#brought my towel to the beach once and the pool twice

[eastern-hercules-beetle]

the thing about bugs is that if you are looking for bugs, you will always find bugs. whether or not it makes any sense for them to be there is like the 5th most important thing at best. there will always be bugs.

[stattic-writes]

BD: Beach

https://statticscribbles.tumblr.com/post/639099629845233664/masterlist

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[pinkdalias]

Plenty of Seas in the Universe

Ryan, Akmazian and Maddox visit the beach together.

Ship: Ryan/Akmazian/Maddox

Word count: 1961

AO3

The cerulean water lapped rhythmically at Ryan's ankles, just teetering on the edge of too-cold and raising goosebumps on his skin. The soft squish of the pale sand as he dug his toes in was satisfying, though, and the pleasant warmth of the golden sun was a delightful contrast to the ocean. He rolled his shoulders back and tilted his head to the sky, eyes fluttering shut and a smile crawling its way across his face. He let a pleased hum escape him. To his right a familiar low chuckle rumbled outwards.

"Enjoying yourself there, Ry?" Akmazian teased, squeezing their interlaced hands. Ryan cracked open an eye and smiled at him.

"Absolutely. I mean, it's not like I have the chance to bask in the sunshine very often back on EOS 10," he replied lazily. Akmazian ducked his head in acknowledgement. 

"Yeah, I'll bet that's true," he muttered, eyes gleaming. "Just look how pale you are!" His other hand reached out to pinch Ryan on the ribs, making him yelp and jump away, subsequently splashing Akmazian with frigid water and colliding with Maddox on his left. David stumbled slightly, but recovered quickly and disentangled his hand from Ryan's left in favour of wrapping it around his waist. Ryan glanced upwards and leaned easily into the taller man, eyeing Akmazian warily.

Akmazian stared at the recently soaked hem of his shirt, then back up to Ryan. His eyes narrowed.

"Oh, that's it," he started, and shifted like he was about to kick water over onto Ryan and David.

"If you get me wet, Ak, I swear to god I will ruin your life," Maddox warned, glaring. Akmazian paused and gazed at him calculatingly--Ryan just knew he was trying to figure out exactly how to splash Ryan without hitting David. Ryan raised an eyebrow daringly at Akmazian, waiting to see if he'd follow through on his threat. Apparently David also knew exactly what Akmazian was thinking, because he tugged Ryan closer and wrapped both arms around him, dropping a quick kiss into his pink hair.

"Also, you're not allowed to get my human shield wet either," he smirked. Ryan gaped at him.

"Wha--human shield?! I'll show you human shield!" he yelled, wriggling out of his boyfriend's grip and stomping hard, making a tiny splash of water and sand flick its way up Maddox's legs. The man just gave him an unimpressed look, when suddenly a wave of cold splattered against Ryan's back. He turned, spluttering, and levelled his most murderous glare at Akmazian, who held a cheeky grin and dripping hands.

"You're dead," Ryan warned, and lunged towards him, kicking up a storm of salt water.

Akmazian laughed and fended him off with upsetting ease, splashing Ryan back with vigour.

"Shit!" Ryan shrieked after a particularly big splash. "You got my shirt soaking wet!"

"Why don't you take it off then," Akmazian leered, and flashed a flirtatious wink. Ryan narrowed his eyes, but... well, he was drenched anyway, what harm could it do? He ducked his head and pulled his shirt off in one swift movement, chucking it onto the sand and turning back to face his boyfriend. Behind him, Maddox's manic laughter was abruptly cut off with a choked wheeze, which made Ryan smile. And, judging by Akmazian's stunned silence and wide eyes, he hadn't actually expected Ryan to go through with it.

Ryan kicked a huge wave of water at Akmazian. The other man flinched and snapped out of his shock, a downright dangerous look appearing on his face. Never one to be outdone, he quickly tore his own shirt off and chucked it in the sand before rounding on Ryan.

“Oh, crap, David?” he began backing away further into the sea and away from Ak’s outstretched hands.

“Yeah?” Maddox replied dazedly, and when Ryan looked over he was still staring at Ryan’s chest.

“Protect me!” Ryan screeched, and stumbled further away into the gentle rolls of waves when Akmazian lunged. David laughed as Akmazian grabbed at Ryan, then pulled his own shirt off and threw it on the dry sand before wading in after them. Ryan fought Akmazian off, the other man grinning with wild determination, but couldn’t help the burst of shocked laughter that escaped him when Akmazian managed to get both hands around his waist and lift him into the air.

“Oh my God!” he exclaimed, clutching at Akmazian’s arms.

“Hold your breath!” he hollered. Ryan’s eyes widened.

“No, no, don’t you dare! Ak, I swear, if you drop me--” he struggled to get out of his boyfriend’s arms, and Akmazian stumbled.

“Whoa, good doctor, calm down,” he laughed, “I’m not gonna dunk you!” Ryan shot him a glare, then leaned to the side to see where Maddox was standing waist-deep in the water. He looked at him pleadingly.

“Babe, help me out!” he whined. David just laughed at him, the traitor. Ryan scowled and wriggled around, but froze when Akmazian’s grip on him slipped.

His eyes widened and suddenly he was slipping, falling, and then he was crashing and submerged in the water and fuck, that was cold! He took a moment to find his feet in the sand as a wave softly pushed him around, then burst sputtering out of the water. Akmazian’s eyes were wide with shock, but he was giggling, whereas David was practically bent in half cry-laughing. Soggy pink hair flopped into Ryan’s eyes and he swept it out of the way in annoyance, looking murderously at Akmazian.

“You dropped me,” he hissed.

"I’m sorry,” Akmazian managed between laughter, reaching out to him apologetically. “I honestly didn’t mean to, darlin’, my apologies.” Ryan crossed his arms and harrumphed, but didn’t pull away when Akmazian pulled him into a hug. It was just an opportunity to get Akmazian wet in return, and hey, he was really warm.

“Sorry,” Akmazian repeated, and tilted Ryan’s face up for a kiss. Ryan (begrudgingly) let him. Then David sloshed over to them and flopped over Akmazian’s back, pouting.

“Do I get a kiss?” he asked.

“I don’t recall dropping you into the water,” Akmazian pulled away from Ryan to say. Maddox poked his tongue out childishly, and Ryan disentangled himself from Akmazian to grab David’s arm.

“You’re my favourite now, seeing as you haven’t dropped me in the ocean,” he stated. Akmazian let out an offended puff of air, but David smiled indulgently and slid off Akmazian’s back so he could hold Ryan’s hand.

“You say that like I wasn’t already your favourite,” he teased. Ryan tilted his head up expectantly, and Maddox kissed him softly on the mouth once, twice, then pulled away and dropped a kiss onto his forehead. (Ryan wasn’t blushing, okay). Akmazian pouted at them, to which Ryan just laughed. He let go of Maddox’s hand and drifted into deeper water again, bracing himself against the cool temperature until his body slowly adjusted to it.

Ryan had been swimming since he was a child, it was practically second nature to him. Of course, on EOS 10 the only place to go swimming was a chlorinated pool, and the sea was different in a lot of ways. For example, he was constantly surfacing to rub the salty brine out of his eyes, because it stung like nothing else. There was a current here, too: it swept him up gently, trying to coerce him into floating out into the deep water; but Ryan fought it back with ease and a few lazy kicks. He bobbed on the waves as they rolled in, too calm to crash and break into white foam, but just strong enough to lift him up and down. He floated on his back, and sunk into the familiar sense of peace that came with the sound of his ears being underwater. Ryan soon realised was probably getting sunburned, though--this planet’s ozone layer left much to be desired.

He twisted in the water and flipped over. It only took a few strokes to bring him to where he could touch the ground, and when he looked up it was to a heart-warming sight. Maddox was clinging to Akmazian like an octopus, arms looped around his neck and legs wrapped around Akmazian’s waist. Akmazian held him up with ease in navel-deep water and their foreheads were pressed together, Akmazian murmuring something while Maddox smiled fondly. It made Ryan’s chest hurt in an uncomfortable, squeezing kind of way--he almost couldn’t bear it. He was really, really happy; he wondered briefly if the chip in his brain was going to kick in, because surely anything that made his heart feel like this couldn’t be normal.

He quietly swam to shore and wandered up the sand, picking up their shirts and hissing at the burning grains of sand until he reached their bags. He shoved the shirts in haphazardly and dug around as quickly as possible until he pulled out an old Earth polaroid camera. He didn’t really know why, but he loved the thing and it made this holiday feel perfect: there was just something about holding a picture in his hands and watching it slowly develop rather than seeing it projected onto a screen, something that made everything so much realer and more tangible, that truly captured the frozen moment. With that in mind he brought the camera up to his face and focused it on the pair still in the water--both still smiling, with their heads ducked down like they were sharing a sweet secret--and snapped a photo.

The film began to print immediately, and he carefully dried his hands off on a towel before grabbing it. He watched for a minute as the photo developed, taking in the individual little details: the sapphire glittering of the water, the way Akmazian’s dark skin shone in the light, the contented curl of David’s body as he was effortlessly held up. That warm, fuzzy feeling bloomed in Ryan’s chest again, and he smiled before carefully putting the camera and the photo away.

“Do you guys want ice cream?” he shouted to the pair, who looked over at him from their position in the water.

“Who’d say no to that?” Akmazian called back, and Maddox shot him a thumbs up.

“Well, are you coming? I’m not carrying three back!” Ryan yelled impatiently, but when David and Akmazian linked their hands with his and bumped their shoulders together as they walked along the shore, it became really hard to keep a stupidly-in-love grin off his face.

For a long time after that trip, four photos sat on Ryan’s bedside table, neatly framed together and obviously cherished. One was of Akmazian and Maddox holding each other happily in the ocean; another was of David with his legs buried in the sand, eyes squinting joyously as he grinned and Ryan tossing his head back with laughter as he patted more sand down; the next was of Akmazian lounging in a hammock with Ryan curled up next to him, eyes shut and a content little smile on both of their faces as the shade from a tree played across their features; and the final one was a selfie, the shot slightly blurry but picking up clearly on way all three could barely keep the grins off their faces, David and Ak leaning in to press a kiss against both of Ryan’s cheeks, and Ryan blushing lightly with a huge grin on his face and his eyes fluttered shut. It captured the burning orange sunset behind them in a blur of vibrant colour. Every time Ryan glanced at those photos, just before he went to bed and as soon as he woke up, that same warm, lovely feeling in his chest bubbled up and he couldn’t help but smile.

[alwaysmarais98]

Something Different | Chapter 3 (These Girls) | Jonah Marais

A/N: HELLO EVERYONE! Here we are, already at Chapter 3. Thank you so much for reading my story. I feel so so happy when someone gives me feedback or tells me that they liked it. It’s so motivating to know that someone enjoys my writing. Please please also tell me what you thought of that Chapter and also makre sure to reblog so more people can see it. I love you all so much and thanks again. The first part has already 50+ notes I really can’t believe that. 

In case you missed the other parts: Chapter 1 (Tell me), Chapter 2 (Nobody Gotta Know)

Summary: You are Daniel’s best friend and go to one of his concerts. You meet Jonah and let’s say the feelings are directly mutual. Every chapter of this series will also be inspired by one of their songs and for this part we got ‘These Girls’. The plot doesn’t match the song completely but you get idea. 

Warnings: None

Wordcount: 2k

Jonah drops his arms letting go of you “What are you doing out here? It’s past midnight” “I just wanted to ask you guys the same question” Zach laughs obviously being amused with what he sees. He takes a bite off his sandwich “Well I wanted to sleep then I got hungry. I made some food and I heard someone outside in the pool. Now I’m curious for your explanation. You two all alone here outside? I hope I didn’t interrupt something” he smirks. You blush all deeply and lift yourself out the pool. “Goodnight guys” you simply say and quickly grab your towel walking inside. You are way too embarrassed your cheeks turning dark red and all you could hope is that Zach won’t tell Daniel directly.

“Y/N. Wait” Jonah calls but you are already inside. He isn’t running after you knowing that will probably wake someone. “And you don’t tell this to anyone okay. You didn’t see anything”. “Yeah I’ll keep my mouth shut but what’s going on between you two?” Zach asks and Jonah sighs a moment knowing he won’t stop asking questions when he doesn’t tell him. “Well we kept texting and calling each other after she was at our concert. And well now I asked here to come down here so we can be alone for a bit. She doesn’t wanna say anything to Daniel yet. We aren’t official not even dating at the moment. I don’t even know if she..” Jonah starts but doesn’t finish his sentence. “If she? C’mon spill it bro” Zach smirks hitting his shoulder but Jonah shakes his head “No nothing”. Zach raises his brows making him give in “okay yeah if she likes me” he mumbles barely audible. Zach smirks feeling like he won as he got it out of his friends “Goodnight loverboy”

Kitchen, next morning, 9.38 am

“Did you sleep well?” Daniel asks as you two make breakfast together for everyone. You didn’t get a lot of sleep. All you could think about was Jonah and how you almost kiss him. You still feel his hands on your bare skin and his lips so close that they almost brushed against yours. You tried to get your head straight again but even thinking about him makes you feel dizzy. Do you like him? Is that how it feels to be in love? No, you can’t be. You just met him a few weeks ago and saw him in person twice. You don’t believe in love at first side. Do what your heart wants. That’s what people always say but what does the heart know anyways? You don’t believe in anything like that. But maybe the tall guy with messy chocolate brown hair and dark ocean eyes just changed your way of thinking.

“Y/N?” Daniel snaps his fingers in front of your face. You snap out of your thoughts nodding your head quickly “Mm yeah I slept good” you give him a smile so he is happy. He grabs some plates carrying them all to the table. You let out a small sigh. You never lied to him before. You knew Daniel since childhood. You told him everything and always cried in his arms when some guy broke your heart with 13. You need to tell Daniel because you know it won’t end good if he finds out or someone else says something.

30 minutes later everyone is finally downstairs. You all sit around the table starting to eat. “Should we go to the beach today? It’s really nice weather outside” Corbyn suggests. “Yes, beach sounds great. You are in Y/N? You brought a bikini, right?” Daniel asks. “Oh yeah she…ouch” Zach starts but you kick his leg quickly under the table before he could finish his sentence. He looks apologizing at you as he promised not to say anything. Well, Zach isn’t the best though to keep a secret as he always spills before he thinks. Luckily Daniel didn’t even notice and keeps eating his sandwich happily. The beach sounds good right? Seeing Jonah shirtless the entire time sounds great as well. Not being able to get close to him will be the bad part about all of this.

Your room, 11.02 am

You kneel in front of your suitcase deciding what bikini you should wear. You want to look cute but don’t show off too much at the same time. You choose your black triangle bikini and some matching bottoms. After taking it on you braid your hair into two boxer braids and throw on your white beach dress. Putting a towel in your bag then you also get your phone and some sun cream. As you walk outside you room Jonah opens the door of his at the same time “beautiful” he mouths shooting you a wide smile. You giggle some seeing his swimming shorts with bananas on them. “What? Those are sexy” he smirks noticing your facial expression just thinking how adorable you are. Your laugh is already his favourite sound. The others wait already downstairs in the hall. “Finally! Let’s go now!!” Jack runs outside the door already being way too excited for just the beach.

The beach is less than a kilometre away so it’s a short walk. You chat with Corbyn laughing about some stupid Instagram videos he shows you on his phone. After arriving everyone places their towel down in the sand and you get a place between Daniel and Jonah. What else should have happened. Zach and Corbyn run directly into the water as you sit down first. “Can you put sun scream on me?” You look at Daniel but he is already on his way into the ocean too together with Jack. “I will do it for you. C’mon, lay down” Jonah grins grabbing directly the bottle from you being more than happy. You give him a look as you lay down on your belly “Make sure to keep your hands where they belong to Marais” you laugh some trying not to show your excitement and also nervousness right now. “Yeah don’t worry but this needs to be open” he gently pulls the strings of your bikini making it drop to your sides. You feel goose bumps all over. At first you want to blame to the cold sun scream but it’s Jonah. He slowly rubs his hand over your back rubbing it in all gently. That guy really knows how to take his time. He makes sure to get EVERY spot. He lets his fingers trace along your shoulder blades then down your spine. “You have a really nice body, you know” he whispers some as he strokes his hand more down rubbing them over the back of your thighs now. “Jonah…” you warn as he gets his fingers a little too close to your butt. “Sorry” He chuckles some as he drifted off with his movements for a second “all done now”. You smile and after he tied your bikini again you sit up “thank you” you grin and touch his arm sending chills through his entire body.

“Guys come here as well now!” Jack yells from the water and you scrunch your nose a little while Jonah jumped already. “You go I’ll listen to some music” you turn to your bag but suddenly he just lifts you up throwing you over his shoulder. You squeal while Jonah runs into the water with you to where the others are. “Well now you are in. No excuses we are at the beach” he laughs at you. You splash him with water before diving under a moment to get your hair wet. “Let’s play?” Jack asks raising a ball he brought along with him. Everyone stands in a circle and you just pass around the ball for a while. After a while you get out of the water just laying down on the towels.

A group of six girls slowly approaches the boys giggling and whispering. “Oh my god you are Why Don’t We” one of them says squealing just quietly. “Can we please get a picture?” a tall brunette one asks and Corbyn nods “sure”. You lay down on the towel not really paying attention as all of the boys hug the girls and take pictures together. You do look up suddenly as you watch Jonah talking to a blonde one. She is tanned, taller than you, flatter stomach and her legs are well better than yours as well. You take one of your ear phones out to listen to their conversation. You normally aren’t the jealous type but with Jonah it’s something different.

“Well you are quite cute too” you hear him complimenting her back. She leans her weight on one foot making her body look even better, one hand in her hair the other one on his arm. Jonah doesn’t seem to mind. You stare at him but all he does his looking at her while she flirts. You try to calm down. He can do that, you two aren’t dating. But you would lie to yourself if you’d say it doesn’t hurt you. You liked yourself yes, but when you saw how easily other girls wrap a guy around their finger, you can’t help but feel insecure about your body. You look up again seeing how he touches her side now and you feel a bit of anger inside your stomach. After what he said yesterday night and how he acted you were sure he had feelings as well. But was he just like any other guy his age just looking for sex? You think about your ex-boyfriend Darren and the events that took place a few months ago. He broke your heart more than just once, made it hard for you to trust again. You thought Jonah is different. But you really had your doubts right now if he really is that different. You lay down on the towel closing your eyes. You can’t watch all of this anymore. For a moment you just see them hugging then your head turns the other way while listening to some music. You don’t even notice they all sit down again on their towels. Daniel touches your arm. “Hey, we wanna go grab some food. You want something as well?” he asks. You sit up taking your ear phones out “No, I don’t feel hungry. You just go.” “You sure?” he questions thinking directly something must be wrong. You normally never say no to food. “Yep. I’m sure. I just feel a bit tired. I’ll rest here” You lie laying back down. Jonah furrows his brows and grabs his phone “Hey boys I’ll call my dad quickly. I will come to the restaurant in a bit” he gets up quickly. He walks away a few metres just waiting till his bandmates got up and walked away to get food. He approaches you again. “Okay tell me what’s wrong. You already didn’t look happy when we came back here after taking pictures with the fans” he says looking at you. “Just leave me alone” is all you mumble being clearly upset. “No, I won’t before you didn’t tell me what’s the matter now” he says and grabs your arm. You quickly jerk it away “don’t touch me now” you snap a little at him making him raise his brows. You are bad at holding back your emotions. Maybe you are overreacting but you couldn’t care less in that moment. You don’t want someone to break your heart again. “You know what Jonah! Just go back to that Blondie. You looked way happier being all touchy with her. Stop telling me all those things about how beautiful I am when you’d jump into bed with the next best girl that shows some interest” you say rising your voice. He stares at you in disbelief but before he could say anything you already grabbed your stuff running to their house. You feel a tear running down your cheek but there is no way for you to walk back to that beach looking at Jonah. You need to be alone now.

Thanks for reading. I hope you liked it. Please tell me what you thought and show some love if you enjoyed it so I know it’s even worth to keep going. 

Taglist: @zachattackherron @seaveystorm @wdwisperfect @whydontwejust123 

(Just send me a message if you wanna be tagged as well)

[ktrsss1fics]

Cake By The Ocean: Two.

After a long debate over breakfast, the gang had decided that their first full day in Mykonos was going to be spent at the beach. A handful of towels and a few bottles of suncream were thrown into a bag before they made the trek from the house to the shore. The walk was just like any other group event. Jenna and Mags fought for center of attention whilst telling a story about something that happened at work. Keith was acting like an imbecile in an attempt to make the rest of the boys laugh. Mar and Ashlee were having a gossip session while Marco typed furiously on his phone.

As usual, Georgina was by herself. She didn’t mind it though. She was using the time to process the morning she had had. Something in the way Niall made love to her was different than it had been before. It felt more intimate. She felt completely connected to him. It could have been the time they spent apart or the events that took place the day before but she felt wanted — and that meant everything to her.

Before she could get too caught up in her thoughts, Georgina felt someone nudge her side. She looked up and found her best friend standing beside her with a gentle smile on her face.

“Did ya lose the vote to come see if I was alright?” Georgina asked softly.

Brittany shook her head, “Didn’t even give them the chance to offer.”

“Oh.” She laughed.

“Are you okay?” Brittany asked concerned.

“Yeah.” Georgina shrugged. “I’m good.”

“You sure? Because yesterday you seemed upset.” Brittany asked keeping her voice low.

“I decided I’m not going to let some twat ruin my vacation.” Georgina replied. Her voice was full of faux confidence. “I’ve been looking forward to this for months. Keith being Keith isn’t going to stop me from having fun.”

“Well, good. It shouldn’t.” Brittany said linking her arm with her best friend’s. Her voice dropped to barely above a whisper, “So, how was last night?”

“Fine.” Georgina shrugged.

“He’s still alive so you didn’t strangle him in his sleep. That’s a positive.” Brittany teased.

“I don’t hate him like that anymore.” Georgina laughed. “I just — I don’t know... I think he could tell something was bothering me last night.”

“Oh yeah? Why’s that?” Brittany asked.

“Well, he went out of his way to make me laugh by telling me all of these stories from tour.” Georgina said trying her hardest not to blush. She wasn’t lying. After they made out for a few hours, Niall talked nonstop about life on the road. It was one of those moments she had missed.

“Interesting.” Brittany smirked.

Georgina just sighed. “Here it comes.”

“Here what comes?” Brittany asked playing dumb.

“The annual ‘Give Niall a Chance’ speech.” Georgina said giving her friend an unapproving look.

“Babe, I just think that you two would fit so well together. I mean last night proves it. He acknowledged that you were upset and tried to find a way to make it better. And it worked.” Brittany gushed.

“Well it’s not my fault that stories about farts and drunken shenanigans make me giggle.” Georgina mumbled making Brittany laugh.

“You do know it’s okay to like him, right?” Brittany said dryly. “He’s not a bad thing. He’s never going to be a bad thing because he’s not going to hurt you. Not like the other one. He’d actually be really good for you.”

“I know. I just—I just don’t think we would work out.” Georgina said as some of her insecurities started to slip out.

Georgina loved Niall. That was something she was certain about. But there were nights when he was away that she spent worrying about their future. Did they have what it takes to make it? Would he still want her a year from now? Five years from now? Twenty? She didn’t know. She did know that he was a hot commodity and he was only going to get bigger. She just hoped that his feelings for her wouldn’t change because at this point she knew hers wouldn’t.

“Why not?” Her best friend replied.

“He’s always gone. I’m always working.” Georgina sighed. “And like you know me. You know how I am. I’m not the easiest person to be around — let alone love. I’m stubborn and too honest and insanely insecure at times. And, I don’t even know how to be in a loving relationship. How would that even work?”

Brittany was quiet. Her best friend brought up some valid points. Being in a relationship wasn’t always easy. It took hard work. But Georgina and Niall were two of the hardest working people Brittany had ever met. If they could be dedicated to their careers, she was sure they could be dedicated to each other.

She chewed on the inside of her cheek trying to find the right words to say. Talking about relationships with her best friend had always been tricky. But Georgina wasn’t that teenage girl anymore. She was a grown woman and Niall wasn’t Marcus. It would be different this time around. Brittany was sure of it.

“Babe, remember when I went on my first like proper date with David?” Brittany asked.

Georgina nodded. “Nearly threw up twice while I was curling your hair.”

“Remember when we were applying for uni and he was planning to move to London?” Brittany laughed.

Georgina nodded once more, “You cried for two days because you thought it meant he was dumping you.”

Brittany couldn’t believe how dramatic her teenage self had been. She grabbed onto her best friend's hand,“Remember when he got into that graduate program and it meant he was leaving the country?”

Georgina nodded again, “You started planning your life in America.”

“I know I haven’t always shown it but with every big change Dave and I have gone through I have been scared shitless.” Brittany admitted. “But that’s one of the great things about being in love. It’s new and exciting and life changing and with that comes a whole world of new emotions.”

Georgina opened her mouth to ask what was the point of their trip down memory lane but Brittany beat her to it.

“I know you think moving forward with Niall is terrifying. Because it is— especially after everything that cunt did.” Brittany said. “But if you were going to put yourself back out there, Niall would be the best person to do it with.”

“Why do you think that?” Georgina asked shyly.

“The kid’s been in love with ya for ages and he wouldn’t let anything bad happen.” Brittany explained. “I’m not going to say it will be easy -- especially with your schedules and his career -- but I think you could handle it. Everything would change but it would be for the better. It would be true love.”

“I don’t know if I could handle the separation long term though. Like when he was younger, he was gone for ages it felt like. What if it’s the same now?”  Georgina admitted. The past couple months apart were hard. “He’s gone for months on end. What’s the point in being an item if I never get to see him?”

“Because it’s nice to have some to go through life with.” Brittany said.

“I already have you, B.” She sighed.

Brittany nudged Georgina gently, “You know what I mean you brat. He would be good for you babe. I know you care about him and he cares about you.”

“I know.” Georgina blushed. Brittany had a point. They did care about each other a lot and that was a nice bit of reassurance. “I just don’t know. You know?”

“You don’t have to have it all figured out now. I just don’t want you to miss out on a really great opportunity. This trip could be the perfect time to test the waters, so to speak.” Brittany squeezed her hand. “We both know he’s worth it, G.”

Georgina sighed as an overwhelming feeling of guilt washed over her. She hated lying to Brittany. That was the main reason why she wanted to tell everyone. She hated having this huge secret and not being able to tell the one person who she trusted most. There had a been a few days in the past month where she was close to spilling the beans. Niall’s little Irish accent always stopped her. When the time was right, everyone would find out.

For Georgina’s sake, she hoped that time was soon.

Mar’s obnoxious laughter boomed loudly from the group in front of them. She had ditched Ashlee and was now vying for the attention of all of the men. Simultaneously, both women let out a disgusted groan.

“How am I supposed to test the waters when someone’s already peed in the pool?” Georgina mumbled as they watched Mar place a hand on Dave’s shoulder flirtatiously.

Brittany let out a frustrated groan. She was used to women flirting with Dave. Some days she even liked it. But the fact that Mar was the one doing it made her a bit agitated.

“Looks like she’s trying to pee in other people’s pools too.” Georgina mumbled as she watched Dave slip out of the American woman’s grasp. “What are we going to do?”

“I promised David I wouldn’t get myself arrested this trip.” Brittany sighed.

“I’ll take one for the team.” Georgina joked.

“Dave and I promised your mother you wouldn’t get arrested either.” Brittany said. “So did Niall.”

“What the fuck?” Georgina asked confused.

“Oh yeah um we’re all in a group chat.” Brittany explained. “Your mum created it.”

“That bitch.” Georgina mumbled. “What for?”

“Don’t know for sure but she worries about you.” Brittany shrugged.

Georgina shook her head, “You four are the worst.”

“Only because we love you.” Brittany smiled as the entrance to the beach came into view.

The two women caught up with the rest of the group. A conversation about their trip to the Griffith Observatory the month before had begun. Jenna was convinced she saw Hugh Jackman there with his wife. No one believed her. Not really interested in contributing to the group’s argument, Georgina decided to continue her conversation with her best friend.

“Do you like chat with my mum every day?” She asked squeezing Brittany’s hand.

“No, not every day.” Brittany explained. “Just every now and then.”

“I talk to her every day.” An Irish accent rang out from beside her.

Georgina turned to her left in shock, “What?”

“Lydia loves me.” Niall smiled cheekily.

Georgina narrowed her eyes at him. She could tell by that smile he was hiding something from her. There was no way that he spoke to her mother more than he spoke to her. That would be ridiculous.

“Your mum does sort of love him.” Brittany laughed.

“I know. She thinks they are best mates.” Georgina said unamused.

“Face it Ferg, I’m just that great of a person that everyone loves me instantly.” Niall said smugly.

“Oh hey Ni, I think Mar was looking for you.” She smirked. “Said something about wanting another round with you?”

His features fell immediately as a fake glare took form. “Fuck you.”

Georgina stuck her tongue out at the boy causing his cheeks to turn rosy.

“Niall Horan, if she keeps this up, let me know.” Brittany said nudging Fergie. “I know all the embarrassing stories and I’m not afraid to box her ears.”

Georgina’s head whipped towards the woman beside her. “Hey! That’s rude.”

“Don’t pick on my baby then.” Brittany replied playfully.

Georgina turned back to Niall but was met by a childish tongue sticking out at her.

“You’re a brat.” She mumbled softly making him smile.

“She snore last night, Ni?” Brittany asked leaning in front of her best friend.

“Not too bad.” Niall teased. “Dave’s got her beat by a few decibels.”

“You both are dead to me.” Georgina said dryly. “I need to find new best friends.”

Niall and Brittany laughed as they watched Georgina dramatically walk away from them.

“So how’d last night go?” Brittany asked the boy beside her.

“Uh better than I thought after the welcome I received.” Niall admitted.

“Don’t let her attitude fool you, she’s absolutely smitten.” Brittany said bluntly.

“How can you tell?” He asked running a hand through his hair.

“She’s thinking about the future.” She explained.

Niall kept his eyes on the woman he loved, “Really?”

“Yeah already thinking about relationships and how things wouldn’t work out.” Brittany said. “But don’t think that way. You two could make it. I just know you could.”

“Why-Why does she think we wouldn’t?” He asked nervously.

“Your schedules. She doesn’t know if she can handle you being gone.” The blonde said. “But like we’ve done it before and she’s been fine. She’s just psyching herself out before it even happens. Typical Fergie.”

“Oh.” Niall said. He tucked that information away for later. He knew he needed to have a talk with her.

Brittany placed her hand on his arm, “Don’t let her insecurities win. You two would be great.”

“First, Davey. Now, you.” Niall said softly. “Thought you two weren’t going to meddle.”

The young woman threw her hands up in defense, “Not meddling just helpful guiding.”

“Helpful guiding.” Niall laughed. “So that’s what it is.”

Brittany wanted to defend herself but she couldn’t. Her eyes were focused on the curvaceous blonde woman making her way back to them. The look on her face was absolutely priceless.

“Can we go back to the house and just hang out instead of being here?” Georgina asked visibly annoyed.

“What? Why?” Brittany asked looking a bit worried.

“Mar just fucking asked Margaret if any of the lads were free to shag and if any of them would be keen to have some ‘fun on the beach’.” Georgina said in shock. “I just can’t even. I had to leave. I couldn’t watch Mags tear her apart.”

“Fucking hell.” Brittany laughed.

“I know so can the three of us go back and save ourselves from this mess? It’s too early for this.” Fergie sighed linking her arms with her two friends.

“What about David?” Brittany asked.

“He can fend for himself. He’s an engineer. He can engineer his way out of this situation. She hasn’t made her way to us yet. We still have a chance.” She said making the other two laugh.

“I’m fine with leaving.” Niall smiled shyly. “Up to you girls.”

Georgina started to giggle, “Oh my days, Britt! We can trick Davey into thinking his dream is coming true. He’d be pissed.”

“His dream?” Niall asked looking between the two women.

“Had a dream a few weeks ago that the three of us had a threesome and he wasn’t invited.” Brittany explained making Georgina laugh even more.

“He was a fucking nightmare for like three days because of it.” She added.

Niall’s entire body grew warm. “Well that--that’s um--”

“Fuck! Here she comes.” Georgina mumbled as she watched Mar walk towards them.

“This isn’t happening.” Brittany groaned before peeling herself away from Georgina’s side. “You two owe me huge for this.”

Without another word, Brittany was off. She quickly intercepted the attention-seeking American allowing her best friends to have some alone time. Georgina was grateful for it.

“Dave really thought I’d have a threesome with just you two?” Niall asked surprised.

Georgina shrugged as they made their way towards the area of beach the group had claimed. “I guess.”

“Britt’s not really my type.” Niall mumbled not understanding his best friend’s dream.

“We know. Short brunettes are.” She replied dryly.

“Hey!” He nudged her. “I thought we--”

“I’m just kidding.” She smiled. “I know she means nothing.”

“Good.” He said. “You feelin’ okay? Looked a bit wobbly at breakfast.”

Georgina rolled eyes and started to walk away from him. A smirk had formed on his face.

“Fergie!” Niall giggled as he tried to catch up.

The tired Brit spun around quickly, running right into his chest. “You’re a little shit.”

“What?” He grinned happily. “Why?”

“You. Know. Why.” She whisper shouted at him. “Niall Horan, you know.”

He took a hold of her hand. “I have been dreaming of doing that for the past month and a half.”

“I could tell.” She smirked. “And, I’m glad you had your fun.”

She leaned in closer, “But just know, if we are having a round two later tonight, I’m in charge.”

“Fuck,” He breathed out feeling his trunks get a little tighter. “Really?”

Georgina smirked before walking away from him.

“Fergie!” He called out as he walked after her. The blonde haired woman turned around slowly. She shot a flirtatious wink in his direction, which made his body grow warm.

As she turned around, he shook his head. He was smitten too. Completely and irrevocably smitten.

Niall knew they needed to tell someone soon. His feelings were too strong and he needed to share them with someone who wasn’t his girlfriend. He needed to share them with someone who wasn’t his mother. He needed his best friend.

He was worried though. He was worried things would  end as soon as the world found out. He wasn’t ready for that just yet.

He knew he was being selfish. But if it meant another day alone with the woman he loved, he didn’t care.

When he finally made his way to their beach camp, the girls were getting  ready to sunbathe. Georgina stood with her hands on her hips as she talked to David. Niall didn’t know why but he was immediately turned on.

“I get that you tan easily but you still need to put suncream on.” Georgina said sounding like his mother.

“I don’t need any Georgie.” Dave sighed. “I’m good.”

“Okay you remember that when you want to shag Britt tonight but can’t because you’re too burned.” Georgina mumbled.

Dave wanted to object but knew she was right. “You present a valid argument, kid. Pass me some sun cream, yeah?”

“You can use some of mine Davey!” Mar said in a sickly sweet tone as she oiled up her arm.

“What’s the protection level?” Dave asked.

“Eight.” Ash replied looking at the bottle in her friend’s hand.

“Sorry Mar, I’m trying to get laid tonight need something stronger than that.” Dave said making a few of the boys laugh. “Which one of you pasty fucks has the SPF 50?”

Georgina giggled to herself as Jenna threw a bottle towards him. He quickly inspected it making sure it was what he needed.

“Georgie, would you do me the honor?” He asked handing over the bottle.

Georgina grabbed the bottle and started covering her friend’s body. Dave started rattling off some fun facts about ultraviolet rays proving he was too smart for his own good.  

“Can you get me next, Ferg?” Niall asked making his presence known.

“Uh, yeah.” She said glancing over at him.

“Thanks.” He said slipping off his shirt.

“Niall Horan, put some clothes on.” Mags teased as she walked by with her beach towel.

“He’s a model now. He doesn’t have to.” Jamie said causing the Irish boy to blush.

“Alright Horan, your turn.” Dave said as he walked over to where Jamie had been waiting.

“You have to let it dry a little bit or it won’t work David.” Georgina called after him.

“And I have to wait twenty minutes after I eat to swim,” Dave said in a mocking tone. “I know, Mum.”

Georgina rolled her eyes as Niall laughed. She smacked his head playfully as he moved in front of her.

“I could have done that for you, Ni.” Mar said catching everyone’s attention.

The American woman was slowly rubbing tanning oil across her nearly exposed chest. It was a deliberate attempt to seduce Niall and Georgina wasn’t having it. Before she reacted, Niall stepped in.

“No, thanks. Ferg’s got it covered.” He replied politely.

Georgina pressed against him before whispering in his ear, “If you get a boner because of her, I swear to God Ni, I will kill you with my bare hands.”

Niall laughed at the tone of her voice, “Okay dear.”

“Thank you.” She said squeezing a glob of lotion on her hand.

Niall turned around quickly, “What if I get one because of you?”

Georgina looked at him confused. He directed her towards the growing member in his swim trunks. Her eyes grew wide as she stepped closer to him.

“But I didn’t do anything.” She whispered.

He cleared his throat as his entire body grew warm. “I uh kinda really like when you’re bossy.”

“What?” She mouthed not believing the words coming out of his mouth.

“It’s really hot.” He shrugged shyly.

“Babe.” Georgina sighed to herself.

Niall placed his hands on his hips drawing more attention to the erection starting to form. Georgina slyly looked at it once more. She couldn’t believe she was the reason for it.

“You gotta tuck it in or something.” She said feeling embarrassed for him.

“I don’t have a belt on.” He whispered back. “So I can’t.”

“Think of something else.” She said. “Puppies. Plants. Pita bread. Anything.”

“I’m tryin’ — believe me.” He mumbled.

“Everything alright over there?” Dave asked.

“Fan-fucking-tastic mate!” Niall replied dryly.

“Hurry up, we want to check out the waves.” Jamie called out.

“Everyone is staring. Let’s just get this over with.” Georgina said feeling self-conscious all of a sudden.

“I don’t know if you can touch me.” He whispered.

She shut her eyes and sighed, “Fuck Niall.”

“Yeah that is definitely not helping.” Niall blushed.

“Tell me a plant fact.” She said thinking on her feet.

“What?” He asked as she rubbed her hands together.

“Give me a plant fact. First one that pops in your head blurt it out.” Georgina said cautiously placing a hand on his chest.

His body tensed up. The last time her hands were touching his chest he was buried deep inside her. A flashback from the early morning filled his brain. This was not what he needed right now. He didn’t need to be picturing her finger raking down his back while he plowed into her.

“Horan. Plant fact.” Georgina called out snapping him out of his sexy daydream.

“Uh, the ancient Egyptians used lupine, jasmine, and rice bran to protect their skin from the sun.” He said quickly.

“Oh yeah?” She asked impressed.

“Uh huh. The ancient Greeks used olive oil.” He said as her hands rubbed the white cream into his skin. “But it didn’t do anything besides make their skin soft.”

“More.” She said moving down his chest.

“I’m sure you already know this but um in Greek mythology the anemone coronaria was created by Aphrodite from the blood of Adonis — that’s why it’s red.” Niall said with a smile. He had read up on flora and fauna found in Greece while he waited for his flight at the airport. “They were lovers so the flowers became sacred to her.”

Georgina stopped what she was doing. “Really? I didn’t actually know that. They are really pretty flowers.”

“Oh before I forget, I’ve been thinking about getting a few fig trees for my backyard. I mean I don’t really like figs all that much but the leaves — have you see the leaves on those motherfuckers? They’re gorgeous!” He exclaimed as she lathered his stomach in sunscreen. “I think they’d be a nice addition.”

“Are they safe for dogs?” She asked stepping back to make sure his front was covered.

“Dunno but I can find out.” He said.

Georgina looked at the boy’s crotch. All signs of swelling had gone down. She walked around him and started to cover up his freckled back.

“I saw that there was a cool greenhouse in the outskirts of town.” Georgina said. “Maybe we could check it out if we have free time.”

“I saw that too.” Niall smiled. “It’s pretty cheap.”

“And it has an entire room dedicated to bougainvilleas.”  She said excited. “Might be a nice photo spot.”

“Did you miss the massive wall in the backyard?” He laughed. “You get the sea in it and it’s the perfect selfie.”

“Honestly, I don’t want to be made fun of for taking pictures in front of it.” She explained.

“How about when we get back we have a photoshoot while everyone is getting ready for dinner?” Niall suggested.

Before she could reply, Keith appeared with a skeptical look on his face. “Oi, what’s goin’ on here?”

“Do you want to hear him complain about being sunburned?” Georgina asked.

Keith just nodded. “True. You think you can do me next, Ferg?”

“Yeah..” She said with a fake smile.

“It’s nice to see you survived the night, Horan.” Keith winked playfully.

“Could say the same to you.” Niall joked making Georgina smile.

“If I was gonna kill ya, I wouldn’t do it on me first night in paradise, you melts.” Georgina replied.

“I think we should get through the trip without murdering anyone.” Keith said.

“Then you shouldn’t act like the biggest twat on the planet.” Georgina mumbled.

Niall chuckled to himself. “Be nice.”

“She is.” Keith said running a hand through his hair. “I can be a twat.”

Georgina moved around to cover Niall’s face. “At least he can admit it. Close your eyes.”

“Don’t know what I was thinking.” Keith admitted slightly embarrassed.

“Don’t worry about it.” Niall said as Georgina rubbed in the last bit of sunscreen. “Let’s just have fun.”

“Let me know if you need to reapply later.” Georgina said before walking over to Keith. “Alright, get your kit off Miller.”

Keith slipped out of his shirt and took Niall’s spot in front of her. Niall lingered briefly before walking over to where the other guys were waiting. He didn’t know how Georgina was going to react to being alone with Keith. She had seemed fine during breakfast but after the stunt Mar was trying to pull Niall didn’t know how short his girlfriend’s fuse had become.

“Fifty quid she murders him before dinner.” Jamie said as he watched Georgina slather lotion on Keith’s pasty body.

“Ehh, dunno about that. She flat out said she wouldn’t do it on her first day here.” Niall laughed.

“She seems fine.” David shrugged. “Already gave him a tongue lashing yesterday.”

“The lad deserved it.” Jamie shook his head. “Heard an earful from Maggie about it.”

“Same here.” Dave said. “Those girls are way too overprotective of her.”

“I mean they have every right to be after everything’s that happened.” Niall said.

“How’d last night go, Ni?” Jamie asked as he glanced over at the Irishman.

“Good actually. Spent some time catching up then went to sleep.” Niall said crossing  his arms over his chest. “She vented about sharing a room but I think she’s fine with it now.”

“She ask about Mar?” Dave asked with an eyebrow raised.

“Unfortunately.” Niall sighed. “But I just explained things. I can’t really read how she took it.”

He had gotten good at reading between the lines when it came to Georgina. But this whole Marlene situation was new for him. She acted like she wasn’t hurt by it but deep down he knew she was. No amount of sex or sweet talk could cover up the way she was feeling. He knew that much.

“I’m sure it’ll take a few days for her to process everything but she’ll get over it.” Dave said placing a hand on Niall’s shoulder. “Don’t worry too much about it. She’s good.”

“What’s up with Ferg? She seems extra happy lately.” Jamie pointed out. “Not that it’s a bad thing. It’s just different.”

Dave squeezed Niall’s shoulder. The Irishman looked over his friend not knowing how to respond to Jamie’s question. This was the perfect moment to bring up their relationship. It was just him and his two best friends. He knew they could keep it a secret for a bit before they figured out how to tell everyone else. The pressure of keeping it to himself would finally be lifted and that would make things better for the both of them. But as Niall attempted to get the words out, they got caught in his throat.

“Uh well she got a really big promotion at work and I think that’s changed her outlook on life a bit. Doesn’t have to stress as much as she used to.” Dave stepped in. “She’s like a supervisor now.”

“Oh wow. Good for her.” Jamie said. “I’d be happy too if I got one of them.”

“She more than deserves it.” Niall said as his attention was drawn to the woman he loved.

Georgina Ferguson really was a fantastic human being and he couldn’t believe how lucky he was.

“So Ni, when ya gonna make your move?” Jamie asked.

“Hmm?” Niall asked looking about over at his friend.

Jamie nodded towards Fergie. “When ya gonna ask her out?”

Niall could feel his face grow warm. “Oh um I-I-I don’t know.”

“You’ve been into her for ages.” Jamie said. “I think it’s about time you did something about it.”

Niall could feel the rest of his body start to heat up. He didn’t understand what was making him so nervous. He usually talked about his love life with the boys and never got this reaction. He convinced himself that it was just the Mediterranean sun reacting poorly with his body and not the fact he was hiding a major secret from them. He finally realized this was going to be a lot more difficult than he anticipated.

“I don’t know if it’s a matter of when but a matter of if she’ll say yes.” Dave said trying to help Niall out.

“Yeah, that’s true.” Jamie said. “But I mean she seems keen.”

“More than keen. You see her caressing those guns of his?” Dave teased.

Niall rolled his eyes as he noticed Keith heading in their direction.

“Maybe after we go out tonight things will change.” Jamie said. “You know how they are when they’re drunk.”

“Plants this and flowers that.” Dave joked as Keith stood before them.

“Y’alright Miller?” Niall asked confused by the look on the young man’s face.

“She ream ya?” Jamie asked.

“No. She was nice.” Keith said in disbelief. “Accepted my apology and was really decent.”

“Well she’s not a monster you know. She’s actually a great girl.” Dave said sticking up for Fergie.

“I know that. I just figured she’d still be pissed at me.” Keith explained.

“Oh I’m sure she is but she’s probably just trying to make the best of the situation.” Dave said.

“You’re probably right.” Keith said. “Um the girls wanted me to make sure ya emptied your pockets.”

“Oh fuck.” Dave said grabbing his wallet and phone through his swimsuit.

Niall pulled out his wallet and phone realizing he hadn’t slipped them into Fergie’s bag when he had the chance. He walked over and grabbed Dave’s stuff from him. “Gonna give it all to Britt.”

“You sure you want to go over there mate?” Dave asked worried.

Niall didn’t understand what he meant. Dave just nodded towards the girls causing Niall to look over his shoulder. The dress Georgina had been wearing as a cover-up was now folded down beneath her breasts while she applied sun cream to her arms. The cut of her bathing suit top was accentuating some of her best assets. Her chest looked like an absolute treat. If they were alone, he’d take her back to their room to have his way with her.

He cleared his throat. She really was trying to kill him. “If I’m quick, I’ll be fine.”

“I can do it.” Dave said in a low tone. “You know just in case -- somethin’ pops up.”

“Hey! I’ve got some self control, David.” Niall glared playfully.

“Sure you do.” Dave smirked.

“Oh fuck off.” Niall rolled his eyes as he started to make his way back to where the girls were waiting.

He kept his head down. He figured if he didn’t look at his girlfriend then he wouldn’t have the chance to come undone. His friends had other plans. When he started to place their things in Brittany’s bag, Dave called Niall’s name forcing him to look up. As fate would have it, Georgina stepping out of her dress at the same exact moment.. His eyes were immediately drawn to the red colored thong bent over in his face.

Georgina’s body was a work of art. He only wished he could admire it without sending his friends into a frenzy. He looked down to find a very obvious erection had took form.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” Niall mumbled as he stood up.

“C’mon Horan.” Jamie called out sending Dave into a fit of laughter. They did it on purpose.

“Dicks.” He said trying to readjust himself but his sudden movement caught the attention of one person.

“Y’alright Ni?” Jenna smirked.

Mags slid her sunnies down her nose before looking over at him. “Oh wow.”

“Fuck all of you.” He said embarrassed.

Georgina stood up and looked confused, “What?”

Her eyes met her boyfriend’s face. He wanted to die of embarrassment. She didn’t need to look down to know what was going on. She mouthed an apology. Niall shook his head before slowly turning around and walking away. He didn’t stop at the laughing group of men he called friends. He headed straight for the water. He needed a few minutes to himself.

“Poor boy.” Mags giggled throwing her hair into a pony.

“That was like Aruba but worse.” Jenna said laying down on her towel.

Georgina shook her head. Of all times for her boyfriend to get a hard-on, it had to be when every single one of their friends was watching. She wanted to make sure he was okay but she knew she couldn’t. Instead, she slipped on her sunnies and laid down on her towel. Maggie went into an embarrassing story about Jamie and an unfortunate boner during her graduation from university.

“Georgie!” Brittany mumbled lowly -- not wanting to draw attention to herself.

Georgina turned towards her best friend confused by the secrecy.

“You still think he doesn’t have feelings for ya?” Brittany asked nodding towards Niall.

“I uh plead the fifth on that one, Ms. Fletcher.” Georgina said trying her best not to smile.

Brittany bit back a laugh. “Mhmm. That’s what I thought.”

The rest of the day was spent soaking up the rays of the sun and enjoying each other’s company. As the colors of the sky began to change, the gang decided it was time to head back to the house to get ready for their night out on the town. Pizza was eaten before everyone headed back to their rooms to get ready.

“Ferg!” Niall called out from on top of their makeshift queen-sized bed.

“Yeah?” She replied doing the finishing touches on her hair. “Can you press one of me shirts? I’m too tired to do it.” He said sounding like he had just woken up. Georgina stepped out of the bathroom to find her boyfriend sprawled out on top of their bed. His shirt was gone and his hands were resting over his slightly sunburned face. “I think I’ve got sun poisoning.” He mumbled through his hands as she made her way towards him. “No you don’t. You’ve been going nonstop for the past four months and now you’ve finally caught a break so sleep is catching up with you.” She explained. “Maybe.” He yawned. The young woman slowly crawled on top of his lap. His hands left his face and made their way towards their home on her hips. A deep sigh escaped her lips as she looked down at him. Georgina didn’t think she was ever going to get over how gorgeous he was. “What shirt do you want to wear?” She asked. “I don’t know yet.” He shrugged. “We can FaceTime Ellie and get her opinion if ya like.” She teased.  “Clearly you can’t go a couple days without being told what to do.” Niall tilted his head to the side, “You’re on some sort of power kick, aren’t ya?” Georgina just patted his chest playfully, letting him get away with it. She started to picture the clothes he said he was bringing trying to see if she could pick something for him to wear. “Can I get a kiss?” He asked softly. “Hmm?” She asked confused. Niall puckered his lips at her. Without hesitation, Georgina bent down and pecked them gently. “Now back to your outfit—“ she started to say before the boy beneath her asked for another kiss. Georgina happily obliged but this time it was different. This time his hands left her hips and made their way to the back of her head. His tongue slid into her mouth catching her by surprise. Two could play at that game. Georgina tucked his lower lip between her teeth and tugged. A soft moan escaped from her boyfriend’s mouth sending a tingling sensation throughout her body. When she released him from her grasp, he pulled away completely. “What the fuck! You didn’t even do anything and I’m already hard.” He admitted shyly. “Must’ve missed you more than I thought.” “Niall Horan.” She smiled. “Did you know you’re my best friend?” “I think Brittany would beg to differ.” He laughed nervously as she placed a string of warm kissess along his jawline. He didn’t know where this was headed. “Well yeah, I mean she’s my best friend but you...” She mumbled into his neck. “You’re you.” “And that makes me different?” He said confused.

Georgina sighed, “Yes Ni. Means you’re better.”

“Why’s that?” He asked.

The blonde sat up resting her hands on his chest. With a slight shrug, she tried to explain. “You just get me. There’s no more bull shit anymore. You call me out when I need it. You make me laugh. You let me sulk for a bit when I need to and then try to fix it. I don’t know. I’m just happy to know you.”

His slightly sunburnt cheeks turned a bit rosier.

“And like you being away was hard but it made me realize just how much I love you.” She admitted.

Niall didn’t respond. He just smiled. This time last year he was still trying to get the woman on top of him to talk to him for more than five minutes. Now she was in love with him. Life was funny like that.

Georgina leaned forward and pecked his lips. “Close your eyes and relax.”

He tugged his eyebrows together, “Hmm?”

“Do as I say Horan.” She smirked before sinking her teeth into the side of his neck. “Or there will be consequences.”

“Fuck!” He yelped. “Ya tryin to kill me, Ferg?”

“I warned you at the beach.” She giggled before placing a few wet kisses across the spot she had bit. “I’m in charge right now.”

Niall’s eyes went wide — completely awestruck by her confidence.

“I know right?” She laughed. “Now, close your eyes and relax.”

Niall did as he was told. He shut his eyes and let his girlfriend tend to him.

That’s exactly what Georgina did. The topless man beneath her had no idea what she had in store and that’s how she liked it. It had been too long since she was able to appreciate every inch of him and she was going to do her best to achieve that. To start, her lips connected the dots between the moles on his skin. They were some of her favorite things about him.

She lifted herself up trying to figure out how to get his pants undone without him freaking out. She knew he didn’t want to get caught but she also knew he wouldn’t stop her if she tried. By the time the young woman’s feet landed on the floor, she had a plan in place.

Goosebumps started to form across his chest as she made her way towards his navel. Her hands headed for his belt while her lips left little marks of love across his pale flesh.

“Babe, we’re supposed to be getting ready.” He said frustrated by the ache starting to grow in his jeans.

She stood up and gave him a pointed look. He didn’t know what it meant.

“Princess Jenna hasn’t even showered yet.” Georgina explained. “We have time.” “Really?” He asked as her hand made its way back to his belt. “Yes, really.” She smiled starting to unfasten it. “But what if they—“ Niall asked as she unbuttoned his jeans in one swift movement.

Georgina knelt down and looked up at him. Her eyes filled with a fire he had missed desperately.

“You’re gonna have to be quiet. Can you do that for me, baby?” She whispered — the sultry tone of her voice did things to him that he couldn’t quite explain.

Niall had never seen her so confident. She usually gave up control when they were together. To see her in charge just made the ache he had for her even stronger.

“I’m gonna take that as a yes.” She giggled. “Let’s get these off, yeah?”

He quickly wiggled out of his jeans and laid back down.

“Looks like third time’s the charm today.” Georgina said as she took hold of the waistband of his boxer briefs. He knew exactly what she was referring to.

Niall let out a frustrated sigh. “I’m never gonna live that down.”

“I’m sure the girls have already forgotten.” She said trying to make him feel better about his hard time at the beach earlier in the day.

“Yeah, right.” He replied dryly.

Georgina rolled his eyes. He was too hard on himself. No one really cared that he got an erection. And if they did, they would only bring up when he wasn’t around.

Knowing she couldn’t convince him, she decided continue to try to take his mind off things. She pulled his boxers below his hips allowing his hardened member to spring free.

“Promise you’ll be quiet?” She asked scooting closer to his body.

Niall propped himself up on his elbows. “I’ll try my best, love.”

With a nod, she reached out towards him. The moment her hand touched his skin electricity shot through his body. He hadn’t realized how much he missed her touch.

Georgina rested her hand at the base as she moved her hair out of her way. She leaned down, placing sweet kisses along his length. When she got to the tip, all it took was a swipe of her tongue to cause a satisfied moan to slip out of his mouth. The look of love on his face was all she needed to continue.

Niall watched on in a passion-filled haze as she took  him into her mouth slowly.  He didn’t know what he had done to deserve this kind of treatment but he wasn’t going to turn it down.

He had dreamt of this moment plenty of times while he was away.

The dream was always the same. His fingers were tangled in her hair as she took him to heaven only using her mouth. In the backseat of his car. At her desk in the office. Her laundry room. His theater. Both showers. Her baby blue eyes always stayed locked on his. He’d thrust deeper as his climax loomed. But just before he was able to finish, he’d wake up. Rock hard and alone.

Cold showers and nights alone in hotel gyms had attempted to fill the void those dreams created. But nothing worked.

He knew the only thing that would cure him was her. From the moment he touched down in Greece, he wanted nothing more than to spend twenty-four hours cashing in on all the loving he had been deprived of while he was gone. He knew that wouldn’t be possible but he was going to make damn sure to make the most of it if the opportunity came.

And he did.

Earlier that morning, he made her cum four times. He wasn’t even concerned about himself. He needed her to know how much he had missed her. He needed to hear her voice moaning his name. He needed to watch her eyes flutter close when he hit the right spot. He needed to feel her tighten around him as she rode out her high.  He needed her to know that he had been craving her.

From the care she was taking, he had a feeling she was craving him too.

It wasn’t long before his hand gripped the back of her head and her name -- her real name -- fell from his lips. She had never been more turned on than she was hearing his voice, thick with lust, using her real name. He knew exactly how to drive her crazy.

Even if she doubted it, Georgina was fully capable of doing the same. Niall found the performance she was putting on otherworldly. His teeth dug into his lip as he tried to muffled his moans. His body started to grow warm as an overwhelming sensation took over him. She knew he was close. He lifted his hips off the mattress trying to reach that special spot at the back of her throat. When he found it, she knew it was game over. He found it a few more times. Growing more desperate with each thrust, Niall locked eyes with her.

Before he could even get the words out, Georgina moved. She knew what he wanted. She opened her mouth ready to taste him. He pumped his hand up and down his length three times before shooting his warm load into her mouth. He watched on in amazed as she swallowed every last drop.

“Fucking Christ, Georgina.” Niall gasped trying to catch his breath.

Georgina smirked before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. She pushed herself off the floor and headed for the bathroom.

“That was just — wow.” Niall sighed collapsing back onto the bed.

“I’m glad you think so.” She said searching for some mouthwash. “So um I’ve thought about it and I think you should wear the dark blue shirt with the white squiggles on it.”

“Glad to know you were preoccupied.” He said forcing an eye roll to take place.

“Here twat — clean up whatever I missed.” She said chucking a towel at him.

“Thanks.” He said taking the towel and doing a once over on himself.

“Do you want me to keep your passport in my purse?” She asked before pouring a capful of mouthwash into her mouth.

“Um I was going to offer to carry your stuff.” He said slipping himself back into his boxers before pulling his jeans back up.

Georgina was silent. She swished the minty liquid around her mouth. That was against protocol. Since they had started dating, going out as a group was always a tricky situation. They had to be on their best behavior until everyone was drunk enough to not pay attention to them. Once everyone was drunk, they could relax. Before that, looks couldn’t linger, hands couldn’t brush, and Niall’s pockets couldn’t be filled with her belongings. They couldn’t do anything that would draw attention to themselves.

“Ferg?” He asked worried about her silence.

She quickly spat into the sink before examining her face. If she wasn’t careful, her friends would know what she had been up to. She didn’t know how she did it but Mags could always tell when a blow job was given.

“You’re gonna carry my phone and my wallet and my passport? Won’t that be suspicious?” She asked examining her hair in the mirror.

“We can put your cards in my wallet and I’ll put it with our passports.” Niall said getting up from his spot on the bed. He walked over and leaned against the door frame. “Is that okay?”

Georgina plugged her curling iron back in. “The girls will say something. I can carry your stuff in my bag later on if you want?”

“You birds literally make no sense whatsoever.” He shook his head. “Whatever you want, I’ll do it.”

“Good.” She winked. “Let me touch up my hair and then I’ll iron your shirt. Did you bring an iron?”

“No but El let me take the steamer thing.” He yawned.

“Do you want me to use that?” She asked.

“If you can’t find an iron here then yeah.” He scratched a patch of hair on his chest. “I can do it if you want to finish getting ready.”

“S’fine...just need to redo a few pieces.” Georgina said lifting up a small section of her hair. “You didn’t do too much damage, Horan.”

Niall crossed his arms over his chest smugly, “Not yet at least.”

Heat rushed to the young woman’s cheeks as she looked at her boyfriend in the mirror. He was going to be the death of her.

“No snarky comeback?” He teased.

Georgina just stuck her tongue out.

“I’m gonna go look for an iron.” He said. “So you can finish up.”

“You can’t!” Georgina declared.

His brow furrowed confused by her response, “Why?”

“Well,” She said wrapping a section of hair around the wand of her curling iron. “If I’m being honest, ya look like ya just got sucked off, Horan.”

Niall studied his appearance in the mirror. He was a bit sweaty. His skin was a few shades rosier than it has been the night before. But he knew that was because of the sun and not the fact his girlfriend just had his cock in her mouth. Other than that, he didn’t see much of a difference.

“I think I look fine, Ferg.” He shrugged.

“You’re glowing.” She explained. “They’ll know.”

“N-No they won’t.” He stuttered shyly. “I can pretend to be normal.”

“Davey will know.” Fergie said knowing her best friend. “Trust me. Let me curl two more pieces and then I’ll go look for it. Okay?”

“Fine.” Niall sighed dramatically. “I’ll go try to stop glowing.”

The Irishman turned on his heel and made his way for their bed. He tucked his arms beneath his head and closed his eyes.

“Me? Glowin’?” Niall scoffed. “Now that’s some Disney shit, innit?”

“Stop making me laugh.” She said nearly burning herself.

“Men don’t glow, Georgina.” He clarified.

“What do they do then?” Fergie called out as she touched up one more section of hair.

“I don’t know but when I do know,  I’ll get back to ya.” He yawned. “Think I got time for a power nap, pet?”

Georgina spritzed some hair spray on her freshly curled locks before stepping out of the bathroom. “I’ll go check to see where Jenna’s at in her process.”

“Can you bring me food too? I need food.” He said.

“Yeah. Anything else, Your Highness?” She teased walking toward the door.

“A kiss but that can wait until you get back.” He said making her blush.

“Talk about Disney shit.” She said before she walked out.

Niall’s infamous laugh could be heard as she walked down the hallway. Sharing a room with him wasn’t half bad.

—

Ten minutes later, Georgina was back in their room attempting to get the wrinkles out of her boyfriend’s shirt. Niall was deep into a story about the time he taught his bandmates how to use the steamer and nearly went to the emergency room. Her stomach was starting to hurt from laughing so much.

“Next time you see J Bird ask him about it.” Niall said as he watched her study the piece of fabric closely.

Georgina took his shirt off the hanger and walked over to him. He scooted to the edge of the bed and stuck out his arms for her to dress him.

“I don’t get paid for that Horan.” She said with a playful look on her face.

Niall laughed, “Was worth a shot.”

Georgina shook her head. He was such an idiot sometimes. Niall grabbed the shirt from her hands and slipped it on. While his fingers quickly did up the buttons, she turned towards her suitcase to grab something.

“Hey! Where ya goin’?” Niall asked grabbing onto her hips.

“Need to get my bag ready.” She said turning back towards him.

He pulled her closer to him. He wrapped his arms around her waist. The skintight dress she was wearing accentuated some of his favorite curves. He had wanted to touch them as soon as she slipped it on.

“Just give me a few minutes then you can do that.” Niall said — his tone different than it had been earlier in the night.

“Okay.” She said resting her arms on his shoulders. Her fingers started to play with the hair at the nape of his neck.

“You know you didn’t need to do that earlier.” He said gently.

Georgina looked him in the eyes. The shy boy she had always had a crush on was starting to come out. “I know.”

“So why did you?” He asked trying not to blush. He still never understood why someone like her would ever want to be someone as average as him.

“Because Niall Horan, I love you and you deserve to know it.” She smiled. “You have loved on me all day. I just wanted to return the favor.”

“Oh.” He smiled. “Well thank you. I really enjoyed it.”

Georgina didn’t say anything. She just leaned down and pressed her lips against his. The corners of his mouth turned up as he pulled her in between his legs. She pulled away making him groan.

She reached out and cupped his cheeks, “I love you.”

“I love you too.” He said with a peck.

Georgina smiled before going in for one more kiss.

What she didn’t know was that kiss was going to change everything.

It started out fine. She slid her tongue into his mouth while he playfully grabbed a handful of her bum. Just as she was about to take things a bit further, the door of their bedroom swung open and the very distinct voice of her oldest friend bellowed from the doorway.

“Hey gu— holy shit.” Davey started to say before being stunned into silence.

Georgina froze. She didn’t know what to do. She felt Niall’s hands fall from her butt as he pulled away slowly. A deep rooted sigh fell from his lips as a very colorful word was whispered under his breath.

They had been caught.

She knew she had two options. She could either keep her eyes on her boyfriend and hope David would disappear or she could face the issue head on.

She chose the latter. With every ounce of courage she could muster up, Georgina Ferguson turned towards the door. Standing with a smug look on his face was the boy who taught her how to tie her shoes when she was just a small child. The look in his eye let her know that she was never going to hear the end of this.

“I just wanted to inform you that the cabs will be here in about ten minutes.” Dave smirked.

Georgina opened her mouth to explain but didn’t know what to say. She looked over at Niall for help but he looked just as dumbfounded.

“Just wanted to give ya a heads up. We are only waiting on Jens.” Dave said stepping slowly towards the door.

He didn’t give them the opportunity to reply. He just sent a wink in their direction before disappearing into the hallway.

Georgina turned to look at Niall. The look in his eyes said it all.

They were fucked.

[joontier]

Something Fishy

김태형 and 박지민 Kim Taehyung and Park Jimin 

PART 1

-- Fandom: BTS

-- Pairing: vmin; taehyung x jimin

-- Genre: merman! au; incoming humor

-- Word count: 1.1k

-- Summary: There’s something really fishy about that kid, Park Jimin. 

-- Note: THIS IS MY FIRST TIME WRITING MXM AHH IM SO EXCITED HOPE YOU ENJOY LOVELIES~

MASTERLIST

Taehyung loved the water.

He loved everything that was related to it. Heck, he’d kill to have gills and a ton-heavy tail and live underwater. When he was seven he’d begged his parents to take him to swimming lessons, all of which he religiously attended. The little boy even slept in his rash guard so he could wake up early and drag his parents out of bed just so they could drive him to his daily lessons.

At age twelve, he became the school’s ace varsity swimmer – swooping trophies and medals right and left, but it never became a source of happiness for the rookie athlete. He enjoyed swimming, yes, but not in Olympic-sized pools during competitions. He wanted to explore – see the hidden beauty of the depths of the ocean, study all kinds of marine life, live by the beach, the list was endless.

So when he turned twenty he was determined to get a degree in marine biology, acing the entrance exams and getting accepted to one of the most prestigious universities in Korea. With soaring grades, active participation in student organizations, and obtaining an athletic scholarship, Taehyung was at the top of his game.

Until this boy Jimin came around.

There were rumors that Jimin was waitlisted, and the newcomer was barely seen with anyone else – walking to class hugging a book or two wearing his thick glasses. It was a prestigious school for the rich and smart, yet Taehyung never got the logic behind singling out someone for such a petty reason. Taehyung felt bad for him, he really did, but he never had the guts to approach him.

Three weeks into their first year in college, the waitlister redeemed himself quickly, excelling at every subject, proving himself to be as competent (even better!) than those who previously judged him for initially not making the cut. Jimin was stealing the spotlight, and Taehyung did not like it, not the slightest bit.

Now, here Taehyung was, in the pool locker room, plotting a scheme to overthrow Jimin from his throne like a mad man. Jungkook, a fellow teammate of his, was convinced that the once gentle and calm Taehyung had officially gone mad because of an academic rival. 

Taehyung sighed as he changed into his swimming trunks, the sound of his flip-flops resonating throughout the empty gym. The twenty-year-old plunged into the water, feeling the goosebumps prickle his skin due to its coldness. The boy never felt more happiness than being underwater, and his mind often wanders to the mystical creatures that he’s always been dreamt of becoming.

Still lost in his thoughts, Taehyung suddenly felt a sharp pain in his left calf, stilling his entire leg and in a matter of seconds Taehyung found himself gasping for air as he struggled to keep his head above the water. His legs have never failed him before, and this whole new experience added to the fear of not being able to breathe properly, making it even harder for him to breathe. Vision becoming blurry, Taehyung screamed for help once more, until the last thing he sees are Jimin’s eyes staring into his own.

Jimin’s eyes widened as Taehyung shifted in his uncomfortable position on the gym’s bleachers. The latter passed out with after nearly drowning a little more than an hour ago, and Jimin struggled with his ton-heavy fin that only transformed back to human legs an hour later after becoming in contact with water.

Fortunately for the merman, Taehyung woke just in time while Jimin’s tail was gradually turning back to his pale, muscular human legs. Grabbing a towel, he wiped at his feet to hide the rest of the transformation. Taehyung blinked once. Twice. Thrice – vision still blurry. Jimin took a deep sigh, relieved at the narrow escape from an uncalled identity reveal.  

Taehyung’s brows furrowed as he examined the boy seated beside him, and his eyes suddenly went wide at the sight of Jimin.

“What happened?” Taehyung asked.

“You almost drowned back there…cramps?”

“I- yeah.” There was a pregnant pause after that, neither one of them not knowing what else there was to talk about. Tension was heavy in the air and both thought about how unconventional their first ever interaction was – Taehyung was a social butterfly at the university, never losing someone to talk to, or even talk about, yet he managed to not say a single word to Jimin this whole time. Guilt started clawing at Taehyung’s heart once again.  

“Thank you for saving my life back there,” he chewed on his bottom lip, uneasiness evident in his voice. “It’s nothing really,” the other boy replied, nodding towards Taehyung’s direction.

Taehyung, confused at how instantly awkward he was when around Jimin, silently thought of a way to express his gratitude. Taehyung never really left anyone out when it came to making friends, talking to all sorts of people, and one’s timidity was never a hindrance to Taehyung’s social confidence.

There was just something really fishy about that kid, Park Jimin. Taehyung had no idea what bothered him most about approaching the boy, but for some reason he was so…intimidating in one way or another. Right then, Taehyung had the perfect idea to repay Jimin for saving his life.  

“What do you say about dinner? My treat.” Jimin had used every last bit of strength in his body to refuse from snapping his head towards the younger boy’s direction as soon as he heard the dinner invite. This was the first time someone, a human, has ever asked him out – friendly meal or not, and Jimin found himself weighing the pros and cons of the invite.

There was nothing wrong with having a meal with a school rival, wasn’t it? It was just dinner, so there was no need to make a big fuss over it. Thoughts of Taehyung plotting an evil scheme and throwing him into the ocean quickly ran through Jimin’s mind (which was a useless plot really, because he could’ve just swam away), but Taehyung didn’t really have such a reputation.

Jimin just nodded in approval, and Taehyung clapped his hands. “We better get going then, after we change,” the latter suggested, going over both their outfits.

The ride to the restaurant was short, and both boys wasted no time in getting to know more about each other, finding a lot of common interests and hobbies. “Since we both love the sea and everything related to it, I thought this would be the perfect place,” Taehyung gestured over to the restaurant across from the space they parked at and Jimin instantly gulped.

Taehyung brought him to a sushi place.

[greekowl87]

Fic: Pool Party

For @txf-prompt-box . Tagging @today-in-fic .

Prompt 9: Some story involving a pool party

Bonus: Someone forgets their swim suit.

Double bonus: Humourous

Some AU where Scully and Mulder actually get to raise Will.

She hated to socialize with the other moms but it seemed almost a requirement of raising a seven-year-old. Especially summer pool birthday parties when both Scully and her son Will were both forced into it. Will had enough trouble making friends and fitting in at school, preferring spending time reading books. Who does that remind you of, Scully, Mulder would tease gently. She shook her head as Will looked up at his mom in dread. “Do we have to go, mom?” he whined, holding the small wrapped present in front of him like a shield.

She placed her hands on his shoulders, smoothing an errant piece of hair, before nodding. “Yes. It’s the polite thing to do,” she said.

She failed to mention that the birthday invitation almost came in the mail addressed to her with a small note. ‘Dana- I did not want to exclude Will, especially after how Jamie treated him last year. Maybe this will be a new start. - Julie Vernes’ and a child birthday invitation was enclosed. She brought it up to Mulder that night in bed.

… .

“Why,” he had said, “I don’t see what the problem is. It will be good for him.”

“This is the same Jamie who gave Will a black eye in December.”

“Well, Will defended himself.”

“By giving Jamie a black eye the following week after he got picked on again. Who taught him that?”

“Must have been his mom.” Mulder pulled down their comforter. Scully rolled her eyes and crawled into bed with him. “Look, it will be good for him. Will needs more friends besides his books. He is too much like us, Scully. He is a loner.”

“Since when are you all proactive dad?”

“We have to balance each other, Scully. I’ll pick up a present tomorrow, okay? It’s just for an afternoon.”

… .

“Dad put you up to it, didn’t he?” Will ask, his blue eyes searching his mothers. “That’s why he dropped us off, right?”

“You are too smart, you know that? You get that from me.”

Will gave a weak smile. “We could still leave.”

“We can at least stay for cake,” she soothed. “And then we’ll go to Barnes and Noble and we can pick you out a new book.”

“A chapter book?”

“Anything you want, little bullfrog,” she soothed. “Let’s get this over with, okay?”

He nodded and let his mom guide him into the pool clubhouse that was decked out in all sorts of X-Men decorations out to the pool deck. Mother and son saw the herd of mother’s by the table of presents and cake and all the boys in the pool roughhousing. “Mom, I don’t have my bathing suit,” he mumbled under his breath.

“I know, baby,” she whispered. “I’ll get it taken care of.”

“They’re going to make fun of me. Maybe I can hide in the bathroom.”

“Don’t worry, honey. We’re used to this.” She kissed the top of his moppy brown hair. “Why don’t you go say hi to the other boys and I’ll make a call.”

“We can still go to the bookstore.”

“Afterwards, I promise.”

She pushed him gently towards the other boys as she took the present and went to the other herd of moms. Introverts must have been a genetic trait between both of them. She was hardly the typical mother. Her and Mulder remained unmarried, and although, they talked about, still had yet to decide on anything. She was a doctor and FBI agent, Mulder still remained as an agent too,  and they now both taught together at Quantico. They were hardly a normal family.

Slowing her pace, she drew out her phone and dialed a number she knew by memory.

“Mulder.”

“Mulder, it’s me.”

“What happened?”

“I forgot his swim trunks,” she whispered.

“I’ll be there in ten. Try not shoot anybody, Scully.”

“You’re staying too.”

“Scully, we both agreed…”

“You are not leaving me or your son to suffer,” she hissed in a whisper. “Besides, I might really shoot one of these…moms.”

At this point, Julie, Jamie’s mom spotted her and raised a hand with a wine glass to her in greeting.

“And their drinking, Mulder. What mother drinks at her son’s birthday–”

“I’ll be there in five, Scully.”

She hung up the phone and forced a smile she used to have when she would question suspects. “Dana! Hi,” Julie said, smiling.

“Hi,” she forced the smile.

Julie grabbed Scully’s arm and dragged her to the rest of the other moms. “Everyone, this is Dana, Will’s mom.”

“Oh,” they all cried. “Hi.”

Jesus, Scully thought, this is worse than Arcadia.

A brunette, also with a wine glass smiled. “So, Dana. You’re Will’s mom? What do you do for a living? I heard you’re very busy.”

“I am an FBI agent,” she began hesitantly, her eyes scanning the pool to see Will sitting by himself. Her heart broke.“I teach pathology at Quantico.”

“An FBI agent,” someone said. “What does your husband say about that? If you ask me, a woman has no purpose carrying a gun.”

Jesus, shoot her now. Scully was tired of hearing the same thing after fifteen years. “Well,” she began hesitantly, “I’m not married. Will’s father…he’s an FBI agent as well. We work and live together.”

“So you never married?”

“We didn’t. No.”

“How come?”

“I’ve been waiting for the right moment to ask her.”

Mulder’s voice filtered like a wave of relief. She felt herself relax when he placed that familiar hand on the small of her back and kissed her sensually. She pulled back slightly and smiled at him. Mulder turned to gaze at all the moms. “Sorry. Little emergency. Scully, where’s our son?”

She nodded to the pool area and Mulder kissed her soundly before seeking out their son.

A blonde woman, at least a foot taller than Scully raised an eyebrow. “That’s Will’s father? That is your…”

“My partner,” she smiled, suddenly finding the courage to smile and feel smug.

“Hm.” She licked her lips. “Does he have a brother?”

Mulder overheard the last comment and glanced at Scully regain the confident attitude she had all those years of the x-files with him. His eyes found his son. “Will,” he called softly.

Will looked up in surprise at his father.

“What, Wet Willy? Your daddy have to come rescue you?” one of the boys called.

Mulder said nothing but held his hand out to his son. “I got what you forgot,” he said softly. He passed a small grocery bag to Will. He kneeled in front of his son. “Give 'em hell.”

“Mom would punch you if she heard you talking like that.”

“Will, remember all those stories that I told you of me and mom that I am not supposed to? Chasing monster, saving the world, and me getting the girl?” William nodded. “Well, you are the son of to kick butt FBI agents. Don’t forget that.”

“They don’t care.”

“Will, brag,” he whispered to his son affectionately. “What else have I told you?”

“Fake till you make it,” he whispered.

Mulder nodded. “Except you don’t have to fake it. You’re our son. Go get changed and give 'em hell, William. I have to rescue mom from all those other moms.”

He smiled and ran to change, despite the lifeguard’s whistle. Mulder stood up, gazing at the flock of woman surround his Scully. He strolled casually, pushing his way through the throng of mothers to reclaim his partner and securing her safely at his side. She gazed at him quickly and he quirked a small smile, telling her everything she needs to know.  "So, Fox, Dana tells us you both teach at the FBI Academy,“ one mother said.

"Yes. I can’t she can’t seem to keep me out of trouble and she insists having me close,” he teased. Mulder nuzzled her hair, nudging her to look at their son as he continued with the conversation with the herd of moms.

Scully smiled, seeing Will dressed in his swimming trunks and jumping into the pool with a resounding cannonball. She strained to hear the conversation. “Wait. Your parents are FBI agents, Will? That’s so cool.”

Scully looked at Mulder and he smiled, kissing her quickly. “You think this is crazy, wait until I tell you how we met.”

… .

Will was soaked, drenched from the pool with a large beach towel engulfing him as he struggled with his seatbelt. “I had such a great time! Mom, you should talk about the monsters more often! I didn’t know you saved dad so many times!”

“I didn’t really.”

“Scully, you did.”

“Okay. Maybe once or twice.”

“The guys were so amazed. Today was awesome.”

Scully took Mulder’s hand from the center console and held it. “I’d say,” Scully replied, gazing at Mulder.

“We’re still going to Barnes and Noble, right?”

“Anything you want, bud,” Mulder smiled, squeezing Scully’s hand.

[statticscribbles]

BD: Beach

Summary: Going to a waterpark/beach for the first time

Peter’s been fidgeting all morning and Charles refuses to look into his mind to see what’s wrong; preferring his son to come talk to him.

Erik seems to know what’s happening so like usual Charles doesn’t bother questioning Peter; of course he does question the way Hank has been quiet and not holed up in lab, his constant glances to Raven aren’t helping Charles suspicions, although all he’s greeted with when he pries into Hank’s mind is the faint thought of his sister that he doesn’t bother pressing further into.

“The beach?” Charles looks confused when Raven ambushes him. Hank’s hovering behind her nodding as she makes her points. He’s a little surprised they waited till after lunch, there’s no way they’d all be able to make it to the beach before sunset.

“We haven’t been to the beach as a family in ages.” Raven nods to him and Hank grins.

“Yeah the- OH. oh my god; I never-” He starts, backing her up.

“I don’t really care; unless we’re going back to; the specific beach..” Charles trails off looking a little uncomfortable. Erik shakes his head, mimicking Charles discomfort. Hank hesitates in the doorway with a bag full of towels.

“So beach or?”

“Peter can’t swim!” Erik suddenly looks frantic and Charles doesn’t bother hiding his laughter.

“That’s what you’re concerned about?”

“Well yes! Do you know how many-”

“We’re taking him to the beach; to teach him how to swim; if he even wants to get in the water; he might just want to spend the entire day making sandcastles; or looking at shells.”

“Hank no.” Charles cuts off whatever thought he’d had and Erik tilts his head curiously.

“He wants to test if Peter could run and move a boat.”

“Hank, he’s five; he’s nowhere big enough to move a boat! I couldn’t even lift a submarine out of the water fully like six years ago; I don’t think-”

“A boat and submarine aren’t the same thing; and I don’t want him to lift it; just pretend to be the propellor.”

“No; at least not until we know he knows how to swim.” Erik placates grinning as Hank looks miserable.

“I still don’t understand why the beach is a good idea.” Logan huffs a little; Peter’s grinning riding on Erik’s shoulders.

“Because we all need to take a vacation and Peter needs to learn to swim. Raven, stop confusing the beach goers.” Raven laughs, changing from Logan in a speedo back into her blue form.

“Hank; you really shouldn’t bother with the serum; it’s the beach; there’s hundreds of ancient men in speedos; besides Logan of course. No one is going to look twice at you being fluffy.” Hank looks confused, pointing out how there isn’t anyone else on the beach.

“No one is going to look twice anyways; there’s no one else here.”

“Charles, stop using your gift to send everyone away.”

“I didn’t.” Charles grins and Erik narrows his eyes, Peter mimicking his facial expression.

“I didn’t use my powers this time. Just my money.”

“Please tell me you did not buy a section of the beach.” Erik rubs at the bridge of his nose and he can tell by the wobbling Peter is doing the same.

“I didn’t.”

“Then what did you do?” Hank turns in circles, before spotting a sign staked in the ground.

“I mean this says private beach; are we just going to- Christ Azazel, warn a guy next time.” Hank jumps back when Azazel appears with Angel, Janos and a swathe of folding chairs. Charles grins assuming he’s gotten off free.

“What did you do?”

“I bought the beach, and made a section of it private.” Charles shrugs a little. Erik just shakes his head.

“Why do I even bother.” He places Peter down and Peter looks back to Charles and Erik who both nod.

“No one will see besides everyone who already knows about your gift.” Erik doesn’t finish saying it to him, before Peter’s blurring back and forth, mostly just kicked up sand settling down as the indication of his movements.

”Peter come here!” Erik shouts, letting the waves cover his feet.

“Yeah?”

“Do you want to learn how to swim?” Peter nods holding his arms out.

“Well we have to get deeper for me to carry you, okay?”

“Okay.”

They’re not in horribly deep, just up to Erik’s waist when Charles joins them. Erik’s watching Charles, a little unsure of how he’s handling having been regulated to a pool float instead of his chair; he seems to be enjoying it and Peter takes the opportunity to reach out to him.

“How about we practice swimming now? We’re deep enough for you to be able to swim, but since we don’t have too, we can keep you safe.”

“Can’t you just make me swim?” Peter asks, eyeing the water Erik is about to place him into.

“Well I could tell you how to, but you wouldn’t remember it.” Charles answers and Erik knows it’s a lie, but Peter doesn’t, not yet; he’s unaware of how powerful either of his fathers are.

“Okay how about this, I’ll hold you and you can practice swimming, and I’ll walk with you over to dad, sound good?” Peter nods at Eriks explanation and waits for Erik to put him down. Before he does Peter can feel his dad knocking on his mind, asking for entrance, Peter agrees and he can see images of the form and motions he’ll need to do to swim.

“You got it?”

“Yeah I just have to-” Peter flails his arms and Erik nods, slowly putting him into the water feet first.

“Before swimming, let’s teach you how to tread water. It’s so that way you can float.” Erik explains the basics and Peter grins as he mimics them.

“Good, okay so now we’re going to try to swim.” Peter, as expected, swallows only a slight amount of water, before managing to swim with Erik holding him. Peter, once he’s made it to Charles, demands his father hold him as they swim back to Erik.

“Peter I can’t swim..”

“You can tread water, Hank said you did it in your hydrotherapy; and Papa’s right there; like he’d let anything worse than seaweed touch you.” Peter argues and Erik watches Charles fold, hands wrapping around Peter nervously as he tries to gracefully slide off the pool float.

Charles tries to avoid gripping too tightly but he can sort of feel his legs hitting the sand; he’s surprised at how he can feel it shifting between his toes and makes a face that Peter laughs at.

“Seaweed gotcha didn’t it dad.” Charles nods and hopes he doesn’t end up just swimming in a circle as Peter moves his arms forward.

Erik’s next to them, guiding them back to where he was standing.

“Papa! Why did you do that! Dad was supposed to help me swim!”

“And he will, back to the float.” Erik nods and Charles sends a mental thank you at Erik’s hand around his waist.

Peter seems placated with this and once they make it to the float he seems to have had enough of swimming lessons instead staring excitedly at the surfboard Azazel is using.

“I swear if Janos is making waves….” Charles sighs and Azazel grins nodding to where Janos is swirling sand into a sculpture of some kind.

��I wanna see what Hank is doing!” Erik and Charles grimace, a statement that can never end well in general but especially not with the boat idea fresh in their minds.

“Okay, just no boats.”

“Why would Uncle Hank have a boat?”

“A model boat.” Erik grins as Hank holds up the remote controlled boat in his hands.

“Betcha can’t outrun it.” He grins and Erik stops smiling.

“Hank’s your friend; you discipline him.” Erik hisses to Charles as Peter splashes forward.

“He’s a friend, what do I do? Ground him?”

“Yes! Tell him he can’t do lab work!”

“He would whine so much; do you really want him and Peter sulking.”

“Why would Peter be sulking?”

“If he can’t go for his usual speed runs in the lab, where do you think he’ll go?”

“Outside? Like a normal kid? We could bring him here; let him run off the lack of lab.”

Peter’s grinning and Hank looks caught between yelling and cheering with him.

“I can’t believe you can actually run on water; this is incredible! We can-” Hank’s cut off as Peter once again rushes out, running on top of a wave and causing the wake to drench Hank again.

“I hate the beach.” He huffs flopping back onto the towel.

“It was your idea bluebeard; shouldn’t you be reapplying sunscreen?” Logan nods to Hanks’ reddening arms as they dry.

“Just because I look like this.” Hank gestures to himself and Logan prods at the skin on his arm.

“Doesn’t mean that’s how I am.”

“But the serum is meant to cover the physical mutation..”

“Yes; like make-up or a bandaid; but it’s still me underneath; still blue fuzz.”

“And? You’ll still get sunburned.” Logan looks unconcerned.

“Think of it this way, fur takes longer too dry.”

“So?” Logan doesn’t look up from the book he’d brought.

“Ocean water; wet, furry creature…. You must know what wet dog smells like.”

“You’re not sitting next to me on the way back.” Logan hisses and Hank laughs.

Support My Writing?

[lilsana]

and into the forest i go to free my mind and find my soul

nakamoto yuta x reader smut

1,748 words

warning: illegal drug use

The floor was cold beneath your feet as you walked into the kitchen, grabbing a few snacks from the cupboards and a few drinks from the fridge. You brought them outside to the small poolside table before you lit the pumpkin scented candle in the middle. You turned around and met your boyfriend’s eyes, who was giggling at you from behind the sliding glass door. “What are we doing, setting up a five course dinner?” He enthused, a grin radiating from his face. “Just preparing so I don’t have to get up and get what I want after we smoke, babe.” “You’re a nerd,” Yuta smiled endearingly, patting your hair and plucking a chip from the bag in your hand. “Go change.” You more-or-less ordered, a quiet “yes ma’am” coming from Yuta as he padded away. Already clad in your swimsuit, you decided to grab some towels from the bathroom as you made your way back outside. A few minutes later, Yuta met you at the glass table, soft music playing in the background, contraband sitting ready for your enjoyment, wrapped in mango and pineapple flavored swishers - a favorite for the two of you. Yuta sat and you noticed the black shorts he decided to wear; they had red and white stripes down the sides and clung to his waist perfectly, making your mouth water at the sight of his v-line dipping beneath the hem. “Ladies first,” your boyfriend offered, handing you his lighter. You brought the blunt to your lips gladly, enjoying the moment where you and the love of your life were lighting up together in a beach house while you were on a well deserved vacation. The end of the blunt burned crimson red as you lit it and inhaled slowly, relishing in the accustomed burn in your lungs. The smoke blew from your nose as you breathed out and passed the still-glowing blunt to Yuta, who brought it to his pink lips quickly. He breathed out the smoke, blowing it upwards as he relaxed into his chair.

“Ya’know, you really are a genius for grabbing all this food beforehand.” Yuta said thickly, eyeing the box of goldfish you had placed right next to him (probably deliberately). He passed you the blunt and you pulled from it again, leaning closely to his face and letting the smoke blow slowly from your lips to meet his face. “Why is that so hot literally every time you do that to me?” He said as you swung your leg over his, straddling him. You shrugged, to lazy to give a good answer as you got more comfortable in his lap. “Let’s do a trick,” you suggested when Yuta brought the joint to his lips. You leaned into him, almost close enough to kiss him, as he exhaled the smoke from his nose, you inhaled it through your mouth. As you both repeated the process once or twice before breaking out into giggles, a weak infinity ring blew between you. After catching your breaths, you felt Yuta’s hand resting on your upper thigh. You bit your lip, staring at his hand and then at his lips. Yuta caught your glances, shifting his hand higher to tease you. You felt goosebumps raise over the skin he was touching and found yourself leaning closer to his lips. Your hands rested on Yuta’s neck as you kissed him deeply, his hands wrapping around your waist and pulling you closer. Irrelevant to the temperature outside, your skin was beginning to develop a sheen of sweat as Yuta bit at your lip and gripped your waist tighter. Without moving, you could tell Yuta was enjoying this as much as you were, his member growing harder and harder beneath his swim shorts.

In a short second, you decided to tease Yuta back, moving your hips slightly. His grip on your hip instantly became tighter, a stifled moan sounding from his chest. “You really wanna play that game, baby?” He inquired, but it sounded more like a warning. This time, you put more weight down as you brushed against him, creating the perfect amount of friction for the both of you. Yuta leaned his head back, groaning erotically as his hands started moving you on him suddenly. You giggled, THC thick in your blood making you feel blissfully high as you kissed down his jaw and sucked on his neck, intent on marking your love onto his body. “I warned you.” Yuta groaned before wrapping his arms tight around your waist and standing up. “Wait, what are you doing?” You asked, startled. “Yuta! Yuta, wait, don’t do this!” You started to kick your legs and hit at his chest as he walked in the direction of the pool. Yuta’s grip was too strong, though, because before you could get out of it, you and him were jumping into the pool. Despite the shock, the water was the perfect temperature and, as you resurfaced, you splashed towards Yuta. “What the hell, dude?!” You yelled at him as he laughed heartedly, and grabbed your arm when you tried to swing some more water at him.

“Chill, I figured this would be more fun, plus your face was hilarious and completely worth it.” He chuckled as you swam over to him and wrapped your legs around his waist. He pressed his lips against yours again, swirling your tongues around each other as you snaked your hands around his neck, gripping the hair at the nape of his neck. “Let’s take this off, huh?” Yuta said as he toyed with the string of your top and pulling it so it uncoiled. You looked around, scared that there could be a possibility that someone else could see you, but upon seeing the fence around the pool, you deemed it okay. Once your top was off, you could feel Yuta’s hand trailing up your waist and gripping your breast, running the pad of his thumb over your hardened nipple. You breathed in quickly, a tiny shot of electricity going through you. “Yuta,” You breathed out as his lips appreciated your chest. “Please,” “Please what, babe?” He mumbled as he traced your collarbone with his tongue. You groaned, not wanted to succumb to his dominance. “I won’t know what you want unless you tell me~.” He trailed on, a lilt in his voice. “Ugh, just please fuck me you loser?” You groaned, pulling at the hair on the back of his head when he lightly bit down on your nipple. He laughed, sneaking his fingers underneath the hem of your bottoms and pulling them down your legs, letting them float away as he removed his own. “Skip the foreplay, I’m turned on enough as it is.” You stated when Yuta’s fingers trailed down to your core. He pressed his fingers against your clit, moving in slow figure eight motions, making you sigh heavily.

“Sure about that?” He asked playfully, pushing a finger into your pussy. You bit down on your lip, swallowing any moans bubbling up. “Now that just won’t work.” Suddenly, Yuta was lifting you up to lay on the pool wall. You shivered, the cool breeze making your nipples perk up even more. Yuta separated your legs quickly, kissing and nipping at the skin on your thighs as you whimpered from above him. It didn’t take him long before he was wrapping his lips around your clit and prodding your cunt with his tongue, loving the mewls and moans coming from your lips. You gripped his hair tightly when he stretched your walls with two of his fingers, scissoring you open slowly. The air felt like it was punched from your lungs as he ate you out gingerly, wanting you to beg for him to go faster - you would comply easily. “Yuta, please just fuck me already.” You moaned out, already melting at the thought of him sinking into you so deep. “Get down here then, young lady.” He commanded, sliding you back into the pool easily. You assumed your previous position, wrapping your legs and arms around him as he positioned his cock at your entrance. “Ready?” You nodded, and as he pushed into you, you kissed him tightly. He stretched you out beautifully and perfectly, content sighs releasing from both of your lips. Yuta gripped your ass tightly as he pulled out and pushed in again, slower, loving the friction of your walls on him. “Fuck, let’s stay like this forever.” He said as a heavy sigh leaked from his plump lips. “God, you’re so tight!” He started pumping into you at an even pace, not too fast but sufficient enough to take your breath away. As he palmed at your breasts, you pressed your forehead against his shoulder, gripping his shoulders and biceps tightly. You were completely entranced, not keeping track of time or space, wonderfully comfortable.

How, you asked yourself, had you and Yuta not had sex high before? As if the pleasure couldn’t become any better, Yuta started a new pace, pistoning himself into you as groans and pleasantries tumbled from his lips. A wanton moan came from you when his fingers suddenly started circling on your clit, driving you closer and closer to your edge. You clenched around him tightly, begging Yuta to fuck you faster. “I’m so fucking close, baby.” Yuta moaned, his lips staying preoccupied, sucking hickies on your neck. “Please tell me you are too,” his voice wavered, vulnerable. You nodded, feeling so impossibly close to your climax you thought you might die. Suddenly, you felt a hand reach around your throat, tightening slightly, just enough to cut off some blood flow but not enough to make you unable to breathe. The sensation was wicked, making you roll your eyes back into your head as the feeling of your orgasm rippled through you, clenching wildly around Yuta. A pornographic moan sounded from Yuta as he came hard, his hips slowing down as he fucked you both through your orgasms. His lithe hand let go of your neck, allowing blood to flow through your head again. Needless to say, it took you a moment before you were back on Earth. “Holy shit, Yuta. We need to do this more often.” You said as the two of you untangled from each other. “Agreed. Let’s go eat those snacks, I’m starving.” The pair of you laughed lightly as you found your place back at the glass table, eating both of your weight in junk food.

[lubdubsworld]

Perfect Husband ( Jung Kook/Oc)

Chapter 5

In the early light of dawn, Ah Reum looks like a child, Seokjin thinks, watching the gentle slope of her bare shoulders half covered by the white silk of their bedcover. Her hair is messy, soft and fluffy, like spun silk in his hands, slipping through his fingers like flowing water . He almost reaches out and cups her cheekbones, but stops himself , wary of waking her up . Her breathing is gentle and uninterrupted, her face completely at repose and he's sure that she's never looked more beautiful.

He remembers the first time they'd made love. About a month after their marriage. He'd been eager, excited, looking forward to a lifetime of the vibrant , beautiful girl who was kind, selfless and adorably funny.

But she hadn't wanted it .

Of course, she hadn't said so. She'd nodded, agreed and said yes. Once , twice and then a countless more times when he'd slid into her, pressed her into the soft downy mattress in the oak, four poster bed of their 5000$ a night  beach resort, the sound of the waves and the rain permeating the air while he moved inside her in smooth, gentle strokes, her face framed in his hands while she had  stared sightlessly at the ceiling over head. Her gaze had been glassy and ... lost. Like she wasn't sure who she was, where she was, who was inside her and it had hit him like a cannon ball.

He wasn't the one she was thinking of.

He hadn't pressed the issue. Hadn't even brought it up.

She had let him kiss her, pressed her perfect lips against his, allowed him to explore her with his tongue, to taste every inch of her skin, to touch and savor every curve dip and recess of her body with his clever surgeon hands. And she had enjoyed it, there was no doubt about it. Ah Reum was too inocent to fake pleasure , and Seokjin wasn't exactly a bad lover. She had enjoyed herself, exploded around his fingers, his tongue and his body on countless occasions.

But  she hadn't wanted it.

He straightens, moves away from the bed and moves to the bathroom, opening the door cautiously and stepping into the sprawling white room. He stops in front of the oval mirro, staring at himself.

He looks starkly beautiful, a kind of lifeless beauty he thinks. Seokjin is beautiful only when he's perfectly still, hair styled perfectly, lush lips curved in the barest of smiles and wide brown gaze steady and sincere. He's beautiful when he's slipping into his pure white coat, slipping the stethescope around his neck, perfectly buttoned up shirt underneath, stretched creaselessly across wide, wide shoulders.

He's beautiful when he's saving lives, maybe, but not beautiful in general.

Not beautiful in the way Jeon Jung kook is beautiful.

Seokjin is art in repose. 

Jung Kook on the other hand, is poetry in motion.

Jung Kook is young, handsome in a masculine , rugged alpha male kind of way. Dangerous, sexy and alluring. Mysterious. . Probably the first to throw a punch in any fight.

Words that would never be associated with someone like Kim Seokjin.

Seokjin is a pacifist, a healer. He sticks his fingers inside living things, puts together broken pieces of muscle, bone and sinew and tries to restore order whereas Jeon Jung Kook is chaos personified. He destroys lives, wrecks them with his beauty, enchants with that angelic voice and enamors people with the way his hips move.

How could Seokjin compete really? It's not a fair playing ground by any means.

They were both so different.

Like Summer sun and torrential rain, Seokjin thinks, washing his face carefully, smoothing in his foam cleanser into his face. He uses a no-nonsense , anti bacterial kind and he has less than an hour to be at the hospital so he can't afford to spend a lot of time getting ready anyway.

It’s not a fair playing fround, but Seokjin isn’t going to give up, yet. 

When he walks back out of the bathroom, towel slung low on his hips he finds her sitting up, bleary and confused. She's fumbling across the bed, fingers patting the sheets looking for her clothes. He catches sight of the bra at the foot of the bed and hands it over. She's too sleepy to feel shy, he muses, when she sits up straighter, lets the sheet fall off her upper body, pooling around her waist . 

Seokjin feels his throat go dry. He’s a doctor. The human body ought not to arouse so much reaction in him but fucking hell, she’s gorgeous. breasts that fit perfectly into his arms, perky pink nipples that look like they can cut glass, a flushed pink tint to her skin as she shivers lightly against the cold. 

He stares at her, while she slips on her bra and buckles it up at the back. Her T-shirt follows and then her simple white shorts. He wants to climb back in, peel off every inch of fabric and slide into her again. He’s so cold and there’s nothing warmer than sinking into her, letting her close around him , letting her scent permeate all the cold recesses of his heart. He wants her. He wants her bad. 

But he curbs the urge. He’s late. She’s still tired from last night. Probabaly sore too. He’d been a little tense after work and ... he hadn’t exactly been gentle. 

He wondres if it makes him a bastard. Knowing how much it probabaly hurts her to let him touch her that way and not do anything about it. but he tries not to think about that. He thinks , with time, Ah Reum will learn to love him. 

Once she's dressed , she stumbles out of the bed and zombie walks to the bathroom while he moves to their shared closet space.

By the time she comes out, he's dressed, slipping his watch on and adjusting the knot of his tie against the collar of his powder blue shirt.

"You look nice." she smiles and he returns the gesture. He knows she means it. And that's the essence of the problem, he thinks. His wife has never misled him. She's  pliant , adjusting, reasonable. She likes him, possibly even loves him. But she isn't in love  with him. And Seokjin has never felt the difference between those two phrases so strongly before. So strongly that he feels like someone just stuck their bare nails into his chest, clawed their way in, gripped his insides and were now ripping him open. He swallows the hurt and manages a weak smile.

"I have a meeting. It may run late. Don't wait up for me." He smiles and she nods, without moving.

He glances at the digital calendar on the wall. It's the end of september already, just a few more weeks to their second wedding anniversary. For their first, he'd taken her to Paris. For her birthday, he'd flown her down to Macau and Vietnam and then spent a week in the Maldives. He knows now that the problem isn't the place but the partner.

So he'll let her choose, although he knows she'll want to go back to Seoul. She'll smile at him assure him that she'll stay with her parents for a while .

I miss them, Jin, let me stay here for a few days, she would whisper.  Okay, shall I ask someone to pick you up later?,   he would ask.  No, I'll be fine. You should go back to Busan. she'd probably reply.

And if he had an ounce of self respect, he'd leave her. Really.

But she's still my wife, he thinks stubbornly. Mine, not Jung Kook's.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Jeon Inc., CEO is planning on retiring. ." Seokjin said casually, while I finished clearing up the plates from dinner. It was one of those rare occasions when my husband had come home for dinner, early. 

i didn’t cook. 

My fingers trembled of their own accord and I dropped the forks on the ceramic plates, the resulting sound feeling like some sort of an accusation as I tried to get myself together.

"Mr. Jeon?" I said nervously, my voice shaking a little bit more than my fingers. Seokjin hummed and stepped right next to me, gently nudging me away and taking the dishes himself. 

He cooked whenever he was home, so I usually cleared the dishes but my brain was slow to catch up and I let myself sit down on the chair.

Jeon Jung Kook. I wanted to cry.

It had been three years but I still wanted to cry when I thought of him.

"His son would be stepping in as the CEO , I guess." He said , very pointedly  looking at me as he took the used glasses as well. I hesitated, not sure what to say.

"He's an idol. I don't think-"

"Not an acting one. Just as the face of the company. " He shrugged, " Like me."

I nodded absently and fumbled with the ring on my finger.

"You do that whenever we talk about Jung Kook." Seokjin said suddenly and I froze.

"What?"

"You touch our wedding ring... When I mention Jung Kook...Like it's a handcuff and not just a ring." The bitterness coating his tone felt like ash on my tongue.

"Jin..."

"It's alright. I'll put some of the leftovers in the freezer. You can finish it off for lunch." He said swiftly, gathering the rest of the crockery and moving out of the dining space. I sat there, confused and guilty. I hadn't meant to hurt Jin. Hadn't meant to hurt anyone.

When we settled down to bed, Jin stayed a good foot away from me. I didn't remember the last time we'd made love. it had definitely been more than a few weeks. It didn't matter, i thought vaguely, staring up at the ceiling while he breathed evenly next to me. It didn't matter whether we had sex or not, whether we talked or not, whether we smiled at each other or not.

Because at the end of the day, we  didn't matter.

There was no Ah Reum and Seokjin. There never had been. Probably never would be. How could it? When I spent most of my time worrying and thinking of Jung Kook.

It was hard not to.

Of all his friends, only Yoongi after several failed attempts had agreed to talk to me. He had been blunt and brutally honest. Jung Kook was pissed, annoyed, and angry. He couldn't accept that what had happened was for the best. Neither could I. After three years, things that had seemed so important back then were just vaguely distressing now. It struck me that there would have been other ways out for me, from that predicament. My father would have found a way...

But I'd done something irreversible. I'd ruined , not just my life but Seokjin's too. The guilt weighed heavily on my soul.

"I'm sorry." I said softly, when the breathing next to me hitched.

"Don't" His voice was sleep heavy but firm.

"We could... We could divorce. If that's what you wanted." I said nervously.

Jin didn't reply. But I couldn't let it drop.

"You deserve better...I..."

"And you deserve someone like Jeon Jung Kook? Wild? Rough? Reckless. " He said sarcastically.

"I don't know. But I certainly don't deserve someone perfect like you." I choked out. He sighed deeply and then turned around to face me.

"Stop it. Stop this nonsense. " He said firmly.

"I..."

"Jung Kook is getting engaged next month. He's going to marry the daughter of Kingdom Corp., Her name is Lisa and she's also an idol." He said bluntly.

I stopped breathing.

"I didn't want to tell you this but as one of the partners with Kingdom corp., I'm going to have to be there. And you would too."

I was going to be sick. I really was.

"I... I need water..." I stumbled out of bed and barely got my bearings before he caught me close. I tried to wriggle out but his grip tightened.

"Listen to me and listen close. Whatever was there between you and Jung kook, I won't let you destroy yourself over it. He’s not coming back to you. You’re my wife and i don’t want you to fucking ruin your life over him!" He said roughly and I whimpered in protest.

"Let me go ...I..."

"You thinks it's funny? Watching you play martyr is the most horrible thing I've ever gone through. Make up your mind, whether you want to be an idiot for the rest of your life?. Whether you want to spend the rest of your life with him in your head and me in your bed ." He snarled and I lost it . Shoving him hard I moved away.'

"Shut up.... Shut up. You don't know anything about me. Anything. " I hissed out, the vehemence in my voice surprising even me.

Seokjin scoffed.

"I'd venture I know enough to say that you're a hypocrite. You act like you don't care about him...Like you don't think of him every fucking minute of the day but you're too much of a scared cat to actually accept it . Why don't you stop putting both of us through hell and own up to your feelings for once? Accept that it’s fucking over. If you don’t do it, I’m going to have to do it for you. "

i stared at him, stunned. Seokjin had never yelled at me.  Never.

Finally I sighed.

"Do you think i haven't tried...I... don’t know what to do... " i said helplessly. Seokjin stares at me.

"I'm too old for this, Ah Reum. I turn thirty in a couple of years. i can't... stay in a relationship that ... " He stopped and I felt something very cold grip my heart. Like an iron fist.

"I understand." I said.

"It's not that...it's not that I blame you for the way you feel;. I just...i don't think it can... Not when you're thinking of someone else. It's unfair to everyone involved."

"What do you want to do?"

"I want you to move on."

"Seokjin..." I said, startled. I could feel my heart start to cave in.

“I think I’ve been patient enough, don’t you think? It’s been three years. I want us to start a family. I want children.”

Jung Kook. I love you. Only you. No one else. It will always be you.

Nausea.

When i just looked at him he shrugged.

"You don't have to answer, now. But think about it. " He said softly, finally letting me go. I opened my mouth to say something...what, i didn't know but Seokjin's pager went off at the exact same moment.

"i have to get to the hospital..." He moved to the closet but stopped to stare at me.

"Pack some clothes. We'll leave to Seoul after I inform the hospital." He said calmly.

"You look good." 

Jung Kook stopped fumbling with the collar of his shirt and sighed.

"Thank you mother." He said politely. 

"You don't have to do this. No one's forcing you to marry Lisa." Mrs. Jeon said patiently and Jung Kook felt his fingers clench a little.

"I love her." 

"We both know you don't." 

He gritted his teeth.

"Mother I..."

"It doesn't work that way... Just because you keep saying that it won't be true." His mother said desperately and Jung Kook swallowed. 

"I want to be alone now." He said blankly. Mrs Jeon hesitated and then sighed deeply.

"Lisa is only eighteen. She isn't like you. She's still young and innocent. Don't break her heart because someone broke yours." She said gently. 

When Jung Kook didn't reply, she quietly left. As the door closed behind her, Jung Kook stared into the mirror. He looked very handsome he could tell. Lisa and him would make a beuatiful couple. He was already famous and she was too. They could be so good together. 

And his mother was wrong. 

It was possible to marry someone and then hope to fall in love with them.

Hadn't Ah Reum done just that?

He swallowed the dryness in his throat. He wanted to move on. To stop feeling this way. It wasn't enough. Nothing was enough. He would have millions roaring at him, a wild crowd, women screaming, wrapped around his finger, dying for a glance from him but it wasn't enough. He wanted that feeling of emptiness to go. He wanted to go back in time. To the time when he'd been with her. He'd had nothing then. No name. No fame. No money. But he'd had her by his side. And he'd felt complete.

Happy. 

Something that even being in the most successful kpop group in history , didn't give him. He wanted that back. He would never forgive her for taking it away from him. From them. His friends had tried to change his mind but he couldn't agree with them. 

She loved you...

they said, over and over again but he couldn't believe them. You didn't leave the people you loved. You stayed by their side, kept them close. When you lost your grip on their bodies, you began to fall. The way he had began falling, that night three years ago, watching her get married to another man. The way he had never stopped falling, ever since. 

She didn't love him. She had never loved him. If she had, how could she have left him?

She had likely pitied him, he thought miserably. 

Pitied him for being an abused, money-less teenager with no future in sight. 

He gritted his teeth at the sharp stabbing pain in his heart. He didn't know what to think or feel anymore. He hurt so badly and he had no idea how to make it stop. 

~~~~~~~~~~

When Jung Kook walked into his office at Jeon inc., the last person he expected to see there was Kim Seokjin. 

"You..." He stopped short, too stunned to move or react. His mind and heart and body just shut down completely. 

Seokjin looked worse than him, if that was possible. His shirt was rumpled, his hair messy but he still looked like a walking painting. Like the prince charming in every cliched fairy tale that was ever written. Jung Kook could feel bile rising inside his throat. 

"What the hell are you doing here?" He snapped, moving to sit behind his desk.

"Before you call security , hear me out." Seokjin said casually and Jung kook remembered suddenly that the man was five years older than him. 

"You have five seconds." Jung Kook snapped. 

"Ah Reum and I want to wish you congratulations on your engagement. This is difficult for her too, So I’d appreciate it if you … give her some closure. Break things off properly.  "

Jung Kook thought it was remarkably amazing that he didn't immediately react.

Trying to keep his voice steady, he managed a little smile. 

"Full points for the delivery , doctor. Why isn’t she here then? If she wants to move on? “

“ I wanted to meet you alone.”

“  Is that a line?  Sorry, I don’t swing that way.  " He said, deliberately provoking.

Seokjin's fingers clenched into fists and Jung Kook felt satisfied. 

"I don't even know what she sees in a jerk like you. But it's the way it is, i suppose. i just wanted to tell you this. You have the information. What you choose to do with it, is up to you." Seokjin said calmly, before moving to the door. Jung kook could feel fury bubble inside him like molten lava.

He had known. Kim Seokjin had known that Ah Reum loved and he'd still gone ahead and married her. He wanted to pummel him into the floor. 

"Get the fuck out of my face." Jung Kook snarled.

Seokjin gave him a smile.

"You can talk to her and at least hear her out , like an adult. Get off your high horse for one minute and consider that there might be something more to her story." He said softly.

"You're pushing it, Seokjin. " Jung Kook snapped, annoyed by how flippantly Seokjin was talking about Ah Reum to someone else.

Did Ah Reum know her husband was here. Jung Kook could guess that she probably didn’t. No girl would want to have her feelings or thoughts shared with others like this. . Did the man not care about how his wife would feel about his actions? The thought made Jung Kook want to kick him. 

But Seokjin wasn’t finished.

"Now that I've got that off my chest. Let me tell you what i really think, Jeon Jung kook. I hope you stay the fuck away from her. I hope you go ahead and live in denial for the rest of your life. And I hope she finally gives up on you and comes to me instead. That's what I hope will happen. And considering the kind of asshole you are, there's no doubt that , that is  what will happen.  " He said before turning around and stalking out. 

Jung Kook fumed as the door shut behind him. 

~~~~~~

He'd thought of this moment a million times. The moment when he would finally see her again. But it still knocked the breath out of him.

She couldn't see him. He was behind the one way mirror of his office and she was here with Seokjin, politely bowing to all the other officers and the interns and the secretaries. She was here out of politeness. Now that his father was no longer in power, the board of directors had agreed to invest in her father's company. She had come to offer her greetings.

His gaze fell on her hair, long and hitting her waist again and he could feel his throat beginning to close up.

She looked painfully different from how he remembered her. She was thin now. Not just slim but thin. There was no brightness in her gaze, no playful smile , just waiting to get out, tugging at the corner of her lips. He stared at her like in a trance, noting the sloping curve of her shoulders, bare to the world. He felt his jaw clench at the sight. She used to wear shirts, he remembered. Shirts that displayed no skin. She hated having her skin bared but now here she was in an off-shoulder blouse in  candy pink, long long hair perfectly styled.

Her slightly knobby  ankles were fitted into high heeled sandals. He could still remember how they'd felt underneath his fingers when he's carried her on his back, on the river bank three years ago. He'd teased her about how they were. Like dried prunes, he'd said impishly. 

She had laughed . Not a lady-like mild little giggle but a full on laugh. Did she laugh like that now? Somehow he doubted it. 

They had destroyed her, he thought, fingers beginning to tremble.

The girl he'd fallen in love with wasn't there anymore. 

No short , soft hair. No pretty laughing eyes. No happy, honest smile. Instead she had been turned into just another trophy wife. 

And then without any warning she turned around and looked right at him.

Jung Kook staggered with the force of her stare. There wasn't anything substantial in her gaze but it still terrified him. 

It took him a second to realize that she couldn't see him through the glass. But she was staring right at him and he couldn't breathe. 

He couldn’t breathe but everything just changed. He didn’t even fucking remember Lisa’s face anymore. This was her. This was the girl for him. The only girl for him.

And he wasn’t going to let her go.  

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

"I want her back." Jung Kook said into the receiver. For a second there was no response.

"You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. " Seokjin said , voice shaking just a little bit. 

"I don’t fucking kid, Doctor. She’s my girl. She’s always been my girl. I’m just taking back what’s rightfully mine.”

Silence.

“What she is, is a person. She doesn’t fucking belong to anyone: you or me. But right now, she’s also my wife. The next time you refer to her as anything else, I’ll hand you your teeth in a fucking platter..” Seokjin gritted out.

“Look whose grown a fucking spine… “ Jung kook sneered. “ You think she won’t ditch your sorry ass if I called her right now?”

“Try it. You and I both know Ah Reum will never cheat on me. Just face it, Jung Kook. You had your chance and you screwed up. She’s my wife now. No one forced her to do it. She did it all on her free will. ”

Jung Kook took a deep breath.

“I’m coming for her. You better be fucking prepared.” He gripped the glass of scotch on his desk in an iron grip.

Seokjin laughed.

“And she’ll be coming for me. The way she’s done, every single night for the past three years.” He whispered.

The glass shattered, slicing through Jung Kook’s skin , tearing through the white expanse and painting it red. He watched the blood drip down the desk, the pain momentarily clearing his head of the excruciatingly painful image of Seokjin touching Ah Reum…

Of Seokjin actually ….

“You just signed your death warrant.” He gritted out before hanging up.

AUTHOR’S NOTE : My apology for the lack of originality but this is actually a literal kdrama fest so, expect more cliches. Thank you. Let me know what you thought without fail. 

[dancerwrites]

until the weight falls from your back (I’ll keep you in my arms tonight)

Spoilers for Episode 82 Perc’ahlia the scene, alternatively 3.6k words, rated T (link to ao3)

Vex trailed after Percy as Vox Machina went their separate ways, her feet moving on autopilot. Her brother had been the first to rush off to the baths and no one had questioned her leaving after Percy – all their rooms were in the same wing of the castle after all.

Still, she found herself following his footsteps, just behind him until she found a surge of courage and sped up to walk alongside him, slipping her fingers between his as she does so.

He jumped slightly but didn’t let go of her hand, gently running his thumb across her knuckles as he slowed his walk to match hers.

“Hello, dear,” he said, his breath warm on her head as he dropped a kiss on top of her hair. “I’m sorry you startled me – I didn’t notice you were there. You’re getting better at sneaking every day.”

“Am I?” Vex asked, squeezing his fingers gently and pressing closer to him in the chill air of Whitestone.

As they walked she felt her eyes glaze over as they continue the familiar path down the hall, up the stairs, turning right then going straight, then left…

They walked for a bit longer, and when they arrived at the hall housing their rooms Vex spoke again.

“Darling?”

“Hmmm?” Percy hummed in question, slowing as they approached the door to Vex’s room.

“Mind if I join you for a bath?”

Percy stopped in front of her door, and she looked up at him to see a curious expression in his eyes.

“You know I don’t mind in the slightest,” he said, bringing his free hand to the side of her face.

She closed her eyes at the contact, the warmth of his palm chasing away the chill in her cheeks.

“But why do you ask?”

Vex sighed, lifting her own free hand to cover his, keeping his warm presence against her face, but she didn’t articulate further.

“I only ask because… Well, we’re exhausted,” Percy said, and Vex opened her eyes to see his shining blue eyes behind golden spectacles, just behind matted clumps of white hair greyed from ash and soot. “I’m not sure now is the best time…”

There’s a sharpness to his gaze, a searching depth, and a sudden trembling in his hands that makes Vex’s breath catch in her throat, a heat rising to her cheeks as she blinked furiously. She knows what he’s not saying, and she doesn’t want to dwell on such things. She would love to dwell on such enjoyable activities in the future, possibly even for long hours, but she was, to put it simply, exhausted.

“It-“

She got out one word before the lump in her throat stopped her speech and she had to take a deep breath to continue, pulling his hand from her face as she did so.

“I’m not sure I want to be alone right now,” she said slowly, haltingly, doing her best not to let herself go. “I mean-“

He squeezed her fingers, preempting her babbling.

“I understand.”

And of course she should have known he understood, him of all people.

Biting her lip, Vex nodded and squeezed his fingers in return.

“So shall we get some clean clothes for the both of us?” Percy asked, gesturing down the hall.

Vex nodded again, her throat tight, and followed Percy’s hand pulling at her own.

They entered Vex’s room first, and Vex released Percy’s hand for a moment to rummage through her drawers to find something comfortable, taking it again as they left her room and went to Percy’s.

He easily pulled out a loose shirt and everything else he needed with one hand, the other firmly locked with hers.

“Come on, the royal bath is this way,” he said with a wink that had a smile pulling at her lips. He led her up a floor to a different hallway, one she had wandered down perhaps once or twice previously, though never with any intention.

“When you say ‘royal bath’…” Vex trailed off as they reached the end of the corridor and he opened the door for her. “Oh.”

The bathroom they walked into was bigger than any she’d ever set foot in, save the hot spring pools that Scanlan had in his “magnificent mansion”. The air was filled with a lovely mix of aromas, from tart to mellow, almost like a strong tea, and there was a lingering sense of warmth, similar to the hot springs and the steam they emitted.

“Bless the servants for putting in the herbs,” Percy said, taking a deep inhale, a peaceful smile slipping over his features.

Vex felt a small weight lift off her chest at the sight and took a deep breath of her own, letting the scent of the herbs fill her nose and lungs. The warmth of the room was a welcome change from the cool air of hall, and Vex felt a sudden surge of emotion sting at her eyes even as Percy led her to the edge of the tub.

“Have you always had your baths here?” Vex asked as they laid their clean clothes on a wooden bench, next to some thick towels.

“No,” Percy said with a grin, “Though this would technically be the bath for the Lord and Lady of Whitestone, it’s not exactly an easy task to fill it.”

“But it’s filled now.”

“With all of us here, Cassandra must have told the servants to fill all available baths – are you complaining?”

His tone was teasing, but Vex felt a couple tears run down her face and she tried to inconspicuously wipe the moisture from her cheeks instead of answering.

After a moment, Percy pulled her close and finished the job himself, then pulled her in for a gentle kiss, sweet and tender enough that it almost had her crying again.

As they broke apart she managed a smile and pulled away, thankful that he hadn’t said anything. She untangled the leather tie from the end of her braided hair and starting to unravel the mess before disrobing. The sooner they could get clean the better.

It didn’t take long for them to settle themselves in the bath, the heat of the water soaking into their aching muscles and scent of the herbs creating an earthy, yet simultaneously heady atmosphere. Vex sighed, letting herself sink until only her face was above the water, then pushing herself back up and reclining against the sanded white stone on the sides of the bath.

“You could nearly swim laps in here,” Vex murmured, stretching out her legs into the depressed center of the bath.

Percy chuckled, running wet fingers through his hair to make it stand up before he flattened it out again, the white strands turning grey with ash and dirt.

“My father had it made for my mother as a gift for their anniversary when I was younger – she grew up in a warmer climate than here, and while we took the occasional trip to a beach or lake before the twins were born, it was nice for them to have a place to relax together.”

“Sounds romantic,” Vex said, swallowing back a joke about what might actually have gone in the tub. She was all for jokes and sex most of the time, but the warm water was making her already groggy mind even foggier. So she closed her eyes instead and leaned against Percy’s shoulder, breathing deeply, the scent of gunpowder and ash mixing with the herbs infused in the water forming an intoxicating mix.

Percy hummed, his chest vibrating beneath her cheek, and he brought up his hand to rub her arm.

“I actually helped with some of the mechanics,” Percy continued, his thumb working out a knot in her shoulder. “We wanted to come up with an easier way of moving so much water up two flights of stairs, not to mention keeping it warm, so I came up with the idea for a reservoir that could be heated with fires. From there a set of pressure systems have switches that can be thrown to direct the water into different parts of the castle.”

“I love when you talk smart,” Vex murmured, and he chuckled, dropping a kiss on top of her head.

“Glad to hear it, as I do it often enough,” he replied, his arm tightening in a hug for a moment. “Though, should we wash up so you don’t fall asleep in the bath? And we should still eat something before going to bed.”

Vex grumbled, not even attempting to form actual words, but she pushed herself up. She did, however, take a moment to admire, not for the first time, the wiry and defined muscles on Percy’s physique. Given other circumstances she would have wanted to take advantage of their current situation and privacy, but her stomach growled and her limbs ached and yes, they probably should just hurry and wash up before someone else came knocking, ready to clean themselves up.

Percy handed her a bar of sweet-smelling soap and Vex gratefully started to scrub the black-brown stains of ash and blood from her body as he did the same. It went relatively quickly, and soon the water was dark with grime, with a thin layer of suds floating on top.

But when it came time to wash her back, when she tried to twist awkwardly to reach, Percy caught her hand in his and smiled at her confusion.

“Do you want me to get your back for you?”

Vex raised an eyebrow, but nodded (it would certainly be easier, and less taxing on her already spent muscles), and relinquished her soap and turned to face away from him.

When his calloused fingers dug beneath her shoulder blades, into literal knots of muscle, Vex gasped and braced an arm against the side of the bath, exhaling heavily.

Percy’s fingers relaxed and she felt him shift to her side, then saw his face in her periphery.

“Was that too much?”

“It was gorgeous, darling,” Vex assured him, dropping her head onto the side of the table, breathing out heavily once more. “Just unexpected. I certainly wouldn’t mind if you continued…”

She trailed off as he began again, and the pressure was welcome when she knew it was on its way. Humming, Vex took deep breaths as he worked, methodical as he always was, starting beneath her shoulders and working up to her neck and head, the soap making his fingers slide easily across her skin.

Vex felt herself relaxing more than she had in weeks, and hummed again as he brushed her hair to one side and kept moving up her spine. She let herself drift for a moment, but she snapped back to reality when she heard the distinctive sound of footfalls coming down the hall.

“Percy, I think we’re about to have a visitor,” she said, turning to look at the door.

“A visitor?”

“Your hearing might be shit from all those explosions, but trust me, darling,” she said, listening carefully to try and determine who it was.

After a moment the familiar tread was impossible to mistake, and Vex’s eyes widened, especially when the footsteps didn’t slow, even approaching the door.

He wasn’t going to knock. Nope.

“Fuck,” Vex said, before taking a deep breath in and ducking under the water.

It had been a long time since Vex had needed to hold her breath for anything, and when Vax stepped into the bath and then didn’t say anything for a good ten seconds she started to worry that they would all end up in a very awkward situation regardless of the potential topic of discussion.

Thankfully, Percy initiated conversation, and though the words were muddled by the water as Vex practically clung to his leg to keep from floating to the surface, she caught something about her brother being weird. Then Vax said something about them being different, though she wasn’t sure who was different from whom.  

“I would agree, although, again, I’m in a bath at the moment.”

Vex was careful not to chuckle at the emphasis Percy put in his crisp words, and she pinched her nose in case she was tempted to breathe in.

The air above her was eerily silent, and Vex wanted to sigh at her brother’s roundabout ways of talking to people.

“Cut to it,” Percy said after a moment, Vex making a brief mental note to do something particularly nice for her boyfriend when all was said and done with the Conclave. “I was really working on something,” he continued, and Vex hugged his calf tighter, her cheek resting against his kneecap.

Her brother started talking, his voice too low to carry to her ears no matter how hard she tried. Vex felt the first sign of tightness in her chest as her lungs started to run out of oxygen and she tapped Percy’s leg, hoping he would get the message to hurry things up.

He didn’t say anything, though, besides making some noise of assent in Vax’s direction.

“Now I have a sister, and we fight constantly, so I expect to do that with you,” Vax said, just a bit louder. Vex wasn’t sure where their conversation went from there, however, as her lungs began screaming just a bit louder than the voices above her and it took all she had to stay underwater. She also had a terrible urge to cough, the ash from Thordak’s lair certainly stuck in her throat still.

Vex caught something about family from Percy, and she tapped his leg again, more urgently, and hoped her would hurry Vax the fuck out of there. A couple bubbles escaped her lips and she used the hand that was pinching her nose to cover her mouth as well.

What felt like ages later she finally heard a splash as Vax left the tub and then the muffled sound of a door closing, which she took as her cue.

“Oh, thank god!” she exclaimed, taking a deep breath, then another. “I thought he’d never leave!”

She coughed, then looked up at Percy, who had a thoughtful smile on his face, and she smacked his leg underwater.

“Could you not understand my frantic tapping on your leg?”

“There really wasn’t much I could do to hurry the talk along,” Percy said, still grinning. “I am sorry about that. But your brother took over thirty seconds to get to even a decent point for conversation, after sitting down, let alone what he was actually here to talk about.”

“Which was what?” Vex asked, crossing her arms across her chest.

“He called me his brother,” Percy said, looking over toward the door. “And said that he was glad to have me here.”

“He called you ‘brother’ to your face?” Vex asked, starting to rethink her earlier assumptions about Vax’s state of mind.

“He did.”

“That’s an accomplishment.”

“Is it?” Percy asked, turning back to look at her.

“How many times has he said that to you in living memory?” Vex asked, twirling a bit of her hair around a finger as she bit her lip and contemplated the situation before her. “He never says things like that out loud. He must like you.”

She winked at him then, and he rolled his eyes, making her chuckle.

“Honestly though,” Vex said, turning so she could sit beside him again. “I’m surprised he said anything at all.”

Percy only hummed a bit, bringing up one hand to tangle it through her hair as they sat there, the water starting to cool perceptibly.

“We’ve been making amends for a while,” Percy said after a moment.

Vex, glancing up, saw his gaze was fixed again on the door to the hallway.

“I think that might have been the closest thing to an apology I’m going to get,” he continued, his fingers dropping to her shoulder and squeezing gently. “Or, perhaps, it was forgiveness.”

“It seems to be making its rounds,” Vex said, nodding and laying her head on Percy’s shoulder again. She felt several emotions well up in her chest, predominantly relief and peace, though other feelings were mixed into the basket. Vex felt tears well up in her eyes for about the twentieth time that day.

She sniffed a couple times, and Percy shifted to look down at her.

“Are you alright?”

Vex nodded, taking a deep breath and sitting up, her vision a little blurry, but she could still see Percy’s face, crumpled and frowning as it was.

“I think so,” she said truthfully. The cold tension that had been set in her chest since falling unconscious in Thordak’s lair had thawed a great deal in the warm water and next to Percy. Her muscles were still sore, but she didn’t feel like she might fall over if she tried to stand, and she no longer felt the need to simultaneously run from everyone and pull them into a group hug.

“It’s been a long day,” she said after a moment of thought. “And it’s going to be a long one after we sleep, I’m sure. But for now I’m hanging in there.”

“I think we all are,” Percy said, brushing some hair out of her face and behind one of her ears. “And that’s all we’re going to be able to do until everything’s calmed down.”

“Will it ever calm down?” Vex found herself asking, with a bit more desperation than she had intended. “I mean, we had a little time here after defeating the Briarwoods, but we’ve never had time to just sit and relax. Not since the Underdark, practically. We’ve always had something to do.”

“We can only hope,” said Percy, a wry smile touching his lips. “Though we do seem to attract more trouble than we’re worth, don’t we?”

“It’s ridiculous,” Vex agreed, shaking her head.

“We’re ridiculous.”

Vex actually snorted, then began laughing out loud, Percy joining her after only a moment. It was hard to stop once she had started, the remaining tension of the past couple days fully dispersing in the presence of such amusement, and when they finally stopped it took her a moment to get her breath back.

“That we are,” she said with a cough, still smiling. Percy’s face mirrored her mood and she shook her head, leaning forward to press her lips to his. He returned the pressure with a gentle enthusiasm, and when they pulled away both of them were still smiling. Vex found herself staring into Percy’s eyes, the rainstorm hue of his irises sparkling in the light of the gas lamps set around the room, and he stared back for a long moment, until he leaned forward and kissed her forehead again.

“Would you like me to wash your hair for you?” he asked, pulling back.

Vex looked down at some of the hair trailing down her chest, part of it coated with ash despite being underwater and some of it matted.

“I can’t say I wouldn’t,” she said, smiling. “Though I would prefer if you were quick about it – it’s starting to get cold here.”

“Mmmm,” Percy hummed, dropping his hands to her shoulders and gently spinning her in place, then encouraging her to lean her head back and get her hair wet once again. “And hopefully the others managed to take their baths quicker than the two of us. We’ve taken quite the bath.”

“Fuck it,” she said as Percy pushed her head up again and she let him start scrubbing soap onto the ends of her hair. “We fought a dragon today.”

“We all fought a dragon today,” Percy reminded her, his fingers moving up through her hair until they reached her scalp.

“Details, details,” Vex said, biting her lip at the sensation of strong fingers working their way through her hair.

“Important details.”

“Mmhmm,” Vex agreed, not really in the mood for a coherent response. Percy’s fingers danced their way across her scalp with stunning strength and pressure, almost as if they were tracing patterns in heavy sand.

It didn’t take him long to finish, thorough and efficient as he was, and all too soon he had a hand on either temple, guiding her head backwards to wash the suds from her hair. He ran his fingers through her hair again and again, rinsing out the soap and inspiring a warmth to fill Vex’s chest in the silence.

When he finished he let her know, and she sat up, running her fingers through her hair and squeezing out some of the excess water.

“Thank you,” she said, turning back to face him. She tried to put more meaning into the words than a simple thanks for washing her hair, and by his smile she hoped she had succeeded.

“Anytime,” he replied, his voice low, and she couldn’t help but smile.

“I’ll hold you to that.”

“I count on it.”

Their lips met again in a soft kiss, chaste and quick, and Vex shivered slightly.

“I think it’s time to return to the rest,” Percy said, and Vex reluctantly agreed, slipping out of the bath after Percy and wrapping herself in a large towel.

After she’d dried off Vex slipped into her loose clothes and glanced at her leather armor, coated in filth and ash.

“We can have the servants take care of that,” Percy said, stepping up behind her. “I’ll let them know it’s here, and they can have it cleaned and polished before we wake.”

“Are you sure?”

“It’s their job,” he pointed out, “And besides, we need time to both eat and sleep before our next battle. So let’s make the most of it, shall we?”

He held out his hand, and she took it.

“I think I can do that,” she said, smiling, as they headed toward the hall.

[jonasmaurer]

Disney Magic: Miami to Bahamas and Castaway Cay

Sharing our experience on the Disney Magic from Miami to the Bahamas and Castaway Cay.

Hi friends! Happy Monday! How was the weekend? I hope you had a great one. We’ve been enjoying Tucson’s spring-like weather and spending lots of time outside. We spent Saturday afternoon at the petting zoo and headed to Trail Dust Town to ride the rides before tacos and margaritas at Calle Tepa. Sunday, the girls had a birthday party and I also finally made our way through the epic mountain of unpacking + laundry from last week. I feel like I can *kinda* start the week caught up a bit on life.

For today’s post, I wanted to share a recap of our cruise!! It was our second Disney cruise and it didn’t disappoint. Disney just does so many things right: the experiences, dining, staff, cleanliness, everything is just top notch. I didn’t think we’d ever be “cruise people” – as a person with anxiety the very thought of being stuck in a boat in the middle of the ocean scares the sh*t out of me – and we’re officially obsessed. It’s our favorite way to travel right now. We get to see new places as a family, all while enjoying shows, characters, incredible dining and amenities, and even get some couple time since the kids LOVE kids club.

Here’s a recap of our trip!

Disney Magic: Miami to Bahamas and Castaway Cay

The Disney Cruise experience

We flew to Miami for this cruise and the entire boarding process was seamless. Since it was our second cruise, we were able to board the boat early, so we went straight to the pool. This was the quietest time at the pool during the entire cruise. (Pro tip: keep your swimsuits and a change of clothes in your backpack since you check your luggage at the port and don’t get it until a few hours later, when it’s waiting at your room.)

We previously cruised on the Disney Wonder and the Magic is the sister ship. The layout is almost exactly the same – the names of some of the lounges and restaurants are different – and it was nice to get on board and already know where everything was. After our swim, we grabbed lunch from Cabana’s and the girls at ice cream on the top deck until we checked into our rooms.

The rooms are pretty small, but I feel like they really maximize the space you do have. (We opted for a Deluxe Oceanview room which has a large porthole and split bathrooms.) The couch in the room transforms to a bunk bed for the kids – the stateroom host sets it up each night and puts everything back in the morning – and you can slide your suitcases under the bed. While the rooms are smaller, the beds are extremely comfortable and you have everything you need.

Our stateroom host surprised us with chocolates and towel animals each night, in addition to pirate bandanas and some extra little treats.

Dining options on the Disney Magic

The dining on the ship is out of control. It’s literally everything you could ever wish for, 24/7. Room service is included – you just need to tip – so if you want a Mickey bar delivered at midnight, you can live your best life and go for it. The dinner is on a rotation basis, so you dine at Animator’s Palate, Rapunzel’s, and Lumiere’s, and alternate each night. There are two seating options (5:45 and 8:30) and if you want to get Cabana’s, a quick bite, or room service, you’re not obligated to attend your seating time.

Here’s a rundown of the different restaurants and what they offer:

Cabana’s: Buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. They have everything you could ever wish for, plus different international dishes: chicken congee, Indian curries, Mexican food, so many different options. This is a great choice for breakfast because you don’t have to sit down at a restaurant and wait. You wake up, head to deck 9, and breakfast is waiting for you. Mickey waffles, omelettes, fruit, oatmeal, corned beef hash, breakfast potatoes, eggs, sausage, smoked salmon, pancakes, pastries, yogurt, and smoothies were available daily for breakfast, in addition to so many other things.

Daisy’s: Daisy’s De-lights includes more quick bite options like wraps, sandwiches, salads, soups, fresh chopped fruit, and you can also build a bowl from different healthy ingredients (lettuce, veggies, lentils, sun-dried tomatoes, etc.). We liked this for quick and easy lunches by the pool. Each day, the girls ate a fruit plate from Daisy’s with pineapple, cantaloupe, honeydew, and grapes.

Pinocchio’s: Pizza, veggie burgers, hot dogs, chicken tenders, and fries. The girls had pizza daily while we were there and everything is cooking out by the pool. I don’t remember seeing this but the Pilot said that next to Pinocchio’s they had gyros and falafel!

Formal dinner options: (the menus give you a choice for appetizer, salad/soup, entree, and dessert. You can mix and match as you like! For example, you can order two appetizers for your meal, skip the salad course, or order different entrees for the table to share.)

Rapunzel’s: Rapunzel’s was one of the more formal dining options. When we ate at Rapunzel’s, it was also Pirate Night, so the meal options were more creole style. I’m not sure what the regular menu looks like, but the food was excellent.

Lumiere’s: This is a French-style restaurant. I had some insanely delicious horseradish crusted salmon, lobster, and a salad. Liv was able to order escargots, which is one of her favorite foods.

Animator’s Palate: Animator’s was our first night on the ship and didn’t disappoint. For the longer cruises, they give you special placemats to draw a person. At the end of the night, they project all of the drawings onto the walls and make them dance to music. It’s SO fun! While they didn’t do that this time, they still had a special light show and sorcerer Mickey made an appearance.

They had this gluten-free chocolate walnut cake that was FROM MY DREAMS.

Dinner at Palo

While we were on the ship, we also had the opportunity to dine at the adult’s only restaurant, Palo. (You can make reservations for brunch or dinner.) It’s an upcharge of $40 per person plus any alcohol or specialty drinks, which felt extremely low considering everything they offered. They even wheeled a charcuterie cart around the restaurant and you could pick what you wanted!

Everything was wonderful, but the star of the show is the chocolate soufflé. The Pilot and I agreed that it was in the top three of best desserts we’ve ever had.

Entertainment and activities on board

There are SO many activities on the ship, from character greetings, to BINGO, to dance parties, silent discos, karaoke, and live Broadway-style shows. We were at the pool for a few hours each day, watching movies on the top deck, swimming, and snacking, before heading back inside to grab dinner.

We saw two shows on the ship – Tangled and Twice Charmed – and while they weren’t our favorites (the live shows at the parks are better quality), the girls LOVED them. We also did almost every round of BINGO and won once, which was exciting.

Castaway Cay

Everyone told us that Castaway Cay was incredible but I didn’t fully understand until we were there. The island is surrounded by clear, turquoise water, and there are lounge chairs and umbrellas as far as you can see. The sand is insanely soft, and the kiddos can borrow inner tubes, snorkel equipment and life jackets. You can also rent jet skis, paddle boats, kayaks, and paddle boards. They have full restaurants on the island (all included), the famous ice cream stands (you can make yourself an ice cream cone on the ship any time of day. They always have chocolate and vanilla and will rotate in a special flavor, like mango or strawberry), an entire stand of fresh chopped fruit (the mango was SOOOO fresh and good), kids club, a spa, luaus, and activities.

They have a 5k that morning that I registered to do, but it was raining and windy so I skipped it. The weather calmed down just enough for the girls to spend a couple of hours playing the water and building sand castles. It started to pour, so we hit under an umbrella until it blew over. Then, we had lunch at the restaurant (BBQ food with burgers, chicken, veggie burgers, sausages, potato salad, chips, coleslaw, and cookies, along with fresh fruit) and had the best time. I can’t wait to make it back one of these days!!

What to pack for a Disney Cruise

For this cruise, it was much warmer (in the 80s!!) so I only brought a jacket or hoodie for each of us. We wore an outfit for breakfast, our swimsuits and coverups all afternoon while we were at the pool, and then another outfit for dinner.

If you book a Disney cruise, I would absolutely check out what themed nights they’re doing. (Sometimes they do a Marvel night or Pirate Night, or there might by princess greetings or character breakfasts.) Our themed night was Pirate Party, so naturally, we all dressed up like pirates. The last night of the cruise is usually formal night, which can range from full sparkly dresses to just a cute dress and sandals. Really anything goes.

Some of my favorite things to pack for a cruise:

– Pop-up hamper (this is a game changer, especially for longer cruises. It makes it so easy to put your dirty clothes in one spot and just haul the entire basket to the laundry room)

– Laundry pods. I love bringing home a suitcase full of clean clothes! It’s less depressing to unpack when the clothes are clean.

– Door magnets. There are so many cute ones on Etsy!

– Your own sand bucket and beach toys. They have them on the island but so much easier and less expensive to bring your own.

– Placard Originals princess dresses. The girls have amassed quite the collection over the years. I love that they’re play fabrics instead of the itchy shiny fabrics that are usually used for princess costumes

– You can check out my full packing list for Disney Wonder to Alaska here!

Have you been on a cruise? Where did you go?

What’s the #1 place on your travel bucket list?

xo

Gina

More:

Disney Wonder Alaska Cruise Recap

Girls’ Disney trip

Liv’s first trip to Disneyland 

Note: This post isn’t sponsored and we paid for all travel and accommodations. We use Costco Travel for cruises and highly recommend it!

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