressions you make.

it’s really hard to lie to him when he knows how to poke at you the right way to make you open up about your worries.

sometimes he just lets you have it, he knows you would at one point tell him about the things you’re going through. he trusts you on that.

but at times, he knows when you need a bit more of a cheer up. sunoo loves spending his money on you, buying you clothes, makeup, accessories. one of the things he realizes is that you love wearing jewelry. finishing up an outfit by adding a necklace or bracelets along your arm. that conveniently also accentuates your features.

he spends alot of time with you picking out sets for outfits you were going to wear for upcoming events. jewelry, he realizes is one of the things that can easily cheer you up, besides himself, of course.

so as the sweet boyfriend he is, sunoo dragged you to the jewelry store despite your sulks. and the moment your eyes laid on the glittering pearls, all of your problems seem to dissipate. just like how your boyfriend had expected.

with a giggle, sunoo starts asking the seller to bring out the full set for you to try on. patting you on the head as you continue to stare at the long rows of necklaces.

“buy whatever you want, okay? after this we can cuddle for as long as you need”

YANG JUNGWON

he would remember everything you’ve ever said to him. you like sweets? he remembers. you like flowery perfume? he remembers. you like that one specific lipstick brand that’s best bought in singapore? he remembers.

it’s not odd to get home to a bunch off boxes filled with gifts and food and random things whenever jungwon’s just went home from a trip anywhere.

anything you’ve said even before you two were dating seems to be engraved in his head like muscle memory. he can be strolling through a street market in japan and a small store would catch his eye, the next moment you would find his hands filled with keychains of a cartoon character you said you liked years ago.

his job requires him to fly countries often and it used to be a problem for you both as it means you can’t really meet him as much. but after years, both you and jungwon still communicate alot. him usually asking to facetime you at random hours of the day or night and sending you pictures of what he was doing.

both of you readjusted quite well to this arrangement and thankfully his work doesn’t demand a long period of time during those trips.

“babe there’s no way i can finish all of this by myself” you laugh seeing all of the things he bought you.

“then we can finish them together” he says, dimples peeking out through the smile “that way i can come by more often”

NISHIMURA RIKI

as days start to get more busy, you and your boyfriend find yourselves going on a short getaway to the outskirts of the city.

he showed up at your apartment one night and pulled you out of it with no explanation. you weren’t going to question him though, letting him take you wherever.

you both ended up on a train station, waiting for the last train to arrive. about an hour later, you landed on a small, but really nice accommodation.

the moment you stepped in the room, riki launched himself on the bed sighing in content.

“i want to live here forever” he mumbles out against one of the pillows.

“we both still have school tomorrow” you sat on the bed beside him, opening up your phone to continue the essay you were working on. only for it to be tackled down a second later, your boyfriend pulling you to lay down beside him.

silence filled the room, only yours and your boyfriend’s soft breathing. riki mumbled something against your hair. you hummed in question.

“let’s get room service” he says. you knew it was going to happen, it always happened. but here you are, sat on the hotel chair with too much food both of you know you can’t finish. he had a habit of buying you whatever he thought you’d like and it wasn’t like he’s wrong. the bowls of food on the table are all your favorites and you don’t even know where to start.

he really doesn’t spend much on things, but he loves going on little getaways with you every once in a while. sleeping on the comfiest beds (besides his or yours) and eating room service. something about it just brings a peaceful kind of silence for him.

© junislqve 2024. liking, commenting, and rebloging are appreciated.

[keisobe]

── ౨ৎ ‧˚ 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭 (𝐡𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧)

・⸝⸝ some hobie brown headcanons where you’re the complete opposite of him + not completely proofread

notes. this was inspired by the anon who requested for “polar opposites” (i’m still working on that request TT). i’m a sucker for couples with different aesthetics because it reminds me of hachi and nana hshshddh ♡

you guys share an apartment together, and the contrast between your guy’s decor can be laughable. hobie has crumbled newspaper cutouts and band posters sprawled all over his walls— graffiti to roughen it up even more. while you had a dainty wallpaper with printed flowers, topped with assortments of neatly lined photos of you and hobie taken during your dates.

that’s why the living room in your apartment is completely bare. except for some framed photos of more cute memories and the dried flowers that hobie (stole) bought you on your first date. mostly, the trinkets you both own are scattered around the apartment.

hobie would be pouring cereal into a pink, bunny ceramic bowl. while you drink raspberry tea in a ridged mauve mug with the words ‘fuck capitalism’ written in hobie’s scratchy handwriting. and yes, you did take hobie to a pottery class as a cool date idea (he thought it was a cute idea too).

hobie always wears a copious amount of studded leather belts but also, your plush keychain(s) securely clipped onto his belt loops. hobie loves to show them off whenever he’s out with his bandmates— “ain’t it a lil’ cute? ‘s even got a lil’ blush on ‘s cheeks.” and that doesn’t limit him during his nightly patrols, he would get a few insults about having a ‘stupid toy’ on his belt, to which he would punch the daylights out of them and trap them in a thick layer of web.

you also proudly accessorize your bags with hobie’s handmade keychains. your favorite was a little replica of his guitar and a pink star that “represents you”. but because they are personally made, he would leave song lyrics and flirty comments written in the back of each keychain— marking the date when he gifted it to you.

going shopping with hobie was also lots of fun. there was a nearby boutique that you always shop at; selling exclusively skirts and dresses adorned with frills and bows, and hair accessories that are covered in pearls and ribbon (he honestly sticks out like a sore thumb but he couldn’t care less). hobie helps you pick out stuff, taking clothes off the rack and asking you to try it on. he compliments you every time you show off, giving you a little twirl and whispering a suggestive comment that makes you slap his chest. if you decide that you weren’t particularly fond of the outfit, hobie would go out of his way to put away said clothes back into its rack whilst having a good chat with the shop owners (they love him to bits).

one time, you decided it would be fun to wear some of his stuff. putting on a studded leather choker he left on his bedside table, you walked out with your chin held high and a grin so big. immediately, hobie felt like he combusted five times and went over to graze a hand over your leathered neck— “you’re an absolute looka’ babe.”

whenever you guys are out, he would always keep an eye out for your skirt. not in a weird way, but to make sure it doesn’t show private bits that would entertain creeps that would pass by. that’s why he would subconsciously linger his hand on your hips and he would always let you sit in the subway train, amusingly eyeing down at you drawing whilst he holds onto the upper railing— guarding you with his solid frame.

you’re a real sucker for british dating shows. it wasn’t like you believed in them, but found them heavily entertaining. hobie had always been fond of the things you like, even though they completely contrasted his personal aesthetic and interest. but he cannot, for the life of him, agree with dating shows. as you snuggled into him and share a fluffy blanket— watching the latest season of said dating show, he would cackle as he gives snarky comments at every moment and heavily criticize the whole concept of “making yourself look li’ a knob on the telly” (you sent him to his room afterwards, he apologized the morning after).

MOCHIFILM © 2023. please do not copy, translate, or modify any of my work. all of my works are not permitted to be posted on any other sites.

[cupidcures]

When Tulips Kiss | Hwang Hyunjin SMAU

CHAPTERS: 𝜗𝜚 TWENTY-ONE | TWENTY-TWO | 𝜗𝜚 TWENTY-THREE

WORD COUNT: 6.2k (not proofread)

CONTAINS: hyune gets a little touchy, BUT ONLY A SMIDGEN, short tension between gyu and hyune

guitar hero

It was yet another slow and peaceful day working at the boutique, not that you were complaining about it. You enjoy tending to your flowers and helping them grow to their most beautiful prime state, but there’s only so much you can do in the span of 5 hours spent inside a small flower boutique, so you often feel lonely while working by yourself. You had wonderful friends though, and they would frequently come to visit and keep you company, you were always thankful for them. Unfortunately for you, none of them had shown up today so you were left with no choice but to scroll through your phone, occasionally helping out a customer and ringing them up.

The majority of the people who would come in to support were often people who came here regularly, you assumed to buy flowers for the significant others. You still get new people here and there, especially whenever your beloved Jeongin would post about it on his Twitter, or if he were to come here during one of your vlogs. You couldn’t be any more grateful for him.

The bell to your boutique rang and interrupted your thoughts, indicating that someone had walked in.

“Welcome to Song of the Flowers, let me know if you need any help!” You greeted joyfully without looking away from your phone.

3:50 pm, 10 minutes before closing. 10 minutes before Beomgyu comes to pick you up for the date.

You thought of the possibilities of where Beomgyu could be taking you for the date before stopping all your thoughts with a question.

Was this a date? You wondered to yourself, recalling the conversation between the two of you, right before the only other person that was in the store with you cleared their throat.

You looked up to give your attention to the customer, and to your surprise, Beomgyu was standing there, looking pretty as always. He waved one of his hands, while the other one held onto a pink gift bag with a bow garnished on top of it.

"Gyu! What a surprise! You're a little early so I haven't started closing up the shop, I'll start on it right now though!" You hummed and gave the boy in front of you a hug, and he immediately returned it.

Beomgyu pulled away from the hug and gave you a bashful smile before lightly pushing the gift bag to your chest. “Hi Y/N! I didn’t wanna come here empty-handed so I went to the toy store near campus to get you something, I hope you like it.” He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly as he waited eagerly to observe your reaction to the gift.

Undoing the ribbon that connects the two handles of the bag together, you opened the gift only to see the space filled with a large amount of packaged Sonny Angel boxes, inflicting a gasp from you. “Holy shit!” You exclaimed in shock as you looked back up to make eye contact with the boy in front of you, who held a look of bewilderment mixed with concern on his face.

“Is it okay? Is that a good or bad holy shit?” Beomgyu asked nervously as you tied the handles back together with the ribbon it had come with.

“Gyu I love it! But one singular box costs 15 dollars ALONE, and the bag is filled! You didn’t have to get me a gift, you know? But either way, I’m grateful, so thank you!” You sighed with a soft smile on your face.

“I know I didn’t have to, but I wanted to. A little over a hundred dollars is nothing to me if I get to make you happy and see a smile on your face.” Beomgyu winked and pinched your nose as your nose turned bright red. Rudolph, much?

“Okaaaaaay smooth talker. I’ve gotta close up the store, but once I’m done we could leave right away.”

“I’ll wait outside on the bench for you, take as long as you need.” Beomgyu took your hand and brought it to his lips and gave it a gentle kiss before walking out the door, the bell ringing behind him. You giggled and went to go close the curtains of your shop and turn the sign around to indicate that it was now closed. You walked around the small boutique and checked the florals on display to see if you needed to replace anything, and thankfully, they were all in good condition.

After taking one final lap around, just in case there was anything out of the ordinary, you took your purse from behind the counter and made your way towards the exit, locking the door behind you with the key before finally approaching Beomgyu.

Tapping him on the shoulder to grab his attention, you flashed him a smile as he turned around to look at your face.

“Ready to go?”

“Yup! Lead the way!”

“Great! Let’s go to my car. It’s all the way across town, and I wouldn’t want your pretty feet to hurt.” Beomgyu chuckles and stands up from the bench as you roll your eyes at him in a joking manner.

Looking both ways to make sure there are no upcoming cars, he takes your hand into his and crosses the street to where his car is. He led you to the passenger seat of his car, opening and closing the door for you before going to his own side and starting the car.

“I made a small playlist that we could listen to together, I hope you like it.” Beomgyu grins and connects his phone to the Bluetooth on the car, music soon filling up the car as he proceeds to drive.

Beomgyu was a great person, nearly perfect in your eyes. He was handsome, ambitious, he knew when to be serious and when he could be chill, he had an amazing personality, and he never failed to make you laugh. If you were being completely honest with yourself, you didn’t pay much attention to him back in high school and you really only knew him as the cute guy that Seungmin tutored.

But now that you really think back on it, you remember how you would always catch him staring at you from time to time whenever you both were in a group setting together. His crush went unnoticed by you up until this very moment, and it made you giggle to yourself at how blind you were.

Then again, it’s not like you were single at that time either, so technically it’s a good thing you didn’t notice.

The bass and melody of the music reverberating throughout the car brought you back to reality and focusing in on the song that’s currently playing. The instrumental of the song, specifically the synth, gave off a dreamy and fairytale-ish vibe to it, the rejuvenating and fresh vocals in the track helping you come to that conclusion. When the chorus came around, the addition of the soft trumpets playing in the background topped it all off and pulled everything together to create a masterpiece of a song. You just HAD to ask about it.

“I’ve never heard this song before. I really like it, LOVE IT, even! What’s the name of the song?” You questioned and looked to the screen on the car to check if it was on there, but unfortunately for you, all you saw was a GPS.

“I’m so glad you like it Y/N. It’s actually a song that me and four other friends created together, but we haven’t officially released it just yet. I wanted you to listen to it first. We called it Fairy of Shampoo. Cool, right?” Beomgyu spoke proudly of the song and you couldn’t help but clap in awe.

“Seriously?? You guys are crazy talented!! When you become famous, don’t forget about me.” You pouted and lightly punched his arm as he chuckled, a small smile painted on his lips.

“I wouldn’t, I COULDN’T, ever forget about you.”

~

After a good 30 minutes of screaming singing songs with Beomgyu until both of your throats were sore, you guys finally arrived at the place he wanted to take you.

“And here we are! I went here a lot during middle school and high school with my friends, and I wanted to take you here too!” Beomgyu declared ecstatically as you giggled before unbuckling your seatbelt and opening the car door.

Right as you were about to get out, you were pushed back in your seat in a flash and had the door closed on you. You looked at Beomgyu through the window, eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he opened your door for you.

“I’m sorry I really hope I didn’t hurt you, but I don’t want you to open any doors when you’re with me, that’s my job!” Beomgyu laughed nervously as you got out, for real this time, and you couldn’t help but laugh and pinch his cheek, receiving a groan in response.

“You didn’t hurt me, it’s okay Gyu. You’re suchhhh a gentleman thank you for pushing me back inside.” You teased him as he closed the door behind you with a pout on his face.

“I’m sorry! But I couldn’t let you do that. What kind of guy would let the girl he’s into open her own doors?!” He raised his arms up defensively as you laughed, covering your mouth.

“You’re such a dork.”

“You like that about me though.”

“Do I?”

“I hope you do. Now c’mon! Let’s go inside the arcade and beat every damn claw machine and game in there!!”

~

You guys, in fact, did NOT beat every damn claw machine and game in there.

“This game is fucking rigged!” Beomgyu scoffed as the claw missed the plushie you were asking him to get for you as you stood beside him, laughing your ass off at all his failed attempts. You lost count of all the attempts he has made, it was really THAT bad. The two of you were gaining the attention of kids and their parents walking by, some were admiring the obvious display of young love, and some were judging the loudness of your voices, but neither of you couldn’t really give a single damn about that.

“Gyu let’s just move on to the next machine! I don’t want the plushie that bad and I don’t want you to waste your money!” You couldn’t help but giggle as your efforts to get him to move on fell on deaf ears.

“I’m gonna keep trying until I get that damn giraffe. Like hell I’m gonna let a machine get the best of me! Plus, you said you wanted it, and that’s enough for me to keep trying until I get it for you. Stupid ass machine.” Beomgyu grumbled the last sentence in irritation before sliding his card, for the millionth time, to take on the impossible task of winning the purple giraffe for you.

Remember how you said he was ambitious? This is definitely one memory you’ll always have of him if someone were to ever ask you for proof of his ambition.

To your surprise, and everybody else’s who was watching (you guys gained a small crowd of people cheering Beomgyu on to win), he actually managed to get the hook stuck on the tag of the giraffe as the hook lifted it up and dropped it into the hole.

You and Beomgyu gasped and looked at each other once it fell down the prize hole before screaming in excitement, receiving claps from everybody else as the two of you hugged in success.

“Beomgyu vs. the machines!!! And I fucking won!!!!!” He roared and punched the air victoriously, as you burst out in laughter.

“Yeah, after how many tries again?”

“That, we won’t talk about.” Beomgyu cackled before grabbing the purple giraffe from the slot and handing it to you with a proud expression on his face.

You weren’t even sure how long you spent at that one claw machine, but it was long enough for a staff member to notice and present a free plushie to you for the inconvenience. You happily took the gift from the staff member as Beomgyu glared daggers at him, scaring him away. Turning his attention from the staff back to you, Beomgyu’s gaze softens while watching you admire the two plushies you have, slowly engraving this image of you into his mind.

“You’re so cute.” He blurted out and slapped a hand on his mouth, blood quickly rushing to his cheeks in embarrassment. “Shit, sorry I didn’t mean to say that out loud.”

“It’s okay Gyu, you’re not too bad yourself.”

Beomgyu clears his throat and pretends to look around for something to avoid eye contact with you. “Let’s try out another claw machine. I want to practice my skills, you know?”

He lied.

He didn’t wanna practice his skills. Well, maybe he did want to, but not for the sole purpose of getting better, but because he wanted to impress you and get you more plushies. The only reason why he wanted to play another claw machine was so he could win you another prize and put a smile on your face again.

He was well aware of his feelings for you unlike someone, but decided to play it safe and slow so he won’t mess anything up.

If his friends were here to see him in this state, he would never hear the end of it.

There was no doubt about it, he was smitten.

Who wouldn’t be?

The girl who he has had a crush on for years is finally noticing him, he wouldn’t dare let this chance slip through between his fingers, and he was gonna do his best to swoon you over.

Beomgyu walked to another claw machine that was decorated with various amounts of colors whilst holding your hand. “Which one did you want Y/N? I SWEAR, I’ll get it in under 10 tries this time.” He grinned at you confidently.

Your eyes scanned inside of the claw machine to look for the cutest plushie in it, only for your eyes to settle on a teddy bear holding an electric guitar.

“Ooooh that one!! The bear!! It reminds me of you!” You pointed as your eyes sparkled in excitement, not noticing the flushed expression on Beomgyu’s face, nor the way that his knees nearly gave out on him when you said it reminded you of him.

“Anything for the pretty lady.” He winked playfully as you giggled, watching him slide his card once again and align the claw with where the bear was.

“You can do this!” You cheered him on as he chuckled and focused on getting the position of the claw perfectly in parallel with the bear, eyes squinting in concentration.

A few seconds later, you watched his hand slowly reach for the button and press it. The claw dropped to where the teddy bear was and managed to cling onto its leg and pick it up.

“You did it! In one try!!” You slapped his back lightly and he stood up straight with his hands resting on his hips in satisfaction as you both watched the bear fall into the prize hole.

“See? I’m the best!” He kissed his biceps before looking back at you to look at the expression on your face, only to be met with fond eyes staring back at him. He quickly looked away and reached down for the teddy bear to hand it to you, looking elsewhere and avoiding eye contact.

“Thank you, Gyu~” You hummed and hugged the bear cheerfully as he nodded at you timidly.

“Wanna play Guitar Hero?”

“Sure! I’m not too sure how to play though, so you’re going to have to teach me.”

Beomgyu sucks in his breath and gathers the courage to look at you again with a smile despite his racing heartbeat, squeezing your hand and pulling you along to where the game was located at.

“I could play first and you can watch me, and if you’re still confused I could help you while you play.” He picked up the guitar that rested on its designated spot.

“It’s pretty easy if you ask me! There are five buttons to press on the fretboard and a strum key at the body, along with a whammy bar below it.” He explains and identifies the following pieces that he mentioned previously and shows them to you.

“Whammy bar sounds stupid.” You giggle and he laughs along, agreeing with you.

Controlling the screen with the guitar in hand, Beomgyu chooses a song that allows him to properly demonstrate how a game works for you to understand.

“Watch and learn, Pretty.” He flirts and you roll your eyes in amusement, watching intently.

“I used to play this game all day every day when I was younger, and it was one of the driving forces of my passion for playing guitar,” He paused. “I wanted to share this with you because I want you to know what makes me happy, and I hope to share this happiness that I feel, with you.” He finished his sentence at the same time the game finished, flashing a vibrant glowing ‘PERFECT’ on the screen, indicating the end of the game.

“Did you catch on?” Beomgyu grinned at you and placed the guitar in your hands, helping you with how to hold it.

“Kind of…? I think I’ll need help though.” You expressed uncertainty as he stood behind you and held his hands over yours in order to assist you with the game, but you couldn’t help but blush at this action.

The majority of the playing done was by Beomgyu, as he was doing all the pressing and strumming, just with your hands instead.

You didn’t mind though, and neither did he.

The entire day went like this. Beomgyu was often doing most of the work, but he wanted to, and it was something you enjoyed. He enjoyed taking care of you and wanted you to relax around him, but whenever the game happened to be a two-player one, his competitive side would always come out. But, despite his competitiveness, you were always the one doing better and or winning.

What you didn’t notice though, is that he would sabotage himself so you would come out as the winner.

Every single time.

He held pride in winning, but seeing you happy because of him did more for his pride than anything else.

~

It was 7:30PM now, and the two of you decided to leave early since your stomach was caught growling out of hunger by Beomgyu.

“I’m so sorry for starving you holy shit.” He pursed his lips as you laughed and shook your head.

“I didn’t even notice I was hungry, I was having too much fun so it’s okay!”

“Well, I’m glad you had fun then. Where do you wanna go to eat?” He asked, pulling out of the parking lot and soon driving on the road with no destination set in his mind yet.

“Umm…. Honestly, I’m fine with just a cafe, I don’t want anything fancy.” You stated and Beomgyu nodded.

“I’m assuming you’re fine with eating at Boba Babe? Your friends work there, don’t they?” He continued the conversation, eyes still focused on the road.

“Yeah, they do. Actually, I think both of them have shifts today around this time. Do you remember Chaewon and Chuu?”

“Yeah, I remember them! Chuu is Jiwoo right?”

“Yeah!”

The car ride back was silent for the most part, but it was nothing uncomfortable. The two of you just chose to stay quiet and enjoy the silence, and at one point, Beomgyu rolled the windows down to enjoy the wind.

This has been the most relaxed you’ve been in a while, and you have no one else but Beomgyu to thank for that.

“We’re here~” He hummed and turned the car’s engine off before quickly getting out to open the door for you, “M’lady.”

“You’re so corny.” You got out of the car as the both of you exchanged your laughs and headed towards the entrance of Boba Babe.

No surprise here, Beomgyu opened the door for you again, and the two of you were automatically greeted by Chuu, who was waiting by the cashier register.

“Hey Y/Nnie~~~ Hi Beomgyu! What brings you guys here together?” Chuu greeted and raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

“We hung out at the arcade and I got hungry, so we stopped by here before we went back to our own dorms! What time are you coming back tonight?” You asked as Chuu input your order in since she already knew your order beforehand.

“Ummm not sure! My shift ends in an hour so maybe around then. Beomgyu what’s your order?” Chuu looked at the tall guy next to you.

“I’ll just get the same thing she’s getting.” Beomgyu grinned as Chuu nodded and doubled your order before turning the screen around for one of you guys to pay.

Right as Beomgyu was about to take his card out again, you quickly outdid him and slapped your card on the screen, the payment going through with a ding.

“Hey! You’re not allowed to pay!” Beomgyu crossed his arms as you smirked slyly at him.

“That’s too bad! You already paid for a lot today, this is the least I could do.” You stuck your tongue out at him as he shook his head in disagreement.

“You agreeing to hang out with me is enough.” Beomgyu grinned and you heard Chuu imitating a puke in front of you guys.

“Get a room! Joking joking, but I gotta get your orders ready so take a seat anywhere and we’ll bring it to you lovebirds when it’s done.”

You and Beomgyu sat down at a booth near the window on opposite sides.

“Thank you for bringing me out today, it was really fun!” You thanked him before stretching your arms in your seat.

“It was my pleasure, I had a lot of fun as well. I hope to do this again soon.” Beomgyu’s lips pressed together to form a thin smile as you nodded in agreement.

“Am I taking you to your dorm after this?” He questioned and bounced his leg up and down underneath the table.

“Ah, no need! I’m gonna stay with Chuu until her shift ends and go home with her.” You politely rejected, not wanting to put him through any more effort and work today. Right as Beomgyu opened his mouth to speak, somebody else opened the door the the café, erupting a short melody that announced whenever the entrance door opened. His face changed from enamored to distaste as he looked to see past you. Your curiosity got the better of you, and so turned your body to see who came in.

Lo and behold, it was Hyunjin. And he was staring right at you and Beomgyu with an unamused facial expression.

Before he came to visit Boba Babe, Hyunjin was actually taking a night stroll before heading home. He often does these on nights when he’s stressed, so he goes out to get some fresh air. Every other time, this walk would actually help him, but not today. Not when he spotted you with another guy through the window, smiling at each other.

The sight of you smiling at another guy made him want to take you away and kiss you right in from of him. Let’s just say he felt this way because… He doesn’t want to see you happy. Not cause he’s jealous or anything.

His heart dropped to his stomach and the urge to interrupt the little conversation you were in overcame him.

And so he did.

He opened the door of the Boba Babe, and just like he expected, the guy in front of you stared right at him with an annoyed expression, and it made him laugh inside. Hyunjin recognized him from the post that Y/N made the other day, and it only fueled his jealousy even more. When you turned back to look at him, he nearly lost all the thoughts in his mind and his confidence faltered.

Hyunjin hated how vulnerable you made him.

Still, he stood his ground and walked to your table with a mischievous smirk plastered on his face.

“Hey Y/N, I didn’t think you’d be here.” He conversed with you, completely ignoring the guy in front of you and devoting all his attention to you. And that pissed Beomgyu off.

“Can’t you see we’re busy here?” The boy grumbled in irritation.

The tension was high between the two guys and so you stayed quiet, not knowing what to say or do.

“Woah, fiery now, are we?” Hyunjin taunted, the smirk on his face gradually growing bigger. “Chill, me and Y/N are friends. I just wanted to greet her, can I not?”

Beomgyu abruptly stood up from his seat, standing at eye level with Hyunjin and scoffing at him. “Friends? Yeah right. She’s your ex dude. Leave her alone, she doesn’t need you. You already had your chance and you blew it.” He scowled only to get a laugh out of Hyunjin.

“So you know about me? Funny! Because I don’t know about you, so who’s really more important here? Yeah, we dated before, but we made up a few days ago and now we’re friends. Isn’t that right, Y/N?” Hyunjin smiled innocently at you as Beomgyu looked at you as well for confirmation.

“Uhh yeah. Yeah, we’re friends now.” You spoke quietly, just wishing for the tension to just die down already.

“Told you, man. Who are you anyway? My name’s Hyunjin, but you already know that.” He threw a smug look in Beomgyu’s direction as he scoffed, rolling his eyes.

“None of your fucking business. Y/N, it was lovely hanging out with you today but I’m gonna go before this asshole ruins my damn mood even more. Get to your dorms safely and text me when you get there.” Beomgyu smiled warmly at you before glaring at Hyunjin and walking out the door.

“Text me when you get there..” Hyunjin mocked under his breath quietly before taking the seat Beomgyu was sitting in with a smile.

“Here are your or….ders….? Where’s the dude you were with Y/N? And why is Hyunjin ew here instead?” Chaewon questioned and placed your drinks and snacks down on the table.

“Ah… Beomgyu left about a minute ago. And, well, Hyunjin’s here to keep me company now! Be nice.” You sighed as Chaewon squinted her eyes at him suspiciously.

“Okaaaay… Enjoy your food!” She waved goodbye and went back to behind the counter with Chuu, whispering something to her while looking in your direction still.

“Your friends still don’t like me, huh?” Hyunjin chuckled quietly as you nodded slowly.

“Yeah…”

“Can’t blame them. Sorry for causing a scene, I really just wanted to say hi to you.” He played it off and thankfully, you believed him.

“It’s okay, no worries. I’ll talk to him about it later, I’m not sure why he was so hostile towards you.” You mumbled as he shrugged it off.

“Doesn’t matter to me, it didn’t affect me.” Except, it did affect him.

Beomgyu saying that he blew his chance with you already hurt him. But it doesn’t make sense to him, why did it hurt?

“That’s a relief. You can take his drink, by the way, since he left already. I paid for it too so don’t worry.” You slid the extra drink towards him as he thanked you.

“He had you pay? What a loser.” Hyunjin shook his head before you butted in, “I wanted to pay because he paid for everything else when we hung out.”

He stayed silent, sipping on the drink. Why did you defend him? Do you like him?

“Ah okay. Who is he to you? If you don’t mind me asking.” He asked carefully, not wanting it to seem like he was interrogating you.

“I don’t mind, he’s just… an old friend? He’s sweet and nice, the both of you guys just got off on the wrong foot. He’s a sweetheart, I promise! Honestly, I could see us being together.” Your face blushed at the thought of it, and it made Hyunjin want to throw up.

Seriously?

He didn’t feel good.

In fact, his heart was aching just thinking about you with someone else.

The same feeling he felt four years ago.

“Oh. That’s nice.” Hyunjin visibly winced and drank some more.

I wish this cup was filled with alcohol instead... He thought to himself, wanting to stop his heart from hurting.

“Yeah. I guess it is. He’s perfect.”

Why were you doing this to him?

“He makes me laugh and I’m at peace with him.”

Why are you still going on about him?

“But there’s something missing.”

What?

“What?” Hyunjin knit his brows together in confusion, but also in relief.

“I don’t know. Everything about him is perfect in theory but it doesn’t feel right, you know? But maybe I just need to spend more time with him.” You held your cup with both hands with took a long sip, looking out the window.

“No.” The boy in front of you objected as you looked at him in surprise.

“No…?”

“No. It should feel right from the very first time you meet.” Hyunjin started nervously. “If it doesn’t feel right at the beginning, it won’t later on.” He didn’t know what he was saying, he didn’t even know if it made sense. All he knew was that he didn’t want you to spend any more time with the guy you were with.

“Maybe you’re right. He is a really good guy though, so it’s a shame.” You sighed sadly.

Hyunjin always told himself the reason why he doesn’t want you to be with somebody else is because he doesn’t wanna see you happy without him. So why? Why does it pain him even more to see you sad?

“You should still keep trying… just in case I’m wrong.” He bit his lip and squeezed his eyes shut.

Why did I say that??? Make up your mind! Do you want her to give him another chance or not??! He argued with himself in his head before your mellow voice snapped him back to reality.

“Maybe I should, but wouldn’t it be fucked up to keep going when I’m not sure of it? When he’s sure of me?”

“He told you he’s sure of you?”

“No, but it’s not hard to tell.”

“I see.”

“Yeah..”

“Can I walk you to your dorm?” Hyunjin questioned with a small smile, standing up from his seat.

“Mmm, sure.” You giggled and followed behind him.

“Chuu! Chaewon! Hyunjin’s gonna walk me back to the dorms.” You announced your departure as you walked beside Hyunjin, leaving the café together.

“Y/Nnie told Beomgyu she was gonna go home with me!” Chuu pouted as Chaewon laughed at patted her back.

“Well… Maybe she wasn’t feeling it with Beomgyu.”

“And she’s feeling it with Hyunjin instead?” Chuu rolled her eyes, only to get no response from Chaewon. “You seriously think so?”

“It’s a possibility.”

“Yeah, you’re right. A really big and RISKY possibility.”

“I just hope it doesn’t end up the same way it did before.”

~

“Are you okay?”

“…Huh?” You looked at him with an oblivious expression as he pointed down to your heels.

“You’ve been out this whole day, haven’t you? Aren’t your feet killing you?” Hyunjin raised an eyebrow at you. You guys have been walking for 10 minutes now, and he noticed your subtle limp from the beginning, but he didn’t want to point it out just in case you get embarrassed. The longer he went on ignoring it though, he became increasingly concerned until he eventually asked about it.

“I mean, they’re sore but I can take it. No biggie.”

Hyunjin shakes his head at your response before kneeling down on one knee, his back turned towards you.

“You know, if you’re going to propose, you’re supposed to face towards me.” You teased as he let out a laugh at your joke.

“Shut up Y/N, no way. Get on my back, I’m carrying you to your dorm.”

“But—“

“No buts. You’ve been limping this entire time and I can’t just ignore it anymore. I’m worried, and I should’ve just done this from the start.”

You figured that it was useless trying to argue back, and so you obeyed and wrapped your arms around his neck and positioned your legs on each side of him. Undoing the buckle on both your heels, you slide them off your feet and carry them in one hand.

Hyunjin’s hand hovered above your thighs warily and hesitantly, “Sorry but can I..?”

“Yes Hyunjin, you can.” You giggled at his shyness, his arms carefully wrapped around your thighs and lifted you up high in a piggy-back ride before standing up and continuing to walk.

“Thank you, Hyunjin. Really. I appreciate everything you do for me.” You thanked him and nuzzled your face into his hair, his fragrant shampoo stimulating your senses.

“It’s no problem at all Y/N.” He chuckled as his grip on your thighs tightened.

You were well aware that he was only doing so to make sure you were secure on his back, so why were you feeling butterflies in your stomach? Your face began to heat up in embarrassment as you whimpered, raising Hyunjin’s suspicions.

“Everything alright?”

“Y..yeah sorry.”

“No, I’M sorry if this is making you uncomfortable. I just didn’t want you to be in pain and I want you to be safe up there.”

“No, it’s not making me uncomfortable it’s just that uh..”

“Just that what?”

You kept quiet, not wanting to continue in fear of exposing yourself.

It was then that Hyunjin finally got the idea of what was going on, and he couldn’t stop himself from chuckling.

You were so damn cute.

But for your sake, he decides to not bring it up and mention it. At least, not yet, anyway.

After an agonizing 10 minutes of your life, you were finally approaching your dorm room, and you have never felt more relieved in your life.

“Y/N where are your keys?” Hyunjin asked, standing in front of the door with you still on his back.

“Here I can unlock it, put me down.” You signaled him to put you down but he didn’t budge. “Hyunjin?”

“You’re barefoot, touching the floor is nasty, just give me the keys and I’ll carry you to your bed.” He insisted and pats your thigh before opening his palm, expecting you to drop your drops into it, which you did.

After struggling with putting the key in for a second or two, he manages to get the door open.

“Which one’s your room?”

“The first door on the left.”

And so, he takes you there. Gently placing you down on the bed, Hyunjin grabs all your stuff out of your hands and sets them down on what he could only assume was your desk (it was littered with sonny angels).

“Do you need anything else before I leave?” He questions and sits down on the edge of your bed, keeping eye contact with you.

A part of him wanted you to tell him to stay, or maybe mention what happened between the two of you when he was carrying you earlier, but he knew neither one of those would happen.

And you only proved him right.

“No, that’s all. Thank you again, you take such good care of me. I’m grateful for you.” You gave him a warm and tender smile and he returned it before standing up and heading to the door. “Bye Y/N. I’ll see you around.” And with that, he left.

You fell back on your bed and stared at the ceiling before burying your head into your pillow and screaming, kicking your feet.

Hyunjin barely did anything and yet he was stuck in your mind. You spent the entire day with Beomgyu, and yet the mere 30 minutes you spent with Hyunjin was enough to keep you up all night just thinking of the interactions between you two.

The way his voice would always soften whenever he talked to you, the way he would treat you so tenderly and carefully, and unfortunately, the way his hands so felt right resting on your thighs.

What a long day, today was.

𝜗𝜚 WTK series masterlist

TAGLIST (OPEN)! @jeonginplsholdmyhand @jeonginsgirl @mlrroh @mafiulaputaama @seungzsmin @hannie-bees @skz1lov @porang-poranglinos @sillyhal @mitchii @nessas-archive @soulphoenix1618 @gnab-nahc @yongbokkiesworld @hyunjins-dimples @nappynapnaps @0914-space @isagerada @15092000volcano @livixcore @linocvp1d @yaorzu-blog @scallywag1299 @boo-ven9eance @lys4lix @kirbrary @amaranthlvr @4ln-stay8 @sellomaybe @aznstoner @saintcosette @starseungs

if your blog is underlined, it means i wasn’t able to tag you :’(

[its-vannah]

Being in a relationship with Eddie Roundtree | Headcannons

A/N: Blurring the lines between the book and show rn, forgive me

Daisy Jones and The Six Masterlist

- You and Eddie met while the band was on break between their first tour and the recording of Look at Us Now (Honeycomb)

- He was instantly smitten with you

- You were one of the first girls who looked past Billy and had a soft spot for him instead

- He finally got over Camila after meeting you, something he didn't think would ever happen

- Your relationship was still pretty new when he went on the Seven-Eight-Nine tour, so you only went to local shows, namely the ones in LA and San Francisco.

- He called you one night from his hotel room, fuming because Billy had taken his guitar out of his hands and played with Daisy. You talked him through it and eventually got him to calm down. He told you he loved you before he hung up.

- When the band started recording Aurora, you were in the sound booth every day supporting Eddie in any way you could. Chances were, Billy did something to piss him off in some way. Everyone relied on you to deescalate the situation. You'd talk to him about it and tell him not to let anyone disrespect him but that Billy was the front man at the end of the day.

- He opened up to you about going to bass and how it really affected what he thought of the band. Don't get him wrong, he loved the band, he just felt like he was out of place there.

- When the Aurora World Tour started, you came to their first few shows, standing backstage as they performed. You were out of sight of the audience, but in Eddie's line of view. Every once in a while, he'd look over at you and smile while he played. The audience took note of this and the fans who were sitting on the far right side saw you standing there. It was in the tabloids that Eddie Roundtree had a serious girlfriend the next day, something the two of you had tried to keep under wraps for a while.

- You actually received a bit of aggression from fans who claimed they were in love with Eddie. One time, when he took you out to a date on one of his off days, things got intense with a fan who was following you back to the hotel the two of you were at. The cops were called and they took care of it, but the two of you decided you would head back to LA early for your safety.

- Camila picked you up from the airport and you couldn't help but fall apart in the passengers seat of her car. She comforted you through the strains being in a band and having adoring fans put on relationships, sharing struggles she had with Billy. It was then that you and Camila became as thick as thieves, as you were the only partners of anyone in the band—you didn't know about Karen and Graham yet and Daisy and Nicky were still waiting to come.

- You did, however, rejoin them on the road when they got back to the U.S. after a little over a month of being gone.

- Unbeknownst to you, Eddie had bought a ring at a boutique in Paris. It was at the bottom of his suitcase, tucked between his jeans.

- You were there when everything went down in Chicago. You sat in the audience this time and as soon as the show was over, you went backstage, sensing the tension between everyone. The security guard stopped you at first, but you told him you were with Eddie, but he held you back by the arms.

- Eddie saw what was happening and yelled at the security guard to "let go of his wife", not realizing what he was saying until he said it. When he let go of you, you ran to Eddie, hugging him and asking if he was okay.

- He tells you he doesn't know how much longer the band is going to last.

- That night, in his hotel room, he proposes to you. You say yes, pulling him into a kiss.

- When Eddie finds out the band broke up, he's devastated. He loved music, although the band, in his words, "had gone to shit" by the end of the tour. He revealed he'd miss the thrill of being on stage.

- You ask him what he's going to do now, and he just tells you he has to think about it. He wants to be working before the two of you get married so he can provide for you.

- When he becomes a record producer, the light in his eyes comes bac. The two of you get married a few months later. Because you loved Camila, she and Billy come with their three daughters, who are all flower girls in the wedding. At the end, trying to mend old wounds, Billy congratulates the two of you and wishes you the best. Graham also comes, bringing his girlfriend along. Warren shows up, albiet a little high, to support Eddie. Daisy doesn't want to cause any problems with Billy and Camila, so she stays away. Karen doesn't come either, already working on her own music.

- The two of you move into your own house in LA. This is the same home you bring your son into, and later your daughter.

- You and Eddie live out with music on your mind and love in your hearts, reminiscing about the good old days.

[lemoncrushh]

The Entertainer - Track 08 - I Don't Wanna Be Alone

Summary: Set in the 70s, Sky Jones, a young woman from L.A., meets Harry Styles, an up-and-coming musician and frontman for the band Wildfire. Told in first person from Sky’s point of view, she shares her journey and what it’s like to fall for a rockstar.

STORY PAGE

Track 08 Word Count: 5.4k+

After the show in Sacramento, Halo and I drove back home while the band headed north. When we reached our neighborhood, I stopped at the drugstore to drop off my film. I was anxious to see the pictures I’d taken of Harry, but more importantly the ones he had taken.

Two days later, I picked up my photos on the way home from work. Unlocking my door, I was relieved to find that Halo wasn’t home yet. I wanted some privacy as I opened the envelope.

The first roll of film had some pictures I’d taken at another band’s show that I’d completely forgotten about, before I’d ever seen Wildfire. I smiled when I reached the first picture of Harry. It was their second or third show I’d seen. He looked amazing, so tall and larger than life up on the stage. The next few photos were more of him until I got to a couple that were blurry. I laughed, remembering Halo grabbing my camera from me to get a few shots of Mitch. I think she had been too excited to get a clear picture.

I got to a handful of photos next that I’d taken outside one day just for fun. Then I stopped when I reached something familiar, yet I knew I hadn’t taken. It was a view of my kitchen table, most likely taken from the living room. Mitch and Halo were sitting there, their heads together, not quite kissing. But I could tell they were not the focal point. I was standing in the background, in my tiny kitchen, the refrigerator door open, the light casting a glow on my face. I was wearing a t-shirt and a pair of cut-off shorts, my hair long and falling past my shoulders. If anyone had asked me at that moment, I would not have said I was pretty. But somehow in this photo, it seemed in the eyes of the photographer, I was.

I felt a flutter in my chest as I recalled that day I’d taken those photos outside before Mitch and Harry had come over for the evening. I had set my camera down on my dresser next to the photo of Comet. Harry must have gone into my room and spotted it, snapping the photo from my bedroom doorway.

Setting the picture aside, I then came to more photos not taken by me. It was a series of pictures in a green-tinted room. The Holiday Inn. I giggled at the arbitrary concept - the television, the curtains, the lamp on the bedside table, Harry’s foot sticking out from beneath the sheets.

The next two photos, however, were different. One was taken in the mirror, a reflection of Harry with the camera to his eye. I liked that one a lot, and set it aside with the other one I’d already separated. The last photo was of me. I wasn’t exactly sure how he’d taken it without my noticing. But it appeared I had just returned from the bathroom, and I suppose I had paused to look in the mirror. My back was to Harry, but the mirror showed his reflection behind me. I was naked, my rear bare though my hair covered my breasts. I couldn’t believe I had been too focused on myself to notice he had my camera in his hands. I wondered what I would have said if I had. Nevertheless, I actually liked the picture. It was a bit taboo, yet romantic, very intimate.

Leaving the remaining photos in the envelope, I gathered up the three personal ones as well as the four others that Harry had taken in the motel room and took them to my room. Not sure yet what exactly I wanted to do with them, I placed them in the drawer of my nightstand for safe keeping.

I tried my best to slide back into my normal schedule, working my job at a local boutique and spending my free time practicing guitar and learning new songs.

But my mind always drifted to Harry. I wondered how he was and if the crowds were getting bigger, if they appreciated him like they should. I thought of his smile a lot and his laugh. I thought of his soft lips and the way his body felt against mine. Sometimes I would play Wildfire’s album and just lie in bed staring at the ceiling or at the pictures Harry had taken. It was the only way I knew to feel connected to him with him being so far away.

He called me one night from Seattle. Actually, it was four o’clock in the morning and the ringing of the phone woke me.

“Sky!” he yelled into the phone. He sounded out of breath.

“Harry?” I rubbed my eyes. “What time is it?”

“Oh…shit. I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”

“It’s okay,” I yawned. “How are you?”

“I’m bloody fantastic, Sky! We just went gold!”

“What?”

“The album! It went gold, babe! Can you believe it?”

“Really? That’s so great, Harry! I’m so happy for you.”

“We just had the best show tonight, too. And guess what?”

“What?”

“When we get back to L.A., we’re going on tour with the Eagles!”

“Are you kidding? Far out! I hope I get to go to some of those shows.”

“Oh you will. You definitely will.”

I smiled at the idea that he wanted me to join him on the road again.

“I miss you,” he said.

“I miss you, too. How is everything else?”

“Not too bad. Just wish you were here, that’s all.”

My breath caught in my throat. “You do?”

“Of course. You should be enjoying all of this with me.”

“I wish I was.”

“You will be soon, yeah?”

“Yeah. With bells on.”

“Sky?”

“Hmm?”

“You’re the first…mmm never mind.”

“No,” I snickered, “don’t do that. I’m the first what?”

I heard him laugh nervously before gulping.

“I was just gonna say…you’re the first girl I’ve met who…who understands. I mean, you get it. You know how important this is to me. To all of us.”

“Of course I do, Harry,” I said, rubbing my eyes.

“I want you to know how much that means to me. That’s why I called you first. As soon as Irving told us we went gold. I couldn’t wait to tell you.”

“That’s really sweet,” I choked.

“I think about you a lot,” he admitted softly.

“Me too,” I grinned. “I got the pictures developed.”

“Oh?” I heard him chuckle low. “So you saw them finally.”

“Mhmm.”

“Kinda wish I had them. But…I’ll just have to remember how beautiful you looked.”

“Harry…”

“Hmm…I should go. Let you sleep.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“Goodnight.”

“Night, Harry.”

Hanging up the phone, I reached into my nightstand and pulled out the photos. I stared at the one from the motel room, our reflections in the mirror. We’d just made love and my lips were swollen, my body still on fire from his touch. I zoned in on Harry, his eyes peeking above the camera as he watched me. He’d thought I was beautiful.

“Think Mitch will like this?” Halo asked me as she held up a see-through negligee.

“Definitely, except for the fact that he won’t get to see it,” I retorted.

“Who says?”

“Uh…Lee and Deacon? Aren’t we supposed to stay in our own room?”

“Oh screw them and they’re primitive rules! I’m getting laid on this tour.”

I threw my head back laughing. “Good luck with that.”

“I’m serious. Don’t let them push you around either, Sky. I don’t know what their deal is, but I can only take so much of their stupid agreement. I say we do what we want.”

I nodded. Although I wanted to respect the band and their wishes, I had to agree with Halo. It was bad enough being around Harry with the rules before. Now it had been almost three weeks since we’d seen the guys, and just the thought of being alone with Harry was driving me insane.

Once again, we packed up Lovely Rita and headed out onto the freeway. This time we were meeting the band in Santa Barbara before they made their way back to L.A. The album was still going strong and word was a second single would be dropping soon. They actually had a free day since the concert wasn’t until the next evening, so I was hoping to spend some time with Harry.

As we neared the beach, Halo and I rolled down the windows and turned up the radio, letting the salt air fill our senses.

“So, c'mon baby let’s go Don’t you hear the rock ‘n’ roll Playin’ on the radio Sounds so right…”

Halo had told Mitch we were staying at the Holiday Inn, and we were barely in our room ten minutes when he called.

“We’re here!” Halo sang into the phone, her hand on her hip. “What? You’re kidding!”

Then she turned to me.

“Sky! They’re staying at this fancy five star hotel! We have to go check it out!”

I watched as she finished her conversation with Mitch, a huge smile on her face.

“C’mon, let’s go!” she exclaimed when she hung up.

“Wait, what’s going on?” I asked, still confused.

“Wildfire is apparently rolling in the dough now. Or somebody is. They’ve been set up for two days at some luxury hotel on the beach.”

“Wow!”

“Let’s…oh, hang on…” I smirked as Halo unzipped her suitcase and grabbed her negligee, shoving it in her shoulder bag. “Okay, let’s go.”

“This is so fantastic!” I beamed as I gazed around the enormous hotel room.

“It’s pretty cool, yeah,” grinned Harry. He sat on the bed strumming his guitar.

“You even have your own balcony,” I commented, stepping out onto it. “Look at this view!”

“Yeah.”

I turned back to look at Harry who although was nodding and smiling, seemed to have a sullen expression behind the eyes.

“Everything okay?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he exhaled, laying his guitar on the bed. “You know, this has never really been my thing. I mean, it’s nice, I’m not denying that. I’m just…you know.”

“I know,” I nodded, walking towards him. I touched his guitar neck, dragging my finger across the strings. “Maybe now you can get that guitar you wanted.”

A genuine smile spread across his face at my comment.

“I’ve been waiting so you can come with me.”

“Really?”

Reaching his hand out to me, he pulled me to him so I stood between his knees. He rubbed the backs of my hands with his thumbs as he looked up at me.

“I’m glad you’re here.”

“Me too.”

“Let’s do something tonight. Go to dinner or take a walk on the beach. Have some fun, just you and me.”

“I’d like that.”

He pulled me closer and kissed me, a kiss that said he’d missed me and was anticipating our reunion.

Just then a knock sounded on the door and Harry groaned against my lips. Rising from the bed, he swung the door open, revealing Lee and Deacon.

“Hey mate, band meeting in ten minutes,” said Deacon.

“Where?”

“Downstairs in the bar. Azoff’s already there.”

With a sigh, Harry eyed me. “Sorry, love.”

I shrugged. “It’s fine. I can meet you later.”

“You sure?”

“Of course. I’ll go to my room and shower and meet you back here. Seven o’clock?”

“Sounds good,” he grinned.

“Bye,” I said before giving him a kiss on the cheek. Then I walked between Deacon and Lee with a wink. “Hi, boys.”

“Hi, Sky,” they greeted in unison, though neither of them sounded too thrilled about it.

I showered and lathered myself with delicious smelling lotion. Then I slipped into one of my favorite dresses. Although it was November, it was still fairly warm in California with a nice breeze.

“Man, I had my sexy lingerie and didn’t even get to use it yet,” pouted Halo as she fixed her face in front of the mirror.

“Don’t worry,” I laughed. “I’m sure you’ll get the chance. This way you get more time to prepare.”

“True. It’ll be worth it.”

I giggled and rolled my eyes at my best friend just as Jennifer Warnes began singing through the radio, her warm voice confirming Halo’s words.

“Sun goes on a silky day Quarter moon walking through the milky way Oh you and me, baby We could think of something to do…”

Grabbing my guitar, I played the simple chords as I sang along. I had to admit, my own senses were tingling as I thought about the evening I was about to share with Harry. I was with Halo. Fuck the rules. It had been long enough.

“It’s the right time of the night For making love…”

Mitch was sitting in the lobby when we returned. With the biggest smile I’d ever seen, Halo gave him a hug and followed him up to his room. Thinking it might be inappropriate to just go up to Harry’s room alone, I rang his room first, but he didn’t answer. I suspected he might be sleeping, or perhaps had left the room for a little while, but when I decided to go ahead and take the elevator up to his floor and knock on the door, I still got no response. I wondered where he’d gone, and I hoped he hadn’t changed his mind about being with me. I decided to check the bar, but found it nearly empty. I considered calling Mitch’s room to ask him and Halo if they’d seen Harry, but I figured they were already well on their way to a night of passion, and I was certainly not going to disturb them.

I ended up finding him by the pool. As soon as I pushed the doors open that lead to the veranda, I could smell the ocean air and I let it fill my lungs. Prepared to spend the evening alone, I strolled between the lounge chairs until I spotted a pair of familiar bell-bottom denims, the hems frayed, the feet beneath bare. He sat on the end of a yellow cushion, staring out at the beach, the slight breeze blowing through his hair.

“Hi,” I said hesitantly.

He lifted his head, his eyes wide when he noticed me.

“Oh! Shit. I forgot, didn’t I?”

“I…don’t know. Did you?”

“No. No, I didn’t,” he shook his head as he rose from the chair. “Not really. I…just lost track of time.”

“Okay.”

“I’m sorry.” He wiped his eyes hastily and blinked. When he looked at me again, I noticed the redness in his eyes. He’d been crying.

“Are you okay?” I asked softly.

“What? Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.” He sniffed and cleared his throat. “C’mon, let’s…get something to…shoes. I need shoes.”

We both looked around the deck.

“Did you wear them out here?”

“Um…I guess I didn’t. I’ll have to go to the room.”

This time, I caught a stray tear trickle down his cheek just as Harry wiped it with the back of his sleeve.

“Harry.”

“Mind coming with me?”

“Harry,” I said louder.

“Yeah?”

“What’s wrong?”

His shoulders fell as he realized I wasn’t letting it go. Staring at his hands, he began to fidget with his rings.

“Simon died two years ago today.”

I wanted to embrace him, give him the biggest hug I possibly could. But instead, I reached for the cross hanging from his neck and rubbed it between my finger and thumb.

“Do you wanna talk about it?”

Swallowing hard, Harry shrugged. “I suppose so.”

“Sometimes it helps,” I encouraged.

Harry turned from me, but I knew he wasn’t dismissing my suggestion. He walked to the edge of the veranda, stopping at the railing. I followed him, standing next to him as we gazed out at the beach. I breathed in, the salt air calming me as I hoped it was doing the same for Harry.

“He would’ve loved this,” he finally spoke.

“Loved what?”

“This hotel. This beach. The tour. The gold record. This is what he wanted. Even more than me.”

“Tell me about him,” I urged, placing my hand on his arm.

I watched Harry’s chest rise and fall as he took a deep breath. His eyes remained on the waves that crashed against the shore as he spoke softly.

“We grew up together,” he began. “In a small village in Manchester. He was the only kid I knew that liked the same things as me. Most lads would have one thing they were into, one hobby they liked best. But Simon and me…we liked everything. Sports, drawing, books…girls.” I caught the smirk when he paused. “And of course, music. We took piano lessons and were in the glee club because we wanted to be, not because our mums forced us to.”

“And not because of girls?” I quirked a brow.

Harry’s smirk grew into a grin. “Maybe a little.”

I smiled, leaning against the railing with my elbows.

“Anyway, we formed this little band. A garage band called The Pioneers, though we were far from it. We only had a few gigs, school dances where we played mostly Beatles and Dave Clark Five covers until later into the evening when we’d throw in something like the Kinks or the Who. After school we wanted to move to London, hoping we could make it as a band. The other guys weren’t as serious about it as we were, so they stayed behind. We both got jobs. Odd jobs really, nothing great, but they were enough. I think we lived on beans and toast for three months.”

When I made a face, he chuckled.

“Music was the only thing that mattered. And we were determined to find others with the same mindset. One night at a pub, we saw this God awful band. But the drummer, he was cool. We could tell he had something. So after their set, Simon and I introduced ourselves. We invited him to come jam with us, and he joined our band right away.”

“Deacon,” I confirmed.

“Yeah. Deacon knew this guy who played guitar, and he wanted Simon and me to check out his band. They were really good, but we didn’t need another lead guitarist. We needed a bass player. While we were chatting with the lad after the show, their bassist came up and introduced himself. He was American and said he’d only been living in London for a bit. I found it odd because the band seemed really tight, like they’d already been playing together for years. A few months later, after we’d already gotten a bass player, we ran into him again and he said he’d really like to join our band. So that’s when we got Lee, and Wildfire was officially formed.”

“And history was made,” I added.

Harry grinned at me, but his smile quickly faltered as he gazed back out at the water.

“We recorded this four song demo,” he said quietly. “We’d already played gigs all around London by this point. We had a following. It was wicked to see some of the same faces at one show that we’d just seen a couple nights before at another. And they’d sing our songs. Songs I’d written! My own words were being sung back to me, and it was such a great feeling. That was when I knew this was what I wanted to do the rest of my life.

“We passed out our demo at shows, hoping someone would take notice, but also for our fans. Because we knew already, that’s what they were. And girls. Lots of girls would come to our shows, sometimes with boys, but sometimes with each other or even alone. They started to line up around the block, and some had to be turned away.”

“Sounds like Halo and me,” I commented.

Harry nodded. “Simon met this girl. Pippa. She would come to all our shows. Seriously, every single one, she was right there, front and center. I kinda thought at first she was into me, but one night I looked over at Simon while he was playing a solo, and he was just staring at her and she was watching his every move. From then on, she was his. And she followed us everywhere. Sometimes she’d bring a friend or two with her and…”

When his eyes met mine, he swallowed hard. “Well…not important.”

I pursed my lips and rolled my eyes, but let him continue his story.

“Anyway, we’d kind of become a big thing in the London music scene. We weren’t on the radio or anything, but people knew us. And our shows were always packed. We even had a manager, Leon.”

“Wow, you’d known Leon that long?”

“Yeah. He kept telling us about California, saying we needed to come out here; we could be massive in America. He was thinking of buying a condo out here and suggested we book a club tour. So, that’s exactly what happened.”

“So…this really isn’t your first west coast tour, then,” I remarked.

“In a way…yes.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, we weren’t playing places like this. They were seedy bars and honky tonks, like the one in Chula Vista. We stayed at Holiday Inns, or worse. We never got booked at the Troubadour. Nobody knew us here; they didn’t give a shit how popular we were in London.”

“I see.”

“Pippa came with us,” said Harry, sighing through his nose. I knew then this was the build-up of the rest of the story. I braced myself for what I knew had to be difficult for him to tell.

“None of the other lads really thought that was a good idea, but she insisted, and so did Simon. He was in love with her, I knew. He confided in me, told me how she drove him mad, but he couldn’t live without her either. I never told anybody else because I reckoned he didn’t want that information shared. So I think the other guys just thought of her as a tag-along, a groupie.”

I watched as Harry swallowed hard again and blinked his eyes rapidly. I wanted to take his hand, assure him that I was willing to listen, but instead I stayed in my spot, my hands folded in front of me.

“Leon bought his condo, and sometimes we would all crash there if we weren’t on the road. I think we were all starting to feel disheartened, worried that maybe we should just pack it in and go back to London. I think Simon took it the hardest. He really wanted to make it. And he should have. He was a rockstar.”

I waited for a minute or two in silence for him to continue. Just when I thought maybe he wasn’t going to, he spoke softly, his voice strained.

“I knew he was doing drugs. I didn’t do anything about it at first. It was just cocaine mostly. It gave him energy and didn’t affect his guitar playing at all. Then he started experimenting with other drugs, some I’d never even heard of. I’d walk into the motel room, and he and Pippa would be passed out.

"One night after a gig, we couldn’t find him. None of us, not even Pippa knew where he’d gone. The next day, he showed up to the gig like nothing was wrong. Then he did it again. Only this time, he was too fucked up to focus on his playing. I was so angry, I almost pulled him off the stage, but I decided to wait and talk to him in private afterwards. I didn’t get to though, because he went AWOL again. He was gone for three days. I don’t think I’ve ever been so fucking worried and pissed off in my life. I knew what was happening. And not only was he fucking up our band, but he was leaving Pippa alone.”

I saw Harry’s jaw clench as the memories came back to him, the anger and resentment he no doubt had felt towards Simon, still with him.

“I confronted him when he finally showed up that time. I told him he could ruin his life if he wanted, but he had a girl who loved him. He just laughed at me and pushed me against the wall. He got right in my face and told me Pippa could do whatever the fuck she wanted, because she wanted me anyway.”

“What?” I exclaimed with wide eyes.

“I reckoned he didn’t know what he was saying. He was so fucking high on some shit. But that night, once again, he disappeared after the gig and I was left to console Pippa who was a bloody mess. I sat with her in her motel room, telling her if she loved him, she needed to help him. But…what I should’ve done was go look for him myself.”

Harry dropped his head then, staring at his hands.

“She told me she missed how he used to be. She didn’t like him like this, and she wasn’t sure she even loved him anymore. She started crying and I held her, told her we’d get through it together and try to help him. She tried to kiss me. I didn’t stop her at first. But then I pushed her away and told her no, which only made her cry more. I suspected she felt ashamed until she confessed she’d always liked me. I told her it was late and she needed sleep, and we’d talk to Simon tomorrow. But there was no tomorrow.”

His breaths were shaky, and I noticed the tears running down his cheeks.

“Harry…” I whispered, covering his hand with mine.

“Six in the morning, there was a banging on my door. It was Leon with the cops. They’d found Simon in an abandoned building in L.A., dead on an old stained mattress. He’d overdosed on heroin.”

“Oh my God.”

Taking a deep breath, Harry finally looked at me.

“He was my best friend. And I did nothing to help him.”

“Harry, you can’t blame yourself.”

“How can I not? I knew what he was doing to himself. But I was too bloody pissed off, making it about me and what I wanted. I was with his girlfriend when he died.”

The tears were coming down fast then, and I lifted a hand to wipe one away.

“But nothing happened. You did the honorable thing.”

“Did I? The honorable thing might’ve been to go find my friend and save his life.”

“You didn’t know, Harry. There might not’ve been any saving to be done. It wasn’t your responsibility. It was an accident.”

Bowing his head again, his shoulders shook with sobs. Pulling him to me, I wrapped my arms around him, pressed my head to his chest and let him cry. I rubbed his back to soothe him, letting him know I was there, but I remained silent until he was ready to speak again.

When his crying subsided, he lifted his head and I lifted mine. Our eyes met, his bloodshot. I touched his cheek, wiping the last of his stray tears.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“What for?”

“I…I haven’t cried like this…since that morning.”

I tilted my head, giving him a gentle look of sincerity.

“Maybe it was time.”

Brushing the back of one hand against my cheek, Harry wound the other around my neck, pulling me closer until our lips collided. He kissed me hard and deep, like the source of all life and existence was in my mouth. I knew he needed me, needed the moment to simultaneously feel alive and calm.

“Sky,” he murmured against my lips. The wind had picked up and whipped our hair around us like a cocoon.

“Yes?”

“Stay with me tonight. Please. I don’t wanna be alone.”

“Yes.”

The sun awoke us through the thin curtains that covered the balcony doors. Harry rolled over and watched me for a few minutes as I yawned and rubbed my eyes.

“What?” I giggled when I caught him staring.

When he didn’t answer, my expression softened, knowing what he was thinking. He had the same look in his eyes as he did in the picture. Blinking, I smiled gently as I let my fingers travel up his chest.

He kissed me then, and without a word, I opened up to him as we made love once more.

We laid together in the afterglow, our lips threatening each other to be the better kissers. Suddenly, Harry lifted himself up on his elbow and looked me in the eye.

“What’s your name?”

“Huh?”

His hand grazed the side of my waist, giving me goosebumps. He was as close to me as he could possibly be without being on top of me. His body heat kept me warm despite the absence of bedcovers and the chill from the ceiling fan.

“Your real name,” he said. “What is it?”

His fingertips continued their little sonnet on my skin, back and forth, up and down, and I began to giggle.

“That tickles,” I tried to wiggle away, but his close proximity wouldn’t allow it. Harry seemed to be pleased, so he deliberately tickled me more.

“Stop it.”

“Not until you tell me.”

“My name is Sky.”

“No, it’s not.”

I grabbed his hand, forcing him to stop tickling me, only to have him pin me down, his frame now on top of mine, our ankles knocking. His voice remained calm and easy, however, albeit demanding.

“Tell me your real name.”

I stared into his eyes, the green almost blinding.

“Why does it matter?” I asked.

“Because I wanna know.”

I sighed and turned my head to the pillow.

“I know who Sky is,” Harry continued. “She’s a rebel. She’s a stubborn, no-nonsense girl. She gets what she wants, and she’s sexy as all hell.”

I smiled and bit my lip, but didn’t look at him.

“But there’s another girl underneath. She’s sweet and maybe a little innocent and gets her heart broken. She’s a fan of music and has posters on her walls and cries at movies and keeps a picture of her brother in a locket. Who is she? What’s her name?”

I blinked hard before finally lifting my eyes to lock with his again. I took a deep breath, my hands still pinned underneath Harry’s as he waited for my answer.

“It’s a dumb name,” I muttered.

“Yeah?” Harry raised a brow. “Mildred? Bertha?”

“No,” I chuckled.

“Hortence?”

I laughed harder. “No. It’s not ugly. Just…plain. Kinda homely.”

His body relaxing, Harry released his grip on me and kissed my forehead.

“Please, tell me,” he whispered.

I took one more breath and released it through my nostrils.

“My real name is Mary Lou Jones.”

Harry’s lips spread into a smile, his eyes twinkling.

“That’s cute.”

“It’s corny.”

“I like it.”

“I hate it.”

“Did you go by Mary or Mary Lou?”

I shut my eyes, completely embarrassed.

“It was Mary Lou throughout my childhood. But in my teens I demanded that I be called Mary, just Mary.”

“Why?”

“Because Mary Lou sounds like a simple girl. I hate it. When I gave Halo her nickname, she said I needed one too, so she came up with Sky. I like it. I think it fits me.”

“‘Like a cloudy sky just before the rain’,” Harry quoted.

“Yes.”

“Sounds like you’ve had an identity crisis, Mary Lou Jones.”

I bit my lip again as his accent rang in my ears.

“How come it sounds better when you say it?”

He smiled his million dollar smile before lowering his head to nuzzle my neck.

“I dunno,” he said, kissing my ear. “But thanks for telling me.”

I watched him sit up and stretch, then walk to the bathroom. I sat up too, searching for my clothes. When I was dressed and Harry came back, I took my turn. Combing my fingers through my hair, I heard the sound of guitar chords being strummed and I grinned. Opening the door, I leaned against the frame and watched Harry sitting on the edge of the bed, a guitar in his lap as he sang.

“I knew Mary Lou We’d never part So hello Mary Lou Goodbye heart…”

I chuckled as I strolled into the room and stood next to him. He strummed one last chord and looked up at me.

“I never really liked that song anyway,” I remarked.

“Why not?”

“Because the Mary Lou he’s singing about had brown eyes.”

“Oh.”

I shrugged. “See? Told you. I’m Sky.”

Songs mentioned:

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - Anything That's Rock 'n' Roll

Jennifer Warnes - Right Time of the Night

Ricky Nelson - Hello, Mary Lou

This was a bit emotional, but I hope you enjoyed xx.

FEEDBACK IS LOVE!!

[alinathefirst]

Characters: Miles Robbins x Fem. Reader.

The queue from the toy store began in the building among a crowd of people, but ended on the street, almost a kilometer away. Despite the early morning, the weather was very hot and lots of people poured water on themselves just to feel at least a little cooler.

Y/N exchanged glances with her husband and both turned their gaze to the joyful daughter, who was looking forward to buying the long-awaited doll, which she found out about from the advertisement and remembered several times a day over the past week.

The trip to Disneyland was planned a couple of months before the baby's birthday, so the fact that the coveted doll was sold only in a Disney store was a happy accident.

Millie, a five-year-old mini version of her father with short brown hair and brown eyes, was full of enthusiasm and didn’t even worry about the queue, but her parents knew perfectly well that in a few minutes she would get tired of standing still and would get bored. To prevent this from happening, Y/N suggested an idea that came to mind:

"Honey, so that we all don't have to stand here, why don't you and Dad go to the magic boutique that you so wanted to go to?" The girl squatted down next to her daughter and took her hands. "And then, when I buy a doll, I will come to meet you two, and you will show me your beautiful outfit, okay?"

Millie seemed to glow even brighter at this suggestion. She hugged her mom quickly in joy, pulling Miles by his pants.

"Are you sure you can stand it here alone?" Robbins asked worriedly, picking up his daughter in his arms.

"I have headphones with me, I'm wearing a sun hat, and I took a pocket fan." Y/N patted the blue backpack hanging from her right shoulder. "I'll be okay, have fun."

"Fine." The man turned to his daughter. "Well, let’s kiss Mom and go get dressed up!"

After kissing the girl on the lips and cheeks in turn, Miles carried Millie to the «Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique».

On the threshold of the establishment, they were met by a boutique employee in a lilac dress, inviting them to go inside and choose an outfit until a place was vacated by the magic mirror.

The room was divided into two parts. In the first part there were armchairs with large mirrors framed with gold frames, and in the second there were racks and mannequins with different outfits and decorations.

"I want to be Rapunzel!" Millie quickly found a purple dress and ran up to it.

Robbins wasn’t surprised at all by the choice of the princess and with a warm smile took the dress off the hanger, hung it on his arm and went with his daughter to the fitting room.

When he finished helping to fasten the dress, he went with her to the hall and sat her in the already vacated chair, where an employee named Rosa was waiting for them. She offered Millie a wig with Rapunzel's braid, but the girl shook her head negatively.

"No, I want to be like Rapunzel at the end of the cartoon, where she has short hair!" The little girl objected decisively, covering her head with her hands.

"Oh, then I can make you beautiful curls and put on a crown?" The employee suggested, taking out curlers from the locker.

After receiving approval, Rose soaked Millie's hair and began to wind curlers, discussing princesses in the process. Dad stood next to them waiting for the end of the procedure and listened to their conversation.

"And, why do you like Rapunzel?" The employee asked when the curlers were already wound up.

"Because I love to draw, just like her!" The girl replied proudly. "And also, I love to sing and play the guitar!"

"Wow, you can play the guitar?" Rose was surprised.

"Yes, my dad teaches me!" Millie pointed at Miles. He crossed his arms over his chest and nodded affirmatively, smiling sheepishly.

"That's awesome, I’m sure you're doing great!" The employee praised her, checking the curlers. "The hair is almost dry, it will be possible to take curlers off soon."

"Can you… before my hair dries out…" Robbins Jr. suddenly began in a sly voice, "make a princess out of my dad too?" The small brown eyes stared pleadingly at the boutique employee.

Both Miles and Rose were amazed by this request.

"Well... if dad doesn't mind, we'll figure something out." The employee looked at the man in a puzzled way.

"No, no, it's not necessary." Robbins shook his head.

"Well, dad, please!" Millie drawled, "at least, just put on makeup like a princess!"

Seeing the pitiful face that his daughter made, Miles refused again, but this trick worked on Rose.

"I can make you up in the princess style, it won't take long." She joined to the persuasion.

Accepting defeat, the man gave up, sighing condescendingly. Millie, having achieved what she wanted, smiled broadly, watching her father sit down in an empty chair opposite.

"Okay, fine. Make me a Mulan, please." Robbins asked the employee. "There will be one more princess in the world today."

The girl watched attentively and with interest as the employee applied eye shadow with a brush in different colors and drew arrows with a black liner.

Miles sat patiently with his eyes closed and imagined how surprised Y/N would be at such a "transformation." Of course, it would not be the first time for her to see her husband made up, because he is an actor, but she could hardly imagine that by sending one princess to a boutique, she would eventually get two.

After completing makeup and curls, Rose led the man to the girl's chair and turned them both towards a huge mirror. A Fairy Godmother suddenly appeared on the screen, and after uttering a spell and waving a magic wand, the father and daughter saw their reflection. Robbins Jr.'s curls, sprinkled with sequins, shimmered in the light, as did a gilded crown with three large stones in the middle. The man's Asian-style makeup with red, blue and pink colors looked amazing, and even suited him very well. Moreover, he did not immediately notice it, but his hair was also sprinkled with sequins.

Thanking Rose for such a wonderful job, Miles paid for everything at the checkout, and he and his daughter went outside, where Y/N was waiting with her back turned to them, looking at the windows.

Millie was the first to run up to mum, showing off her outfit and hairstyle. Picking a little one in her arms, the girl gasped enthusiastically, looked her daughter up and down, and expressed her admiration.

"Khm." Robbins interrupted them. "Lady, there's another princess who needs your attention."

The man proudly raised his head up, waiting for his wife's reaction to his transformation.

"Oh! Wow!.." She drawled in surprise, smiling broadly. "You look gorgeous, Your Highness" Y/N curtsied, playing along to her husband.

"Thank you, dear." Miles pretended to be already tired of the many compliments and kissed his wife on the lips.

Lowering the baby, the mother handed her the coveted doll, after which she was kissed by her happy daughter.

The rest of the day passed at a furious pace. They all rode carousels, tasted various goodies in themed restaurants, laughed a lot and took pictures in order to better remember this magical day.

Late at night, after returning to the hotel room and putting Millie to bed, Robbins washed off his makeup, taking a final selfie before, and went to bed with his tired, cute wife.

"You know, today I was once again convinced that I’m happy." Miles said calmly and with a smile, hugging his beloved. "Because there is a beautiful, small, very active and cheerful princess next to me." He grinned, but after looking into the girl's eyes, he continued: "And an incredibly beautiful, kind, and equally cheerful Queen." The man left a gentle kiss on her lips. "Thank you for our daughter, my love..." he whispered before another kiss.

[lynpheasmagix]

Valentines Day Headcanons

Bloom x Sky

bloom tells sky about the jist of valentines day, sky's immediately on board

usually, they mainly go to gardenia and have a pretty sappy date (this is bloom and sky we're talking about here)

they go to an ice cream parlor, and have a picnic in the park. both of them just really like to people watch

also kiko's also there, causing chaos as always

bloom makes sure that he's on his best behavior but its k i k o we're talking about here

Brandon x Stella

while they do have their game of who can flirt with the most ___, they always come back to each other

their main date spot is at a mall in magix city. they dont just shop for each other, but for their friends as well.

they go to the food court, people watch, its a pretty cool experiance

they also get some fabrics for some of stella's new designs for her boutique

Riven x Musa

Definately jam sessions with both of them on electric guitars

sometimes, musa's on vocals

they either just write songs together or just play for the fun of it

also, they watch really bad movies just to laugh at how bad they are

tbh theres a lot of hallmark holiday movies

Aisha x Nabu

these two mainly like quality time together.

while they love doing a lot of different things, they mainly go for surfing, if there's a body of water available

if not, they can play games like volleyball, shooting hoops, etc

nabu had this idea to practice some of their magic by making cool shapes and stuff like that with their magic

they're also able to just talk to one another. it doesn't have to be extravagant, but anything counts

Tecna x Timmy

two words: Video games.

they're isnt really an exception to the kinds of games they play, ITS AAAALLL ON THE TABLE FOR THESE LOVABLE NERDS

from minecraft, to smash bros, to even kingdom hearts (and yes, they sing karaoke for the disney songs

they tell no one, its between them

also, they make memes based on their friends

they then tend to laugh both their asses off

Flora x Helia

most definitely gardening

gardening, crafting, that kind of stuff

the two of them wander around alfea greenhouse, just spending quality time together. theres also plenty of inspiration for his art (both drawing and poetry)

flora brings him to the dorm alone and makes all kinds of potions and teas together.

chatta has this idea to go to lynphea

while in the greenhouse and gardens, helia picks some gorgeous flowers and makes a bouquet for flora. when he gave it to her, he was surprised to see that she made one too!

[teakoodrawz]

[ 💛 || Movie Date - SCC ] [ words - 1143 ]

“ Yo Sweet-heart! How’s your day goin, hm~? ” [ Cap’n sang as he sat down next to Sweet while they tried to fix their guitar by replacing new strings and then the wires inside. ] “ good! Good. anyways. Whatcha need? ” [ while the speaker is fixing their electric guitar. The boombox clicked their mouth and hummed ] “ mmh. Nothin! Just wanna check on you. Why not go hang with me~? ” [ he placed his elbow on their shoulder with a smile ]

[ Sweet tapped their chin with their screwdriver and hummed ] “ hmm…maybe later! ”[ they sang. Cap’n leaned in closer to them and wrapped his arms around their neck ] “ c’mon! Pleeaasee~? Just for a moment~? My sweetpea~? Sugar~? Candy~? I can maybe change my looks to make you look at me~? ”

[ Sweet chuckled hearing those words. They dropped their screwdriver and their tools ] “ haha okay fine! Fine. ” [ they both got up ] “ if we’re going to the boutique shop again i wouldn’t let you borrow my wallet. ” [ they placed their hand on their hip with an eye they gave like an eyebrow raised ]

“ (snickered) noo~? Noo~! Actually we’re not going to that place. We’re going somewhere fun with k_k! “ [ he sang with a smile. Then he pulled down his shades, wiping it. Put it back on and adjust it. Sweet shrugged. Seems like he knew someplace better to go to have fun with his bandmates. ] “ Okay captain! Lead the way! ” “ awesome! ”

[ - - - ]

[ with the trio in their flying turntable roaming around in the city in the sky. With those vaporwave grids above them. Sweet was mostly the one driving the turntable as Cap’n pointing the directions they would go to take his bandmates with them ]

“ okay uuh. Hmm.. ” [ a finger on Cap’n’s chin tapping. He looked below. He is a little nearsighted but he can still see a little clearer ]

[ a smile on his face and pointed below ] “ there! ” [ Sweet then followed. Clicked the buttons and the equalizer button. As they shifted and slowly moved down below to the ground. Until they reached it and landed. The flames below faded and they all stepped down. Sweet shutted it off and twisted their key. Pulls it and placed it on their pocket ]

[ the trio looked at the building. With a sign saying ‘ online stream movie night! ’. Sweet look at Cap’n ] “ wait- so you’re taking us out for a movie night? ” “ mhm! Kind of like- maybe a romantic date~? ” “ what movie.? ” “ something romantic and violent. With musical in it~! ” [ k_k chuckled behind. Though they would wanna watch something about cars. Cap’n pointed the movie he picked on the wall with a poster ]

[ Sweet giggled ] “ Cap. There's a sign here that says it’s sold out. ” “ ap-bop-bop-bop-bop! ” [ he gave a finger tilting. He digs through his pocket and pulls out three movie tickets ] “ I already reserved some tickets for us~! ”

“ cool! ” “ awesome. Wait- what’s the occasion? You normally never take us out for something special like this? ” “ (snickered) you don’t remember what day it is? ” [ Sweet shrugged. Their eye shifted to the right thinking and remembered the date ] “ it’s…saturday.? ” [ Cap’n chuckled . palm in his head ] “ sweet…it’s our anniversary together!! ” “ w-what?!?! ” [ both the boombox and the cd player started laughing that Sweet actually and accidentally forgot what day it is ]

[ Sweet placed their palm in their cubic head. Then covering their entire face with both hands and turned around ] “ noooo! I didn’t knoooow! I’m so sorry!! ” [ with a yellow tint blush on them. Cap’n walked near and patted their back ] “ it’s alright sweet! We can still go out today! We’re already here anyway! ” “ mhm~! ” [ k_k nodded with a smile and bent down patting their back too ]

“ seems like you really need to take a break! You had overwork yourself! ” “ and you had done it all well Sweet! Cmon! We all deserve a special day~! ” “ ngh…alright alright i should actually focus on what’s important. ”

[ Cap’n shrugged ] “ we all agreed the other day that we would borrow your little cash for this day. You probably weren’t listening that time and you just sort of agreed. ” [ the last time they had a conversation together at the table eating their snacks together. With Cap’n and k_k chatting and agreeing about sharing their money together for this day ]

“ We should head inside now before the movie starts! ” [ the cd player sang behind as they all started to walk inside the building and entered.. Buying salted buttered popcorn and energy fueling sodas. Gave their tickets and went inside ]

[ they find their seats together and quietly sat down. As the movie trailer and teasers started. Cap’n already started eating the popcorn. Sweet slapped his hands ] “ hey! Don’t start eating when the movie hasn’t begun! ” “ oh c’mon! It’s good! ” [ the speaker took the popcorn bucket ] “ gimme that! ”

[ only a few minutes when the movie started. The boombox adjusted his shades. He then snickered ] “ bet when we get to the best scene where couples started kissing we will emotionally smooch together am i right~? ” [ he nudged them. The speaker slapped their hand covering his mouth ] “ shh! ” [ one with the cap rolled his eyes ]

[ as the protagonists in the movie played their roles finding someone to love. Cap’n leaned down next to Sweet. The cube didn’t mind being close. They looked up to k_k solely focused on the film. Drinking its soda quietly. Cap’n clinged into Sweet’s arm and purring ] “ meow love me sweetpea~ ” “ Cap! C’mon! ” [ the two teased whispered silent ] “ haha c’mon! We could start a titanic roleplay back in the junkshop! ” “ i’d rather push you off the boat as a plot twist ” “ w-wh but! You liked me being Jack! ” “ janitor is better. ” “ hey! ” [ as the two joked. The cd player placed their arm covering them. Trying to watch the film quietly ]

[ long minutes later where the best scene started. Sunset tucks down the hill as the lovers on top of the car started to lean in closer to the perfect timing. Sweet felt the thumbing beat on their chest. Wanting a scene like that. As they looked at Cap’n and Cakes. Already smooching. They watched their bandmates cutely kissing. As popcorn they threw on their face ]

[ then after they pulled away. Sweet tapped their partner cap ] “ May I get the turn? ” [ they asked without hesitation but in desperate ]

[ k_k then pulled them into the middle spot to the armrest and the two kissed them. The thumbing beat on their heat continues as fans run.  As Sweet’s face started heating up. It slides down to Cap’n and slumps wrapping their arms around him ] “ mhh.. I like this movie. We could maybe watch star wars spaceballs again ” “ SKKDJSFKAD“ [ the boombox with cap couldn’t help but wheeze. They remembered how funny the film was ]

“ okay okay let’s go maybe take a nice scenery view above the city right after this. Maybe watch the moon and kiss~ ” “ mh..sounds very cinematic. Sure! ” [ for now. They watched the film in theaters ]

[sceletaflores]

he’s a good time, cowboy casanova!

pair: cowboy!logan howlett x fem!reader

wc: 9.4k

contains: 18+ SMUT MDNI, alternate universe/no powers, swearing, drinking, smoking, probably some inaccuracies about ranch life idk i haven't been around a horse in like two years, logan working a lasso yes god, age gap (early 40s/mid 20s), THE COWBOY HAT RULE RAAAHHH, nasty dirty talk, i was so horny for kissing when i was writing this jesus, p in v, unprotected sex (do as sex ed tells you, not as i write), semi-public sex, riding, creampie, some emotional constipation cause it’s me, porn with a little too much plot, no use of y/n.

nat’s note: another purely self indulgent work...i just fucking love cowboys what can i say. it's practically ingrained in me by this point. logan would never dance but like who cares he's my barbie i can make him do whatever i want! kisses <3

dividers by angel @saradika-graphics!

a cowboy and the governor’s daughter walk into a barn...

The ranch is alive like you've never seen before, almost every acre lit up in celebration of your father's recent inauguration.

Twinkling lights strung around the barn's ceiling cast a warm orange glow all around you, flickering like fireflies on a summer night.

People are everywhere—laughing, mingling, drinking. Their faces both familiar and new, dressed in everything from head-to-toe denim to their Sunday best.

The lively music from the band floats through the space, couples on the makeshift dance floor twirling to the familiar twang of an acoustic guitar.

You take it all in from your spot against the wall, drink in hand as your eyes scan the room.

You did your share of mingling earlier in the evening, greeting the higher-up’s in your city with hugs and thanks.

You posed for pictures that’ll be splashed across the front pages of Monday’s paper, listened to your father’s speech as you stood by his side with a smile.

This is the first moment you've gotten to yourself since the ball started, one you've spent in content silence while enjoying the perks of an open bar.

"What's a pretty thing like you doing all by your lonesome?"

The honeyed rasp of a voice filtering in from your left paired with the jingling sound of spurs against the soft ground grabs your attention.

At first, you turn ready to greet a stray boutique or feedstore owner you may have missed earlier. You’re pleasantly surprised to see Marie sauntering towards you instead, a bright grin on her face that makes you smile right back.

Marie was one of the first people you met after moving to Texas at the beginning of your father's campaign, and you've only gotten closer since she started as a ranch hand down at Blackbird.

Her unruly red curls spill out from under her Stetson, the bouncy strands swinging in time with the white fringe of her show-shirt as she opens her arms.

"Thought you might have gotten lost in all the fancy folk," she teases, nearly crushing you with the strength of her hug.

You laugh as you hug her back, the warmth of her embrace a welcome interruption to your moment of peace and quiet. Her scent wraps around you, the familiar dust and lavender that's seeped into her clothes.

"Definitely not lost," you say, stepping back to meet her gaze. "Just taking it all in."

Marie smirks, leaning a shoulder against the wall beside you, crossing her arms as she watches the crowd.

"Sure is a good night for it," she says, glancing over at you with a glint of mischief in her eyes. "Lookin' for anyone in particular? A nice night cap?"

You snort, taking another sip of your drink. Marie has always been more invested in your love life than you, hand picking guys from around town she deems worthy enough of your attention.

You know she means well, and it's almost as endearing as it is pesky, so you let her play matchmaker from time to time.

“I don’t need a night cap,” you laugh, shaking your head sluggishly. "I’m perfectly fine spending tonight alone."

Before Marie can respond, a stir from outside filters in. Loud cheers and hollers, hooves beating against dirt, the distinct whistle of a lasso slicing through the air.

Marie practically squeals, excitedly bouncing on the balls of her feet as she peers through the barn doors. “It’s starting!”

You don’t have time to ask what ‘it’ is before she’s snatching up your wrist and turning to haul you outside.

"Marie! Where the hell are we going?" You practically trip over your own feet trying to keep up with her, your drink splashing up against the rim of your glass precariously.

Marie laughs as she pulls you out into the cool evening air, her boots crunching on the gravel as she drags you toward the commotion. “You’ll see!”

You weave through the crowd forming around the training ring, Marie’s grip still tight around your wrist as she pushes toward the front until you’re right up against the railing. 

You peer over it, eyes adjusting to the floodlights surrounding the ring, illuminating the clouds of dust kicked up by the different ranch hands perched on horses.

A few riders take turns showing off their skills, each of them in the same show-shirt as Marie, expertly swinging lassos and wrangling cattle with practiced ease.

The energy is contagious, and you find yourself smiling, soaking in the excitement pulsing through the crowd.

Marie leans closer, her voice low and laced with something knowing. “Just wait for it, honey. It’s about to get good.”

You give her a puzzled look, but she’s already grinning ear to ear, her attention fully focused on a new rider that chargers into the ring.

You follow her gaze, and your breath catches in your throat.

He rides in like he owns the place, his coal black horse cutting through the fog of dirt like a shadow, sleek and powerful beneath him.

A black Stetson sits low over his face, casting shadows that only add to the rugged allure of his jawline, a jawline that could cut glass. 

As he leans forward to grab the rope tossed at him by one of the other riders, his muscles flex, a kind of strength that isn’t there for show, but for real work.

His show-shirt is stretched over the width of his chest, over broad shoulders that look like they were carved from stone, made for lifting hay bales and hundred pound feed bags.

The sleeves rolled up to expose forearms dusted with dark hair and more than a few scars. His gloved hands rest on the reins with an ease that tells you he’s more than familiar on a saddle.

He’s not the flashiest rider, but there’s something commanding in his presence as he races his horse towards the steer, lasso circling high above his head.

He doesn’t even look like he’s trying to put on a show—he is the show.

Marie’s grip on your wrist tightens, and she leans in again, her voice loud enough to be heard over the crowd.

“That’s Logan,” she says, practically glowing with pride. ”He’s the foreman down at Blackbird, might just be the best damn cowboy in the whole state.”

You blink, hardly able to tear your gaze away from Logan, who’s riding like he’s part of the horse, one seamless, commanding figure cutting through the chaos in the ring. 

His focus is sharp, and as his lasso snaps through the air, catching the steers back leg in a clean loop, the crowd erupts in applause.

A satisfied smirk tugs at the corner of his mouth, a glimmer of amusement flashing beneath the shadow of his hat.

Marie nudges you, her grin widening as she catches the look on your face. “Told you he was worth watching,” she teases, winking. “And he’s got a bit of a reputation for bein’ hard to impress—one of those strong, silent types, y’know?”

You roll your eyes, but your heart beats a little faster as Logan turns his horse, his gaze sweeping over the crowd before it lands on you.

Your cheeks warm under his stare, trying to subtly make out the different features of his face from this far. His head tilts just slightly, as if he’s sizing you up from across the ring.

For a second, it feels like the two of you are the only ones there. The cheers from the audience dulling into white noise all around you, everything in your peripheral blurring together—everything but him.

“He’s good…” Your voice has gone light, airy as you watch Logan turn his horse back to lead the steer into the ring's stall with all the others. 

Marie's grin only widens as she leans against the post, clever eyes trained on the side of your face. "You still 'perfectly find spendin' the night alone'?"

You don't respond, too busy watching the strong muscle of Logan's back ripple under his shirt as he rides out of the ring—to your complete dismay—almost as fast as he rode in.

You're only snapped out of your trance when you can't make out his silhouette any longer. The crowd around you dissipates, filtering back into the barn while you're stuck to the fence straining your eyes for broad shoulders and a black cowboy hat.

“Show’s over, sugar.” Marie says with a snort, gently tugging you away from the post. “Come on, let’s get you another drink.”

You lost your company ten minutes ago, but you knew you didn’t stand a chance when Remy found the two of you huddled at the bar.

Sheepishly coming up to Marie with his hat in his hand, pressing it to his chest as he asked her for a dance.

You waved them off with a smile, assuring Marie you'd be fine on your own for a couple songs.

It gave you a chance to step out for some fresh air, to lean against the side of the barn and sneak a cigarette while your father was busy dancing with the town's best real estate agent money can buy.

You take a slow drag, eyes peering up at the stars so you can trace the constellations. You think that this might just be your favorite part of the move. 

Nevada has never been known for its clear skies, you can count the times you’d been able to see the stars on one hand.

You still remember the first night after you settled into your new house, the stress of the move and your fathers inauguration weighed on you enough that sleep was hard to come by. 

You finally crept out of bed around three, climbing over your balcony to perch yourself on the roof, carton of cigarettes and a lighter shoved in the waistband of your shorts.

The first time you looked out over the horizon was like stepping into a whole new world.

The stars had never felt so close, hung through the air like diamonds. So bright against the vast nothingness that stretched out beyond the too-big ranch house on the too-many acres the state appointed you and your father. 

It was like you could almost reach out and touch them, pluck them from the sky like fruit off a tree.

You’d been used to the city lights, the constant hum of noise that swallowed up the stars, but here? It was different. 

The air smelled of dust and rainwater, and the silence was louder than anything you’d ever known.

You remember the deep, quiet hum of the night, almost like it was waiting for you to catch up, to adjust to the new rhythm of the world you were suddenly a part of.

It was a moment of peace, a brief stillness from the mess crowding your head, and you found comfort in that isolation.

You take another long drag, letting the smoke curl around your fingers, the orange embers glowing bright against the darkness.

As the faint scent of tobacco mixes with the cool air, you find that same sense of peace returning, the same stillness settling over your chest.

You tilt your head back to rest on the barn, eyes fluttering shut as you let the crisp breeze lull you into its serenity.

"Those'll kill you, y'know."

A voice comes from just over your shoulder, warm and low. A smooth drawl ringing out from the shadows.

You slip your eyes open, expecting to see one of the older ranch hands or maybe even a city official looking to lecture the governor's kid. 

It takes you a second, but the black Stetson and squared shoulders register quickly enough—Logan. 

You nearly swallow your tongue, eyes widening as you take in the way he leans against the barn a few feet away from you. You don’t know how long he’s been standing there, watching you. 

The moonlight dances across his face, highlighting the rough line of his jaw and the confident tilt of his smirk.

“I didn’t think cowboys were one’s for giving lectures.” You’re shocked at the stillness of your voice, the beat of your heart picking up the tiniest bit.

Logan’s smirk only widens as he pushes off the wall, gravel crunching under his boots as he makes his way over to you, slow and deliberate. He’s still dressed in the same outfit from before, a lasso still coiled in one hand.

He comes to a stop next to you, leaning his shoulder just inches from yours. "Not usually. But when I see a pretty girl puffin' away on somethin' that's bound to ruin her, I make an exception."

You smirk, lifting the cigarette to your lips again just to make a point, even as your pulse jumps a little under his gaze. "Guess we all have our vices.” You say, blowing out the smoke slowly, watching the way his gaze tracks its lazy drift.

Logan’s eyes trail back to yours, and you can see the color of them now that he’s closer. A mix of different greens and browns fading together, like a forest in the thick of summer.

The lightest dusting of freckles decorate the bridge of his nose, trailing along his cheeks until they disappear under his beard, a product of being out in the sun so often.

You’re struck by how pretty he is, all long lashes and red lips.

Well, pretty for a cowboy anyway.

“You plan on sharin’?”

You can’t stop the laugh that bubbles from your chest, brow raising skeptically. “That’s a little hypocritical, don’t you think?”

Logan just shrugs, a lazy half-smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “I reckon’ it’s rude to let a lady smoke alone.”

You huff lightly, reaching into the pocket of your dress. You flick the top of your Marlboros open, slipping a cigarette out and offering it to Logan silently. 

He takes it, his fingers brushing against yours enough to send a spark through you. It travels up your arm and all around your shoulders to seep down through your entire body, resting in your stomach to swirl through the heat simmering there.

“Got a light?” He asks, words muffled around the filter.

You roll your eyes, but reach back into your pocket regardless. Logan leans closer as you flip your zippo open, taking his hat off to cover the side of his face, blocking the flame from the lazy breeze.

Your heart stutters in your chest as he nears closer. You didn’t expect he’d want you to light it for him. You will your hand to steady as you raise the flame to the tip, holding it close enough that the small light illuminates his face.

The intoxicating mix of leather and musk invades your senses. You fight the urge to lean into it entirely, to close the gap.

When the flame flickers and catches the end of his cigarette, Logan pulls back, taking a languid drag, the embers glowing between his lips.

His eyes don't leave yours as he exhales deeply, the smoke curling from his lips in slow tendrils. You can’t tell if it’s the nicotine or the way he’s looking at you that’s making your head spin.

You break eye contact, feeling the flush creeping up your neck, and lean back against the barn to cool yourself off. Logan leans beside you, a comfortable silence settling over the two of you, just the soft crackling of cigarettes and distant music filling the space between.

Logan puts his hat back on, his voice breaking through the quiet as he does. “You’re Governor Wright’s daughter, ain't you?”

You nod slowly, exhaling another long plume of smoke. It’s still weird hearing it out loud. “I am.”

Logan hums, turning his head to face you again. The silver moonlight catching the glint in his eye.

“Saw your picture in the paper.” His gaze rakes from the top of your head, all the way down to the tips of your boots. “Looked real nice.”

The air feels heavier as Logan’s eyes travel over you, lingering just long enough to make your skin tingle, before meeting your gaze again. His eyes hold a hint of amusement, the green of them darker than before. The heat swims through you faster, stronger.

“Congratulations.” He adds, almost like an afterthought. A quick pivot to take some attention away from how his eyes swept over your body so shamelessly.

You snort before you can stop yourself. If you had a dollar for every time you’ve heard that over the past few weeks. “Yeah,” you say, kicking at some rocks near your feet. “Thank you.”

You can see the way Logan’s brow raises out of the corner of your eye, his gaze burning a hole along your profile.

“Don’t sound too excited,” he comments, exhaling lazily. “That why you’re hidin’ out here?”

You shrug, leaning back against the barn and tapping your cigarette to shake off some ash. “Maybe I just like the quiet,” you say. “Or maybe I’m avoiding another round of ‘how proud are you of your daddy’ small talk.”

Logan stays quiet, and you feel the overwhelming need to explain yourself. A need to fill the silence, like he’s some kind of magnet that soothes the truth from people.

You sigh, turning your eyes to the dark sky again. “I’m happy for my dad, of course I am but…” You trail off, searching for the right words. “It’s just a lot.”

He chuckles lightly, a low rumble that feels more real than the sounds of laughter from inside the barn. “Hell, I don’t blame you,” he says, his eyes flicking up to the stars too. “Nothin’ wrong with takin' a breather now and then.”

You both stand there in comfortable silence, the night stretching out around you, as vast and open as the sky above. You let yourself study Logan out of the corner of your eye, noticing the way he seems at ease, like he’s as much a part of this land as the grass and stars.

Finally, he looks over, and you feel that sharp gaze settle on you again. “You keep starin’ like that,” he says, a teasing note creeping into his voice, “I’m gonna start thinkin’ you’re more interested in somethin' other than the stars.”

Your mouth drops open slightly, heat rushing to your ears as you search for something to say.

Logan’s smirk widens as he catches the way your breath stutters, and for a moment, the silence is thick, the air between you charged. 

You force a laugh, trying to play it off, but it’s weak, and you can feel the heat creeping up your neck again. "I—"

Back inside the barn, the band switches songs, saving you from your embarrassment. A softer melody floats through the air, slow and sweet as molasses. It’s muffled enough that it sounds almost hazy, like a soundtrack to the most wonderful dreams.

Logan turns to watch the shadows move in the light spilling through the open doors. Couples pairing off, taking to the dancefloor. All warm embraces and slow moving circles, swaying to the gentle beat.

He turns back to you, running his thumb over the coarse lasso in his hand. “Care for a dance?”

You raise your brow, skepticism written all over your face. “I don’t really do that.”

Logan doesn’t back down, tilting his head with an easy grin. “Seems like a waste not dancin’ in a dress like that.”

You can’t fight the smile that tugs your lips up, shaking your head with a quiet laugh as you peer down at the nice floral fabric of your sundress. The wind makes it swish along your sides, the flowy fabric swaying over the knee of your boots.

“Maybe another time, Logan.” You try to ignore how good his name feels rolling off your tongue.

He takes one last drag off his cigarette before he’s stubbing it out on the worn leather of his belt and slipping the butt in his jean pocket. It’s both the strangest and most endearing thing you’ve ever seen—a cowboy that refuses to litter.

“Well I’m gonna have to insist.” He crosses his arms over his chest, straining the fabric around his biceps. There’s a challenge in his eyes now, a dare.

“Oh, you’re insisting, are you?” You repeat doubtfully, lolling your head to the side languidly, your hair flowing with it. ”And how are you gonna do that?”

Logan doesn’t answer with words, just raises his arm to start twirling his lasso through the air with a smug grin. He circles once, twice, three times before a deft flick of his wrist sends the rope across the way to you. 

It slips over your shoulders, sliding down to catch on the curve of your hips.

You raise a brow, reluctant smile still playing on your lips. “Do you carry this thing with you everywhere you go?”

Logan cocks a brow, tugging on his end of the rope so it tightens around you, forcing you a step closer.

You stumble forward with a soft laugh, eyes darting up to meet Logan's. The lasso feels snug, but not tight enough to hurt, just enough to let you know he’s in control, and the thought sends a spark straight down to your core.

“You sure you don’t dance?” He tugs you a few steps closer, his smirk only deepening as he effortlessly reels you in.

You bite your lip to stifle a smile, shaking your head. “You sure are persistent, I’ll give you that.”

Logan doesn’t wait for you to say anything else, instead taking that final step forward. His grip tightens slightly on the lasso, pulling you closer until there’s barely any space between you. 

You can feel the warmth of his body through the thin fabric of your dress, his chest rising and falling with each slow, deliberate breath.

“Some would say it’s my best quality,” he teases quietly, voice dropping to something lower, like gravel and velvet. “Now, you gonna fight me the whole way through, or are we gonna dance?”

You glance up at him, your chest fluttering in spite of yourself. A thousand lame excuses run through your mind, but all you can manage is a breathless laugh, the sound caught somewhere between amusement and nerves.

“I guess I don’t have much of a choice,” you murmur, hands tentatively coming to rest on his shoulders. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Logan’s smile softens, his hand slinking around your hips to loosen the lasso, letting it slip down your legs so you can step out of it.

Big hands settle on your waist, brushing the soft fabric of your dress, sending a fresh wave of warmth through you. His touch is firm and gentle all at once, guiding you effortlessly into an easy sway.

The moment you fall into the rhythm of the music, your body moves naturally against Logan’s, and you can feel the charge between you intensify with each step.

His boots scrape against the dirt as he leads you in a slow, almost languid circle. Your feet match his without thinking, the sound of your boots in sync with the soft country tune playing from the barn.

“See? Not so bad, huh?” His voice is low, a soft whisper against the backdrop of the music.

You nod slowly, your fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt, the warmth of his body seeping into your skin. The rough scrape of his jeans against your bare legs sends a delicious shiver skittering up your spine.

“Not so bad,” you agree, your voice quieter now, the playful edge slipping away as something deeper stirs between you.

You tilt your head up, breath catching in your chest when you find him already looking down at you. His lips quirk up slightly, but there’s a new intensity there now, something sharper than the teasing glimmer from before.

"Logan," you murmur, but your voice is barely a whisper, lost to the night air.

His free hand slides up the length of your spine, trailing along your neck until he’s cupping the side of your face. His thumb grazes your cheekbone with a gentleness you never thought men like him to be capable of.

The space between you shrinks even more as Logan dips his head, his nose brushing against yours in a featherlight touch that sends a shiver down your spine

“You gonna tell me to stop?” He murmurs, his lips so close now you can feel the warmth of his breath ghosting over your skin.

Your throat works to form words, but they’re gone, stolen by the way his hands slide a fraction lower on your waist, pulling you flush against him. 

Your breath hitches again, and without thinking, you close the space, lips pressing against his, soft at first, unsure. Logan deepens it almost immediately, tugging you impossibly closer.

It’s tender–achingly so. Logan’s lips are surprisingly soft, he tastes like top-shelf whiskey and your Marlboro Golds. They mold to yours with a gentle pressure, warm and inviting. His hand on your face tilts your head slightly, angling you just right as his thumb continues to trace soft circles over your cheek.

The warmth of it spreads through you, settling low in your stomach, and you think you could stay like this the whole night, wrapped in the quiet safety of him.

All too soon, Logan’s pulling away. You whine pathetically, lips chasing his own. You’d be embarrassed if it wasn't for the pure need coursing through you.

“You were right,” he mutters lowly, running his thumb along the slick expanse of your bottom lip. “This is a hell of a lot better than dancin’.”

“Shut up.” You drag him back down by the fistfuls of his shirt, your own lips hungrily seeking out his again.

This kiss is different, something filthier, something messier. It’s like a dam breaking to let a rush of water break free, all the tension unraveling itself as you meet again.

The gentle tilt of Logan’s head changes, and when his teeth catch your bottom lip with just enough pressure, your knees feel dangerously close to buckling.

His hand slides down from your cheek, skimming your jawline before tangling into the hair at the nape of your neck. His tongue sweeps past your lips, and the taste of whiskey and smoke is heady, stronger, dizzying.

Logan’s mouth moves against yours with a confidence that makes your head spin, like he knows exactly what he’s doing to you.

You let out a soft, involuntary sound, and that only spurs him on, the hand in your hair tightening as he presses you back against the rough wood of the barn.

It digs into your body harshly, scratching at the bare skin of your shoulders and backs of your thighs. You hardly care.

Your hands come up to tangle in his hair, knocking his hat off so you can tug him closer as your tongues slide together lewdly. Logan groans into your mouth at the sting of his scalp, you can feel the rumble of it in your bones. 

His beard scratches against your chin and cheeks so deliciously that you can’t help but imagine where else it might rub your skin red and raw. The thought alone has a shudder running through you, your hips arching off the barn unconsciously.

The subtle grind when your hips slot together is enough to have Logan’s grip tightening around your hips. His fingers flexing where they’re still tangled in your hair. You moan softly at the hard length tenting his jeans, pressing insistently against your lower stomach, big even trapped in the rough denim.

Your body reacts to the thick plane of heat almost viscerally, your pussy aching with the need to be filled.

When you finally break apart, it’s only because neither of you can breathe.

Logan pulls back just enough to meet your eyes, his forehead resting against yours, his chest rising and falling in heavy breaths that match your own. His pupils are blown wide, dark and intense. You dazedly think back to the sleek coat of his horse, black as ink and shining under the rings lights. 

His lips are an angry red and slightly swollen, glistening in the pale moonlight, and the sight of him—disheveled and wanting—sends another wave of heat blooming through your core to leak wet and sticky in your panties.

“Your daddy would shoot me between the eyes if he caught us like this, darlin’.”

You hide your pleased smile in the crook of his neck, trailing soft kisses from his jaw to his ear. “Then we should find somewhere a little more private, shouldn’t we?”

Logan groans, hands bunching the fabric of your dress in tight fists as your lips brush against the lobe of his ear with every word, teasing. “I reckon’ we should.”

You step back, fingers trailing down to toy with the shiny belt buckle sitting pretty on his waist. “Lead the way.”

Logan smirks, tongue swiping along his bottom lip. “Yes ma’am.”

He bends to grab his hat from where it lays at his feet, pushing his hair away from his eyes before dropping it back on his head. His hand finds the small of your back, turning to lead you away from the barn.

You try not to notice how well it fits. 

Turns out, ‘somewhere a little more private’ is just another barn. This one filled with stray mountains of hay and empty horse stalls instead of the watchful eyes of partygoers.

You can’t bring yourself to care, not when Logan’s got you pressed to the closed door, his hands roaming down your body like he’s memorizing every curve, every dip. 

“Christ, you’re somethin’ else,” Logan mutters, his voice thick with want as his lips ghost along the side of your neck, leaving a trail of open-mouthed kisses that make your knees shake.

His breath is hot against your ear when he adds, “Bet you’re soaked for me already, aren’t you, darlin’?”

The rough pads of his fingers drag along your bare thighs as he hikes your dress higher, the fabric bunching at your waist. The cool air kisses your skin, but it’s nothing compared to the heat between your legs as his palms knead the soft flesh. 

You bite your lip to stifle the embarrassing moan that threatens to escape, but he catches the sound anyway, pressing a cocky grin to the side of your cheek.

“C’mon, don’t get shy on me now.” His hand slides between your thighs, calloused fingers brushing against the damp fabric of your panties. 

The low groan that escapes him when he feels how wet you are is pure sin, vibrating against your neck as his fingers trace over the damp cotton. “Fuck, barely touched you and you’re already drippin’ for me.”

“Logan—” You start, but your words dissolve into a sharp gasp as he hooks a finger beneath the fabric, pulling it to the side.

The first drag of his finger through your slick folds has your head falling back against the wall with a dull thud. A high moan falls from your parted lips, embarrassing and needy as your thighs clench around his wrist.

Logan just hums, pressing a kiss to the corner of your slack mouth. “Is she hurtin’ real bad, baby?” he asks softly, his thumb pressed over your pulsing clit. “Just gotta give you some sweet kisses and she gets all worked up, huh?”

Your only response is a breathless whimper, your fingers clutching at his shoulders for stability as he teases you with slow, torturous circles around your clit.

His thick pointer finger slides through the slick seam of your pussy, catching on your dripping entrance before it’s sinking to the knuckle in one slow thrust. 

You arch into him, your hips rocking instinctively to take him deeper, desperate for more. His other hand comes up to cradle your face, his thumb brushing along your cheek as his gaze locks onto yours. 

The intensity in his eyes makes your stomach flip, your breath hitching as he watches every little expression cross your face.

“That’s it, darlin’,” he coaxes, sliding his finger in and out at a maddeningly slow pace. “Look at you, so fuckin’ beautiful. Takin’ my fingers so good, baby.”

“Please,” you gasp, the need in your voice making his smirk widen.

“Please what?” he teases, curling his finger inside you and grinning when you nearly sob at the sensation. “Gotta tell me what you want, sweetheart.”

You whimper, thighs trembling as you manage to stutter out, “Kiss…kiss me.”

Logan groans, brows twitching up like that wasn’t what he was expecting to fall from your slick, kiss bitten lips. He doesn’t waste a second, leaning in to capture your mouth with his in a kiss that’s equal parts desperate and bruising. 

His lips part against yours, tongue sliding in to meet yours, hot and eager, as he sinks a second finger inside your clenching hole. 

The kiss deepens, becoming a rhythm of its own, each stroke of his tongue matching the languid thrust of his fingers.

Logan's lips move hungrily against yours, his pace never faltering even as his fingers curl inside you, searching, teasing, until—there.

The moment he brushes against that spot, your back arches off the barn wall, a sharp gasp tearing from your throat. He grins against your lips, breaking the kiss just long enough to murmur, “There she is.”

The slick sound of his fingers pumping into you fills the quiet barn, mingling with your soft, breathy whimpers. His thumb circles your clit with devastating precision, each pass of his fingers inside you coaxing your body closer to the edge.

“You’re squeezin’ me so tight, honey,” he groans, his voice rough and dripping with praise. “Can feel how close you are. Bet you’re gonna fall apart for me so pretty, aren’t ya?”

You shake your head, your breath coming in soft pants. “No.” Your hand snakes down to his wrist, halting his movements. “Wanna finish with you inside me.”

Logan stills, his breath catching as your words hang heavy in the air. His fingers stay buried inside you, the slight curl of them making your thighs quake as his eyes search yours.

The fire there burns hotter now, feral and barely restrained. 

“Yeah?” The raw hunger in his voice makes your pulse spike. “You want me inside you, huh? Wanna feel me stretch you open, baby?”

You nod eagerly, your chest heaving as his words fan the flames of your desire. 

“Alright,” he mutters darkly, voice gone low and smoky. “I’ll give you what you want.”

Logan slips his fingers from the warm grip of your pussy, the sudden emptiness stealing all the air from your lungs. You miss the stretch almost immediately, clenching around nothing with a soft moan.

He lifts his hand between you, his fingers glistening with your wetness in the dim light. “Look at that,” he says softly, almost in awe, before slipping his fingers into his mouth and groaning at the taste.

“Fuck,” you whisper, your cheeks burning at the sight. 

Logan catches your gaze, a wicked smirk spreading across his face as he leans in close. “C’mon,” he whispers softly against the skin of your neck, hands slipping around the backs of your thighs and squeezing gently. “Up.”

You hitch your legs up around his waist, a soft breath escaping you at the way he lifts you with ease, like you weigh nothing.

You can’t help but run your hands over the thick muscle of his biceps as he walks you further into the barn, lips trailing wet kisses along where his shirt’s top button popped open, exposing more of his tan skin to your greedy eyes.

Logan falls back against a knocked over bale of hay, you feel the hot length of his hard cock grinding over the slick fabric of your panties as he positions you over his lap.

You waste no time, stray pieces of hay digging into your knees as your trembling hands reach for his buckle. Your fingers brush over the cool metal as you fumble sliding the worn leather through his belt loops.

Logan just watches you, leaning back on his forearms with a smirk—cool as ever.

Once his belt is undone and his zipper dragged down, you shove at his jeans, watching with a mix of anticipation and desire as his cock springs free, thick and heavy and already leaking for you. 

You’ve heard the expression ‘hung like a horse’ countless times. You always thought it was a gross exaggeration, until now.

Logan’s hand glides down his stomach to start stroking himself lazily, his eyes never leaving yours. “Been hard since the second I laid eyes on you tonight. Could barely keep my hands to myself, watchin’ you all dolled up like that. Drove me fuckin’ crazy.”

Your mouth waters with the need to taste, eyes tracking the thick line of pre-come leaking from his flushed tip. 

The phantom ache in your jaw almost has you dropping to your stomach right there, but you know that your time here is limited, and you need Logan inside of you more than anything.

You lean back, lifting your legs so you can shimmy your soaked panties down and off, tossing them behind you haphazardly the same way you tossed his belt.

His eyes are locked onto yours as you crawl back towards him, situating yourself over his lap all over again. You take a steadying breath as you reach for his cock, nearly moaning at the heft of it in your hand, at the near scalding touch of his silky skin against your palm.

“Hang on, baby.” Logan’s hands fall to your hips, stopping you just as the tip of his cock brushes against your dripping pussy. “You wanna ride, you gotta look the part.”

He drags his hands lower, calloused palms rough against the soft skin of your thighs. It’s enough to make you shiver, hips twitching down with the desperate need to be filled.

“Got the boots,” he murmurs idly, thumbs sliding along the back of your thighs. “Just need the hat.”

Logan reaches up to grab his hat by the crown, pulling it off his head to drop it on yours.

You left out a soft breath, feeling the worn felt settle on the top of your head, still warm from his own.

It’s too big, slipping down to shadow your eyes. Logan’s gaze darkens as he adjusts it, tipping it back just enough to frame your face.

“Much better,” he says, flicking the brim once before his hands fall back to your hips. “Alright cowgirl, give it to me good.”

The words shoot straight to your core, igniting something wild and reckless inside you.

You bite your lip, spurred on by the way his hands knead the meat of your hips. Not forcing or pushing, just two steady weights as you slowly start to sink down.

It's nearly torturous, but in the best way possible. The stretch of each inch a pleasant burn as your hips slot against his after what feels like an eternity.

“Fuck.” Logan grits out, his hands tightening on your hips as you settle, giving yourself a moment to adjust to the overwhelming fullness. 

Your body trembles, a soft whimper escaping your lips as you slowly begin to move, rolling your hips in slow, deliberate circles.

Logan’s eyes track every movement, darkened with need, a quiet groan slipping from him as his hands slide lower, gripping your ass, urging you to pick up the pace.

“That’s it, darlin’,” he murmurs, his voice husky. “Takin’ it all so good.”

His praise only encourages you, and you lift yourself up before sinking back down, your hands gripping the scratchy fabric of his shirt for leverage.

The feeling of him filling you up, stretching you with every downward movement, makes your head swim, the pressure building in your core.

The barn is filled with the sounds of skin slapping together lewdly, with the wet gush of your pussy leaking around the base of his cock messily. It has your ears burning, shame and arousal a heady mix in your lower belly.

Logan’s hips start to rise from the barn floor, snapping up to meet yours with every bounce. You can feel him deeper like this, brushing against places that make your legs shake with pleasure. 

You’re dangerously close to the edge already, a mess from all the teasing earlier. But from the way Logan’s muscles flex and tense beneath you, you can tell he is too.

“Goddamn,” he growls, his hands moving to grip your thighs, helping you bounce on top of him impossibly faster. “You feel so fuckin’ good, baby, so fucking perfect. Don’t stop.”

His words make your head spin, the filthy praise sending a fresh wave of heat pooling in your belly. You can’t hold back the moans spilling from your lips, each thrust pushing you closer to the edge.

Your hands scramble for the front of his shirt, tugging and pulling until it’s loose enough to show off the toned muscle of his chest.

You rake your nails through the dark hair decorating his skin, hardly paying any attention to the brand burned into the skin across his left pec.

"Tell me how it feels," he groans, his voice dark and commanding. "Tell me how good I’m makin’ you feel."

"So good," you manage to gasp, your voice breaking as he grinds against that perfect spot inside you. "Logan, I—"

“You’re close,” he rasps, his grip on your hip tightening as he drives into you harder. “I can feel you, baby. So fuckin’ close. Gonna come for me, aren’t ya? Gonna milk my cock like a good girl?”

You’re too far gone to answer, your body trembling as the coil in your stomach clenches, tighter and tighter. Your head lolls back to the ceiling, eyes fluttering shut as you near the edge.

"C’mon honey," Logan groans, his thumb finding your clit again, circling it in time with his thrusts. “Come for me, let it all fuckin’ out.”

You're helpless to deny him, the thick stretch of his cock paired with the gentle pressure of his thumb on your clit tightening your body like a bowstring threatening to snap.

 “Logan—oh God—Logan!” Your orgasm crashes over you, leaving you trembling and gasping as your walls shake around him.

Logan’s hips stutter, his rhythm faltering as he groans low in his throat. “Goddamn,” he growls, his voice wrecked. “So fuckin’ perfect, squeezin’ me so tight—fuck—”

With a few more rough thrusts, he buries himself as deep as he can go, his body going rigid against yours as he finds his own release, groaning your name like it’s the only word he knows.

You slump onto him gracelessly, your body spent and trembling as you bury your face in the crook of his neck. His cock jumps and pulses inside you, sending little aftershocks through your sensitive core as you feel the slick spray of his come painting your walls.

The rough fabric of his shirt feels oddly comforting on the overheated skin of your cheek as you rest your head on his chest, trying to catch your breath.

The brand catches your eye again, more pronounced now that the wiry hair dusted along his chest lays flush, slick with a thin sheen of sweat.

You raise your hand, gently tracing over the raised skin, feeling the rough texture under your fingertips. A curved ‘X’ scarred right over his heart. 

The same ‘X’ that was embroidered on the front of Marie’s shirt, that hangs above the doors of the very barn you lay in, that’s scattered all throughout the property.

You read once that not all cowboys choose the brand, only the most loyal to the ranch. A kind of fierce loyalty that knows no bounds, that has no limits—it may be the only loyalty most will ever know.

You think back to your grandmother sitting you down at her weathered kitchen table a few days before your father and you made the move. The stern talking to she gave you felt silly at the time, useless information that you’d never actually need.

Now that you're here, her words ring in your ears for the first time in months, blaring and unavoidable.

“Don’t go and get mixed up in any cowboy business, honey. They’ll never love you more than the life, you’ll always be in the rearview mirror.”

Logan takes your hand in his, bringing it from his chest to his lips for a quick kiss before pointedly lowering it to his jean clad thigh. You can feel the way his fingers flex around your wrist, telling.

You swallow hard, the air in the barn suddenly feeling thick and heavy.

You're pushing yourself to your feet before you even realize what you're doing, ignoring the dull ache as his spent cock slips from inside you.

Logan hisses at the sensation, but he's pushing himself to his feet all the same. You're dying to sneak a peek at the look on his face, but you refuse to turn to him.

Maybe out of shame, maybe out of fear for what you might find if you do.

You straighten the wrinkled fabric of your dress, trying in vain to make yourself look as half as presentable as you did before walking into this barn.

The distant sound of a zipper being tugged up and the whisper of denim against denim catches your attention. Your eyes flick to the doors, your brain going a million miles a minute as you consider your options.

You could always beat him to it. You could walk out right now and pretend this never happened, avoid Blackbird like the plague for the rest of your fathers political career.

You doubt you'd ever see Logan outside these fences, it would be so easy to forget.

You shift on your feet, lip caught between your teeth. The sweet ache between your legs only matches the one in growing your chest, all those good feelings sour at the thought of walking away.

Against your better judgment, you turn back to him. 

Logan’s already looking at you, hands busy with slipping his belt back into place.

You’ve always been good at reading people, at gauging what they might be feeling, but as your eyes scan along the flushed skin of his face, you find yourself unable to describe what you see swirling in his eyes.

“When will I see you again?” It’s weak, barely a whisper. You want to kick yourself for sounding so small, for getting so caught up in a man you hardly know.

Logan lets out a soft breath, hands coming to rest on his hips as he searches for something to say. “Whenever you have a reason to I reckon'.”

The words hang heavy in the air between you.

His answer is honest, unpolished—just like him. Something about it hits you deeper than you expect, a bittersweet sting that tightens your chest.

It’s not a perfect answer, but it’s something. 

You try to stomp down all the feelings of hope filling your mind, pointedly ignoring the eruption of butterflies in your stomach.

“Well if that’s the case,” you say slowly, eyes never leaving Logan’s as you step closer. “Then I guess you better keep these.”

You reach around his waist to slip your panties in the back pocket of his jeans, patting the denim a few times for good measure before you step away again.

“Gives you a reason to come see me again, cowboy.”

Logan chuckles, soft and sweet as he shakes his head bemusedly. He raises his hand, gently taking his hat from your head to drop it back on his own.

“You’re really somethin’ else,” he mutters, brushing a strand of hair away from your face, the gesture tender in its unexpectedness.

You let out a shaky breath, heart pounding in your chest, and for a moment, everything feels raw.

Too raw. Like you're teetering on the edge of something dangerous and intoxicating, something you’re not sure you’re ready to handle.

You let your gaze drop to the floor, biting the inside of your cheek as you resist the urge to say something else, to push the moment further.

Instead, you turn, taking a slow step toward the barn doors.

Just before you reach them, you hear him again, his voice steady, but there’s something in it that makes you pause, hands lingering on the doorframe.

"Don’t be a stranger, alright?" he calls after you.

You glance over your shoulder, meeting his eyes one last time. "Wouldn’t dream of it."

tags are now in the comments! if you want to get tagged for any of my works just fill out this form!

mini nat's note: lowkey want to make this a series...like this was so fun to write and i have a few more ideas...let me know chickens <3

[apn-music]

ujam's smooth virtual guitarlist 'SILK' plugin

ujam presents 'SILK', a virtual guitarist plugin.

An Acoustic Concert Guitar Virtuoso

Virtual Guitarist SILK is the softly spoken nylon-stringed concert guitarist of your dreams. Let the smooth and delicate finger-picking virtuoso take you on a journey from clean and smooth sounding singer/songwriter arrangements to vivid fortissimo style phrases suitable for dance and pop compositions.

Faster, Better and Easier

Perfect for all levels of music production experience, SILK’s credentials include the uncomprimising sound quality demanded by professionals whilst complete beginners will appreciate UJAM Instruments frustration-free design allowing them to get their ideas down quickly with no previous guitar knowledge. https://soundcloud.com/ujam-instruments/silk-down-by-the-lake?utm_source=clipboard&utm_campaign=wtshare&utm_medium=widget&utm_content=https3A2F2Fsoundcloud.com2Fujam-instruments2Fsilk-down-by-the-lake

Smooth & Elegant Accompaniments

Perfect your tone with UJAM Instruments very own high-quality integrated amp modeling with sounds based on handpicked vintage amps and speaker cabinets. Add the final polish with classic guitar effects including great sounding delay, chorus and reverb.

Authentic Nylon-Strings

Virtual Guitarist SILK’s sonic secret is very simple! By choosing to record a mint condition 1967 German nylon-stringed concert guitar, made by a renowed luthier with an amazing session musician at the helm, UJAM Instruments have created a virtual instrument even top composers and musician will find it hard to tell apart from the real thing. Operating Systems - Windows 8 or later. - OS X 10.11 / macOS 10.12 or later. - 64 bit only. - You may run it on earlier versions but we don’t support them. Minimum Requirements - 4 GB of RAM 6 GB of Disk Space - 1280x768px Display, Internet Connection. If you want to move your .blob file to an external drive, we recommend the use of a SSD to prevent dropouts. Plugin Formats - VST, AU, and AAX - On Reason? A-List Acoustic Guitarist Fingerpicking Nylon is VG-SILK’s Sister in Rack Extension Delivery Format - Downloadable Installer File Authorization - E-mail and Password Within the Plug-in Supported Standards - MIDI, Native Instruments NKS The price of SILK is $129, but it is currently on sale for $10 ($11 including tax) at Plugin Boutique until December 20th. More information about the plugin can be found on the ujam website. Read the full article

[rockzone]

House Of Shakira -Xit

Release Date: 19 May 2023

Swedish melodic hard rockers House Of Shakira recently release a new album entitled ‘XIT’. The album maintains their reputation for being one of the most consistently unique acts in their genre over the past thirty years.

Originally known as The Station, the group formed in Stockholm in 1991. Changing their name because the local record label 'The Record Station' thought it was too close to their own name.

So a magazine ran a contest to have their readers pick a new name. A reader suggested House Of Shakira after various newspapers had written about a London-based boutique that turned out to be a brothel using the sale of clothes as a front. The band loved the name and have always thought it a neat metaphor for something that is not what it seems. It also fits with their music not being what would typically be deemed 'melodic rock'.

The new album features the single 'Something In The Water' which has been picked up by various rock radio stations. There's also a video for the single online.

‘XIT' follows a 25th Anniversary reissue of the band's debut album ‘Lint’ last year.

Line-up Andreas Novak - vocals Mats Hallstensson - guitars, vocals Anders Lundström - guitars Per Schelander - bass, vocals Martin Larsson - drums

[slothrusts]

had a dream last night that I was in nyc and I went into this like fancy boutique music store because they had a really pretty green guitar in the window

And I knew I couldn’t afford anything in there but I was like lemme see what other cool stuff is in there! So I go inside and Taylor is there with Matty and she’s going to get a new guitar with a gold inlay I guess and Matty just like keeps picking up random instruments and making bad jokes about them?

Dream-me doesn’t wanna deal w it so I go to the opposite end of the store to look at some banjos on the wall but omg Matty will NOT shut up I don’t even remember anything that he said just that he wouldn’t stop talking and it was driving me nuts

Then he came over to me on my side of the store with this bright white violin to make jokes about it to me?? And I am not having it. I’m just so fed up at this point, I ask him “hey can I see that real quick?”

And he’s like “yeah sure totally” then hands me the violin and I BREAK IT OVER HIS HEAD then go “cool, thanks!” and just leave the store 😭😭

[hoodieimp]

Nickname: Dizzy (online at least, no one has ever called me that in person djsjsk)

Sign: Libra ♎️

Height: 5'3". Short king

Last thing I Googled: "cloy" (was playing Boggle w Mum earlier and we wanted to know if it was a valid word)

Amount of sleep: Anywhere from 6 to 9 hours on average, I constantly stay up Way Too Fucking Late for NO reason lmao

Dream job: Author, librarian, or barring any writing or technical success, garden hermit (seriously, I'd love to get paid to live in some rich fuck's yard, wear cloaks 24/7 and offer cryptic bullshit "advice" when necessary)

Movie/book that summarizes you: Uhhh probably Wall•E bc it had a permanent effect on my brain chemistry as a kid

Favourite song: Oh god I have So Many, rn the two I'm listening to on loop the most are Beauty Unique Boutique by FAKE TYPE and No. 3 by Cosmo Sheldrake

Favourite instrument: To listen to? Bari sax is objectively the Sexiest sounding instrument out there

To play? Guitar and clarinet :]

Aesthetic: Bright colours (less neon and more jewel tones), cartoons! (ESPECIALLY 1920s/30s rubberhose animation), gaudy maximalism of ALL kinds, horror but specifically the "cutesy but Fucked Up"/body horror/surrealism variety, bugs, any bookstore/library/thrift store clutter vibes

Fave author(s): Terry Pratchett, closely followed by Catherynne Valente, China Miéville & Neil Gaiman. I can't pick just one

Random fun fact: Uhh I can't whistle for shit and I only learned how to roll my Rs/make that tongue trilling sound Super recently dhksdbkdmddk

Tagging @amazinlei @symphonicspecter @thewiglesswonder @theinkpit-z @iolitemoth !

Tagged by @fullmoondagger

Nickname: I've forgotten like. every nickname anyone's used on me, Mossball? Mossy? give me nicknames.

Sign: Aries baybee ♈

Height: like 5'2 or 5'3.

Last thing I googled: Puppet Combo(friends n I were talking about horror games. not the biggest fan of PC games.)

Amount of sleep: around 5 hours of sleep? maybe. sometimes more if I sleep all day.

Dream job: Would love to be a professional photographer- specilizing in stuff to do w animals and landscapes, and just general nature. Maybe a twitch streamer- if i had the confidence n ewasn't a anxious idiot HIKJGFLDKSHJG

Movie/Book that summarizes you: mAN I can't remember the last book or movie I watched. only recently I watched strange world. so Idk.

Favorite song: Love me Normally by Will Wood :)

Favorite Instrument: the Theremin. I just love how it sounds d:)

Aesthetic: Uhhh take any sort of eye searingly bright colors, and mix it with arcade play places and general arcade fair- and mix in liminal style photos and images and a lil bit of weirdcore and scenecore. N just turn it into a jumbled mess of color and incomprehensible images.

Fave author: whats books. I'm jared 19.

Random fun fact: idk no fact about me is fun.

I'm Taggingggg @funhouse-mirrorz @apxlllo @boopasnoops @hoodieimp n thts it d:)

[theageoftheunderstatement]

Spin: Arctic Monkeys Hit A New Gear

Written By Steve Appleford, 18/10/2022

It’s a warm, cloudless night in Los Angeles when the Arctic Monkeys step onto a festival stage at the far edge of Chinatown. They’re confident English dudes in windbreakers and leather jackets, picking up their instruments and arriving to the sound of Stan Kenton’s 1970 instrumental recording of the standard “Here Comes That Rainy Day,” a song both muted and deeply emotional, wounded and effervescent.

The sound is a clue to the state of a rock band caught at another moment of evolution, equally connected to their past, present and future, still rockers at their core after two decades, but aspiring to expand beyond that. The Monkeys are here headlining the final day of Primavera Sound, the international Barcelona-based festival making its U.S. debut in L.A., drawing 50,000 fans into the city.

The Arctic Monkeys have been at this since they were teenage mates bashing out modern guitar rock with emotion and bite, quickly growing into superstars in the UK, and festival headliners in the U.S. and everywhere else. The band’s core band members – singer Alex Turner, drummer Matt Helders, guitarist Jamie Cook and bassist Nick O’Malley – are augmented tonight by three other players. The sound is arch and sophisticated, like a next-generation Roxy Music, noisy and unruffled through clanging guitars, alluring piano melodies and lyrics wide open to interpretation.

The biggest international hits would come later in the set, but early on they share a song from the band’s new album, The Car, a shimmery funk tune called “I Ain’t Quite Where I Think I Am.” The song is ready for the dancefloor or your nearest smoke-filled room, as Turner’s voice goes higher, if not quite falsetto, singing soulfully of a dystopian future (or dystopian present): “Freaky keypad by the retina scan…”

With a disco ball at his feet, Turner doesn’t say much between songs, but never comes off as distant, either leaning into the mic or strumming his guitar. When he does speak, the words are as opaque as his lyrics, ending one song with a teasing: “Yes, you like that? I understand loud and clear. Don’t make a big deal out of it.”

Two weeks later, Turner is in the mostly deserted bar of a small boutique hotel on Hollywood Blvd., wearing an embroidered Guatemalan shirt over a faded black top. He sits at a table with a nearly empty bottle of sparkling water and a small paper coffee cup, a lick of dark hair dangling stylishly over his forehead.

As a host, Turner is perfectly relaxed and cordial, but chooses his words carefully during our interview, finding the messages he wants to convey slowly. Seeing his words in print since he was barely 20 no doubt brought him to this careful state, but he also looks pleased when you recognize one or another inspirational touchstone (Mick Ronson, Brian Wilson, etc.) in the new songs.

In town to talk up the album, the bar is a convenient meeting place. On the wall behind him is a collection of ancient class photographs, of strapping young men in school, on sports teams, all forgotten memories from the last century. “I hadn’t noticed that. Actually just been too busy making it all about me,” Turner says with a knowing laugh.

The whole band lived in L.A. for a time, but now only drummer Matt Helders remains, and between Monkeys projects is a member in good standing of Joshua Homme’s rotating crew of players and accomplices. (Which meant being recruited in 2015-16 for Iggy Pop’s Post Pop Depression.) While Turner still likes to squeeze in some quality time in the city, he now mostly bounces between London and Paris, usually accompanied by the French singer-songwriter Louise Verneuil.

A few days after Primavera, the band headed out to New York for a quick visit to premiere more songs from The Car on The Tonight Show and at Brooklyn’s Kings Theatre. It’s an album The Guardian has already praised as a wide-ranging collection of “Portishead-stark noir, improbably catchy yacht-funk and … poppy bombast.”

Two decades after forming as a band of neighborhood teenagers in Sheffield, England, the Arctic Monkeys have maintained relevance as artists and hitmakers by following their own creative impulses rather than passing trends. They began as excitable rockers with flinty bad attitude and pop instincts, quickly hitting No. 1 in the UK with their anxious second and third singles, “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor” and “When the Sun Goes Down.” Compare that with The Car, and the evolution to music of increasing sophistication is startling and undeniable, with Turner growing from sneering punk to multiple layers of feeling.

Historically, you might compare Turner and the Monkeys’ evolution to Bowie’s mid-’70s leap from edgy rocker Ziggy Stardust to the deeply emotional crooner of Station to Station and Heroes, and still always sounding like no one but himself. Helders began to notice a change in the vocals when Turner started working with his other project the Last Shadow Puppets, which then carried over into the Monkeys. “It was less shouty and fast and more like Walker Brothers singing. He’s leaned into that a lot more vocally. I’m like, ‘Oh wow. You’re actually a singer now,” Helders says later on the phone, laughing.

In 2022, as much as the sound has changed over time, Turner insists the core quartet is still “following our instincts, which is precisely what we were doing in the summer of 2002.” They were kids then, and songs were composed in that early stage around their abilities in the rehearsal space, designed to be played live in a small club. They now record music with no concerns about recreating the same sounds onstage, allowing their creative impulses to drive the recordings.

He’d grown up surrounded by music, his father, David Turner, a big band musician and educator who actually sat in with the Last Shadow Puppets during a 2016 set in Berlin, blowing sax on “The Dream Synopsis.” That early influence not only reached young Alex, but the friends who came over to the house, including future members of the Arctic Monkeys.

Long before he was a musician himself, Helders heard a lot of mysterious sounds from the distant past at the Turner home that most neighborhood kids were not, learning of an earlier generation’s iconic figures that definitely weren’t being written about in NME.

“When I went around to his house – which was often – big band and jazz and swing was on,” says Helders. “It has always been a powerful thing for Alex. And me too. When I first saw Buddy Rich playing drums on TV, it was before I played drums. I didn’t really understand what was happening. I was like, ‘Whoa, this is blowing my mind!’

“There’s just so much feeling when you listen to music like that,” he adds, noting their current use of Stan Kenton as intro music. “Musically it’s like a masterclass. We’re not quite there yet, but maybe it is enough to know what skill level we’d like to be at.”

The musical lessons kept coming, even as the Monkeys grew into a leading force in a new wave of British rock and pop music, with their every move documented and scrutinized.

The band experienced a career-altering revelation while working with Homme as co-producer on 2009’s Humbug, which in hindsight looms even larger in their story. Rolling out into the high desert to make that album with the Queens of the Stone Age leader opened their eyes to the freedom available to them as artists. Getting weird was something to be embraced, not avoided.

Helders says, “It was Josh who said, ‘Whatever you do in this room, it’s still you. No one can tell you it’s not you. You’re doing it.’ As simple as that sounds, it makes sense. It made us feel like, Oh, we can do whatever we want.”

They’d first met the tall, redheaded rocker backstage at a Belgium rock festival. “We heard him coming down the corridor shouting ‘Monkeys! Monkeys!’” Turner recalls with a smile. Arctic Monkeys had been open in the press about being fans of QOTSA, and now, “He’d come looking for us.”

After that encounter, Domino label co-founder Laurence Bell suggested they reach out to Homme to see if he would be interested in producing. He said yes, and guided the band through seven songs on Humbug. (Four other tracks were produced by longtime collaborator James Ford in New York City.) Looking back, Helders says their first trip with Homme to the Rancho de la Luna recording studio, way out on the edges of Joshua Tree, “felt like I was on another planet.”

“Had we not had that experience at that time, I’d question whether we would still be going now,” Turner says thoughtfully. “At that moment, it felt as if we were put in a bit of a dead end, and creatively it felt like we’d ran out of steam a little bit.”

The Monkeys eventually returned to Joshua Tree (minus Homme) and came back with the monster album of their career to that point, 2013’s AM, which reached platinum in both the UK and U.S. The songs mixed G-funk rhythms with their edgy guitar rock and Turner’s words of romance and ruin. Songs traveled from the crunchy riffs of “Arabella” to the swaggering, woozy funk of “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?” Mojo called the album “exciting, audacious work,” and NME declared, “Smart, randy and touched by genius.”

The wildly enthusiastic public reaction that greeted AM didn’t lock the band into a sound, or pressure them to produce sound-alike albums. If anything, it only freed Arctic Monkeys to do as they pleased, to follow their meandering muse wherever it led them.

The band’s last album, 2018’s sci-fi conceptual Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, threw things for a loop. The Car is another step forward, unimaginable in their early days as a stripped-down rock act. Back then, the quartet were on a mission to be as new and original as they could. Helders made a point on the early records to create new beats that were flashy and technically difficult, looking to always “make this new weird thing,” he says.

“That was great for then and it matched what we were doing with the riffs and maybe the aggressiveness of the singing,” he adds. “Now I appreciate restraint and being able to play a groove in a really good way. It’s not any less fun for me, contrary to what it might look like. Even though the drumming is calm and more laid back, it’s as much fun as it is to play more showy.”

The new album’s gently urgent closing track, “Perfect Sense,” came together quickly, with strings mingling with drum beats to create a swirling Brian Wilson flavor. The Beach Boys maestro “has always had a place in my heart,” Turner says. “That’s been in the back of my mind since I was a five-year-old kid.”

The lyrics paint a murky, playful picture: “Having some fun with the warmup act/If that’s what it takes to say goodnight then that’s what it takes. … four figure sum on a hotel notepad … A revelation or your money back.”

“I suppose overall none of it makes a great deal of sense in the traditional sense,” Turner acknowledges happily. “It’s like when you’re trying to leave a party and this is like the fifth attempt. Okay, now I’m really going. That’s what it sounds like to me.”

On the album cover is a photograph shot by Helders in downtown Los Angeles, looking down at a lone car parked on a rooftop lot amid other tall buildings in 2019. The drummer is serious about photography, has published a book of pictures from the Tranquility Base sessions and shown in galleries. For that photograph, he was simply trying out a new lens on his Leica, walking around the city or shooting out his bedroom window, inspired by vivid color work of master photographer William Eggleston.

Helders liked the picture and included it with some others he shared with Turner. “He was like, Oh, wow. He kept coming back to it, like, ‘There’s something about that photo. It tells a story somehow.’” The singer eventually wrote a song inspired by it, and began thinking of the album as The Car, with that image as the cover.

On the title track, as Helders plays brushes on record for the first time, Turner sings his evocative, mysterious, disjointed lyrics: “Your grandfather’s guitar, thinking about how funny I must look trying to adjust to what’s been there all along ... But it ain’t a holiday until you go to fetch something from the car.”

Ahead of the sessions with the band, Turner wrote and recorded preliminary demo versions of the songs, written half on acoustic guitar, half on piano. He sensed where the album was headed when he landed on the instrumental section that begins the opening track “There’d Better Be a Mirrorball.” “That felt right,” he says, “and of course the words have to get on board with that.”

They recorded basic tracks for The Car in an ancient, 700-year-old house called Butley Priory in the English countryside of Suffolk. With arched windows and walls made of stone, the two-story building has recently been refurbished as an elegant venue for weddings and other events. With producer Ford, the Monkeys rented it out and transformed it into a studio.

Says Helders, “We managed to make it feel like a place you wanted to make a record.”

The idea was to somehow replicate scenes Turner had read about, of Led Zeppelin or the Rolling Stones camping out at a large country home, and parking a mobile recording truck outside. In the ‘70s, a truck had to be packed with recording gear: tape machine, mixing board, speakers, plus engineers and the producer, with cables running into the house.

Loren Humphrey, a frequent Monkeys engineer in recent years, had given Turner a copy of the book The Great British Recording Studios, and the singer became fascinated with its pictures of the famous Stones Mobile Studio unit, with its linoleum floor and history of recording multiple classic rock albums. Modern digital equipment has made the need for a mobile unit mostly obsolete, but the idea of recording at a home in the country stuck in his mind.

“That was kind of the dream idea, but we didn’t quite make it all the way to the linoleum floor in the truck,” he says with a grin. Band and crew instead loaded in their gear and computers and got to work. The band also lived on-site during the recording, and between sessions would gather in front of broadcasts of the 2021 UEFA European Football Championship, where England got to the final.

“That was a pretty exciting time in England then, and we were all watching the games and hanging out,” says Turner. “We hadn’t seen each other for a while and I think that got that kind of the energy of the band back together again.” Helders recalls sessions being structured around soccer viewing. “It really dictated the mood,” the drummer says. “If England had a bad game, it wasn’t going to be a good day in the studio.”

For the band, now looking back at 20 years of history, the sessions were a throwback to the Monkeys’ debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, recorded in 2005 at Chapel Studio in the countryside of South Thoresby. That album might not have happened any other way.

“If we were in a city, we would’ve never finished that record,” Helders says with a laugh. “We needed the discipline of like, ‘Okay, we need to do a song every day. We don’t want any distractions.’ We were just teenagers.”

Sessions for The Car were delayed for a year because of COVID-19 restrictions. It took time for Helders to get back to England from L.A., and he was required to arrive first so he could quarantine ahead of the rest of the band and crew. But Turner used the year to refine his songs, to experiment and explore “a few blind alleys” without concerns about time.

Later, vocals and overdubs were recorded in another house in France, where Turner picked up a 16mm movie camera and captured footage of the band at work, handing it off during his vocals. Some of those grainy color and black-and-white moments turn up in the music video for “There’d Better Be a Mirrorball.”

“I found that having the camera kind of removed me a bit from the situation and hopefully allowed a bit more space for the band to fill,” he says now of his foray into filmmaking. “It gradually transformed itself into a promotional music video, so it all happened pretty naturally.”

In London, strings were recorded at RAK Studios, not to add “sweetness” but evoke complex emotions. That final ingredient is essential to the sound of The Car, contributing to its 10 tracks a consistent personality, a bit like an old Sinatra record as arranged by Nelson Riddle.

“Those arrangements of Sinatra were definitely on when I was in the passenger seat as a kid,” says Turner, whose songwriting usually begins on piano, where he sometimes drifts towards the kind of chord structures his father played at home. “But obviously it’s not swinging quite in the way that stuff is.”

For all the willingness to slow down and use understatement along with noisy guitars, the Monkeys remain at their core a rock band. So Turner embraced the idea of using each piece only as needed, with the strings rising at one moment, then disappearing as the rock instruments roar back. With Tranquility Base, the band looked to create a consistent sound and mood from song to song, and The Car takes that a step further, sounding like a larger work rather than a collection of songs.

“I think we’ve done a better job this time with the dynamics of the whole thing, like allowing each element to have its space and come into focus and disappear when the time is right,” he says. “I felt like there had to be some caution, like the alarms going off: Don’t just go throwing the strings on top of the rock band sort of thing. Let’s try and find a way that it can sort of take turns. There was an idea before the record about splicing two things together from a totally different time and space.”

“Body Paint” captures that balance, starting gently with strings before leading to an explosive guitar piece played by guest Tom Rowley. Turner hadn’t imagined that particular crescendo when laboring over the song alone in a room, before reinterpreting it with the full band. “Having everybody there, it gives you that energy of the band you can’t really replicate,” he says, adding he welcomes the surprises.

There is also an undeniable strain of funk across the songs, which marks a different kind of blast from their past. “It did probably start with opening the drawer and finding the old wah-wah pedal again from 15 years ago,” says Turner. “I’m thinking, ‘Wow, let’s audition that again in this creative juncture.’ When we played it in rehearsal in the first place, it was exciting to sort of blow the dust off the wah-wah pedal.”

That makes The Car a record they could only have made now. The original sound and energy of the Arctic Monkeys wasn’t ready for it. They weren’t self-aware enough to have such aspirations.

“We wouldn’t have been able to do this 10 years ago, or 15 years ago,” confirms Helders. “Everyone sort of learned their instruments at the same time, at the same pace and got better. We’ve got to a place where we can make music like this.

"I think everything happened at the right time.”

[alwayslovingharry]

ABCDEFU

A/N:I'm sorry I didn't post yesterday, but I couldn't do it yesterday. I know today's chapter is a bit of a step back from the last one, but it's necessary. I hope you like it and I promise that there's less time left for Mr. Styles to reappear…maybe only 2 more…you'll see….

previous part

PAIRING: Harry Styles x Hailey Foster (1Dmember!reader)

WORD COUNT: 3.9k

WARNING: Not an english native speaker.

SUMMARY: Hailey receives a visit and goes to an unexpected meeting.

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3/03/2017

I can't stop a grunt from coming out of my mouth when the alarm clock goes off four hours after I got into the bed. My flight from Milan yesterday was delayed for four hours due to some mechanical problems. I ended up getting back to London at 2am and it wasn't until after 3am that I got home and was able to lie down on my bed to sleep. I rolled over, staring at the ceiling wondering if it's really worth waking up so early to make the most out of the morning

Since Valentine's Day, my schedule has been non-stop. I've had several meetings with different clothing brands in New York, Paris, Rome, Madrid, Milan... I've spent more time between planes these past 3 weeks than I have in my entire life. 

Now I can finally have some time off until the end of April, when I will have to go to New York to attend the Met Gala as a guest of Versace. During this time I will only have to go and try out my outfit in one of their boutiques here in London. The rest of the time I will be able to spend my time resting and even composing. 

Since Harry gave me the blank notebook, I have started to use it daily, writing down any lyrics, phrases or pieces of songs that come into my head. I have taken my guitar with me on some of the trips, even if they didn't last more than two days, using some of my free time to try out some melody or chords that came to my mind. I have also used the notebook as a kind of diary to write down my feelings and thoughts. 

I haven't spoken to Jack since the restaurant, but he has called me almost every day since then. The only thing I know about him is what he has told me in the messages he has been sending me. He must be in Manchester now, closing a deal to partner with a construction company. 

I haven't tried to contact Harry either, even though his face pops into my head more than once a day. That determination I had after opening his presents on Valentine's Day vanished the next morning as soon as I woke up.

That's why Louis refused to be my spy. He's coming back from Jamaica tomorrow after spending a week there with Harry and his team. He didn't tell me much in his messages either, apart from telling me that he and Harry had agreed that Jamaica was the best time they had had in a long time. The only thing he made clear to me is that he loves Harry's album.

I sigh, pulling the duvet away from my body and very slowly getting out of bed. I pick up my phone from the bedside table, tucking it into my pajama trousers pocket and walk down the hallway to the stairs, down to the living room and into the kitchen.

After 3 weeks of hardly coming home I find the fridge and pantry half empty, but in the end I manage to find a box of coffee capsules in one of the cupboards so I can at least have some breakfast before going shopping. I grab a cup from one of the shelves while I switch on the Nespresso machine. 

While the coffee maker is making the coffee, I look at my little back garden from my kitchen window. The flowers in the garden box are still without buds as it's still early March and the weather is still cold. Today looks like it's going to be one of those typical London winter days where the sun doesn't even make an appearance. I sigh, picking up my freshly brewed coffee with both hands, warming them with the warmth of the cup. 

The doorbell rings and I leave the mug on the counter. I walk back through the living room, picking up a jacket from the sofa to put on over my pyjamas. Before I open the door I decide to look through the peephole, I don't usually have visitors at half past seven in the morning. I open the door when I recognise that curly hair.

"James, what are you doing here so early?" My brother smiles as I open the door for him.

"Can't I visit my little sister?" he asks as he rushes over to hug me tightly.

"Of course you can visit me, but it's not normal for you to visit me unannounced and at this hour."

"Mum told me you were coming back from one of your trips yesterday but I have to be on set soon so... why not invite myself to breakfast at my sister's house?"

"Well, you've planned it wrong because I've only got coffee for breakfast."

"A coffee works for me." 

I return to the kitchen with James following me and I start making his coffee. As I grab another pod and cup, I glance sideways at my brother. James is keeping quiet, which is rare for him. 

The whole thing seems strange to me. James does like to come and visit me as soon as he can, or at least call me every week at least. But since Christmas, he's barely called me a couple of times,and that’s strange. Even when I was on tour with the band James and I hadn't lost touch that much. And now he suddenly shows up at my house first thing in the morning.

"Come on, spill it," I say as I hand him the cup with his coffee and take mine back in my hands.

"What do you mean?"

"You can try to act smart and think I don't think it's weird for you to show up here for breakfast now after months of not even seeing you. You've never stopped talking to me like this without any big reason, you're already telling me what's going on with you."

"Sometimes you're worse than mum, Hails."he replies. 

“I know you better than her, you're my big brother, now tell me what mess you need me to help you with. "

James takes a sip of his coffee and sighs before speaking again. 

"Remember how ever since I was 12 I was always telling mum not to expect grandchildren from me and that I was never going to get married either?"

"Sure, Mum's never been amused by that, her retirement plan is to be able to look after her grandchildren and for you to say you don't want to have them or get married...you're not disinherited by a miracle, Jamie."

"Ha ha ha ha, you' re hilarious, you've always been his favourite for wanting all that and for being mummy and daddy's little princess," I laughed as he took a sip of his coffee.

"And what does that have to do with you ignoring me since Christmas?"

"I didn't ignore you...not on purpose. What's happened is...I've been really busy."

"You can't tell me you were too busy, when I was touring with the band and you were studying at Juilliard and auditioning for Broadway plays you were calling me after almost every concert or the day after every concert. That's no excuse."

"Hailey..."

"Hailey nothing, it pisses me off that after barely knowing about your life you're now coming to my house for coffee like it's nothing."

I turn to clean my cup in the sink, turning my back to my brother. We've always told each other everything, supported each other in everything, and called each other whenever something happened to us to talk to each other about whatever we went through.  

"I...I might now, well in the very near very near future, be mum's favourite son." mumbles James as he hands me his empty mug to wash. 

"What?" 

"Okay, so…over half a year ago I met this girl, Brooklyn, although she likes to be called Brooke or Brooks. She was one of the stylists on one of the shows I filmed last year in America and... I've never felt the same way about anyone else. Not even with Austin, the roommate I had when I was at Juilliard, with whom I had the friends with benefits thing. She's different, she's...my soul mate. She's Rose and I'm Jack, she's Sophie and I'm Sky..."

"I get it, I get it" I cut him off before he goes on with his references to his favourite couples in film and theatre history, he's obsessed. ”Why didn't you tell me this before? You knew her at Christmas, you could have told me."

"I know, I know, but I didn't want Mum to find out and force me to take her home and start intruding into our lives with her little questions.I wanted to take it slow with her." I leave the mugs dripping in the sink and I drie my hands on a tea towel, turning back to look at James." I'm really sorry, Hails. "

"It doesn't matter anymore, at least I'm relieved to know that you didn't stop talking to me because you're in a cult or into drugs. "

"I love your sense of humour." he says wryly as I walk into the living room and sit down on the couch, sitting down next to me. 

"So you've settled down with this girl, have you?" 

"Yeah, a couple of weeks ago she came to live in my flat and everything seems to be going great between us. "

"You look good, it suits you to have something stable and that seems to be lasting."

"She's the best thing that's happened to me in a long time, Hails," we both smile, but I can see there's a twinkle in her eyes that I've only seen when she's talking about a big role or something she really cares about. "She's gorgeous, inside and out, kind, very smart, funny, sweet...I'm sure when you get to know her you'll like her a lot, I'm sure. Every day I spend with her and get to know her a little more, I'm even more sure I'll never be able to leave her. I’m going to marry that girl, I can assure you."

"That's very sweet, James," he replied, smiling. "She seems like a nice girl."

"I can promise you she is, I need you to meet her, as soon as possible."

"Wow, why are you in such a rush now? You've kept her a secret all these months and suddenly you want me to meet her as soon as possible." 

"Well...I think you two should meet before she has the baby, I don't want it to be awkward getting to know each other with a baby in between."

"What? This is a joke, isn't it?" I ask, still not taking in all this information. " You' re going to be a dad?"

"I'm going to be a dad!" shouts James as I throw my arms around him and hug him tightly. 

"I'm going to be an auntie!"

We both laugh as we try not to fall off the couch while hugging each other. I'm so happy for James. I'm so glad he's found something that really makes him so happy...I'm so proud of him. 

"How far along is she? Is everything ok? Is she and the baby ok? Did you guys plan it or..." 

"The truth is it wasn't planned at all but it was a very exciting surprise and we are both very excited. Brooks and the baby are fine, we found out 2 weeks ago and we went to the doctor last week and everything was great with both of them. She' s about 12 weeks along."

"Oh my gosh...James! You've gone from being directionless to being a family man! "

"I know." We both lean our backs against the couch again but the smiles don't leave our faces. "I'm so happy about all this..."

"I'm really happy for you, I need to meet this girl you've been so enchanted by. "

"I'm sure you'll get along well, I can't wait for you two to meet." 

My phone vibrates in my pyjama pocket just as I'm about to ask James more about his girlfriend. I pick up my phone and unlock it, finding a couple of messages from one of my managers.

L. Peterson: We need you at 9 o'clock at the offices.

L. Peterson: It's an important meeting, you can't possibly miss it or change it.

L. Peterson: A car will pick you up at 8:20.

I sigh wearily and James just looks at me, raising his eyebrows. I turn my phone over, letting him read the messages and grimace.

"I should probably get going soon anyway if I don't want to be late for the film set."

"I hate that they decide to have meetings when they feel like it, I wanted to keep talking about my sister-in-law and my future niece or nephew."

"How about one of these days I give you a call and we can meet Brooks so you can get to know her?" James stands up and offers me a hand so I can get up from the couch as well. 

"That would be perfect." 

"And please don't say anything to mum and dad yet, I'm trying to think of the best way to tell them all of this without them making a fuss over me. "He says as we walk to the door and opens it so we can go out. "I don't want mum to faint."

"Sure, you know you can always count on me, Jamie."

"I know." we both quickly hug once more." And you can rely on me too, I know Louis and Olivia are your best friends but I'm my big brother and can also help or listen when you need it. 

"I know."

"Next time we'll talk about what's going on in your life sis, mum told me about the situation in the restaurant and Jack? Are you okay?" 

"I'm always fine, James." she smiled lightly against his shoulder. 

"If you need anything I'm just a phone call away, okay?"

I nod and we both separate again and stand for a few seconds watching each other. We've both grown up and matured, barely noticing the passage of time, succeeding in our own ways, but James will always be my big brother. 

"See you, Hails."

"Take care."

"Always." 

I stand on the porch watching him leave until he disappears completely from my sight and I go back inside. I look at the clock on my phone, I have about half an hour to get ready before the car comes for me so I run up the stairs to the upstairs to have a shower and get changed. 

More than an hour later I am getting out of the car that has brought me to the management offices. We have been stuck in London traffic for over 40 minutes from my home in St. John's Wood to Peterborough Road. It's usually more than half an hour's drive, even more if it's rush hour like today. 

I walk quickly into the offices hoping that no paparazzi are around to recognise me, sometimes they wait outside of the building to get pics of the artists that come to the offices. As I enter, a receptionist is already waiting at the door to take me to the meeting room, asking if I need anything to drink or eat while I politely decline all her offers.

"Good morning," I greet as the receptionist opens the door to the meeting room, where the two Modest managers who have always looked after me are waiting. 

"Hello, Hailey," Luke Peterson says as he rises from his seat to greet me and shake my hand. 

“Good morning, Miss Foster, you may take a seat.” Brenda Walker is my other manager, the one who usually runs my career, she's much cooler and more serious than Luke. 

"We've called you in to discuss a couple of things about your schedule over the next few months," Luke explains as I settle into my chair.

"Until the Met at the end of April I only have dress fittings at Versace every week, right?"

"Yes, but maybe you'll stay a few more days in America after the Met. We got a call from CBS and they'd like you to come on Late Late as a guest so James can do an interview with you about the gala and your new modelling projects."

"Sounds good to me." 

"It would just be the interview and at most some of the typical games on the show, nothing complicated. "

"Okay, I have no problem doing anything, I trust James and his team. "

"Then until the end of the summer you have more or less free time again with only some promotional events or photo shoots for Dior and Versace. In August you have rehearsals for the Versace runway show in Milan and also rehearsals for the Dior runway show that you have a few days later at Paris fashion week. "

"And we've been talking to Gucci, Alessandro Michelle would like you to become one of the brand ambassadors or at least he'd like to collaborate with you and have you join him sometime for your events." Brenda speaks for the first time as Luke jots something down on his iPad. 

"But I already have deals with Dior and Versace?

"We know and that's why you're going to say no, you can't be their ambassador," Luke explains. "We'll accept his proposal to collaborate, maybe to dress you on a red carpet, interview or awards show, but you have to be loyal to Dior and Versace. "

"It looks great for a young woman like you to collaborate with brands that are leading women and championing female empowerment . Gucci may be fashionable for all its innovations but Versace and Dior are run by Maria and Donatella, who know what they do and how to succeed," says Brenda as she gets up from her chair and walks over to the living room windows. 

"And that's all you had to tell me?

"Yes, basically that's what I needed to talk to you about, I'm not quite clear on the dates yet but as soon as I have a more or less fixed schedule, I'll mail it to you. Also everything about the Met and the Late Late." replies Luke as he picks up his IPad and gets up from the table." I've got to go now, I've got a meeting with the 5SOS guys." 

"Tell them I said hi.”

"Of course, see you soon Hailey." he says goodbye with a smile as he walks out the door, leaving me alone with Brenda. 

I never got along with Brenda, I was introduced to her about 4 years ago, when each of the boys and I were assigned a different manager to contact whenever something happened to us. I hate her, from the beginning she has treated me like a puppet that she can drag around wherever she wants. I've always got on better with Luke, he's the one who usually contacts me for all my schedule and appointments, when I met him he was still just an intern for Brenda and from the beginning I could see how she didn't treat him very well either. 

"Answer me this question, why don't you pick up Jack's phone?"

And as a bonus, she's also my mother-in-law. 

"Brenda..."

"I'm asking you a question, Hailey, my son has been trying to contact you for almost a month now after you stood him up after he proposed to you. "

"I haven't had time, I've been running all over the world."

"Well now the next thing on your agenda is to call him and say yes to his marriage proposal."

"I told you when you first told me he wanted to propose, I'm not ready to get married. "

"Well, you can get ready now, I've started talking to my contacts to start preparations for the wedding. "

"I don't know if you're understanding me," I reply as I put my hands on the table and stand up. I'm not going to say yes to your son just because you tell me to. "

"Yes you are." Brenda turns to look at me and also places her hands on the table, mimicking my posture." Or I'll see for myself that after you do the September shows you don't have another project for a long time until you've married my son. "

"Marrying your son means that, we both know Jack doesn't like me being a singer or a model." 

"I'll take care of my son, but you're getting married in the summer of next year." 

I can't believe they're actually doing this to me. Forcing me to get married for my career? It's one thing to stay in a fake relationship and quite another to sign up for a fake and unhappy marriage. 

"If I say yes, I want conditions that benefit me. "

"Well…" Brenda sits back in her chair and I remain standing. 

"I want to be able to compose for other singers and create my own music with the possibility of releasing a solo album at a time when I want to."

 "You know very well that from the management we don't think you'll be successful as a solo artist, not even as a songwriter."

Ouch

"If you don't say yes to this now I will tell your son that our relationship exists only because my contracts force me to." 

We both know that she doesn't want Jack to know that our relationship is bound by my contracts and my managers. From the beginning I've used this as a fallback when I really didn't want to agree to do something, it's one of the few excuses I can use. 

"Okay, you can make an album eventually and we can try to sell songs that you write." 

"And remove the clause of having to compensate you if my contract ends and I refuse to continue with you as my manager or with SYCO. "

"That's impossible." 

"If you don't remove that clause I don't see it possible to marry your son either, remove those clauses and everything will be as you want it to be at the wedding." Brenda remains silent for a few seconds looking at me with hate, we can both play this game. 

"Alright, that's it, nothing else and you better hope my son calls me at the end of the day and tells me you talked to him and said yes."

"Okay," I reply as I sigh.

Where did I get into?

"Well," she stands up again and I straighten up as much as I can as she stretches out her hand towards me, "I can finally tell you, welcome to the family." 

"Can I go?" I reply, ignoring her hand. 

"Yes, I expect that call before tonight, Miss Foster." 

I leave, slamming the door shut as I hear those last words from Brenda. I hate her, with all my heart, every time I spend time alone with her I feel helpless at everything she says or does. 

"Would you like a car to take you home, Miss Foster?" asks the receptionist as I walk past her towards the door.

"No, thank you."

When I leave the offices, I see how it's raining hard and if I walk home like this I'm going to get totally wet, but I still go out to the street while I call for an Uber and look for another place nearby to get out of the rain. Right now I don't want to accept anything to do with my evil mother-in-law or my managers.

to continue...

next part

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